The last attack had the life in him flash before his very eyes. Despite seeing many wars, death, blood and shinobi becoming savages in battle, the sight of man losing their lives in the blink of an eye still shook him.
The nature of shinobi meant that he didn't even care about the lives of others who didn't wear Iwa's headband. But Perhaps, this was the scene others have expressed when facing the power of the Iwa's Bijuu.
Onoki hadn't thought that the war would be so disastrous for him. He'd amassed battle power over the years. Yet even with all that, he couldn't tip the scales to his favor. The glaring reality frustrated him to no end. The demons barked at him in laughter, sarcastically praising his arrogance.
But the one reeling the most had to be the man standing in front of him. After all, the damage done to Kumogakure by Naruto felt personal. He'd decimated their numbers. They not only lost one of their Jinchuriki, they also lost thousands in just one attack. He was impressed that the man continued to attack even now. A weaker man would have been demoralized and quit the fighting.
No, a smart person wouldn't continue. At least he still had his life. If the fighting continued, he would lose more. But abandoning the fight without conceding defeat would be a strategic retreat. It would not doom his village to the arm of any other nation. The Raikage was an emotional man who valued power more than anything. He knew the bloodbaths of war and what came after it and yet, he was here.
Truly, men never learnt anything. Even when knowing the consequences, they continued into paint the earth with blood and bones.
Shinobi were never going to change. Onoki had thought he'd seen it all. Maybe he had. Nothing really surprised him. At least in the attitude of Shinobi. No war has ever gone like this. Then again, there was a time Kumo had Kinkaku and Ginkaku—those possessed brothers. Now, it had a handful of shinobi. If the Raikage died—Kumo would be reduced to nothing.
It was the same for him. Kurotsuchi was smart—but in terms of raw power, she was quite nothing like him or his predecessors. The younger generation continued to grow weaker. But it couldn't be said the same for Konoha. The Leaf still had shinobi who could surpass the previous generation.
With an army behind him, Onoki stepped forward. The Raikage did the same. The man looked incensed. Understandable. Konoha had given him sharp lashes. If they continued, both his arms would be chopped and he would have no more fighting ability.
"We should talk…" Onoki said in a hardened tone, yet dripping with some hopelessness "What is the point of continuing? At this rate, we are just going to kill each other and leave our villages poor."
The future—Onoki was at an age where he worried about that. Maybe he had been hasty in taking a part of this. He should have done everything possible to delay this war or stop it. Maybe it was his greed that led him to this path and he couldn't change it.
Who would have thought that the scales would be flipped over like this? Not even Minato had moved this fast in the battlefield to cause this much damage. Once more, they had to count their losses and think of a truce. There was just no other way. A continuation of this meant more blood would be lost and all for nothing.
"You say that now after everything?" A gritted his teeth anger. His lightning cloak flickered to life for a moment. That moment, Iwa shinobi surrounded their leader. Onoki waved them off, sensing A wasn't going to attack him so cowardly. "I watched my men die in seconds." He seethed.
Thousands have died. The men he led, all wiped within seconds because of just one person. Giving up now meant surrendering to Konoha's power. They couldn't be given that advantage. That power had to be removed. A was willing to give his life if he could end Naruto's life.
Onoki thought that A was being childish. No grown adult should be crying about loss of life in war. It was just plain naivety.
"What did you think was going to happen? This is war!"
To be lectured by this old man—A had no appetite for it. It was kill or be killed. That was the common rule. And yet, it didn't mean he had to display indifference when his men died without even stepping onto the battlefield.
"I know we are at war! But those were my men!"
"We all suffer in war." Onoki applauded himself for managing to say that with an air of indifference. "At this rate, we should consider calling it or…" a more sinister thought came into mind. "Konoha was not even a part of this war. They inserted themselves. They are the problem. And we cannot argue that the village will be left at a much stronger position if we leave things as they are."
Maybe they could settle old scores. Regardless, it wasn't just Kumo that suffered, he too had suffered. Besides, Onoki was afraid of the retribution that would come from Konoha for the death of Shizune. Not to mention, his Jinchuriki hasn't returned. It probably meant he was captured. Both could be gone at this rate.
"I can let slide our war for now. Konoha captured one of my Jinchuriki… they are the object of my anger."
Truly, nothing would make him better than crushing the Leaf. He would fight with everything he has for the honor of his village. A had no problem in shaking hands with Iwagakure. They had yet to engage anyway. He could close his eye and deal with the Leaf. It would be a pity. Tsunade wasn't a bad person.
It was war nonetheless.
No one was good or bad. You were either friend or foe. There was no disarming—just crushing of the enemy. Chop off their legs and they still crawl to stab you in the back when you least expect it.
"Can we agree on that?"
"But as soon as we are through with the Leaf, we are turning on you."
'Not if I get you first.' Onoki thought mildly as he turned away from the Raikage.
The moment he did so, Ai felt something from his back. It was his instincts that he glanced back and saw a purple arrow flying in blinding speed toward him. The shinobi behind him were shouting. He ignored the voice, his lightning cloak burst around him and his disappeared in a blur.
The arrow went through his after-image.
"Tsuchikage-sama!"
"Tsuchikage-sama!"
Earlier
Sai was a little uncomfortable once summoned by Danzo. By the way he departed from Kakashi's company, there was just no way he was going to explain himself. He'd spent a considerable amount of time with those people that he had come to like them. Worse, they would suspect he had gone to this man and he wouldn't have a way back. But maybe that was the intention and his master was finally making a move.
Seeing Sasuke just confirmed that there was a move to be made. A war to win. And the realization of a long dream. He hoped, there would be no agenda to tackle the Hokage.
"Danzo-sama." Sai kneeled before hid Lord.
Danzo only narrowed his eyes before asking. "How are things?"
"Kumo and Iwa should be colliding now. The Godaime Hokage is heading there now."
"She is continuing even after her assistant was murdered. Is she not planning something?"
"There was word that the Granddaughter of the Tsuchikage was retreating. But she chose not to set up an ambush for them."
"Naïve!" with the losses their enemies have suffered, sparring a couple of their shinobi to deal with Kurotsuchi would be a smart choice. She was only going to become a problem for them in the future. She could already be home by now. It was no matter, he would deal with it. "What of Naruto?"
"We lost contact with him after he was sent to Iwa's Jinchuriki within the Fire Nation. There has been nothing as yet."
Naruto was in possession of other Jinchuriki—the thought left Danzo with an uncomfortable feeling in his mind. Naruto had fought the Two-Tails and won and yet there was no word about the Jinchuriki. He didn't want to assume the worst.
The blond's power had grown extraordinarily nonetheless. And Danzo didn't think it was power best kept. A weapon was treacherously dangerous if you couldn't always subdue it in case it decided to serve another master.
"Hmm… go find him. Watch him."
"Watching him may arouse some suspicion but I can try to track him down."
Sai had learned that Naruto wasn't a person you wanted to spy on. And as this war has proved, the blond was not some naïve child. He was ruthless. If it became apparent that he was working for the sake of Danzo and not the Hokage, there was no telling what Naruto would do to him.
"Naruto is a good sensor…" he added.
"Just find him and keep us aware of his location. Once we are done, we will deal with him."
At this rate, Naruto was likely to stand in the way even if Tsunade found her demise in the war. Once his heroics became known to the villagers, they were going to sing him praises. They wouldn't want to lose someone who could protect them.
He glanced at the silent Uchiha and then nodded inwardly. He could trust Sasuke to delicately deal with Naruto if it came to it. With Kumo and Iwa decimated, all that power was unnecessary. He could use that time to create a weapon that would be loyal to him.
Sasuke wanted nothing but battle. He wanted to test the Uchiha powers he wielded. This war gave him an opportunity to do so. And then, he would cut off Danzo. For now, he could play the obedient puppet.
"Why are we still waiting here?" From where they stood, they could see Kumo and Iwa heading for a head-on collision. The two were the ones who started the damn war. And it was their time. Konoha was also on the day. Danzo wanted to handle things before Tsunade arrived. She wasn't going to give her blessing to slaughter of her fellow change.
"There are two armies. If you think you can go to that battlefield openly, then you can do so."
The arrogance of the Uchiha. It was just the four of them. Attempting to attack this group would be suicidal. Not to mention, there was hell to pay for the damage Naruto inflicted on both nations. The best option was to lay low and attack at the right moment.
"Two things are going to happen: they are going go collide or conspire against Konoha. If it is the latter, we cannot do anything until Konoha arrives."
"Why would they team up?"
"Shinobi will always feel threatened by great power. A common cause will always get Shinobi to fight side by side. Right now, Konoha has displayed an overwhelming strength that could threaten the future independence of both nations. They have to deal with it now…" one of Danzo's guards replied to Sasuke.
"There are no real enemies?" Sasuke was certain there was no such thought in Danzo. If the man was part of that agreement, he'd stab both in the back the moment their objective was completed.
It was always 'get them before they get you.'
"It looks like there will be no collision."
"Hmm…" Danzo was silent. "I didn't think they would actually turn on Konoha. If Naruto isn't to be found, and Konoha engages them, it would prove disastrous."
Individually, they were weakened but together, their might could twist this war on its head and doom the Leaf. Danzo couldn't have such a thing.
"I thought you'd be happy to see the Hokage crushed"
"I am not irrational. Allowing Konoha's forces to be crushed will not be good for the future. The Leaf has lost a great deal to Iwa." Danzo replied in a flat tone. "Can you hit one of them from here?"
"I'd need to get a little closer and into a higher position."
"Good." Danzo nodded. "I'll give you the signal."
Present
"Who dares!" A roared, glaring toward the direction the arrow came from.
He didn't care to look if the Tsuchikage had managed to avoid the arrow. How was it that it managed to slip through the many shinobi who were around? For such a projectile, even if its speed was tremendous, someone should have at least picked it up. It was after all, travelling in air.
"Go look!" He shouted toward Darui.
"Hai."
He glanced back at the Tsuchikage. The damn old man was still alive. But the arrow had taken his left shoulder. Instincts of an experience shinobi saved him. Even though they had an agreement, A would have been happy if the old man died. Hell, he was even considering ordering his men to destroy Iwa. Konoha wasn't around. He could crush Iwa and then negotiate with Konoha. Tsunade was sensible. She would agree to talk to him and call an end to this.
But first, he needed to find the person who dared attack them and then deal with them.
He could deal with Onoki later. He was now useless—not even in battle against Konoha. Without a hand, a shriveled body, he couldn't use his destructive Ninjutsu anymore.
Onoki grimaced, holding onto his shoulder. One of his shinobi was applying medical ninjutsu and Kitsuchi standing in front in case the Raikage decided to attack him. This wasn't the end, but to think he would get hit by something like that. The attack had appeared out of nowhere and moved in blinding speed.
"Kitsuchi." He called with a grim face.
"Tsuchikage-sama."
"Take charge."
"What?"
"Our alliance with the Raikage is over." Onoki said through gritted teeth. "He values power. I am old and have turned into this. He wont think I can mount any challenge with Konoha. Once he finds who did this, he is going to turn to us."
"Even though we just had agreement?"
"Conditional. And we are still at war."
Onoki wasn't even shocked. The second he was hit he knew it was over. Agreements that have looked stronger were broken easily. Treachery was part of the trade. Shinobi made empty promises. You only trusted the word of a shinobi when you wore the same headband but another from a different village? It was just suicidal.
He didn't have his right hand, and thus couldn't use Jutsu anymore. At this rate, he was useless in battle. Truly useless. He could only use the opportunity to save the lives of his shinobi before A decided to turn on them. No, as soon as he was done with his search, he was going to turn on them.
"Retreat," Onoki said firmly. "I'll talk to the Raikage."
"Are you sure?" Kitsuchi wanted to question his father, but he was still the Tsuchikage and was thinking what was best for the village, regardless of his health.
"It is an order."
Kitsuchi was rooted to the same spot. He didn't want the person who attacked him to suddenly launch another attack. Konoha was throwing large scale attacks that resulted in wide scale casualties.
"As you wish." He closed his eyes. "But let me leave a handful a man."
"No more than a hundred."
"Tsk…" Sasuke frowned deeply after landing below a tree. The second he made his attack; they had quickly moved to a different location, away from the enemy forces.
He'd been certain he would kill both or one of them. But he missed. He missed. And it would only be a matter of time before they were found. At which case, they would have to fight all those people. At this, the Tsuchikage was out of commission. With just one arm, he couldn't weave hand signs. It meant there would be no Jutsu. With his old body, ninjutsu was his only weapon.
"How did you do that?"
Sasuke shrugged. He would have to thank Naruto. There was no way to shoot an arrow from that distance and nobody would notice. Even if someone could sense it, if they didn't see anything, they would think it was just their senses and by the time they realized what had happened, it would be too late.
"Genjutsu," he replied flatly. "What now?"
"We wait for Konoha."
"They are going to find us."
"They won't."
"Somebody has." Sasuke said with a glare.
"Who—"
Danzo narrowed his eyes dangerously when Naruto suddenly appeared in front of him. Surrounded by trees, the blond was casually walking toward them. A blank look on his face. He glanced at Sasuke to check his reaction; it was just contempt. It was good, the Uchiha would not betray him and do something stupid.
"You have saved us the trouble of looking for you."
"I was looking for you as well… that's why I disappeared from battle. I had figured you'd be making your move now. And I thought it best to stop you."
Stop him? Then the blond was going to go against him. Someone like that didn't have any right to live. Anyway, he had Sasuke and the blond had already done his part.
"Kumo and Iwa have just formed an agreement. I assume they are planning to attack Konoha together. It would be best for you to focus on them."
"Remove enemies of Konoha, huh?" Naruto asked mildly.
That Kumo and Iwa had joined hands was surprising. But not unthinkable. And if they did so, Konoha would be in bind. There would be two Kage to deal with. Naruto hadn't thought they would make such a move. But war was a survival battle. People would do anything to survive, even if it meant teaming up with the very reason you went into war in the first place.
He could handle that. His main problem was Danzo. The Uchiha beside the war hawk was irrelevant. Never mind the two guards. They had to be skilled. But Naruto didn't come to fight them. He came to simply kill Danzo before engaging in Iwa and Kumo—for their doom.
"That is the best thi-"
Danzo's words died on his throat. In the blink of an eye, Naruto had disappeared. Vanishing before he could even blink. The blond appeared in front of him, hand on his throat. How had he moved so fast? His guards went able to compete with that speed.
But Sasuke had his Sharingan activated. He should have been able to do something. He glanced toward the Uchiha and saw a look of indifference.
When his guards made movements, Naruto let him go and then vanished into thin air. It was as if he had teleported.
Feeling weak, Danzo fell to his knees. He glanced down and saw a Kunai through his chest. How did he now see that? How? Izanagi couldn't save him. The Jutsu would only rewrite a reality that occurred while it was active.
"Sasuke." Danzo growled, trying to get the Uchiha to move.
He couldn't possibly allow his life to end like this. There were still many cards he could play. He was right at the end of things. With the deaths of both A and Onoki, he would gain control over the their nations. Tsunade could be handled quickly. He was going to make sure she never returned to Konoha.
"I am not saving you. He just did the job for me anyway. I was planning on killing you myself." Sasuke replied, glaring down at the war hawk with an air of indifference.
"Traitor!" Danzo hissed.
"I was never loyal."
"I made a mistake, then." He should have used Shisui's eye. But the Uchiha had proved easy to manipulate and had been willing to move. Danzo didn't think he would turn on him so quickly.
"Deal with them—" Danzo ordered his guards.
"Hai, Danzo-sam—"
There was a buzz of static. Danzo was rooted to the ground, but Sasuke had moved as fast as lightning. He was just on the side, holding out his sword with his right hand. Slowly, he sheathed it.
"You damn traitor. You'l—" the Ne agent wasn't able to finish his words as blood exploded out from his head. The strike from Sasuke had split his head in two. The strike ended just on his neck. He fell down with a shower of blood.
"What—" the second Ne's words died on his throat as Sasuke lifted his right hand. A lightning blade shot from his index finger, piercing through the man's heart.
"How flashy," Naruto commented with a roll of his eyes. "Showing off, Sasuke-kun?"
Sasuke shot him a glare.
"You never trust anyone," Danzo said, calm as ever. But inwardly, he was in turmoil.
No. No. This could not be his end. Danzo couldn't die here. His dream was within grasp. He was a step away from his dream and he wouldn't have to conquer both Iwa and Kumo. Their Kage were going to die and he could install his people. He couldn't end like this. He had to live. He had a dream to see through.
"If I'm going to die, I'm taking both of you with me. You're both threats to Konoha." The second he finished speaking, black marks spread around him.
Naruto didn't even have to think, he immediately leapt away in haste. Sasuke watched him curiously and turned to face Danzo.
Boom!
A black explosion rocked the area, covering a wide range. Trees were blown away by the explosion. It rose high, like a mushroom. It took a minute before everything died down. What remained was a large crater, with no sign of Danzo.
Naruto landed at the edge of the crater, shaking his head. "Suicidal," he said. "Man just cannot die alone…"
His former teammate landed behind him. He appeared fine.
Naruto faced Sasuke with an expressionless mask. He couldn't even begin to think what the Uchiha was thinking. Either way, he really didn't care. Unless he was planning on attacking him, Naruto was just going to make his departure and face up to the opponents up ahead.
"I'd wondered what I'd do to you if we met up again under such circumstances."
Naruto cocked his head to the side. "What was the thought?" He asked curiously.
"Kill you."
He smiled. "I wouldn't be surprised. You don't want to do it then?" He paused. "Not that you could actually do it."
"I am not the same as I was."
"Sure… Danzo has trained you. He would do a better job than Orochimaru. But what does that change? The Mangekyo?" He shook his head. "Flashy eyes, yes… if you're not going to attack, then don't get in my way." He said, turning away from the Uchiha.
"You're going to kill those two Kage."
"It is what it will take for the war to end. Their deaths also puts Konoha in a good position." Not that this was his goal. It would just be a consequence of his actions. "There are other threats that are still around."
"I heard you're missing in action."
Naruto blinked and then cracked a laughter. "Yes… that could be true…" he cocked his head slightly. "Where are you going?"
"I know Itachi is still alive. I'm going to kill him."
Naruto simply nodded and then waved his right hand, moving away from Sasuke.
A few minutes later
There was no greater humiliation than this. A hadn't thought things would come to this point. It ultimately meant they didn't have the power they thought they had. At any rate, there was a loss of blood. His men dead, for nothing. Their families back at home would be weeping. Shinobi were always prepared to die, A had at least thought he would take victory back home..
He glanced into the sky; the sun was setting. Perhaps it was drawing even the conclusion of this war.
"A-sama," Darui spoke to him, his voice unusually serious. "We can't find out who but there was an explosion we heard. Should we go check it out?"
A shook his head. "No," he said. "It seems the Tsuchikage is sending his people away. Let them leave. Give the order to Bee to lead everyone back home. He must protect everyone until they reach Kumogakure."
"Hai." Darui breathed freely. "What of me?"
"You're going to be with me. We're going to talk to the Tsuchikage. I'm sure the Hokage will be joining us soon. We will talk, the three of us about the end of this war and the way forward."
"Hai."
A turned toward to the Tsuchikage. He'd been smart enough to send his granddaughter back home and way from the battlefield when he saw how bleak things were.
He slowly walked toward the old man. "I could finish you off right now," A said with contempt.
"I wouldn't be able to defend myself. Why don't you?"
"I'm not petty and it would achieve nothing at this point."
"Says the man who moments ago was crying about the loss of his shinobi." Onoki snorted. Things happen a little too quickly. But at least, the Raikage had adopted a listening frame. "Of course, we could still decide to kill Tsunade," the Tsuchikage added.
Without question, Konoha would be in a better position compared to the rest of them. This was due to its fighting strategy. Onoki would admit, ending things was now a priority. And he didn't care if he died, but if he could take the Hokage with him, Iwagakure wouldn't be the only village to have suffered greatly.
A sneered. "In your state, what can you do?"
"Nothing really," Onoki conceded. If he was younger, there could be physical battle, he'd aged. He recognized he would die the moment he lunged into battle because of his inability to use Ninjutsu. "Well, I hope we will not be at the mercy of others."
"Maybe you," A said. "I still have my brother and I'm not planning to die here. No village will be taking advantage of Kumo. On the other hand, I heard you may have lost your Bijuu."
Onoki frowned deeply. This left a bitter taste in his health. It had been a blunder to engage in this war. He shouldn't have made the decision and he was going to leave Iwa in a worse position. If he had both his arms, he would surely try to get rid of Tsunade the second she let her guard down. His jutsu was fast enough. But his circumstances forced him into diplomacy.
Both Kage were put on alarm when they felt a heavy presence. They switched behind to see Naruto walking toward them. As the sun set, his mere presence seemed to give it more light. Each slow step felt like a giant leap. It wasn't just his chakra visible, but a venomous killing intent. Despite being experienced, Onoki felt its coldness grip his heart. The killing intent was like a screech of death. Considering how many Naruto has killed, Onoki felt it was fitting.
"Raikage-sama..!" Darui called out, rushing toward his leader with a panicked expression.
A glanced at the man and then toward his left flank. A handful of man had stayed behind with the Tsuchikage. He only had Darui. Really, he was glad he'd sent Bee away. He just hoped, his brother didn't sense any battle and come back here.
"We're killing him," A said to the Tsuchikage. "It should even things out."
"I was going to demand his death for both our villages to cooperate with peace," Onoki added without any shame whatsoever.
Naruto stopped a couple of feet away from the Kage and then stopped leaking his killing intent. He slammed his right foot into the ground and a small boulder sprouted from the belly of the ground. He leapt onto it, sitting casually with his right knee raised, right arm resting on the knee.
He watched the Kage with an expressionless mask. Things may not have gone the way he wanted, but he wasn't going to complain. Tsunade would soon enough. The armies of both men were still in good distance. He could kill time and allow them to move away because if they came, he was just going to massacre them.
"Some show," Onoki said with a sneer, his form composed despite how he looked. "Looking to see if you can frighten a Kage?" he spat with contempt. "Some brat!"
Naruto simply put on an amused smile. "From where I'm standing, you're the one who looks like a brat, Tsuchikage-sama."
The casualness in his voice rubbed Onoki the wrong way. He was certain the blond came here to fight. But why was he so relaxed? Did he want to talk or just stall until his Hokage arrived?
"It is good you came here before Tsunade. We can get rid of you!" A shouted with anger.
Naruto's eyes turned to the Raikage without any contempt. "I came here for the same thought as well. To kill you before she arrives. She is too kind and will discuss a conclusion with you in a peaceful manner, that is if you two don't try to take her out…" he glanced up into the sky. "This shall be the last sun set you see… enjoy it while it lasts."
"Arrogant little prick!"
"Your father wasn't this arrogant in battle."
Naruto shrugged with indifference. "I'm not my father," he said. "Darui-san… once I finish talking, you should depart from here. I want you to listen so you can see a little of my thinking. After all, if you die here, who will become Raikage? It is rather foolish of you to keep him here, A-sama."
A felt it insulting that Naruto had the audacity to call him respectfully while suggesting he was a fool. He was going to murder the blond for the many Kumo shinobi he has killed. Being rash at the moment wasn't going to cut it. He recognized the danger that was in the blond.
"What happened to Yugito?" A demanded from Naruto.
"Dead," Naruto said with sadness. "I wanted to preserve her life but she refused to follow me. Some people are truly loyal to a fault despite how they are treated," he added with a shake of his head.
"And mine?"
Naruto faced Onoki with a smile. "I have killed both your Jinchuriki," he said with happiness. "And then sealed the two within me."
"That can't be possible!" Onoki shouted. That would mean he had three Bijuu inside of him. No, if be did the same with Kumo's Jinchuriki, it would mean he housed four of them.
Naruto wanted to laugh but he did not. "Don't be hysterical, Tsuchikage-sama" he said holding out both his hands. "Son creates lava and Kokuo creates Steam. I will display these powers to you shortly, but we must first speak. Maybe, I'll decide I'm the one who needs to die and not you."
"If you have both my Bijuu, there is more reason you should die."
"I agree," A said, preparing himself for battle.
Naruto sighed. "Tsuchikage-sama, you have a history of invading your neighbors. You made a decision for war. Despite being aged and experienced, you chose this path. What have you gained from it? It has just been pain and suffering for your shinobi. It is war, regardless of the winner, both suffer lose something. It is something you should know."
"I do what I think is best for the village. If Iwa is threatened, I will act."
Naruto turned his eyes to the Raikage. "Your greed for power knows no bounds. Perhaps it is engraved in Kumo. The Hyuga Affair was your doing. You attempted to capture a little girl for the Byakugan and when you failed, you threatened war, denying liability. Konoha had to cave in. Again, during the invasion, you made such a move. It is clear to me that your love for power needs to be tamed." He turned to Darui. "They don't seem to be willing to talk much. But you've heard what I said… If you leave here, you can go and make better choices for Kumogakure."
"Why would you let me leave?" Darui asked in a curious tone.
"Because my aim is not purely death and destruction. I seek a better shinobi world... If you engaged, I cannot guarantee your safety," Naruto said in a measured tone. "Tsuchikage, by my grace, I permitted your granddaughter to live. It is still within my power to eliminate her. But, I want to give Iwa a chance. I hope—"
"Enough!" A shouted, his body exploding into lightning. His lightning cloak covered his body and he shot toward Naruto in a blur.
Boom
The Raikage flashed in front of Naruto, his right fist hooking toward his chest in blinding speed. The punch slammed into Naruto's chest with the full weight, sending him flying backwards. The boulder was crushed under the weight, turning into debris.
A didn't let up. As Naruto was being carried by the momentum of his jutsu, he blurred above the blond, hands held together and slammed them into Naruto.
Naruto crashed into the ground in a loud boom. He was buried along the debris.
A landed beside him, staring down at him.
Naruto simply shifted his eyes toward the Raikage and held out his right hand. "Impressive speed… Your attacks also pack quite the punch. You broke a bone or two," he said.
A was pissed off and then lifted his right foot. He tried to stomp Naruto as he lay on the ground, but the blond rolled away before leaping into the air.
He disappeared in a blur and appeared in front of Iwa's shinobi. The hundred or so looked terrified at his presence.
"Go home to your families." Naruto said in a cold tone. "If I turn back and see you, your bodies will surely melt."
The men trembled. Naruto released a chilling amount of killing intent. They couldn't even move a muscle as he spoke. His very words were spoken with unimaginable power and compelled their bodies. It was out of sheer willpower that they did not turn back and run to their families.
"Leave!" Onoki shouted.
Naruto then took a huge leap backwards, and landed a good distance away from the Kage. "I should begin to attack," he said, placing both hands on the ground.
He released an incredible amount of chakra. It wasn't his chakra but that of Son. The ground suddenly began to tremble slightly. Heat began to increase to the point of making everyone sweat. And then suddenly, lava began to explode from the ground. It spewed put into the atmosphere while the area, amounting to be the size of a football field, was boiling with lava. There were patches of the earth that were not bubbling with lava.
Darui wasn't going to abandon the Raikage, but this situation, it seemed Naruto was just proving that he indeed did have Iwa's Jinchuriki.
Still, Naruto didn't seem like he was in a hurry to attack. Seeing this, Darui went through hand seals and held out his right hand. "Ranton: Reiza Sakasu!" A halo of lightning formed around his outstretched hand. Multiple, beams of energy shot toward Naruto in a flash.
Naruto clapped his hands seeing the beams shot out to him. The lava in the ground rose, creating a wall in front of him. Some the beams collided with the wall, sending balls of lava flying around. Some beams turned corner, avoiding the wall.
Naruto looked up, seeing the beams come to him in from above and the sides.
Boom!
A loud explosion rocked the area as the beams seemingly hit him.
Darui and A were forced to jump into the air when waves of lava burst from the ground and rushed toward them.
Onoki was safe in the air, but his safety only lasted a couple of seconds when Naruto suddenly flashed in front of him. He attempted to deliver a roundhouse kick. The kick did connect with the Tsuchikage but it felt as if Naruto had hit a ton of bricks. His attack didn't move the Tsuchikage.
Onoki stretched out his remaining hand, grabbing Naruto's foot. But the second he dragged it, it was quickly surrounded by scales, making it impossible for him to crush the blond.
"I see, you hardened your body."
Onoki's eyes went wide when Naruto's stretched hand glowed where there were marks. His eyes shot toward the Raikage, wondering why the man didn't attack. He smiled bitterly realizing the man was using him to make Naruto busy so he could attack. That he could die didn't matter to the man, as long as he got an advantage.
A black beam shot from Naruto's arm, shooting through Onoki. The beam pierced through his chest.
"Lariat!"
A collided with Naruto in a burst of lightning. The attack was so fast Naruto didn't even blink before he was hit on his torso. The Raikage dragged them away from the field of lava. The attack sent Naruto crashing into the ground, burying him in a crater.
A landed a distance away.
When Naruto got up, looking unharmed, A didn't dwell on his shock, he simply shot toward the blond once more.
"Lariat!"
He made the connection and this time around, he saw blood. The second Naruto was on the ground, he flashed above him, ripping away a powerful right fist filled with lightning.
Boom
The second his fist collided with Naruto's chest, there was an explosion. Lightning coursed through Naruto's body while he was further buried into the ground. He coughed out a mouthful of blood when the attack landed, his body feeling numb for a second.
A quickly leapt away.
'Do you want to die?' Kurama asked him with impatience.
Naruto just shook his head. His chest was split open, his rib cage broken, his lungs visible. Blood was gushing out uncontrollably. His breathing became labored. Even so, he managed to stagger into his feet, as Kurama's chakra bubbled around his body.
Something miraculous happened before A's very eyes. The large gap on Naruto's chest just healed. It was an insane level of regeneration that shouldn't be possible.
Seeing this, he quickly turned to Darui. "Leave… now… this is an order!" He shouted furiously.
Darui hesitated for a second before he bowed one last time before the Raikage and leapt away from the battlefield. It was obvious, to both him and A that Naruto wouldn't be killed that easily. Maybe if Bee was around, they would have a chance. No, they definitely had a greater chance of complete victory. But now, the Tsuchikage was already dead. Naruto received two Lariats and was still standing. He had yet to really attack. The situation wasn't pleasant.
And so, Darui has no other choice to listen.
Naruto didn't bother with Darui. He just focused on A with a smile.
"You protected yourself on the first attack." A said to Naruto.
"Normal people tremble at the turn of such events. I took a blow that would kill just about anyone, not once but twice."
"Once," A said with a sneer.
"I host the Sanbi. It has an impressive defensive capacity. I'd already activated its power before you attacked. But right now, I just wanted to show you that your best is not enough to kill me." Naruto said before holding his hands together as he undid a clone that was gathering natural energy for him. Kurama'a chakra bubbled around him as well, creating a cloak of energy. "Here I come."
"Do you th—" A wanted to ask if the display of power would be enough to break him, but Naruto suddenly disappeared in an orange flash. His movement was so fast, A thought he'd seen the yellow flash.
The blond flashed behind him. Seeing no attack coming, A twisted around, his foot in air, aiming at Naruto's temple. But Naruto remarkably ducked under the strike. It seemed purely on instinct. The blond took a single step forward, while trying to punch him on the gut. A was fast, and tried to leap away. But while the punch didn't collide with him, a powerful force hit him on the chest with devastating effect.
The blow sent him flying away, while he forgot to breathe for a second. His chest burnt slightly.
A flipped several times before landing on the ground. The second he touched down, Naruto came crashing down at him. A blurred away, avoiding the attack. Naruto crashed onto the ground, both feet getting buried. He appeared behind Naruto in mid-air, his right foot cutting through the air with all the power and speed he could manage. Still, to his utter complete shock, Naruto ducked under the kick. It shouldn't be possible given the proximity, but he still dodged the attack.
Naruto twisted around, and then landed a brutal punch on A's chest once more. The Raikage felt the same heat as before but this time, it was intense. There was even a sickening sound of his bones cracking. The pain from the blow shot through his entire body, making him stiff. He couldn't even regain control of his body until he landed on the ground on both knees.
He spat out blood and frowned deeply.
"Impressive, isn't it?" Naruto asked pleasantly. "I was using Frog Kata, coupled with the sheer strength of the Four Tails. At the moment, I'm faster than you. So, it makes dodging your attacks very possible…" he started walking toward the Raikage. "We should end this, Raikage-sama. I wanted to show you the mercy of dying with content knowing you tried everything and it still didn't work."
The Following Morning
The sun had yet to set. Coldness gripped the air. There were no tremors on the ground as shinobi and jutsu collided with it. Birds didn't fill their sky domain as they fled from the surface due to bloody battles. There was just silence. Dark clouds threatened to rain down. The silence wasn't peace before storm. The sound channels would soon be filled with waves of weeping and cries of vengeance. The end of a bloody war was like that.
Tsunade stared at the scorched surface with a sad look on her face. Onoki's corpse was laid on her right. A huge hole on his chest. The Raikage looked to have been beat to a pulp. They were both dead but the latter appeared to have suffered greatly.
It was the end of a war. Who won? Did Konoha win? Tsunade didn't feel like a winner. Shizune was gone. Her beloved was gone from this world. And it was a plot by Onoki. Konoha always took things from her. It seemed, this wasn't going to end. Eventually, it would take her life as well. But, had Shizune suffered? Did she blame her for her death? If she didn't have Shizune disguised, she may have lived. They would have been returning to Konoha to heal their wounds.
"Who could've done this?" Someone in her company asked, looking at the bodies of the Raikage and Tsuchikage.
"Does it matter? They are dead and this war is over."
"Isn't it obvious who did it?" Jiraiya was looking around the field. There signs of lava which made it difficult to tell. But according to the Toads, Naruto was very much alive. Jiraiya couldn't think there would be anyone else who would do this aside from Naruto.
The deaths of the Kage complicated matters but it meant the end of the war. No more needless bloodshed. He couldn't even think why they were even fighting. It seemed, peace was an impossibility in this world. He smiled—he wouldn't want Nagato to hear his thoughts. Otherwise, he would say he was in the right path.
But maybe, Naruto has found a way.
"Naruto?" Tsunade asked grimly.
"Can only be him." Jiraiya said confidently. "Of course, we have to track him down. But, that will be for later."
Tsunade nodded in agreement. But she was hoping, when she got home, he would be waiting for them. The second she was told he had gone off-grid, she was worried.
"Seal the bodies. We will send them to their villages." Tsunade said, turning away from the battlefield. "Let's go home. It seems, we have reached an end to this war!"
The men roared.
But Tsunade had nothing to roar about. She felt empty inside. She didn't even think he could continue with being Hokage. No, she couldn't do this anymore. She'd given everything she could possibly give for Konoha.
And this was her last run.
End of chapter
I has to re-read the story 'cause I lost all my notes on the story. Anyway, this chapter concludes the war. And the next chapter will be after a time skip.
