Note: Ok, folks. Here comes the finale of "Ninja Kitsune". The War is in full steam, and it's coming down to the wire. Now, sit back, and enjoy...
Ninja Kitsune
Chapter 35: Battle for the Fate of a World
Land of Lightning – Shinobi Alliance Main Base – 13:00 hours
Naruko had just dropped off the scroll containing the stasis sealed Konan and Nagato, when she ran into Ayane, and and her auburn-tressed aunt, Kasumi. Ayane was carrying the small Kagome in her arms.
"Naruko," Ayane called, waving her over, "I hear you brought us two prisoners."
"Konan and Nagato," the blonde explains, "Jiraiya is talking to them now. They were his students, after all."
"And we can get quite a bit of information out of them," comes a voice from behind Naruko. She turns around to see Tsunade and the Raikage walking up to them, "As for now, Naruko, we're reassigning the Jinchuriki from their role as special forces, to the front line forces, while Gaara will join us in a command and control role."
"Which division am I assigned to?"
"First Division, under Ryu and Sasuke," replied the Raikage, "Bee and Yugito are assigned to 2nd Division under Darui. Han and Roshi are going to 3rd Division under Kitsuchi. Utakata to 4th Division, and Fuu to 5th Division. Also, thanks for sending the Mugen Tenshin to us. Hayate is currently working with 1st Division, and has assigned most of his forces to the other regiments, with a skeleton group under his own command. Jiraiya has overall command of the sealing division, but Haku is currently the head of 1st Division's sealing regiment."
"Every division has a medical regiment, too," Tsunade explains, "And Sakura happens to have overall control of the medical regiment for 1st division. In essence, Naruko, we're putting Team Yonnin back together, to further enhance our overall battle plan. With Pain out of the picture, we have the opportunity to put the Jinchuriki to better use. However, if Madara shows up on the battlefield, we want our best to go after him. That's you and your team. Meanwhile, I'm going to see if we can come up with other strategies to deal with whatever Madara can throw at us."
"I'll head out at once," Naruko tells the Hokage, and then turns to Ayane, Kasumi and Kagome, and places a hand on the small girl's cheek, "Don't worry, Kagome, your big sis, Naruko, won't let anything happen to you. I promise. Ayane, Aunt Kasumi, Wish us luck."
"We don't need to, Naruko," Ayane tells her, "Because we believe in you and your friends implicitly." That said, Naruko turned and left, heading to meet up with her division
"She sure has come a long way," Kasumi says to her sister.
"And we can only hope it's enough," Ayane replies, "But put her with the rest of that team, and they're damn near unstoppable. They were as genin, and even now, they still are."
1st Division Bivouac – 2 hours later.
"Naruko Uzumaki reporting for duty," Naruko said as she saluted her father and friend.
"No need for formalities," Ryu noted, "Tsunade said you were coming. In one hour, we'll have a strategy session, where we'll discuss our overall battle strategy. All in all, I was advised to put the Yonnin back together, and I think it's a good overall move. We have reports form our scouting teams that says that Akatsuki is sending out Edo Tensei soldiers."
"That can only mean Orochimaru," Sasuke thinks out loud, "But didn't you and Ayane seal him up back during the Chunin exams?"
"We'll discuss it later. For now, Naruko, get settled in. You and Sasuke meet up with Haku and Sakura, and we'll talk more in an hour."
15 minutes later
"Naru-chan!" said Haku as he came over and picked Naruko up in his arms, and the two shared a moment, "I heard about the battle with Pain. Are you ok?"
"I'm fine, Haku," she answers, "I'm just glad that command decided to put us back together for the coming battles." She then leans in and whispers, "I missed you."
"Anyway," Sasuke states, walking in on them with Sakura, "This war is going to be hell. We've heard stories about these people that the Scouting parties have said are coming. They aren't good for us. Especially Hanzo the Salamander, and the 7 Swordsmen of the Mist."
"Zabuza's division will likely be able to handle the swordsmen, but Hanzo is another case entirely," Sakura adds, "Either way, it's good to have you on the team, Naruko."
"They sure know how to spoil a mood," Naruko whispered in Haku's ear, then turned to her friends, "Wouldn't have it any other way."
Shinobi Alliance Command Headquarters – Next Day – Time 10:00 hours.
"We have reports from the various fronts," Ao from Kiri begins, "Divisions 2 through 5 have engaged the enemy. Currently, they are facing mostly these white creatures that look human. According to the intelligence from Konoha, we think it may be Zetsu's white half, cloned multiple times over to create this army."
"Report from Zabuza's division," came Inoichi Yamanaka, "He has engaged seven Edo Tensei warriors. The 7 Swordsmen of the Mist."
"If anyone can take them out," Mei tells the other Kage, "It's Zabuza. He was one of them, after all. He knows their strengths and weaknesses."
"Darui reports two Edo Tensei on his battlefield," a sensor from Kumo states, "The Gold and Silver brothers."
"Tell Darui to leave them to Yugito and Bee, and have someone ready to seal them at a moment's notice," Raikage orders.
"Kitsuchi reports that there are 5 Edo Tensei on his battlefield," stated another sensor, "The Second Hokage, 2nd Mizukage, 3rd Raikage, 2nd Tsuchikage,and 4th Kazekage."
"Mifune reports only one," Inoichi continued, "Hanzo the Salamander."
"What of Ryu?" asked Tsunade, "What are they reporting in?"
1st Division Battlefield – Same Time.
"They're just trying to tire us out," Ryu says, as he, Itachi, Kakashi, Gai, and Hayate fight side by side against a crowd of white Zetsu, "These things are too weak to do any good as anything but cannon fodder."
"Dragon Style: Inferno Jutsu!" shouted Sasuke.
"Wind Style: Cyclonic Vortex Jutsu!" exclaims Naruko.
"Combination style: HELLFIRE JUTSU!" the two call out in unison as a enormous vortex of flames cuts a swathe of destruction through the Zetsu army.
Haku puts his hands to the ground as a field of frozen spikes rise up and encase another horde of Zetsus, "Ice Style: Glacial Prison Jutsu!"
Not too long after that show of strength, Ryu and Hayate are launched backwards by an attack from an unknown attacker. "It looks like Ryu has taught you quite well, Naruko-chan," said the female voice as she steps from the shadows of the woods, revealing a red-haired kunoichi.
"Oh no, Naruko, if that's who I think it is..." begins Arisa.
"It is," Naruko thinks back, "Mom." Naruko was almost frozen in place as the Edo Tensei'ed Kushina charges at her daughter.
"SHANAROOO!" shouted Sakura as she intercepted Kushina, punching her backwards and into a tree, "Naruko, who is she?"
"My mother," Naruko says, "Kushina Uzumaki."
"Naruko-chan, you and your friends have to seal me," Kushina tells her, "I'm being controlled by someone else. Remember what I told you when you finally learned to control Arisa's power? They couldn't get to your father, but they were able to bring me back."
"This is just wrong, Kit," Arisa tells her container, "They dared to defile Kushina's spirit in death?"
"I know, Arisa," Naruko thinks back, "I'm going to need your power now." Suddenly, Naruko is surrounded in a field of golden power. Her hair whips around wildly behind her as if it were nine tails, and her form takes on the golden appearance of the energy aura surrounding her. Naruko lets out a yell of pained determination as she charges up a ball of black and red energy in her right hand.
"I hope this ends your torment, Mom," she says, a small tear in her eye as she charges at the zombified form of her mother, "We'll stop this somehow. TAILED BEAST BALL!" She thrusts the tailed beast ball into her mother's sternum which sends her flying backwards for miles, and finally explodes in an enormous mushroom cloud of energy. Kushina's form completely disintigrated from the force of the blast."
"Naruko," Arisa tells her, "I can sense the origin of the Edo Tensei, We can put an end to this in moments. Just gather your team."
"Sasuke, Sakura, Haku," Naruko says, turning to her friends, "Arisa knows where the Edo Tensei is originating from."
"Where?" Sasuke inquires
"Fifty Kilometers South-Southwest from here," Naruko replies, relaying Arisa's information to them."
"Then you Yonnin go," Ryu orders them, "We can handle these Zetsu clones."
Shinobi Alliance Headquarters – Same Time.
"Report from Ryu," comes the voice of Inoichi, "Naruko was able to sense the origin point of the Edo Tensei. Ryu has dispatched the Yonnin to deal with it while the rest of the 1st division handles the Zetsu clones. Their battle should last only another couple of hours, before they're finished. The only Edo Tensei that they reported was Kushina Uzumaki. Naruko destroyed her with a Tailed Beast Ball."
"Kushina," Tsunade thought, "was Madara trying to make Naruko furious? If so, he probably succeeded, a little too well." She then turned to Inoichi, and ordered, "Send news to the alliance. The Edo Tensei should be ended soon. I doubt that Orochimaru, or whoever did that jutsu, will be able to stand up to a pissed off team of Yonnin."
"Of course, lady Hokage."
Akatsuki Hideout
"Four chakra signatures have broken away from the nearest division," Orochimaru notified Madara, still concentrating on the Edo Tensei, "I'm assuming it's the nine-tails girl and her team, seeing how Kushina was outright destroyed."
"I'll intercept them between here and there," Madara replied, "These Yonnin will be no match for me."
"You'll do well not to underestimate them," Kabuto advised, "The weakest among them, the Haruno girl, was able to learn Ayane Hajin's most powerful techniques, as well as everything that Tsunade knows. There's no telling what all Uzumaki and Haku are capable of, to say nothing of Sasuke Uchiha."
"I've come too far to let this end here," Madara says, and leaves.
Forests between Battlefield and Akatsuki Hideout – 3 hours later.
Team Yonnin stopped for a moment, upon advice from Naruko.
"What's coming?" Sasuke asks.
"If I'm not mistaken, I think it's Madara," Naruko tells her teammates, "Sasuke, Sakura, you go on ahead. Find the source of the Edo Tensei, and get rid of it. Haku and I will catch up."
"Are you sure?" from Sakura.
"Never been more sure of anything else," Naruko answers, "This is for my parents, Arisa, and for everyone hurt by that bastard."
"Meet us later,"Sakura advised her two friends and she and Sasuke continued on their way.
Naruko then looks at Haku. "This is it," she says, "Think we're ready?"
"I wouldn't have this any other way," Haku replied, and put his arm around her, bringing her in for a kiss.
"He'll be here shortly," Naruko said, pulling away slowly, "Be careful, Haku-kun."
"You too, Naru-chan, and remember our promise." He held up his gloved left hand.
"Wouldn't forget for the world."
Madara landed in front of the two lovers. "Where are your two teammates?" he asked.
"Dealing with your Edo Tenseis," Haku answered, "For now, you face us."
"Then this will be easier than I thought," Madara gloated, rushing toward Naruko. The blonde threw one senbon out, which passed right through Madara. When it got out the back of his head, Naruko teleported herself and Haku in behind the Uchiha madman, and their hands reached out to touch his back, and both called out, "SEAL!" The madman screamed out in pain as an intricate matrix of seals appeared all over his body, and quickly receded into a single mark on the back of is neck.(A/N:Think what Minato did to him, only with a seal instead of a rasengan.)
Madara couldn't believe what had happened to him. Now, not only could he not feel his chakra, but he couldn't use his sharingan, either. "What did you do to me?" he asked.
"Simple," Haku explained, "This is the seal that makes us seal masters. It requires both of us to use, but what it does is completely seals off your chakra from you, as well as sealing you off from any access to your sharingan. Your trump card is nullified."
Madara rushed at Haku and Naruko, only for them to dodge each and every strike he threw. "You got arrogant, Madara," Naruko said, "And now, this is what you get." She draws the dragon sword and uses it to slice his head off with a single cut." She then reached down and sealed the head in a scroll.
Alliance Command
"Mental Report from Naruko," Inoichi stated, "Madara is dead." The shinobi command personnel all let out a cheer. "They have his head sealed in a scroll, and will bring it back when they finish off the Edo Tensei. I'm relaying the information to the other divisions already."
Forest Outside Akatsuki Hideout
"Do you think Naruko and Haku will be alright?" Sakura asked Sasuke, only to be interrupted by a flash of light as Naruko and Haku appeared beside them.
"That answer your question?" Sasuke smirked, "What of Madara?"
"Head is sealed in this scroll," Haku told his friend, "Now, all we have to do is deal with Orochimaru and Kabuto, if what I'm sensing is right."
"It's right," Sakura notes, "I'll never forget those chakra signatures. Naruko, you and Haku handle Kabuto. Sasuke and I can handle Orochimaru."
Naruko and Haku nod and the four Yonnin enter the Akatsuki Hideout
Inside Akatsuki Hideout
The Yonnin slowly made their way through the hideout, expecting to be ambushed at any moment. It is then that a black, humanoid looking creature jumps out at them, only to be cut in half by Sasuke's Blade of the Archfiend.
"That takes care of Zetsu's black half," the Uchiha thinks, as the team continues on. Further in, they come across a central chamber, where Orochimaru is seen controlling the Edo Tensei warriors using a mat, and a set of go stones. The Yonnin entered the chamber, and Kabuto ambushed them, jumping down from his place on the ceiling. His descent is intercepted, though, by Haku's sword, which, enhanced by wind chakra, cut him in two right down the center of his body from crotch to head.
"My my my," Orochimaru states, "You four must be incredibly angry if you're not even saying anything. You even made short work of Kabuto, who I thought would at least hold you off for a minute or two."
"We're here to put and end to you, Orochimaru," Sasuke says, "You, and the Edo Tensei."
"What makes you think you can?" the Sannin inquires, "No one can actually kill me as long as there's bodies for me to jump into."
"Because you forgot about one thing," Sakura tells him, "We won't let you jump bodies. Naruko, Haku." Naruko made four shadow clones and had them place seal tags around the room. Haku then placed another tag on the ground and activated the barrier seal.
"This barrier will cut you off from the outside world, and allow us to be able to fully destroy you," Haku explains, "For now, it's just you and us."
"If that's how it's going to be, then so be it," the snake sannin muses, "I will enjoy this, and then use Sasuke here as my next body."
"Not likely," Naruko retorted, appearing behind Orochimaru, grabbing his hair, and pulling him backwards toward her other hand, which was glowing purple, "Five Element Seal!" She slammed the seal into his back and Orochimaru let out a scream of utter agony.
Sasuke drew the Blade of the Archfiend again, and this time, lightning shimmered around the sword as he charged at Orochimaru. He then drove the blade into the sannin's chest, before jumping out of the way, when Haku created a mirror of ice under the snake master, which rose up to become a prison of ice. "Sasuke, get the information we need, then we'll kill him," Haku suggested. Sasuke did just that, using a sharingan genjutsu to extract the information on how to release the Edo Tensei. While the Uchiha made the hand signs to end the jutsu, Haku cut off Orochimaru's head and sealed it in the same scroll with Madara's.
Alliance Command
"Reports from all fronts," Ao stated, "All Edo Tensei have started to disappear. Our forces are suffering minimal casualties. The Zetsus will all be finished in a matter of hours. The Yonnin did it."
"They killed Orochimaru, Kabuto and Madara," Tsunade said, an amused smile on her face, "They really are a new legend." Cheers are heard throughout the headquarters.
Akatsuki Hideout – Outside – 10 minutes later.
The four, tired Yonnin finally made their way out of the hideout, only to be met by Ryu, Itachi, Kakashi, Gai, and Hayate. "You four did well," Ryu told them, "You never cease to amaze me."
"If it's all the same to you," Naruko said to her father, "I think we could use a vacation. A LONG vacation."
Itachi laughed. "I think they've earned it," he mused, "After all, they did just save the entire world from Madara and Orochimaru."
End of Story.
Final Note: Well, folks, that, as they say, is it. I'm glad to have been able to write this story that so many of you have enjoyied since I started posting it. Thanks for sticking with me through all this time. It means a lot. I'll post an epilogue in a few days. I had one, but I REALLY didn't like it. So, I'm going to write something different.
Anyway, that's it for this story, and now, I'm going to try to concentrate on "Reaper Threat v2" and "Dragonmaster Naruto".
Later, folks.