Root Remnants POV (Hidden Sound Base - Land of Fire)
A group of thirty shinobi stood in the shadows of a forest. The leader of the thirty men stood before them as he read a letter delivered by a hawk. They had struggled a fair bit since leaving their home but had done so as asked. They had established a base in The Village Hidden in the Waves. Far enough from the sway of the Leaf for them to operate. Yet close enough for them to keep tabs.
When they arrived, it was run by a cruel man named Gato. The man had hired an army of criminals with his fortune to rule the village as a lord. He had killed any he saw fit and even used some for human trafficking. The emotionless soldiers cared little for the villagers' suffering. But they needed safe refuge. They had offered the villagers a simple solution. They would take care of Gato and his troop of thugs in exchange for sanctuary in their home, secrecy of their presence, and a small amount of Ryo from their overall gain. The villagers were desperate for aid and accepted. Leading the Remnants of the Root, slaying Gato and his men with ease. The villagers were grateful for this and formed a proper cover story with their council. They would run Gato's company as if the man was still alive. But would offer better care for the village. This worked well, providing the group with funding, supplies, and shelter. Once they were fully established, they started with the last quest Danzo offered.
They investigated the leads they had regarding Orochimaru and even discovered a base. When the hawk used by their master appeared a letter in talon. They checked it and found what the fate of their master was. As well as his orders. They were to assault as many Sound bases as possible. It was a simple request and, to be frank, an unrealistic one. While they could likely destroy several bases. It would surely lead to a retaliatory assault from the Sanin. Which would surely lead to their demise. But the thought of disobeying never occurred to the loyal and broken men. They had accepted the mission instantly and acted it out.
The base they had discovered was a reasonably vital one. People often come through, but very few supplies do so. It became clear to the group this was either a command base or a communication center. Frequently used in wars to process communications and ensure orders are followed. In this case, it worked for a fractured village structure called the Village Hidden in the Sound. They likely figured no component force would target such a small, seemingly innocent camp. Surely only small-time bandits and missing ninjas. So they had a skeleton crew of shinobi. Merely ten men, nearly all of their chakra levels indicate they were Chunin-level fighters. It would likely be a slaughter. Since many of the roots were nearly Anbu level.
It was. First was the patrol establishing a perimeter around the camp. Merely two almost Jounin-level shinobi. Undoubtedly, they would've caused some level of fuss regardless in combat. Instead, one was suddenly bisected by a razor wire trap between two trees he hopped through, with the other having merely been overwhelmed by a targeted kunai barrage by them. While the patrol was eliminated, their own was established. Ensuring no one would escape or be flanked. They examined the building before they decided to blow into it from the roof. Two members used wind style to cut through the roof silently. They smashed into a room full of letters and carrier birds. Two non-shinobi scrambled to their feet in fear. But the men could not even offer shouts of fear as they were silently butchered by the white-masked men. The men crawled throughout the building, killing anyone they came across. Man, woman, child, subject, they all were slain coldly. The orders had been clear. They were sending a message. This shows that Sannin the Root intended to hold him accountable for his crimes. Once the inhabitants had been killed, they ransacked the building for supplies and information. They gained little of note but had located two more locations to check.
It will be a bloody week.
Darui's POV (Trial of Nio - Land of Iron)
It had taken only minutes after his display for the Genin to reorganize into groups. Even shorter for them to all stare at the man. A mix of desperation, determination, and anxiety was all they were. Things were finally looking anything but dull.
He could tell the shocked faces of the Genin that they were blown away by the task before them. To be honest, it did seem like a giant pain in the ass. He remembered his test not being nearly so deadly, at least location-wise. The second exam was being held at a mountain. There was a maze of paths surrounded by trees. It must reach at least seventy-five kilometers in the air. Covered in trees, spikes of rock, and snow.
"This will be the location of the second exam," Darui explained, his voice sounding bored even as he spoke. "This exam, if you haven't heard before, is the "Trial of Nio." In this exam, you and your team will be tasked with climbing to the top of the mountain."
"Sounds easy enough!" Kiba hollered excitedly. The last test had been a little out of his lane. But this had him written all over it!
"Glad you think so. Would hate for the test to be dull. Hmm," Darui faked like he was thinking. "Well, luckily, they thought of that. See, every team will have a "lord"; they are your leader. You will have to reach the top with them within two days and get there with them "unharmed". Harmed, in this case, means physical contact. You can beat the tar out of each other if you wish, but a mere touch will also count."
"What's the threat then?" Tenten asked dubiously.
"That would be the third requirement for a pass. Scoring three points against the other team's lord. So, to pass, you have to find other teams. Just two more rules for this…" Darui trailed off as a samurai led an armored horse into the arena. "The Lord must be on horseback whenever traveling. As well as a suit of armor the lord used to wear during travel in the Land of Iron. That being said, intentionally harming the horse will cost the individual by failing and a fine from the Samurai. Any questions?" No hands shot up. "Alright, strategize for a few minutes. Samurai will come by and lead you to your starting place."
The Second Exam. The Trial of Nio had begun.
Hiruzen's POV (Resting Point of Trial of Nio - Land of Iron)
Hiruzen had lived a long and varied life, and as such, time had a way of fading for him. Days previously lived were forgotten as time marched forth. Perhaps the human mind could only hold so much; even a genius like him couldn't hold it all. Yet the day of Naruto Uzumaki's birth would likely haunt him till his final days. So much life had been lost, the military had been ransacked, various notables falling to hold back the beast. And though the Fourth Hokage had managed to drop the beast, he only did so after much pain and suffering. His own life is lost in the chaos. The Kyuubi had tallied a heavy toll.
Perhaps ironically, as the beast rampaged and ended life, another was gained—one that, if the scenario had been any different, would've surely been celebrated. Instead, as he was born, many were killed. As his father made the questionable choice of sealing the beast into the boy and his own life, the man surely did not realize what he was doing. Everyone had lost something… or someone after all.
October 10th marked the passing of a legend, the day a beast bared its awful fangs, the day a legend of the Leaf and an unstoppable beast fell, and, to a select few, the day Naruto Uzumaki was given the curse of the Kyuubi.
The funeral that was held was massive. Villagers, shinobi, and merchants all had come to share their respects for the man who had led them. The pain from such an event rivaled even the Third Great Shinobi War. The peace it had earned had been shattered in a single night. As such, nearly everyone in the village was there. To say goodbye to loved ones and their leader, and for two Uzumaki to say goodbye to an unknown father and a loving husband. The villagers radiated pain. But it was clear that everyone was searching for a target. A way to say goodbye to such pain
Kushina Uzumaki had been shattered, of course. It was a disservice to say she lost her lover. She had lost her soul mate, her partner, a member of her newly created family. Worse yet, she still held the killer of the man in her body, as well as the body of her child. For her own sake and for the sake of those who may earn her ire, the decision was made to hide what happened on that fateful night. The story of Minato managing the impossible was told. When the Golden Flash, The Fourth Hokage, some even dared to call him the Third God of Shinobi, met the Kyuubi in battle, it had been a draw. Neither powerful being could feel the other before the man found Kyuub's weakness. Using this, he slays the beast, but unfortunately, he is killed in the process.
This had worked well, as angry and hurt as people were. Knowing the Kyuubi had been slain alleviated this. For years, this had worked; some in the know kept the knowledge to themselves. It was further enforced by both Hiruzen and Danzo, but now, this dam of lies faces its first crack. The people had spent years away from the pain, but with the knowledge that there was a target, their ire could finally be given out. Ikam had caused a chain of events that would haunt the days of one Naruto Uzumaki.
Luckily for the ignorant blonde, a multitude of people surrounded him. Some may believe this protected him. Seeing others treating him as a human would show them the truth. But hate had a way of blinding those who wielded it. They held back for now, whispering ploys and plans as they secretly bathed the monster in hate. For now, they would wait. Little could be done about the beast in the present moment. However, one thing was inherently clear: the teams were separated for the Trial of Nio.
Naruto Uzumaki, a young man who had unknowingly been spared the pain of a jinchuriki, would learn the path of one. All jinchuriki were indeed cursed, alone, and hopeless… how all were destined for this… despite who they may be.
It was the fate of those cursed with the Tailed Beast.