Chapter 65: Three Hokages
"It's been over a month, am I ready yet?" Naruto demanded one morning before Chaos could say anything.
"Yes, I think we've gotten your balance and physical strength high enough to continue. Next you will engage in a fight," Chaos said.
"With who, you?" Naruto asked.
"He'd butcher you," Elvo said.
"You didn't," Naruto said turning to face Elvo.
"I can hold back, Chaos can't," Elvo said.
"You're going to fight the only other human to ever reach the twenty-five percent mark in potential," Chaos said.
"You're a bastard Chaos, you know that," Elvo said standing up suddenly.
"Wait, I thought you said I was the first," Naruto said.
"You were the first to pass it. Only one other reached it before he died, and if he didn't die he would've passed it," Elvo said.
"If he was so strong, how'd he die then?" Naruto asked.
"Ask him yourself," Chaos said.
"You're being an ass you know that?" Elvo asked.
"Necessity is necessity, things will go faster this way," Chaos said.
"Time isn't as much a factor as you make it seem," Elvo said.
"It's been nearly half a year since he started, nearly half our time is gone. It is important," Chaos said.
"What's going on?" Naruto asked looking between the two gods.
"Elvo disagrees with my choice on your opponent. But this part of the job is for me to decide," Chaos said rolling up his sleeves.
A blue sphere appeared between Chaos' open hands large enough for a man to fit inside. Chaos looked at Elvo who scowled, removed his right gloved and reached into the sphere. Naruto watched with wide eyes as Elvo pulled a man from the sphere by the collar and the sphere disappeared. The man lay motionless on his back before Chaos picked him up by the neck and lifted him off the ground.
"Wake up," Chaos said as his hand glowed green before dropping the man.
The man hit the ground feet first and caught himself before he fell over completely. He looked around him at Chaos and Elvo completely confused. Then he saw Naruto whose eyes were even wider than they had just been.
"Naruto?" the man asked quietly.
"You, you're the Fourth… you're the one who sealed Kyuubi in me…" Naruto said slowly pointing at the man.
Elvo looked down, his forehead in his right hand as the man slowly walked towards Naruto.
"Yes, I did…" He said as he continued to walk towards Naruto, his arms slightly out to the sides as if to show he was unarmed.
When the Fourth was steps away from Naruto he punched him in the face, "Why? Why did you have to do it? Why me of all the people in the village, why did you have to do that to me?" Naruto asked as the Fourth stumbled backwards from the hit.
"I thought you would be strong enough to fight him off, I… I'm sorry…" the Fourth said righting himself.
Naruto looked at him, "but why not someone who would have a family with them, someone who could still have a good life?" Naruto asked.
The Fourth grabbed Naruto in a hug, "I'm sorry son, but there was no time, I didn't have time to find someone willing, someone who could do what I needed them to," the Fourth said as he embraced Naruto, who had gone rigid.
"Akutei, you can bond with your son later, we have work to do," Chaos said.
At these words the Fourth let go of Naruto and turned to face Chaos, "I won't fight him," he said.
"You don't have say in the matter," Chaos said.
"Of course I do! It's something only I can do and I refuse to do it!" Akutei yelled at Chaos.
"Please, I don't like it either, but we are halfway to our deadline. We have just over six more months, with your help this could be done before then," Elvo said looking up at Akutei.
"I go back when it's over, don't I?" Akutei asked.
"If you help, I'll send you where you belong, I'll let you see your wife," Chaos said.
"Again with the deals?" Akutei asked with a slight grin. He turned to look at Naruto who was wide eyed and open mouthed, "I guess I have no choice this time."
x-X-x
Tsunade sat behind the desk in the Hokage's office, sitting on the opposite side of the desk were the surviving members of the Twelve Terrors. Tsunade's head was in her hands and her elbows were on the desktop.
"I can't believe this has happened," Tsunade said.
"I'm guessing this is the shortest reign in Hokage history," Sin said.
"Yeah, six months is definitely the shortest," Tsunade said, her head still in her hands.
"What happens now?" Wiseman asked.
"The council has already reinstated me. His funeral will be in three days," Tsunade said.
"Any word on the boy?" Sage asked.
"No, he's vanished again. I don't want to send anyone after him because we have no leads on where he could be," Tsunade said.
"I'm going. After Ivike's put to rest," Wiseman said.
Tsunade looked up at them all, "I can't allow that."
"He's marked us already. If the six of us stay here we're only putting the village in danger," Strag said.
"And if he comes after Sakura while you're gone? Sage is the one who drove him off both times," Tsunade said.
"Exactly, so there's no doubt I'm his next mark, which is why I'm going too. Grim is least likely to be targeted because Sasuke was closest to him. But he's also the one that Sasuke knows can defeat him, which could push him up on the list, or take him off it completely," Sage said.
"Which is why I'm the only one staying here, just incase," Grim said.
"I can't allow this," Tsunade said standing up.
"Then mark us as missing. I doubt we can resign as being ninja," Wiseman said also standing up the others did the same.
Tsunade sighed, "Come back here before you go so I can make it official," she said defeated.
Wiseman grinned slightly and nodded. He then left, the others following except Sage, who was now alone with Tsunade. Tsunade looked at him quizzically.
"I have something you should see," Sage said reaching into one of his pockets.
"Really, what is it?" Tsunade asked.
"When I told him that Sasuke had marked us he made this. Ivike knew he would be high on the list, so he hid it somewhere and told me where, just incase. He didn't tell the others because he wanted to see if Sasuke would even comeback," Sage said pulling out a small scroll.
"What is it?" Tsunade asked again as she reached for it.
"It's who he marked as his successor. I didn't ready it, he said to give it to you because you'd know what to do with it," Sage said handing the scroll to Tsunade.
"Do you know who it is?" Tsunade asked.
"No, but I have an idea. However, knowing what he knew when he wrote it, I wouldn't be surprised if there're more than one name," Sage said before turning and leaving.
Tsunade looked at the scroll in her hand as he sat down. She turned it over in her hands, not opening it. After a few minutes she opened a drawer and put it inside, 'I'll wait until he's been put to rest before reading his will,' Tsunade thought as she closed the drawer.
x-X-x
Naruto stumbled backwards and fell on his back, Akutei standing where Naruto just had.
"Don't go easy on him, if he dies he dies," Chaos said.
"I'm not going to kill my son!" Akutei yelled looking at Chaos.
"If he dies I'll bring him back and we'll be done. He can't join us if you can kill him, don't worry," Elvo said in a calming voice.
"Maybe I should just take the hit then," Naruto said getting to his feet, "I mean, how do I fight speed faster than light?" Naruto asked looking at Chaos.
In an instant Chaos was gone and behind Naruto, "surpass it," he said in his calm voice.
Naruto jump a bit when Chaos spoke, "how did you do that?" he asked spinning to look at him.
"You need to be that fast too, before you become a god. Akutei is only at twenty-five percent, you're at about thirty, you should be able to beat him. Start building your speed," Elvo said.
"But I can't even see him," Naruto said gesturing towards Akutei.
"The faster you move, the faster you see," Chaos said appearing back where he previously was.
"Is that all this it? To get my speed up?" Naruto asked.
"Mainly. It will also increase your strength and other aspects, but speed is the main one here," Elvo said.
"Once we're done here, I have a little trick that will get you the rest of the way in less than a week, if it works right," Chaos said.
Elvo looked at him with a raised eyebrow, "what the hell are you talking about?"
"I'm a watcher; I've seen things in his past that link to things that have recently happened.
"What is that, exactly?" Elvo asked.
"I found what triggered him last time, and I'll use it to trigger him again," Chaos said.
x-X-x
AN: the title refers to Akutei, Tsunade, and Nomad, the fourth, fifth, and sixth Hokages, all of which played a part in this chapter. Also, next chapter I tell what Vox said, so this is you're last chance.