Quest 45: Supremacy

"Damn it stinks out here why can't we be deployed somewhere nice like a beach or something?" Vince complains.

"It's war being on a beach is going be any better," I respond.

"I'm with Renji on this one, out of the frying pan and into the fire, I don't care who I have to fight, it's gotta be cooler than here," Mao adds his voice muffled.

"The sooner do our jobs the quicker we can leave." I retort.

Honestly, I hate it here myself, the heat, and the putrid stench of rotten eggs just hanging in the air. The Land of smoke should really be named the Land of shit, cesspools, or haze, smoke just too kind of word for this dump. Who would seriously build a country in this bile?

"Camp i- ahe." Midori's normally quiet voice is muffled over the boiling sulfur pits and her gas mask.

"I think she said the camp is nearby," Erik says.

A small nod and pointing index finger northeast of here from the green haired chunin confirms it.

"Good let's get in, do what we came to do and get the fuck out," I command. Several tents are ahead, nearby more sulfur pits using the noxious fumes as cover. As we walk into the biggest tent, I notice the seal arrays with swirling markings, handy-work of Uzumaki barrier keeping the bad air out, clever.

The rest of my small team breaks away to go and rest themselves after another long trek.

"Aniki," A voice rings out its Kali.

I haven't seen her in a while, she's wearing the full star uniform flak jacket and all, and she's just a little shorter than I am now.

"sup, imouto," I address her.

"Hey you alright," She asks in a serious tone.

Honestly no nothings alright, the lotus clan gave a power that kills when you use it, how I wish I could say that.

"I'm fine," I answer.

"Well I um, only ask because your sensei was looking for, like frantically, did – did something happen?" She asks.

I heave a heavy sigh "it's-" complicated, a long story, "a pain in the ass,"

"Wanna talk about it?" She presses.

"not really, but to summarize, I confessed."

"You mean-"

"Yeah, I uh accidentally told her my feelings, and shot myself down soon after."

"Oh I see- well I mean there's still other fish in the sea, like the one standing in front of you."

"Look I appreciate it, you're a beautiful intelligent young woman, but I still see that little girl saved in the river those years ago."

Kali puffs up her cheeks in an adorable manner "Last time checked we both nearly died,"

"Details details, the point is I don't want to ruin what we have here, our bond as frie-

"Ah so I'm getting friendzoned, nice one Bri," just before she turns away she turns back around. "Look Akiko asked me to pass along a message: thank you for everything" Kali then went back to her station.

Everything

She can't mean- no I'm reading too much into again, Everything, I- dammit even if she- screw it.

"Tokegeroh over here kid," I hear a familiar voice call out.

I glance the direction and see Shisuke.

"Shisuke-san how are -

" Stop with formalities, we're practically family," he says, though I'm sure Ryuzaki would think otherwise. The broad man walk places a firm hand on my shoulder. " Let's go meet the others so we can tell you while we're in this dump of a country."

He escorts over to another table with Tatsuki, Tsugiri, and strangely enough Kali

It finally dawns on me and I smile "When?"

"A few days ago actually," Kali grins back.

"Her efforts as medic haven't gone unnoticed she saved a lot of lives during this hellish war. I'm proud as hell of her." Tatsuki says smiling wide as a Cheshire cat's grin.

" Well that's true, We brought her in for her medicinal expertise," Tsugiri

"Regarding?" I inquire.

"A new poison in development, we believe that the stone is using the extraordinary flora, fauna and already existing poisons gases to make a chemical weapon," Kali explains letting science part of her shine.

"First I've heard of it," I say.

"First anyone has the lotus spy network caught wind of it," Tsugiri informs.

"Yeah, fortunately, we already found their base just less than a klick north of here, your job is simple, infiltrate and grab intel about the weapon-,"

"And if the weapon is completed," I ask.

"Sabotage it," Shisuke concludes.

"Alright my team needs to rest I'll brief about the mission once they're sufficiently rested and ready." I then make my exit from the briefing.

Richard

"Is it ready?" I ask gazing out at the desolate wasteland.

The sky takes on the hue of a burnt orange, nightfall will come soon.

"Ready as it'll ever be, -are you we need to use it," Jiro asks.

The old grizzled veteran seems to have a history with this kind of thing, tragedies and losses are plastered on his face.

"Unfortunately so, they brought in the reaper himself," I say sarcastically.

The Reaper is just a kid, a powerful one sure but still a kid he has he still needs to experience like loss and pain.

"The Reaper! This no time to joke around, I heard stories about him, how he eats the souls of his victims, just looking in his eyes will cause men to mad." he panics.

"They're just stories exaggerations, tales passed around so many times that the truth isn't even in them-

"Maybe so, but rumors like these tend to have a bit of truth to them."

I nodded " Anyhow we need to send him out now, while we have time."

Jiro slowly nods," I- I'll fetch him."

Brian

I look into a pit filled a bubbling, hissing, lava, the inky tar and smoldering orange mixture swirl around. Staring at it, I can't help but feel an ominous vibe coming from it, and my instincts are usually right about these kinds of things.

"Care not to fall in yikes," Mao says looking in himself.

I turn my view to smog cover sky, it's pitch black out here only the soft glow of molten rock lighting a few place in between and with this kind of view and toxic burning air it feels like hell on earth.

"Just what I need more bad vibes," I groan. "Watch your step, everyone."

Is that it? I spy a building not too far off, its looks old and decrepit but in the world, we live looks can be deceiving.

"Alright we're ge-getting cl- cl- close," I feel it a jolt of energy coming off nowhere, but that can only mean-

"Yo Tokegeroh, everything ok?" Vince asks with concern showing on his face.

I take dee- nope fuck that, not in this kind of air. " w- we ne- need to leave,"

"What?"

"N-o non now!"

As if I needed another sign in this shit storm, I feel the earth rumble,

"An earthquake,"

"W-w-w-w-w-worse," I stutter. " w-we ne- ne-ne -eed t-t-t-to ge- ge-t ba- ba ba-back t-t-t-t-o ca-ca- camp and w-w-wwarn eve-"

A roar echoes out, louder than anything I ever heard, the very sound makes the earth shake, as it echoes through the waste, this isn't just another jinchurriki this one of the bijuu.

"Wh- what was that," Midori says I can feel fear coming her and everyone else in waves.

I inhale swallowing the foul air it burns my throat passing but I manage to get my words out. "We need to go now it's one the nine bijuu, it's here.

Erik and Vince's eyes are practically bulging out their heads.

"You gotta be shitting me!" Erik yells.

"How do we fight-" Vince's words are lost on him.

Suddenly I feel a torrent of it, dark chakra, so – so much rage and hate, how it – how can anything carry such pure hatred, my senses are in freefall, this energy I'm drowning in it. More tremors come snapping my senses back, Lava jumps from the illuminating the colossal beast's silhouette, it's a fucking mountain.

"Is that a horse!?" Makina asks

"The five-tails, Kokou," I mutter.

Apparently, it hears me its massive head turns right to us.

"We have to fight it's too close to the camp," Erik's says.

"No! I'll fight it, the rest of you leave Mao get back up, I'll need seal specialist and any Uzumaki you can get. " I order.
"What? Come on!"

"Br- Tokegeroh you can't be seriously thinking fighting it yourself you'll die Renji and I can help."

I know they mean well but if push comes to shove they'll use the reibi's power to fullest and die in the process I can't let that happen.

"That's an Order!" I yell.

I summon every last ounce of chakra that I can manage, dark chakra floods my body again, the icy wildfire rages violently inside me.

Vince and Erik stare in both awe and fear, hesitantly they leave with everyone else.

Boss encounter: Kokou lvl:? (Danger)

Bgm: Kingdom hearts 3 Ost: Wave of darkness

Gases billow out the crags between me and this overgrown horse, the bijuu, charges making the ground rumbles beneath its hooves, lava jets free from the craters, illuminating its form. I use the multi shadow clone justu making a hundred clones, this might not even be enough. I form the ram seal, massive waves of water jet out from under my feet, the water surges on, over the wastes causing pillars steam to form as passes over the molten pits and sulfur. The waves slam in the monster, Kokou stumbles as waves rush into him. The clones pour in lightning, the water lights up, sending electric streams into the bijuu, but he doesn't slow down, instead he pushes on. I watch as one my stronger jutsu gets parted away by billows of steam, shit!

I forgot about its steam release. Water justu won't be enough.

"Great cast net and giant vortex and thunder," I command my clones.

All the clones line making the hand seals, a large row of Water twists in and multiple layer of wind blades cover it, then streams of lighting charge in, mixing the technique into a gray vortex with lighting swirling around it collaboration justu: true tyrant the attack hits in Kokou in his right foreleg knocking it off balance, the techniques shreds its skin right down to the muscles, but its still standing, damn it's even still moving, at this point the bijuu is on top of casting a vast shadow. A few clones got crushed by the sheer force of its hooves.

"blade of wind water whip, and live wire make it happen!"I bark out. The clones and around zip around, it's legs we can win if we slow down it's legs. Several lines of gray stormy whips wrap around Kokou's legs, its trying to move but at least it stopped. My clones and I heave the dark chakra enhancing our strength, I can feel its hate pouring into me, fueling me. We have him we can win, but now it opens its mouth, blue and red spheres are forming in the center, into a black ball.

"Hooo-ly shit!" one of clones screams.

Shit is this it is this how I die? Fuck I can't stop this even with Leviathan power backing me.

The ball compresses, Kokou closes its mouth, its head puffs up, as a glowing red, energy is seen in the dead center, son of bitch looks like he's smiling.

"Gentlemen its been an honor," I say to my clones, each one looking hopeless.

It takes aim, and then boom!

At least it was quick and... wait, I sense a familiar surge of of wind and water no I told them to stay back!

"That was close!"

"You're telling me,"

The two voices confirmed, they came back, idiots, I'm trying to save their lives why can't they just listen?

"I thought I gave you an order!" I yell out

"Yeah and we didn't listen jackass," Vince shoots back.

I look up at Kokou, his left eye is bleeding whatever they did it just saved my ass. I much hate it I need them here.

Suddenly the bijuu breathes and blows steams from it's maw, the shear heat of is boiling us alive I can feel my clones, die off one by one, Vince spews out a stillwater barrier, suprising its holding. Kokou raises it's brown hoof and stomps on us the barrier begins sinking into the ground.

"Whoa, this isn't good." Erik stating the obvious.

"This ain't gonna hold guys," Vince shouts trying hold the barrier we every ounce of strength he can muster. As we sink deeper it gets hotter, can I get a break!

"Is that what I think it is?" Vince asks.

Lava seeps up to the surface Kokou raises its gigantic hoof as if it's putting the final nail in the coffin.

"Grab on you two, and vince cancel the barrier," Erik barks out.

Without hesitation, we grab on to him he fire off and gust of wind shoots us off the ground. The bijuu's hoof nearly hits us as we fly out the crater lava bursting out of the earth.

"Oh shit bijuu dama!" Vince calls out.

"Again!" I scream. "can you stop it like last time?"

"Last time was a bit sheer dumb luck we collaborated very poorly at that luckily we hit's eye."

So our death was delayed great just great.

"I'm going all out," Erik says

"Not without me," Vince smiles back,

My heart stops, even in this hopeless situation I don't want them to use it, but what can I do, what I do. Leviathan power is eating away I barely able to focus. The swirling hatred and darkness, corrupting bit by bit.

Sudden slivers of silver whiz by hitting the five tails lower jaw, them an explosion. It's enough to break the bijuu's concentration, and dissipates the attack but who threw them?

"A bijuu and I thought today wouldn't be worth while."

"Looks like you've been hanging in there kid, Akiko's gonna be pissed if you died here."

I'm relieved at the sounds of muffled voices, amazingly we held kokou off at the very last second.

"How?" I ask almost smiling.

"Thank Mao for having a sense direction for a change the kid ran all the way with the swift release, tuckered himself out in the process," Tsugiri clarifies.

"The rest of them met us halfway, kind of ballsy taking this on by yourselves by the way," Tatsuki finishes.

"Renji, Yusuke, conserve your energy, this still going to be a rough fight," I order. I look around and see a familiar red head I the group, "Tora how good are you with those chains?"

"I learned some techniques do think it'll hold him." he replies.

"Trust me those chains are made to hold him," Shisuke says.

Tora steps up in spite of his fear, and uncertainty, he weaves several hand seals, and gold chains sprout from his form. Then a wave of pure hate and fear hit me like a freight train. The tailed beasts emerald eyes are looking straight at Tora.

"No you don't!" I roar. My legs might as well be rockets, I practically fly jumping out at Kokou, as I race through the air weaving hand seals for my first collaboration, Galactic vanity the misty white is now more of gray, My only guess is that dark chakra might be changing its hue. The cluster of gray disks hone in on Kokuo digging into its head, blood gushes out, staining its snow white fur with a wine-colored crimson. His head swing around to me puffs of steam float of his mouth, still in the air, I make a water clone beneath me and use its body as a spring board. I leap just as a geyser of steam streams from Kokou's mouth, I above him now. The I pull out my sais, and make the calamity fangs the twin storm swords in each hand I dive down at my target, the bijuu looks up, prepare to fire another steam shot bring it asshole!

The blazing blizzard within reaches its peak and something's wrong. All this hate and rage it's so deep, like the pits of hell itself, is right inside me. I'm at the edge, my limit if I go any further, Levi will consume me. The pillar of steam hits full force, my insides churn and my skin burns the sheer heat is peeling away at me, somewhere between this excruciating and indescribable pain, and this overwhelming hate, my eyes closed.

Boss encounter end

My eyes slowly peel open, Kali's here I can see a light green glow on my chest, and I hear roaring outside Kokou still hasn't been dealt with. My entire body in aches, I healing but I can barely move.

"Easy don't move around just yet," Kali says gently pushing me back down. "Good you're stable now Levi should be able to care of the rest."

"Wait where are you- Where are you going?" I ask

"Kokou been advancing pretty quickly and some one broke the barrier and we've got injured here so evacuation isn't really much of an option, now I think if use the phoenix's power I can undo some of the damage and may be able to stop the bijuu's advance."

Just she leaves I reach out and grab wrist holding on with everything I have.

"Don't you'll die," My voice is barely above a whisper.

"No need to so negative Aniki, I the only one who can, Vince and Erik are here too from chakra exhaustion."

"You don't understand, Ka- Kali if you use all of reibi's power its certain death," Well cat's out of the bag now "I heard from one of the scientists after the crimson night, I'm sorry I didn't say any- anything about before but the -"

"That sucks," Kali says dejected, yeah but at least I won't have to lose you.

Her hands wrap around my head and then something soft and moist presses hard on my lips, air that's spicy, dances on my tongue, My eyes see two hazel orbs grinning back at me. As far as kisses go it matches her perfectly hot and passionate, yet gentle comforting. She breaks the kiss, a small line of saliva stretches between us.

"w- why?"I ask still stunned by it all.

"Something I always wanted to do, See you later, Brian," She says smiling all the while.

My heart stops and I feel something horrible in the pit of my stomach, "Wait! You- you can't Kali please don't!" I plead. But she's already leaving running to her death.

I try to use dark chakra, to quicken the healing. My body barely has enough to strength to get up but have to move, I need to stop her! I stand against the pain and move, crawling, stumbling, walking doing anything I can to make it there, but it's not enough!

Sudden an orange glow consumes the sky, the flames of blazing inferno take hold inside me, my body is invigorated and healing, I run as fast my legs would allow, past the crags and smog that shrouds the camp. Then I see it a bright autumn colored phoenix, its embers scattering out like snowflakes, touching everything around them. Bright colors faded and the sparks of flame die off, that inferno I felt diminishes to a flicker and then nothing. The five tails' once pure white coat is now dotted flesh-pink and soot-black she somehow overpowered it. Kokou's mountain-sized body collapses with a thundering thud, raising a plume of dust. The ninjas look on in awe or in hesitation, wondering how this victory came to be. However, I know it came at the cost of something far too precious for this world.

items obtained:

300000 ryo

X4 Kali's petals

x50 despair charge

x 60 Hyper malevolent chakra

An: just a few chapters till the end!