Ah its good to be back!
I've missed you all and it really warms my heart at some of the reviews left asking where I was or If I was gonna finish but anyway on to Shoutouts before I start crying or something
lara5170 - Welcome to the madness thank you for enjoying I hope you continue to do so
The Fakhouri Legacy - That made me laugh and thank you I will
Yamichaos27 - Of course you know how this goes lol
Xwendell - Thanks for our pm convo its gotten my writing blood back pumping!
On with the show the finale of the Search for Tsunade Arc
33 Battle Royal, Success the Flying Thunder God Complete
The boys stand tall their jutsus in hand ready to destroy Kabuto, Tsunade watches still shaken from the blood. Kabuto looked on with a confident look on his face "Am I supposed to be scared of two lowly genin…" he paused to snicker "…you boys don't get it do you, you can't win"
Naruto turned his head to look back at Hinata "Are you ok Hina-chan?"
"Hai Naruto-kun" she smiled she was out of arrows but would still protect the 'client' as that was her role in attack plan D, standing up she got into her juken stance
Naruto smiled 'That's my girl'
"Turning your back to an opponent foolish mistake" Kabuto used this as his chance to strike and dashed forward
Takeru went first "RAITON: RAIKYU BAKUDAN (Lightning Style: Lightning Bomb) he tossed the ball directly at the oncoming sound nin
Kabuto was shocked and didn't expect that those jutsus could be thrown and stopped himself and rebounded just as the ball hit the ground and caused an explosion. The boys went on the attack, Naruto started by swiping his sword upwards causing a large gust of wind to go towards the sound ninja. Kabuto sidestepped it barely and was instantly met with Takeru swinging his flaming saber down for a killing strike. Knowing that if it touched him he's over, Kabuto blocked it with a kunai and quickly kicked the sword out of the boy's hand. Preparing to stab Takeru, the genin blocks the worst of it by catching the kunai with his left hand slicing it in the process.
"Takeru-san" Hinata gasped
As Takeru latches hold of Kabuto's hand he smirks. "Hey, Tsunade-sama..."
Tsunade perks up at the mention of her name as Takeru continued "...I know you've already seen him use the Hirashin and the necklace is as good as his but you should know..." he pauses to glare at Kabuto who stares back and notices a strange seal on the boy's arm
"...that my brother always goes above and beyond because that's just who he is!"
They all watch as Naruto uses the Hirashin seal he put on Takeru and vanishes and then reappears in an instant on his right side in front of Kabuto "RASENGAN!"
"WHAT!" Kabuto exclaims
He forces the sphere into Kabuto's stomach with his left hand, the sound nin unable to avoid it. With only enough time to clutch Naruto's chest being the closest to him, Kabuto is hurled back by the attack and thrown into a rock. As the dust settles, Kabuto emerges with a deep wound in his gut, though it immediately begins to heal as a result of the chakra he gathered to his abdomen just before the attack. Although the exterior damage is almost completely healed, Kabuto collapses from the internal injuries caused by Naruto's attack, his chakra reserves too low to fully heal.
"He...he did it he got him" Shizune stated in awe while Hinata just smiled
Jiraiya and Orochimaru continued their battle clashing back and forth around the large snake until they landed upside down on its underbelly. 'Well I'll be damned good work gaki'
'A child mastering not one but two of the yondaime's techniques...its unheard of'
Tsunade was in awe 'Its impossible but he did it...he actually mastered the Hirashin's speed in a week and perfectly timed it with his Rasengan"
Kabuto's last attempt at defeating Naruto, however, proves to be effective, as Naruto suddenly coughs up blood and passes out. As Tsunade rushes to his side to investigate, she finds that Kabuto weakened Naruto's heart muscles, giving him an erratic heartbeat. Tsunade desperately tries to heal him in an attempt to not only save Naruto but also in an attempt to save Nawaki and Dan's dream. Hinata and Shizune are by her side quickly and are soon joined by Takeru as Tsunade begins healing him.
"Takeru, here let me see your hand..." Shizune asks as she heals his hand "...there all better."
Hinata takes Naruto's hand holding it tight "Naruto-kun please stay with me..."
Kabuto snickered "You're...nng...wasting your time I've...hnng...severed his connection to the Kyubii, and he hasn't the...ugh...strength to save himself so..."
Tsunade growled, "OH SHUT UP...you'll be dead soon I'll see to that..."
"No, you wont...because I will" Takeru stated enraged at the thought of losing his brother slowly stalks up to the beaten Kabuto and draws his sword ready to kill him
As Tsunade heals Naruto Kurama notices the fading life-force of its host and tries to contribute its power in an attempt to save Naruto and, in turn, itself. As Tsunade continues her healing effort, a tired Naruto comes to and grabs her necklace.
"Hey…dont forget…our bet told ya…I'd win" Naruto tiredly spoke he then slips into a tired sleep
"Oh Naruto-kun" Hinata she said breathing a sigh of relief tightening her grip on his hand she felt him grip hers
Kabuto was shocked "He's…ugh…still alive!"
Takeru stopped in his tracks and turned to see his brother was breathing "Thank Kami"
Tsunade puts her necklace around his neck "To be Hokage that is your dream…just one more time, for the last time I want those words to be true"
Orochimaru, having just witnessed Naruto's potential, worries about what may happen if Naruto ever falls into the hands of Akatsuki, and decides to kill Naruto in his weakened state. After throwing Jiraiya to the ground with his tongue, Orochimaru lunges at Naruto with his Kusanagi Sword sticking out of his mouth. Takeru is in his path headed towards Kabuto.
"Oh, shit" he puts his father's sword up to block and is met with the hardest strike he'd ever been hit with. The force of the Hebi nin's Kusanagi Sword knocked Takeru back hard into Shizune knocking them both out cold
'He's coming for the boy' Tsunade, realizing Orochimaru's intended target, leaps in front of Naruto and Hinata as a human shield, allowing the sword to impale her through the heart. As Orochimaru tells Tsunade that he hadn't intended to kill her, Tsunade replies that she won't let anything happen to Naruto.
He questions why she would save Naruto, to which she replies that she is protecting Konoha by protecting Naruto, the future Hokage. As Orochimaru ridicules the title for its holders' willingness to sacrifice their lives for the prosperity of Konoha.
"You see this boy, this genin has been chosen by fate to be Hokage someday"
"What nonsense even if it is true what of it only a fool would want the title of Hokage" Orochimaru snickered
These words struck a nerve in the slug sannin as they were the same words she spoke to Naruto only a week ago. She then remembered Shizune, Jiraiya, and even Naruto's words, her arms shaking she stands. "From now on I'm gambling everything too…" she glares at her former teammate "…I'm putting my life on the line!"
Disappointed that Tsunade would waste her life in such a way, Orochimaru slashes her across the chest, and she falls to the ground. Both Jiraiya and Shizune start to wake up and see Tsunade down for the count. Believing Tsunade to at the very least be out of the fight, Orochimaru stalks toward Naruto for a finishing blow.
Hinata stands tall and blocks his path "I won't let you touch him!"
"Then you'll die as well" Orochimaru swings his sword though Tsunade blocks the attack again.
Upon falling to the ground in fatigue, Tsunade's trembling stops, her fear of blood finally overcome. As she rises, Tsunade kicks Orochimaru back.
"You overcame your fear but...how?"
"I finally remembered something I've been chosen as the Godaime Hokage of Konohagakure"
Tsunade activates the seal on her forehead to completely regenerate the wounds induced by Orochimaru. Realising that Tsunade is now back in top shape, Orochimaru retreats to Kabuto for assistance. In unison, Orochimaru via Kabuto, Tsunade, and Jiraiya use the Summoning Technique, summoning Manda, Katsuyu, and Gamabunta respectively. As Gamabunta expresses excitement in finally getting the chance to kill Manda, Manda reprimands Orochimaru for not having any human sacrifices ready for him.
"Katsuyu take the boy and girl to Shizune" Tsunade ordered
"Hai Tsunade-sama"
Katsuyu took them to Shizune. She and Hinata take the two unconscious boys and retreat back to a safe distance, being joined by Gamakachi and Tonton. Iroya having been dispelled once Naruto passed out.
After Jiraiya and Tsunade denounce Orochimaru as their comrade and give him promises of death, the battle begins. Katsuyu starts the fight by spitting some of her poison at Manda, the latter of which quickly evades the attack. Using Katsuyu's vulnerability between attacks to his advantage, Manda wraps himself around Katsuyu and prepares to bite the giant slug. Before he can do so, however, Gamabunta forces his sword between Manda's jaws, saving Katsuyu from the snakebite. Still having Katsuyu in his clutches, Manda tightens his hold of her in an attempt to suffocate her, but she breaks apart into a number of smaller slugs in order to escape the attack. As she regenerates, Manda throws Gamabunta back.
"I'll need some oil Bunta here we go KATON: GAMAYU ENDAN (Fire Style: Toad Flame Bomb)"
They engulf Manda in an enormous cloud of fire. When the smoke clears, Manda's shed skin is all that can be found, the real Manda in the process of burrowing beneath Gamabunta. Although Gamabunta is able to catch Manda's tail, Manda is able to get behind the giant toad and prepares to bite the latter. Before he can do so, however, Tsunade appears with Gamabunta's sword in tow and forces it through Manda's mouth to keep it shut.
'Fighting one Sannin would be hard enough but two at the same time…' Orochimaru growled
Hoping to even the playing field, he extends his tongue towards Tsunade in an attempt to break her neck, but Tsunade uses the tongue to her advantage by using it bring Orochimaru to her. After connecting her fist with Orochimaru's jaw, she reels him back in using his tongue tossing him in the air. She connects several more blows before landing back on the sword and pulling him back in for a final blow but she misses her jutsu beginning to wear off.
Panting and out of breath Orochimaru smiles "Everyone has their limits, yes even you"
"Shut up!" she screams pulling him back up and wailing on him relentlessly 'Can't rest…can't let up for a second…' she continued her onslaught on the rouge sannin's face '…this is the big one…WHERE I BET IT ALL, WHERE I PUT MY LIFE ON THE LINE!"
She engulfs her right hand in chakra "Give my regards to hell!" Tsunade then delivers a final blow to the defeated Orochimaru, so powerful he crashed to the ground.
Manda, disgusted with Orochimaru for losing, promises that if he could open his mouth he'd eat Orochimaru, and disappears after promising to do so the next time they meet. Everyone watches as Manda disappears and Orochimaru after the beating he just received is still standing the mask covering the face of the body he had stolen peeling away. With a promise to destroy Konoha, Orochimaru disappears with Kabuto.
As the summons leave and everyone still conscious surrounds Naruto and Takeru's bodies. Tsunade's jutsu begins to wear off completely and they all make their way back to the hotel. After returning to the city and everyone's recovery, Jiraiya, Tsunade, Shizune, Takeru, Hinata, and Naruto have lunch at the same bar they met only a week earlier. After learning that Tsunade has taken on the title of the Fifth Hokage, Naruto jokingly begins to find her inadequate for the position, listing all of the ways that the Third Hokage was better than her. Angered by his words, Tsunade tells Naruto to step outside so that the two can fight, where Tsunade once again says she'll only need one finger.
"Oh not this again look you may be the Hokage now but be on the lookout Baachan…" his tone changed like before "…cause I'm coming for your job!"
She smiles as Naruto not being serious charges at her, she once again removes his headband and prepares to strike him with the one finger. Fearing the outcome of the strike, Naruto closes his eyes. To his surprise, however, Tsunade kisses his forehead rather than hitting him, telling him to become a good man. After Naruto agrees they all share a laugh. Soon the group has eaten and prepared to travel home, standing at gate Naruto takes Hinata's hand and the group heads back to Konoha. While Naruto walks ahead of them listening to Hinata tell him what she witnessed during the battle, Tsunade smiled
'Do you see him Niwaki…Dan, be at peace my beloveds your dream is still alive in him'
With how short this chapter turned out I should have gone ahead and combined it with the last one but I didn't and I went ahead and put this out to say I dropped at least 2 chapters this month after a stupidly long hiatus that was very unintentional. If you've been here from the beginning then you know about my other work in media as a YouTuber and photographer and boy howdy have I been busy with all of that but I am back now and the next couple chapters are gonna answer some of the promises I set up in earlier chapters and set up for everything in Book 2 thanks for reading - Shado
Chapter 34 Out Next Month