Black Ops: Anbu Naruto

The Sky Bridge was fully within the line of sight of the engaged ninja squad. They were not only under attack from Taki's ninjas, but also from Kusa's ninjas on the opposite side of the bridge.

Tayuya continued playing her flute, using silent musical commands to guide the three giant demons she had summoned through the forest to aid her comrades as best she could.

"Damn it! Captain Yamato was spot on. Even with the defenses we set up, they're barely holding. The enemy broke through our first frontline in the north and forced us back."

The battle had become a grueling stalemate centered around the Sky Bridge and surrounding forest. They were fighting desperately to stop Kusa's ninjas from destroying the bridge, so once they found out Naruto had destroyed the enemy stronghold across the river, weakening Kusa's defenses, their forces could charge across.

Elsewhere, Anko rode atop a massive python, slithering through the forest and swallowing or crushing every enemy blocking her path.

What a crazy woman. Over the past week, she had been facing off against Kusa's ninjas from the opposite riverbank, which made her crave a good fight to blow off some steam.

Meanwhile, Tayuya gave a mocking laugh as she watched a Nara clan ninja use [Shadow Mirror Body Changing Method] to control several Takigakure ninjas. Seizing the opportunity, she swung her poison-coated staff and finished them off.

She heard the clashing of metal behind her and turned to see Tetsu and Izumo wielding their double-bladed chain kunai—a perfect weapon for coordinated attacks.

She nodded in approval, and they responded with smirks before she resumed playing her flute and they returned to battle.

The battle raged on when suddenly the ground trembled violently. In the northern part of the battlefield, a Taki reinforcement unit had planned to launch an offensive from that direction, but with a deafening explosion, an entire stretch of forest was flattened.

A huge deep-red frog appeared atop the treetops, fiercely attacking enemies as though proving a point.

"I know only two people who can summon frogs," Tayuya thought to herself. At this moment, Taki's ninjas began retreating north while Kusa's forces fell back toward the Sky Bridge, racing to reach the fortress on the far bank of the river.

Stepping onto the bridge and watching the fleeing ninjas scrambling, Tayuya smirked again when she saw an orange frog—larger than a human—attacking the leader of Kusa's shinobi.

Amidst the smoke-filled battlefield, Naruto and his shadow clones fended off wave after wave of Kusa ninja attacks, charging across the bridge in a frenzy as if pursued by demons.

Naruto looked into the distance and saw Gamabunta unleashing powerful attacks upon the enemies deep within the forest. That explained why the Kusa ninjas were in such a panic—that, after all, they lacked powerful summoning beasts or Jinchuriki like Konoha had to face such monsters.

"Your teammate ran away the moment he saw us. What gives, kid?"

Gamabunta swung his blade with deadly precision, mowing down enemies one by one. "Your teammates are over there—I can see them," he said. Gamabunta's swordsmanship was now far superior to that of his father, Gamakichi.

"Sakura shouldn't be here, Gamabunta," Naruto said as he leaped onto the heads of the giant frogs. He hurled a shuriken while forming hand seals, infusing it with lightning chakra. [Lightning Release: Lightning Shuriken!]

A bolt of lightning crashed from the sky, striking the enemy dead on.

At the same time, Konoha reinforcements arrived, flanking the remaining enemies from both sides. Those not slain by Konoha's ninja had no choice but to leap into the raging river below, clinging to hope for survival.

The battle ended within five minutes—none of the Kusagakure ninja survived, meaning none of the Allied Ninja Forces would live to report this defeat.

As the last rays of sunset disappeared over the western horizon, the wooden planks of the bridge had turned blood-soaked and slick with gore.

Another battle had also ended in Konoha's favor. They allowed Takigakure's ninja to retreat—but only if they charged across the Sky Bridge and eliminated the enemy hiding in the forest, securing Konoha's foothold on Grass Country soil.

Gamabunta disappeared in a plume of thick smoke.

Then, Gamabunta and Naruto watched as the Konoha shinobi flawlessly repositioned their forces. Within an hour after the battle ended, everything was already handled—no time wasted, no detail overlooked. Their battlefield efficiency was astonishing.

If Danzo were still alive and saw this sight, he would have certainly smiled. And the Nine-Tails must have been equally pleased with its jinchūriki's commanding presence.

"The air reeks of blood, death, and the stench of defeat, kid," Gamabunta said as he and Naruto walked among the other ninja toward the new base camp across the river. They planned to rest for a while.

"That's right… but there's also the scent of victory," Naruto replied. His Sage Mode had worn off, and he wiped the blood off his face, realizing how soaked his clothes had become. He desperately needed a bath and clean clothes.

He slapped the frog's back and kept walking. "Alright, let's go grab you a drink, buddy."

******

Inside Sunagakure's temporary command post, Gaara sat at a table poring over the day's reports. Though the Kazekage's residence remained unbuilt, Gaara prioritized the village's safety over his own comfort.

But right now, something else occupied his mind—the urgent intelligence brought back from outside the village.

"Are you absolutely certain this is true?" Gaara asked gravely.

"Yes, without doubt…" answered a Sunagakure chunin wearing a face mask. Though his injuries weren't serious, the news he bore was dire. "The combined forces of Iwagakure, Tachibana Village, and Amegakure are advancing across the desert toward us."

Another chunin looked visibly shaken—not just by the message itself, but by the cost of delivering it.

"Those Konoha ninjas... When we were discovered and pursued, they stayed behind to hold off the enemy so we could return first to deliver the message."

Kankuro and Temari were greatly surprised upon hearing this news.

"You really left them behind?" Kankuro asked, clearly displeased.

The first Chunin shook his head quickly. "No, we told them they should head back first since we know the terrain better. We're better equipped to handle even a large number of enemies. But they insisted that precisely because of that, they should stay behind, as we know the terrain better and can return faster. I've already lost count of how long we've been running."

"They said Sunagakure has already suffered enough losses..." Another Chunin, looking even more sorrowful, added. "It took us three days and nights straight to get back here. They came from the northeast—the direction of Amegakure."

"This doesn't look good," Temari frowned, adjusting the fan on her back slightly, looking uneasy. "Gaara, what should we do?"

Gaara didn't respond immediately. He sat in the chair, resting his chin in both hands, his sea-green eyes gleaming with resolve.

"What else can we do?" Gaara countered with a question of his own. "We must stop them. We must let the entire world know that even if our strength has weakened, no one will ever trample Sunagakure so easily again."

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