Chapter 72-
TSUNADE SENJU
The Fourth Great Ninja War. The continent had been ravaged by three such great wars previously, each leaving only pain and destruction in its wake. Yet this war was different. This wasn't a fight for resources or money, or politics.
No.
This was a war of survival. A war for the survival of their very lives. This wasn't one nation fighting against one another. No. This was all of them fighting against a common enemy. A common enemy that was hell-bent on destroying their way of life.
"We have received information from the land of lightning's coast. The Kinkaku and Ginkaku brothers have transformed into cloaked-tailed beast forms and are rampaging across the area. Request for backup from the sealing team!" reported Yamanaka Inoichi from his station.
Tsunade frowned as she thought of the Golden brothers, who had killed her grand uncle Tobirama and had now been summoned once more by Kabuto Yakushi to rampage on these lands.
She saw Shikaku sifting through a pile of reports trying to plan a retaliation. He was the Chief Strategist, and all such decisions were his call.
"What is the location of Uzumaki Karin from the sealing team? She is the deputy commander of the sealing division! Can she make it to the coast?" he asked Ao, the head of their sensor division.
The aide to the Mizukage was sitting in front of a giant sensory tool with the rest of his team, monitoring and tagging all their shinobi, allowing for better coordination.
"Negative! She is backing the Support division in trying to root out the disguised White Zetsu clones. She will not be available for backup!" came the reply, and she saw Shikaku tsk as he began flipping through the files once more.
Besides her, she could see Ay, the Supreme Commander getting a bit restless as the man continued to glare at the profiles of Kinkaku and Ginkaku.
"IF NO ONE IS AVAILABLE, THEN I WILL TAKE CARE OF THEM MYSELF!" shouted the man, standing up on his feet.
"HOKAGE! YOU ARE IN COMM…."
"That will not be necessary, Lord Ay," came the voice of Yamanaka Inoichi as he interrupted the hot-headed Raikage.
"Jiraiya-sama, the regimental commander, has said that he will be able to provide backup. He is on his way there already."
And Tsunade smiled a bit, seeing the Raikage getting flushed. The man's temper had always been his problem.
Jiraiya had denied taking the role of the Supreme Commander, instead choosing to become regimental Commander saying that he wanted to see the change in the world with his own eyes.
"Well, that will take care of them. With his assistance, I am sure they can bring down the Golden Brothers," added the young Kazekage from the side. And he was truly young, being the elder brother of one Gaara. He was said to be the most talented puppet master Suna had produced since Sasori himself. Kankuro of the Sand had really grown into his role shouldering all the burdens after his brother's demise at the hands of the Akatsuki during the Great Devastation.
And regret bubbled in her heart as she thought about her own loss. She had lost a student. Someone who could have sat in this seat yet had lost his life trying to save his love.
She could seldom believe it herself. Shinso had always seemed so in control, so powerful, yet for him to die like this had been a shock. A shock for her and a lot of other people. But his death also meant something far more dangerous now.
"Shikaku," she spoke up again, making the man look her way, "has there been any sign?" and the man shook his head, already understanding her question.
"Not yet." He replied, and she nodded as she leaned back into her own seat. She saw the Kazekage look towards her with a frown.
"This is the third time you have asked him this. What's going on here?" the young man asked her once more, and she could see that the Ay also seemed a bit interested.
She sighed before she spoke up again.
"I am asking him if there have been any signs of my student," she replied, and she saw the Kazekage connect the dots instantly as his eyes widened.
"Ahh! Him. That lightning guy! But why?" he questioned again.
"Because I need to talk to him when he shows up. I need him to answer a couple of questions of mine," she replied, not elaborating further. She could tell that the Kazekage was curious, but he did not push anymore.
"ALERT! I have reports from the Land of Hot Springs division about random lightning strikes and storms! Contact has been lost with two platoons! This could be him!" shouted Inoichi, and she shot to her feet.
"Can you confirm whether it's him!" she asked, and the man nodded as the Head of the Intelligence division quieted down for a second or so before he nodded.
"Affirmative! It is him! The last report from the lost Platoons report of seeing brown-haired shinobi wielding a sword coated in lightning!"
And Tsunade closed her eyes as she processed the news. But before she could say anything, Inoichi spoke up again.
"Uzumaki Karin has requested to leave her post. She has finished with the sweep for the White Zetsu in the logistics and medical camps! Commander Shizune has granted her request." Inoichi informed her, and she nodded. This was expected.
"Have Hinata Hyuga and her team move towards him. She would be able to hold him back." Ordered Shikaku, and the man relayed the information.
The Kazekage soon spoke up.
"Didn't you want to ask him some questions? Why aren't you leaving!" he questioned, and she shook her head.
"He will call for me when he can. Before that, I just have to wait." She replied as she took her seat once more. The young Kazekage hesitated for a moment before speaking up again.
"I know that he was strong, but why such interest in him?" he questioned her. And Tsuande huffed at his words.
"He wasn't just strong. He is very, very strong and best suited to battling large platoons. If not contained, he will cause havoc everywhere."
"Indeed, I have heard that he was able to beat the reanimated form of my father, the third Raikage," muttered Ay as he looked towards her with a frown. And as she nodded, he asked pointedly.
"Then why aren't we sending someone more appropriate to bring him down? Maybe Hatake or Zabuza would be able to tackle him?" and she shook her head.
"They won't be able to stop him. His Sage mode puts him at a level where no regular shinobi can face him in combat," she replied, and they all quieted down at that, knowing firsthand by the effectiveness of Jiraiya exactly how powerful a sage was.
"Plus, I am not trying to beat him. Just buy time," she said, looking towards the battlefield map. The kazekage frowned at this.
"Time for what?" he asked her, and she replied with a small nod.
"Time for him to break out the Edo Tensei's casters' control!"
0000
HINATA HYUGA
The last year had been life-altering for Hinata Hyuga. From losing her mentor and best friend, becoming clan head, and then participating in a Great war. Hinata Hyuga had seen much in the last year. She had also seen exceptional growth and was now ranked as a jounin.
She pushed her chakra through the metal, and immediately lightning began to crackle as she pulled back the string of her special bow. Her Byakugan allowed her to see her surroundings in extreme detail.
SCHWING!
She let go, and the lightning-coated arrow rushed past her, blowing away her hair. She could not rest as she pulled back once more, supplying chakra to the metal as it was coated with lightning. She let it loose as well.
SCHWING!
She alone was providing support to her whole unit, as shinobi fought the enemy armies comprising of white Zetsu and reanimated shinobi. She stood on the vantage point and provided support to everyone, using the technique her friend had helped her craft.
Suddenly someone very familiar landed behind her. She wore the standard shinobi uniform from Konoha and that shinobi headband. However, the receiver in her pocket and the special arm band showed that she was part of the information and communication division.
"Hinata, I have new orders for you from the HQ," said Ino Yamanaka making her frown as she continued to support the people in her unit.
"Why? My whole unit is here," she questioned Ino, and her friend seemed to hesitate a bit before she spoke out.
"We have lost contact with two platoons that were northeast of here. We believe your teammate to be behind their disappearance," and for the first time since she had noticed, Ino Hinata stopped pulling the string as she turned to look her friend in the eye.
"They have reanimated Shinso-kun as well," and to her surprise, Ino just nodded. This explained the orders. But this also meant something else.
"Does Karin know about it?" she questioned Ino, and her friend nodded once more.
"She sensed him from her location and is heading there as well. The HQ has ordered you to go and assist the teams, if they are alive, in containing him," Ino finished, and Hinata's mind raced as she thought of facing her friend in combat.
Due to their friendship, she knew a lot more than an average shinobi about how his techniques worked. But she was also aware of exactly how good he was. Alone, she was not confident that she could contain him. But perhaps with Karin-san there, both of them might stand a chance.
"All right, do I need to tell the commander about this," and Ino shook her head.
"No, the orders have been relayed to him," and Hinata nodded as she took out a scroll to seal her bow and arrows.
"Ok, then I will be leaving then. Tell me the exact coordinates."
0000
Ueda was a shinobi from Kiri that was now part of the Grand Shinobi Alliance. He was a chunin veteran and had fought in the Third shinobi war, yet this war was different from any other, for they were not facing regular shinobi as opponents.
No! They were facing dead shinobi and white plant zombies as enemies. Enemies that were way more powerful than most regular shinobi.
"I am saying just lay down the traps and stay away!" shouted their opponent, who was very young, but the number of bodies of dead shinobi around him was a testament to the reason why their enemies had summoned him.
The Raijin no ken. Konoha's prodigy, Ueda, had, of course, heard of him. But seeing this, he finally realized just how much the difference between a regular shinobi and a prodigy.
"How are we supposed to evade your attacks that we can not even see?" shouted one of his comrades, a shinobi from Iwa, exasperated by their dire situation.
Suddenly Ueda heard lightning crackle and saw the young reanimated shinobi's sword light up as lightning arced around it.
"GET AWAY! GET AWAY IMMEDIATELY!" he shouted, but it was already too late. They were all exhausted, and Ueda closed his eyes as he saw the young man vanish, and Ueda made his final prayer, but suddenly he heard a whizz from behind him as he suddenly heard a huge boom.
"It is enough!"
BOOOOM!
00000
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