Disclaimer : All characters and places belong to Masashi Kishimoto, ©1999-2008. Any characters and/or locations not recognized in the Naruto Shippuden universe belong to Jennifer Nicole Siciliano, a/k/a Grand Phoenix.
A/N: And now we arrive (AT LAST!) for the moment we've all been waiting for: the fight between the Konoha recon and Team Hebi (or rather, Team Hawk, as of Chapter 402)! Ugh, I'm just glad I got this all typed out because I am NEVER going to write a fight scene this long AGAIN. This must be how Kishimoto-san feels sometimes (cue sigh).
Unfortunately, some scenes had to be taken out of this chapter (i.e. the extended fight between Kakashi and Juugo, Suigetsu throwing grenades at Sakura and attempting a sneak attack, to name a couple). Just gotta go with what you know. (But hot damn, I just known I rushed the Naruto/Sakura/Sasuke fight to get this posted. Maybe yes, maybe no. You be the judge).
So! The next time we see action will be in Chapter Seven: "Klocksaw". And, just because you all have been kind and patient, I'll let you know after that point we switch to Sasuke and Itachi's battle in Chapter Eight: "Point Blank" and Chapter Nine: "Blood-Soaked Misanthropy". That'll be all the spoilage you'll get for now ;).
I can't guarantee future chapters will come out much faster, but be happy with what you got. So please enjoy. Concrit is welcomed and appreciated.
(Ah! and before I forget. If you want to place "Sparda in Colossal" in a C2 Archive (or any other of my stories, Naruto or non-Naruto), hit me up with a PM or review and I'll give you full permission to do so).
"For never can true reconcilement grow,
Where wounds of deadly hate have pierced so deep."
-- John Milton, Paradise Lost
Chapter III
ESOTERIC SYMPHONIC
KAKASHI KNEW SOMETHING WAS WRONG THE MOMENT HE FELT THREE MORE chakra signatures enter his reach. At first he thought the platoon had left behind Bunshin, simple recreations of the individuals who formed them and shared a portion of their chakra. They could have been implemented with C-rank Blind Genjutsu, even B-rank Blind Genjutsu with techniques such as Medusa no Me or Akuma Kasumi(1-2), but with the teachings of the elite ANBU Black Ops ingrained in his head Kakashi saw right through them like tracing paper.
Something was off about these strange beacons. It was almost as if they had been separated from symbiosis(3). The chakra was spreading across the expanse and vanished upon metaphorical contact, which made Kakashi all the more concerned about the next step in the enemy's plan.
'What could it be? This is unlike anything I've ever felt before. Just who did Sasuke recruit to his fold?'
The Jounin hit the branch on all fours, ready to jump again when a sharp pinprick of chakra assaulted his frontal lobe, forcing him to look up at the distance beyond their intended path.
He gasped. "GET TO THE SIDE!"
The Shinobi turned to him, startled by his revelation. They awoke from their stupor to Hinata's cry, whose eyes were activated by the Byakugan. "Hurry!"
And just like that the spell dispersed and the recon team broke away, literally dodging a grey bullet speeding through the trees the group was in moments. Leaves were blown from their boughs and powerful gusts of wind lifted their cloaks, hitai-ate bands to the wrath of artificial deities. A whistling howl was left in its wake.
To Sakura, the sound was a dreadful omen. For the third time that day her world slowed down, every minimal detail vividly lingering in a dazzlingly ethereality. The late, spherical mildew on spear and star-shaped leaves; cissoidal contortions etched into tree bark; powdery white rain eternally trapped in helical patterns among sunny staircases to heaven . . . .
A low voice breathed into her ear, 'The Pillars Rise in the East. Beware . . .'
And then, in the vague impressionistic fog that was the horizon, the silhouettes appeared . . .
"I see them!" exclaimed Hinata. "There's a clearing a quarter mile north from our position. I can just barely make out a chakra well . . ."(4)
Kakashi grimaced behind his mask. "Well, we know now where that thing came from. They've anticipated our arrival, so proceed with caution! Don't do anything that'll jeopardize this mission! Do I make myself clear?" A chorus of affirmatives answered back. "Good. Let's move out!"
With their destination in mind, the recon team picked up their pace. Lost in his own thoughts Sai spared a glance at the pink-haired Kunoichi, whose aura was tense and fragile, before resuming his attention back on their mission.
The questions would just have to wait.
"Any minute now," Suigetsu said as he lumbered up. "Any minute now and I'll be dicin' me some green leaves."
"Earth to dumbass, we're not here to kill them!" Karin exclaimed, holding her arms crossed to her chest. "We hold 'em off til Sasuke gives the go!"
"Earth to Karin, he said Do whatever you can to stop them. Leave no quarter. That means CHOP CHOP!" retorted the Hozuki. He withdrew Kubikiri Hōchō from the makeshift belt tied across his back.
"And if we don't Juugo can make them go BOOM," countered the specialist. The man in question grimaced.
Suigetsu placed a hand on his hip, replying in a deadpan voice, "Congratulations, Karin, you're one step away from stupidity and one step closer to flattery."
She shot him a glare. "Screw you, pageboy!"
Juugo coughed. "The mission. . ."
Suigetsu answered him before Karin could have her say (her mouth hanging open in disbelief). "Yeah, the mission. I can't wait to kick their a--OOF!" A tan fist crashed into his face, lifting his feet off the ground and sent flying across the field. A resounding boom signified his impact.
"Sunnuva bitch!" "They've arrived!" Karin and Juugo shouted simultaneously.
Standing ten feet away was the infamous Jinchuuriki, his left hand bracing the carpet green. Scarlet chakra simmered off his being, hissing when he released his limb from the crater marked with complementary crevasses. He righted himself to his full height, his eyes shadowed by bristling golden locks swaying on its own accord.
Behind him the Konoha reconnaissance team shot from the trees. Sakura landed with an awkward grace, biting back a grunt as pain lanced up her legs. She raised her head in time to see the blue-skinned youth stagger out of the woodlord's wreckage, nursing his smarting jaw.
"You bastard . . ." he growled. "I'll make you regret that!"
"Where's Sasuke?" asked the Konoha-nin, ignoring the seething man.
"Even if you beat us to a pulp we won't tell you," said Karin. "You're not worth his time."
"Neither are you," came the cold remark. Naruto lifted his right arm and, from his sleeve, produced a kunai. "Move aside."
"Like hell I will!" She clasped her hands in the familiar Ram and Ox seals. "Come, Tsurube-Otoshi, Gyuuki!"(5-6)
The ground exploded at her command and smoke and debris showered the battlefield. When the fog cleared the recon saw two demon summons flanking Karin's sides. To her left was a large ox clawing the earth with its ruddy hooves. It possessed a bovine shape with long, grey scars stretching along its backside. Its fur was a terrible shade of black, smooth and glossy as glass, and its lionized mane a wintry white complimented its broad physique. Pointed ears and scraped horns made up its snarling face, an image in respect of the Koma-inu of old(7).
The second summon to her right was a specimen unlike anything the Konoha-nin had ever seen. It was a skeleton of what looked to be a dragon (the closest thing that could come to mind, and even so it was far from the truth). The body and limbs were connected to flowing chains of chakra, and through its cracked sternum was a pulsating white orb. A long, spiked tail extended from the small of its back.
"I don't think I need to tell you two what to do," said the specialist to her summons. Gyuuki snorted and Tsurube-Otoshi bent its chin. "Good. Now go! Show them what we're made of! Show them we're not to be messed with!" Karin shot her left arm out, and the demonic duo raced toward their targets like lions unleashed from their cages.
Suigetsu swung Kubikiri Hōchō into a ready stance, bearing a sinfully sweet smile. "That blond prick is mine, Juugo, so hands off. The rest of the bait is yours."
"Understood," replied the Snake member, all trace of emotion wiped from his face. His entire forearm twisted into the shape of a single-edged short sword.
With that declaration the two Shinobi charged into the ensuing battle.
Kakashi didn't even get a chance to warn the recon before Tsurube-Otoshi slammed into him. His lone Sharingan activated too late when the dragon summon came on them, but he was thankful no one else had been targeted by it.
He held on for dear life as it plowed through the undergrowth. Blood mixed with soil and shrapnel as he madly fought for any niches in the creature's armor. His feet made two long furrows in the earth as chakra pumped in every tenketsu point that wasn't shot by the grey force. Sweat trickled down his neck and his teeth grounded together in a painful grimace.
Finally the pressure became too much and Kakashi felt his foot slide in the mud. He lost his grip and silpped beneath the summon's roll with a yelp in one fluid motion. Karin could not resist the smirk on her lips, but it dropped the second she noticed a moss-covered log hit the earth.
'Kawarimi!' Swearing loudly she twitched the fingers on her right hand. Tsurube-Otoshi lurched to an abrupt halt, arms hanging limply by its sides. Chakra strings -- so thin that only the Byakugan and a fully matured Sharingan could see -- pulled taut at the reversing flow of direction. Like a gear on a machine the summon turned and turned, returning to its contractor in a yo-yoing blur.
It was not to say that Tsurube-Otoshi was slow by any means. In fact, it was by testing its capabilities the day Karin signed her master's contract that it literally blew her away, reaching up to speeds that would compete with the Yondaime Hokage's infamous Shunshin no Jutsu. The creature's inner workings were vague when it came down to understanding its full potential, but Karin believed there had to be some sort of jutsu formula grafted into its heart and spine. It was the only conclusion she could make.
She was shocked when she sensed the man's signature racing toward her. In her mind she begged Tsurube-Otoshi to hurry, hurry the hell up, when the chakra well rippled violently. With both hands tied to her summons Karin jumped back right as Kakashi emerged from the earth.
"DOTON: SHINJUU ZANSHUU GEKIHOU!"(8) His fist barely grazed her chin and the kunai he held cut through air. So close! he thought; he almost had her! If it weren't for those things chasing him, he would have knocked her pretty head off her shoulders . . .
A flash! Konoha's former ANBU Captain stared down at the burly golden-haired man appearing between him and his bespectacled opponent. His sword-shaped arm swung up behind his back and struck at the airborne Leaf-nin. "FUURINKIRI!"(9) He cut through Kakashi from the left shoulder to the right thigh with the finesse of an elegant dancer. Blood streamed from the open wound and splattered along Juugo's clothing.
The Jounin's upper torso skimmed away from its lower extremities, but just as the body was about to touch the ground it burst into a puff of smoke.
Juugo gasped. "What . . . ?"
Karin growled, clenching her fists. Already this Sharingan guy was being a pain in the--!
"KATON: KARYUU ENDAN!" From the heavens Kakashi descended, one hand to his lips and (Kami knows how with the mask on) blowing a jet of fire at the two ninja. Tsurube-Otoshi glided to its master's side and, with Juugo's cry of Chakra no Gou-tate!(10), exposed a short burst of energy from its chest. The flames made contact with the shield, bouncing off the surface emitted from the now visible chakra well.
Just as they lowered the shield, Kakashi landed in a crouch. He placed his fingers to his mouth and blew a sharp whistle. The ninken who were tussling with the Gyuuki or dodging Suigetsu's erratic sword swings rushed toward Juugo, barking and growling.
"Sorry, Karin. I'm afraid you're on your own!" said the man, immediately high-tailing into a thicket on his left. Kakashi and his dogs followed, going through or jumping over shrubs.
"Fine with me!" she said. She turned back to the battle, fingers curling on one hand and spinning chakra threads with the other.
Yamato grunted as the ox demon fought to escape the grip he had on its horns. It huffed and puffed, shaking its head violently and stomping its hooves in an attempt to rise and knock the man off his feet. But the Konoha ANBU, much like with Kakashi-sempai and Tsurube-Otoshi, remained vigilant. He had to hold on long enough for Shino to finish . . .
The Gyuuki bellowed as smoke flared from its nostrils. It stuck out its chest and reared back, ramming the earth with its front feet. The floor shook ominously, and with each stamp the summon made the shocks grew stronger in intensity.
A second sound of concentration slipped past Yamato's lips. The Gyuuki, sensing the Leaf-nin's depleting strength, tossed its wild mane and roared a bark of triumph.
"Sh-Shino-kun," he forced out. His hands, sore and slick with sweat, loosened their hold.
"Right away," exclaimed Aburame. Just as his hands made the Dog sign, Shino drew his right hand back. Glowing with chakra the air around it vibrated, and soon a loud humming was heard. Insects of various kinds popped out of the woods from all directions and gathered in thick swarms. They encased the hand like a dark glove, and with a cry he swung his arm forward.
"MUSHI-AMI!"(11)
Yamato released the horns and fell back. The ox demon had no time to counteract the assault before the chakra enhanced net flung onto it with a startling ferocity. In the dust it rolled, kicking and snorting and gnashing at the critters.
'Now!'
He crouched low, his hands moving like raft waters.
Ox, Hare, Monkey, Boar, Horse, Monkey, Snake!
"MOKUSEI ORI NO GINGA!"(12)
Giant tree limbs punched through the grassy surface, whipping and twisting around with a startling flexibility that normal woodlords did not possess. Thin, cord-like, or bulky, they wrapped around the Gyuuki just as it was about to get up.
Yamato and Shino watched as the summon struggled. Green buds flourished from the branches, some which began to open up as bright, colorful flowers.
"You better hurry, Yamato-sensei," said the bug user. "From the looks of it my kikai bugs won't last long."
The ANBU drew his ninjaken from the holster across his shoulders. "You're right. I see a spot that the trees didn't cover. Perhaps a weak point?"
"It's possible."
He nodded. "Right! Cover me!" And he ran, closing the distance with breakneck speed. He slashed at debris sent flying from Tsurube-Otoshi's tail, its battle taking place not far from him. Approaching the trapped bull, Yamato reversed his blade's grip and drew it back in a stabbing motion.
Karin held her arms above her head, digits splayed out in a circle. "Now, Yato-no-Kami!"(13)
CRACK!
Yamato covered his face, chips of wood bouncing off his free hand. When he lowered his arm he found himself being stared down by three large snakes with lustrous blue scales. One leaned forward and hissed, venom dripping from its fangs.
'Another summon?!'
Karin smirked. From her left hand came a half Tiger seal and a closed fist. "SHINJA NO MAI!"(14) Chakra flowed from the well and encased the serpents in a column of energy. They bristled and shook, forked tongues flitting with delight. Their skin darkened many shades.
Dread nestled comfortably on Yamato's insides.
"Now go!" said the specialist. "Have at him!"
The snakes launched at him. One by one they slammed their bodies, meeting the ground instead of crushing their enemy. Yamato backflipped, once, twice, then pulled up a wall of earth to block the poisonous blasts from two heads. Slowly, the hard barrier began to take its toll, crumbling and corroding from the snakes' attacks.
He moved his hands into a familiar cross-shaped seal, ready to enact the Moku Kawarimi. His mind raced through scattered battle plans and possible outcomes.
"GATSUUGA!"
Kiba and Akamaru (in the guise of the Konbi Henge no Jutsu) came out of the blue, slashing across the serpents' faces. They hissed and their necks spasmed with shock. Beneath them glowed a green chakra well and in center of it, posed in the stance of the Hakke Rokujuuyonshou, was Hinata. Outside her field of attack was Shino.
"Hey, Sensei!" called Kiba, grinning wildly. "Havin' fun?"
"Are you all right, Yamato-sensei?" queried Hinata.
Yamato was taken aback, but regained his composure. "Yes, I'm okay. We're in a bit of a pinch here."
"Well then, we'll just have to fix that, won't we?" Kiba answered. "Shino figured four people would be better than two against three."
The ANBU Captain nodded. "You're right. That's a sound idea, Shino-kun. Now then, let's say we give these fellows what they're asking for!"
Sakura's fist met Tsurube-Otoshi's palm with a powerful smack, and the air around them vibrated. Their eyes met: one pair as polished emeralds, the other as glowing caverns of chakra. Locked in a stare-down they fought, willing the opponent to stand down, to behold the might of their power. Then they started again, their carousel of doom.
Sai flitted his up to his comrade's battle. Sakura dodged the demon's claws, traded her defense with well-oiled, quicksilver Taijutsu. A well-timed Konoha Dai Senpuu allowed her to evade the earth thrown up from the dragon's tail slam.
He turned back to the scroll in front of him, painting the next set of characters.
Sakura brought her forearm up against Tsurube-Otoshi's right claw, blocking it as she curled up a fist coated in green chakra and launched it at its heart. It bounced harmlessly off its energy shield. Taking the initiative, the demon clapped its claws together. The shield expanded with a metallic ring, tossing Sakura off her feet.
Right in the nick of time.
SHIIING!
Four shuriken cut through the air. Tsurube-Otoshi reared back and struck at them with extended claws.
He bit his thumb, dotted his fingers in blood.
Eight steel pieces softly fell into the grass.
"NINPOU: ZATOICHI BASARA."(15)
FLASH! Tsurube-Otoshi brought an arm to its chest as the Seal Clone's blade arm came down. One! Two! Three! The last slash caused a crack to form and chakra flow along its limb.
Its empty sight smoldered.
"Sakura-san," said Sai. "Are you alright?"
The medic-nin lifted herself to her knees, hands splayed over them. After taking a few deep breaths she looked to him. She bobbed her head. ". . . I'm okay. Don't worry about it."
"But Sakura-san--"
BAM! The Shinobi snapped to attention.
Tsurube-Otoshi hovered, its fist coated in chakra residue. The chakra well crackled madly, hissing and steaming.
"Sakura-san," Sai tossed in quickly. "Leave this to me," His hand flew to his hip pouch. Sakura shook her head, incredulous.
"Are you kidding me? I'm not going to let you fight it alone!"
"Just trust me!" he exclaimed. He flicked his wrist from the pouch, revealing three flash bombs. Before Sakura could refute he was already sprinting through the grass, poised for attack.
'What makes him think we can't fight it together? This thing can hit with twice my strength! Doesn't he know that?' Unable to come to a conclusion, Sakura stood and fled from the ensuing battle.
"KAGE BUNSHIN NO JUTSU!"
Suigetsu clicked his tongue and wiped the back of his hand across the cut above his left eyebrow. "Stupid gaki! Stay the fuck STILL!"
Naruto wouldn't have it any other way. Clone after clone rushed at the swordsman, overwhelming him with failed attempts of the Naruto Uzumaki Rendan. He fought them off, whether it was with the Kubikiri Hōchō or hitting their pressure points with sharp, precise strikes.
But what he did not notice was that Naruto was buying time to pull his trump card. He looked to the tree beside him. Good; the seal was still holding up. It was a move he didn't want to risk, but at the speed the blue-skinned youth was going with the large sword it seemed wise to put it to use. The butai kanji continued to glow, dispersing chakra into the open space and ejecting a Kage Bunshin from nothingness(16).
He turned back to the scene taking place. The clones were coming with full force, constantly forcing his opponent to change tactics. Naruto grinned. Forming the T-shaped seal he brought formed two Kage Bunshin. He held out his palm and with the other worked to build up the necessary chakra.
Suigetsu whirled the blade in a perfect circle, destroying the clones surrounding him. He kicked hard at one in the midriff, then backhanded another to oblivion. He growled under his breath. So many damn clones! Who would have thought the little prick had it in him?
His thoughts derailed when a clone clotheslined him, falling on top of him as they crashed to earth. Hozuki swore loudly. He thumped his heel once and a flash of steel gleaned from the sole of the zori. With a cry he kicked his leg out and up, slashing the clone in half. It vanished in a cloud of smoke.
He rolled backward and hefted Zabuza's blade in an upward slash, taking out more clones. As the fog dissipated, there came a strong gust of wind pushing against him.
He lifted his head, and his eyes widened in shock.
'AH, FUCK!' His mind raced. His pulse quickened. Sweat rolled in raindrops and his teeth ground harshly as he saw the Jinchuuriki pound towards him, whiskers defined and the eye of Rasengan swirling in his hand.
'Damn damn damn damn damn damn. . !' No time to act! The boy was coming on him fast, and with the roar of combat clashing in his ears and adrenaline sluicing through his veins, Suigetsu thought of only one other option.
Hands gripped on the sword's handle. Muscles tensed and sinews flexed. A pained grunt escaped his throat and the Kubikiri Hōchō was drawn unto heaven and down unto earth.
FOOOMM!
Blade and chakra clashed in loud accord, and the younger Hozuki's vision became enligh-tened in waves of whipping energy ribbons. Planting his feet firmly to the ground he pushed, pushed his chakra into the zanbatou and pushed with all his body's might.
His thin brow narrowed in irritation.
Red chakra flared into existence behind the blonde lad, an unholy bellow pressing and sho-ving against the sword-fighter's slender frame. The Leaf-nin's canines were in a vicious snarl, lips curled over hot pink gums. His torso twisted into the relaying force, causing a small crater to form beneath the pulsing hotspot. Taken aback by the impact Suigetsu fumbled.
What happened next made his heart stop.
A tiny crack appeared on the Kubikiri Hōchō's fuller.
'Zabuza Momochi be damned!'
Growling in the depths of his throat, Suigetsu relinquished his hold. He lifted his left hand and formed two half-seals, a Rabbit and a Tiger. "SUITON: BAKUHATSU RYOU!"(17)
The forest floor in front of him erupted in a colossal breaker. Naruto yelped as water clouded his vision and pushed him across the area in lightning quick bursts. His back slammed into a tree, jagged pieces of bark digging into his skin. Through all the blinking he saw the youth in front of him, lifting Kubikiri Hōchō over his shoulder.
Suigetsu grinned madly. "NOW DIE!" And down came the sword . . .
. . . But it never came. Sakura stood her ground, her face grim and her grip rock-hard on the flat of the blade. Both Shinobi gaped at her.
"Sakura . . ." Naruto breathed.
Hozuki snarled. "Bitch, l-let . . . go!"
And Sakura did. With a twist of her arms she tossed the zanbatou's tip to the floor, literally pulling it away from the youth's grasp. An indignant cry flew from his lips and, before he could make a move, the Konoha Kunoichi knocked him silent with a fierce uppercut. He lay on his back, spread-eagled and dazed.
Naruto slapped his haunches. "Whew! Thanks, Sakura. I thought I had it coming there."
Sakura cracked her knuckles. "Don't get too cocky. I only hit him hard enough to see stars, so he'll be waking up any minute now."
Naruto opened his mouth to speak, but a loud explosion sounded from across the field. The Leaf-nin whipped around just as Kakashi was thrown out of the woods.
Suigetsu began to stir.
"Sakura," said Naruto, "you go and check out what's happening. I'll deal with the kappa."
She nodded. "Right." This time she did not argue. Unlike with Sai, Sakura had a much stronger trust in the Demon Jailor -- not out of favoritism or their friendship, but because they were Team Seven. Without Sasuke they were not whole. Without their brother they could not truly fight.
These thoughts in mind, Sakura bolted for the area of interest right as Naruto and a vicious-looking Suigetsu engaged in a Taijutsu duel.
Upon arriving in the clearing, Sakura's mind reeled at the raging chakra signature pouring off the man. She stopped, watched him moan in agony, watched his shoulders tremble, watched him stumble and clutch his head as if he was enduring a terrible hangover.
"No . . . No! I don't want . . . nngh . . . I don't want to! I DON'T WANT TO!" Blotches of black spread over his face and his skin darkened. His moans deepened, turning into feral growls. "Don't make me kill! Don't make me kill . . . another SOUL!"
He screamed, loud and horrible. Sakura's mind throbbed from the dramatic increase of his chakra signature. At the same time she realized Kakashi was no longer present. And then she saw it: a hole the size of a fist staring unblinkingly back from the man's chest. A chakra well flared beneath his feet, and the energy threads sped up to heal the wound.
'Kakashi-sensei's Raikiri,' she noted. '. . . But how can he be still alive? It's dead-on! Unless . . . there is more to the Curse Seal than I thought . . .'
Juugo opened his eyes. One appeared to be a solid black and yellow, the other a grey, bloodshot disc. A wretched grin forced its way on his cheeks. "N-no . . . He said t-t-to st-stop th-them . . . give 'em n-n-no qu-quarter!" He fell to one knee, gasping heavily. "S-Sasuke . . . wh-where are y-y-you . . . ?"
Sakura blinked, a sudden idea coming to fruition. 'That's right! Maybe . . . if I can get through the Curse Seal, he might just tell me where Sasuke is . . .' But what would happen if he didn't know? What if he was too deep into the Curse Seal to understand what she was saying?
'Only one way to find out.' "Tell me," she said, "do you know where Sasuke's heading to? Your leader: Sasuke Uchiha. He planned this diversion to buy time, so it must mean that Itachi is nearby. Which way is Sasuke going?"
Juugo gazed fixedly at her, drawing blood from his lip. "G-Going? Wh-where is h-he . . . g-g-going? Hehe . . . wh-why would y-you want t-to know? You're not worthy! . . . of his . . . PRESENCE!" At this he said 'presence' with a hiss that reminded her of someone oh-so familiar.
"I don't want to fight you. I just want to see him."
"S-See him?" queried the man, incredulously. "See . . . HIM?" He cackled. "He doesn't want to see you! He told me all about you guys! Pathetic ninja . . . you're nowhere near as strong as he is! He looks at no one but Itachi!"
"And Itachi's here, isn't he?"
"Yes, yes! Of course he is! They're both at the Uchiha Esta--!" Juugo flinched as if he had been struck. Sensing his mistake, his glare hardened murderously. "I KNEW IT! I KNEW I SHOULD HAVE DONE SOMETHING SOONER! I SHOULD HAVE KILLED A WOMAN INSTEAD!" He shook his head. "But he let me live! He set me free! Why? WHY?! Hell if I know! I just want to KILL!"
He pounced with unimaginable speed! and it took Sakura all her strength and quick thinking to jump back to avoid his shape-shifted arms' hammer punch to the ground. He lifted them, tossing a hail storm of jabs at the Leaf-nin. Too fast for her to dodge Sakura opted to block and absorb the damage, but it proved fatal as Juugo crushed her guard and clotheslined her.
Stars were coming in colorful bursts, but Sakura went along with the roll. She rose, dashed away the blood on her chin, and charged at the golden-haired man. They traded blows, Ninjutsu and Taijutsu, aiming to sever their pressure points and finish off their opponent.
Sakura's Konoha Shoufuu and Juugo's axe kick connected, causing the chakra well surrounding them to fluctuate. Team Hebi's powerhouse skirted back, then jumped in a spinning roundhouse followed by a low sweep kick. Sakura hopped it, spun and shoulder-tackled him in the back. Caught by surprise he staggered; the Konoha Chuunin reared her fist back, launched the Konoha Raiken--
--and Juugo caught it, meeting crazed orbs and a malign smile. Sakura didn't even feel it hit, didn't see it come until the last second, but the pain that accompanied the head-butt was overwhelming.
Sakura shivered, adrenaline and panic pumping through her veins. A shadow loomed before her, and Sakura believed in that instant that death was near. It would have been, in another time and dimension, but fate -- it seemed -- proved merciful today.
She looked up and saw a hurtful sight in which Juugo stood, his sword arm frozen in mid-air, and the blotches fighting and squirming to devour him whole.
There were tears in his eyes. One appeared to be a solid black and yellow, the other a grey, bloodshot disc.
He swallowed thickly, grinded his teeth. "G-Go! GO! Before it consumes me!"
Sakura held her breath, sore and amazed.
"Hurry!"
That was it. Sakura scurried to her knees, then to her feet. She mumbled to him, bowed her head (with a cringe), and limped out of the area. Juugo fell, a sorrowful moan escaping him, and darkness reigned.
There they stood, framed by time, bound by Chaos. Steam rolled in misted waves. Beside Him a great-horned owl hooted.
He waited.
Naruto coughed into his sleeve, eyes squinting and watering. He lay low behind some bushes, calming his beating heart while his wounds healed. When his breathing slowed he took the chance to survey the battle playing out before him.
The scene was truly chaotic. Jutsu after jutsu tore at the earth, burning trees down to a cinder, drenching patches of grass where ankle-deep puddles formed, leaves and branches thrown and broken to skeletal remains. Team Hebi's lone female member, the one called Karin, directed the three summons upon the Konoha recon with cold precision.
Kiba and Akamaru locked horns with the Gyuuki while Hinata and Sai attacked Tsurube-Otoshi with Juuken-ryuu, Choujuu Ginga, and Sumi Bunshin. Yamato tussled with an out of control Juugo, and Kakashi and Shino fought back against the trio that made up Yato-no-Kami.
Naruto blinked.
'Where's Sakura?'
He double-checked, triple-checked the area, but he did not see the vibrant pink hair or red and black clothing. She was nowhere to found.
'Sakura . . . ?!'
Oh Gods, he had a feeling something was wrong. He didn't know what, but something was off with the way she'd been acting. Gods and Above, if only he knew--
"Naruto!"
The Jinchuuriki whipped his head around. There she was, panting and huffing. Sweat marked her skin and her chest rose with each breath taken.
Her eyes looked tired.
'My God, she looks horrible.'
Nonetheless, he was relieved. "Sakura . . ."
"I know where Sasuke's at! Come with me!" At this she grabbed hold of his arm.
He shook his head. "Sakura, you're exhausted. Stay here. Just tell me which way he's go--"
"Naruto, I'm fine!" she snapped, a frown twisting into place. "Worry about Sasuke! He's more important!"
"So are you, Sakura, and what's more important is for you to sit this fight out and recuperate before something else bad happens to you!"
The Godaime's apprentice fixed him a smoldering glare. "I'm going with you whether you like it or not. End of story."
Their stare-down lasted only a few seconds before Naruto caved in. He sighed, and his shoulders slumped. "Alright. Lead me to him."
And at that moment, one Door closed with a final slam.
Sasuke moved through the forest as fast as he could without rest. Trees blurred to watercolors and horizons were crossed at every interval. Peering closely he could see the roof of the Uchiha Estate.
'I can feel him. Barely, but he's there. I know it.' His fist clenched. He remembered those words so clearly, the cryptic message which haunted his dreams, his sleepless nights, and his waking moments.
("Hate me, brother. Hate me and nothing more." Itachi's eyes shone crimson, the Mangekyou Sharingan's pinwheels piercing blackly, eerily, into that cowering whelp of an Uchiha. His long hair slid further down his back as he stared at the moon. It, too, was soaked in gore.
("Run. Run, and cling to life. Then when you have the same eyes as I do," Here he showed Sasuke the fabled orb, a king of lore and wrinkles and stone, "come to me!")
The younger Uchiha scowled. 'I WILL come! I will come and destroy you once and for all!'
Indeed! That was indeed his mission! . . . before he felt two very familiar chakra signatures.
"Dammit, dobe!" Sasuke cried. "Why don't you stay out of this! Of all the people in the world, you had to take her with!" He glanced over his shoulder. They were catching up, and fast.
Sasuke grunted and turned away, the shuriken barely missing his cheek. It slammed into a tree with a dull thunk and sizzled. He gasped when he espied the tiny explosive note attached to it.
'SHIT!'
His arms flew to his face, and the surrounding woodlords detonated with a mighty bang. Tossed through the air and slashed by bark and branches, the nukenin dropped to the forest floor like a sack of dead weight.
Naruto and Sakura hopped from their perch. The Jinchuuriki stepped forward and pointed at him. "Sasuke! There's nowhere else to run! It's time to go back!"
Team Hebi's leader stood, staggering as he did so. He brushed off chips of kindling and whispery soot. "What makes you think I want to go back?"
"Right now I don't care! You're needed where you belong! Not with Orochimaru or Akatsuki or anyone! Come back to Konoha, brother!"
Sasuke sneered. "I have no brother."
"Tough shit, teme!"
"You were always so vulgar . . . so conceited. Becoming Hokage will become death."
"I won't die! Not until all my promises've been made!"
"This is one promise you won't keep."
"Sasuke!" said Sakura, moving next to Naruto. Haruno and the Last Uchiha locked eyes: emerald greens and black Chaos. "It doesn't have to be this way. We can fight Itachi together. You don't have to do it alone. Let us help you."
He scoffed. "I don't need help. Not from Konoha or anyone. No one, especially you."
"Sasuke, this is ridiculous! You can't take him on by yourself! Look what happened last time--"
"Shut your trap, harlot!" The Chidori sparked in the Uchiha's hands. "Don't tell me what to do!"
"Don't speak to her that way, teme!" screeched Naruto. "You're coming home RIGHT NOW!"
CHICHICHICHICHI! The tip of the chokuto nicked the valley of his neck, and the bloody Sharingan held him in ill-begotten promises. Sasuke raised the blade above his head and slammed it into the ground. Electricity cried to the heavens, a cage of angry birds and serpents, and a demigod in the center of the chakra well.
The Shadow Clones and Bunshin popped in a static crunch!, the Lightning element too much for their nervous systems to take. A pinprick of chakra surged and Sasuke feinted Naruto's haymaker. The nukenin kicked him hard in the back, sending the blonde sprawling. Another spike; he turned around, slashed at the flurry of shuriken sent his way. A Bunshin trio rushed forward, bodies toned and ironed in Taijutsu, brawling against one hand and one sword. Parry, spin! one down. A jumping spin kick, a high axe kick, then a cut straight down the middle. Two down. An elbow to the solar plexus, a hand chop to the levator scapulae, a rabbit punch to the kidneys and an upward slice.
And then she pounced! The real Sakura drew back her arm and threw a backhand swing(18). With two fingers Sasuke blocked the fist. He watched through half-lidded eyes the Konoha Chuunin fighting to overturn the scales of power.
"Is that it? Some Bunshin and a sucker punch?" He grunted. "How disappointing."
He pushed aside her hand and kneed her in the gut. Despite the pain searing through her being, Sakura recovered fast and fast she did! for the Chidori-induced chokuto shrieked down upon her. Thinking quickly, the Kunoichi leaped forward and clapped the sword in her grasp.
The jolts were as shocking at the thundering steps of hell's army. The gloves she wore helped lessen the damage, but it did nothing to stem the numbness in her chakra. She gritted her teeth, tensed her muscles, pushed her will and strength into the blade that tempted to taste blood.
'The Pillars Rise in the East.'
Sweat rolled in rivulets.
'The Pillars Rise in the East.'
She closed and opened her eyes. Push . . . push . . . push harder!
'The Pillars Rise in the East!'
They were so close! So clear! They were so ancient, so young and monolithic! They were glowing . . . radiating . . . burning . . .
(Smoke. Ash. Copper. Iron. Was that smoke . . ?)
'BEWARE!'
A Fuuma Shuriken raced over the heads of the ninja, shearing off strands of black hair. Sasuke slipped the sword from Sakura's grasp. He turned around and, by whatever miracle was sent from above, was tackled to the ground by the whiskered Jinchuuriki.
A fluke!
They were up on their feet in seconds, and they fought like the beasts of the wild. The fox and the wolf! The fox and the raven! They traded blows and shed blood for blood, fists bruising flesh and blades cutting cloth and skin.
Naruto's swing slammed into Sasuke's cheek. Sasuke lashed out and left a long, paper-thin laceration on his neck. Naruto hooked left, catching him across the other cheek, then dropped in with a right undercut. The Uchiha stumbled, clutching his smarting face. The Demon Jailor of Konoha pounded toward him, summoning an army of Tajuu Kage Bunshin at his rear flank.
Really? Was that all he could do? Sasuke could almost scowl with distaste. He straightened his back, crossed his arms, and focused his energies. Every tenketsu point in his body opened and flared hotly. His hair stood on end and the Sharingan's tomoe swirled.
Electricity crackled around him, simmered in a cerulean column. The Kage Bunshin were drawing closer. Closer . . . . closer . . . .
He let loose a battle cry, throwing out his arm and sword, and the sky lit up in a spectacular blue(19). Clones left and right burst into thin air. Debris shot out from the floor. Naruto jumped, avoiding a large chunk of grassy earth.
It was a fatal mistake.
Sasuke flashed next him in seconds, the two men floating as if in slow motion. Just as Naruto realized that mistake, the Last Uchiha struck. A Konoha Senpuu sent the Demon Jailor flying back to earth, and a volley of black and blue Chidori senbon ripped into him before he had a chance to get up.
"Naruto!" cried Sakura. She reached with her left arm to grab a kunai, but pain (ever cruel pain!) suddenly speared her. Then the numbness from her hands intensified, followed by
fierce palpitations and the wave of nausea. Her knees locked together, her vision doubling.
Her body gave out, and Sakura remained in that position.
'No! Not now! Not when we're so close!'
Ash never tasted so awful.
The Pillars never looked so clear.
'Go away! Go away!'
A dark chuckle evaded her thoughts. Sakura, through squinted eyes, gazed upon the croaching figure of Sasuke Uchiha, his trademark smirk set in place. He stopped in front of her, fixing her with the same, cold stare minutes before their duel. The tip of his blade tapped a rough patch of grass, an esoteric symphony. It was music to his ears; judgment to the unsteady rhythm of Sakura's heart.
Quietude, and then:
"Look at you," he started. He sounded disheartened, condescending, as if the pink-haired Kunoichi had wronged a right. "Look at you. To think we were meant something in society. To think we were doing the right thing. To think . . . we had it made."
The smirk was dropped. Sasuke placed the chokuto under Sakura's chin and lifted her to his eye level. "Look at this: pink hair, fair skin, green eyes, a scrawny build. A typical Haruno. Works for the betterment of those around them, living to fulfill that purpose and then some. Tough laborers, natural artists, versed in the world and all in between. So why, oh why, were we proven wrong? Why play charades? Ah; that's right. I know. You were nothing."
Sakura blinked. Just what was he saying?
He glanced over his shoulder, his face a picture of musings. He turned back to her. "That's right. You had nothing to begin with, nothing to prepare for the road ahead. You had nothing to rely on, nothing to forgive and forget. And yet you came to us. Strong, thriving Uchiha; the best of the best, the king of kings, the princes of fire. I wonder . . . what made you want to be with us in the first place?
"But you see, I discovered a Truth, a puzzle piece hiding in plain sight. Perhaps it was the tomes, the old papyrus scrolls. Maybe it was the way we interacted with you. I knew. I found out the meaning of our relationship. I found out why Father insisted me not to be paired with a Haruno. All the lies, all the gossip, all the rumors and back-talk and low profile conspiracies . . . Farces! They were all farces!"
"S-Sasuke . . ."
"You were a bunch of back-stabbing, sniveling grumps searching for our goal, our pride, our power! A hive of weaklings unfit for the throne of glory! Especially you, Sakura; you who are an epitome of nothing."
Sakura swallowed heavily. "Sasuke, what are you talking abou--"
"SHUT UP!" The Uchiha lashed out, a vicious kick to the chin. The Chuunin rolled to a halt, blood leaking from the corner of her lips. Sasuke appeared at her side in an instant. He took a handful of her shirt, fingers resting on her neck, and dragged her to his determined destination.
"You were always too weak to fend for yourself, too frail to do anything but stand there and cower in fear! You did nothing to contribute, nothing to salvage the pride and dignity of your clan and people! Always thinking better of yourself when you could have been training and resisting the elements the Gods had to offer! To kick the mud in your face and wipe the floor of you with their spit and grovel! But that isn't what a clan heir does, right? That isn't what the weak do, DO THEY?!"
She clawed at those pale long hands clutching her collar in a strong, death-like grip. His thumb was pressing on the spot right next to her neck's carotid artery. Fighting off the oncoming darkness obscuring the edges of her vision, pain fueled her desire to stay awake and live. Live: for Naruto to call forth his chakra reserves and save her. Live: because her mere presence was vital to the recon team's survival.
(Because Sasuke was going to kill her . . . and there was nothing she could do to prevent it)
"But that's not it," mumbled the Last Uchiha. He continued to drag her across the precipice at a solemn, eerie pace. "That's not it at all. Do you want to know why? Do you want to know why it isn't your cowardice, your feeble attempts at becoming a great Kunoichi, or your name-less ghost of a heritage?
"Because let me tell you, Haruno, it's much MORE than THAT."
(Harder . . . press harder so she can't scream, can't cry out for help. Press harder so she knows how it feels to be useless, helpless, clan-less . . .)
'Get up, Naruto! Please, wake up!'
But Naruto stayed down, locked in the brace of the blue and black senbon. His left eye cracked open, revealing a red iris.
"S-Saku . . . ra . . ." Fingers scraped at tough soil and dusty pebbles.
So close, yet so far away . . .
Sasuke huffed at him. He turned back to his task, sticking his nose up in the air. "Then again, why should I? You were lower than the dead-last to begin with." He did not pay heed to the strangled cry that slipped from her. "Either way, I'll put an end to this.
"I will make you sleep."
He stopped at the foot of the cliff. A lone breeze, cold and unforgiving, caressed his dark locks and rustled mutinous clothes. It was a long way down, a swamp compared to the massive forest. Black willow, aspen, red maple, tupelo; the bushy-crowned princes were gathered. Far below them, hammocks and sawgrass wavered on tiny knolls.
Sasuke lifted his burden over the edge, fingers still locked in their tight grip. He studied her, caught every detail of desperation in her kicking and clawing. Even without the Sharingan he knew, knew everything there was to know about the Haruno, the dead-last, the clan-less and defenseless.
"Sa . . . . . Sa . . . Sa . . . ." She wheezed, a bag out of air.
His grip slacked. His blade touched the earth.
"Goodnight, Sakura," a dull, monotone eulogy. "Pleasant dreams."
He let go.
Naruto shattered.
Sakura gawked, her world fading in whites and greys. She saw it, his face of stone. Cold, hard, emotionless. And those eyes . . . deep, lost, abysmal black . . .
There was no light. There was no warmth.
'Sasuke . . . why?'
Where were the smiles? Where was the youth? Where was the transition of adulthood and Genin teams? Where was the renaissance and the other side of the moon?
Where did it all go wrong?
Where did it all go wrong?
'. . . Why?'
She went through the leafy canopy. And then she was gone.
Silence followed, and it was terribly so. Sasuke sheathed the chokuto, a snake hiding in its cavern. He stared out in the direction of the Uchiha Estate, and the ghosts of the wind blew.
'Are you still there, Itachi?' He placed a hand on his hip. 'Wait for me. I shan't be long.'
". . . . gah . . . . nnggh . . . ."
The Last Uchiha tossed a sideways glance to the fallen Jinchuuriki. Red chakra encased his form like an acrid casket. His blonde locks splintered, grew rough and wild. Ghostly fox ears shaped themselves atop his head . . . and a single tail fought to come out.
Naruto trembled. His voice deepened, sharpened; honed to a glinting, jagged kunai. "Y-You bastard . . . . . You bastard . . . . ."
Sasuke looked the other way.
His chin rose with a snap, a feral shadow alight with the furnace of wrath blazing in crimson, tear-swept irises. "YOU BASTARD!"
And he screamed! the beast twisting his innards, ravaging his heart, mind, and soul was set free! Black lips pulled over pink gums, elongated canines flashing, claws digging into native soil. Once! Twice! the tail lashed. A second started to sprout from its fiery stump, but Naruto was on the hunt. Yearning, aching, thirsting, seeking . . . revenge! Revenge! REVENGE! Any coherent thought that was left in him vanished, but one was still pulsing, still breathing heavy.
'Murderer! Murderer! You killed Sakura! YOU KILLED SAKURA!'
Feet braced the earth. Snarls and grunts escaped him. He was seeing red! Red! And he pounced!
--SHIIING!
Naruto gasped, a pathetic sound of man and demon. He collapsed to his knees, blue orbs captivated in a wholly different world -- devoid, cold, lost. He fell, face-first, and then all was quiet.
The sword slid back into the scabbard. Sasuke scuffed his zori along a pile of dirt, dabbling it on the jacket's black shoulder. He turned around and walked away from the unconscious body.
'Enough of these games.' A chakra well formed beneath him, energy ribbons swaying to its own accord. His next words echoed in the minds of his subordinates.
'Move out.'
"It's him, Pein."
The man cocked his head to the side. From his periphery he saw Konan reappear in a swirling eddy of paper, hovering above the ground like a misshapen apparition.
"Jiraiya has come to Amegakure."
His lips thinned to a line. The fabled Rin'negan briefly looked away. "Jiraiya-sensei? . . . Just his name takes me back." He lifted his gaze to the dark overcast sky that eternally dominated the aptly-named village.
Over the horizon lightning flashed, and a great thunderclap boomed across the metal pipe-work and labyrinthine ghettos.
"What do you suggest we do?" asked the blue-haired beauty.
Pein rolled his neck to and fro, relishing each kink and pop it made. "We kill him. I hold no love for that man anymore. I even took out this body for him to look upon at Death's doorstep."
Silence again. The clouds drew ever closer, a black parade from Susanō.
"If you find him before I do, don't hesitate to act. I won't mind in the least bit."
"Yessir," Konan nodded and, with a hand seal, vanished down into the city like cherry blossoms touched by winter snow.
Pein sighed and rubbed his neck. Just when he was about to go back inside and read the Scriptures . . .
'They'll have to wait then,' he reasoned.
There was no need to rush.
No . . .
He blinked. From the reaches of time and space, through the fabrics of conscience and sub-conscience He heard her cry. A small whimper, a plea in the dark. It echoed through the planes and whispered in the wind.
The water rippled.
No . . .
All but one Door were open, spewing forth a mist of fog and energy fragments. A single shaft of light poured from the domed ceiling, and the salty scent of ocean waves and waterfalls tickled His senses.
The water calmed.
This can't be . . .
A green leaf drifted lazily in the air, spinning on the breath of a breeze. He watched with every ounce of intent, cosmic orbs following the little leaf's path. Its underside graced the surface of the water and swayed to and fro, a boat along the great sea.
It rippled.
He turned to the Doors. They glowed a gentle radiance and sparkled in ways that mere physics could not explain, that which could only be experienced. They were without walls or stairs, without impulse or instinct. They stood and they waited, forever in repose.
(Remember)
He looked to the sky, listened closely. The soft sighs and the roaming gulls, the rustling trees and garden hoes stabbing at full, plump earth. The murmurs of passing way-goers and the rhythmic bass of singing craftsmen . . .
'I must . . .'
He decided then and there.
It was Time.
(1-2) Medusa no Me (Eyes of Medusa) and Akuma Kasumi (Demon's Mist) are two B-Rank Blind Genjutsu techniques taught to aspiring Jounin Genjutsu specialists. They are efficient and deadly, but as it is stated in the very beginning those who are trained in ANBU can easily dispel them, making them secondary fail-safe maneuvers.
(3) By this he means that the chakra signature may have stemmed off to provide confusion to those who sense it. (See Chapter 2, Note 2).
(4) A chakra well is a source of power used to temporarily boost the power and speed of a ninja. Technically, it is a larger vein of chakra stemmed from one's chakra (life) signature.
(5-6) The Tsurube-Otoshi is a creature of Japanese mythology. Sources say it is a disembodied head, while others depict it as a fireball, an oni or tengu. "Tsurube-Otoshi" is an expression for 'falling quickly'; however, the Tsurube-Otoshi in Sparda in Colossal (as is explained in Chapter Fourteen: "Price of Peddlers") falls horizontally, occupying a dimension outside of time and translating what is truly happening in the eyes of a ninja (i.e. Tsurube-Otoshi is speeding through the forest canopy, but it is actually falling in an endless dimension of subspace.
The Gyuuki is an ox demon of Japanese folklore, some of which are said to ward off evil spirits. The Gyuuki in Sparda in Colossal is portrayed as a lionized bovine (see note 7) with exceptional sight and hearing through its ears, hooves, and horns. (This is further explained in Chapter Fourteen: "Price of Peddlers").
(7) The Koma-inu is a lion of China believed to have mythical powers of protection. The statues of these creatures usually sit outside in front of palaces, temples, tombs, offices, or the houses of the wealthy.
(8) A C-Rank Doton Jutsu used by Kakashi Hatake. TheDoton: Shinjuu Zanshu Gekihou is an addition to the Doton: Shinjuu Zanshu no Jutsu (Earth Style: Double Suicide Decapitation Technique), in which the user erupts from the earth with an uppercut. Its name translates to Earth Style: Double Suicide Decapitation Strike Cannon.
(9) A B-Rank Kenjutsu technique used by Juugo. Unlike Kakashi's Tenkuuken, the Fuurinkiri is a non-elemental Jutsu generated with the Wind element. The Fuurinkiri is also used as a 'last resort' technique to take down an opponent. However, the move costs the user's guard to be let down, creating a delay in bringing it back up (as is shown with Kakashi's Karyuu Endan and Juugo's Chakra no Gou-tate). Its name translates to Wind Wheel Slash.
(10) A B-Rank Ninjutsu technique used by Juugo. The Chakra no Gou-tate is a stronger version of the Chakra no Tate (Chakra Shield) that can block larger and long-range attacks (such as Kakashi's Karyuu Endan). Its name translates to Great Chakra Shield.
(11) A C-Rank Aburame-ryuu Ninjutsu technique used by Shino Aburame. TheMushi-Ami is utilized by calling forth a variety of insects with the use of chakra that attracts them to the wielder (note that only the Aburame clan can do this). When the insects gather the user launches them at the enemy. The Mushi-Ami's purpose is to distract the opponent while the user's ally prepares to launch a damaging Jutsu. Its name translates to Bug Net.
(12) An A-Rank Mokuton Ninjutsu used by Yamato, also known as Tenzou. The Mokusei Ori no Ginga is utilized by calling forth the tree roots in the earth to spring forth and pin down an opponent. Once the enemy has been captured the chakra in the roots absorb the chakra of the enemy. One can tell how much chakra has been drained by taking in the sight of buds blossoming into colorful flowers.Its name translates to Wooden Cage of the Milky Way.
(13) The Yato-no-Kami are snake gods of Japanese mythology believed to bring the fall of family lines to any who see them. The Yato-no-Kami in Sparda in Colossal is portrayed as a Cerberus-type creature with three heads connected to one body. They are known to have great smell and sense of direction (explained in Chapter Fourteen: "Price of Peddlers").
(14) A B-Rank Ninjutsu technique used by Karin. The Shinja no Mai is a separate chakra well branched off from the main well that boosts the strength, speed, and accuracy of the Yato-no-Kami. Its name translates to Dance of the Sacred Snakes.
(15) An A-Rank Ninjutsu, Fuuinjutsu, and Kuchiyose technique used by Sai. The Ninpou: Zatoichi Basara is structured by a set of Kanji utilized in special ink. When the Kanji has been written onto the Summoning scroll, a touch of blood is required to activate the Seal Clone. One of the Clone's arm is a sword that is used to chip away an enemy ninja or summon's defense. Once the guard is crushed the Clone will attack and strike down the enemy (or, as it is not shown in this chapter, self-destruct).
Its name translates to Ninja Style: Zatoichi Tear-Silk. The name Zatoichi comes from the fictional character of the same name, a person who is blind but has keen hearing, sense of smell, and proprioception.
(16) An A-Rank (and possible S-Rank) Jutsu used by Naruto Uzumaki. The Kage Bunshin Butai is nearly identical to that of the Tajuu Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Multiple Shadow Clone Technique). The one difference that sets Kage Bunshin Butai from Tajuu Kage Bunshin is the use of a seal that can be placed on a tree, a pole, a building, etc. The Kanji Butai ('echelon') is powered by both Naruto's normal and demonic chakra, spawning an infinite supply of Shadow Clones so long as Naruto has the capacity to produce that many Shadow Clones. Its name translates to Shadow Clone Echelon.
(17) A C-Rank Suiton Jutsu used by Suigetsu Hozuki. The Suiton: Bakuhatsu Ryou is similar to that of the Suiton: Daibakufu no Jutsu (Water Style: Grand Waterfall Technique), in which a large waterfall is created from a body of water to attack the opponent. As Suigetsu is (completely) made of water, he can summon the Bakuhatsu Ryou from one of the water bottles he carries with him. The name translates to Water Style: Erupting Finish.
(18) An A-Rank Taijutsu technique modified by Sakura Haruno. The Ura Gouwan is like the original Gouwan (Strong Arm), but instead of a 'sucker punch' (as Sasuke calls it) it is a backhand swing used to incapacitate opponents or crush the opponent's guard. Its name translates to Reverse Strong Arm.
(19) A potential S-Rank Jutsu used by Sasuke Uchiha. The Chidori Gou Nagashi is a modified version of the Chidori Nagashi (Thousand Birds Current) in which in order to unleash its full strength, the chakra must be powered up via a Sharingan-induced chakra well. This makes the Chidori Gou Nagashi an even more powerful and deadly technique. Its name translates to Thousand Birds Strong Current.