Warning: This chapter contains gore.
Read slowly as it is 5 times longer than usual (equivalent to 5 chapters).
(Hinote's POV)
-------------------
'What kind of sandstorm is this?' I wondered, watching the grains of sand swirl violently as I interacted with them using my flame orb outside the window.
Just three hours ago, we were deep in discussion about how the infiltrator bypassed the guards at the camp in the Land of Rain to poison us. Out of nowhere, a sandstorm brewed, nearly blinding everyone that was outside the building. If not for the flame orb that burns away sand within its range, we would have been completely helpless as moving without eyesight is far more difficult to do so.
We desert dwellers have spent our entire lives in this harsh terrain we call home, where sandstorms are as common as rain in the Land of Fire and the Land of Water—a 'season' recognized by us. Yet here we are, struggling to open our eyes against the onslaught of this particular sandstorm, as the pain and tears that comes with makes it harder to do so.
I won't act like our elders who berate the younger generation for being soft. Even a normal flame can't burn away the sand, nor can wind blow it away from our vicinity. Only the jutsu of our Kekkei Genkai can neutralize it.
This made me feel surreal, as even the Kazekage wouldn't stand against it. It seemed destined for our Ryuka clan to have a seat on the throne, as we are the only ones who can deal with challenges given to us by our land.
However, the adrenaline rush soon subsided, and I was reminded of the bitter defeat I suffered when I fought Kaze Shinki for the Sandaime Kazekage position—a memory that lingers even to this day.
…
Anyway, those who awakened our clan's Kekkei Genkai helped others evacuate to their homes and then returned to their residences. By the time the sun rises the next day, the sandstorm should subside.
As for the kids who went to the training ground, Akane called me outside, informing me she had gone there herself and sent them home accordingly.
Though I felt something was off about her behavior and how she seemed to be in a hurry, I noticed she went to Enji's house.
Seeing the writing on the wall, I decided not to pursue it further.
Sighing at my body, which had become a bit sluggish, and my chakra reserve, which had become a bit restrictive due to the effects of the poison, I decided to retreat to my bed to rest. The more I rest, the better my chances of recovering from the poison, as Lady Chiyo said.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
'Why are they knocking at this hour?' Canceling the jutsu and closing the window, I went to open the door.
"Patriarch, a clan member named Ryuka Hiyori was found critically injured wh—"
"Just show the way!" I grumbled at my guards and went straight to where Hiyori was.
Knowing her character, she most probably recklessly and immaturely fought a trespasser stronger than her, most likely from the Kaze clan to rub their 'superiority' on her face.
She was always an easy target since she is hot-headed and the first to initiate the fight, conveniently removing blame from the Kaze clan member who provoked her.
As I descended the stairs, I caught sight of Hiyori lying on a cushion, unconscious and being bandaged by one of my guards.
It was within my expectations… It didn't take long for the situation to turn morbid, however, as her right arm was missing, with blood oozing from her exposed shoulder socket which the guard was bandaging to stop the bleeding.
Being a veteran of war who participated in the First Shinobi World War, seeing missing limbs was normal, but it was the first time seeing someone's arm completely ripped off from their shoulder socket!
'How long will it take to wake her up?' I felt agitated at the sight of this atrocity.
We always have differences in interests in the village, but I don't think anyone in the village would go as far as to disable someone, especially in the middle of the war.
Unfortunately, it was not possible to wake her up to inquire about the attacker. Seeing a blood trail on the ground that was slowly fading due to the sandstorm covering it up, there was not much time to waste in catching the attacker.
Resisting the urge to show my anger, I put my index finger and thumb on my mouth and whistled our emergency signal:
Tweet-twee-tweet, Tweeeet-twee, Tweee-tweet-twee-tweet!
This was an emergency protocol initiated to inform everyone here to stay on guard for threats that were going to attack them. Even children in our clan as early as five should know about it.
I hate doing it, as it looks silly, but there was no better way to inform everyone without drawing attention from outsiders who would simply ignore it.
I have no idea why Hiyori was attacked to this extent, but considering we were caught off guard once a few days ago inside the war camp in the Land of Rain and paid the price of being poisoned and weakened, where some even perished (which for obvious reason I did not reveal to the village), it's best to alert everyone not to repeat our mishap. There might be a possibility that Hiyori intercepted a group of infiltrators, who might be related to the ones that infiltrated last time.
'Scorch Release: Flame Orb'
Forming two flame orbs mid-air, I instructed a guard to carry Hiyori to the Kaen residence for protection. She was defenseless at that moment, and if the attackers targeted the heart of the clan, she needed someone more capable to protect her, as the guard alone would be insufficient.
After sending one of the orbs to aid the guard through the harsh sandstorm, I turned my attention to the blood trail that was gradually becoming fainter. Despite his grudgeful nature, I doubted Kaen would refuse my orders, especially considering Hiyori had just lost a limb in the most brutal manner imaginable, which invoked enough sympathy to put his past grievance aside.
Forming two more flame orbs to help my guards navigate the sandstorm, I quickly moved to track down the attacker, following the blood trail on the ground. The guards followed closely behind me.
Admittedly, I should have taken more people, but time was of the essence. Knowing the attacker or attackers would be alerted and escape if they saw us in large numbers, it was best to move with as few men as possible while ensuring the heart of the clan was well protected by others.
Unlike others, I was least affected by the poison, having quickly formed a flame orb to cleanse the poisonous mist the moment I noticed it, though not before it had made contact with my skin. If the attackers were related to the infiltrator, they would likely underestimate me, which would work in my favor.
'Luckily, Akane got there in time,' I sighed in relief, imagining a situation where an infiltrator could use the children as leverage, especially those with strong potential.
As we followed the blood trail, various thoughts swirled in my mind.
'Is this really a coincidence?' My eyes widened as I considered the strangeness of how the guards had been bypassed twice, once when we were in the war camp stationed near the Land of Rain and now ones from the very village we live in....
...
I resumed my steps, following the blood trail discreetly.
Without concrete proof, it was best not to point fingers for now.
As we moved further away from the center of the clan, we noticed two strange things.
The place was eerily quiet, and it seemed no one had been here; there were no footsteps, and the buildings were untouched.
If Hiyori hadn't come with that injury, I would have dismissed the blood trail as a ruse by the clan's children.
Regardless, we avoided knocking on doors and inquiring people in the buildings, not wanting to alert any trespassers who might flee if they felt threatened. I had no intention of letting a single one escape.
As I drew nearer, a sharp, pungent odor with a distinct iron tang hit my senses, catching me off guard.
It was unmistakably the smell of blood.
(It's odd, though, that I hadn't noticed it just moments earlier…)
Pressing on, I soon saw a line of clan members that lived in outer region of clan compound... their necks bound with ropes tied to the building window rails, blood pooling from their mutilated limbs which remained shockingly intact—an unlikely feat unless... one was skilled in using chakra threads!
Thud, thud, thud
"Such a shame... they waited for you to save them until their eyes went lifeless... a real pity." A man in black sighed from the rooftop, his face obscured by an Anbu mask from the village.
"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS!" I roared, veins bulging on my forehead as I channeled 'Scorch' chakra into my hands.
"Well, piece it together yourself… you might figure it out," he yawned, cracking his knuckles to reveal unusual black chakra threads on his fingertips. With a swift motion, the threads sliced through the ropes holding the victims' heads, dropping the corpses to the ground. Blood splattered from their limbs, and some flesh even detached, forming a gruesome pool of blood and flesh.
Enraged, I formed several orbs and fused them into one.
"Scorch Release: Evaporation Blast!" I hurled the massive orb at him mid-air, leaving him no chance to escape.
Boom!
As I quickly moved aside to avoid the impact, steam rose as the area was reduced to a crater, incinerating everything, including the remains of my clan members. With no sign of him left, I sighed in relief, but—
Clap, clap, clap
"No doubt you're the Patriarch, clearly superior to those behind you," the Anbu said, unaffected and unharmed.
'How fast is he?' I thought, alarmed by his effortless evasion.
Recalling his words, I looked back in shock… my guards were gone.
Fisting my hands, I focused on the emerging figures from the shadows surrounding me.
With my flame orb's limited range, I couldn't make out many details through the sandstorm about them, but they were definitely belong to Anbu indicated by the mask they adorned who were most likely either chakra, acoustic, olfactory, or seismic sensors, as they lacked a technique like our clan's flame orb to see through the storm.
"Why are you attacking us? Haven't we shed enough blood for the village?!" I yelled, my rage boiling over, determined not to spare any of them.
Sunagakure was not formed in the same manner as Konoha, rather desert mercenary tribes like my clan united out of necessity to compete with the newly established Konoha, which seemed more attractive to assign missions by nobles because it had a large scale that was unprecedented at that time.
Unlike Konoha who preached the most unrealistic peace because they were lucky one of strongest men alive was born in Konoha, our ideal was backed by reality and common interest, so there was a level of trust between us that is more authentic than the ones between clans in Konoha.
Our ambitions were clear, but who doesn't have it?
Just like every clan, we understand the importance of integration and cooperation with the village, even if we have to compromise that causes fracturing within the clan. But witnessing this betrayal now makes me question the point of our tolerance.
Questioned ideals of the village that became intolerant to our existence.
'If they want my clan dead, they'll have to go through me first!'
Instead of responding, the one who had dodged my attack earlier threw an unusually colored black shuriken, soon followed by a barrage of shurikens from the accompanying Anbu members aimed at me.
"Scorch Release: Flame Shield!" I fused and shaped multiple flame orbs into a shield to block the attacks around me, then quickly weaved hand signs to form a large flame orb on my right palm.
"Scorch Release: Consuming Current!" Slamming the orb into the ground, I sent a fiery wave of flames around me, forcing the Anbu on the ground to leap to the rooftops to avoid the attack.
They quickly armed themselves with swords and used body flicker to strike at me while they were in mid-air. I extended my shield to cover my head in response.
However, as a familiar purple mist began to spread out towards me from objects they threw on the ground, I extended the shield to cover myself completely from head to toe and intensified it, burning away the mist before it reached me.
'So, didn't bother to hide your guys' involvement, huh?' I scoffed, now certain that they had orchestrated the events from a few days ago to weaken us for this day.
It was now clear how the infiltrators bypassed the guards—they must have been given a hidden path to enter the camp where the clan was stationed. Or, more likely, the guards were involved and thus were not truthful about their 'failure' to detect them.
Since the infiltrator had poisoned himself before we could interrogate him, any trace of their involvement was removed, leaving us unable to confirm our suspicions until now.
As I snapped out of my thoughts, I noticed the Anbu had formed a formation where I could barely see the hand signs being weaved. I began to form more orbs in my hands as a precaution.
"Wind Release: Wind Bullet!"
"Water Release: Water Bullet!"
Individually, these were merely C-rank jutsu that any Genin could perform after completing a few missions. However, when a certain number of members in a group performed the same jutsu and carefully combined it into one, it could become stronger than its stated rank.
It wasn't necessarily limited to the same jutsu however. If two groups followed the same process but with different jutsu of similar ranking and carefully combined them, if the two jutsu had the same chakra nature or complementary chakra natures such as Wind and Water in this case, it could become an A-rank jutsu capable of annihilating a battalion of shinobi with ease, while the group would still have enough chakra to perform it several times.
Their display was nothing short of impressive since such cooperation is extremely hard to pull off in the middle of battle.
But that's where the impressiveness ends.
"Scorch Release: Drake's Roar!" I swallowed a couple of the flame orbs I had formed earlier and spat out a large flame drake towards their combined attack, overpowering and destroying it as it reached the rooftop where the Anbu were stationed.
Boom!
'Where are they?' Vigilant, I scanned the area around me, watching for any flicker of shadow. My eyes darted from one corner to the next, my senses heightened, ready for any sign of movement.
Seeing a couple of black spots on the ground, I felt confused until I turned my head up after hearing chants above.
"For Suna!"
"For Suna!"
"For Suna!"
What are they doing?' Bewildered, I watched as they freely fell through the air above me. The scene was surreal, almost like a nightmare unfolding in slow motion. I began to form more flame orbs to counter their attack, my mind racing to understand their strategy.
Crash!
But bizarrely, they never attacked; instead, each of them crashed into the ground with a resounding thud, sending up clouds of dust and debris.
….
....I am not sure what to say, to be honest...
Laugh at their incompetence or feel sorry they died pathetically after doing their chanting.
'Wait, why am I hearing a crackling sound?'
In the background, I could hear a crackling sound that resembled the sound of a lit candle, but I couldn't figure out where it was coming from. It was an odd detail that was bugging me out, for it was out of place in the chaotic battlefield where sandstorm was raging in conjunction.
However, as I casually sniffed, there was another smell mixed with the iron tang of blood: black powder! The realization hit me like a physical blow.
[Fun fact: Due to the scarcity of fertile land and water in the Land of Wind, trees ideal for making paper are hardly grown. While paper is imported from other nations, its price is exorbitant, especially during times of war, so paper is hardly used by anyone except the nobility, or for diplomatic purposes, or stating A or S-rank missions to signify their importance, whereas lower-rank ones are typically assigned/informed orally. Hence, education here is typically done orally. Due to the scarcity of paper (they don't even use Chakra Paper to determine the natural affinity of a person), explosive seals are hardly produced. Instead, black powder made from charcoal, saltpeter, and sulfur found in the land is used as a substitute, which is cheaper than importing explosive seals. Of course, the source of material to make black powder is increasingly becoming finite, and the process of refining material for the production of black powder leaves much to be desired, so only a few are allowed and can afford to use it.]
It jolted me into spreading 'Scorch' chakra around me, escaping from the explosion before it hit me. (There was no need to waste chakra to withstand it.)
"Scorch Release: Body Flicker Technique!"
My form resembles a searing flames as I sprinted from the area, leaving the ground beneath me smoldered with each step, leaving a trail of heat-distorted air. I maintained a precise trajectory, maintaining a steady path to avoid crashing into buildings, as I exchanged stable control for speed to escape from here.
Unfortunately, it was not enough.
Boom!
The detonation's shockwave struck me from behind, its force overwhelming my forward momentum, making me lose control of my body as I propelled forward in the air, until I fall hard to the front when momentum diminished, bruising my upper torso and left shoulder badly which bore the brunt of the impact. The skin immediately darkened with bruises where blood was seeping out.
Gasping for air momentarily until I calm down, I summon a flame orb. With a grimace, I pressed the orb against the raw wound on my torso.
Biting my lip due to the pain, I endured it until the searing heat cauterized the injury, sealing the exposed flesh, preventing my flesh from being targeted to be exposed to poison if that Anbu with black threads threw a poison mist at me. The intense heat also deadened the nerve endings in the area, numbing the pain that threatened to hinder my movements.
'Speaking of the devil, where is that guy?' I thought, remaining vigilant. I knew he must still be alive, as I hadn't heard his voice among the Anbu who had chanted in unison before sacrificing themselves in a kamikaze attack.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
"Scorch Release: Flame Shield!" I swiftly formed a shield of intense flames, blocking the sword strike from behind just in the nick of time.
'Are Anbu weapons always black or is this custom-made?' I briefly wondered, noting that his sword was also black, which was unusual since most weapons are typically silvery in color.
Regardless of the unusual hue, the sword was remarkably well-forged, withstanding the heat of my flames without melting away.
Noticing one of his hands moving in a fidgeting motion, I quickly spread a flame shield around me, blocking the debris he caused to fall using his threads from the nearby devastated building above.
'What a strange puppeteer?' Never before seen a puppeteer to manipulate threads in this manner, which is typically tied to their puppet.
Feeling a quake underneath the ground, I swiftly dispelled the shield and leapt away, narrowly avoiding multiple swords that erupted from the ground, aimed to impale me.
'I need to eliminate him quickly,' I thought, feeling the pressure. I knew the risk of getting injured by his weapon, likely laced with poison concocted by Lady Chiyo and if he was desperate enough to finish me off when he reached his end, he might also use black powder, like the previous Anbu who had tried to take me down. I couldn't afford to waste my chakra, especially with the possibility of facing more enemies after him.
'I never thought I'd have to use this against anyone other than Shinki, but it's necessary to ensure they all go down!'
"Doesn't your Kazekage realize the consequences of weakening the village in a time of war?" I asked calmly, causing him to pause. It gave me a moment to rest as I began to summon flame orbs and throw in the air.
Given that they had already dared to draw their swords against us, I had no intention of sparing them without a fight.
I didn't care about the stability of the village if it became a threat to our existence.
"We are strengthening the village by eliminating inner instability," he replied in a monotonous tone, pulling out four bodies from the ground with his threads. Two of them were my guards, and the other two were clan members, their flesh completely removed from their limbs, each equipped with a pair of weapons.
'Using their corpses against me, huh,' I thought, no longer surprised at how low he could stoop.
As he propelled their corpses forward, I quickly threw more flame orbs into the air, dodging the weapons as the bodies swung towards me, controlled by his threads.
"Is that the best you've got?" I yelled and formed a couple of flame orbs to throw at him, strategically aiming near his feet.
Unlike normal ones, these orbs were weaker in power but had a greater radius to burn the sand around them, reaching the ground.
This time, I paid attention to his movement based on footsteps shown by the flame orbs, estimating whether he was using a faster yet less controllable version of body flicker or, worse, a space-time jutsu.
I tried to figure out a way to counter it before noticing there were no footsteps when the flame orbs came close to the ground when he dodged them without trouble.
'So he was using genjutsu on me to misdirect me all along...' I concluded, understanding the secret of his 'fast' movement that couldn't be explained otherwise.
'Genjutsu: Release!'
Dispelling the genjutsu, my eyes finally met with his actual form, making me grin a little.
"Try dodging this!"
Throwing more flame orbs in the air, I quickly used Scorch Release: Body Flicker Technique to close our distance. I again performed "Scorch Release: Flame Shield" to form a shield in front of me, this time to attack him, leaving no room for escape.
However, soon I found myself clashing and pushed back by the repulsion force when I collided with the black barrier that formed in front of him, which I was all too familiar with, now seeing it up close.
The iron sand.
That explained why his weapons and threads were unusually black, as they were made of iron sand.
'Sparing no effort to kill me, knowing I failed to beat Shinki when he used a kekkei genkai that came out of nowhere... I'm not sure whether I should feel honored or enraged that someone besides Shinki dared to use it in front of me!'
I increased the intensity of power in the shield and speed of body flicker to again tackle it, yet it failed to overpower it as more iron sand began to fortify the barrier.
Breathing in, I decreased intensity and extended the shield from behind, blocking the attack made by the four bodies he controlled and quickly firing flame orbs, burning away the bodies he used like puppets.
'...'
I remembered to honor them after the ordeal was over.
As two iron walls formed from the front and back, I braced my shield for the impact as the distance between the walls shortened abruptly before my shield was covered by iron sand from the wall.
'I find it funny how light it looks when it seems to float in air,' I mused, amused by the contrast of iron sand that weighed on my shield, feeling as if a couple of buildings were standing on me!
Predicting the next attack, I quickly detached from my shield and pushed it upward, carrying iron sand around it, and backing away from iron scissors emerging from the ground which would have almost cut me vertically as the blades closed between them, small enough to fit my shield to slice me without mercy.
Avoiding the iron senbon thrown at me simply by dodging, I tried to search for him but to no avail.
'He is most probably hiding and attacking from a safe distance as he won't be able to fool me twice,' I reassured myself, as I grabbed a flame orb in my palm, where pain is also an alternative to dispel genjutsu, albeit less elegant.
'It was all for naught for you...'
"Frankly speaking, I've never heard of you, but you must be quite talented in the Kaze clan, able to form objects effortlessly through iron sand to the point of manipulating bodies through them like a puppeteer, using genjutsu to misdirect me which I failed to notice until a moment ago, and able to fight without vision in order to combat me in the sandstorm without any problem thanks to your sharp sensory ability.
Give you a few more years, you might have become worthy to be a candidate for Yondaime Kazekage, leading the village and fortifying your clan legacy further." I praised him honestly, my words laced with rage, while throwing more flame orbs above.
"What are you trying to do?" A voice came from a distance, causing me to grin more.
"Making you feel honored, to die by my hands!" I laughed and finally solidified the core of a gigantic flame orb in the sky, made of all the flame orbs I had thrown, now falling towards the ground, where it doesn't matter where or how far he hides, as the attack will hit him.
"Scorch Release: Grand Annihilation!"
****
"Haha... the attack... was certainly eventful," I laughed before coughing up blood.
'Yup, I overexerted myself... I don't have much chakra left,'
But seeing the large crater formed around me that seemed deadlier than one formed by a meteorite falling from the sky, I had a satisfied smile.
He must have died alongside others who might have been hiding and watching the fight before stepping in, as the attack radius was enough to rival a tailed beast bomb I based it on.
It's the jutsu I specifically created to beat Shinki when I get my long-awaited rematch with him.
....
Anyway, I need to be careful when walking as a huge chunk of hot glass has formed from the sand due to the attack.
Getting up with feet that wobble a bit due to the pain of walking on hot and steaming sand, I form a flame orb to navigate the sandstorm. However, due to limited chakra, it was dim and the radius was small to maintain, only a few centimeters away from my eyes.
It was more than enough to go back to my residence while avoiding the hot glass, as I walked towards the center of the clan.
After the failure of their attack, no doubt they would be on guard.
Whether or not they sent another battalion to attack us after losing a significant amount of their manpower, I won't spare them for backstabbing us!
'Just you wait, Shinki!'
I won't give a damn if he talks about the village he preached to protect and stabilize as they have crossed the line this time!
As I finally made it to the heart of the clan, I sighed with relief, seeing the place was untouched.
Knowing they were deep inside their houses, to get a better position to attack potential invaders that would have entered through the windows or through the entrance, I didn't see anything out of place and went to the Kaen residence to check up on how Hiyori was doing.
Reaching his residence, I weakly walked to the door and dispelled the jutsu.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
"I eliminated the threat, Kaen. You may open the door,"
As the door creaked, I was visibly surprised that Hiyori opened the door with a cloth in her hand, and seemed to struggle to open it as she now had only one arm.
"There is no need to come here, you should have waited for Kaen to come," I scolded her, before being caught off guard, seeing her putting a cloth on my mouth.
As my voice was muffled out of frustration under the cloth, my heart sank when I noticed black threads around her body.
"Temple of Nirvana Technique."
A voice came from behind accompanied by many white feathers fluttering down in front of my eyes.
I tried to move, however my feet were trapped by the iron sand, where needles on top of my feet formed by the iron sand penetrated deep into my foot, nailing my feet to the ground.
My hands were free... however, there was no point as it was difficult to pinpoint his position to attack him and I lacked chakra to form any significant attacks.
'Aghh...'
Seeing now I no longer had control of my body, where it felt as if it was separated from me, I began to notice my consciousness dimming with the combined result of the chemical on the cloth and genjutsu which I failed to concentrate enough to dispel.
"Can't believe someone other than Shinki could survive. I guess I was never destined to beat him..."
"Even my last attack wasn't enough to finish you off…" I laughed self-deprecatingly, hating how I was going to die by someone that was not him…
….
"At least have enough courtesy to say your name. At least I want to know who other than Shinki could beat me.." I demanded weakly.
Knowing the combatants of the clan were far more weakened by the poison than me and the village was able to produce shinobi of such caliber to attack our clan that belongs in clear opposition with our clan, the fate of my clan was clear.
'It's quite a tragedy that I failed to protect my clan....'
....
....
...
"Zetsu," The voice responded, after a moment of silence.
'Huh... What a strange name?' I last uttered in my mind before everything went blank.
.....
...
...
..
.
———————————————————
Authors note: Internet and mobile network in my shutdown for a week, so I could not use Chat GPT(for proofreading and suggesting better word choice) let alone post it.
·Internet is still though, where it takes a lot tike to get anything from Chat GPT, to the point I had to switch claude as it was noticeably fastee to use at the current moment.