Disclaimer: I don't own Warriors Orochi or Naruto.
Warriors Orochi: Shinobi of Fire
Chapter 4-Dragon of Judgment
Kakashi raised an eyebrow, "The Dragon of Judgment?"
Naruto was just as confused, "Who's that?"
Zhuge Liang smiled as he explained, "Master Pànduàn Shén is a brilliant sorcerer and swordsmaster. He is far more powerful in the ways of sorcery than any other mortal. Only the Mystics are said to be able to match his power."
"The Mystics?" Sakura asked and Liu Bei nodded, "Powerful beings who live in a realm far from our own. The same realm where Orochi himself came from. They were the ones who originally imprisoned Orochi."
"Yeah," Zhang Fei sneered. "Before that vixen witch Da Ji freed the bastard."
The ninja raised an eyebrow at this.
"Vixen witch?" Kakashi asked. Zhang Fei nodded, "Yeah, Orochi was freed from his prison by Da Ji, a vixen-like demon who later became his strategist. One of her personal officers is named Himiko. She was used to ressurect Orochi after he was defeated by us a couple years ago. She's now Pànduàn's traveling companion."
"Pànduàn?" Sakura asked. "Isn't it a bit rude to refer to someone as powerful and mighty as you say by something as simple as his family name?"
The Warriors laughed at this which earned a confused look from the shinobi. Guan Yu was the first to stop and explain, "You would be right if Pànduàn hadn't insisted that we call him that. He's very modest and doesn't like formalities."
"That isn't the only reason and you know it," Diao Chan pointed out to the Tiger General. "I know very well of his past, practically everyone does now, and you know very well that the other reason is that he doesn't need to be reminded he's a lord."
Kakashi and his students eyes widened at this revelation, "He's a lord? But why doesn't he want the formalities then? Does he not like the fact he is a lord?"
A sad expression spread across the faces of the Shu officers. Zhuge Liang chuckled a sad chuckle, "You have no idea how much we have wished it to be the reason."
Liu Bei nodded, "I remember the first time I met him and I refered to him as lord. I remember what he told me so clearly..."
Flashback
"My lord, with all due respect, I am no lord and I prefer just Pànduàn if that is alright."
Liu Bei raised an eyebrow, "Not a lord? That isn't what I heard."
Pànduàn turned away from Liu Bei and walked a couple of steps to his left, "What lord am I with nothing to rule?"
"...with nothing to rule?" Kakashi asked suspiciously. "What do you mean by that?"
Liu Bei turned to them with a serious look on his face, "His home, his family, and his people are all gone. They perished seventeen years ago when one of their own betrayed them."
The ninja stared wide-eyed, they were starting to see even more simliarities between their world and this one. Kakashi swallowed hard wishing to hear more but at the same time wishing he wouldn't, "P-please elaborate."
Liu Bei sadly nodded, "Seventeen years ago, a man by the name of Kirshun betrayed Pànduàn's home village and sold his soul for enough power to destroy Pànduàn, his family, and his home. However, after he had succeeding in slaughtering and butchering Pànduàn's parents and his two year old younger brother, Pànduàn unleashed his inner power. This inner power not only was enough to almost completely destroy Kirshun but it also completely destroyed his home village. When we returned there seventeen years later, the entire valley the village was covered in and snowing ash. The trees were dead and scorched as was the village itself, its residents were nothing but black, charred skeletons, and the river had been replace with ash as well.
The ninja gasped. They hadn't thought such a horrible thing could've happened.
"Pànduàn trained for fifteen years under an old family friend who was also a Master sorcerer before leaving on his own. Sometime within a year of that departure he met Himiko and they became fast friends. That was when the Odigan War started."
"The Odigan War?"
"Yes, it was a war against a group of brigands that went by the name of the Odigan Rebels. They were strong with sorcerers, siege weapons, and other such works. They raided the fortress castle of He Fei in Wu, where Pànduàn and Himiko had guided a supply caravan not a day before the actual siege. During the siege is when Pànduàn faced his worst nightmare..."
"What?" Naruto asked curiously though slightly nervous of what the answer was going to be. Liu Bei took a deep breath, "The traitor, Kirshun, the Souless One, had returned and was leading the Rebel army."
"WHAT?" the ninja shouted as the stood up.
"But that's impossible!" Sakura shouted. "Didn't you just say that this Pànduàn-guy killed them?
"Apparently, not entirely," Zhuge Liang answered calmly. "Kirshun's essence survived and he regenerated overtime. He then put together the Odigan Rebels to draw Pànduàn out. These Rebels served him more out of fear than loyalty though."
"He was really that terrifying?" Kakashi dared to ask.
"He cut out Pànduàn's right eye with a single swing of his polearm," Zhang Fei pointed out matter-of-factly, "Which actually was the Pànduàn Family Heirloom until Kirshun got his filthy hands on it."
"If he was so powerful, how did he win?"
"As it turned out, Pànduàn wasn't a fully-fledged Master yet. He did become one in the end, however, and he defeated Kirshun where it all began: At the ruins of his home village."
"Sounds like an amazing guy."
Liu Bei nodded, "Saved my life who knows how many times."
Lu Bu smirked evilly, "And one day he and I shall put out blades to the test and I shall come out victorious."
The Shu lord then looked outside the tent, "Lieutenant!"
A man in green and gold armor and a bushy beard appeared at the entrance to the tent, "Yes, my lord?"
"Where were the last known whereabouts of Lord Pànduàn and Himiko?"
"Reports have said he's near the Wu-Shu border but there have also been reports that the ninja, Kotarō Fūma, is also in the area."
The warriors groan loudly while the shinobi looked confused.
"Kotarō Fūma?" Sakura asked.
"Who's that?" Naruto questioned.
"He calls himself the Winds of Chaos," Guan Yu replied. "He's a shinobi whose soul-purpose, it seems, is to cause chaos however he can. Doesn't matter how he does it or whom he sides with. He even sided with Orochi till we killed him."
"Sounds like he's fun to deal with," Kakashi commented.
"Well, you can have fun with that," Lu Bu said as he got up to leave.
"You mean you aren't going to help us?" Naruto asked cocking his eyebrow.
"Like I'd help worthless maggots like you. I'm going to find someone who's actually worthy to face my blade."
With that he left, Diao Chan right behind him. Kakashi raised an eyebrow, "After proclaiming he'd beat Pànduàn in a fight, I'm surprised he wouldn't stay to find him with us."
Zhang Fei snickered, "That and the fact he's heard enough of that painted clown's 'Chaos' rants to last a lifetime."
The warriors chuckled a bit at that. The Konoha shinobi did as well.
"The painted clown?" Kakashi asked. "Dare I ask?"
"A name give to the ninja by a fellow shinobi, Kunoichi," Zhang Fei explained. "The reason for the name is due to the white face paint the guy wears."
"He is not to be underestimated, however," Zhuge Liang pointed out. "He is very strong and very crafty and has control of some of the remnant of Orochi's army, most notably Dodomeki and Orbweaver, Orochi's army's own shinobi-like warriors that fight eerily similar to Kotarō."
"Sounds like this will be fun," Kakashi muttered.
That was when Guan Yu rose, "We need to get going. Who knows how long Lord Pànduàn and Lady Himiko will stay in one place."
"You are right, Brother Guan Yu," Liu Bei said in agreement. "You and Zhuge Liang shall head to find Pànduàn along with the shinobi. Don't take too many men for it might slow you down and you could miss them. Myself and the rest of the Shu army shall head back to Cheng Du."
Guan Yu and Zhuge Liang bowed and said unison, "Yes, my lord."
Later, the shinobi gathered with Guan Yu and Zhuge Liang. They had two horses; one of them was Red Hare. After they discussed the situation, both the Tiger General and the Sleeping Dragon decided it be best if they went alone. They were surprised when the shinobi insisted they simply run, but soon Zhuge Liang pointed out that shinobi in their realm must almost certainly be much different considering shinobi were the only real fighting force in their world unless you counted the samurai. And both were astonished at how easily they kept up with their horses.
During the run, Kakashi moved up to Zhuge Liang's side, "So Zhang Fei was telling me that you are known as the divinely-inspired strategist. Think you could help us out with a little problem."
"Oh? And what sort of problem would you need help with?"
"Our village has been having some trouble recently. A group of powerful shinobi have come together and are threating our world."
"Ah, and whom might this group be."
"They are known as the Akatsuki. We have yet to beat any one of them yet and their very hard to track. Do you have any ideas?"
Zhuge Liang lightly smiled as numerous different strategies came to mind, "I may have one or two..."
Sorry it took me so long, guys. Been having somewhat of a fanfiction malfunction on the computer I've been using to type this stuff up. No worries, however, it's all cleared up now! Please enjoy this next chapter! There's only a few more left before I start Rise of Kirshun!
Please read and review!
~Teddypro
