As the carriage rumbled along the dirt road leading toward the Land of Waterfall, Aki felt a sudden, sharp pang in his chest. An inexplicable urge to cry washed over him. I hope nothing bad has happened, he thought anxiously. When I return from this mission, I'll beg Master to take me for another round of special training. That Sage energy is incredible—every time he casts it, my whole body feels rejuvenated. With those thoughts, Aki lay back on the carriage roof and drifted into a quiet sleep.
Five Days Later: Dawn
Danzō, Torifu, and Aki huddled in a secluded corner. "In the two days since we left the Land of Fire, Kagami has already eliminated seven shinobi," Danzō reported grimly. "Three were Chunin, the rest Genin. The good news is they were rogue ninja, not affiliated with the Waterfall or the Stone". He looked at them with sharp eyes. "We are entering the heart of the Land of Waterfall. We will likely encounter patrols from the Hidden Waterfall or the Hidden Stone. Kagami and I will remain in the shadows, but Aki, Torifu—you must be extremely careful not to blow your cover".
Suddenly, the cry of a hawk echoed through the woods—four long shrieks and two short ones. Danzō's expression turned lethal. "An enemy squad led by a Jonin. More than ten hostiles, moving in a flanking formation". He signaled the start of the engagement and vanished with a Body Flicker.
Torifu turned to Aki. "I must stay and protect the cargo. Go and support the other two. With a Jonin leading them, they might be overwhelmed". Aki nodded. "I'll pick off the Genin first so they can focus on the leader". The two shinobi flickered away in opposite directions.
The First Kill
Aki hid in the canopy using a Transformation Jutsu, activating his Two-Tomoe Sharingan to scan the area. Soon, four shinobi with no identifying marks appeared below. After gauging their chakra, he confirmed they were one Chunin and three Genin. He slowly wove hand signs for a Genjutsu he had recently learned: Sly Mind Affect Technique. As he finished the signs, he dropped from the tree, his Sharingan spinning at high speed.
The shinobi below noticed the movement and looked up; their eyes met his, and all four fell under the illusion. Aki drew his short blade and dove straight for the Chunin. Kill the strongest first. But just as his blade was about to pierce the man's chest, the Chunin moved. "Substitution Jutsu!". Aki's blade slammed into a wooden log. The Chunin immediately retaliated with Earth Style: Yellow沼 (Hiding in Swamp), softening the ground beneath Aki.
Aki leaped onto a tree trunk and lunged again. Seeing he couldn't kill the leader instantly, he pivoted toward the nearest Genin. He threw several kunai at the other two to keep them busy and drove his short blade into the first Genin's chest. The Chunin dodged Aki's Great Fireball and managed to parry the kunai, dispelling the illusion for the remaining two Genin.
This was Aki's first time killing a person. He didn't have time to process the feeling; surrounded by enemies, he used a Body Flicker to retreat to a high branch.
"I didn't expect to run into a Leaf ninja here," the Chunin said, eyeing Aki warily. "Konoha must be very curious about the goings-on in the Waterfall. What is your name?". Aki remained silent. He needed to end this quickly before reinforcements arrived.
Aki unleashed several shuriken using the Manipulated Shuriken Technique, pinning the wires to the surrounding trees. He followed up with Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Fire Jutsu, sending flames racing down the wires. The Chunin warned his subordinates to stay close, but Aki had already used a Shadow Clone to create a diversion. While one clone drew the leader's fire, the original Aki and two other clones appeared behind the Genin, killing them both in a blur of motion.
"Now it's just you and me," Aki said.
Enraged, the Chunin cast Earth Style: Earth Pillar Spears, forcing Aki to leap into the air. He's a specialist in Taijutsu and Earth Style, Aki analyzed. Earth is defensive—if I stay in a battle of attrition, his reinforcements will kill me. He noticed his steel wires were still intact.
Aki cast Phoenix Sage Fire on the wires again. The Chunin scoffed. "That trick worked on the weaklings, but it won't work on me!". He raised an Earth Style: Earth-Style Wall to block Aki's path. But Aki had jumped high, weaving a new set of signs. "Wind Style: Breakthrough!". The gale fanned the flames on the wires, creating a vortex of fire that swallowed the Chunin.
The Chunin survived the fire using an Earth-style defense and retaliated with Earth Style: Mudshot, hitting Aki in the left arm. The impact broke his bone and left a deep, bleeding wound. Aki used a Substitution Jutsu to retreat, gasping as he applied a numbing ointment.
"You lack experience, kid!" the Chunin laughed from his wall, his skin taking on a petrified, stone-like appearance. "You're going to die here!".
"You're wrong," Aki hissed. "Stonification makes you forget pain—but it also makes you forget to look down". An explosion suddenly erupted at the Chunin's feet. He had been standing on an Explosive Tag Aki had hidden earlier. As the Chunin was blown into the air, Aki appeared before him and drove his blade home.
The Aftermath
Aki sat on the ground, gasping for air. I was careless, he thought. I knew Earth Style was defensive, but I didn't know the specific techniques. I almost died.
A hand suddenly touched his shoulder. Aki broke into a cold sweat, thinking it was an enemy, but a familiar voice spoke. "After a battle, you must leave the scene immediately and scrub your tracks. Staying here is a death wish".
It was Danzō. Aki relaxed slightly. "Lord Danzō... I was careless. I can't move right now". Danzō looked at the four corpses. "You did well to take out four Genin on your own".
"It was one Chunin and three Genin," Aki corrected. Danzō's eyes widened in surprise. Aki explained how he used the Genjutsu and the explosive tag trap. Danzō gave him a Military Rations Pill to help him recover, and the two moved out.
By evening, the team reunited at their camp. They discovered the attackers were from the Hidden Stone—fifteen shinobi led by two Jonin. Kagami had assassinated one Jonin, then teamed up with Danzō to kill the other, along with two Chunin and four Genin. Torifu had also eliminated a four-man squad led by a Chunin.
Danzō spent the evening critiquing Aki's combat mistakes and teaching him how to handle Earth Style users. Since Danzō was a Wind Style specialist, he knew exactly how to dismantle the Stone's defenses.
Aki, nursing his broken arm, was allowed to sleep inside the merchant's carriage. As he closed his eyes, his mind raced. So this is war, he thought. My first kills... I wonder how many more I'll have to take for this village. Exhaustion finally claimed him, and he fell into a deep sleep.