"My first day as a member of the 5th... it was hot, it was rocky, chaotic. Nothing at all like the Formation Training on . Of course that's pretty much the way it was for all of us, wasn't it? All those studies, all those years of training... doesn't really prepare you for all the screaming or the blood, does it? Frankly, I'm still amazed we ever made it through the first months, never mind the first year."
Excerpt from Journal of Jinrai Utsukame, Tier 4 of the CSA, undercover on the 5th combat logistic platoon of Iwagakure, Third shinobi war, Konoha theater of operation.
How?
How is it possible? my mother was there just a month ago, she was as lively as ever, she looked like she could live for about another 30 year.
But no, she just had to die, she just had to left us, me, brother and my father.
When I first heard my father say that, I just froze, not knowing what should I do. Cry? Comfort my father? ask how did it happen? no, because I just couldn't think, my mind went blank.
This situation continued, father, who was mourning at the best of his possibility, and... me, just staying there, blank face looking at the ground.
It was not supposed to happen, it was not the plan, I was supposed to live happily, build a family, and live in peace until I couldn't breath.
Everything seems to fall apart, my first ever friend just got KIA'd, my mother is also KIA'd, and a war is looming over us.
Somehow, after breaking off my trance, I found my self hugged by my father on the couch, his eyes closed, silent, probably waiting for me to burst out in tear and rage, but to his surprise, I just said one word.
"How?"
He opened his eyes, then backed away a bit, I saw the small crack, about to burst out, but he seems to hold it back.
"It was my fault, everything... everything was my fault."
After a long silence, I just looked at the ground, the beautiful carpet that my mother made out of boredom, he continued "After you were deployed, about a week, the war broke off, the Uzumaki's attacked the border. Before that, we received a Chakra call transmitted from an Uzumaki forward post, before our 1st Forward Post calling. They asked us to let them be and migrate to Konoha, well the whole chorus. It was... surprising, this conversation, the guy talking to us was very polite. After that, 2 team were in their way to our correspondents."
I looked up at him, "Why didn't you tell me."
He went silent, he avoided my eyes, then said, "Because you will not be deployed, and this war would be over soon."
I frowned, "And yet, I was deployed on a patrol mission 50km north of the compound."
His head snapped to me, "What do you mean."
"I got direct order from the CSA head-general that our team-without our Taichou-must be doing patrol mission 50km north of the compound because of the lack of effective for missions."
He was silent, with wide eyes, then his Sharingan activated, his face contorted in anger, then closed his eyes, and they returned to normal, he said "I will speak to him later."
There was a long silence, then I said, "Why did the Uzumaki's warn us?"
He snorted, "Yeah, about that. The Uzumaki's are what they are, but at least they're outspoken. The situation was clear between us and we expected their declaration..." he remained silent, then continued "The battleplan was simple, expecting a well prepared enemy and the deployment of traps, we placed sensory agents on the front of the 2 team to spot any trap or seal deployed on their way. They advanced without to much of a resistance, some seal there and there, but not something much. They arrived at the forward post, and used their sensory ability, and relayed discovery to the high command, the findings are that there is only 1 team of Uzumaki's in there. So they approved the ambush on the forward-post."
He stopped, then breathed a bit, he continued, "It was supposed to be an quick, easy operation, but it seems we underestimated our opponent. The 2 team was about to clash with the Uzumaki's, but out of nowhere, 2 other team come out behind the spotted squad. They planned a retreat but a barrier was emerged, and from there no communication. Other skirmish was reported along the border, but it just caused some injuries to our veterans. We evidently send 3 team from the 1rst Forward post to rescue the team, but when they arrived, there was only a battle-scarred ground with some blood there and there, we know that they are dead, because of the seal in their arms disconnecting from me, but their corps are nowhere to be seen. That week report on the start of hostilities was... regrettable, 8 member of the CSA got KIA'd, and it was kept secret from the public. So to retaliate, we launched Operation Redemption."
The dots started to connect in my mind. Why Taichou was not there when we did our patrol mission, the early deployment of my brother, the lack of security of the compound, the tens atmosphere of the CSA guards...
And finally, the operation Redemption that my father was talking about, and thinking about my mother who was specialized in Iryoo-nin jutsu... I guess this...
"This operation was a disaster..."
