DAZE
Chapter 36: Two Rinnegan
A/N: Long time huh? Thanks to all the new supporters who have arrived during my long hiatus, and any returning readers. You are all precious to me.
The darkness swept away like a fog on the wind, Naruto's eyes dilated as the new light touched them, returning his synapses to an awakened state.
"..."
Footsteps approached from within the subterranean room, the blonde ex-jinchuriki could see a cloak rustling as they walked past the inches wide gaps between stone pillars.
"Hello?"
More rustling, the sound of a metal cage door opening, then, footsteps approaching. Looking up, Naruto was face to face with a taller, imposing, orange-haired man.
"Finally awake Uzumaki Naruto?"
The teen-boy stretched his fingers feeling his arms restricted by iron manacles. "Where are my friends. If you hurt them, Kami help me!" He growled in a fox-like manner.
The orange-haired man stared down at him with a dead neutral expression. "The eyes you possess, where did you get them?"
The younger Uzumaki cracked his shoulder looking defiantly upward. "Piss off."
"You are aware of the powers I possess intimately of course. You know that I could simply have the Human path take a look into your soul and glance at the truths you attempt to conceal."
Naruto looks up, vermillion gazes clashing. "It was from Itachi's eyes. When Sasuke and I had our eyes switched.. I was able to awaken the Rinnegan."
"Curious.. So it is true that the origin of the Uzumaki blood trait is within their Senju neighbors…"
"What, thinking of taking them for your Uchiha master like a good little servant?!"
Tendo turns away from him with a hint of annoyance on his cold expression. "Tobi isn't my master, our goals are simply aligned for now."
"Really, it doesn't seem that way to me." Naruto spits out thrashing at his bindings.
"Understand this Naruto Uzumaki, if I were simply a servant of Tobi Uchiha, you would be dead before you had woken."
The vessel of Pain turned to gaze through the pillars, where a blue-locked beauty was staring at them with an unreadable expression.
"Konan, did you locate Sasuke Uchiha.."
The woman apparates into a cloud of paper birds, reforming on the inner side of the pillars and nods.
"Yes.. Tendo, he is part of a Leaf relief unit headed to investigate Naruto's mission, they've noticed that his Shogo unit hasn't reported back yet."
Naruto growls with annoyance, kicking his legs up to try to strike the man in front of him and moving his entire body forward to try to shatter the bindings over his arms.
"Did you kill them, tell me where they are!"
Konan looks at him. "Calm yourself Naruto-san, Pain simply brought you here for an exchange of philosophies,"
The blond boy lets out a laugh of weary sardonic glee, his voice lightly cracking.
"Oh that's rich, the man who's killed countless jinchuriki, and is planning to build a super weapon to enforce his will over the Elemental nations, wants to talk."
Konan looks irritated as if about to protest. Tendo raises a hand to silence her.
"It's true Naruto, I simply have brought you here to speak, before Tobi Uchiha's plans could rob that chance from me."
Naruto stares at him, his gaze shifting to confusion and a hint of intrigue.
"What could we possibly have to talk about, Pain? Most philosophical debates don't take place with one party bound against his will."
Tendo stares cooly at the boy, his vermillion eyes rippling across with micro movements as he takes in the boy's words.
"And if you were not bound, you would simply take a seat and speak to me. I am not so naive, boy. You will remain as you are, and listen to my piece."
Naruto drops his fingers growling quietly and nods. "I'm listening, so just spit it out already."
"You, who share the same eyes, the same sensei as I, surely you will understand the words I present to you here."
"I only want peace, in the shinobi world, nothing more. That and that alone has been my goal."
Naruto chuckles. "Peace, you've got a funny way of showing it pinhead."
"Sacrifices are inevitable in war, don't be naive."
The blond forms a fist trying to strike the man's face, his bindings vibrating with motion as he furiously moves forward, but they hold, snapping him back.
"And who are YOU to decide what sacrifices are justifiable, was Yugito-chan a worthy sacrifice, was GAARA!"
The boy tears up impassioned. "You who have never been jinchuriki have no right to decide that our pain was a worthwhile sacrifice in your plan."
Tendo is quietly staring contemplatively. "Perhaps, but what are a dozen lives, next to the millions lost to the horrors of war, you jinchuriki were martyred for a cause so much greater.. Than any one man, woman, or child.
Naruto considers his words looking down.
"Naruto, you have the eyes, that means you too must be a child of prophecy, the prophecy Jiraiya-sensei once foretold… you must understand, you must hurt in order to grow, this world must feel pain, in order to shed the sickness that is hate which runs deep in it's skin."
"I am simply the god given form, sent to achieve that task. For that purpose, I would sacrifice a thousand lives, but it is to save the world."
Naruto begins laughing, quietly at first, but building to a madhat cackle.
"Pretty words, go speak them to the graves of the villages you've burned, the families you've torn apart, the innocents you've so righteously slaughtered. You are a madman masquerading as a so-called God."
Tendo scoffs. "Naive and emotional, perhaps you simply are not ready to face the truth. In this world of shinobi hatred, peace can only be bought through bloodshed, but I will change that vicious cycle, I will destroy hatred with my Tailed beast project."
The blonde stares at him, purple eyes reflecting fury. "I understand perfectly well.. You're a murderer, and I. I'm no better for helping you as long as I did."
"Then perhaps this will be something you can understand, Tobi Uchiha… no, Madara.. He seeks to usurp the power we hold, use it for his own means, that means your death, Naruto, Sasuke's path corrupted into a weapon of the Akatsuki just like you, and your village in ashes."
Tendo walks closer, kneeling within inches of Naruto's face. "I am not strong enough to stop him alone, work beside me… and together, we can carve out the path to a better future, just like the one Jiraiya sensei hopes to achieve."
Naruto stares at him. The two locking eyes for a moment of infinity in the span of an instant. "I reject that path, the path you walk along, is CROOKED!"
A loud metal shattering, Naruto's forehead is planted into the path knocking his rain village headband off and drawing a line of blood on Naruto's.
"You're just as bad as Madara, and if you somehow can't see that, then you've diluded yourself beyond hope."
"Then you've made your choice. Konan leave. It's dangerous here."
The blue-haired woman nods and flutters away in a cloud of paper.
Naruto draws a tanto diagonally from his back tying his leaf headband around his head.
"I know who you are, Nagato. I spoke with Jiraiya-sensei before coming here. How could a sibling student of mine lose his path?"
Tendo growls the vessel's facial expressions shifting to more closely resemble another man's. "You know nothing of my pain, I had to grow up, this world of hatred saw to that!"
The blonde flips away as a large hole is blown open through the cave by the man's almighty push.
"This world is full of hatred yeah, but it's also full of really awesome people, Tayuya-chan, Jiraiya-sensei, all of my friends."
Stands in the grassy plain staring down as the Akatsuki robed man floats up from the exposed cave system.
"-If you've already forgotten the friends who helped you become this strong, then you truly have lost the path to peace."
Tendo raises a hand palm outfacing. "I will never forget them, that is why the pain Yahiko was forced to endure, the heartbreak Konan was made to face, they must be avenged! If you stand in the way of that goal, of me shattering the chain of hate in this accursed world, then I will make you feel even greater pain!"
Naruto feels his blade thrown from his hand, his orange jacket torn open by the harsh field of gravity pushing him back.
"I see.. If it's for your friends, then maybe I can still reach you. But first I'm gonna have to smack some sense into that thick skull you're borrowing!"
Smirking, the blonde raises his own outfacing palm. "Shinrasengan!"
A large blue ball forms in his hand before being thrown forward by a push of gravity, dispersing into a blue wall of chakra which burns the surprised Pain's chest, tearing the Akatsuki robes from his shoulder to his waist.
Tendo collapses, the former body of Yahiko damaged beyond the ability to move.
"What.. that technique, such fine chakra control… over so much chakra… impossible"
Hopping on his feet and wiping his cheek with his thumb, Naruto pulls at his headband eyes glowing with energy.
"Nothing's impossible when my friend's lives are at stake, I'll get as strong as I need to be, and smack some sense into all of you Akatsuki bastards, even Madara!"
Kneeling down, Naruto grabs one of the black rods in the man's chest. "These must be the receivers."
He feels Nagato attempt to control him, but with a growl of exertion Nagato's chakra is smacked back by a raging flame of Naruto's blue chakra.
"I can sense five other pain's and they're fighting my friends!"
The blonde closes his eyes before opening them with a burst of energy.
"Long-range transmission: Lightning rod Rasengan technique!"
The pain's bodies in five different areas of the grasslands simultaneously are torn apart in a gorey explosion as the black rods within them are flooded with a ridiculous amount of Naruto's own spiraling chakra.
Tendo barely lifts his head, all the chakra now focused into him.
"But how… your ideals can't be stronger than my own… so how have you come so far… in such a short time."
Naruto turns to look down at him, the spitting image of the Sage of six paths.
His blonde hair was messed up by the wind having two horn-like spikes of blonde hair, his headband's long black tassels were flapping.
"Because Nagato. Unlike you, I won't let my pain blind me to what's really important."
Tendo coughs up blood nearing the end of the body's function. "Which is…."
Naruto growls. "The guts to be a shinobi, the strength to protect my friends, and the will, to never back down, to never give in to pain. I'm going to find a way to make peace. And I'm going to do it without killing a single innocent. That's my way. And I will never abandon it,
So you can just give up, on me giving up!"
Tendo's eyes widened. "J-jiraiya's book… I see… Uzumaki… Naruto…"
The body collapses. "Wait for me Nagato, Konan, I'll be there soon."
With that promise Naruto runs to go check on his allies' status.
Forest of dead trees
"I didn't think I'd be back here so soon."
Sasuke looks around. "I feel bad for whoever had to clean all the blood."
Tayuya chuckles. "You and Naruto really did a number on those pricks huh?"
The Uchiha nods. "That's an understatement."
The red-haired girl brushes some of the bandages beneath her headband holding a nice metal flute in her hand.
"You don't think… Naruto's going to get captured again do you…"
Sasuke turns to her, his onyx gaze is thoughtful and has a sparkle of warmth.
"Doubtful, he might be an idiot, but he'd never let himself be a prisoner, not again."
Tayuya nods, relaxing. "Right, we should keep moving, if it's the Akatsuki then Naruto might be in trouble."
Acrobatically she flips, landing on a tall tree with her toes, gracefully and leaps forward with her arms behind her.
Sasuke follows, simply tree running with chakra and hopping forward.
Naruto arrives at a clearing where some trees have been leveled, there is ashes hanging on the wind.
"Kisame? Tobiko, Sai! Suigetsu, anybody!"
He looks around his Rinnegan piercing through the fog as he scans for active chakra signatures.
"H-here" a gloved hand weakly rises.
He runs over sliding on his knees and kneeling to wrap an arm under the figure.
"Tobiko-chan, are you okay?"
"N-Naruto… I'm fine but…"
She's sniffling. Naruto's eyes widen, he sees a motionless figure. "Oh no…"
Setting her down carefully he runs over to check on them. "Sai, Sai wake up, come on man, your sister needs you."
The dark-haired boy has a bruise on his cheek and is covered in the dirt and soot from the ground, there are no obvious wounds on him but he appears to be motionless.
"Naruto, it was one of those Orange-haired men… he grabbed Sai-nii and… I don't know... He just fell still."
The blonde grabs the side of his head. "The human path…"
"You can help him right… Naruto please…" she stifles back a choked cry.
"Ol- I… I'm so sorry…"
The violet haired girl falls to her knees. "No… this can't be happening…"
She begins to shiver and shake tears lightly falling down her cheeks.
Naruto feels his heart shattering with regret. 'Damn it… I - I should have been faster… this never would have happened..if I had done things differently… Sai..'
Reaching down Naruto brushes the boy's eyelids closing them, and picks up where his leaf headband had fallen, setting the black cloth and metal in one of the boy's gloved hands.
"We have to leave, Tobiko… I'll carry him… stay close by okay."
She nods, wiping her eyes.
"What the hell is going on around here!" A shark-toothed man in his early twenties growls.
"How am I supposed to know fish-boy!" A red-haired girl is holding her glasses looking around confused.
Strewn across the forest floor are puddles of blood and limbs.
"One second these bastards are fighting us, the next they explode, is this some kind of trick?"
Kisame holds Samehada over his shoulder. His robe has been completely torn off exposing his blue-skinned muscular form.
He's bleeding from a series of bullet-like holes in his shoulder. "No, I think Naruto has confronted the Akatsuki leader…"
"That's good then…" The orange-haired Jugo lets out a sigh holding his head to remain calm.
"If we had to deal with them much longer we all would've been screwed… that robot guy was spooky." Suigetsu is sweating a pale liquid.
"Just be glad Jugo was here to fight off those animal summons, you were the idiot who almost got eaten because he didn't notice a chameleon."
"Shut up you red bimbo, it was totally invisible!"
"WHAT'D you call me?!"
Jugo sighs. "Can you both please stop bickering, we're all lucky to be alive. Besides Kisame took the worst of it, fighting two of them at once, he was badly burned by that chakra cannon."
His graveled voice chuckles out as he stands. "I'll live. Come on runts, let's go find our leader."
"He's already here." From the trees the long spiked blonde leaps down, his cloak flapping, and the orange and black jacket beneath it.
"Ah good, gaki. This your doing?" Kisame gestures back with Samehada to the blood puddles.
"Yeah, I sent a surprise giant Rasengan back through the chakra receivers." Naruto chuckles.
"Wicked.." Karin chuckles, her glasses reflecting the light of the sun.
The blonde scratches his hair. "Yeah well.. I didn't have time to play… not that it mattered…"
Jugo looks up curiously. "What do you mean?"
Naruto looks down, shaking his head. "Nothing, anyway I'm just a shadow clone let's get moving. The original is waiting for us."
The Shogo unit nods, following after the blonde as he leaps through the remaining part of the forest.
Naruto holds the blackhaired boy on his back tenderly handling him as he leaps through the trees, Oltier close behind him.
He is surprised by coming face to face with a red-haired girl suddenly.
"W-w-woah.." He stumbles, almost losing his footing."Tayuya-chan?"
Her eye twitches. "Here you are, idiot… what's going on huh." Grabs him by his shirt collar.
Naruto blushes. "I'm fine really.. " He looks over to Sasuke who is staring at him amused.
"Hey Sasuke. How are your brother's eyes treating you?"
Sasuke nods affirmingly. "No issues so far, thank you for keeping them safe for me for so long. I feel like I can see just how hard you were working."
The blonde smiles at this, sharing a look with Sasuke Rinnegan and Mangekyou exchanging light.
Tayuya rolls her eyes. "Before you two get a room, I'd like to remind you that I'm Naruto's girlfriend."
Naruto and Sasuke both blush and protest. "It's not like that!" / "We would never!"
Tobiko giggles. Naruto turns back to her smiling, but then sinks again, as he remembers why he has a weight on his shoulders, both literally and metaphorically.
"My clone should be making contact with the others. We'll meet up with them at the village."
"Right, lead on leader-kun" Tayuya smirks at him.
Naruto rolls his eyes.
The team arrives at the gates of the leaf village, shortly followed by the other four Shogo ninja.
Naruto hands Sai off to Sasuke, the Uchiha respectfully holding their fallen comrade.
The blonde who's bandaged wrapped hands have been soaked with blood not his own, looks aged by a number of years.
"Naruto good, you're needed for a conference at the Hokage tower, right away it's a level 6 alert."
His eyes widened. "Level 6… that's…"
He turns to his squad, nodding. "Jugo, write the mission report for me."
"I'm coming with you." Sasuke follows after Naruto, and Sakura.
"Hey, don't even try to leave me behind." Tayuya follows after the Sanin pupils as well.
Sakura nods. "Sensei's already there."
The former Squad 7 plus Tayuya arrive at the Hokage building. Entering the office directly, they see Kakashi and Anko, the Leaf councilors, and Tsunade already waiting.
Koharu sighs looking at Tsunade. "The students of Kakashi have arrived. Now what is the emergency Princess Tsunade?"
Tsunade smacks a scroll down on her desk. "Kabuto Yakushi, that snake… he stole the Uzumaki's Reaper sealing mask. Anko identified the postmortem on the guards who were found dead outside the mask storage facility. It matches one of Orochimaru's toxins."
Naruto's eye twitches. "When.. is he still near the village?!" He owed the snake for shattering his totsuka blade.
Anko shakes her head. "No, the guards had been dead for days when we found them. He's long gone wherever he is."
Sasuke stares forward analytically. "The Reaper, wasn't that the jutsu used by the Fourth to seal the nine tails?"
Kakashi nods. "It was developed by Lord second, only the Hokage is allowed access to the jutsu scroll for it."
"I don't understand though, Lady Tsunade. What does a mask have to do with sealing jutsu?" Sakura looks at the diagram drawn on the scroll curiously.
"The Shiki Fuin is a forbidden jutsu, created by The Uzumaki clan to seal Tailed beasts. It calls upon the spirit of the Shinigami to seal the souls and chakra of a living force. In exchange the caster's soul is sealed in the stomach of the reaper."
Tsuande drinks some tea which reeks suspiciously of sake grabbing her temple. "The Uzumaki created a sealing mask in secret, which when worn allows for the souls trapped inside the reaper to be released, in exchange for a human sacrifice."
Tayuya looks curiously. "I don't see why that's a bad thing.."
Anko looks at her student gesturing for her to be quiet, Tayuya does so grudgingly.
"The souls of the first through fourth Hokage are trapped in the reaper, if Kabuto releases them, they can be resurrected using forbidden jutsu. With those four under his control… he'd be unstoppable."
Naruto pales. "Dad… and old man hokage… that bastard…"
Kakashi nods. "We're sending a team consisting of Jiraiya and a few elite Jonin, including the last generation of the Ino-shika-cho. They're going to be following Anko's lead in hunting down Kabuto's whereabouts, then strike with an all out attack."
"What about us Sensei?" Sasuke looks at the silver-haired Jonin.
"The former Team Kakashi will be deployed to deal with the remaining Akatsuki members. After the five kage summit, lady Tsunade has pushed it up by declaring an emergency to the feudal lords, the other Kage have already agreed and it will be held in three days."
Kakashi turns to face Naruto. "Naruto, you and I have been chosen as Lady Tsunade's bodyguards for this event, please try to keep your emotions under control, having an outburst in front of the other kage will only make a potential alliance harder."
Naruto nods. "I understand Kakashi… I'll try to keep a leash on my emotions."
Tayuya growls. "And what I'm just gonna stay back at the village and do nothing, if we're dealing with FUCKING Kabuto then I need to help. Anko let me join the strike team. You know I'm strong enough."
Anko smiles at her. "See Tsunade, told you she'd want in."
Tsunade sighs. "Can I trust you to not compromise the mission?"
Tayuya bites back a comment and nods. "Yes… Lady Hokage."
The blonde sanin takes another drink of her spiked tea. "Fine, Anko you handle prepping her for the mission."
Sasuke nods. "And where will I be during the summit, Kakashi?
The one eyed Jonin turns to his student. "The barrier corp. And Village defense corp. Have requested your assistance in updating the village's defenses, due to your… shared abilities with Madara.."
The Uchiha boy blinks understanding. "I see… it's true I am the only one possessing a Sharingan… still it feels in poor taste to run hypotheticals of me attacking the village."
Kakashi puts a hand on his shoulder. "You'll be helping protect the village, that's what Itachi's will was for you and Naruto, right?"
Sasuke nods. "I understand sensei. If it'll protect the village… then I will offer my expertise as an Uchiha."
Sakura smiles at the close bond between her teammates. "Where do you want me m'lady?"
Tsunade turns to her and nods. "You and Shizune are part of my summit detail."
Sakura's eyebrow raises. "Won't that leave the village with a shortage of medical experts?"
The sanin shakes her head raising a hand to asway the girl. "Ino will be taking over command at the hospital, she's become quite skilled at medical jutsu."
The pink-haired med nin nods relieved. "Well if it's Ino-chan the village should be fine.."
Naruto looks at the fifth Hokage reverently. "Granny, did you manage to officiate the transfer of those shinobi I requested?"
Tsunade nods. "Naruto.. It wasn't easy, do you have any idea how much pushback I got trying to bring Kisame Hoshigaki into the village. Ibiki was furious. If he steps out of line it'll be on your head."
The blonde smirks. "Yeah he's good at pissing people off. Don't worry though, he hates Madara and Kabuto just as much as us, especially after Kabuto's pawn took his sword."
The twin-tailed blonde nods. "Very well.."
The Uzumaki teen sits on the red couch kicking his feet up on the small ottoman. "I'm going to keep my Shogo in the village, if Madara comes knocking, having Kisame and the other's here will make him think twice."
"I was thinking the same. I admit I was surprised when you requested I give you command over your own Anti-Akatsuki special operations unit. But it's worked out well for the village so far.."
She smiles down at him.
"-Naruto, you've grown into an amazing shinobi, and a fine young man. Your parents would be proud of you."
Naruto blushes. "T-thanks granny.. But I'm not all that."
Tayuya scoffs and grabs his ear. "Take the compliment idiot, stop being so damn humble."
"T-t-t okay okay maybe I am a little awesome, geez Tayuya no need to rip my damn ear off."
The fiery redhead crosses her arms smirking down at him.
Kakashi chuckles. 'Just like his mother. The boy has his father's taste for subtle masochism.'
He feels a pair of serpent like eyes on him and looks over to see Anko giving him "The look"
The jonin sweat drops. 'Well… maybe his sensei didn't help that.'
"Meeting adjourned, Honored councilors, meet me at the estate for any further questions you might have."
Koharu and Homura clearly do have a few questions, as they've been sitting slack jawed through most of the meeting.
Naruto walks out of the room with the other shinobi. "Hey Kakashi sensei… can you join me for a spar?"
The silver jonin's eyebrow raises. "A spar, Naruto I doubt I'm much of a match for you anymore. But if you want, I guess it couldn't hurt."
"I'm gonna go grab dinner with Sakura.." Sasuke bows to his teammates friendfully.
"Enjoy your date you two!~" Naruto gives a foxy smirk.
Sakura blushes bright red. "D-dummy. It's just so we can discuss our missions and all…"
Tayuya chuckles at Naruto's prankster side. It's a part of him she missed seeing.
Naruto looks at the slightly taller Kakashi. "Training ground 30, give me a few hours.. We didn't make it through the last mission unscathed… I need to hand my mission report to Tsunade. And.. handle the losses."
Kakashi nods understandingly. "Naruto, I know what it's like to lose a comrade under your command. You can't blame yourself. They knew what they signed up for. And you have to keep living for their sacrifice to mean something."
The Uzumaki boy nods. "I understand sensei. I'll try, it's just hard to handle right now."
"You'll get through it, you aren't alone."
Naruto smiles at his sensei's words, sharing a half hug with his uncle-like figure. "Thanks Kakashi.. It means a lot, it really does."
He heads back to rendezvous with his Shogo, retrieve the mission document from Jugo… and help Tobiko arrange for Sai's burial.
"Shirozetsu, so you survived."
A man's gloved hand is holding a flapping green scarf as his red eye looks back at a white figure rising from the ground.
"Yep~ Naruto-kun is real mad, but he's still just a kid after all so he overlooked my spore clone."
"Then everything's going according to plan, did you manage to plant a tracking spore on him?"
"Of course Tobi, just as you thought, everything went as you predicted."
"Then all that's left is to wait, when the summit is convened, Naruto is sure to be there, and he'll lead us right to them."
The man floats passing through the statue he was standing on and rematerializing on the ground.
"The fourth great shinobi world is coming, soon this accursed world, infected by Hashirama's pathetic will, I'll strip it all away."
'And then… things can be like they were before… then I can see the real you, not the fake's this world imposed upon me, Kakashi, Rin, Minato-sensei, Kushina-nee.'
END