Presenting chapter 5! Thank you all and review if you'd like!
Disclaimer: I do not own "Naruto" or "Mortal Kombat," they belong to their respective owners.
Tensions Arise
In the Refugee Camp, on Base
Sonya stood next to Li Mei and Kenshi as they scouted out the refugees seeking asylum in Earthrealm. Sonya was recovering from the word her ex-husband had carried out minutes ago against her. Despite it not being what she wanted to hear, she needed to be true to herself. If she was being honest, Sonya knew she was not the best mother to Cassie.
Hearing everything Johnny had told her really made her question the decisions she made growing up. Her own father, a military man, never put work over his family. He always made a commitment to be there for her growing up, but she didn't do the same for her family. A mistake she would have to rectify soon.
However, putting her family life aside for now, Sonya kept her eyes peeled for Kano. She would catch the slippery bastard before he could escape again. After looking into the crowd, she noticed something odd. A shimmering effect was warping around a young girl in line. After closer inspection, she noticed it was actually Kano in disguise.
"Kenshi cut off the path on the right. I'm going to confront Kano. Li Mei, stay here with the refugees, can't have any harm come to them." Getting a nod from both individuals, Sonya began walking to the Australian.
Seeing Sonya approaching at a rapid pace, the 'girl' in line began speed-walking to the right. Just as expected, they ran into Kenshi blocking their path.
"Do you require assistance?" asked Kenshi, hiding a smirk.
Not responding, the girl turned around only to face Sonya with her arms crossed. Giving up the act, the girl tapped a few buttons on her forearm only to reveal it was Kano after all.
"Looks like you caught me love!" Kano then spread his arms out wide, "How about we make a deal? You let me go, and I give you some info that I know you'll love! Whadda say?"
Sonya brought forth her phone and spoke into it, "This is General Blade, I'm requesting immediate backup on my location."
Kano, not to be discouraged, kept on talking, "Oh come on love! Let's keep this between us! Just like the gold ole days! No need to bring anybody else into this cat-and-mouse game of ours."
Sonya settled into a battle stance and responded, "I don't negotiate with assholes like you. I'm not taking any deal you make."
Now this made Kano turn his sinister smile into a deep frown. "Well, if you won't play dice, maybe young Cassie will…" Kano then pulled out his Bowie knife and brought it in front of him, "I'm sure she can convince you into playing nice…"
This infuriated Sonya to the point she shouted, "Like hell you will! You touch my daughter and I'll personally pluck your eyes out of your skull!" Sonya then pulled out her pistol and held it at Kano's face, "I'll kill you before you can even breathe the same air as her!"
She may have failed her daughter in the past, but Sonya was determined to learn from her mistakes. Even if it meant possibly never gaining back the relationship with her daughter, she had to make an effort to do better in the future.
Seeing no other alternative than to fight, Sonya fired off multiple rounds at the Black Dragon clan member. Kano, having years of experience under his belt, sliced through the bullets being shot at him.
Seeing that Kano had essentially made her bullets harmless, Sonya stowed away her pistol and charged forward in hand-to-hand combat. Kano sliced at her multiple times, but each time Sonya was able to dodge flawlessly.
After getting multiple swipes at nothing but air, Kano was getting frustrated. This would be further amplified when Sonya caught his elbow, gave him an elbow strike into his nose, and jabbed into his wrist which connected with the pressure point inside. This caused Kano to drop his knife and Sonya to grab it mid-fall.
Once obtained, Sonya cartwheeled back a few feet and held the Australian's knife with a grin. "Was this yours Kano? Don't worry, I'll use it to fish the eyes out of your skull when I'm done with you…" Let it be known that Sonya was ruthless when it came to the protection of her only child.
Seeing as how Sonya was taunting him with her words from earlier, Kano activated his eye laser out of frustration. In a split-second decision, Sonya used the Bowie knife she had stolen from the mercenary to redirect the laser blast. Luckily for her, the laser was not strong enough to burn through the knife and instead bounced back.
This redirected laser ended up scorching Kano's face, leaving a nasty scar running down the left side of his jaw. Screaming from the sudden heat burning his flesh, Kano held his face with both hands.
After seeing his distracted state, Sonya threw the Bowie knife to the side and slammed into the mercenary with many jabs to his torso. The final shot that took Kano down, was a vicious strike into his liver.
Once on the ground, still holding his face, Sonya pounced on top of the Black Dragon member. She then placed both hands around his throat and squeezed, tightly.
Kano, despite his face being in extreme pain, held up his hands to try and stop the military General. He tried to place his hands on her wrists and pry them off, but the mother was too angry to give up. She wanted to end this man's life.
The man she was currently strangling had been a thorn in her side for many years. He provided false information that killed a squad of Special Ops members, allied with Shao Kahn, constantly attacked Special Forces members, and threatened her daughter's safety. There was no excuse to not kill this man and get it over with.
It was then that out of the crowd forming around them, Johnny Cage burst through with haste. "Sonya! Get off him before you kill him!"
Sonya instantly snapped back with hate in her eyes, "He threatened our daughter! That's more than enough reason for him to die!"
Putting away the fact she said 'our' daughter for the first time in a long time, Johnny spoke, "I understand, but right now, Kano is the best lead we have for finding Shinnok's amulet. If we don't find it soon, then Cassie really is in danger. Don't make a decision now that would hurt her later on."
Kano's face was beginning to turn blue from the lack of oxygen. If this kept up, he really would die to strangulation. Sonya, weighing Johnny's words, looked into the eyes of the Australian mercenary. He was very lucky Johnny spared his life because she would have gladly taken it.
With a final tight squeeze, Sonya slammed Kano's head into the ground and got off the Black Dragon leader. After a few violent coughs and wheezes from the man on the ground, he began to spill everything he knew about Mileena's location.
With Cassie's Team
"The Kuatan Jungle, that's where they're stationed at for now. However, they are constantly on the move and are patrolled by hordes of Tarkatans. Retrieve the amulet and bring it back here once accomplished." spoke Sonya through the phone.
On the other end, Cassie responded, "Understood General. We'll be right on it."
"Good…And also…" After a few seconds of silence over the phone, Sonya continued, "...be careful out there Cassie, it's a war zone. General out." The transmission then cut out and Cassie put the phone into her pocket.
"Well, that's the first time she hasn't called me Sergeant Cage in a long time. Wonder what's up with her," said a surprised Cassie.
Jacqui just gave a shrug in response, it shocked her too that the General sounded sentimental over the phone. It was out of nowhere.
Cassie, along with her team, turned towards Kotal and D'Vorah standing on the other side of a table. This was the room they had been conducting business in before Sonya contacted them.
"So, it appears we've found Mileena's location, correct?" spoke Kotal with his hands behind his back.
Cassie nodded, "Kano spilled everything he knew. We have pinpointed where her camp is. It won't be long before we have the amulet in our possession again."
"Good," spoke Kotal, "Then let us strike her down at once. We cannot afford her to relocate and waste the information we have been provided."
D'Vorah chose this time to speak up, "This One suggests we attack her forces on two fronts. One charge will be led by our army, the other will consist of me grabbing the amulet under Mileena's nose."
Kotal hummed in thought before he spoke, "A strategy to divide and conquer… A formidable tactic to retrieve the amulet."
"This One requests to go alone into Mileena's camp," D'Vorah then gestured to herself, "I can be in and out before Mileena notices."
Cassie then chose to interject, "I'll go with. It's imperative we ensure this amulet is brought back."
D'Vorah disagreed, "No, that is not necessary. It would be best if-" Before she could continue, Kotal stopped her with a raised hand.
"That is enough D'Vorah. They have proven themselves, their request is granted."
D'Vorah bowed her head in understanding but silently seethed at the course of action being taken.
Naruto then looked over to Cassie, "Do you want me to come with you as well? I can promise to stay out of the way. Plus, I'll be able to watch your back."
Cassie turned to Naruto and shook her head, "No, it's best if we use your capabilities to the fullest with the army's charge. You'll be much more effective on a large battleground than I would be. Plus, have some faith in your squad's captain, this isn't my first rodeo," finished Cassie with a wink.
Giving a chuckle, Naruto nodded and agreed.
"They are getting awfully friendly…. I'm sensing some kind of connection…." thought a grinning Takeda. He would love to tease the shinobi in private about this.
"Well 'captain'," spoke Naruto as he put his hands behind his head, "I'll follow your orders."
While he was calm on the outside, the shinobi was wary on the inside. Naruto decided to add a little insurance in case things went south.
Naruto then gave a quick pat on Cassie's shoulder while looking up at Kotal. "Well emperor, it looks like we're with your army while Cassie and D'Vorah retrieve the amulet. Let's discuss battle plans and try to limit the amount of causalities."
Kotal Kahn, completely agreeing with Naruto, dismissed D'Vorah. Cassie, seeing how she wasn't necessarily needed at this point anymore, followed D'Vorah out. However, just as she did, Naruto gently grabbed her and whispered, "I can sense some conflict within D'Vorah. I don't know what it exactly means, but keep an eye out for her true intentions…"
Cassie, surprised at this information, gave a thankful nod and followed D'Vorah out the door she exited from.
Takeda, Jacqui, Kung Jin, and Naruto then stayed behind with Kotal to discuss how to distract Mileena's forces to increase the odds of the amulet being stolen without detection. It would be a long afternoon.
Hours Later, in the Kuatan Jungle
"Looks like we found the place," spoke Cassie with her firearm out and at the ready, "It looks deserted, however. The main attack force must've really drawn out everybody."
D'Vorah, not feeling particularly talkative, merely grunted in agreement.
The duo passed many thick trees until they came upon a campsite that had been in recent use. The campfire was barely put out and many belongings were still in the tents, indicating the people had rushed to the battleground.
As Cassie and D'Vorah neared the tent they suspected the amulet to be in, they noticed something strange. A guard was posted out of Mileena's tent. This indicated that despite the heavy firepower they were under, Mileena's forces still suspected somebody might try to steal their weapon.
Seeing no choice but to confront the guard, both Cassie and D'Vorah nodded at each other and sprinted to the guard on either side. Now in front of the tent's guardian, Cassie could get a good look at this man. He didn't seem like any ordinary soldier, in fact, he seemed to have more power than the average fighter.
Once within speaking distance, the guard looked to the hive fighter. He then frowned and spoke, "I see D'Vorah, you're after the amulet aren't you? And you've even managed to gain some worthless allies along the way…" he then readies himself in case he was rushed, "What a worthless traitor you are! You have no loyalty!"
D'Vorah shot back, "You speak of loyalty but This One knows you desire Mileena's throne, Rain!"
Cassie, filing away this information for later, looked at the now-identified Rain.
Rain responded with conviction, "You're right, I do desire her throne." He didn't see a need to deny his true intentions.
"Then why serve Mileena?" asked D'Vorah as she twitched her head to the side.
Rain chuckled, "It's simple really, I am Mileena's closest advisor. She treats my words as honey to her ears, I practically have her eat out of the palm of my hand." He then smiled, "So when I advised her to use the amulet as often as possible to destroy the opposition, she didn't even think twice about it. What the 'empress' doesn't know is that the amulet slowly kills her each time she uses it." he finished.
"And you wish to take over her throne once's she gone and most of her enemies are killed?" asked Cassie, still having her pistol trained on the purple-clad warrior.
Rain looked over to Cassie and nodded, "That is exactly what I have planned. Mileena is merely a pawn in my scheme to rule over Outworld."
"Then why tell us this?" asked Cassie with confusion written all over her face.
"Because," smirked Rain, "I do not fear the dead spilling secrets."
Hearing rushing footsteps, Cassie turned around to see a woman charging at her. Being taken to the ground, both women began grappling with each other.
Seeing his moment to strike, Rain ran at D'Vorah and delivered a hard forward jab in her nose. Stumbling back, D'Vorah hissed in anger.
"Prepare yourself D'Vorah! This will be the last battle you'll ever have!" Rain shouted.
With a burning hate in both fighter's eyes, they rushed with the intent to maim.
On the other end, Cassie had finally rolled over onto the warrior that rushed her. She laid out strike after strike into her face with fierce momentum. Giving a moment to rest, she began to speak, "Mind telling me who you are, crazy lady?"
The lady, feeling blood pool into her mouth, spat it out at Cassie's face. It landed on her cheek and slowly slid down. "My name is Tanya, Earthrealmer. Remember it well, for I am the last face you'll see while alive!"
Tanya, in an insane show of flexibility, lifted both feet up and under Cassie's armpits. She then yanked her feet outwards, forcing the military Sergeant off of her. Getting back up, both fighters readied themselves.
Tanya launched a quick fireball at Cassie, who cartwheeled to the side in order to avoid it. Further determined, Tanya launched a quick succession of more fireballs. Cassie kept dodging to the side until she saw an opening, which she eventually did. After timing another fireball, instead of cartwheeling, Cassie performed a full split. She then pulled out her pistol and fired a shot into Tanya's shoulder.
The bullet pierced through Tanya and she gave a quick shout of pain. Seeing her opponent distracted, Cassie followed up with more attacks. A roundhouse kick caused Tanya to spit out blood from the force of the blow. Cassie then gave a nasty uppercut to Tanya's skull and a somersault kick just to give her a bigger concussion. Tanya, feeling dazed from the pain caused by Cassie's combo and bullet, couldn't defend herself.
Seeing Tanya was nearly finished, Cassie shot forward with a quick neck jab that momentarily stopped Tanya's breathing. Before Tanya could react, Cassie ducked low and delivered a leg sweep that caused Tanya to smack her head against the ground. For extra measure, she finished it off by using her closed fist to smack the Edenian in the face. The blow bruised Tanya's face and sent her off into the land of unconsciousness.
After handling her opponent, Cassie looked up to see D'Vorah walking into Mileena's tent. Behind her, lay a defeated Rain who had been knocked out. Dusting herself off, Cassie followed suit.
Both D'Vorah and Cassie looked around to see if they could spot the amulet until Cassie noticed a locked chest in the corner of the tent. After calling over D'Vorah, both crouched to get a better look. After reaching into her tool belt to retrieve a lock-picking kit, D'Vorah stopped Cassie and instead extended her hand to the lock. Within seconds, millions of small bugs crawled out of D'Vorah and into the wooden chest.
"I think I'm going to be sick if I keep staring at that…" thought a disgusted Cassie Cage.
The bugs were making quick work of the lock, by simply eating through the wood holding the entrance closed. The sounds of munching and moving were audible enough to make Cassie green in the face. She truly hated the sound of bugs.
"D'VORAH!" hearing a shout, the duo turned around to the tent's entrance and were greeted by an enraged Mileena.
Before a response could be given, D'Vorah released a multitude of bugs that swarmed around the 'empress.' This pushed the half-Edenian out of the tent, which was followed by D'Vorah chasing her.
After giving it some thought, Cassie decided to stay with the amulet and await for the bugs to finish their work. After about five minutes of waiting, Cassie heard a loud 'pop' and turned to see the chest slightly open. She opened it to see Shinnok's amulet waiting inside.
"Fuck yes!" thought Cassie, completely overjoyed, "We got it. Now we can end this conflict and return home. It's about time I got to take a bath in my own home."
Hearing approaching footsteps, Cassie drew her pistol in case Mileena appeared. However, it was D'Vorah who emerged victorious from their fight, albeit with a few scratches and scuff marks. Cassie then lowered her firearm and placed the amulet securely on her belt.
"This One took down Mileena and she is currently restrained. Let us return to Kotal Kahn's palace, we have what we need. We will deliver Mileena and the amulet." spoke D'Vorah.
Nodding in agreement, Cassie activated her communicator, "This is Cassie Cage to squad. We have retrieved Shinnok's amulet. Go ahead and rendezvous back at Kotal Kahn's palace."
A few seconds later, a buzz was heard in response, "This is Kung Jin. Message received, we'll call back our forces and meet you there."
Cassie and D'Vorah both nodded at each other and began to walk out. As they left, D'Vorah grabbed an unconscious Mileena and held her as they walked.
With the Army, 40 Minutes Earlier
Kotal Kahn and Cassie's squad had decided on a simple strategy. Kotal, along with his trusted generals, would lead the charge into the Tarkatan troops. Over the last five years, all the Tarkatan fighters had received intense training. Being in a civil war forced Mileena to train all of her allies to the highest extent.
Each Tarkatan was fiercely loyal to Mileena and they instilled the value of death before dishonor. Each Tarkatan warrior was willing to die before they would admit defeat. This made the Tarkatan army a formidable force that had to be handled carefully if Kotal Kahn wanted to limit his people's deaths.
Arriving on horseback with his fellow warriors, Kotal stood upon a cliff near the Tarkatan colony overlooking their operations. He then turned around to speak, "Everyone, prepare yourself for the battle about to commence. Remember, we are not here to eliminate each Tarkatan. Instead, we are here to provide a distraction in order for Shinnok's amulet to be retrieved. Once it is in our grasp, we are to leave! Understood?" shouted Kotal to his warriors.
With a resounding, "Oo-rah!" meaning 'yes,' Kotal nodded with a smile. Kotal then turned to Earthrealm's defenders, each also upon a horse.
"You Earthrealmers have your orders. Provide support to your assigned group. I have ordered my Osh-Tekk to treat you as equals on the battlefield, I would respect you to do the same."
Getting a nod from each of Cassie's squadmates, Kotal let out a loud whistle and charged down the cliff. Everybody followed behind, preparing for the bloodbath about to ensue.
Many Tarkatans were going about their daily routine. Some were transporting supplies and others were sharpening their blades. It all stopped once they heard the hooves of many horses charging after them.
One Tarkatan yelled, "We are under attack! Arm yourselves!"
Once the cavalry entered the camp, a large battle raged on. Many Osh-Tekk were killed instantly by Tarkatans jumping and stabbing them off their horses. On the other hand, many Tarkatans were decapitated by Osh-Tekk warriors swinging their blades upon their horses. It was a fierce battle on both ends.
Takeda, Kung Jin, Naruto, and Jacqui were each assigned a different Osh-Tekk group to fall under. They would provide their skills to their respective battle buddies.
Naruto, not the most proficient in battling upon a horse, soon jumped off his horse and led it into a quiet alleyway. After seeing it was secure, he came back out to the slaughter. People were dying, body parts were flying, blood was gushing, it was horrible.
The screams, yells, and groans of pain filled the air as the battle fought on.
Following Naruto's lead, each Earthrealm warrior also jumped from their horses. They all felt better at fighting on the ground.
Naruto saw a Tarkatan rushing at him with unbridled fury in his eyes. At that moment, Naruto finally understood. These were not people he could reason with. These were soldiers who were willing to die, down to the very last soldier, just to prove their loyalty. Making up his mind then and there, Naruto knew he couldn't let any Tarkatan he battled to live. He had to make each blow lethal and quick.
Once the Tarkatan was at arm's distance, he extended two bone-like structures from his arms and slashed wildly at the shinobi. After dodging for a few moments, Naruto grabbed a kunai from his pouch and coated it in thick wind chakra. With a quick slash, he hacked at the Tarkatan's throat. The warrior then fell while clutching at his neck, bleeding out to death.
Looking to see how his teammates were faring, he saw Jacqui stomp a Tarkatan's head into much and Kung Jin snipe another Tarkatan through the eye. Takeda even used his metal whips to slice through Tarkatans as if they were made of butter. It seemed each of his squadmates also reached the same conclusion, none of these Tarkatans could be spared.
After assuring his friends were well and alive, Naruto sped into his group of Osh-Tekk warriors to provide support. He watched their backs, deflected lethal blows by Tarkatans, and killed when possible.
The fighting went on for what seemed like forever. Naruto had once again sliced another Tarkatan. However, this time, he sliced its body vertically. Wind chakra was crazy sharp on a kunai.
It was then that Naruto heard a shout, looking over his shoulder, he saw Kung Jin holding his thigh. It appeared a Tarkatan had snuck up behind the Shaolin warrior and stabbed through his left thigh. If left untreated, the blood loss could kill him. Seeing the Tarkatan raise his blade for the final strike, Naruto acted.
CRUNCH!
Kung Jin turned around to see that the Tarkatan who would have killed him, had a missing hole in his face. Looking behind the collapsing body, he once again saw Naruto with his hand outstretched, That would be two times he owed the shinobi. Running up, Naruto treated Kung Jin's injury.
"C'mon Jin, that's the second time I've had to help you out. Can't have me doing all the hard work." joked Naruto
Kung Jin chuckled and thought it was funny the blonde was cracking a joke with the fighting going on around them. After a few seconds, Naruto helped Kung Jin stand up. "I was able to close the wound and repair the tendons sliced, but you're gonna be too sore to fight anymore. Retreat to the cliffside on my horse."
This idea did not appeal to the warrior and he shook his head, "No way, I can still fight! Let me go back out there!"
Naruto responded in a deadly serious voice, "I don't play with my friend's lives. You're too injured to fight, you'll only get yourself killed. Fall back, withdraw, it's not cowardly. You must know when to retreat."
It was those exact same words that Kung Jin remembered from his time with the Shaolin monks. Seeing that Naruto had a fair point, he sighed and nodded. Helping Kung Jin get upon his former horse, Naruto escorted him out of the colony's camp, killing three more Tarkatans along the way. As they were exiting, Naruto noticed Jacqui propping up Takeda on a nearby wall.
"What happened?" asked a concerned Naruto, while also holding the horse's reigns in his other hand. Despite his rather calm appearance, Naruto was constantly scanning his surroundings for any Tarkatans who wanted to surprise them.
Takeda groaned in response as he sat by the wall, "One of those bastards got lucky and caught me on the side. Thankfully, Jacqui was nearby and killed it with a badass left hook. One punch and it was out."
Jacqui spoke as well, "I was about to lead him out before we saw you both arriving, I'm guessing you had the same plan?"
Naruto nodded and decided to create a clone. He ordered the clone to escort Kung Jin, Takeda, and Jacqui to the cliffside that had been at before the attack. Jacqui stayed behind so she could better protect her two squadmates and the clone would commence the healing jutsu once they were safe on the cliff.
After seeing his clone escort his friends to safety, Naruto ran back into the chaos.
Naruto then ran up the side of a nearby watchtower with chakra and looked upon the Tarkatans. Before he could commence his plan, he heard a voice on his communicator.
"This is Cassie Cage to squad. We have retrieved Shinnok's amulet. Go ahead and rendezvous back at Kotal Kahn's palace."
Seeing their distraction had finally paid off, Naruto smiled. They would be able to retreat now. Before he could respond, Kung Jin beat him to it.
"This is Kung Jin. Message received, we'll call back our forces and meet you there."
Enhancing his eyes with chakra so he could see farther, Naruto saw that Kung Jin was standing up just fine along with Takeda. It seemed his clone had healed them both up well. Kung Jin returned his gaze with a smile and a nod.
Turning back around, Naruto focused chakra into his vocal cords so he could reach much farther with his yell, "All Osh-Tekk warriors, retreat! We have what we came here for! Return to Kotal Kahn's palace!"
The warriors then looked up at the top of a nearby watchtower to see the source of the voice, which was Naruto.
Kotal Kahn, who had just finished killing another Tarkatan by slashing through its chest, smiled in victory. "It seems Earthrealmers are capable of doing something important after all…" thought the emperor.
Kotal then turned to his people, "You heard the Earthrealmer! Let us retreat! We are no longer needed here!"
Getting another 'Oo-rah!' in response, the Osh-Tekk began retreating upon horseback. They were cheering in victory as they rode out of the camp.
Now normally, this retreating of the enemy would make most people relieved. Especially when you had suffered heavy losses. However, not the Tarkatan colony. They were a prideful race, a warrior race. To have your camp invaded, your brothers slaughtered, and have the enemy flee was disgraceful in their eyes. No bigger dishonor could be placed upon them.
Another Tarkatan used this moment to ring the bell of a watchtower placed deep into the camp. The ringing of the bell paused many of the Osh-Tekk, what did it signal?
They soon found out what the bell symbolized. A loud rush of footsteps revealed a gate being opened, which contained hundreds upon hundreds of Tarkatans running out. Each one was thirsting for the blood of the enemy.
"I see now!" thought a shocked Naruto, "They were holding back a majority of their forces deeper into their camp! They planned to release them when we seemed weakened to finish us off!"
Naruto broke out of his stupor quicker than most people. He looked to the ground and saw many of the Osh-Tekk were still frozen in surprise. He yelled down to them, "ALL OF YOU, RUN! RETREAT! I WILL GIVE YOU AN OPENING!"
Naruto then tapped his communicator and patched into Jacqui's frequency, "Jacqui, listen… I'm going to be holding off these Tarkatans until you all escape. If they are not stopped, they'll catch up to us and kill our allies. We're running on tired horses, they're running on fresh hate…"
Naruto then took a deep breath, "I didn't put this on the team's feed because I don't need objections right now, I need compliance. I suspect you understand the situation as well as I do, so please, don't fight me on this. I can handle this, trust me."
Jacqui, torn between helping her friend and accomplishing her duty, responded, "Fine! But you better come back in one piece!"
Naruto smiled and said, "Don't worry, I will. Let the others know why I'm staying behind, especially Cassie. I'm scared she'll punish me with bathroom duty."
Giving out a small giggle, Jacqui gave her affirmation, and the connection cut off. Looking towards her teammates, they all got on any available horse and rode back. They asked her about Naruto, but she told them she would explain everything back at the palace.
Back with Naruto, he took a deep breath. It was time to show why messing with his precious people never ends well.
Kurama slowly opened one eye and thought, "It's about time he did something significant in this world. I can tell it's about to get good from the amount of chakra he's concentrating in his lungs."
"Thank you once again for teaching me this Asuma-sensei," fondly thought Naruto.
Reaching into his weapons pouch, Naruto retrieved a small piece of flint and placed it between his teeth. He then jumped from the watchtower and landed at the front of the horde of Tarkatans, surprising some with his unexpected landing.
Going through the hand seals for snake, rat, snake, and tiger, Naruto commenced his attack. With a deep breath, he announced his jutsu.
"Katon: Haisekisho!" (Fire Release: Ash Pile Burning)
A dark vapor then spread rapidly from Naruto's mouth which quickly overtook the Tarkatan colony. Some were coughing violently while others were trying to wave it away. It was a disorienting mess.
"What is this? Smoke?" asked one Tarkatan.
Another responded, "Who cares! Charge forward! He is just one man!"
Feeling rejuvenated, many Tarkatans charged ahead once again.
What they didn't know was that this was not some harmless vapor or smoke, it was gunpowder. Naruto had covered the battlefield in a wide range of gunpowder.
Naruto waited until the cloud of gunpowder reached high, about twenty feet in the air. He also made sure it spread far and wide, he wanted to take down as many as possible with this attack.
"Thirty feet… twenty feet...fifteen feet… ten feet…" thought Naruto as he patiently waited for his enemies to arrive. In reality, he was letting the gunpowder spread as long as possible.
The closest Tarkatan to Naruto extended his arm blade and brought his arm back while charging. He would impale the Earthrealmer in one strike.
"Die vile scum!" shouted the enraged Tarkatan. He was feeling particularly angry because the dust that came from the blonde's mouth had entered his lungs, eyes, and ears, so he was feeling irritated all over.
"...Now!" thought Naruto.
With a click of his teeth to ignite a spark, a flame immediately erupted. The spark started small, which turned into a raging inferno within seconds. The heat had ignited the gunpowder and it just followed it to create a long chain reaction. The Tarkatans had no idea what they were walking into.
"RAHHH!" screamed one Tarkatan, seizing on the ground.
Another Tarkatan could not scream at all, his vocal cords had been burnt out the moment the spark ignited everything around him.
There was no relief anywhere in sight. Climbing up wasn't an option because the flame reached high. There was nowhere to hide, you could not use another Tarkatan as a shield because of the attack from the air around them. It was a truly devastating technique.
The Tarkatan that had been closest to Naruto dropped dead at his feet. His body was slowly cooking from the flames that had licked his body. Naruto looked down to see empty slots where his eyes used to be. The Tarkatan had lost his eyes instantly, the heat had burned them up first.
Naruto looked further into the horde to see if he had missed anybody in his attack, but none were spared. There was one Tarkatan who stumbled around in the back, but once he was visible, Naruto hardened his eyes.
The Tarkatan was stumbling around because his nerves, eyes, and ears had burned off. He could not see, hear, or feel. Third-degree burns surrounded one hundred percent of his body. He bounced off crumbling wooden buildings and nearby dead warriors before he fell and did not rise again.
Naruto shook his head to wipe the memories from his head. He knew the horrors this technique would bring, but he would do anything to protect his friends. Entering Sage Mode just to be sure, he could not detect another life signature within a five-mile radius. This was good, it meant he had killed off the entire Tarkatan colony here and his squadmates made it back safely.
He then disabled Sage Mode and gave a final look at his surroundings. Deciding to burn the bodies to ash instead of leaving them to rot or decay. After collecting all the bodies and placing them in a large pile, he started his technique.
"Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu!" (Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique)
Launching a great fireball from his mouth would make sure any remaining bodies would turn into ash. This would burn through clothing and even bone. He poured more chakra than was necessary in order to ensure the flames would be strong enough. After holding the technique for quite a while, he stopped and saw there was nothing left but ash.
Noticing his job was done, Naruto sprinted out of the camp at low-ANBU speeds to catch up to his team. He wanted to forget the horrors left behind, as ash behind him flowed slowly in the wind.
With Cassie's Team
"Welp, we're fucked!" announced Kung Jin as he slapped his hands down to his lap. He was behind bars along with the rest of his team. They had all been captured.
When all members of the team had finally reached Kotal Kahn's palace, everything seemed fine at first. Cassie returned with Shinnok's amulet while the others returned in full health. Naruto's clone dispersed back to the cliffside, finding it was no longer necessary to exist after fulfilling its purpose.
Jacqui filled in her teammates as to why Naruto would be running late and they all begrudgingly accepted the reason. They just hoped their friend would come back alright. He was up against hundreds of bloodthirsty monsters back there.
Kotal was sitting on his throne as each Earthrealmer stood in front of him, thanking him for his aid. After a short exchange, however, D'Vorah came into the room with a restrained Mileena. This time, however, Mileena was awake.
Once both Mileena and Kotal exchanged insults, Kotal ordered Mileena's death. He gave the honor to D'Vorah, which she gladly accepted. After delivering a 'kiss of death' to Mileena, D'Vorah released billions of bugs at once into her throat. They were carnivorous in nature and began eating their way out. Having billions of bugs do this at once made Mileena a skeleton in a matter of seconds. It left each of Cassie's team feeling disgusted, but they had no say in the matter, it wasn't their civil war.
However, what nobody expected, was for Kotal Kahn to restrain each member with a wave of his hand. A ring of purple energy had retrained each Earthrealmer and Shinnok's amulet was taken by D'Vorah for safekeeping. Kotal's reasoning for this was that he did not trust Earthrealm to protect the amulet after failing once before.
Once his betrayal was known, Kotal sentenced them all to be restrained until further notice was given. He had no interest in following the Reiko Accords any longer.
Kotal then turned to a guard in the room and said, "Send a search party out for their remaining member. I do not wish to harm him if possible, he aided us a great deal by fending off that Tarkatan horde."
Nodding his understanding, the guard left to conduct his duty.
"So… does anybody have any songs they want to sing to pass the time?" asked a bored Takeda.
"I'm just wondering if we're going to be sentenced to death. You know, like any other crime would carry," spoke Jacqui.
"Nah, if they were going to kill us, they would have done it by now," spoke Takeda.
"I'm wondering how Naruto is going to be able to track us here. They jammed our communicators while we're down here with some sort of ward and he didn't see us get transported here. For all he knows, we're still buddy-buddy with Kotal!" exclaimed a tired Cassie.
Seeing they had nothing better to do than wait, each member of the squad opened up a little bit more about themselves. Cassie mentioned how she was the General's daughter, but life wasn't easier despite it.
Kung Jin explained that he was once a thief, but he was given a second chance at redemption by the Shaolin monks. Jacqui explained how her father being a revenant really haunted him for years, but her mother was the rock that held him down. She also told a story of how her father didn't approve of her joining the Special Forces.
Finally, Takeda, explained how he had been trained by Hanzo for the majority of his life without his dad being present. Once his father Kenshi arrived, he explained everything. It was a shock to find out his father was actually hunting their family's enemies over the years.
Just as Takeda was speaking about Hanzo's training, they all turned to see a yellow flash appear beside Cassie. With a startled yelp, Cassie backed up only to see it was Naruto.
"What the hell! How did you get here?!" asked a perplexed Cassie.
Grinning, Naruto responded, "Well, do you remember when I patted your shoulder before you left with D'Vorah into Mileena's camp?"
Cassie nodded.
"When my hand connected with your shoulder, I placed my Hiraishin mark there. It allows me to teleport to anything or anybody I connect it with when I'm not using my kunai that is."
This was awesome to Takeda, "Dude, you are like a walking book of ninja moves! That is sick!"
Jacqui also nodded, "That is very useful, especially now."
Naruto then went on to explain, "I went back to Kotal Kahn's palace, but I didn't find any of you there. I then overheard him speaking about how he had you all locked up, so I decided to use my seal to see where you all were."
Cassie, looking to her shoulder, saw the exact seal he was talking about. Naruto then said to her, "Don't worry though, I only placed it on your clothing. Nothing on the skin."
Kung Jin then spoke up, "So now that we know how that happened, let's play a game of catch-up. We have a lot of things to tell you."
Naruto, seeing how serious Kung Jin was being, nodded and heard the explanation. He was incensed that Kotal Kahn had betrayed them, especially after everything he had done for the emperor.
Putting all that aside, for now, Naruto looked to his team captain. "So then, what's the plan boss? I can handle getting us out of here, but we're running on your commands now that the mission has gone sideways."
Cassie, looking around to see that her team depended on her decision, took in a deep breath. She then spoke, "Once Naruto breaks us out of here, we need to locate Shinnok's amulet. Even if we don't have Kotal Kahn's support anymore, it's still our main objective. Once we have that, I'll contact for transport out of here and we can depart." Cassie then said slowly, "But, keep your eyes peeled. From now on, we consider ourselves in enemy territory."
Once everyone understood the plan, Naruto got to work breaking open his squadmates. The bars were tough and he could see why they were not easy to break through, but it wasn't anything the shinobi couldn't handle.
"Follow me. I heard where they planned to take the amulet and the route used when I was in Kotal's palace. If we're quick enough, we can catch up!" spoke Naruto.
Once they were out, they ran out to find the amulet and get the hell out of Outworld.
Meanwhile, with D'Vorah
D'Vorah looked over the two dead guards she had killed while transporting Shinnok's amulet. They were taking the amulet to a secure location on Kotal's orders. Too bad Kotal Kahn never expected betrayal from one of his closest advisors.
Earlier, D'Vorah had spoken to Quan Chi in private and explained how she was planning on passing the amulet over to him. Once completed, it would allow Shinnok to be free and roam the realm once more. Once their talk was over, Quan Chi prepared his revenant army and put his plan into action.
Gently grabbing the shiny talisman, D'Vorah stored it away on her body and began walking away. Kotal Kahn was a fool for trusting her.
After much time had passed, Cassie's team followed the route Naruto suspected the amulet guards to be taking. To their surprise, they saw two dead guards with an empty chest on a loading dock. They hid behind cover as three individuals were investigating the scene.
"Hmm… it seems we have a traitor among us… D'Vorah has made off with Shinnok's amulet," said Erron Black, crouching low at the chest. "What do you think, Ermac?"
The floating figure named Ermac spoke, "Indeed. She is no longer following Kotal Kahn's commands."
Erron Black then turned to his right, "And you, Reptile?"
Before Reptile answered, he sniffed the air momentarily. He narrowed his eyes and said, "The Earthrealmers are nearby. It seems that D'Vorah must have also set them free. She trades Kotal Kahn for Raiden."
Each of Cassie's team digesting the information they heard, as well as the fact their cover was blown.
Jacqui whispered to her team, "So it seems D'Vorah betrayed Kotal just like he did us. And now she's made off with the amulet for whatever reason. We have to intercept and stop her."
Takeda nodded, "Yeah, the only problem is we have to get through these three before we can chase after her."
Naruto shook his head, "Not necessarily. I can make three solid clones to take care of them while we sneak by."
Kung Jin snorted, "I would love that, but unless you can walk on water, we can only walk through the loading dock."
Naruto then turned to him and grinned, "Well then, it's a good thing I CAN walk on water…"
Kung Jin then blinked for a few seconds as he pondered what he heard. "...Is he a human or deity?.."
"I can make three clones to take care of these three, and three other clones to grab you guys and transport you over the water. We don't have time to waste here, whatever D'Vorah is planning needs to be stopped as soon as possible," spoke Naruto in a serious tone.
"Naruto's right," Cassie said, "The less time we waste, the better of a chance we can intercept D'Vorah."
She then reloaded her weapons and turned to her fellow blonde, "Naruto, go ahead and make those clones. We need to get going."
Nodding in response, Naruto summoned six clones. Three to carry Takeda, Jacqui, and Kung Jin while the other three would take care of Kotal's generals. He would carry Cassie himself.
Naruto, along with his clones, grabbed his respective teammates. The guys were held in a piggyback style which gained them red hues on their faces while the women were held in a bridal style carry.
Jumping over the side, each Naruto held onto their passenger tightly as they ran across the water, past the three Outworlders.
Reptile was the first to speak, "I knew the Earthrealmers were nearby! Seize them!"
However, before any of them could take a step, three quick blurs appeared before their path. They saw three Naruto clones all prepared for a fight. With no words exchanged, both parties clashed against one another.
After a few minutes of running, Naruto and his clones eventually set down his teammates gently. They had made it far and it seemed nobody was tailing them. Desperate to make a connection back to Earthrealm, Cassie tried activating her communicator once again. This time, there was no ward to jam it and it actually made it through.
"This is Sergeant Cassandra Cage, reporting back. Anybody on the other side?"
After a few seconds of static, a surprising voice answered back. "Yeah, we can hear you!"
Jacqui, who was fiddling with her own communicator, stopped dead in her tracks. "Dad, is that you?!"
"Hey baby, it's good to hear your voice. And before you ask, me joining back up with Special Forces is more of a temporary gig this time around," said Jackson Briggs.
"Oh boy do we have a lot to catch you up on," said Cassie.
"Good, then go ahead and give us your report," spoke another voice on the line, which was Sonya Blade.
Collecting herself, Cassie began to recount the events of the mission so far. How Kotal Kahn had locked them up until Naruto was able to free them, how D'Vorah made off with the amulet, and how she escaped.
Cassie then heard her mother slam her fist into a desk, "Dammit! I knew something was up!"
"Any idea to where she may have headed?" asked Jax.
"I ran some scenarios and I believe she's heading to the Sea of Blood," spoke Takeda.
"Fuck, that would make sense…" whispered Jax. He then decided to elaborate, "There's a secret portal found near the Sea of Blood. Quan Chi built it long ago and would exploit it if given the chance. D'Vorah is coming to him, I'd even bet money on that."
Having enough of holding it in, Jacqui spoke into Cassie's communicator, "Dad! What are you doing back in service?… I know you feel guilt for a lot of things but this isn't the way to go about it!"
"Don't worry baby, I'm doing this for Sonya." spoke Jax, "I'm not even really a fighter, more of an observer. We're going to apprehend Quan Chi in the Netherrealm while we still can. But don't worry, I'm just advising the best I can about Quan Chi's tactics."
Jacqui sighed after hearing this, "Okay Dad, but please promise you'll stay safe."
Jax smiled and said, "I will baby. You've done enough. Let us take care of the business down here in the Netherrealm. I'll come back in one piece, I promise…" Jax then paused before saying, "...I love you. Briggs Out"
Jacqui smiled and said, "I love you too Dad, Briggs Out."
Seeing that their conversation was now over, Cassie's team strategized on the best way to track down D'Vorah. While Jax and his squad would take care of Quan Chi in the Netherrealm, they needed to do their part as well.
One Hour Later, In Kotal Kahn's Palace
Kotal was staring into the sun with both arms crossed behind his back. After a few seconds, three of his fighters entered the room. He turned around to see a beaten Erron Black, Ermac, and Reptile. Erron Black was especially bloody while Reptile walked with a limp. Whoever the three faced, they had been soundly defeated. Without hesitation, he spoke.
"Report." A single word, but one spoken with much authority.
Erron Black spoke first, "D'Vorah killed the two other guards transporting the amulet. She also let the Earthrealmers escape."
Ermac then said, "Her allegiance lies with Raiden now, she cannot be trusted…"
Reptile added on with a slight hiss, "The amulet was taken by D'Vorah and isss now most likely in Earthrealm's handssss. We have been fooled from the beginning…"
Kotal then closed his eyes and sighed, "Oh how your betrayal cuts deep, D'Vorah…" pondered the emperor. Having made up his mind, Kotal turned around and stared deeply at his three closest advisors.
"Prepare our army. Ready the military. I want our horses fed, our men well-rested, our weapons sharpened, everything to be perfect...," Kotal then stared out into the sun, "...Once we've gathered our strength, we will be marching straight to Earthrealm. The amulet will not stay in Raiden's hands for long." said Kotal Kahn with conviction.
The message was clear for all in the room, Outworld had now declared war on Earthrealm.
BOOYAH! Another chapter is finished!
I dare say this was my best chapter yet! I feel like I timed the events in this chapter to have it flow smoothly and make sense, while also seeing the other perspective. If you liked this, let me know and I would be willing to do more scenes like that in the future!
Hope you all liked seeing the first two elemental jutsu in the story so far! If you liked the way I formatted the words for the technique, let me know! If it threw you off and you didn't like it, let me know that too!
I also had a review where somebody commented about the frequency of this story and how often it will be updated.
Right now, I have a pretty free schedule. Unfortunately, it looks like it's going to be more packed as time goes on. But don't worry, I'm cranking out these chapters about every two days right now. If I get as busy as I think I will, it'll come to about two chapters per week. Not as good as previously, but not bad either.
Thank you for reading and reviewing! Until next time, cheers!