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Artwork: jessejzette - The 7 Generations of Hokage - Find jessejzette on deviant art.
A NEW WORLD – LARA'S PLAN
The Rear Entrance
Naruto crosses his fingers to execute the juts that has become most closely associated with him, the shadow clone jutsu. Thousands of clones appear, each scattered around Carmen in a slightly different position with a massive ball of blue and white chakra in hand. The wind-release rasen-shuriken is a jutsu Naruto invented, to him it feels like it was a lifetime ago now. While others such as Minato, Boruto and Kakashi have attempted to learn the jutsu, Naruto has remained its true master, the most proficient practitioner that has ever lived.
The wind in the surrounding area howls and shrieks, for the first time the result of Naruto's power rather than Carmen's. Simultaneously, the clones each move slightly to one side or the other, gaining a slightly improved position as they do so. Then, the clones all throw their arms forward at the same time, launching the enlarged devastating wind attacks on the solitary aristocrat.
Carmen simply endures the attacks. She doesn't move a muscle. Without 'life', Naruto cannot touch her.
Naturally, Naruto knew about the futility of this attack in advance of launching it. He had only ever intended this attack as a smokescreen for his true intentions. Once more the attack has been planned carefully around Carmen's sensory abilities and deficiencies. Naruto has noticed that sudden changes in light stun Carmen slightly, perhaps due to her reduced vision. This attack does more than that though, the howling sound flying in every direction, the blinding light, the rumbling as the rasen-shuriken reach their target, they all shadow Naruto as he executes his next move.
The 7th Hokage uses his own rasen-shuriken barrage to disguise himself as he runs around to Carmen's rear, leaps up at her, and grabs her from behind. A grasp around her neck, his upper-arm pressed in exactly the right position, this is the perfect way to attack someone stronger than yourself. Even a monster needs air if it is going to fight.
Joining the original body, the enormous number of Naruto clones run at Carmen, each grabbing her in any way they can, restraining her so that the original body can stay in control of her for just one extra millisecond. These small margins can make all the difference in the world, and Naruto isn't the kind of man who ignores that.
Carmen can feel the desperation seeping through Naruto's skin. It only deepens her fury. If he were just like Boruto this would be easy, she wouldn't have to like him. However, Naruto's similarity to Endou Akashi speaks to his potential. To let him pass here would be such a waste, to stop him would be to praise Naruto. Yet, despite the great compliment that she is paying to him, he continues to ignore what the previous emperor would have wanted.
Carmen manages to pull a single hand free of the clones' restraints. That is enough. She gathers golden 'air' energy on this hand, flicking it by the wrist and generating a tremendous burst of wind as she does so.
Instantly the clones are destroyed, and the original body is sent skyward. His injuries aren't too great, and his trajectory is promising as he falls towards the grouped Clyde and Sarada. 'If only I could get a better position to attack, I might have a chance'. Naruto lands between Clyde and Sarada, his gaze fixed on Carmen as he does so. 'No, her powers are too strong. I don't know if there is anything I could do to overcome them'.
"Naruto, if things keep going like this it will end up the same as last time" Sarada says.
"I know" Naruto replies. "But what can we do, nothing I am coming up with is working, she's just too good. She is different to the ones we have fought before, she has clearly fought powerful enemies before".
"We need to keep chipping away at her" Clyde says confidently, "I know it doesn't look like it, but these attacks are adding up. I guarantee that she is feeling pain right now, so don't lose confidence, let's keep pressing forward".
Inspired by Clyde's words, Naruto feels a wave of enthusiasm come over him. It's a nostalgic feel, just like he once felt fighting with Sasuke. The thought of his childhood friend gives him an idea.
"Sarada, when I give the word armour me".
"Got it".
"Clyde, are you ready, we need to keep chipping away".
"Leave it to me".
"Come" Naruto shouts to his student.
Both Naruto and Sarada run straight at Carmen, full of openings and with seemingly little intent to attack, if it weren't for their speed they would appear perfectly harmless. Anyone who has seen them fight before though, would know that to be false. Carmen now finds herself amongst these individuals.
'These fools, what are they trying now… why don't they understand yet, why don't they realise how disrespectful they are being'.
"Now!" Naruto shouts at the top of his voice.
With a speed never achieved before, Naruto completes a nine-tails transformation and Sarada fully activates her Susano, cloaking the manifestation of Kurama within its brightly coloured armour. The two of them work in perfect sync, raising the arm of their combined creature into the air and creating a sword of pure chakra within it. Simultaneously, Sarada pumps 'creation' energy through the left arm and Naruto 'life' energy through the right. Together, they swing down the most powerful sword they have ever held, hoping that this will be the thing to breach Carmen's defences.
Their hopes remain unfulfilled, Carmen creates a small but rapidly growing spiral of golden 'air'. The 'air' expands until it has formed a giant shield which Carmen uses to defend herself against the incoming sword. The two objects clash and send a tremendous shockwave of sound and vibration through the surrounding area.
'Together these two really are strong' Carmen notes, 'I almost had to double the strength of my defence…'.
With the tremendous collision, Carmen took her eye away from what was right before her. A strong punch hits her right in the face, a fist of familiar texture and the smell of a familiar person, it's Clyde.
'All that was a distraction for Clyde to attack? It certainly may have been clever… but…' Carmen grabs Clyde's retreating fist, using it to twist him sideways and leave him open for an attack. 'I can't let you get away with this, I can't let you throw away this incredible potential'.
Clyde, with all the power in his body, manages to twist himself back to his original position. He throws his own fist forward, forcing it clash with the incoming punch from Carmen. The clap from the collision of their skin is tremendous and while Carmen feels just a small sting, Clyde feels like his arm is breaking.
'It hurts like nothing else… but it's another attack, I've chipped away just a bit more'.
As Sarada and Naruto dissipate their combined Kurama-Susano, they fall toward the ground once again.
Sarada, using her enhanced sight, notices a slight chance in Carmen's position. 'That can't be it, surely not. No, it's definitely that… one of her foundation's roots just cracked' Sarada realises. A couple of punches from Clyde shattered one of her roots? 'Clyde's power is less than our own, could it be cumulative damage like he suggested? Or are those roots weak to particular stresses'.
As the Uzumaki-Uchiha duo land, they are immediately greeted by a series of scatter shots from Carmen. Sarada is quick to react, using 'creation' to form a barrier of steel between themselves and the incoming barrage of air.
'If this is what I think it is, then her foundation can be shattered' Sarada concludes. 'We can get her off balance, then we can truly hit her with everything we've got'.
Clyde, still nursing his nearly broken arm, looks back over his shoulder. 'Dammit, is Lara going to help us at all?'.
Sarada, while this is going on, continues to observe the roots holding Carmen's feet to the ground. She observes them like her life depends on it. All the while her hands remain occupied as she is forced to constantly reconstruct the steel barrier in front of her. A constant drain on her divine energy but she has no choice.
"Sarada… Clyde, we're going to attack again".
"But Sarada's… without her or Lara".
"We only need to get a weak hit in" Naruto shouts back at Clyde's doubts, "It all builds up remember".
The general steadies himself, shaking his arm to try and remove the pain from his thought process. "Of course, let's hit her again then".
Lara watches on from afar as her three allies suffer a terrible beating at the hands of the woman she once called her teacher. 'Right now, their methods of attacking are creative, inventive but futile. Even when they land their strongest attacks id does nothing, yet this is the only method they have. However, that girl, I wonder what she is looking at, has she become paralysed by fear, or has she found some sort of weakness?'.
Naruto creates a trio of clones. Once again, the clones each create a rasen-shuriken, but this time Naruto has thought things through. The clones remain in close proximity to the original body as they approach Carmen, this allows Naruto's original body to enhance each of the spinning projectiles with the power of 'life', greatly increasing their power.
The clones mix with one another, waiting until they are right in Carmen's face before splitting apart, forming a triangle formation around her.
Carmen watches the clones carefully. 'Where this time, which one will attack first?'.
As it turns out, none of them will be the ones to attack first. The three of them simultaneously dissipate, making room for the approaching original body. Naruto kicks the ground before him, sending dust and dirt up into Carmen's face, the sort of trick a childish shinobi might come up with to fight their teacher.
"He's trying to blind her; will that really work?" Mirai asks.
Hiruzen shakes his head, "No, he's doing more than that".
Lara has observed Naruto do this several times throughout the fight. She doesn't like it but is forced to admit that she admires the way in which Naruto fights. If his power were on pars with Carmen, he may actually be able to defeat her single-handedly. 'He's clever. By hitting the ground so hard and moving so much dirt, he fools her senses of sight, touch and sound. How will he capitalise?'.
The sensory shroud is not yet complete. Clyde smothers Carmen's head in golden 'darkness'. The odd wispy strand of gold does nothing to brighten the blanket that forms around Carmen's head though, it is as dark as the darkest night she has ever seen. Clyde doesn't let up, continuously adding more and more energy to the shroud around her head, not to hurt her but to blind her.
As the darkness, the dirt and the dust intermingle, the effect of Clyde's energy changes slightly, in a way that is barely noticeable. However, without thinking, Carmen begins to panic.
'She's lost her sensory rebalance' Clyde notices.
Lara notices something even more stunning. One of the principles, regulation, suddenly falters. 'The flow of her energy has changed… has she…'.
Naruto doesn't have time to observe these things, this is the best chance he has had since the fight started.
Snapping from his stupor, Clyde realises it to. He shouts as loud as he can to let Naruto know. "Go now!".
Naruto coats his fist in a dense layer of 'life' divine energy and focuses all of his bodily energy into the twisting of his hips and the swinging of his arm. He punches Carmen in the side of the face as hard as he possibly can, a solid blow which she does nothing to soften in any way. He can tell from the moment it hits, this is the best shot they have got in.
As 'life' scatters the golden 'darkness' away, Carmen's head is driven through the black shroud.
Her face spells hope though, a trickle of blood drops from the corner of her mouth.
Carmen bleeds!
A thousand voices from behind Naruto's back cry out for him to do it again, he is already well ahead of them.
Switching the 'life' energy from his right hand to his left, Naruto hits Carmen again.
'They don't listen' Carmen rants in her head. 'They don't listen. Why do they do it? Why do they fight me?'.
He hits her again.
'Why don't they get it? This isn't what Endou would have wanted'.
Naruto strikes again.
'Why don't they get it?'.
Naruto throws yet another punch.
Carmen catches it.
The look of pure rage on her face momentarily terrifies Naruto. Few have made the Hokage feel such fear.
"Are you too stupid to understand boy" she bellows into his face. "How badly do I have to beat you before you get it? You aren't going to win!".
Carmen throws two wild punches. Far less controlled than before, Naruto knows he isn't fighting a warrior anymore, he is fighting against a savage. The wild punches are easy for him to evade and he does so, but Carmen's pure speed advantage is overwhelming. The third attack she sends towards him is a powerful stomp down towards his foot. The second it lands, Naruto can tell that Carmen has broken something in his foot.
Not satisfied with breaking Naruto's foot, Carmen continues to scream at him. "You won't defeat me here! You aren't capable of defeating me here! That's why, you shouldn't even try, you're wasting your time!".
Carmen lands a series of three blows without answer from Naruto. First, she strikes him with a punch to the liver, then an elbow to the chest and lastly with a headbutt to his cranium. Each blow rattles Naruto, previously Carmen would have held back from using such violent and brutal attacks but clearly something has snapped inside her head.
Naruto falls flat onto his back, practically paralysed.
"Yet you have made me fight!" Carmen continues, grabbing Naruto by the head and slamming him down into the floor. "You make me fight on and on and on, because you are too stupid!".
Clyde runs at Carmen, desperate to end her assault. It doesn't matter if they fail here, it is far more important that Naruto survives.
Carmen uses her masterful control of 'air' to create a vacuum, pulling Clyde first towards her and then changing his path downward. As Clyde's head hurtles towards the floor, she raises her knee, delivering a powerful strike to his skull.
Clyde falls to the ground alongside Naruto.
Sarada is the only one left. She is about to move to rescue her two allies when suddenly the power of the scatter shot firing in her direction increases. That wall of steel she maintained using 'creation' is now destroyed quicker than she can recreate it.
Carmen creates another vacuum, this time to pull Sarada towards her.
Naturally, Sarada cannot resist this and flies through the air towards Carmen.
Carmen, still fighting with a newfound barbaric nature, unearths her roots from the ground and leaps towards Sarada, moving from her original spot for the first time in the fight.
The roots Sarada has been fixating on as Carmen's greatest strength are gone. No matter how chaotic things may seem in this moment, she has to believe that this is one last chance, bestowed upon them by some higher power, or perhaps by destiny itself.
Naruto, using all the power left in his body, forces himself to his feet and prepares to attack once more, recognising just like Sarada that this is another rare chance.
Naruto prepares a 'life' tailed beast bomb.
Sarada prepares a 'creation' solar punch.
Realising the attacks are coming from both sides, Carmen is snapped back to reality.
'I've made a mistake!'.
Naruto uses the last of his energy reserves to fire the 'life' enhanced tailed beast bomb at Carmen. It connects, pushing the aristocrat forward into the full force of Sarada's 'creation' enhanced solar punch.
The clap is deafening as Carmen is engulfed by an explosion.
Sarada gasps for air, praying, due to her lack of energy, that their combined attack was enough.
It didn't work.
Carmen claps her hands together, sending golden 'air' energy thundering at Sarada, slamming her down into the ground.
Sarada lays immobile next to Clyde and Naruto, wondering what just happened to her. "No way…".
Sarada was certain that was the most powerful blow they had landed in this fight. It was at the most opportune moment where Carmen was the most susceptible to attack. She had been distracted by her own rage and that should have been the perfect moment to strike. Even if Carmen had regained her senses, she should have had no way to use the foundation principle.
Then Clyde sees it. Another of the principles. Carmen's concentrated defence.
Carmen momentarily wears a concentrated armour of golden 'air'. This is her ultimate defence. A barrier impenetrable for the likes of them.
"I hope you understand now" Carmen says as she puts the armour away. "Your attacks are futile".
The fight is over.
Carmen takes a deep breath, filling her lungs with fresh air. "Sorry Clyde, you two, I shouldn't have done that. I lost myself to rage. But, I should have proven my point now, this is useless. You have good luck repeatedly, but you are still unable to defeat me".
A voice then calls out.
"I don't recall the fight being over" Lara says.
The head-general drops her shield for the first time since the fight began and walks slowly and calmly towards Carmen.
"Lara, do you want to fight me to then? I was hoping that you had been the wisest of your group" Carmen admits, almost sarcastically, "I had hoped you had decided not to fight".
"You know me teacher. Not wanting to fight? Ha, give me a break!" Lara openly laughs in Carmen's face. "I am not only here to fight, I am here to defeat you".
Clyde manages to growl out a few words of advice. "Lara… don't be… stupid… you can't… win".
"Ha! Like I would listen to you" Lara shouts at her would-be subordinate. "You lay there on the ground, almost crippled. I'm going to follow my plan and I'm going to win this battle".
Naruto, Sarada and Clyde hardly know what to make of Lara's boasts. At first, they make the reasonable assumption that she is delusional. However, Lara has never lacked for power and lying is hardly her style. If there is a one in a million chance that whatever she is planning will work, they hope beyond hope that it comes to pass. Whatever it takes to move on and assassinate Furst Jonas, that is what they need to do.
Carmen is pessimistic. "Lara, you never had the chance to learn some valuable lessons, you were always too strong, but now your pears all have power that surpasses your own. No matter what you do from here, you will not be able to defeat me because you don't have the power to do so".
"Is that right?" Lara asks, sporting her usual bloodthirsty grin.
Lara places both hands out in front of her. She pools energy into a single spot in front of her hands, initially in the same way anyone would to build up a powerful attack but then something changes.
Lara begins to take the leakage energy and refunnel it back into the same spot. She increases the density periodically, constructing an attack far greater than any she has shown them before.
The power is incredible!
'What is that?' Naruto asks himself as he watches on.
"You're calling me arrogant?" Lara shouts at her teacher. "You need to look in the mirror. Your foundation is gone, your concentration is gone, you're exhausted. If you think you can take this, then go ahead and prove it".
'She's right' Sarada admits. 'This is an even better position than we had before. This is the perfect moment to unleash a powerful attack… and that divine energy build-up is the biggest attack we've had yet'.
"I'm surprised Lara" Carmen declares.
The aristocrat once again activates her concentrated defence, forming an armour of golden 'air' energy around her entire body.
"This attack, the method you are using to apply it, the precision. Likely your technique is superior to my own" Carmen admits. "However, you can't overcome the gulf in our powers with technique alone, your attack won't work".
"Give me a few seconds and we'll test that theory!".
The attack's power continues to ramp up.
"Here I come, teacher!".
Many shinobi behind Lara find themselves inadvertently calling out in support of her. They beg her to unleash this attack, for it is their last chance of victory.
Lara unleashes the attack.
Golden 'light' and golden 'air' clash in a bang of pure energy.
Everyone looks on, eager to see what is going to happen.
As the light clears, Elliot is the first to comment on the result.
"It… it did nothing…".
He is right. Carmen emerges unscathed.
"Lara, you are a fool. If that attack truly had breached my defences, the explosion would likely have killed your allies" Carmen notes.
Lara remains deathly silent as she stands powerless in the aftermath of her attack. She never imagined for one second that she proves to be so worthless. She felt like she was second best after Clyde defeated her but now she feels a thousand times worse. She isn't second best anymore, now she is a nobody.
"You have learnt the concentrated attack. You've done it well" Carmen praises her student. "But that is all you have managed. Your lack of consideration for your allies, your contempt for the efforts of others, your inability to work with them, they all hold you back. In these areas, Clyde is vastly superior to you".
Yet another reminder of Clyde's superiority.
Lara, abnormally calm, shuts her eyes. "Teacher, if you have nothing else to say then please shut up!".
"Very well, it seems you will only learn your lesson through defeat. You, just like everyone else here, have refused to learn anything".
With Carmen's words of wisdom spoken, she launches her own concentrated attack at Lara.
Carmen's concentrated attack is different to Lara's. It's quicker in its build and much more powerful. Indeed, Carmen's technique may be worse, but the enormous gap in their divine energy is clearly demonstrated in the aristocrat's superiority.
As the concentrated attack hits Lara, she falls the ground, motionless, defeated.
Carmen uses the 'air' to project her voice to the shinobi and soldiers who watch from afar.
"Take your leaders away. If you have learnt anything at all from coming here, then speak with them. Tell them not to come here again…".
"… because they are not ready".
Carmen has spoken.
It is their loss!