Chapter 23: Danzo’s Mistake.

Author Note: Nothing of importance, just enjoy the chapter, and if you have any questions, make sure to comment!

And like always, remember if you want to read up to 12 chapters ahead go to https://www.patreón.com/cornbringer

I'm currently updating the novel 2-8 chapters a day in patreeeeon. On chapter 35 so far, though by the end of today it will be chapter 37-40.

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Enjoy you sexy bastards.

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[Arata Yoshiro - POV.] 

This was not how I expected tonight to go. I thought I'd be sleeping beside my wife, maybe reading a book or two, but not this. Taking a deep breath, I moved through the village, helping to evacuate those who could not fend for themselves, be they civilians or injured Shinobi. It had been years since I was in active duty, but my skills hadn't dulled enough to be useless in situations like this.

As I moved, the Nine Tails raged on, tearing through everything in its path.

"Keep moving! You will receive medical attention at the safe zones, but keep moving!" I yelled to a group of villagers, guiding them towards safety. The ground trembled with each step they took, the fear palpable.

I could only hope my wife and child were okay. They were my everything, my sun and moon, my greatest treasure.

Pushing those thoughts aside for now, I felt something at the back of my neck, a prickling sensation that set my nerves on edge. I glanced around, trying to pinpoint the source. "Who's there?" I called out, my voice cutting through the noise. "Show yourself!"

I had no idea who was watching me. Enemy Shinobi? Perhaps allies of the one who unleashed the Nine Tails?

Before I could form any more theories, a figure stepped out from the shadows. An ANBU operative with a pig mask, his chakra devoid of emotion. The sight of him sent a wave of anger and disgust through me because I knew who this puppet worked for—Shimura Danzo. "What do you want?" I demanded, my eyes narrowing.

I knew this didn't mean anything good for me. If Danzo's intentions were to help with the evacuation, his puppets would be helping. His puppets were good at one thing, and one thing only—blindly following orders. So the fact this soulless bastard wasn't helping meant he wasn't here to help.

The emotionless bastard stood silent for a moment before drawing his blade and stepping closer. "Yoshiro Arata," he said, his voice devoid of warmth. "You are to be executed."

So that was his mission, to kill me. I had no idea what I had done to get under Danzo's skin. I wasn't aware of his operations; I just knew he wasn't a man anyone should trust, and that was a sentiment most Shinobi I knew shared. So I couldn't find a reason for this, unless… I wasn't his real target but an obstacle for it.

He wants my son.

And if that's the case… he needs my Mai gone too.

I gritted my teeth, glaring at the bastard in front of me, knowing full well that by now, my sweet little flower was most likely dead. "I won't let you lay a hand on my brat, fucker."

"Arata Takeshi has a duty to Konoha," the bastard said, his tone unyielding and unfeeling.

My anger flared ever higher. "And I told you, no."

The bastard's gaze remained steady, unmoved by my words or rage. "This is not a request."

"Fuck off, or I will kill you," I spat at him, getting ready to fight.

The operative's eyes narrowed behind his mask. "I'm afraid I can't do that," he said, his voice cold and final. He lunged at me with his blade, moving with the precision and speed expected of Danzo's minions.

I dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding the strike. Years of training kicked in, muscle memory guiding my movements as I countered with a swift kick to the operative's side. The force of the blow sent him staggering back, but he quickly recovered, showing no signs of pain or discomfort.

"Fire Style: Flame Bullets!" I shouted, hurling a barrage of flaming projectiles toward the operative. The rapidity of my attack left him little room to dodge, and the flames consumed him in a bright, searing flash before his body exploded in a poof of smoke.

A clone! 

Turning around, I ducked under his attack just in time, his blade a blur of deadly precision. Grabbing a kunai, I parried his following attack, our weapons clashing with a sharp metallic ring that echoed through the chaos around us. Every strike, every parry, was a desperate attempt to survive and protect my family.

I couldn't let this battle drag on more than was absolutely necessary. One of the reasons I had retired was because my heart couldn't take the stress of combat, a side-effect of a deadly poison I survived during one of my missions.

If this continued, my heart would give out, and then Danzo would have an open path to my kid. I couldn't allow that to happen; I couldn't fail my son and my Mai like that.

Pushing forward, I managed to land a punch to his ribs, breaking one of them, but he retaliated with a swift kick that knocked me back. Pain flared through my side, but I pushed it aside, refusing to let this bastard have the upper hand.

"This is futile," the operative commented in a monotone tone, throwing a few shurikens my way.

"Tell Danzo he can suck my balls. He won't touch my kid," I growled, dodging the projectiles before lunging forward. "I'll die before I let that happen!"

As if in response to my challenge, another figure emerged from the shadows, a woman, another operative with the same emotionless demeanor. This one wore a mask marked with the symbol of a snake. The sight of a second operative sent a chill down my spine. Fighting one was hard enough, but two?

"You were never meant to win," the first operative said coldly as the second joined the fray.

I barely had time to react before they attacked in unison. Their movements were synchronized, each one complementing the other's strikes, making it nearly impossible to defend against both and attack at the same time. I parried a blow from the first, only to be met with a kick from the second that sent me staggering.

Every time I tried to counter, one of them was there to block or retaliate. If they decided to start using jutsu, I was done for, which meant I was being lucky… no, that wasn't it. If their mission was to kill, and it was, why would they limit themselves when they could finish the job twice as fast with half the effort?

Danzo's tools were a lot of things, but inefficient wasn't one of them. Which meant this had to be part of their mission. The question was… what could they possibly gain from holding themselves back during an assassination mission?

If efficiency wasn't their goal, then what was it?

And then it dawned on me, like a bucket of cold water. My death had to look natural, or as natural as possible in the current situation. My demise had to be marked as nothing more than collateral damage in the Nine Tails' rampage, and in order to do so, they weren't aiming to kill but to exert my heart until it couldn't beat anymore.

I gritted my teeth, dodging their combined attacks as I watched another two operatives appear.

Running was out of the question, winning too…

The only path I had was losing.

I couldn't win before my heart gave out. Even now, I was already feeling my body begging to slow down. It wouldn't be long before things started to shut down, but I still had juice for one last thing, one last… fuck you.

I might as well lose on my terms, making sure Danzo can't get what he wants. He can blow my dick in the afterlife. "Summoning Jutsu!" My hands slammed onto the ground, chakra surging beneath my fingertips. Moments later, a puff of smoke engulfed me, obscuring my attackers' view as my summon, a large crane named Torutora, appeared.

"We are supposed to be retired, Yoshiro," Torutora groaned, the faint lines of weariness etched into his avian face. He shook his large, feathery head, silver eyes meeting mine. "But I suppose retirement doesn't apply right now."

"Sorry for the bother," I chuckled, trying to regain my breath. "But I need some help here."

Torutora cast me a wry glance, the corners of his beak curving upward in a semblance of a smile. He was as old and as grizzled as I was but still retained the fiery spirit of his youth. "Of course, Yoshiro. We'll go out with a bang, won't we?"

That was part of the plan, but not all. I still needed to protect my son from Danzo, even if it meant doing it from the grave.

"Torutora, I'm going to need one of your feathers, old friend," I said, plucking a feather out. The crane summoning clan wasn't the strongest summoning clan out there when it came to fighting or tracking or stealth. However, there was one thing they did better than most summoning clans, and that was information delivery.

Most Shinobi usually ignored the Crane summons because of this reason, because field capabilities were limited compared to other summons. Which is why I know for a fact that what I'm about to do is something not even the bastard of Danzo or the Third Hokage himself know.

"I will buy you some time," Torutora grinned, already shifting his weight to prepare for the incoming assault. "Make it quick, Yoshiro. These old wings don't move like they used to."

In a few deft movements, my hands swiftly formed the series of seals needed, channeling some of my chakra into the feather. It glowed brightly for a moment before fading, now imbued with a message.

I smiled, sending the feather back to the cranes. They would know what to do.

"I'm ready, old friend," I said, cracking my neck as I jumped back into the fray. "Ready to go out with a bang?"

"Always," Torutora squawked back, his wings fanning open, building a gust of wind that sent leaves and debris scattering.

You can take our lives, Danzo, leaving my son alone in this world, but one day... he will take your head. I have no doubt my child will be the strongest Shinobi this world has ever seen. And by the time you come to regret your actions, the edge of his blade will already be upon you, you fucking bastard.