Chapter 4
Toa Naruto: Beta-Reader & Co-Writer
Naruto barely managed to evade Keisuke's lunge, perplexed at how much faster the one-handed man had become since their last encounter, as the man's new sword slammed at where the blond last stood, resulting in a massive explosion that kicked up an enormous cloud of sand and dust. But despite the all of the debris obscuring his opponent, Naruto could still see the blade as its lustrous surface gleamed in the moonlight. The sword barreled through the dust cloud, aiming to separate his head from his body, yet the strike was easily dodged by the younger man. He countered with a kick to the face, and another to the chest, effectively pushing Keisuke back a few feet. Yet, despite Naruto's effective counterattack, the possessed man quickly regained his equilibrium, and entered a tense stare-off with the younger man.
Naruto watched the man carefully, immediately taking note that the Keisuke in front of him was not the same man he had met before; the arms dealer was even more insane when he attempted his attack on Ryūgen. If he didn't know any better, it looked as if the man was possessed by something inhuman; something that was hell bent on killing everything in sight. Chancing a glance at the sword held in Keisuke's hand, he wondered if the strange weapon was what caused the man's sudden change; and considering half the things that he himself had encountered in the past, spiritual possession didn't seem all that implausible. But before he could think more of the possibility, Keisuke renewed his attack. Naruto met the charge, flicking out a kunai from his sleeve to block the strike that came at him.
The clash created a shockwave that kicked up large amounts of dust across the area, with the two combatants at the very epicenter. Naruto struggled to push back his attacker's blade, but Keisuke seemed to have gotten exponentially stronger since the last time they fought. Knowing that he couldn't overpower the berserker, Naruto gave up the stalemate, allowing Keisuke to lose his balance and fall forward. Naruto seized the moment and formed his signature jutsu.
"Rasengan!" He plunged the jutsu into Keisuke's chest, the possessed man roaring in agony as he was sent flying across the sand, until he slammed into a boulder on the other end of the beach. Yet despite the harsh impact against the now-cracked boulder, Keisuke still managed to push himself off the large rock, causing it to crumple into gravel. Naruto watched as Keisuke regained his footing, his eyes showing murderous intent towards the blond. In a blink of an eye, the one-handed man vanished from view, only to reappear right in front of Naruto, his blade descending towards his head. But to the deranged Keisuke's dismay, he did not see any blood as he split the blonde in half, revealing that he had only attacked an afterimage. The real Naruto was above him, with an even larger spiraling ball of chakra in his hand.
"Ōdama Rasengan!" Keisuke was completely consumed by the attack as Naruto pushed the ball all the way into the sand, grinding a deep crater into the earth. Feeling that he had finally terminated the crazed man for good, Naruto released his control over the technique and leapt back onto the edge of the crater to get a better view of its center; it was a small surprise for him to see that a thin layer of glass was lining the walls of the newly formed depression. But he was even more shocked to see Keisuke slowly rise up. Upon further inspection, he noticed that the burn mark caused from his jutsu was already healing. Then, without warning, Keisuke unleashed a massive blast of chakra which broke the crater's thin veil of glass and created a small dust storm. The former Konoha-nin shielded his eyes from the onslaught of microscopic particles, all the while wondering just how far he'd have to go in order to finally put a stop to Keisuke.
He launched himself out of the way as Keisuke renewed his attack, dodging and blocking every incoming strike, until finally finding an opportunity to activate his Kaze no Ken and strike with a surprise slash at Keisuke. His original target was the hand clutching the sword, but through Keisuke's last minute actions, it was the dagger gauntlet that was cleaved right off. Capitalizing on his enemy's distraction, he slammed his foot into Keisuke's gut, sending him skidding back.
"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" In a large burst of smoke, Keisuke was surrounded by a small battalion of clones, each with a Kaze no Yari primed to attack. In unison, the clones launched their wind blades, but instead of looking fearful of the upcoming onslaught, Keisuke instead looked non-pulsed as he flared his chakra and began to spin the blade.
"Ougi, Tenga Gaeshi!" exclaimed Keisuke, his voice deep and gravelly. Suddenly, the wave of Kaze no Yari were deflected and sent back toward the clones, destroying the three that were caught flat-footed standing behind him. Suddenly, Keisuke stop spinning the blade, positioning it blade down, in front of him. "Ougi, Shunko!" In a blink of an eye, Keisuke vanished, only to reappear behind Naruto and his remaining clones. A second later, every clone exploded with puff of smoke, the cause of their destruction being three slash marks running along their torsos. Yards away from the blood thirsty maniac, the original Naruto grunted in pain as he touched his chest, feeling the blood that was seeping from the small horizontal cut on his flesh. He had barely been able to substitute himself with a log when he felt the blade dig into him, but even then he'd just made it in time.
As Naruto got to his feet and faced the possessed Keisuke, he tried to think of a way to defeat this deranged lunatic. Full frontal assaults were out of the question, he was just too powerful. Even ranged attacks turned out to be a waste of chakra. And those techniques that Keisuke used, there was no way that some regular arms dealer could utilize such moves on his own, otherwise he would've used them when he first attacked Ryūgen. Glancing once again to the weapon the man held in his only good hand, the blonde's theory of where Keisuke's newfound power, and homicidal attitude, originated from was confirmed: the sword. Somehow, the sword had taken control of Keisuke, and was now controlling him like some sort of puppet. But from the way that the possessed man moved and fought, it as if he were fighting like a highly-skilled shinobi. And from what he heard, Keisuke was just a civilian; there was just no way for him to suddenly learn how to fight better in such a short amount of time through natural means.
Yet, despite the sword being the probable source Keisuke's abilities, it was also his one weakness, too. He rationalized that all he had to do to defeat the entity in front of him was to separate the man from the sword, but all of the methods that had slightest of a chance at succeeding involved outright maiming Keisuke. Despite his track record, Naruto didn't want to kill a man that was being manipulated against his will. But all of that changed, however, once he looked into his opponent's eyes. Any trace of the man once called Kushizashi no Keisuke was long gone, and what was left was nothing but a lifeless husk, being controlled by a violent sentient sword. Right then and there, Naruto knew that he had to kill him.
"Keisuke" prepared to launch another long ranged technique, when he was suddenly struck with a flurry of shuriken that embedded into his torso and head. Seconds later, a long blade emerged from the ground, and stabbed through the man's chest, right where the heart was. As "Keisuke" slumped lifelessly forward, Sansei slowly rose from the ground to inspect the corpse that was skewered on his sword. He was so sure that his enemy was deceased, that he was caught by surprise when he was struck with a violent blast of chakra, the force behind the attack strong enough to break his O-katana and send him flying back.
"Sansei!" shouted Sayuri, as she engaged the enemy, her ninja wire trailing behind her. With a few flicks of her wrists, she had "Keisuke" entangled in her thin metallic cords. Sayuri began to pull, intent on strangling him to death, when the monstrous man suddenly roared and expelled an even more powerful blast of foul chakra, effectively snapping through the wire and throwing the kunoichi back. The possessed man leapt into the air whilst Sayuri tried to regain her footing, the young teen managing to do so just as "Keisuke" had reached the apex of his flight.
"Ninpō: Kazen Kōshi!" he roared and dove at her like a hawk, sword poised for the final blow. The blade struck, creating a massive explosion that kicked up a massive cloud of debris. When the sand and dust cleared, the man was in the center of a crater, with a trench that started from the blade and stretched towards the sea. Sayuri, however, was nowhere to be found. In fact, she was actually safe and sound in Naruto's arms, far away from the impact zone of the attack. As he set the girl down, a bruised Sansei lumbered over to join them. The young man was holding his shoulder in pain, but he could still move it to some degree.
"What the hell is he? He took a freaking blade to his heart and a few shuriken to his head! How is he still alive?!" demanded Sayuri.
"It's the sword." answered Naruto, gaining the twins' attention. "I don't know how, but whoever last wielded that weapon has somehow imprinted their spirit onto it. And now, that spirit has taken over that man's body, and is using it like some cheap suit of armor."
Sansei looked back at the sword, his eyes widening in recognition. "That's… that's the Mari-Blade, the sword of the Shodaime Mizukage!"
"Are you fucking kidding me?!" Sayuri shouted to her twin. "Where the hell did this joker find that thing?!"
"I would really like to hear more about this fabled sword some other time," interrupted Naruto, "but the possessed man is coming straight at us." The twins turned to where the blond was looking at, and were met with the sight of Keisuke charging towards them, snarling like a mad beast.
"Just great! What do we do now?" asked Sayuri, exasperatedly. Naruto knew that he had a way of putting an end to the supposed invulnerable assassin charging towards him, but he didn't like the idea of using it so openly. But on the other hand, if he didn't do something, they wouldn't live to see tomorrow. So with a resigned sigh, he made his decision.
"Stand back." The twins were confused by the blonde's demand, until they felt an abrupt malicious presence that steadily grew with each passing second, emanating from the blond; both of them wasted no time in jumping away from Naruto. Once they were a safe distance away, Naruto unleashed the full extent of his dark chakra, just as Keisuke brought the sword down on him. The strike was powerful enough to scatter debris everywhere. But the twins were surprised by what they saw; holding the maniac's sword at bay was not Naruto, but a five tailed beast, covered in red chakra so dark that it almost looked black!
"H-He's a jinchūriki..." Sayuri said in disbelief, as she watched "Keisuke" tried in vain to cleave the transformed Naruto in two. Without warning, the blond attacked, hitting "Keisuke" with one of his claws, sending him flying across the air with great velocity. But before the one-handed madman could hit the ground, Naruto reappeared in front of his path via Shunshin, and slammed him down with devastating force. Not wanting to give his enemy the chance to recover, the young jinchūriki drove all five tails into his body and hoisted "Keisuke" in the air. The possessed man tried to break free, swinging his blade widely in an attempt to slice through the chakra appendages that were restraining him, but to no avail. With the enemy caught, Naruto immediately began to gather chakra in front of him, before compressing it into a ball and consuming it whole with a single gulp, an action that caused smoke to billow out of the sides of his mouth. With a mighty roar, he unleashed a beam of chakra that completely incinerated "Keisuke" in an instant. As the light finally died down, all that remained of the deranged possessed man was the sword he once wielded, which fell harmlessly by Naruto. Kushizashi no Keisuke was no more.
Once Naruto fully reverted back to his human form, he fell to his hands and knees in exhaustion. He tried to regain his equilibrium as fast as he could, but the strain of using his five-tailed state took a lot out of him. The blond knew he could've used his four-tailed form, the form he was most comfortable using, but he wanted to end the battle as quickly as possible, and to ensure that "Keisuke" didn't survive. As Naruto tried to climb back onto his feet, he stumbled and unintentionally grabbed the Mari-Blade to balance himself. He realized his blunder too late, as he was suddenly taken into the depths of his mind. But to his confusion, he found himself in a blindingly white empty plane, which did nothing to ease his already frazzled nerves. He crouched down to a defensive position as his eyes whipped around the area, searching for any hostiles that were waiting for the right moment to strike.
"Strange, you are not what I had originally expected you to be." a voice said from behind. Naruto whipped around to meet his opponent head on, but was surprised to see an old man standing before him. His black hair was faded from old age, but his green eyes held an untold amount of knowledge, as well as a killer's aura that had Naruto on edge. But to his surprise, the spirit's eyes softened. "Be at ease, young one, you have nothing to fear from me."
"Really?" said Naruto carefully. "Then how do you explain what happened to Keisuke?"
The man's solemn expression briefly crinkled in disgust. "That man was unworthy to hold the Mari-Blade, and he paid for his hubris with his life. Only someone with a strong heart, mind, and sense of determination can wield my blade."
"Wait a minute, your blade? Then...then that means that you're Kirigakure Saizo!"
Saizo nodded. "That is correct. And I must say, the moment you touched my blade, I sensed a great deal of strength within you. Despite all of the hardships and betrayals that you've experienced throughout your life, you continue to persevere. Whereas most would crumble and give in to their dark desires under the same circumstances, you remained committed to your ideals. It has been a very long time since I've witnessed someone of noble character such as yourself, which is why I want you to wield my sword to complete your quest."
Naruto looked at him in surprise. "You know where I'm heading?"
"I have watched as the village that I created gradually degrade and decay into madness. But with my blade, I hope that you will be able to bring it back into the light. Half a mile away from your current position, you will find my tomb. It is there that you will also find a scroll containing my ultimate technique, along with my equipment. Use them well, young Uzumaki." And with that, the spirit of Kirigakure Saizo faded away.
When Naruto opened his eyes, blinking away the spots in his vision, he noticed that he was bound by ninja wire and that Sansei was pointing what remained of his sword at his throat. Despite the dangerous situation he was in, Naruto's eyes calmly gazed at the twins who were poised to kill him.
"Um, I'm not possessed or anything, if that's what you're worried about. Believe it or not, but I got the spirit's blessing." said Naruto, trying to break the awkward silence.
Sayuri however didn't find his comment funny and instead tightened the wires around him. "You think I care if you got some spirit's blessing?! There's no way in hell that I'm letting you leave here alive, you damn jinchūriki!" she snarled. Ignoring the twinge of resentment that ran through his body towards the girl's words, Naruto understood why she reacted so angrily. During their travels at sea, Saito had told him that the Yondaime Mizukage was a jinchūriki, which prompted him to reveal that he was one as well. At first, Saito was a little scared with that revelation, but knew from his experiences with the blond that he was no Yagura. Now, the two were better allies for it. But the Uzumaki also knew that because of Yagura's actions when he was still alive, the people of Kirigakure wouldn't be willing to trust another jinchūriki for a very long time.
Naruto just sighed and looked at Sayuri. "I've always hated that word, it makes it out that I'm just a mere weapon. But I'm nobody's weapon; I'm just a guy that's had the misfortune of having a demon sealed within him." Sayuri just glared silently at Naruto, whilst Sansei stared at him with a critical eye. Finally, the male twin removed his blade from Naruto's throat, and sliced through the wires, an action that did not sit well with Sayuri.
"Sansei, what the fuck do you think you're doing?!" Sayuri shouted at her brother. Sansei merely ignored his sister's question, instead opting to stare intensely at Naruto.
"That was the reason, right? The reason that you were betrayed?" Sansei said. Naruto remained silent as he stared back at Sansei, before he released a tired sigh.
"Seventeen years ago, the Yondaime Hokage sealed the Kyūbi no Yōko into a newborn baby, with the intent to protect the village that he ruled over. The baby was meant to be treated as a hero, but was instead seen as the demon reincarnated. As the baby grew older, he did everything to show the village that he was not the demon that was sealed inside him. He defended and fought for the village with everything he had, thinking that things could change for the better, but he was wrong. One day, after he succeeded in completing a mission that was vital to his village, he was rewarded for his troubles by being banished by the Konoha Council. Those that he had considered family and friends turned their backs on him when he needed their support, and he realized how truly alone he really was." he finished with a sad tone. The twins were rendered silent by what they were told, but were surprised when he turned and grinned at them, rubbing the back of his head as if he were admitting an embarrassing secret.
"Yet despite all of his suffering, he still remains optimistic, and tries to do good things in the world. People might call him foolish, but that's just him being himself." He then turned away from the twins and started to walk away. "Well, I'll see you guys later. I've got a grave to locate and some gear to find." As Naruto continued on his way, the twins continued to stare at him, still in disbelief at the blonde's behavior. Sayuri was the first of the duo to overcome her shock and quickly had a pair of shuriken in her hand. She was about to launch them, aiming for the back of Naruto's head, when her brother grabbed hold of her arm. She was about demand that he let her go, but was silenced by the stern look Sansei gave her. With a defeated sigh, she relaxed and dropped the shuriken on the ground, which prompted her twin to release her. Sansei, on the other hand, didn't know what to think of Naruto. Although the former Konoha-nin was similar to Yagura in regards to what he held within him, he was not like the beast that started the bloody civil war of Kirigakure no Sato. Even though he'd just met him, the male Dochū somewhat admired how Naruto managed to continue on his path, even after the harsh life he endured. Without a word, Sansei turned and made his way back to the compound. Sayuri followed after him, still confused and frustrated with what had transpired before her.
XXX
"I still can't believe that you're in possession of the Mari-Blade!" exclaimed Saito, his gaze still locked on the sword in Naruto's hand. "Countless men and women have searched the world for the legendary cursed blade of Kirigakure Saizo, and you've found it in just one day! And to top it all off, the spirit of the Shodaime himself gave you his blessing to use his weapon in liberating Kirigakure! I guess this means I made the right choice in contacting you. With Saito-sama on our side, we cannot fail!" Naruto just chuckled at the man's enthusiasm. In the following morning, he had explained what had happened from the beginning of the battle to when he finally found Saizo's grave. After Naruto had found the deceased Mizukage's possessions, he gave the burial site a quick silent prayer and thanks before returning to camp. But when Ryūgen asked about what became of Keisuke, Naruto just shook his head in the negative; that was all the arms dealer needed to know that his "rival" wouldn't be a problem for in the future.
"So, what happened to the twins? You said that they helped you in the fight." Ryūgen asked, as his crew was preparing to set sail.
"Well, I wouldn't say that they helped me, per say, we just happened to share a common enemy at the time. Once the threat was eliminated, we pretty much went our separate ways." said Naruto. "Let's just say that they're going to be a lot happier once we leave, especially since the girl didn't take a certain revelation well during the battle. I don't think that we'll ever see them again."
"I wouldn't be so sure." a voice called from behind. Everyone whirled around to see Sansei standing on the junk's deck. The group was surprised to see the Dochū, immediately coming to the conclusion that he was going on the offensive, until they noticed that he had a large pack and his sword strapped to his back. Calmly, Naruto walked up to the teenager, looking him straight in the eye.
"Well isn't this a surprise. So, you've come to finish me off?"
"No. I've come to join you." That comment shocked everyone on board the ship.
"Not to sound rude, but what's with the sudden change in heart? Yesterday you wanted nothing to do with Kirigakure, but now you want to help liberate it? What made you change your mind?" asked Naruto.
"Your story had a great influence on me making my decision." At Naruto's questioning glance, Sansei continued. "Make no mistake; I still carry a great deal of resentment against that hidden village for what it has done. My clan was one of the many that fled from Kirigakure during the bloodlines purge. We had managed to escape the mainland when our ship was attacked by hunter-nins. The fight was a long and brutal, a slaughter that my sister and I just barely survived; we were lucky to have washed up on this island. After we recovered from our wounds, we swore to ourselves that we would live our lives for ourselves, and forget all about Kirigakure. And for a time, we were content with living in solitude, not giving a damn about what became of our old home. But then you came along, you and your ideals. You could have followed our example, and lived your own life, not worrying about what goes on in this world, but you didn't. Even now, you continue to live by what you believe is right, which is something that I can respect. And I personally would like to see how your will fare against what Kirigakure has degraded to. Who knows? Perhaps, you are the one that will be able to bring peace and stability back to our old home."
"You actually believe that Sansei?!" shouted an irritated female voice. Without any warning, Sayuri emerged from out of the mast, and landed in front of her brother, looking quite annoyed. "All it takes is a sob story from this guy, and now you're up in arms and going off to fight in some stupid war?"
"You didn't have to follow me, Sayuri. You've made your stance on this issue very clear, as did I." replied Sansei. "Besides, your bad attitude will only have a negative impact on the group's progress; you'd just get in the way."
"Oh, so I'm just supposed to just let you go off to your death? To hell with that! I'm coming with you to make sure that we survive this stupid decision of yours." Sansei sighed at Sayuri's antics, which annoyed her even further. Naruto just chuckled as the twins argued whilst the junk sailed towards Mizu no Kuni. Whatever their reasons, Naruto was grateful for their help.
XXX
It was late in the afternoon when Ryūgen's junk reached port. While his crew got to work on securing the ship, Ryūgen walked across the boarding ramp with a smile on his face. He loved coming home after one of his trips, knowing that his wife would be there waiting for him. But just as he stepped onto the dock, he found himself hoisted into the air. When he saw who was holding him, a sense of dread began to consume his entire being, as small droplets of sweat began to form on his brow. The crew ignored the scene as if it was an everyday occurrence, but the shinobi were a bit more concerned.
"H-Hey, Sticky Bun, is there something wrong?" Ryūgen asked nervously. The woman holding the man by his suit's collar just narrowed her eyes. She was a fairly tall woman, about six feet tall if Naruto had to guess. Her figure was very feminine, the black ninja suit complimenting her generous curves, but it was obvious that she was well trained in the ways of the ninja, if her strength was anything to go by. She was had fair, unblemished skin, dark brown eyes, a small rounded nose, and flush lips that were coated in pink lipstick. Her long brown hair was tied in a ponytail that reached the small of her back, and had two bangs that framed her face. Overall, she was quite the beauty, if only she didn't look like she was about to eviscerate the man she was holding a foot off the ground.
"Don't try to sweet talk me, Ryūgen!" she all but snarled. "I want to know why the hell you thought it was a good idea to leave without me?! Did you forget that there is a price on your life, not to mention that crazy son-of-a-bitch Keisuke wants your head on a pike?! Do you have any idea how worried sick I was?!" She began to vigorously shake Ryūgen out of agitation, the poor man unable to speak due to the discombobulating and was sweating bullets as she glared at him.
"That's enough, Yoko. You need to stop coddling him just because of that one incident." said an old man, making the woman halt in her actions.
"But father, I-"
"Why don't you just drop the tough girl act, sis?" said the young man behind Yoko's father, who was smirking playfully. The two men were flanked by two additional men wearing ninja suits similar to their own. "We all know that you're just going to threaten him for a few more minutes, before you get all sappy after he apologizes and says a few sweet words. After that, you're just going to drag him off to your room, put up some silencing seals, and ravage him until morning." Yoko's gaze whipped towards her younger brother, red in the face and glaring fiercely at him. She looked as if she was about to explode on the young man, until her father finally noticed the new arrivals that came with his son-in-law.
"It seems that you have gathered some new crew members." said the elder. But then his eyes widened once they landed on the blond, as well as the weapon that he had strapped to his back. One of his guardsmen noticed too, and was about to say something, when the man beat him too it. "So, who are your guests?"
"They're some people who purchased travel on my ship. Fortunately for me, they were also a great help in protecting me when Keisuke tried to launch a surprise assault." answered Ryūgen.
"Is that so? And how did Hamasaki Saito manage to gain passage on your ship?" the man asked. The teens were surprised that Ryūgen's father-in-law knew Saito by name. The former Kiri-nin just walked up to the elder and bowed.
"It has been a while, Sairento Kenpo."
"That it has." responded Kenpo. "I've heard that you joined another group to break Akira's hold, but I must express my concern about them. They are not the type of people who have Kiri's best interest in their hearts."
"That may be, but they are the only ones who are actively doing something against that traitorous scum. I need to take my new comrades to the camp, immediately. There have been recent developments that could greatly aid our cause."
Kenpo visibly winced, much to Saito's confusion. "That would not be a good idea for now, my friend. Something has gotten Akira pretty riled up to. A lot of his men have been mobilized around the area, and they're not holding anything back in their attempts to locate their objective. I think it would be better for your party to stay the night and set off tomorrow, before the sun rises."
"I thank you for your hospitality." said Saito with a bow. The Sairento clan leader made a motion to one of the guardsmen, who then led the group into the compound. As the group made their way up the stairs, his gaze once again fell on the blade that the blond had, curious as to how the young man had managed to find it. But it wasn't just the blond that intrigued Kenpō's curiosity, but the twins as well; something about them just seemed so eerily familiar to him. As he followed after Saito's group, he silently vowed to find out everything he could about these mysterious shinobi.
XXX
Loud explosions rocked the ground as a house collapsed, kicking up massive clouds of ash and debris. Seconds later, both Jiryoku and Raiu leapt out of the smokescreen, and landed in front of the small team of hunter nin that was waiting for them outside. When the smokescreen died down, they were greeted with the sight of rubble, fire, smoke and a few bodies scattered across the ground.
Raiu growled and kicked one of the dead bodies out of frustration. "This son of bitch is starting to get on my nerves."
"Come off your rag," said Jiryoku, earning a glare from Raiu. "He's got to be running out of places to hide by now. Once we catch this bastard, we'll make him experience pain beyond his wildest imagination for all of the trouble he's put us through. And once we get those swords, we'll end his pathetic existence." Without another word, the team of Kumo-nin left the scene. What neither of them noticed was that a pair of eyes, hidden within the branches of a tree a few meters away, was watching the group the entire time.
He was a round shaped man, with lavender hair, green eyes, and a pointed goatee on his chin. The stranger wore clothing resistant to heavy weather, complete with camouflage arm and leg warmers. Finishing his outfit was his Kirigakure hitai-ate tied around his forehead, with the metal plate on the left side of his head. Strapped to his back was one of the seven great swords of Kiri, the Kabutowari. Despite the fact that the enemy was long gone, he decided to wait awhile, and contemplate his current predicament.
Akira seemed to be getting more and more reckless about getting the scroll with each passing day. But he wasn't too worried about getting caught; Akira's actions proved that he was getting exceedingly desperate. He knew that the Gashira clan only supported Akira on the grounds that they got the legendary blades in return. But, if Akira failed to fulfill his end of the deal, the Gashira would withdraw their support, thus making it easier to eliminate the Godaime. Unfortunately, if he killed that power-hungry bastard, his death would be the catalyst of yet another civil war; one that he was sure would permanently put an end to Kirigakure.
The man sighed sadly, as he recalled when he heard the news that Mei had been betrayed and killed. He always thought that she would've made a great Kage; she had the ability to bring people together under one ideal, and he was certain that she would have helped the village rebuild and recover. That was the type of leader that Kirigakure needed the most. Unfortunately, with Mei no longer amongst the living, there was no one who could possibly take her place. And with the resistance in its current state, even if they did manage to bring Akira down, the endless cycle of betrayal, lust for power, and mindless violence would only continue.
Finally getting his second wind back, Genji vanished without a trace, determined to do everything he could to keep the blades as far away from Akira.
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Authors' Notes: Here's a new chapter for the holidays. Anyway, as you can see, Toa Naruto is also my co-writer. His ideas are in all the chapters so he deserves credit for it as well. He did another great job and I appreciate it. Anyway, enjoy the new chapter.
Jutsu
Ougi, Tenga Gaeshi - Secret Technique, Heaven Returner – The wielder spins the Mari-Blade in front of himself deflecting and returning every projectile shot in him back into opponent(s).
Ougi, Shunko - Secret Technique, Instant Light – The wielder moves with incredible speed slicing several opponent or inflicting several wounds to one opponent with the Mari-Blade in a blink of eye.
Ninpō: Kazen Kōshi - Ninja Art, The Perfect Strike – The wielder positions the Mari-Blade in front of them, then dives in the direction of his opponent. This technique is strong enough to shatter stone or any type of defense.