Howdy everyone, here's another Elemental War episode, one now and the second part for another time, but here's the chapter for all. Hope you all will like it and leave reviews/comments, follow the story and you can always ask questions.
Funny that while I am starting the Fishman Arc soon, Oda is dropping a shorter version of the arc in anime now. Comes in handy.
Let's start and enjoy!
1516
Land of Waves
*VROOM!*
A jeep drove through the streets of a fairly populated village in the small Wave country. People went out of their way to allow the vehicle to pass through.
Naruto was driving the jeep, with his superior officer Bishop sitting next to him in the passenger seat, and Gin manning the 30-caliber machine gun on the back. Gin held onto the gun while keeping an eye on the local population.
It had been several days since the arrival of the Foreign Legion's Raiders in the Land of Waves alongside their allies, and the outcomes were a blend of successes and challenges. Upon their arrival, the battalion was deployed into the small country, where they successfully secured the shipyards and docks. Additionally, they received crucial support from the Marines, who were tasked with providing cover for their entrance into the country from the sea, with the assistance of a Warlord.
"Always depend on the Navy to screw it up." Naruto remarked, sounding very irritated by what they had heard, "Bandits use three stolen coastal guns and fire a few shots - and in return, they retreat."
"You'll get used to it, kid," Bishop said while looking down at the report he was reading, shaking his head, "And that Hancock woman, she's unpredictable."
As they steered their way along the uneven and rugged dirt road, the travelers eventually arrived at the outskirts of the town. There, they were met with a checkpoint that was vigilantly guarded by a sergeant belonging to the 6th Hate Battalion. The sergeant, with a bandage wrapped around his entire forehead, bore the visible mark of a wound sustained during previous skirmishes. Despite his injury, the non-commissioned officer dutifully saluted his superiors, demonstrating unwavering commitment and resilience in the face of adversity.
"Sir!"
"At ease, sergeant." Bishop spoke with the jeep slowing down, he asked, "Status report."
"No major incidents, sir." The sergeant of the 6th reported, "Except for a few cannon shots from the enemies across the bridge on the mainland, we-"
"Not that, sergeant, report on that wound of yours." Naruto said pointing at the head wound, "You still feeling dizzy?"
"No sir!" The sergeant responded again, "We can still perform our duty."
"Good, now let us through."
The road barrier was moved aside and allowed the jeep to drive further, driving towards the docks where the large base camp was set up next to the house of the bridge builder.
…
Inside Tazuna's house working in the kitchen is a young woman named Tsunami, both the daughter of the bridge builder and a mother, she was preparing a couple of pots of tea that were being requested.
Once the tea was done, she began placing the two pots on the tray with several empty glasses, she grabbed the tray and walked into the living room, where she was then stopped by Shizuka who blocked her.
"My apologies ma'am, but this is a strictly military meeting."
Tsunami nodded and conceded. "Okay, here, give it to the gentlemen, please."
"I will sure do." Shizuka said, accepting the tea, politely replied, "Your service is greatly appreciated."
Tsunami closed the door and so Shizuka turned around with the tray and approached the center of the living room. Here were the commanders of the Foreign Legion sitting on the floor around a small table that had the map of the country. Naruto and Bishop are seen reading the map alongside the Kiri-team leader Chōjūrō, with the bridge builder Tazuna allowed to sit on this briefing as the only civilian, alongside some of the NCOs who were to bring this information to their men.
"With the 6th reinforced by elements of the 9th. All docks and entry points into the country are on lockdown." Bishop continued by pointing down the map on the western parts of Wave, precisely where the bridge is located. "Our right is secured, but I fear that Gato's well-armed mercenaries are having their eyes on the bridge and the entirety of the left flank. Bombarding most likely with cannons and stolen artillery."
"What kind of cannons are we talking about, sir?" One of the non-commissioned officers of the 9th asked who was leading defenses in the north of Wave, "We're completely blind to know what firepower they got."
"Mainly they got the ones from the pirate and Navy ships, putting one cannonball in and setting off with fire, but those we can easily take out. Alongside with some pounder guns," Bishop said but pointed them out to an area just inside the interior of the Land of Fire, not far from the bridge, "Our biggest problem is the long-range artillery that these bastards managed to salvage and are operating it with them shelling our positions on the western side of the country."
Naruto took a puff from his pipe as he was being served tea by Shizuka who kneeled next to him and poured him a cup of tea, much to him nodding to her in thanks as she did so in return before going to the others.
"What do we have to counter those guns, sir?" The officer speaking was the 6th Hated Battalion, Captain Li, the only one fully lying down on the floor with his left arm left in bandages and his head wrapped up, he was heavily wounded by the same artillery that was chasing him and his men. "If I might ask, of course."
"For now we got several QF 18-pounder guns for close range but for the long-range, we got some Jerry guns that were leased to us, several howitzer guns." Bishop replied with what was already emplaced and working on the ground, "For now, they are in the central areas, waiting for orders for an assault."
"Assault?" Chōjūrō was confused, looking at the others, "W-What assault are you guys talking about?"
"I will not repeat it because you were late, son, but Naruto can explain it to you," Bishop handed over a copy of the map to the blond officer, "kid, take sharp teeth here and deliver it to the Warlord for debriefing."
Naruto nodded and stood up while taking the copy, then turning to the blue-haired shinobi, he nudged.
"Let's go, I'm driving."
…
Driving through the small country, Naruto goes directly through a town's main road that was now used as a main line of transportation between the west and eastern ports, with the local population watching them from the sidelines.
The Land of Waves found itself amid a humanitarian crisis as a result of an influx of refugees from the neighboring Fire country. Additionally, the region was teetering on the edge of a potential famine, which threatened to devastate the population. The situation was alleviated to some extent by the timely intervention of the Foreign Legion and the Expeditionary Forces, who provided essential supplies such as bread, meat, vegetables, and clean drinking water. However, these vital resources had to be carefully rationed among the inhabitants of the country. Despite the challenging circumstances, the authorities managed to maintain a semblance of stability, even as the specter of war loomed in the background. Additionally, measures were taken to apprehend troublemakers to uphold order and security within the country.
Naruto glanced at the Kiri nin who was around his age, seeing he was nervous, he decided to ask what was bothering him.
"Chōjūrō, what's on your mind? You've been off lately."
"S-Sorry." Chōjūrō stuttered an apology while looking away, "I'm just still dealing with the fact...we fought him."
"Who?" Naruto asked.
"Zabuza Momochi, that's who." Chōjūrō told him, turning to the blond and stating, "We've run away from him and Ringo Ameyuri."
"That's called a tactical retreat with artillery covering our ass." Naruto cleared it while still driving, he added, "If we fought them on their terms we would've faced heavy casualties if reinforcements arrived right behind us." Naruto said before changing gears and continued, "Never fight an enemy while he's got the advantage, especially Shinobi."
Chōjūrō looked at him in confusion.
"Standard procedure with high-risk Shinobi like Momochi and Ameyuri is to keep them at a large distance away from the main forces who are not specialized enough to combat them, we took hard lessons after Expedition units took heavy losses when combating rogue Kiri nin in the forests in and around your village and the Nadeshiko settlement. So we use artillery, naval or even air support to bombard their positions and then have the strongest units in large numbers comb down every inch with some Marines with Devil Fruit users or highly trained Haki users." Naruto told the Kiri nin of the current plan used to combat the Shinobi, "It sure drains time and resources but we're not taking any chances at the moment."
Chōjūrō raised his eyebrows, "Sounds like overkill."
"Like I said - not taking any chances," Naruto clarified.
After passing the last checkpoint of the settlement, the jeep proceeded along a dirt road through the countryside toward their destination. The endless trees and bushes lining both sides of the road provided ample cover for potential ambushes by any opportunistic bandits.
As an individual wearing a pink sleeveless kimono strolled by, she held a basket and had long brown hair flowing down. And paused to watch the jeep as it drove past, she observed the two individuals from a distance.
…
After a lengthy drive, the pair of young men arrived at the southern part of the country where the Warlord and its crew were stationed, stopping right in front of a makeshift checkpoint guarded by the crew.
"Halt!"
The crew consisted of women, all holding their snake bows at them with sharpened arrows aiming at the young swordsman and the blond lieutenant, forcing Naruto to stop in the jeep in front of a pair of raven-haired women.
"I said HALT!"
"Easy, easy," Naruto said raising his hands after turning off the engine, "I am here to speak with your captain-"
"You will NOT address the Snake Empress like that - Man!" The short black-haired woman shouted, "Understood!"
With the woman having now taken a closer step at Naruto with her arrow only a few inches away from his forehead, he seemed extremely calm as the blond nodded to her.
"Understood, lady, understood," Naruto said still having his hands raised, trying not to piss these women off, he looked at all of them.
The Kuja Pirates are a group of powerful and skilled female warriors known for their exceptional combat abilities and use of Haki. Wearing eye-catching revealing and feminine attire, often consisting of skimpy tops, short skirts, and thigh-high boots. Their outfits were a distraction enough that these women were behind their beauty, viciously dangerous.
One of whom was Kikyo a formidable warrior known and fierce determination. She is also recognized for her striking appearance, with long dark hair and piercing eyes that seem to always be filled with intensity, like how she glares at Naruto as she approaches the scene after bypassing both her comrades.
"You're Uzumaki Naruto?"
"Lieutenant Uzumaki Naruto, yes." Naruto corrected her, reaching for his chest pocket and pulling out a document, "I'm here to talk to your Princess about the upcoming operation."
Kikyo carefully studied the confident young blond, who appeared unfazed by her and her warriors. She then turned her gaze to the blue-haired swordsman, noticing his obvious nervousness, before coming to a decision.
"Only you, under my and two of my warriors' supervision, can enter the camp. Your friend must stay here."
"Fine by me," Naruto agreed on these terms and turned to his passenger, "Chōjūrō, keep an eye on the ride, will you?"
Chōjūrō nodded, "S-Sure."
Naruto then walked through the checkpoint with him being followed by Kikyo and the two Kuja women she handpicked, escorting the blond inside the camp while the rest were eyeing the glasses-wearing Kiri Nin with watchful eyes as they lowered their weapons, eyeing the nervous young Shinobi with more frowns then glares.
"So uhm…how's it hanging-"
"Shut up."
"Okay."
After a few minutes of walking through the camp of the Kuja, Naruto stood there waiting at the entrance of the Kuja ship called the Perfume Yuda, he was being accompanied by the two Kuja women who were keeping an eye on him.
*TCHK!*
Naruto used a matchstick to ignite the end of the pipe he had pulled out, took a deep amount of the smoke into his mouth before pouring it out of his mouth, much to the satisfying look of one of the Kuja women to his right, with the orange outfit who looked away from him.
"Hey."
Naruto turned to his left to see a cigarette being held in front of him by the other raven-haired woman, with the orange-frilled black jacket with purple spiral snake patterns that was open and allowed her chest to be seen, she wore a bazooka slung around her, it was clear for what she asked for.
She asked, "Got a light?"
Deciding to be polite Naruto decided to lean his pipe's end into the Kuja's cigarette and lit up, following her to take a stroke from her smoke then, she puffed out some of it through her mouth, with her looking.
"Thanks."
Naruto nodded, "No problem, miss…"
"Rindo." The jacket-wearing Kuja said with a smile on her face, "Name's Rindo. Best sharpshooter of the Kuja Pirates, at your service."
"Rindo, you know it's prohibited to speak with the males." Her friend spoke sternly at her friend, "What would the Empress say if she'd caught you?"
Hearing the discouragement of the Kuja women to not talk to their male counterparts, the only thing Naruto could do was chuckle a bit given this was what he was used to.
"Lieutenant!"
Hearing his rank getting called out, Naruto turned to the ship and saw a giant woman with an oversized head a long tongue, and green hair, it being Boa Sandersonia, one of the sisters of the Warlord.
"You can come now." She had her arms crossed and spoke, "The Snake Empress is awaiting you."
Naruto casually took a final drag from his cigarette, savoring the taste before extinguishing it with a flick of his fingers. As he dropped the cigarette to the ground, he exhaled a plume of smoke from his lips. Adjusting his military cap, he took a moment to express his gratitude to the Kuja women before striding purposefully over the wooden plank, his determined footsteps echoing faintly in the air.
"Appreciate the company ladies."
It didn't take long before the debriefing of the plan was to be made to the Kuja Pirates, specifically to the Boa Sisters who were with him sitting around a large map that showed the Land of Waves and the bridge that connected it to the Land of Fire. Both Boa Sandersonia and her large and equally important sister, Marigold, were listening to him as he pointed out the plan.
"As you can see we need support from the sea while my men and I cross the bridge," Naruto traced his finger along the coastline on the map, between the two entrances of the bridge, "The artillery can provide suppressing fire on the coastline but if the enemy attempts an assault we cannot direct fire on the structure itself, or else we'd be risking damage."
Sitting on her throne, Boa Hancock leaned in, the Snake Empress herself barely acknowledged the blond lieutenant but she did nod to her sisters for approval as Sandersonia took the cue and answered to Naruto on her behalf.
"We understand the dangers but what precisely do you need us for in this conquest of this land?" The long-tongued woman asked, "Can't you just do a massive assault on the enemy side of the bridge with all that manpower of yours?"
"That's where you and your Kuja women come into play." Naruto said, turning to the women, "But what do you have in mind?"
"The details are here, for you to read." Naruto pulls out a scroll that he hands over to Marigold and she accepts. "It's crucial that you ladies follow the plan and help us cross that bridge. Once that is done, we will handle the rest."
"As if we are going to fail like you men."
The comment was spat out by Boa Hancock herself, her venomous gaze fixated on the blond Uzumaki with a piercing intensity that could turn someone to stone. Her menacing snake slithered out of nowhere, giving a threatening hiss towards the lieutenant.
Naruto was well aware of Boa Hancock's reputation as a man-hating beauty, known for turning her admirers into petrified statues. He fought to resist her seductive charms and alluring leg shuffling, determined not to fall prey to her manipulative games. He refused to be just another toy in her grasp.
"You will see what we're capable of, just know you are the ones making sure to not waste my time with this insignificant bridge that your little men need to cross over without getting hurt." Hancock said so lightly of the situation, "Am I clear?"
Naruto did not offer a verbal response to her. Instead, he met her gaze with a serious look of his own, holding her eyes with unwavering determination. His lack of reaction caught her off guard, and she was surprised by his unyielding resilience.
'You know she's trying that Devil Fruit power trick of hers, turning you into stone and all.'
'That I know.'
'You've dealt with one Amazonian type, you can take her on too.'
*BOOM!*
The sudden intrusion of a blast came from the Land of Waves, sounding like a blast went off, the smoke could be seen rising deep within the forests, the smoke was joined by a fireball that rose above with it, and it wasn't far away.
Sandersonia wondered, "What was that?"
Marigold guessed, "Looks like a bomb went off."
Naruto spotted the fire and his eyes went wide before he stood up, "I need to go check that out." He ran off, "Good luck with the plans!"
Naruto ran off the ship with the Boa Sisters watching him go run down the plank, for them to eye him with caution.
Hancock especially, surprised by the defiance of the man who looked at him without falling in love, turned to her sisters.
"Let's discuss the plans further."
Speeding through the forest, Naruto was driving the jeep with Chōjūrō holding onto dear life as they were trying to get to the place where the fire was coming from.
"M-Mind slowing down a bit!?" The Kiri-nin tried keeping himself seated, "We're going too fast!"
Naruto ignored the pleas as he kept speeding through the muddy road, then saw something that caused him to groan.
"Damn it…"
As they drove through the desolate landscape, Naruto and Chōjūrō stopped by the chilling sight. A truck, a supply truck to be exact, or what was left of it, lay scattered across the road in front of them. The metal plates were twisted and mangled, shattered glass littered the ground, and small fires burned amidst the wreckage. But the most haunting aspect of the scene was the lifeless bodies strewn about, some missing limbs while others were covered in blood and mud.
"What happened here?"
Naruto made his way over to one of the motionless bodies lying face down in the thick mud. With his mind prepared, he carefully turned the fallen man over and immediately recognized that he wasn't part of the Legion. The uniform, instead of the familiar khaki, was a shade of gray, marking him as a member of the Expeditionary Forces. Despite the mud obscuring his features, Naruto could see that the man's chest was grievously wounded by shrapnel, and blood stained his uniform. Meaning he died on impact by whatever took his life.
"IED."
Chōjūrō muttered, "What?"
"Improvised Explosive Device, a relatively new term for cheaply made bombs," Naruto said while closing the dead soldier's eyes, giving him a resting peace while grabbing his tags. "Either that or an explosive tag your Shinobi friends must've placed. That enough to kill a few good men."
Chōjūrō walked over to another body, where the legs were torn off with the man's face buried in the thick sludge, he checked his neck to find no pulse. "So what do we do now?"
*THUD!*
Startled, the Kiri swordsman watched in horror as Naruto flung the lifeless Expeditionary soldier onto the jeep's back. Blood and mud smeared his already tattered uniform, but he paid no mind as he returned to the wreckage, determined to collect more bodies. His face was filled with rage and sorrow that the blue-haired young man could read on him.
"We're going to bring these boys back to base, that's what we're going to do," Naruto said as he went over to the corpse that Chōjūrō stood next to, picking him up and telling him, "Grab his legs and try to cover them up with a blanket in the trunk."
"We're bringing these guys back?" Chōjūrō asked surprised, "But who knows how many other traps are on the road."
"And?"
"Standard procedure according to Ao is to dispose of bodies we cannot return-"
"Screw standard procedure, we're taking these men back," Naruto said walking back to the wreckage with him avoiding the small fires, "They're going home, end of story."
"But-"
Naruto turned around and glared at him, "Are you defying a direct order?"
Chōjūrō stuttered, "I-"
"Then shut up and get those blankets," Naruto ordered him before he went to the wreckage, trying to search for the last body, with a supply truck like that normally has three men, the last one was a blood trail leading into the bushes with some moved dirt from the road.
Naruto dropped to his knees next to a trail of blood that led into the nearby bushes. He unholstered his weapon with practiced ease and began cautiously following the trail. Branches and leaves scraped against him as he pushed through the dense foliage, the smell of smoke and gasoline still heavy in the air near the road. Finally, he emerged from the other side of the bushes, finding himself in the clear and spotting something:
It was an open field with the grass being green and the scenery generally was peaceful with sunshine on the grass, there in the middle of the field where the trail of blood ended, the third and last Expeditionary soldier was lying there on his back and he was visibly seen breathing.
Lowering his guard, Naruto slowly approaches the soldier but keeps his hand over the holster, eyeing the wounded man, he notices something odd about him.
Lying in a state of unconsciousness, the man's shirt and chest were stained with blood. His arms, too, showed signs of injury and had been bandaged up. His head was cradled on a folded military-gray jacket, and his cap lay nearby. The wounds had been tended to quickly after the explosion occurred, but the toll on his body was evident. Bruises and burns marred his skin, evidence of the harrowing event he had endured.
Kneeling next to him, Naruto puts his hand on the man's neck to check his vitals, feeling he was breathing normally and his heartbeat also. Meaning that whoever did this, was no amateur first aid.
'What do you think?'
'Medical Ninjutsu, I've seen this before. A bit rough on the edges but whoever did this knows what he or she is doing.'
'I wonder who did this - its fine work.'
'Maybe ask that to the person yourself, right behind you.'
Naruto knew what his Bijuu companion meant when he sensed a person with a formidable amount of Chakra standing behind him from a few meters away, so the Legion Lieutenant spoke.
"I know you're there, so allow me to turn around."
Standing up as told, Naruto turned around to face who it was, there he spotted a woman, the same woman he had spotted earlier when driving, wearing the pink Kimono dress and shoulder-length black hair and carrying the basket. The woman was around his age, looked innocent, and gave the impression of posing no harm - but it was easy to be fooled by simply just looks.
'What can you say?'
'She's got the calmness of a killer, I'd say that of like an ANBU. Not to be underestimated but also I sensed her presence beforehand when those two swordsman ambushed your unit. But also be careful - something feels off.'
'Like?'
'This may sound ridiculous, but she's not a she…'
"Is there something wrong, mister?"
Left confused, Naruto could not show that to the person in front of him as he nodded to the kimono-wearing female who approached him and stood only a few feet away from him.
"No, nothing is wrong, but mind if I ask?" Naruto asked gesturing to the wounded man, "Did you tend to his wounds?"
"I did so, but unfortunately there was nothing I could do for the other two men." She told him, bowing her head slightly, "My condolences."
Sensing sincerity in the voice, Naruto also could tell this mysterious person wasn't lying, but he still was to be careful.
"Mind if I check on the young soldier again?" The woman asked, showing her basket, "I have some herbs that will help."
Naruto nodded, "Sure."
The mysterious girl went on to kneel beside the wounded soldier and began pulling out some medicine she then began to give the young man, from putting some herbs into his mouth for consumption to replacing some bandages.
The silence was prevalent between the two as the woman was nearly finished doing her job, and the man was still unconscious with changed bandages, some muttering was coming out from his mouth as he was slowly slipping back into consciousness, but not fully.
"So, what's your name?" The girl asked, breaking the silence, looking at him with a smile, "If you're okay talking to a stranger like me."
Naruto returned to ask politely, "Well, you haven't introduced yourself to me. So what is yours?"
"No manners I see?" She gave him a look in return but giggled before focusing back on the patient, "Fair enough. Name's Haku."
"Cute name," Naruto said before introducing himself, "Name's Uzumaki Naruto."
At the mention of his name, the woman's eyes widened almost imperceptibly. Her hands faltered for just a moment before she quickly regained her composure. All while doing this in front of the blond, who plays it calmly.
"Did I scare you?"
"No…Just the name is interesting, something I haven't heard in a long time." Haku said with her smile, "So, what brings you here, Mr. Uzumaki?"
"Please, just call me Naruto, I'm not big on the mister part,"
"Fair enough…Naruto." Haku said before asking something more precisely, "You don't look like those foreigners, yet you dress like them, talk like them, and even carry weapons like them."
The way she described him was enough to set Naruto's instincts on high alert. He could tell the secretive Shinobi was trying to subtly extract information, using innocent small talk as a cover for her true intentions. Every word and gesture seemed calculated and deliberate.
So to play along he just simply answered, "I'm from here, well, was from here."
"Was?"
"Migrated from here when I was young, very young, been on the seas for most of my life, returned here after all these years."
Haku grew curious while finishing up with the patient, "Where are you originally from?"
"Land of Fire, but I have no connections to that country anymore," Naruto answered, still careful with his answers, he shrugged before asking, "How about you?"
"What about me?"
"You don't look local, nor have I seen you around." Naruto said to her, "We've been in this small country for a while now, and I've not seen you around these parts or in any of the villages."
Haku responded with the same smile, "You're right, I'm not from here, but I also don't go out much. I normally don't go too far out from where my people are, but they need the herbs to get better for when I'm treating them." Saying so, Haku then went, "May I ask you something?"
"Sure."
"You look like a strong person, and I know you're one of those leaders driving around those weird carriages, and I see you take care of people." Haku asked and pressed, "What I want to ask, is there someone precious to you?"
Not prepared for a question like that got Naruto to silent for a moment before he saw her thinking deeply like she was in a different state of mind, but then she decided to answer.
"You see…when a person has something precious they want to protect, then they become genuinely strong."
Hearing that coming from this girl got Naruto thinking - like it triggered some old memories of people who he remembered.
Like Fisher Tiger….
With a heavy heart, Naruto began to share his own story. "There was one person," he said, his voice tinged with sadness, "But he died before I could protect him."
Haku was curious and asked, "How precious was he to you?"
"...Like the father I never had, to be honest." Naruto said chuckling at it, "The only problem was that his kind and ours, they'd normally don't mix - but he had a good heart that was just filled with hate."
"Why did they hate him?" Haku inquired.
"Because we were different," Naruto replied sadly. "People couldn't accept us because he was deemed inferior in their eyes...but I was in the same position as him. Both of us were shunned by society."
Haku's eyes widened in understanding and she wanted to know more about Naruto's past.
*BOOM!*
The conversation ended with an explosion that erupted nearby with a few trees set alight from a distance, strong enough to cause the two to end their overdue conversation and stand up.
"I guess we better part ways now," Naruto said while grabbing the wounded soldier up carefully as he took the cap and jacket, "You better go now, those guns are going to shoot back and forth."
"I'll leave." Haku said grabbing her basket and saying her farewell, "Good luck, Naruto…"
"Good luck to you…Haku."
Naruto did so and began pacing towards the same way he entered the field, with the kimono mystery girl watching him bring the wounded away. Haku slowly walked away in a different direction.
'Yep, confirmed it.'
'Confirmed what?'
'She is a He.'
'So?'
'Not freaked out about it?'
'I've seen weirder things, so this is normal in my books.'
…
Back on the road, Chōjūrō was sitting in the shotgun seat of the jeep with the two deceased men in the back covered in blankets in the back of the vehicle, he was highly nervous while hearing the explosions going off, fearing they might get closer.
"Watch out."
"Huh-"
Naruto carefully lifted the unconscious wounded soldier and gently placed him on the hood of the vehicle. He then took the man's jacket and carefully covered the soldier's chest to keep him warm. After ensuring the wounded soldier laid comfortably, Naruto quickly got into the driver's seat, started the engine, and prepared to transport the injured soldier to safety.
"He's alive?"
"Barely, let's get this poor bastard to a field hospital." Naruto said with a warning, "Hold on, it's going to get bumpy."
"Wha-AAAH!"
Hitting the pedal to the metal, Naruto began driving fast through the road back to the base, with his alive passengers barely clinging to their seats or even to life, the blond needed to get back fast.
Just when the sound of more thunderous explosions, followed by then whistling, caused Naruto to warn.
"INCOMING!"
Suddenly, another shell whistled overhead and was dangerously close to the dirt road-
*BOOM!*
Hope you all liked it, have a nice evening, and stay tuned for more.
Peace!