Rise of the Lightning Sage

Tsunade sat in her office in Hokage Tower going through paperwork when a specific file caught her attention. She read it, stood up with the file and walked out.

"Tsunade-sama?" Shizune asked as Tsunade left.

"Shizune, I'll be back later." Tsunade answered.

"Hai, Tsunade-sama."

Natsuki had woken up late that morning and was currently walking around in her towel after having a shower.

'Nothing like a shower to wake a person up…' Natsuki thought, then complained, "I wanna go back to sleep." There was a knock at the door so Natsuki used a transformation jutsu to make her look like she was dressed in her ninja gear before answering the door. "Good morning, Tsunade-sama."

"Natsuki, I need to talk to you." Tsunade said and let herself in.

"What's the problem, Tsunade-sama?"

"This." Tsunade handed Natsuki the file from earlier and Natsuki noticed it had the Senju clan emblem on it.

"Is this from Dairuko?"

"It's from someone and it was sent directly to me, read it." Natsuki read through the file and spoke.

"This isn't Dairuko. He would wholeheartedly avoid going to the Land of Lightning."

"I want you to investigate this, Natsuki."

"What?"

"If what this report says is true, then I need you to be there to stop them."

"I'll get my things ready and leave at once."

"Thank you, Natsuki, when Itachi comes back from training I'll let him know you're on a mission." Tsunade said and walked to the door then stopped. "Your transformation jutsu is good, Natsuki, but please, don't forget to put on real clothes before you leave; jaa-ne." Tsunade said and left. Once the door closed, Natsuki puffed back into her towel.

Natsuki left Konoha and was well on her way to the land of lightning when she stopped.

"I know you're there." Natsuki said and a hooded figure stepped out from behind a tree.

"Hello, Natsuki." The man said and took off his hood to reveal himself as Ren. "Long time no see." He smirked.

"What do you want, Ren?" Natsuki asked impatiently.

"Hmm… I want many things, but for now, I just wanted to thank you for accepting my invitation."

"Why'd you send it to Tsunade?"

"I needed her to approve the mission to avoid certain… unwanted attention… how is your boyfriend anyway?"

"Tell me the truth behind that information and where the hell Kabuto is."

"I have my spies looking for Kabuto but he's proving quite elusive. I believe he has friends who are loyal to Orochimaru that are helping him stay off the grid, and as for the information… you might want to sit down, it's quite the tale." Ren said and sat down followed by Natsuki. "You see, Natsuki, in the past- before Hashirama and Madara- the ninja world was in constant war and turmoil-"

"I didn't come here for a history lesson."

"Well if you let me finish, I'll explain there's a large number of shinobi working for a shadowy organisation that is not the Akatsuki, who want the world to return to what it once was- a warzone."

"If this group is so big, why has no one heard of it?"

"You need to be in a whole other league of the underworld to even hear the rumours about their plans… they're well-funded and have friends in very powerful places."

"You mean the Kages?"

"There are ways around even a Kage, Natsuki, but I wouldn't be surprised if a Kage or two were in their pocket."

"What do you know about them, Ren?"

"Not much, they tried to recruit me once but before that they tried to kill me, so I very brutally declined."

"Is that why you're also looking for Kabuto?"

"Yes. He can get contacts in that place or even become a contact in it."

"I see…" Natsuki said but before she could continue Ren threw her on the ground and got on top of her. "What the hell?!" she exclaimed. Ren said nothing, just pushed Natsuki's hands into the ground where she felt something and Ren nodded to her, then gave her a deep kiss before pulling back, his fists curled around the shirts of two shinobi. Natsuki rolled back, coming to her feet with the two kunai she had taken from the shinobi. The two shinobi –still in Ren's grip- were still screaming in surprise when Natsuki threw the kunai at them.

Ren and Natsuki stood back to back then, and Natsuki saw snakes return up Ren's sleeves. Six shinobi jumped out from the trees and bushes at once, attacking Ren and Natsuki but Ren had a snake wrap itself around the two of them as a makeshift shield, then it extended itself in an attempt to get the shinobi away from Ren and Natsuki which it did, but one shinobi didn't move in time, and the snake grabbed him by the face and slithered off into the woods while he was kicking and screaming.

As the last of the snake disappeared into the woods, Natsuki jumped up with her sword drawn then decapitated one of the shinobi and Ren had a snake come out of his sleeve then wrap itself around a shinobi's neck while another snake came out of his other sleeve and bit a second shinobi in the throat where it latched on to. The last two shinobi attacked Natsuki with swords and she blocked and deflected all their attacks until she managed to kick one away then impale the other through the shoulder into a tree, then used her Chidori to kill the other. Ren brought the shinobi who was being strangled by his snake close to him before breaking his neck.

"It seems we're on their radar now, Natsuki." Ren said.

"I'll get answers from this one." Natsuki said but Ren stopped her.

"I'm an excellent interrogator." Ren said then pulled the shinobi who was impaled off the tree by practically severing his arm, before dragging him into the darkness.

After an hour of screaming Ren emerged, wiping blood off his hands.

"They have something big happening on top of Storm Mountain." Ren said and Natsuki stabbed him through the chest.

"Don't ever kiss me again!" Natsuki exclaimed then pulled out her sword. "Let's go."

"You stabbed me for a kiss and not for torturing a person?" Ren complained as he healed himself. 'Shit, non-lethal or not, I didn't see that coming.' He thought uneasily.

"I've been on both sides of intense interrogations, part of my training was under Ibiki, so yes, I stabbed you for kissing me, that's a line I will not let you cross- unless you want me to stab you for torture as well." Natsuki said and pointed her sword menacingly at Ren.

"One impalement a day is enough for me, thanks."

Natsuki shrugged and put her sword away then she and Ren made their way up to Storm Mountain. On the way there they stopped at a nearby village full of farmers and hunters where they rested for a bit before heading back on the path to the mountain. It took them a day and a half to reach the base but they decided to keep going. Halfway up the mountain they suddenly found themselves surrounded by a large group of shinobi.

"Natsuki, I think we should stand down for now." Ren whispered and Natsuki reluctantly handed her sword over to the shinobi and the group walked them to the mountain peak.

"So… you are the one Hokage sent to stop us." A man wearing nothing but a black pants, and yellow tattoo-like markings on his body said to Natsuki. "And you…" he looked at Ren then back to Natsuki. "I'm surprised they even knew we were here; and only sending one lone jounin to stop us."

"I'm more than a match for you." Natsuki said.

"I doubt that, Danearys Natsuki."

"How do you-"

"The people I work with know many things… many personal things."

"So your group of fanatics are stalkers then?"

"Your smart mouth will only get you into trouble, like your brother Dairuko or his student the Hyuuga."

"You sure do talk a lot." Ren said then had a giant black snake escape his mouth, his body falling to the ground like shed skin.

"Gross." Natsuki said with a disgusted look on her face then head-butted the shinobi behind her and ducked under a punch from another shinobi then threw him into the shinobi behind her.

Ren's snake lashed its tail, knocking many shinobi off the mountain to their deaths while Natsuki grabbed the shinobi, who had her sword, by his arm then hit him with an elbow to the ribs before taking her sword from him and stabbing him through the chest and kicking him off her sword and, in a fluent motion, she deflected another sword attack then stabbed him through the shoulder and out his ribs. Natsuki charged the man with the tattoos but, before she could hit him, his hand phased into her chest and yellow waves left Natsuki's body and passed through his arm causing his tattoos to glow brighter.

"On your knees." He said in a commanding voice then Natsuki screamed as she dropped to one knee. Ren's snake tried to attack the man, but he stopped Ren with one hand. "Now, both of you will feel the wrath of Saizou; the Sage of the Sun!" Saizou exclaimed then dug his fingers into Ren's snake before throwing it off the mountain with one hand and then discarded Natsuki -who was barely conscious- to one side.

Saizou stood at the edge of the cliff when he suddenly grabbed something as if he was choking it, and Ren slowly faded into Saizou's hand. As Saizou strangled him, Ren extended his arm and tried to shoot a snake from out his sleeve but Saizou tilted his head enough to dodge the snake bite, then he bit down on the snake, severing its head, but when Saizou looked at Ren again, he saw wave like markings on the side of Ren's face. Ren then broke free from Saizou's grip and kicked him the ribs before having two snakes come out of his sleeves, but Saizou grabbed them both and a ray of sunlight seemed to shoot from the sky and burnt them, forcing Ren to release the snakes and back step, but again, Saizou was in front of Ren, trying to stab him with a long jagged kunai that Ren tried to dodge, however, Saizou was too fast and stabbed Ren through his shoulder then twisted the kunai, breaking Ren's shoulder, before pulling Ren's face into a knee which knocked Ren back.

"You actually hit me… I am honoured to fight you but now both of you will see the extent of your failure." Saizou said then raised his arm and a giant focused sun beam hit the village Natsuki and Ren had passed through almost two days ago. Natsuki could do nothing but watch as the village was destroyed by Saizou's sun beam.

"Y-you monster… there were women and children in that village; good, innocent people!" Natsuki exclaimed as she struggled to her feet. "I'll kill you!"

Natsuki charged at Saizou with her sword drawn, but Saizou just slapped her away. She got up and tried again and Saizou dodged then tripped Natsuki before grabbing her by her legs and throwing her into the ground.

"Your death approaches." Saizou said then picked up Natsuki's sword and walked towards her.

Natsuki felt a surge of adrenaline and energy which allowed her to stand up and, in that moment, Natsuki felt herself fade.

"Facing your death on your own feet is admirable. I will make it quick."

Natsuki's face was emotionless when lightning struck next to her, even though there were no clouds in the sky. Natsuki's hair became wilder as it suddenly turned black along with her eyes, her irises turned red and her body became surrounded by black lightning with a red aura, Natsuki disappeared behind Saizou and kicked him in the back then appeared in front of him and delivered a viscous uppercut before appearing above him with an axe-kick. Saizou recovered as he hit the ground then retreated to a distance just as Natsuki landed.

'Where did this power come from?' Saizou thought, wiping blood from his lip.

Natsuki took one step forward, then appeared behind Saizou and, before he could react, she hit him in the back with an elbow then jumped over him to face him then did a karate chop on his head followed up with a punch to Saizou's stomach that made him cough blood and finally, a roundhouse that knocked Saizou a considerable distance back.

Saizou stood up then had a sun beam shine on him which made his tattoos glow a brighter yellow.

"You have no chance against the full might of the sun." Saizou said.

"Thunderclouds always block out the sun." Natsuki said and raised her hand to the sky. The clouds started to form then and lightning struck Natsuki's hand. "Jaa-ne." Natsuki said with a twisted smile, then reached out her left hand and fired a continuous stream of lightning that -as it hit Saizou- began stripping away the invisible armour that his tattoos gave him until the tattoos were barely visible and she stood in front of him.

"What are you?" Saizou asked. Natsuki remained silent, then kicked Saizou off the edge and watched as he hit the various rocks on the side of the mountain before he actually hit the ground.

Natsuki walked towards Ren, passing a red banner with a yellow flame emblem on it and, upon seeing the banner, Natsuki shot lightning at it which set the banner on fire.

"I love the irony of that." A suddenly recovered Ren said as he approached Natsuki, whose appearance had turned back to normal.

"What was that?" Natsuki asked looking at her hands.

"Let's get off this mountain first and I'll explain." Ren said and the two walked off passing Ren's damaged body.

"You can turn invisible?"

"Yes."

"So how much of that fight was actually you?"

"Just the snake." Ren said then shifted his shoulder in discomfort as they walked down the mountain.

"Natsuki, you know about chakra but a more obscure bit of that is the existence of dark chakra; a more volatile and less stable version and what you did on that mountain top was- in laymen's terms- you turned your chakra into pure lightning." Ren said.

"How did I do that?" Natsuki asked.

"I have a theory, but I'll need to examine it more."

"But how can you examine something I can't even access?"

"I know a thing or two about dark chakra, but you're going to need to place some trust in me. I know we can figure something out, but it will take time because, well, there has never been someone quite like you." Ren said then extended his hand and continued. "Do you trust me?"

Natsuki looked at Ren's hand. Saizou destroying the village and how powerful that form had made her got her thinking. 'If I could access that power on command...' "I don't trust you, but I accept your help… for now." Natsuki said then shook Ren's hand.

"We have a lot of work to do, Lightning Sage." Ren said with a smirk.