Tokikage
by Lord Dragon Claw
Disclaimer: Don't judge a book by its cover.
Chapter Five: Armor and Pink
"Okay, Toki! Time to teach you the Tiger kenjutsu style."
"Glad to learn it."
Tsunade and Shizune watched as the bronze-blonde and the Toad Hermit went over the basics for the power-based Tiger Style.
"You know, Shizune, that boy reminds me of someone..."
"Me too. He reminds me of the late Namikaze-sama."
"The Yondaime? Huh. I was thinking more along the lines of my good friend Kushina. I wonder what had happened to her..."
"Yeah. Our spy network says she disappeared without a trace the morning after the Kyubi attack. I doubt she would have run off..."
"That begs for some investigation. We'll have to start our spies searching for her. Maybe I can get Jiraiya to help as well."
"I wonder..."
"Hmm?"
"What if Toki is not that boy's real name? What if he is Konoha's Jinchuuriki?"
"Hrm... Well, if he is, then he probably has a good reason to go by the name of Toki. Last my spies heard, he was generally hated in Konoha - even a whipping boy at times."
"Do you want to confront him about it?"
"No. I think we should let him tell us if he wants to."
Meanwhile, Naruto had noticed the conversation that the two women were having. As he mimicked Jiraiya's motions to learn the forms for the Tiger Style, he began to whisper to the older man. Jiraiya's ears had been saturated with chakra to pick up additional sounds (Naruto mimicked that too - it was a good control exercise), so he easily heard the bronze-blonde.
"Hey, they're talking about me."
"Oh?" Jiraiya whispered back, knowing the boy would easily hear it, especially if he could pick up the women's muted conversation when the old man couldn't.
"Please don't show any reaction. Is the Yondaime my father?"
"Perceptive as always. You didn't know before?"
"No. The paperwork was probably sealed within a storage scroll or in a book with privacy seals on it. What happened to my mother?"
"She disappeared. No idea where she is if she's even alive. I've had my spy network looking for her, or at least her grave. No clues or traces as of yet."
"Have you given up hope?"
"Pretty much, but I kept at it out of duty to you."
"... Why to me?"
"I'm your godfather."
If Naruto was surprised, he didn't show it. Jiraiya was impressed, so he continued.
"So the women have figured you out, huh?"
"Kind of. They think I go by Toki because I want to escape the hatred of Konoha."
Jiraiya suppressed the urge to laugh. "B-but do you think they will be angry about our deception?"
"I doubt it. Truly, we decided I should be called 'Toki' and act similarly to her younger brother to see if her maternal instincts will make her compliant to come back to Konoha... it has worked. We just need to wait until the final day of the bet to be able to drag her back to Konoha... but it's in the bag."
"Hopefully, we'll be able to get back without drawing the attention of our 'friends' or Orochimaru."
"True."
Tazuna was becoming quite well-off. He was able to rebuild Tsunami's house so that it was much bigger, but it was still humbly decorated. The people of Wave were asking for him to replace their late daimyo (who was killed a month before Gatou's death), but Tazuna wasn't sure.
As he sat on the porch and sipped some sake (no more drinking out of the bottle - he was drinking for pleasure now, not because he was depressed), he saw a familiar shock of hair appear from over the hill. Tazuna pushed his spectacles further up his nose so that he could see that far out. Yup. Definitely the same brat who had helped to save their country, though it seemed he had either dyed his hair or it simply turned that color in the few months he hadn't seen the kid.
He certainly still wore that eyesore of a jumpsuit, but now he was sporting shades that covered his eyes completely. Huh. Weird.
Tazuna set down his sake saucer and waved at the young ninja. He was pleased when the boy waved back. Then, something struck him as odd... where were the kid's teammates? Did he come alone? Did his hypocritical Hidden Village ostracize him? Or was he on vacation?
Or was it a trick? Could someone have disguised themselves as the Hero of Wave in order to get close to him? Tazuna frowned at the thought. He put his hand in his pocket and gripped a kunai he had found at the bridge after the battle - he would go down fighting if it came to that.
Once the bronze-blonde had walked within ten meters of Tazuna, he stopped and cocked his head to the side.
"Becoming a bit paranoid there, you old drunk?"
"Naruto?"
"Yeah. It's me."
"Prove it."
Naruto smirked.
"Remember what I said at the bridge? That the hero always arrives just in the nick of time?"
Tazuna relaxed, smiling.
"Seems you've gotten smarter, gaki."
"Yeah. Seems you've gotten a bit paranoid. Why?"
"The remnants of the Gatou Syndicate have broken up into five different companies. They have been fairly elusive and keep hiring Kumo-nin or Kiri-nin as bodyguards. We could hire Konoha-nin to assassinate one or two of them, but not all five."
"I'll have to fix that then."
"But, aren't you with Konoha? How are you going to-"
"Tazuna, let me explain. First of all, do you remember my ability to make a bunch of copies of myself?"
"Yeah."
"I'm one of those. The real one is on the west side of Fire Country at the moment. But he sent me here to make a business deal with you. Now, I appreciate the fact that the people of Wave respect me, whereas a large portion of Konoha would rather see me dead. I want a change of residence."
"You want to live in Wave?"
"I want to protect it too. I was thinking of starting a new Hidden Village."
"Oh?"
"Yeah. I've recently come into some really powerful skills, and I am improving myself a great deal. I even have some time-based jutsu. I was thinking of calling the new Village by the name of Toki. Tokigakure."
"Hidden in Time, eh? And your ninja will protect our small country?"
"Yes. As well as providing a haven for those like me, who are scorned and hated due to circumstances beyond their control."
"How many ninja are you bringing with you?"
"I don't know. Some, I think, will follow me because they know me. I will invite others who I feel deserve it. I may end up bringing some civilians too. We'll start off small, but our forces should grow quickly."
"Why would ninja from other countries respect you though? You weren't very strong when you left."
"True. But I have a bloodline - the first of its kind."
"What kind of bloodline is that?"
Naruto pulled his shades off of his face and opened his eyes. Tazuna gasped.
"A doujutsu: the Rabosugan." (Eye Technique; Lavos Eye)
It was amusing when Inari had leapt at his friend for a hug rather unexpectedly. The shadow clone let itself get hugged, but then Inari squeezed too hard and the clone dispelled.
Naruto felt the rush of information during his Falcon Style kenjutsu practice and asked for a quick bathroom break. Once he was in a public restroom, with Jiraiya waiting near the sink (Tsunade was getting a tad overprotective), he created another clone and gated it back to Tsunami's house. Then he actually used the toilet, since he was there anyway.
"GAH!" yelled Inari when another Naruto appeared out of nowhere.
"Don't be so loud, Inari," said the clone as he twisted a pinky in one of his ears. "And don't hug me so hard. I'm not the real one, though I have all the memories of him."
"So I..."
"Squeezed a Kage Bunshin to death."
"Oh."
"Good to see you though. Huh? Have you been doing some weight training?"
"Yup! I want to be a great ninja someday, just like you!"
Tsunami giggled. "We were actually going to put him in Konoha's Ninja Academy at the start of the new school year."
"Don't bother."
"What!?" asked the young boy. "Why not!?"
"Because, I'll train you."
"What are you talking about, Naruto-kun?" asked Tsunami.
"What he's talking about," began Tazuna. "Is building a new Hidden Village here in Wave. He's going to bring some ninja with him. I assume that he wants Inari to be one of the newest ninja in our fine country."
"WOW!" laughed Inari, obviously excited.
"Yup. I'm checking with some of those ninja right now. Also, we'll have the ability to defend the entire nation from invaders, if it all goes to plan."
"COOL!"
"Chuunin, huh?"
"Troublesome. Don't you know how to not sneak up on people?"
"Always good to practice. Why weren't you more alert, anyway?"
"Because we're here too and we knew he'd doze off," said a large ninja with food in his hand.
"Hello Chouji, Ino."
Ino looked confused. "But, we masked our chakra and were completely silent! Why weren't you startled or surprised!?"
"Calm down, Ino," admonished Shikamaru. "He's got a bloodline that lets him see everything around him."
"Oh. Yeah."
"Oh, just so you guys know, I'm not the real Naruto, just a shadow clone."
"Understandable," replied Shikamaru. "What's up?"
"Already deduced that I'm not here for socialization, huh?"
"Well, you were supposed to have left on a mission with Jiraiya, which I assume you still are on. You wouldn't bug us just for the fun of it. Well, maybe you would, but I doubt that's what you're doing."
"All of it is true. Anyway, this is for your ears and your clans' ears only: I'm going to start a new Hidden Village soon. You and your clans are invited to come along. The whole clan doesn't have to go, of course. I will be happy with whomever chooses to attend."
"Hello, Neji."
"Naruto. Or one of your clones. Why do you bother my training?"
"I'm studying seals."
"For when you become Hokage?"
"Actually, I've changed my goal. I want to be the Shodai Tokikage."
"Toki... kage? Starting a new village?"
"And you're invited. I'm willing to remove the Caged Bird Seal from you, as soon as I figure out how, if you are willing to join the Village Hidden in Time once it is built."
"And the other branch house members?"
"Try to spread the word around among them at your discretion, but be discreet."
"And Hinata?"
"Inviting her as we speak. I have no doubt she'll say yes."
"You're a clone then."
"Of course. Anyone else you want me to invite?"
"Guy-sensei might not go for it. Lee... maybe or maybe not. Do ask Tenten, however."
"Will do."
"Hello, Konohamaru, Moegi, Udon!"
"BOSS!"
"Whoa! Don't jump at me! I'm just a shadow clone, not the real deal!"
"Oh. Stand down troops."
"Heh. Shooting for Chuunin already?"
"Yup!"
"Well, anyway... I've got this idea... I want to start a new Hidden Village. Do you want in?"
"Well... I'd love to, but I still wanna be Hokage!"
"Very well. Hopefully we can still be allies when that happens, eh?"
"Sure thing... this means that you ain't the boss anymore, huh?"
"No, but I think you can step up to the position! Prank them in my absence, yeah?"
"YEAH!" All three kids were excited at this.
At the academy, in the instructors' lounge where someone was grading papers...
"Iruka-sensei!"
"Oh, hello Naruto. Wait... Naruto? What are you doing here!? I thought you had a mission!"
"I do. I'm a Kage Bunshin."
"Oh. Well, you shouldn't call me sensei anymore, you know."
"Force of habit. Hey. Hypothetically -"
"Do you even know what that word means?"
"Shut up and listen! If I were to hypothetically create a new HiddenVillage, would you join?"
"Possibly. Hypothetically, why would you want to?"
"Konoha is too dangerous, truly. Some of our ANBU were discretely aiding the enemy, according to reports made by other ANBU."
"How do you know this?"
"Broke into the Hokage Tower again. Hypothetically."
"Again?" Iruka smirked. "Hypothetically, of course."
"Again. Anyway, I have found that there is another division of ANBU: ANBU Ne (Root). They answer to some guy named Danzou, who has been trying to get the position of Hokage ever since the Nidaime died. I want to protect my precious people from him. Hypothetically."
"Well, if all this hypothetical stuff was true, I'd be sure to join."
"GET OUT OF MY FOREST, GAKI!"
"Hear me out, you crazy snake woman!"
"Fine. What do you want?"
"Hello, Shino, Kiba."
"Naruto? What are you doing here? I thought you had a mission or something."
"Obviously it is a shadow clone," stated Shino sagely.
"Am I bothering you guys or anything?"
"Naw! What did you want to say to us, then?"
"Well..."
"Come for some ramen, Naruto."
"Sorry Ayame-nee-chan, I'm a clone. Not the real deal."
"Too bad," said Teuchi. "So, what can we do for you?"
"Konoha is strong, but politically corrupt. Some big events are going to happen soon and I want to save the both of you from the fallout."
Teuchi looked around. "You sure someone isn't listening?"
"Definitely. Anyway, here's what I was thinking..."
"Not every day a shadow clone seeks a private audience with me."
"I'm sure, Morino-san."
"Just like you asked, I'm meeting you alone in a sealed room, no windows, no bugs, no cameras, and privacy seals to prevent others from looking or listening in. What did you wish to discuss with me, Uzumaki? Do keep in mind that even with your bloodline I can still wipe the floors with your real body."
"I know. Hey, you ever hear of ANBU Ne?"
"Guy-san and Lee-san, just the two I wanted to see."
"YOSH! WHAT DOES THE STUDENT OF MY ETERNAL RIVAL WANT!?"
A nurse leaned in from a room adjacent to Lee's and threw a clipboard at Guy. The eccentric man ducked the object which imbedded itself in the wall.
"Keep quiet!" she hissed, before going back to her business.
"How you holding up, Lee?"
"Well enough. They won't let me train..."
"Ah. That explains the chains and binding seal arrays."
"Yeah."
"So, Uzumaki-san, what are you doing here?" asked the Jounin.
"This is a shadow clone. You see, I'm fixing to make a new ninja village..."
"Defecting from Konoha?"
"Well, I'll still be allied with Konoha. The problem is that most of the populace hates me. Most of those who don't are simply indifferent to me, leaving just a few who actually acknowledge me."
"What about becoming Hokage?" asked Lee, surprised.
"Someone from Konoha would probably try to assassinate me in the first week. I doubt that they'd succeed, but it's the thought that counts. Instead, I'd rather be the leader of a new village. Start from scratch, provide a haven for refugees from Kiri, that sort of thing."
"So why are you coming to us with this?" asked Guy.
"Neji has agreed to leave Konohagakure and join Tokigakure as soon as I have everything set up."
"Toki?"
"Neji?"
"Yeah. Time. And Neji had requested that I ask you two if you would accompany us when the time was right. Have you made your decision now, or do you need time to think it over?"
Guy and Lee shared a look.
At the end of the week...
"Shit!"
"What is it, Shizune-san?" asked the bronze-blonde groggily.
"Tsunade-sama's gone! I bet she went to meet with Orochimaru!"
"Hmmm... Where's the old pervert?"
"I don't know! I found your bruised body at that park and brought you back here, and then Tsunade-sama knocked me out!"
"Oh wait, there he is."
Shizune whipped her head around to where the bronze-blonde was pointing. Sure enough, Jiraiya was perched in the window, but he looked groggy. Or drunk.
"Drunk again, Jiraiya?"
"Not exactly. Tsunade-hime poisoned me with a chakra inhibitor."
"You must be losing your touch then."
"Shut up! Where could she have gone!?"
"How would Toki know!?" exclaimed Shizune.
"Because, just like you already know, I'm Naruto. And I have a new bloodline."
Shizune gasped when Naruto pulled his shades further down his nose, revealing his eyes.
"The Rabosugan allows me to see much like a Hyuga, but also see much further out. Tsunade's on the west side of town... we should hurry!"
"Thank you, Kabuto-kun. How did you know she would try to betray me and kill Kimimaro?"
"She didn't properly secure the sacrifices. I felt she was lying to us."
"You lied to Orochimaru-sama!"
"Yeah yeah. Stupid Kaguya. I suppose I'll have to kill all of you then."
Before Tsunade could react, Kabuto slit his wrist and the resulting blood spray hit her in the face. Kabuto quickly healed the cut while the Slug Princess froze up in fear.
"Perhaps plan B will work better?" queried the spy.
"Fine," responded Orochimaru. "Let's take her back to Oto."
"Not so fast, Snake-teme!"
The three Otonin turned to see Naruto, Jiraiya, and Shizune (Tonton as well) jumping out of a multi-colored hole in the... air?
"Toki, you take care of Tsunade while I fight the other three."
"Jiraiya? You're an idiot."
Naruto bit his thumb and went through a familiar seal sequence. Orochimaru was about to bite his own thumb when he saw a strange creature appear, about the size of a man. It was round, with spindly arms and legs, a blank stare, yellow tuft of hair up top, and a dark gray coloration - not quite black, but still dark.
"Hello, Nu Master!"
"Nuuuuu. The Nu Master is my older brother. I'm the Nu Guardian. Nuuuuu, what can I do for you, Toki?"
"Can you heal Jiraiya?"
"No, but this panacea might help with that poison. Nuuuuu."
Jiraiya took the glass vial from the weird creature and downed the liquid within. It tasted nasty, but he could feel his chakra already flowing more freely. He grinned before jumping forward to attack Orochimaru. The Oto-nin got over their surprise at seeing such a strange summon and began to fight back.
"I also need you to help me protect Tsunade."
"Nuuuuu. Very well."
Orochimaru barked out some orders.
"The two of you go kill the brat and the brunette and force the summon to retreat; I'll deal with Jiraiya!"
Kabuto broke off his attack on Jiraiya and went for Shizune whereas Kimimaro went for Naruto.
Quick as lightning, the Kaguya ripped his humerus out of his left arm and transformed it into a sword, with which he struck at the bronze-blonde. Naruto barely had enough time to gate in the Kusanagi to block the attack, and was forced into the Crane Style of deflection to avoid getting skewered.
Ah, a Shikotsumyaku-user. (Dead Bone Pulse)
A what?
He uses his bones as weaponry. Coincidentally, I am almost done with Level Two of the Rabosugan. Hold him off for three minutes and we can activate it.
Naruto started pouring chakra into his arms, legs, and the parietal lobe of his cerebral cortex to increase his strength and ability to react.
Shizune was in trouble from the first instant. Her attempts to poison the spectacled Oto-nin went unsuccessfully. Even the one time she hit him with a poisoned senbon in the foot... he simply cut off the foot at the ankle and regenerated it in a matter of moments while still attacking her with chakra scalpels. Then, Kabuto slashed her along her right forearm, cutting the tendons to her fingers. She couldn't heal such damage yet, and she was unable to use any more jutsu.
Just then, Kabuto charged her from her injured side, going straight for her throat. She grit her teeth and shut her eyelids, waiting for the pain or death... only to hear the silver-haired opponent grunt. She opened her eyes to see that the strange creature Naruto summoned had bodily tackled (or was it head-butted?) Kabuto. The Nu no longer looked like he was spacing out - a look of intense concentration graced his features.
Curious, Kabuto tried to attack with his scalpels again, beginning with his left arm. The Nu's left arm twisted around and caught the Oto-nin's arm, wrapping around it twice.
"Flare," said the gray Nu as his free hand made a few half-seals. Almost instantly, his free hand was holding an orb of fire which detonated immediately, blowing Kabuto off his feet.
When Kabuto painfully landed, he had to quickly put out his smoldering clothing, only to dodge the Nu's next head-butt (or was it a body slam?). Kabuto tried to axe-kick the creature, but the Guardian rolled onto his haunches and blocked with both of his arms crossed, grasping onto the ninja's ankle with both hands.
"Hypnosis," he said.
Kabuto began to feel drowsy, but surged his chakra to dispel the genjutsu only to have the Nu throw him over his head/body and straight into a boulder. The silver-haired shinobi scrambled up the large rock just before the Nu ran smack into it, cracking the stone. Kabuto quickly threw a kunai at the creature before it could react, but it simply grazed off of its body/head, leaving a small scratch.
The Nu Guardian merely looked up at Kabuto and smirked.
"Luminaire!"
The boulder exploded. The air around them exploded. There was a blinding light, a massive, deafening thunderclap, and Kabuto suddenly found himself about a hundred meters in the air.
Hearing the explosion and seeing it, Orochimaru and Jiraiya paused in their battle.
"Jiraiya-kun... what did that brat summon?"
"He said it was called a 'Nu'."
"Interesting that a summon so small can cause so many problems. Kuchiyose!"
Orochimaru summoned a three-headed snake to attack, but...
"Doton: Yomi Numa!" (Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld)
... it quickly became trapped in a chakra-draining swamp. Orochimaru then leapt at Jiraiya, his new golden strands of hair glittering in the sun. Jiraiya quickly went through the seals of another jutsu just as Orochimaru's neck stretched out.
"Ninpo: Hari Jizou!" (Ninja Art: Jizou's Needles)
Orochimaru had to rapidly draw his head back as Jiraiya's hair whipped around him protectively, making a shield much like a porcupine. Before Orochimaru had a chance to react, Jiraiya's hair parted to reveal three kunai that the white-haired man had thrown at the snake ninja. Orochimaru dodged to the side, but not quickly enough as one of the kunai lodged itself into the shoulder socket joint of his left arm. The limb hung limply at his side.
The snake Sannin began chuckling.
"Well, this is certainly like old times."
Naruto was hard-pressed against his bone-wielding opponent, who had drawn a second humerus sword out of his other arm. However, when the Nu Guardian's Luminaire detonated, Kimimaro was distracted by the flash of light. Naruto took that opportunity to switch to the Tiger Style and attack his opponent's jugular, but the man's collarbone left its normal position to block the attack, halting it completely. What was worse was that the Kusanagi got stuck in that bone, pretty much disarming Naruto.
The bronze-blonde had to leap out of the way as Kimimaro spun on his heel, swords extended. Naruto realized he was in trouble, so he created a shadow clone and dispelled it, letting all the rest of his clones that he needed their chakra back. To avoid a massive headache, each clone in Konoha and Wave dispelled itself two seconds after the one before it had, allowing Naruto to regain a portion of the chakra used to create them.
What no one had realized was that Naruto was slightly dyslexic, causing him to make the cross-shaped seal for the Kagebunshin in the wrong direction when he first learned the jutsu. Normally, doing this caused a jutsu to fail, but Naruto had stumbled upon a new variation of the jutsu, allowing the creator of the shadow clone to regain some chakra when a clone dispelled itself (but not when it was dispelled by an attack).
Being at about fifteen percent chakra capacity, Naruto's reserves were suddenly bolstered by all of his clones made in the past couple of days dispelling themselves, allowing himself to restore his chakra to ninety-two percent.
Kimimaro tried to attack again, only to be surprised when Naruto suddenly and seallessly used the Kawarimi (Body Replacement) to switch with a boulder. He quickly spotted the bronze-blonde, but not before Naruto had completed a familiar seal sequence.
"Kuchiyose: the Sisters Six!"
Six Nus showed up, two of them were blue, one was a dark orange, and the other three were a yellowish green, but all of them had red hair. They really didn't look that much different from the male Nus, in any case.
"Nuuuuu," said the orange one. "Beat the freak and get the sword!"
At her command, the other five charged at Kimimaro while she put her hands together and began to chant.
However, Kimimaro wasn't just about to sit there and let them attack.
"Yanagi no Mai!" (Dance of the Willow)
He dropped his humerus bones and spikes grew out of his knees, elbows, shoulders, and palms. He slashed at the two blue Sisters when they came close, hitting one across the belly while the other dodged. The injured one was forced back to the summon world by how deep the cut was, nearly hitting her in the heart.
Kimimaro quickly attacked the other blue Sister, also forcing her to retreat. However, he had left his back open, allowing one of the green Sisters to slam her body/head into his spine, cracking it. It certainly was painful, but he quickly repaired his spinal column with his chakra, and spun, striking the green Sister and another one, dispelling them both with deadly wounds.
At this time though, the orange Sister finished chanting...
"The Gods in Heaven frown upon our haste! Slow!"
Kimimaro felt sluggish, and no amount of chakra seemed to allow him to move much more quickly. The other green Sister viciously head-butted/body-slammed him in the head before he had time to get away, and she managed to wrench the Kusanagi from his collarbone. Just when she was about to get clear though...
"Teshi Sendan!" (Drilling Finger Bullet)
Kimimaro lifted his arms at the Nu's back, and his finger bones shot out of his fingers, drilling deep into her back and striking her lungs. She dropped the infamous sword and disappeared. Kimimaro turned to the last Sister to see her giving Naruto what appeared to be a chakra infusion, restoring him to full capacity. She grinned at the Kaguya before disappearing.
Naruto removed his sunglasses and dropped them into a small Gate, allowing Kimimaro to see his chaotically swirling eyes. He turned a bit to look at Tsunade, who was trembling about twenty meters to his right.
"Hey, Tsunade-baa-chan!" (Tsunade-granny)
She was somewhat startled, and still in a daze, but she still looked at Naruto.
"I'm fighting for you, so you'd better appreciate it."
She blinked. Naruto turned back to Kimimaro, who was puzzled by the bronze-blonde's eyes.
"Do you like my Rabosugan? You'll be the first to witness Level Two: Koura Rabosu!" (Lavos's Shell)
Naruto's hair turned into a deep bronze, and his nails on his fingers did as well. Both began to lengthen and spike, and additional growths of the stuff sprouted from within his arms. Furthermore, the bronze-colored armor went around his clothing and covered it. Soon, all but his smirking face was covered. Then, a darker-colored brown, carapace-like plate suddenly slid over his eyes and nose, followed by two additional plates covering the rest of his face, making it look like he had a tri-hinged beak of some sort. Then it opened. A single white point resided in the center of a swirling chaos of colors reminiscent of the bronze-blonde's eyes. Before Kimimaro had time to contemplate the significance of what he was seeing, the mouth/eye/thing closed and opened, with a resounding roar. It was blood-curdling. Gut-wrenching. The sound brought out some of the most primal fears in everyone who could hear it... Even the ground shook as if the planet itself was afraid.
Needless to say, Kimimaro had an involuntary bowel movement prior to screaming his head off in fear. His mind practically shut down to keep itself sane, and his subconscious took over... despite the fact that it was scared as well.
When Orochimaru heard the roar, he stumbled whereas Jiraiya simply tensed up briefly, and then continued to attack. The Snake Sannin's fighting form was positively sloppy after his stumbling, but that was due to the hallucination he was trying to ignore.
He was the greatest of the Sannin! Orochimaru! But... he was but one man. One sick and twisted man on a lonely planet on the edge of the galaxy... on a backwater end of the universe. The infinite universe had no compassion for him. In fact, he may as well not exist: he was insignificant - a meaningless carbon-based life-form on a speck, orbiting a slightly larger, glowing speck on the edge of infinity. He was nothing. He understood nothing. All he knew was that he was merely food for the ultimate predator - an eldritch creature of immeasurable power and age, to whom planets barely count as meals. Orochimaru would not make a meal by himself - he was merely a grain of salt. Useful, but ultimately unimportant.
Jiraiya felt the fear, yes. But the killing intent was not directed at him, and Naruto told him that such an event may eventually happen, so he was somewhat prepared for it. He could tell, though, that Orochimaru was deeply affected by the mental attack, causing him to be a much easier target.
Perhaps he'd be able to take his former best friend down?
Kabuto managed to redirect his descent to the ground with a well-placed Fuuton: Daitoppa (Wind Release: Great Breakthrough). Then he and the Nu Guardian stared off.
"Foolish ninja, Nuuuuu."
"What?"
"If you didn't fight back, I wouldn't be able to use my stronger attacks. Nuuuuu."
"What do you mean?" asked Shizune.
"Nuuuuu. I was cursed when I was just a smidge. I couldn't use my... chakra unless I had been attacked. Nuuuuu, so I developed a reaction-based fighting style. Tee hee! If four-eyes fights back, I get to use my more powerful jutsus! Nuuuuu!"
Kabuto swallowed - he was in for a difficult battle.
The ground suddenly trembled, and then they all heard the inhuman roar and flash of power. The killing intent was so fierce that Kabuto had vivid visions... of a red star falling from the sky and striking the planet... of immense indifference to humanity, as if people were less than cattle... of the ground erupting and power flooding the sky... the earth scorched, blackened with ashes... the sky dark, and an endless winter... atop a mountain, miniatures of the red star descended and spread out over the surface until the center of the planet exploded, hurtling debris and... monsters to additional worlds to repeat the process...
Kabuto emptied his stomach right there, where he stood. But his queasiness and shock were the least of his worries as the Nu Guardian seemed to shrug off the killing intent and rammed straight into his chest, cracking a few ribs.
Shizune, though she felt fear, she wasn't paralyzed by it. She looked around to see that Orochimaru had stumbled, but Jiraiya was seemingly unaffected. Tsunade... well, she wasn't quivering anymore - she sat there, jaw slackened, staring at the fight unfolding in front of her. That Kaguya was screaming in fear of what he was fighting, though. What was he fighting? It was bronze, about Naruto's height, and... using the Kusanagi!? That was Naruto!?
She turned back to see Kabuto and the Nu go at it, watching as Kabuto tried to go with a right hook only to be dodged. The Nu went through some hand seals...
"All Time flows like a river! Let it flow no more! Time Freeze!"
Kabuto just stopped, all color on his person turning to shades of gray. The gray Nu rushed forward and grasped Kabuto's head, twisting it until a loud crack was heard.
"Nuuuuu, regenerate from that!"
Suddenly, Kabuto's body collapsed bonelessly, as if he were a puppet whose strings had been cut. The Nu turned to Shizune, and walked up to her, inspecting her damaged arm. He then reached into his throat where the panacea that he'd given Jiraiya had come from, and found a small bottle. It looked like a beaker of some sort.
"Nuuuuu, that is called a mid-potion. It should be able to heal the tendons in your arm if you drink it."
"But, this was in your mouth!"
"Nuuuuu. Don't worry - I brushed my teeth this morning."
Shizune sweatdropped.
Tsunade was shocked - the boy had a kekkei genkai (bloodline limit)! And what's more was his doujutsu seemed to have hidden qualities about it too! Armor from hair and nails!
And that roar... well, that sound would haunt her dreams for the rest of her life, but on the bright side... she didn't fear blood anymore. Her hemophobia seemed outright silly in comparison to the fear she felt when Toki - rather, Naruto - made that horrible noise. Obviously, the kid didn't have the Kyubi within him. Perhaps he had something else in him? She was going to have to ask Sarutobi-sensei when she got back to Konoha - obviously the brat had managed to win the bet... or he cheated. But hey, he's a ninja. He seemed to have learned that an unfair advantage is the one you don't have, and he probably cheated to win. Not that she thought he was going to lose when she made the bet, even though she hadn't realized it. Tsunade had given it some thought over the week and realized that she was going to go to Konoha even if she won the bet - the boy had stirred some strong emotions within her soul.
She was going to see to it that he became the best ninja there ever was and would help him with whatever his dream was, even if it wasn't becoming an ANBU captain!
Naruto felt great! He was well-protected against Kimimaro's bone attacks and was able to keep fighting as well!
Wait... Drat! The Akatsuki members probably heard or felt the Lavos Scream he had given off, and were coming to investigate.
Apparently, Orochimaru sensed this as well and rushed to Kabuto's side - the spy was still breathing and still alive, but his neck had been snapped, rendering him practically useless. The Nu Guardian was a powerful ally, despite his curse. The snake Sannin created a mud clone, which he used to carefully pick up Kabuto's body.
"Kimimaro-kun! We're leaving!"
"YES!" replied the Kaguya a little too quickly. He practically teleported to Orochimaru's side and grasped firmly onto his arm.
"See you around - I'll have to kill you all later!"
With that, Orochimaru sank into the ground.
Naruto, wanting to fool the Akatsuki, powered down his Koura Rabosu. He then gated his sunglasses back in and put them on.
"Feeling better, Tsunade-baa-chan?" he asked as he turned towards the Slug Princess.
"Yeah... Toki-"
"Naruto, as you well know."
"Okay. Naruto, what was that... armor?"
"A gift from my tenant: a fearsome beast that eats worlds but is easily bored."
"Bored?"
"It finds helping me out to be infinitely more interesting than destroying our world. By the way, you may want to get ready - Akatsuki comes!"
Shizune began reloading her senbon launcher while Jiraiya and Tsunade got into fighting stances. The Nu Guardian pulled a bottle out of his mouth, uncorked it, and drank the liquid within. His few wounds healed as he threw the bottle behind him and rolled his shoulders, getting ready for another fight. Naruto went into a Heron-styled kenjutsu stance.
Suddenly, four sets of black cloaks with red clouds appeared, surrounding the group. The largest one had a balding head and a black facemask, but he also had a scorpion-like tail waving around behind him menacingly. The one next to him had blonde hair and a large smirk. Next to him was Kisame, with his shark-like face and his large, bandaged sword. Between Kisame and the largest one was Itachi, who had acquired a katana from somewhere.
"You know," began Jiraiya. "You boys just missed your old friend Orochimaru."
The blonde replied. "He's not the prize, yeah? We just want the fox, but if you Sannin interfere... Well, no guarantees that you'll live, yeah?"
"Deidara-san," admonished the largest one with the scorpion tail. "Don't maim Jiraiya too badly - his body will make an excellent chakra battery."
"Yeah yeah, you and your 'everlasting art'! Don't feed me that crap, Sasori-san!"
"Will the both of you shut up!?" asked Kisame. "Our opponents aren't to be taken lightly!"
With that, Naruto barely shifted to a Crane stance and deflected Sasori's tail while Jiraiya attacked Itachi with a kunai. Deidara dodged Shizune's poisoned senbon while Kisame expertly blocked Tsunade's punch with his sword, Samehada, absorbing the burst of chakra used to power Tsunade's monstrous strength.
Deidara stuck a hand into one of his pockets and pulled out three small lumps of clay, which the freaky mouth on his palm began to chew. Before he could do anything else, he had to dodge another of Shizune's senbon barrages. Unfortunately, he dodged right into the Nu Guardian's charge, getting all the wind forcefully expelled from his lungs.
Naruto was forced backwards by Sasori's expert jabs, when suddenly the tail darted off to the left, towards Jiraiya. He had no time to warn the Toad Sage before he was stabbed in the back. Luckily, Jiraiya felt a change in the wind with his long hair and managed to partially dodge the attack, keeping the bladed end of the tail from stabbing him in the lung, spine, or heart, but Sasori still managed to slice open the old man's right kidney. It was all Jiraiya could do to send chakra to his diaphragm and heart to keep them from freezing up when his body felt the shock of the pain before he passed out.
Ignoring his suddenly-downed opponent, Itachi turned his attention to Naruto, pulling the kunai out of his left elbow where Jiraiya had expertly stabbed him. The bronze-blonde was about to try something, when Tsunade's body landed next to him, bleeding from her shoulders, forearms, and knuckles. She also had a busted kneecap. He also noticed that Shizune had been forced to back up until she was standing next to him by Sasori's tail.
Naruto checked on the Nu Guardian only to realize that the three clay beetles attached to the Nu's back were positively saturated with chakra. Deidara made the ram seal, and the three beetles exploded spectacularly. The Nu Guardian's charred body landed a few feet away from Naruto.
"Nu Guardian!" the bronze-blonde gasped.
"Nuuuuu!" stirred the blackened body, before its spindly arms waved about it in a seemingly random pattern, making some sort of hand seals. Four black orbs appeared from nowhere, orbiting the Nu for about a quarter turn before disappearing. "Dark Matter," said the Nu, before disappearing in a burst of smoke.
A rift in space-time opened, showing an inky triangular plane, spotted with thousands of pinpoints of light. Despite what one might think, the pinpoints were not stars. A second triangle of pure white appeared within it, spinning and twisting, one of the points seemingly locking on to Itachi, Deidara, Kisame, and Sasori briefly before the whole thing disappeared with a loud sound similar to radio static. Itachi was suddenly flat on his back, badly bruised and hemorrhaging, but still breathing and able to rise to his feet. Kisame was leaning on his sword, very much winded from the attack while Samehada gave off smoke and the smell of ozone - obviously his sentient sword absorbed most of the attack.
Deidara seemed to have been hit the hardest, as he lay still, barely breathing inside a small crater, with small wisps of smoke curling above his form; he was out cold. Sasori... was pissed. He kicked open the back of his ruined battle armor puppet and crawled out.
"I'll make you pay for that," threatened Sasori at the two still-conscious Leaf ninja.
"(What do we do?)" asked Shizune, voice barely above a whisper.
This is bad.
How so?
We don't have enough energy to fight any one of them off, nor do we have any attacks that are tricky or powerful enough to scare them away or even kill them. Sure, if it was any one of them, we'd win, but not against three of them with our strongest allies laid out like throw rugs...
I suppose I should summon Spekkio then.
Allow me to help.
Faster than Naruto knew he could move, he bit his thumb and went through the seals to summon.
"Kuchiyose: the Master of War!"
Itachi, Kisame, and Sasori tensed, fearing a large summon. There certainly was enough smoke for it. When the smoke cleared, all parties present were shocked to see a small green frog with a purple tongue hanging out of its mouth, hoping from one hind leg to the next.
Before Naruto could speak, Itachi had suddenly appeared in front of the frog and stabbed it.
"Foolish for you to -" WHAM!!
The unscathed frog kicked the Uchiha in the jaw, launching him a good fifteen meters before the black-haired ninja hit the side of a building rather painfully (well, obviously; how many other ways can you be slammed into a wall?). Naruto (and everyone else) looked to see a stuffed toy almost identical to the frog pinned to the ground with Itachi's sword. Kisame and Sasori backed up, waiting to see if there were any other surprises while Itachi fought to stay conscious.
"Spekkio?" Naruto asked.
"Yup. That's me. Wow. Powerful characters you've called me in to fight." Spekkio's voice sounded fairly high-pitched, but with a frog in his throat (pun intended).
"Um... If I may be so bold as to ask, why do you look so weak? And why aren't you a Nu?"
"I am a Nu - I just shapeshift. As for your other question... it's like this: if you're weak, I look weak and if you're strong, I look strong. Right now, I look as strong as the strongest amongst all the people here."
Naruto's eyes narrowed. "You trying to say something?"
"Yeah. Train more, especially with me. Anyway, I don't think I can beat these guys with just my little amphibious form..."
Spekkio spun out of the way as Kisame tried to smash him with his sword. Suddenly, Spekkio was a bit larger; he was now 1.6 meters tall with a face like a raccoon, clawed, four-toed feet, ears like a bat, hands like a monkey, and white fur almost everywhere. Kisame barely had time to block the large chunk of ice that the shapeshifter suddenly sent at him, knocking the swordsman off-balance. Spekkio spun again, this time planting a fist under Kisame's chin, sending him stumbling backwards.
At this point, Deidara began to moan as he regained consciousness and Naruto and Shizune had busied themselves with trying to heal Tsunade (Shizune with medical chakra and Naruto with the Cure spell).
Before Deidara could get up though, Spekkio leapt into the air, suddenly coming down on the blonde, his form having changed again. The fur was gone, replaced by blue skin covering fat and muscle. His feet and hands now had five digits each, ending in talons. On his muscular arms was a pair of golden wrist-binders, and topping his head was a mane of green hair. His ears had shrunk, but they remained pointy, like an elf's. A short, bulbous nose was centered on his now-menacing face, with sharp teeth lining his wicked grin.
Needless to say, Deidara wouldn't be getting up for awhile, especially with those cracked ribs.
Sasori unsealed a puppet, and Shizune gasped when she saw it.
"What?" asked Naruto as he continued to focus energy on Tsunade, willing her deep wounds to mend and her chakra reserves to refill.
"That's the Sandaime Kazekage! The man with the Iron Sand bloodline!"
A blade of magnetic filings swept at Spekkio, but the leader of the Nus dodged it easily. Simultaneously, a bolt of lightning struck the puppet, blowing off its head while Spekkio blocked Itachi's kick with his forearm. He then twisted his arm around the Uchiha's leg and tossed him towards Kisame, who had to twist to avoid injuring his ally but also giving up the momentum of his charge and the sword swing he was going to attempt.
Despite the loss of its head, the Sandaime Kazekage puppet still functioned, albeit a bit sluggishly. Still, Sasori attempted to attack the undefended Naruto, Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Shizune with the iron sand when his favorite puppet burst into flames and scrap. Standing in the center of the explosion was Spekkio, a frown on his face. He shifted again, becoming much larger and more muscular, wearing a dark red armor with a lighter-red robe over it. He wore blue gloves and boots and sported a huge mace, and wore a thick helmet. But what was truly weird was that Spekkio's now-black face had only one eye in the middle, making his 2.5 meter form really imposing.
He whipped around, blocking Kisame's strike with his mace. Suddenly, a blue wave of energy shot out from Spekkio's body, covering the ground and buildings with frost. Blocks of ice began appearing out of nowhere and went straight for the Akatsuki members. Itachi stopped dodging long enough to grab Deidara's broken body to keep it out of harm's way while Kisame blocked with his sword, the energy in the ice blocks seeming to dissipate.
"Interesting," Spekkio's deep baritone of a voice said as the frost melted. "That sword of yours reminds me of another weapon."
The leader of the Nus spared a glance at his summoner to see that he had successfully revived Tsunade and she, Naruto, and Shizune were reviving Jiraiya before Spekkio turned back to his fight.
This time, Spekkio's body gave off a bright light...
He was now three meters tall and sported thick muscles on his now-blue hide. He had a large mouth with purple lips, two beady eyes, two curved horns coming out of the back of his head, and wore almost nothing - only boots, a loincloth, and a single metal armband on his left arm. Comically, his legs were puny and his belly huge... but he was still well-muscled.
He grabbed Samehada by the blade and punched Kisame in the face. Itachi, after having dropped Deidara off in a safe location nearby, tried to use his Amaterasu jutsu to hit Spekkio, but the blue monster was ready.
"Obstacle," he murmured, before a black orb enveloped him. The Amaterasu splashed harmlessly off of the barrier before the black orb's surface crackled with electricity. It arched off of the sphere and struck out against Itachi, Sasori, and Kisame, knocking Itachi unconscious by striking him between the eyes (even though he attempted to dodge). Sasori managed to dodge, but Kisame was hit in the chest with it. He began cackling madly while swaying on his feet. Just as Spekkio's barrier fell away, the shark-like man attacked the puppet master. Sasori's robe ripped apart while wing-like blades suddenly protruded from his back and a blade on the end of a steel cable tore through it. The cable wrapped around Kisame and his sword while his hand hit Kisame on the back of the neck hard enough to shatter stone... but the shark man simply went unconscious.
"Seems I shouldn't hold back against you," muttered Sasori, before removing a storage scroll from his back. "Aka Hiki: Hyakki no Souen!" (Red Secret Technique: Performance of the Hundred Human Puppets)
As one hundred various puppets appeared around Sasori, Spekkio shifted his shape one final time, causing Sasori to pause, Naruto to fall over in surprise, Shizune to giggle, Tsunade to smirk, and the now-conscious Jiraiya to laugh.
Spekkio was in the shape of a Nu. He had that blank stare, but it looked somewhat faked. He stood only a little taller than the Nu Master Naruto had summoned before, had green hair... and was the color pink.
"Why are you all so surprised?" asked Spekkio, his voice sounding jolly and not quite as deep as before. "This IS my true form. Besides, how else will I take down one-hundred opponents?"
Sasori wasn't amused. His puppets viciously went on the offensive, some of them even going after the four ninja behind Spekkio.
Spekkio... frowned. Then the pink Nu said something in a menacing whisper, but it was heard by everyone.
"Hallation."
A wave of blue energy shot off of the Nu's body, making a noise reminiscent of nails on a chalkboard, and plowed through the puppets, smashing them to splinters. Sasori, his body being closer to the parts that still made him human, still broke apart, but was more intact, unlike the sawdust that his one-hundred puppets had become.
What Sasori didn't realize was that the attack was effective against groups of enemies, but couldn't actually kill living things - it just weakened the targets to the point where they were easily finished off. Since Sasori's puppets weren't alive at all, but were still targeted by the attack, they were easily destroyed by Spekkio's assault.
Before Spekkio or anyone else could capitalize on Itachi's, Sasori's, and Kisame's vulnerability, four large grey falcons swooped down and picked up Itachi, Kisame, Sasori, and Sasori's storage scroll. The Nu looked to the north to see a fifth falcon carrying what he had assumed to be an unconscious Deidara.
Spekkio shrugged, and shifted back to his frog form, cycling through his transformations in reverse order.
"Toki, you seriously lack in power and skill," stated Spekkio once he was an amphibian again. "Summon me again for training sometime."
POOF!
Naruto made several kage bunshin and sent them to see all the people they were talking to and let them know he was alright before having them dispell.
Since Naruto was emotionally and physically exhausted, he went to sleep while Jiraiya carried him on his shoulders. The old man's back was not what it used to be though, so he tried to hand him off to Tsunade only to have Shizune take him instead. The twenty-eight-year-old seemed surprised she did so, and was blushing furiously as she carried him piggy-back style. Tsunade opted to hold Tonton.
Lucky brat, thought Jiraiya. Shizune is quite the looker, and from what Naruto told me, age doesn't really matter to him. He's like, what? Thirteen? A fifteen-year gap between lovers isn't considered abnormal in the ninja lifestyle, as ninja die all the time. I hope they can be happy together... and keep on providing me with such great inspiration!
Tsunade glared at Jiraiya after his perverted giggle and the fact that he was writing while he walked. Shizune, on the other hand, didn't notice.
End Chapter Five.
Next chapter: Building Tokigakure.
Authors Notes
Finally, you know why the title of this fic is what it is. Well, unless you had already figured it out. I mean, seriously, I gave plenty of hints!
This story is getting complicated. But that's a good thing. I'll just have to try harder to keep track.
If you don't know what a humerus or a parietal lobe is... there is such a thing as Google. And your high school sucks if they didn't teach you about human anatomy in biology.
The Spekkio fight scene was actually quite difficult to do. Also, adapting the spells from the game to the Naruto world is sort of taxing. Still, it was good to get that out.
And I used "Obstacle" from the Ted Woosley translation (SNES/PSX) because it sounds so much better than "Chaos Zone" from Tom Slattery's translation (DS). Some of the newer spell/tech names are better though, so I'll generally be using those (or a variation thereof); actually, I'll just use whichever sounds better. Examples: "Spire" (Woosley) "Lightning Rod" (Slattery) but "Confuse" "Frenzy".
Thanks to Cylon One and Vassago-Toxicity for doing what they do.
And sorry for not updating this on June 1st, 2009. I was really busy yesterday, and totally forgot to update.
Naruto's Spellbook:
Rabosugan Level Two: Koura Rabosu
Using his connection to Lavos, Naruto activates the second level of the Rabosugan, which can be turned off (unlike the first level). It creates nearly indestructible armor like Lavos's Shell, and does not damage the clothing or equipment that Naruto has with him. Additionally, though his fingers get covered in the armor, he still has a full range of movement with them, allowing him to do hand seals or grasp weaponry, like the Kusanagi. His face is covered with the mouth/eye/vortex/thingy of Lavos to allow him some stronger attacks, such as a beam cannon or the Lavos Scream. When Naruto becomes more powerful, the spine-like armor will be capable of counterattacking automatically - something like an ultimate defense.
Lavos Scream
(Koura Rabosu must be active)
Like a massive wave of killing intent, the Scream can paralyze opponents with dreadful visions - sometimes of how unimportant in the universe an individual is or what happens when a Lavos nears the end of its life cycle.
Konoha Kenjutsu Styles
Basically, I decided to give a list of standard styles Konoha teaches that I made up for this story for those who like to keep track. Plus, I was bored.
The first eight styles are taught to Chuunin, but are also rarely taught in the Academy (with the exception of the Fox style, for obvious reasons).
Crane - Deflection and light attacks. Excels in defense.
Heron - Precision attacks against vitals. Horrible defense, but good for taking the initiative.
Fox - Precision and feints. Excellent for duels and crippling/capturing opponents. Defense consists of disarming moves. Still taught to Chuunin and ANBU.
Toad - Defensive blocking and power strikes. Strength is that it is randomly slow and fast.
Tortoise - Defensive blocking and deflection. Primary strength is its endurance - attacks only happen once opponent is worn down.
Monkey - Speedy strikes as a distraction while taijutsu is employed to disarm/attack the opponent. Most adaptable of Konoha's Standard Kenjutsu Styles. Created by the Sarutobi Clan.
Tiger - Powerful strikes designed to break bones - even when the attacks are blocked. Moderate defensive capability. Created by the Senju Clan.
Falcon - Speed-based, using the sword point as the primary implement of attacking. Not much power behind attacks, but useful with poison-coated blades.
The following styles are non-standard, and aren't often taught in the Chuunin Training Program except when no other style fits.
Snake - Created by Orochimaru. Speed, feints, and precision infused with taijutsu. Negligible defense.
Boar - Created by the Hatake Clan. With Kakashi's permission, this style is now taught to ANBU. Very fast, but also high defensive capabilities. Usable with blades as short as a standard kunai or as long as a standard katana.
Wolf - Created by the Inuzuka Clan. Taught almost exclusively to Clan Members when they reach Chuunin. Wide, sweeping attacks useful against multiple opponents, but is truly powerful when teamwork (with Ninken or another ninja) is involved. Also has a moderate defense.
Deer - Created by the Nara Clan. Employs a reverse-grip and usually involves a spinning or twirling motion. Best when used in conjunction with Clan Jutsu, but also taught to whomever wants to learn it.
Rat - Usually taught to most Chuunin who take up the sword. Speed, precision, and deflection, employing fluid movements and stabbing motions. Easily used for assassination missions, and is highly adaptable and easily combined with other styles.
The following two styles are Jounin-level, and taught only in a master/apprentice relationship.
Dragon - Developed by the Hatake and Aburame Clans working together. Highly adaptable. Uses disarming moves, as well as maiming and killing strokes. High defense. Best when used in conjunction with the Aburame's kikaichu (destruction bugs), but still fairly effective otherwise. Requires immense muscle toning and training.
Dog - Developed by the Sarutobi Clan and perfected by the Hatake Clan. Vicious and relentless attacks combined with the kawarimi and/or shunshin jutsu. Three masters are still alive: Kakashi, Hiruzen (the Sandaime Hokage), and Uchiha Itachi.
There are no masters of the Ox style still alive; the Nidaime Hokage was the last one to learn it. It involved breaking an opponent's weaponry or deflecting it, while stabbing or slicing through their armor. Embarrassingly, it was best employed by a master of the Suiken (drunken fist) taijutsu style (such as the Nidaime was).