K, so here's the next chapter. Feel free to keep voting in the poll, I'll leave it open till I decide to start adding in those characters, and just as a reminder and note, I wont just be picking from the best of the list, yes a lot of my choices will come from the top ten, but I will spread my picks out across the entire list to ensure that all eight of Riley's mates gets a few children as well as Riley herself. So please remember that this list isn't the definitive choice for future children, but a guide to help me discern whom would fit best. I look at the list, see who's winning, and try to find a good way to add them to my story. If I can't or they are the child of someone whom already has more then a few, then I'll simply pick someone else. I'm trying to make it even, but the poll is more of a guide then a forgone conclusion. Anyway, hope you enjoy. Now let's begin.
Also sorry it's taken so long to get this out, my mother had hip surgery so I've been helping her with that. I've also been making more corrections, so I hope you enjoy that for those that have been rereading.
Broken Angel
Chapter 69
"I hate this place." Riley muttered as she flew through the mountains of The Land of Earth, under her invisibility cloak.
"Oh come on, it's just snow. What so bad about that?" Kurama inquired with a chuckle.
"It's not the snow. Can you feel this crap? I'm almost positive there's a demon around her somewhere." Riley replied as she glanced out over the mountains.
"Well, it's not Kokuo. I can feel him, but this isn't his dark power." Kurama noted, earning a nod of understanding from Riley.
"Yeah… there's something up here, and it's seriously fucked up. I have no clue what it is though." Riley muttered. She quickly landed and perched on the edge of a cliff overlooking a vast expanse of mountains.
Riley glanced around the mountainside. Her eyes drifted to a nearby town, where she felt sorrow and confusion radiate from it. This reminded Riley a lot of the village where Mito had summoned demons to slaughter the people there, using Naruko's baby mamas, just to steal Lily's baby. That village felt all sorts of wrong. So did this one.
It was a different kind of wrong. It wasn't the presence of demons, but it was something brought on by the darkest of magics.
"Alright." Riley stated aloud as she moved down towards the town. She covered herself back in her Invisibility Cloak hiding herself from view and any sensors nearby. As she approached the city, she activated her Byakugan and began scanning the city for enemy ninja.
She only found a few, gathered in a bar, and they looked to be on leave, or taking a break from their regular duties. She also took notice of something else. There were hardly any men in town, and a surprising lack of able bodied woman. All in all, the city had about five thousand people in it, but it was big enough for fifteen thousand. So where the hell was everybody?
Riley, silently made her way to the bar where the shinobi were gathered, figuring if anyone knew what the fuck was going on, it'd be them. Deciding to not even bother with gimmicks Riley entered the bar, walked right up to the small gathering of ninja and cast the Imperious Curse on each one. There were six of them in total, five men, and one woman, all went stiff and their eyes glossed over, none of them had any chance to see the attack coming.
The bar was mostly empty except for an elderly man serving drinks whom took notice when all of the ninja got real quiet. He inched away from them, worried that it might be some ninja thing, and he didn't want to get involved in whatever that might be.
Once they were all under her control, Riley began to dive into each of their minds. For several minutes she dug through their heads, looking for anything that could help her.
She learned that this unit was a patrol unit, that also assisted in recruiting local villagers for a project Iwa was working on in the mountains. Apparently, they were working on something that required a lot of extra hands as any able bodied man or woman was hired to assist. They were then escorted into the mountains where another squad would meet with them to take them the rest of the way. Which probably meant that, that squad knew the location of Iwa's secret project but this one didn't. After some more sleuthing Riley finished learned all she could from them.
"Pay your tab, go out into the mountains, and slit your throat." Riley ordered each one in a quiet whisper. They all nodded and did as commanded. Paying their bills, then leaving for the mountains.
With that done, Riley made her way to the rendezvous point, where the people were taken. She still couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong with this whole area.
She didn't know exactly what was going on, but she seriously doubted Iwa was just using these people as extra hands.
Once she arrived at her destination, she activated her Byakugan and began to scan the surrounding area. She focused her sight on the direction that the Iwa ninja would usually arrive from and after extending her sight for several Kilometers, she found what she was looking for.
In the distance stood a massive mountain, bigger than any of those around it. Riley could sense massive amounts of chakra bubbling up through the mountain. Something incredibly powerful lie within it. She also sensed a torrent of magic around the mountain that seemed to throw off her senses. It was just enough that she wouldn't have been able to tell without having focused on the mountain itself. She now knew that, that was where the Fidelus had been cast.
With a grin, Riley dashed towards the mountain, her eyes scanning it for any possible entrances. Eventually she located a small entrance, guarded by two shinobi. She was still hidden by her Invisibility Cloak, so the two men never saw her approach. Once she was within sight of the small concrete entrance, Riley slowed her pace to a brisk walk.
Neither of the two guards noticed her approaching, and both seemed bored and cold.
Moving unseen, Riley swiftly approached them. Neither heard or saw her coming as Riley walked right up and slammed one of the guard's head into the concrete wall, crushing his skull and killing him the instantly. Before the other could let out a cry Riley dashed forward and seized him by the throat. She held him for just a moment before crushing his throat and discarding his body.
She quickly absorbed them, sealed away their bodies, and left two clones to stand in their place so that no passing patrols would notice their absence.
Once that was done, Riley headed inside. She traveled through the dark concrete tunnel, her eyes constantly scanning for traps. She still had her Byakugan active and was using every ounce of her concentration to avoid stumbling into a trap and alerting everyone to her presence.
She wasn't worried about getting hurt, but she also didn't want them to have a chance of removing their secret project before she could reach it, so she needed to remain quiet.
She avoided a handful of wire traps along her route as well as neutralizing a few guards. Her travels eventually led her to exactly where she needed to go.
She found herself standing in a massive open room, somewhere in the center of the Mountain. The mountain itself had been hollowed out, with massive supports keeping it from collapsing in on itself. Standing in the room were several one hundred foot tall rock giants.
Riley felt her jaw drop at seeing them. Each one was tall and wide, made from massive pieces of stone, held together by magic. There were runes carved into the stone and each of the giants sported twin horns that were radiating with powerful magic. (Atlas, FF13-2)
Riley gaped at the five monstrous constructs, their presence was absolutely stunning.
"So that's what they've spent the last year doing. Look at those fuckers, I bet anything they were constructed specifically to fight Shukaku." Kurama stated from within her.
'Fuck me.' Riley thought with a shake of her head. This shit was absolutely unbelievable. At this moment, Riley was very happy that she hadn't chosen to ignore this mystery. She now knew what Iwa was working on. Her mind quickly came up with a few ideas as to the ultimate goal. The most likely being that Iwa was planning to summon one of these at multiple battlefields across the front, and launch a simultaneous attack.
Gaia and the Legion could only deal with two of the monstrous golems at once, and Kurama was probably right, just from what Riley could see, the golems had multiple runes carved into them that rendered them indestructible. That meant they'd need to shatter the runes before they could do any damage to these things.
Using her Byakugan, Riley scanned each of the golems learning how they worked. Each one had it's own magical core, much to her surprise, and the magic within their core was dark and as corrupt as magic could be without being Youki. If they had their own magical core, that meant they could probably operate autonomously from someones control.
As she gawked up at them, Riley heard a few people approaching. She quickly moved away from the door as several individual in dark robes, as well as six ninja entered the room. They had with them, three civilians.
These three civilians, one man and two women, looked terrible. Each one looked like they had been brutally tortured and their had multiple runes carved into their skin. Riley stared at the trio, her eyes scanning them as she began to understand what was happening here. The runes on the civilian's bodies were gathering magic and tying it to their core's which were being corrupted through dark magic. These civilians now had an abundance of magic, about as much as a typical Chuunin, but it was dark and corrupt, almost like Youki, but without the demonic qualities.
In fact, now that she looked at it, the magic within these civilians was almost the exact same as the magic within the stone giants.
Riley watched as the group was escorted all the way to a small circle in front of one of the giants. This particular giant looked to be a bit underdeveloped, and it quickly clicked in Riley's mind that it was still being built which was why Iwa hadn't unleashed the group of them yet.
There was seven in total. Six were fully built, while Five seemed to have Core's with the same amount of magic within them. One looked to need more energy while the other needed more energy and to finish being built.
'They're sealing these people's magic into the golems.' Riley noted in her mind earning a nod of agreement from Kurama.
Once the group reached a magical circle, one of the civilians was shoved into it and the magicals gathered around him, stunned him and began to chant as they performed a ritual.
Riley watched as the magic seeped out of him and into the giant, filling it's core and creating a magical network for the massive earthen construct to use.
After several moments the chanting stopped and the civilian fell to the ground. He looked drained, and from what Riley could see with her Rinne Sharingan, his magical core was severely depleted. He'd be suffering from chakra exhaustion for at least a week, but he was still alive.
"I think I get what's going on here. That dark feeling you had earlier, it was all of the chaotic energy within these people. The runes on their flesh are gathering magic. Then the people are being tortured turning their magic dark and twisted. Then the magic is being sealed into the giants." Kurama surmised.
"But why do they need to corrupt the magic? Why not just place those same magic gathering runes on the giants and use them that way?" Riley wondered.
"Perhaps they're using dark magic to negate some of the affects of Youki. Dark magic is more resistant to it, since it's already corrupt. These giants could be weapons built to fight Bijuu, so they're trying to make them resistant to our attacks by using dark magic." Kurama theorized, earning a nod of agreement from Riley.
Riley watched as the action was repeated with the other two civilians and then all three of them were dragged out of the room.
"How many people do you think it would take to get the amount of magic needed for these giants?" Riley inquired.
"Thousands. If they've been doing this since the attack on Hogwarts then yeah, I'd say thousands. Let's say it takes five days for one of them to gather the energy required, and another two days of torture to corrupt it, that means they get a mild amount of magic every week for every able bodied man or woman they have. So yeah, they've probably got a few thousand people here, that have been enduring this cycle for who knows how long." Kurama stated to her. Riley nodded and used her Byakugan to scan the facility. She quickly noticed two things, one was that directly below her feet, several floors down, was a massive chamber filled with prison cells and people. The other thing she noticed was the individual storming into the room with the massive chakra supply.
"Come out! I know you're there!" Came the voice of a massive man, dressed in blood red armor.
Riley could tell that this man was a Jinchuriki from the demonic Youki in his body and the steam rising from his flesh.
"So this is the Steam Giant." Riley mused as she turned to face him, still hidden by her Invisibility cloak.
"I can sense the Nine Tails. Come out and face me." Han stated as he scanned the room.
"I guess Kokuo still recognizes my chakra signature." Kurama mused, as Riley removed the cloak and smirked at Han, whom immediately focused his attention on her.
"Neat project you've got here. Quite devious. You weren't planning on sending these things after me and my men, were you?" Riley inquired with a vicious grin, her eyes alight with the anticipation for a fight.
"The thought had crossed our minds." Han stated as he and Riley stared each other down and began to circle.
"Cool. Well, needless to say, I can't let that happen. I'm gonna have to shut down this little project of yours before you have the chance to unleash it." Riley responded with a chuckle as she stared Han down.
"Hero of the Burning Leaf, Kage Killer, The Woman of a Thousand Names, Monster. You've earned quite a reputation for yourself these last few years. I've been looking forward to this moment." Han stated, as the two continued to circle one another.
"I just seem to end up with more and more titles every day." Riley chuckled.
"Yes, it seems you do. I faced your father long ago, Namikaze. He could not defeat me. And neither will you." Han stated boldly.
Riley merely smirked as she delved into Minato's memories and recalled him fighting a much younger Han during the war a long time ago. Minato couldn't even get close to Han due to the Steam he released. The Steam Giant was heavily armored with Earth chakra infused armor that could negate almost any blunt force or slashing attack. He was capable of releasing blasts of Steam from his body that were so hot they could burn a man to his bones in less then a second. This prevented Minato from ever getting close.
So while Han could never catch Minato to beat him, he remained one of the few, other then Roshi, that had walked away from an encounter with the Infamous Yellow Flash.
"Ha… I beg you to try and back up that statement." Riley replied with a chuckle.
Right then, Han dashed at her while he released a vast amount of boiling hot steam from his body. Riley felt her skin blister and burn from the Youki infused steam, but she held her ground and delivered a bone crushing kick to Han's chest sending him flying back.
Han managed to stick the landing and stared at her with surprise. He seemed to have expected her to dodge or at the very least be affected by the steam cloud. She wasn't though. She healed faster then his steam could damage her, so she now stood before him completely unharmed. If he wanted to actually draw blood, he'd need to kick up the heat.
Han quickly dashed at her, jumping in the air and sending a powerful aerial kick right towards her.
Riley took the strike, and slid back several feet. Han, it appeared, was even stronger then he looked.
Deciding to go on the offensive, Riley dashed at Han with immense speed disappearing in a blur of motion. Han took a defensive stance to prepare for her strike, but he wasn't fast enough to counter Riley's combo, which consisted of a Shinra Tensei to the back, right into a kick from Riley that sent him careening across the large chamber. A noticeable crack could be seen in his armor from that kick, and Riley allowed a smirk to crawl across her face when he rose to his feet and she locked eyes with him again.
"It seems your reputation is well earned." Han noted as he ran a hand over the crack in his armor. It was specially infused to withstand even the most powerful strike. The force she delivered with that kick would have split a normal man in half.
"Sorry dick-bag I'm spoken for. Flattery will get you nowhere." Riley responded with a chuckle.
Han stared her down for a moment before making a handsign. Riley saw his chakra pulse and then an alarm began to blare throughout the facility.
"Are you making a run for it?" Riley inquired as she started to advance towards him.
"No. I intend to remain here and fight you to the death if I must. My job has been fulfilled to it's fullest given the circumstances." Right as Han said that, Riley felt a massive surge of chakra come from the giant golems, as five of the seven began to animate. She also felt rumbles beneath her feet. These were the familiar shockwaves of explosions. Her Byakugan was still active so she stretched her senses around the facility, where she could see shinobi grabbing documents and scrolls and sealing data files away before setting up bomb tags and blowing up parts of the facility. Even down in the dungeon where people were being held, explosions ripped through the crowd. It seemed Iwa was trying to ensure that there was no one that could release any information about the golems or their abilities.
"These weapons will deliver the first strike onto Suna, and with their power we will break the enemy's back, long before they ever have the chance to mount a defense." Han stated as he stared Riley down.
"Well then, I'll just have to break your precious toys then." Riley stated as she outstretched both her arms and began to form Rasenshuriken in both of them.
Right then, the five that were animated began to pop and disappear in large clouds of smoke.
"You're too late. We may not have been able to finish our work, but we've made it far enough. The five that are ready will do." Han stated as he dashed towards Riley, aiming to deliver a punch to her face, which she quickly dodged as she allowed her attack to fade, and she let out a curse.
"Try and flee if you want, but not even you can stop the attack that it to come. I have finished my duty here and will find my way to the front. You have two choices, stay and fight me, or flee and protect your forces. You don't have time for both." Han stated with cold determination.
"Ah hell, you're right. I don't have time to stick around and make sure." Riley responded and with that she channeled chakra into her eyes and outstretched her arms.
"Make sure of what?" Han asked with confusion.
"That this kills you. Shinra Tensei!" Riley bellowed. Han was already charging towards her but he was only able to clear half the distance before he was struck by the massive shockwave that shot out from Riley's body.
In a matter of moments, gravity shot out across the entire chamber and pushed out all of the walls of the mountain, as well as tossed the upper part of the mountain several hundred feet into the air. With a flash, Riley vanished while debris from the mountain rained down on the ruined facility killing everyone within, and more than likely killing Han as well. Though Riley didn't have the time to remain to make sure of that.
To those on the outside it looked like the mountain had exploded, it's upper half rising up before falling into it's own footprint creating an earth-shattering shockwave the shook the last for miles in every direction.
Several miles away, Han stood watching the mountain collapse in on itself.
"You're lucky you had that portkey. Otherwise I doubt you would have survived the mountain falling on your head." The five tails noted.
"So this is the power of the Rinnegan. I must report this to Roshi. It seems the stories are true. She destroyed the entire complex, so easily." Han thought to himself as he viewed the devastation and felt the earthquake that resulted from the mountain falling in on itself.
-Back at Sinnon a short while earlier-
'Oh crap.' Kaede thought nervously as she found herself cornered by Riley's mates.
"Hello, how are you doing on this fine day?" Katie inquired, as her and her fellow mates stood gathered to meet Kaede.
Kaede just stared back at the four woman incredibly intimidated by them and yet not intimidated at all. It was weird. Kaede wasn't afraid of them, but the fact that they held Riley's love and that they were now confronting her, worried Kaede greatly.
"Do not be nervous, we are just here to talk." Fleur stated when she noticed Kaede fidget nervously unsure of how to respond.
"Okay." Kaede responded as she eyed the four curiously, they each wore smirks which made Kaede feel even worse, like they were ganging up on her, but at the same time she was trying not to over think it. They hadn't made fun of her yet, they hadn't said anything or done anything to her, so she had no reason to be afraid of them. Also, Riley loved them, and if Riley loved them, they couldn't be bad people, and for the first time in her life she was feeling these things and the voice in her head wasn't filling her mind with terrible ideas. In most cases where Kaede felt like this, the voice in her head would start to whisper about how they were going to hurt her and make fun of her, now though, it was completely silent. That was definitely something that confused Kaede.
"Riley really likes you." Daphne stated as she gave Kaede a good once over. This was the first time any of Riley's mates had actually had a one on one talk with the new potential member, and so they were all giving her a good once over, her features unique and exotic to them. Most notably the pale skin, blood red eyes, pinkish red hair, and horns.
"She does?" Kaede responded as she gave Daphne a look. Out of all four of them, Daphne was the most intimidating to Kaede as she was actually married to Riley. Kaede hadn't a clue how the inner workings of the harem went so the only thing she had to go off of was that Daphne was the only one with the title of wife, rather then just mate so that had to mean something.
"Yes, she does. Riley talks about you a lot. And she get's this smile on her face when we ask about you." Luna answered.
"Riley talks about me?" Kaede asked with a bit of surprise.
"Yeah. She can't help herself sometimes. When it comes to those she loves, you could get Riley to talk about any one of them for hours. We were able to get a pretty clear second hand account on you from Riley and all we had to do was ask and listen." Katie responded.
"Why would you care to ask about me?" Kaede inquired as she gave Katie a curious look.
"Because Riley wants you as a mate. She wants you to be one of her lovers and we can see zat. So we ask about you. Ask about ze new blood joining our little sisterhood." Fleur answered with a playful smirk.
Kaede blushed at that, and was surprised when she felt someone step up and lightly take her hand. She quickly glanced to her side and spotted Luna standing there.
"Let's go." Katie motioned as the four started to guide Kaede towards Sinnon
"Where are we going?" Kaede asked as she kept glancing between Luna and the rest. Kaede wasn't used to people touching her. The only physical contact she was used to, other then the bullying kind, was the poking and prodding of the scientists. Luna was shorter then Kaede and her move hadn't been forceful, Luna used her hand to help guide Kaede after them, leading her, but not tugging her along. It was a gentle action, one that was foreign to the Diclonius Queen.
"To have a chat." Katie answered, while Kaede just let out a sigh and allowed herself to be dragged along. If she wanted to be with Riley, she'd need to get used to these women.
-Later-
"I just remember thinking, what in the fuck did I do to deserve someone like her." Katie stated with a smile and a shake of her head.
She had just finished telling the others and Kaede about how she felt when she and Riley had made love one time, when it was just the two of them.
"She has that effect on people." Daphne noted as she sipped from her glass of tea. The group was currently at the same cafe that Riley and Kaede had gone for their date, and they were all discussing things about their relationships and helping to try and welcome Kaede into their sisterhood.
Kaede sat and listened to their stories. She took in every detail as she began to piece together just what Riley meant when she said they should work on building their relationship. Hearing some of the things the group had been through with Riley really helped Kaede to better understand just what she was getting into and what Riley truly wanted from her.
"So tell me, Kaede, what is it zat drew you to Riley?" Fleur inquired after a moment of silence drawing everyone's gaze to the Diclonius.
"Well… I guess it's just that she's nice to me. I feel like I can trust her. I've only ever felt that way around a few other people. But… Riley is different. I don't really know how to explain it. She says it's my instincts because I'm a half demon, and she's a full demon. She says that, that's the reason I'm so fixated on her, or at least why I feel more comfortable with her then other people. I guess that makes sense to me. I'm just… not used to any of this. I don't really know how to have relationships with people..." Kaede answered honestly.
Kaede had resigned herself to taking a chance with trusting these woman. She knew she'd need to get used to them if she wanted to keep spending time with Riley, and she did want that. So with that in mind, she knew she needed to take a risk or two on them. Still, the fear of being rejected or having them turn on her like so many others kept her from getting her hopes up. She'd answer honestly and just accept whatever came from it.
"Zat actually makes a lot of sense." Fleur said with a nod.
"How so?" Katie inquired.
"Well, she is a lot like me. While we may all be Riley's mates, she is also my mate in a Veela sense. In many ways, Riley is ze perfect person for me. Zere is no one better for me zen her. I may love Katie, but Riley is my perfect match. My bond wiz her is not just physical, mental and magical, it is instinctual. I zink Kaede is developing a bond, much like zat. Where it is her instincts telling her to be wiz Riley, not just her heart or her head." Fleur responded earning nods of understanding from her fellow mates and a curious look from Kaede.
"Riley, said something about one of you not being human. So… you're the one she meant. You're kinda like me." Kaede noted.
"Yes, in a manner of speaking. Zough if we are being technical you are a half blood, half human, half demon, while I am a Veela, a different species. Amongst my people, so long as you have a certain amount of Veela blood, zen you are Veela. There are no half bloods, or partial bloods. I may technically be a quarter Veela, but to ozer Veela I am just a Veela." Fleur explained, earning a nod of understanding from Kaede.
"So… we've spent all this time talking about us and Riley, tell us a bit about yourself, Kaede." Daphne stated after another pause. This turned all of their attention onto Kaede whom tried not to shrink under their gaze. She didn't like having people stare at her, even if their wasn't anything malicious about their gaze.
"Yes, what are some things you like?" Luna inquired.
"Well… I like animals. I like the ocean, and the sunset. I like Riley..." Kaede answered with a half-hearted shrug.
"And what are some things you dislike?" Katie inquired, with a curious look.
"The desert." Kaede replied as she glanced out at the dry landscape. This earned her nods of agreement and chuckles from her fellow ladies. They were all in agreement, the arid, dry landscape of The Land of Wind, was not something any of them was used too.
"I agree. Zis heat is doing terrible zings to my hair." Fleur agreed, earning a few giggles from the group.
The group continued to share in their laughter for a few moments as the sun began to set beyond the horizon. Suddenly, and without warning, a loud siren began to blare throughout the town. All of the ladies shot to their feet. They all knew what that sound meant, it was an order to get to their positions and prepare for an enemy attack.
All five of the women shot to their feet and ran out the door. They made it outside where Legionaires could be seen racing to get to the camp or find their squads. In the distance, towards the hills, smoke could be seen rising from the where the Iwa camp lay on the other side of the hills and mountain.
"What's going on?" Katie asked as she glanced around.
"No clue." Daphne answered.
"Can you feel that?" Kaede inquired. She was knelt on the ground and could just barely feel a rumble passing by every few moments.
"Feel what?" Fleur inquired as she glanced over at Kaede and spotted her kneeling on the ground.
"The ground is shaking." Kaede noted.
"Oh Crap." Daphne muttered as she motioned for the ladies to head towards the base camp. By now the sun had disappeared over the horizon and the sky was lit up a dim orange and red. It would be a few more moments before night descended on the small town.
The ladies quickly made it back to camp and spotted their commanders giving out instructions to squad leaders. They made their way over to where Itachi, Tom, RAAM, Arturia, Hashirama, Madara, and Shikaku were gathered.
"Scouts say something big is coming." Shikaku noted, earning a nod from his fellow commanders.
"I think this might be Iwa's secret project." Hashirama said with a nod, earning one from Madara as well.
"Is Riley back yet?" Tom asked, as he glanced around and then spotted Riley's mates.
"I haven't seen her." Daphne answered as she and the rest of Riley's harem approached the group.
"I haven't seen her either… wait, never mind." Luna stated as she pointed past them to Riley quickly approaching from the direction of her tent. She had Hiraishin kunai in it, so she had probably just returned.
"Good to see you're finally back." Madara noted as Riley ran up to them.
"Iwa's launched an all out attack across the whole front. Their secret project was a set of giant golems. Each one over a hundred feet tall. They've got one placed at several battlefields across the front, and I think they plan on using them to punch several holes in Suna's defenses." Riley quickly explained.
"These golems, what are they like? What are their weaknesses? Tell me everything you can." Shikaku stated, and Riley quickly began to fill him in on everything she had learned. With the mountain destroyed, there was no longer a need for a secret so she was free to reveal the truth about what she knew. She could feel from the vibrations from under her feet, that the massive golem was marching towards them, probably alongside the entire army stationed on the other side of the mountain.
"Alright, so what's the plan?" Tom asked, as Shikaku adopted a look of deep thought.
"Focus on a plan to crush the enemy army, I'll deal with the golem." Riley ordered, Shikaku gave her a look but nodded.
"What are you gonna do?" Itachi asked.
"Do you think you can break it's defense without revealing yourself?" Hashirama inquired.
"Yep. It has a few runes carved into the stonework to make it indestructible. I don't know how strong the runes are, but given the size of the things and the number of runes. I'd say you'd need two S-ranked ninjutsu designed to focus damage on a single point to break the runes, and then another 2 S-ranked techniques to shatter the golem itself." Riley told them.
"So not something easily accomplished by a regular ninja. It'd take a small army of powerful warriors to bring it down." Itachi stated.
"So how do you plan on bringing it down?" Tom inquired.
"I'm gonna rip out it's core, and turn it into a pile of rubble." Riley replied with a smirk. The thing may be able to take a hit but Riley seriously doubted it could withstand what she had in mind. It was clever of the Iwa ninja to use runes to increase their creation's defenses. It would take an army focusing on the thing to take it down, as even S-ranked ninja couldn't just throw S-ranked techniques around like they were basic spells. Four S-ranked techniques was enough in most cases to level an entire city or two.
"How long will that take you?" Shikaku inquired as he stared down at a map.
"All I need is sight-line and then no more then twenty seconds to take the fucking thing out." Riley answered.
"Kamui?" Madara inquired, earning a grin from Riley.
"Alright, we need to know what the enemy's plan of movement is." Shikaku began.
"Already on it. I dispatched Loki as soon as I arrived. He's flying towards the army now and he'll send me info as soon as he sees what's up. Given their distance it'll take the army itself about an hour to march all the way here if they move fast enough. The golem is moving slowly from what I can feel from the rumbles so it's probably going to stick with them most of the way and then attack as a means to shatter our forces so that Iwa has an easy time mopping us up." Riley stated.
"I agree. We've been preparing for this, and depending on where you stop the golem, will depend on how many of our traps will survive in the hills." Shikaku stated as he pulled out a map and knelt down while everyone gathered around it.
"True. Loki is sending me messages. Fifteen thousand are following the Golem right towards us. Shinobi moving through the hills with Infantry in column formation behind the golem, Spearman in front, followed by a shit ton of swordsmen, then archers, then a rear guard of more spearman. There is another division moving east past the hills and out onto the main road, they'll be exposed but once on the road they have a straight shot to us. I'd say about seven thousand strong, I'll have Loki keep an eye on them and send information on their formations once they clear the rocky terrain. They also have a company of around two hundred ninja moving west through the hills to encircle us. My guess, a three pronged attack with the main army attacking through the hills, a second army attacking from the main road, and a small force to circle around and attack us from the rear. They also have an additional eight thousand men at their camp mustering to move as well, my guess is that they'll hold them in reserve for now, and march them out in an hour or so to sure up whatever force needs them. Shinobi seem to be spread out evenly amongst the three largest groups." Riley explained to her fellow commanders.
Shikaku was busy placing markers on the map to help them visualize what was happening, he had one for each of the four groups plus one for the golem.
"Alright. It'll take about seventy minutes maybe more for the main army to get here. If they plan on having the golem open up the fight then it'll move slowly with the army and piledrive through our traps. The army moving to the road will probably be here within forty minutes. Once on the road they can move rapidly without picking through the hills. We need a plan to kill as many of these bastards as humanly possible. The name of the game is 'put the fear of Kami into them'. This is the first major battle of the war, if we open it with a crushing victory it'll hearten our allies and put a huge dent in Iwa's morale." Shikaku explained to the gathered group of warriors.
"Alright. I think it's best Riley waits until the Golem is close and just about to attack before she destroys it, that way Iwa's main army will have filled the hillside here. We can launch a massive attack on this area with powerful Ninjutsu and they'll be unable to organize defenses from within those hills, the number of casualties will be enormous." Hashirama stated as he knelt next to the map and pointed at a few places.
"I want Arturia here with whatever force is at the main road, that'll be where the major battle takes place. Those within the hills will be too broken up to be able to mount a defense once we attack, but those on the road will have set up formation once they close in on the city." Riley stated, earning a nod from Arturia.
"Alright, We'll have Itachi and Arturia lead our forces on the side of the city facing the road. I suggest sending RAAM and a collection of our elites to deal with those trying to sneak around us." Shikaku suggested.
"Agreed, RAAM take Skorge with you, along with Kakashi, and three dozen other's. Slaughter them all and then contact Shikaku for follow-up orders." Riley commanded earning a nod from RAAM.
"Where will you be Riley?" Tom inquired.
"After I take out the golem and assist in the opening attack I'll head here along with grandfather Hashirama and grandfather Madara. That'll place us right between the main army and the reserves. Once they start to retreat, they'll run right into us. We'll kill as many of them as possible while you push them up towards us." Riley explained, earning a nod of understanding and agreement from Tom, Madara and Hashirama.
"What about the reserve army?" Arturia inquired.
"I'll send Deimos to set fire to the hills preventing their escape, then I'll release the Kryll. The sun will be fully set by the time they reach us, so the Kryll will blend in perfectly with the darkness." Riley answered, earning nods from all of her fellows. They had learned of her hideous swarm during their time in Kamui and were very much aware of the threat the swarm posed.
"It seems we have all the bases covered." Madara noted.
"Not all, what are we going to do with the enemy base?" Hashirama inquired. Riley looked thoughtful as she pondered who to send when she heard someone clear their throat loudly. Riley and the other's glanced over and Riley spotted her mates clustered to the side listening in but trying not to get in the way.
"You have something to add?" Riley asked, earning a nod from the one who drew their attention, Daphne.
"Yes. I know who you can send to the enemy base." Daphne replied as she glanced over at a wall. Riley followed her gaze and spotted Alucard as he phased through the wall and into view.
Riley allowed a grin to spread across her face. Tom smirked and let out a chuckle as well. Both were instantly fond of the idea.
"Alright, here's the plan." Shikaku stated as he finally finished thinking of a way to ensure their forces delivered the most potent strike to Iwa using the parameters he'd just been given. While the other's worked out who would go where and do what, Shikaku was busy using their ideas to formulate a strategy to ensure that everything happened as it was meant too. It only took a few minutes but he had finally come up with a plan to ensure that when the sun rose, the Iwa army would be no more.
-Elsewhere a short while later-
Kenji Sarakawa had always been a simple man, he looked average, he was average height, average build. He had no real noteworthy skills other then he knew how to properly hold a spear. He had no real desires or ambitions other then to have enough money to feed himself, he was only twenty-five after all. When Iwa began recruiting soldiers for this war, he agreed, and immediately signed up. It's not that he hated people from Suna or the Land of Wind, he just preferred being fed, and if he had to fight some foreigners, then so be it. A simple job that ensured that he had food in his belly and a roof over his head.
He'd seen some crazy things in his life, but this took the cake. The massive giant that bounded ahead of him was something straight out of ancient stories. Many of the regular infantry couldn't even believe that thing was real. The things ninja could do… it just left most of them dumbstruck. They had been ordered a short while earlier to begin preparing for a march on Sinnon. He had heard stories of the leader of the Legion. He couldn't help but shudder at the thought of a being that could destroy an entire city. But even still, the ninja seemed confident so who was he to complain.
They had been marching for an hour now, and he was towards the back of the army, which suited him just fine.
He could see the city of Sinnon ahead of them, past the giant. It was still about a mile off, and they had to pick their way through more hills and ravines. He could hear yells and cries of pain as men stumbled into traps set by the enemy in Sinnon, at varying positions in the maze of ravines, canyons and hills that surrounded him. He was glad that he got to march behind the giant, any traps that had been set before hand were easily rolled over by the Goliath.
As he continued to march, he couldn't help the chill that ran up his spine. Even though they outnumbered the Legion vastly, from their reports, he still couldn't help but feel fear at the thought of facing them.
Perhaps it was the story's he had heard of one of their leaders. The woman who beat the Angel of Carnage and lifted Konohagakure into the sky. The thought made him shudder. He didn't know if it was true, in fact he knew it couldn't be, but still, all tales had a semblance of truth in them. But again, the confidence of the ninja helped him continue forward.
Another ten minutes passed as the giant made it to the edge of the rocky terrain. There was only a few dozen meters between it and the edge of Sinnon. He heard one of his commanders shout for the army to halt, so each man came to a stop. Kenji glanced around at some of the others, the shinobi were looking smug and confident but there was something else in their gaze as well, something like fear. He couldn't really pin it down.
Suddenly the Giant let out a loud bellow and lifted it's hand up. Fire began to gather in one of it's palms, and it looked to be ready to toss the fireball right into Sinnon. Kenji felt his jaw drop at seeing the magical attack. He was really glad that he had such a good view of this from his position higher up and far enough away that he wouldn't be involved in any fighting for at least ten more minutes of marching.
Right then, Kenji heard shouting. He looked around and spotted his comrades pointing at the giant. He glanced back at it, and to his astonishment, it's chest was disappearing. Kenji didn't know how to explain it, but it looked like the giant's chest was being pulled into a hole.
After a few seconds of this a loud crack was heard and a thirty foot wide hole appeared in the giant's chest. Kenji's eyes went wide as the fire dissipated from it's hands and it went limp.
There was silence reigning through the whole army as they stared at their secret weapon that had now been made useless. Kenji felt more then heard terror rip through the army as something struck the giant's body and it began to fall back towards them. He and his fellows stared down at the rest of their comrades. The ones closest to the giant immediately started to disperse, running for their lives into the hills away from the giant's falling body.
It only took a moment, but the resulting crash shattered the landscape and threw everyone to the ground.
Kenji let out a hiss of pain as he struggled back to his feet. Dust was filling the air from the giant's collapse, but he could still clearly see Sinnon in the distance. He stared for several moments, just barely able to make out figures on the edge of the city, when suddenly a massive wall of fire erupted out and rushed right towards the hillside.
Kenji was a decent ways away but he could still feel the heat as the wall of fire washed over the hills and spilled down into the pathways that were filled with soldiers and ninja. The front most three hundred yards was almost immediately consumed in fire. Kenji could hear screams of agony as men were consumed by the inferno. The fire raged for several moments before the sound of explosions filled his ears. Kenji glanced back at Sinnon and he spotted Lights reigning down from the sky. He could see people floating in the sky, high above Sinnon shooting down lights towards the soldiers below.
He also began to hear zipping noises, the sound of bullets flying through the air.
He heard various ninja and infantry commanders begin giving orders. Some were trying to get people organized, while some were trying to figure out what was going on. The officers at the front of the army had been engulfed in the inferno, and the ones at the back were unable to get orders forward to keep those at the front of the army organized.
Kenji quickly got to his feet and looked around, many of his comrades were running. While the shinobi were organizing, many of the foot soldiers were panicking and fleeing
Thinking quickly, Kenji crawled on top of a nearby rock to get a better view of what was going on. It took him a moment but he eventually made it to the top of a fifteen foot tall rock. He glanced around, the sound of multiple pops was filling the air. His eyes shot across the hills and down towards the main road where he could see another of their armies. Even from this distance he could tell they weren't having a good time. Loud pops and flashes of light could be seen from Sinnon, and he could see his comrades falling in droves as they tried in vein to advance towards the city. The shinobi with them tried to throw up barriers or use the infantry as a distraction, but it seems someone was paying very close attention to them, and was killing them off with extreme prejudice. Kenji heard more explosions and his eyes turned towards the west where he could see explosions rocking the hilly terrain.
He didn't know what was going on over there, but it filled him with more fear, none the less.
His eyes eventually drifted back to the inferno. He could see it starting to die down, almost as if the heat itself was being sucked out of it. After a few moments the fire faded enough for Kenji to make out figures floating towards them. The moment he saw this, his heart-rate started to pick up. These beings wore dark cloaks and were literally floating. The fire was pushed away by their mere presence.
Sensing nothing good from remaining Kenji started to climb off the rock, he quickly joined his comrades in fleeing up the mountain. The Iwa ninja were swearing and cursing, everything that could possibly go wrong, had gone wrong and they were now trying to keep the infantry in line, but many of these men were simple farmers or street thugs, they were too inexperienced and fearful, and they couldn't be organized within these hills.
Eventually, most of the Iwa nin gave up on trying to get the standard troops in line and dashed down the mountain to meet with their enemy. By now the fire had died down but that provided little relief as the heat was replaced with an ice cold chill. A loud, bone chilling shriek tore through the rocky terrain drawing most shinobi to a halt. It was a quiet moment before the first of the advancing shinobi ran into an oncoming dementor. He launched a kunai right at the shadowy creature, only for it to fall harmlessly to the ground after hitting it. This man was quickly grabbed by the dementor and it proceeded to drain the life out of him. Many of his fellows saw what was happening and were quickly set upon by more dementors.
Seeing their attacks fail at doing any damage to these things, drove many of the Iwa ninja to despair. Their anguish lasted only a moment however when gunfire began to tear through them. Charging through the rocky terrain were hundred of Legionnaires armed with blades and guns and wands. With the dementors there to keep them off balance, the Legion made quick work of the pockets of ninja gathered throughout the hills.
It took about fifteen minutes before Kenji and his group crested the mountain. To his left and right along the ridge he could see explosions and even large tree limbs sprouting up, whatever was happening in those areas, he wanted nothing to do with. Looking down the other side of the mountain, he could make out their reserve forces marching towards them. Letting out a sigh of relief, Kenji and the rest began to race down towards them.
As he was moving he began to hear a cawing noise. He ignored it at first but it began to build. It sounded as if a murder of crows was nearby which was possible considering this was a battlefield and there would be plenty of bodies to feast on soon.
The cawing noise grew louder and louder after each passing moment, Kenji could see shinobi glancing around, some turned skyward and started to point. Eventually Kenji couldn't take the cawing sound any longer and glanced at the sky. In the moonless night, Kenji couldn't really make out much other then stars. However, something unnerving did occur to him as he stared at the sky. It almost looked like the sky was moving.
He stared for several moments as the cawing got louder and louder. It took him a moment to piece it together, there was something flying above them. A lot of somethings.
Suddenly, and without warning loud pops began to tear through the air. The same pops he had heard a few times since coming here. The pops that the Legion's weapons sometimes made. They were close, much closer then they had been before.
Realizing that they had been followed he quickly joined the rest of his allies in moving to join with the reserve army.
He only made it about ten feet when all of the cawing stopped and suddenly the rushing of thousands of small bodies filled the air. His eyes were locked on the reserve army as a sea of blackness fell onto them.
It looked like birds were tearing through the army.
It took only a moment for Kenji to realize that they weren't birds. The sprays of blood and the red mist that was eking up from the army, made him realize the truth.
Turning away from the swarm of monsters, and from the gunshots behind him, he made a dash away from it all. He was joined by several others, some ninja, some infantry. All of them had only one goal in mind now. Survive.
Screams tore through the night as thousands of men were violently and brutally slaughtered all throughout the rocky terrain. Loud, ear splitting shrieks could be heard at varying distances and they did nothing to dilute the terror that they were all feeling.
They ran. Ran as fast as their bodies could take them. They moved through the hills and ravines, the sound of carnage echoing around them. They all knew if they stopped moving they would die. At that moment, none of them had yet stopped to contemplate what had just transpired. Their plan had been flawless. Yes they knew of the power they were facing but that's what the giant had been for. It would distract her while they encircled her and overwhelmed her. That was how many great shinobi had perished. They were trapped and forced to fight until they couldn't anymore. Once Riley was beaten, they only had to worry about Itachi Uchiha, and while he was a major threat, the same tactic would work on him as well. Iwa was well aware that the survivors from Konoha had made their way to Britain but they hadn't a clue how many that was, or how many joined the legion. Even so, it couldn't be more then a few thousand. They had the plan, the numbers and the willpower. They shouldn't have broken this easily.
The sounds of death and slaughter filled the air. They kept hearing loud sharp screams that ripped through the air, overwhelming the screams of those that were being killed. These screams chilled them to the bone. Some men dropped to their knees and grabbed their ears, their screams joining the many sounds echoing throughout the hillside.
Those that fell to their knees were left behind as those around them continued to flee. Kenji was one of those still fleeing. He made it about another thirty yards when he was grabbed and pulled to a stop. He tried to thrash out at his attacker but their grip held firm. It was a moment before he realized that he wasn't being attacked and that someone was talking to him.
"Stop!" He heard the word shouted into his ear. He turned slightly and caught a glimpse of the signature red of the Iwa ninja's attire.
He ceased his struggles as he noticed the Iwa nin pointing. He follow his gaze and spotted another group of their comrades fleeing through a ravine about fifty yard away, lower down.
Kenji was confused for a moment before he spotted movement in the sky. Something massive and dark was soaring through the darkened sky. It was at that moment that Kenji heard a loud growl rip through the air, and he remembered something. The Uchiwa clan leader had a dragon. A big one.
"Holy shit!" One of his comrades screamed as he noticed the dragon, as it dropped down to the ground, and perched on some rocks over looking the ravine where his comrades were running for their lives.
The massive dragon stared down at them for several moments before taking in a deep breath and letting out a flaming roar. Black fire shot from it's mouth down into the ravine. Several dozen screams were heard as countless men were consumed by the ravenous black flames.
The dragon continued to torch the ravine for several moments, ensuring that nothing survived. It was then that it started to glance around, looking for more prey. Seeing that, Kenji's group instantly darted away. They all knew if they were seen the dragon would come for them next.
With a bellowing growl the dragon took flight, Kenji held his breath for several moments, terrified of it's return. After a few quiet seconds he dared to look around for the beast, but it had disappeared into the clouds.
"We need to move, get back to base and regroup with the other's we're being slaughtered in this terrain." The Iwa ninja that had rescued Kenji stated.
"Are you fucking serious? This battle is lost! They're slaughtering us by the thousands. I'm getting the fuck out of here!" One of the infantry hissed out. The Iwa ninja let out a snarl but didn't stop the man as he turned and fled, disappearing into the terrain.
"Forget him. Come on, let's go!" The shinobi said as he darted off. The other group chose to follow, figuring they had a better chance with a ninja then on their own.
The Iwa ninja spent the next ten minutes guiding them through the rocky terrain and back to base. They could hear the screams of the dying, the roar of the Dragon and the pops of gunshots all around them, but they were luckily able to avoid it all.
The relief most of them felt as they cleared the rocky terrain and broke into a sprint for the base, was almost too much to bare.
Clearing the gap, their group of about fifteen made it to the edge of the encampment. They were instantly stopped by the sight of bullet holes in the outer wooden wall of the encampment.
"No! No! No!" The Iwa ninja growled as he dashed through the gate. He was tentatively followed by the rest of the soldiers whom were all suddenly feeling extremely afraid. Before entering the base, Kenji glanced back at the rock terrain, Black fire raged all over the place, and the sound of gunfire filled the night. Even from here he could hear the screams.
Letting out a shudder, Kenji headed inside.
He quickly joined his fellows in staring at the devastation that was their main encampment. Bodies were strewn all over the place. Corpses and body parts littered the ground. Blood soaked everything.
Kenji felt vomit rush up his throat at the sight of the carnage. He turned and vomited as many of his comrades did the same.
It was as he was finishing, that he heard a chuckle, one that was both loud, and soft.
"What's this? More little lambs to the slaughter?" Came a deep melodic voice. It was smooth and sharp, something aristocratic though at the same time menacing. All eyes turned to the shadows as a being nearly seven feet tall, wandered out to greet them.
Kenji recognized the face of a man, this man wore a monstrous grin, his eyes alight like hellfire, his dark flowing locks, danced with the breeze, and his teeth were all inhumanly sharp. His body however, was different. It looked to be a mass of shadows with hundreds of dark eyes staring at them from the darkness.
A loud growl tore through the air. Something akin to the growl of a wolf, but it was more vicious then that.
The man let out a dark chuckle as a being spilled out of his body. This creature was formed from shadow, it's body the form of a dog's front half. It was formed from shadow given distinction by the red aura around it, bloodshot eyes covered it's body, and it let out wolf like snarls and growls.
"Run!" The Iwa ninja shouted as he charged the beast.
The men behind him were so stunned they could not move. They watched in terrified fascination as the Iwa ninja dashed forward with a battle cry, only for the monster to let out a snarl and dash forward at insane speeds.
Faster then any of them could follow, the hound shot forward and caught the Iwa nin in it's teeth. It lifted him up into the air and bit him in half, silencing his cries of pain. Faster then any would think possible the hound devoured the body, catching the falling pieces of flesh before they could even hit the ground.
It was over in a matter of seconds. Once finished the hound turned towards them and let out a roar. This broke them all from their stupor and they started to run.
Kenji was running. Running faster then he ever had before. He was in a nightmare, a horrible nightmare. He needed to wake up, that was all. He'd wake up and be back at camp, none of this having happened. He heard several loud bangs tear through the air behind him. This made him run faster. He could hear his comrades screaming. Hear the hound tear into them.
The sounds got closer and closer until Kenji heard another bang. He found himself on the ground, screaming in pain. His eyes shot to his right leg, only to find it missing.
He screamed louder then he ever had as his eyes settled on his comrades behind him. Nothing could describe the carnage he was seeing as the demonic hound tore through them, while the dark man giggled and laughed at the carnage.
Kenji could only stare in shock and terror as the Hound turned to him and dashed forward.
The last thing Kenji heard before the Hound of Baskerville closed it's teeth around his head, was the sound of Alucard's laughter.
-Two days Later-
Gaia stood overlooking a vast expanse of desert, the massive golem having been buried up to it's head in sand. She knew it was only a matter of time before Iwa dug it out and she wasn't strong enough to crush something that big.
Letting out a sigh she returned to her command tent, to find her generals speaking with one another.
"What news is there?" Gaia inquired as they all rose to their feet at her entrance.
"There were five of those giants in total. We stopped one here. But two of them broke through to the west and one to the far east. It seems this was a five pronged assault, where the middle and the eastern middle attacks were halted." Baki stated.
"One of the attacks, it was at Sinnon right?" Gaia inquired as she took a seat.
"Yes. Our men there just sent us a report. It says that the giant was dispatched by the legion. And that Iwa's army there has been completely destroyed, not a single survivor." Baki replied.
"That is impossible. Even with the power of their commanders An S-ranked ninja and a SS-ranked ninja, there is no way they took out an army eight times the size of their own." One of Gaia's top shinobi stated with a shake of their head.
"Well believe it. Our intel suggests that the reason Iwa stopped their advance was because of the devastation there. Thirty thousand men, dead in one night." Baki snapped in reply.
"How many casualties did the Legion suffer?" Gaia inquired, knowing they didn't have many men. Such a victory must have cost them, if only slightly.
"None, ma'am. From what our man said, the Legion is reporting at full strength with zero casualties after the battle." Baki answered earning many looks of shock or disbelief.
Gaia was silent for several moments, such a thing was difficult to believe, but at the same time, Gaia had few doubts when it came to Riley. Still... this wasn't Riley, but Riley's army. The thought that any army could take out thirty thousand men and walk away without a single casualty was quite unbelievable.
"Baki, Kankuro, I leave you in charge here. Gather our forces and begin preparations to head west. It'll take weeks for Iwa to dig their toy out of the sand, and while Iwa is stalled we need to be ready to face the next attack. Leave a small force here and then get them moving. Temari and I are heading for Sinnon. I need to see this with my own eyes." Gaia commanded earning nods from her generals.
"Are you sure it's wise to leave your forces like this? That trip will take you three, or four days at least." Elder Ebizo inquired. Both him and his sister Chiyo having been recalled to aid in the war effort.
"No it'll take less. I can get myself and a small company there in less then a day, while the trip back will be just as fast, if not faster. I might be able to get one of the Legionnaires to make me a portkey, in which case I'll be back all the sooner. Still... If the legion holds this kind of power, I need to see it for myself." Gaia replied, earning a reluctant nod from Ebizo as Chiyo rose to her feet.
"Then I'll go with you. You need more then one bodyguard, and I desire to see this Shadow Legion as well." Chiyo stated earning many surprised looks.
"Are you sure lady Chiyo?" Gaia inquired, earning a determined nod from the older woman, "Very well then, Temari, Lady Chiyo, be ready to move in fifteen minutes."
Both women nodded and quickly moved to depart.
Kankuro moved over to his sister's side as she turned to stare out a nearby window at the open desert. "Finally going to see your friend again. What has it been a year and a half?"
"Yes. I need to do this Kankuro. If Riley's army is capable of destroying thirty thousand men without suffering a single casualty, then that changes the whole dynamic of this war. I knew Riley would change things, but this goes beyond my expectations. Riley was still just one woman, but if her army is capable of similar miracles, then I need to know it. I can't trust that these reports are accurate. I need to see it with my own two eyes and hear from her, just how powerful she and her army are." Gaia replied, earning a nod from her brother.
"Well best of luck. I hope this turns out to be true. If it does, then this war goes from being nearly hopeless to winnable." Kankuro stated.
Gaia was silent at that as her mind turned to Sinnon. She could only vaguely imagine what Riley had done there. If she had used the same technique she had used at Konoha, then that would explain it, but nothing in the reports mentioned a new moon. So Gaia was left wondering just what had been done. Letting out a sigh she turned and left the tent.
As she, Temari and Chiyo departed from the camp, Gaia couldn't help a fluttering in her stomach. Aside from everything, she was finally going to get to see Riley again. The thought brought a smile to her face, and ensured that she moved much faster. The Kazekage was unaware of the horrors that awaited at Sinnon and just what had been done to Iwa's army. Had she been aware, she would have known, beyond a shadow of a doubt that the course of this war had been drastically altered.
-To be Continued-
Alright there we go, sorry for the long wait as I said, I've been dealing with a few issues at home ,but they're done now so I'll be back to typing in full. Hope you like the story, and I hope you enjoy how I told the battle from the perspective of an Iwa grunt. Let me know. Ja Ne!
\