THE IMPERIAL PALACE – THE CHOICE IS YOURS
Inside the Imperial Palace Walls
Roughly half way between the southern most point of the Imperial Palace walls and the Imperial Core at it's centre, a large group of infiltrators have come to a halt. Here, and throughout most of the Imperial Palace, the surroundings are beautiful. Unlike the grassy planes the infiltrators previously rested in, this place is blessed with diverse plant life.
Flowers grow together in small groups but not even one of them looks out of place. The entire scene seems as if it has been painted by god, something that many of Homeworld's natives believe to be true. Unlike the around Hidden Leaf Village, the trees here could not hide anything, each of them short, stumpy and with dense leaves and branches. The environment is will irrigated by the flowing of several rivers in streams. This place is truly a garden paradise.
Here is the chosen resting point of the alliance forces. The alliance, a tentative and dangerous truce between three different forces, the remaining forces of the Hidden Leaf Village, the military forces united under General Clyde and the military forces united under Head General Lara. The spot was chosen specifically by Clyde, the only one amongst the entire force who has any experience within the palace walls. This spot was allegedly ideal for evading detection by the imperial guard while being close enough to plot their assassination.
This is where they will make their stand from.
This is where they will change Homeworld forever.
A shinobi wipes the beads of sweat from her head after hammering yet another peg into the ground. She steps back and looks at the tent before her, sturdy and reliable. "Well, I guess we can't complain, it's prettier here than it was before" she admits.
"You're not wrong there, you could spend an entire day surveying this land and not get bored" another shinobi agrees.
Upon hearing this one of Clyde's captains approaches the two of them. "You two should be careful not to become complacent, this land may be a garden paradise but at it's core it is hiding a devil. This land is Furst Jonas' territory, it's massive and he won't find us unless he is looking, but if we make a mistake, if we get unlucky and bump into an imperial guard patrol, we would be finished".
"I know" the shinobi admits, placing her mallet down and turning to face the captain. "I realise that we have come to a place where we are too weak to fight. We regular shinobi are just pawns in a great war, but Lord 7th will protect us, Lord 9th too, they won't let anything happen to us".
The captain shakes his head as he looks at the optimistic duo before him. He knows that they have been indoctrinated by their history, just like he has. In their hearts they do not believe there is any cataclysm that their precious 7th Hokage couldn't save them from. That sort of thinking has always worked in the past, but he is in the same boat. In his head, he doesn't believe there is any miracle powerful enough to overthrow Furst Jonas, the second emperor. Unfortunately, the circumstances point to him being correct.
"This isn't like the battle against Lady Carmen you know, if the generals and the Hokage fail, even just the once, they won't be able to save us" he explains, "There is no buying time against Furst Jonas, he is the single most deadly being to have ever lived. Every second an enemy survives in his presence, it is because the emperor has allowed it".
"He sounds terrible" the shinobi admits, "We will have to be on our guard not to be caught".
"Good, keep alert".
"Speaking of time" the second shinobi speaks up once again, "Why are we putting up all these tents, I am sure that Lord 7th could do this in a few minutes with his clones".
Approaching from behind the shinobi, one of the village's leading shinobi, Nara Shikamaru answers the question.
"Saving time is not important right now".
"Of course, forgive my impatience sir" the second shinobi replies with a salute.
"Right now, it's as you just said, we shinobi are merely pawns in a battle so great we cannot imagine it. The only thing we can do to make a difference is to help our four strongest warriors in any way we can, even just giving them a moment's extra rest".
The captain approves of Shikamaru's thinking. "You need not worry, we are all working together diligently. When the four of them attack, they will know that we have done everything we can".
"That's what I like to hear, keep it up".
Nearby on a Small Pond
The surrounding trees cast a shade on the pond providing a dark secretive atmosphere in contrast with the situation. The pond water is crystal clear, the small ambient light upon it reflecting the trees and the leaves that surround the pond. Usually steady, the pond is disturbed only by a few tiny ripples emanating from the two people stood atop it. Facing one another are Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sarada.
The two slowly circle one another, smirking slightly as they do. This whole exercise was suggested as a training session but that's not what it is. At this point it is a little game they are playing, a test of who has the superior fighting mind. A battle between two children who grew up searching for attention in the most difficult places and whose brains have accumulated dozens of little tricks to use.
Finally, with a gentle gust of artificial wind, a leaf falls from one of the trees above them and both shinobi wait patiently for it to touch the water. As the green-yellow foliage touches the water it sends small ripples which clash with those created by Naruto and Sarada, and both warriors begin their moves.
Sarada is the first to act, closing the distance between herself and Naruto and throwing two right-handed punches towards his head. Naruto evades each of these before countering with a palm strike towards Sarada's chest, but she is familiar with this action of Naruto's. She catches the incoming hand and throws it aside.
The brief exchange of strikes ends as neither continues their assault. A basic taijutsu exchange with no winner. Their use of divine energy and excessive chakra magnifies their abilities and it is only after this that the true difference can be observed. Right now, Naruto is content that his pupil's moves seem to be on par with his own.
Naruto is distracted momentarily as he spots something hopping around near the edge of the pond. A frog.
"Look at that, this world has the same animals as our own" he notes.
"That's probably not a coincidence, Furst Jonas created the pocket worlds" Sarada admits, "He likely based the animals within them strongly upon the ones found in this world".
Naruto nods. "I have to ask you Sarada, do you think it's right to kill him?".
"Right to kill him?" she repeats incredulously, "Listen Naruto, I don't know if killing is always wrong or right or anything like that, but I know it's a price I'm willing to pay for our salvation".
"Yeah… I suppose you're right, it's just hard to hate a man you have never met, a man who created our world and all the beautiful things within it".
"Naruto, he's evil, you know that don't you?".
"Yeah, I know".
Sarada observes her teacher as he in turn observes the wildlife around him. She realises that something is wrong as memories from her childhood return. The 7th Hokage from her childhood would have just yelled an answer back after being asked a question like that. The 7th Hokage from her youth was certain of his actions, he was full of conviction and could answer any question about being right and wrong instantly. For the first time since she brought him to the future, she now looks at Naruto and asks is this the same 7th Hokage?
Sarada tests her theory, she steps back and throws a kunai towards his head. Naturally, he evades to the side of the kunai, that attack would never hurt Naruto in a thousand years. But as he moves out of the way she uses the distraction to step back into him and lands a clean punch to his head protector, a clear demonstration of how easy the attack was.
"Woah, nice one Sarada" he says with a thumbs up.
'Nice one, Naruto? No, something is wrong' she tells herself, 'The Naruto from my youth was different. There was something more childish about him, a sort of childish persistence. He had a greater fighting spirit. And now that I think about it, it's been the same ever since he came to the future. It's almost as if he is too mature, almost as if his motivation is no longer desire, it's duty'.
The ramifications of her realisation roll through Sarada's head. She considers what this may mean for any assassination attempt and in conclusion, she does not like it.
As her thoughts continue to distract her, she is brought back to reality by the feeling of something wrapping around her ankle. She looks down to inspect it and realises what it is. It's a hand.
The hand pulls Sarada down into the water and as Naruto laughs she realises what just happened. One of his clones just pulled her in.
'So much for too mature' Sarada grumbles.
Naruto's original body offers a hand to his apprentice. "You shouldn't let your mind wander in the middle of a fight Sarada. That's why I'm the teacher and you're the student".
Sarada shakes her head and admits to the limitations of her insight. Even though the time-travelling Naruto is younger than her he has more experience on the battlefield, the things he has seen, done and understood are beyond what she ever imagined. There is no denying, fighting spirit or not, that this Uzumaki Naruto is a man you want on your side.
Sarada takes Naruto's hand and he pulls her out of the water.
Near the Camp
Clyde leans back against the tree trunk and crosses his arms. He volunteered to go on the first scouting mission in this area, aware that it could be dangerous. He is the expert amongst the three-way alliance though, he is the only one who has been in the Imperial Palace before. If they are seen by an imperial guard captain and that captain gets away it could be catastrophic. The imperial guard is stronger than the military, handpicked from a very young age and on average far more talented than members of the military. Clyde remembered from before that this place was idyllic but that this was a façade. Behind all this beauty lies a demon.
Lara appears at his side, having just gone a short way away as part of the mission. "The river continues at least ten miles to the north. It goes south but doesn't quite reach the camp, it could still be a useful reference point though".
"Wildlife?".
"There are various animals alongside the river but nothing dangerous, they are all normal animals with no intrinsic divine energy".
"I suppose that's what we expected really, there is no way Furst would allow any kind of threat to remain too close to him".
Clyde and Lara continue along the planned scouting route they agreed with Naruto and Sarada earlier. Clyde was surprised at the time that Lara would volunteer to come scouting with him. Perhaps it was because she is still trying to be civil with her new allies. Perhaps it was because Clyde is the only person she feels comfortable around. Or perhaps it is because she wanted to wander the interior of the Imperial Palace. To Clyde, Lara's mind remains a mystery.
As the two senior military figures continue their route, Lara asks Clyde a question.
"Hey Clyde, do you think we will be able to kill Furst?".
Clyde notes that this sort of question is out of character for Lara. Frankly her confidence, even if unfounded, is the one attribute Lara can be relied upon for. To see her doubting herself is very unusual. That is how strong the emperor is though. From the stories alone, a fear has been driven into their hearts for many years. The military academy aristocrats did not necessarily instil this fear of Furst because they liked the new emperor, they did it for the sake of their students. If they didn't do this, many more promising colonels and generals would have thrown their lives away against him.
"I don't know" Clyde answers, "Honestly, it's not very likely but I'm willing to try anyway. Aren't you?".
Lara ignores the counter-question. "You should write down that there are a lot of flowers in this area that can be used to make common field-medicines. It could be useful for any injuries sustained if we have a run in with the imperial guard".
Clyde writes this all down on a piece of paper. "It's fascinating to watch you do this, it's a bit like being a captain again".
"Shut up!".
"I remember when we had just discovered our elements" Clyde smiles, "We were brought into the military and immediately tagged as people with high potential. Back then we did scout missions and you almost seemed approachable. It seemed that is what you were happiest doing".
"… it was what I was happiest doing…".
"Lara?".
"Scout missions are easy, I always see what nobody else can. I was the best at everything back then, but you were always my rival. Scouting was my strong suit though. When it came to scout missions, you couldn't rival me. I felt like I was safe. I was secure. I was untouchable, and I had fun and I…"
"Lara…" Clyde stops in his tracks.
"Hey, all these years people criticised me for not opening up to my friends and now you interrupt me".
"Lara…".
"Do you even care that I…".
"Lara!" Clyde interrupts for third time, "You just called me a friend and I am very grateful, but there is something I have to ask you urgently!".
"What!".
"Is there any reason why the trees would be so much denser here than anywhere else?".
Lara stops in her tracks as well. She was just talking about the past, gossiping like a child after their first day at school and she didn't pay any attention to her surroundings. She hasn't lost herself like that in years. She spends a few seconds reprimanding herself in her head before she moves onto the matter at hand, Clyde is right, their surroundings have changed, and the circumstances are suspicious.
Before they were walking through a garden paradise with trees at least twenty yards apart from one another. It was well lit and beautiful, they were surrounded by colourful flowers and small bushes. The grass was a bright reflective shade of green like something out of a story book. Now the grass is several shades darker, the ambient light is dimmer, and the trees are much closer together, a maximum of three yards apart.
"There is no reason for this" Lara mumbles, "But it could be…".
She stops mid-sentence in reaction to something falling from the air. Bright gold spores are falling from the trees and something seems to be connecting the spores to one another. She squints to see the microscopic substance and quite can't manage it. Instead Lara senses something strange about these spores, then she understands.
It's divine energy. 'Death' divine energy.
It's a trap.
Lara grabs Clyde by the shoulder and teleports away from the densely packed trees, speculating that Clyde's instincts were right and that this group of trees is all part of the trap. They come to a rest just outside the forest-like space and come face-to-face with the men who set the trap.
It's Hashirama and Boruto.
"Farewell" Boruto says as he casts a 'death' enhanced kunai towards Lara.
Clyde reacts as quickly as he can, his mind on red alert, he pushes Lara away from the kunai's path. The kunai catches her arm but that is all, the push saved her from certain death. The situation is still not good though, the two of them are fighting two fights on a higher level. Right now, every movement is do-or-die.
Clyde and Lara each activate their golden elemental cloaks.
Clyde prepares two golden 'darkness' darts and throws them at Boruto and Hashirama. Unfortunately for the mighty general his attack is easily guarded against. Hashirama raises his hand, creating a barrier of 'death' to protect himself and his student. The pocket world spent years trying to find a way to defeat Clyde but Hashirama just overpowered him in a matter of seconds.
Lara senses a divine energy slowly permeating throughout her body. It is 'death' divine energy and it is coming from her arm. The head general coats her hand in golden 'light' and takes a few layers of skin off her upper arm. It hurts her a lot, but she removes just enough to remove the 'death' energy from her body before it spreads.
The second she has saved herself Lara begins to charge a concentrated attack.
She waits only for a couple of seconds before Hashirama, as if taunting her, drops the 'death' barrier from in front of himself and his student.
'Chance!'.
Lara teleports to the former leaf shinobis' rear and unleashes her full power on them. This is what she learnt by copying Carmen, a golden 'light' energy concentrated attack. By refunneling 'light' energy back into the same spot several times, she increases her maximum power for the attack several times over.
Hashirama and Boruto are too quick though, dodging to the side of the attack, they cleverly use their enemies' power against them. The concentrated attack heads straight towards Clyde!
Clyde has no choice, he wraps his body in a layer of golden 'darkness' energy, a concentrated defence. Using this defence, he just about manages to survive the almighty blast Lara fired at him.
Reacting quickly, Lara teleports back to Clyde's side, grabs him and flees as quickly as she can. Successive teleports make her practical speed incredibly fast, so fast that not even the 'death' using shinobis can keep up with her.
"Should I pursue them, master?" Boruto asks.
"There is no way even you could catch a teleporter with raw speed" Hashirama admits, "Still, I thought their moves were interesting, didn't you?".
"Lara's attack and Clyde's defence have improved dramatically, but it seems their power is the same as before. It looks like they have gotten stronger just by improving their technique".
"I've never seen such remarkable techniques applied to controlling divine energy" Hashirama says, "I wonder if it would be possible for a shinobi to do the same thing?".
In the Camp, Under a Small Tree
The team known as Ino-Shika-Cho has referenced many different people. Recently, in the shinobi loyal to the Hidden Leaf Village, it changed meaning once again. The title had been passed down to the younger generation. To Yamanaka Inojin, Nara Shikadai and Akimichi ChouChou. That all changed when the three of them conspired to help Hashirama break up the three-way alliance. Now the title has once more been returned to their parents. A legendary trio who have been summoned by the 7th Hokage himself.
"Naruto, you called for us" Shikamaru explains as the three of them find him sat leaning against a tree.
Shikamaru lets himself down onto the floor, leaning back against the tree with Naruto. Despite the apparent difference in their age it feels like the two of them are sat down as the oldest of friends. They have each known one another almost their entire lives.
"It feels like a long time since I sat under a tree and relaxed with some friends" Naruto admits.
"I find it difficult to relax in this place" Shikamaru says, "It just feels wrong here. Trees like this should be shadier, but because this environment is entirely indoors, the light comes from every direction by day. It seems to come from nowhere, it just appears in the air and it makes you feel a bit ill".
"Shikamaru, Naruto doesn't want to be bothered by your problems right now" Ino says.
Choji agrees with his teammate. "Naruto don't bother yourself with Shikamaru's grumbling. Tell us why you have asked to meet with us?".
"We're coming to the end of this journey very soon. All that's left is for us to assassinate the emperor" Naruto explains, "It's a dangerous mission and there will be no second chances if we mess up. We need a brilliant plan that will work the first time around, that's why I need your help".
"Our help?".
"There is no team in the history of the Hidden Leaf Village who has ever successfully created and executed more plans than Ino-Shika-Cho" Naruto continues, "Your generation of Ino-Shika-Cho is the most successful of them all. I was hoping that you could help us one final time".
"A plan to kill the strongest man in the world, someone even stronger than Carmen. It will be hard, but you are our friend, you can count on us until the end" Shikamaru answers.
Naruto grins, it's just as it has always been, he can count on his friends. Theirs was the generation that was pushed further than any other. At a young age they were forced to leave their peaceful life as students and fight in history's largest war. In places where even their brilliant parents could not succeed, they went above and beyond. They became the greatest generation of shinobi the village had ever produced.
They take a moment to enjoy the peace and quiet, wondering how many more times they will be able to do that. In good company, sometimes no words need to be spoken. Unfortunately, a voice comes out of the ether, a highly familiar voice.
"Shinobi of the Hidden Leaf Village, please do not despair, this is Senju Hashirama".
Naruto looks around, trying to compose himself and work out how Hashirama is speaking to them like this. As his eyes come to rest on Ino, he realises that this means of speaking to people telepathically is a technique shinobi use during wars. This must be Inojin's work.
"I have made it into the Imperial Palace as well and I am reminding you that Boruto and I have not forgotten you" Hashirama continues, "We will rescue you from the people of this world very soon. Just moments ago, we encountered two of their generals and almost managed to save you from them. Unfortunately, they escaped from us".
"Ino, would you help me out?" Naruto asks.
The Yamanaka clanswomen does just that. With the assistance of Ino, Naruto begins to address the same audience, and converses once more with the man who has now become his rival.
"Hashirama, I am here".
"Ah, I was waiting for you Naruto, I was beginning to think that Inojin had communicated with the wrong group of Hidden Leaf shinobi".
"It's refreshing to know that even as you try to kill our allies you can maintain your sense of humour" Naruto muses.
"They are not you allies Naruto, they are the people who killed so many of your loved ones. Do you know how many of the Hyuuga clan they killed?" Hashirama asks, "They are responsible for the death of the 8th Hokage Sarutobi Konohamaru, for the death of Kato Dan, for the death of Uzumaki Mito… they're responsible".
"Everyone makes mistakes Hashirama, it's how you redeem yourself that counts. They are willing to work with us to kill Furst Jonas and end this conflict once and for all. Tell me, are you willing to do the same".
Shikamaru wonders but thinks to himself that Naruto just spoke very wisely. If this is simply a battle of words Naruto has just left Hashirama with no choice but to appear like that bad guy. It is a mature performance, Naruto seems to have become a true statesman, that is different to the man Shikamaru remembers working for. Is this the same 7th Hokage?
"I will not work with the people who order my wife's death" Hashirama shouts, "Otherwise when I go to her side I will not be able to look her in the eye. In her last moments, she knew that these people were the greatest threat the village every faced. I intend to keep them away from the shinobi of my village".
"… Hashirama, even the Hokage may be hated for making mistakes. Your mistakes created Uchiha Madara. Lord 2nd's mistakes made the Uchiha rebel. Lord 3rd's mistakes meant Danzo did so many terrible things. All of us have made terrible mistakes, but we have been forgiven".
Throughout the village, all the Hokage, listening to this exchange of views look back through their lives. What Naruto has said is true, the responsibility for the problems in the pocket world was theirs. So many crimes had been committed in the name of the Hidden Leaf Village and it's Hokage. To the many innocent people who they crossed do the Hokage not look just like Clyde once did to the Leaf?
"The Hidden Leaf Village is built on forgiveness" Naruto declares, "That's why we will work together with Clyde and Lara, and we will defeat Furst Jonas!".
"… you are deluded Naruto. You have been taken in by everyone's praise of your character and you have lost sight of reality. Right now, you cannot defeat Furst. After two attempts, you cannot even defeat me".
Naruto receives a look from Shikamaru, Ino and Choji. Hashirama is correct, the two of them have fought twice. The first time back in the pocket world, the all-out collision between 'life' and 'death' saw Hashirama very nearly kill Naruto. The 7th Hokage was lucky to survive the first encounter. The second encounter saw the duo fight out of frustration, when they were both exhausted Lara watched Naruto fight and wondered just what everyone saw in him. Hashirama has consistently made Naruto look weak.
Naruto has never beaten Hashirama.
How could Naruto defeat Furst?
"Shinobi of the Hidden Leaf, please save yourself while you still can" Hashirama concludes, "I am in the Imperial Palace, if you come to Boruto and I we guarantee that we will protect you".
"The choice is yours".