Chapter 13. Two powers collide.

Mist surrounded Arashi the moment he reached the surface of the water. He saw nothing at all so he raised his hand to perform a jutsu but stopped. A lone figure appeared wrapped in the clouds of mist and the blond hokage felt his heart stop for a moment.

The figure took a few more steps and then stopped just in front of him.

"Umi," Arashi breathed out.

Yes, it was her, as beautiful as she was the day they met. The same shining hair and crystal blue eyes, the same thin hands and full lips. He felt he could spend an eternity just looking at her.

"Come on, dear," she smiled the way only she could. "Let's go home, Arashi."

Yondaime didn't turn his eyes from her as if he was afraid she'd disappear.

Slowly he rose to his legs and came to her.

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"They must be somewhere close," Naruto shouted running on the water.

"Wait!" Nami stopped nearby. She was breathing rather heavy. "Let's perform some jutsu, we won't find them in such thick fog."

"Do it!" Naruto nodded and continued running.

"What a stubborn boy," Nami cursed trying carch up to him. "Like you can do something even if you find them!"

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Finally he felt peace in his heart. Everything was right. His wife, his Umi was with him. He couldn't wish for more. But why did he feel something is not right, something not in its place?

Something…very important.

"Yondaime!" he heard a voice through the thick fog. The voice was familiar but he couldn't understand whom this voice belonged to.

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Naruto ran through the fog and finally saw a mass of blond hair.

"Yondaime!" he shouted but received no response. Arashi was staring at the fog like someone was here.

Naruto made another step and bumped into an invisible wall. He tried to smash it but nothing worked. At the same time he saw a dark figure with kunai at Arashi's back.

"Yondaime!" Naruto's voice became more desperate. Here, in front of his eyes the blond hokage was caught in genjutsu and he could do nothing to help him, to save him.

Rasengan flicked in his hand and the moment he moved it to strike the wall Nami appeared.

"Naruto!" she shouted.

Arashi took his wife's hand and prepaired to make the first step. The voice continued to call him but he didn't care. He had his right to be happy, to live a simple life. The voice gave up for a moment but another moment one more voice joined him, shouting familiar word.

"Naruto!"

At the same moment the world around him exploded.

Memories of the past days filled his mind. Umi, how ironical. He looked at the face of the fantom he believed was his wife remembering…

FLASHBACK

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"Stop it already!" after ten minutes Arashi gave up.

Umi chuckled.

"I didn't know you were so ticklish, Yondaime hokage." She was standing, concentrating chakra somewhere near his chest.

Arashi was holding back his laugher with for all he could.

"Hold up a little longer," Umi doubled her effort sweat droplets appearing on her forehead.

"Do we really need it?" Arashi asked looking at her.

Blue tattoo with strange symbol flickered on his skin and disappeared completely.

"That's a guarantee," Umi explaimed breathing heavily. "You have never seen how people under mind catching jutsus killed the ones they loved. I saw it and I don't want it to happen, neither with you nor with me nor with our son. They say these marks stay even after death."

"How does it work?" Arashi asked.

"It's the seal," Umi explained. It holds memories and even if they are suppressed one can tell you the key word and you'll snap out of the mind catching jutsu.

"That's a good jutsu," Arashi agreed. "What keyword did you choose?"

Umi wrapped her hands around him and whispered.

"Naruto."

Arashi rolled his eyes and chuckled.

"I should have guessed."

"Come on, get up, lazy one," Umi pushed him a little. "Did you catch the basics of this jutsu? Now it's your turn to do the same to me!"

"My pleasure," Arashi muttered.

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The kunai's blade flashed into the mist preparing to take Yondaime's life but he turned around at the last moment catching his attacker's hand.

"Don't think I give up that quickly, Taki," Arashi growled.

"Still it was a nice try," the Mizukage laughed. "I almost got you!"

It sounded so much alike their training sessions that Arashi winced.

"He is not Umi's brother you used to know," he reminded himself. "He kidnapped Naruto and wanted to make him live in lies."

He must put the past aside, otherwise he won't be able to win the fight so he and Naruto could go home. He must find calmness in his heart, he must be strong. Almost as the day when…the past caught him in its claws one more time.

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FLASHBACK

He stood up. There was not pain in his eyes, no tears, nothing that could keep him attached to this world. He knew – one wrong thought, one wrong feeling and he won't be able to do what he must do. He felt like liquid flame is flowing into his body and closed his eyes for a moment. Yes, it was the right feeling.

Nobody stopped him. He just walked along the streets saying goodbye to everything he knew and loved. He didn't feel pain because he was already dead – he died the same moment his wife breathed out her last breath.

People were rushing before him trying to protect their lives. He didn't care. At the same moment he didn't think about this village, about his people because these were dangerous thoughts, they were too close to his heart that had to stay dead.

But his entire stern mood was destroyed with limp body bumping into him. Arashi caught it and looked at the scared face of a boy. Iruka, that was his name, wasn't it? For a moment the fourth hokage felt the stabbing pain in his chest. Here, in this house stayed his son and he was going to leave him alone to this world, full of dangers. He was going to imprison a monster into him, to turn his life into the nightmare. What right did he have to do this to his son? Looking at the scared face of dark haired boy Arashi saw all the things he won't be able to see in reality – his son's first steps, his first exams, his konoha's forehead protector, his first missions, first love…

For a moment he wanted to run away and surrender, but this was only one moment of weakness.

"Kage's aren't human, are we?" he remembered Umi's sad voice and finally truly realized the meaning of it. "We must always be strong, invincible, the best of the best, don't we?"

"Yes," he whispered with his lips and breathed out an encouraging smile to this kid. Yes, he must protect all of them, at all costs. His son, Umi's son, he'll understand because he'll be the same as they were.

He stood up and walked to the gate, opening it. White and red clothes waved on him like wings as he stepped on Gamabunta's back. The nine tailed fox growled preparing to attack as Arashi put his hands into the series of seals he had never done in his life. And something unexpected happened – for a moment the fox backed away. Was it because it saw the death in Yondaime's eyes? Or simply because it felt a strong opponent? The Blond haired man didn't know. As the last seal was finished and the strange creature called shinigami went after the fox he felt darkness coming to his eyes. But till the last moment he couldn't help himself but thinking about little kid crying at the hokage's house.

"Naruto," he whispered to the wind knowing that only he and Gamabunta would hear his words. "Please, forgive me…"

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The darkness surrounded the sea completely and all Naruto could see was two lightning bolts that meet one another from time to time in the air.

Nami finally ran to him catching Naruto into her hands and preventing him from causing any disturbances in the fight.

"That's their business now," she whispered. "We are not that mighty as to interfere."

Naruto nodded weakly. Strange thoughts were flying into his head. He didn't wantYondaime to die at all costs and still he felt the Mizukage was his only key to the truth. But he felt that this was the fight where only one could win.

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"Taki became strong," Arashi acknowledged. The tricks, jutsus he taught him long ago and other jutsus he didn't know – everything was put into destroying him. He wasn't afraid, no, but he clearly saw the possibility of loosing this fight and dying.

"Eat this…and this," Taki performed one jutsu after other without hesitations.

"He…just can't hold such a speed forever," Arashi thought dodging. "These are foolish and dangerous tactics – he'll be out of breath soon."

All he could do now was to avoid the attacks – if he wanted Taki to live.

"Come on!" the black haired mizukage shouted. "Show me what you've got! Or you are so afraid of me that you can't attack, hokage?"

Arashi didn't answer. He just continued to parry the attacks.

In a few moments Taki stopped in his tracks.

"I see," he said. "You don't want to hurt me. Such generousity. But I'm not the kid you used to know, Yondaime. I will fight dirty; I will use everything to destroy you. Even…" his eyes fell downside where Nami was still holding Naruto.

Taki's eyes became cold. He turned to Arashi look of tryumph in his eyes, made a move of his hand…and a big wave raised after Naruto and Nami's backs preparing to crash them.

"NO!" Arashi shouted and a yellow lightning flickered one more time in attempt to be in time, to parry the attack, to protect the one dearest to him.

Naruto watched the scene wide eyed. If till this moment he had some hesitations about whether this man was his father, now he had none. No father would risk his child's life for revenge – he was sure. He was lied to…once again.

Nami tried to protect him with her body but Arashi reached them in time catching the wave. The shield made in seconds didn't hold all the attack and Naruto saw in Yondaime's eyes – it was very painful. It looked like Arashi had bruised his ribs. It looked like Nami saw the same.

"Are you…" she began.

"Alright," he answered stretching his hands. It took him a few more seconds to catch a breath – and then he rushed to attack Taki.

Now he acted more aggressive. With a strong wind blow he kicked the mizukage into the nearest hill. Taki raised on his legs just in time – to parry another jutsu.

"That was low," Arashi growled trying to disarm him. Now they were rolling near the cliff forgetting all the jutsus. This was too personal – to decide who is the winner with jutsus. Their hands and legs were the best weapon.

Taki punched him once, twice – Arashi avoided the blows only partly – like he wanted to feel pain, to become angry. To find the powers in himself to kill his opponent – to kill the boy who he trained himself. To cut another string attached to his past.

"You will not bring her back with that," he told him calmly catching one another blow.

"I know!" Taki growled. "And you think it's a good reason to stop? To shake hands and call one another best friends while she is dead?"

"Just look at you," Arashi continued. "Look at yourself, what you became. What would Umi say if she saw you? You used her son for revenge. You betrayed everything she taught you."

Taki stood up. His face was pale, his lips shook but there was calmliness on his face.

"What I became…" he whispered. "It doesn't matter. What matters is that she is dead."

"Taki," Arashi whispered in shock. This creature…it wasn't the Taki he knew. He made this creature with his own hands…the day he failed to save Umi.

Everything was like a nightmare – he avoided Taki, attack after attack. The moves of his opponent became slow like the thoughts in Arashi's head.

"It's my fault. The way he grew up…it's all my fault. My mistake. But…" he avoided the blow coming right on the edge of the cliff. "But I can't die yet because Naruto needs me. I won't make the same mistake twice. I won't leave him to grow on his own…once again. I must survive…for him."

"Great wall!" Taki called his usual jutsu and Arashi just flickered from the way of the water. Taki saw it too late – he was caught in his own jutsu and fell from the cliff.

He closed his eyes preparing to die but at the same time felt rope catching his left hand. He raised his head to find Arashi holding another end of the rope – not letting him fall.

"Don't you think it's a foolish way to die?" Arashi's voice was rude but full of compassion – and for a moment Taki felt like he was in a lesson again. Like there weren't those painful years, there was his sister, her friend, the hokage…their family.

"You still have friends," Arashi's voice was stern and calm. "It's not too late for you to change everything, Taki."

"Maybe he is right? Maybe…" Taki sighed, pulling out something from his pocket.

"You…helping me here," he began. "It will mean you saved my life. So in the laws of my family…" he caught the rope with his hand while pulling the kunai closer with the other.

"No!" Arashi shouted trying to pull him quicker than the Mizukage could perform his plan but it was too late. Taki, a triumphed look on his face, fell down the cliff. Without a sound, the sea took him – and became smooth again – like nothing ever happened. Arashi looked down for long moments, trying to find any sign of life – but there was nothing. He sighed heavily. Today the black haired boy did what he couldn't do for ages – he defeated him completely.