Naruto: Hero's Fist

~Land of Rain~

The village of Mizumura sat on the outskirts of the Land of Rain, a small settlement nestled between rolling hills and flowing streams. For generations, it had weathered the near-constant rain and the occasional skirmishes of the ninja world, its people resilient and close-knit.

But on this day, a new threat loomed on the horizon.

A squad of Sand shinobi crouched atop a nearby hill, their eyes fixed on the unsuspecting village below. The group consisted of ten ninjas - six jōnin and four chūnin - all hardened veterans of the ongoing conflicts that plagued the ninja world.

"Remember." the squad leader, a grizzled jōnin with a scar running down his left cheek, spoke in a low voice, "We're here for supplies and to create a strategic stronghold. The Land of Wind's drought has left us with no other options. Take what we need, eliminate any resistance, and leave no witnesses."

The other ninja nodded grimly. They knew the stakes - their own families back in Sunagakure were depending on the success of this mission.

"Move out." the leader commanded.

As one, the squad descended upon Mizumura like a sandstorm, swift and merciless.

The first sign of trouble for the villagers was a series of explosions that rocked the outskirts of the settlement. Panicked screams filled the air as civilians ran for cover while the few village guards rushed to meet the threat.

A chūnin from the Sand squad cornered a group of villagers trying to flee. His hands flashed through seals, preparing a wind technique that would slice them into ribbons. But before he could complete the jutsu, something unexpected happened.

The ground beneath his feet erupted, wooden tendrils shooting up, ensnaring him in a vice-like grip. The chūnin's eyes widened in shock and confusion. "W-what is this? Wood Release?? But that's impossible!"

A figure emerged from the shadows of a nearby building as paper butterflies flew together and coalesced into a single figure.

A blue-haired woman stared at them with an emotionless gaze, her face showing little more than pity.

"I wouldn't struggle if I were you." she said calmly, her voice carrying an underlying steel. "The more you move, the worse it gets."

The chūnin snarled, attempting to break free, but the wooden bindings only constricted further, draining him of both Chakra and oxygen. In moments, he succumbed to the attack and drifted into the darkness.

Across the village, three more Sand ninjas - two jōnin and a chūnin - were advancing on the village's food storage. They had just broken through the door when a voice called out from behind them.

"You know, it's not nice to take things that don't belong to you."

They turned to see a young man, his orange hair wild and his eyes sparking with electricity that danced inside his pupils. The Sand Ninja didn't wait for explanations. The two jōnin rushed forward, their hands already forming seals for earth-style jutsu.

His grin was feral.

"Too slow."

In a flash, he was among them. Lightning crackled around his body, and with a touch, he sent thousands of volts coursing through the first jōnin. The ninja didn't even have time to scream before he was reduced to ash by the extreme voltage.

The second jōnin managed to complete his jutsu, sending a wave of mud hurtling towards the teen. But the orange-haired youth simply raised a hand, a bolt of lightning shooting from his fingertips. The electricity superheated the mud, turning it into burnt clay in midair.

The man was upon him before the jōnin could react to this impossibility. A lightning-charged fist connected with the ninja's chest, stopping his heart instantly due to the electromagnetic energy completely disrupting his nervous system.

The chūnin, seeing his superiors fall so easily, turned to flee. He barely made it two steps before a blast of lightning struck him from behind, leaving nothing but a charred corpse.

He looked at his handiwork, his expression a mixture of an emotionless mask and grim determination. "Three down," he murmured. I hope the others are doing alright."

Meanwhile, at the village center, the remaining five Sand ninjas—three jōnin and two chūnin —had gathered a group of villagers and held them hostage as they demanded the location of the village's wealth.

"I won't ask again." the squad leader growled, holding a kunai to a young woman's throat. "Where are your valuables?"

Suddenly, a golden light filled the area. The Sand ninja looked up to see a figure floating above them, his red hair moving in an unseen wind and his Rinnegan eyes glowing with power.

The boy gazed down at the scene with a mix of pity and resolve. "Release them." he said, his voice echoing with an otherworldly timbre. "This is your only warning."

The squad leader sneered. "Or what, boy? You'll glare at us to death?"

'What type of Dojutsu is that? I don't remember seeing one of those patterns recorded in the Village books. Perhaps Lord Kazekage will know.' The Shinobi thought to himself as he tried to buy time.

He closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them, the golden light intensified and encapsulated everything. "So be it."

What happened next was over in milliseconds, yet to the Shinobi, it seemed to unfold in slow motion.

Nagato raised his hand, and suddenly, the five Sand ninja were lifted off the ground, suspended in mid-air. They struggled against the invisible force, their jutsu and weapons useless against this incomprehensible power.1

With a gesture from Nagato, the ninja were pulled in five different directions. The sheer force of Nagato's technique caused a sickening series of cracks as their bodies were torn apart.

In less than ten seconds, five elite Sand Shinobi had been reduced to broken corpses scattered across the village square.

Nagato descended slowly, the golden light fading as his feet touched the ground. The villagers stared at him in awe and fear, unsure whether to thank him or run from him.

An elderly man, seemingly the village elder, stepped forward hesitantly. "You... you saved us. But who are you? Are you with that new group we've been hearing about? The... Marines?"

The red-haired boy simply looked at the other two, who had arrived at the scene. They exchanged silent messages before he turned back to the elder.

"We're your protectors." he said simply. "That's all you need to know."

Without another word, the trio turned and began to walk away. Behind them, whispers broke out among the villagers.

"Did you see that? The girl controlled nature! Could she be like the God of the Shinobi?? "

"And that boy with the orange hair - he controlled lightning like it was nothing!"

"But the red-haired one... what was that power? I've never seen anything like it!"

As they reached the outskirts of the village, Yahiko broke the silence. "Well, that was a good workout. Think we made an impression?"

Konan rolled her eyes, but a small smile played on her lips. "I think you enjoyed that a little too much, Yahiko."

"Can you blame me?" Yahiko grinned. "It feels good to be putting all our training to use finally. To actually make a difference."

Nagato, who had been quiet, finally spoke. "We did good today. But, we shouldn't get cocky. Grandfather said this was just one of the Villages that Hanzo informed him about. We need to continue our patrols through them all."

Konan nodded, her expression turning serious. "Nagato's right. And sooner or later, the major hidden villages will take notice of our activities."

"Let them." Yahiko said, his voice filled with determination. "We'll show them that there's a new power in this world. One that fights for the people, not for Kage or daimyos."

As they continued their journey back to their base, talking amongst themselves about what they would eat that night, they each though over just how far they had grown.

Konan's mastery over her Devil Fruit had grown exponentially. What had once been a simple ability to manipulate a few roots had blossomed into full control over plant life.

Her "Wood Release," as the ninja world mistakenly called it, was a force to be reckoned with. She could create forests in seconds, form poisonous plants, bind enemies with living wood, and even merge with plants to travel unseen. Combined with her ability to transform into Paper through her unique Kekkei Tota, she could easily take down squads of the average Jonin without breaking a sweat.

Yahiko's lightning abilities had developed far beyond simple electricity generation. He could now control electromagnetic fields, move at speeds akin to instant teleportation, and even manipulate the weather on a small scale. His natural charisma, bolstered by his newfound power, made him a natural leader.

And Nagato... Nagato's growth had been nothing short of miraculous. The power of the Rinnegan, combined with the power from his Devil Fruit, had turned him into a being that straddled the line between human and divine.

He could manipulate gravity, absorb and redirect energy, summon creatures of immense power, and even control life and death to a certain extent. The Rinnegan had become a powerful tool under his command, and while he had not mastered it to the full extent, just the techniques he could use made him a powerful threat.

And this was without mentioning the inclusion of his Devil Fruit. Yet, for all his power, he remained the most introspective of the three, always questioning the moral implications of their actions.

As they neared their hidden base, a familiar figure came into view. Garp stood at the entrance, his massive frame silhouetted against the setting sun.

"Welcome back, brats!" he called out, his booming voice carrying easily across the distance. "How'd it go?"

The three shared a look before Yahiko stepped forward, a proud grin on his face. "Mission accomplished, Gramps! Those Sand ninjas won't be bothering anyone else."

Garp's expression softened with pride. "Good work, brats. Bwahahahahahaha!! I knew you three wouldn't fail. Come on inside - Kaya's been working on a new sealing technique, and I think you'll enjoy it!!"

"I think we will." Nagato said as they entered their house.

Their home.

[I owed you guys a chapter, so have at it!!]