Chapter 51: The Lost Terrors
The smoke was nearly completely gone when Sakura reached the fallen building. The Alliance's once tall base was now a small pile of rubble. Sakura looked around for a sign of anyone, any sign of life.
"Sakura, what the hell are you doing here?" a voice called out from her left.
Sakura turned to see Sage and Lax walking towards her. Lax had a cut on his forehead. "I saw the building come down, I'm here incase anyone got hurt," Sakura said walking towards them.
"And Sasuke?" Sage asked.
"Naruto's taking him back alone. Where are the others?" Sakura asked.
"We were in the tunnel, it caved right behind me. Some of the others were in the higher floors, I have no idea," Lax said collapsing beside a tree. Sakura walked close to heal his wound but he pushed her away, "others might need it more. This's already stopped bleeding," Lax said.
"Another joins us," Sage said looking at the rubble.
Sakura and Lax looked in time to see a hand reach through a rock. Lax quickly ran over to it and grabbed on, pulling Wiseman out, the unconscious Edge in his other arm.
Lax carried Edge over to the trees where Sakura began healing him, "he'll be fine," she assured them.
"Where are the others?" Wiseman asked Sage.
"I can't see the unconscious, they look as the dead do to me," Sage said.
"Well, we'll just have to start with the conscious then," Wiseman said walking back to the rubble.
Sage nodded and focused. After a moment his head shot up and pointed a finger. Wiseman dove into the ground where he pointed. Sage returned to his search and Sakura finished healing Edge. Lax was standing on the ground where Wiseman dove in, ready to help him out again. After a few minutes Wiseman's hand shot through the rocks again and Lax pulled him up, a delirious Nomad in his other arm.
"Nomad, you still awake?" Lax asked taking him from Wiseman's arms and carrying him over to Sakura.
Nomad moaned in response as he was set down and Sakura started healing him. Lax walked back over to Wiseman who was watching Sage intently.
"He's coming," Sage said.
"Who?" Wiseman asked.
His answer came when rocks were sent into the air as a being emerged from the rubble. All eyes turned to look as Vox walked out of the destruction, a body in his arms.
"The inavertable happenings of great displeasure of which results we stand upon has ceased the raging war that our opposition has so forcefully found," Vox said setting the body down, it was Sin. "My ancestral primordial influences over exceed their necessary regime and bind me to the present situation that is faced between us.
Wiseman was about to answer when another came from the trees. Kraik walked up next to Vox, his left arm missing half its flesh and his torso torn wide open.
"Damn blast threw me from the building," Kraik said.
"What caused it?" Lax asked immediately.
Kraik looked at Lax, then at Nomad on the ground behind him, "he'll tell you. For now we got business elsewhere," Kraik said.
"So this is done for today?" Wiseman asked.
"We'll let you gather your lost before returning for our own. By this time tomorrow, we'll be enemies again," Kraik said.
Without another word Vox and Kraik turned and walked away. Lax picked up Sin and carried him over to Sakura, setting him down next to edge. He seemed to be rather unharmed though, as if someone had already healed him, or had protected him form harm.
"How's Nomad doing?" Wiseman asked approaching Sakura.
Nomad's head was turning from side to side and he was moaning incoherently, "he should be fine, I've done all I can," Sakura said.
Wiseman nodded, "thank you for coming back, we are in your debt," Wiseman said before walking back to Sage leaving Sakura to blush slightly.
Sage pointed to a place in the rubble, "he's pretty far down, he could be out by the time you reach him," he said.
Wiseman nodded and ran to where Sage pointed, diving into the rubble. Lax waited at where Wiseman dove under, ready to pull him up.
"He's still on the way down. And whomever he's going after is the last I can guide him to, I can't see any more," Sage said with a sigh.
"Nomad'll be up and ready any time, he'll take over," Lax said nodding at Sage.
There was silence for a while before Nomad suddenly shot into an upright position shouting, "JURET!" at the top of his lungs. Lax and Sage spun to look at him.
"Who's Juret?" Sakura asked.
Lax started running back to Nomad as the sky began to cloud over. Nomad got to his feet looking around as he realized where he was.
"Who's Juret?" Sakura repeated walking towards Lax.
"Dea's real name," Lax said and he rushed passed her and grabbed Nomad by the shoulders and shook his slightly, "What about him Nomad?" he asked.
Nomad looked at Lax, "he ended it all. And he took Gaze with him," Nomad said.
Lax swore loudly, but the thunder cracked at the same time, and Sakura didn't hear what word he used. The rain started to fall heavily and Lax looked up into the sky, "Wiseman better get up here fast," he said.
Almost instantly Wiseman's hand shot through the rock, but Lax was looking the other way.
Wiseman felt a hand grab his and pull him out. Once he was clear he fell to his knees coughing. The hand that pulled Wiseman from the ground soon picked up Strag, whom Wiseman had just rescued.
"Naruto what are you doing here?" Sakura asked as she noticed him carrying Strag over to her.
"Saving Strag while they watch the rain," Naruto said nodding towards Lax and Nomad.
Lax's head snapped to Naruto, then Wiseman behind him, "Wiseman," he yelled running towards him.
Naruto set Strag down next to Edge and Sakura started healing him, "where's Sasuke?" Sakura asked.
"In a safe place. You think I should get him?" Naruto asked.
"Vox and Kraik showed up saying the fight was over, so it's safe here," Sakura said as she healed Strag.
"Right, I'll go get him," Naruto said taking off into the trees.
Lax reached Wiseman and helped him to his feet, "the rain's gunna kill you," he said.
"I'll be fine, did Sage find the next one?" Wiseman asked.
"He said he can't see any more," Lax said as Nomad reached them.
"Nomad, good, where's the next one? Let's go," Wiseman said.
"No, we need to save them, but you can't dive anymore," Nomad said.
"What? I got plenty of energy left," Wiseman said panting slightly.
"That's not it," Nomad said.
"I can handle what the rain does, I've worked at it," Wiseman said.
"You have, we haven't. You'll bring them back, but it'll kill them. Sakura said Strag is fine, but we can't push it," Nomad said.
"What then? Wait for the rain to stop?" Wiseman asked.
"We dig. When we get close enough then you grab them. There's only four left," Nomad said.
"Five, there's five left," Wiseman said panting.
"No, Dea went off. That's what the explosion was. He took Gaze with him," Lax said.
Wiseman's eyes widened as he fell to the ground. Lax and Nomad picked him up and half carried half dragged him back to the others. Naruto was back with Sasuke by the time Lax and the others reached them. They set Wiseman down against a tree as Naruto set Sasuke down next to Strag as Edge began to waken.
"What do we do now if Wiseman can't get them?" Naruto asked.
"We dig them out," Lax said walking back to the rubble Naruto, Sage and Nomad behind him.
"Here," Nomad said stopping.
The others stopped and they stared moving rocks out of they way, soon they were joined by Edge. After a few minutes and a few more feet Wiseman was with them as well. Then Nomad nodded at Wiseman who reached into the ground and soon pulled out and unconscious Grim.
Naruto and Lax hopped out of the hole and took Grim from Wiseman, setting him down with the others. The others where out of the hole and following Nomad to the next place when everything started shaking.
"What the hell is this?" Naruto asked falling on his back.
"Everyone get off the rubble," Wiseman shouted as he started to the nearest clear point, the others doing the same.
Once they were all clear, and even before Nomad who was the last to get off the rubble, all the rocks and broken pieces of the building started to rise in the air. Naruto looked on in awe as the debris rose out of the giant hole in the ground and moved north a bit before setting down again leveling the treas.
"Well, it'll be much easier to find them with it like that," Nomad said looking at the pile.
"Really?" Lax asked as he slowly approached the giant hole.
"Yeah, they're pretty close to the top now," Nomad said as he too closed in on the edge of the hole.
Down at the bottom of the hole, in a narrow grove Naruto recognized as being part of the tunnel laid three bodies. Naruto and the able members of the twelve jumped in to see who they were. The first was the dead body of Tzet. Beside him was Stone who was still breathing but badly hurt. And a little ways away was the dead body of Frost.
Edge fell to his knees and partly lifted Frost off the ground, "he's gone again… Rhorik is gone again…" was all he said.
Lax picked up Stone and started carrying him back to Sakura. Nomad taking Frost from Edge.
"At least we know what moved the rubble," Wiseman said quietly.
"What?" Naruto asked.
"Stone. That's his ability, he probably thought Frost was still alive, or maybe just woke up…" Sage said.
"Bingo…" came the frail voice of Stone as he raised one arm.
"Hey, you stay quiet, we still gotta fix you up," Lax said.
The group reached Sakura in silence. Lax set Stone down and Sakura started healing him. Nomad set Frost down and started towards the pile of rubble Stone had moved.
"Dragoon's still in there," Nomad said before heading around the crater towards the pile. Naruto and Wiseman quick to follow. Edge stayed with Frost and Lax stayed watching Sakura work on Stone.
"Frost didn't make it," he said quietly.
Sakura froze, "what are you going to do?" she asked.
"You keep healing Stone, we'll handle this, we're used to it," Lax said before heading off after the others.
Sage stood there in silence as Sakura resumed her healing of Stone.
Nomad reached the pile and started jumping up it, looking for the right one. Naruto was right behind him, but Wiseman waited by the side of the pile, the rain increasing in violence. Lax stepped up next to Wiseman and stopped.
"Rains to hard now, even for you," he said.
"Dragoon better be alive," Wiseman said.
"With his armor? He's shattered steel swords just by blocking the attack. A falling building can't touch him," Lax said.
Wiseman didn't answer, he just waited in silence for the others to come back with Dragoon. The silence was broken by an ear chattering scream, "LARC!" It was Nomad, they had found him, and he was gone. Wiseman fell to his knees and Lax put a hand on his shoulder.
"We should get back to the village, I think Sakura's getting tired," Lax said.
Wiseman didn't answer, he just stayed there on his knees. When the others reached them Lax pulled Wiseman to his feet and the two followed them back. They reached the others and each of the standing silently took on of the lying. Nomad had Dragoon, Wiseman had Sin, Lax had Grim, Edge had Frost, Sage had Stone, Naruto had Strag and Sakura took Sasuke.
By the next day only the dead, Sasuke and Stone needed to be carried. Stone's condition was beyond Sakura's ability to heal without the aid the hospital had. And Sasuke was just too weak to move, though he was awake.
Naruto carried Sasuke the rest of the way back, the Uchiha never saying a word the whole journey. Not one of apology, or gratitude. He just remained silent. Every break they had Sakura had to tend to Stone so he wouldn't worsen or possible die before the hospital could help him.
The group reached Konoha three days after leaving the destroyed Alliance base. Naruto went to report to Tsunade alone. Wiseman and Nomad took Stone and Sasuke to the hospital immediately, Sakura went with to tell the doctors what she had down to help both of them. The rest of the twelve went at a slower pace, taking Dragoon's and Frost's bodies there to be prepared and to be with Stone.
That left Naruto alone to tell Tsunade about everything. He reached the doors to her office and knocked. It was a moment before she called for him to enter, which he did slowly and cautiously, knowing what was going to happen when she realized who it was.
"NARUTO! What the hell did you think you were doing by leaving?" Tsunade yelled as she stood up upon seeing the orange clad ninja.
"We went to save Sasuke," Naruto said quietly closing the door.
"I'm guessing he's back then? Probably at the hospital huh?" Tsunade asked, her voice still raised.
"Yeah, Sakura's checking on them," Naruto said.
"Them? Who else went with you two?" Tsunade asked, her voice back to normal as she sat down.
"The twelve. I only thought a few, but they were all there," Naruto said.
"They wanted to take down the Alliance didn't they?" Tsunade asked leaning back.
"Probably, and they kinda succeeded," Naruto said.
"You're avoiding something, what happened?" Tsunade asked leaning forward.
"Dea, Frost and Dragoon didn't make it. Stone's in bad condition at the hospital, Sakura said she doubts his survival," Naruto said looking at the floor.
Tsunade's eyes widened as she heard the words. 'Three of the twelve dead, a fourth not likely to survive long, just who the hell are these Alliance people?' "How many of the Alliance were taken down?" Tsunade asked.
"I saw one body, and they said Dea took Gaze with him. The building collapsed, that's why the others are like that. So we don't know how many of the Alliance survived the fall, at least two did," Naruto said.
"Heads probably," Tsunade said.
"Yeah, the last two," Naruto said.
"You know I can't let you off for this right? Neither you nor Sakura. And Sasuke's in a bad situation too," Tsunade said.
"It wasn't Sakura's idea. She figured you'd send someone, but I made her come. It's not her fault," Naruto said still looking at the floor.
Tsunade raised an eyebrow, "So all the blame for this is on you?" Tsunade asked.
Naruto nodded, "I came alone to tell you, it must be," Naruto said.
"You've no reason to try and cover for the twelve, they're not under my rule, none have been fully inducted as citizens, I have no place to punish any of them," Tsunade said.
"That doesn't make what I said any less true," Naruto said quietly.
Tsunade sighed, "I'll have you taken away now then," she said.
Naruto looked her in the eye before nodding slowly. Two ANBU appeared behind him, each grabbed him by and arm and vanishing again.
Tsunade leaned back and sighed again once they were gone, 'it'd be easier on you if you shared the responsibility…'
x-X-x
AN: bet you didn't see that coming did'ya? Naruto taken away by ANBU for leaving the village, what's going on? You'll have to wait until next time to find out…
Oh, and if you're wondering why the twelve are taking the death of their comrades so easily it's because they're soldiers. Ninja are supposed to be emotionless, soldiers are. Wiseman's breaking down because he was in charge, plus Dragoon was his best friend, before the war in their first lives.