Sword of God -- A Naruto Fanfiction

| 8 | Plunge into Darkness

"When will Kakashi-Sensei arrive?"

"Yeah! It's been five minutes since he told us to meet here!"

The two complaints had been said by Sasuke and Sakura, whilst Tazuna and Naruto, who he had taken a liking to, chat to the side.

"Are they always like this?" Tazuna inquires, giving a fleeting glance.

Naruto sighs in frustration and also a rare emotion. Pity.

It's rare because his moral code demands that he treats all living beings with the utmost respect.

Unless, of course, they are far too lost to their own self and not of use to anyone.

If they are deluded, pity them.

If they are hated, harbour them.

But should they be a danger to those you care to protect, annihilate them.

The banshee and her obsession fall into the first category of the "tainted", as Naruto mentally refers to them as.

The taint of misguidance can be baptised with true honour and respectful ideals. The injustice of prejudice can be healed with time and care. The corruption of evil, can not.

But the Uchiha's delusions are as clouded as to never see the true light again.

"Yes," he groans, avert to their tendencies as Sakura rambles on about her daily life.

Sasuke had undergone a massive change. His ninjutsu has swelled to incorporate an arsenal of five C-rank fire techniques, and his taijutsu has advanced beyond all genin.

That is, apart from Naruto.

Kakashi arrives with a cautious eye, announcing his presence with a simple, "Yo."

Naruto is the first to respond, albeit indirectly. "Let's go."

He begins to depart from Konoha, and as Sasuke ends his conversation, Naruto had already gotten past security from the two Eternal Gate Guards.

As Tazuna had followed the shinobi he had placed his faith in (apart from Kakashi), only Kakashi and his two wayward students are left.

They shrug, following their teammate's lead, though inwardly, Kakashi is, as expected, suspicious. How did he get there so fast? Only I could do that with chunin level speeds coupled with chakra-enhanced physiology. He can't be that good, surely! Within a year, he will surpass me. Not good, as most genin cells last for two years! I must train. I'll start with increasing my chakra reserves so that I can use the Raikiri more times than not. Thank you, Naruto.

Said boy in question is bounding around the roads, quietly gaping at wildlife in awe.

I've never been out of Konoha! Finally, I'm away from the villagers, but also from safety... I must be cautious.

He rights himself from the crouched position he had assumed to observe an ant.

Kakashi sweat-drops. That was Obito's reaction...

Naruto allows Kakashi to take the lead and is immediately ushered into a formation that "they" had worked on.

The diamond formation. Kakashi on point, Naruto at back, Tazuna at the centre. Sasuke on the right and Sakura the left. Self-explanatory.

They walk along the winding road, Naruto's senses constantly on alert whilst Sakura's had waned, her attention has shifted to twirling her hair. She had a pocket mirror in front of her, thus obscuring her vision!