Hokage no Isan Chapter 46, a naruto fanfic

For those of you who feel disgruntled at my sticking to closely to cannon, my apologies.

These were the others' chances to shine, so I didn't feel like taking ithem away, otherwise I'd've had Mikagami kill off at least one of the four when he encountered their trail.

Kakashi: You're just lazy (Gags as a garrotte is wrapped around his throat, courtesy of Luca Brassi)

Kyugan: I prefer mangled to dead, Luca, and give my regards to the Godfather.

Luca: I will do that, Don Corleone is glad to do grant favor for you.

Seriously, did Luca talk like that? All 'broken english'?

A tangled web; East gate's Kidoumaru!

Naruto noticed the tension in the Nara's frame and thought better than to question him at the moment. He could understand the gist what the Nara was going through just by looking at him, but that didn't mean he was psychic. No, better not to distract the genius with concerns, even if they were well-founded ones about a comrade.

" It's strange," Neji noted, Byakugan scouting the area around them "They haven't laid a single trap since then…what do you think Shikamaru."

"They underestimated us." Shikamaru muttered, a scowl on his face as he glared straight ahead "They think Tubby's the only one that'll be catching up to them…no-one sane lays traps for their allies."

"A mistake that's gonna cost them," Naruto replied with a smirk, catching the Nara's attention "You know what that means…right?"

"We strike." The Nara replied grimly, "They won't be expecting us, overconfident as they are, but we need to go about this carefully."

"Hey," Naruto scoffed, grinning at the Nara coyly "Just who the hell do you think you're talking to Shika-chan?"

"That idiot's late…as usual." Ukon muttered sourly, looking over his shoulder in disgust, only to glare as Kidoumaru chuckled.

"There he is." The arachnid smirked, eyeing the corpulent form of their large teammate as he leapt towards them hurriedly, like a living boulder.

"What took you so long?" Ukon demanded, looking more than a little annoyed, and rightly so, they were still in Konoha territory after all "Don't tell me those losers actually delayed you?"

"Got a little carried away at the buffet." Jiroubou replied, wiping his fat lip with the back of his hand "Brats had a lotta chakra to spare."

"Fucking fat-ass!" Tayuya swore, glaring at the larger teen in annoyance "Quit assing around and carry the fucking casket you slow ass piece of shit!"

"You kiss your mother with that mouth?" Jiroubou shot back, Tayuya blinking at the unusual reply as Ukon and Jiroubou regarded him warily.

"Jiroubou…you okay man?" the arachnid asked eyeing the porker warily. It wasn't that Jiroubou didn't reprimand Tayuya; it was just that he'd never been so crass about it.

"Indigestion." Jiroubou grumbled, holding his stomach with a grimace "That stringy mutt of theirs was a little too hard to swallow."

"Really?" Kidoumaru muttered, before smirking at the lard-bucket genially "Alright then, what say we hit the bar after we head back?"

"Sounds good." Jiroubou replied, only to blink as Kidoumaru smirked at him predatorily, like a spider that had caught a rather juicy fly.

"Really? I thought you hated drink?" he spun round, hurling the casket at Tayuya and he rounded on the porker "But then you didn't know that, did you FAKER?!"

"No I didn't." 'Jiroubou' replied with a smirk, disappearing in a plume of smoke as six Naruto's descended from above, their katanas drawn, ready to strike the startled East gate. Kidoumaru reciprocated by leaping downward, gobbing a golden mass of thread into his hands and tossing it forward.

"Ninpou: Kumo Sokai!" the arachnid called out, grinning as the army of clones were caught in his web. Only to blink as two fanged tornadoes launched themselves at his unprotected back. Using more threads he hung in the air, flipping out of reach like a mutant trapeze artist.

"Damn that useless fat-ass!" Tayuya snarled, leaping through the trees with Sasuke's casket held before her.

"I knew it was a mistake to leave the weakest of the four behind." Ukon stated "Still, Kidoumaru should be more than enough for them."

Kidoumaru grinned down at the fuming Inuzuka as the mutt snarled up at him. "Ah quit your bitching brat." He shot back mockingly "I already leashed you, so be a good little puppy and play dead." He blinked, looking past the Inuzuka's furious glare to spot the feral grin on his face, releasing four threads and dropping just as Neji sailed past, palm glowing with a deadly chakra strike, catching sight of Shikamaru off to the side.

"Not bad." the arachnid muttered, spitting a web at the chunin and binding him to a tree, before spewing out more thread and hurling it at the Hyuuga in mid-air, effectively cocooning him and suspending it in the air. "My threads are strong enough to suspend two elephants." He boasted, smirking down at the trapped Naruto clones as they tried to cut their way out "Hmmph, Kage Bunshin?" he noted, "This should be fun…Ninpou: Kumo Nenkin!"

'Different color threads than before?' Shikamaru noted, watching as the Otonin snapped the hardened threads off with his teeth 'What's that bastard planning?'

Whatever it was, the Nara noted in discomfort, it DEFINTIELY couldn't be good, considering the way the freak was eyeing the helpless Naruto army. He flinched as he realized that thread was hardening, forming curved, wicked looking spiked weapons that reminded him, vaguely, of a spider's feet.

"Alright," Kidoumaru smirked, aiming at the net with his weapon "Since you were so gung ho and charged me first…let's play a little game." He smirked "I call it, Kumo roulette!" he eyed the six blondes cheerfully "One of you brats is obviously the real deal," the smirk widened "Lets see who's luck's greater…mine…or yours!"

"Dunno about that." The outermost Naruto called out snidely "We're pretty lucky you know…just ask the pachinko place at Tanzaku-gai."

"A volunteer!" Kidoumaru noted with a sick smirk, hurling a barb at the blonde and snorting dismissively as it turned out to be a clone "Ah well…let's try again!"

Another clone erupted in smoke, the Otonin smirking sadistically as he hefted two barbs at the same time "Double or nothing!" he called out, "Either way it's fifty-fifty!"

Another two clones erupted, the last two smirking up at the Otonin brashly, one even giving him the finger. "Man your aim sucks." It bragged, "But then what'd we expect from a gaming otaku?"

"Wise guy huh?" Kidoumaru smirked, hurling a barb right into the blonde's face, cursing as it turned out to be a clone after all "Damn…you really are lucky kid…no-ones made it to the last round before."

"SO I guess I win a mystery prize huh?" the last Naruto shot back, smirking at the arachnid "Lemme guess, a trip to the daimyo's palace? All you can eat at Ichiraku ramen? That casket you have Sasuke in?"

"Close, but no cigar." Kidoumaru snorted, twirling the last bar, "It is a trip, but I'm afraid its one way…" he grinned as he hurled the barb at the guy "See ya in hell brat!"

The barb stabbed into Naruto's side, the blonde's blood spilling all over the floor. Kidoumaru smirked at the figure, only to blink as it grinned, giving him the finger, before poofing out of existence, revealing a tin of paint. 'What the-?!' the arachnid swore, only to swear as the sound of a Katana slicing through the air behind him caused him to spin round.

"HITEN MITSURUGI RYU:" Naruto called out, drawing his sword at point blank range to Kidoumaru "RYUKANSEN!"

Kidoumaru cursed and ducked under the strike, part of his ponytail cut off even as he leapt to a lower branch, wrapping webbing around the brat's sword and hand. 'I see,' he muttered, 'Buying time with clones while he took the rear.' He smirked "Not bad for a brat, but it'll take more than that to take me down."

"Who said I was trying to kill you?" Naruto shot back with a smirk, gripping the katana and keeping it from being pulled out of his grip "I was just buying time."

"For what?" Kidoumaru sneered, only to blink as the thread connecting the two severed, looking up to find the other captives were not only escape, but looking down on him coldly "HOW THE HELL?!"

"Anything composed of chakra can be easily destroyed by injecting chakra into them." Neji stated, his back to the Otonin "Faced with my Jyuken…your jutsu are useless."

He turned his head to regard the Otonin, Byakugan active and glaring down at him, a glaring contest between hawk and spider. "The rest of you go," he commanded the others "I will handle this one."

"You sure about this man?" Kiba asked, patting his partner comfortingly "Akamaru says this guy smells a lot stronger than the fatso we left Chouji with…" he bristled at the arachnid "a LOT stronger."

"We agreed to take them on one-on-on if necessary." The Hyuuga genius replied calmly, not taking his eyes off Kidoumaru "Otherwise it could get problematic later on." He nodded "Also…if we delay to long with him…we won't be able to catch up to Sasuke."

The group fell silent, unwilling to leave another teammate behind, Naruto's face particularly grim as he looked at the ground below. "Naruto." Neji spoke out, closing his eyes and looking away from the Hanyou "Your sight is superior to mine."

Naruto blinked, wondering what the hell the Hyuuga was on about, even as Neji elaborated. "Sasuke is lost in darkness." The Hyuuga stated cryptically, turning his back on the team to face his foe "Go now, I shall catch up with you later."

Naruto eyed the Hyuuga for a while, before glaring at the back of his head. "Remember what you promised Hinata." He reminded the older genin with a smirk "If you make her cry again I'll drag you back from the dead and beat the shit out of you all over again."

Neji scoffed, before looking forward, face the Hyuuga mask of neutrality as the others leapt off after they target and his accomplices.

"You ain't getting away!" Kidoumaru vowed, hurling a net of chakra at the retreating backs of the leaf team, only to curse as the white-eyed genin severed them before they came anywhere near them 'That guy's pretty good,' he noted smirking as his foe stood before him "So I take it you're the strongest of your peers?" he asked, shivering at the stoic look on the younger teen's face "Man, haven't gotten this excited in a while, gonna be fun playing with you." He smirked "Take the game nice and slow at first, wouldn't be any fun if we rushed it." the smirk deepened "Lets see if you can last three minutes!"

Neji's Byakugan caught the telltale swelling of chakra in the man's mouth, his cheeks swelling outwards, giving the Hyuuga enough time to predict the following salvo of webs that were launched at him, he weaved under and around several, using Jyuken to slice through others only to grimace as several managed to clip him. 'Too many!' he exclaimed, eyes widening as one collided with him fully, binding him to the trunk of a tree.

"You're pretty talented in the use of chakra," Kidoumaru noted "And your eyesight's pretty sharp, that precision of yours that lets you make such precise cuts…" he snorted "Orochimaru-sama warned me of this…so this is the infamous Hyuuga Jyuken Ryuu?" He scoffed, leaping through the trees towards the bound Hyuuga, "Still, with those meddling hands of your bound, there's no way for you to cut my webs!"

Had the arachnid noticed the Hyuuga's confident smirk he'd have probably been more careful, as it was, he continued forward until only a gap between trees separated them.

"Once you've figured out the strategy behind a game it's not so fun anymore," the otaku sneered, "You didn't even last a minute and already I'm bored of you." He reared back even as Neji shut his eyes, cheeks swelling as he summoned more golden thread, before spitting it out like a spear "SHINEE! KUMO NENKIN!!"

Neji's eyes snapped open, chakra surging from ever tenketsu on his body, shattering the net that bound him even as he ran along the spear until he was crouching before the stunned Otonin in a Jyuken stance. "I'll let you in on a little secret," the Hyuuga supplied calmly "It's not just my hand and fingertips…I can emit chakra from every point on my body." He smirked "Game over…Jyuukenhou: Hakke Rokujyuuyonshou!"

Kidoumaru swore and chomped down on his thread in a desperate bid to escape, only for Neji to swoop in close and jab his fingers into the older teen's chest.

"Nishou!"

The Hyuuga didn't let up, leaping after the stumbling arachnid and striking out continuously "Yonshou! Hachishou!"

He drove the teen against the trunk of the tree they were battling on, shifting up a gear and delivering a plethora of deadly strikes to his torso "Jyuurokushou! Sanjyuunishou!"

Cracks began forming on the back of the trunk as Neji continued his relentless assault on the Oto-nin.

"HAKKE: ROKUJYUUYONSHOU!"

Kidoumaru smashed through the hole in the trunk Neji standing on the other side in the finishing stance of the Hyuuga's most deadly attack. He leapt down, following the arachnids crash to the forest floor, only to blink at the sight before him.

'Golden skin!?' the Hyuuga exclaimed, only to flinch as the teen's 'face' fell off, revealing it to be nothing more than Kidoumaru's golden thread.

"That was close," the Arachnid admitted shakily "Too close for my liking…I'd heard that Jyuken targets the Keirakukei to disrupt the chakra flow."

"What a monster," Neji muttered allowed, gritting his teeth in disgust and annoyance at his opponent's tenacity "It isn't just your mouth is it?"

"My Kumonenkin's a metal that hardens on contact with air, and that prevents chakra from getting through." He smirked as his skin glistened "And you're right, I can emit it from not only y mouth, but my sweat glands too."

'Which means his tenketsu are well defended from my strikes.' Neji muttered, glaring at the arachnid with his byakugan 'A difficult foe indeed.'

'Kumoshibari won't work on him.' Kidoumaru noted grimly 'and his Jyuken makes getting up close and personal a no-no.' he eyed the youth 'Looks like my only option's to hit his blind spot at long range.'

He leapt into the trees, using a thread to drop a fake explosive kunai to distract the Hyuuga, even as he launched several barbed spears at him from behind. His eyes widened as the youth spun, creating a dome of chakra that not only repelled the barbs, but sent a few of them flying back where they'd come from.

'No freaking way!' the arachnid exclaimed 'Does he have eyes in the back of his head or something?! And that jutsu…he used CHAKRA to repel a physical attack?!' he cursed as he was forced to dodge a kunai "And he can SEE me too?! This far back?!' he ignored the youth's call and glared at him 'Looks like those eyes are good for more than just seeing chakra…I've never met anyone like this!'

He smirked, excitement coursing through his veins as he appeared from above the teen, suspended like a spider on his thread, the vine like tattoos of his Tenfuuin spreading across his body. "Alright, so I'll admit the game's a little more difficult than I thought." He grinned at the Hyuuga "From here on out I'm playing for keeps!"

'His chakra's surging around like crazy.' Neji noted, recognizing the marking as the same type he'd seen on Sasuke back in the forest. He cursed as the arachnid summoned the mother of all spiders above him, the eight legged monstrosity producing an egg sack that Kidoumaru sliced open, a rain of fully formed infant spiders descending from above.

"KAITEN!" the Hyuuga called out, deflecting the majority, only to find the threads were wrapping around him. He sent a last surge of chakra to deflect the barb his opponent had hurled at his back, only to stagger as he realized the trap he'd walked into.

'The Kaiten is useless against these webs' he noted, slicing the bonds and preparing for the next wave 'If that's the case, then I'll have to swat them down one at a time.'

He leapt up to avoid another salvo of barbs, channeling chakra to his palm and pushing of yet another, flipping to avoid them in mid-air. The second he landed he was forced to fend off more spiders, their threads keeping him from rotating even as more barbs attacked fro the rear, ducking forwards just in time to escape with a scrape on the shoulder.

"Shit," Tayuya swore, scowling over her shoulder in annoyance "Forget that fat-ass Jiroubou, what's that pencil-dick Kidoumaru doing?!"

"You know how he likes to toy with his prey." Ukon replied flatly, an amused smirk on his face "One of those brats must have caught his interest."

"Yeah but when that otaku gets excited he always rushes into the second state." Tayuya reminded her teammate, only for Ukon to chuckle.

"True," he admitted, a malignant sile crossing his face "But either way, the second he hits the second state…his opponent's time is up."

Neji grimaced, two spiked barbs in his back and several minor lacerations from near misses lining his body. His hair had fallen from its tie and framed his face, only his headband keeping the worst of it in check.

"What are you still getting up for?" Kidoumaru taunted from the woods, out of range of the Byakugan "This game's over, scrubs like you are fated to die of quickly!"

Neji bristled at the word 'fate' only to lash upwards as the giant spider descended from above, sending a surge of chakra into it, only to gape as it turned into webs, holding him in place as more barbs launched at him from all sides.

"I see…" Kidoumaru noted, the vine markings of his seal extending over his form, turning his skin a rusty red 'He dodged by a hairs breadth to protect his vitals, daggers fired from 50 yards away can't kill him.' He spat out a mass of golden metal that hardened into a bow, 'Well, he certainly gave me a run for my money…so here's a token of my appreciation!'

He stood on the branch, a red-skinned, three-eyed monstrosity of himself, ridges running up the back of his arms from the elbows and horns growing from his head, his ponytail a mass of grey.

"Accuracy: 100!" he announced, drawing back on the massive bow and arrow he'd formed "Destructive power: Maximum!" he launched the arrow, severing the thread that formed it "SHINEE!"

The arrow was launched with the destructive force of a cannon, dragging the branches with it in the wake of its passing as it hurtled towards it's target. The explosion as it made contact with the ground shook the woods, Kidoumaru gazing after it, only to gape in shock as Neji stood, a hole the size of a small soup can in his shoulder.

'What the hell?!' Kidoumaru swore, gritting his fangs in anger 'How'd I miss my mark by 15cm?!'

'No doubt about it…' Neji noted, wincing as the pain from the wound finally set in 'He's figured out the Byakugan's secrets.' He slumped forward, cursing as his body refused to move properly 'He makes no wasteful attacks, little by little his aim and power improves, picking up more and more as he goes.' He coughed 'Picking up the byakugan's shortcomings in such a short amount of time…he's the strongest opponent I've ever faced!'

He ran, twisting his back and upper body as he ran, desperate to protect his vitals for as long as possible, at least until he could track the bastard down. Ducking behind a tree he caught his breath, the arachnid's words echoing in his mind as he recalled his father's words of praise, even as another arrow slammed through the tree, missing his skull by five centimeters.

'Damn tree got in the way.' Kidoumaru cursed, severing the cord he'd used to steer the arrow and leaping to another perch, right in front of the Hyuuga, but still far enough outside his range to avoid being detected 'Not this time though…I'll add a spin to the arrow, so even if it hits it'll bore right through without slowing down." He continued to spit out thread as the arrow finished forming 'And I'll guide it with a thread right into his blind spot…'

'Can I even win?' Neji wondered, gasping for breath, his headband on the floor as he gazed at it, as if for the first time 'My chakra's almost used up…and I can no longer doge his attacks.' He smirked as he recalled a certain fool that had gone on despite the odds…and won. 'Naruto,' he muttered, smirking as the blonde's smirking features entered his mind 'What would YOU do?'

'Kick ass and then go splurge at Ichiraku.' The blonde's confident voice echoed in his mind, causing Neji's eyes to widen in shock 'C'mon, what're you asking me for? You're the genius here aren't you?'

'Smart aleck punk.' Neji muttered, a smirk on his face as he stood up, face set in grim determination 'Well…since I can't dodge it anyway…'

'Striking accuracy: 120!' Kidoumaru announced, grinning madly 'Destructive power: Absolute Maximum!'

He loosed the arrow, the drill tearing through the air and spinning the projectile fiercely, piercing Neji's side just above his liver and boring right through, the Hyuuga not even struggling as it passed through, drilling through a tree and embedding itself in the ground, the Hyuuga held up by the metallic thread that had guided it.

'Got him!' Kidoumaru gloated, smirking as he glared down at the Hyuuga, only to for a jolt to surge through his body, as foreign chakra surged up the thread he still clenched between his teeth 'Wh-what…he's still alive?!' the Otonin gaped, unable to even speak because of the shock, both mental and physical 'Huh…must've pumped…the last of his chakra into the cord…before he croaked.' He muttered, keeling over backwards and startling the birds as he tumbled to the forest floor below.

'Eight birds.' Neji muttered wistfully, recalling the day Tenten had come to meet him on the day Tsunade returned before shaking his head 'Where is he?' he wondered, only to tremble from his wounds.

'Why do you keep fighting your destiny?'

'Destiny is something you seize with your own hands.'

He flinched, breath steadying as he recalled his conversations with Naruto, the youth that had turned his life on its head.

'Your signature jutsu…I was careless.'

'My weakest jutsu…was the bunshin no jutsu.'

Turning weakness into a strength, seizing victory from the jaws of defeat, making friends out of former enemies…a hurricane that tore through the darkness of peoples hearts to open their eyes to the light and the sky.

"You can do the same…forget the past and clutch the future with your own hands…"

Neji's eyes snapped open, Byakugan blazing as he glared straight ahead.

"It's just us three now." Kiba muttered, dashing forwards with a snarl as he kept track of the remaining two scents.

"Not a problem," Naruto assured the Inuzuka "Chouji and Neji will catch up in no time." He smirked "Chouji's got that ace up his sleeve after all, and I've fought with Neji so I know he'll be fine."

"How's that?" Shikamaru asked, blinking at the confident smirk on the Hanyou's face as he replied.

"Cause he's a genius."

Kidoumaru cursed as he fell, trying to move his muscles but feeling as if they were separate from his mind. 'I played about too much.' He cursed, wincing as he felt the seal demanding more chakra from him 'Didn't take things seriously enou-!'

He trailed off, eyes wide in disbelief as Hyuuga Neji burst through the foliage, glaring right in his face, right arm drawn back and fingers extended as he launched himself at the stunned Otonin.

"HACHIMON HOUGEKI!"

Eight times the Hyuuga struck his foe, eight blows aimed at the eight gates that regulated chakra, causing them to detonated from within, landing behind the target as the victim spiraled through the air, crashing against the floor, his body returning to normal.

"You…took the hits on purpose didn't you?" Kidoumaru coughed out, eyeing his opponent in disbeleif "Why…would you risk your own life like that?"

"You…are the strongest person I have fought.' Neji appraised, looking over his shoulder at the arachnid "but another I fought not so long ago…opened my eyes to how far you can go…by surpassing your own limits." He glared "Too many people have faith in me…for me to just surrender to an outdated word as 'fate'!"

Kidoumaru watched the Hyuuga as he slumped, chuckling weakly "Say what you will, you're dead either way."

Neji smirked confidently at the Otonin, even as he held himself up weakly "I won't die from something like this." he boasted, blood dripping from the corner of his lips.

"Maybe…" Kidoumaru allotted mockingly, chuckling darkly at the Hyuuga "But you can't stop what's happened…after all…Sasuke-sama joined Otogakure of his own volition."

Neji panted recalling his words to Naruto before the battle and smirked, "You're wrong." He assured the confused Otonin "There is someone…who can rescue Sasuke from the darkness."

"Heh," Kidoumaru scoffed "Sasuke-sama belongs to Orochimaru-sama," he shook his head "No-one can save him now."

"HE can…" the Hyuuga assured the teen, looking up at the sky as he spoke, recalling the battle he'd had with a certain jinchuuriki, smiling at the sight of the sole bird that flew in the skies. 'I know…because he saved me…from the darkness.'

Kidoumaru watched as the Hyuuga collapsed, coughing up blood. 'Bluffing until the final hand…' he muttered, a smirk on his exhausted face, only to spasm, collapsing on his side as he felt his the last of the eight gates burst, the shock disrupting his abused heart muscles, causing them to slowly stop. 'Crap…' the teen muttered, eyes shutting in disbelief at the inevitable 'I haven't been driven this far…since Kimimaro…'

He gave a last shudder at that name before breathing his last, the memory of his worst nightmare echoing in his mind as he exhaled for the last time.

Neji lay on his side, staring at his outstretched right hand as if in a daze 'I'm counting on you…comrades.' He thought, too weak to speak as a golden feather descended from above, alighting on his hand. 'Damn…' he chuckled, just as everything went black 'Looks like I'm up for another fight with Naruto after all…'

"We're close!" Kiba called out sharply, looking over his shoulder at his remaining teammates as his partner barked ahead of him "they're dead ahead!"

"And there's only two left," Shikamaru noted, "So we have a one man advantage, if we play our cards right we could win it this round."

"Oi-oi!" Kiba challenged, looking annoyed "Aren't you forgetting something? It's FOUR on two." Akamaru barked his agreement with his master's statement, earning a chuckle from the Nara.

"Right so we have them outnumbered two to one." the chunin chuckled, "But either way we still need a plan, they aren't likely to be off guard like last time…listen close."

Naruto listened in, gritting his teeth as he glared straight ahead, towards the target that had eluded them for so long.

'Sasuke…' he grit, eyes narrowing slightly 'I said I'd drag you back no matter what…but if Chouji and Neji had to die for it…I'm taking it out of your hide first!'

Hachimon Hougeki: Eight Gates Assault; Players of the ultimate Ninja series may recognise this technique as one of Neji's level three ultimate attacks. it targets the eight celestial gates, detonating the chakra within them whilst simultaneously opening them fully.

So that's another battle won. Yes still tied to cannon, but as I said, this is the rookies' time to shine.

How will Naruto's team continue to fare against the sound 4?

Only I know, and you can find out by reviewing!