Author's Note: Sup guys.
-Another big chapter! Provided I have the time, I'm able to write 10,000 words in 4 days, meaning I can keep this pace up, hopefully even when school starts back up. Do you know what this means? It means the same amount updates, but with TWICE the content. Sure, we may blow through Books faster as a whole, but it's more to read at once! Hurray!
-This is entirely battle scenes, except for the very beginning. As I have said before, I need a lot of feedback on battles, so if there's something you thought was weird or off, let me know! Sort of related to that, we're almost at fucking 1,000 reviews! Hmmm, I wonder if we can make it there before the finale? wink wink.
-Like I said last time, my wisdom teeth were taken out, but it was extremely surprising at how well I reacted to it. I didn't have any swelling or pain, even when I occasionally neglected my meds! That's why this chapter is here for your enjoyment now instead of 4 days later, haha.
I don't really have much else to say, so here are the songs you'll need to look out for. Remember, go ahead and open them, and play them when you see the corresponding number. I haven't seen any complaints yet, so I'm going to assume that this system is better. We've got some fight songs, bitches!
(1) /watch?v=Rj0F7_BKERU
(2) /watch?v=I708kypFGHY
(3) /watch?v=HNTQzUSuO5k
On with the chapter! I think that's everything. Big thanks to OGAFazer89AC for helping me out with the chapter, like always! They wouldn't be near as good without his help!
Book Two: Chapter 32 - Fierce Battles! Race to Stop The Puppet King!
Tobi had returned from his trip to the Sand in a foul mood. Raiā Uzumaki had been taken from him through the cunning of Gaara, their current Kazekage. That infernal child somehow knew Tobi had been behind Monzaemon's attack on the village, and even if he hadn't, he chose the right precaution to take, by stealing him away to who-knows-where.
Raiā had been his only source of easily accessible information for the location of other Uzumaki clan members. They were a secretive lot, but he had always known Raiā to be the paranoid type. He would have had plenty of helpful information for tracking them down, and shared no love for the rest of his clan. Raiā would have easily parted with that information, but now it was out of reach.
If Gaara was smart, and he was, he would send the Uzumaki prisoner back to the Leaf, where security became a much bigger problem. Unlike the Sand, Konoha's defenses would make it difficult to infiltrate and steal their prisoner, even with his help. If he managed to find Raiā in the first place, they would most likely kill him rather than let him be taken by the enemy.
His plans had taken a turn for the worse, but Tobi was a patient man, if anything. There were still many ways to achieve his goals, but there would be a considerable amount of effort and time to be put into these more unorthodox methods. Months or even years of establishing spy networks in all the major and minor countries of the world was the only way Tobi was going to root out the rest of this Uzumaki plague upon the world. Kisame had already embarked to the Land of Water, to start such a network in his former country. He hadn't been too keen on going home, but he was loyal if anything, and went without too much objection. In the meantime, Tobi and Zetsu would prepare for other such networks back at their base.
Their return to the Mountain's Graveyard had not gone unnoticed. The Uchiha brat could see that Tobi had failed in his task, and relished the thought with a disgusting smile. It made Tobi want to put a kunai through his gut.
"No luck, then?" Sasuke asked, sneering. "I can't say I'm surprised."
Tobi held his temper in check. A difficult task. "There were…unforeseen variables. My plans have been delayed, not destroyed, Sasuke. It would be wise to learn the difference."
Sasuke's smile disappeared. "Maybe if you had taken me along, you would have had better luck."
He was eager to prove himself, Tobi could see that. What he questioned was why. Why would this child be so willing to help him with his plans, when he was not even fully aware of what they were? What's more, the child's usual pompous and arrogant attitude made this sudden change of heart very concerning.
But Tobi was an opportunist. He saw the chance to manipulate the boy even further, and leapt at it. "Perhaps you are right. I may have underestimated your skills. Raiā was more powerful than we originally thought; it is not so outrageous to think the same of my own goals."
He bid for Sasuke to follow him through one of the cave's many tunnels. "Tell me, why do you wish to help me? What are you looking for?"
"Because they mean the death of the Leaf Village," Sasuke said, as if it were obvious. "That's all I want. I if I have to work with you to achieve that goal, so be it. The faster you finish your own, the sooner I can get to mine."
Tobi nodded. "You are right, and there are things you can do to help me. Things that will cripple the Leaf village, as well as the other Five Great Nations. Things that will slate your thirst for revenge."
Sasuke frowned. "If they do not concern Konoha directly, you'll have to try a little harder to get me to help. I may be more willing to help you, but that doesn't mean I'm going to become your errand boy."
"And why would you not wish to enact your justice on the other villages?" Tobi asked. "Tragedies such as the one you yourself suffered have been repeated countless times in the other villages. Their so-called leaders cruelly ordering the murder of those they feel threaten their hold on power."
Sasuke's hands clenched into fists. He was getting angry.
"I am a living example of that kind of betrayal, Sasuke. Did you know that?" Tobi turned around, peering at the Uchiha with what some might call vulnerability. "My entire life was taken away from me, from the same kind of monsters who call themselves men as the ones who ordered the death of your family."
"Their atrocities have gone on for decades," Tobi continued, not wishing to linger on his past for long. "They have tortured their own loyal shinobi, covered up innocents being murdered, even burned entire villages to the ground. Yes, small little towns, just like the one Jūgo came from."
He heard Sasuke's footsteps behind him stop, and Tobi smiled from underneath his mask. "Were you not aware, Sasuke? Jūgo had a clan, much like you. A clan who suffered the same fate as he did, but a clan nonetheless. They could share in their pain and suffering together, and make each other strong. But they were denied even that."
There was a door before them, and Tobi pushed it aside to reveal a monstrous laboratory. Dozens of glass containers lined the walls, filled with all kinds of body parts and other strange things Sasuke did not recognize.
"But the 'great' men of this world saw fit to steal away Jūgo's clan, fearing their power. He was the only survivor, and now he is dead, just as the others. An entire clan, a unique ability, completely extinct."
Tobi turned around, staring at Sasuke. "This is my laboratory. I have made countless discoveries in this room, some of which have been instrumental to my success. You might even find a few things familiar to you."
Sasuke did not like the tone in Tobi's voice. He cautiously began to look around the room, carefully hiding his interest. A gleam of red caught his eye, and Sasuke went to the glass to inspect it closer. A pair of eyes stared back at him, floating in a strange fluid.
He recognized these eyes. They were his brothers.
Tobi purposely slowed his reaction, allowing the cold steel of Sasuke's sword to graze his neck. "Tell me, Sasuke, did you really think I would let such an opportunity pass away? Your brother's eyes were some of the finest the Uchiha clan has ever produced."
"You had no right…" Sasuke growled, pressing the blade deeper into Tobi's neck. "How dare you lay a hand on him. It should have been my decision, and mine alone."
"But you've been thinking about it already, haven't you Sasuke?" Tobi asked quietly. "You knew what was needed to attain power. You knew it was from your brother, from the very beginning. I was merely speeding up the process."
"Besides, I had every right," Tobi continued, grabbing onto the sword before Sasuke realized what had happened. "Do not forget who you are talking to, Sasuke." He pushed the sword aside, Sasuke glaring at him.
"You wish to be of help to me? Fine. But I will not allow you to take part in my plans when there is such an opportunity literally staring you in the face. Your brother's eyes are his gift to you, Sasuke. It is time you used them."
Sasuke looked confused. Perhaps deep down he knew what Tobi was saying, but he did not wish to acknowledge it. Holding onto some pathetic pride for his own power.
"The Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan's power is unmatched. You will never worry of your eyes losing their sight again, and the strength of their techniques increases tenfold. With Itachi's eyes, you can carry out your vengeance with your brother by your side, helping you along the way. You can take your revenge together."
The Uchiha stared at his brother's eyes, floating in the glass before him. He could almost see Itachi himself in the glass, watching him. He even saw Jūgo, his calm, strong face in the reflection of the glass. Yet when Sasuke reached out to touch it, he only saw himself.
"...Fine. I'll do it."
Tobi did not move, but had Sasuke been looking, he could have seen that he was pleased. "Good. The procedure can be done whenever you like, but it will take some time to recover. The influx of power can be…violent."
(1)
"Hinata, look out!"
Hinata did not need to be told. She had seen the puppet flying towards her, and ducked out of the way before a massive fist smashed against her side. Monzaemon could lower his chakra signature as much as he liked; Hinata's Byakugan could always see it. Concentrating more chakra into her hand, she leapt behind the puppet, and deftly severed the strings that gave it life. Immediately following, Sakura came bursting out from between two of Suna's ruined homes, smashing her fist directly into the puppet's body. They were tough, and Sakura was starting to feel the strain in her knuckles, but they couldn't hold up against such a massive concentration of force, and it crumbled beneath her fingers.
"On your right, Sakura! Hinata, give Temari some back up!"
Shikamaru's eyes darted back and forth, watching as much of the battle as he could. Whenever a puppet grew too close, he would hold it in place with his shadow, waiting for one of the others to push it out of the way or neutralize it. In the meantime, he watched what they could not, calling out approaching enemies, or hidden attacks. So far, things were going well enough, but they were destroying too few of the puppets, as more and more showed up to the battle.
He licked some sweat that dripped down from his forehead. He was about to call out a puppet on his right, but a huge gust of wind slammed it into another before he even needed to say anything. He looked to Temari, and nodded in thanks.
A slim trail of his shadow snaked out from behind him, latching onto a puppet sneaking up on him. With one quick movement, he used its spinning chakra blade against it, forcing it into its own stomach, as well as throwing itself into another puppet headed their way.
"This isn't working!" Sakura yelled. "Every time we take out one, two more take its place!" She ducked under a massive fist, and tried to return the favor, but the puppet jumped out of the way, and would have sent her flying from a kick had Sakura not blocked it at the last second. Still, a grunt of pain escaped her lips as the hard wood smashed into her wrist bones, and she skidded back several feet.
"Everyone! Back this way! We need to get to the high ground!" Shikamaru beckoned with his hand, and their small group bid a hasty retreat, with Monzaemon's puppet army close behind. If one got too close, Temari would throw it away, smashing it into the others, but that barely slowed them down.
They barely managed to avoid being swallowed by the growing puppet army, before they leaped to the top of the Kazekage's building. A few seconds to catch their breath, before the puppets climbed to the top.
"How are we supposed to keep fighting them off?" Sakura asked, breathless. "I can't keep this up forever. We're not Naruto, you know!"
"I get it!" Shikamaru snapped. "Let me think for a while! Try and hold them off while I come up with something."
Temari and the others formed a protective circle around Shikamaru, just as dozens of puppets leapt into the air, on the offensive. Both Temari and Hinata stepped forward.
"Kamaitachi no Jutsu!"
"Kaiten!"
Huge gusts of wind surrounded their group, slicing any puppets that got too close into hundreds of pieces. The tougher puppets belonging to Monzaemon himself pushed through the gusts of wind, only to be repelled by the constant whirlwind of chakra Hinata projected through her palms. If they got too close, Sakura would smash them into one another, sending them tumbling back down the side of the building.
But a few puppets snuck up behind them, and their arms extended out, wrapping around Temari's body before she noticed them. With a cry of surprise, she was pulled down among the living wave of puppets.
"Temari!" Sakura yelled, as she leapt down after them. Her palms were aglow with concentrated chakra, and Hinata watched in amazement as Sakura pounded several of the puppets into dust. But she began to have trouble fighting them all off, and Hinata made to jump down and help her.
"I need you up here!' Shikamaru grunted. "You need to protect me and Kankurō, so stay up here and watch for a sneak attack!" He placed his hands together, concentrating and formulating a plan.
Hinata had almost forgotten about Kankurō. He hadn't moved since unconsciousness had overtaken him, and despite Sakura's best efforts, his situation was still very grim. If he were to be attacked…Kankurō wouldn't last.
She bit her lip. She could hear Sakura struggle with her own attackers, but she held her ground, hands at the ready. Just in time too, as three puppets leapt into the air, disconnecting at every joint. Hinata watched on as they combined into some terrifying amalgamation of the three, before chakra blades appeared from every limb visible. It launched itself at Hinata, and she barely had enough time to react.
"Kaiten!" she screamed once more, pushing the puppets back. But these were of Monzaemon's creations, and were far tougher than normal. Without Temari's initial attack, all Hinata could do was hold them back, and they were beginning to cut through her protective sphere.
"Just a little bit longer, Hinata!" Shikamaru cried out. "Just hold on a little bit longer!"
She pushed herself even further, but could feel the blades of chakra edging closer and closer through her shield. Finally, it pushed through, and she was shoved backwards, nearly toppling over Kankurō's unconscious body and into Shikamaru.
The puppet wasted no time. It threw itself towards them as fast as it could, as Hinata was scrambling to her feet. Just a little more time, and—
"Push them back! Shinobi of Suna, push them back!"
Dozens and dozens of Suna ninja leapt into the air, appearing just before Monzaemon's puppet ripped Hinata apart. Several of them pulled large war fans from their back, and with one mighty heave, tore the puppet to ribbons against the colliding air currents. Another group raced after Sakura and Temari, freeing them from the army just before they were overwhelmed.
Gaara landed in front of them on a small platform of Sand. "The shinobi of Sunagakure are under your command, Shikamaru. I trust you to take of them while I assist Naruto and Kakashi."
Shikamaru did not answer directly, but nodded to show that he was listening. Gaara turned around, calling out to all the shinobi he had freed.
"Listen to me now! At this moment, a man once loyal to the village has betrayed us, and seeks to destroy us! He has killed men, women, and children for the sake of a twisted revenge! Do we, the shinobi of Sunagakure, allow that to happen?"
"NO!" the ninja cried out, fighting back against the puppet army.
"Do we allow this man to overthrow us? To overcome us?"
"NO!" they yelled back, even louder than before.
"We do NOT. We fight back, with our very lives! We will take back this village, and rid the world of this man once and for all! Let no one who would take the lives of the innocent go unpunished. Turn these men of wood and metal to the winds of the desert. Let them be swallowed by it!"
There was a great cry as all the shinobi of Suna threw themselves into the fray, with such ferocity that Hinata was taken aback. The puppet army pushed back against them with all their might, but the Sand had been rallied by the stirring words of their Kazekage, and would not be defeated so easily.
Gaara turned back to Shikamaru. "I leave them in your hands. Please, protect my brother."
Hinata turned around to look at Kankurō. It was a strange sight, to see him so peaceful when such savagery lay all around him. His breathing was calm and even, and his cowl flapped gently in the desert winds. Hinata turned back to affirm their duty to the Kazekage, but he was already gone, off to assist Naruto and Kakashi in taking down Monzaemon himself.
It was also at this time that Shikamaru opened his eyes, and let his hands fall to his sides. "Okay…" he said quietly, looking all around him at the new pieces he had been given. "I think I have an idea."
He turned around, and cupped his hands around his mouth. "Earth release users, start a defensive line at the front. Wind users, bring up the rear. We're gonna take all these hunks of wood down in one move!"
The shinobi cheered on their new commander, rushing to their positions. Shikamaru held a fist into the air, waiting with bated breath as the army rushed closer and closer, chakra blades spinning dangerously close until.
"Now! Earth release, throw them into the air!"
The earth users slammed their palms into the ground, as large slabs of rock and hardened sand launched dozens of the puppets into the air. Shikamaru threw his shadow into as many of them as he could, piercing them before they could fall back down to the ground.
"Wind release, cut them to pieces!"
He had yelled something to Hinata, but she could not hear him over the waves of biting wind that were unleashed behind them, as mini-tornadoes and monstrous wind storms were formed from the colliding attacks of the Wind Release users. The weaker puppets disappeared without a sound, but Monzaemon's own were taking the brunt of the attack well, held together by expert craftsmanship. But they were still held up in the air by the wind currents, completely unable to defend themselves as long as Monzaemon's strength could not push through.
Even from his great distance, the Puppet Master must have realized this. He eased his concentration on about half of his forces, letting them be thrown into one another while he pushed the other half through the barrier of wind. Shikamaru had not been expecting that, but he was ready nonetheless.
"Everyone, throw every shuriken you have! I'll take care of the rest!"
As they readied their projectiles, Shikamaru turned to the rest of his group. "Take out all the paper bombs you may have on you, and place them in my shadow. Now!"
Sakura, Temari, and Hinata all did as they were told, adding their paper bombs to Shikamaru's own. Some of the Suna shinobi who were closer to their group did this as well, until Shikamaru had a sizeable amount.
He threw his fist forward. "Throw them all, now! Don't bother trying to aim, just get them in the air!"
As hundreds of shuriken flew past Shikamaru, he concentrated all of the chakra he could into his shadow, as dozens and dozens of small shadow tendrils raised from the ground, wrapping around the paper bombs. With practiced hands and fluid movements, Shikamaru manipulated all of the tendrils to pass through the shuriken, attaching the paper bombs to a great many of them. As they flew towards the remainder of Monzaemon's puppet army, Shikamaru reached into his pouch, and pulled out a single cigarette, as well as the lighter Asuma had passed onto him. It had become something of a ritual for him, to take one deep, long breath before he enacted a strategy. Ever since Hidan, he had done so.
The smoke filled his lungs, and soothed his nerves. He threw the cigarette on the ground, and smothered it with his foot, before forming the hand seal necessary to activate the paper bombs.
The explosion in front of them was enormous, covering their entire field of view. Each of the shinobi present had to shield their eyes and ear from the blinding light and thunderous sound as Monzaemon's army was consumed by the explosion. Their chakra blades reacted especially violently, warping into misshapen blades that struck the puppets the belonged to just as much as they struck those nearby. A few of the Suna shinobi were forced to evade some flying debris from the already damaged puppets, but as a whole, they emerged unscathed.
A great cheer spread from the forces as smoke covered the area. They heard not a sound or saw a single movement in the thick, black cloud; they were sure they had defeated their enemy.
But slowly, Shikamaru raised his fist once again, and they fell silent. The winds blew all around them, and the lone call of a hawk could be heard soaring above them.
"Do you take me for an insolent child!? Someone who would be defeated by such a trick?"
Shikamaru recognized Monzaemon's voice from his radio contact with Naruto earlier that night, and immediately signaled for their retreat. Before some of them could escape, however, they were crushed beneath a giant mass of wood and metal. Horrible cracking and cranking sounds moaned from the cloud of dust and smoke, and fear crept back into the hearts of the Suna shinobi, as a monstrous figure began to rise from the earth.
"It seems I have underestimated the might of the Leaf Village in my hubris," Monzaemon's voice explained. "That is a mistake I will not make again."
The cloud was suddenly dispersed with one mighty swing of a gargantuan arm. Shikamaru's eyes widened in disbelief.
Every single one of Monzaemon's puppets had combined with one another, forming a massive puppet with their own bodies. Cogs and gears cranked and turned loudly as it towered over its opponents, shaking free the debris of the village around it. It was by far the largest puppet Shikamaru, or anyone in the Sand had ever seen, rising at least over a hundred feet into the air. Bits and pieces hung open to the desert air, like a rotting wound, and the multitudes of puppets that composed it clattered together loudly. It was an abomination.
Large quantities of a noxious gas began to spew from the puppet's mouth, quickly covering the area around them. The shinobi began to retreat once more, but the plumes of gas followed shortly behind them.
"In small doses, this gas is easily capable of knocking out a human, choking them into unconsciousness. Unfortunately for you, it's also extremely flammable." Monzaemon began to laugh, as the gas spread further and further away.
Shikamaru's eyes widened in horror as he looked around him. Small fires from their battle littered the village, each and every one of them a spark just waiting to be used. The gas edged closer, and closer, and closer…
Just before the gas reached a small flame on the edge of one of the building's supporting beams, Shikamaru's mind was racing. Where was Monzaemon getting all this chakra? How was he controlling this many puppets, with equal amounts of concentration spread among them? What was really going on?
His thoughts were interrupted as a second explosion erupted in the middle of the village.
Naruto's breath was hard and rough in his chest. The cold desert air filled his lungs painfully, enough to make every breath feel like a laborious task, but he pressed on with Kakashi right by his side.
"Where did Gaara say this Monzy guy was?" he asked, raising his voice to carry over the desert winds.
"The Sabakusentō," Kakashi yelled back, pointing off to his slight left. "Also known as the Desert Spire, it's the largest mountain in the Land of Wind, being one of the only mountains. Monzaemon must have turned the underground caverns into his base of operations."
"Will it be hard to find him?"
Kakashi's eyes narrowed. "It would have been easier if Hinata had been with us. Her Byakugan would have picked out Monzaemon's exact location, unless…"
"Unless what?" Naruto asked, catching the strained toned in Kakashi's voice. He recognized it as when his sensei suspected something, but Kakashi kept his eyes focused ahead.
"It's just a hunch. If I need to, I'll explain when we get there."
"I may not be Hinata, but perhaps I can be of assistance."
Naruto and Kakashi craned their necks to find Gaara rapidly gaining on them, riding a wave of his special sand across the desert. He didn't even stop moving once he had caught up with them; he merely increased the size of his platform, and picked them up as well.
Naruto couldn't help but smile. "Nice! Now we can race to kick this guy's ass in style!"
Gaara did not return the joyous sentiment. "Keep your eyes open. Monzaemon was able to capture the entire village by himself. It would be unwise to believe him beaten this early."
"Truly, you are not as stupid a Kazekage as I once thought!"
Gaara's reaction was immensely fast, just as it needed to be. Without warning, a figure appeared in front of them, brandishing a katana. Gaara pushed Naruto and Kakashi to the left, and himself to the right, avoiding the sword just in time. They skidded to a halt, and Gaara's sand was at the ready, floating in front of him.
The puppet resembled little of Monzaemon himself, yet it had been his voice they had heard. It tapped it's sword against its shoulder, laughing. "I must say, your abilities have improved since we last battled. Perhaps it is because I do not have any poor, innocent civilians to slaughter in front of you?"
Kakashi could not shake the feeling of dead that overcame him. This puppet felt different from the others. More dangerous, maybe.
Monzaemon seemed to notice. "Oh, you seem to have a sharp eye. Yes, this puppet isn't exactly like those you faced back at the village. Those were nothing but pawns in the game we play. What you see before you, is a knight."
The puppet was composed of very complex wooden machinery, even more so than Monzaemon's own body. Wooden cogs and gears turned in total silence from its exposed arm, the arm that held its sword. The rest of the puppet was garbed in elaborate samurai wear, fine silks and hardened leathers of bold colors. A great flag adorned its back, a painting of bonsai on a bright sunny morning, yet it was the mask that garnered the most attention. Carved into the likeness of a demon, or oni, this mask itself was splintered towards the top portion of the puppet's head, revealing another mask, this one more akin to a bloodied skull. Two red eyes gleamed at them in the darkness of the desert; Monzaemon's way of seeing his opponents.
"During my attempts to create the perfect puppet, this little darling came into creation. He didn't have much use for defense, so it was not long before I scrapped him," Monzaemon explained, his voice hissing through the mask with a metallic sheen. "But as he collected dust over the years, I realized how wrong I was, and if I was ever stumped or lost on what to try next, I would tinker and perfect him. He became one of my most prized puppets, right alongside my personal collection of ten. I call him Yoshimitsu, and he is oh so eager to meet the three of you."
The puppet tossed the sword into the air, catching it again with nimble fingers. "I found this in the ruins of my mountain. It is still a disgusting weapon, but it was not ever a part of this puppet, so we'll call this one a wash."
'Yoshimitsu' suddenly shot forward, sword held high over his head. Kakashi evaded the attack easily enough, but could feel the shockwave of the sword ringing in his ears and in his chest. The strength put behind the attack was immense.
"There is something strangely beautiful to the way of the samurai, is there not?" Monzaemon said dreamily, turning around. "The sense of duty and honor…and such grace! I could never master such a technique myself, but a puppet…well, Yoshimitsu here can be whatever I choose for him to be."
He dropped back into a combative stance. "Your friends back at the village have done well so far. But the more puppets they destroy the less my concentration must be spread among them. Things will only get harder from here, and I am afraid they won't be alive much longer. Such a pity."
"Liar!" Naruto growled, stepping forward. "You won't kill them, and you won't kill us."
Again, Monzaemon regarded Naruto with a strange look in his eye. "You boy…you said your name was Naruto, did you not?"
Naruto nodded.
"Then come and stop me!" Monzaemon spread Yoshimitsu's arms wide apart, as if to greet Naruto into his arms. "Come, and kill me! End my life; a life that has been forfeit long ago! Come, and kill what is already dead! What is dead may never die! Those are my words, so come and try to prove me wrong!"
"If that's what you want," Naruto replied, suddenly throwing himself forward with great speed. Yoshimitsu was faster, however, and delivered a cruel knee to Naruto's gut, only for 'Naruto' to disappear in a puff of smoke. There was movement behind him, and Monzaemon watched through Yoshimitsu as Naruto escaped, headed straight for the Sabakusentō.
Kakashi's eyes narrowed. Would Monzaemon fall for such a trick? Again, that unsettling feeling spread through his body, but he pushed it back down. Now was not the time to worry on details.
Yoshimitsu turned all the way around, completely disregarding Kakashi and Gaara. "If Naruto thinks it will be that easy to reach me, he has much to learn." His sword was raised into the air, and Yoshimitsu was off, chasing after Naruto, and quickly gaining on him.
"Gaara!" Kakashi yelled, as Gaara's platform of sand engulfed him. He was launched after the two with a great thrust from Gaara's sand, and collided into Yoshimitsu's back, sending the puppet sprawling into the desert. The Raikiri gleamed in his palm, and he made to shove his hand into Yoshimitsu's body, but the puppet was quick to regain its senses. It grabbed onto Kakashi's hand, and plunged it into the sand next to its mask. The hand holding the sword shimmered in the light of the moon, before burying itself in Kakashi's skull.
He too, disappeared in a puff of smoke.
"Another user of the Shadow clone technique?" Monzaemon wondered aloud, in a bored tone. "It is strange to see so many shinobi capable of such a chakra taxing technique, and only half as interesting. Still, perhaps I will have more fun with you than I originally thought."
Perhaps he would have said more. Kakashi did not give him the chance. He went on the offensive, and Yoshimitsu threw its sword up just in time before Kakashi's kunai connected with its head. The blade glowed as Kakashi forced chakra into it, and Yoshimitsu's own sword did the same.
The Copy Ninja turned to Gaara. "You go on ahead with Naruto! He'll need you to help him find Monzaemon, while I deal with this one!"
Gaara did not waste any time. He immediately set off after his friend, while Kakashi turned back to Yoshimitsu. Their blades clashed several more times, before the leaped back.
"So, you'll be dealing with me, is that it?" Monzaemon asked, taunting. "I can't imagine you will live long enough to be of help to them."
Kakashi smiled through his mask. "I can't imagine you know what I'm capable of. You might be surprised."
"I might be."
(2)
Yoshimitsu held its sword arm out, and the gears and wooden cogs that composed its arm began to rapidly rotate, spinning its arm faster and faster until the sword was nothing but a shimmering blur, humming loudly. Yoshimitsu charged, and Kakashi jumped back to avoid the saw-blade. The arm resembled that of a human's, to be sure, but it was far more flexible despite its hardened appearance. Part of the arm towards the elbow suddenly disconnected, giving Yoshimitsu much more reach, and Kakashi had to fall onto his arms to avoid being cleaved in two. Yoshimitsu gave him no time to rest, and threw the sword into the ground, barely missing Kakashi by inches as he rolled out of the way.
He looked up at Kakashi. Its mask guarded its face, but Kakashi could see the curiosity in its shining red eyes, in Monzaemon's eyes.
Kakashi stretched his neck out, from side to side. Slowly, he lifted his headband from his Sharingan, letting it gleam in the dark for Monzaemon to see. His puppet did not react, but he knew Monzaemon was interested.
"A Sharingan…" he said to himself, voice hissing through the metal of his masks. "This changes things, doesn't it? Makes them more…interesting."
A sudden influx of chakra into Yoshimitsu's body caught Kakashi off-guard. There was so much there, it had become visible, especially bright in the tip of the puppet's sword. Kakashi took his chance, and scanned the horizon. When he looked down, his previous concerns were revealed to be true.
The Sharingan has the ability to detect the flow of chakra, and as Kakashi looked beneath him, he saw an enormous amount of chakra moving beneath him, connecting to Yoshimitsu's body, as well as extending all the way back to the village. Even from this distance, Kakashi could see how brightly it burned. It explained how he was able to manipulate these puppets from such a distance, but where was he getting this much chakra? If this truly was what Kakashi believed it was, this power had been sealed away for decades. Had Monzaemon unlocked it once again?
He did not have any more time to consider the notion. Yoshimitsu went on the offensive once more, moving far faster than before with the aid of the additional chakra. He saw the initial attack easily enough, moving to the left to evade the broad stroke of Yoshimitsu's sword, but he saw several wooden pegs rip from the puppet's right leg, spinning rapidly, and even though he had seen it coming, it meant little when his body could not react fast enough to dodge. They collided with his leg with a sickening crack, and he collapsed onto the ground with a single grunt of pain. Yoshimitsu meant to take advantage of this, and swung his sword once again, cleaving Kakashi in two.
This time, instead of disappearing into smoke, Kakashi's body dissolved into lightning, electricity coursing across Yoshimitsu's entire body. The puppet shuddered and convulsed for several seconds as the real Kakashi emerged from the earth below, but by the time he was back on his feet, the puppet had recovered. Wood, after all, was a natural insulator. His lightning-style would not be of much help here.
Kakashi watched the puppet's mechanisms closely. Clearly, this puppet was meant for a one-on-one fight, filled with hidden compartments and secret mechanisms meant to trip up or confuse its opponent. He had only seen a taste of the puppet's abilities, but Kakashi already knew he would need to be on his guard. It did not matter if he had the power of the Sharingan to assist him, if he did not have the reaction time to evade what he saw coming at him.
"Impressed?" Monzaemon asked, striking a pose. "This puppet may not be as flashy as some of the others, but I am still proud of my work. He will be more than enough to take care of you, and then I can place my full attention on the two children coming to face me."
Kakashi almost laughed. "Trust me, you have a lot more to worry about with those two 'children' than you do with me."
Monzaemon ignored him, sending Yoshimitsu after him in a blur of movement. For several minutes straight, they danced among the desert, clashing back and forth. Yoshimitsu's movements were erratic and hard to predict, but each time, Kakashi was able to evade the attack. But every time it was his turn to go onto the offensive, Monzaemon would pull Yoshimitsu away out of reach, with dexterity and flexibility only a puppet could possess.
Kakashi gritted his teeth, planted his feet, and shot after the puppet. The condensed chakra of another Raikiri glowed in his hand, and he spurted an extra burst of speed into his body, pushing his hand towards Yoshimitsu's midsection. Monzaemon pulled the puppet to the right, avoiding the attack, but Kakashi had been expecting this.
A small explosion spewed sand and dust into the air as a second Kakashi revealed himself, wielding another Raikiri. The lightning chakra connected to one another in an instant, giving them a stream of ruthless cutting power between them. Monzaemon could move Yoshimitsu anyway he liked; it wouldn't make any difference.
The stream blew through Yoshimitsu's left leg with ease, and despite the wood softening the damage as the puppet was thrown into the air, his leg remained behind, detached from the rest of its body. Kakashi wasted no time chasing after it. The less of this puppet Monzaemon had, the easier time he would have with this battle. A few quick hand signs, and two slabs of earth appeared on either side of the severed leg, smashing together and crushing the wooden limb underneath. Kakashi struggled against the durability of the puppet's limb, marveling at its strength. But eventually, it gave way, and he heard the satisfying crunch of the puppet's leg disintegrating in between the rock.
Yoshimitsu turned back to Kakashi, glaring at him with those glowing red eyes. "Clever. Pick this puppet apart; eventually, I will be of little threat."
"That's the idea," Kakashi replied. "And now that you've only got one leg, that's going to be a whole lot easier."
Monzaemon had the gall to make Yoshimitsu shrug. "Will it now? I wonder…"
Standing on one leg, Monzaemon took Yoshimitsu's sword, and thrust it into the wood where Kakashi had severed its leg. Gears turned and cranked, and accepted its new limb with little trouble. Monzaemon tested it out, giving the air a few stabs. Satisfied with his work, he hopped after Kakashi with speed that surprised the Copy Ninja. The blade of the sword pierced through much of the desert sand, giving the puppet a strong foothold to push off from, leaping towards Kakashi and closing the gap between them in seconds. Right before he was in melee range, Yoshimitsu leapt onto his hands, and the toes of his still intact right foot separated, looking like an elongated hand. The sword jabbed in and out of its new sheath, much like the stinger of a scorpion.
As Yoshimitsu leapt and spun around on his hands, Kakashi clashed with its sword with his kunai, glancing off blow after blow. The sounds of their battle rang out into the night, into the last few hours of twilight before the sun came up.
"There it is!" Naruto exclaimed, pointing to a large silhouette in the distance. "That's the mountain, right?"
Gaara nodded. "Yes, that is the Sabakusentō. If what Monzaemon himself said is true, this is where he hides, manipulating his puppets from afar."
"Why would he tell you that?" Naruto asked, as the shadow of the mountain drew nearer. "Would he really want to tell you where he's hiding?"
"I am….unsure." There was a far-off look in Gaara's eyes, as he watched the desert spire grow in size before him. "There are many things about this man that I still find a mystery. We must be on our guard."
Slowly, they skidded to a halt. Naruto did not waste any time, leaping to a nearby boulder to give a solid look around. "Do you have any idea how we're supposed to get underground?" he called out to his friend, searching every dark crevice and corner with sharp, blue eyes.
"If Monzaemon has moved as many puppets as he had in the village, he could not have done so through a small opening," Gaara explained, closing his eyes. "If luck is with us, that opening will be vulnerable, and easy to find."
The sand from his gourd seeped onto the ground, spreading around Gaara's feet and inching ever further away from him, spreading out in all directions. It collected other, lighter sand around it, adding it to his own as it began to cover the base of the mountain. He grimaced, and the sand spread even faster. Naruto stood on one foot as the sand slipped past him, spreading over the rock he was standing on.
Gaara felt at peace as the darkness washed over him. His eyes were closed, yet he always saw clearly like this. He let the desert be his eyes, and the desert never lied to him. The smallest insects crawling on the rocks beneath him, wisps of clouds thousands of feet above…nothing was left out of his sight.
He pushed this sight further, snaking alongside the base of the mountain. The slightest detail did not escape his consideration. Ripples in the dirt, or maybe a rock moved by something other than the wind? Gaara looked again. Indeed, it did seem strange. Things were not in their natural place, and there was little explanation for that when life was not in abundance here.
The sand edged closer, and he felt the breath of wind pulling him inward. On this side of the mountain, the wind from the desert was shut away, but he felt the pull nonetheless. This was coming from a second source.
"I have found it," he announced to Naruto, opening his eyes. "Come this way."
He and Naruto crossed over to the other side of the mountain, on the side bathing in the glow of the late night moon. The sand from Gaara's gourd poured back towards him, crawling up his leg and disappearing back inside its hole. They stood before a large, gaping entrance into the mountain. No doubt made by Monzaemon to move his larger puppets through, this would be their way inside.
Naruto took a light step forward, cautious of the black before him. It was a wise move, as out of the corner of his eye, he saw a movement. Tiny rocks and pebbles bounced into the air, clattering against the ground. Something down there was moving.
"I suggest we back up," Gaara muttered, as the rumbling beneath his feet grew louder. Naruto laughed nervously, heeding his friends' suggestion.
Gaara had picked a wise time to do so. The shaking grew much in intensity, until Naruto could hardly keep his balance on the ground. The mountain especially shook with great force, the peak crumbling before their very eyes. Pebbles and rocks and boulders of all shapes and sizes rolled down the side of the mountain, gaining speed and numbers. It was a veritable landslide, and Gaara had to lift Naruto into the air with a tendril of sand to keep him from being crushed underneath.
"Wh-what's going on?" Naruto asked, looking from left to right to try and find the source of such a quake. "Is the mountain coming down on top of us?"
Gaara shook his head. "I don't think so. I think…Monzaemon-sama is sending us something."
"Too right, boy! When guests arrive at your home, you don't leave them at the doorstep!"
Monzaemon's voice boom out in front of them, from all directions. They tried to locate the source of the voice so they would not be caught off guard, but their attempts were in vain.
"No, that would be terribly rude!" Monzaemon continued, his voice fading underneath the great crashing and thundering of the mountain. "You send someone to greet them at the door, to welcome them inside!"
It was like the eruption of a volcano. The mountain suddenly burst at the top, sending tons of rock, dust, and sand miles into the air. Naruto watched with grim fascination, before getting out of the way as the projectiles dove back into the earth, smashing the surrounding mountain side to pieces. A large figure emerged from the obliterated peak, crawling out from the depths of the mountain like the earth itself was giving birth, to a child of destruction and death.
Two giant arms gripped the side of the mountain, hoisting itself further up the peak of the mountain. Clouds of dust, which had obscured the figure's coming, began to slowly fade away, revealing Naruto's and Gaara's 'welcoming party'.
The puppet was of a massive size, large enough to resemble the mountain's peak itself should it hide in shadow. But the light of the moon shone down on it, giving Naruto and Gaara a good look.
Resembling a figure out of Kabuki Theater, the puppet's mask was painted in the traditional style of the art form, though on such a massive figure, it gave off quite a different feeling. It was garbed in flowing robes of white and red silk that glinted in the moonlight as it moved atop the mountain's ruined peak. It had no legs from what Naruto could see, unless they were hidden inside the base of the mountain.
"Do not tell me you never thought a man would neglect to protect his home!?" Monzaemon's voice boomed. "This puppet, while nowhere near perfect, was designed with the express purpose of 'dismaying' anyone stupid enough to get close, from entering my mountain. If you wish to fight me directly, you will have to go through Renjishi first!"
Naruto groaned. "Man, how many puppets does this guy have?" He pointed to the monstrous size of the puppet. "How the heck are we supposed to fight something that big? I don't think we can even get close to it!"
Gaara looked at Naruto. "This does not sound like the Naruto I know. The Naruto I know would be challenging me that he could get to the top of the mountain faster than I could."
And Gaara was right. Naruto would be loudly proclaiming how easy it would be to defeat this overgrown doll, how he would kick Monzaemon's butt up and down the Land of Wind. And yet there he stood, paralyzed by some unknown fear. It gripped at his heart and tugged at his soul, and he could not push it away with all his might.
But then he saw her. Hinata was in front of him, and she was smiling. She looked happy, and he felt a calm wash over him. Even greater than the dread of what Hiashi had told him, even greater than the fear of what the Kyūbi was hiding from him, even greater than the sickness in his stomach whenever he thought of Hinata's mother…he felt at peace. And within this peace he found the strength to push on, to look over at Gaara, his friend, and smile.
"Bet you I can get to the top faster than you can," he said, smirking. He didn't even wait for an answer before he was off, racing up the mountain side as dozens and dozens of shadow clones appeared by his side. Gaara shook his head in amusement, and chased after him, heading straight for Monzaemon's massive puppet with reckless abandon.
Needless to say, the Puppet Master had not been expecting this. They treated him like he was merely a game, an obstacle to be overcome before they moved on with more important matters. He did not take to that well. A large opening appeared in Renjishi's back, and from it fanned open a large bellows. Huge gusts of air filled the leather sack behind the puppet's back, and when it was released down the mountainside, it came with the fury of a hurricane, whipping in Naruto's ears and eyes. Many of the clones disappeared then and there because of the torrential winds, but others joined together, rooting the original to his spot on the mountain while they helped push him up, slowly and surely. Gaara, in the meantime, merely blocked the wind with his sand. It meant as little to him as a pebble thrown into his side.
(3)
The massive puppet did not stop the winds blowing from his wooden gut, while its massive arms reached behind him, grasping a large portion of the crate he himself had created. The wood and metal that made up the puppet's body strained with false effort, as Monzaemon forced wooden fingers into the mountain, digging into the hard rock. He lifted two large pieces over the puppet's head, and hurled them towards Naruto and Gaara, hoping to crush them underneath a massive pile of rubble.
The first boulder struck too soon, but cascaded down the mountain with many other rocks falling after it, forcing Naruto to jump high into the air to avoid the landslide. The second one plunged into Gaara's shield of sand, which threw it back at Monzaemon's puppet guardian with surprising speed considering the size of the rock. The puppet Renjishi caught the rock, and crushed it between two hands of wrought iron, letting the pebbles slip between its fingers. The air picked them up, and they shot past Naruto and Gaara, whipping close to their bodies with deadly speed. Naruto felt one graze his ear, and the warm rush of blood down his cheek. He ignored it. They tried to get closer to the top of the mountain, but Monzaemon pushed them away, swinging low with iron hands. Naruto jumped out of the way, and Gaara pushed the hand aside with his sand, and the two of them rushed towards the top.
"If that's how the two of you want to play, so be it!" Monzaemon's voiced called down to them from the top of the mountain." He used Renjishi to bash its arms against the mountainside, further crumbling it around the puppet's body, and producing more boulders to be thrown. They flew towards Naruto and Gaara, each successive one faster than the last. The last come came to Naruto so fast, Gaara's sand shield was forced to intervene in order to save him. But none of them hit their targets, and now that Monzaemon had thoroughly destroyed the mountain protecting the lower half of Renjishi's body, the puppet was left entirely exposed. Naruto could make out rusty cogs and complex wooden contraptions powering the puppet from below, driven into the peak of the mountain with shining steel rivets.
Naruto summoned more clones. "Let's get him!" they cried out, leaping straight into Renjishi's giant hands. Monzaemon laughed, swinging one massive arm from side to side as he tried to shake off the pesky Naruto clones.
They punched and kicked at Renjishi's massive body, but the puppet swatted them away like flies, and puffs of smoke dotted the mountainside. The few that remained tried concentrating on one spot, jumping into between massive wooden joints to try and escape the clawing hands. But Monzaemon pushed some chakra through the puppet's bones, heating them until the rest of the clones disappeared.
Naruto was persistent. He summoned more clones, and they leapt back at him, this time with Gaara's sand at his back. They looked for a weak spot, splashing the puppet's entire body with attacks, yet each of them just seemed to glance off of the puppet's body, and Monzaemon laughed as several of the clones latched onto his arm.
But there was a sound; an ear-splitting, humming sound. Monzaemon watched through Renjishi in surprise as the Naruto clones' hands began to glow bright blue. An orb of concentrated chakra appeared in their hands, and Monzaemon did not need to be told to know that this technique must be dangerous. He tried to use his other arm to smash the clones away, but it was held fast by Gaara's sand.
"Rasen Chō Tarengan!" the clones yelled, driving Naruto's signature technique into Renjishi's arm dozens of times. Explosion after explosion set off up and down the puppet's arm, the violent clashing of the rotating chakra intermingling with the turning gears and wheels. Bits of wood and metal whistled past the original Naruto, as he watched from afar.
"Damn you, you little brats!" Monzaemon cursed, surveying the damage. The arm could still be moved, but it was heavily damaged by the attack. With great red eyes, he stared at Naruto curiously.
"Perhaps I was right about you, boy," he said with disdain. "You've been quite the surprise so far. Perhaps…" his voice fell silent, and he said nothing more until he looked at the damaged arm once again. "That is of no concern of yours. It is time we stop 'playing'."
Naruto heard a terrible noise coming from the puppet's base, and a blue light rose from the center of the mountain, closer and closer towards the top. When it touched Renjishi's body, the puppet was enveloped in the light, and Naruto was forced to shield his eyes.
The light faded, and the puppet's appearance had changed. Its eyes had grown more fearsome, and where was once mask, there was no longer. The puppet's head was exposed, a garish skeleton of wood and metal with red eyes glowing even brighter than before. The puppet opened its mouth, and the blue light came again.
"Get out of the way!" Naruto yelled, just before the beam of chakra burst from Renjishi's maw. The rest of his clones were completely obliterated, but Gaara's shield protected both him and Naruto from the blast, the strength of which was immense. Even through the thick layer of sand between them and the outside, Naruto could feel the heat on his face. The moment Gaara released the shield, they could see Monzaemon charging another blast of chakra, forcing them to go back into hiding once more.
"Man, where the heck does this guy get all this chakra?" Naruto asked, in disbelief. "I mean, this is a whole lot of chakra!"
"This man was the Kazekage that united the tribes of the Land of Wind, Naruto," Gaara reminded him. "Still…this is an unusually large amount of chakra he possesses. This much is usually for someone under our circumstances."
Naruto seemed surprised. "You don't think…you don't think this guy was a jinchūriki too, do you?"
"No, Naruto, I don't. I just believe there is more than meets the eye."
"Well, if you want to find out, we just need to get past this big puppet, right?" Naruto asked, cracking his knuckles. "Give me a couple minutes, and I think I can handle that."
Gaara studied the look in Naruto's eyes. He knew that look of determination, and knew that it was best to listen to him. Sometimes, Naruto just knew when to take over.
"Very well. I will cover you until the time is right."
The sand shield collapsed around Gaara, but remained around Naruto, tightening its defenses. Monzaemon noticed, and turned the puppet's large body straight towards Naruto. The beam appeared again, but was stopped by Gaara's sand before it even reached halfway.
"I don't know why you intend to protect that boy, Kazekage-sama, but do not think you can hold me back for long!" Monzaemon grabbed another boulder, and placed it in the path of the chakra beam. Instead of demolishing the rock, it was coated in the superheated chakra, turning it into a giant mass of molten rock. He smashed it in between the puppet's iron hands, before slapping it straight towards Naruto and Gaara.
Gaara threw his sand up once again, in small tendrils to try and catch the projectiles before they reached Naruto. Because the rocks were coated in chakra, they went right through Gaara's own chakra-coated sand the first time, and he was forced to exert himself to try two more times to stop the molten rock from smashing into the shield that protected Naruto's body. Each successive time, the rocks were slowed further and further, and by the time they actually reached Naruto, they merely fizzled out on the surface of the shield of sand, before falling harmless onto the side of the mountain.
"That defense of yours is something to be proud of, to be sure," Monzaemon said, clapping with the puppet's hands of iron. "Truly, I am impressed. If you would allow me to test the limits of such a defense…I am so curious as to what it cannot defend against."
"As if you'd be able to!" they heard Naruto's muffled voice shout through the shield of sand. "Gaara's defense is absolute! You'll never get through it!"
Were they not in the middle of a battle, Gaara would have found the quip amusing. The confusion was apparent through Monzaemon however, as he stared curiously at the sphere of sand that held Naruto safe within.
"As I was saying…" Monzaemon muttered, placing the puppet's hands together. Using the puppet as a proxy, he was able to channel more of his chakra into it, and formed hand signs. The puppet's body lit up with blue light once more, but this time, instead of a stream of concentrated chakra, pillars of fire erupted from the puppet's hands, engulfing both Naruto and Gaara in the flames.
Gaara shielded his eyes from the heat, keeping an eye on Naruto. The shield was holding, but it was not long before Gaara realized Monzaemon' deception; he did not meant to melt the shield, but melt the rock beneath it. Naruto sank several inches into the mountain side, and it was only through the quick reaction of Gaara that he did not fall through into a chasm once the intense heat had burned through the rock. A large tendril of sand, wrapped around Naruto's shield, holding him in midair before he fell.
Gaara moved his other hand towards Renjishi, and more sand shot out after the puppet. It wrapped around the puppet's arm, where the fire still burned. With great strength, Gaara fought against Monzaemon's will, and forced the puppet's fire into its own body, melting away what little remained of the arm that had been damaged, just before Gaara lost control of the arm. It slapped his sand away, and with a burst of chakra, sent it back towards him.
The Kazekage's breath was heavy in his chest, and each rise and fall of his body felt like a task in itself. He felt strange; Gaara was sure of his own strength, without being arrogant. Surely he had more chakra in his reserves than this?
Monzaemon laughed. "Getting tired, boy? Just when it was starting to become fun, as well!"
Gaara ignored the insult. Monzaemon was so busy taunting the current Kazekage that he did not notice the sand collecting behind him, quickly and silently. The sand hardened, and hardened again, then hardened even further. Blood red markings appeared in broad strokes as the sand took the form of a large spear. Gaara closed his eyes, and threw the spear of sand at Renjishi.
The puppet whirled around, facing the projectile. It smashed its iron hands together, producing a powerful shockwave, but this did not slow Gaara down even a little. The spear plunged through the burst of air, straight through Renjishi's chest. Metal and wood exploded out the other side, showering the mountain with its insides. The sand clung to Renjishi's body, filling as many compartments and spaces in between the gears as much as possible. Monzaemon cursed under his breath within his mountain as control over the puppet grew ever harder.
"I have had enough of this!" he yelled, shaking Renjishi violently. Sand wrestled with the puppet, trying to hold him fast, but the chakra came rushing back to the puppet's body, pushing Gaara's sand away, and freeing it once more. The puppet threw its hands into the air, and they each split into two, totaling four arms now. "Die! The both of you!"
Each of the four palms began to glow, and thin wisps of chakra snaked from one hand to the other, connecting the four of them together in a trigram pattern. Gaara was not worried; he had felt movement from within the sand of shield that protected Naruto.
Slowly, the sand drained away, as Naruto got to his feet. He stretched his muscles, and took a look around, yellow eyes gleaming in the night.
"Handled everything since I've been gone?" he joked, glancing at the behemoth at the top of the mountain. "He looks a little worse for wear than when I last left him."
"He is," Gaara replied, eyeing Naruto. He had been told of this 'Sage Mode', and of the powers it granted upon its mastery, but this would be his first time seeing it in action. Was it odd to say he felt strangely excited?
Two clones appeared at Naruto's side, placing their hands near his. A distinct hum could be heard from the side of the mountain, and a bright blue glow erupted from the middle of them, before shaping itself into a large, shuriken-like shape.
Naruto looked at Renjishi, stared into the burning red eyes that he knew held Monzaemon's own, and charged forward, throwing the Rasenshuriken in front of him with as much strength and speed as he could muster.
Author's Note: I hope you liked the battles! I was 'meh' about the Sasuke scene, but that's because his character really isn't interesting to write in my story. Not yet, anyway wink wink nudge nudge.
Now, we have two separate homages to discuss here.
-The first new puppet, Yoshimitsu, is pretty much lifted from the character of the same name from the Tekken and Soul Calibur series of fighting games. Being a Soul Calibur player myself, Yoshimitsu was always an awesome character to use, because he was unpredictable and badass at the same time. He also had a wooden arm, which made me think of Puppets. You'll notice the song during his fight is even his theme in Soul Calibur III, and it's one badass song! I love that guy.
The second is Renjishi, a boss in Okamiden, the DS sequel to Okami, one of my favorite games of all time. It's also a puppet in the game, resembling a Kabuki theater performer. You can Google the both of them if you want a better idea of what they would look like.
Anyway, thanks for reading. I hope my battle skills are improving, and I'll get right to work on writing the next chapter! Thanks for your concern about the surgery, guys! You make me feel all fuzzy inside, you know...in a manly, badass sort of way.
Until next time!
