A/N: Here's a new chapter. If you read my last chapter before about 7:45 PM Pacific Time on August 21, 2006, you may want to read it again. I reposted it and tried to make it better. I hope you like this chapter too.
Here are the review responses.
TheMadHatter577: Thanks.
Midnight-angel-of-darkness: I will.
VFSNAKE: Maybe Naruto will call on Kyûbi's power, but a few people will help him in this battle, especially when Gaara goes into full Shukaku mode.
VenomLord: I really should have changed that. I know that Naruto seems like he's thinking, "Who gives a shit when someone else's techniques are taken? I just don't want anyone stealing my techniques!" I'll work on that and try to do something more reactive in the future.
BioDragon: Thank you
Light of the Demons: Yeah, you were right. You were actually one of the few people that actually did.
Divinechaosdragoon: Well, he's going to be more tired than he was in canon. As for Genis, Colette, and Lloyd; you're going to have to wait and find out.
SilverWarrior: You'll find out.
Chibi-Chipmunk on Crack: Thanks; I'm glad you reviewed anyway.
Clone Daniel: I'm glad you did! I spent a little while creating that idea.
Arganaut: I don't think I will. I mean, it would make it creative, but I like Naruto as a genin before the three year jump.
Korigo starless: I'll try. I'm not really good at detailed fights.
Locker87: Thanks for the comment. It will be a little different than the series since I'm adding a few out of series characters.
Hybrid thing: I hope you like the chapter, then.
Trenchcoatgirl-Kyo: I'm glad you liked the chapter. The Naruto vs. Temari fight actually may be a bit more important than you think.
NewSon: I'm not insulting them. They're pretty good, if a bit of an eyesore. I do agree with your pairing suggestions, but I haven't decided which one to do. I'll do that thing you said about not making Sasuke a total prick. You've been a great help!
Nara Shikaku: Now, now, don't do that or I'll have Naruto sic you, too.
Chidori vs Rasengan-BetaRd-: No, they're not. They're out of series characters in Naruto's world.
Anime-Boy07: Thanks.
ShadowBack: You'll see what happens. I hope you like it.
Shadowkeeper113: Look at the end of "Chapter 20: "Chapter 19: Fate"".
Dragon Man 180: Wind and Lightning combined is one heck of a combination. Think about it; you get sliced and shocked and then sliced and blown away. It's so awesome!
Tellemicus Sundance: Wow, your story, "The Weak Link" is one heck of a Code Lyoko story. I understand what you said, but I was still blown away by how great it was. Nice work! I mean, you had me hooked until the end of "The Soul of a Warrior". Thanks for the great advice, though.
SagazLegend: Yeah, I plan on making Naruto use Hiraishin no Jutsu (Flying Thunder God Technique), but I plan on letting him learn it after the time skip. I hope you realize that. Also, Naruto may or may not be able to use it a certain times.
Harteramo: Well, I hope you like this chapter, too.
Kitsu Maharu: ………Well, that was interesting. I'm glad Guu Gagu Lolo the 6th of the Kotaro Kohei Tsuki no Tsubasa Tribe liked it! I'd give you some more to give to it, but it might spoil the good little cow. And, as an answer to your question; yes, I would like some green tea. I like green tea.
Conan98002: Ronin Warrior blades? I've never heard of that before.
The Cow you chew: Don't let Kitsu Maharu see your user name.
Sledmoose: Thanks for the comment. The mask will come back soon, I promise. I'll explain a little in a future chapter because after Naruto and Jiraiya go to get Tsunade to be the next Hokage, there'll be a new mission that Teams 7, 8, and maybe 10 will go on.
Saiyaku no NekoKitsune: No, it's Yoko. "Yo"in Yoko can be written with the Kanji for mystic. "Ko" can be written with the Kanji for fox. The Kanji for "Ko" can also be pronounced "Kitsune" alone, but with the Kanji for Mystic in front of it, it sounds like Yoko. Yokai is the word for demon, not demon fox. If you don't believe me, watch the Japanese version of the first episode when Mizuki says that Naruto is the Kyûbi or the 77th episode when Naruto has a flashback of that day during the Naruto vs. Gaara fight. He says, "Kyûbi no Yoko."Thanks for trying to clear that up, though.
Biggestboss: It'll get better. You'll see. It's okay if you don't review. I just like your input nonetheless.
Rasendori: It's a little late to be suggesting that, huh? Anyway, I'm sorry for the honorific misunderstanding.
ShadowNeji: Sure.
X-275 Strike Fisha: I'll try. I'm been a little lax on the actual progression since I'm a little busy. (See A/N at end of chapter.)
00asianwriter00: I will when I have the time.
Xpotter: I'll do what I can.
Era-chan: I'll squeeze in the funny when I can. I'll put in the funny when it's appropriate, not when it's too serious for some idiot to come out and say, "Look at me, I'm an idiot trying to make the funny and screw up the entire tone of the scene right now!" I'm sorry, but the Naruto vs. Gaara fight isn't in this chapter. I'll get to it on the next one, most likely.
Now, here's the 22nd installment of "Cheerfulness Incarnate".
Disclaimer: Okay, all of my animal friends are either taking a nap or playing outside right now so I guess I'm doing the disclaimer myself. I do not own Naruto or Tales of Symphonia (Hint Hint). Thank you.
(Chapter Begin)
Naruto slowly opened his eyes and looked forward to see what became of the rain of kunai that was headed toward him. What he saw was the red figure holding a sword and standing within a fading green orb. He turned around to look at Naruto and he began to speak. Naruto looked around the figure and saw something as the red figure spoke.
"Whew, that was close. Hi, my name is…"
Naruto saw the ninja that threw the kunai jumping down from the tree and running towards the red figure. A feminine voice from behind him yelled before Naruto did.
"Lloyd!"
Looking at the blonde, he continued.
"Well, yeah, that's my name."
The ninja threw another horde of kunai. Pushing Lloyd out of the way and drawing his Wind kunai, he blasted them back to the thrower, pinning him to a tree behind him. Grabbing the red figure and starting to run away with Sakura and Hinata, he shouted one thing to the rest of them.
"Introductions later; run now!"
Naruto released Lloyd's hand and continued to run on the ground, in consideration of the other group. Naruto looked back to see a strange sight.
Lloyd was carrying the small blue figure on his back and the blonde was close behind. The weird thing about them was the fact the Lloyd and the blonde were flying on multicolored wings. The blonde's were pink and purple and Lloyd's were blue. The two didn't seem to have any trouble keeping up since they were gaining on Naruto relatively quickly. Naruto jumped to the trees, thinking they could fly through the branches. Naruto formed a sweat drop on the back of his head as the three followed them closely. They were even having a conversation.
"Seriously, I don't see why we have to do this," the blue figure said on Lloyd's back.
"Shut up, Genis, you know that this is the only way we'll keep up with these guys. They're pretty fast!" Lloyd said in response.
"Yeah, I know, but are you sure we can trust them? I mean, their village is about as mysterious as Sheena's!" Genis said on Lloyd's back.
"I know that, but I think they can be trusted. I mean, did you see what Orange Boy tried to do for Colette?"
Naruto got annoyed at that point and decided to step in.
"The name's Uzumaki Naruto, not "Orange Boy"!" Naruto said in slight annoyance.
"Oh, sorry," Lloyd said with a large grin. "The first thing I noticed about you was the color of your clothes, so…"
"You're such a moron, Lloyd."
"Shut it, Genis!"
Naruto formed a sweat drop as he noticed that he did that when he first saw them. Naruto then looked around to see that Colette was talking to Hinata and Sakura about who knows what. Turning his attention to the little dog in front of the group, he asked a question.
"Hey, Pakkun, was it? Do you have Sasuke's scent yet?"
"Of course I do! Just keep following me and you'll get there!" the little dog said smugly.
Pakkun continued to guide them as Naruto started to speak to Lloyd again. Unfortunately, he was interrupted by a loud squeal. Naruto saw Lloyd and Genis roll their eyes as he saw a white and blonde blur pass in front of him and scoop up Pakkun.
"Hey, what do you think you're…?"
"It's so cute! What's his name?" Colette asked Naruto as she snuggled Pakkun in her arms. Pakkun only seemed a little annoyed.
"It's…Pakkun, but…I think you should let him go," Naruto said as Colette continued to snuggle with the annoyed puppy. It was about a minute later when Pakkun's nose twitched and he finally spoke up.
"As much as I like being squished, we need to get a move on, there's 8, no, 9 people tailing us."
Shocked looks were circulated all around and Colette dropped Pakkun onto the nearest branch.
Everybody started to move faster than before as Pakkun continued to speak.
"They haven't found our exact location, but they're tracking us really well and we have to try and lose them."
Naruto started thinking as Sakura watched carefully. Naruto narrowed his eyes and began to speak.
"I guess we have no choice. Follow me," Naruto said as he zipped to the left. Everybody had to halt and turn to follow Naruto and Pakkun was shouting at him.
"Where are you going? Sasuke's scent trail is that way!"
"I know that," Naruto said, "I just have a way to lose the guys that are following us. Be patient!"
Naruto then went to the ground and stopped. Naruto looked around and Sakura tried to follow his line of sight. Hinata looked slightly confused.
"Why do I feel like I've been here before?" Hinata thought.
"What's he looking at? A crack on a tree, an anthill, a yellow leaf; what does this have to do with anything? Also, I can't put my finger on it, but I feel some chakra here," Sakura thought.
"Okay, we're here."
Everyone looked confused as Naruto walked towards the three items. Forming a seal, he tapped all three of them and the ninja were amazed. Hinata in particular widened her eyes in realization and amazement.
"That triple layered genjutsu wasn't there before!
The clearing didn't look any different, but there was a backpack full of scrolls in the center of the clearing. Taking the backpack, Naruto put it on. Noticing everyone's questioning looks, he spoke.
"If you didn't notice already, I did more than deactivate a genjutsu when I tapped those three things. The three points that I tapped were actually the triggers for my invention. The Tri-Point Destroyer is actually designed to protect what I keep here by setting off a series of traps. Usually, the traps would detonate when someone tried to deactivate a genjutsu without hitting the triggers. Now, they'll detonate when I give a distinct chakra signature. We can get those guys off our tails if we get them to pass through this point. The problem is; we have to leave someone here to do so. We probably won't see them again, though," Naruto said sullenly. The others looked in shock to what Naruto just said. Hinata was surprisingly first to speak.
"Why is that?" she asked.
Naruto sighed and looked up before answering.
"I'm a little defensive about my techniques and original weapons. The traps here are set to destroy anything within a 3 mile radius. Even the ones who don't stay behind will be in danger."
There was a short silence as Naruto adjusted the pack. He was about to speak again when a voice interrupted him.
"That's outrageous! You can't possibly have enough explosives to destroy over 27 square miles!" Sakura yelled as she went up to Naruto.
"I can and I do. The possibilities of a combination of explosive tags and certain flammable minerals are endless."
Lloyd stepped forward and started to speak. Genis hopped off of his back and Lloyd retracted his wings. Colette stayed floating in the air, but she looked resolute as she drew her two chakrams. Genis only pulled out a kendama.
"What are they doing?" Naruto thought.
"Turn them off. We'll take care of whoever's following you," Lloyd said.
Naruto only looked at them in shock.
"Are you serious? You can't possibly take all nine of them alone!"
"We can and we will. Now, turn them off and go!" Lloyd said as he drew his blades.
"Are you mad? A genjutsu canceling will set off my trap, but so would a chakra burst large enough to shatter my illusion! You can't possibly fight here!" Naruto yelled as he walked towards the trio.
Genis smiled brightly and spoke softly to Naruto. "That's a relief, then. I mean, we can't possibly set this off since we use mana, not chakra."
"What's that?" Naruto asked, confused.
"There's a force other than chakra? I'm not so sure they could fight with it, but I hope to God that they don't accidentally set them off," Naruto thought
Genis opened his mouth to answer but a rustle in the trees interrupted him and Lloyd spoke.
"We'll tell you later. You have to go now!"
Naruto tapped the yellow leaf again and started to run off, not waiting for a response. Naruto, Sakura, and Hinata looked back and saw the three getting ready for battle. Naruto was able to hear a few words from Genis as he rushed towards Sasuke's location.
"I call upon thee in the land of the dead…"
(Meanwhile (A/N: There's going to be a lot of these.))
"To think I can finally fight you again…" Orochimaru said as he remained in the outfit of the Kazekage.
The Hokage only looked around as the four people rooting the barrier in place raised a barrier around them to protect themselves. The Hokage then spoke.
"It seems I can't leave that easily, can I?"
"Now, why would you want to get others involved? It'll only be harder for you."
Orochimaru and the Hokage then ripped off the traditional Kage robes and had what is commonly known as a standoff. The tension rose as a massive chakra level was detected within the barrier. When they both rushed forward, they were both doing different sets of seals.
The Hokage threw a single shuriken and did a number of seals ending with the cross-shaped seal that was so familiar to the genin due to one certain blonde.
"Shuriken Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique)!"
The single shuriken duplicated into hundreds of shuriken and they were all headed towards Orochimaru. Orochimaru then stopped in his tracks and finished his set of seals by placing his hands together and slamming them into the ground.
"Kuchiyose: Edo Tensei (Summoning: Impure World Resurrection)!"
"Hitotsu (One; counter for an inanimate item)!"
A coffin rose up with the symbol for "Sho (1)" on it.
"Futatsu (Two; counter for inanimate items)!"
Another coffin rose, this time, it had the symbol for "Ni (2)" on it.
The numerous shuriken that was called into existence by Sarutobi's Shuriken Kage Bunshin no Jutsu hit those two coffins and Sarutobi cursed under his breath.
"Mittsu (Three; counter for inanimate items)!
A coffin rose; this time, however, it had the symbol for "Yon (4)" on it. Sarutobi grew worried. Of the three of them, he needed to worry about this one the most.
The coffins' lids began to fall over. The first two coffins that had the symbols for "One" and "Two" held the bodies of the first and second Hokage. The third one didn't open, surprisingly.
The people, who were watching the battle, including Sarutobi himself, were shocked at who came out of the coffins. Even if he expected this, no amount of preparation could have softened this blow. The bodies stepped out and started to speak.
"It's been a long time, Saru," the First said.
"Is it really him? You've aged quite a bit, Sarutobi," the Second said.
"I never thought I'd see you again like this, Shodai-sama, Nidaime-sama," Sarutobi said.
"I see; the kid brought us back using Edo Tensei. I guess that means we'll have to fight you, Saru," Shodai said.
Sandaime prepared himself as Orochimaru walked forward, holding kunai with tags attached to them.
"Now, now, let's stop the chatter, Old Men. We should really get started."
As Orochimaru held up the kunai, Shodai spoke.
"I see there is war no matter what time period you're in."
"But, don't you like war?" Orochimaru asked.
"Orochimaru," Sandaime said, "you truly have no respect for the dead! Nothing good comes with trifling with time!"
Orochimaru only chuckled.
(Meanwhile)
"We need reinforcements!" a ninja shouted as he battled a giant snake.
"We can't hold out much longer!" another ninja yelled.
"Send the 3rd squadron towards its backside! Send the 5th squadron towards the left flank!" Ibiki yelled, sending troops to aid in the defeat of the giant summoned snakes.
Fireballs, projectiles, and many ninja went at the snake, but it just wouldn't fall. Ibiki prepared for death as the snake drew closer to him. As the snake lunged towards his position, he heard a voice.
"Ninpô: Kuchiyose: Yatai Kuzushi no Jutsu (Ninja Art: Summoning: Food Cart Destroyer Technique)!"
Suddenly, a giant frog comes out of the sky and smashes the snake coming towards Ibiki. The snake spat up a lot of blood and collapsed.
Ibiki looked up and thought.
"This can only belong to one person…"
"Hey, Ibiki, it's been a while, hasn't it? Is your body the only thing that grew? I can't watch," a voice called.
"Jiraiya-sama," Ibiki said.
"Jiraiya-sama, do you mean the Jiraiya-sama from the Sannin?"
"Listen up, ladies! Open your eyes and stare in wonder! Behold…" Jiraiya said.
He then started doing a funky little dance which consisted of the old pervert hopping on one leg and finally stomping down with his other foot. Then, extending his right arm forward, he gave a perverted smile to the masses.
"…the divine ninja Jiraiya's Far East of Eden's Wild Dance!"
Then he spoke again as he looked towards the other two summoned snakes,
"Yes, you damn snakes; flee from the presence of a frog!"
Ibiki jumped up onto the frog and Jiraiya spoke to him.
"Where's the Third?"
"He's at the exam stadium."
Jiraiya only stayed silent as he looked towards the stadium and noticed the large purple field.
"Don't die; Old Man."
(Meanwhile)
"I call upon thee in the land of the dead to unleash thy fury of thunder…"
Genis was currently in the center of what appeared to be a purple magic circle as he muttered that statement as an incantation. Lloyd was patiently waiting for the enemy, swords drawn, and Colette was only smiling as she looked up to the trees.
Each of them looked as a set of leaves rustled. Being ready, Colette and Lloyd took up positions on both sides of Genis, determined to protect their spell-caster friend.
Suddenly, a rain of kunai came from opposite directions. Lloyd and Colette were quick to block them; Lloyd with his two swords and Colette with her two chakrams.
"Well, it seems you're good enough to block kunai, huh? Let's see how you fare against a team of ninja."
8 people jumped out of the trees and looked menacingly at the three. Colette, being herself, spoke first.
"Hi, what's your name?"
The ninja present immediately fell to the ground in exasperation. One of the ninja spoke to her as soon as they recovered.
"Look, we're trying to kill you. We're ninja, okay?"
"Yeah, Colette; I really don't think they came to have a friendly chat," Lloyd said.
"I know, but why can't we have one anyway?" Colette asked, causing everyone to forma sweat-drop on the backs of their heads.
An awkward silence rose as Colette retained her cheerfulness. The ninja present got fed up relatively quickly and broke the silence.
"Whatever, just kill them already so we can catch up to those other brats," one of the ninja said.
The ninja charged forward and Lloyd smirked.
"Do it now, Genis!"
"…Indignation!" he shouted as a large ring of lightning appeared on the ground around everyone in the clearing. Knowing it won't hurt them, Lloyd, Colette, and Genis just watched as the ninja held a collective, "What the hell is going on?" look. They had a small conversation amongst themselves.
"Hey, what's this technique?" one of the ninja asked.
"I don't know, but it doesn't really hurt right now," another one said.
"I don't sense any chakra so I guess it isn't a ninjutsu," the first ninja said.
"Are you stupid? I sense some chakra here, but it's not enough for a ninjutsu. This is probably a genjutsu, you idiot!" the second ninja shouted.
"Well, then turn it off!" the first ninja said.
Lloyd, Genis, and Colette heard this and started to talk to each other.
"Hey, guys; did you hear those guys say genjuice, or something like that?" Lloyd asked.
"It's genjutsu. Also, yes, I did. You don't think…?" Genis said, trailing off.
"…they're going to try and cancel one, right?" Colette said, finishing Genis' statement.
The three friends stood in thought for a moment, breaking the silence between them by shouting one thing.
"They're going to set off the traps!" They yelled in unison as one of the ninja formed his hands into a seal and yelled, "Kai (Release)!"
"Put up your defensive shield, now!" Lloyd shouted.
"GUARDIAN!" Lloyd shouted.
"DAMAGE GUARD!" Colette shouted.
"FORCE FIELD!" Genis shouted.
The three were surrounded in three green bubbles as the trap engaged, wrapping the area in scorching fire. Genis' spell activated, giving the devastating force a nice effect as fire from the explosion merged with one of the best lightning-based mana spells in existence…
…at least, it would've been cool looking if it wasn't the last thing the ninja there would see.
"BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!" was heard across the village and through the deepest part of the forest. Everyone turned to the direction of the explosion thinking one thing.
"Man, am I glad that I wasn't over there."
The problem was, along with that thought; they knew someone or something had bit the big one. Hoping that it wasn't a person they knew, everyone resumed their battles or evacuation procedures.
Back in the newly made Konoha Plains, three scorched, but alive figures and nine metal things lay on the ground. No other body was in sight.
"Man, that really hurt," Lloyd said, standing up and wiping the dust off his clothes.
"Yeah," Genis said, "My Explosion technique is nothing compared to that!"
"Ow," Colette said as she lay face down on the ground.
"Colette, are you okay?" Lloyd asked, worried as he picked her up.
"Yeah, I'm fine," she said cheerfully as Lloyd smiled and released her.
"Seriously, he said he was only a little protective!" Genis said.
"Yeah, I thought he was exaggerating when he said that it would take down anything within a 3 mile radius," Colette said as she dusted herself off.
"Also, think about it," Genis said, "our shields reduce damage down to 20 percent. Think about what happened to those ninja."
"I think," Lloyd said as he picked up one of nine metal things scattered in the area, "they got vaporized."
"We should bring those to Naruto or whatever his name is," Genis said, "He might have a use for them."
"Yeah," Lloyd said, feeling a little better and sprouting his wings, "Let's go after him. He might think we're dead or something."
(Meanwhile)
Sticking the kunai within the heads of the two previous Hokage, the third coffin began to open.
"Excellent; you'll have a fun time fighting this one," Orochimaru said as the First and the Second looked more lively by the minute.
Pulling out another kunai with a tag, he approached the open coffin. The problem was the person inside. It wasn't exactly what Orochimaru had in mind.
"Why didn't it work? My technique is perfect!"
The Third smirked. He might have known this would happen. He knew that souls that enter the Death God's stomach will never return to this would though such an impure technique.
"BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!" the people present heard as Sarutobi looked towards a smoking part of the forest.
"What's happening out there?" he thought. Facing forward, he watched Orochimaru.
Orochimaru shrugged a moment later and returned to his position behind the two previous Hokage. At this point, the regeneration was complete and they were ready to fight. The Third spoke.
"You two look exactly like you were before…" he said while obtaining a sad expression. Orochimaru chuckled evilly and spoke.
"Do you know the satisfaction that you get when you hurt your teacher? I've now given you the opportunity to do so. I hope you experience that. Enjoy," Orochimaru said as he formed a seal, making the two previous Hokage walk forward to attack. They then broke into a run, the First staying level with Sarutobi and the Second running above him on the highest point of the roof.
The First then attacked with a small wave of kunai, which Sarutobi dodged. Next, the First tried to attack with a punch, but this was blocked and Sarutobi swept his leg under to allow him to throw the First. The Second then charged at Sarutobi from above and unleashed a flurry of punches and kicks. Catching the last kick, Sarutobi swung him around and threw him towards where the First had landed. Both of them recovered in the air when thrown and they were now standing.
"Don't think I'm going to just defend here," Sarutobi said as he did some seals.
"Mi, Uma, Tatsu, Ne, Ushi, Tora; Katon: Karyû Endan (Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet)!"
Sarutobi took an extremely deep breath and blew out a steam of white-hot flames that wrapped around the two previous Hokage. Quickly reacting, the Second formed a few seals and released a technique that showed what exactly he was known for.
"Suiton: Suijin Heki (Water Release: Water Encampment Wall)!"
A large wave of water came out of nowhere and surrounded the two Hokage. The spectators looked on in awe and Sarutobi looked on in irritation. The next thing Sarutobi saw was the Second doing another set of seals.
"Suiton: Suiryûdan (Water Release: Water Dragon Blast)!"
A water dragon came out of nowhere just like the barrier of water and attempted to hit the Third. The Third was doing his own set of seals, though.
"Doton: Doryû Heki (Earth Release: Earth Style Wall)!"
Sarutobi spat out a stream of mud in front of his body and a giant wall came forth. Climbing up the wall, he dodged the flowing water below him that was created by the remains of the water dragon.
Looking down, Sarutobi saw that the Second was completing another set of seals. Suddenly, two water dragons come up to the top of the wall and crash into the area around Sarutobi, making him fall to the ground.
Looking down on the tile roof, he noticed something. The tile below him was cracking and a little sapling was growing quickly out of it. Jumping back, Sarutobi looked forward as he saw the First performing seals.
"Mokuton Hijutsu: Jukai Kôtan (Wood Release Secret Technique: Birth of Dense Woodland)!"
Branches and roots protruded from the tile roof and headed towards Sarutobi. As he ran, he bit his finger and performed 5 familiar seals. Not having the time to cast the technique due to the trees, he kept running, even as the branches cracked through his earthen barrier. Soon enough, the branches wrapped around his body, ensnaring him with sturdy tree branches.
Struggling to reach a surface to perform the technique on, he reached his hand towards the nearest tree branch that wasn't ensnaring him. As he did so, he heard Orochimaru speak.
"So, you've finally been caught, Sensei."
Sarutobi only groaned as he was able to lay his hand on a tree branch.
"Kuchiyose no Jutsu (Summoning Technique)!
(With Naruto, about 4 miles away)
"BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!" he heard as he stopped and looked back. Naruto was then met with a massive gust of wind coming from his clearing. Hinata, Sakura, and Pakkun all noticed a second after Naruto did and they inquired about it.
"No," he said.
"What's wrong, Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked.
"They set it off. I can't believe they set it off," he responded.
"Why do you say that? The explosion couldn't have been that bad. You were just exaggerating when you said 'it will destroy anything within a 3 mile radius,' weren't you?" Sakura said.
"No, I wasn't," Naruto said, still in shock.
"You can't be serious, Naruto. There's no way you could…"
"If you don't believe me, go about a mile back and you'll see a large crater that stretches for about 6 miles!" Naruto yelled.
Sakura and Hinata stepped back slightly at Naruto's tone and listened.
"I can't believe I just killed three innocent souls…"
"So, that's the problem," Hinata thought.
Hinata moved to comfort Naruto when Sakura smirked. Looking back and seeing something, she interrupted.
"Well, if you killed them, I really hope those aren't their ghosts coming to haunt you. We have a mission to complete," she said jokingly while pointing behind her.
Naruto looked up to see Lloyd and Colette flying towards them. Genis was, once again, on Lloyd's back waving towards the ninjas. His guilty expression changed into shock as he questioned the people on how they escaped.
(Meanwhile (A/N: Time is passing here. I'm just making sure you know that. The different areas are for effect, if you know what I mean.))
"Okay, move calmly and quickly. This is an emergency situation," a chûnin said as he guided the Academy students and the civilians into a safe area.
"BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!" everyone heard as a loud explosion reached their ears. Everyone did it their own way, but each one of them actually started to panic. All the chûnin tried to stay calm, but they were worried, too. What if something happened to someone they knew and loved? What will happen if that was a signal of the enemy coming closer? What if…we're losing?
(A little later (I was getting tired of "Meanwhile"))
"There you are," Sasuke said as he caught up with Kankurô.
Kankurô grunted and started to look for an escape route when Temari jumped onto Kankurô's branch.
"I thought you were going to stall him," Kankurô said.
"I tried, but I'm too tired from my matches," Temari said in response.
"Okay then," Kankurô said as he gently laid Gaara on the branch and stepped forward, "I'll fight him. You take Gaara and run."
"But, Kankurô," she started. Kankurô only shouted a command towards Temari and she picked up Gaara and ran off. Facing down Sasuke, Kankurô placed his wrapped puppet on the branch next to him. Sasuke looked ready to fight and he was about to charge forward when…
"Go after Gaara. I'll handle him."
Not knowing who the voice was referring to; both placed themselves on guard. A rustle in the trees near Sasuke revealed who was talking.
"Shino," Sasuke said, "how did you find me?"
"I placed a bug on you before you left. The female of that particular species emits a small odor and it can only be detected by the male of the same species." Shino said.
Sasuke smirked and left.
Shino was staring down his opponent at the moment. After reaching Sasuke's position, he was immediately thrust into a battle with the puppet master. Shino was thinking about this battle at the moment.
"He uses chakra strings to control his puppets. He hides himself well, but he's rendered powerless without a puppet. If I can just reach the puppet's joints with my bugs, this game would be over."
Shino released a small swarm of his bugs around his arms and prepared for battle.
"BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!" they heard as a large gust came into the clearing they were in. Shino raised an eyebrow and Kankurô lost his balance momentarily before resuming his stance.
(A little deeper within the forest)
Sasuke had finally caught up with the elusive Gaara. He had to fight Temari once and hand off Kankurô to Shino to fight, but he was finally able to fight the mysterious Sand ninja. Sasuke also heard a loud bang, but he just assumed that it was a result of the massive snakes that came into the village.
"Man, is this annoying. I know how Naruto beat Temari now. She was definitely good enough, but Naruto could whip her easily if he went all out. I still need to get him to against me with all he has, though. I mean, the one person that I was truly looking forward to fighting was Naruto. He's not the idiot that he makes himself look like and I want to see what he's hiding," Sasuke thought as he faced down Gaara. Looking within Gaara's eyes and seeing the hatred within them had Sasuke thinking again.
"I can fight him later. For now, I have to earn that right by beating this guy. Prepare yourself, warrior from the Sand!"
"I don't know what you Sand guys are up to, but I'll stop you and find out your true identity!"
Gaara stared at Sasuke for a moment as his Sand armor cracked slightly. Gaara then started to clutch his head as a wave of pain hit it. As he groaned, the cracks within the armor increased in size.
Clutching his head, Gaara began to speak.
"You are strong. You are called Uchiha. You have friends. You have goals, and yet, you're similar to me."
Gaara, at this moment, looked as if his armor would shatter as he spoke.
"By killing you, I can confirm my existence by being the one who erased yours! I will be able to feel like I'm alive! You are my…"
Gaara screamed in agony as he clutched his head again. He fell to the branch and the armor seemed to shatter on Gaara's left side as something sprouted from his gourd.
"You…are my…"
Gaara shot up from his fallen position and thrashed as something covered his skin on the right side. He now looked like a half-raccoon mutant as he completed his statement.
"You are my prey!"
(Meanwhile)
"Kuchiyose no Jutsu: Enkôô: Enma (Summoning Technique: Monkey King: Enma)!"
A large monkey appeared within a puff of smoke. He was a monkey with white fur and he was wearing ninja gear and a headband, not unlike other ninja. He turned to the bound man that summoned him and spoke.
"Sarutobi, you must feel pathetic. You should have killed him back then."
"That's what I'm going to do now!"
"It's too late for that…" Enma said.
Sarutobi struggled within the branches and spoke again.
"Please, Enma; transform into the Kongô Nyoi (Free-Forming Diamond Pole)!"
Hearing this, Orochimaru issued a command to the previous two Hokage.
"Kill them! Don't let it transform!"
The two previous Hokage then charged toward the large monkey and attempted to destroy it, but Enma swatted them away like flies. Given a small margin between their attacks, Enma jumped back and transformed. Within the puff of smoke, a long black staff shot out and destroyed the branches that surrounded Sarutobi. Now free, he grabbed the staff and brandished it as Orochimaru watched.
"It's okay. I let that happen. This just gets more interesting by the second."
Orochimaru pushed his hands against the bottom of his stomach and seemed to vomit a snake. The snake opened its mouth and a long sword sprouted out of it.
Grabbing the sword, he waited for Sarutobi.
"Is that…the Kusanagi Blade?" Sarutobi asked.
"Even if I'm as hard as a diamond, the Kusanagi will still hurt me," Enma said.
Sarutobi extended the staff and started to swing towards Orochimaru. The staff didn't allow Orochimaru to get close with the sword until the Third went for a frontal attack, which was blocked by the Kusanagi. The First and Second went to attack at that point, the First tripping the Third and the Second knocking the staff away and then knocking the Third back. Sarutobi had secretly placed 2 explosive tags on each of them.
Orochimaru, putting down the sword, rushed Sarutobi and unleashed a hail of punches. The Third surprisingly did not block even one. Being knocked to the ground, Orochimaru held Sarutobi by his shirt and spoke.
"I must say, Sarutobi-sensei; I am disappointed. You didn't even create any Shadow Clones when you rushed me. Weren't you the one called the Professor since you learned every technique in Konoha?"
"Orochimaru," Sarutobi said under the snake man and shedding a single tear, "You fool!"
Sarutobi used his legs to hit the back of Orochimaru's knees, tripping him. He then rose as he picked him up and threw him. Looking around, he saw the two Hokage standing up. Activating the explosive notes, the First's left leg and the Second's left side blew apart, leaving them crippled. Sarutobi then watched as the pieces put themselves back together, allowing the First and Second to move again.
"I guess I'll have to do something about the souls bound by the Edo Tensei technique. If that's the case, I'll have to use the Fourth's technique. Forgive me Shodai-sama, Nidaime-sama; I'll have to use that on you!"
(Meanwhile)
"I'll show you the true power of the tactical puppet, Karasu!" Kankurô shouted as he drew his puppet.
"Even if our foe is a small bug, we will not underestimate it," Shino said.
Kankurô thrust his hand forward and Karasu charged. He flicked his wrist, revealing a blade on the end of Karasu's hand. Shino dodged out of the way to see that a purple fluid was spreading on the branch where the blade impacted.
"The blade is poisoned. I'll have to watch out of that."
(End Chapter)
A/N: I know it's short, but I wanted to get one more chapter in before I have to stop for a while. I'm not sure when I'll get my hands on a computer but I'll try to get a hold of one as soon as possible and type the next chapter. It's not exactly easy finding an available computer when you're moving 2 states away. Well, see you later!