Chapter 19: Teached by the Crawlers. Part II

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(Narration mode. Narrator: Naruko Uzumaki)

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(Kyushu Island, Japan. October 24, 2015. 12.32 hrs)

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"Antares 1 and 3, altitude restrictions canceled. Begin your interception now."

Dear diary. That was what tower said to start our day. And boy, that was quite a day! Everything started when we took off then headed to the north and east, heading for the direction of Sasebo and Nagasaki.

"Copy. I want a report on the Koreans. What are they flying?" Angelo-kun said.

"We can't see very much. They're managing to block our search radar." They answered us. For my surprise, it was niichan…! He's sure enjoying his promotion to Lieutenant by now. I wonder when will be mine…

"Ok. Just tell me what you can see. Leave the rest for me." Angelo-kun said…. The way he said was giving me goosebumps. So serious, so imposing…

"We can see three large planes, looks like heavy bombers. Coming from Nagasaki, BM-335s. One of them is the origin of the ECM." Naruto-niichan said.

"What are they?" I asked. I heard dad talking about them, but I dunno what was it.

"Strategic bombers from 1955, capable of nuclear bombing. Few of them survive today. The Akatsuki and the Koreans may have a few. Isn't, sensei?" Angelo-kun said.

"Correct. Only one of them is required to cause massive destruction over this island. Destroy them immediately." That was dad talking… This… this is getting more confuse to me.

"However, we can see small dots on the radar. Looks like escort fighters." My brother said.

"MiG 19s and 23s. The former are very old and outclassed aircraft . Aren't a concern, but the bombers are." Daddy said.

"If that's true, let the escorts go and go for the bombers. Forget about the fighters."

"Negative. The MiG 19 has a formidable maneuverability in close range and has a heavy cannon armament, so they have the advantage in close range. Number 3, you engage the enemy bombers as quickly you're able to. I'll engage the escort planes. Ok?" Angelo-kun said to me.

"O-ok." I said. I dunno if I was excited or just nervous. I didn't had time to say nothing else before he broke up and left away.

I stay the way I was for some time, while I followed my brother's instructions to the bombers. Three old planes with four jet engines. One of them jamming the radar, one of some redomes and the last was "normal" according to dad. While Angelo-kun was distracting the escorts, I came from above and dived on the first one I saw. I fired a salvo of missiles before diving and climbing again for another run. The plane I took down had the bomb bay doors open and dropped some. (giggle) We're lucky, was just normal ones who didn't make a big scratch.

I took another run on them, aiming the 'jammer' one, so I changed to my Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles. Again I dove and fired quickly at them, before climbing just as the 'jammer' got down. Once it was clear, I aimed at the last one. By the looks, it looked like it was just taking pictures of the island. I fired two missiles on its tail before it caught fire and shuddered away.

Well, by then looked easy. That's until I saw something just ahead of me. Was one of the escort planes that oniichan and dad said, and my displayed showed "MiG 19" on it. It was going head on to me, before it suddenly turned away and run from me to the east. I then gave chase to it and then it run to a series of thick clouds, as that guy kept swinging from left and right. I didn't moved to much just followed it to the clouds. But then… I … I just lost it. It run away from me that I couldn't see it anymore. I guessed it was over then…

But then I was wrong…! Suddenly, I've got targeted by everything…! Missiles, bullets, everything and all! I tried to turn away but they were all above me and I couldn't escape! There was bullets everywhere! I rolled, turned, dived, ducked but I just couldn't get out!

… Then suddenly…

-"Wait…! There's another aircraft coming! Its coming fast!"- the enemy said. I took finally a deep breath when I saw what was. My angel has come back… He came so fast I could barely see it. Then later I just saw a enemy plane climb quickly as Angelo-kun pursued him to the sky. He bared had time to roll before Angelo-kun pounded it with bullets throughout the craft.

"I'm hit…! I've lost the control…! I'm bailing out!" The enemy pilot said. Bail out he did but… he never managed to do much later… I… I watched Angelo-kun… shoot at him! I-I couldn't see it…! The enemy pilot disintegrated in a cloud of blood and small parts…! N-Nani…?! W-Why he got so angry?! W-was our argument?! Was that moment?!

"Look! Is the Red Scorpion!" one of the enemy pilots said. Kami… (God…) they looked surprised as me, and pretty more scared… He ran after them and stayed behind a pilot really tried to shake him off his tail. "He's right behind me! OH NO!" he yelled. Both him and Angelo-kun climbed vertically and parallel to each other, before both making a roll and leveling in.

"I'm gonna hit him…!" This was what the other pilot said, before firing on Angelo-kun. And… looks like he was quite scared, since he shot everything. Bullets, missiles, all he had left. However, looks like it wasn't enough. Angelo-kun just… he pulled the nose up, but didn't climbed, neither fell. Just… kept moving forward, but slowing down a lot, until he lowered the nose and aimed at the guy who shoot him, had moved to right behind him. He was too close for missiles, and then poured the craft with his cannon. The canopy just was torn to pieces, together with the engines and the right wing…. What was left of it fell hopelessly to the island…

The remaining pilot used every thrust he had to run, and everything he knew to keep alive. Angelo-kun chased him through rolls and turns before the enemy pilot climbed and made the maneuver Angelo-kun done to take down the second fighter. I just saw the enemy plane climb upside down before it stopped and dived straight… I guess he was so surprised as me when the Eagle appeared suddenly on his front and started firing its cannon. The MiG was left a swiss cheese in seconds falling in, full of roles.

It was everything so quickly, less than one minute. But that… gave me so mixed feelings. On the good ones, the way he fired, fought and moved made me get so…. Wow, excited. I… dunno how to say it other way but boy that turned me on so much. I think it was my little devil's side who enjoyed that, I guess. But, of course, it was just a part of me who…. I don't know, felt good…

There was this part of me who got scared… surprised… shocked… It was so quick, so violent. He… was a person like us, why was the need to such thing? He…they…. They deserved to have at least a peaceful passing… not like this…

"What a spook… you okay, sister? You just scared us…" Oniichan said. I barely could make up my mind back then, so I think I not even answered. My deep breathing was enough, it seems…

"Next time you stay close to me, got that?!" Angelo-kun said. I could feel he was really angry. I just couldn't know what was going on there already… after I was ambushed, everything went so confused…

"O-Okay…" I said. I guess it was because I was nervous and confused that my voice sounded… innocent, like a little girl. I guess it worked for me, because they got silent for a short time… but looked like an eternity. Until….

"Hey… there's something else coming… That's strange, is a ID signal different from Korea." Oniichan said, and from his voice, he really couldn't understand it that. Looked like something new, for me and him. And then, from all sudden, dad came on the radio and said…

"It's Belkan…! What he's doing here…?" Dad said through the radio, in a state of confusion I didn't understood. It was both strange and familiar to him. I could see he harbored feelings for it. So did my husband. I could see his deep breathing once he heard this new guy was … Belkan? Its nothing exactly known to me. Mom, Dad, Ero-sennin and Tsunade-baachan, always forbade me and my brother to know anything about Belka. I just wish I could know what makes them so worried.

"Stay. Close…!" Angelo-kun said to me. His voice… it was…! It was grave, weird and scary! I knew it was his, but was grave and imposing as… I dunno, a TV monster or something! I used to watch it when I was younger but… that was real, it was close and was someone I love…

I just responded quickly before he hastened his plane to this new guy who came up on the radar, a MiG 29 with a jungle cameo and armed to the teeth. I barely had time to focus if I had to keep up with him, a both closed in quickly to each other. If he wanted, Angelo-kun could had the bad guy blown off the sky in a instant. But… he wanted to different. He wanted to do as a knight…

He and the enemy fighter came close after both shook their wings and passed through each other's wings, like chivalry. Two large circles were made by them, as they moved around for a second run. The next one, was a dispute of split S, both of them trying to get on each other's tails, and both heading closer and closer to the ground. The MiG tried another one, very close to the ground, and Angelo-kun pulled off a little as he thought the MiG was going to crash.

But, he didn't. He pulled the nose up and sharply, then leveled on, flying low on the canyon made by a dry river. I had Angelo-kun's back closely and followed him as he pursued the Belkan. We kept flying low alongside the canyon, making rolls and breaking as to avoid overpassing him. When we kept that for a quite a time, I realized Angelo-kun didn't wanted to take him down since we entered the canyon. He wanted to follow him, to see where it came from. Assuming from his earlier jobs, he guessed the range would make the enemy take off close to us.

Then the enemy pilot made a roll over an upcoming hill, and when we came up on him, his speed decreased enough to him parallel with Angelo-kun. Was just like a movie, that guy looked at us with thumbs up! He looked like someone with a code of chivalry, at least or he enjoyed the ride. I couldn't do something else than giggle at him, and try to get close so I could repay with a smile.

But that guy tried to run away further and further, then we founded it: some minutes ahead, we've found that airbase further northeast. Zooming in with our displays, we've found a lot of those MiGs parked and some were waiting to take off, Koreans this time. The Belkan guy flew low over their runway, trying to draw some attention.

"Look, he's asking for reinforcements. Destroy any parked aircraft or inside the hangars before they are able to take off." Angelo-kun said to me, while he kept giving chase. His voice gave me a comfort I was waiting. Sounded calm, grave, elegant like James Bond, but very serious. On the last time on the day, he showed by his voice that he's in charge over me on the sky.

The Belkan's flight ended just then. Just I aimed at my own targets, Angelo-kun finally fired at his with a short-ranged missile. That MiG's wing was torn away at the half and started burning. It didn't lasted much long and, guess by my luck it crashed some meters left of the runway: right were a line of Migs were parked.

There's still those on the runway, awaiting for take-off. I quickly took care of them, and then I moved to took care the rest of them, some of them were on the hangars, at least trying to take off. I shot them while they were still on the hangars, where the fuel and the ammo blew them away! Really, it was so exciting! Angelo-kun was taking on the ground artillery, but he finished taking them out so he could see me! I was just waiting to his reaction but…

"Good job." Was just what he said. Yeah, I was expecting more about, and I was so excited about it. Every time I make such a destruction, I get like this, just like a game. Every boy and girl gets excited when they play a game and this happens, right?

"How was it?! Did you see it?! Was so cool, and I came up and then I blew them up and!" I said, overjoyed I as already told. Everything I just wanted was to him to see how proud I was by myself. I wanted him to see how I was happy, just to make him happy too but…!"

"Sergeant. You made a good job. But there's more to come. Let's get home."

… I just couldn't say anything anymore… I just wanted to show I'm not useless… was that so selfish…? I almost never had such a disappointment with him like that…

I… I just dunno anymore…

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(Narrator: Naruto Uzumaki)

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This is one of this time I ever opened my sister's diary, and this thing saw many things that her childish mind forgives, but I cannot approve. I dunno how much longer we can hold on, or which one of us will burst out. By now, the man I today call brother-in-law is the one who most suffers. Unknown to my sister, that man, which in those 2 and half years I learned to respect, is the one who suffers most, between myself and my own parents.

I've changed very much from two years ago, when I was a street gang boy who used a gaijin to escape my responsibilities and everything my father trusted on me. I learned the Bushido through the fear of losing my family, which was everything of value I really had in my golden baby crib. Now I use it because the worst had happened to someone I love most and I have nothing to lose once again. Kind god Izanami spared my sister of the nightmares of the aftermath from events of the last year. But now… nothing can hold the many secrets we held since before I was born.

The interception that she and her husband made, which I started to nickname him "Zac Efron" was on the days between our recovery of the Hosho-class and the landing on Kyushu Island, some few days yet to come. And, from what I've seen here, she didn't saw everything. Only half of us was surprised to know the reinforcement airplane was Belkan. Since the bombers were Belkan made, wouldn't be a surprise that there could be an advisor or something. And now he's burning on the grass, for our good.

Because of what is written on this diary and because of what I saw, looks like that unfortunately she didn't understood our situation presently and, like most of us, still thinks this is a game. I must admit… even I'm starting to feel this, but I can't.

I was waiting for them to come back together with Sakura, but then we could there was nothing much that could be done. Naru jumped out of her plane and walked in to the main buildings. By being my sister, she's the just behind Hinata to be the most "innocent", to not say immature.

-"They're back yet, huh?"- André-kun said coming in and calmly.

-"Yeah, they are…"- I said with a slight disappointment.

-"You know you doesn't have a reason to be down." – answered him, don't understanding I was concerned about everyone, not just disappointed.

-"Why you say it?"- I just couldn't find a way to think I've should be good with everything happening.

-"Because, if progress keeps going, be ready to get your own command." He said joking, and I observed every of his gestures until he left, and I felt nothing but confusion. I dunno… even though I've improved, I don't see myself yet ready for anything like it. –"By the way, there's a gift waiting. Saying it's from an uncle of yours."-

-"An… uncle?"- I asked low but able to listen.

-"Hai. Take a look even everyone's shift is done."- said walking away.

Close to eight hours had passed since then, and I couldn't stop wandering. Finally was night, and I went to where the package was, waiting on the living room of the condo I spent with Hinata on my birthday. Didn't seemed too much about a personal gift, but such box would had to come from someone who would be close to me or know have my trust for such a thing.

I looked around for some moments, around two minutes, to see it was something outside that could hint what could it be, until I found that lock. It was made of a crystal skull, which on that fashion, I've seen before on my father's personal… treasures. To open, my dad pulled the skull to closer to him a little, then the mechanisms on the lock made it be upside down. Just what I've done on that moment.

I then saw with a spook what was inside: There was this white mantle, with a hood that had the format of an Eagle's beak. The other items were then: An orange bandage, one shoulder and two knee guards and a pair of greaves with a light but very resistant material. Looking deep in my mind to remember the material, they reminded me of a Kevlar armor.

The most valuable item was a strange, armored gauntlet. Not with Kevlar, but with real metal, and was on the length of my arm until my elbow. Looking below the gauntlet, there was several mechanisms that had one single purpose: make work the Hidden Blade there was underneath the gauntlet.

I put the gauntlet on my left arm to experiment and to see how it's used. Once I put it, I was surprised by its simplicity. Despite seeming to have a tough armor, it was very light and didn't bothered me too much. Then was the time of testing the blade, which I didn't had the smallest idea of doing so. And for my surprise, the blade came in without a effort. How to make it retreat was the difficult part but… when I looked around, I realized that I wasn't alone. I was with the people that would most respect and trust on those following days. I was with the real true face of my family at least on this life.

-"Welcome to the Brotherhood, Naruto…"- those were the words from my dad's mouth, while putting on me a look of proudness, at the same time Ero-sennin and "Zac Efron" made the same look at me, and the beginning of this journey.

From there, I wasn't a soldier anymore. By now… I'm a Assassin…