Shattered Destiny:
Chapter 22: Escalation
Kunai hit the branches as I leap off of them. "How far will they chase us?" I ask sensei, glancing back at the Lightning Nin is hot pursuit.
"Assume they're going to follow us to the ends of the world."
They'll follow us to our hideout!? In midair I spin around and throw a firebolt behind us.
-24 chakra.
I can hear it explode but I was spinning too quickly to see where it went. But it's a safe guess to say that I missed.
We continued jumping, trying to lose our pursuers before making a break for our hideout. But they're so persistent! Don't they have a convoy to protect?
-48 Chakra.
I throw two firebolts behind us, one of the branches falls off and the Lightning nin jumping for it plummets to the ground.
…
What nothing? I indirectly did damage!
-4 health.
A kunai scrapes my cheek, I have more pressing concerns than an unfair bloodline. Electrified kunai start flying at us.
"How long can we keep going?" Zabuza asks, ducking his head in time to dodge a shuriken aimed for his head.
"As long as we can."
"And after that?"
"... I'll think of something."
Satu lets out a distressed cry.
Sensei doesn't know what to do? My hands shake, gripping my shield tightly.
We occasionally throw kunai back haphazardly, trying to slow our pursuers. Sensei is the only one of us with any remote accuracy in the midst of the panic.
And then Zabuza slips, dropping out of the trees with a pained cry. "Zabuza-san!" Satu-chan shrieks.
Without a word the three of us head for ground. "Ow." Zabuza says, gripping his leg. "I-I think it's broken." He says through grit teeth.
"Broken's putting it kindly." Sensei says kneeling next to him. "We need to move you."
"Sensei!"
-24 Chakra.
-24 Chakra.
"What do we do?!"
Wordlessly Sensei pulls out a scroll and a flare launches into the air. "We hold out."
"T-this is going to hurt." Satu gulps.
"What're you going to-AAAAHHH!"
Satu extracts part of a metal disk from his leg, sensei lets out a hiss of air.
-24 Chakra. +20 Elemental Ninjutsu XP (119/275)
-24 Chakra.
Not enough chakra.
"FUS!" I shout up at a falling shinobi. The shockwave knocks him out of the air, tumbling out of sight. A katana drops to my feet.
-19 health.
A kunai hits my shoulder and I drop behind a tree and yank it out. Why did this one do more damage?
I poke my arm and get my answer, I didn't even feel it touch my skin and yet it drew blood. The cut heals almost immediately, surprising me. That's the first time something's healed immediate-
-19 health.
A kunai hits my chest. Sensei throws a kunai back, forcing the lightning shinobi to back off as an explosion rips the tree he was using apart.
The tree hits the ground with a boom, sending any wildlife taking refuge in and beneath it fleeing for their lives as explosions continue to ring.
It feels like someone flipped a switch and turned this from a skirmish into a warzone, Sensei and I are throwing explosive kunai while Satu tends to Zabuza-san's leg.
If any of my throws got remotely close to their mark, then it was by accident because my hands are shaking heavily.
Crit sustained. -40 health.
A kunai hits my neck, I yank it out without a second thought and watch the blood pour profusely. Good thing that bleeding doesn't make me lose health.
I jump behind cover as a storm of kunai starts coming for me, each thud on the bark of the tree I'm cowering behind is a reminder of what I just avoided.
The flames in my free hand is replaced with a dark sphere.
Not enough Chakra.
A shinobi jumps at me, without a weapon I raise my shield to block.
-9 health.
"Fus!" I shout at her, knocking her back before ramming my shield into her face.
-35 Stamina. +1 block XP (120/325)
With a snap my blade materializes in my hand.
-32 Chakra.
And then I swipe at her, the blade cleaving through the standard genin armor with some resistance.
+28 One Handed XP (38/425)
No blood, instead there is a splinter of wood as it turns into a log. Replacement jutsu.
The log spins around, and I can see the explosive notes. I dive out of the way as it explodes.
-10 health.
I let out a cry, a piece of wood became lodged into my leg and I can't move it anymore.
Is anyone coming for us? Wulfgar said all I needed to do was call out the dragon's name to summon it's power, but I don't want to drown in it's rage.
Kunai hit the trunk I'm cowering behind.
But is it worth killing myself for it? My mind is called back to the cave, I was reprimanded for nearly killing myself… would doing nothing be the same?
"You look worse for wear." Sensei shows up.
"I definitely feel it." I say through grit teeth as a lightning bolt hits where Sensei was just standing.
Suddenly I'm whisked away, a log left where I once was as lightning hits it. I would have died if that hit. "We'll have to hide until help arrives."
"Who'll come help?" I ask.
"Ai and her team."
But aren't they protecting Ichiyo and his team?
Sensei puts me down next to Zabuza. "How's your leg." I ask him.
"Broken, yours?"
"Broken?"
"Quiet down." Sensei hisses.
You are being searched for.
The echoes of the explosions fade, we're hidden under the roots of an uprooted tree. Above us two teams of shinobi gather, searching for us. "They couldn't have gone far, one of them has shrapnel in his leg." We can hear them speak.
My anxiety is making me shake, I'm not just worried that we'll be found.
I'm worried that I'd have to call Alduin so that we can survive.
Sneak has leveled to 19. +19 Character XP (68/200)
I take a deep breath, ready to shout at a moment's notice.
Suddenly a bolt of frost hits one of the lightning shinobi and she falls to the ground, shattering into millions of pieces.
Frost Shinobi have arrived, and I don't recognize any of them.
Sneak has leveled to 20. +20 Character XP (88/200)
"Looks like we can take a break." Sensei lets out a huff of air, still gripping a Kunai tightly.
"Are those more Frost Shinobi?" I ask, looking through the roots.
"Frost definitely, but I can't tell if it's Ai's team or not." They're wearing Parka's, very clearly displaying their national. I thought that since Ai and Ichiyo's teams didn't wear their parka's that they were trying to hide their national.
I still have a lot to learn- "Ow!" I yelp as the wooden shrapnel is removed from my leg.
The lightning shinobi fled as now there are three friendly shinobi in the area. Our trip back to camp was silent, deathly silent.
"What brings you to Lightning?" Sensei asks as we enter the camp.
"News, good news."
"Can't wait to hear it." Sensei lets out a relieved sigh.
"Torochi!" Ai lets out a sound I'd never thought would come from a battle hardened jonin and embraces the man.
"Ai-chan." He says softly. "I'm glad to see that you're okay."
"Ahem."
"Right, we have news from Kirigakure." Torochi reluctantly releases Ai. "They've assembled as many shinobi from around the world as they could without drawing attention from the other nations."
"But?"
"Our orders are to let Lightning proceed with their assault-"
"But-"
"We're to assault the island while they're busy with Kiri's defenses and destroy the camp."
Quest Added: The Land of Lightning:
Destroy Lightning's Forward Camp:
Optional: Defeat Lightning's Jinchuriki:
I nearly choke on a food pill. D-defeat a Jinchuriki, is Tutorial insane!?
Satu-chan pats my back until I stop coughing. "Thanks." I say with the last of the coughing fit.
"What happened?"
"Another quest." I whisper, unsure how many are listening in.
Satu-chan tilts her head, but says nothing.
"Lightning's Jinchuriki is at the island." I summarize. Now it's Satu's time to be shocked.
"You should tell Sensei." Satu urges.
"When I can get her alone, I don't think the Frost Shinobi would take my bloodline as a good excuse for how I know." I admit.
The jonin debated for the entire day going over the whens, wheres, how's, and who's of the assault, using terminology I've never had the chance to learn. Chances are we did go over them, I just didn't care enough to pay attention.
No one's staying behind, that's what I took away from it. I fell asleep and when I woke up they were still talking.
Now it's time to move out. Zabuza-san and Fumimaro-san are coming, but they'll be hanging back with Ichiyo-sama watching over them. We have to be ready for when Lightning makes their attack.
We broke camp and spent the rest of the day staring through binoculars at the island far in the distance. There's no telling when they'll launch their assault.
Our reinforcements aren't just Frost shinobi, Junichi and Mei-chan's teams are here.
It's like a tiny army's here, just waiting for the opposition to mess up once. A Sea Otter swims to the sandbar we're using for cover. "They're on the move." The scout tells us.
"Understood, once they've engaged Kiri we'll move in." Ogai-sama nods simply.
"How long will that take?" I raise my hand.
"A few hours, minimum." Junichi answers.
The otter climbs onto the sandbar and lounges lazily, his job done. "You didn't bring any rebreathers, did you?" Ogai asks Sensei.
"No, we weren't supposed to be out here for so long."
"Good thing we brought extras."
I hold the scuba equipment with reverence. Rebreathers aren't used inside of Kirigakure and it's illegal to own one if you're a civilian, my parents were quite clear about that.
After checking and double checking that we're all ready, we slip into the waves. I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to see how many shinobi are leaving for Kirigakure.
The answer is a lot. There are boats leaving the port, and these aren't like my father's fishing boat… these could plow that thing over and continue going as if nothing happened.
Ochiyo tightens her grip on me. The Frost shinobi aren't great swimmers, but it's a good thing they're paired up with us.
Someone who can't swim in Kirigakure is a dead person. I maneuver my body so that I float in the water, neither rising or falling as I watch the gallions above us.
Managing one's air to do this takes a lot of concentration and skill. Harder even if I have to hold someone in place.
Yoshinobu drags Koki with him as they swim to us. He gestures for us to follow, so I comply.
We're pretty close to the boats, by that I mean I can see the schools of fish scattering in the armada's wake. Regardless we back away from the ships at the guidance of the jonin.
after checking several potential breaching points, we settle on one. Sensei and Ichiyo take point and hit land, after seven heartbeats we follow.
The frost Shinobi are left panting from the swim, we were underwater for an hour, I can't understand how they're exhausted already.
"You guys take five, we'll scout around." Sensei tells the Frost shinobi, Ogai grunts in agreement.
Ai and Torochi sit next to one another and their genin roll thier collective eyes at the intimacy.
As much as I want to catch up with Mei-chan, we're in the depths of enemy territory. Just as suspected a couple shinobi teams were left behind to watch the camp.
Calling it a camp is too far fetched, this is a complex.
I let bound blade idle in my hand, just in case I need it suddenly. Junichi raises an eyebrow but says nothing.
How would I tell a jinchuuriki from the not jinchuuriki's, would he or she kill me before I even realised that they're a jinchuuriki?
Trust in my durability.
Ogai's and Katsura's teams split from ours, leaving just the three of us on our own. "Firebolts Keiki." Sensei whispers, tension in her voice.
Wordlessly I comply.
"Both hands."
I stick my shield on my back and ignite my other hand. "What're we looking for?"
"Explosives, we're sending this place skyhigh."
"Intruders!"
"There goes our element of surprise." Sensei draws several shuriken and throws them at the sentry, who ducks out of the way.
No sign of the other teams, was ours the only one spotted? A lightning Samurai charge at us. It took me a moment to process.
Ogai-sama appears behind the samurai and rams a knife into the exposed part of his throat. The water clone explodes as it's hit with lightning.
"Move!" Sensei barks, bring me back to reality.
I jump behind a crate, and then get jumped by an older shinobi, probably a chunin?
Crit sustained.
-20 health.
Her kunai goes into my throat, she looks away from me as I gurgle, faking death. I take advantage of the assumed kill and grab her head with both hands.
-48 chakra. +40 Elemental Ninjutsu XP (159/275)
She collapses to the ground smoking and I pull the kunai out of my throat and sit with my back up against the crate.
I won't bleed out, but it still hurts! I can hear more fighting as the Frost shinobi join the conflict. Where's the Jinchuuriki? I have no plans on fighting whoever it is, but I'd rather not have a sudden Bijuu in my face.
It hurts, nowhere near as much as when I died but… I've never died what am I thinking?
Might of Alduin is ready.
Wait… I thought I called him earlier today?
How long was I engulfed in the dragon's rage!?
I'm not doing it, I'm not going back to Skyrim!
I don't want to die again.
-24 Chakra.
I throw a firebolt at a shinobi throwing lightning at my allies.
-18 health.
He retaliates by throwing lightning at me. Smoke rises from my chest as I drop behind cover, a flaming hand on my neck, cauterizing the wound.
First Aid applied, +5 health. Chance of infection reduced.
Not much I can do about the lightning strike. A kunai with an explosive note speeds past my face as if in slow motion.
I have just enough time to get my shield out and scoot maybe a foot away before it detonates.
-50 Health. [Dazed] has been added to active effects.
And throws me back, deafened and unaware of the world. Someone pulls me away from the conflict.
"Keiki, Keiki!?" I can eventually hear. Ichiyo saved my life. "Are you still with us?"
Dumbly I nod as my senses return to me. I can feel Alduin's essence, he never left me. I can still remember the pain of death as if it were my own. "I won't call you, I'll never call you, go away!" I clutch my head.
"Who, Keiki? Who will you never call." Ichiyo covers his face as dirt is flung over us.
I look up at him. "Alduin." And immediately realise my mistake as the Dragon's essence eclipses mine once more.
Might of Alduin has been added to active effects.
I can remember being atop the Throat of the world, watching my dragon underlings battle three mortals who've unlocked the power of the Thu'um. Once my underlings were killed I was forced to the ground.
None of them were able to damage my hide, adding to my pride. I dispatched two of them without much effort. Cooking one alive and throwing another off the mountain.
The third though, the third used the power of an Elder Scroll to seal me away. And my rage only built as time progressed until I eventually broke free. My vengeance on the mortals was guaranteed.
Authors Notes: And done! Whew that was harder than originally intended :/ I hope it was worth the wait! I meant to mention this last chapter, but I started doing something I should have done from the start of the story: Math. I looked up the actual formulas for blocking and shield bashing and let me tell you… it's complicated. Not only that but I've picked up Skyrim again (Life, where are you going life?! I NEED YOU!) while these aren't great excuses as for why this took forever to write, I hope it'll sate your curiosity as to where I've been.