Naruto: System Test Chapter 21, a naruto fanfic

Naruto: System Test

A/N: "The following is a fan-based work. Naruto is owned by Shueisha, Viz Media, and Masashi Kishimoto. Please support the official release."

Chapter 21: The Finale: "For What It's Worth" A.K.A - Konoha, Killing, and Kinjutsu… Part Two!

IF YOU HAVE NOT YET READ THE ENDING TO DRAGONBALL RPG:X, STOP WHEN YOU GET TO THE VERY OBVIOUSLY MARKED EPILOGUE SECTION. IF THE ENDING TO THAT STORY, POSTED A MOMENT AGO, IS MORE IMPORTANT TO YOU THAN THE ENDING OF THIS STORY, GO READ THAT FIRST. YOU'LL BE HAPPIER.

Konoha - Hidden Kumo Outpost - 4:50 am

"Unmei…it's time." A voice whispers in the darkness.

My eyes open slowly, a dream I was having fading away into nothingness. It took a moment for my eyes to adjust, finding both Min'na and Himitsu standing by, watching me. I nod, getting to my feet.

"The final group from Kumo is arriving shortly. Once they arrive, we'll have about half an hour to get in place, and then the assault will begin." Min'na tells me, "I'll be keeping watch. Once Konoha has evacuated their civilians, most of the Kumo Ninja will retreat, but if any are within Konoha still, they will dig in using Headhunter Jutsu. They have been ordered to dig in at least ten meters, lest the destruction takes them as well."

"We'd like to try and keep the main wall, facing North, as intact as can be," Himitsu tells Min'na. "That is the way Orochimaru will be returning, so the less time he has to notice Konoha is destroyed, the better."

"I'll pass that along," Min'na replies.

"I'd like to speak the Kumo nin before the attack, please," I speak up at last.

Himitsu looks poised to speak up, but I silence her with a look.

"That's fine," Min'na says. "Be ready in 15, and make sure you have your Forehead Protector."

5:05 am

I stood in front of 35 Kumo nin, all watching me with various emotions. I saw some awe, some respect, and a lot of fear. I hoped that today would fix some of that. I paced back and forth for a moment, watching them as they watched me, before finally stopping in the middle.

"Today you right a wrong." I began, speaking softly, yet knowing they could all hear me. "Masayoshi-kan Uchiha, the Hokage of Konoha, is a lie."

I could see Min'na out of the corner of my eye freeze. As I'd thought, they had not told this group what they were fighting for. After so many years as Ninja, I could no longer abide by such a thing. If these Ninja were to die for us today, then they would know what they fought for. I would not send them blindly to their deaths. If they died today, they would know what they died for.

"The Hokage is actually a Ninja by the name of Orochimaru…I see some of you recognize the name…I had Min'na here bring one of the archived copies of the Bingo Book from over 200 years ago. Please handle it carefully, there are only a few left." I tossed the book to the nearest one, waited as he read it, and passed it along. "He is a war criminal and all-around a monster. The stories I've heard in my research were enough to freeze your blood…"

"When I tell you that he is dangerous, I don't want you to think that I am lying. You've seen my own entry by now, correct?" I ask, seeing nods. "Understand that I am absolutely certain that without the help of Himitsu here, Orochimaru would kill even me."

"Today, my fellow Kumo Nin," I say, as my Forehead Protector forms back on my head, the sign for Kumo glinting in the firelight, "Today we go to war. With your help, I will destroy most of Konoha's fighting force, leaving no backup for the Hokage. With your help, I will do so with as few civilian deaths as possible. That's key!"

"Some of you are going to die today, and I want you to know that I'm sorry for that. But today…today you may die to remove a scourge from this planet. To wash away an evil that should have died centuries ago. Today we begin to write a new history, one in which you will be remembered as heroes. Today?… Today you make Kumo proud!" I say as they applaud.

I wait till the applause dies off, leaving the chamber in silence. "A final note then…Orochimaru has the ability to bring the dead back to life, whole and unharmed."

They gasp now, the reaction I had been expecting. "If you kill a Konoha Ninja, take their head."

I nod, and turn, leaving the chamber, leaving those men and women to their fates. Whatever that may be, I wouldn't know. All I could do was hope that they survive, as many as they could so that they could see the sunset at the end of the day when Orochimaru is dead at last…

Behind me, Min'na and Himitsu are whisper arguing. It would appear Min'na was upset that I'd told them all that. Oh well. I'm sure they'll suck it up and live with it. By my own internal clock, they had about 10 minutes for the attack to begin, which meant it was time for me to do what was needed of me. The underground complex they had dug out was small, very tight fitting. They had not had much time, after all. However, they did have time to do one thing for me.

Off the center hallway was a small room, with a 5-centimeter indent in the floor, which even now was filled with water. To the side of it was a small tube that led all the way to the outside world. Littering the room were chairs, and tables, already set up with several communication scrolls, maps, and other items. I entered, sitting down in the water, and closing my eyes. Behind me, I could hear Himitsu and Min'na enter. Min'na sat at the table, concentrating, reaching out with her Far Sight, to see the world all around us.

I began to meditate, to focus on the water around me, and the water in the air, the grass, the people all around me. I could feel it, feeling the gentle waves of it, as my mind seemed to spread out and into the water, I touched. I began to pour my Chakra into it, the energy moving slowly through the water, causing it to spin around me slowly in a whirlpool. Some I sent along the tube into the outside world, where the sun was only a few minutes away from beginning its rise. The grass was covered in dew, the air stuffed with moisture. Into this my consciousness spread, splitting into a trillion facets, as I moved into the clouds high above.

I began to make handseals with one hand, as the other dipped fully into the water as it spun around me.

"Hurricane Release - Torrential Downpour…" I whisper.

The clouds high above begin a slow move, concentrating, thickening, as the moisture in the area moves upwards. In the distance, felt even through the thick walls of the underground chambers, a rumble of thunder.

"It's done," I whisper, concentrating on the storm brewing above us, and Konoha. "The storm is moving in."

"Good," Min'na says, moving her hand swiftly along the carefully placed scrolls. "Then the attack begins…now."

A louder rumble felt so much closer, heralding the start of the battle. I wished desperately that I could move into Hurricane Release - Torrential Downpour - Kankaku, but the time and Chakra requirements were simply too steep for right now. There was no telling how long it would take for Konoha to begin evacuating the civilians, and I needed to maintain the storm the entire time, and then transition into Tatsumaki.

A few minutes pass in silence, Min'na flinching now and then, our eyes on the battle. "So far so good. We have one Kumo Ninja down. Your intel on where they tended to hide, and what buildings were empty is a big help."

I could hear Himitsu whispering to herself, as she tended to do before every fight. I'd never paid any attention to it, but this time I was close enough to actually hear it.

"We've got this Kurama…soon you'll be whole…yes, I know…yes, I know. Damn it Kurama, you know we can't do that." She whispered, just barely audible over the sloshing water around me.

I knew for a fact that Min'na wouldn't be able to hear her, which I was thankful for.

'Who was she talking to?' I wondered.

"They've started the evacuation!" Min'na says loudly, nearly causing me to jump. "They've taken too many losses to hold them at the gate, so they're moving them out…I'd say, 10 minutes max. Are you ready Unmei?"

"Yes, I'll break in 7 minutes. Give me the sign." I reply.

The countdown begins, in all three of our heads. The seconds pass in deadly silence, thick enough that you could have cut it with a fucking knife. What we were about to do would be written about for centuries, I was sure of it.

"Go now Unmei. Leave them with nothing." Min'na says.

My eyes snap open, and I'm on my feet. I slam into the earthen wall, slipping into it with the Head Hunter Jutsu, rushing for the surface. As I broke through, I flooded myself with Swift Release, running up the hill to the top, leaping up a tree with my feet barely even touching it. I launched myself into the air, the world slowing to a crawl around me with a Sealess Impossible Speed. As I reached the crest, I finished the handseals, my body practically burning with Hurricane Release.

"Hurricane Release - Gale Winds - Tatsumaki!" I yelled into the silence, even as high above the clouds were beginning to move.

The world snapped back to normal speed, and I fell, and as I hit the ground, I fell through it, Head Hunter Jutsu allowing me to move through it like it was water. Above me I could feel the wind pick up, the roar heard even underground. It was a slight disadvantage that I needed to be able to see my target in order to use the Tastsumaki, but it did at least give me a picture of what had happened so far. In my mind's eye, I studied what I'd seen.

A portion of Konoha on fire, a large section near the east wall little more than mud and rubble. That they would begin evacuating now made sense. If any were left, they would surely be moving now. A moment later I was through the wall, sliding to a stop in the chamber I had just left. The ground shook now, dusting dropping from the ceiling, as the Tastumaki raged above.

"Oh, my," Min'na whispers, her eyes clenched.

I say nothing, merely studying her. The rumbling increased, a roar as loud as a tailed beast shaking the ground.

"Shit, two of the Kumo Nin were sucked into the storm. They weren't fast enough to dig in…" Min'na says, frowning.

Another disadvantage to the Tatsumaki was my lack of control once released. I could guide it slightly when I created it, such as creating two of them to meet in the middle of Konoha from the outer walls, but that was about it. Once created, and directed, they were on their own to do as they pleased.

"They've met in the middle, Unmei. As you expected, they've combined into a larger version. It's slower, but it's so large that it's wreaking havoc across the entire village." Min'na says, cocking her head to the side. "Wait…what's…"

I started at the sudden alarm in her voice, "Min'na, what's wrong?"

"I-I don't know what just happened!" She says, rapidly moving her hands along the scrolls. "Your Tatsumaki, it just disappeared! There's a man, I think? I can't get a clear view of them for some reason. It's like they are surrounded by a haze…I…Oh…Oh no! Unmei, Himitsu, go now!"

I shot to my feet, shock coursing through my body. "Wait what?"

"GO!" She screamed as she grabbed her head.

I grabbed Himitsu's arm, yanking her along with me as I slipped into the earthen wall once more. It took only a few seconds to be on the surface, and another to be racing towards the remains of Konoha. The tall hill that overlooked the Village was bare of trees, all stripped and strewn about by my technique, so we quickly got a clear view of the village. It was hard to estimate as the village was quite large, but most of the buildings were gone, destroyed by the high winds and debris. Bodies laid everywhere, some in better condition than most, but most were hardly recognizable as once being human.

As though a magnet drew us in, our eyes locked onto a lone person still standing, the village in shambles around them.

"Who?..." I asked aloud, as we slid to a stop.

"I don't recognize them…Are they the one that stopped your Jutsu?" Himitsu asked.

I couldn't shake the feeling that we were missing something, but it was no matter. A single person against the two of us would stand very little chance. "Let's go."

Himitsu nodded, and we took off running, and with a high leap, were falling towards the rubble below. I slowed myself with wind, while Himitsu simply landed, whatever she broke healing nearly instantly. The person, who I didn't recognize from this distance, did at least turn to look at us as we approached. Their name wasn't any name I knew of, despite their obvious power, so you'd have thought they would be known. They were tall, thick black hair that fell down their shoulders. For some reason, they seemed to be slightly familiar as we approached, something about them standing out to me, but I couldn't quite place it. The most striking oddity to their appearance was their arms, both of which were made of some sort of metal.

As we got closer, Himitsu reached out, grabbing my arm, stopping me in my tracks. "Unmei…That man is…was…dead."

"You recognize him?" I ask, watching the man closely.

"I think so, yes. I've seen portraits…Sosen Uchiha, the Kyubiko Monsuta." She whispers, her hand tightening around my arm. "He's the one who defeated, captured, and subjugated the Kyubi when it reformed at Lake Of The End(Previously The Valley Of The End). He's Masayoshi-kan's Grandfather…"

"More Uchiha for us to fight?" I asked, shaking my head. "It would seem he isn't quite as dead as thought. Perhaps brought back to life? His name appears to me as Sosen Uchiha, The Asura Path...Mean anything to you?"

Himitsu studied me for a moment, before shaking her head and releasing my arm. Together we approached, finally getting close enough to see the details of the man's features. His eyes, not the red of the Uchiha as expected, but purple, with concentric rings spreading outward. He studied us as we approached, his jaw tight, clenched so tightly that I was surprised we couldn't hear the bone creak. As we finally got within 20 feet, the Uchiha turned full towards us, glaring at us with his purple eyes.

"You will explain yourselves." He ordered his voice a low timber. "Why have you brought war Konoha?"

I glanced at Himitsu, whose eyes met mine, a blink all that was shared between us.

"Who are you?" I ask at last. "The man you appear to be, I am told, is dead. Another trick of Orochimaru?"

The Uchiha cocks his head, studying me before his mouth opens into a freakishly large smile, his teeth completely black and shiny.

"I see…Fools then. Fools brought death to Konoha, my Konoha, not even knowing what they would face at its helm." He said, shaking his head.

"Let me tell you, Unmei The Fateful Storm, Himitsu of the Fox Clan, yes, that's right, I know who you are…You have no idea what you have wrought here this day…" He says as he looks up slightly. "I was more than content to rule my village, make my people happy. To protect them, to lead them…My dreams of conquest were tempered by so many lives lived under the guise of peace. I instead dreamt of learning, studying, becoming something new…"

Sosen shook his head now, barely seeming to even pay attention to us.

"But after this?" He asks, locking eyes with us. "After bringing war to my doorstep? Killing MY Ninja, killing MY people?.. Destroying myvillage?"

So quietly now, little more than a whisper. "I will sweep over this land like a plague, taking that which pleases me and destroying that which does not. Starting here with you."

His left eye shifts now, no longer purple, but a rapidly spinning wheel, transforming into a new version on every rotation. My sensor ability lights up like an exploding tag, screaming at me to move, all centered on the man in front of us, and I begin moving before I can fully recognize the danger. I spin, crashing into Himitsu as Impossible Speed activates, carrying her with me as all hell breaks loose behind us, a wall of serrated metal, spinning blades, and sharpened steel spikes spread towards us. I shift through two of the Eight Gates to give myself even more speed, covering the ground as fast as I can push us without opening the Third Gate. At last, as I slide to stop several hundred feet away, the wall of death recedes back into Sosen's body.

"You thought you could wash over Konoha like a wave, so confident in the water your body is made of, Unmei?" He laughs, his voice echoing all around us. "I'll have you know…I studied the progenitor of that ability 200 years ago, tore them down to their constituent atoms, learned every one of its secrets. Your ability will be useless here Unmei…If you were to be the wave that washes over Konoha, then I am the shore you will crash against…and I will…not…yield."

"What the fuck was that?" Himitsu asks me as I set her down.

Truth be told, I didn't know. His body had moved in such a strange way that the small glance I had didn't tell me anything. I had to have imagined his body opening in segments, that the wall of death hadn't come from within his body. That whatever technique he had used was…normal.

'Says the guy that can turn into water…' I thought, shaking my head.

"I don't know…doesn't matter though, we have little choice but to follow through," I say, before rocketing forward, Kunai appearing in hand.

Eight Gates: Gate of Opening Activate!

Eight Gates: Gate of Healing Activate!

Eight Gates: Gate of Life Activate!

Eight Gates: Gate of Pain Activate!

As I shot forward, my Chakra lit up around me, burning brightly in the dust of the remains of Konoha. Behind me, I could feel Himitsu begin to manifest the Kyubi's Chakra, what felt like two tails worth. The man…monster?...machine?...whatever it was, his eyes spun to life as I shot towards him, transitioning rapidly, neither eyes pattern matching the other at any point in time. I'd have thought it Genjutsu, but I'd have had an alert to tell me so. Suddenly they lock in place, the other shifting to match it, as Sosen jumps back slightly, dodging the first swipe of my Kunai. I pushed Swift Release, heavy, shooting forward twice as fast as before, the Kunai held tightly in my palm.

He dodged, dodged, if only barely, as the blade cut through the mesh fabric of his tunic. His hand came down, attempting to break my arm, but it switched to water, splashing away as another Kunai appeared in my left hand. Impossible Speed flicked on, and I pushed forward as fast as I could giving him no time to react. I slammed into the man, feeling the Kunai bite into flesh, as I shoved with all my strength, forcing the blade as deep into its chest as I could. Above his head, to my eyes only, it switches instantly to Sosen Uchiha, The Preta-Asura Path. A third arm erupts from his shoulder, grabbing me by the throat, as an alert begins to flash.

CHAKRA DRAIN ACTIVATED!

LIQUEFACTION INTERRUPTED!

I tried to transform instantly, but couldn't, a sudden feeling of loss filling me as 10% of my Chakra was gone in an instant. I'd have died then and there were it not for the fiery blur that slammed into Sosen, knocking him away from me. The alerts disappeared at once, leaving me feeling alive once more. With barely a twitch Impossible Speed kicks in, and I jump to my feet, flaring my chakra as I run to catch back up. Himitsu knows I'm coming, used to how I fight, and manages to throw herself backward as I launch the first Kunai, a technique she herself had suggested.

Swift Release - Impossible Speed - Sen-mai no hyo - Hail Of A Thousand Blades

As the first Kunai leaves my right hand, another is already in my left hand, released almost instantly. Another set appears, launched before the other two are even inches from me, over and over until the air in front of me is filled with every Kunai I carried. With a crack I snap back to real-time, the barrage slashing through the air so fast they weren't even visible to the naked eye. Two arms appear from his sides, slamming into the ground, as a large wall erupts in front of him. There is an explosion of steel as they crash into it, exploding, splinters of sharp metal flying everywhere, peppering the area like deadly needles. Only my ability to become water when hurt saved me, as several of them flew straight through me.

The gate collapses, and to my surprise, it would appear my attack had been successful. Sosen is on one knee, clutching what remained of their shoulder. A death blow to any man… Yet the look on their face was rage, not defeat. For a moment their eyes go purple once more, as their name changes once more. Sosen, The Asura-Animal Path. A new arm erupts from their stomach, touching the ground in front of them as summoning smoke appears, blocking the view for a moment.

*Clap*

As the smoke clears, we find two more people have joined the battlefield, one of which is clapping as they watch us. Himitsu lands next to me, and a glance tells me that what I'm reading is exactly right, her eyes wide.

"What the fuck…" Himitsu whispers.

Our target, Masayoshi-Kan herself, summoned somehow by her own Grandfather, a man that should have long been dead. As weird as that was to say, a situation that only got weirder by the second, seeing as she was applauding us, it was the second man that had Himitsu suddenly worried. It would seem that the ghosts walked among us in Konoha, another dead man having joined the fight.

Tsuyo-sa, the Ishi no Yurei, the Ghost Of Stone himself, was watching us closely with purple eyes blazing behind his mask, his telltale shock white Katana on his side. Again, however, his title was different, currently The Naraka Path. The man turned around, holding his hand aloft, as behind them a circle of purple flames appeared.

"You know…you're only the second person to ever 'kill' me," Orochimaru says, her face a weirdly wide smile.

"You?" I ask, confused. Whatever was happening here was not what I expected.

I jump slightly as a large head erupted from within the circle of purple fire, staring down at us. Tsuyo-sa grabs Sosen by the neck, tossing him into the suddenly gaping mouth, as the monster begins to chew. Whatever it was, it didn't appear as anything to my eyes.

Orochimaru stops applauding now, the look of anger from Sosen's face now plastered here. "I almost forgot that you have no idea what you face today. To think…such a strong, rare individual. Multiple bloodlines, some that I haven't seen in centuries…all held by a fool."

The mouth opens now, and to our horror, Sosen walks out whole again, even his clothes fixed. As though the battle had never happened at all… At once, all three of their titles begin to shift rapidly, mutating from one combination to another, till they finally stop.

Sosen, The Asura-Preta Path

Tsuyo-sa, The Animal-Human-Naraka Path

Masayoshi-Kan(Orochimari), The Deva-Outer Path.

Besides me, perhaps sensing that things had changed, Himitsu all but explodes, her Chakra going nuts, launching me through the air. If I were to guess, she was going full bore, and the roar was all the answer I needed. She was going to manifest all Nine Tails, what we had discussed as being the last resort.

'Probably a good idea.' I think as I manage to right myself.

Eight Gates: Gate of Opening Activate!

Eight Gates: Gate of Healing Activate!

Eight Gates: Gate of Life Activate!

Eight Gates: Gate of Pain Activate!

Eight Gates: Gate of Limit Activate!

Impossible Speed kicks on, and with a thought, the air compresses into a wall that I land against, floating in the air for a millisecond as I spot Sosen and Tsuyo-sa running left and right, a ways back as Orochimaru rushes forward to face Himitsu. I push off, rapidly forming compressed air walls, as I bounce through the air towards Sosen. I didn't know what the fuck was going on here, but we were either going to kill these undead monsters or die trying. I wished I could repeat my earlier attack, as it was more than enough to take down Sosen, but I only had so many Kunai on me, and I'd used most of them previously. Regrettable, but it was just barely enough to defeat the wall he had summoned.

I moved upwards now, bouncing through the air, as Impossible Speed came to an end. With a final push, I launched myself into the air using Swift Release, ending up right above Sosen. I rotated in the air, flipping over as I reached the top of my jump, pointing myself downwards. I see Tsuyo-sa spot me, and by some unknown form of communication, Sosen then too looks up, warned of my presence. I'm falling now, and with a burst of Wind release behind me, I'm rocketing downward towards him. In the distance, there is an eruption of light as Himitsu explodes, streams of chakra flying out in every direction, forming into a great beast.

Below me, Sosen smiles, his body opening all over as the wall of blades, spikes, spears, and all manner of spinning metal death explode out from within him, spinning around him for dozens of feet in all directions. Even had I wanted to, no manner of Wind manipulation would have pushed me far enough afield to dodge the death that awaited me below…But it wasn't Wind I planned to use. I snap my hands together, five handseals, and a burst of Hurricane Release and I knew I fucking had him.

Hurricane Release - Sen Boruto No Ame - Thousand Volt Rain!

I exploded, a trillion little droplets of water, each filed to the brim with electricity, creative usage of Crackling Vest. I crashed down upon him, his metal little more than conduits for my power as every single ounce of electricity I could produce flowed freely into his body…and mine. To say it didn't hurt would be a lie, and the heat evaporated a significant portion of my water, but to claim it wasn't effective?

I forced myself to reform, my upper body forming out of the spray of water right next to Sosen, as I slammed the suddenly appearing Kunai into the side of his head, right in the temple, burying it to the fucking handle. If the electricity didn't kill him, that sure did, but I didn't stop there, ripping it forward and out through his purple eyes. There is a swirl of air in front of me, Tsuyo-sa appearing from within, his long blade sliding into my chest as I explode once more into water. I reform on the outer edge of the wall of metal, throwing myself aside as Tsuyo-sa appears again, his blade missing me by scant inches.

The Kunai in my hand is launched, a burst of Swift Release sending it rocketing towards one of the only people to earn the Flee On Sight recommendation in the Bingo Book. I was reminded why as the Kunai went straight through him, not even a flinch from the man as his eyes shift rapidly between purple and red. I shifted into water once more as his blade slashes through me, an attack that would have killed me were I a normal Ninja. The ground rumbled, the large tailed beast in the distance rampaging over what remained of Konoha. There was a blazing figure of light, from which a large skeletal hand of fire was reaching for the beast.

Impossible Speed once more kicked in, and I took the second it bought me to assess the situation. The man couldn't be touched, his legend as deep as the mythology that surrounded him. I was thankful now, having researched the man as best I could, after learning that we were both Flee On Sight. During his 32 years of known activity, he had racked up a kill count in the thousands, never once ever being hurt in all his battles. An assassin, appearing and disappearing at will, something that was hard to believe but I could now attest to. Whatever gave him this ability, it was formidable, making him impossible to kill.

I jumped back, another slash of his blade going wide, as I danced backward. He slid to a stop, one hand going up in a series of rapid handseals, before a stream of fire flew from his mouth, disappearing inches in front of his mouth. Only the fact that I was already moving saved me, as a dozen swirling portals appeared, the stream of fire coming out of all of them, the conflagration decimating the area I had once been in. The heat alone was dangerous, having to concentrate so I didn't evaporate and lose even more water.

'Think Unmei think!' I…thought, as I started a stream of handseals.

I grabbed my wrist, flooding my hand with Lightning Release, a stream of pure electricity pooling out into a whip of burning light. I flicked my wrist, sending the stream of electricity at the man, who jumped back, surprising me.

'Why dodge?' I thought as I moved forward, only to be interrupted as someone landed between us, catching my whip of electricity.

"Y-Yoki?" I ask, stunned. I hadn't thought he would join me, instead remaining with the Kumo Nin, mainly Min'na, as protection.

"Unmei!" He says, not glancing back at me. "You need to go, now. The Kumo contingent are under attack to the south!"

"What? Where? By who?" I ask surprised, letting the whip fade away at least.

At that moment Tsuyo-sa appeared, his blade slamming into Yoki's raised arm, a harsh grinding sound as the blade is stopped cold. His arm exploded into tendrils, grabbing Tsuyo-sa, who disappears in a swirl almost instantly.

"Wait, what the fuck?" I ask, "You just fucking grabbed-"

"No time, Unmei, go!" He says. Seeing my hesitation he says, "He's touchable only when he attacks. Now go!"

I nod, a glance at the sky telling me which direction is south, and with a burst of Swift Release, I'm gone.

It takes but a moment to get to the wall, and the bodies of the Kumo Ninja strewn about. Whatever had happened here was brutal, holes dotting the land where the Ninjas had hidden from my tornados. Something…someone, had pulled them from the very ground only to destroy them. I sense movement behind me, whipping around, only to find a young man with dark hair, dark skin, who seems scarily familiar to me, standing there studying me. He couldn't be any older than me, yet held himself with supreme confidence. He cocks his head slightly, before smiling almost warmly.

"You must be Unmei." He says, nodding to himself. "I mean, of course, you are. How else would you have gotten here so fast?"

I'm guarded, doing my best to ignore the shaking of the ground. Himitsu was still standing, so whatever she was doing was at least working.

"And who are you? Another dead man raised by Orochimaru to do his bidding? I don't recognize you" I ask, studying his reaction.

"Recognize me?" He cocks his head again, a smile on his face as though he knows something I don't know.

"Heavens no." He laughs, "Though as apt as your observation is, even that doesn't particularly touch the subject completely. I'm Sagi-shi, the fifth Otokage….though, I imagine to your eyes you can see my true name as well?"

I frown, replying, "Kabuto."

He claps his hands once, smiling again. "I had a feeling there was something special about you..to think, a two-hundred-year-old secret, and it's broken by a child."

"Yeah what about-" I start, before launching the Kunai that appeared in my hand, flooding it with Swift Release.

The blade flies true, aiming to slam into his unprotected forehead, when his hand flies up, catching the Kunai in his hand. He drops it to the ground, frowning.

"I had hoped to talk a bit more, you know. It's been a very long time since I could talk to someone so freely…especially since you die today." He says, cocking one eyebrow up. "No? Very well…but before we begin, may I ask one question Unmei?"

The man is being so calm that I could feel a small measure of respect building inside of me. There was something offputting about him, the way he moved, the way he spoke…something that told me he was much, much more than I could see.

"Ask," I replied, buying a moment to consider how best to tackle this foe.

"Before I ask, I have to admit something to you…I've been watching you for a long time. I had originally been watching the girl, Min'na, but I came across you during your first fight with the 7 tailed Jinchuriki. I could tell even then that you were special…I wanted to study you so, so much…" He says as he begins to stare at me almost longingly. "A unique specimen…Your DNA somehow changes in reaction to external stimuli."

"DNA?" I ask, confused.

"It's hard to explain to someone that doesn't understand…but let's just say it's what makes you, you. It changes…unlike anyone else's I've ever seen." He replies.

"How do you know that?" I ask, studying him.

"It's in your blood, and you've left quite a bit lying around in the past. Collecting some was of little effort." He says. "But that's enough of that…the question…Despite an extensive study, even cross transplantation, even cloning, I can not recreate your eyes. How do they work?"

It takes me a moment to think about what he is saying before I see the smirk on his face, and I'm already moving backward, flooding my body with Swift Release. He's almost on me, only my split-second decision to move saving my life as his glowing hand passes through where my chest was a tenth of a heartbeat before. I bend backward as he moves again, so swiftly, no…so Swiftly, that I can barely react, his swipe going over me as his eyes track me. It's then that I realize why I recognize the face…the face was my own. The expressions were wrong, the eyes were wrong, but the face was my own, mirrored.

For a split second his eyes flash red, the Uchiha eyes visible for a split second. I shift the air around me, forming a tunnel of vacuum, Impossible Speed and Vacuum Step kicking in as I launch myself backward as fast as I can go.

I land hard, sliding a bit before I roll to my feet, pulling one of my remaining Kunai out to hold in front of me and defend myself. Instead of the expected attack, the man, Kabuto, is simply standing there watching me.

"How interesting…In all my time watching you, I don't think I've seen you use that combo before." He says, frowning.

The air around him moves, flexing, a wall of pressure shooting out around us, as he forms a layer of vacuum around us. He moves his hands, feeling the difference before it pops back with a soft pop.

"How lovely…Yes, yes, I can see the utility. A 3% increase in speed doesn't seem significant until you consider how fast we can move to start with." He says, practically talking to himself. "Tell me Unmei, do you have any other unique ways of using these abilities? I really must know it all."

At that moment there is a roar in the distance, which Kabuto turns to look at. I glance as well, startled at what I see. A large flaming being, as tall as Himitsu's released Kyubi form had formed and was holding the beastly form at bay.

"Your friend is pushing him quite far…I haven't seen the Complete Body Susanoo in a hundred years." Kabuto says. "She's going to lose, you know."

"I have faith in her," I reply instantly. "Orochimaru isn't unstoppable. And neither are you."

He turns back to me then, my own face staring back at me. "Unstoppable? No, he certainly isn't. But you're mistaken if you think she can stop him on her own…and you're mistaken if you think anyone alive or dead could kill me now. You'll be delighted to know, however, that your friend was just barely able to destroy his second body. You certainly do know how to make friends, don't you?"

I glance from eye to eye, considering his words. I consider replying but decide that the time for talk is over. Himitsu needs me…and I'll be damned if we fail now.

Eight Gates: Gate of Opening Activate!

Eight Gates: Gate of Healing Activate!

Eight Gates: Gate of Life Activate!

Eight Gates: Gate of Pain Activate!

I explode into action as my body is flooded with Chakra. The strain is tremendous, the days fighting already going much longer than we had hoped, but I could tell that this opponent, however, he did what he did, would need my all if I wanted to make it to Himitsu at all. I appear in front of him, his eyes a blazing red as they focus on me, his arm up to block my attack, the glowing white of his hand somehow able to deflect my Kunai. I spin, my kick blocked, and with a flick, I launch the Kunai at his head, but his eyes see all, and he dodges.

However, this isn't the first Uchiha I'd ever fought, and I'd spent hours upon hours imagining how I would defeat one, like Orochimaru, who could potentially outspeed me. As the smile forms on my face, matching the one that had graced his the entire fight, my trap is already set.

Eight Gates: Gate of Limit Activate!

Eight Gates: Gate of View Activate!

As the two new gates open, little balls of pure Lightning release pour off of me, a thousand, tens of thousands, hundreds of tens of thousands, in a split second. At a cost of 0.01 Chakra, I still spent 4000 Chakra on this one technique, as the air around me, all around us, are filled with Lightning Balls. Too many, far too many to track, the man is distracted…and that would be his death. Impossible Speed kicks back in, and with a burst of speed, I was in front of him. His eyes are moving, so so slowly, jiggling as they struggle to take in every drop of chakra around us. My hand snaps forward, my finger sliding like a knife through the skin of his chest to just rest against his sternum.

'500 meters…half a second.' I think, as his hands come down, grabbing my arm, as I flood him with even more Swift Release.

There is an explosion then, as time snaps back to normal speed, throwing me back to land hard a good ways back. I'm in agony, no time to turn to water, and with a glance, I can see my hand, part of my arm, are gone. Shredded, it hangs there useless. I lay there for a moment, just concentrating on staying awake before I force myself to my feet. This battle wasn't over, and I certainly wasn't going to give up now. I reach down with my left hand, gripping what remained of my arm, concentrating hard as my body started slowly turning to water.

'Hand…hand…I know what it feels like to have a hand…come on hand….' I think, concentrating.

It takes a moment, but the water that makes up my arm stretches out, reforming into my hand, and a second later I was healed. It would seem that even an injury of that magnitude couldn't stop me…I shook my head, before finally turning to see what remained. As I watched, the large Skeleton, Susanoo Kabuto had called it, begins to do handseals. Large trees erupt from the ground, surrounding Himitsu, blocking her attempts at moving.

'It's time…' I think, before closing my eyes.

I allow myself a second, my heart beginning to race. Wherever this journey ends, I knew I'd done my best. I'd made mistakes, a bucketful of those, but I would be remembered for never giving up…even dying and coming back to life hadn't stopped me.

Eight Gates: Gate of Wonder Activate!

I appeared, all but on fire it felt, my body burning with the Chakra of a thousand Ninja. My previous usage of the Eight Gates was nothing in comparison to what I felt now. I had not yet even used the final step, the one that would kill me, but unlock the powers of the gods, and I felt stronger than anyone else could have possibly ever felt.

Konoha was no more, trampled to dust, burned to ashes, and tossed into the wind. Whatever Orochimaru may be, a liar he was not. Konoha meant little to him now, little more than the stage of the fight that would net him the final piece of the Kyubi…and the beginning of his campaign to wipe the land clean.

The truth was that we had awoken a monster here today…even the dumbest Genin knew better than to kick a hornet's nest, but that was exactly what we had done. I would set this straight here, and now, and remove this blight from the Elemental Nations once and for all.

The air around me sparked with Chakra, my body putting off wave after wave of energy. Orochimaru could sense me coming, and the scene I came upon told me that he knew I was on the way. Gone was the giant Skeleton, only the woman's body he now wore standing before me. Behind him, massive trees wrapped around Himitsu's form, the damage she had taken too much for her to handle.

I took all of this in-between heartbeats and was already moving before the next. Orochimaru's hand snapped up as I approached, no words spoken, as I slam into a wall that doesn't exist, some sort of pressure preparing to launch me back from where I came.

Eight Gates: Gate of Death Activate!

I was no longer on fire, but made of fire, every fiber of my body vibrating with the mad chakra rushing through my body. I could feel everything around me for miles, the tiniest movement so clear to my eyes it was as though I stood above it all, watching closely. I could hear it all, taste the blood in the air, and for a second, I could swear I existed everywhere at once, my consciousness expanding infinitely in all directions.

The wall of pressure couldn't hold me, the Chakra flaring behind me as I pushed, pushed, harder and harder, pouring it all, everything I had into it. I was feet away, the world in slow motion, closing the distance. My hand lit up with Lightning so bright it was impossible to look at. I knew if I could reach him, I could kill him, that nothing could stop me.

I knew then I couldn't hold back, and with a final push, I shoved it all into moving forward, and with an explosion, I felt the pressure disappear, and I-

Orochimaru POV

The child appeared, a visible aura of chakra burning around him.

'The Eight Gates.' He thought, recognizing the technique at once. 'No trouble.'

Having already prepared, he raised his hand,

Shinra Tensei

Impossibly the child wasn't launched away, pushing against the Shinra Tensei despite being in the air. The child then blurs, his form vibrating at such a high speed that only the advanced Sharingan had any hope of seeing him at all, as the force he is producing pushes back even harder.

As Orochimaru begins to think the child will win against the Shinra Tensei, his body blurs further, before exploding into a fog, literally boiling away under the combined pressures, dispersing into the air as he finally loses against the Shinra Tensei. His eyes narrow, flashing through several variations, before turning back to the captured Jinchuriki.

"Now…what do I do now?" He says aloud.

"You get swept away bitch!"

It was dark…so so dark. I didn't understand…I had done everything I could, every ounce of power I had, and it hadn't been enough. My body, despite my training with the first seven of the Eight Gates, had simply been unable to handle the power of all eight. I could feel it, my body falling apart, breaking down, unable to contain the energy I was pushing through it. I should have stopped, but I knew I could not.

"All for nothing…' I thought. 'Himitsu would die, and soon thereafter so would Kumo. The same fate would come for the other nations as well…'

'Is this…truly how it ends?" I thought, shaking a head that didn't exist.

No. I refuse. I refuse to let this be the end. Whomever it was before, the voice, had brought me back. That had to mean something! I had to be meant for something other than dying, losing the only battle I have ever fought that truly meant something. My name was Unmei…I would not lose here.

The wind shifts, and appearing out of the air itself, Unmei appears again, his Aura on fire, his hand a shining sun in the darkness. Orochimaru is turning, unable to comprehend what had happened.

"You get swept away bitch!" I yelled, replying to his question, as I reformed from the very moisture in the air.

He was turning, so slowly, so slowly, as my fingers found her shoulder.

Lightning Release - Descent Into Darkness

There was a crackle like thunder as I dump half my Chakra into her body, a wave of power emanating from where her feet touch the ground, sparks shooting out in every direction. As she is falling, so am I, the energy that had sustained me disappearing as my time ran out at last. We hit the ground together, a tangle of limbs. I can feel my Chakra leeching away, my coils burned away by the overabundance of Chakra I'd just forced through them. I didn't know how long she would stay down, knowing I didn't have long, as the world froze around me. A few thoughts and the world was back, the flashing alert a sight to see.

Feat Purchased - Eight Gates Released Formation

Like a gasp of air as you surface from underwater, my body is flooded with Chakra as my system comes back to life. It hurts, it hurts worse than anything I had ever experienced, but alive I would be. I roll over, pulling myself out from under Orochimaru, crawling till I was on my knees beside him. With a flick, a Kunai appeared in my hand, and I swung it down into her face, preparing to end this once and for all.

Her eyes snapped open, one of her hands snapping out to grab my wrist, the other grabbing my throat. Her eyes begin shifting, and I find myself with only one option. Knowing it was going to hurt didn't stop me, as I flood my body with a Lighting Release heavy Swift Release, my free hand snapping forward, my thumb and index slamming into her wide-open eyes, mashing them in.

She was screaming, not releasing me, my throat being crushed by her power and I let my Jutsu go.

Shocking Grasp

With how we were connected, I could feel every bit of the power I poured into her, our bodies jerking as I shocked us both. After only two seconds her hand released my own, my throat, and I was falling. As I hit the ground, I moved, wanting to be as certain as I could be. I jumped back, and as I did, I flicked the Swift Release flooded Kunai.

At last, one would hit its mark, her forehead, taking the entire top of her head with it as it exploded out the back of her head. I landed hard, rolling back to my feet, swaying as I could barely stand as it was, ready for whatever trickery would follow.

MISSION COMPLETE!

Konoha, Killing, and Kinjutsu…Part 2

Main Objective 1: Survive - Success

Main Objective 2: Kill, or otherwise defeat, Orochimaru - Success

Side Objective 1: Destroy 1 of Orochimaru's Paths - Success

Side Objective 2: Destroy 2 of Orochimaru's Paths - Success

Side Objective 3: Kill, or otherwise defeat, Kabuto

+228,900 XP

LEVEL UP ALERT!

I fell to my knees, the sense of relief passing through my body at the alert.

"It's…done." I said, falling now to my hands.

I was exhausted, having burned through nearly every drop of Chakra I had. It would refill, but everything together was simply too much for me to handle. There was a loud crash then, as the large trees began to fall apart, rotting, as dead as their creator had been. As they collapsed, Himitsu's form began to shrink at last, whatever effect the wood had on her fading away. I watched as her small form struggled to her feet, making her way towards me, as everything faded to black…

IF YOU HAVE NOT YET READ THE ENDING TO DRAGONBALL RPG:X, STOP HERE. IF THE ENDING TO THAT STORY, POSTED A MOMENT AGO, IS MORE IMPORTANT TO YOU THAN THE ENDING OF THIS STORY, GO READ THAT FIRST. YOU'LL BE HAPPIER, AND YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

Epilogue

Three Years Later

There was a soft knock at the door before it was pushed open.

"Unmei? How are you doing?" The soft voice asked, the room dark except for a lone candle.

"H-Himitsu? You…came…." I whispered, barely able to focus on her.

"Of course I did dummy. When I had heard you'd taken sick, I made arrangements to come as soon as I could. I'm so sorry I couldn't come sooner…." She replied, shaking her head. "It's taken a lot of work to remake Konoha, and appease the other nations."

"Th-that's okay…thank you…tell me what…what has all happened?" I ask, focusing hard on her voice.

Himitsu would talk for hours, even after Unmei fell asleep, his labored breathing the only thing to keep her voice company. Unmei had fallen sick months previously, some unknown wasting sickness having stripped him of most of his strength. What was once perhaps the strongest Ninja to ever grace the world, all that was left was a sickly man.

"And of course…it's not been easy now that Kumo has the 7 tail back. Apparently, every time they put it in a new host, it attempts to convince the host to hunt you down…" Himitsu says, smiling slightly. "Thankfully the terms of the treaty are clear…and…Unmei?"

She was silent then, listening, before shaking her head sadly. She stood, going to the door, opening it slightly, and exiting the room.

My eyes opened into darkness, my lungs filling with air deeply for the first time in months. I tried looking around but could see nothing. I tried using a Jutsu to light the room up, but it would seem that nothing would work…

"Am I dead at last?" I ask quietly into the void.

YES

I was startled at the reply, never having expected to hear from the mysterious voice that called itself god. The amount of times I'd asked the sky random questions was uncountable.

FIVE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-SEVEN. THIRTY-EIGHT IF WE COUNT THAT ONE

"So you know everything then, huh?" I ask, "Then how did I die? Explain it to me."

There was silence for a time before at last an answer came.

YOU DIED BECAUSE OROCHIMARU AND KABUTO WERE PARASITES. LONG, LONG AGO OROCHIMARU DISCOVERED HOW TO STEAL BODIES, HIDING AWAY, TAKING OVER SLOWLY…HE KNEW THAT HE COULD STILL DIE, SO CREATED A WAY THAT ANYONE WHO KILLED HIM WOULD BE INFECTED…HE DID OF COURSE TEACH THIS TO HIS STUDENT…AND YOU KILLED THEM BOTH.

THEY BOTH INFECTED YOU, AND YOUR BODY SIMPLY COULDN'T SUSTAIN THEM BOTH FOR ANY LONGER. THEY SLOWLY TOOK YOU OVER, TILL THERE WAS NOTHING LEFT FOR THEM TO TAKE.

I was horrified. "So what? Did they take my body? Are they running around as me right now?"

NO. THE JUTSU WAS NEVER MEANT FOR THEM TO SHARE A BODY. THEY BOTH HAVE DIED WITH YOU, PERMANENTLY.

I couldn't comprehend the depravity required for such a Jutsu to ever be created, let alone used. It explained so much, however.

"Can you send me back again?" I ask, hopeful. "I can do better this time…I had so much I still wanted to do."

I'M SORRY, BUT I CAN NOT.

"Are…are my friends okay?" I ask, filled with sadness.

LET ME SHOW YOU. IT IS THE LEAST I CAN DO.

The world around me lit up, showing me Himitsu. I could tell she was sad but surviving. The scene changed again, showing me another place, another person, another time. As the world shifted around me, I couldn't help but smile.

Real World - Four Years Before RPG Rebirth

As the timelapse played, Angela began typing commands. A simple one, just to continue the simulation until Unmei's happiness was back to a baseline, and then to erase him, setting the simulation back to the basics. Despite just being a program, a complex one, she felt for him. It was the least she could do for him, considering the hours and hours of entertainment he had given her. Her vacation had been a fun one, watching the second life of Unmei. She was inspired even, having had several ideas to float past Chris when she was back in the office tomorrow.

She hit run, watching as it began tracking his stats, waiting for the final moment to erase him.

ERROR

Her console lights up, startling her from her watch.

"What the fuck? Why?" She asks aloud, despite the apartment being empty.

She pulls the logs, tracking down the error before she is frozen solid.

ERROR 717 - NO NPC'S PRESENT

She reads it twice, before at last pulling out her phone and hitting speed dial 1. It rings twice, before a man's voice answers at last.

"C-Chris…I…I think I fucked up."

A/N: …and so it's done at long last. The ending I promised almost 14 months ago, is finally in your hands. Hopefully, you found some enjoyment in the battle. I'm personally disappointed in it…I'll add more content at a later date when I do my edits. Flush out some background stuff, add some stuff to each fight so they are more full…

The truth is…I don't know that I could ever be satisfied here. I had a lot of fun writing system test. There were ups, and downs…but I'll be damned if I didn't have fun.

As always, let's wrap this one up as I always do.

Unmei is dead…but his battle is won…His only wish was to live again, and live again he will, even if he doesn't know it till it too is about to end. There were no lessons to learn here, no revelations. What we have is a person that believed he could do the impossible.

We see this in Kll, who despite setback after setback, always tried to keep moving forward. He may not have remembered these lives, but the person that he was lived on.

Until next time…This is Klldarkness, and you've just finished Naruto: System Test…