I do not own Naruto Shippuden or any of the characters.
Final Fight
"Let's go."
Ryuu walked to the door inside and opened it, finding the stairs clear. They all ran down the stairs, finding that the section of castle they were in was a maze of hallways with catwalks above them. They jumped to the catwalks, running along the hallway until they reached a three-way split. They separated, Ryuu taking the right-hand path. As he ran, he found that there were no troops running past him, despite several more explosions rocking the fortress. he was glad for that. He didn't want to have to fight anyone. He stopped after a bit, removing and resealing his cloak, then continued, eyes scanning the tunnel for any sign of Hidden Snow Ninja. Finally, he stopped as he reached an area where the hallway turned right but the catwalk continued through the wall to a massive open chamber. In the center, there was an octagonal platform with his catwalk and a second attached to opposite sides. he stepped onto the platform just as Fubuki flew into the chamber from a tunnel high up the wall, floating down to land across from him.
"Well well, lucky me," she grinned. "I get the fun kid again. One of our shinobi reported someone heading this way. I'm glad it was you."
"So am I," Ryuu grinned. "After I beat you, I'm taking those wings."
Fubuki grinned widely, drawing several kunai.
"It would seem the disadvantage is pretty even here," Fubuki said. "My Ice Style will be a lot weaker without any ice or snow, but you also have to stick to that tiny little platform."
"That's true," Ryuu nodded, looking around. "I think I can use that to my advantage."
"We'll see about that!" Fubuki sneered, hurling several kunai around the platform.
Ryuu crouched, readying himself and grinning. He had forgotten to grab his leg weights after their last meeting. And because of that, he still felt light, though not as light as at first. The kunai all stabbed into the platform, ice spikes exploding out of the small crystal balls attached to the pommels and shooting inward at Ryuu. He vanished, reappearing on top of a spike as they finished growing.
"How did you..."
"Oh, I'm sorry," Ryuu grinned. "Did I move too fast for you? I guess you might have a bit of trouble keeping up this time then, huh?"
She growled in rage, hurling wave after wave of kunai at him.
"That's it," Ryuu grinned, crouching again.
A moment later, he was flipping and dodging from spike to spike as they grew from all around him, a couple managing to scratch him but for the most part he evaded them. Fubuki stopped, hovering around the now enormous mess of ice spikes.
"My turn," Ryuu grinned.
He began to leap around the ice spikes, hurling kunai with metal wire attached as he did, anchoring one end to a spike far enough down for it to stay, and the other end was attached to the walls by the kunai. Finally, he leapt onto a wire then began to flip around the room on them, firing off even more kunai. Finally, he stopped, crouching on top of an ice spike, the room now filled with metal wires, making it impossible for Fubuki to fly anywhere.
"You little brat!" Fubuki snarled. "That's actually pretty impressive."
She folded her wings in, dropping onto a wire and charging at him. He met her charge, flipping over her punch just in time for her to leapt past a wire, hurling kunai to the wall on either side of the tunnel she had entered through, the ice spikes cutting the wires blocking her path.
"See ya kid!" she shouted as she flew away.
Ryuu hurled a knife with a rope attached, wrapping it around her ankle. She looked back at him, shouting in annoyance and beginning to flip and spin as she flew, kicking her leg, Ryuu flailing around behind her. Ryuu managed to avoid slamming into any of the tunnel walls, and avoided the random catwalks that appeared. Finally, they flew into a massive open chamber with the Kazahana family crest in the center, a high platform off to one side with a throne and a staircase leading up to it, two doors leading out of it, Doto and Koyuki standing at the top of the stairs, Nadare and Mizore in front of the stairs, and Team Kakashi on the opposite side of Nadare and Mizore.
"Here, go see your friends!" Fubuki shouted, flipping and whipping Ryuu around before slashing the rope.
Ryuu crashed down in front of the others, pushing himself up with a groan as Fubuki landed with the others, glaring at him.
"Sorry I'm late," Fubuki said. "That kid's pretty crafty."
"Sorry, I meant to finish her in the other room. But I suppose this will do too. What'd I miss?"
"Koyuki's with them," Naruto growled. "She was just acting like she was on our side."
"Yes," Koyuki said, Ryuu realizing she was holding Sandayu's tanto. "It was all an act!"
She spun, drawing the knife and stabbing Doto. It was too low to be fatal, but it also hadn't gotten far enough in for that to matter. Something was blocking it. Ryuu had a guess what.
"You wretched..." Doto grabbed Koyuki by the throat, holding her at arm's length, but she continued to push the tanto, Doto's face contorting in pain as she did.
"Princess!" Naruto shouted.
"I always knew...Naruto...that if I ever returned to this country...I was going to die here!" Koyuki managed to say. "At least...I could..." She forced her way forward, pushing harder, forcing Doto back toward the edge.
"Don't you do it! Don't you stop fighting!" Naruto shouted, sounding desperate.
"Naruto, it's only thanks to you that...I could stop running away...here at...the end," Koyuki said, barely conscious but somehow still pushing against Doto.
"No! Because all you're doing is running away!" Naruto shouted. "Don't throw away your life like this!"
Koyuki whispered something just as Doto pitched backward. Ryuu watched them fall in silence. It wasn't a fatal distance. She would live. But then, so would Doto, especially with his Chakra Armor. The pair crashed down loudly, Koyuki landing on her head and being knocked unconscious and Naruto sprinted past the other three, the three of them grinning knowingly and allowing him to go. In fact, they hadn't reacted to Doto being stabbed at all, either. Sure enough, just as Naruto neared Koyuki, Doto stood, slamming an uppercut into his gut and launching him backward. As Naruto landed, Ryuu noticed the device on his stomach for the first time, a metal object with six flattened protrusions around the outside, each with a wire extended and driven into Naruto's gut, and a blue and white yin-and-yang symbol on the face.
He turned his attention back to Doto as Doto let his robe fall, along with the tanto, exposing his black Chakra Armor with blue highlights and a set of wings on his back. The yin-and-yang symbol was dead center of his chest and there was a green skirt-like cloth around his waist with a purple rope belt.
"You really thought you could kill me did you, with this little toy?" Doto chuckled. "That's right. It's Chakra Armor. Our latest prototype."
Koyuki suddenly began to cough, stirring. Doto picked up Koyuki and Naruto sprinted forward again.
"Don't you touch her with those filthy hands of yours!" Naruto shouted seconds before Doto turned, slamming a fist into Naruto and launching him backward again.
"Naruto!" Koyuki shouted.
"You're wasting your time," Doto snorted. "Every ounce of your chakra has been completely sealed away!" He looked down as Koyuki uselessly slammed her fists into his abdomen. "Come, let us go Koyuki. Beyond the rainbow."
Ryuu rolled his eyes at the quote from Koyuki's movie. Suddenly, the roof above them exploded, a metal wire yanking Doto and Koyuki upward, Naruto hurling a kunai with a rope to Koyuki, which she caught, pulling him along. The other three Snow Ninja scattered as the rest of the roof began to cave in, Ryuu and Team Kakashi doing the same. Ryuu looked up, catching sight of Fubuki flying through the debris and followed her, using the Body Flicker Technique to navigate the debris without getting crushed. Then, he leapt at her, catching her around the waist and kicking his lower body under them before yanking downward, sending them both on a spiraling course to the ground. A moment later, he leapt off and Fubuki crashed down hard, rolling to a stop before standing, glaring at him as he stood, drawing his trench knife and a kunai in reverse grip. She looked back at her now thoroughly destroyed wings and sighed, folding them back in.
"Alright kid, let's do this your way," she growled, drawing a pair of kunai of her own.
Ryuu sprinted forward, flipping over her first slash and slamming a kick into the side of her head. She flew away from him but he landed and instantly threw himself away as her kunai fell, massive ice spikes exploding up after him, once again at full power as they were outside again. Fubuki flipped, landing with her hands on the ground and massive pice pillars began to burst out of the ground at him. He leapt onto a tree then off of it over a pillar, forming hand seals.
"Fire Style, Phoenix Flower Jutsu!" He shouted, several fireballs blasting the ice pillars, clearing him a spot to land.
As he did, he spun, hurling his kunai and blocking one of Fubuki's, making the ice spikes miss. Then, he dove to the side as ice sparrows shot out of the snow below him. They shot into the air, wheeling around.
"Fine then," Ryuu said, forming several hand seals.
Suddenly, crows began to shoot off of him, seemingly forming from his black shirt. When he had read that part of Shisui's summoning techniques, he hadn't understood it fully. But now he did. The crows crashed into the sparrows, using their talons to smash them, a few crows being hit only to explode into a cloud of feathers as they returned to their own dimension. Finally, the last of the swallows were gone and Ryuu flipped to the side as more kunai stabbed into the ground.
"Is that all you've got?" Ryuu asked, looking up at Fubuki. "You're getting to be a broken record!"
He sprinted forward, flipping onto an ice spike and sprinting up it then leaping at her. Fubuki leapt off of the branch she had been on, landing on the snow, forming hand seals. Ryuu dropped to the ground and sprinted at her, trench knife in hand again.
"Ice Style, Ice Dragon Jutsu!" Fubuki shouted, a massive dragon made of ice erupting out of the ground before her, roaring as it bore down on Ryuu.
"Impressive," Ryuu said, appearing to Fubuki's left, the ice dragon crashing through several trees. "Too slow, but impressive."
The dragon reared around, flying at Ryuu again only for Ryuu to flip out of the way, sprinting at Fubuki again. Fubuki drew a kunai, blocking his trench knife and he grabbed her arm, spinning and hurling her into her own dragon. She shouted in fear and surprise just before the chakra barrier protecting her met the dragon, causing a massive explosion. She crashed down in front of him and stood, charging at him only for him to duck under her punch, slamming a fist into her stomach, lifting her off of the ground. Then, he flipped, kicking her sideways through the trees. He ran after her, leaving the trees at the top of a cliff. He slowed to a stop as she stood, only for the snow below her to give way. Fubuki shouted in fear, falling and Ryuu leapt to the edge, driving his tanto into the ground and catching her wrist.
"What are you doing!?" she demanded.
"I may not like you, but I don't want to kill you," Ryuu said.
"You're trying to save me?" she scoffed. "You're supposed to be a ninja! We kill each other!"
"I want to be different," Ryuu said. "I make my own path."
"Just die you idiot!" She shrieked, pulling herself up and slashing with a kunai.
Instinct dictated Ryuu's reaction. His hand released her, rising to shield his eyes. As a result, he received a gash running down his forearm as Fubuki fell, screaming as she did. He lowered his hand just as she slammed head first into a rock outcropping, her scream ending instantly and her body pinwheeling to the ground. Ryuu pulled himself up, gritting his teeth and closing his eyes, praying. Then, he carefully bandaged his arm, Sakura arriving as he did and helping him. Then, they both ran away from the cliff, Sakura leading him. After several minutes, they arrived at a large clearing where the snow had been melted and two Narutos were sprinting at Doto, another held by the hands. Then, they stopped, hurling the third Naruto at Doto. As they did, Doto threw a punch, a massive black dragon made of ice with the inside of its mouth and its eyes all glowing red shot out, crashing into Naruto and blasting him into his clones, all three being blasted backward as the dragon exploded.
"Dammit," Ryuu growled. "Where's Kakashi when we need him!"
He sprinted forward, cradling his wounded left arm against his abdomen and drawing his tanto with the other. He sped at Doto from behind but Doto spun, punching him and sending him flying, his tanto landing off to the side.
"Ryuu!" Sasuke shouted from off to the side where he was barely able to stand. "Use this."
He activated his Sharingan, forming a ball of Lightning chakra in the palm of his hand and Ryuu activated his own Sharingan, copying the jutsu. Then, he turned back to Doto, charging. Doto sped forward, throwing a punch, but now Ryuu had his Sharingan active. He ducked under the punch, standing and driving the ball of lightning into the underside of Doto's arm. The arm was sliced off and Ryuu spun to a stop, allowing the jutsu to fade as Doto stared at his stump before screaming in rage and pain. He spun, holding out his fist and sending a black dragon at Ryuu but Ryuu dove to the side, avoiding it. As he was sprinting forward, however, Doto stomped, a pillar of ice bursting out of the ground before him, blasting into Ryuu's full body and launching him backward into a massive chunk of ice. Ryuu fell to the ground, groaning, just before Kakashi appeared behind Doto, driving the same lightning Jutsu Sasuke had showed him through Doto's heart. Doto turned to attack Kakashi only for Kakashi to catch his arm and spin, hurling him into one of the massive mirror-like glaciers around them. Doto hit hard and stood, roaring in rage, several massive ice dragons bursting out of the ground at Kakashi.
"Fire Style, Dragon Flame Bomb!" Kakashi shouted before exhaling several massive flaming dragons.
Three of the four crashed into the ice dragons, blasting them apart before the last exploded into Doto. The explosion sent cracks shooting along the glacier and after a moment, the face of the glacier broke apart. Instantly, it was like a switch was flicked. Rainbow-colored light was suddenly shining from the glaciers and the temperature rose instantly to mid-summer levels, the temperature sweeping across the country so rapidly and completely that the snow melted in a massive wave, the now beautiful green fields seeming to be spreading over the country in the blink of an eye. Ryuu sighed as it did, collapsing into the grass, head turned toward the center of the glaciers, where a massive transparent figure was now hovering. Ryuu blinked. It was a young Koyuki. A voice began to speak, but it sounded garbled to Ryuu and he couldn't understand. He was also aware of his body feeling like it was a thousand pounds. He looked down at his arm and realized why. He was bleeding heavily out of his forearm. Dangerously so. He tried to stand but his legs gave out, leaving him to crash back to the ground. As soon as he did, Kakashi appeared over him, saying something but Ryuu couldn't hear him. He was so tired. And his body felt so heavy. But at least there wasn't anymore pain. Maybe there should have been, but for now there wasn't. He felt like it had been years since he had slept. Maybe if he just got a few minutes of sleep he'd be able to think again.
His brain became aware of an odd buzzing sound. Maybe that was just his imagination. He tried to block it out but it refused. He felt like he knew that sound from somewhere. He opened his eyes slowly, seeing a white sandal and a tan let, but he couldn't find the will to look up to see who they belonged to. Then, there was a green light above him and warmth filled his body, pushing the numbness out but also holding the pain that should have returned at bay. He smiled. It was a comforting warmth. He let his eyes slide closed, his smile never leaving his face as he slipped away.
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