And here's Chapter 29. I hope you guys enjoy this one. I worked hard on it. Readers, Reveiwers, Thank You...The End is Here by Alter Bridge.
On another note...my good friend and part-time pre-reader DarkHeroOrion would like to see a Naruto/Tenchuu Crossover. I think the idea has merit so I too am extending that challenge. He has the requirements for it on his bio page. If you're interested, just visit his page or hit him up. Thanks in advance.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Sarutobi had seen quite a bit in his long life. He'd seen war and peace, good times and bad times, birth and death. He'd seen good men die and bad men live. He'd seen the three genin he'd chosen to take under his wing rise to greatness. He'd seen the one before him, the one he'd poured so much hope into, fall from on high like a shooting star. He'd watched as Namikaze Minato, the Yondaime Hokage, sacrificed himself to save their beloved village.
He'd watched helplessly as the great demon, Kyuubi no Youkou, was sealed into his grandson. He'd watched that boy grow with happiness. He'd showed him his first jutsu, dealt him his first blow, taught him almost everything there was to know about being a Hokage. He was sure that Naruto could run the office better than he could. He'd seen so much in his lifetime.
But he'd never seen the things his former student was showing him…and it horrified him.
The young boy he'd once taught had grown into a terrible man. He'd sacrificed so many for his dream of immortality, not caring whether or not their lives were worth anything. The poor girl whose body he inhabited at the moment had undoubtedly been one of his servants, someone who trusted him body and soul, and it had cost her just that. The old Hokage had been appalled at this realization.
That's why his heart sank when he realized what exactly Orochimaru was doing now.
The Sannin smirked as the coffins rose from the rooftops, watching with unmitigated glee as Sarutobi's face twisted in abject terror. His smirk lessened slightly when the third coffin began to rise and slowly began to stop.
Hiruzen had seen the kanji written on the coffins and immediately had sprung into action. He had not acted in time to stop the first and second ones from rising, but he would stop the third. He hurled a few shuriken, using them in tandem with 'Kage Shuriken no Jutsu', and nailed the lid shut while forcing it back down to the depths of the underworld.
He seethed as he did this. If that coffin, bearing the kanji for 'Fourth' upon it contained what he thought it too, then he had to stop it no matter what. He would not let Orochimaru remind the citizens of Konoha of what they had lost. He would not subject his soldiers to seeing their beloved lost leader once again. And above all, he would not let his predecessor see the light of day again because of the pain it would cause Naruto. If he did nothing else today, he would not let that abomination come forth for Orochimaru's twisted designs.
The Kyodaija scowled as his third coffin sank back into the netherworld. He'd wanted that one to succeed most of all. He'd even gone to great lengths to find a body suitable enough to provide as a medium for the Yondaime's soul. With a shrug of the shoulders, his smirk returned and he raised his two tagged kunai. But first, he'd let the old people blubber on. Seeing his sensei so distraught was quite amusing.
The Brothers Senju looked around the area slowly, their bodies sluggish and minds unfocused. A being before them caught their attention and they slowly realized who it was before them. A deep sigh escaped the Shodai's lips.
"Hiruzen…have the years caught up to you so badly? Look at you."
The Nidaime nodded his head and gave Sarutobi a small smile.
"You look like hell, my boy. Tell me; is the cause of your sorrow this whelp behind us?"
The Sandaime's face was the epitome of sorrow as he cast weary eyes upon his teachers. The Shodai bowed his head in acknowledgment.
"Then we are bound to fight you. I apologize, Hiruzen."
"Seeing the two of you like this again…it's almost like a dream, no, a nightmare. I hope you can forgive me for what I am about to do, Hashirama-sama, Tobirama-sensei."
Before the first two Hokage could reply, Orochimaru jammed the kunai into their heads and chuckled as the jutsu began to take hold, the light disappearing from the two resurrected men's eyes.
"Old folks time is over. It's time to see if you can live up to your boast from earlier, sensei. I believe you said something about making me meet the Shinigami?"
Sarutobi watched as his mentors slowly began to tread toward him and quickly made the hand signs for Kuchiyose no Jutsu. In a burst of smoke, an aged monkey appeared, looking most disgruntled, and the advancing dead men stopped. Enma observed the scene before him and snorted.
I see at last that it has come down to this. Tell me, Sarutobi, are those two who I think they are?
Sarutobi let out a mournful sigh and nodded.
"Hai, they are. My wayward student used the forbidden Edo Tensei to resurrect their spirits."
Such a vulgar use of jutsu. I will help you in this, Sarutobi, but you must promise me that Orochimaru will die this day.
Sarutobi held his hand out to his side, his face grim.
"That is a promise I intend to keep, old friend. Enma! I have need of the Kongou-Nyo!"
Enma said no more as he leapt onto a rock, transformed into his staff form, and flew into Sarutobi's waiting hand. Orochimaru cackled as the two walking corpses advanced on his sensei once again. Things were getting interesting.
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Naruto slashed at Gaara with his field knife and dodged another tendril of sand. He'd thought that as more and more sand piled around the boy, his mobility would be lessened and that the sand would be less of a threat. He couldn't have been more wrong. The sand was as autonomous as ever; it just didn't go as far as before because it was slowly encasing the deranged jinchuuriki in a tanuki-like shell.
The insane toothy smile on the sand tanuki's face had not left since it had appeared and it was starting to unnerve Naruto the more time went on. This was a miniature Shukaku in the making, the beginnings of a total possession by one's bijuu. The voice was still Gaara's at the moment, so that meant Naruto still had a semblance of a chance to shut this down before it got out of hand. A rampaging bijuu in the middle of his village was not what he needed.
A quick glance in his grandfather's direction revealed him and Orochimaru battling back and forth. A tiny glint of pride flared that Sarutobi could still hang with a younger man at his age, but it was squashed by the severity of his current situation. Gaara was slowly losing it and the situation was becoming more dangerous.
He swiftly made more clones and directed them to distract Gaara while he came up with a new idea. Using Fuuton: Daitoppa was useless against him since he was from Suna and more than likely had had it used against him before. None of the other clones he knew would be any better than Kage Bunshin. Suirou no Jutsu was ineffective. He'd just tear right through it. The only thing Naruto had going for him at the moment was that the insane lad was getting progressively slower with the more weight the sand added to him.
Gaara hurled a few more sand projectiles at his clones and dispelled several of them. The rest were at a loss for what to do and served as fodder for Gaara. Naruto growled and flipped his knife to a forward position. Standing around was getting him nowhere. It was time to do what he did best. He formed as many clones as he could muster and they all rushed forward, knives drawn.
The miniature Shukaku grinned as the horde rushed him, but that was quickly lost when they all disappeared into the earth. He never saw the attack coming from beneath him as ten clones came flying out of the ground, lifting him skyward. Twenty more clones followed closely behind and as the apex of their flight was reached and Gaara began to fall, the clones beneath were dispelled with a swipe of his tail. The clones still above him jammed all of their knives down into his right side, the simulated steel made of chakra becoming caught in the sand's iron grip.
Gaara had been about to grin triumphantly at the clones when they all smirked and flipped him onto his stomach in mid-fall, while planting all their weight onto his back. Gaara's black and yellow eyes widened when he saw what awaited him on the ground. Beneath him were probably a hundred arms, all with knives held upward to skewer him. Some were held higher than the others and these had explosive tags attached to the field knives while the knives closer to the ground were reinforced by another hand, holding it steady.
Naruto waited in the ground and watched as Gaara fell to the ground at a quickening pace. His clones all stiffened their joints and reinforced their arms with chakra as much as possible right before the jinchuuriki slammed home onto the bed of steel.
The sand did an admirable job of protecting Gaara's vitals, condensing until it was harder than steel and nearly three inches thick. But that left certain spots more vulnerable than others and his arms and legs, weakened by the concussion blasts of the explosive tags, were ran through. He was silent for but a moment before the pain caught up to his brain's receptors and an unearthly scream came from deep inside him.
"NO! NO! NO MORE! I WON'T LET MYSELF DISAPPEAR BECAUSE OF YOU!"
The sand swept out over the arena, crushing all the clones' arms and dispelling them, and crushed the walls, disintegrating them and pounding them back to dust. The newly ground sand was swept up by Gaara's normal sand and began to converge beneath the boy. Quicker than the eye could follow, it built up in swirls, forming the full-fledged body of Shukaku, the eyes devoid of any life. Naruto watched in horror as the redheaded boy huffed and puffed from his position, stuck in the forehead of the enormous tanuki, and formed a hand sign.
Gaara could hear the screams of the people as they ran to and fro trying to escape. He hadn't been pushed to reveal his demon in such a long time but this Uzumaki Naruto made it necessary. He could hear the demonic whispers of reassurance in his ear from Mother and nodded his head as he slowly closed his eyes, allowing the jutsu to take hold of him.
The darkness felt so wonderful, the sensation of sleep as its black tendrils closed around him heaven on his burdened form.
And Shukaku screamed to life, its eyes flashing with unbridled glee…
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The five inhabitants of the barrier stopped in their battle amidst the forest that the Shodai had created and looked out at the enormous form of the Sand Spirit. Orochimaru cackled in delight that his plan was working. The demonic aura washed over them, even inside the barrier, and he knew that his designs were coming to fruition.
He looked over to his elderly sensei with smug satisfaction. The man was worthy of his titles, that was without doubt. Even at his age, he was holding off two of the greatest shinobi ever, but he was waning. Enma could only do so much and his sensei's old bones couldn't run forever. The guillotine would drop soon enough on the old man's neck.
Sarutobi panted as he watched the Shodai and Nidaime advance again. He and Enma had done everything to try to curb them. He'd used explosive tags to disintegrate them and they had reformed. He'd beat them, disfigured them, knocked their heads from their bodies and they had grown back. He'd used fire, he'd used water, earth, wind, lighting, everything at his disposal and nothing had worked.
Well, not everything. There was still that one thing he had left and he figured now was the time to use it. He sat Enma down on one end to his side and caught his breath.
"I want you to know, Orochimaru, that you are not the only one who can use forbidden jutsu. I've prepared for your coming."
The former Sannin smirked and folded his arms in amusement.
"Then show me, sensei. Show me this forbidden jutsu."
Sarutobi scowled and pulled his helmet from his head. A small purple diamond seemed to be tattooed into his forehead and Orochimaru quirked an eyebrow.
"Is that it? That little diamond is your ace in the hole?"
Sarutobi held up a small red pill between his thumb and index finger.
"Do you know what this is?"
A scoff came from the pale man.
"Of course I do. It's a soldier pill."
"Hai, it is. And it will be instrumental in your downfall."
Orochimaru watched as his sensei popped the pill into his mouth and felt the small swoosh as the old man's chakra spiked. His eyes widened further when the diamond on Sarutobi's head began to glow and shining tendrils began to make their way down the man's body. The Kyodaija's mind raced through what this could be. The symptoms were similar to what his Cursed Seal's recipients went through, but there was something different.
Orochimaru, his Sound Four, and the Konoha ANBU outside the barrier all watched with fascination as the tendrils reached all over Sarutobi's body and then began to recede again. Orochimaru sucked in a breath when he realized that as the glowing tendrils made their way back to the diamond, the skin tightened and began to gain a youthful color, the liver spots and wrinkles disappearing. Within moments the transformation was complete and before everyone stood a transformed Hokage.
Hiruzen took a deep breath and rolled his neck. He hadn't felt this good in years. A quick glance down revealed his smooth hands and arms. Running his fingers over them revealed that it was indeed his own flesh and not an illusion. A smile crawled across his face before it was replaced by a look of sheer contempt. His voice had a more youthful timbre to it as he spoke.
"You are not the only one who can fool time, Orochimaru. My body has been regenerated for a short period, but that is all I shall need. I did not gain the titles my enemies gave me by resting on my laurels. Let me show you how I gained those names!"
Sarutobi…what have you done?
The Hokage glanced down at Enma as he kept an eye on the newly advancing past Hokage.
"I've given us a chance at a great cost. Come, Enma. We have few options left open to us and I fear that today I damn four souls to an eternity of pain."
Enma said nothing as Sarutobi held him again in youthful hands. The two past Hokage sprang for him and Hiruzen spun forward, clipping the Nidaime at the ankles and sending him sprawling to the floor as he brought the staff upward and into the chin of the Shodai. As the one man fell and the other ascended, Sarutobi made two clones to keep them occupied while he went after Orochimaru.
He hadn't made it two steps when a beastly, inhuman roar floated to his ears and he saw Orochimaru grit his teeth in fury. He turned expecting the worst and his heart sank to the deepest pits of his stomach.
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Naruto looked up at the towering Shukaku and shuddered. He'd known the bijuu were frightening creatures, but this? This was beyond what he had thought. What must those who fought the Kyuubi all those years ago have thought when they saw its terrible might?
He shook his head and looked upon it again. Gaara swung bonelessly from the beast's forehead. He was the key to all this. The jailor had let the prisoner out and it needed to be locked up again. Gaara was the key and gatekeeper all in one. Naruto assumed that he had to wake him up again. But how?
The Shukaku let out a happy squeal and looked around its surroundings.
Wheeeeee! Free at last! Oooooh, and he let me out in a toy box! Look at all the little toy soldiers! They look so killable!
Naruto watched in abject horror as the Sand Spirit lifted an enormous foot and slammed it down onto the nearest group of shinobi, a mixture of Oto, Suna, and Konoha ninja that had been fighting. The poor fools hadn't even known what hit them as they were crushed. The Shukaku tilted its head to the side as it lifted its foot again, apparently having an argument with Gaara.
I don't care what you want; it's my turn to drive! Oh? Oooooh! That one? Really? Yes, child, Mother is pleased. I'm sure his blood is delicious!
As the Shukaku turned its attention to Naruto, all he could think about were his comrades that had been crushed like so many ants. He lips twitched in anger and he glared at the ground. Unbeknownst to him, red chakra was beginning to seep out and bubble around him. His fangs began to lengthen and poked out fully over his bottom lip and his hands, clenched tightly into fists, began to bleed as his elongating claws dug into his palms.
Shukaku sucked in its breath, its gut expanding to several times an imaginable size, as it lifted its right arm high overhead. It slammed the arm into its gut with great force, expelling a screaming ball of wind at the blond. Naruto didn't seem to notice the giant sphere as it hurtled toward him until it was too late. He looked up, seeing the distortion of the air, and his eyes widened in shock. But before he could move, an enormous explosion of smoke blew over the area and he found himself staring at the back of an enormous toad carrying a battle-fork and a shield, blocking the massive air current from reaching him.
Naruto stared up in wonder at the toad as it looked down at him.
You're not as big as I thought you'd be.
A hearty croak was heard from atop the toad's head and Naruto's eyes were drawn to a smiling Fukasaku with Gamakichi beside him.
He's big enough, Gamaken. Leave him be.
Naruto couldn't even ask Fukasaku and the toad named Gamaken what they were doing or why they were helping him, when a high-pitched whine came from the Shukaku.
Aw, man! You're such a buzz-kill! Now I have to find a new toy to slaughter! I guess you'll have to do, Frog!
Gamaken blocked a swipe of a sandy arm and thrust at it with his sasumata. Shukaku let it hit his body and cackled when it did no damage. The large toad dodged a swing from the Sand Demon's tail and several more ninja were crushed as it violently struck the ground.
The red chakra, which had begun to recede when Naruto had focused on the toads, came back full force when he saw his fellow ninja struck down. It bubbled to the surface and encircled him, lying across his skin like a suit of armor. The anger and hatred it contained were almost palpable, intertwined with his own. The Kyuubi might not be able to escape, but it enjoyed a fight that was guaranteed to be big. It whispered inside Naruto's mind, giving him that little extra push.
Are you going to let them all die? Especially those you hold dear? Will you stand by and let it happen? Or will you use what Destiny gave you and fight? Look at them, boy. Their bodies are crushed beneath Shukaku's feet and others lie broken and bloodied. Listen to his laughter. Doesn't it make your blood boil?
Naruto's ears focused on the laughter of the Shukaku as it pushed Gamaken back again and into a building, toppling it over. His eyes widened. That had been a wartime shelter beneath it. What if those people were trapped? He couldn't stand by and let things carry on anymore.
He roared to the heavens as the cloak of red chakra covered him fully and in a flash he was gone, off to engage the Shukaku.
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Sarutobi bit back the bile threatening to come up from deep within him. He'd hoped to never see his grandson like that, a human version of the Kyuubi, his fangs and claws elongated and extended as he tore across the ground, roaring in fury. Unfortunately for Sarutobi, that momentary distraction had been enough for the Shodai and the Nidaime to deal with his clones and drag him back into battle.
The older man knew that his time was nearly up. The jutsu he was using had a high price, Tsunade's own Sozo Saisei that she had committed to the Forbidden Scroll. He'd never get the chance to thank her, but he was eternally grateful to his sole female student. He spun Enma again and ran for the Nidaime, catching the walking corpse making a familiar hand sign out of the corner of his eyes. He was too late, though, as the entire area went pitch black.
Sarutobi stopped running and whispered to Enma.
"Can you smell them, Enma?"
The Monkey King whispered back.
No, this jutsu prevents all senses from working, even mine. You know that. We're in trouble, Sarutobi.
The Hokage's young face scowled and his mind raced. He'd seen his mentor use this before and he knew how it worked. It obscured the senses to all those trapped within the darkness. There was only one recourse to rid himself of these two enemies and the mere thought of it broke his heart. These two didn't deserve it…and it would damn all four of the Hokage of Konoha to the belly of the Shinigami. He could only hope that they would forgive him.
As soon as that thought had left, he felt the air rush from his lungs as one of the walking dead planted a fist into his stomach. He felt Enma reach out for the offender, but whichever one had done it was gone again. Sarutobi sucked in some breath and knelt down.
"Enma, make a cage around me. I need a bit of time to prepare."
What are you doing?
"Just make the damn cage! I need time!"
Enma grunted and formed a cage around a kneeling Sarutobi, who formed two Kage Bunshin just outside of his protective shell. The two Kage Bunshin were ready for what they had to do as soon as they were made. Hiruzen took a deep breath and closed his eyes as he summoned the Shinigami.
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Shukaku blocked another thrust of Gamaken's war fork when a flash of red caught his black and gold eyes. The bijuu pushed the giant toad back and looked down at the little red dot running up his left leg.
What the hell is this? A sand flea?
A snarl was his answer as Naruto swiped at the leg with his field knife as he rushed upward. The red chakra coating that the Kyuubi provided was extended to the blade and Shukaku squealed when it cut deep.
Aaaaa! That hurt, you little pipsqueak!
The sand rose off its leg and Naruto leapt and twirled this way and that on his way to the Shukaku's head. He knew that Gaara had to be awake to contain the beast and he had to either knock him awake…or kill him. The bad thing was that he didn't know what killing him would do. It might unleash the beast fully. He hadn't seen the other boy's seal, so he didn't know if it was like his. Since the Shukaku was so prominent, it was probably a weak seal, barely holding the demon back.
He pirouetted past another tendril of sand and jumped as high as he could toward the left arm, missing it by several feet as Shukaku pulled it back. Naruto growled and made Kage Bunshin to slow his fall, the air rushing past him as his clones threw him back onto the torso. The sand rose to greet him and he slashed it to bits with his knife, not caring what happened as his feet connected and he continued his journey.
Shukaku screamed in fury at his inability to crush the little red insect crawling all over him and raised his right arm to crush Naruto against his body. Without warning, his right arm went flying off and landed on part of the southern district of Konoha in a spray of granules, the battle fork of Gamaken residing where the arm had been. The giant toad croaked in mirth.
I may be slow, but I know how to fight. You let your guard down.
Shukaku roared in anger and launched himself at the giant toad. Gamaken pulled his mancatcher back and pushed forward with all his might, slamming it completely through the Sand Spirit, and lifting the hefty beast over his head, slamming it into the ground. Unbeknownst to him, he had dislodged Naruto and the blond fell to the earth along with Shukaku.
The Kyuubi jinchuuriki's world was turned upside down when Gamaken slammed Shukaku and he cursed in a bestial voice as he fell to the ground. His eyes focused as he fell and he realized, to his good fortune, that the giant toad had flipped Shukaku so quickly that the bijuu's head was now directly beneath him. A toothy grin crossed his face as he realized that Gaara was within his grasp now. He plummeted toward his target with his fist ready to knock the boy awake.
You should kill him.
'I don't know what'll happen if I do that. It could release Shukaku and we'll be right back where we started.'
Do as you will, then. I've said my peace.
In a split second decision, Naruto flipped his knife over and angled it downward. Pain seemed to register with Gaara more than anything. And what was more painful? A punch to the face? Or a knife cutting through flesh?
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Sarutobi felt his skin crawl as the Shinigami appeared behind him, his own soul held hostage as it thrust its pale arm into it. The link established, it was time to begin his last act on this earth. With a silent prayer for forgiveness, he began to rise to his feet and Enma transformed back into his Kongou-Nyo. The two clones readied themselves for what was to come.
Within seconds, the two chakra constructs felt something slam into them and yelled out. Sarutobi rushed off to the side and swung Enma hard, the staff extending and slamming into the backs of the two reanimated Hokage. The clones grunted when the two men fell against them and grasped onto the corpses' shoulders, their iron grip giving no leeway. The Shinigami grinned around its dagger and reached further into Sarutobi's soul, using the clones as a medium.
As soon as the cold fingers of the Death God reached into the newly revived Hokage's bodies, the sealed kunai fell from the back of their heads and the light returned to their eyes. The two smiled at Sarutobi as the darkness began to recede and the Shodai glanced at the image of the Shinigami.
"Forgive us, Sarutobi, for bringing you such trouble."
The Nidaime closed his eyes and bowed his head.
"I pray, Hiruzen, that your wayward student will follow us into the embrace of death."
The Sandaime nodded grimly, a tear threatening to escape the corner of his eye.
"I did not wish this for any of us. May Kami-sama have mercy on all our souls."
He didn't even watch as the clones cried out 'Fuuin' and the souls of the past Hokage were ripped from their borrowed bodies. He felt the searing pain as the Shinigami ripped their souls through his own and fell to one knee to catch his breath. The darkness would not provide much more cover and he needed it for a surprise attack. He bent low and held Enma tight. This would be his last action ever as a Hokage.
Orochimaru watched anxiously as the darkness began to disappear. He couldn't see into it, but this was a sign of two things. Either his sensei was dead, or he had defeated the two former Hokage. That last outcome was unlikely, but not to be discounted. His yellow eyes roamed over the area, looking for any of the bodies. The first thing he saw was the ashen remains of the Shodai and the boy he had sacrificed to bring him back. The Kyodaija's hand flew up to make hand signs, but never got to make the first one.
Sarutobi burst out of the darkness from above with Enma at the ready. The staff extended and slammed down onto Orochimaru's arms, breaking the bones in two. The limbs fell limp against his side as his sensei landed before him and grasped onto his hands, holding him tight. The Shinigami grinned and reached further into Sarutobi's soul for his last two meals.
The Snake Sannin trembled when he felt something cold reach into him and his face twisted into a look of complete and utter terror when he saw the shimmering outline of the Shinigami become more tangible. He looked down at his shorter sensei just in time to see his own soul being pulled from his body. His teeth gritted in defiance. He would not be taken like this, not after all his plans were coming to fruition!
Sarutobi huffed and puffed, the strain being put on his own soul as a medium was starting to take its toll. The youth was leaving his body rapidly, the familiar cracks and crevices on his skin becoming evident. Orochimaru tried to move, but his arms wouldn't respond.
"I won't be killed like this! I have more to accomplish, you foolish old man! Do you know what you're doing?"
Sarutobi smirked as the Shinigami gave another tug and most of Orochimaru's arms were revealed.
"Yes, I do. I'm ridding the world of one of my mistakes. Prepare yourself, Orochimaru. I said you'd meet the Shinigami today and I'm going to be there with you for eternity!"
The pale man's mouth opened slightly as the Shinigami grinned at him and beckoned with one hand, eager to receive its meal. Orochimaru ground his teeth and glared at Sarutobi with as much hate as he could muster. He would not let himself die. He saw that the jutsu his former sensei had used was wearing off, and with it, his strength. Perhaps Sarutobi just needed a bit more of a push of despair.
"Since you are resigned to death, let me share a secret with you."
The ANBU outside the barrier were preparing for the worst. The commander watched as Orochimaru spoke with a sickening smirk on his face and ordered his men to get ready.
"As soon as that barrier comes down, we move in. Kill anyone that moves. Those are your orders."
A scream from Sarutobi brought their focus back to the fight.
"NOOOOO! DAMN YOU, OROCHIMARU!"
"IT'S NO LESS THAN YOU DESERVE, YOU OLD FOOL!"
Sarutobi had noticed that his strength was waning and realized that he wouldn't be able to pull his former student's soul completely from his body. It was something similar to what the Yondaime had run into with the Kyuubi. He'd just have to seal what he could. When Orochimaru told him his secret, however, his anger returned full force. He would seal as much as he could. He poured all his energy, all his focus, all of his anger into pulling the man's soul out.
The Shinigami pulled the dagger from its mouth and let its tongue run around the rim of its lips. Its hand, which was looped around Orochimaru's soul's wrists, pulled harder with Sarutobi's resolve. Orochimaru shook with fury as more of his soul was pulled out, his head and torso now visible. The neck of the soul lengthened and darted back into his body. If his soul was to be sealed, then he would salvage his mind at least. His quick plan to make Sarutobi despair had backfired and now he was paying the price.
His one consolation was that the old man was in pain and that he would die with this. Konoha would have to wait. With one final hard tug, every part of Orochimaru's soul except for the head was yanked free of the body. Sarutobi screamed to the heavens.
"FUUIN!"
The Shinigami's dagger flashed downward and cut off Orochimaru's body at the base of the neck, pulling the rest through Sarutobi's soul and yanking it along with him. It disappeared with a satisfied look. Four new souls to digest. Quite a treat for it.
Orochimaru and Sarutobi both crumpled to the ground, Sarutobi dying and Orochimaru's skin turning a sickly purple, the soul no longer inhabiting his body except for the mind. A red-hot fire roared through him as his host's body began to fight for control again. He seethed and screamed at Sarutobi Hiruzen, who lay unmoving, a faint smile on his face.
"Why are you smiling? You stupid old man! Do you know what you've done? I hate you!"
Sarutobi was too tired to respond, his soul having been taken and his body rapidly dying. Enma let his transformation drop and knelt down beside his old friend, having heard everything that was said.
I am sorry, Hiruzen. I shall pray for you and your family. May the gods have mercy on your soul.
The Monkey King bowed his head and when he lifted it again, it was to stare into the glassy eyes of the Sandaime Hokage. Before he dispelled, he reached out and closed the eyelids with two of his fingers, his voice low as he disappeared.
Rest in peace, old friend.
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Naruto slammed his knife into Gaara's right shoulder, praying that the pain would be enough to waken the boy. Sure enough, the insane jinchuuriki's eyes sprang open and he screamed wordlessly. Shukaku howled in rage and Gamaken backed off, unsure of what was happening.
NOOOO! I just got out, you bastards!
The sand began to crumble away and fall to the ground, letting Naruto and Gaara take the last forty feet to the ground on their own. The redhead landed with a boneless thump, all his energy spent, and stared up at the sky. Naruto landed on his feet and cringed as the red chakra receded into him, leaving him sore and tired. He slowly stood and made his way over to Gaara, crouching beside the prone boy.
"What happens if I kill you? Will it release the Shukaku?"
Gaara merely stared ahead. Naruto frowned and sheathed his knife.
"I'll take that to mean you don't know. Very well. I'll take care of you later."
The blond pulled some wire from his pouch and bound the redhead's hands and feet, before hefting him onto his shoulder. He looked up just in time to see four Oto ninja bounding away with Orochimaru's body, dead or alive, he couldn't tell. He quickly made his way to the top of the building where his grandfather had been fighting and his heart stopped at the sight.
Gamaken, Fukasaku, and Gamakichi watched him go. Fukasaku looked up at Gamaken with a small smile.
Thank you, Gamaken. Your help was most appreciated.
The honor was mine, Fukasaku-sama. I only wish I could have done more.
The battle-toad disappeared in a plume of smoke, leaving the two smaller toads on the field of battle. Fukasaku nodded to Gamakichi and the two hopped into the shadows.
Several Konoha ninja stood around the body of Sarutobi Hiruzen, all of their heads bowed in respect. Naruto dropped Gaara with a thump and knelt beside the body. He wanted to cry, but he wouldn't do it. That would dishonor his grandfather. He instead stood and turned to a jounin he knew in passing.
"Take him to the prisons. I'm going to check on my family."
The jounin nodded his head and picked up Gaara, not caring if the boy was comfortable or not. Naruto ran to his family's home, praying that they had been spared in the onslaught. Konohamaru was supposed to be at school when the fighting broke out. His mother and father were at home, awaiting his arrival. When the battle had come, his father had more than likely gone out to fight.
He sped past everyone in his path, his tiredness overrode by his need to check on his loved ones. There were still a few random fights here and there, but for the most part Suna and Oto had been pushed back. Konoha had won. His heart took a lighter note as he realized that. It sank, however, when he reached his home.
It was like it had been hit by a tornado, the grounds were destroyed and the great wall that marked off the back of the property looked like it had been run over by a summoned creature. Naruto rounded the house to the back and his heart sank as bile rushed up his esophagus. Nailed to the wall of the house, were the bodies of his family and the servants.
His legs gave way and he sank to his knees as he gazed upon the destruction and death. The bodies of his mother and father were on either side of the door, their arms outstretched and chins laid upon their chests. Naruto crawled forward and tears began to fall as he saw what was more heartbreaking than his parents and the servants. It was a bad dream. It had to be, because reality couldn't be so cruel as his imagination.
Konohamaru was above the entranceway, his small body prostrated just like his parents. Above his head, drawn in blood, was the symbol of Otogakure, the symbol of Orochimaru. A sad voice came from behind him and he spun, his knife drawn.
"Naruto…"
The blond quivered when he saw his uncle, Asuma, standing amidst the wreckage, and rushed into the man's arms, crying silently into his vest. Asuma stood and let the boy, who rarely cried, weep into his chest as he looked at everything in front of his eyes, before turning them both away and back to the village. He shed a few tears from his eyes and then steeled himself. The village came before everything, even family. That was what his father had taught.
He pulled the distraught Naruto along with them. They had much to do. Tears could come later.
The Will of Fire had to be preserved. No matter what.
Let me know what you think. The fall out is next chapter.
