The End [Travel to Lightning Country / Plot]

Age : 32 Posts : 1495

Finally, the moment when Mana left for Kumogakure to stop the Parabrahma from attempting to take over the world came. The magician intended to do a raid on the large castle at the edge of the Fire Country first but after her targets were clear she understood that it wasn't needed anymore. It was one image she got out of the one member she had beat before. The other picture being the Daimyo of Lightning, the one being targeted by the Parabrahma. Mana had been thinking long and hard why would the Parabrahma target the Daimyo, it didn’t make sense for someone who wanted the entire world in their hands to target just one Daimyo.

It was then that the magician realized, the Parabrahma member spoke a lot about ninja and their strength, about ninja superiority. What if the organization had so much appreciation for pure ninja strength that they wanted to reshape the entire world, the Great Ninja Countries in their image. For that they needed to take out the Daimyo, all of them. So the target of the Parabrahma wasn’t the Lightning Daimyo, it was all of the Daimyo. They wanted to take them all out and then take the villages to themselves one by one without all of the countries unifying their strength and fighting back.

The countries didn’t trust each other, they weren’t capable of working together. The Daimyo were the ones who would’ve been capable of telling the Kage to unify their efforts, for that reason they had to go, they had to disappear. Once the Daimyo are gone the Parabrahma could’ve attacked the Kage of each village, using all of their force to crush a single man or a woman would’ve made them capable of beating any single Kage. One by one, after all those steps were completed the Parabrahma would’ve stood above everything else. They would’ve had the Great Countries in their hands and eventually they would’ve taken over the smaller ones using the strength of the Great ones. Eventually the world would’ve been theirs for the taking.

Mana woke up early in the morning, she was used to early morning traveling ever since her days traveling from Shukuba town to Konoha and back when she was involved in Shukuba reformation. The earlier in the morning it was the less likely the young magician would’ve been to meet any of her fans or friends, her friends knew of her wish to fight the Parabrahma but no one wanted her to leave alone. Meiko and Kiyomi actually were promised that once Mana finds out enough information that she would inform them and the three of them would leave to fight together. “To Hell with that I suppose…” Mana thought as she looked up into the pale moon up in the sky.

“Mana-sama!” the guards greeted her as the magician passed them. “You’re leaving?” one of the guards asked. “Yeah…” Mana replied with a rather dull tone, as if it was none of his business where and that she has no intentions of sharing the details. “I’m off on a mission.” she replied softly. Her tone softened once she realized that since she’s leaving alone to fight an entire organization of S ranked ninja she might not even be back. This might be the last time she’s going to see these two goofs and this whole village. Suddenly Mana’s step slowed down a little, she turned back and looked back at her home for the last time. “We’ve had good times…” Mana said to herself quietly. After letting out a deep sigh the magician headed off. She had left many times before but this time somehow felt like it was the last one.

Slowly the magician started moving through the forests of the Fire Country, she was in no rush, she had no idea when were the Parabrahma supposed to be attacking the Lightning Daimyo, all she knew that it didn’t happen yet. If it did the other Daimyo would’ve gotten paranoid, they would’ve started gathering their best ninja to protect them and Mana didn’t want to brag to herself but she knew that she’d be invited to protect the Fire Daimyo herself. Since no outrage yet happened it meant that Parabrahma didn’t intend to attack just yet. There was still the matter of convincing the Daimyo bodyguards that she wanted to protect him and that his life was going to be threatened…

Mana’s mind turned off, she kept on walking through the forests she knew inside and out. It was supposed to be a lengthy trip, longer perhaps even than her trip to the Kirigakure was. There was of course the fact that Mana traveled most of the distance by ship when traveling to the Mist. Now she’d have to go on foot, all the way through the Hot Springs Country and the Snow Country. From what Mana had heard Daimyo resided somewhere near Kumogakure, she was pretty well known in the Hot Springs Country due to many attempts to plan a show there, maybe she could get some more information there. Anyway, as soon as she gives the Kumo ninja the information of danger to the Daimyo’s life she’s likely to be taken either to the prison or to the man.

Mana was known as a remarkable ninja throughout the world, it was much more likely that the people would believe her story and on days like this she was proud of being the most well known kunoichi in the world. Finally Mana had reached the Hot Springs Country. “Maybe I should rent out a mean of transportation or something, like a caravan? I need to save my strength for the battle after all…” Mana wondered to herself as she started looking around the small town. The place was an ideal settlement. It had no walls, no guards – so peaceful and trusting of the world around them. Mana couldn’t help but smile. “It’s… The Sorceress!!!” surprised voices started reaching her ears. “Perhaps it would’ve been for the better if I got myself a cloak…” the magician thought to herself as she approached a man near a caravan.

Age : 32 Posts : 1495

Little could’ve been seen through the small window of the carriage Mana paid for. The coachman didn’t ask too much of her, his logic was that “a lady traveling alone has enough to worry about” but inside the magician knew she’s been recognized. The horses didn’t appear to take the Snow Country weather too well. To be honest neither did Mana, all she wore was her magician’s uniform and her standard ninja gear. She didn’t take a coat or a hood with her so it was a bit chilly inside the carriage. The driver didn’t wear anything in addition to his own uniform but he seemed to be quite used to the chills of the Snow Country.

Mana kept worrying over the reception in Kumogakure, how would she be received, would people believe her words or not and if she would be labeled crazy and shunned away. She didn’t send any message to the Raikage or anything like that, messages could’ve been intercepted or delivered to the wrong target. By now the Parabrahma may have known that Mana beat their member and probably assumed that she interrogated him, the magician wasn’t sure how much did the organization think she knew but she was a thorn at their side. It was likely that her movements were being traced, that her letters would be intercepted. The only way to be certain was to talk with the man face to face if possible.

Suddenly the carriage stopped abruptly. “Oh no…” fear sparked in the heart of the young woman as she started to believe she knew what was going on. She opened the door of her carriage and stepped out. Ten cloaked figures stood in front of the carriage, the Lightning Country couldn’t have been much further away. “Ten, huh? So they’re sending the entire organization just to kill me… I’m not sure if I should feel flattered or scared for my life.” Mana thought as she signaled the coachman to get out and flee backwards. The magician herself stood in front of the carriage so that any attacks directed at the man would’ve had to go through her.

“Konoha’s Sorceress…” a husky voice of a middle aged man reached her ears. “You have killed a member of the Parabrahma… That has never happened before, it will never happen again.” the same man in the middle spoke. The young magician felt up their chakra – they were all different, that and the difference in height and body build of those people made her believe that the entire organization actually just attacked her. “Kijin was an important member, your actions actually moved our plans backwards quite a lot.” The man kept talking. His voice was husky but strong, the voice alone was enough to instill fear.

“You made a mistake by having Kijin reveal himself.” Mana replied to the ten in front of her. “Konohagakure has profiles on most of you guys, they’re mostly [Rumored] status but… You’re hardly the ghosts you once were.” “BURN HER! BAHNINGU!” one of the taller figures yelled out moving forward, revealing some sort of a cannon hiding behind his wide sleeve. The man in the middle, who Mana began to think of as being the leader, raised his hand sideways and stopped the tall loudmouth. “I’m afraid we can’t let you proceed with your journey, Nakotsumi Mana.” he continued speaking as if he wasn’t just rudely interrupted.

“Before we didn’t think much of your meddling, no single ninja can stand in our way, we believed that any one of our members could beat any single ninja… After you forced Kijin to trigger the silence seals however… Things changed… Now we have every reason to believe that you’re a formidable threat. We cannot allow you to continue.” the man finished his speech and lowered his hand. The fear just intensified, how is Mana supposed to fight all of them here, if a fight breaks out she is sure to die. “Thank God I didn’t take Meiko and Kiyomi with me… At least… At least I’ll be the only one to die…” she thought to herself.

“Well… In that case, I’ll stop holding back and take as many of you with me as I go.” Mana replied, this was probably what Meiko would’ve wanted. Her best friend would’ve wanted the magician to give these men Hell before she went out. The Sennin had no hopes of surviving this encounter, she wasn’t fast enough to outrun them if at least one of them was a speedster, she had no hopes of focusing her genjutsu on one of them as the others would simply dispel it for them… She was going to die in this snowfield. “They seem to value their members a lot, maybe I can take out enough so that their plans are ruined.” Mana thought as she pulled out a kunai and readied herself for her final stand.

“Heh, you seem to hurry things up a bit, Mana-san.” the man smiled and took off his hood. It was a pale and bald face, covered with scars and piercings, he looked almost like his face was once a pincushion for knives as his entire head was disfigured and covered with marks that looked like stab marks with a playful piercing with some sort of seal being pierced through some of the scars. “There are actually two options for you here: we needed Kijin, yes but… He’s expendable, we can carry on our plan without any of us, as many of us as you take down you will just prolong our plan execution in the long run. However…”

“I have a feeling I won’t like this “However”…” Mana thought as she tightened the grip on her kunai. “We run our group with democracy, each member can suggest how we proceed and expect to be heard out. We also have a rule: any member who is willing to give their lives up for their suggestion will have it honored. That leaves you two choices, Mana-san.” the man said as he lifted two fingers in the air. “One – you fight all of the Parabrahma here and die fruitlessly, you achieve nothing and you’re forgotten in the ocean of time. Your life means nothing in the end. Or you join the Parabrahma and raise your suggestion to stop our plan, if you’re willing to die for your suggestion we will honor it and find another goal. Until we do – the world is perfectly safe from us.”

Mana’s defense lowered. A choice was presented to her, ultimately both sides ended in her death but one of them at least made her death mean something… She would become a hero, the kind of hero she wanted to be but only in her dying moment.

Age : 32 Posts : 1495

„It almost sounds like it‘s something you have to think about... Mana-sama, we know that you are smart enough to see the benefit in this, you die either way but one way will grant you something to gain from it while the other has you wasting your life.“ the disfigured leader spoke up again as the magician kept standing still. She just couldn‘t say it, it‘s one thing to be ready to die, it‘s quite another to name that it is time for your death. The leader‘s logic was sound – Mana never hoped to stand a chance against all of them but... Maybe if she took the offer she could‘ve still gained something, her life could‘ve still meant something. Mana didn‘t want to just die in vain.

„Why do you guys want me to join you so much only to die... It‘s not like you‘ll get any use from me? You seem awfully reluctant to kill your greatest enemy after you‘ve got them cornered.“ Mana asked one more thing. The Parabrahma leader spoke „ Because, believe it or not, we have come to respect you. We value the strength of ninja above all else and a kunoichi who has reached S rank at the age 16 and someone who beat Kijin one on one... It is very unfortunate that this is how things are supposed to end, we offer you this chance out of respect. You represent our goals so well that for you we are willing to change our direction, find new purposes and new goals to achieve.“

It didn‘t really sound like lies. His voice never faltered, he spoke with a strong confident tone and his words matched the logic of the Parabrahma that Mana have understood after facing Kijin. He was telling the truth. Mana gulped, she didn’t know what was her next move. “Very well, I will join you and immediately voice my suggestion to cancel the attempt at the Lightning Lord. I’m ready to put my life on the line.” Mana said as her head sunk down. This was the only logical move. “Understood, I have expected you to see reason. I see that you are an honorable kunoichi who is willing to die for what she stands for… It is unfortunate that things had to be this way…” the leader spoke. It was so strange, his voice was full of… Genuine sadness! Mana has never met an opponent who respected her so much.

“Well then, to make my point I wish to take my own life… But I must ask for a favor. I promised my friend that I won’t just let my hands down and die, I wish to go fighting. Will that still count?” Mana asked. “If that is the choice you have made, Mana-san. You are allowed to pick your poison and I suppose this one suits your honorable personality well.” The leader shrugged with a slight grin. “YES! YES! BURN HER! BAHNINGU!!!” the weird cloaked man from before yelled out as he pointed the cannon at Mana and launched a jet of flames. The jet traveled as fast as a spray of liquid would revealing to the magician how the machine worked.

Just as Mana recovered from the roll she saw three ten meters long blades slicing up the ground and moving towards her, it was like they were controlled by someone from below. “That woman, she’s holding her hand up… It must be her…” Mana’s mind quickly attributed this ability to her as she jumped sideways again right into another Parabrahma member. A furry boot kicked her in the chin as she flew up almost a meter before landing on the snow. No one continued that attack, they were all just toying with her. “Shit, I thought you’ll skewer her, Niku!” “I thought Oroku will drain her blood or something…” the woman replied. “So I guess they aren’t too coordinated in working together…” Mana thought, if only she didn’t face all of them at once…

“I apologize, but this will hurt…” Mana heard from behind as she jumped forward without looking forward, she felt cold winter breeze at her back but it didn’t seem like anything was wounded except her clothes. Mana could feel blood in her mouth, that kick wasn’t anything to spit at. Suddenly she heard a voice inside her head. “KILL! KILL YOURSELF! STAND STILL! STAB YOURSELF! OPEN YOUR GUTS!” “A genjutsu?” Mana wondered, no it couldn’t have been, she couldn’t feel the focus but chakra of one tall figure fell down significantly – it was some sort of mental ninjutsu. Mana looked back at the woman whose axes almost drove into her back – it appeared that her axes were attached to her elbows.

A projectile of red liquid moved towards Mana, she jumped backwards and kept avoiding it, it was slow but relentless. Suddenly the liquid morphed into tens of spikes and it instantly hardened, Mana coughed up blood. The liquid then fell apart. The young woman fell down on her knees, her vision blurred a bit. “This is nothing… It’s not deep, it didn’t hit any vitals, this is NOTHING!” she scolded at herself and jumped back up. The man with furry boots was right up in her face, he flicked her forehead sending her back into a tree. The man had quite some strength when he wanted... Right as Mana’s injured body hit the snow the tree let all of the snow from its branches fall onto her. “Quick, someone check her, she can slip away!” the furry boot man yelled out. “No! She’s not like that, she’s an honorable kunoichi, she wants to die here...” the leader replied.

A loud whistle reached the ears of the Parabrahma. A song followed. “G-genjutsu… Area of… Effect?” the fur-boot man mumbled out as he fell down on his knees. Mana’s tired body kept the song going, she walked up in front of the ten figures paralyzed down. She flipped a kunai in her own hand. Could the Parabrahma have gotten careless? All ten of them were now under her genjutsu, but… The only way out was to kill them… She didn’t have time to do anything but slit their throats. They’ll recover by the time she tries to injure them non-lethally. This was bad… Mana knew she wouldn’t… She couldn’t…

Suddenly her own body froze, the genjutsu just stopped. “Wow… To freeze ALL of us… Amazing… Konoha’s Sorceress… You’ve fought valiantly against ALL of us. Amazing, if only someone remembered your death here… You deserved songs and books being written about you but… All that awaits is oblivion, knowing that you saved your loved ones. I guess it isn’t that bad of a fate after all.” the leader of the Parabrahma spoke. “It’s that guy’s jutsu… His ninjutsu is long term… It paralyzed me… It starts with voices but then it goes to full on paralysis.” Mana thought remembering the mental ninjutsu from previously as her paralyzed body fell down on her knees after she forced it to overcome the paralysis with a burst of chakra.

One of the figures made some handseals, a short one did as well. Two bodies appeared from the snow, it looked like this man had the ability to temporarily raise dead people using ninjutsu, the two zombified bodies attacked her with a simple charge forward. “It’s a distraction, that short figure is the real threat.” Mana thought as her body spat up more blood. Those injuries were heavy. The bodies started attacking simultaneously, still, the magician’s attention was on the short figure. All of a sudden she saw something, something like a black cloud coming out of her. She let the perfectly telegraphed fake kicks hit her and toss her out of the way. The clouds consumed the dead bodies instead.

“Damn… My nikochu can’t aim properly without the scent. She’s too feisty for that.” the short figure spoke in a voice of an old woman. Mana grunted as she forced her body up again, the snow around was covered in her blood by now. “I can’t even put a scratch on them… I can only stop holding back and kill them but… No… It wouldn’t work… There’s only one way out of this… I’m sorry, everyone…” Mana thought, her vision blurred several times again. “Sorceress, your life is fading slowly, you’re suffering needlessly, perhaps it is time for you to give up and just…” the leader spoke he was the only one who hasn’t shown his ability yet. He was just standing and looking at the battle.

Suddenly chains erupted from the ground, “Genjutsu!” Mana instantly recognized, it had to be the leader, she felt his chakra fade a bit, he barely did any handseals, something on him was a focus! “The seal tatoos on his face! Damn…” Mana realized too late, the genjutsu was fast working, the chains had spikes on them and they drove into Mana’s arms, that part must’ve been fake. Then Mana felt huge pain in her arms, the jutsu made her body believe her own shoulders dislocated somehow actually popping them out. He must’ve forced some unnatural movement on her… Now without her hands Mana couldn’t possibly make any more handseals, at least not as fast as she could normally.

“Give up. You’ve fought well, you took on all ten of us at once but… I can’t watch an honorable kunoichi suffer needlessly, I am willing to end this.” the leader spoke as his face twisted. “Sorry, I won't just stand still and watch you guys kill me, I thought you respected me enough for that.” Mana grunted out through sheer pain, still bleeding and freezing from the cold.

*****************************

Several hours later authorities from Kumogakure rushed to the scene. The famous kunoichi, Konoha’s Sorceress, was passing through the area and was reported to have been attacked. She didn’t announce of her arrival or that she’s even coming so there were no protection or bodyguards sent to meet her halfway and lead her caravan to the Lightning Country as per normal procedure dealing with honored guests. A team of high ranking ninja were sent, the kunoichi was known for her strength and ability in battle, there was a chance she was still fighting off the attackers.

“You see anything?” one of the ninja asked. “Shit, I don’t know, there’s blood everywhere. It’s too much blood to be one person’s blood…” the other replied, “Yeah, you better believe, Konoha’s Sorceress put up a fight… Hey, look at this.” a third ninja yelled out as he ran to something he saw in the snow. The others ran up to see what the man has found. “Shit… It’s a jacket… It’s covered in blood and all cut up…” the third one sighed. “I dunno guys, there’s a lot of blood around and if the girl’s been walking around without a jacket… She’d have lucked out to make it…” “Can’t rely on just a hunch, let’s keep looking, if we can’t find anything until the next day, we let Konoha know… Shit…”.

[TOPIC END]

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