I do not own Naruto Shippuden or any of the characters.
Final Assault
Naruto groaned and opened his eyes seeing Guren kneeling over him.
"I take my headache to mean that we survived," Naruto groaned sitting up. "Where are we?"
"By the lake," Guren sighed. "That's all I know. I don't recognize this area."
Naruto looked around and saw they were in what appeared to be a section where a massive blast had gone off and Naruto could swear one of the massive boulders sticking up in the middle of it right beside him was a piece of the Three-tails shell.. He looked over at the lake and saw the Three-tails' mist had covered the majority of it except a small section where there was a dark brown smoke beside the Seal that the Sealing Team had made.
Just as he saw this, a column of chakra shot into the clouds and Naruto's eyes widened.
"Oh no, he's using his powers!" Guren gasped.
"I take it he's not just helping the Sealing Team?" Naruto pleaded.
"No," Guren stated.
Naruto sighed and they both sprinted out onto the lake and toward Yukimaru. After a few minutes, Guren stopped and called out to Naruto to do the same.
"What is it Guren?" Naruto questioned.
"It's just...will I...will I be forgiven?" Guren questioned. "When Yukimaru finds out I killed his parents, will he forgive me?"
"Don't worry about that now," Naruto stated jumping over to him. "Regardless of whether or not he forgives you, even if he hates you, just focus on him. Focus on protecting him. On keeping him happy. If he hates you, that shouldn't matter as long as you know he's safe."
"You're right," Guren nodded after a moment. "And right now, he needs me to protect him."
"Then let's go," Naruto smirked and they took off running again.
They traveled as fast as they could and by the time they arrived, the seal was completely underwater and the smoke was gone but Yukimaru was running out of chakra. Rinji had a syringe and was about to inject a drug into Yukimaru's arm. Guren created and hurled a crystal shard the size of a senbon, smashing the syringe and making Rinji jump back.
"Is he okay?" Naruto questioned as Guren caught Yukimaru who wasn't moving.
"Yukimaru!" Guren cried. "Snap out of it!"
After a moment hiss eyes focused and he turned toward her.
"Guren," Yukimaru muttered. "You came back? It's because, I was thinking about you. Whoever is thinking about you, that's where you come back too."
"Yes," Guren smiled. "That's right. I promised I'd come back. Didn't I?"
"Yes," Yukimaru smiled. "You're my home. Th only place I can come back to...that will welcome me with open arms."
Rinji suddenly laughed and Naruto narrowed his eyes at him.
"At this rate, you're right," Rinji sneered. "Guren is the only place you can run back to. After all, your mother's not around anymore is she?"
"You've said enough," Naruto growled drawing a pair of kunai.
"Actually I wasn't quite finished yet," Rinji spat. "Yukimaru! Listen to me!"
"Shut the hell up!" Naruto ordered.
"It's alright, Naruto," Guren sighed. "We have to face the truth. You taught me that."
"So you're prepared then," Rinji sneered. "How noble of you. Listen up Yukimaru. One person destroyed the place you used to call home. The same person who turned that camellia red with your mother's blood. The person responsible for killing your mother, is GUREN! She seemed so nice but Guren is really a demon. She hid the truth about killing your mother and pretended to be your friend just to use you. She's been using you this whole time. How does it feel? Don't you loathe her? Don't you want to kill her yourself? Well no one's going to stop you. As if anyone could! Do it! Use the Three-tails to vent your anger! Command the Three-tails to destroy everything in your sight!"
Just as he began to laugh, Naruto slammed his fist into Rinji's stomach, launching him to the edge of the cliff.
"Shut the FUCK UP!" Naruto shouted.
"Guren?" Yukimaru questioned pleadingly.
"Yukimaru," Guren muttered ashamed. "I'm sorry but everything he told you about me is the truth."
"My turn to talk," Naruto growled. "It's true. Guren has done countless horrible things in the name of Orochimaru. She's not the only one. But I'm telling you, Guren has changed. She loves you, Yukimaru. She regrets everything she has done and she wants to make it up to you. She's willing to die to make up for what she's done."
Yukimaru turned toward Guren silently asking if Naruto was right.
"No matter what I tell you, or what I do, I realize it won't erase all of the pain I've cause in your life," Guren muttered. "If you want me to die for what I've done, I won't stand in your way. But if you could forgive me...I would...I swear I'll protect you forever."
"Guren," Yukimaru smiled pulling out a crystallized camellia and simply smiling at her.
"Yukimaru..." Guren breathed. "Are you saying that you don't despise me?"
"You're a good person," Yukimaru smiled. "Why would I? We have a connection. You're the one I can return to. And don't you see? I'm the one you can return to Guren."
"Do you mean..." Guren trailed off as tears rolled down her eyes. "I promise that I will always keep thinking about you and I will never leave your side again."
"And you will never leave my thoughts either," Yukimaru promised. "That's my promise. From this day forward. Forever."
Guren pulled out the charm Yukimaru had given her and smiled.
"I love you," Yukimaru smiled. "And I always will."
"I love you too," Guren smiled hugging Yukimaru.
"What a complete farce," Rinji laughed. "You weaklings can all get lovey dovey. But a stupid bond like that will be broken before you know it."
He suddenly spun, hurling scalpels and Naruto began blocking them with his kunai, not having enough time to form a barrier. After a second, he lost his kunai and blocked one headed for Yukimaru with his arm. He pulled it out and threw it back, placing a cut on Rinji's cheek. However, in stead of bleeding, the cut began to peel. After a moment, he reached up and pulled the mask he was wearing off revealing Kabuto.
"I knew it," Naruto growled. "Kabuto."
"If you interfere, I'll kill you," Kabuto warned.
"Worked out well last time didn't it?" Naruto grinned.
"What did you do to Rinji?" Guren demanded.
"I added him to my collection quite a while ago," Kabuto stated.
"Come again?" Naruto questioned.
"He turned out to be useless," Kabuto stated. "He wanted to be Orochimaru's right hand. We couldn't have that."
"Was this all a part of your plan?" Naruto questioned.
"It was," Kabuto nodded. "Orochimaru is quite impressive. Everything has played out the way he predicted. He knew that Yukimaru and Guren would grow to care for each other. And if that bond was broken, Yukimaru would unleash his power through rage. or so we thought. But even after finding out the truth about Guren, Yukimaru didn't react as we expected. Why?Why!?"
Naruto glared at him, hand slowly drifting toward his Double-Edged Sword's grip.
"The Human heart truly is unpredictable," Kabuto snickered.
"Bastard!" Naruto spat drawing his sword. "Time for you to die!"
He swung his sword and sent a wave of energy at Kabuto. As Kabuto moved to dodge the first, Naruto swung the other Double-Edged Sword and blasted him into a tree.
"Where do you get off toying with their feelings?" Naruto demanded. "People's feelings are not something to toy with! What are you people after?"
"This isn't about the Leaf or the Akatsuki," Kabuto snickered darting forward and fighting Naruto with a pair of scalpels like kunai. "Soon, the entire world will be drawn into a violent struggle. Orochimaru wants to see that pure turbulence. For that reason, we needed Yukimaru and the Three-tails."
"What do you mean?" Naruto questioned before Kabuto grinned at Yukimaru. "Guren! Take Yukimaru and leave!"
"Right," Guren nodded.
Kabuto ran forward but Naruto blasted the ground in front of him and he leapt backward.
"Where do you think you're going?" Naruto demanded. "We're not done!"
Kabuto backed up grinning and unrolled a scroll, biting his thumb and wiping his blood across a seal on the scroll.
"Dead Soul Jutsu!" Kabuto said before throwing the scroll after Guren.
As it hit the ground, smoke shot up around it and the scroll was replaced by Rinji.
"Guren," Rinji sneered drawing a kunai and staggering to one side then the other.
"Rinji," Guren breathed before Rinji shot forward slashing at her.
She dodged sideways and he removed a few hairs before stopping as she backed away, setting Yukimaru down. She started walking forward and Yukimaru caught her arm.
"I promised," Guren smiled. "I'll protect you no matter what."
Then, she brushed his hand off and shoved him backward, creating a crystal shield around him to keep him safe.
"Guren!" Yukimaru shouted.
"It's alright," Guren smiled. "I'll be back. Just wait there."
"Don't go!" Yukimaru shouted. "You're the only place I can return to!"
Rinji began sprinting forward and Guren made several hand seals as crystal encased his legs. Rinji put his kunai away and made one hand seal as bats flew past him and the crystal shattered freeing him.
"What!?" Guren gasped.
"It's useless," Rinji sneered. "Crystals are formed when identical polyhedrons combine in equal patterns. When the crystals are materializing, my bats halt the process by vibrating the air with ultrasonic frequencies. So you see, your Crystal Style was never a match for me."
The bats flew forward, surrounding her and she held her hand up, forming a Jade Crystal Blade but it smashed instantly.
"I told you it's useless," Rinji sneered.
"You're annoying even when you're dead," Guren muttered.
Suddenly, the crystal shield around Yukimaru exploded as the bats swarmed Yukimaru. Guren flew away from Yukimaru, landing hard in front of Rinji.
"Well so much for Guren, now for you," Rinji stated as the bats left Yukimaru.
Guren, who was still wounded and now was almost out of chakra, pushed herself up to her knees and forearms and began coughing up blood. Rinji walked out to his bats and formed two hand seals, the bats instantly swarming around Yukimaru again.
"No you don't," Guren growled standing before darting over to Rinji and pinning one arm behind him. "I swore to protect him with my life!"
"Guren!" Yukimaru cried.
"Your crystals are useless," Rinji sneered. "You can't kill someone who's already dead."
He tried to form hand seals but she held his arm in place while catching his other wrist.
"You can't control your bats like this can you?" Guren hissed. "Crystal Style..."
Crystal began to form over both of their feet and Rinji's eyes widened.
"Go to Hell," Guren growled as the crystal covered them both.
Just as it finished, Naruto, who had just blasted Kabuto into the trees looked down and froze.
"Guren!" Naruto shouted.
The crystal began to fall, sitting on the edge of the cliff and Yukimaru rushed to hold it up. After a moment, he fell to the side and the crystal fell off the cliff.
"Don't leave me!" Yukimaru screamed.
As the crystal crashed down in the water, pieces flew in every direction but most sunk below the water. Yukimaru held up the crystallized camellia and saw cracks spiderwebbing across it.
"The jutsu's been broken," Kabuto breathed stepping out of the woods. "Impossible."
"No," Naruto breathed. "Guren. You swore to protect Yukimaru. What happens to him now?"
Just then Yukimaru's chakra began to shoot into the sky and the Three-tails instantly began to rage and thrash against the seal he was now inside. Yukimaru's skin turned red and his eyes a pure white as the Three-tails fought to break free and Kabuto could only grin. Suddenly, the Three-tails leapt out of the water, sending a blast of chakra up to the top of the seal where it smashed through instantly.
Then, the Three-tails shot into the air out of the water again, this time crashing down on what Naruto could swear was a massive body of water with the three ninja that Kakashi and Team Kurenai had fought four or five times now.
"They're still alive?" Naruto snorted. "Bastards don't know when to quit."
Then, the Three-tails began to swim toward Yukimaru.
"It's here," Naruto breathed as it reached the cliff.
"Not quite the way we expected but it worked all the same," Kabuto sneered walking over. "Losing Guren unleashed the forces within him. I never realized that the feeling of belonging could be so powerful."
"Yukimaru stop it!" Naruto shouted jumping down to him. "You've gotta-"
He stopped when his hand touched the chakra shooting off Yukimaru and was burned.
"Yukimaru!" Naruto shouted pressing his hands against the chakra that seemed to be as solid as a barrier. "You've gotta stop! It's me! Naruto!" No good. He's not listening. If I could just...get through...this...
He was launched back and slammed into the cliff, forming a crater before falling to the ground. Yukimaru soon collapsed as well but the chakra continued to shoot into the sky. The Three-tails, now in a full frenzy, turned around and blasted a massive cliff into rubble before launching several blasts to random points on the shore opposite them.
"That's right!" Kabuto laughed. "Kill them! Kill them all!"
Naruto stood after a moment and walked around Yukimaru, moving to face the Three-tails as Kabuto left.
"I've gotta stop this thing," Naruto growled. "Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
He created hundreds of himself who all rushed forward carrying one or two of his Three Clone Squad's weapons. Before they could even get there, the Three tails destroyed them all with his tails without even looking.
"Damn," Naruto growled. "Can't fight the normal way. And since I can't get close enough to use the Rasenshuriken, I'll have to get some help."
As the Three-tails turned toward them, Naruto summoned Gamatatsu and Gamakichi who both looked at the Three-tails as their already enormous eyes grew.
"Tell me that's not the...Three-tailed Beast Brother," Gamatatsu pleaded.
"It looks to me like things have gotten a little bit out of hand around here," Gamakichi stated.
"Yeah," Naruto nodded. "Gamatatsu, we'll have to use our new jutsu to fight him."
"Right," Gamatatsu nodded turning toward the Three-tails.
"Hold on a minute!" Gamakichi said. "Use your heads! Your opponent lives in a lake, for crying out loud. Water Style Jutsus will never be able to beat a Water Style opponent!"
Just then the Three-tails blasted the cliff they were on.
"It's a moot point if we don't hurry," Naruto growled. "My Wind Style Chakra...wait...that's it! Gamakichi, what style chakra do you have?"
"Fire, why?" Gamakichi questioned. "Oh wait, we could use a Fire Style jutsu!"
"No," Naruto sighed after a moment. "It wouldn't work. Fire Style is inferior to Water Style."
"Not if we can make it so intense that it evaporates any water," Gamakichi grinned. "Gamatatsu, go back to the village. You have one minute to fill your belly with as much Toad Oil as you can. Get going!"
"Right," Gamatatsu said before leaving.
"I get it," Naruto grinned. "Me and Gamatatsu fire the toad oil in place of water and you light it on fire. Brilliant idea."
Naruto counted to sixty then resummoned Gamatatsu standing behind him.
"Ready?" Naruto questioned.
"Whenever you are," Gamakichi confirmed.
"Aim for his eye," Naruto ordered placing his hand on Gamatatsu's back as the Three-tails began to charge a blast of water. "Wind Style, Toad Flame Bomb!"
Gamatatsu unleashed a stream of oil that hit the Three-tails' own stream of water and Gamakichi instantly lit it on fire. For a moment it had no effect before the Three-tails' jutsu was evaporated and the flames shot forward hitting the Three-tails in the face before covering him, making his roar in pain.
"Woo! We did it!" Gamatatsu cheered. "Way to go Brother."
"Yeah, you weren't bad either," Gamakichi sighed reluctantly.
Finally, the Three-tails retreated underwater and disappeared as Gamakichi and Gamatatsu both returned home. Naruto ran over to Yukimaru and stopped. After a moment, the chakra finally faded and he walked over, kneeling beside the boy. He checked for a pulse as Yukimaru dropped his crystallized camellia and Naruto put it back in Yukimaru's hand then rested the hand on Yukimaru's chest as he picked him up. Come on Yukimaru, let's go home."
He turned and walked away from the cliff, taking Yukimaru to find the others.
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