Hey, I'm back with another exciting chapter of Throne of Power!
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On a happier note: this story is over 100k! huzza!
Now on with the story!
Chapter 9: Making War
Naruto cleans out his ears.
"Say what?"
Mei just looks at him with a straight face, completely serious.
"I said he is a Jinchūriki."
Now under normal circumstances, Naruto would think he is being played, that this is all a practical joke. But with every person in the room looking intently at him, he can only conclude that they are serious or the best actors in the world. He has no choice but to ask the obvious.
"How do you know?"
Mei gets his skepticism. Jinchūriki are supposed to be very rare. Rare but extremely powerful.
"During the bloodline purge, a clan called the Kaguya assaulted the Mizukage's estate. Their bloodline made their skin impenetrable to sharp objects and resists Ninjutsu."
"It's called the Shikotsumyaku (Dead Bone Pulse). I am familiar with the bloodline," Naruto cuts in before Mei wastes time by explaining what he already knew.
"Good because you know that they would be almost unstoppable. They reached the Mizukage estate only for Yagura to be waiting for them. He used a jutsu that their bones couldn't resist…lava. He melted them.
"However, there were too many of them and he was struck in vital places several times. They thought it was over but then a tail of yoki formed behind him and he proceeded to thrash them. His touch melted their bones and his hits turned them to powder. They were annihilated within minutes.
"I know of this because I was going to recruit the Kaguya for the rebels but when I saw their compound empty, I knew where they were going. So I rushed over there just as the battle started. I…I couldn't do anything to save them."
Mei looks down but Naruto isn't paying attention. Instead, he is holding a separate conversation.
"What do you make of this?"
Kyūbi is silent for a minute or so.
"I don't know. Obviously he can't be a complete Jinchūriki. We would know if one of us is missing and Yonbi-kun was there at the briefing before we left as he is the only one who gives his hosts the lava release. He could have a separate bloodline like the Terumi. However, we need to investigate further into this."
She doesn't say it but she is deeply disturbed that someone can take the yoki out of a Bijū and implant it into someone else to be used as a weapon.
Naruto comes back to the conversation with Mei.
"I need to investigate further into this matter. If it is true, I may need backup. But until that time we proceed with the war however, I need to see every piece of information you have or will get on his Jinchūriki status."
He sees that Mei is hesitant to share information like that but he can practically hear her rationalize it in her mind.
"Alright. Come by here later.
"Moving on. Is there any immediate issues? Nothing? Then dismissed. Convene back here tomorrow at eight a.m."
Naruto files out with the rest of them but Mei calls him to stay.
"Yes?" he asks once everyone is out of the room.
"Listen Naruto, I know you may be thinking that Yagura might have a bloodline like mine that allows him to create and perform lava jutsu like my family. I know you know of the Terumi linage if you are aware of the Shikotsumyaku.
"But let me tell you this. Yagura doesn't even come close to the Terumi is terms of blood or relations. I know this because I have done the comparison of our family histories before the war officially broke out. I am the last remaining Terumi left and Yagura doesn't have any but the dimmest traces of relation between us that we all share."
Naruto takes the information in stride but still decides to investigate on his own. After he is done with a short conversation with Kyūbi, Naruto looks back to Mei who has gone from 'leader mode' to being timid in front of him. He wonders what could cause the sudden change when Mei speaks up.
"How long do you think…you know?" she asks quietly.
Naruto has to think for a second before realizing that she is talking about the seal he sent off to his mother to look at.
"Well, she is vastly more experienced with complex seals than I am and with her having the Uzumaki Fūinjutsu scrolls, it can be anywhere from a week upwards. However…there is a possibility that even my mother won't be able to decipher and counter it."
Mei doesn't like that possibility.
"So what am I supposed to do, spend the rest of my life as a civilian?" she asks defensively.
Naruto grins, a creepy grin that promises pain. She knows it well as she has had that exact look a few hundred times while training her subordinates.
"Of course not. You train without chakra."
Mei's eyebrow rises. How is one supposed to train without chakra? You can't have one without the other…right?
As if reading her mind, Naruto answers her question.
"You train by making your body stronger and faster. Even at the subconscious level, shinobi and even civilians to a point use chakra to reinforce their bodies and enhance at the same time. By taking away the chakra, one can allow their body to train without a crutch, which forces the body to adapt and build muscle at a much higher rate.
"It also shows you just how much you use chakra on a daily basis. You never truly appreciate something until it's gone. And in doing so, you will gain a better understanding of what chakra really is and how it works."
"And that would be…" Mei fishes.
However, Naruto is smart enough not to bite. "And what kind of sensei would I be if I gave you the answers. This is something only you can figure out."
Mei pouts but Naruto misses it as he has already exited. His current destination is to send a message to Throne to have them investigate the quite disturbing rumors about Yagura's Jinchūriki status. After that, it is off to comfort his distraught lover/wife.
Time Skip – 1 Week
Most wouldn't think about the impact just seven days can have. 7 days, 168 hours, 10,080 minutes, 604,800 seconds.
If one were to describe the rebel base before Mei and Naruto arrived it would have been dreary, depressing, dead.
The people Mei handed the material from Naruto to analyze had the tactical maps and current troop deployments done in a few hours. Within minutes of that briefing, Mei issued her first combat orders. They are to take the town of Itola, a small fishing village that would give them better access to the mainland. However, there is a strong enemy presence in the town.
The Garrison is fifty strong Jōnin and Chūnin along with defenses and barracks have been erected to fortify the town. It took Naruto and his Guardians all of ten minutes to clear out a town that would have taken five times that long with the 'regulars' a.k.a. the grunts of the rebels. It was silent, not a single alarm was raised. When they were done, Naruto just strolled out of the gates like nothing had happened.
With Itola taken, they had branched out in a hurry for a stolen tactical map never stayed current for long. Eight more towns had been taken in rapid succession and the rebels have doubled the size of their territory. Suddenly moral was high and people started being recruited again for the cause.
The base would be described as lively and in good spirits. People joked and laughed and overall start having a good time again.
At first, there had been skepticism about Mei and her leadership ability after her last command decision that they all paid dearly for. Naruto and his Guardians heard whispers about her loyalty and her authority. Amazing what a few successful battles can do to the thought processes of the masses. But no matter how well the rebels do, the doubt has been seeded. Even if they never lose another engagement, there will always be doubt somewhere in the minds of the lowest of the ranks, the cannon fodder, those not skilled enough to go on individual or squad based missions.
True to Naruto's words, his Guardians vehemently refused to let Naruto go on his own or with just two Guardians. They won't even agree to let Naruto stay in the base and they go out. They are all or nothing. It is different if they split up during the same mission then being dozens of miles away from their charge. They wouldn't have gone even if Naruto had ordered them to go.
Mei used Naruto's Guardian stealth abilities to the max the first couple of weeks, weeding out spies or those with their own agendas. What a blessing the shadow clone is. With that jutsu, they can literally be everywhere at the same time and monitor all suspicious individuals and not run the risk of getting caught. When Mei asked if she could learn their stealth, Miya simply answered that Throne doesn't give out secrets of such magnitude without good reason.
Speaking of Throne, he hasn't heard back from them yet but it should be any day now. They haven't moved bases yet, though that is what he is doing now. He and a group of nine other shinobi are quietly moving to reclaim Base Charlie. Mei wants to establish it as a F.O.B. (Forward Operating Base) in which to stage further strikes into enemy territory.
He has the group stop just outside the patrolled perimeter. Ever since they started a rapid campaign, the forces they face have been on higher alert. One can't afford to make mistakes.
Search lights scan the perimeter as shinobi in squads of four move along the worn dirt road. Did I mention it was raining? Yeah, I would say that it is raining but that would be an insult to the word. An entire ocean might as well have been dumped on them for the amount of water being dropped from the clouds overhead. It is both a blessing and a hindrance.
Rain naturally cuts the visibility available and suppresses sounds. However, it leaves puddles that make noise and leaves footprints in the mud it creates, making it easy to identify people sneaking around.
Naruto signals for a stop. They wait and all go prone in ankle deep puddles just off the road on the other side of wild shrubbery. Their breath is visible as the air is chilled from the heavy moisture and lack of sunlight. All hold their breath as a patrol of four passes by. Not a sound is made from the rebels as the sloppy footsteps of the patrolling shinobi are heard clearly over the thundering rain.
They footsteps stop and nobody dares to move. From underneath the bushes, Naruto can make out the boots of the shinobi. He can hear words being exchanged but not what is being said.
With a hand signal, the four shinobi drop dead. Naruto hurries by moving forward and grabbing two of the corpses while Ameyuri grabs the other two. They haul them off the road and into the mud and water. They make sure that almost no part of the dead are showing before moving on.
They cross the road, using chakra to make sure that they don't create tracks but only the very minimum amount as there is sure to be a sensor on duty. Once across and hidden once again, Naruto signals to stop.
Why? Because the main gate is in view. Guarding the gate are two towers with spot lights and manned by three shinobi in each. The towers are wooden and covered but are completely open with no walls. It makes for a good vantage point.
In front of the gate is another squad of shinobi but hidden are another two squads waiting for an ambush.
'Ok, time to start the plan.'
He gives the signal and then gets down quickly as another patrol passes by them heading for the gate.
"Anything to report?" the shinobi in charge of the gate asks.
"Not a damn thing. We're all going to get pneumonia and hypothermia out in this monsoon."
The guard chuckles. "I hear ya but orders are orders. They say that the rebels are surging with some new devil somehow acquired who busted their leader out."
The patrolling shinobi waves his hand at the guard. "Please. A devil? More like someone got lucky. Anyways, I need to get indoors before my balls shrivel up and retract into me so far they are never seen again."
The guard has a good laugh as does the others around them. The guard waves them in and the patrol disappears into the base behind the gate. Once inside, the shinobi make their way into the barracks while the leader goes to the command post to report in.
"Squad three reporting in."
The commander is a squatty looking man who's maximum height is around 4'5". The name of this person will remain unnamed due to the author's lack of creativity and skill with names.
"Very good…you may continue with the report."
"Nothing to report, not even a mouse around the perimeter."
"And what of the other matter?"
The lead shinobi has a questioning look. "What other matter, sir?"
The commander rolls his eyes. "The very thing we discussed right before you left on patrol you imbecile."
"Sir, I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about."
The commander turns a skeptical to his comrade.
"Intru…"
Before the word leaves his mouth, he finds a firm grip around his throat. He sees the image of the shinobi holding him waver before bleeding away to a woman with purple hair and a mask.
Miya holds him up and takes her other hand and puts it to his forehead. She channels her chakra and downloads the man's knowledge. Throne acquired this technique from the Yamanaka several decades ago when it was developed. But because the Yamanaka have the bloodline that allows them to use mind techniques, it took several years to make it available others.
However, because it is a bastardized version, it comes with certain…side effects. Like brain death.
Miya drops the man in a heap, his brain fried and all information gone, forcibly drained from him. She takes a minute to collect herself from the sudden rush of information. After she is ready again, she quickly grabs anything that would be of use later and seals it away.
Then she leaves the office in her disguise. She passes the secretary.
"The boss says he doesn't want to be disturbed for a while. I found something on my patrol and he wants some time to think."
The secretary nods in understanding. Miya walks out and back out into the rain. The cold water chills her to the bone but she has a mission to do. She gets to the gates in the shadows and likes what she sees. Naruto and his group of ten (including him) are inside the gate hidden away.
"Mission complete," she says once she is in range. From behind her, twins and Ikki materialize as well and give him an identical message. Naruto smirks. That means that the leader is gone and the Intel secured and the majority of the shinobi in the barracks are taken care of.
"Good, begin phase three."
Phase one was to get to the gate. Phase two was to get the Guardians inside and to do their mission while Naruto and Ameyuri, the ones with the highest stealth, take out those guarding the gates. The other eight take out any more patrols they find and hide the bodies. Then they hightail it inside.
Phase three is wiping out the rest of the forces within the base. Simple but difficult. They want the base intact as much as possible. That means all kills using stealth is preferable as to not raise the alarm. But incase that happens, they have eight more fighters to even out the numbers a little.
They all take off in different directions with Miya and Hikari hanging with Naruto for support. They quickly get to the walls and move along them. They move quietly up to the first tower.
Unlike the two towers guarding the entrance, the towers around the perimeter are further apart and more manned than the others. Instead of three, there are eight shinobi inside as the towers are larger, each with two spot lights rather than one. However, as a security precaution, all towers are within visible range of each other.
Naruto fishes a tag out of his pouch and knocks loudly on wood of the tower. All but those on the lights turn to the noise…only to get nearly blinded by a flash tag. Naruto had been sure to throw it down to contain the flash as much as possible to not alert the other towers. Even though the visibility is cut due to the rain, a large flash of light would easily be noticed.
While the shinobi are blinded, Naruto and Miya jump in and quickly dispatch the guards inside while Hikari stands watch. They move the bodies out of the tower so investigating shinobi wouldn't immediately be alerted. They create clones to man the tower and look like they are Mist shinobi.
They repeat the process for the other eleven towers surrounding the compound. By this time, the rain had slowed to a drizzle and the sun is starting to rise, making their progress slower as to not be seen. When the perimeter is secure, they head to the mess hall to meet up with the rest of the team.
This is the last area to be taken as there are always shinobi here and not asleep. Naruto and his Guardians climb to the ceiling to survey the room. Thirty-four shinobi are in the hall and eating. That doesn't count those in the kitchens. This will be difficult to not demolish the building in a fight.
They have a quick meeting to talk options. Naruto decides on the one with the lowest risk. He sends Miya outside to inform the group of the plan and then she comes back inside.
"WHE'RE UNDER ATTACK! EVERYMAN TO THEIR POST!" she bellows in a random Chūnin disguise.
And just like magic, the hall is cleared in less than twenty seconds. The shinobi all rush outside…and into a trap. Around them are dozens of shinobi surrounding them from all directions, even on the roof. The group immediately forms a defensive formation, weapons at the ready.
However, instead of attacking a single woman steps forward.
"Now we can do this the easy way or the hard way. You are the only ones left alive. You can stay that way but only if you surrender. I don't really care one way or another. Either way we reclaim this base in the name of the Rebellion."
Now they are faced with one of the Seven Swordsmen. But one of the Mist ninjas is of higher rank as he is smirking.
"Really now? And how will you use a ruined base?"
As he speaks, the barracks and command center explodes. It seems that they are rigged.
"They are tied to the Commander's life. Once he died, it set off a timer that waits a while before detonating," the man stupidly gloats
"Clever. It seems we missed a few." That makes the Mist ninja lose his smirk. "Yeah, we came across them as we were clearing out the enemies. Now answer my question before I answer it for you and you know what? Prisoners are such a hassle. You have to guard them, feed them, take them to the bathroom, brush their teeth. It is so much simpler just to kill you all."
The man scoffs.
"You think you can take all of on? Don't think I can't tell that most of your 'group' are clones so nice try."
Ameyuri shrugs. "I never said it would be me. Try them."
They look to where she points to two people standing on the roof. They stand back to back, holding hands, and clearly female judging by their outline. They raise their entwined hands and the Mist ninja has only a second of warning when their hands spark with electricity before he and the rest of the thirty ninja fall unconscious due to the electricity.
From her spot, Ameyuri whistles. She had watched the twin Guardians' hands spark and then an EMP-like shockwave burst from the middle of their formation, making them lose consciousness. No hand signs, no warning.
As she holds the Kiba, she knows what lightning chakra is capable of and she would be even more deadly if she could use lightning without hand signs while not using her swords. The power that runs all life at your fingertips…
Suddenly Naruto drops down into the epicenter.
"Nice job. It would have been a hassle to fight them all and not have some damage…though I am a bit disturbed by the time delayed sabotage seals. We should send a message to Mei to have her send out orders to search all the towns we take from now on for these seals. We should do another search but a lot more thorough through here."
Ameyuri nods her head.
"Send the signal."
Naruto pulls out a seal from a storage seal on his forearm and activates it. This seal is a simple seal…relatively simple. All it does is link to another seal and make that seal glow. This is the signal that Mei is waiting for.
She sees the seal glow and orders nearly half her troops to report to Base Charlie where Ameyuri is going to be posted as commander. They will work separately without knowledge of each other's current goals but will team up for missions every now and then. It is a good idea so not all the 'eggs' are in the same breadbasket.
The only one who will know what both are doing is Naruto who will be going back and forth helping both out.
"I want these prisoners ready for transport. Bound them, gag them, and disrupt their nervous systems but not permanently. We want them to be able to feel pain during the interrogation."
Time Skip – 6 Months
Naruto is nervous and for good reason. For the first time in his life, Kyūbi is not with him. She has been summoned back by Throne in an envelope and stamp that he has never seen.
Flashback
Naruto looks up from his bed after a rough training session with Mei. She has adapted quite well to not using chakra. Her Taijutsu is off the charts now and she is better than ever…minus not being able to use jutsu. Naruto now has trouble keeping up with her in a pure straight Taijutsu match. Mei indeed earns her Kage-level claim and this is just Taijutsu.
Standing in his window is a messenger bird. But not just any messenger bird…
In an instant, he is across the room and pulling the message off the bird's leg. He then crosses the room to give the bird its treat and reward. The bird screeches its thanks before flying off and return to the nest on Destiny's Gateway.
Naruto is both nervous and excited about opening the message. It could be from his mother about the seal. But the moment Naruto actually lays eyes on the stamp, he frowns.
'That's odd. I've never seen this stamp used at Throne before. Better find out what they want.'
Naruto tries to open the scroll but he can't.
'Must be something to do with the stamp though I've never seen a seal like this before. If it is this hidden and hard to open, the contents has to be important.'
At this moment, Kyūbi decides to wake up. She opens her eyes and looks to see what Naruto is doing. Her eyes bug out as she sees what is in his hands.
"Naruto, when did you get that?"
Naruto is slightly startled by her sudden voice.
"Good afternoon, Kyu-chan. Did you have a good nap?"
Kyūbi suppresses a growl. She loves the blond and his greetings after she wakes but she isn't in the mood right now.
"It was fine now please answer my question,"she asks with as much patience as she can muster.
"It just arrived a few minutes before you woke up. I tried to open it but I've never seen a seal like this. Do you know what it is?"
Dread fills Kyūbi.
"Have the Guardians make the room secure then have them guard every entrance or looking space into the room."
"Kyu, you're scaring me. What's going on?"
"I'll tell you later. Just do it."
Naruto has little choice and Kyūbi's 'request' gets done.
"Now summon me."
"You know protocol. I can't do that. I broke it once already but that was an emergency and now you're asking me do it again."
Kyūbi takes a calming breath. "Look, I know this is very confusing and as much as I want to, I can't explain it. So please stop asking questions that I cannot answer. The room is secure and nobody will know I'm here. So please just do as I ask."
Naruto hears the conviction in her voice, the wish to explain to her husband and mate. He is left with two choices. Trust her or not to.
Without hand seals, Kyūbi stands in front of him. Their eyes meet and both just stand there. This is a new dynamic in their relationship. Never before has Naruto known that Kyūbi was purposefully keeping things from him. Sure sometimes she would say, 'I can't tell you now but later' or 'You're not ready for it but you will be'. But never something that she could never tell him and it hurts…a lot.
Kyūbi sees his emotions swirling behind his expressive and eyes and fights the urge to flinch at his pained expression. She casts her eyes down, not able to bear the weight of the guilt of meeting his eyes.
She can't put her finger on why but Naruto means so much more to her than any of her previous hosts or any human for that matter. She feels closer to him, a connection that she never had with anyone else. His opinion of her means the world to her and she can't stand it if he were to hate or resent her for this.
Whether she wants it to or not, their relationship has changed. No longer can she claim to never have hidden anything from him that he wouldn't learn later. No matter how much time passes, no matter how small, a part of him will always question if she is hiding something from him, a voice that tells him that she has done it before so why not now. And it frightens her that he would think that and not trust her fully.
She slowly walks forward with watery eyes and hugs him fiercely. She nearly breaks down right there.
"Please don't hate me. I have no choice. Please forgive me," she whispers into his neck.
Naruto wraps his arms around her and holds her to him.
"I could never hate you. I love you too much to ever hate you. I just want to know what's going on."
Kyūbi's heart soars but she dreads just what the message says. She gives him a watery smile and chaste kiss before slowly extracting the letter from his hands. She backs away from him then spins away, not able to look him in the eyes knowing that whatever is in this letter, she won't be able to tell him.
She puts her thumb on the stamp and it glows. Then she channels a tiny bit of you yoki into the stamp. The seal recognizes the yoki and then melts the stamp, allowing her to open the scroll.
Naruto hears her unroll the scroll. His interest peaks when he sees her go rigid. A small burst of light a few minutes later means that she has burned the message. Yet with the message burned, she doesn't relax, she doesn't turn to face him.
In fact, he smells something. It is salty yet…he can't quite figure out what it smells like. But then he hears her sniffle.
'She's crying.'
Of the years he has known her, he has never seen her cry. Sure she has been teary eyed a couple of time but never outright crying. Whatever was in that message must have upset her greatly.
"Kyu what's wrong?"
She doesn't answer and continues to face away from him. So he takes a more physical approach. He starts towards her and when he gets within a foot of her, he suddenly finds her around his neck, sobbing uncontrollably.
He is stunned to say the least. Kyūbi has only once been emotionally needy before. Physically is much more common, but this is still something new to him. He can only wonder of what was said in that letter. But in the mean time, he maneuvers them to the bed and lays down with her on top of him as he gently strokes her hair and back while she calms down.
Before long, Kyūbi has composed herself, yet refuses to look him in the eyes.
"What was in that message?" he asks quietly.
Kyūbi flinches.
"I can't tell you. I wish I could so much but I can't…all I can say is that I have to go."
Naruto's heart stops. "Go where?"
"Back to Throne."
Naruto is silent for a moment. "When do we leave?"
He feels Kyūbi shake her head into his chest. He can feel his shirt becoming damp from her tears.
"You can't go. I have been summoned back, not you. And besides, what would the rebels do without you here?"
Kyūbi still hasn't met his eyes.
"They would be fine without me for a few weeks. We nearly have Kirigakure surrounded. They can take it from here for a while."
Kyūbi shakes her head again.
"That won't work. In a war like this, you can't let up and let the enemy have the advantage. With Mei out, you are the only one who can take on the rest of the Swordsmen and Yagura."
Much to their dread, the reports had been confirmed a few days after securing one of the villages surrounding Kirigakure and Naruto having slain a Swordsman. He and Kyūbi clearly felt the blast of yoki and the latter knew just who's yoki it was having lived with the Bijū it came from for more than five centuries.
"I wish you could go with me and we could leave this dreadful war behind. I hate what it is doing to you and the rest of the country…" she trails off. "But wishful thinking will get us nowhere."
Naruto has had enough. He takes his hand and gently but firmly moves Kyūbi's head up to look at him. Her eyes are swimming in barely contained tears and a trembling lip. Naruto brings her up to his face and dabs her eyes dry with his shirt.
"Why are you so upset by this?"
"…"
The words get caught in her throat but Naruto is patient and allows her time to try again.
"Because you won't trust me anymore." Naruto starts to say something buy Kyūbi doesn't allow him to speak. "Some part of you, willing or not, will always distrust me because there are things that I can't tell you. I want to so badly but I made a promise, a pact, not to speak of it. You mean so much to me that I can't bear to know that you don't trust me."
Before Kyūbi can continue Naruto reaches out and, once again, gently but firmly holds the sides of her face mere inches away from his.
"Kyūbi! Stop it. You need to calm down and relax. I'm not going to leave you or distrust you because you can't tell me one thing. I understand that there are some things that I don't need to know about. So don't worry. I don't want to see you like this every time something like this happens. I love you too much to see you so upset over something so small.
"Do you understand?"
Kyūbi nods and Naruto pulls his hands away from her face but she grabs onto on and holds it next to her cheek. They lay together for a while, enjoying being physically together as Kyūbi hasn't been outside the seal since she calmed Mei down.
However, there is a lingering question that needs answering.
"So when do you leave?"
Kyūbi shoots him a guilty look.
"Tonight. There will be a boat off the port of Suminoe no Tsu in two hours. I'll be gone a minimum of two weeks.
"Listen Naruto. Mei's plans will have the rebels attack Kirigakure before I get back. You have to survive. I can't imagine what a hole you will leave if you die."
Naruto sends her a grin. "Of course I can't die. You trained me too well for that."
Kyūbi hits him a little harder than normal as it shouldn't be a joking matter. But she can't keep from appreciating his efforts to cheer her up. So she decides to shoot back.
"Plus I don't want to have to explain to your family how you died…"
Naruto suppresses a shiver. He can't imagine the ass kicking his mother and sister would give anyone who brought that bad news to them Kyūbi or not.
"I'll take you out there. It should take about a half hour or so to reach there."
End Flashback
For the rest of the time, Kyūbi stayed out of the seal and they enjoyed their time together as well as a quick romp. Right after they snuck out of the base, Naruto let Kyūbi out again and all six of them went to the port. Kyūbi is just happy to have some fresh air after so many months being cooped up in the seal and to spend some quality time with Naruto in the real world.
They shared a tearful goodbye before being escorted out to the rendezvous point a mile from the port by Miya and Hikari. The two Guardians returned ten minutes later and reported that Kyūbi is now on a ship sailing for Destiny's Gateway. Naruto didn't go because he would be severely tempted to get on the boat with her.
That had been a week ago. And with the looming date of the siege coming up, his nervousness grows hourly. He isn't nervous about dying…well not of death. Over the last four years, he has never been out of Kyūbi's presence for more than a few hours at the most. He misses her and worries that he won't get to see her again.
His musings are broken when he sees a bird land on his window. He is so fast in getting to it, he startles the bird, making it screech and snap its beak at him. After the bird calms down, he retrieves the scrolls from the bird and gives it two treats in apology for startling it.
He is curious about the multiple scrolls but wastes no time in opening one of them. He recognizes Kyūbi's hand writing instantly.
He reads the page and breathes a sigh of relief. Kyūbi is on her way back here having left this morning and is due to be at the port she left at in eight days. There is a slight delay due to a storm blocking the most direct route but most of the storm has passed and it will only delay them a day.
Relieved, he opens the other letter. Inside is a message from his mother as well as a storage seal. Naruto's face grows a grin the more he reads until he has a huge smile plastered on his face. He'll have to make sure to get her something for all her hard work.
Naruto unseals whatever is in the storage seal as the letter didn't actually say anything about it. Out pops another letter, this one with different handwriting that he can only assume came from his sister. However before he can open it up and read it, there is a knock at his door.
"Naruto-sama, a meeting has been convened," comes Miya's voice through the door as it is her rotation to guard the door with one of the others.
"I'm on my way."
Time Relapse – Kyūbi's arrival to Throne
The dock workers all move out of the way as a pissed off red head moves from the dock in a great hurry. She is giving off an aura of death so strong, it makes her hair fly behind her. She marches towards the compound with a purpose. Though she absentmindedly catalogs the fact that she can still use yoki and that is dangerous considering what she and Naruto discovered about Yagura.
'I'll have to talk to Sanbi-kun to have him get Yakumo to add yoki inhibitors around the island too.'
It is amazing how one event can show so many cracks in the foundation.
She storms her way through the compound, taking a specific route through dozens of twists and turns, touching random bits of concrete as she turned corners. A half hour later, she stops in front of a blank wall before stomping on the ground and letting her yoki flow into the ground. Only then does the wall in front of her melt away, revealing a passageway.
Those random touches along the walls were actually traps that were being disabled or releasing a seal that would allow her to get to this passageway.
She follows the torch lit hall down into the ground and into the island. The wall magically remakes itself, sealing her in and cuts off her signature from the rest of the compound. She descends at a 45 degree angle for a good hundred feet before coming to a large, surprisingly well lit chamber. Inside are nine doors large enough to allow four people to go in side by side and tall enough to accommodate half her fox form go off in different directions. At the very center of the large room is an old, stone circular table in which eight figures are seated.
"I call the 27th Meeting of the Bijū in the year 3624AC* to order now let's hurry this up," Kyūbi shoots as she sits.
The other eight Bijū are confused with her pissy attitude.
"And what has gotten under your skin?" Hachibi asks as she absentmindedly manicures her nails.
Kyūbi glares at the female eight tails.
"Oh I don't know something about leaving my host in the middle of a war zone in which he might die. I'm curious as to why this meeting couldn't wait a few weeks. Who called this meeting and why?"
None of the Throne hosts know about their meetings, not even Asura and his century of being in Throne. Only the Bijū are aware of the passageways. Every Bijū can call a meeting and no matter where they are, all other Bijū must attend.
Sanbi from the opposite side of the table stands.
"I did. While Yakumo-chan and I were in Oto, we raided one of Orochimaru's bases. Inside Yakumo found something and I had her summon me immediately and told her not to look at it."
The others are curious but have a chilling sensation climb their sides.
"Orochimaru is looking for it."
Silence reigns.
Kyūbi leans across the table.
"Are you sure? How did he know of its existence?"
Sanbi nods. "I don't know. His research was only of possible locations of its locations. There was no indication of how he found out about it but if he knows then it is possible that his previous association knows of it too."
The table is silent.
"So what shall we do?" Nibi speaks up for the first time.
"Nothing. I don't know how he came to know of its existence but over the millennia, many have sought and none have found," Nanabi proclaims.
They seem to ponder this for a second before Kyūbi gets their attention.
"If his previous associates do know about it, we may need to tell our hosts."
An uproar occurs to which Kyūbi allows for a little, allowing the others to feel like their voices have been heard. Of course, most of the shouting is very strongly against the idea. But in the end, Kyūbi reaches her limit and nearly suffocates the room itself with her yoki.
"I know what you all are saying and I know what you say it true. However, none of you know the leader of this group like I do. I was in his mind, gathered his knowledge while my body laid waste to an innocent village.
"In the four years since my return, we haven't found one shred of useful data on him despite knowing the locations of some of his hideouts. He has friends in high places; he has informants everywhere as he knew of the defenses, all of them, around this island. He is crafty, smart, and above all, driven.
"None of you can grasp how dangerous this man is. If we don't address this matter now, it will surely come back to haunt us at the worst time."
"But even if what you say is true and he is a large enough threat that we should have to inform our hosts of it, what then? We all agreed long ago that the fewer who knew everything, the safer it is," Shukaku speaks up for the first time. Right now she is all business as is every other Bijū right now.
"I know and for the most part, I completely agree. However, our hosts will not live forever. We can make sure that any additional knowledge dies with them. After that, I propose that we take all knowledge away. It is becoming far too dangerous for even the little knowledge there is be about."
She gets seven nods and a scowl.
"But what of your host? As far as we know, he is as immortal as we are," Yonbi speaks up.
Kyūbi turns her eyes to him. He and his host have been one of the ones putting a rail spike in their meetings.
"I know Naruto and he will not do anything with the knowledge. You have my word on that."
"That's fine and all but how can you be sure that he won't grow greedy and turn on all of us? Everyone here knows that time corrupts all," Yonbi fires back.
Kyūbi stands and red eyes meet red eyes.
"Then I will have to keep him honest. Or do you doubt my ability to control my host?"
A tense silence hits the table like a freight train. No movement or sound of any kind from anyone. They all know the challenge when they see one. If Yonbi takes it any further, then he is insulting Kyūbi, and by their rules, it means that they can fight it out. The result will be Kyūbi gets to thrash Yonbi around for a bit until she feels satisfied that the insult has been properly paid back.
Yonbi wisely decides to back down.
"For now, we should do nothing but pursue this group and Orochimaru with more haste. Agreed?"
She gets eight nods.
"Now we have one more bit of business to discuss. Yonbi, please tell us why the Mizukage has some of your yoki and is able to use it without the normal drawbacks."
That stirs a murmur from the rest of the Bijū and a very surprised look from said monkey.
"Ha, you got me. Very funny Kyūbi," Yonbi chuckles out. What else could he think she had meant by saying that?
His chuckle dies when he sees the completely serious look on her face.
"Look, I know that we haven't been on the best of terms lately but that isn't a reason to play a practical joke like this."
"Oh, I assure you that I'm not joking. Naruto and I clearly felt your yoki from within the walls of Kirigakure. Or do you doubt even that about me?" Yonbi is smart enough not to answer. "I know for a fact that neither you nor your host was there. On top of that, I have a witness that says the Mizukage used yoki and was able to use lava jutsu.
"Did you not get the message he sent?"
Everyone has a confused look on their faces.
'I'll have to look into it later.'
Yonbi though has a very confused and troubled look on his face that mirrors the rest of the Bijū but in greater amounts.
"I don't know how that's possible? How can someone who is clearly not my host have my yoki without my knowledge?" he asks in almost a scared tone.
"And there lies the problem. Until we capture Yagura and find out just how he has your yoki and more importantly, how is he able to harness it without side effects, we should all be careful. And for the moment, I think that Yonbi should stay at Throne for the time being."
Yonbi nods and goes back to thinking hard. One can clearly see his disturbed look on his face is one almost one would find of a rape victim. His face is pale, he is shaking slightly, and it twitchy at best. Though no one can blame him for feeling violated.
"If no one else has anymore business, I need to get back to Mizu no Kuni as quick as possible."
End Time Relapse – Present Time
An hour after Naruto came almost barreling into her office after the meeting, Mei stands outside the base. A full moon is out and shines on her gently as she waits for Naruto. She can't help but wonder what this is about but she won't get her hopes up.
Perhaps this is some new training regiment he has cooked up. She would be lying if she said that his training didn't help her, as painful as it is. She has never been in better shape in her life. She gained back the weight and skin coloration she lost months ago, allowing her to go about her training life before.
However, she owes his man everything. He saved her, saved the Rebels, gave them a fighting chance. But more importantly, he saved her dream. That dream being of a free Mizu no Kuni where everyone can live together without the fear of someone stabbing you in the back for just having something unique about you.
And now they are on the cusp of bring that dream to a reality.
A smile crosses her face as she thinks more about him. He is her knight in shining armor, her messiah. When she hit rock bottom, he made everything go away. He even saved her from being raped. Sure he hadn't prevented it but he did stop it. His mere presence makes her spirits higher than they were before.
So strong are her feelings for him that she is considering not taking the Mizukage position and asking Naruto if he would marry her. She can easily imagine a life with him. Kids, a pet, a nice place for them to live once Naruto retires. Sure it is a bit idealistic and farfetched but that is the point of fantasies.
So when Naruto excitedly told her to meet him here in an hour, she has no reservations about it.
She waits another five minutes before Naruto shows up.
"Hey there. Come with me," he says excitedly.
Mei is hesitant to follow him as this might be another test or some new torture he found for her. However, Naruto isn't going to wait and he grabs at her arm, not really caring how far up her arm he got, and pulls her along. Mei fights down a heavy blush because he missed her arm and grabbed her hand instead. Luckily for her, it is night and low light makes the darker shades of red harder to see.
Naruto pulls her along to the other side of a line of trees. There, on the ground is an enormous circle carved and burned into the ground. At even intervals are the four Guardians kneeling and holding the same hand seal. Their mouths are moving like they are chanting something but Mei can't make it out.
"She did it. My mom found a way to break your seal. She says it took her looking through the oldest Uzumaki seal lists and technically this is more of a ritual than a seal. But here's the thing. I need to put more seals on you and in order to do that…you need to be naked."
Mei's heavy and fully body blush comes back however, she isn't going to be one to complain. She and Naruto are going to grow closer because of this.
Naruto is surprised when Mei doesn't even protest and begins to strip. He blushes and hastily turns around to give her more privacy. To pass the time as she takes her armor and clothes off, he checks his ink and brush…several times. One would call it a nervous tick.
Soon, he feels a tap on the shoulder and he tenses. What the hell is wrong with him? This is business, work. He has seen naked women before as training against female opponents who would use their sexuality against him. Naruto sets his mind and stands straight and proud.
Behind him Mei has a smirk on. She sees how tense his body is, his nervous fidgeting just from the thought of her nakedness. She stalks up to him, an extra sway in her hips for effect, and taps him on the shoulder and gets the response she expected, making her smirk grow wider.
However, that smirk turns to a frown when Naruto straightens his back and squares his shoulders. His whole demeanor changes from that of a nervous virgin to a consummate professional. But she hides it when Naruto turns around.
"Alright, I need you to hold out your arms and spread your legs a little so I can work," he says in a detached tone of voice and no hint of a blush.
Mei has no choice but to only nod her head. She can't say that she is disappointed with his change in attitude. That would make her look like a slut or that she is just desperate. Neither is appealing so she keeps her mouth shut.
She has to fight laughter when Naruto's brush starts to draw on her arms and upper chest. He goes painstakingly slow, paying attention to every detail, taking the upmost care in not mess up.
'This is going to take a while,' she thinks to herself.
That is until she feels another brush on her. She turns and finds another Naruto working on her legs and ass. Apparently he thought the same thing.
Even with help, it is a slow process with careful brushstrokes and thick lines. Not once does Naruto does slow. He keeps the pace up, not trusting himself to slowdown for even a second. Mei's body is the epitome of perfection and is truly a wonder of this world.
He blinks, only just realizing that he is now finished. He puts away his brush and ink and ushers Mei to the middle of the circle. The moment she touches the circle with her foot, both the ink and the circle light up in a light blue, almost white, color. Mei looks back to Naruto, unsure of what to do. However, Naruto pushes her forward and fully into the circle.
She looks back again to see Naruto make two more clones and all the clones (three in total) kneel in between each Guardian and begin to chant in unison. She swallows the lump in her throat and tentatively approaches the center of the circle.
Once there, the eight around the perimeter start chanting louder and louder. Suddenly some force makes her go so straight almost to the point of over extending every part of her body at the same time.
That's when that same force lifts her into the air. It pulls her a full twenty feet in the air. It wouldn't be so bad if something wasn't trying to rip her to pieces. The force increases, putting more strain on her muscles. She blinks back tears and bites down a scream. She feels like her entire body is being pulled apart!
From the ground, Naruto (the real one) notices Mei's suffering.
'Just hang on Mei…'
The seal on her backside grows brightly and then burns. Oh god does it burn. So hot it burns Mei believes that her skin is being melted off.
This time, she really does let out a scream but in the middle of the forest surrounded by trees, the sound doesn't get very far.
Just when she thinks it can't get any worse, a bolt of electricity runs through her body, making her shriek in pain. Every few seconds, another bolt would tear its way through her and make her scream until her throat is raw.
Below her Naruto scowls and actives the second part. He has to hurry.
He and the other clones change their chants and hand seals. A second circle within the first one lights up but this one is red. Corresponding seals on Mei's body also glows red.
Mei sighs in relief when the electricity stops shocking her but groans as the force increases yet again. She isn't sure how much of this she can take.
Then in unison, all eight shinobi shout, "RELEASE!"
A bright explosion of both red and blue nearly blind them. When the light dies down, Mei is seen laying on the floor passed out. A quick check up and healing jutsu from all Guardians and Mei's injuries are healed. She had minor stress fractures along most of her bones along with a raw throat.
The seal on Mei's backside has seen better days. All that remains is scar tissue on her ass. They won't know if their ritual worked or not until Mei wakes up. Until then, Naruto has them clothe Mei. He picks her up and prepares to Shunshin to her room when she stirs.
She opens her green eyes and sees Naruto above her. She instantly has a blush and a surge to get away from him. That is solved when Naruto sets her down on the ground and backs away. He had seen the panic in her eyes and knew to back off.
Mei aches like never before. Not even Naruto's training made her feel like this.
"Was…was I supposed to feel like dying from the pain?" Mei asks half joking half serious.
"Yes and no. Yes because the array had to activate the fail-safes in order to get rid of them all the while minimizing the effect on the person. No because the seals didn't act quick enough to stop you from receiving a large portion of pain.
"But the seal is off, the only question is can you access your chakra?"
Mei is a bit apprehensive…a lot apprehensive. She is very afraid and wonders what the hell she is going to do if this fails. So strong is her fear that she is almost doesn't want to try and find out. However that isn't an option. She has people relying on her and she doesn't like being a burden to people.
Mei makes the ram seal and holds her breath. Then she tries to access her chakra…
And nothing.
Mei nearly breaks down but Naruto feels something.
"Mei, do it again."
She looks at him with teary eyes.
"What's the point? I still can't use my chakra."
Naruto shakes his head.
"No, I felt something go on inside you and I need you to try again."
Mei doesn't really want to but does it anyways. She tries again and Naruto is concentrating hard.
'There'
He feels tiny bits of chakra coming out of minuscule…holes? That isn't right. Chakra should flow freely from your tenketsu. Wait, didn't Ao say that they seal made a barrier?
"Mei, flare your chakra as much as possible. I think that the barrier is still there but with the seal no longer powering it, it can be 'outmuscled' in a sense. There are holes already forming from just your first two attempts so if you really try, I think the barrier will fall."
'It can't hurt'
So Mei makes the ram seal again and tries as hard as she can to mold her chakra. At first nothing happens but with Naruto's encouragement, she continues. Then she feels it. A tiny bit at first but growing larger all the time. Relief spreads throughout her body.
As the sweat rolls down her brow, she finds that forcing her chakra out becomes easier and easier. Off to the side, Naruto's eyebrows go up as the level of chakra keeps increasing at a good rate.
And then the damn bursts.
All at once, the remaining barrier fails and with it comes a tidal wave of chakra. Even some of the plants are uprooted from the wave of chakra that explodes from Mei's body.
Once the wave passes Mei feels incredible. Never before has she felt this good. She makes some hand seals and an enormous wave of water erupts out of her mouth. Next a lava then a boil jutsu. She delights in using chakra and never noticed how…how near the sensation of using chakra comes to pleasure.
Naruto watches as Mei laughs as she throws jutsu after jutsu at nothing. Suddenly he finds that same woman wrapping him in a bear hug.
"Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!" she repeats over and over into his chest.
Naruto smiles and puts a hand on her back and one on top of her head. As he does this, Mei reaches up and kisses him fully on the lips. Naruto's eyes go wide and backs off hurriedly, breaking the kiss.
"Aw, is poor little Naruto afraid of me?" she asks with a glint in her eyes.
Naruto is saved from asking when a lot of figures burst from the tree line.
"What is going on here?" Ameyuri asks. She sees the lava jutsu that Mei did earlier making Naruto glad he had his clones leave no evidence of their ritual on the ground.
"Oh nothing. Mei was just practicing her Ninjutsu."
The four that Naruto rescued looks to see Mei, their eyes wide. They hadn't told a soul so the others don't know the miracle they are about to witness.
"Yep. Watch."
Mei makes more hand seals (I'm too lazy to find a jutsu) and the largest wall of water they have ever seen suddenly makes itself fifty feet high. Then Mei disperses the water over the group. While the others complain about being wet, Mei is busy dancing around in the rain. She is all smiles and is the happiest she has felt in a very long time.
She spies Naruto out of the corner of her eye and puts on her best smile, not that it is hard to do. He did this, he saved her yet again.
'Maybe…just maybe'
Time Skip – 3 Days
"Let's go over this one more time."
Mei and the rest of her officers are in full battle gear along with Naruto in his Throne armor. There is no confusion of why they are here.
"Ameyuri, your group is to suppress the Anbu in the village. Keep them away from the main fight. Utakata will sneak into the prison and free the prisoners while Chōjūrō's group will engage the main forces of Kiri. Draw them to you and wipe them out or take them prisoner. Ao will go and eliminate all of the high value targets who would try to fill the void left by Yagura's death and believe me that he will die by either my or Naruto's hand.
"Naruto and I will engage Yagura while the others in his squad will engage the two remaining loyal Swordsman. If you see us or them fight, don't interfere." She gets nods from her staff.
Satisfied, she walks out the tent and to her assembled forces. Her war room is on a low plateau overlooking a dry riverbed upon which her soldiers have made their camp.
"My fellow Rebels! The goal we set out so long ago is finally in sight! We have fought long and hard, suffered and persevered. We went from a nuisance to a road block in Yagura's plans. We came back from extinction and are now stronger than ever and now stand with a knife to his throat. The end is in sight, one last mountain to climb. Let's climb this mountain together and finish this once and for all. Who's with me?" she shouts.
A massive roar erupts from the three thousand Rebels. Mei smiles radiantly in the moonlight.
'Just one more battle…'
She turns back to her staff.
"Let's move out. We should reach the main gates in a few hours."
Time Skip – Three Hours
Utakata kills the last of the guards on duty silently with a kunai. He spends the next ten minutes freeing and arming the prisoners. Ever since they took the first last town between them and Kiri two weeks ago, they have been assisting prisoners with food, medicine, and medical treatment. It would be a decent bolster to their ranks as Kiri is keeping five hundred rebels in their prisons.
A surprising number had pneumonia or worse from being in the damp air for so long. That is what the medicine and medical treatment was for. One would think it would be difficult to hide such things from the guards but those that do come down here don't stay long enough to closely inspect the prisoners. With health restored and food in their stomachs on a regular basis, they gained weight back and while not in ideal fighting condition, they can function well enough.
Now that the prisoners have been freed, clothed in armor, and armed with all kinds of weapons the only thing to do is wait. Once the fighting starts, most ninja will be drawn to the fight, leaving the area relatively undefended. That is when they will strike and 'escape'. Their objective is to secure the residential sector and makes sure no one leaves and only civilians let in. They want the support of the people as running the village will go smoother if resistance is at a minimum.
They only have to wait. Shouldn't be that hard right?
Scene Shift
Mei, Naruto, Ameyuri, and Chōjūrō are crouched in some bushes some thirty feet from the wall. They are currently waiting for Ao's signal to proceed. He and Utakata made it in with help from the Guardians and are completing their own objectives which are far easier if not under pressure of fighting.
Ao was chosen for this task for two reasons. One is because he is the best sensor they have. He can identify individual chakra signatures from two hundred meters out. The second reason is because of his Byakugan. He can see through solid matter and find his targets and the best way to eliminate them whether by killing or incapacitating is up to him.
Scene Shift
And we round out the group with the last four important members. Naruto had split them up himself. One close range, one support. If these Swordsmen live up to their expectations then the Guardians will be put to the test.
Miya and Hikari are to take out Jinin Akebino, holder of the Kabutowari, while Ikki and Hibiki are to take out Jinpachi Munashi, wielder of the Shibuki. Both are extremely powerful and must be approached with caution.
Jinin is most likely asleep at this point. He never sleeps in the same place for more than two days at a time usually preferring to change between twenty different locations each day and in a randomized order. He is paranoid and has many different countermeasures for intruders.
Jinpachi, however, is nearly the opposite. He only travels between four locations and stays at each for a week or so before moving on. But even though he doesn't travel as often doesn't mean that he is any less defended. Nobody, not even Yagura, knows the locations of his safe houses and not from lack of trying. Jinpachi is a master at stealth and can blend into any crowd.
But for both, their locations have been compromised but they don't know that. Ao had found them quite easily due to their large chakra signatures and informed them of their locations.
That brings us back to the present. We find Miya and Hikari sneaking along the floor with upmost care. They can't afford to make a mistake. They have already disabled two dozen traps and alarms and they aren't even have a visual on Jinin yet!
After another half hour of painstaking removal of trap after trap, they arrive at Jinin's resting place. His breathing is even indicating that he indeed is asleep with the tiniest hints of wheezing due to old age. Next to his bed lies the legendary Kabutowari. It isn't a sword more like a large one-sided axe with a hammer chained to it.
Miya makes hand signals to Hikari indicating that they are to take him out silently. It would be so much easier if they can take him out quickly and quietly.
Miya silently draws a kunai from her weapons pouch. Not a sound is made nor is the floor barely disturbed as Miya moves forward. Normally the one supporting would already have a jutsu ready to go but with a target this strong with so much combat experience, they dare not risk waking him.
The kunai flashes as the moon hits the blade as she closes in on him. Just mere inches away from completing her objective, she holds her breath. The kunai is now almost touching the man's exposed throat.
Suddenly a hand stops hers. She tries to move her hand but finds it completely immobile. That is when Jinin turns over, her hand in his grasp.
"Look what I caught."
In a flash, Hibiki fires off a bolt of lightning at Jinin. He however doesn't move. The bolt hits him square in the chest but doesn't scream out. The current of electricity runs through the man and into Miya and she grits her teeth as she fights to not scream in excruciating pain.
She wonders why this man isn't being affected by the lightning when the man who has her wrist suddenly looses cohesion and melts into a puddle of water. No wonder it hurt so much.
Miya's shinobi sense is suddenly going heywire. She dives to the side just in time to avoid an axe. She looks back only to have to duck. She backpedals, trying to get some distance between them so she can draw her odachi but Jinin isn't letting her. He is on the attack with surprising speed and mastery with his weapon trading not only between sweeps and vertical strikes but also switching between the axe and hammer.
Their deadly game of cat and mouse continues until Jinin is forced to dodge a lightning bolt but even that doesn't slow him down much. Somehow he still presses Miya while avoiding Hikari's bolts.
However Miya tires of this and fishes in her pouch. She grabs her intended object and does a back flip to avoid being bludgeoned. While on her hands, she smoothly applies the object to the ground even as she is rotating over the ground. She backs away and regretfully activates the explosive tag.
After recovering from the concussive force, she stands in what used to be a house. All four walls as well as the ceiling are gone as is a large portion of the floor. Beside her Hikari drops in, a trail of blood from her arm where a chunk of concrete got her.
Miya takes the opportunity to draw her odachi and drops the sheath. She isn't stupid enough to believe that it was that easy to kill him.
"I'll give you credit. Not many have survived combat with me this long. Who knows, this might be the most fun I've had in a long time," comes a voice behind them. Both turn to see Jinin completely unscathed by either explosion or dust.
"Come, let us test your worth," he challenges.
Scene Shift
"It has begun…"
The alarms inside the village have gone off due to some explosion. I wonder what that could be…
Naruto schools his features. Game time.
"…activating the seals…"
End Chapter 9
*AC stands for After Chakra. The Bijū mandated it as it is a major point when the world became aware of chakra
AN: So there it is. Up next is the exciting conclusion to the end of Naruto's test! It going to be awesome let me tell you. There are going to be fireworks in more than one arena.
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*Also just a side note* I will be taking a break from writing for a month or so from writing anything. I'm getting burned out and I don't want to completely lose interest. No, none of my works will be abandoned. I just find it hard to write anything right now even Throne which has been pushing forward quite steadily lately. Hopefully a quick break will renew my spirits and writing ability.
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Hope you enjoyed the chapter and R&R or Mr. T is going to Pity the Fool and the fool is you!
tomhunt98