I do not own Naruto Shippuden or any of the characters.
Insanity
They left the cave, speeding through the trees. After longer than Ryuu would like, they reached the canyon, crossing on the same rope as the first time and then splitting up. Tenten left to distract everyone, and Ryuu, Neji, and Lee went to get the star. Finally, an explosion went off on the far side of the village and Ryuu skidded down into the crater. Just as he did, however, Natsuhi flew down to the training building, walking inside. Ryuu sensed the village's shinobi coming and hid behind a boulder with the other two, swearing.
"Now what?" Neji asked.
"Wait for it," Ryuu said.
A moment later, a much, much larger explosion went off, almost all of the shinobi leaving to investigate this time. All that were left were Akahoshi and his one subordinate who Ryuu hadn't paralyzed before and left where he had fallen. That seal would break when the sun rose. The one he was going to place on Akahoshi, however, would not. Ever.
Ryuu flipped over the boulder, hurling a stone at Akahoshi's subordinate and hitting him in the back of the head just as he moved to threw several kunai at Natsuhi from behind, making him miss. Natsuhi spun, leaping over the two Hidden Star ninja and landing behind Ryuu and the others.
"We'll handle them this time," Ryuu said. "Just then, Tenten landed beside them, sighing."
"They saw me," Tenten said.
Hidden Star shinobi began to appear around them rapidly, Ryuu rolling his eyes and standing.
"Don't move!" one of the shinobi, most of whom were holding crossbows, ordered.
"Wait!" Hokuto shouted, she and Sumaru flying down on Sumaru's wings, both landing inside the circle, Hokuto standing between Ryuu and the one that had spoken. "They're not the enemy!"
"Hokuto, what are you doing?" someone asked.
"Why did you betray the village?" someone else asked.
"She didn't betray the village, she chose not to leave Sumaru to die!" Ryuu snapped. "And I take it you believe Sumaru, the guy who's always saying he's going to be the next Hoshikage, is also a traitor, right?"
People began to murmur amongst themselves.
"Don't listen to him!" Akahoshi said. "These Leaf Village Shinobi were working with the thief!"
"You're goddamn right we were," Ryuu said, turning to look at Natsuhi, who stepped forward, some of the older shinobi gasping.
"My name is Natsuhi," Natsuhi said. "For anyone who doesn't know, I'm Sumaru's mother. I'm also the last surviving person to have finished the Star Training. Everyone else died because of the Star Training, including my husband. I would be dead myself if this Leaf Village ninja hadn't healed me on multiple occasions."
More murmurs.
"I stole the star once years ago, for the same reason I stole it this time," Natsuhi said. "A reason Akahoshi doesn't want you to know. Star Chakra is poisonous! It kills anyone who uses it. If Star Training is not stopped, all of the children will die!"
"Lies!" Akahoshi seethed. "Baseless lies!"
"Alright that's it!" Ryuu said. "Bring out Mizura!"
Mizura limped toward them from the other genin, leaning heavily on a cane Ryuu had carved for him before going to see what Akahoshi and Natsuhi were talking about. He limped through the shinobi, who all parted for him, staring in shock. Ryuu sighed when he reached them.
"Mizura, you didn't," Ryuu said.
"I tried training again after you healed me," Mizura said. "I thought maybe I could withstand it."
Mizura's hair had turned gray, and his body was deathly pale, except for the glowing purple spots on his torso, which he had pulled his gi off of, where the star chakra was attacking his skin. Even with the cane, he was barely able to support his weight, shaking badly as he tried to even stay standing.
"This is all from Star Training," Mizura said. "My body is weaker than the others, so the effects are faster, but this is what star chakra does to everyone."
Then, his legs gave out, Hokuto catching him and lowering him to the ground.
"This is exactly why the Third Hoshikage forbade star training," Natsuhi said. "Until Akahoshi murdered him!"
Everyone fell deathly silent, staring at Akahoshi. He was fuming, glaring daggers at everyone inside the circle of shinobi.
"Well Akahoshi?" someone asked. "Is that true? Did you kill the Hoshikage?"
"That's right!" Akahoshi snarled. "I killed the Third Hoshikage! And I'd do it a thousand times over! That wretched old fool would have thrown away our village's future for some snot-nosed little brats!"
"How dare you!"
"You monster!"
"Anyone who threatens this village is a traitor!" Akahoshi shouted over everyone else. "Arrest these brats and kill the bitch!"
The other genin moved first, moving to stand in front of Ryuu and the others, arms spread defensively. Then, the adults did the same.
"Traitors!" Akahoshi raged. "You're all traitors! Every last one of you!"
He grabbed a crossbow from the ground, firing at Hokuto, only for Sumaru to step in the way, the arrow hitting just to the right of his heart. Natsuhi unleashed a shriek like a banshee, her Star Chakra unleashing all her fury on Akahoshi, demolishing the training building instantly, Akahoshi struggling to dodge it for a minute before forming his own chakra and fighting back. Ryuu ripped the arrow out of Sumaru's chest, instantly working to heal him, Sumaru grimacing.
"Sumaru!" Hokuto sobbed. "Hang on! Stay with me!"
"Hokuto," Sumaru smiled, raising his hand, Hokuto catching it with both of hers. "Thank you...for..."
"Shut up Sumaru!" Ryuu said. "You're not dying. So cut the theatrics."
Sumaru's eyes began to flutter shut and he sighed, passing out. However, just as he did, Ryuu finished healing him, smirking and shaking his head.
"This friggin' kid," Ryuu sighed. "He's fine, Hokuto. He just passed out from the pain."
Just then, Natsuhi's chakra blasted Akahoshi, throwing him backward. Ryuu walked over to stand beside Natsuhi as Akahoshi stood, pulling the star out of his robes. Then, he placed it against his chest, pushing, hard. Ryuu flinched as he heard Akahoshi's ribs break. His skin tore, and then he stopped, grinning. The star was implanted in his chest. It began to shine with purple light and star chakra exploded off of Akahoshi rapidly. His hair suddenly turned pink, growing several inches as his forehead protector broke off. Then, the chakra exploded first into a tornado before forming into a dragon. Ryuu sighed.
"Alright," Sado said. "Stand back Natsuhi. Your star chakra can't compete with that."
"You can't fight him like that," Natsuhi said.
"Bet," Ryuu grinned forming half a dozen clones, all of whom charged instantly.
Ryuu himself slashed his tanto, blasting the dragon with an arc of fire, making it lunge at him, only for him to appear off to the side, blasting it again. It swung around at him and he appeared behind Akahoshi, realizing that the chakra at the back looked thinner than the front. He blasted it, but it showed no sign of being weaker than anywhere else. He vanished, reappearing off to one side as his clones reached Akahoshi, only for the dragon to shoot a blast of pure star chakra at them, destroying them all. He began to laugh just as Ryuu appeared in front of him, punching the star chakra then leaping away before the dragon could blast him. He flipped, landing on his feet and vanishing just ahead of a star chakra blast, appearing off to the side.
"Ryuu, you have to destroy the star!" Neji shouted. "Otherwise, he'll just keep gaining chakra!"
"That'll kill him!" Ryuu shouted, avoiding the dragon.
"It's the only way!" Neji shouted. "Only you can get through the star chakra!"
Ryuu appeared off to the side, growling in annoyance but nodding, forming a pair of Chidoris.
"Don't count on it!" Akahoshi shouted, the dragon growing wings and spinning, the wings sending out arcs of star chakra the way Ryuu had flames earlier. Ryuu sprinted forward, flipping and ducking through the blasts before driving his hands at the Star Chakra. Then, the chidoris shattered against it. Leapt away, barely avoiding the dragon's head but being caught in the blast it fired anyway. He crashed down hard, pushing himself up slowly.
"No way," Neji breathed. "He couldn't cut it?"
"Okay, try this!" Ryuu said, holding out his hand.
Chakra began to spiral over it, forming itself into a sphere. Then, just as it was about to be complete, it dispersed in a cloud of sparks. Ryuu swore loudly before vanishing a second ahead of the dragon, appearing on one of the wooden beams sticking up from the training hall.
"Dammit," Ryuu swore. "I can't copy that jutsu? Dammit. That's impressive Naruto. But...it kind of fucks me here. I don't have any jutsus as effective at brute force as your Rasengan."
He vanished as the dragon fired a blast at him, appearing behind Akahoshi and shoving a Chidori at the chakra. The jutsu made a tiny mark on the chakra, but still failed to cut through. Then, Akahoshi's dragon blasted headlong into him. He crashed down, rolling several feet before stopping, groaning and pushing himself up.
"Ryuu!" Neji shouted.
"I'm alright!" Ryuu shouted. "I'll figure this out. You're sure your Gentle Fist is useless?"
"I'm sure!" Neji nodded.
Ryuu sighed, forming another Chidori, seeing the chakra behind Akahoshi had already regenerated. He sighed. "This is useless."
He stared at it. Kakashi had said the Chidori could cut anything. Kakashi was going to be depressed that it had failed. He let it fade, looking up at Akahoshi. He couldn't beat him. But maybe Lee could break the chakra enough to get him a target. Ryuu vanished, reappearing beside Lee.
"Lee, how hard can you hit?" Ryuu asked.
"Hard," Lee said. "What do you need?"
"The chakra behind him is weakest," Ryuu said. "But none of my attacks can get through it as it is. I need you to crack it. Hit it as hard as you can directly behind his heart and the chakra should crack. The moment it does, I'll put a Chidori through it."
Lee nodded, reaching into his leg warmers and pulling out brass knuckles. Then, he took off, speeding around Akahoshi, whose dragon struggled to keep up. Then, as Akahoshi's dragon passed around in front of Akahoshi again, Lee sped up, vanishing and reappearing behind Akahoshi, smashing his fist into the chakra. Ryuu waited. Akahoshi crashed to the ground, Lee landing on him and rapidly smashing his fists into the chakra. Finally, the dragon blasted him off and Ryuu formed a Chidori, appearing behind Akahoshi as he stood. Cracks spiderwebbed across the back of Akahoshi's chakra, but they were sealing rapidly. He shoved his Chidori forward, driving it through the chakra and through Akahoshi, severing his spine and killing him painlessly before his hand drilled a hole through the star. He instantly vanished, barely escaping the explosion that followed the star being damaged. It flung him like a rag doll, Neji and Tenten catching him. Then, they set him on his feet, all of them watching the mushroom cloud the star had created. Ryuu sat down hard, groaning and wiping the sweat from his eyes. Tenten and Neji sat on either side of him, Lee dropping to the ground a little lower in the crater from him.
"Why do I always get the crazy ones?" Ryuu sighed.
"I don't know," Neji said. "You didn't fight Kidomaru."
"Me, Lee, and Gaara all fought Kimimaro, and lost," Ryuu said. "Fuck I need a vacation."
The other three all laughed as the others walked over, Sumaru holding his chest and blushing slightly at having thought he was dying earlier.
"Thank you for saving us," Natsuhi said. "And for saving my son."
"Don't thank us yet," Ryuu said. "You all need treatment that I can't give. But Lady Tsunade might be able to. You'd have to come to the Hidden Leaf Village, though."
"We can manage that," Natsuhi nodded. "Still, though, thank you."
Ryuu nodded and pushed himself up. They went to the same hotel they had stayed at the rest of the nights they had been in the village and the next morning they all headed to Konoha with the Hidden Star Village's shinobi, Lee taking Mizura on ahead, since his case was the most severe.
Leave a review.