Leonardobluesummers: Yeah, the persuasion of Nagato could have gone better, I admit. The funny thing is: it didn't click in my head that, unlike Danzo, this Naruto would be able to use Kotoamatsukami multiple times a day until after I read your review. Oops, that's my bad. Still, after travelling with Jiraiya for 2 years, some of the arguments used still hold water. Whether or not this Naruto believed in them like the Canon Naruto is a different story.
I'm very satified with the way I made Naruto Hokage. I've seen other stories do it, but I've had some problems with them, like the Daimyo suddenly growing a pair after the many times Danzo intimidated him. How does that make sense?
Now, about the pairings. There are none planned for this specific story. However, I have enjoyed writing this Naruto/Dracula very much. And that's why I want to make this a multi-series. I want to see how far I can take this. It's gonna be wild ride that I'm sure I'll enjoy.
Here's the current planned schedule: finishing this story, followed by the Rosario fanfic mentioned several chapters back, then the Naruto/Dbz crossover where Naruto has Broly's powers, since it's the only one that got votes currently, and finally, the sequel to Shinobi's Lament: SL(short for Shinobi's Lament) Fate/Zero Apocrypha. That last one is still a title in progress. Hopefully, things will go as planned.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Chapter 17: Turtle Island and War
The next day, Fukasaku reverse-summoned him, saying the Great Elder had requested his presence.
"I've brought him." Fukasaku told the Great Elder, a large maroon toad.
"Ah, it is I who called you forth...who are you again?"
Naruto, back in his Gama Sennin cloak, sweatdropped at the Great Elder. "Naruto Uzumaki."
"Oh, yes that's right! That's right! Naruto, was it? I have seen your future."
Naruto's eyes widened. "Uh oh." Did the toads know about Drac-
"You will soon meet an octopus."
"Huh?" Naruto said. Was the Hachibi an octopus? They would both be hiding soon, possibly at the same place, so maybe that's what he meant.
"I could not see it clearly, but I saw octopus' tentacles. Then you will battle a young man, wielding power in his eyes."
"Sasuke." Naruto said.
"You have already met him, the young man with power in his eyes?"
"I have seen him on multiple occasions." Naruto answered.
The Great Elder stayed silent for a moment before he spoke again. "Gerotora! I have foreseen that Naruto will master the Kyuubi's chakra without the key!"
Gerotora and Fukasaku looked at Naruto in shock.
"Well, with that, I should send you back." Fukasaku said before he clapped his hands, sending Naruto back.
"Alas..." The Great Elder thought. "There is nothing even we can do. The darkness that was long gone shall swallow the world whole."
When Naruto was back in the village, he resumed his walk.
"Naruto!" Naruto turned around to see a panting Sakura running toward him. "Where the hell did you disappear to!?"
"The Toads summoned me." Naruto answered. "What is it?"
"Tsunade-sama, and everyone else, is worried about you! Come on, follow me!"
Naruto followed Sakura to Tsunade in the meeting cabin.
"You were with the Great Elder Toad Sage?" Tsunade asked.
Naruto nodded. "I was."
"It would have been nice if Fukasaku-sama notified us first." Tsunade sighed. "Why were you called?"
"A prophecy." Naruto said. "Something about meeting an octopus."
"An octopus?" Kakashi asked. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Naruto shrugged. "My guess is that the Hachibi is an octopus. I'm bound to meet Killer Bee, so maybe that's what he meant."
"That's possible." Tsunade said. "Anything else?"
"He also said I'll be fighting Sasuke."
Sakura looked worried.
One day, Tsunade went to Kumo for an Allliance meeting. When she returned, she called for Naruto.
"They've found a hiding place?" Naruto asked.
Tsunade nodded. "It's a special island where the Raikage and his little brother used to train. While we are waging war with Akatsuki, you will be on that island, training in mastering the Kyuubi's chakra. Yamato will accompany you there."
Naruto nodded. "Understood."
Naruto packed up and went to meet up with Yamato, who had Guy and a Tokubetsu Jonin by the name of Aoba by his side.
They left for a port town in Hi no Kuni to take a boat that would take them to Kaminari no Kuni. Once they arrived, they took another boat to the special island, which apparently was Kumo's version of the Forest of Death.
Along the way, Naruto learned an interesting fact about Guy: the poor man has seasickness. Aoba took him inside the boat to help him.
Suddenly, the boat was attacked by a giant squid, but was quickly repelled by an ox that had octopus tentacles.
"Ya better squidaddle, or imma make ya!" The ox said.
"The Hachibi." Naruto thought. "The Great Elder was right."
"Killer Bee-sama!" One of Kumo's shinobi said in relief.
"You're all late!" Bee said as the Hachibi disappeared within his body. He was carrying Samehada on his back.
When they docked the boat, they went within the forest island. Killer Bee would calm down any beast that got close to them.
They eventually arrived in a building where the Konoha-nin were given rooms.
Naruto went on a walk and, when he was alone, made a Kage Bunshin that would eventually guide Dracula here. This was the perfect chance to get the Hachibi, despite the amount of shinobi here.
After that, Killer Bee and another Kumo-nin name Motoi took him and Yamato to the Waterfall of Truths.
"The first step to controlling the Bijuu is to face your true self." Motoi said. "Sit on the rock in the middle of the pond and you will meet your true self."
Naruto did so and he suddenly was all alone.
A figure then appeared from the waterfall.
Naruto got up. "Yo."
The true self smirked. "Soon...all nine of them will be his to take. Only the Hachibi is left. Let's do our best."
Naruto nodded before he felt himself leave the mindscape.
Naruto got up and smirked at the group.
"It looks like things went well." Yamato said.
"It's too early to rejoice, fool ya fool." Bee said as he walked toward the waterfall. "Now, let's see if you can manage to control Kyuubi's power. Follow me!"
He jumped right in front of the waterfall before he walked right into it. A cave?
Naruto followed him right in, with Yamato not far behind.
Behind the waterfall was a large room with headless statues and drawings of the Nibi and Hachibi on the walls. There was also a temple of sort on the other side of the cave.
"You'll fight the Kyuubi here." Bee said.
Naruto said. "Fight? Kurama's been pretty tame since a certain accident."
"Accident?" Bee asked.
Naruto nodded. "Ever heard of Hoshigakure."
Bee nodded. "Weird place with a 'unique star'. Doesn't matter, 'cause Killer Bee is Kumo's one and only star! Whee!"
Naruto and Yamato sweatdropped. "Anyways, since Kurama's chakra has been accidently enhanced by the star, I've pretty much had access to all of its chakra. I've just never needed to go Kyuubi, only Rokubi at most."
"I see. Well, that makes things easy for you, see?" Bee said before he walked into the temple and pressed a switch inside a beast's head to open a secret wall. Beyond the wall was a colorful void.
"Alright, since you supposedly control all of number nine's chakra, show me the full power!" Bee said as the door out of the void closed.
Naruto shrugged and unleashed Kyuubi's full power. Even he was shocked at the difference. Instead of a large, nine-tailed fox, he was still normal-sized and was surrounded by an orange and dark-purple shroud with two hair-like horns and swirl designs that resemble the Uzumaki swirl. His shroud parted in the middle and formed a full-length haori, revealing a dark purple shirt-like shroud, that had three magatama markings on each side of the collar, and his whiskers seemed thicker.
"That's impressive." Yamato commented. "I can feel Hashirama-sama's DNA within me react to the life force you are leaking."
Naruto looked at Bee. Or, more accurately, over Bee's shoulder. "I can feel your ill intent. Come out."
Samehada jumped away from Bee and Kisame emerged from its mouth. "Feeling someone's ill intent is very special for a sensory-type shinobi. A benefit of controlling Kyuubi's power, I'm sure."
"How did you manage to escape our tag-team attack?" Bee asked.
"I switched places with a parasitic clone while in the mass of water." Kisame explained. "All the ink you spread around really helped me go unnoticed. Well, I don't really need to explain anymore. I was supposed to capture you, Hachibi, but facing two Jinchuuriki and a Mokuton user is just too much, even for me."
Through one of Samehada's scales, Kisame pushed a hidden button on the floor, which opened the door, and crawled out of the void.
The moment he was about to reach the door, however, he was punched on the back, courtesy of Naruto, who appeared from his previous spot to over Kisame.
"Shunshin no Jutsu!?" Bee wondered. "Heading first, straight into the clash! From where I'm standing, just like a Yellow Flash!"
Kisamehada spat out blood. "So fast..." He then successfully crawled away from the void.
The trio immediately gave chase. When they passed through the waterfall, they saw Kisamehada getting kicked by Guy, who had recovered from his seasickness.
Samehada then separated itself from Kisame and returned to Bee, leaning against the man and growled apologetically.
"Samehada..." Kisame growled.
Guy, Aoba and Motoi were shocked at Naruto's new look.
Kisame swam underwater and grabbed Samehada's hilt to force it into absorbing Bee's chakra.
Kisame, after enough recovery, emerged from the water. "Suiton: Suikodan no Jutsu!"
A water shark formed around Kisame before shooting up in the air.
"He's trying to cross the barrier!" Motoi said
"I'll stop him!" Guy said as he opened six of the Eight Gates.
"Let yourself be captured by my Hachibi arms, my odd beastly friend!" Bee said as his right arm grew in size and turned into the Hachibi's. "I'll throw you away in the direction of ten!"
"Don't sacrifice the truth for the sake of a rhyme!" Motoi said before pointing at Kisame's direction. "The direction is two o'clock!"
Guy jumped on Bee enlarged hand. "Do it!"
Bee threw Guy in the direction Kisame went to before almost passing out from using too much chakra after Samehada absorbed a lot of it already.
"Bee-san, are you alright?" Aoba asked.
"I'm okay, be back in a sec." Bee said before he slumped.
Once Bee was back on his feet, everyone hurried to catch up with Guy and Kisame. On their way, a massive shockwave emerged from their destination.
"What the hell is that?" Motoi wondered.
"That's Guy-san's Eight Gates: Hirudora."
Naruto's eyes narrowed. If this was an Eight Gates Jutsu, then Guy would be severely weakened when the battle would be over. He could soon give the signal.
"Hirudora's force spreads rapidly over a vast distance. We need to brace ourselves!" Yamato said.
The group was then hit by a massive wind created by the shockwave. Everyone did their best to stand their ground until it stopped.
Guy came back with Kisame over his shoulder before throwing the shark-man on the grass. Yamato then restrained Kisame with the Mokuton. Naruto deactivated 'Kyuubi Mode', now that it wasn't needed.
"If we do this right, we could find out Akatsuki's military plans, what information they have, and their leader's identity." Aoba said. "I'm not on Inoichi-san's level, but I'll try to extract what he knows." He then placed a hand on Kisame's head and another on his own head and started reading his memories.
Eventually, however, Kisame bit his tongue to draw blood, snapping the both of them out of the Jutsu, before using all his might to escape the Mokuton.
Kisame then surrounded himself with water by using Suiton: Suiro no Jutsu and summon sharks inside the water prison. However, the sharks started eating him, to everyone's shock. The water prison and the sharks dispelled once Kisame was completely eaten.
"He had his sharks eat him..." Aoba said. "He determined he couldn't escape us."
"That is how the man who teamed up with Itachi-san, Kisame Hoshigaki, met his end." Yamato said.
Samehada was growling.
"He's crying tears of sorrow, boo-hoo." Bee said as he patted the living sword. "This time, it seems to be true."
"He did it to prevent us, his enemy, from getting any information from him." Naruto said.
"He was an enemy, but I salute him!" Guy said. "A Shinobi's life is judged by their death. Kisame Hoshigaki, I shall remember you for as long as I live." He then pulled out a scroll. "Well, at least no information was leaked to Akatsuki."
"So he had written down intel on us on that scroll and wanted to send it out." Aoba said.
"Let's have a look at what's on it." Motoi suggested. "If we know what they're interested in, we can counter their moves better."
Guy nodded before he opened the scroll. His eyes widened as a large quantity of water shot out of the scroll and trapped everyone in water prisons.
Sharks shot out of the scroll and occupied the group before one last shark grabbed the scroll with its jaw and used a water prison to head out to see.
However, it was caught and pulled back by Naruto's chakra chains. When the shark and Naruto's waters were close enough, Naruto reactivated Kyuubi Mode and grew extra arms that ripped both of his sharks to shreds. Naruto repeated the process with the other sharks.
With the booby trap destroyed, everyone was freed from the water prisons.
"Well done, Naruto-kun." Yamato praised. "If it hadn't been for your chains, Akatsuki would have had an advantage in the war."
"Just doing my part, which is about all I can do, since I'm hiding." Naruto said before he noticed the twitching Guy on the ground. "Are you alright, Guy-sensei? Do you need to be carried back to bed?" He asked before he made a Kage Bunshin.
"Naruto-kun, don't touch Guy-san right now!" Yamato said. "Opening so many of the Eight Gates made his body very sensitive to pain. Any physical contact right now would only be bad for Guy-san."
Naruto nodded before he turned to his clone with a purpose in his eyes. The clone's lips twitched upwards before it dispelled. It was finally time.
After that, Naruto, Bee and Yamato returned to the cave to continue Naruto's training. He would use Kyuubi Mode's chakra arms to stack blocks on one another. Too much power and the blocks would break.
After successfully stacking the blocks, Bee took the Konoha duo to another room like the void.
"I'm gonna teach you the strongest Jutsu a Jinchuuriki can do." Bee said.
"The Bijuudama?" Naruto asked.
"Oh, you know about that?" Bee asked.
Naruto nodded. "Yeah, I can do it quite easily."
"He's impressive." The Hachibi said from within Bee's mind. "This kid's got even more potential than you do."
"Well...I guess your training's complete, then." Bee said.
"In that case, I'll try something of my own." Naruto said before he sat down. "Mixing Kyuubi Mode with Senjutsu."
"A good objective. Both of these abilities grant great advantages separately. If he is able to mix them together, then not even the two of us will be able to compete against him."
"Kid's got high standards." Bee thought.
Naruto first gathered nature chakra and activated Sennin Modo before then activating Kyuubi Modo. Even with the shroud, his eyes gained the orange eye-shadow. He opened his eyes, revealing that they were now a mix of his Sennin eyes and Kyuubi eyes. The irises were crimson and he had both the Kyuubi pupils and the Sennin pupils, making his pupils look like crosses.
"Impressive chakra. All right, kid, let's see you improve your Jutsu with this new form." Bee said.
Naruto nodded, inwardly smirking as he knew what was probably happening outside by now.
Outside of the cave
Dracula and the Kage Bunshin stood over the corpses of most of the guards on the island, including Aoba and Motoi.
"Who else is left?" Dracula asked as he flicked the blood off of Crissaegrim's blade.
"Guy is bedridden due to his body being extra sensitive to pain." The clone, using Senjutsu to feel people's presence, answered. "I can't feel Yamato, the Hachibi or Boss, so they're probably inside the cave behind the waterfall, in that training room."
"It was good of him to wait until Guy was weakened. He is easily one of the bigger threats on this island." Dracula said. "Take me to Guy first. I do not want to give him the time to recover."
The clone nodded before it guided Dracula to the only building on the island.
'Naruto' stopped before Guy's room and knocked on the door.
"C-Come in..." Guy said weakly.
'Naruto' opened the door and entered the room. "Everything all right, Guy-sensei?" He asked.
"Ah, Naruto-kun..." Guy said as he tried, and failed, to sit up. "I am still too weak to even move."
"That's good news for me." Guy's eyes widened as Dracula entered the room and walked past 'Naruto'.
"S-Souma Kurusu..." Guy said.
"You remember me, even though we've only seen each other for a few minutes." Dracula said. "Kisame, if he wasn't already dead, would be very upset if he heard that."
Guy turned his gaze to 'Naruto'. "N-Naruto-kun... Why? He's trying to get Kyuubi!"
"Do not talk as if you know what's going on." Dracula said before he tilted his mask to reveal half of his face.
Guy's eyes widened. "I-It can't be..."
Dracula put his mask back in place and readied Crissaegrim. "Now do you see? It's useless to resist. I already have eight of the nine Bijuu at my disposal, and the only ones standing in my way are Yamato and the Hachibi Jinchuuriki himself."
"Lee...Neji...Tenten...I'm sorry..." Guy thought before Dracula killed him, gaining his soul.
At that exact moment, a certain Taijutsu-using Chunin felt a sting in his heart.
"We are done here." Dracula said. "Take me to the Hachibi."
The clone guided Dracula to the cave. He stood before the statue of the Nibi's, Matatabi's, head and pressed the switch in the mouth.
Dracula stood before the opening door and gazed in the void.
"It's empty." He said.
The clone frowned. "Like the drawings on the wall, there's probably another room like this one, with a statue of the Hachibi's head."
Upon searching the place, they did indeed find a second statue head, Gyuki's.
The clone pressed the switch inside the mouth and Dracula stood before the opening door.
"I have found you, Hachibi." Dracula said.
Now knowing the objective was met, the clone dispelled, giving Naruto the memories.
Yamato and Bee were shocked.
"How did you find us?" Yamato demanded.
"Akatsuki is not the only one with spies." Dracula said.
"Akatsuki? So you're no longer a member?"
"I left as soon as I took what I wanted from Akatsuki." Dracula said. "Now, I shall take the Bijuu."
"Not gonna happen, fool ya fool." Bee said before he charged toward Dracula, Samehada in hand.
Dracula smirked behind his mask. "Shinra Tensei." He said just as Bee was before him.
Bee was shot backwards by the Rinnegan's repulsive force.
Yamato clapped his hands together and was about to use a Mokuton Jutsu, but he received a kick to the side of head that sent him flying.
Yamato got back on his feet and turned to his attacker, only for his eyes to widen.
"N-Naruto-kun... What are you doing?" Yamato asked.
"I have no need to explain myself to a worm." Naruto said.
"Indeed." Dracula said. "Leave him alive. I want his Mokuton."
"Of course, Lord Dracula." Naruto said, shocking Yamato with the name.
Naruto charged toward Yamato with Kyuubi-Sennin Modo's astounding speed and pummelled Yamato, who couldn't keep up with him.
"Do make this entertaining for me, Hachibi." Dracula said as Bee got back up. "If you bore me too much, I'll simply have to use my Absorbtion Jutsu to kill you."
"Any ideas?" Bee thought.
"His abilities are unknown." Gyuki said. "And Naruto is on his side, for an equally unknown reason. We have to go all-out from the start."
Bee nodded before fully transforming into the Hachibi.
"Going so far already?" Dracula asked before he jumped in the air to avoid one of the Hachibi's tails.
Suddenly, the Hachibi was hit by the Bijuu form of Naruto's orange and purple shroud. It looked like Kurama and Kitsune, but it was mostly glowing orange with dark-purple linings. Not to mention it was more than five times Gyuki's size.
"Switch!" Naruto said as he used one of his tails to launch an unconscious Yamato in the air.
Dracula smirked as he held out a hand to Yamato. "Bansho Ten'nin!" He used the Rinnegan's attractive force to pull Yamato toward him before stabbing him in the heart, gaining his soul.
Bee inwardly cursed before he received a fist to the face.
Dracula landed on the floor and slammed his hand on the floor. "Kuchiyose: Gedo Mazo!"
Meanwhile
Tobi was silently fuming as he gazed at the Gedo Mazo. He had search Amegakure thoroughly and hadn't found Konan, who he was sure knew where Nagato's corpse, and the Rinnegan, were. Without those eyes, controlling the Gedo Mazo wasn't easy. Still, his 'alliance' with Kabuto made the war easier, thanks to his mastery of the Edo Tensei to use the Allied Shinobi Forces' dearly departed against them. The Zetsus were too weak to handle the Shinobi Alliance by themselves. However, there were a few problems. One, Kabuto tried, and failed, to bring back the dead Jinchuuriki, only succeeding with Yagura, Han and Fuu. The snake said the failure was because their souls weren't in the afterlife. That brought his second problem: Souma Kurusu. Not only did his Power of Dominance stand in the way of using the Jinchuuriki as his Paths of the Rinnegan, but he also disappeared after Sasuke was tricked by the Hachibi. He had suspicions that Souma was the one who found Konan first and gained the Rinnegan.
His eyes widened as his suspicions only became greater when the Gedo Mazo disappeared, as if it was summoned.
Back in Turtle Island
The empty vessel of the Juubi appeared in all of its grandeur. It was a large, earthen-colored, humanoid entity with most of its body looking decayed. Its back had a numerous spike-like prostrations. Its wrist and ankles were bound by shackles and the statue bit down on a scroll.
Dracula created two Chakra receivers and threw them with extra force, thanks to Shinra Tensei. With such small projectiles on such a big target, the rods hit their marks and pierced the Hachibi's skin.
When that happened, he willed the Gedo Mazo to restrain and capture the Hachibi. It spat out chains and caught the Hachibi before dragging it closer.
While this was happening, Dracula turned to Naruto, who returned to normal and bowed before the Lord of Darkness. Dracula placed his hand on Naruto's head and absorbed his soul, gaining all of the abilities that the Doppelganger gained in its three years of existence. Being a Doppelganger, his body disappeared as its soul was taken, leaving only its possessions behind. Dracula picked up Muramasa and hid it in his cloak. No way was he leaving such a blade behind.
Turning back to the beasts, Gyuki had been absorbed by the Gedo Mazo, but a severed tentacle remained in the room.
"That trick again?" Dracula thought aloud before placing a hand on Crissaegrim's hilt and focused wind chakra.
"Fuuton: Shukufuku no Kaze." He called out as he swung Crissaegrim once. A large gust of wind cut the tentacle to pieces, revealing the tired Killer Bee.
"Did you really think that trick would work twice?" Dracula asked as he approaching the ex-jinchuuriki.
Bee unsheathed his eight swords for his unorthodox Kenjutsu style. He tried to swing at Dracula, only for Crissaegrim to deflect the blade and harm Bee with its wind blades.
"Are we having a problem?" Dracula asked before Kitsune appeared and grabbed Bee.
He made a clone that went up Kitsune's arms and snapped Bee's neck before dispelling.
Dracula then jumped up to the Gedo Mazo's head and made some handsigns. "Rikudo Juubi Kyuin!"
The Gedo Mazo was then being absorbed in Dracula's body. The Power of Dominance did the rest of the work and Dracula gained the powers of the Juubi no Shinju.
He then sidestepped Samehada before electrocuting it with the Lightning doll Soul. Since Lightning doll used no chakra, Samehada couldn't do anything to survive.
"Now...let's observe this war." Dracula said as he exited the cave and used Senjutsu to feel around the battlefields.
Chaos...Destruction...Death... All of these things were palpable in the northern part of the Elemental Countries.
He frowned when he felt that someone was using Kyuubi's chakra. It seems that, like with Sora, whenever someone used Kyuubi's chakra, he, the holder of the real deal, felt the use of Kyuubi's chakra.
"Let's see... Taking Kumo's history in consideration, I could be sensing one of Gold and Silver brothers, Ginkaku and Kinkaku. They did become pseudo-jinchuuriki after eating Kurama's insides."
He had no need of more of Kurama's chakra, however, and started sensing throughout the battlefields. Two caught his attention. One felt like the Rinnegan and another like the Sharingan. Nagato was brought back along with a familiar Sharingan user.
"Getting another Sharingan would be beneficial." Dracula said. "Shisui's and Madara's had different abilities, so this one might as well. I am unsure if the Ningendou will work on a Rinnegan user, however." He said before he followed the chakra signatures.
He soon landed before two Reanimated summons.
"Itachi Uchiha, Nagato." Dracula said.
"Souma Kurusu." Itachi said.
"What are you doing here?" Nagato, who was leaning on Itachi's shoulder due to his weak body despite the Edo Tensei, asked.
"I simply seek to acquire a Sharingan." Dracula said.
"And not the Rinnegan?" Nagato asked, confused.
"I already transplanted them in my sockets after your death. I actually made an interesting discovery. The Power of Dominance tells me whose soul I dominate. And when I dominated the Rinnegan after the transplantation, I found out that those eyes belonged to Madara Uchiha. It seems your Rinnegan was transplanted all along."
Nagato, Itachi and Kabuto's eyes widened.
Dracula then looked at Itachi with Shisui's Sharingan. "Do not struggle."
Itachi stiffened and Kabuto's eyes widened once more when he couldn't feel his connection to Itachi.
"Itachi?" Nagato asked before being kicked away by Dracula, who immediately started taking Itachi's soul with the Ningendou.
He then saw a coffin appear around Nagato's body before they disappeared. "So, Kabuto wants to at least save one pawn, huh? Fair enough, I already got what I wanted most from Nagato anyway."
Itachi's body crumbled into ash and dirt as Dracula completely absorbed his soul.
"All right, next." With Senjutsu, he searched for chakra signatures once more. The Allied Shinobi Forces were grouped together for the night and waiting for sunrise. Most of the signatures on Akatsuki's side disappeared.
"Ah... So I'll have to wait until morning for anything interesting..." Dracula said.
And the war did indeed continue the next morning, though Akatsuki's Edo army was applying guerilla tactics against the Alliance. And it was working, since the Alliance started splitting its troops to chase each Edo summons.
Gaara's regiment seemed to be getting devastated.
The other units were on their toes, as if wary of one another.
Then, he felt four familiar chakra signatures: The Sound Four.
Should he go after them? No... Aside from their cursed marks, which he had one thanks to Kimimaro, nothing about them caught his interest, despite them feeling more powerful than before.
A few moments later, and the Sound Four were defeated by Neji, Choji, Shikamaru, Kiba and Akamaru.
"Well, that was fast." Dracula commented. "Just goes to show how much they progressed in three years."
Suddenly, each of the Sound Four flared chakra before their opponents' chakra signatures stopped along with their own.
"Now, where are they?" Dracula wondered. The chakra signatures were stopped, not gone. And the Sound Four and their opponents had moved elsewhere, but he couldn't find where...yet. "The Sound Four did something to their last opponents, who were the last ones they faced when they were alive. There is bound to be malice involved." He tried to find said malice. And find it he did. The Sound Four were filled with vengeance, which seemed to give them power. With Sennin Modo and Mueisho combined, Dracula rushed toward the source of those vengeful feelings.
When he found the source, he saw a large barrier that looked like an eye.
"Found you..." Dracula smirked before he grew multiple Reibi arms and struck the barrier with many Rasen-shuriken, breaking through the barrier, getting the attention of everyone inside.
"What the fuck!?" Tayuya said.
Dracula appeared next to the Konoha group and grabbed Neji before using Ningendou on him. It was faster than usual, since he was only a soul.
"Neji!" Shikamaru cried as Neji disappeared within Dracula.
"One more soul in my arsenal." Dracula chuckled before turning to the Konoha group. Suddenly, they glowed yellow and disappeared.
"Dammit, you shithead!" Tayuya growled. "They were our marks!"
Dracula turned to the Sound Four, who were all glowing dark-purple. "Oh well, I suppose I'll have to make due with you guys."
"Get real!" Kidomaru said. "Our vengeance has made us more powerful than ever before! There's no way a no-name like you could do anything to us!" They all charged toward Dracula, who threw a Rasen-shuriken to take them down. With that, their souls were dominated by Dracula.
"How pathetic..." He said before he smirked. "Who will be my next target?" He wondered as he got out of the barrier.
In almost every battlefield, the Alliance was at a major disadvantage. Units were unmoving, as if moving an inch would get them killed. Gaara's unit was getting destroyed by what felt like the Raikage. Mifune's unit was the only one that wasn't as disadvantaged as the others.
He suddenly felt a familiar chakra...the very same signature as his Eternal Mangekyo.
Dracula smirked. "So, Madara Uchiha himself is being reanimated? Near Gaara's unit, no less. The Raikage's signature also disappeared... Kabuto, you are leaving Gaara's unit to Madara? I must admit, I am tempted to go and see for myself." He made a clone, which turned into bats and flew toward Madara's chakra. He kept using his sensory ability to feel around the war zones.
After a while...
"Hey, boss..." His Kage Bunshin contacted him with the Yamanaka's telepathic abilities. "Madara pretty much destroyed the entire division, with only Gaara, Onoki and a few others still alive."
"Deal with Madara." Dracula ordered. "I will take the survivors' souls with the Mugen Tsukuyomi."
"Understood." The connection faded.
Eventually, he felt the chakra of Sasuke's Susano'o. It was even stronger than before. But what got his attention was the chakra signature even further away. It was Kabuto's chakra, mixed with many others.
"Spliced even more DNA, have you?" Dracula wondered. "Have you found your new, stronger self?"
As he headed toward Kabuto, he saw Sasuke heading the other way, with Karin following him. He ignored them and continued onward. He eventually entered a cave and broke a barrier with Susano'o.
"I'm impressed you managed to pass through my barrier and find this place." Kabuto said, not turning to face Dracula. He wore a large cloak with a hood over his head. There was also a white snake peeking out from his cloak. On the ground, behind him, was Anko Mitarashi.
"Your chakra is mixed with other signatures." Dracula said. "I was curious."
"Ah, but of course." Kabuto said as he stood up and faced Dracula. "After all, you are mix of chakra as well, through your kills."
His face was pale, almost to Orochimaru's extent, with a scaly complexion and he had Orochimaru's purple eye-shadow around his reptilian eyes.
"You've certainly changed since I last saw you." Dracula commented.
Kabuto pushed his glasses to the bridge of his nose. "You have me at a disadvantage. We have never met before."
"Wrong." Dracula said before removing his mask and hood. Dracula looked like a man in his mid-twenties with spiky blond hair and bangs that framed his face. Due to transplanting Madara's eyes in his sockets, his eyes were coal black. He still had his whisker marks, making his identity obvious.
Kabuto's eyes widened before he smirked and laughed. "You! You were Souma Kurusu this entire time!?"
"It was a plan I came up with since I aimed for the Bijuu." Dracula said.
Kabuto cupped his chin. "I see... I had brought Zabuza back, but his partner was out of my reach..."
"Haku was the first soul I took." Dracula confirmed. "Since you reanimated members of Akatsuki, you should be missing Kakuzu as well."
"I wondered about that last one." Kabuto admitted. "Zabuza said Haku was fighting you and Sasuke, so I always wondered why I couldn't bring him and Kakuzu back. And now, the answer is right in front of me." He chuckled. "Looks like I was quite spot on when I said you would surpass all of your generation as well the previous and future ones. Allow me to ask you one question, since I answered yours." Kabuto gained a gleeful look in his eyes. "What of the Hachibi? You have the Kyuubi and can summon the Gedo Mazo, through the Rinnegan. That's eight Bijuu at your disposal."
Dracula smirked. "Nine."
"Ah... So you did take the Hachibi from Killer Bee." Kabuto chuckled. "And I suppose they are all within you, at your beck and call through this 'Power of Dominance' of yours."
"Of course."
"You have beaten Madara and Tobi at their own game..." Kabuto said before laughing. "To think you were hiding something like this all this time... What spurred this on, I wonder?"
"It's very simple: reincarnation."
"Oh? So all this time, an older mind was within the younger body, waiting for the chance to rise..."
"And rise I shall." Dracula said. "Soon, the world will fear the return of Dracula, Lord of Darkness!"
Kabuto's smirk widened. "That name... You were the one who took the Kurama girl from Konoha. The Kurama clan Kekkei Genkai and the Sharingan... You are much closer to the Rikudo Sennin than I thought I was."
"Should I not be?" Dracula asked. "This body is Uzumaki, distant cousins of the Senju, who are the descendant of the Rikudo Sennin's younger son. Through my plan, I became the Juubi Jinchuuriki, like the Rikudo Sennin himself."
"And you have the Sharingan and the Rinnegan." Kabuto added. "The body of the younger son with the eyes of both the older son and the Rikudo Sennin himself... I will extensively study you once this war is over." He licked his lips with an overly long tongue, like Orochimaru used to do, before multiple snakes surrounded him. "Only when I defeat you, who have never doubted your identity, can I truly create my sense of self!"
"Then enough talk, have at you!" Dracula said as he braced himself.
Kabuto hid his face with his hood before he made a handsign. His snakes suddenly grew in size. "Nature is on my side."
"Nature? So you can use Senjutsu?" Dracula asked.
"Exactly!" Kabuto cackled as the snakes charged toward Dracula.
The Lord of Darkness used Shukufuku no Kaze to cut the snakes to pieces. Once the gust reached Kabuto, the cloak was torn to shreds, revealing only snakes within it.
Dracula's eyes narrowed before veins pulsed around his eyes. There were traces of chakra all over the caves.
"Oh? Now you're using the Byakugan." Kabuto's voice echoed through the cave.
He then saw the remains of the previous snakes turn into water.
"It's the ability to turn one's flesh into water." Kabuto said. "To detach and separate using one's own life substance. It looks like sheeding one's skin, don't you think? I've researched and applied Hozuki clan's Suika no Jutsu to make this Jutsu. Plus I have your own clan's amazing ability to recuperate quickly."
"From Karin, correct?" Dracula said as he stood still, absorbing nature energy within himself.
"You are indeed correct."
"What next? You have Tenbin no Jugo's ability to constantly absorb nature energy?"
"Of course." Kabuto said as snakes gathered before Dracula. "Once I learned Senjutsu through the White Snake Sage, his ability became invaluable. I was at long last able surpass Orochimaru-sama." A single snake started puking, with Kabuto coming out of the snake.
"Sennin Modo!" Dracula and Kabuto said at the time. Once Kabuto was out of the snake, Dracula saw his Sage form. Kabuto was just as scaly as before, so perhaps the only real differences were the four horns on the sides of his head and that there was a snake directly connected to him by the navel. Then again, the connection was probably there even before Sennin Modo.
Kabuto made some handsigns and closed the cornea of his eyes. "Senpo: Hakugeki no Jutsu!" He spat out a red dragon that carried an orb. The dragon coiled itself around the orb, causing a blinding light and deafening sounds.
Dracula deactivated his Byakugan, closed his eyes and covered his ears.
"Time Stop!" He thought, using Chronomage's soul.
The sounds were gone and the light was dim. He saw that Kabuto was right in front of him, his mouth was opened wider than possible for human standards, as if he was about to gobble him whole.
He only had a few seconds of stopped time, so he used an idea off the top of his head.
When time started back up, he immediately shot lightning toward Kabuto, electrocuting him quite easily due to the body fluids he used to protect himself from the sounds.
Kabuto backed up and ended the Jutsu.
"Impressive." Kabuto said as he put his jaw back in place. "I didn't think you'd be able to concentrate enough to sense my chakra."
"I am a being older than the Shinobi World itself." Dracula said. "My powers go beyond chakra."
Kabuto's gaze turned gleeful. "You are simply fascinating. But even with all those powers, you cannot kill me."
"Actually, I kinda can..." Dracula thought to himself. He could easily use Chronomage to stop time before taking Kabuto's soul with the Rinnegan's Ningendo. Since time would be stopped, Kabuto wouldn't even be able to struggle for survival. But where would be the fun in that?
"I can instantly recover from any injury you inflict. I even shut down my eyesight to protect myself from your Sharingan."
"That is quite the resume." Dracula admitted. "But we are in similar boats. I'm know for a fact that Orochimaru knew of the Konoha Nuke-nin, Hiruko."
"Of course." Kabuto pushed his glasses to the bridge of his nose. "Hiruko was an old friend of the Sannin. You have the Kekkei Genkai he stole, if I remember correctly. That's what gave you your reputation in the first place."
"Indeed." Dracula said as he used Mueisho to appear behind the snake and punched him with a steel fist, sending him flying.
"Nice try, but not good enough." Kabuto said as he got back on his feet, made a handsign before slamming his hands on the ground. "Senpo: Muki Tensei!"
The very cave itself started moving, with stalactites aiming toward Dracula, who turned into bats to avoid them.
"This Jutsu brings the lifeless to life and allows me to control them." Kabuto said. "It's different from a Jutsu that simply manipulates with chakra. Turning into bats to travel within the cave was a logical solution."
Mid-flight, the bats turned back into Dracula, who looked at Kabuto with his Eternal Mangekyo. "Amaterasu!"
Kabuto was far enough to only need to jump away to dodge the flames, which landed on the ground. The cave started shifting.
"What a gamble." Kabuto commented. "You tried to attack me quickly to cancel the Jutsu, but it seems that the Ultimate Visual Offense is so hot that the cave returned to normal."
"I was always quite lucky as Naruto Uzumaki." Dracula said.
"Even with your luck, this is my win." Kabuto said. "I am near the point where I can achieve and control everything... All the laws and principles of nature, which Orochimaru-sama researched and compiled for so long, are now stored and being used within me. I have evolved from human to snake to dragon. Once I defeat you and study everything within you, I will be the closest thing to the Rikudo Sennin!"
"But can your body handle the splicing you're putting it through?" Dracula asked. "The Power of Dominance allows me to handle such changes, but that wasn't the case for someone who managed to somewhat copy it."
Kabuto's eyes narrowed. "What happened?"
"All of the souls he collected merged into a mindless abomination and destroyed his body." Dracula answered, causing Kabuto's eyes to widen. "It is very possible that such a thing will happen to you if you get overzealous with gaining new abilities."
"No..." Kabuto denied as he made a handsign. "I have precautions!" A figure rose from the connection between him and his snake, which was on his stomach. The figure was Sakon. "Sakon! Soma no Ko!" He commanded mentally. Sakon squirmed and turned into Kidomaru. "Kidomaru! Kumosokai!" Kidomaru made a large spider web that aimed to trap Dracula, who countered with Crissaegrim's gust of wind.
Kidomaru turned into Kimimaro. "Kimimaro! Sawarabi no Mai!" Kimimaro slammed his hands on the grounds. Bone spikes dug out of the ground, going ever closer to Dracula, who steeled his body with Koton to walk over the spikes.
Kimimaro made a flute out of his bones and turned into Tayuya.
"I feel like I'm looking at a lamia." Dracula thought as he sweatdropped from looking at Tayuya. Her long hair was the only thing giving her some decency.
"Tayuya! Mateki: Mugen Onsa!" Tayuya played a tune with her flute.
Dracula cursed as he recognized the tune from Tayuya's memories and was immobilized. She created no countermeasures for this Genjutsu and he had no way to escape it the way Shikamaru did twice.
"Now, you're immobilized." Kabuto said as Tayuya stopped playing and turned into Orochimaru himself before turning into an Orochimaru-like white snake. "Now I'll take you within me using Orochimaru-sama!"
Dracula's eyes narrowed. This was a little earlier than planned, but he had to escape the Genjutsu.
Kabuto covered his eyes as a pillar of chakra emerged from Dracula.
With the Kage Bunshin
He had seen Madara's battle almost from the beginning. The legendary Uchiha went against the Alliance up close and personal for a time, never getting so much as a scratch, before dropping meteorites on their heads, with only a handful of shinobi surviving the land-destroying attack.
He himself had to use the Kyoma Demon soul to remain unharmed from that.
The Bunshin decided to contact the original. Upon receiving the order, it snuck closer to Madara.
"Let's see..." Madara made some handsigns before he slammed his hand on the ground. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"
Nothing happened, so Souma guessed that Madara tried to summon Kurama.
"So, Kyuubi hasn't been captured yet." Madara told himself. "Oh well, I will simply try out this Jutsu on the survivors before searching for it myself."
However, before he could even bring his hands together, he was stabbed in the back. Looking over his shoulder in surprise, he saw Souma, who stabbed a second Chakra Receiver on Madara's back.
"You..." Madara growled as he stepped away from Souma. "Who...are you?"
"Souma Kurusu." Souma introduced himself. "Robber of Kekkei Genkai and Juubi no Jinchuuriki."
Madara's eyes narrowed as he tried to summon Susano'o, but the Chakra Receivers were already making it hard to do anything. He even had a hard time reach his back to try and pull out the receivers.
"Oh no, you don't." Souma said, creating another receiver and going for a stab.
Madara managed to sidestep the attack, but the receiver grazed his side. Souma twirled the receiver into a reverse grip and planted it on Madara's torso.
"It's a shame, really." Souma said. "Normally, I would have gladly fought you, but the collateral damage would most likely reach and kill the others."
As Madara was hindered even more, Souma stabbed him with even more receivers.
Once Madara was completely paralyzed, Souma used the Ningendou to absorb Madara's soul. Apparently, Ningendou works on Rinnegan users, so long as they can't struggle, at least.
Suddenly, a large pillar of chakra rose to the skies for a moment before it disappeared.
Souma and the Kage wondered what that was. Souma then realized something.
"The Edo Tensei summons are disappearing." He told himself.
"Who could have possibly found Kabuto and stopped the Edo Tensei?" He heard Tsunade's voice. Turning to its direction, he found that she, along the Raikage and Mizukage, joined up with Gaara, Onoki and the others.
"Whoever did it is a hero who saved the Shinobi World! The heavens haven't forsaken us yet!" Onoki said, not knowing how wrong he was.
"I don't know about that." Souma chuckled.
"Souma Kurusu!" Tsunade called out as the Five Kage braced themselves.
"Trust me, you don't want to try me, since I have the power of the Juubi." Souma smirked.
"WHAT!?" The Raikage roared.
"Where are Naruto and Killer Bee!?" Tsunade demanded.
"Gone, of course." Souma waved off. "What else happens when a Jinchuuriki is without his Bijuu?" Of course, he wasn't going to mention that Killer Bee almost survive because of the Bijuu chakra inside the tentacle.
"You will pay for that!" The Mizukage claimed.
"Yeah, I doubt it." Souma pointed at the direction the pillar had appeared. "Boss will probably use Mugen Tsukuyomi soon. Better off that way, really, since you stand no chance against the Juubi Jinchuuriki." He then dispelled.
Kabuto uncovered his eyes and was shocked. Dracula had a new appearance. He had white hair and pale skin, which made his whiskers stand out, with a shroud of chakra shaped like a full outfit of black pants, shirt, gloves and boots, along with a flowing white haori. Like with Kyuubi Modo, six Magatama were on the collar of his shirt. There was also the pattern of a black Rinnegan on the back of his haori with three black magatama on each ripple. In his left hand was black Shakujo with each tip shaped like the sun and moon and nine black spheres floating behind him. He also had two horns on his forehead with an eye, opened by a vertical slit, between them. A red Rinnegan with three tomoe on each ripple. This was the Juubi's eye, Rinne Sharingan.
"Sorry for the sudden firework show, but you didn't give me any choice." Dracula said.
Kabuto clenched his hand. "Why?" Everything he did, Dracula had a counter. "Are you just playing around with me!?"
"'Playing around?'" Dracula repeated. "I suppose I am. There's no fun in ending a battle immediately."
Kabuto fell to his knees. "Then finish it."
Dracula raised an eyebrow the sudden change.
"If even the one who understands me most thinks fighting me is a game, then who will acknowledge the new me!?"
"Taking other people's DNA will not make the common people acknowledge you, for they will see you as a monster." Dracula said as he approached Kabuto. "But as the Lord of Darkness, I understand and acknowledge monsters."
Kabuto looked up to Dracula.
"People stay away from Jinchuuriki, for fear that they will lose control over the Bijuu." Dracula said. "People fear Orochimaru for the many experiments he did. And people will fear you for what you have done to yourself. Do you want to be alongside those who will fear you? Or..." He held his free hand out to Kabuto. "...will you join those who will not judge you for your inhuman stature?"
Kabuto looked at the hand for a moment before he looked back up to Dracula. He grabbed the hand and Dracula pulled him up. Kabuto made some handsigns, making Dracula raise an eyebrow.
"Edo Tensei: Kai!" Kabuto called out.
After a moment, Dracula gained the memories of his clone as he looked at Kabuto. "Why cancel it?"
"I thought it would be fair to let everyone's souls, especially the Five Kage's, be yours for the taking, instead of having my pawns kill them."
"I see. I will soon activate the Mugen Tsukuyomi." Dracula made a Kage Bunshin. "My Bunshin will show you just what you have joined. Trust me when I say, you will be surprised."
"To see the HQ of the being older than the Shinobi World itself..." Kabuto said gleefully.
"All we need is a little darkness." Bunshin said as he took Kabuto to a spot that had a lot of darkness and took him to Castlevania. Of course, the Bunshin will dispel once some Persephone maids would guide Kabuto through the castle. Just because he was the Juubi Jinchuuriki, didn't mean he would be too lenient.
Dracula used Mokuton to make a small throne sat on it, resting his face on his hands to surprise everyone. Before activating Mugen Tsukuyomi, he would do one last thing...
And so he waited for the Shinobi Alliance to arrive.
Eventually, the Shinobi Alliance forces landed before him. Most of them were intimidated by the Rinne Sharingan.
"About time." Dracula said, not moving from his position.
Obito appeared from his vortex.
Dracula smirked. "How good of you to join us, Obito."
Kakashi's eyes widened, along with those of his generation, before he turned to the masked man. "Obito."
Obito took off his mask, revealing his scarred face. "How did you find out?"
Dracula chuckled. "Simple, I took Madara's soul."
Obito's eyes widened.
"Well, no use wasting time now." Dracula stood up, revealing his face, to everyone's shock.
"I-It can't be..." Sakura muttered.
"Naruto Uzumaki?" Gaara asked.
"Good evening, everyone!" Dracula greeted with a smirk.
"What happened to you?" Onoki asked, not understanding the sudden change between the former acting-hokage and the Nuke-nin.
Dracula shrugged before pacing side to side."Should I really explain? This goes back several thousand years."
"You really expect us to believe you are that old?" The Raikage growled.
"I never said I was alive for that long." Dracula countered. "If we're talking the time I've lived, I should be somewhere between five and six centuries old."
Sakura and Hinata shook their heads as tears streamed down their faces. Neither could believe he turned traitor.
"Naruto..." Dracula turned to Kakashi. "...Are you Dracula?" He asked with dread.
Dracula chuckled. "Yes, Kakashi. I am the one who ordered Yakumo's kidnapping."
"Gatsuuga!" He looked up and saw Kiba and Akamaru charging toward him like drills.
"Foolish." Dracula said as four of the nine Gudodama extended and created a barrier between him and the duo.
Everyone's eyes widened as the two drills seemed to disappear inside the barrier and two orbs, Kiba and Akamaru's souls, entered Dracula. What they didn't know was they were actually reduced to ashes.
The Gudodama returned to their original shapes.
"Now then..." Dracula pointed his Shakujo at Rock Lee. "Prepare yourself."
Lee looked confused as he took his stance. "Me?"
"Of course, you." Dracula said as he let go of his Shakujo, letting float in mid-air. "I waited here to fight you. More than anyone, I want to fight you, because you are the one I respect most, in this day and age."
Out of every human being, Lee was very high on his list. Only Leon Belmont was higher, but that's what years of camaraderie and friendship did.
"Naru-" Lee shook his head and looked serious. "You are not the Naruto I know and respect. I will not allow you to hurt anyone else."
"Do not hold back, Rock Lee!" Dracula demanded as he charged forward.
This chapter was the planned chapter 17, along with a good chunk of 18, since 17 by itself was only a little over 4k words. I stopped there because the fight with Lee isn't finished yet. The next chapter will be the finale, I ask everyone to patiently wait until it is finished. Thank you.