WAR NEVER ENDS – EXPLOSIVE
The Battlefield
Shinki and Shikadai. Cousins fighting together against a common foe. They are convinced that they have the advantage in intelligence over their opponent, much like Kakashi and Tobirama had done. However, things don't seem to be going their way, they just cannot finish things. Each man is drenched in sweat from head to toe. They feel like they have been running for years without stopping.
A contrast to the cousins Tao Ma seems ecstatic. Swaying side-to-side like a drunkard, he smiles and occasionally laughs at the duos attacks. He looks down, unironically surprised at the state of his clothing and gives it a light dusting.
Shikadai realises instantly that this is simply bluff. He is mocking them. They should have beaten someone like this long ago yet he keeps surviving their attacks. The quick attacks are too slow, the heavy attacks too light, the lethal attacks too survivable.
"… I'm going for a direct attack" Shinki whispers, craning his neck slightly towards his cousin. "Cover me, Shikadai".
"Yes".
Shinki breaks, kicking the ground and running towards Tao Ma as quickly as he can. He makes a depressing picture, running so desperately like this. Using divine energy and chakra, he had previously been so fast but now he is different. Every step laboured, he approaches his foe, summoning a fraction of his miniscule chakra and divine energy remnants.
Tao Ma lifts his right hand slowly, his hand opens as if holding the underside of an invisible bowl. As he does a familiar appears to his left. It's another tentacle, made from the same grey substance as all those that came before it. This most terrifying divine energy, if that is what it is at all. With the tentacle constructed he turns his cupped hand upside down and lowers it, instructing his creation. It slams downward, the tentacle destined for Shinki, who is in no state to avoid the incoming blow.
Shikadai is prepared though. He has forced himself into a state of readiness despite his fatigue. He creates a 'darkness' kunai and launches it towards the tentacle. As the two connect it is obvious where the power in the exchange lies. While the kunai, despite being made with a transcendent element, is sent scurrying away, the tentacle continues its path almost unperturbed. 'Almost' is exactly what Shikadai wants though. That small contact is just enough to change the tentacle's motion and bring it down to Shinki's side, saving him from the danger.
Tao Ma isn't concerned, he repeats his attack several times. He is all too happy, grinning like a child, lifting his hands up and down to mimic playing a piano. He doesn't appear afraid. Even as Shinki closes the distance to less than five meters he doesn't flinch.
Shikadai has been exerting himself beyond what he thought possible to deter these attacks but he has managed it. As his cousin closes the distance to less than three meters, he spies that the smile is still there on the face of his opponent. Some may label it complacent, confident, or even a showing of his relaxation. Shikadai can only look for one thing in his opponent now though, openings. As far as openings go, this is one of his favourite, carelessness.
Shinki pulls back his open-palm, twists his hips and readies what looks like a slap to his opponent. A slap is too straightforward though, he cannot afford to fight this man with such tactics. In a battle of power, it has already been shown to him that Tao Ma is vastly superior. He must strike from the shadows, where his opponent cannot see. He slaps his hand across the air before the captor's face and trailing behind it is iron sand. It connects with its target, doing no great physical damage to Tao Ma but succeeding in blinding him.
Shikadai nods to himself, 'All according to plan'. He and Shinki both knew that this tactic would be effective against any opponent. Everyone panics when they are blinded, save for those who have had their instincts stripped from them. In that moment there will be an opening, he is sure of it, there will be an opening.
Shinki follows the momentum of his own hand, sprinting around the whirling iron sand and standing arm's length from the blinded Tao Ma. This is it, the opening that both he and Shikadai foresaw. He doesn't hold anything back, getting just a tiny bit closer to his opponent before raising his leg and viciously kicking him in the side of the head. It's a direct hit, nothing there to stop him, the full force generated by his swinging body strikes against the skull of Tao Ma.
It does nothing!
Tao Ma doesn't even shift from the spot as he is struck directly in the head.
'Impossible' Shinki tells himself, 'I hit him as hard as I could'.
Shikadai feels a shiver go down his spine. He doesn't know what is happening. He is certain that he and Shinki together are just as strong as Kakashi, Tobirama or Minato. While they all won, the two of them can do nothing against this man. It doesn't add up to him, this crazed individual before them isn't normal in any sense of the word.
Moving at his full speed for the first time in their fight, Tao Ma drops low onto his knees and uses his right arm to swipe Shinki's legs out from under him. With the Kazekage off balance, he concentrates his grey divine energy into the shape of a boot around his foot, and kicks him hard back where he came from. The 'sand' user had been sent flying back in this fight many times but never so strongly as this. When he lands several of his ribs are cracked and his cries of agony speak to his intense pain.
"Shinki!". The Circle's Administrator understands now. "You bastard, you were just messing around with us!".
"Indeed, your attacks will never work on me, not in a million years or more".
"Why" coughs Shinki. "Why are you even bothering? If you are so strong why bother to play around with us?".
"I don't care about this battle, I've been given no reason to intervene whatsoever" he proclaims. "I simply saw that you two were spare and decided to warm up for the true battle".
"When my leader arrives, everything that happens here will become inconsequential. When my leader arrives, everything will be settled".
With the truth laid bare, Tao Ma invites the two to continue, informing them that, for him, the warmup has been quite enjoyable. The duo curse their luck but see little choice other continuing to fight. They must stop him distracting the others if nothing else can be done, so, that is what they resolve to do, whatever it takes.
Elsewhere on the Battlefield
Hiruzen collapses and Tsunade carries him over to Peterson's side. She had believed that her teacher may have been able to recover but now that looks naïve. The two of them are down for the count, and despite the enormous damage she took during the fight, she is the only one of the group left with her ability to stand. That is her ability as a shinobi, her strength and endurance surpass anyone else. That is why, regardless of who it strikes, a blow of hers is going to hurt.
Looking over them she feels a serenity in her heart, they are a perfect picture to describe how this battle has gone. Shinobi and old invaders working together. Both unable to stand yet both so determined to do more. It is not their minds that have failed them but their body. Peterson, having fought so passionately to save them from death. Hiruzen, this more youthful version of her teacher makes her swell with a feeling of pride. That is the man who taught her.
A battle cry sounds and she looks to her left. A group of captains are charging her direction. Easy pickings for one such as herself. She pulls her arm back and then slams it down into the ground beneath her feet. Shockwaves knock down the various incoming attackers. The scattering of dust from just a single punch speaks not only to how far she has come in three years but also the gulf in class between the captains and generals.
Then a single captain dashes towards her.
She sighs and pulls her fist back once again but then she feels something terrible. Her healing jutsu, sage mode, they both disappear. It feels like all of energy vanishes with the two enhancement techniques and she falls to one knee. With sweat dripping on her brow, she shouts at herself as she forces herself back onto her feet.
'I have to defend these two'.
She takes a single step forward but her vision instantly goes faint.
'It's no good, I can barely stand right now, let alone fight'.
Tsunade is not done, she knows that mentally. All she needs do is wait, her power will come back to her. If her talent is anything like her grandfathers was within ten minutes she may well be back to at least half-strength. She doesn't have minutes though, she has seconds and nothing to defend herself with.
The incoming captain creates a sword from 'lightning'. The element her friend just moments ago is now, ironically, her worst enemy.
She resigns herself to death, daring to smile about all she has achieved. This is a good way to die she tells herself. 'Dan, Grandfather, I hope you saw what I did today. I hope that I made you both proud'.
She hears the crackling of electricity as the sword cuts through the air but it is some way away yet and there is another sound for her to hear, a sound of salvation. Footsteps, running up to her from behind and past her. She opens her eyes to see her most recent teacher charging into battle.
Mitsuki attacks. He charges into a head on clash with the captain. The captain strikes Mitsuki's head with his sword. Mitsuki strikes the captain's heart with his kunai. When both warriors drop to the ground, only one of them is fortunate enough to survive. Orochimaru's wily soon used a clone to escape death and that isn't the only trick he used.
The captain clutches at his chest and mouths the fateful word. "Poison".
Dead.
"Mitsuki!".
"Don't worry Lady 5th, the shinobi of today are not completely helpless".
Elsewhere on the Battlefield
Across the battlefield captains are taking advantage of their weakened adversaries. This is their biggest chance to make a huge impact in this conflict. Warriors that have just fought generals will have barely survived, they won't be able to resist if they are attacked and Minato is no exception.
However, as Mitsuki has pointed out, the shinobi of today are not completely helpless.
Minato is still able to use his chakra but as he teleports about the battlefield, he is not impervious to damage. Using chakra alone, he is not so superior to the average captain and when teleporting hundreds of times per minute, eventually one of the captains is going to recognise your instinctual movements.
The 4th Hokage is about to be hit, a well-placed kick to the chest is stopped though, by some familiar looking chains. Just as Minato is about to look around at the source, a member of the Hyuuga clan arrives before him, expertly using gentle fist to put down her immobile opponent.
"Kushina… Himawari…".
"Don't put too much of the burden on yourself Minato" his wife urges him.
His granddaughter is of the same mind. "We aren't here to stand behind you all the time. We came here to fight".
Elsewhere on the Battlefield
Tobirama is only just back to his feet, his fellow Hokage still downed beside him. Kakashi had completely drained himself previously. Unfortunately, the 6th Hokage's Sharingan making him the slower of the two to recover. Tobirama spots the incoming attacker and realises that defence here will be up to him.
Without much energy to call on, he raises a kunai; one smart use of the flying thunder god may be enough.
He isn't wrong and is amazed when he suddenly hears a voice in his head. He activates the flying thunder god, staying perfectly still as instead of moving elsewhere, someone moves to him.
ChouChou appears before the 2nd Hokage in a flash of gold and immediately slams her enlarged hand down atop the captain.
This is quickly followed up by the arrival of an ink-coloured beast, akin to a drawing from a comic book in its nature. An elephant. It is an elephant, Tobirama realises. That elephant charges to the injured captain, engulfing him and disappearing a cloud of smoke as a seal is formed.
The Hokage can only smile. "ChouChou, Inojin, good work".
"You can count on us".
"It would embarrass our families if we did nothing in this battle".
Inojin is convinced that somewhere, his father is watching on.
Elsewhere on the Battlefield
"We're actually losing" Elliot reiterates to himself, more firmly this time. "That is impossible. It cannot be happening".
Realising that he is speaking aloud, he silences himself.
'It's as if the enemy forces have been rallied by their victories. Is the morale boost alone enough to put us on a level playing field, or is there a greater force at work here?'.
Elliot racks his brains for the possible cause of this unthinkable outcome. Someone from the aristocracy perhaps? But why would anyone from the aristocracy bother to support these rebels, is there anything to gain from it? Perhaps some of them have indeed been taken in by Clyde's words, perhaps they believe that there is hope to be found here and that this world could be the catalyst for change.
He clears his mind. It is not his place to consider these things. His place is where it has always been, at Lara's side, supporting her decisions.
'In that case I have to stop the tide here. I have to defeat this woman'.
As chain explosions continue to head his direction, it becomes increasingly more difficult to dodge them every time. The first time was comfortable, the second he had been caught by surprise and narrowly avoided it, every time after that he had been aware but it made no difference. Very soon, if this continues, Mirai will be able to hit him conventionally, no shinobi trickery required.
He dodges once more but this time Mirai sees through his evasion. He dances backwards from the approaching explosion but she is waiting in his path. Mirai's fist is already exploding dozens of times each second as she throws the right hook towards his head.
'I cannot afford to underestimate this woman anymore. I have to finish it now' he realises.
From this point forward, he will hold nothing back.
Feeling the approach of the incoming punch, he protects his body using the same method he used against Dan, creating a thin but intense layer of 'cold' energy around his body. In addition to the energy, he waits for the perfect moment before leaning rightwards using his hip. With Mirai's momentum carrying her past him, he catches her wrist and uses the control he has gained to target her spine. Five consecutive elbows, each more painful the last and deeper into her spine each time. From each point of contact, what looks like ice begins to spread as Mirai's flesh freezes solid. Lastly, he freezes her hand and throws her a short distance in front of him.
"Checkmate" he proclaims before unleashing his trump card.
He unleashes a torrent of 'cold' divine energy and freezes the very air around Mirai, trapping her in an iceberg like structure. This is the same way he defeated Dan. He punches his own creation, sending cracks towards Mirai, cracks that would cause her death upon reaching her.
"Mirai…" he grandmother screams.
"No" Shikamaru shakes his head, "Mirai… not like this…".
Hiruzen too looks up from his position on the floor, a solemn look on his face, realising the peril his granddaughter is in.
But, this is a day of miracles. And the loudest explosion of the day is the greatest one yet.
Frozen air launches violently in all directions, propelled by an enormous detonation from its previous epicentre.
Mirai has escaped.
"She escaped" Temari shakes Shikamaru's shoulder excitedly, "She escaped from the ice".
"Yeah…".
The 3rd Hokage smiles. "I knew that you wouldn't lose here".
This is the last straw for Elliot's sanity.
"That's impossible. Nobody has escaped from that ice before".
He is answered by an unwavering glare, Mirai has nothing to say to this stupid. Mirai's mind is not with the predicament of Elliot but instead it is with Kato Dan. She wonders what would have happened, if she had fought Elliot that day instead of him. Where would they be now, would the situation be better, would it be worse. It is one of those questions she will likely ask herself forever.
"Your ability to fuse wind and fire is impossible!".
"To escape from my frozen air is impossible!".
"What is this ability? What right do you have to it?".
"What are you… WHO ARE YOU!".
She answers the only way she can.
"I am simply… Sarutobi Mirai".
The general has no rational mind for battle anymore, he panics, resorting once again to the same attack as the air in front of him begins to freeze.
Poofs of smoke occur in tens as Mirai creates clones to counteract the incoming ice. Hundreds of smaller explosions from her weaker-selves halt the incoming frost in its tracks, the ice will not get her again.
With the 'cold' held back, she charges through the remaining tiny layer of the divine energy that Elliot has summoned. Coming face-to-face with her enemy, she pulls two chakra blades to her hands. Concentrating the 'wind' energy on them, she touches them together, introducing a spark enhanced by her own fire chakra. With an enormous bang, Elliot is knocked from the sky.
'This can't be… I, Lara's second-in-command… have lost…'.
As Elliot's back hits the ground, Mirai is fortunate to have her feet touch it instead.
"She won" Shikamaru says, "She won!".
To the ovation from those behind her, Mirai raises her fist.
Her last act before her frozen flesh begins to impair her and her body begins to shut down. She hopes, as she loses consciousness, that she never has to fight someone who uses 'cold' again.
Many are left to wander the same thing as General Elliot though. Given their abilities, for the other Kage to fight on the level of generals makes sense to them. But for Mirai to fight on the level of a transcendent general makes no sense whatsoever. Is she an anomaly that they will never understand? Or perhaps the chosen child of a god?
Those on her side take hope though, that is yet another victory.
Now there is only one general left.
Now there is only Lara.