Summary/Disclaimer: Time for another chapter of the Merc and the Medic. Enjoy the 900-word chapter. I don't own Naruto, Masashi Kishimoto and a few others do.

(Land of Waves.)

Marmora would never call himself a very smart man, clever and tactical… not smart, never even once would the words pass his lips.

"You know you're probably going to die doing this." Kuraokami stated, Marmora ignored the dragon god.

But the slight pull of his lips into a frown was enough for Kuraokami to notice… yes, he did know this would be the end of the road.

"That scroll gets into their hands? Then it won't matter how many of the scrolls we have in the long run. They will piece it together… weeks, months, it won't matter in the end to them, they will have what they need to get that tree. I'm going to do whatever I can to try and slow them down." Marmora looked over his shoulder.

Sakura hadn't followed, she hadn't made a choice yet… he knew she wasn't just going to do what he hoped she'd do and leave.

This was his battle, and if he lost? Something he knew was entirely likely? He'd like to try and buy the Hokage some time. Naruto was the real hero; he was just a soldier fighting the enemy one last time to try and buy the commander some time.

He entered the very large foyer of the mansion. Marmora looked around, seeing nothing in sight and nothing around him.

The worst thing about a mission is when you don't see the enemy. He knew they were hiding, waiting for him like snakes in the grass waiting to bite and lap up whatever blood they could from him. it wouldn't at all be pretty when things came down to it.

"I know you're here. you're going to have to try harder than pretending to have left. I've been on enough missions to know what a feint from the enemy is." Marmora stated, he was cut off as a pair of White Zetsu appeared in front of them…

Another pair appeared behind him, closing the cracked door on rusty hinges. It wouldn't even take a single hit from Sakura to knock them clean off and probably crumple them into dust before they even hit the wall in front of him.

At the top of the staircase, Urashiki waited. He held a book in his hands which he closed and disregarded before looking at Arata with a smile that oozed arrogance.

Just something he had known to expect according to what Kuraokami stated about the clan over and over again. That dragon never seemed to get that Marmora was well aware of the enemy being cocky and arrogant.

"Have you come to hand over the scroll in exchange for me ending your life quickly?" Urashiki's look threated to split his entire face down the middle.

He thought he had Marmora in a box, and while he did? Marmora wasn't going down quickly; he'd take as many of the enemy down as possible with him… Naruto and Konoha would dispose of the rest.

That was his last assignment, he'd do it and die knowing someone would stop their plan from destroying the world. It couldn't be him; it wouldn't be him because he wasn't the hero.

"Does it look like I have it?" Marmora crossed his arms, trying to bait the monstrously strong being into making a mistake.

A single mistake and he would strike, the very second, he stopped trying to hold the upper hand? He'd strike like a cobra and take him down.

Urashiki walked down from the railing, his smile never fading from his face as he reached the bottom step quietly.

"You're going to die here, you know. you shouldn't have told the Haruno girl to run… now I'll just have to chase her down and 'ASK' for it." Urashiki stated, his smile like a cobra before it devoured its prey.

Marmora refused to budge, he couldn't. Marmora was going to wait for a good strike even if it meant letting Urashiki ramble on and on without a way to try and record it to send to Konoha.

Another curse he had to live with, not being able to pass on any information to help fight the enemy.

"You're not going to stop her… she's a lot smarter than she looks, smarter than me, more skilled then me." Marmora's eyes narrowed.

He looked at the White Zetsu, all eager to fight him… to kill him if they had to, more meat for the grinder they planned to bring to the earth.

He wasn't going down here, if that was the only thing he promised, he'd die right after he stopped Urashiki.

Urashiki made a snapping motion and all of the White Zetsu charged, Marmora welcomed them as a warrior should.

Their deaths would be for nothing more than to win the last war with the alien invaders.

He drew a kunai, eager to end this.

Author Notes

Phew, another chapter done! I want to point out Marmora's tale will end with him and Sakura together and fighting Kinshiki actually… I don't know what much more to do with this story… so I am updating it more slowly. Sarada is going to updated a bit more. Next chapter will be in 4 or 5 weeks and will show Marmora fighting Urashiki and Sakura's choice. Until then, Lighting Wolf out!