Chapter 12- Bloodline War
~It has finally come down to this. After learning the MaShin's plot, all the preparations we made, all our effort into preventing this war from becoming a reality… they succeeded. Right now, as we rush towards the battlefield that is Mist Capital in the hopes of somehow stopping this war, I'm dreading what we may find… bloodshed the likes of which I've never seen. I've fought a lot of battles, risking my life against opponents that could only be considered monsters… but what I'm about to face… I'm scared… and saddened knowing the reasons for this war. The MaShin may have influenced things, but they didn't start this hatred… they simply used what was already there. As for us… we are strangers to this land; we aren't affected by their problems and if anything we'd benefit from their collapse… but what is happening here is far bigger than the rivalry between ninja villages. The MaShin Empire is a threat to the world, and this country is just the beginning. Who will they target next? It's still not too late… if there's even the slightest chance that we can save this land and its people from utter destruction, we will continue to risk everything…
-Uzumaki Naruto
(Water Country- Mist Capital)
"My god…" Those were the only words that escaped the lips of the rag-tag group. They were able to scale the outer walls and traverse the city by rooftop. They had tried ot mentally prepare themselves for whatever they were about to encounter… but nothing in this world could prepare any of them for the carnage below, in the vast grounds surrounding the Shogun's castle…
"KILL THEM ALL! SEND THESE BEASTS BACK TO HELL WHERE THEY BELONG!"
"FOR EVERY ONE OF OUR PEOPLE YOU SLAUGHTERED, YOU'LL PAY IN BLOOD!"
"FOR KIRISHAKU! FOR THE PRINCESS! KILL THESE BEASTS!"
"WE'LL DESTROY THIS CITY AND FINALLY PUT AN END TO YOUR EVIL!"
The two armies clashed, every single man, woman, and even child fought like mad. The bloodline rebels were heavily outnumbered by the Mist's forces… consisting not only of Soldiers and Shinobi, but a mob of armed civilians who took part. Despite the difference in numbers, the Bloodline rebels carried natural strength and skill matching those trained soldiers while their special powers were every bit as devastating as the mightiest jutsus. The Bloodlines and the Mist's forces weren't the only fighting today… as the MaShin were participating as well; fighting on both sides.
On the side of the Mist's forces was the hulking, armour-clad giant, Nergui. "RHAAAAA!" He let out a mighty bellow as he clasped his hands together and swung them down onto the skull of a Bloodline rebel, instantly crushing his skull. Any attack that hit him merely bounced off, and it had nothing to do with his armour; its only purpose was to mask his inhuman durability! "DON'T FEAR THEIR POWERS! TOGETHER WE ARE INVINCIBLE!" His words emboldened a mob of civilians and soldiers to charge forwards… only to be annihilated by a barrage of bloodline powers. "Oops! I guess it's only me! Heh-heh!" He laughed, leaving them to die as he sought challengers elsewhere.
Lei Maoyan was leading the charge as the bloodline forces blasted their way through Mist's warriors. "DEATH TO THE TYRANTS AND DEATH TO THE MIST!" He shouted a rallying cry as he rained lightning down on another column of soldiers, killing them all on the spot and eliciting cheers from the bloodline rebels, who followed in his example. "Just like a festival!" In place of fireworks, human beings bloomed crimson, and he was practically dancing through the battlefield to the cacophony of war.
Nergui and Maoyan fought at the forefront of their respective sides, inspiring them to engage in greater acts of suicidal bravery and wanton destruction. The two were treating this war as a game in which human lives were merely pieces to be callously spent!
Naruto and his companions watched the battle in horror… some of them averting their eyes from the slaughter. Human beings were getting blown apart by bloodline powers, or vice-versa, a Bloodline rebel would be overwhelmed by the sheer numbers before getting violently killed and pulled apart!
"N… no…!" Mizurei's eyes were wide in terror. He was trembling as he watched the war rage on. "Y…! Yamero…! (Stop…!)" He fell to his knees, quivering as he watched the people he defended acting every bit the monsters Kirishaku always said they were…
"S… stop it…! STOP FIGHTING!" Naruto suddenly screamed out at the top of his lungs. His friends jumped, surprised by his sudden outburst… as the war down below raged on. The sounds of battle drowned out his cry, and he went completely unheard…
"How… how could they do something like this…!?" Hinata trembled, close to tears. None of them had ever seen war. Even Kurenai, an experienced jounin was left speechless. "I… I knew these people…! This isn't like them!" she shouted. Having lived among the bloodlines of the Mist, she had known them to be gentle, kind people… but this…! "They were good people….! How could they take part in this… this insanity?!"
"This is war." Ebi spoke seriously. "What you are looking at right now is the ugliest side of humanity. Made even darker by the cause they are fighting for…" His eyes narrowed as he stared over the battlefield, "Right now all of their anger, all of their hatred… everything that has been building up generations… they are unleashing it here and now."
"W… what the hell are we supposed to do…? What CAN we do?!" Kiba asked weakly. This was beyond anything they imagined. "We brought the Princess thinking we could persuade the Shogun to put a stop to this… but is that really gonna be enough!?"
"I don't know… I don't think even my father can stop it now…" Izumi-Hime said sadly. The warring populations were out of control, it seemed unlikely that the Shogun's word could stop them… "But… if there is even a chance it could work… we… we have to try!" She said, her gaze hardening. The sight of her country in such a state truly saddened her… she would do anything to stop it.
"Even if speaking to the Shogun could make a difference, how are we even going to reach him?" Shino asked. Between their little group and the Shogun's castle was a veritable ocean of fighting and chaos. "There is no way we can reach the castle without crossing that battlefield!"
"Then we'll just have to go right through it!" Naruto gritted his teeth.
"Nani!?" the others shouted, turning their heads to him.
"We have to act now!" Naruto shouted at the others, "We'll fight our way through! Punch them, kick them, knock them out… whatever it takes to subdue them! Anything to stop them from killing each other as we make our way to the Shogun!" He continued, "I know it's a stupid plan, but it's the only one we've got!"
"He's right." Mizurei clenched his fists tightly. It barely counted as plan, it was practically suicide, but he was gonna take part either way. "I'm not going to stand quietly while my people are dying! I will do whatever it takes!" the Bloodline Leader and Mist Princess said in unison. Naruto then looked at the others… wanting to hear their opinion…
"Do you even have to ask?" said Kiba as he, Hinata, Shino and Kurenai stood ready. They were all prepared to go along with this plan, or lack of rather. It didn't matter. The time for thinking was over: They had to act now!
"Everyone, catch!" Ebi called out as he suddenly flicked several small objects, one to each person here. They all caught it, and saw what it was. He had given them each a soldier pill. "We'll need all the strength we can get."
"All right then…!" Naruto tossed the pill into his mouth and crunched it between his teeth. The pill took effect immediately, a hot feeling spread through his body and he began to feel lighter. All the hunger and exhaustion that had accumulated throughout their stay in this country had vanished. Everyone perked up, feeling fully energized, while Akamaru's fur changed into a deep red colour. "Let's do this then…!" Naruto bit his thumb and formed a series of hand seals, while drawing chakra from what felt like an endless supply, "KUCHIYOSE NO JUTSU! (SUMMONING JUTSU!)"
There was an explosion of smoke, as a giant figure appeared. The building they had been standing on moments ago had crumbled beneath its sheer weight. The smoke cleared, and the Konoha ninjas and leaders from the Mist factions found themselves standing atop the back of a monstrous red toad… none other than Gamabunta!
"HOLY SHIT!" Kiba screamed, while Shino's jaw dropped.
"What the hell is this!?" Mizurei gasped. He had never even heard of such a thing… while Kurenai, Ebi and the Princess, who were all familiar with the summoning arts still could not believe that Naruto was capable of conjuring something this powerful!
"N… Naruto-kun…!" Hinata exclaimed, partly out of shock… but there was a definite air of hope in her voice. Seeing what Naruto had brought here, for the first time she felt they stood a chance…!
Gamabunta sat with his eyes closed, taking a long drag from his pipe. As he blew out a ring of smoke, he opened his eyes and scowled, "Eh…!?" He found himself standing stuck in the narrow space between several buildings, a human war was raging nearby, a bunch of people were standing on his back, and on his nose happened to be the youngest man to hold a contract with the toads… "OI! BRAT!" He roared at Naruto. Everyone standing on his back fell to their knees and grabbed onto the toad lord's robe to avoid getting thrown off. "WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA CALLING ME TO A PLACE LIKE THIS!?"
"Lord Gamabunta… we need your help!" Naruto pleaded with a look of desperation. The toad boss quietened down, noticing the boy's unusual behaviour. For that loudmouth runt to be acting like this… it HAD to be serious! Gamabunta decided to lend an ear.
Naruto quickly explained the situation… the MaShin plot, the assassination attempts, the truth behind this war and their mission to bring the Princess to the Shogun… Naruto tried to include as much information as he could without wasting any further time.
"…and that's why I summoned you here, Lord Gamabunta! We need your help! I… beg you!" Naruto lowered his head and stood waiting for his answer.
The great Toad boss had listened to Naruto's story intently. Gamabunta sat quietly in contemplation… and a smirk crossed his gigantic lips. "Omoshiroi…! (Interesting…!) I have been getting bored lately…!" He rather liked the sound of this boy's daring plan. Naruto's eyes brightened, "Very well! I, the great Gamabunta, shall assist you!" He roared, "Just don't slow me down!"
"Alright!" Naruto smiled brightly and turned to the others. "You ready guys!?"
"HAI!" The others shouted in confirmation.
"THEN LET'S GO!" Naruto shouted at the top of his lungs. Gamabunta let out a roar as he pushed aside the buildings enclosed around him and rammed the one in front of him, smashing through it as he stormed into the battlefield…
"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!"
"IT'S A MONSTER! A REAL MONSTER!"
"IT'S EVEN BIGGER THAN THE ONE THAT ATTACKED OUR MEN IN THE ENCAMPMENTS!"
"GET OUT OF MY WAY!" Gamabunta roared as he swung down at the crowds, sending dozens upon dozens of people flying. People were screaming and hundreds were scrambling to get away from this monster as Gamabunta advanced towards the castle… sweeping entire crowds out of the way without actually killing anyone!
Though Gamabunta was a terrifying figure, the shock couldn't last long on a battlefield. Still caught up in the frenzy, people from both sides resumed fighting while others even dared to turn their weapons towards Gamabunta. That's when six figures suddenly leapt from the top of the Toad Lord's back, forming a circle around him. Naruto, Hinata, Shino, Kiba, Kurenai, Mizurei all stood there, leaving only Ebi and the princess to ride safely atop Gamabunta's back. Every one of them took a fighting stance… facing the waves of royal army soldiers, the civilian mob, scattered mist ninjas and advanced bloodlines…
"HAAAA!" Naruto let out a loud shout as he immediately threw himself into the thick of battle with his fists flying. Every blow he delivered sent people flying in different directions! "No matter what happens… I'LL PUT A STOP TO THIS WAR!" Every move he made was a blur. The first and last thing any of them saw was Naruto's fist in their face.
With her Byakugan in full flare, Hinata delivered many quick and devastating strikes with her palms. The chakra passed right through any armours, sending a shock directly to the target's insides and causing them to faint in a single hit. "Please forgive me… but we have to stop this madness!" She said sadly, striking down one after another, quite a few of them were people she recognized.
Ice gathered around Mizurei's spear, enveloping the sharp point and turning it into a bludgeon. Roaring out loud, he swung the heavy weapon with his amazing strength, the impact sent an entire crowd flying like rag dolls. "IF YOU WON'T STOP FIGHTING THEN I'LL STOP YOU MYSELF!" He shouted, swinging the weapon in wide arcs, every hit utterly blowing them away. Many of his fellow bloodlines were screaming at him and calling him a traitor. It truly pained him to have to attack the very people he once defended, but he knew it was better they received broken bones from him than death from their enemies…
Explosions rang through the air as Ebi lobbed bombs from Gamabunta's back. People were screaming out and covering their burning eyes as clouds of chemicals and paralyzing agents left them incapacitated. Among the crowd, a shinobi was tough enough to power through the pain and leap onto Gamabunta's back! "ORA!" Ebi delivered a blow with a wooden tonfa, using chakra to momentarily strengthen his arms. That single hit knocked the shinobi out, sending him falling from the toad lord's robe. "Whew…! That was too close!" Ebi sighed. As the weakest member of the group, he needed to conserve his limited supply of energy and fight only as a last resort.
"GATSUUGA!" Kiba roared as he and Akamaru whirled through the air, a pair of living cyclones that tore through the Mist's numbers. "YEEHAA! COME ON AKAMARU! LET'S SHOW THEM WHAT WE'RE MADE OF!"
"Don't even bother trying to get up." As Shino strode through the crowd, people all around him were collapsing while his swarm of insects were buzzing overhead. "I have converted my chakra into a paralyzing venom and distributed it among my bugs. Do not fear, it is not lethal… but don't expect to move before the day is over."
A number of armed men charged towards Kurenai, but in the blink of an eye… it was over. They were all frozen in place, Kurenai stood past them, her back facing theirs, as suddenly every single one of them collapsed to the ground. "You are a hundred years too early to challenge a Jounin of the Leaf." She said coldly.
More and more people from both sides fell before the onslaught of this group of newcomers. Not even counting those attacked by the giant toad monster, within the last few seconds, hundreds had been taken down by these fighters! "What are you…!?" One Mist soldier shouted to this new group. "Are you demons!?"
"No… we aren't demons." Naruto answered, turning to that one soldier… suddenly, he sprung forward and punched the soldier's face, knocking him out cold… "ORETACHI WA KONOHA NO SHINOBI DA! (WE ARE LEAF NINJA!)" Gamabunta continued pushing through the warring masses with Princess Izumi riding safe on top, while the others stayed down below to cover the toad boss's sides and rear from enemy attacks, bit by bit they were getting closer to the shogun's castle, but things weren't going so smoothly… The fighting showed absolutely no sign of letting up. Most of them were too consumed by the battle to notice or even care about Gamabunta's presence. Even though the efforts of Naruto's group had stopped hundreds, they couldn't stop a war this way!
Gamabunta wasn't progressing fast enough either. Despite his tremendous power, he had to hold back just to avoid accidentally killing anyone. The Konoha ninjas and Mizurei were doing all they could to draw attention away from Gamabunta, but despite their best efforts, they couldn't stop everything… "ARGH! YOU DAMN PUNKS!" Gamabunta flinched as flaming arrows hit his face. A group of soldiers ahead of him were shooting these projectiles. As the soldiers let loose the next volley, Gamabunta opened his mouth and shot out a huge ball of water. The arrows were swallowed up in the watery projectile and the group of soldiers screamed when the watery blast hit them, the sheer force sent them scattering. "OW!" Gamabunta's face twisted in pain and frustration as an explosion hit the side of his head. Turning to the side, he growled at a man from the bloodline forces who had just hit him. He immediately retorted by opening his mouth and shot out his tongue, grabbing that man and flung him into the air.
"Kuso…! They just keep coming!" Naruto shouted as he floored another man with his fist. He could see his friends were beginning to struggle; they couldn't keep this up forever.
The closer they got to the Shogun's castle, the more concentrated the Mist forces became, making Naruto and his friends the priority targets! Progress was slowing down as they were facing what felt like endless soldiers, and they had to fight harder than ever just to stay alive! The soldier pills granted them the energy to fight, but that didn't stop them from receiving wounds, which were gradually piling up. At this rate, they'd be killed before they could even reach the Shogun!
"Nani!?" Naruto suddenly caught something out of the corner of his eye… "WHOA!" Reacting at the last second, Naruto moved his head back as a kunai whizzed past his face, almost grazing his nose! "Kuso…!" Naruto swore out loud when he looked in the direction that kunai came from. Four people stood in his way… each one bearing the metal headband of the Hidden Mist Village. It was a full squad of Mist Shinobi!
"And just what is this little leaf ninja doing, running around in a place like this?" One of them spoke. He was a masked ninja armed with large metal claws, exactly the same as those the Demon Brothers used way back in Naruto's first mission. Triangular metal plates had been welded to the plate of his headband, resembling the horns of an oni, while an iron breath mask covered the lower portion of his face. There was some sort of liquid glistening on the surface of the iron claws… no doubt it was poison.
"Saving your country!" Naruto fired back, "Please, listen to me! We have the Princess with us right now!" He pointed to the armoured, female figure riding atop the giant toad in the distance, "We need to see the Shogun, immediately!"
"Liar! The Princess is dead, everyone knows that!" The Mist ninja with the claws glared at Naruto. "I don't know what your intentions are but we're not letting you get any closer to the Shogun… LEAF TRASH!" Before Naruto could speak, the Mist Ninja lunged forward and went straight for the kill… his claws aimed at Naruto's throat.
Naruto instantly reacted by delivering a fast, powerful kick across the Mist Ninja's face. The impact knocked the Ninja's iron mask right off and sent his entire body flying off the ground before landing in a crumpled heap. Naruto took a deep breath and stared down at the motionless ninja, realizing that he had just knocked him unconscious. Naruto said nothing as he stared in bewilderment. For a moment… he remembered the day he first came across a shinobi exactly like this one. That time he was just a kid, scared and unable to fight back… compared to right now when he had beaten one out of sheer reflex, he couldn't help but reflect on how far he had come…
"So we have confirmation then…" another Mist ninja crossed his arms, "The Leaf Ninjas are taking advantage of Bloodline freak uprising to slip in unnoticed, and they even brought along some phony Princess! There's no doubt about it… you're trying to get close to the Shogun and assassinate him in the chaos!"
"NO! You have it all wrong!" Naruto exclaimed. He recalled Princess Izumi had told them that she had to make it appear that she died in the blaze to throw off any pursuers from MaShin… but at the same time, it put her at risk for this exact situation! Knowing the stubbornness of Mist ninjas, if they were convinced Izumi was dead, they would think she is an impostor and kill her off without asking any questions! "Listen to me, the Princess is alive! I'm telling the truth! YOU HAVE TO STOP FIGHTING!" Naruto pleaded, but the Mist Ninjas had no interest in listening…
"MIZU BUSHIN NO JUTSU!" a Mist shinobi with a katana shouted, as water condensed from the snow and mist, gathering together and changing colours to form five exact duplicates, each one drew their sword and dashed to Naruto…
"KAGE BUSHIN NO JUTSU!" Naruto shouted, also creating five shadow clones. Each drew a kunai and charged, overpowering and destroying the water clones, while the real Naruto and Mist Ninja swung their kunai and katana…
"GAH!" The Mist ninja screamed as his Katana clashed with the kunai, only for the force of Naruto's swing to completely overpower his and caused him to stumble back…
"I'm in a hurry… SO GET OUT OF MY WAY!" Naruto roared and delivered a mighty uppercut to the Mist ninja, flinging his head back and sending him toppling to the ground with his jaw completely shattered. Naruto turned to see another Mist ninja, larger and more muscular than the last wearing iron gloves over his fists, suddenly appear from the side and swing at him with his fist… only to gasp in shock when Naruto stopped the punch completely by catching it in his left hand. "HAA!" Naruto kicked the Mist ninja HARD, the steel guard on his leg smashing into the ninja's unguarded shin…
The iron-fisted ninja's mouth and eyes opened wide, some tears even gathering in the corners… "EAAAAAAAARGH!" He screamed at the feeling of his bone cracking. The shadow clones Naruto had conjured earlier all suddenly tackled this Ninja to the floor, pinning him down and proceeded to beat him to submission.
Naruto turned to face the last Mist Ninja, who recoiled after seeing this boy effortlessly demolish his entire team. Naruto snapped his finger, signalling all his clones to disappear. With his clones gone, Naruto put away his kunai and turned to face the shinobi… "Please…" Naruto spoke gently, and had a look of desperation in his eyes… "I don't want to fight you! I am not the real enemy! I need you to JUST LISTEN TO ME!"
"Okay… I'll listen…" The Mist shinobi raised his hands and dropped his weapons. Naruto lowered his guard and approached the now unarmed ninja… who suddenly let out a wicked smile, "SUITON: SUIROU NO JUTSU! (WATER PRISON JUTSU!)"
"WHAT…!?" Naruto screamed, as he was swallowed up in an orb of water. The Mist shinobi laughed, as Naruto tried to struggle…
"Ha-ha-ha…! Y… you… fool…!" The Mist Ninja laughed, drenched in a terrified sweat he had gained from seeing the boy fight. "I… can't believe that actually worked…!"
"NARUTO-KUN!" Hinata's voice cried out. From within the sphere, Naruto could see Hinata was fighting her way through a crowd of men, rushing to get to him…
"Sorry, but I'm not waiting for your friend to help you!" still holding the water in place with one hand, he reached to the floor and grabbed a discarded spear in his other hand. Naruto's eyes opened even wider… "Sayonara, leaf-trash!" He raised the spear, ready to pierce through the water and into the boy's heart…!
-WHAM-
"Wha…?" The Mist ninja's eyes opened wide, and then collapsed.
"GAH!" Naruto yelled out as the orb broke apart, water splashing to the ground. Coughing and choking on the water, Naruto finally took a breath…
"Naruto-kun! Are you okay!?" Hinata asked frantically, grabbing onto him and helping him up.
"(COUGH) I'll… be fine…! Thank you Hinata…" Naruto taking a few deep breaths before finally settling down. "Though I might need some CPR…" He gave her a cheeky grin.
"Ano…! N-Naruto-kun! W-we can't! N… not here!" Hinata was flustered, caught off completely guard by his flirt. "Also… I wasn't the one who broke you out, Naruto-kun!"
"Say what?" Naruto blinked… "If it wasn't you… then who…?" His jaw suddenly dropped. Hinata, wondering what was up, turned her head, and also let out a gasp. Standing there was a tall masked figure, dressed in Konoha's standard dark uniform and green vest, topped with a head of spiky silver hair… "S-SONNA (N-NO WAY…!)"
"Hisashiburidana, Naruto." He said cheerfully, "I see you've gotten yourself into quite the mess while we were away! It's lucky I arrived just in time… Although I have to admit…" the figure turned around and faced him, "It seems you've also done quite a bit of 'growing up' without us." Kakashi smiled at his student.
"Kakashi-sensei…" Naruto said in shock… "What the hell do you mean by 'just in time'!?" he pointed at his sensei, "YOU ARE WAY… FREAKING… LATE!"
"Yes, even I have to admit I am rather tardy this time…" Kakashi chuckled. "But I have a very good reason for that."
"Oh?! And just what-" Before Naruto could ask, someone shot an arrow towards his back. "Huh?!" He turned around and flinched when he saw an arrow stopped just short of his face and a hand clenching it tightly; caught in mid-air. Naruto and Hinata's eyes opened wide as they were met with a smirking Sasuke!
"You want to save an entire country, but you still can't watch your own back?" Sasuke said smugly. He suddenly whipped the arrow through the air, back at the soldier who shot it. The man screamed as hit his shoulder, making him drop his bow and spilling over his bundle of arrows. "Except for that last part, you did a pretty nice job flattening those Mist Nins." Naruto was staring in bewilderment…
"Don't think we forgot the things you said back in the Encampments!" Sakura said as she dashed past a man with a sword, grabbing his arm and twisting it behind his back and forcing him to let go, before bashing him on the head and knocking him out. "I know we're late in saying this… but for all it's worth, we're sorry!"
"When did you guys get back here?!" Naruto, Hinata and the others from Team 7 turned to see the others from Team 8 and Mizurei running towards them, all were just as surprised by their arrival.
"I thought you all went back to Konoha!" said Kiba
"Yeah… we did." admitted Sakura, "We let Naruto stay behind thinking it would give him time to cool his head, so that he'd eventually give up and go home… but it really turned out to be the opposite." she glanced downwards, feeling both saddened and ashamed. "As for us… going home isn't so easy when you finally realize that someone who's become such a big part of your lives is missing… and things just aren't the same."
"You on the other hand, we're fine with losing!" Sasuke called over to Ebi, who was watching them from atop Gamabunta's back.
"Screw you!" Ebi shouted back, while flashing a very rude gesture at Sasuke.
"You guys…!" Naruto said, still totally dumbfounded as the members of Team 7 stood around him. Their arrival was just about the last thing he expected to happen. "Ah, WATCH OUT!" He suddenly exclaimed as from behind the team, a large group of Mist shinobi came towards them, their weapons at the ready…
Suddenly, before Naruto even realized what was happening, that group of shinobi was instantly wiped out by a series of familiar jutsu that came from above. Naruto, Ebi and the members of Team 8 gasped, when they saw standing atop Gamabunta's back… Shikamaru, Chouji, Ino and Asuma… Neji, Rock Lee, Tenten and Gai… even Iruka!
"OI! DON'T JUST JUMP ON MY BACK WITHOUT PERMISSION!" Gamabunta shouted angrily. He was ignored, as Team 7, 8 and Mizurei jumped up there to join the others.
"Damn, man! Just what the hell have you gotten involved with while you were here!?" exclaimed Shikamaru, looking around at the battlefield.
"As you can see Naruto, this is what was keeping us so long." Said Kakashi to a stunned Naruto. "Your words had a much larger impact than you may have realized, words that stuck with us, all the way back to Konoha."
"Naruto-kun!" Rock Lee suddenly called out, "When we heard that Sakura-san and Sasuke-kun were not to take part in the chuunin exams and realized that you were missing, we knew something was wrong and asked your team-mates to tell us! Upon hearing the immeasurable task you have taken upon yourself and the noble cause that you are fighting for… we… we simply could not remain in the village! We JUST HAD to come!" tears were streaming down Lee's face and he began to weep uncontrollably. "F-forgive me…! I can't help it…! That was the most beautiful, heroic thing I have ever heard! I… I'M JUST SO TOUCHED!" he suddenly yelled out.
"Indeed!" Gai gave a thumbs-up from the background, grinning brightly while a great stream of tears ran down his face.
"Um… thanks?" Naruto blinked, taking a few steps back from Lee…
"Anyways, we just figured you needed help FAST, and there's no telling how long the chuunin exam could go on for… so… we left!" Tenten said with a sweatdrop as she patted Lee's back while trying to comfort him. "We had to plead to the Hokage-sama until she agreed to let us come here! You should've seen how hard Neji-kun was pressing her… he wanted to come here and help you even more than Lee did…!" her joyful speech came to an abrupt halt when she noticed Neji glaring at her; a signal to stop talking, immediately.
"And the moment Iruka-sensei heard what you were doing, he wouldn't take no for an answer!" said Sakura. "We thought that you could use our support, but we had no idea things had gotten this bad!" She then smiled at Naruto, "Not that it matters… we aren't going to abandon you again! No matter what, we're here to help you!"
"You… you guys…" Naruto stood there shocked, ignoring Gamabunta complaining that it's not enough that all these people got up on his back uninvited, but now they're playing out such a sappy scene… "You're all here… because of me?"
"Well, you did 'burn it into our heads'… after all," Sasuke recalled Naruto's last words to them. "Besides… we're a team… and maybe it's time we started… acting like one." He turned his head and closed his eyes, trying to hide the embarrassment.
"Heh…" Naruto smiled… They had all given up their chance to take part in the Chuunin exam, so they could fight by his side, undaunted even in the face of an entire war! His eyes were watering. He had to struggle not to let himself cry… he then shook his head. "Everyone… I… I have something to say to all of you." Naruto stepped back, so he faced all of them. His smile faded and he had a serious look on his face, "The people of this country have been turned against one another by a faction that has been manipulating everything from the shadows… known as the MaShin Empire." Naruto's eyes narrowed, "I am telling you this now because if you choose to fight… you might end up facing them, and it won't be men you'll be fighting, but monsters… because every one of them is the vessel of a demon."
Everyone, save for the few who knew, gasped at Naruto's revelation. The adults especially seemed shocked by this… having lived to witness the Kyubi's attack all those years ago and knowing full well that a demon had been sealed in Naruto… and now their enemies all carried something like that?!
"What are you saying!?" Ino yelled in disbelief, "Demons!? You gotta be kidding me! That just isn't possible!"
"Naruto is telling the truth!" Ebi stepped forward, "The MaShin Empire enhances their soldiers by infusing them with demons. I have seen it with my own eyes."
"And you knew this!?" Kiba shouted angrily at Naruto, "How long were you hiding this from us?! All this this time, we were going up against DEMONS and you said nothing!?"
"I was being stupid. Stupid… and selfish." Naruto looked down in shame. "I knew what they were, and yet I kept it a secret because I wanted to deal with them myself. I didn't want anyone else to know because… I was ashamed of what I am."
"Naruto-kun…" Hinata said quietly… as she, Ebi and the adults all watched. They knew what he was talking about. Most of the genin did not know just what he was saying… though the ones who did kept their silence…
"You have your reasons for hiding this from… but we're not angry at you." Naruto felt a familiar hand being placed on his shoulder. Looking up, he met the gaze of his old friend and father figure, Iruka. "Regardless… we came here because of you, and we are all following you right now, Naruto." Iruka closed his eyes and smiled. Naruto looked around to see the others all smiling in support, they were ready for anything. They had all seen him fighting the Mist Ninja. The way he fought, Naruto could have easily crushed them… but instead he continued pleading to stop the fighting. They had seen the lengths Naruto was willing to go through for the slightest chance of peace. "Go on… it's your call."
A smile crossed Naruto's face… as he clenched his fists and grinned brightly. "Okay everyone…!" He shouted, as the others surrounded him. They listened carefully as he explained the situation as quickly and thoroughly as he could… as well as what they must now do. "So are you all clear?!" He asked, the others all nodded. "All right…! We'll stop the MaShin…! For the sake of this land's people… and their future!" The others could sense something about Naruto as he spoke… an incredible, overwhelming spirit that just radiated with every word. Naruto turned to face the Shogun's castle in the distance… "LET'S GO!"
Naruto immediately broke into a run, leaping right off Gamabunta's head and landing on the ground. In front of him stood what seemed like endless soldiers and Mist Ninja charging in his direction. All around him, the others were landing next to him and faced the army… and in flash they all sprung into battle.
"HAAAA!" Sasuke with his sharingan eyes active, dove into the fray. He attacked them with unbelievable taijutsu before they could even lift a finger, delivering powerful blows to the vulnerable points of his opponents. "Hmph! Could there BE a stupider reason for war?! Just what are these people hoping to accomplish!?" It didn't matter what side they were on: be it normal or bloodline, Sasuke was taking them down at lightning speed.
"BAIKA NO JUTSU!" Chouji jumped into the air and roared, his body suddenly expanded into the shape of a giant ball. Many people screamed as he suddenly came crashing down on them, then continued rolling through the warring numbers, crushing them.
"I'll show you what I can do!" In her fingers, Tenten held dozens of thin, senbon needles. "HA!" Leaping into the air, she threw the needles with amazing accuracy. Every individual struck by a needle suddenly collapsed. Her projectiles were drugged. Even a speck of it in their system would leave them unconscious for hours!
"Kage kubi Shibari no Jutsu! (Shadow Neck Bind Jutsu!)" a dozen soldiers were gasping, clutching their throats as Shikamaru squeezed their necks with shadow hands. "Dammit! How did I get roped into this!? This is even worse than the chuunin exams, which I don't even have to take, by the way! I could be napping at home right now…!" He complained, releasing the soldiers as they fainted. "I suppose I should look for a bright side. At least I didn't end up pitted against a girl for a change…" Suddenly, he saw a group of Bloodline rebel women charging towards him… and when he looked in the other direction, Shikamaru spotted a bunch of Mist Kunoichi also charging his way! "OH GOD DAMN IT!"
"KAITEN!" Neji shouted as foes came at him from every direction. The force of the chakra he expelled combined with the rapid spinning motion shattered their weapons and blasted them away. "I don't know just what you people have against each other, but this is absolutely pathetic! This entire war is nothing but a farce…! A sick joke on humanity! You don't even know what you're fighting for!" He shouted, taking the Hyuga fighting stance, before dashing into their numbers once more…
"COVER ME!" Sakura shouted to Ino. While the others fought in the front lines and kept the waves of enemies occupied, Sakura closed her eyes and put her hands together. "Time to try out this jutsu…!" She closed her eyes and channelled her energy into the technique she had once encountered in the previous chuunin exam, and had been studying to use herself…
"HAAA!" Ino leapt forward, kicking upwards against the chin of a man who tried to attack Sakura. "Just like old times, eh, forehead girl!?" She dodged the spear thrust of a soldier and delivered a fast karate-chop to the side of his neck, knocking him out. "All these years, and you still need me to protect you!" She smirked.
"There's one big difference this time… NEHAN SHOJA NO JUTSU! (Temple of Nirvana jutsu)" Sakura unleashed her genjutsu. What appeared to be feathers suddenly began falling from the sky, over the crowds… as many of them dropped their weapons and fell to the ground in forced slumber. "Beat that, Ino-pig!" Sakura returned the smirk. The two of them growled at each other, a bolt of electricity could be seen crackling between their eyes… before the two of them smirked and returned to the fight, all the while throwing insults back and forth between one another. Sakura was repeating her genjutsu, while not a single enemy was able to get past Ino… until suddenly…
"Nani…!?" Ino gasped, she saw a single figure standing among the sleeping crowds… a mist ninja holding his hands together, having performed the 'Kai' counter-seal to resist Sakura's genjutsu. Suddenly, the Mist ninja darted right past Ino and went straight for Sakura… "SAKURA! WATCH OUT!"
"What…!?" Sakura broke her concentration and opened her eyes, only to see the mist ninja lunging at her with a blade! It was too late for her to dodge, and she had no way of defending herself against his weapon…!
"KONOHA SENPOU!" Just as the Mist Ninja's kunai was about to pierce Sakura, what appeared to be a green whirlwind suddenly appeared in mid-air out of nowhere. The Mist Ninja screamed as the green blur spun faster than the eye could see, and landed a powerful kick to his head, sending him flying right off the ground and crashing in the distance. Sakura gasped as the figure landed and straightened up, standing in front of her, facing her fallen attacker…
"You who dare attempt to harm Sakura-san… shall receive no mercy!" Rock Lee spoke in a hard tone. Suddenly, Lee turned around to face Sakura and dropped down to one knee while grabbing her hand, "Sakura-san! Flower of my heart! Are you well!? Did that brute hurt you anywhere?!" He flashed a smile, as the dreamy sounds of a harp could be heard.
"Uh… I… I'm fine, Lee-san…" Sakura replied while Ino stared in shock. The two girls exchanged glances, wondering just where that harp music was coming from.
"Oh, to know that you are unharmed brings warmth to my heart even in the chill of winter!" Lee exclaimed, his eyes shut from tears of joy… "How I wish I could continue to express my happiness… but alas… now is not the time. I have a duty I must perform!" He rose to his feet and turned around, facing the battlefield… "The conditions have been fulfilled!" Reaching down, he pulled the weights from his feet and threw them aside… each resulting in an explosion of dust as they hit the floor. "HAAAAA!" the green-clad ninja threw himself into the warring crowds and began attacking at blinding speed. The only thing that could be seen was a green streak, impossible for the human eye to follow, and everyone within reach was sent flying. The area around him now clear, Lee's feet shifted and he moved his right hand behind his back while he held his palm open in front of him in his signature fighting stance, "All life is precious… that is why there is nothing sadder than war! Even if it costs me my life, I shall fight with all my power to protect my beloved Sakura-san, and to save the lives of these innocent people!"
"WE'RE DOING IT! KEEP IT UP!" Naruto shouted as he and the others all fought together. With everyone gathered here, they were making their way through the battlefield faster than ever! Gamabunta roared as he pushed through a sea of soldiers, enduring even more attacks than before. Meanwhile the jounin senseis were all occupied against many Mist Shinobi. Gai was taking on multiple enemy Jounin at a time with his incredible Taijutsu, only to notice Kakashi's higher body count, leading them to bicker about quality versus quantity. Asuma fought bare-knuckled in his hybrid boxing-taijutsu style, while Kurenai stuck close to her jounin companions, using them to draw away the attention as she was building up for her next wave of genjutsu.
Kakashi had just taken down another Mist Jounin. Behind him, he had left dozens upon dozens of soldiers and several bloodline fighters unconscious. "The things I go through for my student…!" he groaned as two more local shinobi spotted him and came dashing in his direction. Kakashi raised his fists, ready to fight… when suddenly…
"TIAN JIAN!" a voice shouted
"AUUUGH!" The two Mist Ninja stopped just short of Kakashi, screaming out loud as suddenly lethal amounts of electricity hit their backs and surged right into their hearts. Smoke came from their bodies as they collapsed, their hearts had stopped.
"You…!" Kakashi's single eye widened as he saw who had killed those two men from behind. It was the strange MaShin soldier he had fought with back in Konoha…
"Long time no see, nyah?" Lei Maoyan smiled. Having spotted Kakashi amid the battlefield, he had immediately killed those two just to get them out of the way…
"I had a feeling I'd run into you sooner or later…" Kakashi scowled beneath his mask. Kurenai, Asuma and Gai had their hands full taking on so many Mist shinobi. It was going to be one-on-one. "I was careless, not taking you seriously because you weren't a ninja, and let my curiosity get in the way. But… you too made a grave error by not killing me when you had the chance…" He lifted his headband to reveal his sharingan eye, and shifted into a fighting stance. Last time Kakashi had fought Maoyan, he had held back at the prospect of acquiring new techniques from a strange opponent… but it was no longer the case. "…because such an opportunity isn't going to present itself again."
"Good to see you're able to admit your mistakes…" Maoyan also shifted into his fighting stance. Seeing Kakashi was serious, he too immediately began channelling his demon… though not fully… he wasn't gonna bust out its full power just yet… "Let's settle this right now!" The two of them darted towards one another…
"Unbelievable…! Even children are fighting!?" Iruka growled, as he wrenched a knife out of a child's hands and delivered a swift blow to the back of the neck, knocking him out immediately. He knew they were fighting to help them, but he couldn't help but feel anger and disgust towards the society that filled even children with such hatred. Looking to the side, he saw the back of an enormous armoured soldier holding the struggling body of bloodlined teenager… whose struggles came to a halt when the soldier snapped his neck and began to laugh. Iruka's eyes opened in shock and anger. Immediately he charged towards that laughing soldier… "BASTARD!" He shouted, leaping into the air and delivering a flying kick to the back of his head, knocking his helmet right off… "What!?" Iruka gasped, the man that he had kicked didn't even budge…
"EH…?" a deep voice growled, as the humongous armoured soldier turned around to face his attacker… It was Nergui! Iruka gasped, reeling back. Though he had never met him before, upon seeing him face-to-face, for a moment Nergui looked as tall and wide as a mountain! Iruka shook his head… his senses were playing tricks on him… the power he sensed within this man that was making him see such things! "More garbage from the leaf village?" Nergui growled, looking down at Iruka and noticing the leaf headband. He immediately swung his arm at Iruka and swatted him aside.
"AAARGH!" Iruka screamed. He had tried to avoid it, but Nergui's reach was too long, and a mere slap was enough to toss him like a rag doll! Iruka hit the floor, but quickly rose to his feet. "(I was right… this man… isn't normal!)" Iruka resumed his fighting stance. He may have been a chunin, but that was no average soldier… "(The description Naruto gave me…)" He recalled Naruto telling him about the battle he and Hinata had fought, the gigantic bald man with utterly monstrous strength… "(That's him?!)"
"RHAAA!" Nergui roared as he charged towards Iruka, bowling through entire crowds before he finally reached the Leaf ninja and threw a punch. Iruka swerved his body to the side and narrowly avoided Nergui's fist. Iruka let out a shout as he spun around and delivered an elbow strike to the side of Nergui's jaw, but the giant didn't even flinch. "WEAK!" Nergui roared as he lashed at Iruka with his arms, forcing him back! "Even weaker than that stupid fox boy!" Iruka gasped, coming to the grim realization that he was indeed faced with a demonic MaShin warrior!
Things weren't going too well for Kakashi either… Kakashi gasped as Maoyan's outstretched finger grazed the right side of the face, leaving a thin cut across his cheek, just centimetres below his eye. Kakashi stepped back and gasped. If he hadn't moved his head just now, Maoyan would've plucked one of his eyes right out. His opponent left him no further time for thinking and immediately came attacking him again.
The two were trading blows at inhuman speeds with movements that could only be accomplished by those who had achieved mastery of their respective martial arts: Hatake Kakashi's taijutsu against Lei Maoyan's Kung Fu. "That's all you can do?!" He laughed, as he stuck close to Kakashi no matter where he moved. Kakashi growled beneath his mask. His greatest power lay within his ninjutsus… but this MaShin warrior was giving him no opportunity to perform them, instead forcing him to fight hand-to-hand!
For Iruka, all his skill and tactics were losing out to Nergui's raw strength. "AAAGH!" Iruka suddenly screamed out when Nergui tackled him hard, sending him flying back and hitting the ground while his weapons scattered everywhere. Iruka growled, coughing painfully. Nothing he did was working! The sheer difference in size and strength was too vast, it was just like a child trying to fight against an adult!
"Getting tired already?!" Maoyan laughed as he continued pressing against Kakashi with his attacks. Though Kakashi possessed a Sharingan eye and tremendous skill in ninjutsu, the MaShin soldier held every advantage… and Kakashi knew it. By channelling the demon, Maoyan was able to keep his body fully energized, allowing him to keep up his non-stop attacks while at the same time suppressing Kakashi's ability to retaliate with proper jutsu. "You shouldn't have come here. You're way out of your element!"
Kakashi knew Maoyan was right. Ninjas were meant to fight in quick clashes that ended in sudden death; not prolonged battles and large-scale wars. Kakashi could feel exhaustion creeping up while his sharingan continued to drain away at his chakra the longer the battle dragged on. Meanwhile, it was the complete opposite for Maoyan. The demon provided him with near limitless energy. He could practically go on forever!
As the two of them continued exchanging lightning fast blows, Kakashi suddenly caught something at the corner of his eye… a man from the bloodline forces had formed a ball of fire in his hands and launched it directly at him. Kakashi immediately moved to avoid the attack, but that split second he was distracted was all it took… Kakashi's eyes opened wide as looked down and saw two palms placed against his chest… "Shimatta…! NNNGH!" Kakashi's eyes opened wide as he felt electricity surge through his chest. The attack ended and he fell to his knees, his body jerking involuntarily, and unable to move. To his relief, his heart was still beating… possibly because his own chakra also belonged to the same element…
"Don't forget, you're standing right in the middle of enemy territory!" Maoyan smiled, kicking Kakashi down. Bloodlines fought to protect one another, and having replaced Mizurei as their new de facto leader, that one tried to defend Maoyan from the outsider. That moment of distraction was enough for him to get the upper hand, and the electric shock had temporarily paralyzed Kakashi, leaving him unable to move his body… "This is it…!" Maoyan raised his hand, forming the claws of lightning… it was his style of execution… "WHAT!?" Maoyan suddenly stopped, when Sasuke came at him from behind and grabbed the sides of his head tightly. Maoyan reacted immediately, not giving him the chance to twist his head, and grabbed the attacker by the collar of his shirt and threw him off. The newcomer landed neatly on his feet, and faced Maoyan…
"Damn, and I was hoping to snap your neck right there." Sasuke scowled. He had attempted a sudden stealthy approach, knowing the chidori was far too noisy and would immediately give him away to someone like Maoyan who possesses such sharp senses… but he hadn't counted on his reflexes being so quick. "What are you doing lying around sensei?! Can't you do better than that!?"
"Ugh, genin these days just don't know proper respect…!" Kakashi grumbled, slowly getting up, his feeling gradually returning to his body… though his hands were still twitching a little from the shock. "I'd hate to admit, but I think I'm actually gonna need your help on this one, Sasuke." Sasuke nodded, as the teacher and student turned to face the MaShin warrior. If Kakashi was right, Sasuke could make all the difference…
As Iruka lay still on the ground, Nergui approached him and reached down, grabbing the front of his vest and lifting him up… Iruka suddenly pulled out a kunai and made an attempt to stab at Nergui's eye, but his blade was stopped just short of its target. "Nice try…!" Nergui smirked, having caught Iruka's wrist. His grip tightened almost to the point of breaking Iruka's arm as he forced him to drop the kunai… "Let's see if that arm of yours comes off!" Nergui began to pull Iruka's arm to the side. Iruka's eyes opened wide and began to cry out in pain…
"RASENGAN!" a familiar voice roared. Nergui screamed as the orb hit the side of his head… dropping Iruka as he was thrown right off the ground. Naruto stood there, chakra burning and an expression of fury, "GET YOUR HANDS OFF MY SENSEI!" he shouted at the downed Nergui. Naruto then turned to his teacher, "Are you all right, Iruka-sensei!?"
"I'm fine, thanks to you…!" Iruka answered, as Naruto helped him up. Turning around, they both looked to see Nergui get up to his feet…
"Y… YOU!?" Nergui exclaimed, seeing Naruto. "I… IMPOSSIBLE! YOU'RE DEAD! HOW CAN THIS BE!? WHY ARE YOU STILL ALIVE?!"
"What can I say? I suck at dying!" Naruto smirked, taking a fighting stance.
"Damn you…!" Nergui snarled. No one infuriated him more than this boy… "Heh-heh…! It's just my luck then!" he suddenly grinned, "THIS MEANS I'LL FINALLY GET THE PLEASURE OF KILLING YOU MYSELF!" he screamed, charging forwards. Naruto took on a defensive stance, as Nergui lunged down and swung his massive fist…
"KAGEMANE NO JUTSU!"
"WHAT?!" Nergui screamed as his body suddenly froze, his punch stopping just short of Naruto. "NNNGH! CAN'T… MOVE!"
"Shikamaru!?" Naruto gasped, seeing his shadow-manipulating comrade holding Nergui still. Suddenly, he saw Chouji charging towards Nergui.
"RHAAA!" Chouji roared, his right arm suddenly expanded, and his fist grew larger than Nergui himself! Shikamaru released the shadow's hold just as Chouji's fist collided with Nergui's body, sending him flying off the ground and crashing!
"Naruto! This guy isn't worth your time! We'll handle him!" Shikamaru shouted, "Get the Princess to the shogun's palace!" He pointed towards Gamabunta.
"He's right!" Iruka said in agreement. "You have your own objectives! Don't waste any more time fighting him!"
For a moment, Naruto looked like he was about to object to leaving these people to fight against one of the MaShin… But he knew deep down that they were right. He had to put a stop to this chaos once and for all! This was more important than fighting Nergui! "All right… I'll leave him to you! But if any of you die, I swear I'm gonna dig you up and kick your asses!"
"Dully noted." Shikamaru nodded, as Naruto ran off. Ino and Asuma were occupied, so it was just him, Chouji and Iruka against Nergui. Shikamaru turned to see the giant stampeding in their direction… "(Plus, I'd rather be fighting against a big, stupid brute than pit my wits against girl… FOR A CHANGE!)"
Naruto sprinted to catch up with Gamabunta, punching and kicking his way through the crowd till he finally reached the giant Toad. "MADE IT!" Gamabunta roared in triumph, as he broke through the last line of soldiers and took one heavy step on the bottom of the stone staircase leading upwards to the castle grounds. At that moment, Naruto jumped high into the air and landed on top of Gamabunta's back.
"Princess!" Naruto shouted. Izumi turned to see him. "We're there! Come on!" He motioned with his hand.
"All right!" Izumi-hime nodded, and immediately ran alongside him. The two of them leapt off Gamabunta's head and landed on the stone steps.
"NARUTO-KUN!" at the call of his name, the blonde ninja turned his head…
"HINATA!" Naruto exclaimed, as he saw the girl fight her way through the crowds before busting through and reaching him. Naruto opened his arms as Hinata threw herself into them, sharing a quick embrace before letting go. "Come on. We've got to move!" Immediately the three of them turned and began running up the stone steps. "Gamabunta!" Naruto turned his head and shouted at the toad boss, "I need you to stay back and guard the entrance! Don't let any more enemies follow us!"
"Will do!" Gamabunta nodded, turning his back on the castle and facing the battlefield once more. Many Mist soldiers and ninja were trying to pursue the three heading up the stairs, "JUST TRY AND GET PAST ME!" He shouted, slapping away swarms of enemies. As he fought, he couldn't help but think that this whole thing was nothing but a human war… it did not affect him in any way, and even with the blood pact he had the right to refuse Naruto's request. But Gamabunta wasn't going to leave until this battle was over, it was a matter of pride. "Heh…! How long has it been since I fought a battle that made my blood boil like this…!?" He smirked as he continued holding off wave after wave of men…
"We're almost there…!" Naruto said as he, Hinata and Izumi-hime ran as fast as they could. They had finally made it through the battlefield…! They were almost within the castle…! Once they made it to the Shogun, he'd see that she was alive, and he could call off the army. They could stop this war…! "We did it…! It's almost over…!" Naruto said, as they reached the top of the stairs and ran through the archway into the castle grounds… "AH!" Naruto, Hinata and Izumi-hime all skidded to a halt… frozen in horror, while the hopes that had filled them just moments ago had vanished…
Bodies… the ground was littered with them… the corpses of countless Mist royal guards and Shinobi. In the very center of them all were two people still alive. One was the Mist Shogun, on his knees with blood trickling down his forehead. As for the other figure…
"No…" Naruto said weakly… "Not HIM…! ANYONE BUT HIM!" He trembled, clenching his fists. Hinata was quivering with tears in her eyes as fear paralyzed her… for standing there was the man who had put them through so much pain and suffering… the man responsible for this war… Yashiro.
Izumi-hime gasped at the sight of the Shogun… "F… FATHER!"
"I… I-Izumi…?" The Shogun said weakly as he heard his daughter's voice. Turning his head, he saw a girl standing with two strangers, and recognized her immediately. "IZUMI!" He cried out with tears gathering in his eyes, "AHH!" He suddenly screamed when he was struck by a fist, knocking him to the floor while his headdress fell on the ground…
"FATHER, NO!" With tears in her eyes, Izumi immediately tried running towards her father, but froze in place as the man who had struck the shogun turned his gaze on her. Instantly, she was completely petrified…
"Hmm? More trash coming to protect the Shogun?" Yashiro said coldly as he crushed the Shogun's headdress beneath his foot. The arrival of more shinobi didn't bother Yashiro; it didn't matter how many soldiers or shinobi this country threw at him… the results were always the same. "Ah…!" Yashiro suddenly gasped, as he spotted one among the three… the blonde haired boy in the orange jumpsuit, wearing a headband from the Hidden Leaf Village… "YOU?!" He shouted at Naruto. "How…!? It… it's not possible!"
"Oh yes it is… I came back." Naruto took a defiant step forward. "I told you before… until I stop you… I REFUSE TO DIE!" He hurled a kunai at Yashiro's feet. The MaShin soldier jumped back, landing a fair distance away from the shogun. Izumi ran over to her wounded father and Yashiro ignored them… his only focus was Naruto. "It's over Yashiro! Your plan's failed! I have reinforcement from the Leaf fighting to stop this war!"
"Is that so?" Yashiro's eyes narrowed as he stared past Naruto to the battlefield below. He could see the Leaf Shinobi fighting with all their strength against the people from both sides… "Hmph…! This is the best you could muster?" he scoffed, "Do you really think that just because you survived and called over a handful of your little friends, you can stop an entire war? You still think that you can stop ME?!"
Naruto growled… but Yashiro was right. His friends were fighting their hardest, but there was no way a group of little more than a dozen ninja could stop the entire war! His plan to persuade the Shogun was worthless after Yashiro arrived first; all of the generals and commanders were dead, the Shogun couldn't call off his army by himself! Hinata was paralyzed by fear after what he had done, and while Naruto may have survived their last encounter, there was no difference between now and all the other times they fought!
"Heh…" a smirk crossed Naruto's lips. Why he was smiling… he didn't know himself. "No… there is something I can do." Yashiro watched as Naruto tightened his head band and shifted his feet to take a fighting stance. "It all started from you. You're the source of all this chaos. As long as you're around, it'll never be over." Naruto glared at Yashiro, "I'll defeat you… and I'll put an end to this madness!"
"Just try it." Right before Naruto's very eyes, Yashiro suddenly vanished!
-THUD-
"AGH…!" Naruto's mouth fell open and eyes opened wide, when Yashiro appeared right in front of him and punched him in the solar plexus. "AH… UGH…" Naruto doubled over, staggering on his feet while gasping for air. Clenching his teeth, Naruto straightened up, ignoring the pain. "HAAA!" Naruto let out a roar as he grabbed a kunai and swung at Yashiro's waist. There was a loud clash of metal, and Naruto gasped when he saw that Yashiro had partially drawn his own saber to stop the kunai. Not waiting a moment longer, Naruto began forming a sphere of chakra in his other hand… "RASEN-GAAAH!" He suddenly screamed when Yashiro's knee slammed upwards against Naruto's chin and caused him to fall to the floor, the rasengan scattering his hand. As he lay dazed on the ground, Naruto could see the figure of Yashiro staring down at him…
"Naruto-kun…!" Hinata said weakly… quivering uncontrollably.
"Worthless…" Yashiro spoke. Seeing a defiant glare in Naruto's eyes, anger flared within him, and Yashiro suddenly kicked Naruto hard. Naruto shut his eyes from the pain, but he did not give him the satisfaction of crying out. "You who have been blessed with such great power… you should be fighting with us, not against us!" Yashiro was not speaking in his usual cold tone; there was anger in his voice… which only grew as Naruto rose to his feet and took a fighting stance once more.
"Rasenken…!" Naruto attacked Yashiro with a series of lightning-fast punches, the very sort that sent masses of soldiers flying earlier, its bone-crushing power turned even deadlier by the spinning blade of chakra at the end of his fists. His movements were fast and fluid, far beyond the level of a mere genin… but all it succeeded in doing was to anger Yashiro even further.
"With power like yours, you could have been accepted among us!" Yashiro growled, punching Naruto across the face. The impact sent Naruto spinning through the air and hitting the ground. "You've seen how LOYAL your friends from the leaf could be! Even that little wench turned her back on you the second she found out what you are! We welcome you with open arms, but you continue to fight against us!?" he shouted as he hit Naruto again and again. No matter how many times Naruto fell, he simply rose to his feet and stood ready to fight. The fact that he was even standing was a display of defiance. "Why can't you see our noble cause!? Has that ninja village poisoned your mind that far!? Are you such a slave that you would go against your own kind?!" He roared as he lunged forward and delivered another punch… "…nani!?" His eyes widened in surprise.
"I told you…" Naruto spoke… Yashiro's fist pressed against his arms, which were crossed in the 'X' position. For the first time ever, Naruto had stopped his punch. "You and I… ARE NOTHING ALIKE!" For a second Yashiro caught a glimpse of Naruto's eyes and utterly froze. He could sense all the intensity coming from the boy… his will, his determination, all of it practically burning into him… willing him to lose! "HAAA!" Naruto roared, and Yashiro immediately snapped out of it only in time to raise his arms in defence as Naruto swung his fist. The impact sent Yashiro's entire body sliding back several feet.
"Kuso…!" Yashiro swore under his breath for allowing himself to drop his guard. He straightened himself just in time to see Naruto charging towards him with a kunai in his hand. Naruto lunged forward to stab him, but Yashiro smacked the kunai right out of his hand, also throwing the boy off balance, which Yashiro followed up with a sweeping kick directed at his legs. Naruto reacted just in time by jumping into the air… and then spinning his body to deliver a powerful roundhouse kick aimed at Yashiro's head. The MaShin soldier immediately raised both arms just in time to block the kick… when suddenly, Naruto vanished in a burst of smoke! "What?!" It was just a shadow clone!
BAM!
"AARGH?!" Yashiro screamed out in both pain and surprise when he felt a fist collide with the side of his face. As Yashiro began to fall, he caught a glimpse of the one who struck him… the real Naruto!
The one that kicked Yashiro was nothing but a shadow clone meant to draw away his attention. When Yashiro had raised his arms to block the clone's kick, he had left himself vulnerable! To Yashiro, it seemed as if everything was moving in slow motion as he fell… finally hitting the ground…
"N… Naruto-kun!" Hinata exclaimed, having snapped out of her stupor and ran over to him, while the princess and the shogun stared in amazement…
"Who… is that boy?" The Shogun gasped, staring at the child. Samurai and Jounin alike had been slain by the white-haired killer… but this boy actually brought him to the ground!
"Uzumaki Naruto. Konoha Genin… future Hokage… and the one who will crush MaShin." Naruto answered, as he glared down at Yashiro.
Yashiro got up from the floor and wiped away the small amount of blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. He stared at his hand… "Blood… how long has it been… since I've seen my own blood?" He asked, turning his gaze to Naruto. Out of all the times they have encountered… of all the times they've fought… this was the first time Naruto struck him. No, it was more than that… this was the first time in years that an opponent had drawn blood. "Hmph… don't act so proud. It's only a drop. You've accomplished nothing."
"You're wrong." Naruto replied. "I just proved you aren't invincible."
At that comment Yashiro looked at the ground, and placed his hand on his forehead, trembling in anger, "All those times we've fought… I had so many chances… so many opportunities to kill you… but I never did. Why?" He asked, tightening his grip on his forehead… Naruto and Hinata stepped back. They could sense deep, unfathomable rage boiling within Yashiro… but something was wrong… "Because we are kindred… we who carry the power of demons. We could have become comrades… brothers even…! But THIS is your answer." Lowering his hand and standing up straight, Yashiro glared down at Naruto, "It is final. I will end them all… your life, and this wretched country."
"Naruto-kun… something is wrong." Hinata said cautiously.
"I know… there's just something different about him…" Naruto growled. Then it clicked for both of them! Every single time they ever faced Yashiro… he was always surrounded by an intense horrific evil aura, coming from the demonic spirit that inhabited his body! But this time it was completely gone!
"Very perceptive." Yashiro smiled, as if he had read their minds. "The reason you can't sense the spirit is very simple… I'm not carrying it!"
"W… what are you talking about!?" Naruto gasped.
Yashiro lifted his hand. In his palm, a small, dark flame appeared… "What you see here is only the tiniest fragment of the demon spirit. Can you guess where the rest of it is?" He turned his gaze towards the battlefield.
"No…!" Naruto and Hinata gasped. "Masaka…! (It can't be…!)"
"Oh yes it is…" Yashiro grasped the spirit's fragment. "It begins NOW!" He shouted, releasing it into the air…
Something was happening, Naruto could feel it. The same for Hinata, Izumi-Hime and all of his friends down in the battlefield. Even the Kyubi inside Naruto's stomach was growing on edge… and then, the changes became apparent…
(Meanwhile, down in the battlefield)
"K… KILL…! THEY… MUST ALL… DIE…!" The people of this country, normal and bloodline alike were muttering.
"What's going on?!" Kiba shouted. He was fighting against a group of soldiers that surrounded him… but all of the sudden they started going crazy! They began to scream and swing their swords like utter madmen! Kiba immediately jumped out of the way as one of the soldiers charged at him, but even as he ran past Kiba he didn't stop, and even began to hack away at his own allies! "What the hell is wrong with these people!?"
"They've gone completely mad!" Lee shouted out. It was happening all over the battlefield. The people from both sides were growing more aggressive, screaming wildly and lashing out even fiercer than before. They fought with no regard for their own lives, even striking down their own if they got in the way. Their eyes had gone entirely white, their faces were twisted and muddled with rage… they had all gone completely berserk!
Back in the castle grounds, Naruto was staring in horror at what was going on down below. It was then when he realized what was going on… "YOU…!" He turned to Yashiro… it was just like when he did the same to Hinata in the forest… "You're the one causing this… you're using the demon spirit to control these people!"
"But… but that… that just isn't possible!" Hinata exclaimed, "How could anything, even a demon, have the power to control so many people!?"
"Even the demon spirit does not have the strength to control an entire country… but the people have closed their hearts to reason. They opened themselves to the darkness by giving into their hatred… and now they are consumed by it. They can't stop fighting. Their hate compels them to fight until every last one of them is dead." Yashiro smiled wickedly, "You've lost. IT'S OVER!"
"You…" Naruto growled… "How could you do this…?"
"They deserve their fate! This land… no… this entire world is corrupt!" Yashiro shouted, "MaShin will reshape the world! MaShin is the only light that can guide humanity! But for us to bring order to this world, we must first purge the evils of the past!"
"You… you're twisted… and the fact that you actually believe you're acting in the name of justice makes it even more so…!" Naruto growled "All this suffering… all this death and killing… you're responsible for it… You dare speak of creating a paradise while you commit all these ATROCITIES?!" Naruto screamed.
"Call it whatever you want… it doesn't matter. You cannot stop fate. It is this land's destiny to fall… just as it is your destiny to die here." Yashiro drew both his sabers. "This is true justice." He said, pointing the blades at Naruto.
"I've overcome death, and I'll overcome you." As Naruto spoke, the power of the Kyubi burned within him, its red chakra had begun to emerge from his body. "We'll see what's stronger… your justice… OR MY WILL!"
This is the moment of truth. Under the demon's influence, the Bloodline war has escalated to new heights. Thousands of lives hang in the balance as the conclusive duel between Naruto and Yashiro begins, while the Konoha Ninjas who have come to help him are in for the fight of their lives against the population driven out of control… Between the demonic warriors of the MaShin and a country gone mad, is there any hope left for the Konoha Ninjas?
(To Be Continued)