How curious.
Hidaka observed, with no concealed disgust, as the sickly chuunin convulsed and had an arm explode in front of his face. Normally, this wouldn't be happening; chakra coil expansion was standard procedure in Kirigakure; it was all but mandatory to have it if you were a chuunin for more than five years; that is, with no potential whatsoever. A simple procedure for a pathetic excuse of a ninja.
Chakra coil expansion was a double-edged sword at best; through creating an artificial opening of sorts into the base of the cardiac tenketsu, chakra would be pumped in increasing intervals to improve the 'flexibility' of the tenketsu by forcing them open wider and wider all throughout the body. This resulted in quicker chakra access , and an 'expanded' chakra coil system so that the body could store a larger net-amount of chakra; all the result of softening the chakra coils by a ridiculous margin by applying larger than average, but not lethal, pressure on the inside walls of the chakra coils system, and by increasing the width of the average tenketsu by 49 percent.
Theoretically, this would increase the destructive potential in a common chuunin grunt by allowing the grunt to learn far more potent techniques, and outlast chuunin of greater ability, thus taking out a more competent member of the enemy force.
However, by unnaturally expanding the chakra coils though methods that did not exhaust and replenish chakra normally; like tree walking for instance. The result ended up to be far less appealing; decreased life span, reduced chakra control, poor long-term health, and of course, the phenomenon that was occurring right before Hidaka's eyes.
Chakra implosion. The phenomenon that showed how softening the chakra coils significantly was truly a double-edged sword. Prolonged strain of the now softened walls ensured that eventually the nin would just burst his cardiac tenketsu on the training ground, or in combat.
Though, once he thought about it, chakra implosion was only supposed to occur in the latter half of Stage 4 chakra exhaustion...which was nowhere close to the Stage 1 symptoms his patient should have been experiencing...
Oh well. Doubtless, the Mizukage had approved such a procedure because of importance of destructive potential vs life span. Not that the Mizukage was wrong; no doubt, the average life span of a kiri chuunin wasn't very high in the first place, and they were the frontline combatants in any prolonged armed conflict between villages and armed groups anyways. Crude but no doubt effective.
At least the explosion of body parts stopped. Blood was annoyingly difficult to get his lab coat... Now that he thought about it, why did they make the coats white anyways? To make the blood harder to wash off? Tailors were almost as bad as those goddamn engineers...
Hidaka shrugged. Oh well, at least now he could have another cadaver to test the effects of the new generation of shark-teeth implants that imbecile engineer Morimoto managed to create...no doubt they would be the latest craze amongst all the new academy students this year; Hidaka never really did see the usefulness of shark teeth implants anyways; what was he supposed to do? Bite his enemy? He'd probably end up with an infection inside of his mouth as a result, and be stuck with liquids throughout the rest of his career, like that tailor's moron genin son that shredded his mouth a year ago.
Hidaka scoffed. Kids these days...
Hidaka was interrupted from is musings by a sharp knock on the laboratory doors.
Strange...he certainly wasn't expecting someone; the procedure wasn't supposed to end for 2 more hours...perhaps one of the interns forgot where a vein was?
Hidaka opened the door to come face-to-face with a tall masked figure in dark fluorescent armor, with an obsidian zanbatou strapped across his back. Certainly from the raw professionalism and killing intent that was slowly leaking into the room, he was most certainly a jounin.
Not just any run-of-the-mill jounin either. A shi-nin, one of the Mizukage's personal guard. How refreshing, perhaps the great leader himself had another menial task for him to do...or it was something important. Not that it matter anyways; doesn't matter what the task is, refusal is definitely the key to a fall from grace in the kiri hierarchy.
" Hidaka-dono, Mizukage-sama has personally requested your presence immediately" barked the shi-nin
Hidaka raised his eyebrows. Sending a shi-nin to merely retrieve him? Certainly a menial task given to the Mizukage's elite black-ops team. "Did Mizukage-sama mention exactly why I have been requested?"
"Yes Hidaka-dono" said the shi-nin with a hint of hesitation and a slight pause.
"Orochimaru-dono has arrived".
BREAK
"Nice train they got there" smirked Toyotomi Sogo, simultaneously lighting a cigarette and observing through his binoculars a train arrive]ing to Bunker 252, one of many of the "research centers" of the great mizukage's most 'glorious' regime.
Sogo scoffed as he took a drag of his cigarette. Research center sure is a nice phrase for all the disgusting projects they got going on there...genetic purity his ass; after killing most he bloodline clans in that bloody campaign based on the premise of genetic purity, they sure had the nerve experimenting on people to create the same effect, but much more unnaturally.
Sogo narrowed his eyes. He would avenge them, if it was the last thing he ever did.
Sogo was broken from his contemplation by a swift whack to the head. The cigarette dropped from his mouth onto the damp grass.
Sogo's eyes narrowed as he turned to his partner.
"What the hell do you think you're doing asshole?" Sogo snarled, fingering the hilt of his wakizashi.
" You do realize that you were smoking a cigarette while observing an event that we surely aren't supposed to see, right?" drawled Ryotaro, while absentmindedly twirling his long, black braided hair that ran down as far as the small of his back. " You're just giving away our position". Fucking dainty asshole.
Sogo knew not to underestimate his partner for this mission. Ryotaro may be a narcissitic asshole, but he was a 'resocialized' shi-nin, kirigakure's single most dangerous force. Often used for black-ops missions, they also doubled as the Mizukage's personal guard.
Ryotaro was one of kiri's foremost silent-killing specialists. No one knew of him, bar the upper echelons of the Mizukage's regime. A reputation that any assassin would brag about. Or otherwise.
And he was kind of curious how Ryotaro managed to keep his braid so shiny and well-kept in a marshland environment...he had it hard enough trying to keep his bangs out of his eyes these days...
Maybe he should just ask him...
Sogo slapped himself. No, bad thoughts! He most certainly isn't like that dainty asshole, and he most certainly isn't jealous!
All the women always looked at Ryo-chan...fucking dainty asshole...
Ryotaro blinked a few times at his partner.
"Awed by my beauty, eh, Sogo-chan" said Ryotaro, while shifting his eyebrows up and down suggestively,
"Shut the fuck up pretty boy" Sogo snarled.
"Why yes, yes I am" chirped Ryotaro, winking suggestively while shooting a lady-killer smile.
Sogo sighed. " The mark is leaving the bunker...and he has company" muttered Sogo, while maintaining a visual on his opponents. The situation had just gotten far worse.
" That's a full complement of Jounin they got there...and he's got shi-nin escort too...this certainly does not bode well, Commander assured us this would be a standard assassination assignment..." wandered off the unusually reserved Ryotaro. This was definitely not a favourable situation.
Nursing a steadily worsening mood, Sogo muttered " You'd know, Mr. Kiri-no-Shikei"
And just as the last word left Sogo's mouth, he felt one of his bangs slide down his sweating brow. He had nearly forgotten how quick of a temper the dainty asshole had. Pestering a master of iaijitsu was never the smartest thing to do.
" Watch what you say Sogo, or next time your snarky little head will be sliding off too" sneered Ryotaro
Sweat started building up near Sogo's brow subconsciously. He knew he was out of line. Best apologize and forget about it. Yup, but he wasn't giving up or nothin'.
Sogo shifted his gaze away from Ryotaro. "Sorry about that Ryo-san, I was out of line" Sogo muttered.
"Just make sure it doesn't happen again" chirped Ryotaro happily, who finally turned his gaze back to the bunker. How did he change his moods so fast? Must be a dainty asshole type of thing.
Sogo snorted quietly, and turned his gaze back to the bunker as well.
" This complicates things for sure. We were supposed to liquidate that bastard Hidaka, but it seems the Mizukage has decided to act before us" continued Sogo. "That asshole can't be aware of our plans, can he?"
Ryotaro scoffed. " Of course not, the Mizukage no doubt would have killed us all by now if he was privy to such information".
Ryotaro paused. "However..."
"We can't continue this assassination mission; while I'm sure that with both our skills, Hidaka and his armed guard could be neutralize. Unfortunately, it would be obvious to the Mizukage that the revolutionary elements are planning something. " said Ryotaro gravely. No doubt he was just as disturbed by the change of situation as he himself was.
" We can't let that monster get away though..." snarled Sogo. The task might be far more difficult, but Hidaka had taken away far too much to be let off with absolutely no punishment. His penance would be payed with his very own, precious blood.
"We won't" calmly replied Ryotaro. " I'm sure that the higher echelons would be far more receptive if we managed to gather information on the latest movements of Hidaka and his master".
He paused, then continued " We should follow the train once they board, and conduct a surveillance operation; no doubt your skill set isn't very suited to this task, but this is far too beneficial an opportunity to pass up"
Sogo knew that he was right. Hidaka was just small fry in the greater scheme of things, a pawn.
Just like he himself was.
However, following this lead; this new movement of the Mizukage's government was far more beneficial to the resistance than the death of one researcher. The tide of the revolution could quickly be turned to their side with the great bounty that they could retrieve.
That sure as hell didn't mean he had to like it though.
" I don't like it either, Sogo" said Ryotaro soothingly. He continued, " But you and I both know this might be the chance we have all been waiting for; We will follow the train, and we will gather information to free our people from the oppressive weight on their shoulders. " said Ryotaro
Sogo was impressed. "That was pretty inspirational there, Ryo"
Ryotaro smiled. "Yes I know. Be awed by my prowess!"
Sogo twitched. And there he ruined it. Prick.
But he had a point. The world would remember their names, whether it wanted to or not.
"The train is departing Sogo"
Sogo steeled his expression, and calmed his nerves.
" We will proceed the mission then, Comrade."
BREAK
Konoha was in dire straits. There was just no other way of saying it.
The Sandaime sighed as he took a puff of his tobacco. The situation was becoming far more tense then he would have liked.
And now this. An ultimatum of all things.
Hiruzen knew he couldn't continue this war. With the Kyuubi's rampage on their once powerful village three years ago, their battle capacity had been reduced greatly. It was only due to the hesitance of the Daimyo of lightning country to support the Kumo forces that had forced a ceasefire.
A stroke of luck as it were.
It was quite..convenient that Kumogakure declared war a mere year after the Kyuubi incident. Luckily, even with their strength destabilized, strategic victories were achieved against overwhelming force. Mutual fear in both sides was created. Peace was achieved.
Temporarily at least.
The kumogakure nin were fanatical. There was no other way of saying it. It was only by the grace of god, and sheer luck that they were able to broker peace with them, thanks to the insistence of the daimyo of lightning country, and to the subsequent seppeku the emperor had commited.
The emperor, even in the shame of his death, had supporters; loyalists that supported him and him only. The Raikage's brother and a small cadre of Kumo jounin had attempted a kidnapping of the Hyuuga heir, Hyuuga Hinata. Luckily, Hiashi had easily stopped the kidnapping attempt, simultaneously killing the Raikage's brother.
The Raikage renounced the action, while simultaneously demanding that Hyuuga Hiashi be sent to kumogakure for interrogation and subsequent execution.
Normally, he wouldn't even have considered the Raikage's demands to have Hyuuga Hiashi sent to Kumo, no doubt to be tortured, extracted of vital village secrets, and then promptly executed. But he had no choice; A prolonged war with Kumo might lead to a final victory, but it would be a pyrrhic victory at best. And the great tree of Konoha would be doomed to become prey to the other hidden village, together with the remains of Kumogakure.
The Daimyo had refused to accept even the possibility of a continuation of the conflict based on the economic and political ramifications of it.
As much as he hated to admit it, he agreed. Peace was far more profitable than war in this case.
He still had a dilemma to solve, despite his clear orders.
Hyuuga Hizashi, Hiashi's twin brother, had proposed a very cunning gambit. Instead of sending the clan head, Hiashi, to the Raikage, they could replace him with Hizashi. The Caged Bird seal would keep the secrets of the Byakugan from being revealed, and Hiashi, the clan head of arguably the most powerful clan in Konoha, would be kept alive.
The Raikage would be unable to do anything due to political pressure on his side.
Hiruzen sighed. The burdens of leadership were just sometimes too much.
He was getting far too old for this.
The Caged Bird seal was one of Konoha's eternal shames; a necessity, but at a very high cost. By doing this, he knew that the Hyuuga branch would be devastated without their charismatic leader, and that he would be orphaning Neji, young Hizashi's calm mannered son. A travesty.
Kumo would have to pay for this transgression. He would make sure of it himself. Hiruzen thought himself a calm man, but he wouldn't stand to have this slight of Kumogakure's to go unchecked. No doubt Danzo already had a few operations planned to spark a secret war between the two villages. And, as per usual, he would condemn the attack publicly, and quietly support it in private.
That, or do nothing, and be considered by the rest of the hidden villages as an easy target. Danzo understood it well, and so did he.
Hiruzen shifted his gaze to the official contract that demanded the handing over of "Hyuuga Hiashi" to Kumogakure for execution due to ceasefire hostilities.
His eyes scanned the contract again. Lifting his hand, Hiruzen signed it, taking another deep puff of his pipe.
Hiruzen turned his gaze to his window. Today was raining; the calm drizzle of the waters of life rejuvenating the great tree, and yet singing a requiem for the great loss the village would face in the coming months.
He could only hope that he wouldn't have to make such decisions in the near future. Somehow, he knew he was very, very wrong.
BREAK
Hizashi was quietly sitting in the waiting room, dressed in a pure white robe, trying to keep nothing but his fated giri in mind.
But he could not.
The Hyuuga clan and their sworn enemies, the 'fanatics' of kumogakure were not so different at all. They both based their ruling class upon birth, they were both bound by their restricting giri to their respective factions, and they both served their rulers to the death. Or worse.
And both were completely and utterly despicable in the very same way.
Not so different at all.
And yet, fate had decreed that they become eternal enemies.
Hizashi boiled with anger.
He couldn't help but hate them both, with the very core of his being.
Half way through the war, Konoha was finally turning the tide on the fanatical kumo ninja. This was primarily due to a shift in front-line combatants; until that point, the Uchiha clan had been was kept to reconnaissance missions.
However, seeing the tide turning, one of the kumogakure strategists, a jounin strategist Oishi, had instituted a new policy. The policy of creating a tokkotai, built up of failed academy students, that were to serve a suicide unit; the emperor's kamikaze force.
They were trained rigorously in solely speed and chakra capacity methods that built up these attributes in the shortest time possible. Kumogakure's Tokkotai.
Then they were sent out to learn one jutsu and one jutsu only. Raiton: Ketushiyousen Hirameki.
In reality, it wasn't so much a lightning technique as a much as a kinjutsu. A technique that forced chakra overload at an extreme rate, resulting in the body's bioelectrical signals meshing with all the chakra in the body.
The result? The bioelectricity acted as ignition for the chakra, resulting in a katon technique. The result is a human bomb, with the effectiveness of around 10 explosive notes. Able to completely decimate a 5 by 5 meter piece of land.
No skill, no grace, and absolutely no talent. But they served their purpose well.
This completely devastated the Uchiha forces; they could see the enemies heading towards them, but could do nothing to react. If they dodged one, another quickly took their place. The fact that Uchiha-only squads, the sheer arrogance, worked in squads of 5 further increased the casualty count.
Raiton: Ketushiyousen Hirameki thrived against ninjas that were fool enough to stay in tight squadrons.
Although tokkotai were finite, the losses the Uchiha suffered were far more grave than the losses kumo had to burden.
Arguably, the turning point of that phase of the war had been the result of Nara Shikaku suggesting the Hyuuga take the front-line position from the devastated Uchiha squadrons.
With the Byakugan, Hyuuga were able to pinpoint the exact location of any kamikaze squadrons. If the Hyuuga was quick enough, and of the main branch, a kaiten could help shield the team. A new combination was created; A Hyuuga to act as a spotter, a weapon's specialist to act as a sniper, and a ninjutsu specialist to help shield the team with elemental ninjitsu in case the sniper failed.
The result was the nullification of the kamikaze assault, and once again, the main force was free to wreck havoc upon the impudent fanatics of kumogakure. Naturally, kumo hated the ones they saw as the wall between the destruction of the barbarians, and the most holy forces of kumogakure.
Tokkotai were, in the end, just another resource that could be extinguished quick with the right strategy. A desperation tactic, now Kumo would struggle with finding new chakra users for their depleted ninja force.
Naturally, a ceasefire was finally reached once the kumo forces were expelled from fire country borders. Everyone could see both sides had nothing to gain from the war, and with the death of the emperor, they no longer had the will either.
And now this.
It was his suggestion. But it as well was his divine responsibility, and if he did not suggest it, seppeku was not far behind. He would not leave his son with the memory of a shameful father that had idly sat while their clan head had died.
He hated his brother, and envied him at the same time. By being born a second later, his fate was forever sealed.
And no one can escape fate.
So now here he was, bound by his giri and the fate that kami had bestowed upon him, and his beloved son, Neji. Now he was going to leave him fatherless, and stuck to burden the fate of the Hyuuga branch all by himself.
His insides boiled. He really hated his brother, and those kumo bastards.
Fate may not be on his side, but his son, Neji, was blessed with great prodigal ability. His fate was not yet evident. Blessed and cursed, his fate was his to choose.
He would deliver divine punishment upon those impudent kumo imperialists, and to the main branch. He would burden his fate, and turn his fear finally into hatred,.
Just as he had.
Hizashi opened his eyes. It was time.
Finding his giri once more, he steeled himself for the coming moments before he was sent to his death. His giri fulfilled, he only had one regret.
"I'm sorry Neji" whispered Hizashi, one tear silently falling down his pale cheek.
Hizashi wiped it carefully, and schooled a stoic expression.
" It is now your turn."
Hizashi opened the door, and exited into the blinding light, knowing he would never return.
AN:
Hey guys,
This my new attempt at fanfiction, Endless Road.
It will feature AU and OOC element, and will have a lot of OCs as well. It will also ignore anything Shipuuden, as I want to play around with the lore of the story.
I plan to update weekly and biweekly, each chapter being around 3000-4000 words
Please Review!
-Zero
Translations:
Wakizashi: Short traditional Japanese sword, shoto blade 30-60 centimeters
Zanbatou: horse-slaying sword. Like Zabuza's.
Raiton: Ketushiyosen Hirameki: Lightning Element: Final flash