Animaman: I like the idea of Menma and Narumi forcing Jiraiya to acknowledge that they are bad by beating the hell out of him. I think that the conversation with Minato and Orochimaru will hinge upon what happens in Kiri because I think that this will be where he develops a "I was wrong" or "Lock Naruto up" mentality. He will could also get better and more understanding of Naruto but still a little reluctant to give up on the twins, I'm still deciding. I don't plan on giving Naruto a second sword just because of the power that his current one has not to mention his trident, but I like the idea of getting a sword in Kiri so the sword may just be given to another character like Itachi or Konan or Kushina.
Zero fullbuster: Thanks for the comment and I'm glad that you've liked it so far. I hope that you like this chapter and the future ones as well.
PinkiePieParty122894: Appreciate the support as always and hope that you like this one.
DxGRAYxMAN: Kind of except that it only has three prongs and I think his has like five or something but they look similar.
Gammagyro: I like the CRA idea and I will probably have a council meeting where they make a bunch of stupid demands and Minato takes control and repeals it. I kind of put a little of Yakumo's territorial side into this chapter and it will definitely come out when they meet Shion. #LandofDemonsconfirmed. I plan on bringing Sakura a little more into the fold as maybe an additional member as a medic so Yakumo may learn some medical techniques but I don't think so for Sasuke. Yakumo will be stealthy but genjutsu will be a large part of her stealth and assassination. I can definitely see Sasuke learning traps especially after this Kiri arc. They have killed in Wave so they just do what they have to do. I like the techniques you mentioned especially the scythe attacks. Also Happy Birthday!
1995hzq: Yeah still deciding exactly which type of wakeup call Jiraiya will get.
New Elements92: Two down but it's gonna get a little more difficult from now on. Glad you like it.
IGT: Sorry that you didn't like it, I did put it through a fast pace and I'm trying to improve but hope you find a good fanfic to read.
Aclux: I guess asking if you like Jiraiya, Menma, and Narumi would be redundant lol. The twins will get whats coming to them and Jiraiya might change or he might not but he may get a lesson later on. Glad you are liking it.
Guest: I try, I try.
monsterkillers124: Not too sure what you mean in your review but I hope you like the story.
(Unknown Location)
Tsuranabi stood in a dead landscape. No trees, withered grass, dark skies and grey ground. Behind the leader of the Shinigami's Blade stood Sashira, Kuro, Menma, and Narumi. All members of the Shinigami's Blade were gathered together in this land of despair.
After a long period of silence, Tsuranabi finally spoke, still turned away from his companions. "Long ago, a woman was sent by her clan to Earth in order to find what was called the God Tree. The tree was rumored to have an insurmountable amount of power within. The woman sent was named Kaguya Otsutsuki" Tsuranabi said turning to his group. "Upon arriving on this planet, Kaguya began her search for the God Tree. After a fair amount of time searching, the woman encountered a group of people in what was called "The Land of Ancestors". Look around for you stand on the remains of the Land of Ancestors" Tsuranabi said raising his arms as the rest of the group looked around at their surroundings without a word before putting their attention back on Tsuranabi.
"After Kaguya encountered the people of the Land of Ancestors, she was brought to the emperor of their people. The emperor was a man who wanted peace in this world more than anything and wanted to achieve it without any violence. His name was Tenji" Tsuranabi said turning back around away from his group. "Tenji's goal for peace was similar to Kaguya's own hopes and dreams of true peace which caused the two to become close. The emperor and Kaguya became lovers who truly loved one another dearly until Kaguya did something unforgivable in Tenji's eyes. Another nation that had been antagonistic towards the Land of Ancestors sent a group of men to kidnap Kaguya herself but were killed as Kaguya defended herself. Upon learning of what his lover had done, Tenji was disgusted at Kaguya's actions and sent hunters to capture Kaguya to bring her to justice. Kaguya ran from hunters sent by the very man that held her heart until she couldn't run anymore. As she fell from exhaustion unable to run any longer, Kaguya looked upwards to see the most beautiful tree she had ever seen."
Tsuranabi crossed his arms before continuing. "Kaguya was so hungry that she reached up and took a fruit from the tree. Upon eating the fruit, Kaguya was given incredible power which turned her into a goddess, She had found the God Tree. Once the hunters arrived, they witnessed what Kaguya had become. Tenji had been leading this particular group of hunters and saw the unmatched power that Kaguya held from the God Tree. When Kaguya saw Tenji, she became enraged at showed no mercy towards the men that had been sent by her former lover. It wasn't long until she faced Tenji for the last time. With a heavy heart, Kaguya ended her beloved's life. It is said that while Kaguya cried as she killed Tenji, Tenji cried as well from the regret and shame of trying to kill his lover. After the confrontation, Kaguya looked upon the God Tree and destroyed it believing that peace could only be obtained if she were to take control of the world" the man said with a sigh.
"Later on, Kaguya discovered that she was pregnant and gave birth to two sons, Hagoromo and Homura. To demonstrate her love for her children, she allowed them to have chakra as well. Unfortunately for Kaguya, her loved ones betrayed her once again as Hagoromo and Homura sealed their mother into the moon. That is the true story of the beginning of chakra. That was supposed to be all there was to it" Tsuranabi said tightly gripping his fists and gritting his teeth. "Before Kaguya was sealed, she passed her will and chakra into a being known as black zetsu making it the first true jinchuriki. Eventually, black zetsu's time came and so he passed the ten tails and Kaguya's will on to the next ten tails jinchuriki and so on. I am the current holder of the ten tailed beast and the first wielder of a biju weapon. The difference between me and other jinchuriki is that I hold pure chakra, chakra that comes from the God Tree. Other jinchuriki and anything to do with chakra is tainted and impure as they do not come directly from the Tree itself. That would mean that no obstacle could get in our way" Tsuranabi said ignoring the angry glares from the Kyuubi jinchuriki at being called tainted.
"I have recently learned of an unmentioned aspect of the story of chakra. Seeing the effect that the fruit of the God Tree had on Kaguya, Tenji took a fruit himself but only planned to eat half in order to keep from gaining too much power. He took the sword of one of his nearby men and sliced the fruit in half but was caught by Kaguya before he could eat the fruit. After Kaguya killed Tenji, she absorbed the God Tree and left the area quickly. If she had surveyed the area then she would have noticed what has become our greatest obstacle yet. The last fruit that had been cut in half laid next to the sword and slowly but surely that sword absorbed the power of the God Tree. The sword that Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze wields has a history as old as chakra and is the only other pure chakra weapon in existence. Once I discovered this, I thought back to when our former member and Naruto's former master fought against me. She was by far my most challenging opponent but I was able to land a number of hits that would inevitably cause her death so I waited. Once she died, the power that had flowed through her and her sword would be absorbed by me and I would have no equal" Tsuranabi said grabbing his hair.
"But Sera caught on to my plan as soon as she left. She found that boy shortly after leaving and lived just long enough for him to kill her robbing me of absorbing her power. Sera's power passed on to Naruto and he now holds one of the most powerful weapons in existence. The boy is at his strongest in the moonlight so that is when I will face him and finally hold all of the pure chakra left on this world" Tsuranabi said with a wide smile. He looked over at Sashira who had raised her hand for a question. "Yes Sashira?" Tsuranabi asked. Sashira quickly responded. "Why face him at his strongest, why not wait until his weakest point?" she asked to which Tsuranabi smirked. "If I kill him when he is not at full power, the pure chakra will simply dissipate and find not only another form but another user as well. If I kill him at his strongest, I will absorb not only his power, but his sword's power as well" he said and looked at Menma and Narumi who were glaring at him. "I take it you have a problem with my plan?" the leader asked.
Menma snorted at the question while Narumi took it upon herself to answer the question. "We came with you because you promised us the opportunity to kill Naruto. I refuse to let him die at the hands of anyone but my brother and I" she said but her and her brother immediately fell to the ground. Killing intent on a level past biju was thrust upon the two by Tsuranabi. "Fools. The both of you are arrogant fools. If you were to challenge Naruto, he would end you both in one swipe of his sword. When I offered you a way to kill Naruto, I did not know at the time that he held a weapon made of pure chakra but knowing differently now drastically changes the situation. I will be the one who kills him and takes the remaining pure chakra. Once that happens, there will be one voice, one opinion, one mindset. Peace by submission and the realization of Kaguya Otsutsuki's dream" Tsuranabi said.
Kuro, the forgotten member of the Shinigami's Blade felt the need to speak up at his leader's comment. "After all this is said and done, where does that leave us?" Kuro asked while the other four members looked at the man questioningly. "Each of you will be representatives of mine for specific regions that I send you to. You will report to me and be my right hand and oversee the people" Tsuranabi said to which Kuro sighed and nodded.
(Naruto)
Naruto sat against a tree panting hard. He had just ran to get away from Jiraiya. The man infuriated him to no end, a man who cared more about prophecies than people's lives. Just as the boy was about to close his eyes, he was greeted by the sight of yet another Sannin. Naruto kept his eyes on Tsunade as she approached him with her hands up in a surrender motion but kept a small smile on her face. Slowly, she kneeled in front of Naruto and her hand began to glow green. Looking up at Naruto she asked, "May I?" to which Naruto nodded. After getting his approval, Tsunade went about her business as a medic nin diagnosing his health issues. After her diagnosis she looked at Naruto concerned. "You used a lot of chakra once again Naruto. It'll take some time before you can use any jutsu. I also noticed a severe amount of muscle strain on your body which I can attribute to your earlier transformation?" Tsunade asked to which Naruto nodded. "I'll say this Naruto, you can take a punch" she said before hitting the blonde boy upside the head. "That's for not listening to me about going overboard with your chakra brat" Tsunade said but with a smirk. To her surprise, Naruto smiled a very small smile as well.
Tsunade picked Naruto up after her medical evaluation. "What are you doing?" asked Naruto looking at her as if she was crazy. Tsunade shook her head. "You are to strained to travel a long distance without rest and we still have to make it back to the checkpoint so suck it up and be quiet" she said before taking off with a very confused chunin in her arms. Before the two could take off, Jiraiya burst onto the scene looking at the two together and narrowing his eyes. "We're late because of that fight so we need to double time it to Kushina's location" Jiraiya said before dashing forward. Naruto clenched his jaw at Jiraiya's not so subtle way of saying "it's all your fault". Tsunade sighed and took off behind Jiraiya with Naruto in her arms.
(Kushina)
Kushina sat with her group around her in the base of the Kiri rebels. While Itachi spoke with a few of the senior members there, the red head kept her fists clenched. She was scared. Her baby was out there fighting people that she couldn't possibly hope to take on. Sure he had two Sannin backing him up but the member that had invaded Konoha was able to take out three kages and a jinchuriki. If not for Naruto, that swordsman could have very well been the end of the Hidden Leaf Village. Instead, her son fought bravely and brilliantly as he defended his village in a way very few could. It made her so proud but at the same time so worried. There was a group out there that had members far more powerful than the one Konoha had faced and they were going to be going after her son eventually. Fighting the urge to cry, she couldn't help but berate herself for letting her son go after the opponent they had all felt. She knew that it had to be a Shinigami's Blade member and yet she still let Naruto go.
Kushina looked up as she continued to force herself not to cry but the urge was overwhelming. Thinking over what else could have been done, her eyes widened and she started shaking as she remembered one key detail just now. Naruto was at his strongest at night. In fact, the only reason he was able to beat Iliel was due to it being nighttime when they fought. This time, she had sent her son during the day, without any combat advantage, to face one of the most potentially dangerous adversaries in the entire world. Her concentration and self loathing were broken up when she felt a hand on hers. Looking at the person holding her hand, she saw Yakumo who was looking at her with a sad smile and slightly puffy eyes. Kushina slowly brought her son's girlfriend into a hug.
Sasuke watched the interaction and snorted. "I don't know why you two are so sad, no one can take on Naruto. He'll be back soon so dry your eyes, it's unbecoming of a kunoitchi" Sasuke said looking away from the two. 'Hurry your ass up you idiot' the Uchiha thought. Sasuke turned to see his brother and Konan approaching gaining everyone's attention.
"Itachi what's happening?" asked Kushina. Konan crossed her arms as Itachi explained. "Kushina, the rebels are outnumbered by a fair amount and they are disappointed to say the least at the fact that Konoha only sent one group of ninja despite the skill set of some of us. The Hidden Mist Village isn't far yet the rebels have been able to keep their base undiscovered otherwise this whole civil war would be over. Unfortunately, the Mizukage has gained a tip to where we and the rebels are. He's planning on not only sending an army, but joining in on the fight as well. If that happens then the Kiri rebellion will be no more and we can forget about Kiri helping us against the Shinigami's Blade" Itachi said. Kushina pinched the bridge of her nose in thought. "Okay so-", Kushina was unable to finish as shouting became audible nearby. Raising an eyebrow, she and her group left their tent to investigate the commotion.
(Naruto, Tsunade, Jiraiya)
"I'm one of the ninja sent by Konoha, I'm one of the Sannin for Kami's sake. Let me through so I can get him some help!" Tsunade shouted at two Kiri rebels who were holding her up with kunai pointed at her. Jiraiya kept his arms crossed and counted in his head how long it was going to take for his teammate to send these rebels flying with her punches. Naruto was now standing but he still needed Tsunade's support to stay up and was currently in a fair amount of pain. Tsunade's shouting made three more Kiri rebels come to confront the Sannin while also gaining the attention of half the area.
"They're with us" shouted Kushina after hearing Tsunade's voice causing the rebels to relax and step away. Once they had left the immediate area, Kushina looked back towards Tsunade only to see her son in an injured state. Running over to Naruto, she quickly began looking over him. "Naruto, are you okay? Where are you hurt? I was so worried" Kushina said rapidly causing Tsunade to chuckle, Jiraiya to roll his eyes, and Naruto to sweat drop. "I'm fine mom, just a little sore that's all" Naruto said in an attempt to calm his mother down. Tsunade stepped forward in order to help her godson out. "Kushina, his muscles are heavily strained from his battle so he needs to rest. Where are we staying" the Senju asked to which Kushina nodded and proceeded to show the three to the tent.
Upon reaching the tent, Naruto was met with the familiar sight of his team. Itachi and Konan both held blank looks upon their faces, Sasuke was smirking, and Yakumo was smiling with watery eyes. Just before Naruto could reach the group, Yakumo dashed from her spot and tackled her boyfriend taking him to the ground. Naruto groaned in pain while Yakumo rambled about how he would suffer consequences for making her worry and something about a guide to relationships book that she was always referencing. Kushina looked at scene with a smile before eventually pulling the brown haired genjutsu user off of her son. "Yakumo, Naruto needs to rest okay?" the red head asked to which her student reluctantly nodded.
Naruto slowly got up off of the ground with the help of Tsunade and the group entered the tent where Naruto was quickly laid down on a cot. While everyone surrounded Naruto asking him questions about his fight, Jiraiya was able to get Kushina to join him outside of the tent. Once the two were outside and away from everyone else, Kushina spoke first. "What is it Jiraiya?" the red head asked. Jiraiya was quiet for a long moment before crossing his arms and looking into Kushina's eyes. "Kushina, I think that Naruto is intentionally trying to keep us from rescuing Menma and Narumi" the Toad Sannin said to which Kushina narrowed her eyes sharply at the man. "When we faced off against the person that created the massive chakra pulse earlier, we found out that he was a member of the Shinigami's Blade. Naruto was able to defeat him but when the man offered to give up the location of the Shinigami's Blade Base, Naruto killed him without a second thought. We need to decide what punishment Naruto is to receive before-" Jiraiya was interrupted by a punch to the face from Kushina. "Kushina what the hell?" Jiraiya asked getting off the ground. "Jiraiya you senile old fool, my son defeats someone stronger than the kages themselves and you believe that he should be punished?" Kushina asked with a glare. Jiraiya growled in response. "If he hadn't killed the man then we could have found out where Menma and Narumi were. My Kami, am I the only one who cares about finding Menma and Narumi anymore?" Jiraiya asked but immediately regretted as Kushina began to leak killing intent of the likes he had never seen.
"You dare to say that I don't care about my children? I loved Menma and Narumi from the moment I found out that I was pregnant and I will continue to love them despite any choice they make. I pray to Kami every night that my children will be okay and for them to come back to me, but I recognize what has happened. Because of my misgivings as a mother, I turned them into arrogant and spoiled children who believed that it was acceptable to kill their brother. I won't stand for that. I will find them one day, but for now I will support my eldest son in any way I can and prepare to defend this world which is something that you should focus on as well Jiraiya" she said walking back to the tent. Just before entering the tent, Kushina stopped and looked at Jiraiya. "Jiraiya if you do anything to Naruto or anything to jeopardize my relationship with my son, I will kill you in ways that will make the Shinigami itself sick to the stomach" Kushina warned not waiting for a response and entering the tent.
(Inside of the tent)
Naruto was lying on the cot smirking while Tsunade told Team 11 and Konan about Naruto's fight with Karasala when Kushina entered. As Tsunade continued the story, Sasuke and Yakumo's eyes were widened in awe but Kushina, Itachi, and Konan each had concerned looks on their faces. "So it's safe to assume that every member of the Shinigami's Blade has some sort of ability that adds to their unmatched weapon prowess" stated Itachi to which Naruto nodded. Kushina and Itachi looked down in thought about the new revelation while Konan continued to look at Naruto.
"You've been speaking with Sera haven't you?" asked the blue haired kunoitchi making everyone look at Konan in confusion then back to Naruto. The blonde looked at Konan for a long moment before nodding. "When I first entered the Realm of the Serpents I had to interact with a special stone. It turns out that Sera had sealed a fixed amount of her essence into the stone allowing her presence to take form within my mindscape. I've had a few conversations with her trying to figure out more about the Shinigami's Blade" Naruto said as Konan kept a blank look on her face. Sasuke stood up with a question on his mind for his blonde friend. "Why would Sera know anything about the Shinigami's Blade?" the Uchiha asked. Naruto sighed at the question. "Because she fought them. There are certain restrictions that were placed on her by the leader that makes her unable to tell me about their skills or special abilities but she was able to tell me about their goal. Peace by submission" he said. "The Shinigami's Blade have something up their sleeve in order to make their plan a reality but I don't know what" the blonde swordsman said. "Well that's too bad" said a voice from behind the group causing everyone to turn quickly.
The voice belonged to a tall beautiful brunette who had a seductive smile plastered on her face. "Hello Konoha nin I am Mei Terumi, the leader of the Kiri rebels" she said. Before anyone could greet her back or even properly react to her presence, Yakumo pushed everyone out of the way and started to rapidly bow to the woman. "Thank you Kami! Mei Terumi, may I call you Mei, you are my idol. I've read your relationship book over six hundred times and have memorized it from start to finish. It is such an honor to meet you" Yakumo said quickly, completely fangirling over her favorite author. Mei smiled at the adoration she was receiving from the young kunoitchi. "I assume that you have claimed him as yours completely then?" Mei said causing everyone to look at the girl while she blushed bright red. Kushina on the other hand had fire blazing from her eyes at the possibility that her son's innocence had been taken. When Yakumo didn't answer, everyone turned their heads to look at Naruto who was also blushing. Seeing his mother's expression, Naruto quickly put his hands up. "We haven't gone that far not that it's any of your business" Naruto said before his mother came up to him and smacked him upside the head. "I AM YOUR MOTHER EVERYTHING IS MY BUSINESS" Kushina shouted in a demonic tone.
Mei looked at Naruto with a lick of her lips. "You've chosen a fine partner that's for sure. I would hurry up if I were you because who knows what type of woman will go for him when he's a couple of years older" Mei said winking at Naruto. Immediately after winking, she felt a curved blade at her neck. Looking at the source, she wasn't surprised to see the blushing brunette with a dark look on her face now holding a weapon to her. "Rule 374: Do whatever is necessary to stop slutty skanks from trying to take what's yours" she said coldly to which Mei chuckled sultrily. "My my, you really have read my book. I must say that I'm impressed" Mei said before leaning down to Yakumo. "Let me know in a couple of years if you ever want to make things more exciting" Mei whispered making Yakumo go bright red and slowly nod before sealing up her scythe.
Mei looked back around the Konoha group. "I ask for help in our civil war and your Hokage saw it necessary to send only you?" she asked crossing her arms in a slight amount of frustration. "Mei, my husband sent only us because each of us are proficient enough to help turn the tide for your side. He has sent you two Sannin, myself who is Sannin level, Itachi Uchiha who is nearly Sannin level, Konan who is nearly as strong as Itachi, Sasuke Uchiha who is one of our most premier chunin, Yakumo Kurama who is one of our village's strongest genjutsu users already, and my son who has defeated enemies that three kage combined couldn't defeat. WE will get the job done" Kushina said determined to get her point across.
Mei looked at Kushina and then the group for a long moment before nodding. "I guess I have no other choice. In a few days, There is an advancement force of the Mizukage's forces of seventy ninja on their way. We will need your help in defeating you so be ready to move tomorrow" she said before turning to leave but not before giving a quick wink ti Itachi who was standing nearby making the ever stoic Uchiha go slightly red.
Author's Note: Hope everyone enjoyed. I wanna thank you all for the reviews and favorites, it really means a lot to know that people appreciate what you're doing. I tried to put a little bit of background on Tsuranabi and Naruto's line of swordsmen which I plan to expand upon later. I hope that I continue to impress so I'll see you next chapter.