Welcome back to another installment of the highly popular Uzumaki Chronicles!
Chapter 18: This Fire Burns!
Dusk began to break through as the sunset was apparent with a dark shade of gold and purple in the clouds. Naruto and Minoke both stood in a long staring contest with each other neither moving an inch.
Sakura opened up Hinata's jacket and peered at the small hole in her chest. "The shot pierced her almost too close to her heart. She may have already gone into cardiac arrest. But we don't have a defibrillator! Fuck! At this moment she's as good as gone!"
Everyone bowed their heads in disappointment, until….
Sasuke looked up. "Sakura! Hand me your gloves!"
Sakura uneasily took off her gloves. "Why Sasuke?"
"I have an idea, it's risky but we have no other choice. Once she starts breathing again you move in to heal her ok?" Sasuke took the gloves and put them on. Then he made his signature Chidori hand signs and then both hands started to cackle with electricity. "The gloves should take away the lethal part of the Chidori making a makeshift defibrillator. Clear!" He put his hands to her chest and sends a volt of electricity coursing through Hinata's body.
"Clear!" Does another.
"CLEAR!!" Another but this time Hinata releases air from her body.
Sakura checks the pulse in her neck and jumps with glee. "We got a pulse!"
"Sakura! The wound!" Sasuke scolded.
"Oh yeah! She's lost a ton of blood and her body temperature has dropped due to the rains. Ino!"
"Yeah?" Ino said.
"There's a herb that grows around here, since you're the one person that can spot that herb can you get it?"
"Sure I know the perfect one!" Ino dashes away.
"Tenten! Hand me a few senbons!"
Tenten doesn't waste any time in handing them to Sakura.
"Neji! Use your Byakugan to spot which nerve to pinch to null the pain."
Neji's eyes bulged as he scanned Hinata's upper body. "There. Two centimeters left of the wound. And one more to lower right three centimeters."
Sakura began to stick needles due to Neji's guidance. "Lee! Rip off some of your bandages!" Lee quickly ripped off his arm wraps. "Kiba! Give me Akamaru's hair trimmer!" Kiba reached into his backpack and gave the trimmer to her. "Ok She may be with short hair for a while but we need to use her hair as a medium to repair the damaged cells." Sakura began to cut Hinata's long hair short to the nape of her neck, and then wrapped all of it with some of Lee's arm bandages. Sakura put her hands together as if to pray and suddenly the hair starts to float. The hair starts to stitch it self together in Hinata's wound and heal her. Once that was done, Sakura placed her hands on Hinata's scar and her palms glowed pink. "I'm healing the burned cells so she should be ok with some…"
Hinata's eyes sprung open. Everyone was deeply relieved. Naruto looked back to see Hinata start to rise up and smiled happily.
"Damn this shit is repetitive. She just won't die will she? But this time I'll make sure she doesn't come back!" Minoke began to charge Hinata and the others but instantly stopped to find Naruto's clawed hand mere centimeters from his face.
Naruto smirked and said in a bad ass tone. "Rasengan," A sky blue ball started to grow and enlarge before it started to burn itself into Minoke's face, then he pushed in further into his face before the force pushed Minoke back crashing through multiple trees causing a large trail of dust and debris.
Naruto sulked a bit. "Is this it? Dude where's that awesome power you were bragging about?"
Minoke jumped out of the debris roaring a war cry as he geared back a punch. Naruto blocked it with his left forearm as the ground buckled underneath them making a mini crater.
Naruto yawned sarcastically. "You're gonna have to do better than that."
That remark further pissed Minoke off. "Damn you!" Minoke threw a kick but Naruto blocked it. Minoke kept throwing a fast flurry of kicks and punches but Naruto kept blocking them. Minoke then backed off.
Naruto yawned again. "Can someone called Minoke and tell them his grandma was just working me over?"
Multiple veins appeared in Minoke's head. "Grrrrr!"
"Look if it makes you happy…" Naruto points to his chin. "I'll give you a freebie. Come on. Try me."
"You asked for it!" Minoke charged Naruto and developed a skull splitting punch to the face. Naruto's head was turned away and his head covered his face but he was still standing. "How do you like that?"
Naruto's head turned back with a determined look on his face, completely unscathed. "Now it's my turn."
Naruto delivered a powerful punch to the gut. Minoke's eyes grew wide as he clutched his stomach. He fell to his knees and growled in pain.
Naruto grabbed Minoke by the collar. "It doesn't feel good does it? The pain hurts doesn't it? Well suck it up! It doesn't amount to the amount of pain you caused all of us, especially me!" Naruto held Minoke by the collar with both hands and repeatedly kneed him in the stomach; each blow was more strengthen by hatred.
Sasuke couldn't his eyes. "I always heard stories but I didn't think Naruto could be this powerful…"
"This isn't the time to be impressed, Sasuke-kun." Sakura said.
"Right sorry."
Naruto drops Minoke on his back. Minoke coughs up blood, his nose is bloody and a bruise is apparent on his face. Minoke crawls up to Naruto's feet and tried to climb up his pants.
"Please….have mercy." Minoke begged.
That pissed Naruto off. "How dare you!" His voice boomed with authority. Naruto used his foot to push Minoke off of him. "How dare you beg for mercy!! Did you give mercy to all those people you murdered!! Did you even once show that you had a heart!! No you did not! So why should I!" Naruto looked at the fear in Minoke's eyes. "You wanted power to become the strongest in the world until someone came along who was better and he was the worst ninja in existence."
Minoke started to erupt with energy. "Shuddup…"
"What?"
"SHUT THE FUCK UP!!" Minoke charged Naruto and tackled him into a tree. "I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU!" Something had cracked in Minoke's brain. His sanity was completely gone. The crazed look was frozen in his face. His hands wrapped around Naruto's neck as he started to chuckle crazily. Naruto struggled to get out the hold but Minoke started to pour all his strength into his being, like the more he was beaten the more powerful he got.
Sasuke then dashed at Minoke with a Chidori to try and give Naruto some breathing room. Minoke quickly spotted him and threw Naruto into him. The two landed on the ground and skidded across it.
Minoke put up a diamond hand sign as a large aura of crimson chakra engulfed. "The power! I feel it!!"
Naruto stood up and patted himself off. Sasuke threw off the akatsuki cloak and looked at his shoulder. The curse mark started to unfurled and grows out. Sasuke chuckled.
"It's been a while since I used this." Sasuke let the curse mark cover half of his body.
Naruto turned to Sasuke. "What the hell are you doing!"
"I'm not letting you show me up." Sasuke's curse mark covered him completely and started to delve even further in power as his hair grew gray and longer. His nails grew long and sharp and he grew snake like fangs. A four pronged shuriken mark was apparent between his eyes.
Naruto smirked and looked at Minoke, pretending not to care. "Fine, just don't slow me down."
"Funny I was going to say the same thing to you." Sasuke charged Minoke head-on. Naruto charged behind him.
Sakura used Lee's bandages to wrap the closed wound of Hinata's. "There we go. Don't scare us like that again." Hinata tried to stand up. "Whoa! What are you doing? You can't move or you'll agitate the wound."
Hinata clenched her fist as she watches the fight.
Lee and the others enter the fray as well. Shikamaru used the sunset to his advantage as his shadow was the longest at this period and lengthened it to Minoke completely immobilizing him. Naruto, Sasuke, Lee and Kiba all delivered simultaneous punches to Minoke's face, but he only smiled and exerted chakra from his body blowing them back. Tenten opened a scroll and poofed up a broadsword and leaped at Minoke attacking him. The broadsword struck at Minoke as it landed and pierced his collarbone. Tenten tried to move the sword but it wouldn't bulge. Minoke flicked Tenten in the face sending her flying crashing into the forest. Neji charged and palmed Minoke right where his heart should be but he was still standing. Minoke slammed a fist straight into Neji's chest almost shattering his rib cage as Neji skidded across the ground. Kiba and Akamaru did the Fang over Fang technique but Minoke used his Sharingan to dodge the attack and maneuver himself to grab Kiba and Akamaru's legs and slammed them into the ground. Shino used his bugs to try and subdue Minoke as the bugs wrapped around his wrists, but Minoke used his strength to sling Shino into Ino. Lee ran in a circle around Minoke, and then in a flash appeared to kick him in the air but Minoke bent backwards to dodge the kick and then sweep kicked Lee from under his feet and in that split second Lee spent floating, Minoke punched Lee in the gut sending him flying into a tree, nearly breaking him in half.
Naruto and Sasuke put their hands together like last time and made a ball of lightning. "Rasendori! Electrical Chakra Sphere!" They charged Minoke with full speed as they pushed the Rasendori at him.
Minoke was more than ready as he put up a hand to block it. The sheer force of the attack imploded on them causing debris to fly everywhere. Only Minoke was left standing, as electricity coursed through Naruto and Sasuke's bodies. Minoke could only laugh as the power continued to evolve his body. He grew more beastly as the fangs grew longer; nails sharper, the spikes grew longer that it ripped his akatsuki cloak forcing him to throw it off.
"This is what I dreamed off!" His voice was so demonic that it sounded like he spoke a different language. The crazed look in his eyes begged for fear and mercy.
Naruto stood up and wiped the blood from his lip. Sasuke spit out some blood as they both smiled.
Tobi was off in the corner making hand signs and making a chant. "Ino Ne Hitsuji Ne Mi Tatsu Ino U Saru Hitsuji Mi Uma Inu I Ne Tatsu…"
(Oh and this are some of the basic hand signs in Naruto. In case you were wondering)
Hinata and Sakura watched the battle continue but it seemed like they were losing. Sakura fell over in pain clutching her stomach.
"No…not now. Let me stay awake…just a little…longer." Sakura vomited a bit and slowly started to lose consciousness.
Hinata crawled to Sakura and shook her. "Sakura! What's wrong!"
Sakura didn't respond, she couldn't respond. Her eyes started to close slowly.
Hinata shook her harder. "Oh man. She's out of it."
Minoke punched Naruto and kicked Sasuke then charged straight for Hinata and Sakura. Hinata stood up to ready herself but the pain from the newly closed wound agitated her. Naruto and Sasuke both appeared in front of her parrying his attack and grabbing each one of his wrist with both hands. They both punched Minoke in the face sending him flying into the opposite direction.
Minoke stood up laughing his head off as if he felt no pain.
Naruto and Sasuke couldn't believe it. They panted hard and suddenly Sasuke clutched the curse mark in pain as his back started to mutate and two mutant bat wings emerged from them. Naruto started to lose feeling in his left arm; the total intake of Kyuubi's chakra was taking its toll.
(Play Killswitch Engage's This Fire Burns. I love this song…)
"Damn! This guy!" Naruto cursed aloud.
"What do you have to do to bring him down for good? He's only getting stronger." Sasuke added.
"Tatsu! It's ready!" Tobi yelled.
"What's ready Tobi-san?" Naruto asked.
"It's the jutsu that can weaken Minoke, but once I do it I want you to quickly move in and finish him with everything you got! No matter what!" Tobi demanded.
Naruto and Sasuke nodded.
Hinata put a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "Let's use that jutsu."
Naruto looked at Hinata with concerned eyes, but looking into her cold determined stare, he knew which jutsu she meant. The forbidden jutsu, Jirayia had set up in only times of despair. "Hinata-chan, you know the risk of using this technique."
"What choice do we have? Besides with everyone here it would power tenfold."
"Ok. I'll do it. Everyone come here!" Naruto held out his hand and a lone blue swirl appeared.
Hinata placed her hand over his and a lavender swirl appeared.
Sasuke decided to follow their lead and placed their hands over theirs. A dark blue swirl.
Kiba and all the others limped their way to them and contributed as well once they got the gist of what the technique was.
Lee had a green swirl.
Shino had a indigo swirl.
Ino had a yellow swirl.
Neji had a brown swirl.
Choji had a red swirl.
Shikamaru had a black swirl.
Tenten had a silver swirl.
Kiba had an orange swirl.
Sasuke ran to Sakura's side and shook her. "Sakura what's wrong?! Wake up!"
Sakura slowly started to awaken her eyes. "Huh? What happened?"
Sasuke helped her up to the group. "Come on Sakura just hang in there. We need yours to finish it."
Sakura steadily placed her hand over the swirls and slowly but surely a pink swirl appeared before she passed out again.
The swirls started to spin faster as it started to mix together. The ball glowed with a luminescent light, pure like snow, glowing as bright as the sun.
"What's that" Lee asked.
"The Spirit Rasengan, the final product of the Rasengan, yet I have only used it once. I almost died trying to make it, but I know now that combined with our friendship and the will of fire in our hearts, this technique will destroy any darkness in our way!" Naruto said.
Tobi smiled. "Hmph, they really are a bunch of kids." Tobi closed his eye. "Ninja Art: Purge Jutsu." Tobi's hands glowed bright as he instantly appeared behind Minoke as he wrapped his arms around his arms preventing any movement.
"What the hell is this!" Minoke asked.
"Its death calling. It's a delay jutsu that only lasts for a few minutes."
"That means you're stuck as well. As long as you hold me here I can't move. It's suicide."
"That's ok. We have lived too long brother. Believe me when I say this is a suitable death for us." Tobi bowed his head. "I wonder if she's waiting for us."
"Naïve brother, I'm going somewhere else."
Tobi smirked. "You would be surprised…Naruto! Now!"
Naruto held the Rasengan but halted. "But Tobi-sama, I can't…"
"What did I say earlier? Do it! That's an order!" Tobi yelled.
Naruto then held out the Rasengan and sucked in his feelings. Naruto charged Minoke as the Rasengan started to burn the skin off of Naruto's palm. "TAKE THIS! Spirit Rasengan! Super Spiral Chakra Sphere!"
Minoke struggled for dear life but suddenly he felt his heart clear of darkness. The mutation started to recede and turn Minoke back to normal. His eerily smiling was the last thing Naruto saw before he struck with the Rasengan. It imploded on Minoke and his brother Madara. The implosion caused a blinding light that caused everyone to shield their eyes from the light and flying debris.
(Play Mass Missile's Ima Made Nando Mo. It's a inspirational song even though its in Japanese. Look up the lyrics to this song and play it to this part of this story.)
Sasuke and the others blinked a few times before glaring in awe of the beautiful scene. Floating multicolor balls glistening in the sunset, all of them started to float towards the sky as they were ascending to heaven, some slower than others. Naruto lay on the ground passed out and in his original form, but Minoke and Madara were nowhere to be seen, only a long trail of destruction lied where they were. Two floating balls started to float towards Naruto, a yellow and magenta one. Hinata looked at them, but in a different light. She saw them. Minato stood there in a ghostly image with the yellow ball as his soul. Kushina bent over and stroked her son's hair. Minato walked over to Hinata but she was the only one that could see them while everyone watched the souls in the sky. He handed her a scroll.
"We have no use for this anymore. Please watch him from now on." Minato started to float in the sky.
Kushina's tears dropped and landed on Naruto's cheek. "You make me so proud, my little Naruto-kun. Mommy loves you." She started to rise as well
Hinata saw the two turn back into balls and they dissipated in the sky, before looking at the scroll. She ran to Naruto's side and shook him.
"Naruto-kun, are you awake?"
Naruto's face scrunched up and opened his eyes slowly. "Am I dead? Cause I hear an angel calling me."
Hinata blushed and giggled. "Silly boy, you're still alive. And look! The souls are returning back to heaven."
Naruto rolled over onto Hinata's lap and laid his head on it, as he looked at them. "Wow. It's beautiful."
Hinata kissed Naruto's forehead. "Not as beautiful as you."
Naruto laughed. "That's my line."
Choji ran up to everyone. "Guys! You have to see the sunset here!" Choji ran off into the distance.
Everyone followed and Sasuke carried Sakura to a cliff side where Choji stood and pointed to the beautiful sunset where the souls were floating too.
"Ummm Saskay? I think I can stand." Sakura said.
Sasuke blushed for the first time in a while as he put Sakura down. "Oh yeah." The curse mark had receded during the explosion leaving Sasuke shirtless.
Everyone stood in a long row staring off at the sunset. It was truly a beautiful sight. Suddenly three ghostly images of Itachi, Sasuke's mom and dad stood behind him. Hiashi stood behind Hinata. Hizashi stood behind Neji. Minato and Kushina stood behind Naruto. Everyone who had died stood before the Konoha Eleven as means to say thanks.
Naruto raised his eyebrow and looked behind him, but when he saw nothing he got a eerie feeling. "Ever feel like you were being watched?"
Hinata then remembered the scroll. "Naruto-kun this is for you." She handed the scroll to him.
Naruto held it and was deeply confused. "Where did this come from?"
"I don't know but I think you're dad gave it to me when you were unconscious."
"Really!" Naruto quickly opened it halfway and read it. "It's the secret to becoming Hokage!"
"Huh?!" Everyone said and was deeply intrigued as they gathered around him.
"What is it?" They asked.
Naruto opened it further but the rest of the scroll was blank.
Skeptical scowls all around. Kiba slapped his forehead. "Damn old people, we got punk'd."
Naruto could only smile. "Don't you get it?"
Everyone shook their heads.
Naruto laughed. "There is no secret! It's only what you make of it, that defines who you are."
"HUH?!" Everyone was shocked.
Sasuke knocked on Naruto's head. "Alright who are you and what have you done with our baka?"
They laughed. Hinata pointed off in the middle of the sunset.
Everyone looked to find Madara smiling with both eyes and besides him was Nochiyu wearing a golden locket.
"Told you I'll bring him back." Madara said before stepping aside to Minoke.
Minoke bowed his head. "I'm sorry for all the trouble, I caused. I was just troubled with my heart and I…."
Nochiyu passionately kissed Minoke on the lips and smiled. "You take things too seriously."
Madara patted Minoke on the back. "Yeah little brother, thanks to my Soul Purge Jutsu, you back to your old self again. Think of it as Kami giving you a second chance."
"If you say so, big brother."
Minato then popped up and hugged Minoke and Madara by the neck. "Heeheehee I'm got me two emo rivals. I wonder if Naruto-kun will take me beating him."
Minoke and Madara both frowned. "Who are you calling emo, you baka."
Kushina had a vein in her head and she punched Minato across the head. "Will you stop that!"
Nochiyu could only laugh at their constant bickering as they dissolved away.
Naruto and the others laughed at them as they stood in a circle with their hands in the middle.
"On a count of three, one….two….three…" Naruto prepped everyone.
"GO KONOHA!!" Everyone cheered.
The will of fire burned still ever bright.
The End
"Oh yeah, Sasuke? I'm pregnant."
"What!!"
Heeheehee couldn't resist.
The end the end
