Last Time:
"You raped their minds and nothing! Nothing! Didn't the fact that all it is a myth, a silly bedtime story, get it through to you! That's all they knew! That's all I know! It is a bedtime story! A myth! There is no way that somehow my eyes will change and I can pull some miracle out of thin air!!!" She had not noticed that while she was talking Kabuto was able to cancel her fire angels, letting him use whatever jutsu he wanted. She wasn't able to react fast enough and Kabuto slammed a chakra scalpel into her heart. With eyes wide in shock and surprise she fell to the ground. 'How . . . after all my years . . . how could I let my guard down like that . . . . .' A small amount of blood trickle down her cheek from her mouth.
Break Free
"SETSUKO-SAMA!!!!!!!!!!!" Yoko screamed in horror. She was torn between leaving her little cousin and protecting Setsuko. However, more worry burdened her as Naruto formed a rasengan and jumped in front of Setsuko, protecting her from anything Orochimaru or Kabuto might try.
"Setsuko-neechan." Naruto choked out. His fear for her evident as he protected her, never looking away from Orochimaru or Kabuto. ". . . . j-just . . . stay alive . . . . I'm not going let you leave again." His irises seemed to bleed, turning into a hellish red. His pupils became long and narrowed. The boy hurled the rasengan towards Orochimaru. Kabuto grabbed the snake summoner and managed to jump away in time. The medic-nin quickly performed a healing jutsu, restoring Orochimaru to full power.
"Little fool, what makes you think you can stand up to me?" Orochimaru snickered. Naruto glared before charging forward.
"Setsuko-neechan might have lost, but I won't!"
Yoko looked down at Akira. The boy had finally gone completely limp. She stared at him, sorrow radiating off of her. She gently laid him on the ground before looking at Naruto. He and Orochimaru were fighting. Jutsu were pointless. Orochimaru could counter anything Naruto threw at him and Naruto could counter anything Orochimaru used with the Uzumaki jutsu. Right now it was a battle of fists. Naruto could last longer. Orochimaru was more experienced. Yoko tore her eyes away from the battle. She closed her eyes as she spiritually reached out, seeking guidance. 'Isn't there a way . . .' She pleaded. 'Isn't there a way . . . can't we live that bedtime story . . . can't we live that dream . . .' The sound of four coffins being ripped form the ground brought her attention to the battle once more. She felt her mind nudged by a strange presence. This presence seemed to be moving away from her, towards a coffin. However, it was able to give her one final push in the right direction.
"I . . . I see!" A smile crossed her face as she turned to Tsunade.
Naruto and his clones slammed rasengan into the coffins. However, much to his horror, one coffin managed to open. A hand reached out of the dark shadows and grasped the side of the coffin. It tightened on the wood, using it to pull the body out. Pale, deathly looking skin adorn his youthful face, his once bright and sunny hair dull and pale. His eyes were no longer a deep blue but a lifeless pale blue. The fourth Hokage stood there, waiting. Naruto watched in horror as Orochimaru commanded his dead father to attack. He dodged a rasengan and began to form his own. The two rasengan masters charged forward, an orb of chakra in their hands. The two rasengan slammed into each other, causing the father and son to be thrown back by the shock wave. Naruto was able to flip in the air and land on his feet, the same as his father. 'Kuso!' Naruto cursed in his mind. 'Our rasengan are evenly matched.' He held out his hand and started to form the rasengan. 'Damn fur ball! Lend me your chakra!' He cursed again when nothing came. 'The only man to have ever beaten you is being manipulated and insulted! What will that say about the all mighty demon king?!' As soon as he finished that thought he felt boundless chakra being released from deep inside of him. His rasengan turned red and grew in size. He and his father raced forward once more. Naruto watched with tears in his eyes as he slammed the rasengan into his father's rasengan, obliterating it. He watched with a heavy heart as it continued towards his father.
Kabuto began to perform a jutsu. Yoko was in the middle of a chant and Tsunade had begun to give orders to medics. However it was interrupted when a kick was aimed at his head. Kabuto barely dodged it, losing his concentration on the chakra needed for the jutsu. He glared up at Kakashi.
"Kakashi," Kabuto hissed. "What are you doing?" Kakashi dodged the kunai Kabuto threw at him.
"Stopping you from helping that mad man!" He snapped as the two began to trade blows.
"That is your Hokage!" Kakashi snorted at the idea as he threw Kabuto.
"Only if I'm brainwashed!" Surprise washed over Kabuto as he managed to land on his feet.
"W-what are you talking about?" Kakashi glared at him with mismatched eyes.
"I don't need to be a genius to figure it out! The way everyone seems to say strange things, against their gut feelings some time. Uzumaki Setsuko was so insistent on that story, even when she wasn't talking to us! The eagerness Orochimaru had to get rid of her. Her bringing us out here with fair warning instead of just attacking. Her army did its best to minimize casualties towards the leaf. The appearance of these other people, calling themselves Uzumaki. Those forbidden jutsu that Orochimaru has been using. Even Naruto sided with her and that boy wants to be Hokage. All that adds up! Not to mention the little test I gave you. At the mention of brainwashing you stuttered." Kakashi smirked. "I definitely know something is up. So I'll go with my gut feeling on this one." Kakashi jumped back, performing his chidori.
Naruto bit back tears. The body of the ninja used for his father's resurrection. It tore him apart, killing his father with his very own move. Naruto glared up at Orochimaru.
"You . . . bastard!!" He screamed. His fist shook with rage. Red chakra spilled over the ground, blanketing the battlefield. Naruto rushed forward, skillfully evading whatever Orochimaru threw towards him, be it jutsu or kunai. He grabbed the snake sennin's arm and flung him into the ground, hard. Naruto stepped on his throat while holding one arm. He put pressure on the man's throat. "You bastard," He hissed. "You worm! No, no, you are lower than that. You aren't even worthy of being called dirt." More pressure, causing the man to make choking noise. "You screwed with everyone's mind. Making them say this or that. You raped my family's minds. All that . . . . all that and it wasn't enough. No, you had to do more. So you fucked with Setsuko the most. You screwed with her head. Making Kakashi and Kurenai fall in love like that. Making Kakashi fight her. Making Kakashi and Kurenai get married!" He twisted the arm, causing the man to cry out in pain as Naruto put more pressure on the man's neck. "You sick bastard! You just couldn't get enough of fucking with her mind." More pressure, making the snake sennin's eyes fill with fear. "You put that damn jutsu on her. Yoko told me the only way to break free is to . . . is to destroy your perfect life! You put her through that!!!!!!!!!" Tears streaked his face as he screamed at Orochimaru. "But that wasn't enough, huh?! You had to kill her! You and your damn henchman, Kabuto! Wasn't it enough that you took everything from her?!" He jerked the arm, twisting it more, making the man make more cries of pain. "I don't care that you made me fight my own damn father! That you made me kill him! I don't care! It's what you did to her!" The rage clouded his mind, making him more violent. "She never did anything to you! You're the one that started to screw her over! You're the one that began to play those damn mind games with her! Three years ago!!!! You started over three years ago! You made her think Kakashi was dead! Then you killed her! You told everyone who she was! She couldn't stay here any more!!!!!! You bastard! I hate you! How could you do that to her! She never did anything to you! You just started to fucking hurt her! What the hell is wrong with you?!" He formed a rasengan in his free hand. "Bastard!" He heard a sick popping sound as he dislocated Orochimaru's arm.
"Naruto!" Naruto did not look away from Orochimaru as Gaara called out to him. Sand surrounded the fox vessel and pulled him away while holding Orochimaru down. Naruto looked at Gaara, hatred burning in his eyes.
"Gaara! Let me avenge Setsuko-neechan!" Gaara stood in front of Naruto, holding the still body of Robin in his arms. Tears lined the sand-nin's eyes.
"Don't you think I want to kill him too?" He held Robin's body close to him. "She . . . she was one of the few people that wasn't scared of me. Not once. She was there, always ready to point out flaws in things I said or did. She was there when no one else was. She was there. She would never run. Not ever. I want to kill him too. He took her from me. He caused it all. It was his shinobi. But it won't bring her back. He has to face all his crimes." Naruto nodded, eyes downcast while tears poured down to the ground.
Kakashi didn't look away as blood splattered onto him. Kabuto looked down at his chest in shock. Kakashi's hand had not missed. The chakra faded, having done its job. Kakashi pulled his hand out of Kabuto's chest and watched the man stagger back. The sound-nin fell to his knees, holding his chest in a vain attempt to stop the blood from gushing out. The man looked up at Kakashi, pain and shock etched onto his face before he fell forward, dead. Kakashi let out a sigh of relief he had been holding. He let out a cry of pain as he looked at his own shoulder, poisoned needles sticking out of them. He hissed in pain as he pulled the needles out and throwing them to the side. Kakashi fell to this knees as darkness ate away at his vision. He fought to keep his eyes open as pain slowly crawled through his veins. Before he could fall forward, he felt pressure on his wound. Warmth seemed to flow into it as he was pulled back, into more warmth. A faint scent surrounded him. A soft humming entered his ears, the angelic voice close to him. He felt himself drift into a deeper sleep as the soft lullaby comforted him. He let the dark gently over power him, listening to the humming.
Gaara reluctantly gave Robin to Yoko. The meiko smiled down at her little cousin sadly.
"Dear sweet Robin." She muttered to herself as Tsunade came over to help. "I'm sorry. I wish I could have said it sooner . . . I'm sorry." Tsunade took the girl from Yoko's arms and laid her down on the ground. Gaara watched the two closely. "I put so much pressure on you at times . . . . I forgot that you should have had a childhood. My little bird. Don't worry. You'll be happy. I promise you that."
"What are you doing, Yoko-chan?" Yoko felt her heart skip a few beats when that familiar voice reached her ears. She spun around and stared in shock. After a moment of processing who was standing in front of her Yoko threw herself at the woman and hugged her fiercely.
"Setsuko-sama!" However, the embrace was cut short when Yoko listened to the silence of Setsuko's heart. She backed away suddenly.
"What?" Tsunade watched Yoko back away in fear.
"You . . . your heart . . ." Annoyance was clearly written on Setsuko's face.
". . . . baka." Setsuko turned to Tsunade. "Tsunade-sama, do you mind giving my heart a small shock so it can start again." She sighed after a few minutes of silence and staring. "I have total control over my blood, remember?"
"Yoko . . . you wish to bring back the dead?" Setsuko asked, still not believing her.
"Hai!" Setsuko shook her head in disbelief.
"Impossible! Their souls-" Yoko cut her off.
"Are still here!" She sighed at the confused look. "Setsuko-sama . . . the soul lingers around the body for a short time, still trying to detach itself completely. All Tsunade has to do is to make sure the bodies are in working condition." Setsuko shook her head once more.
"Iie! That's not going to work. The souls linger, yes, but they can't come back just because the body works. Yes, you can make the heart beat and the organs work, but that's not enough!" Yoko sighed and nodded.
"I know, I know. They are no longer attached to their bodies. However, my jutsu allows me to manipulate souls. I should be able to transfer the souls back to the body if I use my finally stage." Setsuko was silent, thinking.
". . . that will kill you."
"That is a possibility. I just have to have faith that I can last through it." Once more silence filled the air as Setsuko thought.
". . . souls need to be linked to bodies . . . . your jutsu can't be the only way to link souls to their bodies." She muttered to herself, deep in thought.
"What of your god powers?" Setsuko looked over at Gaara, startled that he had been there the entire time.
"What do you mean?" Gaara was silent, watching the still Uzumaki girl on the ground.
". . . your demon god powers . . . they're still there, right?" Setsuko nodded. "Can't you use those to make some kind of primitive link. Shouldn't that work?" Setsuko was silent again.
". . . no . . . I no longer have unlimited access to them. Casting off humanity again . . . ." Gaara and Yoko were silent also, trying to find some way she could access those powers.
"Perhaps . . ." Yoko trailed off, unsure of what she was talking about. ". . . perhaps you could use some of the wind's power . . ." Setsuko raked her mind for any chants that could help her.
"There are no chants for such a thing." She sighed at Gaara's confused look. "The wind isn't like jutsu. Most of the time I have to use chants to get the wind to do something big. Really using its power. Sort of like how Yoko has to use chants for her meiko abilities."
"So make up one." His response was blunt as ever. Yoko shook her head in anger.
"I have to start soon! Before any begin to leave. If they get too far . . ."
"Would a shield help?" Yoko, startled, looked back to Naruto.
". . . maybe . . . it would at least stall them but . . ." Naruto raised his hands, forcing chakra out like she had taught him all those years ago. Slowly, a shield formed itself, high over the battlefield, trapping in all the shinobi. Yoko smiled briefly before her hands flew through a long set of seals. Setsuko shrugged as she backed away from the others.
"I guess I'll have to take a stab in the dark." She muttered before calling up her wind powers.
"Thank you." Gaara muttered before going back to watching Robin. The ancient runes appeared beneath her feet.
"Oh powerful and great wind . . ." She bit her lip, trying to find the right words. " . . . . take these powers from of a demon god that reside within me . . . take these powers and . . . use them . . . . use them to link each soul to its proper body . . . use these powers to remove the grip of death . . . use these powers to bind the souls back to their bodies." The ancient runes slowly disappeared causing Setsuko to sigh sadly.
". . . nothing?" Setsuko shook her head to Gaara's question. She sighed as she looked up into the air, trying to think of a new way to help.
"Perhaps I could use a knowledge chant. If that doesn't work I can simply go through all my chants and see what happens." She shrugged, calling the runes forth once more. "Powers of wind. Powers of all. Grant me the ancient ways. Bring forth to me the once lost mysteries." She waited for a moment before sighing again. After a second a wave of dizziness hit her.
"Setsuko?" Sand helped her steady herself while she cleared her mind.
"The power inside me is locked away. I've thrown aside those powers, sealing them away so I can't use them again. I didn't realize that at the time nor did I mean to do so but it happened anyway." She fought off the headache the chant had caused. "And the jutsu I learned as Bloodless Bensha is gone . . . I suppose that makes sense . . . I learned them as a different person so I wouldn't know them as myself."
"Anything else?" Gaara seemed hopeful.
"Not really. The wind can be picky about what it gives me." She held out her arms again. "There aren't a lot of chants that will help. Truthfully, most chants I know are not useful on this. And making one is similar to making a new jutsu. Takes a lot of time and a lot of errors." The runes had already appeared, waiting. "I'll try one of the stronger ones. One dealing mostly in spiritual matters." She cleared her mind once more. "Wind!" The wind picked up at her cry. Gaara stared up at the sky as it darkened. "I call you to me! Bring to me your powers!" She was lighted off the ground slightly. "I call to thee! Still the hand of death! Bring to me the lost! Bring lost wanders to me and take form! I command it!!!" The wind bean to circle in front of her, creating a small tornado no bigger than Setsuko. She waited, wondering what the chant had caused. Her eyes grew wide in shock as a familiar cousin appeared. Tenshi fell to the ground, unconscious but alive. ". . . didn't see that one coming." Their attention was diverted to Robin as the girl took in a painful breath while her eyes opened. She looked up at Gaara with a confused look in her eyes.
". . . Gaara . . . ?" She passed out after that, soon to be followed by others.
Yeah . . . hated the end of this chapter. I liked it till all the fighting was over . . . . then it kinda went blah. So, hopeful no one is confused. Setsuko didn't need her heart to be working because she controls her blood. And with Yoko bringing back the dead . . . yeah, that one was a pain in but trying to explain. Since Yoko can manipulate souls in her final stage she could connect the souls to their proper bodies. This would be useless if the body isn't able to function meaning that the bodies could be banged up but only to a certain point. As long as the body would be able to function the soul could return to the body. Sort of like what happened with Setsuko and Bensha. Err . . . yeah, I knew how to bring them back but it is a bit of a pain trying to explain it and make it all possible.
