I do not own anything.
FOX TAILS AND WHIRLPOOLS
Chapter 6 - New World Goals Pt.2
Of all the possible ways Ziaxio thought he would meet his end, this was personally not what he would have preferred. Thirty years serving at sea, naval battles that had gone down in history, navigating storms that beat and tossed around greater ships like a child in playing a bathtub, and finally escaping one hairy situation after another on nothing but his wit and luck. In his private cabin, an entire wall of medals awarded to him by his superiors and lords had been erected. Though he was a proud man at heart, Ziaxio knew better than to believe it was pure skill that had gotten him this far, he had luck to thank for that like any good sailor.
This day his luck had run out. His prized medals would no doubt be either sold off for money or worse, kept as trophies. He wasn't sure which was more sickening.
High above the commandeered harbor, storm clouds were beginning to drift in signaling bad weather. Normally at a time like this Ziaxio would have anchored his ship and waited the storm out for the next two days, stocking up on supplies and accepting possible passengers. A quiet and uneventfully two days of rest and recuperation he and his crew would have enjoyed, instead they were lying about, bound and gagged, waiting to be executed with their ship barely a block away. Ziaxio wrestled with which was worse - having his body thrown into the sea to be feasted on by sea life or his dear barc being used by criminals. He knew they wouldn't take it apart, Two wars and several rough journeys across the seas had made the Gray Swallow desirable either as a tool of intimidation or just decent cargo-logging. His teeth granted against each other at the thought of either happening without his say-so.
In the grand scheme of things, Ziaxio knew he was busying selfish. It wasn't just his life that was about to come to an end but those of every man, woman, and child in this port town.
Goto Harbor was a relatively quiet, or as quiet as a mining town could built on a well-frequented and popular harbor could be. Ziaxio had made a total of four trips to the town in his life and each one he'd seen the seedier side of life. It seemed in-between each visit, the more and more criminals had been coming to town and decided to set up shop, and he had the bad luck of making a return trip just as the big takeover was happening. Talk about rotten luck.
Most criminal gangs kept themselves confined to blocks and quarters when it came to taking over territory, at least street-levels. The Kuwata Syndicate was not a small-time gang, it was an international criminal organization that from time to time even found the strength needed to pressure feudal lords and small countries, and from time to time even hackle the Five Great Shinobi Nations. Given their influence and power, it was no wonder they were able to seize towns such as Goto Harbor in an afternoon with relative to no resistance.
Or that's how things were supposed to go.
About a month ago, word had come of some strange duo literally dropping in from out of nowhere and slaughtering the Syndicate's eight six branch heads, quite easily according to rumors. From there, chaos had decided upon the criminal organization with faction leaders rising to claim power and bloodshed disrupting the daily operations. Ziaxio had actually toasted with his first mate when he heard the news, now he was regretting that drink.
"Enjoying your stay in port, captain?"
"I've had better experiences." He growled, not even bothering to turn around.
A cold hand grabbed his graying brown hair and rudely yanked his head upwards. Out to sea he saw several ships, all anchored, all occupied by the liars, thieves, rapists, and murders. As a former soldier, he disgusted him that his ship was among them. "Well, if this isn't to your liking perhaps you'd want me a burial at sea? Would that work for a sailor like you?"
"How about one last drink, would that be out of the question?"
There was laughter, the kind that made Ziaxio's left hand twitch. His captor's breath smelled of alcohol meaning he'd probably helped himself to the port's best brewery. God only knew what happened to the owners. The grip on his head was released, allowing him to move his head freely though his arms were still bound. His captor stood a good six foot one with raven hair while his exposed arms revealed ivory skin. By Ziaxio's guesses the man would have been called handsome, that was until he turned around revealing his face. Twin scars ran his left-side, running over his eye extending a few centimeters past the lips. The smile he bore towards the veteran sailor was without a doubt hideous and lacking in anything resembling good-will.
"Hidekatsu Hamasaki, why am I not surprised you're responsible for this." Sighed the bounded sailor.
"You've heard of me, I'm flattered."
"Well, I may be retired but I keep a bingo book for good measure. Rogue jonin of the Village Hidden in the Mist, wanted in several countries including your own for bribery, murder, theft, and several unauthorized assassinations." Ziaxio clarified. Upon his cheek, he felt the first droplet of rain. He'd made peace with the idea of a death by water, but a death in the rain on a rooftop of a besieged city was not in his blades. He had to buy time to figure out something, anything. "Now that the higher-ups are fighting, you've got free reign to sweep in and make a play for power."
"You're saying all that like it's a bad thing," The rogue chuckled, holding out his hand to feel the coming rain. Being a ninja of the Hidden Mist, the coming storm would undeniably give him the advantage. As if Ziaxio didn't have enough problems already. "You know, I am one of the nicer guys you could have ran into, a few of my…former associates had set their sites on this little town, I promise you none of them were as pleasant as I am so you should be grateful."
Ziaxio's old chestnut eyes narrowed. "Is that why you've killed eleven members of my crew, half a dozen of the town's people, separated men from women and children, seized every vessel in the port, tied me up, and about to execute me? Or maybe I should list the number of charges leveled at you by your fellow-"
There was a difference between getting slapped by a stray wave indirectly and getting directly smacked upside the head with a concentrated mass of water. The second one hurt halva lot more.
"I'd advise you to watch your words." The mock cheeriness was gone from Hamasaki's voice. From a sideways view, he now looked like the man the description in the bingo book had given - a ruthless sociopath who had to fled his own village with tracker ninja chopping at his heels. It was a shame too, with the bounty on his head, Ziaxio knew he would have enough to funding to treat himself and his crew to a much-needed vacation. Instead it seems this bastard was going to send them all on a permanent trip to the afterlife. "Like I said, some of the people who'd set their eyes on this town, they were going to kill everyone in it, or the men at least. I don't need to tell you what would happen to the women, granted as far as comfort women go, they could do better."
"I think I'm ready for you to kill me now." Ziaxio moaned.
Grinning, Hamasaki reached down into his pouch and pulled out a kunai with a spiked protrusion, a Hidden Mist custom weapon. No doubt Hamasaki's continued usage of the weapon was yet another reason for seven-digit high bounty on his head. "Now, now, let's not get carried away. We both came to town to enjoy ourselves so why go so-"
RAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGHHHHH!
That sound…it was in no possible way human. Both men were harden by their years of service, rather in the employ of authority figures or to their own desires, but that bestial roar turned them from veterans into frightened children.
The short silence that followed was quickly broken by the sounds of destruction: screaming humans crying for mercy and in horror, wood and metal breaking as it was broken apart, and earth rupturing. All of it was happening in near perfect accordance, buildings collapsing and plumes of smoke arising from the remains. From atop the town's watch tower, they watched it all happen in stunned silence. Hundreds of feet above the two men, thunder boomed signaling the time of judgement had come.
Dropping Ziaxio, Hamasaki rushed over to the railing, one hand on his ear. The fifty-eight-year-old naval soldier didn't bother to listen to what the rogue ninja was shouting to his compatriots, instead he focused on focusing his chakra to free his hands from their capable-like binding. Whatever the hell it was that had descended upon the town, he didn't want to be in its warpath.
"Captain Ziaxio?"
Once again, both men's attention was drawn in the same direction. Against his better knowledge, the captain ceased his struggling to angle his head upwards to get a look at the owner of the voice that had addressed him.
Her skin reminded Ziaxio of tree bark, light tree bark at that and her hair was like threads of ethereal silk. Beautiful violet strands flapped about in the wind, a loose ponytail barely containing them, equally enchanting were the eyes of the female-amethyst. It was thanks to a stray flash of lighting he noticed the strange jewel-like attached on her forehead, it couldn't have been any larger than the tip of his index finger. It also illuminated the three or so gold rings that hug around the girl's neck. A gray-raincoat covered the buckle of her teenage body leaving it hard to tell what lay underneath, but the aura of mystery that surrounded her was more than enough to keep the suspense going.
"I ask again, are you Ziaxio, captain of the Gray Swallow?" She asked again.
"Yes," answered the veteran, knowing how to act quick. "May I help you?"
"Yes, you can. I have some questions I need-"
To Ziaxio, it happened in the span of a second with his weary eyes only being able to catch glimpses. There was a blue streak moving across the air towards the mysterious girl, then a sound like glass hitting pavement. Ziaxio felt his body become doused with cold water, and not from the rain.
"Who the fuck are you?" Shouted Hamasaki, staring at the girl with rage-filled eyes.
Amethyst eyes regarded the rogue ninja with disinterest before flickering back to Ziaxio. "I'm in need of a boat ride to a distant land, I believe you can help me. I have the appropriate money to pay for a trip or two."
"Hey! Did you hear me, you stupid bitch?!"
"Well, if you've got the money to pay then I suppose I can take you where you need to go, give or take. Though I'll be needing my ship and crew for that." Answered the man, not batting an eye at the angry ninja standing little over ten feet from here.
"Oh, don't worry about that. My associate is tending to your crew and town's people. He should be finishing up right about now. Now then," Kneeling down, she held out her head then sliced through the cables binding him as if they were nothing. As Ziaxo flexed his arms, the teenage girl turned her steely gaze to Hamasaki, who was now performing various handsigns.
"Water-"
"Berserker."
Thunder crashed, literally. Hamasaki's angry demeanor vanished like dust in the wind as he felt the overwhelming power of the monstrous figure standing behind him. He didn't dare turn around to face the giant of a man at his six o'clock, if he did he'd lose whatever remained of his nerve. If he pissed his pants, Ziaxio wouldn't blame him.
Without a doubt the man was the largest and bulkiest he'd ever seen, garbed in armor that looked to Ziaxio belonged in depictions of the Warring Clans Period, and possible earlier than that. Red as blood, black as night, and with dozens of shades of bronze in between; the abdomen and chest section of the armor had been made into the likeness of a snarling face, not that the warrior needed it to look any more intimidating. Yet, arguably the most eye-catching thing about the giant of a man's appearance were the twin red feathers attached to his head. Really, in Ziaxio's eyes it looked quite ridiculous.
Hamasaki finally found the courage to turn around, and when he did he so dearly wished he hadn't.
Ziaxio winced at the sound of several dozen bones breaking simultaneously while the body was launched skyward like a rubber ball. His closed eyes kept him from seeing the rogue Mist ninja's body go flying and crash into some unseen part of town. If Hamasaki was lucky, death would have been instantaneous, if not, well, it wasn't like he was going to lose any sleep over it. When he finally opened his eyes, he found the strange girl staring back at him.
"Berserker, go clean up the stragglers then await further orders."
From the massive being came a serious of grunts.
The girl's noise wrinkled in annoyance. "Yes, I know we've encountered nothing but small fry, you can take it out on Tamamo when we find her. Until then, contend yourself with what's been given to you."
Ziaxio looked to the giant, now ranting in the form of bestial grunts and shouts to the younger girl. Despite the imposing size and aura of pure power, the teenager didn't seem intimidated, matter of fact she looked almost…bored.
"Do I have to use my Command Seals on you?
Even though Ziaxio couldn't understand anything other than human-tongue, he had a pretty good idea what was said.
The teenage girl took to being called insulted remarkably well, especially when the c-word was mentioned.
Disappearing in a whirlwind of golden particles, the pair were left alone as the bottom finally fell out. Despite the downpour, Ziaxio decided now as a good time as any to get at least some of his questions answered.
"My name is Rani, Rani Nava, I'm not from around here." The girl answered, seemingly reading his mind while holding out her hands. Not exactly surprising him, her palms began to glow with a wondrous white and blue light that bathed his worn body. The strength and stamina he'd lost over the past hour quickly began to return to him.
"May I ask, where you're going so I'll have an idea where to set sail?"
"I've heard in a place called the Hidden Leaf Village there exists a giant nine-tailed fox, is that correct?"
Silently, Ziaxio debated if he really wanted to drag himself into a mess like this. His instincts were telling him not to get involved, but something in his gut was telling him saying no would only result in him escaping the frying pan only to fall into the boiling beside it. Swallowing an invisible lump, he sat up straighter. "You have business in the Hidden Leaf?"
"Yes, my associate and I are attempting to rendezvous with some lost friends." The girl answered stoically. "The last map we saw indicated we were on the wrong continent."
Ziaxio fought back the urge to laugh. Wrong continent was putting it lightly. "Well, originally I was scheduled to head to the Land of Lightning next, granted those plans are going to be hold for a while."
"That's fine, The Land of Lightning lies northeast of the Hidden Leaf Village, correct?"
"Yes…yes it does."
"Then simply drop us off at the port you're heading to and we'll make our way from there. Is that a fair deal, Captain Ziaxio?"
Standing up for the first time in what felt like hours, the ship captain took stock in the feel of his body being pelted by rain. Barely five minutes ago he believed he'd pass from this world before the storm came in full force, now it appeared he'd live to sail another day thanks to this mysterious girl. "We've got a deal, Miss Rani."
Her lips curved upwards into a thin smile. "Good."
Then she hefted the elderly captain atop her right shoulder.
"W-Wh-What the hell?!"
"There's a quicker way down so we'll take it over the stares."
Judging solely by her footsteps, Ziaxio knew what that quick way down was, and it made him long for Hamasaki's return. "W-W-W-Wait a second! I-I-I'm o-old! I can't! Wait! WAIT!"
First her right foot stepped onto the railing, then pushing off it Rani dropped her whole body as well as that of Ziaxio's down. The old captain screamed for all the twenty seconds they fell, and kept screaming when Rani's feet broke the ground upon impact. He quivered over her shoulder like a cat in its owner's arms until he realized air was no longer rushing past him indicating they'd stopped falling, and that they were alive.
Taking the captain's elevated heartbeat into account, Rani lowered the man down leaving him sitting flat on his butt, his eyes staring at Rani in wide-eyed shock.
"Wh-What…who are you?"
"I am Rani IX, an alchemist of the Atlas Institute and member of the Fox Catcher Resistance Movement." Holding out her left hand, a series of whitish-blue lighting bolts jumped between her palm and the ground. Ziaxio held up his hand to shield himself and when he withdrew it, he saw a large jet-black container had appeared. Several components and locks decorated the box as well as a few lines that glowed with pulsing purple light. "I am also a girl on a mission to fulfill a promise left to her by her older sister."
Ōnoki knew it to be a fact that the universe hated him. He was like a lone mountain whose peak had been battered time and time again yet Mother Nature simply could not resist herself and treated him like a giant punching bag, throwing everything it had at him to see what would make him break. Well, he wasn't the time to run from challenges, when someone struck, he struck back as had been taught to him and engraved into his very being. That said, he was getting older and striker back was getting harder to do with his body giving out at the worst possible times. And yet life continued to throw him one headache after another, sometimes in rapid successions such as now for example.
Originally, he was supposed to be returning home from peace negotiations with the Hidden Grass Village. While the literal sea of greenery that surrounded the village was pleasant but he longed for the rocky mountains and sprawling valleys of his homeland. Unfortunately, during the last days of his stay problems began trickling in, starting with his dear cousin Roshi, the Four-Tails Jinchūriki. Ōnoki knew letting him travel the world while maintaining loose contact with the village was a bad idea, but did he listen? No, he had to get sentimental with his red-haired relative and allow him to indulge himself under the cover of learning how to control his Tailed Beast. Of course, he'd made sure Roshi was always shadowed by a unit of eight elite Anbu operatives. And each of those operatives had been assassinated.
Roshi hadn't exactly mourned nor showed genuine sadness or anger when he reported to Ōnoki of what had happened, which was expected. If he could have had his way, he would have preferred it if he could report their deaths and not have to wait for replacements. Within his suite afforded to him by the leader of the Hidden Grass Village, he'd a quietly raged then sent word back to his village to scramble replacement Anbu. Despite knowing Roshi possessed the capability to take care of himself being a former jonin he was still a Jinchūriki, and precautions had to be taken.
That was problem number one he'd believed he'd dealt with on the last day of his visit, but then problem number two appeared before him.
Rasātala Valley, also known as Serpent Valley, arguably one of the most treacherous terrains in all of the Land of Earth. For good reason was it forbidden under the Earth Daimyo to enter the valley without permission, and even Ōnoki himself had to clear it with the feudal lord before he could send Shinobi into the centuries' old valley inhabited by monstrous snakes and serpents the size able to swallow grown men whole. Legend went treasures and artifacts from the distant past lay buried within the depths of the valley, though only a handful had ventured that deep and returned to confirm the stories. Much to the Hidden Stone's embarrassment, among those few was one snake-eyed bastard from the next village over.
Word reached Ōnoki as he was about to depart that now some other fool had done the same thing, but with a great deal more success.
"What the hell do you mean they've penetrated into the heart of the valley?!" The Old Kage had roared when his messenger informed him of the unfolding battle.
His back was screaming for him to slow down and rest but Ōnoki knew that wasn't an option. What was contained in the vault at the heart of Rasātala Valley couldn't be opened by the hands of some unknown power, especially if it turned out they were acting on the orders of an enemy nation.
"Lord Tsuchikage, please, slow down! You'll throw out your back again!" Yelled one of his aids. The entire lot of them were at this point little more than colored dots in an ever-growing sea of white and darkness.
"I'll slow down when the crisis is over and I can go to sleep knowing the village isn't in danger! You younglings can't handle that then return to the village immediately!" He shouted over the howling night winds. It was true though, his back was going to give out any second now, but he couldn't afford to worry about that, not when so much was at risk. His old ears could hear the sound of battle even though it had to be at least a quarter of a mile away. Even at that distance, he could tell things were not going well.
"No, sir, you don't understand! There's more than-"
Whatever they said faded into the wind as Ōnoki kicked it into high-gear leaving them in the dust, literally. Up ahead, he was able to see the night clouds painted bright shades of orange and yellow along with columns of jet-black smoke. The closer he got, the louder the sounds of battle became, and Ōnoki for the life of him couldn't make sense of what he was hearing.
He was hearing…laughter, proud and boisterous laughter the likes of which reminded him of men getting drunk in a bar. Intermixed with the merry sounds were howls and roars; he'd heard dozens of animals in his lifetime, but what he was hearing defied reason and explanation. The roars were frightful and monstrous rivaling that of the Four-Tails whenever it went on a rampage. But most importantly some sounded…scared.
"WHAT IN THE-?!"
It was by pure luck, he managed to dodge the twenty-foot mass of black and red that came speeding his way from the sight of the battlefield. Quickly bolting to the side and taking refuge on a stone pillar, he watched wide-eyed as one of the largest scorpions he'd ever seen sailed through the air, blood trailing from a massive straight wound on its underbelly. It disappeared into the darkness with a sickening crush that Ōnoki knew put the giant beast out of its misery. Looking back, he was shocked to find more creatures making similar trips, all of them leaving rivers of blood, fur, armor, and rock in their wake.
His old heart beating a hundred tics a minute, the Fence Sitter slowly floated towards the sight of the battle, taking care to mind the projectiles flying outwards in all directions. Finally coming to a stop atop a ledge, he peered at the scene of battle unsure of what he'd find. "What in Kami's name?!"
Bodies, bodies, bodies, and more bodies, hundreds of bodies, mammalian, reptilian, insectoid, arachnid, and even warped chimera-like creatures carrying characteristics of all four laid prone across the battle-scarred ground. Roars and snarls rose and died as the giant monsters descended upon two warriors at the center of the carnage. Focusing his vision, he found the two men couldn't have been anymore more different.
One was completely bare-chest and looked more beast than man based solely on the ferocious smile on his face. His body was a patchwork of scars that seemed to be glowing in the light of the countless fires raging around him. Blood stained his muscular body further adding to the bestial nature of the warrior dual-wielding two of the oddest weapons Ōnoki had ever seen. They were swords, glowing red swords that angrily tore through the flesh of anything their owners swung them at without much resistance. Both weapons were doubled-edged blades that were chained together at the bottom of the hilt, and both blades were glowing redder than blood. No, upon closer examination Ōnoki saw the weapons were absorbing blood as they slew beast after beast. It was equal parts horrific as it was fascinating. Speaking of horrific, the warrior's swordsmanship left much to be desired, at least from Ōnoki's point of view. The man was clearly swinging with reckless abandon, though given his colossal strength and surprising agility that didn't seem to hinder him too much.
The second warrior was no less savage, but in a different sort of way. He was garbed in samurai-style armor and wielded a spear instead of a sword. A very large and very powerful spear. The weapon was a one-hit killer, completely and utterly cutting through anything that came into its path as easily as a knife through butter spraying blood and organs all about, especially onto the samurai's armor. Ōnoki was almost grateful that the man's face was obscured by a helmet, he had no desire to see the twisted grin that likely went hand in hand with the swift and merciless executions of the monsters. Unlike the swordsman, there was a type of finesse in the man's sōjutsu, albeit a fierce and terrible one the old Kage hadn't seen since the days of the war long since pass.
Slowly, the old man realized it wasn't just the two warriors fighting through ever diminishing waves of enemies. Curiously, he turned his sharp gaze over to another fighter, a girl, making her way through the carnage. She was young, probably no older than fifteen or so. Slashing through the air and beasts was a chain-like weapon that struck like lightning over and over again. She wielded the weapon with grace and skill, moving in and out of fierce swipes and lunges while using anything she could as a springboard to gain more air-time. A ray of moonlight illuminated her indigo-colored hair and similarly blue-shaded eyes. Blood trailed from both her lips and her face was contorted in pain, yet she still continued to press onward after the two men.
Lastly, there was the one trailing behind all three, taking his time chasing after the trio in a manner Ōnoki knew all too well. He was perhaps a few years or so older than the female with gingery red. His weapon of choice were firearms, causing Ōnoki to raise an eyebrow. While not exactly uncommon, the closest look he was able to get shown the boy's weapons to be incredibly sleek looking, suggesting great craftsmanship. His usage of the weapons was sparing, lazy almost. He finished off anything that the previous three hadn't killed with single shots to either open wounds or exposed organs. It was cold and pragmatic, just the sort of behavior Ōnoki could respect.
Suddenly, a burst of light and energy exploded from the central rock to his far right. Gnashing his teeth, the Third Tsuchikage watched cracks spread across the towering rock formation said to house the vault in which Rasātala Valley's treasures lay. If were young, he would have acted impulsively, but he knew better than that. Something was coming, he could feel it in his bones.
Sure enough, his instincts turned out to be right. Several animalistic wails went up from the confines of the stone spire, then it began to collapse inwards. Just before it completely gave away shooting out came several snakes, their scaled bodies broken and scarred in several places. Howling in madden pain, they crashed into the ground and began striking out at everyone and everything in sight. Naturally, the two warriors looked to the falling beasts with ear-to-ear grins and charged in after them.
The teenagers were a slight different story. The fire-arm user took one look at the oncoming threat and vanished in in a flash of light while the girl remained, or rather she was forced to. Ōnoki had seen shinobi collapse on the battlefield for one reason or another, a few even from his home village.
"Foolish girl, honestly, kids today are just too damn impulsive."
As the girl coughed up blood her weapon fell to the ground beside her, helpless before the trio of serpents that singled her out and lunged at her. Appearing before her, the old Kage performed the required hand-signs before holding out his hand, a translucent cylinder occupied by a bright white light floating in the center.
"Particle Style-Atomic Dismantling Jutsu!"
Scales that normally would have been enough to repulse even A-rank jutsu immediately disintegrated in seconds, leaving behind nothing but dust.
CRA-ACK!
"OHHHH!" Moaned the Fence Sitter, falling onto his knees with one hand clenching his back. "Dammit! Dammit!"
"Y-Y-You're calling me out, and h-here you are." Spoke the female through various coughs. "Gramps, no offense, but you really should be in a retirement home."
"S-Silence! Is that anyway to thank the person who just saved your life?!" Ōnoki barked with a wince, attempting to regain both his composure and his ability to stand. Unexpectedly, he saw a hand reach out to lift him upwards. Lifting his head, he saw the second teenager standing over him, a look of annoyance spread out along his youthful face. Pride fueling him, the Kage pushed himself upwards into a standing position.
"I see the old men here just as annoying as the ones back home." Snorted the male.
"Again, I don't hear an apology, nor do I hear an explanation on what you lot are doing here." The Tsuchikage spoke, turning around to face the two with cross eyes. "This area's forbidden you know, entering this valley is a crime carrying the penalty of life imprisonment."
The girl looked ready to respond until another coughing fit seized her while the boy looked at her with eyes laden in disgust and worry. It didn't escape Ōnoki how the male was keeping his distance from her, as if whatever disease she was caring could be infectious.
"Hey, for the record we didn't come here because we wanted to tour the place, or I didn't. Miss Goody-Goody here on the other hand-"
"F-Fuck you, David." Snapped the girl, managing a sharp glare as her coughing fit began to subside. Shakingly, she got to her feet revealing torn pants and a torn coat along with a profusely bleeding right arm. Looking to the Kage, she used her good arm to point to the crumbling mountain spire. "We didn't come here because we wanted to, we came because we had to stop-"
Dirt and rock exploded like a bomb had gone off, opening several fissures in the ground. The teenagers hit the ground in instinctive dread while the Fence Sitter remained standing. He'd been through worse than this, besides, he had questions he was intent on getting them before the night was through. Crossing his hands behind his back, he watched as the final remnants of the spire gave way, the death howls of countless serpents slowly becoming lost beneath the collapsing rock, sending out a massive wave of dust and debris. Quickly as it came the dust cloud began to subside, leaving an eerie silence in its wake.
At the sound of pebbles moving, Ōnoki braced himself feeling his fighting instincts flare up. True to form, something emerged from the rumble, a very big something. "Well, there's something you don't quite see every day."
Silhouetted by the moon, the newest creature was both majestic and somewhat disgusting to behold. Networks of stitches and stable-like armaments adorned its feathery body, said feathers ranging in colors from majestic reddish brown to a dull gray color that reminded Ōnoki of rotting corpses. Once the snow-white feathers on the creature's bird-like head might have been beautiful, but now they looked sickly. A pair of crimson eyes, one overlain by line of stitches, glare down at Ōnoki like an eagle eyeing prey. Given the fact the creature's frontal half was that of an eagle, it was appropriate.
Stepping out into view was the beast's rider, a tall female possessing olive skin and raven dark hair pulled back into a long ponytail. A glittering whitish-gray cloak adorned her body though nestled in beneath one arm was a box, no doubt taken from the spire vault before its collapse.
"So, that's what happened to the chatterbox." Spoke the male identified as Davis with an air of sadness in his voice.
Keeping his composure, the Third Tsuchikage called out, "Since you're new around here, I'll be kind enough to inform you of a few details. I am the Tsuchikage of the Village Hidden in Stone, and you, my dear, are trespassing on village territory."
Eyes blue as the sea yet cold as ice stared down at Ōnoki without a hint of emotion he could recognize. "I'm sorry for the disturbance, I came for something and now that I have it I'll be taking my leave."
"Heh, talking so casually like that after the ruckus you stirred up tonight. I was just on my way back home when-"
It was so sudden Ōnoki had trouble believing it was real. One second he was staring at the part-bird part-house creature and the next he was looking at a crescent moon hanging about in the night sky. He blinked several times attempting to process what he'd just seen, or missed. Searching the skies, he found a trail of light leading off into the dark night while the fires around him continued to rage.
"Don't even try it, grabs, the Hippogriff flies faster than the human eye can see, especially old eyes like yours." David proclaimed, placing his hands in his jean pockets.
"I'm the Tsuchikage!"
"Uh-huh, whatever that is, it's not catching Alecto, her psycho brute, or their flying furball."
"Mister Tsuchikage," Spoke the female, turning Ōnoki's attention back to her. Between the two, she looked the worst for wear with her torn clothing, various cuts and injuries and the thin red line spreading across her face. The girl was going to collapse any second now. "I-I know this whole thing may seem strange to you-"
"Which part? You're probably gonna have to be specific for the old guy."
"My name is Kaiya Matou, and we're-"
Out of courtesy Ōnoki caught the girl as she fell forward, not caring too much that her blood ended up getting splattered over his clothes. No sooner had he lowered her to the ground did he felt the tip of a blade being pressed against his head. "You people are awful ungrateful, you know that?"
"Step away from my Master." Snapped the samurai, glaring at the Fence Sitter like a dog feasting on garbage. "Make one move towards her and I cut you down where you stand, gnome."
That comment alone was almost enough to get Ōnoki to toss aside courtesy and wipe away the samurai on the spot. Stopping him was the girl calling herself Kaiya. "N-Nagayoshi, i-it's fine. W-We've had enough fighting for one night."
At the girl's behest, the samurai removed himself from Ōnoki's backside and went over to her. Removing his helmet, the Tsuchikage was somewhat surprised to see a rather youthful-looking face containing a head of swept back black hair and concerned brown eyes. Cradling the girl in his arms, Ōnoki could have sworn he was staring at an entirely different person. If he wanted to strike either down now was the perfect time, granted there was still the other pair to worry about.
"My village possesses the medical resources to treat you, though given the mess you've made I'm feeling like I should withhold it." Declared the Dust Style-user.
As he expected, the samurai snapped at him with ferocious eyes that belonged to a beast more than a human. In response to that, Ōnoki simply narrowed his eyes.
"Hey, hey, now, I think Kaiya's got a point." Together the group turned to face the newcomer. The bare-chested warrior had lost the aura of bloodlust like his counterpart, though like him something told the Kage that one wrong choice of words could bring it back. His swords had been dismissed in particles of light, leaving his bandages hands free though no less threatening. "Look, sucks that we failed to stop Alecto and Caligula, but I don't think standing around and beating the snot out of each other is going to change things. What do you say, guys?" He remained surprisingly calm as the Stone ninja Ōnoki had left behind finally caught up to them and proceeded to surround the lot. Nearly all of them gave the strangers the same cold-hearted glare as their leader.
It must have been past midnight judging by the position of the moon. Originally, Ōnoki believed he'd be back in bed, peacefully sleeping away until the coming morning where he would be rested and recharged. So much for that assumption.
"Send word for a medical squad, those that do know any sort of medical ninjutsu begin operation on this girl at once!" he commanded before turning to the samurai still cradling the indigo-haired girl. "If you want that girl to survive then you'll let my men have a look at her, I promise you, I'm not that heartless."
"Then stop smiling like I can expect a knife through my Master's throat." Came the response.
With the seemingly most problematic pair taken care of, Ōnoki turned his attention to the other two. Despite having all the hallmarks of a brute outside of battle, the bare-skinned man gave off an air of calmness and even regality which deeply clashed with his outward appearance. Periodically, his gaze lingered back to the girl who was now being treated by Ōnoki's entourage. In stark contrast, the younger male was doing his best to look as disinterested as possible, and it was failing. He too cast sideways glances at the girl, his sea-green eyes shined with concern that the Fence Sitter catalogued into the back of his mind for later use.
"Now then, I'd like some answers on exactly what the hell just happened and who the hell are you people, and why I shouldn't have you all thrown into prison." He began.
"Hah! You could try, but I promise ya', old timer, if Alecto's still hanging around you're gonna want us around in case she comes back, or if any more of her beasties are crawling around." Boomed the dual-wielder. "As for who we are..."
"Would you believe us if we told you we came from the sky?" Interjected the younger man.
Annoyance caused Ōnoki's eyebrow to twitch. "Do I look like I'm in the mood for jokes?"
"And if it's not a joke?" He responded with real seriousness.
He looked between the pair, noting how both had dropped any traces of humor. Hardened his gaze, he waited to see who would give first, and neither of them caved.
"The sky you say? Well, you're either the most hideous-looking angels I've ever seen or apparently alien life isn't all that different from life here on Earth."
The pair looked between each other and finally their expressions changed. The blonde-haired man laughed while the redhead sighed.
"Aliens, huh? Well…I guess that's…one way to describe us."
After what felt like hours of waiting the screen before, Ryma finally began to come into focus causing her to smile. "It's about damn time." Putting away her canteen, the Algerian woman kicked up her legs atop the table and leaned back, not caring one bit about the creakiness of the wooden chair on which she sat upon. She'd come a long way since attempting this as a kid where she time and time again fell flat against her back. Good times.
The fourteen-inch monitor finally lost its black and white fuzz in favor of a pure white screen with a logo brandished in the center - a singular word surrounded by bright blue circle, or rather the central V extending upwards and encircling the entire word.
Stavrod.
The same logo lay emblazoned on her worn and tattered jeans on the backside of her undershirt which she wore without abandon, not caring for any who shot passing glances at her exposed skin.
Five blue dots worked their way across the screen before finally the video fed came up. At first, the image was fuzzy and still-shot but it eventually cleared up enough the middle-aged face of her handler came into focus.
"You kept me waiting." The Polish-borne operator spoke in a deadpan manner.
"Ahhh, sorry, Bolek, I promise, next time I'm catapulted across dimensions I'll make sure phoning home is the first thing I do." Cooed the former mercenary, shooting the brown-haired male her puppy-dog eyes look, much to his disgust. "You guys didn't hold funerals for me, Herta, and Aleksei, did you?"
"Don't be stupid, the receivers implanted in your bodies are all still active, granted Herta's had a few close calls over the last month or so." Spoke the twenty-nine-year-old, leaning back into his seat with his arms crossed. "It took us a while, but we've pinpointed what dimension you ended up."
"One based on feudal Japan?"
"Yes, and inhabited by ninjas."
"Hm, that explains the headbands I've seen some wearing, make for nice trophies." The woman laughed, materializing a woven bag that jiggled as she let it sway in the air. "Let me take a wild guess, ninja clans, samurai, and all that otaku crap? Euryale and I have been tracking through a desert, then had to go crawling through some ruins before finding a decent human town. Not exactly fun."
"So, it was another day at the office for you two. Sounds like we had nothing to be concerned about." He waved off before reaching for something off-screen, a bag of chips possibly. "Officially the world you're in is catalogued as Aktí-81, unfortunately we don't have much information on it. The last operative sent out to recon that world died almost a decade ago in a war so I'm afraid you, Herta, and Aleksei are gonna have to be the trailblazers."
"That's fine." Ryma waved, dismissing her prize bag. "I'm a field operative and stuff like this is exactly why I joined Stavrod to begin with. My only concern is if this place is based off of Tokugawa-era Japan, if so it's going to make moving around and finding those two annoying, not to mention boring."
"Not to worry, according to what information we do have, the world you guys landed in is locked in a state of near eternal cold war, and the dominant power aren't samurai, they're ninja." Bolek stated, giving the Algerian a soft grin.
The resulting smile spanned from ear to ear, if not for her years of built up self-control Ryma would have pumped her fists upward in victory. Doing so would have caused her to lose her balance and fall flat against the wooden floor, a blunder she hadn't fallen prey to since she mastered the art of chair leaning at the tender age of eleven. Given the news she'd just be given, the cost might have been worth it.
"You're the first one we've been able to get in contact with, you wouldn't believe the amount of hell those of us here behind the desk have been catching trying to raise any of you guys." Bolek whined, massaging his brow causing the field operative to erupt into laughter. "Don't you dare, you field operatives have it easy compared to us!"
"Oh, relax. Knowing Herta, she probably lost her gear the second she landed, and Aleksei's the same old perfectionist he's always been. He'll only call in when he's found something of value. Which leaves little ole' me."
"Yeah, Ryma the Firebrand and the Euryale the Wailer."
"I'll make sure to tell Euryale you said that." She winked.
Realizing he'd just set himself up for failure, the man face-palmed. Clearly the former child soldier hadn't lost any of her cheer since the dimension warp, dashing his hopes his charge would become a tad bit easier to handle. "Glad to see you haven't lost your vigor. Thankfully, during your time off the grid we managed to catalogue what information we do have on this world, I'm sending it to your PDA now."
There were many perks that came with working for an organization whose reach spanned across the multiverse was information was always on hand. That said, Ryma preferred exploring and learning hands-on rather than simply reading about it from a computer screen, tablet, or book. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out the stainless silver device she'd been given upon her employment by Stavrod. The screen lit up with the bluish-white circle with an arrow shooting across. A second later and the data was successfully downloaded, causing her to breathe a sigh of relief.
Now I have a little foresight of what we're walking into. She thought, sliding the device back into her pocket. "Our mission's the same, right?"
"Yes, capture Hakuno Kishinami and bring him back for studying. Even now, one month later the tech boys are still struggling to figure out how the Moon Cell pulled off a stunt like that and they believe it has something to do with the Regalia carried by the kid and his fox. Regardless of Euryale's personal vendetta those two things aren't to be harmed, got it."
"Don't worry, I'll step in if she starts losing control." The tanned-skinned woman reassured, finally sitting upright. "Has anyone at HQ been able to pinpoint Kishinami's signal? In the Moon Cell he was a virtual ghost so I'm guessing he must be a spirit or something here."
"We've tried that and no luck, but we found something more interesting." Bolek's face disappeared, though a box in the corner indicated the connection was still strong. What Ryma stared at was now a 3d model of the Moon Cell's cubic core along with two pulsating markers. "What we have been able to find is the Moon Cell's energy trail, it followed you guys across dimensions."
Looking at the fuzzy map which she believed to be the new world she and her fellow agents were on. Much to her annoyance, it was impossible to get a feel of where she was in coordination to them, not to mention there were two. "Kishinami's one of them, but who's the other? Last I checked, the Moon Cell chose him and Tamamo alone to carry the power of the Regalia."
"That's what we're still trying to figure out. All of our attempts to scan the world and figure out what the hell is going on have come up with nothing. Someone or something powerful followed you on your trip, so watch your back." Bolek explained. "We don't know which signal belongs to Hakuno Kishinami so it's a crapshoot, nothing new for you though."
"No, just means the hunt goes on." She chuckled. "Alright then, now that I've got phoned in I'll be getting back to the hunt. If anything comes up, call me to inform me otherwise I'll call you."
"You're not even gonna ask about Herta?"
"She took this mission despite only just graduating to the rank of field operative, she can't survive an unexpected turn like this then that's on her."
"Ah, still the cold-blooded bitch I know and love. Just try not to cause too much noise, alright? Remember, Stavrod's made it this far by maintaining secrecy. We don't need people looking to the stars and realizing there actually are other worlds out there."
"Noted, I'll tell Euryale you said hi."
"I'd rather you didn't."
The video feed finally ended, leaving Ryma alone in the shack with the faint sounds outside as her only comfort. Rolling her eyes at her handler's warning, she collected her tablet and stored it into her knapsack. Based on the voices, now down to two, Euryale was almost down with her intel gathering; hopefully she'd been able to discern some useful information from this hideout's inhabitants.
Kicking her door open, she opened herself up to the sun-bathed garden of stone and fire that had once been a criminal base. All around here lay statues of the base's former occupants, their faces twisted into masks of horror and shock. As she passed them all, Ryma briefly toyed with the idea of simply destroying them and sending the souls of the thieves on to this world's afterlife, but that would be too dull and boring. Let some lost traveler or curious camp find them and marvel at the nightmare that had befallen the bastards.
"Yo, Euryale, how's it coming?"
The last of the survivors was begging for his life, now literally hanging by a thread just like him. Euryale's beauty was how they'd gained access into the fortress. The men of this world were just as easily swayed by skin, legs, and hot ass as those of their home world and beyond, and like the hundreds before them that had been their mistake. Euryale's sage green hair had morphed into multiple snake heads, all of which bit and hissed at the struggling criminal who was being held by his throat with a few stronger than steel strains holding him up. The sea goddess turned to her Master and smiled.
"Oh, I had to sort through a few bad apples, but it appears we've finally found someone useful!" Her golden reptilian eyes cackled with amusement while giving a tightening squeeze to her hostage. "Now then, be a good boy and repeat exactly what you just told me."
The bald-headed man gasped for breath when the hair strands loosened. It was just enough air for him to inhale and speak. "O-O-O-On another continent, t-t-t-the continent of Yeso, t-th-there's a village, a p-place called the Hidden Leaf V-V-Village said to be home to a giant n-n-nine-tailed fox. A-A-About six years ago, t-t-the same fox attacked the village and almost b-b-burned it to the ground, b-b-but the village's leader s-s-stopped it before it could."
"A nine-tailed fox? How typical." Rym snorted, looking unimpressed with the information.
"Knowing Tamamo, she'll fall back on old habits, that is if her sisters haven't found her and gutted her first." Euryale countered, crossing her arms. "It's a long-shot, but it's the best lead we've got. Scorn's gone underground so trying to follow her path of destruction is a no longer viable, nor is waiting for the others to pick up the scent. We'll hunt her ourselves."
"Hm, you've got a point there." The Master noted, putting a hand to her hip. Though she liked a challenge this was pushing it a little, they'd been so close to their targets back in the Moon Cell and now they were basically going to have to go globe-trotting. Not that Ryma was opposed to the idea, she just liked having a general direction when on missions. "Fine then, we'll make way for this Hidden Leaf whatever, and see what kind of trouble we can get into along the way."
Mirroring her grin, the gorgon let loose with a laugh that would have chilled the blood of weaker beings, such as the one still struggling against her hair threads.
"P-P-Please, l-let me go, I-I promise, I-I won't follow you! I won't tell anyone about this!"
"Now, now, first we have to reward you for your help." The Servant cackled with dark glee shutting her eyes. "For your help, I won't leave you in limbo like the rest of these hairless monkeys, I'll send you straight to Hades for your judgement!"
With a thin smile, Ryma watched her Servant reveal her Mystic Eyes of Petrification to the struggling man. His cream was short as was the agony he must have felt. Seconds after the emerald-green light washed over him his body began to petrify, flesh and blood turning into stone; in seconds what was tied in the Gorgon's grip was a statue of a still-screaming man. Grinning wickedly, Euryale tightened the grip causing the statue's neck to crack and then finally break. The two women watched as the body fell backwards, shattering into countless pieces with the head following suit.
"Have you been able to sense anything? Not that I believe crumbles over there, but I'd like your word." Ryma stated, stepping over the pile of stone remains with her Servant trailing behind her.
"Get me to a source of water and I'll be able to get back to you. I have been able to pick up faint traces of something almost…divine, heavenly. Rather it's Abhimanyu or not I can't tell, though if it is I'm looking forward to making that brat choke on his own blood."
"Heh, think we'll run into the rest of those Fox Catcher brats?"
"I'm hoping for it, Ryma. Just because it's a fox hunt doesn't mean we can't see what else we can bag, I'm in the mood for some birds, robins in particular." The Archer answered, smiling wickedly.
Together, the two murderous vixens exited the ruined fortress into an arid land beset by a setting sun. In their wake lay a collection of whole and broken statues modeled in the likeness of screaming humans, and alongside those statues lay hundreds of corpses, their bodies either scorched beyond recognition or pierced arrows.
Even from almost a mile out, Roshi knew trouble was coming his way. The beast inside of him roared for him to act, to flee, but he'd done enough of that over the past week. He'd fought and eventually fled from the Kuwata Syndicate when his path sadly crossed with theirs. Roshi didn't like violence, but due to circumstances beyond his control violence was how he lived his life, one battle and hundreds of deaths or injuries at a time. He never asked for it, but he made due where and when he could.
The temple he'd taken refugee in was thankfully open to all those seeking a moment or too of peace, even if that someone was a jinchūriki. That hospitality was one of few positive things he felt he had in his life.
Roshi knew his days' long rest and retreat had finally come to an end when he sensed something approaching him, something powerful. From inside of him the Four Tails reared about, stating something ancient and strong was heading their way, something that made the four-tailed monkey's blood…chill.
"Mister Roshi," Called one of the monks, an adolescent no older than possible fourteen or thirteen. Worry rimmed his voice.
"I know, say no more. Inform your master I am grateful for the hospitality he has shown me, I will take care of this manner as quickly and quietly as I can." He responded, standing up and moving out.
The replacement Anbu that had been sent to watch him were all dead. Murdered by the mysterious force heading towards him. His village's Anbu were annoying but they weren't pushovers, if anyone could dispatch eight of them and do so quiet and efficiently he had reason to be on guard.
Coming out into the temple courtyard, he found his worries were well warranted.
There were two men, both projected auras of power that dwarfed anything common men could muster. One of them even stood taller than most men, by Roshi's estimate the taller of the pair must have been close to seven feet tall, making him undoubtedly the tallest person he'd ever seen. He was a warrior, in one short glance Roshi could tell that about the giant of a man based solely by the look of his armor, archaic in design and way in which he walked-with purpose. His beard was longer than Roshi's own, longer than Ōnoki's, and incredibly well-groomed. The more he looked at it, the more Roshi almost felt himself becoming jealous.
Beside the warrior stood a man of somewhat smaller stature, he was actually somewhat young-looking. More than likely still in his early twenties, but his posture and aura spoke of a someone older, not to mention the arrogant look in his eyes reminded him too much of his "dear" cousin. "Are you the monkey?" He asked, stepping forward without any hint of fear or unease. Unlike the warrior, his clothing was formal, and by formal he meant he looked like he was a businessman. A buttoned-up light brown coat concealing his upper and lower body. Through an opening in the chest, he spied a white undershirt and a jet-black tie.
Roshi did not falter under the hard glare of the man's pine-green eyes. He knew what type of man this boy was, if he showed weakness he'd jump upon it and crush him in seconds. "I take it you gentlemen have been hearing stories."
"Stories, ah, yes, we've heard many stories and we've come to verify one. That one being that you, possess a great power inside of you." Spoke the giant, stroking his beard. He was arrogant too, though he didn't have the aura of malice and contained fury the shorter of the pair did. "I sense that power inside of you, the question is, is it worth the fear and dread we've heard your existence spoken with."
"The question," Snapped the dark redhead, now starting to look visibly irritated. "Where's the fox?"
Fox? Roshi repeated in his head, instinctively tensing up his body. "Are you from a hidden village or are you simply two men who the Tailed Beasts have wronged and are looking for payback?"
Shaking his head, the giant stepped ahead of the young man, a thin smile beginning to pull at his lips. "Tailed Beasts? Is that what that power inside of you is? Bah, I'm sure before the might of a dragon it is nothing to be too worried about. Have no fear though, vagabond, we have come to you not because of some dark reputation, which I must say, may be exaggerated. We only come seeking information."
"Information like what you're asking doesn't come cheap, nor does is it given to strangers." Roshi replied, dropping his voice a few octaves. Behind him the temple monks were moving about, moving whatever and whoever they could in fear of the coming clash.
"You're right, old one, that information isn't given…it's taken." Spoke the youth, his cerulean blue eyes now gleaming red. "I've had some time to blow off steam so I'll do the merciful thing, answer our questions and we'll leave you in peace."
"And if not?"
"While a monkey may have its gifts, it still is little more than an ant before the might of a dragon." Responded the bearded man, now eying Roshi with interest. He was challenging him.
The old ninja looked between the two then back at the temple. A few dozen feet about his head, a hawk soared through the clouds, its hunting call serving as the final push. "Gentlemen, if you've heard the rumors then I fear you're underestimating me and the power within me. I don't want to be responsible for any ill-feelings your family or associates."
Sighing, the younger of the pair stepped back, no, he turned his back to Roshi. "Don't say we didn't warn you. Guan Yu, beat him, but don't break him, I want information and I'll have it from this fossil one way or another."
The human vanished while the bearded warrior held out his hand and summoned a weapon. Beyond the shadow of a doubt it was the finest, most beautiful spear he'd ever seen. Its craftsmanship from its green and golden-lined handle to its dragon-head guard all the way down to the emerald blade that extended from the dragon's mouth. Pure power exploded outwards and fanned out in all directions, bringing with it an arctic chill that caused frost to develop along the ground and in the trees surrounding him.
Deep within him, the lava-spewing Monkey King stirred. "Can I at least get your name? Mine is Roshi of the Hidden Stone Village."
Faster than the human eye could watch, the man called spear-user swung his weapon, about ending into in fighting position. Around him, the grass had transformed into a solid plate of ice. "My name is Guan Yu, Sworn Brother of Liu Bei, mightiest of the Five Tiger Generals, God of War, Brotherhood, and Valor, and devoted Servant and spear of Kenelm Carlyle."
Fire consumed Roshi's fists as tendrils of wintery air swirled Guan Yu's spear. Both men kicked off the earth, crushing it under the weight of their power. Roshi's fists reared back, Guan Yu's spear lunged forward.
Fire and ice met, and the sound of thunder echoed for miles upon end, eventually reaching the small town situated at the base of the hill-top temple. Children clung to their parents in fear as others looked to the darkening skies believing a storm was on the way. What none of them knew was that the storm had already arrived.
And it was only just beginning.
Alrighty, now you've all got some more puzzle pieces to play with. Constructive Criticism is welcomed. Next chapter I'll be dialing things back returning to the Kishinami Clan and staying there for a while. As Hakuno and Tamamo build themselves a family their fellow Masters and Servants are going to be doing their own thing, like carving paths of destruction across the Shinobi World.
The Euryale that will be appearing in this story is, in case you couldn't tell, is not the same that Grand Order provided us with. I like Nasu's interpretation of Medusa well enough, but well, Euryale and Stheno left much to be desired in my opinion and I'll leave it at that. If it makes you feel better just refer to this story's Euryale as Alt-Euryale; as for her role and personality in this story, look to the average Greek god and you'll have an idea. Plus, I'm pretty sure her intro scene told you all how she'll be interacting with humans in this story.
For any Dynasty Warrior fans out there, yes, Guan Yu along with a few other "associates of his" will be making appearances. The Fate Franchise needs more Three Kingdoms Servants, or at least ones that can put together a coherent sentence and actually LOOK like their mythological/historic depictions (*glares at Zhuge Liang*). Since Fate hasn't touched the Three Kingdoms Period that leaves some room to explore…and deconstruction some of the myths surrounding it and those associated with it, namely the supposed "heroes" like Guan Yu and Kingdom of Shu, and Lu Bu to an extent.
Until next time!
