Chapter 2: War Party

War.

Even Youta's most paranoid musings never entertained the possibility.

War.

His village was deploying his team with a war party to Waterfall's southwestern front, to keep watch for Rock nin and harry them. Was that all they were going to do? Could they be deployed to fight Hidden Harvest? Hidden Steel? Would they even take the fight to Hidden Leaf?

Training was cancelled for the day. Hanashi-sensei told his team to pack their things and say goodbyes- the war party was leaving tomorrow, and their journey would be stretched out to two days for the supply caravan to catch up. When they arrived, the caravan would set up an FOB while the rest of the ninja would spread out to scout for any preliminary signs of enemy ninja.

They were going to be a reactive force, with constant missions to scout borders and check for tracks. That was likely where his team was going to be used for, and it would put them on the first line of defense. At worst, the first to die.

Youta stumbled home, barely acknowledging the mudfeet outside the gates. His mind was a complete mess. His home came into view, and his mind finally jumbled into some semblance of order. He- he had to pack, right? Right. He should get on that.

But in the entrance of his home, he ran into his father.

Fuki Takei was one of the clan's technique hackers, one of the few who would be put to work on a collaboration with other clans to adapt their techniques for general use. The job required him to pay attention to his body's internal sensitivities, and determine, often by feel, whenever a technique felt 'just right'. More than that, he was Youta's father. He'd raised him for fourteen years, while his wife, Youta's mother, would often be assigned to chakra beast hunts or internal duties. He knew every one of his son's expressions, and nothing alarmed him more than seeing abject fear and dejection on his son's face.

"Youta, you look terrible." His father reached out and grabbed his shoulder. He was so lost in his thoughts, Youta didn't react.

"Youta." His father's voice took a sterner tone, and shook him gently. "What's going on? Why aren't you training with your team?"

Some of the words finally got through to Youta, and he mumbled, "-nashi-sensei gave us the day off. We're going to fight Rock nin and die."

"To fight Rock nin and die?" Takei questioned, before piecing together what his son meant. "Oh kami, they put you on the southwestern war party?"

At Youta's barely cognizant nod, his father cursed and started running his hands through his hair. "You need to pack. I need to yell at some people- Youta."

His father grabbed him by both shoulders and looked him in the eyes.

"Youta. This can go away. I can get you removed from the war party. I can call in a lot of favors, the clan can call in a lot of favors. We can get you removed from your team and stay in the village. Do you want that?"

A single agonising second passed. His gut instinct was yes. Youta yearned to say yes. He was scared. He didn't want to die. Could anyone blame him for that? Absolutely not. He was certain that every other ninja in the village was afraid for their lives as well. If he chose the path of cowardice, could anyone blame him?

But leaving his team behind? To leave the first non-blood family he'd deemed free of debt, to whom he'd give all of himself and receive all of themselves in return? He'd never be able to forgive himself.

A single shake of his head sealed his fate, and Youta returned to his room to pack.

---

Sleep didn't come easily. His consciousness flittered back and forth between awareness and sleep, dragging images of enemy ninja to terrorise him at every step. Words he wasn't sure were real nudged his consciousness to just above awareness, jolting him from the clutch of yet another Leaf ninja.

A familiar voice reverberated from outside his room."-on't care if it's restricted, he's blood! Blood Fuki!"

Another voice responded, but exhaustion dragged Youta's consciousness to just where it was unintelligible.

This time, a flash of a kunai from a Rock nin jolted him half awake. A familiar voice again. "I helped make the damn jutsu, I'll fucking teach him if I want to!"

"That's not what we agre-..." Parts of the reply faded from Youta's mind, dipping just into mumble as his mind shook from exhaustion. "..-ily. Don't make me censure you, Takei."

"He's my son…" The voice outside took on an aggrieved tone. Youta's awareness expanded, his brain's attempts to interpret the complex sounds known as 'words' nudging the rest of his mind into near waking. "What's the point of being a training clan if I can't make sure he stays alive?"

"You agreed with everyone when we said we'd be keeping the technique for Tier Three only. The chances of this being stolen… we can't risk it, Takei." Where had he heard this voice before? It was too familiar, the speaker's name was just on the tip of his tongue. "Your son's a genin, and he's learning our second tier of jutsu already, Takei. He's well ahead of the curve, chances are he'll learn it in a few years already."

"Only if," the voice took on a bitter tone, "he survives this war."

Youta tossed and turned for the rest of the night.

---

Today was it. August 11th. The day the war parties were set to leave. Youta didn't want to leave his room. It took his father shoving a storage seal filled with his belongings into his hands to get Youta to leave the house, and join the rest of the Fuki clan getting ready to leave. The war parties were being mustered in the village's main square, beneath the shadow of the Takikage's hill. There, he would meet the rest of his team, and leave to defend his home.

Fear suffused his very being. A part of him wanted to sprint home, and beg his father to call in every favor, call in all of the clan's goodwill, to keep him safe. But he was too far gone. He was committed.

Youta heard the square before he saw it. Then he smelled it before seeing it as well. He'd hoped… well, he'd hoped the Hanashi would've strewn some of their flowers around the village to combat the smell, but that was unfortunately not the case. When he saw the square, the sheer amount of people made him pause.

The village was nearly a thousand strong, and almost every ninja was being called to war. All of the clans, wielding banners with their clan emblems, made for an extraordinary sight. One clan's banner in particular caught his attention.

Youta had waited outside of the Hanashi clan compound almost every day for the past year and half, there was no way he couldn't recognise their clan emblem on sight by now. As the rest of his clan entered the Takikage's Square, he searched for his sensei, and caught her eye. When she nodded back, sanguine while wielding one of the poles holding up her clan's banner, a small sliver of resolve entered Youta's stomach.

Once the Fuki settled in, however, it seemed that every clan was present. Youta wondered why they weren't forming up already. Then, he appeared.

Kanetsuki Hiroyuki. Takikage. Head of the Kanetsuki.

Youta had only seen the Takikage a handful of times, often from very far distances. Standing in the square, looking at the Takikage who'd appeared at the foot of his own hill, the fear evaporated from his body. Even at this distance, Youta could almost feel the Takikage's strength wash over him. It was like his backbone was supported by steel lining. He felt unstoppable.

The rest of the square went silent. Even the Takikage's presence engendered respect, Then he opened his mouth, and all of Youta's fears were blown away.

"As we stand here, I am reminded of the immense strength and courage that resides within each and every one of you. Today, we will all go face a challenge that will test us to our very core. This war will not be easy. This war will not be fast. But I have faith that our village's strength trumps all others."

There were some isolated cheers at that, but the Takikage wasn't finished. "Look around you. It isn't our training, ninjutsu, or weapons which makes us strong. It's each other, all of us sons and daughters of the Village Hidden in the Waterfall. Together, we are an unbreakable force."

His words began whipping the crowd into a frenzy, and his next words inflamed them even further. "Hidden Rock believes they can traipse through our land freely! What do you say to that?"

"War!" The square was unanimous. Every clan was becoming rowdier than the last, their banners fluttering in the wind.

"Hidden Steel thinks they can claim the entire Aisu bay! How should we respond?"

"War!" The square's reply was thunderous, and the banners shuddered from the sheer volume.

"Hidden Leaf has forgotten the insult they paid us a generation ago! How should we remind them?"

"War!"

The Takikage's hair looked like it was blown back from the sheer volume of the reply, and Youta felt like he'd almost gone deaf. The Takikage himself looked unfazed, and waved to the combined forces of the entire Hidden Village."Then go, brothers and sisters! Give our enemies exactly that!"

The crowd's resultant cheer banished any fear from Youta's heart.

---

Four hours and forty miles later, camp was being set up for the night. The caravan animals were being allowed to graze, while the ninja rested and did some light training.

Youta had set up his tent close to the older Fuki members, who'd offered to assist him, but he'd declined. Best not to be in their debt. It was midday, but the camp was already lively. Ninjas might be able to be stealthy for long periods of times, but in their private lives they seemed to be louder than anyone else.

---

You have time for three actions:

[X] A scroll fell out of your storage seal that you don't recall placing in there. Maybe you should read it?

[x] Talk to: (Who? And about what?)
Options:
-Hanashi-sensei
-Sakamoto Rina
-Yoruhashi Aika
-One of the older Fuki members, maybe?

Demographics Numbers

As said in the document, endless gratitude to @Inferno Vulpix for creating the original version of this. I am merely a monkey who plugged in numbers and did some back of a napkin math.

A map have been added to the info post. For those that are lazy, here is another link to it. Yes, I know it's bad. I'd like to see you do better. (Please do and send it to me). This map is created from Youta's admittedly spotty knowledge of the mainland Elemental Nations, and has some of the competing powers listed.