Opening - Rolling Star by Yui
X
"You're..."
The Sage of Six Paths, yes.
"And you know Kurama because..."
He's my son, yes.
"And you're in my head... why!?" Naruto exploded, again shocking himself with his louder-than-expected voice, but Hagoromo showed no reaction at all.
Well, that one takes a bit of explaining. Ever since you awakened the Rinnegan three years ago, I've known about you. I could feel your presence in the world, and as I felt your story unfold I became more and more interested. I thought it might be nice to chat with you, if I ever got the chance. And now that we're-
"Holy CRAP!" Naruto shouted in disbelief, but this time he cried out in pain and covered his ears in response to his own deafening voice. Despite having been interrupted in the first place, Hagoromo patiently waited for Naruto to recover and go on. "You... I really have heard your voice before! When I awakened the Rinnegan, you were..." he trailed off, eyes wide.
Oh, it uses my voice, does it? Hagoromo looked skyward thoughtfully. I hadn't known about that... hm? Naruto, is something the matter? He realized what Naruto was so distracted by, and he chuckled softly. Oh, don't worry. You get used to it.
What had so completely grabbed Naruto's attention was the realization that his ears were no longer where they used to be. With wide, disbelieving eyes, he was softly pinching each of the new triangular, blond-furred ears atop his head and rubbing them, as if to confirm they were really there. Then his eyes went even wider, and he spun around while trying to reach back and grasp something behind him.
If you would be so kind, please refrain from chasing your own tail at the moment. I really do want to talk to you.
"...You... easy for you to say! You just got a couple of little horn thingies; but now my own voice hurts my ears and I have to worry about this thing every time I go to sit down!"
As I said, you get used to it. Hagoromo smiled reassuringly. And if it's any consolation, I daresay Hinata will find your new look rather endearing.
"I... um." Naruto blushed. "That actually makes me feel a lot better about this."
I'm glad to hear it. Now, would you mind taking a seat? Hagoromo picked up and waved his staff, raising up another circular pedestal identical to his own. The water on it quickly dried, and Naruto carefully sat down while accomodating his new, blond-furred fox tail. Thank you. I think I should answer your next question prematurely; we're not on any kind of time limit. We could talk here for hours and it wouldn't even be a single instant in the real world.
"A-"
And no, your level of power has not increased significantly as a result of your transformation. You're a bit faster, with slightly sharper sight and more substantially increased hearing. That's all, but if you would indulge me with some conversation, I might just be able to help with that.
"You... you will?"
I might. I'd like to learn a bit about you first, before I decide to add to your already considerable power.
Naruto hesitated, then chuckled. "Heh. I'll take what I can get, and it's not like I don't want to talk to you, ya know? This could be nice." he settled into his seat. "So what are we gonna talk about?"
Well, when I lived, I had dreams of bringing about world peace in my own lifetime. I developed a system of chakra manipulation that predates your ninjutsu, that would connect every human being in this world. Through ninshuu, we would all be able to share our true feelings with each other. It wasn't quite telepathy, but the concept is similar.
"Huh." Naruto mulled that over for several seconds. "I get it. If everyone could share their feelings like that, no one could hide evil intentions and no one would ever be misunderstood."
Hagoromo nodded. And furthermore, it would be much harder to bear ill will against someone who was constantly baring their very soul to you. I, for one, would find it impossible to raise a blade against someone I knew as well as my own self.
"So that's what ninshuu does..." Naruto looked down, deep in thought with his palms placed on his knees. His tail swished lazily back and forth, but he ignored it for the moment. "Amazing..."
My belief was that if the entire human race stood together, nothing could topple us... and this brings me to my point, Naruto. I'm curious of your opinion on the matter. Hagoromo leaned forward intently. Whenever you fight, Naruto, you do so with only a small, select number of allies. I can sense that you'll likely continue to do so, even in a situation where you could just as easily stand together with everyone else, a veritable army of shinobi. I'm only curious as to why.
"Stand together... with everyone else..." Naruto repeated Hagoromo's words slowly, carefully thinking them over. "So you literally mean that if every ninja in the world fought as a single force, not even the Ten-Tails could defeat them, right?"
That's right.
"Then maybe that's true. But," Naruto's voice rose slightly, "an army like that would include Genin fresh out of the Academy, armed with C-rank hidenjutsu from their clans at best. At worst, they're from civilian families and they only know the basic three jutsu. The next step up would be Chuunin, who I'd say have a roughly fifty-fifty chance of knowing a jutsu that'll put a scratch on something like the Ten-Tails, and if they have such a jutsu, they'd get maybe five or six uses out of it before they're drained of chakra."
Hagoromo remained silent as Naruto paused for breath and went on, "Then there are Special Jounin, full Jounin, and ANBU. Standing together as an army, they could do some damage against the Ten-Tails, but just like the Genin and Chuunin, to do that they have to stand in front of it and fight it. They have to risk their lives in battle against the most terrifying monster ever to walk this earth."
Ah... so is that why? You don't want to put all those people in danger?
"I... guess that's part of it," Naruto hesitated. "I've never thought about this before, but I don't think I'd put it quite like that." he smiled as the words came to him. "It's more like... I'm sure that a smaller team of strong ninja, my friends and their friends, can stop Akatsuki and their plans. We've done well so far, ya know? So why should everyone else, the Genin and Chuunin and all, have to come out and risk their lives to help us when we can already handle it? Knowing that I'm keeping all those people safe just makes my job that much more satisfying... so I guess when it really comes down to it, that's a bit selfish of me, but it's just how I feel."
...Heheh. Naruto blinked, surprised. You're very different than I expected, and yet, just the same as well. The Sage climbed to his feet, standing atop the pedestal and towering over Naruto. Your belief clashes strongly with my own, and yet I find it so agreeable, so reasonable. He laughed again, slightly louder. And you're right, I suppose. In theory, it wouldn't take a combined force of every shinobi in the world to stop the Ten-Tails. A smaller force of powerful ninja can defeat it, as I did.
Well then. It's been an enjoyable chat, and I do feel like I understand you a little better now, but in the real world you're still in danger. I can offer you some help with that problem.
"I... thanks, jiji!" Naruto frowned then, confused. "But what are you gonna do?"
Well... by now you know that there are three kinds of chakra. A human's blue chakra, a demon's red, and the natural green chakra that flows throughout the world itself. You have two of those three chakras within your body already, as I did once. Hagoromo brought his hands together in the Snake seal. But when I set out to defeat the Ten-Tails, I knew I would need the third. I developed a jutsu to permanently integrate green chakra into my body to match the red and blue... Stand up, if you please.
"...O-Oh, right." Naruto got to his feet, watching Hagoromo's fingers shift upward into the Tiger seal. "So, that green chakra is what we call natural energy? The stuff Hina-chan uses for her Sage Mode?"
The very same. This jutsu I'm using will take in a supply of that chakra and pull it into your body, like Sage Mode, but there the similarities end. His hands shifted next to the Ram seal. Once absorbed, the worldly chakra will be a permanent part of you like your red and blue chakra. Next, he crossed his fingers in what was commonly called the clone seal, then moved on to the Dog. Once spent, it will be replenished over time the same way.
His hands switched through the Horse and Monkey seals next. Unlike Sage Mode, this won't immediately augment any of your abilities. Rather, you'll need to activate it as you would your chakra cloak. Hagoromo made the Boar seal, and still continued on, This will allow you to access, for lack of a better name, Six Paths Sage Mode. Using all three kinds of chakra together will give you great power.
Finally, he made a second Ram seal. However, this form does have drawbacks. While it's active, you'll have to use all five nature transformations at once or not at all. Naruto opened his mouth to voice his concern at that, but fell silent as he felt a strange, warm energy flood his body. Troubling, I know. I tried to work around that, or at least figure out why it prevented me from using just one nature at a time, but to no avail.
The warm sensation flowing through Naruto grew stronger, and his tail whipped back and forth with a hint of concern. On the other hand, channeling all five natures through all three kinds of chakra at once will create a dense, malleable sphere of chakra, a Gudoudama.
"Truth-Seeking Ball," Naruto repeated, intrigued.
Yes. It's a very potent weapon you can shape and control at will, for instance by shaping it into one of your swords. Naruto's eyes lit up. You should find that exceptionally useful, I believe... but there's still more I have to tell you, so let's move on.
"There's more?" Naruto blinked.
Yes... I have to warn you that Akatsuki and the Ten-Tails aren't the only threat you face. The Hokage's eyes went wide. The will of Kaguya Ootsuki, my mother, is still at work in this world, even today. She seeks to make a full return to life, and harness the power of the Ten-Tails to take over the world.
"...Damn..." Naruto scowled. "Another one, huh?"
Indeed. I believe it's more than mere coincidence that she shares the same intent with Madara and Akatsuki, but I can't say for certain. Regardless, you must stop her from returning; it's a matter just as dire as the return of the Ten-Tails itself. Whatever creature is out there, trying to bring her back, find it and kill it.
"Yeah, thanks for the warning," Naruto nodded solemnly. "We'll get it done."
I trust you will... lastly, keep in mind that attacks making use of worldly chakra are the key to defeating the Ten-Tails, and by extension anyone who manages to become its Jinchuuriki. I hope it never gets that far, but if it does then at least you'll know what to do.
Naruto nodded with a confident grin. "Right. Thanks for everything, jiji."
And thank you for talking with me. I know you'll protect this world, even if you don't look at it quite the way I do. Hagoromo held out his loosely balled right fist. Now before you go, let me show you this...
X
When Naruto opened his eyes, Yagura's punch was still in mid-flight toward his nose. If he had remembered to expect it, he might have been able to dodge, but instead the Mizukage's armored fist broke his nose and blasted him back into the base of the tree behind him. He groaned, and rolled to the side of Yagura's next punch allowing it to smash into the tree instead.
He felt his nose pop back into place, and then he flared his chakra forcefully. To his surprise, a wave of neon orange chakra blazed to life around him and threw Yagura several yards away. Curious, Naruto looked down at himself.
Firstly he noticed his sleeves, which looked to be made of a sleek black fabric like silk. What betrayed their true nature as a construct of chakra was the bright orange glow visible on the insides of the loose sleeves. He was now clad in a predominantly black robe of this material, which seemed to glow orange on the entire inside of the outfit, most visibly at the cuffs and flattened-down collar.
In addition, there were six magatama designs arranged around Naruto's collar that also glowed orange, and although he couldn't see it, there was a glowing Rinnegan emblem on his back with nine smaller magatama arranged beneath it.
Whoa... okay, so jiji said I have to channel all five nature transformations through all three kinds of chakra to make a Truth-Seeking Ball... alright, let's give this a shot! Naruto first made a Ram seal for the Wind Release, then Snake for water, Tiger for fire, another Snake for earth, and Dog for the Lightning Release.
Yagura flash-stepped into place in front of Naruto, aiming a punch this time at his throat, but Naruto smoothly knocked the blow aside with a hiltless saber of black chakra glowing orange from within. In his surprise Yagura faltered for a moment, and Naruto took advantage by slashing across Yagura's chest with the very tip of his newly formed sword. To the Mizukage's surprise, it cut cleanly through his coral armor and drew blood.
He retreated with another Pulse Step, and set to work forming a Tailed Beast Ball. Naruto hastily reshaped his sword into a thin circular wall, and took cover behind it as the attack slammed into his defense. Although technically the shield held up, both it and Naruto were hurled across the forest by the blast. To his surprise, Naruto then found himself tumbling along the surface of Isobu's lake once again. When he came to a stop, he turned the Truth-Seeking Ball back into a sword and fended off Yagura's next onslaught of taijutsu.
Naruto vanished with an Empty Wind, to reappear immediately behind Yagura with his sword raised. By now, however, Yagura was getting used to this move, so he spun on the balls of his feet and reached up to deflect the sword with his forearm.
Naruto grinned, and the Truth-Seeking Ball reverted to its basic form. Yagura's block was wasted, and the black and orange sphere began to whirl inside itself just before Naruto slammed it into his chest.
"Rasengan!"
Although this new version of the Rasengan didn't explode forward like the original, Naruto instead levitated the Truth-Seeking Ball itself forward the same way, blasting Yagura back into the tree line and far beyond it.
Shortly after ten seconds had passed and trees could still be heard breaking apart in the distance, Sasuke spoke up behind Naruto. "...Dobe, don't you think you might be overdoing it a little?"
"Sasuke!" Naruto exclaimed in surprise, and spun to face the youngest Uchiha with a grin. "If you're here, that means the others are too, right?" On cue, the rest of the team leapt out of the trees to the right of where Yagura had been thrown, led by Zabuza and Sakura. "Great! I dunno if Hinata and Kurama and the others need any help with Isobu and Choumei, but the fastest way to end this is by sealing the Uchiha controlling them."
"Hn," Sasuke nodded, and leapt toward the four Bijuu currently pummeling each other. The others with him followed suit, and Naruto flickered out of sight with an Empty Wind.
When he reappeared, he was standing in a ragged trench carved into the earth with Yagura crumpled at its end. He was leaning backward against a badly cracked boulder, with his Version Three armor just as badly smashed. Naruto made another five hand seals, forming a second Truth-Seeking Ball and shaping it delicately into a black-orange sword.
Yagura climbed to his feet hesitantly, and his chakra cloak repaired itself as quickly as it could. One of his Sharingan eyes was visible through a hole in his helm, and he glared at Naruto before taking a step forward.
Naruto strode toward him as well, raising his sword in a pose that was second nature to him by now. "You're not gonna stay down, any more than I am," he murmured, "So I'll have to just break that genjutsu."
The two Kage flashed toward each other and collided. Naruto blocked seven of Yagura's punches, but an eighth slipped through his defense and landed on his sternum. He recoiled backward from the impact, feeling it more than he would with the protection of his own Version Three, but he rallied and slashed his blade across Yagura's chest in retaliation.
Yagura hissed in pain from the unnatural wound, and leapt back to form a few rapid hand seals. In a cloud of smoke, his hooked black staff appeared before him and he snatched it from the air, then jumped ahead to attack Naruto with it. The two circled around each other and traded blows, but Naruto noted that his sword was leaving deep gashes on Yagura's staff.
A moment after he observed this, however, Yagura raised his weapon high over his head and ignored the slash that he left himself open to. As the cut through his belly already began to heal, Yagura brought the staff down on Naruto's head and smashed him into the ground. Naruto cried out and tried to raise his weapon, but Yagura raised the staff and brought it down several more times, ruthlessly pounding Naruto deeper into the ground. The earth beneath Yagura's feet shook and cracked more with each successive blow.
Naruto gathered his strength and jumped upward when Yagura raised his staff again, shooting into the sky far beyond Yagura's reach. I can FLY!? He grinned gleefully, just before his eyes went wide at the sight of Yagura rising to chase him, lifted up by a chakra avatar in the likeness of a sea-green turtle with a sleek shell and a single long tail. "Shit!" he tried to fly further up, but was snatched from midair by the turtle.
Yagura moved to slam Naruto into the ground yet again, but he was blasted from his perch within the chakra avatar by Naruto's second Truth-Seeking Ball, leaving nothing in control of the turtle. It made no effort to stop Naruto from wriggling free of its grasp and taking off into the sky again. Yagura flash-stepped back into the chakra avatar, then floated up into its chest and began attacking Naruto again.
Naruto, however, formed another sword from a Truth-Seeking Ball and sliced his way inside the turtle, flying straight for Yagura. The ex-Mizukage raised his staff and prepared to block Naruto's kenjutsu, but he was again surprised when Naruto merely barreled into him without slowing, burying the sword in his gut. Yagura roared in pain and growing anger, letting go of his staff to more effectively pummel Naruto up-close with his fists.
Naruto let go of the sword's hilt, leaving it in Yagura's wound in order to hold off as much of the older Jinchuuriki's taijutsu as he could. Yagura began to falter as the wound in his belly caught up with him, and Naruto used this oppurtunity to punch Yagura in the dead center of his forehead, badly cracking the coral helm.
Yagura reeled, and Naruto planted his fingers into the fissure with both hands before pulling it open, revealing Yagura's shocked face. The sword flew free of his stab wound seemingly by its own accord, and Naruto slapped his palm into place onto Yagura's forehead with a vulpine grin.
"Now wake the hell up!"
X
It's definitely different. Hinata frowned thoughtfully while dodging a volley of small, hastily formed Tailed Beast Balls from Choumei. For a while her senjutsu-enhanced Sixty-Four Palms had been enough to keep the Seven-Tails from using them, but eventually Choumei had pulsed her chakra network clean. I know it's Naruto-kun's chakra, but it feels different... is that senjutsu chakra he's using!?
"Hey, Hinata, you feel that, right?" Tenten called, then dodged another chakra sphere that would've slammed squarely into her chest. "That weird chakra?"
"I do. It's Naruto-kun, but something's happened to him. I don't understand how, but..." she paused and dodged another attack, "...he's using senjutsu chakra like me!" She formed a Rasengan in her right hand, upgrading it to a Rasenyari faster than she ever had before. The process took just over a second, greatly surprising Choumei. "Water Release: Rasenyari!" The jutsu shot into Choumei's armored face and exploded, lifting the colossal Bijuu from the lake's surface and hurling her a very respectable distance considering her size.
With her Byakugan, Hinata spotted the unmistakable beam of red chakra unique to a swallowed Tailed Beast Ball, and within it a flicker of black and orange tumbling violently along the surface of the water far behind her. A moment after the chakra beam died down and its target leapt to his feet, Hinata recognized him.
"Naruto-kun!?" Hinata's eyes went wide. What happened to him!? Although she would've liked to watch what was going on with Naruto, her Byakugan warned her of a far more pressing matter. One of Choumei's wings was scything through the air toward her, and she briefly considered dodging it only to realize that the attack would hit Tenten instead, as the other girl had turned to see Naruto and Yagura fighting and didn't have a doujutsu to warn her of the attack.
Hinata brought up her left forearm and braced it with her right palm, blocking the wing's attack outright. Her feet momentarily lost their grip on the lake's surface, and she skidded a short distance over the water. When she came to a stop, she pushed Choumei's wing back with all of the strength granted by her Sage Mode, and Tenten whirled in time to see this happen. "Hinata, are you okay!?"
"I'm fine," she answered quickly. "I have an idea; let's hit her from all sides with lava and water dragons."
"Got it." Tenten raised her falchion and incanted, "Devour everything within reach, Umiyou!"
"Water Release: Hollow Water Dragon Horde!"
Choumei gave a furious, piercing screech and took off into the air, retreating from the incoming water dragons and currents of molten glass. As she flew upward, she began forming a Tailed Beast Ball while swerving and dodging between the attacks that followed her skyward.
"Hinata, get a Rasenyari ready!"
"I know," Hinata murmured in agreement, forming her most powerful jutsu already. "Tenten, don't you get the feeling that something's wrong?"
"Hm?" Tenten blinked under her black barrier, confused.
"This is the Seven-Tails we're fighting, or at least Fuu channeling all of its power. We should be having a much harder time here..." Hinata threw her Rasenyari just as Choumei let fly her Tailed Beast Ball, blasting it back into the Seven-Tails' face where it exploded and launched her even higher into the air.
"Huh... well, the way I look at it, we'd be screwed if Choumei actually landed a solid few hits on us. We've been staying on the offensive so far, and she hasn't landed a hit. If we can keep that up until someone can take out the Uchiha..." Tenten shrugged.
"But by now, you're probably starting to run out of chakra and Umiyou's lava, isn't that right?"
Tenten paled slightly. "Damn... you're right, I'm running low on ammo. But what about you? You've been in that Sage Mode for a while now..."
"I can keep going. All I need to do to gather more natural energy is stay still, and with my Water Deity I can keep fighting while my own body doesn't move. Theoretically, I can fight in Sage Mode indefinitely."
The Tailed Beast Ball had left a cloud of smoke and spent black chakra in the air in its wake, but now it was clearing enough for Tenten to see through it without a doujutsu, and Hinata to peer through the gradually fading glow of the chakra with her Byakugan. Choumei was hovering above the black cloud, and although it was difficult to read the expression of a giant demon beetle, the aura of anger and killing intent Choumei was radiating spoke for itself.
The Seven-Tails shot downward, far faster than gravity alone could pull her, and Hinata and Tenten's eyes went wide. The two kunoichi each dodged away from Choumei in different directions, but she continued on her course as if they were still there. She dove into the water, kicking up massive waves that shook Hinata and Tenten off-balance, and remained underwater while gathering her chakra again.
...Bijuu Dama.
The water exploded under Hinata and Tenten, throwing them up into the air. Tenten screamed in her shock, but kept a firm grasp on Umiyou and set to work gathering what remained of her molten glass, much of which was currently being doused and cooled by the churning water. Hinata, meanwhile, took control of that water and deftly crafted it into her own chakra avatar.
"Umiyou Yuurei!"
"Aspect of the Water Deity!"
"Summoning Jutsu."
A massive plume of white smoke exploded up from the water's surface, and quickly blew away to reveal Sasuke and his team perched atop a huge blue snake's head. "Get away from the water," he called calmly, but loudly enough that Hinata and Tenten heard him clearly. Hinata launched herself backward out of her Water Deity, and Tenten floated upward inside her molten glass avatar.
"Echo," Sasuke began, with his hands held firmly in the Dog seal.
"Lightning," Aoda added, drawing in a deep breath.
"Torrent!" Jakuzure finished, with her head resting on Sasuke's right shoulder and the rest of her body entwined around his torso.
All three of the lightning users unleashed their jutsu into the lake, pouring a startling amount of the neon blue liquid into the water. A moment later, Hinata saw the entire lake light up that same color as the lightning charge was released. With her Byakugan she peered into the water she was now standing on, dark once again, and saw Choumei floating slowly downward.
"Incredible... that attack seems to have knocked her unconscious..."
"It won't last," Sasuke announced. "You'll still have to fight her, but at least we did some damage."
Sakura and Jakuzure, meanwhile, exchanged glances. "...So, why exactly are you wrapped around Sasuke-kun like that?" the kunoichi asked.
"Heh, he's all warm and comfy. And why should I have to bother slithering around when I have Gaki to carry me?" Jakuzure flicked out her tongue with a sly grin. "Are you jealous, Pinky?"
"P-Pinky!?" Sakura's green eyes flashed white with fury, and she towered over Jakuzure with her fist raised threateningly. "Look who's talking, CHA!"
"She annoys me too, Sakura," Sasuke announced with a faint smirk. "She seems to find it funny."
"It is funny," Jakuzure corrected him. "So what's our plan this time?"
"Aoda and Zabuza, you'll stay here and help Hinata and Tenten," Sasuke ordered. "Sakura, Taka, and Jakuzure, you're coming with me to seal the Uchiha responsible for this."
"Tenten..." Aoda repeated the name and turned to look for her. "Is that you inside the liquid glass jutsu?"
"...Yeah, why?" she asked, slightly suspicious.
"For the past three years, the Snake Clan have been telling stories about you," the blue snake admitted. "You've grown into something of a legend now... it will be interesting to fight alongside you."
"Team, move out," Sasuke spoke up again, and leapt away toward the shore. "Karin, Jakuzure, help me find the Uchiha. Suigetsu, try and use Samehada to help as well."
"R-Right, I almost forgot..." Suigetsu pulled the massive sword from where it hung on his back. Samehada, can you help us out?
You forgot about me already... shameful. I can't sense an Edo Tensei's chakra; it has no scent and no taste.
...Well, thanks anyway. "Samehada can't help us with this one, sorry."
"That's fine; I've spotted him," Karin answered. "Kimimaro and I will take point; you guys follow us."
They set off, with Kimimaro and Karin at the front of the group. Behind them stood Sasuke and Sakura, and after them came Juugo and a much more relaxed-looking Suigetsu. Armed with Samehada, the formerly terrified and poorly equipped swordsman was now confident in his chances of survival.
"Above us!" Karin called, and leapt up higher into the treetops, shortly followed by the rest of Taka and Sakura. "There."
"I see him," Sasuke announced with his Sharingan active. "Tousan..." everyone's eyes widened considerably, "...can you hear me in there?"
"...Sasuke." Slowly, Fugaku turned to face the Konoha-nin with a faint smile. "I guess it's my lucky day after all. I wasn't given any directives to attack anyone who found me, only to avoid being sealed if at all possible. I don't have to attack you, which is good because I'm sure I'd get nowhere."
"I wish we had time to talk, tousan, but I can't risk my friends' lives for that." Sasuke sighed, turning his scarlet gaze downward sadly.
"I can't make the Bijuu fight any less aggressively, and now that Yagura is free of my genjutsu I can focus on the demons more, but I can buy us some time to talk, another way."
"Hn?"
"Your friends are holding their own against the Seven-Tails, especially now that that snake has gotten involved. The Three-Tails is fighting a losing battle against the Nine-Tails and One-Tail, so there's nothing to worry about there... I can tell you what the Seven-Tails is doing in real time, and you can seal me if your friends are in danger of dying. Until then... we can talk."
Sasuke remained silent for a few moments, considering this. "...Taka, Sakura..."
"If he says we have time, then you should do it," Sakura suggested firmly. "Hinata and Tenten have held out this long."
He nodded. "We can talk, but not for long. Tousan... did you find out about Itachi, before he...?"
"I did," Fugaku nodded. "How much do you know about that night?"
"I know the truth," Sasuke answered. "About the coup d'etat, and Itachi's real motives... do you forgive him?"
"I never blamed him in the first place," Fugaku smiled slightly. "I'm proud of Itachi, and you as well, Sasuke." The last Uchiha closed his stinging eyes and lowered his head, trying not to cry in the presence of his father. "It looks to me that you've grown very strong, and..." Fugaku paused. "...The Seven-Tails is fighting your snake summon at close range now. The kunoichi there are providing support with Water Release and lava ninjutsu. The fight still seems even."
"I..." Sasuke let out a shaky breath, and looked up with his Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan. "I'm going to restore the Uchiha Clan, and I'll make sure that we never repeat the mistakes we made-"
"I made. I was the clan leader, I was the one who roused the clan's hatred rather than calming them down, I was the one who planned the coup. To say 'we' implies that you had a hand in that tragedy, Sasuke. You did nothing wrong." Fugaku blinked, and his Sharingan gleamed as he scanned over Sasuke's and Sakura's stances. "Ah... so you're going to restore the clan, with her specifically."
Sakura turned bright red, shortly followed by Sasuke. "...Hn."
"Best of luck to you both. Will Itachi be helping to raise the next generation of Uchiha, or..." Fugaku hesitated, "...has something happened to him?"
"He's alive," Sasuke assured his father, "but as far as I know he's never had a girlfriend. He's been away from the village ever since that night, and he only returned recently."
"I see..." the older Uchiha paused. "The Seven-Tails is preparing several fully powered Tailed Beast Balls. I wish we could talk more, but you should seal me immediately."
Sasuke reached behind his back for his sword, but remembered that he'd lost it in the fight against Deidara. He instead clapped his hands together in the Tiger seal, then shifted through Dog and Ram. "Blaze Release: Chidori Great Fireball Jutsu!"
Fugaku countered, "Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation!" Sasuke... I have so many questions I wish I could ask. How did you get the Mangekyou Sharingan? What's become of Konoha since my death? How has Itachi returned to Konoha after the massacre? As he expected, Sasuke's jutsu burned through his and left him no time to dodge. I'm dead... so I suppose I'm lucky to have talked with you for even this long.
The lightning and black flames struck, although he didn't feel any pain. He fell to his knees as the flames ate away at his body, and Sakura dashed forward with a sealing tag in her hand. Sasuke extinguished much of the flames burning Fugaku's chest, allowing Sakura to place the tag without harming herself.
Hn... I hope you live a long and happy life before I see you again, Sasuke. I'll wait to ask those questions.
X
Hinata phased herself gradually out of Sage Mode, staring warily at Fuu who was floating face-up in the water, unconscious. "I think this means Sasuke's team... managed to seal the Edo Tensei Uchiha," she murmured, and glanced over to where Isobu was facing Kurama and Shukaku, barely conscious and standing on the water's surface.
"Yeah, either that or it's a really well-done ruse," Tenten agreed. She pulled Fuu out of the water and turned toward the shore, before flash-stepping there and laying the unconscious Jinchuuriki on the sand.
Hinata's eyes widened as she felt Naruto's chakra flare, and suddenly she could sense it much more easily. She turned with a broad smile, and greeted him. "Naruto...kun!?" her eyes went even wider. "...Is that a tail?"
"Yeah," he replied with a faint blush, and watched as Hinata circled around him to get a better look at the furry appendage.
"Can I, um... touch it?" Naruto hesitantly nodded, and she grabbed his tail with both hands. After only a moment, it began lightly trying to tug free of her grasp. She let it go quickly. "S-Sorry!"
"No, it didn't hurt," he admitted sheepishly, and the tail swished back and forth once. "It's just an instinctive thing, I think. I'm not really in control of how it moves, ya know?"
"Oh... I guess that makes sense. Foxes don't have prehensile tails," she murmured, still staring at it as if it were a genjutsu. "Um... How the hell do you have a tail?" she asked this without raising her voice, despite her shock. "And what are you wearing?"
"Long story," he replied, and held out his fist. "Here, bump your fist with mine, Hina-chan."
She blinked, then did as he suggested. Tenten watched with growing curiosity as her eyes went wide for no apparent reason. After a few seconds, she lowered her hand. "You almost died... and then the Sage... Six Paths Sage Mode..." she shook her head. "I didn't think it was possible to do something like that."
"Yeah. Ever since I talked with him, I've been getting the feeling that there's a lot more we could both be doing with our powers; crazy awesome stuff we just haven't thought of yet..." he trailed off as Hinata grabbed and rubbed one of his ears. "...Hina-chan, are you feeling okay?"
"Soft... and colder than I expected..." she murmured this lowly, but Naruto would've heard it even without his newly enhanced hearing. He blushed deeply, but Hinata seemed not to notice. It took her several more seconds before she realized that Tenten, Aoda and Zabuza were all staring at her, and she quickly released his ears with a scarlet blush to match his. "...Um."
Naruto chuckled. "Jeez, it's been a long time since you've blushed like that, Hina-chan. I almost forgot how cute it was."
Hinata was about to reply, but she cut herself off upon spotting a ninjutsu activating next to the Three-Tails. "I-Isobu!" all eyes snapped toward the black portal that opened a moment later, out of which stepped an Uchiha in an Akatsuki robe. The newcomer laid his palm on Isobu's shell, and the Three-Tails vanished into another spiralling black portal. Blood then gushed from the Akatsuki member's Mangekyou Sharingan, and he turned his gaze on an unconscious Fuu.
Naruto flash-stepped to the side of his unconscious fellow Jinchuuriki, and Kurama leapt away from the Uchiha. Shukaku returned to his place inside Gaara's seal, and Hinata began gathering natural energy to reactivate her Sage Mode. Naruto formed a Truth-Seeking Ball and immediately threw it at Obito, who dodged to the side rather than relying on his Kamui.
"...Hn." Obito cracked a slight smirk. "Well, even just one of them is a nice start." He threw a Sharingan genjutsu at Naruto, who recognized and shattered it with help from his Rinnegan. "So you're Naruto Uzumaki..." A Rasenyari from Hinata shot through the side of his head, leaving him completely unharmed. "...It's nice to finally put a face to the name."
"Who the hell are you?" Naruto snarled, shaping a Truth-Seeking Ball into a black and orange sword.
"I'm no one," the Uchiha answered, then paused. "Although it seems that answer isn't good enough for anyone today, and since I've already been identified by Kakashi... my name was Obito Uchiha, and you know me as Tobi."
"Give Isobu back," the Hokage ordered, stalking forward with fury in his orange eyes.
"No," Obito answered flatly. Glancing around at Kurama, Fuu and Gaara, he went on, "Kyuubi. Nanabi. Ichibi. I'll need the three of you as well..." Kurama and Gaara tensed and averted their eyes from his Sharingan. "...but you two are still prepared to fight. I can't take either of you right now, and it doesn't look like I'll have a chance to take the Nanabi as well... Hn... I suppose I'll have to make do with just one."
"You bastard..."
"Don't bother," Obito smirked at a seething Naruto, and raised his left hand over his face. "You already know you can't stop me from leaving, so don't bother saying I won't get away with the Three-Tails." he slowly swept his hand downward, and as his arm obscured and passed over his body, it vanished. "Goodbye for now... Konoha shinobi."
The moment Isobu vanished, Naruto flash-stepped to Kurama's side and sealed away the willing Nine-Tails. "Somebody get Fuu; I'm heading back to grab Yagura," he announced. Tenten moved to pick up Fuu, and Naruto vanished with an Empty Wind. He returned after several seconds with Yagura out cold in his arms.
"We should get out of here as soon as Sasuke's team gets back," Tenten suggested, and no one argued.
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