Disclaimer: We do not own Naruto
Co-Author and Beta: Etheral-23
Chapter 62: The Decisive Moment Act III
XxX ~ xx ~ XxX ~ xx ~ XxX ~ xx ~ XxX ~ xx ~ XxX
The sounds of hundreds of footsteps running at full speed filled the long grass field as almost four hundred shinobi traversed toward their destination. The call for aid had been urgent; the very leadership of their nation was at stake, with their daimyo pinned down in a warzone and the princess rushing in to save him, taking with her an entire regiment of soldiers with a shinobi detachment.
The critical nature of this mission was that the Hokage joined their numbers. They could only afford to send the best. So veteran jonin and ANBU marched with them, chunin with plenty of battlefield experience and even some of their most seasoned genin. The most talented and robust would fight whatever threatened the royal line's lives, while the rest would at least help escort them out and keep them safe.
Tsunade's eyes were on a perpetual frown, and the information she was relayed bothered her greatly. But, of course, Maiyuri couldn't stay put; she had to put herself in danger. Honestly, she expected nothing else of the stubborn princess at this point.
She had not expected Maiyuri to conscript the people sent to the capital for judgment as her guard.
What was that girl playing at? Did she want to save them by earning them a pardon from the Daimyo himself if they saved his life?
The mother in her was relieved, knowing they had a chance at freedom.
The Hokage in her was annoyed. Didn't Maiyuri know the dangerous precedent she would set?
But now was not the time to ponder on such things; they had a critical mission.
Despite some protests from Neko, her team was ordered to remain because they quickly sped back to the village from Amotsu. No doubt, having used soldier pills so as not to lose stamina. Unfortunately, this had left them all with substantial chakra exhaustion and unable to offer assistance in this emergency.
Her eyes fell onto the few Genin among this regiment. More specifically, those who were friends with her grandson and granddaughter. Their fight against the Blood Leash allowed them to follow their Jounin Senseis. Their experience dealing with extremely dangerous foes prepared them for such a mission.
Shizune dashed beside her, "Kya went to go find Jiraiya, who is with that Tomoe Gozen woman on sage affairs."
A slight frown graced the older woman's lips. The Sage of Flames, as Jiraiya called her, she felt she heard that title, but it was so long ago she barely remembered.
She shook her head; she needed to focus. "Until then, we keep to our mission and don't falter. We save the Daimyo and eliminate the threat in the Land of Trees." The last Senju took note of the relief in her apprentice's eyes. No doubt happy Kushina and the others were conscripted by Maiyuri.
Despite Ino's heart pounding loudly in her chest, she kept focused. Yet Shikamaru and Chouji took note of the glow in her eyes, "You seem too happy to be heading into danger," The Nara droned.
"Just grateful Sakura and the others won't be spending their lives in prison."
Asuma glanced back, "They still need a full pardon from the Daimyo. So don't celebrate just yet." The Sarutobi was well aware of protocol and knew what the princess had done was highly irregular.
"Can't we get some good news out of this mess, Asuma-Sensei!?" The older man and Shikamaru groaned, rubbing their eyes at Ino's retort.
"On the off chance the Daimyo pardons them, they will be fully conscripted to princess Maiyuri then as guards," Shikamaru abolished, "They will likely work in Amotsu than at home."
"Better than being in prison, Shika!"
"We first need to make sure they all return home safely before we can even discuss their status," Neji shouted as he ran with his team.
"Here, I thought you wouldn't be so dour anymore!" Tenten chastized his teammate.
"It's not dourness; we were all told the same thing," Neji said with severity, understanding the gravity of the situation. "Whatever is in there is powerful enough that it tore through not just the Daimyo's guard but the Land of Tree's shinobi and samurai forces."
The message could have been more straightforward on what attacked them, but it said the creature had utterly decimated everything on its path. Without details on the number of losses or how much the Land of Trees could still fight, they could only assume the worst.
Hinata's lips pursed, worry filling her every being. But now was not the time to give in to fear.
"This mission is even more important than when we took out Blood Leash," Kiba said, Akamaru bouncing up on down on his head, secured by the hood. "The Daimyo himself is in danger... But, yeesh, all this stuff, and we're still genin?!"
"Look, times have been very chaotic lately," His sensei replied. "The Sound-Sand Invasion, the fight against Blood Leash, the procedure is always to wait for another Chunin Exams down the line."
"How about this?" Tsunade called back, hearing their conversations. "You make it back alive, and I'll start thinking promotions. Got it? Good. Now focus!"
And pray that all their experience so far could help them with what's coming...
XxX ~ xx ~ XxX
In the deep cave, Naruto and his companions sat around the daimyo, listening to his tale as Maiyuri stood protectively over him, looking as though she feared he might fall over any second, despite him being seated.
"Things were going as I had discussed with the Tree Daimyo," Akiha said, holding his hands together. "The Land of Trees would swear fielty to the Land of Fire's sovereignty. We signed a treaty to formalize things, and I would take their oaths as Lord of Fire and Tree."
With the other smaller territories under the Land of Fire, that would have officially crowned him as emperor. Naruto didn't need to guess some Tree Shinobi didn't like the idea of swearing loyalty to their old enemy.
"There was... resistance, of course," He briefly shifted his look to a group of Tree shinobi standing away from the rest of the group—the surviving conspirators.
It was only out of sheer pragmatism and desperation they weren't executed right now.
Only Akiha's words kept back the Tree Shinobi, who did not take part in this nightmare and looked ready to cleave their former comrade's heads. Instead, all their grief and rage glowed in their gazes, their hearts mourning for the countless deaths of friends and loved ones taken from them.
"Morikage Kenichi fought fearlessly alongside his Shinobi. Daimyo Hachibana was with me before we were surprised by that... monster." Akiha shuddered upon recalling the events vividly. "Within the next moments, I saw them all torn to shreds," He lowered his head, "Hachibana pushed me out of the way as the monster swiped at both of us. His body was crushed as his blood soaked my form."
A tree Kunoichi close to them held a faint look of pride, "Hachibana-Sama was always a selfless and courageous man."
"He was a coward." All eyes glared toward the one lone conspirator among his group remained defiant. "He gave up the pride of our village just to be the fire land's dog."
Blood sprayed from the man's mouth from a fist of an older Tree shinobi, who snarled at the now unconscious man, "We have heard enough of your venom. Because of all of you, our land is gone. And if any of you are proud of this, you never deserved to be a Tree Shinobi!" He roared before holding his chest in pain.
"Toshirou-Sama," several Tree shinobi came to the elderly man and helped him sit.
"I lost my grandchildren because of these fools," Toshirou hissed, holding his chest. "I pray to be alive long enough to see them executed."
"They will face punishment for this Toshirou-San," Maiyuri stated with a steely edge, "Please rest yourself for your people. You are the closest thing they have to a leader remaining."
"...Hai, Maiyuri-Hime." The older man groaned as a Tree medical-nin's hand glowed with healing.
Akiha only gazed mournfully at the scene before him.
"What do we do, then?" One of the samurai asked. But, first, they needed to formulate a plan.
"Commander Akari is somewhere in the country with the rest of our forces," Kakashi explained, "The best option right now would be to regroup for a counter-offensive."
"Counter-offensive?" A Tree ninja said incredulously. "That monster tore through us like paper! How do you even expect to fight it?!"
"It caught all of us off guard," The Copy Nin replied. "That was its greatest advantage; it hit us hard and fast before we could counter-attack properly."
Sasuke shook his head, "It appeared out of nowhere; neither my Sharingan nor Karin's sensory skills picked it up until it was too late."
"Legends tell the gashadokuro could appear and disappear at will," Maiyuri supplied, "But... I had no idea their power went as far as to be nearly undetectable."
"So it goes invisible?" Sakura asked.
"Far more than that," One of the Fire samurai said, "It was almost like its body turned to dust and then reformed itself somewhere else."
"There has to be a way for us to track it then," Kushina pondered, "Perhaps that dust may still be visible when it gathers in large amounts."
"It's not intangible all the time," A tree samurai brought up, "From time to time, it appears to be roaming around."
Maiyuri slowly nodded, trying to formulate a plan. "Before we do anything, it might be best to escort my father away. Have you tried a giant flying summon?"
"We have," A samurai said grimly. "That thing spotted them quickly and snatched it right out of the air."
The princess sighed, "Then perhaps we must wait until it is all over. For that, we need to destroy that thing" She turned to soldiers and shinobi. "I want scouts to try and track the gashadokuro while another group searches for the rest of our forces so we may coordinate" She shifted her gaze to the tree shinobi. "Are there more of your forces left?"
"There must be some taking refuge elsewhere in the country," A kunoichi said, "The gashadokuro is a big part of the problem, but the demons have taken the capital, and the bulk of their forces is still there. The nobility and command structure are decimated; we barely have anyone to mobilize us."
"What if we go to them?" Maiyuri asked, "Offer them to join our efforts."
"Our nation is destroyed," Another Tree native said with a sense of hopelessness, a sentiment shared amongst many of his comrades. "What would they be fighting for?"
Maiyuri looked into their eyes, "Vengeance," She said with fire in her voice. "The chance to make the monsters who did this pay. Of making sure your nation will not be a footnote in history. Avenge those who were lost and those you have lost. Let us show these demons that humanity does not go quietly into the night. We show these hell beasts that we will fight the darkness at every turn and send them back to hell."
Yuma smirked as her childhood friend's words lit a fire in the eyes of all those around her.
But, Akiha only stared in awe at his daughter's inspirational words. Her conviction was resolute as steel. Her eyes glowed with a strength he had seen once before. "Maiyuri-hime is so awesome," His gaze turned to Naruto at his side, who spoke.
He could not help but agree, 'Can you see our daughter Saeko? She is so much like you.'
Kosuke stood at the entrance alongside Jubei and Miharu. "So how do we regroup with the others without drawing attention to ourselves?" the large man questioned out loud.
Leaning and resting against her brother's shoulder, Karin's eyes shot open as she sat straight, "Auntie Lyn!? Miss Anko!?"
"Who?" A Tree Samurai questioned before two figures dashed towards the cave entrance. Jubei went for his sword but was stopped by the towering Uzumaki.
"It is Lyn! And Hatake's girlfriend!" Kosuke called out in surprise.
Kushina's head turned towards the entrance as the buxom redhead and purple-haired snake mistress stopped at the cave's threshold. Lyn huffed, "Figuring out whose tracks were whose was a pain in the ass, you know?"
"What the hell are you two doing here 'ttebane!?"
"What else?" The wild-maned Uzumaki shrugged as if it were obvious. "We're here to help."
"The reinforcements are here?" Kakashi asked, lifting everyone's hopes at the thought.
"Nah, we came way earlier," Anko said, "This one here was gonna break you out of jail."
"Had a plan and everything," Lyn confessed shamelessly, uncaring she was saying it out loud in front of authorities like the daimyo.
Kushina stared at her, "You realize we CHOOSE to be imprisoned, right?"
"I felt that was you guilt-tripping everyone else, and you always did that as kids."
"I did not!"
"Regardless," Anko cut in, "I see you guys are now working for the princess."
Sakura scratched her cheek awkwardly. "It's a developing situation."
"Well, as soon as shit was going down, we thought of helping you," The snake mistress continued before addressing the Hatake. "Don't think this means we're serious or anything, though"
Kakashi chuckled softly. "Wouldn't dream of it."
Lyn smirked as she pulled out a storage scroll, "We even brought-"
"My sword," Soujiro, breaking his long silence, spoke up as his eyes widened slightly.
"Um, yeah," Lyn muttered, quirking a brow at her nephew. "How do you-?"
"I can feel it."
"What?" Naruto squinted.
"You can feel- Nevermind" Lyn let it go; it was best to ignore it. "Yeah, we have your blade, kiddo. Yours too, Kushi."
"Oh, thank Amaterasu," Kushina looked relieved as she and Soujiro caught their respective blades, "Soujiro, honey, we keep the katanas we got from the armory in case we need a secondary weapon. Understood?"
"Hai." without another word, he slipped his blade into his belt beside the other.
"Lyn..." Kosuke garnered her cousin's attention as he leaned in, "Where is Kuma?"
"Oh!" Much to the large man's horror, she pulls out another scroll, "He's right here."
"You put my little brother in a scroll!?"
"He's asleep!"
"Like that makes it any better!"
Ignoring the shouting, Sasuke glanced at Anko, "How many reinforcements are coming?"
"Four hundred, plus the Hokage herself, all your Genin buddies, Asuma, Kurenai, and Gai."
"Figured they want in on this," Kakashi mused. "But it will be at least a few hours before they get here. So we are still on our own." He peered over to the princess, who nodded in agreement.
"Then we look for Akari and Suburo, gather all our forces, and plan to finish this." Maiyuri thought for a moment before turning to Naruto, "We may need his power as well."
"The fox said I would need nearly half of his strength to fight bonehead, and I can only use one tail." the blond's shoulders slumped.
"Would it be enough against this Dhunarak?" Akiha inquired. Naruto only shrugged in return, "Hmm."
"What can you tell us about this 'Dhunarak'?" Kushina asked; the name felt strange to say.
"He's... well, he's not human. That much we can tell you," One of the samurai said. The samurai waved to a shinobi, which cast a visual genjutsu, generating an image of the demon in question. "Very tall and wears very odd robes. And he wields some incredibly powerful jutsu. Manipulating raw elemental forces and twisting reality in a way I've never even seen"
Kushina turned to her wild-maned cousin, "Lyn, you're the demon hunter. Does any of this look similar to you?"
"I've hunted all manner of wild yokai. The type of monsters that behave in an animalistic fashion," Lyn explained, crossing her armored arms as she looked pensive, walking around the conjured image. "If you hadn't shown me how he looks, I would have thought he must have a high oni or some other type of sorcerous demon like a baba witch. But... I've never seen anything like this guy" She frowned, worried at her lack of knowledge. "And did he do hand signs? Maybe a type of complex onmyōdō? Charms or the like?"
"None," A tree kunoichi voiced grimly. "He just waves his arms and... things happened..."
Lyn pursed her lips. "That weird name, the looks, the unknown style of spell casting... I think we're dealing with something completely foreign to our lands."
"As if we didn't have enough trouble with local demons," Anko grumbled, crossing her arms beside her (not) boyfriend. "Some foreign demonic asshole pays us a visit for shits and giggles."
Yuma absently rubbed her bandaged arm, "He's no joke in the skill department, I can tell you that much. And he loves mind games, messing with your head to get you off your game and strike you hard."
"He got into your head?" Maiyuri questioned in surprise.
"...He was using people as shields."
Disgust rang through many while Lyn groaned, "Fully sapient. I hate those." She began to pace, "This guy can use tactics, make plans and use them. And is either extremely old and experienced or just very powerful with a brain attached."
"..." Maiyuri was silent, but Yuma and her father could see the gears turning in her head, "Outside the gashadokuro being his ace. We are dealing with an exceptionally dangerous foe."
"Not just him alone, Maiyuri-Hime," Toshirou called out, "He also has a band of demons who seem to be his generals. All of them are nearly as dangerous as Dhunarak."
The pinkette rubbed her chin, "This complicates matters then. We need to find Akari and Suburo immediately. And it will likely need to wait for Tsunade and her regiment. If they are this dangerous, we can't go half-cock on these foes."
Kushina weighted in. "Before we can think of a plan of attack, first, we need to contact the rest of our forces."
The princess let out a soft breath. "Very true. Let's begin forming the scouting parties. I'll need a few tree shinobi or samurai in each group to help us navigate the area and look for your comrades."
"You're going out there again?" Akiha said with distress, "Maiyuri, I-"
"Father," His daughter cut him out softly. "I'll be fine."
Whatever protest he had died in his mouth, he didn't have the strength to argue against her. Maiyuri would not let him dictate her actions this time, that much he could see.
"Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, Miharu, Namika, I want you with me to find the remains of the Land of Trees' forces" The princess began relaying orders. "I need Tree natives to come along."
"I'm in good enough shape," A kunoichi said, "I can guide you."
"Me too."
"Same here."
"Good, you go along with others," She replied, "I need another group to make contact with commander Akari."
"We can do it," Kakashi volunteered, "Karin, you're familiar with their signatures already, right?"
"I am," The bespectacled girl confirmed.
"Good, you and Soujiro are coming with us then" He gestured to Kushina, Kosuke, Anko, and Lyn.
Yuma patted her friend's shoulder, "I'll hang back here with Jubei to look after your father and the injured."
"Alright," Maiyuri went to move, but her buxom friend still held her shoulder, making her look back, "Yuma?"
"...Watch your ass out there, okay." The swordswoman's voice radiated some worry.
Maiyuri nodded slightly before the groups left the cave for their missions.
XxX ~ xx ~ XxX
Up on a large branch was the Tree Kunioichi with Sasuke at her side. His Sharingan is active and scans the area for any irregularities. Below them and well hidden was Maiyuri and the rest as they observed the two.
"Anything, Uchiha?" The Kunoichi whispered. The young teen shook his head, making her look down at the others, "Clear."
The group advanced as silently as possible through the immense woodlands, guided by the Kunoichi, who called herself Yuka. Miharu and Namika kept at their rear while Naruto and Sakura were on either side of Maiyuri with a kunai ready for anything. "Would Commander Akari leave any hints of where they would be?" The rosette kunoichi questioned.
"Not sure they had any time to do so," Miharu answered.
"I don't think leaving any hints right now is the best idea," Naruto piped in. "Those demons most likely are looking for them as well."
"Then we need to hurry," The princess said, turning to the Tree kunoichi upon the trees. "Are we closer, Yuka-san?"
"One of the hiding spots is nearby," The kunoichi said. "The trees are laced with genjutsu to hide any presence."
"That's creative," Sakura said, finding the concept interesting.
"Just because we're a smaller country doesn't mean we're not capable," Yuka said, taking pride in her nation. "That's a common mistake larger nations always made in times of war..."
To protect against invaders, but now there wasn't much left to protect.
"I don't get why the Tree shinobi agreed to release the monster," Naruto shook his head. "They had to trust those demons at their word that they'd control it. Didn't that raise a few flags, at least?"
"Hatred is a strong motivator, known to push aside all logic," Maiyuri said, quoting from the monks who mentored her.
"Konoha and Hayashi had been fighting since the Second Great War," Yuka said dispassionately. "People have been mad at Konoha since then. And when the Prajñā Group was almost completely killed when we oh so 'smartly' decided to ambush Konoha during peace talks, they carried that grudge all along."
"Why were our countries fighting in the same place?"
"Why else?" Miharu shrugged, "A small fight here and there; then it escalates into bigger ones, then we get trade rights, territory, and contract disputes in the middle. And you get the recipe for war."
"Along with those who want to start wars for their twisted kicks," Namika grumbled angrily. "Sickos want to slaughter and ravish as many people as possible because it is fun for them."
Sakura paled at the thought of encountering monsters like that. Naruto, however, only snarled in disgust, "Getting why Ero-Sennin hates war so much. Just sound so stupid."
"It is," Maiyuri agreed, "But sadly, people will lash out violently when another person has a different opinion and wants to change the status quo. Or, as Miharu just said, trade rights, territory, etc."
Yuka peered at Sasuke with a bewildered gaze as she mouthed, 'Pervy sage?'. The Uchiha grunted, "Jiraiya of the Sannin." Her brow rose above her bangs upon hearing his answer.
With another five minutes of walking, Yuka raised her hand to stop the group from leaping down to the ground. Then, going through several hand seals, she slams her hand on a large tree. Soon the surroundings shimmered like water before vanishing an enormous cave opening appeared. At that moment, a dozen Tree Shinobi came out with weapons ready.
But they stopped at the sight of Yuka, whose eyes glowed with fresh tears at the sight of the man leading the group. Then, like the wind, the man dropped his weapon as the Kunoichi rushed into his arms, and both embraced him tightly. Then, giving the two a respectful space, an older Tree Kunoichi showed recognition to the princess with shocked eyes, "Maiyuri Sasaki?"
"I am glad to see more survivors," the pinkette spoke gently. "How many are here?"
"Mostly civilians; we were the only shinobi who came to this hiding spot."
"I see," Maiyuri replied. "We're trying to contact other remnants of the Tree forces. We could use your help to reach them, even if you can spare just one shinobi."
"I..." The man looked at Yuka, who nodded in return. They had little choice regarding allies. "Very well, if you can help us coordinate an evacuation-"
"I'm afraid you're mistaken," The princess interjected, "We're seeking to organize a counter-attack."
The shinobi from the cave all looked surprised at the Fire princess.
"Are you insane?!" The man hissed.
"Kosua," Yuka tried to calm her friend, to no avail.
"Those monsters tore us to pieces!" He waved his arm wildly, "We threw everything we had at them, and it did nothing! So now the Kage is dead, like the daimyo; we have no one to lead us!"
"There is still someone with seniority among you," Sasuke said, "One Toshirou."
"Great, an old guy is the best we have..." Kosua said harshly, and none of his comrades looked like they would argue against him.
Maiyuri could see it in their eyes. These people didn't have the will to fight desperation, anger, and hopelessness.
"Warriors of Hayashi," Maiyuri's voice rang with steel, garnering the attention of the people around her, "During the first shinobi war, was it not Morikage Yamamoto who shocked the Tsuchikage Ishikawa himself to a standstill? Who showed that the Land of Trees was more than a small village. You are stout warriors who do not tilt against the darkness no matter how big the shadow looms."
"What is there to fight for when we lose everything?" Kosua countered in anger, "Our village is in ruins; we have nothing!"
"You have your lives! Your heart still beats, and air flows in your lungs to breathe! Your muscles still move your limbs! The will of your people still burns!" Maiyuri stomped passed the people and pointed inside the cave, "If you give up, what becomes of them!?"
A Tree shinobi balked, "We would never abandon our people! But we have nothing left to fight for!"
"So, is it better to run? Better to survive and become nothing but a fractured and broken nation. Are you allowing your history and culture to be a footnote in history? For the all world to see that you meant nothing when demons came to your doorstep, slaughtered your people, and destroyed your village?"
The shinobi fell silent; some clenched their fist in impotent rage; the burning desire to avenge their home, the need to protect what remained of their people, was still there. They were still shinobi of Hayashi.
But there was no Hayashi anymore, wasn't it?
"It's easy for you to talk like that," One of the shinobi despondently said. "You're not one the who lost everything..."
Their homes, their families, and comrades.
There was nothing left: nothing but corpses and ash.
"Even if we fight," Kosua spoke, his voice low and broken. "We are risking our lives for nothing but ruins. There's nothing left; we don't have the manpower or resources to rebuild."
They would remain for a generation or two if they left now, and then their descendants would forget everything. It was better than to bear the pain of failure, the shame of having failed their home like this...
They would never be able to return to the Land of Trees after this tragedy, and their legacy ended here.
"Then I'll help you rebuild."
Eyes stared in shock at the princess, who looked back resolutely.
"Huh?!" Yuka let out a sudden gasp.
"I promise the Land of Fire will help you rebuild."
"Wait, what" It was complicated for the Tree shinobi to understand. "You... You want to help us? Buy why?"
"I see broken people in need of aid," She said. "What happened here... it is a horrible tragedy; you do not deserve this."
"Our lands were enemies!" Kosua almost shouted. "The Leaf and Tree have fought each other for a long time!"
"Those altercations have created more trouble for us; it is time to end them."
His fists clenched, "Like the daimyo wanted, to swear loyalty to the Land of Fire. So that is what you want as well?"
"Put aside the politics," Maiyuri shook her head. "I do not care if you trust me or my motives; when this is over, I shall do all I can to feed your people and give them shelter."
Frustration glowed on Kosua's face; looking away, could putting aside old grudges and politics be that easy? Closing his eyes, he soon felt a small delicate hand on his cheek. Then, opening his eyes, he saw Yuka staring up at him. Neither spoke for a minute before the young man sighed, lowering his head.
"Alright," Kosua turned his gaze to the fire princess, "We will help you." The few Tree shinobi around him nodded in agreement pledging their aid.
Naruto only looked beside his team at the scene, "...Wow," Sakura muttered, garnering a nod from her teammates.
A wide smirk pleased crossed Namika's lip at how things turned out. Miharu snorted, shaking his head before getting serious, "We should keep looking for our comrades and more allies, Maiyuri-Hime."
"Yes."
XxX ~ xx ~ XxX
"Will you stop giving me the evil eye? Look! Your oversized furry buddy is just fine," Lyn snapped from the lingering glare from the hulking Kosuke.
Said furry friend Kuma walking beside Kushina and Karin, a reasonable distance from Lyn. The massive bear held a wary glare toward the buxom redhead. "Don't think he will ever trust you again, Lyn," Kushina chided.
"Oh, shut your trap, Kushi!"
"Maybe we should be a little quieter," Kakashi said as he sweatdropped. "We don't want to attract unwanted attention after all..."
"We got Karin," Lyn pointed out. "She's the best sensor around."
"She can't feel the gashadokuro when it disappears," Soujiro explained.
"Oh... shit"
Kushina shook her head, "Yeah. That thing appearing out of nowhere was nightmarish, I can only imagine-"
"I can feel it."
Those four words the bespectacled spoke were enough to make everyone stop and immediately go into battle mode. Kushina and Soujiro brandished their blades as Lyn twirled her naginata; Anko took out her kunai and was already summoning snakes from her coat as Kakashi's Sharingan activated. Kosuke and Kuma both growled as their stances became feral and territorial.
But Karin remained still; she was looking confused in another direction.
"Is it near?" Kushina muttered, the grip on her blade tightening.
"It's... It's not moving," The girl said, baffled. "It's just remaining still somewhere around... ten miles from here, I think" She pointed precisely in the direction she felt the monster.
"Wait," Anko muttered as their stances slowly relaxed. "Isn't that where the capital of the Land of Trees is?"
"Yeah... It is just standing there," Karin muttered with trepidation. Then, her gaze turned to her mother, "Why the hell would it be like that?"
Kushina shared her daughter's confusion before eyeing Lyn, "What do you think?"
"It could be any number of reasons." The demon slayer shrugged back. But by the look in her eyes, this development made her tense.
Soujiro asked, "Could this Dhunarak figure out what we're doing?"
"Our lord has..." Within moments the group retook their fighting stance upon hearing a guttural raspy voice all around them. "He welcomes your attempt of futility. And will savor your despair as you all die."
Flames danced around Lyn's naginata swaying her head in all directions, "I've heard a dozen demons all make the same claim. All of them burn in the end."
The demonic voice laughed, "Wretched Uzumaki whore. We will send your soul to hell with your ancestors!" A thick Miasma enveloped them, "KILL THEM!"
From the miasma and behind the trees emerged over a dozen figures. Long thin limbs, almost just skin on bones, and their skin were ashy white and wrinkly, coated in what looked like layers of dust or sand. Long tattered dark cloaks were draped around their figures, with leather wrappings over arms and legs. Bony fingers held long, jagged, and rusted scythes. Eyes shining a baleful red glowed on their faces, unnaturally long maws open and letting out shrill gasps of breaths.
"Are these... demons?" Karin muttered; she had been so distracted she had not felt them.
"Not like any other I've seen," Lyn muttered as she held her flaming naginata in a stance.
Kosuke rolled his neck. "I bet they die all the same"
Suddenly, one released a loud, piercing screech and jumped high in the air, bringing down its scythe upon Kushina. The Uzumaki's katana met it with a shower of sparks and maneuvered around the demon's reach to deliver a sweeping cut. No blood came, only dust and sand. The demon howled and tried attacking her again, but its moments were slow and clunky. Kushina cut it repeatedly and thought it felt pain; this thing was durable. She finished it by cutting its head in half, and its body disintegrated into sand.
"What are these things made of?!"
"Go for the head!" Anko called out, tearing through one demon's neck, severing the head, and watching it turn to dust instantly.
Lyn spun her flaming naginata while ducking and dodging several quick attacks that came close to cutting her—leaping over one demon with her blade cleaving through its neck with ease. Her eyes fixed as she observed its beheaded form turn to ashes. Throughout her career, she has faced all types and kinds of demons.
But these demons were nothing like those she had ever crossed. Even how they were dying was alien to her.
Then her mind recalled a conversation with another fellow slayer and his activities on a mission months ago. Her eyes rose with a chilling recognition, "They are Hell Demons!"
The term was not lost on Kushina, as she remembered some of Baachan's lessons, "You sure!?"
"Their aura and presence are alien when compared to earthborn demons."
"They are like pure malevolence made real," Karin quipped, dodging a strike aimed at her. "They feel nothing like Queen Kuroreimei and the others!"
Kuma roared, lunging for one of the demonic attackers with his jaws clamping down. Kosuke ripped the weapon from the demon before throwing it like a spear into another and impaling it into a tree.
The creature crumbled into dust, and only rags remained. No blood or viscera was coming from Kuma's maw, only more sand as he chomped down the demon's head, causing the bear to snort and spit the remains. Soujiro clashed between two demons at once, dodging their wild swings with precision, jumping over the overhead strike from a scythe as this one landed, burying itself on the ground before he stabbed at the creature's face with his blade. The demon disintegrated, and he swiftly cut the other from shoulder to hip, the body sliding down as soon it turned to dust.
Karin used her skill with kunai and shuriken to strike at the creatures before they drew too close. Most of these creatures were not too bright, but what they lacked in intellect, they made up in sheer instincts driven but pure bloodlust. She could feel their unearthly chakra, which made her nauseous; it was like evil had given form to something which lived solely for killing and destroying.
One of the demons took a deep breath, its belly inflating grotesquely, and bellowed an enormous amount of dust which hit her skin like knives, sending her to the ground with a painful sound. Karin watched in panic as the demon loomed over her, raising its jagged scythe.
Karin shouted, throwing her arm on instinct, but she had no kunai. She thought this was it when suddenly something happened.
It felt... strange, like her chakra extended from beyond her body in a long line. The demon's weapon was held in place, locked tight by a golden chain wrapped around it.
It made a sound of confusion, staring at it with bewildered red eyes.
"Wha..." Even Karin was baffled by what she was seeing. But, then, came out of her hand was a chain... a glowing golden chain.
The demon tugged at its weapon, and Karin could feel the strain on her reserves. Quickly, she pulled another kunai and hit the creature on the head, dissolving it into sand.
"Karin!" Kushina shouted, and Lyn she finished off two more creatures at once. They ran towards their daughter/niece and looked at the chain in astonishment, watching as this one slowly vanished into motes of chakra, with the girl staring at her hand in shock. "Did... Did you just...?"
Karin looked at the two with wide eyes, "I..."
Then another flare of unnatural chakra, Anko and Kakashi backed away from a giant fireball exploding in a blaze of blood-red flames.
"Later!" Lyn shouted, holding her naginata.
"Wretched Uzumakis... I shall bring you heads to Lord Dhunarak myself!" Walking out of the shadows was a hulking bare-chested blue-greyish-skinned horned demon with glowing yellow eyes and hard leather armor from the waist down. Standing a head taller than Kosuke with a large muscular frame with a chain wrapped around one arm, and in the other was a massive war-axe it gripped tightly.
Kuma roared, standing on his hind legs as Kosuke joined in, ready for battle. The demon roared back, unleashing a blood-red fire like a dragon from its maw.
"Scatter!" Not that Kushina's words needed to be said as everyone ducked or ran out of the way of the flames.
Despite its hulking size, the demon dashed at its prey with alarming speed. Kosuke was quick to recover, charging as the creature of hell raised its weapon. Then, in a feat of strength, the large Uzumaki stopped the axe in mid-swing and the demon's fist with the other. Kosuke's muscles bulged with visible veins as both screamed in the other's faces.
From behind the demon, Kuma stood back up and put his massive claws on the monster's back.
The demon roared in pain as the claws pierced through muscle, drawing dark-red blood. As soon as Kuma was about to bite the demon's head off, this one fought back by igniting its body with red flames, forcing both the bear and the big human back. He shifted his axe and hit the tip upon the ground, over and over, igniting wave after wave of red flames, forcing the others to take refuge behind trees.
Lyn pulled out three seal tags from her person and threw them at the demon. The seals activated and unleashed torrents of water which doused the red fires and drenched the demon. This one growled at her and spat fire from his maw once more; Lyn twirled her naginata and sent a stream of flames, both fires meeting head-on in a struggle.
Kakashi and Anko surrounded the demon while this one fought Lyn. Anko struck with long snakes escaping from her loose sleeve, biting its neck and torso several times. The demon roared in pain as Lyn ceased her attack, he cut off the heads of Anko's snakes with his axe, but the poison was already working. He was too slow to move out from the puddle formed around her by the demon huntress's previous attack, and Kakashi fired off a lightning jutsu which quickly traveled through the water, shocking the demon violently.
Lyn hefted her naginata over her shoulder, letting out a warcry; she threw it with all her might like a javelin. The weapon's curved edge pierced the demon's chest, over where she assumed his heart should be.
Her assumption proved correct as the demon went limp, its body turned to ashes, and its weapon fell to the ground. Anko let out a huff and whistle, "I say we got our workout done, eh?" Kakashi only shook his head, lowering his bandana over his Sharingan eye.
Kushina ignored going over to her daughter and kneeling in front of her. "You used chakra chains," it was more a statement than a question.
"It just... happened out of reflex." She looked at her hand where it came out.
"Those chains will come in handy."
Kushina wiped her head around to an approaching Lyn from her statement, "It happened out of instinct. She'll need the practice to use it."
The buxom redhead shrugged, "She can learn it during this shitstorm."
"...Lyn, have you been able to use chakra chains?" The long full minute of silence was the answer. "Seriously 'ttbane?"
"Bite me, Kushi!" Her cousin stammered with an embarrassed and angry blush, "They just never came for me, alright!"
Kosuke cocked an eye at Soujiro, "She never could summon the chains?"
"Auntie Lyn gets real upset when bringing it up."
Kushina gave Lyn the smarmiest of looks.
Lyn threw things around. "At least I don't need it to be a competent fighter."
"Oh, I'll show you-"
"You can beat each other up later," Karin interjected, standing between her aunts and pointing forward. "Commander Akari and Suburo are in that direction further up."
The shinobi perked up and looked at where she was pointing. "Good," Kakashi said as they resumed their march. "We might be able to form a counter-offensive, yet"
XxX ~ xx ~ XxX
Naruto and his party returned to the hideout, very satisfied with how things had turned out. Maiyuri had been fantastic, convincing all those tree shinobi and samurai to join their efforts to avenge their homeland, promising to help their people recover, showing her true intention, and giving her word. A few among the Tree natives had sent their envoys to better coordinate with the rest of their forces; an older samurai was talking to Maiyuri as they traveled.
"Your offer was very generous; most would have taken advantage of our vulnerability."
"Taking advantage of others is how the nations became so drenched in blood," Maiyuri said firmly. "I don't intend to walk down that path."
"Commendable," The samurai said, "But foolishly idealistic."
"Hey, lay off her," Naruto said, coming to her defense. "She's going to fight for your country when she could have just taken her father and forces and left you alone."
The samurai grew ashamed, "That... is true. Forgive me; what has befallen my nation has left me with naught but pessimism and bitterness."
"I don't need forgiveness or gratitude," The princess replied. Again, they stood before the secret entrance, this one opening as soon as they drew close. "I am just following my conscience."
When the entrance fully opened, Team seven's eyes widened upon seeing a group of faces they were not expecting in the least.
"Naruto!" Kiba jumped to his feet, followed closely by his teammates and Sensei. "Good gods, am I glad to see you guys!"
Shino nodded cordially at them, which was as friendly as the Aburame could get, while Hinata smiled with immense relief.
"Holy... Team eight!" Naruto smiled widely at his friends. "What are you doing here?!"
"We are part of the reinforcements, Naruto-kun," Kurenai explained.
"Oh, thank the gods," Miharu's shoulder sagged in relief. "Konoha's detachment had arrived."
"Y-Yes!" Hinata nodded, holding her hands. "Our friends are here too; they're waiting inside with the Hokage."
Naruto stiffened at that before a warm hand on Maiyuri rested on his shoulder, "It's alright." She spoke as he looked up at her. Then, nodding, he walked passed Team eight, who followed him and the princess.
Kiba patted the blond's shoulder, "caught one hell of a break, eh?"
"Not out of the woods yet till after all this mess is done."
Hinata stood close beside Naruto, "If we survive this mission, it could go a long way for Team Seven," Shino addressed, adjusting his glasses.
Before Naruto could replay to the bug user, he was glomped/tackled into a hug by Ino, falling to the ground. "You scared the crap out of us, you jerk!"
Her fellow blond groaned, "Sorry, Ino." He hugged her back before Shikamaru and Choji pulled the Yamanaka off the Uzumaki.
Ino then latched unto Sakura, squeezing her so hard it looked like the pinkette had trouble breathing. "Don't ever worry me like that again!"
Sakura chuckled sheepishly, "Okay, okay…."
"You damn sure have luck on your side if nothing else," The Nara offered a hand to help the blond.
"Naruto." The blond went rigid upon hearing his grandmother's voice, who soon walked up to him. The Senju offered a respectful bow to Maiyuri, who returned it. Behind her was Shizune, who gazed at both with varying forms of worry on her face.
The others were smart enough to give them plenty of room...
Naruto looked up at her, his face going through myriad emotions. "Hey..."
Tsunade pursed her lips. "Princess's bodyguard, huh?"
"The actual title is... kinda in the works still" He shrugged, rubbing his neck.
The Hokage pinched her nose. "So, this is how it works. You break our laws, and you are spared all consequences?"
"I didn't shy away from anything, and you know that," Naruto retorted. "We went to BE judged because we knew what we did."
Tsunade frowned, "Then what's this about then?" She waved a hand at him.
"Taking charge to do something different, something better, for once" Another voice pitched in, and things just got immensely more complicated as Kushina. Finally, her party stepped in, commander Akari and the Guardian Ninja Suburo following close behind. "Hi, mom," Kushina said softly.
Tsunade looked at her with apprehension. "Kushina"
Maiyuri knew this was not something she or anyone else should witness. "Commander Akari, Suburo, I am glad to see you live."
"The same to you, hime-sama" They both bowed in return.
"Come, join the other commanders and me; we'll discuss the situation," Maiyuri motioned for them to follow her. "When you are done with your business, lady Tsunade, I want you to join us as well."
Despite offering a head bow to the princess, The Godaime kept her eyes on her daughter. "Yes, Maiyuri-hime." Her almond orbs took in the rest of team seven, Kosuke and Soujiro, standing with Naruto. Lyn leaned her back against the cave wall holding Kuma as more than a few civilians and Akiha were uneasy at the sight of such a large wild bear.
Kurenai took in the scene and wisely moved her team to follow the princess, with Asuma and Gai trailing behind. Tenten offered a weak but friendly wave to Naruto, who returned it before gazing back at his grandmother. Shika and Choji took a protesting Ino by each arm. Anko leaped on a large rock sitting cross-legged, arms crossed under her bust.
"..." The Senju let out a small huff, "I wasn't expecting any of this."
"If it pleases you, the fire court had nearly all of us in prison and was going to put Naruto under your strict leash." Shizune winced at how the last word was like venom from the Uzu matriarch.
"You violated direct orders."
"And Tokuhara was everything wrong in the Elemental Nations. The Shodai and Nidaime would have killed the man himself on principle."
"Don't talk as if you knew them," Tsunade reproached as she took a step forward. "Least you forget, they were my granduncle and my grandfather. Hashirama sacrificed many ideals to ensure his home prospered, and Tobirama helped direct the village into what it is now. Those choices, that ruthlessness you despise, allowed Konoha to survive."
"Then it was wrong!" Kushina shot back. "They all went about it wrong when they didn't have to!"
"Your hands are not clean in any of this Kushina!"
"I know!" She shouted the last part, letting out a shuddering breath. "You think you must remind me of all the people I killed? Minato was right; he saw the broken system for what it was..."
Tsunade sighed, placing a hand on her daughter's shoulder. "Minato was wise for his age; he would have grown out of it eventually."
Kushina shook her hand off her, looking at her, shocked. She shook her head slightly, "He was not naive... I told myself he was, but I could see now I was the naive one. I was childish... We are just petty little children holding grudges and ignoring everything else because we don't like what we see. Look around us, mom," The redhead waved her arms, "This was because of the shinobi system. Hatred and grudges of the past sent people to demons and brought about this whole mess." She dropped her arms to her sides. "Blood is on the hands of children we turned into killers who fought and died in three major wars!"
She drew closer to her mother, "I've nearly lost my clan! I've lost my husband, Mikoto, Haru, Obito, and Rin! You lost your entire clan, Dan, Nawaki!" Gasps escaped the mouths of many as Tsunade's open palm crossed Kushina's cheek. The Godiame's body shuddered in fury as her daughter glared back in defiance. "How many more families have to die? How many more fathers, mothers, sons, and daughters will it take to open everyone's goddamn eyes!" The redhead roared with her voice echoing.
Silence took hold within the cave before one broke it, "...I have..." All eyes and heads shift to Akiha, who looks back. "And in my blindness, many have suffered and died because of it." He lowered his head in shame, "For prosperity, I looked away while my people were placed in a cycle of hate and death."
"Akiha-Sama," Tsunade spoke back till the Daimyo raised a wary hand.
"Your daughter is right... My daughter was right." He let out a shuddering breath. "We cannot go on like this. All this pain and tragedy..." The man's clenched, shaking fists over his lap. The horrible things he witnessed shook any foundation or belief he possessed.
Maiyuri gently placed a hand on her father's shoulder. "It's going to be alright, father," She said softly as she knelt before him. "Right now... it's not the time for philosophy; we will deal with what comes after. But now we have a much more pressing concern."
Of that, none of them could refute. "We can escort you all out safely," Tsunade said. "I heard the gashadokuro has not moved in a while; we should take the chance and-"
Maiyuri stepped away from her father. "We're killing it."
"Hime-sama?" The Hokage looked surprised, "I advise against it. We risk taking casualties alone just by remaining here."
"And leave a monster so close to our lands? No," Maiyuri shook her head. "I promise I will end this threat, and we will follow through"
"Maiyuri-hime, I must protest," Tsunade argued. "We can go now. Avoid-"
The princess took a decisive step toward the older woman. "You will obey my commands."
The Hokage took a deep breath. "You may be royalty, but you're not my master yet."
"Do as she says..."
It was the daimyo's words that made Tsunade go slack-jawed. "What?"
The Daimyo shakily raised his hands to his mouth. "I don't want this nightmare to spread any further. End it here, so our home may be safe."
"But... But Akiha-sama-!"
"Remember your place, Tsunade," The daimyo intoned with whatever strength he had left. "On your knees before your lord, and she is standing right before you."
Maiyuri stood firm with a steely gaze. Around her, the shinobi of the Leaf, the remaining Tree, and the samurai knelt before the young woman. Miharu and Namika soon followed with the genin teams, Soujiro, and Kosuke, who bowed respectfully with Kuma let out a snorted huff.
A stunned Tsunade gazed at everyone before kneeling shakily, "As you command. Daimyo-sama..."
"Well, is this shit finally settled?" Lyn called out with annoyance at how all of this was dragged on. "Is my family fucking pardoned yet or what?"
Kushina groaned, running a hand over her face.
Yuma let out a snorted chuckle, "Oh my," Akiha muttered at hearing such colored words. "Yes, they are. And in complete service of my Maiyuri."
Akari shook her head before speaking, "Shall we prepare for the coming battle?"
"Yes," Maiyuri nodded, "Let us send this Dhunarak and his beasts back to hell."
XxX ~ xx ~ XxX
The shinobi and samurai, both the Land of Fire and Trees, gathered around a small table as they surveyed a map of the capital provided by the Tree natives. The capital was far from the size of Amotsu but sizeable in its way. The layout reminded the shinobi of Konoha, primarily circular, with the center of power residing where a large section of the forest connected with the rest of the city. On the entrance, the forests gave way to a more extensive valley with multiple roads converging into three more significant routes that led to the capital.
"Hashare has three main entrances," Toshirou explained as he pointed at the map. "The demons are occupying the city from the center, with some of their forces guarding the entrance. But, worst of all, the gashadokuro is waiting in the middle of the city..."
Murmurs rang throughout the table area. "Isn't it strange that it's just stationary like that when it was roaming everywhere before?"
"They want us to come to them," Akari muttered gravely. "To fight them there."
"Then we'd be walking into a trap!" Gai muttered harshly.
"The city is in no condition to be defensible," Suburo said. "And the monster will most likely jump out to fight us. Moreover, the demons don't look like they have the numbers to defend the place properly."
"So... what does this mean?" Yuma asked in confusion, "Are they leading us into a trap or not?"
"It's a pretty poor trap if that's the case," Maiyuri muttered thoughtfully as she held a hand to her lips. "If they wanted a trap, they could just keep the gashadokuro disappearing and appearing anywhere; they wouldn't keep it visible at all times. But, no... they're overconfident; they want us to fight them head-on just because they want to fight."
"Well, isn't he a cocky bastard," Lyn cross her arms beside her family and Team seven.
Maiyuri turned her eyes to the wild-maned Uzu woman, "You took up the Uzu tradition as a demon hunter, yes?"
"My usual targets are earthborn demons. But, unfortunately, battling Hellborn is few and far between."
"Hellborn demons are pure incarnations of evil." Naruto grunted as the fox spoke to him, "Malice and hatred made manifest with immense power, boy. These are vastly different than the ones you faced in Hani'ei."
'But you're malice and hatred too.'
"...That was something built over endless centuries. Do NOT lump me in with those wretched creatures." Kurama snarled, "I've faced down many Hellborn in my time. You are in for a fight Naruto."
'I know I can't face that oversized bonehead. But can you at least help me with this Dhunarak douchebag and his cronies?'
"...Very well."
The blond was shaken out of his thoughts by a waving hand in front of his face, "Earth to Naruto," Ino spoke up beside him.
"Uh, sorry." He noticed everyone looking his way, "The Kyuubi was talking to me."
Maiyuri leaned forward, "What did he say?"
"He's fought hellborn demons and said to expect a fight."
"Will he help us?" Naruto nods, "Then I offer my gratitude to you, Kyuubi no Kitsune."
Kurama snorted and went silent.
The princess leaned in with her palms over the table, looking at the map before at the faces of everyone gathered around her. "This is not going to be an easy fight for any of us," She said. "Our enemies are fierce; the monster they command is powerful. It has devastated this land..." Her words cause more than a few Tree natives to lower their gaze in mourning. "But worse will be to do nothing. Those monsters will not stop; if we give them ground, they will move on to the next land until there is nothing but ashes."
She paced around the table. "Our course is clear; we must end it here and now. To help the brave people of the Land of Trees rebuild to protect our home from these invaders. To avenge our comrades who died taking us here, to avenge the innocent people slain in this senseless slaughter."
There was now anger in their eyes. Anger was good; it would invigorate them to fight fiercely for their fallen home, with the promise of one day recovering from this tragedy. Anger and hope were a terrifying combination, one the demons would be feeling soon enough.
"Hell yeah," Yuma muttered, eager to make sure those monsters who relished in killing innocent people would pay for their sins.
Naruto nodded, standing firmly with his friends and piers. This was a worthy cause, a good cause, to seek justice, to end a great evil.
"So let us not wait anymore," The princess spoke with a fiery passion in her eyes as her words roused them. "Let us get ready and deliver the heavy hammer of karma upon them."
No more fear, no more cowering and hiding.
It was time to fight.
XxX ~ xx ~ XxX ~ xx ~ XxX ~ xx ~ XxX ~ xx ~ XxX
