Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor do I understand why anybody would think I did. This is being posted as fan fiction after all.
Yugito chuckled, "They'll give you grief for being saved by a cat huh? Tell you what, make sure I only have to pull my own weight and I won't tell them about it."
"Deal, so what's the plan."
Yugito's eyes narrowed as she surveyed their opponents, reaching her conclusion quickly. "With an ability like that they're obviously used to fighting in tandem. Our taijutsu styles may be similar, but we've never fought together before. We need to separate, split them up and fight them one or one. Or in your case one on two."
"Got it, let's go Akamaru!" The pair bounded forward. Akamaru leapt into the air almost immediately, twisting into the Inuzuka's clan signature Gaatsuga technique. Sakon and Ukon had been thinking along the same lines as Yugito, and they stuck close together as they leapt away from the attack. Then Yugito was in front of them, Shitai no To-Remu fading from her skin as she closed to within melee range.
She bent sharply at the waist, a fist whistling within a hair's breath of her face. She continued her backwards momentum, entering a handstand as a follow-up axe kick smashed into the stone floor. She pushed off, leaping into the air and twisting around. Chikara no To-Remu blazed to life once more as her foot descended in her own axe kick. Sakon and Ukon had already seen the sheer strength her bloodline could afford her, and had no desire to take a hit while she was so empowered. They leapt away, having plenty of time to dodge the blow. It was just what Kiba had been waiting for.
He sprinted forward, entering his own Gaatsuga as he bore down on the twins. The twins were caught in mid-air with only two options left open to them. And accepting the hit from Kiba's Gaatsuga wasn't an option at all. Thus were they forced to push off against each other, splitting apart just before Kiba's attack split the air between them. Ukon landed in a low crouch, skidding to a stop. He was shifting his weight, preparing to rush back towards Sakon when Yugito appeared in front of him. She shot him a grim smile, "Not a chance."
Then she was darting forward, and Ukon had to focus the entirety of his concentration on the vicious melee combat that ensued. He was just barely able to duck under Yugito's initial punch, and he dodged her roundhouse kick by mere millimeters. His retaliatory punch connected with her shoulder, but it had been anticipated. Yugito had already started a spin, absorbing the impact and turning it into centrifugal force. That force was, in turn, transferred to her arcing kick. Her heel caught Ukon in the gut, doubling him over and sending him skidding across the stony ground. She took the opportunity to spare a glance over towards Kiba.
He had Sakon in dire straits. He was circling the Oto-nin along with Akamaru; their swift, darting movements preventing the older shinobi from reading their movements accurately. They moved in and out at random intervals, their claws lashing out at their foe. Sakon was completely on the defensive, barely able to avoid the slashing claws of his foes. Together, the twins were formidable. Separate, they were vulnerable. Separate, they were overmatched. And they knew it. If they didn't do something soon this fight was as good as over.
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Sakon and Ukon weren't the only ones in trouble. Shikamaru had called upon his Kage Kubi Shibari no Jutsu to aid him in his stand off with Tayuya. Despite the added help it brought, the incredible strength of Tayuya's level two form was still overpowering his shadow techniques. He knew that if he couldn't contain her he didn't have a chance, but he also knew he needed to release the technique or risk chakra exhaustion. So it was with great relief that Tayuya felt the shadows recede from her. She wasted little time in bringing the flute to her lips, and another of her deadly melodies filled the air once more.
Shikamaru was preparing to move when the world suddenly changed around him. Colors seemed to shift, swirling and changing as the forest disappeared from view around him. He was immediately hit by waves disorientation and vertigo as his sense of direction was lost. Up and down, distance, left and right; suddenly none of it had meaning. He fluctuated his chakra, trying to dispel the illusion with no success.
So he was lost. He had no sense of direction, no perspective. It was enough to mentally overwhelm even his vast intellect. He was beginning to panic when his mind seized on something. His shadows, the jutsu he had used while trying to restrain Tayuya were still active. He wasted little time in shifting the tendrils, casting about with them. It wasn't long until he felt one of the tendrils brush against his leg. He wrapped it around his leg, moving it up towards and wrapping it around the entirety of his body.
He gave a relieved sigh as his sense of direction suddenly returned to him. The genjutsu had given him the sensation that he was twisting randomly through space. But his shadows had to originate from a solid surface, and the added reassurance that his feet were in fact firmly planted allowed him to break through the first layer of the genjutsu. He still couldn't move or gather any information about his surroundings, nor could he fluctuate his chakra flow enough to break the genjutsu. But with his sense of direction restored his reasoning returned to him, and it wasn't as though there weren't other ways to break a genjutsu.
He forcefully repressed a grunt of pain as he used his shadows to snap a finger with sickening crack. As intense as the pain from a broken finger may have been, it was thankfully brief. The worst of it would be over soon anyway, and he had more important things to worry about. A prime example being the Level Two form of Tayuya a mere four feet from him and closing.
He extended his shadows once more, wrapping them around her even as her hand stole a kunai from his holster. He grabbed her wrist in one hand, straining to hold her at bay even as his shadows exerted their own influence. And it was working. Her movements slowed even as she raised the kunai. And then they stopped, leaving the two straining against each other in a deadly embrace. "My Kage Kubi Shibari no Jutsu," Shikamaru panted, "is stronger the less distance it has to travel to get to the target." The last part of his statement hung unspoken in the air, but both shinobi understood it well enough. So let's see if you can break it now.
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Close combat, Naruto surmised, was simply not a viable option against Kimmimaro after the last Kaguya activated his cursed seal. To-Remu Yajuuki may have made him well suited for such a fight, but Kimmimaro's made him much better suited. With the help of the cursed seal he proved capable of sprouting bones from every square inch of his body at will, and they were extremely sharp and durable. If Naruto continued in his attempt to take Kimmimaro hand to hand he'd end up sliced to ribbons, or ensnared in a bone trap, or caught up in any number of other fates he'd rather not dwell on. Even the Rasengan wasn't too helpful in this situation, as Kimmimaro was simply able to extend a few bone "prongs" to intercept the attack. Sure, the Rasengan reduced the bones to powder. But it also expended itself in doing so, leaving Naruto open to the bone-wielders counterattacks. Learning that had very nearly cost Naruto his hand and truth be told he wasn't entirely certain about whether or not it would grow back. Nor did he want to find out.
Naruto leapt backwards, raising his hands as he sped through a quick series of seals. Kimmimaro, naturally, pursued in attempt to maintain the close-quarters combat the he had a distinct advantage in. Unfortunately for him that was a contingency Naruto had taken into account. He had used when of the simplest Fuuton Jutsu in existence, and Kimmimaro had no chance to dodge the Daitoppa at point blank range.
Shitai no To-Remu activated, allowing Naruto to quickly put a lot more distance between himself and Kimmimaro as his hands blurred through a set of seals. "Fuuton: Fuuryudan!" The first time Naruto had used this jutsu against Orochimaru it had taken a hellish toll on him. It required extremely precise chakra control or it would wreak havoc on even his vast reserves of chakra. So he had dedicated a lot of time to refining the technique since then, and the process of mastering the Rasengan did wonders for chakra control. He had finally gotten the Rasengan down while fighting Gaara, and afterwards had made certain that the Fuuryudan benefitted from his newfound control as well. As a result, this Fuuryudan was easily the most powerful he had ever produced.
The wind dragon twisted into the air, its mouth opening as if to roar as it bore down on its target. Kimmimaro flipped to his feet just in time to see the technique bearing down on him. He didn't have time to convert to his level two form, so he rapidly began growing his bones and prayed that it would be enough. Then the dragon hit.
Naruto's vision was obscured instantly, an enormous cloud of dust being thrown up as soon as the technique tore into the forested ground. It was a while before the dust settled enough for Naruto to see anything, and when it did he gave a low whistle of disbelief. The trees in the immediate vicinity were gone, simply gone. And the sawdust falling throughout the clearing like snow gave a pretty good indication of what had happened to them. He could see a bone hemisphere in the area. And it wasn't until he realized that it was far too small to hold Kimmimaro that he figured out it must have been resting in a crater that was already being filled by the dirt and sawdust his Fuuryudan had kicked up. Even from this distance he could see the deep gashes covering the dome's scarred surface, and for a second wondered if his attack had gotten through to the man beneath. No such luck.
The outer layer of the dome peeled back, splitting apart and revealing Kimmimaro standing within. Naruto idly noted that the crater was deep enough to reach the Kaguya's chest, but the majority of his attention was focused elsewhere. Namely the several nasty-looking cuts covering the young bone user. His attack had gotten through, but Kimmimaro had been able to form a shield strong enough to absorb the brunt of the damage. What had gotten through wasn't even lethal. Naruto grimaced; the Fuuryudan was the attack most likely to be able to break through Kimmimaro's defenses in one hit. And he needed to break through them in one hit or Kimmimaro would have enough time to grow more bone to stop him. Sure, if he kept throwing Fuuryudans at the Kaguya he'd manage to kill him eventually. But that wasn't exactly a practical option. It took a lot of hand seals to fire off that dragon, giving Kimmimaro ample time to react. Not to mention that it was a move requiring a lot of chakra. Even with his vast reserves Naruto couldn't throw too many of the things around without exhausting himself, and then he'd be in no condition to track down or fight with Sasuke. He suppressed a sigh; this was hardly an ideal situation.
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Ukon soon realized that he'd be unable to best Yugito in a straight up taijutsu fight. She was simply too skilled for him to take without the accustomed assistance from his brother. Speaking of his brother, Sakon was experiencing a similar lack of success against the Inuzuka and his mutt. He couldn't afford to hold back here at all.
He focused on Yugito with renewed energy, anticipating her attacks as best he could as he kept just ahead of her blows and slashes. He was looking for an advantage, one that would enable him to reach a temporary stalemate. It took a while, and several close calls, but eventually he found it. He slipped aside from one of her attacks, throwing his forearm out block the second slash. He twisted his hand around, grasping her wrist securely as his free hand grabbed her other hand at the elbow. Yugito arched an eyebrow in amusement, "You've already seen my strength," she intoned dryly, "you know that you can't hold me for long."
Ukon just grinned. And then, much to Yugito's surprise, he just seemed to flow into her. She gasped in surprise, feeling a subtle pain beginning to spread through her body. "How does it feel?" Yugito jumped in surprise, hearing Ukon's voice right in her ear. She turned her head to the side, and was greeted with the disgusting sight of the Oto-nin's head protruding from her right shoulder. Her left hand swung up reflexively, claws splayed wide as she attempted to flay Ukon's face. But it ducked back into her shoulder before her hand could reach it, soon rising slowly out of her left shoulder. She grimaced as she heard his sinister-sounding chuckle in her ear. "You'll have to do better than that."
"What the hell did you do?"
He chuckled again, the sound grating in her ear. "It's another of our special abilities. In our level two forms we can we can merge with the bodies of our opponents. Once we do that we can damage our foes from the inside. There's no type of training that can increase the durability of one's internal organs, so they're at our mercy. I wouldn't worry too much though; Orochimaru-sama wants you alive so I'll be sure to only knock you unconscious."
"You mean you're inside me and sharing my body."
"Yes."
Yugito shuddered slightly. "Well…I certainly feel violated. I've got news for you to. Naruto-kun's the only guy I plan on letting inside of me, and not for a few years at that. So, I'm afraid I have to kick you out."
She heard that infuriating chuckle again, "And how do you pl-" But Yugito was sick of listening to him, and in one swift movement she drew her claws across the inside of her wrist. She heard a scream of pain, Ukon instantly exiting her and stumbling away while clutching his bleeding wrist. "You bitch! What were you thinking?"
Yugito didn't even pause, applying pressure to her wrist with her free hand as Chikara no To-Remu blazed to life. Her kick caught the Oto-nin in the sternum, and she took a vicious pleasure in hearing something crack as he went flying away. "I heal rather quickly, so I can afford to take a bit of excessive damage in a pinch. Can you afford the same?"
Ukon grimaced, both at the pain in his chest and her words. He could benefit from accelerated healing as well, but only so long as he was assimilated with Sakon. Then it hit him. Yugito had been doing a masterful job of keeping him away from his brother, but she had made a mistake with that last kick. It had been powerful enough to send him flying, and she had sent him towards Sakon. He wasted little time in seizing the opportunity, rolling to his feet and scrambling to where his brother fought the Inuzuka.
Yugito swore under her breath as she realized her mistake, immediately sprinting after Ukon in pursuit. But she was too far away. Sakon twisted away from Kiba as Ukon approached him, desperately diving forward. Ukon extended his hand as he closed in, grabbing onto his brother's wrist. He disappeared almost instantly, merging with his brother once more. Sakon hit the ground in a diving roll, coming back to his feet in a fraction of a second. No sooner had he regained his feet thane he twisted to the side, avoiding Yugito's snap kick.
She didn't let the miss deter her, immediately hopping off of her plant foot and spinning around to bring her heel in line with Sakon's chest. But Ukon's arm extended out of Sakon's chest and caught her calf. Yugito's eyes had a fraction of a second to widen in surprise before Sakon struck. She was still clutching her wounded arm with her free hand, and didn't have enough time to raise either arm in a block. Both of Sakon's arms flashed out, slamming into her chest like hammer blows. The force behind the blows sent her tumbling backwards, skidding along the stony ground for quite some distance before she managed to roll back to her feet.
Kiba landed next to her in a low crouch, Akamaru prowling in front of the pair protectively. "What happened to your arm?"
"They have some kind of jutsu that lets them merge with and damage another body. I figured the best way to combat it was to force him out by wounding myself. I heal quickly anyways."
"How long is it gonna take to heal."
"I'm afraid that it might be too long now that they've merged again. We may need something drastic to either stall them or finish things off immediately."
Kiba grinned, "I think I've got just the move. Do it Akamaru!" Akamaru barked once in response, then leapt into the air and entered a flat spin. Yugito watched with interest, wondering what trick Kiba had up his sleeve. Then the dog started…pissing. She watched in disbelief as the golden liquid splattered Sakon before fixing Kiba with an incredulous glare. "That's it, that's your plan to finish this quickly?"
Kiba rolled his eyes as Akamaru landed next to him, the Inuzuka boy already flashing through a series of seals. "Nope, that's the preparation for my idea." Then Kiba's jutsu went off with a large cloud of smoke, temporarily obscuring the duo from view. When the smoke finally cleared, Yugito was much more impressed. Kiba and Akamaru appeared to have taken a leaf from Sakon and Ukon's book, the shinobi and his hound merging together into one body. But whereas the twins merely joined their bodies and remained their same size Kiba and Akamaru had transformed into a large two-headed canine, one that towered over all the shinobi present. "There's a new attack available to us in this form, one in which we spin so fast that we can't see a thing. So to prepare we need to make sure to mark them with a scent we can track."
"I see…but that doesn't make it any less disgusting."
The double-headed dog rolled its eyes, something Yugito found to be quite an interesting sight. "Cat's are always so prissy." Then the monstrous canine tensed, lunging forward. "Garouga!" The beast suddenly surged forward, entering a rapid spin as it sped towards their strange opponent. Sakon simply leapt to the side, figuring that something moving in midair would be unable to change their direction enough to hit him. He was wrong. Whether it was through chakra manipulation, or maneuvering his body to alter the airflow around his rapid spin, Kiba and Akamaru were able to twist rapidly to the side. Kiba felt himself smash into Sakon, felt the body separate under the force of the spin. But he realized something else too, there was no blood.
He landed on the stone floor as he came out of the spin, claws digging furrows in ground. His eyes narrowed as regarded the Sakon and Ukon, separate once more. "I see, you separated again to prevent me from tearing you apart. But that won't work twice." With that he sprang forward again, twisting into his devastating attack once more.
Yugito's eyes had immediately fixated upon Ukon's bloody wrist. It had healed, and done so quicker than hers had. Then she saw his thumb swipe through the blood on his wrist, a move that only made it easier to recognize the distinctive series of seals he was running through. The twins slammed a hand into the ground in unison, a giant metal gate appearing in front of them. Yugito's eyes widened as she sped forward, moving so that the Inuzuka duo was between herself and the twins.
She knew that Kiba and Akamaru didn't have enough time to swerve to the side this time, and that she'd have to do something to prevent Sakon and Ukon from taking advantage of the opening that was certain to occur. She needed something big, but the tendons in her wrist were still damaged enough to prevent her from using most of her high powered jutsu. There was one; however that was available to her. And the amount of chakra being bled off by Kiba and Akamaru, as well as that from the newly summoned gate, would prevent the pair of Oto-nin from getting a good sense of her chakra output. She grinned as she started gathering her chakra; this was going to be good.
Sakon and Ukon both smirked as their Rashuomon Gate rang from the tremendous force of Kiba's blow. It was an impressive shot, and put quite the dent in their gate. And if Kiba had hit the gate head first with that much force, he was going to be out of the fight for quite a while. But then, they felt a sudden surge of chakra perched atop their gate. They looked up just in time to see the enormous yellow-orange feline pounce.
Yugito walked cautiously around the gate, looking at the result of her To-Remu Konjou: Gonge. She hadn't made it nearly as big as Naruto had in his fight against Gaara, the fiery colored cat maybe half the size of a boss summon. It was enough to get the job done though, as evidenced by the two bloody smears beneath its paws. She grinned, "Good work, now do you think you can get back into my charka system and finish healing my wrist?"
Her totem grinned, an interesting sight on giant cat made of chakra. "Sure thing." And then it disappeared, flowing back into Yugito.
"You've got to be kidding me." Yugito spun around in surprise, seeing Kankuro crouched on a rock ledge some fifty feet above the cavern floor. "We travel three days at a forced march to arrive at Konoha sooner. Then we leave Konoha immediately to help you guys out, only to have the fight end by the time I get here."
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To say Shikamaru was possessed of an incredible mind was an understatement. His mental prowess, when applied, was possibly the most impressive in all of Konoha save his father and Kakashi. He could think through more scenarios in a second than most could in a minute, and he'd had several minutes trying to think of a way out of his current predicament. But no matter how many scenarios he ran through, he couldn't find a way out of this mess. He depended entirely on his shadow jutsu, and had previously run into problems when he'd tried to restrain her with them from a distance. So he'd taken a gamble, hoping that if he let her get closer the increased strength of his jutsu would be enough to subdue her.
But his hopes had proven fruitless. Tayuya's brute strength was still more than enough to overpower his techniques. Letting her get close had only accomplished two things. The first of them was to let him prolong what would seem to the inevitable. The second was to give him even less of a chance once the jutsu failed. Both Tayuya's strength and speed vastly eclipsed his own. When she broke free he wouldn't have a chance to escape, and if she so chose she'd be able to tear him apart with her bare hands. He needed a miracle if he was to come out of this alive.
Funny thing about miracles, you never knew what form they'd take. In this case, it took the form of a raging blast of wind that blew Tayuya deep into the forest without ruffling so much as a hair on Shikamaru's head. He jumped in surprise, because of both the blast of wind and the figure that landed on the branch beside him. He turned, seeing Temari crouched on the branch beside him.
She grinned, "Never thought I'd see someone as smart as you caught so completely by surprise."
He sighed in exasperation, "Care to fill me in?"
"Shortly after Suna's forces returned home our Kazekage's body was found in a canyon outside of Sunagakure. Orochimaru killed him weeks before the attack and impersonated him in order to trick our village into assisting him during his invasion. Once The Council of Wind discovered this they sent me and my siblings to Konoha in order to carry a proposed treaty and provide assistance if necessary. Once we got here your Hokage immediately sent us out to help bring Sasuke back. Now, what's the situation here?"
"She's primarily a long-distance fighter. Earlier she was using some summoned ogres that she controlled with a flute, but now she's using it to project audio-based genjutsu. We need to-"
"I asked for a summary of the situation, not suggestions."
"But it's impossible to determine the origin of an audio-based genjutsu just by listening to it. This is the perfect environment for her, it's a large area with an excess of cover. She can send genjutsu at us all day and we won't be able to figure out where she is."
Temari bit her thumb smearing the blood across her fan. "I know how dangerous she can be with those genjutsu, so I'm going to end this quick. As for where she is, well, quite frankly I could care less." She pulled her fan back, giving it a mighty swing. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" Shikamaru had been expecting another blast of wind, much the same as everything else she had seen her do with the fan. Instead, a weasel flew out of the fan. One that flashed through the forest faster than Shikamaru's eye could follow.
Shikamaru felt his jaw drop. In a fraction of a second Temari had decimated hundreds of square feet of forestland. The once mighty trees were reduced to logs and splintered branches, and he could see one Tayuya pinned beneath a fragment of one tree trunk that must have weighed hundreds of pounds. She turned to Shikamaru, a grin spreading across her face. "There, no problem. What do you think about that?"
Shikamaru sighed, "Women are troublesome."
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Naruto skipped to the side, following the movement with a duck and a sidelong flip. Each movement was a dodge as he evaded the slashes from Kimmimaro's newest weapon, some sort of bladed whip that had once been his spinal cord. He was forced to leave his feet once more as soon as he regained them, leaping straight up to avoid a slashing blow aimed at his ankles. Kimmimaro just grinned and extended his hand, "Yubisaki Tama!"
Naruto's eyes widened in surprise as the bones of Kimmimaro's fingers shot towards him with incredible speed. And he had no way to dodge them while in mid air. So he settled for the next best thing, activating Mantoru no To-Remu and curling into a ball to shield his vitals. He braced himself for impact, but instead felt something firm wrap around him. That was followed by a brief moment of disorientation as he was yanked through the air before hitting the ground. Naruto rolled, scrambling to his feet and finding himself face to face with Sabaku no Gaara. "What are you doing here?"
"Orochimaru killed our Kazekage and manipulated our village into aiding him during his attack. When our council discovered the deception they wished to negotiate a treaty and sent my siblings and myself along to with the diplomats in case your village needed our help. The Hokage sent us out to assist in the mission. We sensed three fights, and my siblings each headed off to one of those while I came to help you." Gaara paused for a second, his gaze sweeping across the battlefield. "Where is Sasuke?"
"He ran on ahead, burst out of the barrel he was being cared in. And I can't get past him with Kimmimaro in the way."
"I see, I'll deal with this one."
"Got it," then Naruto leaned over a bit, his next words coming in a whisper. "I think he's sick, some sort of lung disease that seems to be bothering him."
Gaara nodded once, "I see."
Naruto grinned, "Cover me." Then he was in an all out sprint, Shitai no To-Remu speeding his movement as he sped across the clearing. Kimmimaro tried to intercept, but he was cut off by a wall of sand before he had closed even half the distance. The bone user was forced to pull up short, watching helplessly as Naruto sped past him and into the forest.
Kimmimaro fixed Gaara with a level stare. "You are interfering with Orochimaru-sama's plans. I'll have to finish this fight quickly so I can make it in time to assist Sasuke in his fight against Naruto." Gaara simply crossed his arms, fixing Kimmimaro with his impassive stare. Kimmimaro stood there for a few moments, matching Gaara's gaze before bursting into motion.
He raised his hands as he charged, the bones of his fingertips shooting out once again. Gaara's sand swirled, rising in front of him and stopping the grisly bullets cold. It continued swirling, tightening and solidifying as Kimmimaro struck with his sword. The blade sunk a fraction of an inch into Gaara's defense. Then the sand tightened around Kimmimaro's sword as he tried to withdraw his blade, holding it in place. Kimmimaro paused in surprise for a fraction of a second, plenty of time for Gaara's sand to swirl around and surround the last Kaguya. Gaara's face remained impassive as he raised his hand, his fingers tightening into a fist. "Sabaku Kyuu."
A frown spread across Gaara's usually stoic features as he felt an unexpected resistance to his sand. His foe had survived. Gaara let his sand recede slightly, noticing the white layer that had risen past the surface of Kimmimaro's skin. "So your bones can protect you from my sand, interesting." Kimmimaro's only response was to surge forward once more, a bone sword held in either hand. This time he committed himself fully to the graceful and deadly dance of his clan. He moved fluidly around Gaara, his blades weaving a complex pattern that Gaara could barely discern.
Despite that, his sand continued to circle him and stopped every strike before it could even get close to the Suna-nin. Then Gaara's sand lashed out again, a tendril snapping towards Kimmimaro's face. The last Kaguya jerked his head to the side, barely avoiding the strike. Then he was forced into a retreat, moving backwards in short leaps as he stayed a step ahead of Gaara's sand. Then sand erupted forth from the ground behind him. Kimmimaro saw it, but too late. He had been moving backwards in mid leap, and smacked right into the rising cloud of sand. The sand wrapped around the last Kaguya immediately, creeping upwards despite his struggles. "How?"
"When I arrived I sent some of my sand underground. It's a simple matter to use my sand to crush minerals underground and create more sand. This battlefield...has been shaped for my use. Now, let's see if you can resist my sand again."
Kimmimaro's eyes narrowed slightly. For a second Gaara could feel a sudden increase in…contempt, anger? Then the boy changed. His skin darkened to an inhuman grayish color, dark markings surrounding his eyes. Several bones thrust their way out of the Oto-nin's back, piercing the sand with ease. Kimmimaro tensed, and then pushed. Gaara could feel the Kaguya straining against the sand, then he broke through.
The last Kaguya charged across the open ground, the bones jutting out of his back and the long tail whipping around behind him lending the boy a dinosaur-like experience. Gaara frowned and threw up a wall of sand, only for Kimmimaro to blow straight through it. Gaara's eyes widened slightly in surprise as he saw Kimmimaro break through his sand so easily. He threw up another wall, making it thicker and stronger than before. Simultaneously, he gathered a platform of sand around his feet, preparing to move quickly should the need arise.
Kimmimaro smashed into the new wall of sand as well, facing resistance this time as he powered through it. Eventually, he was able to bull through. The sand wrapped around him, constricting and slowing his movements even as he moved through it. Nevertheless, it was child's play for Kimmimaro to cause bone plates to rise to just under the surface of his skin in this state, protecting him from the crushing effects of Gaara's deadliest threat.
He formed a spear of bone in his hand even as Gaara rose into the air, hurling it with all his considerable strength. Gaara's sand swirled in front of him once again, interposing itself between the Suna-nin and the spear. The spear slammed into the sand, half its length protruding through the barrier. Even as Gaara's sand remained in front of him Kimmimaro brought his hand behind his back, grabbing the top of his spinal cord as it protruded from the base of his neck. He pulled it free once more, using it as a chain staff as he swung it towards Gaara. But his sand imposed itself again, forming a sphere around Gaara as the improvised chain staff wrapped around it.
Kimmimaro growled low in his throat. He was sick of this sand; sick of it wrapping around him, sick of it protecting his foe, he was even sick of the gritty taste of the sand that had gotten into his mouth as he plowed through Gaara's sand barriers. He gave a mighty heave, pulling Gaara and his sand back down to the ground. "I'm growing tired of your sand," he intoned as bones grew out of his left forearm. They enlarged, wrapping around each other as they formed a mighty spear. "But it won't save you from this." He thrust forward even as Gaara's sand shifted once more, condensing beneath Kimmimaro's strike and allowing the two combatants to view each other once more. Kimmimaro leaned into his thrust, adding his weight to it as it slowly sunk through Gaara's sand. ""It's over; your sand can't save you this time."
"Sand can get annoying. It gets everywhere; eyes, nose…mouth." A gentle emphasis was placed on that last word, one that gave Kimmimaro pause. "I see you understand what I'm talking about. Strange isn't it? How the sand could get into your mouth while it was closed. Naruto gave me an idea when he mentioned your supposed illness. I've been using that sand covering you as a distraction, allowing me to put sand into your lungs. Let's see your bones save you from this."
Then Kimmimaro felt a pain more intense than any he'd ever known as his lungs were pulped by the grains of Gaara's sand. He reeled backwards stumbling away from Gaara. The last Kaguya gave out a rasping cough, spitting blood and sand onto the ground. He straightened, pain written clearly across his features as he tried to move back towards Gaara. But his strength, sapped by disease and battle finally gave out. Thus did Kimmimaro, last of the Kaguya Clan, perish.
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Naruto had little trouble in tracking Sasuke down, even with the Uchiha's head start. Whatever had happened to Sasuke in that barrel had stirred up that cursed seal of his, at least temporarily. The taint practically left a palpable trail through the forest. It didn't take long until Naruto was able to sense Sasuke's chakra signature, the amount of ground the traitor could cover simply didn't compare to what Naruto could do with Shitai no To-Remu. Naruto smirked; it was time to get the drop on his target.
Sasuke paused briefly as he reached the edge of a landscape known as the Valley of the End. He was staring out at the statue of his ancestor, Uchiha Madara. He'd been the first shinobi to ever defect from Konohagakure. He'd been portrayed as a villain in the history lessons taught at the academy, so unstable that even his own clan became wary of him. But maybe…maybe that wasn't true. Maybe the village had hindered Madara as well, held back the foremost of the Uchiha clan just as they had the last. Sasuke snorted in amusement as he leapt across the gap between the two statues. The Shodai had defeated Madara when he tried to leave, but Sasuke knew that there was no one left to stop him.
Thus was he caught completely by surprise when a loose rock at the edge of the statue went up in a puff of smoke, reavealing Naruto standing there. The young Araiki didn't even bother with is bloodline. He spun once and caught the Uchiha with a backhand strike before he had a chance to land, and far before he had a chance to react. Sasuke felt his breath leave him in a rush, his body folding around Naruto's fist before it was sent plummeting down to the lake below.
Naruto watched impassively as Sasuke splashed into the lake hundreds of feet below. He waited until the Uchiha surfaced, slowly crawling back atop the water before speaking. His voice range clearly across the distance between the two, yet remained calm and collected. And it still carried that same subtle, deadly threat that it had when he faced Kimmimaro. "You seem lost Sasuke, if you keep going that way you'll find yourself in Otagakure. You'll have to turn around to get to Konoha."
Sasuke found himself staring at Naruto's distance figure in disbelief. A slight tremor was present in his voice, shattering his usually stoic demeanor. "How did you get past him so quickly?"
Naruto smirked, and leapt off the statue. He landed atop the water in a low crouch, the ripples from the impact spreading across the lake. He straightened, flashing Sasuke a positively frightening grin. Sure Gaara had actually stepped in to handle Kimmimaro for him, but Sasuke didn't need to know that. "You should know, that no slime who would ever crawl to that twisted madman and call him Master would ever be able to defeat me."
Sasuke closed his eyes, taking a deep breath to center himself while trying to ignore the blatant insinuation in Naruto's last statement. Then he straightened to face Naruto once more, the Sharingan spinning in his eyes. "No, I need the power he offers so I can kill my brother and avenge my clan. I won't let you stop me."
"You seem to be under the mistaken impression that you have a say in the matter." Sasuke burst into motion as Naruto spoke, Sharingan spinning as he bore down on the Kumo-nin. What surprised Sasuke was that Naruto stayed so still, and showed no intention of moving until it was far too late to dodge his strike. Or so he thought. Naruto had taken a position of perfect balance, weight evenly distributed and ready to shift in any direction. Then he waited patiently, not moving until he knew that Sasuke was fully committed to his attack. Only then, did Naruto act.
He bent backwards slightly, entering a sudden spin. Sasuke could scarcely believe what his precious Sharingan was showing him, even as his fist passed through empty air. He saw Naruto's foot rising from the surface of the water, chambering in preparation to lash out. But he was fully committed with his momentum, and there was no way he could dodge. Naruto's foot caught the Uchiha in the side of the ribs, connecting with considerable force and sending the young Konoha-nin skipping across the surface of the lake.
Naruto paused for a moment, holding his foot in the air before slowly lowering it to the surface of the water. "That Sharingan of yours is a powerful tool. It allows you to see any movement, even before it's made. But you're not fast enough for it to be of enough use on me. Even without the aid of my own kekkai genkai I can start to act after you've committed yourself to your attack. You'll never be able to defeat me like that."
Sasuke glared at him, flashing through a set of hand seals as the markings of his cursed seal began spreading across his skin. He grabbed his wrist in one hand, lightning chakra gathering in his palm. He charged forward with a cry, "Chidori!" Naruto arched an eyebrow, that was a bit more interesting. The first level of Sasuke's seal did increase his speed substantially, and the Chidori was one of the more potent short-range attack jutsu in existence. Still, mused Naruto as he activated his own bloodline, he was hardly ill-equipped to deal with such a situation.
Mantoru no To-Remu flared to life as Sasuke closed the distance. And an instant before impact it was recomposed into countless tiny blades of wind. Sasuke's Chidori fizzled as it met Naruto's defense, the lightning chakra that powered it easily overwhelmed by the wind chakra sustaining Naruto's technique. Naruto's chest was hit by a mere palm thrust, one that could be shrugged off with little effort. Instead he used it to add momentum to another spin. His Chikara no To-Remu activated in the middle of his spin, and his backhand strike landed in the center of Sasuke's chest with crushing force.
This time Sasuke clearly heard something snap as he cannoned backwards once more. He skipped quite a distance across the surface of the lake before coming to a stop. Then he climbed back to his feet, wheezing slightly as he clutched his bleeding hand. His face contorted into a grimace as he wiggled his fingers, checking out his range of motion.
"Interesting," Naruto muttered, "You can still move your hand. That Chidori must have protected it from the worst of my wind blades." Sasuke just grimaced as he held his hand. This couldn't be happening, it just couldn't. He needed to make it past here, to make it to Orochimaru's side, to gain the power he needed. Then it hit him. The power he'd just recently gained from Orochimaru, this was what it was for. He started chuckling, his expression taking a sinister turn even as the transformation began.
The markings covering his skin expanded, turning it to a uniform sickly-gray color. His hair lengthened, turning white as it crept downwards. There was a tearing sound as a pair of hand-like wings grew from his back. But most of all, he could feel the strength that flooded his body. This was power! This was what Orochimaru offered him, and this was why he'd train under the Sannin at any cost. His twisted grin grew as he gazed at Naruto with his Sharingan eyes. He laughed , "You see, this…this is why I must go to Orochimaru. Look at the power he offers!"
Naruto shook his head slightly, "It would appear to me that you're looking for shortcuts. But there's something you should realize. There's a reason that a shortcut is considered to be such, because most people are smart enough not to take take them. Otherwise they'd just be the way it's done." Then Sasuke charged forward, and the two met with a breathtaking display of taijutsu.
Naruto still had the edge in speed, but it was heavily mitigated by the predictive capabilities of Sasuke's Sharingan. So the two fought on even footing for several minutes. Then Naruto drove Sasuke back with a flurry of vicious strikes, seizing the opportunity to leap back and gain a brief respite. He eyed Sasuke warily as he considered his options.
Taijutsu combat was dangerous now, Sasuke's Sharingan might actually enable him to do some damage. That and he had no desire to showcase any more of his style to Sasuke than necessary in order to prevent him from copying it. He was pretty sure he could outgun the Uchiha with jutsu, but this close to Oto it would be best to conserve his chakra in case Orochimaru sent any other surprises their way. Besides, he didn't want to give the Uchiha a chance to copy any of those either. There was To-Remu Konjou: Gonge, but one big enough to ensure victory would also be a significant expenditure of chakra. That and it might draw unwanted attention. It was then he remembered one of the most widespread proverbs of his home; never throw a lightning bolt when a kunai will suffice.
"That predictive ability of your Sharingan is quite the useful ability. But it's hardly the only way to figure out what's going to happen. You see, I've gotten a pretty good insight into your fighting style. And I have a firm grasp of your speed too. I can tell you what's going to happen. I'm going to charge, throw a roundhouse punch at your head. You'll consider ducking, but won't have the time you need. So instead you'll block, and then I'm going to throw a kick at your chest…" What followed was a detailed description of a complicated battle by Naruto, with Sasuke looking on with obvious skepticism. Then Naruto began reaching the end of his speech, "Then you'll be pinned against that rock wall over there, my claws poised to tear open your throat if necessary. And you'll realize…"
Naruto paused for a moment, and then surged into an all out charge. Sasuke smirked as he measured his foe's approach. Naruto was mistaken, badly. Sasuke had plenty of time to duck, and that's just what he did. He waited until the last possible second. Then he bent over sharply at the waist, smashing his face right into the knee Naruto brought up with a vicious savagery. The force of the blow snapped him back upright, and Naruto wasted little time in burying a fist deep into Sasuke's got. The Uchiha wretched, reflexively starting to double over before Naruto grabbed him by the shirt. The Araiki spun around, and slammed Sasuke's back into the stone wall of the valley. His claws were in place in the blink of an eye, their keen edges resting on Sasuke's fluttering jugular.
"And then you'll realize," Naruto continued as though nothing had happened, "that a ninja's greatest tool is deception. Now, if you're smart you'll deactivate that seal of yours and I'll knock you unconscious. If not, well," Naruto shrugged, "I've never really liked you and I despise traitors. I won't have any qualms when it comes to tearing your throat open. So it's your move, but," his claws tapped against Sasuke's neck in warning, "make it fast."
Then Naruto felt a stunning impact to the side of his head. His grip on Sasuke instinctively slackened and it was his turn to be sent skipping across the water's surface. He managed to roll back to his feet, eyeing the new figure standing beside Sasuke warily. "Who in Kami's name are you?"
The figure stood still for a few moments, sizing him up before responding. "I am known as Zetsu."
Translations:
To-Remu Konjou: Gonge - Translates to Totem Spirit: Incarnate. This is the third stage of To-Remu Yajuuki, where the bearer creates an avatar out of his chakra and allows his/her totem to manifest in the physical world. The size and power varies with the amount of chakra put into the technique; from something barely noticeable to an avatar the size of a boss summon. It is without a doubt a powerful technique, though a difficult one to master.
Shitai no To-Remu - Translates to Limbs of the Totem. Outlines the user's limbs in shimmering energy and greatly increases their speed.
Chikara no To-Remu - Translates to Might of the Totem. This technique greatly increases the strength of its user.
Kage Kubi Shibari no Jutsu – Translates to Shadow Strangulation Jutsu.
Yubisaki Tama –Translates to fingertip bullets.