Disclaimer: The Naruto universe and characters are copyright of the original creator and the producing companies, I make no claim on copyrights not my own. However, the majority of the material in this story is original, and my own property, including all original characters, techniques, and events.
Author's Intro: Ah, this is pretty ridiculous, I told myself I wasn't going to do this, and then I went and did it anyway. Curse my brain for coming up with a story, now I'm writing another Naruto fanfic. Of course, the term probably has to be used loosely here, since this is about as far from the story of Naruto as you can get and still even be in the world at all, at least without making up new countries.
Regardless, this story is a continuation from (not sequel to) Behind Killer's Eyes, my other Naruto fanfic. Basically it picks up in the Lightning Country (Hidden Cloud) where that story left off, with the character of Kabure Gosain, a lightning ninja who played a substantial role in Behind Killer's Eyes. This story will be about Gosain and a large number of other original characters. Fair warning, it will not involve any characters from the actual Naruto manga or anime whatsoever, though there will be some references to plot events mentioned there. While this story is set after Behind Killer's Eyes, reading it is not a prerequisite to understanding this story (though I would encourage you to regardless). I've provided a brief timeline that should fill in all relevant events, and integrates with my interpretation of events that occurred in the Naruto manga and anime.
As this story does not relate to the anime or manga directly in any way it should not contain any manga spoilers (I hope).
Hopefully this will be an enjoyable story for fans of Naruto wishing to get a look at some unexplored parts of the world and a slightly different, but still Naruto-esque story. Thanks, please review if you read, whether you love this or hate it.
Prologue – The Tide Flows InThe sun broke over the waves with majestic presence, a searing radiance that struck through to touch the soul of the coastal people and the fisherfolk who greeted that ocean dawn. It illuminated the beginning of a bright new day, one that brought clear skies and the promise of the sea's bounty. Days such as this were rare on this great island, wracked by the power of the mighty ocean, where storms came often, and the land was most often covered in a baleful mist that hid everything and made all conscious of the ocean's dark designs for all land.
"A good day for good news to come," A cold voice, hard like the stony cliffs that suffered the ocean's pounding every second of every hour every day, remarked softly. "Perhaps it is an omen."
"I trust not to omens or anything so foolish," Another voice, this one sharp and cutting, with the power of a breaking wave, replied. "This brightness is revealing; the cold and misty weather is our blessing, not these clear skies."
"There is a truth in that, perhaps," The other replied, with the cautious judgment of experience. "The weather is the province of the gods alone, and we can only endure it. Still," He chuckled. "I am encouraged by this day somehow. It is somehow fitting that it should be a good day for us when we learn of the trials of our foes."
The other man was quiet for a moment, but then spoke, his voice bearing a trace of violent hunger. "You have whispered many things of the news this morning, Mizukage-sama, the words delivered before dawn by one of our most trusted spies. I have patiently walked out here with you, but I can only assume you called for me to tell me the news," His mouth twisted sharply and his hands clenched, cutting off and instinctive motion to reach for a weapon. "You claim there is good news from our spy in Lightning country, and that our foes have faced trials. I'm not good with suspense, so why don't you tell me."
"You ought to cultivate the ocean's eternal patience as well as its eternal anger Akai," Mizukage replied slyly, teasing the other. "However, I will not bother to keep you in suspense. Recognize that I tell you this first for a reason, one I expect you will guess before I am done."
"So what is the news Mizukage-sama?"
"Many things have happened in Lightning is seems," Mizukage answered. "Dark things." His voice was without malice, but there was a cruel happiness behind the tragic tale he told, pleased with the failure of the rival nation. "It seems the Dark Storm returned at last to take the country."
"The Dark Storm?" It was a gasp. "This is not good news, if she rules Lightning then she will turn all its strength against us, and we will be hard pressed, even if many died in her coup."
"Patient, Akai, patience." Mizukage chuckled. "That was my first reaction too, but far more has happened. The Dark Storm did indeed launch a coup, and many died, including your old nemesis the 7th Raikage, but," And the leader of the entire mighty nation of Water country stressed that one word as if determined the whole future. "The Dark Storm did not succeed."
"Did not succeed?" Akai's response was more shocked than his dour and sharp voice could properly contain, and the words barely formed.
"No, she did not succeed, for she underestimated her foes. It seems the dragon ninja, Draci Xi, was still out there, and he found her, and demonstrating powers beyond anything in recent memory, fought her," Mizukage gave a sigh. "It was apparently a fight such as we can barely imagine, with god-like summoned beasts in the sky to be seen throughout the country, and ninja abilities unleashed with absolute perfection. A pity I could not see it." He paused, turning to the other ninja with a great smile on his face. "Yet, to our utmost benefit, it seems they slew each other."
"Slew each other? Lightning's most powerful ninja of the past twenty years are dead?"
"Indeed, they are, they, and hundreds of others, both those who fought for the Dark Storm, the members of many clans, and those loyal to the Raikage who were killed in the coup. The power of the Lightning has been shattered. Even Xi's students, the three youths he apparently made dragon ninja, though powerful, are apparently to become hunter-nins and stand aside from all conflicts," Mizukage smiled again, and this time he did not even bother to hide the grin in his eyes, the grin of a predator who seems his prey wounded and unable to run. "Lightning has been shattered, the Leaf, we now know, is weak, the Sound are gone, all the strength that remains in the eastern part of the shinobi world belongs to us now, the Mist. The time has come to exercise it."
"I see why you related this news to me first, Mizukage-sama," Akai said, his grin matching that of his leader's exactly. "You wish me to begin to take that which is now Lightning's, and properly belongs to us."
"Indeed Akai, you have long been the chief warrior on our northern border in the islands. The situation there has long been a stalemate, but though the garrisons of lightning on the islands are untouched, all that was behind them has been swept away. I will add to your forces, Akai, doubling them. That will not sweep them away with utter ease, but by doing that we will remain strong enough everywhere else that none can threaten us. With your skills you should be able to take much of lightning."
"It will take time, those ninja are not fools, whatever else I say of them, but if everything you have told me is true, then we can push hard, and they cannot increase their strength to try and push back, and they no longer have a brilliant strategist to aid them." Akai smiled viscously once more. "Double my forces and I promise that all that will remain to the Lightning at year's end will be the mainland."
"Good, I will expect much more good news soon then." Mizukage answered, and turned from the shore to return to his village.
Akai stared out at the sea for a long time, looking northward, and watching the tide batter against the rocks. A strong rock may hold back the sea almost forever, but weak stone is worn away quickly. He laughed as he saw the doom of his enemies to come.
Timeline: All dates are referenced against the current manga date (which has remained the same day from chapter 185-225 and onward and is about one month past the current anime date). This timeline summarizes essential events from the perspective of Lightning country, for more detail see Behind Killer's Eyes.
Summary of Recent Lightning History12-9 Years Ago: Following the weakness in the Leaf due to their losses fighting the Kyuubi, the powerful nation of Lightning, under the 5th Raikage, launches an attack across the border. Though initially successful they are gradually pushed back, notably due to the abilities of the Uchiha and Hyuuga clans. While a jounin takes command of the battlefield and stems Lightning's losses by three years into the war they have been pushed back to the border. At this time a female ninja thereafter known only as the Dark Storm melds her essence with the demonic essence that represents all the evils of the storm. She uses her new powers to kill several Uchiha, including the then clan leader, one of Sasuke's uncles, and a notable Hyuuga, Hiashi's cousin then branch family leader.
During this war the Dragon Ninja Draci Xi serves as the second member of an all jounin hunter-nin squad that tracks missing-nins and defectors from both sides of the battlefield.
The war ends when a sneak attack on Konoha itself, led by the Dark Storm and the 5th Raikage, is defeated. The 3rd Hokage kills the 5th Raikage. The Dark Storm escapes. The battlefield commander gets the committee to sue for peace at status quo ante.
9 Years Ago: Under influence from the Dark Storm the interim head ninja and leader of the peace mission is instructed to capture Hyuuga Hinata, so that the secrets of the Byakugan can be learned. This attempt fails, and the political maneuver that follows also fails, embarrassing the Dark Storm and Hidden Cloud. As a result of this, and due to her obviously vile nature, the Dark Storm does not become the 6th Raikage, but a compromise woman is appointed instead. The jounin battlefield commander is sent to the southern islands to fight the Water Country.
8 Years Ago: Having gathered a great deal of secretive power and support in secret, the Dark Storm launches a coup to seize control of Hidden Cloud. However, many clans and factions take to fighting in the city. The Dark Storm kills the 6th Raikage openly in the streets, and appears to be victorious, but when her associates begin to kill innocents openly and lay siege to the ninja academy, the mood hardens against her. A dying messenger gives the hunter-nins the news. They break their oaths of non-involvement and return to save many academy students and rip apart the Dark Storm's followers. At the same time the Dark Storm battles and kills Draci Naravki, Xi's mentor, atop the Raikage's Hall. The dragon ninja is defeated, and the Dark Storm takes his four ninja artifacts. However, the fight concludes as the jounin commander arrives with the entire garrison of the southern islands, and stands before the Dark Storm. She flees. The four hunter-nins pursue, but they are defeated, and only Xi survives when his leader sacrifices herself to take the dragon ninja artifacts from the Dark Storm and commands him to run. Xi is exiled for breaking his oaths. The jounin battle commander takes the mantle of the 7th Raikage, as no other candidates with the strength remain.
During this battle, Senirai Shiren and the others of her Academy class are branded for being saved by the Hunter-nins, and are forbidden proper instruction.
8 Years Ago-Current Manga Date: Draci Xi serves as a roving agent throughout the shinobi countries, working as hunter and spy. He is constantly searching for the Dark Storm, trying to kill her, but she seems to have vanished. Xi meets with and becomes known to every country and Kage.
8 Years Ago-Current Manga Date: The 7th Raikage struggles to hold Hidden Cloud together, but has great difficultly succeeding. The power of individual clans grows, and few ninja look to the Raikage for leadership. Eventually the Dark Storm's influence creeps back into Cloud.
6 Years Ago: Twelve-year-old Kabure Gosain graduates from the ninja academy and swiftly acquires the name "Cursed Genin."
5-4 Years Ago: The two-year war with Hidden Mist, both sides fight several small battles and many brutal missions over the island territories. The 'seven swordsmen' of Mist become famous during this period, though the 7th Raikage defeats each of them in battle, even though he does not manage to kill them. The treaty that concludes the war is vague, and constant squabbling continues, with regular deaths.
3 Years Ago: Alone out of the 25 ninja in her class, Senirai Shiren graduates from the ninja academy to become a genin.
Date Unknown: The Dark Storm joins the Akatsuki, becoming the second highest ranked member of that organization, and begins to gather dissatisfied lightning ninja to her banner.
1 Month Before Current Manga Date: Draci Xi reveals his presence during Orochimaru's attack on Konoha. He fights numerous sound and sand ninja, killing twenty-five. He also fights Kabuto, but the sound ninja retreats before him. Xi attempts to break the barrier around the 3rd Hokage, but does not succeed. He then fights the three-headed snake summons in Konoha and delays it until Jiraiya arrives.
Current Manga Date: Draci Xi saves Hyuuga Neji from death after facing Kidomaru, and subsequently begins to train him as a dragon ninja.
Behind Killer's Eyes, Month 2: Draci Xi calls for companions for Neji for the winter Chuunin exam, Senirai Shiren and Kabure Gosain answer.
Behind Killer's Eyes, Month 3: In the chuunin exam, Xi's team defeats a massive Hidden Waterfall plot to kill them, while Xi kills four waterfall jounin who ambush him. Kabure Gosain defeats fellow lightning ninja Yilosi Nemari, paralyzing him, Senirai Shiren wins the chuunin exam, having killed the monstrous grass ninja Tonetero, and defeated Draci Neji. Shiren and Gosain are made Chuunin.
Behind Killer's Eyes, Month 5: The Dark Storm, forced out of hiding by her compatriot's defeat in Grass, launches her attack on Cloud. Her nighttime ambush slays almost all chuunin and jounin in the village loyal to the Raikage, but Gosain escapes the attack and rallies the numerous genin to fight. As the clans stand aside Gosain and the genin clear much of the village of the Dark Storm's forces. The Dark Storm faces the 7th Raikage and kills him, but he orders the genin to flee and tells Gosain to bring Draci Xi. Gosain manages a brutal marathon voyage to the Fire country border, and manages to evade and slay his pursuers until reaching the watching Shiren. Draci Xi goes to lightning immediately.
Behind Killer's Eyes, Month 6: Draci Xi travels to lightning, killing the 40 lesser ninja the Dark Storm sends against him. Draci Neji, his fellow dragon ninja, and Gosain pursue, and Gosain captures 60 lightning clan ninja so that the dragon ninja can kill them. Xi fights the Dark Storm and loses but is saved by the intervention of his students. In their second battle the Dark Storm summons the demonic evil of the storm, while Xi summons Izanagami, mightiest of dragons. While the two ninja fight on the ground, the summons fight in the sky, and are visible throughout Lightning Country. Both battles have the same result, the mutual deaths of both combatants. The banner of dragon ninja passes to Neji, Shiren, and Dar, who proclaim their intention to become multi-country hunter-nins.
Present Date: Kabure Gosain returns to Hidden Cloud leading numerous chuunin and genin, to be present for the induction of Heposiri Saiyki, the one clan leader who was absent when the Dark Storm attacked, as the 8th Raikage, even though he does not truly have the strength to hold the position.