A.N: So, first, a big announcement. Last month, I announced the publishing of my first original novel: Age of Heroes: The Hero and the Disciple, in eBook format. Well, I would also like to announce that for anyone who prefers a hard copy, hard copies are now being offered as well! So, if you've enjoyed my work here, I encourage you to check out my original material as well!
I'll also be changing my pen name on this site to reflect my new status as a published author. From now on, when you're trying to find my profile, keep your eyes peeled for Author Nicholas Drew
And now, Naruto vs. Ulquiorra!
Chapter 24: Far From Empty
As he stared down Ulquiorra Cifer, Naruto Uzumaki could not help but ask one very important question before they started to fight. "Did I seriously leave that much of an impression on you that you just had to go and kill a bunch of my Shadow Clones?"
"It was...the only way I felt I could get your attention, short of attacking your friends." Ulquiorra admitted. "And since I don't know you well enough to know who your true friends actually are, I had to simply focus on attacking your clones."
"Technically, everyone is my friend." Naruto replied. "There's not a single person in this army that I don't cherish."
"Don't tell him that you idiot!" Kurama yelled.
"I see," Ulquiorra nodded in understanding, "that won't do. I'd waste way too much of my time hunting down every single person. I'd much prefer the direct approach when someone obtains my attention. I despise tedious matters."
"So do I." Naruto responded. "Though, unlike you, I think it's because I have no attention span to speak of."
"But there is one more thing I'd like to ask you before we settle this." Naruto continued. "Why are you here? Why are you fighting with Konton? What exactly has he promised you that you'd agree to something like this?"
"I see...you are curious as to how Lord Konton secured my loyalty." Ulquiorra nodded in understanding.
"Well, I suppose the truth of the matter is that my reasons for serving the Coalition...are surprisingly selfish." Ulquiorra revealed. "As loyal as I am to Lord Aizen, and his presence in the Coalition did make for an easy adjustment, the truth is, I am no longer bound to Lord Aizen's commands, as his army no longer exists."
"Your reasons...were selfish?" Naruto was surprised.
"Selfish...but also gratitude." Ulquiorra admitted. "You see, I died once before, as I'm sure Ichigo Kurosaki had already explained to you. I died...just as I was beginning to understand just what the heart was. I was...regretful of that. I wanted to know more about the heart...that made a warrior I had written off surpass me in strength, and made a girl psychologically tormented by myself and my allies lament my passing."
"And that...was when Lord Konton brought me back to this world." Ulquiorra admitted. "He offered me the chance to learn more about the heart that I could not see, yet was so intrigued by. I took it...you understand. If offered something you truly desire, you would take it."
"Not if it meant selling my soul to someone who's a borderline devil." Naruto responded.
"Can you truly say that?" Ulquiorra asked. "If someone offered you your dream, would you actually turn it down?"
Naruto fell silent. He wanted to say no. He wanted to say that he would turn down being Hokage if someone just offered it to him, out of the blue. Especially if basically selling his soul to a devil like Konton. However, no one had ever put him in that situation before.
Naruto can claim to have the moral high ground, compared to others, all he wished. But while he had been able to easily refuse the offers of people with lunatic ideas like Obito and Madara. He had never been offered something...reasonable, by someone he would view as an antagonistic force.
Ulquiorra sighed. "That's what I thought." He said. "In the future, please try not to judge my decision when you cannot even say for certain you wouldn't do the same in my situation."
"Now, don't get me wrong, in spite of my gratitude to Lord Konton for offering me this chance, neither he nor the Coalition mean a thing to me." Ulquiorra admitted. "I have no loyalty to Lord Konton. And I am in no way interested in what he is intending to achieve in his efforts. For the first time ever, I am fighting purely for my own interests."
"If that's the case, then join the Alliance. We can help you with your interests, and you don't have to help a madman." Naruto offered without hesitation.
Ulquiorra shook his head. "Have you ever considered the arrogance of your words, Naruto Uzumaki?" He asked.
"Eh?" Naruto looked at Ulquiorra in confusion.
"The Alliance are the good guys...the Coalition are the bad guys. That is what you all believe." Ulquiorra noted. "And so, if you see someone who is motivated more by personal interests rather than loyalty to the 'bad guys' and their cause, you think that automatically gives you the right to try and sway them over to your side. Tell me, do expect me to be grateful? Do you expect me to simply switch sides because the 'good guys' offer me aid in my interests?"
Naruto fell silent at this. "Understand this, Naruto Uzumaki. I don't doubt that either side could help me in my interests."
"So why?"
"Because I do not belong with your Alliance." Ulquiorra responded simply. "It's that simple. I am an Arrancar, the mightiest evolution of a Hollow, a beast that seeks to devour the souls of the innocent. And your allies, might I remind you, are the Soul Society, my sworn enemy."
"It is simply in my nature...as it is the nature of all Hollows, to oppose the Soul Society."
"And what about the Wandenreich? I was under the impression that Quincies are sworn enemies of Hollows as well." Naruto pointed out.
Ulquiorra sighed. "I will admit there is some...discomfort in working with the Quincies."
"Then that completely invalidates your last statement." Naruto pointed out. "It's not that you can't work with the Alliance. You just won't."
This seemed to strike a chord with Ulquiorra, who hummed thoughtfully at Naruto's statement. "I see," he muttered in a tone low enough for Naruto to be unable to hear, "so I'm slowly becoming...yes, I see. Perhaps hypocrisy is part of the heart as well."
"Regardless," Ulquiorra returned to addressing Naruto, "it does not change the fact that I am gaining a greater understanding of myself as a member of the Coalition. Maybe you're right and that I simply won't work with the Alliance. But none of that matters. I believe we have a fight to partake in?"
Ulquiorra removed his hands from his pockets, showing that he was ready to take Naruto on. Naruto heaved a sigh. What an odd series of events. He had come to Ulquiorra ready for a fight, but then his curiosity had got the better of him. Instinctively, he tried to sway Ulquiorra over to his side, but that of course failed. Now, he had no choice but to fight.
"You ready, Kurama?" Naruto asked his Tailed Beast.
"Be careful, idiot." Kurama told him. "Something tells me this fight is going to be different from the one in the palace. His entire demeanor is different from back then."
"Yeah, I know, I can tell that much. Something tells me he just wasn't interested in giving his all back at Chitsujo's palace. I think we'll be getting a real match this time around."
"Here I come, Ulquiorra." Naruto warned before holding up his hands in the familiar Hand Sign. "Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Ulquiorra watched in interest as a small army of Naruto Uzumakis surrounded him. "I see," he said, "I was told that the Shadow Clone Jutsu utterly drains the Chakra of the user, which was why it was classified as a forbidden technique. Even after creating that small army to aid your allies, you still have Chakra to spare...enough Chakra to fight me with an army."
"Fascinating," Ulquiorra continued, "you...Ichigo Kurosaki...and most likely Monkey D. Luffy and Natsu Dragneel as well...you four are truly interesting. You truly did receive quite a blessing of strength when you were born into this world."
"It's strange, this feeling in my empty chest...I wonder if it's envy." Ulquiorra mused. "I who was born empty...with nothing...maybe I cannot help but envy someone like you."
The clones responded by rushing Ulquiorra. "Ah, so we begin." Ulquiorra noted, remaining surprisingly calm in spite of the army that was rushing him.
Ulquiorra quickly went on the offensive. He threw a palm strike into the nearest Shadow Clone's stomach, sending him airborne. The clone immediately vanished in a puff of smoke. A second clone tried to stab Ulquiorra in the neck with a kunai, only for the kunai to actually break against his powerful Hierro. Ulquiorra calmly elbowed that clone before turning around and backhanding him into a third clone and popping both of them out of existence.
Then, a fourth Shadow Clone tossed a windmill shuriken at Ulquiorra. Frowning slightly at Naruto using such pitiful tactics, he caught the shuriken with ease. Then, the shuriken vanished into smoke and was replaced with a fifth clone. If Ulquiorra was surprised, he did not show it. The Shadow Clone quickly grabbed Ulquiorra's face as the Espada tried to free himself.
The Shadow Clone that had tossed the fake windmill shuriken, flanked by two other Shadow Clones, moved underneath Ulquiorra. "Na! Ru! To!" They yelled, kicking Ulquiorra into the air one at a time.
Ulquiorra grunted in surprise as he finally tossed that shadow clone away. Suddenly, he saw several thousand Shadow Clones above him. "2K!" They all yelled punching Ulquiorra one by one.
Ulquiorra dispassionately fell towards the ground. Two more Narutos were waiting for him. He quickly crossed his arms in an x to defend himself.
"Uzumaki Barrage!" The final two clones yelled, punching Ulquiorra simultaneously, sending him flying and ending the combo.
Ulquiorra managed to land on his feet, but was sliding back several feet. One of the Shadow Clones that had thrown one of the final two punches was suddenly grabbed by the other and tossed towards the Espada. This Shadow Clone drew another kunai as he flew above Ulquiorra.
Ulquiorra narrowed his eyes and grabbed the clone's wrist. "Do not think you can beat me with such simple ninja tactics, Naruto Uzumaki." He warned the boy.
The Shadow Clone just grinned and moved a few fingers from the hilt of the kunai, allowing a paper tag to fall limply before Ulquiorra. The tag suddenly lit up in fire, making the Espada gasp once more. It was an explosive tag! The tag exploded in Ulquiorra's face, making him flinch and destroying the Shadow Clone in the process.
Ulquiorra grunted, blinded by the flames of the explosion. Then he felt several massive surges in Chakra. When the flames and smoke cleared, he saw what it was. The real Naruto Uzumaki smirked, having created more Shadow Clones to surround Ulquiorra with a dome of Rasengan-wielding Ninja.
"Rasengan!" The second army of Shadow Clones yelled, raining spiraling blue death down onto the Espada.
Ulquiorra let out a brief yell of surprise as he took blast after blast from Naruto's signature Ninjutsu. With each blow, the Shadow Clone would vanish, having done its job. When the attack finally let up, Ulquiorra was left looking at the army of Shadow Clones that had been made earlier. They were still staring him down, ready for the fight.
For his part, Ulquiorra's jacket had only been burnt off by the constant Rasengan attacks. He took a deep breath, dusting himself off. "My turn." He said simply, holding both hands out in front of him. "Ola Cero."
The Shadow Clone Army all let out a yell of surprise as Ulquiorra fired a widespread green Cero that spanned about 100 yards, destroying a third of the Shadow Clone army in one fell swoop. "Whoa, what was that attack?" One Naruto yelled in surprise.
"Boss, we gotta scatter! We can't take another one of those!" Another added.
The real Naruto grit his teeth. "Yeah, you're right," he said, "spread out!"
The remaining army went after Ulquiorra once more. "Ola Cero can be an effective anti-army technique, but only when it's against dense fools. And using it multiple times would be a waste of Spirit Energy." Ulquiorra noted of his new technique.
Upon noting this, Ulquiorra was set upon once more by Naruto's army of Shadow Clones. This time, Ulquiorra went on the offensive as well, instead of simply defending and countering. He had seen what Naruto was capable of, as far as his Shadow Clone spamming went. He was confident his skill was more than enough to beat it.
He quickly swept the leg of the Shadow Clone he was nearest. He then slammed his elbow into the stomach of that Shadow Clone, driving him into the ground and popping him.
He quickly grabbed the faces of two other Shadow Clones that tried to attack him from both sides. He tightened his grip on their faces, crushing their skulls and destroying them as well. With his arms open, Ulquiorra was left open to a haymaker to the stomach from another Naruto. While another kicked him in the face.
Ulquiorra grunted slightly before glaring at the two clones. He spun away from the heel in his face, sending the Shadow Clone off balance and tumbling before impaling that Shadow Clone through the heart. He then drove his knee into the face of the Shadow Clone that had thrown the haymaker into his stomach. Both Shadow Clones vanished quickly.
Ulquiorra then looked up to see that several hundred Shadow Clones had leapt into the air and were preparing a downpour of Rasengans. "Rasengan!" The Shadow Clones all yelled, preparing to strike Ulquiorra once more.
"Not this time." Ulquiorra muttered, pointing his index finger at the raining Shadow Clones. "Cero Disperso!"
Ulquiorra fired a green laser from the tip of his finger that was seemingly just a regular Cero. Then, much to the shock of the remaining Shadow Clones in the army of Narutos, the beam dispersed into several different directions. It was as though the original point was a tree trunk, and all the scattered beams were like branches.
Then, each beam struck all the airborne Shadow Clones. A giant cloud was made from all the Shadow Clones dispersing into smoke. The real Naruto Uzumaki and his remaining Shadow Clones gazed at Ulquiorra's destructive capability in disbelief. "Okay, yeah, he was definitely holding back during our fight in the palace." Naruto acknowledged.
"Yeah, no duh." Kurama deadpanned.
"Boss!" Naruto was snapped out of his gawking by the franticness of his Shadow Clones.
Naruto looked to see that Ulquiorra had gone back on the offensive. He had Sonido'd into the remaining crowd of Shadow Clones and was popping each and every one of them with one blow. A backhand. A punch. A kick. A barehanded stab. An elbow. A knee. Ulquiorra's entire body was utterly decimating the Shadow Clones.
Naruto grimaced at this. "Guess I should've figured this wasn't going to work." He muttered. "Can't help but feel like I've reached the point where just summoning entire armies of me isn't going to cut it."
"Okay then," Naruto closed his eyes for a brief moment before opening them, revealing the distinct eyes of Sage Mode, "guess that just means I need to step it up a notch."
Ulquiorra decapitated the last of the Shadow Clones with his bare hands before noticing the increase in power from the real Naruto Uzumaki. "It seems he's decided to drop this ridiculous notion of mere grunts trying to fight a general." Ulquiorra acknowledged. "Good, that was starting to become rather tedious."
Ulquiorra instinctively whipped his hand as though he were wiping blood from it, even though no blood existed because he had only been killing Shadow Clones. "A habit...interesting…" he mused to himself before noticing that Naruto was coming straight at him.
Naruto threw a right hook at Ulquiorra, who leaned back to avoid the punch, only to gasp when he felt the blow to his face regardless. Naruto then pushed himself off from the ground and kneed Ulquiorra in the stomach. "Urk!" Ulquiorra let out a grunt as he was knocked backwards from the force of Naruto's knee.
Naruto then quickly formed a Rasengan in one hand. Then, much to Ulquiorra's surprise, the Rasengan quickly grew bigger and bigger until it dwarfed him in size. "Sage Art!" He yelled. "Massive Rasengan!"
Ulquiorra let out a brief yell of pain as Naruto drove the giant swirling ball of Chakra into his body. Naruto grinned at this. One thing I'm definitely proud of is how much better I've gotten at Chakra control over the years. I can even do stuff like this so easily now. If it wasn't for how useful Shadow Clones were for training and protecting crowds, I might not need them at all.
Ulquiorra dug his heels into the ground to stop moving backwards. He narrowed his eyes at Naruto. Ever so slowly, Ulquiorra was slowly starting to gain something of a competitive streak, as Naruto took everything he threw at him and responded in kind.
"Bala." Ulquiorra said simply, shooting at Naruto with a volley of concentrated blasts of Spirit Energy.
Naruto quickly sped through each of Ulquiorra's blasts, showcasing the incredible, natural speed of a Shinobi. He then appeared in front of Ulquiorra and threw a punch aimed at his stomach. Ulquiorra narrowed his eyes at the attack. He did not dodge this time. He simply concentrated his Hierro in his stomach and took the force of the punch head on...or stomach on, in this case.
He really is clever. Naruto noted. He figured out that dodging my attacks mean nothing while I'm in Sage Mode, so he's instead increasing his defenses to take the blow head on. But have you forgotten I've got two fists to kick your ass!
"As always I'm sure that sounded so much more badass in your head." As always, Kurama had a front row seat to Naruto's thoughts.
Naruto ignored Kurama and brought his free hand back. Ulquiorra responded by doing the same. The two quickly punched each other square in the jaw. Both grunted in pain as they were swept off their feet by the blows.
Both men dug their heels into the ground. Naruto quickly formed another Rasengan in his hand. "Sage Art: Flying Rasengan!" Naruto yelled, tossing the sphere at Ulquiorra, striking him in the stomach.
"Urk!" Ulquiorra let out another grunt of pain.
Naruto took this as an opportunity to land a decisive blow. "Sage Art!" He yelled, quickly creating a very familiar, sphere covered in blades. "Rasenshuriken!"
Ulquiorra acted quickly. He instinctively blocked the spinning blades barehanded. However, much to his horror, he quickly discovered how big a mistake that actually was. He felt miniature blades begin to cut through his Hierro, even attacking him on a microscopic level. "That's not…" He muttered in disbelief before the Rasenshuriken actually expanded, enveloping him in a storm of microscopic blades.
"Hell yeah!" Naruto let out a cheer, pumping his fist in the air instinctively.
"Don't celebrate just yet, you idiot!" Kurama sharply told him. "You and I both know that's not going to be enough to bring a guy like this down."
"I know," Naruto nodded in complete agreement, "but come on, Kurama, you've gotta at least agree that landing a decent hit on someone like that warrants a little bit of celebration."
Kurama rolled his eyes. "Even if that is true, don't forget that being cocky puts us both at risk, dumb ass."
The Rasenshuriken finally cleared up. Ulquiorra was visibly shaking from the blast, gazing at Naruto with a look mixed with hate and annoyance. Blood dripped from the near thousand open wounds all over his body. Then, much to Naruto's surprise, Ulquiorra quickly regenerated.
"There is still much about me...I have not shown you." Ulquiorra nodded. "For starters, my regenerative abilities...I believe they would make even you green with envy, Naruto Uzumaki. My death...only came after I no longer had the strength to regenerate."
"Incredible physical strength, great speed, and even a body capable of regenerating even the most grievous of injuries." Naruto could not help but smile. "Man, you really are something. And you still haven't even given it your all, yet. Honestly, the old me...little 12 year old me...he would've been so jealous, seeing all this skill of yours."
Ulquiorra nodded. "You are correct, I haven't given it my all. Some habits just...die hard. I just cannot bring myself to fight at my best from the beginning." He admitted.
Ulquiorra then drew his Zanpakuto. "But, no more. Consider this the second part of our next battle, Naruto Uzumaki. I shall give you the first round...considering the strength of that Rasenshuriken of yours."
"Don't sell yourself short, the fact you pretty much put yourself back together after what's basically a sure-kill attack, I kinda want to name you the winner of the first round." Naruto joked. "Okay, show me what you and that Zanpakuto have got, Ulquiorra! I haven't fought one like you since Ichigo, so a part of me has to admit...even I'm excited!"
Ulquiorra quickly Sonido'd in front of Naruto. "Don't blame me for what happens next, fool." He hissed, intent on taking Naruto's head off in a single swing.
Naruto quickly caught Ulquiorra's first swing with his bare hand. "I was about to tell you the same." He said, quickly forming a Rasengan. "Sage Art: Rasengan!"
Ulquiorra Sonido'd around Naruto, avoiding the Rasengan at point blank. Naruto then grit his teeth as he felt Ulquiorra drive his Zanpakuto into his back. "Aw crap." He muttered.
"Hmm...you're body is quite tough...I can't move it any further." Ulquiorra mused.
Naruto quickly regained his composure and spun around, forcing the blade out of his back and backhanding Ulquiorra in the face, hard. Ulquiorra was briefly knocked off balance before recovering and attempting to cleave Naruto in half.
Naruto once again caught the blade with his bare hand. Ulquiorra briefly saw blood run down Naruto's hand before the wound quickly closed itself thanks to Kurama's help. Oh, I see, so in order to win...I need to simply go for the killing blow...and not bleed this fool to death.
"Bala!" Ulquiorra blasted Naruto away from him. He saw that the burn mark on his chest vanish as quickly as it appeared.
"Sage Art: Flying Rasengan!" Naruto yelled, tossing the sphere at Ulquiorra once more.
Ulquiorra Sonido'd past the Rasengan with ease. "Man, I can't get over how fast that guy is." Naruto muttered as Ulquiorra appeared in front of him.
Ulquiorra aimed his Zanpakuto right at Naruto's throat. Naruto quickly reacted and kicked Ulquiorra's wrist, knocking his attack off balance and redirecting the blade into the air. Ulquiorra pointed his finger right at Naruto as green Spirit Energy began to gather at the tip. "Your off balance." He said bluntly.
"And your careless." Naruto responded as a shadow descended over Ulquiorra.
Ulquiorra gasped slightly when he looked up to see a giant blade coming down on him. Acting quickly, he Sonido'd away from the attack. Naruto let out a small gasp when he saw the wielder of the blade. Even though he had hidden a Shadow Clone to use the Summoning Jutsu...he still was not expecting who actually showed up.
"What? Chief Toad?" Naruto gaped in disbelief.
"Long time no see, my number one subordinate." Gamabunta, the Chief Toad of Mt. Myoboku said in his booming voice.
"Hold on! I was summoning Gamakichi this time! What the hell?!" Naruto had wanted his personal summon and friend, Gamakichi.
"My boy is a little busy at the moment, so I tagged in. Besides, you haven't used the toads much during this war...and as chief, it's highly dishonorable to leave me out." Gamabunta responded.
"Says the jerk who didn't even show up when I tried to summon you during the last war!" Naruto shot back.
"What's this?" Gamabunta raised an eyebrow. "Is my pintsized, bratty subordinate getting a bit big for his britches?"
Ulquiorra reappeared off to the side, looking at Naruto and Gamabunta with genuine confusion on his face. "A...toad?" He muttered.
Naruto then remembered the fight with Ulquiorra. "Gah, that's right!" He groaned. "Er...hey, Great Chief, do you think you can do me a solid and lend me a hand in this fight? Having your great sword to go against his sword will go a long way to my...er, our victory."
Gamabunta just laughed. "No need to brown-nose so much, brat. Though it is music to my ears" He said. "I've already accepted you as my subordinate."
"Which means." Gamabunta turned his attention to Ulquiorra. "I've got your back against this one, and any other foes you might have to face. I have to admit, I can sense his power, and he's an intriguing one."
Ulquiorra scowled. "This day...has become quite strange." He acknowledges. "Since I've already fought against an army of yous...fighting against your...giant toad ally wouldn't be too strange."
"By the way, brat, a lot of toads back home are telling me that Jiraiya is summoning them again." Gamabunta said to him. "Mind telling me what that's all about?"
"Oh yeah, Pervy Sage is back. Long story, I'll tell you the whole thing later if you're interested." Naruto nodded. "I'm surprised he hasn't summoned you yet, considering how close you two seemed back then."
"Bah, Jiraiya's probably afraid I'll squash him after he summons me...and I will." Gamabunta threatened. "You promise me you'll find some way to trick him into summoning me, we have a lot to catch up on."
"Ha! You got yourself a deal, Chief Toad!" Naruto grinned. "Now, let's go show Ulquiorra here the strength of Mt. Myoboku!"
With that, Naruto and Gamabunta rushed Ulquiorra. Ulquiorra scoffed. Hmph, I'm no fool. He summoned that giant toad for his swordsmanship. Even if he can block my blade with his bare hands, taking the sharp edge of an Arrancar's Zanpakuto is a foolish notion that will eventually backfire. Eventually, you need to meet steel with steel. And that's what the toad is for.
That means, while the toad is engaging me blade for blade, I can expect Naruto Uzumaki to continue throwing powerful Ninjutsu at me. A clever tactic...one I'd expect from a Shinobi.
"I'll squash you like a fly!" Gamabunta yelled, swinging his tanto down towards Ulquiorra.
Ulquiorra narrowed his eyes and raised his Zanpakuto over his head, blocking Gamabunta's swing. The impact created a massive crater with Ulquiorra in the dead center. "What phenomenal strength." Ulquiorra acknowledged.
"He wouldn't be the chief toad if he wasn't a badass!" Naruto said, appearing behind Ulquiorra.
"You almost had me thinking you were fighting cleverly but then you pull the easiest trick to read in the book!" Ulquiorra noted, pointing his finger at Naruto. "Cero!"
Naruto was quickly enveloped in the blast. "You're the fool, little man." He heard Gamabunta say to him.
Ulquiorra looked up at Gamabunta. "What?" He said flatly.
"That brat's always thinking several steps ahead." Gamabunta said with a grin. "Do you really think you've figured him out so easily?"
Naruto suddenly appeared above Ulquiorra. "Sage Art: Rasengan!" Naruto yelled, slamming the spiraling ball of Chakra down onto Ulquiorra's head, creating a loud boom upon impact.
What the hell happened? Ulquiorra was in disbelief. I know I blasted him point blank with a Cero! And I know that was the real Naruto...there is nothing my eyes can't see! So how?
Bah, no matter! Ulquiorra managed to recover enough and grab Naruto by the face. I'll kill you as many times as it takes, Naruto Uzumaki!
Ulquiorra threw Naruto over his shoulder into the ground. "This time I've got you!" Ulquiorra declared, only for Gamabunta to suddenly leap into the air.
"No, fool, we've got you!" Gamabunta declared. "Water Style: Liquid Bullets!"
Creating water in his body through Chakra, Gamabunta spat out orb-like projectiles of water from his mouth that were the size of massive boulders. Ulquiorra gasped as they rapidly increased speed while falling towards him and Naruto. The force of gravity was being added to the attack's already impressive power. Wait...why would he fire off such an attack with Naruto Uzumaki so close by? Does he not care if his comrade is caught in the blast?
Ulquiorra then caught Naruto smirking at him triumphantly. Ulquiorra gasped slightly. Wait...something's different about him...no...he switched places with a Shadow Clone! Then before…
Ulquiorra then remembered the water coming towards him. Damn, I was distracted! Ulquiorra realized his mistake too late and took the full force of the Liquid Bullets. The Shadow Clone took the force as well and popped out of existence.
The real Naruto suddenly appeared on Gamabunta's head. "Nice shooting, Chief!" Naruto complimented.
Gamabunta laughed as he landed on the ground. "Have you forgotten who you're talking too, brat? No matter how old I get, I'm still the Chief Toad. It'll be years before Gamakichi can take that position from me."
Ulquiorra then emerged from the wreckage with a broken arm that was grotesquely molding itself back into place. "Now I see…" he muttered. "It seems in treating you like I did Ichigo Kurosaki...I underestimated you."
"He's a persistent one." Gamabunta acknowledged.
"Yeah, I know." Naruto nodded.
"Indeed," Ulquiorra continued, "I was a fool to believe that you would take the same approach to battle as Ichigo Kurosaki did. That was my mistake."
"When you attempted to attack me head on earlier, I had believed you were attempting a frontal assault, just like he would've done." Ulquiorra admitted. "However...you had hidden Shadow Clones from me during the first phase of our fight...haven't you?"
Ulquiorra took a moment to survey the area around him in its entirety. "Yes," he continued, "now I see it. Once my eyes are properly focused, I can see it all. You could've only hidden your Shadow Clones during the first phase of our fight, when you were sending an entire army to face me."
"And by hiding them, you're able to swap places with them to avoid my attacks safely." Ulquiorra noted. "Ichigo Kurosaki would've never fought in such a way."
"Well, to be fair, Ichigo can't exactly clone himself." Naruto countered.
Ulquiorra hummed at this. "And then there is this...chief toad of yours. I must admit, that last attack was impressive. I actually felt it." He admitted. "If my regenerative abilities were not the greatest among the Espada...I might actually have difficulty fighting my best."
Ulquiorra scowled. "But, it all comes down to the fact that I made the foolish mistake of treating you like Ichigo Kurosaki." He acknowledged. "Ichigo Kurosaki is a simple fool who's method of dealing with problems involves hitting them until they no longer can get up. You, on the other hand, are hyperactive and yet surprisingly methodical."
"However," Ulquiorra continued, "I've found that the best way to deal with someone who fights methodically, is to simply overwhelm them. From here on out, Naruto Uzumaki, you fight at my own pace."
"Heh, for someone who claims he doesn't understand the heart, you're getting pretty emotional, Ulquiorra." Naruto could not help but point out.
"So it would seem," Ulquiorra acknowledged, "then I've managed to succeed in some way today. Contrary to what I had believed for so long, I am far from empty."
"It's strange, I'm not sure how I feel about this revelation." Ulquiorra continued. "However...I do know one thing. Right now, what my heart desires more than anything, is your destruction, Naruto Uzumaki."
"In the end, I'm just as much a beast as my brethren. I simply must crush those who try to surpass me in the universe's hierarchy. It is my nature."
"Heh, welcome to the club." Naruto grinned. "No matter our reasons, we've all got one thing in common. We all want to be at the very top, to surpass everyone else. It's because of that, our goals and reasons become important."
"And that's why I won't lose to you, Ulquiorra."
"I hope you're able to say that so confidently after this." Ulquiorra raised his Zanpakuto horizontally. "Now then, why don't I tell you something rather important about the Espada?"
"As I'm sure you know by now, all Arrancar can access a form more akin to their hollowfied state known as Resurrecion." Ulquiorra explained. "And of the many who can access Resurrecion, those who achieve the rank of Espada have the strongest of forms."
"However, even among the Espada, there are some who's Resurrecion is so powerful that releasing it constitutes a threat to the environment around them." Ulquiorra revealed, shocking both Naruto and Gamabunta.
"Do you understand, Naruto Uzumaki?" Ulquiorra inquired. "Among the Espada, all ranked at Number 4 and above...were barred from releasing our Resurrecion within the halls of our headquarters, Las Noches. For our immense power...would destroy the fortress around us."
"And my rank is 4th." Ulquiorra was slowly enveloped by black and green Spirit Energy. "So allow me to grant you a taste of that power."
"Brat, be on your guard." Gamabunta warned him.
"Yeah, I know." Naruto nodded.
"Imprison," Ulquiorra said in a calm but surprisingly determined tone, "Murcielago!"
Ulquiorra's already immense spiritual power skyrocketed upon releasing his true power. Naruto and Gamabunta gasped as Ulquiorra's black and green spirit energy permeated the area around the Espada.
"Holy whoa…" Naruto muttered in surprise.
"That's some insane power." Gamabunta acknowledged. "Even Jiraiya might have a hard time fighting against him now."
The spirit energy then coalesced into what looked like green rain that fell around Naruto, Gamabunta and Ulquiorra. Ulquiorra then revealed himself, clad in his Resurrecion, the form known as Murcielago. His white outfit had become more robe-like in appearance. Black bat wings had grown from his back. Two large horns had grown from his Hollow mask.
"So...he flies now." Naruto noted.
"Yes, Captain Obvious, yes he does. The wings are a dead giveaway." Kurama face-palmed at Naruto saying something so stupid and obvious.
Naruto rolled his eyes at Kurama's words. He turned his attention back to Gamabunta. "Let's do this, Chief Toad."
Gamabunta nodded, readying his tanto, only for Ulquiorra to vanish from both of their sights. Gamabunta gasped, losing his composure for the first time in years as Ulquirora suddenly reappeared in front of him, delivering a powerful haymaker to the chief toad's stomach. "Gah!" Gamabunta yelled in surprise as the force of the blow swept him off his feet, sending him flying through nearby rock formations...which were actually coral. This was Fishman Island, after all.
"Chief!" Naruto yelled at Gamabunta in concern before realizing that Ulquiorra was immediately turning his attention to him.
Ulquiorra quickly grabbed Naruto by the face and lifted him into the air. Naruto frantically flailed about, trying to escape Ulquiorra's surprisingly strong grip. "I could crush your skull if I so wished...and I think I will. I must effectively crush all opposition." Ulquiorra tightened his grip until he heard the sickening sound of bones popping in his grip.
Then, Naruto suddenly vanished. Ulquirora scowled. "So, he still has more Shadow Clones hiding about?"
The real Naruto rushed to Gamabunta's side. "Chief Toad, are you okay?" He frantically asked the big toad.
"Gah...sorry, brat, he got me good there." Gamabunta groaned. "Damn, it's been years since I've been hit that hard. Or maybe I'm just getting old like Jiraiya and Elder Fukusaku."
"Can you get up?" Naruto asked curiously.
"Bah, of course I can, I'm the Chief Toad, am I not?" Gamabunta tried to get to his feet, only to fall over again with a loud boom. "Nope, no I can't. Yeah, I really have gotten old. Sorry, brat, but I think you're on your own from here on out. Sorry I can't help you out more."
"No way, you did your best and that was what mattered. Don't worry, I've got this." Naruto grinned. "When you get back to Mt. Myoboku, give Gamakichi a piece of my mind."
"Heh, I'll do more than that." Gamabunta promised. "When I see that boy, his schedule is going to be empty for the rest of this damn war. Best of luck, brat."
With that, Gamabunta vanished, returning to Mt. Myoboku. Naruto immediately sensed Ulquiorra flying towards him at incredible speed. He quickly pivoted and formed a Rasengan. Yelling, he drove the Rasengan towards Ulquiorra, who stabbed forward with a light green lance.
The two attacks collided, creating a blast of light blue and light green that blasted both individuals backwards. Ulquiorra flapped his bat like wings before flying towards Naruto once again. Naruto dug his feet in the ground. Suddenly, his last two Shadow Clones appeared next to him, grabbing his arms to brace him in place.
"Ah good, your Shadow Clones decided to show themselves." Ulquiorra noted.
Damn, these are my last two Shadow Clones too. I still can only use a limited number because I'd take away the concentration the other Shadow Clones back at Mt. Myoboku need in order to gather natural energy for Sage Mode.
"Luz de la Luna." Ulquiorra created another light-green lance of Spirit Energy.
Naruto and his last two Shadow Clones bravely stood their ground as Ulquiorra appeared before them. Ulquiorra spun the lance around threateningly before swinging it at one of the Shadow Clones. The real Naruto instinctively grabbed the Luz de la Luna and winced at the burning sensation of grabbing pure Spirit Energy. The other Shadow Clone quickly formed a Rasengan to strike at Ulquiorra while the one Naruto had protected kicked the ground, knocking some dirt and dust right into the Espada's face in an attempt to blind him.
Ulquiorra flinched briefly before regaining his composure and blocked the Rasengan with his bare arm. "His Hierro is stronger now?!" Naruto exclaimed in surprise.
Ulquiorra then threw his blocking arm forward, forcing the attacking Shadow Clone away from him. He then exerted more strength into his lance arm and forced the lance right into the real Naruto's shoulder, making the shinobi yell in pain.
"Boss!" The other Shadow Clone who had kicked up dirt into Ulquiorra's eyes was distracted at the sight of the real Naruto's injuries, only to be blasted right through the chest by a Bala.
"I will not begrudge you for such a tactic." Ulquiorra promised. "After all, as a Shinobi, all tactics are permitted in battle, yes?"
"I believe...that the same can be said for any kind of fight for survival. That was the way Hueco Mundo has been from the beginning, after all." Ulquiorra continued.
That Shadow Clone popped out of existence, leaving Naruto and one final Shadow Clone to fight Ulquiorra. Ulquiorra then drove his Luz de la Luna right through Naruto's shoulder. The tip protruded from the other side, making Naruto grit his teeth in pain.
Without even looking, Ulquiorra trained his free hand on the last of the Shadow Clone. "Cero Oscuras!" He said vaporizing that Shadow Clone out of existence.
"That seemed like overkill." Naruto spat.
"Against a foe like you, overkill is appropriate." Ulquiorra countered.
Naruto grabbed onto the collar of Ulquiorra's shirt and headbutted him, trying to get him off of him. Ulquiorra shrugged off the blow easily and formed another Luz de la Luna in his free hand. He attempted to drive it through Naruto's skull, only for Naruto to lean out of the way in time for it to strike his shoulder instead.
"I really must commend your reflexes, Naruto Uzumaki." Ulquiorra admitted. "Had you been a millisecond later, your brain would have been impaled by my lance and fried by the might of my Spirit Energy."
"Really not in the mood for your backhanded compliments, Ulquiorra." Naruto responded through gritted teeth.
"Backhanded compliments? How rude." Ulquirora scoffed. "I am not one for such idiocy. Do not mock me by calling my compliments backhanded."
Ulquiorra tried to drive both lances deeper into Naruto's body, only for Naruto to grab onto Ulquiorra's arm. "I can do this all day, Ulquiorra." He warned him. "Hell, I can do this all week! I'm sure your bosses have warned you about getting into a prolonged fight with Naruto Uzumaki!"
"Indeed, you are, as my superiors have quoted, 'a living Chakra battery'." Ulquiorra acknowledged. "That being said, I hope you do realize that the further you get into this war, the less special that stamina becomes."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Well, I'm sure you know this by now, but there are people out there who are far more terrifying than I could ever hope to be. And I'm not just talking about people like the remaining Acts of Chaos, the Marine Admirals, Lord Aizen, and all those other people."
"I'm also talking about Lord Konton and his kingdom of monsters."
Naruto stiffened at this. "I see you do understand." Ulquiorra nodded. "That's good. Answer me this, Naruto Uzumaki, for I am truly curious as someone who wishes to learn about the heart."
"How does one cary on a hopeless endeavor?" Ulquiorra inquired sincerely. "Whether I understand the heart or not...I think I understand what it means to be marching to inevitable despair. Take it from someone who has actually seen the elites of Rakuen actually train and prepare for battle. Take it from someone who is even serving under the command of one of the Circles."
Naruto's eyes widened. "That is right, Naruto Uzumaki," Ulquiorra continued, "the one leading our forces is indeed a Circle. Not in the flesh, but still highly dangerous, and in my opinion, more than enough."
"So I ask again, how does one carry on a hopeless endeavor?" Ulquiorra asked once more. "All you have managed to accomplish so far is speeding your end. When your Alliance defeated Zeref on Tenrou Island, you did manage to take back the Wizard World. However, you also put Rakuen on notice, and encouraged them to take a more active role in this war. You basically asked your executioners to move you to the front of the line."
Naruto scowled at this. "Glare at me all you wish, it's the truth." Ulquiorra sighed. "You cannot defeat these people, Naruto Uzumaki. I did my best to learn of the history of their world, and it specifically said that Watchers should not interact with other worlds for this very reason...among plenty of other specific reasons, of course. Because if a group of powerful Watchers decided to conquer a world, they would be nigh unstoppable. And now, an entire kingdom's army intends to do so to several worlds."
"So answer me this, from a man consumed by that which the heart provides, tell me: is it truly worth opposing such a mighty force."
Naruto just chuckled at this. "What? Do you really take me as some sort of pragmatic bastard who'd up and surrender to save his own hide?"
"You are a ninja, are you not? Isn't pragmatism part of the job?" Ulquiorra countered.
"You clearly don't know me. I'm probably the least 'ninja' ninja in the entire world." Naruto smirked.
"Do you think I don't realize how dangerous Rakuen is? I fought a fragment of Konton's freaking mind back in the Wizard World. A fragment that could probably only draw on one percent of that psycho's full power, and I still got my ass kicked." Naruto pointed out. "And then there's the fact that Chitsujo stomped that Dragon King, Acnologia and beat Luffy with a single finger. A finger!"
"I know how dangerous the Watchers are. I know that with every victory, my friends are marching closer to an even greater danger." Naruto acknowledged. "Do you think I don't realize that? Just because perception of me is that I'm an idiot doesn't mean I don't perceive the looming danger ahead!"
"So why?" Ulquiorra asked.
"Because frankly, the alternative sucks ass." Naruto said simply. "I'll take a proud death fighting for what I believe in over a life of bowing my head to an ass like Konton. Courage isn't just blindly charging into danger, Ulquiorra. It's knowing the danger and not letting it stop you regardless."
Ulquiorra scowled. "I...still cannot comprehend the resolve you and Ichigo Kurosaki share." He acknowledged. "And...I can only assume Monkey D. Luffy and Natsu Dragneel share the same attitude on the matter."
"Damn straight," Naruto grinned, "and it's not just us. Everyone's bought into the same mentality. We're not giving up until we've won this whole damn war and everyone gets to go home in peace."
"You want to know about the heart that badly, Ulquiorra?" Naruto continued. "Well, lesson number one, the first part of the heart is that if there's something you truly care about or believe in, you don't give up on it!"
"Allow me to show you, let's go, Kurama!" Naruto yelled.
"About time you used my power you idiot. Now get those lances off of you and kick this guy's ass!" Kurama grinned, slapping his hands together.
Naruto was quickly enveloped in an aura of orange Chakra that quickly transformed into his Nine Tails Chakra Mode. Ulquiorra's eyes widened as Naruto's Chakra levels spiked even higher than before. "So, you were holding back even more power." He noted.
"I was saving it, on the off-chance I'd run into someone even stronger than you." Naruto admitted. "However, our goal is to keep advancing. Keep progressing until the very end of this war. I can't do that...if I don't take you down right here and now, Ulquiorra."
Several claws of pure Chakra suddenly formed and crushed Ulquiorra's Luz de la Luna lances with a nice, strong grip. Ulquiorra instinctively retreated from Naruto upon witnessing this happen. Even Ichigo had not been able to outright destroy his lances during the fight.
Naruto, however, did not let up. If Ulquiorra wanted things up close and personal, he was going to get it and he was going to like it. He quickly formed a Giant Rasengan with three smaller Rasengan orbiting around it like the moons of a planet. "Planet Rasengan!" He yelled, quickly catching up to Ulquiorra and driving the unique Rasengan into the Espada's chest.
"Mmf!" Ulquiorra grunted. The attack was actually punching right through his hierro!
Ulquiorra was then enveloped in a powerful vortex that sent him flying away from Naruto. The blast continued to rip into his body, smashing through his hierro and seriously damaging the Espada.
He then managed to use his bat wings to flap his way out of the vortex, escaping the Planet Rasengan's power, albeit barely. He found himself panting. Whether it was due to fatigue from the sheer might of the blast...or fear from that attack's power, Ulquiorra honestly did not know.
Naruto then appeared next to him. "Luz de la Luna!" Ulquiorra quickly created another lance to try and stab Naruto right through that damn face of his.
"Not gonna work!" Naruto yelled, creating a Chakra arm that punched the lance, breaking it easily. Ulquiorra found himself attempting to retreat once more, only for Naruto to create another Chakra arm that threw a haymaker right into the Espada's face. The force of the punch created a loud boom that reverberated throughout their battlefield.
Ulquiorra found himself losing strength in his wings due to a loss of focus from the force of the blow. He recovered and pointed his hand at Naruto. "Cero Oscuras!" He yelled, firing the immensely powerful Cero at Naruto.
Naruto calmly charged right into the Cero, much to Ulquiorra's surprise. He's completely insane! Fully dedicated to his goal of winning this war for the sake of peace! Ulquiorra noted before realizing. He's fearless!
Naruto then appeared in front of Ulquiorra, unfazed by the Cero Oscuras. He punched Ulquiorra in the stomach once more, sending him flying. That blow set off another loud boom. He then generated another Chakra arm that grabbed onto the Espada and pulled him right back to him, like a yo-yo.
Ulquiorra's eyes widened, trying to free himself before Naruto delivered a powerful kick that sent Ulquiorra airborne. "Flying Rasengan!" Naruto yelled, forming several Rasengan with several of his Chakra arms. "Volley Blast!"
All the Chakra arms tossed the Rasengans right at Ulquiorra. Ulquiorra frantically flapped his bat wings, combining them with his Sonido to avoid the attacks. He quickly formed two Luz de la Luna and tossed them at Naruto, who easily caught the lances and snapped them in half with two Chakra arms. "Haven't you figured out that isn't going to work on me anymore?" Naruto queried.
Naruto then sped right to Ulquiorra, appearing in front of him in under a second. Naruto gave him a grin. "And here's a new move, straight from my bro, Monkey D. Luffy!" All of his Chakra arms clenched into giant fists.
Ulquiorra gave an uncharacteristic expression of sheer terror at the sight of the hell Naruto was about to unleash upon him. "Nine-Tails Gatling!" Naruto yelled, firing off the Chakra arms in a volley of punches completely reminiscent of Luffy's Gum Gum Jet Gatling. However, there was a very key difference here: Luffy only had two fists. Naruto was punching Ulquiorra with eleven, including his own fists.
To put things in numbers, consider this: let's say that Luffy's Gum Gum Jet Gatling could fire off two thousand punches throughout the volley-like attack. That was one thousand punches per fist. And Naruto was punching Ulquiorra with eleven fists. Naruto Uzumaki, by the end of this volley of punches, would bring the pain to Ulquiorra Cifer eleven thousand times.
On the eleven-thousandth punch, Ulquiorra was punched right through several reefs. His mouth was open in a silent scream as he realized how many of his bones Naruto had broken in this volley of powerful punches. If his regenerative abilities were not so amazingly powerful, Naruto would have ended up right then and there.
Of course, Naruto himself knew this and went after the heavily injured Ulquiorra. "Ce-" Ulquiorra began, only to be grabbed once more by one of Naruto's Chakra arms.
Oh God, not again! For the first time in...probably forever, Ulquiorra was not looking forward to the terror Naruto was about to inflict upon him. He was afraid.
This time, however, Naruto tossed Ulquiorra into the air. He was doing so to keep any allies safe from what he was about to do to Ulquiorra. No… Ulquiorra moaned inwardly, horrified by what he was about to experience.
A Shadow Clone suddenly appeared at Naruto's side. The two worked together to form a strange, dark-colored Rasengan. "This is where you lose, Ulquiorra!" Naruto declared, pushing the miniature orb towards Ulquiorra with a Chakra arm. "Super Mini Tailed Beast Bomb!"
Ulquiorra's eyes widened as the tiny orb came towards him. Now I see, he thought, this is the heart. Resolve. Resolve to live. Resolve to believe. Resolve to love. Resolve to fight. Resolve to win. Resolve...is the heart.
The Super Mini Tailed Beast Bomb collided with Ulquiorra. "I'm far from empty too." Naruto acknowledged. "I'm filled with nothing but desire to move forward...and win!"
And with that declaration, the Super Mini Tailed Beast Bomb collided with Ulquiorra, enveloping him and the sky above Naruto in an explosion of flame and dark-colored Chakra.
Meanwhile, Erza Scarlet and Jellal Fernandes continued to lead the charge to Ryugu Palace. They could now see the palace in the horizon. Jellal narrowed his eyes. He could already sense a terrifying presence inside of that palace. They were probably still several miles away from the palace, but he could still sense that a true monster was waiting for them all inside of the palace.
The remaining soldiers of the 5th Fleet had managed to reunite for their final battle at Ryugu Palace. Their shared goal was now in sight. It was time to put an end to this nightmare, for the memories of all the people of Fishman Island who suffered the horrifying atrocities the man in charge of this whole thing no doubt okayed.
Back in the palace, Sagi the Fraud heaved an annoyed sigh at the sound of the chaos outside of the palace. "Unbelievable," he groaned, "are all those otherworlder 'comrades' of mine such useless fleas that I have to do everything myself."
"I threw them a damn bone in angering the Alliance so much they'd separate and make themselves vulnerable, and they still could not win. Oh well, if you want something done right, do it yourself."
"Master Sagi!" A Rakuen soldier ran inside. It was a different one from the one that had usually spoken to him on matters on Fishman Island. Probably because Sagi kept terrifying and threatening him.
Sagi, of course, did not even notice that the guy was completely different, but acknowledged his presence. "What is it?" He demanded.
"Our troops have formed a defensive perimeter around Ryugu Palace. We're awaiting your orders on where to proceed from here." The soldier told him.
Sagi nodded. "Good," he said, "contact the men on the palace walls, tell them to dump every ounce of Project Wine into the trenches. We'll drown those fools in the dark liquid that infuriated them in the first place."
This horrified the soldier. "The trenches...Project Wine...but sir!" He exclaimed. "Our troops are stationed in front of the trenches! Those trenches were dug to lead to the same exit points! If we pour out everything left over from the Project Wine experiments...we'll kill our own! Our soldiers...they all think the idea is to retreat inside the palace and then dump Project Wine on the Alliance."
"That would be because they never would've gone out to fight if they knew the truth." Sagi pointed out darkly and sagely. "And, the Alliance would've never charged so foolishly towards us if they didn't think they were walking straight into a trap."
"But...but…"
"Oh, don't worry, young man, I'm not actually going to ask you to give the order. I'm going to do it myself. The men on the palace walls are waiting for my word after all." Sagi said. "But make no mistake, Project Wine will be used."
"Just be glad that you're not with them. You get to live another day." Sagi said in a disturbingly happy tone. "Now then…"
The soldier could only whimper in horror at what Sagi was about to do. Sagi pressed a communication device on what was basically the Faux Man's ear and spoke into it. "This is Sagi," he said, "once the Alliance has begun clashing with the soldiers on the defensive line that has been formed, pour all of Project Wine into the trenches. They'll either die gasping for air...or die screaming as the mere touch from the liquid will burn their skin and poison their bodies."
"I repeat, once the first blades clash together, dump all of Project Wine into the trenches."
"As you command, Master Sagi, in the name of Rakuen, in the name of His Majesty." Came the response from the officer Sagi was speaking with.
Sagi chuckled and cut communications. "See, there you go, I just freed you from the responsibility of delivering that order." He told him. "Aren't I just the kindest? Go on, thank me. Right now."
"Of...of course. Thank you Master Sagi. Your kindness knows no bounds." The soldier gulped audibly.
"That's a good boy." Sagi said as though he were praising a dog. "Now, you are dismissed. You will remain inside the castle for further instructions."
The soldier quickly dismissed himself. Sagi just chuckled at the new situation. "The majority of those soldiers making up the defensive line are otherworlders...expendable assets." He noted. "And of course, the people stationed on the castle walls are soldiers whom I know will follow even the most...unpleasant of orders."
"I'm not a fool. I am the genius behind Rakuen's greatness and strength after all." Sagi said to himself. "I know that in order to give orders like that, you need soldiers to follow those orders. And when you give orders like those...orders that involve sacrificing soldiers. You need to make sure that the soldiers you are sacrificing are expendable."
"Our ultimate goal after all...is to turn Rakuen into a universal superpower...thee superpower. So the more...necessary sacrifices from our 'allies' the better." Sagi darkly added.
"I hope you're both watching in some way. Lord Konton, once you see what my latest creation has accomplished, I hope you have plenty of praise for yours truly once I'm done here."
"And as for you, Chitsujo." Sagi continued, chuckling some more. "I hope you watch this...and realize how foolish it was to dismiss me the way you did."
"My genius could've been yours, King of Foolishness." Sagi laughed. "But you looked at the living avatar of progress and you dismissed it! And now, you're going to pay the price by watching as the people you love suffer!"
Back with the 5th Fleet, Jellal and Erza led the charge as the 5th Fleet met the last defensive line before the palace in battle. "This is the final push!" Jellal yelled, rallying his men. "Don't hold back, give them everything you've got!"
"Fight hard for your friends and for the people!" Erza added. "Think about all the pain they've caused Fishman Island and return it tenfold!"
Atop the palace walls, Rakuen soldiers placed their hands on cauldrons with black, bubbling liquid. The same liquid that had been the cause of the deaths of so many of the captured residents of Fishman Island. "Just like Master Sagi ordered...as soon as the enemy clashes with our forces...dump everything from Project Wine into the trenches." The officer in command said. "Dump it. Dump it all!"
"For Rakuen!" The Rakuen soldiers all tilted Project Wine, dumping it into the various trenches. They all watched in satisfaction as the black liquid began rushing towards the exit points...towards their own men and the enemy.
Almost instantly, the battle stopped as the soldiers on both sides heard the sound of what appeared to be rushing waters. Jellal went pale when he heard the fearful voice of a soldier from the Coalition. "No...they didn't...did they really...Project Wine!"
Project Wine...what are they talking about? Jellal wondered.
Jellal could not help but notice what appeared to be trenches. His curiosity and concern getting the better of him, Jellal used Meteor to fly above the battlefield. Jellal's eyes then widened when he saw why the Coalition soldiers were all so frightened. Black liquid was rushing through the many trenches like raging rivers towards several exit points...exit points they were standing right in front of. He immediately recognized the liquid as what the people of Fishman Island had been forced into.
"Oh God, no." Jellal moaned in horror before yelling at his troops. "Earth Style Shinobi, get to the front and create defensive walls! All other forces fall back!"
Several Shinobi with Earth Style-affinities ran to the frontlines while Coalition soldiers frantically stumbled past them. They prepared their Hand Signs to create a wall of earth to stop the dangerous flow of black liquid.
However, instantly, several completely white individuals popped up from the ground and put all of them in full nelsons. "What the hell?" One soldier exclaimed in shock.
"Sorry, but we can't have you ruining the fun." One of the White Zetsus said cruelly to the Shinobi.
Back in the palace, Sagi could not help but laugh. "Of course, I planned for all possible contingencies." He admitted. "The White Zetsus know that they are expendable, for they are merely clones, so they play the role willingly."
"Run!" Jellal screamed to his soldiers. "Everyone, run as fast as you can!"
Both sides retreated away from the palace as the black liquid came rushing out of the trenches, spreading out and creating a lake of death. This lake of death quickly enveloped the White Zetsu clones and the Shinobi they had grabbed onto, making them vanish into the blackness.
Coalition and Alliance soldiers alike screamed as the black liquids of Project Wine caught up with them, and enveloped them in a black wave. Back on the ground, Erza Scarlet instinctively transformed into her Heaven's Wheel armor and grabbed onto the nearest soldier that had been enveloped in the liquids and pulled him out.
Erza held the soldier by his arms as she flew into the air next to Jellal. "Hang on," Erza told him, "we're going to find you some help, we're-"
"It...IT HURTS!" The soldier screamed, thrashing about
Erza looked at the soldier in confusion and her eyes drifted down to his lower body, which had been enveloped in the liquid. Her eyes widened in horror. Pieces of flesh were falling away from his lower body. Boils were appearing on the flesh leftover. He desperately thrashed about, trying to free himself from Erza's grip, as though that would actually help him.
"Oh God! It hurts so bad!" The soldier yelled, eyes wide in pain with visible red veins in his eyeballs. "Someone...please! Please! Not here...not in a place like this! I...I want to go home!"
"IT HURTS!" The soldier let out an earsplitting scream that nearly made Erza drop him before going limp.
"Oh...oh God…" Erza gazed at the body of the man in her arms in horror.
Erza then heard the screams of those who were half submerged in the black liquids. Her eyes widened as she watched them scream and sink into the liquids, their bodies covered in boils and half melted flesh. However, each man only got off one scream before going limp and sinking completely
"One of the most fascinating discoveries we made about Project Wine," Sagi continued from inside the palace, thinking back to his great success, "was that the more someone is submerged into the liquids, the quicker they die. However, if someone is removed from the liquids...their death becomes so much more painful. It's basically like being dropped into a meat grinder head first...versus being slowly lowered in feet first."
Erza's entire body shook in horror as she realized on her own the possibility that her efforts in trying to save this man's life may have only prolonged his end. "Erza!" She heard Jellal call out to her, snapping her out of her state.
"J-Jellal," Erza muttered, "I...I tried to save him."
"I know," Jellal nodded, "come on, we have to reorganize the troops. But first…"
Jellal saw a break between the fleeing troops and Project Wine. "I've only got one shot at this," Jellal muttered, "Shooting Star!"
Jellal fired a powerful beam of light that tore across the ground between Project Wine and his men. The blast created a deep chasm that allowed Project Wine to pour into like a waterfall. "Damn it, it's not enough." Jellal grit his teeth, "and my skill in Earth Magic isn't enough to dam the flow on my own. I'm not Jura. And Lyon's mopping up stragglers too..."
"All I can do," Jellal decided, "is blast more chasms to stop this flow! Shooting Star!"
Jellal created another chasm. And once the first chasm overflowed, the remains of Project Wine fell into the second one. Thankfully, this was enough. Jellal breathed a sigh of relief. He instinctively looked over at the carnage Project Wine was still able to cause and winced. He could see parts of the corpses of friend and foe alike, sticking out of the black waters.
"There will be no salvation for the monster who did this." He growled.
Jellal landed on the ground. "Status report!" He ordered one of his nearest officers, who just so happened to be Don Sai of the Happo Navy.
Sai saluted. "It's bad, sir." He said. "A ton of us got a way, but I think a quarter of our able-bodied troops were caught up in that liquid. But that doesn't compare to how bad the Coalition had it. I think only a tenth managed to flee. They surrendered without a fight after that."
"Can we save those who didn't make it?" Jellal asked.
Sai's face fell. "You know the answer to that, sir." He said. "I can't see a single sign of life in those black waters. And the ones we pulled out...they're not dying easy. Our medics our helpless. Damn it...I knew we shouldn't have left Hacchi behind with the wounded from the last couple of fights we had here."
Jellal placed a hand on Sai's shoulder. "We had no way of knowing they'd spring a trap on us like this."
"It could've been much worse." Sai sighed. "You came through for us, Commander. Thanks."
"No, if I came through for you, I would've saved everyone...and I couldn't." Jellal sighed. "All I can do for the dead now...is punish the monster who gave the order."
"Too much to ask for me to come with you?" Sai glared at Jellal. "I've got a bone to pick with this guy too. The Happo Navy tries not to get too attached to people, but this…"
"It's not a sin to care about your comrades, Sai, never forget that." Jellal told him. "But I need you here to keep the troops organized in case a counterattack happens. If Shinji comes back from his own fight, he'll take command and then you can join us...if you can make it there, of course."
"Oh, I'll find a way." Sai growled. "I ain't gonna let this stand either, you know."
Jellal flew up into the air, only to be suddenly joined by Erza and Temari as well. "You plan to join us?" Jellal asked in surprise.
Temari was floating atop her fan. "I have no intention of forgiving someone like that." She growled. "Sand Shinobi that I grew up with and trained with died down there!"
"I understand." Jellal nodded.
I can sense Rogue's magic power too...he seems to have become one with the shadows and is actually moving underneath the liquid. That's good. So it'll be a four on one fight.
Sai suddenly leapt atop Temari's fan, much to the girl's surprise, as evidenced by the girl frantically trying to keep the fan level. "Sai, I gave you an order to stay down with the others." Jellal reminded him.
"And I passed that role down to my gramps." Sai told him. "Forgive me, sir, but to fight a guy who's willing to commit acts like this...you need all the help you can get! Besides, Gramps can keep things organized until Hirako gets here."
Jellal sighed at the insubordination. Still, Sai had a point. "Alright," he said, "let's get moving, everyone."
Erza narrowed her eyes. In her arms was the Naruto Shadow Clone that the real Naruto had sent with them while he fought Ulquiorra. She had managed to find him in the chaos once more.
With that, six individuals moved towards the palace. Their target, the man responsible for all of these atrocities. Their target...one of the Nine Dark Circles.
A.N: So...I guess we can start preparing a bunch of graves right now, yeah? I'll be honest. I haven't been one hundred percent satisfied with a lot of the recent chapters. I mean, I still think they're good, but I also can't help but think I can still do a lot better. I don't know, maybe I'm reading too much into it and I'm just a perfectionist. Well, I hope everyone else at least enjoyed this chapter. I'll see you next time.