Chapter no.135
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During their interaction, Naruto took the time to unravel the scroll that was in his hands. Naruto's eyes widened drastically as he burned every word of the mission parameters into his mind with his mismatched eyes. Were a team of two newly promoted chūnin, two genin, and a jounin that had been inactive for over two decades, really being assigned such a high profile mission?
Obito, after seeing Naruto's reaction to the mission, decided that playtime was over and it was abut time to get down to business. "I see you've already taken a look at the mission assignment, Naruto, and the situation is just as dire as it sounds. We've recently discovered one of Orochimaru's hidden bases near the border between Hi no Kuni and Oto no Kuni. You are being tasked with investigating this particular base."
Obito waited until Naruto finished reading through the scroll, after which he rolled it back up and gave the new Hokage a nod to signify that he understood the mission parameters. Though, this debriefing was to inform every member of the team of the mission overview. The scroll that Naruto had just placed into his flak jacket pocket contained the more detailed version of the mission, including locations and the report that the previous team were able to send back before they were presumably killed.
"We have gotten disturbance reports from a small town just north of this hideout, called Banaro Town. Large amounts of Suna-nin and Oto-nin had been seen near that area over the past month. This is presumably where all of the shinobi of the invading forces had been taking refuge before making their journey to Konoha. This is most likely also how they were able to bypass the guards on the border without raising suspicion. If this base isn't dealt with, then Otogakure shinobi will be able to come and go from Hi no Kuni whenever they please. I don't think I need to inform you of how dangerous that is. Not to mention that they may have left behind sensitive information in that base, as was the case with Orochimaru's other abandoned hideouts." Obito clasped his hands together while resting his elbows on the desk and leaning his chin against his hands.
"There is likely to only be more than a handful of shinobi remaining in that base. Their primary duty is probably to maintain it and conduct experiments for Orochimaru. It's likely that they caught the chūnin who had come across this base accidentally by surprise, so you shouldn't have too much difficulty dealing with whoever is still there. Your mission is to eliminate those remaining shinobi, recover any documents or information that you may find, and completely destroy the entire base of operations along with any evidence left behind." Obito spoke to the shinobi in front of him with the utmost seriousness. "I'd also like you to investigate Banaro Town, in case there are any foreign shinobi that have taken refuge in the town after the invasion of Konoha."
Naruto had been thinking deeply about the parameters of this mission. There were too many unknowns or additional factors for a group shinobi of their ranking and circumstances. Normally chūnin were only assigned C-Rank or B-Rank missions, with the occasional A-Rank if they were accompanied by a jounin.
"Wouldn't a mission as vital as this one usually be given to a team of jounin? And given that two of the shinobi here have already been marked by Orochimaru, is it really alright to send this team?" As Naruto said those words, Natsuki and Narumi subconsciously brought their hand to the cursed seal on their necks.
Naruto was indeed correct, Obito really didn't want to send a team to their deaths, especially his own genin team, but this was the best he had at the moment. Most of the usual jounin and jounin-senseis were currently out on other A-Rank missions and in some cases, S-Rank missions. This included Kakashi, Kushina, Asuma, Kurenai, Jiraiya and even Minato had taken on a few missions. He may have lost an arm, but that didn't mean that he would quietly sit on the sidelines while everyone else did their part. The other genin of the rookie 13 along with Gai's team were also out on missions. Hana had even been temporarily put in charge of Team 8 because that was the team her brother was on. And with his parents still unsure of how to deal with him, Nawaki was still locked up in the psychiatric ward of the hospital. Therefore, the remnants of Team 7 had been temporarily combined with the newly promoted chūnin of Team 11. This only proved how the village was incredibly short-staffed at the moment.
"Normally, this would be a mission that a team of jounin would handle, but this is the best I can do at the moment. You are currently the most capable shinobi I have at my disposal and with this being a time sensitive mission, I wouldn't be able to recall any of the village's jounin in time...You're the only ones capable of such a mission at the moment." Obito spoke sadly, this mission may be a bit much for a group of genin, chūnin, and a single jounin, but he was confident in their abilities and had no doubt that they would pull through in the end.
Truly anything they found that was related to Orochimaru was bound to be troublesome. However, any information at all about him was absolutely crucial, especially regarding the current questions surrounding him. Questions like 'Why had he marked three of the Uzumaki-Namikaze siblings?', 'How did he plan to get a hold of them now that he was no longer in Hi no Kuni?', 'Why had his face been able to peel off during his confrontation in the forest of death with the Hokage's children and with Anko?' and 'Had he been able to successfully create the immortality jutsu he had been so obsessed with?' As of now there were far more questions than they had answers to, and every single one of them caused great concern.
"Naruto, you're lead on this mission." Obito said after a moment of silence, earning the surprise of several people in the room. They had expected Mikoto to be in charge seeing as she was the only jounin among them. "Normally the highest ranking or most experienced shinobi would be in charge, but seeing as Mikoto-sama hasn't been on active duty in quite some time, that leaves you, Naruto. You've led more than your share of missions under my charge these past few months. You're a natural born leader and I have faith you'll pull this off."
This earned a nod of the head from the only male in the room other than the Hokage.
Naruto then turned to the side to face the rest of his current team. "Do whatever you need to in order to prepare for this mission. Make sure to pack enough for a few days as it will take some time to get to our location, complete our mission, and return back to the village. Report to the main gates in one hour, and do not be late. We leave as soon as everyone has arrived."
Naruto received four nods of the head and a 'Hai!' before they Shunshined out of the room in order to prepare for their current mission. Naruto however stayed behind in hopes of obtaining some additional information about the current situation.
Naruto turned back to Obito with a troubled look on his face, something the man noticed. "Natsuki, Narumi...Have they even made their first kill yet?" Naruto asked seriously. If they hadn't this mission wasn't exactly suited for them and Naruto wasn't exactly looking forward to the prospect of having to deal with them after they did so. He hadn't had one of those mental breakdowns after he made his first kill, but Satsuki and Hana had been a bit more sensitive to it. If Natsuki and Narumi froze up during the mission the price would be heavy.
Obito rested his head in his hand once again and was massaging his temples, trying to get rid of the headache that Kakashi and Kushina had left him with. "No...Kushina and Kakashi refused to take them on any sort of elimination mission or any mission where they may have had to take a life, even in self-defense. They've really only done a handful of C-Rank delivery and escort missions, aside from the one to Nami where they recovered the Raijin no Ken...I suppose Kushina was trying to mother them and have them retain their innocence for as long as possible...I really have no idea what Kakashi was thinking though, he should have known better, especially with what happened to our own genin team."
Now it was Naruto's turn rub his face in frustration. This was the worst case scenario for the current situation. He may have been better with fresh genin than ones who had been pampered. They've probably already adapted to the notion that they would never have to take a life or even have their own lives in danger on a mission. What could Kushina have possibly been thinking as a sensei!? Minato and Kakashi as well.
"What do you recommend I do prepare them for this mission. If they act purely on instinct when we get in there, they could wind up getting us all killed." Naruto asked with absolute seriousness.
"I don't really think they should be too hard to deal with. They are Minato-sensei's children and whether they want to believe it or not, they probably already have an inkling as too what the shinobi world can be like once they step away from how much their parents have been sheltering them...The journey to the the border should take quite some time, on the way their stop for the night and have a heart to heart talk with the two of them as to what they're getting themselves into. Whether you like it or not, if it's coming from you they should be able to come to terms with it a lot easier." Obito spoke, remembering just how Minato had them prepare for their first kills. The man may have had an overly optimistic outlook on life and peace, but knew just how cruel the world could be, especially during war.
Naruto gave the man a small nod of the head, relaying that he understood what he had to do, before walking over to the window and looking out at the bustling streets of the village.
"Is there something else?" Obito asked as he glanced over at the boy.
"...This mission has something to do with those cursed seals doesn't it?" Naruto asked. For an outsider this question may have seemed like it came out of the blue, but the sigh that Obito let out confirmed that the boy's assumptions were indeed correct.
The mission that Obito had sent that group of chūnin on was to investigate the appearance of strange humanoid creatures with monster-like appearances. Obito had originally thought that the townspeople of Banaro Town were either mistaken of what the creatures really were or were under the influence of a powerful genjutsu, so he had only sent a team of four chūnin to investigate. Only after he received the report they managed to send back before their mysterious disappearance and presumable death did all the pieces begin to fit into place.
"...Have you ever heard of the clan of monsters...?" Obito asked rhetorically. Philosophical or round-about conversations were not uncommon between these two. The nature of their relationship was not so different from the one that Sarutobi Asuma had with Nara Shikamaru, though instead of playing shōgi they merely had intelligent conversation over drinks or while seeking advice.
"...No, I'm aware of most of the clans within the Elemental Nations, but I've never heard of a clan by that title..." Naruto replied as he took a seat on the window sill, now facing his sensei.
"I wouldn't expect you to...They were a clan that was known throughout the world for their madness and how bloodthirsty they were. They came to light during the Second and Third Shinobi World Wars, but their existence disappeared as soon as it became known. After each of the wars, they suddenly disappeared, never to be heard from again...They were made for war, nothing more, and it appeared that they were well aware of that fact...The actual name of the clan is unknown, but they earned the title of the clan of monsters due to the physical alterations that their bodies can undergo. Their change in appearance is due to their innate ability to unconsciously absorb natural energy from their surroundings, however, the adverse effects of this energy and so much power flowing constantly throughout their bodies results in sudden and uncontrollable surges of madness, causing them to sporadically go berserk...We believe this clan is where Orochimaru derived his cursed seals from..." Obito lectured Naruto as the boy engraved each and every word into his mind.
'Senjutsu is one of my only glaring weaknesses...just great...' Were Naruto's thoughts as he heard about this particular clan's abilities.
"When activated, the cursed seal releases Orochimaru's own senjutsu chakra into the user's body, granting enhancements comparable to those of Sage Mode. The seal eats away at the user's own chakra to sustain its activated state, with possibly fatal consequences. As long as the user has sufficient chakra to sustain the state, he or she would then obtain additional chakra to perform skills they would have otherwise been incapable of due to exhaustion. However, this additional chakra is separate and distinct from the user's own chakra, altering their chakra signature. Prolonged usage of the cursed seal can corrode both the body and mind of the user due to Orochimaru's chakra being present, making them more susceptible to his influence." Obito continued his lecture, as this knowledge may be beneficial to the mission that the team is currently undertaking.
"Though, not all individuals are compatible with these cursed seals, with incompatibility resulting in death. Orochimaru has averaged a ten percent success rate when applying these seals based on his first experiment with ten test subjects, out of which Mitarashi Anko was the sole survivor. Even if the individual survives the initial application, their body will not easily be able to control the seal's power, resulting in intense pain. When the user is unable to control or otherwise suppress their cursed seal, it can forcibly activate and begin draining their chakra whenever they attempt to manipulate it. Eventually, the power of the cursed seal can synchronize with the user's regular body through extended use, exponentially enhancing the abilities of their normal state."
"...You seem to be quite knowledgable about those seals, sensei." Naruto really didn't know what to say from all that information. He had no idea those cursed seals were so complex and serious.
Though, he could now understand why he didn't say all of this with the rest of the team in the room. Natsuki and Narumi would no doubt panic if they found out they were hosts for a portion of Orochimaru's soul.
"Minato, Kushina, Jiraiya, and I have studied the cursed seal that was placed on Anko extensively, and more recently, the ones that were placed on Natsuki, Narumi, and Nawaki...We know the mechanics and innermost workings of the seal, but just can't find a way to remove them...If the clan of monsters is present at Orochimaru's hideout near Banaro Town, then there should be extensive research related to the cursed seals there as well...If you can get a hold of that research, then we may be able to find a way to remove Orochimaru's influence, as well as find a way to trace them back to his location." Obito leaned back in his chair, thinking of how much of a headache Orochimaru was causing all of them. The Sandaime should have killed the man all those years ago, but instead he let Orochimaru escape because he couldn't bring himself to kill his own student.
"...How many of these clan members do you expect there to be...?" Naruto asked, going through scenarios in his head where every person on his team came back alive. If these shinobi were as dangerous as Obito made them out to be, then this could turn out to be quite a setback.
Obito sighed once more, it was hard to decipher whether this was good new or bad news, but it couldn't hurt to tell the boy. "Banaro town is only ten miles south of the border that divides Oto no Kuni, Yu no Kuni, and Hi no Kuni, though it is closer to the Oto border...There have been sightings numbering well over a dozen of their distinctive appearances." This elicited a groan from Naruto. "However, the clan of monsters appeared to be moving towards the border of Yu no Kuni and are presumed to be out of our territory as of now...but from the report that I already handed you, there is still at least one of these clansmen within Orochimaru's hideout."
Well, one was better than a dozen, but it begs the question, why did he remain behind when his clansmen have already moved on? This mission was getting more complicated by the minute.