A/N: Sorry I've neglected this for so long. Amongst other things, I guess I've been in a post-Avatar depression :(. I'll try to get the next chapter out soon.
Oh, and before I forget, I guess I should explain that Kaiba is NOT playing Metaknight in this story. Kaiba is going to be Lucario instead, which means that the scenes where they break into the Halberd will be reversed a little. The reason why I did it like this is because Kaiba was one of the only rival-to-main-character characters in anime I could think of that actually had an airship like the Halberd, and yet, I already had an awesome idea on who to use for Metaknight. I thought this character suited the role of Metaknight quite well. (Not to mention, this character can actually fly, unlike Kaiba, so he can catch Yami and Shinji when the time comes.)
Chapter 5: Battle for the Barren Castle
It was the middle of a wasteland. Hundreds of arrows littered the ground, as well as a catapult, indicating that a battle took place here a long time ago. The battlefield was completely deserted. Except for, of course, two super-deformed Zaku mobile suits, who insert their limbs into the sides of another Shadow Realm Bomb, activating it.
"Man, this is some bullslag!" one of the Zaku complained loudly. "Why in Primus' name do we have to fragging SCRAP OURSELVES just to activate these slagging bombs?"
"You know we don't have a choice," the other one spelled out. "Otherwise, they'll kill all of our brethren."
"And I still say we should've fought to the bitter end instead of surrendering." The first one retorted.
"And it would've been a bitter end," the second robot pointed out sadly. "We all would've been scrapped for sure if we had fought back, but this way, at least some of us will survive."
Unconvinced, the first Zaku merely lowers his head in shame as the countdown on the bomb was about to reach zero. His friend does likewise.
"Well, it was nice knowing you, comrade," the second Zaku said, bidding his farewell.
"Yeah, whatever," the first Zaku replied.
And with that, the Shadow Realm Bomb explodes, sending another piece of the world into the Shadow Realm.
Up ahead is a long-since abandoned castle. Its only current occupant was sitting on the castle's roof when he sees the spherical explosion in the distance. This occupant was a guy with long white hair and gold eyes. He was wearing a hitoe and hakama, both of which were completely red. He had no footwear and beads around his neck. Oh, and he had dog ears.
"What's that?" Inuyasha questioned as he sniffs the air. "It's the smell of mech fluid."
The half-demon spots the Mysterious Minister floating above the battlefield, summoning more Masses as he passes by. Not before long, an entire army of Mass Monsters were marching forward to the castle.
"What are those things? Some type of demon? Well, whatever they are, I don't like the looks of this," Inuyasha said to himself. He unsheathes his sword, which at first glance, looked like an old and battered katana until it transforms into a huge blade that resembled a fang; the Tetsusaiga.
Inuyasha leaps from the mansion and lands right in front of the Masses.
"WIND SCAR!!" Inuyasha called out. With the swing of his sword, an energy wave is sent, decimating the front lines of the army. However, there were still many left, and worse still, more Masses simply showed up to replace the ones that have fallen. Inuyasha continues to launch out attacks with the Tetsusaiga, but the Masses just kept coming.
"At this rate, I'll waste all of my demon energy before…" Inuyasha says before being interrupted by getting blasted by one of the Masses. The Cloth of the Fire Rat protected him from the blunt of the attack, but Inuyasha still suffered a massive chest wound. Inuyasha turns to the Mass Monster that shot him.
"So you wanna see my blood? Fine, then! BLADES OF BLOOD!!" Inuyasha grabs some of the blood from his wound and flings it, destroying a few more Masses in the process. He continues to fight off more Masses, and eventually Inuyasha manages to reach the sphere where the bomb went off.
"Ok, so what now?" Inuyasha wondered.
"CHIDORI!!" someone cried out.
Inuyasha barely has enough time to shield himself with the side of his sword before someone thrusts their arm, which was covered in electricity, at him lightning fast. After Inuyasha blocks the attack, his assailant jumps back, and the half-demon gets a clear look at him. He was a fifteen-year old male with dark blue hair and red eyes with three tome around his pupils. He was wearing a white jacket, blue pants, and blue cloth hanging from his waist. He was none other than the Leaf Village's prodigy ninja-turned-rogue, Sasuke Uchiha.
"Hey! What's the big idea, pal?" Inuyasha yelled.
Sasuke responds by drawing his sword and slashing at the half-demon. Inuyasha blocks with the Tetsusaiga, and the two swordsmen begin to clash.
Masses suddenly appear behind both combatants, but both turn around just in time to slice them open.
"I see your men tried to sneak up behind me," Sasuke sneered.
"What are you talking about, you idiot? These aren't my men," Inuyasha corrected angrily. "I thought they were with you since you just attacked me for no reason!"
"Well they're not with me," Sasuke simply retorted.
More Masses spawn, forming a circle around the two. Sasuke and Inuyasha come together with their backs against each other.
"Well it looks like this was all just some big misunderstanding," Inuyasha figured.
"It would seem so," Sasuke added.
"So how about we get rid of these things," Inuyasha suggested.
"Fine by me as long as you stay out of my way,"
"Funny, I was just about to say the same thing to you,"
They both proceeded to take down more Masses. Inuyasha battered Masses away with the Tetsusaiga while Sasuke cut sliced them with an electrically charged Kusanagi sword, occasionally mixing it up with a fire-style jutsu. After clearing the way, Inuyasha spots the Minister, floating away with yet another Shadow Realm Bomb.
"Hey! I saw you right before those things appeared! This is all your doing, isn't it?" Inuyasha shouted as he gave chase.
The Mysterious Minister turns his head to face the dog demon, but doesn't respond and makes no effort to stop. In a surprise move, Inuyasha thrusts the Tetsusaiga into the ground and leaps off of its hilt.
"IRON REAVER SOUL STEALER!!"
But, the minister weaves upward and Inuyasha's claws narrowly miss him. During this time, Sasuke transforms into his Curse Seal Level 2 form, turning his skin dark grey along with a black mark appearing on the bridge of his nose, turning his hair into a tint of blue and growing it some, and growing a huge pair of hand-like appendages on his back. Sasuke uses these hands like wings and takes flight after the minister. The Mysterious Minister fires at the Uchiha, grazing his wing and grounding him. Sasuke reverts back to his normal form.
The Mysterious Minister continues on, thinking he's in the clear. However…
"GETSUGA TENSHO!!"
An energy blast in the shape of a crescent moon severs the Shadow Realm Bomb from the minister's platform as well as damaging the platform itself. The Mysterious Minister flutters around haphazardly, leaving a trail of smoke in his wake.
The now dysfunctional and cracked bomb lands right next to the launcher of the attack; a 15-year-old male with orange hair and brown eyes, wearing black robes and a white sash. He carried with him a HUGE hilt-less sword (it was as long as its wielder was tall) with a cloth wrapped around the handle.
"Looks like you guys could use some help," Ichigo Kurosaki offered.
"As long as you don't attack ME, I'm all for it," Inuyasha nodded.
And so, the three swordsmen raise the swords, now united, and chase after the minister, who by now regained control over his platform and flees. However, the trio reaches a cliff before long and can only watch as the Mysterious Minister escapes.
"Damn it all! He got away!" Inuyasha cursed.
"Then we'll just have to find him again, now won't we?" Ichigo reassured him.
"I don't have time to be running around playing the hero like this," Sasuke bemoaned. "I still have training to do and someone to kill."
"Then just consider this a part of your training," Ichigo advised. "C'mon, this way," he motioned them to follow him.
"Hey! Who died and made YOU boss?" Inuyasha asserted.
Meanwhile, in a grassy field somewhere, a well-built but short bald man that had six dots on his forehead and no apparent nose and wearing an orange gi uniform stood in wait. It was Goku's best friend, Krillin.
"Alright. I won't let Goku do all the world-saving by himself this time. It's time to show those creeps what I'm made of," Krillin thought to himself. Right after that, he gets startled by a flock of crow flying out of a nearby tree, but soon relaxes. He makes a weak laugh and says "Look at yourself, Krillin. You're getting scared by your own shadow."
Not a moment afterwards, Krillin senses someone right behind him. He turns around and faces the stranger directly in the eyes, which was a HUGE mistake.
"TSUKUYOMI!" the stranger called out calmly.
One instant later, Krillin falls to the ground, trophified. His attacker, a man wearing a long dark cloak decorated with red clouds and a blue bandana with a metal plate (with the symbol on it crossed out) lifts up Krillin to admire his handiwork.
"It seems that I have now collected my first trophy," said the infamous perpetrator of the Uchiha Clan massacre, Itachi Uchiha.
(A/N: For those of you who have read the latest chapters of the Naruto manga, I'm sure you can figure out why I did this.)
Itachi hears a noise coming from just over the horizon. Something is approaching.
"And not a moment too soon to set up my trap," Itachi continued. He disappears in a puff of smoke, leaving the trophy behind.
Marik was smiling gleefully while driving by on his own Cargo, with the two trophies of Chi-Chi and Amuro secured in the back. Something catches Marik's eye and he stops the vehicle and gets out.
"What's this? Another trophy? And it's just out in the open for the taking," Marik gloated as he picks up the Krillin trophy. "This is getting too easy!"
"You're right. This was too easy!" Marik heard someone say. He turns to the Cargo to see Itachi in the driver's seat, already beginning to take off with the three trophies. Yes, including Krillin's trophy.
"What!?" Marik realized. "How can that trophy be there when I'm holding it right here?"
The trophy that Marik thought he had vanishes in a puff of smoke, and another Itachi takes its place.
"What!? A Shadow Clone?! NO! This can't be!" Marik panicked.
But Itachi had already taken off with the Cargo. Marik is hopping mad, needless to say.
"You'll pay for this, Itachi Uchiha!" Marik threatened.
A/N: What a turnaround! What will Itachi do with his newly acquired trophies? As of like you guys don't know. Anyway, stay frosty.
Preview: In the next chapter, Naruto finally makes his appearance, and, defying all stereotypes, ninja and pirate must work together. A certain moon princess will also be making a debut. All of this on the next chapter of the Shadow Realm Emissary!