Naruto and any of its affiliations are not owned by me
"Talking"
'Thinking'
'Writing' or 'Emphasis'
"Evil Talking"
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previously….
'For her attack to cause me to bleed, at her age… this might not be as difficult as I thought.'
He lay back to look up at the sky, subconsciously prodding at his heart with his left hand
'… it's gonna be fun … trying to beat you. …' he yawned loudly breaking his train of thought
'…… Su.'
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Promise of Change
Chapter 10: Sabaku! Promise me something, Hinata?
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The day it all began ….
. Hidden Village of the Missing-Nin . 8:00 am . 9 ½ hours prior to incident .
Hinata lolled softly from her sleep and into the warm, fuzzy, blankets of her bed. Her room could only be described as magnificent. Unlike the rest of the castle, her room had been carved elegantly into the mountain's face. In fact, her room was more like an extension of the mountain than a room in the castle. Her ceiling was covered in sculptures …angels, clouds, cherubs, their fingers reached out from the mountain wall as if beckoning her to them. Her bed was a large, Victorian one, traditionally rectangular with thick, heavy, oak bedposts. She smiled innocently as she brushed her long dark hair from the left side of her face. The idea of the cherubs creeping down the bedposts and sneaking into bed with her always made her do that. Such a childish daydream, but funny nonetheless. One of the cherubs she held especially close to her heart, it was smaller than the others, but unlike them it wasn't laughing or looking on curiously. It was grinning confidently with one hand held down toward her in a tight fist. She'd wondered at the time if it was weird, or demented to have carved whisker marks into its cheeks.
She rolled over to face her sensei. As always he lay on the left side of the bed, on his side facing away from her. When the village was still a caravan several of the male shinobi had attempted to court her, in spite of the fact most were almost twice her age. Offended, Taisan had claimed she was his fiancée, much to her initial embarrassment and … after the thought sunk in … his. Either way, to continue the lie they ended up sharing a bedroom. Being the gentlemen, for the first few months her sensei had dutifully slept on the floor. But when the colder weather set in, and she found him constantly yawning during their training sessions from lack of sleep, she tirelessly set about goading him into sleeping beside. It was one of many occasions where she realised how incredibly apprehensive and stubborn he was.
They were two very similar people in some ways. She had been very embarrassed by the prospect of them being engaged, but he hadn't given the notion a second thought. He 'had' been far more embarrassed by the idea of sharing a room, and worse a bed, with her. Something he clearly hadn't thought of when he formed the lie. She wouldn't deny she'd been a little shy about it at first, but she'd come to trust him as an older brother, so it became natural.
Taisan always denied being embarrassed, claiming that 'he' didn't blush like 'she' did. She always retaliated that it was because he had darker skin so it was more difficult to tell. It was always a playful argument that always ended with Hinata pointing out that his eye twitched when he was embarrassed, and was always proved true when his eye twitched as she said it. Then he'd get annoyed and storm out the room. Hinata won a lot of arguments that way.
The dark haired girl chose to get up and eat early. It would be a while before Taisan dragged himself out of bed anyway. She ambled down the torch lit, spiral staircase, and quietly made her own breakfast in the large kitchen. A few early birds were already out and about the kitchen, but they quickly stopped whatever they were doing to greet her. They asked general things, like 'how she was,' 'how her training was coming,' and more importantly when they could expect their 'wedding invitations'. She tactfully 'smiled away' the last question and returned upstairs with her small bowl of oatmeal. Back up the tower steps, passing her bedroom and continuing upward to the roof. Balancing her bowl in one palm she climbed a small ladder and opened a trapdoor to the outside air.
It was freezing. The roof arched upward in a dangerously steep cone, she applied a little chakra to the base of her bare feet, prompting them to stick against the red tiles. The eastern tower was easily the tallest of the four and she often calmly ate her breakfast here, despite many 'concerned individuals' claiming a fall would be an instant, bloody death. That was all they were to her. 'Concerned Individuals'. She didn't really 'know' anyone here, there wasn't anyone she'd really call a 'friend,' except Taisan of course. For some reason Taisan always tried to avoid her meeting people more than she had to.
Without thinking she allowed her eyes to ponder the clouds as she sat on the towers edge, letting her feet dangle from the side, slowly eating through her breakfast. Her white, silk nightgown and long, dark hair danced gently in the breeze.
'Looks like it will rain tonight.' she thought absently, observing a few dark clouds in the east.
Still eating her breakfast she activated the Byakugan, hand seals weren't necessary anymore, once it was activated a certain number of times the body simply remembered what it felt like. Her eyes pierced the rocks below her, before travelling further out to the wide circle of forest surrounding the tower. Continuing on she glanced through the open glades, and the farmlands on which many of the village's civilians worked. She giggled softly as she watched a rabbit hopping through the tall grass several miles away. Further on from the farmland, well out of 'regular' vision lay the edges of another forest. It was too far away to see in detail, but she enjoyed looking at it from time to time. It was off in that direction that most of her old friends and family lived, people who were more than just 'concerned individuals.' She sat there a moment supping on her spoon, going through the faces of family of friends in her mind, when she saw something … disturbing.
'…fire?'
In the forest, all that distance away, there was smoke. Great thick globs of it coming from small spots along the horizon … equally distanced apart,
'Campfire smoke?'
She continued to ponder them without too much concern, still trying to enjoy her breakfast. She forced a little more energy to her eyes, genuinely curious to the forests strange activity.
'There are ninja in there…' she confirmed, looking along the forests edge she could see their outlines. Too big to be animals, too small to be trees.
Without turning she scanned the horizon in the opposite direction, to the west, finding the same odd outlines along the terrain.
A voice below her spoke up, "What's happening?" she didn't jump, with her eyes she'd seen him arrive a while ago, "What do you see?"
Taisan leaned against the side of the tower, a few inches to the left of her feet, using the chakra in one foot to hold him against the grey bricks.
"I'm not sure … I think we're surrounded … "
Taisan didn't speak for a few minutes. "How many?"
Hinata quickly skimmed the horizon, "I … I can't tell, … yet. They're still about eight hours away from here." she guessed optimistically.
"So … they won't be here till about four?" he whispered to himself, "… if they hurry, ….I'll let everyone know… you go get dressed."
She nodded gently and returned back through the trapdoor.
As the door clicked softly Taisan breathed deeply, staring out at the distant forest thinking about enemies he couldn't possibly see. With a few quick seals he placed the tips of his left ring and middle fingers to his throat.
"CITIZENS!" his voice magnified a hundred fold as his voice echoed through the castle and the village beyond it, "…, ALL NON-MILITARY PERSONEL ARE TO SEEK SHELTER IMMEDIATELY. ALL ACTIVE SHINOBI ARE TO ASSEMBLE IN THE FIRST HALL! THIS IS NOT A DRILL! THAT IS ALL!"
Bringing his fingers away from his throat instantly ended the jutsu. He watched as hundreds of people began flocking to the castle doors in an instant panic, seeking shelter. While various scores of ninja climbed the castle walls and entered through windows, some heading for the first hall as he instructed, most checking on their family and loved ones first.
The brown haired ninja stayed fixed against the tower wall for a few more seconds, still watching his flock.
'Auron … help me.'
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"Auron-sama, what can you see?" a persistent ninja continued to ask him troublesome questions.
"I can barely see the village at this point, eh? Stop bothering me!" The two years had changed Auron's appearance considerably. He was taller, naturally, but his face had become more masculine, stonier, if you will. His crew cut hair style was abandoned in favour of a more casual ponytail which fell braided down his back to the middle of his spine. As for his clothing, he never wore his dark glasses anymore, deciding that it was easier to hide his eyes by wrapping his forehead protector around them. He still wore his camouflage pants, boots, and mesh undershirt, but his red Chuunin vest was gone, replaced by a red leather jacket which was cut short at the front, but reached down to his boots at the back, creating the appearance of a red flowing cape. The jacket was left open, revealing his chiselled stomach and chest. His vanity never dwindled with age. If anything the nine-teen year old Jounin had become more self obsessed than ever.
"Auron-sama, what can you see?"
He swore only a few seconds had passed since he last asked that.
"Exactly the same as I told you a second ago! Eh?!" he spun on his heel bending down to the smaller man, "Nothing! Now FUCK OFF YOU FUCKING FUCKER!!"
The young ninja disappeared in a poof of smoke, replaced by a moderately sized log.
"… I guess I overdid it… eh?"
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Taisan had prepared the ninja's in the mess hall, or more realistically an elaborately constructed dinner theatre. Complete with a stage, thick blue curtains, circular tables with small candles in the centre and a large, U-shaped balcony along the wall. Each man woman and child in the room came fully dressed and fully armed. They were stretching and brandishing their weapons boarishly. Yelling amongst themselves. Despite all the energy in the room, despite the brave faces and the shining blades. They were afraid. If not terrified.
"Taoru-dono!!! We will follow you till DEATH!!"
"Tao-sama!!! You can do it!!"
"We'll defend this place with our lives!! Ain't that right!! Taoru-sama!!!"
The loyalty Taisan held among these men was …phenomenal. He hated it. He hated how they cheered for him, he hated how they praised him. Most of all he hated them now, for clanging their weapons together in celebration of his name, in celebration of their very deaths.
'This is gonna get 'messy'… they won't like this one bit.'
"Everyone. I'm sorry but … this place doesn't deserve our lives."
In all history, silence was never so thick. It was a total of forty-seven seconds before a single man, woman or child uttered a word. Out of two-hundred and twelve ninja, Taisan was forced to break the silence.
"This is just … a 'place'. What is important … is the people. They deserve our lives … they are the ones we will gladly die for. Our children. Our brothers. Our sisters."
A few hearts warmed once again with hope, albeit temporary. Taisan's words were long and heavy, stretching across the enormous room.
"We're going to evacuate." a few whispers from the back were quickly hushed, "Three Ninja Villages are simultaneously launching an all out offensive on this castle. All non-shinobi's have been brought within the castle walls, I want this rectified. They are to be evacuated immediately, head northeast, then disband. Most likely none of us will meet again."
"But!!! Taoru-sama!!! They will follow us!!!" a young girl close to the front was almost in tears.
"My subordinate and I will stay behind. We will take their attention long enough for the most of you to get away. Those who can't get away, allow yourselves to be taken."
This time an older man up on the balcony yelled down at him, "You're fighting three armies of ninja on your own with a little girl."
Taisan turned to look up at the man, shielding his eyes from the bright lights which shone down on the stage, "I never said it was a good plan …"
"HOW CAN YOU CALL SOMETHING THAT RIDICULAOOUS A PLAN!! EVERYONE HERE SHOULD FIGHT WITH HONOUR!!" the man clenched the table in front of him.
Taisan allowed the man to calm down before asking "… you're from the Country of Earth, aren't you ….?"
The man's grip loosened and his eyes grew wide. He nodded hesitantly.
"…I see … those of you who do wish to remain and fight, may do so … those of you who want to take their chances at evacuation … I insist you take the other citizens with you. Either way, if anybody dies, … that will be the end of your story. Don't expect anyone to remember it … if it ends selfishly." Taisan glared almost menacingly at the older Earth Ninja on the final words.
"YES SIR!!!" they chorused loudly as a new wave of weapon flailing began.
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"I hate it when they call me 'sir.'" Taisan yawned at his table, having just finished directing each group of ninja in their respective directions. It seemed not many were taking his orders to evacuate very seriously.
Hinata pondered his actions a moment. As a brother, he was warm and caring, as a teacher he was serious but nurturing, but as a leader he was pessimistic and uninterested. Always blowing off meetings to meet and train with her instead. She was grateful of course, … but it didn't seem natural … it felt forced.
"Hinata?" he spoke with her privately in the large hall.
"Hai?" she responded seriously.
"Promise me something?"
"… Hai?" Hinata knew that promises meant 'something' to him, so she listened intently.
He didn't respond for a few moments, searching for the right words, "If you are going to fight … I want you to promise to do everything exactly as I tell you to, alright."
Her eyes questioned him for a moment, unsure.
"Even if it means … killing someone you care about…"
Her thoughts drifted for a moment, trying to make sense of the promise, 'killing someone I care about …'
"I know we'll be fighting against Konoha," she responded finally, "… and I will defend myself and the people as best I can … but, I won't 'kill' any of them ... unless … I have to …"
He admired her resolve for a moment, "… You'll know, … when it's necessary, .. I'll tell you. … I'll tell you 'who' and 'when'…"
The eerie pattern of his words freaked her out a little bit, but didn't dare ask him about it. They were about to be invaded, he had the right to act a little strangely.
"C'mon. I need you if we're going to summon the 'Eagles'." he spoke over his shoulder, already walking down a hallway, hands in pockets. She hurried after him without question.
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"NANI!? WHAT THE HELL IS THAT!" Naruto stood agape in the midst of the countless shinobi around him. All were staring with wide eyes at a huge fire like creature in the distance.
"It's a summoned creature," Jiraiya informed him, "Like how we summon toads."
"AHHH! COOL!" the excitable ninja jumped on the spot enthusiastically, trying to get a better view of the distant animal.
Jiraiya walked forward, arms crossed along his large heaving chest. Barely paying any mind to the bird or the many ninja's around him that had stopped to gape at it. He'd barely set foot in Konoha when Tsunade had insisted he lead a troop of ninja into battle. He'd had his eyes all set for some of the 'girly' bars he'd missed out on during his training with the orange klutz.
'This really stinks…' he whined mentally.
"What 'IS' it? Ero-sennin?"
"… It's a bird I think, It's not made of fire like it looks, just covered in it."
Jiraiya held his chin in thought, 'Someone with incredible chakra would have to have summoned a creature that big.'
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Hinata breathed a deep breath as she raised her palms from the smoking, stone floor, sweating a little from the exertion. Taisan removed his palm from her shoulder as well, turning to admire the giant creature which clung to the East tower staring timidly from side to side.
"What's all this then?"its voice was high pitched and almost sweet.
Hinata stood to address the creature, raising her hands to her mouth to yell as loudly as she dared.
"Gomen! Akawashi-sama! I need your help!" Taisan formed a few seals and gently placed two fingers against her throat, "WE ARE UNDER ATTACK! PLEASE. AID US?"
The giant eagle didn't speak for a moment. Its thick talon's clung awkwardly on the stone tower, not quite capable of gripping it all the way around. It was probably about the size of a small bungalow, but the thick flames which made up its plumage made it appear twice as large.
"How can I say no to that face darlin'?" it spoke back to her, its beak opening in what she'd come to accept as a smile. "You want me to fly over and rough em' up then love?"
"NO! GOMEN! AKAWASHI-SAMA! WE ARE DEFENDING THE CASTLE!" Hinata didn't enjoy the way her voice echoed and boomed so loudly in Taisan's technique, "PLEASE! STAY AT THE CASTLE AND DEFEND US FROM INTRUDERS! IF POSSIBLE WE WANT TO AVOID CONFLICT!"
"Righto! Righto! Will do!" the birds head rose and fell as it spoke, "Anythin' for you love."
"ARIGATOU!" Taisan removed his fingers from her throat and nodded in approval.
"Now you stay here with Akawashi, I'm going to the West side to summon Kamebunta."
"Hai! …. ano … sensei?"
"Hmmm…?"
"Are … are you …okay?"
An uncomfortable silence. They hadn't had one of those since their first few months together. Hinata was certain now … he was scared.
"… I'm …. okay. Trust me. … Remember what you promised." his voice was stern as he left, but he was smiling proudly. Not waiting for her to respond, he was instantly lost in the crowd which moved in to surround the large bird, looking up in awe.
"… Hai! Sensei"
"Awww. Innat nice, ay? … You know you'll owe me some fish an' vinega' afta' this dontch'a"
"It's a date, Akawashi-sama," she turned to him giggling.
"I'll hold ya ta' dat I will love. I'll hold ya ta' dat."
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Sabaku no Gaara was as quiet as ever. His eyes infinitely focused. Glaring at the huge castle before him. This cluster of inferiors threatened his village, as the Kazekage, it was his duty to destroy it.
"Kazekage-sama? What are your…"
He interrupted, "Where are my siblings?" his voice was slow and dry.
Baki swallowed behind his veil, "They are further in front, preparing the forward troops."
"And Konoha?"
"As we requested they have come to our aid. They are directly opposite us now, a little further away than we are."
"We are splitting their forces effectively then?" It was such a mechanical plan, to break a single village's defence into three, and simply overpower them. "What of the Rock Village?"
"They are to the North, a greater distance away, it's possible they may not arrive until after nightfall." Gaara crossed his arms, neither annoyed nor pleased.
"Tell the forward shinobi to fall back. I will sink the castle myself!"
Baki smiled behind his veil discreetly, "As you wish, Kazekage-sama."
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Taisan stood for a moment atop the western castle walls. The Wind Country was well within eyeshot now, travelling through the farmlands at a snail pace. Konoha seemed to have stopped a little further out from the vegetative moat, possibly raiding the many farmhouses for supplies. The sand village troops however were a little closer, a lone shinobi strode ahead of the rest, walking quickly through the trees inside the moat itself. Sending chakra to his left arm Taisan slid down the fortress wall, using the arm to slow himself before he hit the curved rocks beneath him. Landing safely and with a defiant grimace he strode forward to meet the sole intruder. His obscenely large sword shook slightly on his shoulders.
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"Hinata-hime! What are your orders?" the boy who asked was young, too young to be here really.
Hinata just smiled at him, "Orders? You were all told to evacuate, you're not under my command."
Every willing missing-nin had gathered on the Western side to confront the Konoha village's invading force. Taisan had announced he would take care of 'the Sand' by himself. No one objected, although many had harsh unspoken thoughts about his sanity.
Effortlessly she used her Byakugan to observe the invading force. Hundreds of them, doubtlessly some would be Bunshin to intimidate them, that's what she told anyone who asked at least. A fair few of the missing-nin had stayed behind, a hundred perhaps, if she was lucky.
"That's the country you came from right?" the boy asked.
She looked down at him again, barely a twelve year old, "Hai."
"It will be weird to fight your old village?" he was very polite.
"Hai." she smiled warmly, kneeling down a little to his eye level.
This was not the response the boy wanted, "Then why are you fighting them? Why don't you run away and join them?"
She subconsciously noted his Mist village headband underneath his thick red hair, with the indiscriminate slash across its emblem.
"… Same reason you haven't fled for your village I would assume."
He didn't seem to understand that reasoning, so she went on.
"Because my sensei is here." she stated, like it were obvious. "Whatever happens, I'm going to make sure Taisan-niisan is safe."
The boy smirked a little, "How corny. The only reason I can't go back to my village is because they'd kill me for leaving."
Hinata wasn't sure what to say. So she smiled politely and turned back to the horizon.
'… Will Konoha do that to me too….?'
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"Sabaku no Gaara! Good to see you!" Taisan cupped his mouth to yell across the sizeable distance between them, "How you doing?"
Naturally Gaara didn't respond, preferring to glare with a menacing empty face.
"You've gotten taller since I last saw you!"
Taisan sensed the ground beneath him soften, jumping away just before a small, sand fist clawed at his ankles. The child Kage was standing at least two hundred meters away from him, a fair way in from the forest moat. Taisan stood atop one of the countless ten foot boulders which littered the perimeter of the castle's walls. Between them stood an open pasture, in other words, an unspoiled battlefield.
"Don't tell me you've forgotten me?" Taisan smile was huge, far larger than he would use in any natural situation. The boy was a definite threat, as a Kage and a Jinchuuriki, it was entirely possible he could get killed. At times like these, 'Auron's' greatest tactic for dealing with emotionless types, was to be overly emotional in response, trying to be nice to them, generally messing with their mind. Taisan tried to mimic it, but knew he couldn't be doing as good a job as his old friend used to do on him.
"C'mon! Brown hair? Little shorter? Carried a big sword on my back? You're hurting my feelings you know, I practically showed you around that damn village."
Gaara had of course forgotten such trivial things, before his atonement, incidents such as places and people had never stuck in his mind.
"As you are alone … you are the leader here …" It wasn't a question, but the tanned teen quickly treated it as one.
" …. what if I am?" he responded impudently, jumping aside as another set of palms reached from the dirt for his ankles, landing on another rock.
'This kid can control sand from this distance?'
Gaara began a slow walk towards him, his eyes tightly honed on his enemy.
Taisan struggled to think of ways to confuse his enemy, "You know … I remember you in the village. Your entire purpose was to kill anyone other than yourself. Right? You told me that once. Why are you a Kage now? Protecting people?"
Gaara continued his walking, if he was fazed, he didn't show it.
"… Protecting people is tough … I've tried it, but I just can't get the hang of it. Protecting one I can handle, ... and I think I've been handling 'one' pretty well …"
Gaara continued to pace, only a hundred meters distance now.
"I guess you don't have that problem? I'm sorry. But I have to ask you to leave this place."
Gaara again said nothing.
'Damn … he's not taking the bait…' Taisan frowned in annoyance, still desperate to attract the boy's attention.
"… I don't want to kill you. And to be honest I don't really care anymore if you kill me. But I can't let you kill the one I'm protecting. So back off …now! Before you force me to do something I'll regret …."
Taisan was sure he saw Gaara's left little finger flinch a little on that one, but it could have been a trick of the light as the Sun hit the forest behind him.
"… You keep coming … and I guarantee I'll destroy whoever you're protecting. Be it your whole village, … Or just your family," Taisan felt bad just saying it, he'd fought his whole life against people thinking that way about him.
Another flinch, right index finger this time.
Gaara stopped moving, only about thirty meters away now. Without uttering a word he raised his left palm and pointed directly at the older teen.
Within moments Taisan found himself jumping from rock to rock as they decomposed beneath his feet and tried to swallow him. Flipping wildly from side to side.
"FINE! HAVE IT YOUR WAY!"
Leaving what little protection the boulders were, he sped along the pasture toward the Kage. Hand gripping the hilt of the sword on his shoulder. Gaara stood detached as ever as a thick sand barrier grew before him. Without hesitation Taisan aimed for it, swinging the sword out from it's casing and grinding it across the grainy surface.
The sand buckled and broke quickly, but gave the young Kage just enough time to step backward calmly and summon another pair of hands to reach out from behind the teen for his ankles. The claws ripped through his blue camouflage pants, but failed to grip skin as Taisan jumped through the air once again, skipping backward as hand after mineral hand attempted to pull him under.
"An aerial based fighter." Gaara speculated calmly, arms crossed.
Every step was becoming dangerous now, the ground was softer than it should have been, threatening to suck him beneath it at any moment. Sand was already gripping tightly onto his clothing, weighing him down like concrete. Regardless he came at him again, once more the barrier protected the boy Kage, just long enough for him to step backward just inches from the blade's reach. Gaara's eyes seemed to smile smugly inside their black borders. Taisan took another few test swings, from below and above before realising it was futile at this level.
'Not enough energy … too much in the summoning … and that other … thing …'
Taisan jumped backward once more, running his left palm along the blade until it glowed a soft blue, running a small amount of chakra into it. Curious, Gaara allowed him to continue, recalling the sand into his gourd.
Taisan grit his teeth as he poured chakra into his weapon.
"…This blade, … the 'Testudo', … now burns with my chakra pattern. …. I told you already, … I don't intend to kill a Kage today … If you want to live, … leave. And take your army with you."
Gaara remained silent.
"I see … so you're okay with this …?
"…"
"…then I've done everything …"
The sword rose slowly, parallel to the ground, held with one hand aiming carefully for the boy. The ominous blue glow pulsated, its sharp tip reflecting the sun light in a small light flare.
"…everything I can … "
Walking slowly forward at first, readjusting the sword with each step, his left arm bent in front to balance the weight on the back of his wrist.
"….TO KEEP MY STORY CLEAN!!!" he yelled across the pasture hysterically.
"Come…."
Within moments the short steps became a full blown thrust, darting in a straight line for Gaara's smaller body. The red headed boy watched calmly, unimpressed by the direct joust. He raised a palm and instinctively created a small crater before his approaching adversary. Taisan's left foot jabbed at the edge tripping.
'Damn!...'
The sword embedded into the earth as his left arm dropped with the fall. His right arm held the sword at the leather coated grip as its chakra dispersed harmlessly into the ground.
"It is now my turn." Gaara stated simply, raising his right arm, extending his fingers into an open palm.
Within moments sand scaled the embedded sword and held fast to Taisan's fingers. Taisan felt his knuckles crack under the sand coating. Around the navy clad ninja another sand wall had appeared, some arcing above him into a dome, blocking any attempts to jump for safety, the rest slithered up his legs and tightly his body still, tugging at the fabrics of his clothing.
Gaara watched silently, palm still extended. Taisan struggled momentarily before succumbing. He looked up at the boy as the sand reached his throat. His brilliantly golden eyes now saddened, watching the boy just as silently.
"So … we're definitely gonna do this?" he asked, possibly to himself.
"… Desert Coffin."
The sand condensed suddenly, cracking several of his ribs and immediately crushing the bones in his legs. Taisan's smirk remained as his kidney's burst the pupils of his eyes dissipated and were replaced with a thick red substance which seeped from beneath the iris. Dripping like tears down his eyelashes and resting on his grinning lips.
Gaara saw several light cracks appear on the teens face, just before it disappeared from sight under a second layer of Gaara's Desert Coffin.
"BFFTTTT!!!"
A muffled explosion burst through the sand coffin, most of the sand shot across the sky as glass, digging into the charred boulders and burnt pasture. Gaara's gourd protecting him immediately as some smouldering pieces of glass flew toward him.
The contents of the coffin lay empty as the darkened sand broke apart and crawled back into Gaara's gourd.
"… An 'Explosive Bunshin' … it is your signature technique … is it not?" Gaara stated calmly as his perfect defence dispersed once again, this time orbiting him in small globs.
Unfazed by his failed Jutsu Gaara calmly spoke, "A clone made from minerals in the earth, … which once ruptured, reacts with the oxygen in the air to create an explosion … A simple enough technique. … Invisibility is also your talent, is it not?"
"…you do remember me?" Taisan's voice came from his left side, though no one stood there.
"… It's futile … I have already seen through your technique … There are several invisible explosive clones, circling me … I can feel them walking across the sand on the floor. … There is a 'lighter' one to my left … with a nickname such as the 'invisible army' … you leave yourself open."
Taisan said nothing.
The Kazekage let out a sharp breath through his nostrils, calmly bringing both palms to the ground, his eyes still watching the empty area around him, "DESERT WRATH!"
Immediately any remaining grass covering the field was sucked with a sickening plop beneath the dirt, which was itself promptly absorbed beneath a huge layer of fine, brown sand. Gaara held the Jutsu a while longer, extending its reach several hundred meters in all directions, the boulders themselves sank beneath the depths. The castle held its ground while the earth around it receded like a low-tide.
Finally satisfied, the sand manipulator adjusted his fingers against the floor, "DESERT REQUIEM!"
The course material dropped several feet, instantly compacting. Half of Gaara's left lip raised slightly in a soft smirk, as more than twenty small muffled explosions could be heard beneath the ground, there were little bumps in the dirt like gopher holes. A few in the distance exploded more violently sending debris in all directions. Some however, were scarcely ten meters from his position.
Gaara made no celebration for his victory, instead carefully judging the condition of his enemy beneath the earth.
'His body is … damaged … but not dead … yet.'
He raised his right arm again, holding his fingers outstretched parallel with the Earth. Under his breath he announced the jutsu …
"….Desert Funeral!" Bringing his fingers together, cracking his knuckles as he did so in perfect harmony with the dirt's shuddering.
Gaara stood shocked for a moment …. the body which his jutsu had just crushed … he couldn't feel it in the earth anymore. No waste … nothing. The sand had fallen in on itself. It had disappeared.
Only displaying a fraction of his shock the calm ninja uttered a shaky, "… na…nani?"
"KUCHIYOSE NO JUTSU!!!" (summoning technique)
Gaara looked up suddenly. Surprise for the first time evident in his expression. Along the walls of the castle a thick shadow was barrelling down the cracked stone blocks, leaving a trail of symbols and messy kanji in its wake.
'A shadow … no? … ink?'
The trail hit the ground and darted immediately toward the Kazekage, thickening and sending off smaller branches as it went.
Gaara attempted to regain composure as he raised both palms, prompting the sand to block its path and strangle it. It had no effect. The ink naturally travelled over the sand imprinting along it. Trying a different tactic, Gaara ushered the tainted earth apart, but found the ink ran deep into the earth, continuously drying onto the next layer of sand as quickly as he could move them.
'… damn!!'
The trail continued its frenzied dart, Gaara threw himself backward, inwardly cursing the weight of the large gourd he wore. The series of symbols stopped in the position Gaara had just moments before been standing. Quickly … but carefully, it created a small circle, barely thirty centimetres in diameter. Then it lashed out again, in all directions this time, helplessly Gaara allowed it to pass over him. The ink's pungent odour repulsed him as it harmlessly imprinted on his skin and clothing, darting beyond him to form a complicated and intricate circle, filled with more kanji, symbols and signatures.
'It smells of blood ….. This is … a summoning scroll?'
"Arigatou, Gaara-kun," Gaara slowly reared his head upward in disgrace. Before him, leaning nonchalantly against the great stone wall, was the man he had so confidently killed moments before. Several clones surrounded him in similar positions along the bricks, each grinning slightly.
"It would have been really tiring to gather all that Chakra into the ground by myself."
Gaara leered, his menacing appearance distorted under the dark ink which clung in thick, sticky globs against his skin. He was about to send a wave of sand against the castle and the bastard upon it, when all too quickly the ground beneath him began to shuffle and vibrate. Twisting and reforming beneath his feet, … rising.
The creature had stirred.
'The summoned creature! ... It's ascending!!!'
"DESERT REQUIEM!" his Jutsu had no effect as 'something' began to rise from beneath the desert surface of the pasture.
It rose quickly, within seconds swelling to reach the height of the castle's walls … and still growing. Gaara rolled awkwardly along its skin, as he fell half buried in the avalanche of sand, dirt and rocks which travelled with him. His gourd shattered instantly, softening into a blanket to support the boy's meagre frame as it toppled helplessly along the hard and fragmented surface. He was carried away by a small clump of sand floating peacefully a hundred meters above what was now a desert floor beneath him. The creature continued to rise. Recovering his breath, Gaara saw small portions of its body beneath the falling sand and earth around it. Small fractions of brown, covered in deep cracks and crevices, the occasional appearance of softer deep blue skin, which bulged with thick layers of fatty muscle.
'… So large ….'
The creature finally stopped growing, standing motionless for a few moments. Its upper body still covered in thick clumps of brown earth the size of mansions. Its huge body entirely blocking the castle behind it from view, its giant and menacing shadow spread across the tower to the forest on the western borders.
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Naruto's ridiculously optimistic outlook was dampened as a second smaller mountain grew from behind the Missing-nin's fortress, blocking the setting sun.
"ERO-SENNIN!!!!"
"I see it!" Jiraiya immediately removed his 'research' telescope to gaze up at the giant.
Naruto stood dumbstruck in the creatures wake. Something even bigger than Gamabunta … just didn't seem possible.
'It can't be real … a Genjutsu … it has to be …'
"So … another summoned creature … hmmm?" Jiraiya continued to examine with his gold telescope, waiting for the huge patches of dirt to recede from the creatures body. The many shinobi around them stood apprehensive for a moment, waiting for the older man to give a signal of some sort.
"This is!!! …" Jiraiya's pupils shrunk, "This isn't something the Sand can take care of alone …."
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The creature shook what the Kage could only assume were its shoulders, sending another avalanche of dirt, sand and rocks plummeting to the Earth. Panicking, Gaara ushered his sand courier backward and upward to avoid the many landslides as well as the dirt which ricocheted from the floor. Looking up again to the giant creature, Gaara could make out five men standing on its wide shoulders … bunshins (clones).
One called out to him, "In case you were wondering, …. that 'Lighter One'" he formed air quotes with his fingers, "… Was a Kage Bunshin. (shadow clone)"
The others chuckled, mocking the Kage's stupidity. Gaara could only glare angrily while his body breathed heavily, reeling from his fall and the general stress of the 'Desert Requiem.' He wasn't injured of course, his 'mother' would never let that happen.
"Oh!!!" Another announced, "Allow me to introduce Kamebunta, King of Tortoises."
"… Ko-Ni-Chi-Wa" it's voice was gruff and unpleasant, speaking slowly to carefully articulate each syllable.
Gaara could see it more clearly now, it was a giant tortoise, standing on its hind legs. It had deep aquamarine skin which was covered in warts the size of large boulders. The shell it carried was phenomenally large, along its stomach it was hued a light brown, with deeply indented cracks running horizontally along the upper chest. The back of the shell was a much darker brown colour, which stuck out more dominantly and in a more rounded shape. Pattern-wise the shell was nothing more than a poorly decorated mosaic with unsystematic shell pieces running along its length and breadth. Between each piece were wide moss covered spaces, filled with what appeared to be a thick mud. At the animal's shoulders two giant, hollow cylinders protruded out from the back of the shell … canons. Similar instruments were attached to its arms, extending further than its short stumpy fingers which were held tightly in two muscular fists. Billions of barnacles, mussels and other sea creatures clung to its body, Gaara gagged softly at the smell of dead fish which the beast secreted.
The lower part of the creatures face lay hidden inside the shell, its face was wide however, and so were its large weary eyes which stared down at him drearily. Its breath was deep and heavy, with each inhale steam leaked from between the cracks of its shell.
"Ta-Ru-San …?" the creature's eyes turned to one of the men atop its shoulders, "Eh-Na-Mi?"
The teen upon its shoulders took a moment to consider the options.
"Gaara-kun … I have to ask … how do you control the Shukaku?"
Gaara stood upon his 'transport,' " … how do I … what?"
"How do you control the Shukaku?"
"… I devote myself to my village … and protect it from those who threaten it's future."
Seeing the disgraced but vengeful look in Gaara's eyes Taisan sighed and nodded to the filthy creature. The animal's eyes narrowed as its gaze returned downward to the young Kage on his floating pillar.
"… strange … I do the same thing, but I just had to devote myself to one person."
Gaara blinked slowly, full realisation not quite dawning on him, "…."
Gaara flinched as the giant creatures cheeks into what was no doubt a twisted and greedy smile behind the shell. The Kage didn't waste time, instinctively calling up a giant barrier of sand to create distance between the creature and himself, constantly adding to it and compressing it while the sand he stood upon glided in the opposite direction, attempting to achieve some distance.
The massive creature raised its right arm slowly, grunting loudly from the effort. The cannon on the arm's wrist vibrated softly, shaking the arm in unison. Steam exhausted from its body suddenly as, with a loud sweaty 'glurp,' a spherical ball of grimy brown water shot from the creatures wrist, bursting the sand wall apart moments after impact. With a 'crack', thousands of pounds of mud dripped from the sky coating the pasture below in a thick brown slime.
Hearing the explosion, Gaara turned back, just in time to widen his stoic eyes in horror as a second sphere tore across the empty sky after him. He opened his mouth to scream but it was cut off into a muffled gargle as the sphere enveloped him. His 'transport' immediately dissolved in the thick brown liquid, some of it latching onto his skin as a protective shield. As the aqueous ball fell from the sky and hit the forest floor. Caught in the torrent the Kazekage was dragged dangerously across the terrain, swallowing litres of water as he collided with all manner of trees and rocks which came into the path of his limp and broken body.
When the flood finally settled the Kage hung … soaking and unconscious from the branches of a tree … miserably defeated.
Taisan let out a sigh of relief as he watched the water subside. Grateful that the young boy was still breathing from the branches.
"I LE-VUH NA-OW?" The giant questioned.
"Not yet!" he pleaded, "… Give me at least half an hour. We still have to deal with them." He pointed beyond Gaara's broken body to the farmland further out. The Sand shinobi had already doubled their pace to aid their fallen prince.
"TA-WEN-TI MI-NITS!" Kamebunta retorted, letting a huge burst of steam out from beneath the hood of his shell.
Taisan sighed heavily, the other clones raised their eyebrows and crossed their arms in disapproval, "Fine … but don't kill any of them…!"
The giant summon, listened but never agreed to fulfil his 'masters' request.
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- End Chapter 10 -
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… next chapter?
"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!"
Hinata tried to speak, to comfort the creature, but her small voice was either drowned out by the birds cry, or choked out forcibly in the creature's wrath. She was knocked from side to side, she could feel herself losing consciousness. With no oxygen and now a rigorous beating ….
"RASENGAN!!"
'………that …..that voice…?'
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a/n … well lots of references to other Anime's in this one.
That was also my first real fighting scene, and I hope I did well. Please let me know how I could improve with comments.
As you might have noticed I've given Hinata a summoning contract with Eagles, this is a reference to Dame Wren's 'Two Halves.' As for Taisan's summoning contract you might have noticed a startling similarity between his summon and some other anime character/s, I won't say who it is as it might be too obvious then roughly what Auron's or Sujin's could be.
GOMEN GAARA!!!! I'm really sorry to all Gaara fan's out there. I'm a big fan of his too, and in my defence I tried to give him the best fight I could.
Oh yeah Auron's ponytail and red cape is in honour of Ed Elric from 'Full Metal Alchemist.' Albeit Auron's a lot taller.
There were probably some other references in there which I can't remember right now, if you spot any let me know.
I decided to add a preview for the next chapter in this one, this trend may or may not continue. It's copied off of some other fan-fiction's which used the same thing.