Something was bothering Naruto.
He couldn't put his finger on what exactly. Maybe it had something to do with the downpour clashing against his straw hat and raincoat. Or, more likely, it was because he was going through what could only be classified as enemy territory, the ever-dour lands of Amegakure, on his way to start an undoubtedly bloody invasion.
The fact that, rather than having an entire army on his back, now he only had three other people to rely on probably had something to do with it as well. Although to be fair, the boy couldn't ask for much better company.
Asuma led their vanguard from the front, as expected of a general. Yoshimitsu was to Naruto's right, the ever-loyal lieutenant's eyes constantly scanning the area around them, looking for the next threat. And then, finally, there was the newcomer to their group.
Yugao was allegedly an extremely skilled ANBU who was personally recommended by Asuma to join them in their mission. Naruto didn't care much for that - he was preoccupied with thinking about her weapon, a sword big enough to be confused for a washing pole sheathed by her hip.
The Tanto he carried felt inadequate by comparison, although it was far from Naruto's specialty. Just standard equipment all of them had to take, similar to the heavy vest they wore under their cloaks.
But just because Naruto wasn't a specialist in using the weapon, that didn't mean he couldn't take lives with it. That was one of the lessons he felt the need to internalize over the past three months, where he did nothing but train and study war. Even a farmer with a pitchfork could kill a general like Asuma, given the right circumstances. The thought was, at the same time, comforting and horrifying.
"Half a mile ahead of us." Yoshimitsu suddenly said, pulling the tip of his hat down as to hide his mouth from any onlookers. Naruto blinked in confusion, just then being drawn out of his thoughts.
"I see them." Yugao complimented. "Seven men, from the looks of it. A scouting party and one made with some of their strongest too."
"Close, but not quite," Asuma said, scratching his beard. "How many do you see, Naruto?"
He squinted his eyes, knowing that he was being tested by the general already. It had been less than a day since they left Konoha. At first, he could see nothing but the forestry surrounding the dirt road ahead of them, especially through the rain. He then noticed the suspicious outlines perking out of bushes and branches, areas untouched by wind or terrain.
"...Eight." He finally decided on. "That puddle, to the right. Drops are falling in, but there aren't any ripples. A henge, probably."
Yugao whistled. "That's some good eyesight, kid."
Naruto took the compliment, not willing to admit he had just barely noticed any of that after having missed the enemies altogether. "So, what do we do?" He asked, assuming the other three already knew.
"It's obviously a trap," Asuma explained. "And a nasty one at that. They already know we're from Konoha, at the very least, but not who we are, or they'd already have ran back to headquarters. Chances are they'll try to separate us, two of them for every one of us."
"So we stick together? Surprise them before they attack us?"
"Not at all," Asuma grinned. "We fall for it, hook, line, and sinker."
Naruto didn't need to ask to know that the other two people in their company were just as surprised as he was.
"...Sir." Yoshimitsu finally spoke. "Not that I'm questioning your reasoning,"
"I am!" Yugao and Naruto interjected, but Yoshimitsu continued as if he hadn't been interrupted at all. "But why exactly should we give up our advantage like that?"
"Two reasons," He said. "First, that gives us more liberty to use our techniques without risking cross-firing into each other. I trust all of you," Naruto felt a rush of pride flourish in his chest.
"But when outnumbered like that, hand-to-hand combat's a hell of a lot harder to pull than Ninjutsu. Second, that gives me enough room to make sure that..."
Just when Naruto thought the man couldn't surprise him anymore. "That's..."
"Effective." Yugao completed.
'I was going to say cruel.' Naruto thought to himself. 'But she's not wrong.'
"Of course." Yoshimitsu bowed his head. "I apologize for questioning you, sir."
The group slowed their pace during the discussion, ensuring they'd only arrive at the ambush when ready. Naruto noticed that the others began to act out, all in their own ways. Asuma lit up a cigarette, Yoshimitsu tightened his gloves, and Yugao pushed her sword in and out of its sheathe with her thumb.
'They're all nervous.' He realized, incredulous. 'Even as strong as Asuma is, he's still afraid of fighting those guys. Are these scouts really that strong?'
No, that couldn't be it. Asuma had jumped in front of a Jinchuuriki's attack to save Naruto's life before; no matter how skilled they were, a couple of Suna soldiers would never match that level of horror.
It just meant that the three veterans in their group realized any fight, no matter who the opponent was, could mean death. Naruto understood that as well, of course.
So why didn't he feel anything like it? His accelerated heart rate had nothing to do with fear or anxiety. No, the only thing Naruto felt as they walked toward the soon-to-be deadmen was a keen sense of anticipation. Three months had passed since he returned from his first battle, three months of arduous training and preparation. Now it was time to finally see if it was all worth it, if he had really gotten stronger.
But if that was the case...
Then what was bothering him?
It didn't matter.
He'd live regardless. If anything, the Kyubi would make sure of that.
'Damn thing can at least make itself useful if it's gonna live in me rent-free for so long.'
The end result of Naruto's unusual calmness was making the march toward their death trap not tense but... dull. He was almost thankful when the Suna ninja finally burst out of their cover, "forcing" their group to split up and flee into the forest.
The next feeling that struck him was disappointment. Yugao was being followed by two men, as was Yoshimitsu, and three tailed Asuma, leaving only one to follow him. Did their enemy really underestimate him that much? More importantly, did they already know their identities somehow?
They landed onto the forest's floor, and Naruto took a good look at the environment around them as his pursuer fell in front of him, confident that he had successfully cornered him.
So, what could he tell about his enemy at first glance?
He was young for a start. Perhaps just a year or so older than Naruto himself. He gripped a sword tightly on his left hand, bigger than his Tanto but smaller than Yugao's monstrosity; only the enemy's left foot was pushed forward, which meant his stance was a mere bluff.
To rely on a trick like that meant the man was cunning but probably not outwardly strong. If Naruto had to guess, he probably specialized in swordsmanship, the use of hidden weapons, and short-ranged Jutsu. From what he had read in his studies, that type of profile was usually associated with the Suiton elemental affinity.
"Tired of running?" He asked Naruto, bringing both hands to hold his sword. "Konoha dogs. You'll never make it into Suna!"
The disappointment he felt earlier, at being trailed by only one enemy, was only amplified. During those three months of training, of absurd agony, the single, burning question in his mind was if his strength would grow to match the enemy.
Naruto wanted to know if he had finally reached a level where he could stand on the same level as Asuma, where he could stand on the same level as his mother. And the very first contact he had with enemy forces was nothing but a disgruntled footsoldier, eager to take his hatred out on an alleged invader.
As if Suna hadn't just been kicked out of Konoha. As if they wouldn't have slaughtered everyone Naruto knew, everyone he cared about, given the opportunity. As if Gaara wasn't paving the way for the old man to be killed. For Kiba and Hinata to be killed. For Ayame to be killed.
The disappointment he had been feeling slowly shifted into anger. It wasn't rage Naruto was feeling, not any sense of burning fury, just a lingering sensation that barely registered over irritation.
Naruto took out his straw hat and gently put it on the floor without answering the man's verbal jab. "You're pretty proud of that sword of yours, aren't you?" He asked, continuing just as his opponent's eyebrows twitched in anger. "What's your name?"
"Daijuro. What does it matter? You'll-!"
"I think that you should know the name of those you kill, at the very least."
The subsequent strike made one thing very clear to Naruto. The man he was dealing with was, at the very least, not an amateur. Crossing the distance between them with one single leap, Daijuro swung his sword in a downward slash.
His words had undoubtedly reached him, yet Naruto's opponent was not blinded by rage. His eyes were focused, and his breathing was immaculate. The first strike missed him. The second was a follow-up as Daijuro twisted his grip on the sword's hilt, bringing the edge back up like the flight of a swallow.
That, too, missed. But Naruto didn't use any techniques to escape. He didn't jump back or use the Kawarimi to replace himself with the nearby environment; both options he could have taken and would have been arguably preferable.
The same went true for the third attack when Daijuro used both arms to stab Naruto through his chest.
'Hey, what are you doing?'
Every single time Daijuro tried to reach Naruto's body, his blade missed him by less than an inch. The very edge barely flew by the boy's clothing. All the while, Naruto's unmoved, green eyes encompassed the swordsman in his entirety.
'Hey, can't you see?'
Daijuro's otherwise iron temperament began to break. After missing for the fourth time, he tried to cut through Naruto's knee, and upon failing, dragged mud with the tip of his sword, trying to blind the boy with it, who simply side-stepped to avoid his gamble.
'Your sword is trying to tell you something...'
Almost subconsciously, Naruto's right hand grabbed his Tanto by the hilt, feeling the rain's cold touch his fingers. Daijuro's next move was clear. He tried to replicate his second attack by bringing his sword up unexpectedly to catch Naruto by surprise.
To avoid it, the younger man simply stepped forward and placed his left hand on the elbow of Daijuro's sword-arm, putting a stop to his momentum. Before his enemy could so much as widen his eyes, Naruto drew the knife and slashed at his midsection.
The feedback he felt was just like cutting a bag of rice open with a knife, only more physically tasking. Daijuro's mouth hung open, and an odd sound crawled out of the back of his throat, a mixture of gaggling blood and failed words. The edge of Naruto's blade was stuck halfway through cutting his stomach, forcing their bodies together.
"W-w-wh-" The noises were interrupted by the boy spitting blood onto Naruto's clothes, mixed together with saliva and bile. Naruto felt something wet hit his feet and looked down to see Daijuro's innards leaking out of his body like sake spilling out of an open barrel.
What did he mean to say in the end? What? Who? Why?
Naruto didn't know. He just pulled the knife out of his enemy and let his body slide off of his shoulders, falling face-first into the mud.
No, he had more critical manners running through his mind. After so long, he finally realized what had been bothering him.
"I couldn't finish him off with one hit." He mused, lifting his now stained knife. "Asuma would have split him in half with that alone. Mom, too, obviously. What am I missing?"
Naruto had never been too focused on learning how to wield weapons because being bare-handed was, to him, the most obvious choice on the battlefield. That meant he would always be ready to take his enemy's weapon away from him, always prepared to use anything and everything to win. Only now did he realize how foolish that was.
Could he have taken Daijuro's sword from him before killing him? What about Yugao's or Asuma's weapons?
"Something was wrong when he tried to attack me..." Naruto spoke to himself, trying to replicate Daijuro's stance, completely ignoring the cadaver underneath his feet. "Like this, and then he swung like this."
The blade cut through the rain, but the sound it made was utterly different from Daijuro's slashing. Naruto had the impression that his own used much more force than his opponent's. Was that just because he was more physically prepared than the scout, or was it a fruit of his incompetence?
"The most important part of this grip is the pinky." He voiced his realization out loud, lifting the handle up to his eyes. "Through it, I put my back into the hit. No, my entire body. Just like twisting my hips in a punch. Like this!"
The result was better, but not Naruto's desired outcome. He frowned, the battle being waged in other parts of the forest long forgotten. "What am I missing here...? It's the force, I know it, but..."
He continued to swing at the air, over and over again, but the results had gotten worse and worse. Naruto's frustration neared a boiling point, but the boy simply closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and lifted his head into the sky.
"Don't think." He told himself. 'Focus. Focus. Empty yourself until there's nothing left but the rain. Forget yourself until the rain is running straight through as if nothing was here.'
He followed his own advice, too. He waited in place, Daijuru's blood seeping underneath his sandals, not making a single sound. For a moment, he managed to catch a glimpse of sounds coming from around him, of steel clashing with steel, but soon that, too, melted away.
Then, just as Naruto couldn't even feel the weight of his own bones, he struck. The end result made no sound at all.
"HA!" He exclaimed, almost jumping in joy. "I get it! Tensing up makes you slow, so you need to be as relaxed as possible. That's the key to winning, always being as limp as possible!"
The Tanto he put back in its sheathe was the exact same as the one he had been handed, a standard-issue, completely normal knife. And still, at that moment, Naruto felt as if it was the sharpest sword in the world.
He walked past Daijuro's body again, grabbed his straw hat, and decided to move back to where his group had separated. Then, just before leaving, he turned back to the corpse with a genuine smile—one born not out of mockery but gratitude.
"Thanks." He said earnestly. "You've just made me a little bit stronger."
"Monstrous..." Konan said, biting into her hand while watching the battle unfold through the many fragments of paper she had scattered across the land. She had kept an eye on the Suna scouts from the very moment they walked into their land, and her vigilance doubled upon seeing the nine tails' Jinchuuriki.
What revolted her was not only Naruto's attitude toward the murder but the circumstances that had brought it about in the first place. To someone like Konan, whose goal had always been to bring peace, seeing war infect other's minds was all too painful.
"Enjoying the show, Konan?"
She grimaced before turning to face the newcomer. Madara Uchiha, as he called himself, stared straight at her through the hole in his spiraled mask. Of course, Konan made sure to never look directly into his eyes. A Sharingan user was always dangerous, even when it looked as if their technique wasn't active.
"Aren't you going to try and capture the Kyubi?" He asked, moving to her side and staring out into the horizon. She didn't think the man could see what was happening down below from the gigantic tower's peak, but it was hard to tell.
Only Nagato truly knew just what the man was capable of. She usually could count on him to put him in his place, but now...
"The Bijuu need to be captured in order." She explained, not hiding the contempt from her voice. "We can't afford to have Konoha's attention turned to us now before we've captured all of the others."
"Of course. Speaking of which, where is our leader?"
Konan turned away from the man and bit her lips. Not even her, the closest person to Nagato by far, knew the answer to that. The man's avatars, as well as his actual body, had disappeared overnight. It couldn't have been a sneak attack; neither of them could have been caught by surprise in their own territory, which meant Nagato left out of his own free will. But where? And why?
"He's busy." She finally said. "And our next meeting isn't due until the two-tails can be found. All members already have their orders; gather funds until the time comes."
"I am well aware." 'Madara' said before jumping out of the tower's edge. "Just make sure he doesn't start getting second thoughts."
There was nothing there when Konan looked down to see his body. 'Nagato...' She thought, putting her hands together in prayer for the first time in what felt like decades. 'Please come back safely...'
Asuma and the others were already there by the time Naruto made it back to the clearing. He saw no injuries in any of them, and their weapons seemed to be in pristine condition as well.
"Had trouble?" Asuma asked when he revealed himself. Naruto shook his head. "Not at all. Did you leave one alive?"
"Just as planned. Thinks he escaped, but I latched him with one of these." Asuma held up a sealing scroll. "Come on, we'll trail him at a distance. Chances are they'll have a command center for all of their scouting parties."
And that was the crux of their mission. Leading an invading army was already hard enough, but when the enemy knew they were coming, it was almost impossible to actually make it into Suna without taking any casualties. Asuma, Naruto, and the others were tasked with taking out any patrol groups in the main road while other groups took care of their peripherals. At that moment, Kiba and Hinata were assigned to their own generals, all working with the same goal in mind.
"Let 's go then."
It took about five minutes for them to catch up to their target. They passed the bodies of his comrades on the way. Just as Naruto expected, not only were they annihilated by Asuma's weapon, but a big part of the terrain surrounding them had been destroyed as well.
That made Naruto think. If he were to fight Asuma, how would he get around to killing him? Any direct strikes would be certain death, no matter how good his defense was. Their similar elemental natures also meant Jutsu like that weren't viable.
'Genjutsu, maybe?' He wondered. 'But my control's way too shitty for that. Yoshimitsu has those lizards he summoned last time. That could be a good idea... But where the hell would I get any in the first place? Whatever, I'll ask him about it later.'
The four spread out across the tree branches above the wounded scout as he desperately ran to meet his comrades. Naruto saw him hold a wound to his side. The bleeding made it look bad, but the boy had no doubt he'd survive running for a couple more miles, at the very least. 'So he's skilled enough to injure a man like that without harming any of his internal organs? Fuck, he probably didn't even cut through an artery in the process too.'
'Could I do that?'
Predictably, they spent a long time on the road until finally coming across a river none of them had seen in Amegakure's maps. More importantly, a massive structure was erected in the middle of said river, like a castle built on top of a bridge.
Even from the river's shore, Naruto could tell there were more than thirty people inside at the very least, with five sentinels patrolling the perimeter outside. Thankfully it didn't seem as if they were detected yet, considering they weren't pouring outside, but the man Asuma had injured was already making his way into the building.
"What's the plan?" Naruto asked, keeping his voice low. "Everyone goes in from a different entrance and meets up in the middle?"
Asuma snorted. "You've gotten better, kid." He said, scratching Naruto's head as he tried to wrangle his hands off him. "But you're still a novice at war. Here's the plan."
For the first time in hundreds of years, the mountain range squashed in the middle of the Wind, Fire, Stone, and Rain countries was utterly silent. All animals had long since evacuated the area, even those who were previously too wounded to even attempt moving. Some died in the process; that was the extent of their desperation.
The sky was clouded, and occasional thundering could be heard. The wind blowing through was strong enough to uproot some of the younger trees, creating a haunting symphony that echoed across the land.
At the very center of the arduous combination of stone and forestry, a set of steps formed a steep path, seemingly leading into the heavens themselves. Statues decorated the way from both sides, all having lost their beauty to the passage of time.
Dust was blown off as six sets of feet traversed the bridge connecting heaven and earth. All of them had much in common, including purple, ringed eyes that never seemed to close or tire and the complete lack of life in their movements.
There was no dialogue between them. Nagato found no joy in talking to himself. In fact, there was nothing that repulsed him more than using the body of his former comrades as a weapon, and that was precisely why he did it. It was a constant reminder of what had happened, of what war really did to people. One he'd have to carry until his plans could finally be finished.
Finally, the staircase reached its end. All six bodies moved as one through the half-collapsed gate leading to the supposedly abandoned temple. That was when their eyes first met, although both of them had long since felt each other's presence.
For all he had heard about her, Nagato found Kushina Uzumaki's appearance to be rather disappointing. She was lying down by the temple's front door, supporting her head on her wrist. Right about six foot tall, with dark-red hair that stretched out to her lower back.
She wore a dress that resembled a priestess', only it was colored with the same tone of red as her hair, the Uzumaki clan crest proudly displayed by her chest.
But her most distinct feature was, by far, the green eyes that met Nagato's own without a single ounce of fear or hesitation. No, if anything, the only thing he could gather from them was a resolute sense of confidence, as solid as steel.
"Hmm?" She murmured, a smile slowly forming on her face. "Those are some odd eyes you got, kid. But do you really think you'll be able to kill me without bringing your main body over?"
Yahiko's face remained unphased. Nagato's was covered in shock.
"Did you think I wouldn't notice?" The woman asked, pointing a single finger at him. "Those bolts are a dead giveaway. They're taking Chakra from the source, you, and putting it in these bodies, aren't they? Creative, I'll give you that, but do you really think you can take me on with these toys? Fool."
She turned her back to him while scratching her stomach. "Come back when you're ready for a real match; I have no time to waste on a brat."
"...I understand now," Nagato said out of Yahiko's body. Kushina half-turned to face him.
"Huh?"
"You're simply too strong."
The woman cackled. "You really came here this far just for that?"
"You can no longer remember the feeling of pain," He continued, ignoring her taunting. For the first time since he had arrived, Nagato saw her eyebrows lower, her posture tense. "For a long time, I wondered how someone such as you could willingly cause so much suffering onto others. Someone who had already known the feeling of losing everything and everyone dear to them."
A loud crack sounded across the temple's courtyard. It came from the large chunk of stone Kushina had just crushed, merely by tightening her hands. "I hope you have a point." She said, sitting up. "Because otherwise, that's a poor choice of last words."
Yahiko's body pushed the long sleeves covering each of his arms up. "I hoped to understand why by coming here, and now I do. As long as someone like you exists, my dream will never come to be."
He raised Yahiko's right arm and pointed it at the still sitting woman. "Farewell-"
An event that can't be explained by reason and therefore can only be attributed to divine intervention. That was a miracle, and the only way Nagato could rationalize what had happened before he could complete his phrase. Kushina Uzumaki was surrounded by all six of his avatars, all of whom shared his field of vision.
And yet, before he could even begin uttering his next word, the woman's knuckles were already an inch away from Yahiko's face. There was no after-image. He didn't see her body blurring or disappearing into a cloud of smoke.
But he knew one thing for sure. As long as that punch landed, Yahiko's body would cease to exist. For some reason, that thought brought a sudden and deep sadness out from within him. Maybe that was what compelled Nagato to say what he did.
"-Aunt."
For the briefest of moments, shock passed through Kushina's face, and her movement was halted. That was all Nagato needed.
"Shinra Tensei."
She was blown back by the subsequent force that burst out of Yahiko's arm, together with the temple she had taken refuge in and a decent portion of the mountain top they had been standing in. Yahiko's body, as well as all of the other paths, comfortably readjusted their positions as the floor cracked underneath them.
Soon, the smoke cleared, and Nagato couldn't see or feel any life in the surrounding area. He hadn't come to slay Kushina out of pride, so there was no resentment about the fight having been so easy. If anything, he was glad the mission could be accomplished without too much strain.
No, Nagato would never understand the joy fools like Kisame found in battle.
Before he could allow himself to revel in his victory, though, the ground underneath them burst in an explosion of dust and stone. The only thing Nagato's eyes saw was a flurry of red-hair approaching Yahiko's body at an extraordinary rate.
The Preta path jumped in front of Yahiko's body, extending both arms to absorb the Chakra from Kushina's blow. Afterward, Nagato planned to use another Shinra Tensei to pin her down while the others finished her off with their Chakra rods.
Except things didn't exactly go according to plan. It stood to reason that Kushina used Chakra to enhance her natural strength like Tsunade. There was no way a human being could shatter stone using nothing but brute force.
Well, Nagato was beginning to understand why Kushina was called the earth's strongest creature. There wasn't even a sliver of Chakra surrounding her body as she tore through the very mountain to reach him. An extraordinary feat in more than one way. How many people out there could claim to have mastered such a level of control over their power?
Left with no energy to absorb, the Preta path was blown back, both arms being torn out of their sockets from the sheer impact of Kushina's blow. The Naraka path jumped to the side, intending to heal the body as quickly as possible, but Kushina was already moving to intercept it. 'Does she know their abilities?' Nagato thought while controlling the battlefield. 'Or did she just guess?'
The Asura and Animal paths jumped into action before Kushina could intercept Naraka. Asura tore off his robes, revealing the mechanized portions of his body, before several projectiles flew off of his back toward the Ogre. Meanwhile, the Animal path was going through a rapid sequence of seals to prepare for its technique.
Kushina in mid-air while pursuing the Preta path but still displayed her unfathomable combat ability by twisting her body around in mid-air. She took a deep breath before exhaling what could only be described as a massive bullet of air, not even going through any signs or vocalizing the Jutsu in preparation. The blast made contact with Asura's projectiles, detonating them prematurely. It was by that point Nagato realized she had taken close to no visible damage from his first attack. She had to have used some sort of shield or barrier, but how? Understanding that would be the key to his victory.
The mountaintop was filled with even more smoke as the Animal path finished her Jutsu. Two tigers poked their heads out, both taller than the temple Nagato had just destroyed, before moving straight toward Kushina before the woman could land. Meanwhile, the Naraka path had already summoned its own technique, the King of Hell, and began to heal Preta.
Kushina growled when the beasts began their assault. She jumped into the nearest one's open maw, pulling her fist back and punching through its tongue. The beast recoiled, roaring in pain, while the woman grabbed one of its teeth, pulled it out, and threw it at the other summon, piercing through one of its eyes. In a matter of seconds, both tigers disappeared, recalled back to the other world to heal from the battle.
Enough seconds had passed for Yahiko's body to recover. Nagato maneuvered it over the woman, once again pointing an open hand at her. "Basho Ten'in." He said, using the Shinra Tensei's sister technique to pull Kushina toward Yahiko, rather than pushing her away.
As he did, the Asura path jumped below Kushina's body, opening several more compartments in his machine-like body. Soon, particles of Chakra began to appear around the cannon-like protrusions in his shoulders.
The Preta path had already been fully healed by Naraka at that point, moving out to join the battle just as Kushina was assailed by the pincer attack. Meanwhile, the King of Hell technique remained active, ready to heal any injuries Nagato's bodies received.
Kushina was, somehow, resisting Nagato's Jutsu, but it was only a matter of time before she was launched toward Yahiko's body. The woman clicked her tongue in irritation before pointing one hand toward the heavens and the other toward the Asura path. For the first time since they began to fight, Nagato could see Chakra begin to appear from under her skin.
Then it exploded out of her hands, flowing toward her enemies above and below. For a moment, Nagato thought she was trying to replicate something akin to the Rasengan, and sent the Preta path to intercept the one headed toward Asura, since the Basho Ten'in could easily repel any technique.
He turned out to be mistaken regarding the nature of her attack. Midway through, the pure energy heading toward them gained physical form, specifically transforming into massive, steel-like chains. It wasn't like any Jutsu Nagato had ever seen, which could only mean one thing.
Kushina Uzumaki had a bloodline technique.
There was still Chakra underneath the 'metal', so the Preta path managed to halt its advance, but Nagato could see that it wouldn't last. Even more surprising was the fact that the chains were slowly piercing through Yahiko's technique.
A strange tension began to form in the air around them. Nagato thought he even saw blue sparks begin to materialize around Kushina's chains. The Preta path was forced back an inch, and then another. The power-source behind them didn't seem to diminish even a bit throughout all of it, despite Preta's efforts.
"Damn brat..." Kushina said, looking up at Yahiko's body with a grin. "You're starting to make this fun."
Finally, the Asura path finished charging its attack from behind the Preta back, and Nagato compelled it to move aside just as it fired. Two gigantic beans of concentrated Chakra headed straight toward Kushina, overwhelming that portion of her chains. Not missing a beat, the woman kicked one of her legs to the side, creating yet another set that quickly wrapped itself around a half-destroyed tree. She used that as a foothold, pulling herself away from Nagato's Basho Ten'in while forcing him to dodge Asura's attack.
But she didn't stop there. While she was being pulled away, Kushina turned back to the gathered paths and took another deep breath. She spat out another Jutsu, still not using any seals or words to prepare it. The difference was, rather than wind, this time what she was spewing was fire. A concentrated torrent that was big enough to envelop half of the mountain and hot enough to burn through metal.
Nagato forced Yahiko's body and Asura to stand behind the Preta path, who raised both of his arms to absorb at least part of the attack. Naraka simply stood behind the King of Hell, which served as a resilient shield.
Kushina's inferno resulted in a sea of smoke as it tore through the mountain's otherwise serene foliage. It would undoubtedly be seen from miles away, meaning that the countries surrounding them would soon send soldiers to verify the situation. Nagato clenched his real fists as the thought popped into his mind. Was that a tactical move on Kushina's part, or did she not even think about the consequences of the technique before using it?
Soon the situation on the mountain's peak normalized enough for Yahiko's body to go back into position, together with the Asura, Naraka, Animal, and Preta paths. Kushina stood in front of her. The only signs of damage she showed were tearings on her clothing and some minimal signs of fatigue. That may very well have been the first time Nagato ever faced someone with the same level of stamina he had.
Kushina's eyes widened as soon as they revealed themselves, but the Human path burst out of the ground and grabbed her from behind before the woman could move.
It was over. Nagato had thoroughly mastered every single one of the abilities granted by his eyes, and the Human path was arguably the strongest among them. As long as the corpse managed to touch someone's body, their soul would be forcefully removed from their being, killing them in the process. The battle was won, the Ogre defeated.
Only the entire process was taking far longer than usual.
Suddenly, the Human path froze, and for the first time since receiving his eyes, Nagato experienced something new.
All contact he had with the puppet was cut off immediately as the corpse knelt over and fell to the ground.
While he was too busy trying to understand what happened, Kushina clicked her tongue and shook her head. "That's the best you could come up with?" She sent him a vicious grin. "Those eyes are wasted on you, kiddo. I think I know someone who'd put them to better use."
Said eyes narrowed. "You mean to take them for yourself? Have you sunk that far into arrogance?"
"For myself? Ha! You haven't realized it yet?" Kushina pointed at herself. "You don't have enough experience, kiddo. There's no way you'll beat me like this, not in a hundred years. If you were smart enough, you'd have used your strongest Jutsu before I could see you. To put it in a way you can understand, I don't need them."
"Then you speak of…?!"
She grinned for a second time. "They grow up so fast, don't they?"
All of his bodies moved simultaneously. Yahiko jumped into the sky, using his powers to levitate in mid-air to get the best shot possible at her. The Preta path threw itself at Kushina in what was essentially a suicide charge in an attempt to grab and restrain her. The Animal path summoned five more animals at once, using a significant portion of that corpse's Chakra. The Naraka path summoned the King of Hell once again, hiding behind it while preparing to heal any injuries they suffered. Finally, the Asura path stabbed both hands into his own chest, preparing for his final move.
Out of everything Kushina said, she got one thing right. Nagato had been naive. After hearing so many rumors about Kushina's accomplishments, he thought most had been just that, overexaggerated talk by men driven mad by war. He couldn't afford to fight conservatively anymore. Even if all of his paths had to be sacrificed, Kushina Uzumaki had to die.
In response to his actions, Kushina finally began to form hand seals for the first time since they began fighting. The sheer speed that her hands moved was impressive; and Nagato knew he had to finish things right there and then. It was hard to even fathom what sort of technique Kushina was preparing that would force her to use them. Especially when she didn't even try to move out of the way when the Preta path wrapped his arms around her and began taking her Chakra.
'What's this?!' Nagato thought as he felt the Chakra Preta took surging into his real body through the iron rods piercing their bodies. 'This texture, this power... it's almost like…?!'
The animals he summoned once again threw themselves at Kushina, immediately piercing through the smoke clouds accompanying them. A snake, boar, rhino, lion, and elephant, all the most powerful and sizable samples of their species.
Asura threw himself at Kushina and Preta, preparations finally complete. He removed the hands that had been piercing his own body, revealing a flashing apparatus where his heart had once been. Nagato finished the self-destruction sequence before firing off his final attack with Yahiko's body, using the biggest amount of energy he channeled in his entire life, right as the explosion seemed to envelop Kushina and Preta.
"SHINRA TENSEI!"
The sight of the fortifications the Suna scouts had built being burned in the rain was oddly beautiful. Or at least that was how Naruto felt, watching it from the shore. Asuma was right; he really was a novice at war. Not once did he think about ending the conflict like that, even as he barricaded the doors and helped set up the oil around it.
'Still thinking about everything like it's a one-on-one fight.' He thought, watching the spectacle as the screams inside echoed out across the uncaring forest. It was also haunting, watching the silhouettes dancing from behind the fortress's fortified windows. 'If I keep that up when I actually have men serving under me...'
He was broken out of those thoughts when finally, the first group of enemies managed to break through their castle's walls. It was hard to count how many were on his side of the river, but leaving the building was just the first step. One of the traps Asuma had placed was triggered as the wire outside was cut, and a few explosive tags took care of at least a dozen men.
Still, the desperate need to live often made men do otherwise impossible feats. Naruto watched as three of them jumped over piles of their comrades' dismembered bodies and jumped into the water below. By the time they finally managed to swim up to his shore, heavy weapons and all, Naruto was more than prepared to fight.
He didn't know what compelled him to act as he did next. Maybe it was his interaction with his earlier victim. Perhaps it was the nerves of going off to war finally catching up to him. Perhaps his brain hadn't healed right after his fight with Gaara. Either way, before any of the men could do or say anything, he stepped forward and said;
"My name is Naruto Uzumaki, from Konohagakure."
Shock clearly shot through their faces, which quickly became focused fury. The news of what had happened to their Jinchuuriki had doubtlessly stirred quite a few of them up. Whether they liked Gaara or not didn't matter; the fact was the boy served to hold their enemies at bay until Naruto "beat" him.
"I'm Nagai of Suna." The first man said, stepping out of the water and cautiously half-circling Naruto. He couldn't see any weapons on his person, which either meant he had discarded them in the water or specialized in Ninjutsu. Either way, someone to keep an eye on.
"I'm Kiku of Sunagakure." Said another, a woman that also had no weapons in her hands. She did, however, have a pouch tied to her hips. Given what Naruto knew about Suna's war tactics, it was safe to assume they carried poison of some type of another. That was an interesting question the boy hadn't considered yet. Could he even be poisoned in the first place?
"Jiro." The third man said, not elaborating any further. He was tall and bulky, probably the strongest among the three when it came to physical force. Except he did carry a weapon and a big one at that. A massive axe that seemed sturdy enough to cut most trees in one swing. Naruto saw a particular tinge of hatred in his eyes. "You... were you the one that killed our comrades on the road to here?"
Naruto took a moment to answer. The crackling of the burning wood made for a surprisingly pleasant soundscape, enough to soothe his mind of the tension the fight was about to bring. He had a lot on his mind. Asuma had just taught him that, in a war, it was always better to kill his enemy before they could fight back. Why didn't he simply use some Jutsu to kill them while they were swimming to shore? Why did he insist on giving out his name to them and on receiving theirs in return?
Just what the hell was going on with him?
"That's right." He said, subtly adjusting his footing. Kiku stood in front of him while the others were making their way to his left and right. Chances were his earlier hunch was correct. She would try and barrage him with Senbon or some other throwing weapon while the others moved in for a pincer attack.
None of them spoke after that. Even Naruto understood that the time for conversation was long gone. Now it was only a matter of waiting for the first move. No matter how things turned out, he had the disadvantage. Fighting against groups of more than two people was one of the first things he had learned to avoid. And now there he was, where the consequences were much higher than ever before, willingly putting himself in that situation.
But...
The way his heart was beating against his chest. How the night seemed clearer than daylight, to the point where he could see every single detail in even the smallest leaves. Contrary to his fight with the scout, Naruto felt like his life could be ended at any moment...
It was exhilarating. He wanted to feel more of it. He wanted to feel the surge of relief once it was all over, and he was the only one standing.
"Come on!" He shouted, again not fully comprehending the purpose behind his own actions. His opponents were courteous enough to comply with his request.
As expected, Kiku moved first. She took two handfuls of senbon and threw them at Naruto, but there was something else too. It took his vision less than half a second to recognize what it was - a smoke bomb, perfectly hidden among the needles.
Nagai moved together with her in perfect synchronicity. He didn't call his Jutsu's name, but its effects were immediately visible to Naruto. The mud in his feet shifted, reaching out to grab his ankles. So Nagai would restrain him, Kiku would harass him at a distance, which left Jiro...
Faster than any man of his stature should be able to move, Jiro jumped behind Naruto, his axe already in mid-swing to split his scalp.
Trying to use what he had learned earlier, Naruto didn't let a single thought seep into his head as he jumped high into the air, leaving his sandals to be captured by the Jutsu's mud. The maneuver also allowed him to bypass the swarm of needles heading his way, but the smoke bomb still exploded right underneath him, covering his vision from all sides.
Naruto's vision would have been wholly omitted.
If not for the fire consuming the other Suna ninja, still visible even though the thick veil. And with fire came shadow.
Some could call what Naruto did next cowardly. To him, it was utterly natural. Already having understood that Kiku was the most vulnerable member of their group in close quarters combat, he jolted toward her, using the smoke itself to hide his intentions.
Unfortunately for Naruto, ruthlessness was a poor substitute for experience. He only managed to notice their trickery after escaping the smokescreen. What he thought was Kiku was merely a straw puppet made after her figure, most likely having been made in advance and stored away in a sealing scroll.
Jiro suddenly appeared from behind him, kicking Naruto's chest away from the puppet. The blow was heavy. Heavy enough to make him feel like puking his insides out. Still, Naruto didn't let the opportunity pass him. At the moment of impact, he unsheathed his Tanto and stabbed it through Jiro's leg, getting a pained scream out of the man.
He twisted in the air and landed on his feet like a cat. It was impossible to keep his mind empty now. The first thing he had to figure out was where the real Kiku was. Regardless of the Kyubi's healing properties, being sedated in the middle of a battle would mean certain death. However, in his urge to find the woman, he completely forgot about Nagai.
The buzzing in the wind saved Naruto's life. In the sudden rush of adrenaline, he felt before the battle, the boy had completely forgotten to set his Chakra detection up. He twisted his body around completely, just barely getting grazed by a torrent of dirt that spiraled toward him.
Just as he did, Naruto felt a sharp pain assail his body from behind. Half-turning to check his injury while searching for Nagai revealed half-a-dozen Senbon needles peeking out of his bloodied clothes. The assailant was clear. Kiku now stood just where the straw mannequin was. A henge, of course! How could he have missed that? If he had tried to feel out her Chakra-
Jiro suddenly appeared from below again, swinging his axe in the blink of an eye. Naruto leaned his body back to avoid it, but the dead middle of his forehead opened up with a gashing cut. Jiro also took the opportunity of his unbalanced posture, poking him in the chest with the butt of his weapon. By the time Naruto fell to the ground, he was already preparing his follow-up, bringing his weapon high in the air.
As if that wasn't bad enough, Nagai had already moved onto his next Doton trick, wrapping what felt like a vine of dirt around his throat to hold Naruto's body to the ground as Jiro prepared for the killing blow. Now he truly couldn't empty his mind, but for entirely different reasons. 'I'm going to die I'm going to die I'm going to die I'm going to die I'm going to die I'm going to die I'm going to die!'
He acted out of desperation, like a cornered animal. Naruto brought both knees up to his chest as if curling into a ball and kicked at Jiro's knees with both feet. The man groaned before falling to the ground.
"Jiro!" He heard from the bushes to his right while reaching to loosen the 'vines' wrapped around his neck. He quickly gave up on that, opting for rather make hand-seals with both hands instead. Once finished, he spat out a blade of slicing wind in Nagai's general direction. Whether he hit him or not, the man was still forced to undo the Jutsu holding Naruto back.
Just as Jiro was getting to his feet too. And from what he saw out of the corner of his eyes, Kiku was preparing another flurry of Senbon. The moonlight's tinge caused Naruto's dropped Tanto to become visible through the shoreline's foliage, right between the two.
He jumped at it, grabbed the sheathe, and turned around just as Jiro prepared another attack. Rather than trying to make any sort of elegant attack, he simply threw the knife with everything he had. For whatever reason, it seemed as if the man wasn't expecting that and failed to defend himself in time. The result was the entirety of Naruto's knife going through his throat at once, bathing the young man in his opponent's blood.
"JIRO!" He heard from both Kiku and Nagai. "YOU BASTARD!" He heard from the latter as he revealed himself, hands furiously moving together. Naruto didn't know what he would do, but he knew he had to move and fast. He threw himself at Jiro's body like an arrow, grabbing the man by the back of his hair and lifting it behind him like a shield just as Nagai fired off his technique. Another blast of dirt, it seemed, one strong enough to penetrate through Jiro's body and hit his back. Yet Naruto's eyes still caught sight of Kiku launching her next attack, and without having any room to pause, he took his bloodied knife out of the man's destroyed trachea and blocked the incoming senbon with it, all in one movement.
What happened next could almost be described as a miracle. Naruto looked straight at Kiku's unveiled eyes, seeing what looked like horror and anger, all mixed into one. But there was something else too. For the second time that night, the moonlight saved Naruto's life. Because there was one more detail he caught being reflected off of her eyes. One so minute, it almost passed him by.
Nagai's location as he ran to stab Naruto through Jiro's body, not making a single sound as he traversed the treacherous terrain. And then her face shifted into pure terror. Naruto didn't know if it was the widening of his eyes that gave it away or maybe the changing his posture, but he acted immediately. "NAGAI!" Kiku shouted as Naruto threw Jiro's body aside and turned around to meet the Suna soldier face-to-face. Once again, Naruto didn't try to cut him. The desperation and adrenaline running through his veins made him take the shortest route possible to killing the man.
He simply stabbed him. Right in the chest, in a move that took him less than a second to execute. In that period, Naruto managed to take a soldier's life, one that was doubtlessly decades more experienced than he was.
Not that he could focus on that at the moment, though. Naruto turned around, knife raised, fully expecting to have Kiku attack him from his blindspot. What he saw next made him stop, though.
The woman had dropped to her knees on the floor, tears running through her eyes while she held a Kunai to her own throat. For a split second, their eyes met again. Naruto only managed to make out one word through her sobbing.
"Brothers... forgive me..."
Before she slit her own throat. Naruto stood there, motionless, as she gagged on her own blood for a few seconds, fell to the ground face-first, and stayed there. Dead.
That scene alone shocked him more than anything. That wasn't how a soldier was supposed to die. Soldiers held their weapons to their last breath, fighting tooth and nail to stay alive, no matter what. Unless every single last one of their enemies was defeated.
Didn't they?
Unconsciously he put a hand against his own chest. He felt pain, acute and endless. That couldn't be right, he thought. Naruto had just won. He fought against impossible odds and made it out alive again. He had just proven to himself, and to the world, that he was stronger than the trio who had tried to kill him.
So... why did he feel as if he wanted to cry?
More footsteps came from behind him. Naruto turned to see another group of men coming from the burning building. Several were already heavily injured, even being carried on their comrades' shoulders. Then, as soon as they saw him standing over the other's bodies, they took their weapons out and roared in preparation.
Naruto wasn't even close to understanding what he was feeling or what he should feel. But he did the one thing that came to mind upon seeing the scene unfold in front of him. He raised his weapon toward them, and steeling his voice, said;
"My name is Naruto Uzumaki. I'm from Konoha."
Naruto received no response but for the men's charge. Some jumped back and prepared their Jutsu while others brandished their weapons and tried to cut him down. Some even attempted to circle around his back and overwhelm Naruto with their Taijutsu.
The boy met all of their attacks halfway. When someone tried to grab him from behind, he turned and broke their hands. After dodging and blocking their blades, he turned around and cut through flesh and armor. As the elements themselves were twisted into weapons and thrust upon him, Naruto acted in sheer despair to ward them off, blocking or countering with his own techniques.
He didn't come out of it unscathed. Pain soared across his body. Bruises from the blunt weapons, broken bones, cuts, burns, all sorts of wounds were inflicted on him, but Naruto just kept moving forward. Even in that disoriented, wounded, and confused state, Naruto understood he couldn't stop moving.
By the end of it, he was the only one standing. The blood Jiro had poured on top of him was nothing compared to the state the boy found himself in by that point. His entire body was now colored in the same tint of red as his hair.
His arms were so tired Naruto couldn't even lift his arms above his head. The Kyubi's regeneration was already working on his body but did nothing to his mind. How much time had passed? Where were Asuma and the others? Why did the soldier kill herself? Why was he feeling such sorrow?
He thought he'd have the answer to at least one of those questions when another flurry of footsteps approached from behind. Sadly, it was nothing but another group that had somehow managed to escape the fire. Or maybe they tried to escape from Asuma and the others only to run into Naruto. Either way, Asuma's strategy was beginning to look ineffective, and Naruto was still tired.
"Who-?!" One of them began to ask before seeing the veritable mount of bodies underneath Naruto's feet. He met their eyes, too exhausted to even properly form a glare, before using all of his strength to raise his sword's tip. Now that Naruto thought about it, he didn't even remember grabbing a sword in the first place. Where was his Tanto?
"Naruto Uzumaki. Konoha." He nearly spat out. His throat felt so dry. This time, the others didn't approach him. Instead, they stood across from him, still stunned. Naruto took a step toward them; they took five back. He frowned. "Naruto Uzumaki. Konoha!" He repeated, louder. He got no response other than their frightened eyes.
Then they began whispering among themselves. Naruto couldn't hear what they said but kept his eyes trained on their hands at all times. Although he didn't know the content of their words, he could tell they were starting to become agitated. Agitated meant dangerous.
Gathering his strength, Naruto charged them as silently as he could. The first strike was a success, stabbing the blade's full length through the nearest man's chest. Then he turned around and slashed at the closest thing he could reach. Using the sword was more manageable than his hands and Jutsu. It was almost like he didn't need to try at all, just guide the blade to where it wanted to go. Soon there were only more bodies around him. Surprisingly enough, they didn't even try to put up a fight.
A mystery, to be sure, but not one Naruto was willing to solve at the moment. He turned around and left, walking toward the burning building, hoping to find Asuma and the others. There was no way for him to know Suna's scouts had forced the locals to help them under the threat of death. There was no way that he could know the men he had just slaughtered without a second thought had used the fire to escape and were merely looking for a way to return to their families.
No, there was no way for Naruto to know they were merely more victims that the neverending war had tore through and spat out.
He was too busy to ask questions.
All Naruto knew was that he had to survive.
It was just that simple.
There was only a crater about five miles wide where the mountain Nagato and Kushina fought used to be. Nagato watched it all from the skies through Yahiko, having lost four sets of eyes as they were annihilated by his own attacks. Only the Nakara path remained, having hidden itself inside of the King of Hell before Nagato fired off the Shinra Tensei.
Nagato panted heavily with his real body after having gone through the most straining battle since awakening the Rinnegan. Four of the spikes that extended from the gargantuan statue behind him and penetrated into his back were broken off and fell to the ground, useless.
A significant loss. There was no telling how long it'd take for Nagato to find four more bodies that were strong enough to sustain his power like the previous paths, but it was worth it.
Kushina Uzumaki was the antithesis of his dream. Someone who had suffered through as much pain as he had but only went on to inflict it onto others. There was no objective behind her actions, no end goal. Her continued existence would only lead to more death and suffering, not understanding.
If the world suffered through pain inflicted by Nagato himself, they'd finally understand it was a fruit of their own actions, of the war they senselessly waged. As such, they'd finally put their arms down and enjoy everlasting peace. Kushina had long since foregone any pretense of being human. Having their loved ones died by her hand would be like perishing to a hurricane or typhoon, to a force of nature itself.
But what she had said about his eyes… What she had said about Naruto Uzumaki… Nagato still couldn't understand it. Did she have a plan for him? If so, why abandon her own child in Konoha rather than raising him herself?
'It doesn't matter anymore.' Nagato thought, lying back on his makeshift throne.
The process of moving his body back to Amegakure would be painful and time-consuming. Nagato was about to recall Yahiko's body to help with the process when he felt something in the destroyed battlefield.
That feeling was soon replaced with another, much more noticeable jolt. Nagato couldn't feel Yahiko's left arm and right leg anymore. He was forced to look up through Naraka's body to see the reason why. Both limbs had been torn off, and the perpetrator stood just in front of him. Kushina grabbed Yahiko by the throat, flung his body back like a straw doll, and launched it straight at the ground below.
"HOW?!" He shouted, voice echoing on the empty cave around him. His voice was mirrored in Yahiko's body. "How are you still alive?!"
It had to be related to the hand seals Kushina was going through before Nagato attacked, but what type of Jutsu allowed someone to completely negate something powerful enough to wipe an entire mountain off of the map? Even her clothes were the exact same as before, not a bruise or cut in sight.
"Like I said," Kushina extended her arm toward the Naraka path. Before Nagato could move it out of the way, another set of chains burst forth from it, wrapping around the conjured creature and tearing the body to shreds in seconds. "You're inexperienced. Y'know those things you summoned to pin me down earlier?"
Another smile. "You can do the opposite, too. All you need are the required hand seals to their domain and you can pop right into their world, just like that. Or did you assume I didn't have a contract just because I never used them against you?"
He raised Yahiko's hand and pointed it straight at Kushina's head, but her foot slammed down onto his forearm, pinning it to the ground. "That was the best fight I've had in a while. Not that I have that many people coming for my head nowadays anyway."
She leaned down until their eyes were mere inches away from each other. Nagato couldn't even turn Yahiko's head away from it. It was like staring at the destruction of Uzushiogakure itself. "You don't bring a knife to kill a dragon, brat. And you don't show any courtesy to it either. If you're fighting someone stronger than you, then use everything you have to kill them. All you had to do was conceal your presence and use that thing from up there before we met," She pointed to the sky. "And I'd be dead."
Her hand shot out and grabbed one of the metal rods running through Yahiko's face before tearing it off, flesh and all. "Now, how about we have this chat in person?"
Without thinking, Nagato formed the Ram hand-seal. Immediately afterward, Yahiko's body stiffened before beginning to expand outward. Kushina revolved her body and threw Yahiko into the sky with all of her strength, together with the rod she had just taken out. It exploded half a mile away from her, together with anything else in the area that had Nagato's chakra.
Kushina rested both hands in her hips before humming. "Smart enough to have a fail-safe, at least. Guess we won't be meeting today."
She looked up to the sky, wearing an expression that no living soul had seen on her face for over a decade. One of sorrow, maybe even regret. "So that was your brat, huh, Yuso?"
She shook her head in distaste. "If you had that sort of strength in you, you should have used it to protect the village. Given how that brat turned out, you're probably not around either, isn't that right?"
A beat of silence. Not even wind passed through the region. "Stupid sis." She muttered before turning away and heading west.
"At least this new generation has some spunk to it." She thought out-loud, cracking her neck. She grinned, distancing herself from the earlier melancholy.
"Don't you think so, Kurama?"
A/N: Everything will be explained in time.
Hey everyone, thanks for reading PWA's latest chapter. This one obviously took a long time to write, despite having less words than the first three chapters. I hope it doesn't show while reading it, but Nagato's fight with Kushina was particularly hard to write. I still had a lot of fun though, and hope to keep this pace for the future.
There were a few things I wanted to communicate in this chapter, and I hope I managed to air all of it out. Something I always found interesting in the Naruto world was that, despite having some ridiculously powerful people in it like Kisame, Madara, or Nagato himself, there was always this lingering sense that someone with enough ingenuity and skill could beat them even by using the most basic techniques. Out of everyone I think Zabuza exemplifies this the best in canon. Using something like the reverse-summoning technique to escape from the Shinra Tensei fits into that in my opinion, and I thought it'd be a more fitting way to exemplify Kushina's strength than just have her tank the hit head-on.
Naruto's fights here also serve to show another extreme. To someone like him, even something as basic as a well-trained and well-coordinated group attack can still be very lethal. Obviously the internal struggle he's having right now doesn't help things much either. I hope to further examine these different facets of combat in the Naruto world, both in this more human and "grounded" way and the more explosive, huge-scaled fights in the future.
Just to reiterate, the schedule for the fic should normalize in the future, and I hope to not take so long to write these chapters, but my personal life obviously takes priority, and things are getting pretty busy. I'll try to keep you guys updated in the future in case any significant delays come up, but as far as I'm aware there's no real way to make community posts in , so we'll see.
Thank you all for the continued support you've shown to the story, to new readers I hope I can see you in the future, and I'll see you all next time!