"KILL THEM… KILL THEM… I will kill them."
Gaara clutches his forehead as bloodlust takes over him.
Swish… swish…
He swipes his claw and sends the Uchiha group flying.
Bang… Bang…
The Uchiha group slams through multiple houses, their fate unknown.
ROAR…
More and more sand converge around Gaara as he loses his consciousness.
"HAHA… Finally, I am free. And I want to kill someone to calm my anger."
Shukaku roars furiously as inspects his surroundings.
"These damn humans, they sealed me for such a long time. Just a little more… just a little more for this vessel to break and I will be free from my restraints."
Swish…
Shukaku swipes its claws and rampages through the village as he destroys one house after another, searching for targets.
"Huh!"
Yang Kurama opens his eyes and stares at the center of the village.
"That damn Tanuki is here. What is that bastard doing here?"
Kurama growls in anger.
"Ah…"
Shukaku senses Kurama's chakra.
"That bastard fox is lurking around here. Last time I heard he was sealed inside a jinchuruki. I will shred that bastard to pieces. ROAR…"
Shukaku dashes towards Naruto's location.
"Damnit… I am trapped in this brat's body or else I would have taught a lesson to Tanuki."
Rumble… Rumble…
The ground trembles as Shukaku marches towards Naruto.
Brrr…
A shiver runs down Naruto's spine as he feels a sense of incoming danger.
"What's going on? Why I suddenly feel like I am in great danger?" Naruto looks around to search for the source of the threat.
"Oye brat!… listen to me…"
Kurama advertently pulls Naruto into his mindscape.
"Huh! How come I am here?"
Naruto blinks cluelessly as he stares at the underground complex of pipes and shallow water.
"It is that place again."
Naruto quickly dashes deeper into the underground complex. A giant cage appears in front of him.
"Nine-tail fox, why you pulled me here? I was about to reach the shelter." Naruto demands.
"Listen, brat! I don't have enough time to explain. The jinchuruki of one-tails lost control and is rampaging in your village. Earlier, he sensed my presence and now one-tail is coming for your ass.
As much as I hate your guts, I also hate to lose to that Tanuki. I don't want a trip to Sanzu River without my other half." Kurama growls.
"Wait, a minute!... Hold on a sec! You mean to say that one-tails is coming after your sorry ass and I am being targeted because of that." Naruto blames Kurama.
"Ahem!...Brat! If you want to live to see another day, then follow my instructions or else forget about it. I will swallow this humiliation from that Tanuki bastard and will repay him two-fold in the future." Kurama closes his eyes.
"NO… NO… I will listen." Naruto furiously shakes his hands.
"I never even got a chance to meet with my parents. Izuna Nii-san told me I will meet them soon and I believe in him."
"Grr…"
Kurama remembers the incident of the past where he stabbed through Minato's and Kushina's body.
"Humph Fool!… then listen!"
Kurama formulates a plan and conveys it to Naruto.
"I got it." Naruto nods his head.
He opens his eyes and dumps Choji near the shelter.
"Sorry, Choji! I have to save everyone else. That one-tails is coming for me. I can't bring him to shelter and risk everyone's life."
Whoosh…
Naruto flickers towards training ground1 located in the middle of the village.
"At least this way, there would be no casualties. I hope others will help me."
Inside the shelter,
Sasuke, Sakura, and the rest of the people drag everyone else to the shelter.
Sasuke looks around and spots his mother.
Mikoto has a distressed expression on her face as she is furiously searching around. She notices Sasuke and sighs in relief.
"Thank god! Sasuke you are fine."
Sasuke nods his head.
"Mother! Where are father and brother?" He asks her.
"Your father and brother are repelling enemies and evacuating people to shelter." Mikoto calms down.
"Where is Naruto? He should be with you right?" Mikoto asks him.
"Naruto!"
Sasuke searches around for Naruto. He turns towards the rest of his classmates and asks them.
"Did you see Naruto? He was with us when I last saw him."
"No, I didn't see him. Choji is also not here." Neji activates his Byakugan and inspects the shelter.
He shakes his head in denial.
"Naruto! That idiot. I bet he is in some kind of trouble."
Sasuke clicks his tongue and dashes out of the shelter.
"Sasuke-kun!"
Sakura tries to follow him.
"Hold on, Sakura!" Shikamaru stops him.
"You will be a burden to him. Sasuke is strong on his own. He can take care of himself; you will just hold him back."
Shikamaru shakes his head.
"But… but…" Sakura whimpers as tears flow from her eyes.
"Why am I so useless in everything?"
"Uh!" Shikamaru rubs his forehead as he is at a loss for words.
'Even I can't think of a solution for that.'
"Mikoto! Have you seen Ayaka around?"
A distressed Aiko and Fumiko walk up to her.
"No… as far as I remember, she was with us until now. Where is that girl?"
Worry appears on Mito's face.
"Let me help."
Neji offers help.
"Izuna Nii-san saved my father's life. This much is nothing."
"Very well." The mother group nods their head.
"Byakugan!"
Neji activates his Byakugan and searches every nook and cranny of shelter.
"She is not in the shelter." He shakes his head.
"Where did this girl ran off to?" Their worry intensifies.
Neji continues to expand his sight. He stops around half a kilometer and shakes his head.
"This is my limit. I can't see past it."
"Let me help." Hinata's mother offers help.
"Byakugan!"
She activates her Byakugan and searches the inner sanctum of the village.
"I can't see her in the inner sanctum of the village."
She continues to expand the horizon of her search until she reaches the outer section of the village as something blocks her vision.
"I can't look past the outer sanctum of the village. There is a barrier blocking my vision. It is quite a powerful genjutsu based barrier." She shakes her head.
Click…
Aiko clicks her tongue in worry and dashes out of the shelter.
"I have to search for that girl."
Mikoto and Fumiko nod their head and follow her.
"We will also help." The rest of the Konoha 11 group breaks free from their genjutsu as they offer help.
"You guys… it is very dangerous outside. You will only get in the cross-fire of enemies."
Mikoto shakes her head and denies them.
Whoosh…
She flickers out of the shelter.
--
Outside Konoha,
Whoosh…
Mei stops in front of a crimson barrier.
"This is… this is a powerful barrier. I can sense Izuna's chakra signature from it. He must have erected it to prevent any damage to the village."
Mei touches the barrier as the barrier repels her.
"Let me see how can he stop me." She tightly clenches her fists.
"Lava Release: Heavenly Searing Blade"
Mei kneads a large amount of chakra in her mouth and spits out a giant lava blade.
Srrr…
The lava sword slams into the barrier and dissipates.
Tch…
"It's useless."
She clicks her tongue in frustration.
Crack… crack…
Some cracks appear on the barrier as it crumbles apart.
"Did I succeed?"
Crack… crack… Bang…
The barrier shatters into countless fragments as the infused chakra dissipates into the surroundings.
Mei hurriedly enters the area to look for traces for Izuna. She looks around as a painful moan falls in her ears.
"IZUNA!!"
She notices a badly beaten and battered Izuna held by the cloaked figure. Multiple black rods are stabbed into his body as chakra fumes out of them.
"IZUNA!"
Mei hurriedly dashes towards him.
"Lava Release: Meteor Shower"
She makes some hand signs and releases multiple lava meteor at Jigen.
"M… Mei… get away from him… You are not a match for him. He is… he is… very powerful."
Izuna struggles to breathe as he spits out these words.
"I know. But I can't allow him to kill you."
Mei has a resolute expression on her face as she faces the cloaked figure.
Hoh!
Jigen turns towards Mei as he ignores the flaming lava meteor heading his way.
"Another foolish human who doesn't know their limit."
Swoosh…
Jigen waves his hand.
'Sukunahikona'
The flaming meteor turns into flaming pebbles as they approach Jigen.
Whoosh…
Jigen catches them in between his fingers as he waves his right hand.
'Daikokuten'
Whoosh…
Jigen uses his eye ability and releases multiple high-speed black chakra rods at Mei.
Stab… stab… stab…
The rods stab through Mei's legs and arms and pins her on the ground.
"Is she your other significant half?" Jigen turns towards Izuna.
Only silence greets him as Izuna refuses to answer him.
"I see."
Jigen walks towards Mei as he opens a small Kama rift and takes out another black rod from it.
"I can sense your chakra signature from her. That must be it."
Jigen raises his hand and stabs the black rod towards Mei's womb.
"You bastard!"
Izuna yells in fury.
BOOM…
--
Whoosh…
Naruto flickers towards the training ground.
"Get ready, brat! He isonyou." Kurama warns him.
Rumble… rumble…
The ground trembles as a giant sandbehemoth appears in Naruto's vision.
Gulp…
Naruto gulps his saliva as he stares at the approaching Shukaku.
"How am I supposed to fight that thing? He is so huge."
"Kid! As much as I hate your guts for bossing me around; I hate that Tanuki even more. I willlend you my chakra this time around.
I will leave the rest to you."
Burble… burble…
Red chakra bubbles pops out from Naruto's body as they form a red chakra cloak around him. Three chakra tails appear behind him.
ROAR…
Naruto releases a roar and dashes towards Shukaku on his all fours.
Sniff… sniff…
"This foul smell of chakra. There is no doubtthat dimwit fox is here."
Shukaku quickly dashes towards the training ground as he senses Nine-tails chakra.
Rumble… rumble…
He destroys one tree after another andrampages through the forest of the training grounds.
Whoosh…
Shukaku notices a small red dot quicklydashing towards him.
"So, he is the jinchuruki of that snarly fox."
Shukaku opens his mouth and inhales largeamounts of chakra.
"Wind Releases: Drilling Air Bullet"
Shukaku pounds his stomach with his arm as he rapidly fires one compressed air bullet after another.
BOOM… BOOM… Whoosh…
Naruto quickly dodges the bullet as they create craters on the ground.
"Brat! Hit that tanuki on his tail joint. That's his weak spot. Blow away his tail and his sand will disperse."
Nine-tails remind him.
Shoom…
Naruto quickly flickers around Shukaku asShukaku tries to pound him with his giant arms.
Tch…
"Is this all you can do you damn fox? Dodging and avoiding all of my attacks?" Shukaku taunts Kurama.
"You runt Tanuki, I am shackled behind thisdamn seal, or else I would pound you to ground. You are the weakest among us all tailed-beasts."
Kurama retorts.
"Damn you, fox! If a fox can transform seven times, then a tanuki can do eight times. I can do much more than you are even capable of." Shukaku swipes its tail and sends Naruto flying.
BANG…
Naruto slams into a boulder as he coughsout some blood.
"I think I broke a rib."
He slowly stands up and stares at Shukaku as he smirks.
"But I managed to complete the job."
He makes a ram hand sign.
"Release"
Multiple explosive papers appear behind Shukaku's tail."
BOOM…
An enormous explosion occurs as dust and debris rise in the air. Sand falls apart from Shukaku's tails.
"Did I get him?"
Naruto slowly stands up as he stares at the aftermath of the explosion.
"Watch out, Kid!"
Nine-tails warn him.
BANG…
A giant sand paw slams into Naruto and crushes him.
"Haha! Did you honestly think that would be enough to break through my sand?
My motto is absolute defense… That is what I, Shukaku, pride myself on."
Argh…
Naruto struggles to break free from his bindings.
"Now then, say your farewell."
Shukaku opens his mouth and charges a giant wind bullet.
Fwoosh…
He fires the sand bullet at Naruto.
BOOM… Wham…
A thin green barrier appears around Narutoas it blocks the attack.
Whoosh…
A pendant flies out from Naruto's neck as itreleases an enormous amount of chakra.
"That is… that's the pendant Izuna Nii-san gaveme on my birthday."
Naruto recognizes the pendant.
Whoosh…
Multiple sealing formations appear around the pendant.
Swish… swish…
The seals attach to Shukaku's arm and glowbrightly.
BOOM…
The seal explodes as sand disperses from Shukaku's arm. The explosion reaches up to its head and disperses a part of sand to reveal an unconscious Gaara.
"Ah!…"
Shukaku stares at his arm as it continues todisperse.
Whoosh…
Naruto quickly escapes from his claw.
"Not so much a defense now, isn't it?" Kurama makes fun of Shukaku.
"Damn you, Fox."
Shukaku roars in anger as he chases Naruto.
Whoosh…
Naruto enters in his three tail-cloak formsagain.
"I can't beat him with a normal jutsu. I have to use Rasengan."
Swirl… swirl…
Naruto creates a Rasengan in his right hand. Three more Rasengan forms on his tails asNaruto lounges towards Shukaku.
"Try to aim for his head. I can see the jinchuruki of this tanuki bastard. He seems to have lost his consciousness, and this Tanuki took over his body.
Earlier, with that explosion, I figured out the true nature of this transformation. The real Shukaku is still trapped inside the seal on that boy's body. This body of his is just a giant sand construct held together by his chakra."
Kurama figures out the true nature of Shukaku's transformation.
"Who is Shukaku?" Naruto questions Kuramaas he approaches Shukaku with his Rasengan.
"That's the name of One-tails." Kurama remarks.
"Oh! He has a name. So… do you have a nametoo?" Naruto asks Kurama.
"Of course, I have a name. But it's not the time for idle chatter." Kurama warns him.
Whoosh…
Naruto flickers on top of Shukaku's head.
"I won't allow you." Shukaku figures out Naruto's intention.
"Sand Barrier"
Shukaku creates a thick barrier of sand aroundGaara to protect him.
BAM…
Naruto slams all of his Rasengan into the barrier.
"HAAH…."
The Rasengan whittles down the sand barrier.
"I am almost there." Naruto gives the last push as he breaks through the sand barrier.
Argh!
He pukes out a mouthful of blood as his chakra cloak runs out. Various wounds appear on his body as blood leaks through them.
"Looks like this amount of chakra was toomuch for his body." Kurama shakes his head.
He lifts his head and stares in a direction.
"At least, this boy has some luck, or should I say a family who cares for him."
Kurama has a complimented expression on his face.
Naruto slowly falls to the ground as he loses his consciousness.
"I wasn't able to do it, after all." He slowly closes his eyes.
"Haha… you scared me, kid." Shukaku laughs hysterically and opens his mouth.
"Wind Release: Sand Buckshot"
He compresses sand into various bullets and fires them towards Naruto.
Whoosh…
A shadow appears behind Naruto and grabshim.
Swoosh…
The shadow disappears and reappears near a tree.
"You did well, Naruto." Shisui catches Naruto as he stares at his condition.
"Sasuke! Hurry up and take him to a medic. I will take care of this matter."
Shisui passes an unconscious Naruto to Sasuke, who just arrived at the training ground.
"Yes, Nii-san." Sasuke carries Naruto awayfrom the battle.
Humph…
Shukaku harrumphs and turns towards Shisui.
"Since you saved that fox from my hands, I would have to satisfy myself with your blood." Shukaku opens his mouth and gathers an extensive amount of chakra near his mouth. Red and blue chakra bubbles gather near his mouth as he charges up a tailed-beast bomb.
Hmm...
Shisui turns around and confronts Shukaku.
"It has been a while since I last used this jutsu."
Shoom…
His Sharingan turns into Mangekyo as green chakra Skelton constructs form around him.
'Susanoo'
--
"Summoning Jutsu"
Sakumo summons his giant bulldog.
The bulldog summon spits out his giant boneat the puppets.
"Bone smasher"
Swoosh…
The giant bone smashes into the puppet formation and destroys their jutsu.
Sakumo stabilizes his footing as he holds his sword.
"Bulltaro! Hold these three puppets for me. I will deal with the rest of them."
Whoosh…
He infuses chakra in his blade as it glows with white light.
"Kenjutsu: Dance of the Crescent Moon"
Swish… swish… swish…
He releases a multitude of crescent slashes and shreds two of the nearby puppets into pieces.
Swoosh…
Chiyo waves her hand as she reattaches the parts of puppets with her chakra threads.
"Your skills have improved since we last met, Lady Chiyo."
Sakumo remarks.
"It was all for this moment. All of my hard work in this old age was to exact revenge formy son and daughter-in-law."
Chiyo remarks as she continues to assaulthim.
--
Boom…
A giant fireball explodes on top of Jigen's head.
Humph…
Jigen shrugs off the fireball as he turns around to look at his attacker.
"Stay away from my Onii-san." Ayaka angrily yells at Jigen.
There is a hint of fear in her eyes, but she resolutely clutches her fists.
"AYAKA! NO! RUN!" Izuna shouts at Ayaka.
"Onii-san, I will save you."
Ayaka makes some hand signs and opens her mouth.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu"
She fires another fireball at Jigen.
Whoosh…
Jigen stretches his arm and shrinks the fireball into a small tiny spark.
Hmm…
He absorbs the chakra from the fireball.
"This chakra…"
He turns towards Ayaka as his right eye transforms in his Dojutsu. He inspects Ayaka curiously.
'Her Otsutsuki bloodline is quite thick and her body is strong enough to host my Kama seal. She would be my perfect vessel.'
"I finally found it. The perfect host I was looking for. I have been searching this world for a millennium and I finally found it."
Jigen pulls Ayaka towards himself.
Whoosh…
Ayaka flies towards Jigen as she struggles to get free.
"Not so soon, you bastard."
Izuna breaks free from Jigen's grasp as he riles up his remaining chakra.
"Sin, do it!"
He stretches his left arm as a seal appears on it. The seal is in the form of an eye.
Burble… burble…
An enormous amount of dark purple chakra rises from the seal.
"This chakra…"
Jigen senses an intense threat as the spokes in his right eye rotate rapidly. He tries to absorb the purple chakra.
Argh…
His arm gets scorched by the purple chakra.
"What kind of chakra is this? It is so corrosive."
Jigen cautiously stares at the purple chakra as he is unable to absorb it.
"Electromagnet Release: Flux Rasengan"
Izuna creates a dark purple Rasengan in his left hand. The Rasengan compresses into itself as it forms a small unstable electric and magnetic field around itself.
Bzzt…
The intense magnetic and electric field distorts the surrounding space.
Jigen feels an intense threat from the Rasengan.
'I am afraid If I take it head on, I would suffer some serious damage. I can't stand to lose this body without transferring my Kama seal to that girl.'
He activates his Dojutsu's ability.
"Sukunahikona"
Jigen tries to shrink the jutsu.
Bzzt… Shoom…
The Rasengan shrinks a little, but it resists the jutsu and releases a powerful EMP blast, which makes him dizzy.
"Impossible! This technique has touched the level of a concept. I must avoid it all cost or things won't go well for me."
BAM…
Jigen headbutts Izuna, but Izuna withstands it without even as much as a flinch.
"I won't let you..."
He wraps his arm around Jigen's waist as he completes the jutsu.
"I won't let you harm my family any further. Let's go down together."
BAM…
Izuna slams the Rasengan in Jigen's body.
Zrrr… Brr…
The jutsu releases multiple EMP Blasts as it expands violently. An extensive field of purple lightning appears on the battlefield as it terraforms the area.
BOOM…
AAH…
Jigen yells in agony as the jutsu corrodes his body.
BOOM…
The Rasengan explodes and expands into a purple tornado as it engulfs both of them.
AAH…
Izuna yells in pain as the corrosion spreads to his left arm. I have to hold on to it.
Bang… bang…
The EMP blast knocks Mei and Ayaka away.
--
Edo-Hashirama and Jiraiya watch the battle as their expression turns ugly.
"Quick… we have to help that Uchiha boy. I have regained complete control over my body now."
Both of them rush towards the location of the battle.
Bzzt…
The Rasengan creates a giant crater at its location as purple lightning flickers through it.
Jiraiya tries to approach the crater.
Bzzt...
A bolt of dark purple lightning strikes in front of him and creates a small crater.
"Boy! Stay away from that lightning. It is no ordinary lightning. It is the highest form of lightning. This lightning has touched upon natural laws, and it is a part of the force of nature itself."
Hashirama warns Jiraiya.
"Highest form?… Natural law? Force of Nature?"
Jiraiya has a confused expression on his face as he stares at Hashirama for answers.
"Take care of the girl first while I will tend to that boy. This body of mine is meant for such work."
"Very well… Lord First."
Jiraiya nods his head as he walks towards Mei. He tries to pull the black rods from Mei's body.
Aww… Aww…
"What kind of material is this? It is rapidly draining my chakra."
Hmm…
Jiraiya ponders for a while as an idea clicks his mind.
"This might work."
He clasps his palms and absorbs Nature's energy from the surroundings.
The facial features of Jiraiya change to match that of a frog.
Jiraiya grabs the black rods as Sage Mode helps him resist the chakra drain.
He pulls out all four black rods from Mei's body. Jiraiya reverts to his normal self and checks Mei's pulse.
"She is in serious condition. She needs immediate medical attention."
"Onii-Chan!"
A feeble voice falls in Jiraiya's ears. He turns around and notices Ayaka curled up in a corner.
Jiraiya quickly picks her up.
"So hot… her body temperature is so high. This little girl has such an intense fever."
Crunch… crunch…
Jiraiya hears some footsteps as he raises his head. He notices Hashirama is carrying Izuna in his arms.
The Edo-body of Hashirama is in a battered shape as it regenerates very slowly.
Hashirama places Izuna at a distance from the rest of the group.
Hmm…
Jiraiya turns towards Izuna as his expression turns ugly.
Purple lightning is flickering through the entire body of Izuna.
"Lor… Lord First? What's going on? Is this boy alright? If something happens to him, I won't see the end of it from Tsunade."
Jiraiya inquires.
Hashirama shakes his head.
"I can't say anything about him. He used a forbidden jutsu to fight against the enemy and paid a price for it."
Hashirama points towards the left arm of Izuna.
"He used his left arm as a sacrifice to use this jutsu."
Hashirama shakes his head.
"What is that purple lightning around him?" Jiraiya curiously stares at Izuna as he sends one of his frogs to inform Tsunade.
"That's the highest form of Lightning Release. When the proficiency of an element has reached its highest state; then it becomes a very part of nature itself.
Nature has various fundamental forces acting and shaping the very world we live in. These forces are either materialistic or non-materialistic."
Hashirama explains the details to Jiraiya.
"Take my Wood Release, for example. It is a part of the materialistic force as it helps in the flourishment of life. My proficiency with the wood release reached its highest state, and I came across what I call 'Life Release'.
'Life Release' is a materialistic force of Nature. The very nature accepts my existence and helps in the flourishment of my life. I can tap into the power of Nature with my Life Sage Mode.
It is the part of the reason I outlast my old friend Madara in our final fight. I can channel the immense vitality of nature through my body, but it places a certain amount of burden on my body so I can't use it extensively."
"Life Sage Mode?"
Jiraiya curiously questions him.
"Let me demonstrate."
Hashirama kneels and touches the ground near Mei. Various small plants grow near her as her body shines with a light green glow.
"This is similar to Nature energy but… but it has something else within it."
Jiraiya's eyes widen in surprise.
The green light heals Mei's wounds and closes the holes caused by the black rod.
"This is as far as I can use it in my current form. To use the full extent of my prowess, I need my own body."
Hashirama shakes his head.
He points towards Izuna and continues.
"Similar to me, this boy has also touched upon the essence of the force of Nature. Though in his case it is the non-materialistic force of Nature.
The Non-materialistic forces are quite volatile and destructive compared to materialistic ones. Their power far surpasses the materialistic aspect, but it also makes them extremely hard to control.
He has lost control over his power and is currently struggling to contain it. I advise you to stay away from him or else his power will harm others."
Hashirama advises Jiraiya.
"Yes… Lord First. I will keep that in mind."
--
"Magnet Release: Gold Dust Imperial Funeral"
Rasa places his palms on the ground as a considerable amount of gold dust erupts from the ground. He waves his hand and creates a sand tide that engulfs a large area.
The gold sand tide travels towards Tsunade at an extremely high speed.
Tsunade jumps in the air to avoid the sand.
She lifts her left leg as she concentrates an enormous amount of chakra on her heels.
"Heavenly Foot of Pain"
Tsunade performs a falling axe kick as she rapidly swings her heel down.
BOOM…
Her kick destroys the nearby ground, creating a giant crater. The shock wave from the kick travels in front of her and creates a rift in the ground.
Swoosh…
The gold sand falls in the rift and fills it, creating a giant golden scar on the ground.
Whoosh…
Tsunade lands on the ground. She infuses some chakra in her heels as she kicks the ground and propels forward with extreme speed.
Swoosh…
Rasa quickly lifts his hand in front of his chest as he manipulates the gold sand to create a protective sand barrier.
"Magnet Release: Air Gold Dust Protective Wall"
Bang…
Tsunade punches the gold sand barrier.
Crack… crack…
Some cracks appear on the sand barrier, but it withstands the attack.
"Water Release: Water Blade Technique"
Rasa creates a water javelin and strikes Tsunade as his javelin pierces through his Sand Shield to attack Tsunade.
Whoosh…
Tsunade jumps back and avoids the spear, but it still manages to leave a slight wound near her chest.
Tch…
Rasa clicks his tongue at the missed opportunity.
Tsunade makes some hand signs. Vapors rise from her wound as it heals rapidly.
"Magnet Release: Imperial Gold Sand Spear"
Rasa lifts his hands and holds them in the air as he manipulates the nearby gold sand.
The gold sand coalesces together and creates multiple golden sand spears.
He points his hands towards Tsunade and waves them.
Swoosh… swoosh… swoosh…
The spear rotates rapidly and speeds up as they target Tsunade.
BAM…
Tsunade kicks the ground and raises a portion of the ground to block the attacks.
Bang… bang…
The spears strike the portion of the ground and crumble it to dust.
Bang… bang…
Tsunade punches the remaining spears and scatters them into dust.
HAAH!
Rasa clasps his hand as sand surrounds Tsunade.
"Magnet Release: Gold Sand Desert Imperial Seal"
Large amounts of Sand traps Tsunade and forms a giant Pyramid that traps Tsunade.
"Seal"
Rasa slams his palms on the sand pyramid as various magnet releases seals carve on the pyramid.
Whoosh…
The sand settles down as Rasa takes a deep breath.
"You were quite troublesome, Fifth Hokage!"
BANG…
The pyramid trembles as the seals shake.
Rasa's expression turns serious as he tries to reinforce the seal.
BANG…
Cracks appear on the gold sand pyramid as the gold dust starts to scatter.
"This is bad!" Rasa jumps back.
BANG…
The gold pyramid crumbles into dust as Tsunade jumps out from the seal.
The diamond mark on her forehead has spread over her face and eyes.
She turns towards Rasa.
Whoosh…
Tsunade disappears from her place with incredible speed.
"Where is she?" Rasa looks around.
He raises his hands and creates a protective gold sand dome around himself.
"Magnet Release: Gold Sand Fortress"
Bang…
"Heavenly Fist of Pain"
Tsunade punches the sand dome and scatters it into dust.
Bang…
Her punch lands on Rasa and sends him flying.
Whoosh… Bang…
Rasa slams into a nearby wall. Various spider-like cracks appear on the wall as he gets implanted in the wall. He loses consciousness and passes out.
Humph…
Tsunade harrumphs and turns towards the village. She jumps on top of the remains of the arena and overlooks the battle.
"It's time to wrap up this attack."
Swoosh…
Tsunade takes out a scroll from her pocket. She infuses some chakra in the scroll.
Poof…
A giant Taiko drum appears in front of her. Tsunade infuses some chakra in her fists and bangs the drum.
"Mechanical Eight Trigrams Formation"
Countless rock walls rise in the air and create a maze throughout Konoha, trapping enemies in the maze.
Tsunade drags Rasa's unconscious body and makes a hand seal and gathers chakra on her fingertips.
"Five Elements Seal"
Bang…
She slams her fists into Rasa's stomach and seals his chakra.
"I don't want any more trouble from you."
Croak… croak…
A green messenger frog arrives near Tsunade.
"Tsunade-sama, big trouble!... Izuna-sama is in trouble. He needs your help."
The messenger frog informs her.
"What? Izuna is in trouble!"
Tsunade's expression changes as she turns towards Rasa.
Clank… clank…
Tsunade grabs a metal pipe from the remains of the arena. She wraps it around Rasa and folds it with her bare hands.
"Now I can rest assured."
She turns towards the frog.
"Quick! Lead the way."
"Yes, Tsunade-sama!"
The frog leads her towards the location.
--
Whoosh… whoosh…
Tsunade appears at the location of the battle. She surveys the nearby area and her expression turns ugly as she notices the damage caused by the fight.
"Tsunade! Quick, help the girl!"
Jiraiya calls her.
"Yes."
Tsunade walks up to Mei and places her hand on Mei's chest.
"Her pulse is faint. She has suffered grave mental and physical trauma. I have to carry her to the hospital."
Tsunade notices Ayaka lying near Mei.
"This girl! What's she doing here?"
Tsunade hurriedly checks her condition.
"There is no physical or mental injury on her body. But there is a strange chakra flowing through her body. It is the cause of her fever."
Tsunade inspects her body and notices a diamond mark on her palm.
"What's this? It looks like some kind of seal." Jiraiya curiously stares at the seal.
"We don't have time for this. Carry this little girl to Konoha Hospital."
Tsunade lifts Mei and flickers towards the hospital.
"She… she ignored me. My Tsuna-Chan ignored me."
Hashirama depressingly drops his head.
"Uh! Lord Third! Why don't help carry the boy!"
Jiraiya picks up Ayaka and turns towards Hashirama.
"Ah! Yes… yes!"
Whoosh…
Both of them flickers towards the Konoha hospital.
--
Inside Konoha,
BOOM…
Shisui swings a giant katana as he disperses the sand construct of Shukaku.
"I will have my revenge, next time. You pathetic humans!" Shukaku yells before dissipating into dust.
Whoosh…
Shisui flickers towards the remains of Shukaku and picks up Gaara. He notices the young appearance of Gaara.
"What a sad thing! This child is even younger than Naruto, and yet both of them suffer from the same fate."
He shakes his head and makes a hand seal.
"Five Element Seal"
Shisui reinforces Gaara's seal with his seal.
"With this, the tail beast won't be able to overpower this boy's body temporarily."
He picks Gaara up and flickers towards the Konoha Hospital.
"With this, the tides have turned in Konoha's favor. I am sure by now, Itachi must have dealt with all the enemy anbus. He must be on his way to aid Lord Third."
Mmm…
Gaara struggles in his sleep.
"Mother!"
Hmm…
Shisui turns towards Gaara and notices the Kanji letter 'Love' on his forehead.
"Poor boy! He is in so much pain and suffering, and yet he is hated by his people for his status of Jinchuriki.
I wonder how Naruto would have ended up if not for Nii-san's interference."
Whoosh…
He enters the Konoha hospital and notices Shizune tending to patients.
"Shizue-san! There is an emergency. Take care of this boy."
Shisui places Gaara on a nearby bed.
"Yes, I will look after him after I check on Naruto."
She passes a medical report to one of the medical ninjas.
One of the nearby patients notices the sand emblem on Gaara's clothes.
"He is… he is an enemy. Why are you tending to an enemy? Look, I need immediate medical attention." He yells at Shizune as he points towards a minor injury near his stomach.
Swish…
Shizune flips a scalpel in her hand and stabs it in the shinobi's chest.
"AAH… what are you doing?" The shinobi screams in pain.
"What else? Treating you!" Shizune turns towards Shisui and nods her head.
"I will shift him near Naruto."
"Thank you." Shisui nods his head.
Whoosh…
Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Hashirama arrive in the hospital.
"Quick! I need three assistants. I have to perform a surgery."
Tsunade yells as he enters into an operation theatre.
"Yes, Tsunade-sama!" Three medical ninjas follow her.
"What's going on?"
Shisui turns towards Jiraiya for answers.
"It's like this kid," Jiraiya explains the series of events of Shisui.
"What? Nii-san's and Mei san's life are in danger, and even Ayaka is caught in the cross-fire."
Shisui's expression turns ugly.
"I won't spare these bastards."
Shisui's eyes change into Mangekyo as he flickers out of the Hospital.
Gulp…
Jiraiya gulps his saliva.
"This kid is the most peaceful among those Uchiha bunches. If even he has lost it, then I wonder what would happen to the rest of these brothers."
Jiraiya silently closes his eyes.
"I can only pray for you sorry souls."
Slash… slash… slash…
Orochimaru flails the Kusanagi blade at Hiruzen. Hiruzen blocks the blade with his staff.
Argh…
Enma grunts in pain as the Kusanagi blade damages him.
"Hiruzen, anymore of these strikes, and I would be forced out of my transformation." He warns Hiruzen.
Bang…
Hiruzen slams down the staff as he makes some hand signs.
"Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Jutsu"
He spits out a small volley of fireballs at Orochimaru.
Whoosh… whoosh…
Orochimaru swings the blade and slices the fireball in half.
"Looks like the old age caught up to you. Your attacks can't even faze me anymore."
Haah…
Hiruzen claps his hand together.
BOOM…
The remains of the fireballs explode on top of Orochimaru.
Bang…
Orochimaru is sent flying out of the explosion as he slams into a nearby tree. He faceplants on the ground.
"I might be old, but I can still deal with the likes of you."
Hiruzen takes a deep breath.
Stab…
"Are you sure, sensei?"
Orochimaru stabs the Kusanagi blade through Hiruzen's chest.
"How could this be?"
Hiruzen turns towards Orochimaru's body.
Crumble… crumble…
Orochimaru's body turns into a paste of flesh and blood.
"This technique?"
Hiruzen's eyes widen.
"Haha… Sensei! You are old and frail and you will soon die by my hands. But I have achieved immortality, I am longer restricted by the limits of my body. I am no longer restricted by the limitations of my talent; I just have to find a suitable vessel as a new host for my body and I can live for as long as I want. Haha…"
Cough… cough…
Hiruzen coughs out a mouthful of blood as he turns behind. He notices the snake-like appearance of Orochimaru.
"Orochimaru! You lost your humanity. You are not a human. You have become a monster."
"Haha… Sensei! If this is what it takes in my pursuit of knowledge, then I am ready to become a monster."
Stab…
Orochimaru continues to push the sword through Hiruzen's chest.
Swoosh…
Enma turns into his monkey form as he grabs the other end of the sword and stops Orochimaru from further shoving the sword.
"Since when!… since when you fall prey to this obsession. Since when... since when you found the necessary means to pursue this foolish conquest of yours?"
Hiruzen struggles to breathe as he questions Orochimaru.
Slick…
Orochimaru licks his lips as he replies.
"Since you are going to die, anyway; I will satisfy your curiosity.
It all started during the Second Ninja War. Tsunade, Jiraiya, and I fought against the forces of Hanzo and Salamander and barely survived the battle against him.
It was during that time, Jiraiya stayed in Amegakure, Tsunade returned to the village to mourn the death of her lover. While I on my way back to Konoha came across the remains of a particular ruin near the Land of Ancestor.
Those were quite old ruins, probably even older than the history of Shinobi itself."
Orochimaru has a frantic expression on his face as he describes the ruins.
"Out of my curiosity, I explored the ruins, and what I found inside the ruins changed my outlook on life."
He turns towards Hiruzen and remarks.
"You must be curious what was inside those ruins, Sensei?"
Argh…
Hiruzen grunts in pain.
"Inside those ruins was the secret of the immortality. There were various statues and murals of god-like horned beings.
I spent three months inside those ruins while trying to decipher them and guess what, sensei?… I figured their secret of Immortality."
Orochimaru opens his mouth and spits out a tattered scroll from it.
"This is the result of my research."
He unfolds the scroll in front of Hiruzen.
There is a pyramid-shaped figure carved on the scroll. Beside the pyramid shape barb, there is a diamond-shaped seal on the scroll.
"Sensei! This is the technique used by those beings. By inscribing the very essence of their being on a well-crafted seal; those horned-beings can preserve the entire information of their body as a backup.
Later, they implant this seal in a suitable host. This seal contains a part of their soul; so when their body dies, they will just reincarnate in the body of host as they slowly take over their consciousness and reform their old body."
Hiruzen's eyes widen in surprise.
"Orochimaru don't tell me… you?"
"Haha… yes, Sensei! I can't create a perfect replica of this technique. Also, the host requirements for this seal are quite high and almost impossible to meet.
But I improvised this technique and created my own seal. Though my seal isn't as efficient as this technique, my technique has fewer harsher requirements. Slick…"
Orochimaru licks his lips as he reveals the information to Hiruzen.
"I see… you haven't changed at all. Even in your youth, you were always overconfident of your abilities. It's the part of the reason Jiraiya surpassed you."
HAAH…
Hiruzen claps his hands together.
"Dead Demon Consuming Seal"
Whoosh…
A swirl of smoke rises from Hiruzen's body. The smoke turns into a Shinigami as it floats behind Hiruzen.
Swoosh…
Ethereal blue energy separates from Hiruzen's body as the Shinigami extends his hairs and wraps them around the ethereal energy.
The ethereal energy turns into a spiritual image of Hiruzen as the Shinigami holds his soul.
Swish…
A blue spiritual arm pierces through Hiruzen's naval and grabs Orochimaru and draws his soul.
Aah…
Orochimaru screams in pain as the Shinigami rips apart his soul from his body.
"Orochimaru! My time is already near. I would die sooner or later; but before I die, I while get rid of my biggest regret."
The Shinigami continues to pull Orochimaru's soul.
"NOO!... I won't allow you. After how far I have come... after all the things I have achieved in my life... I won't fall here. Just die already."
Orochimaru pushes the Kusanagi sword through Hiruzen's chest.
"Hiruzen, you won't be able to make it. My summoning time is already running out." Enma remarks as he struggles to hold the sword.
"Then, at least, I will seal a portion of his soul."
Swish…
The reaper draws its blade and rips a portion of Orochimaru's soul and seals it.
Aah…
Orochimaru screams in pain as his snake body wreathes on the ground.
"Too bad, I won't be able to clear my regret."
Hiruzen silently closes his eyes.
BOOM…
A giant Orange chakra blade cleaves the purple barrier in half.
Guffaw…
The Sound Four spits out a mouthful of blood as a result of the backlash of the barrier.
Hiruzen slowly lifts his head and notices a giant Orange humanoid heading his way.
"Lord Third… are you alright?"
Itachi jumps in front of Hiruzen with his Susanoo. He holds Hiruzen's body in his arms.
"Itachi! You did an outstanding job. You are a worthy candidate for the position of Hokage."
"Please don't push yourself too much." Itachi takes out a sealing tag from his pocket and places it near Hiruzen's chest.
The sealing tag releases a bright green glow as it slowly heals Hiruzen's wound.
"It's no use. My death is certain, Itachi. I made a pact with the Shinigami with my soul as the sacrifice. You can't save me."
Hiruzen shakes his head.
He weakly points towards the snake Orochimaru.
"Yes, Hokage-sama!" Itachi nods his head.
Stab…
The Susanoo stabs its blade through Orochimaru's snake body.
"Totsuka Blade of Sealing"
Swoosh…
A gourd appears at the hilt of the blade as it seals Orochimaru.
Aah...
Orochimaru's wails of resistance die down as Itachi turn to Hiruzen.
"I got rid of him, Lord third!" Itachi nods his head.
"Finally, I can rest in peace."
Hiruzen closes his eyes and falls in eternal slumber.
Rumble… rumble…
The enemy sensor barrier around Konoha collapses as Konoha shinobis get rids of enemies.
"Sarutobi! We will meet in the afterlife."
Tobirama regains control of his edo-body as it dissipates slowly.
Drip…
A single teardrop flows from Hiruzen's eyes as he peacefully rests in his sleep.
Whoosh… whoosh…
The rest of the anbu gathers near Itachi, who slowly raises his head.
Yugao steps forward and reports.
"Captain Itachi! we have neutralized all the enemy forces with zero causalities on our side… No… Lord third lost his life in this battle." She slowly closes her eyes.
The rest of the Anbu closes their eyes as they surround Hiruzen.
Whoosh… whoosh…
Two anbus pushes the crowd and approaches Hiruzen's dead body.
One of them gently grabs Hiruzen's body as tears flow from his eyes.
"Father!"
Itachi silently stands up and leaves the father and son duo.
"Give me the detailed report."
Itachi orders his Anbu team.
"Ca… captain! We got a fresh report. Captain Izuna, Lord Mizukage-sama, and princess Ayaka are in a serious state."
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN?" Itachi's eyes turn into Mangekyo as he stares at his subordinate.
Gulp…
The Anbu gulps his saliva and reports everything to Itachi.
"… Captain Shisui left for Sunagakure."
Crack… crack…
Itachi tightly clenches his fists.
"Suna will pay for this. No matter where the culprit is hidden; I will drag him out."
Whoosh…
Itachi flickers out of Konoha and disappears from their vision.
"I have never seen Captain Itachi lose his cool before."
One of the Anbu members remarks.
"I can't even imagine the hell they will unleash on Sunagakure."
Outside Sunagakure,
Whoosh…
A tall figure with an Onii-mask flicker in front of the entrance. The figure has long orange hairs draped over her shoulders.
"The time has come."
The figure clenches her fist and enters Suna.
"Is this what you want?"
An old voice falls in her ears.
"Who is there?"
The figure jumps back and turns towards the source of the voice.
Ebizo calmly walks out and confronts the figure.
"Tell me, is it really necessary? Do you want to exact revenge on your home?"
He stands in front of the figure and looks at the figure in the eyes.
The masked figure stops and confronts him as she stays silent.
"I won't ask you to stop. But I don't want you to involve innocent people in your revenge."
Ebizo calmly closes his eyes.
"I won't make a promise, but if someone interfered in my revenge, then they will suffer my wrath."
Whoosh…
The figure enters deeper into Sunagakure.
"So… that's your answer."
Ebizo closes his eyes as a teardrop falls from them.
"Perhaps if only I acted my part as the leader of Suna council, then this tragedy could have been prevented."
BOOM… BOOM…
A series of explosions occur inside the village as it set many houses on orange flames. Smoke and fire pour out from them.
Whoosh… whoosh…
Multiple Sand Shinobis gather around Ebizo as they wait for his instructions.
"Honored Grandfather! The village is under attack. The enemy is targeting the elders of the village. We are waiting for your orders to neutralize the enemy."
One of the Jounin leader bows in front of Ebizo.
"Just leave it be."
Ebizo waves his hand.
"It has been a while since we did some cleaning in Suna. The rats have overpopulated the village."
The fire dyes the evening sky with a red hue.
Whoosh…
The Onii-masked figure reappears at the entrance with two unconscious bodies in her hands.
"That's Elder Tojuro and Elder Yura."
The eyes of the rest of the shinobis widen in surprise.
Swoosh… swoosh…
They hurriedly jump in front of the figure and blocks the entrance.
"Stop!"
Ebizo waves his hand to stop them.
"They got what they deserve and besides, none of you are a match for her."
"But… but… that's the members of the Suna council."
A few shinobis resist.
"And I am the head of the Suna council." Ebizo stares at them with a stern expression.
"YES! Honored Grandfather."
The shinobis turn tame as they allow the figure to leave Suna.
"Take care, Sensei!"
A silent whisper falls in Ebizo's ears.
"You too, child."
Ebizo closes his eyes as the figure of the intruder vanishes into the desert.
He slowly reopens them and turns towards the rest of his men.
"Investigate the remains of the properties of Elder Tojuro and Elder Yura. You will get your answers."
Whoosh…
He flickers towards his house.
'Chiyo! I hope you won't make any foolish decisions. I still want to see that clumsy smile of yours.'
Bang…
An enormous explosion occurs at the entrance of Suna. The explosion blows away the outer gate.
Ebizo slowly turns around and notices a giant green humanoid figure swinging a giant Katana at the entrance.
"This is…"
His eyes widen in horror as the memories of the era before the First Shinobi War freshen up in his mind.
"This is Susanoo. The power of Madara Uchiha, what's it doing here?"
Swish…
The giant humanoid swings its sword again and cleaves a hill guarding the entrance.
"It's an enemy attack. Quick, we have to stop him."
The guards gather at the entrance as they make hand signs.
"Wind Release: Wind Bullet"
"Earth Release: Sand Buster"
"Water Release: Water Bullet"
The shinobis make multiple hand signs as they fire one jutsu after another at the giant monster.
Swish…
The Susanoo swings its sword and repels the attack. With another swing of its sword, it easily incapacitates the guards.
"The Sand will pay for its crimes. Nothing will stand in my way."
Shisui roars as he enters in the Sunagakure.
Swish… swish…
Multiple kunais with paper bombs bombard the Susanoo.
Bang… Bang…
Multiple minor explosions occur on top of the Susanoo as smoke and dust cover their vision.
"Did we get him?" One of the Suna jounin gulps his saliva.
"We did, right?" Another jounin warily stares at the smoke.
Swish…
A giant green blade greets them as it destroys the hill hiding them.
Whoosh…
Ebizo flickers in front of the Susanoo.
"Stop!"
He raises his hands to stop Shisui.
Hmm…
Shisui notices Elder Ebizo and stops his assault.
"Are you a member of the Suna council?"
The Susanoo stretches its arms in an attempt to grab him.
"Yes, I am. I am the leader of the Suna council."
Ebizo nods his head.
"Then that makes it one down."
The Susanoo grabs Ebizo with one of its arms and continues to walk deeper.
"Wait! Listen to me first."
Ebizo tries to reason with Shisui.
"What do you want me to listen? It's because of you that my big brother, his wife, and my little sister are in a comma. How can I forgive your sins?
You Suna shinobi waged war on Konoha with no thought of retaliation from our side. In a war, the destruction is mutual."
Shisui angrily stares at Ebizo as his Mangekyo revolves.
"No… no… I didn't mean to stop you. Just listen to what I have to say." Ebizo shakes his head as he pleads to Shisui.
"Fine… speak up." Shisui relents as he releases his grip.
"Look!"
Ebizo points towards the burning houses in the Sunagakure.
"The culprits have already been punished."
He explains the entire series of events to Shisui.
"Onii-mask, you say?" Shisui dispels his Susanoo as he stands in front of Ebizo.
"Yes!" Ebizo nods his head.
Hmm…
'Nii-san once mentioned the separate branch of his team, which works in shadows. Perhaps it is the work of one of the members of that group.'
"Very well…"
Shisui nods his head and flickers out of Sunagakure.
Scree…
In the skies near Sunagakure,
A giant hawk is quickly approaching Sunagakure. Itachi stands atop his hawk summon as he gazes at the entrance of Sunagakure.
The dilapidated entrance appears in his vision.
"This must be the work of Shisui Nii-san!"
The hawk lowers its altitude as Itachi jumps from it.
Whoosh…
A figure flickers out from the entrance of Sunagakure.
"Huh! Is that Shisui Nii-san?"
Itachi notices Shisui walking out of Sunagakure.
Whoosh…
He flickers towards Shisui and unites with him.
--
Swirl…
In an underground hideout near Land of Ancestors,
A black rift opens in space as Jigen falls from it.
Cough… cough…
He coughs out some blood as purple lighting continues to flicker over his body.
"I never expected him to possess such a technique. I let down my guard."
Cough… cough…
Jigen rests against his throne as he coughs more blood.
"At this rate, this body will fail before I could even complete my Kama awakening. I need to recover from this grievous injury. Izuna Uchiha! I will remember this."
Jigen tightly clenches his fists.
Pitter Patter…
Jigen raises his head as he hears some footsteps.
"Amado! You are here."
"Yes, Leader."
Amado adjusts his spectacles as he notices Jigen's condition.
"You are in terrible shape. Let me take a look."
Amado approaches Jigen.
"No! This is not something you can deal with. Cough… cough…"
Jigen coughs again as the purple lightning continues to corrode his body.
"I will take care of it on my own." He shakes his head.
Swoosh…
Jigen's right eye changes into his Dojutsu.
He opens a spatial rift as a juvenile ten-tails appears in his vision.
"I have to draw chakra from the ten-tails to recover my body. It will take some time, so proceed all plans without me. Whoosh…"
He enters inside the portal and disappears from Amado's vision.
Amado adjusts his spectacles.
"Now… now… that's interesting."
He strolls out of the room and enters a lab with many large capsules filled with nutritional fluid. Several test subjects are floating in these capsules.
"Izuna Uchiha! Quite an interesting man."
He picks up a report with the information of Kama seal.
"Otsutsuki clan! A clan of God-like beings. They possess the power to shape worlds and even destroy them."
He picks up a map as it turns to ashes in his hand.
"What are they searching for in this vast world? Why they are desperately seeking more power despite possessing such god-like abilities?"
Amado raises his head as he stares at a bulletin board with a map pinned on it.
"If they can help me achieve my aim, then I am ready to betray humanity."
Ugh!
Izuna clutches his forehead as he feels an intense stabbing pain in his head.
Ugh…
He groggily opens his eyes andslowly gets up.
"Where am I?"
He slowly looks around and notices a white room.
"Ah!… My mindscape."
Izuna slowly stands up and turns towards the elemental orbs floating in his mindscape.
"It has been a while since I last came here. This place is livelier than before."
He notices a giant purple black hole floating in the middle of the group.
Purple lightning keeps flickering from the black hole orb.
"So that's the electromagnet release."
Izuna approaches the purple orb and urges it to come towards him.
Bzzt…
The purple black hole resists his pull andreleases a bolt of lightning which strikes Izuna.
"You aren't tame, are you?" Izuna shakeshis head.
"Quite a unique place, isn't it?"
An ancient and powerful voice falls in Izuna's ear.
Huh!
Izuna's expression turns grave as he hurriedlyurges all the elemental orbs to surround him.
"Who is there? Who is intruding in my mindscape?"
He turns around and notices a tall, pale-skinned man with deep wrinkles and a strong jawline.
The elderly man has spiky, shoulder-length, pale brown hair with a chin-length braided lock hanging in front of his left ear. He also sports a goatee tapered down to his waist.
He has a pair of horn-like protrusions extending from either side of his forehead. Both of his eyes have pupilless Rinnegan in them.
He wears a white, full length-kimono witha pattern of six black magatamas.
'Sage of Six Paths! What's he doing here?'
Izuna lowers his guard a little as the orbs continue to fly around him.
Hagoromo nods his head as he introduceshimself.
"I am he who shall achieve peace and order and my name is…"
"You are Sage of Six Paths HagoromoOtsutsuki, right?"
Izuna interrupts him as he inspects Hagoromo's ethereal body.
'Man! What potent chakra? His entire body is a lump of chakra held together with his soul. Such dense chakra to form a physical form.'
"Ah! So, thou are aware of me? I beg thy pardon for intruding into thine mindscape."
"I see. So, what's the esteemed Sage of Six Paths seeking from me?" Izuna warily stares at Hagoromo.
'Sage of Six paths or not? I still don't knowwhat are his intentions for intruding in my mindscape. Is it because I stole chakra from the tailed-beast?'
Ahem…
Hagoromo clears his throat as he continues.
"You can lower thy guard! I have no malicious intention towards thee. I am nothing but a spiritual body with no physical form."
"Very well…"
Izuna waves his hand as the orbs return to their position.
Hagoromo nods his head.
"I never expected thou mindscape to have such powerful defenses. It's even stronger than my mindscape, if I would have to say.
For the past twelve years, I have been seekingan opportunity to communicate with thou; but thy mental barrier always barred me from entering in thine mindscape."
"Well, it is not like I was expecting you to enter in my mindscape."
Izuna curiously stares at Hagoromo.
"Fair enough! I don't have enough time to spare, so I will get to the point. At the rate thou are progressing with thy chakra, thou are going to die in five more years."
Hagoromo drops a bombshell on Izuna.
"WHAT?!"
Izuna yells in flusteration.
"What do you mean? How am I going to die in five years? Would you mind explaining it to me?"
He quickly approaches Hagoromo.
Cough… cough…
Hagoromo coughs slightly to calm him down.
"Thou still have five years to live."
"That's not helping." Izuna depressingly turns towards Hagoromo.
"Can you tell me the reason why I am dying?" He pleads to Hagoromo.
"It's because of that."
Hagoromo points towards the purple-black hole in the center of his mindscape.
"Thy power is killing thou." He remarks.
"Can you elaborate on it a little more?" Izuna turns towards the electromagnet release orb.
Hmm…
"Thy chakra and mental strength are far too strong. Thy power is slowly corroding your body and eating away your chakra system."
"WHAT? There was such a thing."
Izuna activates his Mangekyo Sharingan and inspects his body.
"This is…"
His eyes widen in horror as he notices purple lightning flickering through his body. There are several microscopic cracks in his chakra nerves.
"No way… this…"
He desperately turns towards Hagoromo for help.
"Sadly, I don't have a solution for thine problem." Hagoromo shakes his head.
"But, there must be a way. If I die now, how will I fight against Jigen?" Izuna turns towards Hagoromo.
"It's the reason I seek thou. My lifelonggoal was to achieve peace and order in this world.
They are coming, the members of the mother's clan are approaching this world. They aim to lay waste upon this world and harvest the essence of this planet to grow in strength."
Hagoromo warns Izuna.
"I know. You must be talking about Momoshiki Otsutsuki and Kinshiki Otsutsuki." Izuna nods his head.
"NO! I am talking about a much biggerthreat."
Hagoromo shakes his head. He stretches out his right hand and creates a staff from his truth-seeking ball.
Tap… tap…
He taps it on the floor and creates an image of Kaguya and Isshiki.
"The Otsutsuki clan existed at a time much before even this world was created."
Whoosh…
The image disappears as a giant nebula appears in front of Izuna.
"The members of the Otsutsuki wouldtravel from one world to another planting the seeds of ten-tails and harvesting chakra fruits in an attempt to reach a higher form of life, to evolve into a form they call GOD."
"GOD?!"
Izuna interrupts Hagoromo.
'Well, that's news to me. But it makes sense, I died too early and never came to know the ending of Boruto. So, the appearance ofa GOD is quite possible.'
"The so-called GOD is omniscience, omnipotent, and omnipresent, being capable of creating and destroying worlds just by his thoughts alone.
All the members of the Otsutsuki clan willunite with this being and will exist as one single entity called 'Entropy'."
Whoosh…
Hagoromo slams his staff on the ground to create a blurry image of an entity.
Brr…
Cold sweat runs through Izuna's body as his eyes meet with the image of the figure. His body shivers as he feels a sense of dread from the image of the being.
Whoosh…
Hagoromo taps his staff and dispels the image.
"This being exists and doesn't exist. He is a mere concept at this moment, but if the Otsutsuki clan succeeds in their attempt, he will come into existence."
"Then we must stop them at all costs? I can't allow them to mess with my family and friends." Izuna clenches his fist.
'No way in hell, I will allow them to do as they please. One thing I would never want in this life is regret.'
He turns towards Hagoromo and questions him.
"About this 'GOD'? How is he leading theOtsutsuki clan?"
"Even without existing in reality; this being can still shape the world and guide the Otsutsuki clan. He is a concept, an existence far beyond anything. He is the Otsutsuki GOD."
Gulp…
Izuna gulps his saliva as the image of Otsutsuki God keeps refreshing in his mind.
'This wasn't how it was supposed to be. I was supposed to get rid of Isshiki Otsutsuki and prevent the Shinobi World from plunging into the era of destruction.
What's the deal with Otsutsuki GOD popping out of nowhere? Then there is that Soul clan too. That member of Soul clan messed me up.'
Izuna is lost in his thoughts as Hagoromo stares at him.
'If the last prophecy of the Toad Sagebefore my death bed was correct; then this world will fall into chaos and destruction, the likes of which were never seen before.
According to the prophecy, a child of fate will lead the world in this Era and prevent the downfall of this world.'
"Err… I don't mean to be rude or something; but can you tell me the source of this information?"
Izuna curiously turns towards the Sage of Six Paths.
"It is no harm informing thou about such matters."
Hagoromo nods his head.
"There are several ancient ruins spread throughout the Shinobi world. They existed much before the arrival of Mother.
There is an ancient shrine of Otsutsuki God erected in one of those ruins. That shrine acts as a beacon to other Otsutsuki members and guides them to this world."
"I see." Izuna nods his head.
"I came to know about such matters during the final moments of my Mother when she inadvertently passed all of her memoriesto me.
Mother destroyed the shrine when she ate the chakra fruit, but the remains of the shrine are still present. I sealed the shrine at my death bed but Isshiki Otsutsuki recently broke my seal, awakening me from my slumber."
Hagoromo taps his staff on the ground as an ancient Shrine appears in his vision.
"This location!"
Izuna recognizes the location.
"… isn't this the inhabitable Land of Swamps; a land filled with all kinds of mindless monsters and mutant chakra beasts."
Hagoromo nods his head.
"During the war between Mother and us brother; the chakra of ten-tails leaked intothe world and infected many nearby beings. The roots of the ten-tails were spread throughout the shinobi world as it continues to effect living beings.
I spent the rest of my life spreading the teaching of Ninshu while sealing these beings at one place."
"I see." Izuna nods his head.
Izuna stretches his arms and lies on theground.
"But still… do you have a solution for my problem? I don't want to die early."
"No, I don't." Hagoromo shakes his head.
"…"
"I see."
'What's with this unknown disease trend? Is it a tradition or something to die due to unknown diseases?'
Izuna has tears in his eyes.
"Then, can you give me a bit of advice on how to attain the Six Paths Power? It will help me get rid of this disease, right?"
Izuna turns to Hagoromo.
Hmm…
"Thou are right. Six Paths Power will certainly elevate thy existence to the next phase of evolution, but I am uncertain of the possibility of such a matter."
Hagoromo shakes his head.
"Let me explain Six Paths Sage Mode to you."
Hagoromo taps his staff on the ground.
Whoosh…
He creates an image of God tree as he explains.
"A millennium ago, the seedling of God tree landed on the Shinobi World. Its roots spread throughout the world. It thrived by absorbing blood, shed into the countless battle over the period as it gradually drained the natural energy from them.
Later, the tree bloomed a chakra fruit which was later consumed by mother. Thus, the chakra fruit is the essence of Nature energy of the very planet itself.
After harvesting the chakra fruit, the God tree will either revert to its seedling form of Ten-tails and it will continue to absorb the Nature energy until the planet dies or it will wither away having fulfilled it's purpose.
The Six Paths Senjutsu uses the chakra of the ten-tails. Mother ate the chakra fruit as such as I was born with the chakra of Otsutsuki and ten-tails."
Hagoromo pauses as he waits for Izuna's response.
"I am aware of it."
Izuna nods his head.
"I have read several records of it in Mount Myoboku."
'Well, no shit! I already knew about it from my past life.'
"Then, where do the Six Paths Sage Mode comes into the picture in all this?" He questions Hagoromo.
'Come on! Old Geezer! Just spit it out already.'
Mm…
"Six Paths Sage Mode is a by-product of Sage Mode and ten-tails chakra in my body. I awakened it the moment I gained access to my Rinnegan."
Hagoromo explains the truth.
"With this power, I gained an innate understanding of all five basic nature transformations, yin, yang, yin-yang release, and manifested truth-seeking balls with no need to master them."
"I expected as much. No wonder, I cannot progress beyond Kekkei Shi."
Izuna sighs helplessly.
"So, ten-tails chakra is the key. No wonder the Otsutsuki clan is harvesting planet after planet. They just spread the seedling of God Tree to different worlds and later came sniffing it like a dog."
Izuna mocks the Otsutsuki clan as he stares at Hagoromo.
"Anyway, Old man, though you weren't of much help still I have got a faint idea of my path forward."
Izuna turns towards the orbs in his mindscape as he slowly walks towards the purple black hole.
He stretches his arm forward and coats it with Nature energy as a cyan cloak appears on his arm.
He grabs the orb forcefully and contains the purple lightning using the Nature energy.
"This should work for now."
--
Inside Konoha Hospital,
Tsunade checks the vitals of Mei as her expression turns ugly.
"She is four weeks into her pregnancy. That blow to her womb led to a miscarriage."
Tsunade turns to a Hyuga beside her.
"Give me a detailed report of the embryonic tissue. I will perform a surgery to remove it."
"Yes, Tsunade-sama."
The Hyuga medical-nin activates her Byakugan.
"Shizune... pass the curette to me."
Shizune passes the surgical instrument to Tsunade.
An hour later,
Outside the operation theater,
Creak… creak…
The door opens and Tsunade exits the room. The Uchiha family, together with the Kiri entourage, is impatiently waiting outside the room.
"How is it? How is her condition?"
Aiko asks her.
"She is out of danger. As for her pregnancy, it was too late. She had a miscarriage."
Tsunade shakes her head as she silently closes her eyes.
--
Ugh…
Izuna slowly opens his eyes as he gets out of his comatose state.
"Captain, you are awake!"
Ah…
Izuna turns around and notices two Uchiha police members lying on the bed.
One of them has a bandaged arm, while the other has a bandaged leg.
"You two are…"
Izuna tries to recall their name as their appearance seems familiar to him.
"Atsushi and Isao, right?"
"Captain, you recognize us."
Izuna nods his head.
"I have a question for you." He asks them.
"Yes, Captain."
"How long was I passed out for?"
"Uh! Captain… it has been three days since we came here."
Atsushi scratches his head.
"I see."
He extends his left arm to remove the IV drip from his right arm, but emptiness greets him.
'So, I lost my left arm.'
Izuna shakes his head and removes the IV drip using his mouth and walks out of the room.
"I have to check on Mei and Ayaka."
He hurriedly dashes out of the room as he senses Mei's chakra.
"Found her."
Whoosh…
Izuna flung opens the door and enters the room.
"MEI!"
Mei is silently staring out of the window as the silver clouds slowly drift in the sky.
"Izuna!"
She slowly turns towards him as tears flow from her eyes.
"I am sorry, Izuna."
Whoosh…
Izuna flickers in front of her and embraces her.
"It's not your fault. Don't blame yourself. I was too weak to protect you."
He hugs her tightly.
Waah…
Tears flow from her eyes as Mei lets out all of her emotions. She sheds tears for a while in Izuna's embrace.
Izuna pats her head as she slowly calms down.
She gently touches the stub left arm of Izuna.
"It's ok. I can live with one arm and it won't hinder any of my abilities." Izuna assures her.
He caresses her womb as anger blazes in his eyes.
'UNFORGIVABLE! Absolutely Unforgivable! Next time, I meet him will be his last.'
"Yes!" Mei silently nods her head, as there is a hint of sadness in her eyes.
Izuna notices her expression.
'I am not a mother, so I can't imagine the loss of a child for a mother; but as the father of the child, my fury won't subside until I exact revenge on the person responsible for this.'
He tightly clutches his fist.
'Isshiki Otsutsuki!'
Bang…
The door slams wide open as Tsunade enters the room.
Bam… bam…
She walks towards them with heavy footsteps as she approaches them.
"Uh! Tsunade!"
Izuna turns towards her.
Bam
Tsunade punches him and sends him flying.
"You idiot! How can you be so reckless with your life?"
Tears flow from her eyes.
Aww… ouch...
Izuna whimpers in pain as he turns to Mei for help.
Mei turns away and ignores him.
"No, save me."
Izuna begs for mercy.
"Do you think you are some kind of hero? Trying to do everything by yourself. You preached about the importance of family and friends, and yet you dived into trouble all on your own. You are nothing but a reckless fool."
Tsunade balls her palm into a fist.
"You deserve punishment for your sin."
Izuna closes his eyes.
'I can't run away, can I?"
Whoosh…
He is squashed between two huge melons as Tsunade hugs him tightly.
"You idiot! Don't do something as reckless as this again? I was worried for you. I lost everyone close to me; I can't bear to lose you too."
Tears flow from her eyes.
"I won't."
Izuna pats her back as he embraces her.
'I am such a fool. To protect my family, I hide things from them; yet it only leads to more trouble. It's time to confess everything and dig out all secrets.'
Cough… cough…
Edo-Hashirama coughs slightly as he enters the room.
"Tsuna-chan! Why are you ignoring your grandpa? Grandpa needs a hug too!"
He opens his arms wide.
Hmph…
Tsunade scoffs and turns her head away.
Ah!
Hashirama's expression froze as he depressingly hangs down his head.
Creak…
The door wide opens as more person enters the room.
Aiko and Akira push Hashirama away and hugs Izuna.
"It's a relief, you are okay!"
Aiko tightly hugs him in her embrace.
"That's my son." Akira nods his head.
"Ah… mother, I am suffocating."
He flails his arms around.
"I am sorry!" Aiko leaves him from her embrace.
"Onii-Chan!"
A sweet voice falls in their ear as Ayaka jumps in his embrace.
"Ayaka!"
Izuna catches her with one arm and hugs her.
"Thank goodness, you are fine."
He gently pats her head as Ayaka wraps her arms around his neck.
Hmm…
"This is…"
Izuna notices the diamond shape mark on her palm as his expression turns ugly.
'That bastard! He wants to sacrifice Ayaka.'
"Ayaka!"
He separates from Ayaka as his expression turns serious.
"There is an evil spirit around you. Let big brother deal with it."
"Ok! Onii-Chan!" Ayaka nods her head.
Whoosh…
Izuna makes some hand signs with his right hand as he forms a Fuinjutsu seal.
'I won't be able to restrain this Kama seal. But I can slow its advance. Since it is a type of curse seal; then this should work.'
"Fuinjutsu: Demonic Evil Containment Seal"
Whoosh….
Various fuinjutsu seals float in space as they circle Ayaka.
"Enclose"
Izuna makes a one-hand Ram sign as the seal shrinks near her palm.
Swoosh…
Smoke rises from Ayaka's palm as she clutches it tightly.
"Onii-Chan! It hurts."
"Hold a sec longer. The pain will go away soon."
Whoosh…
The sealing formula surrounds the Kama seal and forms a circle around it.
"It's done." He sighs in relief.
'Thank goodness, there were various curse seals sealing formulas in the scrolls of the Shikkotsu Forest.'
"Oni-Chan! I feel so sleepy."
Ayaka's vision blurs as she hugs him. Izuna catches her and lays her beside Mei.
"She will be fine after some sleep." He nods to his parents.
"Wonderful!"
Hashirama walks in front of Izuna as he curiously stares at the latter.
"Your Fuinjutsu skills are even better than Mito." He compliments Izuna.
"Thanks for the compliment, Lord First." Izuna nods his head.
"Hmm… Kid, I don't have enough time. I could last this long solely with my will. This body will dissipate soon before it happens; I have some things to discuss with you."
Hashirama's expression turns serious.
"Yes, I also have something important to talk to you."
Izuna nods his head and turns towards Akira and Aiko.
"I believe it's time to answer some unanswered questions."
