AN: Like I said on my bio, the reason I have not started the twice a week updates is due to a multitude of things. One, is that I am currently getting Graduate School set up. And two, I am restoring my great-grandparents 1950's turntable/radio console…yes it has vacuum tubes. Both of these take up my entire day, and when I go to write I find that I just don't have the drive. Again, I apologize, but once these things are squared away the updates will be quicker. Thanks readers, and enjoy the latest installment.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and I am not doing this for monetary gain. All rights go to the respective owner.
ITALICS – thinking
BOLD – demon speak/jutsu
Arc 3: Home is Where the Heart Lies
Chapter Five
The Suna shinobi who volunteered to infiltrate Iwa made a hand signal to make her team hold. They were inside, but now the difficult task began; plant the bombs and get out undetected. She looked around and quickly pointed out targets to the team. Once she had a plan laid out in her mind, she acted and made hand signals to tell the members their orders.
Three Suna shinobi would take out the three on the roof of the hospital before using the air ducts to descend to the bottom and take out any high value targets they saw. One such target was Onoki's granddaughter, Kurotsuchi. While in the air ducts, they would plant explosives inside as they went along.
A group of five Suna shinobi and five Taki shinobi would carefully infiltrate the ANBU HQ where they would plant explosives in their personal armory. For the leader of this mission, she was to infiltrate the Kage tower solo. She knew this was risky, but it wasn't as risky as sending an entire team towards it. Luck was on her side, however, as the Kage tower was built into a mountain and thus could be scaled. Explosives could be placed in any crevice, and below where the Kage would sit.
Orders now out, the people set about their tasks. The leader watched as the hospital group used an invisibility jutsu before they ran off. Five minutes later, the three guards on the roof held the right side of their necks as the three Suna shinobi assassinated them. They each gave a thumbs up to their leader before they started taking off the vent cover, and make their descent. The leader then looked at the ANBU group to see that one managed to silently take out an ANBU then use their clothing to infiltrate the base. They used their group as hostages. Everything was going smoothly, and now it was her time to act.
"Good…everyone's in position. Time to get to work."
The leader used an invisibility jutsu to sneak to the base of the Kage tower, and started to scale up by adding chakra to her feet. As she ascended, for every crevice she passed, an explosive tag would be placed inside. After a 10 minute ascent, she reached the base of the window which looked into the office. Every so carefully, she peeked inside to find nobody there. With a grin on her face, she decided to take a gamble.
"Let's see how many incriminating documents I can gather…nothing says crippling a village like taking their darkest secrets."
To enter the office, she fished around in one of her vest pockets and pulled out a diamond. With a look of determination, she cut a circle in the glass and carefully popped it out. She quietly entered the office and instantly went to the desk to see if there was a hidden button. Nearly all the major villages had something like this, but to her surprise, Iwa was the latter. Confused, she tried the nearby bookshelf. As she looked through the books, a click was heard behind her. As she turned and looked down, a part of the wooden floor was raised.
"A trapdoor…figures."
Once the door was fully open, she descended inside and found the jackpot. It was a huge cache of documents which ranged all the way back to the day the village was founded. She grinned and pulled out a sealing scroll from her vest. As she was sealing documents, she heard the door open to the office followed by footsteps towards the trapdoor…something which she never closed. With feline like grace, the Suna shinobi crept to where she entered the secret room, and grabbed the victim by their face once they peeked inside. Without hesitation, she snapped the enemy's neck, and decided to hurry.
Two minutes later, she exited the secret room and closed it up; the dead Iwa shinobi still inside. Before she exited the office, however, she planted explosive tags underneath the desk which had been set to go off at a certain time. The rendezvous location was reached a short time later, and the infiltrators made their way back to Garra and Fuu.
Mission complete.
With Naruto
The orange masked man stared at his opponent with his EMS hoping to cast a genjutsu, but Naruto closed his eyes and just stood there like a statue; an immovable object. It started to grate on Obito's nerves. Something which Naruto picked up on.
"Such anger, Obito. An emotion which blinds, an emotion which leads to defeat."
The masked Uchiha said nothing, but he did take a deep breath to calm himself. It was then Obito moved, but as he did so, Naruto was attempting something bold and on the spot. Something which his master would have frowned upon, but this was a battle Naruto knew he couldn't win. He knew his limits, and the fight with Onoki sapped a lot of his strength and stamina. Naruto knew that one slip up on Obito's end would grant him the victory, but this also applied to himself as well.
Obito took a deep breath as he ran and once close enough, he expelled a stream of flames which stared to corkscrew. A corkscrew which was bolstered by his Kamui. As the flames hit Naruto, Obito smirked thinking it was all over. It was then, he saw the flames start to dissipate and vanish all together. Not one burn was on his opponent's body.
Naruto smirked, "Funny thing about wind, it can increase the heat of flames, but also douse them if too much is added."
Before Tobi could retort, he was blasted back by a strong gale courtesy of Naruto. As he was pushed back, his eye widened as his Sharingan saw the incoming blade. He blocked Honjo with his battle fan just in time. Naruto jumped back and got back in his half-seated stance; his eyes still closed.
"Kit, you need me…this battle will be our end if we don't transform." Kurama said with a twinge of worry.
Naruto internally sighed, "I understand, Kurama, but I will not let this man control you again. I need to redefine my limits, to see how far I can push myself; to see how much more I have to improve."
The fox simply smiled and rest his head against his front paws. "Thank you, and know that I will be here when you need me."
Naruto nodded, and quickly used a blast of wind to dispel a blast of lightning thanks to Obito's False Darkness jutsu. As he did so, Naruto rolled forward as he felt someone behind him which let a kick fly overhead. Once on his feet, Naruto lunged with Honjo and stabbed straight through Obito. No damage was done, though, thanks to the Uchiha going intangible. It was here that Obito felt something off.
"Why is my chakra draining so fast? Three Kamui and I'm already at half chakra…" His eye widened as he remembered his meeting with Hanzo. "That no good, piece of shit! When I get your hands on you Orochimaru…YOU WILL PAY!"
Sensing the hesitation, Naruto managed to land two kicks to Obito's midsection followed up by a grapple which sent the Uchiha into the ground. As Naruto went to end it with Honjo, the Uchiha sunk into the ground. With a shrug, our samurai simply sat in the lotus position on the ground and waited until Tobi showed up again.
The wait didn't last as Naruto had to jump to avoid Earth Spears, then use his flying to dodge any that were shot his way. Through it all, he felt Obito's aura weakening; like his chakra was draining at a high rate. Naruto narrowed his eyes wondering why this was, but decided to put that off for later. He had a battle to win.
As Naruto dodged another Earth Spear, a Kamui opened behind him where Obito lunged out with a kunai in hand. Naruto quickly did a backflip in the air, but it was a move that cost him. All of a sudden, Naruto's hold on his wind Ki vanished and he started to plummet to the ground below. Obito grinned and let out one of Madara's favorite fire jutsu.
Great Fire Annihilation
Naruto could only watch in horror as the wide swath of flames headed straight towards him.
Iwa
Gaara and Fuu had smiles on their faces when the infiltration team came back safely, even more so when they set off the explosives just as they as they arrived. While the two jinchuriki barked out orders to their teams, the Hidden Rock Village was in a state of extreme chaos.
With the hospital now a pile of rubble with no apparent survivors, there was no medics to heal any wounded by shrapnel or those who just came from the frontlines. With the ANBU HQ now destroyed, they had no elite force to help protect their village from invasion. Only a handful of jounin remained inside Iwa while the rest went out to fight. There was mostly Chuunin and Genin shinobi left inside the village. The Kage tower was badly damaged, but it stayed intact as did the document cache. Kurotsuchi was in the tower at the time and suffered minor injuries, but once she got her bearings she had to know if Iwa's dark secrets were safe.
As she entered the secret room, her face went pale at the dead Iwa shinobi inside followed by seeing a good portion of the documents missing. Kurotsuchi quickly ran out of the damaged tower and started to act like a Kage by barking out orders to the troops that remained inside the village walls.
It was then they saw a wave of Taki and Suna troops jump over the walls and start killing anything in their path. Just as Kurotsuchi was about to hide to ensure Iwa's future, two figures appeared beside her.
Each wore a black cloak with red clouds, but one had a three-pronged scythe on his back while the other had a face mask.
"Kakuzu, Hidan…thank Kami."
Hidan grinned, "Oh happy day! Lots of heathens to kill and…" He caught site of Garra and Fuu. "…oooh, two jinchuriki for the price of one. Fuck yah! Let the fucking sacrifices begin!"
As Hidan laughed maniacally and ran into battle, Kakuzu looked to Onoki's granddaughter with his usual piercing gaze.
"Run along child, we will hold off these brats while you ensure Iwa's future." He paused slightly. "But before I leave, tell me, how much are you willing to pay for my services?"
Kurotsuchi glared at the S-rank nin and crossed her arms over her chest. "Come back alive, and maybe we will work something out."
"You doubt my skills child? I would sooner take your heart and leave you for dead then protect your pathetic village!"
Without fear, she retorted back. "Take my heart…fine, but don't expect any sort of monetary payment. Go on, be a good little servant and fight."
Kakuzu growled and shoved the granddaughter aside before aiding Hidan.
As Garra crushed a group of Iwa nin with his sand, he looked over to Fuu to see her sprout wings and take off to avoid a hail of kunai. As the Suna jinchuriki looked around, he saw his forces and Taki's advancing at a faster rate than he anticipated. A rate which made Gaara smile.
"Good, it seems that Iwa allocated its strongest troops to fight Naruto and the small villages. Now all that remains is for me to…"
His thoughts were cut off as his sand blocked Hidan's scythe from beheading him. The sight of this S-rank nin made his eyes widen in shock. Thanks to Jiraiya's informant, all Akatsuki members were now known to the entire Elemental Nations. Gaara knew it was a battle he would lose even with the help of Shukaku.
"Tanuki, I know you're in there…a little help please?!"
The Ichibi grinned and started to take over his host, but it was halted when Fuu collided against Gaara. Both jinchuriki quickly stood and realized that today was likely their last day to live.
"This isn't good Gaara…we're not ready to face such an opponent."
Garra nodded and used his sand to block another one of Hidan's crazed attacks. "I have a plan, but I need you to help the others destroy this village…and don't get near me. Please, for your safety, and the safety of others."
Fuu wanted to protest, but the aura her fellow jinchuriki was giving off made her rethink and follow orders. However, she did leave some parting words.
"Please come back to us."
Garra simply sighed then looked to the two Akatsuki members in front of him. "Shukaku…you have my permission."
Hidan stopped his attack once he saw his target hide himself in a sand ball. "Um, Kakuzu…the fuck is happening?"
The ancient nin mentally groaned, but responded in his usual emotionless tone. "He allowed Shukaku to take over…no sense going after the other one yet."
Just as Hidan was about to retort by attacking directly, he was suddenly bisected by Shukaku's claw.
"YAH! I'm free baby!" The bijuu excitedly said then looked at the two below him. "And look…dinner is already served!"
Just as Shukaku was about to stomp on the two halves of the Jashinist, Kakuzu used his tendrils to pull him out of the way. At the same time, however, he stitched the poor bastard up.
"OW! That fucking hurt you know."
The two Akatsuki members had to dodge a massive Air Bullet which decimated a good portion of Iwa. Although tall and heavy, Shukaku was quick on his feet thanks to adding a layer of sand between him and the ground. In a sense, the bijuu was surfing. Needless to say, it was something Kakuzu was not prepared for, and ended up being punted like a football. His body crashed through the window of the Kage office and slammed against the back wall. Thanks to the force, one of his hearts was destroyed.
"Hmm. Interesting, it seems like the host still has some form of control." The ancient shinobi stated then looked to see that his fire heart was destroyed. "It seems I must get serious."
Kakuzu had his body split into three figures which represented his Water, Earth, and Lightning heart. He nodded to each, and watched as they jumped out of the window and towards his target.
Hidan was dodging the best he could, but the sand the bijuu could create on command was getting on his nerves. He's already been slammed through four buildings.
"Motherfucker! Stop with the buildings, and quit moving dammit!"
Shukaku simply grinned as he tried to squish the bug beneath his feet. That grin, however, was erased when he was hit with a Water Dragon and a False Darkness jutsu.
"OW! Who else dare plays with the mighty Shukaku?!"
Hidan responded by getting thrown by Kakuzu and bolstered by a blast of wind. He raked his three-pronged scythe across the bijuu's face which narrowly missed the eye. Angered, Shukaku managed to flick the Jashinist mid fall which made him burrow into the ground a bit. This distraction cost the bijuu as Kakuzu attacked with the four elements he still had in his possession. The attacks hit at once which made Shukaku and Gaara scream in pain.
Fuu and the other allies looked back worriedly and wondered if that fate would soon be theirs. These thoughts were erased when unexpected allies came. Each had samurai armor on from Iron Country, but they did not carry themselves as such. They carried themselves like a mix of both. Fuu saw one of the members point at her in which another ran towards her.
Fuu got in a ready stance, but she eased it when she saw the mystery man raise his hands in surrender.
"Hold your attack, milady. I come on Naruto-sama's orders. In short, we are rebels from the recent war in Iron Country and wish to aid you in battle. Half of my men can assist you while I take a team to help the giant sand raccoon."
Fuu smirked at what the man called Shukaku, but nodded and gave a curt reply. "Know that I don't trust you fully…but your help is appreciated. Do as you wish, but know that I won't hesitate to end you and your platoon if any deceit is shown."
The rebel leader bowed and gave hand signs to his troops. In seconds they moved out. The leader then looked back to Fuu with a sad gaze.
"We followed one leader, one which played us like puppets, and we'll be damned to let that happen to this Nation."
That said, the leader ran off to help Gaara. Fuu just stood there for a moment in wonder at what went on in Iron Country. She knew that meeting Naruto was going to be the first thing on her list once this war was over with.
Ame
Nagato's Preta Path had just arrived with Orochimaru, the Sound Five, and the remaining Konoha and Suna troops. Kumo had already made preparations to start heading back to their village, but they still kept some ready just in case Ame and Konoha needed the support. As they entered the village, Konan instantly lead Orochimaru and his Sound Five to where Hanzo was being detained. Hinata, who happened to be walking by, took one look at Kimimaro with her Byakugan and gasped.
"Konan-san, I need to see the one with the two dots on his forehead right away…I sensed something wrong with his chakra."
The Amekage, as evident by the tone in which she spoke, was a little annoyed. "And pray tell why I would let a prisoner stay in your care?"
Hinata glared at the Kage, and returned the same heated tone. "I don't give a damn what you think. An enemy can become your ally, and as a medic I swore to protect anyone…be it friend or foe. So, I implore you to put this man in my care before he succumbs to whatever disease he may have."
Konan was about to retort but Orochimaru spoke up first. "Kimimaro is his name, and you're right, he has a disease. One which I cannot cure. Perhaps Tsunade could assist you. Ku ku ku."
Hinata looked at Konan who nodded with a frown on her face which made the Hyuga smile.
"Come along Kimimaro…Sakura, Ino, and I are each Tsunade's students. I assure you, we will get to the bottom of whatever ails you."
The Kaguya smiled, and let out a soft "Thank you."
Once Kimimaro was in Hinata's care, Konan led Orochimaru to Hanzo's cell. Once inside, she looked at both with a gaze that screamed 'explain now or suffer the consequences.'
The Snake Sennin decided to get things out of the way first.
"Ku ku ku, oh now that is an interesting tale. From working with Danzo, to those experiments…all that was true. But Jiraiya managed to make me see the light one day, a day which made me regret all that I did in the past."
Flashback – One Year after the Kyuubi Attack
Ever since Orochimaru fled Konoha two years ago, it had been Jiraiya's personal mission to find his missing partner and bring him back home. The way Orochimaru turned out pained not only the Toad Sage, but Hiruzen Sarutobi as well. To make matters worse was that Tsunade left the village five days after the Kyuubi attack. Konoha was in a weak state and his spy network was meant to keep this under wraps. So far, it was working.
Currently, Jiraiya entered a bar in Tanzaku-gai to have a bottle of sake after a long day of work. As he paid the bartender, he looked around the place and was shocked to find a certain someone sitting in a corner by himself. After taking the sake from the bartender, he decided to confront his old teammate.
"Orochimaru." Jiraiya said as he sat down and uncorked the bottle.
"Dobe, I wasn't expecting you to be here."
After a swig of the rice alcohol, the Toad Sage shrugged and replied. "The Shinobi world is filled with uncertainty."
Before Jiraiya could go further, Orochimaru suddenly took his sake bottle and took a gulp then handed it back. After a tense pause, the Snake finally spoke up, but in a burden laden tone.
"Do you know why I did what I did, dobe?" Jiraiya could only pause in his drinking as Orochimaru continued. "Ku ku ku, oh the things I would tell you about Konoha. The dark secrets that it holds."
Jiraiya narrowed his eyes, "Konoha is not a dark place teme, it has prospered since it was founded…that is until the Kyuubi attack."
"Ku ku ku, the things I know about Konoha's underworld and what happened a year ago would shock you. But, alas, you are not in the need to know."
Jiraiya handed over his sake which Orochimaru took a swig of before he handed it back. It was here that the Toad Sage's voice became cold.
"Stop skirting the question…why did you do the things you did. Why make Sensei and I go through all that pain!"
"Ku ku ku, so…the old monkey still blames himself." Orochimaru sighed. "And here the blame should be put solely on me for following an old fool's ideals."
"Speak teme!"
The Snake Sennin shook his head "I may be powerful, but the man I followed even gave me the chills. He's the one who twisted my mind, to do the things I'd done. I thought his ideals were pure…he promised me untold amounts of power." Orochimaru sighed. "Yet, he was simply the puppet master and I the lowly puppet."
Jiraiya tried to come up with who this person was based on what his teammate gave already, but he was drawing a blank. However, the sadness which Orochimaru spoke astonished him greatly. It was an emotion which the pale shinobi rarely showed.
"Look teme." Jiraiya said warmly. "I can tell you're afraid of whoever this man is, something which I never thought was possible. I can help you. I can help free you of this burden, protect you from your past…hell, maybe we can erase it. Perhaps, in time, you can apologize to Sensei in person."
For the first time in many years, Orochimaru let out a true smile. "Ku ku ku, always the one to cheer us up when we were down. I never admitted it before, but I saw you as my first true friend yet I always doubted you due to always lacking in skill. It's partially the reason why my mind was twisted so easily. Tell me, what do you know of my childhood, the pain which I had to endure?"
Jiraiya opened his mouth in shock but quickly closed it. Nothing could be said as such a topic was a huge mystery to all, and one which Orochimaru never spoke of. It made the Sennin smirk.
"Ku ku ku, come along dobe. You and I have much to discuss."
With that, the two Sennin walked out of the bar and to a secure location. It was here that amends were made and a new friendship bloomed.
Flashback End
Konan rose an eyebrow after Orochimaru got done with his tale. "…your childhood, was it that bad?"
The Sennin looked at the ground with a sad smile. "Ku ku ku, what childhood. How can anyone have such a thing when they were experimented on by their own parents?" Gasps of shock was heard in the room. "I was never this pale, never had these snake like qualities…I was normal. Just like any human in this nation."
It was then Orochimaru looked up with tears in his eyes. Something which shocked all who was in attendance.
"Five years…FIVE FUCKING YEARS…I was normal. Poked and prodded, put in a test tube, never to see the light of day. My sixth birthday came, and my parents showed me love for the first time. They apologized for what they did, they trained me to become a shinobi, and even gave me the snake contract…two years later they tried to kill me while I slept."
"But you killed them in return and fled to Konoha." Konan interrupted.
Orochimaru nodded. "Sensei found me at the gates and took me in, but thanks to my childhood I was always quiet…it's also why I was so smart; why I excelled at everything I did."
Tayuya gulped and decided to ask the question on her mind. "So why the fuck did you start experimenting and killing orphans?"
The one word which Orochimaru spoke made perfect sense to Konan and those who knew this man.
"Danzo."
With Naruto
The flames came closer and closer to where the immense heat could be felt. Naruto had no idea why his wind Ki suddenly quit on him, but he had his thoughts. That one, however, was put aside as the main one was figuring out how to keep from being turned to ash.
"Kurama, any bright ideas here?!"
The bijuu smirked. "Use my chakra and burp."
Naruto rose a mental eyebrow. "Excuse me! How the hell is that…"
Kurama growled in anger, "Shut the hell up and do as I say!"
"Stingy…"
Naruto did as told, however, and he found himself falling to the ground at a faster rate. The swath of flames still raged, but Naruto smiled at seeing the lake he and Onoki made. Although he splashed into the massive body of water, the flames still managed to scorch almost half his body.
Obito heard the scream of pain before Naruto hit the water which made him smirk.
"Hmph…knew the samurai were weak fools."
As he was about to leave, a hail of kunai made him stop in his tracks. There, in the distance, stood an army of Konoha, Ame, and Suna troops with the occasional Iron Country rebel mixed in. Seeing this made Obito growl in anger as his chakra was still draining immensely after using a jutsu. There was no way he could face an army at this level, but that didn't mean he wouldn't try.
As the army charged, he swung his war fan which produced a massive gale of wind. Over 100 troops went flying, most being caught by their fellow teammates. Minor injuries only resulted.
"You pests are worse than cockroaches!" Obito growled out, and his anger rose with one snide remark by an Iron Country rebel.
"Better a cockroach then a self-prophesizing bitch!"
As Obito lost all form of control and activated his Susanoo, Shizuka dived into the new lake to find Naruto. As Obito started to decimate the troops, Shizuka found Naruto and swam back to the surface. Once drug on land, she took off his armor and began to administer CPR.
"Dammit! Don't die on me, we…still…have…to…make…a….FAMILY!" She yelled, though each pause was due to a chest compression.
It was after this that Naruto coughed out some water then grimaced in pain. His blurry vision caught sight of someone's impressive bust which made him blush. Once in focus, that blush intensified. Something which Shizuka caught.
"Fun later, but for now I will heal you so you can get back in the action."
Naruto nodded, then smirked. Without warning, he grabbed ahold of his fair maiden's right breast and gave it a squeeze which made her 'eep' in surprise. A resounding smack was heard not long after.
Naruto frowned as he rubbed the red mark on his left cheek. "Shikamaru is right…women are troublesome."
Kurama couldn't help but laugh at the whole situation. It was pure gold.
After she got done healing her love, Shizuka returned the favor by groping Naruto which made him gasp in surprise. That gasp was halted by a massive kiss. Once they broke, both looked in each other's eyes. Both were twinkling with mischievousness.
"Someone's a little frisky." Naruto started as he pushed himself up, and started to get his armor back on. The durability seals kept it all intact.
Shizuka pouted and crossed her arms. "You started it…now I'm horny. Just great."
Naruto chuckled, but then yelled aloud to his tenet. "Shut up you damn furball! It's not funny!"
Shizuka couldn't help but cover her mouth with her hands to prevent a giggle from coming out.
The screams of pain soon broke them out of their moment. It was here that Naruto saw Obito's Susanoo.
"Love." Naruto asked emotionlessly, his eyes back to blue icebergs. "Do you happen to have anything to halt his Sharingan?"
Shizuka smirked. "I thought you'd never ask."
Obito cackled madly as he used Susanoo's ethereal sword to cut down anything in his path, but only after two minutes of use it had to be deactivated due to the poison in his system. Even though the allied force incurred heavy losses, they still were ready to charge again. That was until a mist filled the area followed by a demented laugh. As the figure in the mist spoke, many of the jounin in the allied forces instantly recognized who their new opponent was.
"Looks like Tobi-sama is getting his ass beat around by some lowly peons…and a samurai at that."
Tobi turned to the shark-like man beside him and gave him a glare. "Just do your damn job Kisame, it's time for me to leave."
The Seven Swordsman member gave a shark-toothed grin and added more chakra to the mist before he silently crept towards the allied forces. Just as Obito was to leave, he suddenly leaned his head back to dodge Honjo's blade. Although the attack didn't injure, it did manage to cut his mask in half. His face was now revealed to the world.
However, Obito never had time to think about that. No, all he had time to do was dodge the best he could as Naruto relentlessly attacked with various Tatehiza no Bu and various other katas. Thanks to low chakra and the Susanoo sapping a lot of his stamina, Obito started to bleed from various cuts on his body; some deeper than others. When Naruto paused to get himself in position for a lunge, Obito acted and decided to play a trump card, one which he knew would leave him with enough chakra to do one Kamui.
"You have been a thorn in my side long enough Namikaze! Feel the wrath of the Shodai Hokage! Nativity of a Sea of Trees!"
Naruto stumbled slightly as the ground rumbled and cracked beneath him. All of a sudden, trees began to sprout from the ground at a high rate of speed; the limbs of which attempted to snare Naruto. Of course, this action also disrupted Kisame's hold on his mist which made it thin enough for one person to make a move.
As Naruto cut down limbs with Honjo and hopped from tree limb to tree limb, Jiraiya dropped from his hiding place upon a nearby mountain ledge with his right leg extended outward. Kisame sensed someone coming from his right, and as his eyed wandered that way, it was too late. The Toad Sage's foot connected with the Swordsmen's cheek which sent the blue-skinned man into a nearby rock face.
As Jiraiya looked around, he saw his godson doing surprisingly well against one of the Shodai's jutsu, the look of relief on the allied forces faces, and one Shizuka creeping ever so silently up to Obito's backside.
"Allies, fall back. We have things handled here, but I do thank you for the help. Return to Ame to get medical treatment…those who have fallen will be picked up after this day is over."
"Hai Jiraiya-sama!" A jounin saluted then motioned for everyone to retreat.
It was here that the Toad Sage bit his thumb, made a few hand signs, and then slammed them on the ground. A puff of smoke later, and two familiar summons had arrived.
Ma and Pa.
"Ah, Jiraiya-boy! So good to see you again. Have you been eating your vegetables?"
The Sage sighed, "Yes Ma, I have, but we have bigger things to worry about."
The anger filled roar of Kisame soon filled the area which made Pa turn to look at the shark-man who just dug himself out of the mountain he was imbedded in.
"Quite an opponent, Jiraiya-boy." Pa said with a small smile then both he and Ma hopped on their summoner's shoulders. "I see now why you called us."
All three closed their eyes and did the correct preparations for Sage mode. Once entered, Jiraiya looked emotionlessly at the massive Water Dragon that was coming his way. Without a second thought, he pursed his lips, and blew out a Big Flame Bullet. The two jutsu collided, and mist blanketed the area once again.
Back with Naruto, he stood on one of the branches in the forest that was just made. The jutsu was over with, and now it was time to pinpoint Obitio's location. Deciding to make use of Kurama's Negative Sensing, he turned on his Kyuubi cloak. It was just in time as Obito melded out of a tree behind him intent on beheading Naruto with a kunai. Just like the Iwa nin he killed before, Naruto dodged it, then grabbed it by its ring before he flung it back with twice the force. The squelch of it entering flesh was music to Naruto's ears.
As Obito went to attack again, Naruto vanished in a flash only to reappear behind the Uchiha and kick him in the center back. A sickening crack was heard as the Akatsuki leader was flung forward. As Naruto pushed his sense outward, he notice Shizuka close by. With a grin, he appeared beside Obito and kicked him towards the ground. Once he crashed, Naruto yelled out to his love.
"Now Shizuka!"
As Obito tried to get up, he suddenly felt something being placed on the back of his neck. His eyes widened when he felt his Sharingan deactivate, and became fearful when he couldn't turn it back on.
"No…this cannot be. I am supposed to be the ruler of the Elemental Nations. I refuse to admit a samurai is stronger than I!" An evil grin soon appeared on Obito's face as a plan came to mind.
As Naruto deactivated his Kyuubi cloak and slowly used the tree branches to hop towards Shizuka, he could only smile at how everything worked out. That smile was erased, however, when he sensed Obito's energy signature rise followed by something burrowing underneath the ground. His eyes widened at where that burrow was headed.
"NO!"
In an instant, he reactivated his Kyuubi cloak and flashed beside Shizuka where he pushed her aside just in time. A squelch sound was heard moments later followed by Shizuka feeling something wet on her face. As she wiped it off and looked at her hands, she feared the worst. It came true when she looked up to see Naruto impaled on a wooden spike. A bloody smile was on his face as his glassy eyes looked into Shizuka's tear-filled ones.
"An honor it was…to meet you Shizuka." Naruto said softly then coughed out a heap of blood. "Thank you for the wonderful memories."
It was here that Naruto looked to the sky, his vision going dark.
"Master…I'm coming home."
AN: Talk about a cliffhanger! I cannot wait to see the reviews for this chapter lol. The conclusion to this war and how year one of three concludes is coming next. I hope to have the new chapter up by Jan. 18. Thanks all.
