Clash in the Snow Country: Legacy Version.
Chapter 33: Endgame
(Author's Note) Hope 2017 is treating you all better than 2016! Here's hoping I can actually close out this story. Wish me luck!
His name had once been Akihiro Kakusu. He had been born in a small village on the border of the Grass Country. His only family had been his grandmother. He never knew the rest of his family, nor did he care. He didn't have friends, he didn't have associates; he had lived his life his way, not conforming to anyone else's version.
A large reason for this was due to his lack of skills. He couldn't cook by any meaning of the word. Crafts such as pottery were beyond him, only ending up as sloppy messes that were embarrassing for even the most sympathetic heart to stomach. Attempts at selling anything from food to clothing were so laughable he actually ran a store out of business within hours. There was, however, one thing he was very good at.
Information.
He excelled at it. He could learn a person's secrets with frightening ease. Establish patterns out of their everyday lives, knowing when they were most valuable. This required far more fluidity than any established occupation could allow him. He had to be flexible, willing to bend schedules when necessary, knowing when to act. And no two people would reveal their secrets in the same way. One simply required money, one a nudge of fear, one to not even realize what they were revealing was damaging in any way, and numerous others.
Of course, while he could find out that information, acting on it proved far trickier for him. That had been a long, grueling road: Knowing when to apply it, when to act upon it, and who would want to know. As such, he became something of a pariah within his own home village. A black cloud. People knew he was gaining all these secrets and thus actively avoided him, shunning him from everything, including basic necessities. Few directly confronted him, not wanting a physical reminder that he knew all their dirty little secrets.
It took years of dealing with this for him to finally starting putting pieces together and how to start exploiting the information he learned to his benefit. Finding out the few weaker ones to start upon and then slowly move up the ladder.
Alas, due to his inexperience and already ill reputation among his fellows, they banded together faster than he anticipated and drove him out of the town.
But this proved to be a strange blessing. Out beyond his home, he was now a stranger to everyone else. No one knew him, no one suspected him. He took the lessons of his home to heart, avoiding the rookie mistakes of his youth. He maintained his pathetic appearance, often weaved sympathetic stories to make gullible hearts believe him. He never stayed in one place too long, using his talents to get what he needed.
When the Third Shinobi War started… that was when he found his true calling. He found actual clients who would pay handsomely for his information. Shinobi especially overlooked him, not willing to believe a simple non-shinobi could weasel out information the way he did. His primary client ended up being the Hidden Rock Village itself. On more than one occasion, he reported directly to the Tsuchikage himself!
He had been the one to learn of the future Fourth Hokage's efforts to destroy that critical bridge towards the end of the war. He had been the one to discover their mission and the deceptive efforts of the man himself going to the front lines as a distraction and leaving his three underlings the task itself. That was how Rock forces were able to ambush them. It should have ended the war right there and granted him the vast riches that rightly awaited him!
But somehow, even with his intelligence on the Fourth Hokage's movements, they still prevailed. Granted, not without cost, but they destroyed the bridge, and that sealed the fate of the war, with Konoha prevailing. Part of him had been worried that the Tsuchikage would pin the blame squarely on him, but that was quickly realized to be a shallow concern. Even if he had, just his life alone wouldn't have satisfied Konoha and its allies.
Or so he thought. Not even a week after the war officially ended, he had Hatake himself tracking him down. How, he had no idea. He was captured swiftly, with some personal payback due to his role in the death of his teammate. Sent to Blood Prison to await his ultimate sentence.
Until Orochimaru personally broke him out and put him to work like never before. Oh, the assignments he got from his esteemed lord… far more fulfilling than even his work in the Shinobi War! And that was where he took his new name, a name that suited him far more than his old one.
Bakeru.
So when his master called upon him to volunteer for this new experimentation, he couldn't say 'yes' fast enough. If it worked, his ability to spy and gain information would reach entirely new levels! Imagine his great satisfaction in finding a way to bring back the Uchiha heir; he would land a perfect opportunity to ensnare the Copy Ninja himself!
Oh yes. Whomever said revenge was pointless clearly hadn't tasted its sweet, sweet flavor!
"You lot have caused me a lot of trouble," Bakeru claimed, stepping off the blond Jinchuuriki and walking over to the bound Sasuke.
Sakura, stuck on the ground with all the frog slime, just looked amazed. "But Sandayuu… how… why?"
"Oh, I'm afraid 'Sandayuu' has been dead for a while now," Bakeru gloated. "There was no lie in that." His facial features shifted, with Sandayuu's face replaced with that of Sakura's. "Remember me now, little kunoichi?"
Realization hit them both in a flash, anger and stupidity in full force. Anger at his return, stupidity in forgetting to account for him prior. Oh, how he LOVED that look upon their faces. He shifted his face back to Sandayuu's, allowing an ugly smirk on his face one would never have seen on the original one.
Sasuke snarled. "So it's not enough you have to impersonate people, but you dare violate Sandayuu's memory by walking around with his face? He didn't deserve - "
Bakeru couldn't help himself; he threw back his head and laughed. "Violate his memory? Oh, you're too slow, aren't you? Must be all the fatigue." He looked Sasuke right in the eye and spoke again.
"You never knew Sandayuu. I'm the one that hired Team 7 to guard Yukie!"
"WHAT!?" They both shouted out in denial.
"Oh, don't misunderstand," Bakeru clarified, greatly enjoying this. "Sandayuu was going to hire you to do this job. When I was dispatched, I needed someone to practice my abilities on." That of his blood absorption and memory copying, but they didn't need to know that! "It was simple happenstance that I got that pitiful geezer on his way to Konoha. Imagine my surprise in learning my victim was going to hire out my quarry! And to send them to another country, away from the support of the rest of your measly little village? Oh yes, the gods smiled on me that day for sure."
"So you got us. What is this about?" Sasuke demanded, lifting his head slightly. A Raiton user though he may be, his body was too weak and exhausted to resist the affects of the one numbing his body right now.
Bakeru knew Sasuke was trying to make him talk; stall for time, hoping Uzumaki would wake up. But Bakeru wasn't worried. Even the Jinchuuriki had his limits; that punch from Doto had nearly cost him everything, and after Bakeru's own strike, he wouldn't be getting up anytime soon. So why not indulge a bit?
"Well, I don't matter to this one," Bakeru started, kicking the unconscious boy much to his teammates' disgust. "Or you." He pointed to Sakura as he walked right toward Sasuke.
"I only matter… to you."
Once again, realization dawned on the avenger's face. "Orochimaru."
"Bingo! Give the boy a prize!" Bakeru mockingly clapped a few times before reaching down and grabbing the Uchiha by the hair. The boy managed to resist gasping in pain as Bakeru held him up. "This time, you're going to Orochimaru-sama… whether you want to or not!"
"Let him go!" Sakura roared out from her position.
"Ooooh, I'm so scared!" He faked a cry, moving Sasuke in front of him as if to hide before laughing out again. He couldn't help himself. "What are you going to do, girly? Spit me to death!?" He gave another laugh.
He then went back to that vile grin. "Are you sure you want to save Sasuke before he can use you for his Sharingan?"
Sakura was about to utter another retort when she saw Sasuke flinch in the shapeshifter's grasp and even paled. That made her protest stick in her throat.
"Oops!" Bakeru used his free hand to cover his mouth. "Did I blow the big secret, Sasuke, on why you're keeping her around, indulging her little lovey-dovey fantasies?"
"DON'T YOU DARE SAY ANOTHER WORD!" Sakura was taken back by that shout. It wasn't anger… that was desperation in his voice. Was there really such a secret?
The creature's face shifted again. It was familiar, like Sasuke's, only more rigid and defined. "I am Uchiha Itachi, Sasuke's elder brother," he said, shocking Sasuke a bit to bite down his protests. "I am the one that slaughtered his clan."
Sakura's green eyes went wide.
The eyes on 'Itachi' shifted, revealing the Sharingan. Then to her surprise, they changed again, becoming a more refined version. "This is called the Mangekyou Sharingan, the evolved form of the standard three-tomoe sharingan. And the way you get it…"
That grin came back full force. "You kill your closest friend."
The color left Sakura's face as those words came back to her.
"Ano," Sakura stammered, her blush steadily grew brighter as she began speaking. "…because you're an excellent shinobi, Sasuke-kun…You wouldn't make fun of me and…" She gulped. "You're my best friend."
"N-no… That's…" Tears started to form in her eyes as she desperately looked at Sasuke. The young man looked ashamed.
You mean… it was true…? He was just keeping her… to…
"You're… not… going to deny it… Sasuke?" They both noticed the absence of the honorific.
There was a long uneasy silence; not even Bakeru broke it. His face was hungry, waiting for an answer. A soul-crushing answer that would completely DESTROY the bond between these two. Finally, Sasuke looked over at Sakura, and spoke.
"'Let's start over.'"
Bakeru raised an eyebrow. Where did that come from?
"'Let's start over. Put it all aside. Forget if it's love, hatred, all of it. Let's start anew and see where we'll go.'"
The entire conversation came flooding back to the pink-haired kunoichi like a ton of bricks. Suddenly, she wasn't there, at the ruins of the Rainbow Glacier. She was back in the makeshift shelter she and Sasuke stayed in. Going over that full conversation again. His declaration for a fresh start, his idea on how to do so, reminding her that she owed him for her slip-up. Her unease that she couldn't read Sasuke as she once could, worrying he would have asked her to do something unpleasant. And this was his actual request… and her response.
Ease came over Sakura's face, shedding a tear of joy this time, not sorrow. And that's why, despite the circumstances, despite what she just learned, she could say these next words with absolute trust to Sasuke. "'I'll help you,'" she said, offering a smile.
"Don't be so noble," Bakeru cut in. He was not going to have this wishy-washy crap ruin his big moment of victory! "Why don't you admit it, Sasuke-kun?" He added that last part in Sakura's voice.
"That you're curious if it'll actually work."
As he anticipated, the situation turned a 180, the weight of his words hammering down on them.
"Oh yes…" While still holding Sasuke, 'Sandayuu' shifted form, becoming an older Sasuke. He was taller, more muscular. "After all, I do carry your blood and abilities!"
"IF YOU SO MUCH AS TOUCH HER - !"
"So let's do a little experiment!" Bakeru interrupted gleefully. He produced a third arm from back and made the seals. In his left hand, the Chidori sprung to life. He held it up, the shadow of the technique falling right on the trapped girl, right over her heart.
"And see if Nii-san's claim actually works! Don't worry, I'll leave the Jinchuuriki alone." He glanced over at Naruto's silent form. "Orochimaru-sama will be quite pleased to have him too… and when the time's right, we'll let you use him to gain your own Mangekyou!"
He raised his left arm, ready to strike.
Sakura's mind raced; words – so many words - she wanted to speak. All she could to was slam her eyes shut.
"STOP!" Sasuke yelled.
Bakeru gave another sadistic laugh and thrust his Chidori towards the girl.
A firm hand grasped his wrist, stopping him in mid-action. "Alright," Kakashi spoke up. "That's more than enough."
It was like someone hit the pause button. There was Hatake Kakashi, standing calmly as he stopped Bakeru's attack. Both Sasuke and Sakura were looking at the man like they had seen a ghost. But that was nothing compared to Bakeru's reaction himself, who was utterly speechless, his mouth hanging open, his expression in utter disbelief.
Kakashi's foot slammed into Bakeru's chest, sending the shapeshifter flying backwards, dropping Sasuke as a result. Kakashi calmly reached out and grabbed his student by the collar. "Well done, Sasuke," the man said, giving that smiling eye. "I'm glad to see you've grown during all this."
That snapped both Sasuke and Sakura out of their stupor. Did that mean Kakashi had been here the entire time, WATCHING ALL THIS!?
"Now if you'll excuse me, I have some cleaning up to do," Kakashi spoke as he turned around and dropped Sasuke right on top of Sakura. Neither one could move, and seeing just how they landed, their faces immediately went as red as the Hyuga heiress.
"Now, don't do anything like this!" Kakashi said cheerfully, holding up that book of his. "I know you two are young and full of specific urges, but now's not the time, and you really should wait a few more years."
The two's faces went even a deeper shade. There were so many things that Sasuke wanted to yell that he couldn't form the words right now. Finally, he managed a single word full of disgust.
"KAKASHI!"
That one word managed to carry all the emotion he was feeling: Helplessness, embarrassment, and so many questions about this man.
"Watch, Sasuke."
Those two words shut down any other protest the Uchiha heir could have managed, and Sakura was settling down as well. Or at least as much as they could, given the position they were in.
"There's no denying that Orochimaru can give you the skills you seek," Kakashi said as he put the Icha Icha Paradise book away, walking over towards Bakeru, who was getting up himself. "Only a fool would deny that. And quite honestly, he could probably train you better than anyone else in the village."
Both Genin just listened in silence.
"But also look at this thing," Kakashi continued, going step by step. "The price you'll pay for all that power from him will destroy you, to such a level that even if you take your revenge, you'll be left with nothing else afterwards. You'll be a deformed monstrosity, just like our friend here. Lower than dirt, less than a worm.
"So let me show you what Konoha can offer you by staying. Let me show you the full potential of the Sharingan, something Orochimaru can't give you. And finally, Sasuke…" Kakashi came to a stop just a few meters away from Bakeru as he lifted his headband, revealing his Sharingan eye.
"Let me show you why I am called the Copy-Nin, the man of a thousand jutsu."
"Kakashi…" Bakeru said the name like a curse. "You should be dead! I buried you in that avalanche back at that glacier!"
"Yes, you did. And I'll admit, you caught me by surprise, Akihiro Kakusu. That is your actual name, I believe."
Bakeru jerked as if he had been slapped. "How did you survive that, bastard!?"
"Simple," Kakashi answered. "You made the same mistake you did all those years ago."
"WHAT MIS - "
The shapeshifter didn't get to finish the word as Kakashi was right in front of him, punching him in the face.
Bakeru went skidding back from the strike. Immediately Kakashi was on him, backknuckling him across the face, followed by a quick right uppercut to Bakeru's chin. The shapeshifter checked, and his right arm became a large blade slashing at the Copy Ninja, who was already behind the enemy, elbowing him in the back of the neck. Bakeru dropped to the ground, shifting his arms into legs to better ground himself and then used his actual legs to mule kick at Kakashi. The Copy Ninja blocked both kicks, then proceeded to kick the Sasuke look-alike in the face. Bakeru went rolling on the ground and then sprang back to his feet, returning his arms to normal as he opened his mouth to -
He never got the chance to finish because Kakashi was already on top of him, slamming his mouth shut and making Bakeru's eyes go wide in shock. Recovering quickly, Bakeru tried to smash Kakashi's head with both of his hands, to which the Leaf Jonin double-blocked again, then proceeded to directly double chop the shapeshifter's neck. Promptly, Kakashi began slapping Bakeru across the face in rapid succession, the man's face jerking from side to side like some cartoon character.
Sasuke and Sakura just watched, half amazed at Kakashi's progress, and half annoyed that he was faring a lot better than they had three on one.
"This is the Taijutsu Style of Hidden Rain, copied from Mogusa. A Chunin in the bingo book worth 13 million. It's called Deai-Ken."
The two Genin watched as Bakeru tried to get some distance from their sensei. He dashed all around the ruined landscape, but Kakashi was always right on him. Twenty meters to the west only to get an elbow to his face. Twenty five meters to the south to earn a solid right hook across the face. Fifteen meters in another only to earn a knee to his gut.
Bakeru snarled in rage and moved again, striking out with a punch to which Kakashi predictably avoided. Ready this time, he lashed out with a kick, which was just enough to drive Kakashi back. His arms then became large hissing snakes, lashing out at the Copy Ninja in rapid succession. Kakashi dodged them all by mere centimeters with the smallest of movements.
"Stop moving, you - !" In a flash, Kakashi's hand slammed over Bakeru's mouth, cutting him off yet again.
"No talking," Kakashi ordered in a hard voice. "I'm teaching here. Hyouton!"
From his other hand, ice suddenly covered his arm all the way from his hand to his elbow. "Hyōzan Kuratchi no Jutsu!"
Kakashi slammed his ice-covered arm into Bakeru's chest, who gasped out in pain, blood flying from his mouth. The ice from Kakashi's arm then shot off, covering Bakeru's entire chest area. His face then went blue as it began constricting on him.
"That one was from the former head of the Ice Guard, Dobei Mamori, known as the Ice Fist," Kakashi said as Bakeru gasped for air on the ground. "He had 30 million on his head." He looked down at the man on the ground and spoke in an uncharacteristically cold voice.
"Get up, you piece of filth. I'm not done with you by a long shot."
The shapeshifter gave a look of pure malice as he yelled and began changing again. He grew bigger, brown fur appearing all over. The ice around his chest shattered immediately as he revealed to be a large brown bear, a full ten feet long. He gave a menacing roar… only for Kakashi to poke him right in the eyes.
"It doesn't matter what form you take," Team Seven's sensei said with his arm still outstretched while Bakeru hollered in pain yet again, covering his eyes. "You are so full of openings it's not even funny."
Bear Bakeru's tongue then shot out towards the Copy-Nin. Kakashi yanked his arm back to avoid the initial blow, but upon its retraction, it wrapped itself around Kakashi's right wrist several times, yanking the man's arm back right towards the bear shapeshifter's open mouth filled with razor sharp teeth. Kakashi simply opened his hand, clasping it around the bear's mouth before it could chomp down upon him.
That's when the bear kicked up its hind legs, shifting into a pair of arms. They ran through a chain of seals, and upon its completion, a series of water-like drills erupted all around Kakashi.
In an instant, Raiton energy enveloped both of Kakashi's hands. The one grabbing the bear's face zapped him lightly, but in spite of that, that tongue still held strong. Kakashi used his other hand to slice through all the water drills, cleaving them in half with one smooth circular notion.
"Lightning is my natural element, Kakusu," the Jonin lectured as he moved. "Your information should have told you that, along with my skill with it." As if to prove his point, lightning appeared at Kakashi's left elbow, slamming anew into his enemy's face. This time, Bakeru let out another squeal that made him relinquish his tongue hold.
He was promptly greeted with a rear kick on top of that. The power and speed sent the two pawed, two armed, misshapen bear skidding along the snow-covered ground. Anger was reaching its peak to the point that Bakeru was barely even registering the strikes the white-haired man was laying on him, recovering much more quickly this time as the bear form receded into a more humanoid form and slammed his hands onto the ground. Ice from the surroundings formed into a horde of animals; tigers, wolves, horses, bulls and snakes, the entire gauntlet coming right at Kakashi.
"Too slow."
Kakashi, having already prompted his next move, simply stood there as a massive water geyser erupted in front of the man like a protective wall. Sasuke noted this jutsu didn't just possess the force of a geyser; it had the heat as well. Steam rose from it with such intensity that Sasuke could see it clearly. Bakeru's ice stampede didn't stand a chance as they were already melting from a distance and completely falling apart when they did impact. "Suiton: Fukasu Kanketsusen. This one is from Chuukichi of the Mist Village, 20 million. He was the commander of Mist's forces against Snow during the last war… and as such, his brand of Suiton are superheated. Very useful in countering Hyouton. Especially since, unlike Katons, you can take advantage of Snow's terrain to form your Suitons."
From above the steaming geyser came a new figure. This one was more about Sasuke and Sakura's size than that of an adult. Short spiked hair, wearing a long-sleeved blue uniform and a black jacket with an orange collar. A pair of orange goggles were on his face, connected to ear protectors. But what caught Sasuke's attention the most was the Uchiha symbol. Who is THAT supposed to be!?
"Kakashi - !" The young man said as he landed… only to get a solid right hook to his face. This punch was much harder as the young man's nose was outright broken. Blood splattered his face as he fell right back into the steaming geyser, making him shriek even more.
"You think I'm some sort of amateur to be thrown off balance by your parlor tricks?" Sasuke had never seen that look on his sensei's face before. It was almost like his own at his worst; there was a certain deranged look in the Copy Nin's face. Like a volcano just moments before a very violent eruption. "Insulting his memory like that just makes me want to hurt you more. Doton: Kojun Jirai no Jutsu!"
As Bakeru attempted to recover, he looked up just in time to see what looked like balls of fire in the sky. They got bigger, revealing themselves to be small meteor-like objects swarming down on the area. They began slamming into the terrain all around Bakeru, who immediately made his body rubbery, trying to escape the onslaught. He snaked through the area as fast as he could, but his success was marginal due to the sheer number of raining meteorites. They were striking the ground with so much force that their aftershocks still hit the fleeing rubber fake Uchiha, knocking the shapeshifter all over the place.
"This one is from Koshian Kazuki," Kakashi explained as he walked towards Bakeru, none of the raining projectiles hitting him as he did. "One of the leading Generals for Iwagakure during the Third Shinobi War. He's 52 million and still very much active in Hidden Rock's day-to-day operations."
The shapeshifter seemed to inflate himself like a balloon, stretching out his arms and forming bat-like wings. Sharingan eyes emerged, red beacons in the darkness. The creature then began riding the shockwaves, gliding from one point to another and keeping in the air away from the raining debris, which at last began to subside. In midair, its form shifted again, becoming another small figure that neither Sasuke nor Sakura recognized. This one was more petite than the Uchiha form of earlier; feminine. Straight brown hair, rectangular marks on her cheeks. Black top, a light purple apron-like skirt, and underneath were black shirts and red stockings with sandals.
"Kakashi, how could you do that to me!?" the girl screamed out, tears falling in her eyes as an electrified hawk formed in her hands, firing at the Copy Nin, who bolted forward towards the new figure. The girl spread out her arms, leaving her front open, as if inviting death.
Sasuke then saw why. The lightning hawk did a U-turn and immediately sped up to three times its speed, aiming right at Kakashi's back. Right as the girl's mouth opened, revealing that same lightning ball from the time on the boat. She fired it at Kakashi, as the hawk closed in from the side.
The white-haired man simply threw out both of his arms, catching each of the attacks in the palms of his hands. The three onlookers watched as the lightning grew smaller and smaller, being absorbed into Kakashi's hands, which became golden as a result. "You didn't learn your lesson last time, did you?"
The girl's face turned to horror again as Kakashi slammed a fist into the female guise. Once again, his enemy began gagging for air, but unlike other attacks, the lightning around Kakashi's hand burst to life. It flowed around Bakeru like a snake solidifying its presence and pinning his arms at the side. Kakashi pulled back his fist, revealing a second similar line of electricity being held by him.
A chain of lightning.
"Raiton: Denki Chēn no Jutsu," Kakashi said, yanking the lightning chain back and pulling forth the humanoid girl. "This one is from Darui; 40 million. Bodyguard to the current Raikage and more skilled at Raiton than I am."
Swinging his chain around, Kakashi smashed the girl figure head-first into the frozen ground. The chain frizzled out of existence, prompting Kakashi to deliver a smashing side kick before Bakeru could even give a gasp of pain from the head smash. The enemy bounced several times as he skidded across the landscape, attempting to change shape again…
… only for a funnel of wind to erupt around him. "What!?" Bakeru shrieked as the wind grew in size, forming that of a miniature tornado, the figure spinning in its currents as helpless as a single leaf in that gale storm. "When did you - !?"
During the water geyser from earlier, Sasuke thought to himself, snickering internally as the figure continued to get spun around like a rag doll. He and Sakura could feel the winds from their position, and they weren't gentle. He could only imagine what it was like at the epicenter of that storm. You just didn't see it… and you still don't see it.
"Fuuton: Kaze no yōsai no yōsai," Kakashi uttered as he watched, his hair swaying in the wind. "This one is from Komaza, one of the top Fuuton experts in the Wind Country living today, perhaps amongst all the shinobi. 47 million."
"I'VE HAD ENOUGH!" All heads looked towards the end of the funnel and its occupant. Instead of being thrown with the currents, he seemed to be riding them now, using all that motion to his advantage. Perhaps even more astonishing was that even in that maelstrom, the figure managed to change yet again. Despite the raging winds, Kakashi, Sasuke and Sakura could all see the figure.
It was the form of a young man this time. Wearing the standard Konoha uniform. Blue pants and shirt. A green flak jacket, and forehead protector where it should be. He also bore a long flowing white cape with flame-like accents. Spiky yellow hair and piercing blue eyes. Unlike the other two, both Genin recognized this individual immediately.
Namikaze Minato. The Fourth Hokage. Yellow Flash of Konoha.
"I won't lie to you, Naruto," he said quietly. "There is one jutsu that I know that you created. However…" he began forming the chakra into a sphere in his palm. When the Rasengan was fully formed in his palm, he continued, "I've known this jutsu years before you were even born…I learned after watching how my sensei created it."
Naruto and Sasuke were both gaping at the familiar sphere of spinning chakra in their teacher's palm. In Naruto's mind, rationality battled with impulsive anger. Kakashi also knew the one jutsu that not only took the longest for Naruto to make, but was the one he was most proud of. How dare he!
Yet the ease of which he'd made the jutsu in his hand showed something else. It would take years of experience and practice to make it with as little concentration and effort that Kakashi had used. That would suggest that the man was honest when he said how long he'd known it.
But how could Kakashi learn it before him? Yes, he said that he'd learned it from his sensei. As far as Naruto knew, only he, Jiraiya, and the Yondaime knew the Rasengan. Naruto had vehemently sworn off teaching the Rasengan to anyone but his children and possibly his wife. Jiraiya had made it clear that he valued the jutsu far too highly to teach it to just anyone, even Kakashi. The Yondaime was long dead, so unless…he…
"You were the Yondaime Hokage's student?" The question was quiet, almost too quiet to be properly heard.
Now Sasuke understood why Bakeru had taken the forms he had. The Yondaime Hokage had been Kakashi's own teacher, so by default, the other two must have been his own teammates. Several questions immediately popped into their minds: Who were they? What happened to them? Were they still even alive?
They didn't get a chance to ponder further because the fake Minato shot out of the large wind funnel, dispersing it as he left. "If I can't defeat you, Hatake…!"
He went flying right towards the unconscious form of Naruto, his right hand becoming a blade again. "Then I'll crush your pride!"
A split second before he could pierce the Jinchuuriki, Kakashi appeared in front of his stomach and Bakeru's attack struck, piercing the man clean through the chest.
"Oh well, that works too!" Faux Minato gloated with a look of pure ecstasy. "You aren't surviving…" He trailed off, seeing Kakashi was still standing. Despite being skewered, the man was just standing there. He wasn't trying to retaliate. He wasn't flinching. He wasn't even breathing hard. He just held that same confident gaze as before.
"What's the matter!? Why aren't you screaming!? Or raging!? Collapse, damn you! It's NOT LIKE YOU'RE- " Bakeru immediately trailed off from that comment. A sneaking suspicion started appearing in his mind. His face went from one to confusion, to despair, to downright HORROR. His jaw was hanging widely and he was sweating so badly he was probably going to dehydrate himself.
Small flames erupted from Kakashi's right shoulder. Then another from his hand… then several from the 'wound' on his chest. More and more those flames appeared, growing in size and intensity. Kakashi then reached out with his right hand and grabbed Bakeru's own arm in an iron grip. Then, from the ground right by Naruto, a second Kakashi emerged.
"That's right," the second Kakashi spoke casually, holding the blond boy in his arms. "Katon: Kage Bunshin no Jutsu. And you've been fighting it for quite a while."
Ever since the water geyser, Sasuke confirmed. The clone had taken charge in the fighting, while the original waited and watched from the shadows. The original had been the one to produce the wind jutsu later on.
Any lingering trace of confidence outright fled Bakeru's expression and panic set in fully. The creature looked ready to break down crying right there. It would have been amusing if it wasn't the Fourth Hokage's face being portrayed as utterly breaking down.
"This one is from Zōsui of Hidden Grass," Kakashi continued, as if unfazed by his surroundings. "10 million and one of Grass' best." He gently laid Naruto down on another patch of the snow, the boy oddly looking rather content, like he was having a very pleasant dream.
"I'm done showing off now; I've made my point. As for you, Akihiro Kakusu…" Kakashi glanced over his shoulder, giving an icy glare that made the surroundings as warm as a desert in comparison.
"Drop my master's form this instant."
"… yes sir…" Bakeru utterly feebly, his features receding and taking a new form. He took the form of a completely new individual this time. More bulky, with short black hair. Wearing what looked like a black vest and short purple pants. All in all, looking very much like a professional boxer.
"You dropped your guard. The same mistake you made back in the war." Kakashi then began walking towards his clone, which continued to burst into flames. "I'm not going to kill you today," the Copy Nin said, his footprints sinking into the snow as he walked. "I have a message I want you to give to Orochimaru."
At that, the Kakashi clone burst into an inferno, scorching the entire area. And with the fierce winds from earlier, the fire scattered so much more, burning the shapeshifter.
"Sasuke and Konoha are off limits! Try again, and next time I'll have your head on a platter!" Despite Kakashi being a good ten meters away, he punched outward towards Bakeru. "Hirudora, Kakashi Style!"
Sasuke wasn't sure how to describe what happened next. It was like the fire and wind in the atmosphere took on a life of its own. It took the form of a tiger, soaring towards Bakeru. It hit the superheated air and caused another explosion, almost like a miniaturized supernova for a fraction of a second. All that power hit the changeling full force, launching him high into the atmosphere seemingly at the speed of sound. Bakeru's form decreased in size as he went further and further, before disappearing into a twinkle in the sky.
"And that one…" Kakashi said, relaxing his stance. "Was from our very own Maito Gai of Konoha. He has 55 million on his head and is determined to get it higher than mine." Kakashi took a step forward… and gave a very visible flinch as he looked at his right arm. "Ouch, that really does a number on you." He rubbed his arm as he came over to his other two students. "I'm going to have to lay off using those techniques again."
He came to a stop at the two students and put his headband back down. "So, I trust you're satisfied, Sasuke?"
"He better be," came Sakura's voice from underneath. "Because I know I am."
The Uchiha Avenger resisted the urge to comment at her expense, instead focusing on his sensei. "Hell no."
Kakashi raised an eyebrow and Sakura looked equally puzzled.
"How did that freak know all that about my clan and Itachi?! Where have you been all this time? What took you so long to finally help out? And when are you going to let us - " He was cut off when Kakashi's foot gently pressed against Sasuke's mouth, cutting him off.
"Fair questions," the Jonin acknowledged, removing his foot as he knelt down. "To the first one, well, I didn't know how extensive Bakeru's information was… so I may have nudged him a bit to make him him spill the beans."
Sakura caught on before Sasuke did. "You used a genjutsu on him; that's why he was so talkative and eager to gloat."
Kakashi gave a nod. "Correct. One from Takigakure. Kameyo, 21 million. Had to show I was proficient with genjutsu too."
The Uchiha only looked remotely satisfied with that answer and was about to demand more but Kakashi cut in. "I'll give you and the others answers… just not now."
He reached out, chakra flowing in his hand as he touched Sasuke's forehead. Immediately, the Uchiha boy started to doze off and a moment later, so did Sakura, sleep fully consuming them.
"For now, my little wayward students, rest, knowing full well that this time… it's finally over." He bent down and cut the wires binding the Uchiha. "No more enemies, no more surprises, no more fighting. You all won."
(OMAKE)
What Kakashi ACTUALLY said
Bakeru nearly had a heart attack upon realizing the Kakashi he stabbed was merely a fire clone as the real Kakashi dropped out from the surrounding trees. "Now for a lesson. You may have heard these words before."
What looked like multicolored lights flew around Kakashi's hand, each one symbolizing a chakra element. "But I'll teach you what they really mean!"
Red for Fire, Orange for Wind, Yellow for Lightning, Green for Earth, Blue for Water and White for Ice. Kakashi grabbed all those lights into his fist. "GO BEYOND!"
The fire clone exploded into a torrent as Kakashi reared back his arm, bursting alive with power, a twinkle in the man's eye.
"PLUS ULTRA!"
Kakashi's fist slammed into the shapeshifter, combining with the fire and exploding into a violent hurricane, blasting the creature through the air and into the sky. It seemed like the entire Snow Country shook from the effects, prompting all to look into the sky where they saw a figure smash through one cloud and then another before disappearing entirely.
(Author's Note) Okay, first things first. NO, Bakeru does NOT have the Mangekyou Sharingan. When he displayed it, it was more decoration. Changing eye color and shape, no different than his other shapeshifting. Looked like one, yes. But not actually one, and thus, not possessing any of the actual abilities.
Alright, with that out of the way, climax is DONE! What we began in the last recesses of Chapter 22, we have now come all the way to its end here in Chapter 35. Yeesh, that was long, and not just because of how long it took between updates. So I hope you all enjoyed that rollercoaster. After all, we had the actors smuggle Sasuke and Sakura in, the two sabotaging the Castle, Naruto and Koyuki breaking out of prison, Yuki-nin rising up against Doto, Bakeru doing more chaos behind the scenes, Team 7 reuniting, going through the Hell Asylum, satisfying personal grudges, Makino and Akufu going all out, Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura taking on Nadare, Fubuki and Mizore before tag-teaming Doto himself, and finally wrapping up with Kakashi's reappearance on Bakeru.
Just summarizing all that was a chore, heh heh!
So… yeah. That's that. Doto is gone, Bakeru is taken care of and the Yuki trio is six feet under. But let's talk about Kakashi and Bakeru for a bit. This was the game plan from the beginning and why I kept Kakashi out as long as I did: to pull a big damn hero moment right at the end, when Team 7 was exhausted and at the mercy of Orochimaru's pet shapeshifter. I know a lot of people got frustrated with Kakashi's extended absence, especially with no real explanation on why he kept at it for as long as he did. So hopefully the payoff is worth it.
But really, the main reason for it? I really wanted a chance to explore Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura without any mediators, and that meant Kakashi had to go. But there was no real reason to exclude him given he does have a history with the events of Snow, so just claiming he 'stayed in Konoha' wouldn't have fit either.
So by bumping Kakashi off with his 'death' and letting him hide in the shadows, I could really explore the dynamics and issues that have popped up as a result of Legacy Part 1. Not just Sasuke 'using' Sakura, but Sakura's inferiority, the lingering subject that she peeked at Naruto's scrolls, how Naruto did meet Itachi, and Sasuke questioning his choices. All that was so much easier and inviting to explore without Kakashi being there to keep things in line.
Of course, there is a certain irony to that. As Chuuten came out, we saw that Kakashi was getting benched there as well to leave the trio alone anyway. Who knew?
As for the fight itself, if I was completely stumped with the Naruto and Nadare fight, then this was the exact opposite. So many ideas to do, from playing up Kakashi's Copy status, to the fighting style Bakeru has with his shapeshifting. It's like having ten new video games, but only having an hour to play. What do you do? Do you just pick one and go with it? Do you play a little bit of each? Mix and match?
In the end, I settled for what was above. Bakeru's main strength was surprise and here, Kakashi held that, so with Bakeru's main strength gone, he really became nothing more than a glorified punching bag. A dangerous one admittedly, but a punching bag all the same.
And answers to Kakashi's disappearance and his actions we will cover next time. So feel free to add your own in the reviews to be addressed next time around.
Home stretch here. We got that, a few things to wrap up here in Snow and back at Leaf and we can stamp this story DONE!
So those of you still reading, hang in there with me! Just about there! Until next time, which hopefully won't be too long.
The Hints on Bakeru being Sandayuu throughout the story.
Chapter 2:
You'll notice this is the only time Sandayuu has a segment from his perspective. Yet, unlike all the other times with the other characters, his name is not bolded at the beginning of it. I'll admit, this one is a bit of a cheat, but it was written with the intent that it would work for either Sandayuu or Bakeru's mindset.
Chapter: 6
After the fight, Sandayuu is the one to tend to Naruto and Sasuke. And for some reason, he takes BLOOD samples.
Look at Sasuke and Sandayuu's conversation again. Note how Sandayuu focuses on how 'weak' Sasuke is, and how there is someone he should go see.
Chapter 7:
Naruto gets a drink from Sandayuu. Isn't it funny that as soon as he takes a sip, he's immediately sleepy. And in the following segment, Bakeru's inner thoughts confirm he did indeed use a drug.
During the same segment, Bakeru copies the memories of all three, but only takes blood from Sakura, showing that he did already had the blood of the two boys, tying back to Sandayu's treatments.
Chapter 8:
Sandayuu conveniently 'fumbles something in his hands' right as Kakashi's feet get encased in ice. Handseals, perhaps? And the snippet at the end shows Bakeru was indeed responsible.
Chapter 9:
During the board meeting scene, notice how Sandayuu is the one insisting it wasn't the intruder that caused Kakashi's 'death', and insisting it was one of the Yuki-nin
Chapter 16:
Note that when Sandayuu is dying, sudden avalanche buries the body. Makes confirming actual death hard, no?
Though in actually, the 'Sandayuu' here was just a clone produced by Bakeru, much like how there's a Kakashi clone present (how Sasuke and Sakura got out of the lake). There was originally meant to be a hint on how later, no one found Sandayuu's body at the place, but given everything else, it didn't feel overly necessary to include it. Not with everything else already hinted at.
Deai - Encounter
Iceberg - Hyōzan
Clutch - Kuratchi
Yasei dōbutsu - Wildlife
Kizama reta - Stampede
Fukasu - Steaming
Kanketsusen - geyser
Nenshō - Burning
Kojun - Descending
Jirai - minefield
Hōmingu - Homing
Kyūshū - Absorption
Denki - Electrical
Chēn - Chain of
Kaze no yōsai no yōsai - Wind Funnel Fortress (So says Google Translate, so who knows how accurate this one is. Or any of them really)
Deai-Ken-Encounter Fist/ A taijutsu style from Hidden Rain focusing on elbow and knee strikes to one's opponent. Punches and kicks are used merely as a means to close the distance, enabling one to attack directly via point blank range. (Amegakure no Sato) (Mogusa) (Kakashi)
Hyouton: Hyōzan Kuratchi no Jutsu-Ice Release: Iceberg Clutch/ A powerful armament attack, not unlike the Rokku Nagasode. Ice covers the entire forearm, increasing the physical strength of a punch. Upon contact, the ice can launch out, wrap around and constrict an opponent. Signature move of Dobei Mamori. (Mid C-Class Ninjutsu)(Dobei Mamori) (Kakashi)
Doton: Rokku Nagasode-Earth Release: Rock Sleeve/ Naruto thrusts a chakra covered arm into the ground. When he pulls it back out, it is covered in an armor made of rocks. After serving its purpose as a shield, Naruto can push the rocks onto his fist to deliver a crushing punch. (Middle C-Class Ninjutsu)
Though not actually used in this chapter, it was included for reference purposes.
Suiton: Suigadan-Water Release: Water Fang Bullet/ A water attack that produces tendrils around an opponent. Each of those tendrils spin at a furious speed, mimicking high powered drills that are able to pierce many defenses with ease. Due to the attack having multiple elements to it, spinning, tendrils, many at once and positioning to ensnare an opponent, a high affinity with water is needed in order to perform, not just high chakra or control. But successfully pulled off, it can demolish most opponents with devastating effects. (High B-Class Ninjutsu) (Bakeru) (Itachi)
This is one of the moves Itachi used on Kakashi back when they encountered each other at Konoha.
Hyouton: Yasei Dōbutsu Kizama reta on Jutsu-Ice Release: Wildlife Stampede/The user creates a montage of different animals, from small rats to large elephants and anything in between. As a result, the same 'stampede' is never seen twice. The biggest advantage for this jutsu comes from its wide diversity: Small targets that are hard to hit, nimble and swift strikes, and large behemoths that are hard to stop. This is also its drawback as such diversity requires quick precision and calculations to pull off, otherwise the user loses their main advantage of the jutsu. (High B-Class Ninjutsu) (Bakeru)
Suiton: Fukasu Kanketsusen-Water Release: Steaming Geyser/ The user calls upon water from an underground source, or through highly skilled users, create water to serve as an underground source. The water will erupt with furious power and force, though one can adjust these properties accordingly. While useful as a surprise attack on an opponent from below, it can also serve as an effective defensive barrier from incoming attacks. (Mid C-Class Ninjutsu) (Chuukichi) (Kakashi)
Nenshō Suiton-Burning Water Release/ A unique brand of Suiton developed by Chuukichi of the Hidden Mist Village in order to counter ice style ninjutsu. User must be proficient with Katon as well as Suiton, resulting in Suitons boiling over with heat. Not a bloodline. (Chuukichi) (Kakashi)
Doton: Kojun Jirai no Jutsu-Earth Release: Descending Minefield/ The user draws upon the surrounding landscape and uses a variation of the summoning jutsu to teleport the rocks and debris into the air. The more powerful the Kuchiyose is, the faster the rubble will descend back onto the land. Pulled off successfully, it will result in a small but powerful meteor-like storm against one's opponent(s), who will be hard-pressed to block or dodge such an onslaught. Safe in limited usage, but spamming the technique in a short time can destabilize the surrounding terrain, resulting in dangerous pitfalls and collapses to the user as well. (Low A-Class Ninjutsu) (Koshian Kazuki) (Kakashi)
Raiton: Hōmingu Taka no Jutsu-Lightning Release: Homing Hawk/ Bakeru concentrates lightning his hands and produces a hawk that will seek out and destroy its target. Bakeru focuses on speed primarily, counting on that to catch an opponent off guard and leaving them vulnerable to a follow-up attack. As a result, this jutsu isn't overly durable, allowing for an easy deflection for those not caught off guard. (Low C-Class Ninjutsu) (Bakeru)
Raiton: Kyūshū-Lightning Release: Absorption/ As its name suggests, the user is able to absorb the properties of a Raiton, breaking it down to its natural components that the user can take advantage of, fueling it for their own attack. The danger being the chance the opposing jutsu is too strong for the user to absorb, thus falling victim to the attack all the same. As a result, those that use this technique need to have a critical eye, knowing which jutsu are susceptible and which are too dangerous to try. (No Rank) (Darui) (Kakashi)
Raiton: Denki Chēn no Jutsu-Lightning Release: Electrical Chain/ Much like the water whip, the user forms a chain of energy out of pure lightning. Due to it not being a solid form, its durability is less than that of other forms. As a result, the first part of this jutsu is physically touching the target to establish an anchor point. The chain may be extended as far as the user wishes, but the longer it is stretched, the weaker it becomes. As such, it is best used for close range capture or grappling moves. (Low C-Class Ninjutsu) (Darui) (Kakashi)
Fuuton: Kaze no yōsai no yōsai no Jutsu-Wind Release: Wind Funnel Fortress/ A wind technique that entraps its victim(s) within it's vortex. The air speed is so fast that it creates blades of air that will cut any trapped within its grasp. As an added bonus, the suction will sap all the oxygen from within, so even if the captured manages to avoid being sliced to ribbons, they'll suffocate within moments. The size, scope and magnitude makes this complicated to maintain, rapidly draining the user's chakra reserves just to start it and more so to maintain it. Careless use can also result in the user being sucked in and subjected to the same torment. (High B-Class Ninjutsu) (Komaza) (Kakashi)
Katon: Kage Bunshin no Jutsu-Fire Release: Shadow Clone/A shadow clone made entirely out of fire. Upon destruction, it'll explode on its target, leaving severe burns if not worse. Not only does it require the chakra of a regular Kage Bunshin, but an equivalent skill for Katon in order for the clone to maintain its shape. (High B-Class Ninjutsu) (Zōsui) (Kakashi)
Hirudora, Kakashi Style-Afternoon Tiger, Kakashi Style/Not the actual Hirudora by any means, but Kakashi utilizes the basic principles that are arguably just as effective. He first superheats the air around him with several Fuutons or Katons prior, making the area highly explosive. Kakashi then mimics the air pressure effect of the actual Hirudora, which will ignite the charged area. The resulting explosion is comparable to the original version in terms of degree and power. While only a makeshift copy, it still produces a suitable amount of strain upon the user. Especially if they aren't as physically honed a taijutsu master as Gai. (Varies given which jutsu are used as setup) (Kakashi)
Kōfuku wa Shifukudesu-Happiness is Bliss/ A genjutsu that heightens one pleasure levels several fold. This makes the victim highly overconfident and eager to talk, especially if they are off guard when they are ensnared. The only downside is that the victim would ramble on anything they feel like, not necessarily any useful intel, so it is necessary to direct a conversation to what you wish to learn before setting the genjutsu. Otherwise, it still serves as a decent distraction in a straight up fight as the victim will still experience a sudden bout of overconfidence and be more likely to make mistakes. (Mid C-Class Genjutsu) (Kameyo) (Kakashi)
Special thanks to Tellemicus here. He gave me a lot of ideas for jutsu to use in this chapter so Kakashi could show off. Thanks pal, hope it was worth the wait!
I do not own Naruto. It belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. Also, any jutsu that Tellemicus created that are used in this story belongs to him. Big thanks to Paintball-Gamer for beta-reading this!
