DECLARATION OF WAR – YUUKI TERUKATSU
The Volcanic Ring, Aturia
As Naruto and his group cross the volcanic ring, they struggle every step of the way. Minato initially tried cooling them with his 'wind' powers, but that only blew hot air into their faces. They were left with only one option, to keep moving forward. They stop regularly to fill up on water and to rest. Naruto uses some 'life' energy on Mito each time, making sure that she is coping in this hostile environment.
This ring of volcanoes separates Aturia's capital city, Taigai, from the rest of the nation. It is very difficult to cross. The terrain is used both to keep the citizens within the city and to keep any unwelcome guests out. It isn't likely to work on Naruto though; he remains in high spirits throughout their journey. The 7th Hokage's stamina has always been remarkable, with his latest boost to the power of his 'life' energy, it has only gotten better.
This volcanoes in this ring are unlike any from their pocket-world. They are taller, much taller, larger in proportion just like everything else in Homeworld. They surround them for miles around, seemingly without end. What's worse is that they are patrolled frequently by the Imperial Guard. The only safe routes to take are the most difficult ones, with the highs and lows, over the peaks and through unbearably hot areas. These routes are specially selected by Himawari and Naruto, using the Byakugan and the One True Sense respectively.
They have a good run of fortune, travelling for days without being caught by their patrolling enemy, but nothing good lasts forever. Eventually they come to an enormous lava lake, far too hot to get close to. Himawari determines that if they go around the lake either to the left or to the right, they are likely to be caught by the Imperial Guard. Of course, Naruto could probably defeat any Imperial Guard patrol, but if a colonel were present amongst their numbers, they may not be so lucky.
Naruto is the only one who can get up close to the lava lake, the only one who can tolerate the heat. He approaches, actively using his divine 'life' cloak to rejuvenate himself as he does so. He looks down at the molten bubbling fluid and then across the lake. He uses the One True Sense again, combining all his senses to give him a picture of just how far it is across the lake.
It is a long way across.
The safest way to bridge the lake would be for Minato to teleport them to the other side with the Flying Thunder God Technique. However, this would require his formula to be present on the opposite side of the lake. With his 'wind' powers, Minato can throw a kunai a long way, but Naruto doubts that even his father would be able to throw a kunai across this lake. He looks back to his group with hope though. There is one amongst them who was practically built for this task, that of course being Ming Dai.
Naruto discusses the plan with his father and his sibling student, and they agree that it is a good idea. With Ming Dai's 'strength' powers he may well be able to get the kunai to the opposite side. The shinobi all give him some brief pointers on how to throw the weapon effectively so that it soars through the air and after about an hour of practice he has got the hang of it. He is a quick study thankfully.
Naruto reactivates his 'life' cloak and approaches the lava lake together with Ming Dai. He actively applies 'life' energy to his friend's body as well as his own so that they can stand as close to the edge as possible. Then after visualising what he has got to do, Ming Dai mobilises all the 'strength' energy he has got and throws the kunai as hard as he can towards the other side of the lake.
Naruto and Himawari monitor the kunai as it soars through the air, hopeful that it can get all the way to the other side. Ming Dai's technique was almost flawless, if it can't reach, he's not very likely to be able to get it any further.
Unfortunately, it doesn't reach the other side.
The kunai drops helplessly into the lava lake.
Naruto and Ming Dai walk back to the others and discuss what they should do next. They could go around and risk bumping into the Imperial Guard. They could give up on this plan altogether and go to another nation. They could try and build a special boat to get them to the other side. These ideas are all dismissed as unacceptable or ridiculous when Naruto, looking back at the lake, thinks of a new one.
"I might be able to get the kunai to the other side," Naruto says.
"How?" Ming Dai asks.
"If I use my divine oddity, I can probably propel myself most of the way across the lake. I would probably be within throwing distance of the other side then."
"No."
"It's worth a try isn't it?"
Ming Dai shakes his head, "No, no it isn't. Naruto if you can't get to the other side and you fall into the lake, you're probably going to die. We all know that we're probably fighting a losing battle against the emperor, but let's not lose it in such a stupid way. Don't sacrifice yourself here."
"A shinobi's life is sacrifice."
"Not a pointless one!"
"It won't be a sacrifice at all," Minato interjects, "If Naruto doesn't make it to the other side, I will teleport to him and bring him back here."
"If you are quick enough," Ming Dai points out.
Minato takes Ming Dai aside and assures him based on their year of experience together. If there is one thing, they can all be confident of by now it is that Minato is fast, incredibly fast. There is no way he will helplessly allow Naruto to drop into the lake, especially if Himawari is watching and tells him when to move.
Ming Dai reluctantly agrees to the plan.
Naruto walks forward to the edge of the lake and bends his knees slightly, as if he were about to jump. Then, he detonates his core partially, sending all of the energy to his right leg, so much energy that the entire limb shines blindingly. As he unbends his knees, the power of 'life' coming from his leg magnifies many times over, firing him into the air like a rocket.
He watches the lava lake below as he flies over the top of it. He waits patiently as even with this power it takes him a couple of seconds to cross the halfway mark. He understands clearly now why Ming Dai struggled to get the kunai to the other side. To detonate so much energy in his leg was incredibly harmful, he is fairly certain that there are some broken bones from using it, but he is getting towards the other side.
As he begins to drop towards the lava lake, Naruto gathers 'life' energy on his right arm, this time without detonating it, and throws the kunai Minato gave him to the other side of the lake.
Minato acts quickly, using the Flying Thunder God Technique several times in succession. In less than five seconds, they are all to the other side of the lake.
"Ow!" Naruto yells as he looks down at his leg.
He quickly gathers 'life' energy to his hand and uses it to heal his broken bones.
Ming Dai smiles. Naruto's technique is incredible, the boost in power it gives him is unlike he has seen from any other. However, when it still harms him so much to use it, it is largely impractical for use in a battle. You can't rely on an attack that breaks your bones when you use it. It seems that Uzumaki Naruto isn't perfect after all. Still, when he masters this technique, he will be on a whole new level.
Five Days Later
From the top of the last volcano in the volcanic ring, they can finally see their destination. The capital city, Taigai. They cannot see the end of it though, it serves as yet another reminder of the new world they find themselves in and how much larger it is than their own. Even Himawari and Naruto, with their advanced sensory prowess, cannot see the end of the enormous metropolis before them. Tall buildings and short ones filled to the brim with people. This is the capital of a Homeworld city.
"So, there it is," Naruto says, "What do we do now that we're here? We're in your hands Dai."
"We've got to find the man who can help us. His name is Yuuki Terukatsu."
"Yuuki Terukatsu, who's that?"
"OK, you've heard about the previous war and the big names from Homeworld who fought in it. Chiefly, the war was fought by my master, by Furst Jonas and by Akashi Endou. That's because they appeared with this new breed of double-transcendent elements much like your own. They represented a turning point in the war," Ming Dai explains. "But before they arrived the War Council was leading the fight against the Dark Dimension. The War Council was created from two groups who believed we should fight the war in a different way. They agreed upon a neutral leader who could make decisions based on the proposals put forward. That leader was Yuuki Terukatsu."
"So, Yuuki Terukatsu is the Leader of the War Council, is he strong?"
"From what I understand he should be a class 8 warrior," Ming Dai answers, "But that isn't the point. With our master dead, Yuuki Terukatsu is the most well-known wartime leader who doesn't work for the emperor. He is a good leader, a strong leader, and where he moves the War Council will follow. If we want to start a war against Furst Jonas, the War Council is our best hope of doing that. Yuuki Terukatsu was born to start this war."
Ming Dai suggests they move into the city and find an empty building, so they do. They use their shinobi skills to jump across the rooftops, doing their best to hide from the people below. Naruto uses a clone to bring Ming Dai with them as he is not trained to move in that same way. They move all through the city until they find a quiet area, seemingly deserted. This part of the city is likely a hotspot for crime which probably caused most of the residents to leave in turn, escaping the violence. That won't be a problem for them.
They drop down into the street and enter an empty house. Not only does it appear empty, it looks like nobody has lived in it for years. It's small, very small, not the sort of living accommodation you would want long-term. They are all warriors though, they have not come here in expectation of luxury, merely function. This house is as functional as they need. They can remain here while Ming Dai puts out a subtle message that they are looking for Yuuki Terukatsu.
"So, will Naruto be the leader of our side if we go to war?" Kushina asks, "I mean, that's what Headmaster Sora wanted him for isn't it?"
"Yes, in time Naruto will lead a rebellion, but not yet, the people don't know him well enough yet," Ming Dai explains. "We need everyone to see what he can do, from all corners of Homeworld. We need them to see that when he arrives, he brings salvation and miracles with him. Then people will rally around him, then he will become the leader of the rebellion."
"Until then, it will be this man Terukatsu?"
"Yes, Yuuki Terukatsu was a placeholder. He led the war against the Dark Dimension until Endou Akashi arrived. He was a placeholder for Akashi before and he will become one for Naruto now."
Two Hours Later
There is a knock on the door.
Naruto and his family all look around at one another. Has someone realised that they're not supposed to be in here so quickly, they had thought that they had been stealthy in acquiring this residence? Perhaps the Imperial Guard have been following them all along, or perhaps someone has used some sort of divine ability to locate them.
Ming Dai whispers to the others that he will answer the door.
He walks over and opens it slightly to see who is on the other side, before opening it all the way.
The man on the other side of the door has sandy blonde hair and tanned skin. His eyes are narrow and penetrating, coloured an unusual shade of red, similarly to the Sharingan. He wears an auburn t-shirt with a sleeveless green jacket over the top. Around his neck he wears a dog tag with his name on it.
This is Yuuki Terukatsu.
Unwilling to wait for Ming Dai's shock to pass, Yuuki Terukatsu walks past him and leans around him to shut the door. He walks into the small abode and assesses the people who are present. They all appear to be pocket-worlders. A baby. Two men. Two women. He doesn't recognise the majority of them or realise their significance, but his eyes fix on one person. Of course, that is the one he recognises from the drawings, that is Uzumaki Naruto.
"I look forward to knowing what brings Uzumaki Naruto to Taigai," he says flatly.
Naruto gets to his feet, "You're Yuuki Terukatsu?"
"Yes."
Naruto looks to Ming Dai as if to congratulate him. They've only been here a couple of hours; in a place this size he honestly expected it to take weeks to find the man they were looking for. The look he receives in reply is quite clear though. He is not here through Ming Dai's doing, he found them of his own volition.
Naruto examines Yuuki Terukatsu with the One True Sense. Everything about him is serious. He hasn't smiled since he entered the room, his body language is smart and rigid, like a true soldier. His voice is ideal too, he has a very authoritative voice, the voice of a leader. He has had only a few seconds to inspect him, but if this man is as powerful and significant as Ming Dai suggested, he seems like just the sort of person they need to help them.
"It's good to meet you," Naruto says, extending his hand.
Terukatsu takes Naruto's hand, gripping it and giving a couple of firm shakes. Naruto grins, feeling all of Terukatsu's muscles move, hearing the way he breathes, everything the One True Sense is telling him, it's all good except for one thing. This man is so proper that Naruto can't tell if that handshake was sincere or whether it was just procedural.
"How did you find us?" Ming Dai asks.
"I don't know about pocket-worlds, but in Taigai, jumping across the roofs isn't considered very subtle."
Ming Dai looks at the Uzumaki family to see they are each scratching the back of their heads with an embarrassed expression on their faces. He didn't think it was very subtle to begin with, but they all insisted it was the most discrete way to travel. They surely have some very strange customs in their world.
"I need your help," Naruto says.
"Very well, tell me what has happened."
"My world, my pocket-world, it was invaded by this world's military. First it was General Clyde, then it was Head General Lara. Clyde asked me for my help in liberating his world from Furst Jonas, so I came to Homeworld. I tried to fight the emperor, but the aristocrat Carmen tried to stop me, then Headmaster Sora stopped me.
"Headmaster Sora took all of us shinobi to the Military Academy and he taught us the techniques of this world. We worked with these people Juan and Nina and they taught us all kinds of crazy things. But we were attacked, first by the Imperial Guard, then by the royals, then by the emperor himself.
"Headmaster Sora took me on as his second disciple, after Ming Dai here. He died facing the emperor so that we could escape. All kinds of things went wrong though, and my wife… she died. Still, we've never given up, and I've become a class 7 warrior and worked out this crazy new technique. But I need your help if I'm going to fight. I need your help to declare war on Furst Jonas and the empire."
Terukatsu remained motionless through Naruto's story, a sign the 7th Hokage doesn't know how to interpret. Perhaps he is on the emperor's side and he's about to strike them down. Perhaps he has been swept up in the emotion of the story and is about to cry. He's a very hard man to read.
Yuuki Terukatsu remains silent for the moment.
"I know it's hard to believe," Ming Dai interrupts the silence, "But it's all true I promise. I was hoping that the mutual respect between you and our master would still be worth something."
"I believed every word of it," Terukatsu answers. "My divine ability allows me to see through people's heads and into their brain. I can see watch which parts of your brain are heating and which parts are cooling. I know a lie the moment it leaves your lips, and neither of you have lied about a thing."
Naruto breathes a sigh of relief. Getting somebody else to believe that story may have been much more difficult. It seems that Yuuki Terukatsu is a walking lie detector though. It's a gift from the heavens, he knows that they are telling the truth. Surely then he will be willing to help them.
"Well then, I suppose I owe you a reply," he says.