You guys are awesome!
I want to apologize for not updating sooner, but between real life issues and a writer's block, I didn't want to release something half-done. So I continued onwards and decided to give you guys the entire fight scenes. This chapter is a bit bigger then normal, clocking in at about 12k words. Next chapter will be the aftermath of the battle as well as how this effected everything.
I'm not sure if I made a few things clear in the fights, given that one of them is not from a ninja's perspective, so I included a small section that will hopefully clear up a few things.
AU changes: There wasn't any new AU changes that I can think of this chapter.
And without any more delay, here's the next chapter. Chapter 23: Titans Among Men
"Heh heh heh." Anaguma chuckled to himself as he walked out of the blood splattered alleyway. "Ah..." He commented to himself fondly, "I didn't think that I would have so much fun while watching these games." He paused, letting one scarred thumb stroke his chin. "I wonder if I should have become a ninja all those years ago..." He shrugged, his moment of introspection passed. "Oh well." The scarred mercenary began chuckling to himself. "There's a of extra ninjas here...I don't think Konoha will mind if I take out a few..." Deep throaty laughter followed the swordsman as he charged towards the sound of fighting.
Happiness warred with despair within Hiruzen, creating a sickening chaotic froth. "B-Biwako?" He stammered, knowing that she was a mere puppet Orochimaru, but unable to help himself. His other half, his better half, was standing before him; even though he buried her all those years ago. "I-I missed you." Tears threatened to form on his weathered cheeks.
His wife of over fifty years smiled back, love radiating from her eyes. "And you've grown even more handsome since I last saw you my beloved husband." Hiruzen felt some part of him soften as he stepped forward to embrace his love. Some part of him screamed caution, but he ignored it. After all, Biwako was back. He wrapped his arms around her and felt her arms wrap around him. He was whole.
Warmth enveloped him. All of the last thirteen years of pain and suffering fell away with his beloved's embrace. Suddenly pain sliced into his side. Reflexes born of countless battles had him jerking away from the sensation. His left hand automatically came up to hold the wound close. Then his world stuttered and stopped. Biwako, his beloved Biwako, was holding a bloody kunai stained with his lifeblood.
Orochimaru's sinister laughter broke the horrible spell. The Snake Sannin watched as Hiruzen's hand glowed a bright green as he healed his side. "That look on your face!" The pale white Sannin grinned, his mouth stretching far beyond any normal smile should, "Such...despair!" He let his chuckles die down. A slow terrible smile began to form as he looked at the three ninjas he had brought back from beyond. "Kill him."
"I'm sorry beloved." Biwako whispered, her deep brown eyes full of unfathomable regret and sadness as she expertly flicked the blood off of the kunai and prepared to attack her husband. "I'm so sorry."
Naruto charged towards the two Suna ninja that stood in the path that Gaara had left behind. As he drew near, the first Suna ninja drew swung his bloody sword directly at the blonde in a downwards chop. The Last Uzumaki parried a sword attack with his right sword, letting his left sword bury itself deep into the attacking Suna ninja's side, never stopping his forward movement. Spinning to the left side of the mortally wounded man, Naruto allowed his right sword to swing in an extended arc, opening up the second ninja's throat. Completing his spin, the Uzumaki continued his charge towards the signs of devastation that Suna's Demon Container had left.
Jiraiya dodged to his right with expert skill, sending a thin, almost invisible blade of water at Rasa as he ducked another golden spear. The Kazekage blocked the attack with seconds to spare. Rasa allowed himself to frown. Jiraiya was a powerful, stubborn enemy. But that wasn't what made him dangerous. No, what made the Toad Sannin dangerous was his seemingly new skill of adapting to Rasa's attacks. Even now Jiraiya was trying different attacks, probing with various techniques, seeking to find a weakness. And Rasa wasn't so prideful to believe that he didn't have a weakness somewhere. The Kazekage of Suna redoubled his efforts to kill the Toad Sannin.
A Suna ninja dropped to the ground, his body smoking to join his fellow fallen comrade as Hinata gracefully pulled a deceptively gentle looking hand back from his body. Lightning danced from finger to finger as she glanced around the immediate area near her and Sakura. The only enemies left were the three near Sakura and judging by the poison mist they had just breathed in, they wouldn't last more than a moment. Opening her bloodline's vision out wider, Hinata searched once again for Haku.
"Where are you Haku-Chan?"
Hayate flicked the blood off of his blade as he panted, ignoring the urge to clutch his burning chest. A almost overwhelming urge to cough was similarly ignored. He had someone to protect, his precious Yugao, and he wasn't about to let anyone or anything get in the way of that. Spotting another ninja attempt to enter the side entrance to the area that he was guarding along with Yugao, he readied his sword once again.
Gaara half-ran half-staggered as he moved towards the outer wall of the village, the only thought he desperately clung to with all of his remaining sanity was to leave the city so Temari could not be hurt. A sudden dip in the road, perhaps caused by some earth-based jutsu, caused the redhead to stumble to the side, his head striking a jutting piece of shattered wall. Bloodlust suffused his mind as his ears rang from the impact, drowning rational thought beneath a red haze.
A small whimper from around the bend caught the red-head's attention. Sand began to coat his right arm, turning it into a massive claw made of dark, demonic sand that had vein-like patterns crossing it. Heavy foot falls sounded as sand reinforced Gaara's legs to handle the extra weight of the deadly arm. Rounding the corner, he spied his prey. He didn't see a mother with a broken leg, the broken limb leaking a slow trickle of blood from the injury as it was stuck under an collapsed wall. Nor did he see her desperately pushing her young daughter behind her in an effort to hide the child from Gaara's gaze. All he saw was two creatures of flesh and bone, and Mother wanted blood.
Atsuko stared up at the sand monster that was stalking towards her. She desperately tugged at her leg, uncaring as she tore the skin more. But it was no use. Her leg was stuck. Pushing her daughter, Emiko behind her, she desperately threw one more prayer out to anyone that would listen. "Please! I beg you! Make sure my daughter survives this!" Watching the red-haired demon raise its claw made of sand in her direction, she stilled, making certain her body covered her child's. Tears dripped freely from her eyes.
"Die!" The sand claw rushed towards her. Atsuko squeezed her eyes shut, bracing herself for the pain.
There was a whoosh and then a heavy thud. Pain filtered in from her leg, but not anywhere else. She cautiously opened her eyes. Shock spiked through her as she stared at the blonde haired ninja that stood in front of her, a slightly curved katana extended straight to the side. Beside him was the cut off limb of the sand demon. The human had that belonged to the red-head was not exposed, strangely unmarked by the blade. Suddenly there was a explosion of white smoke and five copies of her blonde savior formed, each instantly moving over to grab a section of the wall pining her down. Some wind technique blasted the sand monster away from them and into a broken building, and the blonde ninja leapt towards the place that the demon had been knocked into.
Pain so sharp it almost forced unconsciousness on Atsuko surged though her openly bleeding leg as the five clones lifted the wall, shoving it to the side. Through lidded eyes Atsuko watched as one of the copies of her savior wrapped her leg tightly, bandaging it. Spotting another of the clones picking up Emiko, she let herself relax, surrendering slowly into unconsciousness. As her eyelids began to close, she was vaguely aware of herself being lifted, muffled voices that all sounded the same agreeing on a plan to take her to the hospital. With her last coherent thought Atsuko vowed to thank her hero once she awakened once again...
"Gatsuga!" Blood splattered the area floor as Kiba shredded another enemy ninja with his Fang Over Fang technique. The rich iron smell of blood clung to everything, threatening to block off any other scents he could smell. Still, his hearing and sight was as sharp as ever. Spotting another Sound ninja who was distracted by the fighting, he hurled himself towards the enemy, feeling more than seeing the surrounding area seem to spin as he forced his chakra into his body once again, rotating in his clan's signature attack. "Gatsuga!"
The Sound shinobi didn't even have time to scream before Kiba and Akamaru, his nin dog and partner, smashed into the ninja from opposite sides. The Sound ninja went down hard, blood gushing from a half dozen slashes. A flash of heat and fire had the Inuzuka diving out of the way, grabbing Akamaru as he dived. A fireball exploded several feet behind him, knocking Kiba off his feet. Temporally stunned, he could only watch as the two Suna and Sound ninjas approached, evidentially having collaborated to create the fire technique.
Suddenly the Suna nin slapped his neck as he felt a sharp bite from some bug. He crushed the offending bug easily enough, but his hand tingled with something. Remembering the weird kid who used the bugs in the finals, he glanced around wildly. Spotting something on the back his partner's neck, he froze. It was a very large, ugly winged bug of some kind. But more alarmingly, it had a very dangerous looking stinger poised to hit the Sound ninja's neck. Then, almost as if it was waiting to be spotted, the insect snapped it's abdomen forward, burying it's stinger deep into the shinobi's neck. Almost instantly, the Sound ninja dropped, paralyzed. He couldn't even widen his eyes or scream as the poison quickly worked its way through his body.
Hearing a noise behind him, the Suna nin didn't hesitate. Spinning around, he buried a kunai deep into the Aburame's chest. Joy from killing his attacker only lasted a moment before the kid collapsed on to him, breaking apart into hundreds of different bugs. Death, while it happened quickly, was not painless for the shinobi from Suna.
Kiba glanced up as Shino approached. Grabbing the offered hand, the Inuzuka of Team Seven leapt to his feet. He nodded at Shino who returned the nod. Spotting a Suna ninja a dozen paces away, Kiba allowed the images of all those he had to protect flash though his mind. Strength flowed back into him as his resolve grew once again. "Hey Shino," Kiba called to his teammate, never taking eyes of off the enemy shinobi, "Were you able to find Sasuke?"
Shino shook his head in the negative, also never taking his eyes of the enemy. "No. It appears that he left the arena to fight the enemies on his own." Shino grunted slightly in agitation. "While I am not surprised at his behavior, he should have stuck with us. We work better together then alone." With his words said, the two remaining members of Team Seven nodded slightly to each other. They would fight, and win together. They would protect.
Sasuke panted as he dodged another earth spike. There was so many! How could he kill them all? "Itachi could have easily killed them all by now..." Some distant, traitorous part of him whispered deep in his mind. Sasuke snarled and blurred his hands though his favorite jutsu. Spitting out a torso-sized ball of fire, he sent it rocketing towards one of the enemy ninja. It exploded harmlessly against a conjured earthen shield. Sasuke suppressed another snarl. Unbidden, Itachi's last words echoed in his mind.
"...You don't hate enough."
Raw lightning chakra sparked and buzzed his right hand as Sasuke focused on his hate for Itachi; his hate for the enemy in front of him; his hate for Naruto.
"Chidori!"
The Last Uchiha sprang forward, the lethal lightning technique tearing up the ground as he rushed the suddenly slower enemy. When he had reached the enemy's shield, he thrust his hand directly into the earth shield. The assassination technique easily cut through the earth and deep into the Sound ninja's chest. Ruthlessly jerking his hand out of the now dead ninja, Sasuke turned to face his other enemies. They all would die for daring to interrupt his future match with Naruto. The famed blood-red Sharingan beginning to rotate furiously, mimicking it's master's rage. "Soon 'brother'...I'll hate enough. Then I'll kill you."
Naruto sliced apart another large sand shuriken that the now half-maddened Gaara sent whirling at him. "Boss!" A clone sprinted up, "We're ready!"
Naruto grinned, soon he would be able to open up with his powerful techniques! "Do it at the count of five!" The clone nodded before flashing hand signs towards the far end of the street, seemingly signaling someone. Naruto lunged for Gaara, grabbing onto an arm with a iron grip. Feeling the sensation of a Kawarimi wrapping around him, Naruto braced himself. The two vanished from sight, only to appear at the end of the street. Feeling the technique wrap around him and Gaara again, Naruto couldn't help but allow himself a small smile of pride. He had sent clones with extra chakra pumped into them across the village, allowing them to rapidly switch places with Naruto via Shunshin. Given that he was latched on to Gaara, the red-head was dragged along for the ride. The line of clones extended far beyond the village gates into the forest. There, they would battle. The two jinchuriki vanished from sight.
With a thump, Naruto and Gaara hit the forest ground, rolling from the speed. "Apparently," One of Naruto's clones noted with an analytical thought, "Repeated shunshin movements build up speed. That's why it's not recommended to use in battle as a movement tactic." The clone frowned as it realized that somewhere along the way Naruto had lost his unsheathed swords. "Better go find those. Boss would be sad if they are lost." It quickly vanished, intent on retracing Naruto's fast journey.
Naruto automatically rolled to his feet, having been knocked off them countless times in training. Gaara on the other hand had never been knocked down before, and tumbled a few times before his sand created a soft obstacle to stop his movement. Once he stopped, the sand pushed the red-head to his feet. "Naruto Uzumaki..." Gaara's rage filled, half demonic voice snarled, "I will feed the sand with your blood!" The sand rose like an angry beast. "DIE!" It surged towards Naruto like a ravenous animal, hungry for his blood. Sand formed around Gaara's human looking arms reforming the sand claws.
Naruto leapt to the right, easily jumping above the spikes that rampaged under him as they past. Ignoring the sounds of the trees splintering behind him, the blonde shot several over-powered air bullets in Gaara's direction. Sand shot up and intercepted the attacks, but the force Naruto's technique blasted chunks of hardened sand across the clearing. As Naruto reached the apex of his jump, he saw the sand form spikes beneath where he was going to fall. A grin slid across the Last Uzumaki's face. "Here, I can cut loose!" Dark blue chakra instantly formed on his hand, growing denser by the moment. Extending his hand and arm below him, Naruto dove towards the ground. His hand was so close to one of the spikes that it tore open the side of his hand as he drove his hand into the ground. There was a thunderous BOOM as the ground cratered beneath his attack, blasting sand, grass, and dirt in all directions.
Feeling the Kyubi's chakra already healing his bleeding hand, Naruto pushed off of the ground, idly noting the crater that extended in all directions for ten feet. Spotting something sand colored flash in his direction, he vaulted into the air, twisting to dodge the massive sand shuriken that Gaara had launched at him. Landing lightly, he stared at Gaara who had created a wave of sand ten feet high. Spikes grew out of every inch of the wave. The Last Uzumaki saturated his hands with wind chakra with a flex of his hands. The wave surged towards him. Naruto blurred.
Haku allowed herself a dark, gentle smile as she froze the Sound kunoichi's water jutsu as it was exiting the Sound kunoichi's mouth. The Sound ninja's fellow shinobi stopped their advance, only now realizing that the cold in the air was from Haku herself. Two more died from ice senbons before the rest of the small group of Sand and Sound ninjas took cover. Unfortunately, while this saved them from the ice user, it did not save them from the two kunoichi of Team Eight.
The three ninjas taking cover behind a rather sturdy wall were the first to die. A crunch of bone announced the arrival of Sakura Haruno as she slammed onto the group from above. The shinobi her fist stuck directly died instantly, his skull caved in. The ninja her left fist merely grazed was knocked senseless onto the ground. The last Sand ninja reacted with admirable skill, throwing himself out of Sakura's fist range. He died the moment his neck cleared the wall, an ice senbon granting a painless death.
The four enemy ninjas crouched in an debris-filled alley died almost without warning as Hinata appeared in their midst, her lightning-coated hands stopping hearts with a single blow. One of them managed to twist out of the way, taking the blow to his lower torso. He instantly dropped, spasming as the electricity over loaded his system. A thrown kunai put him out of his misery.
Sakura dismissed her chakra scapel that she had used to put down the ninja she had knocked senseless. She frowned for a moment as her bright green eyes assessed her original aerial attack angle. She had meant to hit both ninjas with her fists, but had only grazed the second one. It had still done its job, but she could always do better.
Stepping out of the alley, she nodded to Hinata. "I got two." She tossed her words over to the Hyuga. The two had not been able to fight in the finals, and as such took another route to show who was better; who could better stand beside Naruto. While they weren't about to abandon each other to find someone to kill, both wanted to one-up each other.
"Impressive." Hinata praised her close friend, her face a calm mask. "However, I believe that I win this round." She paused before continuing. "Four."
"Damn!" Sakura exclaimed, hitting her open palm with her close fist. "I'll win next time." Hinata inclined her head, acknowledging that such a thing could be possible. Both of the kunoichi turned to the approaching Haku, feeling both her chakra as well as the difference in temperature as the ice user approached.
"Sakura-Chan. Hinata-Chan." Haku greeted the pair with a happy yet beautiful smile. She gave each girl a quick hug, easily ignoring the few bloodstains on their clothing, it wasn't their blood after all. The pretty ice user glanced around, looking for someone. "Where is Naruto-Sama?"
Temari panted as she ducked behind a low wall as two Sand ninja raced past, seemingly intent on fighting Konoha ninjas. What she was doing; what she was willingly doing could easily considered treason against her village, Suna. However, she justified it to herself, was she and her brother not betrayed first by the village? The blonde girl peeked over the wall, searching for any ninja within sight. Not spotting any, Temari darted out of her hiding spot and pushed deeper into Konoha, following Gaara's trail of destruction. She would protect, no matter what it cost her.
Sasuke didn't hide his snarl as he was forced to dodge another fireball from one of the Sound ninja. They had been attacking each other for several minutes and only Sasuke's Sharingan had kept him safe, and he knew it. The Last Uchiha bit back a growl as he saw the enemy ninja smirk as five more ninja joined him. "Come out little Uchiha..." The lead Sound shinobi called, his voice mocking. "If you come out, I might even let you live..."
Hate. It bubbled up in Sasuke's soul.
"...You don't hate enough..."
The hate became a fountain. Part of his mind reveled in the dark feeling, while that small part of himself, the part that Sasuke did his best suppress and hide away - it was the weak part of him after all - trembled and shied away from the terrible caustic emotion. The Last Uchiha clenched his teeth and focused, concentrating on his hate for the ninja in front of him; his hate for Naruto; and most of all, his hate for his brother. His eyes began burning slightly, but it was a good burn. It felt like...power.
Some small distant part of him noted the shock on the previously cocky Sound ninja's face, but most of Sasuke's focus was on a singular goal: To kill the man in front of him, just like how he wanted Itachi to die. Unbeknownst to the Uchiha, a third tomoe materialized in his eyes, showing the world the strength of his hate. The Last Uchiha surged forward, the kunai he had in his hand drawing back. The sound ninja swung his arm to smash the black-haired avenger's face in, but the arm seemed to move slowly, as if it was under water. "How did I ever think I could lose against him?" A small amused part of Sasuke wondered as he tilted his head to the side, dodging the strike with ease. Bringing the razor sharp kunai up, he sliced a deep line into the Sound ninja's arm as it continued to extend past Sasuke's shoulder.
Tearing the kunai out of the arm with an angled slice, - some dark part of him noted how interesting it was to watch the blood spray - Sasuke drove the kunai into the enemy ninja's neck, just between the neck and jaw. A single blow knocked the now choking Sound ninja to the ground, held up only the throwing blade that was embedded deep in his neck. The Last Uchiha let go of the kunai slowly, letting the body slump to the ground. Stunned silence choked the small battlefield, only broken by the gurgling gasps of the dying ninja as he fought for air.
The next few minutes were a blur to Sasuke as he dodged, attacked, and countered everything the enemy ninja threw at him. They died one by one, blood slowly covering the Last Uchiha. As he slashed open the last throat, he caught a glimpse of something, something hated. Itachi was standing in the alley way. Instantly Sasuke launched a kunai, seeking to put down his brother. The body went down with a meaty thump, falling back inside the alley.
Sprinting over to the alley, Sasuke felt his elation at killing his brother abruptly die. It wasn't his brother's body. A dead Suna kunoichi was laying on her back, blood staining the ground around the kunai that had pierced her throat. "B-But I saw Itachi..." Sasuke spun around as he glanced around wildly, looking for his brother. Not sensing or seeing Itachi anywhere, Sasuke glanced back at the dead kunoichi. "But I know I saw him..."
The Last Uchiha's eyes widened as he realized what could have just happened. "No!" Sasuke shook his head, denying the thought, "I-I'm not crazy!" He shook his head harder, ignoring the trembling in his hands. "I'm not!" He sucked in several rapid breaths. "I'm not crazy!" His shout echoed in the silent alley, the silence condemning him.
"I-I-I can't be crazy." Sasuke whispered out, slumping against the wall, his head low. "Itachi was crazy. I-I'm not l-like him." Letting himself slid to the ground, Sasuke ruthlessly suppressed the helpless tears that threatened to erupt. "I'm not crazy..." The whisper was barely audible to even his own ears. "I'm not..."
Hiruzen once again spat out a mud wall, taking temporary refuge from his attackers. The shinobi part of him pointed out that attacking Biwako would quickly eliminate the primary cause of his injuries. The rest of him couldn't even dream of harming his beloved, no matter if she was being controlled or not. His hand glowed with a slightly dim green light as he healed the latest of his injuries. Suddenly, an idea struck him. One that gave him hope, reviving the part of him that was lost in emotional turmoil. Letting his mud wall drop, he hurled his staff at Biwako.
Not expecting the attack, the wife of the Third was stunned for a brief moment. It was all Hiruzen needed. Slamming his hand against the ground, Hiruzen shouted out, hope warring with the soul crushing despair he felt, "Adamantine Prison Wall!" The staff suddenly expanded, almost instantly catching the resurrected Biwako in an indestructible cage. After seeing his beloved caught, unable to attack; Hiruzen turned to Orochimaru and the two resurrected former Hokages. "Now I can stop holding back!" Old, potent chakra and killing intent crashed down on his three enemies. Now that Hiruzen was not compromised, The Shinobi no Kami had returned.
"Orochimaru!" Hiruzen boomed, danger emitting from every syllable, "I cannot forgive this!" His dark eyes flashed with killing intent. "I may have let you live last time we met, but this time, you will die!"
Orochimaru was stunned for a moment, involuntarily flashing back to when he was nearly killed by Hiruzen all those years ago. Then, remembering himself, the Snake Sannin began to chuckle. "Oh, that's a very bold statement...but from where I'm standing you are all alone...Sensei..." His yellow eyes glinted with mirth. "And you wasted almost a fifth of your charka on healing yourself...not to mention all of the techniques you used." Another smirk. "And it looks like you won't be using your staff any time soon..."
Jiraiya wasn't too proud to admit that he was being pressed to stay alive. Rasa had done his homework and kept the Toad Sannin far away from close combat range. Jiraiya envied Naruto's seemingly unending stamina. The Spy Master knew all about Rasa's skill set, but there wasn't anything around to take advantage of it. Jiraiya vowed to make sure he had something sealed away for all opponents in the future, no matter how little chance there was for fighting them. "Of course," His mind pointed out to him, "You have to survive this fight first..."
Choji felt the hit vibrate back his arm as he smashed his fist into the Sound ninja's face, throwing the enemy nin across the short hallway. The shinobi slumped to the floor with a wheezing groan, slumping forward. Choji flexed his now aching hand. How many ninja had he knocked down already? The young Akimichi didn't know. He had left all of the enemy ninja laying scattered on the few floors Shikamaru had assigned to him, the small hallways allowing the Akimichi to use his clan's techniques to great effect.
Choji was about to head continue down the hallway when the Sound ninja groaned, slowly waking up. The young Akimichi froze, slowly turning around to face the sound nin as he staggered to his feet. "Gunna' fuckin' kill ya!" The ninja slurred out as he stood, his head slowly clearing.
Panic rose in Choji. "How can I stop him?! He took my strongest punch!" In desperation, the large boy tackled the Sound shinobi, drive the air out of his lungs as they slammed to the ground. Choji hammered several desperate strikes at his enemy's face, the sound ninja's face twitching with every blow. Between the blows the ninja began to laugh, his mocking laughter only broken as his head twitched from side to side with Choji's blows.
"You can't stop me Kid!" He chuckled, his eyes turning malicious. "I've felt your hits...and they don't have any substance; no killing intent." His eyes gleamed in delight as he watched Choji freeze, the Akimichi's hands drifting aimlessly above in front of him he sat back, still sitting on top of the enemy ninja. Choji shakily reached back and pulled a kunai from it's holster, raising it high above his head. "You don't have the guts." The sound ninja sneered. "Let me tell you what I'm going to do: I'm going to take that kunai and kill you with it." Choji's hand trembled, the gentle boy having never heard such words before so close and personal. "Then I'm going to track down your shadow-using friend, and kill him too." His grin widened as he spotted the Akimichi's arms begin to weaken. "After that," He shrugged his shoulders, seemingly uncaring, "I suppose I'll kill everyone in this hospital." Tremors effected all of Choji's arms now, barely managing to hold onto the kunai. "Just let it happen. I promise I'll make it quick."
Choji attempted to stifle the trembling of his hands and arms. "W-What can I do? He's going to kill me and my friends!" The Akimichi thought of his friends. He thought of Shikamaru, entrusting him to carry out the defense of the floors he was assigned. He thought of Ino, recovering from her battle in a hospital room not far from here. He thought of all of the wounded and defenseless people counting on him. "I can't die here! What do I do?" In desperation, he asked himself, "What would Naruto do?"
The answer was instantaneous.
"...I will protect..."
Choji's eyes hardened. The trembling ceased. He steeled himself. Choji drove the kunai downwards, slamming it into the sound ninja's throat with a scream. It was the death scream of his innocence; the birthing cry of a protector. The Akimichi slowly stood up from his first kill, feeling hollow yet content; knowing that he could now protect the ones he cared about. He did not like killing, but he would do it to protect.
Naruto grunted as he slammed into a tree with enough force to crack several of his ribs. Pain lanced through his shoulder as it was impaled on a jutting out broken branch. He glared out at Gaara, who's eyes widened in bloodlust at the sight of the twisted wood sticking out of the Last Uzumaki's right shoulder. "So that's how you want to do it?" Naruto mentally snarled, tugging on the Kyubi's chakra deep within him. It instantly answered, enveloping him in a formless caustic red aura. His right hand snapped upwards, grabbing onto the branch that held him pinned to the tree.
With a echoing SNAP the branch broke, breaking off even with his bloody shoulder. Bracing his left hand above him, Naruto shoved himself off of the tree and onto the ground ten feet below. He landed in a crouch, the gaping hole in his shoulder already healing as the formless red chakra aura began to take form, turning into the shape of a one-tailed fox. The jinchuriki of the Kyubi rotated his newly healed shoulder, feeling his canines grow in his mouth and his muscles increase. His red eyes met the jinchuriki of the Shukaku, who's eyes narrowed at the open challenge.
Deep inside the two demon containers, the two Biju glared at each other from across the mental courtyard that both chakra demons could enter if their containers locked eyes or meditated together. "Ha hah ha!"The insane laughter of the Shukaku echoed in the chamber. "To see you trapped and powerless behind that seal!"The Sand Tanuki couldn't contain itself, it's bloodthirsty glee painting a large disturbing grin across it's massive muzzle. It shoved one massive paw towards the thin ring of seals holding it from breaking free before raising it's arm to point at the massive gates the held the Kyubi within. "Ha hah ha! From here you are not even that powerful! I bet you couldn't even touch me!"
The Kyubi chuckled, the sound terrible as it was awe inspiring. "Well then..." The Demon Fox stood up to it's full height, letting all of it's nine tails dance behind it, "If I'm so non-threatening..." A dark smirk slid slowly onto it's face. "Then why don't you come closer...Brother."
Outside, Gaara blinked, breaking eye contact with Naruto. A snarl of rage burst out of his lips as he brought back his hand, the sand turning into a spiked terrible thing, ready to maim and tear. His now sickly demonic yellow eyes burned with fury and bloodlust as he shoved his hand forward, commanding the sand to rend the Last Uzumaki limb from limb. The tail made of sand quivered behind him, awaiting the glorious spray of blood. But Naruto Uzumaki was defiance.
The trees trembled and creaked as a mini hurricane made of air swirled around Naruto's open palms, the red-tinted wind chakra saturating and compacting with every second. Gaara's lethal sand grew ever closer, the spikes sharpening themselves in preparation. Naruto stepped forward and planted his foot firmly on the ground. Red eyes narrowed. The wind was unleashed.
The BOOM that echoed across the shattered ground was almost deafening as the wind slammed into the sand, blasting chunks of the hardened sand in all directions. Gaara's eyes widened at he saw his some of his sand blast backwards. Movement off to his left caused the red-head to start to turn, but all he could do was turn his head slightly before Naruto's clawed fist slammed into his face, snapping his head to the side. The sand jinchuriki's protective sand armor instantly fractured. Gaara stumbled back, his ears ringing. He had never been hit before!
Naruto never gave him a moment to rest. Stepping forward, the jinchuriki grabbed the stunned red-head and hurled him into a tree, snapping the tree as the sand ninja crashed into and through it. A resounding crash sounded out as the second tree Gaara hit toppled on top of him. Nature seemed to take a breath, as if knowing that in a moment the world would change. Then it happened.
A pulse of overwhelming bloodlust arced outwards, emanating from the fallen jinchuriki of the Shukaku. Sand began to slowly crawl towards the sand ninja, even as another pulse of terrible chakra lanced outward. The sand sped up, moving towards its master. Another pulse. And then another and another; as if a great heart was beginning to beat. The sand impossibly disappeared beneath the broken tree. The ground rumbled, as if bracing itself for what was about to happen. Gaara's chakra signature disappeared, and all was still for the briefest of instants.
Cursed sand blasted upwards, reaching far above the trees. A shape formed in an instant, the terrible form of the One-Tailed Demon Sand Tanuki solidifying. Terrible choking chakra filled the air, it's bloodlust a deadly weapon unto itself. "Ha hah ha!" The Shukaku's insane laughter echoed across the land, "I'm FREE! And I'm going to kill EVERYTHING!"
Orochimaru glanced towards the newly revealed Chakra Demon in the distance. "And now...Konoha..." The Snake Sannin thought with relish, making no attempt to hide the sickeningly pleased grin on his face, "...You will all die..."
Rodo considered himself to be hard to panic; after all it took a demon to shake him. But seeing another demon made of sand rise out of the forest made him almost loose himself to panic. The Head of Civilian Housing gulped and took a step back, fighting the urge to run. He glanced at his fellow civilian council members. Some had lost it, stinking of urine and waste. Others were like Rodo, holding onto their courage with only the barest of threads. Then the monstrous demon turned to face the village, as if assessing it. Dread made Rodo's limbs weak, death seemed to loom over him.
Then, like the words of the world's greatest savior, one of the council members called out, "I found a place to hide!" Seeing the council member, Atsushi, motion towards an open door way, the civilian council hurried towards the safe haven. Barely managing to restrain themselves from shoving each other aside to get inside faster, they all finally made it inside. As the last member passed the door frame, Atsushi pulled the door shut, slamming home the large bolt with a sharp thud.
With the door closed, the sounds of battle diminished greatly. After a few moments, Rodo began feel his heart rate begin to slow. He was safe now.
"You know, Rodo," Atsushi voice rang out casually in the dimly lit room, "I never really liked you." He chuckled slightly to himself as he watched the other council members turn to look at him in shock. "Every time you babbled on about your 'precious wife' or your 'little geki', I wanted to shove my pen in your eye." Watching Rodo pale, Atsushi couldn't help but add, his voice dripping with casual malice, as he reached into his pocket, "Oh, what's this?"
A flash of silver glinted in the dim light of the room before Rodo screamed. His hands flew up to clutch his destroyed eye as blood poured out of his eye socket. "Ah..." Atsushi sighed, seemingly enjoying the sounds of Rodo's screams, "Just as nice as I thought they would be..." He glanced at the rest of the horrorstruck council members before looking back at the now whimpering Rodo. "However," Atasushi's expression darkened, "Your whimpers are going to distract them from what I'm about say...so..." The silver pen flashed again, this time driven deeply into Rodo's neck. The council member gurgled wetly before collapsing, his lifeblood slowly staining the floor.
"Now that I have your attention," Atsushi addressed the frightened council, mouth twitching at the sight of them cowering against the far wall, "I would like to clear a few things up for you." The murderer leaned against the closed door, allowing a small smirk to appear on his face. "Have you ever wondered why I supported your attempts to attempt to harm or kill Naruto Uzumaki?" Glancing between them, he shook his head. "No one? None of my family died in the Kyubi's attack. Hell, I even showed up after the village was rebuilt." He sighed, sounding vaguely disappointed. "It's to be expected though, given how stupid you all where."
"Moving on." Atsushi brought himself back on task, "When it became obvious that this council was incapable of actually unleashing the Kyubi, I was forced to create a schism in the council. You were, after all, growing far too powerful for my master's plans."
"W-What Master?" The leader of the council was able to shakily ask.
"Orochimaru." Atsushi couldn't help but enjoy the panic that flashed across everyone's face. But they didn't cry out, Rodo's gruesome end keeping their cries suppressed. "I was the one who suggested that we send out a team to assassinate Team Eight as well as use poison against the Uzumaki." He snorted in amusement. "It was so hard not to laugh as all of you thought a poison could kill a chakra demon."
"Now listen closely," Atsushi's voice grew more intense, drawing everyone's terrified attention, "Because this is the most important part." Atsushi smiled, his expression filled with malice. "Never go against Orochimaru's will. If you do..." He pointed at Rodo's bloodstained corpse, "We will do that to your entire family."
Stunned silence greeted him. "Now then." Atsushi's voice grew brisk and business-like, "There is instructions for you all inside the pen." Shoving the bolt open, he knew that the council had jumped at the sound. "Oh," He paused at the door frame, just before he headed out, "Don't think about telling anyone about this. We will know." Letting the door swing shut behind him, Atsushi reached into his pocket, pulling out a Sound forehead protector. Tightening it around his head, he headed towards the west gate.
The leader of the council never knew how long he sat in that dimly lit room. But in the end, he stood up, the rest of the council watching his every move. He walked forward to Rodo's corpse, leaned forward. He reached for the silver pen.
The Shukaku considered itself a rather simple creature. It just wanted everything to die; that was almost it. Unlike it's brother, it didn't hate much of anything. It viewed almost everyone equally; almost everyone. It hated one man, one cursed man. Rasa Sabaku. He had attempted again and again to kill the Shuakaku's container. And while the Sand Demon wanted to be free, it had grown...attached to it's strange container. Only it was allowed to manipulate Gaara!
The massive Tanuki slowly turned to face the village, it's massive yellow eyes scanning for something. Trees crumpled like toys beneath it's massive feet as it leaned from side to side, searching for what it wanted to kill above all else. Spotting it's most hated foe inside a purple barrier deep within the village, it let a massive grin stretch across it's face, it's jagged maw opening in a horrifying grin. Taking a deep breath, it's lungs filling with air to their fullest. When Shukaku could not suck in anymore wind, it slammed of it's one massive paws into it's stomach. Ripples from the force of the blow flowed outwards across the sand that made up it's form. Snapping it's head directly at the purple barrier in the distance, it blasted the massive air bullet at it's target with a resounding BOOM. The house-sized air bullet rocketed towards the barrier, threatening to obliterate everyone inside.
It detonated with the force of a bomb. Spotting the barrier flicker and then die, the Shukaku leaned back and began to search for the target it wanted to break the most. "Little Kyuuuubi..." It's unhinged voice called out, "Come out and play..."
Orochimaru had made his barrier strong enough to take whatever the Konoha could throw at it. The Leaf ANBU and several Jonin had thrown every powerful attack they could at the caustic barrier, but it at stood firm, never even flickering in the slightest. But he never planned on something countless times more powerful to attack the barrier. Ironically his barrier saved a majority of the Konoha ninjas that were still fighting in the arena. When the Shukaku's single air bullet slammed into the purple barrier, the barrier did exactly what it was designed to do: It distributed the force of the attack over its surface, attempting to negate the blow. The barrier exploded outwards, blasting all of the debris away from it, stripping the floor bare with an deafening BANG. The four sound ninja that had been easily maintaining the Four Violet Flames Formation Barrier slumped senseless to the ground, blood leaking from every chakra point they had.
Orochimaru cursed and flared his chakra four times followed by two slow pulses. Four new sound ninja leapt onto the now rubble free floor and took up their deceased comrades' positions, ignoring the bloody bodies of the previous barrier ninja only a scant foot away. Purple relit the area. The Snake Sannin smirked at Hiruzen's stunned expression. "What's the matter Sensei? Losing hope?"
Hiruzen began to smirk as he realized the situation. "Losing hope?" The aged ninja shook his head, his smirk becoming a proud smile. "No. I'm not losing hope. Let me ask you one thing: Why did Gaara transform into the Shukaku?" Hiruzen flexed his hands. "Could it be because he would have lost otherwise?"
Orochimaru scowled, not saying a word.
Haku's hand blurred forward, the air cooling as she launched a dozen senbon at two of the Suna ninja that were blocking her path. One went down instantly, his body collapsing as several of the sharp weapons instantly penetrating vital areas. His partner leapt clear with a curse, snapping several kunai back at the ice user before following it up with a fire jutsu.
The servant of Naruto Uzumaki easily dodged the kunai, flicking those that came too close away with a conjured ice senbon. She dropped flat, allowing the decently sized fireball to shoot harmlessly overhead. Her eyes narrowed as she assessed her opponent. He was not as easy to defeat as the other Suna ninja. But it mattered little. Weaving her hands through a water jutsu, she idly noted that the Suna ninja stood still, seemingly confident that he could block the wave of water that rose from the ground.
Perhaps he could have blocked the water wave, but Haku never planning on attacking him with the water. A intense spike of her chakra froze the water seemingly froze the wave solid. Another spike shattered the ice into a hundred pieces. Blurring forward, the ice user snapped her hand out and grabbed one of the falling jagged shards of ice, snapping it at her enemy. The Suna ninja dodged the first deadly shard, but Haku was already launching another one before he had completed moving. Desperation filled him as he continued to dodge, each time the lethal looking shards coming closer to their mark.
He flashed his hands through a jutsu, returning fire. He expecting the girl, surely she was some powerful Jonin kunoichi, to dodge. Instead, the temperature plummeted as ice formed a protective barrier around her, easily enduring the fire. A moment later he felt a spike of pain as one of the shards that Haku had thrown spike into his thigh. Crashing to the ground, he could only watch in terror as she raised a single closed hand his direction. Chakra spiked.
A moment later Haku dropped her hand, sighing slightly as she viewed the perforated Suna nin. While she would kill to protect Naruto-Sama, she did not like dealing out death. Checking behind her, she was rewarded with the expected sight of Sakura-Chan and Hinata-Chan standing over the dead bodies of the other Suna ninja that had attacked them. Sakura-Chan's hand glowed green as she healed the bleeding gash that she had taken from a kunai slash while Hinata slightly favored her left foot. Still, they had taken on ten Suna ninjas and won.
Hinata sighed as she felt Sakura-Chan's healing chakra flow through her bruised foot. She had almost injured the foot severely when a hammer wielding ninja had brought his weapon down on it. She had reacted with every ounce of speed she had, but the shockwave still was strong enough to damage her. He had paid a second later for his boldness, Hinata's lightning-infused blow instantly stopping his heart.
Placing her full weight on her left leg, Hinata nodded in satisfaction to Sakura. "Thank-you Sakura-Chan. My foot is feeling much better." The blue-haired girl glanced at the two other girls. "Are we ready to continue towards the compound?" Sakura nodded as she tightened the strap on her slightly bloodstained gloves while Haku crafted new senbon. The three young women headed out, intent on making sure that they reached the sturdy walls of the Hyuga Compound.
As they left, four Sound ninjas crept out from behind the alley, checking the direction that the three girls had headed in. The Sound ninjas headed in the opposite direction. They would not defy Orochimaru-Sama.
A flash of red caught the Sand Tanuki's eye. The Shukaku's head swung down to note the little - so small; so tiny; so weak - Jinchuriki of the Kyubi far below him. The Demon Tanuki's grin stretched even farther across it's demented face as it stared down at it's hated enemy below it. "Still stuck inside your cage?" It couldn't help but mock, savoring the fact that it was the Kyubi who was weaker, "Don't worry! I'll feed your blood to the sand and you won't have to worry about anything ever again!"
Raising it's massive paw in the air the Shukaku slammed it down, pulverizing the area that it stuck. Not feeling the warm sensation of blood on it's sand, the massive sand demon frowned as it lifted it's paw. There was no red smear on the sand. A flash of red caused it to shift it's bulk, crushing the landscape around it. Pain spiked on it's right knee as man- sized hole was blasted in it.
Naruto leapt backwards, jerking his hand back to avoid the jagged spikes that had almost instantly appeared the moment he had landed on the massive sand tanuki's knee. It had been easy to blast a massive hole in it, but Naruto's satisfaction was short lived. Sand already reformed, filling in the hole. Naruto frowned as he blurred to the side, dodging the massive paw of the Shukaku. Ducking a tree that flew past, Naruto analyzed the Shukaku's attack. While it was very powerful -the ground cratered beneath each of it's hits, trees snapping like twigs-, it wasn't nearly as fast as before. No, it was just as fast as before. But unlike Gaara, the Shukaku didn't seem to want to use any techniques. Naruto smirked. "Let's see if this works!"
White smoke blanketed the area. Then, out of the smoke flew countless shadow clones of Naruto. Each had a grim expression, and each had a glowing hand. The army descended upon the shocked Sand Biju. Despite it's shock, it swung it's massive paws at the oncoming army, destroying tens of clones with every swing. But the army would not; could not be stopped. Sand blasted outwards as they landed, all of the chakra instilled within them forced into their singular attack. The Shukaku staggered back, it's massive body twitching slightly with all of the countless blows. A cloud of loose sand covered the area. "Did I do it?" Naruto wondered as he panted, not used to expelling so much chakra in an instant. Still, some deep part of him knew that it wasn't over.
"Heh heh heh!" Shukaku's mad laughter rang out from within the sand cloud. "Now that's more like it! Give me a fight before I kill you!" The slowly thinning sand cloud froze before the sand shifted. Countless spikes of sand formed and shot outwards. The army of shadow clones died. "If that's the best you got...then your blood will soak the sands sooner than I thought!"
Naruto's expression tightened. He reached deep within and grabbed the Kyubi's chakra once more. It was time to put all of his training with Jiraiya to the test. The Shukaku flexed it's newly reformed hand as it watched the chakra cloak around Naruto darken as a second tail formed. If it was not so maddened by bloodlust it would have felt caution. But, it was too far gone. It breathed in, preparing to fire one of it's deadly sand bullets. Naruto's clawed hands twitched as he prepared himself. This was going to be fun.
Hiruzen leapt backwards, barely dodging the twisting branch that attempted to impale him. "I can't keep this up forever. Even now my chakra levels and speed is getting slower." Sending a fireball towards Tobirama to keep him from closing into melee range, Hiruzen once again attempted to come up with a plan to defeat the resurrected leaf ninja as well as Orochimaru himself. "Perhaps,"The Third mused to himself, "If I had more chakra I could attempt that sealing method, but I do not have the chakra anymore."
Deflecting a sword slash from Tobirama, the God of Shinobi slammed one of his last remaining kunai into the resurrected ninja's side, burying it up to the hilt. It would have been a lethal blow had Tobirama been mortal. But he was not. Those who had been brought back by Edo Tensi would regenerate any frominjury. Still it gave the tired Hokage time to substitute himself with a shuriken as a dozen spears made of wood crashed down upon him. Fighting an immortal Mokuton user was quite...tiresome, Hiruzen noted with morbid humor.
Rasa felt the urge to allow himself a smile of satisfaction as his plan came together. When the Shukaku had fired a wind bullet at the barrier he had lost sight of Jiraiya for the briefest of moments in the chaos. Luckily the supposedly vaunted "Toad Sannin" had been dazed by the attack. Only the Sannin's battle-honed reflexes had saved him from Rasa's lethal attack. But now, Jiraiya had fallen into the Suna Kage's plan. A single gesture had the golden sand that had been carefully maneuvered beneath the Toad Sannin shoot upwards, cutting off any escape route for Jiraiya. A forward twisting motion of Rasa's hand and wrist commanded the gold-laced sand to impale the ninja imprisoned within. Unlike before, Rasa felt the slightest bit of resistance before his spears hit their target. He had got him!
Rasa gestured downwards, directing the golden sand wall to drop to the floor. The sight of an impaled Jiraiya almost, almost¸ brought a smile to the taciturn Kazekage. But then, Jiraiya looked up at the victorious Kazekage and smirked. Rasa felt something like a chill run down his spine at the seemingly defeated Sannin's look. Then, Jiraiya exploded into white smoke. "A shadow clone!?" Rasa glanced around frantically, wondering where the real Jiraiya was.
Only his reflexes saved Rasa as he dodged to the side as a glowing kunai shot past him, hitting one of the many newly grown Mokuton trees with enough force to tear completely through one of the tree and bury itself in the tree beyond it. Snapping his head to look at where the thrown ninja tool came from, Rasa felt ice suffuse in his veins. The horizontal bar that had replaced Jiraiya's irises and the toad-like warts gave it away. Rasa had not been attacked by Jiraiya the Toad Sannin. He had been attacked by something far more strong. This was Jiraiya the Toad Sage.
"You know," Jiraiya stalked a bit closer to the now cautious Kazekage, "I wasn't going to fight you at full strength." His cold eyes lanced across to Rasa, "Don't want to be known as a Kage-Killer. But," The Toad Sage flowed into the opening stance of the Toad Kata, "Sensei is losing. And I can't allow him to die." The Toad Sage blurred towards the Kazekage, a Rasengan already formed.
Rasa hastily snapped his arm upwards, raising a barrier made of golden sand to block Toad Sage's charge. It didn't even slow Jiraiya down. Thrusting the swirling ball of chakra into the barrier ahead of him, the barrier promptly gave way, unable to stand up to the prestigious strength granted by the powerful Sage mode. Yet the barrier still served its purpose, allowing Rasa to reposition himself. It was once again a game of cat and mouse, but now Jiraiya was no longer prey.
The Hyuga guard snapped a quick bow towards Hinata as she rushed into the compound followed by Sakura and Haku. As soon as the ice-user passed the arc way, the guards quickly slammed the gates shut. "Hinata-Sama!" Neji moved swiftly to inform Hinata of the situation in the compound, "Most of the clan has arrived. Your father, your sister, and several Main Branch members have not shown up yet." He blinked, scanning the area quickly before lowering his voice and continuing. "The seals Naruto-Sama put on the Clan Compound seem to be holding strong." Neji shrugged slightly. "I have no idea what they do, but the few jutsus that have managed to hit the compound walls didn't damage the walls in the slightest."
Hinata bowed slightly. "Thank-you Neji-Kun." She then looked around the compound noting who was currently near them. Sakura and Haku also looked around, seeking to help how they could. "Naruto-Kun sent us here as a defensible location while he went off to deal with Gaara of the Sand. And as such, I want an enemy-free zone within two-hundred feet."
Neji bowed. "I will gather a few others and see it done."
"Wait!" Sakura called out Neji as he was turning to leave, "Are there any wounded?"
Neji blinked, slightly surprised. "Yes," He pointed at one of the smaller clan buildings, "They are in with the Clan Healer." Sakura nodded, thanking him before heading off towards the building.
"I will be at the wall to provide long range support and to watch out for Naruto-Sama." Haku reported before heading out. Arriving at the wall near the gate, the ice user showed how much she had improved once again as she created a tower made of ice, ascending it to keep watch out for her beloved Naruto-Sama.
Naruto vaulted over a fallen tree as he dodged another of the Shukaku's massive Sand Bullets. Hearing wood splinter and snap behind him, the blonde Uzumaki knew without looking that there was another large crater where the Sand Bullet had struck the ground. Unfortunately now that the Shukaku taking things seriously, a rather big issue had been realized: Naruto simply didn't have any powerful enough techniques to defeat the Shukaku. Any damage he dealt to the Sand Tanuki was filled back in with more sand. But what didn't make sense was that Gaara was nowhere to be found. If the Shukaku had broken free, then Gaara would have died. But Naruto - on one of his dodging runs - had checked the entire area around where he had thrown Gaara, but the redhead wasn't there. "Wait..." Naruto paused for the briefest of seconds, squinting at a small dot on the Shukaku's head. "Is that...Gaara?"
Pushing chakra to his eyes to enhance his sight even farther, Naruto analyzed Gaara. The red-head, despite sticking out of the Shukaku's forehead over forty feet in the air, Gaara seemed to be sleeping. Now that he found Gaara, Naruto could develop a plan. The last Uzumaki allowed his honed instincts to continue dodging as his mind raced with what seal existed that could allow a Biju to manifest without killing it's host. Ducking a rock that threatened to decapitate him, Naruto suddenly had an epiphany as he remembered something from one of Jiraiya's comments about Suna's sealing capabilities.
"...I wouldn't be surprised if the Shukaku could possess the kid while he was sleeping or something. I mean, to think that a single ring of seals could hold back a Biju?"
Naruto blinked, coming back to full consciousness as he knew what he had to do: Awaken Gaara from his sleep. The Last Uzumaki shrugged. He wasn't exactly sure how to wake someone up properly, but he knew from experience that a punch would do the trick. Now how would he get all the way up there? Glancing at some of the shattered and broken trees laying around, a ghost of an idea began to form.
Suddenly, without warning, the sand beneath Naruto's feet shifted. The Shukaku stretched out it's arms commanding the sand to shoot upwards, blocking off all exits. A demented grin swam onto the Tankui's toothy maw as it watched the sand shoot upwards before seal off the top of the box. Slowly lowering one of it's paws, it lowered the box's ceiling. The other paw began to move, compressing the sides and bottom of the sand prison. "Die Kyubi! DIE!" It couldn't hold back it's mad laughter. Who was the weakest Biju now?
It was suffocating; It was crushing. Naruto felt the pressure increase as the sand closed in. Sparks of pain raced around his body. "Is this it? Is this how it ends?" No one would have blamed Naruto for giving up; for giving in. He had taken on a Biju all by himself, a feat that would given even the most experienced of ninja pause. But...he was not just a ninja. He was not just a young teen. He was Naruto Uzumaki. He was defiance.
The last Uzumaki closed his eyes, shoving the pain of his creaking bones and compressed muscles to the side. He reached deep inside himself, searching. "Power. I need more power!" The Kyubi answered.
A sudden influx of resistance gave the Shukaku pause. What was this? Then...the sand holding the Jinchuriki of the Nine Tailed Demon Fox trembled. Naruto's eyes snapped open. The sand prison exploded. Shards of sand blast in all directions. And at the epicenter of the blast stood Naruto three chakra tails waving in the breeze. Wind began to form in the last Uzumaki's clenched fists, dust and sand beginning to swirl around the dangerous looking blonde. And above him, towered a ghostly red image of the Kyubi itself. It met the shaken Shukaku's eyes, a dark smirk appearing on it's maw.
Naruto could already feel the power of the third tail coursing through him. But...there was malice with this power. Rage and hate threatened to overwhelm him, to drive him into a mindless frenzy. Planting his feet firmly on the ground, Naruto breathed in, feeling the heat of the fire natured chakra as he converted some of the seemingly unending chakra into fire within his mouth. Wind cycloned his arms as he spread them preparing to unleash the largest wind blade he had every conceived of creating. Snapping his arms forward, the wind turned into a weapon was unleashed. As soon as the last of the wind chakra left his fingertips, Naruto breathed out fire, turning the massive wind blade into a scorching blade that lit the forest on fire as it raced past on it's way to it's target.
Hiruzen panted, his old lungs heaving to get air as he rested his back for a moment against one of the numerous mud walls he had cast during the prolonged fight against Orochimaru and his resurrected shinobi. The third knew he was in trouble, his chakra system was low enough that he had opted to not create any defensive structures in his last clash with Tobirama. Low enough that he didn't risk using the chakra to heal the small gashes he had suffered when Hashirama had closed in with a Mokuton close range technique. Pain erupted from his abdomen. Hiruzen slowly looked down, despite knowing what had just happened. The long blade of Kusanagi jutted out from him. And just as suddenly as it pierced him, it was yanked back, Orochimaru uncaring of the damage it dealt as he retracted it.
"What are you going to do now Sensei?" The Snake Sannin called, feeling the sensation of elation, "Where is that fabled Will of Fire?" A single gesture had Tobirama cutting down the mud wall, leaving taking away any change Hiruzen had of recovering from Orochimaru's lethal attack. Hiruzen could only glare defiantly at his former student as Orochimaru raised Kusanagi once more, this time aiming for the Third's head. Before he could he could send his chakra to the blade however, a fist crashed into the Snake Sannin's side, sending him crashing far away. It would have killed any normal man, but Orochimaru had long since moved beyond normal.
Crawling out from his old corpse, Orochimaru was shocked and more then slightly dismayed to see Jiraiya standing protectively beside Hiruzen. Not only that, but the obvious signs of Toad Sage mode were written all over the Toad Sannin. None of this showed on Orochimaru's face however. "Ah...Jiraiya-Kun. An unexpected pleasure. I was under the impression that Rasa was taking care of you."
Jiraiya shrugged uncaringly, never taking his eyes off of Orochimaru. "Oh, I left him back there, not sure if he's alive." Another shrug. "Don't really care."
Orochimaru tilted his head as his hand tightened on Kusanagi. "I thought you didn't want to be a Kage-Killer."
The Toad Sage nodded grimly. "I still don't. But there is things more important to me then avoiding that title." Jiraiya opened his mouth to say more when he paused, clearly shocked by something over Orochimaru's shoulder. Knowing Jiraiya wasn't good enough of an actor to fake something in a tense situation like this, the snake-eyed man risked a glance over his shoulder. A double take had him turning to fully face the spectacle. In the far distance, the physical form of the Shukaku stood. Opposite was an ghostly image of the Kyubi. While it wasn't physical, it still was power. Power Orochimaru hadn't planned on. Then as if spurred on by his thoughts, a truly massive blade made of blazing fire, it's top edge the same height as the Shukaku, rocketed towards the obviously shocked Sand Tanuki.
"That..." Hiruzen's voice sounded out from behind him, the Third's voice full of resolve, "Is the Will of Fire!" The blade hit the Sand Demon. It exploded into an inferno.
Pain. Heat. Pain; Searing Pain
The Shukaku had never felt such pain in all of the years it existed. The terrible searing fire had cut deep into it's body, liquid agony racing through it's sand. For what seemed like an eternity that pain went on, cutting deeper and deeper. Slowly, it the pain subsided. But...something was wrong. It couldn't feel it's right side! Turning it's massive head towards the non-functioning side, it stopped staring at the damage. The heat of the Kyubi-enhanced fire blade had cut through it's right side, the intense heat turning the sand to glass.
Naruto looked up at the massive Sand Demon with satisfaction, before his eyes widened at his dark thoughts. "No!" Naruto shook his head violently, "I'm not enjoying it's pain!" Feeling the red haze of bloodlust begin to edge into his mind, the Last Uzumaki knew he had only a few more seconds before he had to dismiss the Kyubi's chakra. Drawing three kunai, Naruto crouched down and hurled himself upwards, the ground cratering under him from the backlash of his jump. At the apex of his jump Naruto hurled one of the kunai farther upwards, substituting himself with the weapon as it reached it's peak. Twisting in mid-air he threw his second kunai, substituting himself once again. Snapping his last kunai towards the Shukaku's head, the throwing knife sank into the sand right next to Gaara's sleeping body. One last switch had the blonde exactly where he wanted to be. Throwing off the Kyubi's chakra cloak was one of the hardest things he had ever done, but he didn't want to kill Gaara. Gaara was, after all, another Jinchuriki.
The Last Uzumaki's fist smashed into Gaara's face. "Wake up!"
The sands of the Shukaku froze, instantly knowing that their time was up. "NOOO! I just got out!" The One-Tailed Sand Tanuki couldn't help but scream in helpless rage as it's form dissipated, being sent back into the seal. Abruptly the sand broke apart, letting both ninja fall. Gaara fully awoke as he fell, a single thought causing the sand to break his other-wise lethal fall. Naruto, lacking any other options, shoved a near titanic amount of chakra into his hands, forcibly converting it to wind chakra. To anyone close by, it looked like a warrior descending from heaven.
For the first time in his life, Mother was silent. Gaara stared in terror as Naruto descended. "He's going to kill me! And Mother isn't here to save me!" The panicking red-head attempted to stand, but his legs gave out. "Can anyone save me? Anyone?" There was a answering breeze and a flutter of noise.
"I won't let you hurt him!" Temari snapped her fan out defensibly, stilling the trembling in her hands, ignoring the utterly terrified part of her that feared the Jinchuriki that had just landed a mere twenty feet from her. This blonde, this Naruto Uzumaki, had defeated the Shukaku single-handedly. Still no matter how futile her powers would be, she would not let him kill Gaara. Not while she was alive!
"T-Temari?" Gaara couldn't help but stammer out, not believing his eyes. "W-Why are you here?" Spotting Naruto Uzumaki walk closer, the red-head forced himself to his feet, sand automatically raising to stabilize him. Holding out his hand, Gaara, for the first time in his life, commanded his sand to protect someone else, to save someone else. Temari would not die!
"You know," Naruto's surprisingly calm voice reached the pair of tense Suna nin, "I'm not going to kill you."
"W-What?" Temari couldn't believe her ears. "We attacked your village!" The sand barrier lowered enough for her to see the blonde Uzumaki just standing ten feet away, making no move to attack.
"So?" Naruto shrugged. "You didn't hurt any of my precious people. In fact," Naruto smiled knowingly at Gaara, "I think you just discovered something didn't you?"
Gaara nodded, his mind clear for the first time. "Yes. Temari is my precious person."
Naruto grinned, happy to have helped his fellow demon container. "Now that you have figured that out, would you like me to tell you the truth about your 'Mother'?"
Orochimaru scowled. This was not going how he wanted. Konoha wasn't being destroyed. In fact, the only thing the Suna Jinchuriki could claim was that it had wrecked a wall and destroyed a vast swath of landscape. "It's impossible to get good help around here." He grumbled in his mind, before dodging a rather lethal looking punch from Jiraiya. And that was another thing. Orochimaru knew that he could take down both Jiraiya and Hiruzen now that the Third had been poisoned by Kusanagi's blade, but that damnable strength and speed granted by the Toad Sage mode had changed all of that.
Watching Jiraiya's attention drift to the battle behind him once again, Orochimaru spared a glance back at the battle between the two Jinchuriki, only to see the Shukaku's form fall apart. Were he a lesser man, Orochimaru would have given into his rage. But Orochimaru had cast aside such feelings and instead addressed Jiraiya and Hiruzen. "It looks like I will have to bid you farewell." His yellow eyes flashed with deep resentful malice. "But make no mistake, I will end you all next time." The Snake Sannin pulsed his chakra twice, follow by five shorter pulses.
"You're not going anywhere!" Jiraiya flexed his hands, a Rasengan almost instantly forming in each hand.
"Oh...Jiraiya-Kun..." Orochimaru chuckled, "And while you are subduing me, who will cure the poison that is even now working it's way to Sensei's heart?"
Jiraiya snarled, knowing that Orochimaru had secured his escape. Knowing that it would only take a second of inattention to allow for the treacherous Snake to launch one last attack, Jiraiya could do nothing but watch as the purple barrier fell and Orochimaru disappeared in a blur. In the village itself, the Sound ninja abandoned their Suna allies, retreating at Orochimaru's chakra signal. The Suna ninjas, betrayed and surrounded, soon surrendered. Konoha had once again endured. The Leaf village had suffered losses, terrible damage to property and life, but mourning would be for another time. For now, the decision with what to do with all of the captured ninja would have to be decided.
But Hiruzen was unavailable, having been poisoned by Orochimaru. The healers tried their best, but in the end the Third died on that rooftop. But...in those final moments he found peace as Jiraiya had acted swiftly, charging Biwako with enough chakra to allow the aged couple a few minutes of reconciliation, before they peacefully fell asleep forever.
The ninja's of Konoha were in shock, never thinking that the Third would die such an ignoble death. Those who knew Hiruzen however, knew that this was the death he had hoped for, dying for the cause he believed in, next to his beloved wife. Thus the Third Hokage of Konoha died, ending an era for the village.
Fight clarification: Naruto didn't cut off Gaara's human arm. Just his sand one. While Hiruzen is quite powerful, he lost a rather large amount of chakra healing himself from Biwako's attacks. He was able to kill the First and Second Hokages several times, but they would regenerate each time.
To those who asked direct questions:
MEleeSmasher: What I meant by 'Konoha will find itself wondering what is more important' is that, to be blunt, they couldn't stop Naruto from leaving the village if he wanted to. And as such, they will have to see if giving something up is worth it to keep Naruto in the village.
SPeCTeR-II7: Hiruzen doesn't know that Orochimaru couldn't summon Minato.
zigmas: Yes
DragonSword35d: Temari bolted from the room as soon as the Genjutsu fell. You'll see more of what she is up to this chapter.
HellsMaji: The village as a whole believes that Naruto is a powerless Kyubi, not a Jinchuriki. From their perspective, they were just getting 'justified' revenge on the Kyubi.
ArturiusRex8: Shino is one of those people who will do the most logical straightforward route if you don't tell them that they can't. So Shino didn't use any jutsus in his fight. He just told his bugs what to do before the fight started. While it kinda defeated the spirit of the fight, it didn't violate the stated rules.