Tried to work on 'What it Takes to Win', but I'm facing a writer block with two parts of the chapter. Got a day off and managed to work on Echoes instead.
Kakashi's arc is concluded here.
Thanks ABitterPill and Third Fang for betaing my work. Thanks all story followers and reviewers. You're all awesome.
Disclaimer: if you guess what I don't owe, you get a cookie.
Chapter 34:
Blade of Friendship
Itachi was the first to go down.
He made a valiant effort, with fireballs, water techniques, and wind blasts. His ninjutsu was flawless, his movements were quick and efficient. For a split second, Yugito thought he could defeat Kakuzu.
The impression had lasted until the bounty hunter retaliated.
It happened in a flash. The Uchiha was dodging one of the masks' fire blasts, when Kakuzu jumped on him from behind, tackled the teen onto a branch, and attempted to kill him with his bare hands. The prodigy reacted by locking eyes with the bounty hunter, his Sharingan swirling. The missing-nin stopped moving, and Yugito understood he had fallen under the influence of a Genjutsu. Itachi approached to deal a killing blow.
Kakuzu's hands grabbed his neck so fast the movement was a mere blur, and broke it in two seconds flat.
No last words, no flashy jutsu. The missing-nin executed him on the spot. "You really thought I would live for a century without having developed counters to the Sharingan? You Uchiha are all the same, prodigy or not. I play possum, you get near, I strike faster than the Sharingan can predict, and you're dead. That's what you get by fighting the most badass eighty years old grandpa on the continent," the murderer darkly commented as he stood back up and looked at the others.
Yugito would have gladly avenged him, but Hidan, no, his god, kept her busy.
"By the will of Jashin-sama, your life ends now!" Hidan snarled as the dark Kami started firing purple blast upon purple blast towards Yugito and Mei, forcing them onto the defensive. Each attack destroyed a good chunk of the landscape, reducing it to a series of perfectly round craters.
The Nibi's vessel and the Kiri-nin dodged as much as they could, understanding that any successful hit would be fatal. In the middle of jumping, they unleashed fire blasts on the unprotected Hidan, hoping to kill him and get rid of the Kami at the same time.
Jashin however was well aware of their strategy and moved its shadowy arm in front of his priest, shielding him. The fire died upon contact with the creature, as if it never existed in the first place. Not even smoke was left behind from their efforts.
It's the Kami of VOID, Kitten! It's a darkness that consumes, and anything touching it will cease to be.
If Hidan dies, it will vanish, Yugito countered, dodging a punch from the deity with a leap. The earth dissolved into dust upon mere contact with the fingers.
It will never let you reach the priest, the Nibi shot back, as Yugito avoided an arm swing by kissing the grass. Besides, followers of Jashin are notoriously hard to kill. You better break out the prison and run.
Then, it was Tsunade's turn to fall.
She did better than Itachi. She reached Kakuzu and punched him in the face, demolishing his jaw and nose. The man flew backward through the air… and unleashed his threads. They wound around nearby trees, and propelled the bounty hunter back at full force, legs extended. He kicked the Senju in the forehead with the might of a cannonball.
Tsunade soared back to the earth, and unfortunately, Jashin caught her with its hand.
In a second, the princess was nothing. Not even dust.
"Wow... I take back what I said during... well, the entirety of our partnership, Hidan. Your god is awesome," Kakuzu commented, putting his jaw back in its former place with a loud crack. "Still, that was anticlimactic." He gave a thumbs up to Jashin. "Nice catch, evil deity thing…"
"Jashin-sama reduced her to ashes!" The priest commented with a maniacal grin. "She was dust and returned to dust!"
"Yeah…" Kakuzu trailed off. "I didn't know you liked poetic metaphors. Why don't you entertain people for money, moron? At least you would be useful for something."
"You jerk!"
"I love you too."
Yugito rose up, and glared at the laughing murderer. "You like to kill people, right?" She growled, chakra covering her body. "I will show you... what it is to reduce someone to ashes!"
Hidan ceased to laugh, as the woman took the shape of a gigantic, two-tailed cat.
Which was preparing a Bijudama.
Aimed at his face.
The Jinchuuriki fired the ball of pure demonic chakra at her target with a mighty roar, intending to destroy her target and the surrounding area in a single blast… and Jashin stopped it with its finger.
The sphere vanished without a sound.
A flash of purple light illuminated the clearing. A second later, Yugito had returned to normal, the Nibi's chakra having receded back into its seal. What?
I told you it was useless to fight a Kami, Kitten. Run. Away. NOW!
"I guess you weren't as tough as I thought you were," Kakuzu spoke. Jashin's face lit up, preparing to finish her off with a last shot.
A cone of mist hit the god, surrounding it with a thick haze and dissolving grass it touched. "Boil Release," Mei explained bluntly, upon grabbing Yugito's sleeve. "It should stall it for some time. Let's get out of here."
"Watch-"
Kakuzu, his threads attached to a nearby tree, swung toward them, the arm extended and ready for a deadly punch at high speed.
Yugito reacted faster. The Nibi's Chakra fused with her blood and covered her skin. In her Version 2 state, the woman charged and clawed the bounty hunter. With luck, Jashin couldn't negate the woman's abilities without her in sight.
The sharp claws slashed through Kakuzu's stony, enhanced skin, destroying the heart underneath. The corpse crashed a few meters away, but did not stay a corpse for long as a mask instantly rushed over and fused with its master's remains. The missing-nin jumped back onto his feet, two of his thread creatures landing next to him. Without warning, they released a gust of wind and a burst of fire, combined into a fiery blast.
Mei was faster. "Water Release: Water Encampment Pillar!" She opened her lips and created a barricade of liquid, stopping the inferno. A cloud of steam began to fill the clearing. "Lava Release," she whispered, releasing a large amount of lava from her mouth, upwards into an arc, "Melting Apparition Technique!"
The idea was very good: by having the lava descend upon Kakuzu, the bounty hunter couldn't jump away and was forced to run away the old-fashioned way. Yugito seized the opportunity. "Mouse Hairball!" The blonde spat a flaming sphere of hair, which splintered into mouse-shaped missiles.
Due to being unable to jump, neither Kakuzu nor his creatures had enough space to maneuver. The flaming mice hit them all, destroying the masks, and blowing up a nasty hole in the bounty hunter's chest.
The last remaining mask showered its master's body with liquid, extinguishing the flames. The next instant, it fused with him. "I take back what I said, you're a pain in the ass," Yugito heard the bounty hunter whisper, as he returned from the dead yet again. He stood on his legs and frantically made hand signs, as the two women moved to finish him off. "Hidan, what the hell are you doing? Get back here and be a nice meat shield!"
"I see them, Jashin-sama!" The priest roared upon exiting Mei's mist. The god fired a beam of light, annihilating entire chunks of the clearing. The two kunoichi were reduced to dodging and retreating.
Kakuzu saw an opportunity and seized it. He transformed the nearby water resulting from his and Mei's techniques, and shaped it into dragon bullets. They hit Yugito the second she evaded one of Jashin's blasts, exploding against the Chakra cloak. She crashed against the purple wall Hidan had constructed, being forced to retake her usual appearance.
As she rose up, Mei landed next to her. They were cornered, with nowhere to run, as Kakuzu and Hidan stepped forward. "It's almost a shame to murder people so talented… nah, killing is never too good for the enemy," the bounty hunter mocked them. "Hidan? They're yours. Try to have their head intact, so we can get the bounties."
"Jashin-sama, have mercy on their soul!" The madman had used up twenty years of his life in a matter of minutes, aging rapidly. His god prepared to launch a final blast…
An earthquake shook the clearing, and the purple wall fractured. A second later, it shattered.
A barrage of black fire, water bullets, and air blasts hit the astonished missing-nins. Unfortunately, Jashin proceeded to shield them with its body. A squad of ANBU landed next to Yugito and Mei, as the purple prison started to unravel into colored smoke.
"Is everyone alright?" The voice belonged to a black-haired woman clad into a Jounin uniform, with Konoha's headband around her left arm. She was surrounded by a red, gigantic armor of Chakra with the shape of a woman with long hair, divided into nine threads. Yugito recognized the Jounin as Mikoto Uchiha, an A-rank kunoichi, and the ethereal armor as Kushina Uzumaki, a supposedly dead S-rank ninja. "We arrived as fast as we could."
"I'm afraid you are too late for half of us," Mei noted grimly, pointing Itachi's corpse with a nod of her head.
Mikoto's face turned into pure anguish and horror, then into intense wrath. "Uchiha always pay their debts," she muttered ominously.
Kamui
Kenta had done his homework.
If only I could use Amaterasu on it, Kamui thought upon dodging the burning dog's fangs. What did Madara call it… Blaze Eater? How can the seals take my fire and leave this creature-
Kenta's bone-blade drew near of his throat, nearly beheading his former student. The Sharingan was able to predict his movements with perfect clarity, and analyze them. The target's attack was precise, yet sluggish. The madman hadn't got used yet to his new enhancements, and it showed as it enabled his opponent to escape within millimeters of being cut and put some distance between the two.
"Earth Release: Earth Style Wall!" Kamui shouted as he skidded to a halt with his palms on the ground, but the bricks below his feet didn't budge. The fiery hound flanked him, breathing a cone of flames in his direction. With a jump, the Konoha-nin saved his skin. Bone projectiles were thrown at his face, and he dodged them by tilting it to the side.
"I know you, Kakashi." He heard Kenta rant upon landing. "I prepared this battlefield. No Ninjutsu, nothing. My Byakugan can see past your illusions, the Kaguya's bones make me invulnerable to your Taijutsu. I countered all your moves before you even used them."
The seals negate elemental releases… except his summons'."I see." Too bad you don't knowall my moves.Kenta charged, wielding a blade of bone in one hand and a spine whip in the other. His dog once again attempted to flank him at the same time.
Kenta attacked first, his whip swinging toward the Copy-nin's head. Dodging it, Kamui locked eyes with the fiery hound, which had leapt at his throat. Shaping a Rasengan, the Konoha-nin smashed the beast's skull into a bloody pulp, and it vanished in a cloud of smoke. The move had a cost however, as flames covered on his fingers and his skin started to burn.
Before he could extinguish the fire, Kenta's whip wound around his neck with a snap. Moments later, lightning flooded his body paralyzing him and burning his nerves.
"I didn't negate all elemental releases," the sociopath whispered calmly as he made his student grovel on his face with a swift, powerful thrust. Then, he pinned Kamui to the ground by stabbing his left hand with the bone-blade. If he expected the Konoha-nin to scream, he was sorely disappointed. "You love lightning so much… I think is fitting for you to die by it. Slowly, painfully, in front of your wife."
"Cut the crap…" Kamui hissed. "If you could have negated it, you would have… you just aren't good enough for…"
The psycho's eyes narrowed in displeasure, and he increased the voltage, and Kamui finally roared in pain. His body spasmed uncontrollably, his muscles unable to respond to mental commands. He was ready to pass out, but he refused to. He couldn't offer the psycho any satisfaction, no matter the pain.
Kenta's second dog rammed into its owner's face like a thrown rock. The bastard released his whip, and the lightning stopped. The hound exploded in fire and smoke, apparently killing the sociopath.
ANBU Kakashi appeared by his counterpart suddenly, removed the bone-blade from Kamui's hand, tossed it away, and put his palms on his counterpart's wounds and chest. The limbs glowed with a green haze, and the Konoha-nin felt his pain vanishing. "Rin taught me well. You won't pass out and you will keep your hand," he said, extinguishing the flames with mere skin contact. Apparently, he had more knowledge of Fire Releases than Kamui himself. "Get up quickly. We only have mere minutes left…"
"What did you do?" Kamui asked, upon staring at the spot where Kenta used to be. The Copy-nin rose to his feet, weakened, yet still in fighting condition.
"I seized his dog, strapped it with two dozen explosive tags, and threw it at his face. With all my training with the Chidori, touching the animal was-" He blinked. The psycho was getting back on his feet, bloodied, but alive. "Why won't you die?!"
"The Uzumaki's chakra… is potent, it descends from the Senju," Kenta whispered. "It gives longevity, accelerates the regeneration of wounds… allows my body to adapt to foreign bloodlines…" He roared, his hands glowing red. "Like this one, for example!"
Between them and the monster at the far side was one hundred meters. A big gap.
Kamui stared at his counterpart, who nodded. Let's kick his ass.
"Chidori!" They shouted at the same time.
ANBU Kakashi was faster, lacking his counterpart's wounds. Kenta threw balls of red light at him, and Kamui recognized Suna's fabled Scorch Release. Contact would dry the body of all water and cause instant death. The Konoha-nin predicted the attacks with the Sharingan, but missed Kenta by a few inches.
The ANBU turned around, the Chidori dissipating. In a few seconds, he bit his finger, made hand signs, and slammed Kenta's back.
Eight dogs were summoned in a cloud of smoke, biting Kenta's limbs and pinning him on place. "He's yours!" The ANBU shouted to his counterpart, leaving to help Rin. "Aim for the head, he doesn't have a heart!"
Kamui nodded and raced forward. The psycho tried vainly to free himself. The dogs' hold was too strong, and the Konoha-nin reached him.
Despite what his counterpart had advised, the Chidori pierced the target's chest, the iron bones, and the flesh underneath.
Kenta did have a heart, beating. The Chidori had reached it, damaging it beyond repair. "You've lost," Kamui whispered. In the background, the ANBU Kakashi's eye was bleeding profusely, turning into the Mangekyo Sharingan. The explosive device disappeared, space twisting and devouring it. It was awfully similar to Madara's own jutsu…
"I own… half a dozen bloodlines," Kenta cursed while coughing up blood. "I can't…"
"Possession does not mean mastery. Are you so weak you need to rely on enhancements to keep up with me?" Kamui's arm progressed inside the man's body, making shriek in pain. "Thinking about it… you have no power, Kenta. You always had others do your dirty work, and what abilities you have, you stole. You're all talk, nothing more. A pathetic puppet master hiding in the shadows that can't do anything without dolls to protect him."
Kenta smirked as the dynamite completely vanished alongside fragments of Rin's chains. The woman escaped her bindings, and embraced her husband. "Unfortunately for you… this puppet master still has a few tricks." The sociopath spat at Kamui's face, and managed to free his hand from the dogs' fangs, gripping his student's forearm. He tightened his hold and broke the bone with his remaining strength. "Failed broken dog…"
The second the verbal signal was uttered, the throne on which Rin was formerly sitting was covered with glowing seals.
The ANBU and Rin quickly got away as something was summoned. A dark shadow took shape over the throne, growing and destroying a good chunk of the room's ceiling and walls.
Kamui frantically removed his broken arm from Kenta's torso, as bricks fell upon him. While the psycho's body was quickly buried under rubble the Konoha-nin and the Ninken managed to escape and join his two friends.
The summon was a dog. A big, big dog.
The hound was easily the size of an elephant, with an orange fur and a black muzzle. Its claws were spears, its fangs swords, and its breath fire. Its eyes were yellow, shining with cruelty. It had a golden collar around the neck, with the word 'Inugami' written on it.
"I think we know what Kenta sacrificed his men to…" ANBU Kakashi whispered.
"Guys," one of the Ninken whispered, upon looking at the crumbling ceiling, "I don't want to be the one to say it, but this is going to suck."
The hell hound roared and extended its legs, kicking the nearby walls, shattering the castle's foundations. Ten seconds later, it leapt through the ceiling, making it collapse.
"It's trying to bury us alive!" Rin whispered, taking her husband's arm. "Hurry!"
However it was too late, and soon, the ruins of the castle.
Yugito
"You! You killed my son!"
"Yes, yes… do you have any idea how little that narrows down the identity of who you're talking about?" Kakuzu asked the enraged Mikoto incredulously. "What the hell with all these 'you killed my father' or 'you killed my son and stuffed his puppy dog into the toilets'? As if it was original! I killed my father and you don't hear me whining about it!"
He's trying to anger us, Yugito thought.
Nah, he's just a jerk. A massive jerk.
"But we will volley insults another day," Kakuzu said, seizing Itachi's body with his threads before anyone could react. "Hidan, we flee. Let's be brave and run with our tails between our legs."
Out of all people present, the priest was the most astonished. "WHAT?!"
"I wasted too much chakra, lost too many hearts, and since the ANBU is informed we're here, it's only a matter of time before the Yellow Flash comes to kick our ass. Your god already took, what, thirty years of your life? How long will it take before it kills you? I'm not gonna fight a battle I can't win." Kakuzu snorted. "Screw orders, let's flee to fight another day!"
"You faithless coward! Nonbeliever!" Hidan hissed. "Jashin-sama gives me the might to carry out its will! Alone or not, I will not back down!"
"Then try killing as many as you can before dying yourself," the bounty hunter shot back, jumping on trees and into the wilderness. "It would stall them and give me time to get away. In the end, that's the one thing you're good for!"
Mikoto's Susanoo extended its left arm to kill the fleeing man, but got hit by Jashin's light beam for her trouble. The hand, shoulder, torso and half the face vanished into nothingness, allowing Kakuzu to make a getaway. Whether it was the god's way of thanking the man for fighting with his summoner, or it simply missed the deserter, Yugito would never know.
ANBU prepared to chase after the missing-nin, but the Uchiha lady had other ideas. "We'll get him later, focus on Hidan first!"
"Hah! You can't harm a true believer, woman!" Jashin brightened...
And Mikoto's Susanoo punched its head with its other arm.
Yugito blinked in astonishment, as the god faltered. The Susanoo's arm was quickly reduced to a stump, but for a brief second, Jashin didn't seem so invincible anymore.
The deity hissed.
The sound was inhuman. A frightening screech, that chilled the blood and the soul. To Yugito, it was as if her head was exploding from the inside.
Kitten... the Nibi whispered. I think it is angry.
Jashin proceeded to launch beams upon beams on the group. ANBU managed to create walls of earth to stop the onslaught, but the protections vanished as if they never existed one after the other. Mikoto unleashed black fire upon the deity, which was extinguished before it even reached its shadowy substance.
"Alright," the Uchiha concluded, with a terrified expression. "Any plan?"
"Try to stay alive," Yugito suggested. "This thing is a deity Hidan called with a variant of the Yondaime's technique. Harming it, and the summoner… is impossible."
"Retreat!" The Uchiha shouted, turning around and fleeing with the rest of her group. "If it's anything like Minato's jutsu, Hidan will die within minutes! We just have to gain time and outlast him!"
"You will not escape Jashin-sama's wrath! The Dark Lord shall claim your sinful soul!" The fanatic snarled, his voice weaker than previously. Beams of light destroyed trees, earth, and grass. Yugito, Mei, and Mikoto managed to dodge them, although not by far.
Then, the wind awakened.
Yugito sensed it. Suddenly, a burst of air nearly dragged her backward, and grew stronger. The tempest pulled trees, branches, and rocks behind the Nibi vessel, forcing her and her comrades to lay on the ground and use chakra to adhere to the ground. The blonde woman turned her head, facing Jashin.
As she guessed, it was the cause of the storm. Its head had taken the shape of a hole of darkness, the source of a powerful vortex. Everything nearby was sucked inside, devoured. An ANBU lost grip on the ground and flew towards it as if he was falling. His body was absorbed by the darkness, as was his very scream.
"Do you see the darkness?" Hidan ranted madly, his voice a mere, faint whisper. "Do you see the darkness?! The darkness is calling you! The darkness will free you!"
The earth below Yugito's feet began to float, and the Nibi vessel barely managed to grab a nearby tree's trunk.
"In the darkness, we are bound! In the darkness we break our chains!" Hidan kept ranting what may have been his religion's commandments. "By breaking our chains we gain strength! With strength… we gain power…"
His voice was weakening, deepening.
"With power… we gain… the world…"
The vortex calmed down, and Yugito landed on the ground. Jashin was convulsing, its shadowy body disintegrating into purple smoke. In seconds it was gone, and Hidan fell on his back without a sound.
"You're alright?" The blonde woman asked Mikoto and Mei, who joined her, unharmed. The remaining ANBU escort silently leapt to their side.
"We are." Mei stared at Hidan's corpse, which was barely recognizable. It was the body of an eighty year old man, lacking hair, with sunken skin and flesh over bones. The dead man was smiling, a frightening, creepy smirk from beyond the grave. "What happened?"
"The Kami do not give power, they sell it." Mikoto wiped the dust and leaves from her jacket. "The more help they provide, the bigger the price. Jashin traded its help against his summoner's life force, and Hidan wasted it all. When he couldn't provide anything of worth, his god couldn't take a physical form any longer."
If he had listened to Kakuzu, he would still be alive, Yugito thought. She remembered the chilling sentiment that Jashin spread around itself. To think such a malevolent creature was a god…
Malevolence is a human concept, Kitten, and Mikaboshi is a force of nature. Is a hurricane evil? Can you call a wildfire malevolent? Mikaboshi is neither good or evil, it simply is.
You keep calling it Mikaboshi.
Amatsu-Mikaboshi, Jashin, the Star of Death, Yami, the Other, the primordial darkness, so many names for a single entity. It's the Kami of stars, darkness, void, domination, night, and a dozen other concepts I don't remember. I think it embodies winter and cold as well, but I'm not certain.
It doesn't sound like a good deity.
Mikaboshi is not a nice deity, but it is necessary none-the-less. Without night, the sun would burn the world. More than one traveler thanked Mikaboshi when the stars indicated the direction to follow. Mikaboshi is a pillar of the natural order, as loathsome and domineering as it is. I personally hate it, but it is filling a role that has to be filled.
"This still leaves Kakuzu," Mikoto interrupted Yugito's mental discussion with the Nibi, "There's still time to catch him. ANBU, we will track him. He killed my son, and I will pay him back with fire and lightning!"
"As you wish, captain."
"But what about Kakashi?" Yugito asked. "Kenta isn't going to die without a fight, and they need-"
Mikoto cut her with a raised hand. "Reinforcements are on their way," she started, "Surely, the Yellow Flash will be better help than all of us put together."
Yugito had nothing to say against that. "Then Kakuzu is ou-"
She saw him.
Watching from the shadows, behind brushes. A man with a fox mask. His eyes were blue and red, and devoid of warmth. For a second, they crossed gazes.
Then the ghost vanished into the wild without a word.
Kakashi
The world was dark, and Obito was waiting in front of a bright campfire.
"Oh boy, Kakashi, you're a mess!" He hadn't changed at all, after all these years. Twelve years old, raven-haired, with one eye and a cheerful smile. "And you're so late!"
"Picked up that habit from you," Kakashi replied, upon sitting at his friend's left. "So… I'm dead? Funny… I wanted to die for so long, and now my prayers are fulfilled when I want to live. Is there any logic here?"
"Karma is a sadist." Obito grinned. "But no, you're not dead. You're three-quarters dead. Of course, you will be four quarters dead if you don't get up. If that happens then the best anyone can do with your body is search your pockets for loose change." He gave him a thumb up and a shining nice guy smile, a la Maito Gai. "I decided to pay you a visit, my rival! You come often enough to my grave, I should return the loyalty."
"You saw me?"
"You own half my sight, of course I saw you! Or maybe you're merely hallucinating… kidding. This might just be the result of some mystical property of the Sharingan that no one knows about… maybe some of my chakra remains in it and allows this meeting, or we have a spiritual connection, or the brain damage opened your mind. Or you're turning into a flesh-eating idiotic zombie. Or-"
Kakashi laughed at his friend's antics. "I missed you."
"Yep. You should have been a girl, we would have made a nice couple. Perhaps it will happen, if we reincarnate. Obito and Kayuri, united by the red string of fate, undying friendship, and one bloody Sharingan!" The Uchiha became serious. "But it's not time for that yet."
Kakashi nodded silently. "Can I ask you a question? Do you hate me? For failing you?"
"To be honest, I did once, back when we were alive." Obito smiled sadly. "How couldn't I? You were the genius to my failure. Sensei respected you more than me and Rin loved you even though you were a jerk. The Village worshiped the ground you walked on no matter what a colossal bastard you were. You made to Jounin. Me? I was a joke, in your shadow, and in everybody's shadow. How could I have not hated you? You were everything I wanted to be and didn't even care. When you left Rin to the Iwa-nin… I hated you more than I ever hated anyone."
The words were harsh and painful. However, Obito wasn't over. "When you came to help, my opinion changed. I realized you weren't a totalbastard and considered us friends. I gave you my Sharingan as a token of our friendship. I died happy."
"I let Rin die. I left my sensei's son alone and he died too. I failed you so many times I lost count."
"You made Rin happy. It's Kenta's fault if she died, not yours. Sensei's son… he will rest in peace when Madara is dead once and for all. I believe he will forgive you then. As for your failures? You made up for them ten times over." The Uchiha shook hands with him. "You never failed me, my friend."
The hand was warm, and the heat made Kakashi feel better. Obito kept talking. "Someday, we will be reunited again. You, me, Rin, and perhaps sensei if the Shinigami ever releases him. Not today. Now wake up. Kill the bastard. Find your new family. Defeat Madara once and for all. And live your life to the fullest. Understood?"
"Yes."
Kakashi Hatake opened his eyes.
"Obito..." Kamui whispered, the Susanoo manifesting around him. "I will show you... that our friendship shall conquer all."
Rocks were tossed aside as the white armor emerged. Kakashi stood up, his counterpart and Rin laying at his sides. "You're alright?" He asked as the ethereal being finished manifesting. The spiritual samurai raised its sword and silently roared in the middle of the ruins.
The castle was nothing more than broken bricks and rocks. It had utterly collapsed. The ANBU's ninken were nowhere to be seen. They had probably returned to their land upon being hit by debris.
Kenta's summon however, hadn't vanished. It was observing the trio from afar under the trees. The eyes conveyed a mix of displeasure and killing intent. The predator was watching the prey, ready to kill them anytime.
"Yeah, we're fine." The ANBU raised his head and glanced at the colossal dog. "Your master is dead, there is no point in fighting us!"
The hound snorted, and started talking with a deep, grumpy voice. "I have been tasked to kill you and have been offered a hundred sacrifices to do so. I have been paid. I have been summoned. I will kill you." The beast widened its maw, and launched a blast of fire at them.
Kamui reacted quickly, shielding his friends with the Susanoo. The armor stopped the attack, but not the heat. The Konoha-nin's arm was rendered useless and covered in burns and wounds that bled profusely. I have known better odds, he thought, charging forward towards the beast despite his condition.
The Susanoo's sword drew near of the hound's neck, but the collar shielded the monster's skin. The dog in turn headbutted the armor before savagely biting the torso. The fangs buried past the ethereal armor and stopped within an inch of Kamui's head.
A fireball and kunai equipped with explosive tags hit the monster's eye. The ensuing inferno resulted into a bloody mess and the beast shrieked.
Kamui briefly glanced behind him. His counterpart was making hand-seals, and Rin had taken over her husband's equipment, strapping kunai with tags.
Focusing on the beast, the world wanderer mentally ordered the Susanoo to attack. The hound's back was pierced with a swing of its blade, shedding thick black blood. The creature roared, tightened its hold on the armor, and pushed it back within feet of the ANBU. Then, it opened its mouth, perhaps to fire a new blast.
A projectile hit its head.
The result was both astonishing and terrifying. A vortex of winds formed around the monster, blades of air shredding his skin and flesh and bones. The beast screamed in pain as the technique destroyed its body along with the landscape. Ten seconds later, the typhoon calmed, and the creature vanished into smoke.
"Rasenshuriken," said a blonde man upon leaping in front of the amazed trio. Minato Namikaze smiled, upon seeing they were all safe. "Izanagi have mercy, I made it on time."
"Minato-sensei?" The three ninjas whispered at the same time.
The man nodded, and stared at the Susanoo. He recognized the face and smiled sadly. "I see… even from beyond the grave, you keep an eye on us, don't you, Obito?" He whispered, as the armor vanished. "You need medical attention. My men are taking care of Kenta's bodyguards in the forest, and-"
"I will join you later," Kakashi said, glancing at the ruins. "I have one last thing to do."
Rin glanced at him in worries. "You look about to collapse anytime, surely it can-"
The ANBU put a hand on her shoulder. "I think I know what he wants to do, and it's something he has to do on his own." She looked ready to disagree, but a brief nod from her husband made her relent.
Minato glanced at Kamui and tossed him one of his special Kunai. "I will come to pick you up once I've dealt with Kenta's men," he said, grabbing the ANBU and Rin's forearms. In a blink, they vanished.
With what was left of his chakra, Kamui summoned the Susanoo and proceeded to get rid of the debris. After a few minutes, he found who he was looking for. "Still alive?" he asked, as Kenta's eyes glared at him with undiluted, intense hate. "You're harder to kill than a cockroach. Is it the Uzumaki healing factor that keeps you from passing on? Or sheer spite?"
"I made you…" The man whispered, unable to move. "You exist… because I wished it… and you will end… when I demand it…"
"Sakumo Hatake made me. Minato Namikaze made me. Obito Uchiha, most of all, made me." Kakashi narrowed his eyes. "You will die here, defeated and forgotten." The man groaned, and the Copy-nin stared at his hand. "For all your talk about bonds being a weakness, in the end, you relied on others. You were weak and needed others' work and abilities to keep up with me. The power I have? It has been granted to me. I earned it. And I have enough chakra to show you… the power of my bonds."
The Susanoo raised its hand.
"Chidori!"
No One
The man waited until Kakashi Hatake had left to emerge from the earth. He was as silent as a ghost, a shadow among ruins.
Taking a short moment to observe the nearby damage, he wondered what to think of this event. Two Kakashi at the same time was a bit too much for his liking. Had one of them stepped out of the breach and fled to this world? Strange.
Kabuto assured me the breach was very new, he thought. Could they be-
This scouting mission had been more interesting than he thought. He wondered how the Warlord would react to the news. Better not think about him, the man decided, remembering the dark chambers, the screams, and the scent of burning flesh. That old geezer must be wishing he was dead already. What did the Warlord say? Ah yes, 'I find human suffering therapeutic; you should try, it will do wonders for you'.
Psychopath.
The man approached Kenta's body and kicked it. As expected, he didn't react. Kakashi had wisely targeted the head and reduced it to a spectacular red mess. Not that it mattered. The mad scientists would dissect the corpse for all it was worth.
"Be thankful, I have seen what they do to living subjects," he mused. "It's not pretty."
Minato Namikaze
The sun shined brightly during Tsunade's and Itachi's funeral.
Either the heavens were rejoicing or making fun of the poor mortals. In either case, Minato cursed them. It should rain, there should be thunder, there should tempests. There should be chaos. There should be a sign, anything, that these two were missed by the world.
The sun shined brighter.
Half of Konoha attended the funeral. The Uchiha clan as a whole honored their prodigy, and most Family Heads came to pay their respects to the last Senju. Mikoto had tears in her eyes during the entire ordeal, and Minato, secrecy be damned, hugged her in front of everyone. The survivors of the 'Rin rescue team', as they had been nicknamed, were all present as well.
In the end, most left. Obito left with his mother and father, and after one last glance at her lover, Mikoto took her remaining son away. Minato and his son remained alone, in front of Itachi's empty tomb. "I…" the Yondaime started.
"I will make him pay." Naruto raised his head, with righteous fury in his eyes. "I will find Itachi-sensei's killer… and I will kill him."
Minato's nightmares returned at full speed, but this time, he wasn't dreaming. The eyes he feared so much were right in front of him, on his own son's face. "Son, it's not your-"
"Son?" He asked with anger. "Now you remember I exist? On my sensei's grave?"
Minato felt as if he had been slapped.
"Itachi-sensei was more of a father to me than you ever were!" The boy snapped in anger. For a second, his father mistook Naruto's shadow for Madara's. "I grew up with him, whereas… whereas you were never here! Always putting your work before me! I have every right to kill that bastard, I deserveto-"
Minato silenced his son with a hug.
Naruto gasped. The Yondaime tightened his grip. "I'm a terrible father, aren't I? I… I promise it will change. Kakuzu will be brought to justice and Itachi will rest in peace… but not by you. I… I won't let you waste any moment of your life on pointless, sterile revenge." Or else I would prove Madara right.
"From now on… from now on, I will be at your side. And I will not leave it."
Kamui
It was strange to see his counterpart occupying the Hokage's seat.
"You face the Godaime Hokage. Tread carefully." The ANBU Kakashi laughed at his own sentence. "I don't even soundterrifying. Seriously, if an emissary wants to see me, I'm so screwed."
"You're a perfect substitute for the Yondaime Hokage," his counterpart reassured him. "You can survive sensei taking a week off." Minato had decided to take some vacations with his son and Mikoto, for a change, and put his student in charge.
"I tried so many times to have him spend time with his family, I should shut up and accept it," the ANBU told himself. "His affair became more or less public knowledge after the funeral, and Naruto is happier than I have ever seen him. We only need Kakuzu's head and everything will be fine... well, almost." The man sighed sadly. "Sasuke lost a brother, Obito and Naruto a sensei. They will need all the support we can give, but... their parents will help them overcome their loss."
Kamui nodded. "Still nothing on Kakuzu's whereabouts?"
"It has been a few days, give us time. He eluded pursuits for Amaterasu knows how long, it will take time to locate him. We will kill him, just not today." The ANBU crossed his arms. "I've got to thank you. Maybe would you need something? Expensive vacations, Icha Icha, whatever you like."
"You thanked me two dozen times, I counted." Kamui chuckled. "Believe me, saving Rin was a reward in itself, in more ways than you can imagine. Seeing you happy makes me happy."
"Alright… but allow me to offer you at least one material, tangiblereward for your services." The ANBU searched in the Hokage's desk and placed a large Tanto on it. The blade was white, and Kamui could feel the power radiating from it.
"The White Fang's Saber?" Kamui asked in astonishment upon seizing the pommel. It was as light and beautiful as in his memories. "It was destroyed!"
"It was reforged." The ANBU crossed his fingers. "I think you deserve it to wield it more than I do. When I saw you fight, I realized you are more than the Copy-nin… you are the White Fang reborn. And the White Fang deserves a weapon matching his skills."
Father's sword, Kamui thought. I once wielded it without understanding its former owner's values and sacrifice. I won't make the same mistake again. This time… this time, I will be worthy of wielding it. "Thank you," he said upon taking it with his two hands. "I promise… Sakumo will be proud, wherever he is."
"I'm sure he is," the ANBU replied, tossing a sheath at his counterpart.
Kamui narrowed his eyes. "I have a question… how did you get the Mangekyo? Why is it different from mine?"
The ANBU's expression darkened. "I gained it one night when Rin and I… well… got busy." His jaw clenched. "I had nightmares about the day Obito died, and when I opened my eye, it was bleeding. I… I realized I had killed Obito, indirectly. Mikoto once told me the power of the Sharingan is fueled by pain: the more traumatic the experience is to the user, the more powerful the Mangekyo becomes. I only unlocked a minor ability, whereas you and Mikoto unlocked many."
I killed Obito and Rin, indirectly, Kamui thought. Madara unlocked perhaps all the powers of the Mangekyo and perfected them. Could it be possible to develop the Sharingan's latent abilities through training? "How much can you teleport with the Mangekyo? I saw one of the Madara call a meteor upon us."
"A meteor?!" The ANBU's jaw dropped in amazement. "Are you kidding? No, I shouldn't be surprised. According to sensei, our Madara summoned a castle above the united Kage during his last stand. To be honest, nobody understands how he could do this. Simply teleporting the device you saw took a third of my chakra reserves. Madara could teleport entire buildings if he wanted, without much effort. Mikoto suggested he found a way to enhance his abilities beyond what should naturally be possible, even for the Sharingan."
"He uses a pocket dimension," Kamui explained. "He captured me and my teammate in it when I fought him for the first time. Is it the same with you?"
"No. When I use the Mangekyo, I teleport objects from one point to another. It's the same way sensei's technique works, but with no seal and a lot more effort. Kenta's device exploded in Suna's desert. Not in a pocket dimension." The ANBU crossed his arms. "There had been multiple cases of Uchiha gaining the Eternal Mangekyo through stealing their sibling's eyes, but it only stopped the eyesight from deteriorating. It never allowed them to replicate Madara's feats. It's possible Madara's Sharingan is a unique mutation, like the Mokuton."
"Possible?"
"Some facts surrounding Madara are disturbing," the ANBU whispered. "So far, he's the only Uchiha to have ever managed to control the Kyuubi completely. His brother claimed to see visions of the future and went insane from what he saw. The Shodaime and Mito Uzumaki impaled him at the Valley of the End and were convinced the Uchiha Lord was really, really dead. His surviving men never saw him eat, drink, sleep or use privies during the entire war with Akatsuki. Sensei pretends the face under his mask wasn't human and when the bastard died, he turned into dust, only his clothes and broken mask remaining."
He took his breath. "You want my theory? Madara didn't die fighting Minato. He died at the Valley of the End, and somehow, his spirit didn't pass in the afterlife, keeping his corpse moving. The Kage didn't kill him, they damaged his body so much lingering in the mortal realm had become no longer possible for his malevolent soul."
Kamui's blood chilled in his veins. "You think Madara is an undead? A ghost?"
"In Iwa's folklore, there is a story about a dying sorcerer from the time of the Sage of the Sixth Paths that called upon dark forces to escape the Shinigami, in exchange for eternal servitude to the ideal of evil. His soul was placed inside a ring, and although his body decayed and was stabbed two dozen times and burned, he kept walking and spreading misery. He was permanently destroyed when the Sage had the ring melted into holy fire, releasing his soul. The man's name was wiped out of all memories, and he was fearfully called 'the Lich' by the people." The ANBU shrugged. "The Sandaime summoned the Shinigami itself to seal the Kyuubi, and if reports were right, Hidan did the same with the freaking god of carnage. Is it hard to imagine Madara called something to gain power? Perhaps was he a Lich and his soul was destroyed with his mask, or maybe a being taught him how to cheat death for some obscure reason."
This was worrying and sounded insane, but the more Kamui thought about it, the more some things made sense. "Madara never slowed down when he fought us. In our battles, he endured attacks that would have killed anyone else. If you're right…"
"Sensei proved Madara wasn't invincible. He's just… tougher than most," the understatement of the century, "But he can be destroyed permanently if hit hard enough. Perhaps the Shinigami will be interested in his delinquent soul, if summoned."
Kamui pondered his next course of action. "Could you give me all the information Konoha compiled about Madara?"
"Of course. It would be a pleasure."
Upon exiting the Hokage office, Kamui crossed path with Rin. The woman smiled upon recognizing him. "I… Kamui-san, I was looking for you," she said. "I would like to thank you for saving my life, and helping my husband. If I can do anything…"
Kamui smirked. "… Can you give me a banjo?"
"A… a banjo?" Her surprise was obvious.
"I once played it, before I started my travels. I don't know, I want to give a new breath to my life. Try new things, enjoy myself… this mission freed me from a heavy burden. I feel revitalized." He chuckled. "So yes, I want to start a hobby beyond killing, training and fighting. Someone told me to live my life to the fullest, and I will."
Rin laughed. Somehow, it made Kakashi even happier. "Alright," she whispered, "I think it can be arranged."
At her laugh, Kamui knew he had earned his happy ending.
Yugito
"Tiger-Dragon-Snake-Monkey."
Lightning flowed through her fingers, which in turn shined with electricity. Direct contact would stun the enemy, maybe damage organs if used well. "How long can I maintain the flow?"
"Depends on your control," Mei shrugged, standing on the hot-bath's water. "I would suggest repeating the Jutsu while you walk on water. It would speed up your training and teach you to focus on multiple elements on the battlefield."
"Good idea." It had been kind of Mei to train with her. The Kiri-nin wanted to break from the monotony of her work as ambassador, and Yugito needed to get stronger. She wouldn't let anyone come within an inch of killing her like Hidan, ever again. "Versatility is my main weak point. Do you have any Water techniques to teach me?"
"You teach me some of Kumo's jutsu and I would gladly expand your repertoire." Mei smiled. "You're a Katon master already, so I would suggest Suiton and Raiton. The first for defense, the second for precision. Your Bijuu provides you with all the firepower necessary."
See? She thinks I'm awesome.
"Yugito?" A voice shouted from outside the hot baths. Both women blinked, upon recognizing Kakashi's voice. "I need to speak to you. It's about world traveling."
"Give me a second!" she replied, "I need to get dressed."
"Would you mind if I listen to your conversation?" Mei asked loudly. "Your whole story never ceases to entertain me!"
"You're welcome!" Kakashi replied.
Five minutes later, fully dressed Yugito and Mei walked out of the hot springs. Kakashi was waiting outside, a banjo in hands, with Minato Namikaze, and a big scroll. "Aren't you supposed to be on a vacation?" The blonde narrowed her eyes at the Copy-nin's instrument. "What is that?"
Hatake's only answer was to try playing it, and although he wasn't bad, his skills were at best average.
"I'm a Shadow Clone," the Yondaime shrugged. "The original tasked me to work on your problems, and I may have found a solution." He pointed a finger at the scroll. "This is the Forbidden Scroll of Konoha, which compiles our Kinjutsu or most dangerous techniques. The best of the best keep it safe."
"We have something similar in Kiri," Mei noted. "Although the Shodaime Mizukage preferred having it take the shape of a dozen books to avoid seeing the entirety of our knowledge destroyed in a single blow."
"Interesting idea," the Shadow Clone commented upon opening the scroll. "This," he said upon touching a text detailed with illustrations of hand-signs, "is a space-time ninjutsu the Nidaime Hokage, Tobirama Senju, developed as a distant prototype of my Hiraishin."
Yugito narrowed her eyes in interest.
"The idea was to enter some dimensional 'void' and reappear elsewhere, ignoring distances. Tests however resulted in objects never appearing again. Tobirama suggested they had reappeared… elsewhere. Beyond the mortal plane."
"Another world?" Kakashi guessed. "This is a dimensional transport technique?"
"The Nidaime never understood where he sent objects, but your existence implies he sent them to alternate realities without realizing it. Unfortunately, he sacrificed himself before he could complete the technique and although I based my signature jutsu on the idea, the theory behind it is entirely different. No one attempted to complete his work… until now. Give me a few days, and I might give you a way to get out of this world."
"You can send us back to our respective worlds?" Yugito asked, astonished.
"Unfortunately no," said the Shadow Clone, crushing her hopes. "If what I have been told is true, there may be a billion worlds in existence. The chances of being transported to the world you want to reach are akin to zero. However, there is a way around it."
Namikaze smiled. "I vaguely understand how this Kazama's power works. You two have been exposed to his otherworldly chakra when he teleported you, so your bodies contain some… residue. If I tweak the jutsu, this residue will be attracted to its source-"
"And we will teleport wherever Kazama is," Kakashi finished with a smile under his mask.
"But what if he's dead?" Mei suggested. "Or in a demonic hellhole?"
The Shadow Clone's lack of answer told it all. Finally, he opened his mouth again. "No one's forcing you to go. You can remain in this Village if you wish, both of you would be welcome. Konoha is a nice place to live in, I will make sure your stay is comfortable, and you have made friends here."
"It would be a pleasure, but I will pass sensei." Kakashi crossed his arms. "I know I would be happy here, but the truth is… my group needs me more than this world does. Madara is still out there, and if he ever gets his hands on Kazama, the consequences will be terrible. I have to protect him and the rest of my loved ones." He seemed to smirk under his mask. "I am a proud member of the Arashi clan, Minato-sensei. My place is at their side. They might be dead, but I must take the risk."
The Yondaime nodded. "I understand." He glanced at Yugito. "And you?"
Truth to be told, it was a difficult question, and the Nibi's vessel stayed silent. On one hand, the operation was very, very risky, and this Konoha didn't look like a bad place where to spend the rest of her days. On the other hand, Kazama was the only person able to send her back to her homeworld.
But do you wish to return home?"the Nibi asked. "Kumo will not welcome you with open arms, Kitten. You associated yourself with your leader's assassins, betrayed the country. I fear what awaits you here is an executioner's axe.
The Nibi was probably right, and Yugito was painfully aware of it. How could she explain surviving the Vault crashing onto the land? Or leaving Kakashi alive? Kumo's interrogators were frighteningly efficient at obtaining the truth. Killer Bee might forgive her, but the populace would be out for her blood.
But then, what could she do? Abandon her former life and join Konoha? The place was too different from Kumo, and she was a stranger. She might make a name for herself, but Yugito would always be seen differently from native ninjas.
And to be honest, she had grown fond of some members of the Arashi clan. Naruko, the troubled Gaara, the kind Haku… and as much as she disliked it, she had grown to respect Kakashi himself. They're in danger, and if I want to return to Kumo anyway, Kazama is my only hope.
"I will join Kakashi," she finally decided.
"Truly?" Mei smirked. "Then… I guess I will have to follow you." She chuckled at everyone's shocked face. "Honestly? Ever since I've been with you, my life has become crazy. Fighting a super powered bounty hunter and a god-summoning maniac, meeting people with exceptional abilities, and you're about to go fight Madara Uchiha himself… that's insane, dangerous, and exciting. Way better than my boring job."
"You realize we might not return, or die?" Kakashi asked, amazed.
"Better die on the battlefield doing something meaningful, than in your bed after a wasted life," she replied. "You need manpower to defeat Madara, don't you? I will gladly provide it."
"I would be glad if you were to join us," Yugito said, "but wouldn't Kiri be asking questions about your disappearance?"
"Mizukage-sama knows me," the woman smirked playfully. "I will inform him I'm resigning from active duties and walking the earth. He was expecting such an action anyway. Wherever I go or do is my problem. Who knows, I might find a pretty boy or two on the way."
Yugito beamed with joy. "It will be an honor fighting at your side."
"Me too," Kakashi nodded, playing a new note with his banjo.
"Then, I wish you goodbye," the Yondaime's clone said.
Yugito stopped him dead on tracks. "I have a question, Hokage-sama," she asked, "What about the man I saw in the forest? The one with the fox mask?"
The Yondaime adopted an uneasy expression. "My men found nothing, and there hasn't been any case of an ANBU seen with a fox mask. It could be the agent of a foreign nation, one of Kenta's men, or perhaps even someone working with Kakuzu. In any case, it's not your problem, but ours."
"I guess it is," Yugito whispered. But his eyes…
She had seen them somewhere.
Meanwhile, inside a Bounty Station…
"Nice catch," the man commented upon taking Itachi's corpse, exchanging it for a large sum of money Kakuzu proceeded to count. "Do you always have to do that?"
"Oh, I trust you," the bounty hunter lied through his teeth. "However, you might have lost one or two ryo along the way. If you did, Money-sama will devour your cheating soul and cast it down into a hell… where everyone is poor!" He blinked. "I see you added Tsunade's bounty."
"The news of her death reached me this morning. Good job, but… where is your partner? Got caught by hunter-nins?"
"It had to happen." Kakuzu promised himself to honor the day he got rid of this psychotic idiot from now on. "I'm not unhappy to have him gone. He was a thorn under my foot. I work better as a loner." He started to pray. "Money-sama, thank you for the wonderful gift that is Hidan's permanent death. I feel revitalized in my greediness. I will sacrifice a dozen beggars on your altar this week."
"… Sacrificing beggars?"
"When you kill the poor, you reduce poverty, and everyone is richer. Hence, Money-sama will be content."
"Interesting solution," a deep voice commented, "to reduce poverty."
Kakuzu raised his head and glanced sideways. Two men were sitting around a table, playing a game of chess. One was a small man wearing a cloak made of flayed fox skin. His face was hidden under a Kitsune-mask, white with black lines for the eyes and nose. He had raven hair, and his mismatched blue and red eyes were cold, devoid of warmth and joy. He had a ring on his left hand's index finger, with the Kanji 'Wind' written on it. "You made the right choice in fleeing. The Yondaime was royally pissed upon discovering what happened to the Uchiha."
"I can see why. He reacted that way when I covered his baby with explosive tags." The second was man in his thirties, wearing a black jacket, dark pants and red gloves. He had short black hair, with unremarkable black eyes… and the right side of his face horribly disfigured by scars. He was smiling, although his eyes weren't. He had a red ring on his right hand's middle finger, with the Kanji 'Moon' on it. "Maybe I can kill him again? Tobi is a good boy."
"Tobi is a bad boy." The masked man stared at Kakuzu. "I've watched your latest fight with great interest. The strength, the speed, the ferocity... It was entertaining. Some would call you a coward for fleeing, but I say you're a smart man. And we need people with brains."
Kakuzu's eyebrow twitched. "Who are you, weirdos?"
"The guy here is called Tobi, but 'No One' is fine too. My mother called me Naruto Uzumaki, but I disagreed. Vehemently." The masked man touched the queen piece and shattered it with his fingers. "You can call me… Menma."
Tobi grinned. "We were wondering if you were looking for a job…"
Meanwhile, in another universe…
It couldn't end this way.
Alpha believed it with all her heart. She might be imprisoned. The seals on her skin might prevent her from using her powers. She might have lost her army. … But she was deeply convinced that, although she lost the battle, she would win the war.
The former dictator had spent days imprisoned. After Orochimaru and his men had defeated her and destroyed everything she loved. In Alpha's mind, it was only a matter of time before her archenemy was deposed. After all, she had brought peace and order to this chaotic hellhole, and the citizens of Utopia were happy. Orochimaru would bring nothing more than anarchy and inequality.
I might die,Alpha thought, he might abandon me to rot in these cells to die, or he might execute me, or bury me alive… and it doesn't matter. My death will be the beginning. I taught the clones well. They will carry on my vision, and realize my dream, long after I'm gone. Utopia… a world where everyone can be happy.
A world that Five died for.
Those little girl's words resonated in Alpha's mind, seeding doubts in her heart. Could this Haku have been right? After all, the dictator had… overlooked… Five's mental problems. She had tried to cure his insanity and physical deficiencies, but without success. His death was written in his bones, and the best she could do for the clone had been to give him a purpose in his empty life.
"It's their fault if he died," she concluded to herself. "Everything went to hell when they arrived. If they hadn't come, Five would be alive, Utopia would still be standing, and Orochimaru would be fearfully hiding under his hole. They ruined everything."
The regrets she had felt days ago had turned into pure anger. Alpha had been sorry her men died for nothing and turned into charred bones. She had lacked the strength of will to control the Ten-Tails and her garden paid the price for it. In that regard, she was guilty and couldn't deny it… but she would never have retorted to those measures if not for those filthy anarchists.
Alpha had wisely knelt in surrender, trying to save what she could. It's only when you kneel that you can rise again, Beta had told her once, before the genetic illness and insanity claimed him years ago, so if our 'masters' try to surrender after we cast them down, I suggest we kill them all. Then we must kill their descendants so they won't rise in vengeance. When everyone's dead, no one will rise at all. Let us rule a world of bones, as long as we rule in the end.
A lesson the snake had yet to understand. Alpha's men would bid their time and revolt in her name or another's. The people will cast down these anarchists and beg for the return of order and peace. I will have the last laugh, Orochimaru, she promised herself. What was the worth of the few who died as the foundations of a world of genuine empathy?
It was at that moment she heard the explosion.
The cell shook, and Alpha struggled not to fall. Screams were heard, and the scent of burned flesh reached her nose. Were her men trying to free her?
After one minute of silence and questioning, the door of Alpha's cell was shattered and someone walked into view. The dictator's face beamed with hope… and then incomprehension.
"Expecting someone else, Lady Despot?" It was a small, thin blonde kid of about thirteen years, with blonde hair and shiny blue eyes. He had white paint over his face, and was wearing a red and purple jester outfit. His aspect was grotesque, and the smile… the smile on his face was creepy. He was wielding an iron mace, red with fresh blood. "I'm hurt. Your proud knight has come to save you! Sir Naruto and his weapon Skullkisser! She kissed a dozen heads to meet yours!"
As Alpha prepared to stand for her life, a new voice interrupted. "A good tyrant might be a dead tyrant, kohai, but I promised our new friend she would be free and unharmed. Well, unharmed enough to be able to answer questions at the bar minimum." It was an androgynous man, with long blonde hair and blue eyes. He was wearing a black trench coat, gloves, and boots. He had a black ring with the Kanji 'Ether' on his left hand's little finger, and was carrying a blue rose within his fingers. He hummed to it. "Katsu. Nothing can match the smell of freedom in the morning, milady. You will learn to appreciate it."
"Ah, just a little kiss, senpai, I want to put a smile on her unfunny face!" The jester's smile turned predatory. "A big red grin!"
Alpha narrowed her eyes, attempting to remember who was that guy, which division he belonged. "Who are you?" She finally asked. "What is your number? Who sent you?"
"Nah, Deidara-senpai and his trusty sidekick Sir Naruto are the real deal, not mimes!" The jester caressed Skullkisser. "People were unhappy, so I made them laugh, and they taught us some funny jokes. And then died tragically. Sniff."
"We were told you met some… world traveling men, on your way to this cell," 'Deidara' smiled cheerfully. "Is that the truth?"
"Of course she did!" A familiar voice complained. The dictator's face beamed with genuine joy as Three walked into the cell, her fists burning. "Alpha-sama, are you alright?"
"Good to see you again, my disciple." The former ruler kissed her second-in-command on the cheek. "I was afraid they had executed you."
"These two broke me out early enough. It had been difficult to locate you, but that clown is as… convincing, as Five was." Three narrowed her eyes. "Alpha-sama, you must come with us. The fight is not over. There is still a chance to rebuild utopia."
The woman in white nodded. "We can convince the people to rise against their oppressor. Surely they will-"
"They won't." Deidara smiled. "Don't you hear them? The songs of the old and the young? Freemen are acclaiming this snake sage, savior of the universe, champion of freedom, defender of the many and hero for all. Half the men want to be him, all the woman want to be with him, and the clones that aren't executed or on the run welcomed their new boss with open arms. We do not live on the same planet, milady. Here, no one but the mad wants you back."
"Oh, that's a problem, and Sir Naruto has the solution!" The jester grinned madly at Alpha's furious facial expression. "You come with us, and you return. With steel and fire."
Alpha narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "Where are we going?" she asked.
"My, but to my partners of course," Deidara smiled sarcastically. "They will be very interested in what you have to say."
Omake:
Money-sama attacks!
"Summoning Jashin? BAH! I will summon the one god that matters!" Kakuzu shouted. "Money-sama, come forth!"
A halo of light surrounded the bounty hunter, and a floating, giant banknote appeared above him. "Money-sama has arrived! What is the matter, honored greedy man?"
"Money-sama, I need your help!" Kakuzu pointed a finger at his opponents. "They all owe me one million ryo and they refuse to pay!"
"SINNERS! FAITHLESS FILTH!" Money-sama declared in righteous anger. "By the will of the Holy Greed, you will pay your debt! Face the ultimate technique of all times! NINJA LAWYERS!"
Out of nowhere, dozens upon dozens of kunai-wielding lawyers appeared, crushed all the surprised Konoha-nin, and took them away. Hidan was seized by the arms. "Hey Kakuzu, what the hell are you doing?!"
"Hold on. That one's different Money-sama," Kakuzu started, and for a split second, the priest thought he was saved… until he heard the bounty hunter's next words. "He owes me one billion ryo!"
"BASTARD!" Hidan shouted as he was dragged away, kicking and screaming.
"Everywhere the forces of altruism, goodness, and generosity will threaten the corrupt and the greedy, Money-sama will be here to fight them!" The god shined brightly. "And remember the moral! Lawyers are good, but ninjas lawyers are better!"
A/N: finally nearly over with the Separation Arc. Next chapter will conclude it.
Most of this chapter is about subverting the 'villains appear in order of threat level' cliche. Kenta would have made a threatening main villain at the beginning of the story, but Kakashi has faced enemies like the Raikage and Madara and lived to tell the tale about it. Kenta was just no match for him, in spite of all his preparations. Also deconstruct the 'assimilating powers' we have seen with Kabuto and Tobi in canon: possession does not means mastery.
On the other side of the coin, there is Jashin/Mikaboshi, which is closer to cosmic horrors like Nyarlathotep and Cthulhu than humanoid gods and as such a living force of nature. How can you fight a hurricane or a volcano? To Yugito's credit, she and Mei nearly killed Kakuzu. Jashin was simply on another level entirely. In the end, the only way to beat it was to survive long enough. The result would have been the same had it been Madara in place of Yugito.
About Kenta... 'Ayatsuri' means 'Puppet' in Japanese, which fits both his doll maker theme and the fact he was ultimately just a minor move in Mikaboshi's bigger game. Kenta works through manipulation, making living dolls, and mind games, without doing much actions himself. His strength lies into exploiting people's flaws, turning others into weapons, and being willing to cross any line to win, but by himself, he's just a very nasty serial killer too arrogant to imagine he can lose. His last stand was mostly a desperate move that couldn't end with him winning.
Some might feel Itachi and Tsunade went down easily. The first does not have the Mangekyo and Kakuzu fought/killed Uchiha for decades. I wouldn't be surprised if he met Madara, as he canonically fought the Shodaime Hokage. Tsunade was just unlucky to be within Jashin's range.
On the other side of the coin, Mikoto received the Mangekyo after killing her husband in a fit of rage. The Susanoo is modeled after Kushina because in the inside, Mikoto admires/envies her the most. It's my personal theory the Susanoo embodies what the user wants to be the most: Sasuke the avatar of vengeance, Madara the embodiment of both his own and his brother's ideology, and Itachi a noble warrior. The theme continues with Kakashi, who tries to be the embodiment of Obito's ideas, and Susanoo/Madara, who wants to be the embodiment of the inevitable.
On Kakashi's Banjo, it's to symbolize he has reached the end of his character arc: he no longer lives in the past, enjoys life whereas he once desired death, and do things for fun rather than because it's needed. In other words, he has become closer to Obito than ever before. Yugito's character arc has however merely begun, with her starting to wonder what she truly wants to do.
Also, I'm considering making the story M-Rated, as it already quite mature in themes and the next arc will introduce/develop the pairings between the main characters. The change of rating is not confirmed, but likely.
Finally, about the mysterious ring wielders... the reveal will come with the next chapter. Expect something very awesome. But the 'Sir Naruto' is definitively a Monster Clown/Joker Naruto. There will be blood when he's in the picture.
And late Happy New Year!