Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto...T_T
Chapter 10
"Why's everyone so excited?" Naruto looked confusedly at the audience. I glanced at the mass of fidgeting bodies.
"It's Sasuke's match next…" the blonde gave me a blank look.
"So?"
"They're excited about watching Sasuke fight Gaara" Shikamaru yawned. I slapped my head, detecting the furious fires lighting up inside the irrepressible boy.
"WHAT? HOW COME THEY WEREN'T EXCITED ABOUT MY MATCH, HUH? I'M SO SICK OF THIS, DATTEBAYO!"
"Well done" I snapped at the shadow user. "Now you can go and stop the rampaging rhino."
"…troublesome…" Shikamaru looked between me and the still yelling Naruto, obviously trying to decide who'd take less energy. He shrugged and slumped down next to me. "And…it sounds like they're getting pissed" he glanced up at the audience, some of whom were shouting obscenities.
"WHAT'S GOING ON? HURRY THE HELL UP AND START THE NEXT MATCH!"
"JUST HOW FREAKING LONG ARE YOU GONNA KEEP US WAITING?"
"Patient lot, aren't they?" I murmured raising an eyebrow.
"Confucious said 'the wise do not approach the dangerous'" Shino offered, standing stock still next to Shikamaru. I leaned around the shadow user and gave the Aburame a weird stare.
"What the hell does Confucious have anything to do with Sasuke getting his ass here?"
"…"
"What are you talking about?" Naruto leaned on the railing, propping his chin on crossed arms. "He's definitely going to come!" the last statement was accompanied with a sideways glare at Gaara.
I bit my lip, wondering if my tampering with events had caused a change in the original storyline. If that's the case, I'll just have to improvise…On the other side of the room, I saw the Sand siblings hunch together in a group. The two older ones sent tense glances at the crowd, while the youngest turned his blank eyes at me.
I gave a half smile, hoping for some sort of reaction…which never came. Well, that was a wasted effort, I scowled and turned away.
"Huh?" Naruto stood up straight. Shikamaru and Shino, too, were focused on Genma. I looked down to see another ninja chatting with the proctor. The senbon-chewer nodded once and glanced up at us.
"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN" his shout came at us above the yelling. "THE CONTESTANT FOR THE NEXT MATCH HASN'T ARRIVED YET! THEREFORE, WE WILL PUSH THIS MATCH BACK AND BEGIN THE NEXT ONE!"
Whew, I gave a mental sigh of relief.
"Hey! This means my match just got one closer" Shikamaru stated, looking at me with disbelieving eyes.
I shrugged and spread my hands in a picture of innocence. "Don't look at me! I wasn't the one who didn't turn up for my match!"
"What's she getting all excited about? I wish she'll just go and die" Shikamaru muttered viciously under his breath, so quietly that only me and Shino heard him, all the while glaring down at Temari. "Well, I guess I can forfeit and…" the rest of his sentence was drowned out in a startled cry as the boy fell head first over the railing. Behind him, Naruto watched, frozen, his arm still extended out and his expression encouraging.
"Whoops" the blonde mouthed to me, as we flinched at the sight of our friend making contact with the rough ground. "ALRIGHT SHIKAMARU! GO FOR IT!"
"HEY! HURRY UP AND FINISH THIS CRAPPY MATCH!"
"YEAH!"
I scowled at the angry crowd.
"GET THE HELL UP KID! HOW ARE'YA GONNA LIE THERE?" I looked down to see Shikamaru gazing at the sky, still eagle-spread from his landing. His lips moved as he mumbled to himself, looking quite bored and irate at the situation.
"What, you gonna give up?" Temari smirked. At this, the lazy ninja's frown became more pronounced.
"Good luck, Shikamaru" Naruto called down.
"He'd better get moving" I stated calmly. Naruto turned to me confused.
"Huh? Why?"
"'Cause she's not going wait" I pointed at the sprinting kunoichi.
"Hey! I didn't start the match yet!" Genma yelled after the girl as she rushed past him. Then he gave a shrug and leapt backwards, out of the way.
The floored Nara sighed and pulled out a kunai. By now, Temari was only three meters from him. Her giant fan – which was raised – came crashing down onto his head. Dust flew up, obscuring both participants momentarily.
"Wow" Naruto gasped, leaning on the railing.
"Ya know," Shikamaru stated conversationally. I grinned at the sight of him standing a few meters in the air, parallel to the wall "I don't really want to fight…and I don't care whether I become a Chuunin or not, but I'm not gonna lose to a girl."
"Sexist bastard" I called down.
Temari simply smirked and swung her fan back. She swiped across her body, sending up a huge gust. Even standing several meters above her, I could feel the wind pushing me back slightly.
"BUST HER UP, SHIKAMARU!" Ino's voice screamed from the attentive crowd. I laughed at the sound. Shikamaru adopted a forlorn expression, standing in the shades of the trees at the perimeter of the arena. He sighed, looking quite pitiful, and sent the clouds above a longing look.
"He's so…unmotivated…" I sweatdropped. Next to me, Shino hummed in quiet agreement.
I could start to see Temari getting impatient with Shikamaru's lack of action. She scowled and swung her fan.
"NINPOU KAMAITACHI" she yelled over the din of the sudden gust shooting out in all directions. I crossed my arms in front of my face, protecting it from any possible debris that would be coming.
But as soon as the wind faded, a thin shadow stretched out, trying to catch the girl. Seeing the potential danger, she flipped back several paces. Soon the dark vine reached its limit and started to shrink back. Using her fan, Temari marked the spot.
"Heh" she laughed condescendingly. "I've seen through your Kagemane jutsu."
"Hey! What's he doing with his hands?" Naruto waved his arms about, staring at the crouched shadow user. I focused in on his fingers and felt an exuberant laugh bubble inside me. His thumbs and forefingers touched to form a circle. His eyes were screwed up, and this expression thoughtful.
"Che, Temari's better at long range combat than close range" Kankuro snorted. "This match's already decided."
"What're you talking about?" I propped a hip onto the railings. "This match's just starting."
"It certainly doesn't look that way" Kankuro smiled obnoxiously. I gave him a feral smile.
"You haven't seen anything yet!" I looked back to see Shikamaru give a small nod to himself. "Just watch and learn."
"He's done" Kankuro leaned forwards, his eyes focused on his sister. There was a mean smile playing about his mouth.
"Damn it" Naruto growled, punching his fist.
I gave an unintended flinch as the huge fan snapped open fully. This'll hurt…if it hits. The weapon rose, as the kunoichi gathered her chakra for her final devastating attack. Everyone held their breath, waiting for her move…which never came. Temari was still frozen, her fan still raised.
"What's going on?" Kankuro looked confusedly at his sibling. "What's she waiting for?"
"Nothing" I'd just seen Shikamaru's final move. "She's just lost, that's all."
"WHAT?" Naruto and the Sand nin roared in unison, heads turning in all directions. A murmur of confusion went up as the wind mistress' weapon fell to the ground.
"Heh" Shikamaru released the seal "finally, Kagemane jutsu…success."
Temari started to tremble, still trying to release herself from the trapping shadow. Still smirking, Shikamaru turned his head. "I'll show you what's behind you" he said, answering the female's unspoken question.
"That's the hole Naruto dug out, during his ambush" the genius explained as Temari stared at the black creeper attached to her shadow, protruding from a hole in the ground.
"No…way…" the wind user snarled. "The shadow inside the tunnel…"
"Yep." He gave a tired sigh and walked forwards, forcing the female to follow his actions. Shadows till connected, they met at the center of the two holes. The crowd was silent, intent on the two fighters.
"YEAH! GO FOR IT!" Naruto echoed Ino's yell. Glancing up, I saw the pale yellow hair bounce up and down.
Both shinobi raised their right hand in the air. The anticipation was reaching boiling point. Even the earth seemed to hold still, waiting for the match's outcome.
"That's it…I give up" Shikamaru stated flatly, making Naruto facefault. I let go of a pent up breath. Well, that went according to plan.
"W-what?" Temari stuttered.
"I give up" her opponent repeated, with a somewhat exaggerated sigh. "The continuous use of the Kagemane jutsu's used up my chakra. I can barely hang onto you for another ten seconds. I'd thought up about another two hundred moves – " even I gaped at this"- but it looks like I'm outta time."
Genma stepped forwards, his ever present senbon wriggling as he chewed its end. "Winner, Sabuku no Temari" he shook his head, smirking in a self-satisfied way.
"I'M GONNA GO AND GIVE HIM A LECTURE" Naruto climbed over the railing. I exchanged a glance with Shino and shook my head in exasperation.
"Lectures are tricky things…if you don't want to anger the other party" Shino's advice fell on deaf ears. I face-palmed and decided not to say anything.
"IDIOT!" the blonde screamed, pointing an accusing finger at the stretching shadow user. Shikamaru scowled.
"Shut up, you super idiot."
"WHY DID YOU GIVE UP?"
"Forget that already" Shikamaru smirked. "Let's enjoy the next fight."
"Huh?" Naruto squinted. Then immediately his face cleared and a grin broke out. "Next…it's Sasuke!"
I laughed and looked at the screaming crowd. If they were excited before, that was nothing compared to how they are right now. Almost everyone was on their feet, yelling and crying out for blood…someone had even started to lead the noisier ones in a stamping chorus.
Temari leapt up to the balcony. Kankuro moved towards her and whispered in her ear. The kunoichi adopted a serious expression, eyes roving across to the Kages.
"He'll come…definitely…" Gaara's monotone carried to me. Oh boy…here it comes, I could feel the butterflies go nuts inside me.
"Argh! WHERE IS HE?" Naruto's shout distracted my thinking. I blinked at the blonde, before a leaf caught my attention. A second later, a swirl of leaves filled the spot. Slowly, the green cleared, showing Kakashi and Sasuke standing back-to-back.
"Sorry we're late" Kakashi eye smiled at Genma.
The proctor smirked. "Heh…your name?"
The avenger glared at the audience, before the onyx orbs swung to Gaara. "Uchiha…Sasuke…"
"It looks like 'conversation' has begun…" Kankuro exchanged a very worried glance with Temari. I walked over to them.
"This is bad. I've never seen Gaara like this before a fight. Is he really that much of an opponent?" Temari stared at Sasuke in something like horrified fascination.
"What do you mean?" I butted in, startling the two. They looked a little guiltily at me.
"Shove off" the sister snapped, her brother placing emphasis on the order by glaring at me.
"You don't have to be like that" I huffed, aware that Shino had come up behind me, standing close. "Just asking…you looked really scared."
A cry of surprise from the crowd made us turn our attention back to the match. A sand clone of Gaara shot towards Sasuke. The Uchiha leapt in the air, flinging shurikens, which were deflected. Just as the clone reformed fully infront of the real body, Sasuke moved into taijutsu.
He kicked at the clone. As soon as the foot made contact with the sand, he spun in the air, swinging a hand at the throat. His fist was immediately captured, but it didn't seem to faze Sasuke. The other palm flashed at the sand, punching it with enough power to make it loosen its grip. The wall broke.
There was no hesitation as the Sasuke flew at Gaara, a fist held outstretched. A few centimeters in front of Gaara's face, a thinner shield of sand appeared. I blinked at the sheer speed of things, before gasping.
One moment, Sasuke was in front of the sand user. The next, he was behind him, successfully back-handing Gaara. Little cracks crept across the sand armour as the Shukaku host flew across the grounds.
"A-amazing" I whispered. Shino stood stiffly still. Everyone was silent, stunned by the speed of the move.
"So, that's the sand armour, huh?" Sasuke grunted giving a smug smile.
Gaara simply stared, slowly regaining his feet.
"Come on" the avenger flicked his fingers at his opponent.
"Shino" I muttered, forcing my eyes away from the match below. The crowd 'ooh'-ed and 'aah'-ed at every move the famous Uchiha survivor made.
"Hn" the bug user followed me to a corner.
"I might as well tell you now" I took a deep breath. "I'm going to forfeit our match. I'm sorry" I added as his sunglasses shifted slightly.
"May I inquire why?"
I hesitated, unsure whether I should tell him. "Um…"
The Aburame waited a few moments. Then he gave a small nod. "That's fine" he said softly. I bowed my head.
"Arigato."
"What is he doing?" Kankuro hissed vehemently. Shino and I both looked down at Gaara – well, the huge dome of sand that was now protecting him.
"Kioko" Shikamaru's voice sounded from the stairs at the entrance.
"What's up?" I asked – the shadow user was panting hard, and there was an unusually concerned look on his face. "Where's Naruto?"
"He's gone to look for Kakashi sensei" he managed between gasps. "But that's not why I'm here. Ryuu san's asked for you. He wants you to meet him at the stands."
"What? Now?"
"Yeah."
I chewed my lip. Below us, I could see Sasuke trying to get past Gaara's sand ball, while dodging the spikes that tried to impale him as he got in contact. Damn it! If I go to the stands, I'll be further away from Sasuke and Gaara.
"Tell Ryuu sensei to talk to Kaida chan" I said.
"But he asked for you."
"Shika" I snapped. "Just tell him. She's a Sand kunoichi."
The lazy genius stared at me bewildered. "Kioko, what's going on?"
"Get going" I pushed to the door. "She'll know what to do."
"Damn it!" Temari didn't bother to lower her voice. "Once he's like this, there's nothing that can be done! Does he want to mess up the plan?"
"Plan?" I barely heard Shino's whispered question.
Looks like this is it, I winced. I closed my eyes, suddenly reluctant to go through with Kaida chan's idea. What if…what if it doesn't work? Immediately I frowned at myself. This sort of negative thinking isn't helping anyone.
I set my jaw. I could feel my muscles on the back of my neck tensing up.
"What plan?" I inquired coldly. The two Sand siblings looked at me in surprise, as though just realizing that they weren't alone on the balcony.
"Like we said before – shove off" Kankuro growled, his hand reaching threateningly for his puppet. "Or we'll make you."
"Really?" I kept my indifferent façade up, although internally I was shaking like jelly. "This doesn't have anything to do with…Orochimaru, does it?"
It was impossible not to see their utter shock at the mention of the Sannin's name. It was also impossible not to notice Shino's sudden interest in the conversation.
"W-we don't know what you're on about" Temari gritted out. Her hand, however, fell on her fan.
"Hmph" I smiled with humor. "So I suppose you have no clue about what happened to your Kazekage…oh, sorry, I meant you father."
This got a different reaction. Denial still lingered, but now there was also suspicion.
"What about our Kazekage?" Kankuro narrowed his eyes, his fingertips glowing with chakra.
I sighed. "That's not your father" I pointed at the supposed village leader. "That's Orochimaru."
The wind mistress gave a short sarcastic laugh at this. "And you expect us to believe that?" she snorted. "Nice try."
I glared. "Look, I don't care whether you believe me or not. I've got other things to take care of." Like stopping the Sandaime dying and Gaara from going crazy.
A steady chirping of birds cut through the air. It was followed by a slight crackling sound. I looked to see Sasuke perched on the arena wall, his left hand glowing white with the Chidori. As I watched, the boy flashed towards the sand, nothing more than a black and slightly white blur.
As he got closer to Gaara, my eyes started to droop shut. A sudden tiredness seized my body. I wanna sleep, I thought ready to curl up on the spot. Then I frowned as another idea floated at the back of my mind. Wait, there's something I have to do. But try as I might, I couldn't locate the origin for this. I blinked hard and gave a shake of my head, desperately trying to force the drowsiness from my head.
"Kai" a voice whispered. Fingers touched my forehead, sending a jolt through me.
"Are you alright?" Shino asked, helping me up. I'd fallen to my knees during the genjutsu.
"Thanks" I gasped. Shit, if Shino wasn't here…I trailed off, searching frantically for Sasuke and Gaara. The Bijuu was slowly rising out of the sand, clutching his wounded shoulder.
"Shit" I yelled, jumping over the railing. Reaching the ground, I landed on the balls of my feet, letting the toes and the front absorb most of the impact. But this also allowed me to reach a sprint within the space of a couple of steps. My running style was one of the things Ryuu had me working on.
"SASUKE" I shouted, running up to my team mate.
"Kioko, what are you doing?" he growled, Sharingan flicking from me to Gaara.
"Sasuke, you gotta move from here" I pulled at his arm. Genma stepped up to me, placing a restraining hand on my shoulder.
"Fukui san, I suggest you leave the ground" he ordered. His grip on me tightened when I continued to stay where I was. "Now!"
"Sasuke, please" I pleaded.
"Wha-" he broke off, eyes wide as they stared at the Kage box. A 'boom' sounded and the entire balcony was covered in smoke.
"Kioko" Kaida ran up to me. She pointed at Gaara. "Take care of him. I'll look after Sarutobi."
"What?" I turned to her frantically. "You can't take on Orochimaru!"
"We don't have time for this" she looked at Genma. "Sorry, but looks like this exam's over."
But my eyes were focused on the two silhouettes jumping clear of the smoke. My hand gripped into a fist and my teeth ground together. I felt a warmth creeping across my face, and as though fueled by my fury, the heat rose until my entire body was burning.
"No" Kaida spoke sharply to me, in English. She turned and sprinted off towards the rooftop. I could make out the tiny figures of the Sound four.
By now, Baki, Kankuro and Temari had all appeared. They took up positions around Gaara, the older ninja placing himself protectively in front of the siblings. Genma, too, had moved in front of Sasuke and me.
"I knew it!" Temari crouched next to her youngest brother.
"FOOL!" Baki roared. "Trying to transform yourself completely before the signal!"
"He's experiencing the side effects" the female defended. "It's impossible to proceed now!"
"THEN WHAT'RE WE SUPPOSED TO DO? DO IT WITHOUT GAARA?" Kankuro shouted, frustrated.
"You can always stop" I stepped out from behind Genma. The Sand nins looked at me in surprise.
"What're you saying?" Temari glared at me.
"I told you before" I jabbed a finger towards the purple wall which was now keeping the Sandaime – and possibly Kaida – prisoner. "That's the fucking Snake creep!"
"That is our Kazekage" Baki spat.
"YOUR KAZEKAGE IS STONE DEAD, YOU FUCKTARD!" I screamed at him. "ONE OF MY BEST FRIENDS IS RISKING HER NECK TO SAVE THE SANDAIME FROM A FUCKING CREEP WHO WANTS TO SINK THE FUCKING VILLAGE!"
The Sand ninjas looked at me in surprise, stunned at my outburst. Even Sasuke and Genma were staring at me.
"You know what? Screw you" I spat, turning on my heels. "I'm not going to bother trying to convince a bunch of idiots." With that, I ran up the wall, jumping, sliding under and dodging the battling shinobi around me.
Youko, I called into the recesses of my mind. I ducked under a Sound nin who threw a roundhouse kick at my head. A Konoha nin tackled the intruder, knocking him over the edge.
Yes? She replied.
Please, lend me some of your power, I pleaded. A few kunais flew at me. I pulled out my own blade, deflecting the projectiles.
My already burning body reached a new temperature. I could feel raw energy coursing through my chakra and blood vessels. My speed increased dramatically as more and more energy pushed through my leg muscles.
Thank you.
I reached the barrier in a few short seconds. I glanced up to see a Konoha ANBU charge at the wall. The shinobi gave a startled cry before his body disintegrated to dust.
"Damn it" a team member howled.
"Kioko" Ryuu landed next to me, his face tight with worry. "What – what's wrong with your face?"
"Nothing" I growled, my voice taking on an animalistic edge. "We've gotta do something about this barrier."
"I know" my sensei replied, staring helplessly at it. "But what?"
I narrowed my eyes at the Sound nin – Kidomaru – who was grinning at me. Two of his four arms held his side – the east wall – of the barrier steady, while the remaining two waved mockingly at me. I snarled at the gesture.
"Leave it to me."
If it takes all four of them to keep the barrier active, then taking one out should take the jutsu down, I reasoned inside my head, eyes searching for a way to get access to my target. I need to figure out a way to get to him.
I experimented, throwing my kunais and shurikens at the purple wall. The metal all turned white hot, before melting into a shapeless puddle on the roof tiles. As I followed the liquid metal down, a sudden question occurred to me.
Wait, if one person is needed to hold up a wall each, then who's taking care of the…floor?
"I know that look" Ryuu was watching me closely. His narrowed eyes were fixed on my face. "What're you thinking?"
"Maybe, we can get to them" I muttered. "Just…cover me" I said, making a show of attacking the barrier. Attaching exploding tags to my remaining kunai, I launched the weapons towards Kidomaru. As I expected, the resulting explosion, upon contact, blew up quite a bit of dust…providing me with the screen I needed to slip down the side of the building.
"Ok, so how does Tsunade do this?" I wondered out loud to myself, rifling through my memory bank to get the required information. She gathers chakra, and then releases it all at once…I think.
"Might as well try" I muttered. Concentrating, I focused some of the energy in me on my right fist. Pulling my arm back a few paces, I swung forwards, punching the brick wall. At the moment of contact, I let go of the accumulated chakra, letting it fly all at once.
The result was immensely satisfying. A large gaping hole appeared, the sides still crumbling slightly.
"Yes" I gave a mental fist pump. Jumping into the building's interior, I looked up at the ceiling. Giving a silent prayer to whatever god who was listening, I jumped and repeated my actions.
The effect was instantaneous. The ceiling shuddered, holding together for one more moment, before falling down in a thousand pieces. I'd just managed to hang onto the wall of the building. After the sounds of the falling plaster had stopped, I peered in, gazing at the underside of the roof, which was now covered in roots. The vines were tightly wound together and around each other – there was no way of telling each individual creeper apart. But in front of the roots, there was a slight purple glow – a thin layer of the barrier was protecting the plants.
"Damn" I muttered. "Wait – why is it a lighter colour down here?" I was starting to scare myself with my sudden logical thinking. It's like the sides of a balloon, I realized, gazing at the shield. It looks like the wall's being…stretched!
"That would mean…the weakest point should be at the center of the floor" I whispered in elation. Locating the dead center, I prepared my fist for the third Tsunade style punch.
I put the strength of my shoulder and my entire torso behind the blow. The purple wall vibrated slightly…before shattering into a million fragments. Almost immediately, there was a victorious roar from the ninja outside.
I gave a weak laugh, collapsing onto the floor. The breaking and entering was more taxing than I'd expected.
"Are you alright?" Ryuu was next to me, helping me sit up. His eyes were concerned, but there was a pleased gleam in them.
"The shield's down" I stated blankly. He grinned and ruffled my hair.
"Thanks to you."
I panted, feeling as though my lungs were about to burst from in between my ribs. The Hokage was standing protectively in front of me. I could just see Orochimaru and the revived-from-the-dead Shodaime and Nidaime. Their blank white eyes stared unforgiving straight at us.
"Kioko, I want you to move to the outer edges of the forest" the Sandaime brought his palms together. His breaths came out in gasps, as his old body shook with the effort of getting enough oxygen.
"It's so pitiful" Orochimaru laughed. "Even you, who is known as the God of the shinobi, can't defeat old age."
Next to him, Kabuto stood still, the ANBU uniform hiding his face. However, even he gave a start as the Snake Sannin ripped his face off.
"- the hell?" I gaped at the pale, but beautiful, picture under it.
"Who are you?" Sarutobi demanded.
"It's me…" the voice was no different however. There was the all too obvious hiss. "I'm Orochimaru."
"You…can't mean…you've already completed that kinjutsu?"
"Hehe" the Sannin looked quite pleased with himself. "It's been over ten years since I left the village…I suffered a lot" he added as an afterthought.
"You inhumane creature…" it seemed like the Hokage didn't have enough vocabulary to describe Orochimaru's vile nature. "You're twisted ideology is one of the reasons you weren't chosen as the Yondaime" the old man spat. The snake lost his smug smirk at this. The master and student stared at each other.
"By using the immortaility spell, I'll bind my soul to this world forever, possessing a new body every time I reincarnate" the student decided to break the silence. "You will die here…" he pointed at Sarutobi with the sword he held "and I will obtain a younger, more beautiful and stronger body. The Leaf entertain me to no end…"
"You're such a pedophile" I exclaimed, pushing out from behind the current Hokage. The revived-dead shivered slightly at my voice, making me pause. I looked warily at them, wondering if they were going to attack.
"I see" the old man sighed. "Uchiha Sasuke, huh?"
"Hehe, exactly."
The reply distracted me. Instantly, the Shondaime clasped his hands together. Wood shot at us from every direction, twisting and turning. One thick branch caught hold of me, securing me tightly within its bind. I yelled and pulled at my trapped limbs.
A sudden burst of wooden chips showered the surrounding area. With a blast, Enma – the Sandaime's summon – transformed into his monkey form. The old man closed his eyes in resignation.
"I'll kill you now, and correct my mistake" he sighed, grabbing hold of the bars of the box that kept him safe from the wood.
"Ahh, but it's already too late for that" Orochimaru laughed as his dead defenders flashed off to fight their successor.
Sarutobi formed a handseal, one that I'd seen Naruto use – a lot. Kagebunshin? The three Hokages rapidly formed another set of seals, too fast for me make out. The real body turned slightly to glance behind him.
"It's already too late" Orochimaru repeated. "No matter what you do, I've won. The Leaf will be demolished" he ended on a very confident note.
"Don't bet on it" I snarled, still struggling to release myself from my trap.
"The Leaf village is my home!" Sarutobi frowned at his ex-student. "The Hokage is one who continues to act as the main pillar of the house, protecting it! He's the one who carries the will of the leaf, entrusted it with…" he gave a soft chuckle, clearly challenging the Sannin. "It won't be easy for you."
A flicker of movement from the corner of my eye made me turn to the Nidaime. As he stopped on a hand seal, the Sandaime gave a jerk of surprise, standing still. His head turned frantically, his eyes searching, unseeing.
"What –" I stared.
"What absurd nonsense…" Orochimaru crooned softly. "You are – just for a while – one of the leaders in the history of the organization called the Leaf. Even the remains of the rock portraits will crumble and fade."
"The Leaf isn't just an organization to me" Sarutobi stopped moving. His eyes were closed, but there was a soft caring tone in his voice and his face was peaceful. "Every year, there are a lot of shinobi born and raised in the village…they live, fight…to protect the village, and to protect what's precious to them, they will go to their death." He smiled fondly. "Even if we are not related by blood, those of the village like these are…to me, my most precious…most important…family."
I felt a tear slide down my cheek, as my throat constricted. There was pure love on the old faded face; the old man truly adored the village and its habitants. And he was only too willingly to die, if it meant protecting them.
"So, even if you were to kill me, Orochimaru, the pillar won't break" the Sandaime continued triumphantly. "I'm the man who inherited the will of the Leaf from the Shondaime and Nidaime. I AM THE SANDAIME HOKAGE!" he shouted defiantly. "And no matter how much you target the village…THERE WILL BE ANOTHER HOKAGE WHO WILL INHERIT THE WILL OF THE LEAF, AND BECOME THE PILLAR TO PROTECT THE HOUSE!"
"The place where the leaves dance…the fires burn…" the last words of the Sandaime played in a loop in my mind, long after Orochimaru and the reminants of his force had retreated. I'd paid the Sannin no attention as he wailed and moaned the loss of his arms. My mind was filled with the love and gentleness the Hokage directed at me, as his dark eyes closed in a permanent slumber.
With no wooden vines binding me in place, I fell to my knees, hitting the ground at the same time as the deceased village leader.
"No" it only came out a whisper. I crawled shaking towards the body, slowly lifting the old man's head and placing it on my lap. Blood had spilt out of his mouth, dribbling down his chin. There was peaceful expression on his face; a false belief that he'd stopped the destruction of his beloved village. The weathered face was still, some of the wrinkles smoothed out.
"He's gone" I stumbled over my words. The scene in front of me blurred. Genjutsu? I looked around frantically for the attacker. But there was no one. Confused, I reached up and touched the skin under my eye. It was wet.
"Huh?" I pulled my hand away, examining the fingertip. A clear liquid was reflecting the few rays of light filtering through the branches of the forest. What…?
"Kioko!" Ryuu's yell broke through my haze. I blinked, staring uncomprehendingly at my teacher as he crashed through the leaves. "Are you alright?"
"…sensei…" I tested the word. "...what are you doing here?" Ryuu looked down, gasping as he saw the Hokage.
"W-wha-?" the shinobi was shocked at the state of his leader. He turned his disbelieving eyes onto me. "Kioko, what the hell happened?"
I blinked confusedly. My brain was still frozen, fixated on the instant when Sarutobi looked at me for the last time.
"Kioko" Ryuu had me by the shoulders. He shook me fiercely, trying to physically snap me back to reality. "WHAT HAPPENED?"
"O-orochimaru" my voice cracked. The water started to flow. "He – he…"
Ryuu was silent. His hands gripped my shoulders tighter, and when I looked up, his face was pale and his mouth trembled with the effort of keeping his misery at bay.
"I–I c-could't…" my voice trailed off into sobs.
"T-the Hokage…dead…" Ryuu's heartbroken whisper echoed through the rustling leaves.