NOVEL NEXT Arc III Chapter 4
III
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Arc III Chapter 4
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The sun set and night replaced day. The pale light of the moon shone upon the frozen earth. Every available ANBU assembled in a single room. They gathered around a wooden table and discussed their current situation and their options. The discussion was heated.
“You fucking bitch, are you crazy?” Akahito raged.“Do you understand what you are saying? You want to abandon our wounded comrades. You want them to die, don't you?” He shot her a furious glare of pure, undiluted disgust.
Asami, however, stood her ground. “Akahito, don’t you dare lecture me. I am fully aware of the implications, but we have no other choice. Our options are limited. It is what needs to be done. We must leave the wounded behind if we want to escape. They would just slow us down. We would never make it with them in tow.”
Akahito clenched his fists. “We can't. We all are ninja of Konoha. We never abandon our comrades. And when I say never, I mean never.”
Asami clicked her tongue. “Do you even realise what that means? We will all fucking die. We are surrounded. Nobody will come to relieve us. But I don't want this village to be our grave. I don't want to soak the ground with our blood. I don't want to die a senseless death in the middle of nowhere.
Face it, Akahito, we are on our own, alone. The enemy outnumbers us by a significant margin. They will crush us. Nobody will survive.”
Asami slammed her fists onto the table, her face hard like granite, her eyes cold like ice. “What we need to do is to break out of this encirclement, or at least die trying.”
“... ... ...” Everyone fell silent.
Koichi voiced his concerns, “To succeed with a breakout, we have to leave behind the wounded.”
Asami nodded. “I know, but we have to do what is necessary. These are desperate times, and desperate times require desperate measures.”
Akahito gritted his teeth. “Listen, Asami, I don't give a fuck abut desperate times and desperate measures. You are a heartless monster! I will never betray my comrades no matter what, no matter when, no matter where. Those who abandon their comrades are worse than trash, every Konoha ninja knows that.”
Akahito's stubbornness annoyed Asami. “Akahito, this is not the time for sentimentalities. Whether we fight or not doesn’t matter. Your noble sacrifice will only serve to satisfy your desire for hollow heroism and nothing more. If we fight, we will all die. If we abandon them, then some of us will survive. Isn't that a small price to pay?
We don’t kill them. We just leave them behind. In fact, if we allow them to be captured, they might even survive. Kiri-nin are no savage brutes. They will probably spare them.”
“...” The room fell silent. Nobody dared to disturb the heavy silence, except for Konosuke.
“How can you be so cold, Asami?” Konosuke pitied her, but she didn’t need his pity.
Asami glared. “Cold? You have the impudence to call me cold, Konosuke? I am the only one here who has the courage to speak the truth, the truth you refuse to accept. Life is not a happy fairy tale. I try to save your sorry arses. I am willing to make the decisions you won't, and repay me with nothing but disdain and hatred.”
...
...
...
Asami took the word again, “Everyone who supports me should now raise their hand.”
Her eyes swept across the room, but not a single hand rose. Akahito glared at her in open contempt, while Konosuke, Ino, Koichi chose silence. After all, they were Konoha ninja, and there was no greater sin than to abandon your comrades.
“...” Asami clenched her fists and stormed out of the room. These stubborn fools and their Will of Fire. They were heading straight for their own demise.
She tried everything in her powers to resolve matters peacefully, but her efforts had failed. In the end, she had to do it on her own when nobody was willing to do what was necessary.
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Asami strolled through the village. Norinaga still guarded the village entrance, watching the surrounding area. He was perfect. He was the eyewitness, the perfect alibi.
Norinaga noticed her. “Asami, what are you doing here?”
Asami smiled. “I am taking a little stroll. Needed some fresh air.”
Her eyes surveyed the lifeless forest. The trees were silent. “How are our Kiri friends doing?”
Norinaga shrugged his shoulders. “Don’t know. They lie low for the time being. We haven’t seen anything of them aside from a few scouts.”
“Really?” Asami raised a surprised eyebrow, yet her attention belonged somewhere else. Her attention was drawn to an old, decrepit wooden house, worn down by the tooth of time. It served as their improvised field hospital. Out of the corner of her eyes, she spotted five chakra signatures, five targets. The coordinates were set. The purpose clear. Her chakra mobilised, prepared to strike, willing to heed her call.
Norinaga crossed his arms. “Yes, and I don't understand why. I don't understand why they don't attack. We are weak. They could easily crush us with their numbers, but the enemy hesitates. It is as if they are scared of us ...”
“Who knows, the world is a strange place filled with countless mysteries.” Asami smiled. “Anyway, I will take my leave then. I wish you a good night, Norinaga.”
He nodded. “Likewise. Good night, Asami ...”
A massive explosion shook the ground. The blast hit them with full force. A giant fireball illuminated the night. The explosion shredded the building, destroying everything in its vicinity.
“What the fuck was this?” Norinaga held his breath, pure shock written all across his face.
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