Hello, everyone. Last chapter ended with practically everything going to hell in a handbasket (something that's depressingly relatable to real life). This chapter begins the long and tedious process of fixing some of it…while seeing what else gets broken along the way. Enjoy!
I do not own anything.
Fox Tails & Whirlpools
Chapter 24 - Ōmagatoki Pt.3
What the hell am I doing?! Screamed the inner consciousness of one Naruto Uzumaki as he soared through the skies atop of his fox familiar. The voice had always been there, screaming at him, but now it was practically roaring with the force of thunder as he climbed high into the night sky. In doing so he was exposed to the nauseous air that was polluting his village. He didn't have to look hard to find the sources of it.
All across the village fires were raging and battles were breaking out, turning the once tranquil night into one of pandemonium. Flames lit portions of the village with the sounds of screaming and battle rising with them; they blended into a dark symphony that reached Naruto, close to a hundred feet off the ground. His vantage point atop his foxy familiar gave him an unwanted bird's eye view of the growing mayhem. It was unlike he'd ever seen in his young life. Reading about it in a book or watching it on TV was one thing, but what he was seeing was undoubtedly real. The fighting was real, the blood was real, and the people dying in fear and horror were definitely real. Blue eyes looked over the village caught in the throes of an invasion by monsters. They were demons, oni.
Well, runt, now that you know what you're in for, still thinking about playing the hero? Naruto had no idea where the dark voice in his head came from. Maybe it was him going insane, or maybe he was possessed. What he knew for certain was that there was a stirring within him, and that mocking as the voice might have been, it was no fan of the demons tearing apart his home. He could sense it, the festering contempt that it had for the horned creatures wrecking everything in sight. Naruto didn't know if that was a good or bad thing, just the fact that he was hearing a second voice in his head was cause for concern.
But he didn't spend too much time thinking on that, there was something else for him to focus his energies on.
Atop the mystic-born fox, Naruto Uzumaki took a deep breath. The air itself seemed to have been tainted by the demon's presence as he internally winced. It felt like he was inhaling sawdust mixed with rotten vegetables. The stench served to only further his disdain for the monsters down below him. Beneath him, his mystical mount pulled its lips back revealing its teeth in a vicious snarl, it was an appropriate reflection of his rider's own growing fury. His stomach heated up like a pocket of hot rocks had been pressed against it, his grip on his stolen spear grew tighter. Looking over, Naruto noticed the demonic blood on the weapon had dried. With his free hand, he caressed the orange fur of the familiar who he'd befriended and saved. For a brief moment, the best broke its ferocious snarl in favor of a light purr.
"This is my home, and I'm going to defend it!" The shout seemingly rippled through the sky like thunder even though none could hear it. The fox beneath him could hear it…and so too could the nine-tailed one sealed deep within him, unknown to him.
The latter heard him alright…and grunted in begrudging approval. You've got some balls, runt. Try not to lose them…or that spear of yours otherwise, you're screwed.
Little more than a second later and Naruto felt the rush. It started in his stomach, it boiled like he'd just eaten a fistful of chilly peppers, the heat quickly spreading through his small body. His free hand suddenly clenched at the familiar's fur, which stood up on end as the larger-than-average fox let loose a piercing howl. Then it dived straight toward the ground, its rider holding fast to its back and holding onto his spear. The weapon was more than twice his size and probably weighed half as much as he did, swinging it on foot had been difficult, but a task he'd accepted none the less. It was either that or wait around to die or for the storm to pass, and Naruto wasn't about to do that. He didn't want to just sit around cowering like so many others had, his very soul screamed for him to act. And so here he was.
He had no idea where the war cry came from, he'd screamed in fights before, though they were never exactly intimidating. They were attention-grabbing though, which he always viewed as a positive. As he quickly learned, even demons could be caught off guard.
And a single strike to the throat was all it took for one to stop breathing, just as taking one's head off was a surefire way to kill it.
Once he felt the tip of his spear pass through the neck, Naruto pulled; he surprised himself with how easily the weapon came loose, tearing a bloody gash in the creature's neck. Its head was practically about to roll off the severed neck, but Naruto didn't bother to pay attention to that. His familiar moved him toward another enemy, he kicked off the fox's back and lunged at the demon's exposed head. Too late did the six-foot creature realize it was being attacked, by the time it did several inches of steel rammed its way through its brain, ending its life. Naruto gnashed his teeth as he gripped the spear and yanked it free, blood gushing from the puncture wound. Even as his feet touched the ground, the adrenaline never stopped pumping through him, it in fact did the opposite. Hearing the roar of his own heart, Naruto sprinted at the nearest demonic body, his arms swinging his six-foot weapon with surprisingly little difficulty. Had the spear gotten lighter or had he gotten stronger?
It didn't really matter, what did matter was that he was making headway. Towering bodies were hitting the ground, gurgled gasps for air and shocked whispers being the final words from the demons. Others screamed in agony as their throats were torn out by the fangs of a fox familiar. Several times Naruto looked over and saw his orange-furred friend on a rampage. It was a stark contrast to the Kyukon that he'd come to know, silent but always affectionate and attentive to him. Now, the fox's muzzle was coated thick red with blood, as were his teeth which had been used to rip through flesh and bone like buzzsaws. It was the first time Naruto had ever seen the fox familiar's teeth used in such a way, though he'd always known that they were there. Now he knew they most certainly weren't just for show, nor was the magical animal incapable of defending itself.
When Kyukon leaped at Naruto, he oddly enough didn't feel any fear. His lack of fear was validated as he heard the strangled cry of a demon behind him. Spinning around, he saw his companion was biting and clawing at a seven-foot oni with bright green skin and red tattoos. Kyukon's attack had set the oni stumbling backward, cursing the familiar and trying to rip it away. Naruto acted on instinct, running forward and stabbing his yari into the one place he knew would cause the demon maximum pain.
"GAAAAAAAHHH!"
Even the human bystanders, including the defending shinobi, winced as the demon forgot about the fox fell to its knees, clenching the space between its legs. The men especially winced, and slightly realized that if push came to shove, they could follow the blonde's lead. So too did the women.
As the triple-honored monster rose its head to shout at the academy-aged student, said student acted, shoving his spear directly into the demon's right eye. It didn't immediately do the job as he reared his head back, taking Naruto with him as he held onto his weapon. He knew that letting go meant death. New strength surged into him allowing him to not only hold on, but filled him with a desire to push the spear in deeper.
Kill them. Kill them. Kill them. Kill them. Kill them.
There was something about the voice that was…unsettling. It wasn't human, in fact, it had more in common with the demons he was fighting. But Naruto listened to it because he fully agreed with what it was saying. He did want to kill them, and he welcomed the power to do so.
A roar built up in his throat, then reverberated through the night air as his spear blade erupted in a blaze of orange-tinted chakra. Blood spewed from the vertical cut, which splits the oni's skull in two. Naruto was freed and fall back to the ground, only to be caught by Kyukon, who quickly took off into the sky. Taking a moment to gather his wits, Naruto looked back at the scene, his blood racing so loudly he could hear it in his ears as if it were a great river. What was of slight concern was how he felt a strong desire to keep the river roaring along, it was almost like a hunger echoing from the deepest recesses of his stomach. Come to think of it, Naruto felt like that was where the feeling was being emitted from. It was a strange tightness mixed with a smoldering heat that acted like an engine. He breathed in through his nostrils, once more registering the continued foul air that had overtaken the night. With another howl, Kyukon plunged downward so they could eliminate one of the sources of the unholy odor. Naruto jumped off from the familiar, once more rearing his yari back then thrusting it forward once coming into view of his target. The target went down, blood running along the blade, which was pulled back and swung again with immense force opening a bloody gush in another oni's exposed stomach. Watching the blood spray caused something in the academy student to snap; a voice roared at him that the demon wasn't finished yet.
Seconds before the building mass of flames in the demon's throat could be expelled, it was assailed by a flurry of slashes delivered at the hand of the young blond. A single laceration had become four, all of which expelled torrents of blood and with it, the demon's life. Gasping out embers, the oni stared at its killer, a young child that couldn't have been any older than ten.
But his eyes were what was eye-catching. On the left, the human blue eye burned with a righteous fury born from the desire to save one's home, on the right was a scarlet-red orb with a slit pupil, the eye of a beast who feral instincts called for the demon's death. It was the eye of a demon. A demon's eye and a human's eye. It was quite a sight to witness before passing away from the realm of the living into Izanami's domain. The oni was quickly accompanied by more of its brethren.
Somewhere in Naruto's mind, he was aware of the looks of shock and even horror he received from those around him. He and Kyukon weren't exactly organized as they jumped from one battle to another, slashing and thrusting and biting like their lives depended on it. They did. Bit by bit, Naruto could see that his fellow villagers were fighting back, sometimes he and Kyukon passed over a scene of dying and decaying demons giving them no reason to intervene. While that made him feel happy, he could hear the echoes of a dismissive snort from the back of his mind. He correctly assumed it to be "the voice" that had opened up in his mind. He had absolutely no idea what it was, and at the moment he didn't care. What Naruto cared about was what was happening in front of him…and above.
The jet-black sphere of solidified darkness had been downright scary to look at, so he'd averted his eyes. Even so much as a passing glance at it and Naruto could feel the very life force being sapped from him. Even amongst the dark night sky, the sphere of darkness stood out as a simple void in the world. Not even the residual light of the fires burning across the village were enough to brighten it, instead, the sphere seemed to continuously ward off any light that dared to come near it. Truly, it was darkness personified. And yet Naruto felt a strange pull toward it. He couldn't explain it, but once he found it in him to gaze up at the black orb, he couldn't look away. Something in him told him that he couldn't leave it be, that there was something else to it.
Hey, runt. Spat the bestial voice. You go up there, odds are you either won't be coming back down, or you'll be coming back down in pieces.
Naruto swallowed a lump in his throat. He could practically hear his parents telling him not to push his luck, but Naruto knew nothing else but testing his luck to see how long it could hold out.
You little idiot! Do you have even the faintest idea what's waiting for you up there!? The voice roared.
Clenching at Kyukon's fur, Naruto shook his head. "Nope, but I know…I know that I can't just leave that big black ball sitting in the sky! Kyukon!" The fox familiar barked, then took off, running through the air like it was solid ground.
…You…you're a real fucking idiot, you know that, you little runt? You have no idea what it is you're walking into! The bestial voice thundered.
The closer they got, the more Naruto had to focus, even to the point of blocking out the curse word that voice had leveled at him. They reverberated through his skull to the point he could feel it hurting. He pushed on in spite of that, and the growing sense of coldness that was emitted from the sphere. In coming closer, the feeling of emptiness was magnified, and yet Naruto couldn't find it in himself to completely give up. He hadn't given up when the lights went out and everyone else seemed to lose their spirit. He hadn't given up when confronted with monstrous enemies more than four times his size.
He didn't want to give up, he hated giving up.
Kyukon's fur bristled like he'd just been tasered. A fierce howl flew from his lips as he took his rider around the dark sphere. Orange eyes turned blood red, filled with burning hatred as they came upon the orb's creator, and the source of the mayhem now plaguing the Hidden Leaf Village.
Naruto's breath caught in his throat as he saw the figure that had caught his mount's attention. "M-M-Mom?" Ice seized his lungs as his determined eyes drunk in the pink-haired figure that had one hand out maintaining the orb. All of his thoughts ground to a halt along with his eyes, he seemed to have forgotten the simple act of blinking. It felt like if he did blink the scene in front of him would vanish, yet ironically a part of Naruto wished so desperately to wash away what was in front of him like a bad hallucination.
Briefly, the Tamamo-lookalike mirrored his confusion, then she smiled.
In that instant, Naruto knew from the bottom of his heart that whoever this woman was, she was not his adoptive mother.
"Well, well, look who it is? I wasn't expecting to run into my nephew, but oh, what a pleasant surprise!" Shouted the bespectacled woman.
Kyukon continued to growl while Naruto held firm to his back, his entire body tense and his spear held tightly. "W-W-Who…who the hell are you, lady? W-Where's my mom?"
"Tsk, tsk, I see neither Hakuno nor Tamamo told you about me, or rather, us. Then again, it's not quite unexpected, especially of the latter. She's big on keeping secrets, you know. She could even be keeping some secrets about you right now without you even knowing it." Stated the black-suited woman, shaking her head. Her golden eyes drilled into the academy student, wrapping an invisible hand around his heart and squeezing it to her black heart's delight. She could count every bead of sweat pouring down his exposed skin, even the freshly created ones. "Naruto, come over here and give your aunt a hug and she'll tell you all about your dear mommy and daddy. Both sets if you're a good little boy."
The words were like a knife to his chest, a frost-covered blade ripping into his skin infecting him with bone-chilling fear. For a brief second, Naruto could feel his grip on his spear beginning to loosen. W-Wh-Why the hell d-did I come up here? W-What can a little kid like me do? What can I do? What can I do?! What can I-
"Raaaaaarrrrrhhh!" Normally, foxes were howlers, at least not like wolves and dogs, but they were still canines thus possessed the ability to do so. Being a familiar born from the witchcraft of a mortal avatar, Kyukon was capable of many things an ordinary fox was not. One of them was letting loose a howl that rang through the night sky like a clap of thunder. No one heard it louder than Naruto, who at first blinked, then stared in slack-jawed awe at his familiar friend. The awe was short-lived as his free left hand went to his stomach.
Pathetic little runt…talk such a big game and this is what it comes to? Then again…that, urgh, that woman…if you go near her, you'll die. Or end up just like that foolish vixen.
V-V-Vixen? What are you… The words died in his mouth as he looked between the bespectacled woman and the pitch-black sphere to her right. Upon closer examination, Naruto could see that it was seemingly being maintained by her outstretched right hand. His eyes settled on the orb of solidified darkness. Being so close to it made him feel worse than before, but now that he'd recovered a sliver of his courage, he was able to bear its suffocating presence. There was something else driving him now, a hideous suspicion that was heightened as he bore witness to the cruel smile of his adoptive mother's look alike. "Where's…where's my mom?" He spat out.
The doppelgänger laughed. Just as her smile was the polar opposite of Tamamo's, so too was her laugh, dripping with infernal malice at the young boy's question. "She's…getting reacquainted with her past, a past that she thought she could run away from. Quite foolish, but foolishness is what she does best." Naruto flinched as the mysterious woman bore her fangs at him in a cruel smile. "Now, Naruto, if you drop that spear, or better yet run that little beast you're riding on through with it, your dear ole auntie will tell you of her past actions. She's not the woman you think she is, Naruto, just as that old man sitting in that tower isn't the kindly old guardian you've believed him to be. They're liars, both of them. Self-centered, vain liars whom are undeserving of your trust…or your love." Her left hand reached out and beckoned to him. "Now, as for me on the other hand, come give your auntie a hug and I assure you, I'll fill that hole in your heart far better than my sister or her idiot husband could ever hope to. I'll take you far away from this village which has been hell for you, I'll teach you how to use your power to get the revenge that you so rightfully deserve."
Down below them, the fighting never stopped, but it was a distant noise to Naruto's ears. He'd paid full attention to the woman as if she were his mother talking to him. But again, the differences between them were like night and day.
His spear was pulled up and leveled at the Assassins with both hands. "Lady, I'm going to ask you one more time…where…is…my…mom?" His voice was no quiver, it was a hiss of thinly contained anger that he directed at the figure before him.
Said figure broke out into fiendish giggles, clearly not at all detoured by what she'd heard. Truth be told, a part of her had been hoping that the young jinchūriki wouldn't be so easily swayed. His resolve would only add to her fun.
Flicking her gaze to the black sphere, the cat-suited woman answered, "She's paying for her crimes…crimes that you'll never know about because she's too much of a coward to tell you a lick of the truth. After all, she's a fox, and we foxes-"
"SHUT UP!"
Briefly, the Assassin's cruel arrogance crumbled. Her ears rang with what sounded like three voices roaring at her in pure, seething hatred. Through her glass lens, her golden eyes narrowed on the boy's stomach. She registered the sudden surge of demonic power amassing in the pit of his stomach, right where his seal was. That seal was beginning to fracture, no doubt a result of the heavy concentration of demonic energies her little invasion had created. That had been a part of her plan. What wasn't a part of her plan was the demon sealed within not breaking free or grabbing control of the whisker-faced blond child.
Instead, he'd joined him and the fox familiar in a blazing charge aimed straight at her. Rider and mount came at her, a swirl of flaming-orange chakra enveloping them like a meteor blazing across the sky. The Assassin recovered her wits and cursed.
"Foolish little brat! You're playing with fire, and it's high time you learned what happens when you do!" She shouted, still not moving from her position. The duo's flame-like form was reflected in her glasses as they sped closer and closer toward her, hellbent on tearing her in half.
Relief came from the right, a piercing bird-like shriek ripping through the air, yet not being enough to catch Naruto and Kyukon's attention. Or at least they appeared not to notice.
The Assassin's eyes rose as she watched the academy student suddenly jerk his body to the side, taking his empowered spear with him. Her reinforcements gave a final squawk of shock before it was cleaved in two, its avian-like body falling to the ground, its flesh burning leaving behind not but bones. Luckily, more demons came in, only to be met with the same fate as Naruto and his fox turned his ire toward them. Calling out with her mind, she commanded any and all demons in the area to come to her aid, to pile onto this little upstart and his empowered familiar. As they heeded her call, she shot her left arm over her right. She had to maintain the focus of her Noble Phantasm, especially since she'd almost finished breaking her "sister". She was so close, so very close, she couldn't lose control now!
But she was already losing control, even if she couldn't see it.
Hidden Leaf Ninja Academy, 7:23 PM…
Sasuke was beginning to realize that the world was a chaotic place. One minute everything was normal and the next…not so much. He'd especially begun to take this lesson to heart after Hakuno and Tamamo Kishinami had come to the Hidden Leaf Village. Since then, a number of strange and unusual things had happened around the village, some of them actually being quite positive. One such positive being the remarkable turn-around of the former class clown. Sasuke hadn't thought much of him before, but after getting to know him a little better, Sasuke was happy to say that he liked him, even called him a friend. He was worried about him, especially now.
But he was glad that Naruto wasn't at the academy when all hell broke loose, he feared that the whisker-faced boy would have done something recklessly stupid like try to fight the monsters now roaming about.
Everything had happened in the blink of an eye. There were a few tremors followed next by an unearthly sense of dread. Sasuke looked up and saw various columns of smoke rising into the sky and even his ears could pick up the sounds of battle. Someone was attacking the village, someone had made it past the village's defenses. That by itself was horrifying to think about, but Sasuke could do more than just think about it. He could see it, the flashes of light that lit up the night sky like fireworks. Even at such a young age, he knew what the lights of battle looked like. A gut feeling told him that it was Tamamo Kishinami fighting, perhaps with another Servant like before. On one hand, that put Sasuke's mind at ease as he had faith that the foxy-eared woman would be able to handle things, but that left another question - what about everything else happening around the village?
The remaining instructors ushered him and the few other students that remained indoors. Whatever was happening, the remaining instructors wanted the students down in the basement where it would hopefully be safe.
Sadly for them, "safe" took a hard hit when one of the chunin instructors was swept up by a flying demon. Sasuke's eyes widened in terror as he watched the humanoid creature lift the flailing human into the air then savagely bite into his neck, spewing blood through the air. His heart skipped a beat hearing the man screaming in agony. It was a sound that made Sasuke's blood run cold and stopped him in his tracks as it did the other children. All of them stared up at the scene, petrified with fear. They jumped when the man was dropped from the demon's grasp as a series of kunai and shuriken pelted into the latter. Sasuke watched him hit the ground, groaning as blood continued to gush from his shoulder.
In spite of his injuries, he raised his head up, his pained black eyes boring into Sasuke's. "A-All of you, r-r-run, now! G-Get to the academy basement! Go!"
Rather than immediately obey, Sasuke remained rooted to the spot. His ears had heard the words, but following through on them was taking far longer than he would have liked. The scene was still so much to take in, monsters flying through the skies and the adults responding accordingly. They could hear the fighting from over yonder, and it seemed that said fighting was now moving toward them. Fear swelled up within him, driving a number of his thoughts into overdrive. What was happening? Who exactly was attacking them? How were the defenses going?
Was his family alright?
The final worry was only magnified as his attention as well as those of countless others saw the pillars of bright red and orange flames shoot upward into the sky. Breaths flew from gaping mouths and ears rang as explosions and a bestial roar carried over the wind. Beneath their feet, the ground shook like the precursor to an earthquake. Given all that had happened in the last few minutes, the possibility of an earthquake hitting wasn't too far off. Or someone or something causing it, that was another possibility that several entertained as the chaos continued to grow around them.
"Gah! I was hoping for a clean night of hunting, not this!"
"Oh, quit complaining! At least we finally have the chance to cut loose, and look at our playground!"
Somehow, the demon's chatter snapped Sasuke out of his stupor. Looking up, he saw four demons, all bird-like in nature and flocking above the humans. Only he seemed to be paying attention to their conversation, albeit he was quietly taken aback by their ability to talk.
"Playground? Hah, you want to see a playground, let's head over to that part of the village! I've smelt it, a festering mass of animosity! Gah, what the hell are we waiting for? Let's go!"
"And get chopped up? Are you out of your mind!? That place has a demonic sword user prowling around! Damn fool's lost his mind!"
"What else would you expect from a mortal trying to wield a demonic sword? It's not like he's a Servant!"
"No, but he is dangerous. Best left those foolish humans tire him out, then we swoop in and finish of all three! It'll be perfect, let the family die together within seconds of each other!"
It was impossible to know for certain who they were talking about, but Sasuke did know. There was no logical explanation behind it, it was just something that the black-haired boy knew for a fact. He knew that it was his family that the demons were talking about. His mind jumped back to the…incidents that he'd seen, to the cold tension that had formed between his brother, father, and the rest of the clan. The pieces kept on coming together no matter how hard Sasuke tried to keep them spaced apart. Why? Why is this happening? Why now? Why? Why?! It felt like his entire body was made out of concrete, cold and rigid and rooted to where it sat. As everything seemingly fell apart around him, Sasuke could do nothing but stand in front of the ninja academy like a silent statue. His black eyes watched the demons continue to circle overhead, chatting amongst themselves. The academy students and teachers took the opportunity to get indoors, and attack.
After hearing the pained cry of one of the demons, Sasuke came to a decision.
"Hey! Hey!" His own voice surprised him, as did the movement of his feet. Focusing his eyes on the downed demonic bird, he shouted again, "What family? What family were you guys talking about!?" He already knew the answer deep in his heart, but it had to be confirmed, but who would accept confirmation from a monster?
Evidently, the demon recognized that as its beak-like face smiled at him. The rows of sharp teeth certainly helped bring the smile to light…and highlight how wicked it was. "Oh? And why should I tell you, human?" Red eyes flashed as the downed and injured demon leaped at Sasuke, jaws stretched open and ready to take his head off.
In that moment, time slowed to a crawl. Sasuke stared straight ahead at the row of teeth that would no doubt tear his head from his neck if he wasn't fast enough. That would be his fate, second born child to the head of the Uchiha Clan, head torn off by some monster bird from hell in the middle of one of an invasion. Died doing a foolhardy charge that was doomed to fail.
No, no! I'm not going to die like this! I won't!
His muscles tensed and suddenly his vision cleared. It was like he could count every jagged tooth in the approaching monster's maw, which itself went from moving fast to a snail's crawl. Reaching behind his back, the black-haired boy gripped the kunai handle with such fervor it threatened to break. His left foot stomped into the ground as he twisted his body to the side, pure instinct taking over and guiding him, or more specifically his hand. The limb was pulled back then driven forward, the ninja blade driving itself deep into the demonic bird's neck. Clenching his teeth, Sasuke twisted the kunai in further, feeling warm blood splash against the topside of his thumb and index finger. A death cry reached his ears. More cries followed, screams of shock and alarm. As he pulled the kunai free, he watched the demon slid across the ground, its body twitching and blood pouring from a wound in the throat, a wound that he had made.
There was little time to take in his victory as suddenly, he felt a pair of arms scoop him up, immediately, he began to struggle. "Sasuke, Sasuke, calm down! Please, you killed it, but we have to get you to safety!" His struggling ceased as he recognized the scar-faced instructor. Sasuke looked up and found himself stared into the panicky eyes of Iruka Umino. "Just stay still, alright, we're going to get you to safety!"
Sasuke wanted to say that he didn't want to be safe, he wanted to go to his family. The problem was the usual walk to the Uchiha District wasn't going to be easy, in fact, the odds of him surviving the journey were less than two percent, even one percent. Getting him and the other academy students to safety was the wisest choice, but again, Sasuke didn't want to be wise. He was scared, but not for his life but his family's lives. "That place has a demonic sword user prowling around! Damn fool's lost his mind!" He knew that Itachi was skilled with a sword, but with some evil weapon that caused the user to go murderously insane? Shaking his head, he tried to push out the thought, yet it continued to nibble at him like an annoying tick.
The frantic pace of the teacher came to a stop as the ground beneath them shook, again. Sasuke looked around, his vision was far more precise and clearer than it had ever been before. Fear could do wondrous things to a person, especially in a situation where death could come from any direction. Looking to his left, he spotted it approaching.
"T-There! On the left!" Shouted the academy student, pointing his finger toward the far left side of the field.
Iruka cursed as his ears registered the sound of feet stomping against the ground. Immediately, he knew that the next enemy coming their way was larger than average. He was right as barreling through the tree line came another oni, one standing at almost eight feet tall. Iruka saw the countless cuts and blades sticking out from the demon's dark blue body. Three yellow eyes blazed with rage that wouldn't subside until it had destroyed everything in sight. Unfortunately, that included the academy and its students and teachers. "Sasuke, stand still and don't move!" Dropping the young Uchiha, he immediately began to weave the hand signs knowing that his life and those of countless others depended on it. "Water Style," His cheeks inflated as the chakra was transmuted into the chosen element and then pressurized to the suitable point. "Severing Wave!" The water was expunged in a focused beam that sliced through the grass and dirt, and then eventually the oni. Blinded by its rage, it thought it could charge straight through the attack.
SLISH!
Even as the two halves of the demon split apart, Iruka kept up his attack. It was a good thing he did as more demons came out of the woodwork. They too were met with the same fate as Iruka kept his senses open. That was why he was able to cease his attack, grab Sasuke, and jump away as a shadow loomed over the two of them. Dirt and grass flew up as a towering figure rose from the smoke, a massive object in its hand. Iruka saw the bloody-red eyes shine through the dust and readied himself to move. Not a second later and he was moving, narrowly dodging a massive spiked club that crushed the ground where he'd been standing. The attack didn't end there as Iruka looked back and saw huge muscles tensing. His feet carried him and his Uchiha charge across the field as the oni swung his kanabō in a wide arc. Stone shrapnel and rock exploded outward from his swing. Left with no choice, Iruka flattened himself and Sasuke against the ground to avoid the shrapnel.
As he lay there between his teacher and the earth, Sasuke thought of his brother. Surely he wouldn't have been as helpless as he was in this instant? He'd be the one protecting everyone instead of being frightened. He thought of Naruto, whose adventurous spirit he secretly admired. He wouldn't be cowering in the dirt either. Sasuke thought of them and his parents and grandmother, all proud and strong people…people he wanted to be like, if only just a little.
I want to be strong, I want to be strong! I don't want to be some little kid who gets in everyone's way or has to be protected! His thoughts raged, fueling the fire that had been smoldering within him. It finally burned bright enough to move his body. "Hey, ugly! You want to pick on someone, try me!" As with before, his body moved faster than his mind could comprehend anything. First and foremost, he knew he'd broken out of Iruka's grasp and was now charging the oni, who trained both eyes on him. His hands molded the signs needed for his family's trademark jutsu. Chakra was kneaded in his stomach and held there as he sprinted toward the oni, who raised and lowered its club with murderous fury. Sasuke could see the weapon coming down as if it were moving through jelly, giving him the time he needed to dodge it. Kicking off his feet, he dove into a roll, pushing himself underneath the eight-foot demon's legs. "Fire Style-Fireball Jutsu!"
Boom!
"AAAAGGGGGGHHHHHH!"
Of all the things Iruka thought he'd see tonight, he never he'd witness one of his students literally roast a demon's nuts. It was perhaps the biggest fireball that he'd ever seen Sasuke produce, albeit given the state he was in, it wasn't surprising. Immediately, the demon howled in pain and toppled over, leaving itself vulnerable. Iruka quickly took advantage of the opportunity.
Blood spurted from the straight cut that he'd inflicted upon the demon; it started from the top of the head and extended all the way into the back. The man in him believed that a quick death such as that was preferable to feel his lower regions burnt to a crisp. On the flip side, Iruka's heartbeat with pride at the move that Sasuke had just pulled off. It was unapologetically reckless and could have easily resulted in him getting killed…but Iruka couldn't help but admire the little Uchiha for finding the guts to pull it off. It reminded him quite a bit of Naruto, whom he noticed he'd been hanging around. Kami, he's influencing him. Who knows if-wait a minute, Naruto. Sasuke! "Sasuke! Sasuke!" Splotches of blood littered the field in front of the ninja academy, yet for the most part, the building itself remained undamaged. His fellow teachers and students were more or less unscathed, including the one he was calling out to.
Turning his head back, the young Uchiha shouted, "I promise I'll be careful! I just have to go check on my family! I'll see you again, Iruka-sensei, I promise!" Making such promises was stupidity at its finest and Sasuke knew that. Still, he had to say something to soothe his teacher's woes. All he might have done was left him with nightmares, or more nightmares on top of the ones he'd already have. Sasuke knew that if he lived through this, along with his family, he'd be having nightmares, everyone would.
He ran as fast as he could, his every breath feeling like it would be his last. Even in the adrenaline-fueled haze, he could make out the details of the village streets he ran through. Memories of earlier, happier days flashed through his mind like strikes of lightning, as they faded he found himself back in the darkness of the current day. Speaking of darkness, when he looked up, his heart sank as he couldn't see any stars in the sky. Slowly, his feet came to a stop and his head titled upward.
"Is that a part of this? No stars? No light? No hope?" It felt annoying stereotypical, but Sasuke was learning second by second that the world was a crazy place. Or maybe it had always been crazy and was just getting crazier. Staring up into the blackness, he felt venomous fear working its way through his body. Any second, he was probably going to collapse onto his knees and hands. He almost did as the ground beneath him shook from another tremor. A heavy-pressure wave of dread rolled across the air, nearly suffocating him. Sasuke shook his head in an attempt to keep it all at bay, but it wasn't a fight that he believed he could win.
Devastation lay all around him, including the dead bodies of civilians and a few shinobi. Sasuke dared not look at them to ascertain how they died. It was a given fact that none of them had expected to leave the world of the living tonight. Foolishly attempting to cross the village in the midst of a battle increased his odds of joining them, one way or another.
"My, my, what exactly do we have here? A lost little boy so far from home?" Dripped a wretched feminine voice that caused the hairs on Sasuke's back to stand up on end. "I can smell it on you, the fear racing through your veins! You're damn near ready to piss yourself!"
"I-I am not!" Shouted back the black-haired boy, frantically searching for the voice's epicenter. As a bead of sweat poured down the side of his face, he found it. Frantically, he jumped backwards, stumbling over a piece of debris. Hearing the ground crack, he threw his arms up to shield himself as the owner of the voice emerged from the earth. Seconds later and they have wrenched apart and Sasuke found himself looking into a pair of glowing yellow eyes which belonged to a red-skinned monster woman. One of her two horns had been broken off and strands of her pale white hair were stained with splotches of red. She'd been wounded.
A wicked grin spread across the female oni's face before she ruthlessly threw Sasuke to the side, his small body skidding across the ground. "I'll give you credit, your village is putting up one hell of a fight, more of a fight than we were expecting. It really makes this whole thing fun!"
Pushing himself up on his elbows, he gathered what courage he could and fired back at the oni. "L-Leave our village, a-a-and you can keep your lives!"
"Hahahaha! That's the best you could do kid? Not surprising though, you're just a brat after all!" Her bare feet stomped toward him, her gaze never wavering and her grin never losing an ounce of its malicious intent. Sharpen fangs protruded from her bottom lip. Sasuke instantly thought back to the academy instructor who'd he'd seen get a bite taken out of him. "Now, it's high time that you were put to bed, boy."
His hands clawed against the ground, collecting as much dirt and pebbles as he could. It was a long shot, but Sasuke knew struggling against death was preferable to letting it simply take him. Call it foolhardy pride, or maybe it was just some remanent of the fiery spirit that burned within his whisker-faced classmate. Oddly enough, Sasuke thought of him as he spoke his next words, "I think it's actually…h-h-high time that you a-a-and the rest of your friends went back t-t-to the hole you crawled out of, bitch." If his mother had heard him, she'd have slapped a hand over his mouth. His father and grandmother probably would have laughed.
The demonic woman wasn't laughing. Her face contorted into pure rage as she lunged at Sasuke, hellbent on tearing him apart with her bare hands. He blinked once, when he opened his eyes he could once again see things moving in slow motion. His hand shot out, throwing the gathered debris directly into the oncoming demon's face. The trick worked as she pulled back with a cry of surprise and pain and Sasuke took the chance to run. He almost made it past the demon, but her left leg struck out and caught him in the side.
Sasuke felt the air fly from his lungs as he tumbled across the ground. He felt something cold and wet beneath him. He knew it was blood, but he didn't know if it was his blood. The question was answered as he began to sit up, coughing and hacking, and felt something beside him - a corpse.
"You shitty little brat, how dare you!? You think a little trick like that is going to be enough to stop me, do you!?" Screeched the demon woman, having wiped away the dirt and rock from her face. Any pretenses of amusement was gone from her face as she stalked toward Sasuke, now truly determined to kill him with her bare hands. "You're nothing, just a pathetic little human! What the hell can you do against us demons!?"
The still-functioning part of Sasuke's mind had a retort lined up, but he couldn't get his voice to work, he was still too scared. But not too scared that he couldn't move his body. Instinct took over, moving his beaten body in a way that allowed him to survive the next ten seconds. In that span of time, he made the hand signs then expunged a burst of fire from his mouth aimed at the oni's left side. For a minute, she disappeared amongst the flames giving Sasuke hope that his attack had worked. But then he saw the yellow eyes poking at him through the flames. A hand shot out, he just narrowly dodged it. He focused in on the open palm that was facing him, that was seconds away from grabbing at him. Shooting his hand behind his back, he dug out the kunai he'd taken from the school grounds and plunged it into the approaching palm. A cry of pain rang in his ears while he stumbled backwards. Falling onto his butt, he looked around for another weapon, anything that he could use to continue to defend himself. Seeing none, he fell back on what he knew, only to find the fire in his stomach wasn't burning as bright as it was seconds ago.
Something that the oni in front of him caught onto. "Finally out of fuel? About damn time! You know, before I was just going to kill you, but after all of this, you're going to suffer, you little shit!" Screamed the female demon, her left side partially scorched from his earlier attack. That was the best he could manage, and probably the last wound he'd inflict since he was running so low on chakra.
This was going to be his last attack, his last moments of life. Sasuke felt tears in his eyes, but he dug deep for whatever remained of his courage. He didn't want to die crying and wetting himself, a disgrace to his family's honor. Every speech his parents and brother had given him whirled about in his head, mixed in with his fond memories of the last few weeks at the academy. He didn't want those tarnished either.
I…I don't want to be a weakling! I don't just want to be your little brother, Itachi! I'm…I'm Sasuke! Sasuke Uchiha, and one day…I will become a great shinobi! I will bring honor to the Uchiha!
A left arm was raised, claws outstretched and ready to tear into him. Internally bracing himself, the academy student amassed what little chakra he had left within him and readied it to be pushed outward.
BOOM!
Both human and demon were caught off-guard by the deaf-inducing explosion. Two hands turned at once to the night sky, once pitch-black but now ablaze with glorious golden light. Trails of fire and starlight raced across a formerly black canvas. It seemed as if night turned into day, the brightest day imaginable. A blistering hot yet comfortable warm gale whipped through the village, passing through buildings and wreckage and into people and demons.
Sasuke's eyes widened. Two seconds ago, they'd been filled with determined fear, a second later and they were filled with shock. Now, they blazed with a roaring power like the waves of fire exploding across the sky. The tiny flame in his stomach burst into a great roaring inferno that he could barely contain.
"N-N-N-No! No!" Screamed the female oni, throwing her arms up in a desperate attempt to shield herself from the illumination. "T-T-There's no fucking way that Lady Vitch could have fa-!"
"Fire Style-Fireball Jutsu!"
Alerted by the voice, the red-skinned woman looked back at the young child who'd been seconds away from meeting his end at her hand. That fearful child was gone. She looked into his eyes, no longer swelling with tears but burning with righteous determination. For a moment, the lone tomoe in each blood-red eye seemed to glow like fire, which was expelled from his lips. A scream rose in the oni's mouth, only to immediately be drowned out by the roar of the humongous fireball that slammed into her with all the force of a cannonball. Flesh burned in seconds with bones cracking underneath the pressure.
The last sight that the murderous yōkai saw before oblivion was the freshly revived Sharingan of the youngest son of Fugaku Uchiha. Were the man himself there, his heart would have exploded with parental joy as his youngest child incinerated the demon into ashes, his flames taking on a slight golden hue as if they had been blessed by the divine.
Darkness was infinite.
One could walk a million miles and still never reach any sort of edge, likewise one could fall and never reach whatever bottom awaited them.
Tamamo fell and fell and fell, her tears lost to the darkness around her. Odds were that by Vitch's design she was allowed to keep her hearing; there was little more depressing than one's own heartbroken sobbing. Not to mention if she lost the ability to hear, she wouldn't be able to process the vicious rebuttals and curses thrown at her by everyone she knew as both Amaterasu and Tamamo-no-Mae.
She was a liar.
She was a coward.
She was a murderer.
She was evil.
She was better off dead off in the darkness, where she couldn't hurt anyone or anything else.
She was incapable of truly loving another person and being loved in return.
She was a monster.
She was disgusting.
"No…no, you're not."
She was-
"No, you're not."
She was-
"No, you're not."
For the first time, she heard something other than her own cries, breathing. For the first time in what felt like hundreds of years, she felt something touch her skin.
By sheer reflex, she gripped the hand, which gripped her back. Her body which had been free-falling into the void suddenly stopped as it felt like her feet touched something resembling solid ground. Or rather, someone was holding her, giving her a foundation to latch onto.
"All those things…you're none of them, Tamamo-no-Mae."
The voice caused her fracturing heart to cease its breaking and go still. Tamamo's eyes widened, her body responded automatically, her arms shooting up to wrap around the shoulders of the man holding her, but her brain stopped her. Another sob built up in her throat. "H-H-How do you know that? H-How could you?"
"Because I know you, Tamamo." He responded.
"M-M-Maybe not as good as y-you think I you do." She sobbed.
"Eh, I'm willing to bet I do." A cold, gentle wind blew around her, tenderly caressing her. No, it wasn't just her imagination, someone really was touching her, soothing her. Another sob built ripped through the Caster as she felt a kind hand caressing her hair and her ears. The oh so familiar touch was whole-heartedly welcomed. "You're…not an easy person to love, but Tamamo-no-Mae, you are capable of love and being loved in return. You have two brothers, who even if one's a jerkass and the other's a little weird, who love you. You've got a doting father who has all the faith in the world in you…just like your friends, and your husband and Master."
There was a brief chuckle at the mention of her divine family, and the fitting descriptions of them. They were a handful, in fact, there had been times when Tamamo wanted to split her head open rather than deal with them, but in the end she always did. She put up with her brothers, both of whom could wear on her nerves…but were still there for her when it counted, just like her father, who passed the rulership of the heavens onto her.
"Why? Because I know you can do it? You have all the makings of a great ruler, even if you don't know it, my beloved sunshine. You may stumble and fall, but that's a part of life, even for us kami. In the end, we stand up and rise."
Her right arm wrapped around the man's shoulder, clenching at it. Tamamo thought of the multitude of allies, of friends, she'd made on her journey as the Servant of Hakuno Kishinami. A proud and devoted Servant.
"You honestly surprised me, fox. It was one hell of a pleasant surprise. You're the kind of ally that I can fight beside."
"Honestly? I'll take you over them, you're kind of bitchy and clingy with your Master…but damn if you aren't loyal to him. And you're not as bad as I thought you were."
"Such devotion shown to your chosen one, as well as fighting ability, I'd almost think for a moment that you're a knight instead of a witch! Still, even witches can have their pride…and their loves."
"Helping a friend fix a mistake? Hey, I can't think of any better way to spend my time. Besides, things are always interesting around you and Hakuno!"
"Quite honestly…I'm…comfortable everyone. Including you. All of you…make me feel like I belong somewhere, like I have a home and a family. I want to protect you guys no matter what, is that alright?"
"You're not nearly as bad as you think you are. If you were, you wouldn't be surrounded by so many people and have a guy like Hakuno risking life and limb for you. Heh, you've now got another guy to add to your band of lunatics, that is, if you won't mind me."
Her left hand reached up for the other shoulder. Glistening on her finger was a silver ring, it glowed a faint blue; the light was quickly absorbed by the glowing luminous of the man before Tamamo, the man holding her warmly in his arms. Shining silver and blue light illuminated the darkness, burning it away. Tamamo wasn't burnt, she was comforted by it.
"I'll say it as many times as I have to, Tamamo." Came the voice of her beloved. "I'll always be here for you, supporting you and telling you who you really are. You're the sun, you burn bright bringing light wherever you go, driving away the darkness." A hand rose and patted her atop the hand. Glowing a bright mixture of azure and argent silver was a ring identical to the one on Tamamo's. It was a symbol of power and authority, but also of love and devotion that would never be shaken come what may. "If you ever think you're losing your light, I'll be there, helping you shine again."
Burying herself in Hakuno's embrace, Tamamo laughed. She could hear more than just sobbing now, she could hear the rustle of the wind, and the beating of wings. It was a familiar sound, one that she took comfort in.
"And come what may, whoever our foe may be, I shall be your protective shield and your invincible sword, such is my oath as your Servant…and your wife, Hakuno." No longer did her voice shake with fear and uncertainty. The darkness had been driven from her by the lunar radiance of her beloved. In turn, it had reignited the flames within her. Behind her waist, a trio of golden-furred tails began to sway about, leaving burning embers in their wake. "Thank you, thank you so much, my dearest."
"Hey, I'm doing what I've always done, and what you've always done for me. That's what a partnership, a marriage is, right?" Finally, she could gaze upon his face. So youthful and tranquil, his honey-brown eyes glowing for her. Tamamo took slight notice of the network of blue growths spreading up from his neck, she'd seen them before, quite a number of times to be precise. Ignoring them, she reached up and cradled the cheek of her Master-turned-husband. His left hand left the top of her head and laid over hers. "Now, go give your sister the ass-kicking she deserves." He spoke with a bold and adventurous smile; what felt like another lifetime ago, he never could have sported such an expression, but Holy Grail Wars had a way of changing people. Sometimes for the worst…and sometimes for the better.
Returning her husband's grin, Tamamo let her canine fangs show. "Oh, with pleasure, Hakuno. Mikon, just make sure that you stay safe too, it'll be a real bummer if when all of this is over with you're missing an arm or a leg. Not to mention it'll scare Naruto half to death."
The pair laughed. What had once been darkness around them had become illuminated by the light of the moon and the sun, which gave birth to countless other stars. Still, their glow was far outmatched by the brilliance of the Master and Servant held tightly in each other's arms. One the backs of one, a set of angelic wings shined bluish-white while below the waist of the other, a trio of foxtails blazed like meteors streaking across the sky. Their luminous peaked as the couple leaned in close and touched one another's lips. The darkness finally shattered, light exploding outward in all directions without end.
三o-◁≡=⊳ ⊲=≡▷-o 三
"W-W-What the hell? T-This can't be happening! Impossible!" Why did this always happen? Why was it that the cause of her plans going awry was always that insufferable mortal? Why couldn't he have just waited? Why couldn't he have just died? Why couldn't he have chosen her instead of her foolish original self! Why? Why?! Why?! No! No! No! This isn't fair! This isn't fair! This isn't FUCKING FAIR!
Cracks spread throughout the black sphere, rays of glorious sunlight burst through and continued to do so. Along the edges of the cracks, flames ignited and began to spread. Vitch cursed and screamed as she tried to maintain her Noble Phantasm's hold; every second that passed a new crack appeared, either from a bursting ray of sunlight or jet of white-hot flames. The Assassins hissed as her right arm began to steam as it too was being burnt by the flames. Biting her lip did little to alleviate the agony, which grew worse by the second. Her rational mind told her to break away before she lost her arm and potentially even risked serious damage to herself, but Vitch's pride demanded she fight to regain control. This was supposed to be her night! She couldn't let her "sister" take it away from her!
"Why…why…WHY THE HELL CAN'T YOU JUST GIVE UP!?" Screeched the Assassin.
"Because," spoke the voice from within the now flaming sphere. "Just as surely as darkness will fall…the sun shall rise above the horizon, bringing light to the land and hope to the world!"
The last vantages of the black sphere vanished in a burst of solar flames that lit up the night sky. In fact, night turned to day as the black orb was replaced by a golden mass of fire and light which swirled around Tamamo-no-Mae, her three fox tails elongated and swaying, her golden eyes burning with the light of the heavens which she held dominion over. Briefly, they found Vitch's, pure disdain was exchanged between the two before the Assassin was blown back, her right arm ablaze with flames she quickly tried to absorb, and when that failed, smother them. The demons in the vicinity screamed in horror as they were incinerated within seconds, their unholy bodies turned to ashes right down to the bones. And yet the sunburst didn't stop there, it spread out, illuminating the skies above not just the Hidden Leaf Village, but the surrounding lands for miles. There was not a soul who wasn't caught and mesmerized by the solar goal which had seemingly appeared out of nowhere.
Least of all the Caster's adoptive son, who'd been forced to cover his eyes least he be blinded. As he lowered his arm, his jaw dropped to the ground hundreds of feet below. "M-M-M-Mo…Mom?"
Pink hair flowing down to her waist where her tails swayed from side to side, Tamamo turned around. Immediately, her formerly furious expression faded as she laid eyes on her adoptive son. "Naruto." She whispered. Trails of fiery embers were left in her wake as she seemingly teleported in front of him. Not wasting a minute, she threw her arms around the young jinchūriki, basking him in her light. "I'm…I'm so happy to see that you're safe."
The shock came and went in seconds. "M-M-Me too, mom." A few tears leaked from the boy's eyelids; none could blame him as seeing the woman who'd filled the maternal hole in his heart alive and well was more than enough for him to throw away some of his bravado. The last half-hour had felt like pure hell, fighting for his life, being scared for his life, and wondering if he was really doing the right thing. Those doubts vanished with the embrace of the Caster. He didn't care about her change in appearance or dazzling display of power, all the academy student cared about was that his mom was back and holding him in her arms. Now all he needed was his adoptive father and things would be complete.
As she pulled away, the solar glow around Tamamo dimmed, but it didn't fade. Her gaze wandered downward to the fox familiar that her son had ridden on. Smiling, she reached down and affectionately nuzzled the beast, who yelped in affection. Through her mystical senses, she saw how it was not just her power running through the fox enabling it to remain materialized; the same energy was swirling about within his stomach. Internally, she breathed a sigh of relief. All of this mayhem caused the seal to crack and that fox's chakra to leak out, but thankfully he seemed more focused on empowering Naruto than attempting to seize his body. Mikon, it seems that we aren't completely out of luck just yet. Looking over Naruto, she noticed the slightly disheveled state he was in, most tellingly, the splotches of blood all across him. It wasn't his blood, but seeing it was still…concerning. There's no going back for him-no, there's no going back for anyone in this village. "Naruto," Tamamo started, earning his full attention. "If I ask you to return to the hospital and wait, you wouldn't do it, would you?"
Instantly, the jinchūriki looked to the side, now intent on looking anywhere but his mother's face. "Ummm…I…uh, well, you see I…"
"Naruto..." Tamamo pressed, her voice and eyes stern.
"I can help!" He shouted, not at all detoured by her solar aura which would have normally been enough to silence him, or any other person in his position. Determination hardens in his blue eyes as he stared back at her. "Look, mom, I know it's dangerous and I shouldn't be out here, but I can't just sit around while everyone is out here fighting, including you and dad!"
Looking into the whisker-faced boy's eyes, Tamamo was reminded of too many people, brave souls who couldn't sit idly by while there was a fight to be fought. It reaffirmed what she already knew - that Naruto Uzumaki, young as he was, was a warrior at heart. If she wanted to, she could force him to leave the battlefield. Even if it had been corrupted, the fox familiar he was riding was still ultimately under her control and would follow any order she gave…even overriding the power of the Nine Tails inside of it.
Gently, she took hold of the shaft of her son's spear. Her nose wrinkled as she caught the scent of demon blood on it, Naruto had been quite busy since she and Hakuno left him at the hospital. Even if she dropped him off there, he'd likely sneak out. That ultimately left her with only one choice of ancient.
Naruto watched with bated breath as fiery embers and wisps of light trailed into his yari. The transfer lasted for only a few seconds, but afterward, Naruto looked at the blade and could have sworn that he saw the steel portion glowing with a faint golden light, not to mention the weapon felt surprisingly lighter in his hands.
"I know I can't stop you, at last not without doing something I don't want to do." Spoke the Servant. Moving her hand to his face, she angled it so they were eye-to-eye. "Naruto, I want you to be careful, understood? And when I say that, I mean it. If you're facing a strong opponent, a Servant even, you do not fight them! You cut and run as fast as you possibly can, understood!?"
"Y-Yes ma'am!" He answered back. Yet again, the voice in the back of his mind snorted in disgust at his mother's statement. Whoever or whatever it was, it seemed it wanted to do exactly the opposite of what she'd told him to do. "I-I promise!"
Her stern expression lasted for a second longer, then it melted into the warm smile he'd come to know and love. Leaning in close, she pecked him on the forehead. "Alright, now go, and please, try not to get too carried away. I know you want to protect your home, but remember that you're still young, perhaps too young." While he nodded in understanding, Tamamo gave a subtle wink to her familiar, the mystical creature mentally confirmed her request. It would protect Naruto, even if it meant fleeing, and even if it meant sacrificing itself. With a proud howl, the creature turned about and sped off, its paws swiftly moving through the air as if they were a bird's wings and carrying her adoptive charge. Tamamo watched them depart with a proud smile that slowly morphed into a straight frown. "I suppose a thank you is an order."
"You're going to owe me a lot more than just a few pretty words. That was sickening to watch, 'sister'."
Tamamo chuckled as she turned around to face her insidious Alter Ego. Whereas her demonic henchmen had been incinerated, Vitch had survived, but not unscathed. One look at the twitching, throbbing, bleeding, right arm and it was clear that the limb was going to take some time to heal. That was time the Assassin didn't have and they both knew it. Her expression was a cross between annoyance and anger; it was a sight that Tamamo relished seeing.
"I see you're still clinging onto your bravado, truly, it seems you haven't changed a bit in the months we've all arrived here." Chided the blue-clothed original. To further emphasize the differences between them, Tamamo continued to glow with an aura of luminous flames extended to every corner of her body, especially her three tails. Their splendid golden hue was a bright contrast to the dark red of her sister's. Her gold-accented kimono and flowing pink hair sharply foiled the body-tight catsuit that she wore. The look of smug pride fueled the irritated frown of the Assassin. "You're still all by your lonesome, using others to do your dirty work."
"Gah! I don't want to hear that from you, a monster living a lie here in this cozy little village! Playing family with a-" Vitch's words were cut off as her sister blasted her with an invisible wave of force that pushed her back. If the original turned up the pressure just a little more, she'd knock her out of the sky; the thought angered her enough that it became even harder to control herself. "You don't get to lecture me! You don't get to lecture me on lies and hiding one's desires!"
To the Assassin's shock, the smug grin faded away.
"You're right." Spoke the Caster, her voice carrying sorrow that was not unnoticed by the Assassin. Briefly, the latter's eyes widen like she couldn't believe what she was hearing. "I haven't been entirely honest with the village and especially not my charge. After tonight, I know I will have much to answer for…" Her fists tightened and her eyes shined like stars. "But I will ensure that the village and its citizens are alive for me to answer. That my son is still alive and well so that one day I may tell him the truth." Sweeping her arm out, she boomed, "Carry this message to our sisters, Vitch! This village and all of its inhabitants are under my husband and mine's protection! If you come here seeking trouble, then you shall find only pain and assimilation awaiting you!"
The thunderous voice ignited the spark within Vitch. Yellow eyes flashing bright red with slitted pupils, the Alter Ego caught fire, dark red and gold flames surrounding her as she launched herself forward. "Shut the hell up, you self-righteous bitch! I came here to assimilate you, and that's what I'm going to do!"
No. Tamamo countered, watching her sister come at her, all pretenses of strategy and composure forgotten. "Tamamo…" You're never going to assimilate me, not in a hundred thousand years will that ever happen, Vitch! "KICK!"
BOOM!
Darkness met light, a drive to destroy met a desire to protect, and in the resulting clash an explosion of solar flames once more lit up the sky. The previously oncoming Servant was directed to the side, blood trailing her as her head rung with pain from the roundhouse kick delivered by the "frail and delicate" Tamamo-no-Mae, once a lady of the imperial court. She watched with muted disdain as her sister crashed through several buildings on the ground, skidding to a stop beneath a pile of rubble; the Assassins had left a mile long path of wreckage in her wake. Turning her head away, she held out her hands summoning her mirror.
You may end up regretting letting her off so easily. Sneered the voice of the sun goddess within her.
Purple and blue light swirled around her into a transparent storm. The air grew thick with mystical ether that the shinobi world had likely not since in thousands of years. A new era was dawning, and Tamamo knew that for better or for worse she would be the one helping to usher it in. Perhaps so, but I have more important things to deal with than Vitch. Let her crawl away, our paths will cross again and when they do, it'll be another opportunity. For now, I shall defend the village! The space around her distorted, her feet rippled across the air as if it were water. Sakura petals blown by an invisible wind danced around her as eight torii gates arose in a circle with her at the center.
Really taking this stuff seriously, aren't you, you little one tail? There was a brief chuckle. Beneath Tamamo's feet, a flicker of orange-yellow embers danced about. Try not to screw this up.
A thin smile spread across the Caster's face as she raised her mirror, now a torch of ethereal energies turning it into a mass of light that she held above her head. For the second time in a row, she was about to light up the skies of the Hidden Leaf Village. There'd be questions, suspicions, possibly even threats, but she'd weather them all as she had before. Her Master would weather them with her.
They would live to see another sunrise, one in which they would share with their son.
"Eightfold Blessings of Amaterasu!" Shouted the Japanese Caster, her arms spreading out. The accumulated energy condensed one last time, then followed her motion in exploding outward in an omnidirectional wave. In seconds, it spread over every corner of the village and the surrounding forests, a divine pulse that was felt in one way or another by all. For one side of the sudden and violent conflict, the outburst of mystical power was a lot more than a pretty light show. It was a godsend. Literally.
7:39 PM…
Kakashi Hatake had never felt anything like this in his entire life, and that life had been quite adventurous so far. On this formerly quiet weekend night, it took another turn for the bizarre. He didn't expect to suddenly find himself fighting ogres and demons in the heart of his own village; it was a task that he and his fellow shinobi still rose to. They were ninja and this was their home, they'd fight to defend it to their dying breath. Some of his comrades had taken their dying breaths, but so too had quite a few members of the enemy's ranks. While many of them looked big and gruesome, they weren't invulnerable, and Kakashi and his fellow ninja weren't the kind of weak and defenseless humans that the demons were used to picking on. They were doing pretty well so far, even against the mysterious demons that had been pursuing Hakuno. Guy had taken to fighting one of the larger ones named Kane-dōji. He was more than happy to let Guy handle the demon as he had a body of iron, literally. Kunai and shurikens had bounced off of him and fire attacks had done little more than annoy him.
But Might Guy's fists were an entirely different story. Kakashi saw out of the corner of his Sharingan eye as the demon expressed shocking confusion with a backhanded strike managed to momentarily stun him. The shock magnified as the gray-bodied demon caught a spin kick to the stomach that sent him stumbling backwards. From that point onward, it was a private battle between the two fighters, one demon and the other human. The battle was dead even, much to the former's surprise and the latter's amusement.
They were all doing surprisingly well, though when the light vanished, they'd begun to lose a bit of ground.
And then the light came back.
All the fighting paused as those on the ground and even in the sky turned their gaze skyward. From the pitch-black sphere personifying nothingness itself, a sun was born. It was so breathtaking that Kakashi wondered if he were actually in a dream. Forced to turn his eyes away from the light, he immediately realized whatever was happening; Tamamo-no-Mae Kishinami was at the center of it. She was free, and if the explosion of fire was any indication, she was definitely not in a good mood.
Minutes later, as the fighting started back up again, the sky was lit up with another surge of light, this time purplish in color. The surprises didn't stop as from nowhere, a giant yin-yang symbol ringed by torii gates manifested in the middle of the skies.
The demons panicked upon seeing it.
That thing…I wonder, could that be what her Noble Phantasm is? I heard it was some sort of mirror that functioned as a support-type power…Out of curiosity, Kakashi boldly tore his eyes away from his current opponent and looked up, hoping to get an idea of what was happening.
What he saw was power, raw, unearthly, divine power amassing itself around an object that vaguely resembled a mirror. Kakashi could at least confirm that piece of information. Watching the mass of energy, he saw it condense and immediately had an idea of what was coming. He averted his eyes and jumped away from the oni he'd been battling, expecting some beam of light to come down and incinerate the demon on the spot. Instead, the mass of power exploded outward, fanning across the village like an omnidirectional tidal wave.
Kakashi's whole body went still as he felt an unknown power flood into his body. What lost chakra he'd used up in the fight was suddenly back, and then some. His heart roared in his ears as wondrous power surged through him. Never before at his vision, his Sharingan, been so clear and focused. Okay... He thought with his eyes hardened, which his left Sharingan adding more coldness on his masked face, looking straight ahead at the now panicking oni in front of him. So it is a support type, and just the kind that we need! He felt the ground beneath his feet explode as he kicked off it, racing toward his target.
SLISH!
His sword was now a blazing blue mass of chakra almost six feet long, his silver dagger was shining like a miniature star, empowered by the divine energy that had just been released. Those two blades had cut the eight-foot-sized demon into countless pieces, its bones sizzling as whatever demonic power lingered in them was purified. Kakashi didn't look back at it, with his body surging full of energy, he kept up the attack. The rest of his fellow Anbu did the same.
CRAAACK!
"N-N-No! No fucking way!? This can't be happening!?" Screeched the steel demon through clenched teeth. Cracks spread along his right arm, an arm that could bring down a castle gate and even a castle itself in a single punch. That arm was now damaged thanks to the empowered kick of the bowl-haired human in front of him. Pure hatred met proud assurance as they locked eyes with one another.
"You'd do well not to underestimate those of us of the Hidden Leaf Village. A fatal mistake like that…could cost you your life!" Shouted the Leaf Village's number one taijutsu specialist. His next attacks were a tempest of fists and kicks, all hitting home and dealing damage on the target. When the demon attempted to counter attack, Guy met his punches blow for blow, the air exploding from the collision between the two. More shockwaves followed as the two combatants danced the dance of combat with Guy slowly taking the lead. "When you return to hell, tell them who sent you, the Handsome Devil of the Leaf Village!" Boomed the martial artist after delivering a bone-shattering uppercut. He held his right leg back, then sprung forward, a beaming smile on his face and a translucent blue aura around him. "Leaf Hurricane!"
As the mortal limb slammed into him, Kane-dōji screamed in pain and anger. When he chose to stay behind, he thought he'd be able to indulge in a quick little slaughter before getting his hands on the boy who'd caused him so much trouble. Instead, here he was, on the defensive against a lone human martial artist. Here he and his fellow demons were, now on the retreat, now being overwhelmed, now being slaughtered by the beings they usually hunted.
Kane-dōji hated it. He hated Tamamo-no-Mae. He hated Hakuno Kishinami. He hated their Fox Catcher allies.
And after this night, he hated the Hidden Leaf Village.
三o-◁≡=⊳ ⊲=≡▷-o 三
7:42 PM…
Okada whistled, "Kind of forget how spectacular her Noble Phantasm was. Heh, and useful it was." It wasn't often that he praised the Miko Fox, if she ever found out Okada shuddered to think what the results would be. No doubt she'd never let him hear the end of it. Speaking of end… "Oi, you got to see a pretty good light show. That should be a pleasant memory to take over the Sanzu River, huh?" The demon at his feet screamed in terror seconds before the Assassin brought his sword down atop its head. Death was instantaneous.
Breaking off and hunting down the demons was a tedious task, but he begrudgingly admitted it needed to be done. There were a few more of them than Okada had anticipated; he recognized some as working for Vitch. That was when he grew excited. The excitement grew when he spotted the black sphere in the sky, he knew it was Vitch's Noble Phantasm from the intel he and his Master had received. Once active, she was helpless, especially since she'd be so devoted to mentally torturing Tamamo. That meant she would be vulnerable; it didn't matter if she had protection, he'd cut through the demons. He was practically bouncing on his feet at the thought. Until he saw bursts of fire escaping from the dark sphere. After that, its collapse and the subsequent explosion happened in short order. Okada was saddened that his opportunity was gone…but he couldn't deny that a part of him was happy to see his pink-haired compatriot back in the game. He was definitely happy she used her Noble Phantasm as he was affected as well, positively.
His body timing with renewed power, he turned and looked back at the Uchiha District. It had been lit up by a burst of light almost ten minutes ago and he was eager to go investigate now that he could see the demon menace was under control.
OKADA!
Except his Master had other ideas.
Geez, guess you're finally up, huh? He could tell that his French Master wasn't happy, and really, he couldn't blame him. After all, he had been knocked out cold and had woken up to mass chaos…including his Servant having gone off on his own. Again. Okada knew when this night was over with, he was going to be in for one hell of a tongue lashing.
On the other end, Chandler seethed, but managed to regain some measure of composure. We are going to talk about this when this is over with! Count on it! As for now, go help Hakuno!
What?! Go help him? B-But I already have a mission, I-
Whatever mission you were on is to be put on hold! Roared back the French national. By the power of my Command Seal, I order you to go help Hakuno finish off the rest of the demons!
The samurai's jaw dropped as his entire body was seized by the unseen power. Immediately, he struggled against the bindings, but it was no use. Even with the power boost brought by Caster's Noble Phantasm, he was helpless before the might of a Command Seal. Cursing, he ceased his struggling and turned about to face the direction of the village's out walls. He could sense another Servant there, one who was likely giving the Victor of the Moon a good run for his money. "Fine! Fine! I'll go, but you better be alive when this is over with!"
Same to you…because so help me, Okada, you're-
"Yeah, yeah, I know! Geez, the hell is up with tonight!? One minute a guy's riding high and the next he's kissing the dirt!" Complained the Assassin, taking off. He hoped that there would be some Uchiha left over by the time he got back, he wanted to finish what he'd started, and not let that upstart teen prodigy off the hook. He didn't even fear him if he still had that cursed sword. He'd cut him down all the same, just as he had countless others.
三o-◁≡=⊳ ⊲=≡▷-o 三
Southwest outskirts of the Leaf, 7:57 PM…
"I don't quite think I've ever hated yet respected a human being as much as I have you, Kishinami." Huffed the bone demon with a slight smile on his pale blood-soaked face. "At first, I always thought it was pure luck that shielded you, then I realized that you actually had some skill. You have as much skill and willpower as the finest busha of the old days."
Hakuno laughed at the compliment, but he didn't dare let his guard down. He was right to as no sooner had the demon finished speaking, he was attacking again, and Hakuno was back to dodging. Of course, moving just further agitated the poisoned wound on the left side of his stomach. Ordinarily, what he should have done is stopped and diverted all of his power into healing it. It wasn't the first time he'd been hit by a cursed spear, especially one from Celtic mythology, albeit it was the first time it'd happen to him with a real body instead of a digital one. It hurt like a son of a bitch, but he had, he could, work through it. He'd done so before, and this time would be no different, it couldn't be any different.
Kōkyo quickly discovered that the "lunar ice" the human could produce was just as strong as his own demonic bone. No, it might have been stronger. Making it worse, the ice was wielded by a human being who was extradentary in every sense of the word.
No normal human could speed blitz multiple demons across a massive city.
No normal human could hope to take on a Servant in mortal combat, much less a crazed one.
No normal human could successfully subdue said Servant and shake off a pack of demons long enough to reach across miles and even dimensions to give a pep talk to their Servant lover.
No normal human could survive getting speared through the gut by a cursed spear which had to be sealed up to prevent it from killing everything around it.
No normal human could survive the above…and still have the strength to fight back, and do a damn good job of doing so.
Even before he was uplifted by the power surge borne from his wife's Noble Phantasm, Hakuno Kishinami was doing an excellent job of holding off six demons, including one of Shuten-dōji's four Shinhoto and a berserk Servant, all while fighting off a poisoned wound to his abdomen. Six of his seven opponents were ferocious fighters who attacked him like a pack of wolves out for blood. Hakuno remained calm as he fought them off, crafting silvery cryokinetic weapons and using chakra-empowered punches and kicks and even throws to fend them off. The more he fought back, the angrier some such as Torukuma became. That anger had become their downfall as it was the reason they were lying some ways back frozen in blocks of ice, leaving Kōkyo alone to battle the human. The bone demon was perfectly happy to be fighting by himself as deep down, he relished the chance to battle the human Master in one-on-one combat.
Bone blades met ice blades in a series of clashes that produced no sparks. Boney armor cracked as it came under assault by the force of light, divine light that weakened the demonic power that helped give it its hardness. That by itself was concerning, but what unnerved the demon was the blue glow riming his brown-colored eyes. That was what unnerved Kōkyo, it was the glow of divinity.
It was also the glow of analysis. Twenty-six meters and closing in fast. There were many boons to his mind now being able to operate like a supercomputer, thanks in part, fittingly, to the supercomputer he had within his chest. While he was able to fight the demon in front of him, Hakuno was able to remain aware of his surroundings. Torukuma had broken free and was charging at him, his body crackling with demonic energy. His claws blazed with black and red while his feet pounded against the ground, bringing him closer and closer to the two of them. He knew perfectly well that he was fighting Kōkyo and that itself was a task that required a decent amount of focus. A surprise attack was definitely his aim. Hakuno was thankful that Celtchar was still lagging behind thanks to his Argent Shock; he had to take care of the demons fast.
Two cleaver-liked blades came at his neck, ready to slice it apart. Hakuno could have ducked or moved back to avoid the pincer-like move, it would have been easy. Instead, he concentrated as much light energy as he could into himself. The entire process lasted just barely a second, his body glowed whitish-silver, a clear indicator that he was about to move. For the bone demon, it was too late as the flash came before he could pull back. In spite of it, he continued to press his attack, he felt himself cut nothing but air.
So great was the flash that it could be seen from a distance, Torukuma certainly did, and unlike his compatriot, he wasn't detoured by it. "Flash all the light shows that you want, it won't make a difference! I don't need to see you, I can still smell you, bastard!" Breaking off from his straight-line path, he veered to the right where his nose took him. His demonic blood howling at him, he pounced on his prey, ready to sink his claws into the boy's flesh. "Finally, I get to sink my-!"
THUNK!
"Torukuma! Torukuma!" Kōkyo shouted, looking over to his fellow demon. His jaw dropped as he saw he'd been hit, but the blow hadn't come from the human Master of Tamamo-no-Mae.
It was…a puppet of some sort, its body made out of a bronze-colored material with glowing blue Tron-lines running the length of its body. In spite of its somewhat weak and fragile-appearance, it had successfully landed a punch on Torukuma, who'd momentarily froze in shock from the hit. He could feel that his nose had been broken, a testament to the power that the construct had.
The demon opened its eyes and stared at the strange construct. A lone blue eye with a silver glow stared back at him. He could have sworn that the eye flashed with something resembling glee before its frail-looking arms began to lay into him, again and again and again. They weren't frail, they weren't weak, and the punches the puppet delivered absolutely hurt.
Kōkyo knew that they had to retreat. Their advantage was gone, especially after the activation of the Eightfold Blessings. As he prepared to move, something caught his right arm. Panic rushing through him, he looked up and saw his entire right arm was now encased in a layer of blue-tinted ice. Standing in front of him was a specter, an envoy of the moon who'd lost patience with him.
Azure blue eyes blazed as they bore into his. For the first time since coming to this world, Kōkyo felt fear. How fitting it was that the person to ignite it was the human who'd overcome death itself and managed to tame the sun and moon.
Just like his comrade, he felt the power of the latter in a literal bone-shattering jab to his stomach. He fell forward, gasping for breath as it'd been knocked out of him. His head lurched upward as a knee strike to the chin caused his jaw to explode in pain.
"I'm going to have to wrap this up." His voice hadn't changed too much…and that was the terrifying part. Kōkyo felt something, someone, slam into his back. He knew in a heartbeat that it was Torukuma, he was dazed and bloody from the sudden beat down he'd received at the hands of the puppet. Said puppet had moved with the same speed as its controller in front of the tiger demon.
In that moment, Kōkyo quietly accepted that once again, Hakuno Kishinami and Tamamo-no-Mae had turned the tables on them, just as they had so many times before. He hated them for it, yet he couldn't help but respect them, especially Hakuno Kishinami, who quickly began his assault. It was like he said, he was going to have to wrap this up as he was on a timer. Lancer wasn't going to stay frozen forever.
"Ora! Ora, ora, ora, ora, ora, ora, ora, ora, oraaaaa!" Shouted the male brunette with a smile on his face. He could practically hear Beowulf cheering him on, happy that he was finally indulging in the Berserker's battle cry when unleashing his Noble Phantasm. His attack was no Grendel Buster, but it was enough to get the job done. He felt both Kōkyo and Torukuma's bones broke beneath his fists and those of his Effigy. Regarding the latter, he wonders what Tamamo would have thought of seeing the modified Effigy. He told her how he sometimes saw it in his dreams, a constant reminder of where his journey as Hakuno Kishinami, a Master of the Moon Cell, had begun. Looking back at that time, he couldn't help but laugh.
Hearing the distant roar of Celtchar, he ceased his punches and kicked Kōkyo off to the side with his Effigy doing the same. Both battered demons stumbled backwards. Behind them, he sensed the other four demons who'd come to a stop in realizing how the strongest of their number had fared; they knew they would do no matter.
Dismissing his Effigy, Hakuno raised his left hand and pulled back his right. A bow of silver light materialized in the former with an arrow of crystalline blue light notched and held back by the latter. Hakuno took a second to breathe in and out. Tamamo's Noble Phantasm had come at just the right time. The poisoned wound from Celtchar's spear had mostly faded, just in time for him to hurl himself into another confrontation with the rampaging Servant. He could see the line of fire approaching him through the forest. "Lunar Style..." he whispered. In his mind, he pictured the various Archers who'd he met and who'd personally taught him so that if he ever found himself wielding a bow and arrow, he'd known what to do. Robin, EMIYA, Arjuna, Abhimanyu, Cao Xiu, Philoctetes, give me strength! The arrow of light blazed all the brighter, perhaps in accordance with the waning moon which revealed itself through the parting clouds. Hakuno felt his blood pumping through his veins faster than it had ever before. The lingering pain completely vanished and his vision opened up. "Iokheira!"
The bowstring was released, and from the light and ice-forged weapon came a shower of moonlight arrows, each one flying in a single direction, each one carrying enough force to obliterate a boulder. Against the demons, it would be enough to put them down, but against the Servant now charging toward him, it would hurt, but not enough to permanently stop him. Through the death cries of the demons in front of him, he heard Celtchar howl in pain as the light force arrows pelted him. Their moon-based nature counteracted the solar flames now burning within his Servant body, creating a violent clash that brought him to his knees. Hakuno kept his assault up, continuously pulling the energy string back and releasing two-hundred and twenty-two arrows in every volley. The forest in front of him became obscured by blasts of silver and blue light that shook the ground with the thunderous force.
Celtchar screamed and screamed, yet the pain didn't end. It never did end. The proud Celtic warrior could feel himself close to tears, but the same pride he carried himself with kept him from shedding a single tear. He wasn't at that point, not yet. There was an enemy before him, one that was making his already unbearable agony even worse. The silvery light reminded him of the moon on a clear night.
Reacting to the moonlight, the orb within him flared up, literally. "AAAARRRRRRRGGGH!" An aura of gold and black-tinted flames exploded, the veins bulging across his body. Tears of blood slipped from the Lancer's eyes as he rose to his feet, ignoring the continued barrage of arrows. "RRAAAAAAHHH! KILL! KILL! KILL HIM!" Somewhere in the maelstrom of pain, he saw it, felt it. These feelings weren't his own. They were those of a goddess of a foreign land far to the east. The residual rage and loathing she still had for her sibling burned seeing his power wielded in the hands of another. White-hot anger gave him the strength to lift his spear and undo the shackles around it.
The Bounded Field around the Lúin of Celtchar disappeared, allowing the entire bladed portion to ignite into a festering poisonous flame.
His barrage stopped by the force of the spear's release, Hakuno dismissed his bow and readied himself. A dim hope that Celtchar would be too crazed to call his Noble Phantasm's name died as he heard the shouts of murderous rage from his lips. It was sad to hear, sad to see the gruff but decent warrior now reduced to a flaming mass of pain and hatred. He was Tamamo's Vitch's Servant now unless he could do something about it. "I guess this settles it." He mused as the flaming figure revealed itself, close to twelve meters from him; it was a distance that would vanish in an instant. "Being a Lancer…really is suffering, huh?" From his exposed chest, blue lines raced up his face to his hairline. Right eye glowing a bright blue, Hakuno readied himself. "Let me put an end to your suffering, Celtchar."
For the second time, beyond the walls of the Hidden Leaf Village, Hakuno Kishinami engaged a Servant. It'd been little more than a day since he'd fought Team Comstock, which right about now seemed like a walk in the park. Unlike that battle though, the village he sought to protect was burning, but the fire wouldn't last for long. It would fade and dawn would rise, and when it did, Hakuno planned on wrapping his arms around his Servant and their son.
One chapter left, everyone. One last chapter left of the "Ōma Night" arc left and it will be ending with a bang on multiple fronts. Primarily, next chapter we'll be checking back in on the Uchiha Brothers and the Uchiha Clan. Did Tamamo's Noble Phantasm change anything for the Uchiha? Will they have a fighting chance against one of their prodigies and lunatic in a mask whom I've kept hidden? You're going to have to be patient and wait!
This chapter marked the first time in this story that Tamamo used her Noble Phantasm, which in this case is pretty damn useful, especially when she's using it bolster an entire village. Now seemed like a good time, especially after a pep talk from Hakuno; to me it made sense as a Servant's Noble Phantasm is a massive giveaway regarding their identity. In regards to Tamamo reluctantly letting Naruto go, well, she's been around quite a few fighters and knows that trying to send him away probably won't work, but at the very least he has some protection with him. Namely two foxes, one that he's riding and the other who stuck inside of him.
I'll be upfront and say that after this arc, Naruto and Kurama are going to start talking more. I'm using the chaos of attack to set up their meeting, and their future friendship. There are reasons as to why Kurama's being somewhat…helpful to his host, but those will come later. On the flip side, I included Sasuke's segment since this is a pretty defining moment for him too. At first, I had him grabbing a stray sword to use similar to Naruto, but I decided that him using the Fireball jutsu would be better given its his clan's right of passage and the role it played in his relationship with his father. My writing hand just couldn't keep away from it.
Something you might have noticed this chapter is how Naruto and Sasuke tended to go for groin shots. Well, they're kids, little school kids who have bare minimum training and that's it. Particularly in Naruto's case, his time as a prankster would have lead him running away a lot and learning what sorts of things can make a person distracted enough for him to make his escape. Nothing quite like a groin shot to do that, wouldn't you say? For Sasuke, well…it's mostly gut instinct and intuition, but I'm sure there's one member of the Uchiha family that wouldn't mind telling him to go for the cheap shot to win *cough* Mikoto *cough*
That's all for now. Until next time, keep safe and healthy, everyone!
