I do not own Naruto in any way shape or form.
Ok everyone the contest is officially over, I will posting the winners at the end of this chapter and for those of you that won first congratulations, and second your prizes will be sent out as soon as I get around to writing them . Don't worry they will all be out as soon as I can get them that way, just have a lot of work at the moment with class starting back up.
Now a few things I would like to announce before going any farther. First is that I would like to thank each and every one of you who reviewed for last chapter. It took me some hard work to get that chapter the way I wanted it, and I think the finished product was well put together, but you never can tell until it's out there so thanks for the large response, got me writing this one almost the next day so thank you again. Now that brings me to my second point you see there was one review who I owe an apology to. If Zentari2238 is reading this then I am sorry for the way I reacted to your post. It is my belief that any review is fair, as long as it is not trolling and I didn't practice that on your review, and for that I am sorry. This story is supposed to be for fun, to shoot something out there that I would want to read, I should be grateful that someone cares about it enough to want to see it improve, and instead I acted like a child. For that I am sorry.
Ok on to a happier topic some people pointed out that Naruto needs a large power up….lol I love keeping you guys in the dark I'm so evil. I will say this chapter will explain what I mean, but let me just leave you with a question before I start it. We have seen Naruto's abilities from training with Kushina in shape manipulation, and his seedlings learning along the same lines…..now what could Juubi have been taking him away to train with alone since wave ….god I'm evil lol.
Also I have over a thousand followers….he he thump… a door opened up and a tiny redhead poked her head into songbirds room looking around and spotting the man lying on his back a small smile plasters across his face. The girls head drooped slightly before she marched over and flung a blanket over the still from turning to the monitor as she did.
"Sorry everybody Songbird had to take a little nap, but don't worry he has the chapter done." Called Mito as she gave the monitor and little wave and smile.
Ok enough stalling enjoy!
Chapter 19
"Talking"
"Thinking/Mental conversation"
"DEMON/God or the like"
"Jutsu"
-We can throw one heck of a party-
"It's ok Neesan, I'm not going anywhere… I promise dattebayo." Whispered the voice as the golden light began to eat away at the surrounding darkness. The blackness gave way to a field of soft green grass that slowly spread out around her even as a clear sky began to become visible as the blackness seemed to be wiped away from it. Naruko, however didn't notice, her eyes were drawn to a figure standing just a few feet from a great white tree… the figure of her Niisan. Without a pause Naruto slowly walked down to where the girl sat offering her a hand up. She took it before he pulled her into a strong hug holding her close.
She held strong for a moment before allowing herself to cry out once again fresh tears falling from her eyes as she pulled herself into her Niisan, who just held her whispering softly as he ran one hand gently though her long blond hair.
"Welcome back Neesan." spoke the blond boy, as he held his sister close and the two simply allowed themselves to bask in the happiness of being a family once again. For a long moment the two just stood there holding one another, until a sound like a thunderclap rent the air and the two blondes spun their heads as a whine of apparent pain shot up from far off to their right.
Both teens looked at one another for a moment before nodding and turning to run towards the source of the sound. When they arrived Naruto almost fell over laughing as Naruko just looked on, her own mouth falling open at the sight before her. The Kyuubi was hanging from the top of his cage, literally hanging his many tails wrapped around the bars on its top while his great paws held onto it for dear live as it looked down with comically watering eyes to the figure below it. Tracking the fox's gaze Naruko saw Juubi standing there her fists set on her hips looking up at the fox with all the authority a Kaasan could possess.
"Sochi you get down here right this instant you pranked your sister Chōmei for over a hundred years and I won't have my children getting away with that!" called the woman raising a hand to point up at the great fox and then down to the now grassy ground below her with a swift motion as she called, "now get down here and accept your punishment!"
The fox responded by tightening its grip on the top of the cage and shaking its head violently from side to side before shouting back down at the woman.
"No I am the great Kyuubi no Yoko and I will not allow you to spank me like some errant child, if you want that go find Kyu!" shouted the beast even as Juubi crossed her arms and fixed an annoyed look on her face as she did before responding.
"What you are mister, is in a great deal of trouble if you don't get down here right now, and Kyu already got his punishment, and now it's your turn I'm not angry about the claw but I will not let this slide." called the woman, even as the fox shook its head in apparent dismissal of the woman's comment.
"Never! You may be my Kaasan but I will not be treated like a child!" fired back the fox, even as Juubi quirked an eyebrow up in apparent amusement before she allowed her head to drop slightly, absently rubbing one hand over her forehead.
"Says the ten story fox currently clinging to the ceiling like a frightened cat, kami give me patience, at least Kyu took his spanking like a man." The woman continued to mutter to herself. This was the breaking point for Naruko as she too succumbed to a fit of laughter beside Naruto. The combined noise drew Juubi's attention behind her, and a large smile broke out over her face as she saw the two laughing children standing out on the grassy meadow. She looked up giving Kyuubi one more annoyed look before making her way over to the two who were just managing to stifle their laughter.
"So Naruto I see you and your neesan seem to be doing better, how about it Naruko are you going to attack me again?" asked the Juubi her tone, carry a twinge of mockery, but surrounded by a bone deep happiness that made it come off more playful than hurtful. Naruko had just managed to stop her laughter, and shot an annoyed look up into Juubi's wide black eyes, taking note of the teasing smile spreading across her face as she did. The girl managed to straighten herself before breathing out a reply.
"N-no." the girl responded a little embarrassment at her own actions clear on her voice. Juubi saw this and the small downcast look on the girl's face, and shrugged before plopping a hand down on the blonde's head ruffling her hair slightly as she did.
"It is ok Naruko, this is all a bit fast but I'd like for you and I to be friends, so let's just start fresh. You can call me Juubi and I hope that we can get along. Besides," here she shot a thumb back over her shoulder at where Kyuubi was still hanging from the top of his cage, "my youngest is renting a room here, I should at least try and be on good terms with the landlord shouldn't I." she finished in a kind tone, that brought a small smile to Naruko's lips.
"Hai, thank you Juubi-san." replied the girl giving the woman a smile, just as Naruto managed to control his laughter and stepped forward to clap on hand onto his neesan's shoulder.
"Aw come on Juubi lay off, after all she's still getting over losing to me in the match." chuckled Naruto a large smile spreading across his face as he said it. Naruko spun to face her brother an annoyed look now on her face instead of a saddened one.
"Ya right Niisan I totally had you beat, I was holding back, and I was still bouncing you all over that stadium." Shot back the girl making Naruto's smile falter slightly as he looked back at the girl a little annoyed as well.
"Bouncing all over, heck you were doing your fair share of that if I remember, and I was holding back too and besides I got you in here didn't I." Naruto fired back leaning in just as Naruko did the same. Naruko waved that aside for a moment before speaking again.
"Ya but that doesn't change the fact that if I hadn't pulled my punches you would look like Neji after his fight with Hinata." The blond girl replied leaning in even more just as Naruto had. Naruto in turn leaned in until their heads were almost butting together, and let out a small growl.
"Want to try me?" he said in a challenging tone a smile spreading across his face as he said it. Naruko smiled as well, the same smile she had once worn years ago when the two were still children, when one had challenged the other to a game. Neither had ever been willing to back down, and this was no exception.
"Bring it on niisan!" Naruko said, her voice carrying a happiness in its challenge that had not been there for years. Sometimes it is the simplest things that brought people comfort, and for the siblings their old rivalry was just that, there were still many things that the two needed to overcome between each other. Even now Naruto could see the ghost of those feelings etched into Naruko's eyes, and Naruko could see the small twinges of pain still visited upon Naruto as well, but for now….just for now they could be as they once were, without anything else to focus on nothing to take their attention away from one another.
Which is probably why they didn't see it coming when Juubi swung a fist down onto the top of both children's heads causing them to let out gasps of pain as they both pulled up their hands to rub furiously over the small bumps appearing on their heads even as water appeared at the edges of their vision. As the two looked up at Juubi she had an exasperated look on her face as she let out a small sigh.
"I swear Kushina must have had the patience of a saint to look after you two as children." The woman muttered as she gave the two a wiry smile. Both teens shot the woman an annoyed look even as they continued to nurse their heads slightly.
"Gah niisan it's like you have another Kaasan living in your head, and she hits just about as hard." Commented Naruko as Naruto paused for a moment before letting out a small chuckle.
"Hai I guess I do, but she does keep me in line, heck if not for her I'd probably have been ranting and raving like a maniac shouting about my vengeance, and going emo on everyone." Replied Naruto giving his Neesan a small smile, that didn't quite cover up the twinge of sadness that had come from thinking of how much he had been forced to rely on Juubi. True she had been happy to help him, but it was never easy for him to remember that it had been necessary because of his own messed up childhood. Naruko seemed to sense in some way Naruto's discomfort before doing something she hadn't done for him in years. She leaned over and grabbed the boys head in a headlock, laughing as she did.
"Oh no you don't Niisan I already have to deal with one emo, and trust me Sasuke is enough of one for any village." Laughed Naruko as Naruto struggled to break the girls grip, laughing despite himself as he did so. After a moment Naruto managed to slip out of the headlock before giving little huff, looking away from Naruko in mock contempt.
"As if I, the great and powerful holder of the mighty Juubi, would sink to such levels of self-pity." The boy said in lofty tone that caused both Naruko and Juubi to look at one another before they both stepped forward to push Naruto so that he toppled back onto the grass with a soft thump accompanied by the playful giggles of the two females.
As Naruto was making his way back to his feet Naruko was just beginning to relax, her mind finally coming down from what had occurred to her moments before, and with it came a fresh release of questions, and before she could stop herself, she let one tumble from her mouth.
"Naruto why didn't you tell me, Tousan and pervy sage about having Juubi with you for so long?" asked Naruko not noticing that the gentle breeze that had been blowing around the open field had suddenly stopped. What she did notice was that Naruto seemed to stiffen slightly his hands gripping the ground tightly as if holding back something. Juubi looked over worriedly at Naruto and then back to Naruko as she stepped forward reaching out to the boy a worried expression on her face.
Right before her hand alighted upon his shoulder her wrist was caught in a strong pale hand. As she looked up Juubi's black eyes meet her own, as she gave the younger woman a small shake of her head before pulling her lightly away, even as the grass around the boy slowly darkened, as if it were feeding on something deadly. Naruko looked both confused and scared as she caught the sound of two voices arguing with one another from where Naruto sat, as though there were two boys there instead of the one she was seeing. Confused she looked up at Juubi who had lead her away a few feet, and was looking back at the boy's form a concerned look on her face as she did.
"Naruko you need to leave him alone for a moment, he needs to gather himself again." Spoke Juubi her tone not commanding, but carrying with it a gravity, that did not suffer anyone to question it. Naruko looked confusingly from her to the form of her niisan before turning back to Juubi her face etched with confusion and concern she was still not sure of what to think of this Juubi woman, but it looked like Naruto was in some kind of pain.
"W-what do you mean, what is going on with Naruto?" she managed to ask, even as Juubi looked down at her, and let out a small sigh.
"I suppose you need to know something, I take it that he showed you a few of his memories during your fight?" began the woman getting a small nod from the girl.
"h-hai I saw….i saw him.." here she was forced to stop as the vision of Naruto impaled resurfaced in her mind. Juubi seemed to understand the girl without her saying another word and nodded before continuing.
"I see he showed you the events in wave, well that makes things a little easier to explain. I'll leave most of it for him to tell you but for now I'll cover the basics. You see Naruto was split, not unlike how my sochi Kyuubi and Kyu are now. You grew up knowing the Naruto from wave, and when he was attacked he was mortally wounded, and the other Naruto and he joined together again, but there was damage, you see the Naruto now is made up of those two halves, and usually they are in agreement, and you see the happy boy you knew your whole life." explained the Juubi Naruko looking more confused then ever.
"W-wait then what's this?" she asked pointed over to where Naruto was sitting the voice's slowly fading as she did. Juubi turned a sad face over to look at where the boy sat letting out a breath as she looked at him.
"This is when the parts don't agree, think of it like when you argue with yourself, only a little more literal. You see one half of Naruto is still hurt by the hokage's actions, and wants him to answer for what he did to him, but also still wants to have a tousan. The other side was the one who watched Naruto be left alone and then die before him powerless to do anything" continued Juubi her tone soft and worried. Naruko looked up at her and then back to where the grass was slowly coming back to life around the boy, as Naruto seemed to be coming to the end of his private debate.
"a-and that other Naruto what does he want?" asked Naruko scared of what she was about to hear. Juubi looked down at her for a moment before looking back at where Naruto was pushing himself up to his feet.
"When he learned the true reason for it all….he wanted to kill the hokage, and Jiraiya with his own hands." the woman said getting a shocked look from Naruko as she looked over to her niisan's form, a vague memory of his first response to her when he had arrived back from wave, as though he had been holding himself back from her in some way, and with that came a fresh wave of sadness.
Kami n-naruto what have we done to you? She thought her hands tightening into fists, as her own anger at herself grew. However, before she could do more than look down ashamed a soft hand alighted upon her shoulder and she looked up to see Juubi offering her a small smile.
"It is alright Naruko, he is getting better, and you being here for him will help more than you could ever know. The thing to remember is that Naruto is doing this because he wants to, he had a choice to make, and he chose to have a family again… as for your tousan... Well let's just say that his will be a much harsher wake up call, but I think Naruto will be able to manage just fine if you're willing to help him." spoke Juubi offering her a smile as she finished. Naruko considered the woman's words for a moment before nodding, but noticing something missing from Juubi's words before speaking up again.
"Juubi you said he wanted to work things out with Tousan….what about pervy sage?" asked Naruko, as the boy turned to see them and slowly made his way over to them and embarrassed little smile on his face.
"Oh the toad, well I wouldn't hold my breath." Replied Juubi just as Naruto came within earshot, calling out a small apology as he did, even as his mind replayed the recent argument over in his head.
-argument a few moments before-
"THE HOKAGE! AS IF I WOULD TELL HIM OR THAT DAMN TOAD ANYTHING! WHAT THE HELL IS NEESAN THINKING ASKING ME THAT MAYBE I SHOULD HAVE POUNDED HER INTO THE GROUND A FEW MORE TIMES CAUSE HER HEAD SEEMS TO BE PRACTICALLY FULL OF SO MUCH USLESS CRAP SHE COULD STAND TO LOSE SOME OF IT!" one half of the boy shouted, to himself the sound forcibly continued, so that it came out only as a whisper to those around his form. Immediately another voice calmer and gentler responded to the others harshness.
Neesan didn't know, how could she, darn it we have been over this she is just as much a victim here as we are. We are not taking out our anger and failings on others, not after what we just went through to get close to her again. Do you want to waste that chance..w-we just argued like we use to…we smiled, we laughed isn't that what we wanted? The other voice responded in an almost pleading tone. This seemed to halt the other for a moment before there was a growl of anger and it continued.
"Fine your right about Neesan, but darn it, if she thinks we are just going to leap back to the Hokage and that useless excuse for a godfather after some nice words she can forget it. She, Minami and Kaasan may have been hurt just like us, but it ends there as far as I'm concerned. I won't be letting him get away scot free from hurting them and me just like that queen from snow, or spring or whatever it's called hurt Mito." Shot back the voice. The other let out a sigh of apparent exasperation before speaking up again.
Hai, hai fair enough we both know that the Hokage and toad have some things to answer for, but lashing out at others when they come near our family isn't the way to solve anything. You and I both know that we don't want to be some raging lunatic, so just calm down already, I swear it's no wonder all of Juubi's kids have anger issues, I swear did she put something in your food while you were with her or something? The voice replied half mocking. The other let out a small indignant huff before letting a small amount of annoyed happiness creep into his tone as he replied.
"Ha as if, Juubi was just ok with me expressing my anger is all, not all of us had Hinata-chan to cuddle up with in the park, or take on secret dates to the hokage monument." It shot back actually drawing a small smile from its fellow.
Still jealous about that are you? Mocked the other the laughter almost visible in his tone. The other let out an annoyed huff before responding.
"Ya well I'm here now, and you didn't seem to mind letting me take command during that last kiss, haha I swear you were so shocked I was afraid you would freeze up on me again." The voice huffed out in a mocking tone that caused the other to fall silent for a moment.
"But I guess you're right sorry, let's just get back to neesan already, we must look like a lunatic at the moment…..a-and it was good to see her like that again i-it's been a long time." The voice finished, as the other gave a mental equivalent of a nod as they allowed themselves to shift back into one entity again. As they did Naruto blinked slightly as he felt a small headache.
"Gah I hate it when I, they…we? Oh whatever I hate it when that happens, why is it my mind has to go into a civil war all the time, still I guess it does make me happy knowing that they are still there…here…ahhhhh forget it where did Neesan and Juubi go." Naruto said to himself as he stood up and looked around spotting them a short distance off.
-end of argument-
"Sorry about that just had to get my head in order." chuckled Naruto as he reached the pair one hand slipping idly behind his head and scratching it lightly. The gesture was so Naruto that Naruko found herself relaxing as she saw him do it.
I guess niisan really is still here… she thought as she let a smile cross her features and playfully punched Naruto's arm before speaking up.
"Hai you better be, I don't want to win on account of you having a mental breakdown." She said noting the irony of her words as she did so. Naruto grinned as well for a moment before seeming to pause for a moment as if only remembering something he had just forgotten.
"Oh ya about that, I kind of forgot but we have to push back our fight for a while, something big is happening in the stadium, I don't know what but I've been hearing weird things all month from around the village, and something big is supposed to happen today at the stadium from what I've heard today." The boy said drawing Naruko's attention in once again.
"Huh? What do you mean something big?" she asked her tone expressing the confusion mirrored in her face. Naruto gave a small shrug, in answer.
"Don't know exactly, I have just heard snippets here and there from my pollen net, but the village is on high alert, and something is going on, I just don't know what." Replied the blonde. He then proceeded to explain the idea of the pollen net, and the info he had managed to gather with them over the past month. After he had finished Naruko nodded in understanding.
"Hai I guess wearing each other out more in a fight wouldn't do us any good, but still it's not like we can just call a halt to it and give up right?" she asked as a large smile played across the boy's face. For a second Naruko looked confused before she started shaking her head in apparent fear of what was to come.
"Oh no, no way we are not settling the match like we did when we were kids I never won once against you and you know it!" called Naruko even as the boys smile grew steadily bigger threatening to cover his whole face.
"Hai neesan that." Replied Naruto letting out a small chuckle as Naruko dropped her head in an over the top comical gesture of surrender.
"You're evil Niisan…b-but it's nice to talk to you like this again." She said giving him a happy look as she straightened herself back up. Naruto simply shrugged before holding out a hand, and speaking.
"Hai it is, now get ready to lose Neesan!" he called his voice echoing around the open expanse of grass around the pair.
In the arena everyone had been watching with anticipation as the commotion below was obscured momentarily by a burst of smoke as Naruto had tackled Naruko to the ground. A moment after the two teens had crashed to the arena floor the remaining sea of clones exploded into clouds of smoke throwing up a concealing dome. As the smoke finally cleared it showed first four of the black figures, two of them having to work to pull themselves out of holes they had been smashed into looking around apparently just as confused as the audience.
A moment later the figures of Naruko and Naruto came into view, the boy still crouched over his fellow blond only this time with a kunai held in his hand and to the girl's throat. For a moment no-one spoke, and then from the two a voice issued out slightly horse from apparent discomfort.
"P-proctor I surrender!" called Naruko her voice carrying in the silence of the arena clearly. A moment later the Jonin who had been standing a good deal back flickered into view beside the pair, his eyes tracking wearily around to the black figures around him for a moment before raising a hand up in the air and calling out in a loud voice.
"NARUKO UZUMAKI NAMIKAZE HAS SURRENDERED! NARUTO UZUMAKI IS THE WINNNER!" he called his voice ringing out around the stadium. For a second there was no response to his words, till a sudden call of happiness came from a familiar part of the stadium.
"THAT WAS AWSOME, ANIKI AND NARUKO-NEESAN WERE AWSOME! YOU TO SEED-KUN!" called a young girl's voice overflowing with apparent happiness and excitement. The girl's voice seemed to act as a trigger, and soon the crowd was roaring its approval, even a few of the shinobi joining in, though most still watched the black figures below with obvious suspicion.
Naruto stood up offering a hand to Naruko, which she took and soon the two were standing giving a small wave as they moved back towards the contestant box, and medical area. The seedlings in the meantime where following behind humming happily as they did, one even waving excitedly at the crowd unfortunately shifting into its Ino form as it did so, and bringing forth what sounded like a series of curses and shouting from a part of the stands that had been silent a moment before, but that could have been simply the two's imagination. As they walked Naruko elbowed Naruto gently in the side, with a look of annoyance on her face.
"It just had to be janken didn't it, you know I'm horrible at that game." She whispered to him, even as he forced himself to keep from laughing as the two made their way through the arena.
"Hey not my fault you always lose." He teased as they continued on nearing the contestant booth, Tsunade and Shizune standing a few feet in front of it, both looking at the two approaching teens with hopeful, and at the same time proud looks on their faces. Naruto let his face show a small smile as the two stepped forwards running brief check over the two.
"Well gaki's this is odd now isn't it Naruko you don't look all that hurt, it's almost as if you two decided to throw the fight." Tsunade said with a knowing tone and smile that caused the teens to smile back at her. Shizune in the meantime handed both a couple chakra pills before giving the two a quick hug.
"Good match you too I have to say most of the crowd are still picking their mouths off the ground." Continued Tsunade fixing a few of the minor scrapes on Naruto, Naruko's having already healed thanks to Kyuubi's presence. At this Naruko gave Naruto a playful shove that almost overbalanced the boy, Naruko was many things but a delicate flower wasn't one of them, however all her action got was a happy little smile from the rest of the group.
"Ya well thank this guy for that, and those." She said jabbing a thumb back at the seedling's who were standing behind the two humming slightly in apparent contentment. Shizune gave a shrug at her words while Naruto looked over towards the four seedlings still behind him as if he had managed to forget they were there. With a small pulse they all collapsed back into seeds and shot into his coat taking their places on the tree on its back once again.
"You know you're going to have to explain how exactly that works sooner or later." Naruko said while Naruto just gave her a mischievous grin before replying.
"Hai, hai but for now you just get to be amazed by how awesome I am." This caused Naruko to roll her eyes as the two started to make their way back to the competitors box. As they approached Naruto held out his hand to Naruko palm down pushing something into the girls hands as he did. When Naruko looked down she saw a small black orb the size of a marble. Before she was able to ask what it was about Naruto's voice spoke up in her head.
It's just a gift Neesan, don't worry it won't explode or anything…..at least I don't think so. He finished in a tone only a known prankster can master. Naruko was about to ask how he was doing this, but thought back briefly to the discussion and decided just to wait. After all she had already learned a lot for one day, and if Naruto's feeling was correct the day was going to get more interesting….great more craziness, just what I needed. She thought as the two reached the steps and started up them.
Preaching to the choir Neesan, preaching to the choir. Naruto replied causing the two to snigger slightly as they reached to top of the booth. Before the two blondes could prepare themselves they were both impacted in by two figures. Naruko was the first as Minami crashed into her giving her a hug as she did, the girls own pollen allowing her to instantly communicate with her Neesan.
Naruko, you baka I was worried about you, but you did it didn't you, Naruto and you are ok now, that's great now I can stop hiding it from you, Kyu was driving me crazy wanting to talk to Kyuubi about it, oh and good match by the way. The redhead said firing off so many comments that Naruko at first thought that Mito had suddenly aged a few years and had replaced Minami in the booth with her. After a moment Naruko was able to steady herself enough to reply.
H-hai Minami w-we are getting better, I won't say it is fixed or anything but we have a chance now….a-and sorry for being so pig headed about everything…thanks for trying to help me see it, if you hadn't I don't know if Naruto and I could have this chance….so…thanks Neesan. the blonde replied just getting an exasperated smile from Minami as she gave her neesan another quick hug.
No problem Naruko, after all one of us has to keep their head in this group, or you and Naruto would have blown up the whole stadium before one of you gave in, I swear you two are the most stubborn people I know…. But it's good to have you with us again. Replied Minami as the two broke apart, and turned to see their brother locked in another long kiss, with Hinata. At first the two just blinked as the kiss seemed to stretch on, for a few seconds…then a bit longer. Finally even Sasuke was having to suppress a blush at the two's antics and Minami spoke up.
"OK THAT'S IT HINATA, YOU AND NARUTO GET A ROOM SOME OF US HERE ARE SINGLE AND YOU'RE MAKING US FEEL INADIQUATE!" called Minami loud enough to break the couple out of whatever world they had been lost in, and bringing them back, causing both to flush bright red as they looked around the booth at everyone's watching eyes. For a moment neither moved, then to everyone surprise Hinata leaned up to kiss Naruto once more before taking his hand and walking them over to the railing, in a posture that made it clear that embarrassed or not, she was not going to let anyone else forget who Naruto belonged to. Naruto in the meantime just followed her with a small grin on his face as he looked around at the rest of the men in the booth, as if saying "Ya that's my girl!" As the two teens reached the railing, both Naruko and Minami looked at one another for a moment before sending each other a small mental agreement.
Ok ya Hinata-chan might be onto something we need to find a guy. They thought at the same time, causing them to giggle a bit even as the announcer's voice rang out again and Sasuke and Gaara moved to exit the contestant box.
While the Jonin proctor called for the next round of contestants, and a red and black haired youth respectively made their way into the arena, a figure in the kage box was looking like he had just been hit squarely in the face by one of Tsunade's blows. Jiraiya was looking down as though he expected someone to suddenly jump out and yell just kidding, and show him that the last few minutes had been some kind of dream. His mind raced as he tried to make some sense of what he had seen.
Naruko…the child of prophecy…ha-had lost…had been beaten by Naruto, a boy that had only followed the basic ninja training…true he didn't know what exactly the boy had been using in the fight, and he was determined to figure out just what was going on, but at the moment his mind was consumed by one overarching thought. Naruko had lost…she had fallen. And as is the case when the mind is forced to comprehend something it doesn't want to it grasps at straws trying to find some kind of thread to attach onto. And the thread he found was one that led to a truly unpleasant view.
The way the old man's mind saw it there were only three possibilities to explain what he had seen. First that Naruko wasn't the child of prophecy, and that it was now clearly Minami, as she fit all of the requirements now, but he had been so sure it would be Naruko, well he supposed he could have been wrong about the girl, but still Naruto's abilities made it harder to simply write Naruko off. The second possibility was that the defeat had meant nothing… after all the prophecy had said fallen, it hadn't said how, for all he knew this defeat was nothing more significant than a set back or a coincidence, but again Naruto's strange new abilities seemed to strange to simply be dismissed again. Which brought him to his final view…and most assuredly the worst possible of the three. What if Naruto was somehow involved, true he couldn't be the child of prophecy, after all he didn't have any great burden like the girls, and how could he be two people, but could he be an obstacle. Jiraiya had never considered threats to the prophecy, in fact where had Naruto gotten his abilities….and there were powers working in the shadows these days….but at the moment this was all speculation.
Jiraiya may not have found any answers yet, but one thing he was sure of, after the tournament Naruto was going to have some major explaining to do. As this final part flashed vaguely through his mind the sage looked over to where Minato sat, looking just as blank as he had after he had taken his seat half way through the match. For all the movement or noise he was making he might as well have been a statue. Jiraiya seeing this put his own mental debate aside for a moment and walked over to stand by the hokage bending down as he did.
"Hey gaki, we need to look into this, but for now you need to focus, you're in the middle of the tournament, I know it's hard, but we need to not show any weakness here, so just put it away for now. Minato's head cocked slightly as if he had been poked suddenly as he turned to fix Jiraiya with a look that clearly indicated he was questioning the others sanity at the moment.
f-focus….is he serious he wants me to focus on some blasted tournament, some stupid politics, or my fucking job, my sochi just won against my musume, something I would have called impossible an hour ago, and he wants be to focus. I have all but destroyed my family, I have hurt and pushed everyone I have ever loved to the breaking point, all of it to figure out some FUCKING PROPHECY AND I'VE FOLLOWED EVERYTHING YOU HAVE SAID LIKE SOME DAMNED PUPPET AND NOW IT LOOKS LIKE IT WAS ALL POINTLESS BECAUSE APPARENTLY NARUTO MANAGED TO BEST ALL OF OUR WORK DESPITE ME BASICALLY ABANDONING THE CHILD! AND HE WANTS ME TO FOCUS, THE ONLY FOCUS I HAVE RIGHT NOW IS DECIDING WHERE I WANT TO HIT HIM WITH MY RASENGAN, AND WHERE I WANT TO PLUNG THE DAMN THING INTO MY SELF, CAUSE I'M STARTING TO THINK I HAVE LOST EVERYTHING I HAVE EVER LOVED AND IT WAS ALL FUCKING POINTLESS! Minato roared inside his mind. The intensity of his anger at both the man before him and himself was so great that the intent coming off of him almost caused the other members in the Kage booth to lose their own composure, as they fought against their own instincts to distance themselves from what felt like a volcano about to erupt. Whether for better or worse Minato's rage actually managed to render him incapable to speaking further, and he simply looked from the man beside him and back down at the arena trying not to contemplate a murder slash suicide combo as the next competitors Gaara and Sasuke entered the stadium floor. As for his guilt….well it would be the one aiming his strikes, it had had enough of its peaceful and passive resistance, and was seriously throwing in with the mutual destruction option.
While this was occurring over with the rest of the Hokage's family, while a few of its members were busy celebrating the last match in their own way. Mito had been jumping up and down for the last few minutes giggling and calling out excitedly as the match had ended. She wasn't concerned about winners and losers for the last match, all she had cared about was that the two seemed happy when they had left, and for her that meant the world. First Minami-neesan and now Naruko-neesan, she was seeing her family happier than she could ever remember them being, and for her that was the greatest feeling she had ever known.
Unfortunately her celebration had, had an easily foreseeable result. As Mito had begun to cheer and clap the banner she was holding had of course fallen out of her hands and the cloth had been dragged forwards over the figures sitting next to her. So for a moment it looked like she was cheering beside several very lazy trick or treater's, before the three managed to pull the banner off of them with the helpful hand of Hanabi.
As the banner came down off of Hitomi and Hiashi they turned at a small soft choking sound coming from over where Kushina still sat covered by the folds of the banner. The two looked at one another for a moment as Hanabi hopped down to join in Mito's cheers, and then back to where the women sat apparently unbothered by the sheet currently obscuring her from view. Hitomi gave Hiashi a small concerned look that he understood without words, and with a gentle effort he lifted Hitomi gently from her seat and carried her over setting her beside her friend before moving over taking the two younger children with him. Hitomi gently leaned over to Kushinas covered form as she gently pulled the cover off the woman, allowing the soft sound of sobbing to come out no longer muffled by the cloth. There Kushina sat her eyes pressed shut, but unable to halt the slow trickle of tears that came from her eyes all the same. She had pulled Kyueed close to her chest and was cradling it as though it were a child, the small orb letting out a small concerned whine barely audible over the woman's own stifled tears.
Hitomi reached out resting a hand upon her friends shoulder and leaning in before speaking.
"Kushina, what's wrong I thought you would be happy, Naruto won." Asked the confused woman as Kushina shook her head allowing a few tears to fly from her and land on the area around her.
"I-I am happy Hito-chan, I'm so very happy…h-he did it again….what did I do to deserve a Sochi like him that would fix all of my failures…..oh my maelstrom…thank you." Whispered the redhead more to herself than to Hitomi. The Hyuuga woman didn't say anything more. She understood her friend's words all too well. To see something like her family saved was the greatest gift Kushina had not dared to truly believe in. She had spoken of it, she had dreamed of it, but in the end she had believed that after her and Minato's actions she had doomed them all…and her Sochi had just shown her that hope wasn't gone after all. For that Kushina wept tears of joy, as her friend sat by her one hand resting on her shoulder as she bowed her head in silent agreement with the source of the redhead's tears.
At the same time below the match had just begun with Sasuke dodging in and out of blast of sand and attempting to breach Gaara's defenses. While this was occurring Kakashi and Guy were busy having a conversation about the match, Kakashi explaining his own teaching method as his rival listened throwing in a comment ever now and again. Meanwhile a few feet below them the other Jonin senseis and their students were having a very different conversation, oblivious to the conversation of the others.
"Well that was a surprise with the last match." commented Asuma as he leaned back his eyes lazily tracking the match bellow without much interest. So far neither competitor had shown any real shift in their abilities since the prelims, and while Gaara's sand was impressive, and Sasuke's speed had improved, after the previous match it was hard to capture the same amount of interest. Kurenai gave the man a look before letting out a sigh.
"You're angry at me for not telling you about what I knew aren't you." replied the red eyed women, making it a statement rather than a question. Asuma in response just pulled out a cigarette and popped it into his mouth lighting it. To his surprise Kurenai did not move to pull it from his mouth, he turned to see her measuring him with a steady gaze. After a moment he looked back down at the match letting out a puff of smoke as he did.
"In a way I am, but more than that I'm wondering what is going on, I'm not stupid Kurenai, I know someone told you to keep quiet, but that isn't what worries me. Something here doesn't add up, I've seen a lot in my time, and I mean a lot and that last fight was just plain wrong." He finished taking a drag of his cigarette as he did. Kurenai looked puzzled at his words but before she could say anything he spoke again.
"I never told you I ran into another jinchuuriki did I, heck must have been nine years back, no idea what number he was, but he shot up a cloak and came at us trying to aim for the fire daimyo. Took four of us to put the bastard down and even then he didn't stay down. And you know what I remember more about that fight than anything Kurenai?" Asuma asked his tone distant. The woman could only shake her head in response as Asuma pulled the cigarette from his mouth and continued on.
"What I remember is hitting that guy with everything I had, blades, Justus's heck my best stuff, and that damn cloak of his sending it off like it was nothing. Heck we had to bust out some team attacks just to punch through it, and I just saw a genin do what a team of A rank shinobi couldn't do. So Kurenai what I'm angry about is that either the Hokage is keeping secrets from us, or that we have all been dooped by a genin who kami only knows what his abilities are, heck from what Ino said he may be able to create life." Finished the man as his hand tightened and the cigarette in it was crushed in his palm. Kurenai let a small worried smile grace her lips as she laid her hand gently upon Asuma's causing the man to look down at it and then back up into her bright red eyes.
"Asuma," she began her tone soft but firm, "I will tell you everything I know soon, but I can let you know that neither the hokage or anyone else truly has any idea of what is happening besides a handful of us, but you can trust me that Naruto hasn't been dooping anyone, he isn't that smart." She finished with a small smile, as Asuma let a small chuckled spring from his lips as he opened his palm allowing the woman's to slip into it.
"ok Kurenai, I believe you, I guess I'll have to find out everything sooner or later, but for now I trust you." replied the man as she looked back towards the fight below.
While the two had been talking Yakumo had been edging slightly away from Ino, who in turn had edged closer to the girl, till they looked like there was some magnetic pull occurring between the two. After a while Choji finally spoke up his tone exasperated.
"Ino stop that, Yakumo doesn't have to tell us anything right now, and we can just ask Naruto later. You just got done screaming about that thing that change into you and now your eyeing Yakumo like she is some kind of accomplice, can't we all just get along." asked Choji his tone soft and hopeful. His kind heart did not enjoy seeing Yakumo in such obvious discomfort, and after finding Shikimaru in his own little world he had relented to trying to help the girl on his own.
Both girls turned their eyes over to where Choji sat, Yakumo sending a silent thank you while Ino just looked slightly annoyed.
"Look I just want to know what's going gone Choji, that thing, seedling or whatever it is, looks like me, and she knows something, and I want to know what it is." The girl said turning to look at Yakumo again, who had pulled out her sketch pad to try and hid behind. Ino however, seemed unperturbed and just kept staring at the girl's sketchpad as if willing it to become transparent, and allow her to continue to see her target. Choji let out a sigh and turned back to the arena watching at Sasuke leapt back dodging a fresh wave of sand before spitting out several blasts of fire that impacted upon Gaara's shield throwing up clouds of smoke, but doing nothing else as far as the boy could tell.
Ino in the meantime was silently trying to piece together how she was going to get Yakumo to open up to her.
Hm from what Sakura says she likes drawing, and is rather shy….great I don't have idea one on how to get her to open up to me. Crud and she knows something about those Seedling things….darn it I can't have that thing running around looking like me kami only knows what it has been doing….wait if Naruto made those things… And as Ino's mind settled on that thought a horrible and completely inaccurate idea overcame her on what exactly Naruto could have possibly done in connection to the Seedling. Without warning Ino let out a cry of mixed horror and anger that caused everyone around to suddenly focus on the girl as a fresh round of shouts and curses spilled out of her mouth.
Over in the contestant box Naruto and Hinata were standing beside Minami and Sakura all watching the match with some interest. Naruko, had already headed out of the box and was making her way up to where she had seen Mito's signs looking to find a place to sit in order to watch the remainder of the matches. The group had mostly remained silent as they did, none of them wanting to miss what came next with the fight.
"So that kid Gaara is like you and Naruko." Sakura asked looking over at the redheaded girl who gave her a small nod.
"Hai from what Naruto, and Kyu have said he holds the one tailed raccoon, Shukaku, but besides that I don't know anything." Replied Minami looking over at Sakura before the two turned to look over at the blond boy beside them. Naruto seemed to notice their eyes on him and pulled his eyes away from the match to look at the two.
"huh did you to say something?" asked the boy turning to face the two girls.
"Ya sorry Naruto I was just asking about this raccoon thing that the kid from sand has, I mean I know Minami and Naruko have been trained to control theirs, but something seems off about this Gaara kid, do you or… well your guest know anything?" Sakura asked. Naruto seemed to consider the question for a moment before giving a shrug.
"Well really all I know is that he controls that sand via Shukaku's chakra, apparently it was a trick he learned from the Juubi, he just adapted it to fit his chakra stores, and abilities, beyond that all I can say is that its Shukaku in the driver's seat out there, the Gaara kid might as well be a puppet." Naruto replied, the three girls nodding their heads as they took in what he had said. From a little ways behind the four Temari went ridged as she heard the other blonde's words. As the four genin continued to chat away the genin from Suna was busy having a small panic attack.
HOW! HOW DID THEY KNOW, FUCK THE INVASION WAS BASED ON GAARA BEING A SUPRIZE ACE, AND THESE GENIN SEEM TO KNOW ALL ABOUT HIM! DAMN IF THEY KNOW THEN THERE'S NO WAY THE HIGHER FORCES DON'T, THIS WHOLE OPERATION IS FUBAR AND WE HAVEN'T EVEN STARTED. and what the hell was that about Shukaku being in charge what does that mean for Gaara, crap there are just to many questions here! Damn it I'm almost empty as it is, if we lose the element of surprise I'm as good as dead….what the hell was the Kazekage thinking, we never should have trusted that blasted snake he's leading us into a fucking minefield. The girl raged inside her mind, trying to keep her calm facade in place. However, her subtle shifts in facial and body language had caught the eye of an easily overlooked genin standing just a few feet from her.
Shino who had been standing stoically in the rear of the competitor's box watching all of his fellow genin in silence had seen the girl's apparent anxiousness. For a moment he was willing to let the action go unnoticed, however, a nagging feeling told him that to do so would be unwise. So he moved over so that he was situated directly behind the girl, his eyes trained on her, and his stance lax.
Something is happening here today…Naruko took a dive in that last match, and I know darn well that Naruto must have had more up his sleeve as well… something is coming, and this Suna kunoichi seems to know about it….better to be safe on this one. Thought the teen as he took up his new position.
Meanwhile in the Arena Sasuke was quickly losing patience with his match. True with his new speed and fully developed sharingan he could accurately predict Gaara's next attack, but even then he could not find a blind spot to exploit. Every time he had closed in the sand had been there to either trip him up or funnel him into a more direct path. Once he had only managed to dodge the next attack thanks to seeing a small smile on his opponents face. He was slowly starting to suspect that he was being lead around the fight like a chess piece, lead into attacks that were more dangerous to him, or bluffed into dodging an attack that never came, and this was making him angry. When that anger came the sand seemed to almost slide around with some excitement as if it had tasted blood in the water as it rushed in redoubling its efforts on the boy.
So Sasuke had decided to end the game and had shot away from the redhead and up the arena wall ducking down as he did so. From Gaara's mind a low chuckle came as Shukaku watched his opponent.
"So the little red eye has some brains after all, I was half expecting him to not notice I was leading him around. Still his speed is a problem, Gaara is still slowing me down, or this fight would have been over by now…but no matter, the red eyed one has gotten angry, all I have to do is wait and he will make a mistake…they always do in the end…and I can wait…" Chuckled the great raccoon as he sat watching the match as though watching a particularly fascinating game of chess. As Sasuke dashed away from him he allowed his mind to wander for a moment. It found itself thinking back to his encounter with his Kaasan a few days before…and with that came a small twinge of sadness. True he did not question his choice, it had after all been the correct one, but to see the sadness on his Kaasan's face hurt him, after all if he hurt her, how was he any different from that bastard of a man and his kind.
"Damn I need to stop thinking like that, I do what is right, they harmed my family, so I will tear theirs to sunders. This is not petty revenge this is justice, and I will not forgo it…." Shukaku thought again, as he idly waved a hand causing Gaara to raise his ultimate defense. It was not wise to leave a vulnerable weakness exposed, while he was thinking after all. Outside people watched as Gaara was slowly covered in a massive orb of tightly compacted sand, encasing the boy in darkness.
As the darkness fell Gaara found himself standing on the edge of a great expanse of white sand. Shukaku sat way off in the distance out of the boys view, but for the eldest of the tailed beast the child may as well have been standing on his own finger, after all he was the desert, and his reach was all encompassing. Ideally Shukaku gave a small wave and a figure rose from the sand forming into the body of a motherly figure, her face soft and comforting even thought it was made of the same white sand as everything else. Shukaku looked down at the figure for a moment before gesturing it away off towards the boy to act as his mouthpiece. He couldn't remember where he had first come up with the idea to use the child's mother as a disguise….heck he couldn't even remember how he had known what the woman looked like to begin with. He had just remembered awakening in his latest host and feeling an odd pull to create the mouth piece…and so he had.
Now that he thought about it the mouthpiece had also acted oddly a handful of times, hugging the redhead, and pulling it out of his own shifting dome, as though it thought it was the child's real Kaasan. Of course Shukaku had investigated the phenomenon, but as of late he still had not found an answer to why the mouthpiece still acted every now and then to protect his host. It was as he thought this that he looked down to see that the mouthpiece hadn't left and was looking up at him its white face looking at him with a blank and slightly saddened look on its face.
"I told you to go, you useless construct not to gape at me!" called Shukaku in annoyance, then pausing raking one massive clawed hand over his head recognizing he was basically yelling at himself. However, before he could calm down there was a voice…soft and sad…and definitely not his own.
"Your Kaasan loves you... and all she wants is for you to be safe…that's all any Kaasan wishes." Spoke the figure below. Shukaku simply stared down in confusion at the mouthpiece as she slowly turned and made her way out over the shifting sands and towards his host's location. For a moment Shukaku just sat there his mouth slightly agape before shaking himself slightly, and forcing his mind to think logically.
"I need to stop thinking about this kind of thing, my own doubts are starting to talk too, at this rate I'll end up being broken in half just like Kurama….well at least I would have someone to talk to, but for now let's see what little red eye is up to." He finished as he looked to see that the redeye had stopped up the side of the wall, and was focusing a large amount of chakra into his open palm.
Meanwhile the mouthpiece had arrived where Gaara stood. As it approached it dropped to one knee and pulled the boy into a small hug that the boy sank into for a moment.
"Ka-kaasan." The boy half whimpered as he held onto the sand vestige that was an exact copy of his deceased Kaasan.
Meanwhile on the outside Sasuke had finished charging up his next strike. His open hand now looked like it was holding pure lightening, bright violent blue that sent off small sparks as it bit into the wall the boy stood on, even as a high pitched chirping noise accompanied it. More than a few Jonin looked on in shock at the boy's latest move, many recognizing it as the signature move of Kakashi of the sharingan. Kakashi at the time was busy explaining to Guy why he had taught his prized move to his student, while up in the Kage box the Kazekage's eyes gleamed with an excitement that was almost physically visible.
The rest of the genin, even Naruko and Minami were forced to admit that this latest move had caught them off guard. They all watched with rapped attention as the boy speed down the wall and forward towards the great orb of sand. As he closed in great spikes of sand shot out of the orb deadly points plunging forwards towards the advancing teen. However, Sasuke's eyes allowed him to see the coming assault, and dodge the deadly spikes reaching the orb and plunging his hand forwards. There was a retching sound as the lightening first dug into the orb with a crack that echoed around the stadium. For a moment there was no noise in the stadium. As the crowed watched a small trickle of red leaked its way down the red eyed youths arm a few drops falling onto the arena floor with an indistinguishable sound of impact.
As those drops fell there was an ear piercing shriek of pure anger from the orb of sand, and Sasuke was struck in the chest by a solid poll of sand that shot out of it flinging him across the open arena, his eyes open and staring in confusion and fear at what he had seen inside the hole that his blow had punched in the orb.
Several things happened at once as Sasuke fell back, and the scream called out through the stadium. Feathers began to fall suddenly from the sky, while several figures in the crowd leapt to their feet, and started to move. There was a deafening explosion from the Kage booth, and over from the contestant box a particular blond had called out in a half crazed voice in apparent frustration.
A few minutes previously Naruto had been watching the fight, while the girls had continued their conversation on Gaara without him. The blond had allowed himself a moment of calm after everything that had happened.
You know Juubi I think things are going to be alright…I mean Naruko and I are shaky now, but I think we will be able to move past everything, and nothing looks like it's going to happen after all, maybe everything will work out. The boy said to his companion in a happy little tone. Juubi in turn gave a small nod, but her countenance was still dubious.
"Maybe Naruto, but I wouldn't relax just yet true we managed to get through the match, but even still the exam is far from over, and something tells me that it won't be that simple…besides we still have Shukaku to deal with, and he is one of the more dangerous challenges we are likely to face." Juubi replied, causing Naruto to give a small mental shrug.
Hai Juubi, but still come on my luck can't possibly be that bad. Naruto finished. Juubi was about to respond to the boy pointing out several occasions where just that had indeed happened, but it seemed fate beat her to it. Without warning just as a roar went up from the arena a sudden carpet of chakra started to cover the stadium as feathers began to drift slowly down. At the same moment there was a sudden explosion from the Kage booth, and figures began emerging from everywhere. Behind him Temari started to make a move, but suddenly fell to the ground as Shino's insects quickly drained what little chakra the girl had left, and Haku with a worried tone shouted something about Zabuza-sama before disappearing leaving a small gathering of frost and snow where he had been standing.
Naruto only had time to give the chaos before him a brief glance before he threw up his hands and in a snarl of rage yelled out!
"OH COME ON YOU HAVE TO BE KIDDING ME!" the blonde yelled grabbing his hair in complete frustration. Inside his mind Juubi couldn't help but wonder if one of Kami's court enjoyed setting up moments like this just to see people like Naruto flip out. Luckily for the shinobi and citizens falling under the effect of the genjutsu Naruto managed to keep enough sense in him to set off his contingency plan.
When the genjutsu had first begun falling the Jonin sensei along with their students had felt the effects just in time to throw up a counter. Some of the less experienced shinobi and kunoichi around them, however, slumped forwards apparently asleep. Before the Jonin could get about to assisting their comrades they were forced to swing to meet a now oncoming force of shinobi bearing sound and sand headbands.
With an angry roar Guy shot forwards sending a pair of sound shinobi back into the concrete wall of the stadium, even as on his right Kakashi caught one attack Suna shinobi's arm directing his kunai thrust into a kunoichi from sound how had attempted to get at his back before slamming his own kunai into the original suna attacker. Kurenai had been forced to leap forwards to catch an attacker that was descending towards Yakumo and Ino, but managed to thrust her own Kunai into the attacking sound shinobi's back forcing him face down between the two teens, who both let out small gasps of panic. Asuma in the meantime had jumped to cover Kurenai's back and had already cut down a pair of advancing shinobi, but more were on the way.
"Shit!" the bearded man yelled as she gave another swipe cutting both the opponent kunai and through in one swift gesture letting a small red mist fly out of the man. "They planned this out, there are too many civilians and comrades here, I can't use any jutsu's!" he called as he was forced to spin taking another Suna shinobi down with a pair of quick blows.
As Asuma shouted Shikimaru had already dropped to a knee firing out his shadow and catching a pair of charging sound that were headed for Choji.
Oh course they did, that was the point of the genjutsu, to shift the stadium into a killing field, the Konoha forces can't fire off larger attacks for fear of hitting the unconscious ones, meanwhile the enemy can go weapons free. Damn it's not even that simple is it, their forces are less experienced than ours from what I've seen so far, but with this handicap the playing field is giving them every advantage! Thought the boy furiously as Choji swung his expanded fist forwards into the two figures that Shikimaru had immobilized.
As the blow threw the pair back Shikimaru spun ready to receive orders from his sensei when he saw it. There floating a few feet off of the ground was the black marble he had been holding just a few moments before. Looking quickly around he saw that there were many other orbs hovering around seemingly all around the stadium. The orbs also caught the eye of several other of the figures around them, but before anyone could do more than stare at them there was a small pulse from the orb, and all of its fellows.
The shinobi all around the stadium felt a small wave like sensation that came off as a small tingling sensation. At first the wave seemed to have no effect, but as Shikimaru watched he saw a chunnin sitting not too far from him suddenly stir from his sleep blinking around confused for a moment before jerking left out of the path of the kunai swung by an attacking sound shinobi, managing to grab the attackers arm and pulling him down to the ground where they continued to struggle. The boy felt a sudden dawning understanding as he looked around seeing shinobi and civilian alike coming to. Some beginning to shepherd the civilians out of the fight, while others rushed forwards to attack the invading force.
Shikimaru felt a fierce grin spread across his face as he saw the effect the orbs were having.
Well played Naruto it seems you managed to even up the playing field. The boy thought as he trapped another figure who had rushed towards Kurenai's unguarded side as a section of the stadium seemed to come to life and grab hold of a shinobi that had leapt over his fellows aiming for Shikimaru. The boy turned to see Yakumo holding a painting out depicting a great stone fist coming out of the ground reaching out to grab a figure.
Beside her Ino was lying limp as a suna shinobi leapt forwards to attack his confused sound allies. However, while their group seemed to be holding its position rather well, most of the rest of the stadium seemed to be in utter chaos. Before he could focus again a blast caught his attention from over on the other side of the stadium. Spinning he saw a strange figure on all fours crouched beside a group of people, and if he wasn't mistaken whatever it was it had several of what looked like tails.
When the genjutsu had begun to fall around Kushina's group she had immediately recognized the danger, but before she could do more than cry out in surprise several enemies were springing forwards aiming at the group. It seemed the enemy had a particular interest in taking out the small group, and as Kushina's eyes went wide she saw that the oncoming forces were likely to simply overrun them. She spied out of the corner of her eyes that both Mito and Hanabi had fallen asleep their small forms held against one another, and their faces sunk into small faces of sleep. Hiashi had jumped into action stepping over the pair, towering up as he sank into his stance and his Byakugan flared, but even he knew that protecting the children and himself was a losing battle. However, if that bothered the man he did not show it as he set himself ready to meet the oncoming hoard.
Kushina also noted that Hitomi looked to be in a clear panic, knowing that she could only put up a token defense at best, but more horrified at the possibility of seeing her husband and child fall just a few feet from her. All of this flashed through Kushina's mind, even as she summoned as many chains as she could fire them off towards the oncoming shinobi. However, it was too late, although her chains struck true, at least half of the oncoming attacker barreled through the golden assault and plunged forward, kunai bared like the fangs of some great beast. Kushina gritted her teeth as she waited for the blow to come fighting the fear she felt, as she roared in her mind that she would not die here, not now, not when she was just starting to have her family again…and that is when it happened.
Hiashi had just battered away two shinobi, as a third managed to plunge a kunai into his back before the Hyuuga spun slamming a palm thrust into the man's chest, and liquefying his chest cavity in a second. As he turned to meet the next assault a sudden blackness rushed across his vision as he heard a strangled gasp from the attackers he had seen racing towards his exposed back. Hitomi also saw the black appendage's intercepting the coming attack and with her byakugan blazing turned to see where the long oddly furry looking thing had originated from. Both Hyuugas eyes fell upon Kushina who was looking just as shocked as her fellows as the figure to which the tails belonged to crouched beside her as it left off a low humming growl, and its purple and red eye flashed in apparent anger.
Kushina could only blink down in surprise momentarily forgetting her position, or the fact that she was under attack. A moment before when the enemy had closed in the orb in her lap had exploded out, as nine great….well tails of black fur shot out, either slamming into the shinobi around her or, flying out to grab the ones headed for those around her fellows. As the redhead watched as the orb in her lap fell to the ground breaking and spreading out into a figure that looked like a cross between her sochi, and a fox. Two long almost rabbit like ears shot out of the creatures head twitching slightly in apparent agitation as from its newly formed face a small humming growl escaped from. Kushina was able to take notice of a small jagged crease where the creature's mouth must have sat. With a jolt she realized that the creature before her looked almost identical to the girls when they had manifested four tails of power. However, before she could do more than look down in shock Kyueed had leapt between where Hitomi and Hiashi were, dragging several of the would-be attackers with it in its powerful tails. With a few jerks its tails swept out flinging those held in them out into the stadium bringing small cries of pain as they smashed into different parts of the stadium seating. Then the creature was back down between the group its eyes narrowed as it looked around at the others that had sprung forwards to attack the group.
The three adults stared confused, and a little afraid of the creature before them, even as Hanabi and Mito blinked slowly awake, as the pollens around the stadium let out their pulses. The two leaned up off of one another apparently ignorant to the havoc occurring around them. The two blinked for a moment before Mito leaned over and grabbed hold of one of Kyueed's tails letting out a small sigh as she let herself fall back to sleep with a small mutter of "Hi Kyueed." Before the genjutsu's effects caused her to slip back into sleep.
The genjutsu may have been broken, but the after effects were enough to overpower the children, and after arranging themselves happily against one of the Kyueed's tails the two children sank back into sleep. Kyueed along with all of the other adults could only look in wonder at the children wondering how they could have fallen asleep at a time like this. However, the next moment another pair of sound shinobi were rushing them, and before any of the adults could do more than start to move, Kyueed had allowed its mouth to pop open and spit out a blast of purple and red chakra that impacted the two in midair flinging them back into a wall with a blast that caused the watching adults hair to blow back slightly in the wind. The last assault seemed to have caused the attacker to fall back for at least a time, and Hiashi managed to put into words what the others were feeling at that moment.
"W-what the heck is that?" the man asked through the pain in his back as he reached around to yank the blade from where it had been buried in his back. Hitomi grimaced and pulled herself over to Hiashi tearing a strip from her kimono as she did to push into the wound and keep it from bleeding out. The pair turned to look over at Kushina who had moved to put her back to them her eyes looking around trying to make sure that no one got in an attack on them.
"I-I think that's Kyueed." Kushina said not dropping her guard or taking her eyes away from any potential attacker. However, she almost let out a yelp of shock as Kyueed hearing his name let out a half hum and purr leaning over to rub affectionately against the women's side looking up at her with it bright eyes now back to their round proportions. Kushina managed to look down for a moment, and couldn't help but give him a small smile before looking back out over the stadium her mind racing as what to do next. However, before she could do more than start thinking of her next move there was a familiar voice not far from her accompanied by several explosions that caused both her and Kyueed to spin their heads around to focus on the commotion?
"YOU PICKED THE WRONG GIRL TO MESS WITH TODAY TAKE THIS RASENGAN!" called Naruko as she blasted through a mixture of sound and suna shinobi, her form already cloaked in a level one shroud, and her red eyes spinning in search of her family. Her eyes spotted them a moment later and she hurried over swatting a few stray enemies away as she did. As she reached Kushina she almost lost her footing as she saw Kyueed, but managed to keep from crashing by falling to all fours a few feet from the group bringing her almost eyes level with Kyueed himself. For a moment the two just looked at one another before Kyueed let out a small purring hum and proceeded to rub its face against her cheek.
Naruko just stared momentarily dumbfounded as inside her mind her thoughts matching her confused expression perfectly.
Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh? What the heck is that thing and what's its doing? Her mind blankly asked, even as she heard a deep chuckle coming from Kyuubi's cage.
"Hm so it seems I'm an uncle...no wonder Kyu was so excited, oh and look he likes you." Chuckled Kyuubi in mocking tone, directed at the frozen girl. Naruko shook her head slightly giving the fox a mental glare as she did.
Oh shut up Kyuubi we don't have time for this! she shot back just as the….whatever it was leaned back its nine tails swishing back and forth in apparent happiness. Naruko pushed herself to her feet and looked over the group letting out a small happy sigh as she saw that Mito and Kushina were unharmed.
"Kaasan, what's going on I was on my way up when all heck broke lose, and what's that thing?" she asked looking over at her Kaasan for answers. Kushina gave Naruko a small smile before focusing back on her surroundings.
"Hai, Naruko we're all ok, but this position isn't secure and Hiashi is injured we need to move, oh and that's Kyueed." The woman said firing off a pair of golden chains to stop a sound shinobi from jumping onto a leaf chunnin that was just staggering up from his seat.
"Naruko we need some cover and time to organize I need you to buy that time, ok!?" Kushina said as she yanked the enemy shinobi forwards and down the stairs. Naruko gave a fierce little grin before crossing her hand in a familiar sign, soon there was a large poof of smoke and there were several dozen Naruko charging in every direction charging into the sound and suna forces. As her clones crashed into the enemy forces Kushina took a moment to look upwards to where an explosion had torn the kage booth apart. She spied a blonde figure charging up to the roof after someone, and let out a breath she hadn't know she had been holding. It seemed that Minato was alright, and joining the fight as well, so she turned back to focus on protecting those she could.
"Ok Hiashi we are getting out of here and getting the kids to the hospital, it will be the most heavily defended and knowing Tsunade and Shizune they have already gotten there and raised the alarm, understood!?" called Kushina as the group around her nodded in agreement. Before they moved Kushina cast a look down below into the arena where Minami and Naruto were likely still there along with Hinata. Naruko seemed to notice her Kaasan's gaze and without waiting summoned another force of clones around her, drawing Kushina's eyes.
"Don't worry Kaasan I'll head down and support Minami, Hinata and Naruto, you just get everyone out of here, my clones will give you cover!" called Naruko as she flashed a smile towards the redhead. Kushina looked as though she wanted to argue, but the words died in her thought as she looked around at her group, two children sleeping, while one cripple and Hiashi was injured….no she couldn't move them all alone, after a moment she finally managed to speak up.
"No Naruko I need you here, I can't protect everyone here and get them to safety alone, I need you here, send a few of your clones below and tell them what is happening, but I need you here to help me!" Kushina called as she bent down to pull Hanabi and Mito into her arms, while Hiashi picked up Hitomi, without showing the obvious pain it must have caused him to do so, giving the pair an affirmative nod as he did. Naruko looked left and right for a moment before seeing the small smiling face of Mito as she pulled a lock of Kushina's hair in her sleep. Then without any further argument she directed a few of her clones into the arena and towards the contestant box, while the remainder formed up around them, as she took point. The group noted that Kyueed seemed to have been watching them in slight confusion its head tilted to one side as it watched them talking to one another. With a small bolt of inspiration Kushina called to the creature.
"Kyueed go with the clones and look after everyone!" called the women as Naruko moved to take her position. Kyueed looked at the women for a moment before letting out a little yip that seemed to indicate its understanding, before taking off after the clones Naruko had sent into the arena ideally swatting a few sound shinobi out of its path as it headed out. At the same moment Naruko had moved to stand in front of the group and had her eyes closed in concentration for a moment before with a blast of chakra they opened, and she called out in a loud voice.
"Hai Kaasan, lets go I have point!" called Naruko as a second tail of chakra sprang from her back, and she charged forwards with the group falling in behind her, even as her clones flanked the group every now and then deflecting an incoming attack, or dispelling as it flung itself in-between an attack headed their way.
As Naruko's group shot out of the seats heading for the hospital Minato was racing up the side of the stadium his eyes blazing as they focused on the figure before him, and the four that were flanking him. The blonde's eyes focused upon the bright yellow eyes of Orochimaru as his viper like smile leered down at the hokage, even as he fled to the top of the tower disappearing into another cloud of smoke and dust from a second series of explosions.
The first set had apparently been interwoven into the false Kage robes that the snake had been wearing. As the screech had come up from the arena floor, and the genjutsu fell across the stadium, Minato had turned just in time to see the Kage's cloak flying towards him small sparks of flame already dancing across it the seals drawn over its inside. Minato had managed to move in time to teleport just out of the blast radios, his eyes blazing as the disguise fell away and revealed the grinning face of Orochimaru. Before Jiraiya could call out to the hokage, he had already thrown a handful of his kunai into the snake disappearing into a flash of yellow and appearing just before the still motionless enemy smashing a swirling ball of chakra into the figures smiling face, only to have it crumble into earth, as a wicked laugh issues out from above him causing him to jerk his gaze up to see Orochimaru and four others retreating up the tower. Without hesitating Minato was up and after them followed close behind by Jiraiya, whose face had set itself into a neutral mask.
As the two landed on the top of the building Minato swept his hand out in a fierce gesture and a blast of wind flew out forcing the smoke and dust off of the roof. As the wind flew Minato caught a glimpse of Orochimaru a few feet away flying through hand signs. Without pausing Minato flung a kunai towards the man before slamming out a few hand signs of his own, multiplying the projectile from one to dozens, before he disappeared into a flash of lights that seemed to dance in between the multiple kunai as they hurtled towards the pale figure.
Just as the blades were about the reach the snake his grin broke as Minato appeared slamming another swirling ball into his chest and causing him to cough out a small glob of blood before pushing away from the Kage. Minato, however, was not about to let the Snake go and disappeared into another flash of light before appearing behind the snake and kicking him with enough force to launch him into the air above him. Even as the pale figure went sailing up Minato pulled two fists full of kunai out of his pouch hurtling them up around the figure before disappearing into another flash of light. Before the sage could right himself in the air he was slammed in the chest by a bone crushing kick that caused his bone's to crack with a loud snap, but that was only the beginning.
Minato flashed back and forth between the kunai in the air landing blow after blow, throwing the kunai he had teleported to a fresh one as he did, and using the momentum to slam blow after blow into the figure each becoming harder and faster as he continued to build speed. The pale figure in the center of this shining ball of dancing light and pain could only jerk and spasm as blow after blow fell, too quick to even properly react to the first blow before three more had fallen. Finally after a few moments that felt like a lifetime through an almost destroyed face the man saw Minato appear above him two swirling balls of blue chakra clutched in his hands along with small trails of what looked like wind swirling around them as though each had a mini tornado wrapped around it. The snake opened its eyes in horror but was only able to watch as with another flash the orbs were suddenly buried in his chest as he and the blond flew down into the ceiling with a small destination from the force with which they struck. There was a horrible breaking sound as the pale figures form distorted under the blow his insides turned into an absolute mess as bone became a ripping blade that shredded the figures chest from the inside….and all the while his barely visible yellow eyes looking up into his killer….blank. It was that blankness that caught Minato's attention, and allowed him to escape the coming attack. Just as Minato vanished into a flash of yellow the explosive tags literally stitched into the pale man's chest went off with a deafening blast throwing up a fresh cover of smoke from which came a horribly familiar laughter from the obscuring cloud of smoke and ash.
Before Minato could do more than grit his teeth four walls of purple light shot up around the roof enclosing both he and Jiraiya in a tower of purple light. Minato was about to let out a howl of anger before he felt Jiraiya step up beside him motioning for the younger man to hold himself steady. As the smoke once again thinned the pair could see Orochimaru standing a few yards from them his face practically ecstatic as he looked at the two.
"Well this is better than I had hoped both the toad and his tadpole in one net, you must be slipping oh great fourth to not notice that…well the term person no longer really applies does it." The real Orochimaru chuckled as he gestured lazily with one hand over to where the smoking remains the broken double had been. Minato gave the spot a quick glance before focusing back on Orochimaru his eyes narrowing as he did. Orochimaru smiled even wider as he saw the hokage's action.
"Oh don't worry fourth he was no one of consequence just a pawn who served his purpose…truth be told I doubted I could even survive the assault you just levied but thanks to my pawn the game has changed." Chuckled the pale faced man, as two figures stepped out of the cloud of smoke behind Orochimaru as the smoke revealed a pair of open coffins where the two had come from. There standing before them was the first and second hokage both blinking in apparent confusion as they looked around them, not seemingly able to understand how they were standing there. Minato and Jiraiya both let out a small choked gasp at the sight of the two even as the pair focused on the two, and the two seemed to become aware of them for the first time.
"I-is that?" started Minato not believe what his own eyes were showing him, as Jiraiya let out a small bitter snarl and nodded.
"Hai gaki that's your predecessors alright." Answered Jiraiya as the first and second hokage's eyes focused on the two, their expressions blank and their eyes wide and unseeing.
As Minato and Jiraiya were setting up to engage Orochimaru, Naruto and his group where trying to figure out what to do next. Naruto looked from those around him and back to the boy for a moment, then around to those in the booth. However, before he could do more than summon his seedlings a group of clones of Naruko including Kyueed arrived in the arena sprinting towards their position. Without waiting the remaining Konoha shinobi rushed forwards to meet with the clones and figure out their next move. As the teens rushed down the steps the sounds of battle flared even louder around them coupled with cries of pain and roars of challenge. The two groups meet at the base of the stairs as the clones drew up to them looking around as if checking to make sure they were all present.
"Oh thank kami you all are ok, Kaasan sent us to tell you she had to evacuate the stadium with Mito and the Hyuugas, the boss is there now and they are falling back to the hospital to get Hitomi and the little ones out of danger." Spoke up on of the clones as Kyueed bounded over to sit beside Naruto and Hinata letting out a small humming purr as it brushed up against the girl. However, they didn't have time to play with Kyueed at the moment as a howl from the other end of the arena drew their attention where they saw a monstrous sight. Gaara…or at least what had been the boy. Now he looked nothing so much as a cross between a tanuki and a sandstorm as he swung clawed arms forwards towards Sasuke the blue veined claws ending in great black talons. The boy's body from his waist up was now covered in a thick coating of sand that gave him monstrous proportions including one long tail, all of it made from sand with wicked blue veins running all around it, from the tips of its pointed ears to the tip of its grotesque tail.
Even as the group watched they saw the dark haired boy dodge the swipe only to be hammered by a smashing blow from the arena floor where the earth had turned to sand throwing him back, as the tanuki turned its yellow eyes to see their group standing across from it.
"Oh crap." Sakura muttered as the Tanuki seemed to have finished playing with the Uchiha and had turned its focus to them. However, it seemed that Sasuke had some fight left in him as he rose, a black mark racing around his skin as he did so a burst of purple chakra falling from his body as a fresh ball of lightening manifested itself into his palm. The boy sprung forwards at the turned back of Garra red eyes spinning as he roared out at the target. If not for his own rage brought on by the curse mark, his blow may have managed to land, but as it was the sound alerted the figure to his presence in time to spin, turning the ground below the Uchiha's feet to sand causing him to falter, and open him up to a smashing blow from Gaara's tail that sent him sailing into the nearby wall, with a loud crack, that sent both the boys senses and his chakra scattering all around. With that the teens let a small shiver of terror run down their spins as the sandy figure turned its eyes upon them once again.
"Naruto I'm sorry to ask this but I need you to help me now." Juubi suddenly spoke causing Naruto to blink for a moment before responding.
Wha-what oh Juubi please tell me you aren't going to ask me what I think you are? Asked the boy having a horrible feeling he knew exactly what the women was about to ask. Juubi seemed to know that the boy knew so settled on simply sending a mental nod, before speaking.
"Hai I'm afraid so Naruto, Minami could definitely defeat the boy….b-but I want to help my sochi and the boy and we are the only ones who can do that." replied Juubi, causing Naruto to let out an agitated sigh before sending a mental nod of his own and turning to address the group around him.
"Ok everyone we need to move, Hinata, Sakura we need you two out there helping people to get to the hospital, and you two are the only ones here that can manage that. Minami you need to go with them and cover them, they can't fight off attacks and help the injured at the same time, and they will need your clones to help carry the wounded." Continued the boy as the group around him listened. "Naruko's clones can start moving on the offensive throughout the village helping where they can, my seedlings will go with to provide backup, Naruko you instruct them with what to do and try and keep them in line." The blond spoke as two to three Naruko clones stepped up to four of the seedlings as Kyueed blinked up at Naruto. After a moment Hinata spoke up.
"Naruto then what about you and Kyueed?" asked the pale eyed girl, fighting the worry of her family as well as the growing worry for what she feared Naruto was about to say. In answer Naruto simply jabbed a thumb back at the monstrous figure behind him.
"We get that, Juubi and I have to get some work done." Responded the blonde, as his neesan's and Hinata looked ready to start arguing with him. However, before they could he raised a hand up.
"I know, I know you want to stay, but this is something I have to do…please trust me, you can all help save the village in a way I can't, but this I can do, I need you to trust me, kay." He said as the girls and the clones stopped their protests before they could form. Finally one of the Naruko clones let out an angry little sigh before speaking.
"Fine, but just so you know boss is going to kill me for this." she said turning to face the others who all gave Naruto a small nod. Hinata gave the blonde a quick hug before she and Sakura prepared to move. Naruko's clones gave him a quick nod, as they too headed out. Minami was the last to leave as she looked at Naruto as two of the seedlings collapsed back into seeds and Naruto struck them re dawning his black skintight mask and armor around his arms, neck and face. Before she left Minami gave Naruto a quick hug and then she hopped back as a chakra cloak surrounded her and she and the others raced out, the three girls headed up into the stands to find any injured, while the seedlings led by the clone teams headed off into the village to attack any targets they could find.
As they all left Naruto turned slowly to see Gaara staring at him with a positively evil smile upon his face as his massive arms and tail slammed into the arena floor with dull booms.
Oh ya this is going to be just great! Thought the blonde as he stretched out his hands, and Kyueed on all fours crouched beside him letting out a small growl towards the figure across from them.
Up in the stands the Jonin senseis had managed to gain the upper hand in their area, and had managed to gain a quick breather as they turned to their students prepared to issue orders. Kakashi and Guy had already shot off in pursuit of the enemy after Guy had told Tenten to stay with the others. So Asuma and Kurenai turned to face the five genin who were in varying states of weariness. Battle is not an easy thing to do and even a brief bout of hard fighting can quickly exhaust someone, but to their credit the genin looked prepared to move again if they needed to.
"Ok everyone it looks like sound and suna are launching a joint attack, I need you to start getting the civilians out of here, Kurenai and I need to start taking out the pockets of resistance, stay together, and you should be ok." Asuma called turning to look around at the gathered genin. Kurenai beside him nodded her head in agreement before shifting her gaze around the stadium where, she could see fighting still going on. The genin looked at one another before Shikimaru let out sigh.
"Troublesome, ok we'll head out, where is our meet up point?" asked the boy as he glanced up at his sensei. However, before he could answer a group of four figures jumped up over the arena wall and into the seating. The group was about the jump the new arrivals when they saw that they were three Naruko's along with the seedling version of Ino. For a moment the two groups looked at one another before one of the clones let out a small chuckle.
"Um…hi we were just leaving." It said as the three clones started to leave, along with their seedling, but Ino was having none of it. Exhausted, and in the middle of the battle didn't seem to even register with the girl as she leapt forwards in time to grab onto the end of the retreating Seedling's ponytail bringing it to sudden halt as it let out a startled hum, as it tried to turn and see what had attached itself to its favorite appendage.
"OH NO YOU DON"T!" called Ino as with a yank she pulled the seedling over as it let out a panicked hum and started to try and run, only causing it to trip and fall over its own feet as it was pulled back resulting in it toppling over on top of Ino. The two came down onto the seating with a thump. For a moment everyone just looked over at the spot where the two had fallen before the Ino seedling shot up looking around in apparent panic as it spotted the Naruko clones and took off like a rocket towards them humming in apparent terror as it sprinted past them. The Naruko clones looked around at the retreating seedling, and then back to the group before giving a small shrug and following the girl's hasty retreat. The rest of the group in turn had their attention drawn down as a small groan came from where Ino was pushing herself to her feet. As she did Shikimaru spotted that she had a few strands of what looked like black hair clutched in one fist as she rubbed at her head blinking around.
"W-where'd it go?" Ino asked a little punch-drunk as she looked around at the rest of them. The rest only shrugged before Shikimaru spoke up in a slightly annoyed tone.
"Ino just drop it for now we have a job to do, you can hunt down your double later." The boy said as Asuma gave him an affirmative nod.
"Hai he's right Ino, and Shikimaru meet back here if it's clear, if not then head to the hokage tower, now get moving the civilians need to get moved out of here now. Without any further arguing the genin took off headed for the nearest group of civilians while Asuma and Kurenai dashed off in the opposite direction heading towards where the fighting was thickest. What neither group had noticed during the small exchange and confusion was that the small orbs that had been floating a few feet away since the pulse went out were slowly unfolding as if they were a bit of paper that had been folded up, fading slowly from black to an electric purple, that seemed to be waving slightly as if they were being blown in the wind. Nor did they see when it and its fellows suddenly began heading down into the arena below as another crash occurred below.
Meanwhile Naruko's group was having problems as they battled their way through the town heading for the hospital. Though Naruko could handle just about anything that was thrown at her, she was constantly summoning more and more clones, to act as shields for her group whose speed was horribly slow. Between Hiashi's damage, and the two children held by Kushina they weren't able to effectively travel at their usual speed. This made the trip a moving battle, with the enemy taking the opportunity to attack and harass them as often as possible.
Early on Naruko had tried to carry the group with her clones, but one wind blast later they had found that the clones created to great an opening to get at the weakest of their party if they were dispelled, so the going was slow at best. However, as they reached the square things went from bad to disastrous as the summons appeared.
The first warning they had was a sudden crashing as the store a little ahead of them became flying rubble as a great two headed serpent forced its way through the stone structure turning its two massive heads to face the oncoming group. With movement that they would have sworn was too quick for such a massive beast it shot forwards towards them its massive jaws open wide as it came its hiss causing their bodies to shake despite themselves.
Naruko, however was having none of it, with Kaasan and Mito at her back not to mention the Hyuugas the girl was not going to let some snake get anywhere near them. With a primal roar the girl shot forward into the oncoming serpents first head smashing a rasengan into the creatures form and turning its head into a blast of gore. However, even as the first head detonated the second seemed to split from its fellow striking forwards. Naruko had just enough time to swing her now gore soaked arm out of the mess that had been the summons head and into the passing cylinder of snake hide her claws digging deep into the snakes flesh tearing a deep furrow in it as it passed, causing the creature to hiss in abject pain and rage.
Before the summon could do more than scream, however Naruko's clones were upon it slamming weapons and blows into its body keeping it back from the rest of the group…however this seemed to have been the enemy's plan. Just as the clones abandoned their position to finish the snake sound shinobi appeared jumping from the rooftops and doorways all hurtling down towards the now unprotected members of the group. Kushina was about to panic, but before she could do anything she felt a soft impact as Hitomi was pushed onto her back, and the women's arms locked around her shoulders. Kushina's eyes turned in time to see Hiashi darting towards the oncoming shinobi blood trailing from his wounded back as he threw himself into their mist.
Hitomi was letting out chocked sobs as she held onto her friend. Hiashi had told her that should they be stopped it was her job to look after Hanabi… a-and to apologize to Hinata for him. Hitomi knew that Hiashi was planning to buy them the time they needed, and it broke her to know that she may well have just been beside her husband for the last time, but she forced herself to chook out the words to Kushina.
"G-go Kushina he will catch up with us at the hospital….go!" the Hyuuga matriarch said as Kushina steadied herself before hefting the four of them forwards. Naruko's clones had managed to hack their way through the latest summon, and now turned to throw themselves at the oncoming numbers, but the area they were in did not give them a real fight. The enemy had chosen their ambush spot carefully it would seem. High walls and openings were perfect for hidden attacks, and even with the massive amount of chakra the clones would still dispenses from a solid kunai or shrunken blow. Naruko herself had managed to clear them a path, and was rushing to meet them as the second summons burst out of a nearby building its mouth open wide as it charged towards Naruko. The girl spun in time to meet the attack head on, but the sheer weight of the great serpent was enough to force her back and into a wall.
Kushina was about to turn when she heard a strained voice call out to her from where Naruko had crashed into the wall.
"Kaasan go I can handle these guys get Mito and the rest out of here I'll catch up!" called Naruko as with a snapping sound she forced the summons mouth open even more that the snake could managed. Kushina seemed ready to argue, but realized that carrying who she was she was in no place to argue. Without waiting she pushed her quickly tiring body forwards and out towards the Hospital. She had made it a few blocks before another screaming hiss roared our above her and she turned her face suddenly upwards to see another massive summons this one with three heads falling towards her fangs bared and its three mouths gaping as they shot towards her. Without another thought Kushina threw herself, and her three companions sideways into a nearby stand as the serpents heads crashed down into the street one after another sending cracks all throughout it, and rattling the nearby store doors and windows. Kushina look up to see the snakes head pulling themselves up their tongue's darting out to taste the air, and she felt a horrible shiver as the three heads turned slowly to face her position.
Kushina slowly pushed herself up to her feet while moving the two still unconscious children into Hitomi's arms as she turned to face the summon. Her armor was still at home, her weapons left as well, but she was not defenseless. As the snake reared back Kushina let a dozen golden chains shoot from her back and position themselves to receive the next blow and protect those behind her.
"Well come on you overgrown purse!" she called as the snake rushed forwards.
As Kushina's group began to strike out in defiance, Minato and Jiraiya were engaged in their own battle. As soon as the two past hokage's had arrived Minato had moved to try and get both he and Jiraiya out of the area, to come back when the odds were not so heavily stacked against them. However, it seemed whatever kind of barrier Orochimaru had constructed had severed Minato's connection to his other kunai, while he could still move between them inside of the barrier escaping was not on the table. So without any other choice the two had turned to attack the three figures before them.
Minato was still the fastest and closed in on the three before they could raise their defenses in time. His first blow drove a hard kick into Orochimaru's chest forcing the snake to fly back even as the two kage's both swiped out with their arms trying to catch the man who had appeared between them. However, with another flash of yellow light Minato was gone and before the two could even realize this, a torrent of flame smashed into them courtesy of Jiraiya. As Minato appeared beside his sensei they saw the two black figures amongst the flames falter slightly. However, the next moment they were forced to dive apart as a bullet of water fired past the two tearing up the roof where it impacted sending clay tiles spinning out in every direction. Before the pair could steady themselves they were forced to move again, as what appeared to be living forest shot towards them long vines and roots digging into the roof as it came diving in and out of the structure like some giant living creature reaching out for them.
The vines closed in around the two, but before they could tighten there was another pair of yellow flashes as Minato disappeared soon followed by Jiraiya the two landing on top of one of the large wooden roots that had stopped growing the blond hokage looking down at his two predecessors as the fire died away and he saw as their bodies were knitting themselves back together even as they turned those dead eyes up to look at the pair.
"Jiraiya what the hell is going on, with them?" Minato asked as he summoned another kunai to his hand, and prepared to reengage the two below. Jiraiya in turn was looking down at the two his mind racing, before as though struck by a shock he stiffened.
"Oh kami he did it." The toad sage muttered as the bit into his thumb and started drawing a seal onto his other palm with is blood. Minato flashed his sensei a puzzled look as the sage finished his work and slammed his palm into the wooden surface obscuring him momentarily in smoke. When he had reemerged he had changed, his noise had swelled out and sprouted a few warts while his hand had become slightly webbed, and the lines of red on his face now stretched out. Minato recognized this as his sensei's sage mode, something he had only seen the man adopt once during the last great war.
"Did what Jiraiya?" Minato barked out his anger still fresh in his mind, and in no mood for the sages half answers. Jiraiya turned slightly to face the blond man before answering.
"Edo Tensei." the man breathed out before the two turned to face their opponents once again. Minato's mind raced as he recalled what he knew about the forbidden jutsu, and he felt himself suppress a small shiver as he thought what it meant they were up against. However, he was the Hokage, and Orochimaru had picked the wrong day to pull off this attack. Without waiting for another word Minato disappeared in another flash hurtling down towards where the hokage's and presumably Orochimaru waited.
At the same time just outside of the stadium another group was having its own run in with the living dead. Mei the Mizukage stood tall one hand raised to her lips tapping idly as she looked across the chaotic area outside the stadium where fighting was still occurring towards where three figures stood. The first was a man apparently in his late teens, his hair was pure white, while his skin just a shade darker. He wore a simply open kimono tied with a purple rope, and his sunken eyes focused on the woman before him with a calm attitude of a trained killer. Behind him stood two men taller than him, that Mei recognized clearly. The one on the right was a skinny man, his head covered by a huge mane of shaggy blond hair almost like some kind of animal and his face hidden behind the mask of a hunter shinobi. The other wore a simple green kimono, and had his head and one eyes bound up in bandages, his brown beard hanging down over his chin.
Oh yes she knew these two men, after all she had killed them herself just a few months ago during the revolution. What caught her eye more than anything were the weapons clutched in their hands. The skinny figure held a needle like blade lightly in one hand, while the other had a massive club like blade that had a roll of explosive tags carpeting one side of it.
"Hm well now isn't this interesting who would have thought I would run into some familiar faces, and in the middle of all of this chaos, what are the odds?" the woman spoke her dangerous sensual tone, telling anyone who listened that she found nothing about the situation amusing. From behind her Zabuza let out a small chuckle as he glanced over at the three looking them up and down.
"Oh I don't know Mei, I would say they were here just to see little old you, aren't these business reunions always such a blast." mocked Zabuza as he unslung his blade from his back allowing it to crash into the ground in front of him, even as a small mass of purple chakra began to form behind him taking on the form of a demon. Mei actually gave Zabuza a small genuine smile at this before casting a look over to the pale member of the group.
"Well now a survivor of the Kaguya clan, I had heard you had all died out, are you here for some petty attempt at revenge, because the time for that has passed." called Mei even as three figures dropped in behind her and Zabuza. The pale figure didn't seem to even notice her words and his eyes tracked to the three newcomers. Haku, along with Karin and Suigetsu had just arrived the three looking over at the figures across from them their faces blank with apparent shock.
"Hey isn't that Jinpachi, and Kushimaru I thought they were dead?" called Suigetsu raising a hand to point at the two. His question was answered by the impact of Karin's fist on the back of his head causing it to explode into a wave of water.
"Baka of course they are dead, this has to be trick or something!" she called out in an annoyed tone. Haku let out a small sigh at the others antics before looking over at Karin with a blank expression.
"Karin you know he can't hear you if you destroy his head like that." The boy said in a tone that made it clear he had, had this same discussion countless time. Karin seemed not to notice his words as she looked up to where Mei was still watching the three figures across from them.
"Mei, tell you what, I'll take the two big ones, and you and the genin get to play with the bone boy." Zabuza said stepping forwards to stand before her and the genin. Mei seemed to consider it for a moment before giving a small shrug of her shoulders
"That is fine by me, it will at least let your apprentice fight someone after his match was so rudely postponed." smiled the woman her tone one of almost sensual pleasure. Zabuza smiled behind his bandaged as he fixed his gaze across at his newest targets.
"You here that gakis try not to die out there!" the man called as he charged, the two figures behind the pale figure darted out to race towards him leaving the Mizu-kage and her genin relatively alone with the pale figure who finally seemed to have found his voice.
"No." he said in a flat tone, which almost sounded like it belonged to a dead man. Mei and the genin looked slightly puzzled at this before he continued.
"In answer to your question earlier this is not some revenge on the Mist, I am here at the bidding of my Master and nothing more." The pale figure called before he pulled his head to one side, and with the same dead expression yanked a blade made from bone from his shoulder before pointing it towards the woman before him.
"And he had ordered me to make sure that you do not interfere in his plans for the leaf." Finished the youth. Mei looked at the boy for a moment before a small laugh escaped her lips and her eyes flashed with an almost primal excitement, her lips curving into a wicked smile that promised nothing good.
"Well boy you don't lack for courage, but let's see just how long you can keep that up." She called as with a small flick she blew a kiss that was accompanied by a small ball of molten lava that the boy threw up his blade to block. As he lowered his blade he saw the three genin charging forward as Mei smiled behind them. Without another sound he flung himself forwards intent on serving his masters goals, even if that meant slaying the kage before him.
As the kage's began their battles Naruto was about to get their own match underway. Gaara had turned his full attention from the now unmoving form of Sasuke as he watches the two figures before him. Without a moment wasted he dug his two hands into the arena before with a move like a cross between a track starter and a pole vaulter he flung himself forward at the two. Shukaku in the meantime was staring across at the two figures his mind focused on the two as a naggings feeling kept trying to force its way into his mind.
"Gaara's rage should be enough for these two, but something doesn't sit right here. That one on the left looks like little Kurama…I wander why that is, and the monkey..why does that form of his look familiar…it's almost lik!" Shukaku was saying before his thoughts suddenly slammed into place and he let out a cry of rage, at what he had just realized. There was no time to communicate with his host, or to stop the assault already in progress, but he could act now and hopefully stop what he feared was about to happen.
As Garra flung forwards the sand that had been shifting around him suddenly swarmed infront of him like a cloud spreading itself out into an almost cushion like shape between him and his target. Just as the sand expanded out what looked like a sudden wave of black and purple shot over the walls of the arena shooting forwards to form a wall like structure just a foot in front of the redhead's two targets. If not for the cushioning sand Gaara likely would have plowed directly into the obstacle and smashed against it like a bug. Instead the sand broke like a wave and Gaara managed to dig his tail into the arena floor before flipping back to land crouched as he let out a roar at the obstacle keeping him from his prey.
Shukaku in the meantime was not much calmer than his host as the anger boiled up inside him seeing his Kaasan's technique, the one he had pain stakeingly recreated in the hands of one of those puny monkeys.
What he saw was a wall made up of overlapping leafs that shifted lazily between black and purple, the same as those that adorned his mother's true form. As he watched the leafs seemed to relax before as if carried by a gentle wind moved too slowly circle the boy's form a few gently alighting upon him and covering the orange of his coat turning it that same shifting countenance. Even as he watched the coat seemed to spread out behind the boy as if caught in a breeze itself the back parting becoming ten separate ends gently swaying like tails flashing purple and black in the mid-day sun, even as his face looked at him with those two glowing orange globes. The rest of the leafs simply drifted around the boy gracefully like his own sand, almost as if they had a life of their own.
Naruto let out a small breath that couldn't been seen through his mask and privately thanked himself for all time he had spent working with Juubi to work on the foundations of her own style. The real luck had come when they had found that tree in the forest of death that had been so saturated with chakra, without that he doubted he could have collected enough chakra paper to even get the real training with his pollen underway. Still he had to admit the feeling was still very odd to him, as though he was directing a thousand fingers all attached to one hand.
The boy did not have time to ponder this further as Gaara and Shukaku recovered and threw out their arms howling in a blind rage as his now monstrous voice rang out.
"HOW DARE YOU STEAL FROM MOTHER! SAND SHURIKEN!" shouted the tanuki boy as what looked like dozens upon dozens of bullets of sand shot out forming into spinning stars. The hail of bladed sand shot forwards seemingly cutting the very air as they came sending up a shrill shriek as they came. Naruto in turn swung both his hand through the swirling leaves swiping them violently forwards towards the oncoming projectiles. As if by themselves several leaves pulled themselves forward and grouping into spinning blades of their own that plunged forwards shimmering between violent purple and black as they spun forwards.
The projectiles smashed into one another bits of sand and leafs scattering as the impacted with a sound of ripping furiously. Even as Naruto had launched the assault his own voice rang out in a commanding tone.
"KYUEED GET IN THERE I'LL COVER YOU!" the blonde shouted as he swiped his arms forward again countering a second volley of sand that flung itself forwards. Kyueed let out a small humming growl before it shot off like a dart on all fours racing over the ground towards the sand monster before him. Gaara was still too focused on Naruto to give the approaching figure any mind, but Shukaku was not so blind to the danger.
Great claw like spines shot up out of the ground as the fox creature charged, trying to entangle the creature. Kyueed dodged in and out of the virtual forest of sandy spires its eyes glowing as it closed in on the boy. Finally Gaara seemed to recognize the danger and swung his arms over into a crushing blow that looked likely to smash the creature before him with his two great sand claws.
As the two arms closed there was a sudden surge of those same purple and black leaves that slammed like living waves into either arm forcing them apart enough for Kyueed to rush through the gap. With an unintelligible cry of rage Gaara looked up to see Naruto his two arms outstretched towards him as if pushing on a great weight, the leafs that had been dancing around him now holding the Tanuki's arms at bay. Before there was time to process this there was a crashing sensation as Kyueed plowed into the boy's chest with a cannonball worth of force. Suddenly Gaara found his arms wrapped in several powerful black bands, as he twisted his head down just in time to see Kyueed's mouth opening right in his face. This may have been the end for the boy if Shukaku hadn't been ready for the next attack.
Without a moment's hesitation Gaara felt his mouth slam open pulled by the sand around him as a concentrated ball of chakra formed in his own mouth. Just as Kyueed had finished its own blast Shukaku/Gaara spit their own down into the creature's mouth causing the two to detonate. The resulting blast blew threw the two apart sand flying out in every direction even as Kyueed skipped back over the ground near to where Naruto was still standing. As Kyueed skidded to a halt looking disheveled one of its tails bending in an odd way as its ears drooped in obvious discomfort.
Gaara was in a similar state. The sand face around him had been crushed back along with most of the chest and one of the arms of the beast, sand trickling down like blood from his monstrous form. However, even as Naruto watched the sand stopped its collapse before surging back up the face repairing, as the boy's body and arms swelled out to their previous form.
"Oh come on that's just not fair!" Naruto shouted as Gaara stood again apparently unharmed from the last assault. Kyueed beside him let out a small whimpering hum of annoyance. The two looked at each other for a moment before Naruto nodded his head and Kyueed flicked its tail in a "I'm ready if you are." Kind of motion before the two turned to face the sand figure before them once again.
Gaara had just managed to recover from the last blast when he looked up to see the two charging him. Without another thought he threw his arms up in violent slashes great clumps of sand flying off of his arms becoming great flying claws of sand followed by slivering rivers of the grainy substance. Kyueed leapt into the flying claws swiping its tails around to smash the coming projectiles spinning forwards through them one after another. Naruto beside him was busy directing waves of his leaves crashing into the waves of sand countering them before they could push forwards and entrap the pair. As the detonations of sand and leafs blasted all around them Naruto and Kyueed closed on Gaara bringing the battle into close quarters.
Kyueed was the first to move, leaping up at Gaara's face his claws pointed forwards towards the boy's face. Shukaku, however, was coming to an end of his patience with this fight, and without pause pulled the sand around the boy's right arm swinging it up to block the oncoming creature. Kyueed buried its claws into the great sand arm its tails wrapping around the appendage, even as a couple shot forward to wrap around the sand boy's neck and chest pulling, trying to force itself closer. Almost without thought the sand upon the arm shot out into spines several shooting up into the creature's tails, and body sending up a cry of humming pain from the creature. The cry soon turned into a roar as Kyueed swung its head round and began spitting out small fast blasts of chakra into the sand around it. However, before he could get off more than a handful of shots Gaara's tail came slamming forwards to crash into the figures head crashing it down into the sand of its arm and smothering its attack.
At the same moment Naruto had shot up and under the beasts other arm even as he threw out another wave of leafs to intercept a missile of sand that shot towards him. As he reached the base of the sand monster he slammed is still armored palms into one another in a clapping motion. As he pulled them apart a length of chain extended between the two, as Naruto swung himself up and around the figure looping the chain around the beasts neck before yanking it taught pulling the howling beats head back just as it let out another blast of chakra that had been meant for the entangled Kyueed. Without pausing Naruto set himself before pulling the chains taught and sending what few leaves he had available into the boys exposed leg causing it to buckle with the force and the whole beast come toppling down onto the arena floor.
As the beast fell Naruto released the chains before leaping up and towards the now fallen boys head looking to end the battle now while he had the advantage. Kyueed in the meantime had managed to free a few of its tails and was even now fighting to free its mouth, and open up with a fresh volley of blasts. Gaara was lost in a blind fury as she struggled to crush the two figures around him, all sense of reason having left him some time ago. Shukaku however, was had calmed into an ice cold calm.
"So the little monkey wants to play like he is a monster….well lets show him what a real monster is like." called the great sand tanuki as he closed his eyes in focus and let out the seals limiting the amount of chakra allowed into his host.
The only warning that Naruto had was a sudden pulse of bone deep fear, and Juubi suddenly calling for him to watch out, but both came a second too late. There was a moment before it happened when Naruto was still hanging in midair committed to his next strike, even as Kyueed was just managing to pull its head free. In that moment Gaara suddenly halted his shifting as his yellow eyes went wide, and the sand around him stiffened for a half a second before suddenly exploding out.
Naruto was caught and flung away from the sheer force of the coming wave flying a few dozen feet to skip across the arena floor swinging his head up to see the slowly growing mass of sand before him. Kyueed, wasn't so lucky, he was carried up with the blast, as the arm he had been battling with slowly formed into a single claw of one great hand. Naruto watched in horror as the sand slowly formed into a head and legs, while an immense tail burst forth from its back. Bright blue veins sparling up around the body as the mouth opened in an earth shaking roar. Shukaku's body fully formed now stood in the center of the stadium, its bulk taking up nearly the entire floor area, the still form of Gaara hanging limply from the center of the beasts head. With an almost lazy movement the great beast looked down at its figure, where Kyueed was firing off a few blasts of chakra into the beast's arm and chest blowing chunks of sand that shifted back into place a moment later. Without another thought the massive creature flicked its arm in a swishing motion flinging Kyueed free of its claw, and into the air away from itself.
"KYUEEED! CRAP JUUBI WHY THE HECK DO I EVER LISTEN TO YOU!" called Naruto as his wave of leaves surged around him, even as Shukaku looked down at the boy, along with Gaara hanging limply from the beasts head.
"Oh and you never get us into trouble!" Juubi fired back her tone a little anxious as well.
"YA WELL THIS IS STILL WORSE!" Naruto yelled back almost causing Juubi to smile despite the situation. However before she could respond Naruto forced his waves of leaves to fly between him and an oncoming blast of wind that the giant tailed beast had fired off at the boy. The blast hit the wall with such force that the whole structure bowed in, despite the chakra being weakened as it hit.
"JUUBI I DON'T THINK I HAVE A CHANCE HERE!" Naruto shouted his tone slightly panicked. Juubi let out a breath before nodding and starting to move up the tree she had been sitting in with a determined look on her face.
"Naruto get it ready we don't have a choice!" called Juubi as she climbed causing Naruto to look up at the slowly breaking barrier he had formed as a second blast hammered down into it. Some of the leafs fell from the mass slowly crumbling away until it was caught up in the intense winds still flying around the last blast and was carried away and off over the battle around him. The boy watched the remains for just a moment before bowing his head in acknowledgment as the black armor around him slowly receded leaving the boy's face exposed, covered in sweat and slightly panting. The black armor continued to shift away from him until one seed was there floating just a foot in front of him while the other flew back into his coat.
At the same time that Shukaku was taking shape the Konoha defenders were throwing everything they had into the oncoming forces. The ino-shika-cho trio had just finished fighting a group of enemies and were headed towards the outer walls when they saw something that brought them up short. There a few yards away were their children all battling against a small force of enemy's as civilians ran behind them fleeing away from the conflict happening around them. Beside the teens was what appeared to be a noble looking woman with long purple hair, who seemed to be directing the panicking people away. As they watched one man in fancy cloths tried to barrel his way over a pair of children only to be caught by the neck by the woman's hand and yanked back before she slammed a foot down into his body holding him down as she waved other on, and out of the field of combat.
"Hey isn't that the queen of snow?" Chōza called even as the three rushed forwards to aid their children. The other two gave him quick nods as they raced forward. However, just when they were about half way there a giant serpent shot out of the building beside where the attackers were coming from, before charging the genin's position. The parents let out cries of fear as they saw the beast charge their children. However, before the snake could reach them something else caught their eyes. From the top of the stadium four figures leaped flying down like bullets down at the summon. The first three impacted the summon with blue orbs of chakra that exploded into small blasts all along the creatures side, sending bits of scales and blood out into the air. The final figure however wrapped what looked like its own hair around the creatures mouth before landing on the beasts head before driving a fist the size of a food cart into the snakes head forcing it to crash a few feet before the genin's position. As the parents reached the position the form of the creature came into view, a perfectly black version of Ino who hopped happily down from the downed snake and letting out a small hum almost like a huff as it turned towards everyone its hands planted on its hips as it looked around at the group in apparent pride.
Before anyone else could speak the queen of snows voice bellowed out with an authority that did not allow for questions.
"YOU, THE ONE WITH THE SNAKE, STOP STANDING AROUND WAITING FOR SOMEONE TO PRAISE YOU AND GET OVER HERE AND HELP ME!" the woman almost screamed causing the Ino seedling to jump slightly before rushing over taking orders from the woman letting out small hums of apparent fright as it did. The rest of the group just looked over at the pair for a moment before Shikakucalled them back to the matter at hand.
"troublesome Shikimaru, Ino, Choji, Yakumo, Tenten we'll handle this spot from here you head back with the civilians, the village still has pockets of resistance and they need an escort called the man immediately getting nods from the genin who raced out to get to work as the adults rushed forwards towards the outer wall, spying a few groups of clones that they recognized as Naruko's accompanied by one of those strange black figures, usually causing nine kinds of hell for anyone they came across.
At the same time that the summon fell to the Ino seedling Kushina had just finished spearing the final head of the massive summon she had been fighting. She was now sporting a pair of cracked ribs, and one arm hung limply by her side, where she had been forced to hold her ground to keep the snake from charging past her to get at the three she protected. With a sickening crack her golden chains snapped the final heads jaws open and back almost splitting the creatures head apart, as she turned back to see Hitomi and the children still huddled a distance away still safe.
Kushina let out a heavy breath as she moved back to the three her feet heavy, but the smile on her face showing through the pain as she pushed herself back to their sides. However, just as she was about to reach them there was another loud roaring hiss, and she turned wide eyed to see another pair of serpents slithering forwards towards her over the body of the fallen serpent. These only stretched till the size of large horses, but even still Kushina let out a cry of rage, shouting as she did.
"WHEN WILL YOU FUCKING PURSES GET THE IDEA!" she called as a new group of chains burst out of her back and pointed towards the oncoming serpents. The summons reared up letting out hisses as their mouths stretched wide, showing long pointed fangs dripping with what could only be poison.
However, before the pair could strike there was a sudden boom off in the distance before a giant blade shot through the two snakes and into the ground a few yards in front of Kushina, accompanied with a crash that made the ground around her shake. The redhead threw her head up and found herself looking up into the giant face of a red toad.
"Ga-gamabunta." Kushina said her smile returning as she spied the two figures standing on top of the great toads head looking down at her. There was Minami and Naruko both looking more than a little worn out but smiling all the same as they look down waving, and calling down at Kushina from their spot above.
"Kaasan sorry we were late, are you and Mito alright!" called Naruko as Minami just waved one hand limply obviously running on empty but smiling happily all the same. Kushina had to blink tears out her eyes as she looked up at the two nodding her head in before brushing away the moisture with one sleeve and looking back up at the girls.
"Hai we are all safe thanks to you, can you get us to the hospital!?" called Kushina as the two girls nodded in reply.
"Hey Boss we need to get my Kaasan, Mito-chan and the others to the hospital, think you can help us out?" called Naruko as the toad let out a heavy exasperated sound.
"I swear you two are running me ragged, but I suppose I can help you out this one time." replied the massive toad, his tone intimidating, but the girls could hear the note of humor in it all the same. The toad boss may be prideful sometimes, but he was also very soft hearted, only don't let him know that, he thought he was a yakuza.
So Kushina, Hitomi and the two still unconscious children found themselves lifted up in one giant webbed hand as the toad took another crashing leap and they were headed off towards the hospital. As the groups headed out Naruko and Minami ran down to the toads hand, the pair flying into Kushina as they arrived holding onto her and letting out small cries of worry as they saw her injuries. Kushina in turn just pulled the pair close to her with her one good arm, ignoring her injuries and was just happy to see her children safe. From beside her Hitomi looked around before speaking up worry in her voice.
"Naruko where is Hiashi….w-where is Hinata….w-where is my family!" she asked her voice cracking with emotion as she looked at the pair in clear panic. Naruko and Minami looked over at her before quickly giving her a reassuring smile before Minami spoke up.
"They are just fine Hitomi-san; they will probably beat us to the hospital." Minami said in a happy tone as the group continued to journey towards the hospital. Minami set about explaining to the Hyuuga matriarch what she had seen just a few minutes before.
Hiashi had stood in the middle of a street weapons and bodies littered around him as several sound and suna shinobi closed in from all sides as if predators circling a wounded beast. A pair shot forwards only for Hiashi to spin catching the two with another solid pair of strikes causing them to draw sharp pained expressions before falling dead into the ground before him. However, even as they fell Hiashi felt the bite of another Kunai as it buried itself into his calf from behind him. Whether luck or simple odds the sheer number of projectiles had found his blind spot a handful of times. However, that was all they needed thanks to their sheer number. So as Hiashi stumbled forwards he looked around his mind drawing the grim conclusion to this fight.
Da-damn them there's just too many…. The stoic Hyuuga through as he saw the group pulling out another slew of weapons to begin their assault anew. As the next attack sprang forwards Hiashi found himself in a sudden sense of peace as he thought of the smiling faces of his wife and children…well….at least they are safe. The man thought as he prepared to sell his life at the highest cost he could manage. However, just as he swung to meet the attack that would likely claim his life his vision suddenly picked up several fast moving forms that crashed headlong into the forces around him. He had a moment to recognize the shapes of large hammers, and oddly fluffy shapes before a voice called out to him through the din of noise.
"Tousan!" called a concerned voice, which Hiashi recognized. He turned in time to see Hinata jumping down from the back of the same massive grey rabbit, which stood up and in a swift motion swung its massive hammer to catch a suna shinobi in mid leap hurling the figure into a nearby wall with a loud crack. The man blinked slightly as he felt his legs giving out under him even as his eldest leapt up beside him her, eyes the shining white and black that he had seen in the arena. Idly he also noted the horns that gave her the impression of having a pair of bunny ears shooting out from her head. She was speaking quickly in an half panicked voice as she applied glowing green chakra to his form as the pain slowly began to fade. With it soon faded his consciousness as well.
Hinata looked down at Hiashi trying not to cry out at the wounds littering the man's body, while looking left and right to where Roku and his siblings were smashing their way through the would be attackers. She, Minami, and Sakura had managed to fight their way clear of the stadium and were moving when they had run into an attacking force from sound. Minami's clones had been able to stall, but they were slowly losing ground and the injured behind them presented to great a target to hope that the assault would lighten any time soon. Then Minami had come up with the idea of helping Hinata to fuel a summoning, to help get the injured out. The girls had seized upon the idea and the next moment Hinata had slammed the abundant amount of chakra that Minami had created into a summoning. The result was what stood around them.
Roku and seven of his siblings had arrived turning their hammers into the attacking forces, before moving to help evacuate the injured. The group had been on the move when they had almost crashed into Hiashi's battle Hinata spotting her tousan and calling the summons forwards into the battle. Now she sat kneeling over Hiashi stopping the worst of the injury's as the rabbits formed up around her and the other injured creating a very deadly all be it fluffy wall around their position.
"Sakura I need you!" called Hinata her tone panicked as Sakura dropped down beside her taking a quick look before diving into her own medical work on the man. Minami in turn arrived a moment later draped across the back of a smaller rabbit, the amount of chakra she had discharged between the clones and the summoning having drained her impressive reserves more than she had thought possible.
"Ho-how is he?" asked the redhead the exhaustion clear in her voice as she posed the question. Hinata and Sakura remained silent for a few more moments focused on the man below them before they let out small tired but relived sighs.
"He-he's going to be fine." Whispered Sakura leaning back and letting out a small happy chuckled as one of the rabbits brushed up against her causing her to lean gratefully into the softness for a moment. The rabbit didn't seem to mind, and just let the girl rest for a moment. Hinata in turn was crying unable to speak, the fear she had felt at seeing Hiashi in such a state had almost driven her to break down, but with an effort she forced herself up to look around them.
"Ro-roku-san." The girl called causing the rabbit to turn its face to look back at her in recognition of her words.
"We need to keep moving the hospital isn't far, and the injured need to get to cover, can you and your siblings keep going?" she asked. The massive rabbit let out a small huff before calling out in a loud voice.
"WELL NEESANS AND NIISANS WHAT SAY YOU, CAN WE CARRY OUR SUMMONER AND HER CHARGES TO SAFETY!?" called Roku in a deep voice. There was an echoing cry of assent as hammers were lifted into the air and slammed back down as the force prepared to move again. That was when Naruko had arrived looking like she had gotten into a fight with half of the invasion force herself, but a small happy grin playing across her face at the same time.
"Hey Kaasan is up ahead Minami we need to head out." the blond called as the redhead lifted her head giving a small wave of acknowledgment. Naruko looked around at the summoned rabbits for a moment before hitting herself over the head for not thinking of the same sooner and flying through a few handsigns before slamming her hands down, sending out a billowing cloud of smoke that separated to show the massive body of Gamabunta. A few moments later the group was off, Minami along with Naruko perched atop the toad boss, while the rest flew forwards with their furry protectors.
-flashback end-
As the girls finished Hitomi relaxed slightly a smile spreading across her face as she heard her family was safe. Kushina to let out a happy little smile at the news before she noticed that someone was missing.
"Minami, Naruko where's Naruto?" Kushina called even as a sudden roar caught her attention and the group turned to see the massive form of Shukaku rising out of the stadium a great distance away.
Above the stadium in the purple pillar Minato found himself being driven back along with Jiraiya against the assault of the three figures before him. The two resurrected Kage's seemed to be able to absorb everything they threw at them, and keep coming. At the same time Orochimaru continued to harass them with long-range justus and weapons fading back every time they got close to him, and allowing his puppets to take any attack meant for him. Minato and Jiraiya had found themselves breathing heavily back to back as they looked over at the two immortal kage's facing them.
"Well gaki I hope you have a plan for this cause I'm just about out of tricks to pull, if we had time, we could figure out the seal that blasted snake used, but at this rate it isn't looking good that we are going to make it out of this." the sage said setting his eyes forward towards the second hokage who was standing a few yards before him. Minato in the meantime was still running on the combined rage he had been feeling and barely registered the sage's words. Instead he gritted his teeth in a silent snarl as he summoned a pair of shadow clones to either side of him.
"Buy me some time now!" shouted the blond as the three began to focus on whatever they had planned. Jiraiya was about to argue but decided against it. Instead he flung himself forwards towards the second Hokage throwing out everything he had at the figure forcing him to fall back, before swinging round to charge at the first hokage in turn. On his shoulders Ma and Pa toad did what they could to hold off any justus flying in at the man from afar. In the meantime Minato was busy as two swirling balls of chakra slowly began to change, as wing began to gather around them. A few moments later there was a whistling noise that drew everyone's attention back towards the blonde hokage. However, even as their eyes turned there was a bright flash of light, and then the noise was gone for a moment before it flared once again in to clarity just behind the two undead Kage's. The two turned only in time to receive two massive bladed rasengans like oversized shining shrunken that plunged into the two with a horrible sound of ripping and tearing that rent the air as though it could actually sink teeth into it.
Jiraiya looked on in utter shock as the two figures disappeared into blinding blue orbs of light, and that noise swelled out to earsplitting volume. Then it all came to an end with a massive detonation that dropped the two kage's to the ground their forms unmoving, covered in what looked like millions of cuts and stabs. Turning Jiraiya saw Minato standing a few yards above him upon one of the massive wooden branches that the first had thrown at them breathing heavily his arms hanging at his side, and his palms a horrible blackened color.
Jiraiya was about to call out to him when a sudden blow impacted his back flinging him into a wooden root and knocking the man momentarily unconscious. Minato who had been looking down saw a long snake slinking back into the shadows behind the man a manic cackling filling the rooftop as it did.
"Very nicely done Minato, I must say you truly are a genius of the highest caliber, something so destructive, I have to say I am impressed." Called the snake's voice as he stepped out of the shadows. Minato felt his stomach's bottom drop out as he saw the figure before him. Orochimaru's skin was still pale white, but instead of being its usual smooth completions it had rough breaks in it like scales. His eyes usually snake like had swelled out, his whole face shifting to become a horrible cross between snake and man, even as the snake that had impacted Jiraiya slunk back to show that it was attached to his back like some kind of grotesque tail. Orochimaru grinned up at the shocked expression of the Kage's face.
"Oh this," Orochimaru half asked waving his hands around at his form, "you didn't really think I would come here to burn everything you love without preparing did you, I may be ambitious my dear Minato but I am not a fool unlike those who live in this village." called the snake sage his grin becoming a leer of deepest enjoyment and insult. Minato's eyes narrowed upon the man as despite the pain in his hands he clenched them into fists, as he looked down at the figure below him.
"Orochimaru I should tell you this, you picked the worst possible day to pull this invasion!" called Minato, even as with some intense pain he pulled a new pair of kunai out of his coat Orochimaru giving the man a puzzled look as he did.
"Oh do tell oh great fourth Hokage, why is today any different than any other?" called Orochimaru his tone brimming with false interest as he reached out the hilt of a blade which he pulled out a moment later. Minato didn't even pause as he watched the display his focus elsewhere at the moment.
"Because you traitorous snake I'm about to show you what happens when I'm having a bad day!" called Minato right before he disappeared in a flash of light before appearing behind Orochimaru, as the snake sage swung his blade around to catch the oncoming blow the viper coming from his back striking out at the hokage as the blades clashed. Minato was forced to teleport again to avoid the incoming strike landing a few feet away from the snake and flinging a few blasts of wind at the sage, who replied in kind countering them with his own assault of wind.
As the two prepared to move again their attention was drawn to a tearing cracking sound that came from above them. Both turned to see something black and slightly humanoid smash into and then through the barrier surrounding them and crashing a few yards away from them with an audible thunk. The two shinobi stared from the hole that had already almost sealed itself back to the spot where the, whatever it was had landed both wondering how what they had seen was possible. However, before they could even grasp what had just occurred a fresh shock occurred as Kyueed ejected itself from its landing spot shaking its head and letting out an annoyed sounding hum as it fluffed out its nine tails. The Kyueed looked from Minato who it didn't seem to recognize then over to Orochimaru. It seemed to focus on the sage for a moment before its glowing eyes flashed, and then narrowed, and a clearly audible humming growl began to fill the air.
The next instant Orochimaru was forced to raise his blade up to block as Kyueed spat out a ball of concentrated chakra that ripped towards him like a small black missile. Minato seeing this turned to face the sage again his mind coming to two quick conclusions. First that he had no idea what the creature was or how it had breached the barrier…two it didn't like Orochimaru, which meant it was alright by him at least for the time being.
So with that Minato charged forwards even as on his side Kyueed did the same.
Below in the arena Shukaku was still firing blast after blast down onto the shield below that looked about to crack. Naruto in the meantime was huddled under the shield focusing on the pair of orbs before his eyes. Slowly one of the orbs began to shake as Naruto concentrated.
"Juubi for the record if this blows up I'm blaming you." Naruto called as a small hum started to shake around the orb before him. Juubi who had just reached the top of her tree when she let out a heavy breath, along with a small laugh.
"Haha ok Naruto, but let's do this, I think it's about time that I started carrying my own weight around here." Juubi called as Naruto himself allowed his face split into a fierce grin.
"Hai I suppose so, just make it count!" called the blonde, as he threw his hand forwards to grab the orb in front of him. Without waiting he swung the orb down into the ground below him and with a small effort fired the ball off like a shot, plunging it straight down into the ground with a loud crack. For a few moments the only sound was the continued crashing of air against Naruto's ever shrinking shield. Then it came, a loud rumbling sound that shook the ground all around him reaching all the way up to the stadium seats causing more than one group to turn down past the great Tanuki who was looking just as apparently confused down at the arena floor.
For long moment everything seemed to go quiet, the explosions around seemed to soften, as the cries of battle began somewhat muted, as all eyes seemed almost pulled to the arena, and not towards the great tailed beast, which wasn't exactly an everyday occurrence. What came next however, shocked everyone more than anything they had ever seen.
The silence was slowly overtaken with a sudden calm that seemed to stretch out over the entire village. Fire justus dimmed, and winds broke, as water seemed to calm it's crashing even the earth and lightening stopped their crashing, as if afraid of something that they had not felt in a lifetime. There was no violent roar or crash as the structure rose, no call of great power, instead an almost silent fear was all that announced its entrance. Thousands watched as from the arena floor a pillar of white slowly stretched out, slivers splitting off to for branches as it went, as millions of leaves, that seemed to shift between midnight black, and electric purple sprouted out to cover its branches. The tree, for that is what it was, stretched up and up until it was taller than the massive form of Shukaku who stood beside it, his mouth open wide in shock at what he was seeing. As the tree finally stopped its assent the leafs seemed to open up casting a soft glow over the stadium, even as small flecks of black and purple lights, like stars slowly drifted down from its branches.
Eyes turned from the magnificent tree to spot two figures whom appeared to be riding upon the sea of leafs that carpeted to top of the great monolith. Naruto was there sitting his hands thrown out behind him to keep him from falling through the canopy, and looking as though a stiff breeze may be enough to take him out of commission. However, that is not where everyone's eyes were drawn, they stared in wonder and shock at the figure standing beside Naruto, long purple hair blowing softly in the wind, as the light from the tree played off her porcelain skin. The figure slowly drew in a breath…the first in over a thousand years on this plane, and opened her eyes towards where Shukaku stood, a sense of power simply radiating off of her that swept out over the village and the elemental nations.
In other nations across the land, a girl jumping excitedly from tree to tree while trying to learn to fly nearly crashed as the creature inside of her suddenly froze causing the two to fall to the forest floor. In mountainous region two men sat drinking before at once both found themselves frozen as their tenants both suddenly came forwards at the same time calling out as they did. In a land of mist a traveler sat watching his student just as he was about to blow a fresh set of bubbles a sudden distress call from his tenant caused him to breath in and begin choking on the substance. From a lake off in the hidden waves a creature that had been sleeping let its one eye blink suddenly open in shock and excitement. Even as a pair of Jonin fell to their knees in the Raikage's office both stunned at the intensity of their tenants calls. In all cases the cry had been the same, called from many tongues in many lands, it cried out.
"KAASAN!"
Juubi looked down at Shukaku for a moment her eyes saddened but firm, as she did. Without a word she lifted one hand up in a smooth gesture before stretching it out towards Shukaku, the great beast withering slightly in her gaze.
"Shukaku it's time you let your rage go my brave little protector." Called the Juubi as from the tree around her great pillars of leaves shot up giving the impression of ten great tails swaying in the air.
OK CHAPTER DONE. Now I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter, and feel free to post any questions you have, and anything else. I'm ecstatic to have reached so many followers and favorites, and I just want to say thank you again for all of the support. Really it means a lot that all of you enjoy the story. Now for our winners. Drum roll.
The winners are in no particular order.
New to Naruto, 00phantom, NaturalSam14, Lunarium Prince, TIMEANDSPACE12
Ok those are the winners that I could find, if by some chance I missed your review, or pm please just send me a message and I will correct this in the coming chapter. Till then congratulations to those who won, and thanks to everyone who played. LoL, now you know why they are called seeds and the title is the leafs new tree.