Thanks for all the reviews and favs.
Fixed - It's Shino with the bugs, not Kiba, xD
Lol, I didn't realize so many people played the Sims. I play the Sims3 normally. I like the Sims2 but it takes almost 20 minutes to load (too much custom content, I know.) But I think I will load it this weekend and play - I miss the weather feature. And my sims2 akatsuki sims are better done (I downloaded them all, but I really don't remember from where... it was a long time ago.)
Thanks for being patient - I think I have the outline straightened out.
Disclaimer: Kishimoto owns Naruto
Chapter 80 – Earthquakes and Gods
"I'm here." Sakura whispered quietly into the transmitter wrapped around her neck.
A moment later Sai responded, equally quiet, "In position."
Turning around she locked eyes with Ino and Hinata, "There are no second chances here."
"There usually aren't." Ino brushed her long blonde hair over her shoulder and gave her friend a bitter-sweet smile.
Hinata activated her Byakugan before commenting, "Sometimes there are Ino, you just have to look for them. However, this time…"
"We're screwed if we mess up. Got it." Ino said sarcastically, earning her a smile from her pink-haired companion. Ino's tough-girl act was always reassuring to both Sakura and Hinata, both of whom relied on her outgoing personality just as much as she relied on their healing and tracking skills.
The radio crackled again and this time it was Shikamaru checking in, "We're here."
"That's everyone." Kakashi's voice almost startled the trio as he jumped down from a tall maple tree.
"That tree wasn't strong enough to hold you…" Sakura squinted at her sensei accusingly. "We aren't in Konoha, you know."
The silver-haired Jounin scratched the back of his head and smiled through his face mask, "That's okay, if I fall I'll just have you patch me up."
All three girls rolled their eyes. They knew the man's independent nature and simultaneously, without prompting, wondering what he really would have done if the branch had broken.
Kakashi tapped the transmitter on his neck, "Everyone ready?"
Sai and Shikamaru responded affirmatively and Kakashi nodded once, "Five minutes and counting… at my mark…" he paused as he looked at his watch, followed by Sakura, Ino and Hinata who brought their own wrists up to synchronize, "Now!"
To the west, Sai and Shino perched on a small hill and looked down through the trees at a partially hidden cave entrance. To the east, Shikamaru, Ji and Kiba sat on a moss covered log at the base of a rocky cliff, hidden only by some tall shrubs that Akamaru was finding very interesting. Sakura's team was south of the hideout.
"I can feel his chakra." Sakura suddenly announced. It had been months since she had seen Naruto, but there was no mistaking him. "He seems mad."
"You think?" Ino relied sarcastically. "Stuck in here for weeks on end would make anyone mad."
"But I couldn't feel it a moment ago… it must mean…"
"He's escaped!" Hinata clasped her hands together, hoping against hope that her deduction was correct.
The radio crackled again and Shikamaru spoke in a very annoyed tone, "We go to all this trouble to create a rescue party and he goes and rescues himself. How typical. Why did we even get out of bed this morning?"
Sakura giggled, "Thank God for that."
"Change in plan, then." Kakashi interrupted, speaking into the transmitter. "Maintain position. He couldn't have escaped on his own, so let's just wait here and provide backup if needed."
"What?" Hinata asked quietly.
"The other Jinchuuriki are down there. If Naruto escapes, he'll release them too, so they can escape as well. We would just be in the way." Kakashi grinned, "Madara left this place unguarded, so likely they had something up their sleeve."
"Meaning this place isn't as unguarded as it looks." Ino said grimly.
Sakura nodded her head, "Which is why, here, there will be no second chances."
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Zabuza crashed his sword down onto the soft forest floor and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. The four ninja who had attacked him and Haku only moments before had hardly even been worth the effort.
"Why didn't you kill them?" Haku asked curiously.
"Why bother? I'm here to fight real ninja, not these 'wanna-be's'."
The early morning sun was quite annoying and Zabuza brought a hand up to shade his eyes, glancing through a small opening in the forest that gave a clear view of the bay in front of the base, "Kisame has moved his fleet… if that's what you want to call it."
"It feels like Itachi and Madara are fighting further north than expected."
"Humph. I guess he knows what he's doing. I still don't see how Itachi can beat him. Madara is so far above anyone else…"
"That's why you tried to kill him and also why you failed." It was spoken like a statement of fact and Zabuza just nodded his head once to affirm Haku's words.
"Power is a necessity for a ninja, but sometimes… there is such a thing as too much power. Well, anyway, let's go watch."
"Naughty, naughty, Zabuza. We're supposed to stay here and babysit Konoha's front line." Haku laughed at the mischievous glint in his friend's eyes.
Laughing, the swordsman slapped Haku on the shoulder and started walking north towards the battle, "I don't mind a court martial for disobeying orders. I got thicker skin than that. Besides, I'm not missing the battle of the century for anything! Are you coming?"
"Of course…" Haku dug his heals into the earth as the ground shook fiercely, sending dried leaves and a few loose nuts raining down from the forest canopy.
Zabuza dropped down, placing his hands flat on the mossy ground and sneered. The tremendous force of chakra that he could feel moving just under the surface was unbelievable. It shot out with such force and speed that the earth seemed almost willing to split apart if that's what it would take to expel it.
"What was that?" Haku, eyes widened with shock and he stared grimly at his friend.
"Madara or Itachi. Or both." He jumped to his feet, "Now we've got a real reason to go. We have to make sure that – whatever it is – disappears for good."
'Itachi…' Haku raced behind Zabuza through the forest, barely noticing the change from mossy loam to hard dirt as they got nearer to the hideout, 'do you really understand what you are up against?'
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The rumble that filled the filled the air immediately after the earthquake stopped was ominous. Filled with dread, Sakura lifted her head from where she was crouching and looked down the small hill towards the hideout and gasped.
"It's… it's…" The girl stuttered, unable to get the words out.
Kakashi stood up, "It's collapsed! The entire length of the cave has collapsed!" Pulling out his transmitter he spoke urgently, "All teams, get to the hideout, now!"
Where once there stood a rocky cave entrance and a small series of grassy and shrub covered hills there was now a thirty foot valley filled with a treacherous contour of boulders and dirt with several long cracks radiating out in several directions.
"It looks like something Deidara would do." Ino commented as they team ran headlong down the hill. "On the other hand, this is too messy for him."
"I can still feel their chakra." Hinata said as she skidded to a halt ten feet from the edge of the newly made valley. "I'll try to see if I can find them with my Byakugan."
Looking across to the other side of the crevasse they could see Shino standing firm with his arms upraised as thousands of bugs flew out of his sleeves toward the jumble of earth. Shikamaru, Ji and Kiba ran up to Sai and started to talk hurriedly, but the older boy just shook his head once and pointed to Kiba and Hinata. The message, even without hearing it, was clear. All they could do now was wait.
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"Ame-no-nuboko pulled chakra from the earth and Totsuka scattered it." Itachi had repeated the phrase three times already. He knew that was the key to his victory. He reached up and rubbed his eyes, then look at his hand in surprise. There was no blood. The Eternal Mangekyou seemed to have an additional benefit and he could also feel that while Susanoo was inflicting damage to his body, it was at a much slower rate.
"I'm here for you, Itachi." The soft, child-like voice comforted him and he smiled. Shisui had found a way to protect him after all. Through the gift of his eyes, he knew that he had gained a few extra minutes.
Through the corner of his eye he could see his father standing firm with his hands clenched in front of him. He could see how difficult it was for him to hold back and in fact, Pein was standing only one foot behind him, as if prepared to hold him back if necessary. A pang of guilt washed over him, knowing that he was causing his father such distress. To have to sacrifice ones child this way, to know that it was your son and not yourself that would have to fight the bad guy… and perhaps die… would be unbearable.
Sora was also behaving oddly. He was looking straight at Fugaku and frowning, his own fists clenched in much the same way. 'I wonder what's going through his mind.' Itachi thought to himself. For all intents and purposes, it looked like Sora was upset over his grandson's distress.
Returning his attention to Madara he could see the man had also realized that Totsuka's ability to scatter the naginata's chakra could be used against him. However, the broad smile that he flashed at Itachi was anything but defeatist. In fact, the confidence he was exuding was certainly something to worry about.
'If I hit that naginata enough times it will scatter a lot of chakra… there must be a way to force that chakra to go a certain direction. Maybe if I hit it a certain way…' Itachi thoughts were racing as a hundred different strategies raced through his mind.
Madara stabbed the Ame-no-nuboko back into the ground and the earth shook just as violently as it had a few moments earlier. Once again Itachi countered by striking out at it with Totsuka. This time, though, when they met the chakra came out as a bright yellow light that engulfed the entire beach, stretching out and blinding everyone who looked at it. As the light dissipated their vision returned and the elder Uchiha stared at his weapon with annoyance.
There was no chakra in that light. It was simply a bright flash and nothing more. It could certainly be used to blind an army, but as a technique to use against shinobi it was useless. Both Madara and Itachi were now grinding their teeth in frustration. The first strike diffused chakra, the second strike blinded, what would a third strike bring?
Down came the Ame-no-nuboko, piercing the light tan sand with a fierce strike. There was malice in Madara's heart and the look in his eyes was like nothing Itachi had ever seen before. However, the teen didn't hesitate for even a second as he ordered his Susanoo to strike the naginata one more time as it rose up out of the sand.
As the weapons met Itachi suddenly and unbidden, turned his thoughts to his family. And not just his parents, wife and children, but his cousins that made up the clan both in Konoha and Mist. They were all precious to him, in a way that he had never felt before. He was fighting so they would be safe. He was fighting so they wouldn't have to. Their faces, both laughing and tearful, filled his thoughts and, with a large amount of guilt he remembered how he had once thought of them as nothing more than a collection of arrogant fools.
'I was the one who was being arrogant… separating myself from them I refused to see their side of the story. I refused to even listen. I turned my back on my father's attempts to appease both the clan and Sarutobi. I should have helped… I should have worked harder…"
'You were a child, Itachi.' Shisui's voice echoed through his mind once again, 'You reacted like a child. No one blames you.'
"I was never a child." Itachi whispered in response.
"You were. We all were." The voice was firm and came from five feet in front of him. Opening his eyes wide with shock Itachi stared into the face of his long-dead friend. The Ame-no-nuboko and Totsuka had struck each other once again and this time the world disappeared leaving the two cousins alone. For the briefest of seconds all of existence was nothing more than a black void, but soon enough the ground turned to dirt and a river – the one Shisui had drowned himself in – slowly appeared mere feet from where the teen found himself standing.
"Where are we?" Itachi asked, surprised. He started coughing, and fumbled about his pocket for a pill, swallowing it with difficulty.
"Here. My home. My dimension." Shisui was perched serenely on a boulder, his knees drawn up to chest and his arms wrapped around his legs. A big smile played on his lips and his long, jet black hair blew pleasantly in a light breeze. Overhead the sky was a mixture of pale blue, black clouds and a huge red moon, at least three times larger than normal.
On the ground it seemed like it was evening, or perhaps the shadows were dark. Itachi couldn't really tell because on the opposite side of the sky from the massive moon, was the sun. This sun was about ten times larger than normal and the teen watched in awe as loops of molten fluid shot up from the fiery disk and looped back down.
"What?" It made no sense and Itachi blinked helplessly at his cousin. "Did I die?"
"No, you're very much alive. But… if you keep fighting Ame-no-nuboko you will die. You can't beat it. The sword used to create the world can also be used to destroy it. The question is, does Madara realize this?"
"Does…he…" Itachi's eyes opened wide and he stepped forward, "It can destroy the world? That's impossible! These aren't real, they're just weapons created from chakra!"
"They are very real." Shisui stated calmly. "Madara is using the real Ame-no-nuboko, and you are using the real Totsuka. And that is what is so tragic. The real Susanoo would never have raised a weapon against his father. In effect, by having the weapons fight, that is what you are doing. And they are not happy about that."
"They… they're real?" Itachi had always believed the gods existed, but his belief was based on culture and, he realized, not something he firmly embraced with his heart. He had always, deep down, considered them nothing more than myth and legend.
"Of course. They made a deal with our forefather, Rikudou Sennin that passed down through both his sons, who eventually founded the Uchiha and Senju. That is why the two clans were always the most powerful."
"Oh." There didn't seem to be anything else he could add. It made sense, of course, but the thought that he was using the real sword of legend was very disturbing. He didn't want to be connected that closely to a real god. And he wanted even less to anger them.
"Hmm. Just as talkative as ever."
"So what now?" Itachi collected his thoughts and got back to the point.
"You have to stop this. If Izanagi revokes his gift not only will the world be consumed by darkness, but the Uchiha and Senju will both cease to exist. Remember, he created our land, Susanoo rules the sea, Tsukuyomi the moon and Amaterasu the sun. Everything mortals need to live."
"But how do I get Madara to quit fighting? He wants to host the ten-tails in his body and cast a Genjutsu upon the world. He's insane. And the vast number of people he's harmed and killed to formulate his plan… he needs to be stopped. How am I going to do that without Totsuka?"
For the first time Shisui's voice dropped and sorrow overtook him, "Izanami has offered to help… but… she's … you know what happened…"
"After she died Izanagi went down to the afterlife to bring her back and was told not to look at her until they got to the surface, but he couldn't help himself. When he saw her decayed corpse he was horrified and she was filled with such hatred that she chased him and tried to kill him. He lived only because he made it back to the earth first."
"She's still mad at him." Shisui said quietly. "But… at the same time… her love for her family… I don't know why but in a way she reminds me of you. You tried to kill your family and they were only saved from you by hiding you underground until you came back to your senses. For that reason she sympathizes with you."
"Oh." It wasn't the most eloquent thing he could have said, but after such an admission, he truly couldn't think of anything else to say.
Shisui smiled, "I was just as shocked as you. Especially when a god chose to speak with a bundle of chakra. I mean, my soul has passed over to the afterlife and for all I know has been reincarnated already. Why speak to me?" He shrugged his shoulders, "But anyway… this is what you have to do…"
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"Argh!" Naruto let out a heavy sigh as he stood up gingerly and reached his hands out in the pitch black to find his companions.
"I take it that's Naruto." Sasuke's voice was nearby, "Deidara? Are you still here?"
"Yeah. Can't get rid of me that easy." There was a small popping sound and the trio were blinded by a flash of light. Sasuke was holding his palm outward while a four inch flame danced less than an inch from his skin.
"We're trapped." Naruto said, stating the obvious.
"Of course. Why not? This is all Itachi's fault." Deidara grumbled.
"Hey! You okay?" The bellowing voice could belong to only one person, and Deidara cringed.
"Yeah, how about you Bee?" Naruto yelled through the jumble of rock that had fallen on either end of the cave passage way just as they had exited Naruto's room.
"Fine, fine. It sounds like everyone else if fine too. The guy at the very end of the corridor says there's another cave-in where he is so we're definitely trapped."
With the help of Sasuke's light Deidara looked around the small area. It was about forty square feet and very confined. "Sasuke, put that flame out. Everyone, lie on the floor and relax."
"What? Why?" Both Sasuke and Naruto asked as they followed his orders.
"We're short on oxygen here. Fire uses oxygen to burn and if we relax we use less oxygen. Just… we have to think of a way out of here…these stones are very weak and the roof is in danger of collapsing. I think the level above has already collapsed. We might be able to dig our way out, but…"
"Not trying is the same as giving up!" Naruto stated emphatically. "And I don't give up!"
"I didn't say anything about giving up. It's just… Earth jutsus are my specialty which means I know a lot about geology. This has to be done just right or we will die."
"So there is a way out of here?" Sasuke asked hopefully.
Deidara frowned, glad that the darkness hid his face. He had saved that kids life once before, and the thought that he might be the one to witness his death several years later was heartbreaking. It was as if his own fate was intertwined somehow with Sasuke's.
"You… you're taking a long time to answer." Sasuke's voice shook a little as his nerves got in the way of his ninja stoicism.
"Yeah…un. I… I'm thinking… Just wait a minute…" Deidara cringed when he heard the two boys mutter their acknowledgements. He wasn't a good enough actor to hide the truth from them, and they knew it. The rock slides at either end of the cave were too precarious to move and the roof was minutes away from collapsing. 'I'm sorry…' he thought to himself. 'I can't save anyone… not myself… not… my friends…'
"Thanks guys." Naruto's voice was quiet, but at the same time calm. "I mean, for letting me out. I'd rather… I'd rather die here than in there. At least… at least I feel like I'm not a prisoner anymore. And they won't get the Kyuubi if I die."
"I wish I could say 'your welcome', but I guess…" Sasuke couldn't think of anything to say, but a smile crossed his face as Naruto's hand reach out and found his own, squeezing it momentarily.
"Not to ruin this beautiful moment or anything," Deidara's voice was shaking, "but what happens to the demon when it's host dies?"
"Ah shit!" Naruto and Sasuke groaned. It was common knowledge of course. At least to Naruto and the Uchiha clan. And of course Deidara, who already knew the answer.
There was a loud laugh from the other side of the rock slide, "Could you imagine the chaos if all of us died? All our demons running around the countryside?"
"I don't think that's anything to laugh about!" A woman's voice pierced through the bigger man's laughter and he shut-up. "Thousands will die!"
"Sorry about that, Yugito." Bee laughed, still amused, "Gaara? You still with us? It's awfully quiet over there."
"Yes." The boy yelled back to make sure he was heard.
The sound of someone talking from a distance could be heard and Bee spoke up a moment later, "Roushi says some odd bugs have found a way in through the rock fall near his cell."
"Odd?" Again, Sasuke and Naruto spoke simultaneously.
"It must mean Shino is nearby. Or someone from his clan, anyway." Sasuke elaborated.
"We're saved!" Naruto pumped his arm in the air with joy.
"I hate bugs." Deidara had meant to complain, but the smile on his face, even in the dark, could be heard in his words. The odds were still against them, but even a one percent chance of rescue was still something worth hoping for. He shook his head, surprised at his thoughts. He had never sought the company of "friends" or even dared to "hope" for anything. Yet here he was, caught dozens of feet underground by a landslide with people he was calling friends and a heart filled with hope. It was just too bad it probably wasn't going to last long.
'We only have less than an hours worth of air in here.' Deidara said to himself.
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Next week: Itachi is with Shisui, but where did Madara go?
I hope adding the gods in doesn't make it seem to weird. They won't make a personal appearance, but I needed to up the power of the weapons. As for Madara he will pay for his crimes, no matter the reason he's committed far too many to get away, but I've got a twist in store for him.
Please review.
Updates on Fridays.