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Chapter 21
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The Infiltrators
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Sasuke rode fast with his motorbike and Chouji was screaming like a girl behind him. He couldn't even breathe properly due to his suffocating hold like a boa constrictor.
"Motherfuckâ Could you slow down even for a bit?!" Chouji cried as he dangled behind him on the speeding vehicle. "You're gonna get us both killed!"
"Stop choking me!" Sasuke shrugged him off.
He turned them to another street, the tires skidding in the sharp turn. Sasuke could already see the glow of fire in the night sky several blocks ahead where the academy was. Chouji gaped at the sight of smokes building up in the horizon.
There were people at the ruined entrance gates by the time they arrived. Most of them were outsiders, just watching the scene in utter astoundment. They saw the damage done. The buildings were under fire and ashes were being blown from every direction in the cool night air.
Sasuke saw one of the black vans from the guild and hastily parked the motorbike carelessly on the street, not caring if it was left there in a lopsided position. He and Chouji hopped off just as Anko spotted them and rushed to their side.
"Oh no." Chouji whimpered.
"The buildings are collapsing! We can't go in." Anko said loudly over the ruckus. There were a few rogues near the entrance gates, trying to block people away.
"Who're inside?" Sasuke asked, staring at the blaze before them.
"I heard Tsunade, Shizune and Ebisu were doing overtime work tonight. Gai, Asuma and Ibiki already went in to get them a couple of minutes ago. There're demi-humans inside. We've killed a few near the gates just now."
It was then that Sasuke noticed some of the rogues hauling dead bodies of demi-humans to the van. The other rogues were trying to control the watchers near the burning school, keeping them afar. Hinata and Ino were also there, trying to collect and cover the dead bodies.
Two fire trucks halted several yards away from them and firemen hurriedly started yanking the hoses near the gates.
"We need to get inside." Kakashi came to them. He was keeping a calm face in front of them as he threw a katana to Sasuke and a crossbow to Chouji. Beads of sweat were running down his forehead. He wasn't in his rogue uniform and was wearing a long dark sweatshirt above a pair of jeans. He was holding another katana with blood dripping from the edges. "They haven't gotten out yet. I think they're trapped inside and the goddamn monsters are holding them down. Who else is guarding the clinic?"
"Rock Lee and eight more rogues are left there." Sasuke said, pulling his katana out from the sheath. "Also. I brought Sakura there."
"No surprise." Kakashi muttered. He turned to Anko. "We'll go inside and if we're not back yet in ten minutes, call for back up."
Anko nodded as the three of them left and headed for the burning gates. They were ruined and were bent to the sides, giving a small space on the middle to walk through. Sasuke knew the rogues had crushed it earlier to give space. They could see the middle of the grass fields further ahead. It was the remaining space not yet consumed by flames.
"We don't have any idea how many demi-humans are inside. We'll just go straight to the head office and find Tsunade and the others. Ibiki and the other rogues are in the Private History Section, trying to salvage what they can of the valuables." Kakashi informed them as they entered the broken gates, covering their mouths and noses as the smoke came in.
The heat of the surroundings was suffocating. Good thing the academy had a vast field at the center of the whole block, keeping the smokes away from the middle grounds. There were firemen there, trying to extinguish the fires one by one. But the buildings were too many and too high. They could only put out one or two buildings at a time.
Chouji swore as he coughed, his eyes watering. "This is hell. I can't believe they've done this and we're in the middle of this inferno."
A demi-human stepped out from one of the buildings, followed by three others. Their skins were pale and their eyes yellow. Their hands were mutated and claw like. They saw them and their faces contorted in a scowl, like beastly humans. Being in the underworld business for years now, the feeling of threat and seeing deformed humans were not foreign to them at all.
One of them shrieked after seeing the rogues. Kakashi pulled out a small dagger from his back and it hit its skull in a blink of an eye. It fell in front of him as the three others lunged at them.
Chouji hit one of them in the neck with an arrow. Sasuke slashed their heads off in a few seconds without effort. They ran inside the building where the headmistress's office was. The first stairs they saw was crumbling down and they moved to other side of the ground floor to reach the back stairs. It was caught on fire but they were still able to run passed the steps going to the upper floors.
It was Ebisu's body that went through a broken wooden wall and stumbled down in front of them the moment they landed at the floor where the head office was. The floor was not yet engulfed by flames but some of the walls were already burning.
"Ebisu!" Kakashi called, rushing to him.
Ebisu's face was covered in blood and he was unconscious. The dark glasses he was always wearing were gone.
A husky demi-human stood before them. He was one of the biggest they'd seen so far. His hair was shaved off and he had tattoos all over his gray-colored body. He had fangs coming out of his mouth and his eyes flashed a golden yellow. He ground his teeth at them furiously.
Kakashi looked for a pulse on his neck. "He's still alive, but barely breathing." Kakashi said. He stood up and drew out his blade. "You two go ahead. I'll catch up in a while." He ordered, eyeing the demi-human in disgust.
"A-Are you sure, Kakashi-sensei?" Chouji asked nervously. He was sweating madly due to the hot atmosphere.
"Go!" Kakashi ordered.
Sasuke grabbed Chouji's collar as he pulled him away to the head office. Another demi-human attacked them from one of the doors and Sasuke jabbed his katana through its torso and shoved it aside as they continued their way.
Two demi-human bodies were thrown out through the crumbling walls as they approached the office and it created a big hole on the partition. Sasuke and Chouji ran inside and saw Tsunade being dragged on the floor by two other big demi-humans. Her nails scratched on the cemented floor as she tried to escape. The whole office was in disarray. The tables, chairs and utensils were flung around and the glasses were smashed. Shizune lied unconscious across the room, her face swelling.
And Orochimaru was there. The one they'd been longing to capture.
He stood there, watching the headmistress being dragged as he held a wakizashi on his side. A twisted grin was spreaded on his face. He was wearing a dark brown robe that concealed his feet. Three other demi-humans stood behind him like guards. Kisame, the wanted shark demi-human, was also there on his side, snickering at the scene before them.
The two demi-humans pinned Tsunade on the wall.
"Tsunade-sama!" Chouji called.
"Don't touch me you animal!" she roared and, one of her arms pulling free, she delivered a forceful punch against one of the demi-humans' face, who staggered backwards, grasping his nose as blood spurted out.
She grabbed the other one by the arms and sent him flying across the room, crashing on the wall despite his heavy built. She was, after all, the strongest woman they'd ever met. And she was not the type who'd go down without a hard fight.
"Still stubborn, I see." Orochimaru leered.
The three demi-humans behind him attacked her and grabbed her arms and legs. Sasuke sprinted toward them and aimed his blade to one of their necks.
CLASH!
Kisame was there in a second and his gigantic spiky blade collided against his. He hit him hard on the chest with his other fist and Sasuke faltered backward.
"Well, if it isn't the black sheep of the Uchiha clan again." he grunted.
Tsunade saw them, the side of her face being pushed down against the floor.
"Get out of here you two!" she ordered them.
Sasuke ignored her command. He regained his stance and made another strike towards Kisame, their blades scraping against one another. Kisame jerked his Samehada towards him and missed, rupturing the floor.
Chouji shot another arrow towards one of the demi-humans holding the headmistress down and it hit one shoulder. Tsunade shook herself free and punched one of them on the jaw and kicked the other. She ran towards Orochimaru the minute they fell down and balled her fist, chakra emitting from it.
Orochimaru licked his lips in anticipation as she came close.
"It's time for you to retire, Tsunade." he said. "You're being a huge hindrance for years. It's getting on my nerve."
He blocked her punch with the body of his blade, positioning it across his chest. He braced and swung it to her. She dodged it and threw another punch against the side of his stomach before countering another attack.
They exchanged blows in a fast speed. It was nearly impossible to count their attacks.
Sasuke, on the other hand, was able to corner Kisame on one side. He scraped him on the arm, which started oozing dark blood instantly.
"You scumbag." Kisame snarled.
He moved fast and struck Sasuke with his weapon above him. Sasuke barely missed it and it shaved an inch of his hair, scratching his forehead.
All of them felt the building sent another tremor and the floor shook, indicating one of the structures way below them just fell down from the enraging fire.
Sasuke knew they needed to get out soon or they would all be smoldered. They had a very limited time and they would all be doomed. And for the first time in a long while, he felt a sense of tension.
He couldn't die. He didn't want to die.
Not here. Not now.
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I felt uneasy.
I kept running my palms up and down my arms, as if keeping myself warm as I sat by the windowsill, looking out the black sky from Sarutobi's room in the clinic.
I left the door open and could see Rock Lee pacing the corridor outside the room restlessly like me. It gave me a small comfort seeing him there, knowing I wasn't alone. I kept on looking at him, a sleeping Sarutobi, and the night sky outside.
The night was dead silent and it was eerie. I knew something was going on and I kept a dagger hidden beneath my shirt. I was wearing my fighting black gloves.
Everything seemed to be leading for this night. What if everything went out of hand? I was worried about my classmates and mentors. I couldn't stay still.
"Any news about Konoha?" I asked Lee as he walked passed the open door for the countless time.
He shook his head, his face worried. "No. I couldn't contact any of them right now."
I held my hands together and stared out of the window again. I should've known something like this would happen sooner or later. The school was in danger the moment they created it. And everyone else who belonged there. I didn't live in a normal world anymore. This was one of the consequences of my decisions. I hoped I had enough skill to do something good.
I was gazing blankly at the dusky trees outside the window, trying to comprehend the shapes and structures. It took me a moment to realize that it wasn't the trees I was gazing at anymore, but was staring at a pair of eyes in the darkness.
The second I realized it was the same moment the window was smashed as a figure charged inside and I stumbled down onto the floor. The shards of glasses rained down on me, grazing me on the arms and face in a breaking noise.
I yelped.
I caught the glint of glasses on the intruder's face and I immediately knew who it was. I cried as Kabuto kicked me hard on the rib as I was trying to get up. I fell down and clutched the part where he hit me. I could hear rushed footsteps from the corridor at once.
I dreaded for something like this to happen. The pitfall had finally caught up. My nightmare was coming true.
Kabuto turned his head to Sarutobi's unmoving form, took out a knife from his sleeve and moved towards him. I hastily grabbed his ankle and he nearly stumbled.
"Get off, you filthy rogue!" he spat.
He was kicking me on the shoulders and I wasn't letting him go when Rock Lee and two other rogues came in.
"Stop right there!" Rock Lee ordered.
He tackled Kabuto down and I heard the other window glasses being smashed as more intruders broke inside the building, including four demi-humans crashing their way into our room. One of them swung its robust fist down at me and I rolled over. I instantly grabbed the dagger underneath my shirt and aimed it to its jugular. He hit me with his arm in a fast movement before I could scratch him and I tumbled again.
I could see from my peripheral vision that Rock Lee was wrestling Kabuto down. They were in a tight fist fight and Lee was trying to get him as far away from Sarutobi's bed as possible. The two rogues with us were trying to kill the other three demi-humans. One of them was wearing brass knuckles and the other was slashing with a long blade. The table and chairs were being smashed by the uproar.
I was able to grab a broken table leg on the floor and smashed it against the bald head of the demi-human who was attacking me. It broke into pieces. He growled and his dark yellow eyes glowered at me. He sprung furiously at me and plunged me against the floor, his husky body pinning me down. I felt his claws digging into my arms. He tried to bite my neck with his sharp teeth and I squirmed wildly, trying to topple him off. He sunk his teeth on my shoulders and I cried, feeling warm blood gushing out. I kicked him as hard as I could on the abdomen and stabbed him on the lower rib, setting myself free. I seized the thin chance and buried my dagger into the side of his neck and he withered on the floor.
I clutched my bleeding shoulder tightly as a few more infiltrators in the form of demi-humans rushed inside from the corridor. They saw Sarutobi still lying untouched on his now crooked bed and sprang toward him. I threw kunais at them from my pockets and it hit two of them on the sides. I ran toward the bed and went passed Rock Lee, who was thrown across the room behind me by Kabuto, my eyes fixed on the nearest demi-human to the bed as he grabbed my grandfather down.
"Get away from him!" I screamed, pulling in my chakra to my fist and punching the skinny demi-human hard on the side of its face. I felt its bony neck snapped on the collision and I moved to Sarutobi hurriedly and guarded him behind me.
I saw one of the rogues with the long blade lying motionless at the other side of the room. He had a bleeding gash across his chest. I felt my heart pounded heavily in my chest as I saw more demi-humans pushing their way inside the room. I had never been in this situation where I barely had enough back up.
We were outnumbered.
I should have known I couldn't predict what was coming in the following nights. I live in a risky world now. And this was what I needed to swallow. I instantly thought about the other patients in that building. Were they still alive? How about Naruto? I needed to get him too.
I don't want to end like this.
An explosive kunai hit one of the demi-humans in front of me and it detonated automatically. I shielded my face with my arms as I stood there before Sarutobi and smoke filled one part of the room. I heard the scraping of blades and felt blood spattered on my feet as the demi-humans were beheaded.
And then, I saw those familiar red pupils emerging from the smoke.
"Give me Sarutobi." Itachi ordered.
He reminded me so much of Sasuke. I didn't realize I was already crying and the bruises on my cheeks were throbbing because of the tears.
It didn't sink in my head at once that he was there. He was not someone that I often see. He was wearing black clothing and he took hold of Sarutobi at once and placed him on his back.
"Follow me!" he said as he ran and jumped off the broken window with my unconscious grandfather, landing outside the building.
But I didn't follow him. Somehow, I trusted him. And I couldn't abandon the area yet. Not with all that was happening.
Instead, I sprang towards Kabuto, who was closing in on an injured Rock Lee, clutching his stomach on the floor.
He didn't see me fast enough and I hit him hard on the face with my gloved fist. His reflex was quick and he swung his blade at me. He missed and I delivered another punch to his gut. He coughed blood and faltered for a second, but he was still able to hit me on the face with the hilt. I felt the searing pain.
Rock Lee was already there before he could slash his sharp blade at me and he enclosed his arm around his neck from behind, choking him. Kabuto was squirming violently now, shrieking in a stifled sound like a madman.
And like instinct and a rush of blood, I moved fast...
I took out my dagger and stabbed him on the chest.
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(To be continued.)