Darthemius: Well? Why no one still asked if I'm dead? Well I'm not! And since I don't feel like writing all that omake crap today, I think I'll just share some thoughts of mine.
First of all, thanks to everyone who read and reviewed this crap. And to all who actually interested why I was absent for so long… well, some might actually be surprised. I was absent because I wrote EHD. Yep, and I simply forgot that I still have this story to finish.
But have no fear, Darth is here, Darth is back, Darth has balls… big ones. So no, this story is still going, and in fact, I actually realized HOW I'm gonna do what I was planning to do.
As for this chapter… well, some might ask the necessity of it. Well, it is important for things to go the way I want them to. Also, I have many people saying that I made Naruto just too strong. Well, I can reveal this now… actually no, read and find out yourself. Just know, I never do anything because someone is unpleased with my work. Everything in this chapter is a part of the plot.
Finally, I'd like to share my thoughts on recent Naruto manga chapters. Yep, I checked it and did something I haven't done for a while… I slapped my face… five times.
Okay, seriously. Masked guy being Obito is not a shocker. People assumed that since the moment he appeared. But what I really couldn't stand was… yep, his REASON! Yep his big fucking REASON for his Moon Eye crap, or whatever he called it.
Obito (To Kakashi): "That's because you let Rin die."
Darthemius: Holy fucking shit! Holy fucking shit! HOLY FUCKING SHIT! (Yep, I'm always saying the phrase several times now because of that video… you know, where the car went flying) Yeah, the grand motive of fourth great shinobi war is that Kakashi let Rin die…
Obito: "And in this world there will be no need for heroes…"
Darthemius: KNOW YOUR ROLE AND SHUT YOUR MOUTH! Seriously, how fucked up can this story become?! Shit, I don't even know where to start… Okay, I could overlook that the character that has the story named after him is doing ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to further the plot. Think about it, all he ever does is yell and scream how he's gonna protect everyone and how he's gonna become Hokage and how he's gonna save Sasuke, all the while throwing Rasengans left and right. (Did I overlook anything?) But still, that's okay. Why is that okay? I'll tell you. You see, Naruto's universe is actually very good for a fanfic writer. Yeah, no plot whatsoever, a simple character, who can be turned in almost anything, demons, jutsus, girls with huge breasts… not many of those, but still.
It's actually perfect if you think about it. A whole created universe for you to use and create everything you wish. A real paradise for a writer. And if you don't believe what I said, just try to write a Code Geass fanfic with a good plot. No, I'm not saying it is impossible, but I think it's impossible to make the plot better than the original one!
Totally different with Naruto. Hell, even I wanted to know the reason behind Obito's moves. But damn it!
Still, I'm not a hypocrite and it came to me shortly afterwards. And what about "Way of the Rattlesnake"? After all, Naruto started everything because of Mikoto's death. BUT! He simply wishes to avenge the woman he loved, not 'use genjutsu to create the world without heroes'.
Fucking hell! And to think that I once liked the story! Fuck, I was thrilled to watch first season! And now… shit, now I look only fights because everything else is utter bullshit!
No, I'm not suggesting Kishimoto makes EHD Naruto, I already did that. But that 'saving precious friends' crap gets really old. I could understand it from a thirteen year old, but sixteen?! Come on! A simple Naruto with brains, sense of humor and a set of balls is all we want. What good is overpowered moron?! He's as likely hurt his friends as he is his enemies! Want a proof that he is a moron? Here you are!
Confucius: "Only a fool never changes his opinion."
Darthemius: Care to remember one time Naruto changed his opinion? Exactly… Okay, my head already hurts from that and sorry, but I just had to share with someone.
Anyway, here we go…
...
Chapter twenty four: Just can't stay apart.
"Shin-ne!" – talks.
'Nah.' – thoughts.
"You will." – demonic/justu.
...
Konohagakure no sato. Hokage's office…
"Okay…" Yondaime muttered slowly, rubbing his forehead. "So the mission can be dubbed as a success."
"Well, that depends on the point of view." Jiraiya responded, leaning on the wall.
Minato took a deep breath. "Actually your mission was scouting and possible assist to Sunagakure in recovering Kazekage. You did everything…"
"Only we lost Yugao in the process." Kakashi said quietly.
Minato sighed again. "She died on a mission. We all take that risk, and she knew…"
"No, that was my fault." The masked jounin interrupted.
Hokage's eyebrows furrowed. "I can't see how this is any of your fault, Kakashi."
"I knew that Yugao desperately wished to destroy Kisaragi." The jounin stated. "I knew she won't be able to withstand any provocation from him and rush in without thinking and…" He paused. "I have to admit, he threw her off balance masterfully. Just one phrase and she lost all control. I knew it will end like that, yet I had faith in her. I…"
"Stop, Kakashi." Jiraiya spoke. "What Yugao did was her mistake and no one else's. You went through war and know this as well as we do."
"H-Hai…" Kakashi replied hesitantly. It was clear that he was still not over it.
"Yes, Yugao's loss is a tragedy to our village…" Minato started. "However we must force ourselves to go forward. And to do that we will need a new ANBU commaander." He turned his head. "Hyuga Hinata, you are second in command of ANBU forces. Do you believe that you have what it takes to claim the position?"
For the first time in the last three years the girl hesitated. "I…" She looked down. "I do not… I'm sorry, Hokage-sama, but I don't think I am qualified enough to lead the entire ANBU forces."
Minato smiled at this. "It is good that you know your limits, Hinata. I agree with you on this one, I do not think you are ready yet. But something tells me that in a few years the position will be yours."
"Hai, Hokage-sama!" Hinata bowed. "However there is one thing…" She continued. "Jin Kisaragi… He knew that Yugao-san was the commander, yet this information is only available to clan heads, their heirs and several higher-ups."
Minato's eyes narrowed. "Is that so…?"
"It is." Jiraiya said with a nod. "I was there when he stated it. We have a traitor in our ranks, Minato."
"I see." Yondaime exclaimed stoically. "Don't worry yourselves about it. This is a high-rank treason; I will deal with it myself." He stated. "I want to know another thing… What happened during your encounter with Kisaragi?"
Silence.
"Well?"
Jiraiya sighed. "It is as we have feared, Minato. He became strong… Perhaps even beyond me and you."
"Tch." Minato scowled. "What skills he has? What techniques did he use? How your fight went?"
"We encountered four Akatsuki members in their hideout…" The sannin began. "Those four were Aka Suna no Sasori, Deidara of Iwa, Tayuya and Kisaragi."
"Four?" The Hokage asked. "But you said that…"
"Let me finish, damn it!" Jiraiya interrupted. "I said we encountered four. But then Kisaragi sent that girl Tayuya away for some reason."
"You don't know?"
"No, we haven't seen her after that." Hinata confirmed.
"Strange…" Minato rubbed his chin. "Anyway, please continue."
"Very well."Jiraiya took a deep breath. "After Tayuya left, Kisaragi… well he…"
"He killed Yugao." Kakashi finished. "It's alright; I understand that there is no way around that."
The sannin frowned. "Yes… As Kakashi said, Yugao attacked Kisaragi head on and he killed her as if it was nothing."
Minato's eyes narrowed again. "How did it happen?"
Jiraiya paused. "Well, Yugao used her best sword technique – the Ultimate Dance of the Crescent Moon. But Kisaragi, he… I don't even know how to explain…"
"He blocked it, Hokage-sama." Hinata picked up.
Yondaime's eyebrows rose. "Blocked you say?! Even I could only dodge that move! How did he do that?"
Hinata nodded. "I had my Byukugan activated the entire time, so I saw when Yugao-san's sword hit Jin Kisaragi's right hand a strange energy shield appeared around it for a very short moment. And then… I don't know how he did it. I did not blink or anything, but one moment he was in front of Yugao-san, and next one he was already behind her with a sheathed sword in hand. I never saw how he drew his sword, unsheathed it… I didn't even see him move. But he also managed to land a fatal blow. And all in less than a second. I would've never believed it was possible if I didn't see it with my own eyes."
"Hmm…" Minato rubbed his chin. "A time-space manipulation perhaps. I will look into it, continue. What happened next?"
"Next Tsubaki-chan tackled him and teleported both of them away, leaving us to deal with two others." Kakashi stated. "Jiraiya-sama, myself and Hinata took on Deidara, while Chiyo-sama and Sakura took down Sasori."
The Hokage raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that a bit stupid? You left a barely alive old woman and a medic to deal with the greatest puppeteer of all times?!"
"Chiyo-sama requested to take him on alone." Jiraiya replied. "I decided to leave Sakura as a backup."
"Fine, at least she's alive… where is she, by the way?"
"Tsunade-sama called her in as soon as we arrived." Hinata explained. "She said it was about the poison created by Sasori."
Minato nodded. "Very well, that's a good reason. Continue."
"We continued battling Deidara and even managed to tear one of his arms off." Jiraiya told. "After that he ate some of his clay and blew himself up. We couldn't find any traces of his chakra afterwards, so either he killed himself with that, or he just used that explosion as a way out. My money's on second."
"Why?"
"The explosion would've been much bigger otherwise."
"Hmm, if you say so. What happened next?"
"After that we tracked Tsubaki-chan down…"
"How was she?"
"She was unharmed, but…" Jiraiya paused.
"But? But what?"
"But Kisaragi was about to strike her down."
Minato's eyes widened. "What?! But that's...!"
"I know what I saw, Minato. She was not moving, and he was about to cut her in two with his blade."
Yondaime looked away deep in thoughts. "And then?"
"Then we all battled him until…" Jiraiya stopped.
"Untill?"
"Untill he activated his Rinnegan."
"Rinnegan…" Minato muttered, still looking in the window. "I thought he had Sharingan."
"Yes. However I believe that his eyes were able to evolve somehow."
"I see…" Minato muttered again. "And?"
"The tide has turned against us completely after that." Hinata stated. "He took me out first."
"Yes, Kakashi and myself followed." Jiraiya added. "We had no idea about his abilities… We still don't."
"…So it actually came down to Tsubaki and him again."
"Yes." The sannin confirmed.
"And she came out alive and unarmed." Minato added. "And he didn't kill anyone afterwards either."
"Yes."
The Hokage was consumed by his thoughts completely now.
"Hokage-sama?" Hinata asked.
Silence.
"Oi, Minato!" Jiraiya called.
Silence.
"Say something dammit!"
"…He let you go." Yondaime concluded. "No, that's obvious. Why did he let you go? Why didn't he kill Tsubaki if he was going to as you say he was? Or why didn't he kidnap her if he is a part of Akatsuki? Too many questions…"
"There is something else." Hinata began. "Jin Kisaragi said that he was hoping his allies were killed in a fight with us. He also confirmed it."
"So he's also plotting against Akatsuki." Minato gritted his teeth. 'Damn it! What are you planning, Naruto?'
"Hokage-sama?" Hinata asked. "What should we do about ANBU forces? What are my orders?"
"You are to return to your duty for now." Yondaime replied. "I will bring Ibiki back from his retirement for a while. Kakashi, you are on a break due to your wrist trauma. And Jiraiya-sensei, you are to gather as much information about Akatsuki as possible. Plans, members, everything…"
"What about Tsubaki-chan?" Kakashi asked. "She didn't say a word after we left Suna."
"I will deal with her myself, but can you deliver a message to her, Hinata?"
"Of course, Hokage-sama."
"Tell her that she is to be in my office tomorrow morning." The Hokage stated. "The rest of you, dismissed."
Kirigakure no sato. Mizukage's private chambers…
Kirigakure no sato, one of the five great shinobi villages. Not too long ago the village went through a hard period. A civil war started by Yondaime Mizukage Yagura almost brought Kirigakure on a brink of destruction. People were fighting their own neighbors. Brother went against brother, father against son… And all because of one thing, bloodline.
Yes, Yagura believed that bloodlines needed to be purged completely. So he ordered a total annihilation of bloodline carriers. In fact he almost accomplished his goal…
Until Jin Kisaragi was brought into the conflict.
With his legendary sword Yukianesa in his hand Jin went alone against Yagura and slain him in front of Mizukage's own army. A huge mistake on Yagura's part was underestimating Jin because of his age. A mistake that was only realized when the fight ended… Seven seconds after it started.
Fortunately for the village, after Yondaime Mizukage's death the war stopped immediately. The order was restored, and reconstructions have begun. Therefore Mei Terumi, who was appointed as the Godaime Mizukage, was having a very busy schedule…
"Yes! Fuck me!"
…Or at least that's what she said to her subordinates…
"Ah!" Mei screamed in pleasure, trying to push herself off the wall. "Pull my hair! Harder!"
"Damn insatiable bitch…" Single male voice grunted behind her.
"Exactly!" Mei stated, finally pushing herself off the wall and falling on top of her lover. "My turn!" She stated, licking her lips evilly as she started moving her hips back and forth.
"Shit…" Another grunt came from below.
"Hmhmhmhmhm…" The woman chuckled, not stopping her actions. "I can feel it growing bigger. Cumming again, are you?" She asked teasingly. "Well, you can… kyah! Wait, not my breasts! It's my weak spot!"
"Shut up! If I'm gonna cum, then you're going with me!"
"Ah! Ah yes! Yes, fuck me! MAKE ME CUM!" Mei yelled at the top of her lungs as her head arched backwards. "I'M ALMOST THERE! FUCK ME!"
"GUH!"
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!" Mei screamed, when several shots of sperm inside her very core finally pushed her over the edge.
Several seconds of silence and…
"Huff… Huff…" Mei panted heavily, falling on top of her lover and smiling innocently. "Hi, Jin-kun!"
Naruto rolled his eyes and turned his head slightly to look at the clock.
"Eight hours, Mei…" He muttered. "It took you eight hours to say hello. What's next? Gonna force me into marrying you?"
Mei's smile turned into a confident smirk. "Perhaps. Besides…"
"Gh." Naruto gasped once again when Mei's soft fingers wrapped around his cock.
"…Who can make you feel better than I am?" The woman asked as her smirk widened. "Would you refuse if I ask you that?"
Naruto shook his head. "Being your plaything isn't enough? Now you want to turn me into your slave?"
"Tempting." Mei said, rolling on top of Jin completely and claiming his lips for a couple of minutes. "Unfortunately…" She continued as they parted. "I don't think you're the type to stay in one place for long. So I guess I'll have to settle for a plaything."
Naruto sighed in relief. "Yeah, a terrible tragedy…" He placed his hands behind his head. "So? Are you gonna tell me what's that big important thing is, or do you want to keep this up for another day?"
"Umm… second?" The woman replied innocently.
"Mei!"
"Oh fine, fine." She slapped his shoulder lightly. "Besides, you've been missing for two months! What do you expect me to do while…!"
"Mei!"
The Mizukage sighed. "Alright, alright…" She laid her head on his chest again. "You have it easy, you know. Came in, slain Yagura, dumped the job on me, and I have to deal with all this crap everyday! Do you have any idea…?!"
"Mei!"
"I'm getting to that." The woman sighed again. "We've been having some problems lately…"
"Who, me and you?"
"No, Kirigakure I mean." Mei explained. "Our missions got compromised, our trading partners got threatened, hell even some of our people were killed on several occasions."
Naruto raised an eyebrow. "And?"
"And after a long investigation I was able to find the source of all our problems." The Mizukage stated. "Apparently the culprit is the village of Hidden Star."
Naruto raised second eyebrow. "Hidden what?"
"Hidden Star."
The blond held a pause. "…There is a village like that?"
"What, you've never heard of it?" Mei asked in surprise.
"Does it look like I did?"
"I guess not… Anyway, our men infiltrated the village and found out that they are planning a full scale invasion. Take a guess who are they going to invade."
"Kiri?!" Jin snorted. "Are they out of their fucking mind?"
"Yes, that's exactly what I said." Mei nodded. "And I would actually like to see them try. However there are other things. First is that their leader, a guy named Akahoshi, is calling himself Hoshikage and believes that some fucking star will bring them victory. Now you know me, I could care less about some piece of rock, but calling himself Hoshikage?! Now that's just an insult to all five great countries. But that's not all, there is another thing…"
Naruto's eyes narrowed, seeing how Mei's look darkened. "Which is?"
"He's going to attack Kiri… because he thinks we're the weakest out of five." The woman stated grimly. "Now that is just a slap in my face. And you know I can't let that slide. I wanted for them to come to our turf, but not anymore. I want for that place to be gone from the face of the Earth!"
Jin tilted his head to the side. "What's the big deal? You've got more than enough resources to do just that…"
"No!" Mei interrupted. "Not just destroy them." Her jaw clenched. "I want for them to taste true fear… to learn the absolute futility of their efforts. Only you can do that…"
"Oh, come on!" Now Naruto interrupted her. "I gave you a whole village so you could do these things on your own and…"
"Do this… And your debt for Yukianesa will be repaid." Mei stated, interrupting him again. "The sword will forever be yours."
Naruto stopped rubbing Mei's back, which he was doing through their entire conversation.
"Are you sure?" He asked quietly. "That blade is your heirloom and was going to give it back after…"
"I know…" The woman closed her eyes. "But I don't want it, I want you…" She paused. "Please don't go with your plan. I will do anything…!"
"No." Naruto said simply. "I will do what you ask, but I cannot abandon my purpose. I have decided everything for myself when I learned the truth."
"…And what about that girl… Tsubaki, right? Are you going to use her as well?!"
"No, not her." The blond stated. "There is no necessity for that, I made sure of it."
"Damn, you stubborn asshole…" Mei grunted, hitting Jin's chest with her fist. "Will I at least see you again?"
"…"
Konohagakure no sato. Tsubaki's room…
"You're trying to ruin everything I've done so far…"
Tsubaki looked down, playing Jin's words over and over in her head.
"I…"
"I did it all for you…"
"Am I really just… standing in his way…?"
"Stop pitying yourself." Kyuubi's voice echoed in her head. "Is this the extent of your determination? Pathetic."
Tsubaki remained silent.
"What, not even going to respond?! Are you that weak?"
The girl shook her head lightly. "You do not understand…" She whispered. "All this time I thought I was doing the right thing. I thought that Jin's way was wrong and it will only ruin him, but… but I don't know anymore. What he said…"
"Exactly, that's what he said." Kyuubi interrupted.
Tsubaki's eyebrows rose at this. "W-What? What do you mean?"
"What proof do you have that he was telling the truth except for his word?"
"But Jin wouldn't…" At this girl's heart skipped a beat.
"I'm a Rattlesnake…"
"Realized it, haven't you?" Kyuubi mocked. "He didn't even need to fight you, he just confused you enough to get past."
"I…" Tsubaki hesitated. "No! He won't lie to me in such a way!"
"He won't, won't he?"
"I… I don't know, damn it!" The red head snapped. "I need some time alone… Some time to think."
KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.
"Tsubaki, are you there?" Hinata's voice came from the outside.
'Hinata? What could she want?' Yondaime's daughter thought, opening the door. "Yes?"
"You are here, good." Hinata said with slight relief in her voice. "Look, we need to talk. What happened back then is…"
"No, it's okay." Tsubaki interrupted with calm but sad voice. "I'm okay with what happened."
Hinata's eyes widened. "What? Are you saying that you will abandon your goal that easilly?!"
The red head sighed. "No. I just… This encounter with Jin was very emotional and I just need some time to myself."
"Oh, alright then. Just do not forget our promise."
"I won't…"
Hinata turned around, but then remembered something. "Oh, and Hokage-sama said that he's expecting you tomorrow morning in his office."
"Very well, I'll be there."
Next 's office…
"Namikaze Tsubaki reporting for duty…"
"Ah, hello my dear!" Minato's face lit up. "How are you feeling?"
"Not too great…" Tsubaki muttered. "Father, I have a request."
Yondaime's eyes narrowed. "I'm sorry, but if that's about him I'll have to…"
"It is not." The red head stated."I just need some time to myself, so I was going to ask you for a single solo mission. Something not hard, but away from here… from everything."
"Oh…" Minato frowned. "Well, I'm sure you're capable enough to accomplish an A-rank mission on your own. Why don't you pick yourself?"
Tsubaki walked closer and inspected several papers. "I think that one will do."
"Hoshigakure?" Minato raised an eyebrow. "Isn't it a bit too far?"
"It's alright, father. Any mission details?"
"Yes…" The Hokage nodded sighing. "The client is a former jounin of Hoshigakure. The mission is to infiltrate the village and steal the star. You are to meet the client in Tanzaku city. That is all."
"Hai." Tsubaki bowed. "I will leave immediately."
Minato's eyebrows rose. "W-Wait just a moment, Tsubaki. You have returned only yesterday. At least spend a day with your family. Your mother is worrying…"
"With your excuse, Hokage-sama." Tsubaki suddenly interrupted, disappearing in a flash of red.
Minato looked silently at the spot she was occupying for several minutes. 'Was there something wrong I said?'
With Naruto…
"Hello, Yoshi."
"Gah!" One middle-aged man jumped in shock and turned around. "Rattlesnake! Don't sneak up on me like that! My heart is bad enough as it is."
"Yeah sorry, sorry…" Naruto waved his hand. "Look, Yoshi. I need your advice as a professional blacksmith."
Yoshi's eyebrows furrowed. He always became 100 percent serious when it came to his job.
"Yes, I'm all ears."
"Say…" Jin folded his hands.
"Bureibru kidou!"
A memory of Tsubaki using BlazBlue flashed in his eyes. "Do you think it's possible to further enhance one of the legendary swords?"
"Now THAT is what I call a question." Yoshi stated, rubbing his beard. "You have to forgive me, Rattlesnake, if I won't be able to give you a straight answer. All legendary swords were created long before my time."
"Get to the point."
"O-kay…" The smith paused. "All legendary swords were created with some kind of unmatched ability…Unlimited power over the element."
"Yeah, how Raijin's over lightning, Yukianesa's over ice or Samehada's over water. Yeah, I know that."
"Exactly." Yoshi nodded. "But what you have to realize is second infusion is impossible."
Naruto tilted his head in confusion. "Excuse me?"
Yoshi sighed. "Infusion of steel and element. Don't be a moron, Rattlesnake."
"Yeah, sorry. There's just a lot on my mind. Continue."
"Alright. As I said, second infusion is impossible, because next second element will ruin all balance the weapon has and thus ruin the weapon itself." The smith replied. "But! I think there is a possibility for further enhancement! Yes, yes! But not with an element! You will need a power source! It must have a huge raw chakra supply and it also must not possess any natural element. Quite frankly I'm at a loss. I've no idea what can possibly fit these descriptions…"
"Oh, but I think I do." Jin stated with a smirk. "See you around, Yoshi…"
Tanzaku city…
'This place should be around here…' Tsubaki thought, walking through a highly populated area. 'Well, at least I know it's not a trap.'
"And why not?" Kyuubi asked.
The girl shrugged. 'No one will want to leave so many witnesses.'
"True… But perhaps that's exactly what they want you to believe so you would let your guard down." The demon stated. "You really need to change your attitude, Tsubaki. Perhaps for you it seems impossible to sacrifice so many innocent people in order to achieve your goal. But for someone like Orochimaru… or even your beloved Jin…"
'No!' The red head interrupted. 'Jin is not like that! He killed people, yes. But he will never kill an innocent person just to get what he wants!'
"I hope you are right… For both of our sakes."
Suddenly…
"Strange, I thought they will send at least a squad."
Tsubaki turned around sharply. In front of her stood a middle aged woman with raven black hair. She was dressed in full shinobi gear and even had a Hidden Star headband on. "Are you Natsuhi-san?"
"I am. And you must be the Konoha shinobi I requested."
"Yes." The red head nodded.
"Come with me then, I will explain your mission in details…"
Hoshigakure no sato…
"I will get Mei's ass for making me go all this way…"
PUFF.
Two shinobi in Hoshigakure headbands appeared in a puff of smoke.
"Halt! State your name and business in Hoshigakure no sato!"
"Ah, so that's the infamous Hidden Star village!" Naruto exclaimed, faking admiration. "Such a sight! I never even dreamt of…"
"Enough!" One of the ninjas interrupted. "I told you to state your business!" He aimed his crossbow right at Naruto. "If you won't, we'll have to use force."
The jinchuriki sighed. "My business…? And what if I tell you that my business is to destroy your entire village?"
"Heh." The shinobi snorted. "Then I'll say that you're completely insane."
SLASH.
"Exactly." Jin replied, shaking blood from his sword with a swing.
"Ogawa!" Second shinobi screamed, seeing his partner getting cut in two. "You will die for this!" With that he aimed his crossbow and shoot Naruto right in the middle of his chest.
The blond slowly looked down. "Ouch?" He tore the arrow from his chest and looked at it. "That hurt, you know…"
"W-Who are you?!" The shinobi screamed in fear.
"Who am I?" Naruto asked in amusement. "Why, I'm your own personal fairy godmother! And I came to make sure that you all are going to live happily ever after…" With that he teleported right in front of the unlucky guy and stabbed the arrow right through his head from below. "In the next life that is."
Tanzaku's outskirts…
"To tell the truth, I'm quite surprised they sent only one person." Natsuhi stated. "I paid for an A-rank mission after all. We will most likely be fighting a shinobi."
"Do not worry." Tsubaki replied. "Just explain me the details. I promise you won't be disappointed."
"Hmm… very well." Natsuhi began. "As you probably know, our village has a star in its possession. And it is very proud of it I might add."
"Yes, I heard about it." Tsubaki nodded.
"But what you don't know is that training with the star is lethal." The woman stated. "Star's chakra infuses with your own and increases the total amount you can use. But doing that…"
"Puts a huge stress on the body." The red head finished.
Natsuhi's eyebrows rose. "Yes… How do you know?"
"I'm…" Tsubaki paused. "I'm good when it comes to foreign chakra. But enough about that. I understood the danger of training, what do you want me to do?"
"You… We are going to steal the star." Natsuhi stated. "And we are going to destroy it."
"Huh?" Tsubaki raised an eyebrow. "Don't you think it's too radical? Aren't you from that village?"
"I am… However I cannot allow the same tragedy to repeat itself."
"Tragedy?"
Natsuhi bit her lower lip. "My husband and I… We both underwent the training with the star. We and many of our friends…" She frowned. "But then it started. Our friends began to die in horrible pain one after another, and we could do nothing but watch. In the end only the two of us left. So we decided it was enough…"
"And you decided to steal the star." Tsubaki concluded.
"Yes…" The woman looked down. "But we failed. We were caught by Sandaime Hoshikage and his guards. But Sandaime was a good man. He understood our situation and said that he will forbid the training if we leave and never return. We agreed, leaving our little son behind."
Tsubaki's head twitched at this.
"Tsubaki-san?"
"…"
"Tsubaki-san, are you alright?"
"Hmm? Ah yes. Please continue."
"O-Okay…" Natsuhi took another pause. "So we left and promised to never return… But several years later Sandaime died under mysterious circumstances. And shortly afterwards the Yondaime Hoshikage was chosen. A man named Akahoshi." Her eyes narrowed. "Unlike Sandaime, this man was… and still is obsessed with the idea of superiority and dominance. So it is no wonder that he resumed the star training."
Tsubaki raised an eyebrow. "Why didn't you intervene?"
"I gave my word. But three years later I decided it was enough… It happened when the first kid died. His name was Mizura, and he had the same symptoms all our friends had. So I broke my word and attempted to steal the star again. This time however things were different. I am the last person alive who underwent the training, so no other Hoshigakure ninja was a match for me. I was almost there when…"
"When what?"
"When… My son appeared in my way. I couldn't fight him, I just couldn't."
"I see…" Tsubaki looked away. "In that case I suggest we infiltrate the village quietly, steal the star and use my instant movement technique to escape. Afterwards I will give you the star to do as you please. Sounds good?"
"Yes, let's hurry then. I'll show the way…"
Hoshigakure outskirts...
"Wait a second, Tsubaki-san." Natsuhi stopped as they were nearing the village. "See this canyon?"
"Yes, what about it?"
"That green mist down there is a deadly poison. We'll have to bypass it from above."
Tsubaki raised one of her perfect eyebrows skeptically. 'I wasn't planning on going down there… Wait, what's that?' She thought, looking in the distance. "Hold on a second, Natsuhi-san. Isn't that the direction of Hoshigakure?"
"It is, why?"
The red head pointed her finger. "It's just that I can see smoke rising from there."
Natsuhi looked up and her eyes widened in horror. "Oh no… No! Sumaru!" She quickly ran to the edge of the cliff and jumped off to Tsubaki's shock.
"No, wait!" Hokage's daughter rushed after, but then stopped after seeing Natsuhi glide over to the other end of the canyon with some chakra wings behind her back. "What the…?" She muttered, observing Natsuhi's flight for several moments. 'What do you think, Kyuubi?'
"I suggest you turn around and walk away."
"Right… wait, what?!"
Kyuubi sighed. "Forget about this mission and go home. There is nothing for you there."
"No, I…" Tsubaki hesitated. Kyuubi used that tone very rarely. "I can't just leave…"
"Fine, follow the foolish woman." The demon replied. "I'm sure she will not like what she'll find… and neither will you."
Tsubaki's brows furrowed. 'What do you mean by that?'
"Just go and see for yourself."
"Tch." Tsubaki grunted, throwing one of her special kunais over the canyon and teleporting to its location. Natsuhi managed to fly far ahead, but using her superior speed the red head managed to catch up quickly. Still she let her client go first since unlike her Tsubaki had no knowledge about the area.
The scent of burned flesh reached Tsubaki's nose as she was nearing the village and she already had a good idea of what she'll find there.
How wrong she was…
"Oh my god…" Tsubaki stopped dead in her tracks, observing the scene in silent horror.
She has never seen a slaughter like that. The streets were filled with human corpses. Some were burning, but most were simply sliced to pieces. Blood was running on the ground like water.
The girl looked around in hopes to find at least some survivors, who could tell her what actually happen, but quickly abandoned the idea after she saw a woman and two small children beside her… All were sliced into bits.
"They didn't even care who they kill!" She exclaimed. "They simply came to kill everyone, but…" The girl stopped in mid-sentence. Why? Because she started to wonder who they actually were.
"Strange, I see no enemy corpses." Tsubaki muttered. "No matter how strong their enemies were, they must have at least killed some of them. But I can't see…"
"SUMARU!" Natsuhi's terrified scream came from ahead and Tsubaki took a mad dash towards the woman…
Only to witness a scene she never wished she did.
There stood Natsuhi… Right on her knees… In front of a body of a young man, who was apparently her son… And who was seemingly dead…
But no matter how sad this picture was, Tsubaki didn't care about any of that. The reason for that was the cause of young man's death…
One big blade of ice in his chest.
"Oh no…" Tsubaki whispered. "Oh please no… Not this… Anything but this."
Suddenly…
"M-Mother…?"
"Sumaru!" Natsuhi screamed, seeing that her son was in fact still alive.
"Y-You came… mother…"
"Don't speak, Sumaru! I'll do something! Anything!"
"No… It's too late…" Sumaru coughed some blood. "The one who did this… Cough… The devil… Red eyes…" He stated, making Tsubaki's eyes widen. "He went for the star… You must… Cough… You must… Stop… Him…" And with that his eyes started to close… and they did. Forever.
"Sumaru! No, NO!"
'Perhaps I should've followed your advice…' Tsubaki closed her eyes as well.
"You still can…"
'No, now I really can't' Tsubaki concluded. "You should take your son's body and leave, Natsuhi-san. There is nothing more you can do."
"Gh." The woman laid her son's head down on the ground and stood up with angry face. "Never! I will find whoever did this, and I will make him pay!"
Tsubaki lowered her head, hearing woman's footsteps moving away from her. 'You knew?'
"Yes. I sensed some of my chakra from that canyon." Kyuubi stated. "You should at least follow your own advice, you know. You won't be able to defeat him on your own."
Tsubaki stood stoically for some more seconds. Then she opened her eyes sharply and rushed after Natsuhi.
'Damn women and their stubbornness…'
The star chamber…
Unlike last time, Tsubaki's predictions about her findings were one hundred percent correct. Natsuhi's still body was lying on the floor in a puddle of her own blood, and of course…
"Damn, the two of us just can't stay apart, ne Tsubaki?" The culprit exclaimed, turning around to face her.
"Jin…" Tsubaki lowered her head and closed her eyes. "Was this for my sake as well?"
"Hmhmhmhmhahahaha!" Naruto laughed at this. "Leave it to you to ask something like that…"
"Why then?!" The girl snapped. "Why did you kill so many innocent people?!"
The blond snorted. "Innocent? They were anything but innocent. Do you know they were using their own children as a material to build a stronger army?"
"Stop it, Jin. I saw what you did." Tsubaki stated. "You didn't eliminate only shinobi contingent. You have slain civilians as well. What did they ever do to you?!"
"Nothing that I know of." Jin shrugged. "But I have another question. What did they do to you that you care about them so much?"
"Nothing. But at least I know that killing innocents is wrong!"
Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Wrong you say? And what if it's your mission?"
"What?!" Tsubaki asked in surprise. "Are you saying that…?"
"Yep, it was simply a job. Nothing more, nothing less." The blond stated. "Hoshigakure was about to strike Kirigakure. Kirigakure on their part hired me to wipe them out. Simple as that. If not me, Kirigakure would still kill everyone here. But then…" He took out a small round orb from his pocket. "Then I wouldn't get this."
"The star I presume."
"Ding, ding, ding! Correct again!" Naruto grinned. "In fact, I should thank you. For you proved me wrong yet again last time we met."
"What are you talking about?"
"Hmhmhmhm… Watch this!" With that Naruto dropped the star on the ground and… stabbed it with his sword. "Dai roku-roku-roku kousoku kikan kaihou! Jigen kanshou kyosuu houjin tenkai!"
Tsubaki's eyes widened. "Wait! What are you doing?!"
"BureiBru Kidou!"
BLAST.
The star blew up into small bits. Instead…
"Nice." Jin commented, noticing how a purple trail was following Yukianesa's every move.
"You… You just…"
"Right. I drained star's energy right into my sword." He stated. "With this I will be able to achieve everything I ever wanted!"
"No… You will not." Tsubaki stated calmly, drawing the sword of Raijin.
Naruto smirked. "Didn't we talk about this before? I told you, everything I do is for you…"
"I don't want to be the cause of this!" The girl rushed forward, clashing swords with her adversary. "I will not let you hurt any more people!"
"Hn." Jin pushed her away. "Unfortunately you don't have a say in this matter. Always a pleasure to see you, dear sister." And with that he disappeared in a flash of yellow.
Tsubaki's eyes narrowed. "I think not." She whispered, disappearing in a flash of red.
Hoshigakure's canyon…
"Well, that does that." Naruto said, reappearing at cliff's edge. "Poor Tsubaki… But I think she'll come around."
"We'll see about that."
Naruto's eyes widened as he quickly turned around, barely able to block Tsubaki's sword swipe.
"Damn, how did you get here so fast?" He saked.
"I can follow Hiraishin's movements." The girl replied stoically. "Besides, you can only go so far without the use of the beacon."
"Heh." Jin smirked again. "You got me alright. So, what are we going to do now?"
"Simple." Tsubaki ducked under two swords and got Naruto with a spinning heel kick to the stomach, sending him falling on his back. "I'm going to return to Konoha. And you are going with me."
"Hahahahaha." Naruto laughed, slowly picking himself up from the ground. "I don't think I'm very eager to return there."
Girl's eyes narrowed. "Unfortunately you don't have a say in this matter."
"Ho? Now where did I hear that I wonder?" The blond mocked. "However, aren't you forgetting something, girl? We've already been here before. You couldn't defeat me with help. What makes you think you can on your own?"
"Nothing." Tsubaki stated as red chakra started to swirl around her madly. "But at least now I don't have a single reason to hold back!"
Naruto's eyebrows shot up. "Oppa!"
"Nice said!" Tsubaki jumped high in the air, creating a huge ball of red chakra on her right arm.
"Not today." Naruto said confidently, teleporting away, but… "Oh fuck!"
Tsubaki was already there.
"Ultimate Rasengan!"
BLAST.
A huge explosion raised the area around the place Naruto was standing on. The trees were completely blown away and the ground itself cracked in several spots.
"Don't let your guard down." Kyuubi stated as Tsubaki landed gracefully on her feet. "We both know it is far from over."
The girl said nothing. She simply stood in her place, looking at the cloud of smoke she just created. That is until…
"Very good." Naruto stated, walking out of it slowly. Several bruises and cuts were making his body. However they all disappeared even before he left the cloud completely. "But aren't you forgetting anything, dear sister? My healing factor is far greater than yours. I can do next to nothing and still win our fight."
'He's right.' Tsubaki thought with narrowed eyes.
"He is." Kyuubi confirmed. "But there is still something we can do. If you get a hold of him I can try and manipulate my own chakra inside him to freeze his healing factor."
'But won't he notice it?'
"Not until he's hurt. And even if he does, it will at least take time to get it back to working. Time he won't get."
'Very well.' Tsubaki nodded. 'Now I know what to do.'
"Remember; just get a hold of him for several seconds." The demon explained. "Play on his arrogance."
'Got it!' Tsubaki crossed her fingers. "Kage Bunshin no jutsu!"
PUFF.
"Eh?" Naruto tilted his head to the side when he saw three Tsubaki clones popping up in a puff of smoke. "Do you actually think a cheap trick like this will take me down?!"
"Heh." The girl smirked. "Who knows, perhaps it will! Attack!"
All clones immediately rushed into action, surrounding Naruto from all sides. One came from behind, but the blond anticipated just that.
"HA!" He exclaimed loudly, unsheathing his sword and… sending a huge wave of purple energy that destroyed the clone instantly. "Hahaha! See that?! That's my new power! Try to surpass me now, little sister!"
"Tch." Tsubaki hissed as another shockwave was sent straight at her this time. However it gave her an idea. She quickly activated her own blade and did an insanely quick horizontal slash.
"Dendou Kai!" (Electric Cut) A large yellow shockwave collided with Naruto's purple one, creating a big explosion and a smoke screen.
"Hm, not bad at all." Naruto stated, looking around. "Come on, there is no need to hide."
"Who said I'm hiding?"
The blond turned around sharply… Only to receive a hard hook to the face. However he used the momentum to spin around and cut Tsubaki down across her chest, but…
PUFF.
…But of course it was a clone.
"Damn, where are you?!"
"Over here!" Tsubaki appeared once again, this time lashing out with a kick.
Naruto was ready this time though. Quickly ducking under Tsubaki's leg and did an upwards slash, cutting her down once again. But of course…
PUFF.
…It was another clone.
"Fuck this!" Naruto did several handseals. "Fuuton: Daitoppa!" A massive gush of wind blew all the smoke and dust away, revealing a wide-eyed Tsubaki, who stood right in front of Naruto. "Got ya."
SLASH.
Still in shock, the girl slowly looked down to find herself in a very familiar position.
Naruto's sword was sticking out of her chest.
"Damn stupid girl." Jin said, taking a deep breath. "Do you have any idea how I hate to do this?" He placed his free hand under her chin, raising it up slightly. "I told you, you can't beat me. So be a good girl now, return to your village and live happily. Got it?"
"Cough…" Tsubaki coughed some blood. "Yeah, I got it…" She said as a small smirk appeared on her face. "But you're dead wrong if you think it's already over!"
Naruto's eyes widened at this. Why? Maybe because the last phrase came from behind.
CRASH.
Another Tsubaki erupted from underground right behind Naruto and got him in a full nelson grab. Next moment Tsubaki who was stabbed by Naruto disappeared in a puff of smoke.
"You made another clone? Clever."
"I knew you will be arrogant enough not to use your Sharingan against just one opponent." The girl stated confidently.
"Hmhmhm." Naruto chuckled. "I guess I should blame myself for making rookie's mistake. However there is just one question in my mind. How are you going to win from this position?"
"Watch and see." Tsubaki replied. 'Was that enough time?'
"More than enough." Kyuubi stated. "I not only managed to freeze his healing factor. He won't even be able to use my chakra for about a day."
'Excellent! Now I just have to…' But Tsubaki's thought came to a complete halt when she heard a familiar voice.
"DIIIIIIIIE!" Completely blood-covered Natsuhi screamed at the top of her lungs, tackling both Naruto and Tsubaki to the ground… right over the cliff's edge.
"Oh shit!" Naruto exclaimed in slight panic, seeing rapidly approaching green mist. He then took a long breath and looked for his options. 'I need to take this two off me first!' The blond decided. "Shouheki Koshou!" He flared his chakra in all directions, attempting to throw both women off of him. And he succeeded…
With Tsubaki who released her grip already when they fell. Naruto's jutsu however sent her flying right into cliff's side.
"Gah!" She gasped in pain as her back hid the rock. Apparently her head hit it as well.
'What the…?' Jin thought, seeing how Tsubaki's eyes closed and how she started to fall limply like a rock. 'Oh no!' He tried to dive right at her, but Natsuhi was still holding onto his back for dear life.
"Let me go, you fucking bitch!" He screamed at the top of his lungs.
"Never!" Natsuhi screamed back. "You are going to die with me!"
"Tch." Naruto spat, taking his sword in reverse grip. "Think again!" And with that he took Yukianesa… and stabbed it right through both of them. But when he did…
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!" Naruto heard a mind-piercing scream, only to realize next second that it was his own. He never felt so much pain since he was little. Slowly pulling his blade out he noticed that the blood was not stopping like it usually was.
"Fuck…" He cursed loudly, noticing a somewhat good side in all this.
Natsuhi has released her grip. Naruto was free again. Ignoring the pain he quickly twisted his body in midair and grabbed the breathing mask from Natsuhi's belt.
"Fuck you!" The jinchuriki finally pushed the already lifeless body away from him and pressed the breathing mask right on his face. Now all he had to do is catch Tsubaki before she fell… or breathed enough of that damn gas.
"Come on… Come on!" He tried his hardest to reach the girl in time, diving head first after her. "COME ON!"
At the very bottom of the pit he was finally able to reach Tsubaki's hand and…
"Hiraishin no jutsu!"
…and immediately teleport both of them at the top of the cliff. Two teens landed in a heap, rolling on the ground a little.
"Oh shit…" Naruto cursed loudly, throwing the mask away and slowly crawling towards unmoving Tsubaki. "Come on, girl." He rolled her on her back and checked for life signs. They were present… But the girl wasn't breathing.
"Fuck!" Jin opened her mouth with shaking and blood soaked hands and did some CPR. "Don't even think on dying, you hear! I won't let you die! Come on!"
"Cough… Cough…" At last Tsubaki coughed a few times and her breathing returned to normal.
"Whew…" Naruto took a deep breath, covering his bleeding wound with one hand. "Thank god. And I almost thought…" But before he could finish that sentence, his eyes slowly rolled into the back of his head and he himself fell down right next to Tsubaki, losing conscious completely.
...
Darthemius: And this, my friends, is the moment of Naruto's death…
SMACK.
Naruto: Don't worry folks, I am not dead yet. And YOU are three seconds away from getting your ass kicked!
Darthemius: No, wait! I was not announcing your death! It was a joke!
Naruto: Fuck my death! You drank all cola in the house.
Darthemius: Oh shit… (Swallowing) I ah… I guess this is goodnight then…
Naruto (Taking a baseball bat): You damn right!
Darthemius: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!