Chapter 35
The large being roars as it opens its mouth to reveal its dozens of sharp teeth. It opens its large eye that has multiple Sharingan tomoe. Madara and Obito land on top of its head as Naruto in Nine Tails chakra form and Eight Tails move behind us.
"Is that-?!" Naruto's clone says.
"That's the...!" Kakashi is surprised.
"There's no mistaking it," Eight Tails says.
The enormous ten tailed beast sends a wave of air that pushes dirt in our direction. We brace ourselves and stand our ground as we cover our faces. I stare at its huge Sharingan eye and observe it.
"So that's the Ten Tails..." I wonder.
"But I thought the Statue's evil chakra had disappeared!" Naruto's clone says.
"Damn it! They got us!" Kakashi has his right hand on his left arm.
"It's Natural Energy itself," we hear Nine Tails say. "It's the same as that which circulated around the world, that you can feel in the soil, water, and the air. It would be a different story if you tried it while engaged in Sage Mode though."
"Got it!" Naruto's clone says.
He sits on the ground while deactivating his chakra form and begins to meditate.
"So if you say he's all Nature Energy," Naruto's clone continues. "Then I can check him out."
"Forget it, Naruto," Nine Tails says. "Even if you tried something like that, all you'll see is just how immeasurable it is."
Naruto opens his eyes in surprise.
"You're not kidding," he says.
The Ten Tails then slams one of his hands on the ground in front of it with a screech as it begins to make its way toward us. More and more dirt is thrown around, not letting us get a clear view.
"Hey. Here comes a big one," Eight Tails says. "You think we can really do this?"
"Don't think you can hide under your tentacles 'cause you're scared!" Nine Tails jokes. "But first, hand me Guy over there. I'll heal him later. And that Naruto, Kakashi and Denizu too!"
"Guy..." I say in worry.
"Yeah!" Naruto exclaims. "Denizu-sensei! Help me take Kakashi-sensei!"
We both grab Kakashi and jump into the Nine Tails' mouth along with Guy. More strong wind and dirt and rocks blow at us as Nine Tails and Eight Tails brace themselves.
"Listen up," Nine Tails says. "First, we keep our distance and see what move he makes. Then we'll counter the attack and hit him with a big blow as close as we can get. Just like I said earlier."
"Nine Tails, you're acting like a captain," Kakashi remarks.
"Huh?! You got a problem with that?!" Nine Tails defends.
"Nope! In fact, I feel kinda happy!"
I chuckle at their exchange and Guy gives them a thumbs up.
"That line..." Nine Tails says. "Save it for after we've won! Let's go!"
Nine Tails and Eight Tails then turn around and make a run for it. Suddenly, one of the Ten Tails' hand reaches out to grab Nine Tails but misses. Nine Tails and Eight Tails leap across the air and turn to face the Ten Tails as it roars loudly, staring at us with its huge eye.
"I would've expected the Ten Tails to look more majestic," I say. "But I guess it is a powerful beast, after all. Its ugliness matches well."
Kakashi laughs a bit at my remark.
"But damn it moves fast... There wasn't any time to observe its moves!" I continue. "We have to do something about its eye!"
Ten Tails begins to charge at us as it roars and shows its large sharp teeth. Nine Tails runs at it and jumps up to land a swing with its arm. Ten Tails pushes Nine Tails back though. From Ten Tails left side, Eight Tails is forming a purple orb in its mouth. Nine Tails jumps to the other side and charges one as well.
"Tailed Beast Bomb Barrage!" Nine and Eight Tails shout as they blast their attacks.
Multiple red orbs shoot out from their mouths at the Ten Tails. As the orbs fly at it, the Ten Tails begins to form an orb of its own in its mouth. It then blasts a beam at the red orbs to counter them, and then the beam moves to hit Nine and Eight Tails.
"Get ready, Denizu-sensei! Kakashi-sensei!" the real Naruto says.
Eight and Nine Tails turn back and use their tails and tentacles to cover themselves from the beam. However, Eight Tails moves in front of Nine Tails to take the hit. Just as the beam has hit, Naruto uses the Nine Tails to hurl his clone, me, and Kakashi at Ten Tails. The three of us are free-falling over Ten Tails toward where Madara and Obito are.
"Sorry about the one leg," Kakashi says. "But here we go!"
He activates his Kamui and from the swirl of his eye, Eight Tails comes out.
"Bee! Eight Tails!" Kakashi shouts.
Eight Tails has an orb ready to be blasted into the Ten Tails' eye. The orb is shot at the eye, but Ten Tails simply flicks it back at Eight Tails. Kakashi, Naruto's clone, and I watch in surprise as we continue to free-fall. The orb hits Eight Tails and sends him flying back in the air.
"Damn it!" I grit my teeth as I watch Eight Tails fall.
Suddenly, Naruto's clone quickly pushes me and Kakashi to the side in midair. We look back in surprise and see that the Ten Tails' tail is about to hit Naruto's clone.
"Naruto!" Kakashi shouts.
We watch as Naruto's clone takes the hit from the tail and poofs away. The orb that was shot back at Eight Tails explodes and causes a large explosion. Knowing that Kakashi is still weak from his wounds, I react. We'll be hitting the ground fast.
'I have no other choice...' I think.
I activate my Curse Seal and feel some stinging from it as the black, flame-like marks spread throughout my body. Large dragon-like wings extend out from my back, tearing through my vest. I grimace but ignore the slight pain and envelope myself and Kakashi inside my wings.
"Denizu-?!" Kakashi is surprised and worried.
I then feel something catch us as I continue to keep us enveloped in my large wings.
"It's hurting you, isn't it?" Kakashi asks me.
"Not much," I try to lie and smile a bit. "Haven't used the Curse Seal in a long time since Kabuto kidnapped me. My mutated Sharingan broke his control, so I have more control over it now. Seems like my wings upgraded, too. Doesn't mean it doesn't hurt, though."
I give him a small smile to try and comfort him. He stares at me with worry. I then open my wings and see that Naruto has caught us with Nine Tails' chakra form and has stopped Eight Tails from sliding on the ground any further. The Nine Tails' chakra form then disappears, so I hold Kakashi's hand as I use my wings to hover and land on the ground by Naruto and Guy. I grimace a bit as I retract my wings into my back and the black markings disappear back to the Curse Seal behind my neck. Glancing around, I see Guy, Naruto and Bee looking weak. I then turn to Kakashi and see he's a worn out too.
"You took a toll having to pull something as massive as the Eight Tails in and out with Kamui," I say to Kakashi. "Stop being stubborn and let me use mine for once."
"Denizu-sensei...since when do you have...dragon wings?!" Naruto is surprised.
"It's from a Curse Seal..." I reply.
"Like Sasuke's?" Naruto is perplexed.
"Not exactly the same, but we both have the Curse Seal of Heaven. Not much time to explain... Even though I can control it now, I choose not to use it."
I take my katana strap off in order to take my torn jonin vest off.
"I choose not to use its power because of the pain it reminds me of," I continue as I place my katana strap back over my shoulders. "I don't want to depend on its power..."
Kakashi stares at me understanding what I mean. I step forward and stand in front of them.
"But if it means I have to use it in order to protect you all... I will," I firmly state.
Naruto stares at me as I have a determined face as I breathe tiredly. He then gets to his feet, stands next to me on my left, and holds up his Shadow Clone Jutsu hand sign.
"Your favorite Shadow Clone Jutsu?" Madara calls out to him. "It may be forbidden high-level ninjutsu, but just increasing the number of losers won't-"
"I'm not a loser!" Naruto interrupts him.
"Stop, Naruto!" Kakashi says as he helps Guy stand up. "Its meaningless to create Shadow Clones that will divide your chakra even more. They might be useful for diversions, but not for decisive hits... And if you go down...we lose this war."
"You were always a motley crew anyways," Madara says.
"Huh?!" Naruto reacts. "M-M-Motley crew?"
"Like I said, you're incompetent," Madara adds.
"He's saying that it's pointless to merely increase the number of heads if they're all empty," Obito says. "You and I are both powerless shinobi. You...no, I should say everyone...will eventually end up like me."
"I'll never end up like you!" Naruto shouts. "How many times do I have to tell you?! My dream is to become Hokage!"
"Don't worry. Everything will go as planned," Obito says. "There is no shinobi jutsu mightier than the Infinite Tsukuyomi. I'll make you Hokage inside this jutsu."
We are surprised as we see the Ten Tails open its mouth and charge an orb.
"So just disappear along with the rest of this world!" Obito shouts.
The Ten Tails then blasts the beam at our direction. Suddenly, the blast flies off course away from us and it explodes far away, causing massive impact all around us. We brace ourselves and try to see what just happened.
"What the-?!" I am surprised.
"Did it miss? On purpose?" Kakashi wonders.
We then hear others approach around us.
"It's about time..." I say as I look back.
"Sorry to keep you waiting!" Kenji says as he arrives with reinforcements of different regiments.
Hinata and Ino arrive some feet away as well.
"I can't believe he shook off my Byakugan-aided, spot-on Mind Transfer in just two seconds!" Ino says.
"But you still succeeded in shifting that large thing's aim off target," another Byakugan user says. "Good work!"
"Are you all right, Naruto?" Hinata asks in worry.
"Yeah!" he replies with a confident gaze.
"You don't have to act tough in front of Hinata, Naruto!" Kiba says as he lands with Akamaru close behind us.
Shino and members of his clan land around us as we all stand ready facing the Ten Tails.
"Beetle Jamming Jutsu!" they all shout.
They extend their arms out and loads of insects fly out at the Ten Tails' direction.
"Hidden Mist Jutsu!" other Mist shinobi shout as they hold up hand signs and spit mist out from their mouths.
A large cloud of mist and insects grows and surrounds us.
"We're here, Naruto!" Choji says as he and Shikamaru arrive.
"Alright, we won't be so easily detectable now!" Shikamaru says as he looks at the mist.
"Lord Bee!" a Cloud kunoichi exclaims as she stands next to Bee. "You're in better shape than I expected!"
"Lord Bee! You look seriously wounded!" another Cloud ninja arrives.
"Omoi, you worry too much!" the Cloud kunoichi says.
Lee arrives in front of Guy and Kakashi.
"Guy-sensei!" Lee says. "Don't tell me you used Hirudora?!"
"I'm sorry we're late, Captain Kakashi!" Sai arrives next to them.
Sakura, Shizune, and Mizuki arrive next to me on my left.
"Denizu-sensei!" Sakura exclaims as she sees holes torn through the back of my shirt.
"Denizu?!" Mizuki exclaims. "You used the Curse Seal?!"
"Relax, I'll be fine," I reassure them. "Guy and Kakashi are the ones who need attention first."
They nod and I lead them over to Kakashi and Guy and they begin to heal them.
"Oh. Guy..." I say as Mizuki heals Guy. "This is Mizuki. She's the one who's been living in your apartment."
"Whaaa?!" Mizuki is surprised. "You go on ahead and tell him straight out in this condition?! The least you can do is introduce me more formally!"
"It's all right!" Guy says with a smile. "Kakashi told me you cleaned up my place and looked after my turtles...when he didn't. I appreciate that."
Mizuki blushes at his warm smile but returns it as she continues to heal him. I glance around and see that shinobi of the other companies are arriving more and more, as well as the Medical and Sensory Units. The Ten Tails blows the mist away with a whip of one of its tails, revealing our new, massive army of shinobi. I smile to myself as seeing the unity of all of us as we stand ready for battle.
"We're not a motley crew anymore!" Naruto exclaims to Madara. "Here is the Allied Shinobi Forces Jutsu! The world's greatest, most invincible, super-duper ninjutsu, you know! A jutsu that trumps the Infinite Tsukuyomi! Remember that!"
"The Allied Shinobi Forces Jutsu, eh?" Madara says. "Don't you think that's a bit of a stretch?"
"You're incompetent if you don't simply understand," I retort.
"We're going to stop you two with this jutsu!" Naruto adds.
"You're wrong," Obito interjects. "Why won't you realize that it's meaningless for you to stop us here? After this war, even that jutsu will disintegrate. Then someone from your side will attempt to do exactly what we're doing now. There is no victory, no matter how much you struggle. Get it through your head. There's no such thing as hope in this world!"
"I don't care," Naruto states. "I'll make sure there's hope!"
"It's meaningless to argue whether there is or isn't something during a war," Madara begins. "How about we settle this now?"
"When there's a difference of opinion, isn't the usual way majority rule?" Naruto says as he continues to look up at them. "So what do we do?"
"That's a good suggestion," Obito says. "Then...we'll call it after we've erased all of you. And..."
"I knew you'd say that," Naruto interrupts. "But..."
There's a long moment of silence as we await for them to continue.
"This world..." Obito and Naruto simultaneously say.
"Will not end!" Naruto says as Obito says, "Will end!"
"Let's go, everyone!" one shinobi says. "This is the final deciding battle!"
The Allied Shinobi all cheer and uproar in confidence. With that, many of them begin to scatter and head toward the Ten Tails.
"Denizu, Kakashi, Naruto," we hear Shikaku speak in our minds. "We've developed a plan and have already informed everyone of it. First, we'll impede their movement by destroying their vision."
The Cloud ninja perform a jutsu that flashes bright rays of light that begin to blind the Ten Tails.
"We'll not just destroy their vision completely, but thwart them from even sensing us at all," Shikaku continues. "And since their sheer bulk prevents them from hiding, we'll be able to take full advantage of the situation."
Stone shinobi causes the ground under the Ten Tails to lower into the ground.
"After shutting down their senses, we'll immobilize them!" Shikaku continues. "As soon as we bring down the Ten Tails, pour in quicklime."
Stone shinobi pour in quicklime into the massive hole Ten Tails is in and then Mist ninja blow water inside after it. Leaf ninja then blow streams of fire to dry the quicklime and harden it to subdue the tailed beast.
"Some good stuff, Shikaku," I say with a grin.
"Unless we stop the Ten Tails..." Shikaku continues. "We don't have a chance to go after Madara or Obito. The Ten Tails is merely a tool for them to aid in activating their jutsu. If we cut off the head from the body, namely those two, Infinite Tsukuyomi cannot be activated! But keep in mind that we won't be able to suppress the Ten Tails' power for too long. Only physical attacks work on Madara. So shinobi who are skilled in taijutsu will go after Madara!"
I glance over at Guy and Lee who accept and look ready to go.
"Obito can slip through all moves and jutsu," Shikaku continues. "But according to our intel, that only lasts for five minutes. Coordinate with the Medical Unit and keep attacking him for more than five minutes. Do not let up! That's right, Naruto... It's now time for your..."
We all nod and are set to go.
"I seriously gotta hand it to ya, Shikaku," I say as I activate my Curse Seal.
The black flame-like markings spread around my body as I feel the chakra from the seal flow through me. I turn to Naruto and Kakashi with a nod and they return it.
"Denizu-sensei! You watch over Kakashi-sensei here!" Naruto says. "He needs more time to rest before going in to back us up."
"Sounds good," I nod.
Naruto jumps down to the Ten Tails with his Rasen Shuriken ready, and the rest of the shinobi jump in as well.
"Allied Shinobi Forces Jutsu!" Naruto shouts.
Kakashi and I stand there as we watch Naruto and the rest of the shinobi leap down toward the Ten Tails.
"How are you holding up?" I ask Kakashi.
"Good. Just need some time to recover," he answers.
Suddenly, the Ten Tails pushes back with its freed tails, sending everyone flying back. I let my wings stem out my back and use them to cover myself and Kakashi from the dirt and rocks as shinobi land around us.
"I thought the Ten Tails was subdued!" Kakashi is surprised.
I open up my wings and we see the Ten Tails leap out from the hole it was in. Its bony body has now fully formed.
"Damn it!" I mutter as I look up at it.
"We have to stop that thing or else it's over for us," Kakashi says.
He then looks surprised.
"What is it?" I ask.
"It's Shikaku. He needs me for something."
We then see that the Ten Tails is forming an orb in its mouth, ready to attack.
"I can't talk to him at the moment," Kakashi says as he glances up at the Ten Tails. "My Kamui won't make it in time!"
"Let me help you!" I say. "I'll take in some of the blow with my own Kamui."
"We won't make it in time," he then turns to Captain Kitsuchi to our right. "Displace it upwards using an Earth Style technique!"
"Right!" Kitsuchi nods.
He slams his hands to the ground and a piece of the ground moves upward under the Ten Tails' foot, causing it to lose balance and shoot the purple attack upward and away. The attack lands miles away as it explodes.
"That far away?" Kakashi wonders as we look over at where the attack explodes. "It's so much greater than all the previous Tailed Beasts. What power!"
"Damn..." I mutter.
The Ten Tails forms another orb-like attack in its mouth and shoots it upward off target again. It falls on its back from the lack of balance and force from shooting the attack. The orb hits a lake miles away. Ten Tails then forms another one in its mouth and shoots it somewhere miles away and hits a city.
"Unbelievable!" I'm in shock. "Such a far-off city destroyed in an instant!"
The Ten Tails crawls forward and begins to charge an attack again.
"It's acting strange," I say. "It's aiming at farther distances."
Ten Tails shoots its diamond-like attack in a far direction again.
"That's in the direction of HQ!" I say in worry.
"They're trying to get rid of our strategists and the reason we're fighting this war," Kakashi says.
We stare off in the direction the attack is flying at as we hear Shikaku's voice in our minds again.
"Everyone! I have a plan to stop the Ten Tails!" we hear Shikaku say in our heads.
As we listen to Shikaku's words, we continue to stare at the diamond-like attack that's heading in the direction of HQ. It's as if time slowed down as we watch our HQ...Shikaku, Inoichi...about to be destroyed. We all listen carefully to Shikaku's last battle plan, his last words. After a few seconds, the attack finally reaches HQ's location and a huge explosion goes off there.
'Shikaku...Inoichi...' I think to myself.
I lower my gaze as I think of Shikamaru and Ino. My fists clench as I close my eyes and tremble at the thought of them losing their fathers.
"Like Shikaku said..." Kakashi says. "We just have to do what we have to do."
"Shikaku and Inoichi would most likely say, that as shinobi," I say. "They're glad to have died before their children... Just as my father and mother did."
Kakashi stares at my fierce gaze at Ten Tails, Madara, and Obito. He then nods. The Ten Tails then lifts its tails with hands formed at the ends and aim at the shinobi. Large, sharp wooden daggers begin to shoot out from the hands at all of us rapidly. I perform some hands signs and slam my hands to the ground, summoning a flaming wall from the ground to shield the shinobi closest around me. The sharp wooden daggers burn up upon reaching the fire wall.
"Denizu!" Kakashi calls to me.
"You need more time to recover your chakra!" I say. "I'll stop the daggers from coming!"
With that, I leap up into the air and flap my black dragon-like wings to fly high above the fire wall. I perform some hand signs and shoot an enormous ball of fire at one of the Ten Tails' tails, and continue to do the same to another to stop the daggers from shooting out. One of the tails drags itself across the ground to hit some of the shinobi, but I react quickly. I soar at the tail and begin to spin rapidly as I form my massive Flaming Dragon jutsu around my body. I push the tail back away from us and send it flying back. The other tails are causing more damage everywhere else.
'We have to do something to prevent the tails from reaching out,' I think after returning to my normal state and as I fly high up in the air, observing the battlefield.
Shinobi are strewn around the ground, impaled with the large wooden daggers. Angered at the sight, I then fly over to where Kitsuchi and Kakashi are.
"Kitsuchi! Use your Earth style to restrain the tails!" I tell him.
He listens and places his hands on the ground. From the sides of the Ten Tails, the ground rises and clamps it. Ten Tails tries to push the stone walls away and crawl out. After landing next to Kakashi and Kitsuchi, I turn my attention in the direction where Naruto is. We all see that Naruto is holding Neji in his arms.
"Is...Neji...dead?" I ask in disbelief.
"This will continue..." Obito says to Naruto. "And your flippant words and ideology shall become lies! This is the end result of hope and ideals. This is reality!"
From afar, I can see Naruto is completely distraught.
"Naruto..." Obito continues. "What is there for you in this reality? Your mother and father are gone, as well as your master, Jiraiya. And if you keep standing against us, you'll continue to lose your friends one by one. This shall become a world where no one who acknowledges you will exist."
"Obito..." Kakashi whispers.
"The only thing that awaits you..." Obito continues to say to Naruto. "Is your worst nightmare, which you know quite well... Solitude!"
I glare up at Obito at hearing his words. Naruto drops his head in despair.
"Why must you cling to reality?" Obito asks him. "Enough of this! Now join us, Naruto!"
Just then, Hinata raises her hand and slaps it on to Naruto's right cheek. She stares into Naruto's eyes as a moment of silence ensues.
"Brother Neji just said..." Hinata says as she keeps her hand on Naruto's cheek. "That you hold more than one life in your hands. Do you know what he meant? 'I'll never let my comrades die.' Neither those words nor the conviction behind them are lies! Because he was able to successfully store them in his heart, and live them out to the end! Brother Neji did! It's not just you, Naruto... We all hold those words and feelings in our hearts. They're what bind our lives together and make us comrades. If we all give up and discard those words and feelings, Neji's final act will have been for nothing. And that is when...your comrades truly die! For you are then no longer comrades. That's...how I feel."
Naruto stares at Hinata in silence, processing her words.
'Hinata...' I think as I stare at them in awe.
"So stand with me, Naruto," she continues. "Because never going back on one's word...is my Ninja Way too!"
"Enough!" Obito holds his hand out in frustration.
The Ten Tails' tails then wrap around itself and leave an opening at its mouth where it forms another chakra orb that's aiming at us.
"Recharging completed!" Bee yells as he flies with Sai on top of one of his drawn eagles.
Bee leaps off the eagle toward the orb forming in the Ten Tails' mouth. Bee then turns himself into Eight Tails and hits the Ten Tails' chakra orb with one of his own and pushes it inside the Ten Tails' mouth. After a few seconds, the Ten Tails expands as the orb explodes inside itself. It deflates and collapses on the ground as Eight Tails crashes into the ground somewhere else away. I then turn my gaze back at Naruto and see that he's taken Hinata's hand into his own and stands up with her.
"Thanks, Hinata!" he says while holding her hand. "It's all thanks to you standing by my side. And Neji... Thank you."
He then turns into his full Nine Tails chakra mode and gives Hinata some chakra which envelopes her.
"Let's do this, Hinata!" he says.
"Yeah!" she responds with a nod.
Kakashi, without taking his gaze off of them, reaches for my hand. I turn to him as we hold our hands firmly together.
"In it until the end..." he whispers to me.
"Until the very end," I nod at him.