I'm back! Did you miss me? I missed you too! The world has gone crazy and 2020 hasn't been kind to us, but we will persist through this. If there is something 2020 has taught me, is that we need to find an opportunity to grow even during troubling times, to see not the doom of the end but the hope of a new beginning, to burst forth from the ashes and believe that there is something to look forward to after this ordeal.
In the meantime, let's altogether find things that will keep us occupied through all this, personally I have been trying to keep busy with art, painting and drawing, it's amazing how much emotion and energy you can channel through art, and not only does it take my mind off of things, it also gives me a sense of pride and accomplishment, all my life I've never even dared to pick up a brush or a pencil with the intent of making art, growing up with an incredibly talented older sister with magic hands didn't really help with my motivation. But staying at home gave me the urge to try, and hopefully soon I will be able to show you guys the original characters in my head.
What about you, what keeps you occupied these days? I hope you guys are in good health both mentally and physically and wish you all the love and luck. Hugs and kisses.
It's been a while, so before anything else: 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 is 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 36 :
Yoko frowned, her emotions were not supposed to be her priority, the enemy before them was unlike anyone they ever encountered. These were former jinchuurikis, and as if their natural fighting prowess and the chakra they retained from their tailed beasts wasn't formidable enough, they were equipped with a sharingan, and not just a sharingan but the mangekyou sharingan, a dojutsu famed for its genjutsu and its ability to copy technique and foreshadow its enemy's movements, tie it with a rinnegan which allows an interconnection amidst its users.
"What's the plan?" Natsume asked Yoko as she stood on a defensive stance, ready to evade or attack at any moment's notice.
"We can't attack carelessly, we can't fight blindly that's for sure, but we also can't be sitting ducks here, if we get pushed to a corner, getting out of that tight situation will prove to be extremely difficult.
"What do you suggest then?" Ayako asked, but before Yoko could lay out a plan, both jinchurikis have made up their mind and attacked the enemy blindly.
"Damn it" Natsume face palmed, trying to hide the fact that she too was about to do the damn same thing if it wasn't for Naruto and Killer Bee beating her to it.
"No Natsume, let's learn as much as we can and intervene when necessary" Yoko instructed looking over at everybody one by one making sure they caught it. Each and everyone of them had every right to be angry at the masked rogue before them, but this was no time to be emotional, and selfishness, sure they hurt a lot, but acting on their emotions right now, throwing reason in the air to get revenge would be an utter disrespect to the pain of others, and that would only put them on the same pedestal as Tobi, minisculing everyone's pain thinking his pain, his loss is greater and for that the world needs to be cleansed.
The two didn't last long against the well coordinated, fore sighting team of jinchurikis, with unique but powerful quirks.
And one she recognized very dearly, the technique that she once watched with awe and endearment, it was painful to think that she'd be battling against it, her own little brother.
"Suiton: Engulfing Embrace" Yoko surrounded everyone with her unique gel like water, the cool and thick substance keeping everybody safe from the blasts of the adorable looking bubbles.
"It's no use fighting them like this, they have ocular advantage, we're basically just sitting ducks here" Natsume growled, trying to keep herself contained. They weren't going anywhere anytime soon with their pace, they needed to turn it up a notch.
"Everyone hold on/it;s about to be a shit storm" Bee rapped, letting Gyuki take over, simultaneously grabbing hold of everybody in his tentacles grasp.
*_-+%=o#$*_-+% =o#$%$%$W$LINEBREAK*_-+% =-+$% =o#$*_-+% *=o$
To say that he was in a bad mood was underestimating it by a very long shot, he wanted to kill, he wanted to destroy... Everyone. Sasuke wanted to eradicate everyone who ever lived at the expense of his brother's life.
And he didn't care who he had to go against to achieve that, and though the talkative white minions that surrounded him were lifeless, he began with them.
Besides, he needed to test the power bestowed upon him not too long ago. The eyes that see within the darkness quite well.
Without mercy, or remorse, without really feeling anything, Sasuke slaughtered every visible guard spy companion Tobi left for him. Now that he got what he needed from him, there was no need to linger and get used by him, getting dressed, Sasuke left the hideout, not caring to find an exit and made an exit of his own, using the powers he attained from his older brother. It almost felt like Itachi was with him, making him strong.
Äs he left, he sheathed his sword, thus making his hands vacant...
He felt a punch beating at his heart when for a split second his hand wasn't empty, in his grasp was the heart of a dead Misaki. This was no time to be doubting, passing the test of tsukiyomi proved that his resolve was ramrod straight, in it killing the emotions that represent the people he used to hold dear to his heart, and now he has killed them within him, he would have no problem killing them in reality.
No problem….
'Don't you think this would be something you'll regret doing in the future?' Misaki's voice took him to the time before Itachi died, did she know something? Even then he won't have a problem cutting her down if she gets in his way.
No problem whatsoever….
Unless even in the back of his mind he knew that Misaki would come through for him…
Several times he had the chance to kill Misaki, a clean cut, as every veteran fighter kept reminding him, Misaki was purposeful yet not on her full potential, not by a very long shot, she would not have left an opening by accident. Even in his tsukiyomi, he was unable to take her life.
He shoved the idea with a flick of his tongue and began to head towards his intended target.
His target: people who got to live in harmony at the expense of his brother.
Konoha.
*_-+%=o#$*_-+% =o#$%$%$W$LINEBREAK*_-+% =-+$% =o#$*_-+% *=o$
Things were not looking their way, it was made clear when the jinchurikis powered up as they were being sealed by Killer Bee. Yoko frowned at their situation, made harder when the tailed beasts unleashed their true form, made even more dangerous as they were controlled, their attacks well coordinated, highly accurate, and extremely precise.
"Well that went well" Misaki sighed, looking over to the tailed beasts running rampant, rallying against them, they were magnificent, if only they weren't trying to kill her, she'll have more time to revel in awe at how unique they are to any other creature on earth.
"They are taking desperate measures and beginning to doubt their own plans, we have the upper hand and driving them to a corner," Yoko explained.
"I don't think that's a good thing, you know kinda like poking a bear with a stick" Ayako voiced.
"Maybe so, but that gives us hope, and that itself is a powerful thing" Misaki comforted smiling at the younger kunoichi.
"Here they come" Natsume yelled at them, unleashing a wall of her signature blue flame between them and their attackers, Ayako following in suit, absorbing the blue flames and hurling a twister of scorching flames and scathing winds and razor like petals. Once their attack finished, Yoko did not give any chances of rest as she quickly flooded them with her gel like substance of water, unique only to her clan, and finally as they drowned Misaki ran up on the surface of the flood, and stabbed her katana conducting a furious wave of lightning that can rival the god of lightning himself, the combination was able to bring the tailed beasts to their feet.
But not for very long.
"Damn this endless" Natsume groaned as Misaki somersaulted back to them, this time their targets, or the one controlling their targets were smarter and went over and above them, concentrating only on their targets, one by one, in swift succession, each rampant jinchuriki attacked the still living ones, a testament on how even with two jinchurikis on their side, six jinchurikis is just too much.
"Go, we'll hold them back for as long as we can" Yoko instructed the two jinchurikis, the rest of the kunoichi five nodding in assurance before running off head first into the battlefield, no plan whatsoever but to stall the onslaught of attacks, it would be difficult, but in this kind of situation, every second counts.
Especially the seconds apart Naruto was from being captured by Tobi, salvation arrived in the form of Kakashi and Gai.
"Impeccable timing as always, old man" Misaki complimented, their reunion was short lived when thunderous hooves approached them, but to their surprise, the tailed beast in the form of a horse, just like that, purple chain appeared out of thin air, wrapping it around the tailed beat's neck dragging it down, and reducing it to a meager rampage form.
The mystery was not lost on Misaki as her forehead scrunched in deep thought, he had the advantage there, and Misaki was almost sure something was amiss.
Just as Ayako had feared, their arrival agitated their mystery man, and boy was he not happy. He utilized several more bijuu to its full potential, and unleashed their mercy onto them, thus ending with Naruto getting swallowed by the four tailed monkeys.
"Naruto" Misaki gasped, and immediately reached through her chakra channels to search for her brother's life force, and despite the imagery, Naruto was still well and fine, she trusted Naruto, and her faith in him remains strong, that is why even it was difficult for her to turn her back on the situation and let him handle the situation, she still did.
"Misaki, we'll try to hold the other jinchurikis back, find a way to get Naruto out Yonbi, if fake Madara sucks Yonbi like he did with Gonbi then we'll be in trouble" Yoko ordered Misaki as she joined the line of defense against the other bijuu.
"With pleasure" Misaki sheathed the katana and stood her ground staring directly at their masked enemy, their targets standing between them.
"It was you wasn't it, the masked man on the night of our birth" Misaki, although a question, both knew the answer, and what it would mean for the both of them, and as his control of Yonbi begins to weaken, Tobi released his purple chains, another painful evidence to Misaki, of just who her enemy is, imitating to counter his actions, purple and golden chains of chakras wrapped around the giant monkey, in a struggle to take hold.
"WHY!?" Misaki screamed, and though her enemy was not that much far, she screamed with all her might, harder then she did the very first time her and Naruto fight got physical.
"You knew her, didn't you, Uzumaki Kushina" fueled by anger, Misaki drew her sword and began to attack Tobi, who had no choice but to defend himself, Misaki's eyes narrowed at his reaction, fully expecting him to just materialize out of her way, not wanting to rely her theory on a single chance, Misaki repeated her action coming down on Tobi, again, and again, and again, giving Misaki another hint as to who this no one may be. Misaki was not the strongest shinobi, but something that she took pride in, is her speed, and him being able to deflect her hits was definitely notable.
Until finally she found almost a second of opening, and took it. Tobi wasn't sure what happened, the next thing he knew he was skidding several paces away, and the sound of cracking, whilst Misaki stared at him, like she can see beneath him, far deeper than his mask. She looked at her like she had just figured out his deepest secret, he was taken off guard.
"Your chains gave you away, not exactly original, you knew it by design, by heart. You knew it's original caster; my mother"
Before anything can go any further, the giant red monkey regurgitated Naruto, hundreds of Narutos.
"Wow, leave it to that blockhead to come up with something as effective as it is excessive" Natsume sighed, rubbing her head.
"Come to think of it, this isn't the first time you got yourself out of a giant's stomach using that method" Ayako mused shrugging, it must be a common thread for jinchurikis, explosive displays of their more than impressive chakra reserve.
They watched as the statue swallowed the massive chakra entity that is the four tales, leaving only the body of its host, the twins knelt down next to the deceased jinchuriki. Misaki took out a scroll and sealed him within, silently offering a prayer for a fallen man, who was used not only in life but also in death, no one deserved the kind of life he had, no one deserves the kind of death he has.
"You look exhausted after putting down one jinchuriki, you can't defy me. I'm going to take your precious tailed beast with these.." Tobi activated the remaining bijuu in their full forms, and as if that feat wasn't enough, every single one of them were creating their own personalized tailed beast bomb, the wind was thicker, heavier and the ground began to quake, a fitting occurrence for the doom that is to be.
Misaki frowned, looking around, even Naruto was panting, and there was also no Kazumi to heal them so drastic movements are out of the question. This man drove her parents to their death, this man…
"Misaki" Naruto called to the red head, extending his fist, cocky smirk on his face… Misaki smiled back at him, he's right, they were in this together, and as soon as their skin touched, Naruto burst with the energy escaping his body, all at once, it was blinding and scorging yet Misaki had only one thing to focus on.
"Misaki, you've always protected me, this time, it's my turn, no matter what happens, I've got your back. Believe it!" Naruto's voice echoed to her, chasing away her fears like a security blanket in the midst of strangers.
"Let's go!" the dust settled and the force subsided, along with the shaking of the earth and the rest of their side opened their eyes into an envelope of orange.
"This is?!" they all thought for themselves, they were inside the final form of the nine tails.
The next series of attacks from both sides were something noteworthy inside the books of history, a battle none had probably heard much less seen before, it was quite a struggle, but in the end, Naruto managed to get a hold of the tailed beasts and unto their rods.
And pulled it free.
*_-+%=o#$*_-+% =o#$%$%$W$LINEBREAK*_-+% =-+$% =o#$*_-+% *=o$
"Let's go!" Kaede led what was left of their company and towards the heart of the battle.
"Misaki Naruto" Kaede frowned, deep in her heart she knew that she should trust in their capabilities, but she couldn't erase the worry and not only that, even Kakashi is at the front lines as well.
Unconsciously her hand rested on the base of her stomach, was it wrong for her not to tell Kakashi?
"Message from HQ: We have the upper hand at the battle reinforcement point, Naruto Uzumaki is standing firm, the ones we must protect at all costs, Naruto and Lord Bee, are fighting with everything they've got on the front line! Guy, Kakashi, Misaki, Natsume, Ayako and Yoko are there too! To everyone in the Allied force, I need all of you to add to their mighty hearts, amplify it with your mighty hearts, I promise you, victory is now!" Inoichi's voice echoed within their minds and almost as if it were magic, hearts lit aflame, he was right, there was no time to second guess, it was either now or never.
With renewed vigor Kaede quickened her pace.
"You heard HQ, let's go!"
*_-+%=o#$*_-+% =o#$%$%$W$LINEBREAK*_-+% =-+$% =o#$*_-+% *=o$
Sasuke travelled farther from the hideout, looking for a village where he can collect materials for his journey. He was just leaving the second village, finding it to be as empty as the last one. He already had suspicions about what was going on, but he had no time to waste, he had one destination and only one; Konoha.
He was walking amidst the rain when a platoon of white zetus surrounded him, obviously apprehensive about the reason he was outside, and of course how he managed to be outside.
"You killed our original?!"
"If you don't like the fact that I'm out, why don't you catch me, especially since you outnumber me this time" Sasuke provoked a smirk, this was after all a perfect opportunity to test his eyes.
It was an easy feat, considering the Zetsus weren't designed for direct and confrontational combat, they were burned to ashes like moths burned in the candle light, leaving only one he can interrogate with his sharingan, killing it clean immediately after.
"I'm going to where you are to cut you down," Sasuke declared, killing the very last Zetsu while he attempted a gallant escape.
"These are good eyes, I'm quickly getting used to them, brother," Sasuke continued, he would soon manifest the sadness his eyes bear on the people who have wronged them, that was his promise.
, .
*_-+%=o#$*_-+% =o#$%$%$W$LINEBREAK*_-+% =-+$% =o#$*_-+% *=o$
After hearing the broadcast Itachi and Kazumi quickened their pace too, the faster they take care of Kabuto, the faster they can return to the front lines, who knows what may happen to the others.
They continued traipsing from tree to tree, even as the rain kept worried about Itachi's wellbeing they couldn't afford to stop, reaching to her back pocket, Kazumi threw the vial towards Itachi.
"Drink it, you don't want to stop so drink it, it's bitter as hell but you'll thank me later" Kazumi told him, Itachi smiled and drank it without question, not even grimacing at the taste, instead smiling thankfully at the girl.
"Thank you Kazumi"
"Just keep going"
Night fell and thankfully the rain had stopped, Itachi also seem to respond well to Kazumi's medicine so they did not encounter much problem on their journey.
That is until a movement caught their eyes.
Kazumi's eyes widened, he did not know the guy personally, and what little she had encountered and heard, she wasn't pleased, but he was still his brother.
"Itachi"
"Let's keep moving" his eyes didn't falter from the one he was one, but Kazumi knew he definitely saw him, and he definitely saw them.
"Wait!" Sasuke followed after them, but they just kept on going, deliberately ignoring him.
"You're Itachi aren't you?!" Sasuke summoned his Susanoo, forming an arm and reached out to grapple the caped man.
Itachi had no moment to lose, pulling Kazumi to him from Sasuke's Susanoo, as he summoned his own to deflect and protect them.
"I'm surprised that you've been able to master it too" Itachi finally acknowledged Sasuke.
"What are you doing here? You're supposed to be dead" Sasuke growled, he was getting annoyed, nothing to put him together but his anger after putting him in so many spirals of emotion. How could Itachi be alive, he saw him die, that's why his mangekyou sharingan activated, at the sight of the death of the most important friend.
Just as he thought that he finally knew the truth, things like this happen.
"It's a long story, one that I can't tell you right now, there's something I have to do," Itachi said, retracting his susanoo to conserve stamina.
"I don't care, you're here before me and I have a lot of questions, You said it yourself, to come see you with these eyes, so why are you running? To avoid that you lied to me? Or don't you have the courage to tell the truth? I- I already know everything about you! That's why I decided to destroy konoha" Sasuke glowered at his older brother.
"Itachi, you know I don't like your brother, I hate what he put Misaki through, but even he deserves to know the truth." Kazumi urged Itachi, if they weren't pressed for time, she probably would have stopped the journey altogether, Itachi sighed and nodded, heeding Kazumi's advice.
"The last time we fought, I told you that people live under false assumptions, I asked if you could think about it that way, and how one's reality might be an illusion, is my truth really-"
"I no longer live inside an illusion, and I can see through your genjutsu, I have your eye!" Sasuke cut him off in anger, before he could go any further, it was so like him speaking in riddles, always beating around the bush and hiding things from him.
"You're still as confident as ever, but I've heard about you from others, that you've changed a lot"
"No you changed everything about me! I was supposed to die, you were supposed to kill me along with our parents, but why, why did you spare me?! Why was I so different?" the pain was already evident in Sasuke's voice, the anguish of not knowing even more so, Kazumi felt out of place, she didn't want to be there, and she probably shouldn't be there. Every single word uttered between the siblings just makes her want to just trap them within an inescapable prison of stone and wait it out until they make up.
"You weren't aware of the clan's folly, you didn't know, you were just a child. And I didn't do it just for you, I was selfish, I wanted to be judged by an Uchiha, so I took advantage of the hatred within you, that's why I failed, ultimately I filled you with hatred and made you go rogue and turned you into a criminal! All I wanted was for you to walk the right path. Before I died, I tried to lead you, down that one path, without any forks or turns, I changed the signs, on the path with lies and my visual prowess," Itachi explained.
"I was supposed to happily walk that one path, ignorant of everything. I- DON'T CARE FOR SUCH PATH!" Sasuke yelled.
"You're absolutely right, you must decide your own journey," Itachi answered thoughtfully, berating himself for how he treated Sasuke like a lost child that needed guiding, he didn't take into account Sasuke, his thoughts, his emotions and his decisions, he didn't trust him just as Misaki had trusted him.
"I don't care how many signs you change, my eyes can strip away the top layer," Sasuke rebuffed. That's right, they'll grow up and protect themselves, that's the way Misaki trusted Naruto.
Naruto and Misaki just thinking about it made Itachi smile.
"What are you laughing at?!"
"The signs weren't your only guides,"
"Sasuke, this is my second life, and this time, I plan to make things right, and that starts now." Itachi ended the conversation and quickened his pace, making it obvious for Sasuke that their conversation is now over, of course little brother was having none of it.
"When you were alive you never paid any attention to me, always flicking my forehead saying forgive me and running off. Why are you still running away from me?"
"I'm not running away, I already told you there is something I must do, I have to stop the edo tensei." before Sasuke can insist on anything else, Itachi had him bombarded with crows.
"You stay here"
"You know you didn't have to go that far" Kazumi watched as Sasuke struggled to deal with Itachi's crows, but her focus quickly shifted to their current location.
"We're here!" Kazumi pointed where the trace of the edo tensei was coming from. Without straying from his pace, Itachi broke down the barrier and barged inside with the use of his red susanoo.
"I'm surprised that you were able to find this place, even more surprised that you are not an edo tensei, now how did that happen" Kabuto shifted his gaze to the woman beside Itachi, a renowned healer from Iwagakure, but even she could not have done it alone, to be able to evade and to trick him of Itachi's death was not something anyone could pull off lightly. Then there was the case of Itachi's decaying health, yet as a medical nin himself, Itachi was already doing much better than before.
It was a risky move, and Kabuto only knows the only one person who would risk so much for Itachi, someone who believed in him even when he descended.
Misaki… This is proving to be more and more interesting….Kabuto thought,
"I'd like to say first hand, that even when you kill me, the technique will not come undone, and that I, the caster will be the only one to stop it. Other words, you can't kill me, if I die you'll never be able to stop this jutsu I guess my luck hasn't run out yet" Kabuto forewarned, laughing.
Footsteps echoed at the entrance and Kazumi turned to find that Sasuke had caught up to them.
"This is neither the time nor the place for this" Kazumi whispered to herself rubbing her forehead, she almost pitied Itachi.
*_-+% =o#$*_-+%=o(#$%$%$W$FIN*_-+% =o#$*_-+$ % =o#$*_-+% *=o$
Chapter 36:
For those of you who don't know yet, Sasuke was in a very foul mood and was especially angsty towards Misaki was because of the Tsukiyomi that Tobi made for him, elaborated on a one shot Titled: Uchiha Sasuke: The Test of Tsukiyomi, although I feel that I might need to say to read it at your own risk.
Admittedly, I haven't uploaded as of late, it wasn't because I have abandoned the fanfic, it's because of a bad habit that I only realized I have been doing my whole life. Whenever I'm close to ending something I have been enjoying working on, I kinda stop and avoid finishing my work. I don't know why, and I have been trying to overcome it for quite some time.
That being said, I started this fanfiction and I don't want to let those who have given their time to read my humble fanfiction go to waste, so as a thank you, I promise with my whole heart to finish this fanfiction.
I apologize for leaving this fanfiction hanging by a thread. Thank you for understanding and taking your time to read this, especially those readers who have been here from the very start.