Master of the Shadow Clones: Book One: Game of Clones
Chapter One: Out of the Foreshadow
The future holds many mysteries. What will happen now with the creation of the Tailed Beasts? The Ten-Tails is gone, but the Tree of Life remains. Splitting the Tailed Beasts from the tree has had some unexpected drawbacks.
The Tree of Life wilts now, sagging towards the earth that holds it roots everyday. I fear that the tree will begin to feed on the life of the planet when it grows too weary. It will suck the very thread of existence out of the world, and unravel it to extinction.
I have done much research, and much experimentation, and I have meditated for days on end, but no such solution will find me. If I cannot find it, I will charge my sons with the task, and if fortune will bless us one of them will be able to succeed where I have failed. For the sake of humanity I hope so.
"That was written by the Sage of the Six Paths?" A voice rang out.
Four figures cloaked in robes of darkness stood together in a stone ruin. The tile floor had cracks extending in every direction, where bright, green moss grew in through the spaces, and was covered in rubble. Intricate, celestial designs were carved in the walls. Most were deteriorating, but some could be made out: a cat, a fox, and what could only be described as a dolphin and a horse combined at the torso. The marble ceiling had caved in centuries ago, and the white, riveted pillars stood uselessly, as useless as the belief that had once been beheld in this temple. It was an ancient temple, one dedicated to a man who was all but forgotten now. The Sage of the Six Paths, the man who had saved the world millennia ago, and had pioneered the concept that was now 'Ninjutsu', the greatest tool of the shinobi.
"Yes. Only I would be able to read it." A second voice responded.
"What does this have to do with the Stone Tablet in Naka Shrine?" The first voice asked.
"The Uchiha are descendants of the Sage of the Six Paths. The answer may lie there." The second voice answered.
"You can't do this!" The first voice exclaimed vehemently. The figure tensed but he did not move.
"And what is your plan?" The second voice asked. The first voice choked on a growl and his breath hitched. "My seal prevents you from enacting your free will. You cannot stop me."
The second voice continued to struggle, but could not move, forward or back. He was frozen in place.
"We should get going. We only have a few weeks before we have to enact our plan." A third voice rang out. The first voice nodded and the four figures disappeared from the ruin, not a trace left behind.
XxX
"That's enough for today Itachi."
The boy named Itachi collapsed onto his butt and exhaled deeply. He was a small boy, just five years of age. He had onyx colored eyes and long, black hair that was tied into a half ponytail, so that the top part of it still hung loose, and long, thin bangs that perfectly framed his skinny, pale face. He wore the standard outfit of his clan, which consisted of a blue, loose-fitting shirt and a pair of blue ninja pants with bandages wrapped around his ankles, a pair of black, strapped sandals and a black, cloth belt tied around his waist. Emblazoned on the back of the shirt was a ceremonial fan with a white handle and a red, half-moon extension, symbolizing the fanning of flames.
"I'm getting better." Itachi stated breathily, wiping the sweat from his brow. The boy across from him chuckled. He was a bit taller than Itachi, three years older as well, and his hair was short and spiky, but they wore the same clothes. They stood in the middle of a lusciously green grass field, surrounded by a thick, wooded forest. The trees swayed in the gentle breeze as the boy walked over to Itachi.
"Yeah. Pretty soon you're gonna be as good as me." The boy answered.
"I don't know about that Shisui…" Itachi mumbled abashedly. Shisui chuckled at his clan-mate's response.
"You're too humble. C'mon, let's go get some dango." Shisui suggested. Itachi's eyes lit up at the mention of dango. He could feel his mouth begin to salivate as he pictured the tiny, sweet dumplings in his mind.
"I'd like that." Itachi answered as he stood up. Itachi followed the older boy as he strolled across the grass. His ankles were tickled by the long blades of grass but he paid it no mind.
"How is Sasuke doing?" Shisui inquired. Sasuke was Itachi's newborn brother. Another heir to the Uchiha Clan, as Itachi was himself. The Uchiha Clan was one of many clans that made their home in the Hidden Leaf Village, and they were one of the most powerful in the Elemental Nations. The special trait of their clan, also known as a bloodline limit, was known as the Sharingan. The Sharingan was a chakra based trait that activated in the eyes of an Uchiha when they experienced an event that threatened their life, though the trait had manifested itself in other ways as well. It would give its user a new, sharper perspective in battle, as well as let the user see and mimic the chakra pathways of another person, enabling them to theoretically 'copy' any technique that they saw performed.
"Father has shed some of his harsh demeanor. And mother has been doting on him constantly." Itachi responded.
"Jealous?" Shisui asked mirthfully. Itachi simply shook his head.
"Of course not. I find myself doting on him as well. A newborn life is precious. I'm glad I get to be with him while he's so young." Itachi stated thoughtfully. "Newborn life is precious." He repeated.
"Still going over that mantra in your head?" Shisui eyed him quizzically. Itachi sighed as they crossed the treeline into the forest. The great trees that the Village Hidden in the Leaves was known for loomed over them like monoliths. The shadows danced in unison with the leaves in the wind.
"Yes. 'Life is born. Life is taken. Life is a battle.'" Itachi stated, repeating the mantra once more.
"And?" Shisui nudged vocally. "Any more conclusions?" Itachi thought to himself for a second.
"It seems so unfair. But, if life, if Sasuke, is what lies in victory, then I will fight that battle for the rest of my life." He answered, his tone unflinching. Shisui nodded.
"You're right. It does seem a bit unfair. But, I agree. Life is worth fighting for, even if you lose your own in the process. That's why we strive to be the strongest in the shinobi world." Shisui added. "But I wonder if we can't break that cycle."
"You mean stop death?" Itachi asked incredulously. Shisui shook his head.
"No, that seems impossible. Everyone will die at some point. But I wonder if we can't stop the cycle of death for life. You see, these shinobi villages that we live in, we all have our own agendas. And all of us, whether we are from Hidden Rock or Hidden Leaf, believe in our own village. And when our beliefs conflict, we must fight to secure our beliefs. But are any of us really more noble than another? Aren't we all fighting for the same thing? Our own village and our own families? Inflicting death to preserve the life of our loved ones seems to perpetuate itself." Shisui philosophised. Itachi stopped in his tracks. The gentle breeze blew his hair across his face.
"Do you think that's possible?" Itachi asked in wonderment. "A world without violence?" Shisui turned around and shrugged.
"I don't know. But it seems like a goal worth fighting for doesn't it?" Shisui questioned, and Itachi nodded. "Then we'll fight for it together. But enough about death. That dango shop is going to close soon." Itachi's eyes widened at this revelation, and he picked up his pace, surpassing Shisui in a second.
"Well hurry up then!"
XxX
Four cloaked figures stood in the shadows of the trees of the Land of Fire. The moonlight poked through the spaces between the branches and leaves, but the figures still stayed shrouded in darkness.
"The container of the Nine-Tails will be giving birth soon. That is when she will be weakest." A voice whispered, carrying in the wind.
"You'll never be able to get past my Sensei. He's the strongest warrior in my village." A second voice stated through gritted teeth.
"And we will not underestimate him. That is why you have your orders as well." The first voice explained with finality. The second voice growled in disgust. "Once the Nine-Tails is unleashed, we will have our opportunity to infiltrate the Uchiha Compound. And we will not have to worry about the Fourth Hokage."
XxX
Minato Namikaze was a one of a kind man. For starters, he easily had the brightest hair in all of the village. Even brighter than the platinum-blond genetic trait of the Yamanaka Clan, one of the ninja clans that resided within the Hidden Leaf Village. Where theirs was a soft, faded blonde, his was radiant yellow, and it almost glowed like the sun if you looked at it right. His piercing blue eyes could strike fear into the hardest, most-seasoned ninja in the land, but they also held the gentleness of a panda bear that could melt the heart of...well even the hardest, most-seasoned ninja. His cheeks were angular but not too thin, quite chiseled really. His face was the perfect muscle/fat ratio; just the tiniest bit of baby fat that made him look oh-so-endearing but not enough to detract from his handsome, serious demeanor. In fact, his whole body was chiseled and the perfect muscle/fat ratio. He was in peak physical condition, though of course this was what he expected of himself. Especially as the new Hokage. He was also expected to 'look the part', as the Third Hokage had put it when he bestowed upon him the beautiful white, embroidered robe that he wore. It was a soft, silky material that hung all the way down to his ankles, and knit on the back in orange letters were the words 'Fourth Hokage'. Under that he wore a standard green flak vest, decorated with zippers and pockets with room for all kinds of ninja goodies, a pair of black ninja pants and a layer of mesh armor to protect himself.
He had been named the successor to the mantle of Hokage after his heroic efforts during the last war, the Third Shinobi World War. With his famed Flying Thunder God Technique, he had been able to slaughter enemy ninja by the hundreds in mere moments. Some would say it was his genius that won the war for the Hidden Leaf, though he would be the first to tell you he wasn't that special.
But he certainly was, and thank all that was holy that he was, because he needed to be for the situation he was in currently.
"MINATO! GET THIS DAMN TWERP OUT OF MY VAGINA OR I SWEAR TO GOD I'LL SEW IT SHUT!" The voice of Kushina Uzumaki, Minato's wife, screeched as her body throbbed in pain. He was sure she didn't really know what she was saying, delirious from the immense discomfort that went hand-in-hand with childbirth. Obviously, he understood the implication of no sex again forever, but there were a hundred other ways to go about depriving him of lust than physically altering herself in such a manner. I mean...how would she go to the bathroom? Of course after fifteen hours of labor no one was stressing over the small details. "I'M SERIOUS MINATO, I'LL FUCKING DO IT!" And even in this moment of anguish and rage, he could not suppress the thought of just how beautiful she really was. With her blood red hair splayed out on the operating table behind her, and her violet-tinted eyes burning with rage. The lines in her face were prominent as her muscles strained and clenched in agony. And then there was the blood/goo that was dripping from her...lady parts...which was still pretty gross. Minato was glad they had decided to go to a remote location to carry out the birth. Kushina could go a tad overboard sometimes…
"Kushina darling, if you did that, then we'd never be able to get Naruto out." He answered with a grin.
"I MEANT AFTER YOU IDIOT!"
"Right of course you did." He was very good at keeping a calm exterior. Although really, and this didn't happen often, but he was shitting bricks in his head. "This is normal right?" He asked, turning to an older woman with dark skin and dark brown hair dressed in a white robe.
"Yes, quite normal. I remember the things I said to Hiruzen when I gave birth to Asuma." Biwako answered with a chuckle. Biwako Sarutobi was a kind, gentle woman who had retired from the ninja forces long ago. She was married to the Third Hokage, and a gifted Medical Ninja as well, which was why she was able to be a part of a top-secret operation such as this. That and Minato needed someone there with a cool head, because as level-headed as he usually was, he was about to be a father. And they hadn't even gotten to the hard part yet.
The hard part, would be successfully containing the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox that resided within Kushina's body. Kushina was a Jinchuriki, which was a term Minato despised, though he could think of no better name for it. 'The power of the human sacrifice' was a powerful thing indeed. The Nine-Tailed Demon Fox, also known as the 'Kyuubi' and 'King of the Tailed Beasts', was a powerful entity, sealed away inside of Kushina with a special study of Ninjutsu called Sealing, which consisted of elements of chakra manipulation, calligraphy and creativity. Sealing Techniques were some of the highest level of techniques in Ninjutsu, and they were extremely dangerous to work with, but they were also some of the most brilliant. They could make anything possible, like for instance sealing a powerful chakra demon into a cute little girl with red hair. And if that demon were to happen to escape…
"Are you ready Sensei?" Minato asked, shifting his eyes to another presence in the room.
"Ready when you are kid." Minato's Sensei, Jiraiya, answered. Jiraiya was one of the most famous ninja in the Leaf Village, once part of a team known as The Legendary Sannin. They were revered as the most gifted team the village had ever produced, taught by the Third Hokage, Minato's famed predecessor. A long, spiky, white mane of hair stretched down his back all the way to his waist tied in a ponytail, and he had mirth-filled raven-colored eyes that oozed with confidence and ego. On his face were two red, painted-on lines, one on each side, that went from the bottom of his eyelid to his jawline, as well as a wart on the right side of his nose that he would swear was painted on as well. He wore a pale green kimono shirt and a matching green pair of rolled up ninja pants, under which was a layer of mesh armor. Over his shirt was a red haori-vest with a yellow sun on each pectoral muscle. On his hands he wore a pair of matching green handguards, and his feet were fit with wooden geta-sandals that klik-klomped everywhere he went, unless he didn't want you to hear him. On his head, instead of the traditional Hidden Leaf headband, he wore a horned headband with the character for 'Oil' emblazoned on it proudly, a mark of his Sage training with the Toads of Mount Myoboku. He usually also wore a large, ornate scroll on his back, the Toad Summoning Contract, but he was without it right now. "This will work right?"
"Of course. I'm not sloppy like you. I cross and dot my characters correctly." Minato stated with a grin, remembering a specific time when Jiraiya had made a mistake on a seal.
"That was one time, and I thought we were never going to speak of it again." Jiraiya defended.
"That poor horse will never be the same again." Was all Minato responded with. Jiraiya simply rolled his eyes.
"Whatever. Just roll out the damn scroll." Minato obliged and pulled out a hand-sized scroll from his robe. He unfurled it and laid it over Kushina's exposed stomach, which bore an intricate seal in a circular pattern, right around her navel. The scroll displayed a similar pattern.
"She's ready now Minato." Biwako informed Minato, and he nodded in response.
"Okay Jiraiya, begin." Jiraiya nodded at his prodigious student, and they begun to channel chakra into the seal. The characters in the seal began to glow a fiery orange, until a striking, crimson light exploded from the seal. A circle of pure white light erupted around it, and the two lights began to swim around each other like fish in the ocean. Brilliant pink lights glided across the walls of the cave they were in, mixing with the torchlights that lined the walls. They were bathed in a radiant warmth as the red light was slowly contained, and the white light reeled in the red light, collapsing into the scroll, signaling that it had been a success. At the same time, the cry of a newborn baby pierced the air, as well as Minato's heart. His son was here.
"Minato, Kushina...I would like to introduce you to your son." Biwako spoke softly, her eyes glazing over with tenderness for this newborn life. She wrapped the small, blonde haired bundle of joy in a blue blanket and held him out to Minato. With trembling hands he slowly took his son and brought him close to his chest, chuckling happily as he did. His eyes shimmered with excitement.
"Hello Naruto." He greeted his child. "Hello my son." Bright blue eyes gazed up at Minato. He no longer cried, now just curious about, well everything really. It was his first few moments alive, and it was almost incomprehensible. His chubby cheeks were cute and rosy, and they were depicted by three unique whisker marks like everyone else-
Wait. Three whisker marks?
"Well look at that, the fox managed to leave his mark somehow." The Hokage stated, poking gently at the whisker marks. They were like battle scars, ones that Naruto would bear from the day he was born to the day he died. They were quite distinguishing really.
"Let...me…" Minato heard Kushina's weak whisper and immediately obliged. He slowly and carefully deposited the baby into her hands and hugged them both. He admired his wife now, as she had never looked more beautiful to him. She looked so serene and peaceful, and with Naruto in her hand it was as if she were engulfed by a wave of love. The look of pure bliss that spread across Kushina's face was something Minato would never forget. "Naruto...my son…"
Suddenly Minato reacted. He had barely a moment to sense the incoming wave of chakra, and not a sound was made by the intruder, but his instincts had kicked in, and he had deflected the blade of an assassin inches to the left of Kushina's head, along with Naruto. The blade stuck out straight from the stone operating table from above, right through a lock of Kushina's hair.
"Assassin!" As Minato's voice roared in anger twelve ANBU, that is members of the Special Assassination and Tactical squad, which were in short the Hokage's personal soldiers, poured into the room and surrounded the operating table. It was an odd sight really. The assassin was standing on the tip of his sword almost hovering above his intended target. He was veiled in a black cloak and wore a hood that masked his face. Not very tall either, the size of an average teenager at best. Seeing that his initial strike had failed, the intruder simply contorted himself impossibly in the air, swinging around his sword and with the momentum flying up into the air, taking the sword with him all in the same motion. As he ascended, the twelve ANBU all jumped into the air to meet him, brandishing various katanas and other sharp weapons. As they converged on him, there was simply a flash of lightning, and then a rain of blood as he slaughtered the ANBU with one lightning chakra infused swing of his sword. Each body had been cut in two, and thus were spilling out tremendous amounts of blood and other bodily fluids. Crimson rained down upon the operating table, showering Kushina, Minato and Naruto in the death of their comrades. As the man descended again, Minato could tell the man was going for Kushina again. And then that was when he saw it. The Sharingan.
He had no time to think about it however as the assassin's blade came for him this time, and he was only barely able to deflect it. It still knicked him in the cheek as it went by, drawing a menial amount of blood. He could do nothing however as the man brought his foot around and smashed Minato across the room into the cave wall. Biwako attempted to engage him, but she was simply knocked aside as if she were an academy student. Jiraiya had more success, as he jumped up and kicked the assassin clear across the room. The assailant smashed into the cave wall with a resounding CRACK.
"Minato!" Jiraiya called out as he jumped in front of Kushina protectively.
"I'm on it Sensei!" Minato, using his famed technique, appeared next to Kushina in a brilliant yellow flash. Though before he could do anything else, the assailant seemed to melt out of thin air and repay Jiraiya for his attack with a similar kick. Jiraiya was sent tumbling this time. Minato whipped out a three-pronged kunai with a yellow seal tag wrapped around the handle, and slashed at the enemy, but his strike was easily deflected. The assassin once again kicked Minato away, and jumped on top of Kushina, who was too weak to push him off. He stared straight into her eyes with his Sharingan, and she was lulled under some sort of trance, before her seal exploded with energy once more. The assailant was blown away by the energy, and the cave imploded on itself as the Kyuubi was unleashed into the world. Kushina screamed in agony as the beast was torn from her body, though it was drowned out by the ferocious roar of the fox. Minato and Jiraiya, who were buried in rubble, began to sweat as a malevolent wave of violent energy washed over them. Minato had Naruto wrapped up beneath him as tightly as he could, protecting him from the falling cave around him. In a moment he flashed next to Kushina, then with Kushina, transported himself to a remote location, to keep them safe.
The worst had come to fruition.
XxX
"What's wrong Sasuke?" Itachi asked his little brother as he attempted to sooth his crying. Sasuke was reaching out with his hands, waving them around in hopes of grabbing onto anything. Itachi had become wary of him when he was like this; more than a few times had Sasuke latched onto one of his locks of hair, and once he latched on he would not relinquish it, no matter how much Itachi pleaded.
'Life is born. Life is taken.'
Itachi sighed as he begun to rock Sasuke back and forth, which slowly but surely seemed to mollify little Sasuke. He was a cute little boy, with a thick, pointy head of black hair. He had chubby, squishy cheeks and a small, round button nose. He was wrapped up in a blue blanket, though it wasn't doing much to contain him.
'Life is a battle.'
Itachi continued to rock his brother back and forth as Sasuke's eyes slowly began to flutter, like a butterfly's wings. Itachi smiled.
"Don't worry Sasuke. I'll protect you, no matter what." Itachi promised.
The respite was short lived however, as suddenly the most vile, negative feeling Itachi had ever felt washed over him like a tidal wave of warm, liquid hatred. Sasuke began to cry again, twice as loud and fearful his time. Itachi even started to quiver.
"What...is this?" He asked himself, standing up and unconsciously pulling Sasuke a bit closer. He looked around in every direction, but there were no signs of any threats. None that he could pick out at least. Something was very wrong though. The urge to run to his mother and father overwhelmed him, but both of his parents were out right now. His father on police-work and his mother visiting a friend.
"Shisui…" He whispered. Shisui would know what to do. He had to find him.
Itachi ran out of his house in the direction of Shisui's house. His feet stamped loudly on the earthen road as he ran as fast as he could, being careful not to drop Sasuke. The dim lanterns that hung from every small house were a blur to Itachi as he sprinted by them. Suddenly there was a deafening explosion, followed by a guttural roar. He stopped in his tracks and his eyes shot to the skyline. His eyes widened and his mouth fell open at the sight of the Kyuubi just beyond the high walls that surrounded the Leaf Village, snout raised up and jaws wide open. It almost seemed like an illustration from a children's book against the backdrop of the deep night sky.
"Kyuubi…?" He shook his head and continued running, pushing himself faster and harder than he ever had before. He had to find Shisui.
XxX
There weren't many situations when Jiraiya of the Sannin felt himself backed into a corner. He was an extremely clever man, and he was usually the one who controlled the flow of a battle.
"Damn it all to hell!" He shouted as he avoided another blast of fire from the assailant. He was forced to leap away again when the massive claw of the Kyuubi came smashing down on his hiding place. "Anytime you want to re-appear is fine with me Minato!" He sarcastically bellowed, cursing the absence of his student. And he wasn't really mad, because he would have done the same thing in Minato's shoes, but he was really and royally fucked right now. "Alright, time to counter-attack." He jumped out of his hiding place and began to ready a technique, but before he could finish, the assailant appeared in his face. He yelped in surprise as he was forced to stick his arm up to block the assassins leg. He couldn't get it up in time to cleanly block the blow, so he was sent tumbling to the side by the kick. He quickly replaced himself with a log via the Substitution Technique as the Kyuubi's other claw hurdled at him at what seemed like light speed, crushing the log into a thousand little pieces. He looked down at his pant leg, where there was a tiny gash across it. "Damn that was close." He looked back up at the fox, and he was entranced by its eyes, its eyes that now bore the same pattern as the Sharingan. He didn't know what that meant, but whatever it was would be another issue for another day. A day when he was alive hopefully.
Suddenly there was a great yellow flash, and Minato appeared, his body crackling with electricity. An effect of the Lightning Armor Technique, an ability he had been able to figure out after a few encounters with the Raikage, the leader of the Village Hidden in the Clouds. In his hand was a magnificently large swirling ball of glowing, blue chakra; the signature technique of Minato, called the Rasengan, though this one was much larger than a normal one. He thrust it into the face of the giant beast, sending it crashing down on its back. He landed next to Jiraiya.
"Sorry Sensei."
"About time. Are Naruto and Kushina safe?" Jiraiya asked.
"Yes. Kushina is working on a seal. But we don't have much time." Minato explained. They were forced to separate when the hooded assailant appeared between them, slashing at them with his blade. Minato bounded off of a tree and shot off like a cannon back at the assassin, clashing his kunai with the enemy's blade inches from his face. He was met by the nightmarish visage of a man with the Sharingan, but he could not make out his face. He was a young boy though, not a man.
"Who are you?" Minato asked, but he received no response as the assassin vanished and reappeared behind Minato. Minato whirled around and blocked the assassin's slash, and they exchanged a few more blows before Minato exploded with electricity, knocking the assailant backwards. He vanished as the claw of the Kyuubi came crashing down once more, attempting to skewer him. He re-appeared next to Jiraiya.
"What do you mean working on a seal?" Jiraiya questioned hastily, now that they were reunited.
"We're going to seal the fox inside of Naruto." Minato explained, flipping through a set of hand seals rapidly. "Fire!" He commanded Jiraiya, who regained his wits and followed up with his own technique. Jiraiya expelled a giant, crimson fire dragon that rocketed towards towards the Kyuubi with the Fire Style: Fire Dragon Missile Technique, while Minato blew out a light gust of sparkling wind, the Wind Style: Heavenly Gale Technique, which superheated the dragon, turning it golden-white. The dragon crashed into the fox, exploding violently on contact like fireworks. The hooded man took this moment to jump up next to the fox, and with some sort of technique that left no visible trace, teleported them away. Jiraiya and Minato's faces contorted with shock as they saw the fox reappear within the village walls.
"How the hell-" Jiraiya started to say, but shook his head and cut himself off.
"He must have a space/time technique like I do. He has the Sharingan as well." Minato stated, causing Jiraiya's eyes to bug out.
"You can't be serious-" Jiraiya started to say, but an explosion from the center of the village cut him off.
"I am, but we don't have time to figure out what it means right now. We need to get back to Kushina and Naruto." Jiraiya nodded at his former charge and put a hand on his shoulder. A great yellow flash flared up from their spot, and they vanished instantly.
XxX
Itachi heard another explosion as he ascended the steps to Shisui's residence. All of the lights were off, which gave birth to a fearful feeling in Itachi's stomach.
'What if he's not home…'
He burst through the door anyway, hoping that he would not be so unlucky.
"Shisui!" He called out, panting rather harshly. "Shisui!" He called again.
"Itachi! You felt it too?" Shisui rounded the corner of his house and almost ran into Sasuke. The younger boy nodded up at his best-friend.
"Yes. I don't know where mom and dad are." He stated, his nerves firing on the command of his fear. He could hardly stand still.
"I don't know where my parents are either. But we should get to the shelters. We should be safe there." The older boy suggested. The Hidden Leaf Village was equipped with emergency shelters large enough to hold the population of the village, in case of natural disasters such as this.
Itachi nodded. And they dashed out of the house. As they ran they came across Naka Shrine, a place of worship for their clan. A small, wooden paneled building with a triangle shaped roof and a large wooden pillar gate at the entrance. It was there where the clan would gather when issues needed to be addressed, or when ceremonies were held. And it was there where some of the Uchiha's most sacred relics were kept. Itachi couldn't help but glance at it as they passed, and as he did something caught his eye.
"Wait." Itachi whispered, skidding to a halt. Shisui followed suit a few feet ahead.
"What?" Shisui whispered back.
"I saw something. Someone." Itachi clarified. "There! See?" He pointed and sure enough, there sneaking into the temple was a group of three black cloaked figures.
"That can't be good." Shisui commented. "What do we do?"
Itachi stood frozen in place, contemplating his options. On one hand, he wanted to confront these trespassers, and he wondered if they had any connection to the Kyuubi suddenly appearing in the village. One the other hand...well the other option was in his hand.
'Sasuke…'
He would not dare risk his little brother's life. His little brother was literally the most important thing in the world to him. The Uchiha secrets didn't even come close.
Of course, while he was thinking, the choice was made for him. He barely had time to blink as one of the assailants came flying at him. Apparently they had been spotted. Itachi barely jumped out of the way of the man's strike, almost falling over has he landed.
"Itachi! Run!" Shisui shouted, brandishing a kunai and charging at the hooded figure. He disappeared with a Flash Step, and appeared behind the figure, who easily swirled around and countered gracefully. Within another second, Shisui was skewered on the end of a hidden short short that came out of the man's sleeve. Blood oozed freely out of the open wound, down the blade of the sword until gravity pulled it to the ground. Drip. Drip.
"No…" Itachi was in utter disbelief. Shisui was considered a genius among the shinobi forces. Even the older, veteran ninja in the forces praised his immense skill. And he was known for his speed. For this man to be so fast as to easily catch Shisui off-guard…
"Run!" Shisui screeched in agony. His voice wavered as the man jerked on the blade, causing more internal damage as he did. The assailant simply pulled the blade out of Shisui's stomach and kicked him to the ground, as if he'd been through that motion a thousand times before.
"Sorry little boy. Nothing personal." The voice apologized, slowly advancing on Itachi. But Itachi was livid. He would NOT let this man do the same to him or Sasuke.
"It is for me." He didn't really understand what happened next, but his vision flashed, and suddenly he saw the world in a whole new light. Time seemed to slow down around him and he could see the man's chakra pathways pumping pure energy throughout his body, like veins pumping blood from the heart. And then everything flashed again, and he really had no idea what was happening. But the word Amaterasu echoed in his head, ever-so-faintly, like a dream calling out to him. And next the assailant was blocked by a wall of powerful, burning black fire. The man was surprised, but made no move to jump over or go around the wall of fire, as if he knew just how dangerous it was. Itachi didn't know where the fire came from exactly, but he took this opportunity to flee the scene, clutching Sasuke tighter than he ever had before. Now he had to make it to the shelter, to let the Hokage know what he had seen.
XxX
"The black flames of Amaterasu. Only Madara Uchiha was known to be able to conjure them." One of the hooded figures stated, walking up to the flames.
"Should we go after him?" Another of the figures questioned, the one that had killed Shisui.
"Would be a waste of effort. We can get what we need and be long gone from the village before the Hokage is alerted to our presence." The first voice dismissed. They walked back over to the temple and entered with their third member. Usually, only a member of the Uchiha Clan would be able to enter the temple, as there was a great stone seal behind the door, and only one with the Sharingan could open it. But the hooded figure was easily able to bypass it with his own visual technique. His eyes flashed purple, and the ripple patterns within his eyes began to pulse until the stone slid aside, granting them access. The sandstone walls on the inside of the temple were dimly lit by torchlight. The assailants made not a sound as they walked across the tan and brown tatami mat floor. "There." One of the voices, the apparent leader, directed, pointing at the seventh tatami mat on the far right. One of his companions walked over and lifted the tile, exposing a stairwell to a secret basement. The leader grabbed one of the torches and descended into the basement, his two companions a step behind him.
The basement was completely devoid of any light, except for that which radiated from the torch. They walked across the gray stone floor until they came to a shrine of some sort. On a small stone pedestal was a stone tablet with an ancient form of writing on it, similar to the one this group of mysterious figures had seen in the other temple. The leader crouched down in front of it and began to read.
The Tailed Beasts have become restless. They roam free and wreak havoc upon the land at their own will. Once such gentle creatures, they are now lost to the Ten-Tails lingering madness. And the Tree of Life grows weaker with every passing moment. It's branches have sunk deep into the earth, intertwining with its roots, almost as if it is pulling itself down.
I fear that if the Tree of Life is pushed to its breaking point, the Ten-Tails will be reborn again. Somehow, it will manifest itself and take what it believes belongs to it back. And if the Ten-Tails is reborn, then the world will meet its end.
I have continued my research, and I may have found a way to keep this world intact. Above our world lies a vast expanse of space. What exactly lies in it I can only guess; other worlds or other life-forms perhaps. But I have discovered one thing. A sort of gravitational field that swallows all that is caught in its grasp, and nothing can escape. If one with the Rinnegan were to use the Catastrophic Planetary Devastation and bind the beasts together, then shoot them into this gluttonous vortex, they would have no way out. And they would stay there for the rest of eternity, where they belong. But in order to find this gravitational field, one must find where Askr Yggdrasil points to the sky.
"Hmm...Akr Yggidrazhil..." The leader mused as he finished reading. "Very well. We're leaving." The leader stated apathetically. He stood up and walked away from the shrine, his two companions following him closely. The light receded from the secret shrine as they slowly ascended the steps and replaced the tatami mat, leaving the basement shrouded in pitch black darkness.
XxX
"Naruto...I'm so sorry my son." Kushina whispered regretfully as she took her infant son in her arms and hugged him. "I won't be here to raise you...to love you...I'd give you the world if I could." Tears rolled down her cheek as she began to quiver. They were alone in this room, one of the many safe-houses Minato knew about in the Land of Fire. It was a lonely room, consisting of only a bed covered in a blue blanket, a small area rug laid over the hardwood floor, and a door that led to a bathroom. "This is the worst fate I could bestow upon you. I just wish we had more time." Suddenly, Minato and Jiraiya appeared in the center of the room.
"Kushina have you-" Minato started to say, but stopped himself when he saw Kushina's current state. He rushed over to her and engulfed her and his son in a hug. Jiraiya sighed, disheartened by the visual. Kushina sniffed and nodded at her husband.
"I'll be okay. This is what we have to do." She stated resolutely. "I'd gladly give my life for my son." Jiraiya looked down at the ground as Kushina said this. He had hoped for better, but deep down he knew Kushina was fading away. Usually a Jinchuriki was killed as soon as the Tailed Beast was extracted from their body. But to see Kushina hanging on for this long was miraculous.
"I'll do anything I can to help." Jiraiya declared suddenly, looking up at his student, eyes brimming with determination. "Anything for the two of you." He really loved them, they were the closest thing he had to a family these days.
"Thank you Jiraiya…" Kushina stood then, extricated herself from Minato's embrace, handed him Naruto and pulled a scroll out from behind her. "This is the seal. I used the notes you gave me Minato, everything is as you designed it to be." She paused, swallowing down her sadness. "I added in one little extra part. But, I need one more thing to finish it." She slowly unraveled the scroll and laid it on the bed. She took one of Minato's hands and without warning pricked it with a kunai. Crimson blood slowly bubbled out of the wound, but Minato stayed put, knowing his wife had some sort of purpose. She dabbed a dry brush on the wound and then brought it to the seal, finishing it with a few simple strokes. "This will let each of us live on in the seal, and when the seal becomes unstable, each of us will have one chance to stabilize it and talk to Naruto." Minato's eyes widened at this information.
"Kushina...that's amazing." He stated in awe. She simply rolled up the scroll and held it out to Minato.
"It's the least we can do." She answered, wiping away her tears. Minato accepted the scroll and put it inside his robe.
"Are you going to be able to do this?" He asked concernedly. She nodded.
"I have enough energy to help you. I won't last much longer." She stated with sorrow.
"Then we won't wait any longer." Minato declared. Kushina and Jiraiya both nodded at him, and with another great yellow flash, they were gone. Leaving the lonely room even lonelier.
XxX
The destruction to the Leaf Village was horrendous. Hundreds of structures had crumbled under the sudden attack. Giant stone slabs of what used to be houses and buildings fell to the ground with mighty force, crushing whatever may have been unfortunate enough to be under them. Mutilated corpses were strewn about, hanging off of buildings and lying in the streets. Fires from the many explosions raged and clawed at the night sky, as if trying to tear the heavens down. Cries of injured civilians and shinobi alike pierced the air like a symphony of anguish.
The Third Hokage could not contain his emotions at the sight of his beloved village. He was beyond words. He had strived to protect this village for years, and to see it in such a devastating state...beyond words.
"Dammit…" He muttered to himself. He was dressed in a suit of dark green Kabuto-like battle armor. He wore a helmet that framed his wrinkly, bearded face and had two long sashes of cloth tied to the back, flowing freely. His ankles and feet were taped up tightly with bandages, and in his hand was a thick, black staff with gold tipped ends. The staff suddenly grew an eye.
"Hiruzen...there is no time to waste." The staff spoke deeply. The staff was really the Monkey King Enma, personal summon of the Third Hokage. He had Transformed into the diamond hard staff, also known as the Adamantine Nyoi. Hiruzen nodded.
"I know. Ready?" Hiruzen waited for no reply as he leapt up at the Nine-Tails. He brought his staff about and pointed it at the fox. The staff suddenly shot forward, extending to impossible lengths as it speared the fox right in the chest. The Kyuubi was sent sprawling backwards and the staff continued to extend, dragging the body of the beast through the rubble of the village. He retracted his staff and landed as the Kyuubi quickly recovered, roaring ferociously. Suddenly Minato, who was holding Naruto, Kushina, and Jiraiya appeared next to him.
"We'll take it from here Hiruzen." Minato stated. Hiruzen had no time to respond as Minato threw one of his three-pronged kunai at the beast, and as it impacted, he appeared in a flash, and then with another flash both he and the beast were gone. Hiruzen whirled around to Kushina and Jiraiya.
"What-" Again he was cut off as Minato reappeared for a split second, and then in another was gone with Kushina and Jiraiya. An explosion rocked the earth and Hiruzen turned around once again, his gaze following the bright light from far outside the walls of the village. "Follow the Fourth Hokage!" He shouted, charging ahead as fast as he could. He heard the various cries of affirmation as many of his fellow ninja jumped in line with him, all heading for the scene on the horizon. Hiruzen just hoped they wouldn't find a dead Hokage at the end of the road, but the feeling in his stomach told him otherwise.
'Minato…'
XxX
Far outside the village walls, the battle with the Kyuubi raged. Minato and Jiraiya had taken to distracting the beast, and the hooded assailant, while Kushina readied the seal. The scroll with the seal was unraveled on the ground in front of her, and placed on top of the center was Naruto, who no longer had the protection of his blanket. Instead he too bore the marking of a seal on his stomach, one extremely similar to the one Kushina had.
Minato was engaging the assailant while Jiraiya worked on distracting the fox. Jiraiya at this point had summoned Gamabunta, the boss of the Toad Summons, who was NOT pleased with the situation in any way.
"The Nine-Tails!? One of these days you're going to lead me to my death Jiraiya!" The Toad bellowed as he drew his short sword.
"Sorry Gamabunta, but we're backed into a corner right now." Jiraiya answered from atop his head.
"Hmph. Is Minato okay?" Gamabunta asked as he leapt high into the air with his powerful toad legs.
"Yes. For now."
"I don't like the sound of that."
"Me neither." Jiraiya answered solemnly as they came crashing down on the Kyuubi like a meteor. The fox howled and exploded with malevolent chakra, sending Gamabunta flying backwards. As they flew through the air Jiraiya flipped through some hand seals. "Give me some oil 'Bunta!"
"Okay!" Gamabunta righted himself in the air and landed on his feet, bracing himself with his short blade. Gamabunta shot a stream of thick, brown oil out of his mouth, and Jiraiya ignited it with a breath of fire, creating a sort of super hot laser beam that blasted the Kyuubi onto its back.
Meanwhile, Minato was stuck in a battle of space/time; for every time he used his technique, the enemy would use his own as well. All of his attacks were missing by mere millimeters, or nanoseconds, in this case. But he was getting closer everytime. Just a few more and-
RIIIP.
Both fighters jumped away from each other as the sound of metal tearing apart cloth tore through the air. Minato smiled, as he knew he had the upperhand. He had been able to get close enough to slice off the attacker's hood. Now he would see who he was. Though, when it was revealed, he wish he had never seen it.
"O...Obito?" Like a ghost from his past, Obito was there, staring at his former sensei. Obito had short, spiky black hair, and his eyes were tinted with the mark of the Sharingan, though it was slightly different than Minato had ever seen it. His pupils were open circles instead of black dots, and protruding from the pupil were three scythe-shaped markings. Minato was in utter shock. Obito was his old student, but it was impossible for him to be standing there in front of him. He had died not even a year ago, during the Third Shinobi World War.
Obito struggled and struggled, but he could not will himself to say anything, due to the seal imprinted on him by his captor. He could only stare at Minato blankly.
"Obito...why…?" Minato asked again, his heart panging with the feeling of betrayal. Obito continued to struggle, and Minato could see his face contorted with effort.
"I'm...sorry...Sensei…" He said, his words strained with exertion. Suddenly he turned and dashed away, vanishing into the woods. Minato was frozen in place as he watched his former charge retreat.
"Minato! I'm ready!" Minato heard his wife's call and snapped out of it, appearing beside her no more than a second later.
"Can you use your Chakra Chains to subdue the fox? We only need to hold him for a few moments." He asked, and she nodded faithfully. "Okay. When I give the signal, you grab the fox. I'll take care of the rest."
"Okay. I love you Minato."
"I love you too." Minato steeled himself as he shared one final embrace with his lover. They broke apart and Kushina turned to face the fox. "Sensei! Get out of there!" Minato shouted as he took his place beside his son. Jiraiya followed his student's orders and dodged a blast of pressurized wind before he appeared next to him. "Now Kushina!" Kushina brought her hands together to channel her chakra, and great, glowing chains made of pure chakra flew out of her body. They lashed and slashed at the fox, who could not fend off all of the chains from multiple angles. They eventually captured and ensnared the fox, who began to writhe and thrash about in an attempt to escape. Minato flew through a long string of hand seals before he placed his hand on Naruto's stomach. Chains of pure black chakra burst out from the scroll around Naruto, flying into the air towards the Kyuubi. Meanwhile, the spectre image of the God of Death appeared in front of Minato. The God of Death was a demonic looking beast, with horns protruding from its head, covered in chains and a tattered black robe. Without warning it reached into Minato's stomach with one hand, and pulled out a manifestation of Minato's soul. Minato could not move with the God of Death grasping onto his soul in such a way. The black chakra chains from the scroll raveled themselves around the fox now, and Kushina's chains slowly retracted from the beast. The black chains lifted the Nine-Tails into the air and in one violent motion, ripped it into two pieces, causing the fox to howl in agony. The two halves of the beast were brought down and sealed into Naruto and Minato, and at the same time the God of Death ripped Minato's soul out of his body. His eyes glazed over as he collapsed to the ground next to his son. Kushina crawled over to her husband and son and wrapped herself around her baby as she too faded away, the last of her energy ebbing away.
It was at this point that the cavalry arrived. The Third Hokage, along with the bulk of his surviving ninja force, landed in the clearing only to see their Hokage's lifeless corpse on the ground. They hadn't the slightest idea how Minato had defeated the fox, but they were eternally grateful to the dead man. Two ninja in particular,a young boy and a young girl, were especially devastated by the sight, for MInato had been their mentor as well. The boy was slender and muscular, with silver, spiky hair and a blue mask over the bottom of his face. One of his eyes was simply black, but the other bore the pattern of the Sharingan, a gift from his late teammate, Obito. The girl was a bit taller than the boy, slender as well, and had shoulder length brown hair. On her face below her brown eyes were two rectangular purple markings. The girl started to cry and wrapped the boy in a hug, while the boy just continued to gaze at Minato's body in disbelief.
Jiraiya slowly trudged over the the spot where they had collapsed, and he too fell to his knees. He reached out and grabbed Minato's hand, squeezing it tightly as a pulse of heartache tore through his body and a tear fell from his eye.
"Minato...why didn't you tell me? I would have taken your place…"
Suddenly a bolt of lightning arced across the sky, and Jiraiya looked up in awe. He steeled himself and took baby Naruto into his arms, rocking him back and forth so as to calm him.
"You're gonna be okay Naruto. I'll take care of you now…"
XxX
A/N: Hey. Look at that. I re-did this chapter. Again.
I know it's been awhile, and I must sound like a broken record, but I'd like to welcome you to the rebirth of Master of the Shadow Clones. Although now it's Master of the Shadow Clones: Book One: Game of Clones. I've been wanting to do this for awhile now, so I stopped being lazy and I'm really doing it this time. Everything is changing, I'm just going with what inspires me.
I'm going to keep the old story up, mostly for reference for myself, but as you can see I'm starting an entirely new story. I just need a clean slate. And I'm going to be posting this chapter by chapter, so I would say give it 2-3 weeks between each chapter. I'm trying to give myself a little leeway there, hopefully it will be less but it took me a little time to really work out this chapter. I want it to be good.
As you can see the story has taken some new direction. I'm still working this out as I go, but I know the general direction. Itachi is going to be a main character. He's extremely important in the Naruto verse, and he needs to be a central figure in this story. Obito is also in this, as you can see, but his story will play out much differently. I like Obito a lot but I felt that evil Obito was a bit...I don't know...unbelievable? He's such such a nice kid. So now he's being held against his will. And Rin is alive, though I don't know what I'm doing with her yet. She'll be semi-important I'm sure. I'll continue to introduce other characters as I see fit. Most of them will be different from their canon counterparts.
That's all for now. I'll be posting chapter two soon. But I'd just like to thank all of you who have stuck with this. Seriously it's fucking amazing, and I hope that with this I can finally give you what you deserve. Thanks again, and I'll be back soon, I swear.