BACK TO SCHOOL – HER NAME IS NINA
The Military Academy
Nina grins childishly, a look that would intimidate normal people, especially with her scarred appearance. She is clearly a warrior. General Odion and General Dodi are seldom intimidated though, and as far as they are concerned there is only one person worth paying attention to in this academy. Nina and Juan may be impressive teaching experts, but neither of them are Headmaster Sora.
"Juan, do you want the quiet one or the noisy one? I don't care which one you pick, but I'm definitely kicking the other one's ass."
Juan takes a swig from his bottle before dropping it, "Don't be stupid, I'm taking on both of them."
"But-"
"It would be stupid for you to get involved," Juan says with the greatest annoyance, "We took specific measures to hide your identity before, don't let those efforts go to waste needlessly."
Naruto feels the sweat running down his back. Juan hasn't been sober since he arrived at the military academy. Juan has been condescending, rude and has barely put any effort into anything since he has arrived. Surely taking on two imperial guard generals isn't possible even for him.
Nina groans. "If they beat you too badly I'm stepping in, got it."
"Yes, yes."
Juan walks forward without a care in the world. He was not a warrior in the previous war, he was a teacher. This leaves Naruto to wonder if he can really fight on this level, if he isn't underestimating his opponents. If Juan is underestimating his opponents it doesn't show as Nina yawns and places her hands behind her head.
Juan's fingers flicker down by his sides, bringing upon him a divine energy cloak light green in colour. The light green aura quickly fills with small golden particles signalling to all that Juan has completely mastered his element, as if there were any doubt. His energy is marvellous to behold, while it cannot compare to the Headmaster's, it's not far behind the two generals attacking them. It exudes a pressure unlike any of the other aristocrats in the academy and for the first time gives the defenders some hope of victory.
Juan plants his feet firmly in the ground, twenty meters from his opponent, he throws a straightforward punch.
As Juan's fist travels a foot forward, suddenly its motion begins to change completely. After one moment is has moved half an arm's length, after the next it has covered the distance between Juan and Odion. Bridging the distance between them as if it were nothing, Juan strikes Odion's head from above.
A large group of onlookers completely fail to understand Juan's power as they see this. It appears that Juan's arm stretched to many times it's original length but it did not. Juan's arm cannot change length, stretching is not his power. Juan's power is beyond what normal people can understand.
Juan repeats his long distance strikes several times, slapping both generals repeatedly until General Dodi takes evasive manoeuvres. The quieter of the two generals activates his power, allowing the strike to pass through him and dashing towards Juan.
As General Dodi runs at Juan, suddenly the ground beneath him seems to stop moving. He glances down for a moment to see that the steps he is taking barely move him at all. As if the world itself is pushing him backwards, the distance between he and his adversary does not close by a single meter.
'What's going on?' Dodi wonders as he continues to helplessly run forward.
Juan raises a hand in front of his face before closing his fist. General Dodi comes launching forward, all his accumulated momentum being unleashed in a single almighty flourish. The power with which he lurches forward takes his own legs out from under him, rasping all control from his hands.
General Dodi falls into the grasp of Juan who grasps the upper-hand with aplomb, striking his opponent furiously and repeatedly. There is nothing fancy about his strikes, just the pain of the cracking bones and the aching of the tearing muscles as his knuckles meet Dodi's flesh.
Dodi activates his power as soon as he can react, causing Juan's strikes to pass through him. Nadia's general then raises his hands, placing them either side of his attacker's head and clicks his fingers. The air disappears from around Juan's head, leaving the senior teacher struggling to breathe in the vacuum that consumes him.
"The air's gone?" Naruto notices.
Nina looks at her student and smiles playfully. Just yesterday Naruto wouldn't have noticed that, at least not in the way that he did. Anyone could tell that Juan can't breathe, but it takes far greater sensory powers to notice that the air itself has evacuated from around him. Naruto's grasp over the one true sense is improving at a rapid pace.
"General Dodi's power is 'absence'" Nina explains, "Juan's element is 'space'. Battles between people on this level are unlike what you have known up until now."
Juan raises his hands either side of his own head, placing them in the same position Dodi did previously. He clicks his fingers, scattering his gold and green divine energy about. Suddenly, he can breathe again, but now General Dodi finds himself unable to do so. Using his element of 'space' he was able to perfectly swap every molecule around his head with those around his opponent.
Dodi quickly deactivates the 'absence' pocket, bringing the air flushing back into the gap with a loud bang. His element usually leaves people flustered when they can't hit him, but someone with an adequate reaction time can always reach him. Juan is someone even more dangerous, he is someone who can fluster Dodi instead. When General Dodi loses his calm demeanour, his skill with his abilities quickly falters.
Juan strikes out at Dodi rapidly, using his element to distort the space between them with each blow. If Dodi could have watched Juan fight before this he may have been able to work out how the teacher's mind worked, how to counter his seemingly random strikes. There is no time for Nadia's general though, no time to think, no time to react as he is pummelled by the subordinate of Headmaster Sora.
Both Juan and Dodi strike forward at the same time, but the general is panicked. Juan knows that with such an exchange he is going to come out on top. However, not everything goes according to his plan. Suddenly, a hand grabs his elbow and directs Juan's strike away from his opponent.
'Damn!'
Dodi's strike lands cleanly on Juan, putting him on his back. Juan quickly gets back to his feet but realises what happened before even looking.
"General Odion is that you?" Juan asks rhetorically, "Of course, they had to send you of all people, the one man with the element that can nullify my own."
General Odion does not entertain Juan's attempt at delaying tactics. He begins his offensive. One moment he is standing across from the teacher, the next he is gone. Before anyone knows what has happened, Odion's arms are wrapped tightly around Juan's neck from behind.
"What's going on?" Naruto asks.
"Juan has sparred with Odion before, because 'time' is the worst element as far as Juan is concerned," Nina explains, "If your opponent can affect the flow of time then no chances in space will bother him."
"I see."
Nina looks at Naruto and twists her head tauntingly. "Hey, moral support!"
"What?"
"Why are you speaking with me you fool! Go and heal those people already, stop getting distracted!"
"Right."
Nina shakes her head and watches Naruto go about his healing duties. He is so young yet already so diligent in doing the right thing. Most people on his level are hundreds of years old, some are thousands of years old. Its as if the shinobi was sent by a god, a reminder that purity exists in this world stained with evil. The gold and silver of the imperial guard uniforms are an ugly reminder for her, a reminder of just how bad that evil can be.
Odion continues to tighten his grip from behind Juan. "OK Dodi, get him."
"Yes." Dodi answers.
The general morphs his divine energy into a bow and arrow. It's a straightforward yet powerful attack and as he pulls back on his bow string the tension alone sends small noticeable tremors through the surrounding ground. General Dodi aims carefully towards Juan's head and fires without remorse.
In an act of desperation, Juan thrusts his elbow back into Odion's stomach to weaken his grip. For a single moment, oxygen begins to flow to his brain once again. He bends the 'space' energy in front of him and sends the arrow shooting just over the top of his head by manipulating some angles.
Juan sighs a breath of relief before General Odion grips him tightly once again.
"What are you doing Dodi!"
"Oops, I missed," the red-haired general comments lazily.
"Well don't do that you fool, he's right where we want him, so why don't you try again. Don't screw it up this time."
"Fine, fine, don't shout so loudly."
As Dodi pulls back on his bowstring once again, an 'absence' arrow forms, one slightly more powerful than last time. Juan begins to thrash desperately in Odion's grasp, fully aware that if that arrow hits him that he will die. Nina's muscles tense slightly as she keeps to her word and holds off intervening until the very last moment. Her identity is a precious secret, a great advantage to the movement Naruto will champion, throwing that away would be stupid.
Luckily, a group of the instructors from below ground arrive and attack Dodi, distracting him at the last moment. Dodi gently glides back along the ground and fires the 'absence' arrow into the crowd, dealing tremendous damage to his much inferior foes. This is going to leave Naruto with much more work to do.
Juan uses the distraction the aristocrats have provided to drive his elbow more slowly and powerfully into Odion's gut, this time breaking fully from the grip of his opponent. Juan reaches his arm back and grips Odion around his torso before leaning forward, using all the power in his hips to throw the general away.
"Keep him distracted!" Juan shouts through deep breaths, "I'll deal with Odion!"
Nearby, the 7th Hokage works furiously to help the injured.
"Lara, Lord 2nd, Dad!" he shouts.
The three of them quickly arrive at his side, ready to do whatever he needs.
"Gather as many of the of the injured as you can and bring them here to me," Naruto instructs, "And bring Tsunade as well, and any other healers we have. We need to heal everyone quickly!"
A trio of flashes occur in front of Naruto as two Hokage and a General begin their lightning fast manoeuvres. Within the first ten seconds over a dozen injured aristocrats, captains, colonels and generals stack up in front of the 'life' user. After a moment, Tobirama locks on to his niece's chakra and brings her, along with an ensemble of medics, to Naruto's side.
"How are we dividing the work?" Tsunade asks as she rolls up her sleeves.
"I'll deal with the life-threatening injuries, you guys deal with everything else," Naruto says authoritatively, "Right now we need to get as many aristocrats back into the battle as we can. Let's go everyone."
Elsewhere in the Academy
Headmaster Sora's other direct student, Ming Dai, dashes through the corridors of the academy as quickly as his feet will carry him. Not pausing for a moment, he bellows instructions and warnings down the halls of the world's largest school. It would take most people years, but in seconds he is able to mobilise one of the largest armies to have ever existed.
"We're under attack! We're under attack!
"By order of Headmaster Sora, all aristocrats head to the north and join the fight
"All healers head to the north and help our fallen comrades!
"Everyone else to the south! Evacuate! Evacuate!"
The North Side of the Academy
Dodi's eyes remain empty as he continues to scurry around. He dodges countless attacks from countless aristocrats. In his mind these people became teachers because they lacked the resolve to serve in the imperial guard. However, even though they are weaker than him, and far less skilled, this many opponents can still frustrate him. He works hard to evade their many attacks, countering in the few moments that he is allowed to do so.
"This is annoying," Dodi says, "Odion, hurry up and kill him please."
"Silence Dodi, this man is not so easy to-"
Juan hearing the dialogue feels himself relax for a moment. That is one of the many things he has learnt over his years as a teacher. Most teachers would tell you never to relax during a fight but knowing when to relax is actually a vital skill. It is during these key moments that great fighters allow themselves a moment to recover. It is during these moments that the small margins that decide a fight are built upon, that make you a true warrior.
Unfortunately, General Odion is the exception to that rule.
You should never drop your guard in front of General Odion.
The moment Juan's hands drop slightly, Odion pauses 'time'. When 'time' starts again, Odion is right in front of Juan and the teacher's guard is still lowered. Surprise attacks of such speed can never be blocked, not even by someone with Juan's skill.
The bottom of Odion's fist slams down into Juan's nose like a sledgehammer. The moment Odion's fist connects, Dodi can feel the grinding of bones, he feels the build up and release of tension as something between his eyes cracks. As Juan reels from the tremendous pain, more blows rain down upon him. Repeated strikes to the head with great frequency and ferocity, each of them disorientating him more than the last.
Juan panics and leaps backwards.
"I can't think!" he yells, hoping that Nina will come to his aid.
Nina doesn't come to his rescue though. At first he can't identify the pleasant sensation that wraps around him. Within the first second, all of his injuries vanish and his blurry vision becomes crystal clear. He feels sober for the first time in ages and he realises that only one person could so quickly make him feel this way.
Naruto leapt forward and healed him at the crucial moment.
Odion, seeing Naruto getting involved in the action, leaps towards him, making a grab for his target.
Juan, now feeling perfectly awake and conscious, warps the 'space' between him and General Odion, striking forward with a hammer blow much like Odion did seconds ago. Now it is Odion who feels the pain of broken bones and anguish of blurred vision.
Odion has tricks too though, by pausing time he manages to take a breath of air and refocus his senses. This attack may have been able to stagger Juan but it won't have the same affect on a man like him. He is a proud warrior of the imperial guard, a general handpicked by King Hoffman Swen. There is no way he could lose in a battle of skill to a fool like Juan.
General Dodi suddenly re-joins them.
"I've handled the others," Dodi declares.
Naruto looks around to see that hundreds of aristocrats have been bound in transparent chains. Dodi is a general in the imperial guard, clearly that means more than Naruto ever realised. It took him a while, but he single-handedly tied up all the other teachers in the academy. The people of this world truly can be terrifying.
Naruto shares a glance with Juan. No words are exchanged, but Naruto reads his teacher's expression well enough to know exactly what he is demanding. Naruto should get back now, get as far away from these two generals as he can, because they are too powerful to stand up to right now.
Naruto realises that Nina was right, that he is too weak, and he becomes even more determined to change that. For now though, he respects Juan's wishes and moves back out of the danger zone.
Juan then looks at Nina pleadingly.
Nina crosses her arms and childishly looks away from Juan.
"Alright, I admit it," Juan calls to her, "They're too strong for me, can you deal with them?"
"Only if you say please."
"Please deal with them."
"Say pretty please miss…"
"Just get on with it!" Juan shouts.
Juan and Nina swap positions, as if taking turns at their favourite sport. Nina saw quite clearly what these two generals were able to do, how they stood up to Juan, how they tied up the teachers of the academy. Despite that they're acting so casually.
"You can't be serious," Naruto cries, "You're going to work together right, you can't defeat them alone!"
"Be quiet moral support," Nina teases, "You can heal me when I'm done, but only if you behave. Is that a deal?"
The 7th Hokage wonders if she has ever been serious about anything she said.
"… be careful."
Nina simply closes her eyes and smiles. She has waited for this for such a long time. All eyes are on her. The hopes of Juan rest upon her. The trust of Naruto and the others is pressuring down on her shoulders. The desperation of the aristocrats that Dodi tied together fills her lungs. The suspicion of her two opponents sends a prickly feeling down her arm.
This is Nina's moment.
Nina takes a deep breath and begins to walk towards the two generals.
"Nadia and Swen never mentioned anyone matching her description," Odion says, "Do you have any idea who she is Dodi?"
"Not a clue."
"Whoever she is, she seems to think she's stronger than Juan, be careful."
Both Dodi and Odion lower their sense of gravity and take a step back so that they can drive forward with their favoured foot. The respect they feel for Nina is instant because her aura is entirely different to Juan's. Juan's aura is one of a man who is stronger than he lets on. Nina's aura is one of a woman who wields tremendous power and knows it.
Nina holds out her left hand and brings golden 'fire' energy to it.
She holds out her right hand and brings golden 'lightning' energy to it.
The two generals take another step back. This is incredibly rare, a dual-element user. There are countless people who have tried to master a second element and failed, countless people who have tried and come up short. At times Endou Akashi and Muto Sora each tried to master a second element and failed. To wield a second element, one that can coexist with the first despite their differences, makes you one of the most talented warriors in the world.
"It's possible to have two elements?" Naruto asks, "She can master two at once?"
"Normal people can't," Juan tells Naruto with an unusually humble voice. "What Nina has done is harder than what you're trying to learn right now. I may be able to keep up with her as a teacher, but as a student she is in another class. She is just another one of those people who will gravitate towards you Uzumaki Naruto. She is a genius, just like you."
Nina leaps towards Odion and Dodi, spinning around several times as she does so, much like a drill piercing through the air. Flames flicker off her body, scorching the ground during the brief moments they touch it. Lightning sparks between herself and the nearest surface, allowing her to control her motion with precision even greater than a shinobi. This is the next level of skill for a warrior.
Odion pauses time and moves to Nina's front, observing her stationary form as he does so. Often while time is paused he will assess someone for any weaknesses showing in their form. Nina is just like Juan, like so many people on that level, she has none. However, to be completely flawless while moving so quickly in such a difficult, agile way is even more impressive.
As Odion starts time again he lifts his hand up to catch Nina by the neck, positioning it just an inch away. Nina's speed will be so great that she won't be able to react in time, she will be stunned. At least, that was Odion's plan, but things don't quite work out that way.
The moment Odion starts time again, Nina's hand shoots across her body with supernatural speed, gripping hold of Odion's wrist tightly.
'That reaction time is seriously quick,' Odion realises.
With her hand tightly wrapped around Odion's wrist, Nina masterfully concentrates her divine energy on her hand. She summons the thunder of the gods and the fire of the demons. Simultaneously Odion is burnt and electrocuted, he is struck with pain he has never felt in a fight before.
General Dodi is quick to react to his comrade's situation. He uses his 'absence' power to phase through Odion's body from behind and strikes Nina in the temple. It is a perfect blow, one that should disorient anyone, but that doesn't work on Nina, of course it doesn't. She is someone with a personal skill beyond what her power should allow, just like a shinobi. She is an anomaly, perhaps even beyond the imperial guard generals.
Nina begins to move backward as the strike arrives at her head, her speed not much slower than the strike thanks to her incredible reaction time. It is as if she can see the future, as if she can tell not what an enemy should do but what they will do. It is the skill that she is trying to teach to Sarada.
Having avoided the majority of the impact from General Dodi's punch, she releases General Odion's wrist and glides backwards just an inch above the floor. She waits for a second to get a suitable distance away from her two opponents before firing a bolt of golden 'lightning' towards Dodi.
Dodi uses his power to avoid the attack. The 'lightning' passes through his body and, to the general's horror, strikes his partner firmly in the chest.
Dodi resists the urge to shout in frustration, he never makes mistakes that big. Standing between an enemy and an ally is a cardinal sin for someone with his powers. His power may seem like a blessing for defensive reasons, but he only has the power to defend himself, never his allies.
Using Dodi's frustration and shock, Nina rushes the quieter of the two generals. She notices that right now he is in a state of panic, that he is reluctant to use his power so as to protect his friend. That's why he is making a terrible mistake, that's why he won't avoid the close-quarters attack that she is about to deliver. So, she punches him in the stomach, with a punch so fiery that the very air around General Dodi ignites as the pale man is superheated.
Dodi panics further, knowing that he is going to be burnt to a crisp if he doesn't react quickly. He creates an 'absence' pocket around himself and Nina, starving the flames of the oxygen they need to survive.
Nina looks back over her shoulder at Juan and gives a single nod.
Juan moves the absence pocket, swapping it with the air around General Odion, leaving Dodi's ally in peril and adding further to his panic. This is the difference between the royals and the generals that serve directly under them. A royal would never panic, they would always have a plan, they would have a trick up their sleeve or would instantly resign themselves in defeat. Generals of the imperial guard are special, but when they're abilities are compared to their masters they are made to seem like children.
Dodi cancels the 'absence' pocket, returning air to his comrade's lungs.
Nina attacks Dodi once again, this time using a ball of 'fire'. As Dodi uses his element to let the attack pass through him, the ball of flames strikes against Odion. The freshly returned oxygen feeds the flames as they continue to burn Swen's second-in-command. No matter what Dodi tries, nothing seems to be going right, it's like Nina is five steps ahead of him.
"If you want my advice, the two of you should stop standing in a line," Nina says sarcastically, "But it's too late now, because you can't avoid it even if you try."
Odion doubts that, he begins a sideways run, ensuring that if Dodi does let an attack pass through him, he won't be the recipient of it. He grins at the distance he has covered after just a moment, but Nina hasn't moved at all. The half-scarred woman is not even going to try to keep up this method of attacking where he takes all the offense that Dodi avoids. Odion's thought process is naïve, neither Nadia nor Swen would continue to think that way.
Nina fires a 'lightning' bolt at Dodi.
Dodi lets the 'lightning' pass straight through his body, watching happily as it goes in the opposite direction to Odion.
The two of them rejoice for a moment, thinking that they have won, but then the space around the bolt begins to warp. A green energy starts to stalk the 'lightning' energy as it begins to curve back around and flies in Odion's direction.
Juan is bending space.
"No matter what," Nina begins, "If you avoid my attacks, they are going to hit your comrade instead."
"Then I won't dodge," Dodi declares, using his 'absence' energy to create a big hefty shield.
The shield is as tall as the man who wields it, but while it looks impressive, Juan and Nina both know instantly that it's part of a façade. That shield is too weak. Nina gathers 'lightning' energy on her right hand and with a single swing punches a hole through the shield.
"By using two elements, I can easily break through your unpractised powers," Nina explains before landing a powerful strike to the side of Dodi's head.
Dodi is a man with the perfect defence method. That method only has one weakness, that it can't defend anybody else. This points to an even greater weakness of Dodi's. The general spends most of his life avoiding any sort of hit, so he has never had a chance to practice his physical defence. Likely, even those levels below him like the shinobi could have broken through that shield.
Odion appears behind Nina, gripping her neck as tightly as he can, just as he did with Juan previously.
Nina shakes her head, "Idiot," she says before electrocuting Odion.
With a quick flourish, Nina spins herself free of Odion's now feeble grip, grabbing both her opponents by their upper arms as tightly as she can. With no remorse in her eyes, she begins to electrocute both Dodi and Odion. As they cry out in pain, she decides that it isn't enough, adding 'fire' to the equation and increasing their suffering.
"Send my regards to General Nero," Nina says angrily, "She and I share the same lack of mercy."
"Who is General Nero?" Naruto asks.
"Go back to healing the others!" Juan yells.
The terror in Odion's eyes heightens when he puts two and two together. "So it's you," he says, "I heard of your powers but I thought… I thought… I thought Nero killed you."
Nina is ruthless, continuing to punish her two opponents as their fright amplifies. Right now, these two might as well be her worst enemy.
"General Nero did nothing but prolong my suffering," Nina tells them, "As my flesh burnt and I watched all I care about fade away, I swore that one day the empire would share my pain. Now the two of you get to feel the same way I did back then."
Dodi wonders if this is who Queen Nadia was so worried about, if this is what she sent him here to test. This was her way of confirming how well the academy was defended if she and Swen came here. There is no longer any need for them to remain, now that they know just how mighty the protectors of this academy are. This is too much for them, it's time to report back to the real authority on the hunt for Uzumaki Naruto.
Dodi regains his senses just enough to activate his power and slip from Nadia's grasp. He immediately kicks Nadia in the Swen, giving Odion a moment of freedom. With Odion's control over 'time', the moment is all he needs to slip free of her grasp and make a run for it. That is what the two of them do in unison. They run from the big threat that was hiding beneath the military academy.
When they get to a safe distance, over a mile from the academy, Odion turns back and yells his threats.
"There will be retribution now that we know who you are," he shouts, "King Swen and Queen Nadia will be back for you, Marti Nina!".
Nina sighs as she watches the two of them depart. Considering their elements, there is no way that she would be able to pursue them. Odion and Dodi are the best at running away, as little as they like to exercise the skill. It stings, being reminded of her old name. The last time she was known as Marti Nina, she lost everything in a ball of flame.
Eventually, she turns back to see that Juan and Naruto are looking at her.
"Ah moral support!" she says with a wide and genuine smile, "I think we should all go back inside now, don't you."
Naruto nods reluctantly. The generals' threats were probably real. It's likely that an even more terrifying force is coming back to get them. However, if Marti Nina doesn't know how to keep them safe from that threat, then nobody does. As the students head back underground and the academy staff begin their clean-up effort, they all have a newfound respect for Nina.
Author Note
Hi All,
I should be back on my already slow schedule with this chapter.
Soon, I should be done with the planning stage and should be able to release chapters a bit more regularly.
Thanks for your patience,
Me