Naruto: The White Spider of the Leaf

The air was thick with the heavy scent of war, and the weight of it pressed down on all of us. Some time of rest had done little to wash away the exhaustion, the wounds, and the scars from the last battle. But there wasn't time to linger. The war was still raging, and the next mission was already on the horizon. I stood in the middle of the camp we'd made, looking out at the still quiet horizon. The rain dribbled endlessly, as it always did in this land.

Jiraiya had been quite clear when he spoke to us earlier. He and other high ranking Jonin would be working on the front lines where we'd lost our foothold, keeping the enemy distracted. The Rock had recently taken over a crucial position thanks to their Jinchuuriki, and now they were preparing to set up their base of operations. We wouldn't let them gain that advantage.

I exhaled slowly, letting the tension go, if only for a moment. The mission was simple enough: break the Rock village's supply line and steal whatever they were relying on to keep their foothold. The more we crippled their logistics, the better chance we had of striking back. After all, no army can operate on an empty stomach. Orochimaru's platoon had paid a severe price to acquire the information on where and when their supply line would be, from what I understood, so we had to make this count today.

Minato, Yukino, Nawaki, and Uchiha Shinichi were here alongside me, standing not too far away and waiting in silence. Minato looked as calm as ever, his mind undoubtedly working through every possible scenario before we'd even been given proper orders. Yukino stood beside me, her usually soft expression replaced by quiet focus. I guess she had things on her mind too regarding this mission, after all, it'd be the first time where we're arranged in a unit mainly composed of the younger generation. We didn't have any of the adult superiors with us this time around. Just the young talents.

Honestly, it was nerve-wracking for me too.

And on that topic, I do have to say, Nawaki's energy had dimmed in the past few weeks since I'd last seen him, but there was still an unyielding fire in his eyes. Very noticeable, just burning under the surface. I guess he'd had a proper reality check and was now putting actual care into his actions. That was good. I hope to see him survive this war, we've become good friends over the last year whenever we ran into each other. We'll also definitely need his help for what's to come.

As for Shinichi... Well, Shinichi looked somewhat aloof. Very uncharacteristic, but considering what he'd been through recently with his family dying on the battlefield, I couldn't blame him. I just hope he's able to focus on the mission when we head out. From what I heard after looking into him since our last encounter, in the last year he's been working pretty hard and even his clan thought favorably of him now. We'll have to see how far that effort of his took him during this mission of ours.

Oh, but there's more, of course. Then there were the others. Faces that I recognized—not from this life, but from the one before it.

First of all, Sasuke's mother, Uchiha Mikoto.

She stood nearby, her dark eyes sharp and observant. She was a little older than the rest of us, probably around sixteen, but there was something about her that made her feel even more mature. Maybe it was the way she carried herself, a quiet strength that most didn't notice unless they were really paying attention. She wasn't as loud or overbearing as some of the other Uchiha, but that didn't mean she wasn't dangerous. The battlefield had a way of sharpening people like her into something terrifyingly effective.

Closer to our age were three boys standing together, their presence practically announcing who they were before they even spoke. The Ino-Shika-Chō trio of this era.

Yamanaka Inoichi had that natural charisma that came with his clan, his golden hair damp from the endless rain, his sharp blue eyes filled with something between amusement and calculation. The Yamanaka were specialists in mind techniques, but I'd heard stories of how this one in particular was just as deadly with a blade as he was with his clan's jutsu. He was the kind of guy who could talk his way through anything—except, of course, a war.

Nara Shikaku, the brains of their team. Even now, he looked half-asleep, eyes half-lidded as if he were already bored with this mission before it even began. I guess that sort of thing ran in the family. But I wasn't fooled. That lazy expression hid one of the sharpest minds in the entire village. I had no doubt that if things went sideways, he'd have three backup plans ready before anyone else even noticed something was wrong.

And then there was Akimichi Chōza. Big, broad, and carrying himself with that quiet confidence that only came from knowing you could crush most of the people around you with a single strike. His clan specialized in overwhelming power, and I had no doubt that if we needed brute force for this mission, he'd be the one leading the charge alongside me.

These were the people we'd be working with today. All of us, young but not inexperienced. We weren't fresh recruits anymore. We had blood on our hands, victories and losses behind us. And we had a mission to accomplish.

Then he arrived.

Uchiha Fugaku walked into the center of the camp, his presence immediately commanding attention. He looked to be maybe in his late teens, but he carried himself with the weight of someone far beyond his years. 

Fugaku was the scion of the Uchiha Clan. A man whom the entire clan had their eyes on. The one who was expected to carry their legacy forward, to bring them even more power, even more prestige. There were many rumors that the Uchiha clan wanted to push for him to become the fourth Hokage when Hiruzen retired, eventually. 

Good luck, dude.

Surely, there must've been an impossible amount of pressure on his shoulders, but you'd never know it by just looking at him. If he felt the weight of his responsibilities, he never showed it. Instead, he executed his duties with ruthless efficiency. That's what I'd heard so far at least, I'd have to see it now to know how true it was.

He stopped in front of us, letting the silence settle before speaking. His voice was calm, but there was no mistaking the authority in it.

"We've been given our orders. Our objective is simple—strike the enemy's supply line, take everything of value, and leave them too weak to maintain their foothold. We're to prevent any and all supplies from reaching their new base of operations." His dark eyes swept over all of us, lingering just long enough to make sure we understood the severity of this mission. "We have no room for failure."

No one argued. No one even questioned it. We all knew how important it was to take over that location again, back from the rock village. Accomplishing this task would be a crucial first step in doing exactly that.

Fugaku turned slightly, his gaze locking onto Minato for a moment before shifting toward me. "We move in one hour. Be ready."

I let out a slow breath. One hour. That was all the time we had to prepare left.

The rain continued to fall, a steady rhythm against the canvas of the forest canopy. The air smelled of damp earth and steel, a scent that had become all too familiar.

Minato was the first to break the silence, his voice as steady as ever. "Leader, I believe we should go over our formations."

I let out a sigh, rubbing the back of my neck. "Minato, you probably already have five different contingencies ready, don't you?"

Minato smiled slightly, but didn't deny it.

Fugaku nodded. "Alright. So be it. We're going to be working in separate squads. I and the other two Uchihas, Mikoto and Shinichi, will lead the assault with our fire style and genjutsu. We'll take out any guards stationed along the supply route. Hyuuga Yukino and Senju Nawaki will handle the interception, while Yamanaka Inoichi, Akimichi Chōza, and Nara Shikaku act as support, in case anything goes wrong. Their skills work best to intercept enemies like that."

"And us?" I asked, my arms crossing over my chest as I pointed to Minato with my thumb.

Fugaku met my gaze. "You two will be working together on disrupting their defenses. I'm told speed and precision is your forte. It should be enough to ensure they can't regroup once the chaos ensues."

I nodded. That worked for me.

Yukino shifted beside me. "Do we know if their Jinchuuriki are anywhere near the supply line?"

"Unlikely. The Jinchuuriki are stationed at their base of operations for now. The intelligence suggests they're not moving out unless provoked. If we do this right, they'll be none the wiser."

"Right," Nawaki muttered, stretching his arms. "Because everything always goes according to plan."

I smirked, giving him a light shove. "Optimism's dead, huh?"

"I'm just saying! I learned the hard way what happens when you're not ready. There have been multiple close calls too. You can never be too wary on the path to greatness!"

I smirked at Nawaki's words but didn't disagree. He wasn't wrong—plans had a way of unraveling the moment they met reality. But that was just the nature of war. We'd have to adapt.

"We just need to be ready for anything then… Sounds simple enough." Shinichi said, his hands shaking.

I sighed. Right, this guy was newer than any of us. It didn't matter how much progress he'd made since the last time we met, inexperience was a quick killer.

I guess I can try to encourage him a little. "Don't worry, man. It'll be a tough mission, I'm sure, but that's why we've got to get our act together and move as a single unit! We'll be a team for this, so I'll have your back. You can put your trust on that."

Shinichi glanced my way all timidly. "But..."

"Shiro is right." Yukino spoke from beside me. "We'll all have each other's back today and onwards, that's the only way we'll all make it out alive. It's what it means to have comrades, after all!"

Her grin was infectious. I think even Shinichi felt it because he too smiled.

"Yeah, you're right. Thanks Yukino-chan."

Hey, what about thanking me?

Oh well, at least he seems a bit more ready for this now.

...

The next hour passed in a blur of preparation. Weapons were checked, supplies secured, and last-minute strategies were whispered among us. The tension in the air was thick enough to choke on, but we were all used to that by now. It was a constant companion, lingering behind every breath, every heartbeat.

By the time we gathered at the edge of the forest, the rain had eased a bit into a fine mist, clinging to our clothes and hair like a second skin. With a flicker of movement, we were gone, vanishing into the trees like ghosts. We moved swiftly, our footsteps silent against the damp earth. The Rock forces were disciplined, but they weren't expecting an attack this deep behind their lines. That was our advantage.

The rain didn't let up, drizzling steadily as we moved through the dense underbrush. No one spoke much. There was no need to, as the journey wasn't that long for ten shinobis on a sprint, but it was quiet—too quiet. The usual distant sounds of wildlife were muted, and even the wind seemed hesitant to disturb the forest. Minato and I moved ahead, our speed allowing us to scout while the others followed in formation. I didn't have any weights on for this mission as I deemed my full speed too important to overlook.

The moment we neared the supply route, I felt it. Something was wrong. The air was thick—not just with the usual scent of battle, but with something more sinister. A sharp, acrid undertone that made the back of my throat burn. My steps slowed as I crouched low, scanning the scene in front of me.

The supply line was gone.

What was left in its place was a graveyard.

Bodies of Rock Shinobi littered the ground, their forms twisted in unnatural ways, expressions frozen in agony. Their veins were blackened beneath their skin, spreading out like ink through parchment. I didn't need to be a medic to know what had happened here.

Poison.

I stepped closer, feet barely making a sound against the wet earth. Some of the corpses still clutched their weapons, others had collapsed mid-stride as if they hadn't even realized they were dying until it was too late. There were no signs of a struggle beyond the initial panic—no signs of a prolonged battle, no bloodied weapons discarded in the mud.

This wasn't an ambush. It was a massacre.

Behind me, I heard Shinichi exhale sharply. "What the hell…?"

Minato knelt beside one of the bodies, his brow furrowed. He didn't touch it, but his sharp blue eyes scanned every detail. "No external wounds, no burns, no broken bones. Whatever killed them did it fast."

Shikaku was next to speak, arms crossed as he surveyed the area. "The Sand was obviously here."

The realization settled over the group like a weight. The Sand were known for many things, but their poison specialists were infamous. If this was their work, then these Rock Shinobi never stood a chance.

These corpses, though—the way they look, their symptoms seem eerily familiar.

Fugaku's gaze was unreadable as he observed the scene. "There's nothing left. No supplies, no scrolls, no indication that there was ever a convoy here at all."

Mikoto frowned. "Then that means…"

"They took everything," I finished for her.

"And now I'll take your lives as well." An adult female voice said.

I turned sharply at the source to see a middle-aged woman with dark blue hair hovering over us on a tree branch. The shadows of her ten white-cloaked puppets obscured the canopy.

Lady Chiyo…!

FUCK!

…