Part 6: Cuba
Two years prior, when Sasuke was seventeen, he was beginning to attract the attention of Tsunade, the Head-Chairman of the Federal Reserve.
One day, as Sasuke was preparing to leave once more on another venture with the J.P. Morgan Delta Force when the Head of J.P. Morgan, Mark Anthony walked up to him.
"Anthony sir," Sasuke said as he saluted him.
"Are you Sasuke Uchiha?" Anthony asked.
"Yes sir." Sasuke said.
"Congratulations then," Anthony said, "You've been summoned by Tsunade herself."
Sasuke took the executive elevator which was a glass elevator on the side of the building that had an amazing view of Manhattan.
"What does Tsunade want with a simple Federal Reserve agent such as me?" Sasuke asked.
"I'm afraid she didn't say," Anthony said, "She just said to bring you to her office."
Sasuke got off the elevator, and walked into the entrance to Tsunade's office, which was one big lobby that had a Harmony River waterfalls running all along the walls.
Walking into Tsunade's office, which was on the top floor of the New York Federal Reserve, overlooking Manhattan.
As soon as Sasuke walked in, Tsunade saw him, and motioned him to sit in front of her desk. Sasuke took his seat, and looked at Tsunade who smiled, "You're Sasuke Uchiha," Tsunade said, "I was expecting someone young, I just didn't expect someone as young as you."
"I'm seventeen sir," Sasuke said, "What can I do for you?"
"I'm pulling you out of your current assignment," Tsunade said, "Congratulations you now take orders from me," she then handed Sasuke a file-folder with his next mission, "I'm sending you to Havana."
"You're sending me to Cuba," Sasuke asked as he opened the folder to reveal a picture of Cuban Chairman Raúl Marksis.
"Something's come up," Tsunade said, "President Castro's been marked to be assassinated. You job, should you decide to accept it would be to go to Cuba, and keep him alive."
"What am I taking with me?" Sasuke asked.
"Anything you need to complete your mission." Tsunade said.
"You have a pen?" Sasuke asked.
Tsunade handed Sasuke a pen and paper, "Just write it down." He said. Sasuke started writing, "I'm going to need FN Five-Seven, ten spare magazines," he started, "A Swiss Arms SG552, attached fore-grip, suppressor, and all in a carbon black paint job, seven spare magazines. And finally, five pounds of Semtex, five pounds of c4, and seven detonators."
Sasuke folded the page, and handed it to Tsunade who placed it inside a small cylindrical tube, walked over to a tube running from the floor to the ceiling of her office, placed the cylinder inside, and it was sucked downwards.
"You'll receive your gear once you get to the presidential palace," Tsunade said, "Good luck Sasuke."
While on the Private Jet to Cuba, Sasuke looked out the window, and watched the United States passing beneath him.
When the plane was off the coast of South Carolina, Sasuke decided to change out of his tactical gear, he quickly pulled off his boots, removed his digital black-camo pants, changing into his black jeans, but leaving his shirt off because he didn't feel there was a real need.
He did his absolute best to stay in shape, and it showed, he was very muscular, and well beyond in shape for the Special Forces.
The Federal Reserve had left him a bottle of Rémy Martin V.S.O.P. CŒUR De Cognac, a golden container of ice, and a Madison Avenue Whiskey Glass with a single band of silver running around the rim of the glass.
Sasuke put five pieces of ice in the glass, and then poured the brandy over the top.
Ever since big business took over the world, the bar business became almost as big as the stock market.
And because the world needs money, the Federal Reserve sponsors many bars around the United States, and the drinking age in the United States and all over the world has lowered the drink age to eighteen.
But there's still a very strict zero-tolerance restriction on alcohol stating that anyone who has consumed alcohol must have a blood-alcohol level under 0.6, meaning Americans can only consume one glass of whiskey, bourbon, scotch, or vodka.
Sasuke lightly drank the brandy, he looked over, and saw a cigar box resting on the counter mounted against the wall of the plane.
Sasuke walked over, and pulled out a Gurkha Black Dragon Cigar, "One of the most expensive cigars in the entire world," Sasuke thought, "The whole box must have cost a damn fortune."
The tobacco business is a thirty five billion dollar industry, but in order to keep the death-toll from rising, both the Federal Reserve and Central European Bank put restrictions on the tobacco industry that caused them to limit the age at which to sell tobacco products to at eighteen (same in this world), but you're only allowed to one tobacco product a day.
But if you think about it carefully, there's a small stroke of genius because if you sell less at a lower price you can actually move inventory faster, and at greater amounts.
Sasuke clipped off the end of the cigar, and lit it with a cedar split.
The plane was equipped with a professional-grade Smoke-Eater so that anyone could smoke, but the plane wouldn't reek of tobacco.
This was a big step in his career at the Federal Reserve, many people exactly like him had gone on assignments exactly like the one he was on.
But one out of one hundred men and women working at the Federal Reserve that got assignments like the one he was on were sent home in individual boxes.
After putting out the cigar, Sasuke placed his drink down, leaned back in the chair, and fell asleep.
He awoke to the sound of the fasten-seat-belt sign coming on.
Once the plane landed, Sasuke put on a black Polo-Ralph-Lauren tee-shirt, and walked off the plane, into the bright, Caribbean sun.
He was then greeted by a group of Cuban CTEs, and a Mercedes Benz limo.
Once Sasuke was in the limo, he was greeted by President Raúl Marksis and Cuban Military Coronel Rene Pliant.
"President Marksis, Colonel Rene," Sasuke said as he took his seat in the back of the limo.
"Your reputation precedes you sir," Coronel Rene said as the car drove down the streets of Havana, "Welcome to Cuba."
Arriving at the Presidential Palace, it was hard to see why anyone would dare try to kill Raúl, machine gun pits were mounted above the gates, and CETs were constantly marching around the walls armed with Ak-47 assault rifles that were equipped with double-drum magazines, fore-grips, and tactical scopes.
"You seem to have a lot of security around here Mr. Chairman," Sasuke said as the limo pulled into the palace, "Why worry about assassins?"
"Because there have been several attempts on my life," Raúl said, "All unsuccessful, but all have made their marks on the Cuban people."
Once inside the palace, Raúl escorted Sasuke to his bedroom which was a large room with a double-bed mounted right underneath the window.
After putting his bags down, Rene told Sasuke that his equipment arrived. Sasuke walked into the Palace Guard's Armory, and found the weapons and the explosives he requested fully loaded and waiting for him.
The following day Raúl would be making a televised speech addressing the relationship Cuba had with the Federal Reserve.
It would be the perfect time for an assassin to strike, despite the fact the speech would be made from inside the presidential palace.
Right before making the speech, Sasuke went over security with Rene, "Keep two troops out front, plus eight groups of four of your Special Forces soldiers patrolling the walls," Sasuke said, "They should be enough to provide us with a long enough distraction to get away should there be an attack. Plus four groups of five Special Forces soldiers in the courtyard. We should have a body-double standing by in case they make it inside the palace."
"Ok," Rene said, "If there is an attack, me and my troops will be out front, good luck today."
As soon as President Raúl began his speech, Sasuke stood next to him as he began speaking. While he was making his address to the nation, a black 1995 GMC Vandura pulled up along the side, and a few shots from inside the van hit the wall beside the machinegun pit.
As the LMGs opened fire, several men dressed in heavy Kevlar carrying Light Machine Guns jumped out the side, and opened fire on the pits.
The hostiles walked toward the palace, opening fire upon the Cuban troops.
The hostiles walked into the palace, slowly picking off Cuban troops as they went.
They entered the hallway leading to where President Raúl was giving his speech.
As soon as they did, Sasuke popped out from behind cover, and fired as President Raúl and Colonel Rene moved down the hallway toward the exit.
Sasuke and the CET troops they were with ran down the hall, as two of the heavy troops walked around the corner, Sasuke and one of the troops turned around, Sasuke gripped the SG552's primary and tactical fore-grip as the CET troop turned around with the double-drum Ak-47, and they opened fire.
As they fired, they halfway skipped backwards down the hallway as the bullets whistled all around.
Once they reached the bend in the hall, Sasuke pulled out a pack of c4 and semtex he molded into one, attached a detonator, and slapped it against the wall.
They ran into the exit, and as soon as they were fired at, Sasuke pulled the trigger on the detonator, and killed two of the hostiles.
Once they jumped into the Presidential Limousine, the remaining six ran down the stairs, and opened fire as they took off.
"Nice job," Colonel Rene said, "Your plan worked perfectly."
"Thanks," Sasuke said as he reloaded his rifle, and pulled back on the cocking-drive.
"You have your side-arm handy?" Colonel Rene asked.
"Yes," Sasuke said, "Why?"
"Because no matter what President Raúl must survive," Colonel Rene said, "Give me your rifle," Sasuke handed Rene his rifle, "Raúl, we've been friends our whole lives, and nothing's left for me here now since my wife died. I need you to do something for me."
Once at the airport, the limo pulled onto the runway, the Federal Reserve's private jet landed, and slowed to a stop.
The hostiles pulled up alongside the limo, jumped out, and as several shots came from inside the limo, the hostiles lined up alongside the limo, and emptied their magazines into the side.
One of them walked up to the side of the limo, opened the door, and saw President Raúl lying across the seat.
As one of the hostiles lifted the man up, several shots rang out, and the man dropped to the ground, bleeding out of his stomach.
The other hostiles looked up, and instead of President Raúl, it was Colonel Rene wearing Raúl's suit, and carrying the SG552 Sasuke was using.
One of the hostiles raised his LMG, and fired one round, shooting Rene in the shoulder, and as Rene dropped the SG552, he reached into his pocket, and pulled out a detonator.
"I'll see you in hell you bastards," Rene said as he pulled the detonator's trigger, and exploded the remaining eight pounds of the c4 and Semtex.
The explosion killed five of the remaining hostiles, and mortally-wounded the last.
The last one looked up, and saw Sasuke pushing President Raúl into the plane.
He pulled out a Desert Eagle .50AE, and aimed it at Sasuke who raised the Five-Seven, and emptied the magazine into the hostile who managed to get off one shot before dying of his injuries.
When Sasuke and Raúl were crawling out of the limo, a stray bullet punctured a hole in the gas-tank, and caused a small amount of gasoline to get Sasuke on the side of the face.
The .50AE bullet hit the side of the plane, and one of the sparks flew from the side of the plane, and hit Sasuke on a small bit of the gasoline which set the side of Sasuke's face on fire.
Sasuke fell backwards, grabbing his burning face as Raúl pulled off Colonel Rene's jacket, and put out the fire by holding it against Sasuke's face.
"Stay with me Sasuke," Raúl said as one of the CET soldiers shut the door, and the pilot took off.
Sasuke blacked out after the fire was put out, and awoke after a week of being out cold.
After waking up, he was greeted by the sight of Tsunade and Raúl standing over him.
"You're awake," Raúl said, "Welcome back."
"Did I go anywhere sir?" Sasuke asked.
"Near enough," New York Plastic Surgeon and Reconstructive Surgeon Martin Alexander said as he walked into the room, "Many people that have their faces burned usually die. You're lucky it didn't get in your hair otherwise you would be dead."
"How bad is it doc?" Sasuke asked.
"Not as bad as it might have been Mr. Uchiha," Martin said, "You're going to end up with a burn-scar on the side of your face. But otherwise, I see no serious damage."
"Thanks doc," Sasuke said, "It's still bandaged?"
"I'm afraid so," Martin said, "I don't think the bandages will be able to come off for another few weeks."
"Thanks doc." Sasuke said.
"Don't thank me," Martin said as he put his hand on Raúl's shoulder, "This man was the one that got you back alive."
As Martin left, Sasuke looked at Raúl, "Thank you," he said, "You saved my life."
"You saved mine," Raúl said, "It was the least I could do."