DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto or anything affiliated with the series, all rights go to Kishimoto-sense. If I DID own the series, however, I'd have Madara fight Itachi to see who's stronger.
Chapter 11: Reunions and the God of Shinobi
Despite their best efforts, the initial surprise attack by Iwa, the Samurai, the Resistance and the Edo Tensei Army was stalled by the Ame Shinobi's will to just never give up. They fought for Konoha, they bled to take Konoha, and dammit, they WOULD hold onto it! All throughout the ranks, from the normal Chuunin to the most seasoned ANBU, there was a hope, a flicker of light in their struggle: That Naruto would show up, like he always would, and wipe out the enemy in the blink of an eye. They believed wholeheartedly in their Shodai that every last soldier would die for him; to ensure him the time he needed to become the Juubi Jinchuuriki.
And so, they fought on. All of them. Every single one of them. They. Fought. On. And their efforts were rewarded when Akatsuki reinforcements made it to the front, led by Suigetsu and Juugo. When the black and red of their Akatsuki cloaks had shown in the eyes of the enemies, the Ame Shinobi there all let out a unanimous cheer/war cry, their morale invigorated once more.
"Push them back! PUSH THE FUCKERS BACK!" Suigetsu howled out as he cut a swath of destruction through the Iwa Shinobi's ranks, spurring the men to do the same, with the ANBU leading the charge.
The tide was turning. Despite the united Iwa/Edo Tensei/Resistance/Samurai army's superior numbers over the lone Ame army, they were being pushed back. Whereas they were all but swarming the gates not half an hour ago, their ground had been lost and they were being pushed back into Konoha's surrounding forest. And when the Sealing Corps came as extra reinforcements, Edo Tensei Shinobi started falling left and right. Things were bleak for Onoki and his army. The only champions they had left were Itachi, Asuma, and Kabuto's so called 'trump cards'.
"Kabuto…" Onoki muttered, his voice soft and horse.
"Hai, Onoki-dono?" Asked the snake-man from his spot to Onoki's right.
"We need one of your trump cards now…"
Without even hesitating, Kabuto clapped his hands together in the traditional Edo Tensei summoning motion as two coffins slid out of the ground, their lids dropping as soon as they was free from their earthen confines. Their contents soon stepped out and disappeared into the battlefield in a blur of black and red.
"I wanted to save them for the fight with Naruto-kun and Sasuke-kun, but… I guess it can't be helped." Kabuto said, his snake hissing in agreement.
And just as soon as the Ame Shinobi started to gain ground, they were now being pushed back by two new Edo Tensei arrivals. They couldn't identify who these new opponents were because they both were moving faster than any normal Shinobi could track, and they worked in perfect unison, making quick work of any Shinobi or Kunoichi who dared get in their way… until red met red as Karin arrived on the front and crossed kunai's with her opponent. The first nodded to the second, using Karin's momentary lapse in concentration to let her comrade through. A black blur sped past the Uzumaki girl as she found herself backpedaling against her opponents thrusts, until she found an opening and took it.
Karin threw the kunai she was previously using, to which her opponent blocked perfectly, and then paid for focusing solely on the thrown weapon as Chakra Chains shot out from the ground, solidly binding them.
"Why…? WHY?! Why did he bring YOU of all people back?!' Karin screamed in frustration. "Is Kabuto REALLY that sadistic? Or was he going to have you fight your own son?! Answer me, Lady Kushina! Please!"
And all Kushina did was smile. "I can't control my actions… most likely, he DID intend for me to fight my Naruto-kun… but I'm glad another of the Uzumaki stopped me."
"I've heard stories about you, Lady Kushina… if anyone could take down Naruto-sama, it would be you. You're his mother AND you were a legendary Shinobi, right next to your husband… but I WON'T let you get past me! Naruto-sama's vision is—"
"My son's vision is misguided… his heart is pure, but he's going about it all the wrong way. Even though I can see what he's become and he cannot… I still love him, and I always will, as is a mother's duty. But…" Through sheer willpower alone, Kushina broke both the Edo Tensei and Karin's Chakra Chains, then weaved the necessary handseals to restore control over her own actions. "I can't allow him to hurt himself any further! I won't let him destroy himself! I WON'T lose him to his own darkness! And because this is my resolve, I will kill anyone that gets in my way, clansman or no!"
"And I WILL NOT allow you to leave this spot! I will hold you here, just long enough for Naruto-sama to finish absorbing the Juubi!"
Instead of taking the initiative and attack, Kushina let a sweet laugh escape her. This laugh was filled with no malice; however, it was a simple, heartfelt laugh. "You and him turned out so much alike, Karin…"
"W-What…? What do you mean?! If this is just a ploy to lower my guard, it's not happening!"
Again, another laugh. "Karin… you and Naruto are similar because…" She paused to look the younger Uzumaki girl dead in her eyes. "You're his twin sister, Karin."
This news hit Karin like a ton of bricks. She was Naruto's twin sister? The twin sister of the Demon King, of Pein himself? And she's now facing down her own mother? It had to be a ploy! A dream! A Genjutsu! It had to be something, anything BUT reality! And then it began to sink in… the resemblance between herself and Kushina, why Naruto had accepted her so easily, her Uzumaki heritage… it all made sense. But despite what she was feeling, she would NOT lose her fighting spirit! She would prove herself to her mother! She would do the Uzumaki name right, she would make her father proud and she would defend her dear brother to her last breath!
"Kaa-chan (Mother)… my stance on this remains! I will fight you to defend my brother!"
"Ahh, you inherited my hotheadedness, 'ttebane…" Kushina sighed. "Well… there's no helping it… since you won't help me to convince your brother, I'll have to drag you both back to the light, kicking and screaming if I have to, 'ttebane!"
"Bring it on then, 'ttebayo!" Karin challenged, lightly blushing at herself using her brother's old verbal tic.
And with that, the two Uzumaki women charged at each other in a clash between mother and daughter. As if reading each other's thoughts, both Kushina and Karin charged up one attack in particular, both screaming the name of it in unison as the two attacks clashed:
"RASENGAN!"
Sphere met sphere in a battle, a standoff, with the victor being the one with more Chakra to spare. Both Uzumaki's pumped more and more Chakra into their respective Rasengans until both attacks broke and blew them back.
Coming to a sliding halt after back-flipping out of the blowback, Karin charged at her mother, Akatsuki cloak fluttering after her as she pressed the attack, scoring a punch that recoiled Kushina backwards until she felt something else hit her in the back of the head. Turns out it was a Clone of Karin that managed to slip by her guard.
Thinking quickly, Kushina feinted forward, as if to charge at her daughter once again, but at the last second backed up, elbowing the Clone in the face, dispelling it instantly. Taking the initiative, Karin used the drifting smoke as partial cover for her next move as she prepared something in both of her hands and threw a right straight at her mother, to which Kushina easily dodged left… and then felt some of her non-existent skin peeling off of her right cheek, followed by then entire top of her head disintegrating into nothingness as it was regenerated by the properties of the Edo Tensei.
"Chakra Blades, huh…?" She asked as she jumped back to gain some ground between them.
"Hai," Karin conformed. "If you were really alive, Kaa-chan, you would have died there…"
"I'll not mince words… you're good, Karin-chan. Perhaps as good as I was at 17. But…" Her next words were whispered into Karin's ear, as she had crossed the few odd meters between them in a literal blink of an eye. "They didn't call me the Akai Oni (Red Demon) for nothing."
Eyes widening, Karin tried to backpedal away, but Kushina was way too fast for her, as she easily delivered a harsh right elbow to her left temple, followed by a left roundhouse kick to the left jaw, then, using the momentum of the roundhouse kick, spun a full 360 to come around for a devastating right backhand to the left temple that staggered the younger Uzumaki. Using her daughter's dazed state to her advantage, Kushina grabbed her by both her shoulders and brought her in for first a head-butt that shattered the younger girl's nose, and then a right knee to the gut that doubled her over on her knees.
Nursing her broken nose, Karin looked up just in time to see her mother's foot coming in for the final blow, intending on knocking her out. Acting at the last second, Karin rolled to the side and unbuttoned her Akatsuki cloak, then threw it up at her mother to serve as a distraction.
In response to this, Kushina merely caught the cloak and threw it harmlessly to the side… just in time to get speared by another Clone of Karin. Said Clone backed her up into a tree and pinned her there.
"Very well…" Kushina sighed as she raised her hands to prepare a Jutsu, only for her hands to be pinned to the tree by the real Karin's Chakra Blades, followed by Chakra Chains shooting from the ground to tie her and the Clone both to the tree.
"You're staying right there, Kaa-chan…" Karin said confidently as she popped her nose back into place with an audible popping sound.
"And what makes you think that, Karin-chan?"
"That Bunshin is a Bunshin Daibakuha (Clone Great Explosion)… but it's no ordinary Bunshin Daibakuha… it's a special Bunshin that I developed specifically for fighting Kabuto-teme's Edo Tensei Army: A Bunshin Daifuin (Clone Great Seal)."
"You…" Kushina said, her expression softening.
"If you even DARE to move, it'll explode and seal you in an instant. That's the TRUE power of the Uzumaki Fuuinjutsu!" The younger Uzumaki said with a proud smile, despite the pain she was feeling from her still throbbing nose.
'My daughter… she has grown to be an amazing Kunoichi… I anticipated her doing this, and I could have stopped her, but… I want to see what path my Naruto-kun will take before I make my move… it'll give me some time to catch up with Karin-chan, after all…'
(Hokage's Mansion Roof: Same time)
Their Susano'o swords clashed one last time before fading, seeing as nothing was being done through the use of their ultimate weapons. After the ethereal warriors faded, both Sasuke and Itachi charged at each other, Sasuke a Chidori charged in his hand and Itachi a mini-Yasaka Magatama. Both of their techniques were about to clash when a blur of black stopped them dead in their tracks.
"K-Kaa-san…?" Both brothers muttered at the same time.
"Hai… I'm back… Itachi, Sasuke." Mikoto said with a serene smile on her face.
"More Edo Tensei scum, I see…" Sasuke growled as he forced himself to stab Mikoto through her abdomen with his still charged Chidori, and then concentrated it into a Chidori Eiso (Chidori Sharp Spear) to impale Itachi as well.
"Still as impulsive as ever, I see, Sasuke…" Mikoto said softly, her smile never dropping.
"Shut up… SHUT UP! My mother and brother are dead! You two aren't them!" The youngest Uchiha there said as he jumped back and activated his Susano'o once again, instead of the Kagutsuchi no Tsurugi, the Totsuka no Tsurugi was in the hand of the Susano'o. "I'll seal both of you in one go!"
"You really have matured, haven't you, Sasuke…?"
"He has at that, Kaa-san…" Itachi confirmed, now smiling like his mother.
"Do you think he'll miss us once he does this?"
"Knowing him, he will."
"Ready to accept death once again, Itachi?"
"Hai… I am no longer needed in this world. It already has Sasuke as its protector…"
"Or as its doom…"
"Either way, it's Sasuke's choice on whether he kills us again or not."
"You two…" They heard Sasuke sob out. "Why…? Why did it have to be you two…?"
"Sasuke…?" Mikoto asked.
"My two most precious people…" Sasuke again sobbed out. "Why…? Why did that bastard have to desecrate your graves and your memory?!"
"So… you can't kill us after all…" Mikoto sighed.
"How could I?! I had to suffer through yours and Tou-san's (Father's) deaths! My entire reason for living was to get revenge, and once I had achieved it, I… I had nothing left…"
"And you think Naruto-kun's not the same as you?" Mikoto asked, shocking Sasuke immensely. "You think that he's not doing this out of revenge against the world? You think he actually cares about the fate of the world…? No…"
"No… he does care! He's doing this for peace!"
"Sasuke-kun… Naruto-kun does not care. He wants to see this world burn."
"NO!" Sasuke exclaimed as he closed his eyes, wishing it was a dream.
"He wants to see everything burn… including you, including your wife... and your unborn child."
"NOOOOO!" Sasuke once again exclaimed, his eyes now taking on a different shape as he instinctively raised his right hand and pointed it at Itachi, then screamed aloud the two words that were whispering in his head: "SHINRA TENSEI!"
And just like that, Itachi was pushed back into the Hokage Stone Faces by an invisible force that was common in users of the Rinnegan.
"So… he really HAS grown… the second Uchiha to ever awaken the Rinnegan… my little brother…"
"You really want to push me…?' Sasuke drawled out. "Fine… I'LL GO OVER THE EDGE FOR YOU, KAA-SAN!"
As soon as those words escaped him, his Susano'o lurched forward and slammed its Totsuka no Tsurugi down onto Mikoto, who barely dodged out of the way of the ethereal blade, only to feel her back press up against something.
"SEAL!" She heard Sasuke yell behind her as he slammed a sealing tag onto her back, and immediately, her soul was sucked into the tag, and her Edo Tensei body all but crumbled to ash.
"Kaa-san…" Sasuke whispered. "Kaa-san… forgive me…"
Meanwhile, Itachi had finished peeling himself out of the mountain, silently mourning his mother one last time before he began his next offensive against his little brother… or he would have, had he not been forced to dodge a solid black ball of Chakra that had been thrown at him from below. Twisting, he landed on his feet, already on alert… only to see the one person he was hoping to not see for at least another ten minutes at least.
There Naruto stood, dressed in a black robe, black gloves, his previous black pants and footwear. His hair had turned white, the Kamishini Rinnegan was active, he now had two horns on his head made of Chakra, his whisker marks were more pronounced and around him floated six balls of black Chakra much like the one that nearly hit Itachi. In his hand was a solid black staff and on his side sat a pure black katana made of pure Chakra.
And the sheer presence that Naruto was putting out surprised Itachi greatly. "So… THIS is the power of the true Sage of the Six Paths…" He mused aloud.
"This is the power of a literal God, Itachi…" Naruto said.
"I have seen a literal God, Naruto-kun… and you are not her."
"Would you like to go meet Miss Kaguya again, Itachi? I can arrange that."
"Kaguya-sama wants you dead, Naruto-kun."
"And look at what she's done: She gave me Shinju, despite wanting me dead. Face it, Itachi: Kaguya wants me to do this."
'This is very bad… I'm no match for him… my only hope is the crow that should still be inside him… if I can reverse Kotoamatsukami on Naruto-kun, then he will end this…'
Without missing a beat, Itachi activated his Mangekyou and stared Naruto in the eyes, hoping Naruto would rise to the challenge. Thinking himself above such Genjutsu, Naruto challenged Itachi's gaze… and then felt something crawling its way out of him.
"Wha-?!" He managed to get out before Itachi's crow flew out of his mouth and landed on said person's shoulder.
Holding up the half-Ram handseal, Itachi announced: "Kotoamatsukami!"
'This is my last ditch effort… this HAS TO WORK!'
AN: Quick and to the point chapter, but this chapter, sadly, is the last chapter before the Finale. Yep, next chapter is the end run, where we get to see if Naruto wins or loses! Fret not, for after the Finale, there will most likely be an Epilogue chapter, so all in all, only two more chapters of True Peace left! Thanks to all who have seen this one through to the end! This is ZeroDivisionRaijin, signing off!
