Hey all here is the latest chapter of WoF. I hope you all enjoy. please not that it's four fifty a.m and i just finished the chapter. I will probably be doing revisions to it later but as i am finished with it I decided i should share it with you all. Please review and if you find any grammar errors or hard to follow parts do me a favor and let me know eh? Well camera's rollin now!
Updated: January 22 2013: I changed some minor things in the fight with Sarutobi and Orochimaru but it also changed the outcome of the fight as well. so it might be worth a read through if there are any return readers.
Sarutobi back pedaled with a nimbleness that was shocking for a seventy year old man, but he had to move that fast. Otherwise the killer strikes of his wayward student would skewer and maim him. "Ha with moves like that you'll never best me!" The old monkey summoner taunted. With a snarl of rage Orochimaru rushed forward with a downward swing of Kusanagi angled to bifurcate his old sensei from his right shoulder to his hip.
Faster than most eyes could follow Sarutobi waited till the last second to sidestep the attack. Making it miss by mere inches before slamming the butt end of his Bo-staff directly into the snake sannin's lower jaw. The strength of the crushing blow sent the younger man into the air, sailing backwards. At the apex of his flight Sarutobi appeared above him, his staff held behind his back for a full powered swing.
Orochimaru only just got Kusanagi up in time to take most of the blow. Still he was sent crashing to the ground below kicking up dirt and chunks of earth mixed with small rocks. Hiruzen was not about to give his student any breathing room as his he had already been hand sealing directly after his last strike. Just as he started falling back to earth he finished his last hand seal. "Wind release: Spiraling wind ball barrage!" two small baseball sized vortex's bloomed to life in his palms. He shot one after another until he had thrown an uncountable amount at the fallen Sannin, each time one struck it exploded in a violent and cutting sphere of wind. Landing the Hokage stood still as a statue and waited for his student's counter attack.
He knew well that his last attack had not done the missing-nin in for good. Just as he predicted the sound of a sword cutting the air whistled behind him, reacting instantly the old man whipped around and blocked with his partner in battle. "You're getting slower sensei, you should have noticed my presence far sooner." Orochimaru sneered as he chuckled darkly. He then started pushing harder and harder against the offending piece of wood in his swords way. As he did so he slowly but surely started pushing Sarutobi back, "Look at you sensei. You're pathetic you can't even hope to defeat me." The snake further taunted.
"You know you would be right, if it wasn't a mud clone you were fighting." The Hokage taunted as he shoved dual Rasengan's, a spiraling vortex of pure chakra, into Orochimaru's back. He did this for two reasons, one to further drive the emotional nail in the wound that was him choosing Minato as kage instead of the snake user. The second, because Orochimaru had a tendancy to shed his skin, this attack bored into all layers. With a piercing screech the small sphere's drilled into the pale mans back ripping and shredding tissue and muscle. Releasing the sphere's shape, the two spheres exploded in a funnel like shape that sent the Sannin crashing through the trees. Inhaling deeply, Hiruzen lurched forward with a soundless scream as a roaring dragon of pure, white-hot fire shot forward incinerating the ground beneath it and the tree's around it. The rather flashy jutsu caught up to the still flying man rather quickly with a mighty BOOM; however, Sarutobi wasn't done yet. With how wet the ground was and how hard the rain was coming down he didn't need nearly as much chakra as he might normally for his last jutsu in the current chain.
Two menacing serpentine dragon's comprised of rapidly swirling water arose next to the Hokage instantly and shot forward. dousing some of the remaining fires that the drenching rain had yet to put out. At this point the snake came to a crashing stop against a rather large tree trunk. Still he had no time to react as in the next second the two water constructs exploded into him with crushing force. The force and pressure the attack reached completely ripping the giant tree from its base with one large hop and a resounding 'POP' that echoed probably all the way back to Konoha.
The aged Hokage stood ready, panting slightly. A sign of just how much energy he had poured into that one combo. It was a finisher combo if there ever was one. Still his instincts and years of experience told him to be on guard. A cracking of the earth behind him alerted the Kage who slammed his staff through the ground as he about faced to train an eye on his opponent. Too late did he realize that the poof he just heard was either a clone or a one of his snake summons and he was now in serious trouble. The veteran of two wars had fallen for a classic trick. The kick to his lower back that had enough power to bend him backwards almost forming a perfect sideways U shape and Enma flying away from his body proved it. His student appeared right in front of him and with a high kick that he swore broke some of his ribs sent him in the air but only for a few seconds before another one slammed it's knee and fist right on his mid back descending twice as fast as he was ascending. The snake Sannin hitched a ride in that position until the Hokage hit the ground.
Orochimaru's knee and fist drove further into his opponents back, causing an audible snap that made Hiruzen unleash an unearthly howl that pierced even the booming thunders of the night. Orochimaru kicked off the helmet residing on the head of the eldest Sarutobi in the family. Grabbing the seventy year old man by the hair and giving him a savage yank upwards so he could look his sensei in the eye, he smiled cruelly. "How weak and withered you have become, Sensei." His words slithered out of his tongue with murderous glee. His two mud clones came beside him and grabbed one side of the Hokage each and restraining him in such a way that he was completely immobile. "I'm going to make you suffer slowly before I kill you here." With a savage grin adorning his face he started taking his pound of flesh back for the damage the old monkey and his staff that was in reality monkey king Enma had done earlier. The Hokage grit his teeth as the traitorous leaf Ninja continued his unrelenting assault, pummeling him with vicious hand strikes and savage kicks.
Xxxxx
Itachi and the revived first were currently locked in a deadly yet graceful tai-jutsu match. Itachi tilted his head to the left dodging Hashirama's heel; ducking low and Sweeping his left leg on the ground in return, the un-dead Ninja cart-wheeled in the air to avoid it coming back down and slamming his hands on the ground. Wooden spikes that sized up too that of Stalactites trying spear the Uchiha wherever he was landing, the man's' Sharingan enhanced vision and physical prowess the only thing saving him from a woody death.
This was not advantageous for Itachi at all. He was in a densely forested part Hi no Kuni* right now, giving the wood element ninjutsu specialist an advantage. 'Let's change that shall we?' The young man thought. Against such an opponent it was time for him to unleash one of his trump cards, his normal, blood red Sharingan eyes with a black ring and three tomoes in a triad formation around the iris shifted to a shuriken shape with curved tips. "Susanoo." Once that word was intoned, a skeletal, glowing yellow humanoid phantom sprang life towering above even the tallest of trees. A blade of fire held in the phantom warriors' right hand. The sword of Totsuka, a legendary blade that could seal whatever it pierced into its sheath; a gourd that traps the victim in a genjutsu-like "World of drunken dreams" for all eternity.
With a mental command the Giant construct inhaled sharply before releasing a torrent of pitch black fire, turning its head in a complete circle the inferno quickly carved a path of decimation. Nothing could escape the fire's hunger, everything it touched it devoured with a ravenous hunger. The rain was nothing to the fire, a mere pest in its side. Animals of all kinds cried out in agony piercing the night. With each cry yet another sin was set upon the rouge ninja's shoulders. "Come out and face me Hokage-sama. I know that attack did not finish you." In response a giant ball of petrified wood was shot towards him, followed by another and another soon a whole barrage was sent towards the Uchiha. His Susanoo taking this as a challenge started swatting the cannon balls away and trying to bat them towards the attacker.
Itachi's blood red eyes narrowed. 'I have to finish this fast, but I need him to come to me, there's only one way that will happen.' With a deep breath Itachi closed his eyes and let his Susanoo drop. His next attack would have to be pulled off perfectly. There was no room for error here. Stretching his chakra out along the ground he had a fifty foot circle of perfect detection. He could sense everything using this simple technique. Even from the fire that came from Susanoo there was life beneath the ashes, a slightly comforting thought to the raven haired ninja.
However the time for thinking was over as he detected Hashirama coming in for a direct attack. His eyes still closed he waited and waited as the ex-Hokage rushed him directly. Despite being a Hokage, his attack pattern was simple. He would take whatever damage was given and then attack himself in a very direct manner. He had lost what made him a ninja, his ability to deceive an opponent and use his skills to the fullest potential. As right now, Itachi could tell it was the real thing and not a clone; that would have been the wiser choice.
When the undead ninja was just out of striking range, Itachi's Mongekyo Sharingan eyes, spinning angrily, snapped opened. "Amaterasu" He spoke just as Hashirama's fist was about to beat his face in. Black fire sparked to life on the dead Ninja's fist before it quickly devoured the man completely and utterly. Not even ashes remained, consumed by the ravenous black fire. Itachi dropped to knee panting heavily. His Mongekyo Sharingan fading, returning to his intense onyx colored ones. Blood ran from his eyes and dripped into the ash, turning it a dark red. 'That fight took a lot out of me. That wasn't even Hashirama's true skill. If it had been we would have been mopped up like cattle. I must get far stronger if I am to take out that man.' Gritting his teeth and forcing himself to stand Itachi started walking towards the forest, albeit at a very slow pace. No one was allowed to see him in this state.
Xxxxxx
For Tobirama, things weren't looking so good at the moment. Kisame was swinging his great sword around with inhuman speed and strength. The few times he had tried to lock blades with his foe it had ended badly. Normally any wound inflicted on the deceased soldier would instantly regenerate. However, every time the blue skinned mans sword, Named Samehada said to be a sentient blade and covered in pointed scales, bit into him his flesh was slow to regenerate. "Awww come on! I wanna see how many times I can kill you before you I suck all the chakra out of you and you can no longer regenerate! Now come on give me some fun!" The tall swordsman taunted gleefully.
With a burst of speed Kisame closed the distance and stabbed his blade forward, Tobirama was able to dodge most of it, however he was unable to escape unscathed. The hungry sword swept across his side and smashed through his armor and taking a basket ball sized chunk out of his hip. "Ooooh! Samehada say's your chakra tastes yucky, but you have a lot it! Relinquish your chakra fool!" The bandages that wrapped the length of Samehada started falling off revealing the teeth underneath. With a savage and primal grin Kisame blurred forward re-appearing beside the second Hokage of Konoha. "You're really slow!" He taunted his blade made full contact across the white haired mans chest and hip.
Spinning around he split the deceased ninja in two before, laughing cruelly as he did so, started tearing him into fine little bits. "Let's see him recover from that." The swordsman chuckled. The bandages now halfway off. "What was that 'Hada? He still has more chakra. Good that means he'll recover and we can do this all over again!" In his confident jesting he almost failed to notice the man regenerate behind him. Almost being the key word, in the nick of time Kisame whirled and swept the stab meant for his heart aside and kicked the Kage in the face hard enough to snap the man's neck and make his head dangle on his back upside down.
With a savage 'crack' the dead ninja's head came forward and steam-trained into Kisame's nose, hard. The force of the blow causing him to break his nose and caving it inwards slightly. The man wasn't done however as he had been doing hand seals right as his head started going forward. Thus he reached his last seal directly after the head butt. A veritable storm of bullets made of condensed water about the size of baseballs materialized in mid air and proceeded to bore into the shark like ninja. Rushing forward even as his jutsu was still active Tobirama rained down blow after blow. His fists elbows and knees exacting his revenge into his seven foot foe. He jumped back quickly to avoid a retaliatory slash from the traitor of the hidden mists seven swordsman.
"You're not the only one with a water technique! Water release: Exploding water colliding wave!" A giant wave issued forth, rising from the ground like a goliath of old. Kisame riding on the crest of the wave. This one wave drew up enough water for his next attack as well as creating his own lake. "Water release: Thousand feeding sharks!" Inside the wave, dense water constructs formed into the shape of menacing sharks with balefully glowing red eyes. The attack reached Tobirama in instant and crashed into him just as the sharks started ripping and tearing his body to shreds. However since they were mere water forms and NOT Samehada he could still regenerate at his optimum level.
"I'm not done yet!" Kisame called gleefully underwater yet still above the Konoha ninja, with swipes that ripped through the water Samehada tore into the Kage's flesh as the attacking sharks kept destroying any ability he might have to defend himself. "Let's see how many swings it takes to get the center of a Kage-pop!" Kisame cackled insanely. Each time Samehada crunched into the unearthly ninja it caused him to regenerate slower and slower. He knew the Kage would be done for soon. Finally the full form of Samehada emerged. It now resembled a club completely encased with scales, only now it actually had a mouth at the very tip. Shooting back, using his chakra to propel him along instead of actually swimming he smiled. "I know you're reserves are running low and soon you will cease to be. Now I'm a good sport so I'll let you heal up one last time." He taunted. They had been down there for five minutes now. Kisame was able to breathe underwater for an entire hour before having to come up for air, there was a way he could actually breathe underwater, but he didn't feel like fusing with his sword right now. For this fight it was more useful as it was.
The now regenerated Tobi glared at his opponent, not moving. He didn't need to breathe seeing as how he was dead. "You're not very talkative are you?" Kisame called. The armored shinobi shot forward like a bullet through the water faster than Kisame thought he could. "Now that's what I like to see!" Kisame cackled as he arced over Tobirama's swipe of a ninjato he had pulled from somewhere in his armor. 'Tch what a cheap trick. Yet what can you expect from a ninja!' Kisame thought with a mental grin. Steel clashed against steel booming out even underwater. Both opponents being skilled in the blade. While Kisame had more power and skill than his opponent, Tobirama had more overall speed and his shorter frame allowed him an easier time at dodging his massive weapon. Their underwater duel was fierce, deadly, and above all beautiful.
Neither fighter moved out of their imagined circle, which was extremely tight quarters, their pride as swordsman overtaking everything else. For all of Tobirama's skill and agility Kisame's crushing power began to wear on Tobirama. The deceased Kage kept receiving numerous wounds, Samehada's bulk acting as a shield making it nearly impossible to land any significant damage to the giant. Kisame, with an uppercut slash of tremendous force, finally broke clean through what he considered a measly guard and Samehada's teeth happily shred through the dead man's flesh. The armored shinobi stumbled backwards, in the next instant his sword arm was ripped off by the savage great sword.
With increasing speed Kisame tore into the man with continuous butterfly strikes, stabs, flourishes, and flurries. Reaching a velocity of such height that it started creating a vacuum of air under water. The Kage stood no chance as with each strike more and more chakra was fed to the most gluttonous sword known in within the elemental nations. Eventually Tobirama faded away, nothing more than floating decaying matter. Unable to regenerate as all his chakra had drained. Left with nothing in the tank the jutsu could no longer be supported thus he was killed in a way that only Kisame Hoshigaki could accomplish. "That's why you don't fuck with me! I shred you limb from limb!" He shouted with insane and twisted happiness floating in his voice. Speeding off the Missing nin set his sights on finding his current partner in crime.
Xxxxx
Sarutobi was definitely on the losing end of this fight. His whole body felt numb from the precision abuse of his former student. He was starting to slip in and out of consciousness. He knew he was going to die here, he no longer had the strength of body that he used too and as it stood he could barely continue breathing let alone stand up. Fighting was completely out of the question at this point. 'So this it huh? Damn it, the mistakes of the past prevented me from realizing the dreams of the present.' As Orochimaru went to strike him he had to jump aside as King Enma finally appeared back on the scene with a high kick that, had it landed, would have sent the man straight into the ground.
With a swift and brutal barrage that mere clones could never hope to keep up with Enma did away with the two clones like they were cattle. Grabbing Sarutobi, he got the old man out of harms' way before returning to the battle scene. Enma returned radiating pure fury, "I will have your head for that Orochimaru!" The monkey king growled. Enma's body and tail was covered by white fur which protruded from his sleeves and pants. He had long white hair that reached into his back and long sideburns finishing with a goatee. He wore a black suit with mesh armour underneath, over which he wore a sleeveless, kimono shirt with white, fur trimmings and markings reminiscent of tiger stripes on it which was held closed by a sash. A headband of the leaf adorning his forehead.
"Kuku, what makes you think you alone are able to defeat me!" Orochimaru laughed crookedly, sneering at the thought of a mere monkey besting him.
Enma's fury was like a cold wind that danced on the night air, seemingly chilling it by a few degrees. "Boy, I am monkey king Enma, and I rein supreme in the lands of Hi no Kuni. Not even the Daimyo dares to talk down to me or invade my forests. You're going to die for your insolence, right here right now." His growl was vicious and low. Jumping forward with speed only the likes of Gai could hope to achieve he sent a sweeping kick to the snake summoner's kidney's. Orochimaru bent backwards low enough to avoid the kick and snap back with a piercing strike to the monkey's head. The King of the jungle grabbed the offending appendage and crushed it as easily as he would a tomato. "To fight me with Tai jutsu you must be truly stupid!" The monkey taunted as it sent a blistering kick to the sannin's chest.
"I will make you pay for every single blow you landed on Sarutobi in my absence." The king intoned with all might he had behind him. He rushed the Sannin once more but, having learned from his mistake, slithered out of the way as the king was ruthless not giving the Sannin an inch and only being able to dodge by a hairs breath. It was all he could to just stay alive for the moment. However he was patient he would wait for his opening. "You will find I'm not as forgiving as your sensei you scum! I'm going to put you down flat!" The ape roared.
Xxxxx
Sarutobi groaned, his entire body hurt, he couldn't move and he could scarcely breathe. Still he knew his partner Enma was fighting Orochimaru alone, that thought caused a determined fire to bloom with his veins. He may be old but he was still the reigning Kage of Konoha Damnit. He would not let a missing-nin, S ranked traitor or not, put him down in such a way. With his resolve hardening by the second, his memories of all things left undone and all that was needed of him returned like a bursting flood smashing through a dam. Sarutobi Hiruzen felt strength returning to his body already. Rather swiftly too as he was already bringing himself into a kneeling position. 'A gift little Saru, so you can do what you must' A green glow of what The Hokage assumed was chakra bloomed around his feet. The energy rapidly sheathed him in a deep, rich, emerald aura.
For the aged man, it seemed as the fire was searing through his blood, cleansing all of his impurities. It was strange he felt… younger, more limber and he seemed to feel as if some of his lost muscle mass was returning. He felt his depleted chakra reserves fill to his current max and the fill beyond it, he felt like he was back in his prime again. Standing and padding himself down, he noticed that all of the damage that had been done to him had been completely erased. If he wasn't seeing things it seemed his skin was refreshed too, as it seemed far more youthful than he remembered.
Shrugging he had more pressing matters to attend to, all he knew was that Orochimaru had to be stopped and it was his duty as his sensei too do the deed. Looking over and seeing the battle raging not far away he quickly came in range to see just how closely the two were fighting. Enma wouldn't give Orochimaru and room to work with, he just kept rushing the back pedaling snake as he dodged around trying to stay out of the monkey's reach.
Still Enma would land a few blows here and there. Phantom victories for the ape he was sure wanted to tear the Sannin to shreds. Waiting for just the right moment he sprung forward with lightning speed and landing a round house kick that caught Orochimaru unawares. The force of Sarutobi's kick caused his student to stumble backward a few paces just in time to catch Enma's high kick with his temple. The Sannin went skipping across the ground. Looking towards his summoner the rather spirited tongue lashing he was about to give died on his tongue, what came out instead was. "Hiruzen… are you using some genjutsu to look forty?"
The third raised an eyebrow though he never took his eyes off of Orochimaru, who had yet to fully recover from the duo attack. "There isn't time for answers right now! We have to deal with Orochimaru now!" He commanded, his voice richer and more assertive than it had been in years.
"Now this is the Hiruzen I like to see. Alright let's kill this trash." Enma grinned, it seemed as though his summoner not only looked like he was back in his forties he was also back with the spirit and determination he had then too.
Orochimaru getting to his feet slowly snarled as he looked down at his two opponents. "Damn you sensei! I won't forget this!" He turned and started too run. However he hadn't expected a Sarutobi clone to leap from the tree and try and sneak attack him. Only his in-human flexibility saved him from the blow. It did not save him from the follow up however. The Hokage burst out of the ground with an uppercut that that sent Orochimaru into the air "You aren't running from me Orochimaru!" Hiruzen roared. He lept after his wayward student kneeing him mightily higher in the air. Rebounding off the trees to keep himself within striking distance as he kept orichamaru climbing higher and helpless in the air with a vicious combo of strikes and blows that completely immobilized him. Once Orochimaru broke above the canopy of the forest Sarutobi appeared above him, grabbing the sannin's body he started spinning until he hurled him towards the ground.
If Orochimaru thought he was going to hit the ground he was wrong, instead he had been aimed like an arrow towards a waiting Enma who caught him and swept him back in the air at double his current velocity right towards a falling Hiruzen who was cackling with electricity. Of course Orochimaru couldn't see this because his back was turned and the wind was roaring in his ear. When the airborne men came within striking distance Hiruzen unleashed a barrage of strikes that sent blistering amounts of electricity coursing through his body. When the jutsu exploded violently inside his body the Sannin went crashing into to the ground with a dull 'Thump'. "You're arrogance was the end of you Orochimaru." Sarutobi gravely informed his dead student.
Kneeling before the K.O'd Sannin he called upon an earth jutsu that entombed Orochimaru up to his head. Going through a second set of hand seals he placed his hands on the rocky tomb. In an instant the rocks turned red hot and the smell of cooking flesh tainted the air. Standing and turning around with his head in a solemn bow he walked over to his summon. "He is finished. We still have to find Naruto, and there is Itachi to deal with." His voice sounded like every bit of his seventy years of life in that moment.
"Don't worry so much, I've had my family on it since we started heading towards the battle grounds in the first place." Enma smoothly reassured the Hokage, for Hiruzen knew that his tracker members would find and keep Naruto safe from any danger they might face.
Before Hiruzen could reply another of the monkey family made its presence known kneeling in front of Kage and king, the blonde in question carried in his arms. "My apologies my liege, we had found the boy some time ago but I did not want to get engaged in a battle where I would simply be in the way. My main objective being to guard Naruto I thought it prudent to simply safe guard the boy until such time as the fight came to an end."
Enma nodded gratefully. "Good work Sama-kong. Leave the boy with us we will take him home." Setting the boy gently on the grass, Sama-Kong dispersed itself back to the tradition home of the summons under Sarutobi's command, The king of said summons turned to his summoner. "Well we have the boy now, we should make haste towards Konoha. On the way maybe you can explain why the hell you look forty instead of seventy."
With a nod of agreement Hiruzen kneeled and checked Naruto for any signs of damage, finding none he threw the boy over his shoulder, "I do not honestly know myself, All I remember was thinking about all the people that sill need me and all the things left undone that I have to take care of. I remember a voice that I swear sound similar to Hashirama-sensei saying something about a gift." Shaking his head at the foggy memory, the pair left and headed for home, discussing just what had happened.
The ape falling silent for awhile as he took in all Sarutobi told him, "Things are happening in Nature Saru. Big things, that normally don't happen and shouldn't be happening. This gift being one of them, I don't like it. Calamity always seems to follow and I fear another red dawn is coming upon us. Let us hope that I'm wrong on that." Enma's eyebrows were knit together in a sharp v. showing just how obviously these supernatural events were starting to get him.
Xxxxx
"So should we go after the nine-tails?" Kisame asked, standing beside Itachi as they watched the direction they had seen Sarutobi and Enma headed with their mark in hand.
"No, you saw the third, something happened to him during his fight with Orochimaru, and his chakra became much more dense and vibrant. After our battles we would surely lose to him. Besides we must gather them in order if the plan is to work." Itachi replied in his ever stoic tone. Kisame shrugged and the two left in the opposite direction of Konoha. "Instead we will go report this news to leader-sama. I'm sure he'll find it most intriguing."
That caused the shark man to chuckle. "Man Itachi, even if I wasn't insane I'd still find travelling with you loads of fun!"