Chapter 24 - Screw the Plan, This is War!

A caterwauling whine echoed all around the squad, and several of the soldiers heard the leader of the entire operation swear loudly through their radios, voice scratchy with the strain of the frequency. Immediately, all the men knew the invasion plan was blown to shoot.

~~~~~~~~~~

Gaara appeared in the chaos and mayhem that was Kazekage Tower during an invasion. Shouting orders over the din of alarms, the youngest Kage in history showed himself for what he was: a leader.

“Kenshin, take fifty men and evacuate the civilians! Kurosaki, figure out how the hell they got in! Akara-san, Kyoga-san, Matsuri-san, scramble the troops and follow me.”

“Why are we scrambling the troops, Gaara-sensei? Surely they already know…”

“Matsuri, half of them are still asleep! Now go scramble the troops!”

“But-“

Gaara whirled around, and glared at the Chuunin. “That’s an order, soldier.”

Matsuri nodded, and went off. Akara, Kyoga, and Matsuri worked quickly. Already there were casualties: Matsuri had to dodge a shinobi as he slumped over, a windmill shuriken sticking out from his stomach. Every shinobi in Suna ran through the web of alleys and passageways, while deep underground fifty-two ninja were navigating the vast labyrinth of tunnels, evacuating all civilians and genin. So many shinobi were dying that the medics couldn’t keep up, and while a distress call was sent to Konoha, it would be three days too late for backup to arrive.

Gaara, Matsuri, Akara, and a few other shinobi were battling ninja in front of the Academy when suddenly Gaara called out, “There are only two kinds of soldiers on this desert tonight: those who are dead and those who are not. So follow me!”

He then ran toward Kazekage Tower, Akara, Matsuri, and the few shinobi uninjured following him.

~~~~~~~~~~

The Tower was in chaos. Blood stained its sandy walls, and the shinobi were being slaughtered. As a teen with red eyes wiped off his blade, Gaara and the ragtag band of shinobi arrived.

“It can’t be…” whispered Gaara in awe.

“No…” said Baki, pausing behind Gaara.

The red-eyed boy turned. His hair was sticking up stiffly in the back, caked in dry blood. His pale skin barely showed beneath a layer of crimson, and his formerly austere black outfit had been replaced with the garb of an Otonin. The shinobi who had been present at an exam in Konoha three years ago were frozen in surprise.

“Uchiha,” Gaara growled.

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