Chapter 9: Welcome to My Nightmare
AN: Well readers, the battle you've all been waiting for has finally come. I hope you enjoy. There will be death and violence, as well as some strong language.
Nightfall came quickly this day, far faster than anyone would have liked. Still, everyone was anxious to begin this mission. They all knew the magnitude of this mission, Naruto and Sakura most of all. They would never get another chance to rescue Sasuke; failure was simply not an option.
Still, battle preparations progressed smoothly. No commander could have asked for a finer team of soldiers. Everyone worked seamlessly together to plan and prepare for the mission, like a well oiled machine fine tuned to serve its purpose. They had sufficient intelligence and above all the element of surprise. Unfortunately, that was what worried Kakashi. In his years of experience, he'd seen far too many battle plans go south for surprisingly simple reasons. "This one will not go like that," he said to himself, "I will fail. Not this time, when it counts the most. Naruto, Sakura, I won't fail you."
Kakashi quickly glanced at his watch, noting the time. "19:00 hours. Almost night fall," he mused. He stashed the last of his equipment into his pack and double checked that he had everything he needed. He rose to address the rest of the troops: "Team leaders, assemble your teams."
Everyone began scurrying about, making their last equipment checks before forming up with their teams. As soon as they assembled, Kakashi joined his team, turning his wireless radio headset to the proper frequency. "Strict radio silence until the battle begins," he cried. "Stick with your teams, and mind the battle plan, and we'll all make it out of this in one piece. Move into position and await further orders."
As quick as a flash, the operation began. In perfect silence, the four ninja teams split up, and forked outwards through the forest, speeding towards their destination. Silent as the grave, they left no tracks or evidence as they moved into position.
Elsewhere, Konoha's prey lurked in the shadows of the forests. The last rays of the setting sun lanced through the forest canopy, angry needles descending upon on a group of eight shinobi, just stopping for a quick break and bite to eat before continuing forward. Seven of them were dressed more or less similarly, in the dark and drab gray clothing of Oto shinobi. Though they dressed no differently from any other Oto-nin, they were definitely elites.
Their movements betrayed a level of skill and grace matched by very few shinobi in all of Otagakure. Armed to the teeth, they kept careful watch on their charge, Uchiha Sasuke. He sat on a fallen log, staring at them. None of them looked Sasuke in the eye, lest his hatred consume them too. One finally did turn to look at Sasuke. The Jonin stared Sasuke down, smirking maliciously.
Sasuke immediately caught notice of his insolence, and locked his hellish crimson eyes onto the Jonin. Most of the time, he didn't even have to resort to Genjutsu to knock the more adventurous ones back down a peg. The stare was enough to make some of the most experienced and brave cringe in fear. But not this one.
"How does it feel to know that this is your last day on earth, Sasuke?" the Jonin spewed.
"How would you like to have you and your entire team have an unfortunate 'accident' and never make it back to Otagakure, Arashi?" the Uchiha retorted.
"My, my, you're a feisty little punk. I can't wait for Orochimaru-sama to put you out of my misery."
"Just keep talking, Arashi. I dare you."
"You'd better listen to him, Arashi-senpai," another one of the Oto-nin cried. The terror in the younger shinobi's eyes was as plain as day.
"The kid's already at the end of his leash. After that stunt he pulled a few years back, he wouldn't dare cross Orochimaru-sama again," Arashi retorted, "He wouldn't dare kill us. Orochimaru might decide to make his suffering permanent then. There are far more profane magics then the Fushi Tensei. Orochimaru might decide to give them a whirl on Sasu--"
Instantly, Arashi realized he had stepped too far. As Sasuke peered into his eyes, the whole world seemed to come flying apart at the seams. Every pain receptor in his body lit up; his whole body seemed to burn in hellfire while his innards churned in every direction. Arashi desperately tried to close his mind and senses to the assault, but that only made it worse. Sasuke tore open his consciousness, and began fishing through all of Arashi's thoughts and memories. Repressed memories and nameless fears boiled back to consciousness.
Arashi begged to any higher power that it might stop, but Sasuke just continued, tearing through his mind, forcing Arashi to relieve every painful event in his life in quick succession. Once Sasuke was certain he'd exhausted all the ammunition that this hapless sap's subconscious would provide him, he prepared his coup de grace.
With the Genjutsu still in force, Sasuke reached down into his own subconscious, and grabbed a neat little package of thoughts, memories and pain that would provide a nice finish to this Genjutsu torture. This pain and sorrow was special. It was the misery and agony that Itachi had given him. And now he was going to share it with Arashi. He forced all of it into Arashi's mind at once, and let it take its toll on him.
Sasuke broke the Genjutsu, causing the hapless Jonin to fall down at Sasuke's feet. He'd been screaming the entire time he'd spent in the Genjutsu, and was indeed still screaming. His voice was hoarse and broken. Sasuke looked down at Arashi disapprovingly as the rest of the Oto-nin watched in horror. "Welcome to my nightmare," he cursed. He soon turned his attention to the other Oto-nin. "Anyone else?" he challenged.
With their once fearless leader now a broken and sobbing mess, they wisely decided that discretion was the better part of valor, and pulled the blubbering blob that was once their leader away from Sasuke. They continued about their business, carefully averting their eyes from Sasuke.
Sasuke sat back down on the log. He pulled a flask of Oolong tea from his pack, and slowly began sipping the now cold beverage. As much as it was satisfying to make that prick squirm like the worm he was, in his malice, Sasuke summoned up the very pains he tried most to avoid. Thoughts about Itachi gnawed at him. "That bastard is still alive!" he raged silently, "I was right there! Victory was in the palm of my hands! Mother and father could've finally rest in peace, but I didn't have what it took to kill him. He was still too strong. Now all I can do is hope that Orochimaru-teme lives up to his end of the bargain. I don't want to die, but if it means leaving this hell, then I'm game."
The tea was bitter. "These damn Oto-nin never make it right. They never make it like Sakura did…"
Sakura. That was a person he hadn't thought about in a long time. And Naruto too. He couldn't help but remember those names with some fondness because of the memories attached to them. Those bonds he'd prided himself on severing were far more resilient than he ever realized. Sasuke finished his tea, and put the flask back in his pack. The pale glow of the full moon began peering through the forest canopy, shining on his face. He looked up at the moon. It was lonely in the sky as it sat above the horizon. As lonely as he was. "Huh. There was a full moon six years ago when I left Konoha. Now Sister Moon has returned to bid me a final farewell. Sort of like Sakura on that day…I wonder what those two are doing right now. With all my luck, they're on some mad suicide mission to 'rescue' me."
Within two hours, the Konoha-Suna expeditionary force was in position, waiting for the Sound's ninja to march into their trap. The full moon was now high in sky, illuminating the river and clearing area that the battle was about to take place on. While the other teams waited out of sight of the river, Team Suna was up on the north side of the river, waiting to ambush. Temari peered through the dense undergrowth, watching for any signs of the approaching enemy. She'd already littered the area with cleverly hidden traps. Now all she had to do is wait for the enemy to close into the kill zone and strike.
The enemy vanguard soon dashed across the clearing near the river's edge. Temari counted eight of them. She was almost certain that the one in the lead was Uchiha Sasuke. "Oh how I want to wring that bastard's neck!" she raged. Gaara and Kankuro, both not far away from her, reflexively cringed at the sight of Temari's mounting anger.
One of the other seven Oto-nin was being carried by his comrades. His body was rather limp, and he looked rather unconscious. "Hmm, they must have had an accident or something along the way," she mumbled as she started silently counting off the seconds in between the vanguard and the main body. She silently motioned to Gaara and Kankuro to prepare for battle. She fiddled with her radio headset, making sure it was functioning. Ten seconds, and no sign of the van.
She unslung her iron fan from her back and continued to wait. Twenty seconds, but no sign of the enemy. Kankuro silently summoned two of his puppets while Gaara dispelled the cork on his gourd of chakra-enriched sand. Thirty seconds, and still no sign.
She heard a faint sound. The sound of marching feet and trampled grass. The rush of moving air as ninja ran through the night. "They're here," she said with predatory grin. Within another ten seconds, the staggered line of Oto-nin came into view, running across the clearing. She started counting them as they passed, hoping to get a more exact idea of the numbers they faced. "Should be fifty or sixty, according to our intel."
He count soon reached fifty, but more Oto-nin still came running across the clearing. When she reached seventy, she muttered, "Fuck!"
"What is it, Temari?" Gaara asked anxiously.
"We've got a lot more enemies on our hands than we expected. I'm passed eighty on the count, and they're still coming."
Gaara paused a moment, contemplating this turn of events. "We continue the plan as normally, and inform Kakashi-taishō of the changing mission parameters," he declared.
She nodded. Finally, the last Oto-nin in the van passed. "One-hundred and eleven…well, I guess we'll just have to work a lot harder and reducing that number." She grabbed a thin steal wire by her feet, and gave it a strong tug. The sound of large explosions echoed across the meadow, followed shortly by the surprised screams of dying men.
All three bolted out of cover, and dashed the one hundred meters across the clearing the exposed flank of the enemy van. As they approached, Temari slashed at the air with her fan, summoning up a powerful sickle wind. The invisible wind blades slashed at the rearmost Oto-nin, who had turned just in time to see the manner of their demise. The blades cut down half a dozen of the surprised enemies in a single stroke.
Kakuro's puppets moved in for close combat, slashing at their foes with large nodachi blades. Gaara waited in reserve to counter the enemies response.
On the other side of the battle line, senior Jonin rallied the surprised Oto shinobi, and turned the small army around, ready to bring it to bare on the enemy at their heels. A small wave of kunai lanced out Team Suna, only to be intercepted by a wall of sand. Kankura summoned a third puppet to support the other two. This third model poured down a withering hail of needles at the enemy, effectively locking down any counter attack.
Temari crouched behind her fan, and radioed for Kakashi. "We have engaged the enemy, Kakashi-taishō. Repeat, we have engaged the enemy. Be advised, there are about twice as many enemy nin than we expected."
"Acknowledged, Temari-kun. We're on our way. ETA, three minutes," came the reply.
No sooner had she received the reply, she heard Gaara yelling "Temari, watch out!" She felt a rush of hot air moving her direction, and quickly bolted away. The flames of a fireball technique licked at her fan and singed her clothes as she dodged away. As soon as she hit the ground, she sent a Kamaitachi no Jutsu right back in the direction of the enemy who has summoned the fireball. He nimbly dodged the sickling wind.
"Temari, you and Kankuro lay suppressive fire," Gaara cried, "I'll pick off the enemy elites." His sand lanced out towards the fire jutsu user, quickly ensnaring him. As soon as Gaara had him within the sand, he crushed the poor sod to death with merciful quickness before seizing a second victim. After he was finished with her, he moved his sand back into a defensive barrier.
"We only need to hold out for three minutes," Temari cried.
Gaara and Kankuro both nodded, and continued focusing on the skirmish. The puppets withering hail of needles had taken its toll on the enemy force, killing or incapacitating many of the weaker enemy shinobi. The screams of the dying were the chorus to the pounding rhythm of metal meeting metal, the veritable music of Bishamonten himself.
The battle raged on in the sickly glow of the full moon, as Team Kakashi, Team Guy and Team Ten raced to aid their comrades.
Endnotes: Please read and review. Any comments would be greatly appreciated.