The Clan Wars
Chapter 17: Changing the Tide
I watched the exchange, tense with the apprehension and fear lacing the air. The other three leaders frowned and gave Kuuki an appraising look at her declaration of protecting Gaara and I from harm. It was a dangerous move on her part. Not only was she supporting an ideal that was taboo-a Jinchuuriki-but she was also possibly pitting herself against three powerful enemies at once.
Then Katai relaxed and grinned, his wrinkled face scrunching at the movement. "Fuzei-dono is correct," he said amusement seeping into his tone. "We cannot risk the anger of Hi no Kuni by attacking those that they have sent to assist us. We cannot fight both Tsuchi no Kuni and Hi no Kuni at the same time with success. I am not surprised that she was to remain level headed and to remind us of our foolishness. Ah! The touch of a powerful woman," he declared happily nodding in approval.
I felt a smile tugging at the corner of my lips at the elder leader's declaration. I felt confused at the sudden mood swing, but it pleased me that the old man was no longer against us. I noticed Kugutsu and Soujuu sending confused looks towards Katai, but they relaxed out of their threatening stances. However, I decided to keep an eyes on them to make sure that they would not threaten us. It was likely that they merely backed down because the odds were not completely in their favor from the start.
"Very well, old man," Soujuu said. "Will follow in you and the Lady's lead for now. However," continued, directing his gaze towards Gaara and I, "if either of the bijuu make threatening move against us or our tribesmen, we will not hesitate to defend ourselves."
"I would expect nothing less," I responded. "I would be sure that you are not the first to attack us, Doku-sama. Neither Gaara or I will stand for being attacked from behind by those that we are assisting. We will not only consider it a personal attack, but also an attack on Hi no Kuni."
Soujuu's lips curled in distaste, yet he nodded in assent nonetheless. Hopefully, he had enough sense to not attack a powerful enemy. The repercussions far outweighed the perceived benefits of destroying a bijuu.
The sounds and clashes of battle still rang in the background and I decided it was time to move on. The imminent danger of their tribesmen should keep the leaders from turning on us. I gently laid Gaara on the ground before me and I turned to Kuuki.
"I would appreciate it if you would guard over Gaara, Fuzei-sama," I said. Even when unconscious, Gaara still had his ultimate defense, but I did not want to take any chance of it being bypassed during my absence. So far, Kuuki seemed to be the most trustworthy. Her advocacy for us, and her protection of Gaara and I had placed her in my good graces.
"Of course, Naruto-san," Kuuki said in response and I sent a bright grin her way. "I assume that you have a plan?" she continued.
"Yeah," I agreed with a nod. "First, I need to know the individual strengths of your clans so I can plan a method of attack that uses your skills to the fullest extent. If we execute this properly, we can efficiently and effectively cripple the enemy forces and make them retreat."
I observed the fighting between Kaze no Kuni and Tsuchi no Kuni from the top of a slight ridge that lined the battle field. I nodded to the kage bunshin next to me and it dispelled, sharing its information with the other kage bunshin scattered throughout the plain.
I carefully watched as a small portion from each tribe were recalled to the back of the attacking force where they would receive instructions from their leaders. After receiving their instructions, the members of the Sabaku Tribe ran through a string of seals and disappeared beneath the ground; the members of the Ningyou Clan rejoined the main force and carefully began making their way among their comrades and passing necessary instructions; the members of the Fuzei Tribe and Doku Tribe intermixed and then split into two separate groups and began heading in opposite directions.
I grinned as the memories of a kage bunshin rushed through my mind. It was my turn. One of my hands folded into a half ram seal and I channeled chakra through my body and disappeared in flash of yellow light.
"Hiraishin no Jutsu!"
I landed with one of my tri-pronged kunai drawn and and taunting grin on my face. I was glad to see that the members of the Ningyou Tribe had properly scattered my Hiraishin kunai as instructed and I found myself directly in front of the leader of the Tsuchi no Kuni forces. The leader was a tall woman with dark waist-length hair and large brown eyes. She was beautiful, but I knew that wasn't a reason to underestimate her.
With a taunting laugh I began executing my part of the plan. With my Hiraishin I began wreaking havoc among the Tsuchi no Kuni forces and I made sure to pester and annoy their leader. There was nothing more fun than being a good distraction!
In as random of an order as possible, I began slitting the throats of the Tsuchi shinobi. Whenever I was within range of the leader, I made sure to toss a kunai in her direction. I made little effort to actually hits her and she successfully dodged all of them. However, the ground surrounding her was quickly becoming filled with my Hiraishin kunai.
It did not take long for the organized formation of the Tsuchi no Kuni forces to begin crumbling and falling apart. I felt another surge of memories from one of my kage bunshin and I Hiriaishined away, knowing the next stage was about to begin.
I heard a loud shout from the back of the Kaze no Kuni forces and the shinobi of Kaze no kuni began to retreat. Even from the distance I was located, I felt a rumble and tremors spreading through the ground. With the crumbling of rock, the members from the Subaku Tribe broke through the surface behind the Tsuchi no Kuni forces. They simultaneously ran through a string of seals and slammed the palms of their hands on the ground. With a grumble and a groan, an expansive and thick wall of stone began to rise out of the ground, trapping the Tsuchi no Kuni force and preventing the potential of retreat.
A second shout rang out from the back of the Kaze no Kuni forces and two small groups appeared on either side of the Tsuchi no Kuni forces. With carefully measured movements, the members of the Doku Tribe cautiously laid out poisoned powder on either side of the the battle field. With large fans raised in the air, the members of the Fuuzei tribe then stepped forward And released a large gust of wind. With their skilled manipulation of wind chakra, the powdered poison was carried towards the chaotic Tsuchi no Kuni forces.
The Kaze no Kuni forces halted their retreat at a safe distance and watched as the poison took effect. It first began with coughing as the shinobi of Tsuchi no Kuni inhaled the powder. It then became more of a disorganized and panicked reaction as the effects of the poison began setting in and the shinobi began experiencing extreme disorientation and difficulty channeling their chakra. If left in their systems for longer, they would eventually begin to suffer from delusions.
As the air settled, the Kaze no Kuni shinobi charged forward, armed with their weapons of choices and with the antidote coursing through their veins. The Ningyou Clan and Fuzei Tribe lead the charge with their puppets and swords respectively. The members of the Subaku and Doku Tribe supported with their medium and long range techniques. Together they decimated the Tsuchi no Kuni forces.
With a flash of yellow chakra I appeared directly behind the woman leading the Tsuchi no Kuni forces and I swiftly beheaded her with my tri-pronged kunai.
I watched with undivided attention as Gaara twitched indicating his quickling approaching return to consciousness. His breathing became more shallow and his dark eyelids fluttered, revealing brief flashes of the teal eyes beneath them. With a groan his eyes opened completely and he lifted one of his hands to his temple. I grabbed for his other hand and entwined our fingers.
"Gaara?" I asked as I gained his attention with my grip on his hand. "How are you feeling?"
His teal eyes focused on mine and he said, "Other than a headache, I am fine, Naruto."
"A ramaging-Shukaku-headache or a regular headache?"
Gaara's lips twitched upwards in a fond smile. "A regular headache," the Ichibi Jinchuuriki said in response. I let loose a sigh of relief at his response and my hand tightened around his.
"How is Shukaku behaving?" I asked, feeling the urgent need to confirm that the seal was done properly. If Gaara was still unable to separate himself from Shukaku's influence then I would have to immediately strengthen the seal.
Gaara titled his head to the side, read hair shifting to reveal his 'ai' tattoo, and his eyes briefly became unfocused. I waited patiently as it was likely that he was investigating the effects of the seal on his mindscape. As his eyes refocused, Gaara frowned in confusion.
"Shukaku is oddly calm," he said. "Even though I am not purposefully suppressing him, he is making no attempts to influence me or to take control."
I grinned, feeling triumph flash through me. "That is perfect!" I exclaimed. "That is what I hoped would happen." Seeing Gaara shoot me a questioning expression, I continued, "The original seal placed on you was causing Shukaku a great deal of pain. In fact, every time that he has been sealed into a Jinchuuriki within the last century, the same seal has been used. The pain has driven him to insanity.
"Although he has a long way to recover from the effects, he is likely re-evaluating his situation and condition. I don't expect him to be silent for very long, but he should be easier to reason with now that he is not blinded with pain. As he recovers his mind, regains his sanity, and loses his bloodlust, you may be able to develop a partnership as I have with Kurama.
"Actually," I continued, rethinking my last statement, "Kurama has always been pretty bloodthirsty. I wouldn't expect Shukaku to be much different, so he may not change very much in that aspect. Additionally, even if he continued to try and attack you mentally, you should be able to protect yourself more easily and without any pain.
"And now every time you sleep, pass out, or are extremely low on chakra, Shukaku cannot take control of your body. Of course, you can still perform the actual transformation, but it will take some work to gain complete control. I can help you with that," I finished.
I was pleased when Gaara nodded his head, red hair shifting. "What happened after I fell unconscious?" he asked, changing subjects.
I grinned and then began giving a detailed account of the battle. All the while, my hand remained clasped around Gaara's, his warmth reassuring me that he was strong and healthy.