Disclaimer: I do not own the Naruto series…But if I did I would be rich by now ^_^
"Speaking"
(Thinking)
"Jubi Speaking"
(Jubi thinking)
"Asuma speaking"
"Asuma thinking"
What happened in chapter 20:
Noboro looked at Steam then at the Jubi. "…I wish for…Immortality"
"NOBORO YOU LIAR" Steam roared. "YOU PROMISED TO REVIVE AIKO"
"…Did I" Noboro sneered. "Now Jubi, my wish"
"Your wish…Has been declined" He then sharpened on of its tails and pierced it through Noboro's chest.
"…H-how could this be? All my hard work…YOU PROMISED ME ONE WISH"
"Did I?" He then pierced Noboro's body with its other nine tails and tore him apart. "Now no one can stop me"
Steam took a step back when he saw the Jubi's awesome power. He then ran towards Naruto and shook him. "HEY KID WAKE UP" He roared.
Naruto woke up from his sleep and punched Steam. "Now you're done for –"
"Kid not now, we have bigger problems to face"
Naruto looked at the Jubi and snarled at Steam. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HER"
Chapter 21: Decisions
When Kurenai heard the Jubi's roars she ran as fast as she could. She knew that Noboro has unleashed the Jinchuriki; but, what she didn't know was the percentage of Kiseki being alive. As she was heading towards the village, she caught up with
Kakashi.
"Kurenai, are you alright?"
"Yes I'm fine" She quickly answered. "But Kiseki…And Keiichi…" She worriedly said.
"Don't worry, I'll go look for Keiichi" Kakashi assured.
"What about Kiseki…?"
"….I think it's too late for her" Kakashi uttered.
Kurenai couldn't believe Kakashi's words. "Don't say that" She cried.
"I'm sorry, but when I stared at her eyes while she was flying towards Konoha. I felt like we lost her"
Back in Konoha the Jubi rampaged all around the village. Naruto woke up his friends in order to stop the Jubi from causing more damage.
"Hey kid get up" Steam helped Neji to his feet.
"Why are you suddenly helping us?" Neji asked. "Are you here to fool us?"
"No" Steam answered. "Now, quit jabbering and help me stop that thing from destroying your village"
"Neji. Is it okay to trust him?" Shikamaru whispered.
Neji looked into Steam's eyes and nodded. "Yes, we can trust him…For now"
"Alright, now let's take out that turtle and bring Kiseki back" Naruto cheered.
"DON'T" Steam roared. "Suppon's barrier is the only thing that is keeping the Jubi's attacks from spreading throughout the country" He pointed out.
"Then what do you suggest we do?" Shikamaru asked.
"You might not like it…We have to shoot it down" He answered. "Before he sucks everything up in your village"
"That'll be easy" Naruto exclaimed.
"No Naruto, it's not that easy" Shikamaru blurted. "There is a big chance that Kiseki might not be able to survive"
"He's right" Steam added.
(Tch, this'll be harder than we thought) Naruto thought. "So, what do you suggest we do now?"
"We have to find a way to reach her somehow, maybe it'll work" Shikamaru suggested.
"It's too late kid. Once the Jubi is in its full form there can only be one explanation…Kiseki is slowly being killed by that beast" Steam pointed out.
"We won't know unless we try" Kurenai suddenly uttered.
"Kurenai –Sensei!" Shikamaru exclaimed.
"Where's Kakashi –Sensei?" Naruto asked.
"He went out to look for Keiichi" She answered.
Kurenai ran as fast as she could to help her daughter. She arrived just in time to overhear their conversation. Steam turned his attention to Kurenai and frowned.
"You are a brave woman; but, I won't allow you to do that. We don't know what the Jubi will do to you –"
"I DON'T CARE WHAT HAPPENS TO ME" She snarled. "…She's my daughter"
"Y-you're her mother?" He trembled. He stared at Kurenai's worried face and knew what he must do. He took a step aside and allowed her to talk to the Jubi. "Be careful"
Kurenai nodded and ran to the Jubi.
"ARE YOU CRAZY! SHE MIGHT DIE OUT THERE" Shikamaru screamed.
"I'm sorry kid, but I'm a stupid man. I should have listened to Liz when she told me to be careful around Noboro. But I believed in his lie. And since I believed him, it is my fault Kiseki is in this state. I want to do the right thing all over again"
"And sending Kurenai –Sensei to the Jubi is the right thing?" Shikamaru questioned.
"It's the only thing that might work. Do you remember the time she talked to the Jubi the first time?"
"Yeah"
"Her voice got through her the first time. It might work the second time"
"And what if her voice doesn't reach her?" Neji asked.
"Then we have to shoot it down" Steam answered.
"Shoot it with what?"
Steam grabbed a special bullet from his pouch and loaded it in his mechanical arm. "Liz created this special bullet. I don't know what it does yet; but, she told me that if the Jubi goes out of control I must shoot it with this"
Konohakagure is now experiencing hell. The skies were gray, and the rain poured endlessly. The Jubi destroyed everything in its path, leaving the streets dismantled and grim.
"Time to say goodbye Konohakagure" The Jubi opened its mouth and started to create a black hole when Kurenai suddenly interrupted him.
"KISEKI" She cried.
The Jubi halted and turned around. "And who would you be?"
"Kiseki, it's me…It's your mother"
"Mother!" (Wasn't she the same woman before?) The Jubi was awed by her presence. He crouched down and took a good look at her. "…Mother?"
Kurenai patted the Jubi's nose with care. "Yes my dear, mama is here"
The Jubi suddenly calmed down. Its tails were disappearing as it purred with Kurenai's caressing hand. It has been a long time since he has felt such love, and protection.
"Shhh, it's going to be okay Kiseki, no one will hurt you" Kurenai assured.
Suddenly Hyo woke up from being attacked by the Jubi. He couldn't believe his eyes when he saw the Jubi so vulnerable. He quickly stood up and pierced the Jubi's side with his Tanto.
"HYO DON'T DO IT" Kurenai pleaded.
"DIE YOU MONSTER" He roared.
The Jubi howled in pain and growled at Hyo.
When Hyo looked the Jubi's eyes he ran away in fear.
But the Jubi was too fast for him and sliced him in half with his tail. He then looked at Kurenai and gave her the same look. "You LIAR, you got me distracted so he can attack me"
"No this was not supposed to happen –"
"Save your breath woman" He then pounced on her and gobbled her up.
"KURENAI –SENSEI" Shikamaru cried. "Steam–"
"I know, I know"
"Now where was I?" The Jubi opened his mouth and started sucking the village slowly.
"FIRE THAT THING NOW" Naturo roared.
"FIRE" Steam roared. But nothing happened.
"What's the hold up Steam?"
"Damn it, Liz didn't tell me that the bullet needs charging time. Hold the Jubi off as long as you can. I'll warn you when I'm about to fire"
"Got it" The three boys ran towards the Jubi and started their attack.
When Kurenai opened her eyes she was surprised to be alive. She observed her surroundings and noticed that the whole place was pitched black.
"Where am I?" She stood up and walked aimlessly. "What is this place?"
"Welcome Kurenai"
She grabbed her Kunai was in attack position."Show yourself"
The Jubi reappeared in front of her.
When Kurenai saw the Jubi she trembled in fear.
"Hahaha, you're afraid. Just like your son"
"What have you done with him?" She ordered.
"You think I care?"
"Damn you" Kurenai charged at the beast; but, as she ran towards him a wall of electricity stopped her.
"Oh, did I forget to tell you about that. My bad" He mocked. "Oh but don't worry. Even if you break through that wall I'm prepared to give you unimaginable pain"
Kurenai slowly stood up and glared at the Jubi. "Where is she?"
"Who…? Oh, you mean the brat?" The Jubi opened its palm and revealed Kiseki. She was chained on his palm and was painfully being sucked in slowly.
(Kiseki) "Give her to me or I'll take her from you"
"Oh you're so brave all of a sudden" The Jubi suddenly pulled off one of his tails and placed it on the ground. "Okay then, try to take her from me"
When the Jubi placed his tail on the ground nine miniature versions of the Jubi appeared.
"Good Luck" He sneered.
Kurenai's battle with the Jubi has begun. She did her best to retrieve her daughter; but, she was outnumbered nine to one. The clash of Kurenai's weapon and the skin of the Jubi awoke Kiseki.
Kiseki opened her eyes and saw her mother staking her life for her sake. "MAMA" She cried.
"Kiseki –"
One of the Jubi's clones flicked her weapon and brushed her to the side.
"MAMA" Kiseki struggled to freedom; but, the chains hindered her to freedom.
(They're just too many of them. How can I defeat them?)
"Need a hand?" Asuma chuckled.
"A-Asuma?"
When Kiseki heard Asuma's voice her face lit up. "Hey, Old Man" She gleamed.
(What's he doing here?)
"Hang in there kiddo" He then looked at Kurenai and helped her up. "I'm sorry that I'm late. But I had to take care of Keiichi"
"How is he?"
"He's fine, Kakashi found him unconscious on a bed of bushes" He then gave Kurenai her weapon back.
"Thank goodness" Kurenai sighed in relief.
"HEY OLD MAN, IF YOU LET HIM GET A SINGLE SCRATCH ON MOM OR OUR DEAL'S OFF" Kiseki screamed.
Asuma looked at Kiseki and crossed his heart. "I promise. Kurenai, I don't have much time. I'll create an opening on the wall, when that happens I want you to run as fast as you can and grab her" He instructed.
"But what if you get hurt?" Kurenai asked.
Asuma caressed her cheek and laughed. "I'm already dead, I won't be harmed" He pecked his lovers lips and got ready to attack. "Ready?"
"Ready"
(Hang on Kiseki, we're coming) "Katon: Haisekusho" Asuma blew a cloud of ash in front of the Jubi's clones and ignited it. "Raigo: Senjusatsu" When Asuma summoned the Amida Buddha he quickly grabbed all nine clones with its hands and created a small opening
on the wall. "Quickly, I can't hold it much longer"
Kurenai looked at Asuma and smiled. "Thank you" She quickly ran into the opening and passed through the other side unharmed.
"Take good care of yourself and our children" He whispered. He then closed the opening and squeezed the Jubi's clones until they returned to one of the Jubi's tails and reattached itself on the beast. "I love you" Asuma quietly smiled as he disappeared.
"I'm impressed" He complimented. "But what you have done is completely idiotic. Get ready to feel immense pain" The Jubi sharpened his tails and aimed for Kurenai.
Kurenai dodged his attacks. But the closer she got to Kiseki, the harder it gets to avoid his attacks.
"STOP IT YOUR GOING TO KILL HER" Kiseki pleaded.
But the Jubi kept piercing his tails on Kurenai. "The closer you get to her the quicker you die"
"SHUT UP" Kurenai leaped up to her daughter and destroyed the chains with her Kunai.
Kiseki stood on the Jubi's palm and looked at her mother. "M-mom, you're badly injured" She cried.
"It doesn't matter honey, I'm fine" Kurenai ignored the pain she felt and carried her daughter. But as she turned around she saw all ten tails of the Jubi rushing towards her.
"I won't let you succeed"
Kurenai pushed Kiseki to the side and took the attack. All of the Jubi's tails pierced her through her stomach.
"M…Mama…"
The Jubi releases Kurenai from his tails and laughed. "I told you I won't let you succeed. Now no one can stop me"
Kiseki fell on her knees and shook her head. "It can't be…WHY DID YOU HAVE TO KILL HER?" She cried.
"Don't worry Kiseki, you didn't need her anyway. As long as you're a part of me, and I a part of you, you won't need anyone else. So quit being stubborn and be one with me"
"NO WAY" She roared. "RASENGAN –" All of a sudden Kiseki felt a sharp pain coming from her chest. (But I haven't even done anything yet) She thought.
"I knew this would happen. It's a good thing I took all of my Chakra back and left nothing for you. But if you want to regain your strength back, be part of me and you'll feel eternal bliss" He lied.
Kiseki opened her eyes and looked at her reflection from her mother's blood. She the Jubi's eye on her left eye and knew what she had to do.
"You're a part of me, and I'm a part of you…Right?" She asked.
"Yes, now you understand"
She then placed her palm on her left eye and looked at her mother. (Please…Forgive me) She then let out a loud scream and drilled her hand in her left eye.
"W-what are you doing?"
"Y-you need me t-to survive, right?" She then grabbed her marked eye. "But without me, you'll die"
"But you need me; you won't survive this if you take me out"
"One life to save a thousand is good enough…I should have done this a long time ago"She uttered. (I've had enough seeing people I love die because of me) She then pulled out her left eye and gave out a loud cry.
Back in Konoha Neji, Naruto and Shikamaru gave time for Steam's bullet to charge.
"OKAY BOYS IT'S JUICED UP –"
But while Steam targeted the Jubi he noticed something amiss.
The Jubi let out a loud howl and stopped its attack.
"What's the matter Steam? Shoot it now" Shikamaru roared.
"…You don't need to." He then unsummoned Suppon and gathered with the others.
"Hey what did you do that for? I thought the turtle was important to –"
"Look at the beast…It's weakening" Steam exclaimed.
"Was Kurenai –Sensei successful?" Shikamaru asked.
But Steam didn't answer.
The Jubi suddenly roared as a white light spread throughout its body. And as it slowly disintegrated, the dust particles repaired the damaged village and revived the dead. And as it settled, Kurenai was seen hugging her child on the ground.
Shikamaru was overjoyed when he saw her alive. "Kurenai –Sensei –"
"Hold your horses kid; something isn't right here" Steam pointed out.
Kurenai slowly opened her eyes and noticed that her wounds were healed. (…I'm healed…? KISEKI!) She then saw her daughter wrapped around her arms. "Thank goodness she's alright" But when she parted her daughter's bangs she was horrified to
what she saw. Her left eye is gone and was left bleeding endlessly. "Kiseki?"
But the child didn't respond.
"KISEKI" Kurenai cried.
End of Chapter 21
To be continued…
To my dear readers
I hope you are all excited for the last chapter! I know I am, because, it's going to be special…So I am entitling it Special Chapter: Three For The Price of One. See you there ~CIAO ^_^
P.S
I hope you can review this thanks ^_^