FSDYT Note's:
Wow! just wow! it has been amazing writing this story, a true journey it has been. So far we've charted uncharted waters. Ventured in to an area unexplored. And even now we push ahead towards a new horizon.
Lol if I sound happy and vague it's because well... im a madman at the wheel!
Now on to the next chapter and hopefully there will be many more!
SOUTH-END SECTOR| BATTLEFIELD
Ignoring; slowly setting in fatigue and the cuts from lucky attacks that were able to damage him, Haruo almost smiled when he saw from his position he'd gotten to from a small skirmish with a quick opponent.
Off the cliff of the high hill he saw below; his division finally made a move and stabbed deep in to the enemies ranks like a knife in the back: they darted forward in to the massive force to kill in seconds by the initial shock dozens of Lightning samurai and ninja.
Confused by the sight of another force, Haruo witnessed was larger than his own. Charging the Kumo army exactly from ahead; tackling the enemy in to a fray of disorderly panic. That was taken advantage of by a sudden explosion of a tidal wave of water, let loose by the front-line of the mystery ally. Which drowned many front-line offenders.
"No way. . that means. . . he is here. . . Nothing like dyeing with friends. . .family . . comrades" the teen said with a budding smile and knew his words were true when a sudden wave of red water in a spiraling geyser erupted upwards then flooded a quarter of the battlefield.
Giving one last look to the scene of thousands, almost countless ninja locked in a life or death skirmish. Haruo ran forward and leaped from the hill to join the full scale war.
ONE WEEK PAST
Unbelievably like a scene scripted from a movie it seemed what was thought as far from ever being possible had happened. Even by luck or a far stretch of fairness it was highly known of what fate had en-store but never had any thought it could have been challenged let alone demolished.
A army boasting what was easily the highest amount of soldiers ever assembled in the Elemental nations. A culmination of an exact 6,895 samurai adjoined with top-notch Cloud ninja gathered as revenge driven blood-thirsting beings bound together thanks to vengeance to be gotten on a past encounter.
Along with profit driven mercenaries without a home of their own but a want to strike it rich and skills to ply to achieve their dream. Added together to become a shell-shocking, staggering amount of 6,923 mercenary ninja all of varying ranks but none lacking drive that was fueled by the pay which Lightning country afforded.
Not all the world had known the power of a 'great village' or a 'great country' but it was fully recognized the sheer war potential it could generate which quickly translated to Lightning Country and Cloud village's reputation and power.
As a whole Lightning country had summed up an army of 13,818 warriors. A never before seen as whole force that quickly entered itself in to the hall of legends.
Though the army of Lightning country with a goal to destroy their recently main foe, turned eventually only foe in later time. With a lofty not trustworthy make-up of mercenaries creating their bulk was to some at best a force of hired thugs.
Anyone could make the unbiased judge that what ever Lightning country decided to do with their army it would succeed in its conquest.
Such a assumption would have been seemingly true when at first, word spread the battalion lead by the Reaper had its first crushing defeat given to them by a Kumo battalion commanded by the Gold and Silver Horns of Cloud.
The conquest of the Elemental Nation's first mega-army upon Hot Water country seemed imminent and anyone even an academy student could pick the obvious winner.
But it was not to be so.
Like an unexplained happening of why does the sun rise? The mega-army of Lightning country with all of the odds in their favor were defeated.
Why was a question asked by many that was quickly followed by how from everyone else. At first it was not realized how such a force could be dismantled in just one battle but the survivors were quick to tell.
Upon the Lightning country side, the tale of defeat to their comrades when the impossible, what was many less ninja and kunoichi that had originally left from the village returned. Expressed the grim story that spread like wildfire.
Aided by ambush the first and last ninja wave to come out of Yu village had fought strong to repel the Lightning army but just a little over a thousand ninja even with a what was dubbed 'Haruo Tactic' were no match even when a few hundred ninja attacked from the mega-army's unsuspecting flank.
While the well-known and revered Arata of the Blood Ocean's single arrived presence on or even near a battlefield was rumored to be instant victory for Uzushiogakure. Even he was stale-mated by the sheer numbers that he with almost toppling difficulty was able to cut down in droves but was in the end forced to defend against the too many to count odds even as it was clear he had cut down thousands.
The newly minted hero-legend "The Soft Wind" who used a mass genjutsu that ensnared almost limitless many with his sword and used jutsu that sent many floating in to the air, possibly even off of the Earth's surface itself was a big help in the Uzu-ninja's favor.
An even more so helpful became the man when it was revealed he had a renowned world-wide but treasured mostly to the zanpakuto wielder of the Uzumaki clan, shikai mode. Which increased his power even further, making many who fought him and the few to survive think he could possibly be a God of wind.
The released power of the man helped slay many ninja and samurai yet even he after tiring and being matched by a squad of twenty Kumo jounin was forced out of his frenzy killing spree that was tilting the scales in the Uzu forces favor.
In hind-sight it was realized Lightning country was in fact on the precipice of victory; from forcing not one but three of Uzushiogakure's commanders and easily their strongest ninja, out of the main battle which in fact left the majority of the Uzu-ninja leaderless in a strategic sense as well as morally. Which if it had been capitalized upon would have ensured victory for Lightning Country.
Alas it was the last recently made proxy-commander that became an ace in the hole for the Uzu-army.
Again the power in a zanapakuto made itself known, creating a new legend that arguably would strike the most fear in to every ninja in the world.
Known not by their gender or even face the named "Eternal Dreamer" led the last ambush upon the mega-army. An on their back the powerful being carried the words of the mega-army's doom.
"Wake up to Nirvana" were the words so often to be spoken by the foam patterned masked being with a figure of a Sea Snake upon their forehead. The words at first were seen as unintelligible things but when ninja after ninja and samurai after samurai had started to drop on to the ground asleep after being cut by the ninja.
Then would rise up after the words were spoken, only to attack their own comrades. The source was tracked down and the Eternal Dreamer was exposed.
The being needed only one cut with his rainbow-colored short sword to bind a person's will and trance them in to what was possibly a completely unbreakable genjutsu spell.
Quickly it was deemed the ninja had to die. Unfortunately for the Lightning army, the being was not easily sent to death and made quick work upon the many who attacked, and turned them against their own comrades. The price of only being needed to be cut one time took it's toll on the Lightning ninja-samurai force.
Faster than anyone realized the coffin for the mega-army had began to be built.
The last nail for the Lightning army was when covertly, even past the huge army in front of the being. The masked individual was able to make it pass the large division and infiltrate to the ranks of the commanders of the army then easily with a cut from the rainbow zanapkuto took control of the 'brain' of the army.
It was the beginning of the end for the Lightning forces as sabotaged information and false but not challenged retreats given from the commanders, threw the mega-army in to a disorganized sitting duck fever.
With the chain of command broken thanks to mistrust and a new syndrome diagnosed "Eternal Dreamer syndrome" taken hold. The trust was lost making quickly dieing and injured mercenaries flee along with samurai who too saw the hopelessness and couldn't fight their own brethren that was turned against them.
The loyal ninja to Kumo were the last to finally call a total retreat but not before an implosion amongst themselves that caused the death of many that will probably never be proven to having been infected and controlled by the Eternal Dreamer or not, kunoichi and ninja.
A single minute was all it took before a losing turned landslide winning Uzu/Yu-army took advantage and made sure there would be no regrouping for the mega-army. Though they couldn't pick which fleeing force to go after quickly enough they chose the mercenaries as they were the largest fleeing threat.
The final battle was a decisive one in the Uzu favor as well as the crowning victory that even with the large causalities they suffered spoke of Uzushigakure's ultimate win.
YU VILLAGE| HOSPITAL
"I just can't believe" trailed Arata with a labored breath from what was a healing punctured lung "We are actually alive!"
Haruo looked at his best-friend from the corner of his eye and sneered "As if those pathetic beings had a chance against me!"
Arata immediately began laughing as he looked at the hooked up to more machines than him man. Who was probably worse for wear then he yet still unimaginably talked a good game. Distantly he figured his brother would always be cold or cocky.
"Stop laughing, this is just cosmetic damage! And chakra exhaustion!" quipped the teen automatically knowing what the eyes that filled with laughter were surveying when they looked at him.
Steady chuckling Arata shook his head a disagreeing no.
"Get serious Arata! I just won us a major victory and obviously single-handed beat Kumogakure and Lightning country! Yet I don't even get a thank-you!" he said with false disappointment
Brought from full-blown laughter to just chuckles the young man interjected "Yeah ha ha ha because everyone else just sat around twiddling their thumbs!"
Sucking his teeth with a loud hiss the Uzumaki replied "Minus well say they did! Tch seems like I stay on the front-line and win victories! Come back here I win! Just standing around I win! but with you why do I always lose. . . a thank-you is long overdue!"
"I'm just glad you are. . . uh feeling better" said Arata seriously breaking the lightheartedness in the room.
Angry at the unneeded concern Haruo snorted "Like I said bro these are just flesh wounds!"
"Not that. . . I am talking about Gao-sama" trailed the teen feeling sad at just saying the name.
Silently Haruo nodded his head as a memory of his father came over him. Along with his last moments with the man. "It happens Arata, everyone has to die some day. No sense in crying over it but those Kumo bastards paid the price though" Haruo jeered with no emotion seeing his kin nod back at him.
The door to the room opened quickly to show a frowning Shuji who entered with his arm in a sling but carried with his other arm a stack of folders. The door after he took a step in unexplained closed behind him.
"Hn, I'm still confused how the hell you only got a broken arm" growled Haruo loudly as he wondered how such a seemingly dull ninja was actually extremely powerful. 'I saw you fight Shuji... you're almost too good... too good'
Rolling his eye as he made his way over to his student's bed the man shot back "An I am still confused how anyone would call you legendary. Now on to a worth talking about topic. Arata you need to get our allies in line"
Quirking an eyebrow at the words spoken harshly from his sensei who he knew was usually calm and more so indifferent Arata asked "What do you mean?"
Flipping open the first folder in the pile while at the same time setting the rest on the bed of his leader. Shuji scanned the info for a second then with distaste informed "The Nidaime Hokage wants to try for a treaty with Cloud and wishes we- well you will be there"
"You are joking?" said Arata with a chuckle but stopped his laughter when he saw the serious man was not joking. "We just demolished their asses after they tried to freaking destroy us! Why the hell does he think after this we will want a treaty! Hell no we are going to finish those Cloud bastards!"
"Damn right we are" agreed Haruo already feeling better at the promised chance to battle again.
"I slightly agree with the Hokage" explained Shuji ignoring the glares he received "But at the same time I don't. I get that if we destroy a ninja village let alone a Great Ninja Village belonging to an equally as powerful country. The attackers have to essentially take over what they have destroyed. Lest one leaves all those resources and land to be tapped by another who would undoubtedly become very powerful. Even if we were to take over that whole country it would be a long battle involving many revolts we probably won't be lucky enough in suppressing like we did here"
"So what we just destroy Cloud village then!" yelled Haruo as if he was renouncing how anyone could think anything other than the such.
Looking to the bed-ridden teen, Shuji explained calmly "If we take over the whole country we look very powerful. But it will be far from the truth. We have not the force or resources to actively control such a huge country that will fight us vehemently. An then if we do win we gotta worry about fighting everybody else who would see us as a easy target from our exhaustion let alone a huge target from our size. Besides Cloud still has just enough ninja left to survive."
"An enough to pose a threat!" reminded the teen crassly
Arata sighed as he saw his action brought the attention of the pair. Peering at both tiredly he stated "Tell the tree-huger he can make the damn treaty but I won't be there nor will any Uzu ninja!"
"WHAT!" yelled Haruo angrily "We can't let them live! They will be back! Like the damned back stabbing assholes they are they will wait in the dark then suddenly one day WHAM! Oh no Cloud's come back! "
"Stop Haruo" quieted Shuji sternly "If we go forth with destroying them we will further weaken ourselves. Like the General has said we shall not participate with the Hokage's idea but we will not mess with them if they leave us alone"
Unexpectedly the room door opened again to show a being no one thought would be there.
Entering the room and closing the door behind him the man gave a respectful bow to the in bed Arata then looked to a laying Haruo.
"It is sad to see you were wounded General-sama" spoke the stern false-care filled voice
Giving a reauring smile Arata acknowledged "I'm fine Hiro. So what are you doing here I thought you would still be back at home?"
Shaking his head slowly no the man spoke "No sir, I am a ninja of Whirlpool. Of course with your lead I followed but there is a grave matter we must speak of"
Ignoring the fact that he had not remembered Hiro to ever have been in the division of men he'd led from Whirlpool, Arata just nodded at the man to continue on with whatever he had to tell him of.
"It is with great justice I as a council member recommend that Haruo Uzumaki be stripped of his title and position of Commander." said the man with an icy regal tone.
TO BE CONTINUED. . .