Chapter 21: Battle of the Sannin
A/N: I do not own the Naruto Franchise!
I do however own Mari Kaede and any other OCs mentioned.
Warnings: Contains dark themes, such as depression, murder, experimentation, emotional, mental and physical torture, possible attempted suicide and mentions of sexual activities!
Hey guys! Here's the newest chapter of BHBL! This was such a long one to write because I'm trying to limit myself to writing once a week since I tend to overwork if I don't pace myself. This means that chapters will take longer, but will probably be of better quality.
Enjoy the first part of the fight against Tsunade!
The sudden change in Tsunade's appearance from sorrowful and tearful to intense and dangerous was the only warning the Otogakure ninjas had before the blonde medic rushed forward to attack them, lifting her leg up to land a devastating blow, even without the use of chakra. Orochimaru and Kabuto prepared to dodge at the last second, but Kaede did not move, her eyes still wide and elsewhere.
"Kaede!" Kabuto shouted, grabbing the back of her robe as Tsunade's foot slammed down, the two shinobi diving back and on the top of the cobblestone wall while the numb kunoichi just allowed herself to be dragged, until she landed on her ass by Kabuto's feet.
She didn't even register the impact as she kept her eyes trained on their enemy, who glared menacingly at them from the crater she'd made in the ground. The redhead was shaking, still replaying the events that took place mere moments ago again and again in her head, tormenting herself with them.
"Bring it on, Orochimaru!" Tsunade roared at them, not an inkling of hesitation or regret evident on her features. She had made her decision and was standing by it with her life.
"Pull yourself together, Kaede!" The pale Sannin hissed at her, glaring down at her frozen form. "This is not the time for a mental breakdown!"
It was then that realization hit him like a brick wall and his irritation warped into amusement, chuckling as he returned his attention to his former teammate. "Come to think of it, I've never fought you before."
The wind caught them again and Tsunade used it as she removed her jacket, letting the gust carry the green fabric out of the way, so she could fight freely. "You're right." She said, kicking off towards them again.
"That's big talk." Kabuto butted in, hovering his hand by Kaede's collar once more, as he knew she would not react to the second attack. "With Kaede as she is, I'm the only one who's going to fight."
Tsunade neared the wall, her eyes alight with murderous intent. "I'm going to kill you bastards right here, right now!" She lunged forward and infused her fist with chakra, slamming it into the cobblestone wall they stood on, which fractured and crumbled immediately, giving the two villains barely any time to escape, and the youngest medic only a fraction of a second to grab Kaede and yank her out of the way once again.
"She still has that monsterous strength," Orochimaru commented as he and Kabuto landed on a thick branch a small distance away, crouched slightly. The right-hand man was forced to slam Kaede down on her ass onto the wooden surface since she didn't catch her footing in time. Now she just sat there, blank and useless. "If you take a hit, it'll be the end for you."
"I can tell."
"Use whatever means you can to wake Kaede up, I did not bring her along for her to be a burden!"
The young medic nodded his head and turned the senior kunoichi's head to face him, which only slightly caught her attention until he slapped her cheek so hard, she hissed in anger and covered the red mark with her hand, cursing him to the sun and back. "Ah dammit!" She ground out, now fully awake as she grabbed the teen by the collar and pulled him close to her face, glaring deep into his eyes, a threatening gesture. "You bastard, I'm going t'kill you!"
"Silence!" Orochimaru snapped, shooting her an unimpressed snarl. "He did that on my order!" His dissapointment leaked into his tone. "I never expected you to waver over nothing, Kaede...I overestimated you."
Kaede's anger turned to shock and she blinked back the feeling, despite not wanting to agree with him, he was right...She had been through experimentation, the loss of her ex-husband, her family, her home, yet this is what it took to render her immobile and vulnerable?!
With a huff, she shoved Kabuto away, who straightened his collar, and rubbed her sore cheek with the back of her hand as she glared at the Sannin. "Keep your comments t'yourself!" She snapped. "I ain't so weak as t'break over nothing!"
Though the thought of saving his life made her sick to her stomach, she knew she had more pressing things to worry about, Tsunade wasn't going to wait for her to recover to attack. Instead, she pushed the memory to the back of her mind and chose to dwell on it later, when she was alone and could vent out her frustrations properly.
Orochimaru was pleased to hear her back to her old self, though her rude tone and attitude was not well recieved. The three focused their attention on Tsunade, who was cracking her knuckles due to the impact of that devastating punch, preparing to make another assault.
"This place is too compact to fight and keep enough distance between us," Kabuto commented.
"I hate t'say it, but he's right. I ain't useful in a Taijutsu battle, but with enough space, I can do some real damage with my Ninjutsu!" Kaede added on, untying her sash and unclipping the hook that kept the top of the robe closed.
"Are you going to change locations?" Their leader asked, glancing over at them as Kaede pulled the sash off, then took her robe and hooked it to a smaller branch above her head. She then kicked off her sandals and listened as they clattered on the ground below, possibly broken, but she didn't care at that moment. The only thing she could wear during a fight where she could potentially burst into flames was her flame-retardant battle suit. Well, the sleeveless, short-legged one, anyway, the other felt too restricting for her. As an extra precaution too, she had a belt around her waist with her holster attached, so she could grab a weapon if she needed to.
"That seems best for now." The young medic confirmed, staring down at Tsunade, who took a deep breath, calming herself a little so she would keep a level head in battle. "A troublesome person was talking with Tsunade-sama's attendant." And that's when the woman kicked off towards them, dust rising behind her with the speed. "They might come to reinforce her."
Just as he finished his sentense, the incredibly strong woman dove into the air and swung her foot at Orochimaru, who managed to dodge the attack only a second before it hit, which even made his expression tense with unease. However, she wasn't finished as she spun round and raised her foot. "Die!" She roared as she slammed it into the branch, forcing the three to jump back and dash away from the castle-less city to avoid another, possibly fatal, blow.
"This woman is insane!" Kaede exclaimed as she spun to face Tsunade who was rushing towards them, forming seals for Futon: Renkudan as she hopped backward so she was moving in time with the other two shinobi in front of her.
"And who is this troublesome person?" Orochimaru asked as Kaede shot the bullets, only for their opponent to dodge them with ease.
"A Sannin, just like you and Tsunade-sama." Kabuto told him and the Sannin made soft sound from the back of his throat, proved he wasn't expecting that. They paused on another wall for a moment and he smirked.
'Jiraiya.'
Tsunade pulled her fist back as Kaede pressed herself against the wall, cursing as she found herself trapped, she quickly formed seals and just as their enemy went to deal the blow, she vanished with Shunshin no Jutsu. This forced the blonde to shatter the cobblestone wall the other two had stood on mere seconds ago.
The medical Sannin watched without emotion as Orochimaru and Kabuto dove over the largest wall of the town, finally escaping its confines, and Kaede appeared beside them only a second later. "That was too close!" She said, sweat dripping from her chin in both fear and relief. "I thought I knew what she was capable of, this woman's a monster!" She directed her attention to the other two. "And that person y'mentioned, you're sure it was the other Sannin?"
"Yes. I recognize his appearance." Kabuto confirmed.
'I guess I'm the only one who doesn't remember him!'
It took them a good five minutes, but they eventually made it to a large field, spanning enough space for Kaede to keep a good distance between her and the monster of a woman chasing them down. However, the moment they had to scan the area and mark places of advantage was short-lived, as the unbelievable strong kunoichi soon arrived, making her presence known when she destroyed a rock behind them.
"I found you!" She snarled, ready to punch Orochimaru square in the face, but the man was quicker, he arched back to avoid her attack and kicked her hard in the arm, forcing her to stagger back so he could backflip until he stood safely behind his two surbordinates.
Kabuto became the focus of her assault when he pulled out a kunai and spent a majority of his time dodging each and every blow she aimed his way, while Kaede clicked her tongue and formed some seals, grinning as the adrenaline started to fuel her body, a twisted desire to fight finally settling within her, despite her dangerous opponent.
'Finally, I can fight someone again!' She thought as she inhaled deeply and Tsunade gasped, aiming an attack at the redhead, who exhaled a small burst of flames, unable to complete her jutsu as she dove backwards to avoid a kick, skidding to a halt, catching her breath for a second as Tsunade rushed towards her, destroying a rock she had used as cover.
Orochimaru had told them that Tsunade's strength made it so one blow would end their lives, luckily the former Suna kunoichi had the sense to hear that part even during her shocked state. She knew she had to keep enough distance between them, as her terrible Taijutsu skills meant she would almost immediately fall in a hand-to-hand confrontation.
Kaede leaped into the air as Tsunade went to punch her, landing on a dead tree as she formed the hand signs for her Katon: Kasai Suīpu. She exhaled a large torrent of flames which Tsunade lunged to the side to avoid, but the dangerous fire-breather wasn't easily bested as she swung her torso and head to the side. The blaze she was exhaling moving along with her and Tsunade gasped, diving backward to avoid it, but Kaede wasn't having it. She pushed more air from her lungs and the flames covered a wider area, finally making contact with Tsunade's arm and burning the skin.
The blonde woman flinched and skidded to a halt a small distance back, holding her arm as pain shot through it. While she was distracted, Kabuto took the opportunity to rush in with his kunai poised for battle but their opponent saw it coming and swung her fist at him, forcing him to dodge and Kaede to leap back as she put a massive crater into the ground below them and the tree the redhead once stood on, fell.
'We're never going t'win like this!' Kaede thought to herself as she and Kabuto straightened up, both breathing a little heavier. The redhead took a deep breath and formed seals for her Futon: Renkudan. However just as she did that Tsunade appeared behind her, fully aware of her weakness to Taijutsu, since she did everything in her power to avoid it.
Kaede made a shocked sound of surprise and went to turn, lifting her hand to her holster for protection, but she wasn't fast enough as Tsunade grabbed the arm she rose and lifted her by said arm over her head, preparing to slam the poor woman into the ground. The young medic lunged for the enemy at that moment, thrusting the kunai forward to cut her cheek, forcing her to let go of Kaede, who still slammed into the ground rather hard, forming a second crater as she coughed blood into the air.
Tsunade hopped back a few steps and dug her hand into the ground to halt her retreat, her breathing a little heavier now, as the victim of her last attack slowly got to her feet, blood dripping down her chin as she hugged her torso. One or two ribs had been broken, she could feel it, but she wouldn't let that stop her as she reared back and took a deep breath, forming the seals needed for her fireball, even through the pain.
The medical specialist lunged for her, and Kaede clicked her tongue, flipping backward to avoid the blow, while Kabuto went to attack from behind. The blond woman spun around, her foot outstretched to send the boy flying, but he ducked and prepared the kunai for a stab to the arm, a way to hinder her movements. She didn't falter in surprise however, instead she slammed her foot into the ground and thrust her fist downwards, hitting Kabuto straight in the head, only for his form to explode into smoke, revealing a log, which fragmented immediately and a new, third, crater was formed beneath her feet with the attack.
Kabuto reappeared on top of a rock and Kaede leaped back to stand at his side on lower ground, the three taking heavy, deep breaths as they analyzed each other's states. "Tsunade is running out of breath now." Orochimaru piped up, having not said a word the entire time, watching the fight unfold as if it amused him. "You've almost got her."
"Can y'keep the commentary t'yourself?" The Ninjutsu expert hissed back, grinding her teeth as she tried to come up with multiple strategies while focusing on the fight at the same time. This battle was already proving to be as difficult, if not moreso than the fight against the Third, and she wasn't sure she had done enough training to prepare for it. Despite the panic that set in, her lips curled back slightly with exhileration.
"I'm not very good at Taijutsu." Kabuto started, pulling something from the pouch on his lower back, tossing one of the small pellets at Kaede, who caught it with a noise of surprise. She looked at is as the boy slipped the second one between his lips and chewed on it for a moment. Her exhausted frown turned to a grin when she realized what it was, and did the same, though she did hesitate ever-so-slightly, as accepting such things from the medic made her uneasy.
"A food pill!" She stated when she swallowed it and straightened up, feeling a sudden rush of energy and adrenaline course through her veins. "Now you're talking!"
Both members of Otogakure took a deep breath, before forming seals of two completely different Jutsu, while Orochimaru smirked in the background, entertained by the idea that Kaede and Kabuto were working together.
Tsunade's eyes widened at the consecutive pattern of Kabuto's seals, while Kaede prepared her Renkudan once again. The moment blades of Chakra enveloped the boy's hands, he vanished from sight and Kaede held back her own attack for when he made their enemy vulnerable. The medical specialist heard sounds beneath her and barely managed to react in time, jumping up into the air as Orochimaru's right-hand man burst out of the ground beneath her. Kaede chose then to use her jutsu, hoping they hit their target, she wanted to cause some damage, at least.
The hazel eyes of their enemy widened and she let out a sound of pain as two of the bullets made contact with her, sending her flying to the side, where she flipped in mid air and slammed her hand into the ground to halt her body from skidding too far back. Blood leaked from the arm, both now injured in some form, and Kaede grinned with triumph.
Her grin didn't last long, however as Tsunade rushed at her and went to kick her in the face, only for the redhead to make a noise of surprise and duck, watching from the lower angle as her opponent dove back and landed on a rock. The poor Ninjutsu expert didn't get a chance to dodge this time as her enemy used the surface as leverage, pushing off and rocketing towards her with insane speed, eyeing her from her upside down position in the air.
"Crap!" Kaede hissed out, squeezing her eyes shut for the inevitable death she could see flashing before her very eyes. However a gasp caught her attention and she opened her eyes to see Tsunade spin in midair to attack Kabuto, who rushed up behind her at an insane speed and touched both her arm and leg with his Chakra-infused hand. She lost her balance, but landed a blow on the boy's abdomen, sending him flying back as she staggered and fell to one knee.
The otogakure spy skidded to a halt, digging his fingers into the ground to slow the motion and grinned deviously when the medical specialist he respected tried to move her arm, but instead winced and held onto it with the other. "I cut your bicep and rectus femoris." He told her as he got to his feet, hands still glowing. "You can't use your monsterous strength anymore now."
"A scalpel made of Chakra, eh?" Tsunade asked, looking at those dangerous hands. "Why did you not go for my artery?"
"It's true that with this scalpel..." The boy started. "I can cut blood vessels and muscles without injuring the surface. He raised his hand and head slightly, the reflection of the sun blocking his eyes from view as he showed off his jutsu. "But, during battle...Even I cannot create a scalpel that is long and fine enough to reach the artery and heart." He then kicked off towards the immobile woman, who just barely managed to stand. "Then again, there is no problem if I go for the vital organs!"
Kaede formed seals as Tsunade blocked each and every one of Kabuto's attacks, amazing the slightly younger kunoichi with her endurance. She went to inhale and infuse the air with her Chakra but paused the moment the young medic hit the female Sannin in the chest and she dropped to her knees, struggling to catch her breath.
"What the hell did y'do?" Kaede asked as the boy relaxed, smirking down at his victim.
"I cut a subcostal muscle so she couldn't breathe." He clarrified, then looked down at the blonde medic, his sadistic leer visible as the reflection shifted slightly. "We can't let you die yet. So I won't attack your vital organs."
The redhead arched a brow as the young otogakure shinobi released his jutsu, his hands no longer glowing and she hopped back, standing on a rock a small distance from the battle, where Orochimaru stood.
Kabuto closed his eyes and pushed his glasses up his nose. "But now, you can't move anymore..." But he was wrong, a shadow suddenly crossed his vision and he only had time to open his eyes before his neck was attacked hard with the side of his former victim's hand. She stumbled until she caught her footing while the boy fell to the floor and skidded back a little, unable to move for a second, lying in a small crevice he had created with his body.
Orochimaru smirked and glanced over at Kaede as she sighed and placed a hand on her hip in dissapointment. "Why didn't you assist him?" He asked.
"He's too cocky, y'can't afford t'underestimate the enemy, even if you're at a good level yourself," Kaede explained with a rather devious and satisfied grin.
The snake-eyed Sannin chuckled with mirth. He found her sadistic humor and honesty rather entertaining, each and every day she became more and more malicious. It wouldn't be long before she became a cruel, heartless creature that would do his bidding without complaint.
While they discussed this, Kabuto managed to lift his head slightly, his entire body trembling with shock. 'What a person...' He thought. 'Normally you wouldn't be able to move because you're having difficulty breathing.' The prodigy medic grunted and lifted himself up a little more. 'It looks like I have to hurt her a bit more.'
He finally managed to turn and face her as she coughed in a strange way and landed on her knees, holding her chest as she tried to catch her breath uselessly. 'But not enough that she will die.' However something was wrong, as he lifted his arm, he suddenly jolted and his leg moved instead. 'I'm trying to move my arm...But my leg is moving.' His eyes narrowed. 'Could this be...?'
At the moment he realized what had happened, Tsunade's blonde hair came into view, and as he looked up, her fist made contact with his jaw and cracks could be heard before she sent the boy flying. "Bastard!" Was her only word during this exchange.
The redhead watching from the sidelines laughed at the brief, but amusing dialogue, before she took a deep breath and hopped down from the rock, rolling her shoulders. "I better get back in there, before y'start being an ass." She said, glancing at Orochimaru from the corner of his eye as he huffed with amusement. "Just keep y'commentary to a minimum."
"Hm, hm, perform well and commentary will not be required, Firecracker~"
She clicked her tongue and her lip curled back angrilly. "Stop calling me that!" With that, she rushed off to join the frey.
Kabuto, who had long since halted in his decent, tried to stand, but his limbs jerked and made the task near impossible. "This is not a muscle problem." He ground out. "It's the nerves!"
Looks like you noticed." Tsunade said, through her heavy breaths. "Yes, I attacked your nerves. I changed my chakra into electricity, created an electrical field...And jacked it into your nervous system."
Orochimaru, who was nothing more than a spectator at this point, analyzed the verbal exchange. 'The brain and body communicate with eachother via electricity. Tsunade must've confused all the electrical signals that run through the body at three hundred and sixty kilomertres an hour.'
Kabuto eventually made it to his feet, standing with his back to his opponent, but not by choice, only because he had to focus to move. 'She can still fight like this, even though she stopped fighting for a long time.' He thought as Kaede finally stopped nearby and formed seals for a fireball, which Tsunade barely managed to dodge, scorching her skin further and burning away some of her shirt. 'So this is what a legendary Sannin is like?'
Tsunade used the opportunity between Kaede's first jutsu and the preparation for her second one, since she was still fairly agile on her feet for an injured woman, to rush up and punch the redhead hard in the nose, sending her hurtling back into a rock, which cracked on impact as she coughed up yet more blood. Once the blonde was certain she would need a moment to stand, she formed some hand signs and pressed a glowing green hand to her chest.
She was healing the muscle damage done to hinder her breathing.
"D-dammit...!" Kaede hissed out as she used her arms to lift herself up, certain some skin on her back had torn as she felt a warm wet sensation between her shoulderblades, soaking her battle suit. All the while, Kabuto was learning to move with the electrical interferrance in his nerves. "Even like that, she's too strong!"
Kabuto finally got the hang of what he was supposed to move and when and snarled out in anger. "Thought you got me with a jutsu of this level?" He asked before he spun round and took a kunai from his back pouch, spinning it on his finger before he caught it in his hand with dexterity. "Don't underestimate me!"
And with that, he rushed at the shocked Tsunade, while Kaede managed to get to her feet, wiped the blood from her nose, and took out her own kunai from her holster, knowing if they both attacked together, despite their weak Taijutsu skills, they would at least do some damage. So alongside the young medic, she kicked off towards the healing woman, weapon in hand.
"You're afraid of blood, right?!" Kabuto jeered, digging the kunai into the ground as he lost his footing for a moment, but quickly regained it. The two got closer and Kaede caught the medical Sannin's attention as she and her 'ally' raised their blades above Tsunade's head.
"We'll show y'lots of that right now!" She finished for him, and they thrust their weapons down.
But at that moment, their dual attack was interrupted when a smoke bomb landed between the three of them, errupting into a cloud of dark gas that would blind them temporarily if they were caught in it, so the three of them skidded back to make sure that didn't happen. "The hell's going on now?!" Kaede groaned as the smoke began to clear. "I thought the battle with the Third was a pain in my ass...This win's by a landslide!"
Her aggravated words were cut short however and she gasped in surprise when three figures appeared from the bellowing cloud, each as familiar as the last. One was a blonde boy with a personality much like her own when she was younger. Naruto.
One was the very familiar attendant who happened to be the niece of Tsunade's former lover. Shizune.
And finally...The last one was a man with long, spiked white hair tied in a ponytail, a wart on his nose and red marks down his cheeks resembling bloody tears. Her gentleman friend from the bar, who she thought she would never see again...Who happened to have Tsunade's pet pig on his shoulder.
If this weren't a serious situation, that image alone would make her laugh.
Orochimaru, who had been watching with a sneer, let his lips curl into a smirk. "It's been a long time, Jiraiya."
"WHAT?!" Kaede shouted, spinning round to look at the pale Sannin with wide eyes as she pointed at Jiraiya, who seemed both surprised and annoyed that she hadn't recognized him from somewhere. "That's Jiraiya?!"
"Oh?" Her 'leader' hummed. "I see you've been aquainted..." His eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Care to explain the details?"
The redhead opened her mouth to reply, but it was Jiraiya who spoke. He let out a sigh that sounded more like a whine and rubbed the back of his neck, eyes closed and pouting. "I finally meet a nice woman at the bar who gets my jokes, and she's working for Orochimaru..."
"Not that it's your business..." Kaede started, shooting Orochimaru a glare, before giving Jiraiya an irritated frown. Why did he have to be an enemy? The one person who made her feel important, and he was just another sacrifice towards her revenge. "...But I met him when I went out for drinks the night we arrived here." She looked back at Snake Eyes and pointed her thumb at the tallest, white-haired Sannin. "I only know him 'cause he offered t'buy me a drink, and I ain't 'bout t'say no t'free booze!" This made the villainous Sannin chuckle.
There was that honesty again.
"Hey, hey," Jiraiya complained softly, only to sigh again and drop his hand, shooting Orochimaru a cheeky grin, which vaguely looked like one Kaede wore often. "You have evil looking eyes, as usual." The snake-eyed shinobi didn't respond, instead, his smirk curled into a grin of amusement and dark murderous desire.
Naruto, who didn't recognize Kaede, turned his head and blinked, only to cry out in shock when he recognized Kabuto. "K-Kabuto-san?" He asked dumbly, pointing his finger at the older teen.
The medic was both surprised and amused to see him here and smirked. "Naruto-kun." He said in greeting. This was an odd thing to focus on in the middle of a dangerous battle.
Tsunade was confused, while Jiraiya's smirk deepened. "I see, you two know eachother."
"We took the Chuunin Exam together." The blonde boy clarified. "Why is Kabuto-san here?"
Kaede laughed and placed both hands on her hips, grinning down at the young boy before her. "I'm not surprised y'don't remember me, Naruto!" She said, confusing the young boy. "I wish I could've fought y'in the exams, y'really surprised everyone!"
"Uh...Do I know you?"
"Sort of. Y'know me as Akari though." She didn't want to say much more than that, she detested that identity.
The boy yelled obnoxiously once again and stepped back, pointing a finger at her rudely. "You're the girl that fought Shikamaru and lost!" He looked her over. "How did you get so old?!"
What a thing to focus on. Her grin faltered and she fought back the irritation she felt, was she this rude as a child?! With an angry grin, she crossed her arms. "I did more than fight that pineapple-haired brat, y'know, and don't call me old!"
"But still...Why are Kabuto-san and Akari-san here?"
"It's Kaede!"
Jiraiya cleared his throat, deciding now would be a good time to intervene before the boy pissed her off that much, she lost all respect for him and decided to resume their fight.
However, Tsunade, who had been hidden behind the large man, decided that was enough chit-chat for the day, and shoved Jiraiya to the ground. "Get out of the way!" She snapped, as the man tried to rise, only for the pig that was once on his shoulder to bounce off his head, immobalizing him in pain. Kaede was stood there, as Tsunade leaped into the air to attack Kabuto, one hand on her ribs, while the other covered her mouth and she shook, forcing back the laughter that made her chest hurt more. "I'll defeat them!"
Kabuto ducked as the medical specialist aimed a well-timed kick at his head, then used her other foot to deflect the kunai he aimed at her, which hit a rock with a 'thunk' now sticking out of the stone surface. Knowing the close-proximity would be an issue, he tried to put some distance between them by running, but Tsunade wasn't having it. "Just because you can control your body now..." She started, as they traded blows and evaded attacks. "Doesn't mean..." He did a backflip to avoid her foot, which swept out to knock him off balance. "You can move normally!"
With the intense need to dodge her every blow, as she had recovered enough to deal severe damage, Kabuto accidentally backed himself up against the rock his kunai was sticking out of. Kaede sighed at the sight and rushed in to assist her 'ally.' "You're not getting away now." The blonde Sannin said as she reared her fist back as youngest medic tore the blade from the rock to defend himself. "Too slow!"
Kaede skidded to a halt and froze in shock, alongside the others, as blood splattered up into the air, and Kabuto stood there, hand outstretched, a fair bit of his own life elixir spilling from his hand. He grinned down at the traumatized woman who staggered back, staring at her arms, which were stained with the red liquid. "My body's finally starting to move normally." He sneered. "Dealing with two legendary Sannin will be too much trouble."
Slowly walking towards her, he reared his fist back for a change. "I'll immobalize one for now!" He then slammed it into Tsunade's cheek and she numbly flew back and landed against Shizune, both women falling to the ground.
The black-haired attendant recovered first and checked her mentor over for injuries. "Tsunade-sama!"
The redhead working alongside Kabuto huffed slightly and smirked as she placed a hand on her hip again and walked up to the boy's side. She wouldn't openly admit it, but that was actually a good idea. Now Tsunade was useless, and they would have one less problem to worry about.
Naruto, however, was more confused than ever as he turned to face Jiraiya. "Hey, hey..." He started, shaking his head as the situation refused to process in his mind. "What's going on? Why are Kabuto-san and Akari-san fighting Old Lady Tsunade?"
Kaede let out a sigh, looking down at the blonde boy with a frown, it was sad to think this Genin, who she respected, would be another victim towards her ambitions, it was like looking at her inner child and killing it dead. If the situation had been any different, she would have loved to have been his mentor. "You've got guts and talent, kid...But no brains."
"That's why you can't compete with Sasuke-kun," Kabuto added in, which irritated Kaede to no end. Naruto may not have been some sort of prodigy, but he had guts and talent none-the-less. He reminded her of herself when she was his age, and children like him should never be underestimated unless the young medic wanted his ass kicked by the 'slow' ninja.
After all, she was the 'runt' growing up, but still had some of the best Katon and Futon skills of her generation.
Jiraiya finally got to his feet, oddly weak considering his status. "Look at his forehead protector closely." He instructed and the boy followed his gaze to the older teen's headband. "He's Orochimaru's subordinate."
"Yes," Kabuto confirmed. "I was a spy from Otogakure."
The Konoha Genin was silent for a moment as he lowered his head in disbelief. "What are you talking about?" He looked up again, smiling with a weak sense of hope. "Tell me you're lying, Kabuto-san." But he knew from the devious grin on the medic's face that he wasn't, and just couldn't accept it. "You told us a lot of things, and helped us out during the Chuunin Exam."
"I wanted to gather information about you guys, too." Kabuto's eyes were hidden when he lifted his head slightly and the sun reflected off the frames. "Naruto-kun, I found out something after I gathered some data on you...You have no talent as a ninja. You're different from Sasuke-kun."
Naruto's shocked, slightly horrified expression slowly warped into determined anger and he clenched his fists while Shizune tended to Tsunade in the background. Kaede, who had crossed her arms as her irritation for Kabuto grew, smirked slightly at the look in those blue orbs. 'Heh, it's going to take more than that t'mess with his head!'
However, Kabuto wasn't scared. "Even if you put that scary face on, you're just a cute Genin who's out of place." This only angered the boy further. "It's true we expected something from the monster inside you, but with the legendary Sannin around me, you are insignificant to me...Even Kaede is more of a threat."
"Watch it, Four-Eyes," Kaede warned with a growl.
The young white-haired shinobi ignored her and kept talking to Naruto. "You're like a small bug right now, and if you interfere..." He grinned darkly. "I'll kill you."
The redhead let out a sigh and placed a hand on her hip, letting the other drop to her side. "Ugh, this could've been over by now if we'd taken Tsunade and gotten out of here..." She complained, looking down at the male equivilant of her younger self. Even if he had the potential to be Hokage, even if his bold words reminded her of a simpler time, if she wanted to achieve her own ambitions, she knew she had to take him out as well. "Don't mess with us, kid...Or you're going t'die before y'can make your dreams come true..."
Jiraiya, who was spectating the conversation, stared at Kaede as she spoke. He was certain he had seen her true self during their drink at the bar, but looking at her now, he knew just what she was. There was no light or emotion in her eyes and no kindness or morality to her words.
She was Orochimaru's subordinate alright.
It was both their words combined that pushed Naruto over the edge, "Why you...!" Then, in anger, he kicked off towards them and Jiraiya was powerless to do anything as he stepped forward, only to collapse to his knees.
"Don't, Naruto!"
The two Orogakure ninja watched as the Genin formed the signs for Kage Bunshin no Jutsu and created seven other copies of himself. They all pulled out kunai and increased their speed, but Kabuto and Kaede, despite their weaker taijutsu skills, knew they could take him on.
While four took on Kaede, who still had her kunai poised for battle, the other four took on Kabuto, who despite his weakened right side, was able to keep up to par with them at least. The redhead ducked as one dove at her from behind, and fell over her head, only to be grabbed by the arm and tossed into another, before she tossed several shurikens in their direction, stabbing two of them in the chest and making them vanish. Then she spun and kicked another in the head, forcing that to dissapear, and while Kabuto managed to easily destroy two of the clones bothering him, one of them had grabbed into his arm and leg on the left side, rendering his attacks useless and the other dove at him with his own kunai, ready to cause some serious damage.
"No y'don't!" Kaede shouted, punching the other clone hard enough to send him hurtling back into the one poised to attack. She grinned with triumph when one of them vanished and the real Naruto was shot back into Shizune's arms and Kabuto was left to kill the final clone with his dagger.
However as Shizune caught the boy, she spat several needles at the pair of them. Kaede was able to react quickly, dodging the ones that headed for her, while Kabuto, who struggle to move, cleverly lowered his head so the needles that were coming towards his eyes bounced off the metal plate of his forehead protector.
Jiraiya looked over at his injured student, then back at Kabuto. "I'm surprised you did that so suddenly." He stated, and both Otogakure ninjas jumped back, the boy landed by Orochimaru, while Kaede stopped a small distance in front of them, holding up her kunai.
Orochimaru looked at the two and smirked, entertained and mildly surprised that the two were working so well together, despite hating one another with a passion.
The Sannin's right-hand man stood there, breathing heavily as dark circles formed under his eyes and blood continued to drip from his fingers. He pulled something out of his pouch and slipped it between his lips.
"A blood replenishment pill." Shizune ground out aggravated that he had such excellent tools at his disposal.
"Hey, thanks!" Kaede said, grinning as she joked around, her eyes reflecting a dark evil. "I can't see him from this angle, so I was wondering what he was chewing on! I appreciate the commentary!"
"Oh?" Orochimaru jeered. "Yet when I comment during battle, you hate the very thought?"
"There's a difference between her and you, I don't hate every breath that comes out of her mouth!"
The snake-eyed Sannin chuckled. "How cruel...I was beginning to think you'd come around..." He glanced over at Kabuto, hearing the blood leaking from his hands hit the floor while the others further away whispered to themselves. "You're bleeding well, Kabuto."
"Orochimaru-sama." The medic started, giving Orochimaru a knowing look. "Please take off the bandage on your left arm."
He huffed with a smirk, fully aware of what Kabuto had planned and awkwardly lifted his weak hand to his lips, grabbing the strips of fabric between his fangs and pulling as he ground his teeth together, cutting the bandages with ease. He dropped his arm and as he did so, they fell from around his greying flesh, fluttering to the ground.
Kaede looked back to see what was going on and her eyes narrowed at the sight of the curse inflicted upon her 'leader.' The skin was flaking and peeling away, not enough to bleed just yet, but any day now and that would be a possibility which would inflict more pain. She had to force back the grin at the idea of him feeling pain, and blinked with shock when the image of him saving her life flashed through her mind, then the image of her saving his life soon after.
'Dammit!' She thought silently as she exhaled sharply and shook her head, glaring at their enemies as if it was their fault. 'Why does that keep coming back t'me?! Focus on the fight, stop being an idiot!'
Naruto stood up and locked eyes with the Sannin that Kabuto worked for, speaking loud enough for them to hear. "He's Orochimaru?"
"So the boss is finally going to fight?" Jiraiya asked, then turned to look at Tsunade, who was in rough shape, still trembling and silent as the wind. "Shizune."
"Yes?" Shizune asked, looking over at the white-haired Sannin.
"You fight the guy with glasses, Shizune." He stated, then turned to Orochimaru and Kaede with a smile full of confidence. "I'll fight Kaede and Orochimaru."
The four shared the same look to their respective opponents, a glare of intense determination and some of anger, while Orochimaru stood, the only person with a grin on his lips at that time. A silence stretched between them. Naruto even joined in the glaring contest, even though he had no place in such a high-level battle.
"But before we do that." The white-haired Sannin continued, breaking said silence. "I want Tsunade to do something about my body."
Shizune closed her eyes and lowered her head as if apologizing for something she did not do. "The effects of that drug will most likely last for a while. Even I can't do anything about it."
The shocked look Jiraiya gave the attendant was comical, to say the least. "What?! Really?!" He sighed and closed his eyes for a moment before he directed his attention to Orochimaru and the redhead standing in front of him. "Fine...I'll fight like this." He turned to the blonde woman behind them. "Tsunade, use your medical jutsu and rest."
Kaede let out a long exhale of air and ran her fingers through her hair as she closed an eye and looked back at Jiraiya. "If we hadn't been enemies, I'd would've loved a second drink..." She said, grinning at him, as she rolled her shoulders and cracked her knuckles. "But I guess that ain't happening, is it?"
"I guess not." Jiraiya agreed his smirk widening. "I'd say this was a pretty interesting choice for a second date though!"
"Hah! Then show me what you've got, Jiraiya!"
However just as they were about to move into fighting stances, Naruto spoke up. "Then, what about me?" He asked, itching to be part of the action.
"You guard Tsunade and that pig there," Jiraiya told him simply.
The boy could hear Kaede laughing in the background and blushed with humiliation. "What? I'll fight too, I can-"
"No!" Jiraiya wasn't taking his usual complaints this time. "The glasses guy and Kaede both said it. You're at a lower level. The enemy is a Sannin, like me, and he's also the man that killed the Third. You need an eye for an eye! Only I can fight him now. Also, that kid is as strong as Kakashi." He directed his attention to Kabuto. "And Kaede...Uh." His expression turned blank and a little foolish for a second before he shook it off and returned to seriousness. "I don't know what she's done...But if she's working for Orochimaru, it wasn't good."
But this didn't deter the boy as he moved his hands to form seals for his favorite jutsu. "Okay, then! Kage Bunshin-"
"Wait! Don't use the Kage Bunshin. It's meaningless."
"What?!" The young Jinchuuriki spun to face his tutor.
"It won't even work as a nice decoy, either..." Jiraiya looked off to the side, glaring with narrowed eyes at his former teammate. "You'll simply be wasting Chakra." Kabuto pushed his glasses up his nose, Orochimaru continued to stand there with a devious smirk on his lips and Kaede gripped the kunai a little too tightly, ready for a fight. "Against them."
The third Sannin moved his attention away from Naruto and onto their enemies. "Now then, Let's get started!"
The white-haired medic ran his thumb over the deep cut in his right hand, and lifted Orochimaru's arm, wiping the blood down the tattoo he used to summon his snakes, while Jiraiya bit his thumb and wiped it against the palm of his other hand. They both formed the seals they needed and slammed their hands against the ground, shouting simultaniously.
"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"
A heavy smoke billowed from the kanji that etched into the ground and stood there, before the good guys in the battle, were two giant snakes, one had Kaede sat on it's head, while the other had Orochimaru and Kabuto stood atop its skull, all eyes staring down at their opponents as the smoke surrounding them had not dissapated yet.
Of course, when the smog finally cleared, both Kaede, Naruto, and Jiraiya shared the same dumbfounded look, which further proved how similar the three were to one another. In the place, the white-haired Sannin had conjured the summoning circle, stood a tiny orange frog that was no use in battle against the two giant snakes Kabuto had summoned for Orochimaru.
"Are y'sure he's a Sannin?" Kaede called up to her 'leader,' pointing down at the sorry display as the snake she sat on flicked it's tongue and lifted it's head slightly, curious about the person sat between its eyes. "He kind of reminds me of Naruto a bit..."
The villainous Sannin chuckled darkly and his eyes widened, displaying red veins peaking at the very corners of his snake-like orbs. "Looks like you're still the idiot I remember. I know that you don't have talent, but that?" He peeled his gaze off his former teammate and down onto the small frog, before looking back. "Looks like Tsunade did something to you."
Kabuto slowly got to his feet. "Sacrifices were needed for that jutsu." He told the man beside him.
"So she must've drugged him at some point so he didn't struggle?" Kaede ran her fingers through her fringe at the surprising thought. "Damn..."
"Use Jiraiya as a sacrifice?" Orochimaru asked, his grin widening. "I guess that's very like Tsunade." He chuckled down at the aggravated toad summoner. "You're unsightly, as usual."
Irritated by the comments they made about his sensei, Naruto bit his thumb and he too tried to summon a giant frog. Orochimaru's eyes widened and he watched as smoke bellowed from the jutsu. 'The Kyuubi Jinchuuriki from the Chuunin Exams...' He glared maliciously at the child and spoke out loud. "Maybe I should've killed him when I had the chance...I let him go since the Akatsuki wanted him alive."
'Akatsuki?' Kaede silently mused. 'Ain't that the group he mentioned t'Kabuto a few years back?'
"But only a Sannin or the Third can undo the Gogyō Fuuin." He continued, and Kaede found herself even more confused. When did all this take place?
"So that means Jiraiya-sama did it?" Kabuto asked.
The devious Sannin's grin darkened considerably. "Most likely. If he is able to control the powers of the Kyuubi already..."
As he said that, the smoke finally cleared and stood next to the tiny orange frog, was a fatter, yellow frog of the same height, and Naruto, Jiraiya, and Kaede shared the same dumbfounded look once again.
Orochimaru, however, kept the same smirk on his lips. "It seems he can't."
"No kidding...I knew he had talent when it came t'surprising people, but this is just ridiculous." Kaede commented, arching a brow at the spectacle.
The medic chuckled and his lips curled with amusement. "He wasn't blessed with any talent as a shinobi, after all."
They watched the amusing gestures and motions of the frogs and humans below, unable to hear them from this distance until their leader finally got bored and got into a fighting stance. "Kaede, with me!" He ordered, and Kaede sighed, standing up and leaping onto the other snake's head, swapping places with Kabuto as the snakes lunged down towards their enemies. "Let's go!"
The two snakes moved side-by-side, getting closer and closer to their opponents at a devastating speed. "Kaede and myself with deal with Jiraiya!" He stated. "You deal with the rest."
Kabuto's amused smile turned into a malicious smirk that mirrored his lord's. "That's a shame." He started. "I wanted to fight a Sannin like Jiraiya-sama too!"
'Focus.' Kaede told herself as she felt a small inkling of her former morality whisper in the back of her mind, and pushed it away, killing it dead. 'Jiraiya isn't the only threat, but if y'do this, Jiraiya won't be the only Sannin you'll get the opportunity to take out! Focus, and win!'
The three braced themselves and the snakes slammed their heads into the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust and debris. Shizune managed to grab Tsunade in time and was freefalling after using Shunshin no Jutsu to avoid the collision. However they weren't safe as Kabuto appeared in front of her and punched her in the jaw so hard, the two were sent hurtling to the ground, while the young medic landed on a falling rock, safe and unharmed.
Naruto, who had ignored his mentor's words about staying out of the fight, rushed forth to battle Kabuto, jumping from rock to rock to face him. However, he wasn't the most alert of ninja and didn't see a snake slither up to attack him until it's large head bust out of the dust cloud, mouth agape and swallowed the young boy whole.
"Naruto!" Jiraiya called out, on a different rock some distance away, high in the sky.
"You're dealing with me!" Came the sinister response from the snake-eyed Sannin who rose up towards Jiraiya on the head of the other snake his eyes alight with the disturbing sense of glee he felt fighting his former friend. Kaede by his side, no longer the carefree person he'd met at a bar, as she stood there with a hand on her hip and a dark, fanged grin on her lips. The drastic change was enough for Jiraiya to question it for only a second before he sprung into action.
Realizing what the white-haired man was going to do, both he and Kaede formed seals at the same time, and the redhead inhaled deep lungfuls of chakra-infused air, but she wasn't fast enough. "Doton: Yomi Numa!" The Toad Sage called out, and the poor woman ended up swalling the burning Chakra as she and Orochimaru staggered, their summon being dragged down a small distance as a swamp appeared beneath their feet, submerging a fair deal of the snake's form.
Kaede slumped forward slightly, coughing hard as she grasped her stinging throat, a small trickle of blood leaking down her lips. Swallowing Chakra infused air was extremely dangerous to any ninja, as the Chakra is forced back into the body and collides with the Chakra leaving the body, which in turn, burns the inside of the throat as it's forced to seperate and dissapate, which she managed to exhale before her neck ended up like Zaku's arms during the Chuunin Exams.
Though it was a stupid idea to continue using Ninjutsu that involved exhaling Chakra, she had no choice. She couldn't let such a small sample of pain stop her from achieving her goals, no matter how dangerous the task was.
She clicked her tongue and glared at him until she blinked and her eyes widened, he was gone, nowhere to be seen. Unaware that he had silently landed behind them. "Dammit, I can't submerge them completely in such a small swamp!" He ground out angrilly. "But the snake can't move in that state."
While that fight was going on, Shizune was doing her best to overpower Kabuto, shooting needles tipped with poison from the device on her arm. However, the male medic was quick to step to the side and dodge them, before he used his favorite jutsu, enveloping his hands in chakra before he slammed one of them against her chest, sending her hurtling back. She was good though, and inhaled mid-flight, before she exhaled a large cloud of toxic mist, enveloping her opponent.
If he inhaled even a tiny amount, it would be fatal.
Despite her quick thinking, it was obvious that the white-haired subordinate was quick in both body and mind, as the smoke cleared, but he wasn't there. The attendant didn't get a chance to look around and seek him out when she gasped in pain as two chakra-infused hands grasped both her ankles. As he rose from the ground like some sort of zombie, she fell to her knees, unable to move her legs.
The snake Kabuto had left to eat Naruto didn't fair well against the boy as he managed to open its mouth with his hands and feet. "I won't let you eat me a second time!" He declared, gritting his teeth with effort and irritation. He hopped out of the snake's mouth, but as he landed, the snake lifted his head and slammed it into the blonde boy without mercy, sending him flying back until he made contact with a rock, landing on his stomach in front of the hard surface that harmed his back.
Kaede looked over and watched as the snake who quite liked her company fully sank into the swamp, and for the first time, she felt sorry for them. She had never liked snakes, but that one was pretty gentle around the people it was summoned to protect.
She was breathing heavily as her attention was taken by Orochimaru, who turned slowly to face Jiraiya as if knowing he was there the entire time. The redhead soon mimicked his movements and glared at Jiraiya as she inhaled and exhaled slowly, hand against her collarbone, where the burn was most profound.
"Let's go!" The snake-eyed Sannin said simply before he kicked off towards his former friend. Jiraiys was quick to form seals as Orochimaru stretched out his neck and opened his mouth so wide, it looked like he had dislocated it.
The white-haired man's jutsu took effect and said hair sharpened and pointed. "Ninpou: Hari Jizou!" The prickling spines wrapped around his body like a shield, and while Kaede formed seals to burn that shield down, Orochimaru kicked it, stabbing himself in the foot with the points, before using the limb to open the barrier just wide enough to lunge down and bite the man's exposed neck, hard. "Dammit...!" He ground out, pain shooting through his throat and lower jaw. "My jutsu isn't working either."
"Although we both have handicaps." Orochimaru spoke from the man's neck, which, if she wasn't concentrating, Kaede would have said was 'creepy.' "It looks like we can still see the difference between us. Just give up!"
"Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu!" The former Suna kunoichi finally called out, wincing as she inhaled deeply and spat a giant fireball at the pair. Both men separated and dove in opposite directions to avoid the flames, but it just caught them, scorching their skin slightly, tearing the clothing attacked to their legs.
Her 'leader' skidded to a halt by her side as she gripped her throat and coughed as the pain increased, while both Sannin had to recover from the painful scorching of their legs. "Careful, Firecracker~" Orochimaru jeered with a pain-stricken grin. "You caught me a little with that last jutsu. One wrong move and you could cause me serious harm."
"Oh I'd never dream of hurting you, Snake-Eyes~" She taunted back, giving him a grin that said otherwise, the sarcasm resonating deep into her tone.
He chuckled as Kaede ducked down slightly, before she kicked off towards Jiraiya while forming seals for another devastating set of fireballs, only to duck when he tried to roundhouse kick her in the face. However, he noticed, just in time, when Orochimaru appeared to his right and went for the neck again, this time hoping to hit an artery.
Jiraiya spun from the kick and slammed his foot into the ground, turning his torso and grabbing Orochimaru by the cheeks, much to the Snake Sannin's surprise. He then reared his hand back and thrust downwards, aiming to break his former friend's skull by smashing it against the much larger skull of the snake they stood on.
Despite this rather advantageous moment, Jiraiya didn't manage to pull it off, as Kaede appeared in his line of sight and kicked him so hard in the cheek, he was forced to let go of her 'leader' who staggered back and used his shoulder to wipe the blood from his lip, from the self-inflicted bite he accidentally gave himself when his ex-teammate grasped his face.
The redhead jumped back to his side and Orochimaru chuckled. "I believe that's the second time you've saved my life, Kaede." He told her, and, to make sure he didn't notice her disgust, she grinned, hiding it behind a twisted smile.
"Don't get used to it." She started, looking back at Jiraiya who was getting to his feet, albeit slowly. "I was just saving my own skin, I ain't got a chance against a Sannin on my own!"
She was lying, obviously, otherwise, revenge would be a long-forgotten dream. She saved his life to keep building that trust she needed him to give her. Well, that's what she kept telling herself.
After the three caught their breath for a second, Orochimaru and Kaede rushed at Jiraiya once more, who quickly formed seals for a fire jutsu similar to her Katon: Kasai Suīpu but the redhead known for her fire jutsu quickly countered, forming seals for her Futon: Diatoppa. Both jutsu went off at the same time, and connected, the wind causing the flames to errupt into a swirling vortex of scorching heat. The snake-eyed Sannin was quick to jump out of the way as the flames covered the area, and both his former comrade and current subordinate were engulfed, unable to move in time with the sudden burst of power.
Orochimaru landed a small distance back as the blaze died out and there stood the two who instigated the assault, both staring at one another as Kaede held her burned arm, wishing she had gone with the full-body flame-retardant suit after all. Jiraiya, who stood a small distance away was holding his scortched shoulder, the jacket he wore had torn away while the kimono and mesh shirt beneath had melted into his flesh, leaving a grotesque injury that the former Suna kunoichi knew all too well.
'The way we're going...' Kaede thought to herself, removing her hand from her injured arm as she continued to wheeze, throat aching agonizingly from the overuse of jutsu. 'This fight's never going t'end!'
Meanwhile, Kabuto continued to kick the crap out of Shizune after overwhelming her in close combat, until he hit her that hard, she fell down next to Tsunade, her blood flying into the air and landing on the blonde woman's cheek, causing her to errupt into a fit of tremors. Her heart pounded so hard, she could hear it in her ears as she looked at the weak, gasping form of Shizune, then the unconscious Naruto from the corner of her eye.
The memories of Dan and Nawaki's death came to mind and she watched as Kabuto got closer and closer, and when he finally reached out to her, that fear erupted into pure terror and she screamed, slapping his hand away. The action irritated Kabuto and he glared down at his former role model with sharp, narrowed eyes. "This is unfortunate." He hissed out. "I had admired you as a medical ninja like me."
"Stop!" Tsunade cried out, crawling backward as the boy stepped closer. "Get away!"
"Please get ahold of yourself, Tsunade-sama. Otherwise, the reputation of the Sannin, of which Orochimaru-sama is a part, will be diminished." He then started kicking her relentlessly as a way to immobalize her so she could heal Orochimaru in a safer location.
Naruto, who could hear the viscious beating, lifted his head and glared at Kabuto with one eye open. "My body feels heavy..."
The two Sannin who were able to fight stood apart from one another after another series of blows and counters, the three of them covered in cuts, bruises, and burns, while they fought to catch their breaths. Kaede was crouched, her toes keeping her from landing on her ass as she wheezed and coughed up a little blood from her raw throat.
Orochimaru chuckled as he glared at Jiraiya. "You used to be called the insanity of the village, but now you're carrying around a child and working hard for the village. You've fallen. My ability to see through someone's talent is top notch." His eyes moved to the young boy struggling to move below. "In my eyes, that child is ordinary."
The Toad Hermit scoffed at his former teammate's words with a smile. "That's why." He started, getting the snake-eyed shinobi's attention once again. "I don't need an Uchiha kid. There's no fun in raising a genius kid who learns fast."
The Otokage's lips curled back and he let out another deep chuckle. "So you can't leave them alone since they remind you of your old self. That child cannot beat an Uchiha born with the Kekkei Genkai Sharingan...Since Naruto-kun does not possess the Sharingan. A ninja's talent is determined by whether he can possess and master all the jutsu in the world." His grin widened. "A ninja, as the name suggests, is someone who uses Ninjutsu."
Once again, the white-haired pervert only huffed in response and returned the grin tenfold. "That's not what determines a ninja's talent. You still don't understand?" That wiped the smirk off Orochimaru's face. "A ninja is one who stands and endures it."
Kaede grinned her eyes darkening as she processed those words, getting to her feet and crossing her arms. If a ninja was one who stood and endured, she was a better ninja than either of them. She had suffered, struggled and done everything to redeem and give meaning to the past ten years of her life. She would kill the Sannin responsible for her torment and rid the world of his evil.
"A difference of opinion." Orochimaru pointed out, unaware of his subordinate's thoughts.
"Let me tell you one thing." Jiraiya countered. "The most important talent for a ninja isn't his number of jutsu." As he said this, Kabuto reared back to punch the surrendering Tsunade in the face. "The most important thing is..."
The young medic thrust his fist forward, but instead of making contact with Tsunade's cheek, he hit something solid and metal, Naruto's forehead protector.
"The guts never to give up!"
Kabuto's eyes widened and he gasped in shock, as the blonde Genin glared at him with a snarl curling his lips. "Bastard, cut it out already!" He then positioned his hands where one was palm up and the other scratched at the air around it like a cat playing with a ball. Surprisingly, chakra began to form between the two hands, turning into a spiraling typhoon of energy.
"The guts never to give up..." Jiraiya repeated as Naruto roared and went to attack Kabuto, who's glasses lit up with the glow of the chakra. "He has that!"
Despite his cool entry and powerful jutsu, Kabuto smirked and ducked away from the attack just before it hit. As Naruto passed, the medic used his scalpel-like chakra to cut the muscles on one of the boy's legs and he fell to the floor while his opponent straightened up and shot him a malicious glare and a sinister smirk.
While the medic continued to intimidate Naruto with frightening words and jeers about his talents, Orochimaru and Kaede stood side by side, glaring at Jiraiya, who finally got to his feet, ready to fight again. In a split second, the kind Sannin rushed forward poised with a kunai ready for striking them down.
With a quick and agile motion, Orochimaru stepped forward into Jiraiya's attack, startling him and forcing him to hesitate before the snake-eyed shinobi kicked the kunai from his hand and into the air, where Kaede rushed in and caught it before she vanished and appeared behind Jiraiya, grinning triumphantly. She then thrust the stolen weapon towards him without even a scrap of hesitation, but he deflected it by spinning to kick her, which she avoided by jumping back.
"Have you forgotten about me, Jiraiya?" Orochimaru hissed from right behind him, and Jiraiya barely had time to turn before he was kicked in the stomach, landing hard on his back a few feet away.
Kaede took the time to glance down at what was going on below and stared as Kabuto proceeded to kick the crap out of Naruto like he had done with Shizune and Tsunade. 'He's a sadistic little bastard, ain't he?' She mused silently. 'No wonder Orochimaru likes him, they're disgustingly similar.' Huffing out a laugh, she directed her attention on their white-haired opponent and grinned, rushing forward with the kunai still in hand.
Suddenly, the Genin being beaten below caught Kabuto's foot as he went to break yet another rib, a glare in his eyes showing just how sick he was of being mocked. "Dammit...!" He ground out, pushing the older teen away, who stumbled to catch his balance. "I'm not going to take back my words." Everyone watching stared with wide eyes as Naruto forced himself to his feet, despite the muscles in one of his legs being cut, rendering movement. "That's my way of the ninja!"
Utterly frustrated with the kid's attitude, Kabuto let the chakra envelope his hand once again. "You should've just stayed out of this." He swung his hand round and hit Naruto in the cheek, sending him flying back, landing on his side in front of Tsunade's trembling form.
"Why...?" The shocked woman breathed as he struggled to lift himself, but never gave up. "Why...?" He managed to regain his balance and stood there, head low, breathing heavily.
"Old Lady Tsunade..." He rasped, weakened greatly as he put his hands together as a ninja forming a jutsu would. "I'm going to take that unlucky necklace that you promised in the bet..." And then, he made a familiar sign as Tsunade's eyes widened in shock. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"
A second Naruto appeared beside the first, both in a similar state, but both determined to fight. "Stop it already!" The medical Sannin cried out. "Don't protect me, Naruto. Stop!"
Kabuto used his one able hand to take a kunai from his holster. "I said when you become stubborn, you die!" He kicked off towards the brave boy with a snarl on his lips. "When you die, you lose everything, including your dream!"
"Just get out of the way! Run!" Tsunade begged, seeing this boy's death and knowing how much it would drive her and everyone who loved him, over the edge.
The Otogakure medic thrust the kunai forward towards Naruto as he smiled. "It's fine." He said and with excellent reflexes, he grabbed the hand Kabuto held the kunai in. The blade cut deep into the young blonde's skin, but that didn't stop him, but it did stop the attack. "I...Until I become Hokage." The clone then raised his hands to Naruto's upturned palm. "I won't die!"
Kabuto grunted as he tried to release his hand from Naruto's grip, but the boy was stubborn and refused to move. The Genin laughed with a cocky grin as the medic's expression warped with frustration. "Now you can't run. Eat this!" The clone then did as Naruto did before, scratching at the air like a cat playing with a ball, until Chakra formed into a ball-like typhoon, much faster than before with the use of two hands instead of one.
"The same chakra motion...!" The older teen gasped, trying harder to get away from his enemy, to no avail. 'No, it's...'
"I get it, now..." Tsunade breathed, continuing the stray though Kabuto had. "He used the Kage Bunshin to create a hand to hold in the Chakra."
"Compress the Chakra, and..." Naruto ground out as he pulled the hand and the jutsu back like a fist. "Retain it!" He thrust his hand forward and hit Kabuto square in the stomach with the ball of pure, spiraling power, who screamed out as agony washed over him. "Rasengan!"
The boy let out a roar and the power of the Rasengan doubled and enveloped the older teen, sending him flying into the wall. However just before he became airborn, he had grabbed Naruto's chest with his Chakra infused hand.
Kaede stopped mid fight, to see what the hell was going on. "What kind of jutsu is that?!" She called down, as the dust finally settled and the victim of the attack stood there, blood leaking from his wounded stomach, while Naruto caught his breath.
The two Sannin, who kept fighting during the amazing spectacle, came to a standstill on the bottom of the snake's chin, standing upside down as they halted their fight and looked down at the damage. 'That Kyuubi kid...' Orochimaru mused silently, his former teammate grinning obnoxiously. 'That kid can use a jutsu like that?!'
The redhead, standing on the top of the snake's head, let out a bold laugh and squatted down for a second, breathing heavily. "Nice work, kid~" She wheezed, touching her throat when it burned.
Tsunade sat there in utter shock, unable to process what happened until something terrible came to her attention, Naruto had frozen, even his breathing. With a gasp of realization, she watched as the boy vomited blood and fell to the floor, while Kabuto smirked, stood where half a rock remained. The blonde woman was quick to move, despite her phobia, and skidded to a halt by Naruto, crouching down to check his health.
Kabuto took a step forward and the medical specialist glanced at him. "You took that attack, yet..."
The older teen laughed as he took another weak step. "I defended my stomach with Chakra, and began healing myself before I was even hit with that jutsu." As he spoke, the burns and bloody wounds on his stomach began to fade, one by one. "The reason Orochimaru-sama likes me is not my superior abilities, nor is it my talent for jutsu. It's my overwhelming healing power..." At this point, all injuries he had taken completely vanished. "My ability to induce my cells to generate new ones." He closed his eyes for a second to catch his breath while thinking to himself.
'Though, in exchange, I use up most of my Chakra.'
The devious, terribly intelligent man stepped forward again when he opened his eyes. "It looks like this jutsu was Naruto-kun's last gamble, but..." Tsunade glared at him as he grinned and started moving faster, only to surprise them both when he too froze, coughed up blood, and fell onto his front. 'Th-this can't be...' He thought, staring at the ground, unable to move. 'Even with my powers of recovery, I am still this damaged?!' He tried and failed to lift himself. 'I don't have enough Chakra...!'
Tsunade's attention returned to Naruto when he made a choking sound and his left hand began to twitch. She quickly rested her head on his chest and listened as his heartbeat slowed until it was no longer audible. With a gasp, she took her jacket and tossed it to the side. "He's showing signs of arrhythmia!" She unzipped his jacket and placed two shaking hands on his chest. 'Dammit! His cardiac muscles are a total mess! But how?!"
It then dawned on her that Kabuto had touched Naruto's chest before he was sent flying. was that when he effectively destroyed his muscles? She placed two fingers on the collar of his undershirt and waited for her trembles to calm before she cut the fabric down the middle so she could reach the boy's bare chest, she then placed her hands on top of one another against his skin, as if performing CPR, but instead melded medical Chakra together and used it to heal Naruto's severe injuries.
While she did this, Kabuto found the strength to lift his head and watch what she was doing. "It's too late for Naruto-kun." He ground out with a taunting tone. "I've cut the keirakukei in his heart...That converts the Kyuubi's chakra into strength...With my full strength...To ensure that there is no chance of him healing himself." He took some deep breaths between his words. "There's no way he'll recover...Even by your hand-"
"Shut up!" Tsunade snapped, weakened from overuse of chakra, but even then, she refused to give up. "I'll kill you later." Her attitude was back, at least. But just after she said that Naruto stopped breathing. At that moment, she saw all her deceased loved ones, and it broke her heart. "Dammit...Dammit. Dammit!" Tears started falling and landed on the young Genin's skin as she kept feeding his wounds Chakra, kept chanting 'don't die' in her mind.
Then a miracle happened, the boy's injured hand rose up, and weakly grasped the necklace. He opened his tired eyes with a tired smile and met her hazel gaze. "I won...The bet." The poor child blacked out and Tsunade caught his hand as it fell.
"It can't be!" Kabuto gasped, eyes wide with shock and confusion as he watched Naruto breathe steadily, healing slowly from his terrible wounds. Even Kaede, who had been watching from above, let out a surprised whistle.
Tsunade's eyes filled with tears and she smiled warmly as she lifted Naruto's hand back up and healed the large gash caused by catching Kabuto's kunai. "'Because becoming Hokage is my dream,' eh?" She said softly, as she put his hand down at his side. "One last time..." She gently lifted his head and slipped the necklace around his neck. "I want to put my hopes in you..." Then she gently rested his head back down so he could rest. "Just one last time..."
Kaede watched and listened as much as she could from on top of the snake, and though she couldn't fully hear what the woman said, she smiled with an air of sadness at the sight before her. If they had not been enemies, if she had the courage to oppose Orochimaru right here, right now without fear of being locked up by a village...She would have loved to fight by their side...Just once.
She heard the clashing of blows below and broke herself out of her self-loathing daydream, and turned as Orochimaru and Jiraiya rejoined her on the top of the snake, standing a fair distance apart, covered in new injuries. "That boy doesn't seem to be too well..." The snake-eyed Sannin said as he glanced down at the others on the ground.
"Tsunade is a medical specialist." Jiraiya pointed out, his grin widening. "You don't have to worry, Naruto will be fine."
"That's not what I meant."
Kaede let out a loud and, in Orochimaru's opinion, obnoxious laugh. "Don't flatter him! He ain't got a compassionate bone in his body!"
Her 'leader' chuckled and glanced at her with a wide, devious smirk. "I believe you're the one flattering me, Firecracker~" And though he said those words with mirth, his eyes returned to the unconscious form of Naruto.
'I didn't expect him to be able to do this much...' Was the thought in the villainous shinobi's mind. 'If he falls into the Akatsuki's hands, it'll be troublesome. In other words, now's the time...' Glancing at Jiraiya for a second, then to Kaede, who had a feeling he was about to do something dangerous, he suddenly dove from the snake's head, falling down only a small distance away from its body. '...To kill him!'
Jiraiya barely had time to react and stepped forward to follow when Kaede skidded into his path, still holding the kunai she stole earlier, as her kunai before that was kicked away during their many scuffles. "Ah, ah~" She jeered with a fanged grin. "I'm your opponent now!"
"Tch!" The Toad Sage started, glaring at her, he didn't have much time to deal with her. "Why do you work for Orochimaru?" He couldn't understand it.
Kaede's grin fell and she glared at him. "I have my reasons."
He knew he wouldn't get much more than that, especially with the look she gave him and sighed. "You're nothing like I thought you were...When I looked at you before, I saw a woman with a bold, confident personality and a kind heart...When I look at you now, I see Orochimaru, cold, detached and merciless."
Something in the redhead bubbled beneath the surface, a mix of anger, denial, and disgust as she narrowed her eyes while her skin took on a soft glow and she ground her teeth. In a split second after that reaction, she kicked off towards him to strike.
However she ended up having flashbacks from ten years ago, of the day she was kidnapped, when Jiraiya suddenly moved behind her, and the side of his hand slammed into the back of her neck. Her vision blurred and a shock went through her system. She hit the scales of the snake, laying on her stomach as her expression softened with daze and confusion.
This man wasn't as precise as Orochimaru in his rush, but he did manage to immobalize her, buying him some time to dive down after his former friend.
The snake Sannin was not easily foiled, however, he spun mid-air and shot his tongue out of his mouth, wrapping it around Jiraiya's ankle.
"Shit!" The white-haired sage hissed out, before he was swung down, and slammed into the ground so hard, he was embedded in his own crater with the tongue still around his ankle incase he moved again. Using the impact to change course, Orochimaru then fell towards Tsunade and a snake appeared from his throat, opening it's mouth as the Kusanagi sword popped out, drawn and ready to be used as he came within a few meters of Naruto's unconscious body.
It only took a moment, a single blink of the eye for blood to be spilled into the air. However Naruto was not the one who took the attack, instead, Tsunade had dove in front of the boy, shielding him with her own body as the blade went through the center of her chest and stuck out of her back.
Kaede grunted as her mind slowly cleared and she managed to lift herself until she was on her hands and knees. Every time she tried to stand after that, she would stumble and land on her stomach again, her body still a little numb, but she wouldn't stop trying. No way would she be beaten by a man who insulted her more than any other.
And she was just starting to like Jiraiya too.
The blonde Sannin coughed up blood and Orochimaru's eyes widened as he pulled the sword from her chest and stepped back, the snake swallowing the blade before he swallowed the snake. "Tsunade, you were the only one I didn't intend to kill..." He started, giving the trembling, fatally wounded woman an intense stare. "If that boy lives, it'll be troublesome in many ways. Do not get in my way."
"That boy..." She started, coughing and grunting as pain wracked her entire body. "I will definitely protect him at all costs!" Her voice elevated and her stubborn, strong nature echoed in her tone.
This caused the snake-eyed Sannin to smirk with amusement at her words. "Covered in blood and trembling...Why would you, one of the Sannin, want to risk your life to protect a mere Genin?"
Tsnade tried to respond, but she couldn't quite get the air to do so, coughing up blood instead so she could clear her airways and breathe. Once that calmed down, she raised her head and gave Orochimaru the coldest glare she could muster in her state. "To protect Konoha...Konohagakure!"
The smile fell off Orochimaru's face as Kaede's eyes widened the sounds of battle no longer polluting the air, making it easier to hear their conversation below. "To protect Konoha?" The man asked, musing the meaning behind her words, considering her earlier lack of remorse during their negociations.
Tsunade, even with her intense agonizing pain, turned her head to look at the boy who laid unconscious behind her. "That's because..." She said, eyes softening as she remembered her loves ones. "That's because this kid is someone who will eventually become Hokage."
This made the evil villain laugh venomously. "Talking such nonsense..." His tone was harsh and his smirk wide. "Besides, the title of Hokage is nothing but a load of crap! Only an idiot would take on the job."
The medical specialist gasped as she remembered the night she met Naruto, how she had said the exact same line to him, and hearing it then, she realized just how cruel and foolish those words were.
However, Kaede, who finally managed to stand, even with the damage caused to her nerves, found herself agreeing with Orochimaru. 'The title is complete crap! Not just Hokage, but any Kage, they're all just self-important dictators who follow their own rules over justice! A village, a Kage, a family, they're all worthless and eventually, they'll just leave y'in the dirt t'die if y'let them!'
Tsunade closed her eyes as she thought over everything that had happened and slowly, carefully, got to her feet. "From here on, I, too, will risk my life!" She opened her eyes and glared into Orochimaru's, unwavering.
The Sannin let out a noise of shock and lowered his head slightly, giving her a malicious sneer. His anger boiled beneath the surface and in that moment, he no longer cared about his arms. "If your life is so worthless that you can throw it away for a stupid kid like him, then hurry up and die as you should!" His swung his head back and the blade re-emerged from his mouth before he threw his head forward and sliced diagonally into her chest cavity, deep enough to tear a hole through her lungs.
At that moment, Jiraiya and Shizune both awoke and looked towards the noise as Tsunade's fragile, injured body hit the ground, leaving Naruto defenseless. "Now all that's left is Naruto-kun..." The villain sneered as he walked forward towards his victim, his sword still sticking out of his throat.
"Tsunade-sama!" Shizune cried out.
Orochimaru lifted his head, and Jiraiya quickly put his hands together to form seals, but as his enemy swung down and went for the kill, Tsunade quickly moved to hover over the boy, protecting him from the injury. Surprised by the sudden movement, the snake shinobi stopped just before he hit his target and retracted the sword, swallowing it. 'She can still move after I cut her lungs...!'
Tsunade took a shaky breath as blood dripped from her chin onto Naruto's cheek.
Her former comrade huffed and looked down at her over his nose with disbelief and a mocking smirk on his lips. "Are you still going to protect a kid like him?"
"Like I said..." The blonde medic snarled, glaring at him from the corner of her eye. "'From here on, I, too, will risk my life!'"
Something in Orochimaru snapped and his eyes widened until veins emerged around the edges. He raised his foot as he grit his teeth in anger. "You're half dead!" He kicked her off the boy and she fell to his side, too weak to move.
Kaede built up as much strength as she could in her weak legs, and jumped down from the snake's head, landing on the ground below. However her knees buckled and she dropped to them, cursing softly as she struggled to get back to her feet. Jiraiya had really messed with her body, it felt numb and hard to control.
But right there and then, her mind was preoccupied as she stared at the scene that had just played out. Orochimaru rarely got worked up by words, otherwise, her taunts would have had more of an impact. Why was the idea of someone risking their life such a sore subject for him?
Just then, the memory of their fight with Hiruzen came to mind, how, despite not facing them, she could hear the fear in Orochimaru's voice when the Fuuinjutsu threatened to take his life. Did he fear death that badly?
Kaede shook any and all thoughts of Orochimaru from her head, her expression warped with anger as she got pissed off. She was sick of it now, couldn't she think of anything better than that asshole and the fact that he saved her life, and she saved his?
She hated him, he was a cruel, malicious tyrant that needed to be erased from the world once and for all so no one else would go through the same torment she did. If she had a choice, she would have preferred to fight with Naruto and the others, instead of at his side.
Honestly, she had it in her right mind to stand back and allow this fight to go on, but somewhere deep in her gut, she felt compelled to assist him in his fight. She kept telling herself it was because she needed him to trust her because she couldn't take his life when he had his guard up.
However even she was starting to waver, subconsciously or not, even she was starting to see her actions making less and less sense. Ever since she impulsively saved his life before this fight even began.
The Sannin himself approached until he was stood right in front of Naruto, glaring at Tsunade as she still struggled to move, her body shaking violently. "No matter how much you pretend, your trembling won't stop." He stated. "You can't free yourself from your paralyzing fear of blood. Why are you even going through all that, and willing to go this far for this kid? Why do you fight for the sake of a mere leaf?"
Tsunade was silent as the tremors slowed and finally stopped, Orochimaru only had a second to realize what was happening before the woman's foot slammed into his chin and sent him flying. 'Unbelievable!' He thought as he bounced violently off the ground a few feet away. 'Tsunade's trembling has stopped!'
The blonde kunoichi got to her feet, head low as she caught her breath and calmed her nerves. "That's because I'm..." She started as her opponent lifted himself and met her eyes when she looked up, the strange diamond shape on her forehead warping into marks that went all across her skin. "...Konohagakure's Fifth Hokage!"
"That seal is...!" The snake-eyed Sannin was quick to get to his feet. "What are you planning to do at a time like this?" He grinned arrogantly. "Even if you've overcome your fear of blood, you won't be able to fight properly with those injuries!"
Tsunade made a noise of amusement and put her hands together to form a seal, closing her eyes so she could concentrate.
"P-please wait!" Shizune cried out. "I'll heal your wounds! So please don't undo that seal!"
Kaede finally got to her feet as she stood there on shaking legs. She knew she needed to fight, otherwise, she would be punished or killed, so she quickly kicked off to assist the man she hated. However, she only managed two steps forward before her knees buckled again and she fell. "Dammit, Jiraiya!" She roared, shooting the white haired man stuck in a crater a murderous glare. "I'm going t'kill you!"
The Toad Sage met her gaze, slightly confused, but soon grinned triumphantly as she struggled to get out of her predicament. At least he had managed to stop her becoming Orochimaru's back up.
Tsunade's hair began to rise as chakra flowed around her body. "Fuuin Release!" She started. "Ninpou: Souzou Saisei!"
The pattern across her forehead and cheeks faded away, falling from her face like water, and her wounds began to steam as they slowly knitted back together, healing right before their eyes.
'What is this jutsu?!' Orochimaru thought silently as he watched in amazement before he chuckled. "It looks like I'm not the only one creating new jutsu. What kind of jutsu is that?"
"Oh," Tsunade said as the glow faded and she opened her eyes. "I have been collecting my chakra in my forehead for a long time. With that enormous amount of chakra, I stimulated various proteins, increasing the cell division rate by many times, and used that to restore all my organs and tissues." She wiped the blood from her lip with a smirk. "It's not a healing ability, but rather a regeneration ability. In other words, I can't die in battle."
She took the thumb she had used to wipe up her blood and ran it down her arm.
"Tsunade-sama!" Shizune called out.
Kabuto gasped and forced himself to rise using his arms. 'That move is...!' He ground his teeth. "Orochimaru-sama!"
As if on cue, Orochimaru launched into the air, jumping over Tsunade while Jiraiya bit his thumb, having escaped the crater, and ran it over the palm of his hand. The villainous Sannin landed beside his subordinate, who was on his knees and held out his arm. "Hurry it up!"
Kabuto ran a thumb covered in blood down Orochimaru's arm and the three of them formed seals, before slamming their palms off the ground and chorused. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"
Smoke clouded the area and Kaede hissed as she saw the mass of smog bellow towards her. Horror spread across her expression and she tried to stand, if it enveloped her, she would be crushed by the summon, given the size of the cloud. 'Oh, God! I can't get up!' She thought with panic as her legs refused to listen to her, and she kept falling to her knees.
When she saw the smoke started to engulf her, she snapped. "CRAP!" She cried out as fear washed over her. However before the summon could appear, a long, familiar tongue broke through the smoke and wrapped around her waist, yanking her out of the way just in time as the creatures appeared and she landed on the head of a massive purple snake.
Sitting there, she blinked as the severity and sudden action in the situation dawned on her. "You're beginning to become a burden." A harsh voice spoke from above her, and she looked up to see Orochimaru glaring down at her with disappointment. "Try and keep out of the way if you can't fight..."
Shock kept Kaede quiet as she kept staring at him, while he locked eyes with the other Sannin on top of their chosen summon. This was the second time he had saved her life! Why did this keep happening? Why did he keep saving her life?!
While she recovered from that knowledge, she looked out at the summons around her, one being a giant orange frog, the other a white and blue slug which was the same size as said frog, and the final one being the one she was sat on, which was a giant snake the size of both their enemies creatures combined. At that moment, she, Naruto, Shizune and Kabuto were nothing but insignificant insects in front of giant beasts.
The title of the Sannin was indeed a dangerous one to hold, and one to be feared.
A/N: Woooo! That's another chapter done! Please review, all comments help me improve as a writer!
Japanese = English
Futon: Renkudan = Wind Release: Drilling Air Bullet
Shunshin no Jutsu = Body Flicker Technique
Kage Bunshin no Jutsu = Shadow Clone Technique
Kuchiyose no Jutsu = Summoning Technique
Gogyō Fuuin = Five Elements Seal
Doton: Yomi Numa = Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld
Ninpou: Hari Jizou = Ninja Art: Needle Jizo
Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu =Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique
Futon: Diatoppa = Wind Release: Great Breakthrough
Katon: Kasai Suīpu = (FANMADE) Fire Release: Fire Sweep
Kekkei Genkai = Bloodline Limit
Rasengan = Spiraling Sphere
Keirakukei = Chakra Pathway System
Ninpou: Souzou Saisei = Ninja Art: Creation Rebirth
