"It's true that you're different from Neji...You're not a genius in ninjutsu nor genjutsu, not even taijutsu...But you know what Lee? You are a genius that has the strength and potential within himself to surpass Neji...Because you a genius of hard work!"
Might Guy
Yuko cut down dozens.
She cut down hundreds.
She cut down thousands.
The Akimichi clan was quite a brazen and boisterous clan, in comparison to other clans. They all had that same burly and massive build-their average height was seven feet, and some got to be ten feet. They didn't utilize chakra natures. They preferred to use their brute strength to stomp their foes into dust. They were amazingly talented, but were a hot headed bunch-coupled with their expansion jutsus; they could be even more troublesome than the Senju. They even pushed the Senu into full retreat.
Strength wise, she would place them around the top spectrum. They all had immense chakra levels, though there were some like Atsushi who had tremendous reserves and tremendous chakra to the point it was absurd. She crossed paths with them naturally, learning on the many battlefields that plagued the mainland like sickness.
Like disease.
Like a cancer.
Yuko snarled, deep and low.
Humans were a cancer.
A cancer.
She sidestepped a cutting edge, and put on a burst of speed before the sword could rip into her, flashing away from her foes as they stuck the floor sending cracks out.
"Sharingan saved you again."
Yuko shifted forward swinging what remained of her sword at numbing speeds. Her first foe ducked under the wide swipe, feeling the air whoosh above him and kick his hair to the side, deftly he jumped back, distancing himself from the woman. Yuko was in front of him as if she teleported, snapping her leg out in a quick side kick. Her foe shifted passed the strike, teeth grit as he just blocked her powered up foot. Her foe prepped to strike, but the small blade charged in from the side, thrusting forward, skewing just passed him.
Her foes fell upon her in the next second, darting in an elaborate pattern as her blade cut through their gap. It'd be dazzling to onlookers, hypnotizing even, but for Yuko it was a deadly dance, and she didn't care for dancing. The blade arced through the gap between them, clipping them on the neck and forearm. Blood oozed and gushed from the wounds.
Hard pressed Yuko jumped back. There was a lot of speed behind those swiping blows, she could feel the air rushing past her, as if it was overwhelmed by the sheer velocity her foes' bodies traveled with. Even with her Sharingan, the Inuzuka were unbelievably fast. The Akimichi made diversions for the feral dogs unknowingly. She couldn't let a single one of them to get a decisive blow at all.
She pivoted forward, skewing their trajectory by just a margin, forcing energy into her legs Yuko shot forward evading what would have been a decapitating blow as her blade came arcing around, feet skidding for purchase. Three of her foes shifted away, four couldn't escape and screamed their last gasp as blood sprayed from their necks.
The foot she seen darting for her chest pushed her back, but the follow up is what made her press her speed a bit further. She dodged the blow, taking the opening and threw her right fist out aiming for the his chin. Her foe seen the blow coming-he must have figured it'd be a right cross. So, he turned to the side dodging the punch by inches, completing his turn.
Yuko sprung up, and as her elbow met her foe's jaw-she let a grin spread across her face.
She took another step forward as he floundered, blade already skewing forward-this would connect! A flash snapped her to the side, and he just avoided an Inuzuka's attack. She hit the floor feet first, sliding back, teeth grit as she felt anger starting to bubble in the pit of his stomach. It was hot. It made her shake. It made her want to scream. She had no time to do any of that, as foes were upon her-jabbing and stabbing for any flesh.
There was no sense in staying distant-this would be an up close battle and she was not afraid to take a few punches. Her face was bruised for being hammered repeatedly by fists and elbows, but it didn't stop her.
Yuko ducked under one stab, throwing a blinding right cross. Her foe raised his knee aiming to strike her under the chin-their attacks met head on with horrible force, shaking the ground. They broke their stalemate, lashing out with a quick array of strokes, both pressing their opening. Knuckles collided, blades flashed, and shins smashed as the two moved at super speeds, blurring into flashes of black and white.
Their attacks resounded with a loud clap-deafening them momentarily. Yuko forced more energy into her arms, in her legs, and throughout her entire body. She tried to inflate herself with chakra. Her speed easily tripling from before as she aimed high and low, pressing all her foes, but some threw their knees and shins up blocking and stopping the strikes that would probably knock their heads.
Some didn't have the reflexes, and they fell at her feet.
She stomped past them, not caring if brain and other gore got on her feet. She flipped to the side not even a second later, eyes narrowed. She just evaded a streak of force, spotting the follow up charge and deftly lunged back, sliding across the ground until she came to a stop naturally. Her foes shot forward, pressing their attack. Yuko reacted faster than she expected and sent a hail storm of kunai forward-they all met their marks, but more men came after her with vigor.
Going blade to blade wouldn't be an option anymore. She barely had a sword left at this point, and in all fairness, she'd need a new one made after this. If she even got within range she was going to suffer the effects of the Akimichi's brutal strikes. She was going to suffer the effects of the Inuzuka's frenzied claws. They knew this and persisted against her, tearing the inside of the apart with their powerful attacks. Knowing she'd suffer from the effects of their blows even from a relative distance, she charged forward.
They were about to resume their battle, but a loud shout forced them to a halt.
"Izuna Uchiha!"
"Don't let him get through!"
"Die! Uchiha Scum!"
Yuko flashed her eyes back and forth until she spotted the man in question, felling several dozen men striding towards her with great speed. Their hands were flashing through seals, and their heads thudding to the floor. From here, she could see their mouths moving slowly and in unison-they must have been about to a collaboration jutsu.
She moved as fast as she could, feet stomping in the floorboards. She couldn't afford to get trapped or cornered in this hallway. The nearest stair set was more than a few feet away, and she had no intention of battling her way through foe after foe to reach it. She'd use that as a vantage point and start whacking them down until they either got the hint, or they all lie dead at her feet.
"Get the hell out of my way!" Izuna snarled, sword flashing like lightning. "MOVE!"
"Yuko!"
Yuko growled lowly, legs immediately bending as she got into a more offensive stance, and she sprang away. Izuna was going to hold her back and she knew he would. She wasn't going to allow him to interfere with her killing. She resolved to do this-and that resolve never wavered once. Heads flew, blood sprayed and oozed, limbs flew, but she never lost her nerve.
"I got you now! You little bitch!"
Yuko sprinted away from feral Inuzuka, honing in on one of the staircases. Izuna watched with horrible shock as one of the Inuzuka just slammed his forearm into Yuko-losing the limb in the process, and was sent flying through the boat's wall. Izuna swore he could hear loud cracks, bones breaking, before the familiar sound of flesh tearing reached his ears.
This repeated itself more than once. Yuko was skipping anything that had to do with technique. She dug her fingers through flesh, ripped through sinew and tendons, tore off limbs with the greatest of ease. The grin never left her face once as she marched ahead. Her foes charged, screaming, but met the same end. Some of them decided to retreat, but Yuko wasn't going to let them get away.
Izuna tensed, not out of fear, but readiness. This didn't look like the Yuko he knew-she was reveling in battle and killing, she looked like she was right at home and had no intention to stop shedding blood. An Inuzuka turned his eyes onto him and let out a savage growl before stomping his way over. The boat shook, the wood that kept it stable shattered and broke.
This forced him to jump to the side-but there was only a wall. His shoulder smacked off of it, and he could only grunt in pain. The Inuzuka that was focused on him rammed his hand right against his side.
"I said get out of my way!" Izuna howled, eyes on fire.
"Not on your life, Uchiha bitch!" The Inuzuka snarled. "Hurry and cut off this fucker's head!"
Izuna thrashed-blade clearing right through the Inuzuka's chest. The man's eyes widened after a second-blood oozed from his neck, down his collarbone, and spread across his chest. More sprayed onto Izuna's face. However, the man continued to push with all the strength he could muster. Eventually, his strength finally waned, and Izuna peeled himself out of the wall, seething.
His arm hung at his side, almost useless.
Now...
He was angry.
"Get him!"
"Now you've made me angry!" Izuna howled. "You're pissing me the fuck off! MOVE!"
He his foes head on, sword swiping, cleaving and cutting through flesh like butter. He danced and weaved around body severing swings, but he couldn't match them with brute strength-every single hit felt bone breaking, literally, and it took all he had just to hang onto his weapons. Every cut seemed to have no effect, as for every foe he felled, another ten came to replace that one.
"YUKO!"
Izuna snarled, swinging his blade until he felt blood drain onto the hilt, and his callouses tear. He let out a bellow as his strikes collided with flesh and bone. He followed through on all of his swings, teeth gritting. The Akimichi halted his advance, and even when he pushed his blade down, their limbs weren't so easily severed, so he pulled back, and swung down with more force.
"YUKO!"
Yuko could hear the irate shout of Izuna.
She ignored it.
She crossed her both of her arms in front of her, forming an X. An Inuzuka made the mistake of meeting her head on. His body was ripped. It looked as if he were a scroll, hanging off by an inch of what was used to roll it up. Seeing this, the others ran. Yuko was moving far too swiftly and violently to just stop. Momentum and velocity were carrying her as well. She slammed into them, crying out in fury and pain.
Her entire body rattled once the screams sounded, all at once. Something that would occur whenever something of this magnitude happened. She found stable ground, and moved on-honing in on her targets. The foreigner raised his gun, and used the butt to strike. Yuko kicked the butt of gun. Her foot burned with pain. She stomped down, crushing her foe's foot, and then snapped his leg at the knee and thigh.
She watched him fall, clutching his bloody thigh.
His bone protruded.
She raised her foot, stomping on him over and over. In the process she managed to kick some of her foes away and off to the side, others weren't so lucky. She broke her stride, but she pressed on without any reprieve. As her foot met its mark, and sent her foe tumbling away, she brought her elbow-slashing an Akimichi through at the forehead. Blood oozed from the wound, and his skin sputtered as it loosened from the skull.
Her second and third elbows lacerated him and brought his skull inward. The second elbow split into his scalp, and the third caved in that very spot. His body dropped with a thud. An opening was made, and she forced her way forward and into the next room. There were knots of people now, but they did little to impede her.
She shoved down her foes, tripping them and breaking their legs in the process. She swung her arms and legs, fists and shins flying from every possible direction. She whacked down her last few foes with one kick-the forth and last, was shoved into the wall-the splinters went through his skull. She swung her foot high, slamming it across his temple, pushing the splinters through the rest of the skull.
Yuko looked at her hands-they were covered in crimson.
"Why did you..."
Yuko looked at the gathering crowd of men.
They all looked the same to her.
Parasites.
Insects.
Evil...
Evil had to be slain swiftly.
"Stop attacking me..."
Upon getting no answer-Yuko focused on the older foreigner at the head of the group.
Fear.
She reveled in it.
Mikito opened a scroll.
She went on the attack.
If they were going to be at a loss and just stand around looking dumbfounded because she was bloody mess, she'd just take advantage. It took but a few seconds for them to realize they were really in battle and she was charging at them without any fear. They could take her head, if they so desired. She didn't swivel, she didn't dodge past stabs and slashes aimed to cut her trachea and pierce her armor, she didn't block or dodge punches...
She overpowered them.
She simply whacked them down with her fists and elbows before they could react. She stabbed her hands through them, torsos, legs, and limbs just the same. She'd heave them up and toss them away, using their dangling limbs to batter aside the rest of her foes. She was brutal, and she grew more brutal. Each attack painted her red, it left her hands drenched, and it left her craving more. She raised their bodies in the air, and forcibly ripped their limbs off.
She marched ahead, stance as strong as it was aggressive. She took a wild swing, cutting her first foe's legs off, and she turned, cutting through part of his waist. Her fingers-as sharp as a blade slid through with ease, sending part of his side spilling onto the ground. His bowels and spleen came spilling out next-the blood was so copious it almost looked black.
Blood oozed out of the wound. She clenched her hands tighter, and took a step forward. Her body shook, and the Inuzuka and foreigner grasping her arms shook just as violently. She smirked, yanking her hands free. Their body fell, hitting the floor. The foreigner rolled into the wall, groaning out the last of his oxygen. Dodging one slash, smacking another a few inches off of its trajectory, and redirecting another-Yuko found herself being pressed back. She chambered her next kick pushing her foot into the man's neck and shifted.
He let out a shaking, dying gasp. His windpipe caved in with ease, and the bones chipped-flying out from the wound. Yuko let out a gasping scream, teeth clenched-resistance throttled her, despite her hand gouging into her attacker's arm, she felt her arms slack for a second, and she took steps forward-fighting the feeling, and sent his arm flying.
And another.
She knew things were starting to swing out of her favor. She lost count of how many men she fell. At one point she had twenty men gouged with her arms-it nearly broke her shoulders, and her arms, but she had managed to swing them around like a sort of battering ram. Bloody and screaming, they crashed and bashed, injuring each other and their allies alike.
Each exertion was chalking into her endurance, and she didn't want them to turn it into a test of endurance. That'd mean she was forced on the defensive. That'd mean it was a battle of attrition.
She wasn't going to fall prey to that.
Yuko pressed ahead with a newfound urgency. A newfound ferocity. Emotions drove her over the edge, the thought of being killed by such a tactic made her furious and downright livid. Her limps whipped and whirled around her a million times over-they ripped through the air and her foes alike, dazzling and startling them, and fought off the darkness that was consuming.
It appeared as if she were surrounded by fists, elbows, shins, knees, and every other extremity each moving of its own accord and will. Each moving in a different direction, honed in for the killing shot. They weren't channeled with her mind. Yuko let that go a very long time ago. Her training came to the forefront, and all her emotions dissipated, and she became a killing machine.
She began tearing through anyone who got in her way, she struck blades in two and shattered bone, blood sprayed around her, consuming her, and she stepped through the oppressive shower without a moment's reprieve. There was gore, and the crunch of bones, but these too, did little to stop her. In the past, she would have never walked through gore without a second thought, but she was different now.
She pressed forward a few inches, colliding dozens of men, fist to fist, shin to shin, elbow to elbow, pushing them back and away. More than five fell to the floor, struggling to get up as fast as they could. They didn't even get close to scrambling for two seconds. Yuko stomped on them much like a child would if he or she were having a fit. Bones broke. Heads were squashed.
Gore splattered and Yuko slipped on the way down and fell, losing her bloodied sandals.
Another horde came at her, and this time...
A blast of force knocked her to the side. Her head bounced off the wall. Her shoulder and side smacked off a pillar She felt the puncture before it happened. Right on her left side-just below her temple. Another just below her armpit. She couldn't guess how long the cuts were, nor their depth, but she could feel blood oozing from the wounds. Sound and light distorted into noise, before noise faded to nothing but black, and nausea.
Blinding white overtook everything, for the briefest second.
Her eyes focused once more.
"We got her now!"
"Hurry and grab her before she attacks again!"
"Attacking me head on, with your bare hands..." Yuko said, grasping two men by the neck-her hands tensed, and all at once-the men's head cleared from their shoulders.
She tossed them aside, marched forward, and this time-grabbed four men, two with each hand.
It was an impossible feat, normally, but with chakra-she could force them to stay in place. Her fingers were like iron and her body was as unyielding as an ancient bole. She pulled up-their heads cleared from their shoulders-a man's spine went chipping to the floor, and another's man spinal fragments stabbed into the wall nearby.
Blood poured onto the floor, and the head Yuko held a bit higher, was draining blood on her side.
The other head was draining blood on her legs and feet.
"Is the biggest mistake you will ever make."
Yuko clenched her hands. Blood oozed out from between the wrinkles of her palm. Her fingers clenched harder, bones cracking, and finally, her bigger knuckles bulged as her hands turned into fists. She grabbed her next foes by the throat, seething, teeth clenched so hard she swore they were about to chip or shatter.
They flailed and thrashed.
She shook and strained.
She clenched her fingers.
She dropped them, wordlessly pressing ahead.
She came to another threshold, hands still clutching parts of a torso and head. Most of the head, limbs, and most of the body itself was gone.
"What the hell-"
Yuko trembled, biting through her lips, face starting to contort.
She trembled more, shoulders practically vibrating, seething.
A few foreigners, dressed in finer clothes than the others-stood before her, just a few feet away.
She tossed the bloody carcasses at him.
"These belong to you..."
His eyes widened in shock.
Yuko slowly stepped through the darkness...Blood was the first thing to come into the light, before her body followed. Slow and methodical, she came out into the light, hissing as her eyes adjusted.
Her footsteps bled.
Her eyes bled.
"You! You!"
"Help me! Somebody help me! Get the guns ready!"
They dashed for the room they had come from.
She caught up to them, grabbed him them by the roots of their hair, and snapped her hands to the side.
She looked the foreigner in the eye-even though his neck was broke, he very much alive and conscious at the moment. Unlike her other foes, she hadn't twisted it like she normally would have. She grabbed the man, fingers digging into his skull until blood oozed out from the wounds.
His scream deafened her and anyone else close by.
Yuko pushed and pushed, blood oozed and coated her arm, and her whole limb vibrated.
The man's body hit the floor.
His screams faded.
She yanked her hand free-noting it had been well past the man's brain, and went into his facial structure.
YUKO!"
Alerted and angered by the sudden shout she swiveled against the unseen force whipping one arm out and forward with brutal and unyielding force, hearing the deafening scream of another man. He staggered back from the collision, feet tearing trenches as they struggled to purchase against the slick surface, finally halting. He clutched what remained of his right arm-the actual limb tossed to the floor by Yuko.
"Leave me alone and don't interfere!" Yuko looked in her husband's direction.
He looked worse for wear. But, she was certain everyone was going to be feeling the effects of this battle for at least the next week when it was all said and done. That being said, Izuna was in a better condition than her-at this point she'd have to cut her eye in order to reduce the swelling.
And she did just that.
"I'm going to kill all of these bastards with my bare fucking hands!"
"Like hell you're going to do it alone, they're trying to lure you into that room!" Izuna yelled-he was a mere six feet away from her. So close, yet so far away.
Looking her over for a moment before turning his eyes onto his foes, he felt a shiver run down his spine.
"Good, I'll kill them all in that room!" Yuko bolted for the room at the end.
"Don't let her in the chambers!" A foreigner shouted, priming his firearm.
"YUKO!" Izuna roared, running as fast his legs would take him.
He'd make due with what he was capable of.
Was Yuko losing herself?
Was she drowning?
Her scream shook him to his core.
"YUKO!"
"Some of you disperse and fight the others off!"
"The rest of you remain here! We'll overwhelm her!"
"Get back in here!"
Footsteps pounded against the floor in maddening staccatos of force as shrieks and cries echoed. The dull thud of bodies and limbs smashing together quickly resounded, two at a time, a dozen at a time, hundreds at a time carried through the walls by the cries of hatred and anger.
Fuck!
Izuna's eyes darted around the room. It was pitch black-he could see clear as day, however. He turned his eyes away from the man he cut down, searching, searching, sighing in relief as he spotted Yuko. He marched towards her thrashing and screaming form, blade whirling and slashing around his entire body. He created his own barrier.
Fuck!
He narrowed his eyes to slits as Inuzuka and foreigners swarmed around him like hungry predators, Inuzuka were close behind, coming in from odd angles. Angles he couldn't exactly avoid or block.
"MOVE!" Izuna shouted with finality and fury.
"Never!"
Izuna slowly took a step forward watching as some men stepped back while some remained in place glaring at him with nothing short of hatred. Their eyes trailed to their fallen comrades at his feet-and he could see what reservations they had, vanish.
"Yaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhgghhh!"
Thy roared in fury, charging right at him without any hesitation.
"Kill him!"
"Kill that witch of a woman!"
"Kill them both!"
"Kill him first!"
Izuna leveled the first man to attack him, arcing his blade clean across the man's right temple. Hair and blood splattered before him in a fine mist, the man's body followed in a shower of gore, hitting the floor with a thud. Speedy reflexes allowed him to viciously fend off the next dozen attackers that tried to swoop in on the opening, his blade shooting through the air, blade gleaming. He felled three in the same motion, turning and whacking away a hand that was aimed right for his cheek.
With a quick pivot of his back foot he rammed his fist across a jaw sending his foe spilling out into the room over.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity he was close enough to Yuko to grab her.
"Let me go!"
Izuna snarled, yanking her by the sleeve-if he hadn't, she would have taken him along for the ride. "Like hell I will! Get a hold of yourself!"
"Don't you dare..." Yuko's eyes were erupting like a volcano. Power spilled from them. "Don't you dare talk to me like I'm a nutcase!"
"Look at you!"
"How dare you!" She all but screamed, the floorboards cracked and shattered, her fists clenched nails digging into her hands until beads of blood dripped freely, slowly the room began to shake picking up in volume rapidly. The bodies around them began to shift and split.
"How fucking dare you! Izuna! Let me go!" She shrieked.
Izuna shifted behind her pulling her into a full nelson.
"Let me...Go!" Yuko growled, shooting him a deadly glare, her teeth grit and eyes blazing with so much emotion it surprised him. Her Mangekyo was erupting with her emotions, and that translated into power.
However, as surprised as he was he wasn't stupid and tightened his grip on her as she thrashed against him like a savage animal shouting, kicking at his shins when he pinned her arms completely behind her head.
"Izuna! I said let me go!"
"I refuse!"
"I have to kill them! They're all evil! They deserve to die!"
Izuna cut the distance between them and the nearest exit, careful of her long legs that could strike out at his groin. Yuko wouldn't ever think to do that, but right now, she wasn't in the right state of mind.
"We're getting out of this ship! Nobody else is alive! You killed them all!"
"You lie!" Yuko screeched. "I can sense their chakra!"
Izuna hauled her off the floor, straining. Her weighted clothing got fucking heavier!? Great!
"That is a fucking order. Yuko! If you won't listen to me as a commander or leader than listen to me as a husband! Your husband!"
Yuko stopped fighting, she took deep breaths-saddened. Furious. She didn't thrash or kick, or wiggle, or do anything that would make Izuna hold onto her any longer than he had been.
Izuna finally released her after several minutes.
Yuko stepped away from him, not turning to face him.
"You've got it easy, Izuna-sama. You really only care about Madara and couldn't give a damn about anyone, or anything else."
"Yuko..."
She turned to him-eyes shifting back to normal for a fraction of a second before the Mangekyo flared back, glowing.
"I'm calm now. Let's go."
Izuna stood motionless-something in him felt like it wanted to break.
Yuko's eyes looked so...
So...
Dull.
The one thing he never wanted to happen-the one thing he hoped would never happen, did.
Those bright eyes...
Lost their light...
Ahiko realized that things had taken a steep turn. This battle itself had taken a steep turn. It was hard to anticipate and predict the flow of a battle. One could only account for so much, and the unexpected always happened. Often times-she would have been able to divert her course and wait for another opportune time, but that wasn't an option this time. This battle would rage until they won.
She seen a crater, and with a start, she increased her speed. There were only a few people outside of the black abyss that scarred the earth. Souji and Atsushi were not among them, and neither was Sanosuke or Hiro. Chiasa and Masa were also missing along with Isamu and Isami.
"Rio?!" Ahiko exclaimed, heart hammering in her ears. It sunk itself into her throat as she seen the horrid condition her comrade was in. Unconscious and bleeding from her skull, it looked like Atsushi had whacked her with a tree trunk.
"A...Ahiko..." Toshi managed to get the words out.
"Toshi! Are you okay!?" Ahiko barely kept her voice down. "Where are the others?"
"My ribs are broken..." He breathed out-one of his eyes was bloodshot red.
Ahiko didn't want to guess what kind of injuries he endured. She didn't want to guess what kind of injuries everyone here sustained, Atsushi included. The fact Toshi's eye was so bloodshot red meant that he had ruptured something. She didn't want to entertain the thought that something in his brain was ruptured-that would mean at this moment in time, there was internal bleeding.
"Where..." Ahiko took a deep breath, narrowing her eyes. She was losing her composure-the longer she seen the damage this battle wrought, the more her heart hammered with anxiety.
"Where are the others?"
"In that...Crater..." Toshi replied, if he had been able to he would have pointed, but he couldn't move.
Every single part of him was throbbing in pain, but also numb.
"Mimori should be here soon with more units and clones." She said softly, looking into Toshi's eyes.
That seemed to bring him relief, but his gaze had a far away look.
He finally closed his eyes, losing consciousness.
Before that happened, though, he had a thousand mile stare.
Concussion... Ahiko thought, placing her hand on his skull. Definitely a concussion.
"Ahiko."
The curly haired woman turned, looking Mimori in the eye. She had about three hundred people with her, and about five times that in clones. Hopefully it'd be enough.
"We must hurry and descend into that crater. We're not leaving until every last person is found."
If Toshi was concussed then that meant everyone else who was battling Atsushi was. Atsushi himself suffered a concussion. Ahiko didn't even want to entertain the thought that they suffered more than one concussion. Suffering one was bad enough. The worst case scenario was suffering consecutive concussions-one after the next. In a battle of the magnitude that occurred here-concussions should be the least of her worries, but it wasn't.
Broken bones can be mended. Gashes can be healed. Lacerations can be healed. Fractures and sprains can be healed. However, a concussion was a brain injury, and there was no way to tell the severity of it at first glance. There was no way to determine how long it'd take for someone to heal. If someone constantly got concussions, eventually the brain would rot, and when that happened...
"Carry off who you can. Start with Toshi and Rio." Ahiko said without pause.
Mimori nodded, affirming the order-the clones and the people with her filtered out, doing as they were instructed.
"I didn't think Atsushi was capable of this. He's never showed any signs." Mimori's eyes were shining with worry. "If he uses his Expansion Jutsu, of course, but just in his normal state..."
Ahiko nodded, completely agreeing. Atsushi was known for his massive stature, size, and strength. He was known for his temper. He'd crush his foes under foot while snarling and howling until saliva would fly from his mouth. He could level landscapes. But, that didn't mean he'd do it. Atsushi favored hit and run. However, he wasn't known for ferocity. And, all signs of this battle were pointing towards that. Souji, and everyone with him, pushed Atsushi to his limit and beyond-and Atsushi met them head on every step of the way.
She understood where Mimori was coming from. If she had been here-if Madara and Mikito had been here, the end result would have been the same. They would have been left laying. Atsushi would have brutalized them in the same fashion he did to everyone here. Mikito and Madara were powerful, but Ahiko wasn't so naïve to think they were unstoppable and couldn't be harmed. Battling Atsushi warranted concern, and she understood that now. Truth be told-battling Atsushi wouldn't be the best course of action.
Not battling him was the best course of action.
He was a monster, in every sense of the term.
"I think Saki is conscious." Mimori noted a bit cautiously, eyes roaming to Kosuke.
He was leaned up against a tree, head lowered.
She wanted to call his name, but something stopped her from doing that.
"Direct the others, if you will." Ahiko said with some hast. "I have to know what happened."
"I can do that." Mimori agreed without issue.
She wasn't going to hold it against Ahiko for being so frantic. The girl had just been in a battle herself, and she seen her brother throw his life away without a second thought. It would have driven any woman-young or old, to the brink. Every fiber of their being would scream for them to go and heal the man, to make sure he was okay, and every fiber of their being would reject-push the thought of the man dying far from their minds.
A woman without her husband...
A sister without her brother...
It was terrible.
Mimori clapped her hands once, and everyone present turned to attention. It was time to direct traffic. "How deep is the crater?"
"We're not sure, but we reached the bottom. Took us a few minutes." A man from the Namikaze replied.
Mimori nodded. "We'll begin our descent in that case. Use a low fire jutsu as a source of light. Make torches."
Ahiko staggered her way to Saki, her jaw starting to ache from the blows she received. Her walking was less than graceful, a mix between frantic and drunken. Her vision blurred from time to time, and she felt like she was going to collapse. The image of her brother diving off of that earthen structure kept her conscious and on her feet-the need to find him drove everything else out of her mind.
"Saki..." Ahiko knelt down beside her, both knees in the dirt.
"Ahiko-san..." Saki clapped her hand in the dirt, fingers clawing through it. She tried to push herself up, but was immediately floored. Pain pulsed across the back of her head, all the way into her armpits and shoulders.
"Try not to move too much. There could be damage done to your neck."
Saki hid her pain well behind her mask of vehement determination. Ahiko was almost tripping over herself because she was hurt-not just because Souji and her own kin were hurt. Ahiko was a mess, and her emotions were boiling to the surface with trembling fingers. The girl looked like she was ready to scream in rage, and wail in despair, all at the same time.
She became incredibly nervous, for just a second.
Emotions of this magnitude could and would send anyone-shinobi or not, into a blind rage.
"You said you wouldn't let Souji take that risk."
"It's the only way we could put down Atsushi for the count...That man is a monster, he would have killed us all." Saki began to shake as she tried to push herself up.
Ahiko pressed a hand down on her, gentle, but firm. "Please don't move, Saki."
"It's my fault...I'm the one that executed that earth jutsu that Souji used to jump off."
Ahiko kept her hand on the woman, to ensure she didn't try to move anymore. "Where are the others? I know they're in the crater, but how did they get there?"
"Isamu, Sanosuke, Hiro, Isami, Masa, and Chiasa all held down while Souji jumped off..." Saki trailed off, slowly drawing in a breath. She was trembling, and she got the feeling it was because fatigue, pain, or a combination of the two.
She could barely see, and felt warm.
Too warm.
Ahiko clenched her teeth, whirling her focus onto the crater. If looks could kill. "Damn it! Why did he have to be such a fool!?"
She turned her focus onto Saki, thankful the woman wasn't trying to move anymore. Even though they no longer followed the shinobi sect, or were a part of it, that stubbornness was still there. Injuries were nuisances, and they had to be powered through. A shinobi didn't like to be healed, or even touched in that matter. If they agreed to it, it was a hush, hush sort of deal.
Sleeping. Pissing. Shitting. Injured.
For the shinobi it was one thing-being vulnerable.
Ahikp pointed to a dark haired man, and a dark haired woman-she wasn't sure what clans they hailed from, but judging from the build, she'd guess Yuhi. "Hurry and take her."
"Understood."
Ahiko marched to the crater, but not before making sure Kosuke, Rio, and Toshi were also carried off. Souji was her focus, but she couldn't play favoritism the slightest. She was a healer. A medic. That meant she healed everyone with the same vigor and determination-friend or foe, it was her duty to take care of the injured.
"What's the status, Mimori?"
The older woman shook her head. Standing at the edge of the crater, she was almost motionless. Trepidation and her thoughts kept her cemented in place. Earth jutsu could cause this-water and fire jutsu could-lightning jutsu could, as well. A Kekkai Tota could cause this easily. However. a human body plummeting, onto other bodies...It shouldn't have been capable of causing this crater. The sheer velocity and impact would break every single bone in the person's body.
And, Souji had done it.
She pressed her hands together, fingers interlacing. Souji had said he'd handle Atsushi. There was nothing to worry about. He'd complete his task, and that was that. The man didn't want to divulge any further or be pestered about it. Mimori had confidence in him during that meeting, but she never thought...She never thought Souji would just throw his life away.
"We'll find him." Ahiko said, squeezing Mimori's shoulder.
It was odd that she had to offer the woman comfort. Mimori was shaking, and the tears that wanted to fall from her eyes were just barely held back by sheer discipline. Mimori, or someone else, should be comforting her. Her brother was the one that plummeted like a human missile into the dark abyss. Yet, Mimori was trembling just like she was at this moment.
"I hope so. I've seen a lot of things, but I've never seen anyone do what he did. It breaks my heart-it threw everyone else into a frenzy, but it broke me."
Ahiko blinked wide, wiping at her eyes. She knew Mimori was a kind and gentle woman, unless she was pushed. The Nohara were medical and genjutsu experts more than anything-straight up combat was something they never favored. Peace and healing were their strong suits. But, her reaction to Souji doing the stupid thing that he did wasn't far off from a wife reacting to seeing her husband wounded.
To seeing her husband killing himself.
Did Mimori...
Ahiko shook the thought away-it had no place at this point in time.
Even if Mimori was in love with Souji-even if she wasn't, her reaction to Souji doing what he did was warranted. It didn't just break Mimori. It broke her as well. She lost all of her focus in that battle with Chouboyou and ran here. She had broken Chie's genjutsu with her scream of anguish and fear. Chakra could disrupt genjutsu, but powerful emotions-like the ones she vented in that moment, and Souji doing what he did-throwing everyone into a frenzy, could also break a genjutsu.
"We found them!"
Mimori and Ahiko both shot down into the crater. They didn't tread down with chakra on the soles of their feet, it was a full jump into darkness. The darkness got closer and closer, before it was wisped away by fire. There were hundreds of people at the very bottom when they landed. Some were smart and made makeshift torches. Others somehow kept fire lit on the earthen crust. It was wet and there was a strong smell of mud and crust. Blood wafted in with it-the bitter iron made their parched throats clench, making it rather unpleasant.
Snow was piling in, not at all inhibited by them, the crater, or the raging battle above them. If anything all of those things made the snow fall harder. Soft and fluffy at first, before it became compact. There was a mix of sleet as well at times, and that helped the softer snow stick to the ground. In addition to the snow, the bitter winds were reaching their depth. Some torches were extinguished, but quickly set to a blaze once more.
A few Namikaze were hauling Sanosuke towards them. The rest of those who suffered in the battle were lying, motionless. Souji was completely still, and if it wasn't for the subtle rise and fall of his chest, many would guess he was dead. He was half covered in dirt and crust, layers of snow began to pool above him, almost shrouding his body. Chiasa and Masa were face first in the dirt along with Isamu and Isami. they too were completely still, half covered in dirt and snow, Hiro was unmoving, covered in dirt.
"Don't do that!" Mimori cried, racing to Sanosuke.
One of the men was about to drop him of reflex, but Mimori stopped him with a firm grasp on his wrist.
"Set him down, gently." Mimori stressed every word.
"They have serious injuries." A Yuhi woman said, eyes narrowed as she knelt down next to the spiky haired man. "How should we go about getting them to the surface? If we move them too much, it could make the injuries worse."
Mimori hummed in agreement, brows furrowing in concentration. They could easily jump up to the surface, but if her guess was right-everyone here had broken ribs, at least one. The other bones broken, she couldn't begin to guess, but the damage was clear. All of that velocity from jumping could cause a bone to puncture a lung, or protrude out from the limb itself.
"Any ideas, Ahiko?"
Ahiko dug through her haori's inside pockets, retrieving a scroll. She set it down on the ground, unrolled it swiftly, and formed a quick hand seal. A poof of smoke appeared before it cleared, like always. More than a dozen stretchers were present. Easily twelve feet in length, and about half of that in width, she was certain they'd be able to haul Atsushi out with one. There were other devices present-a circular cast-type apparatus that was used to keep the neck and body stable, in general, straps for the stretchers, and a few more things.
It was a long and careful process. They started with Isami and Isamu first, since they were the tallest, and heaviest. It took four to seven people at once to haul them onto the stretchers. They couldn't just drop them on the stretcher, but gently set them down, as if they were putting an infant to sleep-less they aggravate any injuries further. Sanouke and Hiro were next, followed by Chiasa and Masa. Their bodies were all strapped to the stretchers, neck secured by the cast-like apparatuses. Their arms were at their sides, stiff, and their legs were almost completely straight.
Souji was last to be loaded up, and Mimori and Ahiko did it personally without any help. More than once, both girls had to keep themselves quiet. An entire side of Souji's face was bleeding-crusted with dry blood. More than half the skin on one side of his face was missing, going as far up as his eye. Neither of them touched the wound or even strayed close to it. His torso was bruised and cut, lacerations were crusting up with blood. After two minutes of careful maneuvering was Souji on the stretcher, being strapped down.
Ahiko swiped at her forehead, sighing. "That should do it."
A few of her comrades stood over Atsushi's motionless body. The man's breaths were shallow and labored. He was in the same condition as Souji and the others-bleeding, bruised, and battered. His armor was gone, his top was gone, and his trousers were half ripped at his thighs and calves. No doubt, for every punch he dished out, Souji and the others made sure to return twenty.
Still, Atsushi leveled them.
"What should we do with this big lump?" A Kurama man asked, sword already pointed for the Akimichi's throat.
"Leave him."
"But, Ahiko-san!"
"I second that." Mimori said, a bit quick.
The Namikaze man next to the Kurama furrowed his brows, not willing to budge. His eyes were as cold as ice. "Letting him live could be a mistake. Judging from what happened here...It doesn't matter if Hashirama and Tobirama were here or if Mikito and Madara were here-the end result would be the same. This man is a monster."
"I won't argue that." Mimori agreed.
"Then why do you wish to spare him?"
"He should be killed, right now." The Kurama man seconded.
Ahiko grasped the two men by the shoulder, looking them in the eye. They were older than her, clearly. "Because, our comrades need to be healed. This battle with Atsushi is over."
"He can't move or defend himself. He's unconscious, and I don't think he's going to be moving for at least a few days. Let's focus on getting everyone out of this crater in one piece. We can't do that if we're entertaining thoughts of shredding Atsushi like a stuffed pig." Mimori affirmed.
They both relented, but didn't look happy to do so.
"I'll execute an earth jutsu to act as stairs and a platform. Don't rush, at all. I can't stress this enough. If one hasty move is made, their injuries can get worse." Ahiko said.
"We're ready when you are."
Mimori and Ahiko shared a look-worry was there. They still had to heal people at the compound, once they returned, and that was going to be more than stressful. Some wounds were agonizing when they were treated, and some of these men-like Sanosuke and Hiro, and even Kosuke, would likely object just because they're in so much pain and want space.
They shared a nod.
"All right. I'll lead, Ahiko you take the second chain of command."
"I understand."
"So, my brother left?"
Sadao grimaced visibly.
The tea was hot and burned his tongue.
But, that's not the reason he grimaced.
Shuji sat next to him, blowing on his own cup of tea. He kept his eyes focused on the table, lips pulled down in a scowl. He didn't respond nor show any signs that he even heard Syrus. They were in the main office where they tended to spend most of their time. Paperwork was in short supply today, so they could take a moment out of their time to just relax for once.
It wasn't often it happened.
It wouldn't be a bad idea to arrange the room differently. He didn't mind sitting next to Syrus or Sadao, but he was more accustomed with speaking to someone face to face-rather than turning his head left or right to talk.
Sadao know Syrus had a temper-he was infamous for his short fuse. When it came to certain things, that short fuse was even shorter. When it came to a few things, that fuse didn't even exist. Sadao knew that this was the second one. Syrus had no interest in what Haji was trying to do, and quite frankly, he was objecting every step of the way. He hadn't said anything about it, but the fact he was asking about Haji...
"Yes, he did." Shuji said, sipping his tea gingerly.
"For what reason?"
"He didn't get into the details. I trust his judgment, in any case. "
Syrus started to fume, already knowing what Haji had in mind. The fact his brother wasn't willing to get into details about it just confirmed his line of thought. Haji hadn't approached him at all. That meant Haji didn't want him to know about it, or didn't want him involved. That only made him to come to one conclusion, and it made his blood boil.
That little fucker!
"Who did he approach?"
Shuji didn't miss the anger rising in Syrus's tone. "Myself, Sadao, Osen, Nagakura, and Okita."
"Before we conclude this conversation, I'd like to turn our focus onto something else." Sadao interjected.
"Hashirama?" Syrus ventured.
"He was in the Fire village when we took care of the Sarutobi. Well, he left before we got there, but he was there." Shuji explained.
Syrus was almost out of his seat and roaring, but sheer willpower kept him in place. Discipline kept him from making such a stupid outburst. Hashirama would only be in the Fire damiyo's presence for three reasons. First. Mission. Second. Taxes. Third. Syrus wanted to claw off his skin, his fury wanted release, and he couldn't vent that fury to full effect.
It left him almost shaking.
"Didn't he want to form a village or something?" Shuji questioned.
"Indeed." Syrus bit out, nostrils flaring. "Konoha. Village Hidden In The Leaves. That stupid motherfucker went and did it! I hate that son of a bitch!"
Shuji took Syrus's scream of fury well. He could remember screaming about Butsuma for hours on end-incensed to the point of no return. Driven by his fury to such an extent he attacked the Senju compound more than once. Syrus wasn't wrong to feel this way-but he hoped the younger man would channel it so it went to good use, whether that was killing, or forming something to combat Hashirama's constant thirst for power didn't really matter. As long as results came from it.
Syrus was more likely to cut loose though, and just lose his temper. When something set him off, like this, it lead to one thing. Mayhem, and he was the epicenter of it.
"Should I send an order down the line to kill that Senju on site?" Shuji asked, getting right to the point.
Syrus crossed his arms over his chest. "Do it. Send out an order to kill that fucking white haired prick Tobirama as well. Blast them to pieces of bring their heads as trophies! Any Senju or any of their allies try to get in the way, cut them down as well. Show no mercy."
Shuji chuckled, a smirk crossing his lips. "Very well. Sadao, what else is it that you wanted to speak on?"
"Kata has informed me of something very important. It pertains to the battle with the Hyuga."
"Daiki is dead-he was run through and mauled to death." Syrus said, cut and quick.
Sadao hummed in agreement. "Indeed, however. It is strange that the Hyuga decided to retreat and had a plan to retreat. They are a hubris clan that would have fought down to the last child in the battle, but they didn't. It means that they were warned in advance."
"By...Who?" Syrus narrowed his eyes.
"Our spies reported that there was a toad from Mount Myouboku seen around the Hyuga compound three hours before we launched our attack."
"Those meddling toads." Shuji spat.
"I believe this is why Haji is doing what he is doing, and will take the next step." Sadao said, tone dropping.
Syrus turned his gaze out towards the window-eyes starting to glint. It's finally come to this. Together again. This unity. It was inevitable, I suppose...But I will never let go, never...Never...
Never...
"What are we going to do, Syrus?" Shuji asked.
Syrus startled out of his train of thought, looking up at the ceiling. This would likely be the last thing he did, but it'd make those fucking toads grovel that always tried to rise above their station. That always got hubris and believed they could meddle in human affairs since they were privy to the...Future.
It was nonsense, and he hated it.
Now, they were going to grovel or be crushed.
That mountain and land would be no more, if they even said the wrong word.
Made the wrong gesture.
"Looks like the meddling toads need to remember their place, or their homeland is going to be crushed. Hashirama and Tobirama will be taken care of."
"And, what about that?" Shuji asked, almost pressing Syrus.
Syrus closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. "I trust Haji's judgment."