A.N. THEN: So, this may come as a surprise, but I'm not dead! Yay! I apologize that I haven't posted anything in a month, but thank you all for being so incredibly patient. So, anyway, it will NOT be another four weeks until the next chapter. I'll try to get a better schedule going and try for every two weeks.
NOW: 6 weeks later: …...yeah...that didn't happen….
*Hides behind Masuko*
Soooo, I was just very busy with midterms and the upcoming holidays, but that also meant that I wasn't paying attention to exactly how much I was writing. The answer is, a lot. This is a long battle, and actually a really cool one, now that I got to rewatch it. I'm usually more focused on Gaara, so I don't think I realized how emotional this was for Lord Third, and how impressive it is when you think about who he was fighting. It was annoying that it was continuously broken up, as I had to fast forward a lot of other stuff to get maybe fifteen seconds of dialogue. I just ended up watching all the episodes again, and it was fun.
The point is, though, that I wrote enough to post another chapter very soon. I'm thinking next Friday. And now that I've finished the Hokage fight...let's just say I have a fire lit under me for the upcoming chapters. There's a certain reunion in the near future...
This was honestly my favorite section to write so far, and I wanted to get it out in a reasonable time, but life is life. Thanks to everyone for being understanding.
Please enjoy! And please review!
Now:
"It's not enough!" Akio shouted, and Tsukiko could practically see the anger surrounding him. He'd always been expressive for an Anbu, his blue eyes flashing from behind the cat mask he wore, and it wasn't hard to read him when he lost his brisk professionalism.
As soon as Orochimaru had made his appearance, Tsukiko had thrown caution to the wind and increased the water flow to a near dangerous amount, her sphere lording over their heads like a small moon. By now it was about the two-thirds the size of the barrier.
Akio was insisting that it wasn't enough water, but Tsukiko didn't have a choice. She'd sacrificed size for speed, and if she didn't drop it now, she wouldn't have enough chakra to create enough Lightning.
Plus, Orochimaru and the Hokage were now facing each other, the snake-like man having released him after ensuring the old man was trapped. Tsukiko couldn't hear their conversation, but she wanted to help the Third Hokage well before the fight started.
"It's possible that this barrier can only be broken from the inside," Akio continued. "So we can't waste our best chance! If this doesn't work, we'll have to wait for Lord Third to take out one of those Sound ninja."
He had a point, which was made more convincing a few seconds later, with the creation of a second barrier, separating the four Sound shinobi from the Hokage and protecting them from any attack on the inside. Her attack was the best chance they had, as the Hokage would have his hands full dealing with his former student.
Less than a minute later, the two trapped men were fighting hard, Lord Third using the tiles as shuriken, while Orochimaru's tongue became a snake that bit into the old man's neck.
But it was only a mud clone, and the Third Hokage appeared behind Orochimaru, turning the ground beneath his feet to mud.
"It has to be now!" Tsukiko gasped, her limbs heavy and shaking. "I can't hold it any longer!"
"Lord Third is combining Fire and Earth styles!" One of the Anbu announced, watching their leader use his Dragon Bomb Jutsu, before adding fire to the muddy projectiles. "Orochimaru is distracted!"
"Get back!" Akio ordered sharply. "Unless you want to be electrocuted!"
The three Anbu leapt off the roof as Tsukiko gritted her teeth, taking a shaky step forward.
"Haaaah!" With a shout of exertion, the young woman raised her arms and leaned back, the water following her movement. Then, she snapped her torso forward, throwing the water at the barrier.
The colossal wave crashed into the purple wall with enough force to shake the whole building. Tsukiko, without pausing to see what damage she'd caused, immediately switched to Lightning, reaching deep inside herself to feel her chakra.
Over the course of the last month, she'd been building up her control over Lightning chakra, clashing the energies together to practice creating electricity. By now, it was a simple matter to summon.
The air around her prickled momentarily, and then Lightning was crackling up and down her arms, the smell of a storm filling the air. She focused the energy to her hands, and slammed both palms against the barrier, just as the wave doused the heated wall.
For a moment, the entire roof lit up in a bright white light, streaks of blue energy arching wildly around the cube containing the fighters. Even the fighting around the village paused for a brief moment, all eyes turning to the momentary beacon. Then, it was quiet, the hissing noise of steam the only thing to be heard.
Tsukiko stumbled back, her breathing harsh and strained. Her hands were burnt, but she was otherwise unharmed. As was the barrier.
"Damn!" The boy with six hands grinned. "For a second, I was worried that—"
He cut off sharply as a sound like glass breaking echoed in the still space, and a crack appeared in the wall, where Tsukiko had directed the majority of her blow. It was small, about the length of one of her arms, but it quickly splintered, creating a spiderweb that seemed like it could shatter at any moment.
"Fix it!" The red-haired girl cried.
"We can't!" The boy with two heads snapped. "Not without taking down the barrier and redoing it!"
"It's fine," Spider boy called out, smirking. "It'll hold. They can't touch it without it burning them, and that woman doesn't look like she can give a repeat performance!"
Mollified, the ninja focused on keeping the barrier intact, preventing the cracks from spreading any further.
Inside, Orochimaru shook his head as he took in the damage to what should have been an impenetrable wall. "I don't often make mistakes," he said casually. "But I'll admit, I underestimated those eyes of hers. Impervious to Genjutsu, and despite the split in chakra, she's stronger than most. I should've taken them when I had the chance and done some experiments to see their limits."
The Third Hokage glared. "You had no chance. I saw to it that she was protected from the likes of you, and young Sasuke is the same. You'll get nothing from the Leaf Village!"
He pulled off his hat and robe, revealing a black ninja outfit with metal plating on the shoulders, mesh armor at the wrists and ankles, and a leather arm guard that covered his right arm from the elbow down. On his head, he wore a samurai-styled helmet, the metal Leaf Village forehead protector shining proudly in the center.
"Did you foresee this, dying this way?" Orochimaru mocked, removing his own set of weighty Kage robes. Underneath was his previous outfit from when he'd disguised himself as a Grass ninja, a black and off-white robe with a purple rope-like belt.
Tsukiko watched this exchange blankly, feeling light-headed and dizzy. She had used too much chakra.
"Tsukiko!" Hands grabbed her shoulders, keeping her upright as she swayed.
"It...didn't work…" she muttered, her vision blurring slightly.
"Hang on!" Akio let her lean against him as he pulled her to her feet. "I'll get you to a medic!"
She let him pull her along for a few feet, then stopped when his words sank in. "No!" She protested, yanking herself out of his hold. "Get your men back here, and have them transfer as much chakra as they can to me. We have to break that barrier!"
"But you're practically dead on your feet," he countered, not making a move to help her stand.
"I won't be if you and the other Anbu shinobi give me your chakra," she insisted, faltering slightly at the immense pressure she felt from the growing powers within the barrier. "They're about to fight in earnest, and we need to get in there! Lord Hokage can handle Orochimaru, but it'll be a tough fight, and the instant he goes down, those subordinates of his will attack Lord Third while he's weakened. We cannot allow that to happen!"
Akio hesitated, and she could feel him sizing her up. He knew she wasn't the type to rush in without thinking, and her reasoning was solid. And, he realized, without her, there was little chance they'd be able to pierce through the crack she made in the enemy's defenses. It required precise chakra control to build up enough pressure to force their way inside. And he knew from experience that that was Tsukiko's specialty.
The young woman gathered herself as she watched the gears turn in the Anbu captain's mind. The fact that her stubborn friend was even considering it showed how desperate their situation was.
The roof shook as behind them, Orochimaru's voice rang out. "Summoning Jutsu: Reanimation!"
Tsukiko's head whipped around, white hair fanning out. That can't be good!'
She turned in time to see a second wooden coffin rising from the ground to join its twin, which had appeared while her back was turned.
'What are those?'
Another coffin began to rise, but Lord Third managed to halt its course with a volley of shuriken, and it slowly sank out of sight.
The young woman stumbled back to the barrier, straining to see clearly through the purple haze. Behind her, Akio was recalling his team, desperate to break through before Orochimaru released whatever was inside those coffins.
But it was too late. With a loud creak, the lids began to fall away. They made a heavy thud as they slammed into the roof, and dust rose in a cloud, obscuring what was inside.
"It can't be!" Tsukiko's eyes widened as she caught a glimpse of the two figures. "That's impossible!"
Akio landed next to her, his voice startled. "Those two are—"
"What are you going to do now, Sarutobi-Sensei?" Orochimaru hissed, a crazed gleam in his eye. "What are you going to do, Lord Third Hokage?"
Slowly, almost as if controlled by puppet strings, the two figures moved out of their previous resting places.
The two men were handsome, and gave off auras of great power. The first had long black hair and a red armored shinobi uniform, and the other had short white hair with similar uniform in blue. Their dusty clothing did nothing to take away from the Leaf insignia on both of their foreheads. They were unmistakable.
'Lords First and Second Hokage…'
Tsukiko could do nothing but stare, shocked to see two of the faces she'd only known in drawings and stone come alive.
"It's been a very long time, Saru," Lord First said, his deep voice serious and slightly melancholic.
"Oh, it's you. You've gotten so old, Sarutobi."
The Second Hokage sounded more dismissive and faintly teasing, but it was hard to tell. Neither of their expressions changed, and they gave no sign of surprise that they were again among the living.
"Never in my entire life did I imagine I would have to face off against my brethren in this manner," Lord Third said angrily, his expression hard. "What a vile trick."
"This is horrible!" Akio took a step forward. "We're out of options. You win, Tsukiko!"
He placed his hand on her shoulder, chakra flowing into her, revitalizing her body and mind. "You two, hurry up!" He snapped at the other Anbu agents, both of which were frozen at the sight of the Hokages.
"Please prepare yourselves," the old man said, widening his stance. "First Lord Hokage, Second Lord Hokage."
Jarred into action, Tsukiko felt two more hands touch her shoulders, sending their chakra into her system.
One of the two, in a slightly timid voice, spoke up. "But even if we break through, what can we do against them?"
"That's right," Akio nodded, "Those two are considered the greatest shinobi our village has ever seen. I mean, they built the Hidden Leaf Village." His voice hardened. "But we will not stand around and do nothing! Give Tsukiko as much chakra as you can, but not so much that you won't be able to fight. Even if we can just manage to distract them long enough for Lord Third to win, our lives will be well spent."
Tsukiko closed her eyes, digging deep into her reserves. Dimly, she could still hear what was happening.
"A Summoning Jutsu," Lord Second observed.
"It seems that he used the forbidden Reanimation Technique," the First Hokage confirmed.
Lord Second glanced back as the coffins fell away. "How insolent."
Looking at his former student, Lord First showed no emotion. "Then, Sarutobi, tell me, does this Summoning jutsu mean we're being forced to battle against you?"
"Enough with the reminiscing," Orochimaru ordered, stepping forward. "It's time that we got started."
"Whenever you live, there's always war," the First Hokage said a slightly mournful note in his voice.
"Isn't it great?" Orochimaru smirked.
"Nothing good can ever come of this!" Lord Third shouted warningly. "You've disrespected the dead and manipulated time!"
Orochimaru said nothing, but held up two kunai with red tags attached. "First, let me restore these dear old companions of yours to something more like their former selves. And then, if you're ready, Sarutobi-Sensei…" He trailed off, smiling mysteriously.
The kunai made a sickening sound as they sank into the skulls of the reanimated men. There was no wound, their flesh closing over the weapons, leaving the tags firmly embedded in the heads of the previous Hokages.
Their bodies began to steam, and color returned to their faces. The cracks in their skin and dust on their clothing seemed to fade away as both men stood up straighter, light and awareness glowing in formerly dull eyes.
"They're coming alive!" The timid-sounding Anbu spoke, his hand shaking slightly. "What the devil kind of jutsu is that?!"
Tsukiko felt the tremors and opened her eyes, catching sight of the renewed Hokages.
"A forbidden one," Akio answered grimly. "A Summoning jutsu called 'Reanimation.'" He shook his head in disgust. "Normally, a Summoning requires the blood of the one casting it."
"But?" Tsukiko prompted, a shiver going down her spine.
"I've heard that this jutsu, which summons the dead to the world of the living, demands the sacrifice of a living body to be used as a vessel for the dead soul."
The hairs at the back of her neck stood up, and her fists clenched. Akio was a master information-gatherer, so she had no reason to disbelieve him. Quite the opposite, in fact. But just the thought of such a jutsu was terrifying in possibility.
"Then those are not their bodies, but two living sacrifices?" The other Anbu, silent until this point, spoke in a deep voice, rough with disuse.
"Right," Akio nodded, his grip tightening. "But then the living body is encased in a shell of dust and earth that takes on the appearance of the dead spirit's earthly form. Those spells Orochimaru implanted just now will sap the spirits of their will, and transform them into his puppets, mere killing machines."
Orochimaru chuckled darkly. "Now they're complete."
Lord Hokage's face filled with horror at the sight of his mentors being fully restored, his hand coming up to cover his eyes. "You demon," he growled, head lowered in sorrow as his eyes filled with tears. "They look just the same as I remember."
"Have you ever felt the joy of humiliating and destroying the one you once called sensei?" The snake-like man asked sardonically. He paused. "No, I suppose not. Perhaps vicariously through me you'll get a hint of what I mean." He made a hand sign. "Just a taste before you die."
The Reanimations moved slowly forward, backs slightly hunched, arms hanging limply by their sides. They took several steps forward, Lord First walking along the edge of his coffin lid, before stopping again.
Then, in unison, the two darted forward.
Lord First came from the front while the Second Hokage changed direction and came across the rooftop from above, hoping to catch Lord Third in a pincer attack.
The old man stared at them blankly, shoulders slightly shaking.
"Lord Hokage!" Akio shouted, pulling his hand away from Tsukiko's shoulder. He stumbled slightly, having given more chakra than he'd intended, but did his best to force the older man into action. "Don't be deceived by their appearances! That is not the First Hokage, not the Second, whatever they may look like!"
The Third Hokage dodged the shuriken that came from above, then moved to block the blows of the dark-haired Reanimation. "I'm aware of that!" He shouted angrily, his voice raw with emotion.
"That's enough!" Tsukiko shrugged off the other two hands, cracking her neck. "You'll only put yourselves in danger if you give me anymore." Coolly, she eyed the cracks in the barrier. She'd acted with emotion before, and had nearly wasted their chance. Now was the time to recall her years of training and find a logical solution.
'What would Itachi do?' The thought came unbidden, but actually calmed her down. He'd always been the more level-headed of the two, and often countered her emotional side with facts.
I can use up the majority of my chakra on this barrier, or…'
A sudden idea occurred to her, and her eyes turned green, her finger inclining slightly.
The piece of stone tile she'd been focused on moved slightly, but not enough to give away her plan.
'I can wait for an opportunity to help Lord Third directly.'
The man in question was now grappling with the Second Hokage, who was swung around by his foot and thrown back to land lightly by his brother.
"Alright! Let it begin!" The angry Hokage made a series of signs and leaned back as his chest expanded. "Dragon Flame Bomb!"
An enormous spray of golden fire erupted from his mouth, traveling over thirty feet to slam into the two Reanimations. It continued, without pause, for several seconds, smoke filling the enclosed space.
"Water Style: Water Wall!" The Second Hokage's voice rang out, and a blue wave suddenly rose to overtake the fire in a cloud of hot steam. Through it, the unwilling watchers saw the spray coming from Lord Second's mouth.
"Amazing," the timid ninja exclaimed. "To cast so powerful a Water Style jutsu where there is no water! It's beyond belief!"
Tsukiko nodded slowly, her eyes wide.
The water quickly evaporated, leaving the two Reanimations unharmed while the roof burned in several places, the flames continuing to crackle.
"It's no less than I'd expect from a former Hokage," Orochimaru said smugly, his arms crossed.
Lord Second pressed his palms flat against themselves. "Water Style: Water Shock Wave!"
A tornado of water exploded from his position, threatening to overtake the whole roof.
Lord Hokage moved, silently making signs to create his jutsu nonverbally. "Haaah!" With a great shout, a mud wall erupted from the tiles and protected him just as the wave hit. But there was too much water, and it threatened to circle around and crush him against his own barrier.
'Now!'
Tsukiko's eyes turned blue, and her arms shot out.
The cascade of water suddenly froze in its place, giving Lord Third enough time to create a second wall underneath him that propelled him up out of harm's way, before she let the wave drop, covering the section of curved roof with several feet of water.
"Tsukiko?!" Akio's surprised exclamation brought a grin of satisfaction to her face.
"Thought so." She turned her attention to the snake. "Akio, am I correct in thinking that, if the one who cast the jutsu is killed, the Reanimations won't just disappear?"
She felt him hesitate. "I'm not sure. But I doubt we could force him to release the jutsu."
"We'll see about that."
From inside the barrier, golden eyes regarded her with amusement, daring her to attack. Orochimaru remained standing on the dry rooftop, the water curving around in a bubble as if it refused to touch him. But he wouldn't be able to just stand there for long, not if she had anything to say about it.
Meanwhile, the First Hokage shot forward, running on the water towards his target. Lord Third jumped off the wall and shot fire balls at him, which the older man deflected.
He leapt up and kicked at the Third Hokage, who barely managed to block before his opponent's other foot splashed water in his face.
"Ah!" Momentarily blinded, Lord Third was hit with a series of kicks and punches, knocking him back several feet, where he landed face-down.
Tsukiko winced, her eyes following the movement. At the same instant, her hand whipped to the side in a cutting motion, hoping to catch Orochimaru off-guard while he thought she was distracted.
Icicles shot at his unprotected back emerging from the wall of water behind him. At the last second, Orochimaru sensed them coming and just barely dodged, the end of one tearing a small hole in the side of his clothing as he leapt upwards, landing lightly on the water.
His smug expression never changed as he dodged her icy missiles, but Tsukiko was actually at an advantage, the stupid snake's own barrier protecting her from a counterattack.
Several feet away, the old man got to his feet with a loud groan. "As quick and strong as ever, I see." His voice was laced with pain.
Tsukiko saw the water bubbling behind him a second before the Hokage did. Sending a final barrage of icy projectiles at Orochimaru, she pivoted on one heel and slammed her hands down, the water forcing the Second Hokage back underneath just as he sprang up to catch Lord Third in a choke hold.
Instead, all he got was a face-full of water as the Hokage leapt away, quickly climbing the face of his rock wall with a speed and agility that belied his age.
Jets of water suddenly burst out and tore at the rock, forcing the old man to drop back to the ground as the top of the wall crumbled and fell.
'Damn!'
Knowing it was too much water for her to control that precisely, and too much of a danger to her leader, Tsukiko knew she had to act quickly. Her eyes flashed green.
"This is going to be difficult," she muttered, widening her stance. She slammed her foot into the roof and lifted her hands, tearing out a large chunk of tiles.
Wiping sweat out of her face, Tsukiko forced the tiles together, fusing the stone into a massive cannon ball that she held in the air with one hand. Holding up the other, she took several deep breaths, blue slowly bleeding into her right eye.
She directed as much water as she could control to the inner barrier, forcing it up into a powerful wave. The pressure continued to build as she forced it higher and higher, until it was almost touching the ceiling.
Instinct told her when the water was at its limit, the moment when it would cause the most damage.
"Haaah!" With a loud cry, Tsukiko slammed her hands together, the impact of burned flesh against flesh sending a shock of pain down her spine.
Several things happened at that moment. The first was the massive tree roots that shot out of the roof, heralded by the sound of breaking tiles. The First Hokage let out a roar of exertion as he used his famous hidden jutsu: Woodstyle. "Secret Earth Jutsu," he called out. "Deep Forest Creation!"
The second thing was that a large section of roots sprouted in front of the wave, taking most of the impact. The growing tree snapped in half under the pressure, and fell against the barrier, catching fire instantly while the water cleared away.
The third and final thing was that the tile cannonball slammed right into the series of spiderweb cracks Tsukiko had already made. It got stuck halfway through, and was melted away by the heat of the purple wall, leaving a hole about the size of a serving platter.
"Damn!" The spider-boy shouted, turning to the hole. He shot a golden fluid out of his mouth, which hit the hole and hardened, patching it momentarily. At least, until the flames of the barrier began to eat away at the strange substance, forcing the boy to reapply it every few seconds, thereby distracting him.
Tsukiko should've taken immediate advantage of the situation. But she too was distracted by the literal forest sprouting inside the purple haze. Her heart sank as she realized the distance between herself and someone who'd been named Hokage. In sheer raw power, she was absolutely no match. They needed to rethink their strategy.
She lost sight of Lord Third as he was shot up into the air by a tree trunk, the enormous plants breaking through stone and tile to stretch as high as the purple ceiling. It was fast, too, the forest forming in a matter of seconds
"He uses his chakra as a life source," Akio explained in awe, answering Tsukiko's unspoken question.
"So this is the legendary Woodstyle jutsu of the First Hokage," the gruff-voiced Anbu said. "He who brought peace to the land and founded the Hidden Leaf Village."
"There!" Tsukiko pointed up at one of the thicker trees, having spotted the Third Hokage trapped within its branches.
Orochimaru, forgotten in the last few minutes, stepped forward now. "Looks to me that this fight is over," he said smugly. "Eh, sensei?"
Lord Third stretched out a hand, straining to touch to bark of the branch just in front of him. The branch across his chest and shoulders prevented this.
Tsukiko's eyes turned gold, and she tried to move unobtrusively to avoid detection. Her hand made a sharp slashing motion, her eyes locked on the branch in question.
The Hokage felt an unnatural burst of wind pass him, and then the pressure on his shoulder lessened as the limb pinning him fell away.
'Tsukiko,' he thought, feeling genuine warmth for the young woman who'd been trying her hardest to help him. She was kind, capable, and fiercely loyal, all qualities he himself treasured in a person and in a Konoha ninja. But Tsukiko was also his responsibility to protect, and if he didn't end this soon, his former student, another responsibility of his, would steal the last of her family.
'I've been a poor excuse for a Hokage,' he thought grimly. 'After Minato died, I thought I could lead everyone to the best solution. In the end, my arrogance undid all the good I'd tried to do. The Uchiha and Amaya are all but wiped out, and I'd been too blind to see their pain. Young Tsukiko and Sasuke are all that's left, and still they fight to protect me and the village, not knowing the truth. Not knowing of my greatest failure.
As the one who had a hand in the destruction of her family in the first place, he couldn't allow Tsukiko to suffer the loss of any more family. Not while he was still breathing.
"Ninja Art: Summoning Jutsu!" He cried, gasping at the strain on his already weakened chakra. "Monkey King Enma!"
A huge explosion of smoke obscured the view, and Tsukiko noticed for the first time that Orochimaru's grin had faded away, replaced by a considering frown. "Hm. So, a pesky newcomer has arrived." He sighed. "That old monkey, Enma."
The "old monkey" was actually quite large, nearly as tall as a person when he stood up straight. He wore a tiger-striped tunic and black shorts over mesh armor, and had long silver fur that masqueraded as long hair and a beard with sideburns. Behind him, a long white tail curled aggressively as he looked around.
Enma crawled forward, his eyes widening at the sight of Orochimaru. "It's you again," he growled. "I should have known this would happen." He turned scathing eyes to the Hokage. "You fool, Sarutobi! You should have killed him when you had the chance."
"Better late than never," Lord Third said grimly.
"Heh," the monkey smiled mockingly. "It's too late now." He gestured to the Hokage's trapped state.
Groaning, the old man leaned forward, struggling to free himself. "Quickly!" He shouted. "Enma! Adamantine Nyoi!"
"Stop him now!" For the first time, a flash of fear appeared on Orochimaru's face, as he pointed to Enma. "Do not let him transform!"
Obediently, the First and Second Hokages immediately began running and jumping up the trees at an alarmingly fast pace, their blank sights fixed on their target.
"Alright then!" Enma took a step back, his dark wrinkled face frowning with concentration. "Understood!"
As the Second Hokage reached him, the monkey slammed his fist into his opponent's spiky white hair, hitting with enough force to send him crashing through the branch.
Enma turned, and in one movement, blocked the First Hokage's fist and kicked him up into the air. Landing lightly on a broken stump, the monkey shouted "Transform!" and disappeared in a puff of smoke.
Less than a second later, a thick pole about seven or eight feet long slammed into the branches holding the Third Hokage captive. Twice more, moving with a mind of its own, the pole smashed the wood with ease.
"At last!" Lord Third jumped up, finally freed, and caught the spinning pole in midair. He landed deftly, turning to face the two Reanimations as they recovered.
"Unbelievable," Akio's voice, unusually reverent, spoke softly from Tsukiko's right. "I never dreamed I would live to see Hokage-level combat."
She shook herself, angry that she'd been caught up in watching rather than helping. "We have two options," she said quietly, her eyes finding Orochimaru. "I can get rid of that weird gold seal and take out one of the Sound ninja, or I can continue to distract Orochimaru and give Lord Third a chance to end it." Her initial rush to break the barrier had been tempered by the potential danger to the village the two Reanimations represented. There was a rather large crowd of unconscious people below them that wouldn't be able to defend themselves from this level of attack. The barrier now acted as a shield for Konoha just as much as it was a trap.
"Good for you, old man," Orochimaru said mockingly, his casual demeanor returned. "At least you've made this a little more interesting." He pressed against his stomach, face contorting grotesquely as he opened his mouth. A live snake emerged from his throat, opening its own mouth to reveal the hilt of a sword.
The snake-like man caught the blade as it emerged fully, holding it up as he swallowed the scaled creature hanging out of his mouth
"Are you ready, Enma?" Lord Third asked, knowing that the weapon Orochimaru wielded was no ordinary blade.
"No matter how strong my body is, the Grass Longsword will still hurt me," his pole warned, the disembodied voice of the monkey king echoing.
Lord Third nodded in acknowledgment, then leapt forward, spinning the weapon to build up centrifugal force. Once he was over Orochimaru, Enma extended rapidly, trying to catch the dark-haired man off-guard.
Orochimaru backflipped to dodge the strike, and the Hokage landed next to him, keeping the momentum of his spinning pole going. The two traded a series of blows, Lord Third's weapon keeping his opponent at bay.
Akio shook his head in frustration. "It's risky either way. Now that Orochimaru has Lords First and Second on his side, it might be even more dangerous to break the barrier. That level of fighting might destroy the village."
"But we can't simply sit here and do nothing," Tsukiko finished, tensing as the first two Hokages rejoined the fight, knocking the pole away just as Lord Third had Orochimaru pinned.
Weaponless, the old man wasn't fast enough to dodge as Orochimaru shot forward, sword forgotten in favor of a series of punches and kicks to the face and body, his white face alight with a sick satisfaction. Lord Third fell heavily to the ground with a dull thud.
"Lord Hokage!" The timid Anbu ninja clenched his fists.
"That was foolish," Orochimaru mocked. "Trying to fight the three of us without using your Shadow Clone jutsu."
"No, that's wrong," Akio muttered, leaning closer to see clearly through the purple wall. "It's that he couldn't use it. To disperse his chakra among a pack of clones, and then create more when those have fallen...those things are beyond him now. He doesn't have the chakra reserves he once had, and fighting all three of them has pushed him to the brink."
"Akio," Tsukiko cracked her neck, gathering her last bits of chakra. "You and the others give me everything you have. Even if we do break through, none of us are strong enough to do anything more than get in the way." It was a hard thing to admit, a heavy blow to her pride, and the strength she'd been so proud of. There was an immense gap between her and the fighters trapped inside the barrier, and she could feel frustration clawing up her insides at her lack of power.
'I've been standing still for far too long.' Being content with her current power was no longer an option. Orochimaru could give Sasuke far more than she could, and she had no doubts about whether he would go or not. It's what she would do, in his place.
There. There it was. The admission that she'd been trying to deny ever since Orochimaru had given Sasuke that damned curse mark.
After Itachi had...left, Tsukiko didn't cry. She'd been unable to, all of her emotions collapsed within themselves in shock. Even when Sasuke had cried, clinging to her tightly in the hospital, Tsukiko was unable to express anything other than relief that he was alright. She had held him tightly, thanking whatever deity that had taken pity on her. It was only at the funeral for her adopted clan that a new emotion emerged.
Rage.
Such a raw, ugly feeling. It burned and clawed and roared, threatening to destroy her if not acted upon, but Tsukiko had welcomed it. The anger had meant that she was still alive, that there was still something left to live for.
Not her dreams. Not her goals. What childish nonsense they'd been! How could she bring about world peace if she couldn't even see the darkness hidden away in those closest to her? How could she hope to start a family of her own someday if—?
For a few weeks, Tsukiko was in a very dark place, and had thrown herself into a vicious training program, trying to strengthen herself to go after him, to avenge the aching pain in her heart and head. Everything in the village had been a reminder of the family she'd lost, of the hatred she felt for the man she had once loved. There was no room for love, not anymore.
But, there was Sasuke. He'd needed her, been the reason she could force a smile on her face and pretend that everything was going to be alright.
He'd seen through her, of course, and began to push himself just as she was, revenge his prominent motivation after the awful challenge Itachi had issued, after seeing the horrible wound that ought to have killed Tsukiko. But he played along, acting like everything was fine.
That had been Tsukiko's wake up call. She'd come home early from their new house, on the opposite side of the village from the now-sealed compound, and had seen Sasuke's training. He'd attacked and destroyed the surrounding forest with a deep anger and vengeance belonging to someone far older than his nine years would allow. And, for a long moment, Tsukiko hadn't recognized him, his face twisted with rage.
She'd withdrawn, back to her training grounds, and looked around with new eyes. Deep gouges in the earth like scars, and trees destroyed as if in a violent frenzy. Was this who she was? The person she wanted to be?
That was when she finally broke down, her emotions exploding out of her with a sudden surge that left her screaming and sobbing on the ground, wishing and praying for forgiveness, for the past to be rewritten. She couldn't mask her feelings behind hate anymore. She loved Itachi. Lie or not, her memories of him were precious, and didn't deserve to be tainted by hate. Sasuke didn't deserve to be tainted by her hate. He was all she had left.
The anger left, leaving her raw and broken. She needed to pull herself together, to stop punishing herself for still loving the man who killed her family, to forgive herself for not seeing the darkness grow in Itachi.
It was only then did she realize that her outburst of emotion had manifested physically, lighting dancing around her, charged with positive and negative energy and feelings. Her Gensogan had evolved, just as Itachi's Sharingan had.
She'd been able to rebuild after that. To see past the hurt and confusion and look to the future. Her life with Sasuke settled down, the two of them happy at times. It was hard, but they were making progress. Sasuke hadn't let go of his rage, still trapped in that dark world of an avenger. And because she'd experienced it, Tsukiko knew the truth. He would leave without looking back if it meant he could finally quell the anger that was slowly eating him alive. He wouldn't hesitate.
Akio studied the dark look on her face, recognizing it. His sister often wore that expression when she was lost in her thoughts. It was not a comforting sign. "Tsukiko?"
"I need to beat him," she muttered, eyes locked on Orochimaru as he approached the prone Hokage. "I need to protect Sasuke."
"And how will you do that?"
She glanced at him as if surprised to see him talking to her. "What?"
"You said you wanted us to give you the rest of our chakra. I agree that we wouldn't be able to do much even if they broke through, but I assume you have a plan?"
Tsukiko shook herself, the shadow across her features disappearing. "I'm not strong enough to do much more," she said, her tone matter-of-fact. "But I think I can distract Lords First and Second long enough for the Third Hokage to beat Orochimaru."
Akio nodded, trusting her. "Alright, let's go."
Masuko slammed her armored fist into the Sound ninja's nose, hearing a satisfying crunch as he flew back.
"Alright, who's next?" She growled, glaring at the attacking Sound ninja through the blue tint protecting her eyes.
Masuko's chakra armor was similar in look to that of a samurai, taking the form of the helmet and protective padding across her arms and legs. But this was completely covering her body, the chakra thinner in some places (like the bottoms of her feet) to lower the weight and allow her to concentrate it in areas where she'd most likely be hurt. Unlike a normal chakra-driven defense, this was solid, tangible energy. Masuko spent most of her off-time carefully storing a steady stream of chakra into her reserves, a section of her mind that she had specifically blocked off with her family's technique.
It was a seal of sorts, but left no physical mark on her skin. All it did was ensure that her chakra reserves could only be tapped into if she willed it. There would be no stealing this chakra, which guaranteed her against that sort of jutsu or attack. The moment it became armor, however, was a different story. Any opponent capable of absorbing chakra often targeted her. But the hardened energy resisted turning back to its original form, which made it quite difficult to actually take. In Masuko's experience, there was only one weapon capable of ripping her chakra away with ease. And it wasn't here.
The next ninja approached, more cautiously than his friend. They were trying to get to the lords and merchants currently under Masuko's guard, and it wasn't clear whether assassination or kidnapping was their game. But it didn't matter. They weren't going to make it past her.
Masuko grinned at the irony, flexing her fingers. A year ago, and she'd have been in their place, trying to kill the same people she was now protecting. Funny how life worked out.
Shuriken and kunai flew, aimed at her less guarded areas. Masuko brushed them aside contemptuously, her armor gaining a shimmering quality.
The ninja stumbled back a step, and Masuko's fang glinted evilly. She'd found, several years ago, that adding a second layer of chakra, extremely thin and meant to catch the light, made her difficult to see. It was like trying to look through a prism, and although her bulky figure was an obvious standout, she was hidden, to an extent. In plain terms, the refraction of light made it very difficult for others to see her hand signs or keep track of fast or subtle movements. The direction of a blade, for example.
The Sound ninja fell, clutching his side. Masuko pulled her sword free of the body, grimacing at it. The damn thing was already eroding under the force of her chakra. It wasn't meant to work with the level of energy she possessed. Very few blades were.
Again, she cursed the Mist for snapping her father's katana, one of few weapons that actually felt right in her hands.
She sighed as she kicked the body of the ninja at his former comrades, using their confusion to get behind them and cut them all down in a matter of seconds.
"Looks like I'm going to have to visit old man Tatsume," she griped, watching her blade disintegrate.
As the next set of foes approached, Masuko spared a glance at the giant purple box on the roof of the nearby building. She was not a sensory type, by any means, but even she could feel the clashing chakras inside that thing, and it seemed pretty intense.
"Hope the old man's okay," she muttered, slamming her knee into the stomach of the closest opponent. "I do owe him one, after all."
A.N. Aaaaaand that's if for this chapter. A little shorter than usual, but evenly split with the fight. Next time, we'll see the conclusion and the hints to the future.
Anyway, I promise that the next chapter will be out by Friday, and the following chapter soon after that. Happy Halloween, everyone!