VI

━━━━━━┓༻❁༺┏━━━━━━

Arc VI Chapter 12

━━━━━━┛༻❁༺┗━━━━━━

Located in his improvised command post, Noritada and his staff leaned over a map of Konoha and evaluated their current state. The situation on the ground was ... complicated for Suna's invasion force.

Noritada clicked his tongue. This was supposed to be a simple invasion. Their combined forces were supposed to catch Konoha by surprise, but that wasn’t the case. Konoha resisted. Their ninja fought stubbornly. Konoha responded with an organised defence. They were aware of the invasion, but how? Where did Konoha get this information from? Did Orochimaru double-cross them?

The entire operation had turned into a veritable meat grinder. Losses mounted as Konoha’s streets proved challenging. They were an endless labyrinth of buildings, and his men made little progress. He ordered his brigade to take the eastern gate and the arena, but they failed spectacularly.

The 1st Battalion got shredded by a giant explosion. They lost all contact. Four entire companies just vanished. The 2nd Battalion got decimated by a girl with a fucking teddy bear. The creepy girl massacred his troops left and right, and the 2nd Battalion disintegrated.

He thought this was some kind of a bad joke, but reality proved him wrong. Similar reports kept coming in, and they all mentioned the murderous girl and her teddy bear.

The 3rd and 4th Battalion remained largely intact and kept in the reserve. In the meanwhile, his men got pounded across the entire front. They got bombed back into stone age the moment they stuck out their heads. The enemy targeted their movements with surgical precision. Konoha's firepower strangulated any advance.

The 5th Battalion secured the rear area, while Suna forces advanced deeper and deeper into the village. Suna's forces were spread thin and their flanks were weak. Noritada feared they were too thin, too weak. The 5th Battalion alone guarded their retreat and prevented them from being encircled.

“General!” Asuka approached him.

Noritada looked up from the map. “What's the matter, Asuka? Anything new?”

Asuka straightened her back. “Nothing. The front stabilised, but we are still getting bombarded.”

The walls trembled and the ground vibrated. Noritada didn't look happy. “I can hear that.”

Noritada set his eyes on the map. “Asuka, do you think the invasion can still succeed?”

Asuka took her time. “Doubtful. Time plays against us and progress fell behind schedule. The battle isn't lost yet, but the tides are definitely turning against us.”

“I agree.” Noritada nodded. He had to do something. They had to do something.

The tides of battle were turning against them. Their priority was now to minimise losses and conserve Suna’s forces, even if he had to use their Oto allies as cannon fodder.

“It's time to get out of this fucking village. Inform General Yoshitaka that we will retreat soon. Order the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Battalion to cease further operations and fall back. The 5th Battalion shall hold the line and secure our retreat path. They have to keep the corridor open at all costs.”

Asuka nodded. “I understand ...”

“General.” Tokimune reported. “Oto sent a messenger. He wants to speak with you. He brings direct orders from Orochimaru.”

Noritada grumbled. “Do they have nothing better to do than to bother me? Whatever, let him in ...”

“That's not necessary. I am already here, General Noritada.” A masked Oto-nin interrupted him. Guards accompanied him.

Noritada didn't hide his annoyance. “So what are my special orders?”

The Oto-nin presented him a scroll.

Noritada opened the scroll and his face darkened. The orders didn't amuse him.

Noritada looked up.“You can’t be serious? These orders are beyond suicidal.”

“We are serious.” The Oto-nin confirmed his fears and wandered around. He approached the nearest window. “Orochimaru-sama orders ...”

Noritada mood worsened. “Please, for both our sakes, don’t get near the window. You will save us a lot of trouble.”

“...” The Oto-nin raised his eyebrow.

Noritama ignored him and continued reading the scroll. “You are new here, my friend, but I don’t have the desire to change my command post twice today. The area is dangerous.”

The Oto-nin resumed, “Orochimaru-sama orders an all out assault against the city centre together with all available Oto forces.”

Noritada narrowed his eyes. “While we appreciate Orochimaru’s offensive spirit, I think we will decline his gracious offer.”

“Are you sure, General? This is not an offer you can decline.” The Oto-nin stood before the window and observe the village. He grinned.

His guards handed Noritada another scroll with the official seal of the Kazekage.

“The orders stem from Kazekage himself.”

Noritada didn’t believe his eyes, but it was the truth. The seal was real, and the orders weren't forged. They were fucked.

The victorious Oto-nin grinned. “General Noritada, you are now officially under my command ...”

“Hey, what are you doing?”

Noritada set the scroll afire. The scroll bruned in his hands until nothing remained but a pile of ash. “I am sorry, but I don’t know which orders you are talking about. Asuka, Tokimune, did you see perchance any orders from the Kazekage?”

Asuka shook her head and smiled.

The Oto-nin fumed. “General Noritada, I hope you are aware of the consequences of your actions. I will inform Orochimaru-sama and the Kazekage about this blatant act of insubordination ...”

Noritada maintained his calm facade. “You are free to do so ...”

Noritada's eye widened. The Oto-nin. He was near the window. He was near the window. “TAKE COVER!!!”

The first explosion hit. The detonation shredded the wall. Broken glass impaled the Oto-nin and his guards like shrapnel.

Noritada emerged from a pile of debris and coughed. He told him so, don't get near the window. This was already the second time today he got almost blasted to pieces.

━━━━━━┛༻❁༺┗━━━━━━

“What an idiot.” Asami sipped her tea at the eastern gate and enjoyed her mischief. Playing artillery was fun. Nobody escaped her sharingan. Her eyes smote the enemy like tiny ants from above, showering the enemy with love.

Three ANBU appeared and knelt. The ANBU waited for her to finish her cup.

Asami ignored them until she deemed them worthy of her attention. “Fu, Torune, you made me wait.”

━━━━━━┛༻❁༺┗━━━━━━