Once in a lifetime…even a child prodigy exceeds the wildest of expectations…
Once in a lifetime…a boyhood fantasy is surpassed by his journey in reality…
Chapter 1: The Path to Dusk
'…Where…'
Uzumaki Naruto grunted in discomfort from being knocked unconscious for what seemed like hours. The blonde moaned when his head throbbed mercilessly, halting any sudden movement or attempt to do so decisively. His eyes had yet to open, but the pain in his head made the boy sick. A sick gag erupted from the youngster's stomach, convulsing his body and causing him to cough suddenly.
That's when the genin's training kicked in and he noticed something was wrong. When he opened his mouth to cough, the force erupted from his chest. But no sound came out. In fact, the boy tightened his eyelids shut and forced himself to hear. No sound was heard, at all. No birds chirping. No wind rustling leaves. It was just a soundless pit.
Naruto gulped and felt beads of sweat collect on his neck and he shivered. It was then he noticed how cold his skin felt. He didn't feel anything but a chill. It wasn't something natural; it was as if the shinobi simply lost the innate ability to produce body heat.
The ninja forced aside his unrelenting headache and slowly opened his eyes to see where he was at. It was then he found out, or rather, didn't find out.
There was nothing but a sea of black in his entire field of vision. He was floating in midair, but the boy could hardly tell if he was looking into the sky or looking to the ground. He couldn't even tell if he was standing or prostrate on the ground.
A pit of uneasiness finally revealed itself within his abdomen. He tried to move his arms and legs to stand up. However, he merely waved his extremities aimlessly in the air, causing his body to suddenly somersault from the rapid motion, doing little to calm his motion sickness he was experiencing.
After slowing down and squelching his angry belly, Naruto lay out and tried to calm his nerves. He closed his eyes, again. His mind drifted away, remembering some of the recent past events that brought him to his current predicament.
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Naruto's Shadow Clone had just shattered Tobi's mask with a Rasengan after the rogue ninja disappeared with his Mangekyo Sharingan's Space-Time Jutsu. Tobi reappeared without a mask, but he shielded his face with his right sleeve. An irritated growl rose up from the man's throat.
"There's no use hiding your face, now," Hatake Kakashi firmly stated. "Show yourself to us."
Might Guy stepped forward, placing an arm in front of his silver-haired compatriot to stop him from advancing. "Kakashi," he stated, "I know you want to find out who he is, but rushing ahead in your condition isn't wise."
Kakashi eyed him warily, causing Guy to continue. "You've used your Mangekyo Sharingan a lot, already. If the blood dripping from your eye wasn't a clue, your uneasy stance would be." The jounin conceded, wiping the blood from his eye. He noticed his field of vision had lessened.
Naruto landed in front of his teacher. "Yeah, Kakashi-sensei," he started. "B and I have this. We don't need any more casualties."
A chuckle rose from the field ahead of them, directly from the ninja who opposed them. He lowered his arm to reveal many scarred features on the right side that were a reconstructed mess. From a distance, it could pass for a normal face, but up close it appeared like it was repeatedly built up, destroyed, and recreated from scratch, until it came to look like a regular face. Scars intertwined in an awkward helix, dancing up and down and side by side on the leader's visage. The blemishes and discoloration made the right half of his features appear several years older than his left. The only portion that was untouched was his Rinnegan.
The left side didn't appear to be as damaged, but looked weathered by age. What appeared odd by the aging was the intact left side had a boyish charm, despite several wrinkles. Short black hair wafted lazily in the wind.
Kakashi's eyes darkened. "You…is it really…?"
A confident smirk appeared on his face that reached the man's eyes. "It's about time you remembered me, old friend." the man declared.
Naruto's brow furrowed. "Does this guy know Kakashi-sensei?" he inquired.
The man placed his gloved hand lightly by his Sharingan. "It's been about…17 years…right, Kakashi?" He chuckled again. "I haven't shown this face to anyone, since then. I certainly didn't expect you to be the one to unmask me. I suppose it should have been fated, though. You did get that Sharingan from me."
"You died at the Kannabi Bridge…!" Guy declared. "Why're you…here?
"Uchiha Obito…" Kakashi breathed.
"I do see the power you've gained from that eye, Kakashi," Obito stated. "But still…even as my old friend…" He gritted his teeth. "…I hated it!" Kakashi's eyes widened, and his face dropped.
"All you do is spend time at that monument," Obito jeered. "Remembering the past…worrying about what could have been…What, really, have you done? You couldn't protect Rin. You couldn't even protect your students from fighting each other in a battle to the death." Kakashi didn't speak. "You have no response?"
"Knock it off!"
Obito's gaze moved to the source of the voice. Kakashi, as well, lifted his eyes towards it. Naruto stood there, determination creasing his face. "You haven't seen Kakashi-sensei in a long time, and then you start to judge him!?"
"Naruto…"
"What do you know about him!? You used to be friends with him, right? What right do you have to judge him!? Huh!?"
"Uzumaki Naruto…" Obito breathed. "The Fourth's Legacy…" He grinned. "There is much to this story that you don't know about. Don't get involved in an adult's discussion."
"Knowing the story doesn't have anything to do with it!" the genin savagely protested. "A friend is a friend for a lifetime! No matter what! A friend will always extend a hand out. You're just coming up with excuses not to understand!"
The Akatsuki leader laughed. "Are you saying that to me? Or are you just practicing for Sasuke?" The blonde flinched. "I already told you; he's the real thing...a true avenger. If you think I'm cold, I can't imagine what will happen when the two of you meet."
"The same thing that I said was going to happen from the moment he left Konoha," Naruto stated loudly. "I'm going to bring him back home!"
B whistled in approval. "This guy is one hell of a friend~ Fighting for him till the very end~"
"Enough." Kakashi and Guy landed next to Naruto and B. "Naruto, thanks. Obito, I understand that you may hate the way I live." The enemy's gaze remained steadfast. "But, right now, my trusted comrades and beloved students are fighting with everything in their being to protect this world you seem to have grown to hate. I won't make the mistake of being indecisive at this juncture."
The Uchiha raised his arms. "Then come at me."
The silver-haired jounin lowered his voice. "Everyone, I have a plan. But I'll need a distraction. And I'll only have one shot at it."
"You got it, Kakashi!" Guy roared, unleashing seven Gates to power up. He sprang into action, flying towards the Uchiha. Obito gracefully dodged out of the way of the assault, using a single arm to block the attack, before jumping high into the air.
"Let's go, B!" Naruto hollered, igniting his Nine-Tails Form, once again, and joining in the fight.
"This could end the fighting of masses~ we're finally gonna put boots to asses~!" B chimed, as he charged forth.
Kakashi watched the battle unfold, with Naruto using a Rasengan barrage to disable Tobi, with little effect. He then put his plan into action, forming a series of hand signals and focusing most of his remaining chakra into his left eye. "This had better work…if our Eyes are connected…then…"
Obito dodged a Lightning-charged punch from B, followed by another Rasengan. Obito grabbed Naruto by the collar of his jacket and rotated in the air thrice for momentum. Guy charged forward, seven Gates unlocked, and prepared for another round of taijutsu.
The Akatsuki leader launched Naruto in his clutches at Guy. Guy used Naruto as a launching pad and jumped towards Obito. Obito fell back with the strike, striking Guy's midsection with a stiff kick, and launched himself away from the trio of ninja.
Gravity took control, causing Obito to fall towards the ground, preparing to land, he saw a new attack approaching; a massive purple ball of Chakra in the form of a Tailed Beast Ball. Obito spat as he realized the attack would strike without using Kamui. In seconds, the man's form rippled then vanished from sight.
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Obito reappeared in his other dimension, deftly landing on his feet and exhaling heavily. "Having trouble against Naruto and the others?"
Obito whirled around and saw Kakashi standing there, his entire body visible in the new dimension. The silver-haired ninja's Sharingan, though, was barely staying open and, consequently, Kakashi's form was fading in and out.
The missing-nin spat. "I figured you'd try to lead me here to take me out," he noted. "But what can you do in your state? You've overused Kamui. Even now, your Mangekyo Sharingan is about to close, forever."
"I still have enough Chakra to deal with you."
Obito coughed a laugh. "Come of it, Kakashi. As you are now, you can't possibly hope to deal with me."
"Wrong." The jounin sighed. "I want to know why you look aged. If you're really Obito, you shouldn't be any older than me. So why are you suddenly looking as if you're late middle-ages?"
"I am Obito," the man reiterated. "Or, rather, I'm his shadow; the shadow of all Uchiha; the Legacy of Madara." Obito chuckled at the opponent's puzzled gaze. "I don't expect you to understand. But, really, I have lived my life by transferring my essence from Uchiha to Uchiha, even though I originally didn't belong to their clan."
"You weren't originally an Uchiha?"
"Correct. But I was Madara's apprentice. I owed him after he saved me."
"Who are you?"
"I'm sure you'll learn soon enough. Your student's just about done with it. And then he and Naruto will end everything."
Kakashi grimaced, grabbing his left eye "Can't keep your Sharingan active? It looks like you've reached your limit, Kakashi." Obito performed a series of hand signs, grabbing his right wrist and charging up a ball of Chakra.
The silver-haired ninja's eye widened. "Lightning Cutter…!"
"With the Sharingan, I am able to analyze and copy any ninjutsu," the Uchiha explained. "With the Rinnegan, I can use all the basic nature transformations. You sealed your fate when you used that Kunai the first time."
"I want to talk to Obito," Kakashi hoarsely released, his voice and presence fading.
"We have nothing more to say to each other," the man roared, barreling down on the Konoha jounin.
"I said, I want to talk with Obito!" Kakashi roared. He forced his left eye open, again. Blood dripped vociferously from the socket, causing redness to overwhelm the eyeball.
The Akatsuki Leader stalled and grunted, grabbing his head with his free hand. The older man dropped to his knees, seemingly in pain, fighting an unseen enemy. "Krrr….Ka…Ka…kashi…" he muttered, this time in a boyish voice. The Konoha ninja's eyes stayed firm. "Ka…kashi…is that you?"
"…Obito?" the jounin questioned warily, keeping an eye on lightning-blazoned hand.
Obito raised his head with a noticeably gentler look in his eyes. "Kakashi…it's been too long…" He smiled tenderly. "What brings you to see me?"
"Obito…I just wanted to talk to you…why are you working for the Akatsuki?"
Obito sighed. "Ahhh…that…I thought it was a dream, but I guess not…"
"A dream?"
"I was watching you and Rin escape from that avalanche, when everything around me became dark. The next thing I knew, I was up and walking around. But…I could see in two different places, my left eye in one place, while my right was in another. There was only one place could I actually move and control my actions, however. That was in this body." He motioned to the form he currently held.
"I have no idea how I got in here…but I suddenly knew so much more. About life. About the world. And I had a second chance. I wanted to see you and Rin-chan…and Minato-sensei, again. So I came back to Konoha."
"Obito…" Kakashi walked up to Obito and offered a hand.
The Uchiha wiped his eyes. "I was always a crybaby…" he gulped, taking Kakashi's hand and standing up. "But…after I saw you…and that monument…I decided that I didn't want there to be anymore sadness in the world. And that I would do anything to get there."
"…Obito?"
A hand stabbed through Kakashi's chest violently. An abnormal amalgam of warm blood, tingling electricity and numb disbelief mixed in the mind of the jounin.
The Akatsuki leader glanced up from the Konoha ninja's left breast to his eyes; eyes that were filled with pain and disapproval. "Heh…Those were the same eyes you always looked at me with…whenever I was late to a meeting," Obito breathed. "But I've already killed many…too many…Minato-sensei…Rin-chan…I've come too far to stop, now." His mouth was contorted in rage, but his eyes betrayed his cavernous sorrow.
Kakashi raised his eyes away from Obito and closed his eyes. He gripped Obito's wrist, firmly but gently. "Obito…I don't know whether you've grown to regret giving me this eye of yours or not…but, I want you to know that, even knowing that you're trying to shatter the entire world…" The missing-nin's eyes widened, when he felt warm saline water trickle onto his coat. "I have nothing but joy from finally being able to see you again"
Kakashi's form flickered and vanished from the Space-Time Migration dimension. Obito held his right hand in midair for a moment longer. "He deactivated it a moment before I struck or…?"
He raised his sleeve to eye level, noting the few drips of blood and tears mixed onto it, not dried. The Uchiha sighed heavily, lowering his gaze.
"…You're not supposed to be the crybaby…"
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Naruto doubled over, panting heavily while he waited on the ground with his associates. It had been several moments since his mentor and the man called Tobi had vanished from view via the Space-Time Migration jutsu, and the blonde was getting restless, thinking that his sensei should be done by now.
His fellow ninja also stood next to him. Opening seven of the Inner Gates had taxed Guy's body to its limit. He lay on the ground and had been motionless for some time, his muscle fibers either almost or completely torn. His ragged breathing helped some, but overall did little to lessen the pain and tension that covered his entire body.
B and Gyuki seemed to be doing better, but the constant battles were also starting to take their toll on the jinchuriki and his partner. They had become noticeably quieter and talking between themselves. B, himself, appeared somewhat perturbed by whatever it was the two were discussing.
Seeing the Eight-Tailed Beast reminded Naruto of his own partner. "How're you holding up, Kurama?" he inquired. The fox didn't answer, right away, leaving the genin rather concerned about his newfound partner. "Kurama?"
"I'm here, Kit," the creature growled deeply. "Talking business with Eight. What is it?"
"I was just making sure you're all together."
"If I weren't, you wouldn't be, either." Naruto snorted at the reply. Although the two had started to get along, the fox was still coarse with him. The blonde felt that was one thing the two had in common, though.
"What were you and Eight talking about?" the genin inquired.
The Chakra Beast grunted. "Trying to figure out how to destroy that damned Demonic Statue. That Flame Battle Encampment doesn't allow us near it, but the sooner we get rid of it, the better for us."
Naruto eyed the eerie statue clutching its head and howling a fair distance away. "Say…Kurama…" Another grumble of acknowledgement came in Naruto's mind. "That thing has your Chakra, right?"
"What about it?"
"If it's your Chakra, couldn't you try to control it? Maybe disrupt the ritual?"
"It's not that simple. It's locked away in that damned gourd and pot. I can't get them out, no matter what."
"What about Eight's?"
"…I don't know. That Statue may work like the stuff that's got my Chakra."
"But…we have to do something…"
A whirr resounded nearby and interrupted their discussion. A small vortex opened for a split second. Out dropped the blonde's mentor on one knee, barely steadying himself.
"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto called, gaining the attention of Guy and B. Naruto raced over and caught the silver-haired ninja, who had begun to collapse from his state.
"Naruto…" he gasped, realizing whose arms he had fallen into. "Thanks…"
"You all right, Kakashi?" Guy called from his position. Naruto stood up to lift his Sensei. "Sorry, I'd get up, but…"
"It's ok, Guy…those Gates must have ruined most of your muscles, by now," he informed the man. "Don't push it."
"Sure took your time~ But the result was sublime~" B rapped.
Kakashi raised his brow. "You mean…Obito's not back, yet?"
"You didn't finish him?" Naruto questioned, but saw the pained look in his eye. "Right…he's your friend…"
"It's ok, Naruto," he gently noted. "I had to use the last of my Chakra to escape that dimension. I think I overused my Mangekyo Sharingan." He motioned to his left eye, which was now bleeding profusely. "I can't see out of it, at all."
Naruto let the man go, allowing him to lie on the ground next to Guy. "We still have to find a way to stop the ritual."
"I was thinking about that…" Naruto started. A humongous roar echoed throughout the battlefield, causing the ground to quake and cutting the genin off.
"What was that!?" Guy hollered.
The group turned to the statue. It had stood up and begun to advance on the ninja at a methodical pace. In the shadow of the Demonic Statue, a lone figure stood resolute, guiding the beast towards its prey, holding a series of hand signals.
"Is that, Obito?" Kakashi asked.
B and Naruto squinted at the silhouette. "Nah…he looks different…" B commented first.
The Konoha genin agreed. "Yeah…he has longer hair, for one…"
"Uchiha Madara…" a voice rumbled in the teenager's head.
"What did you say…!?" Kakashi gasped. "The Kages…!"
A deep, arrogant voice whispered to them. "I never thought Tobi would be taken out by the likes of you," the voice stated with cold indifference. "I suppose you'll have to perish before the Eye of the Moon Plan is complete."
He finished with his hand signs and the Demonic Statue began to glow, gathering energy into the protrusions on its back. Naruto immediately grabbed Kakashi to pick him up, again.
"C'mon, boys, we gotta roll!" B hollered, grabbing Guy hurriedly. The bowl-cut jounin howled at the man to be gentle due to his condition, but B ignored the complaints in order to move faster. The protrusions glowing peaked as the ninja raced away. A loud explosion pronounced the launch of several energy blasts that raced towards the fleeing shinobi. The jinchuriki split up, each carrying a jounin away from the barrage.
Naruto and Kakashi had evaded a pair of detonations from the attack, but a third was about to hit them. Naruto landed on a cliff side and was about to spring off when it caved. The blonde cursed under his breath and tried to regain his footing.
"Naruto!" Kakashi cried. The boy turned and saw the ball almost upon them.
A stiff shot on top of his head suddenly knocked the boy holding his teacher to the ground at the bottom of the ravine. He instinctively covered his and the jounin's heads.
A loud crack reverberated above the pair followed by a thump and a crackle of rocks falling around them. After the sounds had stopped, Naruto looked up, pushing off the minimal debris that covered him and his mentor. "Kakashi-sensei, are you ok?"
The blonde helped the older ninja into a sitting position, allowing him to peer around. "What…was that?" They both looked around and found some debris still settling next to the mountainside and what looked like a black coat lying within the crevice.
"Kakashi-sensei…" the genin muttered worriedly. He nodded and slowly rose under his own power, approaching the smoldering figure. Naruto gulped and followed him warily.
The man had half of a deformed face and half of a normal face. He wore the Akatsuki cloak, though smoke now billowed off of it and part of it had been obliterated. The left side of the man's body was mostly gone and redness seeped out relentlessly. Only the head was intact.
The man coughed and looked up at the silver-haired jounin. "Looks like…this may really be it…Kakashi…"
"Obito…" Kakashi began. "Why…?"
"…when I came to…in this body…I saw two fields of vision. 'Tobi'…and you…" he coughed. "At first this voice…it told me…we would change the world. But…I didn't want it to change. I thought…it was good…
"But I constantly saw you at that monument…and I thought…that maybe my gift was useless baggage…maybe, it wasn't so good…you went to that monument everyday…I didn't want that. I wanted you…and everyone…to be happy…
"I couldn't take it, anymore…so I finally, let 'Tobi' take over…and watched from a distance…and then…Kirigakure…Akatsuki…I even took Rin-chan's and Minato-sensei's lives…" Tears started leaking out of the fading Rinnegan eye.
"Obito…you're right…for a while, I was filled with depression," the jounin explained. "It hurt. My weakness hurt. My foolishness hurt. Especially knowing it killed you…my best friend. But, slowly, I started opening up to others. Guy…Asuma…Kurenai…they all helped me. Even Rin and Minato-sensei…while they were still here. But, I think the moment I completely pulled out of my depression was when I got my first team." He glanced back at Naruto.
"It was like watching the three of us, again. And it made me happy…" He stared back firmly at the prone Akatsuki leader in front of him. "But, now the Team has been separated. And two of them are trying to get the last member back. I refuse to let what happen to us happen to them. And that's why I'm helping them.
"Obito…you didn't want suffering in the world…but now, you're just creating it. By trying to manipulate Sasuke, you're causing the same thing that happened to our team happen again. I can't let that happen; because I don't believe you want it to happen."
Obito's eye widened, but he nodded in understanding. "I'm sorry, Kakashi…I don't…have a gift, this time…" He released a shallow breath.
The jounin knelt down. "It's mine turn to give you a gift. Rest easy, my friend. I won't let this world have the despair you feared it would."
The man grinned brightly as a stream of tears poured down his cheek. Kakashi noted the lack of breathing from his friend and slid his hand over his remaining eye, closing it.
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"Obito…" Naruto murmured. The man had created a lot of sadness in Naruto's life, but at the end, he couldn't help but relate with the leader of the Akatsuki. He had been told that he couldn't try to talk Tobi out of his plan; Shikamaru's dad had been right.
There was one who could talk him down. It was his friend and Naruto's mentor.
"Kakashi-sensei is really amazing…" Naruto realized, "…but I…"
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"You're going," the silver-haired jounin declared. The explosions from the Demonic Statue in the distance had ceased long before, though the howling still strained the air throughout the area. The sky had begun to grow darker as dusk approached. The only light illuminating the battleground was the moon and the pillar of unnatural red light that spiraled from the ground toward it.
Naruto nodded somberly, staring at the beam that enveloped the moon. "Sorry I can't take you with me, Kakashi-sensei. I know you'd want to be there."
His mentor grunted a laugh. "I wouldn't exactly be of much use at this point and we've run out of time for those who cannot fight to heal. And after I talked so big to Obito, too."
"No, you've done more than enough."
Kakashi was surprised by the statement; the determination within it. He glanced at the young ninja, whose back was to him.
'The next generation will always surpass the previous one. It's one of the never-ending cycles of life.' The ninja smirked.
"Naruto," the boy peered over his shoulder at the prone ninja, "Good luck."
Naruto grinned at the man and took off in the direction of the din. Kakashi watched his back disappear into the trees and then leaned back against the rock wall. His eyes lowered to the makeshift memorial that had been quickly erected consisting of a shallow grave, a kunai, and a Konoha headband pinned to the center.
'Naruto…you've inherited everyone's dreams, now…and yet, even with that burden, I've never seen you stronger. But the future needs shinobi like you. So…no matter what happens with Madara…with Sasuke…you have to stay alive…' Darkness soon welcomed the weary warrior.
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The blonde ninja dashed through the branches, leaping from one limb to the next as the devilish roar's volume increased. Loose offshoots from the plants brushed against the boy's skin and clothes. Minor tears and scratches appeared periodically on his skin, but he ignored them. Clothing could be repaired and injuries could be healed. The world wouldn't wait, however.
"Kit," a low growl echoed in the ninja's head.
"Kurama?"
"This is bigger than anything you've done before…this is the guy who started this whole thing. You up for this?"
"More than anything I've ever been in my life…I'm all fired up! We can end this war, then!"
The boy felt gentle warmth wrap his mind and chest and recognized it as the fox grinning. "You're right, we can do this."
The end of the forest could be seen from their branch, now. Naruto froze on the last tree and peered through the leaves. The blonde saw the Demonic Statue of the Six Paths and Uchiha Madara, along with a pair of combatants facing off with each other.
"Eight and B are…!" Naruto gasped.
"We have to hurry," Kurama said. "They're strong, but they can't handle both of them on their own."
The shinobi raced along the ground towards the monstrous statue and its controller. After several moments, the pair arrived and resonated with each others' Chakra. He charged a Rasengan, and dove towards Madara, who appeared to have some set of hand signals formed.
The Uchiha noticed the incoming projectile and leapt into the air, dodging the strike at the last moment. He deftly back flipped and landed onto a nearby cliff. His hands had not left their position in front of his body.
"Naruto!" B hollered. "You finally made it!"
The blonde glanced over at the massive form of the Kumogakure jinchuriki. B grabbed the boy and lifted him up. "B!"
The Eight-Tailed Beast's voiced echoed. "Now that you're here, we can perform your suggestion, earlier, Naruto." The boy raised an eyebrow. "Kurama told me of your plan for us to resonate with our Chakra. I didn't know if it might work, at first, but because our Chakra is mixed in the pillar being sent up to the moon, I think we can disrupt it, at least enough to screw up the Eye of the Moon Plan."
"But we're gonna need time to synchronize~" Gyuki's jinchuriki added. "So the distraction will be left up to you guys~"
"You're going to have to fight Madara two-on-one, Naruto."
Naruto's eyes narrowed in conviction. "Kurama and I can handle it," the genin declared. "There's no way we're gonna lose."
"You just worry about your part of the deal, Eight," the fox rumbled. The B/Eight-Tails combo nodded firmly.
As Naruto ignited his Nine-Tails Chakra Mode again, the Konoha ninja charged towards the Uchiha. He created a group of Shadow Clones, sending several to charge at the opponent. Again, it appeared that Madara was unwilling to fight with Naruto, preferring to dodge the series of attacks that the boy unleashed.
"You returned to your Master, Nine-Tails," the man's voice intoned mystically.
"What'd you do with the Village's Kages!?" Naruto demanded.
Madara thrust a kick at several of the clones, forcing them to vanish. "I defeated them. But, sensing the end was near for my apprentice, I decided to forge my way here. They're probably still mourning over that Ohnoki."
Naruto grit his teeth. "The Old Tsuchikage…?" he breathed. "What did you do!?"
The man's Rinnegan gleamed bright pale purple. "The same thing I've done to anyone who's tried to get in the way of the Eye of the Moon Plan. Eliminate."
"Why do you want to do this?" Naruto cried. "Why control the world!?" The genin created more clones, which started rushing towards the opponent with a series of Rasengan.
Madara scoffed darkly. "Only a fool would think that. But, you shall soon be rid of your cursed power." As he finished, his eyes pulsated. A massive transparent spine erupted from behind the man.
"What the…?" the blonde marveled.
"Kit!" Kurama roared "Rasenshuriken! Before he finishes Susano'o!"
Naruto gasped and crossed his middle and index fingers on both hands, creating a pair of clones. They began to form the pattern and nature transformations for the attack. A group of protrusions ejected from the spinal cord and slowly wrapped around the creator. A shrill bell tone resounded, as the two Shadow Clones dissipated in a cloud of smoke.
"Go for it! Naruto!" Kurama commanded. Not needing a second beckoning, the boy launched himself forward and let the bluish-white fuma shuriken flew from his palm. Madara's visage showed little change as the Chakra-filled attack made its deathly advance. Suddenly, a thin purple object dropped from above and collided full force with the Wind Release attack, causing a massive white explosion that enveloped both of the shinobi.
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Naruto breathed a heavy sigh of relief upon realizing he was still intact. His gaze immediately went into the middle of the explosion, inspecting it to find any source of Madara.
Kurama grouched. "It didn't work."
Naruto nodded. "It used up a bunch of Chakra, too. I don't think I could do it, again." He closed his eyes and exhaled to calm himself and sat down on the ground. "What do I do, now?"
"Naruto, Kurama," a voice echoed inside the boy's head.
"Eight? Did you guys do it?"
B's noticeable hoarse voice also appeared. "I think we're just about done here, boys~ Better finish up with your toys~!"
A bright light flashed in front of Naruto, interrupting the Kumogakure Tailed Beast. The boy stared in front of him and saw a group of twelve massive red magatama heading towards him.
"I won't allow you to interfere in my plans further," Madara declared. "The Infinite Tsukuyomi will be finished!"
"Naruto! Get down!" Kurama shouted too late, as the projectiles were already upon the pair. They floated above the head of the Konoha shinobi, however.
"B! Eight!" Naruto cried.
Moments later a high-pitched howl of pain roared from behind them as five of the teardrop-shaped magatama collided with the Final Form of B's Eight-Tails Chakra Form. One drilled into its neck, two into either shoulder, and two into its lower abdomen. The magatama dug deep into the ethereal skin with a sickening shredding sound, making it sound like the body was being torn apart.
An unearthly roar erupted from the throat of the beast, piercing the air and making the ground crackle and quake. The penetrating cry became more feral as the beast was dragged closer to the Demonic Statue.
"B…!" a low growl from the bull demon roared.
The Statue turned to face the Tailed Beast approaching it and its eyes emanated an unnatural color. The color mirrored in kind within the Eight-Tails' sockets, resonating with the energy from the vile figure. The statue's mouth steadily opened and began to absorb the spirit from the Eight-Tails.
"B…" the echo of the voice was less pronounced from before. "…I won't…"
A small platinum-blonde figure was ejected from one of the tentacles of the beast and placed on the ground away from the battle between the Tailed Beast and Statue. A few more moments of struggle and the Chakra Beast was swallowed into the vacuum of the Statue.
A weak arm extended towards the enormous Statue. "Gyuki…my…friend…" B's arm fell limp onto his abdomen and he became motionless.
"Eight…B…" Naruto breathed. "Is he…?"
"No," Kurama stated. "Gyuki left a small amount of his Chakra. The separation was his own doing, not forced. But still…"
The blonde genin turned to the Statue, which had once again grabbed its makeshift skull. The pillar of Chakra had begun its rotation back to the moon, which was now more than half-red from the Plan. The motion of the veil covering the moon had also increased in speed, beginning to rise up to the top of the moon.
"We've got more important things to worry about, Kit," Kurama declared. "We have to take down Madara. Take down Madara, and we end the Shinobi World War."
Naruto faced the Sharingan wielder, whose Susano'o had dissipated to merely a ribcage shielding the man. Closer inspection of the man showed that some of his body had taken cellular damage from the blast. The man's clothes had been shredded on his body, revealing splotches of skin that had been burned off and disfigured. Patches of his body had become blackened and charred.
"The energy from the explosion leaked through his Susano'o?" the Konoha nin inquired. "But why didn't it affect me?"
"Thank me later," the Fox stated heavily.
"Kurama?"
"We need to figure out what to do, now. Madara looks to have taken damage, and that attack he used on Eight-Tails took out a bunch of his Chakra."
Madara suddenly vanished from view and reappeared directly in front of Naruto. "I can't wait any longer."
"Shit…!" Naruto felt the rage from his Tailed Beast overwhelm him and shove his mind out of the way.
"Kurama!" Madara's Rinnegan flashed to his Sharingan. A second later, the blonde felt his mind split in two; the Konoha shinobi and the Nine-Tailed Fox.
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Naruto felt himself dropping in front of a massive prison and landed hard onto the water that lay at the foot of the cage. Though the doors were open, the Fox was inside, once again. The blonde picked his head up and saw Kurama staring back at him. His right eye had the Mangekyo Sharingan, while his left was squinted and seemed to be resisting the transformation into Madara's eye.
"Kurama…what's going on?"
"There's not much time, Kit," the Chakra Breast told the boy. "Madara has a connection with me from before. He's trying to reactivate that link and take control of me. If he does while I'm inside you, who knows what could happen."
Naruto's mouth widened. "But, can't I help you fight it like last time?"
"His Eyes…they're too strong at this distance." Kurama's left eye began to change into the unmistakable pattern of Madara's Mangekyo, but the Fox shook his head to force it away.
"Listen, Kit. You have to release me." The blonde's eyes widened.
"But what'll happen to you!?"
"I'll probably be absorbed into the Statue of the Six Paths."
"No!"
"Kit, there's no time! If you get absorbed with me, this whole War is for nothing!"
"I don't know what you mean! You and I just began to understand each other! We're friends, now! I don't turn my back on my friends! That's my—"
"Ninja Way?" Kurama finished. "What about your other friends?" Naruto grit his teeth.
The Chakra Beast sighed. "Look…there's been something I've wanted to say for a while. Back when you said that line of yours to me."
'One day, I want to do something about that hatred of yours!'
"I want you to know how much that line pissed me off!" Naruto's face faulted at the genuine anger from the beast. "But, I was also relieved, after I thought about it. And when you told me that I was a fellow Konoha ally and released me, it showed your trust in me. I'm asking you, once more, to trust me."
Naruto bit his lip and looked down, but glanced up firmly at the beast and nodded. He felt Kurama smile warmly at the boy, before the warmth from the beast started to vanish. "Don't worry. I'll leave you with enough to finish this!"
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Naruto felt his body weaken to a point beyond exhaustion that worried the boy. Limply, the boy picked up his head and peered ahead. It required all of his strength to keep from passing out.
In the din, he saw the Nine-Tailed Fox by himself, once more. His right eye was controlled by the Mangekyo, but the blonde saw that his left eye was still the Fox's own. The Statue had approached the Fox and opened its mouth, once again. The vacuum from the mouth slowly began to engulf the energy of the Fox.
At the last moment, Kurama whipped out a tail and snatched the ribcage protecting its former master. Madara's eyes twitched in annoyance for the first time since the battle started. "Release me!"
"Wrong, Madara!" Kurama roared angrily. "The new era has no need for either of us! It's time we disappeared." Madara growled, but he appeared taxed from the usage of so many jutsu in such a short time. The Statue swallowed both the Fox and the Uchiha easily.
The Statue released its grasp on its head, its arms falling limply to the side and its eyes gleam fading. The growth of the veil on the Moon halted, but had not vanished. The Spiral of Chakra only grew with more energy in it to continue pouring the energy into the Moon.
Naruto pushed himself up, using all of his strength.
"The Statue…it's unguarded…"
He limped forward to his target, his vision blurred.
"We can end it…right here…"
He held up his right hand and the beginnings of a ball of rotating energy formed within it.
"This War…"
The ball in his hand dissipated as Naruto fell at the feet of the Statue.
Instead of solid ground, however, he felt the stiffness of a muscular physique catch him on his shoulder.
"You're right, Naruto…" a deep, young voice said. "We can end this."
Naruto recognized that voice.
He picked his head up and glanced to the side of him as he was lowered to the ground gently.
"Sasuke…!"
The purple-coated Uchiha approached the statue and gently placed his hand on it, looking back at his former friend.
"However, Naruto…"
"…Sasuke?"
"…the path the Uchiha took was not wrong."
His eyes flashed black-and-red into his Mangekyo Sharingan. The ear-piercing shriek of the Statue resumed, its eyes shaping into the same as its controllers. The spiral of energy resumed and redness consumed the moon. A swirl contorted on the moon, and multiple teardrop-shaped tomoe symbols appeared on it.
"Sasuke…No…"
Infinite Tsukuyomi
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Naruto's gaze returned to the perpetual darkness and chill that spread before him.
"So…that's it…we lose, huh?" Naruto closed his eyes. "Sakura-chan…Kakashi-sensei…everyone…is this how it ends…?"
"Kai!"
Naruto felt the chill suddenly vanish. His mind became light, then dark again, as he felt his mind return to his body.
Naruto groaned lightly slowly shaking his head. He opened his eye gently and then flinched with the bright red light before him. He gingerly opened his eyes again. At the edge of his vision, he saw the silhouette of a person that seemed extremely familiar to him.
A few more blinks got his vision to focus after being asleep for such a time, when he saw that the figure before him was the same one that activated the Infinite Tsukuyomi.
"Sasuke…!?"
The genin noticed that the teenager in front of him and, in fact, everything in view, had a noticeably red tint to it. He glanced up and saw an odd combination of the Rinnegan and Sharingan combined on the moon.
Naruto immediately shielded his eyes in fear that he would be consumed again by the light.
"Relax," Sasuke's calm voice told him. "Once freed from the Tsukuyomi, the person cannot be affected by it, again." He offered a hand to the boy.
Naruto relaxed a bit, though his limbs still tensed. He lightly took his hand and was lifted to his feet by his friend. The Uchiha turned from the boy and began to walk to a nearby cliff and waterfall. "Sasuke…you had a chance to end this…a chance to end the war…why did you activate the Infinite Tsukuyomi?"
"Like I said, Naruto, the path the Uchiha took was not wrong." Sasuke glanced over his shoulder. His Mangekyo was still activated, but Naruto noticed that the missing-nin looked extremely weary.
"We're going to end this, Naruto, at the place where it all began." He gestured behind him.
Naruto's eyes widened and his mouth gaped. "This is…!"
"The Valley of the End."
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Next time: The Origin of the Path
Yearning alone is not enough at all, for the back of that someone I'm desperately running for. Before these overflowing tears go ahead and dry up, let me reach out this hand and go further onward.