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The Shinobi Knight
Chapter25: The Road to War
Land of Lightning: Raikage Tower
"The mission was a success even if we did run into a few problems," Darui reported seemingly uninterested. "We managed to seal the Sanbi and we encountered a few of those dull guys that matched the description of the Akatsuki. Team B took care of them though not before we lost Atsui to one of them."
"...Yugito-chan?" E asked with a frown.
"When we dropped in over at the southern beach we were immediately confronted by two Akatsuki agents," Yugito explained. "They were Akasuna no Sasori and the infamous Iwa nukenin Deidara. We knew that they wouldn't have come alone because the Sanbi was in the area and three Biju in the same place was too good an opportunity to pass up so they must have sent others to capture it while they tried to capture me and Naruto."
"We split up," Haku continued on from there. "Yugito-chan and I remained behind to deal with the two Akatsuki agents while Naruto-kun went on ahead to aid Darui-sama and the rest of the squads."
"Naruto-dono defeated both the Akatsuki agents at the northern beach alone," Darui added. "I daresay he is as strong as Kirabi-sama now."
"Not yet," E shook his head. "Not until he completely tames the Kyuubi within him; unlike Kirabi and Yugito-chan he is not on friendly terms with his Biju."
"Either way he defeated them both," Darui shrugged.
'I'm still having trouble believing that,' Yugito thought. 'I know Naruto is strong and the Kyuubi is the most powerful of the Biju but I was evenly matched with that bastard Sasori. If Naruto really did beat two members of the Akatsuki then the difference in power between Naruto and me is a lot larger than I first thought especially if he really did it alone without the Kyuubi itself aiding him.'
It was true that Naruto had grown stronger than her but she had never known how much stronger and wasn't sure if she could defeat him without the Nibi's chakra to aid her. He was a master of the wind element and even though she hadn't seen it in a fight she knew that his new controlled Kyuubi mode was something else entirely.
When a Biju was defeated and tamed the chakra always took on the form of the Biju within like hers and Kirabi's but the Kyuubi's chakra took a different form when Naruto absorbed it. It took on the form of the Rikudō-Sennin like those old carvings in the village museum she had seen as a child. Why did it take that form? Was it something to do with the Kyuubi itself? Naruto was the first Jinchuuriki it had that tamed it so maybe that was the reason why?
Just who or better yet, what was Uzumaki Naruto?
"Where is Naruto-kun now?" E questioned.
"I don't know Raikage-sama," Darui sighed. "Kirabi-sama took him the moment we entered the village."
"Kirabi..." E muttered.
"Should I get him for you Raikage-sama?" Darui inquired.
"No," E shook his head. "Let Kirabi deal with the boy," his younger brother was without a doubt the best teacher in Kumo so as Raikage he would trust the boy to his brother's care.
Land of Rain: Ame / Akatsuki Headquarters
"Deidara, Sasori, Hidan and Kakuzu are dead," Zetsu reported. "Deidara and Sasori were beaten by the Nibi Jinchuuriki and the Last of the Yuki Clan. Hidan and Kakuzu were killed by the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki; it looks like they've tamed their Biju."
Silence...
"This is unfortunate," Pein mused.
"We caught the Yonbi and the Gobi at least," Kisame shrugged.
"We cannot seal the Yonbi, Gobi or the Rokubi until we have captured the Nibi and the Sanbi," Pein responded clearly.
"The Nibi and Kyuubi Jinchuuriki have returned to Kumo with the Sanbi," Zetsu informed. "They're all in one spot."
"Kumo is also the most powerful of the three major villages," Itachi spoke up. 'Though Danzo is clearly trying to push Oto to the top with those curse sealed abominations Orochimaru created.'
"Kumo will fall," a new very dark voice sneered as a figure stepped out from the shadows.
"Tobi?" Kisame asked confused.
"Uzumaki Naruto...he's thrown quite the wrench into my plans...I'll show him the power of the Uchiha clan," the orange-masked man looked them over with his Sharingan glowing crimson against the darkness. "My power, the power of Uchiha Madara."
"Mizukage-sama..." Kisame trailed off with a grin.
'So the real leader of the Akatsuki finally reveals himself,' Itachi thought with calculating eyes.
"Zetsu," Madara spoke clearly. "Prepare your clones for battle; we're going to war."
"Yes Madara-sama," Zetsu bowed.
"You plan to attack Kumo?" Pein inquired.
"Yes," Madara nodded.
"With what exactly?" Pein questioned further.
"With everything we have," Madara replied simply. "Zetsu is not a man, he is an army and you should have more than enough power to deal with this so-called most powerful ninja village."
"I am not your puppet," Pein leveled a glare at the immortal monster in front of him.
"Don't you want peace?" Madara asked almost mockingly. "We need all the Biju for our plans to come into fruition," he turned away. "Since we can't seal the Yonbi, Gobi or Rokubi until we seal the Nibi and the Sanbi we'll use them against Kumo. The village will fall even if the Kyuubi, Hachibi and Nibi fight in the battle."
"...So be it," Pein nodded slowly. "And then they will only know pain."
Naruto's Mindscape: Jinchuuriki Seal
"Naruto...I've always been here, I've watched your everyday of life and you are always too naive," Kyuubi's voice resounded through the chamber.
"Well isn't this a rare treat," Naruto said with a snort. "You coming to talk to me instead of the other way around; did the ass kicking I gave you knock some sense into you or something? I get it; you finally want to be friends because you're lonely in here."
"Do not insult me boy," Kyuubi growled at him. "Even with the power you've taken from me you won't be strong enough to survive the coming storm. Our enemies gather and plot the death of you and your friends. Sooner or later the hate you feel will grow and consume you just it's done so many others."
"...You need to learn to stop underestimating me," Naruto glared up at the fox.
"You don't understand anything, you gullible fool!" Kyuubi snarled angrily. "You think that if you defeat your darkness that you can erase all that rage? Erase all that hate? You are powerless to do anything about it and you know it!"
"Are you done yet?" Naruto asked as he stepped through the bars of the cage.
"What?" Kyuubi asked in surprise.
"Are you saying I should just sit around doing nothing, paralyzed by fear? That's exactly what you want Kyuubi," Naruto said as he lifted his hand up. "Come here," he ordered and several interlocking torii quickly sprang up and pinned the giant fox to the floor. "You're the gullible fool."
"How can you still be so confident when you can't defeat Yami?" Kyuubi growled out as Naruto jumped on its nose.
"The moment I start second-guessing myself it's all over," Naruto said as he stared directly into the fox's left eyes. "I'll deal with Yami and save the whole damn world."
"...Heh, the little baby has finally learned to stand up for himself," Kyuubi chuckled.
"...You know Kyuubi," Naruto said quietly with a smile. "I hope that one of these days I can do something about all the hate you carry inside you," his words clearly surprised the demon fox. "You've really put me through hell but I never blamed you for any of it; it was Madara's fault that you attacked Konoha and ended up in me. It must really suck being consumed with hatred all the time...believe me, I know," the blond jumped off its nose and landed on the floor.
"How stupid are you? I'm the Kyuubi no Yoko! I haven't fallen so far that a little baby can influence me! I'm a living mass of malevolence!" Kyuubi snarled at him.
"No problem," Naruto waved its words off with a grin. "I'm not a baby anymore, and I think it's worth a shot. Besides Madara is still out there and I'd rather have you fight with me than against me."
"You think just because I want Madara dead that I'll help you? Don't make me laugh," Kyuubi sneered at the blond.
"Madara used you and got away with it," Naruto said knowingly. "You'll help me just to spite the guy," his words seemed to cause the demon fox to pause for several long seconds.
"You...know just what to say to me Naruto," Kyuubi started to grin. "I'm not like those humans you're able to manipulate into believing in you; I am the Kyuubi no Yoko, strongest of the Biju and I won't be changed by anyone, especially not another container."
"...Then I'll just have to do it alone," Naruto smiled sadly and turned away. "Goodbye Kyuubi, then next time you see me will probably be when I finally release you."
'What?'Kyuubi froze at those words. "What do you mean release me?"
"What do you think? You are a part of the Uzumaki family," Naruto responded turning towards the demon fox. "You've helped my mother and you're first Jinchuuriki so when I finally die I'm going to release you far away from human civilization. From there you can do whatever you want... I won't care anymore."
"...You'd do that for me? Why?" Kyuubi asked unable to understand such an act.
"Because I owe you that much," Naruto replied and turned away again.
"...Wait," Kyuubi stopped him from leaving. "I'll help you kill Madara but only if you promise to release me before you die."
"That's a promise of a lifetime," Naruto agreed.
Land of Sound: Oto / Root Complex
Explosions echoed through the base alerting Shimura Danzo to intruders who had breached his underground complex. He had no idea who it was but at first thought that it was the supposedly immortal Uchiha Madara and his lackeys, the Akatsuki.
He was wrong...
"Hello Danzo," Yami spoke from behind him causing him to turn around quickly.
"Why have you come here?" Danzo questioned as he exposed his arm covered in Sharingan.
"I've come to deal with you," Yami answered truthfully. "I don't want to leave an enemy at my back when I finally make my move."
"So you're here to kill me, eh Uzumaki Yami?" Danzo asked seemingly unconcerned.
"You know who I am? I'm touched," Yami said mockingly.
"Unlike others I can tell the difference between you and the real Naruto," Danzo commented.
"I am the real Naruto," Yami sneered at the elder. "Taju Kage Bunshin no Jutsu," hundreds of clones popped into existence around him and lunged forward.
"Fūton: Shinkūha!" Danzo quickly blew a blast of wind from his mouth that wiped out the attacking shadow clones. "You'll have to do better than that, boy," he shot forward with a kunai in hand.
Danzo took in a deep breath and blew wind chakra onto the kunai to the make the weapon longer. Yami narrowed his eyes at the sight and channelled his fire affinity into his Onijin. Sparks flew as the two weapons connected and the two tried to overpower their opponent. Suddenly Yami felt something pierce his chest and looked down only to find that Danzo had somehow managed to stab him with that same wind kunai before he even felt him pull away from where their blades were locked.
"H-how?" Yami coughed up blood as he backed away. 'There is no way he could have hit me and that definitely wasn't a Genjutsu so what the hell did he use?'
"You participated in the destruction of Konoha and thus your continued existence cannot be allowed," Danzo declared. "That old fool Sarutobi should have either had you killed or turned over to me and saved us all a lot of grief."
"T-the old man?" Yami gasped out as he fell to one knee.
"Look at him Sarutobi, Minato, Kushina," Danzo spoke to the heavens. "He is your ultimate mistake; a mistake I will now correct."
"Shut your mouth!" Yami snarled as his eyes changed to their atom-shaped Mangekyo Sharingan. "Amaterasu!" black flames engulfed Danzo's body and he was incinerated instantly.
"Impressive," an unharmed Danzo spoke from behind him. "Most impressive," Yami turned as Danzo thrust a kunai at the boy.
"Susanoo!" Yami called out as he was encased in spiritual ribs glowing purple.
"This is...Susanoo," Danzo mused as he backed off. "Fūton: Shinkū Taigyoku!" he inhaled and then blew out a large ball of wind at the shadow Jinchuuriki.
Yami saw it coming however and formed the rest of the spiritual yamabushi around his body just as the wind sphere exploded. The whole complex shook as the explosion blew a hole up and out into the forest on the surface. Danzo landed on the soft grass as Yami appeared behind him with his fist encased in lightning and thrust forward.
"Chidori!" Yami exclaimed as he impaled the elderly ninja through the back. "That has to kill you," he breathed out only to feel Danzo's body disappeared. "What?" he turned as an unharmed Danzo appeared behind him and in one swift motion sliced Yami's head clean off of his shoulders.
"Mistake corrected," Danzo said indifferently as Yami's lifeless body slumped to the ground.
"The only mistake here is not being able to figure out how you're still alive," Yami's head spoke up before it and his body disintegrated and then reformed into one once more. "I can keep this up all day now that I have the Kyuubi's chakra within me."
"So it would appear," Danzo said seemingly unconcerned and removed the bandages around his right eye. There was another Sharingan in his right eye socket but unlike the others this one was blood red with a black shuriken-shaped pupil.
"That's a...Mangekyo Sharingan," Yami stared in shock the revealed eye. "Where the hell did you get that?"
"It doesn't matter," Danzo narrowed his eyes and his Mangekyo Sharingan spun. "Kotoamatsukami!"
Stay dead...
Stay dead...
Stay dead...
Stay dead...
Stay dead...
"S-stop it!" Yami shouted as he clutched his head and his Onijin began to pulse. "Crusader!" his body was consumed in light.
'That's...' Danzo thought as the light died down to reveal the black knight with a pair of black feathery wings an enlarged Onijin in its right hand. "So this is one of the Rikudō-Sennin's knights in its unleashed form."
"Katon: Haien!" Yami extended his wings and gathered fire chakra around the Onijin in his hands. He thrust out, sending a large blast of flames forward that burned everything it touches into ash in an instant.
When the blast died down Danzo could be seen standing amongst the flames unharmed though something caught the shadow Jinchuuriki's attention. Five of Danzo's Sharingan on his arm were closed leaving only five still open not including the one in his Mangekyo Sharingan. Before he could think on this Danzo bit his thumb and quickly formed a set of hand-seals.
"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" Danzo exclaimed as he slapped his palm on the ground and in a poof of smoke a large Baku appeared.
Its nose blew making a loud noise that echoed throughout the destroyed forest and Yami frowned at this sudden development. The Baku opened its mouth and immediately started sucking in air with such power that Yami had to channel chakra to his feet in order to not be pulled in. After a few seconds he looked over at where Danzo was a moment ago but found his spot vacant.
"Fūton: Shinkū Renpa!" Danzo exclaimed from behind him and he was suddenly blown off of the ground by a powerful blast of air.
Yami gritted his teeth behind his helmet and tried using his wings to compensate for the vacuum. It wasn't getting him anywhere he realised and quickly pulled his wings in to cover himself. Flames encased his wings and he spun as fast as he could, creating a spinning tornado of fire which washed over the Baku and forced it to return to its own realm.
"Katon: Dai Shounetsu no Jutsu," Yami whispered softly as the flames died down and he turned to Danzo. He sighed as the armour around him retracted and he returned to his human form with the regular Onijin clutched in his right hand. "You can't outrun, you can't kill me and you know you can't beat me. Those Sharingan you have keep closing the longer this fight goes on so I bet that they're the source of your power and the only reason you've survived this long against me."
Danzo cast a look down at his arm and saw that only two were left along with his Mangekyo Sharingan. "So you figured it out...clever boy but I'm not finished yet," he said staring intently.
"You can't control my mind now, you old bastard!" Yami shouted as crimson chakra exploded from his body. It wrapped around him, shredded his skin and released a series of large but weak shockwaves in all directions. When the light died down he couldn't be seen beneath the condensed red chakra shroud with six tails and what seemed like bones sticking out from the main body.
"The power of the Kyuubi," Danzo mused with a frown. "Interesting...but irrelevant; for the world I must kill you and put an end to your senseless destruction."
"Try it," Yami growled and disappeared in a burst of speed. He reappeared to Danzo's side and slashed him across the face, flattening a good mile of earth around him as he did so and destroying the old shinobi.
Again Danzo reappeared unharmed and quickly thrust out with his right arm, sending several columns of wood of all things at the crimson fox. Yami snarled as the wooden columns changed into straps and restrained him. He recognised this power, how could he not after seeing the Kyuubi's memories of his battle with Senju Hashirama at the Valley of the End decades ago.
"You're not getting me that easily!" Yami roared as he released dozens of blue and red ball of Youki into the air around him. Danzo narrowed his eyes with a frown as the Youki spheres gathered into a single black ball and then compressed to the size of a peanut. "Imari!" the black ball exploded in a blinding light releasing an expanding sphere of destruction ten miles wide. When the blast died down Yami, now in human form once again collapsed to the ground in the center of the ten mile wide crater he had just created. "You'd better be dead after that, you bastard."
"Not quite," Danzo responded as he stepped out of the smoke unharmed.
"I told you," Yami breathed out. "I can keep this up all day."
"I have no doubt of that," Danzo nodded. "However I can seal you away forever."
"And how do you plan to-" Yami started only to freeze in place. Seals started to spread across his body forcing him to remain still no matter how much he tried to move. "What did you do to me?"
"You're an Uzumaki, you figure it out," Danzo responded unconcerned as he approached.
"The Uzumaki clan..." Yami glared hatefully at the elderly shinobi. "They were wiped out because Konoha refused to help them when Iwa and Kiri launched the attack on Uzushio. We helped you during the first and second wars and how did you repay us? You left us all out to die because you didn't think we were worth helping! Konoha got what it deserved when Suna and Oto destroyed it...just like you're getting what you deserve. I'll set this world ablaze and establish an everlasting peace. The only way to achieve peace is to destroy humanity once and for all. The human race vanquished, just as they deserve."
"I cannot allow you to do that," Danzo said clearly.
"You're not the one destined to stop me," Yami smirked back. "This is war; the leader, the desire, the good and the evil. The soldiers, the civilians and the victims; this is war. It's the moment of truth, the moment to live or die. That is the peace I seek and the destiny I was born with. I will erase all conflict, all war and only one man can stop me...and he's not you."
"...Naruto," Danzo mused.
"He and I will decide the fate of this world," Yami grinned openly. "You have no part in this grand tale...now kindly die. Amaterasu!" black flames shot from his eyes and engulfed a surprised Danzo. By now even his Mangekyo Sharingan had closed thanks to his jutsu, the Izanagi and he was unable to survive the attack this time.
"Ura Shishō Fūinjutsu!" Danzo cried out as his body was incinerated. Yami barely had time to escape the radius of the sealing technique as it sucked in everything within its reach into his stomach.
"He was stronger than I thought," Yami commented gazing down at Danzo's lifeless body as a blur dropped down beside him.
"Oto is destroyed," Fu told her partner. "I've wiped out the last of the bases."
"Then there is nothing else for us to do here," Yami nodded as he sealed Danzo's body and turned to her. "Now the final act can begin," he grinned as his eyes flashed red.
"Where are we going now?" Fu asked him.
"Kumo."
Author's Notes:
I saw a Naruto AMV on Youtube playing the song 'This is War' by '30 Minutes to Mars' and thought it was awesome so I decided to slip in a few lines from the song into Yami's speech during that battle. Now the real war has begun and the next chapter will be when Kumo and the Akatsuki army go head to head.
A bit of foreshadowing going on here with Naruto and Yami. What's there to say? They are the Children of Prophecy and the ones who will decide if the world will be saved or destroyed once and for all. Also concerning Uzushio's destruction; it is my belief that Konoha could have aided them at the time but refused for some reason or another, probably so they could keep Kushina with them and not with Uzushio.
List of Knights:
Uzumaki Naruto – Duke the White Knight – Lightning and Energy Manipulation – Sword & Shield
Uzumaki Yami – Crusader the Black Knight – Lightning and Fire Manipulation – Sword and Wings
Momochi Haku – Eternal the Ice Princess – Extensive Ice Manipulation – Sword and Wings
Nii Yugito – Freedom the Earth Queen – Extensive Earth Manipulation – Sword and Gauntlet-Blades
Fu – Justice the Sky Empress – Extensive Wind Manipulation – Sword and Six Secondary Swords
Translation
Onijin = Demon Sword
Taju Kage Bunshin no Jutsu = Multiple Shadow Clone Technique
Kuchiyose no Jutsu = Summoning Technique
Chidori = One Thousand Birds
Imari = Menacing Ball
Fūton: Shinkū Taigyoku = Wind Release: Vacuum Great Sphere
Fūton: Shinkū Renpa = Wind Release: Vacuum Serial Waves
Fūton: Shinkūgyoku = Wind Release: Vacuum Sphere
Fūton: Shinkūha = Wind Release: Vacuum Wave
Kotoamatsukami = Distinguished Heavenly Gods
Amaterasu = Illuminating Heaven
Susanoo = He with the ability to help by all means
Katon: Haien = Fire Release: Abolishing Flames
Katon: Dai Shounetsu no Jutsu = Fire Release: Great Inferno Technique
Ura Shishō Fūinjutsu = Reverse Four Symbols Sealing Technique
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See Ya Later…