Daze
Chapter 17: Kujira bridge pt 2.
A/N: Hey, hope you enjoyed the last chapter it was fun to write, anyway, here ya go I'm gonna be focusing in on some of my other projects so this and one or two more chapters may be all till later in December.
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Kujira Bridge, 6 months earlier...
Naruto chased the black-masked beast through the thick woods towards his cornered partner.
The sounds of clashing steel and smell of smoke and ozone grew stronger as the tree cover thinned.
As he emerged from the brush into a clearing he could see a worn Kakuzu facing two men his cloak was torn at the collar and singed in various places.
The black beast bounded towards it's master leaping into his back where it disappeared into his body.
Naruto surveyed the field and saw a crumbling ashen humanoid figure along with two dead masked beasts one green and one blue.
'Two hearts these guys are no joke!'
"Karasu you remember the plan?"
Two masked heads emerged from his shoulders as his mask tore his long black hair flowing violently in the strong wind.
"Of course I do Oji I'm not some stupid gaki."
The man growled in annoyance swinging with one of his tendril arms and forcing both of the men back with a series of lightning and fire blasts from his shoulders.
"Good, then shut up and execute."
The boy grumbled but made a handsign.
"Kage bunshin no jutsu!"
Six clones formed in a diamond formation around him.
"You push them back gaki I'll hold the distance!"
"Hai!"
Naruto's clones each drew kunai scattering apart and charging the men as Naruto attached puppet strings to them helping them avoid attacks.
Kakuzu flipped back several feet and began barraging the field with blasts of elemental light.
The clones managed to lightly tag the men and deal some minor damage and flip away from any attacks due to the strings from Naruto.
But no progress was being made as the attacks from Kakuzu were being dodged but the men were being pushed further and further back towards a descending plain.
The plain dropped into a chasm which extended as far as the eye could see the only thing in the distance was the massive whale bone Kujira bridge in the distance.
The bald man blocked holding two clones kunai slashes back with his steeled hands grunting his skeletal puppet jaw chattered with annoyance.
"Damn it they're trying to rout us, Kamaken push the boy back I'll deal with the Akatsuki!"
"Roger!
The second man who's muscle mass was pulsing flickered out of sight.
His eyes glew blue and his hair defied gravity as he charged the clones with a burst of speed dispelling three with a lariat and tossing the smoke into the real Naruto's face obscuring his vision.
"Damn it!"
Naruto raised his guard on reflex catching a strong strike which buckled his wrists and sent him tumbling back rolling hard.
He climbed to his feet rubbing the dust from his eyes and rolling out of the way as the man came crashing down with a knee drop where he had been a moment earlier.
Naruto felt his footing fracture as the ground sank an inch the floor splintering from the impact.
'Damn he's as strong as Tsunade-baachan!'
"You should just surrender and let me end this gaki, I promise I'll make it quick and painless."
"Not a chance shit-stain, I won't die today especially not to some two-bit thug like you!"
The man charged with a lightning laced punch and Naruto narrowly dodged hopping back to gain some distance.
Naruto growled channeling chakra into his arms and spinning them rapidly.
"Futon: Twin Tornadoes!"
Wind chakra began to spiral outward from his arms the force holding the man in place as he tried to move forward.
"That's a strong jutsu for a kid, but how long can you hold out, I know that's eating up your chakra rapidly and once you run out I will end things with one blow."
Naruto began to sweat lightly normally his chakra reserves were larger than this, but he was working with a smaller pool and he needed to hold out or the plan would fail.
Kakuzu's masks combined on his right shoulder into a fire lightning beast firing a devastating laser of force.
The bald man chuckled his glowing red with crimson light.
"You already know how this goes Akatsuki but if you want me to destroy more of your pets so be it!"
The laser began to vanish into the man's eye and his puppet jaw unhinged firing back the laser twice as large cloaked with red energy.
To the man's shock and awe Kakuzu didn't dodge like he had previously instead opting to rush through the blast one of his hearts being destroyed in the process.
His body blackened as he grabbed the man by his neck quickly slamming him into the ground and hammering his face with his hardened fist caving in the steel eye and shattering the puppet jaw.
He ripped off the mans prosthetic arms and struck him in the head again blurring his vision.
"I'm down three hearts so I'm taking yours to start."
Kakuzu's stitch tendrils pierced the man through his legs and abdomen and began snaking up his chest cavity reaching to grab his heart.
The man screamed in agony but Kakuzu was interrupted before he could finish him.
Naruto crashed into the man coughing up blood as his neck whiplashed violently.
"Urgh- I think I've reached my limit Oji!"
Naruto coughed shakily climbing to a seated position and wiping a streak of blood from his lip.
"Really gaki."
The man groaned in annoyance moving the boy off of him to stand and face the approaching enemy.
"Shut up you geezer bastard I'm not some chakra monster like you Akatsuki freaks!"
"Whatever just stay there and be quiet I'll end this."
Kakuzu sighed in annoyance his three remaining masked beasts hopping from his back and forming into a gargantuan three-headed creature.
"Katon, Raiton, and Futon this is my special combination even the great Hashirama Senju respected."
"That was then Kakuzu-sama I have no need or care for relics and war stories,"
The man chuckled tightening his gloved fist as chakra crackled around him.
"-I'm going to end this here and now with my new power!"
The man yelled his muscles growing larger as lightning chakra crackled around him.
"Eat this, Raiton: Thunder Crescent Attack!"
The man vanished in a burst of speed reappearing next to the Akatsuki with an elbow Kakuzu raised a quick single armed guard the impact causing a small shockwave.
Blood splashed on the ground Kakuzu groaning in pain as his arm was severed from his body by the powerful strike.
Kakuzu ducked to the ground narrowly avoiding the follow up knee that would've removed his head.
"Nowhere to go Kakuzu, I have you now!"
The man raised both of his arms as tangible chakra began to shoot off of his body in waves a series of popping and crackling sounds following the energy.
"Raiton: Moon Impact!"
The masked beast growled loudly fire, thunder and wind swirling from it's many mouths.
"Futile even a blast like that will be nothing to this my ultimate of power!"
The man let out a thunderous roar as a pillar of lightning struck the area around him impacting both him and Kakuzu.
When the dust settled he was standing breathing heavily his clothes in tatters and his body singed while Kakuzu was still his arms charred.
"Ha-haha-hahaha I did it I killed him!"
The man paled as he saw the masked beast approaching mere feet away having not fired it's chakra payload.
"That's bad if that hit me in my current state it'd be fatal but I'm not just gonna stand still and-"
He was shocked when he tried to leap but saw the black striped arm holding his left leg stitchen tendrils snaking up his thigh.
Kakuzu was breathing weakly his charred lungs pushing out haggard breaths.
He tried to move his arm to cut the hand off of him but couldn't and turned to see puppet master strings wrapped from his elbow to his wrist.
"D-damn it let go you bastards!"
Naruto chuckled through heavy breaths standing shakily and focusing all his strength into holding his strings.
"Not gonna happen asshole, enjoy your long stay in hell, don't worry I'll send your master Orochimaru there shortly."
The masked beast fired it's attack a loud whistling sound emanating from the area only to be swallowed by a massive explosion of noise and dark purple light.
Naruto fell back to the ground exhausted.
"You good Oji?"
"S-st-stupid question... gaki."
The man coughed spitting up a clump of sticky blood before falling still.
Naruto could hear clapping and a familiar and extremely infuriating chuckle.
"My my Naruto-kun how you have grown, to think that you could handle my associates here."
Kabuto chuckled darkly adjusting his glasses.
"He did have help of course Orochimaru-sama."
"Yes, but still he has grown strong in this short time."
Naruto smirked spitting blood on the man's foot.
"And you've grown more smug what's the matter Snake-chan, got bored playing hide the serpent with four eyes here so you had to find a real boy?"
Kabuto sighed chastiseingly.
"Naruto naruto naruto, for all your bounds in power deep down you're still just a loud mouthed child."
"And deep down your still a pompous prick, has anybody told you you have a really punchable face."
Orochimaru sighed swiping a strand of hair from his face and wiping the blood on his foot into the grass.
"Kabuto, collect the boy, his Uzumaki DNA may still be of some use to us, I'm going to go finish off my old friend."
The snake man walked over to the downed Kakuzu pulling the Kusanagi blade from his serpentine throat.
"Hai Orochimaru-sama."
Kabuto walked over to Naruto pulling a seal from his pouch.
"Now Naruto make this easy on me and I won't have to sever any of your tendons."
"Up yours Snake boy."
Kabuto leapt at the boy shoving a paper seal towards his forehead.
Naruto jumped up grabbing his wrist and pushing him away with a palm in his shoulder.
Kabuto's focus was broken when he heard the sudden surprised words of his master.
"What is this?!"
He turned his head to see Orochimaru's foot which had been placed on Kakuzu's chest being slowly subsumed by white clay as the man's body melted into a white clay blob.
Orochimaru who had the kusanagi blade raised for a coup de grace used the blade to cut at the clay but couldn't fast enough as it detonated blowing off his leg and he was forced to abandon his body.
Kabuto looked back at Naruto just in time to see him give a foxy grin half of his face melting into clay as he exploded the shockwave mangling his arm and sending him flying.
Kabuto groaned in confusion and pain pulling the shattered glass and broken frames off of his face his head was ringing as everything spinned around him.
He couldn't collect himself in time as a strong hook kick to his jaw sent him flying into a tree trunk unconscious.
Orochimaru spit in rage as the real Kakuzu and Naruto hopped down from a nearby tree line along with a stoic red-haired man.
"Sasori."
Orochimaru growled at the site of his traitorous former partner.
"You have Yura to thank Orochimaru-san he helped arrange this little get together it feels only right that he should attend himself."
The red-haired man pulled a scroll from his back summoning a cloaked puppet with long purple hair and a goatee it's mouth opened and poisoned needles shot out.
Orochimaru's tongue grabbed a kunai from the ground blocking all of the needles before they could strike.
"Watch out for unusual rainfall ya snake bastard, Katsu!"
Orochimaru narrowly dodged a barrage of clay pidgeons thanks to the loud boasting of the hotheaded Deidara.
"Damn it you moron don't choreograph your moves!"
"Shut up you wooden bastard I'd've had him if not for you jumping the gun!"
Orochimaru's eyes squinted as he readied for combat.
"An ambush."
Naruto chuckled.
"What else did you expect Snake pedo?"
"That's enough Karasu you've done your part Kakuzu take him back to HQ we'll wrap things up with our old friend here."
"I better be getting paid for this."
The man grunted annoyedly grabbing Naruto by his shirt sleeve and yanking him away to leave as the Akatsuki partners began battle with the Sanin.
Present Day, Orochimaru's Lair...
"After that battle I barely got away if it wasn't for the sacrifice of Manda I'd surely be dead."
Orochimaru grunted with pain clutching his bleeding stomach.
The newly returned Kabuto set the medicine tray on the stand next to the bed.
"Luckily due to the sacrifice of Manda and a few "willing" test subjects the Manda II project is nearing completion."
"Am I supposed to pat you on the back Kabuto, I expect that at minimum to justify why you're currently breathing."
Kabuto nodded.
"Of course I understand Orochimaru-sama after such a great failure every moment I live is an invaluable gift on your part."
"Stop brown nosing and change my bandages my new body will be here soon and I need to be physically capable for the exchange."
"I"ll see that you are."
Konoha, early morning...
Sasuke rose from his own bed for the first time in months.
He cracked his neck and shoulders as he felt the cold morning wind on his half nude form.
"It's good to be home."
This was the first time he had time to walk the streets of the Uchiha district since his revelation about Itachi.
Immediately after his revelation he and Jiraiya had left the village for two months of training.
While the ghosts of his past still followed him there they were specters of sorrow and regret now a step up from the fear and anger previous.
Now all that was on his mind was his lost teammate.
It had been nearly two years since they had last seen each other and he wondered how his rival had grown in power and changed in character.
He reached into his pant pocket clutching the crystal necklace inside.
While Tsunade had refused to give it to him originally citing a curse, after Jiraiya revealed Naruto was alive she handed it to him begrudgingly to hold until his safe return.
'Where are you now Naruto are you thinking of me as well?"
Land Of Femme, Mid morning...
Naruto let out a content sigh taking a bite from the delicious orange fruit as he unzipped and removed his white hoodie tying it around his waist.
"No wonder they don't let men here often, delicious food, great weather, and beautiful women who'd ever leave?"
In particular he imagined a certain pervy sage who would no doubt make the island a topic of research for many years if he could.
The land of femme was a beautiful tropic island with green waters, white sands, palm trees, and diverse wildlife.
"Pfft I bet Sasuke-teme would hate it here kami knows he never liked girls."
Naruto let out a melancholy sigh.
"I wonder how everyone is back home."
Part of him wanted to go seek out the Konoha kunoichi and reveal himself but he knew that would compromise the mission and he couldn't fail Itachi.
"Are you watching me Onii I promise I will fulfill the mission."
He felt the sun warm on his back and paused putting his palm up to his covered sharingan he closed his eyes and imagined Itachi's warm smile.
His thought was interrupted by a concussive force on his shoulder
"Watch it brat!"
A portly older man grumbled as he carried wooden planks to a nearby construction site.
"Sorry."
Naruto scratched his long messy blonde hair pulling the hair tie from his spiked ponytail he shook his head his long blonde hair flowing down to his neck and twin bangs covering his face.
He saw his reflection skin and hair lightened from lack of sunlight and crimson sharingan rippling in the glass he thought to himself.
'With these eyes I look so serious, combined with my hair I almost look like the Yondai- er Tou-san."
He hadn't really had time to grapple with the knowledge of his heritage between regaining his memories and working on earning the Akatsuki's trust.
It did put a lot into perspective, Jiraiya's interest in him, The Sandaime watching over him, the melancholic looks Kakashi would shoot him when he thought he was distracted.
The only memories he had were vague recollections of a warm presence and beautiful red hair.
He sighed.
"Why am I so reflective today come on Naruto focus on the mission."
Smacking his cheeks a few times he continued the trek towards the central plaza where he had to meet his contact.
Elsewhere on Isla Femme, Same Time...
"That slippery bastard when I find him I'm gonna wring his neck!"
Sakura and Ino paled trying to keep their distance from the enraged Tayuya as steam shot out of her ears and she whipped her head around looking for the blonde boy.
Anko walked up and slapped the girl with a chakra laced palm to the back knocking her to the ground.
"Calm down girly, focus on the mission for now, he has to leave the same way we do you'll get your chance then."
Tayuya grumbled but nodded climbing to her feet and dusting herself off.
"Let's just meet this bastard client."
Anko twirled a senbon between her fingers heading towards the plaza the younger kunoichi following close behind.
Training Ground 10, Mid Afternoon...
"Fire Style: Dog Flame Bombs!" "Raikiri!"
Sasuke's summoned hounds tossed two jars of oil into the air which were struck by his stream of fire igniting and expanding his flame.
Kakashi cut through the fire with a lightning laced fist charging towards the boy and striking him with a kick to the gut.
Sasuke staggered but having undergone severe physical training managed to grab Kakashi's leg.
Kakashi saw his muscles tense and read in his body language a familiar rhythm he'd encountered from fighting Gai over the years.
"First gate open!"
Holding Kakashi by the leg Sasuke kicked him into the air leaping after him and unraveling the dark blue bandages on his arms and hands.
"Primary Lotus!"
The bandages wrapped around the stunned Kakashi who's right arm and wrist reached for the bandages around him.
'There's no time.'
His fist began to crackle with lightning again and he tossed the lightning towards the approaching ground.
"Raiton: Lightning Beast Tunneling Fang!"
The thunder took on the shape of two wolves which spiraled around each other mimicking the Inuzuka clan jutsu and drilling into the ground.
The sharp stones flew upward shredding the bandages off of Kakashi who caught Sasuke with a hook kick in the side sending him flying into the newly dug hole.
"Anko-chan told me if I went easy on you she'd evaluate both of us herself, so I'm not holding back, Katon: Fire Snake Jutsu!"
Kakashi shot a line of flame from his mouth which spun into a large cobra crashing into the hole after Sasuke."
"Doton: Dark Swamp Jutsu!"
Sasuke regurgitated a stream of muddy black water from his lungs cancelling out the flames.
"Nice try Sasuke-kun but I wasn't finished, Futon: Wind Wall!"
Kakashi raised his palms to his chest firing a blast of wind from his mouth and igniting the flames.
Sasuke saw the explosion approaching slowly through his sharingan and reflexively pulled from a deeper power to cancel out the explosion.
"Amaterasu!"
Sasuke's eyes spiraled into a dark nucleus pattern a spiraling black flame devouring the explosion and pushing towards the airborne Kakashi.
"Kamui!"
Kakashi's sharingan spun sucking the flames before they could reach him.
"I thought I said Mangekyou was forbidden Sasuke."
"Sorry sensei."
Sasuke lowered his arms breathing heavily and clutching his right eye.
"The fight isn't over don't drop your guard."
Kakashi descended with a flipping axe kick.
Sasuke blocked it with his wrists grabbing his leg and tossing him away.
"Second gate: Gate of healing open!"
Sasuke's breathing began to steady as a new influx of chakra replaced what he had lost from using his eyes.
"Where did you learn to do that anyway?"
Sasuke chuckled tossing his grey jacket away and flexing his muscles in a combat stance.
"Gai-sensei taught me after dinner last night with my sharingan I was able to pick it up pretty quickly two is my limit though."
"It's not as simple as your sharingan Sasuke, I have one too and I can still only use the first gate you're just a prodigy through and through."
Kakashi sighed rubbing his temple.
"In fact it's a little boring training you, you just pick up on everything so quickly, I kinda miss training Naruto he was always so amazed by everything and eager to learn."
"Sorry to disappoint sensei but I think you'll find I'm nothing like the dobe."
Kakashi smirked.
"Show me then."
Sasuke cracked his neck smirking.
Isla Femme...
Naruto cracked his shoulders and smiled.
"Ah it's good to move after all that time at sea."
He saw the marble steps framed by rows of flowers, various monkeys and birds cohabiting around the trees above.
Naruto couldn't help but notice all the looks he was getting it was foreign to him getting all this attention from girls and he wasn't sure if it was due to his appearance or the islands majority female population.
Either way he didn't care it was nice to have pretty girls smile and wave.
'Suck on that teme!'
He climbed the steps passing under an ivied arch into the central plaza.
His eyes widened at the beauty of the plaza the entire island had been a wonder of foreign architecture but this took the cake.
The plaza was a smooth triangular platform of sandstone framed on all sides by a wall of tightly woven trees, shrubs, and flowers that formed a wall making the stairs the only entrance it was high enough on a steep hill that no non shinobi could make it in other ways.
A small fountain altar with marble benches was at the center congregated by several loose robed women while the colorful market stalls formed a semi circle on either side.
One of the women a girl only slightly older than Naruto 16 or 17 approached him kissing him on the cheek and putting a necklace of blue and green flowers on him.
He blushed not just because she kissed him but because she was wearing a loose translucent blue kimono that left little too the imagination.
His nose went to bleed lightly but he plugged it up quickly looking around for his contact.
He saw him sitting on a bench next to a stall selling jewelry.
"Oi Hamata-san."
The man a well dressed elderly man in a slate suit with balding grey hair, weary black eyes, and small wire glasses looked up from his orange book cautiously.
"Is the raven calling?"
Naruto looked off somberly.
"The raven flew north this time."
The man's eyes widened but he nodded in understanding.
"I'm sorry to hear that, are you here to cancel the package?"
"No the package is good but we have a new post boy."
Naruto gestured to himself.
"Understood but we can' t talk here meet me at the temple after sun fall."
The man stood up pocketing his book and putting on his grey fedora.
"Good day."
"You too."
Naruto sighed.
"Welp guess I gotta waste some time."
He folded his hands into his pant pockets whistling a half tune as he craned his head for what to check out.
Sasuke and Kakashi breathed heavily both clutching battered limbs as scraps singed clothing fell of their bodies.
"*huff* *huff* I never expected you'd give me this much of a challenge Sasuke you're not that adorable little Uchiha I met three years ago."
Sasuke smirked.
"Glad *huff* I impressed you *huff* sensei."
"Alright, boys that's enough."
They heard the loud clack of a heel colliding with stone.
"Tsunade-sama."
"Kakashi I know you want to bring out the best of your students but this is a little much."
She gestured to the demolished training ground holding her forehead in annoyance.
"Do you know how much paperwork it's going to take to get this place repaired."
Sasuke lowered his head a bit half of his raven hair covering his dirt-covered face.
"It was my fault Hokage-sama sensei was just reacting to me going all out."
She walked up and poked both of them on the forehead.
"You have a high-value mission soon, for that reason I forbid both of you from training and order you take mandatory rest until then."
They both nodded tiredly.
"Oh Kakashi Anko wanted to see you, she said to meet her at her 'Fields of torment' whatever that means."
Kakashi's forehead paled blue as he vanished in a poof of smoke.
"Weird."
Sasuke cracked his neck smirking satisfied.
"Tell Jiraiya-sensei I mastered the technique he'll know what I mean."
Sasuke made a one-handed seal.
"Good night Hokage-sama."
He vanished in a swirl of leaves.
"I think that's the first time I've seen that gaki smile."
Tsunade smiled softly.
X END X
A/N: Sorry it took so long, the next chapter will be out sometime this week.
2/2/21: Chapter 17 revised.