Naruto: Shinobi Wars
Chapter 32:
-The Last Crusade-
By Geor-sama

A mile from Otogakure no Sato...

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One week.

Sighing, the white haired ninja shook his head knowing without needing confirmation that Team Ebisu was dead. They were not the strongest team, he shouldn't have even let them tag along despite how they insisted, this close to Oto they were nothing but a liability. Still, Ebisu had been adamant in the fact that he wanted the chance to help his hero Jiraiya.

Besides, the legendary ninja had no right to interfere with their previous mission to scout the enemy village. So if by some remote chance, they survived it and their information would help him Jiraiya could say nothing. But since they were overdue on the scheduled rendezvous, it seemed he would be going in blind for the most part.

Crouching, his hands flashed through a series of seals and then touched the ground, a summoning circled formed and a puff of smoke radiated outward from his hand.

"Eh, Jiriaya-chan?"

"Heya pops," Jiriaya said, smiling at the revered old toad wrapped in the cloak. Fukasaku glanced around, then noticing that he had arrived without his wife or in battle, looked shrewdly up at Jiriaya.

"What's going on?"

"Just," Jiriaya hesitated then sighed, "I'm just making final arrangements. I've already handled most of my affairs, so this will be the last bit."

"Why'd you wait till now?" Fukasaku asked, sounding annoyed "I mean, some dangerous battle is just looming around the corner and you're only now doing this sort of thing?"

"I've had a lot to deal with ya know!" Jiriaya snapped irritably then sighed, holding up a scroll "Look pop, here's a copy of my will. As for the toad scroll, it falls to Naruto."

"It would have anyway," Fukasaku said, taking the scroll, shaking his head "He's the only other toad summoner you know. If the master dies then it passes to the apprentice."

"Just wanted to make sure."

The old toad nodded and reared back on his legs, casting the cloak back. "So let's do this."

"Pa," Jiriaya said with a hint of exasperation, which the old toad picked up on. Fukasaku promptly resumed to his natural position, staring at Jiraiya with an intensity that was surprising. Seeing the understanding flashing in the old toads eyes, Jiraiya smiled "It was great ya know, travelling around writing that book and spending time with you and ma, but it's time for me to move on. I just have one last task before then, a piece of old business."

"That bad, eh?" Fukasaku said before breathing out heavily "Well, I guess I'll leave you to it then."

"Thanks." Jiraiya said gratefully as the toad disappeared into a puff of smoke. With that done, all he had left was his disagreement with Orochimaru that he should have finished decades ago. Standing slowly, knees aching, Jiraiya took a deep breath and started walking through the forest toward the entrance to Otogakure no Sato.

It wasn't a long trip, at least to his point of view, actually in his private opinion he arrived much too quickly. But there was nothing he could do now that he was starting at the entrance of the underground compound, which unsurprisingly resembled a temple with its garbled roof and grayish walls. Typical Orochimaru to try and make something of his seem grander than it really was.

Walking across the clearing toward the entrance, he paused as a figure emerged from the dark doorway. A young man, dressed in non-descript clothes, with grey hair and glasses: Yakushi Kabuto, informally called the Butcher by certain members of Otogakure, the right hand man of Orochimaru. Kabuto had a mysterious smirk as he reached the top most stairs leading down to the entrance and stood expectantly.

"Ho ho, he sent an escort eh." Jiriaya asked, approaching slowly, sad at the loss of Ebisu and his team.

"Of course Jiriaya-sama," Kabuto said pleasantly "how could he not send someone to greet his old teammate? Also I'm to offer my services as a physician if you need them."

"Right."

"I'm not here to fight, you don't sense any hostility from me do you?" Kabuto asked his tone polite and somewhat happy.

"Hostility?" Jiriaya echoed, snorting "No, but that doesn't mean I trust you. Besides, as the Legendary Toad Sage I'm always perfectly healthy!"

"Are you sure?" Kabuto asked, the boisterous and confident tone catching him by surprise.

"I am." Jiriaya said, grinning smugly. He had expected the man to notice the signs of his Fatal Chakra Poisoning, any one with decent medical training would, and now Kabuto was uncertain about this. "So lead the way, I've got something's to talk about with your master."

"Very well." Kabuto said before turning to lead the way underground.

Jiriaya paused long enough to take what he knew to be his last look at the sky and sun before descending into the snake lair.

Orochimaru had often wondered when and who Konoha would send to try and assassinate him, he was a feared missing ninja and they did not have long lives after all. The fact that it had taken them this long to send one of the other Sannin after him, well that amused him. Admittedly Orochimaru, unlike other missing-ninja, had never sold information on Konoha security but that had been less about loyalty and more self interest: provided he was the only one that knew the secrets then only he could exploit them.

The sound of footsteps against stone stairs pulled him out of his musing seconds before Kabuto emerged from the passageway followed by Jiraiya. Even from this distance, amid the flickering torches and shadows of the pillars Orochimaru could see the signs of Fatal Chakra Poisoning that ravaged Jiraiya. In an odd way he was sad to see the state of the other Sannin, Orochimaru had always found Jiriaya's constant energy and thirst for life admirable, so seeing him like this was a little disconcerting.

Still, the white haired man had some miles left in him.

"Orochimaru-sama, our guest has arrived."

"Ah, Jiraiya!" Orochimaru said happily before glancing at his personal medic, "I believe this is a personal matter."

"Of course." Kabuto said, inclining his head slightly before turning to Jiraiya, "Jiraiya-sama, it was an honor to meet you."

Orochimaru watched the younger man as he disappeared down a side passage, which then shut with a heavy stone block. Turning his attention back to his former team mate, he smirked. "Kukuku, welcome to my home."

"Dark, dank, utterly lacking in soul." Jiraiya commented, glancing around "Fits you perfectly Orochimaru."

"You've still got your humor," Orochimaru said, grinning faintly, "So tell me, what brings my esteemed former team mate to see me?

"I'm here to kill you."

"I see." Orochimaru said, not showing his surprise at such a curt answer. Jiraiya had always been the most emotional of the team, so this was something new, and there was a resolve that Orochimaru couldn't remember ever seeing in the other man's eyes. "Playing the Noble hero? Hm, being the Gallant Jiraiya?"

"There is nothing noble in this, nothing gallant." Jiraiya said, shaking his head, "I'm here to kill you. It's as simple as that."

"That's a change. Last time we met, you were intent on trying to save me." Orochimaru said, subtly molding chakra and feeding it into the ground. As Jiraiya shrugged Orochimaru released the Doton: Gyoraishin, and sent nails made of earth hurtling toward his old team mate. Jiraiya countered by clasping hands and initiating his Hari Jizō, causing his hair to expand and wrap around his body creating a shell of white hair that deflected the various earth nails.

Orochimaru had known that reaction and seized the offensive, forming the hand seals for the Doton: Iwa Yado Kuzushi. The whole chamber shuddered and shook as chunks of stone tore free from the ceiling and walls, hurtling through the air toward Jiraiya. His team mate had started moving the instant the chamber started shaking, dodging and occasionally obliterating a chunk of rock with a Rasengan.

Letting the previous technique finish, Orochimaru crouched and opening his mouth released a torrent of serpents that rushed head long toward Jiraiya. The other Sannin countered by leaping high into the air, flipping so that his feet struck the stone and held with chakra. A second later he brought his hands up and began spraying globs of a thick liquid at everything below him.

Orochimaru was forced onto the defensive at this, dodging and weaving his way to avoid the globs of oil. Jiraiya was coating everything with the stuff, much to Orochimaru's chagrin this included the snakes. Coming to a stop behind a pillar, Orochimaru heard the faint 'woosh' that suddenly ignited flames always created.

The blast of heat that washed over him told him that Jiraiya had just used a fire technique to ignite the oil that coated nearly every surface in the chamber. The most likely candidate considering it was Jiraiya would be the Katon Endan, Orochimaru thought, before peeking carefully from his hiding space to studying the sea of flames that now coated the chamber. The real danger wasn't the fire itself, they were meant to delay the fight and give Jiraiya time to consider the situation, but rather that the flames would eventually consume all the available oxygen and asphyxiate them both.

Concentrating his chakra and forming the Tora seal, Orochimaru stepped out from behind the pillar and exhaled sharply unleashing a Fūton: Daitoppa. The gale of wind howled through the chamber as it forcibly fanned the flames before snuffing them out from the sheer force of its wind. Smirking in satisfaction Orochimaru turned his attention toward the ceiling to see how Jiraiya would react to that but found nothing.

Orochimaru recognized the danger too late as he registered movement from behind and turned to find Jiraiya leaping off the wall, a flaming Rasengan in hand. Orochimaru cried out at the impact and was sent hurtling away with searing flames licking at his flesh, trying to consume him. He crashed through another pillar raining chunks of stone down as his arc through the air carried him into a wall and then to the ground while the flames climbed higher over him and seared his flesh.

It took great effort but he managed to exert his chakra, converting his body into a kind of oil that seeped into the ground merging with the stone floor. The flames snuffed out and a second later Orochimaru reemerged, flesh seared and grinned at a disgruntled Jiraiya. Despite his grin however, Orochimaru was raging on the inside about letting the fool get the drop on him and trying to block out the raw pain that was lancing through is body.

Registering Jiraiya lunging forward with another Rasengan, Orochimaru began focusing on his spine. It cracked and rippled, the flesh ripping itself apart and he emerged from his damaged body whole and perfect just as the Rasengan from his former team mate struck his discarded husk. In the confusion of the moment Orochimaru managed to put some space between them, taking up a location far from a satisfied looking Jiraiya.

Fool, Orochimaru sneered mentally as he adopted a smug stance before addressing the other Sannin. "Kukuku, this is proving interesting."

"Slither all you want," Jiraiya countered, but there was a weakness in his tone that Orochimaru couldn't miss, "but I'm going to cut your head off."

"Is that so?" Orochimaru taunted, holding both his hands out and with twin Seneitajashu sent torrents of snakes hurtling toward his enemy.

Nami no Kuni, Region 1, overlooking a small village...

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It was snowing.

Again.

Asuma sighed, blowing a smoke ring as he eyed the darkening sky: why did clandestine meetings have to take place in such remote locations? Security was one thing, but he was getting a little too old to be standing around in this kind of weather. Still, the chance to gain serious intelligence on Unity didn't come along every day.

A sharp bite of wind sent a shiver through him and he took a long drag on his cigarette. Breathing out sharply he mumbled in annoyance, swearing that if this turned out to be a waste of time he would be beyond upset. Not that he seriously considered that a possibility, after all whoever had delivered the message had to be skilled to do so undetected.

The same could be said for him as well, Asuma was more than aware that this could be a trap by Unity: Hence he had taken a few important steps just in case things went south. For one he had left behind a warning note for his protege and favorite student Shikamaru, for another while he didn't want to risk a Kage Bunshin being discovered he had one of Enma's numerous nephews, Shizaru, hidden with a tape recorder.

If this was a trap by Unity they would find his death would serve no purpose.

Huffing, he flicked the guttering cigarette into a nearby snow mound before rubbing at his neck trying to relieve a crick. A moment later he sensed a new presence and something about it seemed familiar, but what exactly he couldn't put a finger on. Registering faint movement in the corner of his eye, he resisted the urge to turn his head, for the moment there was no sense of hostility.

Asuma tracked the mysterious figure by the crunching snow, until they came into his field of view and he felt his eyes widen in surprise. The young woman across from him was dressed in better clothes than the last time he had seen her and she was also more mature than he remembered. He also noted that her innocence seemed to have become a shadow of itself as well. "Tōu?"

"Hello Asuma-han," Tōu said, her tone soft "Its been a while."

"At least five years." Asuma said, old emotions stirring. She had been the only female in the Twelve Guardians, and they had been the closest in age to each other. He could almost see the ghost of the younger girl, but chose to ignore it. "I thought you were still with the Guardians."

"I left them a year after you." Tōu said, shrugging "I returned to Konoha, but you were...occupied. So I entered ANBU."

"Ah." Asuma managed, then shifted at the awkwardness that settled between them. Looking to the side he studied the village in the distance, he found it oddly soothing. He had meet Yūhi Kurenai a few months after returning to the village and he he'd fallen hard, to be honest he had nearly forgotten about Tōu.

"I'm sorry," Tōu said after a moment and he turned back she sighed, "I didn't want our past...look, let's just get to why I'm here."

"Right," Asuma agreed, closing the distance so their voices wouldn't carry quite so well. "Unity."

"Unity." she agreed, turning to look at the sky, "I met the founder once, Danzō was a very ambitious man. I was pulled into his fanaticism, his vision for the future. I was there from almost day one, working to pull the country together: It was a noble goal and it had been a long time since I had one."

"The almost rebellion." Asuma said, remembering that moment in time. When the Twelve Guardians had been split in half, by one man and his insane desire to take over the country. After that, any pleasure and joy Asuma or Tōu could take from the assignment was lost. "So, Danzō pulled you into Unity."

"Yes," Tōu said, sighing as she closed her eyes, "The chance to make a difference, it was a powerful pull. It wasn't just me either, there were four of us in the Inner Circle: Myself, Tenzo, Kazuma, and Seito. Tenzo served as Danzō's lieutenant and the rest of us were given special assignments. Kazuma was in charge of researching the past experiments of Orochimaru, especially the Cursed Seal; Seito was in charge of political manipulation and assassinations."

"And you?" Asuma asked, stepping closer, wanting to offer some kind of support at her hesitation.

"Loyalty programs." Tōu explained, turning to look at him, her eyes pleading. "I modified memories, I recruited, I blackmailed and manipulated. I even began use of a certain seal that ensured the orders from Unity were followed without question or hesitation."

"A seal?"

"A Loyalty Seal, I've got a half-dozen ninja under its influence right now."

"Like who?" Asuma asked, startled and frightened.

"The Head of the Military Police Tenten, Daikoku the Superintendent of the Academy, Yurika from the Decoding Department and Kiyoshi." Tōu said, before adding, "Also Inuzaka Tsume and Kaomoji Chief of the Barrier Team."

Asuma blinked, his mouth falling open in sheer horror: Unity had the enforced loyalty of several important, and key, ninja. Unity had sank its claws deeper into the defenses of Konoha than anyone could have imagined. A second later suspicion reared its head and he focused on Tōu completely, "Why are you telling me all of this?"

"Unity is fractured and the inner circle is going to start fighting for supremacy," Tōu paused, shaking her head, "we've already started the maneuvering and posturing. All we need now is a spark to ignite the fire, and when that happens, no matter who wins Konoha will lose."

"You don't want my help disbanding Unity." Asuma said in sudden understanding, taking a step back.

"Insightful as ever," she admitted with a wane grin, "but not quite right. I do want your help in dealing with Unity, if the Hokage became aware of the others and their actions they could be removed."

"Leaving you to assume control over Unity." Asuma summarized, nodding faintly, it was a brilliant idea. She'd take command without having to fight the others, thus avoiding a civil war, and Konoha could have stability. Shaking his head he let out a heavy breath "You know I can't do that. It's all or nothing."

"I know." Tōu said, her tone soft "that's why I sent the note. I needed to ensure you would be away from your guards."

"Assassination?" Asuma asked, chuckling darkly, "I thought that was Seito's area."

"I was going to try the Loyalty Seal," Tōu admitted with a shrug, "but I don't think it'd work on you. At least not as effectively as I require, but with you removed I'll have access to someone in legitimate authority more easily manipulated."

Asuma started to respond, but found his body frozen in place and a horrible understanding washed over him. Tōu had hit him with the Kanashibari no Jutsu, talk about getting sloppy. Despite the new situation he wanted to laugh, because she had no clue what she was actually setting in motion. Even without the recording Shizaru would be delivering to Shikamaru, manipulating Shikamaru would be nearly impossible.

"So, you see, I have no choice." Tōu finished, stepping forward, rising up to brush her lips against his before stepping back and turning away.

A second later a sharp pain ripped through him, and his eyes widened as the paralysis of her technique broke. Looking down, he found a bloody blade protruding from his chest, as a numbness spread into his arms and legs. The sword was poisoned, an extra measure to ensure death in case the attacker had missed his heart.

Lifting his head to met Tōu's gaze, he coughed, even as a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "This wasn't a choice Tōu, just the easy way."

"Took the words out of my mouth." A new, feminine voice whispered in his ear, before jerking the blade out and shoving him aside.

Hitting the ground in a heap, his blood staining the snow Asuma focused through his rapidly approaching death. The woman that stepped into view wore a red outfit (unbuttoned short sleeved vest, chest bindings, skirt with red sash, elbow length gloves, and shin protector), with her white hair tied back and multiple flower petal tattoos on the left side of her body.

As she sheathed her ANBU sword into the hilt strapped to her left leg, a macabre laugh escaped him.

Kagura, the infamous Hagane Satsushi.

Sunagakure no Sato, Meeting Room...

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The room was dominated by the large table, upon which are numerous reports and maps, as well as a large military map of the continent. The Yondaime Kazekage sat motionlessly, like a cobra waiting to strike, studying each of his generals: Isago had served as one of Baki's assistants when the man had been in charge of combat exercises, Otokaze and had gained notice after the Iwa invasion by taking the lead in coordinating several Suna teams on joint raids. Setetsu was there due mainly to his cunning nature and unquestioned loyalty toward the Kazekage.

None of them dared speak, aware that while they might be on the Village Council the power balance had shifted. After spending generations as little more than a politically impotent figurehead, a Kazekage had claimed absolute authority of the village. Being on the Village Council was now little more than being an adviser to the Kazekage.

"Councilors," The Kazekage finally said, slowly squaring up the stack of reports in front of him. "We have all read the reports, so I'm going to summarize briefly. Our forces are stretched thin but we are holding out, we've resumed our raids using more strategic guidelines and have secured supplies from Cha no Kuni."

There was a chorus of agreements with that.

"Does this bother anyone else?" The Kazekage asked, looking around the table, seeing the curiosity and confusion. "Merely holding out is losing. We can't keep that up, nor do we have the strength to reclaim a single village because Iwa will instantly over run us through sheer numbers. We need new options."

None of them moved, each glancing at each other before looking at him once more.

"Kazekage-sama," Isago said carefully, "may we ask what options you have come up with?"

"As it sits, we have two: unconditional surrender and death, or cowardly retreat." The Kazekage said flatly, glaring at him, "That is why I asked for options from you."

Nobody spoke, a troubled silence settling over them.

"I offer an alternative option, Kazekage-dono." A new voice said from the corner of the room, where a figure stood bathed in the soft shadows of the room.

"Who are you?" The Kazekage asked, trying to figure out how she had gotten into the sealed room while eying the blue haired woman wearing the red and black cloak carefully. He knew from old intellegence reports that she belonged to Akatsuki, but since they had lost contact with Gaara months ago, it was assumed that he had been captured by Akatsuki and that the group wouldn't turn back up in Suna. So what could someone from that group want with him and his village now?

"My name is Konan, and I am a messenger for the God of the coming age." She said without inflection, staring at him, "Are you willing to listen to the message I bring?"

"Very well." The Kazekage said, inclining his head.

"My lord, Pain, is aware of your plight and offers this message: If you agree to an alliance, we will provide you with assistance in your conflict."

"Ambiguous enough," The Kazekage muttered, sitting forward "What is the cost of this 'assistance', and what form will this 'assistance' take?"

"We have no need for money or resources," Konan explained as if she were reciting from a script, "what we are interested in is certain research that you currently possess. The exact details will be explained later, after you've accepted our offer."

"So in exchange for this 'research', what exactly do you intend to give us?" Isago asked derisively. "Pretty words? Perhaps you plan to seduce them into submission?"

"In exchange for what we ask," Konan continued not showing any recognition that the man had spoken "We will grant you access to the weapon that is responsible for the destruction of the Kusa Capital."

"What are you talking about?" The Kazekage asked scowling at her and the claim she had just made. It would be possible for them to be unaware of the Kusa capital being destroyed, but the claim she made seemed outrageous.

"A little over two months ago, we test fired a weapon on the Kusa Capital. While still incomplete, this test provided adequate results and we feel confident enough to offer it in exchange for our requirements to complete it."

"A very fanciful story, but you know we can't simply zip up to Kusa to confirm for ourselves." The Kazekage countered darkly, not hiding his doubt in the least.

"You require proof." Konan said dispassionately "Which city would you like destroyed?"

"Just like that? Just pick a city and you'll destroy it?" The Kazekage asked, snorting, "Fine, the Kaze no Kuni capital Akirunōfu. Iwa and Tsuchi have their main forces situated there, so that's a perfect target."

"Very well." Konan said beginning to disappear into a swirl of paper "I will return three days after its destruction to finalize our agreement."

The woman disappeared completely after that pronouncement, the paper dissolving into nothing. The Kazekage sat there silently for several long moments and then glanced at Otokaze, "Send an ANBU to observe Akirunōfu, if they do destory that city I want to know how and when exactly."

"Yes sir."

Otogakure no Sato...

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Jiraiya was a proud man, a powerful man and he was not ashamed to admit that few could match him in combat.

The evidence littered the ruined chambers: Pillars were broken apart, smashed to dust. The walls were crumbling, battered and cracked, the floor and ceiling baked to the point of cracking under the slightest pressure. So it went without saying that Jiraiya the Legendary Toad Summoner, one of the strongest ninja to ever emerge from Konoha, could have won this battle three times over if not for Orochimaru's forbidden rebirthing ninjutsu.

Yet, could or should did not get the job done, it was hard for Jiraiya to acknowledge it, but Orochimaru had won before they had even started fighting. As Jiraiya caved in half the chamber with a semi-forbidden earth ninjutsu, there came the final turning point in this battle. The Fatal Chakra Poisoning that he had been living with, that Tsunade had been slowing with her treatments finally caught up to him.

Jiraiya collapsed to his knees as blood oozed down his cheeks from his eyes, as it leaked onto his lips and into his parted mouth. Looking up as darkness crept into the edge of his vision, he found Orochimaru standing atop a toppled pillar showing signs of exhaustion. He took cold comfort in the fact that while he had failed to kill Orochimaru he had ensured that the man would be less of a threat to Konoha for a while.

Jiraiya mused that he shouldn't have waited so long to attempt this, if in his last moments he had managed to push the other Sannin to this point then a month ago he could have killed him. Two months ago, it was possible that Jiraiya could have killed Orochimaru and returned to Tsunade to live out his last hours, but now that wasn't an option. Jiraiya was going to die in this cursed hole in the ground, while Orochimaru stood there grinning.

Jiraiya hated that grin, had hated it even before they had become Genin under Old Sarutobi. It was smug, it was cocky, it was an 'I'm better than you' and Jiraiya hated it from the bottom of his soul. A sharp cough splattered the ground with bloody chunks, distracting him from the grin of his former teammate and he collapsed forward onto his hands, arms trembling to support his weight in this position.

Damn it.

"Kukuku, it's over now isn't it?" Orochimaru asked unable to hide his glee even among his raspy tone. "Not bad of course, but I am almost the Perfect Being."

"Y-You're just a scared old man." Jiraiya managed, his head swimming and eyes closing, fighting to not collapse even as his strength left him. He wanted to laugh, to cry, rage: he had never once pictured his life ending this way. If he died in combat, if that was his fate, Jiraiya had always pictured it as a blaze of glory to make amends for all the failures that made up his life.

Not here, on some dirt floor, his body betraying him.

"It's all been a waste of time." Jiraiya wheezed, losing touch with his senses as he finally collapsed into a heap.

"Don't say that. I thought it was great. Especially at the end, when the protagonist refused to give up, that was really cool. Just like you."

Wha, who?

"We want our child to be like that. That's why we've decided to name him after the main character."

You're...are you sure about that? If I name him, that makes me his godfather doesn't it?

"Naruto. It's a beautiful name."

But, but...

"I can think of no Shinobi finer than you. Without a doubt."

But I'm tired, so very tired. Its over for me, I'm sorry but I just can't.

"Ero-sennin! I promise I'm gonna be Hokage! The Greatest Hokage in History!"

Naruto?

"I don't go back on my words, that's my ninja way!"

Gah, you annoying little brat. But you're right, I promised to end this and I can't leave it like this.

Everything was so heavy, like trying to move a mountain. His chest didn't want to expand, the air like sludge but with a supreme exertion of will, Jiraiya took a single shallow breath and cleared his mind of all illusions. The pain was gone now, but in its own way, that was an agony, not that it mattered he had to focus on what he was about to do and nothing would stop him from doing that.

He had hesitated to use senjutsu during the fight against Orochimaru out of an unconscious sense of prideful arrogance that he would live through this fight.

But he still had a chance to make things right, to be able to look Minato, the Sandaime and Kushina proudly in the eye in the next life. Senjutsu required not only an ability to balance ones chakra against that of the worlds, but it also required the loss of pretense. As his chakra harmonized with the worlds, as he fought against the slightest imbalance that would cause his body to eventually morph into a stone statue waiting for his enemy to shatter him, he accepted the world as it was.

He loved Tsunade. He didn't want to die. He was going to die. Today was a good day to die.

Senjutsu went beyond even the Sage of the Sixth Paths. To use senjutsu was to do nothing less than become a living extension of creation itself.

Without opening his eyes he located Orochimaru, his former comrade's dark and twisted chakra flittered across his senses like an ink stain. Jiraiya struggled to move, but his body was no longer flexible, it was hardening into a rigid shell. He was becoming stone and he accepted the truth but moved on, it didn't ultimately matter to his final goal: to stop a being intent on defying the natural order of the universe.

Eyes opening, Jiraiya forced his body into a crouch his fingers touching the ground. Orochimaru paused halfway to the sealed doorway and Jiraiya shifted his weight leaping forward, as his legs stretched out behind him. Hands touching a toppled pillar, he rebounded with an even more powerful jump as Orochimaru blocked the punch flying toward his face. A pointless effort, his crossed arms might have stopped the fist, but the natural chakra flowing through Jiraiya extended beyond the physical and sent the other Sannin flying with the sound of bone cracking.

Orochimaru crashed through one of the few still standing pillars, and then through a wall.

Jiraiya landed and realized this his lungs were no longer expanding, but he took comfort in the wordless music filling his ears. Another lunge sent the Toad Summoner hurtling after Orochimaru, even as his senses reported the twisted chakra of the other man shifting into something even more unnatural. Landing in the ante-chamber that Orochimaru had crashed into, he found his former friend's body expanding and undulating as the human form was shredded revealing a massive white snake.

A blur of motion followed and the tail of Orochimaru smashed into the petrified ribs of Jiraiya, sending him hurtling through another wall back into the larger chamber. Shattering a pillar Jiraiya slammed into the ground, gouging out a chunk of the ground before coming to a stop. A low rumble filled the chamber and the massive snake body of Orochimaru smashed its way into the ruined main chamber, its bestial golden eyes glinting with human anticipation as it shot toward him.

Leveraging his body up to a standing position once more, Jiraiya met the creature with his ninjutsu of last resort: The Chō Ōdama Rasengan.

Orochimaru realized his mistake too late. With access to the power of Senjutsu, the massive sphere of swirling chakra came quick and effortlessly to Jiraiya. The power vaporized Orochimaru instantly and then the impact of the blast tore through the underground village.

All that was left behind following this final confrontation was a massive sinkhole where a once feared hidden village had been.

There, Naruto I kept my word. I'm going to sleep now, so I'll leave it all to you.

AN:

Kagura is an original character created for the American-exclusive Naruto: Clash of Ninja Revolution 2. She gets included because A) I liked her design, B) because I liked her character and C) I needed a character and she was pre-made.

As for her nickname, Hagane Satsushi, it means Steel Assassin (Thanks goes to Daughter of Ember for helping out with the Japanese for this nickname.)

Tōu is from the Fire Temple Filler Arc in Naruto Shippūden. Her debut was Episode 66. Oddly enough the background concept for this arc bears similarity to my Unity plot in both Altered History and Shinobi Wars.

Also of note, in the filler she was on the anti-rebellion side and here she's pro-rebellion.