Welp… Here you go?
"You shouldn't let your emotions rule your decisions, Hiruzen… The outcome would be a lot worse." Danzo chided. "The Second had entrusted this position to you given that you would be able to protect it, and make decisions that would benefit it."
The tension in the room was palpable. Hiruzen tightened his jaw. "Danzo, what you're asking me to do is to… choose between my grandson… and a scroll."
The man simply stared at the Sandaime. "Yes, but that was not my main point; I said that you should think above your personal feelings. I understand that, this is something you may struggle with, but the fact that you should remains true."
"Danzo…" Hiruzen nearly growled.
"…Sandaime-sama, I must agree with Shimura-sama. I apologize, however his line of thought is most sensible." Hiashi stated, hands folded in front of himself. "I have no doubt that there are some others in this room that feel the same." his eyes darted to a few others, so fast that it was impossible to track, but Hiruzen could easily guess some of the few he was referring to.
It was impossible not to see the internal conflict, the betrayal, and borderline anger in the previous Hokage's eyes. It was to the point where many felt guilty, even if they stood rock solid by their firm agreement with Danzo's line of thinking. Even they–if they had children, or grandchildren, which most of them did–could feel the pain the Sandaime felt. Yet, the thing was that it was his grandchild, not theirs.
"Do you perhaps not trust the ANBU's competence in being able to counter the enemy, and complete the objective?" Danzo questioned, rhetoric as it was. "Do you hold that little faith in those who were–at one point–your own men?"
Hiruzen flickered his fierce gaze over to the bandaged man. "You don't-"
"Men you as a Kage used to send to their deaths, despite knowing just how low the chances were that they would survive? How about those that you knew had no chance whatsoever?" the Sandaime could feel his throat dry, no longer bringing words, while Kakashi's hands started to shake against his will.
It was all too true, and Kakashi especially knew this. He had witnessed this. Seen it. Heard of it. Knew a few people who had never come back… During the Third war, this was even pretty common practice. He couldn't imagine what it was like during the Second one…
Back then they more than likely the highly trained equivalent of cannon fodder. Meant to complete assassinations and objectives, whether they came back or not. Finish the mission unseen, and escape; dead or alive…
–Or die to the enemy knowing that there was the possibility that you may have just killed the thousands living in the village.
That was how it was; whether they knew it or not.
Even today during a time of relative peace, ANBU were sometimes sent on–what could be considered by outsiders–suicide missions. For noble causes sure–preventing war, hunting and assassinating dangerous targets, etc–but most of the time, chances were if they didn't bring enough backup or have quite enough skill they wouldn't come back from such missions. They would be lucky enough to have their body destroyed by comrades–had they not done it themselves with one of the several techniques they taught you–if this was the case; because they wouldn't get a proper burial, or rarely a even name the memorial stone.
When you became an ANBU, you went into the dark–you became a shadow of your former self, and while you could have a life outside of ANBU; that was undoubtedly your main priority until you died or resigned. Like he did.
However while all of this was semi-common knowledge amongst higher ranks in the undoubtedly shinobi village, it made Kakashi flinch– the silver haired jonin wouldn't be surprised if the sheer amount of guilt was eating Hiruzen alive. Danzo talked about it like the Sandaime had much of a choice.
Danzo continued. "Yes, while most shinobi–especially ANBU–have little to no family, some do–did–and some aspired to be more. Some are–were mothers, fathers, uncles, aunts, children… And yet as Hokage, you did what was required of the job and assigned them to missions they would never come back from." He paused.
"Why should your grandson hold more value than all of them in the grand scheme of things? Sure, he is still young, but why should he hold more importance than the almost-assured retrieval of Konohagakure no Sato's most dangerous and powerful techniques, and the Kyuubi itself?" Danzo inquired, while the Sandaime internally crumbled. Kakashi looked between the two elderly men, both unable to take either side or counter either argument without making himself feel like total scum.
"All the people in this room could agree that if those got into the hands of our enemy, it may very well be the destruction of Konoha as we know it, correct?"
He looked around the room, to which many nodded in agreement. It was the most likely result, and everyone understood that. Danzo brought his exposed eye back to the Sandaime.
"Your grandson is in the academy, a shinobi in training, am I not mistaken?" It went unreplied, but the man already knew the answer, and everyone that had ever dealt with the man knew the next words that would come out of the pragmatist's mouth.
"…It's an opinion that I'm not so sure many of you share-" He started, referring to the other council members around the long table "-but I believe that no matter how young, it would be his duty as a shinobi to sacrifice himself for the cause; for the well being and prosperity of Konohagakure, which he was named after. We live in a cruel and unforgiving world; you know that very well Hiruzen. Wanting to risk the entire village for one boy–your grandson or not–unfortunately is not an option."
No one tried to argue this. Nothing needed to be said. There was nothing logically wrong with what the bandaged council member was saying. The bandaged covered man glanced up to a clock in the room.
"…Hm. It looks like we're nearly out of time to come to an agreement. Kame-bridge is nearly a half hour's travel away-" His words drew the rooms attention to the clock as well, while Danzo impassively glanced over towards Iruka. "-and I wouldn't doubt that it would take a Chunin slightly longer."
Everyone watched as the man stared at Hiruzen, eyes as cold and as sharp as steel stabbing into the Sandaime. "It's not that I don't see that you care deeply for your grandson, but I would hope that you make the right final decision, Hiruzen. The one best for the village."
Total silence ensued in the room. Danzo's words were a silent threat, that, both Kakashi and Hiruzen were certain of.
'It's either you do it, or I will.'
Naruto
The knot came undone, and as soon as it hit the ground Naruto scrambled into a dead sprint towards the sound. Within the first several steps he took his subconscious made it clear to him that he was quite unprepared, with no other effective weapon available to him other than his chakra. 'Not much of an array to choose from…' He reminded also didn't help that he really didn't know any stand alone techniques; all the kunai hardening practice, and trying to perfect that whole electricity charging thing was useless….
Naruto could feel his fingers twitch in harsh self-scolding. Maybe the pervy-toad had actually been on to something… Two years too late for him to realize this though.
By no means were they ideal conditions, but he would have to make do.
His sandals dug deep into the dirt driving him forward as fast as he could run with his arms dragging behind him, the numbed right one doing so because it was still immobile; having been the arm that had forced most of the uncontrolled chakra out, being his dominant. He dodged around large branches, over fallen trees, and avoided small sticks. He clenched his fist, bearing the stinging pain of the multiples—what must have been hundreds—of thumb-tack sized, seared red electrical burns on the lower parts of both arms, and all over his hands.
Yet, those didn't matter. While he may have not held any real connection with the little kid whatsoever; he didn't deserve to die. Not when he could prevent it.
'Come on, come on… Faster!' he chanted, above him the sky turning darker. Naruto's blood coursed through his veins like lightning, and his violet-blue eyes focused forward.
He could near instinctively tell that he was running on mere seconds. The clearing was close, just a stone's throw away… He could see 'himself'–Mizuki, Konohamaru, and Iruka.
Out of seemingly nowhere, a bright glint caught his eye, forcing him to blink out the glare. It shocked his vision for but a fraction of a second, before they readjusted.
…Wait, what the hell was th–?
He felt his eyes narrow out of momentary confusion–trying to discern what was happening–before suddenly his legs faltered and his eyes widened dramatically.
"–Oh sh-!" he hadn't even the time to curse–as through the tree line, he witnessed his own sword split through the air, traveling as fast as the wielder's muscle could drive it.
The sword connected with the material of a flak jacket, undershirt, and the fishnet metal mesh underneath. It was almost like Naruto could feel each strand of the armor and cloth snapping; splitting… The wire frame of the jacket and the fishnet only served to reduce the cutting force of the blade by the slightest margin.
…Then it met flesh… Organic, living human flesh.
~Squelch!
Mizuki grinned as the sword proceeded to continue on past the outer layers of Iruka's skin and carve it's way deep into the man's shoulder; through the muscle, and tendons, with a thick trail of blood following in its wake…
The fact that it completely countered Iruka's forward dive only added to just how far the blade was able to go.
The weapon only stopped over halfway through the limb, once it had wedged into what Naruto could only assume was bone given the abrupt stop in motion.
It didn't take more than an instant for more warm, red blood to explode outward from the wound and across the grass, onto a now open eyed, petrified still Sarutobi Konohamaru who of which Iruka kneeled in front of defensively.
Naruto, yet still shrouded under the darkness of the trees, couldn't quite make out the entire scene but his imagination filled in the gaps enough to make him grimace.
There was a brief silence; a delay, before the young man had even felt the fissure between his shoulder and the rest of his torso. Naruto's vision tracked to Iruka's blood dotted face, where said man's eyes both hazily wandered onto the steel embedded into his shoulder.
"AAAAGHHHHH!"
Naruto stood wide eyed, watching in horrid fascination…
In the dark recesses of his mind, a thought occurred that he couldn't help but take notice of, or rather realize;
That's what a blade is capable of…
He had never actually seen what a sword could really do to a person… and it was… indescribable.
Mizuki let the sword stay buried deep into Umino Iruka's shoulder while the scarred chunin's scream continued until his voice cracked, then broke. As soon as it did the man's breathing went completely erratic, no longer equal parts inhale or exhale.
He was basically choking on air, as his brain was having trouble subconsciously regulating his lungs.
Naruto had trouble tearing his eyes away, yet he managed break himself of his stupor. He blinked away the sight, the images in his head, and recollecting himself. He needed to move… If he knew Mizuki at all… the man wouldn't be finished.
Only a stone's throw away was the edge of the clearing, he would soon cross it and break into the open–
Naruto's thoughts came to a halt. His mind settled on one word to sum up his predicament.
'How?'
Just what would he do? What plan did he have? He was absolutely weaponless and there were so many things that could go wrong; he wasn't silent or invisible and Mizuki was just one hand seal and chakra flare away from blowing Konohamaru, and now Iruka, to pieces…
'Stay cool. Stay focused. THINK.'
Mizuki
The henged man scoffed, directed toward the sword. "-Piece of shit. Not even sharp enough… It didn't cut all the way through…" he clicked his tongue, then lifted his foot in preparation of his next action.
"Oh well." With absolutely no remorse to his 'friend' he next proceeded to ram his sandaled foot into Iruka's head, sending him face-first into the dirt with another strident, strangled howl due to the vicious pain as Mizuki simultaneously ripped the sword out of Iruka's halfway split limb, spilling an even larger quantity of blood which contributed to the quickly growing puddle.
"Gahhh!"Iruka choked out."Fu…ck…"
The disguised rogue-nin then brought the sword to his side, letting it just hang and drip Iruka's vital fluid onto the grass. The henged Mizuki gave a short chuckle, staring at the scene with undeniably sick enjoyment of watching his had-been friend squirm on the ground. 'Neither are gonna survive this anyway… Why not give him some passing words, eh…?'
"…Ya' know, I absolutely hated you, Iruka. Still do; as you can probably see… But did you know that at one point I was actually jealous of you? YOU!" he put his hand to his forehead, as if scolding himself.
"Pathetic, right…? All of our friends… they always liked you more than me. You always got better grades, higher test scores; and when we made genin, a better team, and a better sensei… You even made chunin a year before I did–" Mizuki's voice started to become more almost feral-like, unnoticed to everyone present.
Iruka
Iruka's eyes bored into the dirt only centimeters away, mouth leaking blood from where he had forced himself to stop screaming. but evidently couldn't seem to move. He had been wounded multiple times in his life, but never to this degree. It just hurt too much…
The young man could feel the blood steadily pumping through the broken vessels and pathways, his chakra flowing out as well draining him of energy, and the ability to get a grip on reality. The pain was unbearable…
The words 'Naruto' was saying sounded drowned out, and what he could hear of it made no sense to him anyway. Jiberish.
Iruka clenched his teeth, letting his lungs depress as he felt them finally find a semblance of what could be called 'stabilization'. He could only clutch his shoulder in agony; trying to stem the bleeding as best he could.
He was starting to lose feeling in it–the muscles no longer felt as if they were actually 'attached'–and that was quickly becoming apparent to him.
'Well… s-shit…'
Would this kill him…? Would he meet Mizuki, and his family wherever they went after they died? With the amount of blood it felt as if he was losing, he wouldn't doubt it. Nor would he doubt that he wouldn't just be killed once the blond was done hacking him to quarters…
At least he gave Konohamaru a few more minutes of life… If that.
Was it even worth it though? He wasn't able to save the boy or take any revenge for his friend… And now he was essentially just dead weight. He failed his mission…
To be honest, he didn't know; didn't want to. However, he found a small amount of solace in the fact that it was his duty as a shinobi to serve and protect the citizens of Konohagakure, so he was only doing what was expected of him. If that meant trying to save someone and dying, then that was his duty and he was fine with that.
He didn't have much to live for after all, like many shinobi. That's why he decided to become a teacher in the first place. So he could do something with his near meaningless life… put his nearly useless skills to use somehow…
But that didn't last very long, did it?
'Damn… it…' Iruka cursed in his head, as he felt the growing puddle of blood on the ground start to soak into his cloths and stain his face.
Iruka's eyesight became increasingly more blurry and he started to feel dizzy as he slowly lost consciousness. The sounds of the atmosphere around him were fading in and out from his range of sense–yet the words kept flowing into his ears.
More he just couldn't understand.
There was also something else… Questions that had been gnawing and eating at him ever since Naruto started to threaten killing Konohamaru.
–Where were the ANBU…? What happened to the plan…? Why hadn't they intervened yet…?
There had been so many times that they could have. He had been distracted so many times… And now he was having his arm cleaved off, and they hadn't done anything…
Were the Sandaime and Hatake Kakashi correct? Could there have actually have been more than just him? It would make sense…
Black spots started to consume his vision, and they only got only got larger in quantity with each passing second. He was losing so much blood… the sword must have cut into or through a major artery…
He tried to keep them open, he did… but he couldn't stop his eyelids from steadily closing…
Mizuki
"–it wasn't because you were the better shinobi, though; It was because–apparently–the fucking 'will of fire' was stronger in you!" Mizuki growled. "Enough reason to graduate over actually combat talented shinobi, right?!"
He gripped the sword tighter.
"I mean… the whole thing sounds like a bad movie line–the whole 'will of fire' crap–yet bullshit aside, I played along as your friend all through those times… and I regret every single second of it… I should have just kicked you back into the dirt I found you in!" He lifted the sword and laid it on his shoulder, grinning ear to ear.
"But now… now I'm finally making you suffer. And you know me… Can't leave–"
The henged man cut himself off. "Wait."
Mizuki let out a grunt of annoyance, then proceeded to none-too-gently stomp one foot on Iruka's back. Red tinted dribble escaped from his mouth, but Iruka didn't react any more than with a barely conscious heave. A small frown appeared on the henged Mizuki's face. He sighed.
"Son of a bitch…" he grumbled. "I can't have you going to sleep just yet!" Mizuki put his foot down on Iruka's injured shoulder, and ever so slightly pressed his weight onto it, until the point where he was basically standing on it…
The brown haired chunin's eyes instantly shot back open. "Shh...Ahh!"
Mizuki nodded, apparently satisfied. "There we go! Now, I want you listen, and listen closely Iruka…!" The rogue pushed against the elbow again with each word, Iruka replying in kind with a ghastly croak. "Stay! The hell! Awake!" with the last word, he downright rammed his foot onto the shoulder. "GAH!"
"There; are we clear?" He took his foot off the arm. Iruka barely managed to let out a breath in response. "…Ye… ah…"
"Great! So… moving on…" He brought the sword back above his head and nodded to himself. "As I was saying; can't leave job unfinished after all, can I? And you know what they say, right?" The seemingly immortal sadistic grin reappeared on his face, as his eyes shone with an unrestrained thrill.
"Second time's a charm!"
Mizuki was just about to bring the sword down, when he heard a whimper. One annoying whimper that he was getting quite irritated by.
"…No… S-Stop it…" The henged chunin's attention was drawn to Konohamaru, turning to him with narrowed eyes. The boy apparently just couldn't bear to hear or see it anymore, trying to block out the gruesome scene.
Instead of getting angry, Mizuki decided that it would be much for entertaining, watching the Sarutobi brat's heart sink further into the gutter. He turned his head towards Konohamaru, grin persistent.
"How about…" he paused, mockingly contemplative.
"…No."
Mizuki got exactly the response he was hoping for.
Naruto
Naruto's leg muscles had already jolted back to life, slinging him forward into a full sprint again. He was still so far, though. Despite his efforts he wouldn't make it. He knew he wouldn't make it. He just wasn't fast enough to.
Over 60 yards away, henged Mizuki changed his stance, and the blond knew had little time to come up with plan…
'Damnit, damnit, damnit,... come on!' His mind went into overdrive. What would he do? It brought his attention to the fact that he really had only two choices.
Try and save Iruka's arm, or don't.
In other words; draw Mizuki's attention, or don't.
Naruto grit his teeth, coming closer and closer to the edge of the clearing.
Logically thinking, was the arm actually worth saving? Despite his morals screaming out to him 'yes', the other 70% just honestly could not see that course of action ending well. At all.
Simply put; if he did that–there was little doubt in his mind that they would die.
Not to mention, the chance that the arm could be saved wasn't particularly high at all. He would actually say that it was really really low–that was, if his limited medical knowledge of that was anything to go by.
The wound looked extremely deep, anyone could tell that much. The only way he could see the arm being able to function again was if it were the Godaime herself healing it; as despite his lack of respect for the woman–not that he really respected anyone anyway–he would admit that she was one of the, or far more likely the, best medic that Konohagakure no Sato had.
But that obviously wouldn't be the case. She wasn't even in the village, probably a few day's travel away, and it wasn't like there was anything that could suspend wounds in time or something of the like… Or at least, nothing he knew of. If there were though, he would know about it. If it existed, it would be a standard practice in hospitals for life threatening injuries… So no.
If he could save it, though… If he could… There was just that small chance–
[No.]
Like hell he would.
It wasn't a sound decision. Being all optimistic and wanting to think that if he tried hard enough, he would succeed… Thinking that way would kill him. Too much optimism; bad.
This would be the only chance he would have. If he had to full out fight against the man, he would lose; and although he may not be killed–he would actually prefer that to the alternative…
Done and over. No second chance.
The fact was; he and Iruka weren't friends. Hell, they hardly knew each other. That didn't mean Iruka deserved to have his arm lopped off… but it would be a miracle if anyone could functionally actually reattach the man's arm; so why would he even risk trying to save it?
It wasn't out of malice, however bluntly stated–he wouldn't.
He refused to let their chance of survival go down the drain, for something that was obviously such a lost cause. Iruka's shinobi career be damned. He wouldn't let the sacrifice go in vain, though.
Naruto continued on as silent as possible, and immediately went about formulating a real plan.
It was obvious what he had to do. He had to kill Mizuki, or else there was the possibility that the silver haired man could detonate the explosive tags, with the chance that he would just outright kill the two manually not far behind it… That only left him the one option, unless he planned to try and face him in a fight; something already decided–
[Ineffective.]
He had almost lost the fight against the clone.The real one looked to be none the worse for wear either–unlike himself–and the man was an actual person, that could take multiple hits.
So he would have to land a disabling–if not lethal–blow on him as soon as he possibly could, or else it would be seriously problematic for him. For an assassination, the first blow was paramount. Common logic.
He had only technique–if it could even be called such he–that he might be able to consider semi-lethal; the same lightning thing he had used to escape the ropes. There was one problem with that though, and that was that he would have to increase the power a ton if he planned on it actually using it for burning/piercing into a human body at a fast enough rate that Mizuki couldn't just throw him off…
If he was correct, were he to do that, it would make a lot more noise. Mizuki would hear him as soon as he tried to perform it, and again–
[Dead end.]
So– Naruto grimaced…
If ever he wished to hear someone just scream their vocal chords out, it would be then.
He absolutely needed that distraction, that cover.
However it would not be overlooked that Mizuki was a shinobi. Not a very good one, and not the sharpest tool in the shed–as from his methods, it seemed; there would have been a few, much more effective ways of going about this goal of his. But he was a shinobi nonetheless. The traitor had to have made it to chunin somehow, as practical skill–especially paying attention–was certainly a requirement.
He would have to get to Mizuki before the man would even know what's happening.
It only took an instant of visualizing, before Naruto reached down and swiped one of the several thick sticks from the forest ground that he had previously been avoiding. With his next step, he turned and started to arc around the clearing so that he was more to Mizuki's back, before he broke the treeline.
Just as the sword began it's swift journey down yet again…
Still in forward motion, Naruto's legs tensed before he suddenly spun in a full circle, salvaging and then using as much of his strength as he could spare before launching the stick full force toward Mizuki. Following directly afterwards, he started building a charge in his left hand, starting with a low, waning noise, and gaining volume with each step he took towards his target.
The sword met flesh as soon as the stick was released. No delay this time. Iruka's receptors were already prepared for it. Unfortunately for the man, that didn't lessen the excruciating pain by even the slightest bit.
"AAAAGHHHHHH!"
Another torturous wail pierced through trees, although much shorter this time. Naruto couldn't help but flinch internally at the sound, guilty as he was borderline thankful, as his left hand started to spark rapidly with the lightning and forming a quickly growing crackling noise; almost screeching and just barely concealed by the scream.
Naruto despite how much he tried to block out the sound, he couldn't quite do the same with the sight.
This time as expected, the sword totally—and with such ease, it was almost like watching a trained butcher—cleaved through the last of the bone in its path. Or maybe the alternative; the possibility that it simply fractured and the sword just pulled pieces out. Naruto didn't want to know, attempting as much as he could to numb his mind of the image.
Thankfully the agonizing sting racing up his left arm helped keep his thoughts off of it. He could already feel the scars being formed, racing up to his own shoulder and the electricity grazing his side. It danced along his ribs, through his body, shocking his organs… but Naruto refused to fall.
The sword stopped moving and Iruka's left arm was rended entirely split off from his body–just above the rib cage–instantly gushing blood at the stump of what used to be there. The young man's eyes began to roll back in his head, going delirious from the pain, and the scream died out as Iruka lost consciousness. In that same moment in time, the branch reached its target. Mizuki's, who had just finished his swing, barely got a chance to turn his head to the now loud and violent crackling screech, and brightening electricity coming from behind him.
"What-!?"~Shhk-Thud!
"FUCK…!" Mizuki suddenly lost sight in his eye as something hard, rigid, and sharp impacted his face. Smoke exploded outward around him, engulfing his form. The physical brown fur hat was knocked off his head, while the sheer surprise forced the sword from the now henge-less Mizuki's hand, making him drop it into the pooling blood as the man tumbled by Iruka and Konohamaru; the non-unconscious of which's attention being immediately turned to the figure quickly closing the distance towards Mizuki.
Naruto put all of his might into speeding up his forward momentum, to the point where his feet ached and felt jarred, as if he had just spent the last hour stomping on solid rock. The crackling coming from his hand now near ear deafening, and only got even louder while the electricitygoteven brighter.
He couldn't hear his own thoughts–if there were any–but he could feel the chakra being poured from his system, draining like air from a balloon with a pin hole. At this point he wasn't even trying to control it at all.
The boy was already at 30 yards, getting closer with each quick passing moment and step.
20 yards. Mizuki impacted the ground, clutching his eye. Naruto noticed the blood leaking from underneath the man's hand. He really couldn't have asked for a better hit.
10 yards. Mizuki began to roll over back to his feet. Naruto could feel his chakra start to lose out on its intensity. It no longer flowed from his system normally. He didn't have much left…
Mizuki was now standing up, staring furiously at him. "-YOU-?!" He began to position his arms in an attempt to deflect the technique.
But by the time the words escaped the man's mouth, Naruto had was already right in front of him, his violet-blue eyes glaring forward at the silver haired rouge.
"Too…–late!"
The blond had already realized there was no way he would be be able to get a lethal stab to the throat or chest, so thinking quickly he feinted, instead intentionally mistiming his final step and dropping his arm in an effort to throw off Mizuki.
It worked–and it worked well.
The man's sloppy–although still very much strong–attempt at a deflection completely missed, as Naruto had planned. It gave the blond the perfect opportunity to catch himself, as he did, before he continued to thrust his violently shaking, electrically charged technique upwards.
Directly into the gut of Namika Mizuki.
"Like I told… the clone. Fuck… you!"
A/N
I admit; yes, this chapter–if you were to look at the grand 'picture'–was quite literally Naruto crossing from where he had fought the clone, to where he was right in front of Mizuki, jabbing a bastardized chidori into his midsection… (Can't forget Iruka though… Poor guy had his arm sliced off.)
I'm not going to lie when I say, what you just read has been basically done for about–what I'd like to say–the better part of 2 weeks now. I should have posted it earlier, however I really didn't want this part of the arc to drag on for another chapter; my plan being to just put out a 10,000 word chapter finishing this part, and then moving on to the second part… (Or third part? I don't even know.)
That is what would have happened given I could actually produce writable ideas, could more easily include good detail, and had the mental strength to keep writing continuously when I'm in good spirits, as opposed to just going and watching Youtube.
Now, I do have most of what would now be considered 'chapter 14', done. Around 70%...
But I don't like it… I really don't like it. The writing just feels dull, and forced, and it just isn't something I would like to put out. While yes, if I were to finish it how it is, it would carry the story fine… Yet I don't want it to just 'carry the story'... I want it to flow. It feels so rigid though.
I actually rewrote, and edited everything about this chapter so much, it's to the point where almost every time I would load it up, I would just edit it. And edit it. And edit it.
Then I would get an idea, and want to redo it all. The majority of the time, I would. This chapter is almost what I'd consider a compromise to myself–although to it's credit it was good enough that it was postable.
However, I'm going to stop right there. I'm entirely sure I've said this before, so you guys don't need to hear it again.
Hope you enjoyed the chapter though! Good day/night to you all!