Another chapter is here!
Enjoy!
Their home was being destroyed.
That much was clear as the vermillion bird sailed over Konoha with the four Genin on its back. Naruto looked down at the destruction with a somber expression, wondering just what part Karin played in this. She knew it would happen and said nothing. Despite the Hokage's offer to make it her home, she let it happen out of fear of whoever it was that had been pulling her strings.
A snarl drew Naruto's attention to Kiba, who had a practically feral expression on his face as he looked down at the destruction. Debris was scattered, smoke rising from destroyed buildings, and some bodies could be made out below as snakes in the distance continued their thrashing. He slammed his fist down in frustration. "Damn it!"
Suzaku let loose a short, indignant cry at that.
"Take it easy," Naruto warned. "Suzaku is already struggling with this many people as is."
He pointed below. "How can I take it easy when they're wrecking our home?"
"On the contrary, the circumstances are not as unfavorable as they could be," Shino pointed out.
"How does this look 'not as unfavorable as they could be' to you?" Kiba demanded.
Shikamaru poked his head over the side. "There are too few bodies for an attack of this scale, especially considering they had the drop on us."
"Had this been a true ambush, we would see more corpses beyond a few unlucky scatterings. If I had to hazard a guess, most of the civilians are in the process of being relocated to shelters as we speak." Shino adjusted his shades and stared straight at Naruto as he continued. "Keep your mind on the mission at hand, and worry about everything else once the dust is settled."
Naruto got the underlying message clear enough. Everything related to Karin had to be pushed to the backburner. At least until they got Sasuke, and did whatever else they were supposed to do. Everything else was secondary to that at the moment.
He nodded. "Are we on the right track?"
Shino held up a finger as a bug landed on it and he held it close to his ear. "Yes. The trio from the Hidden Sand has escaped over the village wall in the direction we're going."
"Sasuke's following them from his scent too," Kiba added. His hands roamed for his pockets but found nothing. "Hey, does anyone have a Soldier's Pill I can use for Akamaru if it comes down to a fight? I didn't bring my gear with me to the Finals."
"I'm hoping it doesn't come to that, but here." Shikamaru pulled out the one he had and slipped it into his palm.
"…If we get into a fight, leave Gaara of the Desert to me." Naruto said, after a moment of thought. If it came down to it, he would be the best suited against Gaara, as a fellow jinchuuriki. Or so he hoped.
A hissing noise sent a chill down their spines from how close it was, and the group looked down to see they were being chased by a rather large snake. Naruto pegged it to be around the same size and color scheme as the one that had eaten him in the Forest of Death. He briefly wondered if they were related before it flung itself towards them. "Suzaku, up!"
The vermillion bird flapped its wings harder to try and lift them, but the additional weight slowed them too much. The serpent's maw opened wide and revealed the fleshy mouth within. Dripping with saliva that led down into a deep dark pit, the cavernous maw grew larger as it neared.
And then it was abruptly thrown to the side. The serpent was nailed to the ground by a two-pronged sasumata, just below its head. The giant, magenta-colored toad holding it then took what looked like a sake-saucer and brought it down, taking off its head in a single stroke.
"What the Hell?" Kiba said incredulously as Shikamaru sighed in relief. The group watched the toad hop off to deal with another snake, more plumes of smoke in the distance giving birth to other toads. Some were bigger and some were smaller. "Where did they come from?"
It was a good question. Naruto bit his thumb and used the summoning technique to find out, slamming his right hand down on top of his left. Sealing script crawled over the back and a small puff of smoke gave way to reveal an orange toad with purple markings, wearing a blue jacket. It looked around for a moment and then turned back to Naruto. "Did you have to summon me so high up?"
Kiba stared at the small, talking toad in confusion for a moment. Then he pointed to the others. "Was that you?"
"I wish," Naruto said offhandedly, keeping his attention on the small toad in front of him. "Sorry about this Gamakichi, but I wanted to ask if you knew why the toads were appearing in the village."
"Dad was talking to the guy with the big white hair yesterday." He gestured with his hands on how long the man's hair was. "I'm guessing that they might have been planning to help out or something, since you've got a snake problem and all, but I was with my brother."
"If that the case, then chances are that this was expected," Shino said. "I suspect that the counterattack will begin soon enough."
"Maybe," Naruto murmured as they passed over the village wall. He spotted a fleeting shadow in the trees below. "I think I see him!"
Kiba stuck his head over the side and sniffed the air. "Yeah, it's him!"
"SASUKE!" Naruto called, but there was no change in direction or notice. Sasuke continued to chase something further ahead of him relentlessly below the canopy of the trees that thickened the further they went from the village.
Shikamaru shook his head. "He can't hear us. We're too high up and too far back, with the wind against us."
"Well, unless one of you gets off, Suzaku can't go any—" Naruto's voice was replaced by Sukazu letting loose a sharp, piercing cry as an explosion rocked its underside, with enough force that it lost the ability to fly. Spiraling below, its passengers were only safe from being thrown about by anchoring themselves with their charka as it desperately tried to regain altitude.
Naruto, holding a screaming Gamakichi tightly so he didn't go flying, looked towards the source of the explosion. There he found several Sound shinobi, standing upon the village wall. They were all staring at him, and suddenly Naruto recalled that he had been a priority target as well.
It looked like they were going to have a complication when it came to bringing back Sasuke after all….
[0-0-0]
Karin's heart froze as she felt Naruto's chakra descend from the sky with the others alongside of him, nine signatures moving in. She was so naïve to think that they wouldn't have a backup plan to grab both him and the Uchiha. They were both outnumbered, and far enough away from the village under siege that no one would come to save them.
They felt like they were Chuunin at the very least in terms of chakra reserves. Nine of them against a couple of Genin, on top of the jinchuuriki that the Uchiha was chasing after, made for very bad odds. They would kill the others and take the two Orochimaru desired.
They would take Naruto.
She trembled on top of Byakko at the thought. But this was her only chance. If she didn't run now, she wouldn't be able to get away. Would she be able to run away knowing that the boy she fell in love with was taken, while she was the only one in a position to help him?
…No, no she wouldn't. "Damn it, Byakko we need to go in the other direction!"
"As you wish." The white tiger turned sharply on its front legs and then darted through the rows of trees, towards the direction she felt Naruto had fallen in.
It was so stupid, going against every rational thought she had. There was nothing but trouble awaiting her that way, and she knew it. Traitor to Orochimaru or conspirator against the Hidden Leaf, she would end up in a worse position than if she had just ran away. But the feeling in her chest would swallow her if she didn't act.
Karin wasn't sure what she could do against those nine, even with the excess tags and Byakko. At the very least, she would be able to pluck him out of danger. She could only hope that it would be enough, and that they made it to him in time.
[0-0-0]
Red clothes crossed the tiles in a blur, white hair billowing as the Toad Sage rushed forward with a kunai in hand. The sharpened edge scraped against the steel of the grass-cutter, sparks scattering from where they crossed with a metallic ring. Clad in black, the Hokage swung a thick staff of adamantine through the air to crush the opposition. Tiles shattered as the body that seemed to be made of rubber slithered away with deceptive ease, only to spring forward slash with the blade again.
The slicing of air, the blur of movement, the ringing of crashing steel, the smashing of tile—these sounds blended in a whirlwind of violence, a representation of the elegant tragedy that was a battle of shinobi that had weathered many years of combat. It was a beautiful and breathtaking display of prowess from an age where one would be cut down before they could make a hand-seal, and a time when skill trumped technique on the battlefield.
The toad would hop away, taking great and rapid bounds to strike from another angle as the monkey flung what was in hand, a rain of sharp implements with a slight curve in the throwing angles, so they couldn't be blocked as easily. When the serpent slithered away from the rain of steel, the monkey advanced. He crossed with agile steps and swung down the primitive tool, the oldest weapon in the world, to crush everything in its path.
The serpent would coil and then lash out with the fang that was his sword, using stabbing strikes meant to pierce the flesh, each moving for a fatal spot. The staff blurred as it intercepted with loud clanks, only for the toad to come down from the above in an attempt cut off the serpent's head. It would miss as the snake slinked backwards.
They split apart, with two on one end and the last on the other. Heavy pants left the older man's mouth, sharper and deeper than the two others. His age was catching up to him.
"I'm impressed that weathered and aged body of yours could keep up this long." Orochimaru's jian wavered, slacking downwards as he caught his breath. It was a false opening with his supple body and flexibility, so neither tried to capitalize on it. "Had you still been in your prime, I would consider this a legitimate challenge, Sarutobi-sensei."
"Let's not pretend any of us are in our prime anymore," he countered. "Time flows equally for all, a law of nature one cannot overcome."
"I wouldn't say that." He reached up and pulled, literally tearing his face off to reveal a younger looking woman's visage beneath his own. "I've already transcended that law of nature."
Horror crossed the Hokage and Toad Sage's faces, though it was the former who spoke. "What have you done?"
"Merely a simple technique to transfer my soul into another vessel, allowing me to attain immortality," he said as he replaced the flesh mask. "Though, I would rather have Tsunade-hime's healing ability, this application has its own rewards in attaining all of the techniques that the world can birth. And, once I attain my next body, I'll be another step closer."
"The Uchiha boy," Sarutobi realized. "That's why you timed your attack until his match, and marked him with your seal. You intend to take his body and his Sharingan."
"Better than allowing it to die with this village. With only two sets left in the world, such a useful tool should be preserved. I will make full use of that, and ensure that it continues to weather the ages."
There was no way he could allow Itachi's younger brother to be taken. He had to end this, and there was one technique he could rely on to ensure the kill. The question was whether or not his aged body could bear the strain of it. He was not certain, but at the very least he would ensure that his mad student met his end. "Let us dance once more, my old friend."
The Monkey King's head emerged from the staff. "I'll handle the retreat, so make sure you get the timing right, Sarutobi."
He nodded as the head disappeared, and twirled the staff. It compressed itself further into the width and length of a normal staff, all the weight and density concentrating into a narrower weapon increased its destructive capability against a single target. The tradeoff in dexterity would be compensated for by threading his muscles with chakra, a practice that he had refined over the course of decades.
Yin and yang—he divided most of his chakra into these two elements within his body, each partitioned to be released in bursts. He molded the rest into fire chakra as well, a final plan to ensure the kill. Then he held the staff forward and lowered his stance, his muscles tensed for the explosion of movement that was to come. "Jiraiya, prepare the oil."
Orochimaru chuckled. "Kukukuku, planning on making a fin—"
Sarutobi was in front of him before he could finish the sentence. It was a perfect Body Flicker that left no trace behind of movement, closing the distance in less than the time it took to blink. He swung the staff in a straight cross to knock his head off.
It was too easy to avoid, even if too fast for any ninjutsu technique that required a hand-seal. Orochimaru leaned forward on reflex, lowering his head while spearing the point of the jian forward to impale the old man. The blade passed through the body that faded from existence, and the real body appeared behind him. Surprise flashed on Orochimaru's pale face at the abruptness.
Sarutobi used the staff like a spear, with his front hand as a guide and his rear hand sending it forward to pierce the heart of his foe. Intent to kill was behind the strike, every sense screaming that it would be a fatal blow. A lesser man would be frozen in fear, and have his heart torn from his chest in the wake of such murderous intent.
But not Orochimaru. He twisted his body, avoiding the stabbing motion to bring his own blade around. It met the neck of the aged shinobi and passed clean through. Instead of a spray of blood, the head and body faded from existence with no resistance—a second clone taking the place of the real one, whose presence Orochimaru felt behind him.
Time slowed for the two as Orochimaru turned his head. Still in the midst of his previous dodge and strike, he was vulnerable. The expression that froze on his face made that much clear as he met the merciless eyes of his former mentor.
It was a simple technique at its core, born of two of the basics techniques that would become the Academy Three. Using chakra to hyper-vitalize the body and strengthen the muscles, one would cross the distance between oneself and their opponent in a flash of a second. Yang chakra was better suited for his old body, giving it the spring he had in his youth, so the speed didn't tear him apart.
However, any trained opponent would react to the straightforward attack by countering, cutting down the easy-to-read strike. That was when the standard Clone technique came into play. Layering oneself in yin chakra before another explosion of yang to Body Flicker again, it would create an afterimage of the first attack while moving behind them for the second strike. The key was the timing and synchronizing of both techniques.
Striking from behind, the enemy would be felled unless they were of the highest caliber, possessed instinct akin to a sixth sense, or a Bloodline Limit capable of avoiding it. Orochimaru was certainly the former. So he twisted his body to avoid, seeking to land a killing stroke with as much strength as he could, thus killing the elderly Hokage.
It would cut through a second Clone, another layer of yin chakra in his image projected at the moment the killing intent was palpable in the midst of the strike. Completely devoted to ensuring one's survival by avoiding death, and seeking to capitalize on the seemingly fatal blow, they would unleash one of their own. It created a true opening for a split-second as the real attack came from the resulting blind-spot.
That split-second was long enough for a veteran shinobi to capitalize on. With a body strengthened to its peak, the agility of a monkey, and a staff as hard as diamond, the killing stroke was made as he swung with everything he had through his enemy's abdomen to tear them in two—such was the Monkey King's Dance.
The blow went through, and Orochimaru was torn in half from the sheer force behind the swing. But he wasn't dead. He'd modified his body too much to die so easily. Without warning, snakes emerged from both the bottom and top halves, baring their poisoned fangs towards the aged veteran.
Sarutobi angled the staff downwards and held his breath, focusing on gathering fire chakra into his lungs. Enma kept to his word on handling the retreat, extending on his own accord. The end Sarutobi had braced was sent backwards diagonally to where Jiraiya was, having finished kneading his chakra into oil.
Sarutobi landed and then spat the converted fire chakra in his lungs into the stream of oil that flowed from Jiraiya's lips, right as Orochimaru pulled himself together. Oil and flames mixed into a burning wave of liquid fire. It surged forward and crashed into the violet flames that composed the barrier, engulfing the Snake Sannin in the process. The flames flared bright white and blinded everyone who laid sight upon it.
Then there was silence.