Kushina's Diary
Chapter 35
Watermill
Kajikimaru was sitting on a log quietly eating his rice when something flew in front of his eyes and landed on the back of his neck. A cold shiver ran down his spine as he swatted at it. The surprise came when he found a small hand holding his wrist. "Hatake, is there a problem?"
"Your pardon, Umino-san, but I believe that may be an Aburame bug. Kunugi-san, do you think this could have accidentally been left behind?"
Kunugi studied the insect in Kakashi's hand. "There is a red dot on its thorax. It's a message from Shibi. We have an emergency. Squad, be ready to move out in 5. Inform the Waterfall captain."
-- --
"It appears the local patrol chunin is also dead. There are six invaders divided into two squads. Suishagoya's a manufacturing village down there. They make about 40 percent of the Waterfall weapons. If those facilities were destroyed it would be a major blow to their military."
Kushina stood up. "Doesn't make much difference to me whether they are making pillows or swords. The Rain isn't going to raid any village if I can stop it. I'll take the three down by the mill stream."
-- --
Three Rain-nins moved through the village spreading chaos. The other three approached the water-powered factory from along the river. The one closest to the water never had a chance as a water whip wrapped around his neck and jerked him into the stream where Kushina's kunai lodged in his chest.
Shibi's initial attack was not immediately so successful. Kunai clashed with kunai twice before the other chunin grappled with him. The Rain-chunin barely had time to scream before being smothered in insects. The other two assailed him immediately, but wouldn't close with him, so he had to send the destruction bugs flying out into the cold. They swarmed a second ninja, but were immediately washed away by a water jutsu. The shock of the cold wet insects returning to his body was only partially offset by the warmth of the destruction bugs who had just completed their meal.
One water jutsu versus two. She'd trained half her life this way, but her teammates and teachers hadn't repeatedly tried to spear her in the heart. Now they were separating, trying to get one positioned to come at her from behind. Let's see how they like a little two on one action. She quickly made three water clones, almost as strong as her shadow clones, and she was much more efficient in producing them. Unfortunately the one she sent forward returned to her immediately. The other two managed to stab their opponent with a water spike.
The ninja charged, but after a feint and a quick clash, broke off and dispatched the other two clones. Kushina was satisfied with the outcome. One dead, one bleeding from his shoulder, and she had proved she could go toe to toe with the third, at least as far as water jutsus went. And as she had maneuvered to do, now she was standing between them and the front door to the foundry. If she was the one planning the assault, she would send a ninja in a side door to wreak havoc on the machinery and workers while the other held her off, but with their squadmate bobbing face down against the spillway, she judged they wouldn't leave her standing alone outside or sneak in a back door like burglars.
She knew the main flaw in the plan was that to defend the door she would have to leave the water, giving them control of the river and limiting her choice of jutsus, so the next one had better be the best she had. The 54 signs were so long, so complicated, but her brother had drilled her until she could do it semi-conscious. If the enemy just spends a few more seconds bandaging that bleeding shoulder...
Her water dragon roared past the millrace and struck the hastily erected water barricade full on. The resultant explosion sent the two Rain-nin and the body flying over the dam far downriver. Before the river had even completely settled back into its banks they came leaping at her brandishing water swords and her heart jumped in her chest, knowing for the first time that she was going to survive this battle.
She had been trained by the famous swordmaster Osamu and she doubted that any two chunin anywhere hacking away like butchers had a chance against her with water swords. The third ninja immediately came to the same conclusion as her sword slashed the flak jacket, and the organs underneath, of the partner he had just bandaged. Unfortunately, she could not block all the water shuriken he sent at her from close range to cover his retreat.
In shock she studied the bloody left side of her body. The gashes across her ribs were nothing. She had purposely cut herself worse than that for an undercover mission. The hole in her shoulder hurt like the devil, but she could still move her left arm after a fashion. It was the third wound which signified her upcoming death. Her bloody wrist had a tendon cut and she couldn't move her thumb. She could no longer form handsigns, at least fast enough to stay alive against him.
Before he notices, carefully shape the left hand and make a watershield for the injured left arm, then retreat from the river to limit his jutsus, too. There is still a chance if... Another Rain-nin landed behind her and she barely diverted his kunai with her shield. It was two on one again and she had no ninjutsu to speak of. Oh, Shibi, I'm sorry. I didn't know how well you would fight in the cold, but if you managed to take out two, you did as well as I did, my friend.
She kicked in the door and dodged through it to avoid another shower of water spikes. Instead she had to duck behind her watershield as it was smashed by a five kilogram blacksmith's hammer. "Watch it Demon Spawn! I'm here to protect you."
"Sorry Leaf Lady," a large man with a thick gray beard apologized. "Thought ya wuz them. They ain't gettin' ta this machinery if'n we can help it. Hey, yer hurt."
"Do what you think best, but I suggest you leave immediately because the odds are that we are all going to die here today. Just stay out of my way."
"I'm called Masamune. I built this foundry from a single forge to what ya see. T'would shame me to have you fight this battle alone, Little Lady."
Kushina quickly studied the layout of the large factory building. As far as she could see there was a long line of forges standing in front of belt driven hammer mills. And swords and kunais! She ran and picked one up. It was made of fine steel, folded many times to the peak of strength and flexibility. It also had no handle and was too dull to cut cheese. "These are blanks. Don't you have any completed weapons?"
"Sorry, Little Lady. We sends our production across town to the sword smiths and the star manufacturers. Don't grind'm here ourselves."
The door burst open and two smiths died before they had a chance to raise their hammers. Kushina grabbed a sword blank by the tang, jammed it into a quenching tank and ran chakra through it. When she pulled it out it had a water edge on it. So what if she was nowhere as good as her brother Shiguma, who could put a scalpel-sharp edge on a piece of pipe? It was now a weapon and anytime she had a sword in her hand there was still hope.
The fighting was brutal in among the machinery. Every time she tried to close on them to use the sword, she was driven back by water shuriken pulled out of the nearest quench tank. When they couldn't get to her they began to attack the machinery, almost bringing down the whole belt-drive system. As it began to twist and jam, she turned and propelled her chakra-enhanced sword at the main drive belt, severing it and preventing the factory from self-destructing.
She grabbed another blank as the electric lights failed, but they were on her before she could stick it in the water. The first one was good, almost an even match for her. She disarmed the other with a slash across the wrist, but did no more actual damage than if she had hit him with a broomstick. While she was occupied, he backed up into a bright beam of sunlight shining through a high window and started a water jutsu. She would have died then if a brave blacksmith had not swung an iron rod at him, and been killed instantly in retaliation.
Her sword had no handle, no edge and her opponent was good. In addition she was trying to anticipate the next water jutsu from his partner. Overwhelmed, she lost sight of her surroundings and stumbled backwards over some debris hidden in the shadows, bumping into a hammer mill and going down. He was at her before she hit the floor. She blocked one strike but the second stroke disarmed her. The third one was at her neck.
The flash of white light blinded her. For a second she was sure she had passed over into the afterlife, but if so, then by the amount of yelling and screaming going on it signified that she had entered the Christian hell. What she saw as her vision returned seemed to confirm it, as the man standing next to the dull red fire of the forge fell apart into two diagonally cut pieces while a small red demon stood behind him with a bloody white tanto. The life went out of another man as Kunugi pulled a sword out of his back.
"Kakashi, you came." She struggled to her knees and threw her arms around the blood-soaked boy.
"The mission to repel the invasion of the Waterfall Country, protect its infrastructure, and relieve Shibi Aburame's team has been completed successfully." Kakashi stood passively, but he didn't try to pull back from the hug, either.
"Shibi! Where is he?"
Kunugi knelt beside her. "He'll be fine. Dr. Yakushi is tending to him. He took out one and lead another back to us that the Waterfall squad captured. Is one of these the third?"
Head Smith Masamune came up. "Ya shoulda seen the Little Lady took on four big ninja and kilt two. Never heard the like, but she bin injured. Let's git her to the clinic 'till this Dr. Yaki o' yers gets here."
December 14 – Tsunade finally release from rehabilitation back to full duty. No good mission, most evry one home for winter. At least look foreward to holidays.
"What do the boys need for Christmas, Namida?"
"Guy has such crappy equipment. I'm getting him a new scroll pouch."
"OK. The deluxe kunai and shuriken assortment for Guy, and Aoba too. I've noticed his stars aren't good for much anymore except training. So that only leaves... well..."
"Uh-oh, Otemba. You haven't got anything for Kumade yet? Why not?"
"I don't know," she whined. "It's just I, you know, like him and all... I don't want to get him just any old equipment, but he wouldn't appreciate anything personal. He's so good at Earth jutsu, I wouldn't know what scrolls he could use. Anyway, it might be like I didn't think he was any good."
Namida puzzled, "When I want to compliment Guy or Aoba or pester them to do something, I brag on how grown-up and strong they are getting."
"That's it, perfect! Thank you Namida."
-- --
"Otemba-sama, what are you doing in the capital?" She was walking down a wide avenue toward the Daimyo's palace.
"Monk Chiriku. I thought you were at the temple. I've got a short mission delivering Christmas greetings to the palace for the Hokage. What are you up to?"
The monk stopped and said in a low voice, "Your pardon Oharashi-sama, but my greatest regret was that I was not present to fight beside your brother when he was killed. He was my best friend and I would have served him in any way possible. That is why I am applying to join the Ninja Guardians to protect the Daimyo's family."
"That is a noble occupation, but why would they accept a foreigner in such a sensitive position?"
"I would protect that which your brother loved, but since you have chosen the life of a ninja, I cannot protect you. The only service I can do for you is supply information from the refugee villages. Instead I choose to protect the woman he loved, the most beautiful woman in the world. Since we have known each other for years, I'm sure she will vouch for me. On New Years the Daimyo will announce the engagement of his son the prince to Shiguma's former fiance, the Princess Shijimi."
-- --
"Oh no, Madame Shijimi." Konohamaru was flabbergasted. "He must be kidding. She couldn't be the most beautiful woman in the world!"
Kiba put an arm around his shoulders. "Buck up kid. It's a chance we all take. You never know when the pretty girl on your arm will turn old and fat."
Thank Kami for Kiba and his big mouth, poor bastard. Naruto had been about to say something just as stupid. I wonder who to get to replaster the walls?
Next: Chapter 36
Holiday Parties