Some Time Later.
The peaceful woodland glimmered with the falling of mountain dew. The air shone, light pouring through the heavens. The sky glittered with the remnant flickering of the sun as the sun dipped downward toward the horizon.
The white-haired man grasped Naruto by the hair.
"Let go, damn you!" Naruto snarled, his teeth clicking against empty air. "What the hell are you doing anyway, ero-sennin?"
Jiraiya's face grew stern. "I heard you asked for help getting stronger. Am I wrong?" He set Naruto down on the grass.
Naruto sighed.
"I've discussed the matter with Tsunade-san. Within limitations, your talent isn't the type to sufficiently grow. You don't possess the power needed to push forward in this world. Guys like Akatsuki are still out there, still looking for every edge they can find. Guys like Pein, a monster capable of killing Hanzō and beating Unmei solidly straight afterward."
Naruto's eyes widened in shock.
"A three-nation alliance couldn't do a damn thing against Pein. Unmei carved out one of the mountains surrounding Hidden Rain and it didn't mean a single thing. There are people who are as strong as that, if not stronger, still residing within this world." Jiraiya scowled, his face stern. "Given you're a jinchūriki, I managed to convince her to let you go of her own accord. If you're with me, you'll be protected, and you'll also learn some of my stronger techniques. Seems like a pretty good deal to me. On top of that, I'll introduce you to one of the two remaining Pillars of Shinobi, Master Rōshi."
Naruto blinked in shock. "But my place isn't there."
"Naruto-kun, what do you want to become?" Jiraiya questioned sternly.
"I want to be…" Naruto drew in a deep breath. "I want to be Hokage."
Jiraiya nodded shortly, his eyes narrowed.
"But that's not all."
Jiraiya's eyes widened.
"After I become Hokage, this whole rotten system's got to come down. Shinobi are people! We shouldn't think of them as tools!" Naruto slammed his fist against the stump. "I have to take it down and rebuild from the start. And after that…" Naruto paused. "That's what I want."
Jiraiya's eyebrows rose. What a fascinatingly crazy kid. He grinned. As I thought, this kid's the only one worthy of serving under me! Uzumaki Naruto, the number one unpredictable ninja!
"So, what's the story behind this Rōshi guy?" Naruto queried, his head tilting to the side.
"He's like you. He bears one of the Tailed Beasts inside his body. The difference is that, in the current history of jinchūriki, he's the only one to be capable of acting simultaneously with his Tailed Beast." Jiraiya raised his finger. "It's this terrifying talent that makes him a Pillar of Shinobi."
Naruto gasped. "Whoa. In other words, this guy isn't an old geezer like you?"
Jiraiya's eyebrow twitched. "Watch it, kid."
"What? I'm just saying I'm looking forward to having a different trainer."
Sighing, Jiraiya nodded. "We'll be wandering for several more years. Be ready for a lot of changes."
New World
The rock split into two pieces. The mountain pass darkened with snow. A heavy storm started above the heavens, the sky darkening with the trembling of the high snows and the path of the mountains.
"Where are you taking me?" Sasuke questioned, staring up at the massive woman.
Miyama chortled. "Seems that your boss is calling in old favors. She talked to the Koirikage."
Sasuke's eyes widened.
A scarred, bloodied figure, tall and slender, rested against the side of the boulder. His violet eyes narrowed. The pieces of the trenchcoat blew around the body. "Hey, kid." The figure's lip curled upward.
"…What the hell happened to you?" Sasuke questioned.
The figure snorted. "Graceful as ever with your words, I see. Pein happened." He rubbed his shoulder. "It's the first time I've been scarred, even with regeneration."
Sasuke gritted her teeth. "What am I doing here, Unmei?"
Unmei chuckled. He let the sunglasses, shattered, fall to the ground. "I'm going to teach you. Stand up." He gestured briefly.
Sasuke stood upright hesitantly.
"Mind you, it's not going to be in kenjutsu. That's the first outdated practice I'm tossing out with my memories. Ninjutsu's nothing more than a technique—nothing more or less, usable by whoever you place is going to be reborn. First, though, I'm going to teach you everything I know about being a shinobi." Unmei raised his arms. His hands clapped together.
Sasuke's eyes widened.
"Be warned, as a trainer…" Ripples formed in Unmei's eyes. "I'm not very kind. You'll need my powers if you intend to survive the hell that's waiting for you."
"Hell?" Sasuke demanded, her eyes wide.
"You're going after Itachi alone, right? But it's so much more than that. The whole of society is standing on the precipice of huge change. It's not just him. It's Akatsuki as a whole, including whatever leader they possess." Unmei's lips curled upward. The hand seals accelerated. "It's a brave new world."
Sasuke's eyes widened in shock.
"He's using that here?!" Miyama swallowed tightly, sweat dripping down her face. She turned and ran down the mountain rapidly.
The water dragon rose behind Unmei, blocking out the view of the hills behind him. The sky darkened under the impact of the power. Unmei's eyes narrowed. "Until you can copy this technique instantly, you're not ready to belong to this new era of the world. Water Style: Imperial Water Dragon Bullet!"
The bullet blasted into the height of the mountain. The rock crumbled into dust, the sky darkening.
Sasuke took a step backward. Her body drenched with water, she shook herself off. Her eyes narrowed.
"You ready?"
"When I win…"
Unmei's eyebrows rose.
"When I win, I'm going to beat the hell out of you. I don't need your high-and-mighty declarations about what I can and can't do!"
Unmei blinked. After a moment, he tilted his head back, howling with laughter. "HAH!"
Sasuke gritted her teeth.
"Sure, fine. Come at me with that renewed spirit." Unmei turned away. "First, though, we're going to eat dinner."
Sasuke growled. Her face grew stern.
New World
The evening stars shimmered in the sky, light falling from each star's individual burning ember. Torches flickered on the walls of the great city of Hidden Leaf. The flickering light passed over the earth, showing the loamy earth's preparation for the end of the heat. The sky darkened with the onset of night.
The white sword glimmered at Kōju's side. She adjusted the strap of the scabbard, her expression serious.
"Are you sure you want to go alone?"
"It's fine, it's fine." Kōju waved away the worries, a smile crossing her face. "You're so serious, so…" She glanced over her shoulder at Shizune. "Maybe for people like Sasuke and Naruto, the best method is to train under someone far more experienced. In that respect I'll be returning early as well. My skills as a medic certainly need work. But beyond that…" She rested her hand against the hilt of the sword.
Shizune swallowed. A drop of sweat trailed along her scalp. Just now… There was a little intent in her draw. I shouldn't get so close.
"For a swordswoman, the best way to learn is to fight. Fighting sharpens your sword and strengthens your will—it builds into your body the instinct necessary to beat opponents."
Shizune sighed deeply. "So that's your purpose?"
"Yep. I'm going to wander the world and fight as many people as I can find."
"You're probably going to die."
"If I die, then I didn't have the strength to keep fighting. As a user of swords, I didn't let myself fight as strongly as I could have." Kōju sighed. "This entire time I've been fighting with a crutch. My sword can't cut down something if I'm constantly keeping it sheathed, can it?"
Shizune rubbed her temples. She walked alongside Kōju to the stables.
A white pony trotted out of the stables.
Kōju gasped. "Is that from my dad?"
"It's the summon of one of our jōnin. It'll be keeping an eye on you during this journey." Shizune sighed. "Maybe you want to go alone, but you can't, truthfully enough. There is too much danger in following a path alone. Kakashi-san would never forgive us if you died."
"Yes, there is that," Kōju admitted reluctantly. She sighed. "Well, I suppose if I must have some supervision, that's fine. There's something I'd like to address before that, however. It's strictly observation."
"Eh?"
"Yeah. You can watch me as long as you like, but don't interfere in the middle of a fight. Unless I can fight by myself, it's pointless, isn't it?" Kōju sighed heavily. "I can't grow stronger."
"My condolences." Shizune rubbed her temples heavily. "Fine, fine—go do whatever work you intend to."
Kōju nodded. She hopped onto the back of the horse, her hands grasping the mane tightly.
The pony reared up momentarily.
Kōju placed her hand on the pony's forehead.
The pony rushed downhill, the hooves kicking up dust.
Like the storm, she leaves alone in the evening. Shizune sighed heavily.
New World
The scrolls lay open on the ground. The storage shed glimmered, sparks falling from the surface of the lamplight. A calm ember stirred on the floor, echoing from the power of the echoed technique.
Tayuya rubbed her temples. She closed her eyes. A candle faded, smoke rising from the wax.
The scroll depicted several images of techniques. One showed a man breathing flames shaped like a dragon, consuming the falling man before him.
"What are you doing here?" Nōtō questioned. He leaned against the door.
Tayuya started awake. Her expression grew sour. "Let me go back to sleep, you bastard."
"Not until you explain what you're doing."
"You're the one who hired out these missions, right?" Tayuya questioned, her lip curling upward. "To increase their power. Basically, you paid for Team Seven to train under the best you could find."
Nōtō nodded. "That's correct."
"See, for me, that doesn't make a lick of sense. Of course, not only can I not leave as a flight risk, I can't fucking train under one of your people, right?" Tayuya questioned. She frowned. "Well, I know you didn't approve of me joining, but to force me away from the possibility of improving; isn't it a little sad?"
"I'm not proud of what I have done in the past, and now, to protect Hidden Leaf." Nōtō looked away. He crossed his arms. "So I repeat. What are you doing?"
"I explained my fucking circumstances to Shikamaru. Who, I guess, isn't as much of a dumbass as you are." Tayuya grinned. "He gave me some of the Professor's old technique scrolls. Sure, I may not be able to learn 'em quite as easily as if he were actually here, but I can definitely learn a lot out of this old geezer's knowledge."
Nōtō's eyes widened.
"Well, that sure is a shitty position for you to be in, but whatever. I guess I can't really say more'n that." Tayuya sighed. "This old man—he really was a genius. I can't say so much about his skills or symphonies or whatever, but he's got the idea of what it means to be a human being. He gets it. And more to the point, he can tell others too how he sees the world. That's what genuine brilliance is."
Nōtō sighed deeply. He turned away. "You'll turn again."
"You some kind of brainless moron?"
Nōtō's eyes widened.
"I didn't turn on shit. I entrusted myself with my comrades. Them who are behind me, and around me—I can see them. They're behind me and above me and beside me." Tayuya sighed. "Look, it isn't like I fucking abandoned my troops. I felt they could get the job done. I had loyalty to them, not Orochimaru."
Nōtō bowed his head. "In other words, you are truly not a villainous character. How surprising."
"If you'll quit yapping, I got a script to read through for this next technique." Tayuya stared at the scroll again. Her hands moved in the pattern indicated on the scroll.
Nōtō turned and left.
New World
The dark statue towered over the heavens, blotting out the stars. Heavy light poured downward, a deep crimson beneath the stars and shining lights of empty flame.
"How long since we've met in this manner, all of us?" one man asked with an eyebrow rising.
The fingers of the statue extended. Twelve in total, the fingers rose upward into the air.
"Seven years," another figure guessed, squatting in the darkness.
The black cloaks glistened in the shadows.
"The circumstances suggest a need to recruit more." A shorter figure with glasses raised his hand. His headband reflected the sigil of Hidden Stone, even though he had abandoned it.
"No." The darkest figure of the group stared at the newest member with disinterest. Her golden eyes flickered, her cloak blowing back in the wind. "Our number shall remain thirteen. I have a prospect for your newest partner and replacements for the pair lost against the Hidden Frost—that partner Zetsu shall introduce to you in time. Leader has no interest in expanding his forces, and I am inclined to agree with his perspective on this matter."
"The end will come soon. It's all been attended to," agreed the leader. "With the one who will surpass the Nine-Tails… All will be attended to." He brushed his hand over the stone. His deep blue eyes flickered briefly upward, studying the orb patiently. The eyes were featureless, without mark or scar. "We're finally entering a state where we can move forward with the plan." He adjusted his hair briefly, a look of impatience crossing his eyes before being cast away. "Pein will be useful, but the person that died protecting his foolish ideals was a most—unfortunate loss, shall we say? He could have proven quite useful to our eventual plans." Leader sighed. "No matter. It is past; it is gone. We cannot undo the past. As regrettable as it is, the circumstances are finally set so that we may overturn the world through money."
The twelve figures wavered and disappeared.
The statue remained. Hands outstretched, it displayed the indomitable spirit of shadows.
New World
Swelling water spread over the surface of the pool. The statue glimmered in the corner of the room. An outstretched two pairs of hands glimmered in the light of the sky.
The figure dipped his fingers into the pool. His visible eye narrowed. "Hmph. I didn't expect to be accompanied, Shishi-san."
"You can hardly blame me. As my former servants have failed to accomplish the task I set them, there is a certain amount of difficulty in laying my trust with any of you." The tengu-masked figure walked over the water, his expression unreadable beneath the mask. "Are you considering changing your mind now?"
"No." The figure sighed deeply after a moment. "No, I did not assume that making a new world would be easy. Rather, there is a boon I would ask of you." His visible brown eye glinted as he looked upward at the masked figure.
Shishi's eyebrows furrowed.
"Your face. I'd like to see it."
"It wouldn't do you any good, if I did reveal my face to you. I haven't spent a long time 'here', at any rate." Shishi sighed. "Still, if you insist…" He reached upward.
The porcelain mask fell away.
Black straight hair in a ponytail, black eyes. A katana rose behind the head.
"You're right. I don't recognize you in the slightest." The figure sighed.
"You're ready to begin, however? You are prepared to take on the Gotei Thirteen if necessary?" Shishi questioned, straightening the ponytail.
"Not yet. Once I have the Ten-Tails inside me, I should be capable of dealing with Yamamoto. There's a chance, at the least." The figure sighed deeply. "Ah, such a troublesome path. I will go carefully, however. I do not intend to fail the same way Madara did."
"Quite right you are." Shishi nodded shortly. "I'll be observing your progress with great interest." He turned away, the white light falling on his shoulders.
New World
Heavy golden light poured downward through the sky. The rain, for a while, had stopped. The hundreds of skyscrapers and citadels glimmered within the city. The city glimmered, wet drops of water slipping along the rain traps and white skies.
An orange-haired man knelt atop the height of the city. His golden eyes glimmered, ripples passing through the surface. "We win."
The sky darkened slightly, a cloud passing over the rainbow.
"What now, Pein-sama?" a woman with blue hair questioned, her paper wings spreading behind her.
"Collect the dead and take them to the tower, Konan. Burn the bodies of our enemies. Hanzō might be an interesting Path, but my odds of successfully converting his body are slim, and besides that his body might poison you." Pein leaned forward, touching the side of his stomach. "I suppose that two Pillars of Shinobi should be a difficult challenge, but together they barely managed to defeat one of my bodies. Even working together, that's the most they were capable of doing." He sighed. "Hanzō, at the least, I can understand. Old age bested him, not I. I might have died if I fought him when he was still young. However, it seems that Unmei simply gave up after I used that technique on him." Blood trickled from his nose. "He who doesn't feel old age simply gave up on winning."
"Understood." Konan's body scattered. Pieces of paper floated across the battlefield, like a flock of butterflies scattering across the heavens.
Pein looked downward. His eyes narrowed. "Heh. You keep talking about tomorrow. All you allied nations say 'Tomorrow will be better'. But for the dead, and the injured, and the poor, there has never been a tomorrow." He stretched out his hand. "I made just such a tomorrow. The world is shifting, under the watchful gaze of a god." He clenched his fist together. "It's a new world."
Funeral pyres rose across the battlefield.
A/N: In total, there were three announcements I wanted to do today; please read through to the end of this note.
As of today, this story is placed on hiatus. This isn't to say that it won't be continued. It will. This decision took me a while, and I finally decided that if I want to do this next part I should do it right. I've written the initial plot of Part II already; but, as with all initial plans, it won't survive first contact with reality. I'm going to end up revising it in depth, taking in mind complaints about Part I as well as my own thoughts on problems previously. On top of that, I really want to do my vision of Part II the justice it deserves, so I'll revise that intensely in between now and when the story restarts. And, of course, I will be working on Side Arcs with the same amount of intensity and devotion.
I'll be working on Part II for quite some time, but you can be guaranteed that it'll be one of my primary focuses while I'm working on it and until I've finished it. The release date, again, is unsure—maybe in the spring of 2015, maybe that summer; it's hard to say until it's done. I can probably guarantee that it won't be coming back this year. Until then, therefore, this fiction will not be updated excepting revisions.
Consequently, if you review this story, please make sure that you allow PMs; I can't answer in story, obviously, so I can't respond to reviews except through PMs in most cases.
Things to note about Part II:
-No use of arc transfer. That is to say, the plot is going to be entirely new; the objective of the villainous organization here will again be the Tailed Beasts and the Ten-Tails, but the reasons they want the Tailed Beasts, the path taken to get there, and the development of characters will be different. There will also be original characters involved with this pursuit.
-Much more character development, more often. Self-explanatory.
-Much more evident crossover material. Makizō Aramaki and Sonozaki Mirai, while fun, don't really qualify as crossover characters. I can absolutely guarantee for sure that at least one Visored (pre-Visored status, given the time period), a main character from Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni, and possibly someone from Death Note may appear in Part II, as well as Bleach powers and related abilities.
-Lastly, updating will occur on every Thursday to start with, and may increase as I get further in.
As always, I will respond to reviews, and appreciate specific complaints/points of concern to work with. That brings me to my second and third points.
Secondly, I'd like to thank AznPat for being willing to point out that Orochimaru as a character should have the number of honorifics used in relation to him to be reduced. I have gone through and cut out a majority of such honorifics referring to Orochimaru, excepting Itachi who tends to be polite no matter the situation.
Thirdly, I owe an apology to those who indicated major errors in the work as a whole, specifically Amidamaru88 and Hashiwashi (presumably Hashiwashi was referring to these errors). Upon going back through the work as a whole, I realized that I had left several sentences incomplete and had the occasional typo such as .. as opposed to something that has meaning in the English language. Neither Microsoft Word nor catches these types of errors, and, evidently, I made such a stupid mistake as well. I've gone back through and corrected those I could find, but I'm sure I've missed a few, so please point those out to me.