Quest 44: Conquest

"Retreat! Call for backup," a stone ninja's voice reaches my ears.

They'll find it to be a fruitless endeavor, with the snake sannin and the yellow flash inching in from behind.

A gust of wind and a blur of purple and brown whooshes next me.

"Mao, what do you have?" I ask as we march up the town's main street.

"Aside from some very ticked off Stone ninja, the leaf forces are holding off their backup."

"Holding off?" I was expecting an outright slaughter.

"That might have been an understatement the stone ninja are getting their asses handed to them."

"Yep that sounds about right, for now, we'll keep pushing them till they're cornered," I say.

Which far sooner than I think, up ahead at the town's edge stone's force stop completely, I suppose seeing a green snake the size of a train will do that.

Sasori jumps in next to me "Come on we have to complete their despair," his normally stoic carries a hint of glee.

The two walk to the trap Stone shinobi, they are indeed despairing, some of them however still some whose fire hasn't been quelled.

"Sasori let's be careful here," I warn him.

"The great reaper of the star getting cold feet."

"Hardly, remember a cornered animal is usually at their most dangerous, the same can be said for people."

"I'll keep that in mind," The stone ninjas turn their attention to us, Sasori steps forward "Whose is your captain, I'd like to negotiate the terms of your surrender."

He just stoked their fire even more now.

A kunoichi with long ebony hair and a bronze complexion steps out with a spiteful glare aimed at us with her deep blue eyes. She hasn't given up yet I can feel her anger hitting its peak.

"Our Surrender, who the hell decided that!" She shouts.

In corner of my eye, Two men in the crowd of Stone shinobi make hand signs. Suddenly, bedrock burst up making a humanoid shape. The woman herself is making signs of her own and spew out lava! The molten rock forms into a slime-like creature with flames making up the eyes and mouth. The blazing heat of this beast combined with heat the desert is enough to make blood literally boil.

Our guys get ready for combat but Sasori waves them off with a smile.

"Tokegeroh, care to join me?" He asks with a sinister grin, he is full of bloodlust.

I never thought I find myself fighting alongside an s-rank ninja, let alone one of the Akatsuki.

"Of course, this should fun," I reply.

I release Leviathan power I'll need it here against the kekkei genkai, the addicting sensation oozes throughout my body. I draw both sai's funneling lighting chakra into them, blue lighting shrouds the two blades making them look like short swords. A new technique I recently added to my arsenal, legs are high pressure as I jump from the ground onto of the two story sized golems. I stab both blades in the o beast and a surge of electricity climbs to the sky. Then Lightning falls the surge of white hot plasma incinerates both golems reducing them to molten rubble and ash in an instant.

I land right in front of the two perpetrators, the blood drained from their faces as if my very visage is that terrifying, they let lost the will fight as quickly as their justu was destroyed. It wasn't just them the flames of the others washed away just as quickly.

A peculiar click-clacking sound is behind me I turn and find Sasori is just finishing up himself, I turn around a see the girl, being constricted by Crow. The molten remains of her monster are nowhere to be seen maybe it was just an illusion?

"You work fast," Sasori comments.

"I could say the same," I didn't get a chance to even see him in action.

The puppet master turns his attention to the kunoichi. "I'll make this clearer do want to live or die. Keep in mind that your choice is theirs as well, it's the burden of leadership," Sasori says.

It's an ultimatum but an easy one. The woman's blue eyes looked at me to Sasori to her to comrades, I can only guess at the millions of things running through her mind right but if she's good leader she won't toss all their lives away

Dismayed the commander says "I want to live."

"Alright, Sealing teams secure them," I order.

The teams quickly get to work tagging and tying up the pow's hopefully, we have enough maiden's hair for all of them.

Now for part two attacking the border, Our forces head out toward the canyon, to rendezvous with the Leaf's forces. When we arrive I notice something is missing.

"Huh, I guess we should've seen this coming," I remark.

"Yeah those cowards, the blew up the bridge," Sasori says in usual impassive tone.

"I mean good news they're of the country right?"

"Not exactly Tokegeroh-kun." the same slithering creepy voice sneaks up on me I won't give the satisfaction of reacting.

"He's right earth style users they can make bridge easily and invade all over again," Minato says coming up to us.

All four us head over to canyon itself practically teeming with stone ninja.

"I guess just climbing up there not going to cut it," I meant that to be a joke but they all just kind of stared me like I was an idiot.

Damn, I'm just trying to bring levity to the situation.

"Even if summon Manda he'll be a pincushion before he can stretch across," Orichmaru comments.

"I can't just throw a bunch of kunai over this gaping canyon," Minato adds.

I still looking for something here, "Midori and Mao front and center!" I bark out.

The pair come forth in a hurry out in front of me, "Sir," they both reply.

"Midori have you master flight yet?"

"Yes actually, at most fly for twelve minutes,"

"Good, this could work," I mutter.

"Mao how are on chakra?"

"pretty low actually," he replies

"Have taken any food pills?" I ask.

"Not yet do you want to-"

"No not now but save it for later."

"Care to tell us what's on your mind?" Sasori asks.

"A two-pronged attack, it'll have to be at nightfall, Minato I'll need you hand over some of your special kunai to Mao here."

"Be careful the weight isn't like normal kunai," he says as hands over the marked weapons.

"I can feel it they're heavier," Mao says tossing one in the air

"Sasori do think that your puppets can cross the canyon?"

"Only a three and I'll need line of sight."

"I'll only need them to cover Midori as she flies across," I state the green haired girl turn pale at the proposition but I'm certain she can handle it. "Midori I only need for a bombing run, smoke, flash and anything else that'll blind them."

"And lastly," I can't believe I'm even considering this-

"Is me right?" Orochimaru interrupts.

"Y-yeah, I need-

"You need my summons to get across during the bombing run. It's a smart tactic but Manda is practically uncontrollable even to me."Orochimaru states.

Right totally slipped my mind that snake, in particular, hates his guts.

"Are there any others you can use?" I ask.

"None that match his length or come close for that matter." Well, there goes that plan..."However there are some snakes are excellent climbers, getting up and down the valley will be an easy job it'll just take longer," He finishes.

"I don't get it won't the snakes get blinded in the crossfire," Yusuke asks.

"Snakes mostly rely on their sense smell and taste rather than their eyes," I inform him, a photo flash memory of the hydra in the chunin exam comes to mind.

I gaze up the Mandarin color sky, the simmering heat is beginning to wind down into freezing cold. The night's not too far away now.

"We-

" Should begin descending," Orochimaru miraculously finishes my sentence.

It's disturbing to know much we are on the same page, and both of having the snake animal affinity, I shudder at the very thought.

The descent into the valley below is a bit scary (I have a bit of vertigo) but we all get down to the bottom quickly enough.

The snake sannin bites both his thumbs, making all the seals, the formula appears as he slams his palms on the ground. Four green and brown spotted serpents big as S.U.V.s appear.

"Well, what are you waiting for? get in," Orochimaru says amused at our reaction.

With a sigh I walk to the closest one "open up buddy," I demand patting its nose.

The beast opens its maw and I hop inside, The paled face fuck jumps in too dammit! why?

"Alright everyone is inside let's get climbing," Orochimaru commands and then he looks at me. "You might want to lay flat."

What the hell are you up to you shifty fuck? "I prefer standing," I reply calmly.

With that, he just shrugged the snake mouth closes complete the flesh walls of the constrict tightly around me, oh shit! I jump down flat as if a bomb was falling from the sky. This thing could have crushed my bones. Dick! He could've at least warned me about that!

My fleshy slimy prison begins shifty and contorting, my insides are doing a wave, with the motions of this accursed thing, how long will it be before we reach the top?

Finally after nearly an hour, minutes we stop.

"We're here," Orochimaru says.

After getting this far a thought suddenly occurs "Question."

"Hmm,"

"Couldn't we just ride on snakes' back instead of getting in their mouths?"

" That would lead to a problem snakes poikilothermic, they would have problems moving around once night temperatures came." The white snake clarifies.

That's right snakes are cold blooded, they draw energy from the heat around them.

"And being warm blooded creatures inside them gives them the heat to move about." I surmised.

The angry sound of clamoring can be heard above us.

"Time to go," Orochimaru chimes.

With last nauseating climb, the snake's mouth opens, and a cold chill of the night is the first thing that greets me along with rage frustration and fear.

What's ahead of us is forest not too dense it gives just enough cover.

"What the- On the cliffs we got enemies," Someone shouts out.

A large group converges on us great, I flash multiple hand seals, and a strong gust of wind sends them back, There bodies are hurled back farther than I thought, wait-

In my peripheral, I see none other than snake sannin using the same technique.

"Great minds think alike,ku ku ku." His words make my skin crawl.

The rest make over the cliffs and into the fray.

"Mao, start planting those kunai, wide spread and far apart, we want to give the yellow flash some breathing room," I command.

The swift style user pops a pill is gone in an instant.

A river of mud charges right at us, I immediately jump to the trees, other enemies are already here. I narrowly the shuriken and kunai hurled at me, a tree branch wraps around without warning and a shinobi with warts on his face appears climbing out the tree.

"And they were making such a big fuss over you!" he cackles as more shuriken are tossed my way

Tempting as it is to use Leviathan's power, I use my right hand to form the replacement technique. The shuriken hit their mark, but I wasn't the target

"How? Impossible," he coughs out, the metal projectiles hit the entirely of his chest blood leaking out of every wound.

"Maybe I'm worth the big fuss," I smirk, the laughing fool never saw it coming. I climb higher and greet the enemies in the canopy.

First, is a kunoichi coming at me roaring, she dives down at me with vicious speed obviously she's adept in taijustu, crap. I force chakra into my soles and bound back to branch farther away. I'm a leopard on the hunt, I watch as my prey narrows in, at the just the right time, striking shadow snakes leap out my sleeves and snag the girl in mid air then using her own momentum added with my own I slam her right into a tree. Her limp body falls to the ground below.

Then my ears are assaulted by the sound of buzzing? I turn the direction-oh shit!

Not the bees!Not the bees! I couldn't resist, as fast as my hands would allow I fire off short circuit the ball of sizzling light meets the swarm head on frying cloud of insects. Right as I recall there's another pain in the ass insect clan other than the Aburame. Why do people do this to themselves? To their family, the thought becoming a walking talking hive gives me more of heebie geebies Orochimaru and that says something.

I see the perp on high the little shit is sending more of them, a bigger swarm than last time. Alright, first let's break line of sight, I rush to one of the bigger tree and dart around it. Second, I make the iconic cross hand seal and produce a Shadow clone. Typically most people expect the clone run out as a distraction, while I run around and find my quarry. So let's try sending a clone to hunt while I run for my life!

I run around the tree in a mad dash the swarm catching up, hurry up asshole find him.

Sure enough, a memory hits, he catches the guy, but his target just a bee clone, my poor copy got stung to death. I'm glad the shadow clones can't take too much damage. Alright, playtime's over, I jump down to thick branch make a water wall, but wait there's more, I add a current of livewire into the mix the result creates a luminescent wall of water. I call it my moonlight mirror justu the swarm slams into it with reckless abandon killing themselves and doing no damage to me maybe I should rename this to bug zapper justu nah. unfortunately, as much as I am resisting Leviathan, I feel my self-control slipping, telling me I need to use it.

Shit, this a damn battlefield I can't afford to be indecisive right now, I let loose the icy blaze, the power overwhelms my senses. Like an old friend that comes to greet me, I can't help but smile and laugh.

"Ahhhhh hahaha a hah hah!"

The forest becomes more alive I can feel so much more, fear anger, hate yes, god I feel it a lot more than I did at on the crimson night.

Another swarm closes but with a mere burst of chakra, they fell to the floor.

A spike of fear there in the tree north west me. "I know where you're hiding hahaha,"

In a single bound leap to my prey, oh please another swarm, wait I see you've attached paper bombs to your little pals interesting. I throw up a shadow snake its fangs dig into a tree limb above. My body lurches upward as the just the swarm is swallowed by flames, using my free hand to create more seals, fire out an air bullet to negate the thundering force. I release my hold on to a branch and swing out to my enemy, after a tumble or two in the air I land right in front of him. From the wide eyed stare of sheer terror, he'd look like witnessed a dead man come back to life.

"shi- shingami," he stutters out.

"Damn right," I rush at him burying one sai in his and the other in his heart, the cheery red liquid stains my coat once again. The disgusting insects crawl from his carcass flying away not bothering to even try to sting me.

I gaze down to the forest floor flickers of yellow vanishing just as quickly as they appear. Safe to assume Minato made it,- whoa, my body is thrown from the tree and I'm weightless, a paper blowing in the wind. The forest rushes past me at stomach churning speeds, then a jerking stop that is almost enough to give me a bad case of whiplash. My back is on fire, my vision swimming and legs are noodles. It's like I was hit by a freight train. Fuck, who the hell did that? I get up while leaning on a tree for support, thankfully Leviathan's chakra heal injuries of this magnitude, a lesser ninja would be killed from that. Damn it, it burns, and I smell something burnt, shit the jacket seriously every fucking time, now there's huge ass scorching hole in the back. I toss off the useless thing leaving with just wire mesh and a singed flak jacket.

There you are you asshat, a shinobi with spiky brown hair is just a few feet across from me with two flashy red orbs in his hands.

Crap that's not good, he thrust both arms out, and I bolt as the red flash blooms going into brilliant white for a nanosecond and then a crackling explosion is unleashed. The blast sends me further away but I use it momentum and flip onto a nearby tree and run up its trunk.

I'm still fast but my aching back and legs are still too damaged for me hit my full stride.

Shit a kekkei genkai, explosion release what a pain in the ass.

I can't use anything too big here or someone going caught up in it. Most of all I need to keep my distance, his abilities make hard for me to get in close.

Another thunderous boom and he's a rocket, aiming right at me, his right arm extends outward prepping another blast. I need to move- no instead I invert my body on the branch leap straight at him. The shocked look on his face tells me he's surprised but he keeps going as his palm glows red. Time halts to crawl, I never tried this technique in full but I guess it's now or never. Water sword plus blade of wind plus lightning saw equals: collaboration justu: Calamity fang. Both sais light up to a new gray misty storm form, the chakra curving and extend out to twenty-nine inches looking more like swords than knives. The dark storm meets the red ball of fury as it expands, the raging chakra pulse violently as the clashes, I need more more more! The ball turns white, shit damn it, more! The left blade sinks in, cutting through the bloodline users technique the white sputters and scatters fleeting and fading away. How delicious the sheer terror on face seeing his technique fail, I savor the look on his face the last precious moments of reflection before death greets him.

My right blade cuts into his shoulder burning through flak jacket easily, then his mesh, then the skin, muscles, bone, organs, the fang cleaves clean through, a veritable hot knife through butter.

Time resumes its normal rhythm as I land, quickly move away as the blast user bisected corpse rains down. Who's next!?

Feeling the high of dark chakra, my sharpened senses detect them moving away, icy fire fades my body becomes heavy as stone, making me feel like shit for more than several reasons.

Vince and Erik look at me dumbstruck as do several other shinobi, silence overtakes the battlefield.

Then a shout of "Holy shit!" resounded around the canyon As if it were a signal to break the eerie quiet. then a roar of cheers followed after.

Item obtained:

400000 ryo

30x Gold shuriken

1x platinum kunai

10x dark souls added

Brian has lvled up lvl40