The term, good night, is supposed to express good wishes before falling into a deep slumber. However, the clamorous occurrence in the Leaf defeats the purpose of the usual phrase. Rather than being in a realm of tranquillity and blissfulness, indignance and revenge had tresspassed to give the ninjas a taste of their own medicine.

The sound of metal clashing against each other filled the once silent night, as the samurais and ninjas engage in a heated battle. Petrifying screams came from some residents who have yet evacuated as they scatter everywhere, not bothering to listen to a few young ninjas who were attempting to guide them to safety.

Clearly enough, the samurais possessed the sovereignty in the warfare since the beginning as a few slashes of their katana was all it took to demolish the ninjas. In less than an hour, Tsunade and her fellow warriors find themselves outnumbered.

"This is bad." Tsunade uttered inbetween short pants. Her appearance was a mess. Sweat and dirt stained her clothes and all over her body. She had discarded her haori, revealing the gash wounds marked on her arms. Red liquid dripped down on her knuckles as it twitched from the throbbing pain.

"Gai!" She called out, glancing at the man in a bowl cut behind her, who managed to knock down a samurai with his taijutsu skills. "Can you still fight?"

Gai appeared to be equally exhausted as Tsunade, grime and small, bloody slit marks blemished his green jumpsuit. He had to catch his breath for a moment before responding. "Of course, Lady Fifth. I can wipe out their whole army if you ordered me to." He boasted with a weak smile.

The Hokage quirked up an amused smile. She shook her head. "Men and their pride." She mused.

"Still no sign of Kakashi and his team?" Gai asked, jerking his head to the sound of quick footsteps. He managed to dodge the sharp swing of a katana before doing a back flip.

"Hah!" Tsunade cried out, clenching her bleeding fist before ramming it into the samurai's breastplate armor, creating a large dent on the top gear as the opponent grunted and collapsed on his back. "Unfortunately, there's still no sign of them."

Gai cursed under his breath as he charged towards his opponent, delivering quick jabs against his stomach before following it up with a roundhouse kick. "What's taking them so long?! The wait is costing our comrades' lives!"

"Calm down, Gai." The Hokage said sternly, keeping up her fighting stance as she watched her opponent rising on his feet. "Those three are the top jōnin we can rely on. The least thing we can do is to have faith in them."

Gai wiped the sweat on his neck with the back of his hand. "I suppose you're right, Lady Fifth."

o==[]::::::::::::::::>

"Baki, what's this all about?" One of the Sand ninjas inquired.

Baki, the head ninja of the Sand village stood tall with arms behind his back. A group of ninjas were assembled before him, regarding him with bewilderment. They were gathered at the rooftop of the Kazekage Tower, an area where discussions were held in times of crisis.

Just like right now.

Two distinctive red marks adorned the right side of Baki's face which is the only visible part of his head, with the rest being concealed by his turban-like head gear and by a white sheet hanging from it on the left side.

After the death of the Fourth Kazekage during the Chūnin Exams, an exams where you have the chance to be promoted to the chūnin rank, Baki had to take charge since they couldn't find the suitable man for the role as of the moment.

"Alright, listen up." He commanded, making everyone tense up. "A note was sent to the council by a summoned hound from the Leaf."

This rose questionable looks from the Sand ninjas.

Baki released a sigh. "I know you may think that this is a fallacy, but right now, we're being under attacked by samurais."

Automatically, disbelief and shock contorted their features.

"Why would they attack us? Have they gone insane? That just came out of nowhere!" A female jōnin at the front row shared her opinion.

"The summoned hound mentioned that some ninjas from both the Leaf and Sand were traitors who invaded the Land of Iron." Baki said, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.

Before any of the ninjas could state their opinions, Baki spoke up again. "We will investigate further into this matter, but as for now, we need to stop the samurais from ambushing our village. It won't be long before reinforcements arrive."

"What do you mean by that?" One ninja from the back row inquired.

"It seems that the Leaf requires for the assistance of the Great Five Nations. What we can do right now is to withhold the attack."

As the meeting came to a conclusion, the Sand army could only keep their questions to themselves as they vanished in a blink of an eye.

The night was howling as usual as a young boy sat on a roof, deep in thought. His short hair had a mesmerizing shade of red, a color so bright and captivating unlike the dull, dry appearance of the Sand. His other unique attributes were his eyes, they were a mix of blue and green, turquoise to be exact. He lacks distinctive pupils and eyebrows which was one of the reasons he was making fun of by the other kids. He had tanuki-like black rings around his eyes for some reason, as if he were sleep-deprived.

A red kanji was carved on the left side of his forehead which meant, love. He wore a black body suit with an open neck, t-shirt-like sleeves and leggings. He sported a white cloth over his right shoulder which reached down to the left side of his hips. He has a wide leather band from his left shoulder to his right hip with which he carries his sand gourd and around where he wraps his forehead protector.

He was called Gaara, the son of the Fourth Kazekage. He recalled his interaction with a certain ninja who had claimed himself as the jinchuuriki. Never had he thought that he would find someone who went through a painful, forlorn lifestyle like he did. The pain flashed in his eyes made Gaara think as if he were looking at his own reflection, yet the enormous difference between them was what caught the redhead's attention.

It was a deep, powerful emotion that he yearned for. A feeling so uplifting that impels him to do everything he can to obtain victory in a battle. The will to never give up and to protect his loved ones. Through his whole life, a mindset of self-love and verifying his existence was carved within him which only resulted to triggering his violent tendencies and killing anyone in his way.

Gaara never knew that the importance of a bond could trigger such an emotion, something that makes him feel like he's on top of the world. He looked up, admiring the nightsky with a longing expression.

"A friend, huh?" He mused.

He snapped himself out of a daze upon hearing a faint rumbling sound. Before he could process what's going on, panicked murmurs and whispers occured amongst the villagers as they were being escorted by a few jōnin outside their respective homes. 

"Gaara!" A female voice exclaimed. He glanced down to find his older sister waving her arms around to catch his attention. Her teal eyes were frantic, hands clenched into fists on her sides as she gritted her teeth. 

Temari was her name, her sandy blonde hair tied into four pigtails. She wore a light purple off-shouldered garment that extended to halfway down her thighs, with a scarlet sash tied around her waist. A fishnet over her shoulders and on her right calf and left thigh embellished her outfit. She also preferred to wear her black forehead protector around her neck. Beside her was Kankuro, Gaara's older brother. His black, full body suit camouflaged with the dim surroundings of the village. His black hood had cat-like ears and he wore the forehead protector on his forehead. A purple, triangular face paint-design adorned his features. 

His expression was identical to Temari's, alarmed and frantic. "Gaara, we need to go! We gotta bring these people to safety!"

Confusion manifested the redhead's features as he hopped down from the house. "What's going on?" He demanded.

"We're being invaded by samurais." Temari replied slowly, as if she were explaining the situation as calmly as she could to a child.

Gaara's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Samurais...?" He inquired, as if he had heard an ancient word.

"Yeah. I know it's a lot to take in but we gotta act fast and focus on the situation first." Kankuro said.

The three siblings flinched as they whipped around to find the front gates slowly breaking apart, large cracks appearing on it as the banging noise continued.

 "Can't we fight them?" Gaara suggested.

Temari shook her head. "A genin taking on a samurai is like asking for a death wish. We are way out of their league. Just a mere strike of their sword can slaughter a ninja."

Instead of feeling intimidated, Gaara found himself intrigued. Since young, he was always feared by the village because of the one-tailed beast sealed inside of him. He hoped to fight a samurai someday if they were that fearsome. He didn't care if they were dangerous, he was sure that battling against them will excite him more than anything.

o==[]::::::::::::::::>

"There it is!" Hiruda exclaimed as the entrance of the Leaf village came into view, although the front gates were destroyed as large fragments of green-painted wood littered around the gateway.

She panicked as the horse drew closer to the entrance. She knew she had to stay hidden and avoid being discovered. Her only objective is to find Danzo and assassinate him. Taking a deep breath, she hopped off the horse before crawling inside an empty guard post. Clashing of weapons and blood-curdling screams was all she heard as she racked her brain for a plan.

The young girl caught a glimpse of the highest tower behind the monument where faces of the Leaf leaders were carved. With her conjecture that Danzo conceals himself there, she made her move. Hiruda grabbed an arrow behind her and placed it over the bowstring. With her right eye cracked open, she aimed for the ankle of a ninja nearby on purpose. When he collapsed on the ground, withering at the throbbing pain, Hiruda saw her cue as she leaped over the counter, sprinting lightly on her feet towards the main street. Luckily, the ninjas and samurais were scattered all over the village as the war went on, allowing Hiruda to pass by the empty thoroughfare.

She gagged as the smell of blood and fresh corpse infiltrated her nostrils that she had to stop by an alleyway to throw up. Wiping her mouth with the back of her palm, she resumed streaking quietly through the backstreets instead. Her heart dropped to the pit of her stomach when she heard someone landing lightly on their feet in front of the alley. Hiruda crouched behind a barrel, gripping onto her bow tightly. She covered her mouth with her free hand, muffling her loud, erratic pants.

Slow footsteps echoed as they drew nearer and nearer to her destination. Tears brimmed at the corner of her eyes as she felt like her heart would burst out of her chest at any moment. With the wakizashi as her last resort, her wrapped around its hilt, trembling uncontrollably against the wall.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu." A male voice uttered.

Her head shot up as a poof of smoke came from the top of the building across from her hiding spot. A silhouette loomed over the rooftop, and even if Hiruda was unable to distinguish his appearance, she knew that the person's eyes were pierced into her soul. Before she could command her legs to run for her dear life, the silhouette's hand moved at a speed of lightning as he grabbed a kunai from his pouch before hurling it straight at her.

Her mouth hung open in a silent scream as an agonizing pain occured from her leg. Her hands dropped to her sides as soft whimpers came from her lips. Hot tears cascaded down her cheeks as forced herself to stay still. Hiruda couldn't bring herself to glance at the wound on her left thigh, witnessing blood before her eyes was enough to make her feel nauseous.

Her sobs grew louder when she looked up, a man around his mid-twenties staring down at her, his black hair swept in one side.

A ninja observed as she flinched when he crouched down slowly, gazing blankly at the girl's tear-stained face. He tilted his head upon noticing the weapons she carries.

"Hey, are you a samurai? You seemed awfully young." He asked curiously.

Hiruda only responded with a series of grunts and quiet sobs, too absorbed with enduring the pain.

He whipped his head towards the entrance of the alley at the sound of a sword being pulled out of its scabbard. He spared Hiruda a glance.

"Stay right here." He rose on his feet and sprinted out of the alley soundlessly.

Once he was out of sight, Hiruda mustered her strength to reach out and pull the kunai which was plunged into her outer thigh. She lets out an agonizing scream at the crippling affliction before tossing the weapon to the side, its sharp point now coated with her blood. Red liquid oozed out of her fresh wound that she had to look away to stop herself from vomiting again. She rose on her feet forcibly, ignoring the pain on her thigh. Her back was starting to ache so she had to leave her arrows behind along with her bow. After all, Hiruda only needed the wakizashi to behead Danzo.

She hissed, leaning against the wall sideways for support. Even in her distressed state, steadfastness surged within her in the face of anguish.

"Once I behead you, the people of my land shall cry out of triumph, Danzo."

o==[]::::::::::::::::>

"I can't believe this! Why can't we fight too?! We're ninjas, ya know!" A young boy protested as he leaped from one building to another.

His spiky blonde hair floated wildly from the wind as his tanned features were contorted in disbelief and annoyance. His eyes were a shade of deep blue like the depths of the ocean. The three whisker markings on his cheeks were his trademark characteristics, an attribute which is rather odd and unusual to find.

The orange and blue jacket and orange pants he wears was somewhat strange, considering that ninjas wear dark-colored outfits to conceals themselves in the shadows, and yet his outward appearance illustrated a vibe that says, 'Heck yeah, I'm an orange who doesn't care about dress codes! Got a problem?!'

A blue forehead protector was tied around his forehead, an indicator of the genin rank.

His teammate sighed as she followed behind him. "Didn't you just heard what Lady Fifth told us? Our only mission is to assist in the evacuation plan, we aren't permitted to fight the samurais to avoid any casualties."

The boy scratched his head. "Uh, what are casualties again, Sakura?" He inquired vacuously.

The girl, whom was called Sakura, shot him an irritated glance. Her name matched the color of her short hair, its bubblegum pink shade alike with cherry blossoms. "You really are an idiot, aren't you, Naruto?"

She wore a red quipao dress with white circular designs and dark green tight shorts. She also preferred wearing the forehead protector like a hairband.

Naruto swallowed thickly at Sakura's intimidating gaze, her fiery green eyes making him shiver. A nervous chuckle was his only response.

"You're hopeless." She deadpanned.

The duo landed on their feet as they jumped down from a building. Nothing but void, quiet streets and the dead bodies of ninjas laying lifelessly everywhere. Sakura paled, her eyes widened in terror. Naruto clenched his fists, teeth gritted as his shoulders trembled.

"No way... We've lost too many of them..." Sakura uttered.

"Dammit!" The blonde cursed angrily. "We can't just sit back here and do nothing! Everyone is fighting for their lives at the front lines!"

The pinkette shook her head vigorously. "Don't be stupid! You saw how many of our comrades were slaughtered! All we need to do now is obey Lady Fifth's orders!"

"I don't care what Granny Tsunade says!" Naruto exclaimed, throwing his hands up in exasperation. "Remember what Kakashi sensei said? Those we break the rules are scum, but those who abandon their friends are worse than scum."

Sakura's lips quivered as she glanced at their perished comrades. When her gaze returned to her teammate, she was amazed at the unwavering determination found in his blue eyes. There was no hint of fear or doubt in his expression, something that she had always been envious of. She wondered where his valiance came from, especially during the darkest times. But then again, Naruto Uzumaki is known as the number one unpredictable ninja who's full of surprises.

Sakura looked away from his strong, piercing gaze. She wished she had that fierceness within her, but her fear and agitation gets the best of her in dangerous situations. She hated being useless, yet she could only watch from the sidelines as Naruto and their rogue teammate, Sasuke continuously grow as ninjas. The fact that they were always walking ahead of her, evokes her impotency and weaknesses.

She was snapped out of her inner pessimistic talk as Naruto placed a hand on her shoulder. "You were trained under Granny Tsunade, right? Then now is the time to show those samurais the fruits of your training!"

Sakura blinked, astonished. "Do you think... that I wouldn't be a burden to you?"

Naruto stared at her as if she had two heads. "You were never a burden to the team in the first place, Sakura. If it weren't for you, every mission would be a disaster because of Sasuke and I bickering non stop, not to mention that you're the sharpest one. Man, it must be nice to have a big brain like yours."  He mused, placing his hands behind his head.

The pinkette quirked up a smile. "I guess an idiot has his own charms." She thought.

"Thanks, Naruto. Somehow, that cheered me up." She admitted.

The blonde ninja grinned knowingly. "Well since I cheered you up, maybe a date would--"

"Not a chance!" Sakura interjected quickly.

Naruto's lively mood deflated drastically as he pouted. "So much for following Pervy Sage's advice."

Just as they were about to proceed to another street, faint whimpers that echoed from an alleyway made them stop in their tracks. Naruto whipped his head to the alley across from them.

"Someone's in there. Maybe it's a survivor?" Sakura said.

"Possibly. Let's go check it out."

The first thing that Naruto perceived was a child wearing an oversized violet cloak, the large hood nearly concealing their entire face. His eyes widened upon catching sight of a stab wound on their left thigh as the person struggled to move. Immediately, he crouched down in front of the figure.

"Hey, are you okay?" Naruto asked softly as to not startle the child.

When they looked up, he saw the vibrant violet eyes underneath the hood. The person's whimpers halted, releasing an audible gasp. "S-Stay away..." A female voice uttered shakily.

Hiruda was alarmed, their forehead protectors were unmistakable. They are ninjas, an enemy. She hid the wakizashi behind her back, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike.

Naruto's features scrunched up in confusion. "You sure are a weird one. Relax, we're just here to help you out. Once Sakura heals you, we'll bring you to safety."

Hiruda raised an eyebrow. "Why would you help me?"

"Because ninjas are supposed to help their people, ya know! What's the point of being a ninja when you can't save anyone?" He stated in a matter-of-factly tone.

"He must've thought that I'm a resident here." Hiruda thought.

Footsteps and the clanking of metal echoed from a distance, equally alarming the two ninjas.

"We gotta get out of here." Sakura said.

"Right." Before Hiruda could process what's going on, Naruto had snaked his arms under her back and legs, carrying her bridal style before leaping up to the lowest building.

The girl yelped in surprise as she wrapped her arms around the blonde's neck instinctively. Naruto chuckled. "Hold on tight, okay?"

Nodding like an obedient child, she held onto the boy carefully as to prevent choking him.

"Maybe I'll stick with these two for a while, my injury would only be a hindrance to my goal." Hiruda thought.

o==[]::::::::::::::::>

Tsunade was extremely fatigued at this point. Her chakra was already drained from fighting for hours and hours. She was kneeling down on one knee, panting heavily. Blood pooled from the right side of her stomach as she clutched at it, her heated gaze focused on Mifune.

The General stood tall and proud, his eyes narrowed at her. Red liquid dripped down the sharp blade as he pointed the tip under her chin.

"Answer my question and your life will be spared. Why did you destroy my land?" He inquired sternly.

Tsunade glared at him, wiping a drip of blood on the corner of her mouth. "And how many times am I supposed to tell you that the Leaf has nothing to do with this?" She shot back.

Mifune's gaze hardened. "Hm. I see that you have chosen death." When he lifted his sword over his head, Tsunade knew that her reign as the Hokage is already over way too soon.

"I'm sorry everyone, I've failed all of you. It's all up to you, Kakashi." Her eyes fluttered shut, the guilt attempting to eat her out from inside.

"Chidori!"

Tsunade's eyes snapped open as a bright blue light came from behind Mifune. The General grunted in pain as he fell on his knees, revealing none other than Kakashi.

He smiled casually. "Sorry I'm late. We've got back-up."

As if on cue, a large army of ninjas came into view from the entrance of the village, the different logos on their protectors symbolizing the alliance of the Great Five Nations.

Tsunade sighed in relief, a weak smile making its way to her lips. "I don't think I could forgive you that easily."

"I thought so. But after all, heroes have their own grand entrances."

ʕ•ﻌ•ʔʕ•ﻌ•ʔʕ•ﻌ•ʔʕ•ﻌ•ʔʕ•ﻌ•ʔʕ•ﻌ•ʔʕ•ﻌ•ʔ

A/N: So sorry if there are too many timeskips! A lot has been going on in this arc but at the same time, I made the scenes quite short since I know ya'll hate slow-paced stories.

Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter!

If ya'll wondering who attacked Hiruda, I just made a character up lol.

Word Count: 3,876