Kuroda Gaiden

[Kuroda Uchiha]

    Kuroda Uchiha, twenty years old and freshly rested, is seated on his legs, palms pressed against his thighs. To his left is a row of ten Uchiha all seated the same way; to his left, nine Uchiha. Behind this first row of twenty each are columns five persons deep. All of them about as perfectly aligned as was humanly possible, effectively forming a square of one hundred Uchiha.

    They were not alone in this formation - to the right of the Uchiha formation were the Fūma Clan of the same number. To the left of the Uchiha, are the Sarutobi. The Fūma are a clan distantly related to the Uchiha, though they lacked the Sharingan. The two clans affectionately refer to each other as cousin clans. There were two more clans of the same formations, but less in number. The Shimura Clan, and the Hagoromo Clan.

    Before them, the five Clan Heads stood on a raised wooden platform.

    "The Land of Wind has mobilized an offensive of five hundred Shinobi - their make up is currently unknown." came the voice of Daichi Uchiha - Kuroda's grandfather. He gazes out at the gathered shinobi force with his Sharingan. "We presume that they will be sending their puppet masters mixed into their forces, so an exact count is not possible, even if the current estimation may be."

    The Head of the Sarutobi Clan spoke up at this point.

    "They are currently making their way through the southern parts of the Land of Rivers, trying to come around from south of the Yasuga Pass to flank our rear forces." he says. "This force is to intercept them. Ideally, it will be intercept and destroy, but we realistically intend to drive them back. Destroying the entire enemy force may not be possible."

    A large map of the region stands tall, large enough to see even by those in the back.




    A village near the center of the Land of Rivers, Tani, seems to be designated.

    "We will be driving them towards this village, so that we may more easily reinforce you." Daichi says firmly.

---

WC: 349

[Kuroda Uchiha]

    There were some looks exchanged, brief glances as no one was foolish enough to turn their heads while the five Clan Heads demanded their attention. Kuroda was nervous about the operation, and wasn't sure whether or not that showed on his expression. Five hundred shinobi was nothing to sniff at, no matter what nation put the force together.

    But it wasn't so large that the Land of Fire could afford to mobilize its standing armies to intercept it. The only proper way to face shinobi, was with other shinobi. The Land of Earth, another enemy nation, typically built up legions of several thousand shinobi to spearhead assaults, to the Land of Fire needed to use its resources intelligently. Of the five hundred shinobi gathered here now, one hundred of them are Uchiha.

    Normally, that kind of notion would imply a great advantage - the only problem was that of the hundred Uchiha present, only ten of them had awakened their Sharingan. Kuroda was not one of them. Yagura, who was two rows back and three to the left of Kuroda, was one of those that did. He was well regarded, as he had awakened his Sharingan at seventeen - Kuroda is twenty, and still hasn't achieved it.

    In all likelihood, Kuroda believed he knew what the strategy would be - those with the Sharingan would be made Captains for the engagement. The rest would be split up between those ten. But, his grandfather surprises Kuroda.

    "Normally, Clans would assign their own individual teams and squadrons - that will not be the case today." he says.

    "Each squad will be assigned a Captain, and the remaining four members will be comprised of one representative of each of the other present Clans." the Sarutobi Clan Head explains. "This is to build solidarity, as our alliances continue to grow stronger. Segregating the Clans may be useful for certain cohesive situations, but we wish to strengthen our reliance and cooperation with one another."

    "You will all be assigned to your teams over the next three days. You are dismissed." Daichi says.

    As Kuroda and the others stood, they all began to file out. But as if already following the orders, the shinobi filed out in mixed lines, which seemed to draw an appreciative smile from the Sarutobi Clan Head. Yagura moves over to Kuroda, a worried look in his eyes.

    "You worried about the same thing I am?" Kuroda asks, "We're still fighting the Senju and their allies here at home. That the Land of Wind is mounting an attack will be a big problem."

    Yagura nods in agreement, but waits until they leave the presence of their leaders before speaking.

---

---

WC: 443

[Kuroda Uchiha]

    Kuroda and Yagura walk together with the crowd, but split off once they get further from the encampment. Kuroda Yagura sits on a log, and Kuroda leans against a nearby tree, crossing his arms over his chest.

    "So... what do you think, Yagura?" Kuroda asks.

    "...I think that we're spreading ourselves thin, but this joint operation is a good idea." he says. "Not sure how well the whole mixed teams will go, but it'll be good to form some personal alliances. Clan alliances are good and all, but it'll be important to matter to the people fighting next to you."

    Kuroda nods.

    "Yeah. Plus, those bonds could help forge new ties down the road, when this war is over." Kuroda says - but he really privately thought if the war ended. It was a grim thing to think, so he kept it to himself for now.

---

WC: 145

[Kuroda Uchiha]

    It's been four weeks since you, grandfather, and the other leaders sent us out to the Land of Rivers to intercept the enemy forces sent by the Land of Wind. Kuroda wrote, penning his letter with care. Thus far, the campaign has proven far more difficult than many of us here could have guessed. We expected strong resistance, but it seems that the Land of Rivers and the Land of Rain are proving to be adamant in pushing both our forces and the enemy forces out. Aside from facing the enemy from the Land of Wind, we also often come under attack by Rivers shinobi.

    Kuroda reaches the pen to a small ink pot, dabbing the tip a few times before continuing.

    I'm sure you have likely heard already, but we have lost nearly half our forces so far. Not just to death, but to severe injuries and sickness. Many of which have resulted in terrible losses. The Medical Nin are overwhelmed most days now, and even now I can still hear screaming, despite my tent being some hundred or so feet away. It gets worse at night.

    The enemy attempted to infiltrate our camp last week in the very early morning, before the sun had even begun to rise. We managed to push them out, but among those killed was my Team Captain. Many teams have had to be rearranged after incurring losses, and it is making a difficult situation that much more difficult. Still, there is hope - we heard that the northern campaigns against the Land of Earth are going well. This brings us hope as well, largely for possible shipments of food, equipment, and reinforcements. Though, we have not heard anything official on those matters as of yet.

    Again, Kuroda dabs his pen in the ink pot.

    I noticed that you had passed through here the other day, but only to take some of the healthier of us for a mission that we were not given information on. I imagine it to be to keep as little information as possible from leaking out, but it was still slightly disconcerting. That aside, the wound I took to my left arm is healing well. We have had to ration our medical ointments and gels, but at least I have avoided an infection - which is more than I can say for some others.

    Kuroda sighs. He was about to dab his pen again, when the flap to his tent is pushed open...

---

WC: 408

[Kuroda Uchiha]

    Kuroda turns his head at the disturbance, the cool, damp air of the fall rain pushing into the space and causing the candles lighting Kuroda's small table to flicker. The young Uchiha blinks at the sight - a young woman, who he estimated to be within a year of his own age or so, with steely grey eyes and tanned, almost olive skin and silvery hair gazes back at him.

    She looked very confused for a moment, and then smiles broadly. Kuroda returns the eager smile with his own, placing his quill into the ink pot and rising off the cushion on the ground.

    "Hana! This is a surprise!" Kuroda says, stepping towards the young woman. Hana steps through the threshold and embraces Kuroda as only a good friend may. "It's good to see you - but what are you doing here? I thought that your company was keeping a watch on the south eastern borders, in case the Land of Water got the idea to cross?"

    Hana hums and lets Kuroda go, keeping her hands on his shoulders.

    "What, no how are you?" she chides playfully. "Straight to business with you all the time!"

    The words were sharp, but her expression spoke otherwise. Kuroda chuckles and rubs the back of his head a bit sheepishly.

    "Right, sorry." he replies, grinning. "I just wasn't expecting to see you again until the Spring time at the least."

    "Nah, I get it." Hana says dismissively. She turns, and retrieves a small wooden platter; the platter holds two cups and two bowls, all of them protected by a wicker cover to keep in the heat; and pulls the tent flap shut more securely. She takes the platter over to the small table, and notices the unfinished letter. Kuroda moves the letter off the table to make room. Setting the platter down, Hana looks at Kuroda. "Something important?"

    "In a manner. I was writing a letter to my father." he replies, offering a noncommittal shrug. Kuroda moves another cushion to the small table, allowing both of them to take a seat before it. "What brings you this far west?"

    "The Daimyo secured an agreement with the Land of Waves, to help watch our borders." Hana replies. "That's allowed us to reassign to locations that are in need of more aid. I heard that you were part of the company sent here to the Land of Rivers, and asked to be sent to this company."

    It was a simple answer, all things considered. Not everything need be complicated, after all.

    "Well, we will appreciate the reinforcements." he doesn't elaborate; they both understood the danger of a loose tongue in a battle camp. Kuroda removes the wicker top to his bowl and cup - the meal was mostly a broth, more like a thick gravy than liquid, and pocked with small diced vegetables and meats. The drink was an herbal tea, and steams with warmth. "Thank you for bringing this, Hana."

    Hana smiles at his appreciation.

    "Well then, let's talk a while." she suggests. "We haven't been together in six months. So, let's catch up!"

WC: 516

[Kuroda Uchiha]

    Three days pass, and battle had once again. This time, a small town had gotten caught up in the fighting. Much of the town had evacuated after receiving a vague warning ahead of time that they were going to be in the path of the Land of Wind and Land of Fire - but it didn't convince everyone living there to leave. Kuroda's team, consisting of himself, a Fuma woman a few years older than him, a Shimura man, and a Hagoromo man - both of which fell into the mid twenties - and a Sarutobi woman leading the team.

    The Uchiha, already having a good relationship with the Fuma and Hagoromo, made working with them fairly easy. But Kuroda knew that his leader was feeling the pressure; technically, she was the outsider of the group, and she had to command them. It created an intangible tenseness that Kuroda wished would go away, as it could affect them badly one day if trust wasn't firmly established.

    But Kuroda's team was not assigned to fight in the open with the rest of the company. His, and four other teams, had been sent ahead to get behind the enemy lines. Their mission was straightforward - sabotage, hunt, kill. So far, Kuroda's team had intercepted three hawks bearing letters bound for the Land of Wind. Since they couldn't forge the handwriting, they opted for destroying the letters whenever they obtained them. They hadn't been caught since they began their mission - at least, until now.

    Kuroda, breathing heavily and blinking away blood seeping from a gash above his left eyebrow, grunts with exertion as his short sword clashes against the blade of an enemy Wind Shinobi! Sparks from the impact spat in his face, but he forced himself to ignore the small stings on his cheeks - the enemy had Kuroda on his back, and was trying to angle the tip of his blade towards Kuroda's chest or neck! Somehow, they had been discovered. Whether it had been due to them missing something when hiding their trail, or by sheer bad luck, they had almost walked straight into an ambush.

    They managed to escape it, but were pursued relentlessly. Eventually, so as to not lead the enemy back to their own hidden camps, the team leader chose to stand and fight. It was the four of them, against seven enemies. So far, three of the enemy had been killed, but the Shimura and the Fuma had been killed in turn. This left the Sarutobi leader, himself, and the Hagoromo to fend off four enemies - if they were lucky enough that enemy reinforcements weren't already on the way.

    The Sarutobi woman was fighting two enemies, and the Hagoromo had his hands full with a Puppet user. Kuroda's opponent, sandy brown hair spilling from the cloth wrapped around their head, had the look of serious determination in their eyes. It was taking every ounce of Kuroda's strength to keep the enemy from plunging the blade through him! The rain made the ground muddy and slick, preventing Kuroda from getting a solid foothold to try and twist away, or use leverage. No, he was going to have to be smart.

    In a sudden burst of inspiration, Kuroda took a gamble. He let go of his blade with one hand, bracing the other with his elbow against the ground, and forms three handsigns - he takes a deep, fast breath, allowing his cheeks to puff up. Reacting to the unknown Jutsu about to be unleashed, the Wind Shinobi relents, attempting to back off.

    Kuroda whips his legs up, wrapping the around the enemy standing over him from behind and around the waist, pressing his feet against their chest! He shoves his legs down, but the enemy resists, refusing to be brought to the ground! But this still allowed Kuroda to use his torso strength to raise up, and drive his blade through the surprised enemy's chest, aiming at the unarmored spot right by the left armpit. With a pained groan, the enemy falls, and Kuroda pulls his blade from them, splashing the mud with blood.

    Wheezing from the intense exertion, Kuroda takes a moment to compose himself, and look over to his allies as they fight...

---

WC: 702

[Kuroda Uchiha]

    As Kuroda began to force his aching body up to stand, the direness of their situation becomes all the more clear - even as his squad leader fended off her two opponents, Kuroda could see in the distance that there was one... no, two more teams of four rushing towards them; all of them wearing the battle fatigues of the Land of Wind!

    A sharp yell causes Kuroda's eyes to snap to the left - the Hagoromo man was laying on the ground, trapped by the enemy Puppet's four long, dexterous arms! The Shinobi controlling the puppet was using one hand to control the puppet, and pulling out a thin, long kunai as they charge forth, clearly intent on killing their opponent while they were immobilized!

    Gritting his teeth and suffusing chakra in his feet to prevent himself from slipping in the wet mud, Kuroda hurried into a sprint! He knew he didn't have enough time to reach his ally before the enemy did - but he didn't need to! He just needed to be close enough! Kuroda slipped his blade into its sheath, and began weaving signs as he ran. He took in a deep breath, and blew out hard through his lips! A curling, angry red flame leapt from his pursed lips, raging forth like an oxen gone mad!

    The charging shinobi noticed this immediately, the flames like a beacon of like in the late day, where all other color had been sapped to shades of brown and gray by the dark rain clouds above, and thick mud beneath their feet. They stopped their charge, and leapt backwards to avoid being caught up in the roiling flames, which exploded on the ground between Kuroda's ally and the enemy! The flames are quickly snuffed out by the soggy mud, as well as the now heavy rainfall that blurred Kuroda's vision, forcing him to rapidly blink to clear droplets of water from his eyelashes.

    His skill with Katon Style jutsu was severely limited in these conditions - but there was far more to the Uchiha than spitting fire! Kuroda reaches his ally, and kicks the puppet's head clean off! He seizes it by the ragged cloth covering its body, and drags it off his ally before the enemy could regain control of the puppet. The puppet body slammed lifelessly into the mud, water and mud seeping into its joints and neck socket. Kuroda helped his ally back to his feet.

    "I'll deal with this, go help Captain Sarutobi!" Kuroda bit out. The Hagoromo man nodded, heaving heavy breaths, and sprinted away towards their team Captain. Kuroda turned his eyes upon the puppet user, his body half turned to face them.

    "Kkk! Filthy Uchiha!!" the puppet user ground out.

    Kuroda said nothing in response - he was focused on battle, not prattle. Even if the puppet was made useless, that did not mean that his opponent was helpless. Instead, Kuroda once more drew his short sword, and sprints towards the enemy!!

WC: 495