Sealkeeper: He Who Binds
Chapter 103 – "Manda"
"Manda" The name rolled from his lips in a command like the crack of thunder and was answered by a great cloud of smoke.
"Orochimaru!" A deep voice rumbled from beneath Tsukuyomi's feet, cords of muscle shifting under purple scales as the body took its place in the world. "You'd best have my sacrifices or I'll tear the contract apart myself!"
"Calm yourself, Manda." Tsukuyomi's voice was cold and calm, the soft winter wind that sent shivers down your spine. "It was not Orochimaru who called for you."
Manda's diamond head turned to look down at the figure on his back, observing the golden eyes that practically glowed with power and the amulet around his neck that caught the light against the black backdrop of his armor as if the sun itself was burning through the night sky.
"...No..." The disbelief in his voice was unmistakable. "...No, it can't be..." Awe and confusion quickly became full denial and soon after anger. "It's a trick, just a trick. There's no way another High-Priest has been chosen by Aū, I don't believe it! You dare style yourself as the High-Priest of Aū?! Speak, Deceiver!"
"You sound like a child not getting what he wants, Manda." The flat stare levied by those golden eyes was worse than any glare could ever be. "You're a disgrace to the line of Au."
"Silence!" Manda roared. "I will not be spoken down to by the likes of you!"
"The likes of me?" Tsukuyomi's voice had fallen into a dangerous whisper. "I am Tsukuyomi, High-Priest of Aū! To challenge me is to challenge him, do not test our patience, child." When he spoke to his wolves that word was always said warmly, filled with the love he held for them. Now, however, it bit into its recipient like a tongue of cold steel.
For the briefest of seconds a glimmer of fear entered his eyes but it was quickly consumed by the burning fires of his rage."You dare?!"
Golden eyes narrowed behind cracked white porcelain. "I don't have the time nor patience to argue with such a vain, toothless worm." Black chains slipped out from beneath Tsukuyomi's armor, flecked with small specks of gold and possessing a faint, eerie yellow glow. "The Great Elder Koshi gave me his word that his children would answer my call. It seems as though obedience is an entirely different matter. Still," His voice lost its edge but gained instead an airy malevolence that was somehow much worse. "I don't necessarily need your cooperation to make use of you..."
His chains quickly wrapped around the snake in an inky cocoon of black armor, leaving his head mostly uncovered but looping around Manda's upper and lower jaw. The links of solid Chakra snapped away from their creator as they finished locking into place but a looped length of them lifted from their captive to rest against his open palm.
Blue-grey eyes stared at Tsukuyomi in disbelief and tried to speak against the chains that held his mouth in place. What escaped was little more than a muffled, unintelligible roar not fitting for the lowliest of beasts.
"Silence, Manda." Commanded the Daimyo. "Worms have no right to speak to the High-Priest of Aū."
Disbelief turned to horror as the chains pulled his head away from the High-Priest.
"In fact, you have yet to earn the right to gaze upon me."
Tsukuyomi turned his attention to the battle, pockets of heavy conflict between which danced individual combatants. With a firm grasp on the reigns of his Warserpent he directed his chains to turn Manda's body in the direction of his foes and the corded muscle and shifting scales had no choice but to obey.
Sparing a glance to the sky what little light cracked through the clouds seem to intensify ever so slightly. "Are you watching, Serpent of the Sun?" He murmured quietly. "And will you be amused?"
There was no response, but he hadn't expected there would be.
What he did have was the feeling he was being watched and he was fairly certain it wasn't by someone on the battlefield.
"Thanks, Yakushi-sensei." The healed- enough to get back into the fight, anyway- Loyalist managed to force himself into a sitting position, one of his hands feeling the bandages around his stomach that had been leaking blood mere minutes before.
"If you're going to keep trying to get yourself killed I'm going to let you so I can help others, this is the third time you've been here."
"Ha! If you weren't here there probably wouldn't have been a second time!"
Kabuto pushed his glasses back up his nose and gave the man a flat stare. "There shouldn't have been a second time. Stop losing."
"Heh, I'll give it my best."
"That certainly doesn't inspire confidence."
"Hahaha! Geeze, Yakushi-sensei, I think your wounds do more damage than the Rebels!"
"If you get hit again at least make sure it's serving some use- such as a meat-shield for someone more competent."
The Loyalist chuckled as he left the small shop that had been commandeered as a makeshift medical center, the old bell above the door chiming merrily at his passing.
Shaking his head Kabuto turned to his next patient, one he knew damn well was not going to be returning back into the battle. The missing leg was going to see to that quite well.
The Rebels had certainly kept him busy but Kabuto was just glad he hadn't had any Oto Shinobi dragged into his little domain. Not because he didn't want them to be injured, no, he was just hoping that they had been injured enough that he didn't have to waste his time keeping them alive.
Though he supposed that as long as he didn't have to heal them it didn't matter if they were slaughtering the rebels in droves. Though, judging by the number of injured Loyalists he had to get to still they either weren't or were targeting the wrong side.
Actually, on second thought, he really didn't think he could stand the thought- nor the smug grin- of Guren becoming a heroine of Kirigakure.
And on that note, one of the three morons managing that would be even worse.
Best to just hope they were dead.
"Didn't I kill you already?!" Zabuza's swiped his beloved Kubikiribōchō at a Loyalist who just barely managed to jump out of the way.
"Twice!"
"Haha! I've missed Shinobi with some bite to 'em." Seriously, if Mei hadn't been in- and, you know, the leader of- the Rebellion Zabuza definitely would have stayed with Kirigakure. Not only did they have Shinobi worth a damn but he would have had many more targets fighting against the Rebels.
"Hey, Kisame!" Zabuza called out for his...friend? Comrade? Brother in arms? Mentor? Sushimi-sensei? Ooh, he liked that last one. "Does it still count if your opponents keep coming back?"
"What?"
"I've killed this guy-" The Loyalist helpfully interjected "Twice!" "-Twice now already. Should we consider that half points or something?"
"..Yeah, sure." Kisame grunted as he took a Kunai to the side and returned the favor with a backhanded swing of Samehada. "But only because I'm sure I've fought some of these fuckers before too."
A chorus of agreement came from the Kirigakure Loyalists surrounding him.
"Right bunch of masochists, aint cha?"
"Are you complaining, Sushimi-sensei?"
"Hell no!" Kisame roared with laughter. "I'm enjoying this so much I can't even be mad at that name! Shit, if they were all naked, busty woman I'd think I'd died in my sleep and passed on!" Samehada shaved away an arm from one of the Loyalists, the former owner dragged away from the frontlines. "Ha, guess that one won't be back! Say, who do I have to thank for keeping me busy?"
"That would be Yakushi-sensei," One of the Loyalists supplied helpfully as his strike was parried by Samehada. "Tsukuyomi had him brought in. Definitely a good choice."
"I'd say." Zabuza snorted, Kubikiribōchō removing the head of a Loyalist.
"Say, you lot wouldn't know where Tobi is, would you?"
"Tobi?"
"The one in the orange mask."
"Haven't seen her, actually." The Loyalist gave a shrug followed by a swift duck to avoid Kisame's attack. "She's probably further into Kirigakure."
"Heh, thanks." The return swing caught the man across the face with a spray of blood and a meaty crack, most likely of his neck. "Wonder if you'll end up coming back too." Kisame grinned. The man- or perhaps corpse- had brought up a good point though. "Ey, Zabuza?"
"What?"
"Weren't we supposed to be clearing a path?"
"The Konoha Shinobi did that already, Mei's through."
"Yeah, I figured. She's not patient." Between Mei, Zabuza, and himself, well, none of them were well versed in that particular virtue. "But doesn't that mean the fun opponents are that way too?"
Zabuza paused halfway through a swing, his blade catching in the pelvis of some poor bastard he'd probably end up having to cut down again later.
"...Yeah. It would make sense."
"Then why are we still here?"
"You need a reason for senseless slaughter?"
"Well, no." A blue hand grabbed the face of a Loyalist and threw him over his comrades. "But it is getting kind of boring fighting the same people over and over." Not, exactly, the same people. Enough of them were being put down permanently that new opponents were able to take their own shots but they both noticed those faces that kept popping up. "I wouldn't mind a bit of variety to spice things up."
"So you want to head out?"
"...Maybe after a few more rounds."
Gouts of magma spilled over dragons of coral onto to become twisting walls of stone as waves of ocean water washed over it to sap away all heat. Mists of corrosive acid snaked through the openings to slowly wear away the stone only to be denied their victory as another coral dragon smashed through on its way to its target.
Mei coated this dragon as she had the last, lava dripping from painted lips, and the cycle continued yet again. What should have been an incredible battle between the leaders of two ideals had instead been reduced into this tedious dance of a stalemate because for as much as Yagura wanted to be rid of the rebels so he could return to his work he couldn't be bothered to put himself into the fight.
It was one of the reasons the rebels had managed to survive and drag out this war for so long and the only reason Mei was alive at the moment. Even without the Sanbi he was the most powerful Shinobi in Kirigakure which is why he had been made Mizukage.
That and his incredible organizational skills, of course.
But what Yagura held in skill he lacked in passion and this fight with Mei seemed more a chore to him than anything else. Why couldn't she just spare them both the trouble and give up? Fleeing Mizu no Kuni or committing suicide would have spared them both the trouble but if she was still intent of remaining in Kirigakure he could have a nice cell arranged for her surrender.
With a wave of his hand a wall of water shot up to intercept a blast of flame and he shot the source of it a glare through the steam. There was also the matter of her little friends.
Kirigakure ANBU used to be one of the most feared groups in the world, filled with Shinobi as skilled, dedicated, and professional as they were bloodthirsty and ruthless. It had been glorious.
Alas, years of fighting nothing but Rebels had caused their edge to dull and their skills to rust. It hadn't been anything significant but against one of Konohagakure's top ANBU squads it had been enough to cause their ruin.
They were going to be a pain to replace after the rebellion was finally crushed.
Or burned themselves out.
Honestly he liked the thought of the latter far more. The image of them slowly dying in one of their caves while the more civilized Shinobi of untainted blood enjoyed the comforts of society helped put him to sleep each night.
Nevermind the fact that most of the rebels didn't have bloodlines- he had done a very good job before they had the chance to slip away- the fact that they'd rather live like beasts alongside them was more than enough to condemn them to the same fate. Kirigakure, for all its bloodlust, was still a civilized place. Their violence was was guided by laws and procedure..mostly.
Nowhere was perfect but they certainly weren't savages.
Unlike the rebels.
Admittedly, for a savage Mei really did possess an excellent sense of style. That dress of hers was exquisite. He probably would have suggested a more seafoam green, maybe accented with a nice creme color, but the blue did pop pretty well against her hair and eyes.
And he supposed the Rebels didn't exactly have a surplus of resources at their disposal.
Dresses, he would assume, were not very high priority.
He made a note to figure out who her seamstress or tailor was after this though, it would be a shame to let them go to waste.
Another ball of fire reminded him of his previous train of thought and he spared the Konoha ANBU a glance as his crashing waves smothered the flames. The ANBU didn't have long to watch his attack fail as he defended himself from his own assailant.
The Wolves, as it so happened, were useful for something. He tried not to dwell on the fact that they were the ones here acting to protect him while his own forces were making absolutely no progress wiping out the rebels. They were, however, doing an admirable job of holding back Hoshigaki Kisame- he was kind of hard to miss, even from this distance- and Momochi Zabuza- that blade was very distinctive- which was no small feat.
There was something off about the Wolves aiding him, though. For being- or at least he assumed they were- the highest ranking among them they seemed incapable of finishing off their opponents. In fact, for the most part they seemed to be playing with the Rebels and their allies instead of actually taking things seriously.
How terribly unprofessional.
Almost lazily he spun his staff into a shield of water to halt another series of small magma globs from reaching him.
"I don't know why I bothered thinking this would be a fight." Yagura's expression didn't change in the slightest and his comment seemed full of blunt honesty more than any sort of taunting. "Don't you know I have paperwork that needs doing? How inconsiderate."
A wave of growing coral surged vaguely towards his opponent followed closely by another water dragon that didn't come anywhere near Mei.
Why couldn't people just be as reasonable as he was?
Lazy anarchists, the lot of them.
"So, I see Purplesky is doing well." Kakashi leaned to the side to avoid one of her Shiruken as his Tanto blocked one of Blackrock's longer than normal Kunai. "That's good."
Souji swiped out with his second blade only for Kakashi to duck beneath it. "I'm sure she appreciates the concern."
"Does she?" The son of the White Fang launched himself towards Souji, his open palm coming up towards his mask. "How sweet of her."
Blackrock immediately dropped his attack, backpedaling to avoid Kakashi's crouched lunge. ANBU masks were designed to hide identities, intimidate opponents, and reduce embarrassing injuries from carelessness.
It was not intended to stop Hatake Kakashi from painfully shattering it into your face, something the bastard knew all too well.
"Isn't it?" Souji managed to grunt out as Kakashi's left-handed palmthrust instead became a spin that brought his Tanto up in a diagonal strike. To his credit Blackrock managed to block it, if barely, but now with both hands occupied and Kakashi again within grabbing distance he quickly found a hand around his throat.
"You know what I would have appreciated, Souji?" Kakashi didn't give him a chance to answer. "If you had done the smart thing and dragged your team out of here like I told you to." Kakashi turned to the left, pulling Souji to his back and flipping him over his shoulder. Before he could press his advantage against his downed opponent Kakashi was forced to block a volley of sharp metal thrown by Purplesky that gave Blackrock just enough time to kip back up to his feet winded but able.
"Well, I thought about it but the idea of going back to Hokage-sama having failed our mission wasn't an attractive prospect." Souji shrugged. "Plus, have you seen the leader of the Rebellion? How could you not want to spend more time around a woman like that?"
Kakashi turned to look at Mei himself, deftly blocking an attack to his side without ever removing his attention from her. "Yeah, I see what you mean." He cocked his head over his shoulder to meet Souji's eyes. "But I wouldn't say shes' worth dying over."
Blackrock only just managed to see the reflection of pink in Kakashi's visible eye before he was struck from the side by a massive crystal dragon.
"You're not the only one with allies around here, Souji." Kakashi admonished him. "You need to pay better attention." He turned to give Guren a small wave. "Thanks, that was a nice shot."
"Nice?! I fucking missed my target you asshole!"
Kakashi gave her a flat look. "...And if you hadn't said that I would have never known. Might have even bought you a drink."
Her cheeks changed colors to match her crystals. "Shut up and finish them off so you can return the favor and help me."
"I thought you missed."
"It still helped you, didn't it?"
"Fair." Kakashi shrugged. "I suppose I can lend a hand when I'm done."
"Quickly, if you could." She requested. "This one's too damn slippery."
"Yeah, that's Taru for you. He was the same way when it came time for cleaning duties."
"Che, whatever, just hurry up and..." Her cheeks ceased to match her crystal, deepening into a vibrant red. "Please don't tell Tsukuyomi-sama."
"What, that you missed?"
"I didn't miss."
"That you hit the wrong target?"
"Y-yeah, that. We'll just say I was lendign you a hand, yeah? You believed it."
"It's technically correct, I guess, sure." Guren gave a relieved sigh just a bit too early. "But you owe me for this."
Guren narrowed her eye at him. "I swear to the gods, if you try getting sexual favors or something from this I will hide behind Tsukuyomi-sama without hesitation or shame. He'll protect me from you."
Kakashi starred at her for a moment in silence before his head cocked to the side both in question and to avoid one of Purplesky's last Kunai. "I have to know, does Orochimaru just attract women like you and Anko to him or does he somehow condition you all to be so damn similar?"
"It's not 'similar', you're looking for 'perfect'."
"Clones, then." Kakashi concluded with a bob of his head. "I guess that makes sense."
He narrowly avoided the pink dragon that flew past him and sent Purplesky darting for cover from her perch on a nearby roof. She hadn't been fully recovered from her run in with the Wolves but if that hit her it wouldn't be a problem anymore. Kakashi was pretty sure she had managed to avoid it. Most of it, at least.
"...That was aimed at me, wasn't it?"
"Shut up." Her red cheeks glowed with a vengeance. "And don't you dare tell Tsukuyomi-sama."
"That's two favors, but I don't know why you're so worried. He finds it absolutely adorable when his girls get embarrassed."
He knew for a fact that the dragon that roared towards him after that comment had been aimed for him.
Fortunately it had also missed its intended target.
It did make him wonder who it had managed to hit, though.
"Oh, come on. Don't you want to play with me?" Anko asked sweetly.
"Fuck no I don't, what kind of idiot do I look like?" Redwater dodged another one of Anko's summoned snakes, aware that they were probably venomous enough to put him down with one bite. One might argue that they were more dangerous than Anko but there was only one thing more dangerous than Anko- Anko in a playful mood.
"Well, you didn't take the opportunity to run when you and your team had the chance." She pointed out helpfully.
He opened his mouth to object before stopping himself. "You know, that's actually a fair point. I'm not going to pretend I don't regret staying but I was really hoping one of the others would have to fight you instead."
"Oh," Anko cooed. "You say the sweetest things."
"Does that mean you'll go easier on me now?" The laugh he received in response was not comforting but it had been worth a try.
"That's adorable, I'm almost sad that I have to kill you now." She grinned. "Well, not really. Tsukuyomi-sama is sure to reward me." A hungry look entered her eyes and Redwater almost couldn't believe it.
"Gods above, is the Mitarashi Anko actually I na relationship with someone?" He couldn't see the way she pouted behind her half-mask but he had no trouble seeing the way she crossed her arms over her chest and cocked a hip to the side.
"Is it really so surprising?" She asked dangerously.
"No, no." Redwater began, shaking his head, but quickly stopped himself. "Actually, yeah, it is kind of surprising someone managed to catch your attention."
"Aw, you are just the sweetest thing, aren't you?" her beaming smile was seen easily enough in her eyes despite being hidden. "Tsukuyomi-sama is quite the catch, even as a lover."
Okay, that did make a bit more sense. The idea of Anko in a traditional relationship just seemed...wrong. She simply wasn't the traditional type. It was strange that she almost seemed as if she would want to consider herself more than just his lover. For the sake of his own sanity Redwater wisely decided not to question it.
"So, any other sweet things you want to try on me or can I get back to killing you now?"
"I'd really rather you didn't..."
"Ha! You can't think you can get me all worked up with such sweet words and not expect me to spill your...Manda?" She trailed off as her attention was caught by the sight of the large purple serpent almost completely covered in a thick layer of black chains. "What the fuck?" She took a few steps closer- not that it helped much- and squinted as if it would somehow grant her the vision of a hawk.
She did not need amazing vision, however, to be able to make out the stream of red trailing behind a figure on Manda's back. "Tsuku...yomi?" She grinned widely behind her half-mask. "Oh gods, only you would have the gall to use Manda like that..." Anko rubbed her thighs together in an effort to alleviate some of the growing warmth but it didn't help. She needed something to play with.
Now.
She spun back to Redwater only to find him long gone and let out a string of curses that would have Tayuya blushing like an innocent schoolgirl.
Manda crashed into the main body of the Rebel forces, his massive body thrashing about clumsily and his mouth pulled open by black chains. Far less deaths than he would have liked resulted from it but Tsukuyomi was still pleased that he was able to utilize Manda in such a fashion.
It was no surprise that he immediately caught the attention of everyone on the battlefield, Rebels staring at him in horror while Wolves and Loyalists released great cheers at having such a fearsome beast fighting for them.
"Tsukuyomi, Tsukuyomi!" The chant started quietly but quickly built up into a roar. Standing easily on the serpents' back- makeshift reigns in hand- Tsukuyomi looked down to the Wolves while the rebels scrambled to avoid the thrashing body of the head of the Snake Clan.
"Come, children." He chided them. "This is no time to play with your food.." Chains drove Manda to snap at one of the fleeing rebels, devouring him whole. "I want to be home by morning".
"Tsukuyomi!" Wolf and Loyalist alike screamed his name and charged forward with renewed vigor, taking advantage of the Rebel's currently exposed flank.
Not all of them charged, however, as two pockets of them remained surrounding a pair of swordsmen near the broken wall. With a thought Manda was pulled in that direction to coil around the fighters and allow Tsukuyomi a better look.
"And what have we here?" He asked. "Can the lot of you not take on a pair of aging swordsmen?" The Loyalists shied away from his gaze while the swordsmen in question looked up to notice him for the first time.
"Oh." Kisame blinked up at the giant snake and its rider before turning to Zabuza. "Is that what all the yelling was about?"
Zabuza just offered a shrug and cut down another loyalist. His second swing was halted as a black chain entered the hole of his blade and held fast against his every effort to continue.
"It's rather rude for you to attack them when I'm trying to speak with them."
"I wasn't aware wolves cared about being polite."
"We don't." His chains drove the Kubikiribōchō deep into the soft earth. "But I expect to be shown the proper respect."
"Ha! Don't you know who we are, kid?" Zabuza shook his head. "We're two of the original Seven Swordsmen! Its' going to take a lot more than riding a giant snake to earn our respect."
"It's as good start, though." Kisame added. "Quite the striking image."
"I am no child, Momochi Zabuza." Golden eyes narrowed from behind his mask. "I am the Father of Wolves, Tsukuyomi."
"Huh, so he does know who we are." Grinned Kisame. "But he's still damn short for a god. Hey, you think he descended from his heavenly throne to help Yagura because he sympathized with being...vertically challenged?"
An amused snort escaped Zabuza's bandages. "Maybe, Kisame. Maybe."
"It seems as though you don't know to take me seriously." Tsukuyomi dropped the reigns of Manda and leapt down from his back as his chains sent him barreling in a random direction to spread chaos and destruction. "That can be rectified."
The golden Chakra that flooded his system began to surge through his Tenketsu and a sickly yellow color stretched around him molding to bone and armor alike until it appeared as little more than an unnatural reflection of the light.
Even so, the two Swordsmen could still feel the change in the air and shared a look. They had missed something- something big.
But they weren't two of the Seven Swordsmen for nothing.
"Oh yeah! That's what I'm talking about!" Cheered Kisame. "Someone worth fighting!"
"Heh, I can practically feel the inhuman bloodlust leaking off of you, kid. You probably would have made a good member of the Swordsmen." Kubikiribōchō was ripped from the ground while Tsukuyomi was otherwise occupied. "It's a damn shame I'm going to have to use you as a messenger boy for my buddies in hell."
"Che, fools." They were sure they heard the word but it was hard to tell if it had come from Tsukuyomi's mouth or had been the hiss of the deadly Chakra surrounding him instantly evaporating the water in the air around him. For the briefest of seconds the yellow sheen almost seemed to flicker as tongues of flame wreathing his body. "I am Tsukuyomi, Daimyo of Nami no Kuni and High-Priest of Au."
"Au?" Kisame didn't have a chance to receive his answer as the black chain flashed gold and Kubikiribōchō was ripped from Zabuza's grasp to come swinging back down at him. Samehada caught the blade against her scales without too much difficulty but things simply couldn't be so easy. The golden Chakra from the chain spread to Kubikiribōchō causing the metal to groan ominously and Samehada to release a pained whine as it began biting through her scales. "Shit, shit, shit!"
Kisame swung Samehada with all his might, sending Kubikiribōchō flying away but with the chain wrapped firmly around both blade and handle it only bought him a few precious seconds- seconds he wasted trying to attack Tsukuyomi directly.
With the strength of a Biju flowing freely through him it was child's play for Tsukuyomi to catch Samehada in his hand. At first Kisame gave a grin, eager to see the kid before him start panicking as his Chakra abandoned him but after his few seconds were up Tsukuyomi showed no sign of having been drained at all.
Kubikiribōchō returned, nearly slicing through Kisame, and continued to cut down two rebels before coming to rest by the young Daimyo's hand. Meeting Zabuza's eyes he wrapped his fingers around its handle and gave it a few swings to get a proper feel for it. It was a nice blade, if almost unwieldy die to its sheer weight.
Dropping it again it remained in the air near his hand, held aloft by his glowing chains.
A sharp, stabbing pain shot through his arm followed by a burning sensation that made him feel as though his muscles were melting beneath his skin.
Karura's Chakra was beginning to take its toll already.
He needed to wrap this up, but that meant he needed to take out a very specific target.
Hurling Kubikiribōchō at Zabuza as one might throw a Kunai, Kirigakure's Demon only narrowly avoided being ran through with his own blade.
"Had I more time I would show you exactly what I was capable of, but neither of you are the prize I seek today."
"Heh, almost sounds like you're trying to run off from our fight when it was just getting fun." Kisame gave Samehada a twirl. "We can't be having that now, can we Zabuza?"
"No," The only real indication of the man's rage was his gravely voice and the ocean of bloodlust spilling from him. "We can't."
"Very well." His chains vanished in wisps of black smoke and he turned his attention inwards. 'Karura, I'm going to need the full tail.'
'My lord...'
'I'll be finished soon, Karura. I promise.'
His answer was in the form of another surge of corrosive energy pulsing through his body, the sheen of yellow over his armor brightening into a vibrant gold that hid it from view entirely. Wisps of Chakra flickered along his shoulders like tongues of flame and his red hair raised slightly, almost floating in the sheer pressure of Chakra leaking from his body.
"Damn," Zabuza whistled. "That's a lot of Chak-" His eyes widened significantly. "...Wait...I've felt this before..."
"Oh? What has little Zabuza-chan been doing while I was away that brought him into conflict with a Biju?" Kisame looked a little nervous but mostly hungry. He sure as hell didn't remember anyone like this being mentioned when they were talking about the Jinchuriki they were being assigned.
It was almost like a surprise entree, he just wasn't completely sure if it was going to be appetizing or if he'd be feeling it the next day.
"Biju?" Zabuza spared Kisame a glance for only a second, loathe to take his attention away from what was quickly becoming a serious threat. "So we have a Jinchuriki on our hands?"
"...It looks like it." Kisame knew it was possible for Pseudo-Jinchuriki to be created by sealing residual Chakra into people- Pein has explained that it might be the best way to obtain the Kyuubi but he was still looking into how much of the Biju was needed for the plans he still hadn't shared with them- but they typically had less control. This Tsukuyomi seemed to have complete, effortless control.
Briefly Kisame wondered if Biju could take on human forms and this was one of those they didn't have much information on.
But last he checked the Nibi was supposed to be blue and that was the only Biju to favor fire that wasn't accounted for.
He also didn't recall any snake Biju either.
Or wolf, for that matter.
"Zabuza-sama, Zabuza-sama!" Haku dropped down from the wall to land next to her master. "I felt the Chakra, are you alright?"
"We're fine, Haku. Thank you."
"You took your girl to fight a Biju before too?" Kisame grinned. "Maybe you're not as bad a parent as I thought."
Haku gave him a glare intense enough that Kisame's grin vanished. He really hoped she didn't teach that to Mei, the older Kunoichi had nothing on the Hyōton user.
"Zabuza-sama and I ran into Konoha's Jinchuriki back in Wave before the Wolves-" She turned her glare over to Tsukuyomi. "Took it over."
"Oh, she kick your ass, did she?" Kisame's grin was back. Much like him, it couldn't be kept down for long.
"And I'd gladly let Naruko-chan kick it again if it provided more chances to steal kisses from her."
"Ha! I take it all back, Zabuza, you're an amazing parent. I don't know how the hell she turned out so well with you as her father."
"I'm just that good."
Their banter was interrupted when Tsukuyomi raised a finger at the last of the Yuki clan. "You've been kissing Naruko?" He asked. "Uzumaki Naruko?"
"I have, jealous?"
An amused snort escaped him. "Of you? No." He shook his head, the faintest of grins hidden behind his mask. "Of my sister? Well, she could have worse prospects interested in her."
It started as almost a giggle, then an chuckle, and finally full-blown laughter from Kisame. "Y-you've been kissing the sister of Tsukuyomi?! That's going to be a hell of a family reunion!"
"Y-you're her brother?" On one hand that might explain the "family issues" Naruko briefly mentioned back in wave, on the other Kisame was partially right. It would be beyond strange to have ties of any sorts to such a man.
"Once." His head cocked to the side slightly in thought. "But in memory of that- run."
"What?"
"Run." Tsukuyomi repeated. "I offer this only because you know her, you will not be given the opportunity again."
"You probably should get out of here, Haku. This Jinchuriki doesn't seem all that partial to you."
"We should get out of here." She corrected.
"What?" This time he fully turned from Tsukuyomi to give his daughter a questioning gaze.
"You're not getting into a fight with the person who could be my brother in law in the future." She placed her fists against her hips. "That's probably one of your future in-laws."
"Hey, hey, hey! You go after whomever you like but don't be dragging me into it too!"
"You know, she does have a point." Kisame scratched his chin. "It's probably not the best way to make a good first impression on your daughter's future family."
"...You just want him all to yourself."
"Heh, you know me too-"
Before Kisame could finish answering Tsukuyomi was in his face, a Biju-empowered fist shattering ribs as traces of the corrosive Chakra began eating away at his blue skin. "If that's what you want," His left hand grabbed Kisame by the neck and tossed him into a section of wall yet untouched by the fight. "I suppose I can oblige."
"Zabuza!"
Tsukuyomi spun out of the way but not quickly enough, Kubikiribōchō catching him solidly in his side with enough force to sheer through his armor and temporarily push back his golden cloak of Chakra. The Demon of the Mist gave a smug grin that quickly vanished when he realized his sword had become too lodged in his opponent to retrieve.
A mighty pull moved it mere centimeters as it ground against armor and bone, streams of blood pouring from the wound.
Behind his mask Tsukuyomi grit his teeth and narrowed his eyes, a snarl escaping his throat. Even as his cloak returned to settle over the area he reached down and grasped the blade firmly in his hand. Zabuza only realized his intentions moments before they became reality.
With a horrible screech and the tinkering of metal the blade around his grasp shattered like glass. Zabuza pulled the lower half away, further tearing open the wound at Tsukuyomi's side, and the other half soon dropped to the floor.
Reaching behind him Tsukuyomi slowly drew Mōryō's Tooth which seemed to almost hum as Karura's Chakra enveloped it. Steam rose from his wound, the external damage being crudely cauterized, and the glow of his eyes increased to the point that excess Chakra was escaping from his mask in trails of gold.
'Beloved, please!'
Bones cracked under the pressure of the Chakra contained within his mortal body, muscle tearing and organs struggling to maintain their performance.
'I need you to bear with me just a bit longer, Karura. I have many goals here in Kirigakure, but there is only one I must achieve before we leave.'
'Then go for it, please. Do not waste your time against someone who doesn't matter.'
'I'm afraid he's not going to give us much of a choice, dear. I'll have him dealt with quickly.'
He didn't need to look into the seal to see her worried face. 'Everything in my power, beloved, but you only have a minute more.'
His golden eyes widened behind his mask, unaware that he was so close to the limit. Cursing internally he focused his attention on Zabuza and tightened his grip upon Mōryō's Tooth.
"You actually managed to break my blade, kid. That's pretty impre-" He choked on his words as the full might of a Biju's bloodlust poured from his opponent. He didn't have time to blink before Tsukuyomi was before him, his wicked black blade descending in a diagonal slash.
The surviving half of Kubikiribōchō was brought up in time to meet it only for the smaller blade to bite halfway through it with ease. Zabuza himself struggled with all his might to keep both blades from being pushed into him but it was a loosing battle and he found himself being pushed backwards through the mud by the sheer force of Tsukuyomi's demonic strike.
Without warning Tsukuyomi stopped his forward assault and drew back his blade, ripping Kubikiribōchō from Zabuza's grasp. Sparing it only a glance he swung his blade again not to cause damage but to dislodge the legendary blade and send it flying into the chaos of the battlefield.
Even backpedaling as he was, Zabuza was unable to avoid the two strikes that sliced deeply into his flesh and was only spared when Tsukuyomi relinquished his own blade to a golden chain from his back. His relief was not to last long.
With a deep, primal scream Tsukuyomi resumed his assault, each strike of his fists cracking bone and burning flesh. It was not the scream of a warrior or the howl of a wolf but the roar of a furious god.
And in that same moment, between the pain, Zabuza came to understand the being that called itself Tsukuyomi.
Hadn't he been the one to admonish the others for underestimating him in the first place? There was a reason the Wolves followed him. There was a reason they thought he was a god.
And even if he wasn't, he was still more than Zabuza could handle. Especially without Kubikiribōchō.
As fearsome an opponent Zabuza was to many, he was still only a low A-rank Shinobi. Low A-ranks didn't go after Biju, they left that for the S-ranks.
Where the hell was Kisame when you needed him?
Kisame groaned as rubble from the crushed wall rolled off him and the dust of his impact settled. For such a small person he sure as hell packed some strength, his back was going to have quite the bruise in the morning.
Reaching up to his neck Kisame rubbed it gingerly, pulling his fingers away in surprise when their tips started burning. Blinking in surprise he watched as the first layer of blue skin was eaten away by corrosive Chakra. If that was just from toughing the remnants, Kisame thought, he probably didn't want to see what his neck looked like right now.
Samehada- still grasped tightly- gave her own little groan from beside him, unappreciative of their recent trip. Giving a warble she crawled over him, resting across stomach and chest to absorb the residual Chakra of Tsukuyomi's attacks.
"Heh, thanks girl." He chuckled. "I suppose you've eaten good today but I don't think I'm a fan of these spicy dishes. I like my skin right where it is, thank you."
"In that case I'd recommend being a good boy and staying down, Senpai."
Kisame's grin widened even before he finished raising his head to see his Kohai standing over him, fists on her hips and a spinning Sharingan peering out of her mask.
"Tobi-chan!" The shark greeted her merrily. "They said you were here but I almost couldn't believe the coincidence."
Her Sharingan faded into a plain black eye that narrowed at the prone man while she cocked a hip to the side. "Was Kisame-Senpai following poor Tobi-chan? That's very naughty, Senpai. Tobi is a good girl."
"Good doesn't mean innocent, does it Tobi-chan? Killing Itachi and having Tsukuyomi as a son, there was a reason you were a part of Akatsuki."
"Oh, Tobi-chan's going to blush, Kisame-senpai says the sweetest things." She pressed her hands to her mask and wiggled her hips from side to side in mock embarrassment.
"...Even knowing it's an act, that's just too damn adorable." Kisame grinned. "I'd ask to be shown what Itachi saw but I don't fancy ending up like the bastard."
"Little shit got what he deserved." Tobi spat in a very unTobi-like way. "I've wanted to slit his throat since he slaughtered the clan."
"Yeah, I saw your eye. Related, then?" He gave a chuckle. "That makes his attraction to you even better. Oh, I can't wait to make fun of him in hell."
"If you think you're going to be attacking Tsukuyomi-kun again you'll have the chance to make fun of him about it real soon." All playfulness had dropped from her voice, filled with a cold serious that Kisame was pretty sure shouldn't be as arousing as he was finding it.
Gods he loved dangerous women.
"Protective, yeah? They say he's your son."
"He is." She nodded. "And you wont lay a hand on him."
"On him? Ha!" Kisame jabbed a finger to his throat, suppressing the wince and ignoring the stabbing pain it sent through him. "I can't see it but I know it must look bad. I might need you to protect me from him!"
"...That could be arranged."
"Eh?!"
"But if you try anything, I'll gut you like the fish you are." Her voice instantly sweetened. "Okay, Kisame-senpai?"
What the hell had he gotten himself into this time?
Reaching down she grabbed hold of his foot and began dragging him from the wall and down the street. He just barely managed to get a firm grip on Samehada before the legendary blade was left behind to finish her after-meal nap.
"Hey, hey! I never agreed to anything. Hey! Tobi-chan! Tobiiiiii!"
Kabuto watched blankly as pieces of wood dropped from the roof to collapse upon the ruble that had been- mere moment before- the wall of his makeshift infirmary. Three wounded Loyalists gave pained moans, briefly catching his attention, but the fact that his wall was just smashed into by Manda wrapped in black chains was significantly more important.
Walking to the edge of the former wall he leaned out to peer down the path of destruction the head of the Snake Clan had wrought. Behind his glasses Kabuto's eyes narrowed in suspicion, watching intently as Manda's body make jerky, painful movements that weren't quite right for a snake.
With as much time as he had spent around Orochimaru, Kabuto was quite familiar with that particular animal- something was wrong. Before he could figure it out for himself he was lent a helping hand, the black chains around the massive snake dissolving into wisps of black Chakra. As soon as he was free of them Manda vanished back to the summoning realm leaving only a great cloud of smoke in his wake.
Well, that and a large path of destruction through Kirigakure.
Turning back to his patients- he probably should move them, but he really didn't care. His orders were to aid Tsukuyomi and the Wolves, not Loyalists. Everything he'd done so far was more to stave off boredom than anything else.- he faltered in his steps as an unearthly roar sounded through the air, the scream of a wrathful god expressing his rage.
Perhaps he really should move them, just so he had an excuse to relocate himself. Whatever the hell that had been, he wanted absolutely nothing to do with it right now. He hoped the feeling was mutual.
Movement from the corner of his eye caught his attention, a group of Wolves making their way through the rubble further into the village of Kirigakure. One of them spotted him, their mask snapping to stare straight at him, and after a moment- which he assumed included words between them but he couldn't be sure without being able to see their lips- the entire group started to head his way.
It only took a minute- and Kabuto made sure to grab whatever supplies he could strip from the Loyalists in his "care" just in case- and when they did they just stood at the edge of the once-wall staring at him.
Feeling the smallest parts brave and more than a little sarcastic Kabuto gave an inviting wave of his hand. "Come in, come in. Make yourselves at home."
He had not actually expected them to do it. Get irritated, perhaps, but evidently his humor had gone right past them. He would make note of that for future interactions. Seven Wolves leapt into the building, poking around and- most amusingly for Kabuto- searching the downed Loyalists for any extra supplies.
Perhaps the Wolves really were a good choice of allies for Oto Shinobi. It would figure, their leaders were similar enough and that was a thought that regularly kept him up at night.
One was bad enough, there were two of them.
He was also pretty sure- he knew, damnit. He had worked too long with Orochimaru to not know how they thought or what they would do- the two had slept with eachother. You know, during the period that she was a she. The idea that those two might actually manage to reproduce was bad, but with each other?
Kabuto didn't ;sleep a wink for a solid week.
But the horrors of Orochimaru-offspring aside, he was being a terrible host for his new- unwanted- guests.
"Was there something you needed?"
The Wolves shared a look before one of them- Kabuto assumed they were in charge- pointed to the Loyalists on the floor. Two of the Wolves nodded and walked over to them, drawing Kunai with practiced ease. The Otogakure spy watched blankly as his patients were executed one after another.
Raising a brow he turned to the lead Wolf. "Really?" He asked. "Was it really necessary to kill my patients? My job was to keep them alive."
"Your job is to keep us alive." The Wolf corrected and Kabuto answered with a shrug. He wasn't wrong.
"Alright, who's injured?"
One of the Wolves gestured to the line of corpses on the shop floor and Kabuto gave him a flat stare. The shrug he received in response was more irritating than the fact that his patients had just been killed in front of him.
"No one, not yet. But we have work to do deeper in Kirigakure so you're coming with us just in case. These," He gave one of the corpses a kick. "Would have just slowed us down. We need to move fast." His head shot up to stare at one of the others. "Don't even think about it, I've had enough of your damn puns to last me a lifetime and then some."
"But-"
"No."
The wolf hung his head, his comrades patting his back in condolences.
"Come on, we have work to do. We cant' disappoint Tsukuyomi-sama." That was enough for the rest of the Wolves to jump into action, tearing through the few rooms of the shop for anything of use before taking up positions near the door, ready to go.
"What exactly are we doing?" Kabuto asked.
"You'll see."
The Medic-nin found that less than helpful. Or reassuring.
Why couldn't he just go back to Konohagakure?
There was something eerily familiar about this situation and Haku was fascinated to witness it from the outside.
Fascinated and horrified.
Just as Naruko had done to her, her brother's overwhelming force slammed into Zabuza again and again. She had a terrible feeling that this fight wasn't going to end with Zabuza stealing a kiss from the God of the Wolves.
'Run.' His words echoed in her head, a sharp contrast to the animalistic roar that escaped him as he attempted to end the legendary swordsman with his bare hands.
It wasn't a bad idea, really, and it sounded far less arrogant as she watched him dominate the A-ranked swordsman. Right now, accessing whatever power Naruko-chan had, she had a sneaking suspicion that he may be encroaching S-ranked levels. There was a reason S-ranks were often thought of as monsters, that power simply wasn't human.
'...neither of your are the prize I seek today.'
Maybe, just maybe, they could run.
Determined to at least try Haku turned the moisture in the air into a pair of mirrors and vanished. While her technique was mostly based upon her own speed the mirrors gave it a rather large boost and had the added benefit of providing cover.
Remembering how easily Naruko had shattered them, however, Haku wasn't counting on them lasting long against her brother.
Her arms slipping out of the second mirror she wrapped them around Zabuza and pulled him out of Tsukuyomi's reach. A third mirror formed further away, followed by another and another.
Haku didn't look back.
He spared only a second as the young woman interested in his sister grabbed his opponent and ran, just long enough to determine whether they were really fleeing or if she had just been trying to get him out of immediate danger so he might have a chance to retaliate.
Certain they were gone, he quickly did the same in the opposite direction. He didn't have much more time.
"T-thanks, Haku." Zabuza leaned against a knotted tree, gasping for breath and trying his damnedest not to let out a long groan of pain. Gods above, everything hurt. "We probably don't have much time before he comes after us, we need to find Kubikiribōchō."
"Because it helped you so much against him earlier." Haku gave him a flat, cold stare that had him flinching.
"I did better than without it." He defended himself earning a shake of her head.
"It doesn't matter. I'll grab it for you but you won't need it."
"I doubt that-" The temperature of her gaze dropped even further and he stopped talking.
"You weren't the target, he'll leave us alone."
Zabuza's eyes widened. "Mei!"
He pushed himself away from the tree only to find two icy needles lodged into his throat. Bonelessly he slumped against the tree and soft hands guided him down into a sitting position as the darkness crept into the edge of his vision.
"She'll be fine." Haku assured him. "She's much stronger than you, even if you think protecting her is your job. You, on the other hand, are not fine. I'll wake you when this is all over."
"Gods...damnit...Haku..."
"Sleep well, Zabuza-sama."
As the darkness overcame him he wondered if he had trained her too well.
And if this was her rebellious phase.
What a combination.
Mei spun out of the way of yet another coral dragon, wary of the green glow they had obtained as soon as Yagura had decided he was tired of waiting for her to die. For as much as he seemed to hate bloodlines he certainly didn't think twice about relying on the demonic entity of Chakra sealed within him.
Bloody hypocrite.
Almost as if in response to her comment a half-dozen dragons of water crashed towards her, slamming into a hastily erected wall of magma and tearing through the new rock almost as soon as it had formed.
As much as she hated to admit it, she wasn't going to be able to defeat him on her own and it didn't look like she was going to have any support anytime soon. She supposed she had the damn Wolves to thank for that because Yagura shouldn't have had anyone able to hold up her comrades this long. Ao, Kisame, Zabuza, Chojiro, the four Konoha ANBU, all of them should have been able to take some loyalists without issue. For them to not be here helping her take down the monster responsible for this decades-long war didn't bode well for any of them.
Or the rebellion.
She knew that at any moment Tsukuyomi and his Wolves could arrive to aid Yagura's troops- hell, for all she knew they already had- and that meant they wouldn't have any advantage at all. In fact, they'd be so disadvantaged at that point that they would be better off simply surrendering the country to the two tyrants and creating a new life for themselves somewhere else.
Maybe Umi No Kuni.
Releasing a breath of corrosive mist she knew did little more than slightly obscure his vision in this state, she danced to the side of even more coral. Gods above she had come to hate it. Maybe Umi no Kuni was a bad idea, they could go somewhere without coral instead- like Kaze no Kuni.
Konoha was already lending what aid they could- albeit for their own purposes- so maybe they'd extend it a bit further and let them start a new life there.
With a shake of her head- followed immediately by a forceful huff to remove the hair that had settled in her eyes- she banished the thought from her mind. This, of all times, was not opportune for such negative thinking.
But by the gods could she use a miracle about now.
As a figure in golden armor joined them atop the Mizukage tower, chains lifting them up and brilliant red hair dancing behind them- Mei decided she should probably stop trying to invoke the gods because they either had a nasty sense of humor or really didn't like her.
Possibly both.
"Ah, Tsukuyomi-dono. How nice of ...you..to...join..." Yagura trailed off, taking in the carefully controlled Chakra cloak surrounding the young Daimyo and the way his eyes burned with power not his own. Yagura typically considered himself as having fully subjugated and masted the powers of his own Biju, the Sanbi, but this was on a completely different level.
Tsukuyomi wasn't just harnessing the power of his Biju at the moment, he was the Biju incarnate.
Yagura hadn't even known that was possible but it removed all doubt about whether or not Tsukuyomi was a fellow Jinchuriki. Someone who just had traces of a Biju's Chakra in them never had as much control as a proper Jinchuriki and if Yagura was one of the best anyone better had to have a full Biju.
Now the biggest question was which one?
"I wish I had time for pleasantries," His tone said quite the opposite. "But something has come up and it appears I need to conclude my business here with much haste."
"By all means," Yagura gestured towards his opponent. "Feel free."
"...Thank you, I suppose." Seven golden chains shot towards Yagura, three of them surviving his spinning staff enough to latch onto him and render him immobile. "Though I really don't need your permission." With brisks steps aided by retracting chains Naruto was soon before his 'ally' and a second later his right hand was pressed to the Mizukage's chest.
Flashes of blue briefly glowed from within the golden cloak as Sealkeeper began its work, quickly melding into a deep green that spread from his arm to over his back where it began forming his new seal.
Within the grasp of the chains Yagura released a pained scream, blood trailing from ears, eye, and nose as the Biju that had been with him for his entire life was carelessly ripped from his body. Unlike with Gaara, Tsukuyomi had absolutely no desire for Yagura to survive the transfer.
Mei watched in morbid fascination as Yagura's skin began to sag slightly on his face before the rest of his body followed. Muscle vanishing and skin drooping until it seemed like he was melting, Mei quickly realized that within he very well could be melting.
Yagura's skin began to blister and split, large wounds tearing open to seep blood, puss, and liquefied organs. Bones, weakening rapidly, snapped one by one as the weight of his body exceeded their limitations.
Before her very eyes Yagura was rotting away.
It wasn't nearly as satisfying as she may have otherwise believed.
"Gyaak!" His attempt at words resulted only in a mouthful of blood, his lungs slowly filling with it. If the lack of other organs didn't kill him first he would end up drowning in it. He wasn't going to last that long.
The last of the Sanbi's Chakra was ripped from his body and his Chakra network went into shock at the sudden lack of a previously plentiful source of energy. One by one his seven gates began to fail and as the darkness overtook his vision he knew he would not be waking up later in the care of his personal medic.
What the hell had possessed him to strike a deal with Wolves? No.
The Wolves were inconsequential.
He had made his deal with Tsukuyomi himself and now realized that he had to be a devil playing god. The thought was almost amusing but he was in far too much agony to appreciate it. 'D-damn you, Tsuku-yomi!'
And Yagura knew no more.
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