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Chapter no.73
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....
Yuki Haku vs. Tsuchi Kin vs. Kinuta Dosu
Haku stood at the center of the arena facing her two opponents. She
cursed her bad luck at being the one selected to have the three-way
match. What made it worse was that both of her opponents were from
the same team and would use every advantage they had to take her out.
This meant teamwork, they obviously knew each other's strengths and
weaknesses and would cover them flawlessly.
This would be a problem for almost anyone, anyone but Haku. The
reven-haired girl was strong, maybe even the strongest genin in Kiri. She
wouldn't have much of a problem dealing with the two Oto-nin before
her, but that didn't mean that she would underestimate them.
Haku was a beautiful fifteen year old girl with long black hair, pale skin,
and large brown eyes. Her frame was quite slender and she was fairly
short for her age. Haku also had a fairly developed C-cup bust. She wore
the standard Kirigakure pinstriped outfit which stopped just below her
knees. Over that she wore a green haori with white trimmings and a
brown sash around her waist. It was the outfit that she usually wore
when preforming her duties as a Kunoichi.
Haku carefully eyed her two opponents. It seemed that the one with
bandages covering his face was the offensive type and the girl was a
genjutsu type. Haku would need to be prepared for all areas of shinobi
arts in this match.
The proctor stepped forward and looked at each of the genin in the
arena, "Are all combatants ready for battle?" He received nods from the
lone shinobi and two kunoichi. "Then you may begin!" The proctor
jumped back to avoid getting in the way of those who would be fighting.
Haku quickly Shunshined away after Dosu had begun to charge her. She
had seen what he had done to that Kabuto boy before the first stage of
the chunin exams started. If she had to guess, she'd say it was a sound
based ninjutsu that damaged the inner ear and would affect her motor
skills and physical abilities. She would need to keep a distance from him
and rely on Ninjutsu and Bukijutsu.
She glanced at the girl behind Dosu and saw that she had pulled out
senbon with bells attached to it.
'Bells? Those aren't normal for a person using senbon...She's either going
to use the Shadow Senbon, which is unlikely, or she's planning a sound
based genjutsu. Judging from the name of her village and the skills of the
rest of her team...it's most likely the latter.'
Haku pulled out a few of her own senbon needles and threw them,
aiming for Kin's vital spots. The Oto kunoichi saw the Kiri-nin's senbon
flying at her and was forced to block with her own, causing the bells to
ring on her senbon.
'Two bells? There's my answer...those are for a sound based genjutsu.'
Haku thought, confirming her theory.
Haku noticed all of the surrounding water from the Suiton jutsus that the
Hokage's daughters had used in the previous matches. These were the
perfect conditions for her. She noticed That Dosu had begun to charge
her once again, she wouldn't deal with him yet. She would first need to
take out the girl as it was obvious that she was the weaker of the two.
Haku moved at speeds far above the level of a genin to move around
Dosu and rush at Kin. In the blink of an eye she had crossed halfway
around the stadium and appeared behind Kin. The Oto kunoichi quickly
turned around after she had sensed her enemy and brought up her
senbon with the attempt to stab Haku. The Kiri kunoichi however, had
drawn her own senbon and blocked the strike.
The Hyoton used slowly began making one handed seals, surprising
everyone in the audience, "Sensatsu Suisho (Thousand Flying Water
Needles of Death)." One thousand senbon made of water rose and formed
from the surrounding water and completely surrounded the two kunoichi.
A second after they were formed, they began to speed toward Haku and
Kin from all directions, leaving no means of escape.
Haku quickly Shunshined out of the way of the water senbon while Kin
could only stand their as her life flashed before her eyes. Haku looked
back at the kunoichi she was fighting only a moment ago to see a corpse
filled with hundreds of water senbon protruding from her dead body,
blood flowing out all across the floor.
Many of the remaining genin on the observation platform above them
gasped in horror as they saw the Oto kunoichi had been pierced by
hundreds of senbons made of water and her blood fly everywhere in a
shower of crimson. Very few of them had seen death before, let alone kill
someone with their own hands. And yet, this girl only a few years older
than them had done so without even showing a hint of remorse on her
face.
"KIN!" She heard the other Oto-nin scream in horror as he saw the lifeless
body of his teammate fall to the ground. Otogakure may not have
preached about friendship and comrades, but their team had been
together since they became genin. Zaku had already been crippled for life
and now his other teammate was killed by the girl in front of him.
"Is this the first time you've lost someone precious to you? It's only when
you're protecting someone precious to you that you become truly
strong...You could not protect her...You are not strong...You are weak."
Haku told Dosu emotionlessly, a hint of pity in her eyes. The may pity
him, but she will not give him mercy.
"AARRGGHH!" At these words Dosu charged Haku in a blind rage, intent
on ripping her limb from limb.
Haku did not respond visibly, she merely looked down and noticed that
the blood from the girl she killed had mixed in with the water which
spread it across the battlefield even further and produced more of it.
Using her body as a medium, she slowly started o freeze the water
around her and even extended the range to freeze even the bare arena
floor.
She made a few hand seals and crouched down on one knee to place her
middle and index finger onto the ice now covering the ground. "Hyoro no
Jutsu (Ice Prison Jutsu)." Medium sized pillars of ice rose from all of the
previous water sources and even spanned across the arena floor, erupting
from every part of the ground as they continued to rise until they reached
Dosu. The Oto-nin had a look of shock on his face before a pillar rose
from the ground underneath him, freezing him in the process.
Haku looked up at her handiwork and locked her eyes onto Dosu's
trapped form. She reached her hand out in front of her body in a manner
not unlike Gaara's and squeezed her hand. "Hyoton: Ice Funeral." The ice
surrounding Dosu became highly pressurized and crushed him, liquifying
his entire body within a single moment causing blood to erupt from that
particular ice pillar like a fountain.
At this sight most of the genin watching the match from above lost their
lunches, even some of the Jonin looked a bit green. Gaara and Naruto
were the only two to smile a bit at the sight.
After recovering from seeing a genin kill someone so efficiently, Genma
stepped forward. "Winner by death, Yuki Haku!"
Haku walked back up towards her team as if nothing had happened. As
soon as she was back on the platform on the other side of the room, all of
the Konoha genin began whispering amongst themselves. They were
probably as terrified of her as they were Gaara, maybe even more
because she didn't seem insane and was in perfect control of her actions.
Naruto did not care for what the other genin thought of her actions.
Naruto would have done the exact same thing had he not been matched
up against a Konoha genin.
What Naruto was staring at was the now frozen wasteland that was the
arena. It was beautiful, perhaps only second to the landscape that he had
created in the forest. Exactly half of the arena was covered in a thick
sheet of ice but was completely smooth and and untouched, while the
other side was littered with fairly large pillars of ice. It reminded Naruto
of what was once Yuki no Kuni.
Naruto inhaled the crisp, cold air that the arena had altered and smiled
as he remembered the last time he felt this sensation. It brought a
nostalgic feeling to his mind as he remembered the events revolving
around Koyuki and Yuki no Kuni. He would always remember his very
first mission outside of the village walls and the downward spiral of
events that occurred not too long after it began.
Naruto was forced back into reality as he heard the proctor's voice. "Will
Hyuga Neji and Portgas D. Naruto make your way down to the arena for
the final match!"
Chapter no.74
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....
Hyuga Neji vs. Portgas D. Naruto
Naruto had planned to let any Konoha-nin that he fought live as it would
only cause more trouble for him if he were to kill someone from his own
village, but he was seriously reconsidering his plan and thinking of just
incinerating the Hyuga in front of him. The boy would not stop preaching
about fate and the match hadn't even begun yet.
"I shall give you this chance to surrender Portgas, fate has already
decreed me the victor."
"I think I'll take my chances. I didn't wait all this time just to give up."
Naruto was getting tired of the boy's speeches.
"Very well, do not blame me should your fate meet its end."
Neji was done talking, he wanted to get this fight over with. There was
no way the genin in front of him stood a chance, he was the Hokage's
disowned son after all. Forced out of the family for being to weak. They
family situations weren't too different from each other, but he was too
blinded by his hatred of the main house of the Hyuga to see that.
Neji took his usual Juken stance and activated his byakugan while Naruto
took the stance of his Interceptor Fist. However he didn't end there. For
the first time in over three years he opened his right eye in front of his
classmates revealing not an empty eye socket like they all thought it was,
but a crimson three-tomoed sharingan.
Observation Platform
Almost everyone in the audience gasped at the sight of one of the most
revered kekkei genkai in Konoha.
Their was one thought going through everyone's minds, 'The
sharingan...but how does he have it?'
Ino and Sakura had both made it back to their teams and were greeted
with the sight before them. Sakura had already known about Naruto's eye
from when she had seen him in the Hokage's office several months ago,
but Ino on the other hand was shocked beyond belief. She was pretty
good friends with Satsuki, well they were on good terms, and the female
Uchiha had never told her about this.
"Asuma-sensei? How does Naruto have the sharingan? He isn't an Uchiha
is he?" Ino asked.
Most of the Konoha genin were now paying close attention to Asuma's
response, as they were just as confused as Ino was. The academy didn't
go into depth about kekkei genkai or how they were obtained, only that
certain shinobi possessed them.
Asuma sighed as he saw all of the genin's eyes on him, waiting for an
answer. "Kekkei Genkai come from genes that are passed down through
certain clans. Konoha has two dojutsu kekkei genkai, the sharingan and
the byakugan. There are many other kekkei genkais but these two are
two of the most prominent. Usually they are only passed down through
reproduction, however in the case of dojutsu they can be implanted into
another individual. This is the case with Kakashi's sharingan and most
likely the case with Naruto. As you know Naruto lost his eye several
years ago and it was removed, so it's likely that he had it transplanted not
too long after that accident. For anyone else they'd have to have their eye
ripped out to have one transplanted."
Asuma noticed Natsuki look down and tears build up from her eyes at the
mention of his accident, but he would push it to the side for now. He
looked to see the faces of the genin as they turned their heads back
toward the arena, telling him that they understood.
Arena Floor
Neji's eyes widened in shock for a moment before returning to normal. It
did not matter whether Portgas had a dojutsu or not. Fate had already
decided that he would win.
"Begin!" The proctor announced.
Neji didn't need to hear twice as he rushed at Naruto. Naruto quickly
coated his arms with Busoshoku Haki so that Neji wouldn't be able to
close the tenketsu in them. Naruto had already seen Hinata's Juken, but
he could tell that Neji had surpassed her by leaps and bounds, there was
no comparison. He would have to keep his guard up if he wanted to even
they playing field with Taijutsu.
Neji laced his hands with chakra in order to initiate his Juken. He sent a
palm strike toward Naruto's chest, but the ravenette blocked by pushing
his arm away. This didn't stop Neji as he continued his fast paced palm
strikes with Naruto either avoiding it altogether or blocking. Neji couldn't
understand what the boy had done to his arms, they were pitch black and
the byakugan couldn't see through it. Neji sent a finger strike toward his
chest intent on hitting a vital organ. Naruto, seeing this, ducked below
the strike and swept Neji's legs out from under him. He wasn't going to
break apart without a finishing blow, so he sent a vertical chop straight
into Neji's gut forcing him to the ground.
Naruto jumped back a few yards to gain some distance. The Hyuga was
quite good and proving to be a match for him in pure Taijutsu alone.
Their specialized Taijutsu allowed them to strike directly at the chakra
networks, even blocking with your arms would render some of the
pathways there blocked. However, his Busoshoku Haki was similar to
very powerful armor that would prevent any of the strikes from reaching
his chakra network.
Neji immediately got off the ground and charged at Naruto once more.
He brought his leg out to sweep Naruto's feet out from under him, but the
sharingan user jumped into the air avoiding the kick. Neji wasn't done
yet as he used his momentum to spin and kicked out with his other leg,
aiming for Naruto's chest. Naruto raised an eyebrow at this, the Juken
usually only used a person't hands specifically the palms and the fingers.
He caught the kick with his hand, but was sent back a dozen feet. He
wasn't expecting so much force behind it.
Naruto was done playing around, the time for defense was over. He
switched his stance into one that could better utilize his Haki. This
Taijutsu style revolve around ferocious strikes using palm strikes and
kicks.
It was Naruto this time who charged Neji. The scarred boy was moving at
speeds that no genin could usually keep up with, but somehow Neji had
avoided a hard palm strike to the sternum. However, Naruto spun in mid-
air and delivered a talon-like kick to Neji's left arm sending him flying
into one of the ice pillars.
Naruto stayed behind a bit as the impact produced a cloud of mist that
slightly obscured his vision, though he could sense where the Hyuga was
with his Kenbunshoku Haki. He could see Neji kneeling on the ground
planning his next move. A moment later he dodged a barrage of shuriken
with only the slightest movements, not even bothering to move from
where he was standing.
Neji soon flew out of the mist with his arm drawn back. "Hakke Kusho
(Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm)!" Neji thrust his arm forward releasing a
high speed palm thrust forming a vacuum shell was sent towards Naruto.
With his sharingan he could easily predict the path of the strike and
maneuvered around it. After avoiding the strike, Naruto quickly jumped
behind the ice pillar to his left to figure out what the Hyuga prodigy was
planning. A moment later Neji landed it the middle of the ice covered
arena and stood completely still.
Naruto seeing as he wasn't going to get any of his answers this way
rushed at Neji once more.
"You are within my field of divination." Neji stated as he took and odd
Juken stance.
Naruto was only a few feet away when Neji moved in a maneuver that
even the sharingan had trouble tracking, once he found Neji again it was
too late. "Hakke Rokujuyon Sho (Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms)!"
Chapter no.75
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....
With those words he began to relentlessly attack Naruto with a secret
technique of the Hyuga clan.
"Two Palms!"
"Four Palms!"
"Eight Palms!"
"Sixteen Palms!"
"Thirty-Two Palms!"
"Sixty-Four Palms!"
Neji had succeeded in closing sixty-four of the chakra points all over
Naruto's body. This would render him completely handicapped for the
rest of the match, with the inability to mold chakra and hampering his
movements. However after the final strike was delivered 'Naruto' burst
into a flock of crows, surprising everyone in the room, even the Hokage.
That particular technique was only known to one person in the world.
The real Naruto stepped out from behind the ice pillar that he had first
hid behind and stood there taking in what Neji's technique had done.
"Karasu Bunshin (Crow Clone), it's an incredibly useful technique.
Completely unlike other types of bunshin, even the Kage Bunshin. That
was an impressive technique, one that should only be known to a single
child of the main house, after seeing it once I won't be caught up in it
again."
Naruto walked forward a few feet until he was in front of the ice pillar. "I
must thank that girl Haku for the change of scenery. Now I don't have to
go through the trouble of doing it myself." Naruto formed a few hand
seals, "Hyoton: Haryu Moko (Tearing Dragon Fierce Tiger)."
Every shinobi's eyes in the room went wide once more as they heard his
words, even his own team, but especially Haku who was speechless at the
moment.
The entire ice pillar behind Naruto turned into a giant tiger that rushed
through the sky and towards Neji with such ferocity that it may have
killed him if the jutsu hit. The mere creation of the massive beast caused
the temperature in the room to drop several degrees. Haku could only
contine to stare wide-eyed as even she didn't have any Hyoton jutsu
within her arsenal on that massive of a scale.
Neji silently cursed as he continued to dodge the large tiger that
continued to chase after him. It was the predator and he was the prey. No
matter how many times he dodged it, it wouldn't let up. In fact every
time he avoided the creature it only became faster. The young Hyuga
only had one jutsu that would be able to defend against the predator's
onslaught, he had been hoping to save it for the finals but it was the only
thing that would save him right now.
He stopped running and slowly began to spin until he picked speed,
"Hakkesho Kaiten (Eight Trigrams Palm Rotation)!" Chakra expelled from
every tenketsu of his body as he spun, creating an impenetrable blue
sphere. The ice tiger crashed into the sphere and slowly began to shatter
until it was completely destroyed.
Neji stopped his jutsu a moment later, panting from how much chakra he
had used. He would need to perfect the Kaiten later on so that he didn't
have to waste so much of his chakra on it. Neji looked up and saw that
he was on the complete other side of the room from where he was when
he began dodging that ice tiger.
He knew just how close he had come to defeat in that moment he stared
at the tiger's gaping jaws about to devour him whole. He would need to
end the match soon, he didn't have much chakra left. Enough left to use
the Hakkesho Kaiten once more, but that was it. Should he have to resort
to that, then he was done, defeated.
"You did well to defend agains such an attack Neji, you truly are a genius
of the Hyuga clan." Neji's eyes jerked up at the sudden voice and locked
onto the form of Naruto across the arena. "But will you be able to avoid
the next one?"
Neji's eyes widened as Naruto began going through hand seals, he got up
and quickly charged Naruto in an attempt to finish him off before he
completed the next jutsu. However, he was too late as Naruto landed on
his seal and thrust his arm out forming a black ether-like dragon from the
ice and snow behind him that flew into the air at high-speed. It's glowing
red eyes locked onto Neji and went in for the kill. "Hyoton: Kokuryu
Bofusetsu (Ice Release: Black Dragon Blizzard)!"
Neji knew he had to use the Hakkesho Kaiten once more in order to even
survive the massive dragon. He began to spin at a rapid speed, exerting
all of his chakra into this last jutsu. Even that was not enough as the
black ether-like dragon hit the Kaiten, but did not dissipate. Instead it
picked Neji's technique up while he was still spinning and launched him
into the air, impacting the ceiling as the dragon continued to rush him.
Neji had long since stopped the Kaiten and could only feel his body
screaming in pain as the dragon continued to pin him to the ceiling as
the ice dissipated against it from the force of the impact. The last thing
he remembered was the freezing feeling of the ice against his body before
he was pulled into the darkness.
The dragon vanished from existence as soon as Naruto felt that Neji had
lost consciousness. The Hyuga that was pinned to the ceiling slowly
began his free fall back down to earth before Naruto Shunshined into the
air and caught him, the natural heat of his body immediately causing
Neji's body to recover from hypothermia. He landed on the ground once
more and waited for the medical teams to come and take his opponent
away.
Chapter no.76
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....
Naruto looked up and saw that everyone in the room had a gobsmacked
expression on their face, including the Hokage. He could see Natsuki,
Narumi, and Satsuki all staring at him in pure awe and admiration. They
were soon brought back to reality as they heard the proctor clear his
throat.
"Winner by knock out, Portgas D. Naruto! With the final match over this
marks the end of the preliminary rounds. All of those who have one their
matches, please make your way down to the arena to decide the matches
for the final rounds!"
As Genma made his announcement to the chunin hopefuls, they slowly
began to make their way down the stairs until they were standing beside
Naruto in a single line.
Minato and Anko had made their way down to the arena floor as well.
The Yondaime Hokage stepped forward to start his speech to
congratulate everyone, "Congratulations to all of you for winning your
matches and making it to the third and final stage of the exam. I am
proud of all of the Konoha genin that have made it thus far and I'm sure
the Kage of your respective villages feel the same way." Minato let a
moment of silence pass before he continued.
"However, the final stage of the chunin exams will not be happening
now. Many important people such as the Kage of your villages, Daimyos,
and many potential clients will be attending the final tournament.
Therefore you have exactly one month to prepare for your matches. Time
will allow you to study your opponent's abilities in order to form a
strategy to deal with them and it will also give you a chance to improve
your own skills." Minato said.
"For now we will decide what the match-ups will be for the tournament.
Please take a piece of paper from the box that Anko-san is currently
holding. These pieces of paper will determine who you will fight in the
first round, so I hope you are all confident in your good luck."
One by one each of the genin walked up to the box and pulled out a
small piece of paper with a number on it. They presented their numbers
to Ibiki and were drawn onto the tournament grid where there number
was.
Match 1: Uzumaki-Namikaze Natsuki vs. Sabaku no Temari
Match 2: Uchiha Satsuki vs. Uzumaki-Namikaze Narumi
Match 3:Portgas D. Naruto vs. Uzumaki-Namikaze Nawaki
Match 4: Inuzuka Hana vs. Chojuro
Match 5: Suigetsu vs. Sabaku no Gaara
Match 6: Yuki Haku vs. Winner of Match 5
Naruto was grinning like a madman at the idea of Nawaki, the brat just
annoyed him to no end and this would be a perfect opportunity to show
his true strength.
"Are there any questions dealing with the rules of the final tournament?"
Minato asked after everyone had seen who they would be fighting.
Shikamaru raised his hand, "Will there only be one person who becomes
chunin since this is a tournament?"
"No, there are several different judges for the tournament, Kage included,
if someone is determined to have the skill and mindset of a chunin then
they will be promoted. However, fighting more matches in the
tournament will give you more opportunities to show the judges that you
are fit to be a chunin. There is also a chance that none of you will be
promoted to chunin, but from what I have seen that scenario is highly
unlikely. Are there any more questions?"
None of the genin before him raised their hands or looked uneasy.
"Very well then you are all dissmissed. Oh Naruto! Please meet me at the
Hokage Tower as soon as you have spoken with your teammates." Naruto
had expected this after showing a bit of what he could do in his match,
so he didn't voice his opinion.
Slowly all of the genin left the tower until only Team 11 and Team 7
remained. Obito turned to speak to his team, they needed to deal with
the time they had during the period before the third exam. "All of you
think about what you plan to do with your thirty day time period
overnight okay. Meet me at the usual training ground tomorrow morning
at 9:00 AM." He said as he disappeared from sight a moment after seeing
them all nod their heads.
Naruto thought a bit about what he needed to work on before making the
journey to the Hokage Tower, he would take the long way around so he
could prepare himself for his eventual meeting with the Hokage, and
most likely the rest of his family.
....
What are secrets really? Are they pieces of information that are not
meant to be known by others? Or are they just things that you'd like to
keep to yourself and only the people that you truly trust? Everybody had
a secret or two.
Secrets were the basis of the shinobi world. Every country kept secrets
from each other in order to benefit their own interest, whether it was to
keep their hidden village's strength at the top of the elemental nations or
to hide their own underground dealings. The world was a dark place. A
rotting wasteland where the sun would never shine, at least it would be
until someone decided to set the world aflame.
Naruto had many secrets, such as the fact that he knew the truth about
the Uchiha massacre or that the Kyuubi was really still being controlled
by Uchiha Madara on the night of his birth. Secrets were meant to stay in
the dark because should they come to light, the consequences would be
greater than any kind of benefit.
If either of these two secrets were to get out, the fallout would be
disastrous. If anyone were to find out about the Uchiha massacre then the
people of Konoha would lose faith in their village and their Hokage. They
would see him as a tyrant who ordered the execution of an entire clan
just because they no longer believed in the village's 'will of fire' and were
going to speak out against it. Those Uchiha children who were spared
would seek revenge for their losses, or betray the village altogether.
The second secret was just as dangerous, if not worse. If what Shisui had
said the night of the massacre was true, then the Kyuubi was most likely
still under the effects Madara'sKotoamatsukami. Naruto would need to
deal with that the first chance he had, only a the same jutsu would be
able to remove the effects. Should the people of the village find out that
the Kyuubi was under the effects of a sharingan that night, then the
Uchiha would be ostracized even more. Some may even call for the
complete extermination of the clan because they feared that what
happened all those years ago would happen again.
Naruto had no idea that theKotoamatsukamiwas so powerful. Should the
village find out that he possessed the very same jutsu that cost Konoha all
of those lives sixteen years ago, then he would most certainly have to
take counter measures to prevent his family from being knew that it was
the strongest genjutsu of the mangekyo sharingan, but to be able to
control the most powerful of the Bijuu for over half a century with it was
an amazing feat. Naruto had yet to reach that level of mastery with the
sharingan. He was capable of activating Shisui's mangekyo, but when he
did he still felt like there was a higher level to reach. It felt as if there
were a power just within his grasp, but he had to take one final leap to
reach it. Were his eyes telling him that he was capable of awakening the
rinnegan? He would continue that thought later.
People also might interpret that Natsuki and Nawaki are also under
Madara's control because they hold the Bijuu within them. Then they
would be treated like that of real jinchuriki instead of heroes who saved
the village. That brings up another theory that Naruto had. Yin and Yang
were never supposed to be separated, it was the law of nature. The only
reason that Naruto was able to completely split apart his chakra with his
perfect chakra control was because he still contained the other half
within his body. The Yin half of the Kyuubi was sealed inside Natsuki and
the Yang half was sealed within Nawaki. That being said they would
naruraly be drawn back to each other, the pull of the forces would be so
powerful that they would even break the seal holding them in the
process.
Naruto theorized that if one half of the Kyuubi was broken from Madara's
control thenit would instantly draw the other half back too it and merge
back into the complete form of the Bijuu. The extraction wouldn't kill the
Uzumaki-Namikaze that possessed the half that was still under
theKotoamatsukamibecause of their Uzumaki genes. The Uzumaki always
had incredibly strong life forces, which is why Kushina was able to
survive having the Kyuubi escape from her. Though it would be an
incredibly painful and exhausting process. If Naruto could help it he
would break the Yin half from Madara's control because it would be
easier to because it represented the Kyuubi's spirit half, as it was made of
Yin chakra.
It would probably be best to deal with this either after the chunin exams,
or during the invasion that would occur during the finals where Gaara
would transform into his full Bijuu state. Naruto couldn't wait to deal
with Shukaku, he had spent far too long in isolation and it had made him
even more bloodthirsty and insane. Naruto would have to remind him of
what he was like when he was just born. He would remind him of what
fear was.
But that would have to wait for another time, as Naruto was currently
sitting in front of Namikaze Minato the Yondaime Hokage. He was
obviously interested in uncovering all of Naruto's secrets. Though they
weren't the only ones in the Hokage's office. Uzumaki-Namikaze Kushina
stood behind her husband, staring forlornly at Naruto, while Narumi and
Natsuki both sat to the side of the office on the couch. Both of the genin
had no idea why they were there, but there Kaa-san had requested that
they be there. Nawaki wasn't there as he had been moved to the hospital
for the night to recover from the injuries he received during his match.
Even Jiraiya was in the room sitting on the windowsill, Naruto had not
even glanced at the man since he arrived.
Naruto had not seen Jiraiya in years, nor did he want to. Naruto could
only describe the Toad Sage with one word, pathetic. He was strong, that
much Naruto was certain of, but it was his beliefs that made his entire
existence a joke in Naruto's eyes. He lived his entire life based on a
prophecy that the toads gave him decades ago. They told him that he was
meant to create peace by finding the child of prophecy. The sharingan
user never understood what made the toads so special that they could
hand out prophecies like they were pieces of candy.
It was one of these prophecies that drove the Uzumaki-Namikaze family
apart even further. Several years ago after he had awoken from his coma,
Naruto had thought that he would give his family a chance after seeing
how his family life couldn't even compare to how bad Aces was. After all,
Naruto's parents didn't actually try to kill him. However, it was not meant
to be as they had began to focus even more on his siblings' training after
Jiraiya had given yet another prophecy to Minato about the child of
prophecy and how they will either bring forward peace or lead the world
to ruin. That had been the final chance he gave his former family.
Chapter no.77
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....
The room was silent, eerily so. It was obvious that the only ones in the
room who knew what was going on were Minato and Jiraiya. Naruto
stared on impassively at the blonde Hokage, who matched his gaze.
Naruto had partially figured out why he was here. Minato wanted
answers about the Hyoton, but what confused him was Jiraiya's presence.
He had sensed the man watching from the shadow at the preliminary
matches, but he had assumed that Jiraiya would go off for some 'research'
at the hot springs. Jiraiya was the world's largest pervert and that
disgusted Naruto, he had even caught the man sneaking glances at
Kushina's figure every so often.
The only reason why Jiraiya would be here is if they wanted to speak
about something more than just his abilities. He had no doubt that they
would once again try to bring him back into their family, but he would
have none of that and they were probably starting to catch onto that idea
by now. No, there had to be more going on here than he realized.
"Congratulations on winning your preliminary match Naruto." Minato
had thought for a long time about how to start off the conversation with
his wayward son. If he had outright demanded answers from Naruto then
things would quickly turn out like they usually did with him. He wanted
Naruto to be able to open up to them and maybe they could fix their
estranged relationship from there. "To be able to overwhelm the prodigy
of the Hyuga clan so easily is quite an accomplishment, he was the rookie
of the year for the previous graduating class at the academy you know."
"Thank you Hokage-sama." Naruto replied blandly. He had to restrain
himself from rolling his eyes, it was quite obvious as what Minato was
trying to accomplish. "But if that was all that this was about, may I ask
why I was the only one who was requested to be here? There were many
other genin who had won their matches, surely you would give them the
same treatment."
Minato sighed in exasperation. His son had never been interested in
exchanging pleasantries, Naruto always saw right through all of his
attempts to get closer to him.
"There are questions that need to be answered. Your abilities specifically
have come into question and we require answers to them."
Naruto raised an eyebrow a Minato's tone of voice. This obviously wasn't
just Minato's curiosity that brought him there, this was an interrogation.
"Why do you have the Hyoton bloodline? It isn't like some of the other
elemental bloodlines that have sprouted up in several different nations.
The Hyoton is exclusive to Kirigakure and the Yuki clan...You already
have a sharingan, Have you been experimenting on the rest of your body
too? If you have you're no better than Orochimaru!" Jiraiya stated coldly,
his voice rising in anger at the end.
Naruto gaze pierced through Jiraiya's very being. He knew the man was a
fool, but he certainly didn't expect the sage to jump to such a wild
conclusion. It was obvious that he had already decided that was what
Naruto had done, his hatred for Orochimaru ha blinded him to what was
around him. He was no better than that Anko woman who was screaming
for the Hokage to cancel the exams because she had fought her former
sensei in the forest.
"To come up with such foolish assumptions...are you sure your a sannin?
I had no idea that a shinobi of your stature had the thinking capacity of
an academy student." As Naruto spoke, Jiraiya could be seen losing his
composure as he got up from his seat on the windowsill to force some
answers from Naruto. He was forcefully restrained by Kushina'sKongo
Fusa (Adamantine Sealing Chains)so that Naruto could finish speaking.
"To answer your little interrogation...I do not have the Hyoton."
This earned raised eyebrows from everyone in the room.
"What do you mean? We clearly saw you use it during your match."
Minato asked, very confused as to what Naruto was trying to imply.
Naruto sighed.'These two have been shinobi for decades and they still
can't figure anything out for themselves? This is the leader of the village
and Konoha's strongest shinobi?'
"What I mean is what I said. I cannot use the Hyoton...Think about the
condition of the arena when my match was held...it was covered in ice.
What I used was pure ice manipulation, using the pre-existing techniques
to form Hyoton techniques." Naruto stated. He was getting annoyed with
what he had already guesses would be a long night ahead of him.
Minato sighed in relief after learning that his son hadn't been using his
body for experiments like his sensei's old teammate. Now that he thought
about it, why did Jiraiya immediately think that he was the second
coming of Orochimaru?
Jiraiya narrowed his eyes once again. It seemed that he wasn't satisfied
with Naruto's answer.
"How would you even gain access to such powerful techniques. The only
ones who uses those kind of jutsu are the shinobi from Haru no Kuni and
no Konoha shinobi has set foot there in over a decade. The last one was
Kakashi when he rescued their princess when her uncle and shinobi there
staged a coup."
Naruto scoffed. This man was supposed to be Konoha's spymaster and yet
he couldn't even piece together such simple information. "Your
information is outdated Jiraiya...either that or your memory is failing
you. I don't blame you if it is the latter, it comes with advanced age after
all..." Kushina had to strengthen the hold of her chakra chains as Jiraiya
tried to break free and jump at her son.
"I was sent to Haru no Kuni by Hokage-sama over a month ago. It was
our first C-rank mission but it went south pretty fast. To keep the story
short, we found out that we were escorting Kazahana Koyuki, the rightful
heir to the throne of Haru no Kuni. I wound up killing the former Daimyo
and those shinobi who were key in staging the coup, freeing the country
from their grasp. Because of that Koyuki was made the new Daimyo and I
was given access to the shinobi library in Yukigakure for saving their
country, along with the Hyoton jutsu I copied with my sharingan."
Everyone's eyes widened after hearing that little piece of information,
after all the report Naruto's team had given the Hokage wasn't the whole
truth. Only Naruto knew the full extent of what really happened.
Natsuki and Narumi were shocked to hear that their Nii-san had killed
someone. They knew that shinobi had to do things like that, but the
concept was still just so foreign to them. They had only done simple
delivery and escort missions, minus their mission to Nami no Kuni. But
they were completely outclassed on that mission so Kakashi and Kushina
had done all of the work. They had never even come close to taking a
life, and yet their Nii-san had said that he killed several people without
even a hint of remorse present his face. Could they really call themselves
kunoichi just yet?
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....
Kushina looked a bit downcast after she had heard some of the story. She
wasnt even there to comfort her own son after his first kill. To all shinobi
and kunoichi, the first kill is always the hardest. It's the first step into
what the shinobi world is truly like, and to hear that he had already done
so broke her heart a little more. She really wanted her baby back, he was
so loud and energetic when he was just a few years old. He used to be
just like her. Now she can't even recognize him, both personality and
appearance wise.
Minato had gotten the answers he wanted and decided to move onto his
issues with what was going on in the final stage of the chunin exams in a
month.
"Naruto...the final stages of the chunin exams are only a month away
have you considered what you are going to do about training yet?"
Naruto was taken by surprised at this question. He hadn't thought they
would talk about his training schedule. He figured that one of them
wanted to help with his training in order to worm their way back into his
heart. He had already thought about what he still needed training in, not
that he would tell any of them that.
"Why does that concern you Hokage-sama? If you are concerned about
my performance then I can assure you that you won't be disappointed."
"That isn't really what I was getting at..." Minato sighed. "I am going to be
training Nawaki this month. Though all four of you have made it to the
final exams, he asked me to train him the day before the first exam if he
should make it to the final stage...Naruto...I can assure you that Nawaki
will be at least chunin level by the end of this month, and without ice in
the arena I don't know how long you'll be able to last against him."
Naruto had to stifle a laugh at how Minato had no idea of what he was
truly capable of. He didn't voice his opinion on the matter and kept his
neutral gaze on the man as he continued to speak.
"All of you will be representing the village in this tournament and I need
you to show our strength to the world...that's why I've asked Jiraiya-
sensei to train you over the next month. Narumi and Natsuki will be
receiving training from both Kushina-chan and Kakashi. I don't want you
to be left behind. I'm sure Obito will be busy with training Satsuki for the
exams because of her sharingan and I don't want you to get your hopes
up that you will be receiving the usual amount of attention that you
require.
'Really? He wants me to train with Jiraiya? The same Jiraiya who tried to
attack me a few moments ago and who accused me of being no different
than Orochimaru?...Who the hell is he kidding...I'd sooner accept training
from Ebisu than him.'Naruto could not believe that Minato had tried to
set him up for training with the pervert who was obviously enjoying
being wrapped up in Kushina's chains.
"No thank you Hokage-sama." Naruto replied in a bland tone.
This statement had everyone in the room gaping like a fish out of water.
Minato, Kushina, and Jiraiya had expected him to accept the training
instantly. Narumi and Natsuki had no idea what their parents were
planning, but as soon as they heard he was going to be trained by a
sannin they were going to ask to join the training so that they could
spend more time with him.
Natsuki really wanted to be near him whenever she could, she had even
considered stalking him a few times when she had seen him on the street
but that idea was quickly shot down. She really wanted to be near her
'Onii-sama' as she called him in her head, she just wanted to please him
however she could. She wanted to be his and his alone. She wanted to
train side by side with him and spar with him, but then she remembered
what had happened the last time they did. She may never get over the
fact that she put him into a coma.
Narumi needed help with summoning toads. She had already been able
to summon low level ones like Gamakichi, but they hadn't truly trained
in it or any of the other toad arts. Though that was only an excuse, she
secretly wanted to be with her Nii-san too. Every time she saw him she
was reminded of how bratty and stuck up she was in her younger years
and she hated that. She felt hot every time she looked at his finely
sculpted body and as if she needed a cold shower every time he looked
her in the eyes. She didn't understand why it was her own brother that
made her feel this way.
Minato looked at Naruto incredulously, "B-But why? Jiraiya-sensei is one
of the sannin, arguably one of the strongest shinobi in the
village...Anyone would jump at the chance to train under him and yet
you turn the offer down!"
Naruto did not react to the outburst of the village leader, "I am not just
anyone Hokage-sama. It would be detrimental to have someone who has
no idea what my fighting style is or what level I am at train me,
especially someone who clearly does not want to. He would obviously
force me to learn his jutsu and how he fights...as I shinobi I am already
set in my own way of fighting and therefore it would only take that much
longer for me to break away from my old style, not that I'd want to...I
refuse the training."
Some of those in the room calmed down after understanding his
situation, but Jiraiya had clearly taken it as a personal insult. "What is
that supposed to mean? Are you trying to say that your fighting style is
superior to mine?! I am a shinobi who is feared all throughout the
elemental nations and yet you, some snot-nosed genin thinks he's better
than me!..Why don't we settle this right now? A spar at one of the
training grounds right now! If you can last two minutes against me then I
won't bother training you!"
Many of those were surprised at Jiraiya's declaration, especially with how
much convincing it took Minato to get him to agree. Naruto's expression
had still not deterred from his apathetic gaze.
"I wouldn't want you to break a hip old man, you're still useful to this
village after all...though you really should start thinking about
retirement."
"You ungrateful little shit! Free me from these chains and I'll show you
just how old I really am!" Jiraiya had gotten tired of Naruto's teasing of
his age.
"I have no plans in participating in your little competition either. I'm a
busy person, did you really expect me to spend one more moment with
you than I really had to?...I've got nothing to prove to you Jiraiya, nor do
I care about your opinion of me." Naruto turned back towards Minato. "If
that will be all Hokage-sama the I will take my leave. I have not been
home in over five days after all." With those words said he began to walk
out the door.
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....
Minato raised his hand to stop his son from leaving, if he did he would
most likely not see his son until the day of the tournament. "Naruto
wait!...There is one more thing."
Naruto turned back around to face the Hokage. From the look on
Minato's face, he knew he would not like what the man was about to say.
It seemed that this conversation would need to draw on a bit longer.
Minato sighed, knowing his son wouldn't want to hear what he was about
to say. "I want you to retake to Uzumaki-Namikaze clan name...Konoha
needs to show its strength during these exams and the village's strength is
intertwined with the strength of their Kage...this includes their families."
The room noticeably dropped several degrees after Minato spoke those
words. Words that everyone in the room knew he would not listen to.
Even Jiraiya knew there was a reason why he changed his surname,
though he would never understand it.
In that moment Naruto remembered all of the pain that his family had
caused him over the years. Those words that he recalled Ace once saying
were right, people never forget.
"I refuse...and I am not part of your family anymore Hokage-
sama...perhaps I never was."
The words of the lone ravenette in the room broke the hearts of the
females in the room, they wanted him back the most.
"This isn't a request! I am ordering you as your Hokage, not your father!
You will take back the Uzumaki-Namikaze name and you will come back
home so your mother and sisters can be happy again! Do you understand
me!" Minato yelled as he stood up and slammed his fists against the desk.
Naruto's glare hardened, even going so far as to open his right eye and
activating his sharingan from its neutral state.
"No I will not." Naruto stated sternly, earning a glare from Minato. "You
may be able to give me orders when dealing with shinobi affairs, but this
is a clan matter. You cannot force me into a clan that I am not a part
of...also I may not have taken the name because I am partial to my
current one, but I am under the protection of the Uchiha clan."
This statement caught the attention of those in the room. They had
known he lived at the Uchiha compound with Satsuki, but they didn't
think that Mikoto would go so far as to put him under the clan's
protection.
Naruto continued, "You may be the Hokage but we both know that you
don't have the authority to interfere in clan matters." With those words
said, Naruto began to walk towards the door once more.
Minato looked down at his desk in defeat, tears welling up in his eyes,
never before had any of those in the room seen the hero of Konoha look
so weak and fragile. "...Will you at least tell me what the name 'Portgas'
means to you?"
Naruto stopped mid-step. Those words brought back all of the memories
behind the name.
Ace was never given the attention that his brother's were because of their
use of chakra. Kaguya hadn't always tried to kill her sons, only after she
began to perceive them as a threat and power corrupted her mind did she
turn to that solution. His situation wasn't too different from Naruto's, he
was cast aside for his brother's who had inherited all of their mother's
chakra related abilities. Their father had died when they were still young,
but he was the only one of his parents who could say that he loved Ace.
After Whitebeard's death, Ace moved away from home and lived in
isolation. Away from his mother, away from the Otsutsuki, and away
from his brothers. Ace didn't hat Hagoromo or Hamura, no he loved them
like any brother would. But their mother had prohibited him from
interacting with them. She feared that they would lead the world into
war once more. As a goddess, she could not let that happen.
Chakra was not a power that humans were meant to wield, she never
wanted Ace to get involved with chakra because of what may happen
should his brothers grow too strong for her to control. She was secretly
spending this time trying to figure out how to retrieve her chakra from
her sons, but to no avail. She feared what the future would hold if more
humans became able to use chakra. The world would be locked into a
fate of constant war once more.
Ace didn't know any of this however. He didn't need her, he didn't need
anyone. Or at least that was what he had thought for a time. That was
what he thought until Otsutsuki Ace met a woman named Portgas D.
Rouge. It was a chance encounter, Ace had thought nothing of the
woman until she started visiting him everyday. She had seen the sadness
and loneliness within him and decided that she would give him the
happiness that he had never had.
Rouge had given everything that Ace had never received from Kaguya,
maternal love, understanding, affection, and so much more. She gave him
a place that he could truly call home. However, it was not meant to last.
Kaguya had finally realized that Hagoromo and Hamura were threats to
her reign of tyranny and had decided to take back the chakra that was
rightfully hers. She needed to find Ace too. She had loved him more than
anything and only focused on Hagoromo and Hamura to make sure they
didn't try to overthrow her because of their abilities with chakra. Ace was
the only one she truly loved and she would bring him back to her at all
costs.
However, she had found out that another woman had been taking care of
Ace and had become something of a mother figure to Ace. Her Ace! She
would not let some other woman try to steal her place as her child's
mother. She was a god and he belonged to her and her alone.
The events from there onward were what would mark the turning point
of Kaguya's rule. When Kaguya found Rogue she killed her in a rage of
jealousy for daring to steal the one son that she still loved, however it
was this action that made her lose Ace indefinitely. The murder of his
mother and the death of Sabo not long after were the main reasons why
Ace turned on Kaguya and decided to seek out the chakra fruits. He had
decided to give up the Otsutsuki surname and change it to Portgas to
honor the woman who was a mother to him when his own blood was not.
Naruto couldn't help but see the parallels between Ace and himself,
Rouge and Mikoto. It was as if history was repeating itself. He would not
it come around full circle though, he wouldn't let anyone ever lay a hand
on Mikoto. Even if he had to burn down the entire world to do so, he
would keep her safe.
"The name Portgas represents what a real family should be like...Hokage-
sama, Kushina-sama, you may say that you want me back now, but
where were you when I really needed you?...When I had nothing but
hatred and loneliness consuming me?...Now you expect me to just accept
you back into my life because you're sorry?...Do not fool yourselves, you
mean as much to me as the civilians on the street...You two are nothing
more than my sperm donor and incubator." With those final words said
Naruto left the room, leaving behind those whose hopes he clearly just
shattered.
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....
Minato wasn't doing anything to hold the tears back anymore, as they fell
from his eyes and soaked the paperwork below. Kushina had released her
chains and was now sobbing into her hands on her knees, her legs had
given out just as Naruto said his parting words. He had made it perfectly
clear that he didn't see them as parents, nor would he ever.
Natsuki was hugging her knees as she cried into them. Naruto had only
reminded her just how far away he was from the rest of them. If he didn't
even see their mother and father as parents, the what exactly was she to
him? Narumi was stronger than this, she knew it. She was able to hold
back her emotions, but on the inside she was a wreck. She would never
be forgiven.
Jiraiya could only look at the family with pity in his eyes. He could not
see why they were so obsessed with making Naruto part of their family
again. It was obvious to him that particular ship sailed a long time ago.
It would be a long night for the Uzumaki-Namikaze family.
Uchiha Household
Naruto had just walked through the Uchiha compound and had been
congratulated by all of the Uchiha children who now lived there.
Apparently the announcements for the chunin exam tournament had
already been relayed to the village. He must have been at the Hokage
Tower longer than he thought.
All of the Uchiha now lived at the compound. Just after the massacre,
they were placed in the orphanage for a small amount of time because
Mikoto was deemed mentally unfit to take care of them, the only reason
she was able to stay with Satsuki was because Naruto was there too and
she was old enough to take care of herself. However, Mikoto recovered
fairly fast thanks to Naruto's constant comfort and had gotten all of the
children out of the orphanage. They were still fairly young, but Mikoto
had taught them how to take care of themselves and they were given
apartments in the district to live in. No matter how great of a mother
Mikoto was, she couldn't take care of so many children at once.
Naruto was standing in the doorway to the living room, staring on with a
look of amusement on his face. Following his line of sight, Satsuki and
Haku could be seen talking quite animatedly about what had gone on
during the preliminary matches.
"-I loved when you used your Hyoton to turn that shinobi from Oto into
liquid! It was so beautiful!...I wish I could do things like that." Satsuki
ended with a cute pout on her face.
Haku sweatdropped at the girl's actions. This was strange right? "U-Um
people are usually terrified of me after I do something like that...you're a
strange one aren't you Satsuki-san?"
Satsuki shrugged, "Eh I have to deal with seeing people have their flesh
melted off their bones on a daily basis, something like what you did
seems pretty tame to me."
A shiver ran down Haku's spine, which was odd since she was a Hyoton
user. Her body was always naturally cold, in fact she couldn't remember
the last time she felt any kind of warmth.
"You're team worries me Satsuki-san."
"What! I love my team there the best! We've all been friends forever!"
Satsuki whined childishly.
"Ah that's why I came here actually. I wanted to speak to Portgas-san, but
it seems he's not here at the moment...I could always come back at
another time if it is inconvenient for you or your mother." Haku offered
politely.
Naruto had expected the girl to come by at some point. From what he
knew Hyoton was quite rare, even in the Yuki clan. Very few of them
awakened it but they all excelled in the use of Suiton and Futon, the two
base components of Hyoton. That being said, seeing someone who used
such powerful ice techniques in Konoha of all places must have interested
the girl greatly.
Naruto was more willing to answer her as opposed to the Hokage and his
family. She had reason to be curious while they only demanded answers
about his abilities. He was still a bit irritated about everything that had
gone down since the preliminaries ended. The elder ravenette decided it
was time to make his presence known.
"Oh? You were looking for little old me Haku-chan?" Naruto teased from
his spot in the doorway.
The sudden voice cause both female genin in the room to jerk their heads
toward the door. Satsuki's smile grew a little wider at the sight of her Nii-
san and rushed over to engulf him in a hug, she had wanted to go out
and celebrate their victories after the second stage ended but that
opportunity was taken away from her by the Hokage. She would make
sure to ask him about that later.
The reaction that Naruto found amusing was Haku's. The girl's face
turned beet red when she caught sight of him. Many people called him
shameless and improper for walking around half-naked all of the time,
but he did enjoy when girls had reactions like this. She seemed so cute
and innocent blushing up a storm and trying to look away, nobody would
even suspect that she killed two people only a few hours ago.
"I didn't expect you to come and see me so soon." Naruto told her, after
which he turned to Satsuki. "Satsuki, why don't you go to the kitchen and
help Mikoto-chan with dinner. I'm sure Haku wants to have a private
discussion."
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....
The female Uchiha nodded and headed towards the kitchen to help her
Kaa-chan. Something had seemed different about her lately, her mother
had seemed much happier. Happier than she had ever seen the woman
before. She even started training again, it still amazed her how strong her
Kaa-chan was after all this time. Still...something was going on and she
would figure it out. Satsuki already knew that the woman had feelings for
her Nii-san and honestly she was a bit jealous of how beautiful her
mother was. She wouldn't let her get too far ahead.
"Okay were all alone Haku...I have an idea of why you came here, but
why don't you tell me anyway." Naruto asked as he sat down across from
the pale-skinned beauty on the couch.
Haku looked a bit nervous as she began to speak, "U-Um I watched you
preliminary match and...I was wondering if you were a Yuki just like me?
They are the only ones I know of that posses the Hyoton bloodline."
Naruto chuckled a little to himself causing Haku to gaze at him curiously.
"Sorry about that. I had just finished having the same conversation with
the Hokage. Now I don't want this conversation to drag on as long as that
one did, so I'll get straight to the point. Have you ever heard of
Yukigakure?"
"Hm...I've heard that was a village in what used to be Yuki no Kuni, but it
still hasn't been renamed after all of the snow was melted. I don't know
much about them other than that." Haku stated.
Naruto nodded, getting the answer he expected. "That's understandable,
they are a minor village who haven't been on the radar much over the
years. They are well known for ice manipulation jutsu, and that is exactly
what I did. I learned quite a bit from the time I spent there over the
course of a mission."
Haku was visibly downcast at his answer. She had really hoped that he
was a Yuki. The clan was slowly starting to die out, as of now there were
only a little over twenty members left. Still...he used such powerful
Hyoton jutsu, stronger than most of the ones that she knew. Maybe he
could give her some help? She still had trouble fully controlling her
bloodline, that's why she usually ended up killing her opponents and why
her body was always at such a cold temperature.
However right now she didn't feel cold. In fact, she could feel quite a lot
of heat emanating from the man in front her. It was strange, she found
the warmth comforting and inviting it was as if she was drawn to him.
What could possibly be happening to her?
"Um would you mind helping me out with training this month Portgas-
san? I still don't have much control over it...that's why my body is always
so cold...but for some reason...right now I even feel warm." Haku said, as
much to herself as she did to Naruto.
Naruto concentrated and could feel the cold temperatures that were
spread throughout her body. He would have to fix that. Naruto got up
from his seat on the couch and walked over until he was standing in front
of Haku, earning a curious look from her. Soon enough, that look of
confusion morphed into one of shock as he cupped her cheek and steam
was produced from his mere touch.
"Naruto, just call me Naruto."
She couldn't believe what she was feeling. Warmth, true warmth. Not just
less cold, but she could actually feel heat. Haku felt as if she were in
heaven right now, she melted into his touch and nuzzled even closer into
his arm. She never wanted to leave his side. "Naruto-sama..." Haku
whispered softly as she began to wonder if this was only a dream.
Naruto smiled at the girl's actions. He could easily tell that she longed for
the one thing that she could never have, warmth. For normal people such
feelings couldn't be understood, it was a good thing that Naruto wasn't
normal in any sense of the word. She longed for the heat just as Naruto
longed for the cold. The fire and ice melding with each other produced a
plethora of steam that filled the room in a manner of seconds.
Naruto thought about Haku's request. He had no reason not to help her,
and with the newly formed alliance between Konoha and Kiri it would
eventually benefit them in the end. Especially with the invasion that
Suna and Oto were planning...but he just didn't have the time.
"I'm sorry Haku...but I have my own training to do over the month..."
This earned a disappointed whimper from the girl in his arms. "Though I
can at least give you the information I have on Hyoton and perhaps some
of the techniques I've learned...A better understanding of Hyoton should
help you with controlling your ice better, which would help you in
regaining control of your body."
Haku looked up and smiled softly at the older teen holding her in his
arms. She had never felt so complete before in all her life.
Chapter no.82
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....
Later That Night
Naruto was idly stroking Mikoto's hair as she laid on his chest. He had
always had a fascination with her long, silky, obsidian hair and had taken
a liking to playing with it whenever he could.
Naruto was exhausted, it had been a long day. He had to sit through
hours of watching boring fights during the preliminaries of the chunin
exams then deal with the stress that the interrogation from the Hokage
and his family gave him. He also had to have his talk with Haku, but he
actually enjoyed her company.
Naruto had just wanted to go to bed after this excruciatingly long day,
but apparently Mikoto had missed him. A lot. And he would never pass
up the opportunity to pleasure the woman he loved. After putting up the
silencing seal they had gone at it for hours. Though this wasn't just
pleasing for her, nothing could pleasure him the way Mikoto's body did.
Nothing felt as perfect as she did wrapped around him. He loved her.
As Mikoto purred from Naruto's petting, his thoughts drifted to what
Obito had said to the team earlier in the day. There was not much that
Obito would be able to help him improve on during the time that they
had, so he would skip out on the training he was offering.
Naruto then remembered what Minato had said during their little talk.
Natsuki and Narumi would be trained by Kushina and Kakashi, and
Nawaki would be trained by Minato. Now that Naruto thought about it,
Jiraiya would now probably train the boy when Minato had to attend to
his Hokage duties. Whether he wanted to admit it or not, the Uzumaki-
Namikaze siblings would definitely be stepping up their game in the next
thirty days. Naruto would need to do the same.
Though he wanted to spend each and every waking moment with Mikoto
during his time off, he knew that she wouldn't want him to neglect his
training just for her. He had much to prepare for, the chunin exams, the
Suna/Oto invasion, freeing the Kyuubi from Madara's control, and he
couldn't let anyone else know about these things or else they would
become suspicious about how he obtained such information.
There was also that feeling in his eye that he had been curious about.
When Naruto activated the mangekyo it was as if the eye was pleading,
no begging him to go further. To pass the limits he currently had and to
gain what only the Otsutsuki had before him. The only problem was
Naruto didn't know how to surpass those limits. That was a problem for
another time however, for now he would train in the arts of the phoenix.
His summons had wanted him to train in there jutsu for a long time now,
but Naruto just couldn't afford an extended trip away from Konoha at the
time. Now would be the perfect opportunity.
He would certainly have a nice surprise for all those who would be
watching the chunin exams.
"Ne Mikoto-chan?"
"Hm? What is it Naruto-kun? I don't think I can go another round just
yet, you were quite...thorough during the last one. I need a little more
time to recover." Mikoto teased.
This earned a snicker from Naruto, "No, not that. I'll probably gone for
the rest of the month for training."
Mikoto looked up at him with a sad smile on her face. They hadn't been
able to spend much time together recently, Naruto had been occupied
with the chunin exams and missions. Now he had to leave for training
then he would have to participate in the tournament.
"My summons have been wanting me to come to their realm for a while
now, to train in their secret arts. Now is the first real opportunity I have
to do this." Naruto noticed the sad look on his lover's face and went to
comfort her. "Don't worry Mikoto-chan. After the chunin exam
tournament, I'll be all yours."
Mikoto smile turned into a mischievous one as she sat up and straddled
Naruto. "Well then we'll just have to make the most of tonight now won't
we?"
She leaned down and slammed her lips onto Naruto's. Oh yes, this would
be a very long night and most likely morning ahead of Naruto.
Training Ground 11 - 9:00 AM
Naruto, Satsuki, and Hana all sat leaning against a tree at training ground
11. They began to wonder why they still bothered showing up at the time
their sensei specified when he was always late.
Naruto was dead tired. Even with his incredible stamina that came from
being an Uzumaki he couldn't help but be exhausted after what Mikoto
had put him through last night. They had only finished their fun a few
hours ago when they felt Satsuki starting to wake up. Mikoto was both
easy and hard to please. She loved his very touch, but once he started she
wouldn't ever let him stop. Not to mention how...experimental she was. If
Naruto had been a pervert like so many men in Konoha are, then he
would've gotten a nosebleed just by recalling the memories.
Naruto was using the time he knew his sensei would give them to catch
up on his missed sleep. Naruto previously had a habit of falling asleep
everywhere he went, especially during his time at the academy. Some
had called it narcolepsy, but it only ever happened when he was very
bored. Some people had even thought he was a Nara at one point. He'd
broken that habit during the three years of training that he had done on
his own in the cave, but that didn't mean he didn't ever get tired.
It seemed luck wasn't on Naruto's side this morning as Obito arrived only
five minutes late.
'Really? This is the one time that he shows up close to the appointed
time...whatever, I'll just get my rest at Mt. Silver.'
Obito looked down at his genin team with pride shinning in his eyes. His
team had been the only one from Konoha to have all of its members
reach the final stage. He knew that it was too soon for the rookie teams
to enter the exams, especially with how they had been training them.
Kushina and Kurenai both mothered their genin, so they weren't pushed
passed their limits. Kakashi and Asuma were both too lazy to get any real
training done. He could only snicker as he remembered the horrified
faces of them when they saw how ruthless his team was.
The only members of the rookie 13 who made it to the finals were his
team and the Hokage's children. Hell, not even a single member of Gai's
team had made it passed the preliminaries. Naruto had even completely
outclassed the Hyuga prodigy on his team. Even though they passed, the
Hokage's children barely won their matches. Nawaki and Narumi both
struggled against their opponents and came out with a win at the last
second. Natsuki was slightly better, but the Hyuga heiress did prove to be
a challenge for her. In any case they would still need more training to
come out on top.
"Okay my cute little genin!" This earned a groan from the three other
occupants of the training ground. "First I would like to congratulate all of
you for making it to the final stage of the chunin exams on your first
time. I didn't even make it this far until a year after I became a genin.
And I'm glad you showed your former classmates how hard you've been
training because it's obvious they have not."
Obito paused for a minute to let everything sink in before he continued
speaking. "Next is where it gets a little complicated. Because of my duties
as the liaison between Konoha and Kiri, I have been tasked with taking
care of the Mizukage and his bodyguards when they arrive here in the
village. I'm also required to be one of Minato-sensei's bodyguards during
the final exams. Because of that I must be present for debriefings and
preparations."
Obito sighed as he continued, "Due to everything that's going on, I will
only have time to train one of you...the other two of you are welcome to
come to me for advise but I won't have the time to give you any hands on
training...I told you yesterday to consdider what you needed to improve
in and what you wanted to learn. So what have you decided? Who will
be the one to receive training from me?"
The three genin looked at each other for a moment before Naruto
decided to break the silence. He knew that he did not need any help from
there sensei while Satsuki and Hana would surely benefit from it.
"I have already made arrangements to be summoned to Mt. Silver and be
trained in the secret arts of my summons. Sorry sensei but I won't be in
need of any help with the time that we have."
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Naruto received a nod of understanding from Obito before Hana spoke
up.
"Actually sensei...my Kaa-san has already agreed to help me train for the
finals. She wasn't very happy about the condition that I put Kiba and
Akamaru in, but she understand that I did it to put him in his place. The
clan only needs strong alpha males, and it became obvious that Kiba was
not. I'll be training in my clan techniques and hopefully gaining better
control of my elemental affinity."
Obito had thought this might happen. The Inuzuka clan needed someone
strong to lead their pack, and with Kiba being defeated by his sister
wouldn't bode well for his standing in the clan.
Satsuki was the last one to voice her plans, "Actually I could use help
with my training sensei. I still need to fully mature my sharingan and I
still need to master my main elemental affinity. Neither my Kaa-chan or
Naruto-nii can help me with my Raiton affinity because they don't use
it..."
Well at least one of his students still needed his help. Obito was glad that
he had Kakashi help develop his lightning nature and teach him some of
his personal techniques. It had certainly come in handy with all of the
Suiton users there were in Mizu no Kuni and now he would be able to
pass his knowledge down to his student.
"Well then, I will be training Satsuki until the finals. Do you have any
issues with that Naruto, Hana?" Obito asked, not wanting to make it seem
like he was playing favorites like how many other of the jonin-sensei
usually did. He didn't want either of his other students to feel as if he was
being unfair or neglectful.
Both of the said genin shook their heads. They had clearly stated that
they would be preoccupied with their own training to receive any from
him. Satsuki was the one who he could really train to her full potential.
She was a sharingan user, possessed a small Katon nature and a high
Raiton nature. He was the only one who could help her as she was right
now. They both knew that.
Though Obito was curious as to what Kind of training Naruto would
receive from the phoenix. From what he had seen they were incredibly
powerful. The elder Uchiha had witnessed Jiraiya's toad techniques and
collaboration jutsu many times. If Naruto were to learn phoenix related
techniques, he could become something to be feared.
Obito smiled at the the two of them before grabbing onto Satsuki's
shoulder. "We'll be off then. I'll see the two of you at the finals. I look
forward to seeing just how much you improve."Not a moment later the
two Uchiha were sucked into a vortex, leaving Hana and Naruto alone at
the training ground.
The two genin urned towards each other as the wind began to pick up.
They had been friends forever, before Naruto had even met Satsuki and
Mikoto. Which is what made this a bit harder for the two of them. Hana
couldn't find the words she wanted to say, so Naruto took the lead.
"The two of us have been friends for a long time haven't we Hana?"
Hana smiled at how sincere and sad he sounded. "Over seven years
now...I can still remember the first day we met...you were my first real
friend Naruto."
"And you were mine Hana...should the two of us both win our first
matches...then we'll end up fighting each other..." Naruto looked away,
his long hair swaying in the wind.
"Yeah...I know..." Hana really didn't want to fight her best friend, but she
wouldn't back out of this.
Naruto looked at her with a smirk on his face, "Should it come to that, I
want you to go all out. No holding back...I intend to grow even stronger
during this time period we have with training...I suggest you do the
same. I want you to give me the fight I've always wanted. Show me how
much you'll improve until then."
A second later, Naruto was covered in a shroud of blue and orange flames
and was gone once the flames had dispersed, signaling he had been
reversed summoned to his summoning realm.
"I'll give you just that Naruto...I'll show you just how far I've come since
we met." Hana spoke to herself as the wind carried he voice away.
Chapter no.84
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....
Mt. Silver
Naruto gazed across the vast landscape that was set ablaze by the holy
flames of the phoenix. He was once again, at the peak of the tallest
mountain within the phoenix clan's territory. They had the most land out
of all the summoning clans by far because of their strength and their
reign as the longest summons in existence. This was mainly because of
their inability to become extinct. Once they died they would simply rise
from their ashes as they were reborn once again.
He had only been here a handful of times before, but it was impossible to
forget. Naruto continued up towards where the den of the clan leader
was as the flames made way for him, recognizing him as their master. He
nodded his head to some of the smaller phoenixes and newly reborn
ones. Such things were beautiful to him. Here there was no life and
death, there was no pain and misery. Here everyone lived their lives to
the fullest and then repeated the process. Naruto would agree that these
were the perfect summons for him.
As Naruto walked up the peak a majority of the volcanoes erupted
simultaneously, causing avalanches of molten lava and clouds of super-
heated ash to come rushing down the mountain. Naruto was not fazed.
Such thing was a common occurrence here and neither of these things
could harm Naruto anyways, he was fire itself.
He simply channeled chakra to his feet and walked on the oceans of
molten lava as if they were water. To outsiders this sight of burning
earth, tsunamis of lava, and raining of ash would strike fear into their
hearts and crush all of their hopes and dreams as they journeyed through
the apocalyptic scene, but Naruto actually enjoyed the scenery. To him it
were as if he were walking on a sandy beach and watching the sunset.
Naruto stopped as he reached the main room within the den and stood
before the towering phoenix who was seated on his throne. The mighty
phoenix had been waiting for his summoners arrival. This was the first
time that they had ever had a summoner, this would also be the last as it
was unlikely for any other human to be able to set foot on their sacred
land. As this would be the only time they would have a summoner, they
wanted to pass down their arts to him to carry on their pride and help
him master his own as well.
The phoenix before Naruto was now in his true form. Dranzer's feathers
were midnight black with hints of red outlining them, the gold armor
coating his wings, chest, and head was now much thinner. His white
mane flowed down to his mid-back and his eyes were much fiercer than
before. The leader of the phoenix clan gave off a feeling of pure power
and authority. The phoenix preferred to keep his feathers red when in the
presence of the rest of the clan, as to not expose them to his
overwhelming aura, but he knew his summoner could withstand his
presence.
"You wished for my presence here Dranzer?" Naruto asked. Normally the
king of the phoenix would have made a point for someone to show
respect in front of him, but he knew his summoner's tendencies all to
well. The boy did not show respect for anyone, he refused to use titles
when he did not have to and would not bow to anybody. It was rare to
find a being with as strong of a will as his.
"It is about time you've returned Naruto. I had wanted to start your
training in our secret arts over a month ago."The ruler of phoenixes
stated. Naruto had kept him waiting for quite a while as the boy was kept
quite busy with his shinobi duties. Dranzer wasn't know to be the most
patient or understanding of their species.
"I apologize Dranzer, but as of now I will have an entire month to begin
my training before I must return to my village." Naruto was ready to
begin, he had not wanted to wait this long either but outside
circumstances had forced him to do such. He needed to get stronger that
much was obvious. While he was strong for a genin, or even a chunin,
there were still people much stronger than him. He had no illusions that
he would still be defeated by the likes of Orochimaru, Jiraiya, Minato,
and others like them.
He was not yet at Ace's level and knew that he would not be for a long
time. It was hard to train his flames, even with the cave he had
underneath the Naka Shrine. Many of the techniques he wanted to
perfect were far too destructive and would attract unwanted attention.
Here he could train to his heart's content without having anybody ask too
many questions.
"Good, there is much that I have to teach you before I die and am reborn.
When such a time comes Marco will take my place as the clan head."This
did not surprise Naruto. Marco was his familiar and knew just how strong
the blue phoenix was. He was only second to Dranzer and had still not
even come close to reaching his full potential yet.
"However there is still some time before such a thing happens, but it
would be best to dive headfirst into your training."The old phoenix spoke.
The phoenix clan had many different techniques as there were many
different types of phoenix, they had existed for thousands of years and
gone through many adaptations to the world. In fact, what many people
know as dragons are really phoenixes that have gone through evolution
so that they may protect the heavens above the skies and to guard the
moon and what it holds at its core."We shall start with your senjutsu
training, you have yet to master it even after years of training in the art.
This may be because you need an atmosphere that is rich in nature
chakra to fully be able to surpass your limits in the art. You have an
advantage in that you don't need to remain completely motionless
because you can passively absorb nature chakra, as you are made of one
of the components that forms nature. This is what we will start off our
training in."
Naruto nodded. He knew that with how intense Dranzer's training
methods were, he would not be getting much rest over the month. Would
he end up regretting his decision to come here? Too late for such
thoughts now, he would need absolute focus if he wanted to pass the
strength of all those in the tournament and all those outside as well. He
would not let anyone suppress the flames that were his will. The will of
fire shall rise from the ashes once more.
Chapter no.85
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....
Chunin Exam Arena - One Month Later
Konoha had been bristling with business over the past month. Many
people from outside of Konoha had come from outside the village walls
to watch the chunin exam tournament. Business was booming because of
the influx of visitors, more visitors meant more profit which would
benefit the village in the end. The chunin exams were always a main
attraction and would bring not only visitors, but more clients as well.
The stadium was packed full of people. There were almost no seats
available and it was filled to the brim with shinobi and civilians alike.
Many of which were running about trying o make their last minute bets,
hoping to win some extra cash based on who they thought was sure to
win it all. Many of the civilians had placed their bets on the Hokage's
children, knowing that their Hokage wouldn't let them participate
without training them to the full extent of his ability.
The streets had been bustling with activity hours ago, but now they were
quiet as a mouse. Many of the shops had even closed early so they could
watch the tournament as well. Everyone and anyone was now in the
stadium waiting for the exams to start.
Many of the most prominent people in Hi no Kuni were at the event.
Even VIPs who were from other countries had travelled all this way to
attend. Konoha was one of the strongest of the great nations alongside
Kumo and Iwa.
If someone were to look at the Kage Box then they would see several
prominent figures of the shinobi world. The first one that would be
noticed was the Yondaime Hakage, Namikaze Minato who was wearing
the traditional Hokage robes that had been passed down since the reign
of the Shodaime Hokage. To his left was a much shorter man that had the
appearance of a child. This was the Yondaime Mizukage, Yagura, who
wore a mesh shirt with a green scarf wrapped around his neck. He also
had on a green sash around his waist and adorned the Mizukage's
traditional hat. To Minato's right was the Yondaime Kazekage, Rasa. He
too adorned his traditional Kage robes.
Behind the three Kage were several notable figures. To those from
Konoha, they would easily be able to recognize Jiraiya of the sannin and
Uchiha Obito. Next to them were a beautiful redhead, Terumi Mei, and a
man with an eyepatch covering his right eye, Ao. The Suna bodyguards
wore large cloaks so they were unrecognizable.
It was rare to see more than two Kages to come to an event like this, as
many of the leaders of the great nations did not get along with one
another.
All of the chunin hopefuls stood in the middle of the coliseum floor
where the entire stadium could see them. They were the main reason for
all of the commotion that had been happening the past few weeks.
Everyone had come to see the prowess of the new generation. Most of
those in the audience had come to see the Hokage's three children or one
of the few remaining Uchiha in particular. Most people had bet on one of
them. Whatever the case, they were all there to represent their village
and show off its strength.
They had trained to their limits and beyond over the past month. Each
and every one of them could say that they had greatly improved
themselves in preparation for these matches. All of them stood before
Genma just as he was about to announce the rules and start the first
match. However, most of the genin representing Konoha were focused on
one person, Portgas D. Naruto.
Naruto stood in the middle of the line that the genin were made to stand
in. He maintained his usual impassive expression while his hands
remained in his pockets as he waited for Genma to start the proceedings.
Naruto had changed greatly over the past month. One change that had
surprised everyone who was familiar with him was that he actually
decided to wear clothes. He hadn't worn a shirt in months!
Naruto's appearance had changed a great deal. He now wore a short-
sleeved gray trench-coat that reaches just below his knees with the
Uchiha clan crest on the back. Underneath is a skin-tight, black, form-
fitting shirt. He has also opted to wear pants instead of his usual shorts.
His pants are black in color and reach down to his black combat boots, as
opposed to normal shinobi pants which only reach down to the calves.
His hitai-ate can still be seen being used as a belt buckle. A black chokuto
can be seen strapped to his back, however only the handle is visible
because he has chosen to wear in under his trench-coat. The majority of
his right arm is wrapped up in bandages and black gloves are worn on
each of his hands. He's opted to not wear his usual orange cowboy hat,
revealing his new short hairstyle that is somewhat reminiscent of Obito's
Naruto was done hiding behind someone else's appearance. This was who
he was. During his time training and all of the meditation needed to
become one with nature, Naruto had realized that he had been emulating
Ace. Though their beliefs were similar, they were not the same person.
Due to the time spent living Ace's life their personalities and identities
had merged in Naruto's mind and it became hard to distinguish who he
really was, that was the one thing that was holding him back. After
realizing this, he spent countless hours separating the two personalities
and he finally succeeded. This was who Naruto truly was.
Large blushes could be seen on the faces of the Kunoichi on the arena
floor, even Hana and Temari. For some reason now that he was fully
clothed, there was a feel of mystery and charm to him. Something that
woman seemed to be drawn to.
It was now that Genma decided to make his announcements. Seals had
been previously placed all over the stadium floor and walls so that the
audience could hear everything that was said by the proctor and the
contestants competing.
"Welcome to the chunin exam finals! My name is Shiranui Genma and I
will be the proctor for these exams."
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....
"Welcome to the chunin exam finals! My name is Shiranui Genma and I
will be the proctor for these exams."
He said as much to the genin as to the audience. "Every genin here today
had worked hard to get to this point of their careers and have already
made their respective villages proud by doing so...However you are here
today to show the strength of you village and which of you has what it
takes to become chunin!" The crowd cheered as they knew the matches
would be starting any moment now. "So without further ado we will now
begin the matches for the tournament!"
Uzumaki-Namikaze Natsuki vs. Sabaku no Temari
Genma walked over to where the proctor judged the match from and
looked at the lineup. "The first match will be Uzumaki-Namikaze Natsuki
versus Sabaku no Temari! Will those two please make their way to the
center of the arena. All other contestants, please make your way up to
the contestant's booth to observe the match." All of the other genin
walked towards the stairs up to their booth, leaving only Natsuki and
Temari behind.
Temari's appearance had not changed much over the month, she still
wore her usual battle dress that was made for purposes such as this.
Natsuki however changed into a more revealing attire, which many of
the men in Konoha were pleased to see. She wore a small black tank top
that ended just above her stomach, underneath was a short-sleeved mesh
shirt. She had on a short blue skirt, black shinobi sandals, and knee-
length tights. She wore her beautiful scarlet hair down as usual and her
katana was positioned at her waist.
Genma looked between the two kunoichi before speaking, "The same
rules apply here that were applied during the preliminary rounds. I trust
you remember them?" He received nods from both girls. "First match of
the chunin exam finals, Uzumaki-Namikaze Natsuki vs. Sabaku no
Temari. Begin!" He yelled as he swung his hand down from above his
head to signal the start of the match.
Natsuki immediately reached down to her waist and unsheathed her
katana. She locked eyes with the Suna-nin who had unstrapped her fan
from her back and they charged at each other. Normally one wouldn't use
a war fan in combat against a sword, but it seemed as if Temari had no
other choice. The girls traded slash after slash in an attempt to gain the
edge in this fight. Natsuki brought out her katana into a stab, but it was
easily blocked by Temari. The Suna kunoichi then brought her fan back,
intent on slamming it into Natsuki's side, but the girl managed to bring
her sword up in time to lessen the blow.
Natsuki was sent flying across the field until she flipped in mid-air and
drove her feet into the ground, slowing her down until she stopped
completely. She looked up and saw that Temari had already opened her
fan until all three stars were showing. She silently cursed to herself. She
had been trying to stop Temari from creating any distance between them
so she couldn't use her Futon jutsu, but it seemed as if she was too late.
"Kamaitachi no Jutsu (Wind Scythe Jutsu)!"With a single swing of her
fan, Temari created a giant air current which collided with one another
resulting in a large vacuum pocket. Natsuki knew that if she was hit by
this jutsu she would be assaulted by countless wind blades and the tide of
the battle would turn in her favor. She would not let that happen. She
wouldn't be beaten so easily.
Natsuki quickly sheathed he sword and weaved a few hand seals and
began molding chakra in her lungs."Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu (Fire
Release: Great Fireball Jutsu)!"Natsuki expelled a single stream of fire
from her mouth that took the form of a fairly large orb and soon engulfed
the oncoming Futon Jutsu. The wind only served to accelerate the flames
as they became hotter and moved at faster speeds toward Temari.
The blonde kunoichi cursed as she channeled chakra to her feet and
jumped far to her right as the flames shot right passed her. She looked
over to her opponent and saw her panting fairly hard.
Natsuki had found out that she had three elemental affinities, Futon,
Raiton, and Suiton. She had gotten her Suiton affinity from her mother
and her Raiton and Futon affinities from her father. She didn't have a
Katon affinity but Kakashi had taught he some Katon jutsu anyways
because she was up against a Futon user in her first match. Because she
didn't have an affinity for it, Katon jutsus took much more chakra than
any of her other elements.
Temari couldn't waste too much chakra right now, so she would have to
resort to other methods. She pulled out three kunai with exploding tags
attached from her weapons pouch and through them at the still form of
Natsuki. Natsuki was forced to dodge the kunai as they impacted the
ground, but she hadn't noticed the exploding tags attached and was
blown away a good distance by the explosion.
She slowly got up, slightly ragged from the impact of the blast, and
quickly unsheathed her sword to block the shuriken that were coming at
her. Natsuki quickly rushed at Temari once more. Temari was quickly on
the defense because she didn't want to waste to much charka here in a
fight such as this one. Natsuki was wildly slashing at Temari, not giving
her a chance to break free from the clash or gain any distance between
them. Finally Natsuki managed to get inside her guard and slashed her
across the stomach. It was a shallow slash, but she still managed to draw
first blood.
Natsuki jumped back and went through a few more hand seals."Suiton:
Teppodama (Water Release: Gunshot)!"She sent three large, condensed
balls of water towards Temari, who easily dodged. The fast moving
projectiles continued and impacted the ground next to her, leaving only
small cracks.
Natsuki was about to fire more of the same jutsu at her, but Temari
quickly raised her arm. "Proctor, I forfeit. It's obvious my Futon jutsu
won't do me any good here and I don't have many other techniques
besides that." Genma quickly nodded his head, accepting the answer and
stepped forward.
"Winner by forfeit, Uzumaki-Namikaze Natsuki!"
The crowd erupted in a roar as they continued to cheer on one of the
favorites of the tournament. Temari turned around and walked up the
stairs towards the contestant's booth, leaving a confused Natsuki behind.
She had thought the fight would have kept on going, Temari obviosly had
plenty of chakra left and didn't even look tired in the slightest. She stared
on for a few moments before making her way up to the booth as well.
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Kage Booth
"That fight was a bit disappointing don't you think?" Yagura asked the
other Kage. "Both of them were daughters of Kage and yet neither of
them showed qualities befitting of a chunin."
"Ah yes that's true. My daughter is more specialized in Futon, but it
appears as if she needs more training to combat her weaknesses." Rasa
stated, but he was commending Temari inwardly for not wasting too
much chakra on a match that would not have mattered either way. All
that mattered was the invasion that would start during Gaara's match at
the end of the tournament.
Minato frowned, he thought he had taught his children better than to
fight straight on from the very start and to judge you opponents first, but
he was still glad that she had won. She would have time to prove that she
is chunin material later on in the finals. "I'm sure Natsuki will show more
of her potential in the oncoming matches."
"Oh one of the remaining Uchiha and your other daughter are fighting
next Hokage-dono. I'm looking forward to this matchup very much. It
should prove to be quite interesting." Rasa stated.
Minato hoped that Narumi would be okay. Satsuki had proved to be quite
ruthless in the preliminary rounds and hoped that she would not
permanently cripple Narumi if she had the chance. No, he knew that
wouldn't happen. Narumi had been personally trained by him, Kushina,
Kakashi, Jiraiya, and Tsunade in the past. There was no way that she
could lose.
Combatant Booth
Naruto was standing on one end of the booth with Satsuki and Hana by
his sides. Narumi was only standing a few feet away because she wanted
to be near her Nii-san and she also wanted to hear what he had to say.
"That match was a bit dull...I honestly expected much more from both of
them." Naruto said, he was obviously expecting a more exciting match.
"Don't worry Nii-san! I won't disappoint you. I'll show you just how much
I learned during my training with Obito-sensei!" Satsuki said as she heard
the proctor call for her and Narumi to come down to the arena.
A moment later the female Uchiha and the Hokage's daughter both left
the booth, with Narumi giving one last glance at Naruto before she
followed Satsuki down the stairs.
Hana had been curious about something for a while. "Ne Naruto? When
did you learn Kenjutsu? I thought you said that you weren't a usual user
of Bukijutsu?"
Naruto nodded, he expected her or Satsuki would ask. He had learned
Kenjutsu extensively under Shisui's training, but wanted to focus more on
other aspects of his shinobi training. Then after he adopted part of Ace's
personality, he chose not to focus on weapons at all. Ace had never used
weapons and didn't have much of a like for them. Those opinions
transferred on to Naruto and he eventually dropped his Kenjutsu training.
This past month of training he had picked up the art once again after
remembering how useful it was.
"I guess you could say I'm an old hand at it. I haven't picked up a sword
in years, but I've gotten back into my training over the past month."
Naruto said as he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. Hana noticed
this and found it odd. Naruto was always serious and would only act
sincerely to Mikoto or Satsuki, but she hadn't seen him like this in years.
It was...strange.
Uchiha Satsuki vs. Uzumaki-Namikaze Narumi
The second match of Uchiha Satsuki and Uzumaki-Namikaze Narumi will
now begin!" He yelled before heShunshinedout of the way.
Satsuki quickly activated her sharingan as Narumi took the Uzumaki
Taijutsu stance and charged at her. Satsuki would not be drawn into her
pace of the battle. She quickly sweep kicked Narumi and followed up
with a kick to her side, effectively sending her a dozen feet away.
Satsuki made a quickShunshinand reappeared next to one of the trees on
the edge of the arena. She needed to plan out her moves carefully. This
exam wasn't just about overpowering your opponent, you needed to show
strategy and be able to think on your feet. That's why Nii-san said he was
disappointed with the last fight, all they did was rush at each other and
throw their jutsus around carelessly.
Narumi got up a moment later and looked around the battlefield, unable
to find her opponent. She wanted to fight this girl for a long time, she
had stolen her place as Naruto-kun's imouto. In all honesty she was
jealous of the place that Satsuki held in Naruto's heart. But now she
finally gets the chance to fight her and she runs away.
She calmed herself down and tried to focus onto Satsuki's chakra
signature. She had to spread out her senses quite a bit in order to find
her, but she finally managed to do it.
Narumi quicklyShunshinedacross the battlefield, and reappeared only a
dozen feet away from her. Narumi quickly pulled out two hanfuls of
shuriken and launched them toward the girl. The shuriken pierced
Satsuki but she was soon covered in a cloud of smoke, signaling to
Narumi that she managed to use theKawarimi. However, Narumi noticed
too late that she had used a log covered in exploding tags for her escape.
There was a loud explosion, and Narumi could be seen flying through the
air as she was launched back into the middle of the battlefield. The blond
was covered in scrapes and bruises, but was otherwise fine. She slowly
began to get up, but immediately pulled out two kunai from her holster
as shuriken begaan raining down on her from above.
"Shuriken Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu)!"Satsuki
yelled as the fifty shuriken turned into a hundred. She had stored a large
amount of shuriken in a preprepared scroll, as this was one of her
favorite jutsus. It worked especially well when the target managed to fall
into a trap.
Narumi quickly realized that she wouldn't be able to block them all with
just kunai. She was only able to use one jutsu without forming hand seals
and she was thanking all her training right now for it being this
jutsu."Futon: Daitoppa (Wind Release: Great Breakthrough)!"Narumi
exhaled a large amount of wind from her lungs and sent all of the
shuriken flying the other direction and into a wall.
She wouldn't give Satsuki another chance to prepare any more traps. She
rushed the girl and engaged her in a bout of Taijutsu. Narumi sent a kick
towards Satsuki's side, which was easily blocked by bringing her arm out.
The female Uchiha responded by grabbing onto the leg and sweeping her
other one out from under her, causing her to fall. Satsuki sent a fist
toward her face as she hit the ground, but Narumi quickly rolled out of
the way.
The Uzumaki-Namikaze sent her own kick towards Satsuki's legs, causing
said girl's knees to buckle. As she lost her balance, Narumi quickly sprung
herself up and slammed her fist into Satsuki's gut. However, the girl held
strong and retaliated with a palm thrust into her chest. The blonde wasn't
as experienced in Taijutsu as Satsuki was and was forced back as she spit
up some saliva.
Narumi knew she couldn't keep up with her foe in Taijutsu alone. She
needed an advantage. The Hokage's daughter formed a few familiar hand
seals and began molding her chakra,"Suiton: Mizuame Nabara (Water
Release: Starch Syrup Capturing Field)!"She released a sticky liquid from
her mouth that was meant to cover Satsuki's mobility. The liquid slowly
began to cover most of the area they were fighting on and was about to
ensnare Satsuki.
Unfortunately for the girl, Satsuki was an Uchiha and once they see
something, they never forget it. Natsuki had used this same jutsu against
Hinata in the preliminary rounds.
"Sorry Narumi-san, but I've already seen this jutsu before, it won't work."
Satsuki said confidently as she jumped up as the liquid flowed beneah
her. She concentrated chakra to her feet and stood on top of the sticky
liquid as if it were merely water.
She then crouched down and channeled chakra into the seals on her arm
sleeves, summoning several shuriken. She threw them at Narumi but the
girls was easily able to dodge them.
"It seems your aim has gotten worse since you last tried that." Narumi
commented confidently.
However, Satsuki only smirked as she pulled on some wire that was
nearly invisible and he shuriken came back around and tied the wire
tightly around Narumi, completely immobilizing her. The blonde gasped
as she felt herself unable to move.
"Katon: Bakufu Ranbu (Fire Release: Blast Wave Wild Dance)."Satsuki
expelled a continuos stream of intense flames which began to spiral
outwards, creating a massive fire vortex. The flames were guided by the
wire and moved to consume Narumi and turn her into nothing but a pile
of ash.
Narumi cursed as she felt the heat of the flames, before an idea popped
into her head for her way of escape. She concentrated wind chakra
around her body and formed various small wind blades which cut
through the wire holding her. She jumped to her left to narrowly escape
the torrent of flames that passed by.
Narumi wanted to impress her Nii-san, but this girl was far better than
she had anticipated. What he said a month ago had really hurt her. He
had essentially cut all ties with their family by claiming that he would
never see Minato and Kushina as parents. Where did that leave her?
Would she be left alone too? She didn't want to be abandoned by him the
same way that he was by their parents. But such things were out of her
control as they barely had any contact as it was.
Satsuki couldn't let this drag on any longer, she needed to save her
chakra for the next round. She needed to finish this now. Narumi slowly
got back up to her feet as the stream of fire had ended. She looked up to
find Satsuki but she had lost her once again. Suddenly she felt another
presence right below her and looked down to see Satsuki with her left leg
extended. Narumi felt an excruciating pain in her jaw as Satsuki kicked
her up into the air.
The ravenette didn't stop there as she quicklyShunshinedbehind Narumi
to initiate the next step of her favored Taijutsu technique. Satsuki spun
around Narumi and slammed the back of her forearm into her chest
sending her downwards. Satsuki slammed her forearm into the girl once
more, increasing the speed at which they decended.
"Come back here! I'm not done yet!Shishi Rendan (Lion's Barrage)!"
Satsuki flipped in mid-air and dropped an axe-kick into the girl's gut just
before they made contact with the ground, causing Narumi to cough up a
large amount of blood before succumbing to unconsciousness. Satsuki
was sent sliding away from the momentum of her rendition of theOmote
Renge (Front Lotus). She looked back and saw that the ground had
cracked where Narumi had landed.
Satsuki sighed and slowly got up. She didn't want to use that move,
especially on a comrade, but it used almost no chakra and excess use was
something she couldn't afford at the moment.
She also didn't like the fact that Narumi continuously tried to worm her
was back into her Nii-san's life, even after everything that they had done
to him. Her and Natsuki's continued attempts were starting to annoy her,
so she didn't feel to bad about using theShishi Rendan (Lion's Barrage)on
her. After all her Nii-san was hers and hers alone. Well she would
probably have to share with Kaa-chan, but she would just have to deal
with that.
"Winner by knock out, Uchiha Satsuki!" Genma announced after checking
on Narumi.
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The crowd was speechless for a moment at what they just saw, before
erupting into cheers once more. It was a great match in their opinion and
would like to see both of the girls promoted to chunin. Many of them
were cheering because they had bet on the heiress of the Uchiha clan,
while others were in tears as they had thought that the Hokage's
daughter would win for sure.
Satsuki headed back up the stairs after seeing Narumi being taken away
by a gurney by the medical squad who was on standby for those who
were injured in combat.
Kage Box
"That was quite an impressive match for two genin." Rasa commented. "I
believe that the Uchiha girl already has what it takes to be a chunin. She
proved to be able to think with a clear head and not let her opponent
control the pace of the battle from the start."
Minao nodded, "I agree she is quite skilled and those traps that she set up
at the start of the match were a good plan on such short notice. She
easily held the pace of the match from the very beginning. But what
about Narumi?" Minato wanted his daughter to be promoted to chunin,
but she was alwasy brash and rekless just like her mother. She charged
into the match without a plan and showed very little strategy.
"While she did prove to be skilled and was able to utilize two different
charka natures, there was little forethought to her actions and when she
got tired of how the match ws playing out she recklessly charged at her
opponent to try to take control by force. I don't think that she's ready
quite yet." Yagura gave the Hokage his opinion on the matter.
"I also agree. You really need to teach your daughters some discipline
Hokage-dono, they both seem quite stubborn and headstrng." Rasa
commented.
Minato could only sigh, "It's a trait that they got from their mother,
there's little I can do to break something like that...no matter how much I
want to."
Stands
In one section of the stands sat Mikoto, Kushina, Kakashi, Gai, Kurenai,
Asuma, and a majority of the genin from the rookie 13 and Gai's team.
Even Lee was there. During the thirty day break between the
preliminaries and now, Tsunade had operated on his injuries and the
surgery had turned out successful. Many were worried that he would
never be a shinobi again, but he was good as new and even screaming
about the flames of youth as they spoke.
Mikoto was cheering like wild as she watched Satsuki win her match. She
was a mother, what was she supposed to do. Kushina had done the same
thing when Natsuki had won, so why couldn't she now. She also wanted
to rub it in Kushina's face a little. That her daughter had won while
Narumi had lost. One of the very children that Naruto was thrown aside
for, some good all that extra training did them.
Kushina gave her a glare before turning her eyes back to the arena. She
was disappointed that her Narumi-chan had lost in the first round,
especially with all of the training they had done over the past few weeks.
At least Natsuki had made it to the next round.
"I'm surprised that you aren't upset that Satsuki copied your student's
technique Gai. You looked quite angry when Nawaki did the same thing
in the preliminaries." Kakashi stated as he didn't even take his eyes off of
his little orange book.
"Well unlike your thief of a student, Obito had asked me for permission
to train Satsuki-san in the Goken style. Such things as stealing techniques
are most unyouthful." Gai responded.
Kushina gave Gai a glare for calling her son a thief, but she couldn't
argue with him there. Nawaki had blatantly stole a technique that
someone had worked hard to master and then wrote it off as his own. She
should have taught him better than that.
Many were surprised that Satsuki had one. She was one of the top
kunoichi who had graduated the academy this year and many of her
classmates idolized her, for both her skills and her beauty, but she was
completely defeated by Satsuki.
She had shown to be able to use two elements, but she had yet to learn
how to use them effectively and when to use them. Her Taijutsu was only
average and she was beaten before she could use the Kyuubi's chakra.
Most of the Jonin in the stands didn't see anything very impressive from
Narumi, it was obvious to many that she needed more training or that
their senseis teaching wasn't very effective.
"Oh look! Naruto-kun's up next! I've been waiting forever to see him
fight!" Mikoto squealed like a school girl.
Kushina raised an eyebrow at her friend's actions as did many of the
others who knew her.
"You seem awfully excited to see Naruto-kun, Mikoto-chan...why is that"
Mikoto then noticed that she spoke out loud, ah it didn't really matter did
it? "What exactly are you trying to imply Kushina-chan?"
"What exactly is your involvement with my son?" Kushina asked, getting
more irritated by the second.
Mikoto thought about telling her for a minute, but she would prefer
Naruto to do that. Plus it would be quite funny to see him not care at all
when Kushina overreacted and tried to tell him that it was wrong.
"I just want to see him compete is all." Mikoto said in an overly innocent
voice. "He does live with me after all, and we are quite close."
Kushina eyed her suspiciously before accepting the answer and turning
her head back towards the arena.
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Portgas D. Naruto vs. Uzumaki-Namikaze Nawaki
Naruto stood in the center of the arena as he listened to the roars of the
crowd. He would give them a show that they would remember for the
rest of their lives, one way or another. Naruto was done hiding. Naruto
was tired of hiding how strong he really was, tired of keeping all of these
secrets, Naruto was just tired of it all. Today would be the very day that
the will of fire rises once again.
Naruto impassively eyed his opponent who was standing across from
him. Nawaki hadn't changed much since the ravenette had last seen him.
Nawaki was now wearing an orange and black jumpsuit as opposed to his
usual orange and blue ones. Naruto didn't understand the family's
fascination with orange. Yes, Naruto had previously worn and orange hat
and belt, but he didn't stand out like sitting duck in the color nor did he
completely cover himself in it. Nawaki also wore what looked like a mesh
shirt underneath and blue shinobi sandals. Over his jumpsuit he wore a
haori similar to Minato's, however Nawaki's version was red with black
flames licking the bottom edges and had the Uzumaki crest on the back..
What really caught Naruto's attention though was the cylindrical hilt of a
sword on Nawaki's waist.'It seems as if Minato has given him the Raijin
no Ken to wield...oh well, it's only a minor hinderance...Though this does
give me some useful information. One must have a natural Raiton affinity
to use that sword to its fullest potential.'Naruto thought after seeing the
blade.
Nawaki looked confident to say the least. He had no doubt that he would
win this match easily. He had spent the entire month training with his
father and the toad sage Jiraiya. Tsunade had also given him Senju
Tobirama's notes on how to wield the Raijin no Ken and how to utilize it
to its full capabilities, unlike what Rokusho Ao was able to do with the
blade when they fought him. It would definitely give him the edge.
"You might as well give up now." Nawaki said to Naruto as Genma began
to walk over to them. "You won't be able to use your Hyoton that Tou-san
told me about here. Take a look around...there's no ice. You stand no
chance against me, just save yourself the embarrassment and forfeit."
Naruto sighed at his opponent's speech. Nawaki had always been too
arrogant for his own good. Before the chunin exams started, the only
jutsu he knew were theKage Bunshin, the basic academy jutsus, and a
single Doton jutsu. He usually just drew on the Kyuubis chakra and tried
to overwhelm his opponents with brute force. The only reason he was
even able to drew upon the demonic chakra was because the Bijuu was
still hypnotized and wouldn't resist. That wouldn't be a problem for too
much longer though.
"I'm not planning to quit so easily after coming so far...and if I remember
correctly...you were the one who was sent to the hospital after their
preliminary match, not me." Naruto was tired of dealing with the boy's
attitude, seriously one would think that he was a Hyuga.
Nawaki gritted his teeth at the memory, "Tch! Fine by me, but I won't
give you any mercy from here on out...remember that I gave you a
chance when I'm ripping you apart piece by piece."
Genma saw that the two genin in front of him had finished their
conversation and decided to start the match, it was obvious to him that
the genin wanted to begin so that they could rip each other limb from
limb. Genma sighed, this match was sure to get messy and at least one of
them would come out of it bloody and broken.
Genma raised his arm up above his head and began to speak, "Let the
third match, Portgas D. Naruto vs. Uzumaki-Namikaze Nawaki, begin!"
He yelled as he brought his arm down to signal the start right before
heShunshinedaway.
Nawaki didn't need to be told twice. He quickly formed his hands into a
cross-shaped hand seal,"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shadow Clone
Jutsu)!"Fifteen perfect copies of himself popped into existence and began
their charge at Naruto.
Naruto wasn't fazed in the slightest at the amount ofKage Bunshinthat
were coming at him. He had expected a maneuver like this, this very
jutsu was widely known to be Nawaki's favorite and most used. Naruto
had never been one to shy away from a fight, even if he was
outnumbered. He got into his usual Interceptor Fist stance and prepared
to counter.
Naruto easily sidestepped a kunai strike and dispatched the clone with a
quick elbow strike. He ducked as two more clones came to stab him, but
ended up striking each other instead, causing them to dispel. The
sharingan user quickly jumped over two more oncoming clones, and
forced them to dispel with a powerful kick to the head. The clones began
to surround him after he disposed of three more with a few well placed
kicks and palm strikes.
Naruto saw this as the perfect opportunity to rid himself of this
distraction. He jumped into the air and began to spin, pulling out several
shuriken and launching them at the remaining clones. It was a technique
that he had seen Itachi practicing when they were younger, though he
was using kunai and throwing them at targets.
Naruto now stood in the center of the empty battlefield. All of theKage
Bunshinhad been successfully dispelled, however, Nawaki was nowhere
in sight. Normally this would be a cause for concern, as the next attack
could come from anywhere, but Naruto knew exactly where Nawaki was.
The ravenette had been usingKenbunshoku Hakithe entire time and knew
what Nawaki's plan was from the very start.
'Doton: Dochū Eigyo no Jutsu (Earth Release: Underground Projection
Fish Jutsu)."Nawaki thought to himself. He had been moving
underground silently, planning to catch Naruto off guard with a sneak
attack. He would have his clones keep Naruto busy while he crept up
beneath him, preparing for a devastating right hook to below Naruto's
chin.
However, Naruto would not let him enact his master plan. He had
already sensed that Nawaki was a few feet blow the ground and still
about ten feet away from him, so he thought this was a perfect
opportunity to test out one of his newly developed techniques.
Naruto crouched down so that he was sitting back on his calves and only
the balls of his feet were on the ground. He raised both of his arms up
into the air and bent them as if he was going to throw a punch. His
current actions confused many of the onlookers in the audience,
including all of the jonin-senseis, genin, and even his team. Unbeknownst
to them, their confusion would be turned into utter shock in only a
moment.
Naruto coated both of his arms inBusoskoku Hakiand slammed his
clenched fists into the ground. The impact of his fists caused large cracks
to appear all across the ground within a twenty five yard radius of him.
Naruto began channeling his Haki into the ground, causing waves of a
clear blue energy to be emitted from them."Ryusoken: Ryu no Ibuki
(Dragon Claw Fists: Dragon's Breath)!"The waves of Haki became
incredibly intense until the ground started to break even more. With one
final push, all of the ground in the twenty five yard radius shattered and
was thrown into the air into a large twister of Haki.
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Nawaki was thrown into the air and sucked into the twister of Haki and
debris when Naruto completes his technique. The shock on his face was
evident, as his eyes were literally popping out of his head and his jaw
was on the ground. With a final push, Nawaki and all of the debris were
sent flying in all different directions across the arena.
Nawaki slowly recovered and his eyes bulged once again when he saw
what had happened to the arena. Naruto was standing on a lone pillar of
earth, with all of the ground surrounding him completely destroyed. The
massive crater was right in the middle of the arena floor and would
greatly hinder whoever would be participating in the following matches
if it was not fixed. However, the arena was rather large so they still had
plenty of room to continue the match. Nawaki was not injured to badly,
there were cuts and bruises all over his body but other than that he was
fine. Though his clothing was covered in dirt and debris from the
destructive attack.
Naruto finally stood up from his crouch and surveyed what his technique
had done.'Not bad...it could use a little fine tuning and I could probably
make the radius larger, but it's a start.'The technique he had used was
meant to destroy the surroundings and alter the terrain they were
fighting on. He smiled, knowing that he had effectively countered
whatever Nawaki had been planning.
He chuckled as he didn't hear a single sound from the crowd, they were
shocked into absolute silence. It was a sign that his power had surpassed
their expectation. There would be much more to come. Naruto leaped
into the air from his spot on the earth pillar and landed just outside of his
technique's blast radius.
Nawaki was broken out of his shock when he felt Naruto's presence get
much closer. He looked up and saw that he was now standing just outside
of the crater.'That jutsu may have been impressive...but this match is far
from over. Fate has already decided that I will be the victor!'
"That was quite impressive for the family dropout...but here is where the
real battle starts!" Nawaki yelled before reaching into his weapons pouch
and grabbing two handfuls of shuriken. He launched the shuriken in
Naruto's direction with rather poor aim, but it wouldn't matter because of
what he had planned."Shuriken Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shuriken Shadow
Clone Jutsu)"Four shuriken turned into thirty as they sped towards
Naruto.
Strangely enough, Naruto didn't move a muscle or even move to defend
himself. He could hear the screams of the other genin in the stands for
him to get out of the way and saw that the proctor was about to leap into
action. Naruto only smirked, which was clue enough for everyone not to
concern themselves with him. He turned his body to fire and allowed the
shuriken to pass right through him, surprising everyone in the arena.
Nawaki's smirk dropped as he saw that his shuriken had no effect on his
opponent. "What was that! What the hell are you!" Nawaki demanded as
he ot up from his knees.
"I am that which will burn down this very world...now if I've satisfied
your curiosity...why don't you dance for me?" Naruto asked as he formed
his index and middle fingers on both hands into the shape of guns."Higan
(Fire Gun)!"He turned his fingertips into flames and began to shoot
bullets made of fire at Nawaki's feet.
Nawaki was forced to jump back and run from the bullets as they
continued to impact the ground, wherever he stood. He sprinted to his
right to try to get some distance between him and his brother, but it was
to no avail as the bullets continued to chase after him. Finally he decided
that he had enough of running.
"Doton: Renga no Jutsu (Earth Release: Earth Style Barrier)!"Nawaki
turned around and placed his hands on the ground after forming a few
hand seals. A large wall of earth erupted from the ground in front of him,
blocking the fire bullets from reaching him. This was the most basic
Doton technique that even those without a primary Doton affinity could
preform easily, but it was quite effective in blocking weaker attacks. It
also helped that it used very little chakra.
Nawaki had greatly trained his Doton affinity during the last month, his
Doton and Raiton affinities were his strongest. He had found out that he
had affinities for four of the five basic elements. The only one he didn't
have an affinity for was Katon. One month wasn't enough time to learn to
use all of them properly, so he had decided to focused on his strongest
ones first.
He needed to think of a plan. Nawaki knew that this low-level barrier
wouldn't hold against any of Naruto's stronger attacks if he had any. If he
couldn't block Naruto's attacks fully, then he would trap Naruto himself.
The orange-clad genin rushed out from behind his barrier and saw that
Naruto had slowly begun to walk towards him. This was perfect. He
moved his hands into the rat hand seal and channeled his chakra into the
earth.
"Doton: Ganban Kyū (Earth Release: Bedrock Coffin)."Multiple sections of
rock erupted all around Naruto and mover to completely surround him,
creating a large, thick earth dome. Two larger sections of earth formed
with the intent to crush the ravenette, but Nawaki shouldn't have
underestimated his brother.
"Enkai (Flame Commandment)."Nawaki heard from inside of the earth
dome."Hibashira (Fire Pillar)!"A large crimson-orange column of fire
erupted from the earth dome, completely destroying Nawaki's jutsu.
Nawaki couldn't help but stare in awe and jealousy at the flames before
him. They were magnificent and beautiful beyond belief. He was sure
that he would never see another sight quite like this one. The flames
danced into the sky as if they would never die out, illuminating the
coliseum even further. The audience too stared as the flames burned.
Normal Katon jutsu looked nothing like this, they could even feel the
heat the flames gave off from all the way up in the stands.
The earth beneath Naruto began to melt into magma from the intense
heat it was experiencing. The molten earth slowly began to spread as the
flames continued to erupt into the sky.
The flames soon dissipated and Naruto walked out of the center of them,
completely unharmed. There were sections of his body that were on fire,
but he didn't seem bothered by them in the least. In fact, it seemed as if
he welcomed the flamed to his body. All of the flames that were left
behind from the previous attack converged onto his form as he began to
glow yellow and merged with them.
"Do you still think you have a chance at victory Nawaki?...Gice up now
and I will save you the embarrassment of being burned alive in front of
all these people." Naruto stated, giving Nawaki the same choice that he
was given before the match started.
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Nawaki scoffed, "Ha! You think some pitiful embers will scare me away?
I will be the one walking away the winner!" Nawaki declared. He began
channeling large amounts of the Kyuubi's chakra around his body. The
charka became visible within moments and took the form of a fox with
two tails surrounding him. This was as far as Nawaki could go with the
Kyuubi's chakra, the two-tailed chakra cloak was one of his last resorts
but it also greatly increased the strength of his attacks.
Nawaki charged Naruto at speeds which he had never had before. Naruto
once again coated his arms withBusoshoku Hakiand prepared for the
fierce attacks that he knew would come. He had not forgotten the last
time he had faced someone using the Kyuubi's chakra cloak, he still had
the scars to prove it. He would not hold back anymore. Nawaki needed to
be dealt with, Naruto could sense that he was just on the brink of losing
control. With that in mind, he took the stance of the Ryusoken and
steeled himself.
Nawaki wildly swung his clawed hands down in an attempt to tear
Naruto in half. Naruto blocked the strike by merely bringing on of his
Haki coated arms above his head. Naruto used this opening to deliver a
swift kick to Nawaki's side, sending him skidding a few feet to the left.
Nawaki charged again and unleashed a barrage of strikes with his claws,
however Naruto closed his eyes and easily evaded every single one. He
sidestepped Nawaki and pushed his outstretched arm away as he
delivered a crushing palm strike to the Kyuubified boy's shoulder,
shattering the bone.
Nawaki let out an inhuman roar as he clutched his shoulder in pain.
Naruto could see the third tail about to sprout out, but it was retracted
immediately as Nawaki regained control of himself. He sent a kick
towards Naruto's head, but said boy immediately ducked and sent
Nawaki into the air as he retaliated with a kick of his own.
Nawaki flipped in mid-air and skidded to a stop, using his feet as brakes.
He was panting quite hard and the Kyuubi chakra was rapidly healing the
bone that was shattered in their earlier confrontation. The boy growled
lowly as he knew he was being beaten.
Suddenly Naruto disappeared and reappeared directly behind Nawaki
crouching on the ground. Nawaki looked behind him to counter, but he
already knew it was too late as her heard the name of the jutsu.
"Konohagakure Hiden Taijutsu Ogi, Obito's Teachings: Sennen Goroshi
(Hidden Leaf Village Secret Finger Jutsu, Obito's Teachings: One
Thousand Years of Death)!"Naruto coated his fingers with Haki and
formed them into the tiger seal and thrust the hand seal into Nawaki's
ass, propelling him high into the air with chakra. Nawaki's pained
screams could be heard for miles as flew through the air and landed in
one of the trees.
Many in the stands either sweatdropped or blushed at hearing the name
of the technique and seeing what it really did.
Obito tried to hide within the cloak he was wearing as he felt the eyes of
all those in the Kage box turn to him. He had used the jutsu on Naruto
once during training and he guessed the genin had managed to copy it.
What a huge mistake.
Nawaki had enough. That was the most embarrassing thing that has ever
happened to him. Kakashi-sensei had used that very same technique on
him during their genin survival test and now Naruto used it here, in front
of all these people! He would finish his estranged brother right here once
and for all!
Nawaki slowly went through the hand seals and wiped the blood from his
mouth with his thumb."Kuchiyose no Jutsu (Summoning Jutsu)!"Nawaki
slammed his hand down on the ground and put a large amount of chakra
into the jutsu.
A giant puff of smoke erupted from where Nawaki was standing, and
soon covered a majority of the arena. The smoke soon dispersed and
revealed a large, rust-colored toad with a pipe sticking out of its mouth
and a tanto on his hip.
"Hm? Why have you summoned me here you Gaki?"The booming voice of
Gamabunta could be heard asking to Nawaki who was on its head.
"Boss, I told you I was in the chunin exam finals and might need you
help!" Nawaki yelled down at the giant toad.
"And just why should I help you?"
"Come on boss!" Nawaki whined. "You're supposed to help your
underlings aren't you?"
Naruto could only sweatdrop at the interaction between summoner and
and the one who was summoned. Was this supposed to be some kind of
jolke or comedy routine to throw him off guard? Him and his summons
acted nowhere like that. It just proves that the toads were a pretentious
an foolish species if they wouldn't even help those who they let sign their
contract.
"Very well...I suppose that I will help you this once."Gamabunta stated,
after which he looked at Naruto."We'll start off with the usual
combination then."
Gamabunta released a large jet of oil from his mouth, with the stream
heading towards Naruto, after which Nawaki through several kunai with
explosive tags into it causing the jutsu to ignite."Katon Gamayu Endan
(Fire Release: Toad Oil Flame Bullet)!"They yelled simultaneously as the
giant flamethrower charged at Naruto with great speeds. It had far
greater power and magnitude than Nawaki could ever hope to use with
his non-existent Katon affinity. Nawaki smiled, wanting Naruto to be
burned alive with the same jutsus that he was so fond of.
Naruto didn't even move a muscle or bat an eyelid. Nawaki was foolish to
try and finish him off with his own jutsu. The flamethrower crashed into
Naruto and the ground, igniting everything in its path and scorching
whatever it came into contact with.
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Gasps of horror could be heard all over the stadium, especially from the
combatant booth and where all of the people who knew Naruto were
sitting. They couldn't believe that Nawaki would go as far as to kill
Naruto for the sake of winning.
Natsuki, Narumi, and Kushina were all in tears as they saw the flames
swallow Naruto, nobody could survive that. He was gone, now and
forever. They would never have their chance for forgiveness. They could
never even begin to imagine what they would do without Naruto driving
them forward. It was all that Narumi and Natsuki lived for, to be loved
and acknowledged by him. To have a life with him, and now he was
gone.
"Haha! You thought you would be burning me alive! How does it feel to
be incinerated by your own jutsus?" Nawaki laughed at the large sea of
flames beneath him and the toad he was standing on.
"Your flames are pathetic. You dare to call this a Katon jutsu?" A voice
could be heard from the arena floor, catching everyone off guard. Natsuki
and Narumi looked up with hope shining in their eyes as they recognized
who it was. The flamed were drawn to the center of the arena and were
sucked into what looked like a vortex. When the flames finally
converged, they revealed a glowing yellow Naruto who was still
absorbing the last of the flames.
"WHA-WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU!" Nawaki yelled as he fell back onto
his butt on top of Gamabunta's head. "You should be dead! Any normal
person would have died!"
Naruto ignored his question and decided to continue his monologue. "Let
me show you what real flames are...let us all burn together." Naruto bent
down and crossed his arms over each other, summoning a sea of spiraling
flames centered on his location."Dai Enkai (Great Flame
Commandment)!"The flames surrounding him suddenly started amassing
at the palm of Naruto's right hand as he held it above his head. The large
amount of flames manifested to reveal a large mass of yellow energy
surrounded by flames, resembling the sun."Entei (Flame Emporer)!"
The technique was easily as large as Gamabunta, if not bigger. "Let's see
which is stronger. The water or the sun." Naruto hurled the giant mass of
energy forward with the intent to obliterate his opponents. Nawaki's eyes
widened as he saw the fireball become bigger and bigger after it
impacted them with the strength of a meteor. It consumed them instantly
and continued to disintegrate the large wall behind them, completely
destroying it before the technique dispersed.
What it revealed was that Gamabunta was forced to dispel after shielding
Nawaki for as long as he could. Nawaki was laying in the pile of rubble,
unconscious and covered in burns, especially the left side of his face.
That may never be repaired no matter what operations were performed.
The wall behind them was obliterated and now there was nothing to even
suggest that there had been a wall there in the first place, revealing a
beautiful view of the village in its place. It was a good thing that nobody
was up there and it was in the opposite direction of the audience.
Genma quickly called the medics over to Nawaki's location before
walking to the center of the arena. "Winner by knock out, Portgas D.
Naruto!"
Naruto was met with silence as he began to walk off the field. However,
the audience soon erupted into cheers after recovering from the titanic
battle that they had just witnessed.
An assistant in the tournament came running up to Genma and whispered
something in his ear before running back to the sidelines. Genma
coughed once to clear his throat and gain the attention of the audience.
"Excuse me everyone! There will be a one hour intermission so that we
may repair the arena, combatants please use this time to recover from
your previous matches or to prepare for your upcoming matches"
With those words said he walked off the field to begin coordinating the
repairs for the arena floor, but more importantly the arena wall. If a stray
jutsu were to make it through there, then the village itself would be
damaged. He would need to gather Doton users to begin the reparations.
Chapter no.93
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Combatant Booth
Naruto was once again met by silence as he ascended into the waiting
booth. He did not care if they feared or admired him now, there was just
no point in dealing with it. Now that Nawaki was out of the way, it
would be far easier to release the Kyuubi sealed within Natsuki from
Madara's control. However, Naruto was broken from his thoughts as he
felt something glomp onto him.
He looked down and found Satsuki tightly hugging him around his
stomach.
"I knew you could do it Nii-san! You had me so worried when you were
hit by that Katon jutsu! Never do that again understand!" She looked up
at him with a demanding look on her face. She could be quite scary and
controlling at times.
"Hai Hai. Understood ma'am." Naruto said sarcastically as he saluted the
smaller girl in front of him, this earned him a smack to the back of the
head from said girl. She then pulled him in closer and snuggled her face
into his chest. Girls confused him, they could go from demanding devils
to devoted little sisters within the span of a moment.
Hana watched the interaction between siblings with a smile on her face.
"You're odd sibling act aside, that was quite impressive Naruto. I had no
idea you could do things like that. You've been keeping secrets from us."
Hana said teasingly as she shook her head. Satsuki too, brought herself
out from his chest to give him another glare before nuzzling back in.
Naruto smirked at his other teammate as he rubbed Satsuki's head
affectionately, messing it up. She giggled at her Nii-san's actions before
releasing him. "We've all gotta have an ace up our sleeve don't we."
Naruto stated rhetorically to the brunette before taking a look around the
booth.
He saw that most of the genin he didn't know as well had left, either to
make some last minute preparations, use the restroom, get something to
eat, Naruto didn't really care enough to bother with all the possibilities.
He did see that Haku was staring at Satsuki rather jealously when she
was snuggling into his chest, but he would wonder about that another
time.
Narumi had come back to the booth sometime during his fight, she was
wrapped up in quite a few bandages which indicated that she wasn't as a
hundred percent just yet. She and Natsuki both had teary eyes and puffy
cheeks, it was obvious that they had been crying. They probably thought
that he died when he was hit by that collaboration jutsu from Nawaki
and Gamabunta.
He knew that they cared for him deeply, but Naruto didn't care too much.
It was nice to know that they cared about him to such an extent, but he
couldn't trust them. He didn't blame them for abandoning him as much as
he did his parents, but that didn't mean that they would become siblings
again or turn into the best of friends. They were also Minato's children
which meant they were taught to believe in his ideals of peace, love, and
loyalty. Naruto couldn't trust anyone who would willingly live and die
just because the village ordered them to. This village and its beliefs were
corrupt and he knew it.
Naruto looked up at the Kage booth and saw Minato looking right at him.
He returned the glare with just as much intensity. It was clear to Naruto
that there would be many questions later on from the Yondaime, but
hopefully the invasion would take his mind off things. Oh yes, Naruto's
plans would start during the invasion.
Kage Booth
"I didn't realize you had genin on such a level Hokage-dono." Yagura
stated, still surprised. "In fact, many jonin aren't able to perform
techniques of that magnitude."
"Neither did I." Minato looked back to Obito, who merely shrugged his
shoulders. Obito had never seen Naruto use that technique before. Had
he been holding back all this time? If he had used it during training then
at least half of the forest would have been obliterated. Just what did he
do this past month to reach such a level?
Yagura looked over at the Hokage and voiced his curiosity, "His ability
with Katon reminds me much of the Hozuki clan's abilities with Suiton.
Tell me, do you know if he is related in some way to the Hozuki?"
Minato shook his head, "No, Naruto is my first born son." This statement
surprised the other two Kage as well as their bodyguards. They were not
aware that the Hokage had another son. Minato sighed, seeing their
confusion, "He may have died his hair and deny us as his parents, but he
is Kushina's and my son."
"From the intensity of the match and what was said by them, it is clear
that you have quite a bit of family issues to work out. Perhaps as many as
my own." Rasa commented with a sad chuckle.
"Hm...whatever the case, he is definitely chunin material strength wise.
He was also able to keep calm throughout the entire match, even when
his own brother was trying to kill him. Not to mention he was in control
of the match the whole time, even after Nawaki went into his two-tailed
state. He has my vote for chunin."
"I agree, in fact I'm surprised he hasn't made chunin already with how old
he appears to be. Why would you keep someone so skilled a secret from
the rest of the world Hokage-dono?" Rasa asked.
Minato sighed. This was the first time seeing what his son could really
do. Just how could he do everything that he did? Obito didn't appear to
know how he did that last technique, did he have another sensei before
Obito?
Minato's eyes immediately widened when he remembered the prophecy
that Jiraiya told him a few years back.
"A child born from great power but with memories of old shall pave the
way toward a new era of peace. Whether they walk the path of light or is
forced into the darkness shall determine what the future will hold. Their
predecessor has already burned the path for them, but it shall be their
will of fire that determines whether they will walk it or forge their own."
Minato whispered. His voice was only audible enough for him and
Jiraiya, who was right behind him to hear.
The toad sage's eyes widened when he heard Minato's words and he too
remembered the exact words of the prophecy. He silently cursed himself
as Naruto had made it perfectly clear that he was the most likely to be
the child of prophecy now. He had really screwed up, especially with
how he had acted a month ago. He would need to fix things with Naruto
as soon as possible. The boy was the one who was supposed to bring
peace to the world after all. He would need help to do that.
Chapter no.94
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....
Stands
The genin from the rookie 13 and Team Gai, who had not made it to the
finals looked like fish out of water as they continued to stare at the scene
that had just unfolded in front of them. The jonin weren't any better. The
only one who appeared normal was Mikoto, well as normal as she could
get.
"Mmm...Naruto-kun's so strong!" She moaned dreamily, she had never
even imagined that Naruto would be able to do things like this at such an
early age.
The rest of the shinobi ignored her fantasies as one thought ran through
all of their minds,'Was that real? Did all of that just really happen?'Those
thoughts were understandable. What Naruto just did was like something
out of the Princess Gale movies.
Kushina and Kakashi were the first to recover as they
quicklyShunshinedaway from the stands, most likely to see what kind of
condition their student was in. Kakashi was worried about Nawaki, the
boy was his sensei's and Kushina's son so he was like Kakasi's little
brother. Kushina had mixed feelings about what had happened. She was
overjoyed that Naruto was safe and unharmed, she thought that he had
been killed when that combination Katon jutsu hit. She had thought that
she lost the son that she had never had.
But now she was extremely worried because of Nawaki's condition. She
had managed to catch a glimpse of his motionless body in the rubble and
what she saw struck her hard. Nawaki was covered in burns, especially
the left side of his face. It looked as if the wounds had already been
cauterized too, that meant not even medical ninjutsu would be able to
heal him fully. His body was in a position that human's hould not have
been able to bend at and he was soaked with blood. She hoped that
Tsunade would be able to heal him.
Those who remained in the stands were left to slowly recover as their
brains began to process what they had just seen.
"Asuma-sensei...just what was that?" Ino managed to force out of her
throat.
Asuma wished he could answer his genin, he really did. But he was just
as dumbfounded as Ino was at the moment. "I can't quite say for
sure...I've never seen a Katon jutsu quite like that before...but it seems as
if Naruto is immune to fire...and has a unique affinity for that area of
nature manipulation..."
Sakura was confused, "Asuma-sensei? I've never heard of nature
manipulation before. What is it exactly?"
Most of the genin and jonin of the rookie 13 were still gobsmacked at the
match they had juts witnessed, but they still had enough common sense
to stare at her with their flattest expressions. Even if very few of them
knew how to use elemental jutsu, they had at least heard about it or
witnessed it from their senseis.
It was Kurenai who answered her this time, "Sakura...every member of
your genin team uses nature manipulation and you still don't know what
it is?" She received a shake of the head from the pink-haired genin.
Kurenai sighed, what have her senseis really taught her? "Nature
manipulation is the ability to mold and define one's chakra into a specific
element. There are fie main elements, fire, wind, lightning, earth, and
water. Every person has at least one innate element, this is called an
elemental affinity." Kurenai explained.
'Though elemental training is usually reserved for when shinobi become
chunin or jonin! Just what has Obito been teaching his genin?'Kurenai
thought to herself. She had always taken it easy on her genin, some
would even say that she mothered them. Perhaps why they had not
grown much since they left the academy. Maybe that's why they aren't
participating in this tournament. Was she wrong with how to train her
team?
"Oh that's why Natsuki, Narumi, and Nawaki can use those elemental
jutsu. I thought that was something that had to do with the clan that they
came from." Sakura said as if she finally realized something.
The rest of the rookie 13 thought it best not to make any comments or
questions to avoid a lecture from their sensei, though they couldn't help
but wonder how Naruto had gotten so skilled in fire manipulation. He
never showed that kind of skill in the academy, but he had just easily
defeated their rookie of the year. None of them could match up to the
Uzumaki-Namikaze siblings, and yet two members of Team 11 had just
trounced them.
Inuzuka Hana vs. Chojuro of Kiri
The hour was up in the blink of an eye. Those who had yet to compete
had been busy making their last minute preparations and coming up with
an assortment of strategies. Hana had been sitting on the floor of the
combatant's booth for the better part of the last forty minutes thinking of
all possible moves that could be made and all of their possible outcomes.
She was fighting one of the newly selected Seven Swordsmen of Kiri. Him
being chosen to take up that title would mean that he is incredibly skilled
in Kenjutsu, despite how young he is. Everyone of those swords has a
special ability, the one that he possessed was able to form his chakra into
the shape of any kind of weapon. This would be a close battle.
'What am I thinking? I told Naruto that I'd give him the fight that he'd
always been looking forward to between us, and he'll hold me to that.
There's no way I'm losing yet, not after I've come this far!'Hana thought
to herself, determination burning in her eyes.
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....
"Will Inuzuka Hana and Chojuro of Kiri please make your way down to
the arena floor!" Genma yelled from the middle of the repaired
battlefield.
Hana looked over to her teammates and saw Naruto give a slight nod and
a smile to her. Satsuki was a bit more animate as usual and was cheering
for her loudly. Hana wasn't really paying attention to her female
teammate's words because she was so wrapped up in her own thoughts.
She bean to walk and before she even realized it, she was standing in the
middle of the arena with her opponent right across from her.
'This is it. This is what I've been preparing all this time for. Let's see if all
of my training was worth it!"She got into a stance with the three Haimaru
brothers by her side as Chojuro withdrew Hiramekarei from its place on
his back.
"Are both combatants ready?" Genma asked the two genin to which he
received nods from both of them. "Then the fourth match, Inuzuka Hana
vs. Chojuro of Kiri, may now begin!"
Hana immediately jumped back and formed a single hand seal, her
ninken also began channeling chakra."Jujin Bunshin (Man Beast
Clone)!"The three wolf-sized ninken disappeared in a puff of smoke and
were replaced with identical copies of Hana, albiet much more feral.
Hana's eyes became more fierce and her finger nails elongated into claws
as well.
Chojuro was a shy boy and not a very confident one at that, so seeing
four viscous looking girls wasn't exactly inviting for him. He knew that
this would be a tough match, so he would not hold back. Chojuro
released a burst f chakra to unravel the bandages wrapped around his
sword. What they revealed was an oddly shaped dual-handle sword with
a wide, flat blade. The sword looked somewhat reminiscent of a flounder
fish in shape.
Chojuro knew that he was the weakest among the seven swordsman. He
had aspired to be a member of the seven swordsmen every since he was a
child. He had managed to finally become one shortly after becoming a
genin and his countless hours of training himself in Kenjutsu. This was
only supported by the fact that he had managed to master Hiramekarei at
such a young age.
However, Hiramekarei was a very chakra intensive sword and required
chakra to constantly be stored and channeled into the blade for its ability
to activate. He was still a genin, so his chakra reserves weren't large
enough to wield Hiramekarei for extended periods of time. He couldn't
let this battle draw out if he wanted to make it to the next round.
Hana leaped of of the ground with her ninken and began to spin there
bodies into one of the Inuzuka clan's favored jutsus."Gatsūga (Man-Beast
Ultimate Taijutsu: Fang Over Fang)!"They began to spin at ferocious
speeds and began to deliver countless beast-like attacks to Chojuro. Much
to Hana's dismay however, the glasses-wearing boy managed to block
every strike with his sword and divert them in a different direction. This
wasn't what she had planned at all.
She needed to switch her tactics. She remembered that the boy probably
remembered this jutsu from when Kiba had used it during the
preliminary rounds. She wanted to save the majority of what she learned
for the next match, but she would need to step up the intensity a bit to
deal with her current opponent.
Hana was pushed back when she made contact with Chojuro's sword and
they became locked in a duel of dominance. Hana'sGatsūgawas losing
power because she had lost her momentum once Chojuro managed to
stop her. She was at a large disadvantage at the moment.
Chojuro released his chakra from Hiramekarei and transformed it into a
giant hammer. As soon as he did, he gained the upper hand in their
stalemate and sent Hana flying across the battlefield. This victory was
short lived however, as he had to acrobatically dodge the large oncoming
drills that were the ninken.
Hana slowly stood up from her spot on the ground as she watched her
ninken put Chojuro on the defensive. She saw what that sword could do
and would need to be careful around it.'So that sword has the ability to
shape his chakra into weapons...that's going to be a problem...though it
doesn't seem like he'll be able to use that technique too many times, I
sensed him pour a lot of chakra into that last attack...'
Hana was busy coming up with alternative strategies while Chojuro
continued to fend of the niken. He may not have been using chakra at the
moment, but they were damn hard to get rid of. He knew he was getting
tired from dodging their barrage of attacks, if this kept going he wouldn't
even have enough strength to wield Hiramekarei properly anymore.
Chojuro began to focus even more chakra into the blade before he had
gathered the required amount. As the three drill-like attacks came at him
once more, he shaped Hiramekarei into a massive longsword and
simultaneously slashed all three ninken across the chest as he spun
around to create the torque needed to finish them all off at once.
He sighed as he finally had some breathing room for the first time since
the match began. Unfortunately for him, he forgot about Hana and let his
guard down. It was only when his vision became clouded with the smoke
from several smoke bombs did he realize his mistake.
Once again he channeled chakra into Hiramekarei, this time to create a
giant fan similar to Temari's. He knew that this would be the last time
that he would be able to create such a large weapon out of chakra, but he
wasn't left with a choice at the moment. He waved the fan forwards,
creating a large gust of wind which blew all of the smoke in front of him
away. What it revealed was Hana only inches away from his chest with a
kunai.
With incredible reflexes, Chojuro swung his sword as fast as he could and
slammed it into Hana's side before she could pierce him with the kunai.
He sighed once more as he made it in time, but his eyes widened when
he saw her disappear in a puff of smoke as if she was never there in the
first place. The real Hana erupted out of the smoke behind him with
aChakura no Mesu (Chakra Scalpel)active on each hand. The swordsman
screamed in pain as he felt her cut the muscle tissue in his arms and legs,
rendering him immobile.
Chojuro collapsed onto the ground as he no longer had his muscles fully
connected to stand. Hana walked up to the Kiri-nin's downed form and
placed a kunai to his neck. "Forfeit." She told him, not really giving him a
choice in the matter.
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"I forfeit." Chojuro said, a bit disappointed with how the match turned
out. He had severely underestimated the girl standing over him.
Hana withdrew the kunai from his neck as the medical crews rushed over
to retrieve her opponent and her ninken. She didn't have the necessary
skills to heal them with medical jutsu just yet. She followed the medics to
the medical bay just as Genma stepped into the center of the arena to
make the official announcement.
"Winner, Inuzuka Hana!" He stopped speaking for a moment as the crowd
cheered for the girl. She would have a tough time fighting in her next
match if her ninken weren't recovered by then. "Now will Hozuki
Suigetsu and Sabaku no Gaara please make your way down to the arena
for the final match of the first round!"
Hozuki Suigetsu vs. Sabaku no Gaara
Both combatants stood across from each other in the center of the arena.
This would most certainly be an interesting match. Gaara usually
resorted to just crushing people with his sand, but those sort of tactics
wouldn't work on this opponent. Suigetsu usually relied on Kenjutsu and
his logia abilities but Gaara had made it painfully obvious that the only
way to bypass his perfect defense was with superior speed, which
Suigetsu did not have. This would most likely end up being a long match.
"The fifth and final match of the first round, Hozuki Suigetsu vs. Sabaku
no Gaara, may now begin" Genma announced before jumping back a safe
distance. He had seen what these two were capable of in the
preliminaries and he did not want to get caught up in it.
Suigetsu jumped back as a wave of sand erupted from the gourd on
Gaara's back and rushed towards the Hozuki. Suigetsu unsheathed the
large sword from his back and took a Kenjutsu stance. Suigetsu's blade
was an enormous broadsword, it was approximately six feet in length and
one foot wide with a single edge. It was similar in height and width to
Zabuza's sword. This particular blade was not one of Kiri's legendary
one's, but Suigetsu hoped to become one of the seven swordsmen
eventually.
"Stop running away! Mother wants your blood!" Gaara screamed
maniacally. "I will satisfy mother's thirst."
Gaara sent wave after wave of sand trying to catch Suigetsu in its grip,
but Suigetsu proved to be too quick for him to catch with the amount of
sand that he was using. Realizing this, Gaara drew upon more sand from
his gourd and even crushed the earth around him, turning it into sand.
Suigetsu cursed to himself as he saw the amount of sand that Gaara was
gathering, he was obviously planning something big. Seeing that he
needed to move quickly, Suigetsu brought up his index finger and thumb
in a gun-like fashion. Through the hydrification technique, he
compressed a drop of water in his index finger."Mizudeppō no Jutsu
(Water Gun Jutsu)!"Suigetsu fired the drop of water with tremendous
force, comparable to that of a real gunshot.
Gaara gathered a large amount of sand and formed it into a thick half-
dome to shield himself from the water bullet. However, he didn't expect
the jutsu to have so much force behind it as he felt the drop of water
almost pierce through his sand shell completely.
Suigets saw the effect that his jutsu had and continued to fire more water
bullets. He re-sheathed his sword and brought up his other hand to do
the same."Mizudeppō: Nichō (Water Gun: Two Guns)!"Suigetsu continued
to fire water bullets at Gaara's sand shell, as the latter was forced to
continue rebuilding it.
Gaara knew that his opponent could go on doing this forever, seeing as
he was made of water, so he decided to take the offensive. Using the
large body of earth and sand under him, Gaara rose himself into the air
by erecting a pillar of sand, thus moving himself out of the line of fire as
the sand dome was finally pierced.
Suigetsu stopped firing his water bullets after seeing Gaara rise into the
air and out of his line of sight. H prepared himself for Gaara's next move.
Gaara released his sand pillar after Suigetsu stopped his jutsu and
dropped back down to the ground along with his sand."Sabaku Taisō
(Sand Waterfall Imperial Funeral)."Gaara sent a large tsumani of sand
that spanned the width of the arena towards Suigetsu and buried him in
the sheer amount of it. He then slammed both of his hands down onto the
large amounts of sand that he had created, creating a powerful
shockwave that compressed the sand and completely crushed anyone
buried in it.
Genma was about to call the match due to death, but then he heard the
bubbling of water.
A small section of the sand became wet and slowly turned into mud.
Suigetsu managed to work his way back to the surface in his liquified
state, looking quite exhausted. Gaara was getting ready to send another
wave of sand at the white-haired boy, but Suigetsu spoke up. "Proctor I
forfeit, I'm out of water after liquifying just now and I can't use any of my
other techniques without consuming any water."
Genma nodded his head and decided to call the match, "Winner by
forfeit, Sabaku no Gaara!" Genma announced to the audience. "This
marks the end of the first round of the finals! There will be a half an hour
intermission before we move onto the second round! For those who will
be fighting, please use this time to recover from your previous matches,
study your opponents fighting style, or prepare for your next match in
general."
With those words said, Genma walked off the battlefield along with
Suigetsu and Gaara.
Naruto looked over to see Natsuki and Satsuki glaring at each other
heatedly, then his thoughts drifted to Hana and wondered if her ninken
would recover in time, finally he looked over to Haku who was currently
meditating in preparation for her first match, since she had a bye this
round. One thing was for sure, these matches were going to get a whole
lot more interesting.
Chapter no.97
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Sarutobi Hiruzen once said, "To those who possess the Will of Fire,
everyone is family. The desire to protect one's family builds thicker and
stronger bonds between each and everyone in the village. If the Will of
Fire is embraced by everyone, the village will be alright no matter what
happens." Today was a day where this family would shed each other's
blood. Where they would face each other in combat where one of them
may perish by the other's hand.
Satsuki stood across from Natsuki in the middle of the battlefield. She
had been waited for this particular matchup for a long time now. To
Satsuki, Natsuki had always been too obsessed with her brother for her
liking. To Satsuki, this was a girl who abandoned her Nii-san and threw
him away like he was nothing more than trash.
Satsuki could honestly say that she hated the girl in front of her. Before
Naruto had met the Uchiha family, he was broken. His heart had been
shattered repeatedly by those who dared call themselves his family, and
they had spent years piecing it back together. The one question he always
buried deep within his heart was if it was good that he was born. He was
incapable of love for a long time, the kind of neglect and pain that he
went through wasn't able to be healed overnight.
It had taken years but he was finally able to see Satsuki as a little sister
and Mikoto as a mother, perhaps something even more. Satsuki had
always been suspicious of her mother, she knew that after everything that
they've gone through together it was only natural for Mikoto to develop
feelings for her Nii-san. Though she tried to deny it, she knew that her
Nii-san felt the same way about Mikoto too.
She just hoped that he could see her the same way too. She didn't care if
she had to share him with her mother, but she just wanted to be with
him. For him to make her his. She loved him more than anyone would
ever know.
Ever since she was a little girl and helped to rebuild Naruto's heart from
the ground up, she had loved Naruto. She began to fall in love with him
after seeing how tainted his mind and heart were, but yet how they were
also so pure. He didn't try to hide behind his false sense of ideals or
beliefs, he looked at the world for what it truly was and had no illusions
about how ugly it was. Yet he kept on walking down his own path for the
sake of her and Mikoto alone.
He was there for when nobody else was and helped her pick up the
pieces when everything went to hell. Satsuki was a lot smarter than she
let on, and he knew this. From an early age she had seen how corrupt
this village was, but how they hid behind the excuse that everything was
for the good of the village. She knew the truth of what had happened
three years ago.
She had noticed how everyone had been acting, she had noticed that all
of the adults would all disappear for periods of time, she had noticed
how Shisui-nii and Itachi-nii were acting. While it took her a while to
figure out after the massacre, she finally realized that everything had
been planned. That the Hokage forced Itachi to kill the clan.
Now Satsuki didn't hate Itachi for doing this, nor did she hate the Hokage
for ordering it. It should be expected as he would do anything for the
sake of the village. It was only after she realized everything, did it make
sense why Naruto had turned out so broken.
A person who would willingly put the sake of the village above the sake
of its people can never be a real father. And Kushina had bought into the
village's ideals at a young age and would never even think of straying
from them, she was too far gone. On the surface they were a perfect
family, but underneath all of the false pretenses, they were no better than
Danzo training his mindless drones.
Naruto was the only one who could see through her. He could tell that
Satsuki knew of some of the village's darker secrets, she was the daughter
of a clan head after all, it should be expected. However, he never
mentioned it, and she was thankful for that. She saw that he was in even
more pain than she was. It had been his own father who cost him the life
of the first person to ever treat him like family, the man he saw as a
brother, and the clan of his new family.
He had chosen their little family over the prestigious honor of being the
son of the Yondaime Hokage and the head of the Uzumaki clan. He had
left them behind and he would never look back.
Ever since then they had only grown closer to each other. To some level
she knew that she loved him as much as he did Mikoto, but he would
never show it unless she did first. He had always seen her as something
of a higher being, something fragile, something untouchable. She was the
one who healed his broken heart, the one who made him whole again.
He would always think to protect her innocence, for the sake of never
corrupting her.
She never understood why he saw her as such. He was the one who was
her angel. He was her savior from a clan who would never seek anything
besides power. The Uchiha respected strength above all else, they
couldn't care less about family. Naruto was her escape from that, he and
Mikoto were the only ones who would always love her unconditionally.
That is why Satsuki couldn't hold in her rage whenever the Hokage's
family would try to bring him back to them. She knew it was foolish, he
would never leave them, but she was still scared that she would lose him.
That was her one fear, to lose her Nii-san the same way she lost
everything else in her life. She would die before she let that happen.
That is why she would rip the girl in front of her limb from limb.
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Satsuki knew that Natsuki was in love with her Nii-san. She had been
trying to take him back for years now, every possible chance that she had
she would try to get closer to him. She tried to force him back to the very
people who broke him. She had abandoned him when Naruto needed
someone most, and now that he had been fixed she wanted to be a part
of his life!
This was something that Satsuki could not stand. Naruto was an angel
that had descended from the heavens into her life and now these
hypocrites were trying to take him away from her! He was her Nii-san!
No, he was more than that, he was her Onii-sama.
Satsuki would prove here and now the difference between them. The Will
of Fire and and the good of the village be damned! This is where the
leaves on the great tree of Konoha, the flames of the Will of Fire, a
member of the family that is Konoha, will fall.
Uzumaki-Namikaze Natsuki vs. Uchiha Satsuki
Genma could feel the raw amount of killing intent that the two kunoichi
before him were emanating, it was impressive for two newly made genin.
Most chunin wouldn't be able to withstand this much pure pressure and
bloodlust. There was obviously some bad blood between these two and it
was sure to get ugly. He wanted to get the hell out of there as fast as he
could to avoid any of their rage. Dealing with women when they were
angry was never a good thing.
"Are both combatants ready?" Neither of them even acknowledged that
he had said something, opting to try pierce each other and finish the
match with their glare alone. Genma sighed and took their silence as a
yes, "Then let the first match of the second round, Uzumaki-Namikaze
Natsuki vs. Uchiha Satsuki, begin!"
Satsuki immediately activated her sharingan and drew two kunai from
the holster on her leg at the same time that Natsuki unsheathed her
katana. The two glared at each other for a moment before charging at
each other with the intent to cut the other to pieces.
Natsuki had always been jealous of Satsuki. She was always around her
Nii-san and stole her place as Naruto's sister. Natsuki loved Naruto with
all her heart, but it was their past that made it so hard for her to move
forward. Because of that, she could only watch on as Naruto replaced her
with Satsuki.
Natsuki had wanted to bring her Nii-san back into their family even
before their days at the academy. When they had started training early
on, she had always hoped that her parents would let Naruto join them.
And finally they did, but that was the first and last time that that would
ever happen. That was the day that scarred her for life.
She had almost lost her Nii-san that day. She was the one who almost
killed him and she hated herself for that. This all happened because she
lost control of herself and let the Kyuubi run free. That single day was the
worst of her life.
She spent the next months beside her Nii-san's hospital bed as he lay
there in his comatose state. She visited him everyday and would cry
herself to sleep every night, she still did sometimes. Finally he woke up
and things improved with their family life for a short time, but then
everything went to hell as soon as it began to get better.
For some reason he began to distance himself even more from their
family to the point where he moved out. Nothing was ever the same after
that and she still didn't know why. It killed her that she didn't know why
she wasn't his sister anymore or why he doesn't consider their parents as
his anymore. It felt as though she had lost him forever.
He was just within her reach, but yet she still couldn't grab onto him. She
hated this feeling. She loved him more than anything in the world and
she had to watch on as another girl stole her spot. She hated this girl,
more than anyone would ever know and she would finish everything
right now. She would show her Nii-san that she had changed and that she
was worth his love. She needed him.
Natsuki swung her sword down, but it was easily blocked by Satsuki's
kunai. She brought her sword back up and slashed at the girl's side, but it
was parried by another kunai. Natsuki was getting frustrated that none of
her attacks were getting through, so she began to pick up the pace. She
would not be out done by this girl.
Natsuki switched from slashes into a fast barrage of stabs. Satsuki was
forced to dodge and divert the strikes with her kunai, there was no time
get out of range of the swords-woman. The redhead was unrelenting in
her strikes, it was clear that she wouldn't stop until she had run the
female Uchiha through with her blade.
Satsuki finally had enough. If this kept on going then she was sure to slip
up eventually. She looked Natsuki directly in the eyes and activated her
jutsu. "Sharingan: Genjutsu."
Natsuki was instantly paralyzed and couldn't move even a single finger as
she held her sword above her head, in an attempt to bisect Satsuki.
Satsuki used this chance to spin around and deliver a powerful kick to
Natsuki's chest, sending her flying back but also breaking her out of the
genjutsu.
Satsuki reached into her weapons pouch and pulled out two handfuls of
shuriken, which she threw at Natsuki. The redhead managed to flip in
mid-air and drive her feet into the ground to slow her momentum. She
didn't have time to dodge the shuriken, so she was forced to block them
with her sword.
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Natsuki didn't have a particular kenjutsu style that she focused in, neither
the Uzumaki nor Namikaze clans were renound users in kenjutsu. In fact
Kushina was the only shinobi in generations of the Uzumaki clan to be
know for using a sword. She hadn't gotten around to teaching Natsuki
much about kenjutsu just yet, so the girl mainly relied on her quick
reflexes and the swords ability to cut.
Natsuki knew that if she kept using kenjutsu then she would quickly be
overwhelmed. She mainly used her sword to complement her taijutsu
style, but after Satsuki had put so much distance between them her sword
would be nothing more than a hinderance.
The redhead quickly sheathed her sword and prepared herself. It seemed
that she would have to mainly rely on ninjutsu and taijutsu. With her
large reserves from being a jinchuriki it was better this way anyway.
Satsuki formed a few hand seals before she began molding chakra in her
lungs. "Katon: Hōsenka no Jutsu (Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire)!"
Satsuki released a volley of small fireballs from her mouth and sent them
towards Natsuki. These fireballs were controlled by one's chakra, so
avoiding them is extremely difficult.
Natsuki cursed as she saw the jutsu, these fireballs would be hard to
dodge. She would need to counter them instead.
"Suiton: Suijinheki (Water Release: Water Wall)." Natsuki released a large
stream of water from her mouth that rose up into a large wave to protect
her from the oncoming attack.
When the wall of water dispersed, Satsuki was nowhere to be found.
Natsuki looked in front, left, right, and behind her, but she was nowhere
to be found. Natsuki immediately jumped back, thinking that she would
be coming from below, the same strategy that Kakashi-sensei used in
their survival exam. However, she was wrong.
As soon as the girl jumped back, she was met with an axe-kick from
above, courtesy of Satsuki. The redhead was sent face first into the
ground creating a rather large impact. Spiderweb cracks appeared from
the where she landed outwards, signaling just how hard she had been hit.
What Satsuki did wasn't so different from her last step of the Shishi
Rendan (Lion's Barrage).
The female Uchiha recoiled from how hard hitting Satsuki and crashing
into the ground right after was. She panted on her knees several yards
away from Natsuki's prone body, exhausted. She wouldn't be able to go
on much longer, her earlier match and this match wore her out quite a
bit.
Her head jerked back in shock as she watched Natsuki slowly get up the
ground. That last attack should have at least broken some bones or given
her a concussion. A moment later her eyes widened in realization.
'Oh yeah...she's an Uzumaki. They're supposed to have incredible
regenerative powers...I'll need to finish her off with one last jutsu.'
Satsuki channeled chakra to her feet and jumped back a dozen yards to
gain the distance she needed. She watched on Natsuki got up with a look
of pure rage on her face and made a Kage Bunshin, a moment later a
spiraling blue sphere of chakra manifested itself in the palm of her hand.
'Just perfect...the Rasengan...this might complicate things.' Satsuki
thought to herself.
Satsuki went through a few hand seals before a large amount of Raiton
chakra was concentrated in her hand. The sound of birds chirping could
be heard all over the stadium from the execution of Hatake Kakashi's
original technique.
Natsuki and Satsuki both rushed at each other with their most powerful
jutsus active. Just as they were within striking distance of each other,
they thrust their respective hands out so that their jutsus met in the
middle.
"Rasengan/Chidori!" The collision of these two A-ranked jutsus created a
large explosion emanating from their hands and sent them both flying
backwards. A huge plume of dirt and dust covered the battlefield from
their collision.
Genma walked into the center of the arena once more as he waited for
the dust to clear so that he could call the match. It was obvious that one
of those girls wouldn't be getting up from their last confrontation.
A few moments later, the wind picked up and blew the cloud of smoke
away, revealing the unconscious forms of the two kunoichi. Both of them
ware covered in scrapes, bruised, and burns, but other than that they
were completely fine. Genma breathed a sigh of relief as he had seen
what both of those jutsus could do at full power.
"Both combatants are unable to continue, therefore this match is declared
a draw and neither of them will continue on to the next round." Genma
announced to the crowd. He gave a nod to the medical team to bring
those two to the medical bay to heal there wounds and wait for them
come out of unconsciousness.
He received both boos and cheers from the crowd as they had witnessed
a good match, but also wanted to see someone move on to the next
round. Well, this did make it easier for the tournament setup as they
wouldn't need to have any semifinal rounds and could go straight onto
the finals.
Chapter no.100
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....
Stands
In the audience, both Kushina's and Mikoto's eyes widened at the sight of
their children being carried out off of the battle field after the explosion
that occurred after the clash of their A-rank assassination jutsus.
Kushina had just gotten back from checking on Nawaki and the news was
not good. He was terribly burned after being consumed by Naruto's
massive Katon jutsu. The medics had done everything that they could and
he was stable now, but the entire left side of his body was burned beyond
the point of healing. From his neck down, the left side of his body would
be completely covered in scar tissue. The good news was that only his
eye and part of his head was burned on his face. He was still
unconscious, but he should wake up in a day or so.
She wanted to watch Natsuki's match to take her mind off of things, but
as soon as she does, she had to watch as a Rasengan and a Chidori
collided. She hoped that Natsuki wouldn't be permanently damaged the
same way that Nawaki had.
Mikoto was watching on in horror at the prospect of losing her last child.
She had already lost her clan because of the village and her son was
forced to become a nuke-nin, she couldn't take losing one of the last
remaining family members that she had left.
Both women looked at each other and nodded before Shunshining to the
medical bay to see if their children were alright.
Kakashi's lone eye was also widened in shock.
He had taught Obito how to use the Chidori many years ago, but he had
never expected his best friend to teach it to his student. Now that he
thought about it, Obito probably knew that the Hokage's children would
know the Rasengan and taught her the jutsu as a counter for it. Though
he was impressed that the girl had learned it in such a short amount of
time, it took him months to create that jutsu.
It was much better than his decision to teach the Chidori to Nawaki. As
much as he loved his sensei and Kushina-sama, the boy was clearly
unstable. He also had a massive superiority and inferiority complex to
finish up the perfect little package. Kakashi was silently happy that
Nawaki had faced Naruto in the first round and lost. Had he fought a
different opponent, he would have most likely gotten a chance to use the
Chidori and possibly killed one of his fellow Konoha genin.
Something would have to be done about the boy if when he woke up.
Things will definitely go south after he sees what kind of condition his
body is in. Not to mention how inferior and weak he will feel towards
Naruto. Kakashi could only sigh as he knew that things were going to go
very bad, very soon.
Portgas D. Naruto vs. Inuzuka Hana
Naruto stood across from Hana, as Genma stepped forward from the
proctor's area towards the center of the arena. Naruto carefully analyzed
his teammate as he thought of a strategy of how to deal with her.
Most of his plans were out of the option as they were prepared for
dealing with multiple opponents at once. The three Haimaru brothers had
not recovered in time for the match. They were healed from the slash
wounds they received and were stitched back up, but they would need to
rest for the rest of the day so they were taken back to the Inuzuka
compound.
Naruto eyed Hana critically. He wasn't foolish enough to think that she
was completely helpless without her ninken the same way that most
Inuzuka were. On the contrary, Naruto had been friends with Hana for
over seven years, he knew exactly how skilled Hana was. She was just as
dangerous without her ninken as she was with them. Obito had made
sure that she was prepared for combat if she was separated from them or
they were rendered useless on a mission.
That part of their training Hana did alone with their sensei, so Naruto
didn't know exactly what she would have in store for him. She was a
skilled medic and could use her Chakura no Mesu (Chakra Scalpels) with
incredible skill and precision, but she knew that wouldn't be enough to
even stall him. Whatever she had, this was sure to be exciting.
"Why don't we put on a show worth watching?" Naruto asked as he was
getting excited for what Hana was planning.
"I couldn't agree more. Don't think that you'll have an easy win just
because I don't have my ninken with me. I promised to give you an
exciting match and I'll do just that." Hana declared with a small smirk.
Naruto smirked as well, "I wouldn't dream of it."
Genma saw that the two before him were ready to start their match and
made the announcement.
Chapter no.101
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....
"The second match of the second round, Portgas D. Naruto vs. Inuzuka
Hana, may now begin!" Genma yelled before jumping out of the way.
As soon as he heard that, Natsu jumped back and drew the chokuto from
his back. He didn't really want to use his usual Katon jutsu againt her,
they were far too deadly. But he had learn much over the last month that
he would be able to use here.
Across from him Hana drew four kunai with exploding tags attached and
threw them in her teammate's direction. Naruto saw what she was doing
and he wouldn't have any of it. She wanted to use the smoke cause from
the explosion as a cover to move around freely.
Naruto rose his sword and charged it with blue colored flames. He swung
down and in the blink of an eye, all of the kunai had been bisected,
exploding tag and all. With no seal to cause the explosion , the kunai
turned into nothing more than duds.
Hana silently cursed to her self before throwing a smoke bomb on the
ground, causing the entire area around her to be filled with a purple
smoke. This was her backup plan, to have to resort to it at the very start
of the match didn't spell good news to her.
Naruto looked on at the large cloud of smoke, wondering what she could
possible be planning. When the smoke cleared, Hana was nowhere in
sight. Naruto quickly activated his Kenbunshoku Haki and smiled to
himself.
'I see...you have a Doton affinity Hana. You saw what I did to the last
Doton used I fought so what will you do differently?'
Quite aways underneath the arena floor, Hana had dug several different
tunnels that spanned the length of the entire battlefield. It had taken a bit
of time, bed all of her preparations were complete.
Hana made a hand seal and produced six Doton Kage Bunshins (Earth
Release Shadow Clones) which gave her a nod and proceeded to run into
different directions in the different tunnels. The best part about these
clones were that they weren't as chakra taxing as the standard Kage
Bunshins (Shadow Clones) and since it's made out of mud, they can
continue to reform itself back into its original shape. It can also be used
as a powerful restraint once it's reverted back into mud.
Most members of the Inuzuka clan had Doton affinities, so they had
plenty of jutsu for her to learn in the clan library. Though rarely any of
them use it. They prefer to perform the usual clan techniques alongside
of their ninken because of their usual reckless and brash nature. Hana
couldn't help but think that her clan was full of idiots sometimes. They
had a library full of offensive and supplementary jutsu that nearly all
Inuzuka could learn, yet they chose not to.
Naruto patiently waited for Hana to make her move, unlike what he did
with Nawaki. He quickly moved to the right as a Tsūga (Passing Fang)
erupted from right underneath him. Then he jumped backwards to avoid
the same thing from happening again.
Soon he was avoiding attacks all over the battlefield as drill-like attacks
would erupt from the ground and then return back underneath it from a
tunnel that another one produced. He had to admit, Hana was quite
clever and this little maneuver would no doubt get her promoted to
chunin.
These fights didn't really matter after all. What the judges were looking
for was if you had the strength of a chunin, if you could come up with a
strategy on the spot, if you had the thinking capacity of a chunin, and if
you knew your limits. The tournament was just for show and to show the
rest of the nations how strong your genin were.
Naruto slashed the drill that came up right next to him across the chest,
but as soon as he did, it turned to mud and tried to restrain his
movement. He wouldn't let any of that happen. He covered his sword and
his body in an aura of blue fire and flared it outwards, destroying what
was left of the Doton Kage Bunshin (Earth Release Shadow Clone).
'So all of these are Doton Kage Bunshin huh? I thought it was odd that
there were so many of them when Hana didn't have her ninken and there
was no way that she would be able to produce this many normal Kage
Bunshin if she weren't a jinchuriki...I know just how to stop her in her
tracks.'
Naruto dodged one more of her clone's Tsūga (Passing Fang) before he
spun his sword around in his hand and stabbed it into the ground. He
began channeling his blue flames into the sword and ground until large
bursts of them erupted from all the tunnels that Hana had created. All of
the extra clones had been crushed by the impact of the fire, but the real
Hana flew out of one of the tunnels like it was a geyser and she had been
riding the flames.
The blue flames that he had been using were similar to Marco's. These
flames weren't meant to incinerate their target, no, they weren't even hot.
They were meant for impact strength and destruction. They were also
meant for regeneration if used on yourself. It was because of this that
they were perfect for using against his teammate.
He looked over to where Hana had landed, she had seen better days. She
was probably still injured from he earlier match and may even be
running low on chakra. This match had been going on for almost thirty
minutes and she had been constantly making new clones and using the
Tsūga (Passing Fang) herself.
Though he hadn't been disappointed with the fight thus far. She had
made him work, harder than he had in most of him matches since he
became a genin in fact. With Nawaki, Naruto didn't really need to use all
those powerful techniques to beat him, but he wanted to put the brat in
his place. Oh yes, Hana had given him quite a good fight, and it wasn't
over just yet.
Hana got up wearily, she wasn't done yet. She was low on chakra and her
body was aching all over, but she still had some fight left in her. She
wouldn't be able to last much longer.
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....
With that in mind Hana brought her hands into a tiger hand seal. "Doton:
Doryū Taiga (Eath Release: Earth Flow River)." Hana turned a large area
of the ground in front of her to mud in preparation or her next technique.
She then made two hand seals before landing on the final one. "Doton:
Doryūdan (Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet)!" The mud before her
shaped into a dragon-like head that was merged with the ground. It
opened its mouth and launched a large volley of cannonball-shaped
bullets of mud towards Naruto. The volley covered a large and wide area,
so it would be next to impossible for him to dodge.
Naruto smirked slightly at his teammate. She had really improved over
this past month. Before she would have only used her clan techniques
alongside her ninken and some medical ninjutsu. Without her ninken she
was pretty handicapped, she knew some taijutsu and some basic ninjutsu,
but that wouldn't help her much on a real mission.
That was why he was so impressed. She had covered so many of her
previous weaknesses and even adapted a whole new fighting style to
complement her elemental affinity. However, it wasn't enough to beat
him. He hadn't been fooling around either, he would show her the fruits
of his training.
Naruto held his sword with his right hand and brought it across his body
preparing for a slash.
'The hardest part about learning the ancient arts of the phoenix was all of
that damned meditation...however, I did gain something out of it...the
three components to make these techniques work, the mind, the body,
and the soul. Each one of these must be in perfect harmony with each
other. It was a damned pain learning these tehniques, but it was worth it.'
Naruto ignited his blade with the blue flames he had grown so fond of.
"Sanjuroku Pound Ho (Phoenix of the 36 Earthly Desires)!" Naruto swung
his sword horizontally and released a large crescent wave of flames that
sliced right through the bullets and the dragon that were in front of him.
It didn't stop there as it impacted her and consumed her, sending her into
the wall across the arena along with it until the technique ceased.
Once again, the wall that had just been repaired was heavily damaged,
but Naruto made sure to hold back this time as to not destroy it
completely, or wound Hana too seriously.
He looked over to see her unconscious form lying against the wall as the
medical team was rushing over to carry her off to the medical bay. At
least she was in better shape than he left Nawaki in, hopefully she
wouldn't be too upset later.
"Winner of the second match of the second round, Portgas D. Naruto!" He
heard the proctor yell. After the announcement Naruto slowly walked up
to the combatant booth to get a bit of rest. He was getting a bit tired too
from all this fighting.
"Will Sabaku no Gaara and Yuki Haku please make your way down to the
arena for the final match of round two!" The proctor yelled.
Sabaku no Gaara vs. Yuki Haku
Both of the genin stood face to face in the middle of the arena.
Haku was tired of waiting. She didn't have to fight in the first round, so
she was fresh and ready to fight. This didn't mean that she would
recklessly charge into battle though.
Her opponent was far too dangerous to charge in head first without a
plan. His skill in manipulating sand was like nothing she had ever seen
before. And if his last fight was any indication, he had much more up his
sleeve.
She couldn't risk been trapped in that sand, if she was, the same thing
would happen to her that happened to that Rock Lee and what almost
happened to Suigetsu. If he hadn't had the ability to liquify then he
would be as good as dead right now. She would need to play thins
carefully.
Genma stepped forward to address the two shinobi before him.
"Are both combatants ready?" He received a nod from both of them,
signaling for him to start the match. "Then let the third and final match
of round three, Sabaku no Gaara vs. Yuki Haku begin!" He yelled before
jumping out of the area. He knew what these two were capable of and he
did not want to get caught up in it.
As soon as the match started, Haku had to jump out of the was as a wave
of sand was launched at her. It seemed that her opponent wouldn't let up
as she had to continue this action several times before she was finally out
of range of his sand. Or at least the amount of sand that he currently had.
She couldn't let him prepare the absurd amounts of sand that he had in
his match against Suigetsu. If she did, the match would be his. There was
no she would be able to avoid the tsunami of sand that he would throw
at her and she wouldn't be able to survive it like Suigetsu did. As bad of
an idea it was, she needed to get in close to prevent him from doing that.
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....
Haku rushed at Gaara with high speeds just as the sand returned to him.
She had to maneuver to the right to avoid being smothered with the
sand, but she was close enough to do what she needed.
Haku made a singular hand seal and suddenly, the entire arena was filled
with cold air. "Makyō Hyōshō (Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals)." From
the moisture in the air, a dome of twenty-one floating mirrors of ice
surrounded Gaara, trapping him completely.
Haku stepped forward and merged with one of the mirrors at ground
level and as soon as she did, every single mirror reflected nothing but an
image of Haku, impossible to tell which one was real and which was a
reflection. This was her ultimate technique. Once inside the mirrors, it is
possible for her to move at exceedingly high speeds between the mirrors
which can easily overwhelm any opponent. Without the use of a dojutsu,
it is impossible to track her. Should she create clones to enter the mirrors
as well, it would be all over for her enemy.
Gaara didn't even look fazed as he stared on at the twenty-one reflections
of Haku. He either had a way out of the ice dome or he didn't know that
there was no escape from her clutches. He began preparing his escape by
turning the earth below him into a large amount of sand. By using the
Sabaku Taisō (Sand Waterfall Imperial Funeral) he would certainly be
able to overwhelm the jutsu before him and kill the kunoichi.
However, Haku saw what his plan was from the very start and had
already thought of a way to counter it.
"Ice Age!" A tendril of ice stretched from her reflection on each of the
mirrors until it made contact with the ground. First the groung
surrounding Gaara began to freeze until a thick sheet of ice covered the
entire length of the arena floor.
"Did you really think that I'd let you create more sand?" Haku's voice
spoke from one of the ice mirrors/ "How foolish. Without your sand you
can't do anything."
"No! I won't let you erase my existence! I will be the one to prove their
existence!" Gaara screamed maniacally.
It was obvious that the boy was mentally unstable, but Haku paid it no
mind as she had met her fair share of insane shinobi back in Kiri. She
pulled out a handful of senbon and emerged from the mirror, throwing
them in the process and piercing Gaara's shoulder and leg before she
merged into another ice mirror.
She had seen that the sand surrounding the boy acted like as shield on
instinct alone, he had no control over it. However, that shield of sand
could be bypassed with pure speed alone. That much was made obvious
during the preliminary rounds. To have such a glaring weakness made
obvious to you and not even bother training to fix it was proof as to just
how much the boy relied in his natural ability alone. Haku would not
lose to someone like him.
"Blood! It's my blood!" Gaara screamed in horror as he pulled out the
senbon that had pierced through his sand armor.
Haku was about to launch another barrage of senbon at the boy, but he
quickly surrounded himself with a thick dome of sand. Haku could hear
some kind of weird chanting coming from the inside of the dome.
It was obvious that he wasn't coming out of that dome anytime soon, so
Haku decided to take measures into her own hands. "Ice Ball." The cold
air around the dome began to solidify and take form. Not a moment later,
a large, thick sphere of ice surrounded the dome of sand, freezing it solid.
This was only a preparation for her next jutsu as she reached out her
hand and squeezed it shut. "Hyoton: Ice Funeral." She had used this
technique against that Oto-nin in the preliminary rounds and the result
was made obvious. The surrounding ice became highly pressurized and
was meant to crush him. It was actually not so different from a technique
that Gaara used.
However, just as the ice was about to crush the sand dome and him
inside of it, a monster-like arm with what looked like veins all
throughout it erupted from the ice prison and shattered several of the
mirrors. A moment later, the rest of the ice dome shattered and what
looked like a human-sized tanuki made of sand emerged from it.
He swiped his arm several times and destroyed what was left of the ice
mirrors easily. Haku had managed to escape before suffering any
damage, but when the mist cleared, she along with the rest of the
audience saw that Gaara was in his partially transformed state.
Before anyone knew what was going on, a large plume of purple smoke
erupted from the Kage box, causing everyone to turn in that direction
and see a large purple barrier being erected with all of the Kage being
trapped inside.
The stadium erupted in panic, but of all those in the audience, Naruto
only smiled. It seemed as if the invasion was starting off a bit earlier than
expected. Now was the time to put his plan into action.
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....
As Naruto stared on at the enemy before him, he felt nothing but pity for
him. This was a result of how far the hidden villages had fallen, a
weapon that the village had made, a sign of how corrupted these villages
were with power, an example of what this world truly was. The boy
before Naruto wasn't even a boy anymore, he wasn't even human
anymore. Perhaps he never was to begin with.
The Yondaime Kazekage had done this to his own son. Of course, Konoha
was no different. They preach about peace and family, yet the Yondaime
Hokage turns three of his own children into jinchurikis, shinobi who are
no more than living weapons. Even a weapon can malfunction and this
was the result.
Naruto stood on a large tree branch with Natsuki at his side. She was
delighted that her Nii-san had brought her along to keep Gaara from
destroying the village, but she couldn't help but feel pity for the but who
was so similar to her, and yet so different.
Gaara was going past his initial jinchuriki state. The sand had continued
to surround his body until he looked like a full version of a mini
Shukaku. He was halfway between total insanity and his normal mental
state.
"Come! Prove my existence! I will crush the both of you! I am one with
mother now, mother is now one with me! Together we shall bury you
together!" Gaara screamed maniacally.
This had all started during Gaara's match with Haku. As soon as he
started his initial jinchuriki transformation, Temari and Kankuro had
jumped down to the stands and led Gaara into the forest, so that he could
transform without any disruptions. That hadn't worked out as planned.
Temari and Kankuro were both bleeding and unconscious on the forest
floor, Gaara had lashed out against them when he had sensed presences
following them an wanted to fight. This was the result of them tying to
stand against him.
Haku was locked in a fierce duel with Baki back in the chunin exam
arena, so she was unable to pursue her former opponent. Naruto had
taken this opportunity to grab Natsuki, much to her surprise and
pleasure, and follow Gaara into the forest. This was the perfect
opportunity to deal with another issue altogether as well.
As soon as he defeated Gaara, he would release the Kyuubi from the
Kotoamatsukami and have a nice chat with him. Of course he wouldn't
tell Natsuki about his plans at all, there was no telling how she would
react, knowing that the Kyuubi sealed inside of her was an actual living
being and not just a mass of chakra like she had always been told.
Then the Yang half of the Kyuubi would immediately respond to the Yin
half being freed and break free from its seal to reunite with itself inside
of Natsuki. It would be forcible ripped out of Nawaki, but it was a price
that Naruto was willing to pay. He had no doubts that Nawaki would
survive, he was an Uzumaki after all, but he would be extremely
weakened and put in a near death state. Similar to how Kushina was after
she had given birth and the Kyuubi escaped from her last night. If she
could survive that, then Nawaki would be mostly fine after this.
All of the Kages and their bodyguards were locked in an all out battle
blocked by a large purple barrier on the roof of the Kage box and who
knows what wa going on in there.
The Yondime Kazekage and Orochimaru would probably be in there
fighting the Hokage and the Mizukage, but there had to be more going on
in there than that. The Kazekage may have been a fool, but he would
know that he wouldn't stand a chance against two kages and their
bodyguards, even with Orochimaru by his side.
The Yodaime Kazekage was currently the weakest among the five kages.
The Sandaime Tsuchikade had his Jinton, the Yondaime Raikage was a
master of nintaijutsu and was the second fastest man alive, only second
to the Hokage, The Yondaime Mizukage had full control of his bijuu and
was a master of Suiton, and the Yondaime Hokage had the Hiraishin, one
of the most feared jutsus in the world. The Kazekage was able to use the
gold dust, but there was no way that would make a difference in that
fight. He must have something up his sleeve if he is confident enough to
betray Konoha and make an enemy of Kiri.
Though, Naruto didn't have time to pursue those suspicions right now as
it looked like Gaara was getting impatient.
Naruto quickly discarded his trench coat, it had been torn up pretty good
from his earlier fights and would no doubt only get in the way here. He
now only wore his skin tight black shirt on his upper body and the
bandages covering his right arm and hand were now fully revealed.
Dealing with Gaara and Shukaku would take a bit of time.
Naruto and Natsuki jumped in different directions to avoid a large claw
swipe that Gaara sent at them, splitting the tree branch in half.
Natsuki looked a bit tired, but other than that she was fine. She had been
given a soldier pill and had rested a bit before coming back up to the
combatants booth to watch Haku's fight, only shortly after that did
everything go straight to hell.
Naruto was perfectly fine, because of his relation to the chakra fruits and
the Shinju tree, his chakra replenished at incredibly fast rates. All of the
chakra that had been used in his earlier fights with Nawaki and Hana had
been restored ages ago. He was ready to fight, he looked at Natsuki and
noted to himself that he would be doing most of it. She was clearly still
exhausted. Hopefully she wouldn't get in the way too much.
Naruto took the five exploding kunai he had in his weapon pouch and
threw them at Gaara, imbedding them into the thick layer of sand
covering his body. Only a moment later did the explosion echo
throughout the forest and take the tree branch down with it.
Naruto looked down to see that Gaara was already getting up off the
ground and the sand surrounding his body was already reforming. It
would take a lot to get through that sand armor...or perhaps burning him
and turning it to glass would be easier.
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....
"Natsuki! How much chakra do you have left?" Naruto yelled to the
redhead that was kneeling on another tree branch several yards away.
Natsuki's attention suddenly drifted to the person she wanted to
acknowledge her more than anything. Did he still care about her?
"I have about half of my regular reserves!...I could probably tap into
some of the Kyuubi's chakra if needed, but even so I won't last too long in
a prolonged fight."
Naruto expected this. Even as a jinchuriki, the girl didn't have the same
chakra reserves or chakra regeneration that he did. That didn't mean she
couldn't be of use here, he had already come up with a plan to restrain
the insane jinchuriki below.
"Natsuki, look into my eyes!" Naruto commanded and the girl did just
that.
'Sharingan: Genjutsu.' In a split second Naruto implanted all of the
specifics of his plan into Natsuki's head so that she could play her own
part. Naruto was a master of the sharingan. He couldn't pull forth things
like the Susanoo, Ameterasu, or Tsukuyomi, but his sharingan was the
strongest to exist since Madara Uchiha's. He could do things like casting
powerful genjutsu or transferring the memories of a plan that they were
about to execute with ease.
Just as Gaara was about to charge up a tree to reach his opponents' level,
golden chakra chains erupted from the tree trunk all around his,
successfully binding him to the tree and limiting his mobility. Not a
moment later did four of Naruto's Kage Bunshins (Shadow Clones) drop
down from the treetops above and cling onto Gaara's immobile form for
dear life. 'Bunshin Daibakuha (Great Clone Explosion!' Each of the four
clones detonated into a large explosion, destroying the majority of
Gaara's sand armor.
This was the moment of truth, to see if their plan would end this...or if it
would lead to something far worse.
Naruto placed his palms forward as the glowed green. "Hotarubi (Firefly
Lights)." Small green balls of light floated down from his position in the
treetops to Gaara's level, filling up the entire clearing. "Hidaruma (Fiery
Doll)." Within the span of a single second, all of those lights converged
onto Gaara's form and exploded on impact creating a large fire around
the tree. This time it didn't just hit sand armor, but Gaara's actual body.
Loud cries of agony could be heard for a few moments before they
subsided. Naruto hoped that was the end of that, but his Kunbunshoku
Haki didn't lie. He swiftly grabbed Natsuki with one arm before jumping
across the clearing into another tree. It was perfect timing too, because
just as they did, a massive arm of sand shot up into the air with the
intent to crush them.
Naruto looked back at the position that they were in moments ago and
saw that Gaara was quickly turning the surrounding earth into sand and
converging it onto his form. In mere seconds, Naruto was looking up at
the actual bijuu-sized Shukaku.
"Tanuki Neiri no Jutsu (Feigning Sleep Jutsu)!"
'Oh now that doesn't sound good.' Naruto thought to himself as he
watched Gaara collapse from where he was merged with Shukaku's
forehead and an immense surge of chakra flooded the area.
"I'm back baby!" A booming voice yelled maniacally.
"Well this looks bad...It seems that Gaara has released the full power of
the Shukaku." Naruto told Natsuki as he set her down.
"Shukaku?" Natsuki asked with a tilt of her head. "What is a Shukaku?"
Naruto could only sigh at how foolish and uninformed the shinobi and
kunoichi of today were. Did everyone think that the Bijuu were just
masses of chakra without minds of their own? How naïeve. And what is
worse is that even kages think this way.
"It doesn't matter at the moment, I'll tell you about it later. No doubt
you'll have a lot of questions." Naruto spoke with absolute seriousness in
his voice. "For now you need to get out of the area, you'll only get in the
way if you remain here."
Natsuki appeared to want to fight his orders.
"What! You can't take a Bijuu on by yourself! I can summon Gamabunta
to fight him on even ground!"
Naruto looked at Natsuki with the flattest expression he had. "Natsuki, I
completely roasted Gamabunta earlier...do you really think he's in any
shape to fight right now? Not to mention he probably wouldn't even want
to help me."
"But still..."
It appeared that she wasn't going to relent any time soon.
Naruto sighed, knowing that there was really only one way to get her out
of here. He opened his right eye once again. "Sharingan: Genjutsu." With
just a split second of eye contact, Natsuki felt drowsy and slowly drifted
into unconsciousness. With that taken care of, Naruto went through a few
hand seals and bit his thumb, drawing blood, and slammed his hand
down of the tree branch.
There was a poof of smoke and a medium sized phoenix appeared.
"What can I do for you boss?" The newly summoned phoenix asked.
"I need you to take Natsuki" He pointed to the now unconscious girl, "And
take her high into the sky above here. I can't have her interfering or at
risk of getting hurt during the battle that is to come. Bring her down after
Shukaku is dealt with." Naruto ordered.
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....
The phoenix gave his summoner a no and picked the girl up with a large
claw and took of into the sky.
All of that occurred within a plan of a minute, now that he was free of
distraction, Naruto would be able to deal with Shukaku without having
to worry about anything getting in the way.
He jumper even higher into the treetops, until he was at the very top
with all the other trees below him. Naruto now stood face to face with
Shukaku, with the giant tanuki eying him with his insane eyes. It was
clear that years of confinement had driven him to the point of insanity, it
certainly didn't help that he had always been the most bloodthirsty of the
Bijuu.
"So you've finally come Portgas." The maniacal voice of Shukaku
commented. "Let us see if you are as strong as the last one!"
Naruto was forced to jump into the air as a large tsunami of sand was
released from Shukaku's body, trying to swallow him whole and crush
him with the weight. He would need to either remain in the air or turn
all of the sand into glass for this fight. Shukaku easily dwarfed all of the
trees so taking cover or using them as a platform wasn't an option. This
wouldn't be as easy as he thought.
As he flipped through the air, Naruto released a stream of fire from his
feet to propel him in mid-air. This was one of the only ways that he could
remain air-born, but it took up a lot of chakra. He would need to find a
better solution. One should never have to fight a Bijuu, it was just plain
unreasonable.
While in mid-air, Naruto began to knead chakra in his lungs. "Katon:
Gōka Messhitsu (Fire Release: Great Fire Destruction)!" Naruto expelled a
massive stream of intense flames that set the entire area below ablaze.
The sand quickly began to crystalize and turn into glass, making certain
that Shukaku wouldn't be able to swallow him from underneath using the
sand. The terrain below could only be described as a veritable sea of
flames.
Naruto immediately ceased propelling himself in mid-air, via the jets of
flames from his feet, and landed amongst the flames. The flames melting
the glass even further began to converge onto his form, restoring the
chakra that he had just spent. That was one of the biggest perks of being
a logia type, all of the flames that he created or any flames in general,
could be instinctually absorbed to restore his chakra in battle.
"It seems you do possess HIS abilities. However, you are still a far cry
from his level!" Shukaku screeched as he prepared for another attack.
"Of course. I'm nowhere near Ace's level...but I'm strong enough to deal
with you Shukaku." Naruto retorted at he braced himself for what was to
come. Shukaku's jutsu covered far too large of an area for Naruto to
avoid by any normal methods, he would only be able to counter it then
make his counterattack.
Shukaku's main element was wind, this meant that Naruto would have
the advantage. Though, it didn't guarantee his victory outright. Shukaku
would most likely be preparing for a barrage of Fūton jutsu.
"Fūton: Renkūdan (Wind Release: Drilling Air Bullets)!" Shukaku took a
deep breath, and then pounded his stomach to apply external
pressure,power which was used to shoot a highly compressed ball of air,
moving at high speeds, towards Naruto.
Naruto quickly brought his arms out to his side, where they became
coater in blue-orange flames and took the shape of wings. He crouched
down and jumped into the air while using his wings to fly. "Shinsoku
(Extremespeed)." Using one of the phoenix's most favored techniques,
Naruso quickly blurred out of existence, moving through the air at speeds
not even the sharingan could track.
He reappeared behind Shukaku not a moment later. The jutsu was far
faster than the Shunshin (Body Flicker) and was perhaps able to match
the Raiton no Yoroi (Lightning Release Armor) and Hiraishin if he went
all out. Though, he could only activate it when using his phoenix wings
at the moment.
Shukaku was still confused as to where he disappeared to, so Naruto took
this as the perfect opportunity to strike. Naruto reared his fist back and
then through it forward. "Hiken (Fire Fist)!" Naruto turned his fist into
flames and launched it forward in the shape of a large column of flames
shaped like a fist at Shukaku. The flames were so intense that the
surrounding glass began to crack and shatter from the sheer power
behind them. The column of flames impacted Shukaku, causing him to
shriek in agony as the majority of his back became crystalized.
As the flames subsided, Shukaku immediately turned around and fired
several more shots of his previous Fūton jutsu in quick succession. Naruto
was forced to turn his arms into wings again and quickly make his escape
to the sky.
He made it just in time too, because when he turned around, he saw that
those compressed bullets of air shattered and blew away the sea of glass
and a descent portion of the forest along with it. He couldn't afford to be
hit by one of those, he couldn't turn intangible because Shukaku's Fūton
jutsu would blow him far away and give the freed Bijuu a chance to
destroy the village.
Naruto looked around at the surrounding area and noticed the
destruction all around him. Not just the part of the forest that Shukaku
had just destroyed, but where his attacks had burned down the forest as
well. If this continued to go on this entire section of the forest was as
good as gone, they wouldn't even be able to call it a hidden village
anymore because it would be right in the open...he would have to finish
this up quickly.
Naruto quickly turned his wings back into his normal arms and softly
landed on the ground. This was going to be risky and quite destructive.
He had immersed himself greatly in the arts of senjutsu every since he
arrived at Mt. Silver thirty days ago. However, he still had yet to master
it and he wouldn't anytime soon. Mastering senjutsu took months,
perhaps even years to learn. It was asking too much for him to do that
within the span of a month. That isn't to say that he didn't have any
success with it at all.
Every summoning clan has their own brand of senjutsu. The toads use
their toad oil as a main base of their senjutsu, the snake contract has its
summoners become part snake and gain some of their qualities to help
master senjutsu, and so on. The phoenix inherited their flames from
Portgas D. Ace, the progenitor of flames and fire-based chakra. Because
of this, Naruto's natural nature energy from his flame body was naturally
aligned with the phoenix clan's senjutsu. He would definitely have to go
back for more training after this was all over.
Naruto couched down on the ground so that one knee was on the ground
and his other foot was in front of him. He coated his right hand with
flames far more intense than the ones he had been using in this fight and
slammed it down on the ground.
"Senpō: Ennetsu Jigoku (Sage Art: Flames of Hell)!"
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....
The earth slowly began to rumble before seven immense pillars of searing
hot flames erupted from the ground below and encircled Shukaku while
continuing to burn into the sky. The intent of this technique is to trap the
opponent in the caged inferno and incinerate them until not even ashes
remain. If Naruto had mastery of this technique then it would be capable
of destroying something much larger like one of the five great hidden
villages. The burning pillars slowly began to move in closer to Shukaku
as the heat was slowly turning him into a giant glass statue, there was no
way of escape, in a matter of moments the fire pillars consumed him and
began to converge into one massive pillar before incinerating anything
within and around it before releasing its final burst of flames into the air
before dispersing.
Naruto was left on the ground, panting heavily from the use of that last
technique. He may have had incredibly powerful chakra, and a lot of it,
but he couldn't use so many powerful jutsu in quick succession without
wearing himself out yet. Shukaku had only been the Ichibi, the weakest
of the Bijū, and yet he had been pushed so far. It left a bad taste in his
mouth.
Because of all the heat in the atmosphere above, thunder clouds began to
gather and let down a heavy rain. Now was a time when Naruto still
wished he had his hat. He looked over to where Gaara was moments ago
and cringed at the sight. There was nothing but charred earth for miles,
not even the ashes of Shukaku or Gaara remained. Temari and Kankuro
had also been incinerated by that last jutsu, their unconscious bodies had
still been within what was the forest and Naruto felt all their 'voices'
vanish with the use of his Kenbunshoku Haki.
He would no doubt be getting a scolding from Obito for incinerating the
entire forest in this section outside the village. At least Konoha still had
one Mokuton user in its walls, had it not this would be very bad.
Now all he had left to do was release the Kyuubi from its genjutsu. He
whistled for his summon to bring Natsuki back down. Not a second later
was the medium sized bird with an unconscious Natsuki floating right
above him. It dropped Natsuki from its talons, who Naruto caught in his
arms. Naruto gave his summon a nod before it dispelled in a burst of
smoke.
Naruto looked down at the redhead in his arms. How was she still
unconscious after everything that had just gone on? Yes, he did place her
under a genjutsu, but seriously, he had just turned this forest into hell on
earth for a few minutes and here she was sleeping peacefully. He didn't
know whether to be impressed or disappointed in the girl.
He laid her down on the ground below and forcefully opened one of her
eyes with his index finger and thumb. Naruto activated his mangekyo
sharingan, the normal three-tomoe design morphing into a four-point
shuriken design, and cast a genjutsu on her so that he could enter her
mind.
Within Natsuki's Mindscape
Naruto was instantly transferred to a sewer-like plane and was forced to
wade through the ankle-deep water submerged the ground. The mind
scape itself was like a maze, there were so many turns and dead ends that
the only way Naruto was finding his way was because of his
Kenbunshoku Haki.
He was following the presence of two beings. One was Nasuki, in a state
of unconsciousness even in her own mind scape, and the other was the
Kyuubi, who Naruto could even sense from here was in a trance.
Normally when a jinchuriki was rendered unconscious, they were
immediately transferred into their mind scape and forced into contact
with the Bijuu, however, it seemed that Natsuki was forced into a state of
unconsciousness so it seemed as if she was only rendered unconscious the
first time in the real world. For Madara to have set up such an intricate
design within the Kotoamatsukami was an astounding feat that Naruto
had yet to reach.
Naruto finally entered the large dungeon with a cage as tall as the room
was. Natsuki was half submerger with the ankle-deep water and the
eternal-mangekyo sharingan pattern of Uchiha Madara replaced her usual
violet eyes, a sign that she became trapped within the same genjutsu as
the Kyuubi when she came here. The Kyuubi itself was laying down
inside of the cage eying Naruto, the very same pattern replacing what
should be slitted, crimson eyes. The trance was apparent, the Bijuu's eyes
were opened, but the beast was not in control. It was likely that the
Kyuubi was only woken from its slumber once outside of the jinchuriki-s
seal.
How far the mightiest of the Bijuu had fallen.
Naruto still had his mangekyo sharingan active and whispered the name
of the most powerful genjutsu in existence, the very same genjutsu that
these two were under.
Chapter no.108
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....
"Kotoamatsukami." Naruto spoke after looking the Kyuubi directly in the
eyes.
Immediately the sharingan design within the Kyuubi's eyes shattered and
was immediately released from Madara's control. He immediately let out
a large growl and began to thrash around the cage.
"Who are you ningen?! Where is that detestable ningen, Madara!?" The
booming voice of the Kyuubi roared.
After such a loud commotion, Natsuki began to stir as well.
"Nii-san! What are you doing here? What am I doing here? Where are we
Nii-san?!" Natsuki cried, obviously freaked out and confused right now.
"Ah! It's the Kyuubi Nii-san get away from the cage! Why is it here?! I
thought it was sealed inside of me!"
Naruto decided to focus his attention solely on the Kyuubi. Natsuki was
too frantic and confused at the moment to understand anything he would
say, in fact it wold create more questions than answers. Most of her
questions would be answered with his talk with the Kyuubi anyway.
"Kurama" Naruto spoke, earning a suprised look from the Kyuubi, now
named Kurama. "You have been under the control of Uchiha Madara for
well over a century. Sixteen years ago you broke out of your former
container and resealed into this girl here" Naruto pointed towards
Natsuki. "and her twin brother...right now you are incomplete, only your
Yin half has been broken out of the genjutsu." He spoke calmly, wanting
Kurama to understand how much the situation had changed since he was
placed under Madara's control.
"Who are you ningen, and why do you know so much? Not even I was
aware that I was under that detestable man's control." Kurama asked. The
boy before him was no older than sixteen, there was no way that he
could have possibly known what happened during the age of Uchiha
Madara.
"Ah yes, I haven't properly introduced myself have I?" Naruto asked while
giving a small, polite bow to Kurama. "My name is Portgas D. Naruto."
Kurama's eyes widened at the boy's statement. Portgas D. Ace was the
twin brother of the Rikudo Senin, the man who created the Bijuu. Portgas
D. Ace was the man primarily responsible for the defeat of Ōtsutsuki
Kaguya and the Juubi, a man of such power that he could destroy the
entire earth if he wished. Was this boy really related to this man.
"You may be thinking of the man who held the surname that I currently
do...I must admit that I am not related to him by blood...but I have
inherited his will and his abilities." To demonstrate, Naruto lit his entire
body ablaze before limiting the flames to only cover half of his face and
his hands.
'That fire...it isn't at the same intensity as Ace-sama's was, but that is no
doubt the same ability of the chakra fruit...the only way for him to find it
would be to be the reincarnation of the one who possessed the fruit
before him...Old man Hagoromo was right about life and death after
all...not to mention he looks a lot like Ace-sama with those freckles and
that tattoo.'
"Very well, I believe you Naruto. You already know that my name is
Kurama...Who is that ningen over there?" He asked while nodding his
head over to Natsuki.
Natsuki was speechless after seeing and hearing what was going on. The
Kyuubi was right in front of her, this had never happened before, why
was it happening now? The Kyuubi was under the control of Uchiha
Madara this entire time? Why was her Nii-san talking with the Kyuubi
like it was an old friend? What were they talking about? Just what was
going on?
"She appears to be a bit overwhelmed right now. This is Uzumaki-
Namikaze Natsuki, you were sealed within her mother after Mito had
gotten too old and was ready to die...she is also my biological sister...just
go through her memories and you'll find all the information you'll
need...She had always been told by her parents that you were evil and
that the Bijuu were just large masses of chakra, so she may not
understand how to interact with you right now."
"Nii-san...just what is going on right now?...Why are you talking to that
thing like it's alive? Kaa-san and Tou-san always told me that they were
just manifestations of evil chakra from the negative emotions of
humans...so why are you talking to it?" Natsuki questioned, clearly
frightened of the being behind those bars.
Naruto could only sigh, he didn't know where those misconceptions came
from, but for the Hokage to believe in that bullshit too was pretty much
expected from Naruto by now. He did not have high expectations from
the man. Naruto looked Natsuki in the eyes with his sharingan and
transferred all of the information that was relevant about the Bijuu at the
moment to Natsuki.
Needless to say, she was overwhelmed by the amount of information she
now had on all of the Bijuu. She was shocked, shameful, disappointed,
embarrassed, and horrified all at the same time. Everybody had been
wrong about all the information they had about the Bijuu for all these
years. She was disappointed in her own parents for believing such
nonsense and in herself for listening to them. And now she just told the
most powerful of the Bijuu that he didn't have emotions of feelings like
every other living being. And now she had to face the consequences.
Natsuki shut her mouth and tried to process all of the information she
just received.
"Will you be calling your other half here now?" Naruto asked, curious as
to when all this was going to take place.
"I can sense myself. The moment I was released from that man's control,
the seal of my other half should have been weakening. It should be here
any minute now...you should never split the halves of yin and yang, it
goes against the very principles of nature itself."
Chapter no.109
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....
Arena Infirmiry
The infirmary in the colosseum within Konoha was currently being
protected by Konoha-nin from the invading Suna and Oto shinobi, as
there were still many genin and medics within its walls who were either
providing care or receiving it.
One of these people was Uzumaki-Namikaze Nawaki. He was dealt a
humiliating defeat by his own blood-related brother and was currently
unconscious. It was easily to tell that his body had been terribly scarred
from his match earlier that day. His left eye was almost completely
burned shut and there were burns surrounding it that wrapped around to
the side of his head. From his shoulder down, the entire left side of his
body was covered in third degree burns.
The medics had done all they could, but they weren't miracle workers.
Those burns were too severe to ever heal completely. Honestly, the only
reason that he wasn't in a coma right now or brain dead was because of
the Uzumaki blood that flowed through his veins. They were renound
throughout the elemental nations for their incredible regenerative
abilities and their life-force.
Suddenly, the seal on his stomach began to glow crimson. The next
moment, the boy was screaming in agony whil a malefic red chakra in
the shape of a fox began to break our of the seal. The chakra occupied
the entire room, but it didn't burn or even touch anybody like it should
have. No, it fazed through them as if they were not even there, and it
appeared to be looking around for something. It finally locked onto a
direction and pulled the rest of its body out of Nawaki and vanished
through the wall.
All of this happened while Nawaki was unconscious, but it was so painful
that he shrieked and reacted as if he were awake the entire time. The seal
on his stomach was no longer black like it was written in ink, but it was
steaming and the mark of the seal had been burned into his body, never
to disappear again. His chakra reserves and regeneration abilities also
took a massive drop, the machine that he was hooked up to began to
beep erratically.
The medical-nin who had just witnessed the scene unfold before them
were terrified, but they rushed to his side nonetheless when it was clear
his heartbeat was rising above its normal rate. They would do everything
they could to save the life of their Hokae's son.
Whatever the case may be, Uzumaki-Namikaze Nawaki was no longer the
Jinchuriki for the Kyuubi no Kitsune.
Within Natsuki's Mindscape
"Ah, here it is now." Kurama commented as a large crimson fox made of
malefic chakra, the same size as Kurama, entered into Natsuki's
mindscape.
The fox reached out towards the cage and Kurama did the same. The two
equal sized foxes merged as the one made of chakra wrapped itself
around Kurama's entire arm and body before covering it completely and
being absorbed.
A rush of power was released from within the cage as the mightiest of the
Bijuu was now complete again.
This amount of power was incredible, it easily dwarfed all of the power
that Shukaku had been utilizing earlier. Natsuki was forced on her hands
and knees from the pressure it alone, and had Naruto been a lesser man,
he would have as well. This is what the most powerful of the Bijuu was
capable of? Kurama may have been the most powerful of them, but he
was still only one ninth of the actual Juubi. Had Ace, Hagoromo, and
Hamura really fought againts a being of such immense power?
It was clear to Naruto needed far more training. Especially if someone
were to enact the Eye of the Moon Plan that was inscribed into the tablet
in the Naka Shrine. Naruto knew that what was inscribed on the tablet
wasn't what the Infinite Tsukuyomi really was, so someone must have
engraved that there to try to manipulate the Uchiha. The tablet stated
that the Infinite Tsukuyomi was a plan that created an eternity of blissful
dreams for all those in the world, but in reality it was a plan to revive
Ōtsutsuki Kaguya and retrieve all of the chakra that originated from
Kaguya and return it to her.
This meant that someone was trying to revive Kaguya. Whether they
were being manipulated into believing that they were creating a world of
eternal peace or they were doing this with that as their intent, someone,
somewhere was trying to revive her. If they succeeded it could spell the
end of the world as they knew it.
There was nobody in the world that could match the strength of those
who fought and sealed her the first time. Even if every shinobi in the
Elemental Nations combined their strength, it would be almost
impossible to match theirs.
Naruto would need to be prepared for when that day comes, freeing the
Kyuubi from Madara's control was only the first step. If these people were
serious about their plans, then they would need each of the Bijuu to
complete it, or at least their chakra. For Natsuki to stand a fighting
chance against them, then she would need the full power of the Kyuubi.
They would also most likely need a wielder of a rinnegan. There hasn't
been a wielder of that dōjutsu since Hagoromo. Wait, Jiraiya once had a
student during the Second Great Shinobi War in Ame that possessed a
pair of those eyes, but he was supposed to be dead. Or was he?
Naruto was getting a headache thinking about all of this. They were in
the middle of an invasion right now, he would think about everything
later.
"That is all I came here to do. Our village is currently at war with enemy
shinobi, so we'll be needing to get back..." Naruto spoke as he grabbed
onto Natsuki's shoulder. "Until next time Kurama." With those final words
said, Naruto and Natsuki exited the mindscape.
Chapter no.110
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....
Formerly Konoha Forest
Naruto and Natsuki were brought out of the latter's mindscape and were
now standing in the charred remains of what was formerly a section of
Konoha's surrounding forests. Over an hour had passed within the
mindscape, and yet only a few minutes had passed in the real world. That
was the beauty of genjutsu and the workings of the mind. What felt like
hours in an illusion would really only have lasted a second in the real
world.
Natsuki was on the ground, still overwhelmed with everything that had
happened. It was to be expected, she had been misinformed about what
had been sealed inside of her for her entire life and now that she learned
the truth, she was more confused than she had ever been in her life. She
had always just believed that having a Bijuu sealed inside you just meant
that you were entitled to more chakra, but after coming face to face with
the actual being and hearing it speak with your brother made you
question everything you knew about the world.
Naruto saw the girl's dilemma and decided that he should do something
about it, seeing as how what just occurred was his fault.
"Try not to think about it too much at the moment Natsuki..." Naruto
said, gaining the girl's attention. "We've got bigger things to worry about
like this invasion. You'll have plenty of time to think things over later."
Naruto advised the girl as he began to walk back towards the village
before he suddenly stopped.
"Oh, and do not inform anybody about what just happened...well I
suppose you can tell Narumi since it involves her too, but no one else.
This includes Minato, Kushina, Jiraiya, Kakashi, and whoever else you
would consider telling. They will only become weary of Kurama and try
to tell you that it is evil and that it's trying to take control of you. They
will also try tampering with the seal, something that will do more harm
than goo as you've already noticed." Natsuki noticeably cringed. Her
having both halves of Kurama meant that it had been ripped out of her
other brother. If the chakra hadn't have been separated into yin and yang
that wouldn't have happened.
"If I do find out that you have told them...then consider our relationship
over, done, non-existent. I am able to tolerate you right now, but should
you betray my trust then I will treat you the same as I do Minato and
Kushina." Naruto told the girl.
Natsuki flinched once again at the tone of his voice, proving that he was
absolutely serious. She saw how much Naruto disliked their parents and
she would hate herself forever if she was the one who forced him to treat
her like that. She wouldn't throw away any chance she had of having any
kind of relationship with her elder brother.
Natsuki knew that he was also right about her parents, godfather, and
sensei. They would no doubt try to convince her to never make contact
with Kurama again and to stop using its chakra completely, and if the
conversation that Naruto and Kurama had was any indication, she would
need it very soon. They would also try to mess with her seal, and there
was no way she was letting them come close to her seal with the fine
mess they had already made with it.
She would keep this to herself, and Narumi once she knew Naruto's
conditions as well.
Natsuki quickly brought herself out of her thoughts and quickly followed
her Nii-san back to the village to help fight off the invasion.
Kage Battle Royale
As soon as Gaara transformed into his initial jinchuriki state during his
match with Haku, a large burst of smoke erupted out of the Kages'
viewing box. Rasa, the Yondaime Kazekage, had immediately fled to the
roof with the Mizukage and the Hokage not far behind. His goal had been
to lure them up to the roof while Orochimaru's henchmen kept his fellow
Kage's bodyguards occupied.
He stopped moving once he reached the rust-colored, tiled roof of the
building. Not a second later did Yagura and Minato make their presence
known.
"Kazekage-dono, what is the meaning of all this?!" Minato demanded just
before the Suna bodyguards who had been training them split into four
people who each positioned themselves at a corner of the large rooftop
before erecting a large, purple barrier, surrounding the entire area of the
roof. What was most notable about those four was that they were dressed
in the usual attire for Oto-nins.
In truth, Minato was well aware of what was going on. Jiraiya had
informed him about Orochimaru's presence in the chunk exams and the
subsequent Suna/Oto invasion that would follow. He didn't make a move
beforehand because he didn't have any evidence to support his claim
besides Jiraiya's words, but they had been preparing for this for well over
a month now.
Minato had not confronted the Kazekage about his accusations either
because he had honestly believed that the man was being manipulated by
Orochimaru, or that Orochimaru would be impersonating him during the
finals. The man had a disturbing ability to copy the faces of others and
make organic masks out of them. However, before him was the real
Kazekage, so all his theories had all been thrown out the window.
The only response the Homage received was Rasa biting his thumb in
order to draw blood and slamming his hand onto the tiles below. There
was a poof of smoke, but what stepped out of it was what made both of
the men cringe. In all his pale-skinned, snake-like, glory stood one of the
three sannin, Orochimaru.
"Ah, Minato-kun. How good it is to see you once again." Orochimaru
commented as he let his tongue hang out of his mouth and lick his lower
lip. He couldn't wait to kill the Yondaime Hokage, Minato was the man
who stole the position of Hokage from him. Him! One of the sannin,
while Minato had just been a snot-nosed brat who had only just become a
jonin.
"Orochimaru..." Minato growled as he tried to turn the man in front of
him to ashes with his gaze alone. Had he been an Uchiha, that may have
been possible, but for now he would have to settle with merely glaring
menacingly at his sensei's former teammate.
"I'm sure you are well aware by now as to what the meaning of all this
is." Rasa declared as he stepped forward to stand by Orochimaru's side.
"We will be destroying Konoha today!...I wish it hadn't had to come to
this, but Sunagakure is in a state of near bankruptcy because our Daimyo
has been sending all of the mission requests that should rightfully be
going to Suna to Konoha...this is the only option to our financial crisis."
This earned widened eyes from the two kage before him.
"You're doing all of this for the sake of financial profit! Have you not
learned what war does to the villages after the last war?!" Yagura asked
incredulously to the Kazekage. Seriously, he was acting as foolish as the
Tsuchikage usually was.
To go to war for the sake of earning more missions from your country
was preposterous. Suna was likely to lose more than it would gain from
this invasion, even if Otogakure had allied themselves with them. Konaha
was still suffering from how many shinobi had been killed in the Kyuubi
attack sixteen years ago, but the village still had far more shinobi than
Suna did. Suna had not yet recovered from the amount of shinobi they
lost during the Third Great Shinobi War, not to mention the fact that they
were the smallest of the five great villages and therefore didn't have as
high of a population.
Orochimaru looked amused at the young kage's comment. "We live in a
world that thrives in war and hatred Yagura-kun. As one of the five kages
you should know such a simple reality of this world."
Minato closed his eyes in frustration, there was no way around this. The
entire village was in a state of crisis right now. Giant snake summons
looked to be destroying sections of the forest and the village, every
shinobi was fighting to defend their home right now, his family was in
danger, Jiraiya and Obito should be finished taking care of the Oto-nin
that had swarmed them and should be heading off to take care of the
situation throughout the rest of the village right about now, Minato didn't
have the luxury of standing here chatting.
"It seems that there is no avoiding conflict here." Minato stated as he
pulled several of his marked kunai from his weapons pouch.
"How observant Minato-kun...but I hope you don't think you'll be having
an easy time." Orochimaru commented as he went through numerous
hand seals before slamming his palm onto the ground.
"Kuchiyose: Edo Tensei (Summoning: Impure World Reincarnation)!"
Chapter no.111
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....
From the ground below, three wooden coffins rose from the ground. One
had the kanji for 'one' on the lid while the other two both had the kanji
for 'two'. Minato and Yagura both raised an eyebrow at these coffins.
They had clearly heard Orochimaru claim that this was a summoning
jutsu, sumoning techniques were usually used to summon animals and
the like, but this was something that neither of the Kage were expecting.
Minato's eyes suddenly widened as he remembered a jutsu that the
Nidaime Hokage, Senju Tobirama, had created that was closely guarded
in the forbidden scroll in the Kage Tower.
The Edo Tensei (Impure World Reincarnation), a kinjutsu where, using a
living person as a vessel, a deceased person's soul can be called back to
the world of the living and bound to it. The vessel then takes on the form
that soul had in life, thereby reincarnating them to do the summoner's
bidding.
"Don't tell me that you've mastered even that jutsu, Orochimaru..."
Minato pleaded more than asked, all he received was a wide grin in
return, confirming his fears.
All three of the coffins slowly opened, and their lids fell to the ground.
The three individuals who had been revived slowly emerged and made
their way onto the roof.
Minato and Yagura were both speechless at the sight before them.
"I knew that it would need to come to this, so I made a few preparations
in advance. Sadly, these were the only three that I could get my hands on
with the amount of time I had." Orochimaru could hardly contain his
laughter as he burned the horror-stricken faces of the Hokage and
Mizukage into his memory.
There on the roof in between the two opposing sides, stood the Shodaime
Hokage, Senju Hashirama, the Nidaime Hokage, Senju Tobirama, and the
Nidaime Mizukage, Hōzuki Gengetsu.
This was more than Minato and Yagura had signed on for.
Orochimaru stepped up behind the three Kages and placed a kunai
attached with a seal at the end, to bind their personalities and retain
control over them, into the back of their heads.
As soon as the tags were bound to their souls, the three reanimated Kage
took off running in the direction where the current Kage were.
Orochimaru and Rasa stayed behind and would wait for their chance to
step in once Minato and Yagura were weakened. They were two of the
strongest Kage of this generation and wouldn't be taken out easily.
Though with three of the strongest Kage of all time as their opponents,
not even they will last long.
These reanimated Kage were not at full strength, if they had been they
would have been near impossibly to control with this imperfect version
of the Edo Tensei, but nevertheless they should be able to easily able to
overwhelm those two.
Minato and Yagura were standing only a few feet apart, so the three
former Kages separated and charged them from all angles. Senju
Hashirama was continuing with the frontal assault, while Senju Tobirama
was running along the highest point of the roof on their right, with
Hōzuki Gengetsu flanking them on the left.
It appeared that divide and conquer would be their only option of getting
out of this alive.
Taijutsu wasn't a viable option as all of the shinobi on the roof were Kage
level in taijutsu, therefore trying to match their opponents in taijutsu
while being outnumbered would be certain death. They would only use it
when there was no other choice or when it was in conjunction with
another technique. They would need to keep their distance and rely on
ninjutsu and genjutsu. Though they needed to conserve enough to deal
with Orochimaru and the Kazekage afterwards.
The current Hokage and Mizukage were in a tough spot with not a lot of
options at their disposal.
Minato quickly reached for his hip and drew a sealing scroll from his
weapons pouch. He swiftly unraveled it and pushed chakra into it,
causing three-pronged kunai to erupt from it and rain down all across the
rooftop.
The three Kage who had been continuing their charge were forced to veer
off course and take precautionary measures to save them selves the
trouble of having to regenerate. This bought Minato and Yagura some
time to take the offensive.
They looked each other in the eyes before nodding and vanishing out of
sight. Minato reappeared to the middle of the battlefield directly in
between the Senju brothers, they would be his opponents. Yagura
reappeared on the left side of the roof, cutting off Hōzuki Gengetsu, it
only made sense that one of his predecessors would be his opponent.
"Hahahaha! This will prove to be excellent entertainment! Let the games
begin!" As Orochimaru began laughing maniacally the three Kage
charged their targets with only one purpose in mind...to kill them.
Chapter no.112
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Yagura vs. Hōzuki Gengetsu
Yagura eyed his opponent's moves very carefully. Hōzuki Gengetsu was
undoubtably one of the strongest shinobi that Kirigakure had ever
produced, if not the strongest, Yagura would not take this man lightly.
Yagura pulled up the sleeve on his right arm and channeled chakra into
the seal that was on his wrist, summoning his favored weapon, a large,
hook-ended staff with a green flower on the end.
Gengetsu recovered from the hail of kunai and charged at Yagura once
more.
Yagura knew that he wouldn't last long in a taijutsu confrontation, due to
his rather child-like body and shorter limbs, but he would be able to
make up for it with his use of bukijutsu. Originally, he had believed that
a close quarters match wouldn't be a good option, but that was before
they had split up to take on their opponents. Right now he only had to
deal with the Kage in front of him.
Hōzuki Gengetsu was a specialist in the field of genjutsu. This gave
Yagura the advantage because he was a perfect jinchūriki and therefore
was almost immune to genjutsu.
Yagura brought his staff forward to block the oncoming kick from
Gengetsu. He then shifted his weapon to to the left to cut off a punch
from the right side. Isobu, from inside Yagura, immediately flared its
chakra to dispel the genjutsu that had been discretely placed on its host.
Gengetsu charged at Yagura once more, forcing him on the defensive.
The former Mizukage brought a kick towards Yagura's head, using his
momentum to put more force behind it. Yagura ducked under it, but was
caught off guard with a second kick that sent him back a dozen yards.
Gengetsu jumped back from the smaller Kage and placed his palm on the
tiled roof below them. There was a large burst of smoke before a giant
clam appeared on the rooftop with Gengetsu standing on top of it.
It seemed that those who had been revived with this particular jutsu
retained all of the abilities they had in life, even summoning contracts.
The giant clam slowly opened its shell and began exuding a thick mist
that quickly covered the battlefield.
Yagura was no stranger to fighting in the mist and the silent killing
technique, he was from Kirigakure after all, but he was still rather young
for a Kage and his predecessor no doubt had more experience than him,
even if the man wasn't in control of his own actions right now his body
and mind still retained the memories of when he was alive.
Yagura closed his eyes and focused on his surroundings. Every movement
of the air, every small sound, all of the scents in the atmosphere, Yagura
focused on all of these, as well as focusing on his own chakra network.
Hōzuki Gengetsu's giant clan summon was famous for being used in
conjunction with his Yin-release genjutsu, even as a perfect jinchuriki
and Isobu helping him from the inside he would need to keep a careful
eye on his own chakra system to be sure he wasn't under a genjutsu.
That wasn't the only thing he was keeping an eye on though. Gengetsu
was a dangerous man and was incredibly skilled in the art of silent
killing. The man was a sensor, so he was in complete control in the
situation. In fact, he was probably already waiting until he let his guard
down or was preparing his assault. Neither option were good for Yagura.
Sensing a surge in chakra, Yagura immediately jumped to the right of his
current location, and it was just in time too. The current Mizukage
looked back to where he was a minute ago and saw a large number of
bubbles impacting the ground with enough strength to turn the tiles into
rubble.
Now Yagura was quite familiar with the history and clans of Kiri, so he
knew exactly what Gengetsu had just done. The former Mizukage had
used the Suika no Jutsu (Hydrification Technique) to produce bubbles
from his body, those bubbles then floated upwards into the air and rained
down on the roof at high speeds, intent on breaking a few of his bones.
That was a rather clever strategy, using the Mizu Fūsen no Jutsu (Water
Balloon Jutsu) as the finisher to gain an edge in the battle.
He was lucky to have reacted as soon as he did, had he been unprepared
for that jutsu then he would have been in a world of trouble. Though, he
wasn't out of the woods just yet.
Yagura forcibly dispelled another genjutsu that was cast upon him
through the mist, this was becoming quite an annoyance, he didn't have
the luxury to keep worrying about whether or not he was under a
genjutsu. He needed to get rid of that giant clam and quick. Though, that
was easier said than done as once the mist was produced from it, the
clam was camouflaged within an illusion, while it produced dozens of
copies of itself. And those copies littered the battlefield, he had already
managed to dispel quite a few of them, but he needed to find the real
one.
The only way to disperse the mist and these illusions was to find the
clam's real body and force it back to its summoning realm.
It seemed that he would need to step up his game a bit.
Yagura got down on all fours as a dark red, nearly black, layer of chakra
enveloped his body, turning his eyes pure white and making him appear
as a minature version of the Sanbi. Behind him, two tails could be seen
swaying in the air.
This was the Yagura's version two jinchūriki state. This was the highest
he could go without transforming into the full Sanbi. If he were to do
that then the entire roof would be destroyed. Yagura was the only person
to be able to claim to be a perfect jinchūriki besides Killer B from
Kumogakure. He had first mastered Isobu's power at a very young age, so
he actually trumps him in that regard. Even a former Kage will have
dealing trouble with a perfect jinchūriki.
Yagura slammed both his claws into the ground, sending a shockwave
across the battlefield, and shattering a majority of the roof in the process,
successfully dispersing the mist and thus revealing what was hidden
within it.
Over twenty giant clams littered the battlefield with Gengetsu nowhere in
sight. Yagura let loose a massive pulse of chakra, disrupting the chakra
and illusions in the surrounding area. All of the imaged of the clam
slowly dissipated into nothing but air, while the real clam came into
existence about twenty yards away from Yagura.
This was the best chance he was going to get to turn the tide in his favor.
Yagura began gathering positive black chakra and negative white chakra
at an 8:2 ratio into a small purple sphere. Keeping its spherical form
instead of compressing it, Yagura fired the ultimate technique of the Bijū
at the giant clam, so he would be able to find Gengetsu's real body.
"Bijūdama (Tailed Beast Ball)!"
The medium sized purple flew through the air at high speeds, intent on
eradicating the clam summons. This version of the Bijūdama was far
weaker than when a Bijū would perform it, or when it is compressed and
swallowed to form a beam from a jinchūriki, but this jutsu was only
meant to rid the battlefield of the clam, nothing more.
Gengetsu's personal summons opened its mouth to catch the purple
sphere and trapped it within its mouth to stop the jutsu from harming its
summoner. A moment later, the Bijūdama exploded within the confines
of the clam's mouth, forcibly causing it to dispel in a burst of smoke.
There was no time for Yagura to celebrate as from the smoke, emerged a
chibi-like clone of Gengetsu, however its skin was a pale white and was
much larger than Gengetsu himself. Gengetsu was standing a good
distance away from the clone, as the use of it leaves him in a severely
weakened and vulnerable state.
Yagura silently cursed to himself at the appearance of this particular
clone. This was a jutsu that Hōzuki Gengetsu was renowned for, and it
was his personal favorite, the Jōki Bōi (Steaming Danger Tyranny).
This was quite the predicament indeed. Even while Yagura was in his
version two jinchūriki state, he would have trouble keeping up with its
speed and strength. The only good thing about its appearance is that it
left the Nidaime Mizukage wide open for attack once it was dealt with or
when he got an opportunity to strike, whichever came first.
A large axe-shaped blade forged from water formed from the clone's right
forearm before he rushed at Yagura with incredible speeds.
Yagura, still in his version two cloak, swung his staff to counter the blade
of the water and oil clone before him. However, that didn't stop
Gengetsu's creation as it continued to strike out towards Yagura at high
speeds. They were locked in that pace for several minutes as Yagura was
forced to remain on the defensive.
He leaped back to gain some distance between them and to bring the
speed of the battle to his pace.
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Suiton: Daikaisuidan (Water Release: Great Water Mass Bullets)!" Yagura
took a deep breath and condensed large masses of water in his mouth
before firing three large water projectiles at the Jōki Bōi.
Gengetsu's clone was far too fast for the water projectiles to his, as it
swiftly flew through the air to avoid them and charged at Yagura once
more. Yagura's jutsu impacted the roof and created small shockwaves
that only accelerated the clone's speed further.
As the clone flew through the air, it slowly started to expand and increase
exponentially in size.
Yagura's pupil-less eyes widened as he knew what the increase in size
meant.
The clone was made up from the oil and water in Gengetsu's body. The
water in the clone is surrounded by a thin layer of oil, and do to this
structure, the clone's temperature can be easily altered from cold to hot
and vice-versa. When it exerts itself, the outer layer of oil heats up and
evaporates the water within it. As the internal pressure builds, the clone
expands until it violently explodes and water vapor is released. The vapor
then cools down and rises and as a result, turns into hail that cools the
clone, causing it to shrink again and repeat the never ending process.
It only takes chakra to create the clone, not sustain it, as the rest of the
process is carried out by the laws of nature and science. Even if it didn't,
as a reanimation Gengetsu had an unlimited supply of chakra.
Yagura began kneading suiton chakra within his lungs, knowing that he
had to do something to slow the clone down before it exploded.
"Suiton: Suijinheki (Water Release: Water Formation Wall)!" Yagura
released a large torrent of water from his mouth that rose into a large
wall as it intercepted the large clone. It slowly became powerful enough
to stop the clone in its tracks and push it back towards the direction it
came form a bit.
Though it seemed as if it was too late as the clone's expression changed
to a large smirk before it exploded violently in a burst of water vapor.
Yagura was sent back across the roof by the incredibly powerful
shockwave and searing hot water vapor produced. He landed just near
the farthest edge of the roof, sections of his version two cloak ripped
from his body, his clothes tattered, and parts of his body scalded from the
heat of the blast. Nevertheless, he slowly managed to stand back up as he
stared at the clone who had already returned to its normal size and
cooled down.
The Nidaime Mizukage truly was a force to be reckoned with, and to
think this wasn't even the man's full power. He was truly fearsome and
worthy of the title of Mizukage.
Yagura eyed the water covering the battlefield from his earlier defensive
countermeasure, and slowly but surely a plan began to form in his mind.
There was no guarantee that it would work, in fact it may be detrimental
to him with the cost of chakra and add more fuel to the fire, but he
managed to pull it off then he would have a chance to seal Gengetsu
while he was still in his weakened state.
Yagura made a single Mizu Bunshin (Water Clone) from the water below
him, before they charged off in different directions. Yagura's clone was
heading for Gengetsu's clone, while Yagura himself was going for
Gengetsu.
The Mizu Bunshin didn't have to go very far to enact the first part of the
plan, as this entire section of the rooftop was covered in a thick layer of
water, with Gengetsu's clone standing right in the middle of it all.
'Yagura' stuck out his palm before the water began rising and flowing,
before it became a large, dense, inescapable sphere of water.
"Suirō no Jutsu (Water Prison Jutsu)."
Yagura's clone may only have had ten percent of Yagura's original
strength, but the Kage was a master of the water element and could
control it with his will alone, even going so far as to use some of the most
powerful suiton jutsu ever created without even forming a hand seal.
This was due to Isobu, who was sealed inside of him and whose own
element was water, and because of his own tremendous skill.
For the Jōki Bōi (Steaming Danger Tyranny), who needed to be able to
expand to explode, the dense and heavy water of the prison would be the
perfect countermeasure for stopping it in its tracks.
The only problem was that 'Yagura' needed to continuously hold and
keep the prison active. Once it ran out of chakra, the jutsu would dispel
and Gengetsu's signature clone would be free to do what it pleases. This
only meant that the real Yagura would have to finish his part as soon as
possible.
The real Yagura was currently rushing at Gengetsu at high speeds, whilst
avoiding continuos barrages of Gengetsu's Mizudeppō: Nichō (Water Gun:
Two Guns). That isn't to say that Yagura was unscathed from the near
constant bullets of water that were traveling at him with tremendous
speed and force. No, he had received his fair share of gunshot wounds,
but that was nothing that Isobu wouldn't be able to heal, albeit slowly,
but he would still be able to heal it nonetheless.
Yagura had long since given up any form of defense. He needed to finish
him off quickly before his special clone could get involved one more, and
judging from the amount of struggle the clone was putting up in trying to
break free inside of the water prison, it wouldn't last much longer as it
was taking even more chakra for his clone to hold it. He needed to seal
Gengetsu at this very moment.
Yagura really only knew one fūinjutsu technique and it was the one that
Obito had taught him while he was the liaison between Kiri and Konoha.
It had been taught to him by Minato, who had it taught to him by Jiraiya
of the sannin. It was a short-ranged type though, and that is why he had
given up all concentration on defense in order to get in close to his
target.
Yagura brought his right hand to his side as each of his fingertips were
ignited with purple flames. Within each one of those flames, an element
was inscribed. Not the elements for each of the chakra natures but the
kanji for metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. Yagura never really
understood what the purpose of these kanji were, so he figured they were
merely symbolic and had no real purpose.
Yagura had finally reached within striking distance of Gengetsu. He
reared his palm back and slammed it into the former Mizukage's
abdomen, but not before the man managed to fire off two more of his
Mizudeppōs at point black range into Yagura's chest. A large splatter of
blood erupted from his back and chest just as the seal began forming on
Gengetsu's abdomen.
"Gogyō Fūin (Five Element Seal)!"
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The seal placed on Gengetsu cut off the chakra that was causing the
reanimation to remain active and binding his soul to the body. A white
light emerged from the host's body and the spirit of Gengetsu could be
seen floating up towards the sky. The man smiled at Yagura and gave
him a nod as to thank him for freeing him from the material world before
ascending back to the afterlife.
Yagura grunted as he was now feeling all the pain that had been inflicted
to him throughout the battle.
He muscled through it as he began his journey to the center of the
rooftop to face his final opponents.
Senju Hashirama vs. Namikaze Minato vs. Senju Tobirama
Namikaze Minato had seen better days.
Currently he was on one knee and panting heavily as he eyed the two
Kage before him. His clothes were torn in several different areas, he was
bruised, beaten, and soaked in his own blood from the wounds that had
been inflicted upon him.
At the same time that Yagura was facing off against Gengetsu, Minato
was face to face with two of the founding figures of Konohagakure.
He really got the short end of the stick this time, as he was facing off
against Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama, two of the strongest
shinobi in the long history of the Elemental Nations.
Why did they agree to each take on the reanimated Kage from their
respective villages again?
Oh yes, it was because they would know their opponents strengths and
weaknesses the best and know the secrets and mechanics behind their
strongest jutsus and fighting styles. There were only a few problems with
that. The Shodaime and Nidaime Hokages were what the definition of
shinobi should be, they covered all of their weaknesses and had no
openings. The only people who had been able to push them to their
absolute limits lived during the era of warring states and founded the
shinobi world.
It didn't help that he knew the workings of some of their jutsu, it only
made it clear as to how dire of a situation he was in right now. The only
advantage he had at the moment was that his marked kunai were spread
out all over the rooftop so he could make a quick escape and catch them
off-guard.
The Hiraishin had already saved his life countless times during this
exchange.
The costs for him would be tremendous if the fight dragged on, he
needed to seal them the first chance he got. It also worked in his favor
that the Edo Tensei's biggest weakness was fūinjutsu, an art that he
specialized in.
That had been the theory at least.
Their strength was truly overwhelming, especially when working
together. They were no doubt the strongest Kage in the history of the
Elemental Nations. Minato himself had been feared by all who had the
unfortunate fate to be his enemy, even the other Kages would be hard
pressed and would ultimately lose against him. Yet, he had been on the
defensive since this fight started and things didn't look to be turning in
his favor anytime soon.
Minato slowly brought himself up to both feet as he wiped the blood
from the corner of his mouth with his thumb. It seemed that he would
need to be prepared as his predecessors were about to begin their
onslaught once more.
"Suiton: Suishōha (Water Release: Water Colliding Wave)!" Water
molecules were swiftly gathered from the surrounding air by Tobirama
and turned into a large spiraling vortex of water. It then exploded from
the top and crashed down towards Minato in the form of a wave.
Minato silently cursed to himself and teleported to a marked kunai
directly behind Hashirama. As soon as he arrived, he sent a slash towards
Hashirama's head with a kunai that he held in a reverse grip. The slash
was blocked with a simple raise of the arm by the Shodaime Hokage,
who countered with an elbow to the blonde's ribs. Minato grunted in
pain, but took this opportunity to send a reverse kick to Hashirama's side
as he simultaneously tagged the man with a Hiraishin marker. This time
the kick made contact and sent Hashirama several yards away, but before
Minato could celebrate he was kicked in the stomach with a strong front
kick from Tobirama and sent crashing into an earth wall that had
previously been erected.
Minato quickly pulled himself out of the crater he made in the earth wall
and fell to the water that had been covering the ground from Tobirama's
earlier suiton jutsu.
He saw that the former Hokages hadn't moved from their earlier
positions, so he took this as a chance to take the offensive.
"Katon: Karyū Endan (Fire Release: Dragon Flame Bombs)!"
The current Hokage went through several hand seals before spewing out
a large stream of fire after which he began to knead the chakra into
genuine-looking dragon that divided and launched to the left side, the
right side, and a frontal assault in all three directions at once. He
increased the output even further, making the dragon larger and turning
the stream of flames whitish in color and much hotter.
Minato was no specialist in nature transformation, in fact he rarely used
any elemental ninjutsu, but that did not mean he neglected his research
into the arts. He was the Hokage and was the strongest shinobi in the
village, he would protect it against any foreign threat, even if it meant
having to reduce his predecessors into nothing more than a pile of ash.
This jutsu was personally taught to him by Sarutobi Hiruzen, the
Sandaime Hokage, and it was his most powerful offensive elemental
ninjutsu.
As the searing hot flames raced towards the Shodaime and Nidame
Hokages and began to consume them, Tobirama once again gathered the
moisture in the air, even with such hot flames burning around him, and
prepared a powerful suiton jutsu.
"Suiton: Suijinheki (Water Release: Water Formation Wall)!" Tobirama
spewed a large torent of water from his mouth and combined them with
the moisture that he had pulled from the air to make the jutsu at least
three-times as powerful as the one that Yagura had used during his
confrontation with Gengetsu. The water took the form of a large wall that
circled both him and Hashirama, effectively protecting them from the
flames.
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Minato's katon jutsu finally died down and he was immensely
disappointed with the result.
Hashirama and Tobirama were completely unharmed and the water was
slowly starting to dissipate around them, seeing as they no longer needed
the protection.
It appeared that a master of suiton jutsu would be able to easily counter
the flames of someone who was not well versed in elemental ninjutsu. It
appeared as if Minato would need to stick to his specialties here if he
wanted to survive.
"Having the two of them as opponents if difficult as expected." Minato
commented to himself more than anything.
Minato was panting heavily, trying to keep up with two Kage at once was
taking quite a toll on him. It seemed as if nothing he did was having any
effect on them. Was this the difference between the current generation
and the previous one? How could there be such a large difference in
strength and skill?
Minato was brought back to reality as large tree roots began emerging
from the rooftop and growing at a rapid pace. He looked up and saw that
Hashirama had his hands in a single hand seal and was kneading large
amounts of chakra into a life source for the trees to grow.
"Mokuton Hijutsu: Jukai Kōtan (Wood Release Secret Technique: Deep
Forest Emergence)!"
The trees began to emerge everywhere from the ground below and even
through the earth wall behind Minato. Within the span of a single
second, an incredibly dense forest sprouted up from beneath the tiles of
the rooftop and was trying to pierce Minato with roots, branches, leaves,
and tree trunks, as he was forced to continuously teleport away using the
Hiraishin to escape the immensely powerful jutsu.
Just as the trees stopped growing, he landed on the top of the earthen
wall, which now had large trees growing all throughout it and that had
pierced through it. The blonde Hokage hadn't managed to dodge every
one of those trees as he now grasped at several knew stab wounds that
were engraved into his abdomen.
He took a moment to catch his breath and closed his eyes to wipe the
blood covering his forehead and flowing over his eyes. That turned out to
be a costly mistake as Tobirama used his Suiton: Suidanha (Water
Release: Water Severing Wave) to release a highly pressurized stream of
water that flew threw the air and severed Minato's left arm from his body
completely, and sliced clean through the rest of the earth wall causing it
to crumble completely.
"AAARRRGGGHHHH!" Minato screamed in utter agony as he gripped
where his left arm used to be, not even a stump remained. However, he
had no time to dwell on it as he was forced to jump from the wall he was
on to the highest pieces of falling debris to prevent himself from being
crushed completely by the large chunks of earth. After what seemed like
an eternity, he finally landed on the water as the debris settled beneath
the water's surface.
His breathing had become ragged and his vision was becoming blurry
from the amount of blood that he had lost from all the injuries he
sustained. He needed to end this now, he was already in a state that he
may not even be able to fight evenly with Rasa, let alone Orochimaru.
These were the price that he knew he would have to pay if this fight
dragged on. If he couldn't finish this in the next few minutes, then he was
as good as dead, and maybe Konoha was too.
Hashirama began his charged while Tobirama stayed behind to cover
him. Minato saw this and figured it was the best chance he would
receive, given his current condition. As Hashirama glided across the
water's surface, Minato threw several of his three-pronged kunai at the
man, which were promptly deflected using only his bare hands.
That was only a distraction though. While Hashirama was focused on
defending himself from the kunai, Minato teleported right above
Hashirama via the Hiraishin seal that he had placed on the man during
their taijutsu bout. Using his almost instantaneous reflexes, Minato
flipped in mid-air and brought his hand onto Hashirama's back and
placed a Keiyaku Fūin (Contract Seal) to cut the connection between him
and Orochimaru.
A Keiyaku Fūin (Contract Seal) removes any direct control that a
summoner has on a summoned creature or being. Though it does remove
Orochimaru's control from Hashirama, it did not place the former Hokage
under Minato's control. Most of Minato's fūinjutsu require direct contact
with the target, that is why he had been trying to get in close the entire
time.
His original plan had been to remove the control tags that Orochimaru
had been using to control them, but they were far too skilled for him to
carry out his plan. Whenever he got in close, he was thrown across the
rooftop not a moment later. That is when his plan drifted to sealing them
immediately.
He had merely gotten lucky that he had managed to place a Hiraishin
seal on Hashirama's body, had he not then things would not have been
quite as easy. This was a blessing that he needed, now he would be able
to focus solely on one opponent.
A white light began to cover Hashirama's body and his spirit began to
ascend back into the heavens. The debris that had been covering the
body that he had been bound to fell to the ground as it revealed a body
of a nameless Otogakure shinobi.
"May your soul forever rest in peace Shodaime-sama." Minato commented
as the soul of one of Konoha's founders was released from this horrid
jutsu
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However, it wasn't time for a celebration just yet. He still had the
Nidaime Hokage to deal with, and it would be much more difficult since
he hadn't been able to place a seal on the man's body.
"Suiton: Suiryūdan no Jutsu (Water Release: Water Dragon Missile)!"
Minato's attention was brought back to his current situation as he was
forced to teleport away from the massive water dragon that consumed
what was left of the earth wall and devastated the forest that Hashirama
had created.
The fact that these reanimations had an unlimited amount of chakra was
a real pain. And it didn't help that the entire are was covered in water, he
was practically as Tobirama's mercy right now. Had the Nidaime Hokage
been alive and in control of his own thoughts and strategy then Minato
surely would have been dead right now.
Minato quickly teleported to an area that had no water near it, as to
eliminate his opponents advantage. However as soon as he did, Tobirama
appeared right before him and slashed him across the chest with a kunai.
Minato recoiled in pain and jumped to another one of his kunai only a a
dozen feet away. He had forgotten that Tobirama was the creator of the
Hiraishin no Jutsu and was able to link himself to another users
markings. Truly impressive.
Tobirama wasn't done yet. The Edo Tensei had originally been designed
for the purpose of taking down your targets along with yourself,
maximizing the use of suicide techniques. Therefore he had developed a
fighting style personally designed for those who had been reincarnated.
"Gojō Kibaku Fuda (Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags)!"
Using his immortal body as a medium, Tobirama created several large
special explosive tags, with each bearing five seals on them. He threw
these explosive tags into the air as they began to surround both him and
Minato, the tags then summoned even more explosive tags as they went
off and repeated the process continuously, creating a near infinite
number of explosions.
Minato had managed to flash away at the last moment before the
explosive tags went off to an area that was out of range of the explosion,
just barely though. He eyed the section of the rooftop where the jutsu
had gone off and when the smoke cleared, he saw that Tobirama was on
the ground and still regenerating from the suicide technique he had just
used.
He took this chance and teleported to one of the few kunai that were still
intact throughout the area and blurred out of sight once more as he raced
towards the downed form of the Nidaime Hokage. Each of the five fingers
on Minato's remaining hand ignited with a bright purple flame with a
different kanji on each of the fingertips. He reappeared right above the
immobile silver-haired man and slammed his fingers into the man's
abdomen.
"Gogyō Fūin (Five Elements Seal)!"
A seal became engraved into Tobirama's abdomen as the connection that
bound his soul to the host's had been cut. The same white light that had
surrounded Hashirama's body surrounded his and his actual soul began
its ascent into the sky, leaving behind the fallen debris that had been
covering the body of a nameless Otogakure shinobi that hosted his soul.
"Rest in peace, Nidaime-sama."
It seemed that his duty was done here, now it was time for him to deal
with Orochimaru and the Kazekage.
Center of the Rooftop
"Well, you two look like you've seen better days." Orochimaru
commented, amused at the state of the two Kage in front of him. "Such a
pitiful state for two of the strongest shinobi in the world to be in."
Orochimaru and Rasa stood face to face with Yagura and Minato after
they had finished their subsequent battles. What he said wasn't too far
from the truth as both the Hokage and the Mizukage were heavily
injured. In fact, they were so injured and exhausted that one could
probably push them over with a single finger.
However, they still stood tall and did not take a single step back from
their enemies, truly befitting of their titles of Kage.
"Especially you Hokage. you were suspected to be the strongest of us five
kages, yet here you are barely alive right now and missing an arm." Rasa
added in. "Though I must commend you for being able to take on the
Shodaime and Nidaime Hokages at the same time, it speaks volumes of
your abilities though with only one arm now much of that strength is
gone.
Yagura and Minato barely had the strength to speak at the moment, so
they remained quiet, trying to conserve as much of their energy as
possible for another Kage level battle.
"Though it seems as our plans to take you down when you were weakest
were for naught as it appears that we have company." Orochimaru
commented as he eyed the swirling vortex in the air to their right.
A moment later three people materialized from the vortex and stepped
forward to intervene in the upcoming battle. There stood Uchiha Obito,
Jiraiya of the sannin, and Uzumaki-Namikaze Kushina. Three S-Ranked
shinobi who would throw quite a wrench in the plans that had been in
the making for months now.
All three of them were frozen in shock one they arrived at the state that
Minato and Yagura were in, Minato more so though.
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"Minato! Oh Kami what happened to you!?" Kushina screamed as she saw
that Minato was now missing an arm and was covered from head to toe
in blood.
Jiraiya and Obito were worried as well, but they did not outwardly show
it as they were staring down Orochimaru and Rasa. How could they not
be worried? Minato was Jiraiy'as student, he practically raised the boy
since he was a genin. If anything, he was just as worried as the man's
wife. Obito was Minato's student. Obito had never really fit in amongst
the Uchiha clan, so Minato was the closest thing he had to family. Even if
he had grown up a lot since he became a genin and the events during the
Third Great Shinobi War, he still saw the man as family even when Obito
had lost faith in everything else.
However, right now they needed to worry about Orochimaru and the
Yondaime Kazekage. It was obvious that Suna had turned against Konoha
due to the invasion that they had just cleaned up. Not to mention the fact
that they saw Rasa leading the Hokage and Mizukage up o the roof as
Orochimaru's henchmen stalled them.
"Orochimaru..." Jiraiya seethed as he glared at his wayward teammate.
"Ah, Jiraiya. How good to see you again. If only Tsunade were here then
we could have a team reunion." Orochimaru commented offhandedly, but
inside he was cursing his luck for how things were turning out.
All three of the shinobi that had just bypassed the barrier that his
subordinates were holding up were Kage level. It would be too risky to
continue with this plan any longer. They would need to retreat for now.
"It's over. Your little invasion has been silenced and most of your shinobi
killed. The rest are being rounded up as we speak. The Ichibi along with
the Suna jinchūriki looks to have been killed by Naruto. Your plans have
failed Orochimaru." Obito stated as he reactivated his mangekyō
sharingan.
Rasa's expression turned into one of utter shock. "He killed Gaara!? That's
impossible, I've been trying to get rid of Gaara for years but he's far too
strong to kill by ordinary means! There's no way some genin could be a
match for him!"
"Ah Naruto-kun was it? The boy with fire? He must also have been the
one to kill my favorite subordinate Kabuto...I'll make sure to pay him
back someday." Orochimaru stated darkly.
"Kabuto? That boy was a Konoha shinobi! Are you telling me that he's
been a spy for you all along?" Jiraiya yelled at his former teammate. Was
that how Orochimaru had been getting all his information.
"You're quite right Jiraiya, but I assume that he died in the forest of death
during the second stage of the chunin exams. Who else do you think
could have caused such a tremendous fire within the forest besides
Naruto-kun?"
Jiraiya froze after hearing that last statement. Was it really Naruto who
had burned down the forest? What had happened there was quite a
popular topic amongst the shinobi and even the ANBU of the village.
Over a quarter of the forest was burned down and there were now
several rivers of molten lave flowing through it. He remembered that
Anko had been quite pissed at whoever had the nerve to do this to her
playground.
He shivered upon remembering how angry she was. Women and anger
should never mix, it is a deadly combination.
'A child born from great power but with memories of old shall pave the
way toward a new era of peace. Whether they walk the path of light or is
forced into the darkness shall determine what the future will hold. Their
predecessor has already burned the path for them, but it shall be their
will of fire that determines whether they will walk it or forge their own.'
The words from the prophecy the toad elder spoke of rang through his
mind once more.
"We're falling back Rasa, the tide of this battle has turned against us and I
have no more reanimations to even the playing field." Orochimaru spoke
to the Kazekage, who eagerly agreed with him.
Orochimaru signaled to the sound four to drop the barrier and begin their
retreat as they slowly began walking away.
"Do you really think that we'll just let you leave here after all the damage
you've done!?" Kushina yelled while supporting her husband with her
arms.
Rasa turned around to see Jiraiya charging at them. The Kazekage
summoned a small tornado of wind and gold dust in the palm of his hand
before throwing it at his target.
"Sables (Sandstorm)!"
The tornado of sand grew massively in size and was sent on a rampage
around the rooftop, picking up water as it raged. All the shinobi on the
rooftop stuck to the ground below using chakra, while they were forced
to cover their eyes to prevent any of the stray gold dust from impairing
their vision.
When the sandstorm finally died down, Orochimaru and Rasa were gone,
not a trace of where they went left behind. All of the surviving Oto and
Suna shinobi had also mysteriously disappeared from within the walls of
Konoha.
All that remained was the destruction and death that they had caused.
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The strong feed upon the weak, it's such an obligingly simple rule.
Sunagakure had been weak and had used the opportunity of the chunin
exams to take their place amongst the strong. In a world built upon
violence, bloodshed, and war, the only option you have is to be strong.
Only the victors are allowed to live...this world is merciless like that.
However, they chose to betray the wrong village.
The Suna/Oto invasion, that would later become known as the Konoha
Crush, had failed miserably. Over three-quarters of the invading Suna
and Oto forces had been decimated over the course of battle. Most
notable of these deaths were Sabaku no Gaara, Sabaku no Temari, and
Sabaku no Kankuro. The loss of Suna's jinchūriki was an important
achievement due to the fact that jinchūriki were known to be the
strongest weapons for each of the villages.
That isn't to say that Konohagakure had escaped the conflict without any
casualties. Kiri only had a handful of its shinobi within Konoha's walls
and none of them had been fatally wounded. Konoha faced many
casualties, nearly half of their forces had been lost during the invasion.
However most of those who had lost their lives in the line of duty would
have their names engraved on the memorial stone and were mentioned
during the mass funeral that was held, nothing more, nothing less.
This was the truth behind the Will of Fire. Shinobi whom had lived and
died for their village would only be remembered by the people closest to
them and by the name that was engraved into the memorial stone. Is that
how their loyalty was rewarded? Wives, husbands, lovers, children, and
families were left with holes in their hearts, because the duty to protect
one's village was more important than their family. Was it really worth
it?
It had been a week since the invasion and the fallout was worse than
expected.
Much of the village had been destroyed by Orochimaru's snake summons
before Jiraiya and Obito had gotten a chance to stop them. The Northern
walls of Konoha had collapsed and that section of the village had been
host for where those monstrous snakes ran rampant through.
The entire village had been the battleground for guerrilla warfare and
large scale shinobi battles. The area that had suffered the most damage
was near the chunin exam arena where the fighting had first broke out.
Numerous people had met their ends at this once bustling stadium,
shinobi and civilian alike. All in all, the village looked like a war-zone.
At least, that was what the scene had looked like a week ago.
Currently, the village was being rebuilt by all its occupants. Both shinobi
and civilian pitched in to help speed up the rebuilding. The northern
sector of the village had been personally rebuilt by Yamato, a shinobi
whom was capable of weilding the Shodaime Hokage's Mokuton. Those
shinobi whom excelled in doton were doing their part to repair the walls
that protected Konoha and to smooth out the land where the earth had
been scarred from the numerous battles that had taken place.
While there had been utter chaos the first few days after the invasion,
things looked like they would be returning to normal quicker than
expected.
Currently in the Hokage's office, Naruto was standing alongside Satsuki,
Hana, and Haku. Natsuki and Narumi were in the room as well, but they
were sitting on the couch rather than standing alongside the other genin.
It was clear to all the other genin in the room as to what that meant.
Sitting behind his desk was Namikaze Minato, the Yondaime
Hokage...well at least for now. He had made a full recovery since his near
death like state a week ago, minus the missing left arm. He was staring at
Naruto with a bit of pride, but mostly suspicion. Naruto sighed inwardly,
it seemed that the man hadn't forgotten about his recently revealed
abilities, even after he had just returned from death's door.
Obito and Kakashi were also in the room, standing behind their former
sensei. Obito was present because it were his genin that were requested
to come to the Hokage Tower, along with him. Kakashi was here for
some reason that was unknown to him, though that didn't stop him from
reading his Icha Icha Paradise novel and giggling perversely ever few
minutes.
Kushina was sitting on the couch alongside her daughters with a worried
look on her face, though she also looked up to glance at her wayward son
every once in a while. She was probably worried about Nawaki.
Ah Nawaki, he had been an interesting topic as of late. He was still
cooped up in the hospital, though he was out of critical condition, he still
needed to recover. Minato and Kushina had turned white as a ghost and
nearly had a heart attack when they found out that the Kyuubi had
ripped itself out of Nawaki's seal and merged with Natsuki. His current
condition also wasn't a very appealing sight, though they couldn't feel
pity for him since he brought it upon himself.
Kushina, Natsuki, and Narumi had all seen the real side of him just a few
days ago.
They had realized just how messed up their family was when he started
trying to order them to release him so that he could kill Naruto for what
he did to him. His inferiority and superiority complexes finally made
themselves fully known as he continued to make threats he couldn't back
up due to him loosing most of him power due to the Kyuubi ripping
himself from his body. Nawaki had about the same level chakra reserves
as an ordinary genin now. Though, that didn't stop him from trying to
attack his family when they refused to comply with his demands. He was
currently strapped to his bed, like a prisoner, to prevent anymore violent
outbreaks.
It was made clear that he wasn't mentally stable at the moment. Or
perhaps he had always thought like this and the recent events only
pushed him to his breaking point.
It was only then did Kushina truly realize how terrible of a parent she
was. She had no idea that her son acted this way nor did she know where
she went wrong. Kushina had been left a hollow shell of herself these
past few days as she went through every memory she had with her
children to figure out where everything went to hell. She didn't find an
answer...perhaps she was never doing things right to begin with.
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....
Jiraiya was sitting at his usual spot on the windowsill as he glanced at all
of the occupants in the room, a neutral expression on his face. He was
worried, very worried in fact, about the prophecy and how things would
turn out if the child of prophecy really was Naruto. He would fix
everything as soon as he possibly could, the entire world was at stake, he
had no time to waste.
Tsunade stood beside Jiraiya, she really had no idea why she were even
here. People were still wounded from their involvement in fighting off
the invasion, they needed to be at the hospital. Sure there were plenty of
capable medical-nins there, but Tsunade was the best in the village,
perhaps even in all the Elemental Nations. Currently, Shizune was
running things at the hospital, so her mind was a little more relaxed
knowing it was in capable hands.
Standing beside the Hokage's desk was the Yondaime Mizukage, Yagura.
His wounds had healed quite quickly due to the fact he was a jinchūriki,
so he was out of the hospital only a day or two after the invasion. He was
looking at Haku with a proud smile on his face.
Off to the side stood Momochi Zabuza, Hōzuki Suigetsu, and Chōjuro.
They were here due to the fact that they were members of Haku's team
and were here to support her.
In total, there were sixteen occupants within the confines of this small
room, not counting the ANBU in hiding of course. This made it quite
crowded and a bit uncomfortable for the four genin standing in the
middle of it all.
They had a pretty good idea of why they were here, but nothing was
certain just yet.
Minato looked at the four genin before him with an appraising eye. They
had all done excellent during both the preliminaries, the finals, and the
invasion. It was rare to find such talented and well-balanced shinobi at
such a young age. Naruto, Hana, and Satsuki had only been genin for a
few months and yet they were already at this level, it was truly
impressive. Most genin had to take the exam two or three times before
being promoted, while others received field promotions after taking these
exams several times.
"First of all I would like to personally congratulate the four of you for
your performance throughout the chūnin exams and for your efforts
during the invasion. You have greatly benefitted Konoha during its time
of need and for that, I offer my utmost gratitude." Minato spoke with a
smile on his pace. "I will let Mizukage-dono start off this ceremony since
there is only one Kiri shinobi who is being considered for promotion,
then I will speak to each of you individually, the genin who are both
being considered for promotion and those who are not."
It had been a week since the chūnin exam finals, and although they were
interrupted before the final round, the judges and the Kage had seen
more than enough of the matches to determine whether or not the genin
participating were worthy of the title of chūnin.
It seemed that only the genin who had been decided were ready for a
promotion, along with the rest of their team, were summoned to the
Hokage's office.
The Yondaime Mizukage stepped forward until he was in front of the
genin from Kirigakure.
"I'd like each of the three of you to know that I am proud of you and that
you showed strength and skill befitting of shinobi and kunoichi from
Kirigakure. However, I'm afraid only one of you has shown the necessary
qualities of a chūnin."
Yagura move to the side in front of Chōjuro to address the boy's
performance. The goal of this was to address the strengths and
weaknesses of only the genin that were being promoted, but doing so for
all of the shinobi would benefit them in the end.
"Chōjuro, while you did show considerable skill in wielding Hiramekarei,
your speed and reaction time began to slow down halfway through the
match, giving your opponent several openings that they exploited, due to
how much chakra Hiramekarei consumed. You must increase your
reserves considerably if you wish to wield it correctly. You were also
quickly overwhelmed and let your opponent control the pace of the
match. If you continue to progress at the rate you are growing, I have no
doubt that you will become chūnin during these exams next time."
Chōjuro's eyes widened at the Mizukage's words, and he nodded
vigorously at the praise towards the end. For a boy with low self-esteem,
encouragement would do the boy well rather than pointing out all of his
faults. With those words said, Yagura moved over in front of Suigetsu.
"Suigetsu, while you did show great skill in your clan's nature
transformation, you showed relatively little strategy and were quickly
overwhelmed by your opponent. Had you not been hydrated at the time,
you wouldn't have been able to liquify to survive the Suna jinchūriki's
sand jutsu. You will need more training and experience before you are
ready to become a chūnin.
Suigetsu nodded and stepped back as Yagura made his way to the middle
of the room and stood in front of the only Kiri kunoichi in the room.
"Haku, you showed exceptional skill with your kekkei genkai, far more
than you had when you left Kiri and far more than any Yuki has had in
generations. You were able to quickly overwhelm even a jinchūriki, an
impressive feat in its own right. I see no reason not to promote you."
Yagura said with a smile, while handing a chūnin flak jacket that had
been on the Hokage's desk to the girl. This earned a charming smile from
the newly named chūnin as she put on the flak jacket.
Yagura, having finished his involvement with the advancement of the
genin, stepped back behind the Hokage's desk.
This time, it was Minato to step forward. His signature haori a bit uneven
due to the absence of a left arm, but otherwise looked as strong and
imposing as ever. He glanced at the three Konoha genin that were
standing in the middle of the room before his eyes traveled to his
daughters who were sitting on the couch.
"I had originally only planned to address the three members of Team 11,
but Mizukage-dono made an excellent point. It would benefit all the
genin here to understand their strengths and weaknesses and why they
were or were not promoted this time around." Minato spoke as he paced
around just in front of his desk. "Natsuki, Narumi! Stand up, you are
present at an official ceremony and will treat it as such."
The two girls quickly jumped to their feet, a bit surprised at the tone that
their father had used. Though they chalked it up to still being concerned
that his two sons and their brothers had just tried to kill each other the
past week as well as him having to deal with the stress of the invasion
and almost dying.
"I shall start with the two of you since you were judged to not be ready
for the responsibilities of a chūnin." Minato announced as he stepped a
few feet in front of his two daughters.
The two sisters squirmed uncomfortably under their father's gaze. They
had known that they wouldn't receive a promotion with their
performance, but to hear it from their own father still hurt.
"Narumi, while you did show skill with two different forms of nature
transformation, which is quite impressive for a genin, you showed a lack
of forethought in your moves along with little to no strategy." The girl
nodded her head solemnly as Minato continued to speak. "You charged
into battle recklessly, and because of that you fell into several of your
opponents traps one after another. Continue to work hard to improve and
add some strategy to your fighting style, and I have no doubt you'll earn
a promotion."
"Natsuki, while you also showed proficiency with two different forms of
nature transformation, as well as improving your kenjutsu leaps and
bounds, you rushed into both of your matches without showing the
higher-level thinking and strategy necessary for a chūnin. Had you put
more thought into how to deal with the opponent you were facing and
adjusting your fighting style accordingly, you may have ended up
defeating Temari in the first round and possibly winning your second
match. You have shown massive amounts of improvement since you
became a genin, but you still have much more room to improve. You will
not be promoted just yet." Natsuki only nodded and took a step back
beside her sister.
Minato swiftly turned around on his heel and made his way to the center
of the room to address the remaining three Konoha genin. His frown was
immediately replaced with a small smile upon remembering each of their
performances.
While he was glad that three of his genin showed so much promise, the
same could not be said for the rest of their graduating class. Minato was
rather disappointed that so few of this year's graduating class made it
pass the second round of the exams. Most of them were clan heirs and
heiresses, which only made their performance that much more sad. Their
jōnin-senseis had either been slacking off or babying them, either way
something needed to be done about it or they wouldn't last much longer
in the shinobi world.
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"Satsuki, you showed great forethought in your battles and covered all
three main areas of shinobi arts, ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu. You
made sure to control the pace of the battle through the use of traps and
evasion tactics. As well as showing great skill with two forms of nature
transformation. These qualities are certainly befitting of a chūnin,
congratulations." Satsuki had suppress the urge to cheer in victory as she
took the flak jacket and merely gave a charming smile.
"Hana, while the Inuzuka clan's fighting style is more reckless than most,
you did not fall prey to those tendencies and showed great strategy with
the use of smoke bombs and tunneling underground to make your clan's
signature jutsus more effective. I was also pleasantly surprised by your
use of medical ninjutsu as an offensive technique, it takes a great level of
skill and control to be able to pull off such a feat. Congratulations on
your promotion." Hana quickly took the flak jacket from Minato and
threw it on, earning giggles from her teammates. She had always
wondered what she would look like in one of these, not too bad if she did
say so.
Hana stepped back so that she was now alongside Satsuki, leaving Naruto
and Minato alone in the center of the room.
Minato looked at his wayward son with pride in his eyes...but he was also
very suspicious of him. No mere genin fresh out of the academy should
have been capable of what he had. That was something that he would
find out later after this ceremony.
"Naruto, at the beginning of this tournament, most people didn't expect
much from you. As the tournament rolled around, you were seemingly
overlooked for the aces of the respective villages. Now, the title of winner
of the tournament is shared by you and Haku-san, since you were the
only two left along with the now deceased Suna jinchūriki when the
invasion started. You showed strength that far surpassed the level of
chūnin, and are capable at wielding such a powerful S-Rank jutsu. I have
never seen someone wield Katon ninjutsu quite like you did during your
first match and am very interested to hear how you are capable of such a
technique. You easily controlled the pace of both your matches and never
let your opponent take advantage of any opportunities they had. Not to
mention the your efforts during the invasion. Congratulations on your
promotion."
Naruto took the flak jacket from Minato's hand and immediately put it on
to cover his skin-tight, short-sleeved shirt. He quickly turned around and
gave his two female teammates a large smile, for him anyway, which
they quickly returned. The three of them had been looking forward to
being chūnin for a long time, even more so than genin. Chūnin is the
rank where they finally stopped being treated like children and were able
to make their own decisions about their careers and their lives. It was
quite a milestone for the three of them.
For the three members of Team 11, this was only the beginning of the
path that lied before them.
"Congratulations to all those who passed the chūnin exams this time
around, and for those who didn't, better luck next time. These particular
exams were a bit more exciting than what usually occurs during this bi-
annual event, but they were successful nonetheless. We are proud of all
of you and hope that you continue to serve your respective villages until
the day you die. Once again, congratulations."
Those final words from Minato marked the end of the promotion
ceremony.
It wouldn't do well to have a Kage absent from their home village for too
long, the only reason that Yagura was still in Konoha was to fully recover
from his injuries and for the traditional promotion ceremony. Now that
those two things were finished, there was no reason for any of the Kiri
shinobi to remain here any longer.
With that in mind, Yagura stepped forward. "Zabuza, Suigetsu, Chōjuro,
Haku. Now that our business in Konoha is finished we must be heading
back to Kirigakure as soon as possible. It would not bode well for us to be
away for the village too much longer. Please return to the hotel
immediately and gather your things. We will begin our journey back to
Mizu in one hour."
All four of the Kiri-nins gave a nod and a short bow to the Mizukage
before leaving. Her two teammates and sensei immediately headed out
the door, but Haku stopped to give a quick wave and a charming smile to
Naruto, who responded with a similar gesture.
Team 11 and Haku had become quite close over the past week, but
Naruto and Haku especially. They had found some kind of mutual
understanding due to their various predicaments and ended up spending
a lot of the week together. Of course that could be attributed to most of
their teammates being restricted to the hospital for the majority of the
past week.
In the short time that they had spent together, Naruto could honestly say
that she had become one of his closest friends. Some would say it was a
sad fact, but Naruto preferred it this way, he could really only say that he
had a handful of friends. Obito was his sensei, so Naruto didn't really
count him. Mikoto was his lover, so even though they had been friends
and family for years, she had some special circumstances. Really, Naruto
could only say that Hana and Satsuki were his friends.
Actually, they considered themselves to be more like friends than family.
The three of them had known each other since even before they started
the academy and could always be found together. When people share a
bond that strong, the only thing that they can really be described as is
family.
So, it was nice to be able to talk with someone like Haku. While she
didn't share the same history with him that Satsuki and Hana did, he felt
like he could really trust her. Not to mention that she was quite a lot of
fun to be around once you tear down that respectful ice princess exterior.
Fun, he could honestly say that he had fun.
Chapter no.121
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....
Recently, Naruto had realized that he had been taking everything far too
seriously. It was either secrets this or invasion that, it was nice just to be
able to sit back and relax with someone. In reality, he was still only a
sixteen year-old teenager, and these were the kinds of things that
teenagers were supposed to do, shinobi or not.
Much to the shock of his teammates and joy of his sisters, Naruto had
been smiling a lot more...it was odd. Even while being in the same room
as almost every person who had wronged him in his life, he couldn't force
himself to feel angry or have the same hatred and that he once did. By no
means did he fell like running up to Minato and Kushina and giving them
a bear hug, but he felt more at ease. This feeling was nice.
With Konoha's alliance with Kiri, he was sure that he would be seeing her
a lot more often now.
Seeing as how Konoha's alliance with Suna was effectively ended with
their invasion, the village would need ties to another one of the great
shinobi villages to ensure that none of the other villages took the
opportunity to launch a second invasion in their time of weakness. This is
precisely why Obito had spent several years in Kiri working as a liaison.
The alliance with Suna had been shaky at best for a long time now, so
their invasion shouldn't have been too much of a surprise, that was why
Minato had worked out the details with Yagura through Obito, who had
spent several years in foreign territory to prove Konoha's sincerity.
For them to position their strongest shinobi in foreign territory on the
premise of a treaty and alliance was a sign of the village's good faith. This
was because he was constantly surrounded by foreign shinobi who would
be willing to end his life at any moment. No sane village leader would
sacrifice their strongest asset if their intentions were built upon lies.
"Thank you for your hospitality, Hokage-dono. Our stay was most
interesting to stay the least. Should Konoha ever need such help again, do
not hesitate to contact Kirigakure, may this alliance prosper." After those
final words had been said, Yagura followed his fellow Kini-nin out the
door to prepare for their departure.
Minato signaled for an ANBU to escort the Mizukage and his shinobi back
to their hotel to make sure that no harm befell on them during their
commute. Now would be the perfect opportunity for enemies to strike,
since the village was vulnerable and their forces spread thin and
concentrated on the work effort to rebuild the village.
"Now with that taken care of, Satsuki, Hana, you are excused for the rest
of the day. Make sure to see Obito tomorrow at your usual training
ground so that he can brief you as to what your duties as a chūnin
entails. Though, Naruto I would like you to remain behind for a few
minutes. There are some things that we need to discuss." Minato said
with a smile on his face as he took his seat once more.
Satsuki and Hana gave a worried glance to Naruto, but he merely smiled
back at them and nodded.
Naruto's new attitude really confused them sometimes. He usually hated
having these talks with his parents, but this time he seemed to not care
that they were basically going to tie him down to a chair and interrogate
him.
But if he was fine with it then so be it.
It was still fairly early in the day, only an hour or two left until
lunchtime. They had previously agreed to celebrate whatever outcome
the promotional ceremony held at the Akimichi's barbecue restaurant and
they really had nothing else to do until then.
Though, the fact that Naruto would be questioned about his abilities
really didn't surprise either of them. This occurrence had already
happened on more than one occasion before. Hana and Satsuki
understood that they wanted to know more about their son or brother,
but this wasn't really the way to go about it.
The both let out simultaneous sighs. Whatever, he would be the one
dealing with it, not them.
"Well...we'll be waiting for you at the barbecue restaurant when your
done here Naruto-nii." Satsuki spoke as she waved goodbye to her
brother figure while heading towards the door.
"Don't keep us waiting too long, you're paying you know." Hana teased as
she added a wink to stress her point.
"Yeah, yeah. I'll catch up with you two in a bit. Don't start without me!"
Naruto called out just as the two newly-made chunin left the room.
Jiraiya slowly got up from his seat on the windowsill, before he walked
over to the door, making sure to close and lock it so that nobody would
interrupt their conversation.
Seemingly ignoring all every set of eyes that was on him, Naruto walked
towards the Hokage's desk and took a seat in one of the chairs right in
front of it. The sooner he got all this over with, the better. He had no
plans of wasting time with people who didn't like secrets being kept from
them, when they knew every one of the darkest secrets of Konoha's
history.
Minato whom was staring at the boy with the most suspicion, other than
Jiraiya, was the first to break the silence that was slowly filling every
corner of the room. "I trust you know why I asked you to stay Naruto."
Minato asked with the utmost seriousness.
"Yeah, yeah. Every time I show off the slightest amount of skill, I'm the
subject of tis kind of treatment. This really isn't all that surprising
anymore." Was Naruto's sarcastic remark which was completely out of
place of the serious atmosphere in the room.
Blocking off any form of retreat, Jiraiya was standing in front of the
door,was eyeing the boy sternly. He would need to play this carefully if
Naruto really was the one that the prophecy spoke of. They already didn't
have the best relationship, so he couldn't take his usual approach here, he
would need to let Minato lay all the groundwork before he stepped in.
Chapter no.122
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....
There were only a few in the room who knew why this was exactly going
on. Those few were Minato, Jiraiya, Kushina, Kakashi, and Obito.
Though, it should be noted that Obito looked like he really didn't want to
be here at the moment.
While Obito was quite enthusiastic that all three of his genin were
promoted, he didn't see why his sensei had to take this kind of approach
when dealing with Naruto. It was clear that it was not working. Not to
mention the fact that the eldest male Uchiha didn't give a damn about
any of Jiraiya's prophecies.
He just couldn't understand why Jiraiya and the Uzumaki-Namikaze
family put so much faith in these kinds of things.
The previous prophecy that the toads told Jiraiya was that Minato would
be the one to bring peace to the Elemental Nations and cure the shinobi
world of war and hatred...It was easy to tell how that exactly worked out,
seeing as Minato had not made a single step forward in creating world
peace and the fact that the village that he led suffered an invasion.
Obito had believed in Jiraiya's words and the prophecies of toads for a
time when he was still a genin. But after experiencing the horrors of war
first hand, he realized that such beliefs were foolish dreams and nothing
more than that.
Prophecies were just that, prophecies. Some superstition passed down by
some senile old toad. Why in Kami's name would anybody take
something like that seriously. Yet here were some of the most prominent
shinobi in Konoha along with three of the Hokage's children, sitting here
about to waste a fair amount of time trying to force a boy, who clearly
didn't care about such things either, to live his life accordingly to some
words spoken by a glorified frog with one foot already in the grave.
The one-eyed man sighed as Minato began to speak once more.
"Naruto, this is serious, treat it as such." Those were nothing short of
orders from the Hokage. "I remember having to have this same
conversation with you just after the preliminary rounds of the chunin
exams, just over a month ago. You've been keeping secrets for far too
long Naruto. Secrets are what get people killed in this world. While your
recent performance in the chunin exams was remarkable, it has brought
your abilities into question. These questions need to be answered, it is of
the utmost importance."
Naruto could only stare on incredulously at the man sitting behind the
desk. Was he really giving him a lecture about secrets? Was this some
kind of joke?
"My secrets huh?...I'm sure you have secrets as well don't you Hokage-
sama. But why is it that my secrets are always the ones brought into
question and not yours?" Naruto proposed to the Hokage.
"You are not here for a philosophical debate, Naruto, you will answer my
questions whether you like it or not. The world could very well be at
stake here!" Minato seemed to be losing his patience as his voice started
to rise at the end.
Naruto was completely lost now. Had the man gone insane from the loss
of his arm? "...What does me having some skill in Katon jutsu have to do
with the world?"
Minato noticed his slip up and sighed as he calmed himself down and
retook his seat. This was a matter that he didn't want to discuss with him
until he knew for sure that it was talking about Naruto, but it seems as if
he didn't have a choice at the moment. He had told all of his children
besides Naruto on their birthday just after they started the academy, but
nothing had come of it so far. He supposed telling Naruto about it might
actually make him realize just how important of a role he'll possibly play
in bringing peace to the world.
"Several years ago, the toads came to Jiraiya with a prophecy, after
which, he relayed it to me. What the prophecy said was, 'A child born
from great power but with memories of old shall pave the way toward a
new era of peace. Whether they walk the path of light or is forced into
the darkness shall determine what the future will hold. Their predecessor
has already burned the path for them, but it shall be their will of fire that
determines whether they will walk it or forge their own.' We had
originally believed that it was speaking of Natsuki, Narumi, or Nawaki.
But due to the events that have occurred recently, we now believe that
the prophecy spoke of you." Minato relayed to Naruto with absolute
seriousness.
Peace had always been something that Minato dreamed of. He had been
born during the era of the Second Great Shinobi War and had
experienced more than he would ever wish his students to see. Sadly that
wish never came true as they were sent off to war when they were
deemed ready. Cruel reality showed its ugly head, as it was his genin
team that was ripped apart during the Third Great Shinobi War. One of
his student was killed, another went missing for years, and the last was
the one who had killed the first. War knew no bounds. War had no rules.
War was the result of the evil and hatred of man.
He would do whatever it took to bring peace to this world. And by
anything...he meant anything.
Chapter no.123
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....
After hearing the prophecy Minato was speaking of, Naruto could only
roll his eyes. This was what they were getting so worked up about?This
was the very same prophecy that Naruto had overheard Minato telling
the rest of the Uzumaki-Namikaze siblings just after stating the
academy...on the day of the Uchiha Massacre. That memory still brought
a pain to his chest.
Naruto, too had noticed that the prophecy sounded like he could be their
so called 'child of prophecy', but he immediately discarded the idea. He
was not going to become some kind of toad fanboy like Jiraya and
Minato just because a half-dead toad had a vision. To believe in such
things were utterly foolish. He had seen just how prominent those toads
were when he roasting Gamabunta over an open fire during his match
against Nawaki in the chunin exams.
"...And why exactly should I care about this prophecy...from what I saw
during the chunin exams, those toads really aren't anything special..."
There were a few groans from the as some of the occupants in the room
knew just how proud Jiraiya was of his toad summons. He would no
doubt turn this into some kind of argument, not that it wasn't one
already.
"What do you mean they're nothing special?! Don't get arrogant just
because you got a lucky shot in during the chunin exams! The toads are
the most battle oriented summons there are and could crush anyone in
the blink of an eye! Nawaki just hadn't properly trained in how to fully
utilize them when they're summoned, don't think you're some hot-shot
just cause you beat a mere genin who had signed the contract." True to
everyone's beliefs, Jiraiya lost his cool when it came to his summons.
Didn't they have some kind of plan or purpose for dealing with Naruto at
the moment?
Naruto really didn't care to argue with Jiraiya. When it came to an
argument with the man, there was just no winning. Not because he was
always right, on the contrary most of the time his always fought losing
arguments, but he made them so preposterous and silly that is was just
embarrassing to be part of one of them.
"If that was all...can I leave now? My team is waiting for me." It seemed
that this was going nowhere fast and he really didn't want to waste
anymore time than he absolutely had to.
Naruto's voice brought most of the room's attention off of the still upset
Jiraiya, and back onto him.
"We are far from done here, Naruto. We need to discuss what will be
done about you and the prophecy." Minato stated firmly, giving Jiraiya a
sharp look that seemed to scream 'calm down, we have more important
things to deal with.'
As if on command, Jiraiya walked over to the desk and unstrapped the
large scroll on his back, placing it on the table. Naruto stared on
uninterested as the toad summoning scroll was unravelled before him,
the names of Jiraiya, Namikaze Minato, Uzumaki-Namikaze Nawaki,
Uzumaki-Namikaze Natsuki, and Uzumaki-Namikaze Narumi could be
seen written vertically in large kanji using their own blood, naturally
there was also a handprint soaked in blood below each signature.
"Seeing as how it is possible that you are the one that the prophecy spoke
of, it would be beneficial for you to sign the toad summoning contract.
This way you can speak to the toads personally and have them test you to
see if you truly are the child of prophecy. Naturally, they will also help
you on your quest towards the goal of peace." It seemed that to the
Hokage, Naruto's opinion on the topic didn't matter as Minato had
already decided that Naruto would be signing the contract.
It also seemed as if Minato and Jiraiya hadn't gotten what Naruto was
trying to convey earlier.
Even so, if he had wanted to do so, signing the toad contract would be
impossible. He already held the contract with the phoenixes, which was
most likely the one of the strongest summoning contracts if not the
strongest. Signing two contracts may have been accepted with the toads
and the slugs, but the phoenixes were highly territorial. Especially when
it came to summoning clans that were weaker than themselves, Naruto's
recent match in the chunin exams only proved how inferior the toads
were to the phoenixes.
At his current level, Naruto wouldn't even be able of fighting on par with
Dranzer for even a minute. Not to mention the fact that a majority of the
summoning clans considered the toad contract rather pretentious, the
phoenix included. It seemed the fact that the eldest of the toads seemed
to hand out prophecies like they were candy on halloween didn't sit well
with the other summoning clans.
Some of these summoning contracts had originated from the time of the
Rikudō Sennin or his sons. Therefore prophecies were something sacred
to them as there were only a few that had been passed down throughout
the generations. So when some self-entitled, senile old toad seems to
make them up from thin air, they were bound to get a little upset with
the entire clan.
It seemed that Minato and Jiraiya were ignorant to the validity of the
prophecies from the toads. After all, they were still clinging onto the one
that they believed said that Minato would undoubtedly one day bring
peace to the Elemental Nations. This time the prophecy they received
wasn't even specific in the least. They few key phrases that Naruto could
actually relate to were: will of fire, memories of old, predecessor, burned
the path.
Another thing that Naruto found peculiar was that while it did say that
the child of prophecy would bring about a new era of peace, nothing was
said about what would happen if they chose another path. There was just
too many angles to cover and it was too broad to narrow it down any
further. Such was the nature of most prophecies.
The only viable conclusion Naruto could come up with to what Minato
was saying, was that he was supposed to be this child of prophecy, Ace
was the one who had already burned the path towards peace, and this
uncertain future probably is related to the Moon's Eye Plan and the
revival of Ōtsutsuki Kaguya.
There were only a few problems with that theory. For starters, Ace never
truly believed in peace. Hagoromo was the only child of Ōtsutsuki
Kaguya who aimed to rebuild this world into a place where war and
hatred were nonexistent. Ace had always lived his life how he wanted to.
His goals and dreams weren't as noble as his brothers', in reality his
ambitions were rather selfish. But that was how people should live their
lives, it was their life to live however they pleased, so why should a
person live their life for another person? Or a cause that they knew was
fruitless?
Due to that, it was highly unlikely that Ace was this 'predecessor' that the
prophecy spoke of. Either that, or the toads were completely wrong of
their history. Whatever the case may be, Naruto didn't care to find out.
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....
Naruto stared at the contract spread out on the table blankly. He had
been in a good mood earlier because Satsuki, Hana, Haku, and him had
spent the entire morning together, but right now he was beginning to
lose his patience.
"...No." That single word was Naruto's reply after staying silent for a few
moments.
There were a few grans from a few people in the room, namely Obito,
Tsunade, and Natsuki. This was just another version of the conversation
that Minato and Naruto always had. Minato offering things like training,
jutsu, and summoning contracts, while Naruto continually refused
because they were trying to force him into a life he didn't want to live.
"I see this is just one of you're usual attempts to force Naruto back into
your lives, so I'm leaving. I have patients to attend to." Was Tsunade's
irritated statement before she gave Naruto a pitying glance, though the
reason for it was unknown to him, andShunshinedout of the room,
presumably back to the hospital. There really was no reason for her to be
here. Minato had selfishly summoned her here in hopes that she would
help to persuade his son, forcing her away from tending to the wounded
at the hospital.
A few people in the room gave the spot where she was previously
standing a glance before turning their heads back to the scene that was
unfolding before them.
Minato and Jiraiya had not even noticed that Tsunade had left, as they
were staring on in shock at Naruto's blatant refusal to sign Konoha's most
renowned summoning contract. They had thought he would be ecstatic at
the prospect of signing the same contract that some of the most
prominent shinobi in Konoha held. It would be foolish to deny something
that could increase your strength and skill tenfold, just because you
weren't the biggest fans of some of the other holders.
"...What do you mean 'no'?" Minato asked panicked, he had not fully
recovered yet from Naruto's sudden rejection.
"Do you know how many people would sign this contract in a heartbeat if
given the chance. It's easily one of the most powerful summoning
contracts in the world, it's likely you'll never come across one as strong as
this in your lifetime ever again! If you don't take this opportunity now,
then you'll end up regretting it the rest of your life!" Of course it was
Jiraiya who ran to the aid of his summoning contract and defended it
relentlessly.
Naruto sighed inwardly. This conversation would clearly be continuing in
a repetitious cycle, so it would be best to break out of it as soon as
humanly possible. Perhaps even faster.
"I believe I said it quite clearly...you want me to sign this contract to
further your dreams of peace...that's quite selfish in my opinion. The both
of you are trying to force your own ideals and ambitions upon me
because you can't do it yourself." Naruto rolled the summoning contract
back up and threw it towards the offended Jiraiya.
"Wait that's not true at all! You-" Jiraiya was cut off as Naruto brought his
hand up to to signal him to stop talking.
"Jiraiya...I believe you always said that 'someday the the day would come
when people could truly understand one another', yet you've done
nothing to further you dreams of peace, besides handing out prophecies
and pushing the duty off onto other people." Naruto then turned to
Minato, he wasn't finished yet, not by a long-shot. "You're no better
Minato. You easily accept this man's beliefs, so easily that your dream
now is to find peace. Yet, you have done to turn that dream into a reality.
You've been the Hokage for over sixteen years now and yet, you have not
made a single step towards bringing about peace."
The room was silent for a moment as they took in Naruto's words. Oddly
enough, none of them could recall either of these men actually doing
anything about their dreams besides push them onto other people or
preach their ideals to the younger generations. Even Kushina's eyes
widened when she realized this.
"Naruto, you have to understand-"
This time it was Minato who was cut off as he was trying to explain to his
wayward son how difficult it was to bring this world together.
"I don't need to hear any excuses, if fact there are none to use." Naruto
said as he sat back in the chair and crossed his arms over his chest.
"Things have only gotten worse since you had taken over as Hokage, the
recent invasion is proof of that...actually, now that we're on that subject,
I'm actually rather disappointed that you are talking about peace only a
week after our village was invaded."
Minato and Jiraiya both flinched at the tone of his voice. Was it a
mistake to tell him about the prophecy so soon after the invasion?
"I will tell you this here and now...Do not try to force your beliefs of
peace on me. I've already seen just how far you will go to keep the peace
within Konoha. World peace...that kind of belief is a little too naïve for
someone like me. Find someone else to push this onto." With those final
words said, Naruto got out of his chair and walked out of the room,
leaving behind a room of stunned shinobi.
Minato's, Jiraiya's, and Obito's eyes widened at the indirect reference to
the Uchiha Massacre, as that could be the only thing he was referring to
when he mentioned keeping the peace within Konoha's walls.
As an eerie silence filled every corner of the Hokage's Office, Minato
stood completely still. After a minute of silence, when he looked around
the room, he realized that everyone was either purposefully looking away
from him while whistling or had their faces planted in their hands. A
despondent, sheepish expression made its way onto his face as he rubbed
the back of his head. "Um...Did I mess up again or something...?"
Much to the surprise of everyone in the room, it was Obito who finally
answered after a moment of silence. "...I wouldn't go as far as to say
that...You're completely justified in what you believe, Sensei, but you
haven't considered how other people feel about your ideals or
beliefs...You automatically assumed that he would jump aboard and
you'd have the perfect family once again."
Minato's features turned hostile as a low growl leaked out of his throat.
Obito may have been his student, but what right did he have to tell him
how he should handle his own child? "Well what should I have done...!?
You heard what the prophecy said! The path that he takes will determine
the future of the entire world! You want me to-"
Before Minato could continue his rant any further, Obito held his hands
up in the same fashion that Naruto had used to cut off the man earlier.
"Naruto...is a special case. You can't deal with him the same way you do
normal people, I've learned that first hand since I became his sensei...He
doesn't believe in living his life for some greater cause...World peace,
something like that doesn't matter to him. No matter how selfish it may
seem to you, he lives his life the way that he wants and for the people he
cares about. You can't decide what someone else should do with their
life...One day your going to have to allow him to make his own
decisions..."
With those final words said, Obito warped out of the room, leaving the
people behind with much to think about.
Though, those words were mainly to Minato and Kushina as it was clear
they would not stop pestering him anytime soon. Jiraiya didn't seem
fazed in the least by Obito's proclamation. Though he did seem a little
hurt from Naruto's words about how he had been living his life up until
now, but that didn't last for to long. In his mind, what he had been doing
was right, he wasn't meant to bring peace, but he would make sure to
find the one who was.
Chapter no.125
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....
The population of the room had decreased dramatically since thirty
minutes the Kiri-nin, Team 11, Tsunade, and Obito having already made
their exit, the only ones who remained were Jiraiya, Minato, Kakashi,
Kushina, Narumi, and Natsuki. It was not uncommon for these particular
people to be in the same room together.
"Well, why don't we give Naruto a little time to think about what we said
here...Perhaps he just needs a little time and space to think about
everything he just learned. He's probably just a bit overwhelmed after
learning how important his role in the world really is." Jiraiya spoke to
no one in particular as he strapped the large summoning scroll to his
lower back once again.
'Are you really that dense?'were the simultaneous thoughts of Natsuki,
Narumi, and Kushina. They seemed to be the only ones in the office to
still have their head on straight. Kakashi probably hadn't even been
listening to the entire conversation as his nose was still buried in his
smut, giggling perversely every few minutes.
Minato seemed to be brought out of his daze as a lightbulb suddenly
went off above his head. "Oh, that's right Jiraiya, now that you're free,
could you take a look at Natsuki's seal? She won't let me or Kushina look
at it for some unknown reason."
Due to Naruto's request in what formerly was the forest just outside of
Konoha, Natsuki had not told Minato nor Kushina about what had
occurred a week ago, nor would she even let them near her seal.
If any of them were to find any discrepancies in the seal formula on her
stomach, they would surely tighten up her seal, which would successfully
cut off her connection with Kurama, or the Kyuubi as they would call
him. While he may have been very uncooperative ever since he found out
about how much she had been abusing his chakra, she wouldn't allow
him to be locked up anymore. Kurama seemed to know something behind
her Nii-san's surname, she wanted to find out more about why that was,
so she would have to work to gain his trust. Cutting the connection and
forcing him back into the cage would be going against that.
Not to mention now that she knew that the Bijū were living beings
instead of giant masses of chakra who merely caused destruction, Natsuki
hated the fact that they were forcibly imprisoned to create jinchūriki for
each of the villages. Kurama was merely the victim of an unfortunate
fate, he never meant to attack Konoha on the day of their birth, he was
being controlled by a dead man for over a century. Perhaps the other Bijū
had suffered a similar fate.
Though Naruto did say that she could relay what happened to Narumi,
due to the fact that she was just as involved as they were, but she just
didn't know when she would get the opportunity to do so without their
parents overhearing. Nor did she know if her sister would keep the
information from their parents. She remembered just what would happen
if they were to find out. She really didn't want her brother to see her as
an enemy, perhaps that would be enough to make Narumi understand
how serious this was as well.
"Nope! He's not coming near my seal either!" Natsuki exclaimed as she
crossed her forearms into a 'X' shape and held them out just in front of
her chest.
Narumi raised and eyebrow at her twin sister's attitude. She noticed that
she had refused to let anyone near her seal a few times this week already.
Normally they just complied when their parents or Jiraiya wanted to
inspect if the seal was still holding properly. Perhaps it had to do with
what had happened with Nawaki's seal. Whatever it was, she would make
sure to ask her sister at a later time, but for now she would remain quiet.
"Natsuki, I don't understand why you're acting like this. You've never had
a problem before when we wanted to study the seal." Minato said, quite
confused at his daughter's actions. They really needed to get a look at her
seal to make sure that it was still holding properly, they couldn't let
whatever had happened to Nawaki happen to her as well. Now that he
thought about it, the exact cause of why and how the Kyuubi's chakra
had broken through his seal were still a mystery.
"That was before everything that happened with Nawaki's seal! You think
I'm gonna let any of you near my seal after the fine mess you've caused!?"
Natsuki yelled back at Minato. She needed to play the part of the scared
little girl for now...though a lot of what she was saying was actually true.
Now a majority of the room was confused. What did they have to do with
what happened to Nawaki? None of them had tampered with the seal or
even looked at it since after the second stage of the chūnin exams.
Perhaps Orochimaru did something to the seal as well when their team
encountered him in the forest of death.
"What are you talking about Natsuki-chan? None of us did anything to
alter the seal, so there's no way that any of us could have been
responsible for what happened to Nawaki." Kushina tried to calm her
daughter down, but it seemed to have the opposite effect as she was now
even more worked up than before.
"You mean the three of you really have no idea why the Kyuubi was able
to escape Nawaki's seal?" Natsuki asked them rhetorically. She almost
called the Kyuubi, Kurama right in front of them. If she had done so,
there would be far more explaining to do than why he was able to escape
from the seal he was confined to.
She received three nods of the head in the negative, while Narumi and
Kakashi now only stared on curiously.
"Sandaime-sama may have been the one who sealed the Kyuubi inside of
us, but he did so according to the seal formulas that you had prepared in
advance and already placed on the three of us, so he can't be blamed for
the current situation." Natsuki felt as if she was lecturing children with
how clueless her parents and Jiraiya looked at the moment. "What do you
think happens when you separate yin and yang, oh great fūinjutsu
masters?"
The eyes of the three fūinjutsu experts in the room widened to epic
proportions. How could they not have realized such a basic principle for
so long?
"I see you finally understand what happened to Nawaki's and my seal. Yin
and yang are not meant to be separated, they need to be together to keep
the balance. It's the most basic principle of this world, not limited to only
fūinjutsu. When the two are separated for long enough, they will
eventually try to find their way back to each other. It just so happened
that they found their home inside of me."
Needless to say that everyone still present in the room was stunned into
silence, though the three men in the room had to suppress a shiver from
running down their spine at the appearance of the famous Uzumaki
temper.
Having said everything that she wanted to, Natsuki breathed a sigh of
relief and hopped of the couch to walk out the door. Narumi followed not
long after her sister, not wanting to be left in the room when her parents
were going to be in that kind of state.
Minato and Kushina had fallen to their knees and were now holding onto
each other tightly while sobbing hysterically. They had ruined not just
Naruto's life during his childhood, but also Nawaki's and possibly
Natsuki's due to their lack of foresight. Why hadn't they thought of the
consequences of separating the two halves of the Kyuubi, it was one of
the basic principles of fūinjutsu, which they claimed to be masters at.
How could they have screwed up so badly?
With how their children had turned out and all the mistakes they had
made, were they even meant to be parents?
Akatsuki Hideout - Unknown Location
A large amount of spectral figures, numbering into the double digits,
flickered to life around a large, round table, centered in the middle of an
underground cavern. It could not be determined where exactly they were,
though if one looked around, they would see a large, demonic entity with
a decayed appearance and a number of spike-like protrusions on its back.
This was the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, an entity only capable of
being summoned by one possessing the Rinnegan. The statue was the
only thing in the cavern besides the table and chairs.
Chapter no.126
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....
Had anyone else been in the cavern, they would have been trembling at
the mere presence of these shinobis' astral projections. Any shinobi worth
their hitai-ate would recognize almost every single one of the figures in
the room, as they were some of the most dangerous criminals and nuke-
nin in all of the Elemental Nations.
The first, and the obvious leader of this organization was known only as
Pein. Pein was a slim man of of average height that looked to be in his
mid-twenties to early thirties with medium length spiky orange hair. He
bore six piercings, a metal bar though each ear, three studs through each
side of his upper nose, and one spiked stud on each end of the bottom lip.
Most notable about his appearance was the pair of Rinnegan eyes. As per
the the attire of the organization, he wore a high-collared black cloak
with red clouds on it. It seemed that he was a nuke-nin from Amegakure
due to the Ame hitai-ate around his forehead with a vertical slash mark
running through it.
Although her hitai-ate could not be seen, Konan was also a kunoichi who
was formerly a part of Amegakure. Konan was a relatively tall woman
with short, straight blue hair, amber-colored eyes with lavender
eyeshadow and a labret piercing. A large, light blue paper flower could
be seen in her hair, which had been made using her affinity for origami-
based ninjutsu. She wore the usual Akatsuki cloak, though instead of the
usual shinobi sandals and white leg warmers, she wore a pair of blue
pants that also functioned as her shoes, with white high heels, inverting
the organization's standard color scheme.
The next 'person' was rather odd looking. Zetsu appeared to have two
venus flytrap-like extensions that emerged from their sides, enveloping
their head and upper body as a shell, which they were able to open and
close at will. Half of Zetsu's body was white and possessed humanoid
features, this was known as White Zetsu. The other half of their body was
completely black and possessed no qualities whatsoever, other than a
round, yellow eye, he could be described only as a shadow. This was
known as Black Zetsu. They were part of the same being, yet had two
completely different personalities. It is unknown whether Zetsu had
previous affiliations with any of the hidden villages, but he was classified
as an S-Rank criminal nonetheless.
The next shinobi was easily discernible as his Sharingan eyes were
blazing. Uchiha Itachi had not changed much since his time in Konoha, in
fact it looked as if he hadn't aged a single day. As stated before, his eyes
adorned a three-tomoed Sharingan design, under which were long,
pronounced tear-troughs. His jet-black hair was tied into a low ponytail
and his face was framed with centre-parted bangs that extended to his
chin. On his forehead was his Konoha hitai-ate with a long, vertical slash
mark running through it, symbolizing that he had broken his ties with
the village.
Deidara was one of the newer members of the Akatsuki, with only Hidan
having been recruited after him. Deidara had slanted blue eyes and very
long blonde hair which he wore drawn into a ponytail with the rest
hanging down freely. His most distinctive feature were the mouths in
each of the palms of his hands which were used for kneading chakra into
his explosive clay and molding it into various shapes and creatures.
Kakazu was a tan-skinned and tall man, easily standing amongst the
tallest members of the Akatsuki. Noticeably, despite his advanced age, he
still appears as a a man well within his prime, retaining a very muscular
build. He wore a white hood and a black mask, with his eyes being the
only visible part of his face. Underneath the usual cloak, his entire body
was covered with various stitches and predominantly appeared to be
sewn together, this was a result of the Jiongu kinjutsu that he stole from
Takigakure just before he defected from the village years if not decades
ago.
Sasori was an infamous nuke-nin from Sunagakure, however his
appearance was unknown to everyone, even most of the Akatsuki
members. Currently, he was hiding within his favorite human puppet,
Hiruko. Within the puppet's confines, Sasori didn't look a day older since
he defected from Suna. This was primarily because he had turned his
entire body into a living puppet, with the only human part of him left
being his heart.
Hidan has medium-length silver hair that was slicked back and
distinctive purple eyes. He wore his Akatsuki cloak open with no shirt,
only pants under it, thus revealing his slashed Yugakure hitai-ate around
his neck and an amulet representing the religion of the Jashinist cult. On
his back was a triple-bladed scythe which was his primary weapon and
used in conjunction with a majority of his specialized jutsu.
The next shinobi was Hiruko, not to be confused with the shinobi who
now functions as Sasori's human puppet. Hiruko has long white hair that
was hidden within his cloak and a pair of pale red eyes. Despite once
being close friends with the Sannin and being the same age as them,
Hiruko has a much more youthful appearance due to the heavy
modifications that he had made on himself. Most of his body was covered
in bandages, including his mouth and arms, revealing only the upper half
of his face and hair. His body is covered in stitches and scars, much like
Kakazu, due to assimilating the bodies of other shinobi with his own.
Hiruko is a nuke-nin from Konoha, who was forced to flee during the
Third Shinobi World War after his research and findings were discovered
by the Sandaime Hokage and the Sannin were sent to assassinate him.
Uzumaki Menma, the only other surviving member of the ill-fated
Uzumaki clan, and the presumably deceased twin brother of Uzumaki-
Namikaze Kushina. His red hair, the trademark sign of the Uzumaki clan,
was worn in a longer, shaggier-looking style, not too different from the
Yondaime Hokage. He was a very tall man, with a muscular build. Most
notable about his appearance was that he has a large X-shaped scar
centered on the left side of his forehead that stretches over both his eyes,
with only the whites of his eyes showing. He is presumed to be blind. He
has white bandages wrapped around each of his forearms, with
handguards on both hands. In his hand was a shikomizue, that doubles as
a cane when not in battle due to his blindness. This is presumably one of
his clan's famed fūinjutsu swords.
Unlike most of the other Akatsuki members who wore a cloak, Sir
Crocodile donned a black shirt, a green scarf, dark gray slacks, and a
black overcoat with a fur trim and red clouds on it. Crocodile is a tall
man with a wide chest, broad shoulders, muscular arms and legs, and a
thick neck. His pale skin and nape-length, black hair, which is neatly kept
slicked back, make people question if he is really a nuke-nin from
Sunagakure, although after hearing his reputation, those doubts were
subsided. Most notable about his appearance was the long stitched scar
above his nose that stretches vertically across his face, as well as a
missing left hand that has been replaced by a large hook made of a tough
gold alloy. In his mouth was the usual cigar.
Similarly to Sir Crocodile, Enel did not wear the usual Akatsuki garb.
Enel is a tall, muscular man who has white-blond hair that was covered
by a simple white bandana. His nose had many lines running horizontally
across it, along with strange, long earlobes that stretch all the way to his
chest. He also has four large tomoe drums attached to his back via a large
metal ring. He wore loose black pants with red clouds running across
them, around his waist is a blue, flowing sash, holding up a light blue
veil. He seemed to have an affinity for gold as he wore gold bracelets on
both his arms and his legs and the gold staff in his right hand. Around his
neck was a Kumogakure hitai-ate with a vertical slash mark running
through it.
Dracule Mihawk is a lean man with black hair, a short beard, mustache
and sideburns that point upwards. His eyes were a strange yellow color
with a ring circling around the pupil, resembling a hawk's eyes. His attire
consists of a wide-brimmed black hat decorated with a large plume, and
a long, open black coat with no undershirt, and with red cloud designs.
Around his neck was a crucifix pendant concealing a small dagger. He
wears white pants held up by a decorated belt and tucked inside overly
large boots in comparison to his leg size. On his back was the famed
sword Yoru. To this day, Mihawk hold the title of the world's strongest
swordsman. He has no prior affiliations with any of the villages, as he is a
wandering swordsman.
Gekkō Moria is an abnormally large person with distinct devil-like
features. Standing at 22'7" in height, Moria is the tallest amongst the
Akatsuki members. It was impossible for one of the usual Akatsuki cloaks
to fit his body size and shape, so he wore a fur-laced black cape with a
red cloud design. It is unknown whether or not Moria has any
connections to the hidden villages, although due to his size if he was
formerly, he would be hard to miss. Though if he was formerly a shinobi
of one of the villages, he was most likely banished due to how immoral
his abilities were.
Bartholomew Kuma is an enormous man, standing at a height of 22'6", he
is easily the tallest member of the Akatsuki if Moria was excluded. His
overall appearance resembles that of a bear, though there are a few key
differences. His jacket was a jet-black color and covered in the trademark
Akatsuki clouds. On his hands were a pair of gloves that covered the paw
pads on his hands, and thus preventing him from accidentally activating
the kinjutsu that he possesses. Kuma is a former shinobi from Iwagakure
who became known throughout the world for fighting on par with the
Sandaime Tsuchikage for four days and three nights before he defeated
the Kage due to his old age during his defection. He was one of the key
players in the Akatsuki's plans due to his abilities.
The only other female amongst the Akatsuki members was Boa Hancock.
Hancock is considered by many to be the most beautiful woman in the
world. She is a very tall, slender woman in her mid-twenties with long,
silky black hair that reached down past her waist with locks of hair that
frame her face down to her chin, large breasts, a high forehead, dark blue
eyes that have long, voluminous lashes, and a narrow waist. She wore a
black, tight, form-fitting dress embroidered with the Akatsuki's usual red
clouds. The dress itself was a Chinese-style design with slits on the sides
to reveal her legs, it exposed a fair amount of cleavage and rose up into a
high collar. She usually chose a rather revealing attire as to increase he
effects of her Mero Mero kinjutsu. This particular kinjutsu was developed
by the Kuja tribe before they were eradicated during the Third Shinobi
World War, to which she is that sole survivor.
The final Akatsuki member was the only medical-nin in the world who
could put Senju Tsunade to shame, Trafalgar D. Water Law. Law is a slim
young man in his mid-twenties of a relatively tall height. His gray eyes
were covered by faint shadows from his trademark white, northern-style
fur hat, which also obscured his spiky black hair, save for his sideburns
and small black goatee. He adorned the usual Akatsuki cloak, and held a
large nodachi with his right hand, resting it on his shoulder, thus
revealing the tattoos on his hands and arms. Law holds a deep hatred for
the great shinobi nations, as he is the sole survivor of the tragedy of
Flevance also known as the 'White City', a nation that discovered how to
make firearms and powerful weapons using the amber lead that was
mined there. However, the amber lead caused poisoning and eventually
everyone in the nation was diagnosed with the disease. Fearing both the
potential of their weapons and that the deadly disease was contagious,
Iwa, Kumo, Ame and Suna formed a temporary alliance to eradicate
every single person living there. This resulted in the death of his parents
and his younger sister. This information is also what lead him to be
recruited by the Akatsuki several years ago.
Chapter no.127
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....
"Zetsu, what news do you have on the jinchūriki that participated in the
chūnin exams?" Pein ordered more than asked the plant-like being. The
current level of strength would be essential knowledge for the group as it
would benefit them in capturing all of the jinchūriki.
"Ah yes, the jinchūrikis within Konoha during that time put on quite a
show. There have also been some very interesting developments
regarding the Kyuubi jinchūrikis." White Zetsu was the one who
answered in his usual playful tone. Him and his black counterpart had
watched the entire chūnin exam finals, hidden from view of everyone,
Kages included. Black Zetsu had been seething in anger and rage ever
since he saw the only non-jinchūriki child of the Hokage compete. It
wasn't like him to be angry, he was usually serious, critical, and even
harsh to everyone, but he had never been angry before.
"What kind of developments exactly?" The figurehead leader of the
Akatsuki asked once more. He was getting irritated that things weren't
going according to plan, they had enough strength and numbers to start
hunting the jinchūriki as of now, of course the Bijū had to be captured
and sealed in order from least amount of tails to the greatest so that the
Gedō Mazō could slowly adjust to its power returning.
If they were to seal a Bijū with a larger amount of tail before the ones
with a lower amount were sealed, the sealing process would take much
longer and be much harder on the physical body and the chakra of those
sealing it because the statue would have too much power already. That
was the reason that they would be going in order of the number of tails.
"As we expected, the Sanbi jinchūriki, Yagura, has perfect control of the
Bijū sealed within him and is incredibly strong. He will be quite difficult
to subdue and capture, but that wasn't very surprising. What was
interesting is that there are no longer three Kyuubi jinchūrikis, only two.
The Kyuubi's chakra inside of the Yondaime Hokage's second son ripped
itself out of the boy and fused with the other half of itself inside of his
daughter, leaving the boy without a trace of its chakra. This means that
the Kyuubi is whole once again and is sure to be far stronger than we had
anticipated." White Zetsu informed the group excitedly, there was a
reason that he was occasionally referred to as 'chatterbox'.
There was a collective silence among the group of S-Rank shinobi as it
was unheard of for a Bijuū to actually forcibly remove itself from its host.
There have been cases where a third party has somehow gained control
of the beast and ripped it out of the seal holding it, but never before has
it done so on its own. For those who were hunting the Bijū this was a
very interesting development.
At least to some it was.
"You call that an important development? All that means is that we have
one less jinchūriki to capture." Menma's dislike for Kushina and anyone
related to her began to show as he voiced his opinion.
"No, that was just the tip of the iceberg. What really matters is what
happened during the Suna/Oto invasion of Konoha." This statement
caught the attention of most of the other shinobi in the room. It had been
a week since the invasion occurred, but Konoha was keeping the betrayal
of Suna quiet for now until the rebuilt their village and bolstered their
strength. Seeing the questioning looks he was receiving, White Zetsu
chose to elaborate, "Yes, the Yondaime Kazekage chose to side with
Orochimaru and Otogakure and they invaded Konoha with their
combined forces during the final stage of the chūnin exams. Though they
were forced to retreat and lost nearly three-fourths of their forces in the
process. What matters to us though is that Portgas D. Naruto, the eldest
son of the Yondaime Hokage, managed to kill the Suna jinchūriki during
the midst of the invasion." Zetsu spoke, earning a surprised look from
Law. He was the only one among them to possess the initial 'D'. As to
what that initial meant, only the few of them knew the vague details
concerning that name, but the one thing that was certain, no matter how
confusing it was, was that the Clan of D were the natural enemies of God
A thick silence filled the cavern once more as everyone processed White
Zetsu's words.
The death of the Ichibi would be a major setback in their plans as it was
the first Bijū that they needed to seal. This meant that they would have
to wait until the Ichibi was reformed somewhere, or that they would
need to start hunting the other Bijū first and seal the Ichibi last. They
would most likely be doing the former since it should only take a few
years at most for it to reform.
"...That is quite troublesome indeed...With the death of the Ichibi
jinchūriki, our plans will have to be pushed back. The last time a
jinchūriki was killed, it took the Bijū three years to reform, I assume it
will take the same length this time..." Pein announced to the rest of the
organization with an irritated look on his face.
"And what exactly are we supposed to do until that time comes? Surely
the jinchūriki will have grown in strength by then, especially the younger
ones." Crocodile questioned as he blew out a puff of smoke from his
cigar.
"We need to know how strong each of the jinchūriki currently are so that
we are adequately prepared. We had already prepared to do this anyway,
so that plan hasn't changed. Each of the teams is to report back here
when they are done, and be sure not to kill any of the jinchūriki, we can't
afford to have the plan delayed further than it already has...The rest of
you are on standby for now. Continue to gather funds and strength for
the duration of our operation."
Most of the members of the room gave a simultaneous response of "Hai,
Leader-sama!", while the more silent and reserved characters merely
nodded their head.
Seeing that everyone understood the current plan of action, Pein
continued, "Good, do all of you understand your current objectives?"
His question was more rhetorical than anything and not exactly meant to
be answered, but strangely, someone spoke up.
"...Actually Leader-sama, I'd like to be the one to test the Kyuubi
jinchūriki this time around." The deep voice of Black Zetsu spoke up.
Though his voice was far darker and filled with much more rage than
usual. He suppressed it quite well, but every shinobi in the room was S-
Ranked, in other words the highest ranking in the Elemental Nations,
nothing got by them.
Chapter no.128
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....
Pein raised an eyebrow at Black Zetsu's request. It was unlike him to
object to something that he said, the being was extremely loyal to
whomever he served. "Why is that Zetsu? Itachi and Hiruko are the ones
who are currently assigned to the Kyuubi jinchūriki, why should they not
be the ones to test its strength? This would probably be the most
important task since the Kyuubi is the strongest of the Bijū and we need
to see the jinchūriki's capabilities after having the Kyuubi whole once
again."
Itachi's and Hiruko's projections turned towards Zetsu and Pein, their
attention had been successfully caught at the mention of their target. It
was unusual for Zetsu to request such a front-line mission, he usually
operated as a spy and gathered information on the jinchūriki, this was
how the Akatsuki had gotten the locations of where each Bijū resided. He
must have had some ulterior motive behind his actions. Though, neither
of them seemed fazed or spoke out against the fact that someone was
trying to steal their target and mission.
"Itachi and Hiruko are both infamous nuke-nin formerly of Konoha,
they're bound to attract far more attention than the mission would allow.
And with shinobi such as Namikaze Minato, Uzumaki-Namikaze Kushina,
Jiraiya, Uchiha Obito, and shinobi on par with them currently residing
within Konoha, the chance of capture is far greater than we would
prefer...Someone like me on the other hand would be able to easily
escape if I were to find myself driven into a corner...and I have some
personal business with someone close to the jinchūriki. It would be
beneficial to our plans if he is dealt with sooner rather than later." Zetsu
reasoned with Pein.
White Zetsu had a confused look on his face, he hadn't known that they
had anything to settle with any of the Konoha shinobi. In fact, the last
Konoha shinobi that they had dealt with, other than the ones in the
Akatsuki, was Obito when Madara was trying to manipulate him into
creating the Akatsuki and become the leader behind the scenes.
Pein was silent for a moment as he thought about Zetsu's words. Konoha
did indeed have the highest number of S-Rank shinobi residing in it,
though Jiraiya was frequently outside the village walls, Obito and
Kushina were usually on missions, Tsunade had her hands full as a
medical-nin at the village hospital, and Minato was now crippled. It was
certainly more of a risk than he was willing to take, sending two of his
shinobi within those walls. Then again, Zetsu was extremely trustworthy,
having never failing a mission and being one of the Akatsuiki's very first
members. Perhaps he did have a point.
"Itachi, Hiruko. What do you think of Zetsu's request?" Pein turned to the
team that assigned to capturing the Kyuubi jinchūriki.
"Let him have the mission if he's so insistent on it. It will give me more
time to track down the shinobi who I plan to fuse with." Hiruko possessed
a kinjutsu known asChimerawhich allowed him to absorb the bodies of at
most four people, gaining their Kekkei Genkai and attributes they
possessed when alive. Currently, he had already absorbed three people
and he had already found the fourth, but he had yet to put his plan into
action.
"It does not matter to me." Itachi responded in his usual calm, stoic voice.
However, inwardly he was quite worried. It was Itachi's duty to protect
Konoha as much as he could from inside the Akatsuki and relay that
information back to Jiraiya or the Hokage, if he wasn't the one
responsible for capturing the Kyuubi then far more casualties were likely
to occur. The Akatsuki was far more dangerous than they had believed it
to be. Originally Jiriaya and the Yondaime Hokage had believed there to
only be nine members, but now their numbers had grown to almost
twenty. If Zetsu was going to get involved the death of Konoha-nin was
unavoidable, but Itachi couldn't voice his disapproval and needed to
maintain his cover.
"Very well then, you may be the one to approach the Kyuubi
jinchūriki...However, you are one of the Akatsuki members who
frequently works on their own. You will need a partner for this." Zetsu
may not have been a usual fron-line fighter for the Akatsuki, but he was
still one of the strongest among them. Even so, the mission would have a
higher chance of success if he brought a partner along with him. That is
why it was encouraged for Akatsuki members to work in pairs, though a
handful of them still preferred to work solo.
"...Enel..." Zetsu's deep voice rang out, gaining the attention of said man.
"You'll be coming with me."
"God does not take orders, God is the one who gives them." Enel's spoke
out arrogantly, soon after though, he began to scratch his chin and a
thoughtful look made its way onto his face. "...Though I will be joining
you anyway. It has been far too long since I've had any fun. Perhaps the
Kyuubi jinchūriki will provide me with some entertainment."
An irritated expression mede its way onto Pein's normally stoic face. He
was the only God here. Enel may have been strong and been granted with
divine power, but he was no God. Only the bearer of the Rinnegan had
the right to call themselves as such, as they were the ones who were
freely able to bend the boundaries of life and death.
"Then, if you all know you current assignments, you're dismissed."
The other sixteen members uttered a "Hai Leader-sama" in unison before
flickering out of existence, until only Pein's figure spectral figure was left
alone in the room.
Chapter no.129
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....
A sound of footsteps approaching is what caught his attention, as the real
leader of the Akatsuki was about to make his appearance known.
Out from the shadows stepped an unusually tall man, standing at a height
of 10', blonde-haired, very lean and muscular man with tan skin in his
late thirties. Draped over his shoulders was a hot pink feather coat, his
pants were black and designed with the usual Akatsuki red clouds,
strangely, he wore a pair of dress shoes instead of shinobi sandals, under
his coat was a plain white open shirt that revealed his chest and abs, on
his face were a pair of curved, thin white sunglasses with red lenses.
From the slashed Suna hitai-ate functioning as his belt buckle, it was easy
to mark him as a nuke-nin from Sunagakure. This was Donquixote
Doflamingo.
"Zetsu seemed quite adamant about handling the Kyuubi jinchūriki
himself don't you think? Though whoever he wants to deal with
personally must've really pissed him off." Doflamingo spoke, making his
presence in the room fully known.
However, Pein didn't seem fazed in the least by the man's sudden
appearance, which meant that he knew that the man was here all along
and was already accustomed to dealing with him.
"He will complete his mission just as all the members will." Pein spoke
with the utmost seriousness.
However, Doflamingo never lost the maniacal grin that seemed to always
be present on his face. "You're far too serious all of the time Nagato,
loosening up every now and then will do you some good. If you're this
wrapped up in the plans of the organization, the plan is bound to end in
failure. Take a step back from our goals and just enjoy what's around you
for the moment!" Doflamingo declared as he spread his arms out wide
and took a dramatic pose.
"That is for me to decided." The man's attitude didn't seem to affect the
figurehead leader for the Akatsuki one bit.
Taking on a more serious expression Doflamingo loked down at Pein's
spectral figure, "Don't take these next three years too lightly though.
Once the jinchūriki are aware of our presence, they will no doubt
increase their strength dramatically...Though such a thing wouldn't be
too difficult to deal with, most jinchūriki rely on brute force alone and
once they lose control of themselves, that's all they're able to utilize."
"We will have to wait until the other members report back with their
assessments and we will prepare accordingly. After which we will just
have to wait until the Ichibi reforms. Then our plan will be set in
motion."
With those final word said, Pein's figure flickered out of existence,
leaving Doflamingo alone in the cavern.
Akimichi Barbecue Restaurant - Konoha
After leaving the Hokage's Office, Naruto had been slowly making his
way towards the restaurant where they had planned to meet up today
after the ceremony.
Naruto still found it hard to believe that after everything that has
happened between them, that Minato had tried to force him to play a
part in his prophecy. That was the reason that he was slowly walking to
his destination instead of justShunshiningthere, he needed some time to
cool off before meeting up with his teammates. Although he had rather
good control over his emotions for someone his age, what just happened
had gotten him pretty worked up.
Though he was pleasantly surprised that Natsuki hadn't told their parents
about what had happened with Kurama. If she had, it would have been
the first thing that he was accused of rather than about his abilities or
their prophecy.
He was also surprised that neither of his sisters nor his mother tried to
push him to sign the toad contract that their family was so fond of. It
appeared that the three of them had finally gotten the message that he
would never be a part of their family again, so they were taking a
backseat for now and just letting things play out. Though he could see it
in their eyes that they really wanted to celebrate his celebration to
chūnin with him.
He had to admit that knowing that he would no longer be bombarded
from all sided with pleas for him to come back to their family and live in
their estate with them took a lot of weight off of his shoulders. He wasn't
really a cold person by nature and he disliked having to brush them aside
every time they tried to cling to him, but far too much had happened at
this point for anything else to be a viable option.
He shook his head to bring him back to reality as he walked into the
barbecue restaurant that he had become so familiar with. Their team
often celebrated the complete of a successful mission here or came here
for special occasions such as today. The comparison could be made that
barbecue was to them what ramen was to Team 7. They had actually run
into Team 10 here on more than a few occasions as it was Chōji's family
that owned the restaurant.
"Naruto-nii!"
Naruto looked up to see Satsuki waving excitedly at him from their usual
booth in the corner.
"Yo." Naruto gave a small wave to them as he made his way to the booth
and took a seat on the side that Satsuki was on, with Hana sitting directly
across from him.
Just as he arrived, the waiter came over. It appeared he had kept them
waiting for quite a while, seeing as how it was already lunchtime. It'd be
best to order their food now. Having been here so many times after
becoming genin, they didn't even have to look at the menu to decide
what they wanted. The three chūnin placed their usual order and a little
extra for the celebration.
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....
It had been over an hour since he had parted with them in the Hokage's
Office. What had happened there took far longer than he anticipated, but
true to their word, Satsuki and Hana had been patiently waiting for them.
They might've been too excited to eat at the time though, but now that
the idea of them being chūnin had settled into their minds, their hunger
was beginning to take over as he could hear their stomachs growling.
"How was your talk with Hokage-sama?" Hana quickly asked, trying to
get the attention off of her's and Satsuki's grumbling stomachs.
Satsuki quickly scarfed down a few pieces of bread that had been given
to the table to satisfy her stomach for now, though her face was red from
embarrassment from having Naruto hear such an unladylike noise
coming from her. But after hearing Hana voice her curiosity, she shifted
her attention towards Naruto.
"Nothing different from usual, though because of my abilities he believes
that I'm some kind of child of prophecy that Jiraiya told him about before
any of us entered the academy...You two are lucky that you don't have to
deal with these kind of things." Naruto spoke as he put his elbow on the
table and leaned his cheek onto the palm of his hand.
"Hm, what'd they want exactly?" Satsuki asked curiously. Though she was
a bit upset that every time her Naruto-nii did something in front of the
Hokage, something like this had to happen.
"...First they tried interrogating me about how I can do what I can, then
after giving that up they tried to force me to sign their toad contract and
push me towards creating world peace...I walked out of the room after
refusing and some arguing..." Naruto sighed as he explained the
summarized what had happened to the girls.
The two females at the table nodded in understanding.
"Though, it is quite rare to find a shinobi with a summoning contract.
Less than one percent of the shinobi within the Elemental Nations are
holders of summoning contracts. Konoha is actually hold the most of the
known ones with the toad and slug contracts being the most prominent...I
wish I had one...Oh yeah, Naruto-nii, how'd you come across yours?"
Satsuki asked with stars in her eyes. The girl had always been interested
in summoning contracts seeing Itachi's and Shisui's crows when she was
younger.
Naruto lifted his head off of his hand and looked at his 'little sister' sitting
next to him. He chuckled lightly after seeing the stars shining in her eyes.
She was so adorable when she was like this, like a child in a toy store.
"There are only a few ways to get your hands on a summoning contract.
The first is a third party or outside factor. This means that it is either
given to you by someone else or you find the actual contract by chance.
Pretty much any outside factor can be thrown into this category. The
second way is to encounter the actual animal belonging to the contract
by chance where they can let you sign their contract if they so choose.
That one is pretty self-explanatory. The third one is how I came into
possession of my contract, though I wouldn't advise you to do so. By
preforming the hand seals for the summoning jutsu when not in
possession of a contract, you can reverse summon yourself to the
summoning realm you are naturally aligned with. Though, being
naturally aligned with one is rare and very few people in the world will
be able to do this successfully. Had I not been immune to flames, I would
have been burned to death upon being summoned to Mt. Silver."
Naruto noticed the downcast expression that had made its way onto
Satsuki's face, forcing his older brother instincts to kick in.
"Though if you're still interested in getting one for yourself, when I was
still training under Shisui, he told me that he found his crow summoning
contract in the depths of the Uchiha clan library. Maybe if you looked
there as well you'd be able to find one for yourself." These words earned
a wide smile and a hopeful look from Satsuki.
Naruto moved his hand just above her head. Satsuki looked up into his
eyes after after feeling the gentle pat on her head and the wonderful
feeling of her silky, black hair being stroked.
The atmosphere around the table had gotten sickly sweet as the two
chūnin looked into each others eyes with love and adoration. Naruto
gently stroking Satsuki's hair and Satsuki leaning into his touch with a
look of absolute delight on her face only served to heighten those
feelings.
Fortunately or unfortunately, it was difficult to tell in this case, a voice
spoke up from the other side of the table, effectively dispelling the
romantic atmosphere that surrounded the table.
"Um...you two, people are starting to stare..." Hana awkwardly
commented with a sweatdrop. Normally one would have been a bit
embarrassed after seeing such a sweet scene, but these kind of things
happened more than one would think.
Naruto and Satsuki had been so wrapped up with each other that they
had forgotten that Hana was at the table with them. Naruto looked
around the room and true to her words, there were quite a few people
who had turned their attention to the table, though they hadn't really
done anything to garnish the attention of so many people. It was
probably because of their recent performance in the chūnin exams that
they had drawn this much attention. Though Neither of them seemed
fazed in the least, in fact Satsuki even subtly flashed Hana a victory sign
and gave her a wink.
Their attention was brought off the current situation and back to their
stomachs as their waiter brought the many dishes of food onto the table,
along with a large bottle of sake. Among the dishes they ordered were a
large platter of assorted meats that they would cook themselves with the
grill on the table, a platter of rice balls, a large platter of fried rice, fried
tofu, deep fried beans tossed with garlic, and several orders of gyoza.
This may seem like a lot of food, even for people like Chōji, but every
single time they came here, not a single piece of food was left. Unlike
kunoichi like Sakura and Ino, Satsuki and Hana understood the
importance of nutrition and a balanced diet, so neither of them had even
thought about dieting. Though most of the food was usually eaten by
Naruto. His appetite knew no bounds.
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....
Naruto threw the pieces of meat on the grill to start their cooking, after
which he took the three sake cups and filled them up with sake. After
filling up the three cups with the clear liquid, he placed a cup in front of
sake in front of Satsuki and one in front of Hana.
"Sake?" Hana asked with a tilt of her head. Sure they were considered
adults once becoming genin, even more so now that they were chūnin,
but she had never drank any of the stuff before.
"When you exchange sake cups, you become family...as well as to
celebrate our promotion." Naruto said as he lifted his sake cup in front of
him.
"Family? Really?!" Hana asked as she stared down at her own cup. They
had always considered themselves to be family, but there was never
anything to secure that bond. Perhaps this was it.
"We're chūnin now, that means our paths will take us our own way...we
may not even be on the same team together for much longer...but our
bonds will keep us together as family! No matter where we are or what
we do, our bond will never be broken!" Both Hana and Satsuki found
themselves surprised at how passionate his words were. They each picked
up their own sake cup and brought them towards the middle of the table,
creating a ringing sound as the cups resounded off of each other.
"Starting with this, from this day onwards, we're officially family!"
As Naruto said those words, each of them downed their cup of sake in
one gulp. The two younger girls choked on the burning sensation running
down their throat, but swallowed it nonetheless. Naruto couldn't help but
chuckle at the reactions of his newly named sisters before pouring them
another cup.
"Don't worry, after a few cups, you get used to it. Now let's eat before the
meat burns and the food gets cold!" Naruto said as he took the meat off
the grill and began distributing it amongst the three of them.
Soon enough the group of three were digging into their food like their
was no tomorrow. This wasn't as uncommon as one may believe, every
time they came to the Akimichi's Barbecue restaurant, a quick lunch
turned into an enormous feast. Hana and Satsuki were eating in the most
unladylike manner humanly possible and Naruto had almost choked on
his food three times already because he was shoveling it down so fast,
but none of them cared about quirks like that. Today may be the last day
that they will ever be together as a team and they we're going to make
the most of it.
Halfway through there meal, the three of them began to slow their pace
down. This is the point where they usually began to take their time and
simply savor their food. This was also the time for conversation now that
their unruly hunger had begun to express its satisfaction.
"So what are the two of you going to do now that we're chūnin?" Satsuki
asked as she wiped her mouth with a napkin.
This caught the attention of the other two at the table who paused while
still chewing their food to think about her question. Hana quickly
swallowed her remaining food before turning towards her new sister.
"Well, you've known what I've always wanted to do. During genin
introductions I think I told the both of you and Obito-sensei that I wanted
to become a veterinarian. Now that I'm a chunin, I'm able to apply for
medical ninjutsu training at the hospital, that way I'll be able to work on
animals as well as people. The only medical ninjutsu I currently know
was taught to me by my Kaa-san, but she doesn't know much more than I
do now. After I start at the hospital, I'd eventually want to become one of
the veterinarians for the animal hospital in the Inuzuka compound." Hana
had a smile on her face the entire time at the prospect of being able to
acheive her dream so early on in her shinobi career.
"I guess I'd serve as a team leader for now." Naruto spoke as he threw
another dumpling into his mouth. He had absolutely no table manners
whatsoever. "Because we lost so many shinobi during the invasion, I have
no doubt they'll be sending us out on missions as soon as possible. We
may even be in charge of shinobi that were in our graduating class,
seeing as how we outrank them now."
"Why's that? If we just lost so much of our forces, wouldn't it be best to
concentrate the shinobi that we do have left on protecting the village?"
Hana asked curiously. She didn't exactly know if she had what it took to
lead a team. Naruto was a natural leader, when Obito wasn't around on
missions or was occupied with a more important matter, Naruto was the
designated stand-in leader, which he always excelled at. And Satsuki
never had any doubts about herself or her decisions. They were
completely different rom herself.
Naruto shook his head in response, "We can't do that...If we were to start
turning down missions, it'd be like telling the other nations that our
village is getting weak. Kumo and Iwa would no doubt take that
opportunity to attack because of their dislike for the village and the
Hokage. That's why even the academy has been temporarily closed and
the chunin instructors have been sent on field missions once more...I may
not like it, but that's just how it is."
The two girls had a thoughtful look on their face as if wondering that
kind of missions they'd possibly be assigned to lead. They were probably
worried about how well they'd do or if it'd be successful. Nobody wants
to fail the first mission that they were assigned to lead. Naruto didn't
have those concerns however. He's been assigned to lead sub-missions by
Obito many times during the course of their time as a team, and while he
thought he wasn't cut out for it at first, Naruto had grown accustomed to
taking charge in most situations. Though, he could understand if his two
teammates didn't feel the same way.
"Hmm...I see...that sucks for whoever gets stuck leading a team..." Satsuki
spoke lazily, still partially in thought, as she bit down on another piece of
the fried tofu.
Naruto gave the girl a deadpan looked as she continued to chew, "Hey,
I'm talking about you too, you know...most of the jonin of the village will
be sent off on higher ranking missions, because those are more
prominent, that leaves us to lead their genin teams for the time being.
Obito-sensei will probably be forced to take on more S-Rank missions as
well."
"Hm...tomorrow is bound to be a pain." The girl moaned in defeat.
"Why don't we finish up our food and get out of here. We've still got a
whole day before all of that begins, why not make the most of it?" Naruto
spoke as he started back up on his food once more.
The other girls smiled at his words and followed suit. They still had an
entire day before they had to worry about leading missions and the like,
so why worry about it now when there's nothing they could do about it?
They would make sure to take him up on his offer, those sweet smiles
turned mischievous and wicked, he was the one paying for everything
today after all.
Chapter no.132
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....
Uchiha Household - Night
After several hours of being dragged around the entirety of Konoha's
shopping district and being brought along on the most grueling shopping
spree that may have ever taken place within the walls of Konohagakure,
an exhausted, beaten, and half-dead Naruto, laid sprawled out on the
living room couch next to Mikoto as Satsuki was using the hallway as a
runway for the fashion show that was currently taking place. He now
understood why Shikamaru always referred to women as 'troublesome'. It
would take over an entire months pay to replace all the money he had
spent during the girls' 'celebration'.
If he never saw another pair of shoes again, it would be too soon.
Naruto looked up to see Satsuki spinning around in one of her new outfits
as Mikoto squealed in delight at how cute her daughter looked. Mikoto
had a much more girly side to her than he had ever imagined.
"That looks absolutely adorable of you Satsuki-chan." Mikoto praised
cheerfully, but with a weak tone that only Naruto was able to notice. It
made him worry.
He had noticed over the last few months that Mikoto's body was slowly
weakening. It was slow-going, but the rate at which her body was
weakening had picked up substantially over the course of the past few
weeks. She was forcibly suppressing the symptoms, but it was still
noticeable for those who had a background in medicine or that had
special eyes.
Naruto belonged to both of those categories. While he was younger and
still training under Shisui, the elder teen had always referred to them
as'the eyes of the hawk'not to mention the Sharingan that was now
implanted into his right eye socket. Then there was the fact that he
trained under Tsunade for around a year while he was still in the
academy. That was mainly to achieve perfect control over his chakra so
that he was able to access Haki, but he learned quite a lot about medicine
and medical ninjutsu during his time with her.
Still, the weakening of Mikoto's body was alarming. Ever since he had
known the woman, she had never been sick a day in her life and now this
happens? It has been especially bad over the last week, where she had
secretly been making visits to the hospital when she hadn't been injured
in the least during the invasion. This meant that she knew that her body
was quickly deteriorating, so why was she acting so carefree and
cheerful?
If her disease was this serious and hasn't been healed yet, then it means
that not even Tsunade was able to cure her. Konoha had the best hospital
within all the Elemental Nations, they had seen and cured every injury
and sickness known to man. Did this mean that her condition was
something that they had never seen before, or was it simply incurable?
Has she been torturing herself for them all this time?
She smiled whenever he smiled.
She laughed whenever he laughed.
She cried whenever he cried.
She shared his pain, whether it was physical, mental, or emotional.
She had always been there for him, but what is she were to no longer be
there. No, he couldn't think like that.
She had even trained together with him whenever she could. She
tortured herself, with her weak little body, just to spend whatever time
she had left with him and Satsuki. She did this to herself just for them...
Naruto knew he didn't deserve someone as wonderful and selfless as her.
And it seemed that the God watching over this plane agreed with him.
Perhaps this is what they meant when they said that the Clan of D. was
the natural enemy of God...a cursed clan where everyone close to their
heart was ripped away from them...a clan where happiness was still a
mystery.
Truly a clan with a cursed fate.
Mikoto seemed to notice that Naruto was staring at her suspiciously, so
she offered him a weak smile in return.
Satsuki had just left the room to change into another one of the new
dresses that she had bought today, leaving Naruto and Mikoto in the
living room alone together.
"You've bought Satsuki-chan an adorable new wardrobe, Naru-kun. She
seemed happy to finally be able spend the entire day with you with how
hectic everything has been." It was true, a the chūnin exams started over
a month ago, then they had the entire month to train, then the finals and
the invasion. There wasn't much time to spend with their little family.
Though she may have been just trying to get him to join the conversation
instead of how he was eyeing her body. It wasn't one of love or lust, but
one of deep concern and worry, perhaps even a bit of fear. If she had left
him to his thoughts, things would have taken a path that she would
prefer to have left unexplored.
"Yeah, her and Hana went on a rampage in the shopping district. Not a
single clothing or shoe store was left untouched." Naruto smiled right
back at her, but his mind was still on the condition of her body. If he had
a Byakugan he wouldn't have to be guessing at what kind of state her
internal and cellular condition was in...Perhaps he could ask Hinata for a
favor later. A shiver went down his spine as he thought about the pale-
eyed girl who he had caught staring at him with her Byakugan active
more than a handful of times. She was definitely out of the question.
"Those two may not be like the rest of the kunoichi who are fresh out of
the academy that focus on dieting and clinging onto their crush's arm,
but they love shopping just the same." Mikoto sighed as she remembered
the times she had taken her daughter out shopping when she was
younger. Ever since she was a child, she had rather expensive
tastes...Mikoto started to feel a little bad for Naruto. Though, her love for
high-end civilian and clothes didn't translate over to her shinobi-wear.
When on missions or during training, she usually dressed like a tomboy
or wore rather tight and revealing clothing. The girl just couldn't stick to
one style.
"...Mikoto-chan...are you having problems with your health...?" Mikoto
noticeably froze at that question. Naruto had always been too observant
for his own good. It seemed that he always found out about every secret
she was trying to keep hidden, first it was the Uchiha Massacre and now
it was her body's condition.
She could easily lie to him right now to advert this topic altogether, he
wouldn't believe her and would be able to see through any lie she spat
out, but he would play along and understand that she wanted to deal
with this on her own...but there was no dealing with this. She could lie to
Satsuki because she would undoubtedly be crushed by the truth, but she
couldn't lie to Naruto. For some reason the thought of hiding something
this important from him made her feel more sick than her actual sickness
did...but that didn't mean she had to tell him the whole truth.
"You were always too smart for your own good, Naru-kun...This isn't like
the last time I tried to keep something from you though...This time,
there's no simple solution, no easy way to make everything go back to
how it's always been...So just this once, could you leave everything up to
me?"
Mikoto looked over her shoulder and gave him a small smile, it was a
smile that he had only seen a few times before in his life, and it was
never worn by her. The first time was the day before the Uchiha
Massacre when Itachi had given him one final genjutsu lesson. The
second was when Shisui refused to be taken to the hospital on the cliff
that night, just before his death. It was a smile that Naruto despised with
all his being.
It was the smile of already accepting the inevitable.
Naruto wouldn't let her leave him the same way Shisui and Itachi had.
"What exactly is going on Mi-!" Naruto stopped mid-sentence when he
saw the pleading look in her eyes. It was a look that he had never seen
before, the tears threatening to spill from the corners of her eyes only
added to the pleading feel that it expressed. He sighed as he made a
decision that went against his better judgement. Actually that was an
understatement, every fiber of his being was telling him not to say what
he was about to, "...Just this once...but don't do anything stupid, okay?"
She didn't have a chance to respond, as Satsuki came running down the
hall in the most beautiful white sundress that complemented her pale
skin and dark hair perfectly. It seemed that the fashion show would be
continuing after that brief intermission.
Naruto sent one last worried glance over to Mikoto, who was now staring
at this new outfit with stars in her eyes. It appeared that she was no
longer concerned with their previous agreement and was going on as if
nothing had happened. Women were so damned troublesome.
Though seeing Mikoto act in her usual manner did raise his spirits a bit
and lift the weight that had been placed upon his shoulders by his
previous worries.
As if nothing out of the ordinary had happened that day, the evening
deepened into the night as usual for this little family.
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....
Death.
Death is indiscriminate.
It is the one and only truth of this world.
Good or bad, young or old, it doesn't matter. Death is unrelenting and
equal to all.
That is why it is so terrifying.
However, there once was a clan that defied all those beliefs, essentially
declaring war on the heavens.
A clan that seemed to be able to withstand incredible punishment to their
body, mind, and very soul in battle or otherwise, known only to
surrender to death when they knew there truly is no way of avoiding it.
Some even looked forward to it, rushing towards their demise.
Not because they had given up on their time in this plane, but to find out
if they were really alive in the first place.
Any normal person would have been afraid of their death, but the
members of this clan were often seen laughing or smiling greatly when
they were about to die, as if they seemed to accept their death when they
cannot escape it and display no apparent fear towards the unknown.
Death was merely a sign that they had lost their battle against the
heavens.
This was what led the Clan of D. to become known as the cursed clan.
From the time of their birth, they were the natural enemy of God and
would continue to rebel against the borders of life and death for as long
as the lived. As punishment for their actions and the actions of the
previous D's, those that were closest to them slowly died one by one.
A cursed clan with a cursed fate.
The world was merciless like that.
It seemed that the current D's are still being punished for the crimes of
their ancestors, the unfortunate history of Trafalgar D. Water Law and
Portgas D. Naruto is proof of that.
Though, it seemed as if the war that has gone on since the beginning of
time was finally drawing to an end as there were only two final
descendants of the Clan of D left.
Every D is related to one another, if not by blood then at least by their
fates. As of now, it was more common than not for it to be the latter as
all the families that pass down the initial "D" have died out.
Even if the bloodline of D has been extinguished, their flame has yet to
disappear from this world...And in that way, even from far away and long
ago, their will has been continually passed down time and time again.
And one day...Perhaps today or even hundreds of years into the future,
all of it will be engraved into the history of this world.
Someday someone will appear, carrying all those centuries of history on
his back, and challenge this entire world to a fight. Whatever the
outcome of that fight, it will lead either the rise, or the fall of D...Their
final stand. It will be the product of thousands of millennia in the
making.
Whatever the case, once D leaves their mark on this world once again, it
will never be the same.
Not so different from a month ago, Konoha was bustling with activity.
Every single person, whether it was man, woman, child, shinobi, or
civilian, wore a broad smile on their face. Just for today, the workers had
taken a break from the final stages of rebuilding the village and were
enjoying the festivities like everyone else. It wouldn't be an
understatement to say that not a single person currently within Konoha's
walls were in the streets or shops enjoying the mood that seemed to have
swept over the village.
All previous problems had been forgotten, and everyone had chosen to be
happy. A drastic change from feeling of the village this past week and a
half. There was no festival being held, no special ceremony, no important
event. The reason for the shift in mood was that earlier this morning, a
new Hokage had been named.
The villagers weren't celebrating because they disliked Minato or they
wanted him out of office, but because they were celebrating all the years
that he had led the village in prosperity and the reign of a new Hokage
who would hopefully do the same for years to come.
Uchiha Obito was certainly a shinobi worthy of following in Namikaze
Minato's footsteps.
Obito was well-known throughout the village even though he had been
absent from it over the past few years due to his duties as the liaison with
Kiri. His reputation spread far and wide, being known as untouchable
due to his signature fighting style. He was currently hailed as the
strongest S-Rank shinobi within Konoha, as Jiraiya and Tsunade were
getting old and Minato was now crippled due to the loss of his arm. He
was an excellent choice for the position.
He and Kakashi had been the only real candidates for the Hokage
position and with how lazy and perverted Kakashi was, Obito was the
only option that both the Hokage, the advisors, and the council would
accept.
With the disbandment of his team due to each of their promotions to
chūnin and the village's time of crisis, it was decided that Obito should
take the position as soon as possible. Normally the ceremony would have
waited until the village was rebuilt and until all of the shinobi in the field
were back within the village's walls, but time was of the essence. Minato
had lost one of his arms during the invasion and was currently unable to
preform any jutsu besides his two signature ones and perhaps his
fūinjutsu, therefore his strength had dropped dramatically. If Kumo of
Iwa caught wind of his condition, they might have chosen it as their best
chance to exact revenge for his actions during the Third Shinobi World
War. If Konoha wanted to maintain its image of strength, a new, younger
Hokage needed to be chosen as soon as possible.
Obito was currently sitting in behind his desk in the Hokage's Office. No
matter how many times he had previously been in this particular room, it
still felt strange to actually be sitting behind the desk and giving orders.
Sure he had always dreamed of being Hokage when he was younger, but
his illusions of what that the Hokage did were shattered when Rin died
and because of what he had learned during the void period when he went
missing.
That did not mean that he would reject the position though. If Kakashi
were to be chosen, then far more injustices may be committed, such as
how it was decided for the Uchiha to be dealt with years prior. Kakashi
may have been his best friend, but the man believed in their sensei's
naïve ideals far too much. Peace, teamwork, having to endure all the
suffering and pain that the world throws your way for the good of the
village. Obito couldn't let this village be led along by lies and and foolish
ideals any longer.
There were so many things that he could change now that he was in the
position to. First off would be teaching the children about the realities of
the shinobi world and how much they are risking by taking this path in
the academy. Straightening out the fangirls would also be at the top of
his list. While he personally didn't have a fangirl assigned to him on
Team 11, which he was thankful for, he had seen many of them over the
years and was classmates with quite a few of them. Every single one of
them was dead now. After seeing Ino's and Sakura's performance and
attitude during the preliminary stages of the chūnin exams, the sad truth
of their existence was once again brought to the front of his mind. Then,
though Danzo had disappeared years ago, Koharu and Homura were still
causing problems in every one of the council meetings, yet Minato had
done nothing about them. It seemed that it was about time for their
retirement. The civilian council was also vastly unnecessary as most of
the concerns in the village revolved around shinobi.
Ultimately, he would like to remove Konoha's evil ideology to make
personal sacrifice 'for the village'. It was those very ideals had torn apart
countless families and led thousands of shinobi to their untimely demise.
It had also cost them phenomenal shinobi such as Uchiha Itachi and
Uchiha Shisui. Obito wanted nothing more than to reveal the truth about
the Uchiha Massacre to the public and bring all of the shadows into the
light, but doing so would compromise Itachi's position within the
Akatsuki and that information could save the lives of countless shinobi
across the Elemental Nations. That was one thing that must be left in the
dark.
Though, those ideas would have to wait as he was currently assigning an
important mission to the shinobi present in the room. The traffic flow of
missions was continuous and slightly overwhelming at the moment.
Every able-bodied shinobi were being sent on field missions in order to
maintain the balance of power within the Elemental Nations. The recent
performance of the Konoha shinobi in the chūnin exams had only
increased the amount of missions that were being requested of the
village. Normally, this would be good. The village was benefitting greatly
economically because of the excess missions being assigned, but at the
moment they had less than their usual forces to take on these missions.
Almost half of their forces had been killed during the invasion well over a
week ago, and many other shinobi were still in the hospital suffering
from serious injuries or recovering.
At the moment, almost every Konoha jonin and chūnin were out
performing missions in the field. That was the concern for the current
situation. In his hands, Obito held a report he received from a team of his
shinobi that had been sent back via messenger bird before they were
killed. And the message that the report contained was more than
troubling. That was why he summoned the best shinobi he currently had
at his disposal to the office.
In front of him stood Portgas D. Naruto, Uchiha Satsuki, Uzumaki-
Namikaze Natsuki, and Uzumaki-Namikaze Narumi.
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....
As this mission was of high priority, two chūnin as well as two genin
would be given this task. However, there was still one member of the
team who had yet to arrive yet. No matter how many times he tried to
refuse her, the woman adamantly requested to be assigned to a team with
two of the shinobi in the room. He ultimately relented after hearing the
circumstances surrounding her situation, but he still felt that it was a bad
idea.
All three of the kunoichi were dressed exactly how they were for the
chunin exams. Though Naturo's attire seemed to be changing constantly
as he once again donned a different outfit. Most shinobi chose to stick to
a certain style and possessed multiple sets of the exact same wardrobe
since they would become accustomed to the limits of that particular style
of clothing. Naruto was dressed with his chūnin flak jacket worn open
over his upper body with a three quarters sleeved mesh shirt underneath
it. His lower body was equipped with his usual black pants and steel-toed
combat boots, strapped to his back was his chokuto with his right arm
was wrapped in white bandages from fingertips to mid-bicep.
"You called for us, Sensei?" Naruto asked as Obito rolled up the scroll he
held in his hands. The four of them had only just entered the room a few
moments ago. He and Satsuki had met up with Natsuki and Narumi in
the lobby on their way to their summons. It seemed as though the four of
them would be working together on this mission.
Naruto didn't really have a problem with that. If Minato was still in
charge, the man would have made a big deal about them becoming a
family again or using this as an excuse for the three of them to get closer
to each other. Naruto found that he would have a lot less dealings of that
kind of nature now that Obito had been appointed Hokage, it would
surely save him a lot of time and trouble. Though Kushina would still be
an annoyance, but she wasn't here at the moment.
"Yes I have a mission for the four of you." Obito told the shinobi in front
of him before throwing the scroll at Naruto, which he effortlessly caught.
"It is a A-Ranked mission that needs to be dealt with immediately.
Though seeing as how it may require more manpower than we currently
have, one other person has volunteered for this temporary squad."
Before Naruto could ask his sensei what he meant or even open the
mission scroll, the doors to the office opened up and walked in a woman
that two of the shinobi in the room were well acquainted with. Tied
around her forehead was a Konha hitai-ate, which was partially hidden
by her long, silky black hair. Her pale skin and dark eyes made for the
perfect combination with the usual jonin uniform, at which Natsuki and
Narumi were staring in awe. She was yet another woman who was many
times more beautiful than them. However, on her jonin flak jacket was
the emblem of the Uchiha clan, signifying that this had to be their clan
head.
Both Naruto's and Satsuki's eyes widened at the sight of Uchiha Mikoto
decked out in all her shinobi wear. It was a look that they had never seen
on her before, it was common knowledge to the two of them that Mikoto
hadn't been on a mission since before she was pregnant with Itachi. After
Itachi was born, she became the housewife and mother that she was
today, if she hadn't then nobody would have raised the children since
their father had obviously never been interested in the task. Though her
strength hadn't diminished much over the years and she had been
training so that she could protect her children if the time ever came for
it, the two chūnin couldn't believe that she had been the one to ask for
this mission.
"Mi-Mikoto-chan!?/Ka-Kaa-chan!?" Were the simultaneous outbursts of
Naruto and Natsuki as Mikoto nonchalantly walked into the room,
closing the doors behind her.
"Hello everyone, sorry I'm a bit late, but I only received the summons just
now." Mikoto gave a small wave to the occupants of the room as she
spoke in a sweet tone.
Naruto knew that she shouldn't have even been considering returning to
shinobi duty, even if the village was in a state of emergency, with the
condition that her body was in. He opened his mouth to voice his
disapproval, but before he could utter a single word, the promise he
made to her last night resounded throughout his head.
'What exactly is going on Mi-!" Naruto stopped mid-sentence when he
saw the pleading look in her eyes. It was a look that he had never seen
before, the tears threatening to spill from the corners of her eyes only
added to the pleading feel that it expressed. He sighed as he made a
decision that went against his better judgement. Actually that was an
understatement, every fiber of his being was telling him not to say what
he was about to, "...Just this once...but don't do anything stupid, okay?'
Naruto closed his eyes and sighed deeply.
'You were always too smart for your own good, Naru-kun...This isn't like
the last time I tried to keep something from you though...This time,
there's no simple solution, no easy way to make everything go back to
how it's always been...So just this once, could you leave everything up to
me?'
If this was her decision, her way of dealing with things, then he wouldn't
say a single word against it...Could this be considered as doing something
stupid?...No, this wasn't anything of the sort...She wasn't walking towards
her death, she was going to find out if she was really alive. Naruto gave a
proud, yet sad, smile to the woman. She deserved the title of 'D' more
than he did.
It's official, he had lost his mind. Strangely enough, he felt more proud
than sad at the ominous feeling that she may very well be unknowingly
replicating the actions of the descendants of that cursed clan...Then
again, all D's were a little crazy to begin with.
"Do not worry Mikoto-sama, everyone else only arrived moments ago as
well. Now please stand in line as I debrief you on the mission you are
being assigned." Even as Hokage, Obito still kept his lighthearted
approach most of the time. He had seen many of the horrors of this world
and wished he hadn't know some of the things he did, but that didn't
mean he had to be dark and serious all of the time. He acted the part
when it was required of him, or the situation demanded it.
"Oohh look at you Obito-kun, acting all professional and dutiful. I
remember when you had just joined the academy and already had
dreams of becoming Hokage." Mikoto cooed as she held her hands to her
cheeks.
A pronounced tick mark throbbed on Obito's forehead as he shut his eyes
in frustration. "Mikoto-sama...We have no time to relive the past as this
mission is of the essence...and it's Hokage-sama now."
"Hai, Hai, Hokage-sama!" Mikoto gave the Hokage a mock solute, causing
him to sigh wearily. It was his first day on the job and already it was
taking its toll on him. Seriously, how did the previous Hokage hold this
position for so long when it was such a pain. Now that he thought about
it, why would any sane person ever dream of becoming Hokage. It was
far more trouble than it was worth.
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....
During their interaction, Naruto took the time to unravel the scroll that
was in his hands. Naruto's eyes widened drastically as he burned every
word of the mission parameters into his mind with his mismatched eyes.
Were a team of two newly promoted chūnin, two genin, and a jounin that
had been inactive for over two decades, really being assigned such a high
profile mission?
Obito, after seeing Naruto's reaction to the mission, decided that playtime
was over and it was abut time to get down to business. "I see you've
already taken a look at the mission assignment, Naruto, and the situation
is just as dire as it sounds. We've recently discovered one of Orochimaru's
hidden bases near the border between Hi no Kuni and Oto no Kuni. You
are being tasked with investigating this particular base."
Obito waited until Naruto finished reading through the scroll, after which
he rolled it back up and gave the new Hokage a nod to signify that he
understood the mission parameters. Though, this debriefing was to
inform every member of the team of the mission overview. The scroll that
Naruto had just placed into his flak jacket pocket contained the more
detailed version of the mission, including locations and the report that
the previous team were able to send back before they were presumably
killed.
"We have gotten disturbance reports from a small town just north of this
hideout, called Banaro Town. Large amounts of Suna-nin and Oto-nin had
been seen near that area over the past month. This is presumably where
all of the shinobi of the invading forces had been taking refuge before
making their journey to Konoha. This is most likely also how they were
able to bypass the guards on the border without raising suspicion. If this
base isn't dealt with, then Otogakure shinobi will be able to come and go
from Hi no Kuni whenever they please. I don't think I need to inform you
of how dangerous that is. Not to mention that they may have left behind
sensitive information in that base, as was the case with Orochimaru's
other abandoned hideouts." Obito clasped his hands together while
resting his elbows on the desk and leaning his chin against his hands.
"There is likely to only be more than a handful of shinobi remaining in
that base. Their primary duty is probably to maintain it and conduct
experiments for Orochimaru. It's likely that they caught the chūnin who
had come across this base accidentally by surprise, so you shouldn't have
too much difficulty dealing with whoever is still there. Your mission is to
eliminate those remaining shinobi, recover any documents or information
that you may find, and completely destroy the entire base of operations
along with any evidence left behind." Obito spoke to the shinobi in front
of him with the utmost seriousness. "I'd also like you to investigate
Banaro Town, in case there are any foreign shinobi that have taken
refuge in the town after the invasion of Konoha."
Naruto had been thinking deeply about the parameters of this mission.
There were too many unknowns or additional factors for a group shinobi
of their ranking and circumstances. Normally chūnin were only assigned
C-Rank or B-Rank missions, with the occasional A-Rank if they were
accompanied by a jounin.
"Wouldn't a mission as vital as this one usually be given to a team of
jounin? And given that two of the shinobi here have already been marked
by Orochimaru, is it really alright to send this team?" As Naruto said
those words, Natsuki and Narumi subconsciously brought their hand to
the cursed seal on their necks.
Naruto was indeed correct, Obito really didn't want to send a team to
their deaths, especially his own genin team, but this was the best he had
at the moment. Most of the usual jounin and jounin-senseis were
currently out on other A-Rank missions and in some cases, S-Rank
missions. This included Kakashi, Kushina, Asuma, Kurenai, Jiraiya and
even Minato had taken on a few missions. He may have lost an arm, but
that didn't mean that he would quietly sit on the sidelines while everyone
else did their part. The other genin of the rookie 13 along with Gai's team
were also out on missions. Hana had even been temporarily put in charge
of Team 8 because that was the team her brother was on. And with his
parents still unsure of how to deal with him, Nawaki was still locked up
in the psychiatric ward of the hospital. Therefore, the remnants of Team
7 had been temporarily combined with the newly promoted chūnin of
Team 11. This only proved how the village was incredibly short-staffed at
the moment.
"Normally, this would be a mission that a team of jounin would handle,
but this is the best I can do at the moment. You are currently the most
capable shinobi I have at my disposal and with this being a time sensitive
mission, I wouldn't be able to recall any of the village's jounin in
time...You're the only ones capable of such a mission at the moment."
Obito spoke sadly, this mission may be a bit much for a group of genin,
chūnin, and a single jounin, but he was confident in their abilities and
had no doubt that they would pull through in the end.
Truly anything they found that was related to Orochimaru was bound to
be troublesome. However, any information at all about him was
absolutely crucial, especially regarding the current questions surrounding
him. Questions like 'Why had he marked three of the Uzumaki-Namikaze
siblings?', 'How did he plan to get a hold of them now that he was no
longer in Hi no Kuni?', 'Why had his face been able to peel off during his
confrontation in the forest of death with the Hokage's children and with
Anko?' and 'Had he been able to successfully create the immortality jutsu
he had been so obsessed with?' As of now there were far more questions
than they had answers to, and every single one of them caused great
concern.
"Naruto, you're lead on this mission." Obito said after a moment of
silence, earning the surprise of several people in the room. They had
expected Mikoto to be in charge seeing as she was the only jounin among
them. "Normally the highest ranking or most experienced shinobi would
be in charge, but seeing as Mikoto-sama hasn't been on active duty in
quite some time, that leaves you, Naruto. You've led more than your
share of missions under my charge these past few months. You're a
natural born leader and I have faith you'll pull this off."
This earned a nod of the head from the only male in the room other than
the Hokage.
Naruto then turned to the side to face the rest of his current team. "Do
whatever you need to in order to prepare for this mission. Make sure to
pack enough for a few days as it will take some time to get to our
location, complete our mission, and return back to the village. Report to
the main gates in one hour, and do not be late. We leave as soon as
everyone has arrived."
Naruto received four nods of the head and a 'Hai!' before they
Shunshined out of the room in order to prepare for their current mission.
Naruto however stayed behind in hopes of obtaining some additional
information about the current situation.
Naruto turned back to Obito with a troubled look on his face, something
the man noticed. "Natsuki, Narumi...Have they even made their first kill
yet?" Naruto asked seriously. If they hadn't this mission wasn't exactly
suited for them and Naruto wasn't exactly looking forward to the
prospect of having to deal with them after they did so. He hadn't had one
of those mental breakdowns after he made his first kill, but Satsuki and
Hana had been a bit more sensitive to it. If Natsuki and Narumi froze up
during the mission the price would be heavy.
Obito rested his head in his hand once again and was massaging his
temples, trying to get rid of the headache that Kakashi and Kushina had
left him with. "No...Kushina and Kakashi refused to take them on any sort
of elimination mission or any mission where they may have had to take a
life, even in self-defense. They've really only done a handful of C-Rank
delivery and escort missions, aside from the one to Nami where they
recovered the Raijin no Ken...I suppose Kushina was trying to mother
them and have them retain their innocence for as long as possible...I
really have no idea what Kakashi was thinking though, he should have
known better, especially with what happened to our own genin team."
Now it was Naruto's turn rub his face in frustration. This was the worst
case scenario for the current situation. He may have been better with
fresh genin than ones who had been pampered. They've probably already
adapted to the notion that they would never have to take a life or even
have their own lives in danger on a mission. What could Kushina have
possibly been thinking as a sensei!? Minato and Kakashi as well.
"What do you recommend I do prepare them for this mission. If they act
purely on instinct when we get in there, they could wind up getting us all
killed." Naruto asked with absolute seriousness.
"I don't really think they should be too hard to deal with. They are
Minato-sensei's children and whether they want to believe it or not, they
probably already have an inkling as too what the shinobi world can be
like once they step away from how much their parents have been
sheltering them...The journey to the the border should take quite some
time, on the way their stop for the night and have a heart to heart talk
with the two of them as to what they're getting themselves into. Whether
you like it or not, if it's coming from you they should be able to come to
terms with it a lot easier." Obito spoke, remembering just how Minato
had them prepare for their first kills. The man may have had an overly
optimistic outlook on life and peace, but knew just how cruel the world
could be, especially during war.
Naruto gave the man a small nod of the head, relaying that he
understood what he had to do, before walking over to the window and
looking out at the bustling streets of the village.
"Is there something else?" Obito asked as he glanced over at the boy.
"...This mission has something to do with those cursed seals doesn't it?"
Naruto asked. For an outsider this question may have seemed like it came
out of the blue, but the sigh that Obito let out confirmed that the boy's
assumptions were indeed correct.
The mission that Obito had sent that group of chūnin on was to
investigate the appearance of strange humanoid creatures with monster-
like appearances. Obito had originally thought that the townspeople of
Banaro Town were either mistaken of what the creatures really were or
were under the influence of a powerful genjutsu, so he had only sent a
team of four chūnin to investigate. Only after he received the report they
managed to send back before their mysterious disappearance and
presumable death did all the pieces begin to fit into place.
"...Have you ever heard of the clan of monsters...?" Obito asked
rhetorically. Philosophical or round-about conversations were not
uncommon between these two. The nature of their relationship was not
so different from the one that Sarutobi Asuma had with Nara Shikamaru,
though instead of playing shōgi they merely had intelligent conversation
over drinks or while seeking advice.
"...No, I'm aware of most of the clans within the Elemental Nations, but
I've never heard of a clan by that title..." Naruto replied as he took a seat
on the window sill, now facing his sensei.
"I wouldn't expect you to...They were a clan that was known throughout
the world for their madness and how bloodthirsty they were. They came
to light during the Second and Third Shinobi World Wars, but their
existence disappeared as soon as it became known. After each of the
wars, they suddenly disappeared, never to be heard from again...They
were made for war, nothing more, and it appeared that they were well
aware of that fact...The actual name of the clan is unknown, but they
earned the title of the clan of monsters due to the physical alterations
that their bodies can undergo. Their change in appearance is due to their
innate ability to unconsciously absorb natural energy from their
surroundings, however, the adverse effects of this energy and so much
power flowing constantly throughout their bodies results in sudden and
uncontrollable surges of madness, causing them to sporadically go
berserk...We believe this clan is where Orochimaru derived his cursed
seals from..." Obito lectured Naruto as the boy engraved each and every
word into his mind.
'Senjutsu is one of my only glaring weaknesses...just great...' Were
Naruto's thoughts as he heard about this particular clan's abilities.
"When activated, the cursed seal releases Orochimaru's own senjutsu
chakra into the user's body, granting enhancements comparable to those
of Sage Mode. The seal eats away at the user's own chakra to sustain its
activated state, with possibly fatal consequences. As long as the user has
sufficient chakra to sustain the state, he or she would then obtain
additional chakra to perform skills they would have otherwise been
incapable of due to exhaustion. However, this additional chakra is
separate and distinct from the user's own chakra, altering their chakra
signature. Prolonged usage of the cursed seal can corrode both the body
and mind of the user due to Orochimaru's chakra being present, making
them more susceptible to his influence." Obito continued his lecture, as
this knowledge may be beneficial to the mission that the team is
currently undertaking.
"Though, not all individuals are compatible with these cursed seals, with
incompatibility resulting in death. Orochimaru has averaged a ten
percent success rate when applying these seals based on his first
experiment with ten test subjects, out of which Mitarashi Anko was the
sole survivor. Even if the individual survives the initial application, their
body will not easily be able to control the seal's power, resulting in
intense pain. When the user is unable to control or otherwise suppress
their cursed seal, it can forcibly activate and begin draining their chakra
whenever they attempt to manipulate it. Eventually, the power of the
cursed seal can synchronize with the user's regular body through
extended use, exponentially enhancing the abilities of their normal state."
"...You seem to be quite knowledgable about those seals, sensei." Naruto
really didn't know what to say from all that information. He had no idea
those cursed seals were so complex and serious.
Though, he could now understand why he didn't say all of this with the
rest of the team in the room. Natsuki and Narumi would no doubt panic
if they found out they were hosts for a portion of Orochimaru's soul.
"Minato, Kushina, Jiraiya, and I have studied the cursed seal that was
placed on Anko extensively, and more recently, the ones that were placed
on Natsuki, Narumi, and Nawaki...We know the mechanics and
innermost workings of the seal, but just can't find a way to remove
them...If the clan of monsters is present at Orochimaru's hideout near
Banaro Town, then there should be extensive research related to the
cursed seals there as well...If you can get a hold of that research, then we
may be able to find a way to remove Orochimaru's influence, as well as
find a way to trace them back to his location." Obito leaned back in his
chair, thinking of how much of a headache Orochimaru was causing all
of them. The Sandaime should have killed the man all those years ago,
but instead he let Orochimaru escape because he couldn't bring himself to
kill his own student.
"...How many of these clan members do you expect there to be...?" Naruto
asked, going through scenarios in his head where every person on his
team came back alive. If these shinobi were as dangerous as Obito made
them out to be, then this could turn out to be quite a setback.
Obito sighed once more, it was hard to decipher whether this was good
new or bad news, but it couldn't hurt to tell the boy. "Banaro town is only
ten miles south of the border that divides Oto no Kuni, Yu no Kuni, and
Hi no Kuni, though it is closer to the Oto border...There have been
sightings numbering well over a dozen of their distinctive appearances."
This elicited a groan from Naruto. "However, the clan of monsters
appeared to be moving towards the border of Yu no Kuni and are
presumed to be out of our territory as of now...but from the report that I
already handed you, there is still at least one of these clansmen within
Orochimaru's hideout."
Well, one was better than a dozen, but it begs the question, why did he
remain behind when his clansmen have already moved on? This mission
was getting more complicated by the minute.
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....
"Are you requesting that you bring one of these clansmen back?" Naruto
asked with a raised eyebrow.
"...No, they're well-known for being mentally unstable, so bringing one of
them to Konoha would be more detrimental rather than beneficial...Your
mission remains the same, eliminate any of the remaining shinobi,
recover any of the research you may find, completely destroy the entire
base of operations as well as any evidence left behind, and investigate the
town. However, if you run into one of these clansmen bring back a DNA
sample once he is eliminated...And by eliminated, I mean eliminated. I
want no survivors left behind." Obito spoke seriously, earning a nod from
his former student.
Getting the information that he needed, Naruto quickly Shunshined out
of the room to prepare for his long journey to the border.
Uchiha Household
Naruto immediately reappeared within his room of the main Uchiha
household. Even after all these years, he still used the Shunshin that
Shisui had taught him. His former sensei had perfected the jutsu beyond
shinobi comprehension, as of now, Minato was the only one in the village
who was able to boast that they were faster. No swirl of leaves, no poof
of smoke, no bursting into a flock of crows, just simply appearing out of
thin air.
His sudden appearance in the room earned an 'eep' from the woman who
was sitting on the bed, and causing her to drop the tanto that she was
running her fingers over.
"Taichou! Don't scare me like that!" Mikoto whined cutely, re-sheathing
her tanto into the scabbard strapped to the small of her back.
Normally one would question why there was a person in their room when
said person should be preparing for a mission, but due to her playful
personality Naruto simply dismissed her presence and moved to gather
his necessary equipment.
"Shouldn't you be getting ready for our mission Mikoto-chan?" Naruto
asked as he moved towards the dresser that held all his shinobi
equipment.
While shuriken and kunai were common tool for a shinobi to carry,
Naruto mainly used his sword for melee combat. It would be too much
trouble to carry around excess weaponry when he knew that he wouldn't
be using it very much, so the dresser only contained a few sets of kunai
and shuriken each. He grabbed one of the pre-prepared sealing scrolls
that had already been stocked with shuriken and kunai, placing it in the
weapons pouch on the back of his right hip.
"I've already finished!" Mikoto exclaimed as she excitedly patted the
scroll pockets on her flak jacket. She had most likely sealed several sets
of clothes and any other necessary items into sealing scrolls for
convenience so that she wouldn't have to carry around a large pack.
Many newly graduated genin usually carried around backpacks on
missions due to their inexperience, whereas chūnin-ranked shinobi and
above resorted to sealing scrolls as they were more effective.
This had not been the case for Naruto though, as he had made sure not to
neglect his training in the art of fūinjutsu while he was still training on
his own in the cave before he had graduated from the academy. Then
later on, Obito had taught him more in depth about sealing and how
useful it really was. Konoha had four fūinjutsu masters, Minato, Kushina,
Jiraiya, and Obito. Though it was unknown how exactly Obito was so
adept in the art, he seemed to have picked up knowledge of it during the
period of his life when he went missing during the Third Shinobi World
War that even surpassed Kushina's knowledge, a woman who had grown
up in Uzushiogakure.
"...I remember everything that was said last night, but I can't just leave it
alone...Why'd you request to be put on this team?" Naruto didn't turn
around the entire time as he placed several blank sealing scrolls into an
extra pouch which he attached to the back of his left hip, so he couldn't
have seen the content look that graced Mikoto's face.
Though he may have not turned around because he didn't want to see
that very look.
"Hm, it's important to spend what time you have with your family
whenever you can...not to mention that before the invasion, things had
been pretty boring around here. I mean, now that the other Uchiha
children are living within the compound again, I go and check up on
each of them and help them out when I can, but other than that there
isn't much to do when you and Satsuki-chan are gone...I supposed that I
wanted a little more excitement while I was still able to, you know?"
Mikoto gave Naruto a charming smile as he turned around.
Not just what she said, but the phrases she used were a little strange and
out of character from her usual manner of speech. To most it would have
sounded like she was talking about getting older and the previous
generation taking their places in the world, but there was something
deeper behind those words that was hard to grasp.
Naruto shook his head, dismissing the idea for now, as he grabbed
another pre-prepared scroll, this one containing explosive notes, and
secured it within one of the chest pockets on his flak jacket. If they were
to completely destroy an entire laboratory, they would need the
firepower to do so. Naruto could easily do so with his own abilities, but
something like this was far more conventional and would draw less
attention from anyone else in the area, they couldn't be warning any
shinobi taking refuge in the town that they were there. Within the scroll
were forty explosive notes, that much explosive power could easily get
the job done.
"Well, I'm all set we better get going before we're late...talking with
Obito-sensei took more time than I had anticipated." Naruto offered his
hand to Mikoto, who was still sitting on the edge of the bed, which she
happily accepted.
She had only been expecting to be helped up, but instead was pulled into
a passionate kiss as they stood there in the middle of the room. It took a
moment for her to react, but she leaned into the kiss with just as much
passion. She moved to deepen the kiss, but it seemed that fate was
playing with them once again as they were cut short by a knocking on
the door.
"Naruto-nii, Kaa-chan! We should probably get going soon to meet up
with Natsuki-san and Narumi-san!" Were the Satsuki's shouts from behind
the door. It appeared that she was ready to leave as well and had only
been waiting on the two of them. "I'll be waiting out front, so hurry up
and finish whatever it is you're doing in there!"
It would be rather awkward if she found out that her mother had just
been locking lips with her brother figure, but lucky for them, she had
most likely assumed that Naruto would be wondering why Mikoto was
suddenly taking missions again, just like she had. Whatever the case, she
was right. If they had gotten caught up in the moment like usual, then
they would have undoubtedly missed the one hour deadline that Naruto
had set.
"We'll be right out Satsuki!"
After giving a small peck on the lips to Mikoto, Naruto grabbed her hand
and led her out the door to meet up with Satsuki. He somehow had the
feeling this would be a long mission.
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Konoha Main Gates
After trekking through the streets of the Uchiha compound where they
greeted the younger Uchiha children who were playing in the otherwise
empty streets, Naruto, Mikoto, and Satsuki finally arrived at the village's
main gates, where Natsuki and Narumi were patiently waiting for them.
Natsuki had moved her sword from her back to her hip, in place of the
sword was a medium sized backpack, which could also be found on
Narumi's back. It appeared that neither of their parents had taught them
even the basics of sealing, which was odd considering they were fūinjutsu
masters. They probably didn't want their children to be capable of
messing with the seal that kept Kurama at bay.
Now that Naruto thought about it, most of the other rookie thirteen were
rather uninformed about the shinobi world, such as how they should
prepare for missions. Though the academy certainly didn't help with that
aspect. To them, being a shinobi was nothing more than a game or a
competition. Kiba, Ino, and Sakura were the ones who fit this description
the most accurately. This kind of mission would be sure to introduce
Natsuki and Narumi to the harsh reality of the world.
"Oi! You're finally here! Hurry up, let's get going!" Narumi yelled
excitedly from her spot next to the check-in for anyone leaving or
entering the village. Completely opposite of her sister's exuberant
reaction, Natsuki merely smiled and waved at the rest of the team.
A moment later, all of the members of the team were standing face to
face with each other. Naruto figured he would have to relay the
information he received from Obito sooner or later, but now wasn't the
best time. It would be better to inform them of the complications of the
mission once they were closer to their destination.
"Sorry, I had some additional details regarding the mission to go over
with Obito-sensei. Did the two of you have to wait long?" Naruto asked
as he opened up one of the pocket on his flak jacket and pulled the
mission scroll out.
"No, we just arrived, it took longer than we expected to get ready. We
used up most of our supply of kunai and shuriken during the chūnin
exams and the invasion, so we had to pick some up on our way home."
Narumi spoke sheepishly as she rubbed the back of her head. She was a
bit embarrassed that she hadn't been prepared earlier when they had first
been called in to take a mission. She should have restocked on weapons
earlier in the week, especially when she knew that she would eventually
be assigned more missions because of the excess mission flow.
"Where is all your equipment?" Natsuki asked curiously after eyeing the
three embers of the team who had just arrived.
Satsuki reached into her weapons pouch and pulled out a single sealing
scroll, holding it up for the two Uzumaki-Namikaze children to see. "We
sealed all of our equipment away. Didn't your senseis or parents teach
you anything about fūinjutsu?" She received a shake of the head in the
negative from both girls before she continued talking. "I'm no expert in it,
but basic fūinjutsu was one of the first things that Obito-sensei taught us
after becoming a genin team. Most shinobi of the village use sealing
scrolls when going on missions instead of carrying around larger packs."
The two girls' eyes widened when they found out that there senseis and
parents had skipped such an important part of their shinobi training.
Sure, they were still genin and still on a genin team together, but if
sealing was as important as it sounded then why hadn't they been taught
it right after they became a team or even while they were still in the
academy?
Now that they thought about it, both their mother and father were
fūinjutsu masters, two of the only in the village, so why had they never
spoken of teaching them in that area before. They had been offered
training in ninjutsu, genjutsu, taijutsu, and even bukijutsu, but never
fūinjutsu. Why was that?
Only one thought came to mind.
'...The seal...!' Were the simultaneous thoughts of the only blonde and
redhead in the group.
Naruto saw that there eyes had widened with realization, so he chose this
time to interject so they wouldn't make a big deal of it later. "I see you've
finally realized...They didn't teach you about the art they specialize in
because they didn't want to give you the opportunity to alter the formula
of the seal that holds the Kyuubi back. Whether that was the right or
wrong decision, that's up to your own interpretation."
Leaving behind the two, now silent, girls, Naruto handed the mission
scroll to Izumo and Kotetsu, who were once again on gate guard duty,
that seemed to be their preferred position within the village. They
quickly wrote down the names of those leaving in their log and stamped
the end of the mission assignment next to the Hokage's stamp and
signature. After which, Izumo handed the scroll back to Naruto.
With that part of the formal procedure completed, everything was set for
them to begin their mission.
Placing the mission scroll back into his flak jacket pocket, Naruto stepped
back to face his team. "We're set, is everybody ready?"
He received a simultaneous response of "Hai, Taichou!" from the four
females who he would be working with over the course of the next few
days.
"The journey to the border between Hi no Kuni and Oto no Kuni should
take just under two days. We'll stop later tonight once night falls, then
travel the rest of the way all day tomorrow. I still need to brief you on all
the details of this mission before we arrive in Banaro Town, so I'll do so
tonight." Naruto spoke as the team payed close attention to his words.
After hearing that there were even more details for the current missions,
most of the lower ranked kunoichi were confused. Usually it was their
sensei who would deal with the finer details of the mission and they
would merely follow along and listen to their sensei's orders, not that
they knew that. They were mostly familiar with C-Ranked missions such
as escort or delivery missions, those types of missions didn't exactly have
too many discrete orders other than the main objective, however, most of
the higher ranked missions did.
This was the first A-Ranked mission that Naruto and Satsuki had done
since their time in Yuki no Kuni. For Natsuki and Narumi, they had never
been on a mission that was ranked higher than B before. The B-Ranked
mission was the one where they came across Rokusho Aoi and retrieved
the Raijin no Ken, where the two of them nearly died, along with
Nawaki. That was still a terrible memory for the two of them.
"We should get going now." Naruto spoke before walking out the gates
and jumping into the tree-line, cutting off most of the kunoichi from their
thoughts.
They quickly rushed after him, not wanting to get left behind.
Had they paid more attention to their surroundings, such as the shadows
cast by the large walls surrounding the village that had been rebuilt, they
may have been able to see the distinct pair of golden-yellow eyes,
belonging to a plant-like apparition, before it sunk back into the ground.
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Forest Within Hi no Kuni - Approximately Halfway Between Konoha and
the Border
The entire forest was silent except for the crackling of burning wood and
the occasional rustling of a small animal moving through the vast
amounts of vegetation surrounding the area. The brilliant orange glow of
the small fire partially illuminated the campsite and revealed five
familiar faces, with each sitting on a vertical log, not too different from
the logs that genin would be tied to during their survival exams.
The moon was full tonight and was shining down on them peacefully. It
was strange, Naruto had always felt incredibly powerful during the night
of a full moon. Perhaps it was because of the Ōtsutsuki chakra lying
dormant within him, though seeing as how Kaguya acted as the core for
them moon, it shouldn't feel like he was being protected by its very
existence.
Even though the full moon illuminated the night, it had been decided
that they should stop for the night. Natsuki and Narumi seemed like they
wouldn't be able to go for much longer anyways. Their low endurance
and lack of proficiency with how shinobi usually travelled only further
proved that their senseis and the previous Hokage had been pampering
them far too much. Even so, the group had covered more ground than
had been anticipated, which meant that they wouldn't have to travel for
as long tomorrow and could start their mission late-afternoon at the
latest.
Usually shinobi wouldn't risk having a fire where enemy shinobi could
easily track their location, but Naruto was a sensor-type shinobi and
combined with his Kenbunshoku Haki, it was nearly impossible to sneak
up on him. Seeing how tonight was incredible cold, with the other
shinobi on his team shivering and looking like they were freezing, it
wouldn't hurt to have a fire this once. If he sensed anything other than an
animal, he would extinguish it at once.
Naruto had been gazing longingly at the moon. He didn't know why, but
it just felt like something was calling out to him from there...it was an
odd sensation. Though he would need to save such thoughts for another
time. After giving the moon one last whimsical glance, Naruto turned his
attention back towards the four kunoichi sitting before him on the other
side of the fire.
Their attention had been captivated by the roaring fire, but that was to
be expected with how cold it was for them. It was an oddity for Hi no
Kuni to experience such severe cold at this time of year, or really any
time of year. He watched as their breath was able to materialize as they
breathed in and out with their hands open and facing towards the fire.
"Now that we have some time to rest, why don't we go over the mission
and its details?" Naruto asked rhetorically, successfully gaining their
undivided attention.
"Didn't we go over those in the Hokage's office?" Narumi asked, honestly
confused as to what more they could discuss in regards to their current
assignment.
To them, they had been given simple orders. Eliminate the threat the
shinobi posed, recover any documentation that may be there, destroy
Orochimaru's hideout, and investigate the town for any foreign shinobi
that may be residing there. It was fairly straightforward if one thought
about it.
"Do you really believe that would be the only information he would give
us for an A-Ranked mission? Those were orders, nothing more." Naruto
responded as he faced the blonde-haired girl.
Mikoto and Satsuki remained silent and were waiting for Naruto to relay
to them information that would be crucial to the completion of the
mission, but it appeared that the Uzumaki-Namikaze siblings were more
talkative and impatient. Two qualities that were not the best fit for a
shinobi, which was strange considering that they were both daughters of
the Yondaime Hokage.
"The mission objectives we usually receive are pretty simple and
straightforward. Wouldn't this mission be the same?" This time it was
Natsuki who spoke up. Naruto had to resist the urge to roll his eyes at
such a simplistic outlook on missions.
"...I don't exactly know what Kakashi-san and Kushina-sama have been
doing as your senseis, but they obviously have not taught you the
importance of information in our line of duty. Knowing the correct
information could mean the difference between life and death, though
when dealing with cases involving Orochimaru, you should always
assume that he's one step ahead of you." Was Naruto's somewhat harsh
reply to the girls. He didn't want to come off as arrogant or anything like
that, but these two girls were starting to get on his nerves. He saw that
Narumi was about to speak up once more, but he rose his hand to cut her
off. "...Please remain silent and listen to the information that I have
before speaking up again."
Naruto gave the two children of the former Hokage a glare that silenced
them. He waited a moment to ensure that no other outbursts would
follow before continuing what he had intended to say.
"...While all our previous objectives remain and are just as important, the
main purpose of our assignment is to recover any information that we
can find about Orochimaru's cursed seals..." Naruto closed his eyes as he
remembered his conversation earlier that day with Obito, though he
would make sure to omit the portion where part of Orochimaru's soul is
housed within those marked with the cursed seal. "This hideout that we
are tasked with investigating and destroying...holds the origins of the
cursed seal."
Naruto opened his eyes to see the reactions of the shinobi before him.
They were as expected, eyes widened to epic proportions, jaws on the
ground, and utterly speechless. The origins of Orochimaru's infamous
cursed seals had always been shrouded in mystery, but everyone in the
village knew that once you were marked by the Sannin, you were as good
as his.
"The seal originated from a clan who possessed the innate ability to
passively absorb natural energy from their surroundings. However, this
constant surge of power within their bodies can be linked to their
insanity and causes them to go berserk constantly." Naruto explained the
short version of what they needed to hear for this mission, once again
leaving out the part that they were known as the clan of monsters. The
two girls would begin to constantly doubt themselves and question their
humanity if they knew that fact. "The reason why Konoha shinobi were
even in the area of our destination was because their had been sightings
of strange humanoid figures wandering throughout the forests. The
cursed seal has a second stage where the user can take on a strange
appearance that greatly increases their power by giving them access to
Orochimaru's senjutsu chakra and ultimately his influence."
"These clansmen are also able to take on that form, albeit naturally, so it
is far more powerful...Every single one of Orochimaru's higher-ranked
subordinates is marked with one of these seals, giving them access to an
almost unlimited source of power. When it their second stage, their
power can be compared to that of a jinchūriki. However, this increase in
power comes at a cost. Every time the seal is released, it corrodes the
mind and body of the user, making them far more susceptible to his
influence and ultimately turning them into his mindless puppets...There
have been dozens of these clansmen to have been reported in the area,
but they have been presumed to have left the country and are now
residing in Yu no Kuni. Though the report that was sent back stated that
there is still one of them who remained at the laboratory...If we can
obtain the research on these cursed seals as well as obtain a DNA sample
from its original source, we may be able to remove these cursed seals
entirely as well as track the chakra they produce back to Orochimaru's
location."
Naruto remained silent for a moment to let everyone come to terms with
what he just said. It should be noted that Natsuki and Narumi were now
clutching their necks and trembling slightly. They were most likely
worried that they would eventually be consumed by the cursed seal just
like Naruto had said. He would leave the questions and answers until
after he finished everything he needed to say.
"...That's not all..." Naruto spoke up once again, bringing his team's
attention back to him. "From what Konoha has found from Orochimaru's
previous hideouts, they operate as laboratories for human experiments,
prisons for human test subjects, research facilities, and so on. There are
likely to be prisoners being held captive their as well as people actually
being experimented on. From the information we know, there are at least
a handful of shinobi still in the hideout, but prisoners and such could
number far more and they are likely to be enemies as well, considering
their minds and bodies are likely to have been corroded even more so
than those who had overused the cursed seal."
"In reality we have so much information on Orochimaru, yet none at all.
We can't be sure which is accurate for this base and which is merely
assumptions...What I'm trying to say is that we're essentially going in
blind." Naruto wrapped up his long winded briefing with far more of a
headache than he started with. He hadn't realized just how much of a
disadvantage they were at until now.
He had edited major aspects of the cursed seal and its inner-workings,
mainly because they weren't essential at the moment and would have
caused Narumi and Natsuki to only worry about it further. Though, he
hadn't considered what would happen if either of them were to get near
the source of their cursed seal. It could immediately force them into their
stage two transformation or possibly resonate with them, causing large-
scale corrosion of their minds, inducing them into a berserk state just as
the clan of monsters was prone to.
He would need to keep them as far away from the source as possible.
Then there was Mikoto and Satsuki. Satsuki was no doubt skilled, but she
was still only at chūnin level and Mikoto was currently a question mark.
She was a jounin-level shinobi, but with the condition of her body he was
unsure of her limits. That ruled them out as well.
Naruto sighed to himself. It seemed that he would need to be the one to
retrieve the DNA sample.
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....
"Though the situation inside the hideout is relatively unknown, our
mission remains the same. Eliminate every shinobi we come across,
recover any and all of the research we may find, retrieve the DNA
sample, completely destroy the base of operations as well as any evidence
left behind, and investigate the town after the base is taken care of."
Naruto relayed the direct orders that had been given to him earlier that
day. He suddenly stopped and gave Natsuki and Narumi a serious look.
"...And by eliminate, that means no survivors left behind. Do you
understand?"
Naruto saw that Satsuki and Mikoto gave him a quick nod in response,
but continued to glance at the two other kunoichi to see if they had come
to terms with what they had to do...He didn't like what he found. He
found himself frowning because the two of them looked absolutely
appalled by what they had just been told.
"I-I thought we were only supposed to eliminate the threat they posed,
not kill them in cold blood!" Narumi yelled, breaking the silence that had
filled the forest. Had there been any enemy shinobi in the area, they
would have surely been drawn in by that outburst.
"I agree with Narumi! They can't be exterminated just because someone
has a problem with them...I-I can't do this! How would we be able to call
ourselves shinobi of Konoha when this mission goes against everything
that Konoha stands for?!" Natsuki argued. She didn't scream it like her
sister did, but her argument wasn't lacking in passion.
Naruto could only sigh at the childish beliefs they were clinging to. If
they weren't ready to take a life, then they shouldn't have become shinobi
at all. Although being Minato and Kushina's children, they probably
glamorized the occupation for them and promised them that being a
shinobi was about protecting their village and their precious people,
nothing more. What a fine mess they had left him with.
Naruto shifted his line of vision from the two Uzumaki-Namikaze
children to Mikoto and Satsuki. He merely nodded his, signaling that the
briefing was done and that it would be best for him to deal with this
alone.
Mikoto, seeing Naruto's gesture, chose to take the initiative. "Come on
Satsuki-chan, why don't we get get some rest? Tomorrow will be a long
day and we'll need to be at our full strength." Mikoto spoke as she faced
her daughter and got up off her log.
She didn't receive a verbal response, only a nod from Satsuki, after which
they walked into one of the two tents that had been prepared to get some
rest for the night. They had already assumed that Natsuki and Narumi
would have a problem with this aspect of the mission, so their sudden
outbursts were not so surprising. They would leave Naruto to take care of
the girls.
Once the two female Uchiha had left the clearing, Naruto reopened his
eyes and faced the two remaining kunoichi with a look of absolute
seriousness.
"...I can understand how you feel, actually it is expected for genin only
three months out of the academy to hold these kinds of beliefs...That
aside, do not, I repeat, do not use Konoha as an example of harmony,
righteousness, and peace...You really think that Konoha has done no
wrong...? How naïve and utterly foolish. Shinobi from Konoha don't have
the right to talk about morality after all the pain and hatred they've
inflicted upon the world...Not just other villages, but its own inhabitants
as well...If you can't understand my words, then it only means that you
haven't seen the true face of Konoha." Naruto wasn't going to sit there
and listen to nonsense all night, especially from two children who didn't
know the first thing about the reality of the world they live in, nor have
ever experienced true pain.
The harshness of Naruto's words made the two kunoichi falter a little,
mostly because they didn't know what he was referring to...and that was
what scared them. However, they still believed that they were in the
right when it came to this mission.
"T-Tou-san would never allow missions like this to take place...He may
not be the Hokage anymore, but he still holds the same power and
influence that he did while he was in office!" Narumi continued to argue.
Though it seemed that her sister wasn't as passionate as she had been
before. Natsuki seemed to be in deep thought and even more withdrawn
now. Perhaps she was able to comprehend the kind of things that her
sister was too stubborn to realize.
"Minato is considered to be a butcher and a monster by Kumo and Iwa,
you think he got that reputation by merely defeating his enemies?"
Naruto asked rhetorically. He really wasn't good at these kind of things,
so it was best to be straightforward. "These missions are nothing new,
they've been going on since the birth of the shinobi system and even far
before it. Your father assigned countless missions just like this one, and
ones even more inhumane than this. Your mother and him probably went
on countless ones such as this when they were younger...I'll be honest
with you, as shinobi, you've been sheltered and pampered because you
were the children of the Hokage and because your own mother was your
sensei...On my first real mission outside of the village walls, I had no
other choice than to kill dozens of shinobi from Yukigakure that were
working for a corrupt Daimyo and I've had to take even more lives
after...This is the case with most shinobi, but Kushina has been mothering
you and most likely forcing Kakashi-san to do the same because she
doesn't want her 'babies' to lose their innocence or something of that
nature."
Naruto took a breath to bring himself out of his rant. If he wanted to get
it through their thick skulls he would need to remain calm and rational.
If they were as naïve as most of the others in their graduating class,
appealing to their belief that they should only take another person's life if
their comrades were in danger should do the trick.
"Look...I don't care if you hate the idea of killing or hate me for making
you follow through with this mission, but if you refuse to to eliminate the
shinobi you come across tomorrow it will cost the two of you your lives
as well as the lives of your teammates...And I will not stand for you
putting my teammates, the people I care about, in harm's way for your
own selfish reasons...These people we're going to be dealing with, they
aren't like the shinobi you've come across on your escort missions. They
will be ruthless, inhumane, cruel, and use every advantage that you give
them. Things won't be finished after you simply defeat them, they will
get back up and come after you, perhaps even taking themselves along if
it means killing you in the process. If you have even the slightest bit of
hesitation, you're as good as dead."
The two girls didn't even try to argue what he was saying now, it was the
truth and they knew it. Perhaps they had known this all along and had
try to fool themselves into believing in their own fantasies. Or perhaps it
was the academy teachers and their parents who led them to this line of
thinking. Either way, they couldn't run from reality any longer. This was
the life they had chosen.
After a long silence, one of them finally spoke up.
"...U-Um, Nii-san? What's it like...you know...taking a life?" Natsuki was
obviously still uncomfortable with the idea of ending another human's
life, but she had finally started to settle down and come to terms with
what they had to do.
Naruto was a bit unsure of how to answer, his case wasn't exactly
normal, but he supposed the two of them needed to hear his experience
to be able to relate to how close all shinobi are to death. "...My first kill, I
didn't really react the way any normal person would after ending a life. I
didn't have time to feel remorse because we still had a mission to fnish
and if I had lost my composure at that moment, then the country may
still be under the rule of a corrupt tyrant...Even after though, I never felt
any remorse...Many would describe me as bloodthirsty or a monster, but
I think my mindset regarding human life is really screwed up because of
the circumstances of my childhood...I never really wanted anyone to
know this but I suppose it may help you understand my way of
thinking...Because I never really had parents who were there for me or
even showed that they cared for me, I had always felt unwanted and
worthless...It made me question if my existence mattered at all in the first
place or if anyone was happy that I was born...I think it's because of
those beliefs that I grew up with that I can't see the worth of a human
life...My experience only illustrates that every person sees the world in a
different light...Don't assume that every person will have the same views
of the world that you do. Personal beliefs and ideals are derived from our
past experiences, if you don't share those experiences, then your
interpretation of reality may be different than another's."
The expressions on the Uzumaki-Namikaze girls' faces grew pained after
hearing what exactly shaped his views on the world. Though in this case,
hearing the experience of their brother did help them understand that
even if they didn't want to take another life, they had chosen this duty by
becoming shinobi. They had always assumed that the person killing was
the bad guy, that the one holding the bloody kunai was a monster and
that the one dead on the ground was the victim, hearing that everything
wasn't as black and white as they were led to believe really struck them
deeply.
There was one simultaneous thought running through their heads as they
thought about their brother's experience, 'Even if everyone calls you a
monster, even if you hate yourself, I'll always be by your side.'
Chapter no.140
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....
Naruto seeing the pained yet determined looks on their faces told him
that he should wrap things up before this turned into one big confession.
They also needed time to think on things as a person didn't come to terms
with having to kill over the course of a few minutes.
"Why don't the two of you head off to bed? It'd be best for you to think
on everything that was said here. I'll be taking watch, so don't wait up for
me."
The two girls normally would have argued to remain with him for the
night, but with everything that they had just learned it would be best to
do as he said just this once. They stood up from their seat on the logs and
walked towards the direction of their tent, leaving Naruto alone under
the moonlight.
He may have just cursed himself with telling them as to why he viewed
human lives as insignificant, but if the outcome was them getting out
alive after all of this, then he would let it slide just this once.
Seeing as how their was no one left in the clearing besides him, he
snapped his fingers, resulting in the crackling fire to be extinguished. He
slowly stood up and leaped onto one of the tree branches overlooking
their campsite.
There was a reason that he offered to take watch for the entire night,
Mikoto and Satsuki knew this reason, on nights were he was in the
unrestricted presence of the moon, whether it was full or not, he was
incapable of feeling tired nor could he sit still for long periods of time. He
came incredibly restless and his primal instincts were brought to their
fullest, making it impossible for him to enjoy these peaceful nights like
normal humans were.
He shook his head from these thoughts and merely closed his eyes as he
bathed in the moon's illumination. He had yet to understand all the
mysteries surrounding the Ōtsutsuki and the moon, perhaps he never
would...
Near the Border of Hi no Kuni and Oto no Kuni - Orochimaru's Hideout
True to their plans, the group of two genins, two chūnins, and a single
jounin had made it to the border in the early afternoon and were
currently preparing to commence their mission. Mikoto, Satsuki, Narumi,
and Natsuki stood side by side at the foot of a large rock formation in the
middle of a dense forest as they looked down at Naruto who was on one
knee, using his sensor abilities to gather any information he could about
what was currently happening within the hideout.
There was a general feeling of uneasiness circulating throughout the
group, but they had only assumed they were nervous at how little
information they had on the current conditions of their mission. They
may very well be walking into a trap or whoever was inside was waiting
for them to come since they had already encountered a team of Konoha
shinobi earlier in the week.
Mikoto and Satsuki both had their Sharingan active as they were
simultaneously watching for any movement in their surroundings with
their peripheral vision. If this really was an ambush then there may as
well be shinobi who would aim to silence them before they could even
catch a glimpse of the experiments that were occurring within the
laboratories. Though, since they hadn't been attacked yet, it could be
assumed that their presence had still gone unnoticed.
Through the combined usage of his sensor abilities as well as his
Kenbunshoku Haki, Naruto was exploring every hallway, room, prison
cell, laboratory, library, and research room within the underground
confines of the base. The place was like a maze. He was forced to burn
every human experiment, every dead and tortured body, every mindless
monster into his mind for the sake of the mission, there were too many
things which he wished he could erase from his mind just from one
glimpse over the hideout. True to their earlier worries, this hideout
turned out to be connected somewhere north of the border which
explained how so many Oto-nin were able to bypass the border patrol
stationed by Konoha during the time of the Chūnin Exams. This would
take a bit longer than expected.
The good news was that there were almost the correct number of
presences expected, just over a dozen researchers and shinobi, which
were accompanied by only a few dozen or so prisoners, but judging from
their chakra levels, they wouldn't be any real threat. And there was the
clansmen from the clan of monsters. Naruto had severely underestimated
just how powerful he would be. The amount of pure natural energy
flowing throughout the man was enormous and the man was easily as
insane as he was made out to be. Dealing with him would be a handful.
Using his strategic mind, Naruto had already divided the hideout, more
like compound, into four floors and four sections. On the first floor below
were nothing more than hallways and rooms, this was the first section.
On the second floor below were the library and the research facilities,
this was the second section. On the third floor below were the prison
cells and the laboratories, this was the third section. The entire fourth
floor below them was where the large tunnel connected Hi no Kuni to an
unknown location within Oto no Kuni. Each of these sections were at
least a quarter of the size of Konoha. They would need a lot more
firepower than anticipated to level the entire compound.
It was getting late in the day, so most of the experimentation was
finished and the prisoners sent back to their cells. This was good news for
them as this meant that most of the researchers were in the research
facilities compiling their data or in their rooms after retiring for the day.
Most of the shinobi and researchers within the facilities were either on
the first or second floors, with only the prisoners to deal with down
below.
They would need to split up into three teams to achieve the most
successful outcome.
Naruto quickly finished up his analysis of the compound and stood up,
opening up his eyes in the process, his three-tomoed Sharingan blazing.
This action caught the attention of those of his team, as their attention
was now focused solely on him.
Naruto's Sharingan spun idly as he looked each member of his team in
the eyes, implanting the images that he had just seen into their minds. It
took a certain degree of mastery over the Sharingan to be able to do
something as delicate as transferring memories, proving that Naruto had
finally been able to master his implanted eye.
Each of the females recoiled from shock at the memories they had just
received. Orochimaru truly was a despicable being for allowing such
inhumane experiments to be conducted. Nevertheless, now that they
knew the layout of the compound, their job became much easier.
Naruto's pair of mismatched eyes caught the gaze of Mikoto. While she
had tried to hide it, he saw just how hard she had to work to keep up
with them on the way here. Was her body really in such bad condition?
But even though he was worried for her, he needed all the manpower he
could get at the moment.
"Mikoto, you and Satsuki will be taking the second section. Do it quickly
and quietly, after you've eliminated everyone on that floor, seal all of the
research and information you can find into sealing scrolls." Naruto spoke
to his lover as he tossed her one of his empty sealing scrolls that he had
brought along specifically for this purpose.
Naruto then turned to the two Uzumaki-Namikaze females, who were
trying their best to keep a neutral expression. Though their real feelings
were given away be the slight trembling of their legs and their hands
clenching into fists. They were obviously still a bit nervous about what
they had to do, but they were even more disturbed by the images that
had been implanted into their mind. Perhaps seeing how cruel and
inhumane these people were would make it easier for the girls to kill
them.
"Natsuki, Narumi...You will be handling the section right below us, the
first section...Do not leave anyone alive, that is the mission that was
assigned to us...Can I trust you two with this?" He had purposefully
assigned them the area with the least amount of people occupying it.
While there were quite a few individuals in their separate room, most of
the researchers and shinobi were in the research facilities going over the
data that they had gathered today.
Hearing their brother ask them so sincerely and depending on them so
much, the two Uzumaki-Namikaze siblings quickly shook off any doubts
that they held and nodded their heads vigorously.
"I will handle the third section which contains the prison cells and
laboratories. The source of where the cursed seal originated is there as
well, I will deal with him, so if you hear any commotion do not panic."
Naruto spoke calmly. With his assignment, all of the main sections had
been taken care of and that only left the tunnel. "I will deal with the
tunnel as well. With a little effort I can melt the surrounding walls and
have it collapse in on itself, which will also ignite the explosives in the
process."
Naruto reached into the pouch on the back of his left hip and pulled out
the semi-large scroll that was pre-prepared with explosive notes. He
unraveled it and unsealed five smaller sized scrolls that contained a set
amount of explosive notes. He threw each member of his team one of the
scrolls while placing the fifth scroll back into his pouch. After which, he
ignited the scroll that contained the smaller scrolls until not even ashes
remained. No sense keeping a scroll that would have only taken up more
space and served no real purpose. He had a feeling that he would need
every advantage he could get today.
Each of the scrolls contained fifty explosive notes. That would be more
than enough to level the first three levels completely, however, the final
floor was so large it would take a bit more than he currently had. He
would need to deal with that personally.
"After you've eliminated all of your targets and gathered all of the
research material, place explosive notes all over each of your sections. I
will do the same. They are all set to go off automatically when mine do,
so make sure to return in no longer than thirty minutes." Naruto turned
around to face the entrance at the bottom of the rock formation as a
breeze blew through his short black hair. "When you've completed your
separate assignments, meet back here...Now move out!"
With those final orders given, Naruto disappeared in Shisui's signature
Shunshin, fading completely out of sight, leaving no trace of either his
presence or his destination. He only made his exit this way because his
destination was on the lower-most floors and him running through the
halls of the compound would draw more attention than he would have
liked.
The rest of the team stood their silently for a moment before Mikoto
grabbed Satsuki's shoulder and they disappeared in their own Leaf
Shunshin, leaving behind Natsuki and Narumi. Though the girls quickly
took their leave on foot, seeing as how their assignment was only on the
first floor.
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First Level Below
Within the narrow hallways with man-made stone walls, floors, and
ceilings that were dimly lit by candles on the walls, giving it an
atmosphere that seemed as though it was from a horror movie, Natsuki
and Narumi were silently through the halls towards the section of the
compound that contained the personal rooms for the shinobi and
scientists.
After traveling down the long spiral staircase, making sure to spread out
there senses to avoid any person they may come across to keep their
presence hidden, the two kunoichi were now racing down the empty
halls towards their destination. They had yet to come across a single
living being as of yet, even the main hall was completely empty.
Though, this is what they had been expecting. From the memories that
had been implanted into them by Naruto, they were aware that most of
the researchers were on the second level in the research facilities and
most of the shinobi who were tasked with protecting this base, had
retired to their rooms for the afternoon as all scheduled experiments for
the day had finished.
The hall with the personal chambers for those who were stationed here
were located just further down this straight hall, after which they had to
take several turns. This place truly was a maze. The design was most
likely for the purpose of confusing any intruders who entered the base, as
were the dimly lit hallways and countless storage rooms they had passed.
As the two girls reached the end of the straightaway, they quickly made a
left turn down a much shorter hallway and then a right.
While Natsuki and Narumi were utterly inexperienced when it came to
search and destroy missions, they were shinobi, who specialized in a
fighting style that was meant to kill. They had been lucky to have made it
this far without doing so yet, or perhaps unlucky as such a high-ranking
mission had been assigned as their first one. And while they had massive
reserves due to them being jinchūriki, Natsuki even more so now that
Kurama was whole once again, they had been taught how to successfully
suppress their chakra signature.
This type of suppression was unique to them since they had abysmal
chakra control, this was done by completely cutting off the access to their
chakra for a few minutes. This made them impossible to sense, except for
sensor-type shinobi. However, this particular method also made them
unable to access their chakra for the time they were using it and even
several minutes after they ended the suppression, as they had to let the
chakra flow back into their chakra network.
They really preferred not to mention this, but they had to learn this
method in order to capture Tora the cat. It seemed the cat was able to
sense chakra levels at the lowest level after running from shinobi for
decades, and because their chakra reserves were so massive, she was able
to make her escape before the girls were even able to get within striking
distance of it. The had failed the Capture Tora the Cat Mission over a
dozen times. It was an embarrassment on their shinobi records that led
them to become obsessed with capturing that damned cat for a short
period of their lives.
After five minutes of continuous running and making all those turns, they
finally arrived at the long hallway that contained the personal quarters.
This particular hall was different from the others. The hallway was much
taller than the others, so much so that there was a complete upper deck
where a second row of doors leading into rooms were. Off to the side was
a staircase that led up to this upper deck. Instead of being dimly lit by
candles as all the other halls had been thus far, this area was well-lit by
lanterns, with a single lantern hanging from the wall between each of the
doors. In total, there were thirty different rooms, fifteen on the bottom
row and another fifteen on the second deck. Though not all of them
would be occupied at the moment, or even if every researcher and
shinobi were in their rooms. The design of the hall and the rooms were
not so different from the ANBU Headquarters that they had the privilege
of exploring when they were children.
Seeing as how they had finally reached their destination, Narumi and
Natsuki looked at each other and nodded. They each formed a half ram
seal and discretely re-introduced their chakra back into their chakra
network, successfully releasing their chakra suppression technique.
It had only been about ten minutes since they had departed from their
team's meeting point, so there shouldn't be any additional people that
had returned to their quarters. But to be thorough, they would cover
those rooms after they had completed their primary objective.
Natsuki shakily reached down to her waist and unsheathed the pure
white blade from its scabbard. As much as she disliked it, she would need
to bathe the blade, white as snow, in the crimson blood of man.
She looked over to Narumi, who had pulled a kunai from her holster, and
gave an affirming nod. "I'll take top, you take bottom."
Unable to respond verbally due to her heart being stuck in her throat
from the unparalleled uneasiness and adrenaline, Narumi merely nodded
in response before the two sisters separated to fulfill their promise to
their brother. They would never take a life solely for the sake of their
village, but they would as to not disappoint the person who had put his
faith in them.
These stone walls would be painted crimson within a matter of minutes.
Second Level Below
Within a small, dark corridor leading up towards the research facilities, a
small gust of wind coupled with the swirling of leaves was created in the
middle of the hall, with the mother and daughter pair of Mikoto and
Satsuki emerging from it only a moment later.
Satsuki stumbled a bit before leaning up against the wall and glaring at
her mother for using such a violent and uncontrolled Shunshin. Mikoto
rubbed the back of her head sheepishly in response to her daughter's
reaction. The Shunshin was one of the easiest jutsus to preform next to
the academy three if one had the required amounts of chakra control.
Though Satsuki was unaware of her mother's weakening body as well as
loss of chakra control, as she was a bit more dense that her surrogate
brother.
After recovering her sense of balance Satsuki remembered their mission
and silently looked around the corner of the corridor into what she
presumed to be the main research facility. From what Naruto had shown
her there were approximately six people on this floor with low chakra
levels, signifying that they were mere researchers and scientists instead of
actual shinobi.
In reality, the two of them probably didn't have to be sneaking around
like spies and could simply deal with them head on, but it would benefit
them if the researchers only realized their presence after their lives had
already been ended.
All six of the researchers should be in the facility compiling their data,
with the library left completely empty. There were fourteen presences,
besides the prisoners and and their primary target, altogether. Six of
them were on the second level and had been assigned to the two of them
and the other eight were on the first level in the personal chambers and
had been assigned to Natsuki and Narumi.
Naruto had been intending for the Uzumaki-Namikaze siblings to take
this floor because it would be in an open area and would have less of an
assassination feel to it, not to mention that there were less targets to
eliminate, but due to their inexperience in this field as well as their
recklessness, he couldn't guarantee the safety of the research if they were
assigned this level. That was the determining factor in deciding which
team was assigned which section.
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The research facility was easily as high as the Hokage Monument, easily
noticeable by its high ceiling. This must have been the largest level due
to the research and non-human experiments that were constantly
conducted, day in and day out. What really drew Satsuki's attention were
the large machines and pipes that were built on the far side of the room,
taking up most of the area, and being overshadowed by the balcony and
the railing. Then there were the researchers, each going over their
respective data on what looked like large screens connected to machines
with pictures, numbers, statistics, and charts on them.
This was strange. Satsuki only knew the basics of machinery and
technology because they were used in hospitals for medical conditions
that could not be healed by medical ninjutsu alone. They were used to
keep the patients alive, read their vital signs, and help them breath,
because a nurse or doctor couldn't watch over them twenty-four hours a
day. Hana was quite fanatical about their usage and development, that
was the only reason Satsuki was so well-informed about their purposes.
Though she had never seen machines as large as these and they looked to
be for a purpose other than medical purposes, evidence of this was that
their were no medical patients in the facility. And just what were those
machines that the researchers were typing into? Her scouting brought
more questions than answers.
Satsuki quickly burned these images into her mind with her Sharingan
before moving back into the corridor where Mikoto still was. It looked as
though the people stationed here were researching more than the normal
person could comprehend. If that was the case, then they couldn't just
blow up all this important research and documents. These machines were
likely to be the only of their kind, so she and Mikoto should at least try to
recover any and all information, not just regarding the cursed seals, that
they could in the short period of time that they had.
"What'd you find?" Mikoto asked her daughter who was now fully back in
the narrow corridor.
Satsuki's only response was to look at her Mother's Sharingan with her
own, replicating the actions of Naruto, albeit at a much slower rate. After
all the memories had been transferred, Mikoto could only stare at her
daughter with an incredulous expression marring her face. In all her
years as a kunoichi, she had never seen machinery such as this before.
Satsuki nodded vigorously after seeing her mother's expression. It seemed
that the young girl had been enthralled by the devices that the
researchers were working on, as her Sharingan had been replaced with
stars in her eyes. She seemed to be voicing the words 'I want!' over and
over again silently to Mikoto. She was acting like a child in a toy store,
something not so out of character for her.
Mikoto also had a mischievous look in her eyes as she gave a small smile
and a nod to Satsuki. She lifted up three of her fingers on her left hand,
using them to slowly count down for her and Satsuki. Satsuki drew a
single kunai from the holster on her thigh...three fingers...Mikoto
unsheathed her tanto from the scabbard strapped to the small of her
lower back...two fingers...The two female Uchiha looked each other in
the eyes and nodded...one finger...They set aside and nervousness that
they may have had in order to finish the job swiftly and silently...Mikoto
put her final finger down just as the two of them disappeared from view
in their own respective Leaf Shunshins.
Mikoto reappeared right behind the researcher on the furthermost right-
side of the room, as he was sitting at a screen behind his fellow
researchers on that side. She charged her chakra-conductive tanto with
fire chakra as she covered his mouth, pulled his head back, and
decapitated him as he finally realized what was going on and began to
struggle.
The kill was delivered silently, so not one of the others in the room
bothered to turn around and see what was going on. The blade of the
tanto cauterized the wound as it delivered the only strike, therefore, not
a single drop of blood stained the research documents on the desk.
She quickly jumped over the normal-sized desk and drove her blade into
the head of the female researcher who had been steadily typing into her
keyboard. The blade erupted out of her forehead, drawing only the
smallest amounts of blood, as she displayed an utterly shocked expression
on her face. She hadn't even realized she had been killed, so her brain
was still recording the final moments of her life.
Since the desk the woman had been working at was facing a diagonal
direction, Mikoto didn't even have to avoid the desk as she extended the
fire chakra surrounding her blade until it grew to the size of a regular
sword. The slight crackling sound caught the attention of the male
researcher, who had been inputting some statistics into the screen in
front of him, causing him to begin the motion to turn around. However,
he was stopped dead in his tracks, literally, as Mikoto rose the ethereal
sword above her head and swung down with a single, decisive strike,
bifurcating the man in the process.
He had yet to process what had happened to him as he sill displayed a
neutral expression on his face before his body slid unevenly before falling
to the ground in two separate directions and erupting in a fountain of
blood. Though it should be noted that the blood splattered all over his
chair, Mikoto, and the floor, while not a single spec landed on his
research documents.
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....
With those three successfully eliminated, all that was left was to wait for
Satsuki to finish her side and start sealing away any and all research
documents they could find, as well as any of the portable machinery.
At the same time that Mikoto had arrived at her location, Satsuki
reappeared just behind her own targets, however, they were on the
complete opposite side of the room from Mikoto and the other three
researchers.
Since her targets were clearly not experienced shinobi and were likely to
only have the barest amount of combat and shinobi training, they were
unable to sense the chakra buildup from her Shunshin, allowing her to
easily sneak up on them.
True to her assassination mission, Satsuki covered the mouth of the
female researcher that she had ambushed, preventing the woman from
screaming, and plunged the kunai in her hand into the side of the
woman's head, silencing her permanently. After a moment or so, Satsuki
pulled the kunai out of the woman's skull and swung it to the side to rid
the weapon of the excess blood that stained the blade.
Satsuki was by no means emotionless, a professional assassin, nor did she
enjoy these search and destroy missions, but the first kill really was the
hardest and everything after that was somewhat gray. She was aware
that she had ended a fair number of lives in her career as a kunoichi, but
they no longer affected her like they once did. Natsuki and Narumi would
understand soon as well that taking a life was not as monstrous and
inhumane as they believed it to be.
Quickly maneuvering around the large and cluttered desk, while on the
run, she pulled back her next target's head by his long hair and deeply
slit his throat from ear to ear, causing his to gag and sputtered as the
blood flowed down his neck and onto his lab-coat, causing him to slump
over.
The final researcher hear his co-workers strange sounds and turned
around to tell the man to quiet down and let him work in peace,
however, he recoiled in shock at what he found. Just as he was about to
let our a scream in horror, he found that he couldn't even utter a single
sound. He clawed at his throat with his fingernails as he became unable
to breathe, but it was to no avail. The shinobi wire wrapped around his
throat was far too tight to ever be able to pry off with his level of
physical strength.
Satsuki who was standing in front of his desk, but now behind him, about
a dozen feet away, tightened the wire that she held in each of her hands
and spread her arms outwards, causing the wire around the man's neck to
forcefully tighten inwardly as it began to draw blood. As she continued to
slowly tighten the wire, the wire around the man's neck became tighter
and tighter until it ultimately decapitated him with one final pull. His
head lifelessly fell to the ground as his body slumped over in its chair.
With her targets having been eliminated, that marked one part of her
mission as completed. Now all she had to do was collect all of the data,
research, and documents from this room and the library, then plant the
explosive notes. That and she wanted to take home some of those cool
portable machines that the researchers were using, or at least bring back
the schematics and data on them and what they did.
Naruto had given them only a single storage scroll, but his were different
than standard ones. The seal formula he used to create it was of his own
design and was able to hold far more mass than scrolls that could be
purchased in stores. Shop owners bought storage scrolls with inferior
sealing arrays in order to force shinobi to buy enough to tore away all
their necessary equipment. It may have been unethical, but it was
business. Though, if you only bought blank scrolls and wrote your own
sealing formulas on them, they were far more reliable.
His scroll coupled with the empty storage scrolls that her and her mother
brought along would be more than enough to seal away all of the
research held within the research facility and the library.
As time was short, Satsuki rid herself of the now bloody shinobi wire and
raced across the large room towards her mother. It would be best to work
together for the most efficiency.
Third Level Below
The third level below the surface could only be described as hell on
earth. The entire prison sector was being consumed by flames as a lone
figure serenely walked through the hall amidst all of the screams of
agony and the ensuing chaos.
Crimson flames spread from the artificially created stone floors to the
ceiling above, leaving not an inch within the prison sector untouched.
The bars of the prison cells that sealed of a person's chakra had already
melted along with much of the walls, floor, and partially the ceiling. The
earth above slowly dripped down to the ground below as it began to
liquify. All of the prisoners besides Naruto's primary target had already
been melted into nothing more than puddles of blood and innards. This
method had been the quickest way of dealing with all unnecessary
prisoners who were in his way.
Within Naruto's field of vision was the most secure cell at the end of the
prison block. It looked more like a vault in which Kages would store
village funds or the most dangerous jutsu and secrets than anything. This
only spoke as to how monstrous and uncontrollable the person inside of
it was.
There was quite a distance between the first two levels and the last two
levels, as it took quite a bit of chakra to Shunshin from the surface to his
current location. It was roughly five miles below the surface. Orochimaru
probably designed this hideout with the fact that there was a town close
by in mind, therefore those on the surface would be unable to hear the
screams of the prisoners being experimented on, whether willingly or
unwillingly. He also would want his researchers to be as far away as
those mindless creatures at all times, other than when they were
conducting human experiments. From what Naruto had already
witnessed from the appearance of those behind the bars, the experiments
conducted daily must have been horrendous and far beyond inhumane.
He may have just been doing them a favor by ending their lives when he
did.
Naruto didn't extinguish his flames like he usually did after finishing the
job, instead he let them burn and eat away at any and all surfaces within
the large hall since he would need to destroy this place anyway and it
didn't take any extra chakra of natural energy to keep the flames burning.
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Naruto finally made it to the most secure prison cell, and his destination.
The thick steel door didn't have chakra sealing bars like the other cells
did, in fact it was impossible to fully seal off a person's body from natural
energy alone since it was such an unknown and mysterious energy. The
closest thing Orochimaru had ever come to developing something of that
nature were his cursed seals that temporarily restricted movements,
making any chakra or natural energy useless. The door had no access to
the outside world, or at least no way to see out of the cell, with a single
handle, and four separate locks, after which it was chained off in a X-like
fashion.
'...Someone really didn't want this guy to ever see the light of day again.'
Naruto thought as he looked at what he assumed to be overkill on the
security of his prison cell. This guy had stayed behind in this hideout
willingly, and yet they locked him up as if he was a threat to the people
around him...Or perhaps he really was that insane.
Naruto stood there silently as he heard a voice talking to itself behind the
door.
"Kill...Kill...A man...The Next one I kill will be a man after all...No a
woman...If the next one who comes through that door is a woman, I'll kill
her...No, a man would put up more of a fight...Alright! It's decided. If the
next one who comes through that door is a man, I'll kill him." A deep
voice whispered obsessively to itself.
Hearing that whispering satisfied most of Naruto's curiosity. The
obviously male voice was heavily laced with insanity and bloodlust.
Whatever came out after he opened this door would be a real pain in the
ass to deal with. Just once he would like to not be paired up against the
insane and creepy ones ones. First it was Doto, then Kabuto, then
Nawaki, followed by Gaara, and now this guy.
He really did have the worst luck.
Seeing as how he didn't have the necessary keys in his possession, Naruto
placed his right hand on the door and produced an excess amount of heat
from the palm of his hand, melting the thick steel in a single moment.
The steel liquified and flowed down to the floor just as quick, only
leaving a few strands behind, and revealing Naruto's face to whoever
resided within the confines of the cell.
"Jackpot! I'll kill you!" The voice roared as soon as he caught a glimpse of
Naruto's appearance.
Before Naruto could even adjust his eyes to the darkness of the prison
cell, he was forced to cross his arms in front of his body to lessen the
impact of the monstrous fist that was heading straight towards him.
There was no time to avoid the strike, nor was their any time to coat his
arms with Haki, it was all up to physical strength and durability at the
moment.
Naruto felt the bones in his forearms scream in agony as a cracking-like
feeling erupted throughout the entirety of both his arms before being
launched into the wall directly behind him, creating a small crater with
many spiderweb cracks now marring its complexion.
'...Just what the hell was that...?' Naruto questioned himself rhetorically
as he pulled himself out of the wall and felt his blue flame's regenerative
properties repairing the extensive damage done to his arms by a single
strike.
What he saw emerge from the room was a tall, muscular young man with
spiky orange hair and red-orange eyes, or what normally would have
been a pair. His left eye was currently a vibrant yellow color with a black
sclera and the entire left side of his body was a pale gray color while his
left arm took on the form of an enlarged fist with various spikes jutting
out from all sides and moving upwards towards his bicep. Unsurprisingly,
his eyes had a crazed and murderous look within them.
'...And this must be the what the second stage of the cursed seal looks
like...Or rather, for him, his natural transformation.'
Naruto spit out a bit of blood after turning his head to the side. Against a
user of natural energy like the people from this clan of monsters, his
intangibility would easily be negated by their every strike. Naruto had
greatly underestimated the pure physical strength of his opponent once
again, add to that the fact that he is at a disadvantage because he
couldn't use any of his larger and more powerful techniques due to their
position in the confined hallway, it was clear things weren't looking up
for Naruto.
Then there was the fact that he still had to search the laboratory and
bring back a DNA sample of this man. That meant Naruto couldn't just
destroy this entire floor, he was already walking a fine line as it was with
the flames he had already produced. His options really were quite limited
at the moment.
While he had not neglected his taijutsu training completely, he would be
the first to admit that not fighting a foe who could actually touch him for
such a long time caused him to slack off on the intensity of his physical
training more recently. He now questioned how he could possibly come
to such a conclusion.
"And who might you be?" Naruto asked as the marks on the man's body
spread even further across his body until it was covering him completely.
"It doesn't matter, because you're gonna die right here!" Jūgo yelled
maniacally, not that Naruto was aware of what his real name was.
Naruto jumped into the air and used Jūgo's shoulder as a stepping stone
before jumping even higher in the air to the side of the man while he
coated his arms with Busoshoku Haki, as Jūgo sent a punch towards the
wall he had been previously standing in front of, shattering it completely
and causing some debris from the ceiling to collapse.
Naruto was forced to land while dodging the falling debris as Jūgo didn't
seem to care in the slightest about the danger he had just put them in and
raced after Naruto once more. He outstretched his left arm to his side and
forced a large axe blade to form on the side of his forearm by utilizing
the unique abilities that his passive natural energy granted him.
Naruto drew his chokuto from his back and coated it with Haki as well.
Any normal weapon would have broken from the natural energy
surrounding that axe, but Haki should even the odds in a straight duel.
Naruto's blade met Jūgo's in the middle and caused shockwaves to ripple
throughout the room and shatter some of the smaller pieces of rubble
that were now scattered across the floor. Naruto was the first to pull
back, causing Jūgo to recoil in the process, as he switched his sword into
a reverse-grip and swiped the blade across the orange-haired man's
abdomen. However Jūgo had managed to lean back in time so that only a
shallow slash wound made its way onto his stomach, but the sight of his
own blood made him even more excited as he hadn't found anyone who
was capable of wounding him since Kimimaro.
In response to the flesh would he received, Jūgo brought his fist down
hard, on Naruto's head slamming him into the ground before the raven-
haired teen had a chance to react. While the wound had only been a flesh
wound for Jūgo, he only thought that way because of the regenerative
properties that his body granted him. In reality, the slash that he was just
dealt was only an inch or two away from severing his spinal chord and
rendering him incapable of movement. It would only be natural for
Naruto to expect the match to be over after his opponent had received a
fatal wound such as that, however, Jūgo was able to regenerate within
the span of a single moment.
The ground split into spiderweb-like cracks as the full force of Naruto's
body combined with the extra push from Jūgo impacted the ground.
Naruto clenched his teeth to prevent himself from coughing up too much
blood, but a small amount still made its way onto the ground as it spilled
out of back of his mouth.
'...Damn...this guy outclasses me physically in every possible way...I won't
be able to stay conscious if I take to many more hits like that one.'
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....
Naruto was only flat on the ground for the same amount of time it took
Jūgo to regenerate from his last wound. As Jūgo was laughing
maniacally, thinking that he had already won, Naruto pushed himself up
off the ground and delivered a Haki enhanced uppercut to the man's chin,
sending him high into the air and back a dozen or so yards.
This had been the most amount of hits that Naruto had taken in years
and the lack of regular pain was starting to catch up with him. He shakily
stood back onto his own two feet as he stared into the eerie yellow eyes
of Jūgo, whom was already back on his feet, looking as bloodthirsty as
ever, even after taking such a heavy blow.
The two rushed at each other again, Jūgo intent on slaughtering the man
before him. He fought more like a wild beast than a shinobi, though it
was working for him magnificently with his pure strength making up for
his lack of elegance. Naruto sent a slash towards the man's chest, but it
was effortlessly blocked by the axe-blade that was now his arm. As
Naruto was now stopped in his tracks at the moment, Jūgo transformed
his other arm into a piston-like shape t increase the force of his fist and
slammed it into Naruto's gut, forcing him to cough up a mouthful of
saliva before being flung into another wall.
After regaining the feeling of his body, coupled with the incredible
feeling of pain coursing through it, Naruto pulled himself out of the wall
and stared distastefully at the man who had not yet moved from his
previous position. He was really getting tired of being thrown around like
a rag-doll. This was the first time that he had been so outmatched
physically and he could honestly say he hated it. Was this how every
other opponent facing himself felt before?
Jūgo's body started to transform once again, as many jet-like appendages
formed on his exposed back and began expelling large amounts of chakra
from them. Jūgo immediately blurred out of sight using the incredible
speed boost that those boosters gave him.
In such a confined space with his opponent moving as fast as he was,
Naruto was barely able to track him with the Sharingan, and even then
he could only react fast enough to bring his sword up to block the axe-
blade that was being aimed straight for his head. However, the speed
Jūgo was moving at was the decisive factor as it cut right through
Naruto's blade, but was offset just enough to miss its target altogether.
However, as soon as Jūgo was forced off-balanced by missing his target,
he disappeared from sight once more. A strike came from behind Naruto,
but he swiftly sidestepped it, though he didn't have the chance to counter
strike as his opponent was gone once again. The raven-haired chūnin
ducked a swing of the axe-blade once more, but this time he managed to
grab Jūgo and kick him upwards with a kick. Though once in mid-air his
disappeared from sight once more before appearing across the hall from
Naruto only a short distance away.
He was panting heavily as he retracted the boosters into his back and
stopped the chakra flow to them altogether. It seemed that form took
quite a tole on him, so much so that prolonged use of it was out of the
question. It normally would have been so fast that any opponent would
have been finished with a single strike, this would have been the case
with Naruto as well, had he not been using his Kenbunshoku Haki.
"You're different from the others I've fought! But I'll kill you all the
same!" Jūgo yelled as his arm changed from the axe-blade he'd been so
fond of up until now into something that may very well be more
powerful. This time, large jet boosters, similar to the ones that had been
on his back until just a minute ago, grew from the length of his forearm
to his shoulder facing backwards. They were most likely used to make
any punch that he threw dwarf Tsunade's super strength by a wide
margin.
"Kassokuken: Ichishiki (Piston Fist: Style One)!" Jūgo roared as chakra
was propelled out of the large boosters on his arm, sending him forward
at incredible speeds with his right arm outstretched to deliver the
finishing blow.
At the moment, Naruto didn't really have a lot of options on how to deal
with the maniacal monster being propelled right at him. At least, that
was before his right leg accidentally kicked his broken sword that he had
dropped earlier.
"What the hell." Naruto shrugged, seeing as he may as well attempt the
idea that came to mind. He stomped on the blade of the broken chokuto,
causing it to flip into the air until Naruto swiped his right hand in its
direction and gripped it tightly. He flared the chakra from the tenketsu
points in his right forearm, forcing the bandages wrapping around them
to loosen and fall to the floor, revealing a large seal in the shape of a
pitch-black Chinese dragon, with its head on Naruto's hand and the rest
of its body wapping continuously around his arm until it reached his
bicep.
"I hate to use this technique, I find it devoid of any style or elegance, but
it seems that you prefer our little meeting to end messily whether I use it
or not." Naruto said as he took an offensive stance with his left shoulder
facing forward as Jūgo was finally within striking distance of him.
Just as an extra boost of chakra propelled Jūgo's fist forward even faster,
Naruto's channeled the power granted to him by the seal with his own,
coating his sword with malefic green and black flames, increasing the
cutting power of his sword exponentially as these particular flames were
as hot as the surface of the sun. With a swift movement, Naruto sliced
vertically through Jūgo's arm before sending another slash, bifurcating
him horizontally, after which he blurred out of sight, appearing behind
Jūgo.
"Kokuryū Zan no Tachi (Darkness Dragon's Remnant Longsword)!" As
Naruto spoke the name of the technique, Jūgo's still-standing body split
into over a dozen different pieces, illustrating just how fast the technique
truly was. Because of how powerful those flames were, the dismembered
pieces of the man's body were instantaneously ignited with the malicious
green and black flames, as they threatened to disintegrate the remains.
Naruto quickly extinguished the flames that covered the body as well as
the flames that were coating his sword.
He had nowhere near mastery over these particular flames, in reality, he
was only able to control and withstand these without getting burned
because they were a combination of the darkness flame and his own. For
him to obtain full mastery over the darkness flame, he would need to
fully consume it, something that may very well kill him in the process.
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....
After Naruto had verified that the remains were still workable, he
glanced at what was left of his blade and sighed. While the blade had
been previously rendered unusable, it was now almost completely melted
within the palm of his hand. He turned the palm of his downwards and
kept his hand open so that what remained of his blade was discarded
onto the ground. He would need to get his hand on a sword that was able
to withstand the heat of his techniques. He was actually surprised that it
lasted as long as it did by just being in the general vicinity of his flames.
He also unstrapped the scabbard that was resting on his back and
discarded it as well. No sense in keeping something that would only slow
him down.
Naruto quickly let the phoenix flames within his body heal him to the
best of their ability, so that all of his bones were regenerated and he was
able to move properly again. Whoever it was that he was fighting packed
a punch, it felt like the entire Hokage Monument had been dropped onto
his back.
The raven-haired boy, who was now partially covered by blue flames as
they were doing their job, walked over to the dismembered remains of
Jūgo and pulled out one of his empty storage scrolls. He bent down on
one knee as he picked up each piece of the man, one by one, and sealed
them within the scroll, and successfully completing a portion of his
assignment.
While the fight seemed to go on for hours, it had only been a few minutes
due to how fast-paced and intense it was. There was still plenty of time
before the explosive notes were set to go off automatically, that was why
they had set the time constraint before entering the hideout. With those
thoughts in mind, Naruto limped towards the section of this level that
contained the laboratory while his flames continued to regenerate him,
albeit at a much slower rate.
Even with his body broken, he still had a mission to complete.
Fourth Level Below
After searching the entirety of the laboratory on the level above and
recovering many documents pertaining to the cursed seals and setting the
explosive tags all over its vicinity, Naruto had finally made it down to the
fourth and final level of the compound.
Level wasn't exactly an appropriate word to describe it, as the entire floor
only had the large staircase leading up to the their level and a large, dark
tunnel that was lit only by lanterns as it went on for miles, perhaps even
further than that.
The tunnel was easily a quarter of the size of all of Konoha and was
surely capable of holding all of Otogakure's invading forces. This area
was definitely how so many Oto-nin got past the border and where they
planned the final stages of the invasion during the one month reprieve
between the preliminary exams and the final exams that was given to
prepare for the chūnin exams.
Naruto spread out his senses using his sensing abilities and Kenbunshoku
Haki to find the status of his teammates before he decided on how to deal
with his current situation. He smiled when he found that all of the
explosive notes had already been planted with Narumi and Natsuki
already back at the designated meeting place and Mikoto and Satsuki
making their way up the final flight of stairs at the moment.
Seeing that almost all of his team was out of the hideout, Naruto made a
cross-shaped hand seal and created ten Kage Bunshin (Shadow Clones),
after which he threw the scroll with his leftover explosive notes to one of
them, after which, they took off running into the darkness of the tunnel.
Since he had the scroll in his possession when he created the clones, they
also had a copy of the scroll and would be able to plant those explosive
tags as well to cover the distance of the tunnel. Since he had melted over
half of the third floor, he only needed to use half of the explosive tags
there coupled with the fact that when they went off it would collapse
inwardly from the explosions above and below it. This gave him a surplus
of explosives to use down here.
Though those tags would be planted further down the hall by his clones.
Jinchūrikis were the optimal users of the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shadow
Clone Jutsu) because of their vast chakra reserves, but almost every
shinobi in Konoha who was jounin level knew the technique and were
capable of making at least ten to fifteen clones. Couple his large chakra
reserves with the fact that he was an Uzumaki and he could easily use
this technique better than anyone, minus jinchūriki.
Naruto's scroll had contained approximately twenty-five explosive tags,
which he had given to one of the clones he had produced. Due to them
being exact copies of Naruto, each of them also possessed a scroll that
contained twenty-five explosive tags. This added up to two hundred
seventy-five explosive tags, such a large amount of explosives were
enough to destroy a majority of Konoha. It should be more than enough
to cause this tunnel to collapse.
Though since he couldn't tell exactly how long the tunnel reached since
his Haki didn't have than kind of range yet, he had assigned the clones to
take care of the middle and far end of the tunnel and leave him to deal
with this section.
Seeing as how his clones were finally out of range from his senses, he
closed his eyes and began expelling large amounts of heat energy from
his body. No flames were given off because he didn't want to risk any of
the explosive tags in the vicinity going off prematurely, so he merely
increased the temperature of the flames that made up his body, giving off
heat ranging far above what any normal human could withstand.
Nothing happened for a few moments as the heat continued to be
emitted, but then the bonds that held the walls, ceiling, and ground in
place began to weaken and slowly but surely melt off into a magma-like
substance or make the surrounding surfaces especially malleable. This
went on for a few minutes at such a rate that the walls would have
collapsed if they were even touched with the slightest amount of force.
That should be more than enough to ensure that the passageway was
rendered unusable in the future.
Leaving everything else up to his Kage Bunshins, Naruto faded out of
sight, signifying that he had disappeared in his favored Shunshin.
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....
Surface
Naruto reappeared at the surface in a matter of seconds, surprising two of
the kunoichi who were waiting their patiently.
Naruto looked at Satsuki and Mikoto and noticed that they had excited
smiled on their face, suggesting that they had found something quite
interesting within the reasearch facilities or library. He hadn't expected
them to be affected by the elimination mission because it was something
that they had done countless times before, in Mikoto's case, and at least a
few times before for Satsuki. He would make sure to inquire later as to
what they were so ecstatic to have in their possession.
Naruto then shifted his gaze towards the blonde and redhead of the
group and smiled softly at what he found.
Narumi looked like she was bathed in remorse and trying to figure out
whether they were in the right or the wrong with what they did, but
other wise she had come out unscathed. He wouldn't say anything at the
moment and let her adopt her own views on the kind of mission they had
just done. It was best to let her come to her own conclusion rather than
force her into his own line of thinking and reasoning, as any other team
leader would have done.
Natsuki, on the other hand, was calmly cleaning off the blood that
stained her snow-white blade with a cloth that she kept in her weapons
pouch. She didn't seem to be too bothered or even shaken up by the fact
that she had just taken several lives. Naruto studied her for a few
moments before shrugging his shoulders. Sometimes the first kill put
everything in perspective for a person. Or perhaps cleaning her sword
was just a way to calm her nerves as she thought everything over. Either
way, the two girls were in far better mental condition than he had been
anticipating. He was glad that the two of them made it out of there alive.
Having them not sobbing over the lives they had taken and forcing him
to comfort them was definitely a preferred outcome.
The sound of Naruto's footsteps approaching earned the attention of the
Uzumaki-Namikaze siblings, whose faces contorted in shock and horror
as they saw the condition that their brother was in.
True enough, Naruto's figure was drenched in blood, however, most of it
had been Jūgo's. That didn't take away from the bruising and gashes that
marred his frame from their encounter though. As soon as his broken and
shattered bones had been repaired, Naruto had cut off his use of the
phoenix flames, seeing as how his use of them was limited as of now.
"Nii-san...! Wha-What happen-!" Natsuki started to panic as she saw all
the blood, but was cut off as Naruto raised his hand up with a tired
expression on his face.
"I don't want to talk about it...I finished my part, that's all that matters."
Naruto was a bit disappointed in himself that his current condition had
been the result of only taking a few heavy punches. While that man had
been incredible strong and natural energy was one of Naruto's few
weaknesses, the course of that battle still left a bad taste in his mouth. In
the shinobi world, whoever is the one left standing is the victor, no
matter the means, but Naruto didn't feel the same way. He could never
claim that the outcome of that match had been his victory.
From the tone of his voice and how he avoided the question, it was clear
that it was something that he preferred to have left alone. The four
kunoichi understood that as they had all done things that they had
wished they didn't have to on this particular mission.
"...Why don't we finish up our business here and then move on to the
town then?" Mikoto suggested, honestly tired of being in the same
vicinity as Orochimaru's compound. She couldn't seem to get the images
that Naruto had implanted into her as well as a lot of what she found in
the reports she came across out of her head.
Naruto nodded at the suggestion and went through a dozen or so hand
seals which erected a large, light blue colored silencing barrier to limit
the exposure of the explosion to the outside world. The hideout was
located far enough away from the town that it was possible for it to go
unnoticed, but he erected the silencing barrier just to be cautious.
"I want the four of you to head into the forest and get away from here, I
don't know how large the blast radius will be or even if it will have any
result on the surface." Naruto spoke to the kunoichi.
That clearly was not accepted by a few of them. While Stasuki and
Mikoto didn't know the full extent of his abilities or even how he was
capable of doing such, they knew he wouldn't die from a simple
explosion such as this. Natsuki and Narumi were more weary of the
situation.
"B-But what about you?!" Narumi had gotten over her previous feelings of
remorse to address such a crazy plan.
"I need to stay behind to start the chain reaction of the explosive tags as
well as detonate my clones." Naruto spoke calmly, not at all worried that
his life was in danger. Even if it was, an explosion couldn't be able to
physical harm him like Jūgo had. "I can assure you, I'm in no danger
here."
"B-But" Natsuki tried to interject, but was cut off when she felt Mikoto's
hand on her shoulder.
"Naru-kun will be fine, he's the mission leader and we still have a mission
to complete. He can't just go get himself killed leaving us with all the
work, can he?" Mikoto asked jokingly. Seeing Natsuki's expression relax,
Mikoto started pulling her away while Satsuki did the same with Narumi.
"Now let's follow his orders and put out faith in him."
The two hesitant girls nodded as the Uchiha females Shunshined them
out of the area, leaving Naruto behind to finish the destruction of the
base.
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....
"Those two always were a pain in the ass..." Naruto mumbled to himself
as he spread out his senses and felt that his clones had finished their job
and were now back within range of him at the beginning of the tunnel.
Forming a half-ram seal, Naruto simultaneously detonated his clones
along with the explosive tags, triggering a chain reaction as every
explosive tag in the compound and the tunnel went off. Within the span
of a second, explosions were going off one after another all throughout
the tunnel and the hideout as each explosion caused a section of it to
collapse and bring more weight down upon the section below it until the
actual earth shattered beneath the surface and the tunnel caved in.
Naruto could feel the earth shifting and shaking below his feet as the
ground began to create large fissures from the large-scale shifting
occurring beneath it. It became hard to keep his balance as the shaking
was equivalent to that of a magnitude six earthquake, but Naruto needed
to keep the barrier up to keep the full effects of the explosion contained
within it.
After several minutes of withstanding the force that the explosions
brought upon the very earth itself, the shaking began to die down as the
fissure finally stopped spreading and breaking apart the earth and the
final explosives went off.
Naruto looked around and noticed that he was standing on the only
earthen pillar in the area as his chakra had preserved it, with all the rest
of the ground having been shattered and collapsed from having no more
support from the structures below. It could easily be described as a giant
crater that ascended into darkness or a bottomless pit.
As he surveyed the destruction their mission had caused, Naruto released
his control on the barrier, forcing it to subside. Seeing as how the entire
radius around the hideout had been destroyed, including the rock
formation that contained the entrance, Naruto Shunshined to where the
land began once again before looking back once more and blurring out of
sight to reconvene with the rest of his team.
What remained of the once favored hideout of Orochimaru was nothing,
it was as if its entire existence had been erased from the face of the earth.
On top of a large cliff, Naruto and his team stood side by side as they
gazed upon the small, quiet Banaro Town. The town itself looked to have
an old Wild West theme to it, at least the team had assumed so from the
movies they had seen during their youth due to the fact that they were
based off of merely fantasy. The town was surrounded by vast forests and
huge rocks that faced upwards in different directions, known as Banana
Rock according to the map that Naruto had picked up at a previous town.
The team were situated on the highest of these rocks.
It had been about thirty minutes since they had detonated the exploding
tags at Orochimaru's hideout, and thanks to the barrier Naruto had put
up, it looks like nobody was aware of what had happened. This was to be
expected since the barrier not only prevented sound from traveling, but it
also limited any of the vibrations from within the earth to reach outside
of it.
This time lapse had given the shinobi of the team time for their chakra to
regenerate, as well as recover from any wounds or mental stress they had
accumulated through the course of the mission.
From the chakra levels Naruto was able to sense, most of the villagers
within the town were civilians. However, there were a few signatures
that could borderline on shinobi levels. This meant that either they really
were shinobi and were suppressing their chakra, they had shinobi
training but had no affiliations with any of the villages, they were nuke-
nin, or they were retired shinobi. They were too high up from the town
for Naruto to be able to accurately sense them with his Haki, so they
were going to have to do this the old-fashioned way.
But before that...
"I think it would be best if we gathered all of the storage scrolls and sent
them back to Konoha in case something goes wrong with this part of the
mission...I can't help but feel that something going to happen soon,
though that may just be my imagination." Naruto spoke as he walked
away from the edge of the cliff, towards the middle and knelt down on
one knee where he began removing the numerous storage scrolls from
weapons pouch and his flak jacket pockets.
The other members slowly followed him and replicated his actions. They
didn't know exactly why, but there was an odd sense of foreboding in the
pit of their stomachs, that was the only reason they didn't dismiss
Naruto's words as merely paranoia. Though that still begged the question
of how they would get the scrolls back to the village.
After everyone had emptied their pockets, ten storage scrolls lay in the
middle of the circle that the shinobi had created. Narumi and Natsuki
were unfamiliar with the workings of storage scrolls and they had not
been given an information retrieval mission, so they hadn't contributed
any of the scrolls. Mikoto had filled up four entire storage scrolls, Satsuki
had contributed five, and Naruto had only recovered enough information
to only need one and then there was the scroll that contained Jūgo's
dismembered remains.
"Um, Nii-san? How are we going to transport the scrolls back to the
village? Is part of the team returning to the village early?" Natsuki asked
with a tilt of the head. She had been silent ever since they left the
hideout as everything that she had done in the hideout finally settled into
her mind. Though, she wasn't really hit with deep feelings of remorse or
guilt like her sister had been, what she felt...was nothing. It was
something of an out of body experience, she knew she had killed those
men, but yet, it felt like she hadn't at the same time...it was odd.
She didn't receive a verbal response, Naruto merely stepped back a few
meters and bit his thumb to draw a bit of blood, after which he placed
his hand on the surface of the rock. He had mastered the summoning
technique to such a degree during the reprieve between the second and
third stages of the chūnin exams that he no longer required hand seals to
summon any of his phoenixes.
There was a large burst of smoke, signifying the use of the summoning
technique from the actions that Naruto had previously preformed. Once
the smoke cleared, the eyes of all four kunoichi widened, even Satsuki's
and Mikoto's who knew what kind of contract Naruto held. Standing, or
rather levitating, in front of Naruto was a bird-like dragon. It possessed
an aerodynamic body, with the lower half of its body colored blue with
jet-plane wings and fin-like feet and white and blue arms that looked like
they could be tucked into its body, on its chest was a red triangular mark.
The upper half of its body was white and it had triangular ears and a blue
face with a white pentagon in the middle.
An outsider would find it strange for a dragon-like creature to be a part
of the phoenix contract, but the dragons were the descendants of the
phoenix, so it makes sense if one knew the relationship between the two
species. It is rumored that the dragon contract is the most powerful of the
summoning clans, but that is only rumor, there is no such contract. That
is because the dragons lie in the depths of Mt. Silver or roam the
atmosphere where no other creature would be able to survive. Just as the
dragons have descended from the phoenixes, their abilities have also
evolved and spread out so that their abilities do not lie solely with fire.
From the looks of this particular one, it appeared to be specialized in
speed, perhaps being able to fly so fast that it could be described more
accurately as teleportation.
"Sorry for calling you out so suddenly Latios." Naruto apologized merely
out of courtesy. Latios was one of the phoenixes that he had taken a
liking to him during that month he had spent on Mt. Silver. He may have
been a dragon, but Latios was still considered to be a phoenix because he
was their descendant.
There was another interesting fact about Latios. He couldn't speak the
way most of the other of his kind could, though it wasn't due to a lack of
intelligence, actually he was one of the smartest of his kind. He possessed
incredible telepathic abilities and communicated with others that way.
'It's okay Naruto, I told you that you may summon me whenever my
presence is required. How may I be of service?' As Latios spoke
telepathically to Naruto, its eyes turned a shade of light blue to signal the
use of its telepathy. To outsiders it would seem that the interactions
between the two were no different from any other animal, with the
dragon giving off a small roar that sounded more like a sonar than
anything. But it was obvious to the four still-gobsmacked kunoichi that
these two understood each other very well.
"I need you to transport these documents back to Konoha as quickly as
possible. They're incredibly important and we still have a mission to
complete. I'd normally just wait until we could bring them back
ourselves, but I can't help but feel that something is going to go very
wrong very soon." Naruto spoke as he unsealed a messenger bag, from
the scroll that held his personal effects, and placed the scrolls containing
the information they had retrieved into it.
'Very well, it shall be done. Once I reach your village, I will take my
human form and deliver them to your sensei.' Latios dipped his head
down so that Naruto could strap the messenger bag around the dragon's
neck. After which Latios raised his head back up and placed his arm
around the bag, securing it so that it would not fall off when he reached
top speed.
"Sorry for all the trouble." Naruto apologized once more. He didn't like
treating some of the most majestic creatures in the world like they were
merely a delivery service to be used at his convenience.
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....
After giving one final nod of understanding to his summoner, Latios
disappeared faster than the blink of an eye, leaving a silent sonic boom in
its wake. After the dust cleared from the small explosion, Naruto turned
back around, only to be greeted with the frozen, wide-eyed expressions of
the four kunoichi.
"...W-What-?" Narumi tried to muster her voice, but was cut off by
Naruto.
"We don't have time for questions, we still have a mission to complete."
Naruto spoke, not really wanting to talk about his summons right now.
It's not that he was still trying to keep his abilities a secret, but a sonic
boom just went off from Latios's departure. It was likely that nobody else
hear it because of how quiet it was or heard it because of how tall the
rock formation they were on was, but they should still disperse as soon as
possible so that nobody would be able to sense their presence if they got
close enough.
Naruto walked back to the edge of the cliff to assess just how they would
divide up the town. They couldn't just scout it out in a large group such
as the one they were currently in, their large chakra signatures would
alert any shinobi in the area of their presence, especially with two
jinchūriki on the team. They would need to divide and conquer just like
they had with Orochimaru's hideout.
Even if he was the only sensor-type shinobi amongst them, the kunoichi
should at least be able to sense chakra signatures and the presence of
other shinobi, even Natsuki and Narumi who had abysmal chakra control
and sensing capabilities.
The population of the town was not too large, so locating and
investigating their targets shouldn't be too difficult. The town had a
population no greater than a few thousand people, most of which were
farmers who worked in the fields on the outskirts of town. That meant it
would be quite easy to spot someone who wasn't from Hi no Kuni since
they would obviously be out of place.
"We'll split up into the same teams that we had when we hit the hideout."
Naruto didn't even turn his attention away from the townspeople that
meandered through the streets of the town, mainly in the square and the
shopping district, but he knew that the rest of his team had their eyes on
hm and were vividly listening to his words. "Natsuki and Narumi, you'll
take the eastern side of the town. Mikoto-chan, Satsuki, you'll take the
western side. Since I'm the only sensor here, I'll take the southern side
where the town square, shopping district, and most of the residents are."
He received an affirmative nod from each of the kunoichi after they had
received their assignments. Though a few of them furrowed their
eyebrows after they had realized that one of the sections was missing.
"What about the northern section?" Natsuki asked with a confused
expression making its way onto her face.
Unknown to the kunoichi, but not to Naruto, the northern section was
mostly for agricultural usage and where a majority of the farms laid. The
only structures in those areas were farmhouses, stables, and silos used for
holding grain. There were at most a handful of people in the area at the
time. If there were any Suna or Oto shinobi remaining in the area, they
would try to blend in, in a much more populated area. If they were to
take refuge in the northern sector, they would stick out like a sore
thumb.
"The northern sector is used for agricultural usage, any foreign shinobi
would standout far too much there. They would take refuge in the more
populated areas of the town if they wanted to blend into their
surroundings. That leaves the three other sectors which have far more
people traveling through them constantly." Naruto informed the group as
he finally turned around to face them.
He received a nod in understanding from the girl who had voiced her
confusion, after which, something caught his eye.
The Konoha hitai-ate...
That simple piece of metal strapped on in various different places
amongst their group would undoubtedly alert the townspeople to their
presence, especially since it was so far away from any of the shinobi
villages. While the swords strapped to Natsuki's waist, as well as the
additional shinobi equipment they carried would also be a give away,
they would draw far less attention as opposed to the hitai-ates and the
flak jackets that he and Mikoto wore.
"...But before we split up, I've just realized we stand out far too much as
it is...These people will be weary of our presence knowing that we're
Konoha shinobi, which in turn will make it much harder to keep a low
profile." Naruto lectured as he unclipped his hitai-ate that was acting as
his belt buckle and took off his chūnin flak jacket, leaving his upper body
only in his mesh shirt. "It'll work best for us if no one even realizes were
here, but some attention can't be avoided. Our exposure will be limited
without us wearing our hitai-ates or our flak jackets."
After hearing Naruto's reasoning, Mikoto and Satsuki began taking off
said items and storing them in their personal sealing scroll that held their
personal affects, easily understanding the that for a pseudo-undercover
mission any clothing that gave away their origin would be out of the
question. Actually, villagers way out in the middle on nowhere wouldn't
easily recognize clan emblems, but none of the kunoichi here were
wearing anything of the sorts anyways.
"Aren't shinobi always supposed to wear their hitai-ates while on missions
to represent their village?" Narumi asked incredulously, a bit reluctant to
remove her hitai-ate after all the stories her parents used to tell her about
bringing honor to their village and how a mark to the hitai-ate was a
shinobi's greatest shame, that was why nuke-nins drew a slash mark
through their former village's symbol.
Though recently she had started to doubt a lot of what her parents had
been telling her, especially through the course of this mission.
The first was when she realized why her parents hadn't even mentioned
their favorite form of shinobi art in front of her and her siblings, much
less taught them the basics of fūinjutsu. The second was when their
current mission had been explained to them in detain in the forest on the
first night after they had left Konoha. Her parents had always told her
bedtime stories about how shinobi protected their village from all the
evils of the world and strove to protect the people precious to
them...were all those stories just lies to get them interested in being
shinobi? The third was when she found out really how much her parents'
neglect of Naruto affected his mental state, she couldn't imagine what it
was like to live everyday of her life questioning whether or not if her
being born was a good thing. Of course it was, and she was told that
everyday!...Though she had never thought people could possibly think
that their very existence was a sin. The fourth and final straw was when
she had taken her first life in that underground hideout. She may never
be the same again after that experience, whether that was a good or bad
thing, she had yet to determine.
Yes, Narumi had undoubtedly lost a lot of faith on everything she had
been told by her parents up to this point. Natsuki most likely had the
very same thoughts running through her head. She couldn't help but
wonder why her parents had been keeping so much from her for so long
and if there was more that they were hiding.
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....
"In this case, it would only hinder us completing our mission. Wouldn't
that be a worse case for representing our village rather than not wearing
a piece of metal strapped to some cloth?" Naruto asked rhetorically and
he pulled the storage scroll out of his chest pocket and sealed away his
flak jacket and his hitai-ate.
Narumi nodded in understanding and began to untie the Konoha hitai-ate
that was around her forehead, albeit a bit reluctantly. Natsuki, who had
been listening to the interaction between her older brother and her sister,
smiled at Narumi's compliance. Normally, Narumi would have stood her
ground and continued to argue, but it seemed that the recent events had
caused her to doubt her parents' teachings...Natsuki felt the very same
way.
Seeing that the entire team was now free of anything linking them back
to Konoha, Naruto felt that he should continue with his orders. "Now this
part of the operation should take quite a bit of time. You are to locate
any and all chakra signatures and determine whether or not they are
foreign shinobi. If you determine they are, in fact, enemy shinobi
trespassing in Hi no Kuni, you are to deal with them just as before...Do
not eliminate them in the middle of the street or open area, rather, tail
them until they are in a secluded area then finish them off and hide the
body. Understood?"
Naruto received affirmative responses from the four women now standing
before him.
"This isn't a time sensitive mission as it was before, meaning there is no
need to rush or blow your cover." Naruto spoke, giving his final words of
advice to his team. "You'll be investigating these people and, if you deem
them a threat, are to tail them where you'll eliminate them. This process
will be slow and will require the utmost patience. Regardless of whether
or not you've investigated all your targets or not, meet back at this
location in exactly four hours to check in and report your progress. You
know your assignments, move out."
Not a moment later were there four gusts of wind and swirls of leaves
where the four kunoichi had previously been, signifying the simultaneous
usage of the Leaf Shunshin to reach the outskirts of their designated
sector in order to inconspicuously enter the town.
Naruto gave one last glance to the town before fading out of sight in his
own Shunshin.
Southern Sector - Shopping District
Naruto could be found walking down the length of one of the streets
within the southern sector of the shopping district. For a town with such
a small populace, it was far larger than he had anticipated from merely
studying it from so high up on one of the Banana Rocks. Though this may
only have accounted for his sector, as it was the main attraction of the
town and where the townspeople spent their day when they found the
time.
It had been close to two hours since he had parted ways with the rest of
his team, and he had already encountered all of his predetermined
targets as of now. He had located at least a dozen chakra signatures when
he had been scouting the town for his team, six of them were located in
the southern sector, three in the eastern, and three in the western.
Naruto had set the four hour time restriction because he knew it would
take the other two teams longer to do their parts. He had only had such
an easy job with this because of his sensor-like abilities and his
Kenbunshoku Haki, though for some reason his Haki wasn't able to reach
a certain area, or perhaps it was being cancelled out. That couldn't be
right because no one else should be capable of using Haki due to it being
such an ancient art. Naruto chose to push it to the side for now and
merely chalked it up to him having not mastered his Haki yet.
Those six he had been tasked with investigating turned out to be quite a
disappointment, or perhaps this was the better outcome, it really
depended on how one looked at it. His first target was an old man at
about ninety years of age with dementia. He couldn't even continue
living day to day life like he once had, let alone continue with shinobi
duties. The second target had been a muscular man in his late forties who
was clearly used to working in the fields. Chakra is a life energy that all
living beings now possess, therefore, those who are accustomed to
strenuous physical labor with have higher chakra levels than ordinary
civilians, even if they haven't unlocked their chakra yet. The third was
merely a child, not even seven years of age yet, who had been abandoned
as a child and left at the orphanage just after he was born. He had lived
there ever since. The fourth was in a similar condition to his first target,
only instead of dementia she was in her final stages of cancer. The elderly
woman would likely be dead by the end of the month. The fifth target
was a pregnant woman who was in her final stages of pregnancy, there
was no possible way that she had participated in the invasion of Konoha
while in that kind of condition. The sixth and final target was a teenager,
about the same age as Naruto, who seemed to be nothing more than a
common street thug. It appeared that even small town such as this one
were not immune to crime.
It turned out that not one of his targets had been any shinobi from the
remnants of the Suna/Oto army. That cemented the reasoning that
investigating the town was purely a precautionary measure.
Currently, Naruto was simply walking the length of his sector to kill time
and to finalize that there were no foreign shinobi in the town. Though, he
couldn't help but feel that he was overlooking something crucial. Perhaps
it was connected to his imperfection with Haki when he came closer
towards a certain area of the town...
Or perhaps it had to do with the feeling what someone was constantly
watching him as soon as he stepped foot in town...
Not those odd looks he was getting from the female population from only
having a mesh shirt, that was almost see-through, covering his upper
body nor was it from the townspeople or the targets he had been
tracking. He didn't know why but he felt an ominous feeling in the pit of
his stomach once again.
He shook his head breaking him away from such thoughts. He couldn't
afford to have his mind clouded at the moment.
Perhaps the rest of his misfit team would be able to find what he
couldn't. He would just have to put his faith in them for now.
As he brought himself out of his inner thoughts and looked up at his
surroundings, he noticed that he had travelled from the outskirts of the
southern sector all the way to the middle where the Town Square was
located. What was strange though, was that compared to the bustling
streets he had been traveling earlier, there was not a single soul in sight.
What was even stranger is that Naruto could hear the crackling of
lightning around him when there was not a single cloud in the sky for
miles, it wasn't the sound of that lightning chakra that shinobi use, but
natural lightning itself.
As soon as Naruto realized that the cause of the noise was that the
electrical sound waves that transversed the air around him had been
turned into actual electricity, it was too late as the explosion of a
thunderclap resounded around him as well as through the rest of the
town.
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....
Eastern Sector - Minutes Earlier
Natsuki and Narumi shared a simultaneous groan as they could finally
slow down their pace now that they no longer had to locate and tail their
targets. This kind of work had been much more difficult than they had
expected, though that may have been the result of their personalities and
favored fighting style.
As far as their personalities went, they were quite different people, with
Natsuki being almost a carbon copy of their mother and Narumi being
somewhat of a tomboy and only putting up with the dresses and feminine
clothing that her mother picked out for her for the time being.
However, they did share the same base traits, with both being boisterous
and exuberant individuals, being very picky eaters as seen by their steady
diet of ramen, and their love for pranks. They also had a similar verbal
tick, just like their mother, but unlike her, through years of training and
discipline, they had managed to suppress it for the most part. Now it only
made itself known when they were very excited or feeling incredibly
strong emotions, positive ones in particular. Their fighting style also
turned out to be similar since they were trained by the same people,
though they preferred to rush into battle as opposed to thinking of the
situation beforehand, one of their many faults.
Due to these traits, they had accumulated a completely incompatible
relationship with intelligence work and tracking missions. The levels
patience and stealth required for these types of missions was far too
much for either of them to handle, they had nearly blown their cover and
given away their presence to their targets over a handful of times in just
over two hours because of their incompetence in this particular field.
While they were not a good match for this kind of work, they had
managed to fulfill their part of the mission. All three of their targets had
been duds. Their first target was a teenage girl who looked to be a severe
drug addict. There was no humanly way possible that she was in any
kind of condition for shinobi work, much less participate in a full scale
invasion of one of the five great hidden villages. Though to make sure
they did tail her for some time in order to come to their conclusion. The
second target was farmworker who was on his day off, it seemed he was
the one who owned the farm in the furthermost section of the northern
sector who provided the entire town with their supply of crops and
grains, judging by the conversations he had and people who he had
interacted with throughout the day. Their third and final target was an
elderly man who was restricted to a wheelchair and whose sight was
rapidly deteriorating, judging from what they had overheard his nurse
say.
In other words, the town looked as though it hadn't had a shinobi
presence here in months, if not years. Though that wouldn't be very
surprising since the town was pretty out of the way from any of the other
towns.
They still had two hours to observe their surroundings before they
needed to meet back up with the rest of the team, so they were
wandering aimlessly through the now-empty streets in the direction of
the northern sector because that area of the eastern side was the only
place that they hadn't checked out yet. Though, now they could pose as
regular girls walking down the street instead of having to stick to the
shadows or blend into the crowds that had previously flooded the narrow
streets.
"Narumi, Are you okay? You've seemed kind of out of it for a while
now..." Natsuki asked her twin sister worriedly. Though she had an idea
of why she had been estranged and silent for the most part.
"..." Once again the blonde-haired girl refused to respond. She had only
spoken when it was in regards to the mission, no more, no less.
Natsuki sighed, knowing how thick-headed and stubborn her own sister
was. It would be much harder than than this to get through to her.
"You're thinking about what happened back at the hideout aren't you..."
"..." Natsuki was met with a long silence once more, causing her to let out
another sigh. Just as it seemed that this conversation would die out,
Narumi finally found her voice. "How do you do it...? How can you be
so...so normal right now...?"
Natsuki stopped walking and looked over at her sister who was clearly
disturbed by what she had done. "You feel remorse for killing those
shinobi back at the hideout..." Natsuki's response was a statement, not a
question.
"I-I know I'm a shinobi...and I know I shouldn't feel like this...it's just, I
can't help it! Then I look over at you and everyone else on the team...and
it seems like taking another person's life doesn't even affect all of you at
all!" Narumi was trying hard to hold back her tears. She knew what she
was getting into today and she knew the reasons for why she needed to
do it, but every time she closed her eyes, even if was only to blink, she
saw all the faces of the people she had just killed.
"..." Natsuki was silent for a moment, not exactly sure what to say to
bring comfort to her distraught sister. "I'll be honest with you and tell you
straight out that it doesn't...It's kinda hard to explain, ya know...On one
hand I was there, I know that I killed those people and shed all that
blood...but on the other hand, it feels like it wasn't me who killed
them...or like I know I did it but I haven't been able to process it yet..."
"I-I see..."
"Though the only thing that has been running through my mind recently
is the story Nii-san told us about his experience yesterday...I guess I feel
that I just don't have the right to feel guilty or remorseful for what I've
done, knowing his experience had to have been at least a hundred times
worse...He never had anyone to comfort him all his life, never to show
them that they cared, no matter how much we try to deny it...but when
we get back to the village Tou-san, Kaa-chan, Tsunade-obaa, Ero-sennin,
Kakashi-sensei, all of them there beside us..to comfort us...Knowing that I
wasn't there to held Nii-san makes me feel that I don't have the right to
feel bad for myself..." Natsuki honestly answered Narumi's unasked
question. After hearing her brother's story yesterday, she couldn't help
but beat herself up for having such selfish thoughts when he had to go
through all of this so early on and on his own at that.
Narumi's eyes widened as she heard her sister's reasoning. She knew that
her sister was attached to their older brother, perhaps more so than a
sibling should ever be, so at the beginning of her explanation, the blonde
simply disregarded it as her willing to do anything for him. But now that
Narumi fully understood what her sister was trying to say, she couldn't
help but feel a pang of regret in her chest...Not because she was thinking
about her recent kills again, but because she hadn't realized how selfish
she was being. If what she had been feeling up until now was enough to
drive her over the edge, then just how much pain had her brother gone
through? How was a person able to deal with all of that mental trauma
on their own?
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....
There was a long silence as Narumi went through all of these thoughts in
her head, long enough for several minutes to pass and for them to reach
the northern-most section of the eastern sector. Natsuki was looking over
at her sister worriedly, wondering what kind of resolution her twin
would come to.
A small smile graced Narumi's face as she looked over to the redhead.
"Thanks Natsuki, I-I think I understand things a little better now...I-I'm
also sorry for saying accusing you of not feeling the same way as I did
after all this time...I didn't even consider your feelings or what anyone
else was going through..."
"No need to apologize." Natsuki replied as she shook her head side to
side. "You were completely justified in what you thought...Just don't
assume that every person will have the same views of the world that you
do. Personal beliefs and ideals are derived from our past experiences, if
you don't share those experiences, then your interpretation of reality may
be different than another's...Even though you and I have pretty similar
experiences, doesn't mean we'll always have the same opinions or react
the same to everything...We're two different people after all, even if we
are twins!"
"We're you quoting Nii-san just now?" Narumi was slightly amused, a
compete one-eighty as to how she had been feeling just minutes before.
"He does have a way with words, don't you think?"
"Hm, he always does know just what to say at the exact right time."
Narumi responded, though when she looked over, she noticed that her
sister was already in one of her fantasies with a bit of drool coming out
of the corner of her mouth. A shiver went down Narumi's spine, she
didn't even want to know what her twin was imagining. On the topic of
family, something did come to mind though. "Hey, Natsuki...?"
"Hm, what is it?" Said girl responded as she turned around once more.
"What do you think Tou-san and Kaa-chan would've said if I'd had this
conversation with them instead of you?" Narumi asked, wanting to know
if her sister had been having the same doubts as she had been having.
Natsuki paused for a minute to think about that before coming up with
her answer. "They probably would have said something along the lines of
'Some people are just better at covering up their feelings than others. In
fact you should feel guilt and remorse every time you take another's life,
it's what makes us human...If you don't even feel a little remorse for
killing someone...then you're not even human at all.'...Something similar
to that."
"..." Narumi stared silently at her sister for a moment, studying her
reaction.
Seeing the look that Narumi was giving her, Natsuki waved her arms in
front of her defensively. "Don't get me wrong, I love Tou-san and Kaa-
chan, but lately I've just been seeing everything a bit clearer and...I guess
I'm just having trouble believing everything that we've been taught up till
now, haven't you been feeling the same way?"
Natsuki had been thinking about thinking about the time she had learned
the truth about Kurama during the invasion and the numerous times that
they had conversed afterwards, and while he hadn't been very
forthcoming with telling her everything she wanted to know, she had
learned more about the history of this world from him than from her own
parents.
"...Yeah...That's why I asked..." Narumi responded dejectedly.
Natsuki looked over at her sister with a wide-eyed expression. Out of the
two of them Narumi was far more stubborn and thick-headed and loyal
to a fault. That was why she hadn't told her about the meeting with
Kurama yet and why the chakra had been ripped out of Nawaki. Now
that Narumi openly admitted that she didn't have the blind faith in their
parents like she previously had, it might be easier to tell her the truth
about Kurama and the Bijū.
Though that talk would have to wait for another time.
"I love them...but I can't help but feel that they're...I don't know,
subconsciously trying to use us to further their own goals...I don't mean
to make them sound evil or manipulative or anything, but think about it.
Pushing us to become shinobi since we could speak, telling us bedtime
stories about how shinobi were heroes and fought selflessly for their
village, pushing us towards the dream of becoming Hokage, that stupid
prophecy, making us Ero-sennin's apprentices...I just can't help but feel
like they were setting all this up so that we would fulfill their dreams of
finding peace because they couldn't...I guess I can kind of understand
why they want to find such a thing now, but..." Natsuki trailed of at the
end, trying to find the exact words she wanted.
"But...?" Narumi asked, trying to push her to spit out the rest of what she
wanted to say.
Narumi had an idea of what her sister wanted to say, these were some of
the very things that Naruto spoke of with their father and Jiraiya just
after the chūnin promotional ceremony. She hadn't really paid much
attention to what he had said then until now.
"...It's noble and all, trying to find world peace...but... the world will
always be at war, there will always be some kind of conflict...it's just
human nature, ya know. That doesn't mean it's right, but to find peace
you'd have to completely redefine the human nature of every single
person in the world...and even then there will be people who will stand
against what you're trying to do and lead some kind of rebellion, leading
to yet another war...I guess what I'm trying to say is that conflict is
inevitable and that won't be changing anytime soon...Just look at the
recent invasion. We had been in a peace time before they decided to
invade to show their power and secure a location at the top as one of the
strongest villages...If people are so willing to risk the lives of others just
for superficial reasons like power political standing, do you really see
peace in this world coming anytime soon?"
Before Narumi even had a chance to respond, a large crash of thunder
resounded through the town followed by a flash of lightning, causing the
two of them to jump at the loud outburst and turn towards the direction
it came from.
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....
The two of them looked up into the sky, expecting thunderclouds to ave
gathered while they had been immersed in their conversation. However,
there was not a single cloud in sight, so it just wasn't possible for there to
be thunder, let alone lightning.
At least, not naturally. That could only mean...
"That sound came from the southern sector!" Narumi spoke, now on
guard for anything that came their way.
"That's Nii-san's sector! Let's go!" Natsuki responded, earning a nod from
her sister.
After they had come to an agreement, the two Uzumaki-Namikaze sisters
bolted towards the direction the thunderclap came from. They would
have normally just Shunshined there, but they were in the northern-most
section of the eastern sector which meant it was too far of a distance to
do so and repeated use of that particular jutsu would be too chakra
intensive. And judging from the amount of chakra the was being emitted
from the southern sector, they would need every last drop.
{Western Sector - Minutes Earlier}
Completely opposite of Natsuki and Narumi, Satsuki and Mikoto were
actually quite adept in this field of work. As of now, they were currently
exploring the further outskirts of the western sector.
They had determined within the first hour that not one of their targets
had been foreign shinobi, it seemed Obito had just been paranoid after
all, therefore they had decided to scout and explore the entirety of their
sector since they had never seen a town of such a design, aside from the
movies.
They had been casually walking through the mostly vacant streets of
Banaro Town for the last hour and had finally made it to its border. It
had been just over two hours since they had separated from the rest of
the team and they still had two hours to kill before they were required to
be back at the meeting place.
The two female Uchiha briefly pondered as to why Naruto had given
such a long timeframe for the mission before realizing that it was most
likely because Natsuki and Narumi were utterly inexperienced in this sort
of task and may need a lot more time than would be expected to recover
the necessary information.
Though even then four hours was a bit much, even for those
inexperienced in the area of information gathering a task this simple
should take no more than two hours. Perhaps the extra time was mean to
deal with any unforeseen circumstances. Though they had to admit that
their job would have been a lot more time consuming if they had actually
found any foreign shinobi that needed to be dealt with.
Their targets had been quite easy to mark since their sector was
comparable to that of a ghost town, with only having passed a few dozen
other people aside from their targets. Out of the three sectors that had
been assigned, the two of them had received the most unpopulated.
Naruto tasked himself with the largest sector and the one with them most
targets since his sensor capabilities would make the job much quicker
where it would have taken the rest of the team the entire four hours to
investigate the targets due to the sheer number of people within the
southern sector. Though the reason as to why Natsuki and Narumi
received the second most populated area was still a mystery.
On second thought, they probably were assigned that sector because it
was the perfect balance between the southern and western sectors. They
would no doubt fumble a bit with there task, so if they were in a vastly
unpopulated area tailing their targets, they would end up standing out
quite a bit. If they were in an area where the population was too high,
then they would have a much harder time even finding their targets,
much less validating them.
Naruto really had thought of everything.
Though, not everyone seemed to realized how much planning he had
gone through for such a mission...
"How'd we get stuck with investigating the ghost sector anyways?"
Satsuki complained as she interlocked her fingers behind her head. "I'm
bored! We finished scouting out the area over an hour ago, we've just
been wandering around since then! Why couldn't we have gotten one of
the more interesting areas?"
Mikoto sighed exasperatedly at her daughter's antics. The younger
Uchiha had been complaining for the better part of the last hour, though
Mikoto had been tuning her out and simply letting her rant, but now it
seemed like a good chance to intervene. Satsuki had never been the
patient type, so walking around and doing nothing didn't fit her usual
style.
Sticking to the shadows, tailing targets, the typical nature of these
mission she was quite skilled at, but aimlessly walking through the empty
streets of an unfamiliar town didn't exactly pique her interest.
"Because Naruto-kun was doing his duty as a team leader." Mikoto
answered Satsuki, causing the younger female to look towards her
mother with a confused expression. "We were selected for this area
because he knew we would be able to stay inconspicuous even though
the low population of this area would cause more attention to befall any
outsiders. He got the most populated area because his sensor abilities
would make it easier to find his targets and track them. Narumi and
Natsuki are unfamiliar with this kind of work, so they would need a
perfect mix of the two in order to come out successful."
Satsuki took in all of her mother's words before huffing in annoyance. It
seemed she didn't like the fact that she overlooked such an obvious
answer.
Though that was just a front, as internally she was thinking over all of
her surrogate brother's actions and decisions since they left the village.
Every single action as a team leader was flawless, as if he was born to
lead and take command of those willing and unwilling to follow him. It
only cemented the feeling that she wasn't cut out for a position of
leadership as she would have never thought of some of the plans or
decisions that he had made.
"Are you starting to understand the reasoning behind his actions?" Mikoto
asked in a tone that suggested she was scolding a child.
"I guess, but it still irritates me that those two always get special
treatment."
It was true, the Uzumaki-Namikaze princesses did get special treatment
from the entire village, but Satsuki was referring to their mission records
and incompetence at almost everything they had been assigned through
the course of this mission. Back before the chūnin exams, they had
always been assigned easy escort and delivery missions where they really
didn't have to do anything resembling shinobi work in the slightest. It
was as if they were too precious and pure to get their hands dirty, as
deemed by their senseis and the Yondaime Hokage. Meanwhile, Team 11
had been basically forced to pick up all the slack that the Hokage's
children left because their team had the best mission record. To her,
Team 7 was nothing more than a group of spoiled children.
Though she knew that Naruto wasn't showing them special treatment
because of who they were. It was the exact opposite really. She had seen
the look of annoyance that made its way onto his face whenever he was
forced to make decisions regarding the mission. It was because of how
pampered and inexperienced the two girls were that he had to make sure
they got assignments where it was hardest to screw up.
"You know that's not how it is right now." Mikoto sighed, trying to come
up with an explanation for the two Uzumaki-Namikaze girls. Now that
she thought about it, their parents and those close to them did spoil them
far too much. "...er...um, sure they're given preferential treatment by
their parents and people like Kakashi, Jiraiya, and Tsunade, but that isn't
by Natsuki and Narumi's choice. They were born into their family just
how you were born into the Uchiha clan...While you may not be their
biggest fans now, you're all still young and have plenty of room to grow
and mature. I'm sure that one the three of you mature and get past your
differences, you could turn out to be great friends. So don't be too hard
on them."
Mikoto knew that besides Naruto and Hana, Satsuki didn't have very
many friends. While the bond between the three of them was stronger
than even family, that didn't mean she should limit herself to having only
two friends. Mikoto understood that her daughter really couldn't stand a
majority of her graduating class for various reasons such as them being
annoying girly fangirls, cocky, annoying, arrogant, silent, lazy, and so on,
so in reality Natsuki and Narumi were the only other girls that Satsuki
could possibly form a friendship with.
Mikoto's only real friend that was still alive was Kushina. But she had
begun to distance herself from the redhead ever since she found out
about how Kushina had treated Naruto when he was a child. In fact, the
first time they had talked in ears was at the chūnin exams and that was
only since Kushina had decided to sit next to her and reminisce about the
old days when they were on the same team and taking part in those
exams. When most of your other friends fall in combat or for whatever
other reason, it can certainly become lonely. Mikoto didn't want her
daughter to feel the same way that she had over the past few years.
"I don't ever see the three of us being friends, but I guess you're-"
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....
Satsuki was cut off by large crash of lightning and the roar of thunder,
causing the two female Uchiha to jump at the sudden noise. With
weapons immediately drawn, Mikoto and Satsuki frantically turned
towards the direction where the outburst originated from.
"What the hell was that!" Satsuki all but screamed, completely at a loss of
what such a noise could have been when there was not a single storm
cloud in sight.
"I don't know but it came from the southern area." Mikoto responded, her
body and hearing recovering from the shock that the sudden, incredibly
loud echo sent into her system. "Quick, let's go. I know Naruto-kun's
strong, but I think he'll need all the help he can get if whatever that jutsu
was, was anything to go by."
Without another word spoken, the two ravenettes quickly took off in the
direction of the thunderclap. Neither of them could exactly pinpoint
exactly where in the southern sector the explosion came from, but they
assumed that there would be many more to follow which would help
them immensely. Though that line of thinking was a bit disconcerting
considering that Naruto would be the target of such explosions. They just
hoped they'd make it in time.
{Southern Sector}
Naruto clutched his bleeding left ear as he knelt down on one knee atop
of a wooden rooftop that overlooked the street. He had managed to jump
out of the way of that burst of lightning, but the shock and sound waves
that followed through him across the air onto the rooftop he was
currently occupying and ruptured one of his eardrums.
'...Just what...was that?' Naruto thought to himself in between his fits of
panting as he stood back up, despite his loss of balance from hearing loss.
He hadn't suffered much damage, but such a thing happening so suddenly
took a lot out of the young man.
Even with his left ear successfully deafened alongside the ringing in his
right ear and coupled with his now blurry vision, he was able to notice
the large hotel, that he had passed by earlier, being flung at him from
above.
Pushing any thoughts of what was currently happening to the side for the
moment, he was forced to take action.
With a simple wave of his outstretched arm, Naruto activated his Enkai
(Flame Commandment), amassing a large amount of crimson-orange
flames around his body. The move itself wasn't meant to deal with the
falling building, in fact it wasn't even an offensive technique, however it
was a prerequisite for what was to come.
In the epicenter of the spiraling flames, Naruto, activating Hibashira (Fire
Pillar), crouched down until his hands were touching the wooden surface
below him, causing the flames to rise and rotate around him more
fiercely, after which Naruto shot the collected flames straight upwards,
piercing straight through the hotel causing the remnants to scatter in all
different directions, as the sky was alit the color of his flames for a few
moments.
As the flames dispersed, Naruto's vision began to come into focus once
more. Though he was thankful for his sight back and that the ringing in
his ears had subsided, even with those ailments he had saw how bright
his flames were as they lit up the sky and how loud the destruction of the
hotel had been, not to mention how loud the previous thunderclap had
been.
That begged the question, why had none of the townspeople come out of
their shops or homes to see what was going on in the streets?
'What the hell is going on in this town?'
However, before Naruto could mull over the possibilities, two powerful
presences in the immediate area demanded his attention.
"So you managed to survive that huh?" An, obviously male, lazy voice
asked rhetorically as him and a shadow-like being emerged from one of
the alleyways and casually walked into the middle of the street. "I must
commend you on your efforts, even though they'll prove futile in the near
future."
Naruto's head instantly whipped towards the direction of the voice as he
hadn't been able to sense their presences until this very moment. They
must have been the ones who had been countering his Haki since he had
stepped foot in the town.
Something told him not to take them lightly.
"Who are you?" Naruto asked with narrowed eyes as he sized up the two
new arrivals.
Naruto's eyes were immediately drawn to the slashed hitai-ate that was
worn around the taller one's neck, signifying that he was a nuke-nin from
Kumogakure. After that, he took in their physical appearances, neither of
which could be classified as normal.
However, his eyes narrowed even further when he focused on the second
person, who looked like a humanoid black mass with no visible hair or
orifices and two yellow eyes that lacked sclerae or pupils. It felt like he
knew this being from somewhere in his past, but he just couldn't place
his finger on it.
Actually, he could feel familiar presences within both of them but he was
at a complete loss as to what that could possibly mean.
"I'm surprised that you aren't aware of what organization we belong to,
seeing as how your sisters are our targets this time. We know for a fact
that Konoha is already aware of our existence due to Jiraiya's intelligence
network." The shirtless man spoke with an air of arrogance to him. "We
are known as the Akatsuki, not that it matters since you'll be dead in a
matter of minutes."
Naruto froze after absorbing the man's words. If they were after his
sisters then the Bijuū were most likely their organizations goal, either
that or for the fact that they were practically royalty as far as Konoha
was concerned. But if that were the case then he and Nawaki would also
be their targets. The fact that they only mentioned Natsuki and Narumi
cemented the former. But how could they possibly know that Nawaki was
no longer a jinchūriki? That development only happened during the
invasion, there was no possible way that information could have spread
that fast, and even if it could there was no one around to do so. This
meant that at least one of them had to have been there during the
invasion.
An entire organization devoted to the capture of the Bijuū did not spell
good news. It was then that another thought came to mind. If they were
after the jinchūriki for their respective Bijū then why were they here in
front of him? They already proved to be skillful enough to avoid
detection from even a skilled sensor, so they should have easily been able
to capture Natsuki and Narumi without making their presence known.
Why risk unnecessary people knowing of their goals? Even if they
planned to kill any witnesses, they could have killed the rest of his team
already, yet he could still sense their presences.
'Just what is their goal in revealing themselves so openly?'
"You're after the Bijū." It was not a question, but a statement, though
Naruto did not voice any of his other previous trains of thought. He was
well aware that the rest of his team had heard the explosion and were
now rushing towards his general vicinity, but they were still aways off
and probably wouldn't arrive for quite some time. Though Naruto was
aware that these two shinobi were at too high of a level for him to take
on alone, any of his other team members would only serve to get in the
way and would most likely be killed in the process. Maybe Mikoto would
be able to bail him out, but with her weakened body he couldn't be sure
of anything at the moment.
This meant he had to take them both on by himself now if he wanted his
team to have any chance at survival. It was quite the predicament, a
losing battle no matter which angle he looked at it from.
"Looks like we have a winner." Enel congratulated sarcastically. "Though
for the time being, our purpose is only to test how strong they currently
are for when we initiate our actual plans. Things wouldn't work out very
well if tried to capture them now, it'd actually be more trouble than it's
worth at the moment."
"Enel, shut up." Naruto's attention was brought from the Kumo nuke-nin
and onto the shadow-like being as he spoke, who was staring at him with
unrelenting hatred while subconsciously releasing massive waves of
killing intent. "He's mine, just stay out of the way and deal with the rest
of his team when they arrive."
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....
"Enel, shut up." Naruto's attention was brought from the Kumo nuke-nin
and onto the shadow-like being as he spoke, who was staring at him with
unrelenting hatred while subconsciously releasing massive waves of
killing intent. "He's mine, just stay out of the way and deal with the rest
of his team when they arrive."
"Tch, from their chakra levels I can already tell they won't even be able
to put up a decent fight. Why can't I play around with him a little Zetsu?"
Naruto's eyes widened to epic proportions as he heard what the man,
Enel if he remembered correctly, called the pure black being. Zetsu was
the manifestation of Ōtsutsuki Kaguya's will that she created just before
she was fully sealed. As for why he was created in the first place, Naruto
hadn't had the slightest idea.
All that he knew was that Ace had spent countless years tracking him and
chasing him down until his prime past him and he became unsure if he
would be able to deal with opponents of such a high caliber as he once
had. That was why he originally decided to reincarnate the fruit and set
up so many fail-safes.
Though, Ace had never actually fought Zetsu head-on, the being had
always managed to escape at the first chance he found. From what
Naruto was aware, Zetsu wasn't a front-line fighter and would have easily
been killed all those centuries ago, but he couldn't be sure if that still
held true after so many centuries had passed.
'To think that I would have run into him so soon...Wait! This Akatsuki is
going after Jinchūriki for their Bijū, and he was created by Kaguya, who
was the progenitor of all chakra, so he's well aware of what collecting all
nine of them could do once extracted...' Naruto's eyes widened in
realization after piecing everything together. 'He's trying to revive the
Juubi and later resurrect Kaguya!'
Naruto braced himself as best he could and focused his presence purely
on Zetsu as Enel moved off to the side and the being of black mass slowly
began to walk forward into the middle of the street. He couldn't worry
about how the rest of his team were doing at the moment or even how
far out they were from here, Naruto knew that things were going
downhill fast judging from the malicious smirk that made its way onto
Zetsu's face.
"I'll enjoy eradicating your existence from the face of this world...You
were always her favorite, she had always tried so hard to make things
right, even going so far as to create the Mugen Tsukuyomi for the
purpose of creating a world where you and her could exist together
alone, in harmony." It wasn't difficult to realize the feelings of utter
loathing that laced each and every one of Zetsu's words. "She couldn't see
it, but I can. Your existence would only bring more pain and suffering to
her, I will not let her suffer anymore. Then it will be just me and her
together. Only then will I be worthy of Okaa-sama's love."
Naruto didn't fully understand what Zetsu was rambling about, but he
managed to comprehend that it was related to Kaguya and that Zetsu had
more of an interest in killing him than going after the jinchūriki here in
town like a member of this Akatsuki should have. The fact that his
partner was completely dismissive that they weren't going after jinchūriki
was also a cause for concern.
He needed to make the first move.
"Hiken (Fire Fist)!" Rearing his fist back while turning it into fire, Naruto
launched a column of flames forward with power and size that would be
able to pierce through a majority of the buildings in the southern sector
that would be taken down along with Zetsu. The lone Konoha-nin put as
much power into it as he could without destabilizing his favored
technique - calling it a jutsu just didn't feel right - with the intent to
vaporize Zetsu with this first move, he couldn't risk giving the being a
chance to counterstrike.
However, that plan was never meant to come true as with a single
motion of his hand, Zetsu created an equally large vortex of black mist
that seemingly absorbed Naruto's prior attack, leaving the ravenette
stunned for a moment as he ceased his futile attempt on Zetsu's life.
Seeing the boy's confused expression, Zetsu thought to rub salt in the
wounds. "This ability has chosen me! With it, I have become the strongest
of this generation and so many before! Even among the Logias it's
unique!...Your body is fire right? I am...Darkness!"
With those words said, Zetsu produced a spiraling vortex of darkness
from his back that rose into the air causing the brightness of the cloudless
day to dim with its presence.
"Darkness...?" Naruto questioned, not having ever recalled a chakra fruit
of that nature. There should only be five fruits which represent the five
natural elements, those being fire, water, earth, lightning, and wind.
Though the darkness being emanated from the 'person' before him was
undoubtedly a chakra fruit ability, easily noticeable by any wielder of a
chakra fruit.
"That's right, you can't touch me." The arrogance in Zetsu's voice was not
a small amount in any sense of the word, but with the amount of power
he was releasing, he had the right to be. "Out of all the chakra fruits
grown by the Shinju tree, the one with this power is known as the most
evil of them all...It cannot be found the same as all the other fruits, I was
born with this power when Okaa-sama created me while she was still
merged with the Shinju. She knew all the Shinju's secrets and gave me
the greatest of them all!"
Naruto had not known any of this. His knowledge of the history of
Kaguya and the Shinju tree was limited to what Ace knew, meaning that
since Ace was unaware that such a fruit existed and that Zetsu had
possession of it, Naruto could not have possibly known such a fact. He
was traveling in uncharted territory at the moment, the influence of
darkness could possibly be limitless.
"Why don't I give you a little demonstration, killing you won't be
entertaining unless you struggle." Zetsu spoke as the darkness emanating
from his body increased tenfold, blocking off most of the light given off
by the sun and leaving most of the area as if it were night. "Don't worry,
I'm not going after you...yet. Just stand there and take a good look at the
town."
"Black Hole!" Channeling all the darkness that he had released into the
atmosphere already back towards his body, Zetsu thrust his palm towards
the ground and spread his darkness across it, mimicking the motion of
waves of water crashing onto that shore. The Darkness quickly began to
flow and spread across the earthen ground as if it had a mind of its own
until it covered the entire area of the southern sector.
With one final push, the ground began to shake with a similar intensity of
an earthquake as the pull of darkness became more intense, swallowing
up everything in its path. Buildings, houses, trees, monuments,
everything was swallowed up by the darkness and crushed by its
influence until it simply ceased to exist as it re-converged with Zetsu and
the technique subsided.
The only remaining structure in what remained of the southern sector
was the small shop that Naruto was perched atop of.
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....
Naruto finally realized the utter hopelessness of the situation as he was
forced to watch an entire section of a town be crushed by the influence of
darkness until it simply ceased to exist. Naruto had no illusions that this
'man' could have easily done the same for the entire town if he had
wished so, and had only not done so since that was only a demonstration
of his power...
The differences in their power were just far too vast.
"Darkness is Gravity! The power to pull in anything...and spare not even
a single ray of light...Darkness is a void that devours and crushes
everything." Zetsu voiced regaining his previous composure as the
darkness returned to him until it only coated his hands. "Now why don't I
show you what became of it?!"
"Liberation!" Releasing the spiraling mass of darkness from his back once
again, Zetsu expelled all the remains of what his darkness had swallowed
up all at once. Shattered pieces of wood, crushed portions of buildings,
flattened houses and so much more was expelled all at once until the
wreckage created a large ring around them that stretched on for miles,
leaving only a clearing in the middle of all of it where the three of them
stood.
'...This looks like a pretty troublesome ability so far...I don't know where
the townspeople were, but if they were in those buildings, they're
probably dead at this point...Though something else has bothering me so
far...I've never heard of this darkness fruit, but he claims it's a logia-type
just as the others are...If so, then why did he need to absorb my Hiken
instead of letting it pass through him...?' Were Naruto's thoughts as he
stared down at his enemy from the single building still standing in the
area.
Coating his fingers with fire, Naruto put his index fingers together in a
cross shape, emanating a cross-shaped ray of light which locked onto his
target. Traveling across that lone ray of light, Naruto launched a large
column of cross-shaped fire at incredible speeds towards Zetsu only
moments after he had finished releasing what remained of the southern
sector.
"Jūjika (Cross-Fire)!"
Unknowingly proving Naruto's prior theory correct, Zetsu conjured a
barrier of the black mist to absorb the powerful attack rather than
avoiding it like any logia should have been capable of. As the Akatsuki
member dispersed the darkness after completely nullifying his smirk
turned into a frown when he saw the analyzing look that the boy was
giving him.
"I see you've already noticed one of the glaring weaknesses of my chakra
fruit...Naturally the greatest of all powers would have a drawback or
two." Zetsu commented emotionlessly, shifting his piercing gaze from the
boy to the building he was still standing on. He had left that lone
structure standing in the area simply to demonstrate to that insect the
power that he held, but now it seemed as if it would get in the way of the
slaughter that was to come.
Raising up just one of his arms, Zetsu targeted the building and all the
area surrounding it, singling out just the gravity aspect of his abilities
instead of a combination of the two as he usually did. With a single flick
of his wrist, the gravity surrounding the entire area of the lone structure
increased until it became unbearable for the building to remain standing,
let alone a person.
In less than a span of a second, the entire building gave into the
incredible increase of pressure, cracking and collapsing until it was a
mere pile of shattered wood just like the rest of the surrounding area.
The damage did not just stop at the building though, the ground
surrounding was forced to crack and cave in, making it impossible for
anyone in the targeted area to remain standing.
Expectedly, Naruto was forced down onto the remains of the structure he
was previously perched on as he was held there by the immense force of
gravity. He had realized just how powerful gravity could really be when
Zetsu had destroyed part of the town, but seeing and being subjected to it
was a completely different experience.
Naruto felt like an insect facing off against a dragon...he had never truly
felt fear in his life before, was this what it felt like? If he wasn't currently
being crushed by at least a hundred times the normal gravity, he was
sure he would be trembling at the moment. Though he could still feel the
cold sweat that had broken out on his face. Had he not been made of fire,
he would surely been dead by now as the shattered pieces of wood had
pierced his body when the building had collapsed. Even fire had been
subjected to gravity.
Nothing could escape gravity's influence.
Summoning every bit of strength he had within his grasp, Naruto
struggled against the omnipresent force that was rendering judgement
upon him and forced to one knee. Gritting his teeth as hard as he could
while clenching his hands with enough strength to draw blood, with one
final push Naruto managed to force himself back on his own two feet.
Despite gravity trying to force him back on his knees, Naruto took a
single step forward. And then another. He just kept repeating the
impossible process of walking under such intense pressure. He put
everything he had into the simple movements of walking until he
managed to step off the remnants of the collapsed structure and onto the
broken ground before him.
Portgas D. Naruto would not kneel for anyone.
Seeing as how Naruto wouldn't be forced to his knees anymore, the
gravity suddenly returned to normal, causing Naruto to stumble forward
at how light he felt before catching himself. He looked up from the
ground that had occupied his vision for the last few minutes and caught
Zetsu's smirk. That had only been another demonstration of his power,
Naruto realized.
"I already told you...Darkness drags in everything. Shuriken, kunai,
swords, fire, and even lightning...I can't dodge attacks like the rest of you
do, I can't turn into my own element. Actually, my body absorbs much
more pain because of the Yami Yami no Mi...But with this much power at
my disposal, I think those drawbacks are only minor annoyances at this
point." Once again the black mist began to radiate from Zetsu's back and
shoulders, though this time it wasn't in the form of the vortex that was
used to release whatever it absorbed.
Zetsu continued to speak, "But in exchange for those risks there's one
more thing I'm capable of absorbing. Kurouzu (Black Vortex)!" Extending
one arm forwards, the black mist surrounding Zetsu's hand began to
move in a spiral-like fashion. "The gravity of darkness can accurately
absorb the entity of chakra fruit users."
Naruto stood there for a moment with a questioning look on his face
since nothing was happening as of yet, but as soon as he began to wonder
if the technique was a dud, an immense pull of gravity pulled him
forward until he was in Zetsu's grasp a second later. One moment he was
standing over thirty yards away and the next Zetsu was manhandling
him.
Naruto's eyes widened as he felt Zetsu's hand gripping his shoulder with
strength not reflected by his physique. He had expected his enemy to be
aware of Haki and have a high level of mastery over it, but he had never
expected his intangibility to fully be cancelled out...This was not the
work of any kind of Haki.
"How does it feel...? Have you figured it out yet?" Zetsu mocked as he
eyed the boy that was now within his grasp.
"No way...!"
Just as Naruto realized what was going on, Zetsu reared his free arm
back and brought his fist right into the disoriented Naruto's gut with
strength that made Jūgo's feel like a love tap. The force behind the punch
forced Naruto to cough up a bit of blood before he was flung across the
clearing into one of the boundaries of the battlefield that was a home
that had been ripped in half earlier.
After feeling untouchable for so long, Naruto cursed his unfortunate luck
for coming across two people who could actually harm him in the same
day. His body screaming for mercy, Naruto pushed himself out of the
crater on the side of the house the impact had created, forcing his body
to slide down the wall until he reached the ground with his back still
leaning up against the structure.
Naruto took his index and middle fingers and wiped away some of the
blood that was leaking from the corners of his mouth, almost unbelieving
that this could possibly be happening even though he had gotten beat
fairly well only a few hours ago. But this guy...he was on an entire
different level.
"You understood the moment I grabbed you. The other thing my darkness
can absorb is...the chakra fruit powers! In other words, by being touched,
those with abilities of the chakra fruits are unable to use their ability for
that time!...Though it works best on chakra fruit users and those with a
certain intangibility, my powers can nullify the chakra of any being as
long as I'm touching them!" As Zetsu boasted about his strength, Naruto
slowly made his way back on his feet.
"So it's fine as long as I don't get caught." Naruto spoke quietly, more to
himself than Zetsu, with several different scenarios already running
through his mind.
However, Zetsu seemed to hear his whisper, "I've already proved to you
that you can never escape from the influence of darkness, yet you still
have hope...? I'll make sure to correct that."
"Looks like I don't have much of a way out of this." Naruto clutched
ripped what was left of his torn mesh shirt off his body and clutched his
bleeding shoulder. He would need his phoenix flames as much as he
could later, so he couldn't be wasting them on the few wounds and
fractured bones he had at the moment, instead they were focused on the
shattered and snapped bones within his body.
Chapter no.158
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....
If his assessments were correct, he only had enough of Marco's chakra left
to fully restore his body once more after wasting so much of it during the
Konoha invasion and his prior battle with Jūgo.
Those flames were the result of Marco implanting his phoenix chakra into
Naruto's body, it wasn't natural to him, therefore the chakra wouldn't
regenerate within his body. The only way to regain those flames was to
make a trip to the realm of the phoenix's and implant more of their
chakra within him...He really wished that he hadn't used so much of
them in his earlier fight...Then again, if he hadn't that punch probably
would have shattered most of the bones in his chest...Naruto wasn't
exactly in the greatest position at the moment. However this went, it was
certain to be an uphill battle.
"Kurouzu (Black Vortex)!" Once again, Zetsu extended his left arm
forward with the spiraling darkness surrounding it, causing Naruto to be
pulled forward from the affects of gravity.
"Shit! Not again!" Naruto was caught off guard the first time that Zetsu
used this technique since he had no idea what it would actually do,
however this time he had time to analyze his current situation due to
having experienced this before. The pull of gravity was too strong for him
to try to escape it, even a Shunshin or Shinsoku (Extremespeed) would be
useless to escape from its pull.
That didn't mean he was completely out of options, however...
"Shinka: Shiranui (Sacred flame: Unknown Fire)!" Igniting his hands with
large bursts of crimson-orange flames while in midair, Naruto hurled long
lances made of fire forward, both piercing Zetsu's chest while
simultaneously burning his insides, forcing him cringe before letting out
a large roar in pain.
However Naruto didn't get off easy either as Zetsu swung his right arm
down into Naruto's neck, forcing him to grit his teeth while a large
amount of blood was still coughed out and causing his eyes to roll into
the back of his head. That wasn't the end either as when the lances
piercing Zetsu's chest ignited with even hotter flames that began to
spread and eat away at his innards, he flung Naruto across the clearing
once again and into the foot of another building.
When the dust cloud cleared from where Naruto had landed, he was
clutching his neck in pain after getting back onto his feet once more.
'Damn, he almost broke my neck...Quite a troublesome ability he has. I
can't afford to let him do that again, I'll need to keep my distance.' As
Naruto was getting a bearing of the situation after regaining his senses,
Zetsu was screaming in pain as he grabbed onto the flaming lances and
absorbed them from his chest with his darkness. Though, it couldn't be
seen and it was unknown whether he had internal organs or not, the fact
that those lances had such an effect did not change.
It meant that even though he is the manifestation of Kaguya's will he
could still be killed, albeit it will much more difficult than a normal
human...
Naruto staggered forward, his eyes never leaving Zetsu as he clutched his
shoulder as it continued to bleed heavily. He was pretty sure it was
broken at this point, or at best fractured...A physical fight would be
beyond his ability at this point, even if he had never planned to do so in
the first place...Still, he could not afford to let it hamper him...
"Enjōmō (Flaming Net)!" Waving his arms out towards his sides, Naruto
erected a large wall of flames that circled the entire clearing and reached
high into the sky bathing the battlefield a shade of crimson-orange,
heating up the atmosphere dramatically and preventing anyone from
entering or leaving other than himself...Though Zetsu could probably
absorb it with his darkness if given enough time, but running away
wasn't what he was planning here...Actually most of his plans had gone
to shit after finding out about Zetsu's abilities to nullify chakra, so he was
pretty much thinking on the fly as on now. He really didn't have much of
a choice.
Standing several miles away from the clearing atop of some of the
wreckage, Enel whistled in appreciation as he looked upon the wall of
flames that rose high into the sky. The kid was putting up a much better
fight than he had expected. Hell, the boy was even pushing Zetsu back a
little.
"Not bad kid, not bad at all..." Enel smirked as he wished he could get a
little action in but for now he was tasked with taking care of any
unwanted attention...along with observing the jinchūriki of course.
Though he really didn't care much for that, they would no doubt be a let
down. Very few could stand up to the power of lightning...these
jinchūriki would not fit into that category. They were still aways out
anyway, but the sounds of fighting would be sure to make them pick up
the pace...Maybe then he would be able to test out the little fire brat for
himself.
"Though, Zetsu's nowhere near done with you yet...With how adamant he
was about coming here, you won't be leaving this graveyard unless it's as
a mutilated corpse hanging over his shoulder..."
Back in the clearing, Naruto had jumped up onto the wreckage, which
was now burning from the intense heat that the atmosphere become
acclimated to, as Zetsu had recovered from the pain of having two lances
shoved through his chest and had filled the holes with extra black matter
from his body. While physically fine, his cloak had become singed and
covered in soot from the presence of the the flaming walls.
"What was the point of all this? You've seen how easily I was able to
absorb part of this town, what makes you think these little fireworks will
be any different?" Zetsu questioned critically, he was quite annoyed that
the brat had actually managed to injure him.
Not bothering with a response, Naruto simply waved his hands causing
the net of flames to rush towards Zetsu at once, resulting in a massive fire
storm centered at the middle of the clearing. As the inferno raged, Naruto
did not let up one bit and continued to fuel the flames with an even
greater intensity, knowing full well that even something that could kill
any other human may not be enough.
Naruto kept the massive firestorm going on with everything he had for
well over a minute until he was forced onto his knees, panting from
exhaustion. However, even with him no longer fueling the fire the flames
still raged.
"Is this the extent of your power...? How disappointing..."
Naruto's head jerked back to the clearing with so much torque that it was
surprising he didn't snap his own neck when he heard the voice that he
had come to recognize so well. He didn't even have time to react when
several chains conjured from darkness erupted from the ground under
him and pierced him through his legs, chest, and abdomen, forcing no
small amount of blood to spill from his mouth before the chains dispersed
into black mist.
Suddenly, a large burst of wind erupted in every direction with the inside
of the inferno acting as the epicenter. The ferocious winds traveling well
over several hundred miles per hour tore up the ground, sent the
wreckage of the town flying in every direction, and completely snuffed
out the flames that had been roaring in the clearing. Naruto was thrown
well into the wreckage, unable to move from the pressure the winds put
on him being crushed by winds moving as fast as an actual tornado
perhaps even faster was even worse than being crushed by gravity
earlier, as soon as the winds picked up, luckily they soon stopped after
the flames died out instead of forming into a tornado.
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