Naruto: The new beginning

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A total of fifteen air-borne shinobi, members of the defunct Sky Ninja Village (Kūnin), were trapped within Konoha's defensive barrier.

They utilized special chakra-infused equipment strapped to their backs, granting them the ability to fly.

When the barrier activated, they attempted to breach it using both ninjutsu and ninja tools, but to no avail.

Frustrated, they resorted to dropping bombs haphazardly while searching for an exit.

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Standing atop the Hokage Building, Shisui Uchiha led the six elite members of Minato's personal Shadow Guard.

The six retrieved scrolls, unsealing specialized equipment and strapping it onto their backs.

Naruto, watching from a nearby rooftop, couldn't hide his surprise. "Are those… mechanical wings?"

Indeed, these were simplified chakra-powered flight devices developed in collaboration with the Land of Snow.

The full chakra armour, while powerful, was deemed too costly and bulky for widespread use.

Minato had ordered a stripped-down version, focusing solely on flight capabilities, and the Shadow Guard had been the first to test them.

With practised precision, the six activated their mechanical wings, leaping into the air and taking flight.

Their movements were smooth and controlled as they ascended rapidly toward the airborne intruders.

The sight of Konoha shinobi taking to the skies rattled the Kūnin. After a brief moment of panic, they regrouped and fired kunai from gun-like ninja tools.

Shisui, activating his Sharingan, effortlessly deflected the projectiles with a barrage of expertly aimed shuriken. His calm, calculated movements revealed his mastery of aerial combat.

Naruto smirked, muttering to himself, "Trying to match kunai and shuriken skills with Shisui? That's just asking for trouble."

The rest of the Shadow Guard joined the fray, using senbon, kunai, and shuriken to disable their enemies.

Three of the air shinobi were quickly struck, losing control of their chakra-powered equipment and plummeting toward the ground.

Shisui noted their descent but didn't falter in his pursuit, trusting the Konoha forces below to handle the situation.

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On the ground, Naruto's shadow clones worked tirelessly as part of the Uzumaki Rescue Unit, transporting injured villagers to the hospital and pulling survivors from the rubble caused by the initial bombing.

Despite the quick activation of Konoha's barrier, the surprise attack resulted in significant damage.

As his clones moved efficiently, Naruto's frustration grew. Watching civilians suffer only fueled his desire to end the chaos. "Those sky rats are going to pay for this," he muttered, clenching his fists.

With a loud crash, three of the Kūnin landed near one of his clones, two of them knocked unconscious upon impact.

The third groaned weakly, still tethered to his damaged equipment. Clone No. 001 kicked the ninja's gear in frustration, recalling the name "Shinnō," the mastermind behind the Kūnin's resurgence.

"Time to send these guys to the Torture and Interrogation Unit," Clone No. 001 decided, tying them up and preparing to interrogate them for intel.

The clone dispatched itself, relaying the information back to Naruto, who opened his chakra-sensing map to search for Shinnō's presence.

However, no suspicious chakra signatures could be found.

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Meanwhile, the leader of the Kūnin grew desperate. Ordering his forces to unleash their strongest weapon, the remaining intruders retrieved machine gun-like ninja tools, firing kunai in a relentless barrage.

The dense rain of projectiles would have overwhelmed most shinobi but not the Shadow Guard.

With practised synchronization, the six spun rapidly, folding their mechanical wings inward to use them as makeshift shields.

The kunai bounced harmlessly off the reinforced material. Their seamless teamwork and coordination left the Kūnin leader visibly unnerved.

Shisui and his team closed the distance with ease, their superior speed and agility far outmatched the bulky flight gear of the Kūnin. Once in close range, the battle was over.

The Shadow Guard dispatched their foes using a combination of taijutsu and precision strikes, leaving no room for retaliation.

The lack of elaborate jutsu in the skirmish was a testament to the simplicity and efficiency of their tactics.

As the last of the Kūnin within the barrier fell, those outside appeared to retreat, likely low on chakra or disheartened by their inability to breach the barrier.

Shisui, holding an unconscious enemy, observed their retreat with narrowed eyes. "Take these captives back for interrogation," he ordered. "Lord Hokage will want to track their movements."

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At Konoha's Perception Unit headquarters, Yamanaka Inoichi provided a detailed report of the attack patterns.

Minato and Shikaku stood over a map, marking the Kūnin's routes and bombing areas. However, something about the pattern seemed… off.

"This doesn't add up," Shikaku muttered. "A large-scale attack like this should have been meticulously planned. They should have avoided our outposts and focused their efforts on high-value targets. Instead, their movements were erratic and their bombing locations almost random."

"I disagree," Inoichi countered. "Their actions suggest a detailed plan. Each team had a clear route and target it wasn't chaotic or improvised."

Minato's eyes sharpened as realization dawned. "It's possible their intelligence was outdated," he said, pointing to the map. "Their routes align with the defensive formations we used during last year's Chunin Exams. After Danzo leaked our positions to Orochimaru, we completely overhauled our strategy. It seems the Kūnin weren't aware of these changes."

Shikaku followed Minato's logic. "If that's the case, the leak must have come from Orochimaru's remnants. Perhaps they're acting in retaliation for his defeat."

Inoichi nodded. "It's plausible. We know one of Orochimaru's operatives, Guren, vanished after his death. She could have provided this intelligence."

"Guren…" Minato repeated thoughtfully. His expression darkened as he recalled Naruto's earlier suspicion: What if Orochimaru isn't really dead?

Minato's gaze returned to the map, his mind racing. If Orochimaru was truly alive, this attack might only be the beginning.

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