Hokage no Isan Chapter 49, a naruto fanfic

And the pursuit continues.

Also, for those who asked, Naki-suna was indeed an inspiration, after all, we all know Shikamaru's a playboy.

Shikamaru: Medokuse, just because all my opponents thus far have been women...cept that one guy...

Kyugan: NO spoilers for you!

Seriously, if you don't like spoilers, buy the manga or at least read it before other people do.

Bone Dancer; Drunken Lotus!

"Well now…" a familiar raspy voice notes in mild amusement "To think he could still move with his body in that condition "I don't know what you said to him, but don't you think you were a bit cruel…Kabuto?"

"I gave no orders," the medic replied with a neutral expression "I'm not that fond of coercion." He regarded the figure on the chair with a small smile "He did it of his own volition…for the sake of the one he worships."

"Kabuto…"the figure chuckled, his face bandaged, only a single golden eye visible beneath the wrappings, the grey hair of his new host peeking through the top as he rested his chin on his left hand "You're despicable."

"Out of the entire sound five," Kabuto noted "Kimimaro alone was perfect, his thoughts immersed in darkness akin to your own, looking upon you as a deity, and worshiping you like a zealot." He frowned "In addition to that, he was the heir to a clan that possessed the most powerful bodies, inheriting all the abilities their bloodline granted…or at least he used to."

"Indeed…" the figure hissed sourly "It still makes my skin crawl when I think of how we lost him." He sighed "I admit, I still think that his was the body I longed for…the least likely to be destroyed…"

"Also," Kabuto noted "Had he not been struck down by disease, the assassination of the Sandaime would have gone of without issue…and you wouldn't have had to suffer this indignity."

"I have learned…" the figure noted darkly "that things rarely go as well as we'd planned…if at all."

Kabuto was silent, before bowing to the man "Rest assured," he offered placatingly "It is all a matter of time…Orochimaru-sama."

"Time…" the serpent hissed, gritting his teeth beneath the wrappings "How I hate that despised word…it seems I have all the time in the world, but then something happens to shorten it."

"I'll admit is was unexpected for the Sound 4 to be so late in returning." Kabuto admitted, actually concerned "Could they have run up against fierce opposition…or are they playing around again?"

"Kukukuku…" Orochimaru chuckled, closing his eyes in dark mirth "I'd assume the one that'd hamper their progress to either be that perpetually hungry Jiroubou…or Kidoumaru, who tends to play around with his prey too much."

"Heh," Kabuto agreed, "But the most troublesome of the bunch is Sakon, he wont rest until he's killed everyone in their way, he takes being the strongest of the four very seriously."

"Kukukuku…I don't know," Orochimaru noted wryly, "Tayuya's pretty vain herself…in any case, now that Kimimaro's there failure isn't possible." He smirked "He'll wipe out the trash, on their side…and ours."

"True," Kabuto admitted with a coy smirk "And he's hardly one to waste time talking either."

"Before we get to this," Naruto grit out coldly "tell me why the damn snake wants Sasuke so bad…last I checked he wasn't hurting for butt-monkeys."

"Orochimaru-sama has already mastered the art of immortality." Kimimaro replied, wondering what on earth a 'butt-monkey' was and when the master had acquired such a thing "But in order for him to acquire all the jutsu in the world he needs time."

"If he really is immortal then what the hell does he need Sasuke for?" Naruto shot back; looking annoyed "Don't tell me he just gets lonely on cold winter nights."

"Immortality doesn't necessarily refer to the longevity of the flesh." Kimimaro replied, a little confused at the blonde's comment "before his current body rots, he acquires a younger, stronger body to act as a vessel."

Naruto's eyes widened, before narrowing in anger as he grit his teeth "Bastard…he's gonna possess Sasuke's body?!"

"Correct," the sole surviving Kaguya admitted, readying himself as a bone sword extended creepily from his outstretched palm.

"I won't let that happen!" the blonde snapped, dashing forwards in a battojutsu stance, only to curse as the white haired freak deflected him, "Dammit! Kage bunshin no jutsu!"

Kimimaro raised an eyebrow as the green field changed to gold, tinted with red, as if he'd stepped into a field of wheat in autumn "Hoh? Intriguing…" he raised another hand, an identical bone spike exiting his palm "Come."

The mass of blondes did so, at a speed that most would find daunting, their swords at the ready as they slashed upwards. Kimimaro leapt towards the main body with his arms circling, wiping out at least a half-dozen with one move. "Behold…" he called out, arms crossed before his face "Yanagi no mai!"

Even as the white haired man rushed through their ranks, the multitude of clones were striking out at him, to little or no avail as they were dispatched. Kimimaro would have passed it off as ignorance, were it not for the calculating look on their faces, right up to the moment they dissipated. He kicked upwards, impaling two clones with the blades protruding from his palms, only to blink as eight clones rushed him, four from above, four from below, in different stances respectively.

"Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu!" the upper clones called out, their blades descending point downwards, like wrathful bolts from heaven "RYUTSUISEN ZAN!"

"Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu!" the lower clones called out, rising upwards with their fists to the back of their blades, the sharp edge glinting in the sunlight "RYUSHOSEN!"

'I see…' Kimimaro noted calmy as the blades approached 'they were testing my defenses and believe that attacking me as I recover in mid-air will provide victory…pointless.'

In a blur, he jabbed outwards, two impaling themselves from the spears that extended from his shoulders, another two from the one jutting from his elbows. His knees claimed another two even as he pinned the last troublesome moth with the weapons in his hand, all but one dissipating the instant they were struck. "Shit…bones?" it choked out, coughing out blood even as Kimimaro landed, crouching like a panther before the onlookers.

"This…" the enigmatic man revealed "Is my Kekkei Genkai."

The real Naruto, standing amidst his clones in wonderment, watched as the man stood up, the bones receding back into his body. "Man…" he muttered, snorting derisively "I've heard of being 'boned' but you take the freaking cake." He grimaced as Kimimaro pulled out a sword of bone from his shoulder, the arm in question lying limp afterwards "Okay…seriously, we're into weird territory now."

Kimimaro didn't reply, he merely deflected the Shuriken that were hurled at him from the sidelines. "Useless." He pointed out, not even looking at the shattered weapons "My bones have been compressed to the absolute maximum density, making them as strong, if not stronger, than steel…no weapon can damage them."

"No point dulling my sword on you then." The blonde muttered, sheathing the weapon and popping his joints as he clenched his hands, "So your frame's pretty solid, bet your insides scramble just the same."

"Perhaps…" Kimimaro allotted "But I still have four of the five Kaguya clan's dances remaining…do not presume to know my powers simply from seeing one." He held the sword out, point first "Behold Tsubaki no mai!"

"Bring it on!" the multitude of blondes called out, even as Kimimaro lunged forwards, low to the ground and swiping at their feet like some demented weed whacker.

'Shit, this guy's something else.' Naruto noted, switching with his clones at random as he tried to read the flow of the man's rhythm "Offense and defense in one fluent style, and if we get too close he can just pop another rod out to ward us off.'

As this went on Kimimaro was decimating the ranks of clones, rotating swiftly and elegantly, indeed a fine example of how dancing served as the basis of combat. In the end, the field of gold had been reduced to a single kernel, the reaper standing with his aloof expression. In testament to the clone's skills, the fight had lasted a good ten minutes.

"And then there was one…" Kimimaro noted, turning to face Naruto, even as dark, ominous smoke erupted from the casket behind him "It would appear with your stalling the time has drawn nigh." He allotted, standing between the casket and the blonde "But no matter, this is but the first step to achieving Orochimaru-sama's design."

Naruto could only flinch as the casket erupted like a kettle that had sat for to long, steam and smoke drifting into the sky as a figure stood engulfed in it. He made to call out, only for a tremor to pass through him, eyes wide in disbelief at the foul stench that carried his way on the wind.

'What…the…?' he muttered, eyeing the white haired, dark skinned figure in Uchiha's familiar blue shirt and white shorts with an animalistic wariness 'Who the hell…that can't be…!'

"Sasuke!" he called out, blinking as the smoke cleared to reveal the Uchiha standing with his back to him, gazing at his own hands "What the hell're you doing looking at your hands for!? C'mon! We gotta beat feet back home before this guy's pals catch up!"

Sasuke's only response was to start chuckling, holding out his arms, shoulders shaking in dark mirth, something that caused the blonde's hackles to rise. 'That…doesn't feel like Sasuke…' he muttered, flashbacks of the last few weeks filling his mind 'I'll admit he didn't exactly change much over the last few weeks…' he glowered at the figures back 'but he didn't feel…like that…'

He blinked as Sasuke dashed off, cursing and moving to tail the Uchiha, only to blink as the shadow of death loomed behind him, all white haired, serpent loving diseased six foot four of him.

"Futile…" Kimimaro declared in his usual monotone as he stuck to decapitate "Regret your incompetence in death."

"KONOHA SENPUU!"

The Sole surviving Kaguya cursed as the force of the blow sent him back, his sharp reflexes allowing him to lessen the impact by leaping back just as the foot touched him. As it was, rather than being sent hurtling backwards, he skidded across the field, coming to a halt with his blade at the ready.

"Who?" he asked, eyeing the bizarre oddity before him with his usual calm demeanor; noting the larger-than-should-be-legal eyebrows and the distinct form fitting green leotard.

"The beautiful green beast of Konoha reincarnates!" the apparition called out, a bandaged hand held out to the man "I, Rock Lee, shall be your opponent!"

"Gejimayu?" Naruto wondered, eyeing the boy in confusion "Not that I don't appreciate the assist but…weren't you suspended from active duty for a while?"

"Tsunade-sama performed the operation to remove the bone fragments." The Gai-clone replied, "I'll explain later! Get to Sasuke!" he frowned at Kimimaro "Leave this one to me."

"Right, sure." Naruto noted, knowing the mission came first and Lee was much better at unarmed close quarters combat wither way "Just don't push it too hard. And watch yourself, this freak uses his bones as weapons."

"Bones?" Lee repeated, only to flinch as he caught the look in Kimimaro's eyes, his own settling in determination "I see…anything else?"

"He moves like some sort of demented Kabuki dancer," Naruto informed him, "He claims to have five dances, the first he charges in and impales you on spikes, the second he fights with that bone sword, swaying in a circle and dodging attacks…I haven't seen the other three."

Lee frowned, before thrusting out a hand, thumb up "I understand! Go now!" he ordered the blonde "Sasuke can't have gone far!"

"Lee…" Naruto asked, tone somber as he eyed the older teen's back with concern "On the way here…did you see Neji or Chouji?"

"No…" Lee replied grimly "But then, I was traveling so fast I very nearly set off a few traps that were waiting for me." He thrust out an arm, giving the stunned blonde a thumbs-up "Do not worry! I swear on the 'nice guy' pose that I shall defeat this foe and come assist you!"

Naruto blinked, then smirked, "Right…you got this one Gejimayu." He agreed, turning on his heel "When we get back…lunch is on me!"

"YOSH!" Lee called, rushing towards the charging Kimimaro even as Naruto took to the chase once more.

"If Sasuke was in that casket…"Raido noted, sitting up in his hospital bed as he regarded the Godaime tiredly "against foes like that…a handful of genin won't be enough."

"We may have been low on chakra…" Genma allotted with a grunt "But look at the state we JOUNIN are in…at the very least, we should send a team of jounin as back up."

"That can't be done." Tsunade replied "In the aftermath of Orochimaru's invasion, Konoha lost its mandate as a primary power amongst the other Shinobi nations. All our Jounin and high level chunin were sent to neutralize potential threats, both at home AND abroad." She sighed "Even if Orochimaru obtains the sharingan…Konoha's priority is to avoid wars with other nations."

"But we can't keep putting off the situation with Orochimaru…" Raido insisted earnestly "The second he regains his strength-!"

"I'm well aware of the situation." Tsunade replied with a confident smirk "And have already taken precautionary measures." She blinked as a medic opened the door, followed by gasping as Maito Gai collapsed before her, looking Haggard "Gai! What happened?!" she asked "Was the mission-?!"

"Complete…!" Gai rasped, "And I ran…all the way back afterwards…!" he gaped up at the woman desperately "But tell me…LEE! Was the operation-?!"

He trailed off as Tsunade put a hand on his shoulder, looking up into her smiling face desperately. "A complete success," the Shodai's granddaughter assured the man "he can return to training tomorrow, provided he takes it easy for a while."

Genma and Raido flinched as Gai burst into tears of joy where he lay, smiling in bliss as cherubs and angles sang around him, only to wince in sympathy as Ino and Sakura burst into the room, informing Tsunade that Lee had gone missing.

Needless to say, the tears suddenly weren't so joyous, and quite a few cherubs were complaining of snapped harp strings.

"Shit…" Tsunade muttered, standing before the vacated bed that had held her most recent patient "He probably snuck out while I was busy tending to Raido and Genma."

"I'm sorry…" Yanagi offered with a sniff, looking distraught "He sent me out to get him something to drink and when I came back…"

"Baka…" Tsunade groused, flinching as the girl sobbed "Not you Yanagi, that stupid kid's gone after the team we sent after Sasuke." she looked to the bedside table in annoyance "On top of that, he was so much in a hurry he took my Sake bottle instead of his medicine."

Gai, who had been gazing at the bed grimly for the past few minutes, suddenly went ramrod straight, eyeing the godaime with a look of shock and dawning horror 'SAKE?!' he repeated, sounding half choked, before swallowing nervously "This is…bad…!"

"Gai?" Tsunade asked, looking at the Taijutsu specialist in confused concern as he started trembling "Are you okay?" she asked, even as he turned to her, face grim and terrified.

Very little terrified Maito Gai, some would say this was because of his skill as a shinobi and Kakashi's rival, others claimed his skull was too dense to let the fear penetrate. Either way, for something to affect the man this much…Tsunade didn't feel like facing it sober.

"If lee drinks even one drop of sake…" Gai recounted shakily "TERRIBLE things will happen!"

"KONOHA DAI SENPUU!" Lee called out, striking out at Kimimaro's legs, only for the older man to leap up to avoid it, he followed through with a jumping spinning kick to the midriff, only for the man to somehow back off to avoid it.

And so the dance went on, Lee striking out repeatedly with blows that, by all accounts, should have sent the man reeling right into coma territory, and Kimimaro weaved round them, ducking and sidestepping, neither striking back nor blocking the strikes, flowing like reeds in the wind.

"Your agility surprises me…" Lee noted admirably, face grim as he got to his feet swiftly "And your style is both precise and fluid."

"You by contrast…" Kimimaro noted with his usual monotone calm "Are far too linear…too direct." He frowned slightly "Shall we?"

"Just a moment!" Lee called out, holding out his hand to stall his opponent "I apologize, but it is time for my medicine." He pulled a bottle from his pouch, popping the cork with a grimace "I've never been one for medicine but…" he took several large chugs, releasing the bottle and gasping in disgust "Blech, this one's the worst yet!"

Kimimaro, who was only alive thanks to the disgusting concoctions that Kabuto had fed him daily, couldn't help but feel a little connection with the bizarre genin. That is, until he stated swaying from side to side.

"After he mastered the Ura Renge…" Gai recalled "I took lee to a restaurant to celebrate." He held up his hand, finger and thumb nearly touching "At some point…he mistook the sake in my bowl for water and downed it…and then all hell broke loose!"

"Hell?" Tsunade repeated, wondering if Gai was exaggerating JUST a little, only to blink as he began to shiver, a cold sweat on his face that caused Yanagi to hug Sakura in terror.

"When I awoke…" Gai continued "it was like waking up in a disaster zone. Whenever Lee gets drunk…" he eyed the godaime "He goes absolutely berserk!"

Tsunade blinked, even as Gai shook in mild terror at the obviously not so repressed memory, Sakura fighting for breath as Yanagi started to whimper at the look on the man's face.

"Consequentially…" the Taijutsu master noted grimly "It turns out lee…is a natural practitioner of Sui-Ken!"

'What…in heavens name…' Kimimaro deadpanned, eyeing the stumbling, foul-mouthed youth before him flatly 'did that boy drink?'

"WHAD'DYA LOOKIN' AT FREAK?!" Lee slurred out, cheeks flushed and eyes half shut, staggering all over the place even as he glared at the man. "QUIT LOOKIN' DOWN'YER NOSE'T ME! I'LL KICK YER ASSES! ALL SEVEN OF YAS!"

'Is he drunk?' Kimimaro wondered, looking over the boy 'Sake? What kind of hospital prescribes sake as a medicine?'

He quickly tossed those thoughts, and the stirring feelings of jealousy, out the window as Lee charged him, twisting and contorting in mid-strike in ways that defied logic, and would most likely hurt like hell later on. The Kaguya survivor was actually surprised to find himself blocking the odd strike, blinking as the youth grabbed his sleeve and bodily dragged him off balance, following it up with a kick to the midriff that sent the man flying. Not letting up for a second, the drunken beast spun forward in a horizontal rendition of the Omote Renge, sans bandages, gripping the grass with his hands as he launched numerous kicks at his opponent from a handstand.

'Too hard to predict!' Kimimaro noted in mild alarm 'And moreover…too FAST!' he raised his sword to deflect the blows, kicking at the boy's arms only for him to roll to safety. "Tsubaki no mai!" he called out, thrusting forwards with the weapon in an attempt to skewer his opponent, only for Lee to weave through the strikes with random movements and the occasional belch, the last maneuver leaving him with his back arched, hear lowered towards the ground.

Kimimaro, ever one to seize an opportunity, swiped at the genin's neck, only for Lee to stand upright, staggering back into him and looping his arm over the man's own, deflecting the sword with his free hand, striking at the Kaguya's side, only to be blocked, following it up with a rear kick to the crotch, which was avoided. Lee spun with a backhand strike, only for Kimimaro to strike out with a leg sweep. The drunken genin trapped the man's leg in a hold, gripping him tightly as he spun, delivering an awkward, double blow to his torso with the extended knuckles of his right fist and left elbow, sending Kimimaro sprawling, actually dropping the bone sword.

'I can't read his moves.' Kimimaro noted grimly, getting to his feet as he pulled off his upper kimono 'such an unpredictable art…to actually land a blow on me…'

His left arm popped and cracked, the lower part dangling halfway as the bones reformed, hand cracking back into place even as his Gaiafuuin spread across him like thorns. "Shikotsumyaku, my Kekkei Genkai" He revealed, holding up his reformed arm, even as bones burst through the skin like spears "Didn't your shadow clone friend inform you earlier?"

He rushed the drunken teen, blocking with his free arm even as he struck out with the spiked one Lee deflecting both and attempting to get in close again, only for Kimimaro's ribs to burst out like knives, scraping the youth's cheek and barely missing blinding him.

"You are not the only one that is unpredictable." Kimimaro stated flatly, eyeing the teen impassively "Seems you've sobered up a bit…" he noted "My Kekkei Genkai enables complete control over my Osteoblasts and Osteoclasts, the cells that form and break down bone." He nodded "With them, I can regulate the density of calcium to manipulate the formation of bones."

'Bones?' Lee repeated, still somewhat out of things but coherent enough to understand what was being said…to a degree. Genius at Taijutsu or not, he was no medic nin.

"The human body is composed of just over 200 bones." Kimimaro revealed flatly "I however…am not so limited." Additional rib spikes burst from his chest, even as Lee attempted to rush him from behind "Pointless…Karamatsu no mai!"

Lee could only gape as the man doubled over, several bones bursting from his skin like some sort of demonic porcupine, raising an arm to block even as he felt them pierce the skin. He leapt back, even as Kimimaro swatted at him, the worst of the blows deflected by the youth's strong arms as he rolled along the grass, only to climb groggily to his feet.

"Still awake?" Kimimaro asked "Or should I say…have you roused at last?"

Lee grimaced, wincing as he head pounded like a temple bell. "Why do I feel like I've been up all night?" the youth muttered, staggering upright "No matter…the real fight begins now!"

He grimaced, feeling the ache in his muscles that had accumulated during his drunken rampage, not that he was aware of it. 'Right now, my job is to hold him off for as long as possible, at least until Naruto-kun reaches Sasuke-kun.' He winced 'I should avoid using techniques that would backfire on me.' He began unwrapping his bandages 'I'm only out of surgery, and even with Yanagi-san's prior healing I shouldn't go crazy…but perhaps opening Kaimon should do!'

He exploded into motion, a trail of dust encircling the impassive Kimimaro, who noted, dimly, that the dust trail was getting smaller and smaller with each rotation.

"KURAEI!" Lee called out, blurring right in front of the man, first gate bursting open even as he aimed a kick at his opponent's chin "OMOTE RENGE-!"

C-CRACK!

Silence reigned over the clearing as Lee gaped in horror at the sight of his foot imprisoned by his opponent's ribs, the bones having effectively captured him like the most gruesome bear trap imaginable.

"You speed is impressive." Kimimaro noted, regarding the stunned youth before him with an indifferent expression, even as he extended a palm towards his startled face "However…this is the end."

Lee's eyes widened as a bone burst from the man's palm, only to yelp as something exploded between them, pulling him free of the rib-trap and depositing him at someone's feet on a bed of…sand?

"Who…are you?" Kimimaro asked, eyeing this new opponent warily "Where did you come from."

"Yo…" Shikamaru called out, still holding the comatose redhead, cracking an eye open to look at the foliage "how long you gonna skulk around back there?"

There was a gasp, followed by a familiar face stepping into view, her face flushed and her fan held before her as she readjusted the bottom of her outfit. "Yare-yare…" The Nara muttered, "If you're gonna get off on the show at least do it were you won't disrupt people's naps." He shot the mortified figure an intrigued look "So what, you here to finish things from the exam?"

"Not exactly," Temari muttered, standing forward with some of her old confidence "We were sent to help you as allies of the leaf…

Kiba grimaced as he tried to catch the scent of the twins, sighing in relief as he realized they were walking AWAY from his position. "I'm safe." he breathed, relaxing slightly.

"Who's safe?" a mocking voice asked, causing the Inuzuka to whip round to find himself face to face with Ukon, who was wearing the teen's own jacket "Feh, I knew it, you ignore you own scent since it's so familiar.

"So you know how scent works." Kiba noted, gasping for breath as he smirked "Little wonder I couldn't track you…and then there's the way you guys split up…shit, and here I thought I'd finally gotten a break."

"You wanna break? Sure, which limb?" Ukon growled, raising a Kunai "Better yet, How's about I snap your balls off for that stunt you pulled back there!"

Kiba braced himself, only to blink as something rattled into view, taking the hit for him and confusing the living fuck out of Sakon. 'Heh…' he noted, smirking as someone stepped into view 'So he's an ally this time?'

"Who the fuck are you?!" Ukon snarled only for a figure in a cat suit to step forward, chakra strings glowing along his finger.

"You opponent for the remainder of the evening." Kankurou replied with a smirk "A shinobi of…"

"Suna." Gaara replied, face as neutral as he stood over the stunned Taijutsu specialist, arms crossed as he leveled a look at the equally emotionless Kimimaro that would have made many a man reconsider his career choices.

'Sand?' Lee stammered, watching it fall between his fingers 'Am I still out of it…?' he wondered, trailing off at the sight of his rescuer "Sabaku no Gaara."

"So you're Gaara…" Kimimaro noted, having been kept up to date on the invasion plan despite his illness, crossing his arms before separating them sharply "TESHISENDAN!"

The finger bullets collided with Gaara's shield of sand, drilling right through, only to fall harmlessly to the floor at the redhead's feet. "Too hasty." Gaara opined, eyeing the impassive Kaguya with an equally impassive glare, before turning his head to regard Lee "When we last fought…" he noted quietly "your moves were faster, and had a sharper edge to them."

Lee blinked, before rising to his feet with a grunt "Thanks for reminding me." he muttered, smiling good naturedly "Not that I hold a grudge, that wouldn't be youthful, but you really put me through hell for a while." He eyed the redhead carefully "That said, why are you here?"

"I owe Konoha…" Gaara began, looking at the older genin over his shoulder with eyes that seemed almost human, compared to the indifference he'd held for his fellow man before "A tremendous debt."

And so things reach a crescendo.

Will Gaara defeat kimimaro? Shall Kankurou's Puppet show ensnare the brothers Kon?

And just what was Temari up to during Shikamaru's...fight...with Tayuya?

Jiraiya: What indeed...

Kyugan: Pervert.

Jiraiya: Like you're one to talk!

Kyugan: True, but then, YOU don't have the power to do THIS! (Snbaps fingers)

Jiraiya: What? So you snapped your, HEY! Why's my voice so high?! (Looks down, is now a woman...) HEY...I can look at myself!

Kyugan: And people say 'I' need help...

R&R or be gender bender'd!