Okay, yes a ten page battle was a bit excessive, but don't expect this one to be any shorter. Well, not really anyways. Anyways, I'm a bit burned out from writing ten pages of fighting so some of the fights here may seem a bit, incomplete, compared to what I did earlier.
Chapter 5: Farewell
A deathly stillness settled across the battlefield as Yondaime's body fully reverted. He stretched a bit and surveyed the battlefield around them before settling on Kakashi.
"Well Kakashi, it's been a long time. I see you've grown into a fine shinobi."
"Fourth," Kakashi muttered. "Orochimaru! You won't get away with this!"
"Oh? Does it hurt to see your old teacher in such a state?" Orochimaru taunted, laughing in the process. "I'm sure there were a few things that Yondaime wanted to teach you but never got the chance. You should be thanking me for this opportunity."
"Orochimaru?" Yondaime said. "I see that you've managed to survive for this long. A pity that I wasn't around to stop you."
"It's the Fourth!" one of the other jounins muttered. "But this is impossible!"
"Yondaime-sama? How did Orochimaru pull that off?"
"It's a forbidden jutsu," Kakashi stated. "He used the same one to summon the First and Second when he fought the Third. But how did you summon him from Shinigami's stomach?"
"Now, Kakashi. That's not something you'll find out easily."
"So you managed to bring them back from the dead as well?" Yondaime said, having heard Kakashi's words. "A shame indeed. You would not have harmed Konoha had I been there."
"Enough talk," Orochimaru growled. "Go forth, my puppet, and execute them!"
The movement was a blur as Yondaime lived up to his nickname. The Yellow Flash moved like lightning and soon three jounins found seals placed on their body. Before they could react the Fourth was behind them and each one met a quick end. Kakashi raced forward trying to catch up to him but it was no use. If Yondaime didn't want anyone near him, it wasn't going to happen.
Kurenai did a series of hand seals and within seconds, she had disappeared. Though Kakashi still knew where she was, hopefully her illusion would be enough to fool the Fourth. But all things considered, nothing was certain with the Fourth. Asuma jumped forward and tried to strike the Fourth. As Yondaime stepped back, Asuma activated the chakra and extended his blades. But such a simple trick wouldn't work with the Fourth and he simply disappeared, leaving the jounin bewildered. A few seconds later, the Fourth appeared behind Asuma and knocked him aside.
As Kakashi landed again trying to find Yondaime, Shin appeared besides him.
"Shin, get out of here. This is far too dangerous for you."
Shin shook his head. "My father and two of my siblings once defeated this jutsu. I'm the only one here that has the power to do so."
"What are you talking about?"
"It's my bloodline limit," Shin explained. "In order to attack something, one must see it. We can see fate. Thus we can attack it."
The revelation shook Kakashi as he gazed at the black eyes. That explained some of the things Shin had managed to do. But was it enough?
"How can you defeat the Fourth when the Third lost his life in defeating the First and Second?"
"I know of a way, but it's incredibly risky. And right now, I'm the only one that can pull it off."
"I see. And what would you need?"
"A distraction. This will take some time to pull off."
Kakashi nodded. "We'll provide it. Now go!"
The two shinobis separated and Kakashi moved to rally the survivors. Orders were issued and the shinobis began moving into formation once again. If Shin really did have a way to defeat this jutsu, they had to give him the time to carry it out. And there was also the fact that Orochimaru was still out there.
Despite the speed in which Yondaime could move, Shin was aware of his exact location. Otherwise this would never work. He thought back to his father's words all those years ago at the anniversary of his sister's death.
"One of the greatest jutsus developed by our family and one that every member of our clan must learn before becoming a jounin. Someday you will master it, Shin, but you are still young. Thus I will say this to you. The jutsu costs the user greatly and can even kill. Your mother was still pregnant with you when your sister died, but she was looking forward to having another brother. That is why I will tell you this. She died using this jutsu to protect her loved ones including you. So never use it lightly or just to prove yourself, my son."
Those words stayed with Shin as he prepared himself. He studied the lines and began moving closer to Yondaime. There was no need to get close in so Shin stayed at a safe distance. However, he did need to get close enough to catch the lines. Chakra focused in his hands and a blue aura surrounded them. For now he wouldn't need the knife. Sheathing it, Shin raced out and zoomed in on the first line. Yondaime was moving about and his target kept shifting. However, Shin stayed on him. At the last moment he focused the chakra and snatched it. The moment he touched the lines a burning sensation rushed through his arms. For a second he thought he had lost the line as it slid across his hands, nearly cutting both of them. But he retained it and squeezed tightly before moving off again.
For an instant Kakashi noticed Yondaime pause and saw Shin reappear. He seemed to grab something before running off and whatever Shin had done threw Yondaime off. Taking this chance, Kakashi rushed forward and attacked, forcing Yondaime into a close-range duel. But before he could summon Chidori, Yondaime's free hand shot forward. It was almost invisible but Kakashi detected the chakra there. He retreated but the Rasengan scrapped his jacket. The burn marks were quite visible and Kakashi was fortunate that the flak jacket had absorbed the glancing blow. Even now Yondaime was still extremely dangerous.
Breathing heavily, Shin felt the strain in his muscles as he retained the line. As he had gotten the main line, the other lines tied to this particular one drifted closer to him and he managed to seize those with relative ease. But now he had to strike for the second primary line. After that, he doubted he would have the strength to go for the third one. The line to the heart and the line to the soul would have to be enough. The line of the mind would be too hard to grasp.
The battle around him was still going rather badly. The Sand and Leaf jounins were doing their best to buy him time but they couldn't hold out forever. Even now bodies dotted the area. Gathering his strength, Shin leapt forward and focused on the second line. There were dozens of other lines from the combatants and it was utter hell sorting through them. But there was no choice left and Shin moved in closer. Now he was in the actual combat zone and if Yondaime so chose to could strike at him. This was an acceptable risk for the time being as Shin finally found his target. He jumped down and went under. Yondaime continued to ignore him and Shin reached out for it. Just as he touched it, the Fourth moved and the line sliced open Shin's hand as it followed. Cursing, Shin retreated again. Orochimaru would obviously know what he was doing and wouldn't make it so easy.
Ignoring the pain, Shin followed and tried to get closer. The only way to avoid the line escaping again was to be close enough to tie it in immediately. Kakashi soon joined him and acted as a guard. The others also fell into formation to keep Yondaime from getting to Shin. Finally he relocated the line and dove in. Yondaime moved again and Shin cursed.
"Don't let him get away!" Shin shouted.
With a nod Kakashi and the others separated and surrounded the Fourth. They unleashed everything they had, trying to keep him in one location. The few extra seconds this bought gave Shin his chance and he seized it. As he took hold the burning sensation erupted and his arms felt like they were on fire. Pain surged throughout his body and his mind began to be overwhelmed. Screaming, Shin forced the two lines together between his hands. With all the chakra that he put forth, the lines that only he could see became visible. It ran down the entire length back to the source. One streamed through Yondaime's heart and the other was wrapped around his body.
"Kakashi! Use Chidori!" Shin screamed, holding the burning lines above him.
Blood erupted from his mouth and his hands were bleeding heavily. The crimson liquid ran down his body and dripped all across the ground. Moving as quickly as he could, Kakashi summoned the Chidori and launched himself. Yondaime also took off and charged towards Shin, the Rasengan at the ready. Everyone else got between the two and desperately fought, knowing that if this didn't work they would die regardless. Kakashi jumped above and dove down, bringing his hand through the point where the two lines intersected.
The chakra from Chidori halted at the intersection as Kakashi fell back. The moment they touched, Yondaime's chest exploded in a shower of blood. His heart was sliced apart and the Fourth fell. However, despite the wounds, everything seemed to be healing.
Shin looked at the bright light above him, fighting the pain as much as he could. With the chakra Kakashi had just supplied him with, he could do this. Forcing out the last of his own reserves, Shin completed the jutsu.
"Shinigami!"
The explosive force threw Shin back several feet and a sickening crack could be heard as he smashed into a tree trunk. The lines shattered and Yondaime's body began peeling away. Light erupted from all over before the final explosion destroyed the outer shell and Kabuto fell to the ground, his chest cavity completely ruptured by Shin's final attack.
Kakashi shielded his eyes as the last of the light dissipated. He had to find Shin quickly. From what the Sharingan had revealed to him, the young shinobi had placed a great deal of strain upon his own body to use that jutsu. If worst came to worst, it might have killed him.
"Impressive."
Looking over, Kakashi cursed as Orochimaru stood before Shin's broken form.
"This one is very worthy. In fact, if Sasuke fails, he would be a good substitute."
"Don't you dare touch him!" Kakashi shouted.
The other shinobis ran forward but Orochimaru simply disappeared. When Kakashi landed before Shin he immediately checked the neck. And there it was, the three point cursed seal that Orochimaru had placed upon Sasuke.
"Damn. We need to move out and regroup with the medic-nins!" Kakashi ordered.
As he looked over Shin's wounds, their severity shocked him. Shin's hands were covered with blood and cuts were over his entire body. There was also a head wound but the most serious was the wound over Shin's heart.
"Hang in there, kid," Kakashi muttered. "We'll get you some help as soon as possible."
Though this battle was concluded, the other one was far from over. As Sasuke charged at the two, the black Chidori vaporized anything that got near it. Naruto and Sakura separated but Sasuke's next move took them completely by surprise. He positioned himself between the two and lifted his hand. The chakra suddenly split and chased after both.
"What the hell?"
"You aren't the only one that's learned some new tricks," Sasuke stated.
As Naruto and Sakura ran, the two charges raced after them. Anything they came in contact with was torn to shreds as the chakra plowed through.
"How are we supposed to defeat that?" Naruto exclaimed.
No matter how fast he ran, the Chidori kept gaining on him. Just as he thought the Chidori would overtake him, two voices came to their rescue.
"Kaiten!"
A blur appeared before Naruto and a similar one in front of Sakura. Both intercepted the twin Chidori and the chakra splashed off. The two figures stopped spinning and Hinata and Neji stood before their comrades.
"Hinata-chan!" Naruto said, surprised to see her here.
"Neji-san!" Sakura was just as shocked.
"I'm sorry we're late," Hinata said. "The others are right behind us."
"The others?"
As Naruto and Sakura looked around they finally noticed the dozens of shinobis around. Leaf and Sand ninjas stood on various branches and among the broken trees. Sasuke looked around and roared at the sight. He took off and charged Naruto and Hinata but a massive gust threw him back. Above all of them Temari stood with her fan at her side.
"Don't think we'll let you try that again," she said.
"Don't hurt him!" Naruto shouted. "We're trying to capture Sasuke!"
With a nod several Sand shinobis jumped down and engaged Sasuke. "Knock him out but don't kill him!"
Sakura joined in and pulled out her remaining needles. No matter how strong Sasuke was, he wouldn't be able to stay conscious if he was struck any more times. None of the other Sand shinobis could land a hit as Sasuke beat them back. But this tactic forced him to remain more or less in the same area. By the time he realized it, it was too late. Sasuke's body froze and the Sand shinobis stopped their attack.
"Capture complete," Shikamaru stated.
However, though his shadow now bound Sasuke, it was evident from the look on his face the strain he was experiencing trying to hold Sasuke. Ino quickly prepared her own jutsu, just in case Sasuke managed to break free. From the looks of it, he was about to do so. With a burst of chakra the shadow dispersed and Shikamaru fell. Though he landed quickly, it was too late to recapture Sasuke. Just as Ino was about to switch bodies, blood leaked out from Sasuke's mouth. The white mane receded and turned black once again and the sickly color disappeared. Sasuke's body returned to normal as the curse seal receded before he finally collapsed.
Sakura rushed over to his side and checked his pulse. With a sigh of relief she nodded to Naruto.
"It looks like the poison finally caught up with him, but he's still alive."
Naruto nodded and looked over at Hinata. "Thanks. You two really saved us back there."
"You're welcome, Naruto-kun."
"We have to get back to Kakashi," Temari suddenly said. "He was fighting Orochimaru when we left."
"Then let's get going," said Naruto.
Another Leaf shinobi was about to pick Sasuke up when they heard movement.
"Someone's coming," Temari stated. "Get ready."
"No need," Neji reported. "It's Kakashi. And it looks like they're carrying Shin."
That statement caught Hinata's attention and she focused her Byakugan to see for herself. She gasped at the sight and took a step back.
"Hinata-chan, what's wrong?" Naruto asked.
No matter how hard she tried, Hinata couldn't find the words to say anything. She only looked pleadingly at Sakura and her comrades quickly figured out for themselves what was wrong. They were proven right moments later as Kakashi and the surviving jounins appeared. Kakashi laid Shin down gently and Sakura immediately bent down to examine him. When her eyes fell to the cursed seal, she gasped.
"Kakashi-sensei, is this…?"
Kakashi nodded. "Orochimaru used a forbidden jutsu and summoned the Fourth Hokage from the dead. Shin did something to destroy what tied the body and soul together and dispelled it. But it nearly killed him. Before we could stop him, Orochimaru got to Shin and placed the seal upon him."
Naruto clenched his fist as he looked at the seal. After Orochimaru placed it on Sasuke, his friend began changing into a monster. Now Shin was another victim.
"We have to finish Orochimaru off as quickly as possible," Kakashi stated. "Naruto, Temari, Neji, assemble the rest of the troops. Leave behind enough to protect Sakura and Shin. The rest of us will go and execute Orochimaru."
With a grim nod the three moved off. Gai bent down and sighed before turning to Kakashi.
"To see so many die so young. It is a waste."
"He isn't dead yet."
The two jounins looked over at Hinata.
"He isn't dead yet," Hinata replied, tears in her eyes. "He promised that he would help me find my heart. I promised that I would give him a chance. He can't die yet."
"He'll make it," Sakura said. "I'll do everything possible. If Shin really was strong enough to defeat the Fourth Hokage, he'll be strong enough to pull through this. And we'll find a way to remove the cursed seal no matter what."
Hinata nodded and knelt down next to Shin. She took his bloodied hand and clutched it tightly, her white eyes gazing sadly at the nearly broken body.
"Hinata, you stay with Sakura and Shin," Kakashi said. "He'll need you when he wakes up."
Wiping away her tears, Hinata nodded again. Sakura was beginning to heal Shin's wounds but the look on her face wasn't encouraging.
"Kakashi-sensei! We're ready to move out!" Naruto shouted.
"All right. This time we're finishing off Orochimaru no matter what."
As the others began following Kakashi Naruto stopped by Hinata and Sakura.
"Don't worry, Hinata-chan. Sakura-chan is the best and she'll save him."
"I know, Naruto-kun. Thank you."
Once the others had left the remaining shinobis took defensive positions around the three of them. Sakura focused her chakra again and tried to heal Shin's wounds. To her surprise the internal bleeding closed rather easily and she removed the fluids that were seeping into his lungs. But the burns on his hands refused to go away and the damage to his muscles was extensive. Combined with the cursed seal, Sakura wasn't sure if Shin would live. But as she looked at Hinata, Sakura promised that she would do her best. She got Sasuke back, but it wasn't right that Shin lost his life in the process. Hinata didn't deserve to lose someone precious to her either.
As Sakura tried to devise of some way to stop the cursed seal from spreading over his body, Shin's eyes slowly opened. He opened his mouth but nothing came out.
"Don't try to speak," Sakura said quickly. "Rest. You'll need to conserve your energy."
It was clear that Shin was in great pain but Sakura didn't have anything to help relieve it. But as his gaze fell to Hinata, a small smile appeared. Hinata tightened her grip on his hand and smiled back gently. Suddenly Shin began suffering from spasms and coughed up more blood. The two chuunins held him down as best they could until he stopped.
"Water!" Sakura shouted. "Someone get me water!"
Finally the cursed seal stopped encroaching over his body. The lines stopped burning but were still visible.
"He won't survive."
The two young women looked over and saw that Sasuke was conscious. Five other chuunins stood by including Shikamaru and Ino. If he tried to attack, both were capable of at the very least slowing him down.
"A weakling like him. I'm surprised Orochimaru wasted the effort."
"You don't even know who he is," Shikamaru said. "Considering he was able to defeat Orochimaru's forbidden summon, I'd say he's stronger than he looks."
Sasuke laughed darkly. "So? You're wasting your time, Sakura. If he isn't strong enough to survive the seal, there's nothing that you can do."
Another chuunin arrived with the water and Sakura used it to wash the blood away. With a grunt Shin tried to sit up.
"Shin-san, no! Stay down!"
Though he relented Shin turned his head and gazed at Sasuke. He closed his eyes and cried out in pain again, forcing the cursed seal back with his own will. Exhaustion was visible in his milky eyes but his mind was racing. He knew of the cursed seal from his family and wasn't about to let it rule his life. Forcing his exhaustion aside, Shin tried to sit up again. This time, knowing how hard he was trying, Hinata and Sakura moved him so he could lean against a tree. He looked over at Sasuke, who was still more or less paralyzed.
"You're pathetic," Shin whispered. "You need the cursed seal. But I do not."
Though Sasuke couldn't hear him, both Hinata and Sakura gave Shin puzzled looks. His eyes suddenly turned black once more and before they could stop him Shin found the strength to lift his arm and place it on the cursed seal. An explosion of blood erupted from his neck and the shockwave threw the two girls back. When they recovered, Hinata was the first to react.
"Shin!"
Both rushed over to him and Sakura immediately started channeling chakra to the point where Shin had tapped himself. Much of the skin had been completely blown off and the muscle was torn in several places. She moved quickly to gather some of Shin's hair and began using that to try to replace what had been destroyed.
"My god," Ino muttered. "Shikamaru, what did he do?"
Her teammate frowned as he analyzed what he had just seen. "If I'm right, Shin just used his own taijutsu on himself to destroy the cursed seal. But that was incredibly risky, especially in the condition he is in now. He must really want to be free from any such influence."
Shikamaru glanced down at Sasuke. The renegade shinobi could only stare at Shin. Not only had he survived the cursed seal, Shin had figured out a way to remove it. Sasuke felt a burning hatred for this newcomer. This seemed impossible. How could the cursed seal, which had given him so much power, be removed so easily? At the moment the poison was the only thing that prevented Sasuke from trying to kill Shin. He would never admit defeat to such a person.
"Sakura-chan, please tell me he'll live," Hinata pleaded.
"I'm going to make sure he doesn't die," Sakura promised. "No matter what, he won't die."
Shin's eyes opened and closed as if he was in some kind of trance.
"He's in shock from the pain," Sakura said. "Get my pack of herbs. Do you know how to make a painkiller?"
Hinata nodded and went straight to work. As Sakura regenerated the muscles, she gathered more and more hair. Unfortunately, Shin didn't have long hair like the others so this would be more difficult. Suddenly, the muscle tissue began growing back on its own. It completely ignored the hair that Sakura was transforming and pushed them away. Within seconds the damage was repaired though the skin was still missing. Sakura examined the area and watched as blood flowed through the newly grown tissue. By then Hinata had finished the painkiller and mixed it with some water. She opened Shin's mouth and let small amounts in. Apparently Shin was conscious enough to swallow and didn't choke. The medicine soon took its effect.
By now Sakura had a better idea of what had happened. When she had been pouring chakra into merging new cells, Shin's body had drawn upon it as a source of energy and began replacing what was missing. It was an incredible ability and she quickly took advantage of it. This time Sakura simply allowed controlled amounts of chakra into Shin's body and soon new skin started growing. They completely covered the neck wound and moments later it was as if nothing had happened there. But when she tried to do this with the hands it was to no effect. The cuts and burns didn't want to go away.
"Hinata, help me bandage his hands," Sakura said. "Apply the salves I tell you to when I say so."
Hinata nodded and waited for Sakura's instructions. Working carefully, they applied herbs and other medications into the open cuts and rubbed a salve over the burns. When this was done bandages were wrapped around Shin's hands and upper arms.
"He'll definitely live," Sakura announced.
With a smile Hinata nodded. "Thank you, Sakura-chan."
"No problem. I can't believe he did something that stupid. I mean, using his own powers to destroy the curse seal nearly ended up finishing the job the seal started. But Shin was really brave to have done that."
Her patient taken care of, Sakura stood and turned towards Sasuke. They had to keep him subdued until Kakashi and Naruto killed Orochimaru.
Tired from the battle with the Fourth, Kakashi led the group of shinobis back into Sound's perimeter. This time there was no opposition. Hidden Sound's forces had been decimated by the previous few battles. Orochimaru wouldn't have anyone left to hide between. But a thought worried Kakashi. If Orochimaru had managed to call back the Fourth, what kept him from calling back the First and Second, if not the Third? With Shin too injured to help him again, they would be powerless if Orochimaru summoned any more of the Hokages. The only recourse left would be to kill him as quickly as possible.
"When we reach Orochimaru, watch out for traps," Kakashi warned. "He has to be desperate by now."
"It won't matter," Naruto said confidently. "We'll kill him either way."
"This won't be so easy, Naruto," Neji stated. "He did defeat the Third in battle. It will take all of our resources to win."
As the squadrons entered Hidden Sound, they all split up and began searching for Orochimaru. After a while, the groups began meeting up again. It soon became apparent that the corridors all led to the center. By the time they arrived outside of the chamber all of the squadrons were reassembled.
"So Orochimaru is behind this door," Naruto said.
Kakashi nodded. "Most likely. He has no other choice at the moment. Even if he went and tried to retrieve Sasuke, I left him a little surprise."
"Then let's go get him!" Naruto shouted and punched open the door.
All of the other shinobis looked at Naruto and sighed.
"I was hoping that we could sneak up on him," Kakashi said.
Naruto didn't move as the other shinobis marched past him. After he managed to regain his composure, Naruto followed them into the unwelcoming darkness. In there, a sense of dread filled everyone. Even if one couldn't see the enemy, seeing death was rather easy.
The shinobis moved silently as they probed the darkness.
"Enough of this. Fire the flares," Kakashi ordered.
Though firing them would reveal the position of many shinobis, this would open the way for seeing what Orochimaru was trying to hide. When the flares were launched, Kakashi immediately regretted the decision.
"W-what the hell is this?" Naruto muttered.
All around them were vats and tables containing bodies and body parts. Some of them were tied down and had their chests split open. Others had needles poking into every pressure point in their body. Body parts, sliced open and many rotting, filled the room. It was the most gruesome sight Kakashi had ever experienced in his life.
"How do you like my lab?" a voice taunted them. "But then again, fools such as you cannot comprehend the magnificence of my grand plans."
Kakashi looked up and saw Orochimaru surveying them from above. He immediately jumped up, followed by several others. The series of attacks he launched didn't even come close to touching Orochimaru. Even with the Sharingan it was useless. There weren't many options left.
"Senei Jashu!"
Suddenly snakes shot out from Kakashi's sleeves and one sank its fangs into Orochimaru's arm. The others quickly followed and wrapped themselves around the arm. They all then bit down at various places, holding Orochimaru and kept him from moving away.
"I see you have learned a few things from me," Orochimaru sneered.
"Hardly," Kakashi replied. "It's a gift from Anko. She sends her regards, you bastard."
Chakra gathered in the other hand and pure blue lightning sparked. Wasting no time, Kakashi thrust his other hand and struck Orochimaru's chest. An inhuman scream echoed through the chamber as the chidori sliced through Orochimaru's heart. The blast blew a hole in the renegade shinobi and blood splashed over Kakashi. But as Kakashi began to disengage he noticed something wrong.
Without warning snakes came out from Orochimaru's arms and grabbed Kakashi. He tried to break off but the fangs were already in too deep. A bitter laugh came from Orochimaru as he stared at Kakashi with a predatory look.
"You haven't won anything," Orochimaru said. "Just because I haven't gotten Sasuke means nothing. I will still have the Sharingan!"
Suddenly the eyes glazed over and Orochimaru's body went limp. But before Kakashi could escape, a mist appeared from Orochimaru's body and surrounded Kakashi. As much as he struggled, the Copy Ninja couldn't escape. However, he had a clear idea of what Orochimaru was trying to do.
"Naruto!" he shouted. "Orochimaru is trying to take over my body!"
That stopped all the other shinobis.
"Hang on!" Naruto shouted.
"Stay where you are!" Kakashi ordered. "Wait until he takes control, and then use your Rasengan."
The words tore through Naruto's mind like lightning. What Kakashi was ordering him to do was obvious but Naruto found himself unable to accept it.
"No way! There has to be another way!"
"There isn't any time!" Kakashi replied. "This is the only way to ensure that Orochimaru is never allowed to hurt anyone else again. Think of the suffering he has caused, Naruto."
Tears seeped from Naruto's eyes as he looked at his friend and teacher.
"I can't kill you, Kakashi-sensei!"
"Don't worry. You won't be killing me. I'll already be dead." With a smile Kakashi looked over at Naruto. "As your sensei, it has been an honor teaching the future Hokage."
With that the shadows completely surrounded Kakashi and flooded into the body. Kakashi fell to the ground and lay motionless for several seconds. Naruto stood there, himself frozen as he looked at the fallen form. Finally, the body twitched. A look of hope came over Naruto's face as he stepped forward.
"Kakashi-sensei!"
When the face came up and the eyes locked onto Naruto, all hope vanished and a pit of despair overwhelmed the chuunin. The eyes were different. Instead of the comforting good humor always in Kakashi's eyes when he looked upon his friends, there was only a coldness and cruelty that Naruto had become too familiar with.
"It's me, Naruto," the body said. "I'm all right. Orochimaru didn't succeed."
Not saying anything, Naruto began making the seals. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"
Fifteen more Narutos appeared and all of them surrounded the body. Within seconds, the spheres of the Rasengan were in their hands.
"Naruto, what are you doing?" the body persisted. "It's me, Kakashi."
Hatred overcame Naruto, replacing the despair that had been there only moments before.
"Don't you dare say another word," Naruto said icily. "You'll pay for what you've done, Orochimaru!"
All pretenses dropped as Orochimaru threw a kunai at the real Naruto. However, Naruto simply ducked and let the weapon create a shallow cut on his arm. Each of the Narutos held up their Rasengans and the swirling spheres erupted.
"Dai Uzumaki Rasengan!" sixteen voices shouted.
The vortex surrounded Orochimaru and trapped him at the center. No matter how hard he tried, nothing would allow him to escape. Even summons failed as the chakra and air disrupted his seal making. The eye became smaller and smaller until Orochimaru could barely fit in. With tears nearly blinding him, Naruto collapsed the entire vortex into the center. The swirling air rippled and sliced through the center. Lines of sharp air moved through and began disintegrating the body. Each line took a part away or cut something. They all hit at almost the exact moment and it was over in a second. When the wind stopped blowing, a massive spot of blood was sprayed at what was the eye. There wasn't even any body parts left from the full force of the Rasengan.
With a puff the other Narutos disappeared and the real one stood there dumbly. He had done the unthinkable. He had killed his teacher and one of his best friends. Falling to his knees, the tears began flowing uncontrollably from Naruto's eyes. He cried out and collapsed, unable to accept what had just happened.
Images of old times with Kakashi raced through his mind. The man that had trained them into true shinobis, who had been like a father to Naruto. The man that saved his life so many times. The man that he had just killed with his own hands.
End of Chapter 5
Now I know people are going to be pissed at me for killing Kakashi like that. But that's what happens in war. And as people from the EVA fandom know, I'm notorious for killing off characters. At least one other person will die before the end of this arc, so be prepared.
Z98