A/N: Sup guys, I'm back. Oh tests, so much fun x.x. Anyway, I'm on winter break, so I might be writing faster or slower, depending a) on what plans I have and b) how easy this story is to write. If I get stuck I might just put out a different story or a one-shot, who knows? Anyway, enjoy this chapter! - Hollowfied
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.
Chapter 6: The Beginning of the End
With a battle cry, Omoi recklessly charged at Pain. Under heavy protests from the other shinobi, he leaped from building to building until he came face to face with the Akatsuki member.
Before he could react, Omoi was sent crashing back to the ground with a nonchalant wave of Pain's hand. The others flinched at the relative ease of the attack.
"Where… is… my master…" Omoi panted, struggling to get up.
"That is the least of your worries at the moment," Pain stated matter-of-factly. With a snap of his fingers, five more figures appeared behind him.
"There are six Pains?" Kiba announced in shock.
"This isn't good," Kakashi mused, his injuries apparently taking a toll on him, "Every odd is stacked against us. Team, retreat!"
With that command, the Konoha force dashed towards the closest exit from Amegakure, Karui tailing after them with Omoi in tow. The ravaging, mutated beast behind them howled bloody murder, giving chase, followed by the six Pains. Before long, the beast's long strides easily caught him up to the fleeing shinobi. He struck out with vicious bites, attempting to nail one of the fleeing ninjas.
"Keep going! I'll distract him!" Kiba snarled, leaping onto Akamaru, "Human Beast Combination Transformation: Double-Headed Wolf!"
With a puff of smoke, the two entities joined into one. Where Kiba and his faithful companion once stood, a giant, two-headed white wolf emerged, snarling with ferocity equaling the mutant dog tailing the Konoha shinobi. Kiba and Akamaru swiftly turned around to engage the beast, and the two writhing masses of fur clashed violently in a battle of claws and fangs.
"Damn it!" Kakashi cursed, "we can't leave him behind!"
With the consent of the team, they skidded to stops, turning around to aid their companion. Karui and Omoi, feeling the need for revenge and answers, joined them.
The two groups of ninjas dashed to meet the six Pains in battle. With ferocity they engaged, clashing their kunais and swords against the chakra rods drawn from the Pains.
As Kiba and Akamaru wrestled with the mutant dog, the remaining shinobi split themselves up to battle the Pains. Kakashi charged relentlessly into battle against two Pains at once, the Human and Animal Paths. Showing immense prowess with his Chakra Sabre, he successfully kept the two at bay without retaining any injuries. The Asura Path was engaged upon by Omoi and Karui, whose joint attacks clashed against the numerous mechanized weaponry that it produced. The Naraka Path engaged against Shikamaru and Chouji, whose teamwork remained remarkably strong due to their many years on the same team, while Shino faced off against the Preta Path. Hinata and Naruto clashed against the final Pain: The Deva Path.
For mere moments, they seemed to hold back the Akatsuki menace. Before long though, they began to struggle. The Asura Path sprouted a few more hidden weapons, catching the Kumogakure shinobi off-guard. The King of Hell in turn forced Shikamaru and Chouji back, while Shino had to retreat as well once the Preta Path easily guarded against his bugs. Kakashi overcommitted with a slash of his father's tanto, allowing the Human Path to latch on to him. Feeling an immense tugging sensation, he withdrew with a kick before he could experience to full extent of Pains' powers.
The retreating ninjas, having the same thought without so much as an utterance, maneuvered around their opponents and charged at the Deva Path, aiming to distract him enough to grab their remaining members and flee. Before they could make it, the Rinnegan-user raised his arm, muttering two words.
"Shinra Tensei,"
With a scream, much to the dismay of her teammates, Hinata was launched an insurmountable distance into the air.
"HINATA!" Naruto screamed, praying for his father's skill if not for only a moment. Jamming one of his kunai into the ground, he aimed for mere seconds before flinging a second towards her.
As the kunai sailed past her, Hinata was suddenly clasped in firm, strong arms. She felt a sudden tugging sensation as, in the blink of an eye, she felt ground beneath her again.
"I've got you," Naruto whispered, still shaking with apprehension as Hinata continued to hyperventilate.
"Close one, boy," Pain smirked from a few feet away.
Naruto glared at the Akatsuki member as his teammates quickly gathered around him. Immense hatred welled up inside his body as he struggled to hold himself back from charging at the man without regard for his own safety. Feeling the breath of his teammates behind him, however, he knew it wouldn't solve anything.
"Get Kiba," he commanded, as he drew a scroll from his weapons pouch.
The giant, white wolf threw off its assaulter at the mention of its name, charging at the combined platoon of Kumogakure and Konohagakure nin. Pain's Deva Path raised his arm again; this time however, Kakashi moved quickly to distract him, striking his kunai against the hastily drawn chakra rod from Pain's sleeve.
"Everybody! To me!" Naruto declared, charging towards Kakashi. The giant, towering wolf disappeared in a puff of smoke as the smaller Kiba and Akamaru sprinted to join the platoon.
With a battle cry, Naruto leaped in between the clashing Akatsuki member and the leader of his platoon. With fervent speed, he unfurled the scroll he had pulled out. Pain raised his arm once more, beginning to use his jutsu once more, uttering, "Shinra-!"
Before he could finish, the seal revealed from within Naruto's scroll glowed a blinding, white light. In a flash, and much to Pain's annoyance, the group before him disappeared.
The battered group of ninjas fell in a heap a few miles away from the battle that had just taken place. Shaken and fearful, they were unable to move for a moment. Akamaru whined pitifully and the injuries he had sustained while the rest of the group were inclined to do the same.
"Naruto, what-," Shikamaru began to ask.
"A seal I share with my father," he responded tiredly, "it allows me to tap into his powers temporarily to perform a bigger Shunshin Jutsu. I'm not allowed more than a bit, so this is as far as I could bring us. Not to mention I'm all out of chakra…"
The ninjas began to slowly rise to sitting positions, the mere effort of that causing some of them to flinch. Tears welled in Hinata's eyes as she began to recover from her shock and realize how terrifying her predicament had been. Naruto instinctively pulled her into his embrace as she began to sob. Not knowing what to say, he just offered her comfort and silence.
After some time, Shikamaru and Kiba began to prepare camp as Kakashi tended to a wound he sustained in his final brawl with Pain. Hinata continued to cry into Naruto's shoulder, rendering him unable to help. Shino left momentarily, claiming he had to track down some of the bugs that were lost in the fight, as Chouji sat motionless on the forest floor. Omoi offered his help, which the two gratefully accepted.
Before long, Hinata had cried herself to sleep. Without a word, Naruto gently lifted her up and brought her into a hastily erected tent. He nodded his thanks to Kiba, who solemnly returned it, as he carefully laid her onto her sleeping bag, drawing the covers over her.
Naruto quietly joined the three other shinobi in preparing the rest of camp as night began to fall. Not a sound was made as the entire camp soon looked as it had when they set it up before they had arrived in Amegakure. The Konoha shinobi offered shelter to Omoi and Karui as well, who respectfully rejected.
"We have… news… for the Raikage," Karui murmured.
They all knew full well the "news" she was referring to, and didn't broach the subject any further.
"Sorry for attacking you, Naruto-kun," Omoi apologized, "I hope all is forgiven."
"Of course," Naruto replied mildly, the attack the least of his worries.
The shinobi of Kumogakure bade their goodbyes and took their leave as the Konoha ninjas slowly gave in to slumber.
The first thing the next morning, Naruto climbed a tall tree to pinpoint their location. Before long, he determined that he had underestimated his ability, and they were actually closer to Konoha than first surmised. Determining that they would arrive at the village at latest midday by foot, the platoon decided on just that.
Hinata's eyes were puffy from the tears she shed the day before, and she refused to talk to anyone, Naruto could guess only from embarrassment. He grasped her hand firmly in his as they walked, affirming his presence and support and hoping that would be enough to ease her sorrow. She smiled sweetly at him in response, but remained silent.
Kakashi suffered from a profound limp. The team had learned later that night that, while he had been drawing Pain's attention from Naruto, he took a chakra rod to the leg. A carefully wrapped bandage wound its way around the injury; no medical ninjutsu by any standards, but it would have to do until they arrived at the village. Kiba and Chouji supported him – practically carried him – as they continued to make their way towards the village.
Suddenly, Naruto released Hinata's hand.
"What's wrong?" she asked, speaking for the first time that morning.
"Something," he said tentatively, "something's wrong…"
Without so much as an explanation, he sprinted towards his village at breakneck speed.
The guards at the entrance could barely open the doors in time as Naruto sped up to them. He grabbed one by the arm, demanding, "What happened?"
The guards hesitated to answer, but seeing the determination in the Hokage's kid's eyes, they felt like they didn't have a choice. "Naruto, your mom's been taken."
A/N: Nothing much to say. Tensions will heighten soon as the two groups clash, and new allegiances will be realized. Stay tuned! Review my work!