Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto the anime or manga. This story is based off the world of Naruto. All rights go to Masashi Kishimoto.
A/N: Please contact me if there is a spelling mistake in the chapters previous, current or ahead or if you would like to have a chat in general through the Private Messaging function. It'd be best as well to communicate if you have a FF account to do so (wouldn't want to have a mystery or be left at a Cliffhanger from a guest review). Thank you and enjoy the story.
Chapter 12 - Clear Waters
"Yo," Kotaro said looking at the blooded faces of Kakashi, Zabuza and Haku. "It's nice to see a friend after a few months, isn't that right, Kakashi? Ao-san, it seems we made it in time to retrieve the package."
Kakashi was bewildered by the turn of the events. "Why are you here? Are those Kiri ANBU?" he asked. It was the first question that popped into his mind.
Kotaro smirked at the question. "Complicated balance of power nonsense Kakashi" he said vaguely. "You will be updated once you report Team Seven's mission to Hokage-sama." He then turned his head to Zabuza, the man and Haku were in terrible condition. "I'm here for medical assistance, please let me treat you."
"I'm not letting some random ninja touch me. Who the hell are you?" Zabuza asked gruffly, unfamiliar with the redhead.
Kotaro smiled. "Uzumaki Kotaro. Ninja of Konoha," he said. "Pleased to meet you, Momochi Zabuza-san."
Zabuza's face turned to one of shock.
"Kakashi, please check up on the status on your squad, also beware there are multiple Kiri ninja stationed around the perimeter. I need to talk to these two," Kotaro ordered.
"Understood."
Kotaro smiled and looked back at the duo, he saw some blood coming from Haku's chest. "Shit… Kakashi made his mark. How you feeling? Do you need immediate treatment?"
Haku just shook her head.
"Wow, strong girl. Now… Zabuza-san. Relax and let me apply first aid," Kotaro demanded.
Zabuza narrowed his brows. "You think you can just order me around?" he said as he gripped his sword and drew it out.
"Zabuza stand down. Kotaro-san is an ally that you can trust," Ao stated louded, drawing out his kunai.
"I don't trust you either you blue haired piece of shit."
Kotaro reacted by drawing out his sword to match him. "Now, now Zabuza. Don't think you can get rid of me that easily. Ao-san has important business with you. How would you like to go back to your village?" he asked with a smile.
Naruto looked up to see the gathering of people. "Kotaro-nii… he's really there," Naruto under his breath, he couldn't believe his eyes. He then saw Kotaro and Zabuza with swords out. "That bastard!" he said loud enough for Kakashi to notice him.
"Naruto! Help out and check up on your Sakura. Don't distract yourself with something that has noting to do with you," Kakashi ordered as he checked over Sasuke's body.
Sakura hears the voices of her team. "Naruto? Naruto! You're okay! Where's Sasuke-kun? Where's Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked loudly to Naruto.
Naruto bit his lower lip, remembering his shortcomings in protecting his teammate. He saw his reflection, he was weak. Sakura then saw the lying body of Sasuke beyond Naruto.
Sakura walked over to where Kakashi was kneeling. He was applying first aid to Sasuke, bandages to close up wounds and medicine to help recover is vigor. His chest was going up and down. A sense of relief washed over Naruto and Sakura, it was enough to make the girl fall to her knees and weep.
"Another successful mission, but they were cutting it too close," Kotaro said grimly, watching the scene. He sighs and turns his head. "Now Zabuza and… the girl. You can return to your village. Ao-san will give you all the details after we part ways."
Zabuza mirrored the actions, there were too many hostiles to fight and he was in rough condition, there was a zero percent chance of victory. "Why should I go? I was betrayed and my village is soaked in black blood."
Ao stepped in with a deep frown. "Mei-sama has defeated Yagura with Konoha's aid. She has assumed the position of Mizukage and is reforming the constitution of the village. She and all of her supporters want change, changing it from top to bottom. However, we knew that overtaking the system was going to upset a lot of the more influential members of the village. Mei-sama wants you to return, she wants a strong support not only for her claim but also to re-establish the Seven Ninja Swordsmen to be a force to be reckoned with internally and externally."
A left field statement suprised Zabuza. "You're not kidding... Damn, what the... who would've thought."
"If you refuse, I doubt Mei-sama will hunt you down, but it would be a dishonour to your name and more to the Seven Swordsmen," Ao added.
"Like I give a shit about honour!"
"But you lack stability," Kotaro interjected. "You're a nomad with no mission. You need a fondation, you're lost Zabuza."
Anger grew within Zabuza. He then noticed Haku stand beside him, still injured.
"Treat Haku and let me think. There's just too much stuff going on."
A Kiri ANBU appeared beside Ao and whispered in his ear. "That happened?" Ao said. "Burn the corpses and bring the leader to us now. We don't want disease to hit this part of the country."
"What the hell are you guys doing!?" an ugly man shouted as he appeared against his will, being held up by a very large man within the Kiri ANBU corp. "Do you know who I am?"
Zabuza had a smile appear on his face. "Gatō... Oh how the table has turned..."
Gatō whipped his head to see a bloody Zabuza, there was clear focus in the assassin's eyes.
"No! Not now... please... I have a lot of money, I can pay all of you beyond your wildest dreams."
"Not a chance." Zabuza took out a kunai from his holster and planted it in Gatō's right eye, destroying the ugly man's glasses. The crime boss shrieked in pain, it was painful to the ears of the nearby ninja. It didn't take long for Zabuza to take another and plant it in his other eye.
"I can't see!" Gatō screamed as he was released, dropping to his knees on the ground. "Oh please stop the pain! I beg of you!"
"With pleasure," Zabuza said as he took out the Kubikiribōchō and sliced off Gatō's head, letting it roll and blood pour. The cracks on the blade from the fight with Kakashi repaired itself from the blood of the latest victim.
"Zabuza... once we get back to the village, you won't be able to pull shit like that," Ao stated harshly.
"He was a minor crime lord, he was going to be killed anyway soon enough," Kotaro said. "Haku is treated enough to return but she needs further medical attention for a full recovery. It would be best if we split from here and return to our respective villages. Hokage-sama expects a letter from the Mizukage as well as a emissary soon concerning about inviting Kirigakure and their Genin to the Chunin exams and the upcoming years."
Ao nodded and put out his hand to Kotaro. "Of course Kotaro-san. It was a pleasure to work with you in the last few weeks. I hope to see you soon in good health."
"I say the same to you."
Zabuza turned his attention to Kotaro and then Team Seven in the background. "You and the blond are similar."
Kotaro nodded. "Yeah... we're brothers. Little freak doesn't know when to give up."
Zabuza laughed under his mask and then cracked his neck. "Next time I see you, be careful. That's a warning."
"Good luck then. Things can only go up from here Zabuza-san."
"Fuck you."
Zabuza limped off to walk with Ao and the other ANBU ninja as they prepare to incinerate the corpses that came after the ANBU fought Gatō's henchmen.
"Take care of Naruto-kun," Haku asked of Kotaro. "Make sure he grows up strong."
Kotaro smiled at the girl and nodded. "I'll make him strong."
Kotaro turned away and walked over to Kakashi and the rest of Team Seven. "Status report."
"Two sleepers and a kid who wants a hug," Kakashi said with a chuckle. "This mission has really gone down the drain. Tazuna lives and the enemy to the bridge construction was just beheaded... a win is a win I suppose."
"True."
Naruto walked up to Kotaro and hugged him at his side. Kotaro ruffled Naruto's hair with a sigh. "Good work little man. You should be proud."
Naruto sighed himself. "I suppose. Where were you? What were you doing?"
"That'll take too long to explain here and now. I'll tell you when we're home. I'm taking a break after all this. Kakashi, does Sakura or Sasuke need any medical treatment?"
Kakashi shook his head. "Sasuke needs rest. Sakura is emotionally exhausted, she'll wake up in a bit. Naruto is tired and I'm have no energy. We'll rest up and head to Konoha soon enough. Tomorrow morning I hope."
Kotaro took out a packet of brown cubes and threw to Kakashi. "These are sugar cubes. They're packed full of energy. Eat them tomorrow as snacks." Kotaro turned his head to Naruto. "I'll be at home resting and doing whatever. Go there after you talk to the old man. I'll tell you what happened there."
Naruto nodded with a smile with gleam in his eyes.
Kotaro gave one last hug to Naruto and then fist-bumped Kakashi before he departed to Konoha.
BOOM!
In the distance, fire erupted from an explosion on the coast of the river estuary.
"Naruto... Do you know anything about that explosion?"
"Sensei, I'm going to keep my mouth shut on this."
Konoha - A few days later
"Finally we're back," Sakura moaned out. She was exhausted from the long and tiring mission.
"Well, it was over three weeks' worth of a mission. Only ANBU are sent out for missions longer than a month, unless for very special circumstances. You three should be proud of yourselves. This trip has forced you to grow up," Kakashi said as he sighed Team Seven back into Konoha.
"Sasuke, what are you going to do now?" Naruto asked.
"I need to train. I wasn't good enough. You?" Sasuke asked.
Naruto shrugged his shoulders. "I need to go to bed. I missed sleeping on a nice pillow hehe," he said with a cheeky smile.
"HA! I need to tell Ino-pig that I got to spend three weeks with Sasuke-kun! She will be so jealous!" Sakura squealed.
The atmosphere was warm. Kakashi smiled under his mask. It seems that his team's rough start has been swept under the rug.
The air suddenly chilled. Kakashi turned around. His Genin looked at their Sensei with confused eyes.
An ANBU with the mask of a tiger appeared by a body-flicker. There was no noise or ruffle of leaves. The ANBU was skilled.
"What can I do for you Tenzō… I mean Tora-san?" Kakashi asked with a stifled laugh.
The ANBU groaned under his mask. He then coughs loudly. "Hokage-sama requests your audience immediately," he stated in an emotionless tone. A trademark of any ANBU member on duty.
Kakashi nodded. "Yes. I was just about to report to Hokage-sama about my mission with my team."
The ANBU stood up and put out his hand. "Sorry Kakashi-senpai. Hokage-sama requested specifically just for you," the ANBU said.
Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke narrowed their eyes on the scene. Naruto was about to open his mouth to protest but Kakashi raised his hand to stop him.
"Naruto. It's ok. You three can go home. You will have a week lay-off from missions. But training will resume in two days. Training Grounds Seven at eight sharp," Kakashi said.
The three Genin nodded hesitantly but went on their way. Naruto went on a separate path home towards west. Sasuke went towards his home in the Uchiha compound. Sakura was following his every footstep.
Kakashi sighed at the scene. He turned back to the ANBU. "Thank you Tenzō. I'll be there soon enough," he said.
Tenzó clenched his fist in slight anger, he lost his composure. "AH! Kakashi-senpai. Stop using my name when I'm on duty. You're were an ANBU black-op for goodness sake. You should know better!" Tenzó relented.
Kakashi waved his hand side-to-side. "Stop calling me Senpai then," he said. Kakashi then started to walk away.
Tenzó sighed behind his mask. He turned around quickly. "I forgot to tell you. Hokage-sama and Uzumaki-san are waiting for you and their patience are wearing thin. I don't want Uzumaki-san breaking another wall again with his fists," Tenzó warned.
Kakashi paled slightly and nodded. He didn't want to annoy two of the strongest ninja in Konoha right now. Actually, he didn't want to piss either of them off ever.
Kakashi then leaped and sprinted across the roof tops of Konoha before reaching the Hokage Tower. Used to the routine. Kakashi waved to the Chūnin door guards and entered inside, gave a friendly wave to the receptionist and climbed the stairs to the top floor. Turning left and walking down the hallway. He see's the Hokage's office doors.
Kakashi knocks twice. "Kakashi. Get in here already!" Kakashi heard from the other side.
"Looks like Kotaro-chan is in a bad mood," Kakashi mumbled under his breath.
Kakashi walked inside and saw the Hokage and Kotaro waiting for him. Hiruzen was sitting on his office chair. Fingers laced. His eyes were focused on Kakashi.
Kotaro was standing in front of the windows, looking down on the village.
"Kakashi. Sit down."
"Yes Hokage-sama."
Kakashi walked forward and took the only seat available. The one right in front of the Hokage's desk.
"This sort of feels like an interrogation hehe," Kakashi said. He laughed slightly and scratched the side of his cheek. He was uncomfortable with the situation.
Hiruzen sighed deeply. He then packed his pipe with new tobacco. A flick of the finger lit it. The aroma of cinnamon filled the room.
"This is no interrogation. Don't worry. But there are some things we have to say to you. Some things have arisen in the last few months that are making us worried," Hiruzen said.
"Like what?"
Kotaro turned around. "I say I should explain things from now on. With the ever-hidden Jiraiya's information and the intel I have picked up from my missions. There seems to a large number of events that… there are some that are crazy, and some make little sense honestly," Kotaro said. He rubbed his temples. His demeaner showed annoyance.
"Make little sense? What do you mean Kotaro?" Kakashi asked.
"The disappearance of notoriously dangerous ninja from all regions of the Mainland. The most recent is a ninja from the village of Hot Springs. He was connected to those mass murders some time ago. We got a confirmation of his name. Hidan. However, all reports of his whereabouts are just filled with empty results. He was rumoured to be an immortal. This is worrying news," Kotaro explained.
"There is also the fact that the Land of Rice has opened up a new Hidden Village. It seemingly came out of nowhere. We recently found out that it is call Otogakure. We sent an ANBU squad to investigate so we can have some sort of no-war pact agreement. But, our ANBU squad couldn't find the village," Hiruzen said afterwards.
Kakashi nodded. He looked to Kotaro to continue.
"Kirigakure has been recovering quickly with a new Mizukage in place, but it will be over a year before they can be considered a considerable strength. Mei has told me that she will be coming to Konoha to strike up an alliance with Konoha. No doubt in fear of the other Villages."
"Other villages? Has there been something going on since we left for that mission?" Kakashi asked.
Hiruzen nodded. "Kumogakure has been building their military strength for some time. Our sources tell us that they have the largest army now," he said.
Kakashi was shocked from the piece of news. "Are you serious? I thought Konoha was the strongest still," he said.
"Since the Kyūbi attack twelve years ago. We were really hampered on all fronts. Especially good ninja and medical ninja, they were scarce. The other villages didn't suffer anything from that attack, so we were really put in a disadvantage. I don't doubt for a second that our ninja is of a higher quality and calibre versus the other village's, but they have larger numbers. And then there's Iwagakure," Hiruzen said.
"If you didn't send me on that mission two years ago Jiji, this wouldn't have happened. Their economy boosted, and they got more missions, when it should have plummeted to rock-bottom. The quality of their ninja is improving. They also imported tonnes of wood from the Land of Trees. No doubt for military warfare," Kotaro said.
"You think a war is brewing? But it's only been fourteen years since the end of the last one," Kakashi said.
"We know. The only major village that we aren't worried about now is Sunagakure. Their economy is in major decline. Their ninja population is the smallest. And their drought six years ago made their village struggle to grow. If they didn't have their underground reservoirs, the village would have perished," Hiruzen said.
Kotaro clicked his fingers, gaining the attention of the room. "They have been very suspicious though. They are hostile towards us more than ever. And they hired a mystery mercenary group to do some dirty work instead of using their own ninja. Things aren't looking good," he said.
"What about the minor hidden villages?" Kakashi asked.
The Hokage shook his head. "The weak follow the strong. There has been no change in the actions of the minor villages apart from Amegakure. They have been even more reclusive than ever before. There must be some internal turmoil that they don't want us knowing about."
"Who knows," Kotaro said. "It might benefit Konoha. Less to think about for now. But, there are more and more reports of bandit raids and gang attacks in all the different regions of the Mainland.
The Four Kings are making their moves, despite ninja and samurai around them. They don't care and take what they want. They are mainly focusing in the eastern continent where all the hidden villages are. The contries to the West are much poorer, but have untapped natural resources. Who knows what they will do in the future."
"The 'Four Kings'? Who are they?" Kakashi asked.
"It's their new names that they gave themselves. They're like Kage for the underworld. They name themselves after the suits of playing cards. Hearts, Spades, Clubs and Diamonds. They're all people that we don't want to mess around with," Kotaro said. "They all seem to be preparing for something big in the future."
"The future?" Kakashi said.
"This is just bad timing. The Chūnin exams are coming up very soon. I wish I could put them off, so we can investigate everything," Hiruzen admitted. It all almost felt like a bad omen was coming for them and Konoha.
Kotaro walked back to look out the window. He sees small children playing in the park. They were happy. Innocent. They had no idea the horror of war or the life of a ninja.
Kotaro sighed. "We need strong ninja to help defend the civilians and protect Konoha. Having the current crop of Genin go through the exams will force them to grow and we will see who help keep peace in the village," he said. "All of this could be destroyed if we're not careful, Jiji."
"So, you also think it's a good idea to go through with them?" Hiruzen asked.
Kotaro smiled and nodded. "The world is changing in many ways everyday and we don't know about it. There's no point worrying about what we don't know. We should be seeking the truth and keep going forward. We should prepare for the future Jiji. The Chūnin exams will only be the start of it! Jiji, I'm going home, I need to talk to Naruto."
"Go Kotaro. I'm already sick of your face ha."
Kotaro left the room, saying goodbye to the two men and rushing home. It didn't take long for him to arrive and see Naruto relaxing on the couch eating instant ramen. "That didn't take long. Did you not bring any on your mission?"
"It was gone by the first day Nii-chan... and the town there had no food. Nii-chan, now tell me about your epic mission!" Naruto said with excitement as he sat up straight.
"Alright, let me sit down and tell you all that went down."
~ A week earlier, The Land of Water's Rebirth ~
Few days prior, in the rebel's underground hideout.
Kotaro was currently preparing himself for the next battle. Mei had announced how the missions done over the last year, especially the last two months since the Kotaro joined their forces has damaged the Yondaime Mizukage's forces and infrastructure to so much of an extent that they were ready for a full-on battle.
Kotaro was a bit nervous if he was completely honest, the numbers did not scale well in their favour. He would need to ask Ao for more details, being a former head of the hunter-nin department, he was the rebel army's best spy. Kotaro put his pouches all around his hips and strapped his swords over his Jōnin flak jacket.
"The day to decide everything, has finally come," Kotaro whispered under his breath.
Kotaro left his room and closed the door behind him. He was told that he was needed to be at the mess hall for the mission briefing detailing on the final battle to come. He could sense all the chakra signatures ahead of him, it seemed that they were already gathered. Kotaro walked through the deep earth corridors, closing in to the mess hall. He walked into the hall and everyone saw him.
Their faces lit up seeing the Uzumaki, he has been a godsend to their cause, helping them exponentially since his arrival. Kotaro saw that they set up a wooden stage at the back, against the wall.
'It's more professional than jumping on the tables,' Kotaro thought. Kotaro saw that they were still setting up. He had questions, so he left the hall and went to the mission briefing room.
Kotaro walked past some of the rebels, they saluted him as they went by him. They see him as Mei's Ace, an ultimate trump card. Kotaro nodded in their direction as he went by. He was surprised when they started the formalities, he was just grateful they didn't call his name with "sama" at the end like they did with Mei and Ao.
Kotaro continued on his path until he reached the mission briefing room, where he saw the leader and her second in command having a heated discussion, most likely about the battle plan.
"We're outnumbered! It's suicide!" Ao nearly yelled at her.
Mei looked fierce after Ao said that. "This is the only chance we got! We need to strike when the iron is hot. Yagura will bring his forces back to the village and then we will have no chance to take the village back. This is a risk I'm willing to take!" she said with authority.
Kotaro walked over to them to make himself known. "How much are we outnumbered by?" he asked them. He was hoping their little argument would break up with his interference.
Both saw the redhead and sighed in unison. "They have ten thousand ninja, we only have four thousand," Ao stated bluntly.
Kotaro nodded and put his knuckles under his chin. "So essentially, the ratio is five to two. Not good. But you have me… I'm worth what? Ten thousand?" Kotaro said with a cheeky smile, trying to lighten the mood.
It did not go down well as Mei furrowed her eyebrows at him. "I wish!" she spat out before huffing and puffing. She then looked at the map of the village and the geography around it. She was staring intently at it.
"Is Yagura going to make an appearance? He must be furious of the progress the rebels have accomplished, especially in the last three months," Kotaro asked.
Ao looked at him with a paled look. "We received information that he will be spearheading his forces. They know we are doing something big," Ao stated with some worry.
Mei looked up as well. "I don't know how we will deal with him. Especially if he lets his Bijū loose," she stated grimly.
Kotaro chuckled slightly, making the two pairs of eyes fall on him. "I can deal with him," he said seriously with total confidence.
The two went wide-eyed at the statement. "How can you say that!? I know you're a strong ninja, no doubt in hell about that. But this is a Jinchūriki with full control of his Bijū. Hundreds of our men would get slaughtered if we fought it directly," Ao shouted out.
Kotaro looked at him. "I still haven't shown you two all I got. I've been training since I came here. I know how to deal with him. I have something very special under my sleeve. The Yondaime Hokage dealt with the Kyūbi all by himself. I'm sure we can handle the Sanbi. Trust me," he told them in a serious voice.
They could only stare at him with awe, going against a tailed beast was almost suicide. "I can't let you do that Kotaro-kun," Mei said with concern in her voice.
Kotaro waved her off. "I'm the only one who has the ability to even deal with it if it is released. Now, how are you going to deal with the bigger numbers?" Kotaro asked eyeing the two up.
"I don't know. Skill and a good plan will always beat bigger numbers, but with this scale, I can't see us winning with most of our men intact," Mei stated, crossing her arms under her chest.
Ao could only nod, he didn't need to verbally agree that this was a tough predicament. "Let's hope that our men are better than theirs. Now what's the plan?" Kotaro asked.
Ao turned his head to Kotaro. "We will have four divisions, separating the forces in eight hundred men each. I will lead those forces and have lieutenants under me to help organise. Mei-sama wanted to have the rest of the forces, our strongest men and women to lead. She also wanted you to help her fight," Ao told him.
Kotaro wasn't surprised with the plan so far. "Okay… Where and when will we attack. It's six in the morning now. The village is only three hours away if I were to run it. Five hours if we brought the whole army with supplies," Kotaro stated.
Mei nodded. "You're right. We will be leaving in three hours. The army will arrive at the north gates by two o'clock in the afternoon. Today there is high humidity and there is a dense fog surrounding the village. Hopefully this will just about clear up after we initiate the attack. The north gates of the village are the biggest and the walls around the gate would be the weakest out of all of them. This will help if we needed to fight inside the village," she said.
Kotaro liked the sound of the plan so far. "I take it each division have their own set of instructions and objectives," Kotaro said.
Ao nodded. "Division one and two will be our assault squads, division three will be support and medical, division four will our supply run making sure our medics have enough blood and bandages and resupplying our ninja with kunai and other tools," Ao told Kotaro.
"Will they be fighting the majority of the Yondaime's force?" Kotaro asked.
"Yes. Mei wants to draw attention from Yagura so most of the forces wouldn't need to deal with him," Ao said with grim lips.
"What about the villagers inside? We can't harm them or the children," Kotaro said fiercely. He even poked on the map which was on a stone table hard to emphasise his point.
"Of course. They will know where to evacuate. The majority of the villagers hate Yagura's rule but cannot do anything unless they want to die. Don't worry about them," Mei said reassuringly.
Kotaro sighed and rubbed his temples. "The plan sounds good. When are you going to tell the men to move out," Kotaro asked looking at Mei.
She rested her weight on her right hip and looked at Kotaro. "As soon all the preparations are complete. Hopefully I make a speech to increase morale once we reach the outskirts of the village," she told him.
"I'll be waiting in the mess hall then," Kotaro said and then departed from the two. Kotaro left the mission briefing room and returned to the mess hall. Kotaro leaned against the wall near the stage and kept quiet.
'I have improved my skills with the constant fighting and battling. I'm stronger now than I was before I left Konoha. My clan's scrolls really helped me out with my chains. Let's see if they will be good enough for what's to come,' he thought. 'Nearly everyday we had to fight, put our lives on the line. These three months, this whole experience has improved all my skills.'
Kotaro looked at the ninja in front of his eyes. He saw some with their legs shaking, some kunoichi were counselling each other with hugs. Kotaro didn't feel as nervous as they were. 'Maybe it's because I still have a home to return to after all this,' he thought sadly as he crossed his arms.
Kotaro waited in that spot for two hours, sometimes going over to a table to get some water. Mei, Ao and some of her most trusted shinobi came and went on the stage. They went over the battle plan once more, only give brief descriptions of each division's job. They already knew what they were doing, they were just being reminded.
At nine o'clock on the dot. Everyone left with their respective groups out of the base and moved to their destination, Kirigakure, the village hidden in the mist.
Kotaro went after Mei since he was in her group. She leads the group into the forest and ran ahead. Kotaro sighed and flashed through the forest to catch up to her.
"You're nervous," Kotaro said as he ran beside her after reaching her position.
"Of course I am… But this needs to be done," Mei said, biting her lower lip slightly.
Kotaro hummed in agreement. "Don't worry. They'll be writing songs about you and making statues to your figure," he said with a grin.
It worked as she smiled. "If they do. They better make all my assets look correct. I don't want small breasts or a flat ass on my statue," she said with a newly formed smirk, looking straight at Kotaro.
Kotaro laughed. "I would have to agree. But the sculptor would have to do a lot of work to actually make you look good!" Kotaro teased.
Mei narrowed her eyes and clenched her fist. "Ouch! That hurt Mei!" Kotaro complained after receiving a punch on his left arm.
"Then don't insult me," Mei said.
Kotaro and Mei kept their banter up for a while before focusing on their journey. The other divisions were following them intently. Nearly five hours have past and they were only miles away from the Village. Kotaro stopped Mei by putting his left hand up. "There's a massive group of different chakra signatures ahead of us," he stated, eyes still looking ahead.
She stopped and used hand signs to signal everyone else to stop. All the ninja gathered around her to listen to her words. "My people, the time has come," Mei shouted to the group. "We fought on the seas and oceans. We fought the enemy for what they have done, whatever the cost was. We shall fight on the walls, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills, but we shall never surrender," Mei said, Kotaro saw the people's morale was improving.
"They think we cannot beat them. It will not be easy. It will be a long job, this is a terrible war, but in the end, we shall march through terror to triumph. FOR THE MIST!" Mei shouted out the rest, her voice was amplified with chakra.
"FOR THE MIST!" all the rebels shouted in unison. Adrenaline already pumping in their bodies.
Mei jumped down from her and Kotaro followed, both landing on the grass. "That was a good speech. Short and sweet. They look ready to fight," Kotaro told her.
"I know. Me too," Mei said before dashing ahead. Their plan was commencing.
Kotaro kept up with her. He looked behind and saw Mei's squad, followed by division one and two. 'The battle will begin soon!' Kotaro thought with a grin, his excitement levels were going through the roof. His blood was pumping.
They travelled for only a few minutes until they saw a flat plain with many trenches in the far distance, filled with enemy ninja. "Damn, it looks like nearly all of the forces are outside the village," Kotaro said.
Mei bit her lip. "I see that. And they built defences, fresh ones too. Seems like they knew we were coming today," she pointed out. "This will be harder than predicted… Shit!"
Kotaro looked ahead and then to the rebel leader, her facial expression showed one of worry. "They will overpower us if we attack head-on. We need change plans," Kotaro told her as they slowed down.
"Change plans!?" Mei shouted. "We have our whole army here, we can't tell everyone that the plan is screwed!"
"Look Mei! The shit has hit the fan and if we don't something miraculous quick, we're dead meat! Now, let's just use a jutsu or something that everyone can perform and use that as an initial attack. A four-thousand strong attack will strike wonders against the enemy!" Kotaro suggested.
"There's no way we can coordinate something like that. We're the vanguard. The others are still behind us," Mei said.
Kotaro ran his hands through his crimson hair. "Shit, shit, SHIT! Looks like this is all or nothing. If we kill Yagura straight away. The enemy lines will break apart and disband. We will win then. One of us has to find him and kill him!" Kotaro shouted. "It's either you or me Mei!"
Mei sighed and rubbed her temples in frustration. Their battle plans have completely fell apart and they haven't even started to fight.
"I got a plan," Mei said.
"What do we do?" Kotaro asked.
"Myself and my squad will be taking out Yagura's top officials and supporting the main battle. You said that you're the only one that can take out Yagura by himself if he changed form. I'm putting my faith in you. This is the turning point for Kirigakure and this country. We can't lose," she told Kotaro.
"I understand. I'll shoot a red flair if I need support. Good luck Mei," Kotaro said with a soft smile.
"You too Kotaro-kun," she replied and turned to her remaining ninja. "Men on me!" she shouted and moved with speed. The men immediately followed.
Kotaro knew it was his turn now, he sprinted to the walls of the village. A minute of running he reached the edge and immediately started to climb up.
Using his hands with chakra to grip on the smooth and vertical surface, he pulled himself up and launched himself up. Kotaro grasped the edge of the wall and climbed himself up. There were already a two Kiri ninja waiting for him.
"Life can't be easy, can it?" Kotaro mumbled under his breath.
Kotaro unsheathed his sword, Ruby, and got into his kenjutsu stance, the Kiri ninja came at him with kunai in hand. The first attack came, a large arc that would cut Kotaro's left shoulder and chest swung with a kunai. Kotaro parried the kunai with Ruby in his right and then elbowed the man in the gut with his left elbow, making him double-over.
A second attack came from behind, a Kiri kunoichi flew towards Kotaro with her kunai ready to stab the back of his heart. Kotaro could sense the danger and swung Ruby in a horizontal arc. The blade wisped through the air and cut the kunoichi's throat, blood sprayed as the artery was sliced. She died in an instant.
Kotaro kept the sword moving, as his right arm was going close to a hundred and eighty degrees in his swing, he reversed gripped his katana and moved his arm beyond. The sword stabbed the Kiri ninja who was incapacitated in the right side of the head. The sword pierced through the skull and the tip could be seen on the other side. Kotaro pulled out his sword from the dead body of the male ninja he just killed.
Kotaro looked to his ahead and saw retreating ninja going deep into the village. "Where the hell are they going?" he asked out loud.
Kotaro kept his eyes peeled for the Mizukage but he didn't know where to find Yagura. "He's a Jinchūriki and a Kage level ninja. He would have massive chakra reserves. However, I doubt that he wouldn't try and suppress it. I'll try and sense him out," Kotaro said.
Kotaro stopped in his tracks and focused his chakra to find the huge chakra reserve that could only belong to a Kage level ninja that had a Bijū inside of them. He put his right index and middle finger onto the ground and made a one-hand ram seal with his left to improve his focus.
"Damn, nothing! I'll have to find someone to interrogate or pass by him," Kotaro deduced.
Kotaro jumped off the wall and into the village itself. There was barely any life inside apart from the growing trees and other vegetation. All the buildings had a blue tint and their roofs had mosaic stones. The bigger buildings had dome shaped roofs. If there wasn't so much bloodshed, Kotaro would have stopped and appreciate the pretty picture.
Kotaro knew he couldn't take in the scenery, he jumped onto the rooftops to get a better vantage point in the deserted village. He ran across the roof tops in a zig-zag pattern, as he had no idea where he should go or where any one else was. Frustrated that he couldn't find anyone, he calmed and focused his chakra for any chakra signatures.
"Got one!" Kotaro said gleefully. Kotaro ran west of the village and saw a pair of kunoichi moving to the gates.
'Most likely messengers,' Kotaro thought as he closed in. Kotaro kicked the first kunoichi who had long flowing black hair in the head. The other kunoichi, who had brown hair, was surprised and turned around to see the Uzumaki already coming at her. She reacted by throwing a punch aimed for Kotaro's face.
Kotaro tilted his head slightly and kept going forward, letting the punch pass him and move above his left shoulder. He then grabbed her throat and then moved to a nearby building, he pushed her into the wall. The kunoichi's body was forced into the wall and dug in deep. Cracks appeared around her and tiles fell off the wall face.
Her body was in immense pain, being held up by one hand, his right hand, her throat muscles felt like there were closing in.
"I don't want to kill you. Tell me where Yagura is and I'll let you live," Kotaro demanded.
The kunoichi looked at Kotaro with a frightened expression. Kotaro sighed after heard a loud explosion coming from the outside of the walls. Gurgled screams of pain echoed the area.
Kotaro let his face soften. "You hate Yagura's rule, right? You hate the pointless bloodshed. Help me to stop him. I promise you won't die," Kotaro told her. The kunoichi stared into his eyes and saw that he was serious. She nodded her head. Kotaro let her go and took one step back.
She dropped to the ground and her breathing was ragged but was calming down. Her long brown hair covered her back. She looked up and saw Kotaro staring down at her.
"Thanks," she said after a deep breath.
Kotaro crossed his arms. "You better start talking. Your friend is sleeping like a baby, you and she could die in two seconds if you don't start telling me where the leader is," Kotaro threatened, his patience was wearing thin.
She nodded again and looked terrified, she knew his threat wasn't empty. "He's coming to hit the rebels from behind. Hoping to kill them in a surprise attack," The kunoichi told Kotaro in a scared tone.
Kotaro knelt down. "Thanks, now go to your friend and take care of her. If we win. No more internal bloodshed. If we lose, well your life will still be shitty," he said sweetly before fleeting away from the girl who watched him from afar.
'Shit! If he's attacking from behind, that means Mei, Ao and the rest of the army will be squashed in a surprise attack if he released the Sanbi. I need to hurry and stop Yagura,' Kotaro thought as he jumped from rooftop to rooftop.
He gritted his teeth in frustration, he was on the west side of the village, Yagura was going to attack the army from the east outside the village walls.
As Kotaro was in the centre of the village, there were new chakra signatures. An ambush. Three kiri ninja jumped in his path. A fourth used a water jutsu and launched a water projectile at Kotaro. Kotaro stopped in his tracks and bent backwards to dodge the water bullet aimed for his chest.
"Shit! That was close," he said as he bent back up, eyeing up the ninja that want to slow him down.
"What do you want?" Kotaro asked the ninja. He didn't care for the answer at all, he just needed time to think of a plan to dispatch them.
"Your head!" one of the kiri ninja said under a porcelain mask that ANBU wear to hide their identities. "You breached the wall and invaded our territory. This is an act of war Konoha-nin!" the same ANBU ninja said.
Kotaro looked from the three in front and the one on his left. They all wore similar designed masks. 'Fish? So, they're a school of killer fish. Wolves or dogs would have been better, a pack sounds more menacing,' Kotaro thought in amusement, already having a plan to deal with his new enemies.
Kotaro made the cross hand seal. "Shadow Clone jutsu," he said under his breath, as four Kotaro clones appeared. They all jumped into the four ANBU's personal space and started a taijutsu bout. The original jumped into the air and positioned his body to the three ANBU guards that were getting clustered together by his clones, unbeknownst to the ANBU.
Kotaro made the hand seals Horse-Snake-Tiger-Bird and then stretched his right arm forward, 'Water release: Water arrows,' Kotaro thought as three water shaped arrows formed over his right arm. He aimed his right arm over the three ANBU that were still fighting his clones and launched them. They flew and impacted the ANBU, the arrows pierced through their heads and broke their masks. The shattered pieces fell onto the ground as the ANBU collapsed, their blood sprayed everywhere.
Kotaro became an image of a demon to those who were still alive. From head to toe, blood soaked to his skin. His cold purple eyes were the focal point of fear.
The remaining ANBU guard was shocked and his defence became wide open. The clone grabbed the man and restricted his movement by putting him flat on the rooftop and putting his arms behind his back, applying pressure to keep him still. The three other clones puffed out of existence the original came over with a kunai in his grip. Kotaro positioned the kunai beside the ANBU's jugular vein.
"Where is Yagura?" Kotaro demanded from his hostage. He needed to be positive that the kunoichi's information was correct.
"Like I would tell you. Yagura-sama is going to kill you and the rest of the rebel army!" the Loyal ANBU said under his mask.
Kotaro groaned and threw the kunai into the man's head. The man's body slumped and became lifeless.
"At least he will be attacking the army. That makes the information more reliable," he stated. Kotaro jumped from the scene and ran to the east again.
Kotaro kept up the pace until he reached the eastern section of the wall. He scanned the surroundings past the tall concrete structure. He looked down and saw the rebels fighting the loyal Kiri ninja to Yagura.
"Seems like they are pushing them into a corner, good. But that won't last long. Now where are you Yagura?" Kotaro asked himself once again.
Kotaro was getting frustrated from the lack of one Yondaime Mizukage. He bit his lower lip, contemplating if he should fight with Mei and her comrades. After a minute of waiting, he lost his patience and jumped down.
Kotaro used his feet and chakra to skid down the wall at a reasonable pace, rather than jumping the full height. He looked to his right and saw the rebels fighting. Kotaro jumped onto a nearby tree, there were very few as the area as he peeked to the left.
There Kotaro saw a short man. 'That's him!' Kotaro thought immediately.
He jumped in the path of the short man, only metres in front of him to stop his movement. Kotaro finally got a good look at him. 'Grey hair, pupil-less pink eyes, vertical stitched scar under his left eye. Turquoise and grey attire with mesh armour. This is the man,' Kotaro thought.
"Stop right there Yagura," Kotaro said in his most serious voice.
The two guards by Yagura's side were appalled at the way Kotaro spoke to their leader. "You should speak to the Mizukage with respect boy!" the guard on the left of Yagura hissed out.
Kotaro looked at the man, he was an older man with grey hair and a Kiri forehead protector on his forehead. A bastard sword was on his back. Clearly a veteran stuck in his own ways. Kotaro looked at the other man who was completely covered in cloths.
It was similar to desert style burial wraps. No possible way of recognizing any facial details of the man. He was bulky and had a katana on his hip.
"Yagura isn't a man I respect. I know he's strong, but his beliefs and actions make him cruel and an idiot. I have been sent here to kill him. It would be good for you two to leave us," Kotaro stated to the other party, he didn't want to fight two more ninja before fighting a Jinchūriki.
The older man was going to respond to Kotaro before Yagura put his left hand up. "Kill him," he ordered quietly. The older man smiled, he and the man covered in cloths unsheathed their swords.
Kotaro groaned, he then unsheathed Ruby and Sapphire together. He waited for his targets to come to him. Kotaro did a "Come here" hand gesture with his left hand.
"Cocky little shit! I'll you slice up!" the older man shouted as he ran towards Kotaro, both his hands on the large sword's hilt, ready to chop Kotaro up. The clothed man also ran but in silence with his right hand handling his katanna.
Kotaro focused on the two approaching men. The older man swung his sword vertically downwards, ready to split the Uzumaki in half. Kotaro brought up Ruby, which was in his right hand's grip, up and parried the blow.
The clothed man used Kotaro's open side and did a horizontal slash, aiming for Kotaro's ribcage. Kotaro paled at the incoming sword. He brought Sapphire to his right side, under his right arm and blocked the slash from hitting him. The swords clanged loudly and Kotaro sighed a quick breath of relief. Kotaro saw that he couldn't attack now, he pushed the swords off his own and jumped back, sheathing them away.
Kotaro, in the air, went through the hand seals Hare-Bird-Tiger. 'Water release: Water Dragon Bullet technique,' Kotaro thought as a water dragon formed around Kotaro and launched itself at the two guards.
The two guards were shocked that the jutsu was performed in the air and so quickly, with no body of water nearby. The dragon closed in on them. Yagura the Mizukage jumped in front of the two and swung his long black club with a green and yellow flower at the end in a circle.
A water mirror appeared and an exact replica of Kotaro's water dragon came out of the mirror and crashed into the original one. The dragon's collapsed as they crashed into each other head-on. Kotaro was extremely annoyed but yet impressed by the jutsu.
"Son of a bitch! But, what do you expect from a kage?" Kotaro whispered. His stance was rigid, waiting for the next attack.
The clothed man moved towards Kotaro once more, sword ready.
"Thank you Mizukage-sama!" the older guard said as he followed suit. The clothed man swung his sword multiple times at Kotaro, Kotaro parried each swing, trying to get a read on the ninja ahead of him. Kotaro had to jump back from the barrage of attacks as the older guard swung his sword where Kotaro was. The force behind the heavy sword sent a heavy and large crack in the ground. Kotaro's eyes widened slightly, he didn't think the old man would pack so much power.
The two guards came after him once again. Kotaro knew a water jutsu would get reflected back at him if he tried one. He gripped his swords tighter and closed the distance, with speed faster than both the guards shown so far.
Kotaro channelled wind chakra down both his blades. A thick green glow shrouded both Ruby and Sapphire. It was quick, the thick shroud transformed, becoming super thin and sharp. Kotaro moved between the guards and let them initiate their strikes.
Both guards swung their respective swords. Kotaro grinned and swung his swords. Ruby and Sapphire carved through their swords as if they were butter.
The cut pieces of metal left the rest of the blades and dropped towards the ground. Kotaro didn't stop his swings, the swords sliced into both guards, cutting them in half.
The wind chakra from the swords made a wind current follow each respective slice. The bodies flew away from Kotaro, while blood flowed from their bodies, staining the grassy plain.
Kotaro looked up and saw the stoic face of Yagura. "Do you not care that your men were killed in front of your own eyes?" Kotaro asked as he flicked the blood off his swords. He then stepped three steps closer to the Mizukage, his stern gaze never letting up.
"No," Yagura replied blankly, as if he was a doll. "You shall die a pointless death Konoha-nin," Yagura said as he got into Kotaro's space and swung his club at Kotaro.
Kotaro sheathed his swords after he dodged the club swing. He then jumped back while throwing some kunai at the short man to create more distance.
Yagura simply twirled his club in front of him, the kunai hit the spinning club and were deflected into the ground. Kotaro bit his lower lip in annoyance. Kotaro landed and ran through the hand seals of Ram-Horse-Snake-Dragon-Rat-Bird-Dog.
'Wind release: Wind dragon bullet technique,' he thought as he inhaled a massive amount of air, his chest and stomach expanded and then he started blowing it out straight at Yagura. The wind was thick, strong and powerful. The wind took form of a dragon head with grey eyes. It moved to its target, Yagura, at greater speeds compared to the water dragon.
Yagura did the same trick with his club in creating a water mirror. A mirror image of Kotaro's wind dragon came and impacted the original. The winds collided and produced a pseudo-hurricane. The force was so strong that the Mizukage and Kotaro had to cover their faces.
The winds settled and Kotaro looked at the scene in front of him. The line between him and Yagura had deep cuts that were extremely thin, as if they grated the ground into thin slices.
The grass around them was cut to a short height, some parts of the plain was ripped off revealing the earth beneath the grass. Kotaro saw more blood around. The bodies of the two dead guards got caught in the storm and were sliced up even further, the remains were bloody pieces of flesh. No resemblance to their original forms.
'God fucking damnit! I thought that water mirror jutsu only affected water ninjutsu, not everything. Shit! This is tougher than I thought,' Kotaro thought. He eyed up Yagura once again, who wore a face devoid of any emotion. 'His demeanour is freaking me out a bit,' he thought afterwards.
Kotaro made a cross hand seal and created a shadow clone. Both he and the clone went in different directions.
Yagura stuck his club into the ground and formed a Tiger hand seal. Water rose up from the ground and transformed into the image of Yagura.
The shadow clone closed in the water clone while Kotaro moved to the back of Yagura. The shadow clone used his katana to cut Yagura after it dodged a club swing. The clone broke and reverted back to water.
'Seems like my clone is stronger than yours Yagura,' Kotaro thought with a small smirk.
Kotaro and his clone then went after Yagura who hasn't moved yet. Both swung their swords at him but Yagura blocked both with his club with great skill. Kotaro's clone puffed away, confusing the Mizukage.
The original Kotaro, balanced on his right foot and kicked Yagura with a super-strength kick, using chakra to tense the muscles in his quads, hamstrings and calves to release a powerful left high-kick, launching the small man to the main battle field.
Yagura flew to the main battlefield, Kotaro was quick on his tail. Yagura used his club to slow down and stand up. As soon as he pierced the ground to stop, Kotaro came at him at unimaginable speeds and punched him square in the face. The angle of the punch was aimed to the ground. Yagura flew back again but was tumbling in the ground backwards.
Kotaro watched the rolling body who was still holding tightly onto his large club, much to the Uzumaki's surprise. Yagura slowed down considerably, finally he stopped fifty metres away from the redhead. He stood up and rubbed his nose.
Yagura scrunched his face, then proceeding to fix the nose on the spot by twisting it back.
'Seems like self-regeneration isn't completely unique to Naruto, but Naruto's cuts and bruises heal incredibly fast. I wish I could compare the two but too bad this guy wants to beat me to a bloody pulp,' Kotaro thought as he closed the distance between the two, so they were only ten metres apart.
Both stared at each other for a short time, there was no silence as clashing jutsu, screams and the clanging of weapons could be heard in the background. This fight has been going on for some time.
"Seems like the normal means of killing won't work on a ninja of your calibre," Yagura said, still in a monotone voice.
Kotaro tilted his head only slightly, he wasn't expecting such a compliment, but a compliment nonetheless. "Thank you, Mizukage-sama. How will you kill me then?" Kotaro asked in a cynical tone. There was no verbal response as Yagura dug his club into the ground and bent forward.
'What is he doing?' Kotaro thought with some worry.
Yagura put his hands onto the ground and yelled out. His whole body covered with a deep red chakra, it oozed power. Yagura took a new form, a large red turtle with three tails.
'Damn! He's transforming! I know I can get chakra poisoning if he wounds me directly with any part of his body, shit!' Kotaro thought anxiously, his first battle with a Jinchūriki using its Bijū's chakra.
Kotaro immediately jumped back with his speed. The new Yagura pursued him. Kotaro freaked, the new Yagura reached him, he had a dramatic speed increase, Kotaro was underestimating the Jinchūriki.
Kotaro flowed chakra to his legs and feet. Using his chakra enhanced legs, he leapt high into the air, dodging a large swipe from the angry giant turtle. Kotaro looked at the damage. Yagura in his new form demolished the ground as his thick hand smashed into the ground. Cold sweat dripped down from Kotaro's forehead. Kotaro landed far enough from Yagura and ran through a set of hand seals.
'Wind release: Wind dragon bullet technique,' he thought as he inhaled air.
Kotaro released the jutsu in Yagura's direction, hoping it would incapacitate the Jinchūriki. The wind dragon hit its mark and Yagura was put under a wind storm. Large cuts and slashes appeared all over the Jinchūriki's body.
Yagura howled in pain. The air formed in Kotaro's body was now empty and he took a deep breathe. He saw the damage he caused Yagura and smiled.
'Looks like a Jinchūriki in a transformed state can't use hand seals or any type of jutsu. That limits them to close combat… Unless they have something else to fire at me,' Kotaro thought as he analysed what happened in front of him.
Yagura stared at Kotaro with his new white eyes. He then howled at the Uzumaki again, digging its hands into the ground. Kotaro jumped back, sensing that Yagura was pulling out all the stops now.
Kotaro was correct, Yagura's new form started to form a darker red colour. The Jinchūriki started to grow exponentially. Only after ten seconds, Yagura became a gigantic sea turtle. So large in fact that Kotaro knew this was the true form of the Sanbi, the Bijū sealed in Yagura.
The Sanbi had a grey shell and purple underneath. Three huge tails were waving at its end. Kotaro saw the face of the massive creature. One eye was shown whilst the other was closed shut. The Bijū in front of him was taller than the Hokage tower in Konoha and longer than some streets.
Kotaro looked at the Sanbi once again, it was a hybrid of a turtle and crap with shrimp-like tails. One thing those three animals have in common, an extremely tough shell. From that, Kotaro already knew that the Sanbi in front of him as an extremely hard shell.
'Armour stronger than steel and chainmail I bet,' Kotaro thought with slight worry.
Kotaro looked to the battlefield and saw that all the forces, both the rebels and the loyalists were staring in awe to the massive creature. Kotaro couldn't blame them himself, he was getting more and more nervous by the second.
The Sanbi was looking down at the Uzumaki. Then suddenly, the Sanbi curled into a ball and started to roll towards Kotaro with incredible rotational speeds. Kotaro was spooked and ran as fast as he could away from the large turtle.
The Sanbi went by, Kotaro skidded across the plain and made a one-hand Ram seal.
"KAI!" he shouted, fully disabling all his gravity weight training seals. The streaks and intricate patterns glowed blue on Kotaro's body before disappearing, indicating they are in fact deactivated. The Sanbi never stopped rolling, it turned and rolled at even faster speeds to Kotaro's location in mere seconds, covering hundreds of metres.
Kotaro dodged the roll, thankful that he deactivated his seals just in time.
'How the hell can I defeat a Bijū one-on-one? I only planned if he used some of the Bijū's chakra not fully transform. No wonder the rebel army was so hesitant going against him. What can I do?' Kotaro internally planned as he kept dodging the incoming and repeated rolls.
Some of the rebels on the outskirts of the battlefield couldn't help but watch the fight between the Bijū and Kotaro. Gasping in awe on how Kotaro is even able to stand more than a few seconds against such a terrifying beast.
The Sanbi jumped while rolling, launching itself high into the air. Kotaro looked up and saw the large grey creature flying through the sky and it became bigger and bigger to his eyes. It was coming straight for his head.
"OH SHIT!" Kotaro screamed as he jumped away from his spot. The Sanbi hit the ground, causing it to shake and break. Cracks appeared everywhere, stones and pieces of earth were flung into the air. An earthquake was sent all around the landscape, causing everyone to stumble.
Kotaro was becoming exhausted from the constant dodging. This has been going for far too long.
A squad of rebels supporting Mei's cause came and used many water jutsu to distract the Sanbi. Geysers of water trying to pierce the shell of the giant creature.
The Sanbi stopped and uncurled itself. Kotaro was confused but bent forward. He was ready for the next attack.
The Sanbi opened its mouth. Blue and red orbs of chakra formed in the front of its mouth. A swirling pattern like a whirlpool. A purple ball of condensed chakra was pooling up in front of its mouth.
"What the hell is that!?" Kotaro said. His hands were shaking from the power that was radiating from the ball. It was so dense, filled with overwhelming Sanbi released the ball of immense energy straight at Kotaro. The velocity of it was quick.
Kotaro sidestepped and dashed to the left. His own speed was enough to dodge the attack. However, the rebel ninja supporting him were caught in the ball and disintegrated in the ball of chakra. The heat energy radiating from the explosive ball was awe-inspiring.
The Sanbi's attack kept going and going. It eventually stopped in a large patch of forest. An explosion occurred. The ground shook violently. A shockwave travelled all around.
Kotaro was amazed from the sight. There was a mushroom cloud of dust travelling up to the sky from where the attack landed.
"That must be the famed Bijūdama. Fuck me, that thing is really strong," Kotaro said with a wry smile.
Kotaro turned his body back to the Sanbi. The Sanbi curled back into a ball. The Sanbi began to roll again and it came straight to Kotaro. Kotaro dodged the Sanbi again and launched a wind dragon bullet at it. It did no damage, it was protecting itself with its rolling. "That was so weak!"
'THINK! There has to be a way to beat and kill the bastard!' Kotaro thought hastily, watching the Sanbi move out again. 'I was stupid not to try and kill Yagura straight away. His human form was so much easier to deal with… THAT'S IT!' His body rejuvenated with new energy, the confidence in his plan gave him the courage to fight. Kotaro moved closer to the Bijū, the ninja nearby thought it was suicide.
Kotaro made the Snake hand seal and stood his ground. He gritted his teeth hard as his Uzumaki Adamanatine Sealing chakra chains shot out of his back and wrapped themselves around the colossal figure.
The golden chains covered most of the Sanbi's body and the chakra chains went further beyond the body of the Sanbi, the chain heads digging into the ground to make the large turtle secured into place.
The Sanbi stopped rolling. The Sanbi was restricted by the chains. "I knew it… these chains can supress Bijū chakra. No wonder Aunt Kushina was the Jinchūriki of the Kyūbi. My Aunt sure was an amazing woman!" Kotaro said as he kept his ground.
Kotaro felt the Sanbi trying to pull itself out of the chakra chains that were constricting it. Kotaro felt the force behind its actions, thankful that the chains were keeping the Sanbi in place.
Kotaro took a deep breath and relaxed his body and chakra. He flowed through the hand seals Tiger-Monkey-Ram-Monkey-Bird-Dog-Boar then clapping his hands together, the kanji of "Suppress" appeared on the back of both his hands.
"This better fucking work! Hidden Uzumaki jutsu: Celestial Chains," Kotaro shouted as seal scriptures appeared the chain links.
The chains that were wrapped around the Sanbi grew thicker, they tightened and dug into its body. The chains turned pure white in colour. The seals that were written on the chains blended in with the chains.
The Sanbi howled in pain, its chakra was being forcibly pushed back into the seal where it resided. Kotaro kept his focus on the process. His concentration was being tested, he has never had to deal with any kind of challenge like this before.
The Sanbi's size was getting smaller, and its body was returning to its former stage of being a dark red colour, the Bijū's chakra shrouding Yagura's body was returning back to its seal.
Kotaro kept up his focus, the chains were continually gripping Yagura's augmented body. If there was one loose chain, the Mizukage could break out and wreak havoc, the Jinchūriki could easily kill Kotaro if he got out at that stage. this was something Kotaro did not want to happen whatsoever
After three full minutes of Kotaro's concentration, his jutsu completed the suppression of the Sanbi back into its seal. Kotaro looked at the body of Yagura, completely restricted by his white chains. Kotaro breathed heavily.
'That took so much of my chakra. Fuck me… These things... I can't use them efficiently yet,' he thought while a smile manifested on his face. Kotaro saw the tired and dull look on Yagura's face.
"This is the end of your rein Yagura," Kotaro said as he removed his hands form their clapped position. His face had a tired smile. The chains returned to their original golden colour. Kotaro kept the chains up as he unsheathed Sapphire. Kotaro readied his sword.
Blood trickled down Yagura's chest. The ancient and deadly sword of the Uzumaki's was resting in his chest. Yagura looked at Kotaro with a soft smile.
"Thank you…" he whispered out, getting a slightly shocked expression from Kotaro. "I want to die. Now I'm free," he said as his eyes dulled and his body slumped against Kotaro's chakra chains.
Kotaro took out his sword and removed his chains from the dead body, they returned into his body. He laid the body of the former Mizukage on the ground. Then, a loud chakra explosion came from where the seal was located on Yagura's body.
Kotaro was pushed back far as the massive quantities of chakra soared into the sky and dissipated into the air and nature around him. He had to cough afterwards from the sudden impact.
Kotaro returned to the body of Yagura and saw he had a soft smile still on his face. "Rest in peace. Let's hope you find salvation in the afterlife. Maybe you will be able to traverse to the Pure Land if the spirits still have a heart for you."
Kotaro walked out of the pit that the Sanbi created in their fight. Kotaro looked to the horizon and saw that almost all the fighting has stopped, the night sky has come. He chuckled and sat down on the ground, knowing his job was done. He took out a watch and saw that hours had passed since the battle begun.
Kotaro took out one of his sealed scrolls and opened it. He flowed some chakra onto one of the sealing patterns. An energy protein bar and a bottle of water appeared in a puff of smoke. He didn't hesitate to dig into his bar and drink, they vanished in seconds.
Kotaro was resting his eyes and letting his body recover from the toughest fight he has ever had. He only noticed now how damaged his clothing was. Rips were evident throughout his outfit. His legs had many small cuts from the pelting rocks that came courtesy of Yagura.
Kotaro touched the side of his torso. It stung in pain. He must have broken a rib from one of the Sanbi's attacks. He sighed happily, he was glad he wasn't the one to die. Kotaro used some of his medical ninjutsu and flowed his medical chakra all over his legs and arms. Healing the wounds that he received in his battles.
"Adrenaline didn't let me notice them coming or even the pain. Shit! My legs and arms are stinging all over," Kotaro complained as he finished up his first aid. He will need proper treatment later.
Kotaro just watched the rest of the battle from his spot. It was the rebels organising on entering the village and weeding out the most loyal ninja to Yagura. He saw that since their leader has died, the loyalists have lost their spirit and stopped putting up a fight. He was glad that the bloodshed has ended now.
"I'll be able to go home… Finally," he whispered to himself. Kotaro stood up and dusted himself of. He walked slowly to where there was a large gathering in the rebel forces. They were all cheering on their victory. The rebels saw him and lifted him on his shoulders, despite his protests.
After finally letting him down, he was tackled by a blue and auburn blur. Mei latched herself into a hug on Kotaro. She hugged him tighter, squeezing all the air out of him.
Kotaro grinned at the action and pulled her off him. "You happy now, Mizukage-sama to be?" he asked with a happy tone.
Mei smirked and put her hands on her hips. "More than you know," she said while twirling around and moving away.
Kotaro shook his head. "So what now? Godaime Mizukage?" Kotaro asked.
Mei smiled. "Everyone needs to have a rest inside the village. I'm grateful that none of the interior was damaged during the whole battle," she said gleefully as she started to skip.
"I know. That was much tougher than I thought it would have been," Kotaro admitted in a serious voice. "A large squad of your men died to distract the beast away from me. They died with honour."
"And their honour shall be celebrated with a memorial. We couldn't have done it without you. You played a big part in this. I'll see that you and Konoha are rewarded for your generosity," Mei said honestly, thankfully for Kotaro she didn't say one sexual innuendo in the conversation.
"The world needs peace and stability. Hopefully this will be a stepping stone for our two great villages and nations," Kotaro said as he looked at the cheering ninja who started to celebrate.
Mei looked to Kotaro with weary eyes. "I have one more favour to ask of you, it's a very important matter."
Kotaro looked to her with interest. "You're really are grinding me to the ground with these jobs. Now, what is it?" he asked. "I suppose I could do one more thing for you."
Uzumaki residence
"Then I went to bed after getting treated by a lovely young woman. Had an okay breakfast the next morning. Then I said my goodbyes and ran with Ao to get to where you guys were."
Naruto kept quiet throughout the whole story and listened intently on every single word. "Wow…" he said. He was awestricken.
Kotaro grinned and looked at Naruto. "I know, pretty crazy huh?" he said with smile on his face.
"Pretty crazy would be an understatement Nii-chan… How're you so strong?" Naruto asked.
"Why do you ask?" Kotaro asked Naruto, deflecting the question.
Naruto sighed. "That story sounded something you would hear the Shodai Hokage doing. With his Mokuton, he did all sorts of crazy things ttebayo. He was called 'The God of Shinobi' for a reason," Naruto said.
Kotaro raised an eyebrow. "You think I'm lying?" he asked. "And Senju Hashirama. I'm not close to his level at all. Not even close enough."
Naruto shook his head. "That doesn't matter… it's just amazing the amount of strength you have Nii-chan," Naruto told him.
Kotaro sighed. "I never want people to die because I was too weak. I'll tell you a quick story that happened sometime in the last year. This will help you with your own reflection on your actions," Kotaro said.
Naruto tilted his head. "What's this story about?" he asked.
"It's what happens when you are misinformed, and you are too weak not to stop the incoming trouble. It's what happens when you can't stop the evil from doing their deeds," Kotaro said throughout gritted teeth. His voice was filled with sorrow.
"What happened?" Naruto asked. His curiosity was peaked.
"Konoha received reports that there were mass murders happening North-West of the Land of Fire. Near the Land of Hot Springs. The Daimyō wanted it to get checked out before it spread down into his country. Jiji sent me down to investigate. The last mass murder event happened around a week before the reports came in, and the one before that happened a week before that. By the time I was going to arrive there, it would be the day of the event."
"So, you stopped them, right?" Naruto asked.
Kotaro shook his head solemnly. "Nope. Not even a hope of making it. The Daimyō's messenger forgot some details when he sent the message to Konoha.
When I arrived in the area. There was a smell of blood lingering in the air. Lots of it. Like a warzone. The same smell when I was a small child, when the third Great Shinobi War was on. I ran to the town and found out why. The mass murderers were there. They killed all the towns people and nailed them onto the walls and pinned them to the ground. They were in a triangle which was inside a circle. They were Jashinists," Kotaro told Naruto.
"Jashinists?"
"Yeah. Insane worshipers who worship an insane deity. You have to kill someone to praise him. It's horrible. The Jashinists killed all of the villagers in the end. Men, women, children. Most were already dead when I got there with the samurai behind me. There was nothing I could do. All those mutilated bodies. Some of the children were still awake, but they were limbless. I couldn't stop their pain, their screaming.
The samurai and I fought with the crazed worshippers. We killed almost all of them. Only one escaped," Kotaro said.
"One? How did he escape you?" Naruto asked.
"This particular guy was truly insane and insanely strong. He was weird though. He was always screaming in joy whenever a samurai slashed him. It was like he was always in a state of ecstasy. There are three details I will always remember about him though. He had grey hair, a giant three-pronged scythe and his body was covered with black and white stripes.
He must have legged it once he saw that all the other worshippers were getting slaughtered. I'm scared what the son of the bitch is doing right now. He's like a wild dog right now," Kotaro spat out.
"What happened then Nii-chan?"
"It was a complete failure, the whole mission. We found out who was doing the killings, but we didn't prevent the death of a town and some of the samurai died with them. I went back to Konoha straight after and told Jiji everything. He was livid, but didn't show it. He let me off for the week. So, I could collect my thoughts. That was a really shit day."
"Is that why you didn't tell me, Shikamaru or Chōji on what happened back then?"
"Yeah. It was just too gruesome, even for a shinobi's standards. I told Shikaku and we're both worried for the future. That one loose end, that bastard, will bite us in the ass. A real heart stabber.
So, what would have happened if I was stronger or faster? Would I have saved them? What if I had all the information at the start? Could I have prevented this from happening? These thoughts were racing through my mind that day."
"That's a lot to think about Nii-chan. And that's a lot of pressure."
Kotaro nodded. "That is what you will think like when you become a competent Chūnin and Jōnin. It will become even worse when you become the Hokage. Instead of just a mission, it will be the whole village and the Land of Fire. There will be a lot served on your plate."
Naruto played with his fingers. "I don't know if I can do that," he said.
"Yeah. You can't. You're only twelve Naruto. You're too young to become a Hokage yet. Namikaze Minato was the youngest to become Hokage. Twenty-three years old when Jiji gave him the hat. I was surprised that Jiji took the position again. Yet, when he told me that his students weren't up for the position and there was no other option. He had to. Jiraiya was spying and grieving the death of his student. Tsunade was still on her gambling trip. And Orochimaru deserted the village."
"Jiraiya? Tsunade? Orochimaru? I'm sure I heard them before."
"Jeez. Naruto come on. They're legends in Konoha. The Legendary Sannin. They're famous for being Jiji's students and their summons. I have a load of Tsunade's medical notes at home."
"You said Orochimaru deserted. Why did he do that?" Naruto asked.
Kotaro scratched the back of his head. "Well, there were many reasons. From what I read and what Jiji has told me. He has done many bad things. He experimented on many people. He kidnapped many children during the shinobi wars and used them for his experimentations. He was a power-hungry ninja who wanted the position of Hokage. There were a few more things but I'm sure you will find out soon enough. I wouldn't be surprised if he wanted me to be on his operating table one day.
The most dangerous thing about him though is that he is a genius. Through and through. He knows a huge library of ninjutsu. He has his snake summons. Jiji suspects he has a sacred artefact. Naruto, you should not mess with him until you reach at least the rank of Jōnin. Then, we can be sure that you have a good fighting chance to beat him," Kotaro said.
"Is he really that strong?"
"He's rumoured to be the strongest fighter out of the three of them in terms of overall skill. I wouldn't like to fight the snake but who knows. I might get to some time," Kotaro said. "Ah yes. I was told to give you this. You idiot," Kotaro said as he took out a small envelope.
Naruto received the envelope and opened it. There was a thick stack of Ryó in it. "What's this?" he asked.
"Your reward. For helping that man. For going into a base and planting a bomb. That's your reward," Kotaro said with anger lingering in his voice.
Naruto paled. This must mean…
"How did you know?" Naruto asked.
"How did I know? Ah, what do you do when you need information about someone that keeps in the shadows. Oh! I know, you ask one of the shadiest men in the Mainland about him. You pay him some money and he dishes out the info. That's the job of information broker. What happens when that information broker is also a drug lord? You try to avoid making deals with him. Sounds smart enough, right? Then what happens when he gives you an envelope and says, 'Say thanks to your little brother for me,' huh?Naruto, explain to me how and why you went to Spades for information on Gatō? That is possibly the most dangerous and stupidest thing you have ever done," Kotaro said with disappointment.
Naruto paled even more. Kotaro knew everything. "I didn't know what to do Nii-chan! Everyone in that town were dying and were hopeless. Kakashi-Sensei and the others were in danger. I needed to do something," Naruto explained himself.
Kotaro nodded. "I understand that. But just remember that every action leads to a new one. An action has an equal but opposite reaction. A butterfly effect can occur from this. You might have done the best thing for the Wave, but another country might suffer because of this," Kotaro said.
Naruto gasped. "Are you sure? What could happen?"
"I don't know... A ninja world war or some crazy whacky crap like that."
~ 0 ~