I do not own 'Naruto'
Chapter 20
An invasion, trying to forcibly conquer another's land. That is what the Leaf Village was experiencing.
Naruto was torn.
Find and protect the Hokage, no doubt getting orders to help the village.
Go after the enemy ninja, vast though they were.
Go after Gaara, Naruto knew what he was and the danger he posed. Sasuke had ran off after him, no doubt he would need assistance.
Find and protect Ino, the light of his life.
I just wish I could help every... The blond smacked himself on the head. Moments like this made him feel as if he had learned nothing after becoming a ninja.
Shadow Clone Jutsu
He summoned several dozen clones, each one going to a different direction. He'd have them deal with as many enemy invaders as he could, assisting anywhere and everywhere that they could.
As he ran, he fired several water bullets at the enemy Shinobi. You'd be surprised at how many fell because of their fighting tunnel vision. Too focused on the one in front to notice the one running beside.
"Ino!" Naruto called.
He saw that she was surrounded by several enemy Shinobi.
He landed by her side
"Naruto-Kun!" Ino called.
"Don't worry, I'm here to help!" He called.
Ino looked at him with a glare that made him flinch.
"You think I can't handle myself!?" She asked, angrily.
"Now's not the time to-"
"I think now's the perfect time!" She declared.
Ino turned to the enemies, who had been amused by their little quarrel, and formed a hand sign.
Mind Destruction Jutsu
Naruto watched as the enemy began fighting among each other, while Ino stood there proudly.
"See Naruto-Kun, I can take care of myself." She stated before her gaze softened. "Now do what you're supposed to do and save the village!"
Naruto looked at his girlfriend and smiled. She had turned from that raving Sasuke-fan girl into a fine Kunoichi.
Naruto sighed, his greatest worry was...able, he could move on. He needed to focus on the biggest threat to the village.
Gaara.
Naruto ran off.
"He could have at least given me a kiss goodbye." Ino muttered.
Ranmaru was running around in the chaos of the invasion in search of Haku. His movements made it seem as if he were lost, he wasn't. He was just taking the most direct route to her while avoiding the enemy.
When he found her, she was surrounded by several dead Sand and Sound ninja, bisected by her master's blade.
She was kneeling down by them, unmoving. He moved closer, but she made no indication that she noticed him. Finally, he was in front of her and saw her face, streaked with tears.
"Are you okay Haku-Chan?" He asked worried.
"I've failed." She stated lowly.
"What?" He asked.
"I've f-failed as a weapon." She stated as the tears continued. "I failed Zabuza-Sama. I failed to keep him alive, I've failed to avenge him, and now I've even failed you."
She pulled his small body into a tight hug. Her grip on his small frame was painful, but the heartache she felt hurt him even more. Not even Raiga had this much inner pain when they had first met. He grabbed onto her, his own eyes burning with tears.
"You haven't failed me Haku-Chan." He stated honestly.
"I have!" She declared. "I've failed to kill him, he's only gotten stronger and will keep getting stronger."
"No Haku-Chan, I've failed you." He stated. "I failed Raiga, I was supposed to be his eyes and ears, but I couldn't be that for you. You took on both our burdens, I'm sorry!"
"But that's my purpose as a weapon!" She declared.
"Then be my weapon!" He shouted! "Be my weapon, and I'll be your eyes and ears! I'll fight with you, and you with me!"
Haku looked at the boy in her arms, so much like her. Once tools, now aimless.
She couldn't help but chuckle.
"A broken tool with eyes and ears." She chuckled, he soon joined in.
There little moment was ruined by the arrival of several Sand Shinobi. They began surrounding the duo, readying themselves to move in for the kill.
Haku turned around, allowing Ranmaru onto her back. He was happy to be in a position he had grown accustomed to.
"Haku-Chan." Ranmaru spoke. "Let's give them a funeral."
Mist began pouring off of the two bloodline users.
"Eight points." Haku spoke with a cold chuckle, her voice echoing in the mist. "Heart, lungs, liver-"
Naruto arrived on the scene just in time to strike Gaara, who had been moving in on Sasuke for the kill.
"Stay back Uchiha, I'll take it from here." Naruto ordered.
"I don't need your help!" Sasuke declared before he fell to his knees.
"You're fighting an enemy who's chakra is rising while yours is nearly empty." Naruto stated. "You need my help."
Naruto looked at Gaara, who had taken a mini-Shukaku form.
Hm, his defense is strong. Naruto thought. And he hasn't lost any speed. If anything, he's faster if he could keep up with Sasuke.
Gaara lunged forward and shattered the tree branch that Naruto had been standing on. The blond had managed to jump away with the Uchiha.
"You, mother wants your blood!" Gaara declared.
Only one way to beat Gaara and I have to be fast. Naruto thought as he signaled the attack.
Several kunai hit the Sand Shinobi in the back before the tags on them detonated. They weren't enough to break through the sand defense, but there were enough to knock the Sand Host off balance.
"What?" Gaara declared as he turned around to see who had struck him.
This was a fatal mistake, he took his eyes off of Naruto.
Now! Naruto thought.
Naruto ran forward, attack prepared.
Rasengan
He hit Gaara directly in his stomach, the Sand Shinobi was thrown back by the sheer power of the blast. He crashed through the first tree into the one behind it, knocking him unconscious.
"It's over." Naruto stated as he turned to Sasuke. "Now let's-"
He was cut off by the sudden explosion of chakra, but it wasn't chakra. It was too wild and angry, demon chakra.
"I'm free!"
The sand began to swarm around Gaara like a hurricane as it began accumulating on him.
Shit! Naruto thought. That explains the rings around his eyes! Gaara can't sleep, it would free the demon in him!
Naruto stepped back as he stared at the fully manifested One Tailed Demon, Shukaku the Sand Spirit.
Plan, plan! Naruto thought frantically. I need a plan!
All of his attacks were meant to kill, but he had few wide spread attacks for something so massive. He was really regretting not signing the Toad Contract.
Okay Naruto, calm down. He mentally ordered. He's just another threat to the village. A giant...threat...made of sand...from a boy-How the fuck is this my life?
No amount of Shinobi training can really prepare someone for something like this. Kill a few people and get paid. Die for the village and be remembered. Not fight a demon the size of the village's monument.
Naruto released a calming, albeit frustrated, sigh. Well, time start!
Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu
Naruto summoned dozens of clones and had them begin scrambling around the demon.
"Oh look, more for me to kill!" Shukaku declared.
The Naruto began's searching for any weak points with his bloodline. He found one obvious weakness staring him in the face. Gaara was limply hanging from the demon's head.
Must not be able to hold him inside because of air. Naruto thought.
Several of the blonds ran forward with the Kiba blade ready. As soon as the landed on the demon, the very surface of his body lunged and impaled the clones, dispelling them.
Can't touch the surface so I have to attack from a distance. Naruto thought.
The original jumped back and allowed the remainder of his clones to attack head on to create a distraction. He watched as Shukaku began to destroy them with glee.
Raising his Kiba blade high, he began channeling chakra through it into the sky.
Fangs of Lightening
The clouds over Shukaku began to darken as the chakra began to build.
Bolts of pure lightening began to rain down on the sand demon, tearing it's body into chunks. Unfortunately, as the fell and burst into sand, they began re-configuring on the demon. All the while Shukaku had raised a defense around Gaara, protecting him from the attack. It was a pointless effort.
No choice. Naruto thought. He had wanted to wait until he had mastered this technique, but duty called. Only going to get one shot at this.
Naruto drew a Tri-pronged kunai, the very one that earned his father the name Yellow flash. With precise aim, he through it at the sleeping sand Shinobi.
As he expected, a small collection of sand blocked the kunai inches from Gaara. It was close enough.
In a flash of orange, Naruto was upon Gaara.
Five Pronged Seal
He hit Gaara in stomach with the seal.
Gaara's eyes snapped open as he screamed in pain, the seal burning itself into his body. Clunks of the sand demon's body began falling apart as it was returned to it's seal.
"No!" Shukaku cried out. "I just got out!"
As the final parts of the demon fell to pieces, Naruto jumped away. Out of the corner of his eyes he saw as a flash of blond caught hold of Gaara before he fell to the ground.
It was Temari, though she didn't look good. She was still suffering from the affects of Neji's chakra sealing attack.
Naruto made his way towards them. Temari tried to run with her brother, but she was still in too poor a condition to help. She grabbed her fan and prepared to fight.
"No, stay away!" Gaara cried out.
Naruto stopped and looked the Sand Shinobi in the eyes.
"It's painful, isn't it?" Naruto asked.
"W-What are you-"
"The loneliness, it's almost too painful to bear." Naruto continued as he began moving again. "Don't worry Gaara, you won't be lonely ever again."
The Hokage.
He was battling Orochimaru, the traitorous Sannin.
"Hokage-Sama!" Naruto called.
This barrier. It was a powerful one, he could tell just by looking at it. I can't break it.
Naruto looked at the Jounin and ANBU gathered around, watching the fight.
"Has anyone tried to get inside?" Naruto asked.
"We can't, it's sealed from all sides." An ANBU stated.
Naruto continued to look around at the barrier. Searching for any weakness, his eyes were drawn to the bottom of the barrier.
Naruto stepped back, an idea already forming in his mind.
"The building." Naruto stated.
"What?" Someone asked.
"The building, I'll collapse it and the barrier will break." Naruto stated. "The Sound Shinobi will be forced to move or be crushed under the rubble. You can strike then."
"Kid, these arena's are designed to withstand the most powerful of blows, with the Kage booth being the strongest point." The ANBU stated as if it were obvious. "You'd need a barrage of A-Rank destructive Jutsu just to to any significant damage."
"I am the Host of the Nine-Tails." Naruto stated. "Destructive power is something I have in spades."
The ANBU looked towards one-another, contemplating the idea. It was pretty logical. They nodded in agreement. As one they back once Naruto began forming hand signs.
Multi-Shadow clone Jutsu
Summoned a dozen clones that each took a spot at a weak point in the foundation. Each began forming a Rasengan, double it's normal size
Big Ball Rasengan Barrage
As each attack hit home and destroyed the building the ANBU looked on in awe.
"Isn't that the-"
"Fourth's technique!"
Just as Naruto declared, the Sound Shinobi broke the barrier to save their lives. The ANBU wasted no time in charging in.
Before Naruto could join them, an intense pain washed over his body. His arm went to the seal on his neck. No, not now! This was probably the worst possible time for it to act up.
The pain was so intense that his clones were feeling it. They fell over in similar positions to him.
'Don't think for a second your power is infinite.' A dark voice whispered. 'You have a staggering amount, but even that's drawing near.'
Naruto realized that everything that the voice was whispering was true, he had been using a lot of chakra. Too much. First with his fight against Haku, and with barely a break, he went against the Sand demon and wasted a lot of chakra trying to get through it's defense. And that doesn't even count the chakra he wasted making the clones to help the other Shinobi.
Now he just broke down a re-enforced stadium.
How could I be so careless!? He mentally chastised himself.
'Do you want more power? The dark whisper asked. 'I can give it to you.'
Already Naruto could feel the vile chakra being pumped into his system. It was...invigorating. Gone was all traces of his exhaustion, he felt stronger than he'd ever have before.
'Go!'
With the Kiba blade in one hand and the White Chakra Blade in the other, Naruto charged forward. He passed the ANBU that struggled against the Sound Four and...what he saw stopped him in his tracks.
There was his village leader, the symbol of the villages strength, it's very pillar...the man who raised and cared for him wen no-one else would. There was Hiruzen Sarutobi, down for the count.
Naruto was so shocked that the blood-lust he had felt growing suddenly stopped. He could hardly hear the Snake Sannin call for a retreat.
"Medic!" Naruto shouted. "I need a medic nin!"
The ANBU began surrounding their leader and removing his clothes to get a clear view of the damage. It was then that Naruto noticed the markings on the Thirds stomach, it was oddly similar to his. Naruto paled as he began deciphering it. He new what it was, what it meant. It seemed that the ANBU didn't as they began placing their glowing palms on his body in an attempt to heal him.
They were making a useless attempt. It seemed that they realized that barely a few moments in before the stopped in their efforts.
"We're sorry Hokage-Sama." One spoke. "There's nothing we can do."
The Third opened his eyes and looked at Naruto. He gave the blond a small smile, one that Naruto wouldn't tolerate. It was the smile of a man accepting his end!
"No-NO, you don't get to go yet!" Naruto shouted. "Not like this!"
"Uzumaki-San." A voice called from behind.
Naruto didn't even bother to turn around.
"We need a better medics Cat-San." Naruto spoke urgently.
"Uzumaki-San." Cat spoke. "It's..."
"NO!" Naruto shouted, cutting her off. "He's not going to die! Not here! Not like this!" The blond just couldn't allow it. "He needs to be at home, surrounded by his family! Comfortable! Not...not..." He couldn't even keep speaking. Not in a war! Not while his home was being destroyed!
"He's the pinnacle of our villages Will of Fire, one of our greatest Shinobi." She whispered in his ear. "He's surrounded by the ones he sought to protect, his family. He died for the village. He did his duty."
The blond wasn't listening. He pushed passed the ANBU and dropped to his knees next to the man that was like a grandfather to him.
Naruto placed his hand on his fading leader's chest. He began activating one of his bloodlines most dangerous abilities. He began transferring his own life force into that of his dieing leader.
The ANBU placed a hand on his shoulder. Naruto finally stopped the technique. No, he didn't stop it, he just couldn't maintain the technique any longer. He collapsed and Cat pulled Naruto into a hug, the child Shinobi finally broke down. He began crying for the first time since he lost his first Sensei.
Did it work? Was it enough?
Naruto couldn't hold onto his consciousness any longer, he let sleep claim him.
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