Hey welcome back! Glad to see you all enjoyed the previous chapter! As of writing this I haven't finished the story yet. Its going at a snail's pace…but its progress, I guess. Problem is, I want to limit the number of chapters still needed, which in turn makes it more enjoyable for you all, because the chapters are a lot bigger, but it takes more time to write as well.
I want to keep a certain number of chapters between what I release, and what I write on. If that makes any sense.
Anyways, thank you to all who added this story to their favorites/alerts! Unfortunately, I (still) can't sort whoever added it to their lists, making it an incredibly time-consuming task to filter it. Just so you guys know, I appreciate it immensely!
The reviewers are an easier solution to write out luckily! Thank you so much for taking your time to write something!
Roswell: I'd like to think so as well. Its difficult to write a character that isn't immediately disliked, because people tend to prefer pairings with existing characters (which is understandable). I hope you're enjoying Micheru as a character!
If you mean, killing off Kisame and Naruto. I'd like to think it as something that was unavoidable.
As for your plot armor question. Naruto can't get any plot armor. He's dead. ;)
Stalker1: Glad to see you're enjoying the previous chapter! Fun fact! Initially I had planned for Micheru to be with him when he passed, but I just couldn't properly write it out. I ended up cutting her away, giving her time in the spotlight for a bit instead.
Gamesdean1: it's obvious, it's the only solution!
Nithu Velu: thank you for your continued support Nithu! Undoubtedly, many things are kept in the dark :)
Let's get the show on the road!
Chapter 51 – Konoha's stand part seven
"Another breach!"
"Is Yamato done?!"
"No! and he's running low on chakra. He can't take much more of this!"
"What do we do?!"
The chaos at the command center gave Shikamaru a headache. Watching as his father tried his best to keep the situation under control, was nothing short of amazing.
But the words that were being thrown around were legitimate concerns. Breaches were happening too frequently. Their reserves were starting to run dangerously low, and it wouldn't be long until they started overrunning their defenses.
They needed to pull back from the wall, before the Reavers would break through and flank the defenders on top. He knew it, and he was sure, his father knew it as well.
"We need to pull our forces away from the wall and have Konan on stand-by." Shikamaru spoke up, silencing the others.
His father eyed him, giving a nod. "I agree, but we need the Hokage's permission."
"She left for the hospital earlier." A weary voice spoke from the entrance. Rome stepped inside, looking exhausted.
"Why?" Shikaku asked.
"Because she heard about Naruto." Rome answered, staring at the ground.
Shikamaru closed his eyes in defeat. He knew what the hunter meant; he didn't need to elaborate. Naruto was dead. He eased himself back into his seat, rubbing his face. He felt so incredibly tired. "Where's Kenpachi now?"
"He's disengaged for now. He'll return, without a doubt." Rome answered, his hand gripping the side of the door, keeping him upright.
"What is our fighting strength?" Shikaku asked, his eyes settling on his son, who quickly started rummaging through a few papers. The building shook, and some dust came falling from the ceiling, landing on the war table.
"With these numbers…We're down to 50 percent." The younger Nara muttered.
"Hmm," was Shikaku's response as he was rubbing his chin. "Send a runner for Tsunade. If we don't get an update within ten minutes, we'll move along with the plan."
One of the other members in the room quickly made for the door and headed towards the nearest runner.
"Rome," the top strategist, Shikaku turned to the hunter. "Is your team capable of fighting Kenpachi?"
The bald man hesitated. "Sasori is and I am. Hawke is beat up pretty bad."
"We need a-"
Tsunade came barging in, holding the runner by his shirt. "I will take his place."
The group silently looked at their leader. She looked devastated and enraged at the same time. No one dared to answer until Shikaku cleared his throat. "Are you s-"
"QUIET," she yelled before closing her eyes, trying to calm herself down, taking deep breaths. "Shikaku, you get full control over our forces, you were running the show anyways."
He gave her a bow. "Understood, Hokage-sama."
Shikaku nodded towards his son, who in turn started relaying the order to retreat from the wall. "Hokage-sama. We are going to pull our forces away from the wall and start engaging them in the village."
She slowly gave a nod of agreement. "It's your show now, Shikaku," She turned and moved over to Rome. "Let's get you patched up."
The two left through the same door and headed out.
Shikaku pointed to the runner, who was still flabbergasted about what happened. "Contact Akatsuki member, Konan. Tell her to prepare. She'll know what it means."
The chunin in question gave a quick bow and ran out the door.
His son was leaning on the war table, looking at all the pawns. "Troublesome…" He was well aware what it meant. Once Konan had used her jutsu, they would be out of any last tricks.
"The barrier is good to go?"
A confirmation was called out from the back. In comparison to the barrier set up in Suna, this one was a much stronger version. Konoha always did have more capable seal experts.
The biggest problem remained that by giving up the wall, they were going to get surrounded within the village. It was inevitable, and something they had no real counter for.
At the western and eastern end of the wall, that connected with the Hokage monument they had created a huge 'minefield' of traps, explosives and disintegration seals. This would deter the Reavers from rushing straight in. It was a temporary solution, that the Reavers would undoubtedly find a counter for.
They had also decided that Que and the remainder of their aerial summons would harass them at those sectors the most, to try and funnel them to the south, where the main fight would take place.
Shikamaru let out a grim smile. "Let's not postpone this any longer."
"You're right. Once our runner is back, we'll start."
'We're in the final stretch now…' Shikamaru thought gloomily.
Ibiki headbutted the foe with red glowing eyes, who didn't even seem to register the hit. He applied more pressure and Ibiki realized that his body wouldn't be able to withstand much more of it.
The man had come barreling straight for him and after a brief engagement, it became clear that this Reaver was on a whole other level. He had managed to wrap his arms around him and was trying to 'squeeze' him to death.
And he was succeeding.
Snapping his teeth, he broke the fake molar in his mouth, feeling a small amount of liquid entering his mouth. He resisted the urge to gag, it tasted of petrol. 'I'm not fond of what comes next…'
He grinded his teeth, setting off a tiny spark inside his mouth, using the piece of flint that was hidden in a different tooth.
The effect was instantaneous. The liquid caught flame and he quickly exhaled, a small blast of fire erupted from his mouth and hit the Reaver in the face, who got surprised by the attack and stumbled back, letting go of the Jonin.
Ibiki wasted no time and reached for a kunai, sending it flying to the monstrosity in front of him. The weapon hit its mark and he fell to the ground, the handle of the kunai still sticking out of his eye.
Realizing he was still in a precarious situation, he rolled backwards, letting someone else take his spot. He took deep breaths, the cool air easing the burnt pain in his mouth, even if it was only for a short moment.
That 'trick' was one he had only once used before, and it was a double-edged blade. He reached for a small flask that was stashed in the small of his back, removing the cap before pouring the blue liquid in his mouth. He immediately felt the pain lessen, and he sighed in relief.
He got to his feet and looked up, seeing the large beast fly by, destroying a few of the towers, along with dozens of Reavers that didn't have to time to dodge the attack.
The counter got closer and closer though. Initially the Reavers had no solution to the dragon, but that was changing and fast. They had already winged him once, nearly sending him crashing into the ground.
"Coming through!"
He quickly took a few steps back, letting Choza pass him by, holding the body of his son in his arms. It was sad sight to see.
"T-that's Kenpachi!"
Ibiki rapidly shifted his focus right, where the voice came from, his eyes widening in fear. He was well aware of the plan put in motion by command. Two squads were assigned to keeping him from wreaking havoc. 'To have him here…'
Assuming the worst, he palmed two more kunai, one in each hand and moved towards the chaos in front of him where bodies were being thrown over the edge and into the mass of Reavers below.
Dozens of other shinobi were now well aware of the imminent threat and were all converging on taking him out, Ibiki along with them.
The towering figure was revealed once they pushed through a cloud of smoke, causing hesitation amongst the group.
"DON'T STOP!" Ibiki roared and urged them onwards.
Kenpachi was holding a broad large axe in both hands, slamming it into the defenders, killing them, a near dozen at a time.
Ibiki sprinted forward and slid underneath the swinging axe but was immediately kicked back. He flipped back onto his feet and tossed his two kunai, proving to be just as ineffective.
Other shinobi were now engaging as well, with one slamming his own weapon into Kenpachi's, only to be pushed back with little to no problem.
His immense strength was rapidly overpowering the defender. Two more jumped in front and tried to push back against the axe, but with no success.
The three defenders were being pushed to the ground and were now panicking.
A chunin came flying in, slamming his fist into Kenpachi's face, who barely even registered the attack. He freed one hand and grabbed the chunin, tossing him over the edge.
A katon jutsu came flying in from behind Kenpachi and slammed into him, sending him staggering forward.
The three who were in a deadlock with the Reaver quickly used that to their advantage to roll away.
Kenpachi twirled his axe in his hand and cleaved one of the advancing Jonin in half.
Ibiki slid past the defenses of the Reaver and slapped both of his hands against his temples, eliciting a grunt of pain from the imposing man.
Morino never saw his fist coming, decking him to the ground with tremendous strength.
"Protect Ibiki!" someone yelled.
"Mokuton: Mokujōheki!" a wooden, dome shaped contraption emerged and covered Ibiki as he tried crawling away.
Yamato stood a few feet away, his hands going through another series of seals. "Mokuten: Supaku!"
A circle of wood got wrapped around Kenpachi, with spikes emerging from it, threatening to impale the Reaver.
Unimpressed, Kenpachi let his weapon fall to the ground and grabbed the jutsu, tearing it off his body. His eye now locked on Yamato, he dashed forward, ripping through the defenders that stood between him and his target.
Yamato tried to jump up in the air and continue his attack from afar, but Kenpachi was having none of it. He grabbed him by the leg and slammed him back onto the wall.
Laying dazed on the ground, Yamato tried to encase himself into a layer of wood and was partially successful.
Kenpachi looked at it for a mere moment before slamming the heel of his foot down on the cover, breaking clean through its defenses and crushing the skull of Yamato underneath.
There were some shouts of anger and despair, but Kenpachi was more interested in the still twitching body of the 'bug' he had squashed. "Interesting 'Nucleus abilities."
He stepped away and turned his gaze to the frightened fighters around him, a smirk appearing on his face.
By now more reavers were appearing around him and were looking at the defenders with a sickening grin.
"Tell them to breach." Kenpachi ordered to one of his subordinates beside him.
In return he gave a quick nod and dashed for the nearest tower.
Ibiki came crawling from underneath the wooden protection and managed to get back to his feet with unsteady legs. His head was covered in blood. The single punch he felt, held almost as much power as Tsunade had. He reached for a nearby chunin, grabbing him by the shoulder. "Tell command…Breach incoming."
Kenpachi disappeared from the wall, along with a portion of the other Reavers. Ibiki, stumbled to the front of the wall and looked down, his eyes widening substantially. "Incoming! "
A large red glow erupted and enveloped them. A moment later their sector spat apart as the demonic attack exploded, rapidly engulfing more and more of the wall.
Ibiki realized his death was all but certain and gave a sigh. He climbed on top of the cover and dove off, towards the massive army of Reavers below, quickly plastering as many explosive notes on himself as possible.
Despite his courageous final attack, no one would be there to witness it, as two full sectors got blown apart by the Reaver attack, killing everyone on top of it.
From far below the defenders watched in shock and dread as a portion of the wall got breached.
"Kami!"
"This can't be happening!"
Konan knew that the breach was inevitable, and that she would be the one that would stop them, or at least, significantly decrease their numbers.
~Defenders. They've breached sector 13 and 14. Reavers are pouring in and are being funneled towards the main street. Prepare yourselves! ~
Thousands of shinobi stood shoulder to shoulder, watching as their relentless foe stepped foot into their precious village.
Behind the rows of shinobi stood a large army of the Daimyo's forces, all equipped with bow and arrows.
Konan looked up the large buildings around them. The rooftops had been transformed into small defensive pockets, with shuriken launchers mounted on it. The building itself had been reinforced with seals, preventing instant destruction.
~Konan, are you ready? ~ the voice of Shikaku erupted in her ear.
Clicking the radio on, she gave an affirmative. "I am."
~We have a scout flying above. He's going to relay to us when you can set it off. ~
"Do we have any updates from Pein-sama?" She asked, steering the conversation away.
~Not yet, but we're thinking they're scrambling our communications with the outside. ~
She didn't respond and was quietly watching as the mass of Reavers were rapidly moving in on them.
Everyone knew what the plan was, yet that didn't stop them from dreading what was coming.
Konan let her hand slide over the fabric over her cloak, pulling on a thread at the edge. She had only done the attack on this scale once before, and it had nearly knocked her straight out.
If done right, she would be able to kill over half of their forces. It would remain doubtful whether they would be turning the tide. Her hands dropped to her side, and her eyes narrowed by a fraction.
To her right was a large, towering shinobi, one she recognized as an Akimichi. He was assigned to be her guard, along with a few others that stood around her. The large man had a somber look on his face, one that was normally associated with grieving for the loss of a loved one.
The sound of marching echoed through the village as the Reavers closed the gap. They had reformed their lines and slowed their pace. Numerous glowing red eyes were staring down at them.
On the rooftops and in the towers, the defenders were anxiously waiting, having specific orders not to fire until their trap had been sprung.
~Konan, once they pass the marker…do it. ~
Konan's eyes darted down to the small white pole. Inconspicuous. "Everyone, get ready." Her soft voice was heard by a few but repeated by many.
Reavers were now jeering and throwing insults their way as they continued their march down the main street.
A drop of sweat made its way down her face, waiting as they neared the marker.
"Daragush!"
Suddenly the Reaver rank broke free and made a mad dash for the defensive line, passing the white pole.
Snapping her hand out, she focused her chakra on her jutsu. Slowly the dirt road the Reavers were charging upon changed, as did the buildings around it. From solid concrete, or dirt into paper.
A chunin behind her gasped. "Are those?!"
"Exploding tags? Hai." Another said, watching with wide eyes.
By now the Reavers realized what was happening and slowed their pace, but before they had a chance to escape, Konan, closed her hand into a fist. "Kami no Shisha no Jutsu!"
The exploding tags turned into a massive wave, enveloping their enemy, reaching far past the breach and into forest behind. A moment later, all of the exploding tags lit up, and formed a wave of explosions that was near unimaginable.
A wave of scorching heat washed over the shocked shinobi. They had been well aware that they had one last trap lying in wait, but never in their wildest dreams had they imagined it would be something of that scale.
The flood of explosions continued, following along the wall and into the forest, until after what seemed an eternity, it finally died down, leaving behind a storm of dark smoke.
Breathing heavily, she dropped her trembling hands to her side, her drooped eyes taking in the damage in front of her, that was mostly obscured by the clouds of smoke.
"K-kami…" Someone whispered.
"that's one way of putting it." Another responded, equally in awe.
Everyone's eyes turned to Konan. Everyone sharing a similar thought. Relief. Relief that she was now an ally, and not an enemy.
Slowly she turned, her legs unsteady. "I need to…"
The Akimichi lifted her up off the ground. "You've done your job, let's get you to safety."
~Defenders. Stay focused! The enemy isn't done yet! ~
As if on cue, a humongous red wave blew away the clouds of smoke, clearing everyone's vision. In front of them lay nothing but large craters in the ground, no evidence that there ever was an enemy bearing down on them to begin with.
A sound that most had become used to hearing could be heard, but only once. Standing a few feet away was a large, towering man with spiky dark hair. He had a cloth wrapped around one eye, but his other glowed bright red. The normal calm façade this man normally held was nowhere to be seen.
In front of them stood Kenpachi, the leader of the invading army, and he was seething with anger.
The Akamichi was looking over his shoulder to the imposing man, drowning out the worrying voices around him. "Aiko! Take Konan to safety, quick!"
"Hai, Choza!"
Swiftly handing her over to his teammate, he barely had time to turn as Kenpachi came barreling in. he put up his arms to block the attack and was successful. The fact that he had broken his lower arms in the process made it less so.
Not that the Akimichi cared, he swung his fist regardless of the pain, hitting the Reaver square in the face, causing him to stumble backwards, surprised by the counter.
By now the surrounding defenders started to bear down on Kenpachi.
"ENOUGH!" he slammed his feet down onto the ground and a wave of red nucleus struck the nearest shinobi, sending them flying away.
He materialized his massive axe and charged toward the Akimichi once more, who was now accompanied by two more of his team.
The Reaver didn't care, and he swung his axe, striking one, before trying to push towards Choza.
Choza in return clasped his hands above his hand and used his clan jutsu to enlarge them, using Kenpachi's momentary exposed posture to his advantage, His face contorted in excruciating pain due to the broken limbs.
Kenpachi's eye darted up and adjusted his next slash, going for a vertical one, instead of a horizontal one.
In one swing, he cut off both of Choza's limbs, his hands still clasped together.
A howling pain erupted from the Akimichi as he fell on his back. His last teammate quickly engaged Kenpachi but was outmatched in every way possible. He fell within seconds.
More defenders were charging again but could do little as Kenpachi swung his axe once more, embedding it deep in the Choza's chest.
The pain he felt was over in an instant as his life ended almost instantly.
A powerful Futon jutsu hid Kenpachi straight on, sending him flying a few feet away. He straightened his back and looked at the determined shinobi in front of him.
What made them waver, were the new wave of Reavers coming their way. It made it seem as if Konan's attack had done little.
Kenpachi tilted his head slightly, addressing his men. "Raze Konohagakure to the ground."
The Reavers charged forward, slamming their bodies into the defensive line of Konohagakure.
Konohamaru watched from a nearby rooftop as the initial fighting on the main road quickly spread out throughout the entire first section on the village. The rooftops that contained the shuriken launchers were well defended with seals, traps and veteran shinobi, making sure that they were able to keep firing off shuriken.
Below him were many bowmen, firing of a few volleys before backing away, the arrows landing in the mass of Reavers, a medium distance away.
Moegi landed next to him, briefly watching the fight ahead of them. "T-this is it…We're all dead."
Konohamaru felt as scared as she was but swallowed his nerves. "Come on, let's go!"
They jumped off the roof and quickly joined the fighters. It was a lot more chaotic than on the wall. The fight was happening all around them. In alleyways, rooftops and even in buildings. They were unsure what to do.
They heard stumbling and yelling in a building on their right and decided to check it out. The entrance of the house was already destroyed, with the ruined door barely connected to the post with a single hinge.
In the living room there was a fight going on between two men, but they heard sounds upstairs as well. "Moegi, help him! I'm going upstairs."
Dashing upstairs he stumbled into the next fighters, bumping against the Reaver. Quickly realizing she was a foe, Konohamaru tackled her to the ground, but was almost instantly blasted into a far corner, his clothing singed by the attack.
The chunin who was fighting the Holder came charging in once more but found himself outmatched. His kunai clashed against the blade of the Reaver and was losing ground rapidly.
"Katon: Gōen no Jutsu!"
A stream of fire hit their opponent in the back and sent her flying out of the house, destroying the wall in the process.
The Sarutobi made his way over to the Chunin and was glad to see he was fine.
The Chunin climbed to his feet, patting him on the shoulder. "Thanks, kid. I would've been killed otherwise."
The sounds of a scuffle could be heard downstairs and both of them quickly made their way down. As they were running down the stairs, they could see more reavers barging into the house, the same way Konohamaru and Moegi had entered.
The young chunin, Konohamaru wasted no time and pushed off against the stairs, diving into the Reaver group, effectively forcing them to the ground.
"Kid, move!"
He moved instantly and rolled away, into the living room where Moegi and her teammate were finishing off their foe.
Raiton: Raigeki!"
He could feel the hairs on his arm stand on end as the jutsu flew past his face and slammed into the group, electrocuting them.
"Throw a tag! This won't kill them!"
Once more, he instantly followed the order and reached for a tag and threw it at them. The explosion was almost immediate. The front of the building collapsed as it could no longer bear the weight.
Slowly Konohamaru stood back up, glancing at the mutilated bodies that were covered by rubble.
The living room had remained relatively unscathed, besides some of the ruined furniture. "You guys, okay?"
Moegi gave him a thumbs up. "Hai."
A red glow flashed through the window before it died down. Konohamaru eyed it for a moment before turning to the unfamiliar shinobi. "Let's stick together, and clear some of these houses, if you guys want?"
"We were assigned to an 8-man squad but got split up in these houses. We should try and find them." One said as he gave Konohamaru a nod.
They ran out the back of the house and into the backyard, witnessing the collapse of a large apartment building a bit further down. Konohamaru ignored both the collapse of the large building, as well as the dashes of a small group of other shinobi, chasing similarly sized group of Reavers.
As they neared the next house, they were abruptly blown back by the force of a jutsu that came from within the house.
Neji Hyuuga stepped through the hole and locked eyes with the team outside. "This house is clear." Upon saying that, two more stepped out, revealing them to be Lee and Tenten.
"THE ROOF!"
Everyone looked up and saw a swarm of Reavers climbing over the top of the rooftops directly above them.
Their foe wasted no time and all dove over the edge, clashing with the group below, turning it into a messy fight. While the teamwork from Konoha's side was by far superior to that of the Reavers, their numerical superiority made it difficult to gain the upper hand.
Tenten twirled in circles, shooting forth a series of kunai and shuriken, while Konohamaru and the two other chunin engaged against 5 others.
Neji, Moegi and Lee were in a desperate struggle to fight against four on their own. Lee got kicked away, by a stocky Legionnaire, only to be killed by Neji. The small reprieve was short lived as three more jumped from the rooftops.
Moegi was by far the weakest of their group and was getting beaten into the ground, dealing against two legionnaires herself. Lee came charging in and kicked them away, glowing bright green. He didn't have time to help her back up and sprinted towards Neji, who was getting pushed back by the newcomers.
A moment later all the legionnaires lay dead. The defenders turned their eyes to their newly arrived allies who were standing a few feet away.
Konohamaru instantly recognized them as Hunters. "You're Micheru, right? And-"he turned to the man but he got cut off.
"Kitase." The man, turning out to be Kitase said.
Konohamaru looked back at Micheru, only now noticing just how angry she looked. Her eyes narrowed slightly and snapped her hand up. A wave of fire erupted from her hand and blew apart the rooftop that more Reavers we're climbing over. Once the dust settled, the entire upper floors of multiple buildings were destroyed.
"Have you seen Kenpachi?" she settled her gaze on Konohamaru, her frown deepened when she recognized him.
"He was here earlier, took out some of our Jonin, and left. I thought that Naruto…" He trailed off, realizing what it must have meant.
"Naruto's dead." Kitase slowly said, discreetly watching as Micheru's face briefly contorted into grief.
"Kami…" Tenten whispered, her hand clasped over her mouth.
There was a moment of silence, one that didn't last long. More explosions rocked the ground they stood on, allowing for more destruction of the buildings in their near vicinity.
Above them, shinobi darted across rooftops, engaging their enemy, with one getting kicked away mid-flight, crashing into a store.
"Incoming!" One of chunin behind roared and pointed up to the sky where fiery objects were rapidly approaching.
The group split off into multiple directions, disappearing into alleyways, or onto one of the main streets.
Konohamaru pushed past a squad of Oto-nin that were fighting in the alleyway he was running through. With him were Micheru and Kitase. "Where are the others!"
There wasn't a response and he worriedly looked over his shoulder. "Moegi…" He forced his thoughts away.
~Our distribution hub is under attack, any available unit, please head that way! ~
"This is Hunter Sun. We're on our way." Micheru beckoned with her hand and took the lead.
Kitase watched as Micheru acted completely detached from her normal behavior. "That's where the genin are."
Micheru gave a curt nod, and she increased her speed substantially.
Konohamaru had trouble keeping up, but followed regardless, fearing for the life of his former teacher Iruka.
They climbed to the rooftop and dashed across them, rapidly. The distribution hub lay to the east of the hospital and was supposedly one of the safer areas.
Looking down onto the streets below, he wondered who had made that assumption. There was fighting everywhere. The attempt to funnel their enemy onto the main street had helped but hadn't lasted. They were quick to spread out over the village, forcing the defenders to spread out.
They were losing and wouldn't be long until they had lost.
After a few more moments of traversing the rooftops, they neared their destination, with Kitase and Micheru not wasting any time.
They jumped off the roof, their feet aimed at the nearest target. The whiplash from the impact broke their necks.
"Tipora!" a thin beam pierced a nearby Hastae, killing him instantly.
"Suiton: Suidan no Jutsu!" A high pressurized beam of water surged forward, cutting multiple Reavers in half
Konohamaru arrived last and could only watch as the two hunters made quick work of the attackers. While he realized that their element of surprise was the main reason why they were successful, it made him realize that they would've undoubtedly been able to take them out, regardless of their surprise attack.
A few of the nearby hub defenders killed off the remaining attackers before heading over to them, thanking them for their timely assistance.
Micheru was already turning away, her hand on her microphone. "This is hunter Sun. Distribution hub is safe."
~Understood. Good job. ~
A different voice crackled through their headsets, a moment later. ~Defenders of Konoha. We're abandoning sectors 20 to 29. Fall back to the designated point and spread out. Good luck~
"This was what I was worried about. Angel-sama has done something immeasurable. Yet it wasn't enough. What now?"
Micheru looked at him. "We find Kenpachi, and we kill him."
Kitase sighed, rubbing his face, which increased the dirt that was already smudged on it. "I guess we only survived Suna's onslaught to die a few weeks later."
Konohamaru felt pity for the woman. He had hated Naruto with a passion, but upon the revelation that he had been fighting Kenpachi and had died, it had saddened him. "Micheru?"
She eyed him, only giving a slight turn of her head. "What?"
"I'm sorry for your loss. I know of all the things I said about him…I'm sorry."
Her gaze softened and gave him a sad smile, her stone-cold face gone for the moment. "T-thank you."
A large wave of demonic chakra flew skywards, near the hokage tower. "That's him!" Kitase yelled.
Micheru was already on the move and charged forth, straining her muscles, forcing herself to incredible speed and momentum.
Kitase briefly locked eyes with Konohamaru. "Maybe you should stay here."
The Sarutobi felt absolutely terrified when thinking of the concept of fighting Kenpachi. "I won't stand a chance against him. But let me tag along and help you guys get there."
Kitase looked at the youngster. The disdain he had felt for his behavior against Naruto lessened. "Alright. Let's get going."
Tsunade stared at Kenpachi with intensity, who in turn barely spared her a glance. Beside her stood Rome and Hawke, both who didn't really look to be in a good shape to fight.
"Will you run away again, Rome?"
The Hunter sneered, a drop of sweat running down the side of his face. "What's the plan?"
"Unsure. Sasori is engaged elsewhere, we can't count on him, as is Kia. We're out of capable fighters." Hawke muttered, leaning on his favorable leg.
"It's up to us." Tsunade said, balling her hands into fists. She took a step forward and instantly gained Kenpachi's attention.
"This won't end well…" Hawke said with resignation, rolling his neck and shoulder blade.
The three dashed forward, Tsunade at the center, while Rome went for the flank, as did Hawke.
"Keep him occupied!"
Tsunade didn't need to respond, pouring chakra into her arms. "I'll do more than that!"
She closed the gap and swung her fist, narrowly dodged by the spiky haired Reaver. She swung her other arm, trying to backhand him, but was surprised when he blocked her attack. It hadn't been a fully powered swing, but it still possessed enough strength to knock anyone on their ass.
He retaliated with a kick, sending her skidding backwards. At that point Both Hawke and Rome attacked from different angles but was deftly evaded by the large man.
While Rome was skidding past him, he sent a surge of water forth, catching Kenpachi off guard, breaking his balance.
Hawke flipped forward, planting his hands on the ground, using his ability to raise the ground below him, sending him airborne, quickly twisting his body to divebomb straight for his foe. Hawke had a great affinity for all elements and used it to create an unorthodox method of attack.
Pouring mani into his feet, he let air surge from his feet, drastically increasing his speed, while simultaneously forming spikes around his hand, completely made out of rock. He slammed it into the Reaver and was satisfied to see the man slam into the ground.
Stretching both arms out, he broke his fall with both hands and pushed off, to gain distance and summon a slab of concrete between him and the crater that Kenpachi was laying in.
A moment later, a large red wave disintegrated the concrete wall and sent Hawke flying into one of the already ruined buildings off to the side.
Kenpachi wasted no time and charged forward, quickly wrapping his claw around Tsunade's throat, ploughing her into the ground. His other hand materialized a large spear and aimed it for his trapped foe underneath.
Tsunade broke free from his hold, using her immense strength to her advantage. In terms of pure strength, she was the superior one, it was the speed that caused a problem. While Kenpachi was slightly inferior in strength, he more than made up for it in terms of speed, and Nucleus attacks.
He hissed in pain and retracted his claw, it mattered little for Tsunade as Kenpachi swung his weapon down and skewered her, pushing his spear through her chest and out the back.
Tsunade grimaced in pain, spitting out a mouthful of blood. Despite the grievous wound, she grabbed Kenpachi's limb and pulled herself up. Pouring as much chakra as she could, she crashed her fist into his face, a surge of satisfaction coursing through her as she felt his bone crack underneath the pressure.
The Reaver was sent soaring through the air, crashing through multiple buildings, disappearing from their sight.
Rome ran over to her. "HOLD ON, WE'LL GET YOU-"
"Relax!" Tsunade groaned, grabbing the weapon and pulling it out, blood pouring from the large wound, creating a large pool underneath her feet. She clasped her hand together, the diamond shaped seal on her forehead rapidly formed dark lines, covering a large portion of her body.
Rome's eyes widened as the deadly wound quickly disappeared, as if it never had existed in the first place. "That's…"
"I'm the Hokage of this village for a reason." She said with proudness. She stood back up and adjusted her green kimono.
"Impressive strength." Kenpachi's voice rumbled from the ruins of the building. A moment later he struck, swinging his fist, impacting with tremendous speed into her face.
He twirled around the Hokage and kneed Rome, causing him to double over. He aimed his hand behind him and sent a surge of demonic chakra to Hawke, who was trying sneak up behind him.
In a manner of seconds, he had successfully engaged his three opponents and had inflicted a serious blow.
With Rome and Hawke having already experienced a battering, the attacks they received, almost knocked them straight out.
Tsunade appeared from his right, and swung her fist, but missed her mark and quickly rolled out of his reach.
Kenpachi let his weapon materialize once more and swung it at her but missed as she dodged the attack.
The spear pierced the ground, and Kenpachi moved the momentum to his advantage and pushed himself into the air, using the spear as a pole. Letting go of the spear, he clasped his hands together and jackhammered her into the ground.
'Tsunade' exploded, engulfing the Reaver.
"What the!" Rome grunted, still clutching his abdomen.
Tsunade appeared to his side, her hands glowing green. "It's a Kage bunshin Daibakuha. A clone that exlodes on either impact or command."
Rome's facial features noticeably changed as he felt the pain leave his body. "Thank you…"
"You're a better fighter than I gave you credit for, but tricks like these won't kill me."
Kenpachi stepped out of the smoke. While his appearance looked ruffled, and out of breath, it didn't look like the attack had done much.
Rome stood back up; his arms stretched out to his sides. "Let's see if you'll enjoy this!" A large wave of water emerged from all directions, merging together before rapidly converging on Kenpachi.
Unimpressed, he turned and held out his claw, another demonstration of his immense strength occurred, pushing back against the water.
A scorched Hawke appeared to his side; his blade aimed for his exposed neck.
Effortlessly, Kenpachi switched to his hand, and used his now free claw to block the sharp blade. And while it hurt on impact, it didn't do any lasting damage. With a small grunt, Kenpachi snapped the blade in two.
Regardless of the broken blade, Hawke tried to swing it, but the Reaver parried the attack with his claw and grabbed him by the hair and tossed him into the attack he was still blocking with his hand.
Rome instantly stopped the attack. "HAWKE!"
The snapped blade that Kenpachi held flew from his hand and pierced Rome's shoulder, sending him hurtling backwards due to the impact.
Kenpachi closed the distance between him and Tsunade, swiping with his claw, cutting open a portion of her face.
She hit the ground hard, but quickly retaliated with a low kick. Unfortunately, she hit nothing but air. Kenpachi had distanced himself almost immediately.
"Kami, he's relentless." She managed to say between gritted teeth, the wounds on her face were rapidly healing.
"Where's Hawke!" Rome groaned as he pulled the blade from his shoulder, letting it fall to the ground with a soft thud.
She quickly looked around but couldn't find their teammate. "I have no idea- INCOMING!"
A large fireball crashed into the ground where she had stood, a mere second before. She watched with wide eyes at the small crater. She had known that Kenpachi was extremely powerful. But she didn't expect this.
The arrival of a new foe narrowed her eyes, her trembling fists ready to pounce.
"Lord Kenpachi. We've located the woman who had set up the ambush. She's in one of their medical hubs."
"Why haven't you killed her?" his voice rumbled, fully aware that they hadn't been successful in killing her.
"They've set up a barrier, our specialists are all occupied."
"Leave it to me." And with that, both of the Reavers disappeared.
Tsunade let out a sigh of breath. Her goal for vengeance completely gone from her mind.
Rome slowly made his way over, clutching his wounded shoulder. "This isn't good."
Tsunade jerked her head to the side. "Sichu! Send extra anbu to all medical hubs!"
The sudden arrival of two more Hunters broke her gaze away from the anbu operative standing off to the side.
"Where is he?" Micheru asked as she straightened her tattered outfit.
"Don't even think about it!" Rome ordered.
"HE NEEDS TO PAY!" she yelled abruptly, her eyes blazing with rage.
"We just got our asses handed to us Micheru. What do you think he'll do to you?!"
She opened her mouth to retort, but a bright red glow turned her attention, as well as the others towards the far end of the village.
A red attack exploded in every direction, engulfing a portion of the village.
"My god…"
"That's…"
"The hospital!"
The group stared with wide eyes, and mouths ajar as they witnessed the destruction of the Konoha hospital, along with every person in it.
Good as place as any to wrap up the chapter. I hope you enjoyed!