CHAPTER 139 — NARUTO DELIVERS GAUS' ORDERS
Titus and his squad had stopped. There was no need to move further through the ruined city. The original plan, to capture as many high-ranking officials as possible and force compliance, was no longer practical.
Most of the city's people had left, and what remained had little value for occupation. Now, they simply waited, hoping someone from the government would come forward to negotiate.
Titus sat down near the truck that the hostages were chained to. He rested his arms on his knees, his posture calm and measured. Around him, three veteran Bladeguards stood silently, bolters ready but unmoving. The hostages inside the truck fidgeted nervously, trying to gauge what would happen next.
A woman, appearing to be of high rank, raised her voice in a mix of fear and desperation. "W-what are you going to do to us?" Her eyes darted to Titus, pleading for an answer.
Another hostage, trembling, added, "Are you going to take us hostage for ransom?"
Titus did not respond. In his mind, their lives held no immediate value. They were only useful if they could provide resources or bargaining power. Otherwise, they were nothing more than bystanders.
Metaurus, sitting nearby, had removed his helm, revealing the contours of his face. His skin was dark, aged with experience, and his bald head shone under the sunlight.
A white beard framed his jaw, and four gold studs glinted along the top of his skull. A long scar ran diagonally across his left cheek, a mark of a life hardened by combat. He leaned forward slightly, watching the hostages with a sharp, calculating gaze.
"Titus," Metaurus said in a low voice, "I don't think the mission will be completed to Captain Gaius' satisfaction." He paused.
"The original plan was to capture all high-ranking officials and force compliance, broadcast it to the city, spread fear. But now…the city is in ruins. Most people have evacuated. There is no one left to occupy."
Titus nodded slowly. "Yes. It seems that way. But we can still use these hostages to secure resources. It won't fully satisfy Captain Gaius' orders, but it's something."
Metaurus gave a subtle nod. They sat in silence for a moment, the tension heavy in the air. Then, a shout cut through the quiet:
"Uncle Titus!"
All eyes turned. Naruto was running at incredible speed toward them, his orange and blue outfit blurred by motion. His expression was focused, determined, and entirely free of exhaustion, despite the speed at which he had been moving.
Metaurus' eyes darkened with thoughtfulness. "People from other worlds… truly remarkable," he muttered under his breath. "The man who can fly and wield incredible power, Naruto who can control energy and create clones… these are abilities unlike anything we've faced before."
They had faced powerful enemies before, psyker storms, daemons, and other horrors, but even so, Naruto's abilities were impressive in their own way, though not enough to truly shock him.
Naruto reached them in moments, skidding to a halt with precision, not even heaving from the effort. Titus rose, his attention fully on the approaching figure. "What is it, Naruto?"
"Captain Gaius has new orders," Naruto said clearly, addressing Titus and the Ultramarines with proper formality. The squad straightened immediately, giving full attention to the message.
Naruto continued, handing Titus a small tablet. "Orders are to capture the leaders, the president, the vice president, the generals, and others."
Titus took the tablet with a serious expression. It activated on its own, the map scanning and highlighting the target locations.
Most of the targets were concentrated at the White House, with a few scattered across surrounding government buildings. He nodded, taking in the full scope of the task.
Naruto added calmly, "Also, Captain Gaius said the hostages you are holding will no longer serve any purpose."
The hostages stiffened. Fear washed over them, written clearly on their faces. Some trembled, their hands pulling at the restraints nervously.
They realized, for the first time, that they might be considered expendable.
One of the veteran Bladeguards, holding a bolter and shield magnetically locked to his arm, spoke up. "Shall they be eliminated, so they don't cause future trouble?"
The hostages panicked, some crying out. The woman who had spoken earlier shouted, "N-no! Don't kill us! We have value! We can help you!"
The Bladeguard raised his bolter, pressing the threat further. "What value can you give if you don't even know our goal?" His voice carried cold authority. The hostages shrank back further, faces pale, eyes wide.
Titus raised a hand calmly, stopping the Bladeguard immediately. His voice was low, firm, and steady. "We are Ultramarines. We do not kill people who aren't threats."
He turned to the hostages, speaking with measured patience. "You're not useful to us anymore, but that doesn't make you enemies. You will be released. Stay out of our way, and you will remain alive."
The Bladeguard lowered his bolter without hesitation, nodding in acknowledgment. Titus turned to Naruto. "Tell Captain Gaius: these hostages are to be released. We move on to the main targets."
Naruto shook his head. "I'll be going with you to assist," he said. Titus gave him a brief, approving glance. He had no objections.
Back at the White House, the tension was a different kind of heavy. Gaius' broadcast continued on the large screens installed throughout the briefing room. His eyes, piercing and unyielding, seemed to bore into everyone present.
"One of your military bases is gone," his voice cut through the room like steel.
"Ten thousand tons of food, meat, and supplies. Deliver it to these coordinates in six hours. Fail… and there will be nothing left to bargain for. The choice is yours. Decide Carefully."
The screen switched to a location, Metropolis, marked by a broad delivery zone on the map.
Then the screen went black. Silence followed.
Some in the room erupted into discussion, voices raised in frustration. "Doesn't that bastard know how much ten thousand tons of food is?! And in six hours? That will cause chaos in logistics!" one man shouted.
Others spoke more quietly, uncertainty etched across their faces. "Then what do we do?" someone asked. "If we don't comply… what happens?"
The Secretary of Defense leaned forward slowly, hands clasped on the table, his eyes fixed on the blackened screen. "That's the problem," he said carefully. "He didn't tell us."
The room went silent again, each person considering the weight of the task.
A general cleared his throat, breaking the silence. "Sir… with respect, that wasn't a threat. He didn't say what would happen if we failed." He paused, choosing his words carefully. "That's what worries me. He expects us to understand the consequences on our own."
An intelligence analyst added hesitantly, "This individual destroyed a hardened Military Base in minutes. Fighter jets were ineffective. Conventional deterrence does not apply."
"So we comply?" asked another officer, the question edged with frustration.
The Secretary of State responded calmly, "We already fired first. And we lost."
The room's tension thickened. A FEMA representative leaned forward. "We can do partial compliance. Emergency food reserves. Military stockpiles. Cold storage near ports. It won't be perfect, but we can move enough to show effort."
"Ten thousand tons?" the angry man shouted.
"No," the FEMA rep admitted, "but enough to demonstrate we are trying."
The implications settled over the room. Everyone knew what had happened: one missile base destroyed after their attack, their systems unable to stop it. Gaius had shown what force and speed he could bring.
Finally, the President spoke. One sentence, steady and authoritative:
"We comply."
Arguments stopped immediately.
He continued, voice heavy but clear. "We redirect everything we can. Military reserves first. Civilian channels if needed. Prioritize speed over efficiency. And we prepare for the possibility that this doesn't end here."
No one in the room objected. They all understood the stakes. The president, however, would bear the weight of the decision himself, They all knew he would take most of the blame if things went wrong. With that unspoken understanding, no one oppose the order.
Back in the Metropolis city, Naruto, Titus, and the Ultramarines prepared to move. The hostages, now aware that they would be released, shifted in their restraints, faces still pale with fear but understanding they would live. Titus and Metaurus observed, ensuring no one caused trouble as the squad readied to move toward the White House.
They left them restrained on the road, they wouldn't be killed here. Titus spoke as he led the way. "We're heading to the airport. We'll seize an aircraft, our mission targets are roughly a hundred and forty-five miles away. Flying will get us there faster."
Metaurus nodded and sealed his helm into place.
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PS. Four Primaris Marines, each weighing around 0.8 to 1 ton, weren't an issue for a Boeing 737 cargo plane, which could carry over 16 to 20 tons. The real limitations were things like floor strength, door height, interior space, balance, and restraints. With that in mind, they'd board slightly crouched, stand or sit on load-spreading plates or pallets, be spaced carefully to maintain the center of gravity, and be strapped or locked into reinforced tie-down points to ensure turbulence didn't send a one-ton soldier flying. And, of course, these were Ultramarines, practically scholars in addition to warriors. They were more than capable of making rough, quick, one-use modifications to a civilian cargo plane to make it work. In short, it wasn't just plausible, it was entirely doable.
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