THE SAND CHRONICLES, CHAPTER 13
It marked a little more than nine o'clock at night, he was helping his children to brush their teeth and then send them to sleep. But, he heard a loud explosion in the vicinity of their house, they lived near the walls of the village, making them, in an invasion, one of the first to feel the attack.
A second explosion took him out of his trance.
"Papa, balls of fire are falling from the sky, they just destroyed the neighbor's house from the other block," said one of his twins, while looking through one of the small windows that were on the side of the street.
"Get away from the windows, it's dangerous!" Niashi exclaimed, running towards his son.
A third explosion caused his house to shake, apparently one of the fireballs had hit the house on its side.
Shouts of people asking for help began to be heard from outside.
"Dear, what's all that noise? I felt that our house was shaking..." asked his wife, who had awakened to what had happened and even with her weakness, had stood up, standing in the door of her bedroom.
"Sahira ..." her husband said, approaching her with his twins in his arms. "You will have to hide in the shelter we have in the basement. It seems that we are being attacked," he carried her on his back, and with his children following, he made them take shelter in the basement they had in their home.
"Papa, will you not stay?" Asked sadly, his other twin son who had remained silent.
"No, I must go help the other neighbors, in this part of the city only villagers and merchants dwell, don't worry, here you will be safe, I will return," answered the Taiyō, while he watched them with affection, and then close the door, disappearing from the scene.
The twins hugged their mother, they could not help but show fear on their infant faces.
"My little ones, don't fear, your father will be fine, he is very strong," Sahira said, embracing them tenderly.
But the truth was that even she was afraid that something would happen to her beloved, however she had to show determination, for her children.
/ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * /
He went out to the street and found devastation in his path, he began to help people who had been trapped in the ruins of what had been their homes. Fortunately, help arrived quickly and other ninjas began to evacuate those affected.
"Do you know who are the ones attacking us?" Niashi asked dejectedly, while using his earth element to prevent the fireballs from hitting the houses.
"The attack comes from the back of the village, we are not sure who they are ..." Replied his unknown comrade, while using his sensory to find survivors in the rubble.
Two characters appeared in the sky, near them, they were two women who were using their fans as swords. They beat without mercy. One was Temari-sama the elder sister of the Kazekage and the other woman was...
"Temari-sama... is facing Temari-sama..." Stuttered surprised the ninja who was close to Niashi.
"It can not be, this can not be happening, that suit that one of them bears... Why is she wearing our clan's combat suit? Does this have something to do with Anngelius?" Niashi thought, as he climbed one of the tallest towers in the area, to get a better view of the situation.
The user of the explosive element that launched the fireballs was located in the upper part of the southern entrance of the village. He was undoubtedly the leader of the Hakunetsu clan, or better resembled the leader of that clan, since he also wore the Taiyō's tunic.
He ran in that direction, for the moment the priority was to prevent them from attacking the village from the air with that destructive jutsu that the Hakunetsu possessed. It would not be easy to arrive and face him, but as an ex Anbu, at least he would have the opportunity to paralyze him.
On the way, he encountered a presence that was going in the same direction as him.
"Shun?! What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be protecting the hospital?" Niashi asked intrigued, running to her side.
"Niashi-san, how long..." The kunoichi replied dryly, "The hospital has efficient ninjas that protect it, for now, I thought that the best thing would be to neutralize the wretch who is destroying the village."
"I thought the same, I still don't understand the reason why they don't do anything to stop it..." Said the blonde.
"Have you noticed that the attackers, apart from appearing clones of the clan leaders, they are wearing the representative tunic of our clan?" The brunette asked with an air of annoyance, brushing aside the words of her companion.
"Ah, I've noticed... I have a feeling that Ann is involved in all this."
Shun stopped short, seeking the presence of her medical leader.
"She is not in the village, I can't feel her presence," expressed with relief the kunoichi, "No, she would never provoke this kind of situations..."
Niashi, who had also stopped, did not have the same calm in his eyes.
"I see, well, the best thing is to continue, we must stop that fire spits."
The two resumed their march.
Kankurō struggled with his rival, seeing himself without makeup while fighting, gave him an unpleasant sensation.
"What don't you plan on taking out your puppets?" Asked his clone.
"Hum, that's what you want, right? I'm not such an idiot as to take out the objects that can be used against me," replied the chestnut, as he gave a direct kick to the ribs of his clone, who recoiled because of it.
"Damn you..." The latter blasphemed.
Shikamaru, who had focused on helping the wounded he encountered, barely broke free from helping, and started thinking about a strategy. The biggest opponent they had to stop was the clone of the clan leader Hakunetsu, whose original had been neutralized by his own copy and was unconscious next to it, in the highest part of the entrance, surrounded by a wall of fire, to avoid being attacked.
Two presences appeared meters away from him.
"The direct attacks with him are dangerous, but I just found his weak point, Shun, I need you to distract him, in order to make my stamp technique," said the Taiyō with confidence.
"Hmm, leave it to me," the brunette replied.
The Nara was surprised at such a discovery with eyes, it seemed that those of the Sand also had good strategists.
He approached them.
"It's a good plan, I've noticed that you also have the perspective that defeating them is a waste of time, which we do not have much of. I don't know what kind of seal you use, but I will help you, serving as a support in distraction."
The Taiyō looked at him with distrust, Shun pulled out a kunai from her dress with the clear intention of attacking if he took one more step.
"What is foreign ninja doing in this place? Surely, you have something to do with those who are attacking our villa. Identify yourself, if you don't want to be subdued by that serene face that radiates laziness."
"Uh... Wait, I'm an ally, I'm here at the request of the Kazekage and his family," said Shikamaru, seeing that they were pointing at him with a grimace. "Calm down, lady..."
Shun remained in the same position, she was one of those who did not trust foreigners.
"Lower your arm, Shun, I don't like to deal with ninjas from other villages either, but what the foreigner says is true," Niashi said, as he put his hand on his partner's arm so that she would lower her guard. "I have seen him interacting with Gaara-sama and his siblings, I think you are the representative that Konoha sent to discuss the scenarios of the next chunin exams, right?"
"Oh, that's right, now that I remember, I've seen you too at the Academy in this village, I suppose you're an instructor."
"I am Taiyō Nagashi, headmaster of the Academy and sensei of the third year. I do not want to be rude, but we do not have time for extensive presentations, we must stop Hakunetsu-sama, that is our priority."
"I understand, then tell me how I can be of help."
After a short explanation, the three went to their target. The clone was a huge but thin man, with long brown hair that reached the ground, he created fireballs with parts of the wall, to which he added a kind of incandescent lava that expelled from his own mouth.
Shun and Shikamaru took care of distracting him, causing him to attack them with the fire that had accumulated around him. It was after several minutes, when it seemed that the clone had won, that Niashi took advantage of his carelessness, appearing on his back. Thanks to his handling of the doton no jutsu (ground element jutsu) and sticking a sword into his back, with a scroll of sealing, he was able to immobilizing him completely while imprisoning him in the fabrics of the seal.
With that, the rain of fireballs ceased. Niashi finished completing the seal and then left to help the other clan leaders who were around, and who had an intense fight against their own clones.
"You can copy all my attacks and use the same elements as me, but there is something that only I possess and you lack," the leader Taiga exclaimed with might, as he rushed directly towards his clone, which had taken the same attack position, the two confronted as they wielded their blades of cutting wind. They were giving their backs for a few seconds, until one of them fell to the ground, the blood began to come out abundantly from his abdomen, no doubt it had been a mortal wound.
"How... how... is it possible?" Barely articulated, the defeated clone, with open eyes of amazement, and the little air that was left in his throat.
"I already told you, a copy can never face the original and win," Neri Taiga answered, approaching him, and undoing the wind technique he had in his arm.
Niashi arrived seconds later to that scenario.
"I'm happy to know Taiga-sama that you could obtain the victory, please, I ask for your permission to seal the individual," expressed the Taiyō.
"Hu hu... The shadow can never overcome the real figure of which it is a copy," the Taiga proudly expressed. "Ah, the best thing is to seal it, not because I'm afraid it will run away, in its state it will not move an inch," he laughed, "It would be more convenient that it does not die, I got a little over excited about it, because it's been years since I've faced a worthy opponent and I almost ended up gutting him..." Said with a bit of pity the leader, while taking a hand to the back of his neck.
"Don't worry, the seal will prolong his life long enough, until we can take advantage of his capture," Niashi replied, as he applied the seal to the badly wounded clone.
"Niashi... Why do these clones wear the clothes of your clan?" Taiga said directly, this time with a very serious voice. "I know that you no longer belong and serve them, but…"
"My fidelity and service belong to the military force of Sunakagure, I could give my life blindly in sacrifice if the Kazekage asked me to do so; I have no idea if this is a rebellion of the Taiyō clan, however, you should know that I am not involved with their plans," Niashi said seriously, finishing applying the seal and getting up to look with determination in the eyes of the Taiga leader.
"Ah, I did not want to offend you, I see sincerity in your words, I apologize," Taiga said, removing the worry from his face.
Anngelius carefully lowered her unconscious brother, who she was carrying and laid him on the ground.
The place was the end of that small and thin peninsula that went into the ocean.
"You a little longer than planned. Did the Kazekage find you?" Asked quietly, Eros, as he continued to write on a huge metal platform, which was covered in gold and in which he had carved several hieroglyphs and Alchemy symbols.
Ann did not answer, but raised her hands to the night sky, which was flooded by the light of the full moon. It seemed that she was trying to measure the stars.
"We still have plenty of time, right?" Asked Agape, who was also helping to write on that strange board.
"The moon will reach the set point in about two hours and twenty minutes," the Taiyō said dryly. "That will be the moment in which we will have our last chance..."
A strong breeze from the ocean made her hair begin to dance wildly in the wind.
"In the end, the clones helped us, it's a shame they can not come with us, I liked them," muttered almost to himself, Eros, as he got up to take a short break from so much crouching on the ground.
"Hmmmm... Poor them, and to think they are sacrificing themselves for us..." Added Agape, as she stopped writing and stared at the full moon with an air of resignation.
Anngelius remained silent, although a glimpse of sadness took hold of her almost inexpressive lips.
He caught him from one of his legs and began to spin him around as if he were a rag doll, and then threw him into the sky. He continued attacking him in the air.
Gaara put together his arms and legs to create a defense, the clone's blows were quite aggressive, he could notice that he pointed to the union of joints and vital organs. Undoubtedly, his plan was to get him out of combat in the shortest possible time.
They fell back on the ground, the clone began to attack him with a sequence of fists, all pointing to his face.
He ended up tackling his opponent's fists with his hands, forcing them to wrestle each other. They had their eyes face to face.
"Why do you fight fervently against me? What are you not able to realize that they are only using you?" Gaara said with the seriousness that characterized him.
"You are wrong, Ann-sama is not using us, we are helping her of our own free will," said Gaatwo, the clone. His face reflected a great determination. Taking advantage of that his stature was a little greater to the one of the Kazekage, he dared to hit him with his head, causing him to recoil by the pain that he caused him on his forehead.
"What?! Are you saying that you don't mind losing your life to help her, even if you don't receive anything in return?" Gaara exclaimed, while on one on his cheeks a few drops of blood began to run, from the recent wound on his forehead.
"Ah, that's right. Anngelius-sama is for us the clones, as important, as for you is this village you call home," said Gaatwo who also began to bleed the crimson tears from his also wounded forehead.
Gaara could not understand where that genuine fidelity came from. What did all this mean? His clone possessed a personality so different from his own, in the few moments they lived battling, he could distinguish in his copy's face, more expressions than he himself could see on his own face in front of the mirror, every morning when he woke up.
A fulminating blizzard interrupted their meeting. Four presences were added to the scene.
And it was because after neutralizing and sealing all the clones of the leaders who had invaded the village, there was left only the copies of Temari and Kankurō, who, seeing themselves at a disadvantage, withdrew to the desert, where they continued in their battle with the originals. Until they reached where the third clone and the Kazekage were.
"Gaara Are you okay?" Demanded Temari demandingly, as she lined up to the right of her red-haired brother.
"Ah, I feel good..." Said Gaara, a little worried when he saw her, she was the one who looked bad, her clothes were a bit torn and one of her cheeks was apparently swollen by a session of blows.
"Heavens, worry first for yourself Temari, look how you are, you seem as if you'll faint with exhaustion," Kankurō said in a tone of disbelief, adding to his siblings.
"Shut up Kankurō!" Exclaimed the blonde as she extended her fan, in sign of attack.
There meters of them, the clones also had their reunion.
"I see, so the other twelve were captured," Gaatwo said with tranquility.
He could not help but notice how badly wounded his companions were, especially the girl, who bore the name of "Tematwo."
"Who hurt you so much? Was it that blonde woman-shaped thing we have in front? It looks like a kind of rough beast..." Added Gaara's clone, with a funny face of skepticism, while pointing childishly towards the original blonde.
Temari reacted in a bad way before the words that the clone of his younger brother had said.
"Spoiled brat, who do you dare to call "rough beast?" I'm going to give you a beating, that will probably take you to the world of the dead, it's a shame that Gaara has a rude and rotten being as a clone," said so annoyed the biggest of the Sand, to the extent that the tiredness that showed disappeared and was replaced with aggressive energy.
The three clones began to laugh, at the reaction of Temari. Without a doubt their personalities differed much from the original brothers.
"Whoo yee deeear cal ae roof bistii?," Said teasingly Kankurō's clone, while holding his hands to his head and pretending to have two pigtails, in order to copy the original Temari.
They broke up laughing again after that, even the original Kankurō had to hold his laughter, for the imitation of his copy.
"You, enough with the stupidity," Gaara said calmly, addressing the clones. "You will never be able to beat us, especially now that the three of us are together as a team, I will say it once, surrender or prepare for your destruction."
The clones were silent at his words, the seriousness returned to their faces, they exchanged knowing looks, no doubt they had already chosen.
"Come for us, but we assure you that we will not go alone to the arms of death, you will come with us," declared Gaatwo, as he began to use the sand around him. His clone siblings were also on guard.
Gaara did not want to reach this point, but he had to hurry, he would not let the Taiyō escape and if he had to defeat anyone who hindered him, he would not hesitate to do so. Neither he nor his siblings.
He closed his eyes for a moment, to regain firmness, and concentrate on fulfilling his mission.
"Kankurō, Temari, we don't have time to lose, we must end this quickly," said Gaara, "We will use our combined attack, hopefully, they don't perish."
"Ah, it would be appropriate, it's better if they don't die," Kankurō added.
"I'll rather they disappear," said Temari.
Then, the two sides began to face each other.
The clones were separated, compared to the original, who remained together, supporting their backs between them, as a strategy of protection, there was no blind spot in that simple but efficient defense.
Gaados was the first to attack them, but he did not fix his gaze on his original self, he went to Kankurō, who was supported by his siblings, to prevent him from even touching him.
But they did not realize that while they protected Kankurō, the copy of the chestnut took the opportunity to remove one of the scrolls that it carried on his back. Gaara's sand tried to prevent the object from being stolen, but as soon as he struggled against the invisible threads of the clone, the scroll opened, invoking the most precious puppet of Kankurō, Sasori, or now known and renamed "scorpion".
"Kantwo" as the clone of the puppeteer had been named, nimbly took the puppet under his possession.
"Damn, how could you be so careless, Kankurō?" Demanded Temari annoyed, seeing that now the clones had reduced the disadvantage they had.
"Calm down, they could have taken away my most powerful puppet, but if they don't know how to use it, it will be of no use to them," said Kankurō serenely.
Gaara remained silent, it was no use complaining about something that was already done.
The clones began to attack with their respective elements, but the sand siblings remained together, their backs turned in the formation they had decided from the beginning, however rotating if necessary. They remained in the same axes.
Gaatwo, Tematwo and Kantwo began to approach their rivals, it seemed that they had managed to have the advantage and very close victory.
The siblings on the other hand were somewhat exhausted, being alone defending themselves had put them in a degree of extreme demand that made them spend a large part of their chakras.
"Now is the time!" Ordered Gaara diligently.
Temari and Kankurō broke positions and leapt into the air, leaving their younger brother alone, about to be attacked by the three clones continuously.
He received the three synchronized attacks of the clones, then fell to the ground, dissolving and becoming one with the sand.
"A clone of sand... Then... The original is not here..." The redheaded clone said puzzled.
It was then that the floor at his feet began to move, trapping the three clones and gathering them, dragging them towards the middle.
Gaara reappeared from within the sand, while his siblings fell from the sky. The roles had been reversed, now the clones were cornered.
"Gaatwo, do something, the sand is your element," Tematwo said nervously while trying to get away from the ground that kept them captive.
"That's what I'm trying, but the ground doesn't react," Gaatwo said, "Unless this is..."
"That's right, it isn't the sand that has caught you," Gaara interrupted, "there is another element that I can now master, the golden dust."
While Gaara distracted his clone, Kankurō began to struggle with his own, in order to recover his "Scorpion" puppet.
Sasori began to move wrongly, on the one hand the threads ordered him to attack, while on the other threads told him to be on defense mode.
Tematwo tried to help her partner using her fan, but someone else went ahead.
"Too slow!" Temari shouted, waving her fan. "Ninja art, wind jutsu: Blizzard!" She finished.
The waves of sharp air, were directed towards the captured ones, causing that clone to lost its fan and that Sasori remained lying on the ground, because they cut all the threads that manipulated it.
"Well done Temari!" Shouted Kankurō, who with rapidity only of a veteran puppeteer, took possession again of Sasori.
Both older siblings left, so that Gaara would finish off the captives.
"It doesn't matter what you do with us, we will reappear again and again, as many times that we are necessary," Gaatwo articulated with determination.
Gaara watched them, none of them showed fear on their faces, but rather acceptance for what had just happened.
"Gaara!" His older siblings shouted in chorus, giving the signal to continue.
The Kazekage began to enclose the clones in a huge and hollow sphere, of sand; Temari and Kankurō climbed in the floating sand clouds that he created this time, so that they would surround the sphere and have the openings of it available, using their fan and Sasori's fire element, they began to fill the sphere, turning it into a heated furnace.
I really hope they survive this, thought the redhead.
"Coffin of burning sand!" He raised his hand in the direction of the sphere and closed it tightly.
The sphere was extremely compressed with its content, and then explode due to pressure. It didn't leave traces of the clones, but it did however leave considerable gap in its place.
"Let's go, our next target awaits us," the Kazekage ordered, being the first to move, he seemed calm on the outside, plus a strange sensation made him feel a slight twinge on his chest.
Daena entered the domain of her clan, everyone was surprised by her presence. Many remained paralyzed watching her.
"Why do you all look at me?" She growled. "The village is being attacked, and you are quartered by the fear of those miserable bombs. We are Taiyōs! We should be showing off, confronting the invaders. What, don't you have pride?!" She finished.
All those present, bowed their heads, they were powerful, but they were nothing if there was no imposing leader to lead them.
"Daena-sama, those who are attacking the village, are beings with a similar appearance to the leaders of the other clans, and they wear our clothes, as if they were theirs," said one of the sub-leaders.
"It's all my daughter's fault, she was the one who created those monsters," said the Taiyō, taking advantage of the situation and ignorance of her peers, "The best we can do now is to stop her, to clear the name of our clan."
All the Taiyōs looked at each other in amazement at the statements from the one they still considered their leader.
"She's right..."
"Anngelius-sama has betrayed us..."
"We must do something about it..."
"She must receive a punishment..."
The murmurs began to flood the place.
"That's right, that's why I need you to support me," Daena explained diligently, "We'll go out right now, and bring the traitor back, and punish her accordingly. Bring the singers! I believe I know where she is but as it is night, we will need the protection of the gods. The followers of Anubis will also come with us!" She ordered.
Everyone began to mobilize, blindly trusting Daena's words.
Anngelius, whatever you're up to, I will not let you escape, I'd rather you go to the world of the dead, even if you don't deserve to be reunited with your father...
She began to walk calmly, in the direction of her mansion, she had to put on her battle suit in case she needed to use it.
At last they had finished writing the ritual.
"Oh, I am so tired, I couldn't wait to finish," Agape said as she laid on the sandy floor. "Aren't you tired?"
She had no answer. She got up to find out why her companions were so quiet. What she observed, made her pale with fright.
Both Ann and Eros, looked seriously at the three presences that had appeared a couple of meters in front.
"So unfortunately we had to see each other again," Ann said, releasing a sigh of resignation.
"I don't know what that board with symbols is for, but I will not let you use it, you and your clones will come with us, even if it's by force," the redhead decreed as he made the sand move towards them.
"Let me help you, I can be the distraction while you are located somewhere else," Eros said, as he put himself in front of his mistress with the intention of protecting her.
The Sand Siblings were about to attack them.
"No, you have another duty with Agape." Ann grabbed his arm and threw him in the direction of the alchemy board in which the other two were remaining. I'll take care of them three, until the time comes.
She pointed her hand towards the board, enclosing its contents in a spherical barrier, which began to levitate, and then take a great height.
Eros tried to scream and escape from the sphere that imprisoned him but couldn't, his position would be that of an observer.
Ann took off the medical Chief suit she always wore, letting her battle suit be seen, although it was not feminine, it made it easier for her to move, and when she did that, she left exposed the seal bracelets she had in her arms .
A wind jutsu was the first thing that reached her, forcing her back, making her stand on the surface of the water.
"How impatient," she murmured.
Although the moon illuminated the whole place, the wind brought by the waves of the ocean, gave a cold touch to the environment.
The three siblings were no longer for detours, they launched their attacks at the same time.
Ann smiled as she rarely knew how to do, she did not know if it was the anxiety that the moment caused her or the secret she would reveal to those unbelievers who had dared to attack her.
Soon she would leave that world forever, it didn't matter if she kept that secret that her clan had fervently hidden for hundreds of years.
Nothing mattered now, only his freedom.
END OF THE CHAPTER.