Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto; however I do own Akemi, Yukiko, Zero, Rukia and Sayuri. And the Shīringu is mine and mine alone!
Summary: "When I died and came into the Naruto universe, I didn't think that I would be able to change much. I also thought that if I told anyone that they wouldn't believe me and I definitely didn't think that I could get a Kekkei Genkai either. But I was wrong on all accounts and I could not be happier." SEQUEL!
Obito's fate hasn't been decided yet, so keep voting!
Save Obito: 15
Let Obito die: 18
NARUTO SHIPPUDEN
Looking at Black Zetsu behind me sent shivers down my spine. The combination of his mutated body and face, along with his menacing voice was an eerie mix. Zetsu had always been a very mysterious character, no one really knew what his purpose was or what he did. I and Zero were the only ones who truly new Zetsu's true purpose: to bring back Kaguya.
"Finally decided to make your appearance." I say, turning around fully to face him. I didn't trust having my back to him.
Black Zetsu laughs, the sound was like nails on a chalkboard. "I suppose you could say that." He says, a low growl in the back of his throat.
My eyes narrow at him, "What do you want?"
If Black Zetsu could have grinned, I feel like he would have. "There aren't many people who know what I am. Only you and Zero, but that boy was an idiot." There was scorn in his voice, an obvious dislike for Zero.
"And what does that have to do with me?" I demand, getting annoyed that he was avoiding the question.
"You knew who we all were and what we could do, yet you never targeted me first." Black Zetsu says, almost thoughtfully.
I stay silent. He was right though, I could have decided to get rid of Zetsu first. It would have prevented quite a few things. The only issue was, Zetsu was the most elusive character of the entire series. No one could track him or find him, and he was able to get away quickly by disappearing into the ground. No one even knew who he truly was. Only a few people knew that Zetsu manipulated the Stone Tablet to make it say something different. He made it say that the Uchiha would be saved by the Infinite Tsukuyomi when that was completely false. It was made to discourage Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki son's descendants from attempting to recreate the Rinnegan. The tablet can only be deciphered fully by the Rinnegan, while the Sharingan and Mangekyō Sharingan are able to partially decipher it.
"You weren't an immediate threat back then. Also, no one could find you, it would have been a waste of resources." I say, seeing no harm in revealing this bit of information.
This seemed to amuse Black Zetsu more than anything. "Madara was right, you're quite smart." This didn't sound like a compliment though, more of a taunt.
Still, I just stared at him with an apathetic look on my face.
Black Zetsu holds out his hand, "Madara asks you to join us. I too am extending that invitation." This time, there was no taunting, he was actually being genuine with this invitation. And that was probably the scariest thing about this situation.
I look at him incredulously, "And what makes you think I'm going to say yes?"
"You're a smart girl. You'll make the right decision." Black Zetsu hisses out lowly, his demonic voce still chilling to listen to.
Smirking, I look him in his yellow eye. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to decline your offer. You see, I don't like being on the losing side." I say, stressing one word in particular.
Black Zetsu lets out a cry of fury before lunging at me.
My Tenshi no Chakra flares up, and a green cloak covers me. Black Zetsu attempted to reach for my throat, but when his hand made contact with the green chakra, a loud hiss protruded him his hand. Looking down, I see Black Zetsu's hand was actually melting away.
Black Zetsu withdraws his hand and jumps away, "What is that?" He hisses at me, holding onto his now melted hand.
"My power is angelic, and yours is demonic. You can't touch me." I tell him, and this time it was my tone that was taunting.
Turning his back, Black Zetsu attempts to flee the area by sinking into the ground. However, I wasn't going to let him get away so easily and without injuring him some more.
My Tenshi no Chakra flares up. "Tenshi no Honō!" Throwing a ball of white fire at Black Zetsu, I hear his cry of pain. When the jutsu was finished, the only thing left was a scorch mark on the ground. Black Zetsu wasn't dead, I could still sense him slightly, but it was very faint. Although, he was severely weakened.
Now done, I turn around and run towards Naruto and Sasuke, with a foreboding feeling in my gut. As I got closer, something didn't feel right. It felt like something terrible was going to happen and that scared me the most. Sasuke and Naruto were fighting Madara – one of the most blood thirsty and power hungry ninja we've ever faced.
It didn't take me long to figure out why I was feeling so jittery.
As I got closer, I saw what welcomed me. Hashirama was on the ground, looking defeated and was slowly disappearing and not regenerating. Madara and Sasuke stood nearby, facing off against each other and Sasuke didn't look to be winning. Naruto was pinned to the ground nearby, struggling with every fibre of his being against the ties on his wrists, ankles and throat.
Getting closer, the scene seems to freeze.
Sasuke seemed freeze where he stood, he had a furious look in his eyes and he was sneering. He was staring at Madara with so much hate it almost surprised me.
"Akemi-chan! Come untie me!" Naruto yells once he sees me.
I nod my head, heading towards Naruto, but Madara's words stopped me.
"Take one step closer to the boy and he gets it." Madara says, holding Sasuke's own sword to the younger Uchiha's heart.
I froze where I was and didn't take another step. I was staring at Madara with wide eyes and my mouth was open ajar. Seeing the blade so close to Sasuke's heart sent my mind and heart into a frenzy. It reminded me back when we were still Genin, on the first day we met Kakashi. He had grabbed Sasuke and held a kunai to his neck, telling Sakura to kill Naruto to Sasuke would die. I had watched Sakura like a hawk, making sure she didn't actually harm Naruto. It felt like that moment though, an impossible choice. If I went and freed Naruto, Madara would kill Sasuke. If I saved Sasuke, what would stop Madara from attacking a defenceless Naruto?
"You bastard!" Naruto yells out, glaring venomously at Madara.
This snaps me out of my thoughts, "Madara, you wouldn't kill your own Clansmen." I say, staring at Madara's Rinnegan eyes.
Madara smirks, "You're right. I gave this boy a chance, but he so rudely turned me down. Now, I think I may just use him for his eyes, they're a good pair." He says, turning his head to look at Sasuke's Sharingan eyes.
Sasuke growls at him, glaring with all his might since he couldn't move a muscle. If looks could kill, Madara would have been dead ten times over.
"What do you want Madara?" I ask him, seeing no way out of this without one of my teammates getting hurt.
Amusement shines in the old Uchiha's eyes, "I'm so glad you asked that Akemi-chan." The way he said my name, made me feel disgusted. There was madness in his eyes and that unnerved me on so many levels.
"No Akemi-chan! Don't give him anything!" Naruto shouts out, his struggling increasing.
Sasuke growls lowly, his eyes darkening even more. "You dare do anything to her-"
Madara laughs, "You're threatening me? You'll find that you can't even move." Madara comments, glee shinning in his eyes. He was enjoying this more than he thought he would.
"What do you want?" I hiss at him, getting frustrated.
Smirking, Madara looks at me, "I want you to join me."
This sends Naruto and Sasuke reeling. Naruto's struggle against the ties increases, and Sasuke's murderous glare intensifies.
I look at the situation again, assessing it in my mind. There was no way to get out of this where both Naruto and Sasuke are safe and I am not on Madara's side.
"If I join you, promise me that they won't get hurt." I say, looking straight at Madara.
"Are you crazy?!" Sasuke shouts out, turning his head to face me, the only part of his body he could actually move.
Madara nods his head, ignoring the younger Uchiha, "I promise." He says, amusement still in his eyes.
I narrow my gaze at him, "Swear it! Swear it on the Uchiha name." I demand, knowing full well that Madara only cared about promises to the Uchiha name. If he did, he would keep his promise because Madara is honour bound.
Annoyance shines in his Rinnegan eyes. "Fine, I swear on the Uchiha name that I will not hurt either of them." Madara says.
Staring at Madara for a moment, I walk towards him with no facial expression. I could hear Naruto and Sasuke protesting in the background, but I had blocked that all out. I kept my eyes on the sword he was holding to Sasuke's chest, wary of it.
Just as I was only a few feet away, Madara smirks.
This puts me in edge, and for good reason.
"You know what, I've changed my mind." Madara suddenly says.
My eyes widen and I lunge forward, "No!"
Just as my fingers were inches away from Sasuke, Madara plunged the sword into Sasuke's chest, stabbing him in the heart. Sasuke lets out a muffled yell of agony as he crumples to the ground, sword still in his chest. Naruto was screaming in anguish. However, I was staring at Sasuke with wide eyes, watching him struggle to breathe.
Madara laughs, "That was great!"
Something inside me snaps. The next few moments were a blur, all I could see was the blood stain where Sasuke had been stabbed. I hear a scream and recognise it as my own. All I remember is my Tenshi no Chakra exploding around me as I attacked Madara. I faintly hear Madara yell in pain, but all I saw was red.
"Akemi-chan!" Naruto yells out.
This seemed to bring me back to reality. I look around, almost confused. I look down and see that I was holding Madara by the throat, strangling him. There was blood pouring from his neck where my nails had dug into him. Looking into Madara's eyes, I actually sae fear and excitement, and something side of me liked that.
"Help Sasuke!" Naruto yells out, desperation in his tone. He was beginning to undo his ties, as one of them around his wrist was shredded to pieces.
Hissing at Madara, I threw him away and watch him as he fled the scene.
Now that he was gone, I rushed over to Sasuke and immediately began healing him. As I did this, I also did a diagnostic jutsu. Sasuke had been stabbed in the heart and he was losing a lot of blood. If I had made it even a half minute later, he would have been dead. He was hanging on by a thread. I began pumping my chakra into his system as calmly as I could. As I did this, I looked at his face. Sasuke had always been pale – like many of the other Uchiha – but he was unhealthy pale and that worried me. His breathing was laboured, he was sweating and he was unconscious. But he wasn't dead.
Naruto slowly walks over to us, now free. "Can you help him?" He asks in a low voice.
I briefly look up at Naruto, and that's when I felt the stinging pain at the back of my eyes. I was trying to stop myself from crying, I needed to concentrate.
"Yes, but it'll take some time." I tell him in my steadiest voice possible. I had worked with many patients in the hospital who had stab wounds to the heart. Some didn't survive because they weren't healed soon enough. Other times, we managed to save them, but it took a while because of how delicate the heart could be. Pump too much chakra into it and the heart could explode, pump too little chakra and it won't work.
I continue my healing, feeling myself become number to the situation. I was going into my 'work mode' and was feeling less.
"Akemi-chan, would you have joined Madara to save us?" Naruto asks quietly.
I didn't hesitate, "Yes. If it meant keeping you guys safe then I would do anything." I tell him honestly. Naruto and Sasuke were my teammates, they were my family. Quite frankly, I couldn't imagine my life without them.
Naruto fell silent as he watches me work.
"Naruto-kun, what happened after Sasuke was stabbed?" I ask him, remembering how I seemed to draw a blank when I thought back to what happened.
Naruto thinks for a moment, "You're chakra exploded and you attack Madara viciously. It reminded me of when Kurama gave me his chakra before I gained control of it." Naruto explains. There was no judging or fear, he understood.
"I could have killed him and be done with it." I snarl, continuing to heal Sasuke.
"But then Sasuke would have died." Naruto points out.
I nod my head, not regretting my choice at all now. If the choice came down to it, either kill Madara or save Sasuke, I would pick Sasuke every time.
"I'll make sure to get him." Naruto says, patting my shoulder.
I grin and look up to him, "Get a punch in there for me."
Naruto returns the grin before running after Madara. I could see many other Allied Shinobi Forces also charging at Madara. They all aimed to try and kill him. Usually, the odds wouldn't be in Madara's favour, but Madara was a strong opponent.
I turn back to Sasuke, pumping more chakra into his system. His sweating had stopped and his breathing was no longer laboured, which was a good sign.
"Come on you bastard, don't you dare die on me." I whisper softly to him.
Hearing footsteps run over, I look up and see Haku, Shisui and Itachi.
When Itachi got closer, he kneeled down next to his younger brother. "What happened?" He demanded, glaring at me for answers.
"Madara stabbed him in the heart." I tell him.
Pure anger flashes in Itachi's now Sharingan eyes. The next time he saw Madara, he was going to murder him violently. Seeing Itachi so angry was actually really unnerving because of how silent he became. It made everyone nervous to be in the same proximity as him.
"Can you help him?" Haku asks, also kneeling down next to me.
I nod my head, "Yes, but it won't be easy."
Shisui looks to me, "What do you need?"
As I was about to speak, the earth began to shake. I immediately look in Madara's direction and saw that he had summoned the Gedo Statue and was standing on its head. I could see all the Bijū standing in there, attacking Madara, with Naruto in his chakra Kurama and Killer B in his Gyūki form.
"Protect Naruto-kun." I say instantly, remembering how Madara would drag all the Bijū into the statue. Even Kurama was dragged in, and it nearly killed Naruto.
Neither Itachi or Haku questioned me, they just nodded their heads and ran to Naruto. Shisui followed behind them, looking slightly confused, but he didn't question it.
Looking down at Sasuke, I saw he actually looked peaceful.
"I can't lose you Sasuke, I love you too much to let that happen. If you die, I'm going to bring you back just to kill you myself. You know I'll do it too." I mutter softly, moving a piece of his hair from his face.
"You love Sasuke-kun?" Asks a familiar voice.
The hairs on the back of my neck rose. I look up and see Sakura standing not too far away from us. She had seen Sasuke on the ground and felt worried, so she ran over. But she didn't expect to hear that.
I stare at Sakura directly in the eye, "Yes, I do love him." I say, with no shame or embarrassment.
Sakura takes a step back, shocked. "B-but you said…"
"I didn't take notice of my feelings until now. I was always too busy with something or another, but someone forced me to actually take the time to think about how I really felt." I admit to her, seeing no reason not to. Truth be told, this wasn't the best place to admit this since it was a war zone.
Looking away from Sakura, I continued to heal Sasuke.
Sakura fell silent as she watched me heal Sasuke.
"I could never win against you…" Sakura mumbles softly.
I look up and see Sakura, tears in her eyes.
Sakura continued to speak, "Compared to you, I am weak. Back in Kirigakure, I saw the power difference between me and you then. You continued to grow more and more, but I always seemed to be looking at your back." As she said this, her bright emerald eyes seemed to darken.
"Is that why you left Team Seven?" I ask, already knowing the answer to it, but I wanted to hear her say it.
Sakura nods her head, she was smiling yet crying at the same time. "I hated you, yet admired you at the same time. I wanted to have what you had. But I know there is one thing I can never have." She says softly.
I stay silent, letting her talk as I healed Sasuke.
Sakura looks to Sasuke, "I realise now that I can never get his attention. His attention has always been on you."
I smile and look at Sasuke.
"I'm sorry I was so jealous." Sakura says, sincerity in her emerald eyes.
Looking back at her, I made sure she meant it. I was searching for any potential lie, but I found none. "Thank you." I say, nodding my head. It wouldn't mend our none-existent relationship, but it was a start.
"Sasuke?" A shrill scream echoes near me.
I turn my head and see Mikoto and Fugaku rushing towards us. Mikoto kneels down on the ground, looking at her son with tears running down her face.
"What happened?" Fugaku demands.
"Madara stabbed him." I answer, still healing Sasuke. However, at this point, Sasuke was nearly fully healed.
Mikoto looks up at me, "You can help him, can't you?" Her tears were falling fast and heavy. Even when she cried, she still looked elegant and beautiful, something crying people can never pull off.
I nod my head, "I will not let him die. I promise you." I tell her in a reassuring tone.
Mikoto nods her head, and wipes her tears away. She begins to stroke Sasuke's hair, sadness in her eyes.
I continued to heal Sasuke for a few more moments, pumping more of my chakra into him. I did another diagnostics jutsu and saw that most of the damage was nearly fixed.
"Akemi!"
Turning my head, I see Itachi Haku and Shisui running towards me, with Minato and Kushina running behind then. In Haku's arms were an unconscious Naruto.
"What happened?!" I shout, my looking immediately locking onto Naruto. He didn't look good at all, he looked drained of everything. I stand up and leave Sasuke alone for a moment, knowing that he'd be alright for a few moments.
Haku placed Naruto on the ground, on my other side.
"Madara managed to get some of the Kyūbi's chakra, but we stopped it before it could get all of it." Itachi explains, looking at Naruto with concern. He was so relieved to have gotten to Naruto before the extraction was complete.
I turn to Sakura, who has a shocked expression on her face. "Sakura! Finish healing Sasuke!" I order her, feeling panicked.
Sakura's eyes widen, "M-me? Why me?"
"Naruto is in critical condition and needs my immediate attention. Sasuke is out of the woods and needs just a little extra to help him, now hurry up!" I yell my order, mainly due to how frantic I was feeling about Naruto.
Sakura frantically nods her head. "H-hai!" She moved forward and kneeled over Sasuke, continuing where I had left out.
Itachi and Shisui walked over to Sasuke, watching him and Sakura. Mikoto and Fugaku were also watching her intently. They didn't fully trust the girl and wanted to keep an eye on her.
I immediately began working on Naruto. I open his jacket and the first thing I did was check his seal with my Shīringu, and I gasped when I did. It was a mess, it was shredded in certain places and chaotic. Just by looking at it, I could see that more than half of the seal was gone. Naruto was hanging on by the skin of his teeth.
"Can you help him, Dattebayo?" Kushina asks, kneeling down beside me.
I stare at the seal, unable to answer. "I don't know." I admit softly.
Haku looks at me concerned, "What do you mean?"
I sigh and bit my lip, "An extraction process is dangerous. In nearly all the cases, when the Bijū is extracted, the vessel dies. However, most some of the Bijū has been extracted and not all of it. I could try, but I have no idea if it'll work." I say, not wasting any time and pumping my Tenshi no Chakra into Naruto, knowing that normal chakra wasn't going to work.
Kushina kneeled on the ground, tears running down her face, "My baby."
I feel a presence behind me and look, I see Minato staring at Naruto with saddened eyes. Seeing him reminded me of the anime. Minato was about to transfer the Yin-Kurama into Naruto, only for Black Zetsu to intercept. However, Black Zetsu was weakened at the moment.
"Minato, you have the other half of Kurama inside you." I say, getting everyone's attention.
Minato's eyes lit up in understanding, and he moves forward. He places both hands on Naruto's stomach, but before he does anything, I placed a shield around Naruto, made up of my power. This is so Black Zetsu couldn't steal Yin-Kurama's power. Red chakra forms in his hands, bubbling red chakra. However, before anything else could happen, Black Zetsu appears behind Minato, and stabs him in the chest.
The red chakra in his hands disappears and Minato falls to his knees.
"You bastard!" Kushina jumps up and punched Black Zetsu, sending him flying back. She then kneels down next to her husband, "Are you okay?"
Minato nods at her, affection in his eyes. "I am. But I'm afraid I don't have enough chakra to make the transfer."
Haku looks to me, "Imouto, you're good at Fūinjutsu."
My eyes widen, "But I've never done that kind of seal before! It's heavily complicated and something could go wrong!" The thought of doing the seal was nerve racking and I didn't want anything to go wrong. Was I even experienced enough to do it?
I look around, trying to find for Jiraiya, "Can't Jiraiya do it? He's very skilled?" I say, but I couldn't find him anywhere.
Minato shakes his head, "He wouldn't get here in time. Naruto needs this now."
I take a deep breathe. I see Haku give me an encouraging look and I nod my head, "I'll do it."
Minato walks over to me and hold his hands out. I take his hands and concentrate. Slowly, the red chakra appears again, and this time in a ball version. Minato was condensing Yin-Kurama's chakra so I could transfer it into Naruto. When the ball was handed to me, I could feel the raw power of Kurama and I knew that if it wasn't for my Tenshi no Chakra, I wouldn't have been able to do this without severely hurting myself or putting myself at even more risk. Turning to Naruto, I place the ball on his abdomen and pressed the ball down. As I did this, my Tenshi no Chakra spread out, covering Naruto's entire body as it helped me to compress the ball down. I was met with some resistance, but I pushed past that and soon the ball disappeared completely.
Once done, I move my hands away and look at the seal on Naruto's stomach, my Shīringu still activated. My eyes widen when I saw it. It now looked different, there was still the swirl around his belly-button, but there was now a four pointed star around it. The blue-prints of the actual seal were amazing, it was even better than before, and a lot safer.
"It's done." I say, exhaling roughly as I deactivated my Shīringu and Tenshi no Chakra. I could actually feel the chakra strain from that.
Everyone else seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.
I decide to check on Naruto once more and find everything completely fine, but when I shook him, he wouldn't wake up.
I shook him again, "Naruto?" I say, looking confused.
Looking back to Sasuke, I see that he too is unconscious.
Something inside me was telling me to touch Naruto's head. I felt myself become numb as my Tenshi no Chakra activated without me knowing and I touched Naruto's head. I didn't notice this, but my Tenshi no Chakra had extended and also covered Sasuke completely.
And that's when my vision became dark.
Opening my eyes, I see that I am in a place covered by darkness with a low back light. It looked very similar to when Naruto would meet with Kurama. There was water on the ground, that rippled when I moved even slightly, but my shoes didn't feel wet at all. It just felt like normal ground. I look around and see both Sasuke and Naruto, laying the ground.
Naruto and Sasuke seem to be awake, "Am I dead?" Naruto asks with an unsure look.
I laugh, making them look at me.
"Akemi-chan? Did you die too?" Naruto asks, sitting up.
Sasuke also sat up and stared at me, but he didn't say anything. His eyes locked on me, staring with something in his eyes that I couldn't detect.
Before I could answer Naruto, a voice interrupts me.
"What makes thee think that thou art dead?" Says a new voice, one that none of us seemed to recognise. If I hadn't seen the anime, I wouldn't have known who it was either.
We all turn our heads and see a man – Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki. Hagoromo is a tall and pale-skinned man, who had deep wrinkles and a strong jawline in his elderly age. He has spiky, shoulder-length, pale-red hair, with a chin-length, braided lock hanging in front of his left ear. He also sports a goatee. Hagoromo has a pair of horn-like protrusions extending from either side of his forehead and pupil-less white eyes. He also had a red Rinnegan-like marking in the center of his forehead. Hagoromo wears a white, full-length kimono with a pattern of six black magatama around a high collar, beneath which, he wore a necklace which was also made up of six black magatama. One thing I did notice was that his eyes were closed.
"Thine ethical viewpoints on death differs much from that which prevail in my time. To so easily replace oneself with the term 'death', thou much gain mettle, oh fledging," Hagoromo continues to say.
Naruto, Sasuke and I all looked at one another. We couldn't understand what he was saying and this seemed to frustrate some of us. Naruto looked confused, while Sasuke's eye was twitching. I was the calmest out of all three.
"Who are you?" Sasuke asks, standing up from the ground with Naruto also standing up.
Hagoromo opens his closed eyes, revealing his Rinnegan eyes. "'Tis quite a precise query for this place but I am quite uneasy over whether thou shalt be able to connect my name with my action as a herald. I am he who shall achieve peace and order. My name is Hagoromo."
Naruto spots his eyes instantly, "You too have the Rinnegan." As he said this, he pointed at them.
Hagoromo nods his head, "Thou dost appear to possess observant eyes. All that remains is for thee to pragmatically comprehend thy circumstances. Thou hast not died yet, this place is thine inner mind. I understand thy haste."
Naruto seems to be getting even more aggravated with his speak, along with Sasuke and myself. "Can you please speak a little more smoothly, using easy and normal words?" Naruto asks, his voice sounding louder than usual.
Hagoromo begins speaking once more, as if Naruto hadn't interrupted. "I am an anachronism. Over the passage of much time, cultural traditions and notions, and ethics have brought about significant change. Each occurrence where I cross time and meet a reincarnate, I have come to sense greatly the difference between the other and myself. I was also able to formalistically regulate and learn new mores and words, however…"
"Hagoromo, can you bring it down a few levels please." I say, raising my hand slightly. I had noticed that he had changed his way of speaking, but it was still confusing to an extent. Naruto still looked confused, but not as much as before. Sasuke also seemed to be understand more of Hagoromo's words, and so was I.
Hagoromo stares at me for a moment, something flashing in his eyes. "If communication of wills cannot be achieved in addition to difficulty of definition. I see that I must speak more simply, taking into account current idealistic and materialistic thinking."
Naruto's eye begins to twitch, "Are you an alien or something? You seem super dignified but…"
Staring at Naruto, Hagoromo begins to speak once more, "Uh, that's a bit much, doncha think? An alien? Seriously?" He chuckles towards the end, finding the situation amusing.
Sasuke, Naruto and I share a look. This was getting really weird. We could all tell he was trying, but now it was just bad. The way he was speaking actually made him sound dumb and didn't suite his appearance at all.
"Not that we don't appreciate you trying to find a way to communicate with us, but I think you're dumbing it down too much." I tell him, trying to be as polite as possible.
Hagoromo seems to sigh, "How is this then?"
Naruto nods his head, "That's it, that's perfect."
Nodding his head, Hagoromo says, "Indeed. I'm getting the hang of it."
Sasuke speaks up, "Who are you?"
"And how can we get out of here?" Naruto also asks.
"Don't ask so many questions at once!" Hagoromo scolds.
"He's the first Sage of Six Paths, the one who sealed the Jūbi inside of him and split it up into the Nine Biju." I say, explaining it to my teammates.
Naruto and Sasuke nod their heads, understanding this information. Naruto recognised it as Sage from the legends Nagato and Jiraiya talked about. Sasuke recognised it from the tales he had heard his brother talk about.
Hagoromo turns to me, "You seem to have a keen sense of knowledge."
I grin, but don't say anything more.
"Are you the one who created Ninjutsu?" Naruto asks.
Hagoromo shakes his head, "Not Ninjutsu. I created Ninshu, the Ninja Creed. My Ninja Creed was something meant to birth hope. Do not confuse it with Ninjutsu which breeds conflict." As he says this, he grabs onto his staff that was floating below him. He then uses that staff and touches the ground in it twice. Two ripples appear in the water and travel over to Naruto and Sasuke. Two images appear in the water, each one male.
Hagoromo looks to Naruto, "You are my son Ashura's reincarnation."
He then looks to Sasuke, "And you are my other son, Indra's reincarnation."
Naruto and Sasuke both look at the images in front of them, but they soon disappear. When they did, Hagoromo floated closer to them. "Anyway, the conditions are all in place now. There are things that I must entrust with you."
Sasuke looks up to Hagoromo, "What are you talking about?"
"Forgive me. That is something I have no influence over. That depends on the actions of those outside. I can only relay things to you." Hagoromo explains, though it didn't really clarify anything.
I look over to Naruto and Sasuke, "He's going to explain about how things came to be, like the Jūbi and his mother."
Naruto still looked confused, but he didn't say anything.
Sasuke just folded his arms and waited.
Hagoromo uses his staff and touches the water once more, causing it to ripple once more. "First, about my mother and sons. My mother, Kaguya Ōtsutsuki came to this land of yours from a faraway place. She came in search of the fruit on the Divine Tree. The chakra fruit of the same Divine Tree, which you have seen in war. Kaguya consumed the fruit and attained power and subdued this land." The images in the water were changing, showing a story.
"Where did she come from? Is she stronger than you, Sage of Six Paths?" Naruto asks.
I shake my head, "She's not that kind of mother, Naruto."
Hagoromo look to him. "It doesn't matter where she came from. My mother was powerful, more powerful than any other. Some called her the Rabbit Goddess and others considered her a demon. They both worshipped her and feared her. Later, Kaguya would birth two sons, myself and my brother. We brothers, to atone for the crimes of their mother left behind, battled the Jūbi, an incarnation of the Divine Tree and sealed it inside of me. The Divine Tree, robbed if it's Chakra Fruit went on a rampage in an attempt to recover it. Much later, I had two sons of my own. I named the elder, Indra and the younger, Ashura and I taught them the Ninja Creed. But there was a huge difference between the two. One possessed genes containing my powerful chakra and the other did not. This difference manifested itself in an extreme manner."
Naruto began looking confused. "Huh?"
I smile and look to him, "What he's saying is that Indra was the talented, exception brother, while Ashura was the dunce of the two."
Sasuke smirks. "Sounds about right."
Naruto glares at him, "Teme…"
Hagoromo looked amused at the exchange, and even reminiscent. "Both of you truly are similar to Indra and Ashura, in both your actions as well."
Naruto looks up to Hagoromo, "My actions?"
"Indra possess a strong Kekkei Genkai and sense from birth, and was called a genius. He always did everything alone, leaning only on his strength and came to understand that his powers were different and special. He perceived that power could achieve everything. On the other hand, nothing went well for Ashura from the time he was young. He couldn't do anything on his own. In order to obtain the same power as his elder brother, he needed the cooperation of others in addition to his own effort. While struggling through training, the power of bodily chakra awakened within Ashura and he attained power rivalling his brothers. He came to understand that he was able to become strong, thanks to the cooperation and help of those around him. He leaned of the love for others that arises from thinking about others and perceived it was love that can achieve everything. Within Asura, I caught a glimpse of new possibilities. I partitioned the power of the Jūbi inside me and named each piece and believed that the bond known as cooperation was true power. " Hagoromo explains.
Naruto and Sasuke both look down, see the reflection of both Indra and Ashura.
"But Indra and Sasuke aren't similar, Sasuke doesn't rely on his strength alone." I speak up, feeling a little defensive of Sasuke.
Hagoromo nods his head, "That is true, but only with your intervention."
I nod my head, accepting his words. If I hadn't of intervened at all, Sasuke would have ended up exactly like he did in the anime.
Hagoromo continues to speak, "I then named Ashura the leader and Guardian of the Ninja Creed, believing that Indra would cooperate with his younger brother."
"But that wasn't the case." Sasuke says, having a feeling that Indra wouldn't like not being picked. In a way, Sasuke could sympathise, but only a little.
Hagoromo frowns, looking grim. "Indra did not accept my decision. From that day on, interminable conflict began. Even after their flesh perished, the chakra the two honed continued to reincarnate across time without vanishing over and over."
Naruto looks slightly nervous, "That sounds kinds creepy,"
"You and Sasuke are their reincarnations." Hagoromo states, looking at both Sasuke and Naruto, "My eyes can clearly see Indra and Ashura's chakra clinging to you two."
Naruto feels a presence behind him, and turns his head slightly, but sees no one.
Sasuke could also feel a cold chill on his neck, but didn't turn around to check.
Hagoromo observes this, "You two don't seem that surprised. Perhaps, you have senses Indra and Ashura's presence inside you already. I thought this much already."
"Who have been the other reincarnations?" Naruto asks.
"The first generation of reincarnations were Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha." Hagoromo states. "However, before Madara could end his life as a reincarnate, he created a certain problem. Madara was obsessed with the power that he stole some of Hashirama. This caused the merging of a portion of Ashura's chakra with Indra's chakra. The result was that it became essentially my own chakra, and with that he awakened the Rinnegan. I always thought that someone like that would appear among either Indra or his reincarnates. Hence, I left behind a stone tablet. It contained my writings on how to deal with this."
Sasuke's eyes lit up, he knew which stone tablet he was referring to. He had seen it many times as a child, but he could never understand it.
"So, you've been watching your kids' sibling rivalry all this time?" Naruto asks.
Hagoromo nods his head, "I suppose you could say that. Through Ninshu, I preached that chakra is the power that links individuals. I strongly believe that chakra should not be something that amplifies the strength of one person alone." Hagoromo then uses his staff to touch the water, making an image of Kaguya appear.
I stare at her reflection, she was beautiful but deadly.
"Even after my mother put an end to the chaotic times, she ruled with her power alone. However, my mother's power bred arrogance within her and mankind began to dread the existence of that power. That is why my mother, once known as the Rabbit Goddess became feared as a demon. When power is concentrated into one person, that power runs rampant and in time, it possess the person. The current Madara is a prime example of that, he has become just like my mother. Now he is no longer Indra's incarnate. He has obtained the Jūbi's power and is getting closer to me and is even trying to obtain my mother's power. The Infinite Tsukuyomi doesn't just case a Genjutsu over you. It keeps you trapped inside Genjutsu dreams so the caster can use your individual power while keeping you alive. You're attached to the roots of the Divine Tree and turned into living slaves. My mother passed down the power of the Sharingan as well as the Byakugan. She used her Kekkei Genkai to cast that jutsu upon the populace. It was a ghostly jutsu. If all chakra were to be reunited into one again, a new chakra fruit would take shape. That must be prevented at all cost or this world will end."
Naruto, Sasuke and I were silent, taking this all in. Even though I already knew about this, it was still cool to listen to.
Hagoromo looks to us, "I would like you to stop Madara."
Naruto smiles, "Even after you died, you tried to protest the world. Even when it's turned out this like, you still have faith in us, thank you."
Hagoromo shakes his head. "Don't thank me. I don't deserve it. In the current world desires Indra, or rather my mother's way and that's the natural flow. I am the one who is selfishly trying to go against it and stop it. Even in the terms of how the Bijū are being used, not for maintaining balance but only as weapons. Perhaps my way us naive."
"You're absolutely right, old man!" A familiar voice cackled.
I look around, it was Shukaku who had spoken, but I couldn't see him.
Just then, Shukaku's body bursts out from the ground, water falling off him.
"Eh? Aren't you Gaara's?" Naruto asks, looking bewildered to see him.
Sasuke also looks at Shukaku, "How did he get his chakra get inside Naruto?" He asks, looking to me.
I shrug my shoulders. In the anime, Obito was the one who had done it. But I had been busy healing Sasuke at that point so I had no idea.
"Obito extracted a portion of Shukaku and my chakra from Madara. He knew that we were the two chakras you were lacking." Gyūki says, also appearing from beneath the water.
I nod my head, looks like Obito really had changed sides.
Naruto's eyes lit up, "Octopops!"
Another Bijū appeared behind us, only this time it was Yin-Kurama. "Thanks to Akemi, you even have my chakra. Now you've got the chakra of all Nine Tails Beasts within you, Naruto." He says, looking down at me with his red eyes.
Naruto looks to me with a thankful expression.
"The promised time has finally come, old man." Kurama says, this time to Hagoromo.
Hagoromo nods his head, "You're right, my dear Kurama. Just as Gamamaru prophesied."
Sasuke looks to me in confusion, having no idea who they were talking about. As Hagoromo and Naruto were speaking, I told Sasuke who he was. Gamamaru was the elder toad, the one who prophesied of my fight with Yukiko and Naruto's fight.
I and Sasuke turned back to the conversation when Hagoromo began to chuckle. "You truly have the ability to win other's cooperation. You managed to summon my soul and you two have accepted Indra and Ashura has reincarnated inside of you."
Just then, six more figure appeared from the ground below. With each one, Hagoromo called them by their names, being the one of very few who actually did. "It looks like the child of the prophecy has come to change the world." Hagoromo announces.
Naruto and I look around at each Bijū. Matatabi caught my eyes and I smile at her, she was still my favourite. Sasuke was more discrete with his staring and didn't really pay them much attention.
"Naruto, Sasuke. What do you two want to do? What do you seek for the aftermath of this war? I would like to hear your honest opinions and thoughts." Hagoromo asks of them, staring at both of them intently.
Sasuke and Naruto fell silent for a moment.
It was Naruto who spoke first. "Maybe I'm really like this Ashura guy. I may not be as smart, but I do have friends that are and I want to protect them all. That's it." He says, passion and affection in his eyes. Anyone could tell he really did care for his loved ones.
Hagoromo seemed happy with his answer, and now looked to Sasuke.
Sasuke stares at Hagoromo in the eyes. "I am similar to Indra, but I am not like him. I plan to prove that. I too have people I care for and I want to protect them. Madara will not prevail." Sasuke says. Though his face was stoic, the passion was clear in his eyes.
Looking at both Naruto and Sasuke, I couldn't help but feel proud of them, especially Sasuke.
"Is that both your answer?" Hagoromo asks.
Naruto nods his head, "Yes."
"Yeah." Sasuke replies.
Hagoromo turns to Sasuke, "Long ago, I entrusted everything to Ashura and cast my attention away from Indra. That proved to be the source of calamity."
"I will not turn out like him." Sasuke vows.
Hagoromo nods his head, "Hold out your dominant arm. This time, I am entrusting my power to both of you, Indra and Ashura's reincarnates. Naruto and Sasuke, from what happens now, will be up to the two of you."
Naruto and Sasuke walk to Hagoromo and hold out their hands. They both places their hands over Hagoromo's hands. Watching them, I realise now that Sasuke was actually left handed, something I didn't actually notice until now. This is where they would receive the Yin and Yang marks – Sasuke receiving Yin in the form on a crescent moon and Naruto getting Yang in the form of a sun.
"Looks like it's time to head back then." I say as Naruto and Sasuke step back over to me.
Hagoromo shakes his head, "Not just yet."
I, Naruto and Sasuke all share a look, "Why not?" Sasuke asks.
Hagoromo turns to me, "You have yet to receive your mark."
My eyes widen, "Huh?"
Seeing my reaction, Hagoromo begins to laugh.
This brings me out of my shock. "But there were only ever two brothers. Why would I even be receiving a mark, that doesn't make sense?!" I exclaim, still feeling shocked.
Hagoromo stops laughing and stares at me. "I am aware of your knowledge and how you came to be. But what you don't know is that I also had a daughter." As he said this, a grin formed on his face which didn't suit him.
My jaw drops slightly, he had a daughter?!
"You coming into this world was no accident, you were choose especially by my daughter." Hagoromo continues to say.
I stop and think, I was especially chosen. That sounded very familiar. It took me a few moments for me to click on. When I did, my eyes widen once more. "Nora."
Hagoromo nods his head.
"Nora?" Naruto says, repeating the name.
"She's the Angel that brought me to this world." I explain to Naruto and Sasuke, who was also looking curious.
Hagoromo speaks up, "Originally, she was born in this world. But her life was cut very short and she died when she only nineteen. She had just married her husband – the son of a lovely man. She died being burned alive." As he said this, there was sadness in his Rinnegan eyes of losing one his children.
I stay silent, the story he had mentioned had considered with the story Nora told me. She had mentioned this when I was going to leave with Orochimaru to save Sasuke. However, there was one little detail that she left out: that she is Hagoromo's daughter.
"She was the only one who could bring peace with Indra and Ashura. She was stubborn and passionate. When she died, that's when the conflict started." Hagoromo admits slowly, still reminiscing. His daughter wasn't someone that was brought up often.
"Sayuri was also her reincarnate, wasn't she?" Sasuke asks. He had a hunch because of finding out that Madara and Hashirama were also part of the chain.
Hagoromo nods his head, "Yes, she was."
"But why did she never tell me?" I ask, still curious. I had known Nora for a long time and she never once mentioned anything. She knew that I had extensive knowledge of the anime, so why didn't she tell me?
Hagoromo grins, "Nora was always cautious. I do not know her reasons, but I know she would have thought about it for a long time."
I nod my head, making a mental note to talk to Nora later.
"Now, hold out your dominant hand." Hagoromo instructs.
Doing as he said, I walk forward and hold out my right hand. I place my hand on his palm and waited for a moment. Within seconds, I felt a pulse of power shift to my hand and then to my eyes. When the pulse was gone, I remove my hand immediately look down. Sasuke and Naruto had a sun and moon so I was curious to see what I would get.
Looking down, I see a five pointed star in the palm of my right hand. One half was white and the other half was black.
"Now go." Hagoromo commands.
I close my eyes and my world went dark once more.
I open my eyes again and see that I am back on the battlefield. I look around and see Naruto and Sasuke waking up. I sigh in relief and deactivate my Tenshi no Chakra and Shīringu. However, something felt different about it, I couldn't describe it but I could feel it. Looking at the star shape on the palm of my hand, and began to think. What could I do with this?
Sasuke turns his head, "Okaa-san?"
Mikoto's eyes lit up. "Sasuke!" She cries, hugging her son tightly.
Fugaku seemed to sigh in relief, seeing that his son was okay.
Naruto looks to his mother and smiles, "Don't cry Okaa-san."
Kushina looked like she was going to burst from the amount of tears she was holding back. "You idiot! Don't ever scare me like that again!" Kushina yells out, hugging her son.
Minato laughs and kneels down next to his son and wife, a relieved expression on his face.
I stand up, feeling full of energy. I no longer felt a strain on my chakra, which I was relieved. If we were going to be facing Madara soon, we needed to be at full capacity.
"How are you feeling, Imouto?" Haku asks, appearing next to me.
I smile at him, "I'm doing fine, Onii-chan."
Looking at Haku, I noticed Zabuza's sword strapped to his back. "Eh? When did you get that?" I ask, looking confused.
Haku grins, "When I went against the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, Zabuza left it behind." His eyes soften at the mention of his former teacher. Seeing Zabuza again had really helped him and he knew he had taken the right path.
Naruto and Sasuke both stood up. Naruto's eyes had changed, they were now yellow and had the plus symbol as pupils. Sasuke also had one Rinnegan eye.
We shared a look with one another and nod our heads. Now, we would face Madara together.
NARUTO SHIPPUDEN
Another chapter done! Guys, I'm in the last season of Naruto Shippuden which feels really weird.
Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter!