Devil From The Heavens

Chapter 7: Brave The Storm

It was only for a moment that he held her but it felt like a lifetime of thought went into that moment. First off, he could speak which means at least one of the attacks that had hit him actually affected the control Madara had on him. More importantly, it was only a matter of time until Madara saw something was off. How he was going to talk to the blond kid without him knowing this time around was going to be tough with the masked man watching.

Secondly, it was clear he cared for this girl on some level so he had to avoid killing her to ensure that the brat would still help him. Actually, to be safe, he had to avoid killing anyone. His Saiyan blood cursed him for deciding on such a course of action but he reasoned that once he was free, he would take his time turning every inch of this world's surface to glass and cinder.

Third, what the hell were these bugs doing to him? He could feel his ki draining from him. Were they eating his energy? It seemed that way.

He forced his body to merely flick his wrist and send the girl away instead of crushing her skull. Madara wasn't the only one figuring out the control on his mind. During the many sessions, he had figured out that he could influence the actions of his body if his desires were near enough to what he was supposed to do. In this case, getting rid of the girl was the objective. He simply tweaked it so that she wasn't ridden of permanently.

He hated how much thought had to go in every movement! These creatures were so fragile that it was entirely possible for him to break even their strongest without the slightest effort but here he was desperately holding back for salvation's sake.

Her body cracked the trunk of some tree. A burst of power emanated from Broly and the insects on his person were blown off. The majority of the parasitic bugs fell to the ground dead while the rest returned to Shino.

A blur of pink came across his vision. A sharp pain erupted from his jaw as the Saiyan flew through a good quarter mile of forest. As the Son of Paragus picked himself up, Kakashi and Sakura appeared in front of him with Kiba, Shino, and Sai landing behind him. The group looked worse for wear in spite of how little combat they had been through.

The Copy nin put his hands together in a seal. "Surrender."

Broly leapt at them, his predatory grin striking fear into them. As the remnants of Team 7 prepared their counter attack, an ear splitting roar tore through the forest. Sakura, distracted by such a terrible sound, moved her head at the last possible moment. The man's fist sliced at the flesh of her cheek before it utterly destroyed the tree behind her. As she created distance from him, the earth began to shake.

Kakashi forwent the jutsu he was planning and brandished a kunai. Truth was he was not intending to use it, he just hoped it would grab the Akatsuki's attention. Sai and Shino were planning something and Kiba looked like he was waiting for a proper opening. There was also that roar. He could feel the chakra of the Nine-Tails ebbing and flowing around him. Yamato must be preoccupied with Naruto.

Just like he wanted, Broly turned to him.

"He is here."

'What?' The Copy nin, having not heard the Akatsuki's earlier words, was not prepared for the man to talk. The temporary shock cost him as what felt like a log slammed into his chest.

A smoke bomb hit the ground at the Saiyan's feet and a large cloud instantly consumed him. He heard something about a transformation but that was drowned out by a loud howl. "Wolf Fang Over Fang!" What could only be described as the worst back massage in the world hit Broly. The force of the drill behind him forced the Saiyan into the dirt.

The attack abruptly stopped and the Son of Paragus had to suppress a groan when the two headed wolf on his back jumped off. Looks like a certain dog was up for euthanasia today. Three large tigers landed around the Saiyan, their skins constantly shifting like the surface of a lake.

The ink constructs jumped Broly but the Saiyan tore them apart with ease. What he didn't appreciate was the mass of bugs that poured out of the things onto him. It was so tempting to just shout and rage at them but Madara couldn't find out he could talk. Not until he made certain these people would help him out.

The shinobi around him froze as a wave of malicious chakra overwhelmed their senses.

"We should move. Why? Naruto is heading this way."


A few minutes before.

"You alright?"

Yamato nodded at Sakura as she took her green palm from his chest. The Akatsuki hit like a train. The pinkette's head snapped away when the impact of Hinata's body rang out.

Her voice quaked. "Oh no." The kunoichi ran at the man and slammed her fist into his face. She looked back at Yamato before glancing over at Naruto who was still recovering from Broly's backhand. The ANBU nodded his understanding. The blond was already drawing on the fox's power. There was no telling what would happen when he witnessed the Hyuga's condition.

The forest around them cleared as the rest of the shinobi went after the Akatsuki. The ANBU quickly stopped by the Hyuga to check her out. Her pulse was strong but it was clear she would need some time before she would wake up.

"Hinata?"

'Shit.' Yamato quickly went through the seal to suppress the Nine-Tail's chakra. An out of control Jinchuriki was the last thing they needed right now. The anger that flashed across Naruto's face scared the elder shinobi. It was common knowledge among his peers how the blond had been faring since the Kazekage's death and there were rumors abound how the Kyubi would corrupt him in his vulnerable state.

Those words whispered in shadows seemed to hold the weight of the world in that moment.

A geyser of evil, red chakra erupted from the young ninja and Yamato had to create another wall of wood to protect both himself and Hinata. A deafening roar hurt his ears. It was now or never. The blond's skin was burned away and a blood red shroud covered him.

He finished the seals and slammed his hands on the ground. "Hokage Style Elder Jutsu: Tenth Edict On Enlightenment!" Ten spiked, wooden pillars came forth from the ground around Naruto as four tails grew behind him. Forcing the wall of wood away, Yamato held out his hand and a stream of chakra connected his palm to Naruto's forehead. the aura of burning chakra dimmed under his influence but what remained was strong.

The fox fought hard against him but he returned it in full force. It was a tug of war with their wills against one another but it was a matter of time before one won out.

And, unfortunately for the Leaf ANBU, it was the Kyubi's victory.

A skeleton of bone manifested onto Naruto's form as two more tail emerged. The First Hokage's necklace, a key component to suppressing the Nine-Tails, was shattered in the Tailed Beast's paw.

Yamato was shaking as the pure malevolence of the raging monster was directed at him. The thing that was Naruto stalked forward. The ANBU put himself between it and Hinata. It was pointless considering that it could wipe him out in an instant but he could not die knowing he didn't do everything he could to ensure another shinobi's life.

Naruto swiped at him too fast and he was knocked away with ease.

The last thing Yamato saw before unconsciousness took him was fox reaching forward to move Hinata. When she didn't react, a piercing roar erupted from Naruto before he turned and rushed through the forest.


The situation was quickly spiraling out of control. Madara was watching them, Naruto's self-control had all but disappeared, and it was clear that Broly clearly had the edge in raw power over them all. Continuing the mission will result in failure or death.

They had to retreat. Sasuke wasn't worth this.

That still left the question of how to deal with the Akatsuki. It stood to reason that the man was susceptible to genjutsu if what they knew of the nuke nin was true. With his Sharingan, it would be simple to put the man down. But with Madara's own technique in the way, it would be risky to potentially put the Uchiha on high alert. The only way the Uchiha would be so hands off right now was because the man had full confidence in his slave.

Then there was Naruto unleashing the Nine-Tails. It would be moments before he was on top of them.

I probably only have one shot at this before Madara steps in.' With that thought in mind, Kakashi forcibly morphed his eye into the Mangekyo state. It would take a lot out of him but a genjutsu with the Mangekyo was his best shot.

As the Son of Paragus picked himself up, Kakashi appeared in front of him, his own red eye blazing.

As their eyes met, the world around Broly melted away. The two stood in front of each other in an endless void with confusion running rampant in the Saiyan. "What did you do?" The ancient warrior asked as he looked down at his freely moving body with wide eyes.

Kakashi was wondering the same thing. An outside influence stopped him from putting any detail in the illusionary world he had created. An eerie sense of guilt seemed to pass through him as if the void itself was apologizing.

Broly's mind was racing. This whole thing was clearly a fuck up but is was a fuck up he had to exploit. Broly took several steps forward. "Look, listen! I'm actually being-" Kakashi leapt back with a kunai drawn defensively. The Saiyan snarled. "I'm not in control of my actual body! Some asshole named Madara along with his freak friends are keeping me under their heel."

Some of the tension left the Copy nin's body but he was still ready for any altercation. Who knows how else his genjutsu was affected?

"Who are you and why would Madara control you like he is now? There's plenty of other high level missing nin to choose from."

The Saiyan's fists clenched but he held his tongue. Whatever happened to these hero types just helping no questions asked?

"Broly and I wouldn't have joined him otherwise."

Kakashi's eyes narrowed in suspicion. Why would a man like Madara go through the trouble of coercing someone through genjutsu when the entirety of the Akatsuki were involved out of their own volition? It wasn't adding up.

Broly's hands grabbed at his hair in frustration. Why?! Why couldn't things just go his way?! This bastard was going to waste all the time he had in here! "Damn it! I don't know how to explain this!" Maybe the truth? It's not like he believes him now. "I'm stronger than you could ever conceive but some old bastard got me when I was half dead. Next thing I know, I wake up and some masked fuck has complete control over me!"

"Sorry if I don't find your testimony that convincing."

Broly pointed at the man as if doing so could better direct his fury. "I could have killed everyone in your team if I let it happen!" How dare this waste of breath even consider that he wanted to be here! To suffer such constant humiliation! "You're alive because I thought you could help me!"

The colorless void began to crack open. Wisps of red smoke poured through the opening. The Kyubi's influence was corroding this fragile reality. As the illusion faded, so did Broly's anger give way.

"So help me."

The two were suddenly pulled from their shared world back into reality. Only a moment had passed in the real world for all the time they spent in the failed genjutsu.

Kakashi could feel fatigue setting in and he returned the Mangekyo to its normal state. He would need to conserve his chakra if he wanted to survive Broly, Naruto, and potentially Madara. Broly quickly leapt to his feet, the bugs on his body forgotten. The fear in the shinobi could be tasted.

"Sakura, go back and find Yamato and Hinata! They'll need healing!" The pinkette nodded nervously as she jumped into the trees. She'd have to be careful to avoid Naruto but something told her that any healing couldn't wait.

"Everybody else, pull back!"

As the words left his mouth, the forest seemingly exploded. Kakashi covered his eyes with his arm to block the debris that flew his way. He looked over his forearm. There stood across the seemingly innocent Akatsuki a great beast of crimson skin and pale bone with six slowly twitching tails.

With no desire for theatrics, the two dashed at each other. Broly's momentum was reversed instantly as the six-tailed fox tackled him into the forest.

The Copy nin looked around and did a head count. Much to his surprise, everybody was accounted for.

"Kakashi, what do you suggest for our next course of action?" Sai asked as he regrouped on the Jonin's position alongside Kiba, Akamaru, and Shino. He appeared completely unperturbed by their circumstances.

Kiba made a disgusted face as the smell of the Nine-Tail's chakra wafted past his nose. The toxic nature of the stuff was present even then. "I don't know about you but I really don't want to get in between those two."

"Neither do I, Kiba." Agreed Shino as he pushed his glasses back up his nose. He had already lost the majority of his hive and there was nothing to show for it. There was hardly a scratch on the Akatsuki. "Why? None of us are equipped to deal with a Tailed Beast much less the practical equivalent of two."

They had all heard how the last fight went between Broly and Naruto went. The Akatsuki stood toe to toe with a Four Tailed variant of the Kyubi with Naruto on the losing end.

Kakashi nodded. He had to agree with that assessment. "I'm calling off the mission. We need to get Yamato so we can suppress the Nine Tail's chakra."

"With the Kyubi running loose, it's safe to assume that Yamato failed to do so earlier." The painter met eyes with the Copy nin. "How do we ensure success this time around?"

"We'll cross that bridge soon enough. Find the others. I'll stay behind to keep an eye on Naruto."

The three shinobi dispersed after a unanimous 'Hai'.


'So this is what it feels like to be on the other side.'

The crimson monster held him up in its hands. He was scratched and had a busted lip from the extended beating it just unleashed on him but he was still breathing so he had that going for him. The burning substance that made its body seeped into his wounds and his body was wracked with pain.

Its jaw opened, bones shifting and cracking to increase the size of its maw, and Broly internally cringed. There was no way in hell he was going to be eaten!

He lifted his arms, the limbs tearing through the paws that held him, and the Saiyan reached out as it clamped down. Sharp teeth dug into the palms of his hands as the Son of Paragus refused his potential fate. His leg came up into the things head.

The bone was much harder than anticipated as it actually hurt his shin but his kick got the job done. Naruto bounded along the earth for a couple hundred feet before digging in its reformed paws into the ground.

It swiped his follow up ki blast into the sky with ease. The sky turned green for a brief moment as the attack exploded. It reciprocated with a volley of Tailed Beast balls that the Saiyan struggled to keep up with. The edges of his cloak were singed as he narrowly dodged the constructs of chakra.

He could feel the hold on his mind loosening as more of the substance got on him.

He closed the distance once more. With the power he had been allowed, the long range game didn't look to be the one he should play. He rammed into the Biju and hoisted it onto his shoulder. The impromptu battering ram was used to great effect on half a dozen trees and several boulders before the Son of Paragus tossed him away.

Broly fell to his knees. He was in agony. The seeping red that fell off of Naruto onto him seemed to be cooking him alive. He had the raw strength to beat back the brat but that stuff was simply crippling! Naruto stood back on his four legs, his tails reaching above the canopy of the forest. He breathed in and let loose a roar that shook the very ground for miles.

The Legendary Super Saiyan returned the intimidating gesture with one of his own by powering up to the very limit of his allowed power. The ground at his feet cratered and the man floated in the midst of a green barrier. His skin screamed at him to just stop moving but that wasn't an option.

'I know I don't want to kill him but is neutering still an option?'


"You son of a bitch!"

"Kiba no!"

The feral teen jumped at him in a wild fury. Why waste such emotion on a pet? Doesn't he know they're replaceable? Madara didn't dwell on the question as he flicked his clawed hand up and slashed the ninja's throat with ease. He was here for one thing and that was the girl. Calming down the Nine-Tails jinchuriki would make him easy pickings. He jumped around in fake joy as the leaf shinobi died at his feet. The remaining four looked at him in fear. Well, three. The fourth one just stared really.

"Oh no! He's dead!" 'Tobi' reached up and grabbed at his hair in horror. "But we just started playing!"

Hinata's teary eyes widened with terror as Kiba drew his last breath mere moments after Shino. She wanted to lash out, to cry to the heavens above in despair at the injustice she just witnessed, but she knew how pointless that would be. It would just add another body. Her knees felt weak.

She could hear Sakura's fists clench. "What do you want, Akatsuki? None of us are Jinchuriki." Yamato asked as he subtly gathered chakra. This Akatsuki seemed more unstable than the others. The spiral masked man either failed to notice the preparation or simply didn't care.

"I got bored watching Mr. Broly have all the fun! Now it's my turn!"


Author's Notes

Man, am I getting excited for the next little bit in the story. The ninja world will be rocked like never before.

As always, let me know what you guys think.

Ent out.


Review Responses!

Gundam Meister Uzumaki: I can't promise you anything. Just gonna have to read and hope for the best.

astral trinity: It's gonna happen sometime soon. As for your other review, unfortunately, my updates are slow enough as it is and I've got a story idea in the pipeline already.

The awesome gue: Yeah, I just didn't think it'd make sense for Broly to be there. Madara seems him as a boon to the Akatsuki not a replacement.

XForce: Hmm, while I won't do that particular pairing, I do like the thought of the Gods Among Us parallel.

lifefailout000: Nice, meaty review you got there. Yeah, I don't particularly like how the series ended myself. As for the fights, I definitely see what you mean and I will expand on them in the future. I've never written small scale battles like the ones in this fic so that's new ground for though I refuse to use that as a way to excuse any poor writing on my part. It just means I have to try a little harder.

T51b Moridin: Thanks for all the reviews!

Rayman X18: You guessed it pretty much.

Pain Nagato Uzumaki: Part of me suspects that but I'm holding out hope.