Author's Note: So, after much buildup, here we are. The invasion of Kirigakure is about to begin! Both this and the next part are two of the most action filled chapters I've written so far. I hope you enjoy them:
Chapter 48:
The Invasion of Kirigakure, Part I
or
Clash of the Seven Swordsmen
After many preparations, today was it. The day the rebels would march over Kirigakure and liberate it from its bloodthirsty and more than likely manipulated Kage. While the morale was high, most of them were rather nervous. Assaulting a Great Village would fall under what was considered major warfare. The battle wouldn't be easy.
As they approached, the mist became more and more dense. The Kiri ninja explained to their Konoha allies that they kept a permanent mist barrier surrounding the village for defensive purposes. But while said mist would hinder Konoha ninja, it would do little to stop other Kiri ninja. And after some time walking, they could see the village gates through the mist. Mei, heading the march, stopped and held one hand, and the rebel army stopped as well.
"Bring me our siege specialist," Mei commanded one of her ANBU.
The masked ninja nodded and vanished. A minute later, he reappeared alongside Sasuke Uchiha.
"There's the gate, Sasuke-kun. You think you can take it down on your own?" Mei asked, a bit skeptical.
Sasuke glared at the rebel leader, his Sharingan flaring to life. "Don't underestimate the Uchiha Clan."
Sasuke took a few step forward, and got ready. He started to gather his chakra, as his normal Sharingan morphed into the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, and flinched when he was forced to relive the time he believed he had killed Naruto. Even if he knew the loudmouth blond was alive, the anguish felt very real.
He started to glow with a purple aura, as a purple, ghostly ribcage appeared around him. More bones started appearing as it formed the upper half of a giant humanoid skeleton, which was then covered in flesh, and then an armor. The chakra construct raised its left arm, and a bow was generated on its wrist. Pulling the string with the other arm, a huge arrow covered in black flames was generated.
"Infernal Release: Susanoo Black Fire Bolt!"
Sasuke released the arrow, which pierced the gate with such force it tore it off of its hinges, leaving a wide entrance for the rebels to get into the city.
His job done, Sasuke dispelled the chakra construct and fell on his knees, panting heavily. His teammates quickly rushed to check him.
"Sasuke-kun, are you okay?" Shizune asked. "Do you need healing?"
Sasuke shook his head and got back on his feet again. "No, I'm okay. Using Susanoo is very taxing, but I will be fine in a couple minutes."
"Even then, try to take it easy," Shizune advised.
After seeing Sasuke's attack, Mei was a bit stunned at such display of power. "Wow, and here I thought he was exaggerating. Worth every ryo indeed." She then turned to her troops. "The gates are down! Everybody move out! Kirigakure is ours for the taking! Today, the world will see the end of the Blood Mist!" she yelled as she charged forwards.
Her words were replied by a loud chorus of war cries as the rest of the rebels rushed into the village behind their leader
Meanwhile, as the bulk of the army rushed into the city, two lone figures hidden nearby cautiously watched.
"So, how long until they notice that's a clone?" Naruto asked his partner.
As opposed to her usual elegant blue dress, the Mizukage candidate was wearing the Kirigakure ANBU uniform, with a happuri-shaped Kirigakure forehead protector instead of a white and red mask, but with the standard sword, even if Mei's skill with such weapon was less than zero. Her extremely long hair was now tied into a more manageable braid that fell down her back.
"My Earth Clones are very durable, can last days if undamaged, and can even use some jutsu of moderate intensity. How about you, are you ready?" Mei asked.
Before taking one last glance at the two clones sitting in the lotus position, Naruto gave Mei a thumbs up as well as a confident grin.
"Shouldn't you activate your Sage Mode already? Remember that we're going to face a Kage who happens to be a perfect Jinchuriki," Mei reminded him.
"But...Sage Mode is active!" Naruto told her.
Mei raised an eyebrow. "That's it? Some yellow eyes and orange eye-shadow? When you told me about it you made it sounded far more impressive."
"It might not look much on the outside now, but once you see what can I do in Sage Mode, you'll change your mind," Naruto told her.
"I'll take your word for it. Now come on, let's see if we can get into the Mizukage's Palace without drawing much attention," Mei replied as she and Naruto sneaked into the village.
…
Mizukage's Palace
Oblivious to the chaos that was about to be unleashed on his village, Yagura was in his office, doing the paperwork his job usually entailed. He thought it would be a day like any other, when the doors of his office were burst open. A kunoichi with short blond hair entered the room, flanked by two ANBU. She looked rather shaken.
"Yagura, the rebels are here! They took down the gates as if they were nothing, and are pouring into the village!" the woman almost screamed.
Yagura calmly stopped doing paperwork, got up from his chair, and fixed a stare on the woman. "Calm down, Aiko-chan. You're a ninja, please behave like one. When did the attack happen?"
"About five minutes ago. What are your orders?" she asked, still visibly restless.
Yagura let out a sigh. "So, Mei finally made her move. She came sooner than I expected. Tell me, Aiko-chan, was she spotted among the invaders?"
"Yes, she was spearheading them. What about it?" Aiko replied.
"Then this attack is just a distraction. According to the messages we got from the Crimson Citadel, they managed to break in by sending a team of infiltrators in order to open the dock gates. I believe she will try the same trick. Send half our forces to meet them, and send reinforcements to the dock. I wouldn't discard infiltrators working to neutralize the defenses of our docks as we speak," Yagura told her.
Aiko appeared a bit more calmed now, though she was still uneasy. "What if the rebels won't attack the docks?"
"Then moving our troops from the docks to wherever they're needed won't be hard. It's a small village after all. Just in case, I'll activate the Chakra Golems. But truth be told, the fight for the village is worthless," Yagura cryptically said.
"What do you mean?" Aiko replied.
"Mei will use the ongoing battle as a cover to sneak a team of assassins into the palace and murder me. Knowing her, she'll lead the group herself. All we have to do is wait for her here, and kill her. With their leader dead, the rebellion will be easy to dismantle," Yagura explained.
"Sounds risky, but looks like our best bet. But first, I need to make sure Dagura is safe," Aiko replied.
"Do not worry for our son. The rebels aren't after him. Besides, he's also a ninja. The battleground is where he needs to be," Yagura chided his wife.
Aiko bit her lip. "But...okay, yes, you're right."
"Besides, I'm going to need you here when that redheaded whore and her assassins arrive," Yagura told her.
…
The initial onslaught managed to push the first wave of Kirigakure defenders with relative ease. However, as it happened during the assault on the Crimson Citadel, the moment the rebel forces started to spread out, their advance was considerably slowed down as the ensuing battles became more even for both sides.
Zabuza had asked Mei to be assigned to the same group as Haku, so the two of them could fight this battle together.
"Here I am, again, trying to take over Kirigakure, even if I won't be the next Mizukage if we succeed," Zabuza thought, as he brutally fought the opposition. "Though even then, I'll be closer to being Mizukage than I've ever been. Plus this time, it seems that I will be on the winning side!"
Haku was not only fighting for the man who had given him a second chance at life, but for himself as well. It was thanks to Kirigakure and Yagura that he lost his family, and people with Bloodline Limits were seen in the Land of Water as monsters to hunt down. Besides helping Zabuza achieve his ambitions, he was also making sure no other child like him would have to go through the same thing he did.
"Ice Release: Ice Dragon Crystal Blast!"
Haku conjured a dragon made of ice from his hands, which flew towards a cluster of red clad Kirigakure ninja, dashing towards them. The dragon crashed against the group, shattering in a multitude of razor sharp ice shards that flew in all directions.
"They have an Ice Release User! I thought all of them were killed!" A Kirigakure defender shouted in disbelief.
"Not all of them, obviously. Anyway, let's finish the job ourselves!" another ninja replied.
"Yes, I'm the last of the Yuki clan. But you're truly foolish if you believe that my clan will disappear today," Haku coldly replied as he made several hand seals. "Ice Release: Piercing Icicle Shot!"
This time, Haku made a rather large spear made of ice, which flew at the group of ninjas. However, this time he wouldn't catch them off guard, since one of them was making hand seals.
"Earth Release: Earth Style Wall!"
The Kiri defender slammed his palms into the ground, raising a thick stone wall that blocked the ice jutsu.
"They can use Earth Release, which can counter my jutsu," Haku said to nobody in particular. He then looked at Hinata, who was dispatching another Kiri ninja. "Hinata-san, think you can crack that wall?"
After she was done, Hinata looked back at Haku and smiled. "Leave that to me." The young Hyuga's hands flew through hand seals, before casting both hands forward.
"Lightning Release: Thunder Fang!"
Hinata's hands crackled with electricity as she released a mass of lightning from them. The shapeless mass soon took the form of a giant lion head. The lightning lion opened its mouth, letting out a metallic sounding roar before crashing against the wall, blowing it up to pieces.
Taking advantage of the opening, Zabuza dashed towards the cluster of enemies and started to engage them all at once. Despite the numerical advantage, they were having a hard time keeping up with the Demon of the Hidden Mist.
"The hell? Zabuza's back!" a Kiri ninja shouted.
"Indeed I am. I came here to finish what I started so many years ago. Now you can do the smart thing and run with your lives, or die pointlessly against me. I personally find the second option more amusing," Zabuza coolly told them.
"You traitorous bastard! You don't deserve that-" a Kiri ninja was about to say, but he was interrupted when something happened.
Suddenly, circular sealing patterns started to appear across the village. The rebels have already seen this once, they knew what was going to happen.
"Everybody, get ready! Here they come!" Kurenai shouted.
And as expected, after a brief burst of smoke, large Chakra Golems were summoned by the sealing patterns. The machines instantly activated with a metallic hum, and they quickly began to search for the invaders and end their lives.
"These golems are probably bound to the Mizukage. Hopefully Naruto and Mei will finish their mission before we suffer too many losses," Kurenai hoped as she prepared to fight an incoming golem.
…
Not far from there, Naruto and Mei were moving through the village as silently as possible. Naruto felt the need to join his fellow Konoha ninja in the battlefield, especially those who were having a hard time against the golems, but in deep down he knew doing so would endanger more lives than it would save them.
"How long until we reach the palace?" an impatient Naruto asked.
"I think we're halfway there. If we keep this pace, it shouldn't take us more than half an hour to get there." Mei replied.
"I see. In that case-" Naruto then stopped and perked up. "I think somebody saw us. I'm sensing a group of four ninja getting closer. All of them Jonin level."
Mei raised an eyebrow. "You didn't tell me you were also a sensor."
"Normally I'm not, but Sage Mode also gives its user sensing abilities," Naruto explained. "Should we hide?"
"No. They know we're here. Better take them out now than let them warn Yagura that we're going after him," Mei replied. Then again, she knew Yagura would be expecting her and would prepare accordingly.
"And here they come."
And just like Naruto said, four red-clad ninja landed in front of them and unsheathed their katanas at once. Judging by their uniforms and older faces, it was easy to tell they were Jonin even if Naruto wasn't there to gauge their power.
"Mei Terumi. What's a pretty traitor like you doing here, accompanied by a Konoha child?" one of the Jonin asked, a tall muscular man with short brown hair.
"Yagura said he wanted you alive," another one said, this one being slimmer, with black hair tied in a slipknot. "But he also said that he'll understand if you have to die."
"Which means we don't have to hold back!" a third one, a burly man with a large nose and a soul patch, said in delight as he charged towards the duo. "DIE!"
Naruto met the man's charge with one of his own, and sank his fist on the man's gut, much to his disbelief.
"H-How...?" he babbled.
Naruto smirked, and delivered a punch with his other arm, sending the Kiri ninja flying into the horizon, much to everybody's amazement.
"Kyoko!" the black haired Kiri ninja cried.
"How...how that kid was able to do that? Such strength..." the fourth ninja, a younger man with light blue hair stammered.
"Snap out of it, you cowards!" the muscular man yelled, as he made hand seals. "And don't let your guard down! Earth Release: Mountain Hammer!"
The muscular ninja pulled put a gigantic hammer made of stone from the ground and swung it at Naruto from above. The blond Sage merely raised a hand, which was enough to block the strike. The hammer's wielder was left speechless.
"Impossible!"
"Sorry, that word isn't in my vocabulary," Naruto casually said as he snatched the hammer from his hands and swung it at the muscular ninja, sending him flying against a building.
"That boy's too strong! Fall back!"
The other two ninja attempted to flee, but they found that Mei was cutting their escape.
"Aw, you don't plan to leave without letting me have my share of fun, right?" Mei cooed as she made several hand seals. "Water Release: All Devouring Maelstrom!"
The two remaining Kiri ninja found themselves inside a violent water tornado which sent them flying in different directions.
"Good job," Naruto told her.
"You too. You were right, Sage Mode is way more impressive than it looks at first glance," Mei admitted.
Naruto couldn't help but smirk. "Trust me, you haven't seen anything yet."
"In that case, we better get going. I'd hate to keep Yagura waiting," Mei replied.
Naruto nodded, and the two of them headed towards the now visible Mizukage Palace.
…
"Shadow Imitation Jutsu!"
Shikamaru's shadow successfully trapped two Chakra Golems, freezing them on the spot. But the mechanical monsters' strength put a strain on the Nara, who struggled to keep them contained.
"Come on Choji! It won't last much longer!" Shikamaru urged.
Choji rushed towards the golems, and clapped his hands together. "Partial Multi Size Jutsu!"
Choji's arms swelled up, tripling in size. The Akimichi Clan heir smashed one of the trapped golems with a powerful punch before smashing the remaining one to bits. Shikamaru was allowed to cancel his family's signature jutsu and fell on his butt, panting.
"I don't think I'll be able to do that too many times..." the lazy Nara complained.
"Shikamaru, watch out!" Ino called out.
Suddenly, two Kiri ANBU were leaping at Shikamaru, their katanas unsheathed. The Nara quickly got up and pulled out two kunai in a hopeless attempt to parry the two incoming strikes, but fortunately for him, something else took care of that.
In less than a second, a redheaded woman stood between him and his attackers, parrying their blows with her own swords, resulting in a loud CLANG. The woman, Ameyuri, struggled against the attackers in a double blade lock.
"Goddammit Pineapple Head, get your head out of the clouds!" Ameyuri complained, before the two red clad Kiri ninja overwhelmed her and pushed her back.
"Troublesome woman. I'd like to see you trying to take on those golems..." Shikamaru murmured.
"More enemies incoming!" Ino warned.
And true to her words, a batch of Kiri defenders arrived the scene. Some unsheathed their swords, while others made several hand seals.
"We'll take care of them. Shikamaru, Choji, with me!" Asuma said as he started to make hand seals of his own. "Fire Release: Ash Pile Burning!"
The youngest son of the Third Hokage spewed a cloud of gunpowder from his mouth, while Shikamaru and Choji prepared another jutsu.
"Fire Release: Great Flame Jutsu!"
Both Shikamaru and Choji expelled a large stream of flames from their mouth directly into the cloud of gunpowder, igniting it instantly, resulting in a massive explosion that shielded them from the barrage of water jutsu aimed at them.
"Good work, but we need to-URK!"
Suddenly, what appeared to be a gigantic needle with ninja wire attached to it came out of the ensuing cloud of smoke, impaling Asuma through the shoulder. Somebody pulled the wire backwards, making the sword to fly back as well. An extremely tall and lanky man wearing an ANBU mask flew out of the cloud, caught the sword-needle and fast as lightning, wrapped Asuma in ninja wire, leaving him completely immobilized.
"Asuma-sensei!" Shikamaru cried.
"You must have a death wish coming here," the masked man said in a cold tone as he raised his strange weapon above Asuma. "Let me grant you that wish then!"
However, before he had the chance to kill he Tactical Squad's sensei, a pair of spinning swords coated in electricity flew at him.
"Shit!" the man cursed as he jumped back in order to avoid the swords, thus being forced to release Asuma.
Upon missing their mark, the swords returned to Ameyuri's hands.
"Leave that man alone, Kushimaru. It's me whom you have to fight," Ameyuri declared, as she took a step forward.
"You know him?" Ino asked.
Ameyuri nodded. "Kushimaru Kuriare. ANBU Captain, and one of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. The two remaining ones still loyal to Yagura."
"So that giant needle is one of the Seven Swords then?" Ino asked again.
"It might not look like much, but in the hands of an expert, it's a deadly weapon. And I'm afraid Kushimaru more than qualifies as an 'expert'," Ameyuri explained.
"Yeah, you got that right. And if you think I'm going to lower myself into a duel with you, then you're even crazier than your traitorous friends! Just because you have Raiga's swords doesn't mean you're part of the Seven, little girl!" Kushimaru retorted.
Ameyuri's face contorted with rage. "Little girl!? I'm eighteen, you asshole! That's it, you're going down!"
"I have no time to deal with brats with delusions of grandeur! Everybody, kill that girl, and take back the swords!" Kushimaru ordered his men.
A chorus of "yes, sir!" replied to the masked swordsman's order.
…
"Medic!" an injured Kiri rebel cried in anguish.
"Incoming! Sasuke-kun, cover us!" Sakura called.
"You've got it," Sasuke coolly replied as his hands flew through hand seals. "Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
Sasuke poured as much chakra as he could into the attack, and expelled a massive fireball towards the group of red clad Kiri ninja. Unfortunately, a golem blocked the attack, and absorbed it into its body.
"Those walking pieces of scrap are going to be trouble..." Sasuke grumbled.
"Not so boastful anymore, I see," Suigetsu chuckled, as he casually engaged an enemy ninja.
"Those things are hard to take down. And I didn't see you defeat one either," Sasuke snapped back. "Sakura would be able to bring them down in one punch, but she's busy tending the injured."
"Sakura's not the only one able to do that!" Karin protested, as she rushed forward while making a hand seal. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Five Karin clones popped into existence besides the original, and ran towards the golem in a tight formation. "I'd like to see Sakura doing this! Six Fists of Fury!"
Karin and her five clones leaped at a golem, their fists reared back, and wreathed in an intense, fire-like glow. The six punches connected, instantly shattering the mechanical construct. The original Karin wiped her hands, and her mouth curved into a confident grin, not unlike certain blond.
"Ha! What about-"
But Karin's gloats were interrupted by a chain of massive explosions engulfing her, that shook the ground and send burst of winds into every direction.
"KARIN!" multiple Konoha ninja cried, her teammates among the loudest.
But when the smoke dispelled, all what was left were the charred remains of a log.
"Whew, that was a close one! Better not get distracted like that," the real Karin said, panting heavily, as she walked towards Sasuke and Suigetsu. "Did you see where the explosions came from?"
"I'm almost sure they came from that guy," Suigtestu said, pointing out to the direction of the explosion.
Flanked by multiple red clad Kiri ninja, there was a man wearing a loose, pin stripped light brown shirt, black pants and stripped leg warmers. He had a brown beard tied into two braids, thick lips, and one of his eyes was covered by an eye patch. He was carrying a rather weird looking sword.
"Damn, it's been a while since somebody managed to avoid my explosion jutsu. Just for that, I'll make sure your death is extra painful, girl," the weird man threatened. He then looked at the white haired boy near her, and the one eyed man smiled wickedly. "Suigetsu! Wasn't expecting to see you again. Still in the losing side, as I can see."
"Who's this man?" Sasuke asked, as he cautiously eyed the new enemy. "A Swordsman of the Mist?"
"Yes, he's Jinpachi Munashi, wielder of the Splatter. His sword is also a scroll of self replicating explosive tags. With it, he can create an infinite number of explosions," Suigetsu explained, before he fixed his eyes on the swordsman, and snarled. "Shut your trap, Jinpachi! I am where I have to be."
"Really? Because somebody like you would fit better with us in the Blood Mist, than with that deluded woman. I mean, I can understand Zabuza siding with her being an even earlier traitor, but you? There's nothing that you love most than the smell of blood impregnating the air," Jinin replied.
"And you think I'll join the side that killed my brother?" Suigetsu incredulously asked.
Jinpachi merely shrugged. "Hey, he got it coming. He thought that being the best Swordsman who ever lived gave him free reign to do what he pleased. We simply proved him wrong," Jinpachi then frowned. "And it seems that you're going to follow his footsteps to an early grave."
"You think so? Let's see who's going to who's funeral!" the young swordsman shouted as he charged forward.
"Suigetsu, wait!" Another Kiri ninja called, to no avail.
Jinpachi's smirk widened as he adopted a fighting stance. "Blastsword Ninja Art: Exploding Piledriver!"
Jinpachi slammed his sword into the ground, creating a line of explosions towards Suigetsu. The explosions caught the white haired boy, who was launched backwards before slamming back into the ground. Or at least, what was left of him.
"Oh Kami, that explosion liquefied him!" Karin screamed in a mix of horror and disgust.
"I'm...I'm not dead!" Suigetsu exclaimed as his head reformed from the liquid. The rest of his body started to reform as well. "It takes more than that to take me out!"
"Oh, I have more than that, trust me. Yet I know that the moment you lack the chakra to sustain your Hydrification Jutsu, you'll be as good as dead," Jinpachi laughed. Looking around, he noticed two Chakra Golems walking closer, and an idea formed on his mind. "In fact, let's test how strong is that ability. Golems, focus on Suigetsu!"
While they didn't make any kind of acknowledgement, the golems started to walk towards the white haired swordsman, now fully reformed, who instinctively took a couple steps backwards.
"Man, this ain't look good..." Suigetsu whimpered. The golems then raised their respective arms with wrist mounted cannons, and released two streams of fire at the Hozuki younger brother. "IT LOOKS WORSE THAN BAD!" Suigetsu yelled as he tried to avoid the streams of fire aimed at him.
Karin took a step forward, and made a hand seal.
"Adamatine Sealing Chains!"
Chains made of pure chakra shot from Karin's back, and wrapped themselves around one of the Golems, immobilizing it. The chakra absorbing seals started to flicker, but they did not activate.
"Whoa, it's not absorbing your jutsu? What gives?" Suigetsu asked.
"These chains are able to bind the chakra of those wrapped around them, even mechanical monsters like these ones!" Karin explained, as she struggled to keep the golem in check. "Now go and deal with the other!"
Suigetsu didn't have to be told twice, as the other mechanical construct stomped at him. It raised its arm cannon once again.
"Oh no, you won't!" Suigetsu raised an arm as well and a huge water sphere started to form. "Water Release: Water Missile!"
Suigetsu fired the water blast, which collided against the stream of fire, resulting in an explosion of steam. Before the golem had any time to react, Suigetsu was already leaping at it, his fist reared back.
"Take this, you walking piece of scrap! Water Release: Great Water Arm Jutsu!"
Suigetsu's right arm swelled up, becoming unnaturally large and muscular, and used it to deliver a devastating punch to the golem, which broke apart upon absorbing the impact. The golem done for, Suigetsu's arm returned to normal, and the boy started to pant heavily.
"Aw man, this is going to hurt a lot tomorrow," Suigetsu complained.
"Ew. That was so gross," Karin mentioned as she used her super strength to tear the golem to pieces with her chains.
Suigetsu looked at Karin and shot her a devious smirk. "Yeah, you say that, but deep down I know you only say it to mask how badly you want this body," Suigetsu said as he made a pose.
"I have a boyfriend!" Karin protested. "And stop being a creep, we have a battle to win, you moron!"
"Are all Konoha girls this bitchy, or just you?" Suigetsu asked as he shrugged.
While Karin and Suigetsu argued as they faced more enemy Kiri ninja, Sasuke decided to face Jinpachi, after identifying him as the bigger threat. Something Jinpachi himself took no time to notice.
"So, what's with you, pretty guy? Think you can take me on?" Jinpachi asked in a mocking tone.
Sasuke's Sharingan flared to life as he fixed a glare on the Kiri Swordsman. "It would be possible. It all depends on how much of your power comes from your sword, and how much comes from you."
"An Uchiha, I see," Jinpachi said, noticing the Sharingan. "I've always wanted to fight one of you, but your clan being wiped out made that rather improbable. Yet here you are! Fate seems to be smiling upon me today."
Sasuke frowned, as he tightly gripped the handle of his katana. "Let's see if you think your fate favors you after you got to fight me."
"You seem to be pretty confident in your ability. Typical of your clan. That's why you guys thought you could pull a coup d'état in your village, yet look at what happened," Jinpachi replied in a mocking tone. "And trust me, the result is going to be the same here."
In the past, Sasuke would have let out a savage cry and mindlessly charge at the one eyed swordsman for bringing up such a sore and sensitive topic. But after the Chunin Exams incident, Shizune and Shisui pretty much forced him to learn how to keep his anger in check and not be carried away by it. So this time, Sasuke merely deepened his frown.
"Did I touch a nerve? Bohoohoo!" Jinpachi replied in a mock childish tone, before he smirked wickedly. "When I kill you, I'll gouge out your eyes. But I won't use them to replace my missing eye, or even sell them. No, I'll keep them in a jar, and will be displayed as a trophy. How does that sound?"
"You assume you can take my eyes!" Sasuke replied as he charged forward, tired of exchanging words with the bearded swordsman. "Fire Release: Burning Edge!"
Sasuke's blade was wreathed in flames. Jinpachi chuckled upon seeing it.
"Not bad. But nowhere near enough to help you," Jinpachi said as he prepared to attack. "Blastsword Ninja Art: Exploding Piledriver!"
Jinpachi slammed his sword forward, creating a line of explosions. Sasuke already guessed he would do that, given it was what he did when Suigetsu charged at him. However, Sasuke was ready, and used a couple of Body Flickers to dodge the line of explosions, and appeared behind him. He had noticed that, while powerful, Jinpachi was vulnerable the seconds after he attacked, and that's when Sasuke would deliver the killing blow.
"Got you!" Sasuke thought as he sunk his fire sword into Jinpachi's unprotected back. However, Jinpachi then did something that Sasuke wasn't expecting.
He exploded.
His Sharingan noticed less than a second before his body detonated what was going to happen, which allowed him to reinforce his whole body with chakra in order to survive the explosion, but even then, the explosion did a lot of damage, as he was violently flung against a wall.
"Didn't your Sharigan catch that, pretty boy?" Jinpachi asked in the same mocking tone, as he was standing in the roof of a nearby one story house. "You've been fighting an Exploding Clone all this time. As you can see, my mastery of explosives goes beyond the Splatter. Now let's end this already. Blastsword Ninja Art: Bombardment Wave! "
Jinpachi delivered a wide swing, releasing a multitude of explosive notes at Sasuke, which flew at him at a much faster speed than they should despite being made of paper. The Uchiha wasted no time and made several hand seals.
"Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Jutsu!"
Sasuke expelled a multitude of fireballs, that he directed towards the incoming explosive notes. The two attacks collided, creating a multitude of explosions, which resulted in a rather large cloud of smoke forming between the two.
"Not bad, Uchiha, not bad. But once again, not good enough!" Jinpachi chuckled behind the wall of smoke.
"I'm getting tired of his explosions..." Sasuke grumbled, as he thought of a way to counter them. He was tempted to activate his Burning Man, but realized that being covered in fire when fighting a guy that uses explosions wasn't the most sound of strategies. He also refused to use the Mangekyo Sharingan a second time. Not just because of the mental and physical strain, but just like Itachi had challenged him, he wanted to see how far he could go before he was forced to rely on such a power.
"No time to sleep!" Jinpachi yelled as he jumped out of the cloud of smoke. He swung his sword once again. "Blastsword Ninja Art: Blasting Bridle Repeating Death!"
The explosive scroll unraveled, and surrounded Sasuke in a wide area around him, cutting off any escape route. He doubted he could activate Susanoo in time in order to avoid an untimely end.
"Now die already!"
However, before the chain of explosions could reduce him to ashes, Sasuke felt a familiar chain wrapping around his body and pulling him up, saving him from the ring of explosions. When his feet touched the floor again, he was in a roof of a nearby building, surrounded by his team, and a bunch of Kiri ninja.
"Good one, Karin. That was a close one," Shizune complimented the redhead.
"Sasuke-kun, are you okay?" Sakura asked and started to heal Sasuke before he could reply.
"You thought you could take Jinpachi on? You crazy bastard..." Suigetsu chuckled, shaking his head.
"Well, that's exactly what you tried to do not long ago!" Karin fired back on Sasuke's behalf. "So you're not the best one to talk."
"Regardless of that, Suigetsu isn't entirely wrong. Trying to fight a much experienced ninja without proper intel on his abilities was foolish, Sasuke-kun," Shizune stated in a mildly chastising tone.
"I know..." Sasuke begrudgingly admitted.
"Then again, you must have learned something about that guy, right?" Sakura inquired.
"He has a sword that can produce infinite explosive tags that he can use in a variety of ways. However, his power isn't limited to that sword either, as it has several explosive jutsu of his own," Sasuke explained. "While his offensive power is formidable, I find his defenses lacking, since he's left wide open whenever he attacks. I tried to exploit that, but I was unsuccessful."
"Maybe not on your own, but together we can bring that man down," Shizune told him. "Alright, listen everybody, this is the plan."
…
"Alright, this zone it's clear. We should move to the next," Kurenai stated, as she saw the few defenders left falling back.
"It's not!" Hinata quickly replied. "I'm seeing reinforcements coming this way!"
"Let them come, and I shall reward their bravery with a swift death," Zabuza said as he held his Executioner's Blade in front of his eyes.
"Any golems with them?" Kurenai asked.
Hinata shook her head. "Thankfully none."
"Good. This should make things a bit easier," Kurenai said, a bit relieved.
But that relief didn't last long when the defenders' reinforcements arrived, and the attackers found themselves once again outnumbered. Leading the group of regular ninja and ANBU, there was a young man with dull brown hair and, oddly enough, bright pink eyes.
"You managed to reach deep into our village, invaders, but you won't advance any further," the commander claimed in an almost theatrical tone as he pulled out a pair of sais. "As long as I, Dagura Karatachi, son of the Fourth Mizukage, is here to stop you!"
Dagura's men cheered in unison at his short but inspiring boast.
"Attack!" he ordered.
"Everybody, meet them on! Send them to hell!" Zabuza ordered his own troops. "I'll take on his leader!"
Zabuza then felt a hand touching his shoulder. Turning around, he saw it was Haku.
"Actually, I'd wish if you let me fight Dagura-san, instead," Haku suggested.
"This is no time for games, Haku. Dagura is the Mizukage's son. If we capture him alive, we will have a valuable hostage that might help us make Yagura surrender," Zabuza explained.
"I know that, but this is something I need to do," Haku insisted. "Don't worry, I won't kill him. Besides, you trained me, Zabuza-sama. That should be enough."
Zabuza couldn't help but smirk under his mask. "Using my pride against me? That's low. And something I'd approve. Now go, but be careful. I'm sure that guy's a Jonin."
Haku smiled in return. "Don't worry, Zabuza-sama, everything will turn out fine."
The Ice Ninja headed towards the enemy commander, Yagura's son, who was fighting a random Kiri rebel. Haku made a couple of hand seals.
"Ice Release: Thousand Needles of Death!"
Haku formed multiple ice needles from the air's moisture, and flew at Dagura. The whistle they made as they move alerted the Mizukage's son, who noticed the incoming attack, disengaged the opponent he was fighting, and expertly parried all the projectiles with his sais as he jumped back. Haku then jumped in front of him.
"Hello, Dagura-san. My name is Haku Yuki, and I will be your opponent," Haku said in an overly polite tone.
"I don't care who you are! You're just another rebel that needs to be put down!" Dagura replied as he made several hand seals. "Winged Nightmare Jutsu!"
Motioning his hands forward, Dagura released a massive flock of bats that flew at Haku, making disgusting chirping noises. Though the Ice Ninja was far from its only target, as the bats also attacked nearby Konoha and Kiri rebels.
Not letting the bats distract him, Haku prepared his counterattack. "Ice Release: Certain Kill Ice Spears!"
Haku unleashed a multitude of long and sharp ice spikes from his body, impaling most the bats –which poofed into tiny clouds of smoke– which were attacking him. This drew Dagura's attention.
"An Ice Release User. Interesting, I thought all of you had been wiped out," Dagura observed.
"I do get that a lot. Not to my pleasure, might I add," Haku replied. "And do you know why I'm the last of my kind?"
"Like I said before, I don't care," Dagura dismissed as he prepared to attack again.
"Too bad, because you're going to hear it anyway," Haku cut him off, as he continued talking. "Because of your father's policies and way to run Kirigakure. Thanks to the Blood Mist, ninjas are seen as little more than blood thirsty murderers and barbarians in the eyes of the citizens of the Land of Water, as well as the rest of the Elemental Nations."
"So what? We never cared what other villages think about us! Kirigakure was on its dead bed after the Third War, and my father renewed its strength!" Dagura replied.
"You should care, given that this invasion is a direct product of your barbaric practices," Haku replied. "And do you know what else was a direct product of your father's ruling? The Bloodline Purges. Ninja are heavily feared and distrusted among the common people, and those with Bloodline Limits even more. That's why my mother was killed by the same people she called friends and family, with me barely surviving."
"And you think that your family's loss was my father's fault somehow? Ha!" Dagura replied, making more hand seals again. "Soundwave Jutsu!"
"Ice Release: Ice Barrier!"
Haku slammed his hands into the ground, erecting an ice wall between himself and his current enemy. While the sound waves shattered it, the jutsu used all of its power to take it down, leaving Haku unharmed.
"My family was far from the only one which was lost to the madness your father is perpetuating. That's why he needs to be removed from power, one way or another," Haku calmly said.
"Lies! All you want to do is depose my father so you can rule Kirigakure yourselves! And I'd die before seeing it in the control of traitors and their Konoha scum allies!" Dagura then cut the palm of his hand, and made several hand seals, before slamming them on the ground. "Summoning Jutsu!"
After the initial smoke explosion, Haku saw that Dagura was now riding a gigantic bat, almost as big as Sasuke's hawk summons.
"You shall not destroy what my family has fought so hard to build!" Dagura declared.
Haku let out a defeated sigh. "Guess there's no way to convince you of your wrong ways. In that case, I won't hold back anymore," Haku ominously said as he made a hand seal. Suddenly, a burst of icy winds came from his body, as he was surrounded by a blue and white aura that sparkled with the rays of sunlight. The ground around him started to freeze at a fast pace." Ice Release: Walking Winter!"
…
"Longsword Ninja Art: Wire Crucifixion!"
Kushimaru's tactic was a wicked one. He'd trap everybody with his jutsu involving the Sewing Needle and ninja wire, while his troops stopped anybody who attempted to cut the wire in order to release their allies.
"And the monster's leaving them alive, just to savor their suffering. He won't even give them an honorable death," Ameyuri thought in disgust. "Alright, time to end this nonsense! Thundersword Ninja Art: Eye of the Storm!"
Ameyuri crossed her swords in front of her face in an X, producing a white electric flash. The red headed kunoichi began to rapidly spin with her arms spread forward, turning into a deadly electrical spinning top. Several enemy ninja tried to stop her.
"Water Release: Water Gun!"
Multiple water projectiles flew at her. However, Ameyuri managed to dodge them without stopping her spinning. She was aware that she was left wide open when using that jutsu, that's why she developed a way to dodge attacks even if she was spinning. And while most enemies managed to avoid her deadly slashes, her true target, the ninja wire, did not. When several of the wires were cut, most of Kushimaru's victims were released.
"Bring some medics here, now!" Ameyuri ordered.
So far, Ino was one of the very few medics supporting that division, and right now, she was busy healing Asuma's shoulder wound.
"Are you feeling better, Asuma-sensei?" Ino asked, just as she finished healing the wound.
"Yes. I don't think the pain will go away completely for the time being, but I think I can fight," Asuma said as he stood up.
"We need to take out that swordsman. With their commander gone, dealing with the rest shouldn't be hard," Shikamaru suggested.
"Easier said than done. Any plan, Shikamaru?" Asuma hopefully asked.
Shikamaru shot his sensei a confident smirk.
Meanwhile, Ameyuri continued to fight Kushimaru. Or better said, Ameyuri fought off the red clad Kiri ninja who got in her way as she made her way to the tall, masked swordsman. Her already scant patience was reaching its limit.
"Stop throwing this rabble at me and face me in a duel, you coward!" Ameyuri angrily shouted as she dispatched an enemy Kiri Chunin.
"I might, given that you're starting to get on my nerves. Not to mention your daring to defile Raiga's swords," Kushimaru replied as he pierced a rebel with the Sewing Needle.
"Raiga's? These are MY swords! I earned them! And I'm way better than that fish lipped psycho obsessed with funerals!" Ameyuri protested.
Finally, Kushimaru ignored the rest of the Konoha and Kiri rebels, and focused his attention on Ameyuri.
"In that case, show me that you're worthy of them," Kushimaru taunted.
Ameyuri grinned in anticipation. "I'm more than happy to oblige," she said as she crossed her blades in an X. "Lightning Release: Lightning Fang!"
From the intersection of the crossed swords, several bolts of lightning flew towards the masked swordsmen, finding its mark. The electric blast produced an explosion, but when the smoke dispelled, all what was left was a charred log.
"Body Replacement? Dammit!" Ameyuri cursed as she looked around. "Enough of these tricks! Show yourself already!"
Suddenly, the Sewing Needle burst from underground below her, piercing her lower body.
"URK!" she choked, spitting blood, and forcing her to drop her swords. "Still, bad move," Ameyuri said as she made a hand seal, and her hands started to crackle with electricity.
"Like hell I'm going to let you!" Kushimaru said as he motioned his sword. "Longsword Secret Art: Wire Crucifixion!"
More ninja wire wrapped around Ameyuri's arms, forcing them apart, stopping her from making hand seals, and thus using ninjutsu. She struggled to break free, but the wire was wrapped really tight around her.
"See how easy it was to defeat you, pretender?" Kushimaru mocked, as he walked towards her. "Now, let's recover what belongs to our village."
"Human Bullet Tank!"
A huge shadow loomed over Kushimaru as he saw what appeared to be a gigantic red sphere falling towards him. However, he was fast enough to avoid being crushed to pulp. The human boulder wasn't done, as it rolled at the masked swordsman at high speed. He tossed his sword at it, but much to his chagrin, it bounced back, forcing him to dodge the incoming bulldozing sphere as well.
While Kushimaru was busy, Asuma got closer to Ameyuri and cut the ninja wire trapping her.
"Are you okay?" Asuma asked as he helped the younger ninja stand up.
"I've been better," Ameyuri sourly replied.
"Don't worry, Ino will patch you up. But first, we need to deal with that guy," Asuma pointed out. "My students are on it. Let's make sure nobody else gets in the way of their fight."
"I admit that, from what I've seen, they're good, but are they good enough to take out a member of the Seven Swordsmen who's also a veteran of the Third Ninja War?" Ameyuri asked, not being able to repress a sense of shared pride with their enemy.
Asuma just smirked. "Wait and see."
Back to the battle, Choji had returned to his normal shape, and moved to attack the masked swordsman.
"Partial Multi-Size Jutsu!" Choji's arm grew in size once again, and clenching his fist, he tried to smash Kushimaru under it.
However, the tall ninja proved to be too nimble for such an imprecise attack, and easily dodged it.
"Too slow!" Kushimaru mocked. He jumped over the still enlarged arm, and ran towards Choji as he threw the Sewing Needle at him.
But much to his confusion, Choji smirked. He then enlarged his other arm, and used it to catch the flying sword. It graced his skin a little, but it was nothing major.
"Guys, I have it! I got his weapon! Go for it!" Choji happily said.
"You're so naïve, kid," Kushimaru said with a chuckle as he rushed towards Choji. He pulled the ninja wire still attached to the sword, but thanks to Choji's increased strength, he was unable to retrieve it. Choji in return pulled back with even greater force, launching Kushimaru forward...just like the swordsman wanted. He then used the momentum to spin around Choji, wrapping him in ninja wire, and forcing him to drop the Sewing Needle, which Kushimaru easily recovered. "What do you say now, kid?"
"Mind Body Disturbance Jutsu!"
Kushimaru jumped out of the way just as Ino casted one of her family's most used jutsu. The masked swordsman looked at Ino, still holding that ridiculous pose, and laughed.
"If it's not becoming clear by now, I fought your clans during the Third Ninja War. I know how to counter all of your jutsu," Kushimaru boasted. "Plus I'm older and more experienced. My instincts and senses can't be fooled."
"Counter this then! Shadow Imitation Jutsu!" Shikamaru said, as he once again used his family's signature ability.
Kushimaru just shook his head. "You know, some people would have some qualms about kill or even just seriously harm children. Unfortunately for you, I'm not one of them."
As the shadow came close to him, Kushimaru rushed towards the Nara Chunin, who constantly redirected the jutsu in an effort to catch him, but once again he proved to be too fast. When he was close enough, he prepared his sword to impale Shikamaru.
"Die!" he shouted as he threw his weapon as if it were a javelin. At that distance, the Nara wouldn't be able to dodge it.
Then, something unthinkable happened. A Kiri ninja jumped in the way, getting promptly impaled by the Sewing Needle. However, it wasn't a rebel who tried to selflessly save Shikamaru's life, but one of the red-clan Kiri ninja fighting under Kushimaru's orders.
"What the hell are you doing, you idiot!?" Kushimaru bellowed.
"I...I don't know! My body moved on its own!" the poor impaled ninja cried, while coughing blood.
"Moved on its own? But how...?" Kushimaru wondered, and then remembered Ino's attack. "That blonde bitch! That jutsu wasn't aimed at me, but at one of my men!"
"That's correct. And now that you're that close to me, there's no way for you to escape my jutsu!" Shikamaru claimed, as he used the Shadow Imitation Jutsu once again.
"That's what you think!" Kushimaru said as he jumped backwards, pulling the ninja wire in order to retrieve the sewing needle. At that distance, he was sure he could avoid Shikamaru's jutsu. His keen senses would allow him to detect any kind of danger his eyes didn't see. "From this distance-!"
"I still caught you," Shikamaru flatly said.
"What!?" Kushimaru indignantly cried. Much to his shock, Shikamaru's shadow had touched his, and thus he was unable to move. "How? That's impossible!"
"The ninja wire your sword uses also projects a shadow, which I can use as a conductor for my jutsu," Shikamaru explained, as he shot the masked ninja a smug smile.
"You thought that just because you fought our parents, you already had us figured out, don't you?" Ino asked Kushimaru. "You should know that the new generation will always surpass the one that came before!"
"Hold him still!" Ameyuri called, as she held her swords up in the air, which started to crackle with electricity. "Thunder sword Ninja Art: Lightning Redirection!"
A lightning bolt fell from the skies, which was absorbed by Ameyuri's swords. She then motioned the Thunder swords in Kushimaru's direction, releasing all the stored electricity. The blast was powerful enough to end his life in a matter of seconds, and Kushimaru's lifeless, smoking body fell forward with a thud, releasing the Sewing Needle.
"We did it!" Choji cried in joy.
"Yay, go Tactical Squad!" Ino squealed, pumping her fist in the air.
"Don't celebrate it yet, brats! We might have taken out one of the commanders, but this battle is still far from over!" Ameyuri called out.
"Ameyuri-san is right. We need to continue pushing forward. And don't let your guard down," Asuma added.
The three Chunin nodded, and rejoined the rest of the rebel army in their onslaught.
…
Meanwhile, not far away from there, another fight with a Swordsman of the Mist continued. Sasuke, this time aided by the rest of his team, as well as many other Kiri rebels, were trying to take down Jinpachi Munashi.
"Blastsword Ninja Art: Blast Wave!"
Jinpachi slammed his sword into the ground, creating several waves of explosions that spread outwards. Some of them even hit his own men.
"Jinpachi-samaaaaaaaa...!" an unfortunate Kiri ninja cried after being caught in an explosion.
"If you get in the way, don't cry to me because you get hurt!" Jinpachi chided the wounded ninja.
"If you treat your own men like that, then your defeat is all but assured," Shizune told the swordsman.
Jinpachi chuckled. "Those who let themselves be killed are weak, and there's no room in Kirigakure for the weak!"
"Even if it's you who killed them?" Shizune fired back.
"If he was unable to dodge my attack, then he deserve to die, as so do all of you foreign invaders!" Jinpachi shouted as he charged forwards.
Shizune made several hand seals. "Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"
Tsunade's first apprentice released a torrent of water from her mouth, stopping Jinpachi on his tracks, and pushing him backwards.
"Sasuke-kun, Sakura, now!" Shizune called.
Sasuke and Sakura jumped from the sides, Sasuke holding his fire wreathed katana, and Sakura's fist surrounded by fiery blue chakra. However, before they could attack, Jinpachi unfurled more explosive tag roll and enveloped himself with it.
"Blastsword Ninja Art: Exploding Barricade!"
"Karin, your turn!" Shizune called.
Jinpachi realized that they were expecting him to do that, but it was too late. The explosions went off, but before they could catch Sasuke and Sakura, Karin pulled them out with her chakra chains. Shizune, meanwhile, proceeded on the offensive again.
"I have something your little explosions won't be able to protect you from! Posion Mist!"
Shizune released a purple colored, poisonous cloud from her mouth, which quickly moved towards Jinpachi cursed, and jumped backwards. Shizune jumped inside her own poisonous cloud, and a second later she came out of it, kunai in both hands ready to engage the swordsman.
"You're immune to your own poison. Oh, I see your plan. You want to stall me here and wait until the poison cloud reaches us. You'll be fine, but I will more than likely die ," Jinpachi deduced.
"It seems that there's a brain under that skull. Not that guessing my strategy will be of any help," Shizune replied, as she engaged Jinpachi in a duel.
"We'll see about that! Blastsword Ninja Art: Exploding Piledriver!" Jinpachi motioned slammed his sword into the ground, generating a line of explosions. "From this distance, she won't be able to dodge them!"
"Sasuke, Sakura, attack again!" Shizune said as she was engulfed by an explosion.
"What!?" Jinpachi said in shock. 'So she goaded me to attack her in order to be left wide open!'
Sasuke and Sakura tried to attack again, but even if Jinpachi couldn't use his blast sword again like he did before, he managed to jump back, avoiding being gutted by flaming sword, and seeing how Sakura's punch opened a large crater in the ground.
"You almost got me there, you brats! Your sensei died for nothing! But you'll need something more than-!"
"Water Release: Great Water Arm Jutsu!"
A gigantic fist, not unlike a certain Akimichi's, connected with Jinpachi's one eyed face, sending him crashing against the ground, dropping the Splatter as well.
"That was for my brother, you one eyed son of a bitch!" Suigetsu spat.
"I'll take care of this," Karin said as she caught the explosive sword.
"Not killing your allies has a lot of advantages, as you can see," Sakura told the downed swordsman in a mocking tone.
Despite the immense pain, Jinpachi tried to stand back, but when he tried to, he was pelted by a rain of senbon, much to his surprise thrown by Shizune.
"What? How can you be alive? Nobody survives my explosions!" Jinpachi protested.
"True, but you didn't kill the real me. While I was hidden in my poison mist, I created a Shadow Clone and sent it to fight you in my place, while I remained unseen," Shizune explained.
"You...YOU BITCH!" Jinpachi cried in anger.
Shizune smiled in a condescending way. "Stick and stones, Jinpachi, stick and stones. Now, Sasuke-kun, Sakura, would you kindly finish this off?"
Sasuke and Sakura nodded, placed themselves at the opposite sides of Jinpachi, and made several hand seals.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
"Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullets!"
Sasuke's fireball and Sakura's flammable mud bullets crashed against Jinpachi, engulfing him in a multitude of explosions, and the swordsman ceased to be.
A fitting end for one of the Splatter's most infamous wielders.
…
They finally did it. After sneaking through plenty of battles, forcing Naruto and Mei to repress their urges to help their comrades, they had finally reached the Mizukage's palace.
The palace was a three story building, whose architectonic style was much refined than most of the village's buildings. To complement its beauty, it was surrounded by patches of green grass, as well multiple fountains. It had a giant kanji of "Water" drawn on it on the façade. There were several ninja standing guard on the outside.
Since the battles were still far away from the palace, these ninja weren't expecting an attack anytime soon. Naruto and Mei were about to prove them wrong. Hidden behind a fountain, the two of them inspected the zone.
"Okay Naruto, from this point on, stealth is no longer necessary. But before we attack, can you feel Yagura inside the palace?" Mei asked the blond Sage.
Naruto closed his eyes for a second, and nodded. "Yes, I'm sensing Tailed Beast Chakra inside the palace. It has to be Yagura."
"Can you sense how many guards are inside?"
Naruto checked once again. "Besides Yagura, I'm counting about twelve or so people. Their chakra is strong, but they shouldn't be a problem."
"They're the Mizukage's personal guard. While not the Seven Swordsmen , they're still elite ninja. Even so, we shouldn't waste much energy with them, or else Yagura will crush us," Mei instructed.
"Do you have a plan?" Naruto asked.
Mei bit a finger and started making hand seals. "We lure them out, dispatch them, break into the palace, and kill Yagura. Much easier said than done, but that's the best I have. Summoning Jutsu!"
Mei slammed her hand into the ground, and both she and Naruto found themselves standing on a massive sea squid.
"What the hell?" one of the guards asked, before he was snatched by a tentacle. His partners followed the same fate.
Wasting no time, Mei made more hand seals. "Fire Release: Dragon Fire Jutsu!"
Mei took a deep breath, and released a massive stream of fire right at the palace's façade, opening a hole in its second floor.
"Ikamaru-san, take care of the guards! Naruto-kun, follow me!" Mei ordered both her summon and Naruto.
Naruto nodded and both she and Mei infiltrated the palace through the hole she had opened. Mei let Naruto lead her to where Yagura was no doubt waiting for them. A couple Jonin cut them off.
"Stop right there!" one of the Jonin called.
Mei replied by making more hand seals. "Boil Release: Skilled Mist Jutsu!"
Once again, Mei breathed a cloud of highly acidic mist at the two enemy ninja. However, one of them was ready to counter it.
"Water Release: Water Wave!"
The Kiri Jonin expelled a stream of water that quickly dispelled the acid mist.
"Smart. Since Boil Release is a combination of water and fire, it's still weak to water. Oh well, this changes nothing," Mei confidently thought.
Naruto pulled out and activated his Wind Blade, which projected a white, flame-like chakra blade. One of the Jonin unsheathed his katana, and went to meet Naruto in combat.
"You pretend to defeat a Kiri ninja in a sword fighting duel? Such arrogance!" the Jonin laughed as he and Naruto fought. However, the moment their blades clashed, Naruto's cut his as if it was made of butter. "WHAT!?"
"I'm not pretending. I'm doing it," Naruto said with a confident smirk. He then punched at the Kiri ninja, who dodged his fist by moving aside.
But much to his shock, he felt as if the fist had connected even if he clearly had avoided it. And it packed such force, he was knocked unconscious.
"Kademaru!" the other ninja cried. "Who the hell are you!?"
"Lava Release: Lava Shuriken!"
The other ninja was so focused on Naruto, he didn't notice Mei, and that proved to be fatal. His life came to an end the moment three shuriken made of burning lava embedded into his body, burning it from the inside out.
"Good work, Naruto-kun," Mei praised.
Naruto grinned at her. "Hehe, thanks. It was a nice warm-up." His face became serious again. "Yagura just went to the roof. He's not alone. I think he's waiting for us."
Mei's expression hardened, as she nodded. "In that case, let's not keep him waiting."
Unimpeded, Naruto and Mei climbed the stairs to the roof of the palace where, true to Naruto's word, Yagura was there, alongside some blonde woman. The Mizukage was watching the battles that were taking place still far from the palace. It appeared that he didn't notice the two newcomers.
"Hello, Mei-san. I was expecting you," Yagura said, without turning around.
"Let's cut the formalisms, Yagura. You know why I'm here," Mei firmly said as she crossed her arms.
"It's Mizukage-sama, you traitorous bitch!" the kunoichi snapped at Mei.
Yagura then held her hand. "Relax, Aiko-chan. Fretting over such thing is a waste of energy."
"Who's that woman?" Naruto whispered Mei.
"Aiko, Yagura's wife. While not as strong as him, we shouldn't underestimate her either. She's a Jonin," Mei told the blond Jinchuriki.
Yagura turned around, and looked at the two rebels, while at the same time allowing Naruto to get a good look at him.
"What? But...he's a child! A child is the Mizukage? And he's married to an older woman?" Naruto asked in shock.
"Despite my appearance, I'm not a child, you brat," Yagura said in a dark tone. He then glared at Mei. "I'm seriously hoping you brought something more than this slow-minded kid to take me down, Mei-san."
"You talk about not judging people by their appearances, yet you have no problem doing the same," Mei retorted. "Despite his young age, Naruto-kun here is one of the strongest ninja Konoha has to offer."
"She's not lying, dear. His chakra is both immense and very strong. I believe he may be a Jinchuriki," Aiko warned her husband.
"You failed to seduce Utakata, so you went to Konoha and begged them to loan you their jinchuriki in a vain attempt to depose me. Pitiful," Yagura spat. "What did they make you promise them in return? Some of the Seven Swords? All of them? Secret techniques? Clan secrets? Our resources? Or will you simply turn Kirigakure into Konoha's lapdog?"
"Even if that were true, it would still be better than what Kirigakure is now," Mei spat back. "Listen, no more blood needs to be spilled today. It may sound unbelievable, but we have reasons to believe that somebody has been messing with your mind. You're under somebody else's mind control."
"Lies! If that were true, I would have noticed it! I'm his wife, on top of a sensor!" Aiko protested.
"That's the thing, you don't notice anything!" Naruto countered," I've been mind controlled before, and it makes you think that everything's fine. But it's not. Deep down, you know there's something wrong, but you don't know what it is."
"You are right. It sounds unbelievable, as well as stupid. A desperate bid to avoid a fight you know you can't win," Yagura told her.
"I know I can defeat you, Yagura. I just simply don't want to kill a man that's just a victim of somebody else's crimes," Mei sorrowfully said.
"I think I've heard enough," Yagura said, as he and Aiko prepared to fight. "Try not to die too soon, and give me an entertaining fight."
Likewise, Mei and Naruto prepared for battle, knowing that they were going to face an opponent unlike any other.
The future of Kirigakure would be decided on the outcome of this battle.
Author's Note: And thus, the invasion has begun. Sorry for those who were expecting Naruto and Mei to fight against Yagura already, but I felt that that fight deserved to have its own chapter. Besides, I wanted to have more fights besides that one, among them, the two remaining swordsmen, as well as Yagura's son Dagura. And yes, I made him up, so he's a quasi-OC. But given that the Boruto anime gaves us his grandson Kagura, I thought it would be appropriate to show his son, and that way I could have an enemy that's not a random faceless elite ninja or ANBU.
These fights also had the double purpose of give some spotlight to some of the other teams, namely Team Shizune and Team Asuma. Don't worry, Team Kakashi and Team Gai will have their spotlight as well in following arcs once we reach Shippuden, especially Team Kakashi.
Thanks a lot to gio08 for betareading.
So yeah, next time in Son of the Sannin, the much awaited clash between Naruto, Mei and Yagura (and Aiko, I guess)! And not just that, but Deidara and Kisame will join the fray! One way or another, the Kirigakure Civil War WILL end next chapter, but HOW will it end? In the meantime, don't forget to leave a review with your thoughts on this chapter! Reviews make me really, really, really happy!