I do not own Naruto Shippuden or any of the characters.
From the Past
Ryuu stepped out of the shade and stopped next to Yugao. The moon was full and bright tonight. So far, it had been three days since Ryuu had slaughtered the ANBU army sent by Danzo. In that time, Ryuu had spent every night having nightmares about murder, again. Every morning, he would wake up and pray for forgiveness. Yugao would try to comfort him and would fail. So far, it hadn't gone over well. Ryuu was tired constantly, low on chakra from not resting, and they hadn't even gotten around to doing their mission. The mission was simple. two clans were trying to destroy each other. They had to put down the uprising. They had learned that there was a small group of three or four shinobi behind the uprising as its main muscle and that if they were removed, the problem would be solved. The problem was, the shinobi were scheduled to attack the village they were now outside of yesterday. They never showed.
"How are you holding up?" Yugao asked.
"I'll be okay," Ryuu lied. "Where the fuck are they?"
"They should have been here already," Yugao sighed. "Ryuu, you can't keep burying everything. You'll die if you do. It's unhealthy for anyone. For you...You need to vent somehow. If you won't talk to me, you need to train. You have always been able to let your stress and problems out through training. You need to let it out."
Ryuu was silent and Yugao sighed, looking away from the village. After another couple of seconds, she pushed off the tree she was standing on and walked over, pulling him into a hug. He hugged her back, turning his mask into her shoulder but he didn't react beyond that, that she could tell. After several more minutes, he stood up straight again, looking away from the village. She did the same just as three shinobi appeared in swirls of leaves.
The three people were all familiar. The one in the middle, who was staring directly at Ryuu, was Aeron. To his right was Akuma, and to his left was Koi. Ryuu swore looking at the armor all three wore. Yugao also recognized Aeron and guessed who the other two were. They all also wore a large blue sleeve on their right arm that covered their hands and forearms with numerous foot-long blades jutting out from the outside of it. It would be a bitch to block but the main threat was still the armor.
"I'll take Aeron and the one with the spiked hair," Ryuu stated. "Get the armor off of Koi, the other guy, if you can."
Yugao nodded and they both dropped to the ground, charging. Akuma charged at Ryuu instantly as Koi charged at Yugao and Aeron began to calmly walk toward the village. Akuma slashed at Ryuu with his right arm and Ryuu tried blocking the blades with his trench knife. Unsurprisingly, the blades slipped off the knife and craved deep gashes into Ryuu's hand. Ryuu leapt backward as Akuma jumped and tried to kick him. When he landed, Ryuu healed his hand as Yugao landed beside him, healing a gash in her shoulder and swearing. Ryuu considered using his Mangekyo powers but Yugao seemed to know what he was thinking.
"Don't use it," Yugao said sternly. "And don't use your Wood Style. For the time being, just try to beat him the old fashioned way. I can handle Koi if you can handle Akuma."
Ryuu nodded, beginning to flicker. Akuma stopped, looking left as three more flickering images appeared around both him and Koi. Just as Ryuu moved to slash Koi's armor straps, Koi spun, catching Ryuu's trench knife in his teeth then spinning, throwing Ryuu away. Ryuu flipped over, landing and beginning to use the Body Flicker Technique again. Ryuu sprinted forward, ducking as Koi slashed at him, clearly moving at the same speed as him, then flew through the air as Akuma's foot collided with the side of his head, shattering his mask.
Ryuu landed on his feet, growling in frustration as Akuma turned toward him, Koi now fighting with Yugao, easily outpacing her.
"Our armor has been enhanced," Akuma stated. "For starters, it now weakens you to the point that you were barely more than a blurred trail to us. We can move faster than you. In addition, our straps are now metal, so you cannot simply cut our armor off. Now, let's see how similarly this plays out shall we?"
He bent forward, charging at Ryuu. Ryuu didn't have time to switch weapons so instead, he activated his Mangekyo Sharingan. Instead of creating the thing he had the first time, he instead made his trench knife the length of a katana. He blocked Akuma's head with it, skidding backward a hundred feet as Akuma continued to run. Finally he stopped and Ryuu kicked Akuma in the shoulder forcing him back several feet before deactivating his Mangekyo Sharingan. Akuma stood, looking at the trench knife in interest before Ryuu put both knives away, drawing his tanto. Akuma laughed and sprinted forward, slashing at Ryuu. Ryuu bent backward, out of the way of the blades then slashed at Akuma. Akuma blocked the blade with his glove then shoved it away, spinning and slashed at Ryuu again. Ryuu leapt over the glove, spinning in mid air and slashing at Akuma's head. Akuma ducked under the blade and spun, flipping and slashing at Ryuu. Ryuu blocked it, sparks flying as he did, then landed and jumped back from another slash. Ryuu drew his trench blade in his left hand, holding it in reverse grip.
"The more blades, the better your chance," Akuma sneered.
Ryuu charged and Akuma met his charge, slashing at him. Ryuu blocked Akuma's glove with his tanto then slashed at him with the trench knife. Akuma stepped back then forward again, slamming his left fist into Ryuu's stomach, blasting him away. Ryuu flipped over, landing on his feet and stabbed his tanto into the ground, forming a cross with his index and middle fingers.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu," Ryuu growled, creating nearly a dozen.
They all charged at Akuma who laughed and turned toward them. As they reached him, they fanned out into a circle and charged. Akuma grabbed the first clone's arm and spun, smashing him into another then spun the other way slashing one across the stomach. He ducked under the next one's trench knife and slammed his foot into the underside of its jaw, launching it. He spun, slashing three before jumping into the air, allowing two to stab each other instead of him. Two more appeared above him, blasting him back into the ground with their feet before falling toward him. Just as they neared him, he shot out of the dust cloud, head smashing into one as the other was slashed by his glove. Ryuu charged from Akuma's left, too fast for Akuma to turn toward him. Akuma snorted in disgust as a kunai slipped out of his cloak's sleeve, blocking Ryuu's tanto. Akuma spun, slashing at Ryuu but Ryuu blocked it carefully with his trench knife then leapt away, landing beside Yugao again. Yugao was much worse for wear, barely standing as Koi waited for her to heal herself, glove covered in her blood and not a scratch on him.
"I'll take over," Ryuu stated glancing at Aeron who was almost to the village. "And I'll take him too."
Yugao was about to protest but it died in her throat a Ryuu set a hand on the ground.
"Earth Style Shadow Clone Jutsu," Ryuu growled, mud rising in multiple spots and forming six clones of himself.
The clones charged the two they had been fighting, three each, and Ryuu used the Body Flicker Technique to get in front of Aeron. Aeron stopped, smiling as he saw Ryuu. He drew a kunai in his left hand but instead of attacking Ryuu, he tossed it into the air. Ryuu's eyes never left Aeron as the kunai fell. At the last second, a stone hand shot out of the ground, catching the kunai and pushing itself up, becoming into a Rock Clone of Aeron. Ryuu exhaled several dozen air blades at the clone, all of them shattering against it. The clone charged, slashing at Ryuu but Ryuu bent backward under the arm then kicked the clone, blasting it into clapped, looking over at his brothers who were still fighting against the clones Ryuu had formed, unable to permanently kill the clones due to the nature of the jutsu. Aeron turned back to Ryuu and charged, slashing at him. Ryuu blocked it with his tanto then slashed with his trench knife. Aeron's hand dropped down, catching the blade against his skin, which Ryuu could see was armor plated both on the inside and outside. He stepped back, tossing his tanto into the air. Aeron's eyes flashed up after it in a muscle reflex and Ryuu stepped forward, slamming his right palm into Aeron's chest, roots growing out of his palm and ripping the armor off of him.
Aeron staggered away just as two of the clones did something similar to the other two reincarnated shinobi. Aeron looked down at his destroyed chest plate, now hanging from massive roots growing out of Ryuu's palm. Ryuu swung his hand, throwing the armor away and retracted the roots. He broke the end off of one of them before he did then hurled it at Aeron. Aeron sidestepped it then pulled out a scroll, unrolling it and taking a katana from a seal on it. Ryuu caught his tanto and readied himself as Aeron charged, slower now. Aeron slashed at Ryuu who slashed the blade sideways before using his trench knife to block the glove's blades, now that he had gotten the hang of it.
Aeron spun, flipping his katana around and stabbing at Ryuu but Ryuu ducked under the blade, slashing Aeron across the back with his trench knife. Aeron staggered forward, spinning around as Ryuu former a Vacuum Blade on his tanto. Both charged, slashing at each other with their swords while blocking the other's with thier other weapon. Ryuu shoved Aeron back then stepped forward, slashing at him again. Aeron blocked it just in time for the Vacuum Blade to fade. Ryuu stepped forward again, his tanto carving a deep gash down Aeron's front. Aeron staggered back, wounds regenerating, this time the armor regenerating as well, the other set deconstructing into ash.
"Shit," Ryuu growled. "Looks like this might be a bit of a problem."
Yugao appeared beside him and he glanced at her, seeing her nod.
"Well alright then," Ryuu nodded.
He activated his Mangekyo Sharingan again, the same creature forming in front of him, an Amaterasu sword in each hand. Aeron raised an eyebrow just as Amaterasu burst to life on his chest. Aeron staggered backward then smirked as the flames went out and the damage regenerated.
"Genjutsu made reality," Aeron grinned. "Shame my armor is immune to Amaterasu."
"Is it?" Ryuu asked as the creature slashed.
The sword stopped, hitting a barrier that glowed a dark purple as it fought against the jutsu trying to break through. After a moment, it exploded and Aeron leapt into the air, barely avoiding the blade. Aeron landed on his feet, just as the creature slashed again. This time, Aeron held his hands out, using his chakra to enhance the barrier. When the sword hit, the armor all but exploded off of him and his eyes widened as. The blade sliced through him. His halves lit on fire, unable to regenerate fast enough to avoid the flames. Just as Ryuu thought he migt have won, Koi appeared with a massive cleaver, using it to amputate the burning parts. Aeron regenerated and Koi rested the sword on his shoulder. Akuma appeared beside him a moment later and Ryuu looked over at his clones, seeing them all regenerating slowly.
"My poison works on your clones," Akuma smirked. "How're things here?"
"Under control," Aeron stated as his armor finished regenerating. "However, I don't think we'll be completing our mission any time soon."
"Nope," Akuma agreed just as a coffin rose up to their right and fell open, Fu stepping out with a similar glove as the others and a kunai.
"Fu," Ryuu breathed as the creature faded. "That bastard."
"Complete the mission," Fu instructed. "I'll handle this."
"No," Ryuu growled. "No more."
He turned toward Fu, black flames springing to life over her entire body. She shouted in surprise, staggering backward into her coffin which closed and sank into the ground. A moment later, three more shot out of the ground, retrieving the other three and sinking into the ground before another rose out of the ground and fell open, Tomu stepping out.
"Genjutsu fight huh?" Ryuu snarled. "This is going to go nowhere fast."
"If you defeat this one, I'll pull my troops out of this war," Tomu stated, Kabuto speaking through him. "You'll fulfill you mission and I will know which of you has the stronger Genjutsu."
Tomu raised his hand, forming a Flame Sword which he extended at Ryuu. Ryuu, having put his knife and tanto away, formed a Flame Sword of his own and blocked Tomu's. Tomu retracted his then let it fade and Ryuu did the same. Then, black flames burst into life on both of them. Both formed armor rather than burning the target and a massive canyon opened below the two. Both remained standing there, as though there wasn't a massive abyss below them. They held their hands out, Amaterasu bullets shooting out of the flames on their arms and then joining with the other's armor. Ryuu sighed and held his arm out, forming a Flame Sword made out of Amaterasu. Tomu did the same, nodding as they charged.
Their swords met in a shower of black sparks. They shoved each other back then charged again, slashing repeatedly. Finally, they both backed away, forcing the other's armor and sword to fade. The moment it did, Ryuu extended roots from his hand at Tomu. They exploded on contact with a chakra barrier Tomu had formed around himself and Ryuu sighed.
"We're getting nowhere," Tomu sighed.
"I know," Ryuu nodded. "But Yugao had the village evacuate yesterday. Right now, it's just you and me."
Yugao turned and fled, knowing he wanted her to. The moment she was gone, Ryuu formed two glowing red chakra swords. Tomu cocked his head and formed a pair of metal arming swords. Ryuu charged, slashing at Tomu rapidly. Each time Tomu blocked a blade, however, the chakra in the sword launched itself from Ryuu's hand, making him form another. This process continued, the area around them being filled with more and more swords until they were stepping over and around them as they fought. Then, finally, they were having to balance on the pommels to fight. Ryuu suddenly leapt into the air, throwing the last two into the ground and Tomu looked around. There was nowhere to go. He was standing on a sea of swords.
"Enjoy my ultimate Genjutsu attack Tomu," Ryuu smiled forming the Seal of Confrontation. "And Thank you for giving me a reason to create it."
The swords all began to shine brightly and Tomu turned to flee. At the same time as he did, the swords, all of the millions of them, exploded into a massive column of chakra that reached at least a mile across. Ryuu was safe, thanks to making himself immune, but Tomu was blasted into oblivion, as was the village. Once the chakra column faded, Ryuu landed on his feet and looked around. The canyon Tomu had created fixed itself, as did Ryuu's half of it,mand Ryuu restored the village with Wood Style. Then, he deactivated his Mangekyo Sharingan, and passed out.
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