Despite it All

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Mono's POV (Just Outside Barrier - Chakra Anchor)

Evening

"You can bypass it, elder?" Muuni asked.

"Not entirely, but I can easily create an entrance, as I said earlier. A simple but rarely known seal will allow us and the rest of the entry. It will remain up for an hour and pulsate chakra to draw the attention of our allies," Mono explained as he began to draw a glowing seal onto the barrier, which hissed all the while as the barrier resisted. "Unfortunately, our enemies will know we are coming."

"Of course," Muuni complained.

It took several minutes to compose the seal. But his Fuijutsu allowed him to blend his seal into a similar chakra as the barrier allowed him to mold a small hole into it. In truth, the space the barrier had occupied before hadn't been destroyed but only moved to the edges of the hole, thickening them. There are better solutions than this, but it's the best he could offer on short terms like this. The hole was roughly five feet by five feet square, one the two quickly stepped into.

It took several more minutes to draw close to the Anchor and navigate the canyon ruins, as they did the Chakra Anchor, as their foe was within speaking range.

"Let's take this human out!" Muuni called as Mono nodded grimly.

"We cannot allow that." The cacophony of voices sounded from all around them from within the debris. They emerged from it immediately, forming a line between them and the woman. Three of his kin stared woodenly, their mainly brown sheen of fur displaying their ability in clay Ninshu. It enraged the Elder to see his kind manipulated against him. One of the Venomous Fangs spider clans also stood at attention; its twitching legs made it clear it was a hunting scout. Three male deer stood behind the others, their antlers pointed at them; it was strange to see them. Even Mono had yet to hear of the deer clan in such numbers. The Krookorook Clan in the south had nearly hunted them into extinction. They were known for their lightning attacks. There was also what looked to be a giant worm of all things; however, speaking revealed a maw full of teeth soaked in something sizzled in the air; Mono knew of no such clan. Four wolves also formed the front line; there seemed to be some friendly fire… "Our masters have told us to guard this location and kill any who approach. Prepare to die." They said in sync.

"Concerning," Mono admitted out loud. "Even the "Master" could not boast of such total control. Nothing I can't deal with, I nearly need one full minute."

"A minute?!" Muuni cried out.

"Not favorable, I admit, young one." Mono apologized. "However, I am confident I can dismiss their control over them if you buy said time."

Muuni hissed in frustration, transforming into a human woman with brown hair in a kimono and bodily lifting the old human form of Mono on her back. "Damn you, Elder!"

"There's that fiery temper the other Elders warned me of." Mono chided. "I am channeling now. Do your best, or we will likely perish."

Muuni did not answer as she began to run like hell. Mono watched even as he channeled his counter. Intent to see if his kin would meet his expectations or if they would die terribly. The trio of deer were the first to attack, with three lightning bolts firing. Muuni desperately rolled around with him, barely dodging each. The spider hissed as it launched a burning glob of venom, but Muuni slid under it. The wolves closed in with a triumphant howl. But Mono worried not; Muuni, even while burdened with him, was the best hand-to-hand combatant the Okama had to offer.

'Fifteen seconds.'

The first wolf didn't have a chance, Muuni kicking him away with ease. The following two got closer but were batted away as well with ease by Muuni with two club-handed swinging blows. She kicked off the head of the last wolf. Launching them both into the air, well out of the reach of their opponents as they slowly descended.

'Thirty seconds.'

However, three large clay hands flew up to impede them, attempting to wrap around and crush them.

"Worry not, Muuni," Mono assured as the light was blocked out, and the hands closed in tandem to kill them thoroughly. "Even while channeling, I can help with this." With a flex of his clay, manipulation caused the clay hands to collapse around them. Every Elder was a master of clay Ninshu; no Okama could hope to use such against them. The two fell as the deer launched themselves up to ram them out of the sky. Muuni merely grunted as he began to spin them.

"My turn, elder; that annoying human Lee taught me this!" Muuni cried out before launching out with a spinning kick, batting away the deer with her kick. "Leaf Hurricane!"

"Well done!" Mono congratulated them as they touched the ground behind the confused wolves and deer. However, the spider and Okama charged in behind them, so they were not surprised. The spider's fangs glimmered with venom, and the Okama armed with hardened clay knives.

'Forty-five seconds.'

Muuni panted but moved all the same. "Ninshu: Trio Getaway Dashes!" She called the two blurred forward past the spider and first Okama, colliding and getting tangled up in a bundle. The second got past the second Okama. And the third did the same. However, Muuni returned to her original form and gently set the Elder down before collapsing.

"That's all I got." Muuni apologized as the mob of animals regrouped and mobbed towards them. Even more concerning was the worm that burst forth from the ground before them and offered a terrifying hiss.

"It was just enough," Mono assured as he stood up and held up a hand. "Sixty Seconds. Ninshu Channel: Banish Jutsu!" He cried out. A pulse of chakra emanated from him, and instantly, the other creatures yet spared Mono and Muuni. The animals froze as smoke drifted off them. "You were enslaved; you are now free. I would think slaughtering me would be a poor repayment for such. And I assure you the Okama would not take such lying down."

The animals blinked once, twice, before the situation dawned on them. They all offered the various versions of bows their biology allowed. "We're sorry Okama-sama!" They called out in tandem. As expected, in Irminsul, Summoning Clans were treated like visiting lords. To be respected, feared even. That status now aided them well.

"Oh, thank you, Okama. I thought we were dead." Muuni said gladly.

"Of course not!" The deer exclaimed. "You offered some of ours shelter back in the day. After freeing us, we'd never betray your generosity."

"I've never met any of you, and while normally I would consume you as prey, I will not repay mercy with unkindness." The worm assured.

The wolves merely yelped before leaving. Seemingly unwilling to fight them but equally reluctant to fight for them. Mono had half a mind to stop them, but grunts would be a waste of time. They had much bigger fish to fry, as humans would say.

"Elder sir!" Okama cried out in sync. "We're sorry, we were under the control of dreadful humans."

Mono smiled at the due respect being shown to him. The Okama were almost universally loved throughout Terra. But to their kin, the Elders were nothing short of celebrities. "Worry not; if you wish to repay me, aid us in stopping your captor." He smiled as the animals roared in agreement and charged toward the Chakra Anchor. Muuni wished to follow but could not, so exhausted she was. "Our new allies will take care of her for u-"

His assurance was shattered as the clattering of chains and cries of pain from their now-allies sounded out. Mono and Muuni looked on in horror as laughter joined the chaos of the previous sounds.

"Turning my hired help against me was a clever ploy, Okama." The woman sounded off. "But Mishiro Uzumaki is anything but helpless…" She assured me four massive chains were coming from her back. With her piece said, they snaked out and easily wrecked violence amongst the eight remaining attackers. The three deer were torn in half by one chain. The three Okama attempted to form a clay barrier against another, but it shattered against its might, and broken bones sounded cruelly from within its ruins. The spider darted around another but was caught off guard when it snaked back and squashed it flat. The worm got closer than the rest from below but was suddenly brought to the surface and impaled onto a chain. It has buried itself underground to unearth it.

"Dear Okama…" Muuni said, stunned. Mono was as well. So many beings from various clans were killed so mercilessly… and for what…

Mono cursed, picking up Muuni's bridal style and attempting to flee. They would try again with the aid of the other shinobi! But he heard a whip, and suddenly, he felt a massive, heavy impact from behind him. Mono could feel his feeble bones snap. The two and the projectile rolled into a ball and collapsed painfully. Mono watched woodenly, seeing the woman had thrown the corpse of the worm at them.

"You're actually helpless," Mishiro assured with a smile. "Now die so I can do as my beloved asked!" The chains snaked around them before the tips threateningly dangled over them.

Mono launched himself to his feet and conjured an orb of hardened clay around himself and Muuni. The chains collided with a painful grating as they attempted to breach his defenses. In good health, Mono could defend them from such attacks for hours; in poor health and somewhat drained already…

"Elder!" Muuni cried worriedly from within the dark orb as their impending deaths echoed.

"Worry not, child; I will protect us," Mono assured. But in truth, unless help came soon, they would quickly be doomed…