Part 4.4: The Legacy of Thunder and Lightning
Kimiko's head snapped back and forth, looking at the group of nin that had surrounded her in the rubble that remained of Daibuken. What was left of her group lay butchered to the side of her, and now a circle of seven, unknown ANBU had surrounded her completely. Her heart was beating fast, rushing blood to her entire body. A single, katana was gripped firmly in her hands in front of her, ready for the imminent attack that would come. The ANBU seemed hesitant, whether it was from fear or if they were planning something she did not know. All she realized was that she was badly outnumbered and was likely going to die amongst the corpses that had already been slain here. She steadied her nerves, sending chakra through her body and tensed herself for the upcoming fight. 'I have far too much to live for to die to these scum,' she thought to herself. She placed her feet shoulder width apart and brought the sword in front of her in a defensive position as one of the ANBU broke rank and streaked towards her. She swung wide, missing him. He shuffled under her and drove his own blade into her stomach. The ANBU could hear her breath leave her body as he shot her a satisfied smile. Suddenly, her body began to turn white, and a cold sensation was washing out of it. The ANBU recoiled in surprise as he pulled his sword from a pile of snow, the mask all that remained of his target. He stepped back quickly, but a shape burst through the air from under him with a sliver of light being drawn in front of it, diving into the night sky, pushing itself out of the circle.
The ANBU watched as Kimiko landed gracefully in the snow out of the circle, facing the group. Her eyes burned with fury as she shot them a wry smile. A small groan escaped from the lips of the ANBU in the center that had attack her kawarimi. The others turned to face him just as a sliver of blood appeared in between his body. He suddenly divided into two halves down the center, which fell onto the ground in a heap of blood. A heavy sleet was beginning come down hard, freezing her hair to her back. She plucked a needle from her belt and wrapped her hair around it in a tight bun on her head. The ANBU were beginning to regroup again. 'Six now,' she thought, 'still far too many to take.' Suddenly, they rushed forward simultaneously, their footsteps crunching loudly against the wet slush underfoot.
Kimiko's eyes darted for some means of escape, her eyes coming to rest on the bluffs she had seen the two assailants retreat when she first arrived here. She darted for them, the rogue ANBU following close behind her. The bluffs on this area were covered in slush, and she knew she would be easy to track on this terrain. A small plateau of trees came overhead and she rushed forward for them. The ANBU gave chase, the scuffling of snow against the wind filling the silent void that had been present before. She jumped quickly to the nearest branch of a tree, driving herself forward, the clattering of the wood behind her growing louder as her pursuers grew closer.
"Ninpo, Thunder Element," shouted one of the ANBU behind her, "Storm Spread!" Kimiko dove through the air, spinning around so that she was now looking at her the ANBU behind her. Suddenly, thousands of small bolts of lightning came at her, whistling and crackling in the air. Kimiko quickly placed her sword between her teeth and began to perform seals of her own.
"Ninpo, Earth Element," she roared, "Earth Barrier!" A massive slab of ground beneath her cape upwards, breaking through the branches of the trees as the bolts of lightning hit against it, dissipating quickly as her pursuers made their way around it towards Kimiko again.
Kimiko let the sword drop down back into her hands from her teeth, grasping the hilt tightly as she rolled in midair and kicked hard off another branch, pushing herself further into the forested area. 'I've got to finish this before I get to the bluffs,' she thought excitedly, 'there's no cover there.' Her thoughts quickly came back to her pursuers as dozens of kunai and shuriken rocketed by her, sticking in nearby branches and trees with a loud thud. She kicked in the air and rolled back on her back, using the sword to deflect the oncoming projectiles. The metal clanked off her blade, causing momentary sparks in the darkness that engulfed the area. For brief moments she saw flashes of the figures of her pursuers. They fought like Thunder ANBU and they dressed in the same manner as her.
Suddenly, her shoulders rammed hard into a thick branch behind her. Her entire body convulsed against the sudden force as she gritted her teeth hard in reflex as a shockwave of pain came through her neck and dispersed down to her feet. She began to freefall downward through the air towards the ground. One of the ANBU had broken off and was driving straight towards her, a long blade of his own extended out in front of him in a stabbing motion. Kimiko quickly dug her blade into the trunk of the tree she had hit in a diagonal stab. Her momentum carried her around the tree, the metal of the blade cutting around the tree in a circular motion as the blade bent from her weight. Her momentum brought her around the tree completely to the back of the ANBU. She pulled the sword from the tree with a grunt and dug it into the back of her pursuer, ramming it hard into his back and out his gullet, a wet, sickly gasp confirming her sword had hit it's mark well. She pulled it quickly out to the side as a rush of blood followed the red glittering across her blade. The ANBU fell to the ground, breaking small branches on his way to the forest floor, leaving a heavy trail of blood in its wake. '5' thought Kimiko before kicked off again, still sensing the other ANBU were above her, rapidly coming down from the trees towards her. She quickly shoved the katana onto the holster on her back; she needed her hands free for what she was about to do. She reached down to her belt and pulled out four kunai and four explosive notes. Her mind was becoming fatigued from the many signals it had to send out; the pain in her neck; the constant pushing out of her legs, propelling her away from her pursuers; the rolling of the explosive notes around the handle of the kunai. 'I'm only going to have one shot at this,' she thought, nimbly rolling another note around the handle of another kunai.
Another barrage whistled through the air behind her as the ANBU released another bevy of kunai and shuriken. She dodged and contorted her body, trying to keep her mind on the task at hand. However, a kunai whizzed past her legs and hit dead on her right shoulder, driving the tip straight through the other side. A muffled scream escaped Kimiko's mouth where she bit down hard on the cold metal of the kunai. Her fingers snapped open reflexively, one of the kunai dropping from her hands to fall harmlessly to the forest floor. Kimiko struggled to keep her eyes open, which were not tearing badly from the pain. She took her free hand and pulled the end of the kunai from her shoulder. Blood dripped freely from it and the excruciating pain in her body almost made her pass out, but she kept her mind awake. She threw the kunai behind her into the darkness and was rewarded with a muffled shout as she heard another body crash back towards the earth. She thanked whatever deity had allowed that lucky shot to hit its mark and continued with her task. Bolts of thunder were beginning to shoot out from behind her, the ANBU obviously getting impatient as shouts of different thunder jutsus were heard behind her. She jumped from side to side when she could, trying to keep her body moving randomly through the air. She finally completed her task, holding three explosive kunai in her hand. Her right shoulder was still bleeding heavily, making her good arm practically useless in a fight. She concentrated hard, using the pain to keep her mind alert and focused. She squinted in the distance, the bluffs coming ever closer, where no cover would protect her from the ANBU, and they would have a very clear shot at her. She held the kunai in between the fingers of her left hand and closed her eyes for a moment before opening them again, flinging the explosive kunai in front of her. Each one hit a separate tree on the edge of the forest. She pushed herself harder, kicking faster and faster as she saw the trademark puff of smoke that showed the explosive note had become active. She edged herself out of the forest into the open air. She grasped and flailed as she fell towards the snowy bluffs. She landed hard in the snow, getting quickly to her feet. Her assailants had just reached the edge of the forest when a massive explosion rocked the edge of the trees. The giant trunks collapsed one on top of the other, forming a huge avalanche of trees to fall upon the ANBU. She covered her eyes as the shockwave of the impact sent snow sprawling in her direction, the cold flakes burning in her nostrils.
There was silence again, the only audible sound was her breathing in the air, coming out in a broken shudder as her hot breath cooled into the bitter, sulfurous air. Her nostrils bit at the smell of burning wood, contrasting heavily against the cold, senseless snow. She used her free hand to grasp her bad shoulder, placing as much pressure as possible on it to halt the bleeding. She walked closer to the pile that lay steaming on the ANBU, a sense of relief washing over her. However, a log began to move amidst the pile, then another, and another. Three ANBU clawed their way out of the avalanche of wood that was on top of them, their masks shattered, as well as some arms and legs. They gingerly leapt over the remaining debris and slowly stalked towards her, whatever remaining weapons they had held high. Kimiko was tired of this and felt an immense anger and sense of frustration well within her. She painfully raised her right hand to meet her left in a seal. She formed several as the ANBU approached. This move would drain a large portion of her chakra, but she didn't care, she just wanted this chase to end. She slammed her open hands into the ground, wincing slightly as the pain moved up her right arm. Snow kicked into the air as she yelled her jutsu. "Ninpo," she shouted, "Water Element, Snow Spires." A sound resembling the crack of ice began to fill the air as the snow under the ANBUs' feet began to grow thick. Small sprouts began to form under them, causing a slight ribbing underneath them. All of the sudden, the small sprouts shot upwards in thin spikes, piercing through the ANBU uniforms as the icy pikes surrounded their bodies, piercing every part of them as they carried their corpses into the air, blood dripping very slowly down to the center.
Kimiko finally breathed a small sigh of relief as she approached the ANBU. She removed the belt around her waist and pulled it tight around her shoulder, stopping the flow of blood painfully. "Dammit," she thought, "I should have expected an ambush; the Raikage told me to be careful." She came closer to the ANBU, hoping for any clues to what they were, or to the assailants. One of the ANBU clutched something in his blood soaked hand, his arm steadied by many icy pyres sticking through it. Static was emitting from his hand, followed by a deep, muffled voice, shouting something incoherent. She opened the hand up to see a small, grey, two way transceiver. A deep voice came from the other side.
"Kaina…wha…ing on," came the voice another time. The voice sounded familiar, but the static was too loud to place it. She picked it up with her good arm and held it close to her ear. "Kai…shi, did you kill her," came the voice again, "Gram…at the hell…ing on." Kimiko took in a sharp breath as her mind finally registered the voice on the other side. She dropped the transmitter in shock, backing slowly away from it, like it would attack her at any second. Her mouth gaped open wide, her deep cerulean eyes staring blankly at the transceiver. 'That can't be,' she thought, 'no…no that's impossible. This must be a mistake…it can't be!' But her mind had already come to realize the truth. The man's voice was the Raikage's, the head of the Hidden Cloud and most powerful nin in the village. She couldn't think, her mind had completely snapped as what was left of her fragmented world came crumbling down on top of her. Everything was fitting together. The assailants couldn't be tracked because they were working for the Raikage. The ANBU here knew where to wait for her because the Raikage had ordered her there. Everything added up. She didn't know what to do, so she ran. She ran farther into the bluffs, her mind racing for something to grasp onto. All she could think of was Raan, as she ran through the bluffs towards the horizon.
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"Kainashi, did you kill her" asked the Raikage again into static of the receiver held in his hand, "Kainashi, what the hell is going on?" There was no reply. The Raikage listened intently for any noise, any signs that his ANBU were alive. Suddenly, he heard very labored breathing at the other end. It sounded panicked and very sharp, the air whistling against a congested throat. He then heard the sound of the receiver falling in the ground with a wet thud, followed by the quick crunching of sleet as someone ran away from the receiver. The Raikage shook with rage, crushing the small, grey box in his hand. He opened his palm and allowed the debris to fall to the ground in pieces.
"Damn," he said to himself. He raised one hand to his head and took off his triangular hat, placing in on his long, desk. He walked over to a particular row of candles and grabbed one, pulling it down harshly. A section of the wall rose into the air with a mechanical clank, revealing a black, passageway. The air was cold inside of it, leading to the outside of the city where the wind howled at the end of the long tunnel. He allowed his yellow robe to slide off his shoulders and fall to the ground, revealing him in full battle attire.
"If you want something done right…" said the Raikage as he ran full tilt through the tunnel to the bluffs on the outside.
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Tsunade awoke from her slumber, the sunlight of a breaking dawn cutting through the curtains of the window and splashing down on her face. She groaned as she slowly pulled the sheets off of her, dreading what was about to come. She had grown to hate her meetings with the pompous bastard the Raikage, but if there was a sliver of hope left for this treaty to work, she had to take it. She slowly turned out of bed and dug her feet into the heated carpet, grateful for the fact that at least Thunder Capitol knew how to treat guests. She pushed herself up and headed for the bathroom, preparing herself for the usual morning ritual. She opened the bathroom door and observed herself in the mirror. The age-changing jutsu was beginning to wear off again, wrinkles appearing on her otherwise unblemished face. Her hands had begun to thin again, become slightly varicose. She let out a tired sigh as she stared at her figure, aging before her eyes. "How cruel life is," she said to her reflection, feeling the patches of skin and wrinkles that permeated on her cheeks and under her eyes. "How come people have to look so different as they get older? Why can't they keep the same youthful looks they used to possess? And why can't things always go my way? Anytime I do win it's usually followed by a very unsettling event of some sort. Life's always dealt me a bad hand, but I've just got to keep anteing into the pot; maybe today will be different." She formed a few basic seals and pressed her hands to her chest, the wrinkles on her face and arms slowly disappearing, revealing a youthful visage staring back at her. She stretched the skin on her cheeks and allowed it to bounce back before smiling at her rejuvenated self. "If I didn't have to deal with children, ninjas, and pompous assholes everyday, I might just win a few contests with these looks." She turned from the mirror and began readying herself for what she knew would be another stressful day.
Tsunade walked closer and closer to the Jade Palace. 'You know,' she thought, 'if that jerk didn't live here, I might actually consider this place quite beautiful.' The sunlight gave the impression that the entire building was alight in a gigantic green flame that reflected onto the city, giving the entire area an eerily stunning green glow. She made the transition from the deep slush from the previous night onto the well polished Jade floor as her heels clicked loudly against the stone echoing loudly in the air. This sound had become synonymous with Tsunade and a flock of servants rushed to greet her and clean the area before her, giving her the usual droll chitchat of how her sleep was, and what a beautiful day it was in the glorious Thunder Capitol. She had no patience for them today, but focused on the gigantic double doors that led to the Raikage's inner sanctum. However, today a familiar servant was standing in front of them, blocking her path.
"Greetings Hokage-sama," he said, bowing graciously as Tsunade came closer, "unfortunately, his lordship, the Raikage-sama is not in at the moment, but I'm sure he will return in due time." Tsunade was taken aback by this as the Raikage was not anything if not punctual. It wasn't like him to be late for a meeting he scheduled.
"Where is he," asked Tsunade, an air of curiosity and suspicion in her voice. The servant rolled his eyes back and forth quickly, an obvious sign that he was making up something very quickly. Tsunade crossed her arms and tapped her foot impatiently, the sound causing beads of sweat to roll down the servant's head, giving Tsunade a feeling of vindictive pleasure.
"He is…um…out," the servant stammered out, "attending affairs…for the Hidden Cloud. He should be back soon…or not. I'm not really sure you see. His visits to the Hidden Cloud can be so…long." He began laughing nervously, pulling at his collar as his face turned very red.
'Whoever this guy is,' thought Tsunade, 'he's a very bad liar.' "Well then," began Tsunade, "the Raikage won't mind if I wait for him inside." She moved the stuttering man out of the way and grasped one of the handles on the large double doors.
"NO!" shouted the man, eliciting odd looks from the other servants who were shooting them sideways glances from their usual, menial duties. The small man was stammering badly now, his legs buckling under him so much that Tsunade could hear his knees knock together. "T-T-The Raik-kage does…does not wish anyone, even you Hokage-sama…to…Hokage-sama…to be in his…most…honorable and sac-cred domain."
"Why not," replied Tsunade growing annoyed with the small, pudgy servant, "I've been in there before. It's not like I'll be seeing anything new." She began to pull slightly on the door, the braces giving way and opening before the small man dived in front of them and began furiously pushing against her formidable strength.
"PLEASE HOKAGE-SAMA," shouted the little man, a look of sheer terror in his eyes now, "I BEG OF YOU! He does not wish for anyone to be in his sacred quarters without him there personally. Please Hokage-sama. I beg of you, please." The small man was on his knees now, prostrating himself at Tsunade's feet.
Tsunade stared at the pudgy man prostrating himself before her. 'What kind of a hold does this guy have over you,' thought Tsunade. She reluctantly let go of the door handle and took a few steps back, allowing the servant to come shakily to his feet. "Alright," she said, "I'll wait for him to return."
"Oh thank you Hokage-sama," replied the servant, bowing deeply again, "In return, perhaps you would like to see The Temple of Legacy?"
"What's that," asked Tsunade, still staring at the massive double-doors standing before her.
"It is a most amazing place," continued the servant, his arms moving in a very flamboyant manner, "it is off access to the public and is kept tended by a regiment of the most pious of monks. It is quite possibly the most holy place in our entire land. It is where we house the giant statues of Raikages past, and also the Everlasting Bolt of Thunder, placed here with a special jutsu by the Second, Izou Kai. It is most amazing, and I could take Hokage-sama to it while she waits for the lord Raikage to return." The servant was fidgeting badly again, seeming to hope beyond hope that Tsunade would remove herself from the Jade Palace until the Raikage returned. Tsunade stared at the little man, but finally gave in, nodding in agreement to the man's request. "Splendid," squealed the small man, clapping his hands vigorously, "I shall take you to it immediately. Follow me Hokage-sama." The little man strode off as fast as his tiny legs could carry him out the main entrance to the Jade Palace.
Tsunade watched him from a distance before following. 'Where the hell is he anyway,' thought Tsunade, 'it's not like him to miss an opportunity to make my life more difficult. Still, it's odd.' The thought consumed her mind as she followed the pudgy, little man towards the center of the giant city.
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Kimiko stumbled across though the deep slush that covered the area, clutching her still bleedings shoulder tightly. She was back in the forested area, retracing her steps back towards Thunder Capitol. She had bandaged the wound up as best she could, but it had been too deep to heal completely. She was completely exhausted, having to pull out every big move and trick she knew to defeat the seven ANBU who attacked her, but the mental taxing was far worse. She was still in shock over events and revelations that had hit her so fast it felt like she had been slammed repeatedly into a brick wall. 'The Raikage,' she thought, not even wanting to believe her own words, 'a traitor. How? Why would he do something like this? Why did he want to protect those assailants so badly?' However, a far worse thought entered her mind. 'Was Raan in on this too? He has been close to the Raikage for some time. Would he betray me?' She stopped running and slowly came to a stop, leaning hard against a tree, sliding down it's trunk to sit down at its base.
Her breath had become very shuddered and labored, inhaling the cold air burning her throat. Every breath felt like her lungs were secreting acid that burned and churned within her; she had run for hours, not stopping, not daring to look back. Her entire world had come crashing down on her in a matter of minutes, and she could not believe what had happened. "I can't stop," she said aloud, "I have to warn the clan of the Raikage's treachery. And…I have to know." Things were beginning to become clearer to her. Raan's constant injured state; he was protecting her. He was taking the oppression and beatings from the assailants whom the Raikage had protected. 'That has to be it,' she thought, calming herself, 'Raan would never betray me. I would trust him with my life. I have to help him and the village itself. I have to get up…and keep going.' She brought herself slowly to her feet and trudged faster through the ground, moving through the rolling hills and small mountains as she desperately tried to reach Thunder Capitol. 'The Lord of Thunder,' she thought, 'he'll help me. He's never been a fan of the Raikage, and he'll believe me. I hope.' She walked on towards the rising sun in the sky. Suddenly, a dark shadow covered her for a moment. She paused just as a giant figure crashed through the branches in front of her, landing with a loud, wet thud in the piles of slush. She backed away, using her good arm to pull the sword from behind her back as she readied herself for an attack. The snowy air began to clear, revealing a towering figure standing before her. He was very tall, and wore an odd kind of beige armor that seemed segmented apart at the joints. It gleamed despite a soft light, almost like a beetle's carapace. Her eyes went wide, and burned with fury as the stranger turned around revealing himself.
"You," growled Kimiko, "traitorous swine!" The Raikage stood before her in his complete battle attire. The metal seemed almost liquid like, shining and glimmering brightly as it clung to his skin in areas. A grayish yellow jumpsuit lay underneath it, covering the rest of his body from sight. On his hands were odd gloves, each finger ending in a sharp, and curvature resembling cat's claws. He clinked the metal against his armor, staring hard at Kimiko through a much scarred face.
"I think that's a little harsh Kimiko," replied the Raikage cooly. He was walking slowly towards Kimiko now, his considerable weight imprinting deep into the snow. "It's not my fault that the Seventh allowed so many weak nins through. You were all blinded by the chance of peace with the enemy that you didn't even see their kunai coming up to stab us in the back. We could have won the war!" His voice was growing louder and more emphatic, "We could have prevented the bloodline massacres if the Seventh had not been so lost in his dream for a peaceful resolution. He led our people on the road to ruin, and I will bring it back to its former greatness. The assailants of the village are two of my most powerful servants, and I will not allow you to bring down everything I've worked and sacrificed for."
"But why," Kimiko stammered, backing her feet up slowly, her mind racing for a way to defeat this powerful foe.
"The Leaf is a cancer on this continent," replied the Raikage, tensing the giant muscles in his legs, "that must be purged from the world one way, or another." The Raikage bounded forward, his speed blinding as debris scattered in his wake. Kimiko brought her blade upwards across her body, barely deflecting a hard shot from the Raikage. She stumbled backwards, the power from the shot knocking her on her back. She looked up to see the Raikage sailing through the air, his claw-like hands extended outward. She flipped backwards, barely dodging him as he crashed into the snow, only to rebound forward at her, catching her with a giant knee to the back in mid flip. Kimiko found herself sailing through the air, smacking hard against the trunk of a tree. She rebounded off of it, landing hard on her back, looking up at the cloudy skies, blood flowing freely from her mouth and nose. The metallic clank of the Raikage's footsteps filled the air as he came closer to her. Kimiko rolled on her stomach and pushed herself to her feet only to feel a sharp swipe on her back, followed by a massive kick, sending her tumbling into the snow, a trail of blood marking her path. She could feel the blood begin to trickle down her back, oozing a dark trail across the snow. The Raikage shot forward again, moving faster than anyone she had seen, his body becoming a mere blur in her eyes. She concentrated what was left of her chakra to her feet and pushed off fast, barely avoiding another giant swipe by the Raikage. "Sorry it had to be this way," said the Raikage. Kimiko stared at the Raikage, slowly making seals behind her back. "You were an outstanding nin, and it will be a great loss to the village losing you. But this nation will rise again as the strongest, and you shall be remembered, dieing in combat, for the sake of the Hidden Cloud." The Raikage walked towards her, scuffling the snow from his boots as it rolled in front of him in tiny spheres.
Suddenly, Kimiko slammed her hands against the ground hard. "Ninpo, Water Element, Snow Spires," she yelled, as the snow around the Raikage became sharp ice pikes, driving themselves towards them. The Raikage took a single step backwards, a look of shock on his face as the hundreds of icy spears overwhelmed the spot where he stood, blocking his body from view amidst the pikes. Kimiko slowly pushed herself to her feet. She was almost completely depleted of chakra, having used her best skills too many times in one day. Her knees buckled beneath her, but she kept steady, using her arms to force her knees back into position.
"Impressive," came a voice from behind her, sending a shock of fear down her spine. She snapped her head backwards just in time to see the Raikage place a stiff palm against her bad shoulder, driving her to the ground. She looked up to see the Raikage towering over her, a small cut on his cheek the only sign that she had connected with her jutsu. The Raikage began to perform several quick hand seals, the order of which was unfamiliar to her. He stopped just as Kimiko got warily to her feet. Something began glowing on her shoulder; she looked over to see an odd seal glowing brilliantly white there. "Ninpo," yelled the Raikage, "Thunder Element, Wrath of the Heavens!" There was a very eerie silence that followed after the Raikage said these words. There was no wind, no snow, and no animal life, just complete and utter silence. She couldn't even hear her own breathing. Fear was welling within her, her mind drifting to some of her best thoughts and memories. She didn't know why they came to her; it was if her mind had disconnected with reality, and chose instead to think of the best moments of her life. She remembered time spent with her parents as a child, traversing the streets of Thunder Capitol before being called to Hidden Cloud for her life time of training. She remembered the day she had passed the Chuunin examination, her first time in them. She remembered the first time she had been placed on a mission with a very tall, skinny genin named Raan. She remembered every second, of every day they spent together. But most prominently, she remembered Raan's words to her. That he would never leave her alone. She clung to the memory of them embracing for the last time; of their last kiss before she had left the hospital. Everything was flowing back to her so quickly bringing her a feeling of inner peace, like Raan was standing with her, embracing her in his long, warm arms. But then, her hair began to stand on end, and the air began to smell awkward, almost like the oxygen was burning around her. She looked up just in time to see a white light strike down on top of her…
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The Raikage watched as his jutsu hit its mark, a gigantic bolt of lightning rocketing down, turning Kimiko into a charred husk in a matter of seconds. The thunderous bolt rocked the ground he stood on, shaking the earth itself with a tremendous sonic boom. The snow swirled and swayed in the wind created by the backlash of the enormous thunder bolt. He covered his eyes against the bright light created by the ionized bolt. The trees themselves swayed and broke, their frozen branches scratching against the Raikage's bodyarmor, but the Raikage stood strong against it. He had only used this jutsu three times, and it was the most powerful in his arsenal, never failing to automatically burn the target into ashes from the inside out. It was the most powerful thunder jutsus in existence, and it was only passed down to the most powerful ninjas in his clan. Slowly, the wind began to subside, and the air took back its placated form. He removed his arm from his eyes and stared at the giant, smoldering crater where Kimiko had stood minutes before. There was nothing left of her, only a permanent etching of her shadow on the ground of the crater. The Raikage watched for a moment before the aftereffects of the jutsu kicked in, buckling him to his knees. His armor shook and clanked as he fell down on his knees, his hands holding him up. He coughed loudly, his chakra badly depleted and his body beginning to feel the aftereffects of the jutsu. He quickly recovered himself, demanding his powerful legs rise. He pushed himself up and stared at the crater he had made. "And with this," he said solemnly, "we follow the path once again, towards victory, and our destiny." He turned his back on the giant wound in the landscape, making his way back to Thunder Capitol. He had a meeting with Tsunade to attend, and he hated being late.
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Tsunade covered her eyes tightly as an intensely vibrant line cut through the sky in the distance, creating a massive boom that rebounded through the air. She could feel the ground shudder and quake under her feet as she finally opened her eyes to reveal a clear sky and a light that had suddenly disappeared. "What the hell was that," she said aloud.
"Umm...we get a lot of those large bolts of lightning," said the pudgy servant quickly, "they're nothing special really. They just sort of…happen in the bluffs from time to time." He quickly walked away, scratching the back of his neck nervously.
'That was chakra induced,' thought Tsunade, 'I could feel it all the way out here. Who in the hell?'
"This way Hokage-sama," said the servant again, motioning for Tsunade to follow. She began to slowly step in his direction, her eyes still staring at the spot the brilliant light had been moments before. They traversed through the streets of Thunder Capitol, Tsunade taking notice of all the dirty looks and frightened faces of the people that walked past her.
'I guess word has spread of what horrible people we are in the Hidden Leaf,' thought, growing furious again at the thought. She walked faster, until she was side by side with the servant; she detested being treated like a murderer and wanted to get this meeting with the Raikage over with, not go sight seeing. She finally came to the doorstep of a very archaic building. The architecture was nothing like that of any building in Thunder Capitol. It seemed very out of place amidst the giant, rectangular buildings and giant spires of this place. It was very tall, almost as tall as the Jade Palace, though not nearly as pompous. The stone walls held various lichen and plant life attached to it, giving it a naturally aged, green color. Giant blocks of stone and ominous pillars in the sky gave the building a very gothic look. They began to climb up the long steps that led up to the archway inside when the servant held out an arm, blocking her path.
"Please wait here Hokage-sama while I inform the doorman of our coming," said the servant. He scuttled up the steps towards a barrel-chested looking man in a long, orange robe. Tsunade waited impatiently, staring at the giant doors and the two men whispering to each other at the entrance to this temple. The felt an odd feeling on her shoulders, like someone was spying on her. She snapped her head back quickly to see almost all of the passersby staring at her, huddled in small groups and chattering amongst themselves. Tsunade shot them a dark scowl, and they quickly continued on with their business. Tsunade sighed, a slightly depressed feeling coming over her. "Hokage-sama," said the servant again, "we are allowed to enter now." Tsunade nodded and began climbing the steps again, thankful for some cover away from the accusing eyes of the people of this city. The orange robed man bowed deeply to them as they passed, though Tsunade saw how vengeful his eyes looked as she passed.
The outside of the building did not do justice to the inside, which was a vibrant display of color and sound. With what little light existed in this bleak country, it was scattered across the room in a dazzling display of the entire spectrum of color; reds overlapping yellows to form oranges, and then going about their separate ways. The chanting of monks tending to the inner workings of the temple reverberated off the cavernous interior, giving the place a feeling of inner peace and tranquility that Tsunade found very relaxing. In the middle of the entire area, in a slightly raised dais, was a giant bolt of blue lightning that crackled softly amidst the monks chanting. Surrounding it were eight, giant, gold statues, each with a single hand touching the bolt of lightning that continued to crackle and burn in the middle of the dais, its shimmering blue glow giving off an eerie color to the statues.
"Welcome Hokage-sama," shouted a tall monk as he slowly made his way towards them. His giant belly shook with every step he took, and the warm smile on his round face gave a very jovial and warm impression. His hair was arranged in a single braid that stuck out of the back of his head, swishing from side to side as he clamored towards Tsunade. Tsunade returned the warm smile and bowed to the monk, thankful for a friendly face for once. "We are honored to have such person of your prestige here today in our humble dwellings." He bowed deeply to her, a feat that seemed to take much effort as he bent over his large belly. "My name is Chiang, and I have been given the prestigious duty of showing you the history of this place as well as the Raikages themselves as so requested by the Raikage's aide." He motioned to the small man besides Tsunade who bowed deeply to the jovial monk.
"My apologies Hokage-sama," said the servant quickly, "but I must return and inform the Raikage of your whereabouts when he returns." He bowed to Tsunade and then quickly scuffled out the front entrance, the giant doors slamming shut behind him. Tsunade was alone in the temple now, feeling quite out of place in such a holy and revered site.
"Well Hokage-sama," said Chiang loudly, "let me show you the Dais of Eternal Storm." He motioned to the gigantic glimmering statues surrounded by the crackling blue bolt. "Well, obviously you can see it from here, but I think a more formal tour is in order." He walked towards the enormous effigies of the Raikages, motioning for Tsunade to follow. Tsunade smiled slightly, still amazed at the color and deep feeling of peace of this place brought to the soul. As they walked closer, the dazzling light began to change color, reflecting off the many precious gems that lay adorned on the eight statues. Their footsteps barely made any sound against the hard, stone floor, the air already filled with a general symphony of sound that touched the senses and for a brief moment, forcing her to forget the cruelties that this land brought with it. She was finally at the top of the stone dais, looking up at the gigantic and surprisingly well detailed statues of the Raikages past, each with their heads tilted up towards bolt of thunder, an outstretched arm touching only a few meters from the bolt itself. Shades of jade and pink crossed her eyes as the light bounced and reflected off the precious stones adorned on the statues.
"Magnificent aren't they," said Chiang, Tsunade nodding in silent agreement, "We have tended to and created these statues since the beginning of the first Raikage's rein. This temple was at one point a sacrilegious place; a building for the worship of strange and primitive deities that we had never seen before. Izou Dao drove them from the area and decreed this spot the site of a new city. However, it would not be until his son, Izou Kai, took the throne that the construction would actually begin here. Umm…Izou Dao is the rightmost one to us on the outside there and Izou Kai is to his left."
Chiang continued to talk while Tsunade stared up at the gargantuan statues, craning her neck high up to get a glimpse of their faces, preferring to admire the giant figures that listen to what the monk was saying. Izou Dao was an odd looking sort. A long beard trailed down from his face almost to his waist, the indentations of the hairs heavily detailed in the long beard. A long matt of hair trailed down his back as well, covering almost his entire body in long, golden strands. Even with Tsunade's excellent vision, there didn't appear to be much detail to his face, hidden as it was under the mass amounts of hair. She looked to the left of that statue to his son. They contrasted each other heavily, Izou Kai looking very young in this effigy. His chin jutted down his thin face, and his nose was slightly upturned, giving him a very dignified look. However, his face seemed fixed in an eternally saddened state, his golden eyes staring up at the lightning while his mouth was affixed in a permanent frown. His hair was comparatively shorter than his father's, only moving down to the small of his back, with his face completely clean shaven. 'So father beget son,' thought Tsunade, 'and the son killed the father. Interesting how this village works; it seems very cutthroat." Her thoughts were cut off when a strange pattern of light hit her dead on. It was a very deep and dark red with an odd pattern in the middle of it. It seemed to envelop her before moving onward past. She looked up at the source of it and looked straight at the eyes of Izou Dao. They were adorned with very large, precious gemstones that were cut in a very odd manner. "What is that," she asked Chiang, pointing up at the Izou Dao statue.
"Ah," said Chiang, his deep voice bustling with pride, "that is the only certain feature we know of Izou Dao. You see, records concerning the first Raikage are scarce, and a picture or actual description of the man was surprisingly impossible to find. The only thing we know for certain are from the records kept by those who fought the First. You see, not only was the First an amazing Raikage, he also possessed a very powerful bloodline that was only exhibited in him for all the generations his clan has existed. No one knows for sure what it was or did, but they called it, The Crimson Bloodline. For what reason we cannot say. But we do know this; Izou Dao's eyes were very peculiar indeed. They were almost a blood red, as shown in the jewels on his eyes there, with a-"
"Black crisscrossing pattern in them," interrupted Tsunade, "like a cross, right?" Chiang's expression quickly turned to one of surprise at Tsunade's comment.
"I'm surprised Hokage-sama knows of such a fact," he said, his tone showing a bit of suspicion in it, "You see, only we of the order know for certain that this is how his eyes looked. Any other who sees it simply believes it to be an odd decoration. We were not able to capture the brilliance that his eyes truly had. Some said that they could create their own light, and in the darkest night you could see them in the shadows, burning like a great flame of warning to his enemies. He truly was a remarkable man. May I ask how you knew of the pattern of his eyes?"
"I've seen them," replied Tsunade, "in his descendent Izou Set." She looked over at Chiang who was giving her a very peculiar expression like she had said something very strange. "What is it," she asked.
"Well…Hokage-sama," replied Chiang, "I'm not sure who this Izou Set is. You see, the only surviving member of the Izou clan is a personal friend of mine, Izou Raan, and his eyes are golden, much like Izou Kai's. I have never heard of this Izou Se-"
"CHIANG," roared a monk from behind them, his shout echoing the monk's name across the cavernous hallway. The entire atmosphere changed, growing very quiet and uncomfortable as the chanting of the monks stopped, replaced instead by the heavy footsteps of a tall, skinny monk approaching them. His robes were like the others except his had odd, black designs on them. He stormed towards them, Chiang looking very apprehensive as he approached.
'He must be the lead,' thought Tsunade. The monk grabbed Chiang by the collar of his cloak and pulled him close, whispering something inaudible in his ear. Chiang bowed quickly and left Tsunade there, moving farther into the recesses of the temple.
"Forgive Chiang Hokage-sama," said the lead monk, "He is new to the order and not yet well versed in all there is concerning the great Raikages. We have heard of Izou Set; though he is not a spectacular nin of any sort. Just a regular genin we are sorry to say. The face that he has the great Dao's eyes is purely coincidence. Now if you please Hokage-sama, we have much work to attend to." His voice was very wavery and nervous, resembling that of the servant that had accompanied Tsunade here. In fact, the only person she had talked to today who seemed to be speaking plainly was Chiang.
"Alright," said Tsunade, nodding to the monk before heading towards the large, double doors that lead back to the outside. 'What the hell is going on here,' she thought, 'first, that nin attacks Naruto, and he certainly didn't seem like any average genin then. And after that, a personal friend of the only living descendent of these people says he never heard of any Izou Set." Her mind drifted to an image of the tall nin, remembering most especially those horrid eyes of his. Tsunade pushed the double doors open and stepped quickly into the outside, going back the way of the Jade Palace. 'Something is very wrong here,' she thought, 'and I'm going to find out what.'