Devil From The Heavens
Chapter 11: The Saiyan Project
Moments Before
Madara appeared where he believed Pain's Deva Path would be. As expected, he was looking over the other Paths. 'God's' equivalent for a shinobi maintaining their weapons.
The Sage's tablet made a point of just how much of the Saiyan's strength he could lock away. At most, with the suppressing seal on his back, he could be allowed access to one percent of one percent of his base power. Anymore would require the removal of the seal. The God of Shinobi was very particular with his words as it was also mentioned that Broly had two transformations that theoretically increased his power dramatically but that was for the future.
With his full strength, the Saiyan could tear asunder worlds.
They had stayed away from releasing Broly's full capacity under the seal because of the risk involved. Perhaps the power could shatter the seal if left for too long or Madara's genjutsu might stop working. The aversion to risk only left him with his carefully put together organization in ruins and the strongest Tailed Beasts still out of their hands.
Perhaps risk could fix that.
Pain turned unfazed by his sudden presence. Granted, the walking corpse could be shocked beyond compare and it'd probably look the same. How Konan read him so easily, he couldn't be bothered to learn.
"Is there an issue, Lord Ma-"
"We're releasing Broly's power." His lone, exposed eye narrowed. "All of it."
The Path took a step back as if the Uchiha just slapped him in the face.
"You know the dangers involved in such action."
"Let me worry about it. You just do it."
Madara Kamui'ed away and left behind a startled Pain. Had the man gone mad? There's no telling what would happen if they just turned the lever to that extreme! The Akatsuki figurehead turned back to his Paths. The masked Uchiha would get them all killed.
Pain's Rinnegan glew for a moment. His plan to invade Konoha for the Kyubi Jinchuriki would have to be delayed.
Madara had to go.
Naruto felt himself bloat up and fear shot through his system. He could feel the webbing develop between his fingers and his cheeks fatten. Before it could get any farther however, he received a sharp blow to the head from Fukasaku's stick. The blonde promptly fell to the floor as his clones popped. He put his hands to the back of his head and rolled around cursing the toad.
Jiraiya, who at this point had been meditating to further perfect his own Sage Mode, opened an eye at the Jinchuriki currently writhing on the floor. He couldn't help his chuckle at the expense of his godson.
Hinata's eyes shot open at the sound and she looked down at Naruto in worry. She thought he had it that time. She let go of the natural energy before any of the detrimental effects could take hold. Surprisingly, or unsurprisingly depending on your perspective, she had been progressing faster than her crush through her more disciplined nature and the use of her Byakugan to support her much better chakra control as well.
"Do you have to hit him so hard?"
The elderly toad put the cane on his shoulder as he waved off the girl's concern. "Pah, o'course I do! Don't wanna take any chances with natural energy, y'know."
The Hyuga shivered as a breeze passed over her. She still hadn't progressed passed the use of oil but Fukasaku said that she wasn't far off unlike Naruto. Frankly, she still couldn't believe she was here. She felt like she was intruding on sacred ground, that she was unworthy of being a Sage. The elder toad couple were reluctant to take her on especially with Jiraiya's initial protests to her participation.
It brought her so much joy to see Naruto argue so hard for her, to believe in her, even when she objectively had no business being here. Jiraiya even made it a point that her chakra reserves were too small for Sage training anyways but here she was. Apparently, it wasn't a hard rule, just a precaution that made it less likely for her to turn into a toad.
"It just seems a bit much..."
"Ya want him to turn into a toad?"
"O-of course not!"
"Then this is how it has ta be!"
Naruto picked himself up and sat next to her while grumbling about grouchy toads. He glanced at her and gave her a smile that made her heart flutter. She should be more concerned about the blonde's seeming dependency on her since the failed retrieval mission but she was only human and she loved having his attention for once.
Even with her Byakugan inactive, she could see him struggling to not look down. That made her blush heavily when they first arrived and were introduced to the oil. It explained why the Sannin told them to bring swim wear. It did wonders for her stutter. Spend enough time someone with minimal clothing and the nerves tend to settle apparently.
"How you holdin' up?"
She blinked at the question. She had been too in her thoughts. "Oh, uh, I'm doing fine, I think." Hinata closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She knew she had this. "I just have to...give me a moment."
She activated her Byakugan once more to keep an eye on her chakra. The natural energy circulated around her as she begun to take it in. It threatened to flood her system but she held it in check well enough.
"Whoa."
She opened her eyes, now with toad-like pupils, and glanced at her crush.
"What?"
He gave her a wide grin with a tinge of wonder in his eyes. "You look so cool!"
Hinata blushed at the praise before she looked into the pool of oil to see her reflection. Unbeknownst to her, violet markings had appeared around her eyes when she entered Sage Mode. A band seemingly wrapped across her face with fang-like markings flowing down about midway through each cheek. It was pretty out there but it was cool.
Fukasaku hopped to her side with a gobsmacked expression on his face when he was that the Hyuga had already entered Sage Mode. Then again, she had the perfect foundation save for a lack of chakra. He regained his composure quickly enough and put a hand to her shoulder.
"How do ya feel?"
Hinata turned to the Toad Elder before she looked down at her hands and clenched them. She hadn't noticed but her Byakugan had become sharper. She could see individual cells in her skin if she focused. The entirety of Mount MyĆboku was visible to her and something told her that was just the tip of the iceberg.
"Strong."
Naruto punched his palm. "Now I've got to try even harder!" He put his hands into his signature seal. "I can't let you be the first one to finish training, Hinata!"
The blond created several clones who proceeded to lather themselves in the oil before they went back to meditation. Jiraiya took this moment to get the young woman's attention with a wave of his hand. She took a moment to release the natural energy within her.
"While he does that, I need to talk with you, Hinata."
"You better not do anything, Pervy Sage!"
A vein popped out on the Sannin's forehead. "What do you take me for, you runt?!" Jiraiya glanced at the young woman and gave her a smirk. "Besides, I doubt you'd appreciate it if I moved in on your girlfriend like that."
"What?! She's not my- ow!"
Fukasaku put the cane back on his shoulder as the clones disappeared once more. "Focus!"
The smirk faded as the older shinobi gestured with a nod of his head to move away from the blond. He knew that the brat would have problems becoming a Sage. It wasn't an easy thing to learn but he made little if any progress and he had a suspicion as to why. He could feel the fox's influence whenever he entered Sage Mode himself and studied his godson during training.
Still, he wanted confirmation.
"Have you looked at Naruto's chakra pathways when he meditates? Notice anything weird?" He asked Hinata once they came to a stop.
She was surprised by the sudden question but nodded nonetheless. "The Kyubi's chakra spreads whenever natural energy enters him." The Sannin scowled and her heart began to race. Was there something wrong?
"I suspected as much."
"Is Naruto in danger, Sensei?"
"Tch, I told you to just call me Jiraiya," His visage softened at the concern and fear on the young woman's face. "And, maybe. I have reason to believe the fox is interfering with Naruto's training."
"Why would the Nine-Tails hamper Naruto like that?"
He rubbed his chin in thought. If I had to hazard a guess, it might be trying to keep him weak so he'll have to rely on its power and make it easier for the fox to either corrupt him or break the seal."
The Hyuga had an almost confident look on her face. "It'll have to break the seal."
He raised a brow. What made her so sure? "Oh?"
She nodded fervently. "Naruto won't fall to the fox. He's too strong for that."
For what felt like the millionth time, Naruto failed to hold onto the natural energy. The damn fox's chakra wouldn't let him keep it! He opened his eyes to the view of a dank, dirty sewer. The Kyubi's prison. He turned around at the feeling of a presence behind him.
"You are having trouble with your Sage training."
It wasn't a question from the fox; it was a statement of fact. Naruto looked up to meet the crimson eyes of the Nine-Tails. The blond had an inkling that the Tailed Beast was purposefully obscuring its face so he could only see it eyes.
"You would know, you're in my body after all."
The sewer around him rumbled with a thoughtful groan from the eldritch chakra construct.
"My presence within you interferes with your ability to balance the natural energy in your system." The Kyubi turned and began to pace its prison. Each step was an earthquake. It looked at him again. "Come here, boy."
Naruto hesitated. He wasn't the smartest guy around but he knew walking into a cage held a beast with claws the size of him was not a good idea. There's also the multitude of times that the fox openly threatened him throughout his life. The Nine-Tails noticed.
"I will not harm you."
"That isn't what I'm worried about." He lied. He didn't want to offend the fox.
It rolled its eyes but dropped the matter as it sat on its haunches. Despite the seemingly peaceful attitude it had at the moment, the fox remained endlessly menacing.
"You need my help to become a Sage. It is only through my power freely given will balance be achieved."
The blond narrowed his eyes. He's always been told that the Nine-Tails was a purely malevolent creature. It was also a fox, a creature known for its cunning. What was it trying to do?
"What do you get out of this?"
It tilted its head as if questioning his intelligence. It moved its paw in a sweeping gesture to the sewer where it resided. "Behold my home." The way the fox referred to its prison was almost sarcastic but not quite there. It was too down to be sarcastic.
The Nine-Tails lowered itself to his level and the rumble of its throat made the ground quake.
"There is no light here...it is the deep of the ocean in which I drift, in which I shall drown."
A crimson fog spewed from the fox's mouth and surrounded Naruto. He instinctively protected his face from the strange substance but dropped it after a few seconds in which nothing happened.
"Accept my power so that I may feel the sun once more."
It was being purposefully vague. He sympathized with the fox. He knew what it was like to be isolated though this was another level to what he experienced and it wasn't like the fox was innocent of its punishment; it did try to destroy the Konoha.
"I've been meaning to ask about that." The blond scratched the back of his head. "I already have access to your chakra, what does accepting your power even mean?"
"A mere fraction of my power tarnished is what you possess. It is to compare a polluted pond to a crystalline sea."
The Nine-Tailed fox scowled as its container seemed unconvinced. It didn't matter. The time will come and he will succumb.
"Every second you waste hesitating, child, another victim falls to the Akatsuki. How would you feel if you failed to save your friends because you lacked the strength necessary?"
The Kyubi's words struck a chord with its container as fear widened his eyes. It had to keep twisting the knife. As long as the wounds never heal, it would have an out with the child. It slammed a paw and the force of impact blew the brat to his back.
"I grow tired." It said as it circled around a particular spot several times before laying down. "Leave me."
The masked shinobi looked to the balcony with a questioning eye. There was a lingering presence here. He spotted a lone piece of paper, about a centimeter in length, floating about in the rain. Konan was just here. Nothing to worry about at the moment.
He looked to the Saiyan. It amused him to see how quickly his face shifted from apathy to irritation.
"It's time for a test, Broly."
"It's time for you to fuck o-!"
The Uchiha smirked beneath his mask as the alien stood rigid when his genjutsu took over once more. It was almost admirable how much fight the Saiyan still had. Most lost their will by this point. He grabbed onto his slave and the two were back with Pain once more.
He gestured for the Rinnegan wielder to release Broly's power. Pain hesitated.
"This is folly, Madara. The Sage warned against releasing so much of his strength."
The Uchiha's glare cut through him.
"Do you not wish for peace, Pain?"
The Akatsuki figurehead was taken aback by the question.
"Of course."
"You have not doubted me until this point, why do you stand in your own way now?"
Pain leveled a steely gaze at the Saiyan. This was the weapon he wanted. The swift blade that would cow the shinobi world into peace but it wasn't under his guiding hand. It was clear with the continued gathering of the Tailed Beasts in spite of Broly, Madara's goals did not align with his.
"The peace I seek is not that of a grave. Were he to break these sea-"
"He won't. Now do as you're told."
He knew he couldn't fight Madara, not now, not without a plan. The Uchiha was a legend and for good reason. If they survived increasing Broly's power, he would need to speak with Konan. Pain put his hand on the suppression seal on the Saiyan's back. With little ceremony, he released the flood gates. For a brief moment, the glow of the seal shifted from gold to the green that had become Broly's signature.
The Deva Path's hand burned instantly as the full brunt of the power he was able to release hit him. Winds whipped at the room with forces that the storm outside couldn't hope to match. A poisonous flame surrounded Broly and the roof above their heads cracked and crumbled from the heat that rushed out of the Saiyan. Not a single rain drop entered the room in spite of the hole in the ceiling.
Broly's pupils disappeared as his hair stood on end and flashed a dark blue. Pain backed away as he felt his skin boil. It was like he plucked the Sun from the sky and brought it to his village. The Saiyan's head moved with clear discomfort and his muscles contracted from the ki threatening to rip them apart.
Madara weathered the crushing spectacle with little reaction. His Mangekyo spun as it struggled to comprehend what it was seeing. Ki was normally rather similar to chakra but with how unstable and vast the warrior's reserves were, his Sharingan was barely more useful than a civilian's eyes when it came to soaking in the details of the energies assaulting the room.
As sudden as it started, the violence ended. Broly's hair returned to its normal black coloration as he stood up and his aura calmed. It was clear he was still under the genjutsu. Madara gave the room a once over. The place was ruined and the Deva Path definitely needed fixing up from being so close. The torrential rain, unimpeded by Broly, fell through and soaked the brainwashed Saiyan.
"Just like that, our goals are ever closer." The masked man put a hand to Broly's shoulder and glanced at Pain. "Any doubts will be laid to rest soon."
He used Kamui once more and the two were on the fringe of Takigakure, the Hidden Waterfall Village. It was a far cry from the great villages but it had the privilege of once holding onto a Tailed Beast. Even without their Jinchuriki, the village had avoided ever being successfully invaded due to their skilled shinobi and their legendary Hero Water.
However, with Madara perfectly capable of disposing and evading even their strongest ninja and no Jinchuriki, it was a perfect target for this particular task.
"Destroy this village. " He turned to the Saiyan as his aura erupted around him. "All at once."
The ground cracked as the raven haired man rocketed into the air above the village. The Uchiha noted with his lone Sharingan that some shinobi started moving. Ever since they had acquired the Seven Tails, the settlement had been on high alert. Not that it mattered.
Everything for miles turned a sickly green as the air around became noticeably heavy. An orb as bright as the sun above shone where he last saw Broly. Madara idly noted that there was even a slight corrosiveness to the light that had engulfed the environment as the little skin he had exposed became irritated.
The green rushed to Broly before his hand closed around the ki he had gathered. Various jutsu and explosive kunai were launched at him but nothing could blemish his skin much less cause harm. The Saiyan waved his arm and the emerald power he held raced towards the village below.
The hair on the back of Madara's neck rose up in the instant before the attack connected with the massive tree that was the centerpiece of the village. His gut told him that he was not at a safe distance from the epicenter.
He transported himself a good fifty miles away as Taki was erased in a moment's breath. It was a good thing he left when he did as the dome of emerald annihilation easily reached pass the cliff he had stood on seconds ago by his estimation. He had been fully prepared for devastation like this and yet he still found himself speechless. It was hard to put into words how insignificant one feels in the presence of something like Broly.
His whole species were just insects to this demon that had the misfortune of landing here. And just like insects, a sting was all it took to bring even the mightiest to their knees.
He Kamui'ed back to Takigakure. The earth at the edges of the explosion was scorched beyond recognition. Closer to the epicenter, there was no long dirt and stone, just glass with Broly floating just above it. A whole village gone in the blink of an eye. He had to go bigger, to see the extent of this power. As Madara grabbed onto the Saiyan once more, he noticed the gleam of sweat on the warrior's brow and he was on unsteady legs. His breaths were deeper and slower as well. He was tired.
The chakra poisoning on his skin must have impacted the man more than he accounted for. He'll have to let the Saiyan heal before the next step.
It was always something with this Saiyan. It didn't matter in the grand scheme of things but it was a minor bump in the road after many potholes had left him annoyed.
The two left with nothing but silence in their wake.
A few hours later, a caravan of hurried shinobi approached the village. They had seen the explosion of green from a half day's travel away and pushed themselves to reach their village as soon as possible.
They stood on the edges of the crater that used to be their village in horror. A man in with long brown hair in a yellow kimono jacket and grey pants walked ahead them for a few steps before falling to his knees.
Shibuki had only been gone for a week. He had been too stressed lately and took a small vacation. He left the village in perfectly capable hands. As his eyes watered, the village head noticed how the moon's light reflected off the remains. It looked like glass.
"My lord, what should we do?"
He wiped his eyes. This wasn't the time for mourning. His men most certainly lost loved ones too and they were holding themselves together better than stood and held himself with the composure expected of a leader in crisis. Their closest ally was Konoha.
"Contact the Hidden Leaf. We need to find whoever did this and stop them before they do it again."
Author's Note
Another update so soon?! Yeah, I'm in between jobs so I have a lot of spare time so don't expect such a quick turnaround in the future!
There's so much stuff going on! Madara and Pain looked to be revving up for a fight, Hinata and Naruto are training for Sage Mode, and a Hidden Village has been wiped out!
How do y'all think this will play out? Let me know in a review!
Ent out.
Review Responses!
Guest: Why thank you!
fightingchampion: The answer to your question has been delivered!
Hyperbor: If only I knew the answers! Lol, my fics would be way more popular if I did.
Jutten: A world with Broly is a deadly one unfortunately.
Abyss Trinity: The Sage is nothing if not forgiving. He wouldn't turn his back on the world no matter what.
Guest: How you doin' and thank you!
Marouan: Fast enough for ya?
coronadomontes: Thank you!
The awesome one: It is Obito but he's deep in the whole "I'm Madara" business like he was initially in canon. As for what the real Madara might think, We'll find out way in the future!
DB O: It was very similar though in this case he's not controlling Broly; just pushing him along the right path. You can argue it's a slippery slope.
divineboss2000: Yay, a review!
Guest: Broly's growth is important to me as an author and I hope you'll enjoy what I do with him in the future.
