Mine Eyes Have Seen The Glory... [Mission]

[Takaki Saeko]

The Unsung War​

“Ha!” exclaimed the Golem as it examined its smoking hand in the wake of Tama’s escape. “Your shinobi are like cockroaches, Takaki. Very hard to kill! But step on a roach hard enough, and it still dies. Now, watch as I do just that!” it roared as it stomped toward the pair.

“Guys, don't panic when it happens..." suddenly muttered Zaku, as he stood right in the path of the Golem.

“Ishikawa-taichou, what are you doing?! Take evasive action!” exclaimed Masao at the seeming suicidality of his Gate Captain, when…

Horrifyingly and almost instantaneously, Zaku seemed to expand, his featured distorted and stretched like those of an overfilled balloon, and he burst into a shower of gore and entrails…which were quickly sucked into a greater implosion of an incomprehensible amount of sand that coalesced into the nightmarish form of a hunchbacked, broad-shouldered humanoid beast that boasted a terrifying row of fangs as well as wickedly curving claws and talons on its avian-looking feet. It drew itself upright to a height almost greater than that of the Golem’s, and roared.

“Shinbatsu help us all…” whispered Masao.

“That a registered Kinjutsu, big guy?” snarkily remarked Hichiko.

The Golem charged forward, undaunted, and Zaku’s Demon responded in kind. The two giants collided into each other with the violence of a rugby scrimmage, sending gobs of sand as well as brown globs of shredded muscle tissue splattering against the walls of the silo. The Demon grabbed at the Golem’s arms, preventing it from moving, as Kazuhiko now sailed overhead, rapidly deploying a network of silver ziplines for Tama to ride on. The Golem, however, responded by sinking its own jagged teeth into the Demon’s neck and ripping a large chunk away from its “flesh.” Zaku, not being as experienced in this form as Enishi was in his, was forced to falter and break away, grasping at the wound which gushed a gritty black substance akin to oil. Enishi’s creation now lunged forward, sending a flurry of kicks and punches into Zaku’s, spraying oily sand against the walls.

The Golem reared back, balling its fists together to deliver a crushing blow to the Demon’s head, when a concentrated beam of maser energy seared a gaping hole through the center of its chest, causing it to fall backwards. Tama’s hands smoked, and she grinned at the results.

The team was about to let out a victory whoop, however as quickly as it had appeared, the “fatal” wound now steamed and closed on its own. The Golem slowly rose again!

“Barfight-sennin, Guy-Who-Shot-Me, do you guys know of any weak points that this thing might have?” said Tama as she sent a positron beam arcing through the Golem’s midsection, only to see the wound seal itself nearly instantaneously again. She quickly leapt from her zipline, avoiding a retaliatory swipe of the Golem’s hand and landing perfectly with her feet on another. She raced down the thin wire, firing more beams of destructive energy at the creature’s head. One of them burned through an eye, sending it reeling backwards but otherwise not seeming to bring it down.

“I’ve only see the damned thing in action once, but if this is truly a chakra-based technique, then I imagine that Enishi has to be somewhere within,” said Masao.

“Yukimura is completely right, by the way. You are much like a cockroach, Mochizuki. Unfortunately however, I do not know more than what I’ve told you already,” said Makoro, steeling his fingers in front of him.

“Ooh, guys! That reminds me, I actually wrote my thesis on this sort of thing!” suddenly exclaimed Hichiko. “Did you see how fast the creature moved when it grabbed at Tamacchi and Zakkun? Even the most advanced puppets can’t do that when they get larger than a certain point. So that means the golem has to be an organic construct under direct neuronal control through a whole-body interface! I’d bet all the Percocet™ in Kumo that Enishi himself is situated right at the juncture of the atlas and the foramen magnum! That’s where you guys should target!”

“In terms we laypeople can understand, Nara-sensei!” snapped Masao.

“Hit it right where its neck meets its head!” said the mednin cheerily.

The force of an attempted punch from the Golem was enough to make Tama stumble uncharacteristically as she attempted to land on a wire, and she missed her target, plummeting to the ground. Instead of smacking into concrete, however, her fall was suddenly softened by a pair of strong arms, which caught her in the nick of time. Unfortunately, while Kazuhiko had prevented Tama from becoming pancake, the force of her fall was enough to finally overwhelm his already-damaged leg and he crumpled to the ground in agony. The golem seemed to leer as it lifted a leg and brought its foot down to stomp the pair…

Only to be grappled from behind by the arms of Zaku’s Demon! The Gate Captain’s creation roared vengefully as it brought its arms forward, tightening the Full-Nelson lock it had caught the Golem in and forcing the creature to its knees. The Golem howled and attempted to twist itself from the lock, but to no avail.

The rumbling of a diesel-steam engine now echoed all around the silo, drawing everyone’s attention to the fact that a heavily-armored KV-2 “Stalin” war-wagon had just been driven to the fight. Its turret rotated slightly, fixing the barrel of the 152mm howitzer arbalest on the Golem’s neck. But what was more surprising than the appearance of heavy artillery was the delayed transmission from the young man driving it. Soliton chakra radio was a quirky thing, much of its operation dependent on Seikon-bloodline operators on either end of the line (one of the reasons for Kazuhiko’s presence on the team). Sometimes, transmissions were delayed, lost, or even scrambled.

“Well, as long as we’re making confessions; there’s something I’ve been meaning to talk to you about Takaki-sama, and I’ll probably never get another chance to. If we make it out of this alive, I’d be honored if you’d allow me to court your daughter. We met at the Shoguns Nameday Ball, and a couple of times since, and I…” sounded Jo’s voice over Masao’s personal headset. The others in the room looked at him curiously as his eyebrows rose and the brief outline of a throbbing vein became visible on his forehead.

”I love you Saeko,” now echoed Jo’s voice on every speaker in the Torre Celeste. “I’ve loved you since the moment I met you; I realized it the other night, but… …If I don’t make it back… …I just wanted you to know.”

“Jo-kun!” Saeko’s eyes widened instantly at those three specific words.

The T.A.N.K. fired, sending a round larger than the size of a grown man’s head screaming at a thousand meters per second at the front of the Golem’s throat. The thick musculature of the creature’s body seemed to swallow the round in slow motion…

Before the back of its neck suddenly exploded outward with a stunning display of fire and shrapnel! The force of the blast was enough to almost detach the Golem’s head from its body, and the creature suddenly went limp, falling to its knees and then falling forward. Jo, realizing what was happening, threw the armored war wagon into reverse and sent sparks flying as the treads chewed concrete, but it was too late. One of the Golem’s shoulders smashed into the front of the retreating war wagon, crunching the armor like tissue paper and flipping it over in the air. With a gigantic crunch and whine of shearing metal, the mighty T.A.N.K ground to a halt, smoking furiously.

“Jo-kun?! Are you okay? Respond!” croaked Saeko over her headset as she intently watched the smoky blackness of the war-wagon’s interior through Jo’s headset eyepiece. For a heart-wrenching moment, the view did not change. Just as she was getting ready to query again, however, the view suddenly stirred, and on the monitor, Jo’s outstretched, bloody hand grasped at the interior hatch release and turned it. As he grunted and crawled out of the stricken armor, Saeko let out a sigh of relief. “Jo…I love you too,” she said, a tear running down her face. “...But I prefer the Indigo Girls,” she added.

“Narashi-san…we have to talk…” said Masao, his voice scarily devoid of the expected indignation of a man who had just found out that one of his underlings was dating his daughter on the sly.

Meanwhile, the explosion had also succeeded in nearly ripping Zaku’s Demon’s jaw from its head, and the titanic sand creature stepped backwards, leaking oily sand from the wound on its face before slumping against one of the silo’s walls. Zaku’s chakra had been spent a while ago, and for the last grapple, his life energy itself had been the source of his power. He could no longer sustain the form, and now it started to crack, splinter, and dissolve into a mound of dissipating sand. The Captain himself was almost entirely covered in a thick black coat of unidentifiable substance, and although his eyes were open, he could barely move.

“Zakkun! No more transformations right now, okay?! You have like a single HP left!” shouted Hichiko.

“As an alleged ‘doctor,’ you should know there’s no such thing as ‘Hit Points,’” scoffed Saeko, rolling her eyes at the outburst, and buoyed by her romantic interest’s survival.

“Shinobi Team! Status report on The Kingslayer, dammit!” snapped Masao.

The Golem’s corpse, much like that of Zaku’s Demon, was melting, almost evaporating. Rippling, solid muscle that was there before was now becoming a soupy mess of steaming goop, and the ends of bones now poked out from the “body”. It was as if natural decay were happening in accelerated time, and the sight was nauseating. The fleshy crater from the explosion still smoked and smelled of cordite, and from within, a human form now rose.

Enishi’s face contorted into a mask of rage and agony as he pressed his remaining hand into the crimson mess that had once been his shoulder. His right arm was missing, and the right half of his face had been burned almost to a char, with the eye entirely destroyed. Rivulets of blood streamed between his fingers and widened the pool of gore he knelt in as he inhaled raggedly. Overhead, the thumping blasts of the Imperial Naval bombardment illuminated the sky with flashes of white, and the ground shook under the impact of the ordnance. The silo door overhead began to open, every meter inviting ordnance in with greater probability.

“S-s-stop bleeding!” hissed the Kingslayer at himself, willing the severed ends of arteries and veins to constrict and prevent more of his life from spilling away. Enishi unsteadily attempted to get to his feet, however the slickness of the pooled blood and gore under him defeated his efforts and he fell to one knee with a splash, in the remains of the “cockpit” he had once occupied. Next to him, no more than an arm’s breadth away, a blinking control panel flashed, illuminating his red-smeared face with flashes of green light. He peered at it, and suddenly grinned through his ruined face as he pressed a series of buttons, sending the display on the panel into a countdown. “No… I won’t let you get away,” he snarled at the shinobi facing him. “To the last, I will grapple with thee... from Hell's heart, I stab at thee! For hate's sake, I spit my last breath at thee!”

“Takaki, you should know that he just initiated the countdown sequence to nuclear detonation, and I have no clue how to stop it, as much as that admission stings me. Your team has about ten minutes to get out,” smirked Makoro.

“Narashi! Mochizuki! Finish him off! I’m not taking any chances!” growled Masao over the duo’s headsets. Jo and Tama now advanced, intent on carrying out their Sennin’s orders. Jo aligned the front sight of his Desert Falcon on the Kingslayer’s head, and Tama prepared to unleash a burst of laser energy guaranteed to incinerate whatever was left behind.

“Not on my watch!” roared a voice known to Kazuhiko from above. Instantly, three figures now landed into a combat-ready pose before the two shinobi, cutting off their path to Enishi. Shinya Mitsuru stood ready with her poisoned sword, the Yatsufusa, while Horiuchi Yuuya clad in his thick armor whirled his massive spear in a deadly arc, cutting the air with power. In front of them, wielding a simple wakizashi, was Haikuno. Though his appearance was simpler than that of the others, there was a determination in his expression that signaled perhaps, that he was the most dangerous foe out of the three new arrivals.

“What?! What are you doing?! I ordered you all to leave with the other warhead! For the sake of humanity!” rasped Enishi to his protectors.

“Haikuno wouldn’t allow it, boss,” said Mitsuru, flicking her eyes between Enishi and the two Kumo shinobi.

“The little guy’s scary as hell when he’s motivated,” chuckled Yuuya from within his armored carapace.

“Enishi-sama, I told you I’m willing to die for the chance to improve the lives of people in small towns like mine. I don’t back down on my word,” said Haikuno, steel-toned. “Now, you’re going to take the spare warhead with you down the emergency chute, and you’re going to make our deaths worthwhile when you take out all of the tyrants in one blow. Do you understand, SIR?!”

“Ah, I see what he’s planning. This silo has an active purge chute designed to vent off an explosion should a missile’s fuel tanks detonate while still inside. It’s essentially a long, magnetically-guided pressure-relief assembly that will whisk anything from explosive gases to large chunks of debris from here to underneath a big lake at the base of the mountain,” said Makoro. “Theoretically, you could go and try to follow Yukimura down the chute, however you’d have to fight past these three, and by the time you did so, the remaining warhead here will have already exploded. You’ll probably have to let this one go, unless you really want to sacrifice your entire team, not that I care either way,” he shrugged.

“Dammit…” snarled Masao, slamming a fist against a nearby bulkhead. “Shinobi Team…pull back and exfiltrate. Narashi-san, Mochizuki-san, assist Kichida-san and Ishikawa-taichou. Do not engage the Kingslayers. Let ‘em burn,” he intoned through gritted teeth, shaking his head. Hearing this, Tama cautiously stepped back, ready to fight. She carefully slung Kazuhiko’s arm around her shoulder, bringing him to his feet. Similarly, Jo also stepped back, keeping his bolter at low-ready, until he was next to Zaku. The Gate Captain looked frail now, as if he had aged many years in a few minutes. Fortunately, the Kinglslayers made no move to advance, even if they showed no signs of retreating.

“Kazu-kun,” said Haikuno to the wounded shinobi who he still considered a friend. “I’m sorry this is the last time we’ll ever see each other again. But I want you to know, I don’t regret a thing that’s happened in my life. I’m glad I met you and KaiKai and Akihiko, and I’m glad I could call Kaguya a friend. I’m also glad I met up with these guys and got to fight to improve things in Maru Maru. I can die happily now. Well, I mean I would’ve loved to have had a girlfriend, but hey, you can’t have everything, you know? Maybe I’ll be reborn as a real wizard!” he laughed, sincerely. “I’ll see you in the next life, man.”

Kazuhiko couldn't help but smile as he wiped away the blood around his mouth. "You've grown so much Haikuno. I'm proud of you. I could have never asked for a worthier student, or adversary." Kazuhiko coughed up some more blood as he leaned on Tama for support. "I'm sorry it has to end like this, there was still so much you needed to learn. So much that," he coughed again, "I wanted to teach you. But I guess you knew this might be your end when you signed up for it. No hesitation, good. You learned something from me after all." It was really uncanny, in Kazuhiko's blurred and distorted vision, his former student looked so much like him. So much so, they could have been brothers. "See you around, my brother. I'll tell Kaguya, you died fighting for justice." It was true, in a manner of speaking. Depending on one’s point of view.

“Shinobi Team! What are you waiting for?! Evacuate!” said Masao, exasperated. Overhead the blasts from the bombardment grew in strength, and debris and snow from the outside fell in large chunks around the assembled combatants. Finally, it was becoming too dangerous to stay in the opened silo, and the shinobi team now pulled away.

“You’d better go, Kazu-kun! Watch out for Enishi-sama! He’ll kick your asses!” yelled Haikuno cheerfully above the din to Kazuhiko, waving as chunks of twisted metal and blackened snow fell around him. Enishi’s shape could be seen clutching a torso-sized metal tube with his remaining arm, as he struggled to make it to a nearby hatch. Finally, the falling ice simply cut off the silo’s interior from view.

“Hayata! What’s the quickest way to the gliders?!” asked Masao over their headsets.

“I’ll input the route right now. Security has essentially shut down, so this opens a more direct path. Follow my instructions to the letter,” said Makoro to the team as they ran down shaking, shuddering hallways that screamed with the strain of metal. “If you run really fast, you may even escape the explosion!” he chuckled mean-spiritedly.

A few minutes later…​

“Shinobi Team! CLOSE YOUR EYES!” shouted Hichiko shrilly over their headsets, her piercing voice penetrating even the wind whipping around their ears. A second later, the world exploded into white, and a second after that, the hang-gliding shinobi felt a sudden wind pushing their backs with inexorable force. Their gliders, previously solid, now flimsily whipped around in the air like badly-constructed toy airplanes.

“Everyone hang on! Do not let go! Do not…” Masao’s transmission abruptly cut off as the soliton headsets suddenly fell lifeless, sparking noisily for an unknown reason.

The world spun crazily, without regard for order or normalcy, alternating between a hellish fireball rising into the sky to blot the sun and the treeline which was coming at them with horrifying speed. When the nauseating view and sounds of cracking tree limbs and rumbling earth and whipping wind gave way to darkness and silence, it was a welcome change.

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Much later…​

Sickbay of the KNS Nagato Yuki
Undisclosed location, Northern Sea
…1700 hours

“Welcome back to the world of the living,” remarked the captain of the Imperial Navy clipper that the bedraggled shinobi team found themselves aboard. He rose from his stool near the beds that the team occupied, and opened a nearby porthole. Outside, on the horizon, a gigantic, black, mushroom-shaped cloud rose to the sky. “The Star Shinobi who fast-boated you to us told me that the cloud out there was your handiwork. Not that I’m grateful, of course. Shortly before it appeared, the electronics all went on the fritz and we nearly sank from a sudden wave coming from shore. Anyway, I’m charged with getting you back to your village in one piece. For the record, I really don’t want to know what happened over there in Marsh. Get some rest.”

Congratulations, you passed! Enishi still remains at large, however that does not diminish from your mission success. Post your exits, and…keep watch on the thread. There’s a little epilogue coming.

 

[Morishige]

For me, as the transformation began things seemed to blur together...

Even with the assistance of his own massive chakra pool, I seemed to have thought too big for my own good. Even with the speed at which everything happened, the world seemed to be moving slowly as I managed to move my massive arms around to try and keep Enishi busy. But as the fight continued, the massive draw on my power sent me into a delirious state of mind. If it weren't for the simple task I had given myself, there was no way I would have been able to cope with the stress on my system. Thankfully, Jo had a solution to our problem. However, it unfortunately destroy the last bit of my beast form that I could muster and I slowly began to depart form this world once again; this time into slumber.

As my creation seemed to fall apart around me, my feet hit the ground and wobbled dangerously. "We aren't going down just yet." growled Fukuzatsuna. I felt surge of strength in myself-- just enough to keep myself upright. With the fight dying down to a staring contest, I just focused on remaining aware of my surroundings and what everyone was saying. I looked down at the black oily substance, only which I could assume was chakra manifested to keep such a behemoth moving slowly. "Curses..." I grunted, angry with myself. Why had I gone all out before knowing my limitations?

But it didn't matter now. We had to leave and if it weren't for Jo, I would have never made it out of there. Still, some strength was returning. Enough to allow myself grip onto the hang glider for the escape. Unfortunately, the bomb behind us had other ideas...



I was in a bed, and much appreciated it. My hazel eyes opened to the world and voices around me. I was already feeling much better than before, aside from pretty much every muscle on my body having been stretched to capacity. That and the very fact I had depleted all of my chakra, something I had not once encountered before. We were warned in the academy the the consequences of such were dire, especially if taking from beyond that chakra pool. I already knew that I had. I felt...old, to put it bluntly. Though it wasn't as extreme as it might sound, I was going to need a while to rest up for sure.

Thankfully, talking was not required for this trip home, so I drifted back to sleep.

[Topic Left]

 

[Tsuyoshi Takeo]

The T.A.N.K. rolled into the silo, the scene before the genin impressive to say the least. A giant monster was grappling the golem, and his other two teammates were zipping about on what must’ve been ninja wire (though at this distance it appeared they were flying). Jo hit a switch on the control panel, causing a monocular telescope to lower in front of his left eye. It was wired to the barrel of the T.A.N.K., and it gave him an iron-sights view. He thumbed the joystick controller, swiveling the turret around and zeroing it in at the golems brain stem.

The transmission he had thought was sent earlier echoed in his headset. Jo silently cursed the lag, but then changed his mind. Words had escaped him earlier, but they sounded much more dramatic now. Saeko’s voice cut into his soul as she said his name. Jo didn’t want to hit the beast that was obviously Zaku, but he didn’t have time to make a cleaner shot. He pulled the trigger.

The recoil, even from the drivers seat, was astounding; the sound deafening even through the thick, steel walls of the T.A.N.K.! The golems head blew clean off its shoulders, showering the armored windshield with gory debris. A triumphant shout of joy stuck in Jo’s throat as he saw the monstrosity begin to fall towards him. Conscious thought wasn’t necessary for him to throw the mobile artillery piece into reverse, the tracks chewing up concrete and spitting sparks; but it wasn’t fast enough. Jo felt the immense weight of the golems shoulder hit the front of the T.A.N.K., flipping it into the air like a skateboard. It happened so fast, Jo didn’t even have time to react before the five-tons of metal came crashing to the ground upside down.

Jo’s head smashed into the control panel, and everything went fuzzy and indistinct. Darkness began to fall on the shinobi…

Blood-red eyes burned through the darkness… In the distance, Jo could swear he heard the howling of a hundred wolves… ”AWAKEN!” The voice was inhuman, older than time… It’s sound reverberated through his soul and brought him back to consciousness.

“Jo-kun?! Are you okay? Respond!” The voice seemed to come from a thousand miles away, but he recognized it instantly. Jo opened his eyes, sticky wet blood almost gluing them shut. The center of his forehead was bleeding profusely from an inch-long vertical cut near the hairline, and there were four perfectly round dots cut into his skin in a curving line above his eyebrow (probably from some of the screws on the control panel). He brushed the blood from his eyes with the back of his hand before reaching for and twisted the interior hatch release. It clicked and fell open, the remnants of the plexiglass shattering as it hit the floor, followed by him with a thud and a grunt. He heard Saeko sigh in relief over the headset: “Jo…I love you too,” she said, a tear running down her face. “...But I prefer the Indigo Girls.”

A fire lit inside the genin as she said those three words, and a smile cracking across his broken face. ”The Indigo Girls, huh? I’ll have to remember that.”</I><i></i> He said, the unspoken “If I get out of here alive” hanging in the air.

”Narashi-san…we have to talk…” Masao said over the headset, his voice eerily calm. Jo didn’t respond this time, knowing further conversation on the topic was futile at this point, and conversing on any topic would not be happening if they didn’t get the hell out of this silo. “Shinobi Team! Status report on The Kingslayer, dammit!”

Jo had finally found his feet, discovering a six-inch gash on the inside of his right knee in the process. The boy wasn’t phased by the pain; boosted by Saeko’s affirmation of her feelings for him, and by the power of the voice he heard while he was semi-conscious, he approached the disintegrating mass before him. He quickly surveyed the area, noting that the rest of his team was still alive (but barely); and so was their enemy. Enishi rose from the mound of rotting flesh, his right arm gone and the right side of his face marred beyond recognition. The fact that he had survived the explosion was enough to send a wave of fury through the genin’s body. Who the hell was this guy?

High above them, the cigar Jo had lit burned down to the book of matches, igniting them in a fiery chain-reaction that burned the thread and dropped his bolter onto the enter key. The sound of grinding metal echoed through the silo as the doors began to open; the cacophony of artillery creating an uneven staccato of explosions as the maw of the tube grew wider, inviting death to enter.

“S-s-stop bleeding!” Enishi hissed. Jo was surprised to find that the mans body obeyed, wrapping itself closed in instantaneous scar tissue. He tried to rise, but quickly fell. Jo almost felt pity for the man, until he remembered what he’d done to Kumo, what he’d almost done to the world. Then the man snatched up a control panel and entered the codes. . “No… I won’t let you get away,” he snarled at them. “To the last, I will grapple with thee... from Hell's heart, I stab at thee! For hate's sake, I spit my last breath at thee!”

Makoro’s voice sent Jo’s head into a tailspin; not so much what he said, but the cockiness with which he said it made Jo want to reach through the headset and strangle the man. “Narashi! Mochizuki! Finish him off! I’m not taking any chances!” growled Masao over their headsets.

”With pleasure, sir!”<i></i> Jo said, drawing Ocelots ridiculous bolter from his holster and sighting Enishi in. The dramatic entrance of a team of Kingslayers wasn’t what Jo was expecting, though their determination was admirable. Jo switched his sights to them, taking turns with each one and waiting to see what happened. ’That’s it? They’re going to sacrifice themselves so he can escape with the other warhead?” Jo didn’t care what they stood for, the fact that they believed in something so strongly that they’d willingly die for it garnered his immediate respect. Jo wasn’t a super-patriot, he didn’t live and breath Kumo war propaganda. He’d had no choice in whether or not he was to become a shinobi. Instead of fighting for some prearranged ideal set by his government, this genin fought to protect his family and the innocent civilians that counted on Kumo to protect them. And now he fought for Saeko; just so he could come home and hold her in his arms again.

He lowered the bolter as they were ordered to retreat, scooping up the Gate Guard Captain and slinging him over his left shoulder. He gave the Kingslayers one nod, a symbol of respect, regardless of their beliefs, and evacuated from the silo along the path Makoro highlighted.

A Few Minutes Later​

“Shinobi Team! CLOSE YOUR EYES!” shouted Hichiko shrilly over their headsets. They had somehow dodged the artillery falling around their ears and made it to the hang gliders. The leap from the cliff face wasn’t nearly as frightening for Jo as the thought of what would happen if he didn’t. Now they were soaring through the air like eagles, racing away from ground zero with all possible haste. Reacting instantly as he was trained to do, Jo slammed his eyes shut. Blinding white light pierced his retinas even through his eyelids as the warhead detonated, the sound instantly deafening him. Jo barely heard Masao over the radio before they lost transmission. Everything was spinning, the hang gliders now simply pieces of paper tossed in a maelstrom. Jo opened his eyes and witnessed the mushroom cloud that had somehow sucked half the mountain from existence, then spun around and saw the forest below rushing up to meet him. He squeezed his eyes shut once more, gripping the glider for all he was worth and bracing for impact. Just before he hit the uppermost branches, th boy shouted with everything he had: ”SAEKO!”<i></i>

His voice was suddenly cut off as he made impact, the air whooshing out of his lungs as he smashed through the foliage. He felt every branch, every limb, as he tumbled. The glider was now shreds somewhere in the upper canopy, and he was tumbling to earth. The layer of snow and pine needles might’ve cushioned his fall, but Jo didn’t feel anything as he connected with the ground. Then there was naught…

Spoiler

Everything was nothing… darkness made up the void… there was no Jo… he wasn’t even a presence… there was only the void…

Then there was light… a pinprick in the distance… It grew closer… and Jo existed once more… he simply was… The light was beautiful… an undulating iridescent mass… he reached out… he touched it…

The Library Arcanum​

Sunlight danced through the leaves as a soft wind stirred the sighing trees. Jo was in a clearing; how and where, he could not tell. The trees surrounded him, their limbs arching high overhead creating a cathedral in the forest. He turned, and behind him was the same light from the void, though this time it was set in an arched stone doorway. The gate stood centered in what appeared to be the remnants of a wall, a ruin of a lost time. Curiosity made him wish to know what was beyond that wall; probably more forest?

Bookcases lined the wall to the left and right of the gate, each one filled with dusty old tomes and scrolls. The titles on their spines were written in dozens of strange languages Jo had never seen before. He wanted so much to simply reach out and pull one off the self and begin reading; but if he did, he knew he’d never be able to stop, not until the end of time. He turned back around and was faced with a peculiar sight.

The clearing was only a few yards wide, and it ended in a babbling brook, its waters beginning at the corner of one edge of the wall and wrapping around to the other, creating an oval of grass. Across the brook, the forest continued into eternity. A path of stepping stones reached across the brook, leading to a small, well-worn path that wove through the trees. The a part of him wanted to walk down that path, to explore what lay beyond; but looking into the forest made him dizzy, as if its depths were unfathomable. If he took so much as one step in there, he’d be forever lost.

”Hello, Jo.” The clearing was so small, Jo didn’t understand how he hadn’t seen the man before. Cattycornered between the right edge of the creek and the edge of the wall sat a small square table made of polished hardwood. The tabletop held a massive leather-bound book, an ink well, and a golden eagle quill; but Jo was more interested in the man who sat behind it.

He was Jo… or, rather, Jo if he were a decade older. The man before him was around 5’9”, broad shouldered and barrel-chested; as if he had once been in incredible shape, but had been softened by half a decade of studying books rather than warfare. His hair was the same chocolate color as Jo’s, as was his close-trimmed beard. He was even wearing what Jo would’ve considered “normal attire”: black steel-toed leather boots, blue jeans, a black t-shirt, and a tan suede jacket. The genin then realized that he was no longer wearing the combat suit he had been in for the mission, but was instead dressed similarly to the man behind the table.

”Please, have a seat; make yourself at home.” He even sounded like Jo assumed he would after his voice finally settled down; a rich baritone made slightly rough from either too much whiskey or too much tobacco, or both. In fact, there was a decanter on the table, and two glasses poured; and in the mans right hand a pipe was perched. Jo took a seat in the high-backed armchair that matched his hosts, sitting directly across from him. The boy tried to think, tried to reason, but his mind came up blank.

”Who are you?” he asked dumbly. The simple question brought a warm chuckle to the mans throat and a small, crooked grin t his face; Jo’s small crooked grin.

”A simple question, but the answer is very complicated. Suffice it to say; I’m you. Well, you’re me; or another version of me...” The man leaned back in his chair, setting the no-longer smoking pipe on a stand and touching the tips of his fingers together, pursing his lips as he furrowed his brow in concentration. ”How can I explain… I am your creator. Your Author, as it were. The world you live in is the construct of many authors; and the people in it, their creations.”

Jo was taken aback. ”So, you’re God?”

”Sort of; it’s all very complicated. You see, all of the authors of your universe are actually the creations of another universe; a parallel universe that has a different set of creators, or so we believe. We got together and created your universe, and created you, simply by writing that you exist.”

”You wrote us into existence?” Jo said incredulously.

”Yes; never doubt the power of words. With enough people behind them, and the will to give them power, words can accomplish anything. You of all people should know that.”</COLOR><i></i>

”But, what about Raiden, and Aion, and the other gods and our religions?”

”Well, Raiden is a special case. We brought him from our universe to give your universe some familiarity and structure. The rest are our construct.”<i></i>

”So the rest aren’t real?”

”On the contrary! Our writing them into existence makes them very real, just as real as you are.”<i></i> Jo started contemplating whether or not he was real or existed when the Author interjected. ”Whoa, there! Don’t try and go down that road. It only leads to confusion and headaches. Just be content knowing that you’re speaking with your creator… or, maybe you should be worried about that. Usually that means you’re either dead or crazy.”<i></i>

The memory of the mission and the realization of what was happening finally dawned on Jo. ”Wait! I’m dead?!”

”Nearly. Did you expect to be that close to a nuclear explosion and come out unscathed? You could call this a near-death experience.”

”So, this is heaven?”

”Of course not! The heaven I created for you and my other characters is much more interesting than a study in a shady glen. Consider this a form of purgatory, created for the sole purpose of seeing you through this experience.”<i></i>

Jo shook his head, baffled. ”You have other creations?”

”Of course!”<i></i> The Author produced a picture frame seemingly from thin air and handed it to Jo. It appeared to be some sort of family picture. It included two samurai (from Konoha, if their headbands were correct) that Jo didn’t recognize, and two figures that he did.

”You created Kaptain Konoha?” sure enough, front and center in the picture was a boy about Jo’s age wearing Konoha Shinobi gear bearing a round, battle-worn shield with the Konoha Leaf emblazoned on it.

”Yep, he’s one of my most impressive creations. I hear they even made a comic book about him in Neo Konoha; ironic, considering that’s where I got the idea for his character.”<i></i>

Jo pointed at the lone non-Konoha nin in the picture. ”Is this Santaru Hayashimizu?”

”Sure is! He was head of the Santaru clan after Santaru Rin took a hiatus. Ranked S. Jounin! Unfortunately, he had to retire due to some old injuries. He was my most accomplished creation.”<i></i>

Seeing that there were so many other, better creations that him, Jo felt dejected. ”What about me?”

”You, you’re a special case. All of my previous creations were designed after an ideal; the perfect hero, the perfect Santaru, the perfect samurai (twice!). I made you completely different from them because… honestly? I wanted to see how you would effect the world.”

”If they’re modeled after an ideal, then what am I modeled after?”

”Isn’t it obvious? I made you in my own image.” Jo was surprised, but at the same time, he knew what the Authors answer would be. ”And by far, you’re my most interesting creation. No offense to the others; I love all my children equally. But you… you’re different. With the others, I had their lives planned out before they were born. I don’t have a plan for you; no predetermined destiny, no guiding hand of fate. I want to see you grow and become who you are without my interference. Well, with as little as possible. I’ve had to make a couple minor adjustments here and there; chat up a couple of the other authors. Otherwise, you’ve been on your own; and you are, far-and-away, the most complex, interesting character I’ve ever had the joy of creating.”<i></i>

”So, what’s going to happen to me? Am I going to live?”

”That’s the best part; I have no fucking clue!”<i></i> The Author said with a shrug and a chuckle. ”We’ll find out when you step back through the gate. You’ll either end up in the heaven I have created for you, or your world.”<i></i>

Jo sat still for a moment, taking in the glade around him. ”What if I don’t walk through the gate? What if I stay here?”

”If you chose not to decide, then you still have made a choice; but I don’t think that’s what you want.”<i></i> Flashes of Jo’s family and friends flew through his head, with the final image lingering on Saeko. ”No… you’ll walk through the gate. You have to. You need to. It’s not who you are to sit back and let life, or death, pass you by. When you leave, know that I love you, and I’ll always be there for you; in one way or another.”<i></i> The Author pointed his finger at Jo and looked at him sternly. ”But none of that prayer and worship bullshit! I’m not one of those deities that effect your universe and I don’t want to be treated like one. Just be content in the fact that I’m here, and that I’ll put pen to paper for you until you join me in the afterlife.”<i></i> The man sounded almost fatherly in his reproach, and was gentle in his reassurance.

Jo knew the Author was right, he had to step through the gate, come what may. He stood and walked over to the shimmering light, and stopped. The boy turned around; ”Do you mind if I ask you a question?”

”You just did, but you may ask another.”<i></i> The Author joked.

”What’s your name?”

The Author smiled then, a warm smile that made Jo think of home. ”It sound’s just lie yours, but it’s spelled a little different due to where I’m from. My name is Joe.”

Jo smiled back. ”Goodbye, Joe. I’ll see you when I see you.” He turned and stepped into the light, then he was gone. Joe sat at the table for a moment, staring after the genin as he entered realms the Author could only dream about. Then he picked up the golden eagle feather quill and dipped it into the well.

His eyes became hard as he opened the tome before him and placed the tip of the quill to the parchment beneath and wrote:

The Tobes of Hades, lit by flickering torchlight
The netherworld is gathered in the glare
Prince By-Tor takes the cavern to the north light
The sign of Eth is rising in the air.
By-Tor, knight of darkness,
Centurion of evil, devils prince!​

<I>

As he wrote, those same blood-red eyes shone from the forest beyond the stream. Slowly, as if the act were immensely difficult, the beast stepped forth onto the first stepping stone. The Wolf was massive, twice the size of any normal wolf; with fur black as night and eyes that seemed to burn through ones soul. He finished crossing the stream, the water around each stone boiling as he touched them, the grass of the glen withering and dying at his feet. He stood boldly before the author, their eyes locked in an icy glare.

<COLOR color="darkred">”You summoned me?”<i></i>

”Yes, you have a new charge; Narashi Jo.”<i></i> Joe was neither angry nor afraid of the beast. He was anothers creation, a beast of immeasurable power and cunning, but he could not harm him here. Besides, the hellhound was always willing to step into the story in the past.

”Shall I play the loyal pet wolf again?”<i></i> By-Tor asked mockingly. It had been his role every time Joe had summoned him.

”No. This time, you’ll be… shall we say… much closer to him.”<i></i>

The beast chuckled, his unearthly voice echoing through the glade like a roll of thunder. ”Say no more, friend; I’d hate for you to ruin the surprise…”<i></i> Without further ado, By-Tor turned and leapt through the gate.

Joe turned to a new page in the book and began writing…

Jo awoke to the sound of someone speaking, his voice muffled and indistinct; though he was able to pick up the last few words. “…getting you back to your village in one piece. For the record, I really don’t want to know what happened over there in Marsh. Get some rest.” Jo felt the world rocking around him, and surmised that he must be on the ship that had been schedule to return them home. Everything hurt, and what didn’t hurt was numb. Jo slowly felt himself fading from consciousness once more, this time into sleep. In the back of his mind, he saw a great black wolf with eyes that burned into his soul. When it spoke, his voice echoed through the corridors of his mind before sending him into a deep slumber: ”I shall be with you… always…”

{TL}

 

[Takaki Saeko]

Epilogue

Night Without a Star​

Launch Silo 1, Shadow Moses Weapons Research Laboratory
Mount Baekdu, Democratic People’s Republic of Marsh
…5 minutes before the blast

Haikuno smiled broadly as he glimpsed his friend and former teacher Kichida Kazuhiko disappear through the silo access doors right before they were blocked off by an icefall from above. Overhead, the blasts from the bombardment were growing in intensity, and it would not long before either a missile slipped in or the warhead simply detonated.

Enishi sat in an emergency escape pod nearby, with Mitsuru and Yuuya strapping him into the only available seat, as the spare warhead had taken up the other. Only one of the pods happened to be functional, and it was an unspoken agreement between the three – Mitsuru, Yuuya, and Haikuno, that this was the end.

“Boss, I gotta warn you, you must be at least this tall to ride!” chuckled Yuuya to his wounded leader as he finished the checks on the pod.

“Yuuya, Mitsuru, Haikuno, please! There is space for one more person! Someone, anyone, get in! I refuse to lose you all!” protested Enishi, rubbing at his good eye despite himself.

“It’s cool, sir. As Haikuno said, you’re the only one with the skill and smarts to blow this thing right in the middle of the Hayatafest of Peace and Love,” replied Yuuya as he gently patted the ex-ANBU on his undamaged shoulder. “And also, it’s easier for us all if we go together, you know? That way, it’s not like we decide who lives and who dies, eh?”

“Damn you, Yuuya…” sighed Enishi, clasping the ex-soldier by the hand. “You always were a straight talker. I always admired you for that. I’m sorry I fucked this up. It won’t happen again.”

“No sweat, boss. If you get knocked down, you just get back up and punch them back harder,” chuckled Yuuya. “It’s been an honor serving you. For the first time in my life, I felt like I was making a difference. Now it’s up to you to follow through.”

“And it was an honor serving with you as well, Horiuchi-san. Please, give my regards to Mitsuru and Haikuno,” said Enishi as Yuuya stood by to close the doors. There were now only two minutes till detonation.

Meanwhile, Haikuno stretched his hands toward the sky and whistled appreciatively.

“What are you doing, Haikuno?” asked Mitsuru, looking at him with her trademark monotone expression.

“Stretchin’!” said Haikuno cheerfully. “It feels so good to do that sometimes. You know, now that I’m facing my own death, I realize how much I’ve taken all of these little pleasant things for granted, you know? It’s alright, though, that’s what we have reincarnation for!” he chuckled.

“ Haikuno…one thing you said just now was that you’d like to have had a girlfriend, correct?” said Mitsuru, softly.

“Er…I…what?” asked Haikuno, confused.

“A romantic interest. A sexual partner. A potential spouse. Are these synonyms enough to clarify my statement?” asked Mitsuru, tilting her head.

“Yeah…but…I mean…it’s a little weird to talk about…” said Haikuno, blushing despite the fact that he was a minute away from nuclear vaporization.

“I am ninety percent certain that you, as a post-pubertal male, have the desire to mate, even if such a coupling does not produce offspring,” said Mitsuru, shrugging.

“Desire to…mate?! Ehhh?! Mitsuru, that’s kinda…hentai!”

“Haikuno, you should be truthful with your own wants and needs. I am truthful all of the time, for example. Do you have the desire for a romantic engagement?”

“I…I guess I do, I mean…sheesh! We’re about to get blown up in the name of saving humanity and I’m going to die of embarrassment!” Haikuno chuckled, nervously.

“Haikuno. Senada-san as well as myself, both desire to mate with you. We believe that you are ‘cute’ and ‘well-built’ and, most importantly, a ‘good person at heart.’ Do you know this?” she asked him, approaching intently.

“I…Mitsuru…and Marie, too!?” he asked, dumbfounded.

“It is the only instance in which I have ever felt true rivalry for with another member of this group,” Mitsuru said, gently placing her hands on his shoulders. “Since I am about to perish, I must concede a victory to Senada-san. However, as she is not here presently, I will take what I believe is my due,” she said, before kissing him passionately.

Haikuno’s eyes widened and his face turned a deep crimson, but just as quickly, he wrapped his arms around her waist and returned her kiss. All of it – the outside bombardment, the nuclear countdown…none of it mattered anymore. It was simply the two of them, sharing a moment as ethereal as tears in rain.

She pulled away, gently, giving him a gentle squeeze.

“It’s ready! Do it, Mitsuru!” shouted Yuuya from next to Enishi’s pod. Before Haikuno could react, Mitsuru suddenly grasped him by the collar, whirled him in the air, and tossed him into the escape pod next to Enishi as the door finally closed.

“NO! What are you doing?!” screamed Haikuno as he scrambled to gain his bearings. His fists beat against the glass before he felt a hand grasping him by his neck and pressing a certain pressure point. The world grew blurry and dark, even as he attempted to reach out toward Mitsuru on the other side of the glass. Yuuya, with his trademark cockeyed smile gave a thumbs-up, and the last thing Haikuno saw before he lost consciousness was Mitsuru’s hand pressed against the glass. Her mouth moved and even though he could not hear her, he could make out what she was saying.

Fight and live, Haikuno. Aishiteru…

Later…​

Edge of Lake Baekdu, 50km from the blast site
Democratic People’s Republic of Marsh
…unknown time

“Baka! Wake up!” an insistent voice scolded at him and small hands batted against his face.

Haikuno’s eyes fluttered open, driving away the morass of swirling darkness as he regained consciousness, and he shot bolt upright, facing a very consternated-looking Senada Marie. She looked as if she had recently been through hell itself, and she was covered in bandages, poultices, and soot-marks.

“Wha…where…Mitsuru! Yuuya! Enishi!” he gasped, before having his mouth clamped shut by Marie’s hand.

“Haikuno, you baka! Keep it down! There are Star Village shinobi all over these woods!” she hissed at him. “And also, you think you could’ve, I dunno, been happy to see me alive?!” she snapped, suddenly crestfallen.

“Sorry about earlier, Haikuno,” said Enishi as he knelt down beside the boy. The ex-ANBU Captain looked like death, despite his otherwise clam expression. His bloody stump of a shoulder was wrapped in blood-soaked bandages, and half of the man’s face was bound up in filthy gauze, hiding the crater of the eye he had lost. “I had to calm you by force to prevent you from being thrashed around by the motion of the pod. We were able to escape, fortunately. Although, it is actually supremely difficult to swim with a body occupying your only available arm,” he chuckled.

“What…what happened to the others?!” asked Haikuno, shivering uncontrollably.

“I’m truly sorry, Haikuno. Mitsuru and Yuuya were adamant that you live. So much so that they engaged in a ruse to trick you into letting your guard down at the last minute.”

“So…when she confessed…that was all…” Haikuno said, unconsciously brushing his lips.

“No, actually. I didn’t become Raikage Kagetsu’s bodyguard by being a poor judge of human intent. What she said to you, and when she kissed you; that was all completely genuine. Cherish her memory. I know I always will,” he said, casting his gaze downward. A brief glower passed over Marie’s face, only to be replaced by a bittersweet smile.

“I…I...” started Haikuno, before bursting into an agonized wail. Marie also began to cry, and they collapsed into each others’ arms, holding each other as their bodies were wracked with sobs. Enishi sighed, gathering them – his wounded children - in his one-armed embrace. As he rested his head against Haikuno’s wet hair, he allowed a single tear to fall. But only one.

Into the Shadow Realm​

“No matter how long it takes, no matter how many of us die,” Enishi said softly and slowly, “one day…”

“One day,” interrupted Haikuno suddenly. The boy’s expression had changed completely. “… we will kill them all.”

 

[Suzuki Setsu]

Kichida Kazuhiko​

Kazuhiko's last memories were of Haikuno's smiling face and a glider buffeted by a strong force. He woke on a boat hearing some Lightning soldier saying something about not wanting to know what happened, just that he was in charge of returning them safely to Kumogakure. Good, I don't want to have to think anymore today, he thought to himself. He noticed that he was having a hard time moving though, and upon investigation found that he had been nearly mummified at the hand of Tama. She was fast asleep, but he could see the strips of cloth in her hand. He would have been amused, had he not just witnessed the death of his friend and former student. That Enishi must have been something, for Haikuno to willingly sacrifice himself like that. I'm glad he could stay true to himself til the very end.

Kazuhiko allowed himself to drift back to sleep, lulled by the rocking of the boat. He would wake up upon their return to shore.

Mochizuki Tama​

Tama's dreams were a mess, she had fallen asleep as soon as she had finished bandaging Kazuhiko. Shiri-tan was there, as was that Enishi guy. They were swordfighting, in the way two classically trained duelists might. Neither could overpower the other. But then the dream changed, Enishi was the giant again, and had Shiri-tan in his fist, just like Tama had been. The giant then pulled the nuke out of its belly, and smashed it into the the ground, the explosion engulfed everything, and the last thing she saw was Shiri-tan's horrified face as it vanished into the light.

With that, her dreaming abruptly ended and Tama remembered that she was on the deck of a ship, that she and the rest of the team had survived. She was shocked to discover that she had woken up in a cold sweat, It's not over yet, she thought to herself. We have to stop him once and for all, or the world as we know it will be destroyed. Though a part of her wondered if it would be so bad. If Shiri-tan was forced to abdicate, he wouldn't be royalty anymore, and there would be less obstacles between them. She shook her head to clear her mind of these thoughts. If that happened, Shiri-tan wouldn't be happy, he would think he had failed. And Tama did not want that, she would fight for Shirinai's dreams, even if it meant the world was against her. Luckily it wasn't though.

[TL MFT]