We interrupt your regular Guardian schedule to bring you a special chapter:
GREETINGS READERS! It's the editor GBAboy313 here with a special message: RaNK is taking the month off (from writing Guardian) and, in his place, I'M GIVING YOU A CHAPTER THIS MONTH! HAHAHAHAHA! And this chapter covers a character that many of you have been asking questions regarding. Our primary ROOT character, Sogeki.
I will say that the guesses regarding her true identity have been wonderful to read ever since we introduced her, with guesses ranging from spot on to strange yet intriguing had they been our intentions. I won't take up too much time as we have a chapter that both RaNK and myself have been itching to share for quite some time now, ever since the inception of the Sogeki character and myself in particular ever since I wrote this chapter. We got quite a few characters making their first appearance in this chapter, so lets not waste any more time.
And now, ON WITH THE SHOW!
A/N: Yeah, I am taking this month off writing Guardian. And by the way, today's GBAboy313's birthday. Happy birthday mate. Let's let ya have the chapter you wrote for Guardian be released on your birthday.
CHAPTER 29 Gaiden: Sogeki
The Tsunade Search squad had decided to delay their inevitable splintering to take survey of the battle with their ROOT assailant to allow Utakata time to recover.
Within the depths of Naruto's mindscape, Kushina and Minato dearly hoped that their suspicions regarding this sniper's true identity was wrong…while Minato began planning for the instance where it was true. Now, more than ever, he wished there was a way to return to life, and it would likely be hidden within the ruins of Uzushio if it had been discovered. A people who explored every possible usage of chakra that didn't violate natural laws would have found it, or at least brushed up on it, and the ruins where the conquerors failed to recover much of anything to steal would be the perfect place to hide such knowledge. Who knows what other secrets might have been discovered if the Uzumaki clan hadn't allowed their pride to get the best of them?
Tsunade scanned through her possessions and realized what had been taken while nobody was aware: "Damn, she took our prisoner."
Sogeki took out two scrolls, one of her own and the other taken from the Tsunade search squad.
Carefully she removed her mask and hid it before donning an eyepatch to cover her Byakugan Transplant and applying bandages to cover markings on her face that might be used to identify her later, before finally unsealing both scrolls' contents.
One was a collection of body parts, limp and lifeless.
While the other was a head where the eyes still darted around despite being severed from the torso. The eyes focused on her for a moment before narrowing suspiciously.
Sogeki pulled out a medical sewing kit and positioned the head's severed neck onto the stump at the top of the torso and began threading the needle through the flesh on both ends before pulling it tight and tying it off to ensure the stitching held.
Once she was satisfied with her work, her hand glowed a soft green and she held it to the neck for a moment.
A moment after she retreated her hand the body started breathing. "Augh. Damn, that's the longest I have ever been without being able to breathe, thanks for that."
Sogeki slipped into the persona to best get information from the target, "my pleasure, I live to serve both one of Pain's Chosen…and the Grand Arbiter of Jashin-sama upon this earth."
Hidan smiled widely at the title. But then began scowling, "Think you could have got me out of there sooner, that shit was terrifying. Probably the closest I have been to dying in a long time. Just total blackness."
Sogeki spaced out slightly at hearing this. "Blackness, eh?"
*13 years ago*
Blackness, complete darkness.
That was the void that one found herself in…
The only other thing there was a strange red and black nine-pointed star design.
'…who am I? is this death? Or something else?'
"She's coming around." A monotone voice called out.
The nameless girl slowly opened her eyes to see the pristinely smooth Ant mask staring down at her.
The girl shielded her eyes from the light as a stern one-eyed man came into peripheral view.
"Where am I?" the girl asked.
"Safe. That is all you need to know. We barely saved you." The man in the ant mask responded.
"Better question, who am I?" the girl asked.
"Can you remember anything?" the ant masked man queried.
The girl tried, only for the red and black nine-pointed star to briefly appeared in mind once again before the girl winced and shook her head.
"Do you know anything about who I am?"
The man about responded when a wooden cane thunk'd the floor and the one-eyed man walked to the bed.
"Perhaps lacking that knowledge is for the best. Who someone is, is a rather subjective topic, in the world we live in." The man began. The girl looked perturbed: "I don't understand."
The man shook his head: "Few do. To many I am merely an elder, Danzo Shimura. But to others I am a benefactor and to many more I am the Shinobi no Yami, the Shinobi of Darkness. But all of that belies the fact that I am simply a servant of Konoha, even if the village is straying from the path that I believe it should walk and doesn't take advantages it should. In this world, ninja should ultimately be tools, nothing more."
The girl started to put things together. "A tool doesn't have emotions and bonds to hold it back from its task. Humans do."
The man nodded. "Exactly. But I do acknowledge that some have proven to be the exception to the rule in being able to operate effectively without severing their hearts and emotions. Do you choose to take full advantage of your unique predicament?"
The girl felt a compulsion and nodded. "Yes, Danzo-sama."
The man allowed a slight smile: "Good, you will be given a placeholder title till you earn a name."
*Flashforward-4 years ago*
A team of ROOTs moved in quickly.
Today, the mission was to neutralize one of Konoha's missing nin.
The target was the mad scientist: Hiruko.
A contemporary of the Sannin with delusions of grandeur and disregard for natural laws, exceeding those of Orochimaru.
A feat not easily accomplished. But Hiruko had done it.
His experiments had managed to make his sickly body able to withstand the harsh rigors of the life of both Shinobi and later a Missing Nin.
But the mad man wasn't satisfied with that.
No, he wanted more.
He envied bloodlines and desired their powers for himself.
And so Hiruko devised a technique to take those powers for himself: Chimera.
By merging those with these bloodlines into himself, Hiruko could take in bloodline abilities and make it so he could use them as of he was born with those abilities.
Currently, Hiruko only had three followers, the enigmatic Ichi, Ni, and San.
The three had little history, leading to many questions and wild speculations about the three.
Some believed the three were the leftover materials from Hiruko utilizing the Chimera technique.
Regardless, investigation revealed that all three had been modified with Hiruko's own body modification methods and suspected of having been given modifications via the Chimera technique of their master, and controlled a pair of summon chimera creatures believed to have been made using a variant of the chimera technique.
Danzo wanted Hiruko taken down, his body recovered, all notes on the Chimera techniques and any associated ritual recovered, and information on the curse seal of Hiruko's seal style that had been discovered on Kakashi Hatake.
Lesser ROOT drones fought and distracted Hiruko and his followers while Sogeki took aim from a high rise vantage point.
Within a short time, the tragic amnesiac had discovered that she held much knowledge of the human body and its workings.
Knowledge that led to her deducing that in her former life she was a dedicated medic.
Her training in ROOT had led her to develop an uncanny aiming ability and an affinity for precision-based techniques.
Her knowledge of the body meant for healing made her a great assassin; skilled with precise kills and discreet drugging.
Sogeki charged her personal technique, a water droplet rapidly compressing its mass on her finger tip, and took aim at the rogue Konoha nin. Aided by straining her primary eye(strengthened by chakra flow increased to the eye but at the cost of straining optic nerves and muscles even further beyond their ability to recover, such usage would most likely lead to her requiring an eye transplant down the line, a dojutsu would be the most preferable as it could massively increase her versatility) and special lenses added to her mask.
Hiruko stopped moving to perform some kind of technique, and in doing so had sealed his fate.
Sogeki coldly mumbled to herself: "Water Release: Snipe Shot."
The water droplet violently jettisoned its compressed mass and the projectile tore apart Hiruko's head, ending the traitor's life.
Ichi, Ni, and San looked horrified at the death of their master, and focused their rage on his killer as she came down to claim the first of Danzo's spoils from the mission.
The three fought with rage, and it blinded them and made them useless against a ROOT.
Sogeki barely had to do much of anything to dispatch the now masterless lackeys.
One of the lesser ROOTs questioned: "Should we kill these Missing Nin?"
Sogeki shook her head: "No, they aren't worth the time or effort, and doing so may give them the opportunity to ruin our mission."
Sogeki turned to the trio: "You are free to go, but if I ever see you opposing myself or the Leaf again, I will end you and the death that awaits you shall be the same that I gave your master. Now go."
The terrified lackeys fled, fear in their eyes and rage in their hearts.
Sogeki knew they would seek vengeance in the future, but their vengeance might just bring more of Konoha's enemies hidden in the shadows out into the light where they could be exposed and dealt with.
*back to present*
Sogeki managed to continue her work on fixing the Jashinist even as she reminisced. Continuing to fish for information.
Mostly confirming certain bit of information to determine which rumors were true and which were false.
Confirming who were members and who weren't. Certain associates, mostly.
The ROOT was taking her time to ensure she got the most information as she worked. Once she switched to actual interrogation such information would be less forthcoming.
Hidan grunted: "I will say this about the cow… she at least felt like more fair of a fight than Pain even if she tore me a new one by tearing me apart."
Sogeki was intrigued by that statement. "Really? How so?"
Hidan sighed as his body began mending the severed tendons and viscera: "Pain felt like I was up against some kind of disaster or act of god. You ever been in something similar where you stare down such a thing?"
Sogeki nodded. "Yes, though it was quite some time ago"
*Flashback. 1 year ago*
A group of twenty-five ROOTs moved silently through the trees of Kirigakure.
Diligently they moved towards their target.
One that threatened Konoha herself.
Their mission: kill the rebel leader, Terumi Mei.
The woman threatened to correct Kiri off its current path perpetuated by Yagura and his madness, a path of self-destruction.
Like the three who almost replaced Hanzo, she would be unpredictable compared to Yagura and his madness. Kiri was too divided to unite against any one target under Yagura. Mei would very well be able to unite it against Konoha, especially if she knew of any more…secretive…actions taken against Kiri.
She was an unknown that could affect Konoha negatively.
She needed to go.
Everything was in place for this to be taken care of quickly.
The plan was set to leave enough to ensure she was proclaimed dead, take her remains to Konoha, learn what they could by dissecting her remains, and convert her spare bio matter for use in Project Chimera.
Turning the Rogue Nin Hiruko's Chimera technique research into a much safer and easier to use device was only facilitated by the black mark upon Konoha's honor being terminated by his brain being blasted out by Sogeki's name earning technique.
Few ROOTs had been privileged to have implants gifted to them, made into tools for bettering Konoha's security.
Everything was in place.
Sogeki took position and used her mask's lenses to begin aiming. Molding chakra to her fingertip and coalescing a drop of water and began compressing the drop down.
Sogeki began breathing in a controlled manner as she began getting her attack towards ready to fire.
One last attempt to line up the shot before she breathed in and held her breath…and fired.
The shot hit home and the rebel leader was no more…
…or at least it should have been the case.
Mei's blasted open head was made of rock, before her body turned to stone and crumbled.
"A rock clone?" Sogeki gasped out… "When did she have time to make it and replace with it?" then the ROOT's composure was put to the test: "Wait, when did she know that we were after her?"
A scream sounded out. Sogeki turned to the source and found one of her comrades caught by a hand emerging from the earth. His screams caused by the vice grip strength put on the leg and then the steam bursting out around the hand burning the ROOT to death.
Mei emerged from the ground and Sogeki attempted to ready another shot while four ROOTs rushed Mei.
Mei ran through signs and ran a hand through the water of the forest wetlands that had become the battlefield, water congealed into a solid construct, a water sword.
Four ROOTs were made into corpses before long. Made that way because they forgot that Water Sword's strength was found in the jutsu itself, not in swordplay skill.
19 ROOTs remained.
Mei bit a finger and ran through signs as a new wave of ROOTs charged her while Sogeki abandoned attempting to use her technique to end this fight quickly.
The Mizukage hopeful slammed her hand to the ground while Sogeki began reciting information in her head: 'she's supposed to have two contracts. The identified one is the Squid Clan of the Ship Graveyard, the other is one of high destructive power. Secondary objective is to destroy that summon to ensure she can no longer summon it.'
Mei slammed her hand to the ground and then she was standing on a red colored squid.
The squid lashed out and crushed two ROOTs with ease.
17 remained.
Two ROOTs jumped up and land on Mei's makeshift platform on the Squid's mantle.
Both attempted to stab her with kunai, only to be caught off guard in two ways.
Mei grabbed the kunai blades and sparks emerged from her hands where she grabbed it.
The baffled ROOTs saw the brownish black tinting added to her skin. The telltale sign of Earth Release: Earth Spear.
Mei reared her fist back after ripping the blades away the assailants.
They braced for a punch alone.
Mei made a quick one-handed symbol and her still earthen fist took on a magma like color and texture: "Lava Release: Magma Spear!"
One of the ROOTs was punched into the other, the first one screaming from the damage inflicted by the punch alone and the other was screaming in pain from the magma that had been put upon his comrade by Mei's attack.
Both died from burning to death.
15 remained.
Mei's serious flat expression turned teasing: "This has been a nice workout but I have a rebellion to run and a village to save. You can go home now, my friend. I can handle this from here."
The Squid nodded as it grabbed two more ROOTs and crushed them to death before dispelling the summoning.
13 remained.
Mei gathered up blood and ran through an extended sequence.
The survival instincts in the ROOTs screamed that they were doomed if she finished the sequence.
The ROOTs barely took a step forward before Mei finished and slammed her hand to the ground: "Great Lord of All Seas, come to me…" almost like a prayer to some primal force.
The ROOTs' humanity was brought to the surface in a moment of awe as a massive summoning array that spread out from Mei's palm.
The water began pooling up into a pillar, drawing in from the nearby water source feeding the wetlands and the ambient water from being in Land of Water while barely truly affecting the water level.
The ROOTs became aware of a fact: 'something has changed! There is something or someone else here as well now!'
The pillar protected Mei from all attempts to kill her to dispel the summoning.
The pillar continued to grow to monumental size until finally it stopped.
But then the presence that had been summoned made itself known.
A long and majestic serpent like silhouette with large fins and feelers appeared in the pillar and began swimming around, almost like a lord or a king leisurely touring his domain.
The serpent came to rest live the majestic titan it was and it glared at the assembled ROOTs.
Its mouth didn't move but a voice sounded that they knew came from it: "I hear you, child of both Mountain and Sea. I understand why you called upon my terrible might to deal with these foes. To strike down these will-less drones and the leader among them, one to be feared when her body has been touched by a child of Hagoromo, one of the Sage's children born to be of the sea itself. I will lend my strength."
Sogeki began charging her technique once more to strike this draconic snake down the moment it was no longer protected by water.
"Let the world know my primal power once more, know the power of the primal embodiment of the seas themselves once again. Know a power that has existed before the cursed Rabbit Goddess herself came from beyond the stars, Before the Demon Monk had been taken over by his infernal spirit, before the God Tree had tainted this world and made the people sick, before titans like myself had been decimated by the cursed Otsutsuki out of fear for being able to control chakra like them and turn the nature power they coveted for immortality into a force that would strike them down, before we were rendered into spiritual beings who could only appear for moments at a time."
Sogeki disregarded the meaningless rambling, for a ROOT: There is only the mission. Nothing more. And the mission was Mei or this titan's demise.
Her jutsu was almost ready but she knew that this dragon was preparing to attack as well. Sogeki grit her teeth so hard the jaw of her skull popped.
Sogeki gauged her water drop at the tip of her finger and found it to just barely be at the proper mass and compression rate. 'This will be close. Too close.'
And finally, this Lord of All Seas quit rambling: "CORRUPTED ROOTS OF A GLORIOUS AND NOBLE TREE! BE CLEANSED AND PURIFIED WITHIN MY DIVINE POWER!"
Mei's voice echoed out as she became silhouetted among the pillar's base: "BE WASHED AWAY! PRIMORDIAL SUMMONING: DIVINE TSUNAMI!"
The pillar's previous constancy ruptured and the pillar began rising and thinning, while the watery titan began moving and snaking along as if dancing.
The pillar reached an apex and the colossal serpent finally exited the pillar but continued to move as though it was still within the liquid pillar.
The serpent possessed great scales of multiple colors: varying from red, to, blue, to purple, to silver depending where on this leviathan of the depths that the scales were.
The serpent roared and then its voice echoed out: "Be washed away in the deluge…"
Only to be cut off by Sogeki: "Water Release: Snipe Shot." And the ROOT Sniper let her chakra release around the bubble on her fingertip. Controlled yet violent decompression turned a simple water drop into violent projectile.
The massive serpent was impacted square on the head and the shot exited out the back but once more there was no relief found for the ROOT.
The snake's head splattered into a blue energy and exploding out from its neck before coalescing back together at the stump.
The head reformed and it stared at its attempted assassin with an unchanged face but what was clear disbelief: "Did you truly believe I would perish like a creature of flesh and blood? At one time that would have been true but now I am the seas themselves given an avatar. Now perish for your arrogance. PRIMAL DIVINITY: DIVINE TSUNAMI!"
The snake roared and the pillar began to collapse at the top and rapidly began turning into a massive wave, a great Tsunami.
The ROOTs took cover as best they could.
The chaos and judgement of the wave overtook the assassins.
The creature growled one last thing before disappearing: "Three touched by the power of the Biju…even if it is only a little, that gives them odds to survive my power. The rest is up to you, Mei. I take my leave and return to the seas. Wait for me, brothers and sisters. The Leviathan Sea Lord is coming to join you all once again."
The creature evaporated into blue water like particles with an almost yawn like roar.
Mei took up a stance and was ready when the 3 surviving ROOTs emerged from the waters.
Two of them were wreathed in fox like cloaks of translucent orange chakra, like a Jinchuriki calling upon the power of their Biju. One possessed 1 tail and the other possessed 2.
The third was a woman wearing a lion-turtle mask.
Mei growled and signed before slamming her hands to the water: "Ninja Art: Hidden Mist Jutsu."
The water began spitting out a mist which began obscuring sight.
And just as it reached near impossible to see, the two fox cloaked ROOTs screamed: "Great Breakthrough!"
Two powerful blasts of wind tore apart the cover. Removing the sight cover.
One of the fox ROOTs, the one with only one tail, rushed and plunged the chakra claws into the Rebel Leader's stomach.
Victory was almost assured, but a stray Water Bullet impacted that ROOT and threw him away from the corpse.
Sogeki flickered to the displaced ROOT's position as did the other surviving ROOT.
The ROOT demanded answers: "Sogeki, why did you attack me?"
The Sniper shook her head: "You should be thanking me. You didn't kill the target. You destroyed a Water Clone she must have made during the cover."
The displaced ROOT looked to Mei's corpse and found a half liquid clone of the Rebel Leader standing there smiling before finally collapsing.
"I see. My apologies." The ROOT stated before getting up and forming up with the other two survivors.
Mei reappeared and rushed the ROOTs and landed a few good blows before being stabbed by the two tailed ROOT.
Sogeki quickly kicked the fallen rebel leader away before the body exploded into magma.
"We underestimated her." The two tailed ROOT stated.
Sogeki followed up: "Without a doubt. We choose to believe the lowest baseline regarding both her chakra pool and staying power and this happened. And someone got sloppy and she discovered us."
The one tailed ROOT turned suddenly and signed quickly. A wind jutsu.
Sogeki realized what was happening and began quickly signing out a jutsu.
The two completed their respective sequences: "Wind Release: Gust Stream/Fire Release: Great Fire Dragon Jutsu."
The wind burst from the one tailed ROOT turned Sogeki's fireball into an inferno that evaporated out three large Water Dragon constructs.
Mei countered quickly and fiercely: "Lava Release: Melting Apparition." And spewed out volcanic acid.
Sogeki made one sign: "Water Release: Water Wall." And the protective wave of water just barely kept the ROOTs away from the acid.
Mei was already molding her next jutsu, stopping on a sign and then stomping her foot to the water. "Thousand Needles of Death."
Water rose up and took the shape of needles and attacked the ROOTs at blind spots.
Sogeki avoided the attack entirely while the two fox cloaked ROOTs only took flesh wounds.
Sogeki ran through signs: "Fire Dragon Jutsu." And breathed out a large dragon shaped fireball.
Mei slammed her hand to the ground and a wall of rock rose up to disperse the fireball.
Mei made a few new signs and the earth of the wall she made became magma before she stomped her foot against the back of the wall and the molten wall was sent sliding towards the ROOTs who dodged with ease.
The one tailed ROOT landed first and Mei closed in while signing. The ROOT prepared to skewer her thinking Mei was going to enter melee range but Mei disappointed such expectations.
"Skilled Mist Jutsu." Mei said as she began blowing out acidic steam. The ROOT hissed as acid burned through patches of his clothes and seared his skin.
The attack at this close would normally be a death sentence but the chakra cloak protected the ROOT from guaranteed death.
The two tailed ROOT rushed the Mizukage hopeful and formed a heavy gauntlet of stone around her arm and made to crush the target.
Mei made a single hand seal before catching the stone fist.
No discoloration of her hand or arm present, the two tailed ROOT gasped: "How-" only to see the steam forming around the Mizukage to be's arm. Boil Release: Steam Strength.
The steam ate through the stone and almost reached the two tailed ROOT's flesh, however Sogeki spewed out a few water bullets and forced Mei to retreat.
Sogeki took charge: "We need to work as a unit, an actual unit, if we wish to succeed."
Both subordinates nodded: "Agreed."
Sogeki slammed a hand against the water and a water dragon formed and rushed at Mei who counted by breathing a wave of steam to boil and evaporate the water dragon.
Mei spewed out large rocks made of magma like a mortar at the ROOTs' position but the assassins had already begun pressing the attack.
An earth spear protected fist sparked from parrying off of a molten spear arm.
A water sword just barely held against a diving knife life trench blade.
Steam held off a combined assault from the two fox ROOT but Sogeki out maneuvered it and knocked the wind out of Mei with a quick punch to the stomach from an Earth Spear fist.
Lava held off Sogeki's assault but the Fox ROOT charged and Mei just barely danced out of the way of chakra claws, only to just barely get nicked by a water projectile no bigger than a droplet.
A molten wall held for a moment before the tree ROOTs circumvented and charged anyways.
A quick tunneling did no good.
Water, rock, and magma clones were all spotted and dealt with safely before Mei could capitalize.
They were no longer flailing about. This was now a unit that the Shinobi world feared, a unit forged by the infamous Shinobi of Darkness.
Mei was starting to grow desperate and afraid. She needed to survive. She needed to save Kiri.
If only she was living eruption that could wipe these assassins out…
Mei bit her lip at the risk. She had considered where that train of thought led to before but she had held back. No one had successfully pulled this stunt off before.
Mei took stock of her situation and realized she had no choice.
A few quick signs and she phased into the ground to begin preparing for her desperation move.
The ROOTs formed up tightly and began trying to piece out what the target was planning.
Not a word was said because of the tension.
A slight tremor was felt but was written off.
At least, until: "Volcano Release: Volcanic Eruption."
The ground bulged upwards and grew intensely hot that the ROOTs quickly escaped, one just a little slower than the others, the one tailed ROOT.
The bulge burst and superheated steam vented out and burned that ROOT intensively before magma began exploding out of the vent in both liquids being spewed out and molten rocks being hurled around.
The ROOT landed, just barely standing with deep burns on his entire body.
Sogeki stared as the target emerged from the crater, almost appearing to be a living mass of lava.
Her skin and clothes and hair flowed and moved like lava while her eyes and nails and lips had a more hardened magma like look. Steam wafted around and formed an aura.
The one tailed ROOT couldn't even scream before Mei had reached him and incinerated his head with a fireball from her lips.
Sogeki watched in dull horror as the two tailed ROOT rushed Mei only to be grabbed and thrown to the ground before her arm was torn out by the living mass of lava and steam. Just before volcanic acid emerged from Mei's mouth and destroyed the false Jinchuriki.
Sogeki muttered: "No…What is this?"
Mei smirked which looked demonic in her current state: "Volcano Release, the union of Lava Release and Boil Release. A brand-new Bloodline Selection. Been thinking about it for a while but never really had time to practice anything concrete. Though desperation is quite the mother of fortune."
Sogeki gasped: "No…something like this…it shouldn't be possible…It's not possible."
Mei shook her head but maintained her playful smirk: "No, It's Necessary. I need to survive. I needed to grow. And luck favored me. You have the pleasure of witnessing the beauty of my Volcano Release: Living Eruption. Based on Jinchuriki cloaks. Special thanks to these two corpses as they gave me some ideas."
Sogeki growled, "How did you know we were coming for you?"
Mei smiled sadly: "I've been expecting Danzo to come after me for a while now. Danzo despises change. He prefers predictable but he never tries to see if something might turn out for the better. Hanzo the Salamander only stayed in power as long as he did thanks to that."
"Danzo-sama serves the Leaf, anything he does is for the good of Konoha." The ROOT droned.
Mei kept her sad smile: "Maybe he truly does believe that. But do you?"
Sogeki was silent.
Mei shook her head: "Can't tell if I struck a nerve or you don't have enough independent thinking in your head to realize it."
The two Kunoichi stood ready to fight one another.
A duel to the death…
At the moment of truth…
Mei turned around and walked away.
Sogeki grunted: "What are you doing?"
Mei snorted: "Isn't it obvious? Walking away."
"Why?"
Mei didn't even face Sogeki: "There's enough bloodshed here for one day. Go home."
Sogeki stared as Mei left, and quickly signed: "Great Exploding Water Wave!" and the massive wave tried to consume the Rebel Leader.
Mei sighed: "Volcano Release: Death Caldera Wave." And the woman stomped and a massive lava filled crater opened up before a lava wave equal to Sogeki's water wave rose up and conquered the tidal wave.
Mei stomped off the ground and knocked Sogeki to the ground but made no other move besides an earth prison that held Sogeki in place.
The Sniper squirmed: "What are you doing? End it."
Mei shook her head: "I already told you. There is enough blood spilt here for one day."
Sogeki glared: "I'm a tool. I failed. I'm broken. End it. Kill me."
Mei stared with pity: "A tool doesn't need to be killed to be disposed of. Only abandoned. What's your name?"
Sogeki stared blankly and silently.
"Name? do you have one? I assume you have something you are referred to as."
Sogeki ground out: "Sogeki."
Mei rolled her eyes. "Try a real name."
"It's the only name I have. I don't remember my real name."
"Proof you aren't worth killing. I only kill those who have purpose. You have none other than follow others till you figure out who you really are. Go Home. Tell Danzo he has nothing to fear from me. I have no designs upon Konoha nor do I have any on vengeance for this. You learn to turn the other cheek in politics, comes in handy in bed…is what I would like to say if my love life hadn't been such a complete wreck these past few years." Mei joked with a teasing grin that was a little awkward before undoing the prison and letting the ROOT go.
Sogeki sat and stared before she began disposing of remains of her allies before she began the journey home.
*end flashback*
Sogeki sighed as she finally finished putting Hidan back together.
He had given all she needed so now it was no longer necessary to directly interrogate.
Hidan moved around and smirked: "Nice work. Better than Kakuzu, that's for damn sure. Better go find that damn ragdoll. See ya-"
"I'm afraid you're not going anywhere, Hidan-san."
Hidan blinked: "what?" only to just barely notice the turned away from him medic pull a cord.
Hidan was bound tightly to a tree using Ninja Wire. "Eh, WHAT THE HELL, BITCH? THIS YOUR WAY OF COMING ON TO ME OR SOMETHING? FUCKING HELL!"
Hidan struggled and cursed before Sogeki removed both her bandages and eyepatch before she pulled out her mask and donned it before turning to face her captive.
Hidan paled: "Oh, Fuck Me! Every time I see one of you freaks it's a pain in the neck."
Sogeki shrugged "Not my concern. My personal theory is that your immortality is unable to protect you from death if the injury is total destruction of the brain."
Sogeki began charging Snipe Shot and pointed the finger the compressing droplet was on at Hidan's head at point blank range.
She fired and Hidan's head burst open like a ripe watermelon.
Sogeki paused and thought about how her life had changed since fighting Mei.
'That boy, Naruto. He's been screwing me up worse than Mei. He's been triggering my old memories, and doing it after I had decided my purpose lied with ROOT. I wish he hadn't started bringing back my memories…I wish I could remember those faces and their names…especially that dark haired boy who seems to be in a large chunk of them. I thought I was supposed to be a tool to serve Konoha but now…now I'm unsure.'
Mei sparing the sniper had affected her more than anyone realized. But years of programming wouldn't be overcome so easily.
The red and black nine-pointed star design appeared in mind once more as Sogeki's thoughts went down that path, the sniper blanked and then quickly came back to the ROOT way of thinking if only for a moment, "There is nothing else, only the mission."Sogeki quoted the ROOT mantra as she jumped off.
Zetsu emerged from the ground and both halves were disturbed: "What is she doing alive?! Doesn't matter! Either we need to finish her off or we will lose control of Tobi. I know. But how is she alive? You're a dumbass. It's Danzo. Ethics don't exist for him, just like for us. What will we do? If we lose Tobi then the entire plan might as well be shot! Not entirely. We could salvage it in a few ways. But most likely we'll need to start moving towards a few contingencies. A replacement Tobi? And some others to be safe. Pain will be compromised soon if Tobi turns on the plan. If anything happens to the Rinnegan then the plan is shot. I know. Why the hell are we talking out here in the open? We need to get Hidan to Nagato so he can fix this with the Naraka path. The idiot IS still breathing. Okay…"
The plant man grabbed Hidan's body and phased into the ground. Preparing to move to ensure the plan's salvaging.
Sogeki Gaiden-END-
And so: this special chapter of Guardian draws to a close.
Not much to say honestly. I won't spoil Sogeki's identity for those who have yet to correctly guess it nor will I confirm the correct guesses. Unanswered questions regarding the ROOT storyline for this fic will be answered gradually, with Sogeki's identity to be officially revealed with the end of Guardian's equivalent of Part 1. Though, I will say this: Sogeki is a canon character, not an OC, and Sogeki is not Mikoto Uchiha. That guess caught both myself and RaNK off-guard due to just how out of left field it was but it is a strangely interesting choice. Maybe we might end up using this in a future fic, Danzo turning a massacre surviving Mikoto into a ROOT. Never know.
I've been looking forward to Mei's introduction here in Guardian for a while, and for any of her fans(I count myself among you), I am pleased to inform that she will be returning in the near future, sooner than you might expect, but also later at the same time. Mei's Volcano Release Bloodline Selection technique was an idea that had to be done after we came up with it, forgot what the exact inspiration was but the chakra cloak technique was inspired by Roshi's Lava Release Chakra mode and Han's Steam Strength techniques. And yes, Sogeki and Mei collectively popped a reference to the docking scene from Interstellar, RaNK and myself are huge fans of that movie. Mei's unique summon is a reference to Final Fantasy's reoccurring summon monster: Leviathan, based more on his Final Fantasy 4 3D and Final Fantasy 7 Remake iterations. He's also a step towards some of the pre-history we have planned regarding the Naruto World here and regarding the Otsutsuki as a whole.
Not much else to say. Next update is back over to RaNK. Hope my style is not too dissimilar from his. I tried my best to reconcile between his style and my own to ensure it fits into the fic easier.
Welp, time to sign off, and doing it in GBAboy style!
Until Next Time:
Stay Safe and Stay Healthy!
SEE YA LATER!
A/N: From the next chapter onwards, we will be back with the main story as our favorite lovebirds and their friends continue their journey to the Land of Snow.
See ya all in the next chapter. Cheers and Peace.