Black Ops: Anbu Naruto

"They actually set up an entire village just for border patrols?" Kiba Inuzuka asked in disbelief. "They mobilized way too quickly for this war, didn't they?"

Then he thought of something else and changed the subject. "Wait, are we really going to be the ones firing the first shot in this war?"

Although the possibility was slim, the idea of striking first brought a grin to Kiba's face.

"If that's really how things go down, I'll have a lot worse to worry about than just failing my Ninja Academy exam."

"If we can avoid them, we won't have to fight," Neji replied.

His eye twitched at Kiba's disappointed groan, but otherwise, he remained calm. "They outnumber us three to one—and they're still increasing."

"They can't catch up with us," Naruto said firmly.

The three of them were the fastest among Konoha's Twelve Shinobi, unmatched by anyone except Rock Lee.

Though stopping to fight remained an option, it wasn't necessary at all.

He still remembered the last time he was chased all the way to the border...

Eventually captured and forced into battle with the Sound Four, Kimimaro's bone attacks and cursed seal-enhanced chakra left him with an eye injury.

The trio picked up speed toward the border, managing to evade enemy sentries.

But in terms of stamina, they couldn't keep this pace up forever. Unlike Naruto, who seemed to have nearly infinite chakra, Kiba and Neji would tire much faster during high-speed movement.

As they neared the border of the Land of Fire, Neji activated his Byakugan and spotted even more enemy ninja approaching from across the border.

"They've linked up with the advance team—they're flanking us now and cutting off our escape!" Neji announced, his concern over the current situation already evident.

"Are we seriously trapped behind enemy lines already?" Kiba asked as the three of them stopped on a tree branch. "Damn it! Are we seriously gonna die before this stupid war even starts?"

Akamaru bit Kiba's hand for being such a pessimist. "Ow! What the hell was that for!"

"Thanks, Akamaru," Neji chuckled. The pup released his grip, wagging his tail furiously and panting with glee.

The moment of lightheartedness passed quickly, and Neji's expression turned serious again. "So what do we do now? Keep pushing forward and plow right through that seven-man squad ahead, or stay here and make a stand—only to risk getting boxed in once the pursuers catch up?"

In other words, they had to choose between launching an offensive strike, hoping to somehow pull off a miracle victory, or passively waiting while being surrounded by enemies. Either way, they'd be fighting against impossible odds.

"Both choices are terrible—I can't decide," Naruto cut in, clutching his head and adjusting his forehead protector so it wouldn't slip off during the coming fight. "It's like asking if we'd rather drown or get choked to death."

Kiba growled low in his throat as his sharp nose caught the scent of approaching enemies—it was getting stronger.

We're surrounded—we've got no choice. Before we lose the chance to choose entirely, just make a call already! Hell, we might as well flip a coin!

Naruto and Neji exchanged a glance before Naruto spoke up.

"The best defense is a good offense, right?"

Neji shrugged his shoulders, and the three of them rushed toward the border, heading straight for the enemy squad trying to block their path.

"It'd help if we at least knew which damn village we were fighting," Naruto complained.

"How many villages are there anyway?" Kiba asked as he began concentrating chakra, preparing to activate his Four-Legged Chakra Mode. He wondered how many hidden villages could even exist along a single border.

"Three," Neji answered while tensing his fingers, readying himself to use Gentle Fist in battle. "Tachibana Village, Takigakure, and Ishigakure."

"Never heard of them," Kiba said, and Akamaru barked in agreement.

"That's because they're all small-scale villages, and not allied with us," Naruto explained while considering whether he should draw his family heirloom sword for this fight.

He knew about these villages because Root frequently operated in the Land of Mist, a country far wilder than others.

He remembered once having encountered ninja from Ishigakure during a previous mission with Maki.

"Ishigakure ninja use some weird long-range ninjutsu—watch out if we end up facing them."

"The enemies are coming!" Neji shouted, his Byakugan having precisely located the enemy positions.

Kiba was already ready and charged ahead first. "[Passing Fang!]"

Chakra flared through both Kiba and Akamaru as the pair launched themselves at the incoming enemies.

The enemy ninja tried to dodge their attack, but Kiba and Akamaru weren't aiming directly at them.

Instead, they slammed into several large trees. The tremendous impact was powerful enough to snap trunks, forcing the enemy ninja to change course and crash down to the ground.

Out of the seven enemies attacking them, three fell to the ground, one breaking his leg upon landing.

Two of the remaining ninja struggled to their feet and rushed over to assist their injured teammates, while the other four focused their attention on Naruto and Neji, preparing to attack them.

Neji's sharp eyes locked onto the forehead protectors worn by the attackers. Each bore a metal plate engraved with a V—the top of the letter stretched into a horizontal line, forming a symbol resembling a valley.

"They're ninjas from Tachibana Village!"

"Sharp eyes, Hyūga!" One of Neji's opponents called out. He and his partner swung a massive, flexible saw, attempting to slice Neji in half.

"You flatter me," Neji replied, skillfully leaping over the saw blade, landing on its teeth and stomping it into the ground before extending his hands toward his foe. "[Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm!]"

Invisible shockwaves erupted from both of Neji's palms, striking two enemies and sending them flying backward to the ground.

Two ninja from Tachibana Village were blasted backward, dazed and disoriented, but the battle wasn't over yet. Their saws shattered mid-air, each splitting into two separate blades, which flew toward the two ninja.

They seized the new weapons and launched another assault on Neji.

[Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven!]

Neji spun his body rapidly, channeling chakra to form a swirling blue sphere that surrounded him completely, blocking the enemy's assault and violently hurling the two Tachibana ninja backward.

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