Chapter 36: Retreat

The first attack that came from one of the S-rankers was from the Toad Sage himself. He thought he could take me by surprise with the earth release jutsu he'd been preparing since I killed the first anbu, but I felt it beneath my feet. When his hands clapped the floor and the ground around me transformed to deep mud that reacdhed to gather whatever it touched into it, I remained stable. My own section of the floor, remaining untouched and unadulterated.

Jiraiya's chakra was powerful, but not enough to overwhelm mine when he didn't even know the fight was happening. With the three or so remaining anbu being put down by Jiraiya's jutsu, I bent my knees and shot right at him from his position across from me. Dark Sister appeared in my hands with only a twist of concentration and stabbed right ahead at him. He lifted his arms and the blade slid right off his vambrace, making a harsh grating sound as the valyrian steel blade failed to so much as scratch the dark steel that made up the gauntlet-like guards the man wore around his arms.

Our eyes met, and he lashed out with a head butt straight at me. Sand from my collar lifted up into a shallow shield, the best I could do in such close quarters and at the speed we were fighting at. His head, clad in the headband that read only a single word passed through the shield like it wasn't even there and slammed into mine with all the force of a train. What the fuck? My head began to ring as I stumbled backwards.

I was lucky that my absolute defence didn't need any conscious input, or I would have died right then and there. Danzo, from the corner sent several bullets of wind flying at me, that I barely noticed until my sand rose up to block every single of them off. Jiraiya's follow up swipe, aimed at my head was blacked in a similar way, except with way much more sand. Id leaned forwards, towards him and took conscious control of the sand and used it to push right against his midsection. The sand scattered before it even touched him and only another shield prevented his retaliatory kick from knocking my head off my body. I forced my sand to grab a hold of my body and lift me up and away from the range of the dangerous Sannin's limbs. My head was still ringing from that first attack he managed to land.

I suddenly forced my sand to scatter and entered into free fall as a lance of light passed through where I'd once been. Mu. The fucking Tsuchikage. I fell towards the floor for a few seconds before I caught myself in my sand and avoided a splattery death. It was taking me a few precious minutes to calibrate my instincts to fighting without just being able to assemble and reassemble either my entire body or parts if it on a whim.

It was almost like fighting with my hands tied behind my back. Or being blindfolded. I knew what I needed to do. My reflexes screamed at me to do it, by my body just wasn't cooperating, and this was all Danzo's fault. Made me wonder how he'd like to live without a head. I kicked off my sand platform, heading for the man, but Mu's pupilless eyes were in my way in less than a second. He reached out for me and I for him in unison.

"Heavy weighted boulder Jutsu" we both incanted in unison, having both our flight paths destabilised for the precious second that deactivating the jutsu cost. Ordinarily, we'd have been equally disadvantaged, but I wasn't the one with allies here. A massive bullet of flame screamed in the air, turning the air around it sweltering as it rose at me. This sure would be a good time to know water release, wouldn't it?

Sand rose to my command, the trusted ally that had been by my side since my first day in this world. The shield I formed had three layers, each one a few inches away from the last to allow some air to exist in the middle. I felt the first layer entirely leave my control as the sand was glassed almost instantly. The second fell to the same fate in more time, and the third ended up being barely enough to protect me from the attack. In that time, Mu had come back into the fight and was already aiming for me with that nasty dust release of his.

For the first time in this life, I was forced to face the facts. My sand would run out. My reserves were already slightly depleted after the fight on the day of the Chunin exams and Jiraiya's and Mu's combined attentions were not doing them any good. I was already robbed of one of my major trumpcards, the ability to transform into sand and these were three powerful S-rankers.

Adding to that was the fact that Danzo still had roughly nine lives left to go, and Jiraiya had sage mode still up his sleeves. If I stayed, and in the increasingly unlikely chance that I managed to somehow win this, I would never be able to make it out of here alive. The ninja of Konoha were already swarming about on the ground below us and while I doubted they knew much about Danzo or cared that much, killing Jiraiya was one way to get myself on their bad side. Legends like Might Guy and Asuma Sarutobi would be deadly opponents on their own. Facing them while tired out and in the middle of their village, surrounded by thousands of their comrades was a death sentence.

There was no victory here. Not for me. Danzo had put me in the ultimate lose-lose situation, with only one way out. Retreat. Sure, it would be ceding victory to them, but I wasn't a samurai. No victory would ever be worth my life.

So how was I going to do this? Retreat had to be both simultaneously quick and effective. I needed to make sure I was gone quickly and that they didn't have much of an opportunity to pursue. Although part of me really wanted Mu to add another Tsuchikage to my list, if you would. Without Jiraiya and Danzo to run interference, he'd be nothing for me to deal with.

I blinked and activated one of my oldest jutsus. Two clones of sand pulled themselves right out of the platform I was standing on. It had been a while since I used this jutsu in its truest form. Once I got the power to transform into sand, the just had taken on a more efficient, less chakra intensive and more integrated form, but part of me still missed the threefold vision I could get from having two clones to my side. Just how great would this be when I figured out how to add the Sharingan to my vision.

I jumped backwards onto a smaller platform while both my clones jumped forwards at the same time. One for Danzo, and the other for Mu. Jiraiya was the biggest threat here, and he was the one I most wanted to kill before leaving. If there was anyway to weaken Konoha after their betrayal, it would be killing the last loyal Sannin. With Danzo in charge and Jiraiya dead, there was no way Tsunade would ever be returning. At the end of the day, the trip would still be a success. Rob them of two Kage level ninja in one fell swoop while causing massive personnel and infrastructural damage.

A sea of sand rose from the ground, more a pond than a sea, but the point still stood. It covered his view for a few seconds before falling right down on him. I clenching off my fist later, and the sand tripled in weight, accelerating even further as it bore down on the Toad Sage.

He lived up to that name of his as a giant Katana suddenly cut through the tightly packed sand, scattering some of it before a massive water bullet ended the attack in its tracks. Beneath the man's feet had appeared a giant red toad.

"Is this what you summoned me for, Jiraiaya?" The toad asked, not getting any reply from its summoner, making it lift an eyebrow in irritation.

"Oi. Jiraiya! I asked you a question. Don't ignore me." The creature shouted again, getting nothing in reply, and I couldn't resist the urge to interfere in the comedic interaction.

"He can't hear you, you know" I said, echoing words that had once belonged to a charming boy from a book series only I knew of.

"Watchya talking about?" The toad screamed at me with narrowed eyes. "Oi, Jiraiya" A massive tounge shot out from the giant's mouth and almost slammed into the man before he jumped over it and jumped right for me.

"Come back here, Jiraiya" The toad shouted at its fleeing summoner. "Did you do this, brat?" It suddenly turned its eyes to me with an impressive amount of killing intent.

"Naaa. He's under some genjutsu from that guy over there." I said, pointing to Danzo who was currently engaging in blazingly fast taijutsu with one of my clones. For a bag of bones, he sure moved quickly.

"Genjutsu, huh? I know just what to do" It said, right as Jiraiya crashed through my automatic shield with a rasengan clutched in his hand. My blade shot out instantly as Dragon had trained me to do, and I aimed for the head, only for him to react at the last second and my blade to produce a high pitched clang as it clashed against the horned headband the man proudly sported. The blade slipped against the oil inscription before hitting the base of the horns and coming to a sudden stop.

Our eyes met for a split second and that second was all Gamabunta needed to execute his idea. A massive plume of smoke erupted from where he'd been while the equally massive toad yelled out the words, 'Summoning jutsu'.

Since Jiriaya's summons seemed interested in taking care of his sudden madness, I could see the opportunity to retreat. I jumped backwards, and as the Toad Sage made to follow, two smaller toads, Ma and Pa, appeared by his side. It seemed Gamabunta had been very quick in briefing them.

He tried ignoring them to make for me, but that failed as they both took deep breaths and erupted into song. More a scream than a song, if I was being truly honest. The music grated at my ears and bore down on my chakra like a sludge. The fact that I could even feel any effects from what was obviously mostly a genjutsu even when it wasn't directed at me told me all I needed to know about how terrifying the creatures could be.

I took the opening for what it was and summoned a sand platform beneath my feet before taking off into the skies. The chance that whatever the toads were going to attempt to do was going to fail was much too high for me to stick around in the hopes of killing Danzo Shimura once and for all. Jiraiya was the biggest threat, yes. But the ability to continuously respawn with Sharingan fuckery and enough skill with curse seals as to apply them with only a second of contact was dangerous enough to warrant some element of caution on my part. My clones did their part and kept both the new Hokage and his under servant busy as I made my escape from the Village's lines. Luckily, Danzo had not seemed to have accounted for this possibility and hadn't prepared anything to prevent my escape.

XXXXX- DANZO POV (SEVEN HOURS AGO)

"It's finally time" I said to myself and to the portrait of my master, the greatest Hokage the village hidden in the leaves had and would ever see. He'd only mad one mistake in his lifetime, and that was giving the throne to Hiruzen over me when he passed on. But I understood that. I was the coward in that situation for failing the test and not volunteering to give my life for the village. But then, Hiruzen had proven that willingness to lay down one's life for the village and strength alone would not a good Kage make.

After all, he was willing to lay down his life, but now in his old age, he had no willingness to lay down his morality and compassion on the alter of Konoha's strength and dominance. He had no grasp of what was necessary. The God of Shinobi had been a fearsome Kage in his time, but now he stood as nothing but an old man well past his prime. His treatment of the Ichibi Jinchuriki exemplified that even now.

Konoha had just been through its greatest test yet, and he allowed an enemy to roam with impunity within her walls, instead of mobilizing his ninja and taking the tailed beast to strengthen Konoha in the long term and deny their enemies of both their weapon and Kage in one fell swoop. That was what Sensei would have done. He surely would never have treated with the enemy and offered them land that would be useful in cultivating crops to feed the next generation. Hiruzen was too shortsighted.

I was the one who'd lost an eye in the second Great War all those decades ago, but he was the blind one. Not like the lack of an eye hadn't ended up proving to be a boon for me in the long run, but that was only because of just how resilient and resourceful I was. If Hiruzen had lost an eye, he'd have never had the strength to do what would have been necessary for Konoha's strength. Speaking of strength, I could feel it now. This eye was regaining its power. Shisui Uchiha's Mangekyou Sharingan, the greatest weapon in the Shinobi world, was finally ready to use again.

I tore off the bandages around my face and squinted at the mirror, seeing for the first time in years, the Sharingan returned to its full glory. The Kotoamutsukami was finally ready to use again, and I had just the right target for it. He thought himself much wiser than he truly was. Yes, in his last visit he'd proven adept at discovering all my agents when I tried to sneak them into his bed at the whorehouses, but that was years ago. I was much better now, and so were they. I watched as they got him to drop his guard. Two women, blonde and well endowed, just as he preferred them, but fully under my influence as they got to begin touching him and making him more foolish even more than he should have.

Ideally, I would never need to resort to such tactics to get him into my genjutsu but Jiraiya was a wily man. All Sarutobis students had grown into disappointments with time, but the most disappointing in youth had become the least so in adulthood. His name drove fear into the hearts of Konoha's enemies, and his strength would be a useful tool. That was why I was personally seeing to this mission. As for my old friend, his fate had been sealed for years now, and it was just a mater of delivering the final blow.

I watched them begin to undress, feeling nothing where there would have previously been a mixture of revulsion and anger. This was Konoha's S-ranker. A waste, shadow of a man who could not even tell the difference between whores and trained operatives. He kissed them wholly and without reservation, swallowing their lips and tongues, exchanging saliva with abandon. It was quite concerning. Did this man have no fear of disease? Back in my time, even the most lewd of Shinobi would never have dared to get so free with women of the night. His left hand reached up to grope the one on the left, as the one on the right began to pull at his Kimono, slowly undressing him. I did not avert my eyes when his left hand finally pulled off the skimpy excuse of a top that the agent was wearing and then latched onto her right breast with his lips and began to tease at them. I watched as the fluid dripped from her nipples into his mouth with anticipation. When he jumped in alarm, it was too late. I bolted, gathering chakra at the heels of my feet and exploded into motion in an instant.

His hair had already hardened and torn the two agents to shreds with their sharp needle-like blades, a testament to his quick reaction time and strength. Still, it was insufficient. When he turned to me with a snarl on his face and the fourth Hokage's signature jutsu in his hands, we met eyes, and the fight ended in an instant.

We found ourselves transported to a mountain, the man's inner mental plane. He was nothing but a blank slate before me as the Kotoamatsukami began to do its job. All I needed was a single order. One order above all else. "Be loyal to me and obey all my commands above all else" I intoned and when he nodded, I resisted the urge to smile in satisfaction at a job well done. Here, away from any and everyone else, I still could not show weakness. I couldn't afford it. Not now, not ever. The mountainous regions faded away around me, replaced with the red walls of the whorehouse that I'd taken over all those months ago. One of many.

"What are your orders, Master?" Jiraiya asked, dropping to a knee and ending all his active jutsu and defences. Good.

"First of all, bring me Orochimaru of the Sannin"

(End of Chapter)

Stat Sheet;

Name; Gaara of the Desert

Age; Twelve

Level; 15

Title; Kazekage of Sunagakure

Chakra Capacity; 5,500/7,000 (Regeneration; 250 cp per minute)

Ichibi Chakra Capacity; 45,000/45,000 (Regeneration; 750 cp per minute)

Strength; 34

Speed; 71

Agility; 79

Endurance; 70

Intelligence; 89

Durability; 35

Perception; 88

Charisma; 67

Stat Points; 0

Skills;

Gamer's Mind Mark Two- ON

Taijutsu; 66

Kenjutsu; 54

Ninjutsu; 87

Genjutsu; 2

Fuinjutsu; 79

Medical Ninjutsu; 73

Sand Control; 81

Pain tolerance; 31

Meditation; 80

Shape manipulation; 72

Chakra Sensing; 19

Chakra affinities;

Wind; 56

Earth; 51

Fire; 55