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Arc 3, Chapter 8
-Daimyo Box-
"Naruto," Ken whispered as he rushed past Danzo's masked ninja and the confused Samurai that both of the Daimyo's left behind. He pushed aside the middle chair that the Fire Daimyo was seated in earlier and leaned over the railing with wide startled eyes.
He tried to peer through the cloud of smoke that accumulated in the center of the arena from Kurotsuchi's jutsu, but found that he couldn't.
"Looks like the Iwa nin put even more Chakra in that move than she did against me…" Sasuke grumbled to himself while leaning against the railing next to Ken. His Sharingan activated and centered at the thick cloud.
Haku gave the remaining guards and Danzo's lone minion a once over, and after deducting that they no longer seemed like they wanted to attack he turned to Karin with a soft smile. "Karin, can you tell by Naruto's chakra if she's okay?" he asked kindly.
The redhead in question blushed at his pleasant smile and walked forward, stopping in between Ken and Sasuke. Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, she focused her senses on the smokescreen.
Her eyes widened just as her smile broadened.
"She's alive! And Naru-chan is on top of that mean looking girl," She exclaimed much to Ken's relief and Haku's as well, although to a lesser degree. "You got this Naru-chan!" she turned back towards the smoke and shouted to her favorite cousin.
Ken let out a heavy sigh that he didn't know he was holding in and smirked at the cloud of smoke. "Of course, she's not going to be taken down by something like that," he muttered to himself and wiped away a bead of sweat that was running down the side of his face.
"Hmph," Sasuke crossed his arms, he was taken down by something like that… He watched with a raised brow as Naruto and Kurotsuchi spoke to one another within the cover of the smoke. Judging by his teammate's shocked face, Kurotsuchi had just told her something she either didn't want to hear or wasn't ready to hear.
He winked and turned his head when Kurotsuchi kicked Naruto off of her and got up on shaking legs. The middle of Kurotsuchi's shirt was ripped to shreds, and engraved on her semi-bleeding stomach was a spiral shaped circle.
She was pissed, probably because of whatever Naruto said after the blonde got back up.
"You don't understand what it feels like to know who your mother's murderer is and know that he's praised and hailed for that killing!" Sasuke read the Iwa nin's mouth with his Sharingan.
"I didn't know that my dad did that…" Naruto looked down at the ground with genuine sadness. "But I do know how that feels Kurotsuchi-baka…" she rose her head and smiled remorsefully at Kurotsuchi.
That was all Sasuke was able to read out of his teammate before an explosion outside the stadium shook the arena to its foundation.
"Ken Senju, if your Mokuton is anything like that of the Shodai's then you should be able to easily restrain the Ichibi (One tails). Orochimaru's summons are proving to be a real threat and as a result are taking too many of our Jonin's attention away from the Biju. My master would like for you to restrain and stop the raging Jinchuriki and the Biju he's controlling."
"Why should I do anything for Danzo?" Ken sneered angrily. "And what the hell are Jinchuriki's and Biju's?" he glared at the spotless white mask that Danzo's goon adorned.
"He says that he has something you would like to have. A necklace I believe." The Root operative said calmly ignoring the way Ken's chakra flared in annoyance. "Restrain or stop the Jinchuriki and he'll allow a conference with you and the Daimyo." He continued before disappearing in a flurry of leaves.
"Jinchuriki… Biju…" Sasuke mouthed the words to himself with a confused scowl. He's heard one of those before, he just couldn't remember where or from who. "Biju…"
"Biju's as in… the Tailed Beast?" Haku said in wonder as he stared past the arena to the streams of smoke rising outside the stadium.
"Jinchuriki… human sacrifice?" Karin and Ken mumbled at the same time just as the rest of the smoke that Naruto and Kurotsuchi were in cleared away.
Ken would've been surprised at what he saw had he not known Naruto, but as he stared at her as she hugged a violently struggling Kurotsuchi he couldn't help but smile at her unwavering eyes.
He didn't know if he liked Naruto more than as a friend, but he definitely loved how she never gave up on anyone.
How she didn't give up on him, and now Kurotsuchi.
When Kurotsuchi stopped beating against Naruto's back and defeatedly dropped down to her knees, Ken's gaze went up to the floating old man who wore a white and brown triangular brimmed hat that had, "Tsuchikage" labeled on it.
"Kurotsuchi, let's go now. You've lost," Onoki said as he soared down and stopped beside the two girls. "You've proved me wrong Namikaze… I'll be watching you closely from now on. Kurotsuchi were leaving."
Sasuke frowned but had a small smirk as he turned his back to the arena and moved towards the room's exit. "Kakashi-sensei wanted me and four-eyes," he paused and stared at Karin's slack-jawed expression before continuing. "To bring you two back to him and Sakura, follow me."
Ken nodded after Haku and Karin fell in step behind the arrogant Uchiha and sent one last glance at Naruto as she toothily grinned at Kurotsuchi while covered head to toe in injures.
XxLine BreakxX
-Sealed off Roof Top-
"I've got a little something that I want to show you Minat-" Orochimaru dodged the torrent of gold dust that sped towards him threatening to smother him whole. "Not going to let me finish my dialog? Fine I'll let my jutsu do the talking then." He shouted and flew through hand signs as fast as he could.
Minato closed his eyes and took in all of the destruction that Orochimaru's summons and the Ichibi were causing outside the barrier he was trapped inside. Exhaling he opened his eyes revealing them to now have horizontal slots contrary to Orochimaru's vertical slit eyes.
"Edo Tensei no Jutsu (Reanimation Jutsu)!" Two coffins shot up from the base of the roof until they stood upright alongside the eagerly smirking snake Sannin.
The orange markings surrounding Minato's eyes furrowed as he glared at the now open coffins. He stared at the faces of his predecessors; well at least his first and second predecessor.
"It's too bad that Sarutobi-sensei is trapped within the Shinigami's stomach," Orochimaru took a step behind the two reanimated Kage's and plunged a kunai into each of their heads, attached to the kunai and now the Kages by default were two small red and black tags- talisman. "It'd be rude of me to bring him back from his retirement wouldn't it?" he hissed out in amusement.
"Rasa you said that you're here to get back at Orochimaru, so you handle him. I'll deal with Lord First and Lord Second." Minato said and flashed away from where he was just standing avoiding the jagged branch that shot up from the ground behind him.
Standing atop a cloud made from his Gold Dust Rasa nodded and raced towards Orochimaru, as Minato disappeared and reappeared behind the Nadaime with a Rasengan many times larger than the one Naruto had used, slamming against the legendary Kage's back.
The reanimated Tobirama rocketed towards the purple barrier with his right arm crashing against it and burning away into nothing.
"Tch, dammit," Minato cursed when Tobirama's arm rematerialized with a scaly and papery like material. 'Seems like Orochimaru has complete control over them, but not complete control of their power and abilities.' He came to that conclusion when the Nadaime shot a medium sized waterfall jutsu at him.
He flashed away from the Water style jutsu heading his way.
No way the Second was that weak, he was hailed as the greatest Water manipulator to ever live. It infuriated him that Orochimaru would do such a thing to their village's forefathers.
He appeared in front of Hashirama and kicked the legend in the face before he could react and frowned in both sadness and anger when Hashirama crashed against his brother.
He was glad that Hiruzen was dead, and that Jiraiya left the village in search of more information on the secret organization known as Akatsuki. Because, If Rasa didn't kill Orochimaru, he definitely would for disrespecting his fellow Hokage's.
XxLine BreakxX
-Chunin Exams Stands-
Shikamaru groaned when his least favorite emo and Naruto's, 'boyfriend,' shoved past him to get a better look at the grinning blonde sitting down next to him. "Get better friends Naruto," he sighed and leaned further into his chair in hopes of tuning out the headache he was about to get.
"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura and Ino pushed against each other, and Shikamaru too, as they grabbed onto his arms. "Let go of Sasuke-kun, Forehead girl!"
"He's my teammate, go away and hug Shikamaru or Choji!" Sakura argued back pulling against Sasuke's arm.
"No way I'm hugging those slackers!" Ino pulled as well.
Sasuke glared while Shikamaru and Choji sweat dropped.
"Hmph, pathetic," Karin adjusted her glasses causing a bright glint to shine over them. "My boys are better than yall's!" she giggled pevertedly with her hands squeezing at the air provocatively.
Haku awkwardly smiled his fake smile and wiped away the trickle of blood that leaked down her nose as she hugged herself against him.
Stopping in front of Naruto, Kakashi, and a bearded man, Ken averted his gaze away from Naruto's carefree grin to Kakashi. "What are we going to do about that Jinchuriki out there?" he raised a brow at the shocked looks Naruto and the two Jonin's gave him. "Danz- err… someone told me that my Mokuton is a counter or something against it. I need to go and stop it before someone else does." He insisted.
Kakashi looked at his long-time friend and comrade Asuma, the two of them having a mental conversation about whether or not they should let Ken go.
It was true, he was the greatest person in the village sans Minato and Fugaku to stop the Jinchuriki, but at the same time…
"That's Gaara right?" Naruto asked in a sad tone. Getting a stiff nod from Kakashi she sighed and stood up, "Then we're going to go and stop him Sensei!" She exclaimed after clapping her hands against her sore cheeks.
No way she'd let one of her own shoulder all of that hatred all on his own.
"Naruto sit down you need to rest up," Kakashi said with a tired sigh. Sure, she somehow won against Kurotsuchi, but fighting against Gaara in his Biju state… he wasn't too sure about her coming out on top against him without using her own Biju.
He shuddered remembering the incident in the Wave, Minato was not happy when he told him about Naruto tapping into her seal.
An explosion and sudden rise of smoke in the shopping district near the Forest of Death jolted him from his thoughts.
The Ichibi didn't look like it was going to be stopped anytime soon…
"Sensei trust us we can beat Gaara and save him!" Naruto stared intensely into Kakashi's lone gray eye.
Ken quirked a brow at the, "save," part, but nodded nonetheless with Sasuke and Haku looking expectantly at the masked shinobi. He didn't care about saving Gaara, just stopping him so that he could meet with the Daimyo again.
"Kakashi, I think we should let them go," Asuma held up his hand when Kakashi looked ready to argue. "Me, and my team will take care of guarding the civilians. I think you should go and check on Hokage-sama or help the others with those damn snake summons." He raised his cigarette up to his mouth and took a long drag.
Looking at Ken made him feel like he's seen the boy before.
"Asuma-"
"You can leave Sakura with us if you want, we could use her healing abilities. Team Ten, off your lazy asses, we're broadening our view around the entire stadium now." Asuma cut off Kakashi and exhaled a cloud of smoke in the air.
Kakashi looked down at Sakura, "Well Sakura-chan, you heard the man… tell me, do you want to go with them or stick with Naruto and-"
"I'll stay here and heal anyone who needs my help!" She yelled and looked down at the ground.
"Sakura…"
"Make sure to heal them good enough for them to see me become Hokage, Sakura-chan!" Naruto patted the pinkette on the back in an effort to cheer her up and then grinned at Ken, Sasuke, Haku, and Karin. "Let's hurry before Gaara loses it too much!" she pumped her fist in the air and ran towards the double doors that led to the outside with Ken's and Sasuke's wrist in her hold.
"Hey! Let go of Ken-kun and wait up for us, Naru-chan!" Karin called out as she and Haku chased after the running girl.
"Troublesome blonde," Shikamaru mumbled under his breath. "Are you sure you should send her and the rest of them out there to fight that monster Sensei?" he asked while standing up and avoiding Ino's annoyed glare.
"Don't worry about them Shika, that kid's Mokuton will overpower it in seconds… Kakashi, we'll be here until everything clears up." Asuma took another drag of his cigarette and ruffled Shikamaru's hair.
Kakashi gave his friend a nod and then performed a body flicker after he eye smiled at Sakura.
XxLine BreakxX
-Konoha Streets-
The once crowded streets of Konoha were now empty and devoid of the festive atmosphere it had when the exams first began. Three massive snakes loomed over the horizon- slithering around picking up and destroying whatever got in their way. And following after these snakes like fireworks that lit the sky anew, were jutsu's of all elements that bombarded the snakes.
Ken gulped when three men grew hundreds of meters into the air, towering over everything within the village besides the Hokage monument. Massive hands wrapped around each of the snakes slender bodies and hoisted them into the air.
The snakes let out ear splitting screeches as the plethora of jutsu's rained down on the snakes.
'No wonder Konoha is the strongest out of the five major villages,' Ken said to himself mentally as he questioned how in the world Minato could be stronger than people who could turn that big.
He truly had a long ways to go until he reached the top.
"Die!"
He came to a stop on the roof he was running along and looked at two shinobi clashing against one another on the adjacent roof across the street. It was a Konoha nin and a Sound shinobi, each snarling and leaking killing intent as they fought to the death.
"Hn, weren't you the one who wanted to go beat that thing?" Sasuke stopped next to Ken and pointed at the massive Biju that was now heading into the Forest of Death. Although a part of its body was hidden away by large trees that belonged to the deadly forest, the falling trees and birds that flew in alarm above the monster kept its location within sight.
"Yeah don't tell me you're wussing out now Ken?" Naruto stuck her tongue out ignorantly non-aware of all the carnage playing out around them.
"Ken-kun…?" Karin fearfully took his hand into her own when the Leaf ninja cut down the Sound shinobi with a ferocious slash to the invaders neck.
His blood sprayed all over the Leaf ninjas face and body, it was hard to tell who the good guy and bad guy was here.
"Come Ken, the Biju is escaping," Haku said while patting Ken on the back.
"Yeah," Ken glanced at the Sound ninja's corpse that fell to the street with a thud, coating blood along the street he was walking with Hiashi just a week ago. "Let's go then." He shook his head and continued forward. Some people needed to die, and that invading Sound Shinobi was one of them…
Naruto grinned brightly at him and turned back around to continue forward.
Before he could follow after her, Sasuke, and Haku he was stopped by Karin pulling at his shirt's sleeve with her finger pointing in the opposite direction.
At the Hokage Tower.
It was virtually untouched by the Sound invasion.
He looked at Karin and tilted his head questionably. What could she possibly want with the Hokage Tower at this moment?
"That important man that escaped with those ninja's. I wasn't too certain earlier, but now that it's been a while I know for sure. His chakra is that way," Karin gulped and flushed red when Ken grabbed her shoulders with a grateful smile. "D-Do… do you want to go there rather than with Naruto and Haku?" She questioned hoping that he said yes.
The last thing she wanted was to be near that monster again. It was bigger and it's chakra was much darker than it was back when it had appeared against Sasuke.
"You're the best Karin!" Ken hugged her close to him, "We should sneak away before they notice, just me and you."
Karin almost fainted from blood loss when Ken swopped her off her feet and ran towards the direction she had pointed in.
…
…
"Hey where'd Ken and Karin go off to?" Naruto asked while perched on top of a giant branch with her hand scratching her head like a monkey.
Haku and Sasuke landed on the branch next to her and looked backwards at the village, and then to each other before shrugging.
Naruto glared at the massive snakes, then to the purple barrier, and finally to the Hokage faces. "Come on you two we'll be fine without those perverts…" She cracked her fully healed knuckles and centered her glare on the Biju roaming aimlessly in front of them.
"Whatever dope," Sasuke smirked arrogantly ready for another fight. "We didn't need him to begin with. Mokuton or not, us three is more than enough for that thing."
Haku ignored how Naruto cringed at Sasuke's comment of calling Gaara a, "thing," and sighed before readying himself for his toughest fight since he and Ken's encounter with Hidan and Kakuzu.
XxLine BreakxX
-Hokage Tower-
"What are you doing Ken-kun!" Karin cried out when Ken ran up the wall of the gigantic tower with a shit-eating grin.
"Check it out Karin I'm actually wall walking! Take that Haku!" He cheerfully yelled pulling her closer to him making her redden even more. It felt just like yesterday when he couldn't even step on a wooden surface without slipping right through.
The redhead was afraid of how high up Ken was taking her, but she forced herself to not panic, instead opting to enjoy the way his eyes and smile bubbled with a joy that she hasn't seen on his face since he sprouted that tree in Kusa.
She let out a small shriek when Ken came to a stop and jumped into an open window.
"…Little Senju, I didn't expect you to find me…" Danzo said with a kidding smile growing along his wrinkled face. "Take a seat, I take it you haven't come for the training that I've offered you in the alley?" He paused to look at the two nobles standing behind him.
Ken walked around the room never taking his eyes off his three targets. He lowered Karin down onto the couch located within Minato's office giving her a quick look that said, "stay," and then walked towards them. Stopping at the desk that separated him from them he turned his attention solely towards Kikiyo.
The sight reminded him of when he first met Naido, and then Minato.
"Give me back my necklace, you hag." He said bluntly hoping that she would make this easier on him and just hand it over.
He wanted to just kill her like they did Naido, but… He thought of his dream with Naruto looking at him in fear.
Her ruby eyes narrowed, whether it was because he addressed her age, or the fact that he was pointing to the necklace fastened around her neck, Ken didn't know nor care.
Kikiyo stared at Ken unflinching, even when the boy glared into her eyes and released a flow of chakra that was rich in ki. She ignored it and simply stared, "You're not Tsunade's child are you?" she finally spoke up.
"Granny? Hell no, just give me back my necklace."
Kikiyo hummed in thought, the more she looked at Ken the more she felt as though she was staring at… She turned to her husband whose face was scrunched up into a confused and conflicted glare with a wad of spit building up in his throat.
He looked just like Kenji when he was younger, she gulped just as her husband gulped.
Danzo looked between the three already coming to the same conclusion as Kenji. Ken was the man's illegitimate grandson.
Kikiyo spun around and jabbed her long finger into Kenji's chest, "Next time you have a secret love child dispose of it properly at least," she spat angrily.
"I… I did no such thing Kikiyo!" The Fire Daimyo proclaimed loudly, "I've been nothing but faithful to you woman!" He grabbed his wife's shoulders shaking her a bit and glared into her eyes.
Ken glared at the two in unamusement.
The wood from the floor quickly shot up and formed a make-shift prison around the two nobles. Danzo too would've been captured had he not reacted too fast for the wood to capture him.
"Look lady," Ken walked around Minato's desk not wanting to make a mess of the Kage's belongings. He reached his hand through the open bars and grabbed ahold of her by the collar of her dress. "Give me back my shit or I'll kill you. I'm not that man's child, and nor am I joking with you when I say that I'll kill you."
"This… This is mine y-you ill-mannered fool," Kikiyo pushed away from Ken when he reached for her necklace.
"Unhand her you-" the closest wooden bars next to Kenji shot out and wrapped around the Daimyo's flailing limbs and chest, restraining him.
"You shut up," Ken hatefully glared at Kenji stopping the Daimyo from struggling, "We'll talk about Kusa once I get my necklace back." Ken grabbed ahold of the gold necklace around Kikiyo's neck and pulled hard. He ignored her wail of pain as the chain snapped from around her neck and fell into his hands.
"You're that bastard Hiromi's son aren't you?" Kenji asked in a glum and ruff tone.
Ken wordlessly nodded to Kenji's grisly question and examined the necklace for any more damages. He nearly fell forward when he didn't see the little inscription that was located on the back of his necklace last time he saw it.
The little 'KH' was gone as though it was never there.
"I told you that was mine you little thief!" Kikiyo desperately stuck her hand through the wooden cage and snatched the necklace from Ken's hands. Turning her back to him. As she fiddled with the necklace to try to put it back together she said, "He broke it Kenji, the band is broken…"
"Where is mine then!?" Ken snarled angrily before Kenji could speak.
"Gone. Melted and turned into coin, lost somewhere in my endless vault," Kenji enjoyed the anguish that washed over his grandson's face. "I do wonder how you survived for all these years, I vividly remember telling Asuma Sarutobi when he was still working under me to execute you and your father on the day you were born…" He ignored the shocked look his wife gave him.
Danzo smirked feeling Ken's chakra turn cold and unforgiving. When one was at their lowest, their absolute worst, that was the best time for him to sink his fangs into them… Ken was almost there, he just needed to do something that he would regret for the rest of his life…
Like killing the Daimyo.
"Ken!" Karin shouted when the wooden bindings around the Fire daimyo tightened making Kenji roar out in pain.
"I heard that your father is dead, he was a lousy noble anyways," Kenji said through gritted teeth, and coughed up blood when the bindings tightened furthermore. "Cut down like the drunk buffoon he was!"
"I'll fucking kill you!"
"Senju!"
Just as Ken was about to clench his fist shut, an action that would've made the wood constrict around Kenji and crush the man to death, a powerful voice amplified by chakra and ki cut through the hateful fog clouding his mind.
Mikoto stood slightly behind her husband at the doorway.
Fugaku looked ready to cut him down but was probably holding his hand due to his wife halting him before he could seriously hurt the Daimyo.
"Release Lord Kenji and Lady Kikiyo, Senju," Fugaku ordered in a demanding tone, either ignoring or non-aware of the Shinobi of Darkness located in the corner of the room next to a cowering Karin. "This is your only warning boy," he took a step forward with his Sharingan glaring into Ken's wide purple eyes.
Last true Senju or not, he wouldn't allow anyone to harm the ruler of the Land of Fire, and Konoha's biggest benefactor.
Kenji smirked arrogantly, "I was going to punish your clan for what your son did to my guards but consider it annulled Fugaku." He cringed when the bindings tightened back up and Ken scowled at him.
"Ken-chan, your friends need your help fighting the Ichibi don't they?" Mikoto stepped forward as well and glared at Danzo. "Go and help them, harming the Daimyo will do you no favors here." She informed with her gaze never leaving Danzo's.
"She stole my necklace from Naruto," Ken harshly pointed to Kikiyo's turned back. "And he let Kusa burn to the ground despite being allies! Do you even know how many people were starving and died because of him?" Ken punched the wooden cage, sneering when Kikiyo jumped in fright and Kenji spat on the ground.
"He isn't fit to lead a country, let alone trade one off to an even worse ruler!" He continued after glancing back at the Uchiha's.
Everything that Ken said seemingly went in one ear and right out the other for Fugaku, because his glare only narrowed further and took another step forward with his chakra building up, ready for a fight.
"Ken," Mikoto said emotionlessly, "You need to leave, as soon as Fugaku-kun attacks I won't be able to hold him back. Go help take down the Biju and then return here, I'm sure we can come to some sort of agreement by the time you return." She semi-lied.
Truthfully, she only wanted to interrogate Danzo in private over why her clan has been acting strange these past few years.
Ken looked out of the window he had come through; there was a massive toad in the air and the top of the sand monster's head was viewable through the top of the giant forest. He then glanced at Mikoto, he knew that he could trust Danzo into her hands considering she wanted him just as bad if not more than him, but… He glanced back at Fugaku when the man took another step forward.
Releasing the bindings from around the Fire Daimyo he mentally sighed in relief when Sasuke's dad in an almost robotic fashion lowered down his chakra and loosened his glare.
"Damn brat," Kenji coughed again as he fell to his knees clutching his bruised wrist. "Why do you even care about what happens to Kusa?" he asked.
"Because you let Old man-Naido and hundreds of his people die… helpless mothers and innocent children," Ken responded in a conflicted tone. If he killed or hurt the Daimyo now, he'd be slain by Fugaku before he even knew he died. And if he did somehow escape, Naruto would hate him.
From the corner of his eyes, Kenji saw Ken sigh depressingly as he realized that he could no longer hurt him anymore. He remained silent as he saw Ken contemplate what to do next.
"Leave Senju, I won't ask again," Fugaku gripped his hand over Ken's shoulder and gave a tight squeeze.
Ken brought his gaze up from the ground and looked at Kikiyo and Kenji. "…Do you know who my mother is?" he asked quietly. He couldn't leave this room without anything.
No necklace and nor revenge.
He needed something to prove that all of his efforts weren't wasted.
"She thinks that you're dead, so she's moved on and started a new family. She has forgotten about both you and your dead father. You should forget about ever having a mother K-Ken," Kikiyo spoke up before her husband could reply.
Ken looked up and stared straight ahead, knowing that Kikiyo was being one hundred percent genuine with her cruel words.
The wooden prison fell apart, crumbling to the ground around the Daimyo when Fugaku squeezed again with more force than before. Ken shrugged the Uchiha's hand off and strolled past the Daimyo with his hair overshadowing his face; his expression hidden from the rooms occupants as he jumped out of the window without a word.
"Ken-kun! Wait up-" Karin wasn't able to exit through the window and follow after Ken due to a black seal burning to life around the room, closing off every exit curtesy of Mikoto.
She gulped and backed up towards the Daimyo and Kikiyo when Mikoto glared heatedly at Danzo with her Sharingan blazing furiously.
"Tell me Danzo, why did my clan have a sudden plan of agenda not long after my younger cousin's disappearance and my son's banishment?" Mikoto demanded.
Mikoto tensed when Danzo suddenly began laughing, a low and humming like chuckle. "Namikaze knows more about this, it was his and Shisui's plan against your treacherous clan after all."
Fugaku glared at the mention of his dead cousin, "W-What are you talking about!" he yelled. "My clan will never perform any traitorous acts towards the village you vile old man!" his head rang painfully.
Mikoto looked at her husband in pity because it was him, years ago who started the plans to throw a revolt in Konoha.
Danzo nodded agreeing with Fugaku, making the Uchiha's headache calm down. "Yes, yes, that is true the Uchiha clan is the most loyal to Konoha right now, even willing to throw out their adored clan heir because Konoha asked them to. But at one point your clan threatened to destroy Konoha and everything it stood for."
XxLine BreakxX
-Sealed off Roof Top-
Kakashi landed in a crouch next to an Anbu agent and narrowed his eye on one of the four Sound shinobi standing at the barrier's corner. The Sound shinobi was young, around the age of his own students, but he was also monstrous and grotesque.
The kid had four arms, probably because of some experiment Orochimaru conducted on the boy.
"Yamato, I take it there's no getting past this barrier?" He asked pointing to a pile of ash with an Anbu mask lying on top of it.
Yamato, or also known as Tenzo, by his comrades in the black ops division turned to Kakashi; the white of his eyes shining through the holes in his mask. "Yes… Hokage-sama and the Lord Kazekage are stuck in the barrier with Orochimaru and…" he turned his attention back to the trapped Kages when a tree rose from the ground and exploded into a shower of splinters almost taking Minato with it. "The Shodai and Nadaime Hokage's," he finished with a grim voice.
Yamato was fascinated by seeing the man he was modeled after in person, it was always something he secretly wished for, but seeing Hashirama as an emotionless zombie controlled by his childhood tormentor frustrated him.
Kakashi sighed in relief when he noticed that his sensei didn't look to be having any problems with the Kages of the past, and Rasa had Orochimaru on the run too.
Everything was going perfect.
Too perfect.
"Seems like Shikaku was able to organize the troops and get rid of those meddlesome snakes Kakashi-taicho. Do you think that man will finally die today?" Yamato asked breaking the silence.
Kakashi knew that, Yamato's comment of, "That Man," was Orochimaru. He sure hoped that Minato or even Rasa killed the Sannin. He'd never forgive him for laying his filthy hands on his precious student.
But everything was going too perfect for them. That never happens, "Look underneath, the underneath," the words of his sensei from a less stressful time rang out through his head.
"I fear Orochimaru might have something up his sleeves that even Minato-sensei isn't aware of…" He said just as a loud eruption of raw chakra vibrated through the air.
The chakra and abrupt explosion reminded Kakashi of an event that happened many years ago, twelve to be exact.
"Taicho," Yamato gulped. "I-Is that a dragon made of w-wood?" His masked eyes expanded wider than normal in alarm as a dragon with lush green trees along its body and powerfully glowing yellow eyes flew in circles above the Forest of Death.
'What happened Ken!?' Kakashi exclaimed mentally while leaping away from the roof and dashed off in the direction of the seething dragon, that could've only been made by Ken.
Inside the barrier, Orochimaru went stiff feeling the rich chakra flow towards him and couldn't help but try to inhale the chakra. It felt authentic and pure, almost like the natural chakra stimming out from Minato or Jiraiya in their Sage transformations.
Because of this shortcoming he was quickly restrained by the Fourth Kazekage's Gold Dust. The grounded up gold tightly wrapped around him and clenched much like a fist, causing blood to squirt and splash out from his eyes, nose, and mouth.
"Seems your animalistic urges got the best of you Orochimaru," Rasa standing atop his gold manipulated cloud frowned and crossed his arms over his chest. "Do you have any last words fiend?" He asked with one eyebrow raised.
"Mokuton? But the failure is right there, who's shinobi is that?" Orochimaru's bloodshot eyes stared past the barrier at the flying dragon in the air, not bothering to escape nor react when Minato slapped seals on the back of Hashirama's and Tobirama's heads, causing the Kage's to close their eyes and fall apart.
"Are those your final words vermin?" Rasa shrugged and held out his hand opening it wide. The sand-like particles of Gold Dust expanded around the snake sannin creating a massive coffin for the sage. "Fine by me then." He clenched his fist causing the Gold Dust to compact upon Orochimaru.
Blood splattered and leaked through the small holes in the Gold Dust made coffin.
Minato appeared in a flash of gold as bright as Rasa's sand and glared at Orochimaru's grave before turning and looking at the Mokuton dragon in the air.
"Ken-kun…" He mumbled in concern.
Rasa called back his Gold Dust willing it into the small jar attached to his belt.
Orochimaru's broken and awkwardly bending body fell to the ground in a splatter of blood. His wide with pain eyes shimmered from yellow to brown causing Rasa to narrow his eyes at the still alive sannin.
"So, his name's Ken-kun is it? Is that Tsunade's apparent heir? Kukuku, I was wondering why you mentioned that name to that mutt Kakashi before we left the stadium." Orochimaru's voice was broken just like the teeth in his mouth and his limbs sprawled out on the ground.
Minato turned around and fixated his glare on Orochimaru, his glare slowly became a victorious smirk upon seeing how pitiful Orochimaru looked. "Mm, yes that is indeed his name, the first natural born Mokuton user since Lord Hashirama." He hummed in a jolly tone, happy that the world was finally to be rid of Orochimaru.
Orochimaru's twisted smile widened and shimmered a bit just like his eyes did earlier. "Perfect… Perfect, a natural born user Kukuku," he laughed spitting out ragged teeth and thick red blood out onto the ground.
Minato gulped seeing the shimmer and looked questionably at Rasa who shrugged in response and manipulated his Gold Dust to come back out.
He positioned the Dust over Orochimaru's laughing form and manipulated it into a sharp golden spear.
"It's been fun Minato, thanks for the useful information."
The spear flew down and impaled Orochimaru's body just as the snake sannin's entire body shimmered away, into that of a random Sound shinobi. But what made Minato's blood freeze was the fact that a pair of burning red Sharingan appeared and vanished just as quickly as they came.
"I've never seen a technique like this Minato, an illusion? No, a genjutsu? He was controlling that body much like how my puppeteers control their puppets. I regret to say, but we were duped by him…" Rasa stared impassively as the barrier flickered away and the four Sound shinobi holding it up escaped into the village.
"Damnit he slipped through my hands again," Minato could've easily restrained the four of them in a blink of an eye, with or without his sage mode activated, but… The dragon let out a booming bellow before it nose dived straight for the crown of the still very much roaming Ichibi.
"Will the Mokuton user be a threat to my son's wellbeing, Minato?"
"I don't… know Rasa," Minato sighed deeply, still upset with Orochimaru's escape.
XxLine BreakxX
-Forest of Death-
(A few minutes Before)
Naruto hissed in discomfort from atop Gamabuta the Chief Toad, and clasped her hand over her side when a sharp pain shot up from there into the rest of her body.
Across from her was Gaara with half of his body imbued into the head of his Biju. "Naruto Namikaze," the words didn't come from Gaara, but rather the giant Biju that was thrashing its tail around sweeping up trees effortlessly. "I will kill you; I will not go back in my seal!" The Ichibi cried in a loud high-pitch tone.
A Fireball and a ball of ice with spike protruding out of it rocketed up out of the destroyed forest and hit the Biju in its stomach not causing any damage to its sand body.
Naruto winked and gritted her teeth when the Ichibi reared back its head before letting out a torrent of winds that blew up the trees where Sasuke and Haku were.
"I… I'm just going to use a little bit of it to stop this monster…" She whispered to herself moving her hand from her side to her stomach where her seal was. Red Orange chakra shot out from every pore of her body covering her in a thick layer of chakra.
"…Brat," Gamabuta uneasily took a puff from his pipe and glared at the madly laughing Sand Biju in front of him, "Do you really think relying on that power-"
"Shut up! I know that this isn't something I should use," Naruto yelled and stomped her foot on the giant toads head, feeling rejuvenated from her previous wounds. "But I need to even out our difference of power here! Just get me close to Gaara and I'll wake him up with one of these!" She ordered and smacked her fist into her palm, her eyes burning a deep red.
Gamabuta closed his eyes contemplating his actions before shaking his head, opening his eyes, and nodding. "Let's do this brat!" He hopped forward and withdrew his massive Tanto, slicing down at one of the Biju's arms, severing it along with a countless amount of trees. "Go Naruto! Now while its recovering!" He bellowed.
Naruto's arms were shaking in fear of the power coursing throughout her, but her grin reflected all of her determination to save Gaara from his loneliness as a Jinchuriki. "Got it boss!"
Her mother thought that she would have it rough like Gaara did, but luckily for her, Minato never informed the public of her status as a Jinchuriki.
She jumped off of Gamabuta's head and landed on the Ichibi's still intact arm. Running up its sandy limb she smirked when the sand trying to hold her back seemingly flinched back upon touching the Nine-tails charka stimming off from her.
"Gaara! Take this!" She launched herself high in the sky and cocked back her fist aiming right for Gaara's sleeping face. "Wake up and stop this madness!" she exclaimed landing the blow right against his pale cheek.
His pupiless teal eyes opened slowly with a look of confusion on his face, before his eyes closed again.
"Noo! Gaara stay asleep for just a little bit longer!" The Ichibi hollered forcing the sand on its head to wrap around and restrain Naruto, despite the fact that the sand was pushing away from the blonde like two opposite magnets.
"This won't stop me!" Naruto leaned back her head and smirked, before banging her head against Gaara's. "And stay awake this time!" she demanded as the sand holding her and Gaara up crumbled apart sending the two of them falling to the ground down below.
"Hmph, good job kiddo, it wasn't anything too flashy or skillful like that father of yours but well done," Gamabuta sighed out a massive fog of smoke and rubbed at one of the scratch marks he obtained while holding back the Ichibi. After saying his compliments, he disappeared, having returned back to the summon world.
Naruto cracked a blue eye open and flashed Gaara a grin that was half covered by the ground her face was laying against. "I wish I could've saved you earlier Gaara…" she dragged her body towards the panicking redhead.
"Stay back, you!" Gaara shrieked in fear as the red orange cloak of chakra around Naruto dissipated. His stomach churned and mind shook as the voice of his mother begged him to go back to sleep. "Shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up!" he yelled unstably.
Naruto ignored his repeated rambling and continued forward with the use of her chin. She couldn't move anything else at the moment, the fight with Kurotsuchi and now Gaara having taken its toll on her body.
"You don't have to be alone anymore Gaara," she whispered seeing an image of a younger Gaara sitting alone on a swing enviously watching as other children played together. "I'll be your friend dattebane," she laughed out with a cheerful grin, not seeing sand fly out from the forest and from Gaara's gourd.
"Shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up, I don't want your friendship Namikaze!" Gaara yelled as the sand pelted against half of his body and then wrapped all the way around his entire body. "I don't need you! I've got Mother! She's always been there I… don't need… you-" his head fell forward and his eyes closed as he drifted back to sleep.
"Gaara?" Naruto questioned bringing up her head only to stare up at the reformed Biju. "Dammit I was too late," she chuckled with a pained expression.
"D-Dope… Run…" Sasuke limped forward with his arm slung across Haku's shoulder and Haku's over his, each supporting the other's weight.
"Kekeke!" the Ichibi giggled excitedly.
"What a monster…" Haku commented, breathing heavily.
"Thank you for boring Gaara to sleep," The sand Biju crouched down and stared at the three kids, its yellow and black star shaped eyes focusing on Naruto. "I want your blood Naruto Namikaze!" It swung its sand tailored palm down at Naruto, hoping to squash her beneath its blistering sands.
It's palm was stopped by a dome of chakra condensed wood bursting out from the ground and covering the three kids.
The Ichibi flinched back its hand when it made contact the wood and took a few steps back in both alarm and fright. The sand that made up the Chakra monster fell off from its body as it shook in fear of the chakra oozing out from the wood.
Within the dome Sasuke stared in shock at Ken's back. It was dark inside the dome, but thanks to his Sharingan he was able to make out his teammate's student's silhouette in the darkness.
"Ken…?" Haku questioned knowing the feeling of his friends powerful chakra.
"Yeah… I'm here Haku," Ken responded in a blank tone.
"Great!" Naruto forced herself to exclaim happily despite feeling like shit. "With you and your fancy wood here we can finally…" Naruto's voice trailed off when she turned her head and just barely saw the look of pure rage and resentment on Ken's face.
It sacred her into muted silence.
"What are you going to do Ken?" Sasuke asked slowly knowing that something must've happened to make Naruto shut up. He unconsciously gulped at the chakra building up all around him. It was like it was coming from the very forest itself.
"…" Ken opened his mouth but didn't answer. He didn't know what he was going to do, just that it involved stopping Gaara before he killed Naruto.
He went through the hand signs that he memorized from his ancestors journal and clapped his hands down on the ground next to the downed blonde.
"Mokuton (Wood Style): Wood Dragon Jutsu." He didn't whisper nor shout the jutsu. He just said it in an empty tone and pumped as much chakra as he could into the technique hoping to release all of his pent up anger as well.
The ground outside the wooden barrier shook and the sound of the earth splitting, and the trees snapping could be heard as the Ichibi's frightened screams echoed behind the mayhem.
A loud roar which could only belong to Ken's dragon suddenly tuned out the rest of the destruction playing out within the Forest of death.
Naruto wasn't sure, but she thought that she saw a tear, filled with all of the anger burning within Ken slowly fall down his face within the dark dome. "…Ken what happened?" she asked just as the tear hit the ground and the dragon outside let out an even louder roar that seemed to grow closer and closer to them with each second.
"Don't kill him Ken!' she suddenly shouted just as an explosion tore up the dome and everyone in it, revealing the destroyed and flattened forested area.
…
…
…
"Where's Ken and Haku, Naruto?" A familiar voice asked her.
Naruto groggily opened her eyes but found that she couldn't keep them open for much longer. Before she blacked out again she saw Kakashi's two eyes; both his plain gray eye and his red Sharingan staring down at her, and, Temari, Kankuro, and an older sand shinobi leaning over Gaara's body.
XxLine BreakxX
-Outside Konoha's Walls-
Sitting atop his faithful underling's shoulder Onoki glared at where the massive wooden dragon just was with an irritated expression.
Today was the worst.
Kurotsuchi officially lost the exams, coming in second rather than first, and now Konoha has gained another powerful shinobi.
A Mokuton user at that.
"O-Onoki-dono, let's hurry back to my country. I feel unsafe here in the Land of Fire," Yamauichi said fearfully and tugged on Akatsuchi's sleeve for further clarification. "That bastard Kenji isn't going to be happy that I left him back there to deal with that insane brat…" he whispered with a squirm.
"Hmph, grow a spine Yamauichi," Onoki snapped at his country's Daimyo. "Kurotsuchi, you might've not won the fight, but you're officially a Jonin now… Kami, how long have I been waiting to say those words," he grumbled and motioned for Akatsuchi to continue forward.
"Hai, Oji-san," Kurotsuchi muttered with her eyes staring out at Konoha's massive gates that loomed over the forest that surrounded it. "Naruto Namikaze… I'll win against you next time… and thank you," she whispered with a small frown on her face as she turned around.
On the opposite side of the forest too far away for the Tuschikage to see or sense the two. Two men in black and red cloud themed robes strolled towards Konoha with straw hats covering their faces.
"That was quite the view wasn't it Itachi-san?" The larger of the two figures asked in a deep menacing yet giddy tone. His light blue gills along his thick neck casually pulsed much like exposed veins.
"Hn," A pair of Sharingan stared impassively at the sky where the dragon just was.
Chapter End
An: I'm surprised that I finished this chapter as fast as I did :) Hopefully, you all liked it and Ken wasn't too much of an edge lord (that belongs to the Uchiha's after all). Oh yeah, the clone technique Orochimaru used was the one Itachi and Kisame used in the Gaara retrival Arc.
That's the end of Arc 3, and to be honest I completely diverted from the original theme behind this arc that I wanted, but I think it all turned out okay. Next chapter will be an aftermath type chapter, and then perhaps a time skip before I start Arc 4. We heading to Shippuden soon!