Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto! I just wish I did. I'm not making any money from this so leave me alone please…
Beta: the lovely Midnight-Kitsune11.
AN: I know it's been way to long, but I've finally managed to finish this next chapter! I'm ashamed to notice it's been two years and a half since the last update… I've had a lot of trouble with this chapter, and I had to start over multiple times before I managed to write something I was even vaguely happy about.
To be honest, all your reviews, comments and pm's (more than 500!) were probably the reason I kept coming back to this chapter and that I managed to finish something in the first place, so THANK YOU for that!
Also I noticed I might have messed up the timeline a bit. I'm not sure exactly how much older Itachi is than Sasuke and the other rookie nine, but I'm not changing it. Other stuff might be off as well, but I can honestly not bring up the courage to go back and check it, so just follow the flow for now… ^^
Also, a lot of you wanted me to do the team 7 reunion arc and even Rasenshuriken and even Asuma's death, the Sasuke Itachi fight was also asked about a lot… so … sorry to disappoint
So, after the long wait, I hope you'll enjoy it anyway.
00
Last chapter:
"Kuh." cursed Yamato. "It's now or never. Hokageshiki jijuun jutsu: Kaku'an nitten suishu!" (Hokage-style Submission Jutsu: Kaku-an's Enlightened Return).
He made the hand seals and held out his right hand, palm towards Naruto. The Kanji for 'sit' was written on it.
He thrust his palm into Naruto' s chest as multiple pinned pillars appeared around the Jinchuuriki. Yamato jumped back, his hand still connected with Naruto through a rope of chakra, which seemed to suck away the corrosive chakra. It clung to Naruto as it was sucked back. The blond's skin looked burned and he seemed in pain.
Now:
"Oh my god! That was awesome!" Obito exclaimed as he pumped a fist in the air. "Creepy as hell, but awesome at the same time!"
"Awesome?!" asked Rin, slightly hysterical. "What was so awesome about that?! They all got hurt!"
"Well, yes, apart from that," Obito awkwardly rubbed his neck, "and the whole Kyuubi transformation thingy. That was just creepy."
"Idiot." Kakashi sighed in frustration.
"What was that?!"
"Calm down you two." Snapped Tsunade angrily. "This is no laughing matter!"
"Indeed, and it seems like it'll only get worse from here on out." Said the Hokage as he grasped his pipe, lit it and took a deep breath. "The first few memories were nothing compared to the gravity of what we saw in the last few. It's clear things will only get worse from here."
The Sandaime eyed Naruto and the blond could only nod. He wasn't sure what would be shown next, but it couldn't be anything good.
"Inoichi, let's watch the next memory, We still have a few hours to go before the end of the day."
"Of course, Hokage-sama."
Naruto was walking with Kakashi through the village. He wasn't wearing his headband for a change and looked relaxed, hands in his pockets.
"Oh, you're back in Konoha now." Minato noticed.
The arrived at the Hokage's tower, seeing two giant toads, the smaller one on the head of the bigger one, waiting outside the tower.
"Huh? Boss Gama and Gamakichi." Observed the blond.
"Hey, Naruto." started the smaller toad, Gamakichi.
"What are you doing here so early in the morning? Did something happen?"
Naruto grit his teeth, remembering what was about to happen. He tensed completely.
His parents, still sitting on either side of him, noticed. "Are you all right?" asked Kushina worried.
"Yes, I just… I know which memory this is. This is actually quite a while after the memory we last saw." He couldn't bring himself to smile.
"Well, whatever it is, it hasn't happened yet." Minato tried to comfort him.
"Maybe, but I still lived it." He couldn't help but mutter. "This isn't something I'd want to relive again…"
He didn't notice the grim looks that were exchanged around the room.
"Actually-"
"Gamakichi!" Gamabunta interrupted harshly. "Keep your trap shut. Let the boss and Tsunade take care of it!"
Naruto tilted his head in confusion.
"What was that about?"
"It's nothing important. Let's go." Kakashi turned back to look at him.
Naruto snorted.
They entered the tower and Tsunade's office. There hung a solemn silence. Sakura and Sai were already inside, as well as Tsunde, Shizune and a bunch of smaller toads. One of the toads, an elder looking one, was sitting in a sort of throne/seat on the back of another.
"Damn it, that can't be good." Cursed Jiraiya.
"Sensei?" asked Minato apprehensively. "What is going on?"
"That is Fukasaku, he's one of the toad elders." Grunted Jiraiya, anxiously.
"His whole team is gathered there." Noticed Shikaku grimly. "Whatever it is, it isn't good news." He exchanged a quick look with Jiraiya.
There was only one reason all those people and the toad summons would gather, something had happened to Jiraiya and they were going to tell Naruto. As Shikaku looked around, he noticed the Sandaime seemed to be the only one, besides them, to have made the link. The man was clutching his pipe like a lifeline.
"So this is Jiraiya-chan's apprentice, eh?" asked the elder toad.
Tsunade answered him. "Yes. This is Uzumaki Naruto. He's probably the 'child of prophecy' you talked about."
"Are you one of the old man's frogs?" asked Naruto with narrowed eyes. "What's going on?"
"Hey, watch your language, Naruto!" scolded Tsunade. "This is Fukasaku, one of the two great sages of Myobokuzan. He's come all this way to speak with you."
"Actually, I am one of the two great toad sages, but more importantly, there's no doubt that you Jiraiya-chan's apprentice, is there?"
"Jiraiya-chan? Chan?!" Naruto started to get pissed off. "Why're you treating that pervy sage like a little kid?! Just who the hell are you, you old frog?"
"I said watch your language." Repeated Tsunade. "This is Jiraiya's master, the one who taught him his sage techniques."
The little old toad burst out laughing. "Hahaha, pervy sage! That fits Jiraiya-chan to a T."
Jiraiya grumbled angrily. "Don't give the old toad ideas… Why are you all always picking on me?"
"What does the old sage want with me?" asked Naruto stunned.
"Where should I begin?" asked the old toad seriously. "Well, I guess I'd better start with this: Jiraiya-chan died in battle."
The room fell silent. Everybody turned towards the sage.
"What?" Minato tensed in shock as tears gathered in his eyes. "Sensei did?"
"It had to happen sometime, kid." Jiraiya tried to shrug off matter-of-factly.
The Sandaime sat tense in his seat, not taking his eyes of his student.
The clan heads looked uncomfortable. They had all fought with the sannin on the battle field…
But they were shinobi. Going out and dying in battle was considered an honour, dying to protect their village… It was something that happened to most shinobi. Especially during a war. Even in Konoha, shinobi life expectation was on average 28 years old.
The current team 7 had liked the man as well, but except for Kakashi, they hadn't really spend a lot of time with the man and Kakashi wasn't the sort of ninja to openly show what he was feeling. The young Hatake did need to swallow to help himself keep in control.
Naruto couldn't look up from his lap. Hearing this a second time didn't soften the blow at all. In fact, even now, it hearing the news felt like being on the receiving end of one of the juubi's bijuu dama. His father's grip on his arms tightened enough to make him uncomfortable, but Naruto wasn't going to say anything about it.
Not now…
In their mindscape Kurama twitched and send his chakra gently through Naruto, to offer some comfort in his own strange way.
Naruto had never felt more comfortable, surrounded by his parents and supported by his partner. It was enough to make him forget what they were doing for just a few brief moments.
Tsunade stood up and approached the man, her face hidden behind her hair bangs. Jiraiya started to sweat nervously. "Now, Hime, there is no need for viole-"
He was cut off as she hugged him. It stunned everyone into silence for a second, until Jiraiya realised what was happening. Or more specifically, where he was… Pressed tightly against his team-mate and with a perfect view in her bosom. He immediately turned bright red and started giggling lecherously.
The atmosphere in the room immediately changed as Tsunade started twitching when she let him go again.
"You just died in the kid's memories. Don't tempt me to kill you in real time as well."
Jiraiya moved so fast he could have rivalled Minato's Hiraishin. The old sage took cover as far away from his team-mate as he could, hiding behind their sensei.
Naruto couldn't help but snort at his mentor.
Strangely enough it somewhat lifted the sombre mood.
Naruto couldn't believe his ears. "What?"
Everyone watched him solemnly, as if waiting for him to explode. "Huh? Wh…What're you talking about?"
The old toad removed his coat and turned around. "His throat crushed in battle with Pain, Jiraiya-chan left me a message as he fell. This is it."
"A message?" muttered Shikaku interested.
"A code." Muttered Shizune as they all watched the numbers on the toad's back.
9, 31, 8
106, 7
207, 15
The little toad covered the message by dressing again. "No doubt he did it so Pain wouldn't realize, this is all that's left of him."
Naruto ignored the amphibian. "Did you… send him?"
Sakura watched him anxiously and even Sai, who was usually blank looked a bit worried.
Minato's and Kushina's grip on him tightened again.
"I did." Tsunade replied with steel in her voice.
"Why did you let him go?!" asked Naruto calmly but with anguish in his eyes. "You know how he is! How could you send him into danger all alone?!"
"Stop it, Naruto." Kakashi tried to keep him calm. "You must know how she feels."
Naruto eyed his sensei angrily. Tsunade didn't react, but she did look down to her desk.
"Damn it!" Naruto cursed and turned around. He would have left if not for Sakura calling after him just as he reached the door. "Naruto! Where are you going?"
"That's awkward." Shikaku muttered.
"I know I was wrong to blame you, baa-chan." Naruto sighed feeling drained. This whole memory watching thing left him feeling empty and tired. This was a whole new kind of emotional roller coaster.
"It's understandable." Replied the Sandaime before anyone else could say anything. "This is one of the burdens of being Hokage."
Tsunade frowned.
The scene changed.
Shikamaru stood before a closed door in an apartment block. "Guess he's out." He raised an eyebrow as the door opened. Naruto's face was seen in the shadows.
"Damn kid." Cursed Jiraiya with a heavy voice. "You look awful."
Naruto didn't look away from the screen. He really didn't want to see the look on his sensei's face right now.
Both Kushina and Minato continued to offer him support wordlessly.
"Shikamaru, what do you want?"
"Can I come in?"
Naruto stared at a picture of the code left on the toad's back while sitting on his bed. Shikamaru was sitting before him. "What do you think it means? It rings any bells?"
Naruto stared blankly at the picture. "Hey, Naruto, what do you think?"
The blond looked up, startled. "Oh! Sorry, sorry. So what were you saying?"
Shikamaru eyed him briefly and got up. "Come with me."
They watched zombie Naruto on the screen with worried eyes, but chose not to say anything…
Minato swallowed. Even after hearing it, and seeing how Naruto was coping with the news… It didn't feel real. He wasn't in denial, at least he didn't think so, but his sensei was sitting a few feet from him and they didn't see any memories of Jiraiya dying. Maybe that would have made it feel more real…
He instantly felt bad about thinking that. If Naruto was taking the death of his sensei this bad, Minato didn't want to think about what would have happened if the kid had witnessed it happening.
"Where?"
"Just come on."
The scene changed and they were standing before the Hospital. Shikamaru smirked. "Oh! There she comes."
Naruto watched, clearly confused as a red-eyed, dark-haired woman came out of the building. She was clearly pregnant.
"Huh? Kurenai-sensei?" Naruto pointed rather dramatically at her as he exclaimed in shock: "Did you eat too much Yakuniku and have to go to the hospital?! Your belly's fatter than Choji's!"
Kushina face palmed. She couldn't help it. Rin giggled and even the males in the room felt amused. Naruto couldn't help but flush at this own reaction. At that point in time he had never seen a pregnant woman before…
"'It's a baby, not Yakuniku!" snapped Shikamaru in annoyance. "You're such a pain in the ass."
"Huh?! Th-then…?" Naruto stuttered in shock.
Kurenai ignored the blond. "Stop coming here every day, Shikamaru."
The teen smiled. "Hehe, can't do that. Asuma asked me to." They smiled at each other, and the two rookies watched the woman walk away.
"That kid will be my apprentice." Shikamaru confided as Naruto turned to look at him. "Asuma entrusted me with it. I heard about Jiraiya."
Naruto looked away.
"I lost my master too, so don't think I don't know what you're going through. You'll never get anywhere if you keep dicking around. You're not in a position to do that anymore."
"Asuma died?" asked the Sandaime softly.
Naruto blinked and felt the mood plummet again. He had forgotten that Asuma was the Third's son… "Yeah, shortly before this. He went down fighting two Akatsuki members…"
The adults exchanged looks, but kept quiet.
"What do you mean?" asked Naruto his friend with a small glare.
Shikamaru explained. "My master entrusted me with a lot. From big things, to little things. It's the same for you, an unlimited amount of things. Don't you think it's about time for us?"
"Time for what?" asked Naruto confused.
Shikamaru started walking, but looked back to keep Naruto in sight. "To be the ones who entrust, not the entrusted? It's a pain in the ass, but I can't keep saying that. Someday you'll be the one who'll treat others to Ramen, and you'll be called Naruto-sensei. We can't stay kids forever."
Naruto's eyes widened as Shikamaru winked at him. "Like Asuma and Jiraiya. I wanna be as cool as them."
Naruto saw a brief flash of Jiraiya's face. He gave a soft smile as Shikamaru held out the picture with the code again. "You've got to get a hold on yourself. You've got things to do."
"That was a nice way to explain it." Minato grinned.
"Yeah, Shikamaru is great." Naruto managed a small, but none the less very fond smile.
The next memory started confusingly. There was white smoke everywhere.
"What's going on?" asked Obito, confused.
The smoke slowly dispersed, showing Naruto in his usual clothes, but with the addition of a red cloak with black flames at the bottom and a huge scroll on his back.
His eyes had turned yellow with a black stripe in them and there were orange markings around them.
Jiraiya exclaimed loudly as he shot up and pointed at the screen dramatically. "YOU!"
Most of the others startled at the sudden noise.
"What the hell?" muttered Shikaku irritated.
"Y-you became a sage!? How? When? I can't believe this." He trailed off, then his eyes suddenly narrowed and he turned towards Naruto. "AND WHY DON'T YOU LOOK MORE LIKE A TOAD?!"
Naruto burst out laughing. Trust that to be what his sensei would worry about. "After you… Well, shortly after what we just saw, I left with pa and ma to train to become a sage. It took me a while, and it went a bit different than your training because of Kurama, but I did manage to learn it.
He grew serious, thinking back to what happened. "What we're seeing here is my return after training to Konoha. It's second after we were summoned from Mount Myoboku. We had just gotten word that Konoha was under attack from the Akatsuki. What follows isn't going to be pretty, so you might want to… prepare for that."
The tension rose again in the room.
Little Itachi grasped his mother's arms tightly as she hugged him in her lap, and the older people in the room straightened.
Naruto wondered if it might be a better idea to take the small boy outside. He had no experience with such small children, so he decided not to say anything. After all his parents had some idea of what was coming, or at least, they had seen the last memories and he had just warned them all. If they decided to keep him here, than it wasn't his job to point it out… Right? He didn't remember everything about this fight, so he couldn't be sure, but still…
As the smoke cleared, it became clear that Naruto was standing on top of a toad, who was perching on the head of an even bigger toad. Two other huge summons were standing around them.
Naruto looked around in confusion. "Where are we?"
"Where is the enemy?" croaked Gamabunta, the big red toad.
"Where are you indeed? That doesn't look like Konoha…" Kakashi asked with a frown.
Another small toad appeared before them and the old small toad, standing next to Naruto addressed her.
"What's going on? I thought I told you to summon us to Konoha!" scolded Fukasaku.
"This is Konoha." Replied the granny toad.
"What?" asked the Sandaime stunned.
Gamakichi looked up trying to see the two elders and Naruto on top of his head. "What are you talking about, Shima?"
"Take a good look around."
The smoke cleared further, and they could make out the Hokage monument in the distance.
"It can't be!" Gamabunta yelled in shock.
Naruto's eyes widened as he took in what was left of his village.
So did the eyes of everyone who was watching the memories.
Even if he had already seen these memories once before, Inoichi still felt his breath falter.
"Goddammit." Muttered Fugaku in shock and with wide eyes.
It was like the Uchiha clan heads exclamation broke the silence and suddenly everyone was cursing in disbelieve.
"What the hell is happening here?!" Exclaimed the normally very composed Shikaku after the others had quieted down.
Naruto gulped. "I wasn't in the village at the time, but this was what was left of it after Pain of the Akatsuki attacked it."
"Kami-sama…"
It took a while to get everyone to calm down. Rin was clinging to both her team-mates and all three were watching the screen with wide eyes.
"It's obvious who's behind this. I feel the same presence as when I fought by Jiraiya's side." Said Shima.
Naruto's eyes hardened. They were standing in a huge crater that had destroyed the biggest part of their village.
An orange haired ninja in an Akatsuki cloak stood a bit further from them. He wore a missing nin headband and strange piercings all over his body. His eyes were light purple with a rippled pattern.
"What's that?" asked Obito curiously.
"That's the Rinnegan, or the Eye of Six Paths" Jiraiya answered seriously. "It's a dojutsu, not unlike the Byakugan or the Sharingan, but unlike Konoha's famous dojutsu, the Rinnegan is legendary because there aren't any records of anyone awakening it since the Sage of Six Paths himself. I myself only know it to be possible because I know a kid who awakened it. But as far as I know he's the only one."
Five other shinobi, appeared before the missing nin. They were all different, but each had the orange hair, the piercings and the strange eyes.
"Looks like all six are here." Stated Fukasaku.
Naruto quickly explained. "The Rinnegan allowed Pain to take possession of different bodies, one for each of the six paths of the Sage. He can see out of all their eyes, and he can control them all at the same time."
Jiraiya stood up abruptly and moved closer to observe the memory. "It couldn't be…"
"Sensei? What's wrong?" asked Minato confused.
Jiraiya pointed at tone of the Pain's. "That man, he reminds me of one of my students."
"What?" asked the future Yondaime confused.
During the Second Shinobi war, Tsunade, Orochimaru and I spend a lot of time fighting in Rain country. While my teammates went back to Konoha afterwards, I stayed behind to look after three kids. I thought them to defend themselves and I left them there when he had grown strong enough to do so." He pointed at the screen again. "This one reminds me a lot of Yahiko. But that is not possible because Nagato, another of the three, is the only one that I know with the Rinnegan…"
Naruto bit his lip. Nagato had told him in detail what had happened after Jiraiya had left them there so he was sure it would be mentioned shortly. It wasn't necessary to mention it all now.
In another flash Tsunade appeared between them and the enemy shinobi. She had clearly seen better days, covered in bruises and she looked exhausted.
An ANBU member joined her a few seconds later.
"Godaime-sama!"
"I am the Godaime Hokage and I'll never forgive you!' she addressed the six shinobi. "For trampling on the treasure, the dreams of those who came before me, as Hokage, I'll put a stop to you here and now."
"Looks like you understand a little of my pain now. But… I have no use for you..." Replied the shinobi furthest away from them.
Another of the bodies finished his sentence as he flew towards Tsunade. "The one I want…"
Naruto rammed a Rasengan into the shinobi's back, stopping him from reaching Tsunade. "Is me, right?"
"Wow..." Obito muttered in awe.
"What is that?" Asked Minato stunned. That looked like… but no, it couldn't… Could it?
Naruto allowed a proud smile as he explained. "That's Wind Release: Rasenshuriken. Kakashi-sensei and Yamato-taicho helped me create it. It's a Rasengan, with wind elemental chakra added to it."
"That's amazing! I haven't gotten that far yet!" Minato beamed at the blond.
He straightened up and turned towards the Akatsuki. "There is no need for Konoha's Hokage to deal with the likes of these guys. Just go and enjoy a nice cup of tea or something…"
Obito couldn't help but snort despite the situation.
"Naruto…" muttered Tsunade.
"Gamakichi!" The toad jumped down from his father's head.
"Take Baa-chan to safety."
"Gotcha." The toad replied.
Naruto still didn't take his eyes of the enemy. "Granny, leave this to me! Tell the villagers not to interfere. It'll just make it harder to fight if I have to protect them at the same time."
"All right, but take Katsuyu with you. He should be useful. He has intel on this guy."
Grampa toad took the little snail and put it in Naruto's pocket.
"Maybe this isn't the best time to ask, but… Now that I have natural energy, I can tell… I can feel everyone's chakra."
Tsunade looked down, already guessing what he was going to ask.
"Did Kakashi-sensei leave the village on a mission?"
She didn't reply.
"… I get it…" he took a deep breath.
"What?" asked Obito stunned. Did that mean Kakashi… was dead? He couldn't believe his rival was just gone…
"Kami-sama, it's like one death after the other…" muttered Minato as he eyed his student. Kakashi looked frozen, blankly staring at the screen in shock. He got up, gathered Kakashi in a hug and lead the boy to sit next to him, on the other side of Naruto. Something told Minato not to leave the blond alone now. His other two genin followed and settled as close as possible next to Kakashi. Minato gave a small sad smile. It was a pity that something as drastic as this was what was seemingly needed to bring his team together. Hopefully this would do them good and help them grow. If this was the type of battles they all had to get used to fight, they needed all the advantages they could get.
"Go, Gamakichi!"
The toad did as his summoner asked.
"Kuchiyose no justu." One of Pain's bodies summoned a giant rhino and it immediately charged towards Naruto.
It crashed into the blond, but Naruto grabbed it's horn and threw it in the air. Two other creatures were summoned, but the toad elders easily distracted them with a jutsu named "Sage technique: frog song." Naruto created two clones, made two huge Rasengan and blew the creatures away with them.
Minato was impressed and very proud that Naruto seemed to rely on his original technique as much as he did.
The little snail perched on Naruto's shoulder as the blond rushed towards the Pain bodies. "Ninja techniques won't work on Pain." He said. "He'll absorb any jutsu you use."
"Then I'll use frog Katas!"
He punched one of the bodies, while the three huge toads behind him finished the summoned creatures.
"Kage bunshin!" Naruto created two clones, one on either side of him.
"I see," said Pain's main body. "So you've become a sage, like Jiraiya-sensei."
"Jiraiya-sensei?" asked Naruto stunned.
"I studied under him too. He was my old master. I'm your fellow pupil. We both studied under the same master. We should be able to understand each other… Our master longed for peace."
"Don't make me laugh!" Naruto yelled as his clones helped him created a jutsu that looked like a Rasengan in the middle of white energy that took the form of a shuriken. "Look at what you've done! How can you call this peace!?"
"You can't see the forest through the trees. You don't understand the meaning of peace. Come quietly. Your death will lead to peace."
Shima addressed her husband. "Look at his chakra. Did you teach him this?"
"No," answered Fukasaku. "I've never seen this before. He never did this during our training. What is he planning?"
"I said, don't make me laugh!" Naruto screamed as he threw the Justu towards Pain.
Both toad elders exclaimed in shock at that, but Pain's bodies helped each other avoid the attack, even as it started expanding.
"Kami-sama." Muttered Minato as he saw the destruction. He felt awed as he saw the attack. He had always know a completed Rasengan would be powerful, but he had never expected something like this…
Jiraiya whistled in appreciation.
The scene changed.
Naruto was laying on the ground, kept there by multiple steel rods that were stabbing him in different places. Pain's main body stood before him, still talking.
"Looks like we missed most of the fight." Whined Obito. "I was looking forward to see a good asskicking!"
"Whose asskicking?" snapped Kakashi. "Because it sure doesn't seem like Naruto is winning!"
The Uchiha glared at him.
"Yes, and undoubtedly we're missing the many monologues." Sighed Shikaku. "I'm strangely enough missing them now…"
Naruto gave a weak snicker.
"The wounds aren't deep and I've avoided vital organs." Said Pain. "But now you can't move on your own."
"Hang in there, kid!" yelled Shima from a distance. "Don't listen to him no matter what he says! You're the Child of Prophecy! You will save the world! You can't lose! Jiraiya and Pa gave their lives because they believed in you! I'll never forgive you if you give in now!"
"Pa died!" Exclaimed Jiraiya in shock.
With a simple gesture Pain send the little toad flying. "Noisy frog."
"You bastard!"
"It's time for us to go-"
Pain got interrupted as an older Hinata jumped between him and Naruto.
"She grew up good! Get him girl!" cheered Kushina, who had been strangely quiet for a while.
Pain jumped back. "Reinforcements huh?"
"I won't let you lay another finger on Naruto-kun." She glared at him.
"What're you doing?!" Naruto panicked. "Get out of here, you're no match-"
"I know." She admitted. "I'm just being selfish."
"What are you talking about?! What are you doing here?! It's dangerous!"
"I'm here of my own free will." She said, her bloodline activated. "I used to always cry and give up. I nearly went the wrong way, but you… You showed me the right way. I was always chasing you, wanting to overtake you. I just wanted to walk with you, I wanted to be with you. You changed me, your smile saved me. So I'm not afraid to die protecting you! Because I love you!"
Naruto's eyes widened in shock.
"Oh my." Muttered Rin with a nervous giggle.
"Talk about bad timing." Muttered Kushina, not knowing what to think about that sudden love confession.
Hinata rushed towards Pain. "Juho Soshiken!" Two tigers heads made out of pure blue chakra formed at her hands, but Pain banished her with another Shinra Tensei.
Hiashi startled. "That isn't a Hyuuga technique."
Naruto shrugged, still feeling a little uncomfortable after seeing Hinata's confession again. "That's debatable. It's a technique she invented after all."
Hiashi blinked in shock, but also looked vaguely proud.
"STOP!" Naruto screamed desperately.
She landed harshly and did not get up again.
"This is just like how my parents were killed by Konoha ninja." Said Pain calmly. "Right before my eyes. Love breeds sacrifice, which breeds hatred."
"AHHHHHHH!" a huge column of blood red chakra exploded from Naruto.
"Then you can know Pain."
Naruto appeared, in Kyuubi's four-tailed form.
"Do you hate me?" asked Pain calmly.
"Oh, God." Kushina muttered in shock. The others were silent in their shock.
Minato bit his lips in frustration. Everytime they witnessed Naruto using the Kyuubi's chakra, the transformations got worse. How the hell had this kid befriended that Biju?
He really didn't like where this was going.
TBC.
Ch 438
Do you guys hate me now? You had to wait two years for an update, and then I dare leave it at a cliff-hanger… I'm evil XD
I'm not 100% content with this chapter, but I reasoned that at this point, you'd simply be glad I posted at all!
Thank you all for waiting while I get this plot bunny resurrected! Still, I give no guarantees when the next chapter will be out. I am already working on the next chapter, but I have no idea how long it will take me… though hopefully not another two years ^^'
Re: Flames of Resolve is my priority story at the moment. You've been warned. I will not take kindly to people who demand a new chapter or suggest I put my story up for adoption! Especially not if they can't even bother to log in so I can reply ಠ_ಠ Or, as I recently discovered, someone who copies my story and post it themselves on another website…
I hope you'll still take the time to review!