UPDATE WOO~!
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I also do not own any of the characters within this fan fiction, save for the ones that I have claimed as my own!
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Chapter Thirty-Seven: The Ultimate Voodoo Jutsu! Haruke's Revenge!
Civilians raced through the streets for the safety buildings as shinobi ran along side them to keep them protected from the crumbling buildings and troops that now swarmed through the village, slaughtering mercilessly… However, the blades only cut down those wearing or holding the metal plated headband with the Konohagakure symbol etched deeply into it.
Blood splashed to the ground like buckets of red paint being thrown about, buildings and shops being ransacked and torn to pieces. Food was mutilated and niches ripped open, the shinobi of Konohagakure fighting hard to keep the terrorists at bay.
Seconds away from the safety homes before they were destroyed, some invisible force slamming into the side of the cliff, crushing everything and causing rubble to come sailing downwards toward screaming women and children, the men stumbling back and attempting to escape. A boulder sailed toward a family cowering in fear before several clones shot out with loud HIIIIYAAAA's, knocking the boulder into mere dust particles and the user of said clones landing on the ground, standing up straight.
"This place is no longer safe," Hatake Sayuri announced, thrusting an arm out, "Follow my brother, he'll lead you to a safer location underground!" She looked over at Sakumo, who looked up from a young boy he'd scooped up off the ground and nodded. Sakumo waved his hand up and civilians began to submerge into a crowd, following him along the sides of the cliff, his other hand raised and having blocks of rock shoot out from the side of the cliff to avoid falling rubble on the group behind him. Sayuri frowned, then her eyes flashed as she whipped around with a kunai as a couple of enemy shinobi began to move in on her.
"You guy are messing with the wrong village!" She shouted and flung the kunai at them, making them jump apart and lunge at her. Sayuri made a couple hand signs, slamming her hands into the ground before doing a back flip and causing huge stalagmites to shoot from the ground, crashing into the enemies. She skidded back, but wasted no time in hurriedly making more hand signs, thrusting her arm downwards and activating a high-pitched crackling orb of electricity in the palm of her hand. She rushed forward and threw her jutsu forward in time for it to collide through a wall and to the other side, killing another enemy.
She stood up straight, turning around to run back for Sakumo, but she felt a presence behind her, making her stiffen. She went to turn around, but a loud screech, similar to the screech Sayuri had just used, rang out and she leapt back to avoid the spray of blood as her father stepped out from behind the wall, frowning as part of his mask was ripped, his headband tilted up off his eye. Sayuri stared at him.
"Dad-"
"Keep your guard up, Sayuri. Go help Sakumo arrange the civilians."
"Right," Sayuri nodded, crouching to shoot off before she looked at her father a bit worriedly, yet at the same time determined, "Dad, please be careful. You and mom."
"We know." Kakashi replied with a light smile, then watched his daughter shoot off before he whipped around with a kunai, slamming it into an enemy's chest, only to reveal it was a water clone that splashed to the ground. Kakashi frowned, then back flipped away from the creaking, ruined building. He narrowed his eyes, scanning the surrounding areas before he heard a crack. He flipped back again, this time, upside down as he threw an array of shuriken down, catching the enemy off guard.
He landed and went to punch another in the head, but another fist shot out and assaulted it first, making him blink before raised an eyebrow.
"Kotori." He stated and turned to see his wife smirking at him, a cut running along her cheek and her salmon-colored hair a bit disheveled, but otherwise, she seemed okay.
"I'm fine," She spoke first, reaching up to wipe the blood from her cut, wincing only faintly at the sting, "I just came from the east gate and it's a bloodbath. I couldn't even get close to setting a trap there. They were already flowing in, the gates wide open. I don't get it. Why would anyone open the gates?"
"They couldn't have opened by themselves… There are probably spies around here, opening up all the gates ahead of time while we were off guard."
"Leave it to Naruto not to put enough guards on the gates." Kotori muttered bitterly, then her green eyes flashed before she whipped around at the same time Kakashi did, their backs together as several enemies seemed to creep from the shadows.
"No time to chat now," Kakashi told her as he got a kunai ready, his Sharingan brightly activated, "Stay alert and be careful."
"You too." Kotori murmured before she lunged forward, head butting an enemy to the ground before she spun around, slicing her kunai through an enemy's throat. Her foot smashed into a face, her fist swinging up into a gut and her hands weaving hand signs at almost a hundred miles an hour, allowing for stalagmites to make jagged patterns across the ground.
Kakashi slashed and kicked, his hand thrusting through bodies and tossing them aside as he ducked and dodged attacks, setting off paper bombs and using poisoned senbon to down enemies faster.
Meanwhile, not very far away, a dark-haired girl spun around, her Anbu cat mask hanging off her neck as her black cloak was cut through by a stray shuriken. She barked a curse in pain before spinning around with a kunai, stabbing an enemy in the chest harshly, screwing the weapon in before she jerked it out and kicked the enemy back. Another Anbu landed at her side, his dark hair spiky and his face smeared with blood that had the opposite alarmed for a moment.
"Kai!"
"I'm fine, Koyuki. It's not my blood. Are you all right? Haruhi told me you needed help." Kai stated, then glanced at his side in time for their son to appear before standing up straight. His blue Uchiha shirt was stained with thick globs of red blood that ran down to his white shorts, now more of a gray color from fighting. His spiky black hair was a bit longer now and Koyuki sighed a sigh of relief, reaching out to pet his hair.
"Thank goodness you're all right, both of you. Have you seen Kasumi and Akira?" She asked, frowning now as she gripped her kunai tightly. Kai nodded and pointed out toward the hospital.
"They're doing double-duty. The enemy somehow attacked the hospital after one of those bolts hit it." He explained before folding his arms over his chest. Haruhi averted his eyes toward the hospital as Koyuki groaned a little before nodding.
"Isn't it a little weird that the lightening keeps hitting important buildings?" He asked, confused, looking up at his parents. Koyuki and Kai shared curious expressions before looking back at their son.
"The gods aren't on our side this time." Koyuki said at last in a bitter tone and Kai looked at her.
"I don't think the gods have any control over what's happening- Look out!" He barked and grabbed Koyuki's shoulder and the back of Haruhi's shirt, reeling away in time for a kunai with a paper bomb attached to hit the ground. It exploded and knocked the family skidding back into another building, causing it to shudder at the impact. Haruhi coughed, waving dust out of his face and scrambling to his feet as he looked up in time for Koyuki to throw herself to her feet, using a shrieking fireball jutsu. Kai managed to stand up, holding his torso and grimacing. Haruhi looked at him in concern.
"What's wrong, dad?"
"I think I broke a couple ribs. Grab your mother, we're going to head to the hospital. It's probably the best place we can be right now. Medications, medical ninjas, etc. It may be under attack, but they won't be expecting us three to attack at once. I'll use a genjutsu to distract while your mother and you use the biggest fire jutsu you can muster."
"All right. First we have to get there." Haruhi muttered, looking up in time to see his mother step back as several enemies converged on them. Kai narrowed his dark eyes, clenching a fist before he made rapid hand signs, thrusting his hands out and twisting so a huge wall of air gathered up.
"Koyuki, duck! Haruhi, cover your ears!" Kai shouted and his family obeyed hurriedly as a high-pitched whistle cut through the air and wind rushed forward, sweeping the wailing enemy ninja away in a spray of blood. Koyuki shot to her feet and nodded to Kai and Haruhi, all three shooting off. Their feet smacked onto caving roofs and Koyuki even took the time to smash her foot down on an enemy's head before she did a flip and used a fire ball jutsu on another. As soon as they landed on the hospital roof, they were under attack as enemy shinobi crawled to the roof.
"Haruhi, now!" Kai commanded and Haruhi nodded, telling his mother the plan and earning a nod as Kai turned to face the enemies, making rapid hand signs. The opponents stopped in their tracks, stunned into silence before they're expressions became dazed. Haruhi and Koyuki wove hand signs rapidly before bringing their hands up to their mouths, creating a huge tornado of raging hot flames that began to spin faster and faster, sucking up a good chunk of the army before it whipped of into several clouds of smoke, vanishing.
The trio ran to the door, hurrying down the stairs and kicking down any enemies that came racing up the stairs to stop them. Haruhi threw open the door once he reached the bottom, wincing as he leapt over a couple bodies. Koyuki and Kai did the same, their eyes flashing up and down the hallways, almost missing the trio of enemies that were charging at them if Haruhi hadn't of activated his Sharingan while using a phoenix flower jutsu to crush all three.
Haruhi winced at the heat and raw flesh of his hand and pain behind his eyes when he heard his mother yell his name and he whipped around in time for the ceiling above them to crumble downwards. Haruhi gasped and stumbled back, almost falling over if someone hadn't of caught him under the arms. He blinked and looked up to see a pair of pale yellow eyes staring down at him, deep violet hair hanging over his left eye.
"Ketsuraku!" He exclaimed in surprise and the Tsukuyomi child heaved him to his feet, smirking. Ketsuraku wore an official Jounin uniform, his headband worn as a bandana over his head. The smile on his face was wiped off as his senses pricked. He whirled around as an enemy lunged at him from behind, but he smacked his hand into the enemy's face and swung around, slamming his fist into the man's back, ripping through his flesh and easily took up a chunk of it with his fist, licking his hand. Haruhi twitched in disgust.
"Where's Setsuna?" He asked, but as soon as he said her name, said navy-haired girl appeared beside her brother in a black shinsengumi, her katana withdrawn and ready for battle as blood dripped off the tip.
"Where're Koyuki and Kai?" She asked with a frown, glancing around. Haruhi winced and pointed to the rubble.
"On the other side. It collapsed and we were separated. What about Kasumi and Akira?" He asked, cocking his head. Ketsuraku sighed.
"Healing right now. Dad got a pretty bad hit to the stomach… And, I dunno… Mom says he'll be okay, but I can tell she's trying not to cry." He mumbled, shifting uncomfortably and making Haruhi grimace in apology. Setsuna frowned, lowering her katana.
"He'll make it, Ketsuraku. Have hope. Come on, we can't let our guards down now. There's still more fighting to do. This war isn't even half over."
"She's right," Haruhi declared after a moment of silence, making Ketsuraku look at him in surprise, "We don't have time to waste. We have work to do, let's go!"
"Right!" Ketsuraku agreed brightly with a determined grin as he clenched a fist. The three shinobi nodded and whipped around, racing down a hallway and past the lobby where enemy shinobi threatened to bust the whole front of the hospital down.
"Daisuke, watch your back!" Sora called as she ducked an attack aimed at her head before she popped back up, scarlet eyes flashing as she spun around, kicking her heel hard into the face of an approaching female enemy. A few feet away, Daisuke hit the floor on his back before rolling out of the way to avoid a smash with a battle axe before he swung himself back to his feet. He brought his foot around and kicked the man harshly in the side, sending him flying into a wall. He lowered his foot and his eyes caught an attack out the corner of his eye, but a flash of raging hot flames made him yelp and leapt out of the way.
He turned and smirked to see Yuko get to her feet, her black hair falling out of its braid and her red eyes flashing as she ducked an attack, doing a flip and using her chakra to touch her feet to the ceiling. She called out a warning before throwing a paper bomb, creating a dent in the lobby as it knocked back several enemies. She landed back on the ground in a crouch and a shadow fell over her. Her eyes widened, but her brother came bolting out of the floor above, crashing down onto the man behind her.
Yuko swung around as Toshiyuki rose to his feet, brushing the dust off his black jumpsuit with the red stripes down the side. Some dust was still floating around off his red hair, but he hardly had time to care as he smirked at Yuko before slamming his fist into a nearby attacker's face.
"Nice dent ya made in here. You almost knocked out part of the second floor." He pointed out with a wink, making Yuko scowl a little before she and Toshiyuki ducked together to avoid a swing by a giant sword. The siblings immediately split off in separate directions, Yuko making fire style hand signs while Toshiyuki wove a pretty good amount of wind style, both releasing the dragon formed jutsus at once so they crashed together around the enemy, who squealed like a pig on a barbeque.
"Nice combo!" Daisuke whistled as he slammed two enemy's heads together, dropping them to the ground limply like dirty laundry. Sora smiled lightly, but it faded as she winced.
"Kids, heads up!" She shouted, pointing and Toshiyuki and Yuko spun around in time for another flow of enemies to come purging through the doors like a flood of raging hot monsters. More blood flew and kunai clanged together violently, weapons skidding across the floor. Good thing for a certain Chuunin-vest wearing shinobi with a senbon poking past his lips.
Kin rolled across the tiled floor, avoiding little flames popping up here and there due to the lobby battle. He snatched up a stray kunai and rolled onto his back, thrusting the kunai up as an enemy attempted to belly flop on him, ultimately failing. Kin threw the man off and got to his feet, wincing as he touched the back of his head, pulling his hand away to see blood on his fingers. He sighed, shaking his head and wiping his hand on his gray shirt. He looked up as another enemy came charging at him, making him weave a stream of hand signs, reeling a hand back as black mist began to swirl and form into his palm, exploding before he threw it forward.
The black orb slammed into the enemy, causing them to blast through several walls and skid across the floor limply. Kin bit down on the end of his senbon as he felt someone coming up behind him. He whirled to slam his fist into whoever it was, but stopped an inch away with a twitch.
"Kirei! I almost knocked your head off!" He snapped at the icy-eyed kunoichi, who blinked, holding up a kunai before lowering it. She stood up straight, her silver dyed hair with an electric blue fringe tied back as blood was streaked across her albino skin. Her black tank top with mesh underneath was torn near the torso, the golden dragon around her waist stained with blood. Her knee length black shorts and ninja shoes seemed to be the only things not ruined.
In seconds, Ecchio came running up beside her, the silver bells in his snow white hair jingling. His short black vest, over the silver top, was barely hanging onto him, his pants torn more than they were before as he sported his navy blue Chuunin vest.
"Sorry," Kirei replied weakly, smiling as she lowered her kunai, "I couldn't keep my head straight. I just barely got out of a corner a while ago, adrenaline still pumping."
"So why isn't it pumping anything to your brain?" Kin asked dryly before Ecchio waved a hand for him to cool down.
"Come on, let's not waste time with this," Ecchio told them, "This hospital is still under attack and I'm already running low on chakra. I managed to wiped out a full section of an infiltration team. What about you?" Kin frowned as he reached up to adjust the senbon in his mouth.
"Holding down the front lobby with the Yagani family, they keep getting pinned down by fresh troops. I heard they were- Heads up!" He shouted, popping his senbon back into his mouth as he made hand signs. Kirei and Ecchio leapt to the sides as Kin thrust his hands forward, black funnels of mist shooting forward and knocking back a trio of enemies that had come racing down the hall with weapons drawn. They flew back, blasting through a wall before another group came around the corner. Kirei turned this time, making a hand sign before she seemed to transform, her body turning blue and liquid. She seemed to shrink for a moment until she was on all fours, her watery body rippling as she growled and lunged forward, knocking enemies back. Ecchio grimaced and looked around in time to see a couple come around another corner. Kin whipped around, glaring as one held up a jagged sword.
"I got this one," Ecchio told him and his hands moved in an unfamiliar hand sign that consisted of his hands touching together from fingertips to heels before he pointed them outwards, his gold eyes glinting and making the enemies stop, "Saimin o kakeru! I am your master and as so I command that you kill the invading enemy before taking your own lives!" The enemies twitched before bowing at the waist and taking off, attacking their own kind before their blades plunged into their own guts. Kin twitched, glancing at Ecchio, who grimaced and rubbed his temples gently.
"That was gruesome."
"Indeed, I rather of had them do something else," Ecchio mused, making Kin scowl and roll his eyes, "But there's no time for amusement or pleasure, sadly. Come on, we're still not done here. They're going to need more back up in this lobby."
"Right," Kin agreed with a nod and turned to a nearby Genin, who had thrust her foot into an enemy's face, "You! Azusa! Report to the front lines and back with a report!" The kunoichi whipped around, her teal eyes blinking widely before she nodded and whipped around, taking off down the hallway. Her black ninja shoes slapped the tiles as she leapt over bodies and ducked oncoming attacks that were detoured by other shinobi interfering to protect her. She nodded her thanks quickly with a flashed smile before she raced up the stairs out onto the rooftop, taking off in time to avoid a paper bomb attack.
She shot through the air, avoiding large fires that screamed toward the dark, rumbling sky, dodging attacks and bombs as she made her way toward the north gates that were being held wide open by some invisible force. Azusa landed in a crouch, just barely avoiding a slash to her head, her eyes flashing as she whipped around, her foot connecting with an enemy's jaw. She leapt to her feet as a group came rushing toward her. She quickly made hand signs and thrust her hand up. The ground rumbled before a fissure parted in the dirt and hot water shot from the ground, knocking the enemies high into the air.
She turned in time to see a familiar swirl of blood that whipped through the air and back, seeing Hitsuki Kiku standing up straight with her sisters, Emiko and Hikari. Nearby, Mayu had just dodged an attack, whirling around with blinding speed as she thrust her hand into an enemy's chest, knocking him clear off his feet and slamming into the side of the great wall.
More enemies converged, lunging forward like a massive tsunami wave that flooded the village in violence. Kiku ducked and dodged, whipping around to hit her foot into an enemy's face. Her hands formed hand signs rapidly as an enemy started to lunge at her, but he gasped and choked, blood dribbling from his nose and mouth and ears. He fell to his knees, tripping up another charging enemy that slammed head into the ground where Hikari stomped on it, burying his face in the dirt. Hikari smirked before whirling around as blood splattered on her deep, plum-colored shirt, her glowing hand thrusting into an enemy's chest, causing them to gasp and topple over.
The hairs on the back of her neck rose as she sensed someone nearing her from behind, so she spun around, stepping wrong and almost stumbling, almost getting attacked herself, if a flash of crimson kimono hadn't of flashed by and the enemy seemed to explode after the blood rose to his face, his eyes rolling back in his head.
"Kesshou!" Hikari exclaimed as Kesshou skidded across the dirt before popping back up to her feet, smirking.
"Sorry, I'm late! There was an attack on the way out of the academy after I got the students to safety, but I'm here. Hikari, watch your back!" She added, her eyes widening and Hikari whirled around, slamming her hand into the oncoming enemy's gut, her other hand grabbing his face in her palm. The enemy flew backwards and hit a building, causing it to groan under impact. Another enemy lunged at her from the right, but Emiko bolted over and elbowed him hard in the gut, causing him to roll through the dirt and land at Mayu's feet, where he was stomped into the dirt.
"Keep moving, don't stop," Mayu yelled over the roaring of the army and bloodshed, "Your guard must be up at all times! There are definitely more than I calculated in the beginning!" The girls nodded in agreement, whipping around to face a charging army. Blood flew up into the air before splattering to the ground, staining it red.
"Kiku, heads up!" Kesshou ordered and bit into her thumb, thrusting her hand out so the blood hit the ground at the enemy's feet, a hand sign made with her opposite hand. The blood exploded and the enemy went flying back into a group of others, knocking them to the ground so Emiko and Kiku could rush forward, throwing paper bomb kunai around the fallen ground. They leapt away and Hikari made a hand signs, smirking as the paper bombs exploded, creating a crater in the earth where the fallen enemy had once been, also knocking back another section.
The explosion sent a crack sailing through the earth and up a building where Mitsuru had just shot off of. He back flipped and landed on another roof nearby, breathing hard as he wiped blood from his face. He heard another screeching chidori pierce his ears, making him cringe in pain before looking over to see Shisui panting for air beside him.
"Shisui, stop using that! You're gonna wipe yourself out!" He managed shakily and Shisui merely shook his head, his loose hair flipping before he cracked his knuckles, though wincing as his finger slipped over a cut in them.
"I'm fine! I get my chakra control from my mom!" He called back, then reeled his fist back as a group of invaders scrambled onto the rooftop, weapons at the ready and pointed straight toward them. Shisui slammed his fist into the roof and it immediately cracked apart. Shisui and Mitsuru flipped back onto the ground as the building collapsed, taking the invaders with it under its heavy rubble. Shisui skidded across the dirt to avoid another attack from a nearing enemy before he flung his foot out, catching the man right in the chest and he went flying, flying, he probably shot all the way across the village by now.
Mitsuru ducked an attack, moved to the side sharply and caught the man's arm and twisted it behind his back before he lunged forward, biting down hard on the enemy's throat, ripping it out so blood gushed everywhere. Mitsuru hurriedly chewed up the meat, eating as he kicked another screaming enemy in the gut. He ended up with his back to Shisui, who was panting as he held onto a pair of double-edged kunai.
"Mitsuru, I haven't worked this hard since that time we got locked in my basement." He laughed weakly and Mitsuru laughed in return as a group of enemies surrounded them, several with heavy thick battle axes and others with poisoned katanas, all their eyes narrowed sharply.
"You're so lazy," Mitsuru managed with a wicked smirk as he withdrew a kunai, "Let's make a bet, huh?"
"I love betting."
"I know. I bet that I can take all these losers down, eat them all, before you can."
"What do I get if you lose?"
"… I'll let you tackle me anyway you want," Mitsuru retorted, rolling his Sharingan eyes before locking them on an enemy, "But if I win, you have to cut your hair."
"What? That is sooo unfair, little Mitsuru! If this is a fight for my hair and for a kiss, then I'm not wasting any time!" Shisui cried and made a quick stream of hand signs, making Mitsuru wince and flail a bit comically, but he didn't stop Shisui as he slammed his fists into the ground. Fissures tore through the ground at lightening speed, glowing brightly as they shot forward, then spun in a circle, taking out all the enemies, one by one and causing them to either go flying or be sucked into the trench, that swallowed in on itself. Mitsuru sweat dropped, reeling away in shock.
"B-But I never said get ready, set, go! You cheated!" He accused as Shisui turned to him with a devious grin on his face.
"Ah, ah, ah, little Mitsuru! You can't get away from me this time, you swore!"
"Ah, damn it!" Mitsuru shouted and yelped as Shisui tackled him to the ground, hugging him tightly and kissing on his cheek. Mitsuru groaned and squirmed in Shisui's grip, feeling his face grow red hot as Shisui held onto him, his strawberry lip-gloss tainted lips pressing on his cheeks, his nose, his eyes, even his lips at once point!
"Gross, Shisui!"
"Squeeeee! You're so freaking adorable!" Shisui sang happily as he dragged Mitsuru up to his feet in his arms. Mitsuru choked and gagged for air as Shisui hooked an arm around his neck, holding him tight.
"Air! Air, Shisui! AIR!"
"You want me to do mouth to mouth? Okay!"
"NO!"
"Quit fooling around," A voice barked, making them both jump and whirl to see Ruriko hop off the edge of a building, landing in a crouch, "Shisui, I love that you and Mitsuru are so close, but now isn't the time to be fantasizing!"
"Sorry, auntie." Shisui pouted and let go of Mitsuru, who flailed dramatically and panted for air. Ruriko sighed, shaking her head before her lavender eyes flashed and she whirled around, slamming her fist into a creeping enemy's face. She looked at Mitsuru seriously, her fists clenched.
"Mitsuru, you know why this is happening, right?" She demanded. Mitsuru grimaced, rubbing his neck before looking at his mother, frowning.
"It's Haruke, isn't it? He's using a jutsu to make all this happen." He muttered. Ruriko nodded grimly as Shisui cringed, clenching his fists tightly.
"Yes. Lord Hokage summoned your father and I. I think he's already there, I can only hope. You be careful, Mitsuru. Be very careful and find Manabu and Miwa. You three, and Shisui and Nakusu, take up position at the Hokage's residence. It's safest to be near Naruto." She explained.
"Why is that?" Shisui and Mitsuru asked quizzically, but Ruriko merely shook her head and walked over, kissing Shisui on the forehead and giving him a quick hug. She turned to Mitsuru and ruffled his hair before hugging him tightly, her lips touching against his cheek. She pulled away with a cocked brow.
"Keep that lip-gloss on your face too, maybe you can kill your enemies by making them laugh to death."
"MOOOOM!" Mitsuru wailed on embarrassment, his face burning up. Shisui giggled sheepishly as Mitsuru flashed him a glare. Ruriko nodded before shooting off in the direction of the Hokage's residence. Her long black hair whipped around behind her, her jacket flapping in the smoky wind as she flipped over rubble and went around hot flames that seemed to dot the village in a fiery hellish array.
She landed on the steps of the residence, ready to go in when a kunai shot into the wall near her head. She gasped and leapt away as she saw a paper bomb flutter from it. She grabbed it quickly and whirled, throwing it as far as she could, glaring as she faced a group of little terrorists glaring up at her and smirking wickedly.
"Little brats," Ruriko sneered bitterly, clenching her fists, "You come here acting so high and mighty, when you're nothing but spoiled little rats! If it's a war you want, it's a war you're gonna get!" Her fishnet gloved hands spun several hand signs before her hands thrust out as the enemies rushed forward uncaringly. Electricity shrieked through the air and began to shoot through the air toward them in an array of spider web designs, exploding on anything it touched.
Ruriko reeled her hands back and whirled around to disappear into the residence, but a powerful grip caught her hair, making her gasp around in pain as she lost her footing, stumbling back and hitting the ground. Colorful dots danced across her vision before it focused on an older looking shinobi, an enemy for sure dressed in a Kirigakure Jounin outfit. She started to jerk forward, then yelped in pain when she realized the bastard had used her hair to tie her back against one of the railings.
"Nice hair, woman! It comes in handy!" He roared with laughter. Ruriko gritted her teeth, feeling tears prick her eyes. Goddamn it, thirty-two years… It's taken me thirty-two years to get my hair as long as my mom's was… I can't cut it… She thought miserably as she glared at the man.
"You think you can get away from me? You're a fucking coward!" She barked. The man snarled viciously at her and picked up a kunai from his weapons pouch, tying a paper bomb to it as a dirty grin spread across his face. He slammed the kunai into the ground between Ruriko's ankles before he lunged inside the building.
"Enjoy the underworld, woman!" He yelled over his shoulder and the paper bomb caught fire in that instant, flicking about. Ruriko's eyes widened and she hurriedly fumbled into her weapon's pouch. She tore out a kunai, then stopped to stare at her reflection. She gritted her teeth.
"I'm sorry." She seethed, then shut her eyes tightly and reached behind her, dragging the blade of her kunai through her hair. She lunged forward, freeing herself. She snatched up the kunai and flung it through the air into another building, turning to stare at the pile of inky black hair that lay in a mass of knots on the stair's steel railing. She looked down at her kunai, her hand reaching behind her to grab what was left of her hair. It was now cut in a choppy, sloppy fashion at her shoulders with much longer strands flailing about. She whirled around, throwing the kunai down before rushing into the residence.
She hurried up the stairs, throwing doors closed behind her every step of the way, throwing wire traps in every direction she could before she reached the Hokage's main door, where a group of Anbu were waiting in stiff positions, their masks staring at her. She gritted her teeth and they stepped aside, letting Ruriko lunge in to find Naruto punching out the glass pane in his window while Itachi watched with a frown from near the door. They both turned to see her, eyes going wide.
"Ruriko." Itachi stated and she knew he was questioning what hell she'd gone through to arrive, but she shook her head.
"It was just hair." She managed, although, her heart was still aching for 'just her hair'. Naruto grimaced and slammed his hands down on his desk.
"We know for sure this is all Haruke's doing. I sent Mitasu and Roku after a spy for Haruke in the village. They're tracing him as we speak. I want you two to grab a couple of headsets and get out there as fast as you can and stop whatever's going on… This is probably the worst attack on the village since Kotaro's. You need to hurry." He commanded. Ruriko blinked as Naruto tore some headsets out of his desk, walking forward and handing it to them. They nodded as Naruto turned toward the window, stepping onto the sill.
"I'm going to protect my village," Naruto stated, a gust of smoky hot air billowing in and causing his cloak to ruffle, his gold hair blowing, "You two do the same."
"Yes, Lord Hokage." Ruriko and Itachi murmured in unison before turning and heading out the door.
In the Dark
Haruke laughed and threw another rock down at the village, watching as the voodoo dolls seemed to take on a life of their own. They're small figures ran about the village, even the sounds of the screams and destruction rising up. It was like watching television, only much, much more real.
"Such cocky shinobi," Haruke mocked as he brought his fist down on top of a building, crushing it to the ground, watching as a couple of dolls were swallowed underneath, "You thought you could handle anything, hm? Well, watch me now because even your pathetic Hokage can't rescue you!" He watched as the voodoo doll of Naruto lunged out of the Hokage's residence. Haruke grinned and reached into his pocket, pulling out a small firecracker and dropping it right on the residence, causing it to explode in sharp crackles as pieces flew everywhere. Haruke happily ignored a piece that struck him under the eye, leaving a small red cut. He stepped away and laughed to himself again.
"You're all hopeless! Running around and trying to defend from an enemy you can't even see! If you think those troops are bad, you're sadly mistaken!" He shouted down at it, knowing that the village would only hear it as vicious thunder. He smirked to himself and folded his arms over his chest before someone ran into the room, Naoki who was caked with blood, gasping for air.
"Haruke-sama, the Chuunin and Jounin after the spy are here and they're breaking past the guards that we set up! That Jounin, Roku, he's insane! He's eating-"
"What?" Haruke demanded in annoyance, glaring at him out the corner of his eye. Naoki gulped, twiddling his fingers.
"R-Roku, sir! He's eating the guards out there and it's like he's getting stronger and stronger! He's also got a headset and-and…! Your parents are coming here! Right now!" He cried and flinched as a deathly glint shown in Haruke's narrowed dark blue eyes. Haruke turned to him and Naoki took a nervous step back.
"Well, then… What the FUCK are you doing here, you idiot? Get out of here and go out there, kill them! Where the hell are Hageshii and Zakuro? Set them at the front and kill those fools!"
"Everyone?"
"Ev-… No, just Roku and the Chuunin." Haruke managed, stiffening. Naoki blinked and looked at him, confused.
"And your parents?" He asked. Haruke glared at him.
"Do what I said and get out of here, kill only Roku and the Chuunin!"
"Y-Yes, Haruke-sama." Naoki managed and bolted from the room, slamming the door shut behind him. Haruke turned back to the model, his eyes slightly wide in annoyance, confusion, and surprise.
They're coming back…? I told them to leave… Isn't the jutsu working anymore? Goddamn it… Why won't they stay away? He thought, clenching his fists as he stood over the model, watching the chaos take place in a hellish invasion. Haruke stared, his eyes moving around as he watched families become nothing, but crushed fabric under ruined buildings. Shinobi fall to their knees in attempts to protect civilians that were still out in the open or caught under the rubble. He even caught sight of Mitsuru and Shisui moving toward the Hokage residence where he saw a familiar pair of dolls, racing away in the other direction. Haruke's eyes widened.
"They really are coming…" He murmured as he watched his parents run toward the nearest exit, his eyes flicked over as he watched the voodoo dolls of Miwa and Manabu defend their newly built home, now being crushed for the second time by enemy attack, his eyes watching one of his own troops lunge with a fatal attack at Manabu. Haruke's eyes flashed and he glared, reaching out and grabbing the attacking doll, that seemed to scream in his tight grip. He threw the doll against the wall, watching it slid down and go limp. The dolls of Miwa and Manabu seemed to share looks before they were being attacked again. Haruke frowned, clenching his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white.
Damn it. Even after this, Manabu… And Miwa. Mitsuru. Shisui, Nakusu. Koyuki, Kai, and Haruhi… My parents. They're still doing this even after everything I said to Manabu and I know Manabu told them… He thought as he watched the bloodshed and slaughter continue. Another surge of anger rushed through him as he watched another group of attacking shinobi charge for the twins again.
"Goddamn it, didn't you learn your lessons?" He snapped angrily and reached out, slamming his fist down on the ground so they were smashed into the ground. Haruke frowned again before his expression seemed to soften, slowly, but surely.
I'm an idiot. A really big idiot… All those years of planning, I was confident that I'd be able to destroy every single shinobi in Konohagakure, then move on to all the hidden villages, crushing every shinobi that ever existed, but what am I thinking? I'd be wiping out more than half the population on this planet… And killing my parents is already going to be hard enough… No, it would be hard… If I wanted to do it. Jeez, I'm being such a coward… He realized as he stared at the mass hysteria occurring in front of him, his eyelids glowing a bit lazy in sudden fatigue. He sighed.
"I can't do it." He said at last, then blinked in surprise at himself. His left eye was growing a bit blurry and he wondered for a moment if he was going blind, at a time like this, but he reached up and touched his eye, pulling his hand away to see a crystal tear run down his finger. He stared.
Everyone says crying hurts… I'm glad I can't feel it… Feel. That's right. All this time, they kept pushing me away, keeping me locked up, not because they hated me, were ashamed of me… They were scared. They didn't want me to get hurt… They didn't want to lose me, but now that they have, they're not going to give up until I'm back, locked up… But I hated that! I hated it! It wasn't protecting me, locking me up in that stupid house! Making me go to the doctor's every time to make sure I didn't have some stupid fever that I couldn't even tell I had! When I heard Mitsuru was getting into the Ninja Academy, I got excited… I didn't show it, I just told him fine whatever because I thought I was going to be the next one to be in the academy. I'd easily catch up to him and become a shinobi, just like my parents, my uncles, my aunts, my cousins, all the friends I thought I'd have some day, but it never happened… When I was properly diagnosed by that old lady Tsunade, they told me no. They said I could never become a ninja, they weren't going to let me be like them just because I couldn't feel if I was getting hurt, how dangerous it was… They treated me like the plague, not like I had a handicap!
Haruke ignored the tears and sighed, closing his eyes.
But that's exactly what I'm doing… I'm treating shinobi like the plague. After they told me I couldn't be one of them, I hated them. I always insulted Mitsuru, telling him he was worthless for becoming a shinobi. When he passed the Genin exams, he was happy and he came running home to tell our parents, everyone. I was the only one that told him he was going to be nothing, but a cold-hearted murderer… I told Manabu and Miwa the same thing when they entered the academy and I had to sit at home. Whenever a ninja came by to talk to our parents, I would slam the door shut in their face. If I found a headband, I'd burn it. If I found a kunai, I'd dull the blade until it broke. Wherever the symbol 'shinobi' was, I ruined it because I hated them. By pushing them away, I was lowering myself, deeper and deeper until I reached a dark pit in the ground, so I was looking up at that one thing… That one symbol…
Shinobi.
"I can't do it." Haruke murmured at last and let go of the rock he had picked up in his fist, letting it hit the ground. He reached out, closing the east gates. He closed the west and the south gates. He grabbed handfuls of enemy dolls, gritting his teeth as he threw them out before he reached for the north gate when it happened, the sound of a door creaking, only a few footsteps and…
He froze, his eyes wide as blood seemed to shoot out of nowhere, spraying out in a fan and drenching the model of the village. For a moment, he thought he had hit his hand on something when he was pulled back a bit, his legs shaking. He looked down to see a black, fingerless gloved hand with a fishnet palm, thrust right through the space beneath his chest and just above his gut. The fist unclenched for a moment and he tried to suck in a breath, but nothing happened. He sucked again, his lungs quivering and tightening, scrunching in an attempt to gain air. Haruke looked up, his body jerking as the hand ripped out. He struggled to stay standing, but his legs gave out and he fell to his knees.
Behind him, Hageshii stood in all his glory, his bloodied arm held up as blood stained his attire. He wore a cruel expression of dominance and murder as he lowered his arm, watching as Haruke fell onto his side in front of the north gates of the model.
"I told you," Hageshii sighed before smirking as he looked down at Haruke's unblinking, wide dark blue eyes, the color slowly fading from them, "I'm not a lapdog and I don't sit by and let little brats like you tell me what to do, underestimate my skills like that… You're a stupid, worthless little brat. You might have gained some respect from me had you killed your stupid parents in the first place… You're a pretty sad display now, lying there in your own blood… Oh, and would you look at that? Your village also seemed to be caked in your blood, such a nice sight. Well, if you'll excuse me, I should tell your little minions that you've been killed." Hageshii turned on his heel, laughing out loud as he walked out the door, slamming it shut behind him.
Haruke managed to suck in a shuddering breath, his arm outstretched toward the north gate, his fingers twitching. His lungs tensed, tightened. Blood dribbled past his lips, sputtering to the ground as Haruke's fingers inched forward, blood smearing across the ground of the model. He caught the edges of the gates, closing them slowly before he choked, blood gurgling from the gaping, shredded hole at the center of his torso.
Haruke gasped wetly as blood bubbled up in his throat and he choked again, letting the glob burst out and spray on the now closed north gates. That breath was his last as the light faded from Haruke's eyes and his fingers stopped twitching, screwing up a symbol for the jutsu on the ground. His body went still in death, his blank eyes staring straight ahead at the gates.
"My, my, my," A voice murmured sadly, a pair of footsteps scuffing across the ground from Haruke's bedroom, "I really do hate seeing such a young Uchiha perish… He's about the third or fourth of his kind…" A swirled orange and black mask seemed to glow in the dim light of the room, his Akatsuki cloak dragging with him. Beside him, Kaoru appeared, the hood of his Akatsuki cloak pulled up so only his lazy, lilac eyes were visible as they stared at the corpse of his cousin before he muttered bitterly,
"Looks like Uchiha Haruke was defeated."
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A/N: Not much to say about this chapter, just thanks so much for reading, hope the characters are okay, and your reviews are greatly appreciated!