AN: Happy Holiday Period all and apologies once again...its becoming a bad habit for my and i'm trying to curb it.
This period has been very long with work and the holiday madness so i doubled up on the words as penance. Thank you as usual for the likes, favs and reviews. Another puppet has also been revealed, hope you all enjoy it.
some of you may note i prefer the Japanese rendering for techniques as such, however where i make one up i will put the literal translation as it is outside cannon.
Speaking of cannon, Naruto aint mine, i do this for fun and free, no pay or profit so please dont sue...all done
Enjoy and again happy festivities
Tension ran rampant through the forest. All the creatures that called the woods home refused to reveal themselves from their hiding places. One by one each fell silent at the onslaught of primal fury and heightened aggression.
A mini Shukaku with wild gleaming yellow eyes stared down a mismatched pair from Naruto shrouded in a red glow of vibrant chakra.
Two primal forces, natural disasters, with the ability to reshape landscapes. Powers that strained, eager to spill over and dominate all before it.
Gaara gave in first.
In a flash Gaara's claw lashed out, his movements were erratic, trying to overwhelm Naruto with sheer force and volume. Naruto however wasn't fazed. He barely moved his finger before Byakuya was in motion. Heat distorted the very air as the sword rang down cutting the sand limb off, as the blade passed through the heat immediately turned the sand into glass. Gaara flinched and rapidly drew away from the blade, his tail lashing out simultaneously; as the sand arm made contact with the ground it lost cohesion and formed a messy pile on the ground, all except the portion that was too hot and those that already formed into glass.
Byakuya raised his shield and met the full force of the tail swing without difficulty. The sand hissed at it came into contact with the heated surface. Naruto flicked his fingers and Byakuya moved to redirect the large appendage when suddenly the weight disappeared. Byakuya lurched upwards in the face of zero resistance, but Naruto quickly compensated, his eyes tracking what had just happened.
Still it cost him momentum. Gaara spun round and brought his other arm to the puppets exposed side. Byakuya shifted and chakra surged to mitigate the damage. Just before the sand arm could make contact Naruto managed to bring the shield downwards, but it seemed Gaara had anticipated such a move. The sand arm dissipated just before it made contact and completely bypassed the shield. The sand scoured across Byakuya's frame, particulates leaving harsh marks and ripping what little cloth the puppet had. Behind Byakuya the sand on the floor wriggled into activity and shot upwards like a spike. Naruto's chakra surged and Byakuya's upper body spun a hundred-eighty degrees, his sword shearing of the tip of the sand spike and leaving a clear glass residue. Byakuya then leapt clear of Gaara's range and the launchers on his face primed, sending mini senbons straight for Gaara. Quickly the sand arms reformed and he brought them in defence, the senbons doing very little damage. Both ninja's paused to recuperate, each one analysing the other's skill and seeking to press the advantage.
Gaara had felt the shift in composition of his sand the moment it came into contact with the puppets weapons, even now his sand was working hard to break down the glass materials and return them their former state. Whereas previously the blade and shield caused discomfort and minor damage to the sand it was now a significant threat, control of entire portions of sand completely severed due to the heat and that wasn't even taking into consideration the glass by-product. This now made the fight all the more difficult.
Naruto too was facing several issues. While his weapons were effective that only played a factor if he could hit his target. Gaara had definitely realised the threat and his trick in dissipating and reforming the limb around the attack radius was irritating and worrying. Naruto hadn't also realised just how dense and difficult the sand was to parry and cut through, even with the significant boost from Kyuubi's chakra. The sand scouring was also another concern, Shukaku's chakra was also present in the sand which mitigated much of the defence provided by Kyuubi's, allowing the sand to get through. So far none of the major joints or mechanics had been destabilised but it was only a matter of time.
Still, both genins, both Jinchuriki had more tricks to play.
Naruto and Gaara continued their face off. All else around them was secondary, their respective Biju's driving them to greater heights of battle. Naruto flipped over several sand whips, the Shiryu snagging several branches and pulling him out of harm's way. Aoguang quickly snapped in Gaara's direction and fired off a high pressure gas spray. Sparks flickered in the jaws and suddenly the gas caught fire and roared towards Gaara. Gaara swelled in size, his arms growing larger than the rest of him. Before the flames could reach him he brought his palms together in a thunderous clap. The shockwaves completely destabilised the flames and sent burning debris around. Trees splintered and loose particles were flung outward. The Shiryu came around Naruto, protecting him from the worst of the blast while he manoeuvred Byakuya to intercept with Gaara
This has gone far enough!
Naruto could feel the Kyuubi's battle lust and fury grow even stronger as the battle continued and a part of him was truly scared of what could happen if he fully gave in to the Biju's rage. He took quick mental stock of his equipment and winced. His puppet had run through a fair amount of edge weapon scrolls but he still had some elemental scrolls untouched, so far he hadn't been able to use them and now it seemed he would have to throw caution to the wind. His seal traps and bindings however were hard it, Neji had taken more than he expected to put down and he had loaned Shikamaru a few to keep him alive. Also Gaara himself had eaten further into his reserves, they weren't designed to hold back his kind of chakra. He had at best three bindings left and he needed them to count. Gaara was more wary now so he had to go all in.
Naruto's fingers twitched and Byakuya redoubled his assault. The puppets sword glowed as it struck again and again against Gaara's sand, occasionally the shield would vent the heat accumulated and slowly the temperature and mist in the war zone rose. Byakuya pulled back suddenly and rooted himself firmly in the ground. The gears in his shield whirled loudly as it sucked in vast amounts of air and chakra. Naruto brought his hands into a seal and the Shiryu detached from his back. Immediately they swarmed towards Gaara, lightning arcing from one to the other attempting to hold Gaara in the middle.
Gaara however recognised the moved used against Neji. Quickly the sand lost cohesion and slipped through the gaps before reforming out of Byakuya's field of view. His face lit up at the shock and dismay coming from Naruto and he quickly crossed the gap, within moments had one of his hands trapped in his sand claws. Gaara could feel vibrant chakra working furiously to protect the limb and both their eyes locked, well aware of what was about to happen.
Sabaku Soso
Pressure increased dramatically as the sand claw imploded on itself. Naruto's eye's betrayed his pain however his mouth refused to open. Gaara was enraptured and his sand moved up the arm slowly, when suddenly a smirk grew on his opponents face catching him off guard.
Fuinjutsu: Seal of the Four Dragons.
The Shiryu swarmed round, three of them moving around Gaara's bulk, with lightning like chakra arcing and keeping him immobile while the fourth moved in the shape of infinity around the claw connecting both of them together. Behind him Gaara felt a large chakra spike and his concern grew, still it was meaningless as Byakuya crashed into his side almost cleaving him in two with a massive double-edged axe. Gaara's eyes rolled as chakra and hot steel crashed into his sand bulk, the chakra disrupting his control over the sand and channelling near hundred percent of the kinetic and potential energy into him, the heat of the weapon reducing much of his sand into glass shards.
Physics took over as he was hurled away by the force of the blow, a number of his ribs were definitely cracked, who knows what else he had suffered. However his troubles didn't end there.
Naruto grunted as the sand was forcibly ripped off his hand and he barely spared it a passing glance. The Shiryu quickly reconnected to him however they had not survived their encounter with the Suna Jinchuriki undamaged. Still the basic functionality was there and that was all he needed. Loading a binding scroll into a Shiryu he fished out several more tags and his chakra spiked.
His breathing slowed, this was his one chance, and he could not screw things up. The Shiryu fired the scroll and the binding came into effect.
Fuinjutsu: Sajo Sabaku
Fuinjutsu: Rikujokoro
Fuinjutsu: Kuyo Shibari
Gaara slammed hard through several trees and came to rest on the ground. Moments later glowing chains wrapped securely around him. Despite this he managed to get on his knees, only for six binding tags to slam into him locking him in positon. Finally around him orbited eight more glowing seal tags. A ninth fixed itself square to his chest, just over his heart. Gaara felt the weight of each seal as they robbed him of his Biju's chakra, the feeling left him vulnerable in a way he hadn't felt since he had been a small child.
Gaara's fear transformed into abject terror as Naruto stepped closer to him with chakra blazing wildly. Despite his damaged hand Naruto ran through a seal chain and took in a deep breath.
Katon: Karyu Endan
Flames roared out twisting and writhing in the form of a dragon before rushing forwards and crashing into the restrained Gaara. As his screams tore through the air Naruto pushed even further, his Shiryu took orbit around him and as one they fired jets of high pressure gas alongside the flames. The flames tripled in size instantly and Gaara's cries were buried in the roaring sound.
Sasuke remained hunched in amazement. The sheer weight of chakra coming of the two genin was unbelievable, even the fighting he picked up from the other two Suna genin and Shino was tapering off simply because of the enormous energy pressing against them.
How are they doing this? What is the secret to their power? Why them…..and not me?
That thought rang deep within Sasuke as both genins reshaped the local landscape. His markings pulsed and his chakra sang strongly but it was like a whisper against roaring tide.
Naruto knows. He knows but refuses to answer.
Why would he not tell me? Why won't he share the secret?
Kakashi knows, or at least he suspects….and Gaara!
Gaara is the same! The energy is the same!
Kakashi took Naruto to the Hokage….the Hokage must know.
Naruto, Kakashi, the Hokage the village elders….they all know this power.
They gave it to him and not to me!
I offer you power young Sasuke…when you see the shackles….when none aid you…come seek me…
Sasuke shook off the thoughts, his hand absently rubbing against the cursed bite.
Shino grunted as he slammed hard into another tree. The wind blasts from Temari were proving to be his greatest problems, and if not that then it was the constant ambushes from the puppet. If he stepped in her direction it came up to blind side him. If he called on his Kikaichu more wind attacks came to send them off course.
So far neither of them had been able to score a decisive blow, but it was still two against one, chances were that he would fold long before they would. In fact he would have dropped quite a while back had it not been for his ace.
Zoukyou (Reinforce)
A familiar rattle sounded behind him and he quickly turned towards it. As he faced it however a flash to his right caught his attention and he instinctively raised his arm and moved away. One of the puppets detachable limbs glanced off his arm with a loud ring, ripping another hole into his abused overcoat. Shino's other hand snapped up and caught the second limb and in a show of strength and frustration snapped the telescopic blade. Discarding the wooden limb he flicked the broken blade into some bushes, and then turned his attention to the fan wielding Kunoichi.
He ripped of the ruined sleeve to reveal a smooth black mass covering his forearm. Sections of its surface was pitted and scarred, from deflecting many of the strikes and wind blades. Slowly the outer shell seemed to flake and peel off, leaving a new solid surface.
This was a technique developed outside traditional Aburame disciplines. For them the trade-off for standard chakra techniques were well worth the unique skills offered by the Kikaichu. However Shino hadn't been content with the standard skills. It had been he that postulated that their silk worm variants and Kikaichu larvae could be used to produce bandage like materials or even ninja grade wire, something the clan took up quickly.
His current technique followed similar principles and complemented his own personal philosophy. He was an efficient and methodical fighter. He dealt quickly and cleanly with his opponents, like most Aburames his Kikaichu were his bread and butter but Shino himself was highly skilled in taijutsu. While his blows were solid he needed an extra edge to take out his opponents. He toiled with the idea of fist or clawed weapons; however it was with his Kikaichu that he found the best options.
Using his larvae's silk and wax material as well as a variation of the Henge no Jutsu in tandem with his Kikaichu Shino created a heavily armoured yet light weight carapaces. These were primarily for his arms to increased defensive strength and striking power.
A combination of chakra and Kikaichu are used to ensure the carapace remained at peak performance; the outer shell would be shed off, replacing the damaged carapace with a new layer.
Given the raw glares he was currently getting from the Suna siblings he'd say the carapaces had been well worth the effort.
Temari couldn't get to grips with the situation; everything had spiralled so badly out of control. Over and over one thought played out in her mind.
It was never supposed to be like this.
"Temari!" Again her brother's frantic call was all that saved her from being overrun. She backpedalled away from the Aburame while Karasu ran interference for her, as the bugs moved to strike the puppet her wind blasts shifted the majority of course, downing a fair number as well.
"Temari, you can't keep drifting off. Gaara is fine, he can hold out but I need you here. Please." Kankuro's voice dropped slightly at his plea, his appearance a little haggard. Temari shook slightly and nodded, resolution building her eyes.
Both turned towards Shino, who was even more haggard, having had to go up against both of them at once. Temari glared hard at the bug user, as if all her troubles were his fault. The black carapace gleamed across his exposed arm and she was fairly certain it extended under his bulky coat, a number of wind blasts had definitely hit and given the toxins Kankuro was using with his puppet there was no conceivable reason for the bug user to remain standing let alone fighting.
Kankuro ended the standoff, quickly his puppet made to bridge the gap but suddenly shurikens tore through canopies. Temari stepped in front of her brother and used her fan to bear the brunt of the attack. Shino quickly capitalised on the confusion and with a burst of chakra he was behind Kankuro with his arm cocked. Kankuro crossed his arms but the blow was immense, it sent him crashing into his sister and tumbling a few feet away. Recovering quickly Kankuro tried to make room and retrieve his puppet however Shino was in his stride, with only one target he could go fully on the offensive.
Temari shook off her daze and quickly traced her brother's plight. She moved to aid him but a black mass sped to her location. Instinct took over and she ducked sideways before leaping backwards. Three kunais flew at her face, paper tags burning on their ends; she brought her war fan up and sent a wind blast knocking them off course, but it proved to be a mistake. The tags went off with a brilliant flash, Temari was caught out and had to turn her gaze away from the flare. Before she could regain her bearings a figure slammed into her hard enough to expel all the air in her lungs. Further disoriented she couldn't put up any resistance as they both slammed hard into a tree. Her battle fan was knocked away from her, she felt the figure grab hold of one of her hands and pin it above her head, grasped firmly in a tight grip. Her eyes cleared up just in time to see the figure run a broken tree branch through both their hands.
Her mental fog immediately gave way to pain as she turned to the grimacing face that had her captive.
"You!" Shikamaru's eyes were blood red as he glared hard at her. His shadow sprung to life and bound Temari tightly to the tree, ensuring she couldn't do so much as twitch. His right hand bled freely as it stayed pinned with her left to the tree.
"Shino! Get the other one! We aren't going anywhere for a while." The usual drawl in his tones was long gone, replaced by a hardness that sent small shivers down her spine. His eyes seemed bloodshot and the gaze seemed to mirror her own.
Everything is all wrong…it wasn't supposed to be like this.
Temari closed her eyes and sagged as much as the shadow hold would allow. Her thoughts turned towards her little brother and her heart lurched painfully.
Gaara…please, don't give in
However it seemed Kami was unwilling to hear her prayers. A sudden rush of heat swept passed them. Shikamaru's control slipped slightly allowing Temari to turn towards her brother's location.
"Gaara!"
Naruto felt anguish echoing from behind him but he didn't let up the flames. His heart lurched at his actions, however Gaara was too dangerous and he couldn't let him go, regardless of the similarities between them.
May you find peace in Kami's embrace.
Gaara's cries could be barely heard over the flames and Naruto was sure he couldn't last much longer, when suddenly his voice echoed loudly.
MY EXISTENCE WILL NOT END HERE!
The area exploded in fury and sand shot outwards, beyond the canopies of the forest and over the mountains. Naruto was hit by the force and nearly blacked out, the adrenaline and Kyuubi's chakra the only thing keeping him aware. He looked up in amazement as the sand continued its ascent and reshaped itself into something all the more terrifying.
"Shukaku" Naruto breathed out. His sensory perception rang out as several chakras echoed in amazement and distress. Sasuke appeared to be unscathed and Shino was a little worse for wear. Shikamaru however was pinned along with Temari. He had managed to free them from the tree and had grabbed her to avoid serious injury but was only partially successful. An uprooted tree had them trapped underneath its bulk, Naruto's fingers twitched and Byakuya sprung forwards with Hades Forge still in great axe form. The heated bladed easily went through the trunk and Byakuya kicked the section off the trapped duo.
"Still alive Shika?" Naruto queried with his eyes focused on the Shukaku. Shikamaru grunted and Naruto took that as confirmation and then continued.
"Find and link up with Shino. Both of you get back to Konoha and get me someone who can put an end to this. If you manage to convince Sasuke to head back as well then we can still salvage the mission from this mess." As he spoke he reached into his utility pouch and pulled out another scroll, this one lined in green.
Shukaku roared, sending out massive shockwaves and then he looked downwards to pinpoint his opponent. Naruto barked out "Get Moving!" before he took off further towards the sand demon. His chakra strings grew more visible and Byakuya sprang into action, using the last shots of compressed air the puppet bolted past Naruto into the trees. Gears turned in the axe head as it slid down and rotated a full hundred-eighty degrees, locks disengaged and the blade came loose but Byakuya held it in place. His talon feet clamped against the side of a tree as a massive influx of chakra was channelled through him, into the sword and shield mechanics. Gears and springs in the arms worked furiously under Kyuubi's chakra building tension as Naruto sped closer.
Shukaku stretched out his hand and sand coalesced, trying to capture and hold the speeding blond in place. Naruto darted around the sand traps and attacks and jumped up the side of a barely standing tree, he pushed off in Byakuya's direction just as he opened his green scroll. Byakuya at the same moment exploded into action; he anchored his lower body firmly into place on the side of the tree, next he locked the sword back into place and the shield rotated once again to form the axe in a resounding clamp. His torso spun freely on its axis the arm outstretched and building up speed. As it came round for one last pass, Naruto's feet made contact with the flat side of the axe, in that same moment Shukaku's sand gathered around the puppet.
The springs in Byakuya's arm snapped sharply and with one great swing the energy built up sent Naruto flying over the canopies. The sand swept over Byakuya, burying it under its crushing weight.
Adrenaline flooded his veins and for a brief moment Naruto savoured the weightless feeling as he soared through the air. Then the feeling left and Naruto focused on the sand Biju ahead of him. He unravelled the scroll and with a quick flick of blood he unsealed its content. Chakra flared and smoke engulfed him obscuring him from view, however given the size of the smoke it served only to draw the Shukaku's attention. The sand on the Biju's head rippled and Gaara slowly rose out of its depths, his eyes narrowed. Then a faint hum began building within the smoke and Naruto's chakra output tripled in intensity. Gaara noted the change and he brought his hands into a seal. At once Shukaku took a deep breath and let loose a wind blast towards the concealed ninja.
Meanwhile the hum was getting steadily louder and air seemed to whip around the smoke, slowly dissipating it until a blurred figure was revealed. In a sudden burst the figure tore through the smoke, well out of reach of the air blast from Gaara's attack. Gaara's frown deepened as he strained to look up, just making out the figure as he hovered over the sun's glare.
Naruto get a steady breath as he looked down at the Shukaku from his height, the rhythmic sound of blades spinning at high speeds washed over him. He shifted his weight and moved his feet, immediately his angle shifted and he slowly drifted sideways, first left and then right. He checked his footing, making sure it wasn't loose and slowly felt out his chakra output and his string connections and found them stable.
Slowly a grin worked its way into his face and both eyes lit up in manic glee. This was his crowning achievement, the result of years of trial and error. Of his few puppets none save Byakuya had he spent so much time and effort into bringing to life, and it was well worth it.
Naruto hovered above Gaara on his glider, ready for next phase of the battle.
As a shinobi, one constantly pushed the boundaries of what was possible and what was probable. As a puppeteer one crafted many things that worked beyond the scope of physical limitations. As both, there was little one couldn't accomplish, given enough time and the will to see it through.
The glider was reminiscent of a bird of prey, a central frame connected to two massive wings; however the detail was more complex than first glance.
The core of the glider was a cylinder like structure. Inside the front end was a ducted fan followed closely by compressors. The middle section, running both inside and out of the cylinder, were several fuinjutsu scripts and markings. Finally tail end of the cylinder held several turbines and a nozzle, the end was tapered with adjustable flaps. This was the main system of propulsion and flight. The fuinjutsu scripts utilised the chakra as a power source and a catalyst, creating a chain reaction with the pressurised air that gave glider its lift and flight capabilities.
Next came an outer shell that served as the body for the glider and housing for the engine. This too was lined with fuinjutsu script for added durability and strength. Underslung on the glider were two flat oval tubes to serve as the primary weapons.
The final features of the glider were two great wings, built into them were large ducted fans taking up most of the centre. Around the fans several thin, lightweight metal sheets were layered in overlapping patterns that swooped and trailed backwards, giving them a feathered look.
The glider was big, two and a half times Naruto's size with the wings being roughly his height. It was also chakra hungry and required precision control over the user's chakra. It would be impossible for the average ninja to utilise for any length of time.
For Naruto, it was the greatest expression of his abilities. As a Ninja puppeteer, this was an excellent tool for his arsenal. As a craftsman however it went beyond a weapon to end conflict, it was promise of things to come, frontiers to be overcome, barriers to be circumvented if not broken.
It was freedom from the shackles of the ground, as man looked to the limits of the sky.
When Shino and Shikamaru came for him Sasuke refused to move, nothing could tear him away from the battle and eventually he had been written off and left behind. He knew he should have gone back with them but he couldn't, he physically couldn't.
And now his sharingan could only capture the bizarre new turn of the battle, burning forever into memory. His fist clenched tightly as his heart filled with fury…and a desperate need.
Why can't I fight? Why are they so much more powerful than me?
His attention moved as the sand around slowly moved back towards the sand creature, something gleamed and as he traced it Sasuke noted the mangled form of Byakuya. The puppet had been completely wrecked by the sand, however the axe was still intact.
The first thing Sasuke noted as he grabbed the weapon was how heavy it was. Even as he tried to increase his strength with chakra it was going to be too unwieldy to make much of a difference. He pulled the weapon free and gazed over it, as he brushed over it his hand inadvertently triggered a release catch and the axe head came loose and the sword came free. Sasuke's sharingan tracked the various fuinjutsu scripts and as he channelled his chakra into the sword the scripts lit up and the blade began glowing after a short period. He felt the heat coming off the weapon and his brow furrowed.
Uchiha Hijutsu: Enkai
His chakra output spiked and immediately the sword lit up, flames and heat wove lazily around the blade, distorting the air as the seals worked in tandem with his jutsu. Sasuke glanced over at the sand creature and tightened his grip on the sword, it was passed time he got involved in the battle.
He sped through the trees, darting from branch to branch until he got to the very top. He anchored himself with his chakra and brought the sword at ready, waiting for an opening. Unknowingly his Sharingan began revolving, the dark markings on his skin glowed softly as he waited. He could see a wave of chakra activity in the sand, oddly though it was different from Gaara's own chakra.
He didn't have time to fully understand the implications when he felt a pressure shift from Naruto's position, he glanced up just in time to see a large crescent, bearing down on Gaara's position. The sand creature moved its head to the side, the crescent slashed across its shoulder however most of it trailed just past it. Sasuke's sharingan then locked onto a faint signature, coming from the top of the sand. It didn't take long to work out the signature belonged to Gaara, the chakra activity had slowed to a crawl while the other signature was just getting stronger. Sasuke furrowed in concentration as he observed the link between the two signatures and then a thought hit with the force of a lightning bolt.
At the same moment the sand creature's tail swung relatively close by and without hesitation Sasuke leapt for it. Using his chakra he hung tight as the tail swayed and curled around its body, then he jumped again this time for the sand creature's side. Sasuke brought the heated blade forward and pierced deeply into the sand, the creature's size it wasn't more than a pin prick, however his clan's Enkai plus the blades heat seals made up for it in spades; Sasuke's face flashed in satisfaction as he felt the sand buckle and become brittle. His sharingan could see how far his Enkai went into the sand and how much chakra had been disrupted. The sand creature flinched and Sasuke had to hold tight so he wouldn't fall off. He spotted the arm moving in his direction as hoped and immediately pushed off. He landed hard on the moving limb and desperately tried to anchor himself using his chakra, he dug the sword deep into the arm, slowing until he came to a stop.
Abrasions and bruises lined his frame as he rose to his feet, his chakra anchoring him tightly as the arm moved about. Sasuke then took stock of his surroundings and looked up in search of his teammate. From the looks of things and what he could hear Naruto had his hands full, and whatever Gaara had unleashed it was bent on swatting him out of the sky. He suddenly went full alert as his eyes took in the change of chakra activity on the arm, he grabbed the sword and quickly hopped backwards as multiple strands of sand whipped about and made to grab him. With his sharingan tracking every motion he blitzed around, his sword cutting and scorching the sand as it moved around him. A shadow appeared over him and he looked up and gasped in fear. The sand creature had its other hand was poised to crush him. The sand at his feet rumbled and began to shift, his feet slowly sinking to hold him in. Sasuke quickly unsealed a Fuma shuriken and quickly calculated his trajectory, with a quick throw he sent it flying followed quickly by a quick shushin. Split second later he was airborne and his sharingan flashed around taking in the whole area, down to the minute details. He caught sight of the Fuma shuriken as it continued its journey upwards, it was just on the edge of his range and he wasted little precious time.
Kawarimi no Jutsu
In theory the substitution technique had infinite range, however there was a 'comfort zone' and 'maximum distance' based on individual attributes, chakra being one such factor. The farther away the object for substitution was from the comfort zone, the more the strain on the body. At maximum distance the strain would be greatly amplified and in most cases the user suffered serious backlash.
Sasuke nearly bit his tongue as his body protested. He had pushed it further than was safe, however it seemed his gamble paid off. Now just a little under the shoulders Sasuke let loose a barrage of shurikens, spread over a large surface area and readied himself for another Kawarimi. However Gaara's motion suddenly became too erratic and he lost track of most of the shurikens. He took a quick look and noticed it clutch its face, particularly its eye as it thrashed around. It gave a series of short wind blasts and Sasuke's heart sank, there was no way he could avoid them, or even survive a fall from his current height for that matter.
A sharp sound roared behind him and he jerked suddenly, out of the sand creature's field of view.
"You must be completely insane taicho" Sasuke looked wildly before he focused on Naruto. The air swept passed them in high speeds, he glanced downwards and noted the just how much damage Naruto had done, and how little it mattered.
"Shukaku is taking more than I have to deal with, but I think I know of a way to shut it down" Sasuke started at the name but quickly focused. He turned towards Naruto and they both spoke at the same time.
"We need to wake up Gaara"
Even as Naruto took to the skies and Kyuubi's chakra burned his body with more power than he had ever known possible, it still wasn't going to be enough to beat the Shukaku at that scale. Worse still was the fact that Gaara had put himself to sleep and given Shukaku free reign of the fight. The armaments on the glider were meant for ninjas not Biju's and even if he used them they won't be enough to stop the Shukaku.
He grimaced slightly as his only option became ever clearer.
Ninjutsu.
If he hadn't been a puppeteer he might have focused heavily on Ninjutsu, thanks to his larger than average chakra pool. Still he took the time to learn a few techniques, in the interests of study and adaptation for use with his puppets, now it was the only means of surviving Gaara.
I'm going to need more of your chakra Kyuubi. I must stay in flight and throw every spare once of power at Shukaku. Please.
Naruto took a deep breath and quickly formed several handseals. Kyuubi's chakra thrummed eagerly, rising higher to the surface and it completely covered the glider. The air around Naruto whipped into a frenzy as he focused to maintain the technique.
Futon: Shinkuha
The air seemed to coalesce between his hands, said hands shaking violently as they tried to hold the technique stable as chakra fed its growth. Naruto then flicked suddenly and a large crescent of wind swept outwards. The wind crescent caught Shukaku in the middle, blasting hard into the Biju and leaving a long slash. Slowly the damage receded as more sand moved to the affected area.
Shukaku wailed out at him and the launched a wind blast. Naruto's instincts took over and he dodged sideways, immediately the glider responded and darted out of range. Naruto released two more vacuum blades, one scored a glancing blow to the Shukaku and the other missed entirely.
Naruto cursed as the sand demon upped the ante. Multiple wind blasts came at him and he hung on tight. The ducted fans on the wings slowed as the core engine kicked into high gear. The glider's speed increased significantly, Shukaku's blasts trailing far behind it. Naruto felt his chakra dip at the sudden massive expenditure but it was quickly filling up again thanks to the Kyuubi. His speed continued as he wove circles around the Shukaku, dodging past wind blast and occasional grabs while sending out wave after wave of vacuum blades. Grunting in irritation Naruto jerked his glider upwards and flooded the core with chakra. The gliders pace increased and within seconds was well over the Shukaku's head. He slowed his chakra to the glider abruptly and for a moment it stalled, it hovered for a brief moment before plummeting back down Naruto pulled out a scroll and fixed it into a housing on the glider. The weapons tubes below lit with seals as they both became linked. Shukaku it seemed had also been preparing, it launched sand and wind barrages skywards. With short bursts Naruto danced around the attacks while building chakra for his return. He triggered the weapons and two large shurikens fired, seconds later a vacuum blade swept through them, doubling their speed as the travelled towards Shukaku. The sand Biju couldn't move in time and both shurikens tore into its eye as the vacuum blade impacted.
For a brief moment Naruto hoped it hit Gaara, enough to at least wake him if not kill him outright. As Shukaku lowered its arm he could see the damage to the face, however sand had moved to cover Gaara from the edge of the wind attack. Naruto clamped down on his rising frustration as he planned his next move, when suddenly Sasuke's chakra echoed a lot closer than it should have been possible. He traced the location and caught sight of his teammate freefalling from the sky. Priming the gliders core he swooped in and caught Sasuke, new planning's firing through his thoughts.
For once it seemed he and Sasuke were on the same page as they sought to defeat Gaara.
Sarutobi was numb. He had reached the end of his strength, the end of his fight. He had put everything he had left to give to stop his student…but in the end he fell short.
His village still stood, of that he was proud…and so very happy. Konoha was scarred but it would endure.
There were many in the village he worried over. If only he had used his time to reconcile with some, and better help the others. Anko, the former student of his student. Hers had never been easy bit she was loyal and he had done much to ensure it was never questioned. Asuma, his estranged son, maybe he pushed to hard his point of view, maybe he could have done a lot of things. Asuma was a man now, he would find his way.
Konohamaru, one of his greatest treasures. The boy was young, but he would have a future.
Naruto…he had done his best to prepare him, protect him from the jackals that would ruin him. Naruto was the strength that could carry the next generation and repair the damage wrought by the previous. His was a fire that burned, much like the first and second.
There was so much he had yet to tell him, so much to say….
Sarutobi felt a jerk and glanced down, the seal was complete and the Shinigami had bound Orochimaru's arms tight.
"Forgive me Enma, I went back on my word" Sarutobi gasped out, blood spilling to the ground. Sarutobi's body was heavy, yet he was determined his last view would not be his student, but of his beautiful village.
"Konoha still endures Enma. Her fires have not gone out." He smiled as the sun bathed the village in a gentle glow. Despite the smoke and damage it was still beautiful in his eyes.
I am glad, so very glad
Sarutobi closed his eyes, a small smile on his face as his body slowly fell. Before it even hit the ground Enma, the monkey king and personal summons to Sarutobi swept over and caught his long-time companion in a gentle embrace.
"You have done more than enough my friend. Go now with Kami's grace" with care Enma pulled out the sword sticking through Sarutobi and flicked it away.
Orochimaru with gasping hard. His plan was in tatters and his arms useless. The pain was unimaginable and all he could do was focus on the dead man that stole everything from him.
"Orochimaru Sama!" His personal guard called out to him, but they sounded so far away.
"We are leaving this place"
Naruto cursed as he struggled to manoeuvre the glider around the continuous barrage, the added weight was not helping.
"When we get through this Sasuke you're going on a diet." A sharp smack to the back of his head told Naruto his quip was not appreciated. Naruto smirked as they continued to weave around Shukaku, Sasuke had also proved useful with his fire jutsus and together they had stumbled by accident the effects of combining complementary elements. Sasuke had let loose a fireball and as it moved Naruto released a vacuum blade that caught up and moved quickly through the flames. In seconds the fire expanded and tripled in strength and speed, Shukaku was forced to defend with one arm which was immediately sheared off. Shukaku screamed out as the arm was severed and the heat turned sand into glass.
Still it was a one-time event, Sasuke needed to save up as much chakra as possible for his target run. They couldn't drag the battle out for much longer. As soon as they had an opening Naruto would drop Sasuke and then harass Shukaku for as long as possible, leaving Sasuke the chance to traverse the distance and wake up Gaara and stop Shukaku.
"We have one shot, let's make it work" Naruto pulled out a paper ball, with 'flash 'written on it. He swept passed Shukaku and tossed it within range of the remaining eye. The tag lit up and gave off a brilliant flash blinding the Biju momentarily.
"Now Sasuke" Naruto spun the glider and dropped down low rapidly, as he moved closer to the Biju Sasuke's sharingan spun and tracked it target area. With a yell he pushed off the glider and soared for a brief moment, before landing on it cheek. The moment his feet made contact however the sand gave way and he slid downwards rapidly, he used the sword to slowly his descent and threw several shuriken upwards before rapidly using Kawarimi to get back to the top.
Meanwhile Naruto had Shukaku's attention and launched wave after wave of vacuum blades, carefully noting his approach to avoid Sasuke. He swung round Shukaku's assault and pushed hard for Sasuke when he noted the Uchiha's problem. Pulling out a chain attached to the glider he spun it rapidly and then threw it on intercept with Sasuke.
Sasuke caught the speeding chain and winced as he body jerked sharply. A pop told him his shoulder was dislocated and he reinforce his arm with chakra to keep firm grip on the chain, the sword tumbled from his free hand and fell to the forest below. Naruto then swooped down suddenly allowing glider and Sasuke to meet briefly Sasuke's feet anchored firmly to the underside and the shot straight for Gaara.
Sasuke let loose another barrage of shurikens and Naruto capitalised immediately.
Kage Shuriken no Jutsu
Shurikens rapidly formed and rained down on the Biju but then it launched another wind blast blowing them of course.
However Naruto was already set.
"One shot Sasuke" Naruto held one of Byakuya's arm in his hand. The arm was opened to the cross bow setting and the bolt was ready, chakra saturated it and Sasuke had no problem tracing it. Naruto dropped the glider again and arced his shot…and then fired.
The bolt flew undisturbed through the air, as it moved a few feet over Shukaku's head Sasuke used Kawarimi and immediately switched. Sasuke was now over the Shukaku and in a few moments he would fall just passed its back.
C'mon Naruto!
Naruto spun the glider and primed the underslung weapons once more while he moved through seals rapidly.
Karyu Endan
Flames poured out from his mouth and met pressurised gas from his glider. The mixture grew intensely hot within moments and just narrowly missed the Shukaku's good eye. It flinched and took one step backwards, just enough for Sasuke to land on its head, right behind and exposed Gaara.
"Nap time is over" Sasuke then drifted and gave a spinning hook kick to Suna Nin.
The blow was powerful enough to wake Gaara and left him in a daze. Gaara recovered in time to see Sasuke slide down the face of Shukaku, disbelief that somehow they had managed to stop his Biju. His eyes narrowed and immediately the sand converged on the helpless Uchiha.
Sabaku Soso
The sand immediately imploded. A tense few seconds later Gaara noted the lack of blood or broken body.
Fuinjutsu: Sajo Sabaku
Roped lined with seals snaked round Gaara and in moments his chakra was bound tight. The Shukaku's sand body started to crumble and fall apart, Gaara felt himself slipping until a hook latched onto his binding.
"Always have something in reserve, just in case." Gaara looked up to see saw the glider banking, giving him a clear view of Naruto. In his arms was an out cold Sasuke, the black markings receding and his chakra spent. Naruto's mismatched eyes still glowed intensely despite the sheen of sweat covering his frame. Gaara was fixed to those eyes, unable to tear himself away from them.
"Yield" only word….on command.
Gaara had no choice but to obey.