Daze
Chapter 32: Sin and Glory
A/N: Thanks for helping this story pass 100 reviews, I am extremely humbled by all the love it's received, it wouldn't be here without you.
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"Raaggh!"
Kakashi hopped over the wind blade, supported on either side by a puppet, as Danzo met him in combat.
He clashed a Raikiri kunai with the man's wind infused wood blade.
"It's pointless Hatake, a mere Jonin upstart is not on my level, you weren't even a match for Hiruzen or that brat Orochimaru."
Kakashi grunted with effort holding the kunai forward against the man.
"You overestimate your own skills Danzo, it would seem Naruto-kun was able to do a number on you earlier, as his sensei I have no right to lose to you."
The Jonin doubled back with his footing, slamming all his momentum forward he shoulder charged forward;
His lightning kunai shattered on the wind sword and tossed both of them from their respective hands.
"Raikiri!"
Kakashi continued forward while Danzo lost his footing, the jonin's fist was planted firmly between Danzo's lungs.
"Izanagi."
The sixth eye on the back of Danzo's arm closed and he reappeared behind Kakashi forming a handsign.
"Oh no you don't!"
Chiyo gritted her teeth, her puppets heads spinning around on their necks and their mouths opening.
Danzo was forced away as the puppets fired a stream of poisonous gas.
"Tch, Kuchiyose no jutsu."
Danzo placed his hand on the ground and a large orange furry creature appeared beneath him lifting him on it's back into the air.
"Behold, the Baku; now, swallow them and any dreams they hold of defeating me, Wind style: Vacuum tunnel!"
The Baku roared with a trumpet from it's snout, and opened its mouth with a loud gust of wind pulling back.
Kakashi realized what was happening and formed a hand sign.
"Earth Style: Mud Wall!"
A large stone wall rose from the ground, Kakashi reached for Chiyo but before he could grab her, he was slammed back first into it, it cracked slightly but stopped his momentum.
Chiyo grunted as her footing shook beneath her, she was pulled forward towards the Baku's mouth but her puppets acted quickly.
The male puppet with shaggy red hair opened its body wide like an X holding itself struggling not to get pulled in just outside the mouth of the Baku.
It's wooden limbs creaked and began to crack.
The female puppet with long black hair launched off of him using his chest as footing to jump and grabbed Chiyo by her arm, spinning and throwing her away.
Chiyo gritting her teeth with exertion against the wind turned to Kakashi.
"Sync with me boy!"
Chiyo summoned the ghostly chakra from her ten white scrolls as Chikamatsu's puppets rose from within.
Kakashi realized what her plan was and formed a Tiger hand seal.
The three main puppets formed a triangle with their bodies, two standing on the top of the mud wall, and a third on their shoulders.
Three of the other ten remaining puppets held the leg of the bottom left puppet to keep it from getting pulled forward, another three held the bottom right puppets leg;
The remaining female puppet held Chiyo back as she channeled chakra.
"Three Jewels: Suction Crushing!"
From within the triangle made by the puppet's bodies an opposing gust of wind battled the Baku's with the two vacuums causing an explosive wind pocket in the center.
Kakashi hopped up on the wall sticking with chakra in his feet.
"Fire style: Dog flame bomb!"
He copied the jutsu he'd seen Sasuke use with his sharingan during their training and fired a dog shaped missile of flame into the epicenter of wind.
The colliding vacuums expanded the flame into a massive explosion which kept growing in size until the energy pushed out of the wind and exploded.
The Baku was completely annihilated, with a blast of flame entering it's lungs and burning it from the inside;
Danzo was caught by this blast but reappeared safely with the right eye closing on his face.
Kakashi had already deciphered the Jutsu by carefully analyzing the battle through his sharingan.
'So, he only has two left to sacrifice, the one on his palm, and Shisui's'
Kakashi noted the wreckage of six of Chiyo's puppets who had tossed them behind the earth wall and were incinerated with their bodies just behind it.
'Chiyo-san had to sacrifice most of her puppets to escape that last blast.'
Kakashi paled as he felt Danzo's presence suddenly in front of him.
'D-damn it I looked away for a second!'
Danzo grinned reaching for his eye but was stopped by the female puppet with red hair buns, who was crushed by an irritated fist.
"Damn puppet, Hatake's Sharingan was nearly mine."
Danzo growled clutching his Senju arm as he had to focus to control the chakra.
Kakashi breathed heavily as he stood next to Chiyo, the final three puppets forming a manji around them.
"T-thanks."
Chiyo's eyes were fierce and analytical.
"Don't drop your guard again boy, he's a sneaky opponent."
Kakashi drew a kunai focusing his Sharingan on watching Danzo's every move.
"Right, I'm going to try something, I just need you to buy me a little time."
Chiyo nodded stubbornly.
"I'll do what I can to keep him occupied, don't waste this opportunity."
Kakashi's sharingan closed as he began streaming chakra into it.
'Let's hope this works.'
"Sasuke look out!"
Sakura yelled out, standing ready on the side with a chakra laced fist, she watched Naruto's footwork closely.
The Uchiha growled hopping away as Naruto's Susanoo swung out with it's sword in a sweeping arc of flame.
"Naruto you idiot, I thought you were going to kill Danzo, how could you let him catch you!"
Naruto seemed unfazed, his cold red eyes focused entirely on Sasuke's movement.
"Words are meaningless now, I live only to serve Danzo-sama, so make this easy for me, and just be quiet."
Naruto flashed a toothy smile which contained none of his usual mirth.
"Yasaka Magatama!"
Naruto closed his fist and his Susanoo mirrored him tossing out orange spiral chakram from behind the yata mirror.
Sasuke's Susanoo armed it's arm bow with purple arrows.
"Susanoo arrow!"
The two Susanoo threw their projectiles which clashed with the ripping of wind and explosion of chakra.
Naruto's chakram shattered Sasuke's arrows and continued towards the shocked boy's Susanoo cracking the ribs and embedding themselves into it.
Sasuke paled his cloaked Susanoo attempting to pull the chakram from it's chest.
'S-such power, his chakra is on a whole other level, even without Uchiha blood.'
Naruto formed a hand sign.
"It's over Sasuke,"
Sasuke looked down and noticed white clay particles inside of the chakram, when Naruto had clenched his fist earlier he was actually molding detonating clay to pass into his Susanoo.
"-Katsu!"
Sasuke leapt out the back of his Susanoo as the embedded explosives shattered it completely destroying the front of the figure.
'That was close if I hadn't left the Susanoo…'
Sweat trickled down his brow as he drew his sword, channeling lightning through it.
"Sakura, let's try something."
He began whispering something to the pink-haired girl which made her eyes light up with understanding.
Naruto tried to read what he was saying but her ear and hair was covering Sasuke's lips.
'What are they plotting?'
The blonde Uzumaki reached into his hip pouch.
'Damn it, I'm out of detonating clay,'
He brushed long hair from his face.
'- it doesn't matter, Sasuke would just disarm it with chidori anyway, using the same trick twice would be stupid; I can't go easy on them, or I'll surely lose.'
Naruto reached into his hip pouch folding something with his hand.
Sasuke went on the offensive running forward full speed and tossing his kunai.
"Amaterasu!"
The six kunai were lit up with flames crashing down towards the Susanoo.
"How foolish."
Naruto raised his arm, the Susanoo blocking the kunai with the yata mirror which pushed away the flames.
Recoiling, Naruto heard a loud explosion and saw the right side of his Susanoo crack looking down to see Sakura under him with a raised fist and fearsome eyes.
'When did she get there?'
He went to swing with the totsuka blade but she was positioned right under the arm of the Susanoo in such a way as to where it's arm couldn't bend to reach her.
'Leave it to a medical ninja, she used the Susanoo's human anatomy to her advantage.'
His focus was broken as Sasuke approached him directly jumping down towards the face of the Susanoo.
"Chidori blade!"
Sasuke channeled electricity into his sword slamming it down into the Susanoo's chest.
"You had to know that wouldn't work."
Naruto felt the object folded in his hand and smirked, tossing his arm out and throwing it from his palm.
The paper split into dozens of paper grasshoppers which leapt from his Susanoo.
"W-what grasshoppers?"
Sakura looked confused.
Sasuke who's eyes could see chakra paled.
"Sakura jump!"
Naruto formed another single handed seal.
The grasshoppers which hopped around in a violent swarm continued to split into more and more until there was a sea of them around his Susanoo.
Sasuke who had leapt high into the air made a handsign, a poof of smoke appeared from his armbands and he threw a large fuma shuriken into them.
The metal was shredded to dust in seconds.
'As I suspected, Naruto's running fine wind chakra blades through each and every one of them… how much chakra does he possess?'
Naruto smirked up at him and Sasuke recoiled at his gaze.
It was focused on him and Sakura, extremely focused and Sasuke realized at the last second what was happening as Naruto's pupil began to ripple.
"Amaterasu!"
Sasuke looked down and saw the wind grasshoppers below them, his Susanoo arm still holding Sakura, but he was unable to fully manifest one in the air.
'D-damn it.'
He growled staring down the approaching flames and felt a natural control linked to his sharingan.
"Enton: Flame control!"
The flames bent backwards, shocking both Sakura and Naruto.
They formed into spikes obeying Sasuke's eyes and stabbed into the sea of paper grasshoppers destroying all of them in seconds as the flames spread.
Naruto was forced to hop away as Sasuke changed the flames again into spikes, which stabbed out at his Susanoo.
The blonde sighed, his arms falling slack in annoyance as he leaned forward his hair dropping over his face.
'Damn it, that was the last of Konan's special paper, now, I'll need another plan of attack.'
He dropped the Susanoo, surprising Sakura and Sasuke.
His mouth opened and a feral grin greeted them as he bit his thumb.
"You've forced my hand, normally I'm not one for loud displays of wanton power, but Danzo-sama needs me, so playtime is over."
Slamming his hand into the ground he yelled out.
"Summoning jutsu!"
Sasuke wrapped Sakura and hopped both of them away as the ground cratered and shook.
A massive orange toad in a blue haori sat on the cratered rockface.
"What, where am I; Jiraiya-chan you damn fool did you summon me again, wait, who's this gaki?!"
Gamabunta blew smoke from his pipe noticing the tall blonde boy who stood below him.
Naruto stared up at the toad with his red ripple-patterned eyes meeting his irritated gaze head on.
"Sorry, Gama-Buchou, but you'll be working for me now; Tsukuyomi."
"Y-you bastard!"
Gamabunta roared, clutching his head as red eyes overwhelmed his senses.
He saw a red and black world where the boy stood with his hands folded in his pockets.
"Even a great Toad sage is no match for these eyes."
Naruto's eternal sharingan glowed with a magnificent power, a shadowy female figure with crow-like wings floated behind him.
She reached out embracing the frog and he was trapped in a cage of black feathers.
"You have an appointment with the night goddess, but don't worry I have no reason to hurt you, just stay here for a bit."
The boy turned walking away against the angered protests of the toad and vanished.
Back in the real world the frog's reptilian eyes were overtaken by a sharingan pattern as he roared enthralled.
Naruto leapt onto his head looking down at the pale and horrified Sasuke and Sakura and amplified his voice with chakra.
"It's over, make no mistake, there is nothing you could do to match this, my final trump card."
Naruto slammed his palms together, his Sharingan spinning like a wheel.
'This is going to take most of my chakra to maintain, but, there is no-one alive who could counter this jutsu.'
"Susanoo: Partial Majestic Attire!"
Naruto's Orange cloaked Susanoo began to wrap the toad in orange chakra, covering his face with a long nosed Oni Samurai helmet, a scarfed cape and armored Haori covered his body.
The toad drew his massive sword which was wrapped in the Totsuka, and the Yata mirror formed as a shield on his arm.
Sakura fell to her knees and Sasuke stood back a few steps shaken.
"W-wh… how…"
Naruto's red eyes flickered down at them as the frog began to slowly approach each step cratering the ground.
Kakashi and Chiyo clashed with Danzo, neither side was able to press the other as they consistently countered the other's plays.
They were all struck by a strong wall of wind as a loud cratering sound was heard in the distance.
Kakashi paled.
"T-that's…"
Danzo smirked as he saw the massive toad.
"It would seem the boy is preparing to end things, how fortunate."
Chiyo growled, swinging her hands and her puppets brazenly rushed at Danzo.
The man turned with little effort tossing them away and shattering them with a wind infused fist.
"How foolish Chiyo of the desert, now you have no puppets left with which to face me."
The man's wrinkled lips folded in a bitter smile.
Kakashi continued to sweat but felt his eye ripple.
'I-It's done!'
His sharingan eye snapped open.
"Kamui!"
Danzo paled, snapping his head as he saw the space around his Senju arm distort.
"W-what is this!"
The man growled pulling against the mini calamity but it tore at his prosthetic arm with drops of blood falling.
"D-damn you Hatake, you won't have me that easily!"
The eye on Danzo's palm closed and he reappeared off to the side breathing heavily.
Kakashi's Mangekyou faded, blood pouring down his cheek.
'Damn it, he escaped the Kamui, but at least, I was able to take his last sharingan.'
Danzo growled going to open his mouth to taunt, but suddenly he felt a violent chakra overtake him.
"N-no it can't be... damn!"
The arm began to tear apart roots flying out of his shoulder and growing rapidly around him as his control over the Senju cells slipped with the last sharingan.
Danzo roared out with effort, tearing the arm from his body and leaping away as he was nearly crushed within the tree.
The old man huffed, falling to one knee, clutching Shisui's eye which was the last remaining weapon in his body.
"To think I could be pushed this far."
Kakashi fell to his face, immobilized the pressure of his sharingan having taken its toll on his body.
Chiyo stepped between him and Danzo but she was also weary from the battle, and held only some kunai attached to chakra strings as her weapon.
Danzo shakily stood staring her down with the sharingan and drawing a kunai from his robes.
"It's time we ended things, come Chiyo of the desert."
The two tensed to battle when a loud crashing turned both their heads back to where the toad was in the distance.
Danzo looked shocked as the toad fell back it's Spectral armor partially broken and burned.
"W-what?!"
A few moments earlier.
Sasuke grabbed Sakura activating his Susanoo to form a defense no matter how minute.
"Brace for impact Sakura, it's going to be a powerful shockwave."
The frog, having approached nearer to them, held it's blade at the ready and prepared to swing down at them.
They heard a series of quick footsteps and the whooshing of rapid hand signs.
"W-what, it's you?!"
Sakura looked shocked at the new arrivals.
"Kuchiyose: Oni!" / "Synchronized Scythe Weasel Storm!"
A red-haired girl slammed her hand into the ground summoning three massive Oni who raised their weapons to block the Toad's approaching blade.
A blonde girl swung a massive fan tossing out a wall of wind, and several Sunagakure chunin fired wind blasts from their mouths amplifying the attack.
The wind surrounded the toad in a continuous storm which sliced at the Susanoo and slightly slowed it's movements but couldn't do lasting damage.
The toad's slice was blocked by the Oni's club, claws, and teeth-held blade respectively.
Though they were unable to block it outright they parried it back and the toad was forced to readjust it's stance and swing again.
"Quickly before it can regroup!"
A brown-haired man leapt into the air with his three puppets and a team of Konoha chunin.
The red-haired girl dispelled her Oni biting her lip and with all of her chakra slammed her hands down.
"Summoning Jutsu: Triple Rashomon!"
Large lion-faced gates surrounded the Toad and the second wave of shinobi landed on top of them.
"Three Black Tragedies: Puppet Flame Shower!" / "Fire style: Fireball Jutsu!"
The combined storm of fire struck the wind storm within the gate prison and exploded outward, with a force that blew open the gates and tossed scorching wind in every direction.
Naruto gritted his teeth raising his hands in front of his sharingan to block the blinding light of the chakra.
With his vision blocked all he felt was his footing slip as he fell back from the impact, which tore away parts of the Susanoo cloak and knocked Gamabunta off his feet.
His chakra broken for a second Sasuke went for a gambit looking at the sage toad with his eternal eyes.
"Genjutsu: Eternal Sharingan!"
Sasuke entered into the realm of the Tsukuyomi, and seeing the caged frog, sliced at the feather prison with his sword shattering it with his will.
"Gamabunta-sama, I release you, leave now, before Naruto can imprison you again!"
Gamabunta nodded.
"Thank you Uchiha gaki."
The toad roared, breaking loose from the genjutsu with Sasuke's sharingan and disappeared with a poof of smoke.
Naruto landed on the scorched ground looking up with heavy breaths.
'My chakra, even I can't go much further than I have, not as I am today, Danzo-sama… forgive me.'
Naruto stood up drawing his Wakizashi as he was surrounded by the team composed of Sand and Leaf ninja.
"Tch, I won't surrender."
Tayuya stood up pulling her flute and began to play.
"Sakura, I need your assistance, share your chakra with me, together we'll hold him."
Sakura ran over to the red-head and placed both her hands on the girl's back channeling her chakra into the girl.
"Sasuke, go deal with Danzo, we'll hold Naruto-kun."
Sasuke nodded, running to where he knew their sensei to be fighting, and leaped over the rocky hill top.
Temari and Kankuro warily watched Naruto along with the chunin from both villages as his red eyes watched them all much like a caged tiger.
"How long do you think you'll be able to hold me, Tayuya-chan, Sakura-chan."
His sword finger twitched.
"It's already over."
They all stepped back as his arm began to move clutching the handle of his sword which crackled with flame.
Blood struck the ground as multiple figures were killed in mere moments.
A brown-haired man and blonde-haired girl fell over with holes in their stomachs.
A moment later the last two to stand both paled in shock.
The two girls coughed up blood as a single blade was pressed through both of their chests.
"N...Naruto…"
Danzo and Chiyo both growled with exertion as she wrapped chakra strings around his arm to keep him from pushing forward with the kunai he had lined with her stomach.
"You won't be able to hold out much longer, and once I've dealt with you, Hatake's Sharingan will be mine."
Chiyo felt her power slipping and despite her trying with all her might her chakra strings slipped and Danzo drove the kunai into her gut, she coughed blood onto the man's arm.
"D-damn you Danzo…"
The sand elder fell to the ground.
Danzo held his bloodied kunai turning to the immobilized Kakashi.
"Now Hatake, it's just you, and me."
The Leaf elder began to slowly approach the grey-haired Jonin as he could only watch in horror, Danzo outstretching his fingers longingly.
'O-Obito, your eye, he's going to take it, your gift to me… the eye to protect the village... I'm sorry, I've failed you again.'
Kakashi tensed as Danzo's fingers came within inches of his eye.
Danzo stood shocked as suddenly a purple arrow burst from his chest.
"W-what…"
The man's final eye closed, From both sharingan's vision they could see the constant chakra from Shisui's eye stop radiating, and Danzo reappeared falling to his knees.
"N-no… it can't be."
Both men looked up to Sasuke who shakily formed a Susanoo which had it's bow aimed at Danzo.
"Sasuke, finish him quickly!"
The Uchiha boy nodded to his sensei readying another arrow, but before he could fire it, his chakra dropped and the Susanoo fell.
"Damn it."
Sasuke gritted his teeth, drawing his sword.
He prepared to leap down and kill Danzo with his blade but before he could a figure faster and more intense than he had ever beheld flew past him.
"RAAAAAAA GGGGHHHHHHHH!"
Danzo was slammed into the earth and dragged across the ground cratering it and tossing up dust and stone everywhere.
A flash of yellow and black was all they could see as Naruto lifted Danzo with one arm into the air by his neck.
Naruto was shaking with rage as he held the man strongly in the air above him with one arm.
Sasuke looked to him but the blonde's eyes snapped over to him and he paled in fear falling to the ground as he saw Naruto's intense aura;
Ringed purple eyes stared him down with a paralyzing gaze, bloody tears fell down both of Naruto's cheeks, he bore his teeth which spat with rage.
Naruto's orange Susanoo flashed for a brief moment a massive winged figure in a suit of armor, but it was only a specter of Naruto's power, not a physical chakra construct.
Danzo shook with terror as despite his lack of vision he could feel Naruto's murderous intent, and powerful chakra physically passing through every cell in his body.
"You made me kill them, Oltier... my friends... Sakura... and Tayuya-chan,"
Naruto's clenched fists shook as he cried with rage and sorrow.
"There is no mercy from the hell I'll give you."
Naruto's rinnegan glew and Danzo slumped over.
The elder man saw a world of black and red with Naruto floating above him.
"You will be feasted upon by crows, by day, they will tear you piece by piece, and by night, you'll recover, only for the feasting to begin again the next day."
Naruto's cold purple eyes were the brightest source of light in the world of darkness, yet they stared down at the man with unmeasured hatred.
"This will only last a century."
Naruto vanished, his body breaking into a storm of crows which approached the man cawing in a horrifying cacophonous shriek.
A moment later he awoke screaming in a mix of pain and terror, Naruto silenced him grabbing his tongue in his hand as a strange crowned figure rose behind him.
"Your next judgement begins now."
The King of hell opened his mouth, a split hand like tongue grabbing Danzo's own and pulling it from his head.
It glared with righteous anger as it saw the man's heart and clamped down on his tongue with it's fanged teeth, severing his tongue, and soul from his body.
He twitched for a moment then fell still.
Naruto tossed his lifeless form to the ground.
"May, Kami yet show mercy upon you in the pure realm… you evil bastard."
Naruto weakly looked away walking for the cave where he'd left Oltier.
He ignored the protests of Sasuke and Kakashi behind him, focused fully on finding the girl.
Hopping through the destroyed hideout roof he saw her laying still amongst the rubble.
Landing next to her he began to tear up as he leaned down placing a gentle hand on her face.
"What have I done, I promised I'd protect you… Please forgive me…"
Naruto began to cry again, tears falling onto her neck as he held her in his arms.
Picking her and Gaara up in his arms, he carried them back to where Kakashi and Sasuke were.
Setting them down by Chiyo, Naruto looked at his bloodied hands but couldn't bring his gaze to meet his teammates.
Sasuke held Kakashi in a shaky standing position.
"N-Naruto, you…"
He stood solemn closing his purple ringed eyes.
"Sasuke, Kakashi, I'm going to do something, to make up for what I've done,"
He placed his hands together in a sign.
"-please... Sasuke, take my eyes, protect the village... and everyone."
Naruto took a deep breath focusing all of his newfound power into the jutsu.
He felt his life force transformed into chakra which left his body.
"Gedo art: Rinne Tensei!"
The king of hell rose again behind him, releasing the souls of all the nearby bodies with the exception of Danzo.
Chiyo, Gaara, and Oltier began to stir.
Naruto shakily took a few steps, smiling with blood pouring from his lip before falling on his face.
Sasuke and Kakashi were overwhelmed by the sudden events, and couldn't process that Naruto had just died before them.
A few moments later they heard a number of people arrive on the scene.
"K-Kakashi-sensei… Sasuke, we-we were dead, but I don't understand…"
Sakura stood with her teammates looking at the still form of Naruto.
"N-Naruto-kun…"
Tayuya who had just arrived saw the boy and ran over tearing up.
"Naruto no!"
She rolled him over shaking him in her hands.
"Wake up, Damn it, wake up!"
She pressed his chest violently, tears falling onto his face.
"You can't do this to me, you promised me… you promised…"
Naruto was gone, his purple eyes held no spark of consciousness, and he had a serene smile on his face.
Tayuya felt the words in her mouth freeze as she closed her eyes, holding him against her.
Chiyo stood up with a weary groan.
"I suppose I was meant to die there, with Danzo gone, I'd say my final mission was a success."
The elder woman let out a tired chuckle.
"Move aside girl, I can still save him but I'll need to work quickly."
The puppetmaster sat down on her knees besides the blonde.
She turned to Kakashi.
"Hatake, your father Sakumo killed my son, for that I thought I'd hate you leaf ninja for the rest of my days,"
Chiyo smiled at the man.
"But now, after fighting alongside you I see that the leaf, just like any village holds light and darkness, and I'm happy to call you my friend, when I see your father, I'll be sure to forgive him."
She nodded gracefully.
Kakashi pulled his headband down, eye-smiling at the elder.
"I'm sure he'll be glad to hear it, Thank you for your kindness, Chiyo-san."
She turned to Kankuro.
"Kankuro-chan, please don't let the Puppetmaster jutsu my forefathers built be for nothing, with Sasori and me gone, you are the last great puppetmaster; I entrust the future to you."
Kankuro nodded sadly.
"It'll be my great honor, Chiyo-sama."
The woman sighed.
"I suppose that's everything, tell the boy, I quite liked him, and to not waste his life so recklessly again."
Sakura bowed, tearing up a bit.
"H-hai."
Chiyo placed her hands on Naruto's chest, ghostly blue chakra pouring from her hands.
Naruto began to stir breathing weakly as she poured more of her chakra into him.
She fell down softly next to him, the last of her life chakra filling his lungs.
And a few moments later he weakly sat up.
"C-Chiyo… you…"
He looked at the elder who smiled.
"I see… thank you."
He closed her eyes respectfully, weakly standing up with the help of Tayuya.
Oltier looked at him.
"Danzo he…"
Naruto nodded softly.
"He's gone for good now."
Oltier breathed a sigh of relief turning to Gaara who was shaken and confused.
The red-haired boy looked up at him.
"Naruto-kun, is that you?"
Naruto smiled.
"It's been a long time Gaara-kun."
Before he could say another word he was nearly tackled by a hug from Oltier.
"W-woah… Oltier-chan, you're here too."
Gaara blushed as she held him crying into his shoulder.
"I've missed a lot it would seem, is the village okay?"
Naruto shook his head.
"It was destroyed but… you saved quite a few people Gaara, you're a hero."
Gaara's siblings joined in the hug causing him to blush further at all the fussing over him.
"I see… Uzumaki-kun… you've saved me from the darkness, again… thank you."
Naruto nodded halfheartedly.
"I suppose… you could see it that way… but…"
The Uzumaki sighed.
"Nevermind, let's just get Danzo's body and head back to the Sand before any complications arrive."
The ninja gathered the bodies of the fallen enemies in scrolls for later examination;
Curiously, Hidan had gone missing during the battle as had Sasori's puppets.
Naruto had his suspicions that Zetsu might have retrieved Hidan, but the puppets were a definite sign that Sasori was out there somewhere.
Chiyo was carried gently by the Sand Chunin and Kankuro.
After a bit under a day's journey they arrived at the sand village, which despite the death and destruction had a feeling of hope.
Seeing Gaara alive sparked hope in the hearts of the villagers.
Naruto for his part was solemn and silent for the entire day, even Tayuya couldn't get a word from him as he painfully dodged her gaze.
Kakashi recognized what he was going through as he had experienced similar emotions after killing Rin.
He was consumed by guilt and pain over what he had done while under Danzo's control, hurting the people most precious to him had been the catalyst for awakening the Rinnegan;
As such it had to be immeasurably painful to an unknowable degree.
Sasuke felt some phantoms of his pain, as their linked eyes gave them both insight into the other's heart.
'Naruto, do you understand it now, to kill your lover, and your friends in service of another; it has to be the same... the same as what Itachi must have felt that night.'
Naruto nodded silently with no words between them.
'Itachi-nii…'
His purple eyes teared up again.
'How were you so strong…'
He looked at Oltier, who worriedly gazed at him, and part of him felt the need to put on a brave face.
'So… that was your secret… I understand…'
Naruto sighed, closing his eyes.
"Oltier-chan, I'm okay, sorry for worrying you."
The girl recoiled a bit at his sudden speech.
"O-oh, I'm glad… it's just… n-nevermind."
She looked back to Gaara who's hand brushed hers with a smile.
Oltier blushed, shyly averting her amber gaze.
The party of ninja arrived at the newly cleared Kazekage estate, which had been covered with tarps while Construction began.
Gaara left to give an address to his people while the leaf ninja rested.
When he returned he asked them to attend the burial of Chiyo before their departure.
It was a simple event per her request, where she was laid to rest near the sand gate;
Despite her wishes her brother Ebizo elected to have a gravestone sat so people could visit her in remembrance.
Naruto left a puppet component he had saved in a scroll as a symbol of his respect.
When the ceremony concluded, Naruto and his team said goodbye to Gaara, with Oltier promising to write to him soon.
The journey back was more lively as Naruto apologized to Sakura and Tayuya for his actions while enthralled, and the team was able to go back to bantering like normal.
Naruto turned to the white haired girl beside him.
"Oltier, now that you're free of Danzo what will you do?"
She smiled.
"I'm going to rejoin the regular leaf force, and find my brother Sai,"
Her amber eyes were more lifeful than he'd ever seen them.
"Oh, and Naruto, from now on, I want to be known as Tobiko."
Naruto looked up at her curiously.
"Tobiko, are you sure, didn't Danzo…"
She nodded passionately.
"He doesn't define my life anymore, besides the Nidaime Tobirama Senju was a great man, and someone needs to carry on his legacy and remove the dishonor Danzo left behind."
Naruto smiled.
"I understand, Tobiko-chan, I look forward to getting to know, the you which I see today."
His purple eyes looked up to the brilliant sun, and he felt a sense of renewal wash over him.
'It's all coming together, Itachi, just a few problems remain, the masked man… and the others.'
Naruto slammed his fist into his palm cheekily smiling.
'I won't lose, I promise Itachi, I vow to win!'
The cold light of the Rinnegan was replaced with a warm purplish-grey.
And inside Naruto's soul the specter of a bearded man closed his eyes satisfied.
'Well then Ashura, I leave the rest to you.'
X END X