Disclaimer: Refer to chapter 1.
AN: Full Chapter Title: Phase Two Begins! Demon Unleashed: Ichibi!
At last the demon held within the boy, the beast that was the cause of an obsession with blood, was allowed to let out a mighty roar. The towering form of the unleashed Tailed Beast could be seen from everywhere one could be in the village. Even at the destroyed gates.
"Ah, it looks like Rasa-kun has stopped wasting time." Orochimaru let his blade fall to his side, ignored the presence of Jiraiya for now. "I was starting to think he would forget the next stage with how long he was taking. That would make me regret letting him live so long."
"I don't know what's worse, that I thought the Kazekage was some corpse you animated or that he's actually the one behind this. I still don't know which one is better." Jiraiya didn't lower the two kunai he held in his hands. It would be foolish to drop them.
Orochimaru was too much of a threat to ever drop one's guard around. The fact that he looked amused, happy even, at the sight of the Ichibi showed Jiraiya that the invasion was about to get much worse for Konoha thanks to the mad man in front of him.
"Don't be so harsh on him Jiraiya-kun." The rouge Shinobi smiled. "Rasa-kun cares for his village enough to invade another to prove his dominance to that Daimyo of his."
"And I bet you gave him that advice?" Jiraiya had his answer in the continued smile from Orochimaru.
"I would never do such a thing Jiraiya-kun. But his advisors agree so much better when they're all already dead." The blade of one third of the famous Sannin vanished in a sudden burst of smoke. "This little meeting of ours was delightful Jiraiya, the chance to catch up with an old friend like you is always exciting. I'm almost hoping you survive all that I have planned just to fight you like this again."
Before Jiraiya could press him, demand an answer to his latest insanity, Orochimaru was gone. The clone striking from above failed to end the Snake with a Giant Rasengan. Jiraiya hardly paid any attention to the python his kunai plunged through once he sidestepped the sudden lunge. It vanished before it struck the ground and the Toad Sage dispelled his clone.
"Whatever he was talking about can't be good for the village." He vanished from the destroyed forest.
It, once a great forest before the mighty gates and towering walls of Konoha, was nothing but the remnants of destruction brought forth from a battle few could survive. The two Sannin, even if both fought far from their full power, destroyed an equivalent amount of forest as the stadium the Hokage had battled the Kazekage within.
"At last!" Naruto's face lit up with joy as he sensed the power that washed over the stadium, washed over the village. It was a sign to him, a sign that his moment of glory had at last been presented, that his chance to display the power the Caesar of such a Legion as his own commanded was at last here. He rejoiced at such a thing.
"Legate, mobilize the Fifth and Sixth Cohorts with all possible haste to destroy the invaders! Lead the First where the most challenging of foes await! Show them the might of my Legion while I show the beast here why I am known as Caesar!" Naruto quickly shouted his orders, a childlike excitement taking hold of the Caesar.
At last, the time he had long waited for had at last arrived. He desired nothing but to show all his might, his strength, and at last show why he should be known as Caesar. The anticipation for such an event, for such a grand opportunity to unveil his might to the world, had made him overcome with excitement in this moment.
"Of course Caesar!" Sasuke grinned as he saluted Naruto. "The mad dog will face your wrath at last!"
"Indeed it shall Legate!" Naruto raced up the main steps, those that the observing civilians had taken to see the matches in the Chunin Exams, and took them two, three, and at times even four, at a time. He raced up them as Sasuke turned back.
"You all need to be ready to move now. Those escorting the Hyuga are likely already near the tower. You will be safe there." Sasuke glanced to his arm where the seal was placed. "If not, you can simply move with them to the tower."
His Sharingan was active once more, he held his newly presented shield on his arm and took note of the blade sheathed inside it. He grinned at the fact. His own personal weapons, exquisitely crafted to show his return to the true prestige of a title such as Legate.
It was a good feeling.
"What about the people?" Ino had been silent when he and Naruto had entered the building but now slowly limped over to him. "You said you would evacuate them."
"And I shall." Sasuke pressed a finger to his ear beneath his helmet. "Centurion, what is your progress?"
"The stadium is evacuated, the living and dead alike. What is my next task Legate?" The Centurion of the Fifth clearly desired for battle. It was clear in the hints of anxiousness in his voice, the boredom that filled his words at such a simple task. He thirsted for the chance to lead his Cohort into battle, to allow them the chance to lay their own bloody claim to glory on this day.
"Rally your Cohort and march them forward to battle. Caesar's plans have not changed. The Sixth will soon head to battle with the invaders as well. I have been instructed by Caesar to take the First to where the fighting is most vicious and stake claim to glory for his Legion there." Sasuke was grinning as he spoke, as he walked over to the Genin.
He stopped Ino halfway, held her under one arm to steady her on her injured leg.
"At last." Relief at escape from such a boring task as evacuation came through the two words. "I shall take my forces to battle where the Toad Sage dispatched the summon of his that wielded blades. I believe it was the western gate."
"Find glory in battle Centurion of the Fifth."
"You as well Legate."
The connection was ended and Sasuke reached the group.
"I still need to move you all away from here." He seemed to sigh at the very thought but his grin remained on his face. "I nearly forgot about such a task."
"With that Chakra building in the stadium, we shouldn't head out on the streets. There's no telling what's going to happen when this thing finally blows." Shikamaru glanced to the ground. "This place has underground maintenance tunnels that connect to the tunnels for the shelter. It won't be nice or easy but it beats getting taken by surprise by whatever's up there."
"A Jinchuriki." Sasuke's eyes were focused on the tinted glass doors that would take them outside into the village once more. "The Legion, and myself, is quite sure the beast sealed inside Gaara is the Ichibi, a tanuki with control over sand and power over strange cursed markings. The sand the boy controls is likely tied to the beast, using its power to defend its host and, by extension, itself from any harm."
"So that kid has a demon in him?" Choji looked back to where the arena rested, where Gaara was no doubt transforming into the monster he truly was.
"He is of no concern to you Akimichi." Sasuke strode towards the tinted glass doors in front of him. "Now let's get moving."
He didn't bother with the tunnels. He would do nothing but stride out of the building as Legate of the Orange Legion, not some rat scurrying under foot with hopes of not being discovered.
Away from him, Naruto came upon the towering form of the Jinchuriki's burden released to the world at last. He stared at it and the excited, almost joyful, smile he wore as he moved turned into something else.
"This power is…" Naruto stared at the beast he would be challenging. "It is pitiful!"
He drew his blade from his side and his body was cast in shadow and light by the azure flames that sprouted from his blade.
"Come here you beast!" He swung.
The massive beast of sand before him lost part of its marked and shining stomach.
"Show me some of your strength you mad dog!" Naruto swung again, unleashed a horizontal bladed wall of Chakra that stretched across the entirety of the stadium's fighting arena. "Are you even deserving of my blade or are you nothing but a rabid mutt!
It slammed into the beast he so desired to do battle with, knocked it to the side with the explosive impact. It also succeeded in throwing Naruto back momentarily. The Caesar didn't fall but he grabbed hold of the railing to steady himself even as a fresh azure flame burned on his blade, as his eyes shifted to a burning crimson.
"Fight you beast!" Naruto swung again on the roaring Ichibi, unleashed his growing fury at what had turned his immense anticipation into disappointment. "Fight me!"
The walls of Chakra he unleashed against Neji during his battle with the Hyuga prodigy were not a thing to compare to his current attacks. They were massive, filled with power far too dense to be broken through or diverted. It was the closest pure Chakra could become to an instrument of destruction.
Naruto swung again.
The beast swung a shining sand claw at him.
A furious storm of sparkling sand bullets of all shapes and sizes surged towards the lone Shinobi before the beast, would have killed, ripped to shreds, any other who wished to face the monster. Naruto was not like those that would be torn apart by such a bombardment. He mocked such a thing when he swung the blazing azure flame forward again, unleashed another wall of his might to show the beast before him why it was such a disappointment to the Caesar.
"Is this all you have! Is this all the fearsome monster of Sunagakure can muster for one such as myself!" Naruto roared his challenge once more as he swung his blade once more, allowed his wrath to fill the air once more, and strike at the roaring beast once more.
It roared its fury, shook the stadium with the power behind merely its voice, and a wave of sand that shined in the light appeared without warning before Naruto. His eyes widened the slightest of bit as it came down upon him with the speed of lightning. He leaped away, jumping to a higher portion of the stadium. Clawed hands ripped free of the veritable wall of shining sand that was already crashing down to the ground, cursed markings denoting the power of the Ichibi that controlled it.
Naruto deftly avoided the first one and the second but the third struck him in the chest. He felt something attempt to grab hold of him, attempt to bind him, but a Caesar was not to be bound, was not to be subject to any other. His eyes burned with a dark red light, he was enshrouded in a crimson cloak that burned the very air, and the sand withdrew as if it was a man whose hand had wandered too close to an open flame. It had wandered close to power and retreated to nurse the burns such foolishness had wrought upon flesh. The crimson cloak was gone a moment later, Naruto not pressing a clear chance for attack as he instead took in his hands.
The power was gone from them. They, like the rest of his form, was suddenly rendered free of the crimson shroud that had come forth so suddenly.
'The Chakra of the beast…' He would experiment further with it later but for now he had a greater issue.
A horizontal hail of flashing sand bullets were released towards him by the rising wall of shining sand. His personal shield came to his arm, his Chakra enshrouded it in a crimson embrace, and he braced himself behind it to weather whatever storm the dog before him sought to unleash, whatever force the beast before him thought could triumph before a Caesar.
In the blink of an eye one slammed into his shield. It held firm. The next was larger, much larger, and slammed into the center of his shield. Naruto did not allow himself, a Caesar, to move, increased the flow of the Chakra anchoring his feet to the ground to insure steady footing. A third bullet of sand struck him, a fourth and a fifth followed at the same time. The volley only grew from then but his shield held firm for the few moments it lasted before he heard stone crumble and fall to the ground with a cracking sound, wood forced to break to splinters by a heavy weight forced upon it, and the diminishing roar of the beast as it moved.
"What do you think you're doing beast!" Naruto would have chased after the beast if sand didn't swirl around him, a claw of two colors grab hold of him as it erupted forth from the ground. He swung down with his blade, unleashed a wave of Chakra to throw it away and free himself. He was still airborne and saw the mass of dual colored sand that rolled like the waves of the sea beneath him. It was the beast's last ploy it seemed, to draw him in and crush him beneath incredible levels of pressure. A dozen more clawed hands rose, spiraled together as they rose into the air and after him. They would drag him down, rip a Caesar from the skies to bury him deep below the rolling surface.
A Caesar grinned at such a sight.
He welcomed the challenge.
His shield was thrown in front of him, cloaked in Chakra to provide a sturdy defense. He landed on the defensive tool feet first as the sand surged directly upright, as an ocean of twin toned spikes rose from the surface to rip through the barrier of Chakra between him and it. It was a futile effort and, almost immediately, it was abandoned as clawed arms emerged from the side of the same spikes that had tried in vain to skewer him in the air in a mockery of a forest. They shot up and around him instead with nimbleness he had seen from the beast before, looked to cage him, grab hold of him, and rip his form to shreds. He only drew his blade, swung as he laughed at such a useless and wasted effort. His Chaka laden blade easily bisected the hands of sand that reached for him in the heavens. He retrieved his shield by kicking it out from under him and following after it into the air with a mighty leap. He fell back to the floor of the stadium just as pillars of sand erupted from below, arched down to slam into the ground before him. He had been ready to face such a mighty attack head of, cleave it in twain with his unstoppable blade, show the Ichibi the power he held, when they stuck the ground far from him, within the interior of the sudden circle of pillars that surrounded him. He was curious at what was happening just before it was made clear. A tide of two toned abominations began to emerge from the pillars, cursed markings spread across them the same as all the sand that the Ichibi claimed dominion over with its vast power. Their false arms shifted and twisted, became clubs, spikes, crude blades, and more. The faceless mass surged towards Naruto, aimed to overwhelm him with numbers where brute force had failed.
His lips curled with disgust.
"I will not waste my time with this fodder you beast!" He threw his arm out to the side, was enshrouded in smoke and hidden from view.
From within the smoke, a number of blades were wreathed in the azure glow of Chakra, shined like distant flames within the smoke. It cleared to show a Century of Praetorians summoned to Naruto's side, called forth to battle the sand creatures before him.
"You will not escape me beast!" His Praetorians charged forward with a shout, formed a corridor forged through their steel and strength to allow him passage. Chakra laced blades ripped apart the creatures of sand, powerful blows form shields threw the grainy creatures away, and the Praetorians pushed further, widened the pass for Caesar to step through unobstructed.
He ran through and threw himself over the railing, sailing into the now ruined arena. He landed and leaped again, jumped to the next wall and raced up it using Chakra running to his feet. His blade was worthless now, placed at his side, as he grabbed hold of the edge of the wall with one hand to throw himself over it. He caught sight of the escaping Ichibi as he began to descend and two of his Praetorians appeared next to him.
Each grabbed hold of the other and their shoulders provided him a platform to jump from, soaring to the top of the stadium as his red eyes took in the sight of his fleeing foe.
"COWARD!" Naruto spoke only the single word, shouted it to the monster he knew could hear him, understand the words of a Caesar. "IS THIS ALL THE FEARSOME SHUKAKU CAN DO! ARE YOU TOO AFRAID TO FACE YOUR BETTER!"
The beast turned with speed that its large form should not allow. Chakra, one bright like the sky and the other dark like night, came together in a swirling mass before its maw. A black sphere of raw destruction was thrown towards Naruto and he grinned at the sight of it.
He descended down from the stadium wall, let the attack soar past him and explode high in the air.
It rocked the village, the shockwave it produced tore apart the buildings below the blast, and Naruto's grin widened when the beast focused only on him. Its dark eyes shined with malice, with cruelty, and with hatred few could match.
Naruto welcomed such eyes, they were eyes that befitted an enemy of a Caesar. Such eyes proved that his opponent wished for nothing more than his death, to bring an end to him and all he stood for. Such eyes promised a worthy challenge to his might.
Red wisps followed Naruto as he descended, acted almost like flames as they pulled away from him and into the air around him.
He struck the ground before leaping towards the beast that was his foe while it began roaring and unleashing a fury of boulder of sands from its wide open maw. One of the countless boulders crashed into Naruto, powered him back and into the outer wall of the stadium. He grinned as he burst through it a moment later, a red shroud of power flickering around him for a moment before vanishing, leaving nothing but remnants and the memory of it.
He ignored the strangeness of it for now. A Caesar had something much more important to do than wonder about the strangeness of the Chakra he commanded. He had much more to concern himself with when glory laid so close at hand.
He drew his blade and a blade of Chakra cleaved into the grainy body of the Ichibi. It unleashed another roar of its fury upon him, showered him in sand boulders that sought to crush him. He saw the challenge and unleashed another arc of Chakra through his blade.
"Yes! Show your Caesar all your fury, all your strength! Hold nothing back so victory is all the greater when I crush you!"
As Naruto roared his challenge to the Ichibi, gave it a taste of a Caesar's overwhelming power, the Hokage was approached by a trio of ANBU Black Ops agents. Two carried familiar children in their arms, both heavily bound. They were no doubt also forced to remain in a state of unconsciousness.
"Lord Hokage!" Yugao Uzuki dropped to a knee in front of the Hokage as she appeared in a swirl of leaves before him, the Body Flicker Technique put to good use to do so. Her fellow ANBU agents appeared behind her, their packages secured in their arms.
"Yugao." He only addressed her by name because her mask had been discarded. Her ANBU uniform had been exchanged for the traditional garb of Jonin and Chunin in the village. He didn't need to question why she had done such a thing.
She was still human after all.
Hayate Gekko remained in the hospital still. It would obviously have been a prime target for any determined attacker on the village, undermining the morale and the capability of the defending force by destroying it or, at minimum, preventing any casualties from reaching shelter and aid within. Sand and Sound Shinobi had surely targeted the hospital. Judging by the blood that dotted her uniform, the blood that no doubt covered her blade from the smell of iron in the air, she had been busy making it a lethal target that rose above the gains assaulting it could grant. Her and any of her fellow Shinobi who had similar interests in keeping the hospital safe and standing, keeping those who recuperated within free from harm.
The aged Hokage cast his gaze away from the trio of Shinobi in front of him and towards the hospital.
It still stood. Smoke nearly hid it from sight but, as a moment longer observation of the acrid black smoke showed, it wasn't from the hospital. The buildings around it burned, much of the village was now covered by the haze of war, but it still stood.
He breathed out a breath he did not know he was holding in. His old age had made him less and less aware it seemed.
The civilians would soon be safe, locked away in the shelter or protected by the Shinobi forces he had assigned in fear of this very moment on this day if it had truly come to pass.
"The Kazekage's children." He did not ask. Hiruzen Sarutobi knew how war worked. He knew a myriad of ways any battle could be won, he knew how to use diplomacy to bring a conflict to an end just as much as he knew how to cripple the enemy, how to shatter their lines, and wipe them out to the very last.
To win this battle he knew what had to be done.
Yugao did not answer him with words. She didn't need to. It took a simple nod of her head for him to have what he needed, the two dropped at his feet. A spike of Killing Intent woke them up, whatever drug that had rendered them unconscious was powerless against the surge of a primal fear of death.
Neither seemed surprised past their initial panic.
They were Shinobi, they were children raised by the Fourth Kazekage.
They knew how cold the world could be. Begging, pleading, none of it would change their fate. Only the next few actions of their father could. Rasa could spare them or damn them. It was the nature of the Shinobi world for the Kage to decide life and death for all those beneath them.
Children included.
Rasa's Third Eye watched them. He had been watching them ever since he had felt the sudden surge of Killing Intent, the refined nature of it proving it was from a Shinobi as experienced as Hiruzen Sarutobi. He knew they had his children, knew their lives now hung in the balance because their escort had failed.
The Ichibi roared as a truly massive blade of azure Chakra slammed into it, the hail of sand boulders it unleashed upon its foe by clawing at the air were truly worthless to stop the source of it. Another blade of Chakra flew towards the Tailed Beast, the shouts of the Shinobi behind them not clear to those gathered so far away. They could see the armored figure jump at the Ichibi, see his blade ignite with Chakra. He was battling the beast. He was battling it and, more quickly with every successive blow, he was driving it back.
Rasa no doubt saw the same. He saw how his trump card had failed. The released Ichibi could not triumph over the fearsome power of the Kyubi's Jinchuriki.
AN: This update hopefully progresses thing. That original ten chapter estimation to conclude the invasion? Unknown now how long it might take.