Naruto
Naruto: Shadow Legion – Chapter 27 [The Bonds That Define Us]
Disclaimer: I Do not own Naruto nor its Characters
O~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~O
Naruto was stuck in a daze as he watched Sasuke weakly crumple onto the top of the boulder he had been hiding behind, convulsing violently as Naruto's jutsu wore of, freeing the previously halted Gaara, who now began regaining himself as he clutched his newest wound. "You… You'll PAY!" Gaara spat as blood too began dribbling from his mouth as he turned to see his assaulter.
Thinking on his feet, Naruto swiftly threw one of his few remaining kunai directly at Sasuke, if not a few centimeters above his head, allowing him to quickly teleport in, and out of the way just in time to miss what would have been a devastating blow by the tanuki. Naruto arrived in a small set of bushes that wasn't too far from the battlefield, glancing over to see the now destroyed boulder with a tired Satsuki doing her best to distract beast.
"Shit… this is bad." Naruto thought aloud as he quickly pulled out a blank seal paper and ink, rapidly writing a formula for a small silence seal before placing it onto Sasuke, making a small area in which his screams would not be heard. "I need you to stay here, I'll send Satsuki to come grab you while I take over the fight, she doesn't stand a chance in this battle with no arrows." Naruto ordered as he looked back to see Satsuki make a hard landing on the ground, her bow tumbling to the ground beside her as she was forced to draw secondary kunai as her final defense.
Naruto was about to jump away to rejoin the skirmish when a shaking, yet firm hand gripped his sleeve, causing him to look down at the struggling Sasuke. " Can you strengthen the seal…." Sasuke asked deliriously. "Just need… one more… shot." Sasuke choked out as Naruto simply looked back down at his fallen clansman.
"There's nothing more that can be done. I need you to stay put so I can—"
"Damnit! Why can't you just try!" Sasuke yelled back as a few tears began to leak from the proud Uchiha's Sharingan.
Naruto understood Sasuke's pain, not being able to help in someone's time of need. Moments in which similar circumstances presented themselves flashed through his mind, the recent attack on his compound and Kin being the most recent. While he was sympathetic to the situation, Naruto knew that what he had to do next was the only solution. "Even if I tried, you don't have the strength to continue after that."
"But I—"
"No!" Naruto quickly asserted, shutting the boy down as he began to curb his shaking, now feeling more stiff and weak in the shakings place. "Every second I sit here debating with you is a chance for Satsuki to get hurt!" Naruto reprimanded, seemingly snapping Sasuke out of his self-pity. "What's going to happen, is I'm going to go back in there, Satsuki is going to come back here, and you two are gonna get the hell outta here while I hold that thing off!"
"You can't! Not alone!" Sasuke rebutted as he tried to stand, instead falling back down to his knees, Naruto waiting to catch him.
"It doesn't matter whether I can or can't!" Naruto replied, confusing Sasuke for a moment before he continued. "I have too. That's why I'll win." Naruto said as he sat Sasuke's back against a tree, facing towards the fight where he saw a tired Satsuki on the ropes.
"NARUTO!" Satsuki called out as she quickly dodged another strike from the Jinchuriki, leaving a kunai in its hand "I NEED BACKUP!"
Hearing the plea, Gaara took a moment to survey his surroundings, not noticing the Kyuubi brat. "Looks like he took off with the other weakling, leaving you as a sacrificial pawn." A voice that was not Gaara's spoke.
"Naruto." Sasuke started, seeing Naruto about to blast into action, deciding to take one last moment of his time as Naruto looked back towards him. "Kick his ass." He finally relented.
Naruto stood for a moment in shock not expecting such a positive response from Sasuke before he steeled his nerves. "I got it." Naruto replied with renewed strength as he leaped away from the downed shinobi. "Whether you like it or not, I protect my family, even from themselves." Naruto thought as he looked to see an attack about to collide with Satsuki.
"DIIIIIIE!" Gaara roared as his claw contacted his target, or so he had thought. Through his wicked smile and clearing dust, an odd sensation was filling his palm.
"Satsuki! Get to Sasuke and get outta here!" the voice of the silver haired pest rang out, causing Gaara's frustration to peak further as he pulled back his hand, watching half of it stay where it was before crumpling to the ground in a wet heap, revealing Naruto standing in between him, and his kill with water dripping from his fingertips.
"I'm not leaving you!" Satsuki protested as she readied her kunai, standing side by side with Naruto.
"Like hell you're not! I need somebody to go get backup while I hold this guy off!"
"Don't lose your focus!" Gaara said in anger as he went in for another strike, shooting off several sand tendrils to attack simultaneously.
Naruto quickly grabbed Satsuki as he warped to the other side of the field, letting out a rather deep breath as he landed. "Hurry!" Naruto said, his eyes serious, and his face determined.
Satsuki stood for a moment to think before giving a quick nod in acceptance. "R-Right."
"Alright, now all we need to do is—" Naruto was forced to teleport again, this time his breathing much heavier when he landed with Satsuki again, this time extremely close to Sasuke's position before teleporting himself once more. "Alright you selfish prick, time to get down to business." Naruto taunted as he squared up with the monstrous Gaara.
"Oh, now that isn't very polite now is it?" a voice that was certainly not Gaara's asked. "To treat a fellow Jinchuriki as such?"
"I wasn't talking about him." Naruto responded as he began circling the field, being mirrored by Gaara. "I was talking to the parasite who bonded itself to him. Naruto replied, causing the beast to sneer at the remark.
"I will paint this forest with your blood!" the beast proclaimed as he charged.
"Give it your best shot!" Naruto replied as he did the same, only easily teleporting between multiple kunai and markers as he met the tanuki, landing a direct slash on the torso before flipping backwards, admiring the quick water slash he pulled off as he watched the beast pull back.
"Pathetic!" Gaara expressed as what looked like dozens of tendrils erupted from his back, throwing Naruto onto the defensive once more as he began this final duel.
O~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~O
"Your left is open!" Tobirama cried out as he flashed towards Ay, a perfect slash in the man's direction that would have left a grave wound had the man not adjusted properly in anticipation. "Good, he is prolonging this fight well." Tobirama thought as he caught an elbow to the face, forcing him backwards.
"Cut the crap! I don't need your pity!" Ay cried out as he rushed Tobirama, swiftly disarming the long dead hokage of his weapon before upping the pressure.
"While the technique isn't perfect, I still hold a decent amount of my previous skill." Tobirama thought as he quickly sealed a large jutsu. "JUMP!" he shouted before announcing the jutsu. "Suiton: Razor Waves!"
Begrudgingly doing as commanded, Ay lept into the sky as a pool of water formed onto the roof that the kage had been occupying, the waves moving at speeds that would easily draw blood of they made contact with skin. "It is unlikely that you'll be able to dodge this, it would be better if you left so that you could find a—" Tobirama was cut off by a solid punch to his face, causing him to glide across the water as the waves stopped as he passed over them, swiftly returning to their churning state.
"I said cut the crap!" Ay replied in anger as he bounced at the perfect moments and places so that not only was their no wave, but they wouldn't catch him either. "Your not getting out of this fight that easily!"
"He is persistent, I will give him that." Tobirama thought as he began going through more hand signs. "You'll likely have to force your way through this one!"
"I said—"
"Suiton: Water Dragon Jutsu!" Tobirama exclaimed as he sent the dragon towards the charging Raikage.
"PATHETIC!" Ay pronounced as he continued his charge. "LARIAT"
With this exclamation the Raikage stonewalled the dragon, pushing through its torso as he came out the other side, his face twisted in anger as he connected with the hokage's neck, throwing him off the roof, and into a nearby building, causing him to crash. "Well if that's the extent of his power, the next move for me would be obvious." Tobirama thought as he stood, opening his mouth to inform the Raikage.
"NOT ANOTHER WORD!" Ay shouted, cutting of the hokage. "I can't focus on this fight with your constant blabbering!"
"Were it not for this blabbering you would have already been dead many times over." Tobirama responded as he willesley began making his way back to the roof top, teleporting up and delivering a powerful kick that forced the Raikage to use both arms to block.
"You truly underestimate me!" Ay responded as he gripped Tobirama's leg, slamming him into the wall, causing the rooftop to shake.
"Shit" Tobirama thought as he forcefully grabbed his sword that was glistening underwater. "Wa—"
"SHUT IT!" Ay proclaimed about to throw the hokage into the wall again before he was interrupted by a pair of additional presences about to seemingly join the fray.
"Watch it!" an older voice called out as a large fireball barreled towards the Raikage.
Being forced to move, the Raikage dropped Tobirama, narrowly avoiding a devastatingly fast strike that in the heat of his anger, he had not realized with his insane movement speed. "WHO DARES!" Ay exclaimed as Tobirama used a simple waterwall to protect himself, curious himself at this new interloper.
"That level of fire jutsu could only come from one clan that I know of." Tobirama said allowed as the brief steam that was created in the jutsu clash vanished into the air, revealing two elderly looking men, one of them seemingly being rather young despite their white hair.
"I apologize for the intrusion, but I had not foreseen that my home being attacked when I arrived to watch my grandson compete." The elder spoke.
"Besides, from the looks of it you were about to receive a very nasty slash." The other, clad in red and with long white hair pronounced correctly.
"And who might you be?" Tobirama asked before breaking out into his warning. "Should you interfere further it is likely that my caster's jutsu will force me into combat with you as well."
"I know you've been gone awhile, but I had hoped you would recognize me sensei." The older man responded with a giggle as he flared what appeared to be a sharingan.
Tobirama smiled, a sight which confused the incrementally calming Raikage. "It has been to long Kagami." Tobirama expressed.
"It has indeed."
"Right, I understand that reunions are in order, but we need to take care of him so we can move on to helping the hokage." The other man replied.
"You mind telling me what your doing?" Ay asked in confused anger. "I'm in the middle of a battle."
"We're looking at the bigger picture." Kagami explained. "I may not be in my prime, but I can still negate his weaker jutsu. While I do that, you'll rush him, and Lord Jiraiya will work on a seal to take care of him."
"I can take him plenty fine myself." The Raikage responded. "You should help the rest of your village that happens to be on fire.
"While I admit you have the skill to give me a match, in this state you cannot win." Tobirama explained. "I am in a body that does not tire, nor does it sustain damage. The most you can do is waste my chakra until myself or my user grants me more." Tobirama explained to the now frustrated Raikage.
"Fortunately it looks like our defense forces are pushing back on the main bulk of the invasion. Kakashi just cleared the courtyard of shinobi, and the outer walls are the only place in which fighting is continuing." Jiraiya reported, causing the second to nod in acknowledgement.
"War of attrition it is then." Tobirama acknowledged as he stood on guard, recognizing that due to the lapse of combat, he was able to hold himself back slightly. "It appears that I am still on guard, however once you start creating your seal, I will likely be targeting him, er Jiraiya, to stop my sealing at any cost." Tobirama surmised as Ay prepared himself for battle.
"If that's how it is then we must be prepared." Kagami agreed, throwing off his robe and revealing his old shinobi war uniform beneath it. "Lord Jiraiya, whenever you're ready."
"Right." Jiraiya acknowledged as he assumed the lotus position, grabbing a spool of wraps from a sealed scroll with a large seal paper attached to it.
"Alright then, if you're done with your little reunion, its time for round two!" Ay proclaimed as he readied himself for the soon to be charging Tobirama.
"This is perfect, not only will I be sealed to be dealt with at a later date, but I can take myself out of this battle." Tobirama thought as he began his charge. "And that boy, I need to speak with him." Tobirama thought as he slashed at Ay, glad to have been blocked by his massive gauntlets.
O~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~O
As Ino was traveling to Naruto with a team consisting of four Yamanaka shinobi, her mother, and the demon of the mist, Ino was deeply concerned about him. This showed in the franticness of her movement. "Damnit we need to go faster!" Ino thought to herself as she watched her mother's back as she led the group towards the arena.
"Why are we heading for the arena lady Yamanaka?" one of the others asked.
"Kakashi is the one who gave the order to his team to intercept the boy, he should know were we should start." Kiku replied as she glanced to the opposite direction of the arena, seeing a mass of jutsu's going off complimented with the sounds of battle.
"I was there too; he went into the forest on the—"
"You may have known where he started, but you don't have the means to track him, which is the second reason why we're picking up Kakashi." Kiku expressed, cutting off her daughter mid-sentence.
"But—"
"I want to save him just as much as you, but we need someone who can find him or else we'll be of no use to him." Kiku explained as Ino simply reserved herself to following the group as the approached the arena.
"We're almost there, approach with caution." Kiku ordered as she slowed her pace slightly upon their approach.
"I don't hear much battle, but of what remains it must be intense." Zabuza chimed in as he arrived atop the arena with the squad, his suspicions confirmed as he saw a torrent of fire water and lightning illuminate the sky from the kage box, a suspicious looking man in blue armor facing off with the Raikage and a pair of likely leaf shinobi.
"A-Alright, steer clear of that battle, it is beyond any of us." Kiku ordered to a crowd of nodding Yamanaka.
"Kiku!" a voice called from below.
Ino moved to look down, breaking her gaze from the high-level brawl to see a cleared area, only sleeping civilians and triumphant leaf shinobi remaining with a team heading towards them. "Looks like the arena is safe, for the most part." Ino stated, peaking another quick glance at the elemental slugfest across the way.
"Report." Kiku asked as Kakashi, Asuma, and a man with a bowl hair cut landed before them.
"The area is secure aside from the battle by the kage booth." The bowl cut explained with an odd accent that Ino couldn't place.
"And the Hokage?"
"He's in that purple box fighting for his life, but we can't do anything to help him." Asuma reported, clenching his fist hard.
"I'm sure he'll be fine." Ino tried to say to encourage her sensei, understanding that he had no way to help his family.
"I appreciate that." Asuma said with a smile.
"Aside from that." Kakashi continued. "We need to get the remaining civilians up and out of here. We could really use the help of the Yamanaka Clan."
"We can't" Ino quickly spat out, remembering the mission.
This sudden statement confused Kakashi as Kiku began explaining. "As it turns out, the boy you sent Naruto after happens to be the sand's Jinchuriki." Kiku began, causing a moment of shock to wash over the three jonin. "If left alone, we could have a second Bijuu attack."
"What have I done…" Kakashi thought aloud.
"What was right at the time." Zabuza cut him off. "But now we're going to back him up."
"Right." Asuma agreed as he put his fist to his chin. "We need a plan fast, Kurenai is spearheading the recovery, but it's taking too much time."
"Not to mention we really have to reinforce our troops so we can take care of the main problem." The bowl cut agreed.
"Alright then, You four will stay here and aid in the recovery, I need you to be quick!" Kiku began motioning to the four Yamanaka shinobi she brought with her.
"Right!" the four exclaimed as the moved to begin the process.
"Gai, take any shinobi not suited for the task towards the battlefront, they could use you there."
"I'm on it!" Gai replied in an excited fashion as he dove back into the arena, sprinting towards a chunin who was trying to shake a man awake in vain.
"Kiku, we could really use your prowess down there for the civilians." Kakashi pleaded.
"I-I can't." Kiku replied simply. "I owe that boy far much more than he knows."
"That seems to be a common thread around here." Zabuza replied in a slightly scornful tone.
"Kiku, your one of the best in terms of Genjutsu in your clan outside of Inoichi, and you match him in regard to your family techniques." Kakashi tried harder. "We will join Zabuza and Ino, we're more trained for combat and we can get their much faster."
"I…" Kiku struggled to answer.
"Mom." Ino said, causing her mother to look towards her daughter. "These people need you too. If they don't get help quick enough, they might be on the receiving end of a stray force of nature." Ino explained, pointing towards the intensity of the battle across the arena.
"You're right." Kiku agreed as she clenched her fists hard, resolved in her decision, if not hesitant. "You go bring him back." Kiku finished with a smile as she looked Ino in her eyes.
"I will." Ino replied, and with that, Kiku was off to aid in the citizen's recovery.
"Alright, let's move." Kakashi expressed as he summoned a dog with a summoning jutsu, taking lead of the mission. "Pakkun, I need you to get this scent." Kakashi expressed as he held up a broken arrowhead for him to sniff.
"Right, follow me." The dog expressed as he began making a dash towards the woods.
"Hang on Naruto, we're coming." Ino thought as she, Asuma, Kakashi, and Zabuza made their way into the forests that surrounded the village, leaving behind a now unnaturally darkened sky centered above the roof of the Kage's viewing box.
O~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~O
Satsuki was frozen for a mere second as Naruto let her go, quickly teleporting back to the field of battle so he could do what needed to be done. Shaking her head and getting back into the situation, Satsuki turned and quickly disappeared into the nearby forest, making her way to where she was told she'd find Sasuke.
"Oh shit." Satsuki said in reaction to finding her teammate sat against a tree, twitching on occasion as black markings covered his body.
"If your d-done ogling, we gotta move. I don't know how long Naruto will last on his own." Sasuke said aloud, his voice strained but firm.
"This isn't like Sasuke, he should be fighting to stay." Satsuki thought briefly as she moved to help him up, propping him up so he could stand with her. "We still have to get around the fight to the other side before we can get moving to the village."
"We can't take a long way around; we'll have to go around the edge and hope he doesn't s-spot us." Sasuke explained, adamant that they had to get back to the village as quick as possible. "It would be faster if you just carried me."
"I'll pick up the pace when we get around, but for now we need to focus on stealth." Satsuki countered as the two began carefully walking around the now raging battle, Sasuke still convinced they needed to go faster.
As the pair continued their walk, they made it roughly halfway around, both watching their feet, as well as the spectacle unfolding nearby. "Damn him and his endless stamina." Sasuke complained as they passed the halfway mark.
"You should be grateful right now, if he didn't have it, we'd all be screwed." Satsuki pointed out as she watched Naruto send a volley of water bullets at Gaara, only for them to be blocked by a few sand tendrils, causing them to fall in pace. "Though I am surprised he has as much as he does, he seemed pretty tired after teleporting me around."
Sasuke watched as his comrade seemingly teleported around his markers with ease and began to think, proposing something. "Maybe it's because you were with him? He only just figured out how to teleport himself. It m-must strain him to teleport others consecutively like that." Sasuke said, mentally cursing his minor stutter he had for the time being.
"Yeah, that's probably a good call." Satsuki agreed as the two neared the other side, Satsuki deciding to set Sasuke down so she could properly begin to carry him efficiently.
"You ready?" Sasuke asked taking a last glance at the fight, watching Naruto slice a tendril with his sword, letting it fall to the ground with a slight charge to it, forcing Gaara to leave it there.
"Almost, just gotta…" Satsuki finished her thought mentally as she turned around one last time to watch the fight.
Naruto was in the zone; Satsuki could see a whole new teammate then she was used to . Up until this point, she had only seen Naruto completely serious when he was fighting on the bridge, and even then, it was only to a point due to his plan to convert the mist nin. This was different. There was no banter, no words, no unnecessary movements. Naruto was fighting at his absolute best, and he was winning. "So this is Naruto huh?" Satsuki thought as she saw a silver blur moving, cutting through sand like it was nothing, however never actually contacting Gaara on the inside.
Satsuki watched for a bit to long in awe as Sasuke became restless. "We gotta go! Naruto's attack will be in vain if we don't get out of here!" Sasuke said quietly, but sternly.
"I-I know but…" Satsuki's train of thought left her as she witnessed a truly horrific sight. As Naruto was planting his foot he slipped on the most unlikely of objects. A new, and improved bow and arrow that had slipped her grasp no more than a few minutes ago. It was almost in slow motion as she, and Sasuke watched Naruto fall, as well as Gaara smile a truly disgusting grin. Before she knew what was happening, she was sprinting forward, watching as a large, Thick, and clawed tendril was crashing through the air, bound for the boy that was helpless and suspended in the air. "Make it!" She thought to herself as she breached the tree line, Naruto now inches in front of her. With the last of her strength she threw herself forward, pushing the silver haired genin out of the tendrils path, before feeling immense pain as she was pulled out of slow motion, and thrust into the trunk of a nearby tree, sharp objects cutting into her, and being crushed under the weight of the sand that now held her suspended in the middle of the tree.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAH!" the cry of Satsuki echoed through the forest as she began to lose consciousness, the sands grip growing tighter, and the claws digging in deeper.
"SATSUKI!" Sasuke screamed instinctually as he tried to stand from the tree, only to fall forward onto his knee, sentenced to watch from so close with no hope of reaching or freeing her.
Sasuke turned quickly to see the face of the beast, only to see that its prideful grin of success was quickly turning into one of distress as he recoiled in pain, the largest tendril he had beginning to fall to the ground in droves.
Looking back to Satsuki he saw that the claw, while still holding her, had been cleanly severed, and Naruto stood between her, and the Ichibi, a malicious anger in his eyes as he stared daggers towards the beast. Sasuke could see it, the three tomoe sharingan had been unlocked by his rival, but he didn't care right now as he began to move, feeling like it was taking much longer than it should, even with his sharingan activated. As he was watching the sand tendrils final destruction, and Gaara cutting the sand off himself, letting it fall to the ground limp, he saw a faint red aura begin to spill out of his ally now focused on solely retribution.
O~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~O
Naruto was staring towards the now in pain Jinchuriki before him as he began to feel a second wind come about him. Taking a few steps forward, he noticed Ichi take a few back as he leaned over to pick up Satsuki's bow and final arrow. "Better I hold onto this." Naruto thought to himself, slinging the bow onto his back for the time being, turning to look at his comrade, noticing that she had passed out. Lucky for Gaara, it seemed that the sand had stopped constricting.
"YOU LITTLE BASTARD!" a voice shouted, any bit of Gaara's own voice now gone, replaced solely by the voice of the Tanuki. "I'LL KILL YOU! THAT LITTLE BITCH ON THE TREE! AND YOUR—" Shukaku was cut of as another jolt of pain echoed through his body, turning to see Naruto on top of him, slicing off one of his arms, although barely missing his hosts true arm, allowing him to reform it to an extent.
"This is over." Naruto said coldly as he vanished seconds before sand would have contacted him, appearing right in front of his opponent, holding his position as the now livid eyes of Shukaku stared down at him.
"You pompous, arrogant little brat!" the sand monster roared as he began an onslaught of tendril attacks. The gruesome smile he soon adopted was beginning to waver as he watched in horror. Not only was the kid dodging every single strike, but he did so with such ease that it frightened him.
Naruto could see everything even slower than before. Every tendril, every attack, and every expression the beast before him made. "I think it's time I end this." Naruto proclaimed as he moved to the offensive, slicing the tendrils that came before him effortlessly with his blade, using nearly all of his remaining water jutsu seals ranging from simple water bullets to larger ones, sending waves, torrents, and even a dragon at his opponent who was now on the backfoot and terrified.
"What…WHAT ARE YOU!" the tanuki cried out as his tendrils were gone, going in for a final haymaker attempt to knock the boy out of the fight. This hope was dashed as the dark blade was plunged into his palm, the water infused chakra now flooding his body, and slowing down his movements from that point.
"I am Naruto Namikaze." Naruto began to slowly draw Satsuki's bow as he continued. "Son of Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uchiha." He continued as he began to walk forward, advancing on the frightened demon as he nocked the final arrow, mimicking the motions Satsuki used so many times. "Shinobi of the hidden leaf, and guardian of the Kyuubi." Naruto as he drew the bow back, now stood face to face with the frozen bijuu. "And you will hurt no family of mine without paying the consequences." Naruto said firmly as he leveled the arrow no more than a meter away from the Bijuu. "Katon: Twin Dragon Retribution!" Naruto proclaimed with a powerful final word before exhaling and sending a mighty inferno that completely engulfed the Jinchuriki in front of him.
O~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~O
Ino maneuvered her way through the forest as best she could as she frantically followed Kakashi and the rest of her team. Firmly in the back of the pack, Ino was struggling to keep up with the expert skill of those ahead of her. "Ino, are you sure you can keep up?" Asuma called from ahead of her, looking back to see Ino using all her ability to keep pace with the group.
"Yes sensei!" Ino quickly retorted as she seemed to gain a second wind, honing her focus further to keep a more stable pace.
"She may not have the skill yet, but she has double the will needed to push forward and keep up regardless." Kakashi commented beside the girl's sensei.
"I only worry that she may be too fatigued by the time we arrive. We're already slowing ourselves a decent amount to accommodate her experience, any slower and we'll risk the field team's safety." Asuma explained as he looked ahead.
"You're underestimating them." Zabuza stated calmly, but loud enough for Ino to eavesdrop.
"I admit that they are incredibly skilled for genin, but to hold of the one tails is—"
"It's the exact thinking that led me to lose to them in the first place, although Kakashi can attest that he also contributed."
Asuma looked over to Kakashi, who nodded in agreement. "Even before when they were weaker than they are now, not only did they hold their ground against Zabuza, they defeated his strongest subordinate, and aided me in defeating him."
"A jonin of Zabuza's caliber and a Bijuu are two separate things!" Asuma continued skeptically as a set of rumbles shook the forest, a large dust plume now forming in the distance.
"I don't see a bijuu." Ino piped up from the back, briefly working her way closer to the front. "It looks like they've been doing what they do best, holding off the threat. I don't know about Bijuu transformations, but I think it's safe to assume that if it weren't expending as much chakra as it were, we'd already see the one tail." Ino pointed out as they adjusted their trajectory towards the plume.
"Well said Ino." Kakashi allotted as he began to pick up the pace. "We know where they are, full speed!" he ordered as the group began to push forward at a faster pace.
"Be ready for shock and awe, leave no room for retaliation!" Zabuza shouted as he hit a burst of speed, nearly flying towards the fight.
"Ino are—" Asuma began before he watched his student blitz past him, not quite as fast as the others, but well past the limit he had seen out of her.
"Come on!" was her only response as she charged ahead. "Come on Naruto, just a little longer!" Ino thought to herself, seemingly for the hundredth time since she left the shelter. While she was faster than she had any right to be, her talent seemingly autopiloting as all of her focus lay on the ever encroaching destination she was nearly there. Five kilometers, four kilometers, three kilometers, two—"
"Katon: Twin Dragon Retribution!"
A massive explosion rocked the forest as the heat from the blast stopped Ino and the rest of the jonin in their tracks, forcing her to instinctually cover her face from the brightness of the flash. As she gradually forced her arm down, she could see what appeared to be two dragon heads flying through the forest, leaving a scorched trail of char in its wake as it continued forward, the end only just now showing itself.
"That didn't sound like Satsuki!" Kakashi expressed in a mild panic as he looked over to the now idle team. Before turning back to see the dragons dissipate in the distance, leaving a black scar on the far reaches of the forest.
As the jonin around her stood in a brief shock, Ino took this moment to move forward as fast as she could, blinded by tunnel vision. "BE ALRIGHT!" She screamed at herself internally as she ferociously cut through the forest, breaking tree limbs, scattering leaves, all thoughts of stealth and conservation out the window as she broke through the tree line, and her anguish took a vocal form. "NARUTO!"
O~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~O
Kagami was using every fire jutsu in his arsenal, every ounce of his chakra to simply stalemate his sensei. "Katon: Phoenix Fire Jutsu!" He exclaimed as he sent a torrent of flame towards what looked like a tsunami, meeting it to produce yet another massive plume of steam that the Raikage quickly ran through, dispersing the clouds with his sheer speed as he wrist guard met Tobirama's blade, sending the two speed demons into yet another bout of parries and ripostes.
"Jiraiya! How much longer on that seal!" Kagami asked as he felt his chakra reserve dip into a critical level.
"Not much longer! It'll be done in—" Jiraiya was cut off by the sight of Ay flying back towards them, narrowly stopping himself as he slid to a halt.
"Damn Slippery bastard!" Ay cried out as his side, a new cut formed by the expert blade work of the second hokage. "Quickly a screen!"
"On it!" Kagami responded as he began flying through more hand seals.
"Kagami! Water Dragon!" Tobirama quickly alerted "No, Twin!" he added as he noticed the shift in hand seals.
"Right!" Kagami expressed tiredly.
"Suiton: Twin Water Dragon Jutsu!"
"Katon: Twin Inferno Dragon Jutsu!"
The two men exclaimed as two pairs of dragons met each other, fighting in the sky as if they had minds of their own before they dissolved into nothingness, leaving Kagami exhausted, and Tobirama with no fatigue whatsoever.
"I got him!" Ay charged in again, entering into another round of close combat with the revived kage.
"It's nearly ready!" Jiraiya pronounced as he seemingly put the finishing touches on the seal.
"I'm nearly out of chakra, I can't sustain another jutsu clash!" Kagami responded as he briefly turned to face the seal master.
"Done! Now we just need to—SHIT!" Jiraiya expressed in a panic, causing Kagami to turn and see a completely winded Ay in the midst of a freefall, and Tobirama making a mad dash towards Jiraiya.
"Katon: Fireball jutsu!" Kagami said as he fired off a quick jutsu, making his way in between Tobirama and Jiraiya.
Tobirama quickly swatted the jutsu away. "Kagami! MOVE!"
"I can't do that!" Kagami called back as he drew a blade very similar to Tobirama's, only the Uchiha crest adorned on its hilt and tang.
"MOVE!" Tobirama said in vain as he came face to face with his former student.
"I have to stop you here!" Kagami thought to himself as he prepared to defend, however there was never a chance. Kagami held his blade to block a strike straight on, however Tobirama did what he did best. A quick blue flash, and he was past his student with his blade outstretched. He didn't feel anything at first, but then, all he felt was a searing pain in his left eye. As he quickly turned, he saw the sword he used split in two, annihilated, but having done its job in saving his life. "Jiraiya!" Kagami called out, only to see an astonishing sight.
"DO IT! NOW!" Tobirama screamed, frozen in place, his blade inches from Jiraiya's throat.
"How did… Right!" Jiraiya exclaimed as he began using his chakra to manipulate the wraps around Tobirama, gradually binding him into a more straightened out position as Kagami approached.
"What is happening?" Kagami questioned as he placed a hand on his left eye, pulling it back to see blood on his hand, and lots of it.
"I do not know, but if I am correct my user has been at least temporarily restricted." Tobirama explained as the wraps began to cover his upper torso.
"The sky, it's gotten dark…" a weakened Ay proclaimed as he shuffled towards the others.
Looking up, Kagami saw the same thing, noticing that it eventually tapered out in the distance. "The epicenter, it's right above us." Kagami expressed as his vision quickly jolted to the barrier. "Hiruzen!"
"The reaper death seal." Tobirama supplemented as Kagami began limping his way to the rooftop. "Kagami! Stop!"
"I cannot let him do—"
"It is already to late!" Tobirama yelled back. "Once the seal has begun… there is no going back."
Kagami knew this was true, but as he turned back to the barrier, tears began to stream down his face. "I know…"
"Come here." Tobirama said in a firm, yet somewhat soft tone, one which Kagami knew all to well as he compelled himself to turn from the barrier, moving towards his now subdued mentor, sitting before him on both of his knees as he looked up, Jiraiya waiting to put the remaining cloth and seal onto the second. "This won't sever my connection with this snake shinobi, but in time I am certain that someone will stumble upon my teachings. If what the Raikage says is true, I would think that there would be one that could find it."
"Minato had a son yes, but I am unsure that even he could figure out how to complete what you are proposing." Kagami questioned.
"Separating me from my caster is no easy task, but possible if you follow my writings. However anything beyond that is my main concern."
"You want him to improve the edo tensei? For what purpose?"
"That is a discussion for a later date." Tobirama said with a rare smile, piecing together a plan even in the afterlife. "For now I assume you understand I will need to be put into deep storage. Before my consciousness leaves me, will you tell me the boys name?"
"Of course sensei." Kagami responded with a solemnly proud tone. "It's Naruto, Naruto Namikaze."
"Naruto… I very much wish to meet him." Tobirama finished as he nodded toward Jiraiya, who finished wrapping his face before placing a seal nearly as intricate as Naruto's onto the front, and with a glow, Tobirama was incapacitated.
Several Moments after the end of his battle, Kagami watched the darkness in the skies disperse, the purple barrier along with it, five figures bouncing away. As he quietly stood, he alongside Jiraiya made the solemn march up the rooftop, coming across a badly bloodied Enma, two seemingly braindead corpses covered in a paper like ash, and his smiling best friend, lifeless at his feet, now with fresh teardrops falling onto his unmoving body.
O~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~O
Naruto stood in a now calm forest as Satsuki's bow limply fell out of his hands, his left leg giving out and forcing him down to one knee as he stared down at the charred body of the Ichibi still covering Gaara's body. "NARUTO!" he heard in a muffled tone, causing him to turn around slowly, seeing a blur of purple to enter his vision. "Ino?" He thought briefly before being tackled by the girl, who quickly pulled the boy into a tight hug. "What the hell was that?! Are you alright?! Where are the others?! Is he really—"
"That's quite enough Ino, let the poor boy relax for a moment." Another familiar voice expressed, coming to their side as Naruto's vision began to clear to show him the figure of Asuma.
"Satsuki, is she—"
"She's fine, it looks like whatever you did knocked the sand right off her." Asuma calmed as he pointed over to see Kakashi tending to the two spent Uchiha.
"Good, you should probably get moving, Kankuro, Gaara's brother is also nearby but I'm not to sure where." Naruto began as he slowly started to stand up, clearly exhausted by the attack he just used. "Satsuki does that on a regular basis? I don't get it."
"I'm a little concerned too, she doesn't have a 'demon fox' to resupply her chakra when she does it." Kurama agreed from the inside
"I and many of my friends stopped calling you that a while ago, I didn't ask for sass."
"My apologies Guardian Naruto Namikaze, son of—"
"Yeah, yeah I get it, it was a little cheesy."
"On the contrary, that little stunt is probably the only reason you were able to handle that Jutsu's level of firepower."
"Really? You're telling me you appreciated it that much? I mean I suppose it makes sense, but even then, it wasn't near as powerful as Satsuki's, let alone as controlled."
"Right, but the more we begin to accept one another, the more—"
"Naruto? Is everything alright?" Ino asked, cutting off the fox.
"Oh, yeah, the fox just wanted to talk for a second." Naruto explained as he explained his loss of focus.
"Are you really about to just cut our conversation off mid—"
"I found the boy, he tried to make a break for it after his sand dropped." Zabuza chimed in, walking back with the cat pajamaed Kankuro unconscious dragging behind him, taking a quick look at the charred remains of Shukaku. "So that wasn't the girl?"
"No, she was incapacitated nearby." Kakashi explained as he walked his two students over to the group as they all took a final look at sand tanuki's body. "Come on, we better get moving."
"I guess I'll just go take a nap then." The Kyuubi stated in a huff.
"Relax, we'll have plenty of time to talk when we get back."
As the Jonin began grabbing the injured and preparing them for transport, Naruto stayed for a while by the body, taking it in as Ino stayed by his side. "Something wrong?"
"Actually, yeah."
"Naruto, there was no other way to deal with him." Ino tried to comfort, not knowing that it wasn't the death that bothered Naruto so. "If you didn't kill him then—"
"Do you know what happens when a Jinchuriki dies?"
"Well… based off the books in your library I've gathered that their chakra disperses to form up again later, why?"
"If that's the case, then why hasn't the sand fell off Gaara? Shouldn't we be seeing a charred him? Rather than his possessed form?" Naruto questioned further as he looked Ino in the eyes "I don't think this is over."
"What? Naruto look at him, for all we know the chakra did disperse and this is just the sand remaining solid since you know, it's sand, not a Bijuu." Ino tried to reason as the distress on Naruto's face began to get to her. Walking with a now upright Naruto back to the others, she watched as Naruto kept watching over his shoulder, seemingly paranoid.
"Is everyone ready to head out?" Kakashi questioned as he had Sasuke strapped to his back, Asuma took Satsuki, Zabuza Kankuro, and Ino and Naruto arrived to head out.
"Kakashi sensei, I think we should make sure that it's not a threat anymore." Naruto pleaded as he looked back once more.
"I don't see how it could have survived that blast with the state it's in, but you are correct, it would be irresponsible for us to leave without making sure." Kakashi agreed as he nodded to Zabuza, who gladly drew his executioners' blade in response, making his way to the beast.
Naruto watched intently as Zabuza approached the charred remains, levelling his massive blade over its abdomen, prepared to deliver a final blow to the creature. As he was about to bring the blade down, Naruto felt the slightest feeling at the back of his neck. "ZABUZA MOVE!" he cried out "SCATTER!"
"What are you talking about bra—" a massive burst of wind exploded from the corpse, sending the entire group flying through the forest, slamming into branches, tree's and more as they all found ways to stop themselves, planting their chakra infused feet on anything they could whilst also keeping the wounded safe.
"Naruto!" Naruto could hear Ino call out from beside him as he held his ground for the most part, staying close to the tree line as the gust continued on.
"Get to the others!" Naruto ordered as he watched a massive creature appear before them, clad in tan with blue markings all over the tanuki shaped body.
"I'm not leaving you!" Ino retorted as she gained her footing, moving to Naruto. "You're out of chakra, we need to go and get backup so we can take it down together!"
"That won't be necessary." Naruto said determined as he activated his sharingan once more, noting Ino's reaction as he began to exude a crimson aura.
"Kid, this is the only way to take him down."
"How much chakra can you use without thinking it would be too much for me to control."
"Maybe three tails worth."
"Good thing he only has one." Naruto thought to himself as he made a set of hand signs.
"Ino, I need you to regroup everyone and be ready for when I take him down." Naruto replied as he gestured to the small speck of human currently eyes closed and holding some sort of Jutsu in the center of the Bijuu.
"What are you planning to do against that?!" Ino questioned in a scared tone that Naruto didn't like to hear but understood. Turning to her once more he replied. "I'm going to kick its ass on its own playing field."
"I'm NOT leaving you here alone!" Ino retorted as she drew her blades, staring up at the now chuckling full form of Shukaku.
"There's nothing you can do in this situation!" Naruto shouted. "You need to let me handle this one!"
"You don't think I can handle myself! You don't have any chakra left, not to mention the Kyuubi's chakra is a total wildcard!"
"I wouldn't be suggesting it if I couldn't do this Ino! Please!" Naruto pleaded. "It's not that you can't handle yourself, but you can't handle that." Naruto said as he calmed down, the fox's aura now flowing around him. "I need you to trust me."
"But…" Ino started to say as she looked into the determined eyes of the boy. "I-I trust you… But please, be careful." Ino said reluctantly as she placed a soft kiss on his cheek before running off to find the others.
"You better do as she says"
"I couldn't agree more." Naruto said aloud as he bit his thumb, slamming it into the ground. "Summoning Jutsu!"
The Crimson aura began dispersing in a wide area as the smoke began to rise to nearly the height of the massive Shukaku, stopping a little short of the massive creature.
"What's this? A Final attempt at defying me? How adorable" Shukaku cackled as the smoke began to clear.
"I must say, had you not requested me so urgently I would not have come." A loud feminine voice explained, ignoring the posturing of the Tanuki as the smoke began to clear.
"I know, I know. But you're the only thing that can do anything against something like that in the nearby area. Besides, are you about to let some Tanuki from the sand destroy the home you and my mom cherished?" Naruto questioned with a sly tone that made the creature giggle.
"I would never allow such an atrocity to happen again. I only wish Kushi would have summoned me before." The voice replied with a playful determination akin to Naruto himself.
"Good, because this isn't gonna be easy." Naruto said excited as he stood firm atop the head of a crimson fox, sporting a snow-white belly and three distinct tails. While not as tall as a Bijuu, the Fox was still comparable.
"Summoning me was very reckless, had you and Kurama not made as much progress I would have refused to cooperate."
"So I've been told." Naruto laughed as he turned his attention to the Kyuubi. "How long do you think you can hold the summon? This is our only chance."
"I can hold her here for about 15 or so minutes, so you better get to work." The Kyuubi explained in a strained tone.
"You heard him Hikari, Let's do this." Naruto said as he gained his second wind, crossing his arms in defiance."
"You two are more similar than I expected." The fox Hikari expressed with a grin the soon steeled as her attention shifted to the grinning Shukaku.
"Do you believe a mere summon could compete with the power of a Bijuu? Really?" Shukaku postured as he quickly sent out a wind jutsu. "Air Bullet!"
"Hmph." The fox didn't even look phased as she nimbly jumped to the side, sending a scorching ball of fire in the demon's direction, nailing its right arm in the process and turning the sand into glass. "For a Bijuu you are very weak."
O~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~O
Ino looked up in awe as she saw a massive, yet elegant fox effortlessly dodge an attack that could have wiped out a battalion in one shot, and returning a shot in kind with a jutsu that should be at a disadvantage based on the situation. "Naruto can do that?!" Ino said aloud as she rejoined the rest of the retrieval team.
"I doubt he can hold that for very long, even if he is using the demon's chakra." Asuma supposed as he checked on the injured.
"Naruto *Cough* was spent by the end of his fight… that's definitely the Kyuubi's chakra." Sasuke addressed as Kakashi and Satsuki joined the group.
"If everyone's here we have to… have to…" Kakashi slowed his speech as he stared up at the Kitsune that launched another fireball at the sand demon, melting the glassed hand from her previous attack. "Hikari?" He seemingly asked the sky as he looked like he'd seen a ghost.
"You know of this summon?" Asuma questioned.
"Well, sort of. Lady Kushina used Fox summons all the time when she was around Minato sensei, but to see that one so big…" Kakashi trailed off as he seemingly got trapped in memory lane for a minute. "The first time I saw her she was no larger than a small rabbit, and the last no bigger than a large dog."
"I suppose she did some training." Asuma suggested as Zabuza arrived with an unconscious Kankuro.
"What's the plan? Let the kid take on the Bijuu and get these guys to safety?" Zabuza spitballed to an obvious response.
"No, we need to get the injured out of here, but some of us will need to stay in case we need to evacuate Naruto." Kakashi explained as he turned to Asuma. "Can you get the Uchiha's out of here? I'm going to stay just in case."
"On it, Ino I need you to grab—" Asuma stopped as he turned to see the worried face of Ino still staring at the battle raging before them, another barrage of air bullets being evaded by the majestic fox. "I got this." Asuma granted as he grabbed both the Uchiha, looking back to Zabuza. "You ready?"
"Yeah, lets move." Zabuza acknowledged, not wanting to stay in the danger zone any longer as he hoisted the puppet user onto his back, leaping with Asuma into the forest towards the village.
"Kakashi sensei." Ino asked, causing the jonin to look towards her. "Do you think he can win?"
Kakashi glanced back up at the carnage above before giving his answer. "I've seen how Hikari can be, I think they stand a good chance." Kakashi replied with a soft voice. "Come on, we should move to a safer distance and observe from afar. This is out of our jurisdiction."
"Right…" Ino replied reluctantly as she followed Kakashi, moving further away from the battle.
O~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~O
"Why are all you leaf bastards so slippery!" Shukaku roared as he sent a volley of air bullets towards Naruto and Hikari, only one out of a few dozen hitting their mark, forcing Hikari to make a quick landing, breathing a stream of fire to cover herself.
"Naruto, we need to figure out a way to beat this guy and fast. He just keeps on reforming no matter what I do to him." Hikari requested as she moved to dodge a shot of projectile sand that was coming at an exceedingly quick velocity.
"Think Naruto THINK…" Naruto said to himself as he began to recall everything he had been learning about Jinchuriki whether it be from a far or near past.
"Naruto, I think I may have an idea!" Kurama expressed in a strained voice. "We need to focus on waking up the kid that Shukaku is using!"
"Why would that matter?"
"If what I think is happening is happening, Shukaku is only able to be present because the boy is asleep! Shukaku has been known to try and chip away at his hosts mind and personality so he can assert himself as the main personality, usually working while they sleep." The Kyuubi explained as briefly as he could as he continued to maintain the chakra stream.
"How would that even help?!"
"With the kid in control, the beast's movements and attacks will be limited, meaning you can board the bastard and knock him out while he's still waking up!" Kurama explained as he grew more agitated with Naruto's ignorance and hesitance.
"That might be our only shot." Naruto agreed as he looked down at Hikari. "Hikari, I need you to get me as close to Gaara as you can!"
"The boy? Why would you want that? Keeping our distance and evading is the only reason we haven't been torn apart by his air jutsu" Hikari protested.
"Trust me!" was Naruto's only response as he prepared himself, properly assuming a launch position atop her head.
"Why can you two never give me a straight explanation." Hikari cursed as she shook her head, focusing back on the Ichibi as she dodged two more air bullets. "Here we go!"
With this Hikari charged forwards at astonishing speed, confusing the Ichibi as he stumbled back slightly, not expecting the sudden shift in tactics, firing off several sand shots very off target.
"What's this? Do you take me for some type of weakling?!" Shukaku questioned in anger as he began launching a constant barrage of air bullets.
Dodging what she could, Hikari continued her advance. The closer she got, the more difficult it became to dodge, allowing a few shots to impact as she continued her charge. "Be ready kid!"
"Right!"
"You little-!" Shukaku started, cutting himself off with a final air bullet that hit Hikari directly. What the Tanuki didn't expect was for the summon to stonewall the attack, powering through it as she grappled with the beast, levying a devastating bite into the sand creatures' neck, firmly immobilizing it.
"Go get him kid!" Hikari expressed mentally as Naruto made a direct jump towards the still asleep Gaara.
"Rise and shine!" he cried out as his fist connected with the red-haired boy, quickly knocking him out of his comatose state as Naruto landed atop the Ichibi.
"You… you interrupted my jutsu!" Gaara exclaimed angrily as he maneuvered a sect of sand below Naruto in an attempt to bind him.
"Not today!" Naruto exclaimed as he leaped over the tendril, charging forward once more intent on finishing the fight with a single blow, jumping ahead with one final punch aimed at Gaara's face.
"I WILL NOT LET YOU!" Gaara cried as several sand tendrils exploded from beneath Naruto, grabbing his readied fist alongside his neck, one of his legs, and his other arm.
"DAMNIT" Naruto screamed internally as he grit his teeth and began inching closer to Gaara, who seemed startled by the sudden outburst of strength alongside the malicious face that Naruto was showing.
"Why won't you DIE!"
"Because…" Naruto inched even closer. "I will NEVER allow anyone to hurt my friends and get away with it!"
With this proclamation Naruto jolted forward, slamming his forehead protector into Gaara's skull with his own, causing Gaara not only to briefly lose consciousness, but also forcing him to relinquish the massive form of Shukaku as the sand began to slowly fall, just as Naruto's time ran out and Hikari dispersed into crimson smoke.
Naruto quickly maneuvered his body to land atop a nearby tree, and act that was not so gracefully mimicked by Gaara as he panted uncontrollably, blood cascading down the side of his cut face. "And you call me persistent." Naruto commented, wiping the blood from his lip. "It's time we end this."
"I will prove my existence, right here, and right now!" Gaara said between pants as he lept off the tree.
Following Gaara's lead, Naruto lunged forward with a cocked fist. With Naruto's Sharingan Still activated, this wasn't even a contest, and Naruto knew this. As Naruto prepared his final precise strike, he spoke. "Gaara! I release you!"
*Slam*
Naruto felt the sting in his fist as he watched Gaara plumet to the ground, landing hard below him as while he was not rendered unconscious, he was unmoving, his chakra reserve exhausted.
As Naruto landed beside Gaara, he fell to one knee, looking down on his fallen rival. "How…" Gaara spoke as Naruto looked down, his eyes no longer filled with hate, but a distinct sadness as he saw a boy in a situation not too dissimilar to his own. "I… I was absolute… no one could defeat me; I alone was unstoppable!"
"You alone…" Naruto spoke. "It's because you fought alone, and only for yourself that you lost."
"What do you mean… even when you and your allies fought side by side, you only managed to release Shukaku…"
"That's not the point!" Naruto exclaimed. "I've been where you are… long ago… but now, now I have people that are worth fighting for."
"People worth fighting for… I fight for mother." Gaara explained, not sounding sure of his own assertion.
"The bond you share with Shukaku is tainted… you need to find somebody that you choose to fight for. Someone who will fight for you. Someone who will push you to become stronger than you can even Imagine."
"Naruto!" a familiar voice called from nearby, causing Naruto to let out a smile that caught Gaara's attention.
Naruto pointed down to the kanji for 'love' that was on his face. "For those you love." He finished as he began to fall, much like Gaara, only to be stopped by Ino, who caught him. Naruto gave one final look to Gaara. "These are the bonds that you should rely on." He said with a smile as he held out a fist that eventually weakened, the chakra exhaustion catching up to him as he was about to lose consciousness.
"Kakashi sensei! They're over here!" Ino proclaimed, paying no mind to Gaara as the jonin arrived.
"The genin is alive?!" Kakashi expressed in shock.
"Don't *Cough* Don't attack him anymore." Naruto choked out.
"Naruto?" Ino questioned as she held him up.
"I think he has seen the truth." Naruto explained as he weakly turned his head, seeing streams of tears falling down the boy's face
Gaara turned his head towards the three as he began to understand. "Love…" He said as he took in the sight before him. "I… I am sorry"
O~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~O
Authors Notes: And thus ends the Konoha Invasion Arc! Before I get into the explanations, I'd like to take this time and say that the next few chapters will be very calm, emotional, and less fight heavy. After wrapping up this arc and setting up the next in the next chapter I intend to write a relaxing chapter away from the main canon that will serve as a buffer between the Invasion Arc and the Tsunade Retrieval Arc.
Now a few notes. As you can tell, Tobirama has been significantly buffed from canon. While if he were still alive I doubt he would not have fared to much worse. I believe he could still have stalemated the two people he fought and maybe even slightly edged them out. (I want to emphasize that he was stronger as Izuna, Madara's brother (who was thought to only be slightly weaker than Madara himself.) I decided to send a team to recover team 7 simply because of the amount of bodies that were at the fight. Hikari, Kushina's first summon, is the most powerful of Naruto's summons, but is EXTREMELY taxing. Not only is she very unwilling to come out unless it is a major emergency, but Naruto cannot hold her out for much longer than a few minutes on his own, with compounding time if he utilizes the Kyuubi's Chakra. The reason Kagami and Jiraiya arrived to aid the Raikage is simple, somebody needed to seal him, and somebody needed to repel his jutsu. I knew I was going to have them return after the invasion regardless, so I decided to make them more active participants than in canon. I already know many people are going to bring up Tobirama's death to invalidate his power in this fic, however, in this fics canon the events of the Kinkaku Force Ambush are quite different. I never liked Tobirama's end so here I'm deciding that they had a much larger force with them, like a much larger force, thereby justifying his death ever so slightly. This will be explained later in greater detail of course but I want to be premptive for those who will probably think that wouldn't be enough evidence to justify this power.
Alright, coming next time is a slow and solemn chapter that will represent the end of the Invasion arc, and the setting up of the TRA, so keep a look out for the next chapter:
[The Will of the Fallen]