I do not own Naruto Shippuden or any of the characters.
Shipping Out
Ryuu began to heal the last of Nagato's wounds with Tsunade as Shizune pulled the final rod free. Konan watched from off to one side, worry on her face. Finally, the rod was out and Nagato was healed. He was still emaciate and weak, but he would recover.
"We're done," Ryuu stated. "You should be able to recover soon. For now, you'll have to stick with that machine thing."
"Thank you," Nagato nodded as Ryuu leaned in to whisper.
"You should tell her the truth," Ryuu stated. "I can't see the future, but I can see that she cares deeply about you."
"Perhaps," Nagato sighed. "But for now, I'd rather not risk opening old wounds. Konan, we should head back."
Konan nodded and helped Nagato into his walker and the two of them left through the underground passage Kakashi had dug with his Wood Style, with help from Yamato. They would close it from the other end, where they were waiting, once Nagato and Konan arrived.
"Alright Ryuu, it's time for you to go meet the others at the port," Tsunade stated. "With your speed, you should arrive the same time they do."
Ryuu nodded and left via the Body Flicker Technique. After about an hour of nonstop Body Flicker travel, he finally landed beside Naruto and slowed to normal speed as Naruto looked over at him.
"You're late," Naruto smirked. "We've been here for a few seconds already."
Had to stop to save a cat in a tree," Ryuu said rolling his eyes. "Shall we?"
Naruto nodded and walked through the gate into the port town after Yamato, Guy, Aoba, and Hinata. They met on their ship, a relatively small sailing ship, which just happened to be docked next to a massive cruise ship, and Ryuu leaned on the railing as the crew rushed around, getting the ship ready then casting off. Ryuu turned and looked out to sea as they sailed, remembering the last time he had been on a ship. As much as he had enjoyed fighting the fish, and as much as he loved being on the ocean, he hoped the trip would be over soon. He really didn't like the idea of being caught on the open ocean by the remains of the Akatsuki. And he doubted the others wanted that either. However, things seemed to rarely work out where Ryuu was involved. Case and point, a coffin shot out of the water in front of them, falling open and releasing a reanimated shinobi before falling back into the water. The shinobi, obviously meant to stop them, leapt out. This shinobi wore a black gi and black pants, two-toed socks, and a black cowl with a mask over his lower face. In addition, his right hand had the same type of sleeve as Aeron and his brothers had had when resurrected and his left held a completely black ninjato.
"Who is that?" Yamato asked.
"That's a newly immortal ninja, probably courtesy of Kabuto," Ryuu stated.
He leapt into the air at the ninja, using his left eye to fly as he drew his tanto. When he reached the ninja, they slashed at each other with their one-bladed weapons and the ninjato sent the tanto flying before narrowly missing Ryuu. Ryuu spun around, staring at the ninja in shock as it landed on the ship, standing slowly and looking back at Ryuu. Ryuu's tanto had stabbed down into the deck of the ship in front of where the ninja now stood but the ninja clearly had no intention of Ryuu getting to it.
"Like you're fast enough to keep me away from it," Ryuu snorted holding his right arm horizontally in front of his chest and forming a Lightning Sword. "Let's test that sword of yours."
He flew down at the ninja, slashing at his head and the ninja blocked it with his sword. Ryuu flew backward, landing on his feet and grinning as he held up the tanto he had grabbed as he retreated. He put it away and drew his trench knife as the ninja held out his ninjato, lightning chakra streaming along it.
"Fuck," Ryuu groaned.
They charged and slashed and the ninjato cut through the Lightning Sword instantly. Ryuu leapt sideways away from it and landed lightly, sliding to a stop as the Lightning Sword regenerated.
"What is that sword?" Ryuu asked.
"This sword is the greatest weapon you will ever see," the ninja stated, voice deep and perfectly calm. "It is forged out of the scales of the ancient dragons using dragon fire. Even the weapons formed by Shikotsumyaku cannot withstand this blade. I allowed your tanto to remain intact because that tanto is unique. I collected unique weapons while alive. I will be adding that blade to my arsenal soon enough."
"No," Ryuu growled. "You won't."
Ryuu channeled his Wind Nature Chakra through his trench knife and sprinted forward. Just as he reached the ninja, the ninja slashed with his glove. Ryuu blocked it with his trench knife, not being harmed thanks to his previous experience with the gauntlet. Then, the ninja slashed his ninjato. Ryuu blocked it with his Lightning Sword, using his left eye to keep the ninja's sword from cutting through it, though, he was trying to make the sword be cut instead. After a moment, Ryuu shoved the sword away and the top half of his Lightning Sword flashed and vanished. He stepped sideways as the sword flashed down through where he had been. Then, he delivered a knee to the ninja's jaw and launched him backward. The ninja landed on the railing, crouching and resting his forearms on his knees as though he were bored.
"Want to know why your Genjutsu didn't work?" the ninja asked. "This sword is formed from Dragon Scales. The ancient Dragons were the only creatures in history to be immune to Genjutsu. This sword is immune to Genjutsu or anything, in your case, enhanced by Genjutsu. Your left eye is now useless."
"Is it?" Ryuu grinned. "Let's see about that."
Ryuu formed his Genjutsu creature and the ninja sorted, seeing the Amaterasu sword. The creature slashed and the ninja held up his sword, the creature's sword passing harmlessly around it, before bisecting the ninja and lighting him on fire with Amaterasu. He screamed as he burned. Then, swung the sword and the front half of his body flew skyward, severed by the sword. It burned away and the ninja regenerated, standing and glaring at Ryuu's creature.
"Oops," Ryuu grinned. "Did I forget to mention that the Amaterasu was real enough to kill? My bad. Let's see you handle this."
Two more creatures formed around the ninja and he growled in frustration before spinning in a circle, a ring of lightning shooting out of his sword blade and blasting all three creatures, which faded. Ryuu growled in frustration as the ninja sprinted forward, lightning racing along his sword's blade again. He leapt into the air and slashed at Ryuu but just before his sword his, spectral ribs formed around Ryuu, Wind Chakra racing over them and blocking the sword. The ninja leapt back, watching as Ryuu formed his Susanoo's upper body along with a pair of swords made out of Wind Nature Chakra. Ryuu's Susanoo was green with glowing white eyes and missile-fin-like protrusions on its forearms and on the sides of its jaw. It had armor with splints shaped like its ribs and spherical pauldrons, and it held a single-edged tanto formed from Ryuu's Wind Chakra in the forward of its two right arms, and its forward left hand had the same. Its rear arms were empty.
"Impressive," the ninja commended. "Susanoo. I'd heard it was spectacular. Let's find out if it's as great as the legends say."
The ninja leapt at Ryuu but his Susanoo swiped a blade at the ninja. The ninja blocked the blade with his sword and was hurled out into the water. The moment he landed, Ryuu's Susanoo's torso opened revealing a green inside and a single red tomoe. A moment later, the tomoe spun and a flurry of green chakra needles shot out of it and into the water around the Ninja, who was barely avoiding getting shredded. Finally he leapt over the stream, which Ryuu allowed to end, and landed in front of Ryuu, slashing at him with his sword as the Susanoo's armor closed. Ryuu watched as the sword sparked off the Susanoo's armor as Wind Chakra streamed across it. The ninja growled in frustration and took several steps back.
"Fine," the ninja growled. "Let's try this the destructive way. Lightning Style, False Darkness!"
A bolt of lightning shot out of his sword and blasted Ryuu's Susanoo, filling the area with smoke and blowing a hole in the Susanoo. Ryuu floated up to the hole, grinning at the face that he didn't have to stand inside his Susanoo. When the smoke cleared, the ninja grinned and aimed the sword at him.
"Lightning Style," the ninja snarled. "False Darkness!"
"Lightning Blade," Ryuu said flatly launching himself out of his Susanoo with a Lightning Blade held out in front of himself.
The Lightning Blade cut through the lightning bolt, splitting both halves of it and sending them skyward before Ryuu spun past the ninjato and drove the Lightning Blade through the ninja's chest. He staggered backward as Ryuu dragged the Lightning Blade along the ninja's arm before closing his hand around the ninjato's grip and walking away with the sword, letting the Lightning Blade fade.
"Damn you," the ninja growled as he reformed. "Give that to me."
"What this?" Ryuu snorted. "I think not."
He threw it skyward and formed one of his Susanoo's right arms, which now held a drill like lance, and had it drive the spinning drill upward. The drill met the sword's in an explosion of Wind Chakra and the sword shattered into hundreds of scales, scattering as Ryuu let his Susanoo's arm fade.
"Damn you," the ninja growled. "I loved that sword. Fine. I'm out of here."
He leapt off the ship and his coffin shout out of the water, encasing him and falling back into the water Ryuu rested his face in his hand and then looked over at the others who had watched the fight from off to one side.
"Thanks for stepping in," Ryuu grumbled.
"You had him handled," Guy stated. "Your youth-"
"Don't start with that crap," Ryuu interrupted walking to the railing and looking down.
He wasn't sure why, but he didn't think Kabuto was the one raising the shinobi, those with the gauntlets, at least. It just didn't seem to fit.
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