LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 2: Prologue
A field of corpses stretched as far as the eye could see. The battlefield was a graveyard for both Leaf and Cloud Shinobi, their lifeless bodies littering the blood-soaked ground.
It had been a savage conflict, claiming not only the lives of warriors but also the innocent caught in its cruel tide.
In a deep trench, a group of Hidden Leaf shinobi huddled together. One of them, a man clad in the standard Jonin uniform, scanned the faces of his squad. The rest, wearing Chunin vests, looked battered and weary.
"We're outnumbered," the Jonin said, his voice tight and exhausting. "We need to regroup with the nearest platoon and turn the tide of this battle."
His headband was tied loosely around his forehead, his eyes betraying sleepless nights and the burden of leadership. The group before him was a mix of seasoned veterans and fresh-faced teenagers thrust into the horrors of war.
"But sir!" one of the Chunins interjected, panic evident in his tone. "Even if we try, the enemy has set a spider web of steel wires. They've got a Lightning Release user. One wrong move, and we're dead!"
The Jonin suppressed a sigh. His shoulders slumped under the weight of his responsibilities. He didn't fully understand why the Hokage had ordered their unit to venture so deep into Lightning Country, but he knew one thing—he would be filing a furious written report if he survived this.
"We have no choice," he said firmly. "Zhu Li, LinLin, and Chirozu, you'll make a break for it. Fang Yuan, Yamaha, and I will cover you."
Fang Yuan, wearing an ill-fitting Chunin vest, nodded subtly. The sun's heat made his gear unbearable, but it was better than no protection at all. His stoic demeanor masked whatever thoughts he may have had.
"On three," the Jonin ordered. "One... two... three! GO! GO! GO!"
Zhu Li vaulted out of the trench first, LinLin and Chirozu hot on his heels. The Jonin followed, his hands flying through a series of seals.
"Fire Release: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!" he shouted, launching small fireballs that exploded on impact, creating a screen of dust and ash. The tactic was effective, temporarily halting the hail of kunai and shuriken fired by pursuing Cloud Shinobi.
A Cloud ninja surged forward, thrusting their hand forward and releasing a bolt of lightning. The Jonin barely had time to react. He raised his arms instinctively, taking the brunt of the attack. Pain shot through him as he tumbled to the ground, a sharp gasp escaping his lips. Before a kunai could finish him off, a hand yanked him aside.
Yamaha stood over him, breathing heavily. "I should've stayed at the academy," he muttered under his breath before plunging his own kunai into the enemy's throat. Blood spurted as the Cloud ninja crumpled, lifeless.
"We need to fall back," Yamaha urged, dragging the Jonin to his feet. "It looks like the others have made it far enough. We can't hold this position."
The Jonin nodded, wincing as he steadied himself. "Where's Fang Yuan?" he asked, scanning the battlefield.
Meanwhile, Zhu Li, LinLin, and Chirozu sprinted across the scorched terrain, their breaths ragged as they dodged obstacles and leapt over the bodies of their fallen comrades.
"The next platoon should be close by," Zhu Li said, his tone urgent. "We need to reach them before the Cloud ninja catches on."
LinLin, a blade strapped across his back, nodded. Though he was skilled in martial arts and swordsmanship, the chaos of the battlefield tested his nerves. Chirozu, older and more seasoned, remained grimly silent. He had seen too many wars, and his thoughts drifted to whether he'd survive this one or die alongside his comrades.
A sudden warning screamed through Chirozu's instincts. He dodged to the side just in time to avoid a fireball that scorched the earth where he had stood. The blast knocked LinLin forward, sending him crashing into Zhu Li.
"What the hell was that?!" Zhu Li barked, pulling himself to his feet. He barely had time to react before another fireball hurtled toward him. With quick reflexes, he substituted himself with a nearby rock, avoiding the attack.
Chirozu spun around, his eyes widening in disbelief. "Fang Yuan?!"
The rogue Chunin didn't respond. Instead, he charged at Chirozu, forcing the older shinobi to backpedal. Chirozu attempted to trip him, but Fang Yuan effortlessly cartwheeled over the attempt, delivering a sharp palm strike to Chirozu's leg.
"Run!" Zhu Li shouted. "Chirozu, take LinLin and get out of here! Fang Yuan's gone rogue!"
Zhu Li launched a "Wind Release: Great Breakthrough", a gust of wind tearing through the battlefield. Fang Yuan countered with "Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu", the two attacks colliding in a fiery explosion. The flames surged forward, intensified by the wind, forcing Zhu Li to shield himself as best he could.
LinLin struggled to his feet, gasping for air. He unsheathed his tanto, prepared to fight, but Fang Yuan was faster. Grabbing a sharp rock from the ground, the rogue hurled it at LinLin's face. The Chunin screamed in pain, dropping his blade. Fang Yuan wasted no time, seizing the tanto and driving it through LinLin's skull. Blood sprayed as LinLin collapsed, lifeless.
"LINLIN! NO!" Zhu Li and Chirozu roared, their voices raw with rage. Together, they unleashed a wall of fire aimed directly at Fang Yuan. But the rogue shinobi moved with chilling precision, using LinLin's corpse as a shield before tossing it aside.
A clone materialized beside him, both wielding tantos as they charged toward the two surviving Leaf shinobi. Zhu Li hurled shuriken to slow their advance while Chirozu engaged the clone directly, blocking its view with a palm strike before delivering a decisive knee to its midsection, dispelling it.
Fang Yuan closed in on Zhu Li, grabbing the fabric of his uniform. Channeling fire chakra, he ignited Zhu Li's clothes. The Jonin gritted his teeth, using the opening to headbutt Fang Yuan, the force breaking the rogue's nose. Blood splattered onto both their uniforms.
"Fang Yuan! Why?" Zhu Li growled, his voice trembling with a mix of anger and despair. "Why the hell are you doing this? Why would you betray us?"
Fang Yuan's lips curled into the faintest smile, his pitch-black eyes narrowing. "You wouldn't understand," he whispered, his voice cold as the grave.
Fang Yuan smirked, blood dripping from his nose as he snorted and expelled a glob straight at Zhu Li's face. The unexpected attack blinded Zhu Li, forcing him to reflexively close his eyes and stagger backward. Fang Yuan seized the moment, driving his forehead into Zhu Li's face with a resounding crack. The force sent Zhu Li stumbling, his back slamming into the dirt.
"Zhu Li!" Chirozu shouted. His hands blurred, pulling a kunai from his pouch and hurling it toward Fang Yuan. The rogue shinobi twisted, letting gravity drop him to the ground before raising a leg in a fluid arc sending the kunai downward. With deft precision, Fang Yuan caught the kunai between his teeth, then lunged forward, driving the blade toward Zhu Li's neck.
Zhu Li thrashed wildly, his hands clawing at the ground as the cold steel bit into his skin. Desperation surged through him, and with a final burst of will, he channeled chakra into his body, reinforcing his neck just in time to halt the blade's deadly progress.
Fang Yuan released the kunai and, received a brutal kick to his head. The blow sent the shinobi sprawling, blood trickling from his mouth as he lay dazed. Fang Yuan rose, his expression cold and unyielding, his gaze locking onto Chirozu.
"I don't know what's gotten into you, Fang Yuan," Chirozu spat, his voice trembling with both anger and disbelief. "But you've killed one Leaf Shinobi and tried to murder another. For this treachery, your punishment will be swift and merciless."
Fang Yuan tilted his head, his lips curling into a sardonic grin. "A Leaf Shinobi?" he scoffed. "When did I ever claim to be one of you? Is it the headband that brands me? If so, your thinking is as shallow as it is flawed."
Zhu Li groaned, dragging himself to his feet. He clutched his injured neck, the pain evident on his face. "Chirozu," he croaked, his voice hoarse, "keep him occupied. I'll back you up. He's tiring, but we need to end this now."
Chirozu nodded, his grip tightening on his weapons. "Understood. But something's wrong. He shouldn't be this strong. That kick should've knocked him out, yet he's barely fazed."
Zhu Li narrowed his eyes, his mind racing. It's almost as if he trained specifically to counter us. But how could he anticipate this... unless—
Before Zhu Li could finish his thought, Chirozu leaped into action. A flurry of shuriken flew from his hands, their edges catching the light. Zhu Li followed up with a rapid sequence of hand signs. "Fire Release: Fireball Jutsu!"
The shuriken ignited mid-flight, becoming streaking embers of death aimed at Fang Yuan. But the rogue shinobi acted with uncanny precision, hurling a single shuriken of his own. It ricocheted off the fiery projectiles, extinguishing their momentum in a calculated display of skill.
Chirozu closed the distance, his fist a blur as it shot toward Fang Yuan's face. Fang Yuan raised his guard, blocking the strike, only to grimace as a second punch slammed into his ribs. He retaliated, grabbing Zhu Li's arm and pulling him forward, driving a knee into his opponent's jaw. Chirozu acted fast and managed to land a wild punch, his knuckles crashing against Fang Yuan's cheek.
Fang Yuan absorbed the blow, using the momentum to spin and deliver a punishing backhand to Chirozu's temple. Zhu Li, meanwhile, crumpled to the ground, the earlier knee strike rendering him unconscious.
Chirozu staggered but refused to falter. A storm of punches and palm strikes followed, each met by Fang Yuan's deft counters. Sweat poured down Chirozu's face as his muscles screamed in protest. He knew he couldn't keep this up for long—Fang Yuan was relentless.
In a desperate gamble, Chirozu swept low, attempting to trip his opponent. Fang Yuan stepped back, his sharp eyes calculating the perfect angle.
"NO!" Chirozu roared, realizing too late what was about to happen.
Fang Yuan's chakra-infused stomp connected with Zhu Li's exposed neck, shattering the man's spine. The lifeless body fell limp, blood pooling beneath it.
"Zhu Li!" Chirozu's voice cracked with rage. He charged forward, slipping past Fang Yuan's guard and launching a powerful rising kick. Fang Yuan blocked the attack with his palm, his expression unchanging.
"You're next," Fang Yuan murmured, gripping Chirozu's ankle. His mouth opened, revealing a small serpent that shot forward, sinking its fangs into Chirozu's neck.
"Arrgh!" Chirozu yelped, tearing the snake away. It vanished in a puff of smoke, but the damage was done. Purple veins pulsed across his skin as venom coursed through his body. His vision blurred, and his strength waned.
"You... bastard..." Chirozu slurred, his knees buckling. "That technique... it's... Anko's... you—"
The words died on his lips as he collapsed, lifeless, beside his fallen comrade.
Fang Yuan exhaled heavily, his chest rising and falling as exhaustion finally caught up with him. "Still not used to fighting like a shinobi," he muttered, wiping the blood from his face.
A slow clap echoed through the clearing. Fang Yuan didn't flinch, his gaze steady as a familiar figure emerged from the shadows.
"My, my," Kabuto said, his voice laced with amusement. "You've exceeded expectations, Fang Yuan. I must admit, your performance was... impressive."
Fang Yuan didn't bother to look at him. "I trust this is enough proof of my worth?"
Kabuto smirked, adjusting his glasses. "Indeed. Come. We should leave before your former allies discover your true intentions."
Fang Yuan rose, his body protesting with every movement. He cast one last glance at the bodies of Zhu Li and Chirozu before turning to Kabuto. "Lead the way."
With that, the two vanished into the night, leaving behind a battlefield drenched in blood and broken loyalty.