TimeShifter: Remember, Sasuke still went after Kira Bii thinking he was the Hachibi jinchuuriki. Obviously, I have something else up my sleeves! Admittedly, I didn't like Kira Bii or 'tentacle tails' all that much to begin with, and, yes, I realize it's a legitimate demon. Madara isn't the first war hawk; I already gave a name to him: Yumiko's third legitimate child, Ahito. Sai is a massive plot hole, and something about him just irks me. I'm also trying to drive this story into the 'no way Kishimoto will do this' territory while legitimizing it with cannon material.
samueltm2: Momiji's cute isn't she?
Chapter 22:
Dangerous Waltz
Three shadows rushed through the trees at top speed. Flashes of light revealed the three figures to be female of red, black, and orange hair respectively. The lead wore no hitai-ate while latter two proudly bore the symbol of the leaf. Kanaeru, Isaribi, and Sasame were in a rush to get somewhere. Unseen, Gayt and Star traveled behind them.
"Tch, we're still too far away!" Kanaeru grumbled. She had felt the incredible build up of power and release. It had shaken her to her core. Immediately after, she had taken off at the fastest speed she knew the other girls were capable of. They had barely responded in time to catch up, but it was little consolation.
"Just what's going on?!" Sasame cried from the back. Her chakra sense was good, but they were at least an hour's travel from Konoha at 'cruising' speed. At the speed they were traveling, they would be exhausted but would arrive in a quarter the time. She knew what direction they were traveling, but she hadn't sensed anything and likely wouldn't until they were just outside the village's gates.
"We can't keep this pace up, and we've lost track of your armored servant." Isaribi wasn't sure what was going on, but she trusted the foreign kunoichi's instincts. She had seen for herself the incredible chakra sense she possessed. It seemed unreal, however, to believe she could sense what was going on in Konoha from the distance they were separated by.
"Listen, we're going into a battle zone." Kanaeru started and paused at the surprised gasps. "I don't know exactly what's going on, but I sensed a huge wellspring of chakra, and it felt like…" She paused to place the exact words. "…it crashed into Konoha with intense killer intent." Okay, she couldn't find quite the right words.
Isaribi and Sasame were stunned to silence. They both knew about the joint Oto-Suna invasion attempt, but they still found it hard to believe that another force was trying to shake the foundation of one of the five, great ninja villages. While Sasame didn't know who to suspect, Isaribi already had her suspicions.
The rest of the trip was traveled in silence. They concentrated on their chakra and speed. They all realized they'd need soldier pills upon arriving. Otherwise, they would be too exhausted to join the battle. In the silence, they contemplated their responsibilities.
Sasame was a medic, and her secret Fuuma clan techniques could save many lives. Isaribi was a spy, but she had powerful Suiton techniques to aid the shinobi of the leaf. Kanaeru held no loyalty to the village, but she wasn't about to abandon her nephew's beloved people. She could rely on Gayt and Star to throw a wrench in the invader's plans.
Unfortunately, they realized they were more prepared than the defenders themselves. The battle had to be tough, and it was likely a surprise attack. Even Sasame managed to find an extra bit of speed, and Kanaeru and Isaribi kept her pace. They had to help however they could!
Konohamaru, Moegi, and Udon made their way through the war-torn streets as quickly and stealthily as they could. As mere genin, their chakra melted into the background noise of the powerful struggle between Pein Rikudou and Konoha's chunin and jonin. As much as they hated the realization, they were like gnats flying around pair of fighting lions.
They didn't mind as much that they were being ignored. They had a mission, and ninja always put the mission first. It wasn't their place to seek personal glory even if they felt they could be of assistance. Instead, they were retracing their steps to the apartment complex Kurenai lived in with Rikka.
Arriving at the complex, they hadn't located the missing student. They had, unfortunately, found a battle between an oddly pierced man and a squad of chunin. They watched in mild awe as the brave shinobi took on Ningendou. The awe turned to horror as the powerful body practically buried two of the chunin in quick order. They were already running when Ningendou took hold of the remaining chunin by the neck and interrogated him.
They came to realize something else. Pein Rikudou were interested in Naruto more than the battle. The body they saw was crazy powerful enough without including the other five somewhere in the village. They didn't understand the short battle they witnessed. They didn't understand the power of Pein Rikudou. Yet another realization struck them.
They were really in a battle between life and death. Those chunin had died so easily. They, genin, were no match for such monsters.
Though afraid, they continued their duty. Oddly, each of them felt an overwhelming desire to fight for the village in spite of their fear. They steeled their resolve and continued on. They had a mission to accomplish, and Kurenai, a jonin, was counting on them!
Despite thinking their small chakra reserves would go unnoticed; the eyes of Jigokudou carefully watched them. He was hidden, keeping out of sight. He watched them for a moment with a cool gaze before seeming to sink into the shadows. Nagato wasn't interested in children or civilians, but he was willing to explore any option to get information on his quarry.
Tsunade turned to Shikamaru after reviewing the latest information. She relayed her thoughts to him, so his analysis could be more thorough. "So far ANBU has been able to confirm three of the six enemies." She paused as he opened his eyes to glare curiously at her. "The first to appear is a summoner of some sort. She seems to be a tamer of any number of beasts, and she can summon people." That body alone was worrisome.
"One has unknown abilities that seem to…drain the life force out of his target." The reports on the second one were sketchy at best. Nobody who came into direct contact with him had survived. He had killed the most, and unconfirmed reports indicated he was interrogating whoever he killed by draining their life from them.
"The last confirmed enemy is a real beast. He seems to be able to stop any attack thrown at him…as if absorbing them. While ninjutsu and genjutsu are ineffective, taijutsu only seems to drain the attacker." From her reports, he seemed to be a distraction. He would intercept a squad and fight them long enough for the life-drainer to show up.
Shikamaru sighed. He summed up everybody's thoughts with one word so well. "Troublesome." The six enemies had abilities nobody dared dream of, and they only knew what half of them were capable of. No, Jiraiya had provided some information through Fukusaku. Sadly, it wasn't much to go on.
He scratched the back of his head before returning to the posture he used to think. "There's little doubt this is the 'Pein' Jiraiya-sama reported." His eyes were closed, so he didn't see the esteemed leader nod. "We can assume that one or more of them are capable of 'reviving' any bodies that happen to fall."
He paused as he leaned his head back and lightly tapped it against the wall. "Tch, it's troublesome, but maybe we should recall Naruto." It was almost hard to believe, but the class clown and resident idiot of the academy had become their secret weapon and likely last resort and final line of defense. The charisma the blond bottle of energy had astounded and confounded him to no end.
Tsunade nodded solemnly. She wondered how far along the indomitable brat had gotten with senjutsu. She would prefer to give him all the time Fukusaku wanted, but they all knew Akatsuki was a threat ready to pounce. Though getting stronger was a side benefit, it wasn't the main reason they sent Naruto away.
They were protecting and hiding him from Akatsuki. Few knew why he was gone and fewer still knew where he had gone to. The information was confidential, and she trusted her shinobi to keep that kind of information secretly locked away.
Reaching her decision, she pulled out a pair of scrolls and called on the toad Fukusaku left for her to make contact. By the time the small amphibian appeared, she finished writing the message. She handed him the scroll before addressing him. "How's the training coming?"
A smirk that could only be described as toad like spread across his face. "No need to worry about that tadpole. He's in good hands with Fukusaku-sama. Sadly, I haven't been able to witness his progress. I've only heard rumors, and they tend to be flattering."
Tsunade fought a proud smirk from crossing her features. The situation was dire, making it impossible to express such gratitude. "Thanks. Please hurry." She watched, wary of the situation surrounding them, as the toad packed up the scroll and disappeared in a billow of chakra smoke. She breathed a sigh of relief as she turned to Shikamaru.
He stood up without awaiting her command. He thought it was too troublesome, so he stuck his hands in his pocket and waited for her to lead the way. His expression looked as half-lidded as ever, but he projected an aura of serious determination. He was ready to fight, and he probably already had a plan.
As they left, Danzo stepped out from the shadows and dropped two, bloodied ANBU masks. He looked to the door that closed behind Konoha's Fifth and her new favorite tactician. "Humph, relying on a mere child. The folly of these peace-loving Hokage will be the ruin of Konoha."
His attention turned to the desk where the toad summons disappeared to deliver a message to Fukusaku and Naruto. "The Third was too soft. He should have turned the Kyuubi into a weapon for Konoha to crush our enemies." He looked through the window. "I couldn't stop the messenger, but it's of little consequence. They should still be delayed just long enough."
He turned to leave as a thought occurred to him. "Ah, ANBU headquarters should be undermanned by now to repel the invaders. I should see to at least one more of those accursed children." His image wavered like a mirage for a moment before he was gone.
Not long after, he appeared in a similar fashion within the very walls of ANBU headquarters. He was flanked on each side by the masked ninja of his ROOT organization. He strode forward confidently. Nobody would suspect he had escaped his ANBU escort before making his way deep within the secure walls of their base of operations.
Of course, they had no reason to believe anybody would sneak in. Any enemy would have to scour Konoha for the entrance. They didn't know the layout of the village or its hidden tunnels well enough to slip in and out using space/time techniques. He was sure guards were meticulously placed along strategic points. He was left alone to his own devices within the corridors ANBU sought to protect.
Gai had left his students to find his own battles and help out where he could. He smirked as he ran through the streets. He was making the same mistake as every proud jonin sensei. Neji was jonin, and Tenten and Lee were chunin. They weren't his students anymore, even if they were still part of the unofficial Team Gai. They were assigned to the same squadron so often he sometimes forgot they were fully fledged shinobi. They could take on their own missions and their own squads.
He stopped when he witnessed two jonin and four chunin squaring off against a lizard he thought he recognized as one of Hanzou's lesser summons. The features throwing him off were the concentric rings in each of the creature's eyes. He was as easily a story tall and painted red, yellow, and orange in a flowing pattern.
He was also about to crush one of the jonin in his maw. Gai rushed forward and delivered a fell blow to the creature's jaw to unhinge it. As his jaw slackened, the captured jonin managed to escape. Gai seemed to disappear from view before the lizard could recover.
A powerful blow from the creature's underside sent dust flying. A second blow lifted it into the air. Gai was then above and before the threatening summon; his leg was raised high. "Dynamic Kick!" The green-clad ninja bellowed before delivering a bone-shattering blow.
The lizard fell to the earth with a sickening thud. Blood oozed from its eyes and nose to indicate. Likely, the blows had fractured bones, including the skull. Sinuses were ruptured allowing blood to flood before escaping however possible. The creature wheezed once before departing the battle and the world, called from whence it came.
The shinobi Gai saved were about to show their gratitude when two bodies of Pein Rikudou showed up. Tendou appeared in the center of them and held his hands out. In an instant, Shinra Tensei separated them with a powerful push. Half flew into the waiting arms of Gakidou.
The latter body bashed his captives together as he absorbed their chakra. They fell to the ground helpless and half dead. Gai watched from his vantage with a solemn expression he imagined his eternal rival would wear. Without turning to look at them, he gave a command to the survivors. "Get out of here."
The remaining shinobi nodded their heads. The injured jonin was with them. He could barely stand as the two chunin supported him. They also knew their superior's command brooked no argument. They fled without ever witnessing what came next.
Gai looked to the fallen shinobi. They were injured yes, but the injuries weren't enough to keep them down. On the contrary, they were suffering from extreme chakra exhaustion. They would be dead in minutes from a lack of vital energy, and the elite jonin knew the lacked the skill to take both bodies on at once.
He looked to the one that used Shinra Tensei. He didn't recognize the technique, and it seemed too powerful not to have any drawbacks. He had to find the weakness if he were to stand any chance. He looked to the one who seemed to devour chakra. They made a great team to cover each others weaknesses.
He suddenly stood erect and gave them his infamous 'nice guy' pose. "Yosh! Let's dedicate this battle to our youthful spirits and fill the streets with the cries of our springtime of youth!" Their expressions remained stoic even as he opened the first gate…and Gakidou was behind him before he could bat an eye.
He turned to try to counter, but he was forced to kneel in pain as the chakra gate he opened violently closed. The chubby, pierced man released him and backed away. It was Tendou who finally spoke. "I see. You're that type of fighter. You think nothing of sacrificing your body."
Gai turned his attention to the man who spoke. "Ah, so you're the leader." He received no answer as he stood. "No, I don't sacrifice my body. I express my full joy of the springtime of youth and give my opponent the best fight." He paused and seemingly mockingly wagged his finger at the invaders. "Besides, I must protect my cute students."
They didn't react to his taunts, but he was undeterred. He looked over his shoulder. "That one is dangerous. He activated the defense mechanism that tells the gates to remain closed. I can't carelessly let him touch me long enough to absorb my chakra." He returned his gaze to the speaker. "He's going to be difficult to get close to. It looks like I have to go all out."
He concentrated and reopened the first gate. Before Gakidou could respond, he rushed towards Tendou. When he sensed Shinra Tensei, he forced the second gate open and dodged to the side. He felt power surge and blood boil as the third gate flooded his body with chakra.
Everything seemed to flow in slow motion as he rushed Tendou again. Gakidou intercepted him, and he was forced to retreat. He felt further power as the fourth gate seemed to blast open. He stood still for a critical moment to open the fifth and sixth gate. He barely managed to dodge the greedy, chakra-absorbing arms of the silent, chubby ninja before he took to the air to deliver a powerful kick to the most talkative of the group.
Shizune held up her hand to halt her squad as the sounds of fighting stopped. They were only a rescue and reconnaissance team. Tsunade gave them strict orders not to fight unless absolutely necessary. They were to try aiding injured they ran across and gather reliable information on the invaders. The orders were easier said than done.
They had to resist helping friends, even if they knew they could handle themselves. The fights against the summoned creatures were going in Konoha's favor. They seemed more a distraction than anything else. Few shinobi died fighting them, but one of the Pein Rikudou was sure to follow shortly behind. Then, they died.
The fights against any of the unnatural bodies of Pein Rikudou was completely one sided. In their short time in the field, they had only witnessed two of the bodies. Chikushoudou and Ningendou were fearsome to witness. The former summoned horde after horde of massive creatures. The latter ripped the life force from bodies he interrogated.
They couldn't witness what he was doing, but they knew the victims of his technique were dead. Their faces were frozen in terror and agony. It spoke to the horrendous nature of the unknown technique. It also emphasized their need to stay hidden.
When they came across Inoichi and Shiho, Shizune decided to order her squad mates back to Tsunade. They could report the unusual powers possessed by the enemies they witnessed. Sadly, they had nothing really new to report. They were only reaffirming previous reports.
Inoichi was grateful to receive help. Shiho had information for the Fifth, and he wasn't sure he could defend her on his own. As they turned to leave, they witnessed Ningendou holding Iruka roughly against a building. The chunin was struggling to get free, but he was oddly looking behind his attacker.
Shizune saw an opportunity. Her squadron was on its way back to safety, and there was at least one jonin nearby to escort Inoichi and Shiho to the Hokage's tower. She needed more information on the technique that seemed to drain life force. She turned to the mental expert. "I'm sorry Inoichi-san, but I'm going to have to ask you to find another escort."
He looked to Iruka. The man seemed in dire need of help. He nodded his head carefully. "I understand. You have a mission to complete." He paused as he looked her in the eyes. "Just be careful. Your life isn't any less important than any of ours." He smirked to try to lighten the mood. "Besides, we need all the medics we can get."
Shizune sighed before she turned around to help Iruka. Inoichi rubbed the back of his neck. "My, my, I guess Shika really is better at this stuff than I am." He turned to Shiho and waved for her to follow. "Come on; let's get that brain of yours to Tsunade-sama." They left with one final glance to Shizune, wishing her luck.
Shizune rushed out while flashing through hand seals. With her chakra control, the Kawarimi no Jutsu variation was a cinch to pull off. She pulled on Iruka with the chakra strings created by the technique, and he let himself be dragged away. In his place, a large piece of rubble appeared. They were about to run away when Ningendou appeared to block their path.
"You still haven't told me…" He started, eyes boring into Iruka. "…where the Kyuubi has scurried off to in order to hide." He was about to grab them when his eyes darted in another direction. He jumped out of the way, inadvertently pushing his prey away. He fixed his gaze on the interloper.
"Oh my, it seems I'm just in time." Kakashi slouched and suspiciously placed something in his equipment pouch. He didn't bother snapping it closed. He turned a smiling face to Shizune and Iruka who landed in an embarrassing pose they weren't fully aware of. "I know personal contact's important and all, but I think you guys should leave it for later."
Iruka went bright red as he rolled over to avoid groping Shizune any more than he already had. She was flushed slightly as he stood. "Ah, I'm sorry Shizune-san." He was about to continue when she stopped him.
She looked to Kakashi. "Can you handle this yourself?" When he nodded lazily, she turned back to Iruka. "Now's not the time. We have to get to Tsunade-sama!" She turned and headed off, expecting him to follow.
He did after giving the elite, silver-haired jonin a polite nod. With the chunin and medical jonin out of the way, he sighed inwardly in relief. He didn't want them getting mixed up in a battle they couldn't handle. He'd seen too many Konoha shinobi die as it was. He turned a heated glower to Ningendou that somehow remained a friendly smile.
"Hatake Kakashi…" The life stealer commented as he recalled the powerful shinobi's bingo book record. "Copy Nin Kakashi, you posses the Sharingan despite not being of the Uchiha. You were assigned the Kyuubi as part of your genin squad." He lowered into a ready stance knowing full well he couldn't win without help.
His head jerked backwards as the sound of a thousand birds permeated the air. The sense of an impending thunderstorm would have made him shiver if he still could. He vaguely sensed his body spasm of its own volition. He managed to force his head down to see a hand sticking out of his chest covered in Raiton.
"Chidori…" Kakashi lazily drawled as he extracted his arm from his enemy's chest.
A cloud of smoke dissipated to reveal Lee with his leg outstretched. He narrowed his eyes in disappointment. "For an invasion, they seem like rather weak opponents. My youth is burning, and I can not find a worthy opponent!" He turned and effortlessly dispatched another dog summon.
Tenten finished making a race-breed canine look like a pincushion before she responded. "I doubt they'd invade if they thought they'd lose so easily. This has to be some sort of trap." They had yet to run across any of the fiercer battles with the Pein Rikudou. The worst they managed across were overwhelmed chunin and jonin.
Neji wasted no time crushing what internal organs he could with juuken. The summons that chose to fight him were dead and dispersed before they hit the ground. "I assure you; these creatures are mere decoys. I can see chakra throughout the range of my Byakugan. Combined, their chakra is dwarfed by any one of the invader's."
They believed him. With his Byakugan, he could see things they could never hope to. He was leading them along the safest route to help any pockets of resistance they could find. There was too much variety among the summon creatures to ignore, and the Hyuuga clan's powerful eyes had revealed only one summoner. They were well aware that it was impossible to form a contract with more than one summon creature clan.
They couldn't ignore that the impossible was happening all around them. They also couldn't ignore the concentric rings in each and every creature's eyes. It bode of ill omens. They ignored their feelings of unease to continue on. With every squad they helped, they felt they were making some headway in the second invasion attempt in three years.
Two in a lifetime was strange enough. They never imagined they wouldn't even have the chance to turn twenty before another occurred.
They pressed on. They defeated wave after wave of impossible numbers and varieties of summon creatures. After helping a fourth squad, Neji noted something. "They're starting to concentrate on us…" With his extraordinary vision, he noticed his teammates look at him worriedly.
Indeed, they were being surrounded. They were already being recognized as a threat. Tenten bit her thumb nervously. "We haven't seen a single human, and we've defeated all the creatures we've run across. How'd they catch wind of us so quickly?" Then she turned her attention to a lizard Lee was fighting.
Her eyes widened. She had already killed that exact one! It was colored red, yellow, and orange in a flowing pattern. She thought about it for a moment. No, Neji had also killed it once before. She focused on its eyes. Her eyes widened further just as Lee dealt the death blow. "They can see us!"
Her sudden realization caught Neji and Lee off guard. They nearly faulted against their latest opponents before they regained themselves. Lee was a bit confused while Neji considered it. He finally nodded in acquiescence. "Yes, that makes sense." As much as he hated to think about it, their coordination seemed to imply powerful communication. As Tenten said, they might well see them with an unknown doujutsu.
Fukusaku stood beside Naruto as they surveyed the strongest the toad contract had to offer. Gamabunta was flanked by his children, Gamakichi and Gamatsu. Yusuke, Keiko, and Kuwabara stood behind them. Those six were the most powerful the toad contract had to offer, and they easily towered over the rest of the group.
At full size, Gamabunta was the biggest. Gamakichi and Gamatsu would probably be as tall as him in another decade or two standing at around half his size. Yusuke, Keiko, and Kuwabara were a head shorter than them. The rest were definitely not as tall, but most didn't even come to three stories tall.
Naruto was still notably impressed. He was glad he followed Fukusaku's advice and waited. With the toad army following him into battle, Konoha had powerful backup. He turned his attention for a moment to his two Kage Bushin sitting patiently and completely still near the waterfall. They were in sage mode, same as him. They were his backup.
He reminded himself of his weaknesses using senjutsu without support from Fukusaku and his wife, Shima. He couldn't gather natural energy and fight at the same time. The whole point of merging was to constantly supplement lost sage chakra with a new mixture of natural energy and chakra. He also couldn't call on more than three additional Kage Bushin or risk destabilizing his backup.
He took a deep, calming breath before addressing the crowd of nearly a dozen toads. "Thanks guys!" He smiled widely as the more articulate of the toads rolled their eyes. It wasn't much of a speech. "I know the contract doesn't say anything about helping my village." He took a deep breath and bowed. "I mean it. Thank you. Thank you so much."
He stood erect and tried to look as many of them in the eyes as he could. "I don't have the words to describe how thankful I am. I know I'm not very smart, but I know when to show gratitude. You guys…some of you I know very well." He smiled widely before taking in a deep breath and exhaling a loud shout. "YOU'RE ALL PRECIOUS TO ME!"
He paused to gauge their reaction. "I call everybody precious to me, who I can't stand to lose, my precious people." He put his hands behind his head and leaned against his interlaced fingers in embarrassment. "That's what you are to me. If you're willing to fight with me…for me, you're one of my precious people."
Hearing happy snickers and seeing happy shaking of heads, he turned to Fukusaku. "Fukusaku-sensei, thanks for all the help. Now, let's go!" He tilted his head down. "The hero can't return at the last moment this time…" Silently, he added to himself. "…because the village has already lost so much."
His silent prayer didn't need to be heard. Tsunade's letter was enough to call them to arms. Pein's initial attack was nothing short of horrific. There was a good chance an entire clan was just wiped off the planet. For all they knew, the Hyuuga were all but extinct. An urgent request from the Hokage to return was impossible to ignore.
Fukusaku unfurled a scroll as his chakra spiked. He slammed his open palm onto the markings. "Gyaku Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" He looked at the ground beneath the scroll for a second longer before turning his gaze back to Naruto and the waiting army.
Nothing happened.
They weren't in Konoha. They hadn't even moved. Naruto's eyes went wide as he practically shouted. "What happened?! We need to get to Konoha!" He sounded desperate, and the toad summons couldn't disagree with his anxiety. They looked to the elder sage far more calmly than the blond leaf shinobi.
Fukusaku's face was twisted in bewilderment. He slowly turned to Naruto when he finished analyzing the situation in his head. "It seems…somebody marred the glyph anchors we set up in Konoha…" He closed his eyes in pain as a cold sweat flowed down his brow.
"What do you mean?" He noticed the pain his latest sensei was in. "Fukusaku-sensei, are you okay?" He worriedly knelt beside the elder toad. He felt relief when he simply nodded. He turned a questioning look to the gathered army of toads, but they looked only slightly less confused.
"Glyphs are a type of seal, tadpole. More accurately, they are an ancient form of Fuuin. Without a contract holder to anchor us with chakra, like you, it's impossible to move that kind of distance freely." He looked to the gathered army. "There is too large a mass of chakra here to move to ruined anchors."
The toad sage looked to the weakest three toads gathered. "Normally, it would take weeks to repair the glyphs to a state where we could move even you, tadpole. However, I have a temporary solution. You three, prepare yourselves."
The three he indicated nodded before pulling out a pair of scroll each. "Gyaku Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" They disappeared in large puffs of chakra smoke. Naruto looked to Fukusaku quizzically. His breathing was slightly labored as he answered. "I sent them ahead to set up a temporary array. It's not a permanent solution, but we can at least move this army. Be patient tadpole, it'll still be some minutes."
Somehow, the hyperactive blond resisted bouncing on the balls of his feet or rocking back and forth. He knew he had to get to Konoha, but he couldn't defy rules of ninja logic. Fukusaku was tired just from reverse summoning the weakest of their small army. It was no wonder he couldn't move everybody present. He closed his eyes and prayed, and he somehow felt like he could feel Hinata's presence.
It was calming.
"What?!" Ino nearly shouted incredulously. "You can't be serious! I know Kiba and Shino are strong, but…" Akamaru barked. "…and Akamaru, but they can't handle this guy on his own!" She didn't want to abandon friends. Hinata's suggestion didn't make sense to her. They could beat Shuradou quickly and then get Shion and Momiji out of there.
Chouji didn't know what to do, so he kept fighting. Unexpectedly, Kiba pushed him out of the way, practically into Ino. "What'cha doin' dillydallying around here for! You heard Hinata; get out of here!" He grinned toothily, enhancing his already animalistic appearance. "We can handle this chump!"
Shino imperceptibly nodded. "You must evacuate Shion-sama and Momiji-chan. Why? It is absolutely vital for Konoha to protect her dignitaries." Like his partner in crime, he was certain they could handle the unusual, pierced man on their own. They were holding back because they had people to defend.
Chouji grabbed Ino by the shoulders. "You gotta trust them. They know what they're doing, and they're entrusting their teammate to our care." He expanded his arm to easily hold Shion in one hand while running.
Ino sighed but gave up. She turned to glower at Kiba. "Don't you dare die!" She quickly turned and nodded. They took off with Chouji in the lead and Ino taking up the rear. Hinata was watching all around them with her Byakugan active, so they didn't need to fear being snuck up on. She knew what to watch out for.
Shino, Kiba, and Akamaru turned their attention back to Shuradou. Kiba cracked his shoulders in anticipation. "Ah, it's been a while since I got to throw down. Forgot what it feels like." His companion lowered himself into a battle stance. They were already fully prepared.
Shino didn't say anything as a swarm of insects rose around him, writhing and clicking in anticipation. He noticed how Shuradou barely even glanced towards their friends' retreating forms, and his creepy smile never changed. "My kikaichu dislike his chakra." The simple phrase worried him, and he could sense his teammate tense.
Kiba jumped back as a powerful burst exploded in front of him. Vision was obscured by the dust cloud kicked up, but Inuzuka relied on their noses more than their eyes. Kiba and Akamaru-human lunged forward. They were surrounded by a cloud of insects as Shino launched their own attack.
Kiba smirked as he and Akamaru stopped and crouched. "Gatsuuga!" Shuradou tried to get off another blast, but it was deflected by the powerful spinning attack. They crashed into the creepy body to send it crashing into the ground. Shino's insects weren't far behind. They latched on and, despite initial protests, attempted draining off some of the tainted chakra.
Shino's eyebrows rose sharply. His kikaichu indeed hated the taste of Shuradou's chakra, but he heard some of them express the desire to gorge on chakra around specific points. He concentrated on what his insects were telling him even as he watched them gather on invisible strings.
Shuradou's movements became sluggish as the invisible chakra strings grew thinner. He wasn't very fast to begin with, but he seemed to be taking more damage from Kiba and Akamaru's blows. It was as if he was using some technique to harden his body and, for whatever reason, wasn't able to react as quickly to prevent some of the damage. His eyebrows knitted together. It was as if the tainted body they fought was being controlled like a puppet.
He had fought puppet users before. Kankuro was only one of the puppet users he'd run across. He found they all fell for the same traps easily enough, but he had to note distinct differences in Shuradou. Though he seemed t be controlled by chakra strings, the chakra flowed in both directions. The strings also went off in whatever direction the seemed to desire.
His eyebrows knitted further. He could find neither rhyme nor reason why the flitted off in various directions. He toyed with the idea that the chakra strings were for communication rather than control, but that didn't fit with Shuradou's sudden bout of weakness.
Kiba and Akamaru had the definite upper hand. Shuradou wasn't getting off attacks nearly as often, and they were far less accurate. Though he never dodged before, he was showing signs of fatigue that weren't there before. The creepy smile never went away though. The smile was made all the more creepy as he continued to attack despite his damage.
Shino's eyebrows shot back up. He found another concern. As a single chakra string pulled taut and snapped, he ordered his insects to keep up their attack. The enemy wasn't concerned with injuries. Worse, the enemy showed no regard for life or limb. He just continued to press his attack. Shuradou may have been defending earlier, but he should have withdrawn, regrouped, or something once the defense failed.
Something wasn't right. He couldn't interrupt Kiba and Akamaru with his thoughts or possibly disrupt their flow. Shuradou would be incapacitated or dead in just a few more moments. Shino only hoped cutting all the chakra strings ensured he stayed down. He felt several strings pull taut and snap as Kiba and Akamaru delivered a powerful Gatsuuga to Shuradou's gut.
The ground beneath them groaned and creaked. A crater formed as they pressed their attack and drove the invader into what they felt would become his grave. The rest of the chakra strings grew taut and snapped just as Kiba and Akamaru finished their attack. They leapt out of the hole in the ground to inspect their work.
Shuradou was broken and battered at the bottom of a shallow hole. He still wore that creepy smile of his, but Shino's insects report no biological response. He still stared at their opponent, though. He couldn't shake the foreboding he felt. His insects even reported that they still sensed the tainted chakra running through his coils.
He stared at the physical impossibility. He broke every rule of biology and logic they knew. His creepy smile wasn't helping any, either. He looked to the sky as a shadow moved rapidly above them. Absently, he wondered how Hinata was doing. Then, he turned to Kiba.
The dog tamer got the message. "Yeah, we should see if we can draw some attention. The less those guys are looking for Hinata the better." He contemplated the battle they were just in. It turned in their favor only after his teammate convinced the kikaichu to eat the chakra. He narrowed his eyes. He also remembered seeing insects stretch impossibly in the air without flying, like they were attached to chakra strings.
Ningendou and Gakidou stood atop a particularly tall building. They watched three leaf shinobi and two civilians make their way through the streets. Both civilians were unconscious, overwhelmed by the overflow of chakra. They were interested in one of the shinobi, however. She was a member of the Hyuuga clan, and her forehead was unmarked.
Nagato concentrated on those two and watched through the connection. It wasn't impossible that some Hyuuga escaped his attack, especially ninja. However, he couldn't let a single one escape his grasp. It was unseemly that two were discovered fighting among the shinobi population. As he narrowed his eyes, he sent his orders.
Ningendou took off in pursuit while Gakidou slinked back into the shadows. The former would interrogate the Hyuuga girl to ensure the demise of the clan. The latter was exclusively a support body. He had to revive any fallen Pein Rikudou.
Though Ningendou had fallen to Kakashi, he was more than enough for three chunin. They were at a disadvantage as they would have to protect two civilians. Nagato had already decided that enough civilians had escaped to the Hokage monument, but he had to confirm something about the two in the midst of a group of chunin. All other civilians were evacuated by genin…in significantly larger groups.
If civilians could be evacuated by the dozens by a squad of only genin, what made the two civilians in the chunin's escort so special? Ningendou was tasked with finding the answer to that question. He also planned on asking about the Kyuubi. As the chunin were probably too young to know who the Kyuubi was, he'd phrase the question differently. Kyuubi no Kitsune or Uzumaki Naruto, he sought them as one and the same.
Ningendou halted in his progress as he detected the chakra signatures split evenly and head into two, different directions. His first thought was to continue following the one heading towards the Hokage monument. Thinking better of that, he turned his attention to the ones heading towards the west. They might be trying to circumventing route to throw him off.
Making up his mind, he followed the group taking the wide angle. He came straight at them knowing the Byakugan would see him and fully expecting them to do everything to evade. His cool expression remained even as they stayed true to their course. They weren't even trying to get out of his path. He thought they might be playing at something, so he continued anyway.
When he caught up to them, he jumped in front of the group. There was no point playing at a surprise attack when the Byakugan ensured he was seen well in advance. When he landed, he looked around at the strange expressions. They were…surprised to see him. Was he wrong? Had he followed the decoy just as they planned?
He looked directly into the Hyuuga girl's eyes. She trembled slightly and took a step back. He hadn't even flared his chakra in an attempt to attack. He noted that it looked like she had the Byakugan active, but she was acting like it wasn't helping her any. Was it some kind of Bushin? Maybe they met up with some other shinobi he hadn't detected, and they were squaring off against him in Henge.
Not wanting to waste time, he took to the roofs to catch up to the other group. It was inane to make the mistake he just did. He was not going to repeat it. He noted with some amusement that the group he left behind continued on its route. No doubt they were attempting to further sell the disguise.
They had no idea he shared his vision with the rest of the Pein Rikudou. If they were attacked, it would be because they survived the destruction of the other group and, therefore, were not a type of Bushin. Besides, Nagato wasn't interested in decoys at the moment. It was more beneficial to go after possible sources of information.
There was another reason he was chasing after the female, main Hyuuga he had seen. Nagato had caught wind of some rumors that a kunoichi matching her description – female and main branch – having a certain loyalty, perhaps affection, for the young blond. They were unconfirmed rumors at best, but it was information that couldn't be ignored.
As Ningendou approached the group, they evaded to one direction. He followed without missing a beat. They evaded in the opposite direction, and he fell into step once again. This time, he was sure he had the right group. They were undoubtedly shaken by how quickly he discovered their ruse and caught up. They tried another maneuver, and he just took advantage of it by closing the gap even further.
They tried again and again, growing even more elaborate. He didn't even note how they evaded. There was little use in anything else but catching up with them and disposing of any useless information. He finally caught up and landed in front of them. They looked slightly frightened and more than a little frazzled. He coolly looked on as the large boy, an Akimichi he absently noted, carefully placed a regal looking girl down.
Nagato narrowed his eyes at the action. Was Konoha hosting royal dignitaries? If so, he understood why there was a foreign garrison stationed outside the village's gates. They weren't acting hostile towards the village, and they fought back well enough. He had been curious since seeing them through Chikushoudou and Gakidou's eyes.
Ningendou concentrated on the group as the female Hyuuga gently placed a child on the ground. He realized the child was a girl no older than three years of age. There was no point in killing children or civilians as ninja were the scourge of the planet. The woman and girl served well enough as hostages. The leaf shinobi had to defend them as they fought him.
He noted their fighting stances. The Hyuuga girl settled into her familiar juuken family style. The blond girl's stance was purely defensive. It was an unusual stance that emphasized protection of the upper body; her legs were loose and ready. The Akimichi boy expanded his body to twice its normal size, but he took no real stance.
The male struck out first, and Ningendou jumped back. Displaying a level of agility the tainted body would not have suspected, the massive arm stopped just before impact and gently touched down. Ningendou barely dodged under the sweeping kick aimed at his shoulder, neck, and head.
He met face to face with a fully prepared Hyuuga. She lashed out, but he easily dodged her strikes. He knew blocking was pointless. A juuken strike didn't have to actually hit to cause damage. Even as he was dodging, he checked the blond. She hadn't made a move. Perhaps she was backup…or medic. He heard Konoha supported medics on each squad.
Feeling he had a grasp of their abilities, Ningendou made his first move. Since he needed the Hyuuga alive for interrogation, he went after the blond. The Akimichi couldn't attack as long as he was in close range with one of his allies. It was his biggest weakness. He had to wait for an opportune time to strike.
He closed in on the blond after just one failed strike from the Akimichi. He threw his first strike, and she dodged it. He was undeterred. A second strike, and she dodged again. He ducked low to deliver a sweeping kick, and she jumped to avoid it. Knowing she couldn't dodge, he threw a fierce hook. He discovered a nuance of her 'fighting' stance.
She hooked a leg around his dedicated arm and swung at what should have been an awkward angle. He was immediately thrown off balance, and his face plowed into the ground below. She was still airborne, but she pulled a corkscrew to deliver a devastating blow to his kidney.
She jumped off his back and backed off to let the Akimichi and Hyuuga take over. He managed to push himself up just in time to receive a powerful blow from an enlarged fist. Flattened into the ground again, he felt several tenketsu close from close range juuken. They were a better team than he initially thought.
Foregoing pushing himself up, he instead rolled over when he sensed another huge fist bearing down on him. He managed to use his momentum to stand. He might have scoffed if they hadn't proven to be a threat. To his tainted body, tenketsu meant nothing. The Hyuuga could close every last one if she really wanted to. Her bug-taming comrade was a bigger threat with his ability to drain off chakra.
He reevaluated the situation. The blond was definitely a defense specialist. He might have been correct in guessing she was a medic. The Hyuuga was great in close range combat, but he was guessing she wasn't so great at a range. The Akimichi, on the other hand, was quite the opposite.
Making up his mind on his next target, he rushed the Akimichi. He tried to counter with an uppercut that dug a crevice into the ground, but Ningendou just jumped and ran up the massive arm. When the double-sized Akimichi tried to swat at him, he catapulted himself over the massive arm.
Before the Akimichi could respond, Ningendou landed an exceptionally harsh kick to his head. He followed it with a jab to the temple, uppercut to the chin, and a roundhouse kick to the ear. As the giant fell, he turned to face the other two. He had seen the blood and listless expression. The Akimichi likely had a concussion and was falling unconscious.
He turned when he heard earth crumble to the ground. He turned because he knew without a doubt that Kawarimi no Jutsu hadn't been used. He was startled by what he saw. The boy crumbled into a useless pile of rock and soil. He hadn't defeated the Akimichi. He had defeated a Tsuchi Bushin.
He turned to the remaining fighters. Had he been deceived? Were they all some form of Bushin? He rushed the blond again to try to uncover the truth. She proved to be agile, and the Hyuuga joined in to make things a lot more difficult. He finally managed to corner the blond and beat her into submission.
He heard a fizzle and pop before she dissipated into static sparks raining down. She was a Rai Bushin the entire time. He reached out and violently jerked the fatigued Hyuuga by her throat. He fed chakra into his technique wondering if maybe, just maybe, the other team was the decoy to lead him away from her. His arm was soaked as her Mizu Bushin was disrupted.
This story is, officially, over two-hundred thousand words! Yahoo! Wow, I never thought School Daze would lead to this massive work. Thanks to my readership's continued support!
I'm particularly proud of the last fight. I hope, as usual, you guys enjoy it.
For fans of my other works, I'm not abandoning them! I promise! Fate, Alchemy, and Bridges is fighting me tooth and nail, and Memoirs of a Hokage has an idea fleshing itself out. I'm only releasing my next chapter of Twilight of Mixing Time after the above two are updated, and even its not done.
As always, reviews are appreciated, and flames outright ignored.
Story Word Count: 8,055
Story Page Count: 17
Terms and Jutsu:
Chidori - Thousand Birds: Also known as Raikiri (Lightning Edge), Chidori is so called for the sound it makes. It is Kakashi's self-proclaimed only original technique. It can cut through nearly anything and is famous for penetrating even the Ichibi's ultimate defense. It's weakness is tunnel vision from the extreme speed required, ranking it as S-rank kinjutsu. Only doujutsu can completely control it.
Gyaku Kuchiyose no Jutsu-Reverse Summoning Technique: Fukusaku uses this tosummon without a contract holder anchoring the requested creature with his or her chakra. With it, he can even summon a contract holder.
Rai Bushin and Mizu Bushin no Jutsu - Lightning Clone and Water Clone no Jutsu: C-rank techniques that are considered among the most basic of elemental techniques. Novices of elemental manipulation should be able to use these.