Naruto's POV (Team Seven Training Ground - Hidden Leaf Village)
"Ah, it seems we're ready to begin then!" Kakashi said excitedly. "The next exercise was to be live sparring anyway! Do your best to make this exciting ne~!"
Naruto didn't bother answering with words, just a roar of fury as he ripped Riptide free from its sheath. As he did, Neji and Ino armed themselves. And the Genin of Team Seven looked united for the first time, determined to pay back their troll of a sensei.
Kushina's POV (Uzumaki Shrine - Nearby Hidden Leaf Village)
Kushina and a small group trekked along an all too familiar path. As one of the few remaining Uzumaki alive and the eldest of the fewer yet loyal to the Leaf, she had been tasked as Clan Head of the Uzumaki. A mostly figurehead role used to respect the Uzumaki's legacy, but one that gifted her access to unique clan relics and responsibility. With Ikam's recent arrival, declaration of his intention of opposing the Uzumaki, and even naming himself one of them, it became clear a ghost of the Uzumaki past had now come to wreak havoc in her present. Kushina had decided to check the shrine in response. If Ikam truly was an Uzumaki with insider knowledge to harm them, he would surely come here.
The temple was formerly a minor one, and a leaf outpost was placed there as part of their alliance long ago. From what Kushina knew, it had never been vital to the Uzumaki Clan. However, when they had fallen, a few relics and art saved from the homeland were brought here for prosperity. Protected by Uzumaki level Fuijutsu and the lack of knowledge of its existence. However, it was now the most crucial spot for the Uzumaki Clan, holding their few remaining treasures.
Returning to and intending to defend the Uzumaki Temple brought complex feelings to the forefront of Kushina's mind. She had never been all that close to or even respected by her clan. Her role as future jinchuriki for the Leaf had been decided at a young age. Due to this, even the few years she had spent with the Uzumaki had been spent as an outsider. It hadn't even been until she met Mito Uzumaki that she understood the clan and didn't feel any tie to it. Kushina would defend it all the same for Mito's and Naruto's sake.
Of course, as one of the two jinchuriki of the Leaf, Kushina, and Naruto weren't as free as most to move around. Even with her duty, Kushina had to get Hiruzen's approval to move outside the village. The old man had nearly blocked her due to Ikam's most recent stunt. Luckily, Kushina wasn't one to take no for an answer, and she got hesitant approval from him with the addition of bodyguards.
Easy enough for a Jounin like herself. Such experience ensured Kushina had ties to a litany of good help. Kushina quickly raised both Mikoto and Anko for the task. Mikoto Uchiha was one of Kushina's oldest friends. The two of them had been friends for years and even helped each other during the other's pregnancy. And while the woman was even less active than Kushina, the retired Uchiha was still a fierce combatant. Anko was a relatively newer friend, one introduced to her by Kakashi a couple of years ago. The woman was one younger, but someone Kushina could relate to all the same. A class after her own, Anko was the former star pupil of Orochimaru of the Sannin. Usually, such a title would bring esteem, but after the butchering of Leaf shinobi and civilians alike, via a sickening amount of lethal and inhumane human experimentation. Revealed by his own sensei Hiruzen the Third Hokage. Orochimaru had been labeled a traitor and Anko a pariah within the Leaf in response. And with Orochimaru having been long gone, the blame fell to Anko. Kushina, as a jinchuriki, could understand that pain, and unlike Mikoto, Anko was as active as ever. But Hiruzen had insisted on a third guard…
That guard was an Anbu, masked in a fox disguise with medium-length brown hair poking out from around it. The man was as stoic and silent as expected, following along with them and offering little input. As expected of most Anbu the man was not very sociable or forthcoming about who he was. He merely identified himself as Tenzo.
As they trekked the path through the forest, the three ladies filled the silence with relaxed, idle conversation. An experienced group of Jounin like themselves was a capable and adaptable group. They were traveling within the bounds of home turf, and with scouts always on the prowl, they were likely to receive aid if something did happen. Besides, Kushina had spent nearly two decades serving as a full-time mother and/or sensei; it was nice to be out of the house! Especially with her friends!
"So I received the report about Ikam as most did." Anko started her interrogation subtly. The woman had always been a gossiper, ironic considering her reputation and career path, but it oddly served her well. So Kushina was hardly surprised that she wanted to discuss recent events. "From what I read, we had a high Jounin level, rogue, and Uzumaki intruder the other night. One that managed to turn one of our own turncoats, infiltrate the village with ease, and was targeting your son… I miss all the fun. Surely you paid the bastard back for the trouble?" Kushina smiled at her friend. Despite her reputation one would struggle to find someone as protective and loyal as Anko.
"I wish…" Kushina sighed. "He proclaimed himself my enemy and swore the Uzumaki would suffer. He managed to counter one of my best shots and left before I could show him what I was made of. Kind of lame, ya know?"
"Wouldn't exactly be wise to stick around when surrounded." Mikoto pointed out. "Troublesome someone hostile could breach our security so easily. And in times of "peace.""
Anko snorted at that. "As if something so noble could ever last." She said dismissively. "What are we doing checking on this temple anyway?"
"After Ikam swore to oppose the Uzumaki so openly, I'd expect him to try something here," Kushina explained. "The temple is heavily defended by Fuijutsu, but if he is an Uzumaki…"
"He could bypass it. As someone who has also left to care for the remains of a clan, I can see your concern." Mikoto guessed correctly. "However, if you're actually bothering to go out of your way, there must be some importance to this temple."
"Yeah, it could be nothing, but there are these old masks of supposed importance," Kushina admitted. "I can't be certain how much of it is true, but the masks are said to hold great power within them. After examining them, I found that some seem to be nothing more than decorative, but three of them seem to hold some sort of strange chakra within them. Leaving them unguarded would be foolish if Ikam knows something I don't. Who knows what sort of trouble he could drum up with them."
"Please focus." The Anbu politely interjected. "We draw close to our destination. If you do believe there is a chance for a hostile encounter it would be best to be prepared."
The group emerged into a man-made clearing. The field was paved, and the grass was naturally tame. A large wooden shrine built of red-painted wood was erected within the center of the clearing, surrounded by several red wooden gates. The red shingles of the roof shone in the day, and the blue accent of the temple gave it an ocean aesthetic. It was spotless regardless of its age or lack of vacancy.
"Expected something shabbier," Anko admitted with a shrug as she led the group up a staircase to the temple's entrance. "You really handle the upkeep for this yourself?"
"I have Naruto help me occasionally," Kushina replied. "There are also various seals which keep plantlife and wildlife from being nuisances and keep wear and tear and dust build up to a minimum. It's easier than you expect. Besides, we're mostly here to check on the masks, not clean. I was here just last week for that." Kushina paused as a realization brought alertness erupting from within. She had been distracted by her friends, so she hadn't realized it at first. But she should've had to disable the barrier that keeps living beings outside the temple barriers. The fact that she hadn't-
"There should've been some kind of proximity defense." Tenzo explained as if reading her mind, dropping to his knees and touching the ground with a pulse of chakra. "The fact there doesn't suggest some sort of intrusion; in fact, I can sense chakra within the temple, but none of it seems to emanate from a living being…"
"So an intruder got through the first defenses but left after failing to breach the ones inside?" Mikoto guessed.
"Assume the worst." Anko countered as she drew a kunai and stretched. "It's much more likely they got inside as well. Perhaps that chakra this Anbu is sensing is merely masking their presence. Or they set traps within."
"The Procedure would be to call this in and let an Anbu team venture within." Tenzo pointed out.
"Sorry, but it's my duty." Kushina stubbornly retorted. "Besides, I must check to see if the masks remain. They'd be the only thing worth taking and could lead to all trouble. There's a chance the intruder is still inside ya know?"
Kushina's choice made the group venture within the temple. There were several memorials of notable names of fallen Uzumaki. A shrine within the temple of sorts to the Uzumaki homeland and way of life that had been destroyed. Several paintings were also displayed to acknowledge their culture, as well as five glass-sealed podiums. Kushina gasped and ran forward as the rest rushed to join her. The glass of the podiums was typically opaque, covered with countless paper seals to keep it within it and make it nearly impossible to bypass. However, three podium seals had been torn off, the glass shattered, and the masks within missing. "That bastard…"
Mikoto walked past Kushina, who seethed, examining the scene. She lowered herself to the ground, picking up a shard of glass. "It has dust buildup on it. Ikam must've done this before breaching the Leaf proper. Breaching the seals allowed dust and such to build up within. The three masks taken?"
"Of course, there are the ones she spoke of that may actually do something," Anko sighed. "This Ikam guy must be an Uzumaki or shockingly well-confirmed. But why the hell would he be targeting his own blood?"
"He spoke of us like we're guilty of some grand sin," Kushina added. "Perhaps the Uzumaki Clan wronged him personally somehow in the past. Whatever the case, it's clear the man is dangerous, and now armed with artifacts, ones that even I am unsure of what they can do."
"That all will become clear in time." A voice spoke, alerting the entire group. Their heads all whipped up to see a small seal written on the temple's ceiling, clearly the source of the sound. "It was a good idea to leave behind this communication seal. I got confirmation that the masks I took were the right ones—abysmal defense seals truly. But the Uzumaki of the past were smart to make fakes. A shame their protector left them so shamelessly unguarded. But worry not; the masks will be used well in my possession."
"And just how is that?" Kushina asked with a raised brow.
"To destroy the Uzumaki entirely, of course, as well as so much more." Ikam answered, the group now recognizing the situation. "The exact details however are of no true concern to you now. Just know the Uzumaki have planted oh too many seeds, and now they will reap them fully. That mission of mine continues now. It is fortunate you came yourself, Kushina; you are one of my highest-ranked targets. Perhaps today is the day I finally catch you…"
"Unlikely, seeing as you're hiding behind a seal." Anko mocked.
"Not behind one young lady." Ikam laughed. "I left plenty more…"
The group tensed as the walls, floor, and ceiling of the inside of the temple were revealed to be covered in glowing kanji. Kushina read them all as terror filled her. These were explosive seals…
"A hundred seals, to be precise. I expect some of you may survive, but all the same, let this be a show of force. Thank you for the masks, Kushina…" Ikam warned before he cackled as the seal burnt away.
Anko and Mikoto froze; neither of them could do anything. They weren't fast enough or able to defend from such an overwhelming attack. Kushina could use the Nine-Tails to defend herself, but even that had limits, and it wouldn't save the others.
However, the Anbu did not freeze. He raised a hand sign, and the wood moved; it bulged and hoarded the group around the man before sealing them into a box. Anko and Mikoto cursed as the four were crowded within the box. Kushina could hear the sound of wood surrounding them, feel them shift onto the floor, and even hear the hardened stone below. Kushina lost track of how long and in what direction they went. But the box lurched into the air, suddenly bursting open and flinging the four into a clump. The group landed in a painful lump. However, the Anbu acted first. Launching into a lightning-fast series of hand signs, a wooden barred cage assembles around them. Kushina watched in muted horror as one of the last ties she had to the Uzumaki exploded into flames, sending a wave of debris and flames out as the temple became nothing more than a flaming pile of rubble.
The group stood as the somewhat burned cage collapsed, watching silently as the now-destroyed temple burned to ash.
"Another attack from Ikam, one that destroyed land under our protection… The Hokage will need to hear of this." The Anbu is listed simply.
"Thank you…" Kushina offered.
"Indeed, quite a speedy reaction; we came awfully close to dying terribly there." Mikoto agreed.
"What a mess…" Anko summarized the situation perfectly. Kushina could barely contain her fury…