A/N: Beta'ed by JimtheFish14
Chapter Thirty-Five: An Ogre and a Priestess
Yoshino paused at the door feeling her stomach twist lightly with nervous energy before she slid the shoji to the side.
It was worse than she thought.
There were weapons all over the room. Stabbed into the walls and ceiling while others were jammed to the hilt into a destroyed mattress. The dresser had been tossed on its side and clothes were shredded and torn. Blood was splattered all about the room and pasted to the floor in foot prints and smeared on the wall in hand prints.
Yoshino's eyes took all this in before settling on Nagisa who was nestled in the middle of the floor. She was still in her towel from the bath Yoshino had forced her in. The cuts on her feet were still oozing lightly. It was almost impossible to see the way she was curled around but Nagisa had formed herself into a tight ball.
"Nagisa," Yoshino croaked out, tears falling down her cheeks the second she saw the once tailing down Nagisa's own face. "You'll catch cold. Please change," she begged while carefully stepping into the room. The window had been shattered Yoshino realized and there was glass all over the place. She was able to find a shirt in the tattered remains of Nagisa's clothing and carefully maneuvered to her.
Nagisa only tightened around her middle when Yoshino tried to move her. At the high angle Yoshino was finally able to see that she wasn't just curled around herself. No, Nagisa was instead curled around the small plotted cactus he had given her all those years ago at her coming-of-age ceremony.
Yoshino's tears came faster.
"Please Nagisa." She was so cold to the touch Yoshino almost started to sob. The dead look on her daughter's face was like a kunai to the heart.
"Here." Yoshino did sob lightly when her husband helped pull Nagisa up into a sitting position. She made no motion that she noticed either of them. Her eyes were only trained on the little cactus even when Yoshino pulled the shirt over her head and removed the towel after to keep her modesty. Shikaku instantly took the towel and began to dry Nagisa's hair.
"You have to eat something," Yoshino told her but Nagisa didn't respond. Yoshino was eternally grateful when Shikamaru knelt next to her with a bowl of soup and water.
"Listen to Mom, Nagisa," he told her softly. Yoshino was hopeful when Nagisa's hand moved but began to cry again when the girl only shuffled the plant into her lap. Yoshino heard Shikamaru mutter something under his breath before placing the food down. "I'll go get something for her wounds."
The second her son was out of the room Yoshino began to sob.
"It'll be okay. It'll be okay," Shikaku hummed softly while still dapping at his daughter's hair. "It'll be okay."
(Two Days Earlier)
"Someone has revived Moryo and freed him from the underground palace he was sealed away in. His ghost army is on the march. We'll be working in conjunction with other nations to put an end to this crisis."
Nagisa looked out the window as the sound of drums continued to echo throughout Konoha. Already she could see people in the streets scattering in preparation while shinobi swarmed towards the Hokage Building and their designated areas.
It was easy to spot Naruto coming towards them with his bright orange jumpsuit. In a matter of minutes he was barging in through the front door shouting,
"Uzumaki Naruto here and ready to kick some a—whoa! What are you guys doing here?" Nagisa turned away from the window to see Naruto pointing violently at Team Gai who stood in front of Tsunade's desk. "Where the heck is Kakashi-sensei?"
"Lee is filling in for Sasuke," Naruto flinched harshly before hanging his head on his shoulders. Nagisa left the window and went to stand beside him, brushing their shoulders together and pushing chakra through their bond. It was so much easier when they weren't a county apart. She liked having him home and sent that satisfaction over to him.
"—Tenten for Sakura and Neji for Kakashi," Tsunade answered with her fingers crossed in front of her face.
"Glad to be here!" Lee chirped.
"Kakashi and Gai have already met up with our allies. They're headed for the battle front right now. So Neji will serve as Team Seven's captain."
"But why him though?" Naruto continued to groan.
"Neji is a jōnin. And last I checked you were still a genin, Naruto. So, suck it up."
"But Nagisa is also a jōnin! Why can't she just be our leader?" A tick was starting to form in Tsunade's head but she answered none the less.
"Nagisa isn't a jōnin because of her outstanding leading capabilities but rather her abilities in general. I'm not wasting that talent at the chūnin level when it would be better suited for jōnin. However, her leadership abilities are still bupkis." Nagisa didn't take offense at all. It was true after all.
"Look, just accept it," Neji scoffed with a tilt of his head.
"Fine. But I'm still gonna go out and pound these jerks for ya!"
"I will not be sending your team to the front."
"What?"
"This is an escort mission. For a VIP."
"Are you kidding me?"
"Naruto. Enough," Nagisa said with a small spark of irritation thrown his way. "You wanted escort missions before."
"Well yeah but—"
"Tsunade-sama knows where our team would be best put. Allow her to speak."
"Fine." Tsunade hid a smirk behind her folded hands before lounging back in her chair.
"The enemy has been moving for several days now and leaving a steady trail of destruction in its wake. We know this ghost army is based in some sort of puppet master jutsu." Nagisa barely held back a scoff.
She was getting tired of puppets.
"Piece of cake! We just take down the guy controlling them then!"
"The one who's pulling the strings isn't human. Moryo is a very powerful demon." A spark of fear shot through Naruto causing Nagisa to give him a strange look. The boy had a demon inside him. Why the hell was he afraid of another one? "There once was a shinobi who tried to conquer this entire continent. He used Moryo's power to raise an invulnerable army. The demon horde descended upon one country after another, devastating everything in its path and bringing these lands to the brink of destruction. That army is the very same one we find threatening us now. Back then a powerful priestess named Miroku used a powerful ninjutsu." Tsunade pulled out a map and displayed it for them all to see.
"She sealed away Moryo's soul in the Land of Ogres' underground palace and his body within a shrine in the Land of Swamps, averting disaster. Newly resurrected, the demon has once again taken command of his ghost army and is making his way to the shrine. If Moryo's body and soul become one and his resurrection is completed, the situation will be irreparable."
"What'll happen?'
"The world will be destroyed. The priestess from the Land of Ogres must be taken to the Land of Swamps where the body is sealed and seal away Moryo's soul away again. Your mission is to protect the priestess on her journey. Do you understand?"
"Yes ma'am!"
"Then go."
Nagisa slung her bag over her shoulder so the strap rested on her chest diagonally.
"Now listen, our mission is to insure this woman's survival," Neji said while walking up and down the line that made up the rest of his team. "Nagisa, you are to stay with our charge at all times. You're the quickest next to Lee. Understood?"
"Hn."
"Tenten, Lee, your roles are to fend off the enemy. We don't know what we're up against yet, so your taijutsu and kenjjtusu will be our best defensive option."
"Leave it to me! I will protect the priestess with sheer will!"
"My weapons are ready and waiting," Tenten smiled.
"Then let's get going."
Nagisa sparked out her chakra aiming for the Hyūga as Naruto let out a cry.
"What about me?"
"Oh yes, that's right. I almost forgot. You'll be running defense same as the others."
"Got it! If any bad guys show up I'll put them through the school of hard knocks and send them straight to hell!"
"Hm. You certainly might look older but you haven't really changed all that much have you?'
"What?"
"Funny I heard you had gotten much stronger under Jiraiya-sama's tutelage but clearly you're
experience level as it pertains to teamwork is ridiculously still genin level. Now look, we've been given the role of bodyguards, don't anyone forget that. We mustn't stray from our charge."
"So come on, let us do Konoha proud with our teamwork!" Lee cried while Tenten shrugged.
"You'll have to excuse Neji. He gets pretty bossy while team captain."
"Tenten!"
"Come on guys. We gotta hurry." Nagisa followed after the others, coming side to side with Neji before they took to the trees.
"Antagonize and you'll make me angry," she warned him before leaping high.
"Keep him under control then," Neji scoffed, following right behind her.
They had only just made it to the shrine when all hell broke loose. With the sun barely risen, four enemies were slaughtering everything in their path.
"Let's do this!" Naruto shouted before rushing off at high speeds.
"I told you to control him!" Neji snapped as they watched Naruto go full barrel into the shrine where the enemies were. Nagisa sighed heavily before leaping down from the mountain side. "Nagisa!" Neji called after her in a powerful hiss but she ignored him. Instead she focused on Naruto and the enemies as they barreled out of the shrine.
In a large burst of chakra, a white-haired shinobi used a jutsu that captured Naruto. Nagisa landed in front of the massive rock formation that held the many Narutos. The fire jutsu, small and ring shaped, was caught by her Suijnehki technique.
"Who—?"
"They just keep popping up one by one," the purplette of the group huffed. Naruto burst out of the rock formation's exit.
"Thought you'd capture me, huh? Nice try but you failed!"
"You three deal with these imbeciles. I'm going after the priestess."
Nagisa watched the purplette jump away but knew Neji and the others would take care of him. Her hands flew in front of her and she felt her chakra build up in her stomach.
"Suiton: Sandan no Jutsu!" The water bullets burst past Nagisa's lips causing the other three shinobi to scatter. Nagisa's hands flashed through more signs. "Suiton: Mizu Shuriken!" From the water bullets already passed, sharp edged shuriken burst forth and rained heavily down on the shinobi.
"She's good!" one of them snarled.
Nagisa's eyes zeroed in on the disappearing marks as the shinobi began to retreat. Their massive chakras gurgled away like water down a sink. Nagisa took after them and felt her lip twitch when the purplette joined them. She felt like growling as the team of four took off back into the forest that surrounded the temple.
"They're retreating," Tenten said as she joined Nagisa on the roof.
"Why?" Nagisa grumbled, feeling highly unsatisfied.
They were formally introduced to the priestess. Her sitting upon her throne with one of her subordinates between her and Team Seven. The priestess was a young girl with long blond hair wearing heavy, formal clothes and a crown.
"Behold, Shion-sama, the priestess of the Land of Ogres," her subordinate introduced.
"I am Hyūga Neji, my lady, captain of Konoha's team."
"I'm Rock Lee.
"I'm Tenten."
"Momochi Nagisa of the Nara Clan."
"Uzumaki Naruto, how's it hanging?" Nagisa pinched Naruto hard on the back of his arm. The boy yipped before whirling on her but a single look at him quieting down with a pout.
"We're here to escort Shion-sama to the sealing Shrine."
"A lot of lives were lost in the assault last night. And just as Shion-sama foretold, Susuki was among that number."
"Naturally. But as you can see I still breathe. I'm sure they shoulder no regret." It was impossible to miss the wave of anger that washed over Naruto. Nagisa's fingers just missed the back of his jacket as he stormed forward. Nagisa felt like cursing as Naruto's fist clenched into the priestess' outfit and pulled her out of her seiza.
"Now you wait just a minute!" The girl's face was full of shock. "All those people died for you! You should show a little respect!" Neji rushed forward along with the rest of Team Gai and pulled Naruto off Shion. Nagisa simply watched the girl's face as it went from shock to cold detachment. Something wrong ran up Nagisa's spine as she watched the girl's mouth open in an 'o' motion. She stood up from her destroyed seiza and motioned for the others to let Naruto go. They did so reluctantly.
"What gives?" Naruto barked. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"You're going to die…very soon." It was the sharp intake of breath from the subordinate that had Nagisa on her feet.
"What? I'm sorry I can't quite hear you there! Think you can repeat that a little louder?" Naruto taunted.
"You're going—"
"What's that?"
"You're going—"
"What'd you say?"
"You're going to be pierced through the chest and killed soon!" Shion finally shouted.
"What do you mean?" Nagisa demanded, trying her best to ignore the roaring of her own blood in her ears.
"Exactly what I said. I'm finished here." Shion got up and began to walk away and it was only Neji holding Nagisa back that stopped her from storming after the girl and demanding answers.
"Please, if you would follow me?" the subordinate offered, leading Team Seven from the hall and to a small room. The sound of a nearby river harmonized with the song of birds and bugs.
Naruto, still angry, flopped down on to the ground.
"How'd we get stuck babysitting someone like this?" The subordinate bowed his head.
"I hope you'll forgive her. Shion-sama often sees visions of peoples' deaths. But you shouldn't let it worry you."
"Yeah, cause she's always wrong, right?"
"Well no. So far she's been a hundred percent accurate."
The roaring was back in Nagisa's ears. Her world started to go red and Nagisa stood up. She saw Naruto flash forward and grab hold of the subordinate and shout something but she couldn't hear it over the noise in her own ears. When she made it to the door Neji was by her, hand on her wrist.
"Where are you going?" he demanded, his voice cutting through the roaring in her ears.
"To find her."
"Why?"
"If she says Naruto is going to die then I will stop it. She knows how it will happen. She will tell me everything she knows."
"You need to calm down. The way you are acting is not befitting a Konoha shinobi. Naruto won't die."
Nagisa's eyes became hooded as she bore into Neji.
"I will hold you to that then." Nagisa's eyes left Neji and went to Naruto who was scrambling out of the room. With one final glare at their captain Nagisa followed after the boy.
"There you two are!" Neji barked as Naruto and Nagisa re-entered the room. "Where did you go?"
"Bathroom," Nagisa said.
"Together?" Tenten chuckled waggling her eyebrows at them. Nagisa slowed blinked.
"Of course not."
"Are you feeling okay Naruto? You seem quiet," Lee questioned, while standing up and coming over.
"I'm fine."
"If it's the vision don't worry about it so much. I'm sure it's nothing. And we'll be there to help you," Tenten offered with a smile.
"You can't change my prediction," Shion said while entering the room. The girl was no longer dressed in her robes but rather red pants and a small white top under a yellow jacket.
"Watch me," Nagisa rumbled causing Shion to tilt her nose up.
"Alright shinobi I'm ready now." The others shrugged and walked out after Shion, Naruto at the rear. Shion lead them out to the back of the temple where a waterfall pounded away.
"This is a dead end," Lee said the obvious.
"This waterfall is where I purify myself," Shion explained while walking towards the cascading water. "It also hides an escape route."
"Are you sure you wish to leave without Taruho?"
"I'm the priestess of this land. If I want to leave my attendants behind I will."
Even with Shion on her back Nagisa had no trouble tree walking through the Land of Ogres massive trees. And despite the fact the priestess hadn't put a single foot on the ground since their journey she still felt the need to complain,
"You're back is uncomfortable! You should try and keep a more womanly figure—"
"I could always drop you," Nagisa offered, affectively shutting Shion up. It was just a shame Nagisa couldn't shut up the jingling bell pinned to her shirt.
"Nagisa," Neji sighed, sounding far more defeated than he had yet. Nagisa chose to ignore him and focus on her tree walking.
The arrow came out of nowhere, almost piercing Naruto. The boy flipped backwards, landing on the ground with the others coming down as well. Nagisa stuck with the trees until Taruho came out of the underbrush with his bow in hand.
"Taruho! What are you doing out here?" Tenten asked.
"What are you doing here?" Shion shouted from her back. Nagisa leaped down and quickly depositing the girl so she wasn't screaming in her ear anymore.
"No matter where you go it is always my duty to watch over you Shion-sama."
"You'll only be a burden to me! Now go back to the village!"
"I will not."
"Go back home."
"I will not."
"Go!"
"I will not."
"We don't have time for this," Nagisa snipped causing Neji to sigh.
"Come." Nagisa let Shion back on her back and the group started off again.
"Go home!" Shion ordered one last time to no avail. Instead, Taruho began to run after them. Even when the trees gave way to mountains Taruho was behind them. When the flat land became uphill climbs, he continued to follow.
"He would have made a good shinobi," Nagisa commented, glancing over her shoulder to watch Taruho continue to keep pace. Granted he was much further away but he was still within sight of them.
"You got that right," Tenten agreed while coming to run beside Nagisa. "I don't think I've ever seen a civilian keep up with us before."
"He has perseverance and a strong heart!" Lee happily chimed in. "Doesn't he Naruto?"
"Yeah." All eyes went to Naruto as the boy continued to run in silence.
"Are…are you sure you're okay Naruto? You haven't been acting like yourself...since the prediction."
"He's accepted his fate," Shion huffed from Nagisa's back.
"Shut up."
"You can't tell me to shut up!"
"I just did."
"I am—"
"Dead without us," Nagisa cut in like a blade causing Shion to mutter but silence herself.
Night came for the group soon enough. The rocky formation was now covered in vegetation allowing a good hide out for the team. Shion was deposited from Nagisa's back and quickly taken over by Taruho. Neji began to scour the land with his bakyugan.
"No sign of the enemy," he said. "We'll make camp here."
"Why?" Nagisa interjected.
"If it were only us we could continue going for several more days but…" Lee said.
"They need their rest," Tenten agreed, motioning to the two civilians with her head. Nagisa glanced over to see Taruho soaking Shion's feet in a nearby puddle. "They've reached their limit."
"I told you I'm fine!"
"Shion-sama, the sealing jutsu is very taxing. Please you need to make sure you get plenty of rest tonight." Shion huffed fiercely and crossed her arms under her chest.
"I'm hungry. Make me some food."
As per the priestess request food was made. But without a fire they were stuck with instant miso soup and onigiri. The second her bowl was put in front of her Shion tossed it to the ground, spilling its contents.
"The soup is cold! And I can't eat these!"
"I actually like both of them," Tenten muttered.
"Same."
"My apologizes, my lady."
"Lightning a bonfire would alert the enemy to our location," Neji explained causing the girl to huff for the millionth time.
"I'm going to bed."
Shion's futon was rolled out and the girl slipped into the bedding. She was out in a matter of minutes.
"Naruto and I will do rounds," Nagisa offered as Team Gai sat around the futon in a protective manner.
"Good."
"Hey Nagisa." Said girl looked to the nervous Tenten who motioned her over. "Maybe you should talk to Naruto? He really hasn't been acting like himself at all." Nagisa's eyes went to the stoic looking Naruto before back to the brunette.
"He is fine."
"Seriously? You think that's fine?"
"Naruto is simply focused on the mission."
"I don't think Naruto's been that focused in his entire life."
Nagisa shrugged before she and Naruto disappeared into the trees above them. Only when they had made many laps around their camp and Nagisa had set up some small traps just in case did they return to the campsite.
Nagisa found Taruho sitting at the edge of the cliff keeping watch.
"You should sleep," she told him. "Your body isn't as strong as ours. You will begin to fall behind."
"That's very kind of you." But Taruho remained where he was. Nagisa almost snorted but sat down beside him.
"You said the visions are a hundred percent accurate," Nagisa said after a moment of silence. She kept her eyes on the horizon watching for any signs of movement.
"That is correct."
"How do they work?"
"Shion-sama can only see vision about her attendants or those close to her."
"How do we stop it?"
"No matter what one does death cannot be cheated in the end." Nagisa's chin set itself in a defiant position but before she could say anything Taruho continued. "But all her visions have centered around those who were honored to die for her and did so without question. If they had defied fate and tried to live I'm fairly positive that Shion-sama would have died herself."
Nagisa's eyes snapped to Taruho who was also looking out at the horizon.
"But lately many of the villagers have begun to fear Shion-sama for her foresight. They go out of their way to avoid her. I cannot say if her visions always come true. Perhaps it all depends on the people who are revealed in them."
"…hn."
"My lady's story is a sad one."
"But not original," Nagisa stated.
"No…perhaps not." Nagisa continued to stare down Taruho. Her natural inclination towards curiosity urged her to ask,
"Why do you follow her?"
"My clan is heavily indebted to Shion-sama's mother. If I can repay that kindness by safe guarding her daughter then I will gladly give up my own. Nothing can change one's destiny so long as one's heart remains true."
"False."
"Hmm?"
Nagisa refused to elaborate and instead turned her eyes back to the horizon.
The sun was beginning to rise when Neji's voice thundered,
"Nagisa!" Said girl turned her head slightly to watch Team Gai and Shion come barreling out of the forest with Naruto on their heels. "How dare you?"
"Neji what's going on?" Tenten demanded.
"Ask her!" Neji shouted while pointing a finger at Nagisa. Said girl remained blank keeping her eyes hooded and her face expressionless.
"Nagisa?"
"You've endangered everyone! Just because you can't give up a semblance of control and make decisions all on your own you've threatened this very mission!"
"I did what must be done."
"No! You selfishly acted out on your own agenda!"
"Neji! What is going on? What did Nagisa do?" Tenten barked, getting fed up with not knowing. Neji let out a snarl before turning on Naruto and slamming his chakra coated fingers into Naruto's throat. There was shouting from the others but instead of falling to his knees and gagging from lack of air, Naruto's body burst away into water.
"A water clone?" Lee shouted.
"Then where's the real Naruto?"
"Yes, where is Naruto, Nagisa?"
"At the shrine."
"What?"
"How the in world did you convince him to—you didn't convince him. There's no possible way you convinced Naruto to stay put while the rest of us went on this mission. What did you do Nagisa?"
Nagisa followed after Naruto as the boy ran to the kitchen. He was scrambling in the cabinets when she came up behind him. He was pulling out a stir fry pan with a victorious expression and turning to face her. He never had a chance in moving from her quick hand as she placed the sleeper tag on his forehead.
Naruto hit the ground with a thump and began to snore lightly.
Making sure no one else was in the room a second time Nagisa stuffed Naruto into the cabinet.
"That's…not okay Nagisa."
"I did what I must to protect Naruto."
"Naruto was a major part of our plans. What would you have done if the enemy found us before I realized Naruto was a clone?"
"Handled it."
Neji looked ready to pop a blood vessel, his face angry and red. It took a moment but eventually the boy simple barred his teeth and snapped,
"Do not think I won't be telling Tsunade-sama what transpired here."
Nagisa shrugged a shoulder. Neji looked like he wanted to say something more but settled for glaring daggers at Nagisa's head before storming off. Tenten glanced between Nagisa and Neji's retreating back.
"I'm with Neji on this one Nagisa. You could have seriously screwed up this mission," she said before taking off after the other brunette. Nagisa snorted at her words.
"Why did you do it Nagisa?" Lee questioned, his eyes imploring as he beamed her with a kicked puppy expression. It was the wrong person to use it on since Nagisa felt no twinge of guilt or regret.
"Naruto will not die," Nagisa stated simply as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"My visions are never wrong," Shion interrupted. Nagisa felt something dark rise in her heart as she glanced at the priestess. That something most have shown on her face because Shion took a hurried step back as her face paled.
"Naruto will not die," Nagisa stated for what felt like the hundred time. "I refuse to allow that to happen."
"You don't trust Naruto to take care of himself." Nagisa's head turned back to Lee. The boy was looking contemplative now with hints of pity. It was those hints that had Nagisa's round brows narrowing. "You don't trust him."
"I trust Naruto more than anyone else."
"No. You don't." And Lee left. Nagisa watched him leave. A strained silence fell over the remaining three before Shion interrupted it.
"Taruho."
"Yes?"
"I don't need you. Go back home."
"You'll have to forgive me my lady but I can't leave your side."
"You'll be nothing but a burden Taruho!" Taruho paused for a moment before something like a smile crossed his face.
"You've had a vision haven't you, Shion-sama?" Shion's face grimaced. "It's alright. You can tell me." Shion's downcast eyes remained firmly on the ground.
"When my pulse races and I hear the tone of the bell visions of the future are revealed to me. I heard it chime again last night and your future became clear. If you don't turn back now Taruho, you're going to die. I order you to remain back Taruho. Let's go Nagisa."
Nagisa spared a glance at the aid before following after Shion as she hurried back into the forest.
Taruho's face was clear.
They found a massive river cutting through the mountains. Using chakra, Team Gai and Nagisa leapt through the ravine with ease. Or, at least Team Gai did it with ease. Nagisa had a screaming girl on her back who she was ready to drop into the water below.
"Would you stop! I'm going to fall!" Shion screeched right in Nagisa's ear making the bluette grind her sharp teeth together. "Put me down! Put me down!"
Team Gai stopped on a rock pillar large enough to fit them all. The second Nagisa's feet were firmly planted Shion was clawing her way off. Nagisa turned around with a snarl as Shion back away hurriedly while screaming,
"I've had enough! Are you crazy? This path is too dangerous! Are you trying to protect me or kill me? There has to be another way!"
Lee turned to their captain who was staring back the way they had come.
"Shall we change our route?"
"No, these springs are the only real source of fresh water in the region. And our enemy's attacks are fire-style."
"I see. So, when they come at us with fire jutsu we'll be able to use the water here to counter.
"Shion-sama, once we make it through here the sealing shrine is only a short way away. Please endure just a little longer." Shion actually stomped her foot and stuck her nose high into the air. "Unfortunately, our enemies get to strike first. So, stay alert. And no individual initiatives. Got it Nagisa?"
"Hn." Nagisa eyed Shion as the girl turned to face her. "If you scream in my ear again…I will drop you."
"What? You can't say stuff like that to me! I'm the one you're guarding."
"Hn."
"Are you just—"
Nagisa's head whipped around in the direction they were headed. Ears straining her eyes bore into the ravine. Before Shion could finish her sentence Nagisa's hand was pressed firmly over her mouth.
"Neji."
"I hear it too."
"What is it?"
"Suiryūdan," Nagisa identified just as the dragon turned the corner headed their way quickly. "A large one." Shion ripped Nagisa's hand off her face and screeched,
"They're coming after us with water not fire! You were dead wrong!"
"Tenten, take Shion," Nagisa ordered while stepping forward.
"Nagisa—"
"I can stop it. With all this natural water making a dragon that big isn't impossible."
"Don't waste your chakra!"
"If that hits us it will kill us. Get her out of here. Let the water user fight water. Get to high ground, now." Nagisa's hands began the long process of seals needed for her own Suiryūdan. Tenten quickly had Shion on her back. As her hands finished with the tori seal the water around her exploded upward. The water twist and turned before forming the dragon behind her. Nagisa thrusted her arm out and met the other water dragon.
The explosion rocked the ravine. The side of the ravine caved in as a rockslide formed. Nagisa burst after the others and found them further down and up near the forest.
"There—two of them on that ridge," Neji said with his bakyugan activated. "Wait—he was using fire style chakra before!"
"Double style?" Tenten questioned as she and the others circled Shion protectively.
"It's possible but I didn't sense any water chakra coming from his chakra points at all."
"Let's go before they use another jutsu—"
"Wouldn't it be better to fight them now? There's only two of them!"
"Who knows where the other two are! They can be waiting for us to confront them."
"I'm with Tenten! We can go on the offensive—"
"No! Our job is to guard Shion-sama." Nagisa sighed heavily and grabbed Shion's arm.
"Take care of them," she told the others at the same time as throwing Shion over the side of the ravine. Her scream was high pitched and terrified. "So loud." Nagisa leapt over the side and tilted so she was able to catch up.
"You've killed us!" Shion screamed. Nagisa sighed and wrapped her arms around Shion and broke through the water first.
Tenten unfurled her scroll and unleashed the onslaught of weaponry at the orange haired kunoichi. The woman only weaved in and out of the projectiles, sliding across the earth's surface like she was ice skating.
"My weapons can't hit her," Tenten snarled.
Lee watched with wide eyes as the boy transformed for the second time. No longer looking remotely human with four faces and arms like a spider.
"This is going to be difficult."
Neji cursed as the blitz attack of five shuriken came whirling towards him.
"Wind chakra…" he hissed while performing an eight trigram palm rotation.
Shion coughed up a large amount of water. Nagisa huffed at her. Wide eyes stared up at the bubble encasing them as three of Nagisa's water doppelgangers floated outside.
"You'll be safe in here," Nagisa told her before going near one of the sides.
"Wait! You can't just leave me here!"
"Yes I can." And Nagisa escaped the bubble.
Tenten noted the puddle.
It hadn't been formed by the kunoichi.
Tenten tossed a bomb sending the kunoichi gliding towards the puddle. She saw the kunoichi smirk before sending another one of her cutting waves towards Tenten. Said girl dodged the attack and unleashed a wave of kunai, getting the kunoichi closer and closer.
The kunoichi passed over the water, switching feet as she prepared to launch another attack. Tenten smirked as Nagisa appeared from the water with her tantō bared. The weapon light up with lightning chakra as it pierced home in between the third and fourth rib at an angle.
Tenten landed behind the kunoichi as she spat up blood. Face to face with Nagisa the kunoichi snarled even while blood began to gush as Nagisa removed the blade.
"How—"
Nagisa flicked her blade sending blood scattering.
"I thought you were with Shion," Tenten accused as the kunoichi fell to the ground, beginning to choke.
"She's safe."
Shion stared up at the purplette.
"Who'd have thought they'd leave you alone unguarded. Lucky, lucky me."
Lee watched his enemy exploded.
"Boosh!" he laughed while throwing out his arms. The action made him loose his balance and Lee hit the ground laughing.
"You're comrades pretty useless!" the shinobi taunted causing Neji to narrow his eyes. "You failed Konoha! The priestess is dead! Our job was to distract you!"
Neji cursed and forced his bakyugan to the limit as his enemy disappeared in a whirl of wind.
Tenten and Nagisa found a giggling Lee.
"He actually ate it," Tenten choked as Lee babbled away about something going 'boosh'. Nagisa cocked an eyebrow up but said nothing. Tenten corralled Lee on to her back and followed Nagisa as she reached her chakra out to find Neji. He wasn't that much further than they were and the group of three started towards him.
They found Neji in a clearing. The boy was looking down at his feet where none other than Shion was laid out. Confused, Nagisa's brows furrowed between her eyes and her lips pulled downward.
"What—how did—" Tenten started, sounding distraught and causing Neji to look to them. The second his eyes landed on Nagisa the Hyuga lost his somber expression for one of intense rage.
"You did this," he growled. He spun on his heel and stormed towards her. Had she been anyone else Neji probably would have grabbed her shirt but her tense form had him keeping his hands close. He might need them after all. "Why couldn't you just follow orders?" Neji demanded, voice growing in volume. "Now because of you the world is going to be destroyed!"
Nagisa's eyes flashed to Shion's body.
"I thought you had put her somewhere safe…when you showed up," Tenten whispered. Even the giggling Lee was somber upon her back, his glazed eyes taking in everything with a slowness that didn't normally occupy Lee's mind.
"I did."
"Obviously you didn't or we wouldn't have a body on our hands!" Neji snapped. Nagisa's eyes returned to the Hyūga as he all but vibrated with anger in front of her. She could practically taste his rage on the air like hot iron on the tongue. "Now our mission is a failure and we have no way to seal Moryo! All because you couldn't follow orders!"
"Neji—"
"And now everyone we know is going to die because of you!"
"Neji—"
"Do you even have anything to say for yourself?"
"Neji!"
"What Tenten?"
Neji turned to look at his teammate and found her pointing at the forest edge. Standing in the shadows of the trees were three water doppelgangers and a dripping Shion.
"I did," Nagisa said a second time.
"I don't—"
"Kage Kagami Shinten no Hō," Shion said causing Neji to fall silent. "A technique passed down in the Oni no Kuni...a transformation technique…with no way to revert back to one's original form."
"Who is it?"
"Taruho. The fool. I told him to go home."
"But he didn't…he let them kill him in hopes of giving us more time."
"We should bury him," Lee slurred as he clamored off Tenten's back.
"Just leave him. There's no time to mourn," Shion snapped, her voice breaking near the end. Neji stole a glance at Nagisa but she was busy staring at Shion.
"…we have time to bury him," he intervened. Shion glowered with reddening eyes.
"You are sad." Shion about gave herself whiplash she turned so fast on Nagisa.
"Shut up! Taruho was an idiot! He didn't have to die! If he had just listened to me and left he would still be alive! But no, he decided to be an idiot instead."
Nagisa cocked her head to the side. Something similar to irritation bubbled in her stomach.
"He died for you."
"Because he was a fool."
"Naruto is prophesied to die for you."
"And you were smart to stop him!"
"…you want to die."
Shion jerked as if she'd been slapped. Eyes wide and filling with tears she screamed,
"Shut up you sharp toothed freak! Of course I don't—just shut up!" Shion spun around and ran off. But Nagisa was hot on her heels. Like a shark on the scent of blood she followed the weakened Shion. Eyes boring into her she followed the now crying girl. "Leave me alone! Just leave me alone!"
Shion didn't make it much further before she fell against one of the massive trees of the forest. There she proceeded to sob her eyes out. Nagisa haunted her shadow.
"Why do you wish for death?"
"I don't wish for death!"
"You curse those who die for you. Who take your place. You tell them to leave. That would mean you die."
"Foresight is the power that ensures the life of the priestess. When she perceives her own death, the soul leaves the body and shows her past self the image of her demise. As well as the people who are near in that final moment. The priestess then reveals these moments to her attendants, who believe they must take her place to prevent her death. That is how our foresight works. Sacrificing others so that I may live."
Nagisa felt her gut twist into a hard knot.
Shion curled up into a ball in the roots of the tree. Nagisa found it hard to shake off the feeling of familiarity of that position.
"Naruto would die for you," Nagisa stated the obvious. "It is why you saw his death. Because he gave his life for you."
Ice water was running through Nagisa's veins.
"So many times, I've thought to myself I should just leave this world and be done with it. But I can't. If I die there would be no one left to seal Moryo away. And the world will be lost. No matter how much pain or sadness I swallow more will die so I may live. It's my people's fate…and mine…"
Nagisa's eyes rise to the forest top. To the dancing leaves and sunbeams. Despite the redness of the bark and the fact there wasn't nearly as much heat, Nagisa's surroundings reminded her plenty of Konoha. Of home. Of Shikamaru and Yoshino and Shikaku and Sakura and Natsuko and Naruto…
"Fate. You speak of it so often."
"Fate is all I have."
"Fate…is nothing more than what you make it." Shion lifted her head up from her arms and turned tear filled eyes to Nagisa. Said girl remained staring up at the tree tops. "If you give up to fate than you have no one else to blame but yourself."
"Nagisa."
Said girl looked away from the dark forest and to Neji. The young man stood off to the side his eyes downcast. Nagisa watched as Neji walked up beside her and stood. The two remained in silence for a short while before Neji let out a sigh.
"I'm sorry." Nagisa cocked an eyebrow at Neji but the boy was refusing to look up from the ground. "I shouldn't have accused you like I did. It was rude and unprofessional."
"Hn. You saw what you saw. Even I couldn't tell the different between Taruho's body and Shion."
"That's still no excuse so…I apologize." Nagisa nodded her head and Neji appeared to loosen his posture just a little. "We're still in danger though. With two of our enemy still at large we can't trust that they'll continue to be oblivious to Shion-sama's continued existence. Nagisa, I'm asking you to continue on with Shion-sama while the rest of us remain here to deal with the enemy."
"Yes."
"Be safe."
The rocky outcrop stretched out before them with another ravine cutting through the mountain pass.
"Is that it?" Shion questioned softly, both girls looking to a tunnel entrance.
"Yes."
"How do you know?"
"It was on the map."
"…oh." Nagisa leapt down from their advantage point and began the precarious task of hoping between the boulders while holding on to Shion. No sooner had they jumped down that the boulders began to shift and stand revealing they were the rock puppets that the others of Konoha had been fighting. What they were doing here had Nagisa's stomach twisting with adrenaline.
"The terracotta soldiers!" Shion yipped in her ear with obvious fear. The girl's arms tightened around Nagisa's neck. "They're supposed to be far away from here I thought! This means that Moryo is already somewhere nearby!"
"Hold on tight."
Nagisa jumped into the sky as they were surrounded by the rock soldiers. One just missed her legs with a spear formed from rock.
"What do we do?" Shion shouted. Nagisa's eyes flew over the terrain taking in the obscene number of puppets now surrounding the area. There was no place she could land that wouldn't put her surrounded by them a second time.
"Move through them. I said hold tight." Shion's gripped tightened. But it was still wrong. The second Nagisa landed and leapt into the air a second time the girl's grip failed her and she flew from Nagisa's back from the force of the jump. Nagisa turned midair but already Shion was out of her reach and falling into the ravine. "Tuck your head!" Nagisa thundered down at her, spotting the water and praying the girl hit it or she made it to her first.
Naruto appearing out of nowhere and body slamming into the girl was a huge surprise. Together he and Shion hit the water. Nagisa soared down the ravine, making it to the shore as they broke the surface a second time.
"Wha—" Naruto's eyes landed on Nagisa and his face flushed before he jammed a finger in her direction.
"Nagisa! You used a seal on me!" he shouted as pulled the two of them out of the river.
"How did you break it?" Nagisa demanded, eyes narrowed dangerously.
"Someone peeled it off me at the shrine! Why'd you do that Nagisa? I was supposed to go with you guys!"
"Hn." Nagisa turned away from Naruto, ignoring her bubbling agitation, and stormed towards Shion making sure the girl wasn't injured in anyway. Wet and cold but not injured.
"Oi! Nagisa, you don't get to just ignore me!"
'Watch me,' she muttered internally, still looking the obviously fine girl over.
"You idiot!" the blond hissed causing Naruto to stop his onslaught on Nagisa.
"Huh?"
"Why did you come? After everything Nagisa did to save you and you still dared show up!"
"Oi! I just did a back flop for you! That shit hurts ya know!" Shion ducked her head and barred her teeth. Nagisa's eyes zeroed in on the tears starting to form in the other girl's eyes.
"You shouldn't have saved me." Naruto's body tensed as he stared down at Shion. "If you'd just let me go you wouldn't have to die. Well at least until Moryo gets around to destroying the world." Naruto removed his lose hitai-ate and ran his fingers through his hair before shaking his head like a dog.
Shion's eyes went wide and her pupils blew open. It was the blush across her cheeks that had Nagisa's eyes narrowing. A small sniff at the air and the changing chemicals as Shion's body reacted to a visual. Even Nagisa picked up on the dramatic flush despite not being Kakashi.
"Maybe," Naruto snorted. Shion ducked her head to the side but Nagisa had already seen what she needed to see. "But I tell you what—I'm not dying. Count on it!"
"It's useless."
"It's not useless."
Nagisa got up from her kneeling position and backed up lightly. She wasn't sure what to do now. On one hand, she wanted to get Naruto as far away from this lake as humanly possible. Her mission had failed and now the boy was right back where she had tried so desperately to remove him. And then Shion…
"That just means I'll be the one to go."
"Huh? I won't let you die either!"
"You're an idiot! This is how my visions work! Either I die or you die! It's just a question of who!"
"Don't give me that! The future isn't written yet. We can still change it!"
"For the hundredth time you can't—"
Nagisa stepped forward in a jerking motion as Naruto got dangerously close to Shion. With his smile of sunshine and promises Naruto said,
"I'll protect you." Shion backed away and clung to the tree she had been leaning up against desperately.
"How though? It's impossible!"
"Trust me."
"I don't even know you!"
"You know Nagisa. And Neji, and Tenten and Bushy-Brows. If you know them you know me because I'm a Konoha shinobi. And we promised to protect you and protect you we will."
Shion glanced at Naruto to find him giving her a thumbs up.
"I have a plan."
"No."
Both heads turned to Nagisa as the girl glared at Naruto.
"No plans. You are going back to the others and letting me take care of things here."
"Heck no! You already put me on the side lines Nagisa! You don't get to do that again."
"I outrank you."
"Gah! That doesn't mean anything out here! I got this Nagisa."
"No."
"Nagisa—"
"You are not permitted to die." Naruto gave her a soft smile but Nagisa only narrowed her eyes against it.
"I won't die."
"Her visions work as a warning. If you continue you will die because you will sacrifice yourself for her."
"Huh?"
"That is how her visions work. You will sacrifice yourself for her and you will die. That is who you are. I refuse to let you do this."
"I won't die Nagisa."
"Yes, you will."
"No, I won't. I promise." The look on Nagisa's face said how much she believed that prompting Naruto to walk forward and take her hands in his wet ones. Giving her the same smile he had given Shion Naruto blasted her with sunshine.
Nagisa almost jerked back when she felt her own cheeks heat up.
"Trust me." And while Nagisa was desperately trying to figure out why she had had the same reaction as Shion Naruto threw the priestess on his back. "Alright! Let's do this!"
And he ran off.
Nagisa watched him scale the ravine with quick jumps.
'What…why…'
But Nagisa knew why. It was the same reason why Shion had reacted. She was…receptive to Naruto. And that made sense. He was strong and had proven himself to her time and time again. And she trusted him explicitly.
'You don't trust him,' Lee's voice cut through her thoughts.
The sound of the rock puppets moving had Nagisa freezing before bursting across the lake and scaling the ravine herself.
'I trust him.' She thought to herself as she flew over the tip of the ravine and landed in the middle of the puppets. 'I trust him to die for others.'
Nagisa's hands smashed against one another deftly. Storm clouds, thick and dark, appeared above her head as she watched Naruto and Shion appear at the tunnel entrance. A sea of Narutos were stopping the puppets from attacking Shion.
Her gut twisted fiercely as a doppelganger was cut through the chest.
"Go!" a Naruto shouted prompting Shion to run into the tunnel.
'He promised.'
There was a deafening clap of thunder above as lightning flashed.
'I trust him. I trust him. I trust him.'
"Ranton: Hogeki!"
From the storm clouds an onslaught of lightning bolts shot downwards and struck the puppets. Each one a bolt struck exploded outward in a powerful blast. Nagisa's hands moved again and again bringing down more and more powerful blasts as she removed her eyes from Naruto. She focused on the mission in front of her all while pumping as much chakra as she dared into the bond between them. Something she had been ignoring since she had sealed Naruto away.
'You promised. You promised,' she told him through the bond as her hands formed more seals and a dragon appeared from the clouds taking out even more puppets than the lightning had.
'You promised. You promised. You promised.' The dragon knocked over half of the puppets off into the ravine and shattered more.
"Hold on Nagisa! For Konoha's Mighty Beast has arrived!"
Nagisa's eyes snapped to the side and watched Gai cut through a line of puppets. She felt Naruto's energy spike as he shouted,
"I'm going after her!"
'You promised!'
Nagisa gritted her teeth against the spike of terror in her gut and focused on taking out more puppets despite having to give up her dragon. There was too great a chance of hitting others with it and others were appearing.
It was impossible for Nagisa to miss the burst of something powerful from within the mountain behind her. That something powerful fluctuated before disappearing.
Shikamaru appeared next to her.
"Nagisa!" he shouted as she blindly lashed out with a water ninjutsu.
'Promised. Promised. Promised!' her mind chanted like a mantra. She ignored the flashes of Zabuza and Haku and focused on slaughter the puppets.
"Nagisa calm down! You almost hit Temari!" Shikamaru shouted as Kakashi rushed to their side. He was unable to get there as the ground began to shake with great tremors.
"We have to get out of here!" Gai called out to the group. It was only Shikamaru's arm literally pulling her away had Nagisa leaving the area. Her eyes remained on the entrance waiting for Naruto to appear.
The group, with Team Gai having now joined, made it far away from the now active volcano as it exploded into the rising sun.
Nagisa stood at the edge of the cliff they stood on stretching out with her bond. Naruto was still alive she could feel it.
"That knuckle head," Shikamaru huffed.
"That's what you get for leaving it to him," Temari scoffed.
"It's okay Nagisa. Look," Shikamaru said with a hand on her shoulder and pointing through the heavy smoke coming up from the valley as lava met water. Nagisa's entire body relaxed against her brother's as she spotted Naruto's obnoxious orange outfit. Never had she been so happy that he bore wore such a bright color.
Nagisa blasted off towards Naruto as he sat Shion down.
"Well, I guess this means your priestess days are over, huh?" Naruto laughed as Nagisa paused a little distance away. She suddenly felt like an intruder on the two as Shion and Naruto turned to watch the volcano.
"No. there will always be a need for one. I realized something in there. It's the evil that lives in men's heart that gives rise to Moryo. So, who's to say that he won't return to this world again and again? And I realized I must be especially careful of a certain genin."
"Huh?"
"But you don't have to worry. I won't curse my fate anymore. I'm a priestess. And that's my mission. Isn't that right Naruto?" Nagisa felt the others join her at her back but missed both Kakashi and Shikamaru giving her a strange look. Shion smiled at the blond-haired shinobi before turning back to the volcano. "Then again there is the matter of my powers. It has to be passed on to the next priestess too. How about it Naruto? Want to help me with that?"
And just like that the spell was broken. No longer did Nagisa feel like an intruder and it was only Gai literally picking her up in a body bind that stopped Shion from getting a blade to the kidney.
"You bet! You know me, I'm always up for anything!"
"No."
Naruto turned around at the growl, looking surprised but ending up smiling at Nagisa. He gave her a bright thumbs up.
"Told you I'd be fine Nagisa!" Nagisa broke out of Kakashi's hold and put herself between Shion and Naruto. With a glare that could kill Nagisa placed a firm hand against Naruto's chest and barred her teeth. Shion was quick to scurry towards the other shinobi.
Naruto laughed and took Nagisa's hand in his own causing a strange noise to escape Shikamaru. With Naruto's hand wrapped around hers Nagisa relaxed.
'I trust him,' Nagisa repeated to herself while bashing their foreheads together. 'I trust him.'