HIDDEN SAND CONVERGENCE V
Naruto took the brunt of the explosion. His clothes and flak jacket are ripped and torn, his hair is dirty, and he was knocked out of Sage Mode. He looks at his surroundings. Everyone was blown away by the explosion and are getting back to their feet to the best of their abilities. Some were hit harder than others, especially the civilians who can't protect themselves like shinobi can.
The buildings have taken a heavy hit, as well, many of them beginning to crumble.
"Get the civilians out of here!" Maki orders at the top of her lungs, as the shinobi around her spring into action. She keeps her eyes on the bizarre eight-armed person floating in front of them. She's hurt and bleeding, but her Binding Cloth is already extended in preparation.
The same thought flashes across both Naruto and Hinata's minds. The kids. He's out of Sage Mode and not in a position to sit still long enough, and she's still feeling the effects of her Tenseigan. As they wrack their minds with worry, they hear Kotori's voice far in the distance.
"Mom! Dad!"
All three of them and Yukimaru run around a building to the back, trying to find where their mentors are. The moment they do, Naruto shouts loud enough for them to hear despite the distance.
"Don't get closer! Get outta here!"
"Yukimaru!" Guren holds her bleeding arm. "Go with the shinobi!"
The kids seem reluctant. They want to go to them but the entity in the air gives off a far too menacing aura. They know they shouldn't go.
Sen Flickers next to them and ushers them to go back. "Listen, we all have to do what we're best at. And our teachers are best at dealing with this, alright? Let's go."
The being that introduced itself as Hachiman points one of its banners to Seikai and Isa. "You will surrender more of your power to Us, Akurojin. Your flames, diluted as they are in the possession of these mortals, will be the spark of Our revenge." It lightly flicks the banner up and the two brothers begin floating.
"Wh-" Isa tries to use his mace as an anchor but it's no use.
Seikai quickly weaves his chakra into his Binding Cloth and wraps some it around his brother while he sends others flying to grab onto a nearby building. Before his cloth can wrap itself to pull them to safety, Hachiman flicks its banner toward itself and the brothers begin flying toward it, Seikai's cloth flying with them.
Before they can get too close, a long tongue flies past them and wraps around both of them, pulling them back until they no longer feel themselves pulled to the being. As they fall back, Naruto meets them mid-air, pressing his hands against their backs to prop them. It's now that they see the origin of the long tongue is Naruto himself, when he releases them and it returns to normal size and goes back where it belongs.
Seikai raises a brow. ".. You can do that?"
"Not now. Whatever that thing is, it clearly wants you two and I'm assuming you'd rather not."
"You guess correctly. Truce?" Isa looks back to the younger man.
"Truce." Naruto smiles. "Kurama. Let's go."
"Finally." Kurama grins inwardly. "I've been growing bored."
Naruto clothes become enveloped in the more than familiar orange chakra. He instantly transfers chakra to the two brothers, with Isa's vest taking on the same orange properties, as well as Seikai's bandages. When Kurama's avatar fully materializes, the brothers begin feeling their chakra overflowing.
"So this is… the Nine Tails?" Seikai observes his wounds healing.
"My chakra… it's as if we hadn't just fought." Isa comments.
"Oi, Uzumaki, if you'd used this power earlier-"
Naruto cuts him off. "The town wouldn't have survived." He keeps his gaze focused on Hachiman.
The being's Sharingan swirls.
Kurama growls. "Those eyes again…"
"Two of Tamamo's descendants who wield Akurojin's flames, and one who wields the Nine Tailed abomination. How curious this world has become in Our absence." Hachiman ponders.
"Hey, Kurama. I know I told you I'd give you time, but…"
"I know. But even if you ask me, Tamamo never spoke of anything like this. Whatever she did to it either happened before I met her or after." Kurama answers without even hearing the full question.
"Agh!" Naruto yells exasperated. "What's the point of being alive for a thousand years if you don't know anything that happened?!"
"Well excuse me for having my own things to deal with!"
"It's moving." Seikai interrupts the spat as he notices Hachiman preparing to go on the offensive.
Kurama speeds forward diagonally in an attempt to reach it before it can do anything, but having the Sharingan means getting the jump on it is difficult.
[Continuous Tailed Beast Bomb]
Kurama fires a series of small bombs, at the very least as a diversionary tactic. Hachiman flicks its banners in quick succession to send them flying to the sides, completely missing it.
"That power… it almost feels like Nagato's repulsion and attraction…"
Kurama jumps up and brings all of his tails to the front, ready to slam down with their full force. Hachiman blocks all nine tails as they come crashing down, although the strength behind them forces it to lower its altitude, slightly struggling.
It draws its bow, a chakra arrow materializing not unlike Hinata's chakra weapons when using her Tenseigan. It fires from point blank range, completely eliminating 7 of the tails. Naruto and Kurama have only a moment to look on in surprise as to how easily their chakra form was disrupted, as they still have a jutsu to finish. The tails were mostly a cover. When Hachiman destroys 7 of the tails, it's now face to face with a large orb of black chakra ready to be shot at point blank, as well.
[Tailed Beast Bomb]
The explosion is seen, heard, and felt from a great distance. The people within town cry out in panic, thinking another blast will destroy their town but nothing comes. Many have been too absorbed in trying to escape and only now see the Nine Tailed Demon Fox battling this new threat.
Some of them are relieved that he's here to fight back, while others worry that this will spell their hometown's destruction.
Tayuri stares at the fight happening in the horizon, her breath shallow. Her mind's blocking out the cries around her. She was off for a walk when everything went to Hell. She clutches her shirt, her mind still processing the threat. She doesn't pay attention to the people running past or to the shinobi shouting orders. She's not sure if a voice finally did reach her or if it was the sudden appearance of a shadow, but she absentmindedly looks up just in time to see a large slab of concrete falling from a building right on top of her.
She can only let out a short gasp, her voice falling. She falls back in her attempt to get out of the way. She tries to cry out for help but only a whimper comes out.
Before the concrete falls on top of her, she feels something tug at her clothes. Once again she was too absorbed to notice it but it pulls her away from danger, tugging on her clothes and pushing her feet. The concrete falls and shatters to pieces just in front of her and once she manages to calm down, she takes a look at what saved her. Feathers. Embedded into the soles of her shoes and into her clothes; they were what pulled her away.
She looks around and sees Kotori land right next to her, hands forming the Bird seal.
[Ninja Art Aviary: Sparrows]
Half a dozen small birds appear and scatter in every direction, on the lookout. They enter each and every building, very audibly chirping at certain buildings. Hidden Sand shinobi Flicker through the windows of buildings where the sparrows chirp and come out carrying children or people unable to walk.
Tayuri looks at Kotori with a surprise. 'She's… already in action, just like the shinobi…'
Kotori holds out her hand. "Come on, we gotta get away."
Tayuri takes the hand without a moment's hesitation, still in awe of the other girl's actions. They run for a few moments before Tayuri realizes her hand is still being held as Kotori pulls her to safety. She retracts her hand, breaking from Kotori and holds her hand close to her chest, blushing with slight embarrassment. 'Even though I want to be a ninja, I couldn't...'
[Crystal Style: Crystal Encampment Wall]
Light blue crystals grow over nearby buildings just as they were ready to crumble and fall to the street. With their new support structure in place, Yokumaru looks around for any more unstable buildings, already sweating.
All the Crystal Walls he's made so far have been his height at most but now he created one that covers the first floors of the buildings. It's extremely draining on his chakra supply but he has to do it.
Even though they probably weren't supposed to, the kids were observing the earlier fight from a roof a safe distance away. He saw what Guren is capable of, what the Crystal Style is capable of in experienced hands. Looking back, he's really been slacking off in his training as far as his kekkei genkai is concerned, so he needs to pick it up.
With a firm resolve, he Flickers away to help.
As the girls continue to run, Kotori continues to send out her sparrows to look for people in need. Their duration isn't long as some are lost to falling debris. The moment she loses even one, she summons another batch, making her chakra reserves deplete at a faster rate.
From a nearby building, Tayuri hears a knocking. She stops, thinking someone might be in danger and is trying to get out but the wall soon begins to crack, as the thuds increase. Eventually it breaks and Shoto comes out from the building, clearing the smoke and dust, and civilians following him.
"Thank you. Thank you." The people express their gratitude to the boy before seeking safety.
She notices his hands are trembling but he tries to keep them steady.
Tayuri looks to all three in awe. 'They're not even from here but are doing everything they can to save people. And I'm just standing here… Stupid, as if you can become a shinobi like this…'
Kotori and Yokumaru are panting from chakra exhaustion, while blood drips to the ground from Shoto's bruised knuckles.
"Why… are you fighting?" She asks the three of them out loud.
"Because mom and dad are fighting, too." Kotori declares.
"They taught and showed us what it means to be a shinobi." Yokumaru adds.
"If we're to prove worthy of being their students, we can't do anything less." Shoto asserts.
In unison, they finish. "So we'll fight with everything we got!"
Tayuri clenches her fist, nails digging into her palm. "I'll help, too!" She proclaims.
Kotori looks back to her and grins. "Alright! Team Kotori, move out!"
"... We're not calling ourselves that."
The dust cloud still rages. Kurama's taken a stance, ready to pounce, after creating some distance. Hachiman roars and clears the dust by violently swinging both banners. It draws the bow once more and fires an arrow, sending it straight with great force to the point of kicking up sand as it travels toward Kurama's chakra avatar.
They swiftly dodge to the side expecting to be safe from it.
"Behind us!" Seikai calls out and brings Naruto's attention to that direction.
He sees that very same arrow following closely behind them.
"What? How?" He wonders.
Kurama dodges to the side again and this time they clearly see the projectile swerve mid-air and continue to follow them.
"Brother." Isa calls out and begins forming hand signs.
Seikai sees him and copies the motions, being all too familiar with the technique. He smirks. "This thing wants our power, it can have it."
[Ninja Art Fire Style: Akurojin]
The brothers channel their chakra through Kurama, mixing their jutsu with the avatar. Where previously Kurama had black stripes running all across his body, they're now white and burning with white flames. This gives them the boost in speed they needed to get slightly further ahead of the arrow but it's still gaining on them.
"Got a way to stop it, hero?" Seikai turns to Naruto.
"I just might." He answers.
Kurama stops in his tracks and faces the incoming arrow.
"Not what I had in mind!"
Kurama gathers energy in his palm, swirling raw chakra mixed in with the white flames of the Miyoshi brothers.
[Sage Art Fire Style: Akurojin Rasengan]
Naruto slams the empowered Rasengan into the arrow before it can hit them, creating a massive explosion, not unlike when Hachiman first appeared, that sends Kurama flying back. Fortunately, this time Naruto had run a fair distance from the town so no one was caught in the resulting blast.
When they get a better look at their surroundings, they're met by the sight of 4 more chakra arrows flying their way. Kurama's still lying on his back. Even with the power-up from the Miyoshis, these things are way too close. There's not enough time.
[Crystal Style: Crystal Encampment Wall]
[Gentle Step: Chakra Spears]
Two of the arrows are intercepted by different projectiles composed of chakra, ones Naruto's familiar with. They're not strong enough to stop them completely, but their course is thrown off so they completely miss their mark.
The other two arrows are halted by a crystalline shield that springs up front of them. The arrows hit and shatter it but they're also dispersed as a result.
Hachiman turns its gaze to the origin of the interruption. Guren's panting heavily and on the verge of fainting from using so much chakra while Hinata has to deactivate her Tenseigan and close her eyes from overuse. Gozu stands in front of both of them, ready to protect them.
"Insolent creatures. This does not concern you."
"That's where you're wrong." Hinata contests it. "If you're a threat to our world then it's our job to stop you."
"Then be the first to perish."
Hachiman draws the bow, creating three arrows, and fires at them. Kurama gets up to his feet and runs for them, but Hachiman was closer. The arrows will reach first.
"Hinata!" Naruto calls out in a panic, putting every bit of his strength into moving faster.
He channels powers from within, deep within. Deeper than Kurama. From the source of power that connects Kurama with his siblings. Given the current environment, one in particular makes sense.
The Manifestation of Sand, Shukaku.
Naruto draws strength from the One Tail's chakra. He hasn't used it a whole lot but now's a great time to learn. He focuses his chakra to Kurama's feet. When he steps on the sand, he uses Shukaku's abilities to propel them further ahead, shifting the sand forward to boost their speed.
It works.
Naruto rushes in and absorbs Hinata, Guren, and Gozu into Kurama's avatar and makes a run for it. As before, the arrows follow them but he already has a strategy that worked. Kurama jumps up and turns around, once again collecting chakra in his palms, this time adding whirling winds to the chakra and fire.
[Sage Art Scorch Style: Akurojin Rasenshuriken]
He throws the roaring mixture of Fire and Wind directly into the three arrows, resulting in yet another large blast of searing winds.
Naruto looks back to the new additions. "Don't think I've ever had this many people in on for a ride. Gettin' a little crowded." He channels his chakra into them, as well, giving their clothes a cloak of orange chakra. "Is everyone alright?"
"I'd depleted nearly all of my chakra but I'm fine now thanks to you and Kurama." She reaches to touch his shoulder, only now opening her eyes. Having her chakra restored helps with her sight but now to test whether her sight can help with this creature. "So, what do we know of it?"
'So, looks like you two have a bounty hunter of your own, huh?" Guren mocks the Miyoshi brothers.
"Shut it." Seikai snaps.
"So it would seem." Isa agrees with the statement.
"Hey, don't agree with her!"
"The same as Tamamo, constantly concerned with the lives of others." Hachiman scowls.
"Tamamo this, Tamamo that. Starting to get annoyed, y'know. What do we even have to do with this Tamamo!"
"I told you, didn't I?" Kurama's voice booms. "The ones to seal away the Great Beasts, and apparently this thing, were the descendants of the Uzumaki clan. So if Tamamo sealed him away..."
Naruto takes in the information for a moment. "You mean she's an Uzumaki?!"
"Well, her children were but let's go with 'yes'."
"Then… what about these two?" Naruto looks back to Seikai and Isa.
"No clue."
"I suppose we ARE related through our father." Seikai shrugs.
"Asuka Uzumaki." Isa confirms.
"WAIT WHAT?!" He completely turns out in surprise. "Why didn't you say something?!"
"Wasn't important until now."
Kurama goes on the move to dodge another volley of arrows, putting Naruto off balance although it's not entirely possible for him to fall in his current position.
"You can talk about it later. Now focus!"
"Naruto, leave them to me." Hinata opens her eyes, revealing the flower pattern in her cyan eyes.
[Tenseigan]
Purple flame-like chakra now surrounds Kurama's avatar form, joining with the white fire from the two brothers. This time, instead of materializing around Kurama's hands, the chakra spears materialize around two of his tails. Hinata takes control of those tails and flicks them to fire her spears to intercept the arrows. One manages to get through but is dealt with by a third spear.
"I think they're getting stronger." Hinata surmises.
"No." Gozu corrects her. "It's not that it's getting stronger. It's regaining its strength."
"Semantics won't help us right now." Guren looks to her partner. "Come on, we can't just remain as passengers, can we?"
"No, I suppose not."
[Earth Style: Rock Armour]
[Crystal Style: Crystal Armour]
Both Guren and Gozu channel their own chakra through Kurama, crystalline structures appearing all over his body while the earth below them rises and covers parts of his body.
Kurama's form becomes surrounded in armour composed of mixing both their elemental ninjutsu. While the torso is dominantly crystal and the arms and legs- dominantly earth, no part has only one element. They've combined their abilities to create an impenetrable armour.
"Hah, now that's what I'm talking about!" Naruto cheers and jumps in the air to slam down on Hachiman.
Guren creates a smaller crystalline shape in Kurama's hand. A sword hilt. Hinata channels her Tenseigan to create a chakra sword emerging from it. The Miyoshi brothers send their unique Fire Style through, setting the new sword ablaze with white fire, which is finally strengthened by Naruto's Wind Style. The white fires create a large curtain of flames that's sent swinging down with full force.
"I take it back. THIS is what I'm talking about."
Naruto engages Hachiman in a close quarters duel but the eight arms fend off his assault.
This entire time, two of Hachiman's arm have been pressed together in a meditative state, but it finally separates them, creating a long pole of chakra. When its hands finally separate fully, a glaive appears in its hand, of similar make to its bow and arrows.
"We will take our rightful place!" It proclaims and engages with the glaive, sending powerful strike after powerful strike. "Amaterasu!" Downward swipe. "Kotoamatsumaki!" Side swipe. "Takemikazuchi!" Glaive clashes with sword. Kurama struggles for a bit but is eventually sent flying back with great force, skidding across the sand. "They will all pay for betraying Us and you shall do nothing to stop Us, descendants of Tamamo."
"Those names…" Naruto mostly recognizes the first two.
"They're the names of the Mangekyo Sharingan's abilities." Hinata confirms his suspicions.
"They're jutsu but why's it talking like they're people?" He questions.
"Hrm." Isa ponders. "The way it talked about our Akurojin made it sound like a person, as well."
"Yeah, I was meaning to ask, what even IS your ability that it would want it?"
The conversation is put on a brief pause as Hachiman goes on the offensive again. Combining glaive with bow attacks with great ease and even trying to grapple with its remaining free hands.
Seikai grunts, trying to focus on both the fight and the explanation. "The Miyoshi clan has a unique Fire Style as you clearly saw for yourself. Stories of olde tell that our ancestors made a pact with a fire demon. Always thought that was just an exaggerated way of saying our elders were really powerful, but…"
Isa nods in agreement. "It sounds like an actual pact may have actually been made. It's not just a special Fire Style jutsu, but powers from an entity, probably similar in nature to this one that calls itself Hachiman."
Another arrow is intercepted by the Tenseigan's chakra spears.
Hachiman flies in, arms and weapons at the ready. Its speed and strength have been steadily increasing, but they're managing so far.
It uses both glaive and arrow to strike, and 4 of its arms to hit but the crystal and earth armour is proving difficult to crack as whatever damage is dealt is immediately fixed. This continues for an extended time, each trading blows but not landing a significant hit. With each strike, Hachiman damages the armour more and more to the point where Guren and Gozu can't mend it in time.
Kurama swings his nine tails to counter its eight arms, striking and pushing them away but Hachiman grabs hold of them and swings Kurama in the air, ready to throw him into the distance. Before it can leg go, Guren gets an idea.
She sends her Crystal Style chakra through the tails and connects Kurama's tails to Hachiman's hands via the crystals. When Kurama is sent flying, Hachiman is unable to let go and goes with him, but having the ability to fly quickly gathers itself and shatters the bindings. Kurama thuds on the ground with much less force he would've originally.
"Nice save, Guren!" Naruto gives a thumbs up.
"Not outta the woods yet, kid." She warns.
Hachiman grows visibly angier. Where previously it had a haughty, arrogant expression, it's beginning to show annoyance with the constant defiance. It raises its banners high above its head and violently swings them down.
The gravitational force is several times greater than anything it showed before. Rather than Nagato's Rinnegan abilities, this feels closer to the dimension Kaguya sent them. Kurama can't stand up. The others don't feel the effects as much due to the protection of the chakra avatar but their bodies are much heavier, as well.
Hachiman draws the bow and begins gathering chakra. It's denser and more concentrated than before. This is a kill shot. They won't be able to survive a hit and they can't move.
"Damnit, come on!" Naruto urges. "We can't let it win here!"
-x-
For but a moment, Naruto is sent to his mindspace. Nine torii gates positioned in a circle, with him in the middle. Kurama lies beneath the gate numbered "9".
From the gate marked "1", sand fills the ground, inching its way closer to the center, a sandstorm raging behind it.
From the gate marked "7", a faint buzzing sound can be heard, growing louder. Hundreds of scales dance in the air, reflecting the light that seems to be omnipresent in this place.
Naruto smirks.
Kurama clicks his tongue. "They can't just stop butting in, can they?"
-x-
"We only gotta hold it off for a bit longer, guys! Back-up's coming." He warns his companions.
"I… might have an idea." Guren focuses her chakra to the Crystal Style sword hilt. "Can you at least aim the sword at it?"
He grunts. "I can try. Whatcha thinkin'?"
She smirks. "A special property of my Crystal Style." The hilt's shape begins shifting and moving, the crystals' very structure changing. "I've found I can use it a great many ways, not limited just to crystals. I'll make it into a glass hilt."
"And how's that supposed to help us in this situation?" Seikai urges for an answer, their time running short.
"Come, you look like the type that burned ants as a kid."
"He was." Isa nods.
"Will you stop th-" He begins yelling at his brother but stops. "Hold on, you mean…?"
Guren only smiles in response.
[Crystal Style: String of Glory]
The intense desert sun's rays quickly gather in the glass hilt, growing only more intense because of the unique properties of the jutsu. This is not just ordinary glass.
From the hilt, going through the chakra blade enveloped with scorching white fires, a beam of light bursts forth, directly hitting Hachiman in the eyes. It cannot react in time. The Sharingan can follow movement but not light. It violently twists in pain, the chakra it'd been gathering until now disperses itself, and tries to break away but Guren keeps the light positioned on it for as long as she can. The gravitational pull ends and Kurama is free to move, just in time, too, as Guren's jutsu runs out.
Hachiman growls in pain. "You… You… INSTOLENT INSECTS!" Its face and most of its body is burned, visibly despite its onyx black skin. It goes to swing its banners once more. In its rage, it does not see the approaching presences.
[Tail Sting]
"Don't think I've been called insolent before. That's a new one!"
From above, a large armoured insect flies down with great speeds, impaling it with his tail. Six grand wings flapping violently releasing small glittering scales.
[Scale Powder]
The scales reflect the sun, causing the entire area to flash brightly. Hachiman is once again blinded and does not see the sand moving underneath.
It gathers in a large wave that washes over it once Chomei brings in his tail.
[Desert Layered Imperial Funeral Seal]
A sand pyramid encompases an area larger than a Tailed Beast, more than enough to cover Hachiman's body.
Chomei and Shukaku move to stand besides Kurama.
"No one asked for your help." Kurama growls.
"Is that any way to talk to someone coming to save you?" Shukaku argues.
"As if I'd need saving from a single tailed rat!"
"I'm not a rat, you mutt! If you're so strong, why do you need so much protection, huh?!" Shukaku motions to the armour Kurama's form is adorned with.
"Why you…"
Chomei sighs. "How ya doin', Naruto?"
"Better now that we have back-up. You guys think that can..."
"Hrmmm." Shukaku grumbles. "I don't think it can."
"Of course it can't be held by a weakling like this one." Kurama is as indignant as always.
"Oi, will you two knock it off!" Naruto reprimands them. "Sand's moving."
The sealing pyramid bursts, revealing Hachiman with an absolutely furious expression. It seems to have healed from its injuries.
It swings its banners sending Shukaku and Chomei flying to the side and charges at Kurama. As it does, it draws the bow, sending three arrows flying at each of them. Then three more. And another three. If keeps firing them in quick succession, but a combination of Hinata's chakra spears and Shukaku's send stops them to the best of their abilities.
"We need to get rid of that bow."
Shukaku sends sand to attack it from all sides, Chomei continues to be a nuisance from above, while Kurama takes care of the front, engaging with the fire blade. Hachiman finds itself in a more precarious position.
It uses its free arms and bow to keep the other two at bay while countering the blade with its glaive. Its movements are more precise than before, giving Naruto some trouble with dodging. They keep fighting like this, each swing of the glaive moving unnaturally. Like it doesn't matter where they are or how they dodge, the glaive finds its way to them. Until it finally dawns on them. It's not just the arrows that can follow them relentlessly. The glaive can, as well.
'Every Sharingan has unique abilities. Sasuke and Itachi's black flames, Kakashi-sensei and Obito's teleportation… Does his Sharingan have something similar? But it's not even the Mangekyo…'
Naruto sees an opening. With a combination of sand and tails holding back Hachiman's arm, he has the perfect chance to strike. Taking a precise swing, he cuts off two of Hachiman's right arms, sending them flying in the sand a fair distance away. The bow is also sent away.
Two of Hachiman's hands immediately clasp each other as they were in the beginning but Naruto's swing forces it to move its hands.
"Last time you had your hands like that, you created that annoying glaive. Don't think I'll let you do it again!"
"You do not have the ability to 'let' Us do anything. We are Hachiman! We-"
It's interrupted by Seikai expels from his mouth, and by extension Kurama's mouth, an extraordinarily large sea of white flames.
[Fire Style: Great Fire Annihilation]
Seeing this, Naruto decides to add fuel.
[Sage Art: Toad Oil Bomb]
As if it was possible, the Akurojin grows even hotter as he spews oil from Mount Myoboku into the fire. The intense flames grow more intense and expand, reaching a much larger area than before.
The sand around them turns to glass.
Before the flames can die down, the glaive flies from within them, impaling Shukaku who'd been standing guard to the side, keeping away from the frontlines to keep a better idea of the battlefield and manipulate his sand accordingly. The glaive moved at a much greater speed than any of the arrows before and struck the Tanuki in the chest.
He clutches the wound and tries to take out the weapon but before he can do that, it begins moving.
As the fire finally subsides, Hachiman stands firm. Wounded and angry. It flicks its wrist that holds the banner and the glaives moves accordingly, tearing at Shukaku's body before exiting the wound and flying back to its owner.
"Shukaku!" Naruto calls out, worried.
Hachiman plants both banners in the ground.
Everyone falls to their knees. The pressure doesn't even begin to compare to before. They're all on their knees, struggling to keep themselves up despite still being protected by Kurama's chakra form.
"Guren..." Naruto mutters.
"I'm... trying..." She tries to weave her chakra as she did before but it's more difficult now. She's not sure if she can do it in time.
Somewhere in the Land of Wind, a group of people stand over a sea of corpses. An entire town destroyed, everyone inside it dead. Civilians and shinobi line the ground surrounding a shattered crystals, remnants of red writing lining its eight sides.
One man in particular stands amidst the corpses. Spiky red hair reaching past his shoulders, giant axe as large as himself by his side. He's surrounded by shinobi dressed the same way as him- green clothing and dark green flak jackets. Headbands of the Hidden Mountain Village. All with hair of varying shades of red.
"My brothers and sisters," The man with the axe addresses the others, "You will now witness one of the many secrets our ancestors were too afraid of; one of the many reasons we fell to ruin."
Kaidomaru Uzumaki slams his hands on the ground.
[Ninja Art Summoning: Rashomon]
"We gave you warnings aplenty. You were given the choice to not oppose Us and yet you chose to stand against Us in a futile attempt of bravery. Your entire bloodline is naught but insolence, Tamamo. We will take great pleasure in purging Our land of your vile presence once-" It stops talking, sensing something in the distance. "That… Can it be?" It asks no one in particular. "This presence… Home…"
Hachiman grabs its banners and disappears from sight. Without a single word, without even finishing its boasting, or without even finishing them off. As if it even forgot what it was doing.
Free from the pressure, Naruto drops Kurama's avatar form and they all breathe heavily or coughing.
Guren looks around in a panic. "What… what just happened? Why did it stop?"
"I… don't know. It said… home?" Naruto looks for any trace of the entity, finding none.
"That means we're safe, right?" Seikai stands up to his feet. "It doesn't need our Akurojin anymore?"
Naruto gives Hinata a helping hand up. "You okay?"
"I'm fine." She had to immediately close her eyes, following the Tenseigan's cancellation but otherwise she's unhurt. "We were as good as dead. Had it attacked us right then…"
"Yeah. I dunno what happened but it lost interest quick."
"We can't let our guard down." Gozu warns them. "It may decide to return just as easily as it decided to leave."
Guren smiles warmly and kisses him on the forehead. "Ever the worrier. But before we'll have to worry about that thing coming after us, there was someone else after us." She looks back to the two brothers.
Seikai, still sitting on the ground, sighs. "No, I think we're done. Not in the mood anymore. You can keep your head."
Isa brushes the sand off his clothes. "This has already been more than we ever bargained for."
She scoffs. "I'll believe when I see your backs leaving."
Naruto makes his way to Shukaku. "You alright?" He gestures to the gaping wound.
"Ha! This? This is nothing for the great me!" The tanuki proudly proclaims.
Chomei flies over and lightly pokes Shukaku on the belly with his tail, the tanuki wincing in return. "Not fine, ain'tcha?"
"I expected that from that blasted fox but you, too, Chomei?"
"Don't go overdoin', kay?"
Naruto chuckles. "Maybe the people in town can heal you?" He looks back to where they'd been staying for the past few days.
"We don't need help from humans. We'll just go before we cause a ruckus. Bye." Shukaku begins sliding across the sand, being in too much pain to move by himself.
"Ah, okay. Goodbye." Naruto waves.
"See ya!" Chomei flies off, as well.
With everything settling down for now, the group begins making their way back to town, as well. To discuss whatever it is that just happened, and plan for the future.
Back in town, before they get too far, Naruto and Hinata see Kotori, Yokumaru, Shoto, and Yukimaru running towards them at full speed. Or at the very least, the full speed their current exhausted state can allow them to run.
Naruto pats Kotori on the head as she skids to a halt in front of him. "Hey there, kiddo."
"You did it! You beat it!" She sounds excited.
"Weeeeell. In a way."
"Did you not?" Shoto tilts his head.
"It ran away." Hinata smiles at them. "Sometimes it happens, you won't always defeat your foe."
"So," Yokumaru grips the seams of his clothes, "It'll come back?"
"Maybe. Maybe not." Naruto kneels down to be eye level with him. "The important thing is, we know it's around so we can prepare for it if it does. That's an important part of being a shinobi- learning from your past experience. Next time we'll get it." He grins which reassures Yokumaru.
"Were you all safe?" Hinata asks.
"More than safe! We helped!" Kotori hops in place.
"Oh?"
"They were a great help." A deep male voice calls to them from behind.
They look up to see Sangen and Tayuri walking toward them along with their respective parents. Sangen's father nods as a greeting. Yukimaru immediately runs to hug Guren and Gozu.
"Welcome back." He says, face buried in Guren's vest.
The two smile. "We're back."
"You've found some fine students." Sangen's father addresses Naruto and Hinata.
"We had help, too!" Kotori grins to Tayuri, waving enthusiastically.
Tayuri quickly whips her head to the side, looking away shyly, trying to hide a smile.
"Alright, let's go see if anything else needs doing." Naruto stands up and begins making his way further into the village.
"What?" Guren looks at him in disbelief. "All of THAT wasn't enough for you?"
He looks back to her. "It's not about enough. The town needs help."
She shakes her again. "You're so…" she trails off.
Gozu takes her hand in his much larger hand. "We should help, too."
"This is our home, after all." Yukimaru looks up to her.
"Yeah." She smiles. "I suppose it is."
"Guren. Gozu." An unfamiliar voice calls to them. Everyone looks around to see the area swarmed with ANBU on the rooftops and behind corners, wearing the uniforms of both the Hidden Leaf and Hidden Sand. "You're coming with us." A woman steps forward. Cat-like mask with a red vertical stripe on the forehead and a horizontal striped on each cheek, long purple hair swaying in the wind.
The kids press closer to each other,
"Hah." Seikai chuckles. "Sometimes sweeping in on our mark."
"Not on our mark anymore." Isa corrects him.
Naruto steps in front of them. "What do you want with them?"
"This doesn't concern you, Naruto Uzumaki." The purple haired haired woman speaks.
Naruto scowls. "You don't tell me what concerns me."
"Naruto, don't." Guren places a hand on his shoulder. "Don't get into trouble with your people."
Naruto keeps his eyes focused on the ANBU. "And why exactly do you need them, huh?"
"Naruto." She extends her hand trying to calm him. "Please step away from them. We'll apprehend the criminals and take them into custody."
"No. Go home." He declares.
"Please don't make this more difficult than it needs to be."
"I think there's something you're not getting here." Naruto steps forward and gets in the ANBU's face. Or, mask. "We just fought a ridiculously powerful… thing… that wouldn't have been possible without Guren and Gozu. You couldn't have gotten here without seeing the battle so I'm assuming you just hid and waited for the real fight to finish because you knew you couldn't be of any help." He pauses and looks at all of them. "Your job's to stop criminals, right? Well, they've stopped. They're no longer with Orochimaru, they're no longer doing anything that needs your attention. So go home and tell Granny Tsunade and Gaara that they're wasting their time." He turns to one ANBU in particular who has his hand on his sword. "And you. Put that sword back or I'll put it somewhere else. I'm seriously not in a good mood right now."
He unleashes his chakra. A sensation unlike anything they've ever felt, a sensation worthy of one who channels the incarnation of hatred. Their knees buckle from the killing intent their way.
He stops once he hears a yelp from behind and sees Kotori hiding behind Hinata, who simply shakes her head pleading him to stop. He does.
The female ANBU straightens herself.
"They're under my protection." Naruto adds.
One of the Hidden Sand ANBU steps forward and removes his mask, a normally forbidden gesture. The man has a veil covering the left side of his face and two fang-like markings under his right eye. Naruto vaguely remembers him from the Chunin Exams long ago.
"I believe the hero of the war can be given some leeway, no?" Baki addresses the joint ANBU. "If you so wish, Naruto Uzumaki, we can leave these two in your care. Let them be your responsibility. All I ask is that they come with you to the Hidden Sand and we can talk there about their future. Peacefully." He turns to the Leaf ANBU. "Would that be agreeable for you?"
She glances back to two of her team in particular. A man with grey hair tied in a side ponytail and several kunai strapped to his thigh, and a woman with her blonde hair kept up by six needles. They seem to come to a wordless agreement.
"Very well. We'll leave it to the Kazekage for now." She looks to Naruto. "And to you."
Naruto consults Guren and Gozu. "Is that fine with you?"
They share a look. "Not like we have much of a choice, do we? We've been had. But if it's with you, we'll go. Peacefully." She makes it a point to add, looking at Baki.
"Then we're done here." Naruto walks past the Leaf ANBU, followed very reluctantly by the rest of his group.
Baki approaches the Leaf shinobi. "Thank you for agre-"
"Don't talk to me." Yugao cuts him off and leaves with her team.
"Right. Of course."
Name meanings
Asuka Uzumaki (うずまき アスカ, Uzumaki Asuka)= named after Japan's largest passenger ship, also a common unisex given name.