Wordcount is a little short, and this AN is easily gonna make up the difference. Last chapter was the most reviled (though also the most-reviwed) in this fic's two-month run...which, I won't lie, I'm laughing at. A little bit. I won't deny that I didn't see it coming, though.
On the other hand, if I lost followers/favorites for it, I certainly gained a lot back, enough that I have more than I did beforehand.
Review response time! (Oh boy...given the length of some of these responses, I'm going to use line breaks to separate them.)
1. Tsukoblue:
The civil war is over, but its repercussions are not. Ever hear that expression about cutting off the head of the snake? In the same way that Kiri's civil war ended with Yagura's death, Konoha's ends with Tsunade's; on the other hand, if Kakashi had been killed as well, it would have continued in the form of Danzo/Ne vs Tsunade/Konoha.
I don't know that he'd take Jiraiya's side, but Tsunade would be more definite. Naruto and Jiraiya have a more complicated relationship in this fic, and while Naruto respects Jiraiya as a teacher, he also holds some anger inside of him for the lies that were told to him (or truths that were hidden from him) in the past. And, while the revelation of Tsunade being his paternal grandmother was split-second by Orochimaru, Naruto already knew they were related because Tsunade is 25% Uzumaki.
2. polarbear257:
I'm going to answer the second part of your review, since so many people jumped on the bandwagon with the first section.
This Naruto isn't god-like. I don't know where you got that assumption from. The reason he managed to beat Yagura was because of the Kyuubi's direct influence, not passive control over its chakra. In this fic, Naruto has been shown to be proficient in Kenjutsu, Ninjutsu, and Fuinjutsu. His Kenjutsu is strong enough to rival Kirabi's, though Yagura was tag-teaming with him, and Kirabi wasn't going full-tilt. Kurama used Naruto as a medium to call down the meteor and raise up the mountain that forced the Sanbi to dispel. Besides that, however, Naruto's been shown using multiple elemental releases. His sealing capabilities, thanks to his lineage, are enough that he could remove the Aiganchou/Caged Bird Seal from Neji and recreate the effects of the Bansho Ten'in without even having seen it.
But he wasn't strong enough to beat Yagura, particularly due to the use of Katon techniques. His fight against Itachi wasn't one where Itachi was aiming to kill, or else Naruto would be dead; even in canon, Itachi was always leaps and bounds ahead of Naruto. He wasn't able to effectively trap and kill Orochimaru. Do you know why?
Naruto's dumb as a brick. He's a moron. A nimrod. He fully admits it, too. And so, when he's presented with a frustrating situation like he was against Yagura, he tries the same trick again, hoping that it'll work the second time around. It doesn't, and if not for Jiraiya's interference, Tayuya would have died because of Naruto's stupidity.
And then, when multiple people aren't having an effect on Orochimaru, instead of thinking, "they need to evacuate so that I can use my full power," he says, "they need to evacuate because he's wearing them down and their safety is more important." Then, prioritizing their safety over his own, he obliterates the base rather than completely cut loose and slaughter Orochimaru. Because, as it was said back in that chapter, that's what should have happened...but Naruto is an idiot.
His promotions were gained through strength on the battlefield, not tactical capability. You don't have to be smart to throw a stronger punch than your opponent. Just because I haven't been overt in stating that doesn't mean it shouldn't be obvious. Actions speak louder than words.
3. SingleSoul:
I mean, I've put it in every single AN, man. This thing's a trainwreck, plain and simple. I started with no idea of where I was going, and I continue to have no idea where I'm going. There's very thin, wispy tendrils of overarching plot that are blown away like smoke because I make it up as I go along. I try to stay true to what's been written in this fic already, but as Bon Scott once sang, "ain't it a shame to be shot down in flames?"
4. Wondering Knight:
Well, truth be told, it's a product of boredom, and an unwillingness to just...skip right to the point where Naruto's found. I mean, yes, we're still technically in the three year timeskip between Part 1 and Shippuden, but...eh, whatever. Tsunade's death was part-and-parcel with Jiraiya's, because of the kind of hopelessness it inspired; Kakashi didn't have to kill her, she could easily have surrendered. However, he knows about Naruto's lineage. He knows that not only did Tsunade abandon her son, Minato, Kakashi's sensei...but her grandson, Naruto, as well.
And while it's true, Kakashi's nindo is about rule-breakers and those who abandon their comrades, and he certainly did kill his Kage, there's a definite animosity against her in his mind. He grew up without a mother, and his father committed suicide when the village turned against him for saving his comrades' lives. He regained his faith in bonds of friendship just before Obito (and later, Rin,) died. Namikaze Minato grew up an orphan, because his mother was too afraid to face a future without her lover to help her raise their bastard child. Uzumaki Naruto grew up an orphan because Tsunade, rather than attempt to right the wrongs she made with Minato, ran away again. In the same way that he blames Jiraiya for Minato's death, since Jiraiya could have performed the Shiki Fuin instead, Kakashi blames Tsunade for Naruto's childhood on the streets of Konoha's slums.
Maybe I shouldn't have written the civil war, and instead focused purely on the Rookie Twelve (and more) on their journey to rescue Naruto. But a stage had to be set, and as wounded as it is...Konoha's populace needs someone who wasn't involved in the war, someone who's strong and has the village's interests at heart, someone popular enough that their selection as Hokage comes without surprise. That list comes down to two people:
Itachi and Naruto.
Danzo, however, may not be willing to wait for Naruto's return...
5. SaKreD4LIFE:
Yeah, they were White Zetsu clones/spores. Sorry I didn't clarify, but I didn't think it would need clarification. That having been said, however, if, "neutralizing poison," is a skill that's only in Black Zetsu's repertoire, then you have my apologies.
Nagato may have the Rikudo Pein, but White Zetsu has unlimited lives. I think White Zetsu would win purely through weight of numbers.
6. Drake Vallion:
Orochimaru finds out next chapter. I wonder what effect it'll have? And...yeah. Jiraiya's death was a direct callback to when he attacked Hiashi and sparked the civil war to begin with. Though, as for why the Rasengan had no effect against the Kaiten, but the Cho Odama Rasengan did? Up for discussion.
Sorry to disappoint, but Zabuza won't be singing in this chapter. Maybe in an omake, or at some point in the future.
7. Fritter:
That was actually intentional and, along with the gunbai, intended to draw a parallel with Madara. Did you finish the series? Madara would just talk, and talk, and talk...I mean, sure, he summoned a meteor and became the Jubi Jinchuriki and all, but if there was an age-swap and Naruto's generation founded Konoha while Madara and Hashirama were the main characters of the story (there's an idea for a fic, huh?) then I guarantee you he'd be nicknamed something like Uchiha "Motor Mouth" Madara.
8. Ludicrous (Guest):
Tsunade, capable of crushing Kakashi? Don't fuck with me, man. That's almost laughable enough to disregard the rest of your review. She's strong, sure, but Kakashi has speed for days, and the Sharingan's predictive ability would keep him dodging blows until Tsunade ran out of strength. Then she gets merc'd by a kunai, or a Chidori, or a Rasengan, or any other jutsu.
You're right about Danzo, of course. He gets his longest appearance so far in this chapter, right at the start. However, don't forget that Danzo and Kakashi share a history together, though it was based on a lie.
Naruto's forgiveness...isn't likely. You're right. However, for the same reasons that Kakashi held a grudge against Tsunade, Naruto could be convinced that his paternal grandmother didn't really care about him. It all depends on whose voice would have the most effect, the fastest, and between Orochimaru and Kurama...not that either of them particularly like Kakashi or Tsunade, but Naruto's hanging by whatever threads his rage can grapple with.
Kakashi didn't justify the civil war. Jiraiya attacked Hiashi, and the lines were drawn then; Kakashi took charge, but only because he's a recognizable figure...and I never said that he could trump Nagato/Pein. The only non-Osutsuki characters who I think, canonically, could beat him are Itachi and Madara. And even then, Itachi would be an underdog.
Madara would crush Pein. Easily.
9. Noahendless:
I'm not gonna lie, that made me laugh. I needed that laugh.
10. Lord Bedhead:
Oh, I know I tried to do too much. Or, at least, I know that now...oops. Well, the past is the past, and I'll know not to extend myself to three theaters in the future. As for Izumi, she's not even someone I knew of until I looked at Itachi's wiki page, and then went to hers. In canon, their tale is a tragedy that's really kind of befitting of Itachi's character. I believe he really did love her, or else he wouldn't have believed that killing her would allow him to follow through and kill the rest of the clan.
11. OneLunchMan:
That's a good question. Danzo has the force and tactical guile to do it, Itachi has the strength to do it, and the love for the village, and Kakashi has the support of more than a few people...though all three have their obvious drawbacks as well. Danzo is seen as militant and untrustworthy, Itachi was branded a criminal after the Uchiha massacre, and Kakashi kind of committed regicide.
Whoops. I guess we'll see.
12. ArtanisRose:
Whether or not Kakashi understands the consequences of his actions, he lived through and fought in the Third Great War; the cost of any war is always far too high.
Political suicide, at the very least, unless he immediately goes OOC and solidifies all the clans underneath his strength.
13. Fromaster24:
That's a legitimate concern, seeing as (Obi[To)bi] was the main antagonist for fuck knows how long. Geez, remember when people thought he was actually Madara?
I do have a big bad in mind, one that'd lampshade everything Kishimoto tried to do with the last ~100 chapters and also make fun of the outrage that many people have displayed (and may continue to,) over the course of these last 11-12 chapters...but it'd be no fun revealing who it is now, and my mind may change as I go on. We'll see, I guess.
14. Fuyuriku:
That's a good point. In my attempts at character-building through past events and pseudo-flashbacks, I may not have developed them enough in the "present" and therefore their characterization suffered. It could also easily be a buffer on your part, like you said, or that I'm not adequately putting what's in my head onto the page.
That's a very short response for the length of the review you gave, but that's honestly the most solid critique I've ever gotten on this site, and you have my thanks for that. I'll try to be more careful of that in the future.
15. Arford:
It's inevitable that such a large-quantity cast like Naruto's will cause quality to suffer in varying degrees. It would have been much easier to keep it to three or four characters, and develop them very strongly while leaving all other characters as secondary or tertiary...but where's the ambition in that? The only way to get better is by doing, and while mistakes are bound to happen, that's how you learn to improve; success doesn't teach anything except that you were right, while failure tells you how to get better so that you can succeed again.
In fanfiction, as far as I'm concerned, canon is like the "Pirate Code" from the Pirates of the Caribbean movies...it's a guideline, at best. In fanfic, I can do whatever I want, so why would I necessarily stick to canon's series of events? An author has to be inventive, and I can't do that by only having minor discrepancies with canon.
Well, THAT took forever. It also doubled the size of the chapter, so...yeah. Let's hope I don't have such a high-influx of reviews again, otherwise I may have to stop posting review responses and instead just PM people.
That's a lot of PMs I'll need to send.
Remember that one chapter, way back, where I complained about not feeling like I was getting enough reviews? I take it back.
Now, at long fucking last...
Let's get this trainwreck moving.
"The battle is over, Danzo-sama." An operative of Ne said.
"Of course it is. Notable casualties?" Danzo was sitting in a plain chair, in the Ne corps' command center.
"Jiraiya and the Hokage, as well as Hyuuga Hiashi."
That information came as a surprise; both of the Sannin had perished in battle? Hiashi was superfluous, of course, as there would always be another Hyuuga...though this technically left the absent Hinata as the next clan head. In her place, the younger sibling would have to step up and become their de facto leader.
Still, their deaths would make a complete sweep of Konoha's political structure...viable. Not only that, but it would be easy. Danzo wasn't used to things being easy, as anyone who looked at his bandaged eye and arm could tell. When things were easy, it meant that there was trouble ahead. Other ninja would take advantage of their opportunistic circumstances, but Danzo would let nine chances pass before jumping for the tenth. He was always searching for the better option, the best option.
It wasn't likely to get any better than this. Though Danzo wasn't one to chase personal glory, it was no secret to anybody that he'd always coveted the position of Hokage. Even now, as he was rapidly approaching his eightieth birthday, he couldn't deny that he wanted the seat and the hat. With it, Ne could be safely maintained and operated without the digging questions by the village's other prominent figures; very few people were willing to go against the Hokage directly.
"How?"
"Hiashi killed Jiraiya, but was disemboweled in the process. Tsunade gave up when he died, and Kakashi killed her."
"He did what?"
The operative bowed his head, vanishing.
The idea had always been to dethrone Tsunade, never to kill her. The medical advancements she'd made were invaluable. If she were to be removed from power, but kept within the village, she could still have presided as the chief of staff at Konoha's hospital; Jiraiya's death was a major blow as well, for his reputation as a seal-master. It wasn't an overly critical death, as Danzo liked to consider himself the equal or better of the Toad Sage, but Fuinjutsu was not on Danzo's public list of skills.
Furthermore, the idea of Hiashi being able to kill Jiraiya, after being disembowled? Either there was something he was missing, or the impossible had happened. What could cause the Jyuken to overpower someone with Jiraiya's strength?
He probably hadn't been using any of his seals. Jiraiya had a tendency to avoid using them in favor of arts that took less long-term preparation, or that wouldn't risk damaging his allies. Even with the months that had passed since the civil war's inception, and the relative ease of creating a chakra-absorbing seal that would have stopped the Jyuken from being able to do any damage to his tenketsu...Jiraiya was a stubborn fool who'd always believed that his convictions would bolster his strength; unlike his teammates, sensei, or any of his students, Jiraiya was no natural-born talent among the shinobi of the world. Even Shizune had a stronger and more notable pedigree!
A long, breathy sigh escaped Danzo's lips as he pondered the consequences of the war, in both its immediate effects and the long-term damages that would be done. In the months that had passed, he could only assume that somewhere between two and three million ryo had been lost from missions they would have taken. Now, after Kakashi had committed regicide, any political aspirations that he had would likely be over; it would likely be best if he returned to the Anbu, where his name and face would be heard and seen as little as possible.
There was also the matter of Konoha's enemies. The most staunch among them were Iwagakure and Orochimaru, despite Danzo's natural prejudice against the ninja of Kumogakure; while it was true that Danzo viewed all non-Konoha shinobi as the village's enemies, he also couldn't deny the fact that allies were useful. Especially after such a crippling blow as this civil war.
Orochimaru was generally more content to be left alone to his research, however; he only turned particularly vindictive when he believed that he could get something out of it. The most obvious example was his invasion of Konoha, an attempt that had been specifically to eliminating Sunagakure from global power, and also capture Uchiha Sasuke. Though Hiruzen's death had been a devastating blow, it was a side-effect, and the village had recovered thanks to its minimal losses overall.
Suna was still bound by their alliance pact after the failed invasion that had decimated their forces. Kirigakure was barely more than a year out from their own civil war, though Uzumaki Naruto had apparently played a critical role in keeping the bloodshed lower. Both of those villages had Jinchuriki, and Kage, that owed Naruto their lives; it likely wouldn't even require force, through words or actions, to get them to help Konoha if another war came.
Kumogakure was, at best, neutral. They'd maintained a relationship with Konoha that had balanced itself between enmity and rivalry, the two villages opposing each other in all three of the Great Wars that had encompassed the inception of hidden villages. Just as the Kinkaku Force had been responsible for the Nidaime Hokage's death, Danzo had personally assassinated the Shodaime Raikage and his brother.
In his youth, Danzo had been Konoha's peerless assassin, whose moniker as the Yami no Shinobi was as much from his militant ideology as it was from his tendency to strike while his targets were sleeping.
It was that training, in the back of his mind, that told him he wasn't alone.
"It's been a long time, Danzo." The words came from behind him, but the surprise didn't garner an expression.
"Ah, Itachi. How goes the mission?"
"The masked man is dead." If Itachi didn't know better, he would have thought that Danzo couldn't care less whether he lived or died.
That information was enough to bring a smile to Danzo's face. The man who called himself Tobi, who was responsible for the Kyuubi's unsealing and its attack on Konoha, was finally dead and gone.
"I've kept my word, as you can see. Sasuke is under the watch of one of my agents, along with the rest of his classmates. They're out looking for Uzumaki Naruto."
Itachi knew that much, but stayed silent as Danzo continued.
"Unfortunately, Tsunade and Jiraiya are both dead. This means that your mission can end at any time, as we need all the powerful ninja in the village that we can muster."
"I can't do that. I'm too far under-cover, regarding most of the Akatsuki, though Pein knows where my true loyalty lies."
"And he didn't kill you on the spot?" Danzo questioned. "I remember him, a long time ago. The Rinnegan is a fearsome weapon in the right hands, and the Uzumaki only make it deadlier."
"And what about the Uchiha?"
Itach performed a quick shunshin, appearing before Danzo and staring the elderly man down with his newly-aquired Dojutsu.
"You are a dangerous man, Itachi."
That was high praise, coming from Danzo.
"A long time ago, you told me that I was very much like you. You told me that I could become your successor. I'd expect nothing less than to live up to those expectations."
In the torch-lit room where they spoke, Danzo knew it was coming...he had known for a long, long time. The sword plunged through his chest from behind, but he remained calm. Unsealing a scroll, he gave an underhand toss to Itachi.
"Take that to Sai." He coughed. "My last mission for you."
Itachi nodded, vanishing. When Danzo was certain that nobody was there, in the final seconds before he died, he activated the Izanagi.
He was the shadow that encased the roots of Konoha. He was the darkness that haunted every shadowed alley, every dim hallway, and the mind of all ninja. He was eternal, for as long as there was light, the darkness in the hearts of men could never die.
Orochimaru would want to hear about these developments; the White Snake might even be susceptible, after spending so much time away from the limelight. That wasn't something Danzo would count on, though. Unlike Jiraiya, he would always overestimate his opponents.
Zabuza had deposited them on the shores of Kaminari no Kuni, after a lack of storms allowed him to find the way perfectly. The truth of the matter, of course, was his genuine fear of Mei.
Their group had expanded from its original thirteen members; the Uzumaki trio, Haku, Chojuro, and Gaara's older siblings had pushed the grand total up to twenty. Sai continued to act as their leader, and they'd been travelling northwest when they were stopped.
"Hello, children of Konoha."
The speaker was an emaciated redhead, flesh clinging to bone far too well for most of the onlookers' comfort. Despite his withered look, he moved with confidence, his loyalties only betrayed by the black-with-red-clouds cloak and the Amegakure hitai-ate that was remarkably unslashed, given the symbolism that the Akatsuki's members attributed to such an action.
Despite all of this, though, the man's most striking features were his eyes: the light lilac was set with three black rings, the unmistakable appearance of the Rinnegan.
"I am Uzumaki Nagato." He introduced himself. "My lady, Oboro-sama, the years have been kinder to you than I."
"Nagato?" Oboro thought, trying to remember an Uzumaki by that name. "Saemi and Gouza's little boy? You couldn't have been older than six when..."
"I wasn't. My parents and I managed to escape, and we made it all the way to Amegakure before an Iwa shinobi killed my parents in front of me. The trauma woke my Rinnegan."
Sasuke understood; the Sharingan was generally awoken under similar circumstances, and the Mangekyou state was released when an intensely personal grief was revealed.
"After that, Jiraiya-sensei found me, along with Konan and one other...and he trained us for several years, until long after the war ended."
"Konan? She's one of you, too?" Tayuya asked.
"That cloak marks you as a member of the Akatsuki." Shikamaru said. "What business do you have with us?"
"Your goal is to rescue my clansman, which I wish to assist, despite our...polarity." Nagato admitted. "Mine is to kill Orochimaru, as a way to tie up loose ends within my organization. My assumption is that Itachi has killed Tobi by now, since the civil war is over."
"It is?" Kiba asked. "What happened?"
"Nothing good, of course." Nagato said. "I'd be a poor leader of a hidden village if I didn't have spies in place, but...I'm not sure that now is the time or place."
Nagato wasn't entirely certain whether or not Zetsu counted as a, "placed," spy, but the cannibalistic half-plant was certainly well-suited for undetected infiltration missions. The Kagerou was the only technique that had ever been able to trump the detection barrier he'd set up across Amegakure.
"No." Shino said. "If something happened, we deserve to know."
"Very well, then." Nagato paused. "There were relatively few casualties, given the length of the war, but...some people died who may be important to you. Hyuuga Hiashi, Inuzuka Hana, the Hokage, and my sensei, Arashi Jiraiya, are among them."
"F-father is..." Hinata trailed off, while Neji raised his eyebrows in shock.
"Big sis is dead?" Kiba asked, disbelieving.
"The Hokage, and her right hand man? You've got to be pulling my leg." Shikamaru said, denying the Rinnegan-bearer's words. Sakura echoed the Nara heir's sentiments; her teacher wasn't that easy to take down.
All of them had good reasoning, for their own thoughts.
Hiashi was the most skilled Jyuken user in the Hyuuga clan since Konoha's founding, though Neji was on track to surpass him. His speed, his precision, and the strength of his Byakugan, were unmatched by almost anyone..and, as the clan head, he held access to certain secret techniques of their family.
Kiba had grown up in his sister's shadow, though he'd always seen it as a rivalry regarding who would become the next pack alpha. He didn't possess her natural talent with the clan's techniques, and he certainly wasn't her intellectual equal...by a long shot...but he'd always tried to prove himself worthy of becoming the next clan head, instead of her. He hadn't wanted it to come like this, though.
Lastly, Jiraiya and Tsunade were both legendary figures, each in their own right. While Tsunade hadn't possessed the outright combat prowess that either of her teammates did, since her specialties resided in Taijutsu and medical techniques, she was credited as a deciding factor towards Konoha's victory in the Second Great War. Her advancements in battlefield treatment, her ability to neutralize toxins without a known antidote, and the creation of Konoha's med-nin program, were all instrumental in providing a longer lifespan to Konoha shinobi.
Jiraiya, on the other hand, had been much more of a front-line fighter. Famed for his prowess in Fuinjutsu and Ninjutsu alike, as well as being the holder of the Toad Summoning Contract, the Gama Sennin had been at his strongest with wide area-of-effect Ninjutsu, such as the Raiton: Raigen'ya and the Doton: Yomi Numa. If Shikamaru had to guess, the reason he died would have had to do with an unwillingness to kill his own countrymen, or an unwillingness to harm his allies with the large-scale techniques he specialized in.
"It's true." Nagato insisted. "Jiraiya-sensei gutted Hiashi, but I'm assuming he used a secret Hyuuga technique to keep himself alive long enough to immobilize Jiraiya-sensei and deal lethal damage. Once that was done, the Hokage killed Hiashi, but when Jiraiya-sensei died, she gave up hope. That was when Hatake Kakashi killed her."
Sai had a confused look on his face, but he shook it away.
"As much as I would love to finish this conversation now," the Ne commander-in-training said, "we still have time to make it to Kumo by nightfall. We should move while we can."
Nagato nodded, adding another member to their group as he fell in with Oboro, Rei, and Kouga. He didn't mind the distrust that some of them would treat him with. After all...he was the leader of the Akatsuki. One thing he was surprised at, though, was Oboro; the Nidaime Uzukage's wife hadn't been in any of his visions, and neither had those children who never seemed to stray from her side.
