Dark Phoenix of Konoha by White Angel of Auralon

Part 16 - Deal with the Devil

Deal with the Devil

Team seven stood in the Hokage's office ready for a new mission. Kakashi had finished mapping the locations of the seals and while he was away with his team, Jiraiya and the ANBU would try to disable the seals in the most problematic locations like the Hokage Tower, the Ninja Academy, the ANBU Headquarters and the guard area of the shinobi prison.

"Team seven ready for a C-rank mission." Kakashi said, shocking Iruka who was doing duty in the mission office today.

"A C-rank already? Aren't they a bit inexperienced for that?" Iruka asked.

"That's not our first one, Iruka. We already did one and only because I had another important mission that kept me inside the village we didn't do another yet." Kakashi said.

Iruka was surprised. He wouldn't have thought that team seven would already be doing C-ranks. Normally a team was kept doing D-ranks for at least four to six months before a sensei decided they were ready for higher ranking missions. But if the rumours he had heard were true, Naruto was a lot better than he had shown at the academy and Kakashi was putting his team through harsh training.

"Okay, Kakashi. I think I have something fitting for you. We have a simple escort and protection mission to Wave Country. The client is a bridge builder called Tazuna who wants you to escort him back and protect him from bandits and the like until he finishes his bridge." The Hokage said.

"Mission accepted, Hokage Sama." Kakashi said.

"Very well. Send Tazuna in." The Hokage said loudly.

An old man with a straw hat, holding a bottle which obviously held alcohol was standing in the door.

"Those kids are the protection I get? I paid for real ninjas to protect me, not those squirts." He protested.

Naruto was in front of him before Tazuna even noticed he had left his position.

"Funny you say that. I know for sure that this squirt could cut your jugular vein before you even noticed me." He said grinning evilly, making Tazuna gulp in fear.

"Mah, mah, Naruto. No scaring the client." Kakashi said.

"You're no fun, Kakashi sensei." Naruto mock pouted and instantly returned to his former position again without Tazuna being able to see anything.

"You don't have to fear anything, Tazuna. I'm a jonin and those three are some of the best upcoming ninjas we have in the village. We are more than enough to deal with a few bandits." Kakashi assured Tazuna.

Naruto saw a slight tensing in Tazuna when Kakashi mentioned the bandits. Was there more going on? He probably needed to make a small visit to the ROOT base if he had the time before leaving.

"When are we leaving?" He asked therefore.

"Tomorrow morning at seven at the main gate." Kakashi answered.

Naruto nodded and left the room in a body flicker. Tazuna looked at the spot where the blond had been just a moment before. He really should have expected something like that from a ninja. After all, people told the most incredible things about them.

Naruto reappeared in the woods close to the ROOT base entrance. He made five shadow clones which he transformed into forest animals and transformed into a mouse himself. Then he sent one clone that hadn't transformed openly into the base. He stayed in the shadows, following his clone undetected. It was time to have a little conversation with Danzo.

It took the untransformed clone ten minutes to reach the area where the ROOT base split into several areas. Once he was in the middle of the platform he was stopped by four ROOT ninjas in blank white masks that held him in position with kunai to four vital areas.