Edited 10.28.2007. For Nevermore199. I am guilt-stricken for two reasons: one, because this fiction was long overdue; and two, because the concept was inspired by the movie, 300. Haha.
A big fat thanks to WickedAnna for beta-ing this fiction.
One: Death
The stench of death and blood invaded her nostrils as she took in the monstrous sight.
She estimated their count to be around 300. There were 300 armed and dangerous shinobi standing at about 100 strides away with the sole intent to take and kill; and no matter how hard she tried there was simply no getting around the fact that she had to take them down for the tiny mining village. Alone. She stood between them as the single valiantly erected wall, meant to help the frightened villagers but as of now, she thought, the word "help"was putting it mildly. Much too mildly.
She was basically being offered as a human sacrifice to a bunch of predators.
"As you can see, any kind of resistance is already pointless," she assumed, this was their leader, "for unless I miss my guess, they even lied to you about the... uh, severity... of the situation. Why protect those liars, kunoichi? They're as worthless as their deteriorating village after all."
"Same thing goes right back at you," a smug reply, "Why do you insist on... making the situation more severe if the village is as worthless as you claimed?"
A tense pause, and then the leader suddenly smiled malevolently, "let's just say that I'm doing this world a favor by reducing unproductive mouths to feed."
"Good. Then you could go on ahead and kill yourself first," she smirked at their enraged expression, "and frankly, I'm not quite sure about that because from what I've heard, this village is pretty much the source of Fire country's gold economy."
"Pray tell then," if the slight stiffening of the arrogant beast wasn't an indication that she had hit bull's eye then she didn't know what it was, "why this village is still the dump that it is if you claim it to be as such?"
"Well, it's either one of two things," she raised a finger, "one is, this place had been the rally point of feudal wars since it is located at the edge of fire country; and two," she raised another finger, "parasites, such as yourself, had been harassing them ever since the world began. You pick."
The crinkling of his eyes were almost visible now, "very well thought," he said, "most unfortunately though, you do not have much choice, kunoichi. Your chakra is at its limit, so I suggest that if you value your life then do not involve yourself," the business end of a kunai pointed at her, "You're a smart girl. Go home and tell your Hokage, not to involve Konohagakure in my affairs. I will let you live if you'd only step—"
"Konohagakure had been involved the moment that these villagers fled to the Hokage for support," she looked at him and his army, squarely. They were too much for one kunoichi to handle and for what it's worth, she needed one hell of a miracle, "I had been involved the moment that the Hokage decided that I am fit for this mission."
"Then I'd say your Hokage doesn't trust you that much if you're a Jounin assigned in an ordinary C-class mission," he sneered, "I'd make you a deal... how about you stop this foolishness and join our cause instead? A lovely girl like you must be lavished with everything that she desired..."
She raised an elegant eyebrow, "Tempting but thanks," she drawled, recalling her close-door briefing and the Godaime's knowledge of the situation— actually, maybe this guy is more idiotic than both of them had thought, "I'd rather close a deal with a barracuda; and just so you know, the reason why she chose me doesn't concern a moron like you, at all."
"Your choice," the way his words were delivered revealed a certain crack in his patient façade, "but just so that you know as well, when compared to your Hokage, I am clearly nothing short of a moron," he should've taken it as a sign to attack when her eyes narrowed in a way that bid ill-fortune for him and his men, "what do they call her? The Legendary Suck—"
"And clearly," nobody insults the Godaime in her presence and gets away with it, "you're just being a big-mouthed ass who doesn't know how to act on his words."
And she was off to her death when she struck a kunai on the ground.
Two: Forgiveness
"Kai!"
The world around her exploded, and everything was a bloody mess.
From what she could tell, the intertwined traps that she had set-up with the villagers were enough to cause an explosion that could kill the whole army. Unfortunately though, as she twisted in mid air and took a quick scan of the situation with her brown eyes, she hadn't had enough time to recheck the wires that connected them. She muttered a string of curses. Time. It was all she needed and this army would've been as easy as eating a piece of chocolate cake.
She had estimated that a fourth of them were the only ones left, and although that is still too much for her count (she grimaced at this), the reason why the Godaime had picked her for this mission skated in. Her hands were steady as it expertly performed a series of seals; leaping gracefully from the ground as if she was floating, like a leaf in the insulting crisp air of autumn that day. Villagers wondered in awe, while her enemies thought she looked more like a fatally graceful hawk, pirouetting in midair for the kill.
"With your arsenal of arms hidden conveniently in scrolls," Tsunade-sama had that amused smile on her face, "I believe you could hold-off an army in a ridiculous amount of time."
She couldn't help but smile at that as she bit her thumb and slap the blood that dripped from it on her scrolls.
But that was all that she could do. Now, everything lay on the miracle that she had been meticulously praying for, for the past 2 days. She wondered if the message bird that she sent reached the hands of the Hokage. She wondered if they were already running towards the village to aid a distressed comrade.
She wondered if he would forgive her for dying out on her promise.
"I'll be back."
"Is that a promise?"
She laughed, "you know, Neji, you're such a child sometimes."
"Is there anything childish in making your teammate promise that she'll be alive when she returns?"
A pause later, she managed a small smile reserved for him alone, "I promise then."
Three: Rebirth
The sun was blotted by arrows, shurikens, kunai, and more— some, she managed to dodge, but some also managed to land cuts here and there. Sure, she had them all and more, connected by strings of chakra on each finger— ready to defend and kill—but the fact that she was still the sole kunoichi fighting for the other less-fortunate side didn't ease her growing agitation and she was just flat-out tired already.
"Eat this!" And as the enemy suffered the wrath of her blades, blood by blood, her chakra reserves were rapidly draining.
And then she was falling.
Three moves. A fraction of a second was all it took for her to decide between death and more deaths. A kunoichi's life-span is based on her ability to decide efficiently and quickly to gain the upper hand. Hers was not an option, but a matter of duty and honor in death.
"I'll make you regret this, you bitch!" the sound of shuffling feet and the shrill sound of a battle cry could be heard from below, "Die!"
This was death, and she was embracing it with open arms. She had killed enough. She had protected the village, just as she was tasked to do...
But the pain never came.
The last few things that she noticed were the blue sky and a flock of birds— sparrows, she thought, flying freely and gracefully in the fields of blue, high above the dead. More clashing metals; summoned jutsu of all elements; a familiar female voice shouting "Shannarooo!" followed by the cracking sound of land breaking into pieces; a blur of blondes-- yes, blondes-- that followed after a male shouted, "Taijuu: Kage Bunshin no jutsu!"; a couple of concerned and apologizing voices— some were familiar and one, in particular, was familiarly loud as he cried his eyes out; the smell of death being dispelled by a familiar scent of masculine musk; and finally, a pair of concerned, almost angry white orbs directed at her but not angry at her...
"Tenten, we're here..." a pair of strong arms held her; protected her. "I'm here."
And then there was darkness.
Sore ni...!
Post-conference: Hokage's office
"Sakura, what can you say about the situation?"
"I think it's a stupid idea to send her alone in the first place, Tsunade-shishou," Sakura blinked, "No offense, Tsunade-sama, but look at her chart right now... she's in terrible shape!"
"Not that it matters to Neji, anyway," murmured Tsunade.
"Tsunade-sama," Neji was coughing and turning an interesting shade of red, simultaneously, "I was merely suggesting that we shouldn't let any kunoichi be sent out alone in such dangerous condition."
"Of course," Gai nodded gamely, "after all, men do have an instinct on protecting the female population! Surely, there was also a time when Jiraiya-sama had protected you from some sort of danger! Right, Lee?"
"Hai, Gai-sensei!"
"Yes..." drawled the Godaime, uninterested, "but then it would always backfire and then I would have to do the saving."
"Tsunade no baa-chan is as dangerous as they come," said Naruto, "and from the looks of things, she also turned Sakura-chan into a monster..."
He was flying out the window in no time.