Chapter 13-

Naruto flew through the air. Ready to take on his latest challenge. The infant demon, once known as Inoshishi Kanaye. He could feel the power behind that earthen form. There was strength, speed, endurance, and most of all hatred.

As the demon boar rushed the sannin's successor, Naruto launched himself to the right with the use of a bunshin. He then swung a kunai with a rope attached. Using it as a grappling hook, he managed to secure it on one of the ridges along Kanaye's back. Yanking with no small amount of force and chakra, he pulled himself onto the back of his opponent. Inoshishi roared and bucked, uprooting boulders and trees.

Naruto was firmly in place. He had the rope for grip, and he was sticking to the surface of Inoshishi's back with chakra at his feet. It wasn't that much of a challenge for him. He'd ridden Gamabunta long ago, with much greater difficulty. He managed to catch a glimpse of his friends.

'Well, that explains why I'm alone up here. Wish I could help them, but...'

At that moment Naruto felt a sharp pain in his back. He let go of the rope, and was launched forward to the nape of the demon's neck. He twisted around in his landing, and saw the problem. He'd been gored from behind by a smaller boar, made from dirt and rocks. This smaller boar let out a grunt, and charged once more.

It was a feint. The boar rushed head on, but only until the last minute. A second one had formed and came rushing from behind to hit Naruto again. He was tossed into the air with a flip, and then he landed face first. Inoshishi was as hard as the ground.

Naruto rose and wiped the dirt from his face. He let out a low growl. He now faced a legion of smaller boars made from the demon. He wasn't fazed. He smiled at his challenge, and rushed them.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" (You all know this one, dammit!)

Multiple clones were created. An exact number to match all the boars. Clones and boars faced off in a head on collision. When they met, each of the clones grabbed the boars by the tusks and pushed back against them. The "battlefield" stood still as each opponent faced off in this contest of strength.


While all this was happening, the rest of the group had their hands full. They weren't facing a demon. They weren't facing a monster. They weren't even facing an enemy. They were fighting a friend.

A friend. That's what Sai had been; that's what he still was to them. He was their friend, and he was in pain. Forced to fight against his will and altered to be something other than human for that purpose. From the looks of it, there probably wasn't a way to change him back, either.

"Sai..." Sakura looked at her former teammate.

The world was still at this moment. Sai looked into her eyes acknowledging her.

"We'll try to make it quick." Tears rolled down her eyes.

"Thank you." Was all he could say.

The wings of ink began to fall apart. They melted and solidified into new forms. If a name had to be given, they'd be called "Sumi Bunshins" (Ink Clones). They took the shape of the original Sai, but were all connected to him by thin tendrils. The clones and their template charged.

It was a delicate dance of ink and flesh. The clones moved in a circle, guided by the ink tendrils. They maneuvered over and under each other, with Sai in the middle; attacking and protecting at the same time. The ninja faced their opponents. They had some difficulty in doing so.

The ink clones weren't like regular clones. They weren't made of something completely solid. Blocking an attack was pointless, as Kiba demonstrated to the others. When he blocked a fist that was thrown at him, the arm merely split and reformed to land a heavy, staining punch on his face. He might have been launched back if his arm hadn't been entangled in ink when he blocked.

Instead the ink wrapped itself around that arm, and yanked it back towards the clone. With a kick to the gut, Kiba was sent careening back again. He was released this time thanks to his faithful partner, Akamaru. The nindog had managed to swipe and disperse the ink which held Kiba captive. Akamaru then bounced from where he landed and regrouped to provide backup for Kiba, as his mount.

'Sakura's promise may be harder than we thought.' Yosei mused.


"Yare, Yare. It seems these children are putting on quite a show." Zōo mused. "I can honestly say, I don't hate this."

"Oh yes." Setsuna happily wept. "We can all feel it. Their sorrow."

"Their rage." grinned Gekido.

"Their fear" Osoru was tingling.

"Their pain." Itami's hands were beginning to wring.

"And their hate." Zōo concluded. "It does feel good. To think there was so much of it in this village. More of it in these kids alone, than from the entire continent. All from one blond-headed ninja."

"Soon, grandfather shall feel it for himself!" Setsuna began to cry in a bittersweet tone. "To think of how he has been denied all these years!"

"Enough reminiscing. Keep your eyes on the battle. We can't afford any slip-ups. I hate making mistakes."

"Fear not," Osoru smiled. "When the moment comes, we shall be ready."

Not far away, Naruto- or rather the Narutos- had one the test of strength. Each replicant was able to rip their opponent from the gritty flesh of Inoshishi, and toss them from his back. When more boars were created to take their place, the pack of clones simply grinned. As the stampede ran through something happened. Rather than disrupting in a puff of smoke, when the clones were struck they exploded with a surge of razor-sharp wind blades in all directions.

"Fuujin kara Batsu." (Punishment from Fuujin) The original spoke softly from the back as the rain of soil fell to the true earth below.

"You'll have to do better than that Kanaye." Naruto gloated.

Then came a deep voice in response. "I was thinking the same thing, Naruto."

Inoshishi shook as he spoke. He was growing accustomed to his new form. He rolled over onto his back and back upright in an attempt to squash Naruto. Naruto sensed the roll leaped into the air once again, and with a back flip landed atop the snout of the non-tailed. Naruto looked into Kanaye's left eye and Kanaye looked into Naruto's face.

"This is all your fault, Kyubi filth!"

"Mine?!" Naruto screamed.

"Your existence caused all of this! Had you not been born there would be no need to eradicate you! You're the reason I became this way!"

"Don't you hand ME that!" Naruto shot back. "This is your own damn fault, idiot! You reap what you sew!"

"I was protecting the village!" Inoshishi indignantly declared. "I sought to eradicate two monsters who threatened the very existence of Konoha. What did I get for my troubles?! Lectures! bleeding-hearted enemies! And finally this! Well so be it! The stupidity of an entire village over two affronts to the shinobi way has led to a third monster! It will be this monster, created from their stupidity that will finally destroy them!"

"First you'll have to get through me." Naruto declared.

"That was my plan, kitsushōnen!" (fox-boy!)

The fledgling demon tossed his head upwards launching Naruto high in the sky. Naruto for his part, remained there. Without so much as a hand seal, he had created a miniature vortex to keep him afloat. As he slowly descended towards an area of his choice, he bit his thumb and wiped the blood across his palm. When he landed, he called his for his friends.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" (You all know this one too, dammit!)

What happened next was predictable. The frogs heeded the summons of their friend. Gamakichi lowered his body to allow Naruto easier access. Naruto without any words hopped on his friend's back, and pointed to the right. They took off, and the other frogs scattered.

"Yo, Naruto. What's the problem?" Gamakichi inquired.

At that moment Inoshishi launched a number of projectiles at them from his own body. "Iwa no Nageyari!" (Spears of Rock!)

The frog and his summoner were barely able to keep ahead of them. "Take a wild guess." Naruto replied.

"So why didn't you call Pops?" Gamakichi asked.

"He doesn't need to be bothered with this. Strong guys like you, we can take him easy!"

Gamakichi croaked in laughter. "Alright, nii-san. What's the plan?"

Naruto gave his characteristic foxy grin, complete with his chortle. "Heh, heh..."
Sai had proven to be quite the fierce opponent. He had driven back his friends with very little effort on his part. All but one. Shikamaru. He wasn't in the group.

Suddenly a rain of arrows whistled through the air, and cut the inky tendrils of Sai's clones. The arrows hit the ground and reformed into their original substance, shadows. Shikamaru flew from his tree and released the kage-yumi (look it up), returning it to simple shadow of his. With his other hand he pulled the remaining pole-arm from his back. He came down with a swing of the kage-naginata.

Sai leaped away, and launched ink-shuriken at the shadow-wielder. Shikamaru rotated his arms, deflecting the ink away with his strange weapon. He then rushed forward, jabbing Sai at the face with the foot of the naginata. Sai continually dodged, but was pushed back. Dissipating his remaining weapons, Shikamaru swung his weapon around and upwards.

As he did so, he lengthened his weapon with the extra shades he'd just received from the release of his other weapons. Stretching it to it's furthest reach, he cut away the limb Sai had just put his left foot down upon. The inked man lost his footing and began to plummet. Shikamaru watched him fall, only to twist around swing away from an ink rope.

As he swung two large hands with giant boulders came crashing down on him from either side. Shikamaru had successfully maneuvered Sai into the waiting Chouji's trap. In an instant the young Akamichi sandwiched Sai between his rocks. Then he screamed in pain. Shikamaru looked on to see Sai, form two spikes-one on either side of him- with braces to keep the boulders from crushing him.

Sai looked up at Shikamaru, squarely in the eyes. "I've never seen such ferocity from the two of you. Have I upset you?"

"No." Shikamaru replied.

"It's Ino." Chouji said. "We are fighting for her. She is as a sister to us, and she has lost you. We are angry at that. We are simply trying to put an end to this for her."

"I see." Sai replied back. "Don't give up."

Chouji pulled his hands from the spikes with a grunt, and reduced them to normal size. He backed away to receive treatment from Sakura. Shikamaru had been pulled from the fight by Sasuke. The repatriated ninja spoke to the team leader.

"Time for someone else to try."

Yosei came charging up the tree, leafy tendrils beginning to lash out at Sai. Ink blades merely cut them to mulch.

"Come Sempai." Sai challenged.

"No need to ask." Yosei chirped as he danced up the trees.

At this time Sasuke was moving with Shikamaru through the trees. Out of the bright lights they had created and moving around in through the darkness of the trees. "Where are the others?" Shikamaru asked.

"They are heading to the same place we are. Yosei is buying time for us to come up with a plan."

"Good. We'll need it."

"Hanpatsu no Tsuta kuzu!" ( Ivy-Vine Rebound)

Yosei had covered a small part of the area in Ivy-vines and creepers. They formed the shape of a cube, enclosing both Yosei and Sai within them. Sai could no longer afford to blink. If he did, he would completely miss the movements of his opponent. Yosei was bouncing off the plant walls at incredible speed.

The weaving of the vines acted as a springboard, and Yosei would continually increase in speed. The glimpse to be seen of him was in the brief moments where he had to pause and let the vines catch and repel him to his next landing space. Sai was knocked for a loop. With Yosei moving so fast, it didn't matter whether he caught him with the ink or not; The elder ninja had gained enough acceleration that he would force his way past it.

After several hits, Sai was did the only thing he could do. He lashed out in all directions with the ink.

"Dakokuki no Sumi no Jutsu!" (Ink Thresher Technique!)

The vines were cut to pieces, and sent falling to the forest floor. Yosei flew past where one of the vine-walls had been, and finally came to a stop on a nearby tree. His legs hurt from the amount of stopping force he had received. It would take him a moment to recover. It was a moment he would not get.

Sai's inky limb reached for him, and he had been caught. Ensnared in the watery, black goop, He was pulled away from the tree and brought down to Sai's branch. The ink suspended Yosei making him eye to eye with Sai. It spread along his body, absorbing him inside a pool. Sai, was going to drown him within the ink."


Shikamaru sat along the branch in his usual thinking stance. He was analyzing the situation. "Neji, Hinata?"

They shook their heads. "We can't stop the chakra flow. He no longer has a system for it." Neji explained.

"If we block one path, he just makes another." Hinata looked back in the direction of the lights.

"Mmmhmm. Difficult. Chouji, we've already found out that your skills won't affect him..." Shikamaru thought out loud.

"Gomen na sai." Chouji apologized.

"Nothing to be sorry for. At least now we know some things. Sakura, I don't see you making much difference here either... or you Lee..."

"So what can be done?" Lee inquired.

Shikamaru sat there for a minute more in silent thought. Then he opened his eyes, and stood up.


It had been a while now, since Naruto had concealed himself in the woods. Inoshishi was growing impatient. He began to rip more trees from their roots, stamping the ground, and tearing through the forest. He couldn't find Naruto's scent. All he could smell was frog, and the scent was everywhere.

He'd seen his enemy ride the frog and perform his specialty- the Kagebunshin. Then they scattered, spreading the scent of frog all over the woods. The monstrous boar just couldn't pinpoint Naruto's location.

"Heh,heh,heh..."

There was a croak.

"Looks like it's working. Why don't we give him what he wants?"

"Sounds good to me." Another croak.

Out from the trees Naruto atop of Gamakichi flew through the air at their gigantic opponent's right side. He turned his head, but too late. Naruto leaped from his amphibious mount and took a deep breath. His entire torso seemed to swell. Gamakichi flew directly at Inoshishi, his skin suddenly turning glossy with a tint of purple.

"Kaeru to Kenjin no Dokasumi no Jutsu!" (Poison mist of the Frog and Sage Technique!)

With Gamakichi's words, Naruto released the power within his lungs. Carefully controlled, the wind held no chakra blades within it, but it held another weapon. The glossy film over Gamakichi's body peeled away in little droplets. A purple tinge filled the air made it's way directly into the demon swine's eyes. Inoshishi screamed in pain, and he thrashed his head.

Naruto and Gamikichi were sent flying by the impact, landed in the trees. "Well that was a great. You can do that on your own next time."

"Relax, it worked didn't it."

"Naaaarruuutooooo..." Inoshishi screamed.

Then, no one could believe what they saw next. The demon boar's eyes began to clear. He turned to look at Naruto and his companion. Unfortunately that wasn't the unbelievable part. As Inoshishi leeched the poison from his system, he copped a squat, and well... a large... mound... of clay plopped onto the earth behind him.

"What the hell was that?!" Naruto screamed.

'That is absolutely disgusting." Gamakichi thought to himself.

"Didn't you know clay has the special property to leach out toxins?" Inoshishi sneered.

"Forget it..." Naruto concluded, as he rushed Kanaye head on. "Thanks guys. You did great!"

Although Naruto couldn't see it, Gamakichi gave Naruto a salute before disappearing in a puff of smoke with the rest of his brethren.

"Your little friends abandon you, Kitsuteme?" (fox bastard)

Naruto didn't answer him. 'It's time to end this. I'll have to make a gamble here.'

"Totsugeki Saigo no Uzumaki!" (The Last Assault of Uzumaki!)

All around the battlefield, water began to form. First it came as a mist. Then it seemed more like rain. Finally the whole area was flooded in a whirlpool. The newly-born demon was engulfed in by the waters.

The currents continued to circle over and over again. The demon simply didn't have the strength to fight the currents. All the while Naruto was pumping excessive amounts of wind chakra into the rapids. The spiraling stream contained currents within currents, twisting and cork-screwing anything caught within. Countless items of debris- from trees to boulders, to Inoshishi- would collide with each other. On top of that, the winds beneath the waters were still razor sharp; It was a miracle Inoshishi wasn't cut to ribbons.

One final blast of wind chakra disrupted the flow of the water. The powerful gusts from all sides forced the waters to come together at the center and rise in a pillar. This pillar then collapsed on itself, and water and anything contained within began to rain down. Naruto looked at the scene. He was breathing heavily.

There in that center, a massive muddy form was wriggling. Inoshishi had taken heavy damage. Entire pieces of him were cut away, and he was severely demobilized by the water. His body was no longer a solidified threat of soil.

"Damn you, Naruto! This isn't over yet." Inoshishi squealed in pain, and anger struggling to rise.

Naruto looked at him. "Did you know oil floats on water?"

"Eh?" Kanaye looked at him.

"You should really pay more attention in a fight." Naruto chuckled.

There was a moment of silence. All around him, Kanaye could hear the sizzles of exploding tags.

"Boom!" Naruto smiled.

The tags exploded. Inoshishi was caught within the flames, his body, having absorbed all the oil of the frogs, began to burn from the inside out. His screams of anguish carried over the Land of Fire. Unfortunately for the demon, Naruto wasn't finished. Tired as he was, Naruto had one last thing to do. He pumped wind into the flames, burning it brighter and hotter.

The great fire had become a kiln, and Naruto was indeed baking clay this night. More and more and more chakra enhanced wind was pumped into the fire, until at last there was nothing left to burn. Naruto looked down at the crispy black lump of clay. A small light was still within they eyes of Kanaye, but it was beginning to dim. Inoshishi spoke one final sentence that night, as his body flaked and broke down into pieces.

"This isn't finished, Naruto." The demon's body broke apart, and the light went out.

"It is for now." Naruto remarked, breathing even heavier than before. He removed his mask, to wipe the sweat from his brow.


The other fighters had seen the end of the battle, but could not take the time to marvel at it. They had problems of their own. Sai was still a threat to them. Also, he was still in pain. They had to end that some how.

"You should be very proud of Naruto, Sempai. You've taught him well." Sai stated as he controlled a floating Oni's head.

"Arigato. but back to business, yes?" Yosei smiled at him.

The ink-demon head lunged forward with a face to inspire terror. Yosei didn't flinch. He simply stood there, and waited. The surrounding trees began to move. Their limbs swung and pummeled Sai's latest creation.

Sai recalled his ink and simply stared at Yosei. "You're not going all out, Yosei-sempai."

"No. I'm not." Yosei chirped in response.

"Why?"

"I suppose it's because... I owe it to you not to." Yosei continued to catch the piercing stares of Sai.

"Don't get me wrong, kouhai. When I say 'you' I mean all of you. This is really a matter between you and your friends. I'm simply giving you the time you need."

Sai continued to look at him. "Orochimaru would hate you for this."

Yosei cocked his head to one side. "Arigato, once again."

Not another word was spoken between the two. They simply stood there... staring.

Seconds later, shuriken were flying towards Sai from behind. He took a step to the side, and allowed them to fly right past him and straight at Yosei. The ANBU caught the star-shaped blades and took off his mask, revealing that other-worldly smile. He leaned back allowing himself to fall from his perch. As he made his descent he quietly spoke to Sai.

"Looks like they're ready."

Sai turned to face his attacker, only to receive a blast of chakra from behind. He fell forward, and reached across to another tree to catch himself. He didn't have to turn to see who it was. He already knew, but he turned anyway. To do otherwise would have been impolite.

"Evening, Neji." Sai smiled.

Neji remained in his fighting stance. "Sai."

"And wherever there is Neji, there is..."

Bursting onto the scene came the one and only, Rock Lee. Rocketing forward in the air with his arms crossed in front of him and his right leg bent upward, he flew straight at a tree. He swung his arms down and back in a cross body chop. His right leg kicked forward. The end result of which broke a large section of the tree and he flew straight through it.

"Suteki..." (Fantastic/Lovely)

He landed on a branch that was below the break; his right leg extended back, his left leg bent forward at ninety degrees, and his arms up and back. The section of tree he had broken flew ahead of him in large bludgeoning chunks and minuscule splinters. Sai jumped upward to a higher branch, as the chunks of the tree were moving too fast for him stop. The remainder of Lee's tree creaked as it began to fall in the direction the young-nin was standing.

"...IRIGUCHI!" (ENTRY!)

Lee shifted as he spoke, twisting his torso to have his right leg out at his side. His right arm was crooked so the hand was at his waist. His left hand punched straight upwards, breaking the falling tree-top into hundreds of pieces. These pieces scattered and at a blinding speed harpooned themselves into anything that was unlucky enough to be nearby. Neji had just the technique to prevent this, but Sai wasn't so lucky.

The ink-man was speared multiple times and pinned to his tree throughout his body. Ink began to spurt from his mouth and drip from the wounds. Now came Tenten. Waiting inconspicuously at the forest floor, she had hidden with her weapon. A specially designed siege weapon.

Normally she'd be smiling, but at this time she felt no pleasure from the fight. She simply cut the string with her kunai, and released the ammunition within the catapult- three abnormally-sized bola. They flew upwards and wrapped themselves around Sai and the tree, pinning him further. Then Sai really got a shock. Literally.

The moment each end of a bola connected, a surge of stored electrical chakra was released. Normally this kind of power was enough to kill an opponent. Unfortunately Sai's mutation, had only made it painful for him. He was still alive. And awake.

Small pieces of his ink had dried and flaked away, but he was still very much alive. He looked over to Lee. Then he looked at Neji. They were just looking at him. He shook his head.

"This won't help you." he said.

"We already know that."

Sai looked to the forest floor to see Shikamaru there, smoking another cigarette. Something occurred to him.

Within seconds Sai's head had been lopped clean off. Droplets of ink bled through a straight line and dribbled down the body.

"Kagegirochin!" (Shadow Guillotine!)

Shikamaru released his jutsu, and the great beams and gigantic blade of his execution technique dispelled back into the standard shadows of the surrounding trees. Sai's head slid along the cut and fell to the ground below. Black ink gushed from his body at the neck like a geyser. What little ink was in his head, slowly poured from that side of the wound.

Shikamaru took a long puff on his cigarette, and blew a smoke ring. He looked down at Sai's head along with everyone else who had come to join him.

"Well done, oh 'Master of Shadows.' But it won't help you." Sai's head spoke softly to them.

The ink which spilled from his body and head began to move and reform. It floated above them for a moment in a shapeless form. Sai's very being was a living ink-blot, now free of it's container.

"No..." said Shikamaru. "...I didn't think so." He flicked away his smoke.


"A spectacular fight." said Setsuna. "I am so very sad to see it end."

Naruto turned to look at him. "Eh?"

The man in a blue yukata backfisted Naruto across the face causing him to reel back. The four other members shot across the sky. The man in yellow released a volley of arrows with inhuman speed. Naruto was too tired to dodge them. Fortunately the heads of these arrows weren't the usual kind.

The shafts of these particular arrows were tipped with a permeable cloth. The moment they hit Naruto they bounce off him, but not before a cloud of marigold colored powder burst from them. He tried to cover his mouth but it was too late. He had breathed in the substance. As he looked at the five assailants his vision began to blur, and he chuckled.

"Something funny, Naruto-san?" Zōo asked.

"I said it was a gamble. I knew I wouldn't be able to stand up to you. I bet... everything on... my... friends." Naruto passed out and fell from the tree.

Itami threw a chain and wrapped it around him, keeping him from hitting the ground. Setsuna helped to pull him back up.

"That's a bet you'll lose." Gekido frowned.

"We don't have time for taunts, Gekido." Zōo scorned. "Itami! Bind him. We leave the second you are done."


Author's Section

Chapter 13... COMPLETE!

Hope you liked that one. It was a little tricky to write. Well... I would think you know the score at this point. I look forward to your reviews. Chapter 14 is in progress... until next time. Same Shinobi time, same Shinobi channel!

-bakagaijin