FSDYT Note's:
As you have noticed lately I have kept a pretty steady flow of chapters coming. This is due in part to the fact I just really like writing this story and luckily I have already written pre-chapters before ever releasing it.
Now on to a few weird things I've been asked about this story.
1. Where Naruto?
Answer: I could have sworn I said he will pop up eventually...
2. Who really is the most powerful character hands down?
Answer: Lol I actually liked this question because I knew eventually someone would ask it. . . An I will give you a hint. (It is not who you think it is! I guarantee if you made a list of ten powerful people from this story. An wrote their names down from who you thought was strongest to weakest it would be like the 4th person on everyone's list!)
3. Why is this story not voted the best story ever and I awarded.
Answer: While I enjoy hearing that lol it was not really a question that I can answer. . . but I guess it cause this story only has select readers or something -shrugs- I guess eh?! I don't know. But thanks for the vote of confidence!
Well anyway not to ramble on; to those who read and love this story. Thank you for your time :) Reviews and Views. Here is another chapter I hope you enjoy!
HOT WATER COUNTRY| YU VILLAGE
Once a village filled with ninja and civilians all existing harmonically or close to it. Lived inside of the Hot Springs village behind the pipe constructed wall. Just like so many other villages its founding was not too long ago but quickly like many cemented its spot.
Of course it had its' fortune and will turned upside down when it was conquered along with the country it was meant to protect. But Hot Springs village was quickly forced to bounce back and did sufficiently enough.
In time plague-like earthquakes left it. They gained an ally that was impossible to get rid of in an unbreakable relationship of 'death do us part' or more likely what village and it's ninja died first would break the cemented deal.
With no way out Yu village agreed to their now superiors and loyally followed their Uzushiogakure rulers.
Even when a quarter of their ninja were taken for the war effort and added to the Uzu force then marched towards the Frost country border.
The family of the drafted men along with the whole village waited patiently for their people to return. Doing as told in the way of what ever Uzu advised, they had nothing to fear and for a time even gained some safety.
Safety for the country and village was very visible for a long time in the Yu ninja and Hot Water country citizen's livs. All the while outside of its borders, and thankfully for them. The war waged on claiming lives but quite noticeably not harming them directly.
Unresolved hate for being conquered by the Uzu ninja quickly evaporated into fear with grudging appreciation since Uzu had kept everyone now under their rule out of mainly harm's way. . . .
For the second time in Yu village's history its mega pipe defensive wall was breached. The cause was easily seen and known as simply; a lightning attack from above.
A massive bolt of electricity had shot from the heavens downward upon the red pipe-wall leaving only a trail of blue light that was an after image accompanied with a deafening crackling sound of thunder. Leaving the Yu citizens confused and scared.
As no human eye could ever trail the speed that lightning moved at the bolt was completely untraceable as to where it could of come from. Which continued the confusion of how lightning could strike on a clear day.
But the devastation it caused was easily seen; warped steel now turned molten by the power of the sudden strike muddled the ground in a red glowing pool. Leaving what was a whole east section of the village's wall destroyed.
Quickly after the defense fell, the hole in the village's wall was exploited.
Gathering atop a hill to the village's east. Alerting all in the village of their amounting by the hundreds presence. It was made clear the lightning strike was not a stroke of ill-luck nor was strained peace blanketing Hot Springs village anymore.
Minutes had passed before Yu village was thrown in to a fury of trying to regroup and protect their village from an enemy they had not seen coming. An enemy they knew to had once requested their alliance. An enemy that was once not theirs.
TWENTY-THREE MINUTES PAST
"Those bastards!" growled Haruo under his breath
From his leader's side Daichi reported "We were being chased by it seems half of their division. While this half went ahead to attack the village. It was a very smart strategy. Ambush us with the battalion led by the Gold and Silver brothers. Attack us with another follow-up ambush then even if we were to escape and fall back, meet us here with this. . . Sir the other half to the division should be arriving soon too"
Haruo nodded absentmindedly at his Lt.'s observation that he understood was not for him but rather for the several wide-mouthed ninja who viewed the spectacle ahead of them all.
Down in the valley that Yu village sat in. A retreating wave of ninja were seen fleeing from the billowing with steam and smoke village that looked absolutely battered from battle.
"We are exhausted Commander" stated Daichi cryptically while not meeting his leader's eyes.
Staring at the valiantly defending their village Yu ninja then to his subordinate who he saw had his Byakugan eye activated. He asked hiding his dread under a calm demeanor "How many?"
Within just a second Daichi replied grimly "Over three thousand, mixed with samurai. . . a majority of the ninja look to be chunin and above!"
The Uzumaki looked with apathy at the village and said "We are going to protect it. There is no way even if they have the village's defenses down that they could easily take that village full of-" Haruo was stopped in his tracks as he viewed a white flag being raised over the village.
All eyes now showing their hopelessness trailed over to the commander who growled angrily.
"Fall back, wait until they move the main force in" said the red-head Uzumaki icily
Curious the mismatched eye warrior asked "What about when they fully regroup sir?"
"We have been weakened beyond repair. Regrouping here for rest and gathering our forces was our only hope. Now that those idiots have surrendered and those bastards chasing us it won't be long till they are here and inform the main division that we too have arrived. Daichi get the army out-of-the-way and hide them, we are going to turn this mass ambush back on them on my signal"
"Seems our deaths have just been prolonged" muttered Daichi pessimistically as he watched Haruo race towards the village.
Looking back to the hundreds of ninja and dozens injured behind him Daichi sighed at the task given to him.
Exhausted from the challenge after challenge he had faced one after another for dozens of hours now. Haruo knew he was running on near empty as he stealthily made his way in to the village.
Looking around at the many burning wood buildings and rampant fires that raged unchallenged he slowly walked the charred dirt road of the village trying to make his way to the village's town square.
"Halt!" yelled a groggy voice
Sighing Haruo looked up and to his left to see a group of ninja each wrapped somewhere on their body in a white bandage that was stained with copious amounts of blood to prove useful.
"About time, I was starting to think this place was as empty as it was cowardly" stated the commander upping his famed bravado while trying to pose as the unshakable pillar he was legendarily posted as.
Realizing who the man they were speaking to was each injured ninja jumped down from the roof of the building except for one.
"Haruo-sama thank God you are back sir! We need your help!" pleaded a man who stepped forward from the group.
Snorting and rolling his eyes the Uzumaki asked "Who said it was alright to surrender?"
Fearfully the fidgeting ninja was about to answer but was interrupted.
The injured kunoichi upon the building's roof yelled angrily "It doesn't matter! Not like you were here! Scum! We won't have to put up with you or your guys crap any more! Shirako, and Himaz let us go. When we surrender to Kumo we can get rid of him!"
Interested Haruo looked to the astonished pair before him that would not make eye contact then to the grinning woman upon the roof. "So that is what you guys were going to do? Wow you people sure do play both sides of the fence. I don't blame you though, now take me to the one who told you to raise that white flag"
A moment of uncomfortable silence went past as Haruo waited for the Hot Springs ninjas to do as he commanded but they stared blankly back at him and the one he could see upon the roof snickered.
Pissed off the Uzumaki knowing he could not afford to waste any chakra but had to regain control of the semi-revolting Yu ninja. He jumped in to the air then landed beside the outspoken kunoichi.
The woman instinctively moved back then sputtered "Y-you guys! L-let's k-kill him! It'll make us look g-good!"
Haruo looked down upon the looking at him ninja and saw in their eyes what he knew he needed to keep control of them all. . . fear.
Drawing his sword slowly while looking down upon the ninja below Haruo spoke menacingly "Tell the village I have returned and to get back on defense!"
"Y-yes" stuttered the ninjas as they saw their comrade about to be killed but knew they could do nothing as the returning fear they had for Whirlpool's Reaper was slowly gripping them .
"Yes what?" inquired Haruo as he quickly ran his sword through the revolting kunoichis' head and pulled it out knowing the woman never saw it coming no had the reflexes to avoid it. Smiling the Uzumaki saw what the killing of the woman did to the pair's morale.
Each man paralyzed at first by the power they'd witnessed, instantly regretted their foolishly planned betrayal to what was a monster in their eyes wearing human clothing.
In complete unison with heads hung in defeat they murmured "Yes. . . Haruo-sama" 'Will our homeland ever truly be free?' was the sad after-thought Himaz and Shirako mentally wondered.
Nodding his head at the men who were back in line he followed them as he was lead to the center of the village and to where he saw a large squad of ninja were at, guarding civilians in the center.
At the arrival of the Reaper, what was once a commotion of voices and chaos caused by a myriad of things. All assembled noise suddenly stopped. An for a moment only the outer sounds of battle in the distance was heard.
"Reaper" whispered several voices as many saw the believed larger than life ninja stroll unrestricted through the mob of people who moved out of his way and towards a group of ninjas who'd essentially been leading Yu village.
Haruo viewed the four men in front of him that turned to stare blankly at him. He knew not one of these men nor had he approved any of them in leading in his stead.
"Where is Rai?" he asked thinking of the old but still strong ninja he had picked from the ranks of Yu village itself, who he had left to lead these men.
The oldest of the group of men who himself was no less than twenty, stepped forward then cockily crossed his arms.
"Well Haruo he died, you know in this battle" spat the young man rudely then continued "So we took over. I'm the leader now and these are my direct subordinates" gestured the man pointing to the men who stood stone still behind him.
Knowing time was of the essence the Uzumaki asked "How many men you got on the front line in defense of the village?"
Shrugging the man said "I don't see how that concerns you anymore. Tch you might be wanting to leave, I got other business to take care of"
Maliciously smirking the Uzumaki stated "Let me guess you too are banking on the logical choice that I will flee because of the odds attacking us, and with my presence gone Kumo will for some reason show mercy and you get a new cozy leadership position?"
"It is not that! I am doing this for-" began the man before he was interrupted
"I'm not with him" sounded a man who stopped standing beside the self-proclaimed new leader and moved far away from the guy.
Stunned in to shock the self-appointed leader looked around to see his 'subordinates' back slowly away from anywhere near him one after the other until the man stood alone.
Looking back to the bored looking Reaper. The man then abruptly collapsed to his knees to plead "I only did it in your stead sir! I- we all waited for your return! Please lead us through this hardship! We are still loyal!"
Haruo sighed at the grovelling man then ignored him as he heard a chorus of the assembled civilians and ninjas drop to their knees in submission to him then simultaneously agree with the fake leader.
He would have killed the man in a moments' notice but unlike them he knew his chakra was so low now that sparing any for a kill with it, would inadvertently kill him from chakra exhaustion and worse was his strength was slowly failing him. The battles he'd fought were slowly showing at a time he'd knew it was crucial to stay looking incredibly powerful.
Falling to dead zero Haruo's stamina took a nose dive and his internal injuries hid from view but still there began to finally take their greedy toll.
'Now my body wants to start giving out on me. . . Shimugen. . . Can you help?' he asked mentally seeing the world start to swirl around him suddenly and the many people begin to look at his drooping form.
Even the self appointing power to himself man slowly realized the situation the Reaper had himself in before he had come here.
"My God!. . . he must of been in a battle before this! Yes of course. . . the Reaper. . . he's weakened!" whispered the man aloud but the words carried to every ear in the vicinity around him.
Every head who had heard the words looked to a now breathing heavily and glaring slightly Haruo.
Like a wildfire low murmurs of gossip broke out over the crowd then turned in to loud full-blown discussions of disbelief at the witnessing of seeing the 'Reaper's' strength reaching its supposedly limitless brink.
"Are you okay sir " asked the man as he rose from the ground and a smirk showed on his face.
TO BE CONTINUED. . .