A special thank you to my patrons:
—Jacob Mooe, kevin Williams, Jose Sierra, Acedia, kurtis newman, Nhoxious, sediaz, Targaryen.
ad 30 chapters ahead of everyone on p@treon.
P@TREON - [email protected]/lessaservantofcosmos
(just replace the "@" with "a")
ps: Please support me on P@treon. I can really use your help!
-------------------------------------------------------------
Hiruzen sat within a freshly constructed room, the walls still faintly redolent with the scent of Wood Release. His expression was carved from grave solemnity as he surveyed the figures seated around the circular table.
The location he currently occupied was a "small island" borne upon the back of a colossal sea turtle. The landmass of the Island Turtle was so staggeringly vast that, for the majority of the time, those residing upon its surface could scarcely detect that they were, in fact, being carried by a gargantuan, living creature.
However, the Allied Shinobi Forces could not afford to station their entire army upon the Island Turtle. The reason for this was singular and fundamental—supplies and provisions. Once severed from the mainland, the ability to replenish food and materiel in a timely manner became a monumental logistical challenge. Furthermore, even after successfully making landfall, the Hidden Mist Village could not necessarily guarantee a stable, long-term supply of provisions. Therefore, the vanguard force, comprising himself and the other three commanders, numbered only five thousand shinobi. The bulk of the allied army remained temporarily encamped along the shoreline, ready to embark upon the Island Turtle and cross the sea at a moment's notice.
Five thousand elite shinobi was, in truth, no small number. Unless the Akatsuki's forces vastly outnumbered their own, they possessed full confidence in their ability to eliminate the enemy outright. The critical caveat, of course, was that the Akatsuki must not have already secured the Six-Tails.
During the second Five Kage Summit, the respective roles and responsibilities of each leader had already been formally delineated. Hiruzen and Onoki possessed the deepest reservoirs of experience. Yet, Sarutobi's prestige and commanding authority were the greater of the two. Thus, the position of Supreme Commander had been entrusted to him.
When the Island Turtle was still twenty nautical miles from the coastline, Hiruzen had conferred with the other commanders and subsequently dispatched an advance reconnaissance unit of twenty shinobi. This squad was the vanguard of the Allied Forces, tasked with scouting the situation on the island and ensuring that the main army did not blunder into an ambush laid by the Akatsuki.
"What do we do now? Do we simply wait here?" A, the Raikage, rapped his knuckles impatiently against the table. "I heard that Jiraiya and Tsunade reached the island long before us. Haven't they transmitted even the slightest shred of intelligence back yet?"
"Nothing. We have not yet managed to rendezvous with them, and as such, we have no established means of communication. Moreover, if the situation within the Hidden Mist Village is as urgent as we believe, even if a method of contact existed, they may very well lack the time to utilize it." Hiruzen interlaced his fingers, his demeanor stern and unyielding.
"We had better hope that Midorima does not decide to show himself!" A slammed his fist heavily against the table, his voice rough and grating.
"Are you angry with him?" Onoki asked, his eyes remaining closed.
"What is there to be angry about?" A drew a deep breath and shook his head. "It would be best if he doesn't appear. Because the moment he does and gets himself captured by the Akatsuki, even if every single one of us throws our lives away, we likely still wouldn't be enough to counterbalance the Akatsuki."
Hiruzen nodded in grim agreement.
That was the most troublesome crux of the entire situation.
Based on what they had observed previously, Midorima possessed the strength to face the Deva Path in single combat. He was an irreplaceable piece of their military strength. Without him, contending with the Akatsuki would undoubtedly be far more taxing, and the butcher's bill in lives would be catastrophically higher.
Yet, if he did reveal himself, he also ran the risk of being captured by the Akatsuki. At that stage, the consequence would no longer be a mere matter of losing a few more shinobi. The entire shinobi world would be dragged into the abyss. The potential losses were simply too catastrophic to comprehend.
"Are there any issues concerning the Daimyo of the various nations? I am referring specifically to their security," Baki interjected, a trace of unease coloring his tone.
Although he had participated in the previous Five Kage Summit, his status this time was that of Kazekage. Even if the appointment was only temporary, he now bore the full weight of the Hidden Sand Village's destiny upon his shoulders. From every conceivable angle, he dared not allow the Daimyo of the Land of Wind to be placed in harm's way.
"Rest assured. The Daimyo are currently encircled by the full might of the Allied Forces. Their personal bodyguards are elite shinobi handpicked from each of the Great Shinobi Villages. If they were to come to harm under these conditions, then I fear no place in the entire shinobi world could truly guarantee their safety," Hiruzen explained.
"Forgive me. I am merely... uneasy," Baki offered a strained, apologetic smile.
"Do not fret. You will grow accustomed to such burdens in time," Hiruzen reassured him.
Just at that moment, an urgent knock sounded upon the door.
"Enter," Hiruzen commanded.
The others immediately directed their sharp, expectant gazes towards the entrance. A young shinobi hurried into the meeting room, his expression fraught with distress.
"The Intelligence and Analysis Division has just relayed a report. The advance reconnaissance unit never even managed to set foot on shore before they were intercepted by the enemy... No, to be precise, they were completely annihilated," the young shinobi reported.
"What?!"
The complexions of all four leaders within the room underwent a drastic, instantaneous shift. They rose from their seats in near-unison and strode urgently out of the structure.
In the waters near the Hidden Mist Village, a dense, impenetrable fog had risen over the sea's surface. Visibility was terrifyingly, dangerously low. If not for the Island Turtle, any ship captain unfamiliar with these treacherous waters would have stood an extremely high probability of running aground upon hidden reefs.
The four men were just preparing to regroup with the Intelligence and Analysis Division when, without warning, a tremor shuddered through the Island Turtle. Though the tremor itself was not violent, all four men unmistakably perceived the anomaly.
At that very instant, a massive fish, at least twenty meters in length, arced through the air above the mist before vanishing once more into the swirling grey.
"What is happening?" Baki's instincts immediately prickled with alarm. A heavy fog, the open sea, a foreign and unfamiliar location... it was all but impossible for him not to feel a surge of deep suspicion.
"Do not allow panic to take hold. The other shinobi are watching us closely. If we display any outward sign of agitation, it will ripple through the entire army. This is the duty of a commander. We must project unwavering confidence, even in the face of certain death!" Hiruzen declared.
Baki inhaled sharply, acutely aware that his composure had momentarily faltered. He looked back at Hiruzen and nodded with renewed, steadfast resolve.
Just then, Shikaku Nara rushed towards them at full speed. Without pausing to offer any formal greeting, he launched directly into his report. "Lord Hokage, esteemed commanders, we have a critical situation!"
"What has happened?" Hiruzen demanded.
"An immense number of marine creatures have surfaced in the sea ahead and are blocking our passage!" Shikaku Nara stated.
"What?!" Hiruzen immediately took the lead, moving swiftly to the very edge of the Island Turtle. The leaders of the other shinobi villages followed closely on his heels.
The sea was swathed in a thick, pale mist. Visibility was severely restricted. Yet, through the obscured, hazy outlines, they could still faintly discern gargantuan marine creatures periodically breaching the water's surface. The twenty-meter-long fish they had glimpsed moments earlier was utterly insignificant compared to these new leviathans. The largest shadow, its silhouette stretching ominously through the fog into the far distance, appeared, by rough estimation, to be several hundred meters in length.
"What... is the cause of this?" Hiruzen asked, his voice tight with shock.
"I do not know... But... it seems there is a sound approaching," Shikaku said urgently.
"A sound?" Hiruzen froze momentarily, then forced his mind into absolute stillness and focused his senses.
In the far distance, the faint, unmistakable roar of a massive tidal surge could be heard. And with each passing moment, that sound was growing louder and louder, swelling into a deafening crescendo.
"Could it be a tsunami?!" Hiruzen's face drained of color. He spun around sharply and barked an order. "Alert the troops! Prepare for a tsunami! ...Lord Raikage, can the Island Turtle withstand the force of a tsunami?!"
A's brow furrowed into a tight, severe knot. "We are practically on the verge of making landfall! From where could such a colossal wave possibly originate?!"
Tsunamis typically surged towards the shore. This time, however, the situation was inexplicably, horrifyingly reversed.
"I do not know! Regardless, prepare for the worst immediately!" Hiruzen waved his hand, and Shikaku immediately wheeled around to relay the command.
But at that precise moment, a monstrous wall of water, towering dozens of meters high, materialized out of the dense fog. It surged over the colossal marine creatures effortlessly and slammed into the Island Turtle with earth-shattering, cataclysmic force.
The sheer, monumental impact actually drove the Island Turtle backwards through the water by over ten meters. Hiruzen, caught momentarily off guard, was staggered backward two full steps.
The collision between the tidal wave and the Island Turtle sent spray erupting over a hundred meters into the air. The displaced water then came crashing back down with devastating force onto the nearby land, scouring massive boulders and chunks of rock free and dragging them violently into the churning sea.
Hiruzen wiped the stinging saltwater from his face and peered into the gloom ahead. The massive, hundreds-of-meters-long shadow he had glimpsed earlier writhed its colossal body, slowly and deliberately turning its head to face them directly.