Welcome back to another installment of the highly popular Uzumaki Chronicles!
Chapter 18: The Power of Itachi and The Courage of Sasuke
Sasuke leans towards Sakura's ear and whispers for a while, Sakura gulps down the nervousness in her belly and nods, acknowledging Sasuke's master plan.
"Got it Sasuke-kun. I'll give it my best."
Itachi then at that moment throws off his akatsuki cloak to the ground. Underneath it was his old Anbu outfit he wore the night of the Uchiha genocide, trying to get a rise outta Sasuke but Sasuke never steered from his intense focus.
"Are we all ready? You must know how much I hate waiting."
Sasuke squinted his Sharingan eyes at Itachi. "Don't be in such a hurry to die."
Sasuke and Sakura instantly bum-rushed Itachi head-on.
"Hmph," Itachi throws a shuriken and does multiple hand signs. "Shadow Shuriken Jutsu!"
That lone shuriken spontaneously multiplied into thousands and zoomed at them. Both Sasuke and Sakura pulled out black katanas and started swatting them away with great agility and speed. Once all the shuriken were dispersed, they sheathed their weapons.
Something was very wrong with this picture. Itachi was completely skeptical but he didn't have time to think it out. A shadow loomed overhead him. Itachi looked behind him to find Sakura gearing back for a punch. Itachi quickly activated his Sharingan to avoid the punch and kneed her in the gut.
Itachi smirked victoriously but Sakura smirked back as she poofed into thin air. Itachi was taken surprise as the ground shook and two hands popped up and latched onto Itachi's ankles and pulled him into the ground up to his chin.
Itachi tried to struggle out of his uncomfortable prison. "I should've expected no less from my own brother. No wonder even she dodged my attacks. You had it planned out three moves ahead."
Sakura breaks out of the ground and pats herself off then puts up thumbs up to Sasuke. "It actually worked! Training with Kakashi-sensei for six years straight does wonders."
Sasuke smirks his signature smirk. "Yes but it was essential we use that technique me and Naruto used against Zabuza. The Demon Wind Shuriken Shadow Clone Fake Out Technique."
Sakura raised an eyebrow. "Man Sasuke even you make up technique names like Naruto-kun."
Itachi started to laugh. Sasuke was deeply annoyed from his brother's chuckling. "What's so damn funny knowing you're about to die?"
Itachi's hand ripped through the surface as he pulled himself up out of the earth prison. "This is just what I wanted Sasuke! I want you to reach deep within yourself and use your entire being to try and kill me. Do whatever it takes! Cause if you can't then I get guess you don't have enough…."
Sasuke instantly appeared before Itachi, katana mere millimeters from his throat, The Hokosaki Sharingan dead center on the jugular vein in Itachi's neck. "Hate? Is that it? I don't have to hate a man to know how to kill them." The katana's blunt side rubbed across Itachi's adam's apple.
"Then if you don't hate me then why kill me?" Itachi asked.
"Justice. To sort out all the wrongdoings in my life. Basically forgiveness…"
"Forgiveness? Who are you forgiving?"
"You."
Itachi watched the blade slide away from his throat as Sasuke sheathes it back. Itachi had a face of pure shock.
Sasuke turned his back revealing the Uchiha clan symbol on the back of his shirt, walking back to Sakura. "Like I said, don't be in such a hurry to die."
Itachi rubbed the red scratch on his neck. "I don't understand. So you just walk away like that!"
Sasuke stopped and looked back. "No. First I have some business with that son of a bitch you call a master. He's the one I hate. You did nothing. He's the one that did the killings; you were just the scapegoat to his little plan. So ashamed to know you couldn't protect your loved ones and even worst knowing that little brother would think of you as a weakling, a commoner since he looked up to you like a god and you just achieved Anbu status. It must hurt doesn't it? Knowing you had all that power and yet you were outmatched outwitted and overly outclassed by someone who knew and created the Uchiha code of conduct and it's Kekkai Genkai."
Itachi closed his eyes to try and hold the tears back. "How…do you know all this?"
Sasuke deactivated the Hokosaki. "My eyes can peer into a heart's true intentions. I don't know the full extent of my Kekkai Genkai but I believe it has something to do with the stipulations we fulfill for the powers of the Sharingan. During training with Kakashi-sensei, he showed me the power of Inter-dimensional techniques. He could suck in a person into a black hole and basically make them implode within a tiny space. When I asked him how did he achieve this power, he told me that all of his loved ones were dead but over time he gained more to protect. Do you understand?"
Itachi then bowed his head. "Yes."
"You knew it the whole time didn't you Itachi? You have it too don't you?"
Itachi looked at Sasuke with the same Hokosaki. "Yes brother. The secret is having something to protect with your entire being. The Sharingan gives each person a different power but it's all the same. It seems you finally understand. That's why I gave you that katana. It would ensure that you would use it to protect those you care about. I'm kinda surprised that our impressionable Sasuke stuck through with his ideals."
Sasuke tapped his headband, the scarred one. "It's not my ideals, it took someone, a friend to teach me that. I owe him my life."
Itachi smiled. "Well we aren't done yet Sasuke. We have to setter our little matter from long ago."
Sasuke smiled back. "Ok if you want. We finally see who's the strongest one of us….and frankly, you won't even put a scratch on my forehead."
"Cocky aren't we?" Itachi charged Sasuke with his small sword-like blade, but Sasuke blocked it with his katana.
Sasuke pushed Itachi with his katana and powered up a Chidori in his left.
Itachi chuckled as if he was having fun and actually he was. "A Chidori again? That trick is getting old little brother."
"Oh I'm sorry. Let me do something new for you. Chidori Current!" Sasuke slammed his left crackling hand into the ground and electricity cackled through a series of paths like a real electric current towards Itachi.
Itachi back flipped a few times to try and escape the chasing attack until finally he threw his blade and two kunai into the ground as the electricity magnetized itself to the metal weapons. Itachi landed by the electricity charged weapons and flashed a few hand signs. "Lightning Style! Thunder Dragon!" A ball of pure electrical energy emerged from the weapons and it transformed into a dragon that charged at Sasuke head-on.
Sasuke quickly reacted with a few hand signs of his own before sucking in his gut. "Fire Style! Flame Dragon!" Sasuke blew of a giant fire ball that unfurled into an enormous dragon that was the exact replica of the Thunder Dragon only this was engulfed in flames.
The two dragons danced around each other until each other attacked with their fangs and imploded into a beautiful eruption of fire and electricity.
Both brothers smiled, knowing it wouldn't be easy to overcome the other.
Sasuke sucked in his gut again preparing for a second attack. "Fire Style! Dragon Flame Bombs!" He blew out four powerful fire balls straight at Itachi.
"Mud Style! Mud Wall!" Itachi spit out a giant wall of mud to block the barrage of fireballs. As contact came with the flame attack the wall almost couldn't take it but it pulled through. Itachi jumped ontop the wall and flashed the infamous Tiger hand sign.
Sasuke knew exactly what he was going to do next so he did the same sign.
Both did the same jutsu. "Fire Style! Phoenix Flower Jutsu!" Both suck in their guts and blew out giant fireballs at each other. Each one of the fireballs exploded on point with each other making a shower of spark and flame everywhere.
Both combatants both copied each other with perfect precision with both of their Hokosaki Sharingan activated. The fight led outside where it had just started to rain.
Sakura ran out to follow them watching them closely. It wasn't about a fight to the death, this was pure fun. A fight between brothers as a sign of their somewhat brotherly love. As the two attacked with their blades, each attack was blocked and parried with intense agility, it didn't look like the hits were connecting with the blades but the sound of metal grinding against metal rang through the air like ominous bells as the attacks were so fast it seem like they were moving in slow motion but you could see the sparks fly from each hit connecting.
Finally the two came to a stalemate with their blades; the force of the blades caused the rain around them to stop falling for a split second before drenching them completely.
As the two panted they looked into their eyes as both could almost pass as twins, the way the rain had laid down their hair had each brother looking at a split image of the other.
Sakura had never seen this side of Sasuke before since watching him spar with Naruto down by the waterfall. It seemed like Sasuke was having fun, and he was.
Itachi and Sasuke both pushed each other to their limits, trying to overcome the other in this stalemate. It was so fierce that the point of contact of their blades started to heat and the metal started to burn. Both let off their grudge and backed away from each other to catch their breath.
Itachi panted hard and moved the hair from his face.
Sasuke panted hard and he took his hand and stroked his hair back to his own hairstyle.
"This has gone on long enough. This strike will finish it." Itachi geared himself ready.
Sasuke geared himself too.
Both brothers charged at each other with blazing speed striking each other with exact precision. It was too fast to see who hit who or even see if the blades connected; the falling rain had drowned out the sound of any clanging blades. Both stood seemingly victoriously of each other's final blow.
Sakura had no idea at what just happened, but suddenly Sasuke fell onto his knees clutching his head. Sakura ran to him trying to find out what was wrong. Sasuke's headband fell down to the ground with blood on it sliced through the mark even until it reached Sasuke's forehead causing a not so deep laceration on his forehead. Blood trickled down as the rain washed it down his face.
Itachi then dropped his blade, it split in half and blood ran down his right arm and abdomen. A deep wound split open in it. Itachi clutched his arm to contain the pain. Itachi smirked. "Look like I did put a scratch on your forehead."
"But I can still fight!" Sasuke charged Itachi one more time.
Itachi didn't budge a bit but put up his two left fingers, the index and middle, and when someone came within arms length, he poked Sasuke in the forehead wound.
Sasuke grabbed the wound yelping in pain falling to his butt. Itachi fell backwards into a puddle as blood mixed with muddy water; he smiled before closing his eyes. "I wish I could play with you some more but the wound is just too deep."
Sasuke then realized his fallen brother and crawled to Itachi. "I'm so sorry! I didn't know what got into me! I didn't mean to wound you like that."
"Forget about me. I'm just a stepping stone to your greatness Sasuke. You did great…..I just wish I could've been a better brother."
Sasuke started to cry. "But you were!" Sasuke felt like a child again.
"That maybe but….do me one last favor. Protect them. The Village. Your friends. Your loved ones. Do that for me."
Sasuke wiped the rain and tears away. "Sure Nii-chan I will."
Itachi breathed one final breath and released it. "Mom and Dad say hey." Then silence.
That line broke Sasuke's heart that he cried so hard as he buried his face in Itachi's chest as the rain laid down his hair again making him a splitting image of Itachi. The scarred headband, the droopy eyes and the laid down hair, now forever memories.
Meanwhile, Kiba, Neji, Shikamaru, and all the others gathered at a desolate rainy grassy knoll while they tried to catch their breaths. The rain clouds darkened overhead as thunder growled far away. Akamaru laid on the ground licking his bruises from the fight he was. Neji had to retie his headband on after getting it knocked off. Tenten put bandages on the weapon wounds she received. Lee past out on the grass. Choji already went through ten bags of chips in the past 3 minutes. Ino's hair got ruffled and wet….again. Shino's shades were cracked but were still usable. Shikamaru was actually ok, no wounds sustained because frankly it was only because his Genjutsu clone gave up on him.
Kiba yelped as he pulled a shuriken from his back. "Damn. That Genjutsu was no joke."
"Yeah." Everyone agreed.
"Ok gang. We have to find the others and give them support. Kiba, Neji can you lead us to them?"
"We can try…" Kiba said.
"If the rains don't get any harder." Neji added.
"Alright then let's go and end this troublesome thing." Shikamaru said dashing ahead. The others followed…except Lee who was still asleep in the grass.
Meanwhile Naruto, Tobi and Hinata constantly chased Minoke deeper into the forest as the lightning cackled in the sky. The darkness started to shroud Minoke and the only source of light to keep up with him was the constant lightning strikes.
"Damn it! We're losing him!" Naruto said aloud.
Minoke then suddenly stopped to the image in the treetops. "So you finally caught up."
The image of a droopy eyed man glistened in the night in his Akatsuki robe. Naruto and the others couldn't believe their eyes. The line through his headband, the robe, the melancholy glare. The ominous lightning strikes light up his image like a harbinger of death. He jumped and landed beside Minoke atop the summoned hawk.
Minoke cackled and laughed his head as he turned to Naruto. "Looks like little Sasuke didn't make it!"
A bright light shone but it wasn't ordinary lightning. Along with it came with the sound…of birds.
Minoke quickly turned around shocked to find a Chidori strike at him. As the lightning lit up the sky and thunder boomed, the Chidori pierced Minoke in the lower left abdomen. He spat out blood as the assailant's hand wiggled through his body. Minoke looked into the man's eyes. Eyes filled with hatred. Eyes filled with revenge. Eyes filled with bittersweet memories of his brother.
"How did you?" Minoke barely got out.
"Because I'm his brother. What did you expect?" Sasuke's voice came from the man.
Naruto, Tobi and Hinata were deeply confused as what had just happened before them. Sasuke used his free hand to stroke his hair back to the original hairstyle.
Naruto smiled. "Stupid Sasuke. You stole my shot at him!" He giggled a bit.
Sasuke smiled. "What can I say? You're hopeless without me loser."
Minoke chuckled. "You think that this is over? You're making me laugh."
"Laugh all you want! I hold your life in my hands." Sasuke said twisting and agitating the deep wound.
Sakura arrived behind them still dragging Nikkei. "Uhhh how the hell did I get stuck with her? Damn she's heavy!"
Nikkei turned her head and made a face. "Hmph. You're not that skinny yourself."
Sakura's head turned around like something possessed. "What the hell did you say?!" The lightning strikes made her look crazy.
Nikkei's head sweat dropped at a fast pace. "Nothing." She looked away from her. "Jeez these ninjas are all psychos."
Minoke smirked to himself. "That will do."
"What are you muttering about?" Sasuke asked.
But Minoke wiggled out of Sasuke's hold and back flipped off the hawk as it poofed away leaving Sasuke to fall with Minato and Kushina's soulless bodies. Minoke landed behind Sakura and before she could react, he punched her in the face sending her flying into the arms of Tobi. Sasuke and Naruto caught Minato and Kushina and settled them on the ground before looking at Minoke with hatred. Naruto's eyes glowed red with the black slits as Sasuke had his Sharingan activated. Both with a similar shade of crimson.
"Master Minoke! I knew you wouldn't leave me behind!" Nikkei said optimistically as he cut her loose of her ropes. She stood up with a smile but her face changed dramatically as he placed a hand on her chest. "Master….what are you doing?"
Minoke used his free hand to make a hand sign as he smirked. "It's so hard to find good help these days, but don't worry you've long since fulfill your purpose."
She started to sob madly as she pleaded. "Please! Don't do this! I beg of you! I don't wanna die!"
"Don't cry. You're not going to die. You're going to live on as something better. Besides begging makes me sick." His hands flashed unfamiliar signs. "Ninja Art: Spirit Capture Jutsu!" His hand turned completely transparent as he reached deep within Nikkei's body.
Her screams pierced through the woods as she suddenly fell limp onto the ground. Naruto and the others couldn't believe their eyes. In Minoke's hand laid a floating cyan glowing celestial ball.
"What the hell's that?" Kiba's voice yelled as he and the others appeared beside Sasuke and the others.
"It's the final key. Although it's not Kyuubi it should be just enough to sustain control until I have him!" Minoke once again used his hand to flash a hand sign. "Summoning Jutsu…."
Tobi gasped and turned around to them. "Everyone get back….NOW!!"
Minoke wiped his palm on his wound to gather a glob of blood then slammed it into the ground as weird symbols appeared and glowed ominously as the ground shook and glowed red with it.
"Holy Shit! What's happening?" Naruto yelled as he wobbled back and forth.
"I said get back now!" Tobi demanded.
Everyone heeded his words and retreated as a portal opened up disintegrating trees and wildfire as the same demonic statue began to rise up from the ground like the devil arriving from the gates of hell itself. Minoke let out a maniacal laugh standing atop its head.
Once Naruto and the others were far away they looked up at the gigantic statue and couldn't help but feel an intense pinch of fear in their heads. This was nothing like they have ever felt. Akamaru had his tail between his legs and whimpered mercilessly.
"Damn. Akamaru is scared shitless guys. That thing reeks of dark chakra….almost like its evil incarnate." Kiba pointed out.
Tobi took off his mask. "Its name is Jigoku, the Grim Reaper's loyal servant. In folklore it is said that those who feed it over a thousand souls of the most powerful beings on the planet it can be awaken and bring forth destruction due to its master will. It's the granddaddy of all forbidden jutsu. It's so forbidden and old it hasn't been used since the beginning of time itself. Only the Uzumaki clan knows of this jutsu and therefore takes it to the grave with them. That is why they reside in the Whirlpool Country, a remote island in the middle of the ocean. It's impossible to reach without a powerful ship due to you guessed it tenacious whirlpools that won't hesitate to eat you alive. What I would like to know is how he knew of its existence?"
"Are you afraid brother? You know it wasn't easy to get these jutsu. Crossing the dangerous seas and having to persuade an entire clan to teach me. Frankly they helped me out….at the expense of their souls." He held out the cyan ball.
"YOU BASTARD! YOU KILLED THEM!" Naruto yelled.
"It's not like anyone remembers them anyway. I did them a favor by ending their miserable lives cursed to forever live their days on an island."
Naruto clenched his fist. "I just can't believe what I'm hearing. Since I returned home all I have seen outta you is how you treat human life like some kind of toy! You toy and manipulate people and then dispose of them like trash! Then you used them to fuel your own selfish desires!"
"My brother was one of those people you used!" Sasuke yelled.
Sakura stepped forward. "And you almost used Sasuke in your sick and twisted game!"
Naruto pointed valiantly. "You're the lowest of the low. The way you use countless human lives and feed them to…this thing! What the hell is the matter with you!"
"Nothing. I do it because it makes me happy. Call me evil if you want but it won't matter if you're dead." He jumps down and lands in a palm of the statue, then kneels before it holding out the spirit ball. "Demon Lord Jigoku! Arise and grant me the power to defeat the power to defeat my enemies and mold the world to my liking!"
The statue's numerous eyes opened and scanned the scenery and then laid its eyes on Minoke and the cyan spirit ball. Suddenly the ball was drawn into its mouth like a tractor beam finally gulping it down. Its eyes started to glow.
"Now it is complete! Jigoku! Grant me power!" Minoke raises his hands in response with a complete crazed look on his face.
Then the hand started to move toward its mouth and it completely gulped Minoke alive.
Sasuke was completely skeptical. "Well that was completely anticlimactic."
Suddenly the ground shook again this time with demanding force like the earth would split in two. Out of nowhere Jigoku started to dissipate but something stayed floating in the air. A being with a cackling red lightning aura surrounding him. It had long black hair that reached his ankles and demonic horns in his head. Short spikes in his back with a long devil tail piercing his backside. Though its human side was still intact you could tell he was far from being a human anymore. His Sharingan eyes were completely different than before. It had four tomoe pupils as it scanned them. He looked at his clawed hands and began to laugh maniacally but in a demonic tone.
"HAHAHAHAHA I AM COMPLETE!" Minoke stopped laughing and looked at the Naruto and the gang. "Now I can get rid of a thorn in my side!" He raised his finger ominously as a red ball appeared. "NOW DIE!!"
A beam shot from his finger headed straight for Naruto. Hinata pushed him out of the way and took the beam to the chest. She fell limp to the ground. Naruto fell to his knees, speechless as he reached out to Hinata, his hand shaking afraid to fear the worst.
"Hinata-chan….are you?"
No response as her hair covered her face.
Tears ran down his face. "I can't lose you too. Please say something!" Memories ran rampant through his head. The moment when he returned from his six year absence, she was so cute hiding under that hood of hers. The time when they danced together. Or when they shared their first kiss. Even her battle against Hanabi. She was always there, even since they were kids. If it wasn't for her, he wouldn't be the ninja he is today and now she was….he held her in his arms and didn't say a word.
Sakura ran over to them. "Naruto let me check out the wound. I can heal her!"
Minoke chuckled. "Highly doubt it. It might've pierced an internal organ and we all know how extremely hard it is to repair organ cells. It's almost impossible!"
Sakura turned to him. "You bastard!"
Tobi stood in front of them. "Ok brother you have gone too far. This is between you and me!"
"No…." Said Naruto's voice. "He's mine…"
Tobi turned to him. "Look he's…" He stopped mid-sentence to see a dark crimson flaming aura encircle Naruto. Sakura started to fall back from him.
"What's happening?!" Sakura asked.
Powerful surges of chakra emitted from Naruto causing everyone to run for cover. It was so powerful that Naruto's headband instantly broke apart and fell to the grass. Naruto's entire body started to glow red as his body took on a new form. No more was it beast like. His hair grew longer as the spikes shortened and straightened out. The long hair grew inches over his forehead and temples. His nails grew longer and perfectly sharp, but other than that his whiskers didn't darken. His fangs grew sharper as it hanged out like vampire fangs but smaller. His chakra aura wasn't dark like last time. It was calmer, more stabilized almost like the power of light. His closed eyes opened with the signature fox eyes but his look was calmer. His ears were pointy like a fox's.
"Is that Naruto?" Neji asked.
"It would seem he revealed his full potential as a Jinchuriki. Either this could be extremely bad or extremely good." Tobi explained.
"He's kinda hot with his new Bishounen looks." Ino quoted. Shino raised his glasses and coughs. "But I love my Shino-kun!" She hugs his arm.
Naruto looks at everyone and they instantly almost piss their pants. He stands up with Hinata in his arms and appeared in front of Sakura instantly in a split millisecond. Sakura was startled and falls backwards. Naruto lays her in front of her and turns around facing Minoke.
Kiba steps forward. "Wait! So does this mean you're on our side?"
Naruto turns around to find Akamaru sniffing at him. He rubs Akamaru's head softly as the dog pants and wags his tail. Could it be true? Naruto held out his hand downwards and gave a endearing smile. Sasuke instantly knew what this was. He placed his hand atop of Naruto and soon everyone else did the same thing. The same sign of friendship they made six years ago. The fire still burns.
"Well isn't that sweet! It doesn't matter if you transform or not! You can never beat me!" Minoke gloated.
Naruto turned towards him. "You guys. When I give the signal. Give it everything you got." His voice was different, not demonic but a little bit deeper and more mature. They nodded acknowledging him. "Sakura-chan, I trust that you can bring her back to me?"
"Of course! Lady Tsunade is my mentor after all!" Sakura bragged.
"Hmph." Naruto let out a small smirk. "Tobi-san? You know the most about this jutsu. So I'm going to need your help in stopping it."
"I have a jutsu that can stop him but I need some time to gather chakra. Can you keep him busy?" Tobi replied.
"Don't worry. And while I'm keeping him busy I'll avenge all the people he's destroyed. I might even have some fun."
The sun broke away from the clouds as it shone gallantly on Naruto as the wind blew his glistening golden locks. Like a warrior of justice he stood before his match.
The Ultimate Showdown was imminent. The fate of mankind rests in the hands of no one as the outcome could fall either way. It was time to fully burn the will of fire.
Next Time! The Finale!
Chapter 19: This Fire Burns!
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