This is a work of fan fiction using characters from the Naruto series, which is trademarked by Masashi Kishimoto. Everything aside from the original characters are created from the wonderful mind of Kishimoto.
Most of the following unrecognizable are original characters of mine.
Comments, suggestions, criticisms, even just simple messages are welcome, please feel free to message me anytime.
Thanks for reading!
Chapter 34 :
"What's going on, you're dead, Sasuke killed you" Naruto reasoned.
"He's alive, and even then Sasuke could not have killed him, he was already dying, she just had to fake his death to save him" Kazumi explained.
"So all this time, he was alive, does Sasuke know?" Naruto asked, clenching his fist.
"No one knows save for us, Yamato-taicho, Akihiko, and the headquarters," Misaki told him.
"Why didn't you reveal yourself sooner, if Sasuke knew you were alive then he would not have joined Madara, he would not have tried to attack the summit, he would have returned to konoha" Naruto yelled at Itachi, punching him in the face.
"Naruto stop, please" Misaki held him back, placing her hands on his chest.
"Itachi was in a delicate position, his health is fragile and he would have been hunted down. We also needed the information he had on the akatsuki" Misaki reasoned.
"But we could have saved Sasuke! Don't you want him back home, back in Konoha?" Naruto reasoned with Misaki.
"I do! More than anything else, I wanted Sasuke back! But I couldn't risk losing Itachi, not again" Misaki revealed, her eyes forcing Naruto to their childhood, wherein Misaki and Kaede had just arrived in Konoha, and everyone didn't dare approach her because she was a daughter of a whore, everyone except for Itachi. He was still young when Itachi had killed his clan, faked his desertion in order to fulfill his mission of spying on the enemy, it now dawned that Itachi for Misaki meant as much as Sasuke did to him, he can only imagine Misaki's pain when Sasuke too left the village.
Left her…
That's why despite his grumbles, Naruto hung his head low, his forehead touching Misaki's, to tell her silently that he now understood.
"Thank you," Misaki thanked her twin before the two broke apart.
"So what now,?" Naruto asked.
"We've been ordered by the hq to track Kabuto and find away for him to undo the edo tensei" Kazumi told them.
"We still need to wrap up here though" Itachi pointed to Nagato and Yoon who were beginning to escape the amaterasu.
"Quickly seal us before we can recuperate" Nagato pleaded, not wanting to fight his star crossed friends any longer than he already has, sympathizing with him, Misaki quickly sealed his body, followed by Yoon, who Itachi thanked profusely.
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After the reanimated kages have revealed their weaknesses, the Gaara's regimen split into three, each one focusing on an individual kage. Temari took the earth and wind style users with her to face the third raikage, whilst Gaara and the Ohnoki left to fight against the Second tsuchikage, leaving Misaki with what remains of the regimen to face the second Mizukage.
There's a lot of ground to cover, not to mention this is a wide range genjutsu Ayako's mind raced, as it turns out she is only left with one option.
"Everyone, do you think you can hold off the frontier for a moment" Ayako said and disappeared into the wind, in search for the said giant clam.
Meanwhile on Gaara's end, he felt an uncanny wind pass him as they sealed off the second tsuchikage, thanks to Naruto's arrival.
"I leave it to you then" Gaara whispered, staring at the petals.
"Tsuchikage-dono, follow the petals, they will lead to the second mizukage's jutsu" Gaara said and from their the two, alive kages parted ways.
"Right here, Tsuchikage-sama" the petals began to solidify, revealing Misaki who looked as if she was standing on virtual air, but looking at it closely, her petals revealed a giant clam indeed hiding under a mirage.
"So that's where you went off to, not bad kid" Hozuki praised the small girl, but called out their weakness when Ohnoki failed to destroy the clam with one hit.
"There's just this one problem, one punch alone will not break this clam, you need to put more back into it. In the end you're just an old guy."
"But he's not alone. Futon: Penetrating Drill" Ayako said and sent countless of drill like twisters around the area Ohnoki had hit, the little thread the winds penetrating the shell, softening it's core.
"Tche, I'm not that little kid you used to pick on anymore" Ohnoki said and used his weighted boulder technique to crush the clam once and for all.
As the crack broke, Ayako's ears focused on a crack that didn't belong to the clam.
"Tsuchikage-sama" Ayako was able to catch the old man before he slumped on the ground as the clam collapsed beneath them.
However, the danger didn't stop there as the second mizukage made a gun gesture with his hand.
Ayako stared at the eyes of Hozuki as he fired his water gun.
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"Honestly in all the allied forces there isn't a stronger wind user than me" Temari was at wit's end at how they were going to defeat the third raikage if they can't match his pace, when in an instant, Naruto landed between their platoon and their foe.
"There is and that's me" Naruto wasted no time makiing his rasen shurinken and began attacking the third raikage, impressing everyone with the effects of his technique.
"Need a hand?" just as instantly, Misaki was sitting in a squat position next to Temari behind her fan, making the blonde gasp out of her reverie.
"What are you doing here?" Temari asked.
"Well, that's a bit of a long story, long story short, Naruto got out and we're here to help, another Naruto clone is also helping Gaara and the tsuchikage" Misaki summarized.
"That's not the point you were supposed to make sure he was he was safe and kept hidden until the war is over" Temari scolded the read head, who merely inclined her head to the side, in question.
"Did I?" Misaki asked, both women returned to the battle where the sealing corp prepared to capture the taken down raikage, only to escape, powering up. Temari was about to order her troops to keep attacking but Misaki placed a hand on her shoulders shaking her head into a no.
"Kabuto has taken full control over his body now, must be because of Naruto's appearance, from here on then, concentrate on minimizing casualties" Misaki advised as she transported next to Naruto. When made a move, familiar to Misaki, Dodai had instructed everyone to get back and make a wall between them and the raikage, taking them back behind the barricade of earth and rubber.
While Dodai explained the lethality of the technique Misaki prepared to form chakra on the palms of her hand.
"Everyone getaway!" Dodai warned, but everybody stood their ground, ready to use that small window to attack their elusive enemy.
"Dodai-san, you seem very familiar with our opponent, I can buy you sometime, take Naruto and figure out how to stop him long enough to seal him" Misaki instructed, her golden chakra forming to something that resembled her katana.
"It's too dangerous to face the third raikage on your own, you'd have to be able to match his speed-" Dodai was stopped in his tracks at the sight of Misaki smirking at him.
"Dodai-san are you familiar with the yellow flash of Konoha,?" Misaki looked straight on, body molding into a fight stance, ready to attack at any second.
"Don't worry about me Dodai-san focus on stopping the raikage" Dodai nodded and carried Naruto away from the point of attack.
When the third raikage finally pierced through the final layer of rubber, Misaki advanced on him head on, challenging the third raikage's four fingered spear with a katana made out of her adamantine chakra like it was never meant to be lethal in the first place.
"Everybody follow her lead" someone from the ranks said but Temari stopped them in their tracks.
"But we have to help her she won't be-"
"Do not kid yourself, and watch closely" Temari scolded and this time, everyone began to observe the battle indepthly. The young girl wasn't in any trouble, in fact she was meeting the raikage's pace, for every hit, and lunge and swing, Misaki was holding herself pretty well against the late A.
"Misaki's faster than anyone I know, if we were to intervene now we might be doing more harm than help" Temari explained, she too was trying her best to be still in the sidelines.
"You must be eager to please your new master, Kabuto, if you're this desperate to capture Naruto" Misaki smirked, unsure if the puppeteer is actually connected to the puppet.
Far away, Kabuto gritted his teeth, controlling the raikage proved to be more taxing than he originally planned, whoever he was fighting can match probably outmatch his speed, and that can only mean one thing.
"Once again you prove to be a thorn in my side, Misaki" Kabuto grumbled, as the erratic fight between two speedsters.
"But you forget, a reanimated body will simply regenerate after taking heavy blows, yours on the other hand, would not" Kabuto smirked.
The third raikage advanced towards Misaki, even at a disadvantage, clearly about to use the advantage of a reanimated body.
"That is so like you, Kabuto, Orochimaru must be proud" Misaki remarked, what escaped Kabuto's mind, is that Misaki found it easier to fight the third raikage when he was in control of the old A's actions, she was familiar with his thought process, therefore adapting his fighting style to a factor she is much in tune with, fighting him was easy. So when this tactic presented itself, as Misaki predicted it would Misaki reached the marker she had placed on the raikage on their first clash, disappeared into dust only to reappear behind him and roundhouse kicked him several paces back. .
Misaki took this time to look back to Naruto who nodded her way, he was ready, so when the time the raikage had began chasing after her, she led her directly to Naruto's direction, an encounter that lasted faster than anything else, when Naruto simply forced the late A to spear himself with rasengan.
"Well that went well" Misaki remarked as the sealing corp sealed the third raikage before he can regenerate once again.
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Then disappeared with the breeze of the wind, leaving a trail of petals in her wake, and so did the tsuchikage, it was only then did the late mizukage realize, the sand and petals engulfing him.
"Gaara" Ayako emerged next to Gaara on his sand as she assisted Onoki.
"Is he alright?" Gaara asked.
"He's fine, not injured, just old" Ayako answered truthfully without any sense of malice.
"This child, I'm not that old I'm just-" the two young ones heard a crack that resulted in a series of curses and more cracks, it was during his rants that Gaara had buried Hozuki within his sand mausoleum.
"Everybody, throw every sealing tag you can on it!" Ayako ordered the others, however, before the seals can connect, the sand began to go soggy and steam began to rise, and from the steam birthed the legendary technique of the late mizukage, the steam imp.
"Do you still have more tricks up your sleeve? It would be nice to know it before it actually happens" Ayako sighed, preparing herself for another attack.
The steamed imp proved to be quite the foe because in his larger state he was able to affect a wide range, but in his smaller frame, he was quick and agile.
"Gaara!" Ayako yelled after Gaara as he was hit directly by the small imp, whilst protecting the others. Ayako rushed between him and the steamed imp, simultaneously performing her hand signs.
"Futon: Bladed Prison" using her enemy's momentum against them, Ayako caught the steamed imp a ball of wind and petal, its components ultrasharp, causing the imp to prematurely release steam. The fast moving winds cooling it at an accelerated rate, until the imp, much to Ayako's surprise didn't disperse like a deflated balloon, instead, as it was stripped off of its outer layer it turned into gold.
"So this was what you had planned all along" Ayako helped Gaara get to his feet as he clarified what he did to the second mizukage.
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"Didn't think I'd find you here?" Akihiko placed a basin of used bandages sitting next to Yugao. Growing up in Team Hayate, they considered a mother to Hayate's father figure, they were family in arms, and that's what it felt like when they parted, like their family died with Hayate.
When he betrayed their trust…
For the longest time Akihiko dreaded facing his makeshift family, avoiding them at all cost, feeling stupid that Misaki knew where he was all this time. Now he just wanted to get it over with, to have his family, though a member less, back.
"Look I know you must be angry at me, but the alliance could really use and extra pain of hands, and before you say it, yes I know it's rich coming from me, but I think -" Akihiko's words were cut off when an explosion broke through the camp.
"What happened?!" Akihiko rushed to Sakura, the impact of the explosion pushing against him.
"The vault" that was all Sakura had to say to make Akihiko speed into action.
"I'll track them down, gather a team of sensors and sealers when you guys are ready"
"Wait!" Sakura called out to the reckless idiot, but it was too late, between the rush to action and the winds, Sakura voice was already lost to his ears, however, there was this confident feeling in his gut that maybe just maybe Sakura was worried to see her go.
"Here I go playing hero once again, man I have to stop showing off" Akihiko muttered to himself as he followed the undead thieves. Pursuing someone familiar, as nasty as it seems has it's advantages, like being able to predict their movements several paces ahead, that's how despite moving at full pace, Akihiko was able to set traps before the band of three arrived.
"Sorry Sensei, but I can't let you go on any further" Akihiko walked through the smoke and debris.
"Akihiko! You've grown up so much, how is Misaki and Kazuhiko" Hayate asked, pulling out his sword.
"They're alright, though I'm afraid Misaki didn't grow that much since you last saw her" Hayate laughed, Misaki's height has been a running gag in their team.
"But a lot has changed, things that I did, horrible things, I'm sorry sensei, I killed our team" Akihiko confessed, but before Hayate could console his old student, two of his comrades in death attacked Akihiko.
"Enough talking" the one with the giant axe attacked him.
"Too slow," Akihiko sides stepped and kicked his assailant on his butt before roundhouse kicking the other one.
"Your attacks are child's play compared to someone as fast as Misaki and a mid range to long range combatant like Kazuhiko." Akihiko placed his hands in his pocket, a medic's hand, a surgeon's hands are reserved for saving lives, that's what his sensei taught him.
"Akihiko!" Sakura and the others finally arrived, and took care of the other two, leaving Hayate to his love and his prodigal student.
Akihiko wanted to give those two a moment, but he didn't expect Yugao to freeze haphazardly, against Hayate, that's why in the blink of an eye, Akihiko carried her away from Hayate's sword, at the cost of his own safety.
This draw their team back as Hayate was able to escape with the sealed scroll of undead powerhouses.
"Akihiko!" Sakura rushed to the brunette's side.
"What were you thinking" Yugao scolded, years apart and their comical differences notwithstanding, Akihiko was still someone Yugao cared deeply for.
"I was thinking that Hayate-sensei would feel like crap if he were to be used to kill you," Akihiko groaned sitting up, blood pouring from his mouth.
"Stop talking or moving, you'll make it worse" Sakura scolded tending to his wounds before he can lose even more blood.
The team in pursuit decided to recuperate before going after Hayate, they had fought a good battle, but their casualties needed to be taken care of.
After Sakura healed and patched Akihiko good enough, he stood up and stretched.
"Where do you think you're going, I just patched you up!" Saura exclaimed.
"And you did an amazing job Sakura," Akihiko smiled and moved forward.
"But I have to save Hayate-sensei, I owe that to him. This technique, this malicious technique, I can't let it ruin the memories I hold of my master" Akihiko's fist tightened before he ran off to the direction Hayate went to.
Yugao watched the back of her lover's former student once again, hoping that she wouldn't lose him too.
No she wouldn't lose him, because this time, she's going to make sure that she doesn't lose anyone anymore.
Yugao held her sword tightly in her hands for the first time in many years, and this time, no more hesitations .
"Yugao" called out to his lover, who appeared before him, ready to release him from whatever this was that is making him betray the village he died for.
"Akihiko" Sakura caught up to the Kurama heir as he leaned against the tree.
"Shhh," Akihiko pointed towards the lovers having the proper goodbye they never had, under the influence of his genjutsu. Meanwhile across the battlefield, Kabuto was fuming, for once again his perfect control over the edo tensei was bypassed by another genjutsu.
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"What did you say?" the raikage stood up in question.
"Madara is leading a small unit and is headed towards the battle" Ao confirmed
"Who is with him?"
"This is...the fourth mizukage, and the rest are jinchuriki too!" and that was all Yoko needed to hear before she stood from her post. The kunoichi five were created because the five of them had one thing in common, all of them have a jinchuriki whom they cherish and even in their murder they are trampled and disrespected in this manner, Yoko will have none of it.
"I can't believe he still has more allies under his sleeves" Shikaku said.
"Where is...Naruto?" Tsunade asked.
"Our team has close ties with the former jinchuriki, we have knowledge of their abilities that may deem useful in battle, wiith your permission, I'll gather our team and approach this team with Naruto and Killer Bee-sama," Yoko bowed. The leaders of their alliance looked to each other before nodding off to one of their youngest members.
Yoko was in the middle of preparations when C approached her.
"Don't die" C coolly whispered by her, Yoko smirked, it was the same time touching and unnerving.
"Don't underestimate me, it's yourself you should be worried about" Yoko clapped back, disappearing in a puddle of water and into the ocean.
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"Man these things are endless, with the white zetsus confusing everyone, everything is in disarray" Misaki rendezvoused with the real Naruto, just as Killer Bee was able to catch up to them.
"Naruto, the medic camp and the divisions are in need of assistant ASAP, we can't let the zetsu's ran rampant within ranks" Misaki made several shadow clones and dispersed, her original staying with Naruto and Killer Bee.
Clone Misaki arrived at the camp just as Naruto's clone was beginning to clear out traitors.
"Aki, Sakura, how's catching up going? I'm glad you're still alive, I was so sure with the white zetsus running rampant that Sakura would kill you by accident, but it's nice to know you're alive" Misaki greeted Akihiko as they fought back to back.
"You were so sure and yet you still sent me?" Akihiko exclaimed, nerve popping on his forehead.
"Hey you're alive right?" Misaki smiled innocently before disappearing to fight more zetsu.
"Hey get back here!" Akihiko chased after the red head, with Yugao watching in the background. With her closure with Hayate, she was ready to welcome his students back in her life.
Another clone of Misaki reached the second division, through Natsume's mark.
"Need help?" clone Misaki greeted her friend.
"Tsk, like I need help, I can handle this just fine" Natsume despite her words pressed her back to Misaki.
"Why don't you give them a taste of burnt flesh, everybody here is an enemy" Misaki said.
"Sweet, Katon: flesh eating dragons" Natsume finished her hand signs and swirls of countless dragons burst from the grounds and ate the pretentious zetsus in the wake of flesh and bones.
"That never fails to impress me" Misaki clapped as the last of Natsume's blue flames dispersed.
"You're not that difficult to impress Misaki, now take me to the others" Misaki held Natsume and flashed them both to where the others are.
At the site of the third division, they had just wrapped up with their edo tensei enemies when crowds of white zetsus arrived.
"When will the battle end" Kaede raised her fingers, her threads moving with her.
"Well at least you don't have to deal with it copying comrades" clone Misaki appeared between her foster parents, ready to fight alongside them, followed by Naruto.
"Well, it seems that our backup has arrived too" Kakashi smiled at the siblings.
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"Misaki and Naruto have arrived in every division, the medic camp has already been stabilized, and every division is gaining the upper hand" Ao informed the executive commands.
"Well," Tsunade gloated at the third raikage who ignored her.
"The tide of battle has returned overwhelmingly in our favor, all we need to do now is to stop Madara, who is approaching with jinchuriki in tow, we should focus our remaining strength there, and hit him with all we've got" Shikaku advised.
"Wait, there's an enemy approaching Gaara's division, what is this massive chakra?"
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Chapter 34
This post is late, again. I only now realized that this fanfic is nearing its second birthday… admittedly I've been consumed with working on my other projects that I kinda got swept away.
Fearnot, rain or shine this story will go on until its end, no matter how long that may be, but on the brighter side, we're already at the fourth shinobi war so that's a good thing.
Right?
Quick disclaimer before I forget it, I don't know what Itachi exactly sick, but for the sake of fanfiction, and given the symptoms he is having, well that except for the deteriorating eyesight that may have been caused by the excessive use of his mangekyou sharingan, I figured, it had something to do with severe or advanced chronic lung conditions, ergo the transplant.
Also, during the first scene with Misaki Kazumi, Itachi and Naruto, I wrote several scenes where in Misaki and Kasumi to explain to Naruto how Itachi was actually alive and various other scenarios, but I decided to scratch that because it was too lengthy and sciencey, it would be totally out of character for Naruto to actually pay attention to it.
Another something that proved to be challenging is writing Yugao and Hayate's moment with Akihiko, first because Yugao and Hayate were both existing characters of Kishimoto-sensei that I know very little of, second is that Akihiko is on the same both, he is absent for most part so most of his character development happened behind the scenes, it's pretty difficult to write him for instance in the section of letter A and then write him again several chapters later in the section O, while relating to his letter A nature. Akihiko's fighting style is also inspired by another character for another anime, care to guess who?
I am however, rather disappointed at myself for downplaying Yugao's relationship with team Hayate, it really is difficult to juggle characters, that's why I greatly admire artists and writers who have a wide assortment of characters, with different walks of life.
I know I rant a lot I'm sorry, you're free to skip to the next chapter after fin, that is if there is a next chapter yet.