'cough' 'cough'...

So I don't know how to say this...lol...but yeah, 'welcome back!' to me. Okay okay! I'm sorry! I ditched out, ran out, slipped out...whatever, but it had a reason! So yeah, first of all, I'm really sorry for just leaving you guys hanging without any prior notice.

Well about six months ago (wait, its six months right? Lemme check!)

...

...

HOLY F****KING HELL! It's been about 8 months...atleast since I updated this fic.

Anyway, my poor sense of humour aside, eight months ago I'd come to a VERY well thought out decision that I want to become a manga artist (yeah, laugh at me all you want! You won't be laughing when you see it!). And so I started working on my own ideas, practicing my drawing daily and just about anything I could put my hands on related to comics and manga. I've been busy since then.

Then in May, Shonen Jump announced an international contest for all mangaka wannabe's (in three languages- English, Chinese and... Japanese of course! Duh!) I'd already started my manga before and just finished with it now- completing with the first chapter (45 pages- that's the contest limit for number of pages) that I'm going to be submitting. So let's see how it goes!

SO, I was really, really...UBER busy most of time. Hell I didn't get to sleep some of the nights because of the workload due to me attending college at the same time.

I just didn't know what to say to you guys cuz honestly I didn't know myself, whether I had really quit writing or not... but I knew that whenever I would get time, I'll get right back to it. So here I am, cuz I'm free for now.

And SUPER, ULTRA THANKS to those who continued to motivate me, review and PM me (even when I couldn't reply T_T). I think you're asking me to update, and you telling how much you loved my work is probably the 90% reason that I'm writing this. Reviews, any positive comment, a small PM, ANY kind of motivation...really, do wonders for authors like us, now I understand that completely!

So for now it's back to writing, and practicing my artwork again (gotta keep getting better and better).

Sorry for that long A/N, but those who were wondering where I'd run off to- I think they deserved the explanation. And sorry for not replying to your PMs, same reason as before, I just didn't have time. I hope you understand, atleast some of you should?

Most guys may not remember this story since it's been a while...for the small percentage who do, this is for you. :D

So without any further whining on my part, let's continue from where I last left.

Chapter 52- Purpose

"I see...the man I wanted to fight, you'll regret the moment you made this decision," the leader of ex-Sound Four articulated, a smirk curling his lips as he entered the first stage of curse mark- its black marks stretching over his face- the same happening with Jiroubou and Kidoumaru.

CRRK!

Lightning suddenly materialized around Naruto's hands as he took the jyuuken stance with Tayuya taking out her demonic flute.

Jiroubou, Kidoumaru and Sakon's eyes widened when, within a blink of an eye, they found themselves staring into the legendary purple orbs.

Naruto's eyes blazed with the Rinnegan as he flashed them a fierce predatory smirk.

"Uzumaki Naruto, at your ass kicking service!" the blonde exclaimed while the sound trio narrowed their eyes.

"Tch...what an overconfident brat," Sakon uttered, a frown on his face.

"Indeed," Yukon's deeper voice came from behind his head. Kidoumaru was sporting a cocky smile as he crouched a bit in preparation.

"A medium level difficulty, this game is an easy one. This level is as far as you're going to go blondie."

"Finally I'm going to get back at you for calling me fatso all those times. Suits you though, trash like you should remain with tra-"

WHAM!

Jiroubou received a blurred uppercut as he whirled back at whizzing speeds to crash into several tree trunks- splinters of wood flying out due to the impact.

'Whoa...' both Kidoumaru and Sakon had surprise written all over their faces, now watching Naruto stand up where Jiroubou was previously standing.

"You guys talk too much, I don't have time for you bullshit," the whiskered blonde's cold orbs pierced through their souls, his fists crackling with lightning while the remaining duo was pulled out of their momentary shocks.

'I know shithead's strong...but damn,' even Tayuya couldn't help but be impressed by the brute strength of the jinchuriki.

"Tayuya, do your illusion thing quickly," she was pulled from her thoughts upon telepathically hearing Naruto's serious voice through the Uzushio curse seal.

"I'll need a bit of time to prepare for my more effective attacks. They'll just break out of normal illusions within a matter of seconds," she informed.

"Kidoumaru!" Sakon exclaimed as he dashed towards Naruto while the dark skinned shinobi spitted several strings of spider web through his mouth.

"Just do it! I only need a sec!" Naruto spoke telepathically-pushing chakra under his feet as he jumped high into the air, dodging the web strings in the process.

"Tarenkyaku (Multiple Connected Feet)" Sakon muttered as Ukon's legs sprouted with his- making it four legs before he jumped towards Naruto.

"Where the fuck you think you're going birdbrain?" Tayuya uttered as she pressed the flute to her lips.

"Sakon, be ready for her genjutsu," Ukon warned as melodic sounds began to fill the area, pulling him, Kidoumaru and Jiroubou- who had just recovered, into her genjutsu.

"A few seconds is all I need," Naruto worded, still in midair as he pointed his hands in the general direction of an ascending Sakon, Kidoumaru and Jiroubou.

"Banshou Tenin" due to the pulling force, the genjutsu on them immediately dispelled as they flew towards him.

"Fuck!" Kidoumaru exclaimed, the trio being caught unprepared as they neared a descending Naruto.

Tayuya looked on in confusion as to what he was planning. Just when they were about to collide with the blonde, her eyes widened as the jinchuriki's body began to glow.

BHOOM!

A loud explosion rocked the area, creating smoke in midair while the redhead shielded her eyes from the sudden glare.

'That was an exploding shadow clone huh?' she realized, looking around to find the real one.

"That's not enough to take them out right?" came Naruto's voice through the telepathic link.

"Of course...you can't take those fuckers out that easily. Where the fuck are you hiding by the way?," she asked as three blurred figures landed in front of her, smoke arising from their forms.

"That's what I wanted. Just stay there, I'm releasing my weights," the ex-Oto kunoichi heard as the smoke completely subsided to show burnt figures of Sakon, Kidoumaru and Jiroubou- the trio currently in the second stage of their curse seal.

"I guess you didn't tell him how strong we are huh bitch?" Kidoumaru grinned, their injuries healing at a fast rate- their appearances now demonic.

"Chidori!"

SQUELCH!

Sakon and Jiroubou looked with stunned expressions- a bloody hand sticking out in front of Kidoumaru's chest, right where his heart was.

His eyes widened, the four-arm shinobi coughed up a gobble of blood- his eyes rolling up into the back of his head.

KRCHH!

A sickening sound was heard as Naruto retracted his blood coated hand encased in lightning, his feet too covered in lightning. Tayuya watched in intimidated fascination as Kidoumaru's limp body fell- his form lifeless before it hit the dirt while a shadow clone poofed into existence beside the jinchuriki.

"Bastard!" Sakon growled while the blonde met his gaze with a cold expression before pointing his bloody palm at him and an astonished Jiroubou.

"Fifteen...Sixteen...Seventeen..." Sakon narrowed his eyes- his demonic eyes boring into the Rinnegan while two white glowing spheres of swirling chakra began to form in the clone's hands.

Naruto closed his eyes for a moment, his palm still facing them as he whispered to himself.

"Eighteen...Banshou Tenin."

'Shit! That technique again!' Ukon thought as their bodies were pulled at blurred speeds towards Naruto. They didn't even have time to react as the shadow clone dashed towards them at lightning speeds- both his hands reared back.

"Rasenrengan! (Dual Spiralling Spheres)"

The two chakra spheres were rammed into their stomachs.

"AAAAGHHH!" Both Sakon and Jiroubou yelled in immense pain as the rasengan grinded into their flesh- the duo still in air due to the pulling force of the Banshou Tenin as they were completely crushed against the two glowing spheres.

WHISH!

The real Naruto released the gravity technique as they were sent flying back, spiralling in midair due to the destructive force of Rasengan.

KHRDSHH!

Skidding rather rougly on the ground, their forms came to a halt as they writhed in agony, clutching their destroyed stomachs.

The jinchuriki dispelled the shadow clone as he started walking towards the duo, their curse marks receding while a pool of blood began to form beneath them.

"D-Damn you...j-just because of t-that...blasted pulling t-tech..."Sakon closed his eyes pain as he tried to glare at Naruto. The blonde stopped just in front of them as he gazed at their forms coldly- faintly seeing Jiroubou's intestines having been ripped out due to the brutality of the attack.

"I'll save you guys if you tell me what is Orochimaru upto?" he uttered as a faint smirk appeared on Sakon's face.

"I...I th-think you're forgetting something," he muttered when the jinchuriki ducked- a kunai passing just over his head. Reacting at speeds that surprised Sakon, he turned his ankle while taking out a kunai from his pouch before piercing Ukon's skull from the side in a flash.

Drops of blood fell down the blonde's wrist as he pulled his hand back while Ukon fell dead on the ground- the kunai still stuck into his head as a pile of blood formed beneath his body.

"No...I don't think I'm forgetting anything. I can see everything, every move you've been making," Naruto spoke.

POOF!

Tayuya looked around herself as the area around them was covered them in smoke- signifying lots of shadow clones being dispelled. Her eyes soon widened in realization.

'Of course...his vision is linked. He had all those shadow clones surround this area- seeing what they were seeing all along. It's like he had the whole area under camera surveillance.'

"H-How...?" Sakon weakly muttered as his chin slumped into the dirt while Jiroubou already looked to be dead.

"That's for me to know...now, tell me and I can save you. It's too late for the fat ass though," Naruto pointed at Jiroubou when Sakon chuckled hoarsely.

"Th-There's a reason...we were chosen as O-Orochimaru-sama's bodyguards..." his eyes now half lidded while the jinchuriki narrowed his eyes.

"It's c-cuz...we ain't a-fraid to die," a light smirk on his face as he closed his eyes- blood streaming down his chin while Naruto turned on his feet.

"Suit yourself," he muttered as he began to walk towards Tayuya.

"B-Besides...y-you really think...Orochimaru-sama w-wants Kabuto?" the whiskered blonde stopped in his tracks as he turned to find Sakon now dead in his own pool of blood.

Clenching his fists, Naruto released a sigh as he continued towards Tayuya.

"Let's go," he said seriously, snapping her out of her reverie as she nodded hesitantly.

'Damn...I knew he was strong. But this...he can be really cold. Can't believe he was laughing just an hour ago like an idiot,' the red head thought as she gave him a calculative look.

"Tayuya-chan..." Naruto started, his back facing her- surprising her greatly by the way he addressed her.

"What?" her eyes narrowed as he turned his head to give her a warm smile.

"Welcome to Konohagakure."

"Huh?" she looked at him in confusion as he closed his eyes in a serene smile.

"I trust you now...so, I'm saying what I should've said to you a while back- welcome to the leaf village," she scratched her head in an awkward way.

"So you didn't trust me before?"

"Yup. I brought you only because of Kin-chan. I began to slowly trust you but I was always suspicious of you. And I think that was the main reason Kaa-san sent you on this mission with us. She wanted to know if you were truly loyal...loyal enough to go against your own village. So if you would've turned out to be a spy or something..." he turned his head away from her.

"Then?" she asked crisply.

"I would've killed you...right here," Naruto articulated in a cold tone making her eyes widen as she nodded hesitantly.

"But it's okay now! You're trustworthy, and I consider you my friend!" he turned back to grin at her, offering her his left hand. Bewildered, and feeling warm inside, at having made yet another friend- she averted her gaze before taking his hand.

"Y-Yeah...whatever," her cheeks heating up a bit as she shook hands awkwardly. Naruto just smiled at her childishly as he nodded.

"You can call me shithead from now, hehe. I won't mind," she snapped her eyes at him in surprise as he grinned sheepishly at her.

"But overdo it, and I'll get back atchya!" he threatened her light heartedly while she just averted her eyes- not knowing how to react.

"Anyway, just wanted to clear things up between us before we proceed forward. You ready?" it surprised Tayuya how he was switching his emotions so easily, his voice now serious.

"H-Hai, let's go!" she exclaimed, louder than she wanted to, not knowing why her heart was beating so fast.

The duo were soon speeding through the sky, riding on Kiyohime.

"You got what he meant by that dying statement Ayumi-chan?" the blonde asked.

"Obviously it meant that Orochimaru is after something else...but what it is, that I don't know. I guess he used Kabuto as an excuse and Sasuke as bait to pull us out. Still, you're doing this for that Uchiha woman...so I don't think it changes the situation that drastically. Either way, we just gotta face whatever he throws at us," Ayumi said in a solemn tone making him nod.

"AH!"

WHOOSH!

Kiyohime exclaimed in surprise, narrowly dodging a barrage of sharp projectiles while Naruto held onto Tayuya by her left hand- who had fallen by the sudden movement.

"Shit! What happened Kiyohime-chan?!" the jinchuriki exclaimed as he pulled Tayuya up.

"I...happened," the blonde and the red head narrowed their eyes as they looked down to see a white haired shinobi standing on an extremely tall pillar- which looked to be made of pure bones.

"I let the others pass, but my mission is to capture you...Uzumaki Naruto," Kimimaro spoke calmly, holding a rather long sharp piece of bone while Tayuya cursed in frustration.

"Shit! I forgot to tell you about him! Dammit fuck! He's the most dangerous amongst Orochimaru's henchmen...Kimimaro. He belongs to the Kaguya clan, possessing the bloodline limit of Shikotsumyaku (Dead Bone Pulse). Bitch! We can't just outsmart him like those fuckers...he even defeated all of us combined single handedly!" the red head blabbered in panic while Naruto kept his eyes on Kimimaro.

"Yeah, I can see he's strong," he spoke.

'I can see it in his eyes...they resemble mine when I was alone back in my academy days.'

"Kiyohime-chan, you go ahead with Tayuya-chan. I'll take this guy on," Naruto uttered seriously when Tayuya put a firm hand on his shoulder.

"Are you out of your fucking mind?! You want to face him alone?!" she exclaimed in slight anger as he gave her a cold stare- a confident look on his face.

"I'll say in your words then...don't fucking underestimate me, ever Tayuya-chan."

She continued to stare at him for a few seconds before retracting her hand when he grabbed it. The redhead looked at him in surprise as he offered her a light smile.

"Friends should have faith in each other, right?" it was more of a statement than a question as she lowered her gaze.

"Yes..." her voice uncertain before she offered him an awkward smile.

"I guess, I'll have faith in you getting your ass kicked," a mischievous smirk on her face making him sweatdrop.

"Uh...yeah, thanks for the vote of confidence."

"If I weren't a patient man Uzumaki Naruto, and you're lucky that I am...I won't be giving you time for character development up there," Kimimaro's calm voice broke the atmosphere as a vein popped on the blonde's head.

"Shut up you dork! It's called connecting! CONNECTING! I was connecting with her! Now I have another reason to kick your ass!" steam came out of the blonde's nose as he pumped his fists.

Wham!

"Gah!" Naruto exclaimed upon receiving a kick to his butt as he went flying off Kiyohime while Tayuyo just cleansed her ear with her pinky- a bored expression on her face.

"Enough of this bullshit. Let's go 'what'sh yer name by the way'," she uttered while ignoring Naruto's shout of 'Tayuya you shit of a bitch!"

Kimimaro watched the falling blonde calmly as he jumped off the tall bone pillar to land in a grass field.

THUP!

Having created a small crater due to his landing, Naruto stood up with a stern face while the bone user just greeted him with a neutral look.

"You could've just ignored this guy and continue forward to others Naruto," Ayumi said.

"What that guy said before dying is troubling me. I have to know more about Orochimaru's plan so that I can warn others. You yourself said Ayumi-chan, wars alone can be won if right information is gathered at the right time. This Kimimaro looks like someone who might be close enough to Orochimaru to know something important," the blonde uttered as silence ensued in his mindscape after that.

"Those eyes...Orochimaru-sama wants those eyes. And I'll do everything in my power to see that he gets what he wants," Kimimaro uttered as he pointed a finger at Naruto. A bone shrapnel began to pierce through the tip of the finger before it fired towards the jinchuriki at whipping speeds.

CLKK!

A momentary look of surprise crossed the Kaguya clan's prodigy as he watched the shrapnel bounce of a thin wall of ice which had formed on the right palm of Naruto.

'What's up with this obsession with that snake fuck. First that crystal woman, and now this guy,' he clenched his fist in anger, breaking the thin ice wall in the process while glaring at his opponent.

'That bastard really knows how to manipulate anyone. Brainwashing all his henchmen just to achieve his goals...all of them are being used, being played as pawns and they don't even realize it. The worst part is...they all are ready to die for him!' pursing his lips tightly, lightning began to crackle around his hands when he dashed forward at his full speed.

Kimimaro took a surprised step back at the sudden speed and just as he composed himself- the blurred jinchuriki was upon him as he unleashed a flurry of palm strikes upon him.

Thik! Thwish!...Thwak!

The Kaguya could only grunt as his feet slid back due to the force, his stomach bent while Naruto's hands were barely a visible blur.

"HAA!" the blonde exclaimed as he gave a final palm thrust to his chest- expulsing large amounts of chakra in a second as Kimimaro went soaring back.

'That should...' the whiskered blonde's thoughts trailed when he watched his white haired opponent grind his feet against the ground before stopping himself. Looking closely, he could make out two long slash marks on the ground where Kimimaro had slid.

"Quite the skilled shinobi you are...very few are capable of using ninjutsu after being struck so brutally by the gentle fist, and more so after I numbed your body with my lightning," Naruto spoke as he straightened his slightly bent knees to stand straight.

"That wasn't ninjutsu..." Kimimaro lifted his face- his expression stony as ever while he patted his chest to get rid of the smoke curtain.

"My Shikotsumyaku is a taijutsu type kekkei genkai. And besides, gentle fist isn't effective against me," he said while plucking his feet one after other out of the ground- showing bone spikes having protruded out of the base of his feet.

"There's a reason I was especially sent to capture you. I know all about you, all your abilities...and the wide variety of ninjutsu and taijutsu you possess. But no matter how strong your attacks are, if you can't pierce my ultimate defence, then you are already defeated."

"Ayumi-chan, you know anything about his bloodine limit?" Naruto questioned inwardly.

"As far as I know, the Kaguya clan were a bunch of battle loving barbarians. They were specialized warriors, with their bloodline limit being the spine of their strengths. Shikotsumyaku, as he said, is a taijutsu bloodline. It rocket fires a person's defence- being almost impenetrable by normal shinobi standards. Also, they all were taijutsu masters- being of even greater calibre that Maito Guy. Even the Hyuga clan feared them in the second great shinobi war- cause the Kaguya warriors could create a chakra enhanced layer of bone inside their skin...being able to protect all their charka points, like he did just now. You have to be really careful here Naruto," she warned while he nodded when the lightning around his fists and feet slowly died down.

"I guess Raiken is ineffective against him then," he muttered to himself before analyzing the situation before him.

'There's only one element which holds the possibility of penetrating his defences,' the blonde thought when Kimimaro crouched a bit, crossing his forearms in front of his face.

"Yanagi no Mai (Dance of the Willow)"

The jinchuriki watched as several long bone blades began to protrude out of Kimimaro's elbows, knees, palms and his shoulders.

"Tajuu...Kage Bunshin no Jutsu," Naruto muttered calmly, forming the required handseal as several clones formed beside him. Giving them the mental commands, the clones dashed to their respective positions- surrounding the two of them in a circular way while the white haired shinobi glanced at them calmly.

"Nice tactic...you sure know how to use your linked vision in battles now," Ayumi commented when the blonde blurred through a few handseals.

"Fuuton: Dai Kamaitachi (Wind Release: Great Cutting Whirlwind)" he whispered to himself, as the wind around him sped towards the Kaguya, creating howling sounds.

Not wasting any time, Kimimaro began to dash forwards when he launched himself in air using a chakra enhanced jump- dodging the attack. Pointing his palms at the standing blonde while in midair, he fired several bone blades.

SWISH!

His eyes widening at their speeds, Naruto barely jumped sideways as they lodged into the dirt.

Clk! Thk! Kflk!

'He's fast!'

Flipping himself backwards just in time to dodge another flurry of blades, he landed on the ground before making a run for where his opponent was about to land. Taking out several shuriken, he hurled them towards the Kaguya before seaming through a set of hand seals.

"Raiton: Dai Kangekiha (Lightning Release: Great Inspiration Wave)"

Parrying away the shuriken with his blades easily, Kimimaro looked on as several glowing beams of lightning approached him at whipping speeds. Naruto's eyes widened as his opponent just absorbed the beams with his bone blades.

'Shit of course! Bone is not a conductor of electricity...' an afterthought crossed his mind before he launched a flying kick at the Kaguya. Dodging blurrily, Kimimaro fired a blade from his elbow towards the blonde just behind him.

Naruto ducked sideways, the blade grazing against his shoulder while his right leg blurred towards Kimimaro in the form of a roundhouse kick.

The jinchuriki's eyes widened when several bone spikes came out of the white haired shinobi's left cheek, where the kick was heading.

'Shit!'

Stopping his foot just barely an inch away from the spikes, the whiskered quickly jumped off his hands to flip himself back to his feet before again taking a mad dash towards his standing opponent.

"You think it's that easy," Kimimaro spoke with his back facing the approaching blonde as he fired several bone blades from his back.

Jumping over them acrobatically, the agile blonde whizzed towards him as he slipped a kunai into his hand from the sleeve of his sweatshirt. Kimimaro quickly turned as he thrust his palm towards the approaching kunai.

CLKK!

'What the...' Naruto thought in surprise, gritting his teeth as he put more strength behind the kunai.

"My bones are chakra infused, and they are stronger than tempered steel. You think your pitiful attacks will work? Your speed is of no use if you can't penetrate my defence," the Kaguya clan prodigy voiced when a bone blade, having come out his palm began to push the kunai back.

KRRK!

Naruto pupils zoomed out when the kunai began to crack under the pressure.

KCHRSSH!

Being broken into several pieces, the blonde released the kunai before jumping back to dodge the approaching blade.

'What's with this guy? His bones...even for a chakra infused material, they are insanely strong. Even while I was pushing wind natured chakra through the kunai, still it wasn't enough to pierce his defence...'

Narrowing his eyes, he went through three seals before holding his right palm downwards with his left hand.

"Let's see if this works!"

CHRRSHHK!

"I see...that's Sharingan no Kakashi's technique," Kimimaro uttered when the Rinnegan user bolted towards him at mind boggling speeds.

"Tsubaki no Mai (Dance of Camellia)"

The sounds of chirping birds got louder as a large bone came out of his palm when Naruto reached him in a blur.

"Chidori!"

KRAKCH!

The blonde gritted his teeth as he put more force behind his thrust, his lightning covered hand now trying to pierce Kimimaro's chest.

Whoosh!

The jinchuriki flipped over him, swirling several times in midair as he narrowly dodged the bone sword that was about to pierce his gut.

'Shit, not even Chidori...'

"If it weren't for the vision that you and your clones share, you'd be dead by now," Naruto glared into the calm pools of Kimimaro, when the latter crouched in a strange position- holding the bone hilt sword before bolting towards the blonde.

Taking a few steps back involuntarily, the jinchuriki prepared himself as Kimimaru unleashed a barrage of stabs at him.

'He's really fast!' Naruto began to dodge the strikes with agility that was now surprising the bone user. Narrowing his eyes, indicating his slight frustration- he began to strike chaotically, continuousy...

Swish!

Swosh!

Thawsh!

Naruto's eyes widened at the sudden wildness, finding it difficult to read his opponent's movements as he began to jump back to create some distance. Not letting him loose, Kimimaro fired some shrapnel from his other hand making the blonde loose his balance in dodging them. Seeing the opening, the Kaguya fired forward at full speeds, the bone sword slicing through the wind towards Naruto's skull.

...

"SHINRA TENSEI!"

KRRBHOOM!

The next thing Kimimaru knew, he was flying back at breakneck speeds. Flipping himself in midair, he used the bone blade to skid to a halt.

'That was too close for comfort...' Naruto sighed as he stood up while watching a crouched Kimimaro.

"The ace up your sleeve huh? Orochimaru-sama did warn me about those gravity techniques of y-" the blonde watched in surprise when his opponent began to cough violently, spitting out blood in his hands.

"That isn't the result of Shinra Tensei is it Ayumi-chan?" he questioned in confusion while the Kaguya wiped the blood off his lips.

"No...he must be ill," Ayumi spoke as the bone user stood up shakily, now breathing a bit heavily.

"You're ill, and yet you still choose to serve him," Naruto spoke in a solemn tone while Kimimaro breathed deeply to compose himself.

"You are a jinchuriki Uzumaki Naruto, so you should understand what it is like to have no purpose in life. You were an orphan too, but you found a purpose in your life- your village, Konoha became your purpose. But for a village-less, clan-less orphan like me...there was no purpose. Orochimaru-sama became that purpose. We are enemies in this scenario, each driven by our own purpose, the purpose for which we live, the purpose for which we fight...and we are not afraid to die for that purpose. If you were in my shoes Uzumaki Naruto, what would you have done?" again there was that calm exterior as the blonde jinchuriki glared at him.

"What you're doing right now is not fighting, it's suicide. You're not fighting for a purpose, no...you are NOT fighting. You are running away. Running away from your life, from your loneliness. Isn't that right? You can't bear that loneliness anymore. Orochimaru, although he gave you something to live for, he couldn't give you what you wanted, what orphans like us want. A meagre purpose like that is trash," Naruto articulated, inwardly noting the surprised look that crossed Kimimaro's eyes for a moment. The blonde clenched his fists as he remembered someone else, who was similar to the guy in front of him.

"Can you understand? Not having a dream… not being needed by anyone… the pain of merely being alive."

"I realised the most painful thing… that in this world… my existence was not needed."

"I want to protect the person important to me… I want to work for that person. I want to fight for that person. I want to make that person's dream come true… that is my dream."

"If you have to dedicate yourself to someone just so you can become his tool, that's not life. Life is about freedom, about doing what you like, as long as it doesn't hurt others. But if you're hurting yourself, just so you could be of use to someone, that's definitely not life! And if that someone is a muthafucker like Orochimaru, then that's stupidity at its peak's peak!" by the end Naruto was yelling while Kimimaro glared at him, his eyes icy cold.

"Don't you dare insult Orochimaru-sama."

"See that? That's what he does to you guys, brainwashing! Manipulating you your whole lives! If he cares so much for you, if he means that much to you, then tell why the fuck he sent you in this state! And that too to fight a jinchuriki no less! Can't you see it's a suicide mission?!"

"SHUT UP!" the blonde stopped in surprise upon hearing Kimimaro shout, the calm exterior giving way to anger on his face now as chakra began to rotate around him, now visible to the naked eye.

"Tessenka no Mai: Tsuru (Dance of the Clematis: Vine)" the jinchuriki could only watch in shock as his white haired opponent slowly ripped out his own spinal column, a new one already replacing it at astounding rates.

"Ayumi-chan...?"

"Shit, I had no idea they were capable of even this. That's just disgusting!" she exclaimed.

"It's not brainwashing! It's my own reasoning! What would you know huh?!" the Kaguya yelled as he sliced his spinal column, sporting spikes around it- towards one of Naruto's clones. Surprisingly for the blonde, the spinal column stretched in a blur even to his Rinnegan as Kimimaro swung it in a wide arc- taking out all the clones in the process.

'Holy...how the hell did it stretch?'

Looking closely, the blonde could make out cartilages connecting the spinal bones- allowing for flexibility.

"Shit!" he ducked down just in time to avoid the incoming spinal whip- cutting some of his hair in the process. Retracting it, the Kaguya dashed at him while again swinging the whip at him. Naruto's eyes widened at the increased speed, gritting his teeth as he jumped high in the air reflexively.

"I think you're the manipulator here!" Kimimaro yelled as he again swung the spinal whip, this time even faster than before.

CLUFK!

"Gah!" the blonde cried in pain as the whip coiled tightly around his body, the spikes piercing his skin as he landed on the ground- gritting his teeth in pain.

Valley of The End

"Shit! He fucking tricked us! That bastard!" Anko exclaimed in anger as she glared hatefully at Orochimaru and Kabuto standing on Madara's statue head.

"Can't believe that even Jiraiya, in sage mode, was tricked by the Shikon no Jutsu (Dead Soul Technique)," Orochimaru spoke with a chuckle as Mikoto narrowed her eyes.

"When did you...we made sure no one came near the captured Kabuto,"she said.

"Oh it was long before that Mikoto dear. It was even before he was captured. Kabuto-kun here is very skilled you see...especially when it comes to reanimating corpses to use as decoys. Even the best of medics can't tell if they are fake. Right when we were fighting Jiraiya that day, Kabuto had come up with his nice plan to pull you Konoha shinobi out where we wanted. He could've gotten out of that the Yomi Numa technique of Jiraiya back then...but it was all planned right there and then."

"Well, we did suspect foul play," Mikoto muttered as she gazed at the corpse lying at her feet- which was supposed to be Kabuto which they had brought along.

"What's the plan now Mikoto-sama?" Yamato questioned as she closed her eyes to take a deep breath.

"We fight. I came here for my son, and I'm not going back without him. Besides, it's only the two of the-" the syllables died in her throat, their eyes widening at what was being slowly revealed to them while Orochimaru smirked at them.

"You didn't think we would come unprepared did you?"

The fog, which was covering the lake below- had slowly cleared up for Mikoto's team to now see hundreds of Oto shinobi standing on water down there.

'No...'

"I guess it now makes us roughly just about six hundred two huh?!" the snake sanin uttered with a cackle while Sakura's pupils zoomed out in primal fear, staring at the army below them.

With Naruto

"You Konoha shinobi are all full of bullshit! All you can do is preach about this and that! You think whatever you say, whatever you do is always right?!" the bone user pulled the whip more, tightening it around the blonde's body as the spikes embedded deeper into his skin.

Naruto closed his one eye in pain as he glared at his opponent.

"That's what losers like you always complain! Jealousy, that is what's speaking right now! We are not always right, but atleast we learn from our mistakes instead of people like you who just succumb to into their darkness! All you do is piss, moan and whine! Just like you're doing right now! Orochimaru-sama this! Orochimaru-sama that!" disgust was clearly evident on the jinchuriki's face. Gritting his teeth in rage, the Earth curse seal on the middle of Kimimaro's chest began to act as he entered the second curse mark stage straight away- his features now demonic too.

"Naruto stop it. He's gone too deep now. Words won't affect him. I know what you're trying to do but...look at him, he's just completely obsessed. It's just better if you put him out of his misery," Ayumi spoke in a melancholic tone making the blonde narrow his eyes. Feeling wet drops on his skin, he vaguely noticed that it had started to rain- the sky now turning dark.

"I see...that confidence on your face. I'll break that look of surety first," oddly the blind rage was replaced again by that calm expression on Kimimaro's face, holding the whip with his left hand as he lifted his right hand in front of his face.

"You earlier accused Orochimaru-sama of sending me on a suicide mission huh? You're so sure you can defeat me. That's where you'll lose this battle. Even if I'm ill, I'll defeat you with my will. I'll show you how strong my devotion to Orochimaru-sama is. Then maybe, you'll understand it's not just desperation on my side, or brainwashing...it's what I choose deliberately."

His right hand began to glow with chakra as he whispered to himself.

"Tessenka no Mai: Hana (Dance of the Clematis: Flower)"

A large spiralled bone weapon began to form out of his forearm, narrowing into a sharp tip at its end.

"Your hands are trapped, so you can't do any ninjutsu. Not even that gravity technique of yours. This is it for you, now let's see if it was really a suicide mission," Kimimaro muttered.

"Even if you kill me, you still won't be surviving for much longer. Either way, you're gonna die," Naruto spoke with a grave expression, a thin line of blood leaking out of the corner of his lips.

"If Orochimaru-sama achieves what he wants, it won't be a suicide. I would be dying for a cause, a death worthy of a shinobi," he uttered, water streaming down his cheeks due to the heavy downpour. Digging his foot into the wet ground, Kimimaro blurred forward with his large weapon while Naruto just stared at him calmly.

"Now aren't you the one just giving up on life. Just standing there and accepting it like a coward?!" the bone user exclaimed as he neared the blonde.

POOF!

The world began to move in slow motion as Kimimaro's eyes widened when a seal-less shadow clone popped into existence beside Naruto, a Rasengan already forming in its right hand as it whizzed towards him in a counter attack.

"Stop deluding yourself you bastard!"

His body being slowed down by the heavy weapon, Kimimaro had no chance.

"RASENGAN!"

A bright flash of white burst out in a shockwave due to the impact. Kimimaro gritted his teeth as the two of them stood there in a clash- the clone trying to overpower him, the bone user having created a layer of bone in his gut at the last second.

"I will... not ...fail!" words slipped through the Kaguya's gritted teeth as he held his ground while the clone too was gritting his teeth, pushing the ball of spiralling chakra as hard he could- trying to pierce his defence.

"And I will, shatter your delusion!" the clone lifted his other hand to bring it in front of Kimimaro's face, the latter's eyes widening in realization.

"Don't fool yourself...IN BELIEVING THAT YOU CAN FOOL ME!" his pupils zoomed out as the left hand began to glow with white chakra- inches away from Kimimaro's face.

"SHINRA TENSEI!"

Tell me how'd it go. It's been a while since I wrote something, and my skills may caught some rust. Still I hope it was enjoyable for you. Till next time! :D

And yes, I'll update my other fics too if that's what you're wondering! ^_^

N6023