Disclaimer: I do not not own Naruto.

Chapter 10

Sakura sat worriedly over Sasuke's unmoving body, finding it hard to believe that he was only unconscious, not dead. Kakashi was down the hall, guarding the pair of captured nin. Tazuna and Inari were sitting at the table, staring into space. Though she could understand why they would be upset that Tsunami had been taken away, she was far more concerned over the fact that Naruto's prediction had come true.

Lisette - as a stark contrast - was ridiculously cheerful, taking over Tsunami's cooking duties and bustling merrily around the kitchen despite the fact that Naruto had yet to return. This was largely due to discovering that the hunter-nin was of her clan, a revelation that hadn't stopped Kakashi from wanting to kill her and her mentor both. Lisette had responded to this sentiment by threatening to choke him with his own intestines if he lay so much as a finger on either of them.

Man that girl was scary.

The pinkette almost jumped out of her skin as Sasuke stirred. She made to fetch her sensei, but discovered him to already be sitting next to her. "What happened?" her crush murmured blearily, making a feeble attempt to sit up.

Kakashi gently pushed him back down. "I'm afraid the hunter-nin put you in a near-death state. I'm actually rather impressed you're recovering so quickly. It's only been twelve hours since she put you under."

Sasuke's eyes tightened, his fists clenched. "Is he still alive?"

Kakashi nodded. "Actually, she is still alive. According to Lisette, anyway. She wouldn't let me close enough to check for myself."

Sasuke's eyes widened as he connected the dots. "Does that mean we've captured her?"

Kakashi gave a mournful nod. "Yes, but unfortunately we can't kill her. She's apparently a distant relative of Naruto and Lisette."

Sasuke's jaw dropped, completely abandoning his composure for the first time in the memory of any present. "She's a Kusakabe?"

"You know about the Kusakabe?"

"The internet is a wonderful place. Does she have any of the Kusakabe Treasures?"

"Yes. The Kogarasumaru Amakuni."

"That's the first sword, right? The granter of unlimited speed." Sasuke's face lit up for a moment, before sagging. "They'll kill me if I try and take it won't they."

"Most likely."

"Excuse me." Team Seven looked to the doorway. Leaning against the frame was Inari, looking serious. "Come downstairs. There's something I want to talk to you about." The three glanced at one another, then followed him to the kitchen table, finding Tazuna and Lisette already waiting. "You guys know that the first of Naruto's predictions came true, right?" Inari paused to allow everyone to nod. "Well, a while after Mom was taken, I saw something out the window..."

The group listened avidly as Inari recounted what he had seen, Kakashi speaking up towards the end. "So the shadow that brings the blue flames is a dragon. Just what we need."

"About the dragon," said Tazuna nervously, cringing as all eyes turned to him. "It sounds an awful lot like the Relic of the Great Demon Lord."

"The what now?"

"Here in Wave, we have a legend. I won't bore you with the details, but it is said that there was once a man who rose up against God, declaring himself the Lord of Demons. Before he was defeated, he created the Relic, whose sole purpose was to choose his successor."

"But," said Sakura, always asking the obvious questions. "The dragon can't be the Relic. It's a living being."

"No, it's not," sighed Tazuna. "The dragon is actually an extremely complex and powerful machine. Sure, it has the traditional flaming breath, but it can shoot other things from it's mouth as well, like missiles and things."

"For the benefit of Inari and Sasuke," said Lisette. "It should be noted that the angel you saw was probably Naruto."

"That was Naruto fighting that dragon!" exclaimed Inari. "Then that means the dragon-"

"-is probably under Gato's control." finished Kakashi grimly. A morbid silence descended.

"Uh... hello?"

Haku had actually woken up earlier that day, but had stayed in bed on Lisette's orders. By this point, however, her curiosity had gotten the better of her, and she couldn't help but go see what was going on. Strangely, the revelation that Naruto could see into the future didn't surprise her as much as it probably should have.

Lisette grabbed Sasuke's shoulder to stop him from attacking her. "Good morning Haku, how are you today."

"Er... fine thanks." Her eyes flitted nervously between the hostile gazes of the others. "Did he have any more visions?"

Good question.

"The next vision," grated Sasuke. "Was of a flying ship, and the dragon flying to meet it."

"Flying ship?" said Haku in surprise. "Are you talking about the Genkaku?"

"The what?" As if on cue, a powerful wind hit the cabin, causing it to rock and quake. The roof rattled, the walls creaked and a terrible crash sounded from outside, most likely the sound of a tree being blown over. The group exchanged looks before running outside.

The construct hovering over Wave was immense, easily double the size of the Hokage tower. It honestly did resemble a flying ship, though it was made of burnished steel rather than wood. It was cylindrical, with winglike ridges going along its sides that were underscored by intricate, glowing orange patterns. At the topmost part of the airship a large area capped by windows marked the captain(most likely Gato)'s location, and at the forefront of the vessel a large holographic screen had appeared, depicting Gatos smirking face. "Greetings, peasants."

Lisette facepalmed heavily. "Let me guess," she sighed. "That's the Genkaku."

"This will be the greatest weapon the world has ever seen," began Gato, who loved evil monologues. "With it I shall raze your entire puny country to the ground. I have lost interest in you, as your money and resources have long since dried up. I would have left you alone, were it not for you, Tazuna, who have defied me time and time again. You I shall kill first, and know as you die that it is your own fault your countrymen will follow you into oblivion..."

The camera panned back, revealing Tsunami, bound and gagged, at Gato's left. "And that I shall defile your daughter, over and over again when you are gone. Goodbye." The screen disappeared, and dozens of rocket pods emerged from hidden nooks and hidey-holes across the Genkaku's sides. As the countless, white tailed missiles closed in, Inari closed his eyes. It was over.

There was a deafening noise and the ground shook, knocking the boy off his feet. At first he thought he was dead, as all he saw when he opened his eyes was darkness. Then the wing that had shielded them from certain death was removed, and he found himself staring into the huge, demonic red eyes of its owner.

"Hello." rumbled Peterhaussen.

Three people crapped themselves. I'll let you guess who.

"Naruto!" blurted Kakashi, drawing their eyes to the blond figure standing between the dragon's shoulder-blades. Of course, the pseudo-ninja was still coatless, hatless and eyepatchless. His arm was in its cannon form, his wings were spread and his Eye was bared for the world to see.

"Okay," said Lisette. "What the HELL is going on!"

Peterhaussen lay exhausted on the rocky floor, tiredly shifting some of the debris from his wings. Nearby lay Naruto, his own wings splayed to the sides as he panted heavily on his back.

"Well," the dragon rumbled. "That was a bit flashy wasn't it."

Indeed, their colossal battle had opened up a huge chasm in the ground, at the bottom of which they were currently lying.

"When the Great Demon Lord sealed me away," he continued. "He told me I may only serve another should they surpass him in power, and I can tell you with absolute certainty..." Naruto raised his head hopefully. "You don't even come close." His head sank back down, and he gave the dragon the finger.

Peterhaussen laughed goodnaturedly, and the ground shook a little. "But you've got chutzpah, I'll give you that. What is your name, swordsman?"

Naruto waved one finger from his good arm in a circle before his open mouth.

"So you are mute. I see." Peterhaussen closed his eyes for a long moment, then said, "My name is Peterhaussen. I like eating things, breaking things and blowing shit up. I think we're going to get along smashingly."

"Was what happened."

Lisette facepalmed heavily. "Don't you think that's a little conveni-"

"The hell!" interrupted Sakura. "He just stood there without saying anything!"

"Sasuke. Bitch-slap her for me." He did. "Thank you." She turned to Haku and placed her hands on her shoulders. "You," she said seriously. "Are a Kusakabe. That makes us clan-sisters. When we kill Gato and go back to Konoha we're taking you with us, and if the Hokage doesn't accept you the whole clan'll uproot itself to stay with you, because family sticks together. Do you understand?"

"Yeah," said Haku hoarsely, her eyes burning a little. "Thanks."

"Great," nodded Lisette, and took her hand. "Now let's go carve that big tin can open!"

Peterhaussen nodded respectfully as the women boarded. "Ladies."

"Good day."

"'Sup."

"Now hold on!" shouted Kakashi, who was a little off balance from how easily everyone was just going with the flow. "What about us!"

"You?" said Lisette. "Naruto foretold Inari would lead an army. Lend him a hand. Hell, bring Zabuza! It''ll be fun!"

"Hm? You mean me?" said Zabuza, stepping out of the house just in time to be hit by the gale force winds as Peterhaussen took off, a roar that literally burned with bloodlust erupting from his terrifying jaws.

Again the Genkaku opened fire on the oncoming monster, the missiles from the right and left sides grouping together into twin clusters. Before they could hit home they were obliterated, destroyed by perfectly coordinated blasts of green fire and white ice. A stream of orange energy carved a long rupture in the vessel's side and three figures separated from the creatures back, disappearing into the ship's innards.

"Alright," Lisette nodded. "We're in the clear. Haku, you-"

She trailed off. Two glowing purple pentacles had appeared over each of Haku's shoulders, ornate sword hilts poking out from their centers. She grabbed them both and pulled.

The first sword was very long and straight, its design and color scheme resembling a streak of flowing lava. The Kusakabe Treasure of Fire. Kashagiri Hiromitsu.

The second sword was black and slightly shorter, the tip jagged so that it resembled a lightning bolt. The Kusakabe Treasure of Thunder. Tachibana Dousetsu Raikiri.

Haku paused at their stares. "What?"

Lisette facepalmed and sighed. "Nothing. Now, where is the engine and how easily can we destroy it?"

XXX

At ground level, a war had started. Inari had finally fulfilled his destiny, gathering an army of his countrymen and meeting Gato's mercenaries in combat. Here, today, they would finally earn their freedom.

Or at least, that was the idea.

"Say hello to my little friend!" Zabuza cackled, his massive sword felling enemies like wheat.

"That line is so overused!" complained Kakashi, fighting back to back with four Shadow Clones.

"Get out of the blast radius, bitch!" roared Sasuke, a huge fireball erupting from his lips.

"Kyaa!" screamed Sakura, planting an explosive tag onto a grunt's back as she vaulted to safety.

Inari shook his head and reloaded his crossbow. It didn't really matter who did the legwork, so long as the results were the same.

XXX

Back on the airship, Haku ran alone down a long corridor. The Kashagiri was large sword, usually meant for two-handed use. Haku however was ridiculously strong for her size, the blazing weapon slicing through flesh like cottage cheese and cauterizing anything left behind. Its more compact weight made the Raikiri that much faster, shredding opponents in a blur as electricity crackled along its length.

"She's headed for the engine room!" screamed one of the grunts ahead. "Shut the doors!" They heaved, two heavy men for each of the massive double doors. The bolt was in place mere seconds before the swordswoman met them. For a moment, they were safe.

Then Haku plunged the Raikiri into the floor, sending a surge of lightning through the metal. The thugs were cooked alive, organs melting on the spot. Haku allowed the Raikiri to disperse to the pocket dimension in which she usually kept it, then hefted the Kashagiri in both hands. The fire sword did not so much cut through the metal as blow it outwards, and had anything in the room been left alive they would have been torn apart by the shrapnel.

The Kashagiri dispersed as Haku stepped into the engine room, leaving her hands empty. She gazed upwards at the whirring steel monstrosity that gave the Genkaku life, and it suddenly occurred to her that she was on the bottom floor of the ship. The Kogarasumaru materialized in her hand, and she disappeared.

When she appeared again there was a brief moment of silence, before the engine - and a good portion of the floor - fell into space, plummeting through the air to shatter on the ground below. Haku jumped through the hole left behind, and for a brief moment she flew before Peterhaussen swooped down and caught her on his back.

XXX

Gato probably would have noticed his ship lose all power, if it weren't for the gigantic orange lightsaber that had burst through Zori's chest.

Gato stepped backwards, face contorting with fear as the avenging angel turned his way. They were in the docking bay, the door open to the sky, and behind him Gato could see flashes of green from the hallway as his friend slaughtered the last of the guards, the screams audible even over the sound of Zori's chest sizzling. Naruto lifted one huge metal foot over the carcass, the slow movement making an audible clang as he brought it down. He morphed his arm into claw form, raised it over his head and-

Gato reached into a side door and dragged out Tsunami, bound and gagged. He threw her out of the bay doors and bolted. Naruto hesitated, wondering who he should go after-

-before lunging forward as Gato reached behind the door. They clashed awkwardly, and it ended with the Kusakabe barely holding Tsunami over the edge as Gato made for a side door with the words 'Escape Pod' written over it in big helpful letters. The Pod turned out to be more of an airplane, and the backlash as Gato blasted to freedom shook the entire ship. Naruto had taken the lull to cut Tsunami's bindings, and she had just removed her gag as the Genkaku quivered. She fell backwards, he reached forwards, but it was too late. She fell into space.

Naruto turned and saw Lisette already running towards him. He stretched his right hand toward her, and the impossible happened. He opened his mouth and screamed-

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"

"Now for the fun part."

Tenshin raised his hand over the seal on Naruto's stomach. Compared to the previous operations this one was suspiciously painless. The tattooed lines glowed red, demonic chakra seeping outwards and collecting in a rotating orb of youki in Tenshin's hand. A face flashed within.

"Yo! Kyuubi!" came that irritatingly chipper voice. "How long's it been!"

The demon only snarled in response.

"Yeah, I know. I missed you too." grinned Tenshin. "Sorry about this, but I need your chakra for something. You have to die."

The face looked surprised, then disappeared. It was now simply a ball of chaotic chakra. Tenshin turned to the prostrate Naruto and winked merrily. "Get a load of this Naru-boya," he smiled. "Miracles do happen."

The hand not holding an empty demonic soul stretched towards the Forest of Death, and a green ball of fire streaked from the distance to land in his open palm. He forced the spheres together and they began to mix, violently twisting together until one color was indistinguishable from the next. Then he slowly pulled his hands apart and the construct expanded to the size of a human. Something shimmered within.

The bones appeared first, cold and white.

Then the muscles, knitting together amidst a network of organs and arteries.

Then the skin, soft and pale.

Then the hair, like flowing snow.

Then the clothes, a dress as white as her hair.

Her eyes opened, clear and blue green like the sea.

"You gave me your eye, and I gave you the power to see the truth."

"You gave me your arm, and I gave you a weapon to strike down all enemies."

"You gave me your legs, and I gave you the freedom of the sky."

"You gave me your voice, and I gave you armor to defend against all evil."

"You gave me your soul, and I gave you a companion. One to stand beside you, through the good times and the bad. One who will smile when you laugh and who will weep when you cry. One who will never hate you, never betray you, never leave you. You are her, and she is you, now and forever."

"Was it worth it?"

Lisette disintegrated, her frail body dissipating into red light. The errant chakra gathered in Naruto's hand, the glowing orb reminding him of the day she found her freedom. He turned and threw.

The orb blurred through the air, leaving a sizzling orange trail in its wake. Onward it went, past Gato and his escape pod, before crashing into the mountain side. In the cockpit, Gato saw the shadow rise up from the mountain.

"No," he whispered. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-"

Jaws that could bite through Peterhaussen closed around the craft. Its momentum kept it going, and the escape pod crumpled and exploded at the back of the fox's throat. She chewed and swallowed.

"BEHOLD!" roared Lisette, her voice deeper but recognizable. "LISETTE'S ULTIMATE FUZZY MODE!"

XXX

Tsunami fell, her thoughts peaceful. She relaxed, the wind whipping at her hair, resigned to her fate. A hand caught her own, warm, human, comforting. She opened her eyes and saw an angel reaching out to her. The angel's other arm, red as blood, encircled her. Where the other was warm this one was cool, a relief to her burning skin. Their descent slowed.

"Mom!" Tsunami turned her head, and there was Inari. He was unhurt, and reaching for her with desperate hands. As Naruto touched down she squirmed from his grip and pulled Inari into her embrace, holding him as though he would disappear if she let go.

"So it was you all along," said Inari finally, not letting go of his mother. "You were the angel from the vision."

"Correct," nodded Naruto, surprising them. His voice was very deep and very rich. It had a comforting, honeyed timbre that did not so much command attention as magnetize it.

"You can talk?" blurted Inari, immediately cringing at the stupid question.

"Only when Lisette's in Ultimate Fuzzy Mode." Naruto nodded. He shifted at their amused looks. "Her name not mine."

They paused a moment, watching as dragon and demon laid waste to what was left of Gato's forces. "Naruto?"

"Yeah?"

"That second vision," Inari murmured, edging closer to his mother. "Where Mom didn't make it back. Did you make it up, or was it real?"

For a long moment Naruto just stood and looked at him. Then he smiled, spread his wings and took flight without another word. For a moment he hung there, an angel of salvation, before he crashed into the enemy ranks with a blaze of holy fire.