Naruto: Trapped Under Ice

Blanket disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Akame ga Kiru

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

I'm still job hunting so updates continue to be slow. Here is chapter 23. Enjoy!

[ ] Signifies hand signals

Last time:

Southern Tribal Lands, Forested regions

Night Raid was up and sitting around the fire as they all had a big breakfast. It had been three weeks since the Temple at Jug Hram had exploded and Naruto hadn't sensed anything more. The team was fully healed from their various injuries and had carried out several reconnaissance missions to figure out a way to get back home to Imperial territory. "Rather than follow the Du Sang River north to Zlatan on its west side we're going to cut back east towards Prince Marik's Kingdom and flank the army he has there. With the major conflict going on over in Zlatan we should be able to slip past the rear guard easily enough. After that we head north through what used to be the territory that belonged to the Ban Tribe. For better or for worse Esdeath and I are very familiar with the lay of the land there and should be able to find a path through."

"If we run into enemies there we should have the advantage given the amount of firepower our small group possesses." said Esdeath with a bloodthirsty smile. "Should anyone be stupid enough to cross us we'll deal with them appropriately."

Mein asked, "What are we going to do once we get back across the Imperial Border? Even if we head straight to Kakachichi Lake there is no guarantee we won't be among enemies."

Blowing out a puff of smoke Najenda said, "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. I'm positive this isn't the doing of General Kleinwald though I suspect one or two members of his staff. At any rate a group as small as ours can easily hide in territory we are familiar with. We aren't going to expose ourselves at Kakachichi Lake until we know exactly what is going on."

….

Chapter 23

Imperial Continent, Imperial Capitol, Commonwealth Western Headquarters

General Heimer roared, "INCURSIO!" for the first time and the Teigu's sword key activated forming the armored suit around him. The arrogant General cheered in victory but then noticed the armor as well as his body felt like they were made of lead. It was a struggle to even move in the infernal armor. 'I'll have to start working out heavily to match Hundred-killer Bulat.' thought Heimer. Not willing to show weakness to his troops Heimer deactivated Incursio and said, "It feels natural as can be! Finally I have a suit of armor worthy of a General!"

His men cheered for their leader and his astounding armor. They didn't notice how heavily their leader was sweating from the strain….

Honest watched from a distance on a balcony as he didn't come out in public in his wheelchair. He had binoculars to observe with. 'Heimer is putting on quite a show though he barely has he energy to stand. What a fool.' Honest smiled and thought, 'Well, it is no matter. Five other Generals from the frontier have followed suit now that Heimer has joined the Commonwealth. They aren't the best and their troops aren't either but it is of little consequence. Right now I need manpower in quantity rather than quality….'

….

Southern Tribal Lands, Forested Region

Night Raid swiftly moved eastwards while remaining south of Prince Marik's armies. It was hard travelling through the inhospitable terrain but the area wasn't occupied by any particular tribe so Najenda and her group weren't as concerned about being spotted as they normally would have been. It was then they came upon a branch of Marik's army that strayed a bit too far south of the Calypse River….

General Kalba was in charge of Prince Marik's second division and a river flood forced them the head south into the uncontested areas that the local tribes referred to as the Carrion Forest. It was said entire armies vanished into the darkened forests down in the area. The General groaned as his men started to fidget due to superstitions about the red-orange colored tree leaves unique to that area….

"The ground was soaked with blood in ancient battles and even to this day the darkened forests bloom crimson…." he heard in whispers from his men.

"Even eating the fruits off the trees in the Carrion Forest will shorten your life it is said…." continued his men.

Kalba listened to his men chatter amongst themselves like frightened children. He got on a small raised area and announced too his men in a voice full of authority, "Gods, am I surrounded by warriors or superstitious old women? Once the river recedes we will cross back into our own territory. For now we will set up camp wait here."

An eagle screamed overhead….

….Then General Kalba's head exploded courtesy of a long range shot from Mein and her Teigu Dreyse. The men panicked and a massive wave of ice shards erupted from the sky in the south that tore flesh and bone alike as they rained down. A horde of orange clad blondes came out of the Carrion Forest and cut down all in their path. Leone rode the wave of orange grinning wildly as she slew as many as she could. Wave was right behind her ready to crush any hardened defenses. Night raid had planned this attack all night and the team was more than eager to cut loose.

"Stand and fight!" ordered a staff officer of Kalba's Army as he tried to rally his troops from a full scale rout. Akame appeared out of nowhere and killed him in an instant. She, Kurome and Mein were specifically taking out the officers to prevent any organized resistance.

A lower ranked officer screamed, "This is madness! Run for the river! The land itself is a nightmare calling out for us!"

Within two hours an entire division of a thousand men lay slain with looks of terror and disbelief etched upon their faces….

Najenda blew a smoke ring and said, "Let's move out. The predators in this area are already scenting all the blood."

Kurome was sitting atop a heap of bodies she'd slain. "What about their provisions? There is a lot here."

"Leave it for the predators." said Najenda. "We can easily live off the land. Information is for more important at this juncture."

Hinata was examining the command tent General Kalba had used with Sakura. The byakugan princess soon spotted what they were looking for –maps of the territory. "Jackpot! These are troop movements for the second wave of the campaign Marik has planned. The first wave has already passed us by." said Hinata.

….

By nightfall Night Raid set up camp eastward and upwind of the battlefield where Kalba's Army fell. Esdeath was looking at the plans they'd captured from Kalba's tent with Najenda. "It's as we suspected." said the light blue haired beauty. "Kalba and his division were never meant to be that far south of the Calypse River. It was due to unseasonal flooding."

Najenda nodded. "And we were able to capitalize on it. Naruto being a one man army is unbelievable. They never saw us coming….If we keep moving east along the Calypse River we'll be able to avoid the rest of the second wave and sneak across to the north."

Esdeath's blue eyes were gleaming with malice. "It's a shame we can't hunt down Prince Marik and take his head but it's for the best. When we cut northwards we'll be in the former Ban Tribe territory."

Outside Najenda's tent Akame was cooking up a feast over an open fire. Kurome was sitting with her sister as they carefully watched the danger beast they'd slain for dinner –A particularly fat and juicy evil bird. "What do you think Boss and General Esdeath will have us do next Akame nee-chan? Traveling completely around Prince Marik's territory will take a long time."

Akame stuck the bird with a skewer to see if it was done yet and was disappointed that it wasn't quite ready. "Boss acted like we were going to cut through the lines to the former Ban Tribe Territory when the opportunity arises. I guess it depends on where the enemy troops are. As small as our group is it shouldn't be too difficult to slip through a gap in the lines."

….

Southern Imperial Regions, Revolutionary Army Headquarters

General Estaban and General Esther were on General Kleinwald's Staff. Estabon was the Chief of Staff to be precise. They were having a secret meeting about the situation in the Southern Tribal Lands….

"I'm telling you Esther, the situation in the South has backfired!" said General Estabon as he ran a finger over his moustache. "Those old, outdated guns and equipment we sold to Prince Marik in exchange for Night Raid's heads and an alliance is a failure. Instead of gaining an ally in the South the Prince overthrew his Father and declared war on the neighboring kingdoms. It was all supposed to be covert. Now the Southern Tribes are in disarray and we have nothing to show for it."

Esther rested her chin in the palm of her hand. Her fading brown hair was windblown and it looked like the fifty year old woman hadn't slept recently. "This is just a setback. We don't necessarily need southern support. The real problem is Kleinwald. He's a reformist rather than a revolutionary. He's even considering peace talks with the Empire to destroy the Commonwealth. I won't be happy until the entire Imperial Capitol is razed to the ground!"

The Chief of Staff nodded. "Najenda and her little group support Kleinwald. Until we have proof Night Raid has been eliminated we don't dare make a move against him. Kleinwald is a lot of things but he isn't stupid."

"What about the report of the Jug Hram Mountain exploding in the deep south?" asked the brown haired woman. "Night Raid was supposed to be there according to our reports. Prince Marik has already written them off as deceased."

"We'll just have to get our emissaries down there to urge Prince Marik to find the proof we need that Night Raid is dead." said General Estaban. It's that or sending them down personally. We're playing a waiting game and we're running out of time….

….

Southern Tribal Lands, Calypse River Bridge

….After a three day journey east Night Raid was watching from a distance to the south as a small guard contingent took their place at the end of a long, narrow wooden suspension bridge that spanned the Calypse River. "Well, it took us three days to get here but as expected the area is basically unguarded by Prince Marik's forces." said Najenda. "The second wave has moved on and we have a straight shot through Marik's Kingdom for a short time. There are small guard stations at either end of the bridge we'll have to take out to enter the Kingdom."

Naruto, Hinata and Sakura were walking on the bottom of the bridge upside to capture the guard station on the north end of the bridge. There were a string of guard stations along the road into the kingdom that stayed in touch by simple torchlight. If a torch was put out it meant trouble and the neighboring guard stations would know there was an issue and respond to it. It was the ninja's job to take the north end of the bridge without alerting anybody so the rest of Night Raid could the south end shortly afterwards.

Hinata looked upwards though the bridge at the guard station with her byakugan. She hand signed the others, [Three guards outside, one inside the guardhouse and one on the roof with the torch.]

Sakura replied [Take the one on the roof Hinata. Naruto and I will take the outside guards from either side.]

Naruto asked, [What about the inside guard?]

[I'll probably finish first and eliminate the inside guard.] signed Hinata. [I plan to drop down the ladder through the hatch in the roof so I can take care of him.]

Naruto nodded. [If he rabbits Sakura or I can get him. The main thing is keeping the torch lit.]

Naruto went right and Sakura went left to sight their prey. A second later Hinata disappeared in a body flicker.

The guard on the roof had his throat slit in silence by Hinata while Sakura and Naruto did the same with the side guards. Naruto moved like clockwork and slew the guard at the front of the guard post a second later. Hinata body flickered inside and killed the last guard with a juken strike. It was all over within 30 seconds….

Mein was watching the whole debacle through her scope. 'Damn they are efficient.' "The north guard station is captured boss." said the gun toting pinkette.

"Let's make our move then.' said Najenda "Akame, Kurome, you are up. Keep it quiet. Mein, take out the one on the roof by the torch."

Mein had the silencer on Dreyse equipped and waited for the sisters to make their move. Akame and Kurome attacked simultaneously from the nearby bushes and took out the three outside guards in an instant. By that time the guard on the roof was dead from a headshot courtesy of Mein. The last guard inside tried to climb to the roof to reach the torch but Mein got him the minute he emerged from the roof hatch. Akame signaled 'All clear' to the others and the rest of Night Raid was soon crossing the bridge at an easy pace. Once the group cleared the bridge they were in Prince Marik's Kingdom and went into the foliage on the north side for cover….

….

Southern Imperial Regions, Marg Highlands

The Elite Seven had worked hard constructing a shelter that was safe and defensible. Fortunately they were taught well by their "Father" Gozuki about such things. It had been rough but everyone was doing well and getting stronger every day. Getting into a routine the Elite Seven were training hard throughout the day as they lived off the land. The danger beasts in the area were exceptionally treacherous but they also were edible which meant the young assassins were well fed. Cornelia and Tsukushi were preparing some dinner as they discussed their current situation.

"Living here isn't that bad really." said Tsukushi. "I like it here even though it's harsh."

Cornelia smiled. "Najasho says another month here and we'll be headed to Kakachichi Lake to see Akame-chan. I hope she is well."

"I wonder if she is stronger now Corey." said Tsukushi conversationally.

"According to the Commandant she was the most dangerous and feared assassin in the Empire before she defected." said Cornelia. "She might have surpassed Daddy by now and he was a Raksasha Demon."

Tsukushi's eyes widened. "Do you really think Akame-chan could be at that level?"

The tall blonde nodded. "Akame-chan had years to get stronger while we were dead. I don't see why not. I can't wait to see her."

….

Southern Tribal Lands, The Kingdom of Prince Marik

General Estaban and General Esther's emissaries were in a bit of a quandary. Their leader Arvid was less than thrilled with his orders. "General Estaban and General Esther have ordered us to go south to Jug Hram in order to ascertain whether or not Night Raid is indeed dead as Prince Marik assumes. Negotiations with Prince Marik to send his own forces down to that region have met with failure." The tall, square jawed man looked at his group and said, "It looks like we're heading south whether we like it or not."

"We're a diplomatic team; not regular troops!" exclaimed one of his men. "What do we do if Night Raid survived? Those people are monsters. They could destroy us in a heartbeat!"

Another spoke up. "We'll be travelling through contested territory as well. Other tribes may try to hunt us down. It's too dangerous for us."

Arvid said, "We have our orders and we will carry them out. As for Night Raid; if we do discover survivors then we will simply say we are a rescue party sent by the Revolutionary Army to retrieve them. They would have no reason to suspect us. Now man up and pack your things. We set out at dawn tomorrow."

….

Imperial Capitol, Commonwealth Western Headquarters

Tamashi Tomiki was personally leading the hunt for the Elite Seven. His Father Toru-sama had been less than thrilled that Lord Protector Honest went behind his back to Tomiki instead of him. However, the Clan Leader wasn't oblivious to the situation. 'My son Tomiki can no longer be trusted. I don't know if he is personally scheming or if Honest is behind it. I doubt Tomiki has the ambition to usurp my position but Honest would in a heartbeat. It's time for the Tamashi Clan to make a move….'

….

Tomiki had some of the better trackers from the clan and was investigating the former quarters of the Elite Seven looking for clues. The trail was fairly cold given how many days it had been but they eventually uncovered the tunnel that Guy dug to allow the Elites to escape….

"I found something Tomiki-sama!" called a tracker. "It looks like an escape tunnel."

"Good job Hideki!" exclaimed Tomiki. "Let's clear the opening and see where it leads."

"As you command Tomiki-sama." replied Minoru. "Get some earth types over here! We need to clear a tunnel."

The Tomiki's group was slowly making progress….

….

Southern Tribal Lands, The Kingdom of Prince Marik

"We've covered a lot of ground today." said Naruto. "We need a place to camp for the night."

Esdeath nodded and pulled out the maps they captured. "There are no towns or villages for miles. We'll be safe from patrols as long as we stay away from the roads….there don't seem to be any large danger beasts in the area to hunt either…." The light blue haired beauty sounded disappointed.

The blonde ninja grinned. "Don't worry Esdeath-chan. I'm sure there will be all kinds of beasts once we get into Ban Tribe Territory. No one has been there to keep predators in check for years from what you and Najenda have said."

The light blue haired beauty smiled. "I'm sure you're right Naruto-kun. I just have to be patient."

As the sun fell Night raid quickly set up a camouflaged camp on a forested hillside and had a quiet dinner. The forests in the area were remarkably quiet and still.

"This is unnerving." said Leone. "It's too quiet here. My instincts are on edge."

Najenda put out her cigarette. "We'll double the guard tonight then. Does anyone want to team with Leone?"

"I will keep Leone company." said Sakura. "I'm feeling restless myself."

"Alright; everyone else hit the sack." said Najenda. "Switch off in three hours."

Naruto settled in his two man tent with Hinata. The two of them were soon making out as quietly as they could when they heard something break and then a crash outside….'Damn it….' thought the two lovers.

All of Night Raid was awakened by the noise and soon were outside their tents….they all heard yelling in the distance….

….

"I can't believe that tree collapsed! It must have been rotted inside." exclaimed a male voice in the dark. "Of all the trees I had to pick…."

"Be quiet Gin!" said another voice in a loud whisper. "That crash would have awakened the dead!"

"But Arvid-" said the now named Gin. "-There shouldn't be anyone for miles."

Leone was in her Lionelle form to hear better and was listening in….

"All this damn misery just to make sure Najenda and her troupe of murderers are dead." griped Gin. "We should trust Prince Marik that they died down at Jug Hram and call it good."

Arvid growled. "You know we are under orders to make sure they are dead. The Revolutionary Army doesn't need their kind anymore."

….

Leone's gold eyes narrowed and she headed back to the camp. 'I want them to die choking on their screams!' thought the cat like woman. 'I've got to tell boss!'

….

In the darkness Leone reported what she'd observed to the fully awake Night Raid. "And that's what I heard. We were set up."

Esdeath growled. "I can't say I'm surprised….We need to capture them and torture the information out of them."

"How many were there Leone?" asked Najenda.

"I counted ten by scent but I only saw eight." said Leone. "They had standard rifles but weren't dressed as regular troops. The way the one was carrying on he sounded like a damn politician."

Hinata peered over the hill and activated her byakugan. "I see ten. They seem to be arguing pretty heatedly."

"If they are paying attention to each other then they aren't watching around them." said Naruto. "Let's take them now while they are distracted."

Wave nodded. "Let's knock them out and interrogate them."

"Surround them and take them down." said Esdeath. "Let's move."

….

Arvid woke up with a splitting headache. The sun was up and the last thing he remembered was feeling a blow to the back of his head late last night….

"….I see you are awake." said a female voice. Arvid found himself staring down the barrel of Dreyse with Mein eagerly smiling at him. He shivered at the murderous glee in the pinkette's eyes.

Sakura came over and put her foot on Arvid's chest. She said, "I remember you from the Tamashi incident. I thought you were on General Estaban's staff but your buddies confirmed it. General Najenda isn't too thrilled with the situation that you put us in." The diplomatic team leader squirmed at the pressure from Sakura's foot on his chest as she increased it. "Don't bother to try to escape. You are securely tied up with ninja wire."

They heard Gin scream in the background and Mein said, "You are next hero boy. General Esdeath will make you sing like a bird. I'm afraid General Estaban and General Esther just moved to the top of Night Raid's shit list."

Akame came over and emotionlessly said, "You woke up just in time. If you talk freely you won't suffer like the others did."

Somehow the look of cold death in Akame's red eyes scared Arvid even more than Mein aiming Dreyse at him. Sakura leaned down and hauled Arvid up effortlessly before she set him on his feet and nudged him forward. She simply said, "Move."

The diplomatic team leader walked forward and saw the pile of bodies that were once his team. Arvid cringed and saw Esdeath sitting on a rack and Najenda leaning against a tree smoking.

Najenda said, "I was beginning to wonder when you'd come back to the land of the conscious. I'm afraid this just isn't your day Commander Arvid. I figure you know more than your friends about Chief of Staff Estaban's plans regarding General Kleinwald so start talking. It doesn't matter if it's the easy way or the hard way."

"Do try to resist." said Esdeath in a sinister tone. Arvid shivered at her killing intent….

….

The Chief Diplomat fell over dead with an ice spike sticking out of his heart. Esdeath said conversationally, "He was tougher to break than he looked. It's a shame about his team vanishing into nothingness though. I guess Estaban won't ever find the remains."

Najenda blew a smoke ring. "So General Kleinwald is considering a temporary truce with the Empire and Chief of Staff Estaban and General Esther have decided to eliminate him. They made a big mistake there. They've made an even bigger mistake trying to kill us though."

Chelsea asked, "So what's our next move boss? This kind of treachery doesn't belong in the Revolutionary Army."

….

Southern Imperial Regions, Marg Highlands

Najasho surveyed his troops. "Alright shrimps; we are definitely progressing but it's not going as fast as I'd like. It looks like it's going to take the full month so we still have at least a couple of weeks before we move out."

"But we're stronger than ever Najasho!" exclaimed Guy.

Taeko said, "That may be the case but there are always stronger opponents. Even another month here might be to our advantage Chief."

"I'm not inclined to stay longer than necessary but I think Taeko is right." said Green. "As long as we aren't discovered by the Commonwealth we should be safe here."

Pony grinned. "I like this place but I want to see Akame-chan again. Come to think of it; we've been dead and all. Won't Akame be a bit spooked?"

Najasho shrugged. "Leave that to me and Cornelia to figure out. It's too much for your brain to handle shrimp." The Elite Seven's leader said, "Let's call it a night and get an early start tomorrow."

….

Imperial Capitol, Commonwealth Western Headquarters

General Heimer collapsed on the floor in his room sweating. Incursio wore him out completely within ten minutes. 'They say a commoner will be killed by merely donning Incursio. I can believe it. I'm in superb shape and I feel like my soul has been sucked out. I swear I will master you Incursio -even if it takes years!' He chuckled. "Heh, I don't know why I'm concerned. This armor was destined for me."

Heimer grabbed a drink and briefly looked over the map of the Imperial Capital. He saw that the south and east were occupied by the Empire. Heimer was arrogant as sin but he knew strategy. "Emperor Makoto has a formidable line of defense. I wonder if the Revolutionary Army would be willing to join us. The Army of the North would be a formidable asset as well. They really aren't necessary to guard the frontier against the Northern Tribes. They also are a much better army than mine thanks to Esdeath's training all those years ago….The leader in charge of them is General Knoke. I wonder if I could convince him to join us….The Northern Army is still feared. Surely Lord Protector Honest would agree such a superb army would be a huge advantage to the Commonwealth. Knoke is an old classmate of mine anyway…."

….

Southern Tribal Lands, Former Ban Tribe Territory

Night Raid crossed through Prince Marik's Kingdom over a few days of hard marching northwards and soon were at the north border in the former Ban Tribe Territory. For the most part it was considered an unoccupied buffer zone between the Southern Tribes and the Empire….

Najenda sighed looking at the devastated land and shuddered at the memories. Esdeath's Army destroyed the Ban Tribe where others had failed. The one eyed General didn't want to be here.

For her part Esdeath wasn't fazed in the least. The Ban Tribe was a strong group of opponents but her Army was stronger. The light blue haired beauty had no regrets.

"Quite the no man's land." quipped Naruto. "Are there any people around Hinata-chan?"

Hinata scouted around with her byakugan and said, "There isn't anyone here but us and the danger beasts."

"That means plenty of food for us." said Akame as she and Kuromes stomachs roared in unison.

Mein sweat dropped. 'Good grief, sisters with synchronized stomachs….'

….

Southern Imperial Regions, Revolutionary Army Headquarters

It had been a taxing day and Chief of Staff Estaban was having another meeting with General Esther. Estaban had a chill up his spine and wondered why. "We have yet to hear back from Commander Arvid and his group about Night Raid's fate and Prince Marik is useless to our cause. I'm concerned."

General Esther shook her head. "Arvid's capable if nothing else. It could be another two weeks before we hear from him. You worry too much General Estaban."

Estaban sighed. "Najenda is bad enough. Teaming her with Esdeath and you have an unstoppable force. I fear that mountain exploding wasn't enough to kill Night Raid. I guess I'm just being paranoid."

"We could advance our timetable to get rid of General Kleiwald." said the brown haired woman.

"Not until we are absolutely sure Najenda is dead." said Estaban in an iron tone. "She and her Night Raid are far more dangerous than most armies….add in Esdeath and we have a potential disaster. We aren't making a move until we know Night Raid is no longer a factor."

….

Southern Tribal Lands, Former Ban Tribe Territory

Esdeath was sitting with Naruto by the fire with the rest in Night Raid's camp. "Getting a message to Kleinwald would probably be in our best interest at this point." said the light blue haired beauty.

"Once we sneak across the border into Imperial Territory we may send a message ahead by bird." said Najenda. "The question is how to get it to him without his General Staff finding out."

"I could fly up there using Gaia Foundation to turn into a mega owl." said Chelsea.

"That's one possibility." agreed Wave. "It should probably be someone from the original Night Raid regardless because the rest of us aren't fully trusted."

Kurome said, "That leaves Chelsea, Mein, Leone and Akame nee-chan unless General Najenda goes herself."

"We should stick with stealth when we go into Imperial Territory." said Akame seriously. "Until we're sure General Kleinwald is alive and in charge it's a risk exposing any of us."

"What if they try to trap us?" asked Leone. "I'm not going to die because of some traitors in our ranks."

"No kidding." said Mein. "We can't trust anyone outside of our team right now."

Hinata smiled and said, "If nothing else we could assassinate General Estaban and General Esther. That wouldn't allow us to expose the whole ring though."

"If we cut the head off the snake the body will die." said Wave.

"Not necessarily." said Najenda. "We don't know how big of a group is against Kleinwald and the Revolutionary Army is already short on leaders. We need to tread very carefully. There is already a civil war in the Empire. We don't want one in the Revolutionary Army as well…."

….

POSTSCRIPT:

Well, another chapter in the books. We now know Chief of Staff Estaban and General Esther are behind the trap Night Raid Ended up in. How will that situation be resolved? General Heimer finally has the coveted Incursio only to find out he can hardly move in it. (Sucks to be him). Several different forces are on the move now and Night Raid is stuck in the middle. See you next time. Blue out. 8/24/17