Kaibunkage
Arc II
Chapter XI
"You were a symbol of reincarnation… A greatness meant to be exceeded by me. I will continue your legacy, Orochimaru."
- Yakushi Kabuto
"Darui" walked down a narrow passage leading down a mountain. On his right shoulder was an unconscious body slumped over it. His agenda was quite simple; get out of the village in one piece. Of course, that was much easier said than done. Kumogakure already had tight security and it only doubled with war looming in the air.
Finding a small cavern to his right, the impostor slipped inside before laying the body he was carrying on the cave floor. Removing the seal on the back of the man's neck, the Kumo Nin held a hand seal.
"Kai." he said quietly before collapsing onto the ground.
Aku opened his eyes, seeing Darui stir on the cave floor in front of him. With great reflexes Aku slapped on the tag to keep Darui in a slumber until someone took it off. He then used his trained eyes to scan around him. He neither saw nor sensed anyone around, which was partially good.
"Time to find those treasures and get out of here." Aku said before his eyes narrowed. "Where are Kisame and Zetsu?"
The former guard of the late High Priestess scowled at the thought of someone ruining his plan due to Zetsu running late.
And then he heard something he didn't.
"There's an intruder!" a nearby Kumo Nin called to another. "He's working with Akatsuki! He's potraying as Darui!"
Aku cursed Zetsu for his tardiness. In his mind, Tobi really should not put up with such inconsistence. But then his mind was put on another problem. Leaving Kumo. He had the design and seal for the Black Lightning. He knew the exact location of the two jinchuriki on Turtle Island. He had access to the weaponry where the five Treasured Tools of the Sage of Six Paths were being held. His only objective now was to leave and to do so quietly.
Aku then realized that it would be at this very moment that he would have to reveal the power he had at his disposal. Holding a hand seal, he closed his eyes, a coffin rising behind him.
"Curse you Zetsu…" Aku stated.
Kakashi ran through hand seals with precision and speed before a large wall of earth rose to block the rush of flames coming for him (Earth Release: Earth Style Wall). The wall with bulldog-carvings rose in time, blocking Fu and Yamato from the flames from Kakuzu's Wind and Fire masks (Fire Release: Intelligent Hard Work plus Wind Release: Pressure Damage).
"Kakashi-san," Yamato said. "I thought Akatsuki usually traveled in pairs."
"They do." was Kakashi's simple answer before the flames died out around him. Kakashi then released his hold on the jutsu he was currently using, the earth wall slowly descending.
"Above you!" Kakashi dodged the swooping attacker in time.
Kakashi flipped away from Kakuzu's downwards kick, the ground cratering on impact. Kakashi spotted the strange wing-like creature appear above Kakuzu, the mouth piece of the mask opening. The masked Leaf Nin grimaced beneath his mask before he was forced to dodge the strong wind attack from Kakuzu's mask.
"That's strong!" Yamato exclaimed as he used a wall of wood to protect himself and Fu from the flying debris.
Kakashi rolled on the ground before rolling onto his feet and sliding backwards from the shockwave. Retrieving a kunai, Kakashi charged for Kakuzu. The former Taki shinobi caught this, dodging the strikes and blows from Kakashi. Dodging the blade that his opponent wielded, Kakuzu swept Kakashi's legs from beneath him. He attempted to follow this up with a powerful strike for Kakashi's chest, right above the man's heart. However, Kakashi was able to roll out of the way and get back to his feet in time.
"You're fast, I'll give you that," Kakuzu said before threads from within his arms and shoulders shot for Kakashi. "But you won't escape from me!"
A few yards away, Asuma dodged a beam of lightning, wondering how he was going to get back over to Kakashi and Yamato. He was pinned against the Lightning and Earth masks of Kakuzu, his Wind-affinity and Fire-nature were both countered in this scenario.
"Hmph, you two are half bad." Asuma said with his trench knives gripped tightly in his hands. "The Lightning-guy fights at long range while the Earth-guy does all the heavy lifting. Kind of like my students."
Asuma quickly went for the Lightning-mask. He knew he had the elemental affinity to dispose of it quickly. However, the Earth-mask quickly moved to his side, attempting to puncture him with a hardened tentacle of thread. Asuma dodged, already learning that his blades, no matter how much chakra he put into them, could not cut through the threads from this particalur mask.
"Shit!" Asuma said before leaping away from a strike of lightning, seconds before the attack would have landed on him.
Asuma spaced himself from his opponents, doing hand seals on the way. Inhaling a bit, Asuma soon exhaled a plume of ash, forming a cloud around the two bipedal monsters (Fire Release: Ash Pile Burning).
"Let's see how you like this." Asuma said before taking his lighter out of his pocket. "Bastards."
Flicking the lit lighter towards the cloud, Asuma was quite pleased at seeing the cloud set ablazed.
"That's that." Asuma said before dodging a series of bolts of lightning. "I should've known…"
Cracks in the earth caused Asuma to turn downwards, only to be knocked backwards by a "fist" made of hardened thread. Asuma flipped in the air. His eyes closed for a moment.
Now was his perfect time.
With quick aim, Asuma inhaled and fired a stream of wind and dust towards the stationary Lightning-mask. The attack landed, a cloud of dust filling the area. Asuma landed on the ground, looking at the dust and debris with a smirk.
"Heh, one down and one to go." Asuma said.
Kuroma stared at Hinata who only sighed and shook her head. The man then looked at Kiba and Shino.
"You want to… Spar with me?" Kuroma asked.
Kiba nodded. "If you're going to be marrying our teammate, we have to make sure that you're man enough."
"Man… Enough…?" Hinata released a quiet sigh. While she knew that Shino had questions for Kuroma, Kiba's aggressiveness was something she wished to avoid. It was bad enough that he questioned Asuma's desire with Kurenai. But this had gone on far e… "Where do we spar?"
"Uh, I guess here will do." replied Kiba before grinning. "I'm warning you though. I'm going to test you to see if you're strong enough to protect our little Hinata."
Kuroma nodded before he and Kiba moved to take their places. Hinata shot a glare towards Shino, hoping that he would do something to stop their former teammate and longtime friend. However, Shino only gave her his normal blank stare through dark shades.
"You know it is his clan's tradition to make sure that the 'alpha' is strong enough to lead the pack." Shino said. "Much like it is mine to protect the queen and larvae of the hive and your Branch Family to protect the Main Family."
"Alright," Kiba said. "I'll let you get the first move. And then Akamaru and I are going to show you what an alpha looks like."
Kuroma blinked before nodding.
"I understand. You may build up chakra now." Kiba frowned, not like being permission from his opponent. But he did nonetheless. "I see… You and your partner share a common train of thought."
Kiba quickly went into his feral Four Legs Technique, something that slightly alerted Hinata. And then her eyes trailed to her most likely fiancé.
Their proposal was not written yet.
"I guess it is my turn." Kuroma said before holding a hand seal. "Kai…"
Shino felt a large burst of chakra coming from Kuroma, his face turned to inspect the man closely. Green markings took Kuroma's face and his eyes seemed to become darker and much more sinister looking. But what threw Shino off a bit were the two small horns that poked out the top of Kuroma's head.
"What is that?" the words slipped out of Shino's mouth before he could think of a way to say them while keeping his normal neutral tone.
"That," Hinata spoke. "Is his Dragon Form. Something he has told me about." Shino turned to his former teammate. "Naruto-kun says that it gives Kuroma-kun a boost in chakra, although not quite the amount as a jinchuriki. However, it makes Kuroma more in-tune to the Genryu, which he can summon at will."
"Genryu…?"
"The dragons his clan protects." Hinata explained watching Kiba and Akamamaru move for Kuroma.
"A dog against a dragon is quite the mismatch, don't you think?" Shino asked.
A small smirk grace the Hyuga's face before she schooled herself and returned to her passive appearance.
"Kiba shouldn't be so hasty next time." Hinata said quietly.
Shino stared at Hinata for a while, trying to believe that Hyuga Hinata had not only smirked, but said that about Kiba. He then turned towards the battle, Kuroma backing away from the wildly swinging Kiba.
"I suppose you are right." Shino said, a smirk on his face now.
Asuma let out a cough as threads wrapped around his throat.
"Raikiri!" Kakashi called, slashing Asuma free of his restraints.
"I killed the lightning one." Asuma stated.
"I haven't defeated my two." Kakashi responded. "We need to defeat the other three."
"I can the Fire-mask," Asuma said. "The other two are yours."
"I'm going to try Kamui." Asuma gave Kakashi a small glance. "If we can get him to join with the last three monstrosities, one Kamui should be able to destroy every heart in one move."
"I thought you said that you haven't mastered that?" questioned Asuma.
"There's really no time in second-guessing." Kakashi said. "This is our best shot."
"He has to be still long enough." Asuma said. "How do we do that?"
Kakashi watched Kakuzu and his three remaining masks coming towards them.
"No time to think. Let's move." Kakashi replied.
Asuma smirked. "My kind of planning."
Footsteps were heard by an unseen person, moving out of the village known as Kumogakure no Sato. These footsteps were not heard by just anyone. One would have to be a seasoned veteran that knew how to use their ears to its full potential and then some.
"That's a pretty good disguise. The Nidaime Tsuchikage…" the invisible man revealed himself, staring at the masked-man who spoke. "Aku, there is another job that you need to intend to."
"Anything, Madara-sama." Aku responded.
Tobi glanced towards the sky.
"My son will be born soon and I want to test him." Aku nodded. He knew about how one must be sacrificed for another's goal, which is why he, much like Sasori and Orochimaru, found ways of preserving himself just for these events. "I want to test him against Uzumaki Shiori."
"Shion's daughter?" Aku questioned in a confused tone. The girl had yet gone through her priestess training, let alone her shinobi training. Without her bell, she was pretty much useless.
"Don't underestimate the Uzumaki Clan. Shiori's abilities have yet to manifest, something that I cannot allow to happen." stated Tobi. "Find her."
"Hai Madara-sama." Aku said.
"Good. Come along then."
As Aku was being absorbed into Tobi's alternate dimension, he wondered what the Akatsuki leader meant by Shiori's abilities not manifesting. Aku had been studying the girl for years and knew for a fact what those abilities were. She could restrain biju, possibly ten-times greater than any Uchiha or Senju could at her peak. She had gained the ability to see into the future via dreams. Next to that, the bell did the rest.
Or was there something he overlooked?
Gyaku paused, a few miles away from where he needed to be. Red lightning was seen around his body, building as he growled under his breath.
"Stop following me!" the former Kemuri shinobi called, using his All Direction Lightning technique.
The Demon Brothers were forced to dodge or else be severely maimed. Neither could say anything as Gyaku dropped Utakata's body and turned to glare at them.
"Alright, Meizu," Gōzu said. "Let's make this quick."
"Right brother." Meizu said showing his left arm which he wore his metal gauntlet on.
Gyaku's eyes narrowed seconds before the two came for him. He really was not in the mood for any interruptions, as he had battled Utakata on his own and was quite tired. This meant that these two were as good as dead in his eyes.
Gyaku leapt backwards, dodging the strike from Meizu, Gōzu now in pursuit. Gyaku pressed his hands together, creating as much red lightning as possible while on the defense. Using his Demonic Lightning: Beast Incarnation, Gyaku directed his lightning to attack Gōzu.
"Now's my chance." Meizu said charging for Gyaku.
The two brothers knew that Gyaku was trapped now. His attention was too focused on Gōzu to do anything about Meizu. Well, that's what they thought.
"What?" the Demon Brothers shouted in unison when Gyaku blocked Meizu's swipe with his broadsword while still holding a single hand seal to keep his Beast Incarnation still active.
"Pathetic." Gyaku muttered before Meizu leapt backwards. Gyaku ended his attack, sheathing his blade. "Let's see you two dodge this one again."
Gyaku began rotating his arms, more and more red lightning seen around him. Once he had enough he quickly pressed his palms together, using the Demonic Lightning: All Direction Lightning. Meizu and Gōzu began ducking and dodging the strikes that came for them, this time being a lot harder than the first.
Gyaku noticed that the the brothers were completely separated now. He could now fight one of them alone. And with that in mind, he moved for Gōzu. This caused the Mist Nin to prepare himself the best way how.
"You shouldn't turn your back on me!" Meizu shouted as he shot a chain from his gauntlet.
Gyaku steered left, an action that caused both brothers to come at him.
"You're dead!" the two shouted in unison.
Gyaku stood still as he eyed the two. Who would have thought that anyone with a moniker could be so weak and foolish?
In a split second, Gyaku grabbed the wrists of the two attacking ninja, shocking them both with his Demonic Lightning. Taking joy in their shrieks of pain, Gyaku released them before they had taken more than they could handle and let them slump onto the ground.
"This is the part where you both start telling me why I shouldn't kill you." Gyaku said, receiving mumbles from the paralyzed men. "Oh that's right… You can't…"
As Gyaku opened his mouth, both brothers saw the ghostly hand stretch out of the Akatsuki member's mouth. The sight alone was freaky enough, but when Gyaku gave them a sickly smile, they both knew that it was the end.
Mission failed.
Shino raised a brow. Apparently, Kiba's spar with Kuroma attracted Hiashi and Neji, the two watching the ending of the battle. He was curious as to how Hiashi and Kuroma got along, as the Hyuga patriarch had said virtually nothing to Hinata as he watched Kuroma finish off Kiba.
"So," Hiashi said quietly. "That is the power of the Tatsuhiro Clan."
"His speed and strength increased tenfold." added Neji as he ended his Byakugan. "Lord Kaibunkage was right. He is well capable of protecting Lady Hinata in case of an emergency."
Hiashi eyed his nephew. "So do they have your blessing, Neji?"
"If Lady Hinata chooses so, then yes." Shino looked at Hinata for any response. However, during the years, Hinata had learned the Hyuga's composure and could keep a straight face in most situations.
Kuroma neared the group, his horns and markings gone.
"Lord Hyuga." Kuroma said with a bow.
"Lord Tatsuhiro." Hiashi gave Kuroma a small nod in return. "The marriage proposal has been written up. All that's missing is your signature."
"Forgive me, Lord Hyuga, but I cannot sign them." replied Kuroma. "Hinata-hime and I have decided to-"
"She cannot end this!" Hiashi interrupted angrily. Shino saw a brow rise on Hinata's head. "She will marry you or be branded!"
"Father," Hinata said with a small smile. "Kuroma and I will do a traditional marriage, which takes time. We will get to know each other before setting a date, instead of doing the hurried political way."
Shino watched as Hiashi alternated looks between Hinata and Kuroma. He figured that the elder had to feel pretty idiotic for jumping to such conclusions.
"Forgive me, I did not know." Hiashi said.
"It is alright Father. We didn't want to tell anyone until we were sure ourselves." replied Hinata. Hinata then looked at Kuroma. "Kuroma-kun," Shino, Neji, and Hiashi were taken back at how she addressed him, though Kuroma showed no surprise at all. "We should be going."
"Hai, Hinata-hime." Kuroma responded before giving Hiashi a bow. "Lord Hyuga."
Without another word, the arranged pair walked off, standing noticeably closer together though not exactly touching.
"That was… Odd." Shino said, the two Hyuga men turning to look at him as he moved to help Kiba up, neither able to say anything.
Asuma gave Kakashi a nod. After minutes of constant battle, they had finally gotten Kakuzu to regroup with his remaining hearts, the Earth-mask being destroyed a few minutes earlier by a Raikiri. This only left the Fire-mask and Wind-mask.
"You two live up to your value." Kakuzu said. "But this is where I finish you!"
"Asuma, get ready." Kakashi said.
Asuma frowned. "Are you sure that you have enough chakra for that?"
"Not really." responded the Sharingan-wielding shinobi in a worriless tone.
Yamato, who stood with Fu, could see the tiredness Kakashi. He knew that this technique could only be done once. And from the look on Asuma's face, Yamato knew that Asuma saw this too. If Kakashi missed, they could be in for a long day.
Kakuzu stared at the two men who he was currently pited against. He knew that they were planning something. The last time they had regrouped, they had successfully taken out his Earth-mask. Though, he suspected that they did not have a lot of experience working together as their combinations seemed to be spur-of-the-moment things. He wouldn't be surprised if he and Hidan's combinations could defeat them.
"Let's go!" Kakashi ordered, before charging for Kakuzu with Asuma.
Kakuzu saw the two coming at opposite sides, knowing what they were doing. Unfortunately, many have tried this before and many have failed. And like those before and after, Kakashi and Asuma were bound to fail.
"Not good enough!" Kakuzu said as the Fire-mask pointed for Asuma and the Wind-mask at Kakashi.
It was at that moment that Kakuzu realized one huge mistake. These two were not Asuma and Kakashi. They were merely clones. And things only got worse when he was bombarded by a cloud of dust and ash. The Akatsuki member attempted to move, but found his legs bounded by wooden tendrils.
"The back-up…" Kakuzu said.
Outside the cloud, Kakashi took aim, activating his Mangekyo Sharingan. Focusing chakra, he used his Kamui technique, making sure to take the main body instead of aiming for one of the two remaining masks.
Asuma watched as the dust and ash were slowly pulled into a warp hole until nothing was there. He had to admit that that technique alone, once completely perfected, could be the Hidden Leaf's trump card. And then he spotted Kakashi fall to a knee, the man closing his Sharingan eye.
"Come on," Asuma said slinging one of Kakashi's arms over his shoulder and hoisting him up. "Mission accomplished. Time to head back to the village."
"Right…" Kakashi said. "Tenzo…"
Yamato nodded. "Hai. Fu, this way."
The young woman did not argue, leaving with the three Leaf jonin. None of them spotted the small hole in the ground. None of them spotted the small thread that was sticking out of the hole, lying on the ground lifelessly. None of them heard the thumping heartbeat coming from inside the whole either.
The few men and women that sat on their knees in front of their leader were all rattled about the decision being made. None of them were very keen about the changes this meant for the village and decided that there must be a hidden agenda somewhere. Either that, or their leader was completely insane.
"The Shinobi Alliance will need our help," spoke Sumaru. "More importantly, Kemurigakure no Sato will need our help. And we, no matter our personal feelings for Konoha and Kiri, will help." Sumaru heard a small whispering amongst those in front of him and chose to address them now rather than later. "Uzumaki Naruto, a personal friend of mine as he is to some of your, is a target of this syndicate known as Akatsuki. His daughter is also a target as well. He and Lady Shion have stuck their necks out to aid us in the past. It's our time to repay the favor."
"Lord Hoshikage," said the masked Nori from his spot. "You said that you had an adviser for the upcoming war. May I, on the behalf of the others, ask who?"
Sumaru sighed. "It has come to my attention that many of us have not been through war outside the village, less a major war. That is why I will be present Akahoshi with a deal." This caused more murmurs. "In exchange for a limited freedom, he will be my adviser."
"What if he attempts to assassinate you?"
"How can we trust him?"
"What kind of freedom?"
Sumaru took in a deep breath. He wondered if any of the other kage went through this much trouble for one little decision. He then realized that he had it much easier than Naruto who was being bugged by the Shinobi Alliance, Demon Country, and his haunting past. Fortunately for Sumaru, he just had to explain his decision and leave.
"Akahoshi will be under watch twenty-four seven, meals being delivered to his residence. He and I will have no contact outside of meetings. I will have some of the chakra restraining seals drawn up and placed on him to further ease some of your worries." Sumaru informed. "But as it stands, he knows the militia of this village better than anyone, including myself. And as Hoshikage, it is my duty to use my resources to protect my village. Even if I don't like to…"
That seemed to quell some of the murmurs and whispers. Sumaru figured that those speech lessons he and Naruto received from Shion years ago had paid off. She was the most professional speaker amongst the three of them, both Sumaru and Naruto always making matters more personal than it should be. It really was a shame that such a remarkable woman, spoiled or not, had to die.
"Besides," Sumaru added. "It's come to my attention that Sakura of the Salamander has joined the Hidden Smoke. If Akahoshi steps out of line, we know how to beat him. Or who to beat him."
The others nodded in consent, a few smirking at the comment.
"In the following weeks, I will be speaking to the Kaibunkage for our role in the war. Until then, I want all shinobi, genin and up, to be put to work. We need resources, safe housing, passages built, and most importantly, training and tactics." Sumaru said. "My assistant, Akane, will teach the jonin codes that Hoshi and Kemuri use in order to send indecipherable messages to one another."
"What about our medic staff?" the only Medic-nin in the room questioned.
"The Hidden Leaf and Hidden Smoke will send two representatives to our village to help with our medical development. And no, Sakura will not be one of them." replied the Hoshikage. "With the limited of time, you will have to save your questions for later. We need to begin our preparations as soon as possible."
"Hai!" the group of seven said before using a Shushin to leave the room.
Sumaru inhaled deeply, turning his head towards the ceiling. He wondered momentarily if his parents were proud of his decision in using Akahoshi to aid him. Hokuto was a little doubtful as well as those he just spoke to. And he knew how Naruto would take the news. At this moment, his parents were probably going to be the only support he received on the choice.
And he needed their approval badly.
It was nightfall in the Hidden Leaf. The sky, as clear as ever, had a few clouds moving by. The wind was still, only making small whispers every now and again. Only a few were out, including one Uzumaki Naruto. He stood in front of a bench that outlooked the exit to the village. He was there only because Shiori had trouble falling asleep earlier and it was the anniversary of his departure of the Hidden Leaf.
Closing his eyes, he felt a familiar chakra signature and grinned a bit.
"Come to stop me again, Sakura?" The Shodai turned to see his newly made jonin. "Or are you here to finally drug me and leave me here in the Leaf?"
"Ten years ago, you left me lying on this bench… You told me that you were sorry and left." Naruto raised a brow. He was a bit tired but would fight if necessary. "I carried those words around with me for four years until I left."
"If you're just going to talk about the past Sakura, we can catch up tomorrow." Naruto said. Naruto felt a little uneasy as she neared him, but kept a stoic face on. Seems as if Kakashi had rubbed off on him. "What are you doing?"
Sakura then stopped. "It was in this exact spot that I declared my love for Sasuke. He was standing an inch to your left." Naruto was not really surprised that Sakura could remember these events to the smallest of details. "And then, you did the same thing… Left me on the same bench right there."
"Is there a point to this?" asked Naruto.
"I should've been strong enough to stop you both, but I see that that would've ended up fruitless. I should've screamed, for both of you. I should've made the entire village aware of what you were doing." Sakura said.
Naruto did not verbally reply. There was some plan cooking inside of his former teammate's head, he just knew it. He made a mental note on ever place that had a summoning seal on it to use Hirashin in case Sakura did lunge for him.
"But… I understand that you had to leave. For Shion and Shiori… Mei… Your team…" Sakura paused. "Kemuri would not have been the same without you."
"What are you trying to say?" Naruto questioned, his former impatience resurfacing now.
"Something I should've said years ago." Naruto braced himself as she neared him again. The two stood directly in front of one another until he felt her embrace him. "Thank you, Naruto."
Naruto froze. This was the same thing that Sasuke did to Sakura. This was exactly how the Uchiha left the village and became the man he was today! And now Naruto could not use Hirashin seeing as Sakura would be teleported with him so long as she had a tight grip like she did. How could he let her get that close to him?
Yet, even with those thoughts in mind, he did not push away. In fact, he just stood there waiting for the blow that never came. The sting of a needle in his neck that would make him fall asleep never came. One of her chakra enhaced blows never came. She just held him. Maybe she was sincerely thanking him for everything he had done? Maybe she was really going to turn a new leaf and forget about dragging him and Sasuke back? Maybe she would return his feelings?
Naruto shook his head slightly. He had no clue where the idea came from but knew that some things in life were completely out of reach. A small smile graced his lips at the irony of that statement. How someone he considered "out of his reach" was physically hugging him now.
Sakura gasped when she felt him hug back, but soon relaxed into it.
"You're welcome, Sakura-chan."
Unbeknownst to the pair, a pair of eyes watched them from a safe distance. A smirk curled onto the figure's face before the mysterious person vanished with a Leaf Shushin.
The death of the Shodai Kaibunkage would happen soon…