The Back Stories Of The Village Of Sin

by Spyderjsr

The Battle of Tarawa creek blazes across the fields between the fire and thunder countries as the war between the leaf and cloud rages on at its climax. Amongst the soldiers, stands Akira Toshida a man that history would later remember as, The Butcher

10. Face to Face

Toshida Gaiden Chapter 10: Face to Face

"An advanced Bloodline?" One of the examiners asks as he looks down upon the newly revealed eyes of the Raikage's adopted son. "But . . . I didn't know Seshen-kun had a bloodline limit?"

"Neither did I." Answers the Raikage. "But look at those eyes, they are similar to the watch dog ninja's we tried producing a few years ago. Their surgically augmented eyes were based on the original's that were found and researched years ago."

"Watch dog nins Raikage-sama? I don't understand."

"Years ago, before you or I was even born, there were rumors about a clan that lived outside of the cloud village that possessed the ability to harness the weather of the thunder country. They were nomads and recluses that did whatever they could to remain hidden from public view. They wanted nothing to do with the cloud village, and maintained their way of life living off the land of the thunder country. Everyone now and again, it was said that a younger and more curious member of the clan would visit the cloud village to see what civilization was like. They still did what they could to remain hidden while visiting, but there were always sightings of the mysterious people. One day, an injured member of the clan stumbled into the village, and even though he did very well to hide himself, he was accidently attacked by some of the village guards and was seriously wounded in the encounter. Our medics did what they could to save the young mans life, but he died soon after being committed. Our medics then studied the mysterious young mans, and began to learn about the unique bloodline for years based off his remains and the eye witness reports from the attacking guards. Eventually our scientists and medical ninja's were able to develop a jutsu to implant artificial and simulated versions of the eyes that they recovered."

"What is the bloodline called Raikage-sama? What can it do?"

"After researching the effects of the new bloodline in the host bodies, we determined that the bloodline allowed the user to see energy sources, even in the most minute or small amounts. Whether it be from heat sources, electrical energy from the weather, chakra, the bloodline can see them all, even at a distance. It also gives the user great night vision, so we started to use the test subjects as the leaders of our border patrols. The look of the eyes lead our medics to nickname the bloodline limit, The Raigan (lightning eye). But those were only the imitation versions . . . Seshen must have been a member of that nomadic clan. Seshen should possess all the abilities that our test subjects had . . . but this version hasn't been diluted by transference . . . Seshen possesses the original body that the eyes were made for. It should be rather interesting to see just what this bloodline can do."

The Raikage takes a moment to reflect on the events unfolding before him . . . and those that have since passed. "Seshen, when I found you all those years ago I saw but a helpless boy that was nothing but trash to those who destroyed your home. I thought you were lucky to have been found by me when you were. An orphaned child found and adopted by the strongest shinobi in the country. However it seems that I was the lucky one. I found a true gem that day. Your blood of lightning, is the inheritance of this land and in time . . . this land will be your inheritance."

Toshida wastes no time trying to figure out Seshen's new ability and immediately charges the young cloud nin, thrusting forward with a diving thrust kick. Seshen catches Toshida's foot with his left hand and uses' Toshida's momentum against him, flipping him over and sending him tumbling toward the wall. Toshida lands feet first on the wall and springs off quickly, throwing a spinning heal kick toward the back of Seshen's head. Seshen ducks as the kick comes inches away from striking him in the back of the head. As Toshida lands feet first on the hard floor, he quickly pivots to follow up with his assault and turns just in time to see Seshen drive a thunderous left hook into his already damaged face. Seshen follows up with two knee strikes in succession to Toshida's ribs and finishes off the series of attacks with a double handed strike to Toshida's abdomen. As his palms make contact with Toshida's stomach, Seshen twists his hands inward and channels a strong amount of chakra through his arms and into his hands forcing it into Toshida's body and hitting him with the force of a sledgehammer. Toshida flies across the room and slams hard into the wall. Cracking its concrete foundation, as well as breaking two of Toshida's ribs and rupturing his spleen.

Seshen rises up from his crouched position after delivering the devastating blow, and cannot help but be almost mesmerized by his new found power. Seshen raises his hands in front of him and is awestruck by the sight before him, his hands shimmer with a radiant red glow, and he can vaguely see the chakra flowing inside his hands. "This . . . power . . . it's incredible. I can even see my own chakra flowing through me. I have never felt . . . anything so powerful!" Seshen then suddenly feels a grumbling pain in his stomach that he finds almost paralyzing. "What the . . . my stomach . . . what is happening? I have a feeling that this is going to get worse before it gets better. I have to finish this fight."

Toshida tries to regain his vertical base after taking a nasty spill into the barrier wall, but finds it more and more difficult with every breath he takes as his broken ribs have hindered his ability to perform the slightest inhalation. "Damn it . . . I can't . . . breathe." Toshida staggers to his feet and looks up from his injuries to see Seshen only a few meters away with a kick lined up and aimed to the left side of his rib cage. As Toshida reaches out to grab Seshen's incoming strike, he becomes oblivious to Seshen's secondary attack and takes a clubbing left-handed smash to the side of his face, busting Toshida's cheek open and spilling more of Toshida's blood on the floor. The strike sends a shock of intense weakness through Toshida's body as consciousness begins to slip from his increasing limp body.

"Give Up Toshida." Seshen states as he stands over, stalking his prey. "I don't want to have to kill you. But I will if you force my hand."

"I . . . will not . . . lose . . . to you . . ." Toshida manages to mutter as he tries pushing himself up off the ground with his hands.

Seshen looks up to his father on the balcony with his newly awakened eyes and looks for some kind of direction in what to do. "I don't . . . I don't want to kill him father." Seshen thinks to himself. "Why doesn't he just give up?"

Up on the balcony, the Raikage looks onto his confused and powerful son. "You will win this Seshen . . . if this boy must die for you to realize your own greatness . . . then so be it."

Seshen turns his attention back to Toshida and unceremoniously drives a straightforward kick into Toshida's ribs as he tries to get to his feet. When Seshen tries it a second time, Toshida puts his palms in the way of Seshen's foot, and pushes off as Seshen's acceleration reaches its apex and the force created sends Toshida just high enough into the air for him to turn and pivot while almost floating, and strike Seshen hard with a straight closed fist to Seshen's groin. As Seshen drops to his knees, his only words that are spoken are curses and grumbles as the shot to his crouch has humbled the cloud shinobi's onslaught. Toshida is quick to take the advantage and focuses a large amount of chakra to his leg, leaps into the air and strikes Seshen with a thunderous roundhouse kick.

"Zaigou Senpuu!" (Sinful whirlwind) Toshida's kick sends Seshen tumbling across the concrete floor and Toshida is quick to follow up by leaping into the air and landing on Seshen's back with both feet. He grabs the hair of the prone Seshen and strikes him several times in the back of the head before letting go and striking Seshen with an identical kick to the ribs sending Seshen skidding along the floor.

As Toshida then takes a breather from his attack to see if Seshen will continue their fight, he cannot help but notice a strange feeling that is sweeping over most of his body. "What . . . is this feeling? My face . . . is . . . is tingling." Toshida touches the slice wound just under his chin from Seshen's kunai slash and the feeling on his fingers is almost too much for him to believe. "What the? That's impossible! The scar . . . is healing. I can feel my skin closing the gap between over the wound. This . . . this is madness." As Toshida can feel the same tingling feeling on the newly formed gash along the right side of his face, he checks the wound like the one before and notices the same sensation as the gash begins to close right before Toshida's eyes. He notices the swelling on the left side of his face has begun to go down, but he can still feel the intense pain from his fractured cheekbone. "How am I healing this fast? My broken bones aren't healing so fast, but the flesh wounds have healed almost instantly. What in the hell is going on here?"

While still laying on the floor, Seshen once again looks up to his father who now brandishes and amused smile at the sight of Toshida's relentless attack. "It looks like the next generation of shinobi for our country will be the strongest generation yet. Don't you agree?" Seshen can vaguely hear the Raikage's question to the examiners who all are in agreement, and the thought of his fathers praise going to someone else, fills Seshen with an intense hatred toward his rival, and without saying a word, vows to finish Toshida.

Seshen rises to his feet and the look of anger on his face frightens even the hardened Toshida. Seshen's eyes begin to glisten with a surging shock of electricity as the lightning eye begins to live up to its name sake. "That's it Toshida! This fight between you and I ends now, I will not allow you to be the one my father favors. Now, YOU DIE!" Seshen slams his hands together in the seal of the snake, followed up by a quick series of hand seals. Rat, Boar, Tiger, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Hare.

The Raikage looks on in amazement at the sequence that his son has just produced. "Those seals . . . how could Seshen know that technique? I never taught him that technique and he surely did not learn it at the academy . . ." The Raikage then makes a deduction that would reveal one of the advantages of having the Raigan eye. "It must be a technique of his clan. It must simply be running inherent in his blood. No one has ever been credited with the technique's creation, so it is more then possible."

"Raiton: Rairyuudan no jutsu! (Lightning Element: Lightning Dragon blast technique)

The air around Seshen begins to crackle with static charges, as all the electrons in the area begin to culminate just behind the focused shinobi and begin to take the shape of a small dragon as Seshen pours all of his chakra into the hit or miss technique. If he can hit Toshida with the move, the match is over . . . if the technique misses, Seshen will not have enough chakra to mount a comeback.

As the dragon begins to form before his eyes, Toshida finds himself unable to move as the figure strikes fear into the young boy's heart. Although he knows not why, the form of the dragon taking shape acts like a powder keg in Toshida's mind, triggering hundreds of images and memories that he has never seen and could not possibly experience. Visions of the body that once belonged to the dragon spirit residing inside of him send chills up his spine, and cause him to turn as white as snow. Seshen however, does not think twice about continuing his assault and sends his newly formed lightning dragon toward the paralyzed Toshida. The blast hits Toshida head on as he is only able to stare the horrifying image head on as millions of small charges surge throughout the young boy's body, causing all of his muscles to contract over and over again confusing all the impulses in his body and imitating the feeling of a thousand muscle cramps and shocks all over his frame.

"GGGRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!" The young boy screams as even the hairs on his arm have begun to singe at the tips, and his skin feels ready to burst into flames.

The technique dissolves abruptly as Seshen has completely depleted his chakra reserves. Seshen drops to one knee and looks on to see the result of his assault. Toshida remains on both his feet with smoke and steam rising from his wounds and skin as the lightning dragon technique has damaged every inch of the young boy's body. Seshen reaches behind to grasp a kunai but finds that even he has been severely weakened by the technique, as all his physical energy reserves have also been emptied.

Seshen notices he cannot see the glow of his own chakra anymore and feels more relaxed yet extremely tired. His eyes fade back to normal, just as he feels his regression, it is seen by those observing the fight.

The examiners and the Raikage look on in amazement as the conclusion of the match has come. One of the examiners comments, "It appears that the kid has reached his limit, even that great power of his bloodline must be limited . . ."

However the winner has yet to be determined as Seshen has been reduced to one knee and has been completely drained, and Toshida still remains standing, although not moving. From the examiners vantage point, it is unclear as to whether or not Toshida is even breathing.

The silence soon dissipates as the battered and broken Toshida collapses to his knees. From the left side of his mouth, a thin stream of blood begins flow outward as the right side of his mouth begins to drool as the after effects of the intense shock to his system becomes evident. Toshida then falls to the side, splashing a stream of blood and saliva across the already battle scared concrete floor of the examination arena. Life and consciousness begin to fade from Toshida's eyes as he can only look onto the victorious Seshen, and the last sight Toshida himself sees before losing consciousness, is the drained and weary Seshen falling over as well just after the examiner announces the result.

"Winner of this bout, and the graduate of this examination . . . Seshen Raiken!"

Seshen smiles slightly just before he too loses consciousness as his victory is announced before the board of examiners and his very proud father. The medic teams are soon summoned to the room to take care of the two seriously injured children who put up a hell of a fight for the right to move up in the ranks of the cloud village hierarchy.

Meanwhile, the Raikage looks down to his son as Seshen is loaded onto a stretcher to be carried out of the room and to the cloud village hospital's ICU. "You did well Seshen. I am very proud of you. And for you Toshida . . . we know nothing about you . . . accept for what we have seen here today. I . . . and the cloud village as a whole is proud of you as well child."

The next thing I remembered was waking up in the cold and blinding white hospital bed surrounded by medical equipment and covered in bandages. When I first woke, there was no one in the room besides me. I was still too weak to remain conscious and soon fell asleep again. When I awoke the second time, some of my bandages had been removed and the equipment around me was not so extensive. I still felt pain in numerous areas like my face and ribs, but over all I was feeling much better. A nurse entered my room to check on me at some point in the day. By the amount of sunlight present, I can only assume it was early morning.

"Well hello little one. It's nice to see that you have finally regained consciousness." The young nurse says. "When you were first brought in here, we weren't sure if Seshen-kun had killed you or not. You were in pretty rough shape."

"Seshen?" The tired and weary Toshida mutters as he remembers the final moments of his match with Seshen that to him feel like only a few minutes ago. "Dammit . . . I lost didn't I?" Toshida asks as her turns to the nurse.

The nurse smiles as the young boy before her that before looked so helpless, no seems overly disappointed in himself. "You didn't lose child. You survived the fight and you will fight another day. For a shinobi that is a victory. Both you and Seshen-kun battled hard against one another from what I hear. He was in pretty rough shape when they initially brought him here as well."

"What?" Toshida exclaims. "Seshen is here too?"

"He was here. He was released two days ago after his injuries were no longer anything serious. He only spent the night here before we patched him up and sent him home to recoup on his own. I doubt that we could have kept him here much longer anyway."

"Why do you say that?"

"Well it is the strangest thing . . . when Seshen awoke after the match he was famished. He ate more then four times the regular rations for our patients."

"That doesn't sound too bad."

"No, he ate four times the amount of rations for ALL of our patients." The nurse says as she chuckles slightly. "I have never seen anything like it. It was like he was wasting away for days without eating anything. But the Raikage said that he had eaten just before he came to the examination. Strange don't you think?"

Toshida sighs and does not answer as the words of Seshen's quick recovery is slightly damaging to the young shinobi's pride. "Damn I thought that I had done more damage then that."

"That's a horrible thing to say. Seshen was in a lot of pain when he came in here. We had to scrape out some of the salt crystals from the wound on his knee in order help the pain subside. Only after torturing the poor child, were we able to finally begin sealing his wounds."

Although I may have seemed like a sadistic child to the nurse, deep down I was glad to here that Seshen was ok and that he was no seriously injured. There was a knock at the door while I was looking out the window, and I didn't know who it was at the time but the nurse simply bowed and took her leave of me in a hurray.

"Well good morning Toshida." The voice of the unknown figure says, pulling Toshida's attention away from the clouds outside his hospital room window. As Toshida turns to look at the figure, he is surprised to see the man whom he has referred to as his target almost since the day he was born . . . Yamato Dake, The Raikage of the cloud village.

"R-Raikage-sama?" A confused and startled Toshida blurts out just as he tries to rise from his bed to greet the leader of the cloud village. Toshida finds himself struck with an intense sensation of pain in his ribs as he tries to rise from his bed and soon finds himself falling back into his sitting up position, as the Raikage gently helps the boy to get comfortable again without hurting himself.

"Easy there young shinobi. You have been in hospital for almost three days now. I don't want you to have to stay here for three more days now do I?" The Raikage says as he shows a cheerful and almost childish smile on his face.

"N-no Raikage-sama." The confused Toshida says, as he lays back down in his bed. "This is the man I am supposed to kill? But he looks . . . he looks so friendly." Toshida turns to the Raikage. "But Raikage-sama . . . what are you doing here sir?"

"Well I am here to see you Toshida."

"Me? What can I do for you Raikage-sama?"

"Don't try and pull that on me Toshida. You and I at this moment are equal. I am not the Raikage right now." The Raikage removes his robe and hat and places them across the base of Toshida's bed. "You and I are here together as equals. I just want to talk to you my little friend. May I do that?"

Toshida looks confused as the Raikage has laid down his guard, and his authority in front of the young man who has been trained since birth to bring about his demise. Toshida moves his hand under the blankets of his hospital bed and removes his I.V. from the back of his hand and readies it in his hand. "Yes I . . . I suppose so Raikage-sama."

"Very well then Toshida, thank you." The Raikage scratches his head and takes his eyes of the young shinobi wielding a sharp needle in his hand.

"If I can strike fast enough, I can plunge this needle into the side of his head. If I aim just right, I should be able to pierce the temporalis muscle (Temple area of the head). If I can do that, it should either kill him instantly, or distract him enough for me to reach one of his kunai. If he turns to the left, I can grab a kunai and sever the femoral artery via the back of his leg. No wait . . . that's too far from the abdominal aorta. It would take too long for him to die, I could be discovered by then. If he turns to the right though, I can still get a kunai from his pouch and stab him in the descending aorta from behind. It would kill him much quicker and would give me a chance to get away." Toshida tries to move his leg and finds that his body is still very weak after being stuck in bed for three days.

"I wanted to say congratulations on your match with my son."

Toshida's eyes focus in on the Raikage and the grip on his needle begins to loosen. "But . . . I lost the match Raikage-sama."

"The decision may have gone to Seshen, but you put up one of the best fights I have ever seen in my time as Raikage. You made Seshen earn every inch in that match, and even in defeat you were still a winner in my eyes. That is why, I discussed it with the examiners, and for the first time in years, both participants in the examination have graduated. You and Seshen are both genin's as of the conclusion of that match."

Toshida lets go of the needle and lets it fall to his side. "Thank you Raikage-sama . . . but I don't think that I deserve it."

"Oh nonsense Toshida. You and Seshen are the flagships that will drive this villages force into the next generation. You two are perfect examples of how strong our country is. You almost killed each other during that fight and for what? For the right to serve your village and your country to your fullest potential and to be the best. And you both survived to fight another day. I cannot think of any better representatives for our country's shinobi program than you and Seshen. I am very proud of both of you."

Toshida brushes the needle off the side as his intentions of striking the Raikage have subsided as he finds himself confused and awestruck by the Raikage's words. "You're . . . proud of me?"

"Of coarse I am Toshida. I am very proud of you. As the Raikage of the cloud village, I am like the father of all the shinobi that fall under my command. Even those who are training to follow my orders are the youngest of my children. And just like every father, I am always proud of my children."

"Every father is proud of their child?"

To me that was something I could have only dreamed of. My father never said he was proud of me for anything I did. If I hit four targets in a row during practice, he'd tell me to hit five. When I hit five, he'd tell me to hit ten. Nothing was ever good enough for my father and to me, fathers' were only proud of children that deserved the praise. I always thought it was my fault . . . and that I wasn't good enough for my father to be proud of me. Yet, here is a man sitting in front of me who I had been told since as long as I can remember, was a monster and a lying snake . . . was sitting in front of me as a regular human being . . . smiling and telling me that he was proud of me. I had never felt that way before . . . but for the first time since I lost my mother . . . I was happy. I was content with my life . . . I didn't want to kill this man who was making me feel so happy.

"Well of coarse all fathers are proud of their children. That is the right thing to do. To know that something you had created and nurtured since birth is progressing so well in life . . . and all of their other endeavors . . . and making their own choices . . ."

"Making their own choices?" Toshida asks. Memories begin to flood back into Toshida's mind. Memories that Toshida had almost forgotten begin to surface again.

He remembers sitting with his mother years ago during one of their secret meetings in the village of sin.

(Flashback)

"Toshida," Yuna says, getting the attention of her son. "Do you ever cry?"

"Do I ever cry?" Toshida begins to think as far back as he can remember, and no memory comes to mind of him ever shedding tears. "No mommy, I can't say that I ever have. Why are you asking?"

"I can't remember either. I can't remember you ever crying because you were hurt . . . or sad . . . even when you were a baby . . . you never cried.

"But why is that important mom?"

"Do you know what tears are Toshida?"

"Yes. They are another way for your body to release adrenaline to prevent . . ."

"I know that you know what they are literally, but do you know what tears symbolize in children?"

"Um . . . no mom . . . I don't" The question put before him has Toshida perplexed as he tries to understand the hidden meaning behind shedding tears.

"Tears Toshida . . . is a symbol of your innocence. Every child is born innocent Toshida. I was, you were, every child is born with a clean slate and a life that is white and blank. It's their life to control . . . their destiny to manipulate."

"Why are you telling me this mom?"

"I am telling you this because your father has been trying to steal your innocence since the day you were born. He has been trying to manipulate you into living the life that he wants you live to fulfill his own personal desires. And that's not right!"

" . . . never forget your innocence. No matter what your father tells you, you are a good boy. You are a child with a promising future . . . and nothing that he could ever do and ever will do, will change that. He wants you to take the life of his enemies for him . . . and by doing so . . . he would gladly have you lose your innocence for the pursuit of his own revenge. If you take a life Toshida . . . you have robbed someone of their innocence . . . and robbed yourself of your own. You have to do whatever you can in order maintain your innocence . . . if you lose it . . . there may be nothing you can do to redeem yourself. And if that happens . . . you may never be able to live the life you were promised at birth . . . one that you set for yourself."

Yuna then breaks down and cries, pulling her son close to her, clutching him tightly in her arms as she cries heavily on his shoulder.

(Flashback Ends)

"Why yes Toshida. Every child should have the freedom to make their own choice's child. No child should ever be forced to follow a path that is not their own. I am surprised that you don't know that."

"I just . . ." Toshida tries to think of way to defend his father simply out of instinct . . . but is unable to shake the impact of the Raikage's words.

"I take it Toshida, that your parents had your life planned out for you?"

"Yes . . . Raikage-sama. My parents wanted me . . . to be a shinobi."

"And a very good shinobi you have already become Toshida. You would do your parents proud if they were here today. But is being a shinobi what you wanted to do with your life Toshida?"

"I . . . I don't . . . I mean I never . . . I don't know Raikage-sama."

"What do you mean you don't know? There are hundreds of different opportunities for a young man like yourself. There is no end to the possibilities."

"I never thought about it that way Raikage-sama."

"I will tell you what Toshida, I will pull whatever strings I need to, to ensure that you are a happy young man. If it means that I will lose you as a soldier . . . then so be it. If you wish to become a chef . . . or an architect, an innkeeper or a politician, I will do whatever it takes to see that you are on your way to accomplishing whatever your ambitions are. So please . . . take some time to think it over, and when you come to a decision let me know and it will be done."

My whole mind was in shambles after that message . . . I was always told that my destiny and my spot in life . . . was as a weapon . . . an instrument for my father's revenge. And now the most powerful man in the country, is telling me that if I want to spend my life baking pies and cooking ramen that's ok with him? And that he will help me with that? What was I supposed to think? What was I supposed to do? The Raikage turned my whole world upside down in a matter of fifteen minutes. I began to doubt my father . . . I doubted my life as a shinobi . . . I doubted everything.

Suddenly, the door opens abruptly and one of the Raikage's advisors and personal guards shows up with a piece of paper in his hands and an exasperated look on his face.

"Raikage-sama! Pardon the interruption sir, but we have news from the front, and it isn't good."

The Raikage nods with a concerned look on his face and turns his attention to Toshida still confused as he lay in bed. "I am sorry Toshida, but I must attend to this. Remember what I told you ok? And get back to me."

"Y-yes Raikage-sama."

The Raikage grabs his robe and hat and follows the advisor out of the room as he is handed the notice from the front of the lines. The Raikage stops in mid stride as they walk through the hallway toward the cloud villages briefing room for all its military forces.

He lowers his head and turns to the advisor. "Please tell me that this is not accurate."

"I wish I could Raikage-sama, but it has been confirmed. We have lost Tarawa Creek."

"Dammit!" The Raikage says, as he crumbles the notice in his hand before throwing it to the floor. "We had our 3rd and 4th battalion reinforcing that front only two days ago. How is it that we lost the position?"

"Well, reports are coming in slowly, but apparently the leaf's were able to pull forces out from the battles along the southwestern border to back up their soldiers. They attacked en mass early yesterday morning and managed to push our forces back to just six miles south of the border late yesterday evening. Our losses are estimated at around one hundred and twenty."

"A hundred and twenty? Good god. We cannot afford to let the leafs keep Tarawa Creek. That plateau holds the key to launching a campaign into the Thunder country itself. If they manage to hold on to that area, they will have the perfect camp ground to mass their forces."

"What do you want me to do Raikage-sama?"

The Raikage catches a deep breath as he tries to come up with a plan of action to counter the leaf's attack. "Send order to Shin. I want him to take command of the 7th battalion. When he has done that, I want word sent out to the 1st and 2nd divisions that are holding position along the eastern front to meet Shin at the border. I also want the 9th and 10th battalions to combine their forces, and funnel in toward the Hiroshi pass."

"The Hiroshi pass sir? Why would we send any one there?"

"Because with the way these leafs fight, they will surely try and maintain their momentum and keep pushing us backward so that they can develop enough breathing room between our forces and the base they will no doubt erect at Tarawa Creek. But if we block off the Hiroshi pass with our forces, then the only way for the leafs to push further into the thunder country, is through the Shitsune gully."

"Ah yes, I think I understand now. We cluster the only easy way into the thunder country and force the leafs to find another way around. They will try and flank our troops in the pass, and have to go through the gully. Everywhere else is just mountains. When they pass through the gully, they will be vulnerable."

"Right. That is when Shin will have his forces placed along the mountain tops that surround the gully. They can attack from the high ground and force the leafs to either advance through the gully, where the 1st division will be blocking their path, or they can retreat only to find the 2nd division waiting for them. We will completely block them off . . . and then it will be their turn to fall back. With their expeditionary forces wiped out, they will most certainly try and regroup their troops at Tarawa Creek. And when they do that, we will have five whole battalions charging toward them."

"Brilliant Raikage-sama. I will send word to Shin immediately." The advisor says as he takes his leave of the Raikage, running down the hallway in an effort to reach the Raikage's right hand with news of the counter attack.

The Raikage begins to walk down the hallways as well but finds himself drawn to the room that he just left. He turns around and looks back at Toshida's room, when something Shin said earlier comes to his mind.

(Flashback)

"Yes Shin, that is the strange Toshida child. Apparently he is an orphan from the northern provinces. He has also been giving my son quite the run in the race for top of the class. This child may prove to be a great asset to our military as soon as he comes of age. God knows we can use all the help we can get. This war with the leaf is taking its toll. But why do you ask Shin?"

"Just this boy . . . he looks rather familiar. I know I have never seen him before . . . but perhaps I knew his parents?"

"Not likely. They were farmers in the northern provinces, and I doubt that you have known anyone up that way."

"Yea I guess you're right Raikage-sama. But still . . . his face just looks familiar.

(Flashback Ends)

The Raikage thinks to himself, "Strange isn't it Shin . . . I am beginning to think that I have met this boy before as well."