AN: Sorry readers, I would have had this out earlier, but unexpected family matters came up. I hope to start the two chapters a week soon as my 2015 resolution to all is to get this story done by May at the latest. Thanks all!
Disclaimer: Wish I owned Naruto, but sadly I do not. One can dream though.
ITALICS: Thinking
BOLD: demon talk/jutsu
Arc Three: Home is Where the Heart Lies
Chapter Four
Five Days Before Naruto Arrived in Iwa
The Hidden Frost Village and the Hidden Hot Springs Village was both known for their tourism and a place where shinobi hung around to just get away from it all. Neither had an impressive shinobi population, but one was active for protection purposes. Sadly, the peace these two minor villages were known for was shattered in an instant.
Without warning, thousands of Iwa and Oto shinobi attacked and took the villages by force. There was no battle, only a slaughter resulted. The small shinobi forces of the two minor villages lacked the expertise to hold off such an enemy. The streets ran red with blood, and chaos ensued.
The first casualties of this mini-war had resulted.
News of this quickly reached Kumo's ears where they instantly mobilized troops and planned a night raid to liberate both villages. They hoped to push the enemy forces back into Oto, then hold off until Konoha and Ame arrived to end the Sound Village once and for all.
Their plan worked and took the enemy by surprise.
Thanks to their victory, the enemy troops were having a grand old time by enjoying the booze and the hot springs. That, and none had thought Kumo would be so brazen. Like the small shinobi force they killed only a day ago, the Iwa and Oto forces were forced to retreat and suffered massive casualties as a result. Both sides were now at a stalemate. Kumo could only hope they could hold their position until help arrived from the other end.
In Taki, word reached them that Iwa was seen on their borders. And not only that, it was said that Iwa single handedly wiped the Hidden Grass Village off the map and took over Claw country. Ame and Taki was surrounded…it was like another shinobi war was about to start. Concerned, Shibuki, the leader of Taki, reached out to their ally; Suna.
Suna, also an ally of Konoha, already had plans for this war but after hearing what Iwa did…it was inexcusable. Rasa notified Konoha about his change in plans due to Rock's bold move and acted accordingly. Like Kumo, they hoped to push the enemy forces away from Ame and Taki to give them some breathing room. Sadly, the two jinchuriki Iwa had ruined any chance at this happening.
Suna and Ame suffered heavy casualties when they tried to liberate the destroyed Grass Village and thus decided to retreat back to lick their wounds. Suna forces were posted in Ame and Taki for support thanks to this debacle, and, for now, everything was one massive stalemate until Konoha entered the fray.
In Kiri, Yagura giggled like a mad schoolgirl and instantly began to plan invading Konoha. Sadly, the rebels set them back a week due to infiltrating their supply depot and ship yard. Massive repairs had to be done to their fleet to get it battle ready. This was another thing Yagura hated.
The Bloodline Fighters lead by Mei Terumi.
Although a small force, their guerilla tactics and knowledge of how the village of Kiri was laid out was a huge boon to them. Not only that, but Zabuza Momochi and Haku Yuki had quite the kill count and it showed when Yagura was sent a box full of heads.
Enraged would not do justice when describing the jinchuriki's outburst every time one of those packages arrived.
Tobi's Base – Location Unknown: Two Days until Naruto Arrives at Ame
Tobi just got an update on the war he planned from Zetsu and the Uchiha couldn't be happier with the results. Yes, the villages were still at a stalemate, but this stalemate led to heavy losses on both sides. Just as he dismissed the plant man, Hanzo walked in with a bottle of sake and two sake dishes.
Tobi looked at Hanzo with a scrutinizing glance before he sat down at his desk and took off his mask. The calm and collected tone of his soon filled the room.
"Sake? I never ordered such a thing…"
Hanzo nodded before he laid the dishes on the desk and popped the cork on the bottle. As he poured the drinks, he responded to his "master's" question.
"Indeed, but a mastermind such as yourself deserves a bit of celebration. Not even I would have been so bold to create such a plan."
Tobi looked at the sake in front of him then back at the Salamander. After a slight pause, he motioned towards his guest's sake. Hanzo didn't hesitate and downed his rice alcohol.
"Let's hope Orochimaru's antidote works." The former ruler of Ame thought before he motioned to Tobi. "Your sake, if you please?"
Seeing that Hanzo didn't react to the sake, he knew it was safe. And thus, Tobi downed the alcohol. After pouring another, he cleared his throat to get Hanzo's attention.
"I assume this sake and your arrival is not just for my brain and brawn, but something else. Something…you wish to reclaim perhaps?"
Hanzo nodded, and followed Orochimaru's plan to the letter. "Ame…I want my home back. That, and I think using Konan to gain what is rightfully yours can be done quicker. After all, not even the mighty Sannin could match my strength."
Tobi hummed in thought, then grinned maliciously. "Yes…with the current stalemate and me taking the Kyuubi, this could work to my advantage."
"From your grin, I assume you agree to my plan?"
Tobi nodded and downed his sake before pouring another serving. "Do as you will, but leave Nagato to me. Defeating the samurai should not take long. Dismissed."
Hanzo stood, bowed, and left the room. Once out of sight, he took a vile out of his pants pocket and drank the contents. As the Salamander left the base, he could only grin behind his mask.
"Step One complete."
Konoha – Hospital
Shizuka was seen going room to room in order to treat her patients. Of course, Tsunade was almost always by her side during each diagnosis or when a medical procedure needed done. The war had brought injured shinobi here which made Shizuka think about Iron Country and the suicide technique Naruto used. Thanks to these memories, a depressed aura could be felt around her which seemed to effect the patients.
Tsunade noticed and told her to take the day off and do something. After a thank you, she quickly went to bathroom to change into her usual shinobi outfit. As she walked out the front door, she bumped into Jiraiya.
"Oh, hey Jiraiya-sensei." She sighed.
The Toad Sage frowned, and put a comforting hand on her shoulder, "What's eating you Shizuka…if it's the war, I understand."
She shook her head, "No, not this war, but the one Naruto almost lost his life in. My job at the hospital brings back the same memory over and over again."
Jiraiya knew what she was talking about, and decided to steer the conversation in another direction.
"You know, when I was depressed I always turned to fuinjutsu to get my mind off things."
Shizuka smirked, "Well, if it worked for you, then why not. I need to stop home first to get supplies."
Jiraiya shook his head with a smile. "Nonsense, I have plenty with me…come."
With a quick sunshin, they were at a random training field. Jiraiya pulled a scroll from his coat and unsealed the contents. As Shizuka looked at the paper and the brush, an idea suddenly came to her. The gasp she produced made Jiraiya look at her with a raised eyebrow.
"Jiraiya-sensei, do you think I can produce a seal which suppresses a jinchuriki?"
"I actually carry them with me, would you like some for the upcoming war?"
Shizuka shook her head, "No! Not those cheap things that only cut off the chakra, but an actual seal which cuts off both chakra networks and paralyses them at the same time."
Jiraiya blinked in shock at the idea. It was genius, but to make it in two days would be nigh impossible. Unless…
"I suppose it could be done, but we need to see Minato's library…if memory suits me, I think he was attempting to create a seal just like what you described."
Shizuka nodded, and decided to ask another question. "Is there a seal which shuts down ocular bloodlines?"
This time, the Toad Sage smirked. "Ah, I see. You are worried about Naruto and wish to help him if need be." Shizuka blushed which made Jiraiya chuckle to himself. "Again, Minato's library would be a good start. Now, get to practicing."
As she practiced, more seal ideas came to mind. Two of these ideas was a durability seal and an extension seal. The durability seal could be used on just about anything. This seal would have 10 levels with level one being the weakest. Each level would determine how much abuse an item could take. Abuse such as kunai, explosions, low level jutsu, and more. An extension seal could be used on chained weapons in order to lead the enemy into a false sense of security. Simply put, the seal would extend the reach of said weapon (1).
Thanks to her knowledge of sealing matrixes, Shizuka quickly scribbled down notes and began to work on them. Jiraiya, after seeing that his student was working on something other than practice, decided to look at what Shizuka wrote down. Intrigued and astonished would not do justice to how the Sage felt.
"Shizuka, these are…"
"Brilliant, I know." She interjected while still staying focused on her work. "If I can get these done, Naruto's armor would be almost impervious." After a pause, she looked to the sky in thought. "Maybe a level 10 durability seal could withstand a bijuu bomb?"
Jirayia gaped, but then his shock turned into a grin. "Alright little Uzumaki…now you really piqued my interest. Time for ol' Jiraiya to show you why he is a seal master, but first we need to head over to your home as Minato's library will hold the answers you seek."
Shizuka nodded; a megawatt smile was on her face.
Present Time
Naruto and Shizuka looked at each other with a smile as they made their way to Iwa. The durability seal was completed, but in the prototype stage. Currently, it could only go up to level three; a level which was applied to Naruto's armor and Shizuka's clothing. The extension seal was a lot trickier and was far from being completed. As to the seals Shizuka thought of to take down a jinchuriki and Tobi's Sharingan…well, Minato already had a basic prototype for those. However, thanks to the Kyuubi attack, they were never completed. Until now that is.
As the two ran together, both knew that this conflict was going to end with a high body count. However, they did not foresee two people deciding to go against Tobi's ideals.
About halfway to Iwa, Shizuka decided to stay here just in case some Iwa nin tried to come through. Naruto liked the idea, especially since he could now focus on the enemy ahead and not the love of his life. The two kissed, then Naruto was off.
Shizuka looked at Naruto's disappearing figure with a sad smile, "Stay safe, my love."
Naruto frowned as he neared the Iwa border and decided to stop to look back. "Stay safe, my fair maiden. May the elders of old guide you."
After a sigh, Naruto turned emotionless; his eyes became soulless ice burgs. It was time for the Demonic Warrior to flex his claws.
"Ready Kurama?"
"Born ready, brat." The fox smirked.
Naruto nodded and pulled a cigarette from his pack, and lit it with a match. After a few drags, he ran past the Iwa border; his right hand ready to draw Honjo at any time. After three minutes of sprinting, Naruto came to a complete stop as he sensed someone approaching. Like a true samurai, he simply sat in the lotus position and placed Honjo on his lap as he waited for the enemy to approach.
As the Iwa patrol Naruto sensed came around the path, which went into the many mountains of Rock Country, they stopped and blinked in shock at the person in front of them. It was their target, the son of the Yondaime Hokage.
Naruto, who had his eyes closed in meditation, calmly took the cig out of his mouth and snuffed it on the ground. The shinobi patrol tensed as Naruto reached into his armor and into the pocket of his kimono. They breathed in relief when he pulled out a pack of cigarettes.
"Care for a smoke, shinobi-sans?" Naruto said nonchalantly.
The leader of the group made his presence known with an angry growl. "Grr…no, I don't want no damn cancer stick! Look here you samurai freak, our Kage wishes to see your head on a pike. So, stand up and fight!"
Naruto shook his head with a frown, "Tsk, tsk, tsk, no patience…a great disadvantage in battle you have."
The leader growled again and motioned for his platoon to capture the target. As Naruto became surrounded, he threw his cigarette pack in the air which many followed. Multiple seiza no bu kata later, and only the leader was left standing.
Make that shaking in fear.
"No patience, but you at least have the knowledge to not be distracted in battle."
The leader yelled and charged with a kunai in each hand, but the kunai were cut in half by Honjo. Again, the leader stumbled back in shock.
Naruto looked at the Iwa shinobi with his cold blue eyes, "You wish to fight hand-to-hand…so be it."
After he sheathed Honjo, Naruto got into the ready stance of Aikido and waited for his enemy to charge. Instead of charging, he saw the leader become nothing more than a pile of mud. Naruto sighed and calmly dodged a kunai that was thrown at the back of his skull. But as it went past, Naruto caught it by the ring and threw it back with twice the force. The leader was not expecting such a move and ended up finding his own weapon lodged in-between his eyes.
"Pity…I hoped these shinobi were more of a challenge than those at Iron Country."
As Naruto went around the same bend the patrol went through, his enhanced hearing caught multiple whistles in the air. As he looked up, a black cloud of kunai was headed his way; some had explosive tags attached.
"Ambush…quite a predicament." Naruto calmly thought aloud.
This said, he decided to use something that he has been working on ever since he started learning his wind element. After getting in a horse stance, Naruto looked up at the rain of kunai with narrowed eyes. With precision, he quickly took Honjo out of the sheath, added wind Ki to it, and swiped it upward. Instead of cutting the kunai like the shinobi hidden in the mountains thought would happen, to their horror, they found that the attack simply blew the kunai off track. Some even headed back at them. Soon, explosions ripped across the mountain chains near the path Naruto was at followed by some screams of injured or dead Iwa shinobi.
It was then, Naruto felt an impressive force of shinobi headed his way; the training gloves were off.
"Time to go to work Kurama."
"Like father like son…give them hell brat!"
Naruto nodded, and turned on his Kyuubi cloak. There was no need to add tails just yet. Soon, the mountain pass was filled with yellow flashes, the scream of jutsu being sent Naruto's way, and the screams of the dying.
Naruto flashed to a target above him and instantly cut the shinobi down, then flashed to one who was in the process of casting a jutsu. The women found herself without a head. As Naruto was about to flash to another, multiple Rock Bullets headed his way. Not deterred, Naruto jumped on them to gain altitude, cut some in half, or blew them into the nearby mountain with his wind element.
To the Iwa Shinobi, they started to wonder if they could even stop this demon. And like so many others before them, the whispers of Akuma no Senshi could be heard; it put a smile to Naruto's face. That smile was wiped away when he felt the ground rumble beneath his feet. Thinking quickly, he jumped to a nearby mountain but blinked in slight shock when he landed. On the flattened mountain top, over 200 Iwa Shinobi stood.
Soon, Naruto found himself surrounded by rock walls which were quickly starting to close around him. To make matters worse, the ground started to shake beneath him. Thinking quickly, Naruto created a mini Bijuudama on his right hand and obliterated the wall in front of him and rushed outside. It was just in time as Rock Spears broke through where he was standing before. And just as he was about to attack the enemy in front of him, he was blindsided by one of the many jutsu in Onoki's arsenal.
Wind Release: Great Breakthrough
As Naruto stood, the Iwa Shinobi started to back off as Onoki floated down to see his opponent.
"Naruto Namikaze." The Kage said with distaste.
"Onoki the Fence Sitter." Naruto said in a cold demeanor.
The two started each other down for what seemed like forever. The wind howled through the mountains, a howl which pierced the tense silence. It was Naruto, however, who broke it.
"Shall we commence the dance of death?"
A small smirk came to the Tsuchikage's face, "Commence we shall."
With Shizuka
As Shizuka waited and watched for any sign of incoming enemies, her thoughts began to wander to Naruto and if he was doing all right. Many reassuring thoughts later, Shizuka seemed to break out of her worried state. And it was just in time too, as she spotted two enemies running towards her at full speed. She cursed at who the two were.
"Roshi and Han…the jinchuriki who wiped the Grass Village off the map. Dammit, I can fight off one, but not both at the same time…I must warn Ame."
With a series of shunshins, she quickly arrived back to the village and found Konan.
"Ah Shizuka, back already?" The Amekage stated calmly, but she became serious after seeing Shizuka's demeanor. "Report!"
"Han and Roshi are on their way. ETA five minutes, maybe less."
"Shit!" Konan palmed her face and sighed. After a moment, she looked Shizuka in the eyes. "Is there anything you can do to stall them…I have a plan."
Shizuka smirked, "I'm the girlfriend of an Uzumaki for Kami's sake…of course I can stall them."
Konan nodded, "See to it then whilst I gather the forces."
Without hesitation, Shizuka shushined far outside Ame's walls and started setting up seals. Once that was done, she created a maze using multiple Earth Walls. A maze which she hoped the jinchuriki would attempt to go through, but she highly doubted it. Afterwards, she used the Hiding like a Mole Technique to sink herself underground, then created multiple Iwa and Exploding Clones. The majority hid underground while an explosive clone stayed above ground. Planning done, Shizuka awaited Han and Roshi's arrival.
It didn't take long for them to arrive, and once they saw the maze, Han obliterated it with a small bijuudama. But, once both stepped on the rubble, a barrier seal activated. Once active, 10 Iwa Clones popped out of the ground and held the jinchuriki down. Once secure, the Explosive Clones underneath them detonated. Once the smoke cleared, Han and Roshi were both in their stage one bijuu cloaks.
"As valiant an effort that was…" Roshi started.
"It was all but a waste of time." Han finished.
The Shizuka clone narrowed her eyes at the two, then shushined in front of Roshi in order to plant a Tsunade strength haymaker. It never landed as Roshi grew a tail and impaled the clone. With a smirk, it said its last word.
"Boom!"
Once the clone exploded, two Iwa Bushin popped out of the ground and attempted to plant the seals that her and Jiraiya worked on the past two days. Sadly, the two clones met the same fate as the last one.
"Pathetic…humans are nothing but a waste." Roshi said with great disdain.
Han simply nodded, and looked to his fellow jinchuriki for confirmation. Without warning, Roshi turned full bijuu with Han doing the same. Underneath the ground, Shizuka's eyes widened.
"Since when can they fully transform?!" She thought, then paled at what technique the two were charging up. "I can't let those hit Ame…let's hope these seals Minato had in his library work."
Shizuka quickly shushined in front of the Ame gates and yelled back to the advancing force.
"Stay behind me! Bijuudama incoming!"
The Ame forces paled as they saw two black orbs of death heading towards them. That fear turned into awe as they saw Shizuka make two seals float into the air. In an instant, a vortex suddenly appeared from the seals and sucked the two Bijuudama inside. As the Ame forces cheered, Shizuka feel to her knees and panted heavily due to the high amount of chakra she had to use for the seals. Although exhausted, she smirked as she knew where those attacks were headed.
Back with Han and Roshi, they were back in their base form wondering why the attacks hadn't gone off. Their answer came when two Iwa Clones appeared and planted two seals on the ground, then waved goodbye before dispelling. The jinchuriki's eyes widened as they saw their own attacks come directly at them.
There was no room to evade.
A massive explosion ripped the ground and surrounding area asunder. As the dust started to settle, the Konoha and Suna forces in Ame quickly moved out to ground zero to finish the job, and to see if the two jinchuriki survived. Part of the forces from the Hidden Leaf was the Konoha 12, and they looked forward to their first battle.
"Think they survived?" Kiba asked as he ran beside his group of friends.
Neji shook his head, "Their jinchuriki…they always find a way to live and become thorns in everyone's side."
Tenten angrily slapped the Hyuga upside the head, "So…Naruto's a thorn is he!"
Neji gulped, "No, no! I meant most jinchuriki."
Shikamaru sighed, "See, women are troublesome." Two roars could be heard in the massive dust cloud ahead of them. "And so is that…thanks for jinxing us, Kiba."
Sasuke, the leader of the group, quickly barked out orders. "Stay focused everyone, a jinchuriki is something you can't play around. Tenten, Ino, Hinata, Sai, I want you to stay behind to provide support and any medical aid any might need. The rest, follow me…we have two beasts to subdue."
"Hai!" They chorused, and quickly went about their tasks.
Oto
Kumo was starting to be pushed back by Oto forces, and all seemed lost until a war cry was heard on the other side of the Sound village. Konoha and Ame had arrived. For Killer B, who was the leader of the Kumo forces, it was a sigh of relief.
"Having a bit of trouble?" A voice said above him which made the jinchuriki look up.
Killer B smirked, "Hokage-sama is here and there is no need to fear, fool ya fool."
Nagato nodded, "Indeed, but this is just one of my paths…rest your forces while mine and Ame do a little bit of damage."
B nodded and faced his shinobi army, "You heard the man, he's no joke, now take a break, time for a smoke!"
The Preta Path groaned at the terrible rapping but focused on the incoming wave of Oto forces. It was time to strike fear into their hearts and minds. With a burst of chakra and one hand outstretched toward them, only two words were said which ended the lives of over 100 enemies.
"Shinra Tensei!"
The battle momentarily stopped as they saw the aftermath of that one devastating technique. Some bodies blew apart from the force of gravity, some twisted in odd shapes, and some had their own weapons imbedded into them. For the allied forces, this brought cheers. For the enemy…they were too afraid to speak.
"And let Kami humble you this day!" The Preta path roared and entered the battle.
From fireballs, to water dragons, to any jutsu in-between, the sound village was slowly being destroyed as the fighting moved into the streets. Thanks to knowing their plans, Konoha and Ame knew to stay away from certain buildings and areas of the village due to traps being set there. That, and those points were also ambush spots. Thanks to this knowledge, the Oto forces started to dwindle, but that soon changed as back-up arrived from the underground tunnels.
As the sounds of battle erupted once again, and the screams which accompanied injury and death occurred, a figure overlooked the battle with a smile. A couple hand signs later, a puff of smoke erupted beside the figure.
"How dare you summon me, Orochimaru! I require plenty of sacrifices as payment!" Manda hissed out.
"Ku ku ku, of course. See that village right there…kill all with the sound emblem."
The snake boss was confused, but put that aside as a meal was already prepared for him.
"Very well…shall we?"
Back in the Sound Village, the Preta path ducked under a kunai swipe and used a black rod he produced from his sleeve to pierce the shinobi's skull. As he turned, he blasted away another 20 with a Shinra Tensei. Just as he was about to advance, a sudden crash nearby caught his attention. His eyes narrowed at who the person was, but that soon changed to disbelief as Orochimaru started killing his own men. Deciding to find answers, he floated towards the Sennin.
As Manda was eating his fill, Orochimaru saw Nagato advance towards him.
"I want answers, Orochimaru!"
"In time, Nagato…or should I say one of your paths. There is much you don't know about me."
The Preta path gave Orochimaru a calculating gaze, but nodded nonetheless. "I expect you to turn yourself in after we are finished here. You have a lot to answer for."
As the Preta path went back to the fighting, the Snake Sennin frowned. "I know, and for what it's worth…I'm sorry for the things I did in the past. I must thank the dobe for actually setting me straight all those years ago."
As the battle in Oto carried on, Kiri's fleet was spotted in the waters near Wave. The spotters quickly notified Konoha and hoped that help would arrive before Kiri struck.
With Naruto
For the past five minutes, Naruto and Onoki fought each other. But this fight was not on the ground, oh no, this was in the air. For Naruto, this was a huge test of mental fortitude as he not only had to control his wind Ki, but also focus on the battle ahead. For these five minutes, a taijutsu bout occurred but both were evenly matched. The battle suddenly changed, however, when Onoki unleashed his infamous jutsu.
Detachment of the Primitive World
Naruto barely dodged it, but he was glad he did as once the attack hit the mountain behind him, it vanished in particles of dust.
"Note to self: avoid at all costs." Naruto thought to himself then focused on Onoki once more.
Said Kage smirked at the shocked look on the Namikaze's face, "Not so tough now, are you samurai?"
Naruto didn't speak, he just vanished and appeared before the Tsuchikage in the attempts at cutting him in two. Sadly, a rock wall appeared to block the attack; no hand signs were used. Naruto was not deterred, however, and followed up with a high kick which was dodged.
As Onoki floated backward, Naruto pressed his attack with precision; even when the Kage threw Rock Bullets and more of his signature technique at him. When theDust Release attack was fired, Naruto used a nearby rock bullet to take the hit. Once covered in smoke, he vanished to another area, and did the same. As he hopped closer to Onoki, the Iwa shinobi looked in awe at what Naruto could do, and how he was actually standing up to their leader.
"Your efforts are fruitless, Namikaze! Your samurai skills will not save you here!"
Naruto smirked as he used the last Rock Bullet, then appeared behind the Kage and landed a Ki enhanced punch to his center back. As the Tsuchikage writhed in pain, Naruto followed up with a beheading slash. Thanks to a quick Earth Wall by one of the shinobi spectators, Onoki's life was spared.
"Oooh! My back! You bastard, I thought samurai had honor…not to make a cheap shot like that!"
Naruto nodded as he sheathed Honjo, "Hai, you are correct, but your back problems is just one of my many advantages here today." Naruto dodged a wave of kunai from the spectating shinobi which made him frown. "And you, Onoki, are about to lose one of yours."
The Kage watched in horror as Naruto turned on his Kyuubi cloak and vanished in a yellow flash. Within a minute, all 200 of his back-up forces laid dead on the mountain top. The worst part?
Not a speck of blood was found on Naruto's body.
"You truly are his son…and you truly are a demonic warrior." Onoki whispered, the mind control started to fail which Naruto noticed.
Just as he was about to try and pull the Kage out of it, the mind control came back. But this time, it seemed like it was there for good.
"NO! I must follow Tobi's orders. He is the supreme ruler of this nation, and I am his pawn! DIE NAMIKAZE!"
Onoki grunted as he formed the largest Detachment of the Primitive World he could. The size of which made Naruto gulp. He knew it would wipe out most of the area he and Onoki currently inhabited.
"Time to transform Kit, his mind is too far gone."
Naruto sighed, "Hai…the Elemental Nations will lose a great man today."
As Onoki prepared to fire his technique, his eyes widened when Naruto suddenly went full bijuu. Not a transparent form, but the actual Kyuubi. As the bijuu roared, it made everyone look towards Iwa only to see nine red tails dance between the mountains. For Taki, they knew this was the only chance they had.
"Prepare the forces…we move out in five!" Shubuki barked out then looked to the person in front of him. "Fuu, I know you haven't felt welcome in this village, but I ask of you to do one final task."
"What is it, Shibuki-san?"
"Make Iwa suffer, make them so weak that they are no longer one of the great villages."
Fuu nodded, "Hai, but do not expect me to return…this village has brought me too much pain."
Without hesitation, she took off her headband and dropped it onto the ground. After stomping on it a couple times, she turned and left to join their shinobi forces.
"Bijuudama!"
"Detachment of the Primitive World!"
The two techniques collided and fought for control, but a minute later they destabilized and exploded like a second sun. The roar of the explosion was deafening, and could be heard all the way to Konoha. A mushroom cloud shot up into the sky, and dust covered a good portion of Rock Country. For those that saw the attack, they became concerned. One side feared for their commander's life, while the other feared for Onoki's.
Naruto, still in Kyuubi form, shook off the debris that was on him then reverted back to normal. After a couple blasts of wind Ki, a good amount of dust had been cleared away to reveal the devastation. The crater had to be over a mile wide, and about a half-mile deep. An aquifer was breached due to the explosion, and so water started to fill in the crater. Like the Valley of the End, the landscape was forever changed.
Suddenly, Naruto heard coughing, and honed his senses to try and find the source. It was then he latched onto a familiar energy signature.
"Why am I not surprised the Fence Sitter is still alive." Naruto sighed, then vanished to finish the job.
The Tsuchikage coughed and blew multiple Great Breakthrough's to clear the dust. His chakra was starting to run low, and his back was killing him.
"Just wait until I get my hands on you, Namikaze brat!" The Kage started, but froze as he felt cold steel at his throat.
"I know you cannot be saved, Onoki-san, and it pains me to have to end such a great man who has lived through hardships greater than my own. If it is any consolation, your death will be quick and painless." Naruto said in a somber tone.
"Do it." Onoki whispered, the mind control wavered once again. "Please, do it so my soul can rest in peace. I wanted to make amends with Konoha…not bring war."
Naruto nodded, and moved Honjo to the Kage's heart. "Are you ready?"
Onoki nodded, "Hai, I'm ready to come home."
Naruto's breathe shuddered as he plunged Honjo through the Kage's heart. With a look to the sky, Onoki the Fence Sitter died with a smile on his face. With a sigh, Naruto pulled out Honjo, flicked off the blood, and sheathed it. He grabbed the Kage's body, and set it gently on the ground. With a wave of his hand, Naruto closed Onoki's eyes.
"Why must great people die, Kurama?"
The fox was taken aback by this simple question, and he answered with a sigh. "I honestly don't know, Kit. Perhaps it is just how the world works."
Clapping soon got Naruto's attention which made him look around. There, standing 50 feet in front of him, was the man who started it all.
Tobi or Obito Uchiha.
Back in Oto
"Why is Orochimaru-sama attacking us? Have we done something wrong?" An Oto shinobi said as he dodged the swipe of a kunai.
Just as another Oto shinobi was about to respond, he was crushed in Manda's coils. The Konoha shinobi who was fighting the two in front of her shook in fear at what she saw. After witnessing the other Oto shinobi being eaten, she closed her eyes thinking she was next, but after feeling nothing happening, she looked up to see a sad look on the Sannin's face.
"Fear not, fellow shinobi, you will not perish by my hands today. Stand tall and fight for Konoha, become the Will of Fire which your Sandaime has preached…something which I greatly dishonored."
As Orochimaru and Manda sped off to kill more of their own forces, the shinobi who heard what he said was confused. All of them were taught that Orochimaru was a sick and twisted being which held no emotion for what he did. But the remorseful tone in which he spoke baffled them greatly.
"I don't know why the snake bastard is helping us, but dammit this is as good an opportunity as any!" Screamed the shinobi who Orochimaru talked to. "FOR THE WILL OF FIRE!"
All around the Sound Village, the Konoha shinobi made their presence known with a war cry. Their fighting intensified, and the Oto forces stood no chance. Not wanting to be outdone, the Ame shinobi let out a war cry of their own and joined the fray once again.
Within the hour, the Sound village would cease to exist, and Orochimaru would surrender himself as well as his Sound Five. Through it all, Kabuto was never found.
With the Konoha 12
Han and Roshi, still in their full transformation, roared loudly as the coordinated attacks from the Konoha 12 started to bombard them.
As Sai's ink creations relentlessly attacked the bijuu, Tenten used the distraction to use one of her scrolls to launch multiple kunai in the air which Sasuke lit up using one of Madara's jutsu. Great Fire Annihilation
As this wide swath of fire hit, they soon realized that their attacks didn't even put a dent on them. Just as the bijuu were about to attack, Kiba blindsided the four-tails using his Super Fang Wolf Fang. Son Goku stumbled for a bit, before he recovered. Once the bijuu did, it sent a punch toward Kiba. Neji, knowing that the attack would kill instantly, punched both his hands towards the massive fist which sent a wave of chakra towards it. Once the attack hit, it made Goku's fist miss, but the force behind it was so great, that Kiba was sent flying back. Sai, however, used one of his ink birds to safely catch him.
"This is no use…nothing we do will put a dent in them!" Shikamaru said. "Bijuu are troublesome."
Sasuke grunted, "Tell me about it…any ideas guys?"
Before they could speak, the five-tails suddenly dropped its head low, and charged. For Sasuke and the others up close, they could only watch in horror as they knew that they wouldn't be able to dodge in time. Luckily for them, the shinobi around them set up a multi-layered Earthen Wall. Sai reacted quickly and sent his ink birds to pick up his comrades. It was just in time as Kokuo busted through the walls like they were tissue paper. As the debris flew, some managed to injury the shinobi on the ground, but no deaths occurred. As the five-tails went to charge again, the four-tails focused on the Konoha 12 and punched the ground to create a volcano.
The Flower-Fruit Mountain was unleashed.
The Konoha 12 and any Ame or Konoha shinobi around them saw their lives flash before their eyes. Everyone knew that the lava could melt just about anything. Suddenly, Shizuka and her clones appeared followed by Konan. While Shizuka set up barrier seals around the vast allied force on the ground, Konan did so from the air with her special paper ninjutsu.
The attack hit, and for now the barrier was holding. Shizuka and Konan knew, however, that it wouldn't last.
"Retreat! Head back to Ame!" Konan shouted.
"But what about you and Shizuka!" Hinata worriedly said.
Shizuka looked to Iwa, then at the Konoha 12 with a smile. "Go now, our sacrifices will be forever remembered."
Some of the shinobi started to protest, but Sasuke understood war thanks to Itachi's training.
"You heard the ladies…shut up and move!"
The barrier dropped in the back to let the shinobi retreat, a move which started to create cracks in the defense. As the volcano continued to spew out lava, and as the five-tails started to ram the barrier, Konan and Shizuka looked at each other with a sad smile.
"Our boyfriends will be devastated after today." Konan somberly stated which made Shizuka nod.
"Hai, and I fear my death will lead to Naruto taking his own…I'm sorry my love."
Just as the barrier was about to fail, and the two was about to take death in open arms, two massive salamanders dropped on top of the bijuu. The jutsu stopped, and the two breathed in relief. That same breath hitched when they saw Hanzo on one of the summons.
Hanzo gave Konan and Shizuka a stern gaze as he spoke. "Well, just don't stand there…I won't be able to hold them forever!"
"You're helping us…why?" Konan asked. "After all you've done, after all the people you killed!"
Hanzo groaned, "Dammit woman! Explanations can come later…now can someone seal these damn pests!"
Shizuka dumbly nodded and quickly made two clones to apply the seals to the bijuu. Once applied, the salamander summons dismissed as Han and Roshi turned to normal. Konan bound the unconscious jinchuriki in paper then gave a heated glare towards Hanzo.
"You are coming with us…you owe us plenty of explanations."
The former ruler of Ame could only nod and follow as it was part of Orochimaru's plan. As they started to head back, Shizuka looked back towards Iwa where the massive explosion took place.
"I need to help Naruto, I sense he is in trouble."
Konan smiled and gave a nod towards her, "Go…make sure our commander comes back to us safely."
Shizuka turned towards Iwa, and sprinted at full speed. "Please hold on Naruto…I'm coming!"
Wave Country
The Konoha shinobi began to worry as the Kiri fleet came closer and closer to shore. Soon, the naval fleet would be in range for their kunai launchers to work. As the civilians huddled in evacuation shelters the earth users hastily made, the Konoha shinobi lined the shoreline in preparation of defending Wave. Just as the fleet came into distance, a mass of black in the sky soon blotted out the sun.
"Incoming!" A Konoha shinobi shouted which prompted the any earth users to start their jutsu.
They halted their hand signs, however, when Nagato was seen heading towards them. All the shinobi cheered as their Hokage used his gravity control to stop the rain of kunai in their tracks, then send them back towards the fleet. As the kunai rained down on the enemy, Nagato summoned a small black ball in his hand, and threw it towards the enemy which floated into the sky.
"Chibaku Tensei!"
The ships suddenly floated towards the black orb followed by any water or earth around it. The Konoha shinobi could only watch in awe at the small moon that their Hokage was creating. The sound of fleet breaking apart as well as the screams of those being crushed was heard as the ball of debris continued to grow. After two minutes, Nagato released his technique which made the small moon drop into the ocean below with a massive splash.
Nagato smiled at his name being chanted over and over again, but that smile wavered when he felt something in his heart. A twinge of pain.
"Cousin…I pray that you are OK."
Iwa
Shinobi hustled about as the wounded started to come in. It was a whirlwind of activity in the Hidden Rock Village; activity which seemed to have no end. Thanks to this, they grew complacent in their security which allowed Taki and Suna to close in on the village. Both forces were led by their jinchuriki; Fuu and Gaara.
The two coincidently met each other at the same time, and quickly formulized a plan.
"Fuu, a pleasure to meet a fellow jinchuriki such as myself." Gaara said in his usual tone.
"Gaara, it too is a pleasure, but we have a village to raze."
"Hmm, so your leader gave the same orders as mine it seems. The Nations will lose one of their great villages after today."
Fuu nodded, "So…any idea on how to do this. I can't go full bijuu just yet."
Gaara smirked, "I can, but it is very hard to control. Shukaku has a thing for blood."
A Suna shinobi made a suggestion. "Gaara-san, I specialize in infiltration and sabatoge. If you allow it, I can take a team to plant explosives in the Kage tower, ANBU headquarters, and their hospital."
Gaara hummed in thought, but it was Fuu who spoke.
"Blowing up the hospital will kill innocent lives, though."
Gaara gave a stern glare towards his fellow jinchuriki, "And how many innocents has Iwa killed? This is war, Fuu, there are no innocent lives. Only enemies or allies." He then turned to the shinobi who gave the suggestion. "Gather a team and complete your mission, we will await the explosions before we enter the village."
"Hai, Garra-san!" The shinobi bowed and went to gather her team.
With Naruto
Tobi looked at Naruto with his Sharigan eye, his smile hidden beneath the mask.
"Hello Naruto, I have waited so long for this day to come. But, by the end of it, you will suffer the same fate as your parents. The Kyuubi will be mine, and I will revel in the screams you make as I slowly rip it from your seal."
Naruto's emotionless gaze remained, not once did he get angered by what Tobi said.
"I too, have waited for this day, but I know I have much to learn before I best you in battle. You may see the samurai way as nothing but a farce, but like the great man who lay dead beside me…you too will be humbled."
Tobi looked down at Onoki's smiling face. Obito was so caught up in gathering the Kyuubi that he failed to see the dead Kage beside Naruto. Thankfully his mask hid the shock on his face.
"This battle might be harder than I once thought."
"I am tired of all this fighting, tired of all this war. I lost my master to such an event, but such was the path he chose. And now, I have chosen mine. I am not after your head for revenge, no, I am after your head solely for the purpose of bringing peace to this land."
Tobi snorted, "Peace…please, everyone will be under my thumb once I capture the bijuu. There can be no peace, there never has and never will be."
Naruto sighed and got into a half-seated stance. "Enough talk…shall we dance?"
Tobi grinned under his mask while his Sharingan spun wildly only to rest on the EMS form. A vortex appeared beside him which he reached in and pulled out his battle fan.
"Yes…a lovely dance this will be."
1. These seals are not my idea, they are MidnightHunter563's. Thanks again Midnight!
AN: As you can tell, I have a lot more to go with this war which means this first year will be more than five chapters long. Taki and Suna invade Iwa, and Tobi v Naruto next chapter. Plus some other surprises in store. Don't worry, you will see a lot more of what the Konoha 12 is capable of! I do hope you enjoyed this latest installment, and I apologize for the lengthy delay.
