Author's Notes: Okay, short chapter here, a really simple bit mostly, but
it is kind of necessary by itself. The plot splits a little here, as
evidenced in the last chapter. Obviously, we'll be dealing with Neji's bit
first, since Xi's is the bigger and more climatic portion, and so all the
pieces can move into place.
This bit's short, so maybe I can get some reviews this time a round. Thanks in advance!
The Burning Storm
It took mere minutes for them to leave, they grabbed ANBU packs from Tsunade, the one contribution she could offer, and then they headed north. Neji set a brutal pace, recognizing that Xi would as well. In order to catch him in Lightning before it was all decided they would have to complete this task quickly. They had one advantage, the distance to Waterfall was not all that far, and Neji knew the way.
"Neji," Shiren asked as they moved. "How are we going to do this?"
"What do you mean?" He replied.
"I want to help Xi too, but this isn't an ordinary mission." Shiren explained. "We have to get into Waterfall somehow, and kill this Akatsuki. He ambushed us before, and defeated everyone even with Xi's help. If the Waterfall protect him what do we do?"
"We find a way around that." Neji said firmly. "Xi almost killed him, he told me what happened. This Kizen is not skilled in Taijutsu, while I am and so is Dar. If we can get close enough I am sure we can defeat him."
"Waterfall is an invincible fortress." Dar admonished. "It has never been taken from without, your Hokage had a whole army prepared, what was their plan?"
"They had planned to surround the village and prevent escape, while Xi, Aoba, and I infiltrated and dealt with the problem." Neji answered.
"How were you going to infiltrate, there are no approaches that are unguarded?"
"I know Dar," Neji replied. "We were there, we've traveled that road. Xi intended to summon a dragon I think, but we cannot do that and still have enough chakra to defeat the Akatsuki, and without an army to create a distraction it still might not work."
"It's only cliffs and some guards," Shiren said. "There has to be a way."
"We'll find a method, but for now speed is needed." Neji lowered his head against the wind and jumped to another tree.
At dawn on the second day, the three dragon ninja could see Waterfall.
"It looks even more impressive in the open daylight." Shiren remarked. Shear cliffs on three sides, and the rocky boulders, the four approaches to waterfall, the village that could not be conquered. Waterfalls raced down the sides of those cliffs now, the spring snowmelt in full swing as the sun beat down on the exposed mesa. "Such a formidable presence."
Neji, looking at the village, wondered about a way. We cannot assault the village, but infiltration will be difficult, none of us has even seen this Mehize Kizen, and wandering around in that village for even a short time could mean death. He struggled to think of something he could do. "Let's head toward the base of the western cliffside, to get a better look." He decided.
Dar and Shiren nodded.
They traveled carefully through the rough hills, watching for other ninja and avoiding the eyes on the walls as best they could. If a Waterfall ninja had my eyes no one could ever approach this place unseen, the environment is far too hostile to it.
At noon they stood at the base of the cliff walls. There was no way to know if they had been detected or not, short of an attack coming. The walls stretched cruel and high made smooth and impossible by the scouring power of water. Climbing them would be difficult, and long, too long, any Waterfall ninja could sweep them away. A genin could destroy a Kage who tried to climb this approach. Neji realized. "Any ideas?"
"Simple plans are best." Dar remarked. "They avoid pitfalls, but I don't know any simple way to get up this."
"No such way exists!" A sharp voice snapped in the chill air.
Neji spun, immediately calling forth the Byakugan. "We are surrounded." He whispered, fifteen ninja at least, perhaps more beyond." They a flash of red caught Neji's attention, red hair. Mizain.
Chakra rose to Neji's fingertips, and he considered launching an immediate attack, not daring to wait. Then he recalled the words that had been spoken to him by Sirachi, and stopped. Do I trust the dragon? He recalled those eyes, and one other thing. Battle here means that even if we survive we cannot get in quickly. Xi will be doomed. "Lower your weapons, Dar, Shiren." Neji ordered.
"Huh?" Dar muttered.
"Please Dar." Neji asked. He turned directly to where the red-haired ninja stood behind the trees, and addressed the man. "Mizain Yuki, what do you want?"
The ninja jerked as if struck when his name was called, and he stepped out from behind the tree, revealing himself fully to Dar and Shiren.
Mizain Yuki was a tall man, and strong in appearance, with spiky red hair bundled atop his head. His eyes flashed with burring power, but also restraint, something Neji had not yet seen in the Mizain family. Looking at him, wearing a jounin's uniform, Neji could see that he was very strong. This man is as powerful as Gai or Kakashi; he must be Waterfall's strongest.
"I want many things, Draci Neji." Yuki replied, and his voice was sharp, like a lash. "You have killed my nephew and my younger brother, and now you stand before me and I want nothing more than to melt the flesh from your bones. Yet I have stayed my hand. Do you know why?"
"You want something from us." Neji replied. "It must be Mehize Kizen."
"Correct." Yuki told him. "I will give you your life today, Draci Neji, and in return you will kill Kizen for me. I understand Dragon ninja believe in keeping strict accounting of debt." When Neji nodded he continued. "Well, then there is another thing I will demand."
"What is that?"
"When the time comes for me to become the first Kage of Waterfall, and it will be soon, you will vouch for my character and restraint before the Hokage, and your companions before their Kages as well." Yuki gave a grim smile. "Kizen commands Waterfall now, his mistress the Dark Storm slew our head ninja, so now I am the strongest. Once Kizen is gone everyone will fall behind me."
"Your politics do not concern me." Neji answered. "I will do this, but since you are not sparing our lives, but simply making our journey easier." And he gave Yuki a grim smile that implied his confidence to escape the trap. "You will need to arrange something."
"What?" Yuki barked.
"It will make you stronger in the end." Neji said simply. "If we do not have to fight through many Waterfall ninja. Arrange for Kizen's bodyguards to abandon him when the sunset begins today. Tell me where he is and that is when we will strike."
"Kizen is the challenge square, playing with the lives of the dead." Yuki answered. "I can arrange for his personal guards to be gone, indeed it only makes sense, that way I insure his defeat even if you fail. I'll kill him myself. If you get caught entering our village though, I will enjoy watching you die." He chuckled.
"Your bloodline is a heinous thing that should be wiped from the world." Neji replied, totally serious. "But I will pay my debts."
"How kind of you." Kizen remarked. "You will have your sunset arrangement."
The Waterfall ninja faded into the forest and spray.
"Sunset, Neji?" Dar asked cautiously. "How will we get in?"
"We have a few hours to figure that out." Neji replied.
Shiren looked up at the walls steadily, and she fingered a kunai in her left hand. "I wonder..." She muttered.
"What is it Shiren?" Neji asked.
"Well, we know where Kizen is going to be right? I mean, I recall the location in Waterfall; it is in the southeastern center. So all we have to do is get there." She considered.
"Up several hundred feet of cliff and without being seen by numerous guards, sure." Dar jibed. "Hardly a simple task."
"Why not?" Shiren asked him. "I thought simple plans were the best. Why couldn't we just run there?"
"Run there?" Dar snapped, and then his eyes went wide.
"Shiren, you are brilliant." Neji smiled at her. "It could be done. Normal ninja couldn't but with proper control it could be done. We could even throw a wire at the top and then run across it to the square. The chakra cost would be high, but it would grant us surprise, and we might be able to get close to the Akatsuki." Neji looked up at the cliffside. "It seems that may be the best plan."
"It's insane." Dar said carefully. "But only the insane would attack Hidden Waterfall. We should find the closest point, so to minimize chakra use, and avoid any waterfalls on the way up."
"Indeed." Neji thought about it. "We will leave our packs at the bottom, we will not bother with coming back down. Once Kizen is dead we will summon dragons and fly out of here. Mizain Yuki will probably try to kill us as we leave, he's not a fool. At sunset we will finish this."
This bit's short, so maybe I can get some reviews this time a round. Thanks in advance!
The Burning Storm
It took mere minutes for them to leave, they grabbed ANBU packs from Tsunade, the one contribution she could offer, and then they headed north. Neji set a brutal pace, recognizing that Xi would as well. In order to catch him in Lightning before it was all decided they would have to complete this task quickly. They had one advantage, the distance to Waterfall was not all that far, and Neji knew the way.
"Neji," Shiren asked as they moved. "How are we going to do this?"
"What do you mean?" He replied.
"I want to help Xi too, but this isn't an ordinary mission." Shiren explained. "We have to get into Waterfall somehow, and kill this Akatsuki. He ambushed us before, and defeated everyone even with Xi's help. If the Waterfall protect him what do we do?"
"We find a way around that." Neji said firmly. "Xi almost killed him, he told me what happened. This Kizen is not skilled in Taijutsu, while I am and so is Dar. If we can get close enough I am sure we can defeat him."
"Waterfall is an invincible fortress." Dar admonished. "It has never been taken from without, your Hokage had a whole army prepared, what was their plan?"
"They had planned to surround the village and prevent escape, while Xi, Aoba, and I infiltrated and dealt with the problem." Neji answered.
"How were you going to infiltrate, there are no approaches that are unguarded?"
"I know Dar," Neji replied. "We were there, we've traveled that road. Xi intended to summon a dragon I think, but we cannot do that and still have enough chakra to defeat the Akatsuki, and without an army to create a distraction it still might not work."
"It's only cliffs and some guards," Shiren said. "There has to be a way."
"We'll find a method, but for now speed is needed." Neji lowered his head against the wind and jumped to another tree.
At dawn on the second day, the three dragon ninja could see Waterfall.
"It looks even more impressive in the open daylight." Shiren remarked. Shear cliffs on three sides, and the rocky boulders, the four approaches to waterfall, the village that could not be conquered. Waterfalls raced down the sides of those cliffs now, the spring snowmelt in full swing as the sun beat down on the exposed mesa. "Such a formidable presence."
Neji, looking at the village, wondered about a way. We cannot assault the village, but infiltration will be difficult, none of us has even seen this Mehize Kizen, and wandering around in that village for even a short time could mean death. He struggled to think of something he could do. "Let's head toward the base of the western cliffside, to get a better look." He decided.
Dar and Shiren nodded.
They traveled carefully through the rough hills, watching for other ninja and avoiding the eyes on the walls as best they could. If a Waterfall ninja had my eyes no one could ever approach this place unseen, the environment is far too hostile to it.
At noon they stood at the base of the cliff walls. There was no way to know if they had been detected or not, short of an attack coming. The walls stretched cruel and high made smooth and impossible by the scouring power of water. Climbing them would be difficult, and long, too long, any Waterfall ninja could sweep them away. A genin could destroy a Kage who tried to climb this approach. Neji realized. "Any ideas?"
"Simple plans are best." Dar remarked. "They avoid pitfalls, but I don't know any simple way to get up this."
"No such way exists!" A sharp voice snapped in the chill air.
Neji spun, immediately calling forth the Byakugan. "We are surrounded." He whispered, fifteen ninja at least, perhaps more beyond." They a flash of red caught Neji's attention, red hair. Mizain.
Chakra rose to Neji's fingertips, and he considered launching an immediate attack, not daring to wait. Then he recalled the words that had been spoken to him by Sirachi, and stopped. Do I trust the dragon? He recalled those eyes, and one other thing. Battle here means that even if we survive we cannot get in quickly. Xi will be doomed. "Lower your weapons, Dar, Shiren." Neji ordered.
"Huh?" Dar muttered.
"Please Dar." Neji asked. He turned directly to where the red-haired ninja stood behind the trees, and addressed the man. "Mizain Yuki, what do you want?"
The ninja jerked as if struck when his name was called, and he stepped out from behind the tree, revealing himself fully to Dar and Shiren.
Mizain Yuki was a tall man, and strong in appearance, with spiky red hair bundled atop his head. His eyes flashed with burring power, but also restraint, something Neji had not yet seen in the Mizain family. Looking at him, wearing a jounin's uniform, Neji could see that he was very strong. This man is as powerful as Gai or Kakashi; he must be Waterfall's strongest.
"I want many things, Draci Neji." Yuki replied, and his voice was sharp, like a lash. "You have killed my nephew and my younger brother, and now you stand before me and I want nothing more than to melt the flesh from your bones. Yet I have stayed my hand. Do you know why?"
"You want something from us." Neji replied. "It must be Mehize Kizen."
"Correct." Yuki told him. "I will give you your life today, Draci Neji, and in return you will kill Kizen for me. I understand Dragon ninja believe in keeping strict accounting of debt." When Neji nodded he continued. "Well, then there is another thing I will demand."
"What is that?"
"When the time comes for me to become the first Kage of Waterfall, and it will be soon, you will vouch for my character and restraint before the Hokage, and your companions before their Kages as well." Yuki gave a grim smile. "Kizen commands Waterfall now, his mistress the Dark Storm slew our head ninja, so now I am the strongest. Once Kizen is gone everyone will fall behind me."
"Your politics do not concern me." Neji answered. "I will do this, but since you are not sparing our lives, but simply making our journey easier." And he gave Yuki a grim smile that implied his confidence to escape the trap. "You will need to arrange something."
"What?" Yuki barked.
"It will make you stronger in the end." Neji said simply. "If we do not have to fight through many Waterfall ninja. Arrange for Kizen's bodyguards to abandon him when the sunset begins today. Tell me where he is and that is when we will strike."
"Kizen is the challenge square, playing with the lives of the dead." Yuki answered. "I can arrange for his personal guards to be gone, indeed it only makes sense, that way I insure his defeat even if you fail. I'll kill him myself. If you get caught entering our village though, I will enjoy watching you die." He chuckled.
"Your bloodline is a heinous thing that should be wiped from the world." Neji replied, totally serious. "But I will pay my debts."
"How kind of you." Kizen remarked. "You will have your sunset arrangement."
The Waterfall ninja faded into the forest and spray.
"Sunset, Neji?" Dar asked cautiously. "How will we get in?"
"We have a few hours to figure that out." Neji replied.
Shiren looked up at the walls steadily, and she fingered a kunai in her left hand. "I wonder..." She muttered.
"What is it Shiren?" Neji asked.
"Well, we know where Kizen is going to be right? I mean, I recall the location in Waterfall; it is in the southeastern center. So all we have to do is get there." She considered.
"Up several hundred feet of cliff and without being seen by numerous guards, sure." Dar jibed. "Hardly a simple task."
"Why not?" Shiren asked him. "I thought simple plans were the best. Why couldn't we just run there?"
"Run there?" Dar snapped, and then his eyes went wide.
"Shiren, you are brilliant." Neji smiled at her. "It could be done. Normal ninja couldn't but with proper control it could be done. We could even throw a wire at the top and then run across it to the square. The chakra cost would be high, but it would grant us surprise, and we might be able to get close to the Akatsuki." Neji looked up at the cliffside. "It seems that may be the best plan."
"It's insane." Dar said carefully. "But only the insane would attack Hidden Waterfall. We should find the closest point, so to minimize chakra use, and avoid any waterfalls on the way up."
"Indeed." Neji thought about it. "We will leave our packs at the bottom, we will not bother with coming back down. Once Kizen is dead we will summon dragons and fly out of here. Mizain Yuki will probably try to kill us as we leave, he's not a fool. At sunset we will finish this."