Disclaimer: We do not own Naruto
Co-Author and Beta: Etheral-23
Chapter 48: Breaking the Leash Act VI
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Flash of fire and steel shining under the sun. Earth cracked and torn. The winds agitating with great velocity.
Jiraiya had only faced such intensity once before in his life, when he, Tsunade and Orochimaru battled Hanzo of Ame to a standstill.
Hanzo's power at his peak had been horrifying; he was too fast, too strong, too resourceful for any of them to bring him down, even combined. They earned the title of Legendary Ninja just by having survived a fight against him; such had been Hanzo's might.
But from what his reports long since told him, Hanzo now spent his days completely isolated in his ever raining city. Guarded at all times as he succumbed to a crippling paranoia. The great tyrant of the Rain's awe and horror inspiring prowess now had to be a shadow of its former self.
The Toad Sage didn't know if he'd ever fight someone like that again.
Until now.
Jiraiya whipped his head around, hair extending and solidifying as he tried to flagellate the demon. The thick main of spiky white hair was parried with a shower of spark by a long blade, before this one ignited in blue flames, making the owner's black armor shine with pale blight, very similar to the blue of his eyes.
The sage grunted as he backed away, feeling the sheer cold (paradoxically as that sounded) from the unnatural flames. His hair cracked and broke, falling away in pieces as it slowly retracted back into his scalp.
"A mere parlor trick," Gōyoku scoffed out of annoyance; "Lesser demons use such a meager tactics for pathetic pray. I am far from impressed by your skills 'Sage'." The mock in his tone was palpable when calling Jiraiya by his title.
"Oh so sorry I'm not living up to your standards." He sarcastically replied, before sucking in as much air as possible going through several handseals. In an instant he unleashed a fireball that rivaled the enemy Oni in size barreling towards the said demon like a cannonball. "Here's what I think of you opinion!"
Blue flames engulfed the demon's sword once again meeting the red flames head on. The ancient Oni roared raising his sword to his opponent's shock, slicing the fireball in half! However his moved had the added effect of sending out an arc of cold fire at the Toad sage and company who quickly dodged by a split second before it would have decapitated all of them.
The trees behind them could not do the same as several were cleanly sliced through. Their massive torsos collapsing onto the ground around the party.
Sweat beaded off Kuroreimei's brow; "Still as powerful as I remember."
"A far cry from yourself, your 'majesty'." Gōyoku sneered; "Dasra would weep seeing how weak his daughter is."
Fire bloomed in the queen's eyes; "Don't speak my father's name, traitor!"
Gōyoku's further retort was cut short by a long blade attempting to slice him. Mitsuko appeared a in blur of movement, though her face remained focused; her eyes were wide enough that he saw her iris in full. Their blades danced around each other with blinding speed, creating a shower of sparks as the ground around them was covered in a multitude of cuts.
Their blades locked themselves in a struggle as their heels dug deep in the earth. Gōyoku let one hand off the handle and raised it to the sky. Mitsuko sensed what he was planning and quickly backed away, just as a shower of spears came upon her, manifesting as if summoned. They followed her as she backflipped, leaving a trail of steel before finally stopping. Her silver gaze snapped towards the ancient demon, his visage somewhat hidden behind the bamboo made of spears.
"For a moment there, you showed great passion in your attacks" Gōyoku complimented her. "You let anger guide your movements"
"...It is not my style. It will not happen again" She replied as though she was still a student, admonished.
The pale faced demon clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Have you learnt nothing from me, girl? An empty blade is a weak one"
"Emptiness of mind is what gave rise to the greatest Sword Saints"
"And once more, you misunderstand what that truly means" He said with disappointment.
"Do not lecture her" Kuroreimei seethed, the tips of her fingers alight with flames. "She is your apprentice no longer"
"She will always be my student. Mine!" Fury glowed in Gōyoku's eyes before pointing his sword at Mitsuko; "If it were not for my guidance that girl would have been nothing but another weakling in Lanka. What was Mitsuko before you brought her to Lanka and then to me? A former lowly human who turned into a wildling, who barely knew or understood what she had become. A mere hunk of metal that I had forged and tempered into the weapon she is now!"
That garnered Jiraiya attention glancing over at the demon swordswoman and back to the Oni. "You act like she is your property. I doubt she thinks the same." His comments were met with summoned spears shot towards him, forcing the sage to duck and weave from the attacks.
"This is not a conversation for you, sage."
Mitsuko however soon vanished upon seeing the tiniest of opening and charged for the attack. Her Okatana was met by her former teacher's blade. "It no longer matters who I was before I became a demon. I am Mitsuko, guardian of Lanka in service to Queen Kuroreimei. And I will use all that you taught me master to kill you for your crimes."
"...Spoken like a true demon," Respect shone in Gōyoku's voice; "Sadly you serve such a weak queen. You should have joined me girl."
"I am happy where I am now"
A growl escaped his lips, and Gōyoku went on the offensive. He moved with such speed the ground under this feet cracked, Kuroreimei let out a short gasp as the older demon was suddenly upon her, swinging down his blade. Fortunately she conjured two spikes of ice just in time to hold off the blade in a cross guard, fighting cold with cold.
But Gōyoku was not finished, stomping the ground with his feet, he called forth a great array of weapons to sprout from the earth. Jiraiya and Mitsuko jumped away from the barrage, as Kuro was forced to retreat and surround herself in a barrier of ice. Her shield held for the most part, but had to narrowly dodge as a spear pierced through and nearly stabbed her.
When she turned she found Gōyoku before her again, raising his right foot and delivered a kick so strong it shattered the ice shield.
"She suffered, and survived, she became strong!" The demon said in outrage. "But you, you poisoned her mind with ideas of complacency and inaction! She had so much potential, and you squandered it!"
Kuroreimei moved her arms in an arc, bringing down a swath of hungry flames upon him in a continuous stream. Gōyoku held out his blade engulfed with hellish pale flames, blue met red as steam rose from the contact.
"If you truly cared you would have not betrayed us for slavers and bandits! The very same people who wronged her!"
"Do not mistake my praise for sympathy!" The pale faced demon called amidst the clash of flames. "She claimed her revenge, and could have achieved so much more!"
A blur appeared behind him, and Mitsuko was upon him once more, blade poised to strike as she brought it down. Another sword manifested in his hand, holding her back, without even giving ground to Kuroreimei's flames.
Student and master locked eyes.
"I found peace in Lanka, a purpose greater than myself" She said ever so softly.
"...Peace is a lie, child" He almost sounded remorseful, "Our kind does not exist for 'peace'"
Before Jiraiya's eyes, the demon seemed to ignite himself in those hellish flames, and they were growing in intensity by the second. The air becoming cold, then freezing, sending prickles of pain to his skin, the flames from the demon queen dimming as Mitsuko's hand trembled.
Acting fast, he buried his sandal-clad foot through the ground, creating a large crack that went all the way to the old demon. The sage took a very deep breath as he went through several handsigns before breathing out a large, white hot trail of flames down through the fissure he had created.
The earth heated, glowing, and softened into sludge.
The two lady demons realized what he was doing and soon jumped out of the way.
Gōyoku had zero time react as an explosion of flames erupts from under his feet, engulfing him.
Landing on either side of the sage Kuro collected her breath; "Impressive Toad Sage."
Jiraiya however remained silent before removing his foot from the ground. Mitsuko was the same before shock etched in their eyes upon seeing the hot red orange flame turned azure blue. Within moments they parted, revealing the ancient demon, unharmed and not even singed. His cold gaze stared a hole straight at the human; "Before this rotten world was ever broken by the Sundering. I had endured battles upon battles with countless human warriors and sages. I count you not in the ranks that I respected."
'Y-you kidding?! He survived that?!' Jiraiya's mind mentally screamed as it tries to think of any way to defeat this damn walking siege engine! The man clicked his tongue; "No choice I guess. Got to use Senjutsu."
That drew the attention of Kuro and Mitsuko while Gōyoku cocked his head; "Oh really now. Would you actually prove a challenge then?"
Saying nothing the man bit his thumb before going through several handseals before slamming his hand to the ground; "Summoning jutsu!" A burst of smoke shrouded Jiraiya. Senjutsu... The demon queen had not seen such power in ages. That being said such a power would be valuable against an enemy like the traitor before them.
"Damn it boy," A loud wizened voice of an elderly man rung out throughout the forest; "We were in the middle lunch!"
Next came roared came from an elderly woman; "And you still need us for this?!"
Kuroreimei blinked while the smoked cleared revealing two small toads standing on the shoulders of Jiraiya. Both wore cloaks, one with green skin. A small goatee with thick long eyebrows. The other was purple skinned with curly purple hair; but the even the demon queen had heard tales of these two. "Master Fukasaku and Master Shima!" The great toad sages of Mount Myōboku!
Both toads glanced to either side of Jiraiya; "Why are there demons beside you boy?" Fukasaku quipped grumpily.
"The ladies are on our side Pa, sorry to call on you, but needed help." He pointed over to Gōyoku.
"Hmm, he feels old" Fukasaku said with a narrowed gaze at the armored demon. "Older than us, perhaps nearly as old as the Great Elder"
The pale faced oni spread his arms wide in boasting, "Old enough to have basked in the world's former glory"
The female toad grunts in turn, "Ahhh, so he is one of those demons. No wonder why you called us, Jiraiya-chan"
If they were master sages then their aid could be a great asset against Gōyoku, but he was still a mighty warrior. Jiraiya would need to bring his full abilities as sage. No sooner than she thought that, she felt the Konoha ninja gather natural energy towards his body...
...while also being siphoned and controlled by the toad elders. Wait, what-
The marks under Jiraiya's eyes grew thicker and formed new patterns, his eyes switched to two horizontal slanted pupils with yellow-green iris. His nose even grew more bulbous, with warts popping out. His teeth became sharp, and his feet actually began to acquire distinct amphibian traits.
The power inside him grew immensely, of that there was no doubt, but Kuro knew better. This... was far from a mastered level of senjutsu. This was raw, pure nature power wrecking his body, with only the toads' aid acting as filters to keep him from transforming further.
"Y-You haven't mastered Tier 1?!" The queen exclaimed in disbelief.
Jiraiya looked ashamed, as the toad elders gave him a disapproving look. "He should have by now. But during his training the big idiot thought it was a good idea to bath himself in the special oil!" Shima Abolished.
The ever calm Mitsuko voiced her opinion, "That sounds foolhardy"
Oh gods, this was the current state of modern day sages?
Then, they heard a laugh. A chuckled which soon grew into a full guffaw. Gōyoku was laughing hysterically; horns pointing back as he threw his head back, a hand running over his face. "Oh to think the high and mighty sages have degraded so! If Ibaraki were here he'd be torn between laughing at your own stupidity, or mourning!" His laughter soon dwindled, "At least the sages could always give us a good fight!"
"Ibaraki..." Fukasaku muttered, the name sounding very familiar to him.
"He means Ibaraki-Doji" Kuroreimei said with severity. "Second in command to Shuten-Doji, also known as Ibuki-Doji"
The toad elders gasped in shock, "One of the Three Great Calamities..."
Jiraiya felt a bead of sweat roll down his neck, recalling Tomoe and the Great Elder's tales.
"Ahhhhh..." Gōyoku grew melancholic; "The time of our warband, those were the days" He smiled in fond reminiscence. "Emerging from the mountains to sack Kyoto, fight the Minamoto demon slayers who brought their steel to bear, and the sorceries from the Bureau of Onmyou"
The blood within the elder toads and Sannin soon felt like ice.
"There was even a moment in time where I crossed swords with Sakata Kintoki." The Oni shuddered with both respect and fear. "THAT human was a true heir of Rama. And not that infant you spoke of, Naruto Uzumaki..." Gōyoku sneered with disgust; "I saw that child, he will prove only a mild snack when I devour his corpse!"
Fear ebbed away from Jiraiya who now gnashed his teeth with rage; "You won't come close to him. As a sage my duty is clear, you are a threat to all and must die."
At that amusement bore of the Oni's lips; "And you, a failed sage believe that you can end me?"
"Yes."
"The only ones who will die here is you, Kuroreimei, and my apprentice. Then I shall slaughter every one of your allies. Kill Naruto Uzumaki and that mockery of a demon inside him." Azure flames glowed from Gōyoku's sword raising high over his head; "The destroy Lanka and the Leaf Village!" Intense blue flames cloaked his body as he roared bring down his blade.
The flames took on the shape of serpentine-like creatures, eyes glowing a blazing red amidst the cold blue flames. Maws open in soundless screams, there was only the roar of fire, as they coiled and swooped upon the sage and demons.
Jiraiya breathed fire without the need for any handsigns, a stream of flames that would make a dragon proud, and held three of the flaming cold serpents at bay, the clash of heat and cold raising steam.
Mitsuko jumped at great heights in an awesome display of agility, spinning her body with precision and elegance to avoid the strikes of the serpents. Her sword gleamed with sunlight as she tightened her grip, the edge erupting with blazing power, a dark red chakra with pure black streams emanating from it, cursed power wielded by a steely heart and a cool head. The demonic sword cut through the flaming snakes, severing heads and jaws. She spun with great velocity, almost looking like a vortex as she tore them all to pieces.
Kuroreimei moved with ethereal grace as her feet did not even take a step, she moved over a thin sheet of ice created by her element, moving with all the mystical beauty found in her yuki-onna ancestry. The fires of her mighty rakshasa blood burning in her veins as she called forth the rage of her ancestors, flowers of flame blooming from her fingertips and forming into her own version of the serpentine creatures, with the wide heads of cobras, these flaming nagas coiled around Gōyoku's frost serpents in a deadly embrace, as fire and cold canceled each other out.
"Now you show skill to me girl?!" Gōyoku roared in outrage glaring at the demon queen; "Lord Ravana himself would be ashamed that you are of his bloodline!"
"At least my ancestor had more honor than you, Ibaraki-Doji, and Ibuki-Doji combined!" Kuro declared with fury. "Unlike the three of you, he was noble and dignified; he was above simple instincts!"
A strong red aura glowed from the queen as her anger fueled his power.
Fukasaku and Shima whipped their heads upon hearing the words exchanged. That girl, she was an actual living descendant of the legendary demon sage king?! The one whom had deceived and sealed away the gods, and in doing so obtaining near limitless power!? Both made a mental note to tell Gamamaru of this when returning home.
A sneer grew on the ancient Oni's lips; "And you are nothing but a mere pebble compared to your ancestor. Erasing you from this world will be my pleasure!" In an instant his flames grew more intense.
Discarding his blade momentarily, stabbing it on the ground, Gōyoku summoned a bow with a swath of blue flames. Readying a projectile of cold fire, his feet spread wide as he took aimed. Bending over backwards as he aimed at the sky.
The arrow was released with a whistling sound like a firework, and just like one it exploded in a fiery spectacle.
Hundreds of fiery projectiles fell to the earth, too many to dodge safely.
"With me!" Kuroreimei shouted, and Jiraiya and Mitsuko jumped to her location, taking refuge as she casted a barrier of ice to hold back the onslaught.
The blasts of frost flames covered the dome entirely clouding their vision, the barrage had to have continued for at least ten straight seconds before the last of the arrows descended, and the ground was left a frozen waste by the unnatural flames that spread, the grass withering under the intense cold.
It was only through a small opening in the flames licking at the ice dome that Jiraiya was able to see Gōyoku, holding his bow in hand once more, a new brighter arrow of flames aimed directly at them; his posture was that of an expert in kyūdō.
The sage swore the bastard was smiling.
The arrow was let loose, and the ice-dome exploded, sending all flying away in the blast.
"Such horrifying power!" Fukasaku exclaimed as Jiraiya slammed through several trees before hitting the ground hard on his back. "Jiraiya-Chan, you alright boy!?"
A low groan emanated from the man; "That would have sucked worse I was not using Senjutsu..."
Nearby, a sharp cry rips from Kuro's lip upon hitting a large boulder causing the rock to crack from the force. Only Mitsuko was able to catch herself, grabbing a tree she spun around, propelling herself back towards her traitorous master. Her okatana glowed with a sickly evil black flame that soon radiated around the woman's body.
Gōyoku growled raising his sword, stopping his student's blade. He saw Mitsuko's eyes were now sapphire with slit irises, the sclera now crimson; "What have I told you girl! You control the Bōkyaku, not the other way around!" The ancient demon abolished pushing his former apprentice back with a parry. "If I am to kill you, it will be as yourself. Not possessed by that damn sword!"
His words seem to work as the black flames faded and Mitsuko's eyes returned to normal. Blinking, the swordswoman shook her head; "Apologies."
"Show more spine, girl" The pale faced oni gruffly commanded, holding his blade in his hands. "Begin!" He shouted as though this was one of their old instructions.
Mitsuko vanished with a blur, only to reappear before him, their blades clashing with precise and swift movements.
"Slow, too slow!" Gōyoku shouted, his blade poised to defend as Mitsuko tried to maneuver around him. "Your footwork is predictable!"
The moments their blades locked again, Mitsuko poured all her strength to raise them above their heads, and to his surprise, released one hand from the handle. A fist tightened, elbow reeling back, and her arm became a blur that delivered increasingly faster punches in quick succession, slamming against his armored torso, the blows enough to make him stumble.
Then, dark flames gathered in her palm, and a burst of quick fire sent him flying back.
Mitsuko raised her blade, pointing straight to his head as he crouched once he regained his footing, and shot towards him at great speed.
The blade stopped inches from his face, his own blood coating it as he shakily grasped the sword with one hand.
The swordswoman let out a soft gasp as her silver eyes widened.
"You never take enough risks, girl" He slowly stood up, once more towering over her, Gōyoku did not let go of the blade no matter how much his apprentice pulled. "Sometimes taking a chance is all we can do to secure victory"
His armored knee smashed her in the gut, making her cough as spit flew from her mouth. Gōyoku let go of the bloodied sword, and smacked her away with a fierce backhand. He watched as she collided upon fallen trees.
Sighing in disappointment, Gōyoku shook his wounded hand, knowing it would heal eventually. He did not have time to regain his breath as he spotted a bright source of energy.
The sage, his visage still akin to a toad's, was forming a sphere of pure ki in his hand, pouring as much power into it as he could.
"Oh, is that your game then?" Smirking in challenge, the horned demon brought his blade to bear, igniting it with pale flames. "Have it then! I'll give you this one chance to show me what you have!"
"I suggest you get clear!" Jiraiya shouted to Kuroreimei who regained her bearings, and quickly jumped over Mitsuko to pull her out of danger.
Jiraiya's feet cracked against the ground as he jumped with all his strength, in a second he was face to face with the smirking oni.
For a moment, it looked like time stood still between them.
"Rasengan!"
And the spiraling sphere collided with the flaming blade.
Voracious winds rose, the clash creating a vortex that seemed to drag everything towards them, pulling them to the maelstrom of power as the floor upon their feet cracked, the cold flames violently escaping in swaths through the air.
Neither man gave ground, even as the contained storm between them only grew in intensity.
Gōyoku actually felt thrill, this is what he's been seeking! The clash of steel and flesh, the pure expression of might that made the world tremble around them! Like the times of old, when there were actually enemies worth a damn!
When the time he could fight to his heart's content, when Ibuki's unending hunger called upon the mightiest warriors of the land to challenge her. A day of battle, a night of plunder and merriment, to feast upon their lessers, their flesh filling their gullets, their riches free for the taking.
At last he felt alive again.
So when the sage pulled out another hand, summoning another great sphere of pure spiraling power, he could only smile wider.
Jiraiya roared out and slammed the second Rasengan into the first.
The storm became a true vortex, a vacuum that distorted the space around them with sheer force.
For a moment, there was unending noise and a blinding light.
Kuro leapt away from the cracking and shatter earth beneath her with a half-conscious Mitsuko with an arm over her shoulder. Out of the corner of her eye she could see the sage's move not letting up, likely pouring as much chakra as he could into that move. 'But can that bring Gōyoku down?' Her eyebrows soon rose above her bangs upon hearing the echoing sound of metal breaking.
Within moments the jutsu stopped, revealing Jiraiya standing in a massive crater with broken ground and trees stretching far and wide. The man huffed, sucking in as much air as he could take lowering his arms. "Did that get him?" Shima questioned as she, her husband, and Jiraiya stared ahead at a large dust cloud.
Slowly the dust begun to settle as they saw a shape still standing. "Please let that bastard be dead..." The Sannin whispered under his breath.
Finally the cloud parted revealing the ancient Oni, hunched forward, his figure still. Even from her distance away, Kuro saw the left side of Gōyoku's upper torso completely gone. One of his horns was broken off, and from his right shoulder down to his hand was utterly mangled. He still gripped the hilt of his sword, but now the great evil blade was broken and shattered, its pieces all over the ruined field.
A sliver of hope blossomed in Kuro; "We did it..." Mitsuko faintly groaned lifting her head.
But that hope was soon dashed as Gōyoku raised his sole remaining arm and broken hilt at the toad sage. A beam in the shape of a blade shot forward cannon. Jiraiya had no time to react as the energy blade pierced through his shoulder, narrowly missing Fukasaku!
The sage let out a gurgling sound of pain as searing agony spread from his shoulder to his body. "Jiraiya-chan!" Shima shouted in concern before she and her husband looked upon the demon with righteous anger. Taking a deep breath, the prepared to launch their Frog Call technique.
But the oni threw Jiraiya away, and the toads still attached to his shoulder followed suit. The sage hit several broken pillar of uprooted earth before finally falling limply on the ground.
Gōyoku panted heavily, struggling to get to his feet as he watched the remains of his mangled limb on the ground, and then the broken sword in his remaining hand. He grunted with annoyance as he threw it away, "They say eating the flesh of a sacred priest grants immortality. Maybe a third-rate sage like yourself will at least get me back in shape" He raspily said as he took careful measured steps towards Jiraiya's prone form.
He stopped when he saw Kuroreimei stand before him, the queen's long silky black hair swayed with the wind as her red eyes stared piercingly at the old demon in defiance.
For a short moment, neither said a thing.
"I am still capable of killing you, even in this state"
"Perhaps" Kuro acknowledged, "But I will not move"
"Defending a sage now" It wasn't anger with which he said it, but tiredness and disappointment. "You have no idea how much it pained me, whenever I heard you praise the Heirs of Rama, and revere the gods who casted us down throughout the ages. And you always manage to surprise me with the lows at which you will sink"
"Spare me your hypocrisy, your revered Ibuki as a demigod herself"
"Not from the gods in Heaven!" He snarled, "Not from the natural enemies of our kind. Her father was a force born of nature, destructive and voracious. A creature that lived to consume and wreak havoc; that was his nature... That is our nature"
Kuroreimei said nothing.
"We demons are chaos, Kuro" The old oni slowly said. "We are agents of disorder, that is the role we are meant to play in this... unending cycle the gods have set forth. We rise up and consume, the gods descend and smite down... Do you really think, you and your people share a place with 'them'" He thrust his chin at the prone figure of the sage, "in the world?"
Kuroreimei closed her eyes, leading ancient demon to believe that perhaps she would actually listen to his words for once. But she opened them once more, and he saw the unflinching determination in them, he knew he wasted his breath.
"I have faith" She reverently spoke, "in the path Lord Shiva laid out for us"
Her words ignited in him a raging fire. The sheer power of his hate and fury manifesting as an aura of pure malevolence enveloped him. He struck Kuro with an open palmed attack, blue flames bursting from it, and sent her flying away.
"The one single flaw Lord Ravana had, and you share..." Gōyoku growled in disgust; "Faith in the Gods." He glared as now his apprentice stood in his way, weapon in hand; "Out of my way girl."
Mitsuko only pointed her Bōkyaku at her master; "We finish this master. One final lesson."
"My lessons were meant to make you greater. Not fall into the illusions of peace Kuro wanted." The old demon muttered; "With all your potential and talent you could nearly rival Ibaraki-Doji himself. But instead you defend those weaklings who do not deserve it." Frustration growled in his voice.
The once former human turned demon shook her head; "We can better than he or even Ibuki-Doji ever was. We can be more than monsters in the night that brings death and terror to humanity. As Lord Vibhishana wanted for us."
At those words Gōyoku in turned swayed his own head; "...Such a path...Was never meant for us..." Once more his power rose; "Very well girl! Come at me and face your death!" He roared as his power exploded outwards.
He summoned another sword, a double edged weapon from the times of old, before the descendants of the Land of the Rising Sun came to favor the single edge design. Lacking in left limb though he may be, just one arm was all he needed to this weapon. The frosty flames licked at its surface as they flowed.
Mitsuko held her katana perpendicular to her face, the metal gleaming with the sunlight as her eyes were reflected on its surface. She took a deep breath as she spread her feet in a wide stance.
There was only her weapon, and her target, nothing else. Not even the distance between them.
Not even the distance...
Gōyoku spun the blade in his hand before firmly gripping the handle, the pale fires exploding in their intensity.
"HYAAAAAAA!"
A horizontal cut, a saw of flames and power that would have obliterated the target before him.
Mitsuko took one step, two.
By the third, she was in front of Gōyoku, her blade buried deep in his heart. The flames harmlessly passing overhead.
To Jiraiya, who was slowly recovering his bearings with the toads' assistance, it had all happened in a 'flash'.
Gōyoku's grip on his blade grew weak. His eyes wide with disbelief as they slowly traveled down to the mass of silver hair he saw bellow his chin.
Mitsuko did not move an inch, her blade firm in her hands with the edge pierced his chest.
"You just... charged and ducked my attacked?" The old demon muttered in astonishment. "So... unbelievably stupid"
"I took a risk"
Gōyoku's lips twisted into a weak smile and he coughed a bit of blood pooling in his lips.
Kuroreimei painfully stood from the ground, nursing her bruised area as the she watched with unreadable eyes at the scene unveiling before them. The sheer speed Mitsuko had displayed, in just a single movement she cleared the distance between them, having moved much faster than Gōyoku's own attack.
"Did you even think you could dodge it?" Her old mentor asked.
"I was confident"
"Hmmmm... Hohō" The demon rumbled out, "The Step Movements, when taken to the extreme through a combination of factors ascend to a higher grade of mobility, the zenith of those techniques entering the realm of senjutsu..."
Every single warrior practiced Hohō, of that Jiraiya was well aware. But he had only seen someone taken Hohō to such length in the past, to move so fast all the enemy could see was a flash...
"Reduced Earth" Mitsuko intoned softly. The ability to breach the distance between oneself and the enemy instantly. "I shall continue my training, to master the Flash Step"
"Ahhhhh…" A long dragged out breath escape his lips, the first of the last. "Good. Never stop training"
Mitsuko said nothing, her eyes remained firmed but never looking up. She could not meet his gaze.
There had been a girl once, who suffered and met her end at malevolent hands. Defiled and broken, left for death… perhaps she did die that day, but was born again when she touched this blade.
Changed, no longer human. She enacted her revenge.
But all that was left was a broken, rage-filled thing. Lashing out indiscriminately.
A queen, beautiful and so very kind, soothed her, and gave her a home.
Then, came a mentor, who taught her to control that darkness inside her. Made a weapon out of her, perfectly honed and refined. Gave her a power she could take pride in, to use it for a cause, a people, a home, she could hold dear again.
Mitsuko would have remained lost, if not for her queen's kindness, if not for her mentor's discipline.
"I will not forget your teachings, sensei"
The old demon softly rumbled, "Shame we couldn't share… another drink"
The final breath left him, along with the light in his eyes.
Mitsuko pulled out her blade, and cradled his form, slowly setting him on the ground in a respectful manner.
With refined practice, she cleaned the blood of her okatana and sheathed, before bowing her head to her fallen mentor.
"He betrayed us all" Kuroreimei spoke up, frowning as she walked up to her charge. "Does he really deserve an apprentice's respect?"
"Regardless of what he did in the end, I wouldn't be who I am now without his lessons" Her silver eyes shifted to Kuro's, sad and mourning. "As well as your kindness, my queen"
The royal demon's eyes softened ever so slightly. "Hmph, I suppose I can at least remember there was a time in which he cared, or… that there was a time he felt amongst kin"
His betrayal could not, nor should it, be forgotten. But at least there was always the memory of the man who had once been a friend.
Jiraiya grunted as he got up to his feet, holding his injured shoulder. The elders were kind enough to jump down and not burden him any further. "And so dies a demon of the old days" Fukasaku said in contemplation, "Good, you did your duty, Jiraiya-chan"
The queen gave the old toad a withering look, as she held Mitsuko's shoulder comfortingly. "You sound too pleased with the death of a demon, toad. I hope you do not see us as the next target"
"Hardly" Shima said neutrally, "You claim to adhere to teachings of Vibhishana, who was trusted by Lord Rama. The toads remember which demons were our enemies and which followed dharma"
"The humans will not be so understanding though" Her husband intoned.
The queen's red gaze grew unfocused before she shifted her eyes towards the sage, "So long as there are those who believe as you do, toad sage, even a few... perhaps that will be enough"
XxX ~ xx ~ XxX
Sweat breaded off Kakashi's face from blood that dripped from several cuts on his visage. Pain surged through his being from his upper torso, likely from the few broken or cracked ribs, but he pushed through it. Close by Kushina was not in peak shape either, breathing heavily with her left eye closed from the blood running down the side of her face. Her right arm coursed with pain like needles in her skin, but she used it to keep her focused.
Both had been in battles that would have fallen many to their deaths. Be it in their time in ANBU or regular service. But at this moment, neither had ever fought the walking siege engine that stood smirking with cruel malice in his gaze. "Have to say," Goro spoke; "You two are giving me a decent workout."
The leader of the Blood Leash remained undamaged save minor scuffs on his metal form. Neither blade nor jutsu fazed this man who powered through every attack his assassins brought to bear against him. Even going so far as to bringing down a portion of the ceiling upon Goro. And like before, the man showed no injury or even light wounds. Only unrelenting savagery upon his attackers.
"I think Kumo still has a bounty for Uzumakis," The man spoke absently knowing what words would affect the most; "Perhaps I'll keep you alive and send you to them for a fee, Kushina."
The woman only gritted her teeth.
"And your eye, Copy-Nin. Ohhhh I'm gonna make a fortune off that"
"You'll have to pry it from my corpse"
"Well" The metal-skinned man shrugged his massive shoulders. "That's the idea"
What the hell was he? Or more accurately, what the hell was he made out of? That skin-hardening technique was simply too strong. There was no way he could shrug everything, there had to be something he was vulnerable too.
The Hatake's mind quickly went to the most logical option; his skin reinforcement was clearly a type of metal, as indicated by the sparks that flew off every time a blade weapon made contact with his body. That meant it was earth element, so it should be vulnerable to lightning.
"Kushina" Forgoing any formality, the Copy-Nin spoke to the redhead. "Keep him distracted for a moment, I'll charge my Raikiri"
He saw the understanding in her eyes, most likely drawing the same conclusions as he did. "Got it" And jumped into the fray once more, golden chains of chakra erupting from her back, as Kakashi drove his hand facing the ground as lightning began charging on his palm.
Kushina's chains descended upon him, striking his body in several places, but the most they could do was scuff that metallic exterior that was his body.
"The chakra chains," A wide feral smile glowed from the slaver master; "I heard legends about those!" Sparks flew from one of the bladed chains striking his metal cheek. Absently he saw some of the chains wrap around his limbs.
Kushina said nothing with her clan's signature bloodline securing itself around the beast of a man.
"I wonder what's stronger, your chains or my body!" Goro declared grabbing several chains with his hand.
The redhead eyes grew in shock as her opponent begun to slowly drag her forward to him. Even with applying chakra to her feet to secure herself, her form was being brought closer by the man's sheer strength. 'What is this guy!?' Not only was still able to move, but he was pulling her towards him!
Despite her shock a faint smirk crossed her lips. This did not go unnoticed by Goro who cocked a brow. It was then his ears picked up a sound of… birds from behind him? It was then he realized he took his eyes off Hatake who was nowhere to be seen. As soon as Goro's attention was fully upon Kushina, Kakashi charged up his signature technique and quickly got behind their enemy to spring their attack.
The copy ninja reared back his lightning covered fist slamming it into the towering man's back between the shoulder blades. "Raikiri!"
There was a shower of electricity as his famed sure-hit assassination technique, which was even capable of splitting a lightning bolt in half, clashed against the metal of the warlord's skin.
Kakashi's wrist snapped.
The masked shinobi let out a strangled cry as he fought back against the pain, quickly canceling his technique and backed away with urgency. He panted as held his wounded wrist, grunting as he set it back into place, flexing his fingers stiffly.
"No, no way..." Kushina muttered in disbelief, watching as Goro had merely looked back at the famed shinobi with mocking amusement in his growing smile.
"You wanna pierce my skin, you'll need something more. Maybe divine steel?" He took advantage of the Uzumaki's shocked state to pull on her chains tightly, and throw her across the room. Kushina let out a cry as her body slammed against multiple pieces of furniture, breaking them all on her way, and painfully crashed against a wooden wall.
"Just what the hell is that reinforcement technique..?" Kakashi asked out a loud. The only mark on the slaver's back was burns created by lightning, and even then the damage was only superficial.
Goro merely rolled his neck, popping his joints. "Tell you what, because so far you managed to entertain me I'll let you know" His cruel eyes gleamed. "This right here?" He tapped his metallic chest with his knuckles. "Is no mere earth-based skin reinforcement technique. It ain't iron-skin, steel, or even ebony" He bared his full teeth at them in a savage grin, "This... is Adamantine Skin"
Kushina let out a cry pulling out a large wooden shard that was lodged in her thigh from where she sat on the floor. However the pained vanished for a split second upon hearing Goro's words; "Like my chains..." Her jaw almost unhinged.
"Indeed, your clan isn't the only ones who can manifest this marvelous metal." Goro raised his arms; "From your ninjas, to countless mercenary bands across the nations who came for my head, none have ever pierced my flesh. I lost counts of how many times I saw the terror glowing in their eyes before I broke their bodies and sent them to hell."
The blood drained from Kakashi's face, 'To think there was someone who could use that metal like the Uzumaki, but to use it defensively in such a way…' Panic almost set in before his Sharingan took in a close detail of the man's body. 'He's sweating.' In a blink he dodged a punch from the Slave boss, rolling out of the way before leaping over to Kushina who painfully had gotten to her feet. Her chains retracting; "I think I got an idea," he whispered.
"Hope it's better than the last one," the redhead chided holding her left thigh.
Goro crossed his arm under his chest; "By all means, come up with a plan. Some means you think you can kill me. I want to savor your failure when you finally realize you will never beat me."
The Copy-Nin whispered something he couldn't make out, which surprised the Uzumaki. But at this point Goro wasn't really concerned.
It was always the same. They would come for him, every time, potential rivals, competitors, all manner of people who wanted to bring him in to 'face justice'. And he always came out on top, never leaving anyone who'd face him head on alive.
There was a time in which he actually had fun fighting. Now all the entertainment he got was from managing his empire.
The Uzumaki popped a pill into her mouth, accelerating regeneration on her leg. And the Hatake quickly went through a series of handseals which ended up in a stream of fire coming directly at him.
Goro merely grinned and walked through the flames. Long years of withstanding all manner of attacks with his unbreakable skin gotten him used to facing all the elements, he barely registered the temperatures at this point. His easy pace as the flames harmlessly licked his skin, not even managing to burn his long mane of pale hair, was a very useful intimidation tactic he had employed multiple times in the past.
He swatted the Sharingan wielder away like he was a fly, punching through a wall before, barely registering how much his manor was burning around them. And looked down at the Uzumaki woman, with a narrowed gaze she jumped back and took a deep breath, a large stream of water flowing from her mouth directly at him.
The water doused the fires as it clashed violently against him, making Gora force himself in place as the currents were actually strong enough to warrant a steady footing. The water doused much of the flames, and the hot temperature of his body cooled considerably, steam raised from the clash.
Then the redhead proceeded to show her clan's specialty, slamming her hands on the growing water level, which was quickly reaching his thighs, and crafted two glowing seals which stuck to the surface.
In a flash, the water froze solid.
"Hmm?" He raised a hand at the ice that covered most of his legs, creeping up with frost over the wet parts of his torso. "Ice Style?" Goro mumbled with interest.
"A nice cat-girl gave me a few pointers before coming here" She grinned, "It ain't full magic, but I learned I can make ice in a pinch with some well-made seals to manipulate the temperatures"
"A good trick" He conceded with a shrug. "Shame it'll do jack shit for you"
Raising his metallic fists over his head, he smacked them against the ice with extreme force, shattering them instantly. The whole floor trembled with impact of the ice cracking.
But before he crack a sadistic smile the metal man is struck dead center by a human size ball of fire. The force and momentary lack of awareness sent Goro sliding back several feet but remained standing. Once more his chambers were lit ablaze as Kakashi leapt from the wall he was sent through; "Fire Release: Flame Bullet. Don't get to use that often." the silver haired scarecrow muttered.
Goro sneered; "Like it made any difference, Hatake." Like before the flame did nothing to the man who stood covered by fire. His ears soon perked, he turned just in time for a dragon made of pure water crashing into him and engulf the room with water again.
Holding the bird seal Kushina glared; "Fun fact asshole, my clan invented the Water Dragon Bullet Jutsu."
However the slave master only braced himself from the current while keeping his eyes on both shinobi; 'Just what are they up to?' His brow rose as the redhead once more used those seals, turning the water into pure ice. This time a portion of his upper frame and lower were encased in ice. Goro did not look impressed; "Now this is starting to get boring."
Flexing his arms he shattered the ice with ease only to growl being struck once again by a fire jutsu from Kakashi; "Scratch that, your pissing me off!" The slaver declared.
Kakashi's Sharingan allowed him to foresee which the next move was, thought it was a still a bit unexpected. Goro proceeded to rip a pillar close to him, not caring if he further weakened the structure of his own manor, and threw it straight for the Copy-Nin. Kakashi ducked under the thrown piece of the structure, and when he looked up saw the warlord charging at him.
His metal fist got barely a few inches away from him when golden chains wrapped around his arm and pulled him down. Goro's fist descended right over the floor. The burnt and subsequently flooded floor.
The entire thing gave up underneath them.
The three of them fell down the section bellow, upon which Kushina crashed right on top of a pool table, and let out a shrill cry as her rear fell right on top of one of the balls, hitting her right in the tailbone.
"AGH! My coccyx!"
As the Kushina nursed her wounded behind, Kakashi had fallen over a modern jukebox. Which immediately began playing, regardless of the massive indent now present on its frame.
"Oh hey, Kung-Fu Generation" Kushina let out a somewhat pained smile as she stood up. "Okay he may be a slaver, but he's got taste"
A pile of rubble exploded outwards, shredding pieces of the room and breaking walls, as Goro emerged. He cracked his neck as he leveled a murderous look at the shinobi who had, inadvertently, damaged his jukebox. "Thanks" He droned at the redhead.
"You know if those guys are still around after a deca-?" Kushina's question died in her mouth, when Goro brought down both of his hands upon her. A hastily made shield from her chains saved her, but the force of his blow was still enough to crack the ground around them. "I was just curious!"
Goro roared in fury; "Do you know how much that damn jukebox cost me!?"
"Kakashi hit it, I didn't 'ttebane!" That just seem to further enrage the man hitting his fists into her chains; "I hit my ass on your damn balls!"
Getting back to his feet despite body in painful protest, Kakashi paused hearing the conversation; 'Does she even realized how that sounded?' Shaking off the mental cobwebs the man went through several handseals before taking a pained deep breath; 'My ribs hate me right now.' "Fire Style: Fire Ball Jutsu!"
Exhaling, the Jounin unleashed a large fireball heading straight for the Slave Master. Upon seeing the oncoming mass of flames through her chains; Kushina squeaked using shunshin in a hurry. Goro too enrage hit only the air before realizing his target vanished.
The fireball impacted him and exploded, and once more the slave master's body burned. Though the superficial damage only amounted to a few burn marks on his invulnerable skin, he still sweat profoundly, his insides were starting to hurt...
Goro shook it off and fought on, unwilling to show any kind of weakness. The temperatures of the elements thrown at him were naught but a momentary inconvenience; he wouldn't be brought low by neither fire nor ice. Once more torrents of water him, dousing the flames and damaging his manor even further, the foundations were starting to groan and protest under the continuously weakening in their structure.
Seals activated again, and once more he was encased in ice. He snarled furiously, ignoring how his heart beat erratically, how his stomach and intestines throbbed in pain, and even his lungs seemed to painfully pulsate.
"You think you can take me down?!" Goro roared out, "I'm the Master of Slaves, King of this kingdom I myself carved on the blood and tears of so many slaves and fools who dared stand in my way!" He broke through the ice. "I broke them all because I am the strongest, and I love what I do!"
Kushina did not relent, and once more summoned a wave to hit the slave master, "What would your mother say?!" She threw her usual brand of insults she used to annoy her opponents.
The brutal man was nearly upon her when she froze the water again. A smirk grew in her lips when she saw him coughing. "Who do you think introduced me to this life?"
"That's messed up..."
Goro only smiled back faintly coughing; "She was a hard woman, brutal and ruthless. But all that I know came from her guidance. My mother Ima may have started the Leash, but once I took over it became to the empire it is today." He raised both his arms over his head with a malicious smile; "And will remain long after you're both dead!"
He brought down his fists shattering the ice but also send enormousness cracks throughout the floor. They soon spread into the walls as Kushina and Kakashi could hear the building itself groaning.
XxX ~ xx ~ XxX
"Rasengan!" Naruto roared slamming his father's jutsu into a mercenary's stomach. The man cried out in agony before being shot as if fired from a cannon, spinning like a top. The boy huffed standing back to back with Sasuke; "These guys keep coming."
The Uchiha could grunt as exhaustion gripped him, sweat dripping from his face; "We can't let up just yet."
Soon however the battle came to a stop as everyone felt the entire area shake! Then all eyes turned to Goro's palace which all bore witness to the building's concrete walls cracking. The faces of the mercenaries were a gasp as the entire palace collapsed in on itself!
A cloud of dust picked up, and even as it cleared they could see a few patches of flames burning on the rubble. Breaths were collectively held as patches of concrete and wood began shifting, and Naruto felt a wide grin spread the moment he saw his mother emerge, half of her legs buried under piles of rubble. Not far from her Kakashi crawled out, too tired to even stand up, and merely settled to rest his back against a large patch of wall.
"Did... Did they do it?" Sakura tentatively asked. The whole battlefield seemed to have stopped, bearing witnessed to what had occurred.
A coarse laugh caught the genin's attention. Sarnai, bloodied and dirty, slowly stood up as she held a wounded side. Her cruel eyes resolute. "As if that... would ever kill Goro"
As if to prove her words true, the rubble trembled and exploded outwards, a large figure moved too fast for Kushina to dodge, she gagged the moment a metallic hand grasped her throat and lifted her up.
"Mom!" He moved before he even realized, but by that point many of the Leash's soldiers found themselves revitalized by the sight of their leader still standing, and blocked his path.
"I told you" Goro growled, feeling his throat burning. His entire body was screaming in agony, but he could not let it show. Not with so many of his men watching him right now. "I'm the biggest, toughest one there is... Ain't weapon or technique, nothing that can kill me" He seethed with absolute loathing shining in his eyes. His mouth tasted coppery.
The redhead in his grasp struggled, legs kicking. He would slow crush her throat until she had no air left to breath, he wanted to see her eyes as her life slowly faded.
But the Uzumaki kept her defiance, even as she struggled under his grip, she dared to smirk mocking at him. "Then... how about a bit chemistry?"
Goro was about to pulverize her neck then and there... had the strength on his grip suddenly not left his arm entirely. His insides boiled, convulsing as they violently ruptured, bleeding internally in massive amounts.
The slave master coughed as blood poured from his mouth, covering his lower jaw and falling into his chest.
Kushina sucked in as much air as she humanly could, already a pronounce bruise in the shape of a hand showed on her neck. Despite the pain the redhead rose to her feet; "Checkmate fucker."
"W-Wha-" Goro tried to speak only to cough out more blood. The metal that cloaked his entire body faded in a blink as the man fell to his knees clutching his upper torso.
Every eye of the Leash's mercenary band rose in stunned shock. But none more so than Sarnai who stood stock still; "…Goro..." Her voice nearly a whisper.
Still unable to even move, Kakashi peered over at the fallen man; "You might have the strongest metal skin known to man. But not your internal organs..."
"We couldn't harm you on the outside, so we cooked you up on the inside," Kushina spat out some blood.
Through the pain realization struck Goro; "Those jutsus you used." Fire and ice, repeatedly, over and over again. They used his own metal body against him to severely damage his internal organs. "No!" Goro bellowed in defiance before going into another coughing fit; "I am the master of all slaves! The King-" A hard fist slammed hard into his chest courtesy of Kushina. With no metal skin he felt the redhead's strength cracking his rib cage.
Pain... it had been so long since he knew pain like this.
And yet strangely, it was fading away. Everything was... fading...
As the life left his eyes, Kushina muttered out disdain for the man who profited so much from the suffering of others. "Long live the King"
And just like that, the great warlord had fallen.
The silence that followed was almost deafening. Only broken by the sudden cries of Goro's second.
"No... No!" Sarnai wailed in grief, her eyes welling up with tears before falling down her cheeks. "Goro!"
"L-Lord Goro's dead?!"
"Dead? No, can't be!"
"W-What are we gonna do?!"
The mercenary forces of the Leash began panicking amongst themselves, slowly backing away as the ninja closed in on them again.
"I-I can't reach Garan-sama! Or anyone else!"
"Lady Sarnai!" An armored mercenary turned to their last remaining warlord in desperation, pleading for her to have a way to save them from the clutches of the ninjas. "What do we do?!"
The words fell on deaf ears, for the Lady of the Leash's mind was hazed with grief, mourning the loss of her lover. All those years together, carving this empire of slaves, earning their place as one of the underworld's greatest. It had all amounted to nothing but loss and defeat...
...Brought upon these wretched ninja.
Gnashing her teeth with force, she leveled a loathing glare at the woman who stood atop Goro's corpse.
"KUSHINA!" Said redhead sharply turned to see an enraged tearful Sarnai; "We're far from done, bitch!" With a swift movement, she slammed her palm upon the ground, and a cloud of smoke burst underneath. From the white smoke emerged a giant hummingbird flying at great speed, carrying the wounded Sarnai on its back.
The warlord left their ruined base, and everything she knew and cared for, behind. And have will savor having Kushina's head on a pike!
Hope faded from the eyes of the mercenaries at the sight of their remaining leaving fleeing. And seeing the corpse of their fallen once invincible leader, nearly all of them either surrendered or started to run away. Kushina raised her fist letting out the first cheer followed by her son and soon the entire Konoha troops.
After decades spreading pain, death, and destroying countless lives. The reign of the Blood Leash was at an end!
Finally letting his body relax, Kakashi breathed out a long sigh; "I hope we made you proud... Minato-sensei..." But in the back of his mind, and the others, he knew their work from far from done.
XxX ~ xx ~ XxX
The wind rushed over Sarnai's unconscious form as her summoning flew above the ocean. The bird only glanced seeing the woman's slumped head to know she was asleep. It's eyes soon zeroed in on land mass several yards away. Without a word the hummingbird flew towards a small island.
There were barely a few palm trees in the sandy formation, so it made the ship anchored nearby stand out all the more.
Several men and women were waiting on the island, wearing heavy armor made out of metal plates linked over cloth and chainmail. One particular man's armor looked of much finer quality, with several accents that distinguished him as someone of higher rank. His brown hair flowed with the salty winds as he kept a narrowed gaze at the horizon, arms crossed as a metal clad finger tapped impatiently at his forearm.
They were now two hours late...
"I do not believe they are coming, sir" One of the soldiers spoke up.
The man growled under his breath, shaking his head in frustration. "All this pointless trip for 'exotic foreign slaves'. We could have gotten that by capturing more of those native savages" He let out a long breath, "Alright, pack it up, we're going home"
The soldier nodded and shouted at the crew of the ship. "Get everything ready, we're leaving!" And waved for the troops to return to the ship.
The senior officer pinched the bridge of his nose. What a waste of time this entire trip had been...
He was about to turn and head to the ship, where it not for the sound of fast beating wings making itself know amidst the gentle sound of waves.
"Contact!" One of his spotters shouted.
They saw a giant hummingbird heading towards them, it seemed giant fauna could also be a thing in these lands, and landed before them on the island. Though his men were already lining their shots he held up his hand to stop them, the creature did not appear hostile.
It gently dropped a body from its back, and then disappeared, likely recalled once the spell used to summon it ended.
He approached the fallen figure, and noticed it was a woman. A wounded one at that.
"Sir... I believe this is one of the slavers we made that deal with"
His eyes narrowed in thought. It appears they found the reason for their delay.
"Take her to the ship, have the doctor patch her up. She can tell us what happened on our way back to the empire"
XxX ~ xx ~ XxX ~ xx ~ XxX ~ xx ~ XxX
Our first full OC Arc is complete!
Hope you all liked!