Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Rurouni Kenshin. Christ I can't do this right now. Sponge Bob Guy just fucking take over already!
"Talk" Character talking.
'Think' Character thinking.
Announcer from Sponge Bob: Uh, hey everyone long time no see. Listen, Armageddon would apologize for being super late, but life unfortunately happened and kicked him in the balls. First off he worked a lot, and I mean a lot in order to get the remaining amount of money to buy a house and move out of the shitty ass apartment he was in. Yes, you heard me, he's a homeowner now and you know how that goes making your house livable and honestly yours. He honestly lost track of the days and time being a handyman.
The other one...well this is more of a tragedy. Armageddon lost his father; it was honestly sudden, and he was there after watching him go join his grandfather who they buried not too long ago as well. Nothing is really going on hiatus; time is just needed. Thank you for the love and support folks.
Now without further Adu on with this story.
Within the crater that held the shrine that held the meteorite, six guards were doing their best to stay awake.
This was one of the most important positions within the village, not only did they have to pass rigorous tests, but also prove their loyalty. They had to show they weren't Akahoshi loyalists, nor did they have any desire to steal the meteorite itself and sneak off with it. They were highly trained, and highly loyal to the current Hoshikage, nothing got past their watch.
Unfortunately, on this night what should have been the usual boring routine was destroyed when they felt a disturbance in the air. There was a whistling sound that snapped them out of their standing positions and withdrew their kunai knives.
A sudden force ensnared them by their necks and harshly pulled them against the walls of the shrine. The pressure was intense, all knew what was happening and they moved their weapons to cut themselves loose. It was too late, before they could even flick their wrists there was a harsh and terrible pull. The sound of wire cutting through flesh filled the quiet night, and the sound of six separate thumps followed as their heads were separated from their bodies.
Fresh blood stained the outer walls of the temple and soon became thick on the ground. But that mattered little for the perpetrator who committed this horrible murder. Monju shimmered into existence, ending the Chameleon Jutsu that hid him in plain sight and flicked the wires using a little bit of chakra to unwrap themselves from the temple and returned to him.
Bringing his right hand to the earpiece hidden behind his long hair, he spoke into it. "Shura, it's done. The temple is secured."
"Excellent, your skills continue to put me in awe." Shura answered before going silent.
Not even thirty seconds later, dozens upon dozens of bodies appeared in the crater, all led by Yotaka and Shiso, Akahoshi's former subordinates.
Yotaka approached the doors of the temple, his face set in a scowl. For years they had waited, waited to become the sixth great shinobi nation. They had it in their grasp with Akahoshi becoming the Yondaime only to be lost when he failed to return to the village, but now again it was within their grasp.
Yotaka grabbed the door handles and yanked them outwards. The hinges were torn away and the doors themselves became nothing but a fruitless barrier in their way of glory. He stepped forward into the temple to see the meteorite emitting light purple chakra, just resting on a pedestal while clutched in a peacock's foot.
He grabbed the meteorite with his bare hands and felt the power flowing within him. It burned like a raging inferno, but he took it all inside him, all the power it offered was his to command! The dream of Akahoshi would not be in vain, nor would the sacrifice of his fellow shinobi!
Yotaka walked out of the shrine, his dark-colored eyes now shining a light purple. His fellow conspirators were standing in front of him, awestruck at his appearance.
"Tonight...tonight is the night we begin a new chapter in the saga of our village! With the meteorite in our possession, we will take back what is ours!" Raising his hands above his head, the light purple chakra flowed from the meteorite and soon flowed into the men and women who chose the right side of history.
Far away from the spectacle, Shura and his five companions only smirked. Phase three had finally begun.
(Konohagakure - Meanwhile)
"I wonder if he's home?" Hinata said to herself.
It didn't take much effort to find out where Naruto lived. The newly built Golden Leaf Apartments was not exactly a secret within the village, nor was the restoration work that was long overdue, as for the gangs the less said about them the better.
Hinata looked around the area and saw how clean it was. Not a speck of trash was to be seen on the streets, no sign of vandalism, it was honestly a far cry from the rumors she heard about the place as a young girl. Honestly, she found herself impressed.
She soon entered the apartment complex to find it remarkably barren. Not a soul was seen, she even activated her Byakugan and literally saw only three human chakra signatures in the entire place. A frown formed on her beautiful face, the place was brand new and yet there were so few people.
"Hyuuga-san, how can I help you?"
Hinata nearly jumped out of her skin in fright and turned around to see the imposing form of Tsuno Sarutobi, lit cigar in hand. He gave her a small smirk as she calmed her beating heart. "You have to work on your detection skills, kid."
"I, uh…I will work on that. I'm sorry, are you the new owner?" Hinata asked.
"One of them. My wife, Tomoko, runs this place with me." Bringing the cigar to his lips, Tsuno inhaled and then exhaled. "Are you looking to find a place to rent, young lady?"
"No, well actually…" Hinata trailed off in thought. Renting a place here honestly didn't sound like a bad idea, she could live independently, and see Naruto more often. Shaking her head to clear the thoughts away for now, she turned her attention back towards the Sarutobi Clan member. "I was actually hoping to find Naruto Uzumaki here."
"I'm afraid he's out on a mission, what kind you ask? That is none of my business. But if you got a message his roommate is in apartment number nine."
"Thank you, sir." Hinata politely bowed to the older man and made her way to the single chakra signature she saw no more than a few minutes ago. This had to have been Naruto's roommate by a quick series of elimination after what Tsuno said.
On her way up to the apartment Hinata thought back of her conversation with the boy she was no doubt in love with. She was fully aware of the woman named Haku who lived with him, their past, their relationship, but she never met her, nor did Naruto really tell both her and Koyuki what she looked like.
A part of her really wished that Haku was plain-looking, somewhat easy on the eyes but nothing extraordinary and for her non-threatening. But considering that Haku was a kunoichi with a kekkei genkai that seemed a bit unlikely, after all, she had yet to see a kunoichi that wasn't at least somewhat attractive, after all her sensei was a very beautiful woman, and even some of her female classmates she saw every day until graduation were attractive.
Feeling the heat rising in her cheeks, Hinata shook off those thoughts, she didn't see other girls that way! Not at all, she was straight since her eyes were only for one man and one man only!
Arriving in front of the door with the kanji for the number 'nine' under the peephole, Hinata took a deep breath and knocked on the door. She knew it wouldn't take too long for this Haku character to answer, she saw that she was awake, sitting on the couch with two smaller chakra signatures that she assumed were pets.
When the door opened Hinata's brain stalled out. The woman who greeted her was absolutely beautiful with long black hair that went to the middle of her back with two locks of her hair falling loose framing her face. Her skin was pale, her dark-brown eyes were large and beautiful, and her slender frame was covered by a light blue sleeping yukata with white swirls that went to the middle of her thighs. It honestly did nothing to hide her smooth, shapely legs and bare feet from her all-seeing eyes.
Haku cutely tilted her head seeing a Hyuuga in front of her home. As far as she knew Naruto-sama was on good terms with the clan head, perhaps this was an acquaintance of his?
"Hello, can I help you?" She asked.
Her brain rebooting Hinata barely managed to clear her throat. "Ah! Hello, um I guess you are Haku-san. Naruto-kun's roommate?"
"That is correct, I am his roommate." And more, Haku mentally smiled to herself remembering the closeness she and Naruto recently shared together. "May I ask who is calling on Naruto-sama? He is currently on a mission right now."
"I know, the landlord told me about that. I just wanted to see if he was around and check up on him. But if he isn't around…" Hinata trailed off.
"You must be Hinata." Haku pleasantly said. It honestly wasn't hard to deduct who she was from what Naruto told of her. "Please come in, I have been wanting to meet you for some time now."
Haku retreated back into the apartment allowing Hinata to come inside. While nervous, this was the perfect time to get a read on the woman Naruto held in high regard, she wasn't going to waste her chance in determining if the stories were exaggerated or not.
After removing her sandals at the entrance Hinata was greeted to a very modern apartment. Everything was new and well maintained, but what surprised her were the two animals sitting on the couch. One was a beagle puppy and the other was Tora the cat!?
"What is that demonic beast doing here!?" Hinata looked at the cat with wide, terrified eyes.
"Who, Tora?" Haku looked at the cat who looked up, gazed at the two of them with her amber eyes before going back to sleep. "I honestly don't know why people keep saying she's a demon cat. Tora is actually very sweet; she does like affection but not enough that would actually hurt her. She seems to like Naruto-sama more than most people."
It wasn't hard to believe that Tora liked Naruto, he honestly seemed to have a certain charm that drew people to him, but the former heiress couldn't look at the cat without remembering seeing her claw Kiba's face like a scratching post. So, she moved to sit at the kitchen table far away from the sleeping feline.
Neither of them spoke for several awkward minutes. While the animals slept, Haku made up some tea for the two of them. After pouring the hot liquid into two cups she gracefully settled herself opposite from Hinata and took a sip.
Hinata took a sip herself and tasted the jasmine. It was well made, but not on par to what her clan usually served.
"I hope the tea is to your liking." Haku broke the ice and finally began to strike up a conversation.
"It is very well made and easy on the tongue." Hinata honestly replied. "You seem to have this perfected."
"I wish that was true. Tea is one of the few things I can actually make, but when it comes to food…I'm afraid I am a terrible cook." A figurative storm cloud appeared over Haku's head. "I follow the instructions, but somehow I just can't seem to make it edible."
A sweatdrop appeared behind Hinata's head. She wanted to feel sorry for her, but inwardly she was keeping track of how superior she was. She was an excellent cook, and mentally made a plan to cook her Naruto-kun a wonderful dinner.
"Practice eventually makes perfect, Haku-san." She said to cheer her up. "But I have to ask…why is Tora in your apartment? Madam Shijimi has been looking all over for her and even set it as a B-rank mission."
"She snuck in here and we decided to keep her." Haku simply answered with a slight shrug of her shoulders. "Plus, Naruto-sama said he would return her if it got high enough for it to be an A-rank mission."
Hinata couldn't help but giggle, that honestly sounded like Naruto. She didn't exactly support him exporting their Daimyo's wife, but at the same time no one had to deal with chasing and capturing Tora for several weeks.
"Now I think it's time for a real talk." Immediately the mood shifted, while Haku was still smiling and looking absolutely pleasant, her demeanor took on a more dangerous aura. "Naruto-sama informed me all about your intentions. As his loyal servant I have to make sure that you are being genuine."
Instead of finding herself shocked, Hinata looked at Haku with an intense gaze. She gripped her cup to the point it began to shake. "Everything you were told is true. I fully plan on committing my life to him, I lost Naruto-kun once already, I won't lose him ever again."
The two women continued to gaze at each other, and the animals looked up from the couch to see bolts of electricity fly from their eyes and meet in the middle.
"Good, I don't want anyone weighing Naruto-sama down."
"Funny. I was going to say the same thing. I don't want my future husband to be burdened by the chaff."
"Future husband?" Haku's voice took on an icy tone. "Ara, ara, aren't you so bold to claim such a thing."
"Just because you share the same bed means nothing to me." Hinata cooly replied. "I loved him the longest and I fully plan on becoming his wife. If you're going to want to be with him, I can at least approve of you being a concubine."
A tick mark appeared on Haku's right cheek. "A concubine you say. Funny, I was about to say the same thing about you."
A tick mark appeared on Hinata's right temple. "Is that so…"
The animals, sensing the danger rolling off the two women quickly hid under the couch. They did not want to be caught in the middle of the kunoichi cat fight that was about to happen.
However, before they could come to blows the front door slammed open to reveal a highly irked Tsuno Sarutobi with a bo staff in hand.
"Alright…what in the world is going on here?" The two kunoichi opened their mouths to speak, but he held up his left hand to stop them. "You know what? I don't care. Listen ladies, there is going to be absolutely no fighting within the apartment complex, if you want to fight head to one of the training grounds."
"I'm sorry Sarutobi-san, I'm afraid our conversation got a little too heated." Haku apologized.
"I'm sorry as well. It won't happen again." Hinata seconded.
"See that it doesn't, this is your first warning Yuki-san. As for you Hyuuga-san, you're a guest here, I expected you to behave better than this." Seeing that the both of them were thoroughly chastised, Tsuno softly sighed. "Finish up and head home Hyuuga-san, it's going to get dark out and I would rather have you home with your family than out on the streets."
"I won't be too much longer Sarutobi-san. Um, actually I wonder what the process is to apply here?" Seeing the former Anbu Black Ops member raise an eyebrow, she quickly clarified. "I'm just curious, that's all! I mean, I might just be a Genin but I'm still a young woman who wants to…" She trailed off, unable to say any more.
"I get it, business hours are nine to six, come back tomorrow. But I would discuss this over with your father first." Without anything else needing to be said, Tsuno departed. His wife was about to finish dinner and he was not going to miss it for the world.
"Thinking about moving in here?" Haku coyly asked. "That is pretty bold of you princess."
"It was just a thought, but I am honestly considering it." Hinata cooly replied.
"Well, I hope you can get in…neighbor."
Both Tora and Oakmi looked at each other in concern. This was not going to end well.
(Senju Compound - Meanwhile)
The office of Hashirama Senju was a room that very few outside the clan were ever allowed to lay their eyes on. The room was not only built by the man himself but held one-hundred years of history. If the walls could talk they would tell the visitors of the sleepless nights Hashirama sat there going over documents, laws, and meetings with prospective clans who wanted to join the village. It would also reveal intimate moments when the man kissed his wife, Mito Uzumaki for bringing him his favorite tea, the sweet talks and kisses they gave each other that were filled with love. It would also reveal the cherished moments Hashirama would have with his granddaughter Tsunade, teaching her how to gamble and introducing her to Medical Ninjutsu that shaped not only her life, but her career path.
Of course, it would also have bad memories. If the walls could talk it would show various arguments him and Tobimura would have regarding the Uchiha Clan, missions that were the blackest of black ops that they would be destroyed on completion or failure so the world would never learn of them. But worst of all would be something that included his eldest son who broke his marriage vows by sleeping with other women because he felt entitled to it. His weak defense was to spread the seeds of the Senju Clan far and wide so the clan would become more powerful.
He was stripped of his status, chakra sealed by his own mother, removed from the family tree and banished from the village after being sterilized. This private matter was only known to the clan and the very few who were privy to it.
Yamato Senju couldn't care about any of that. Currently wearing a brown yukata with forest green trim, he was looking over several documents with judgmental eyes. His mission: if one could even call it that, was of great importance. As the clan head he needed to learn everything about the new "family" he was supposed to lead. Their history and dealings after the Nidaime Hokage died, their finances, contacts, numerous jutsu and so much more.
A knock on the solid doors broke him from his research, "What is it?"
"Ah! I'm so-sorry Yamato-sama, but the girl…"
Yamato resisted the urge to sigh. The Senju Clan was a hot mess, the "assistant" if he could even call him that was a stuttering mess of a boy, no confidence at all, and meek as a mouse. And he wanted to join the academy? He would need to grow a spine by the end of the year to do so. At least he listened to orders, but that was all he had going for him.
"Please send her in, Ren."
The door opened and in walked someone he had been wanting to talk to for some time now. She was a girl around twelve years of age, had orange hair tied up, with red elastics, into two very large pigtails, dark blue eyes and a perpetual blush. Her outfit consisted of a sleeveless purple vest over a violet t-shirt, and layered skirt.
This young girl before him was Mogei Kazamatsuri, the granddaughter of Akisame Senju, the so-called heiress of the clan, and the only other person within the village that could use the Mokuton Kekkei Genkai like himself.
"Yamato-sama…you wished to see me?" Mogei gulped before politely bowing to the new clan head.
"Indeed. I would have called for you earlier, but I needed to get all the information I could about the clan." Yamato gestured to the dozens upon dozens of scrolls, journals and books stacked around the office. If it wasn't for the Shadow Clone Jutsu it would have taken him months instead of days to sort through it.
Slowly clasping his hands together, entwining his fingers he looked at the young girl. "Mogei, you have absolutely nothing to fear from me. I am not here to hurt you or your family. I need clarification about something regarding your unique ability."
"This is about my ability to use the Mokuton, isn't it?" Clenching her fists Mogei's entire body began shaking. "It's always about my Kekkei Genkai! Grandpa always forced me to use it but I…I…can barely do anything and I-"
Yamato nodded and listened to the young girl pour her heart out. Before calling her into his office he looked up Moegi Kazamatsuri. She was born to Ai Senju who left her clan to marry a Chunin by the name of Daichi Kazamatsuri. From the reports he read the family was filled with love and affection, but Daichi unfortunately died when she was ten years old, and her mother died a few months after during a mugging gone wrong. With Akisame being her only living relative, she was taken in and given a home.
Of course, Akisame made sure to check out her chakra affinity, to learn that the chakra paper turned into wood made him ecstatic. After coming home from the academy, he would force her to try and combine her earth and water affinities to create wood. But the problem was they were using records from Hashirama's time, not only was it outdated, but it worked for Hashirama himself and no one inherited the Mokuton after him. The Senju Clan had definitely stagnated to the point that it was sickening.
Rising from his chair Yamato circled his desk and placed his hand on Moegi's shoulder. He got down to one knee and looked her in the eyes. "It is not your fault; your grandfather was wrong to force you to use your Kekkei Genkai."
"But I need to use it, I need to use it to become a great kunoichi…I-"
"Now who says you need to use it?" Yamato said, causing her to look at him in shock. "Moegi, I've looked in on your time at the academy. You have very good grades, you're near the top of your class, you don't need your Kekkei Genkai to become a great kunoichi."
He placed his left hand on top of her head and gave it a gentle pat. "Listen, I am going to help you. Not with the Mokuton if you don't want to, but with your earth and water affinities. But don't think we're just going to stop there; I'm going to make the Senju Clan something to be proud of again. Hopefully I can count on you to show this village that we aren't a clan filled with one-trick ponies."
"But what if I want to try? I mean…" Moegi struggled to try and voice her words. "I don't want to not use it. The Senju Clan means clan with a thousand skills, does that not mean I shouldn't learn how to use it?"
Yamato couldn't help but smile. This girl was certainly different from the other clan members he was forced to interact with. "I like the way you think, Moegi. But before you can walk you have to learn how to crawl. Tomorrow after the academy come to me and we can work on the basics before working on something more advanced."
"But don't you have work to do here?" Moegi tilted her head to the side in confusion.
"Oh my sweet summer child, that is what shadow clones are for. Now that I know what to focus on, I can focus on more important things."
"I'll see you tomorrow then sensei!" Moegi smiled for the first time since walking into the office and ran out of the room with renewed energy.
Yamato sat back in the chair and found himself looking up at the ceiling. Perhaps the Senju Clan wasn't a lost cause after all.
(Hoshigakure - Meanwhile)
"These people aren't doing too bad." Naruto remarked to his teammates.
Naruto was not going to deny that this was an odd scene, he was with a team that he never wanted to be on, eating dinner with them. Sasuke was in a pair of dark pajamas, Sakura in a large pink shirt and white short shorts, and him in an orange shirt and black shorts. All three were getting ready to head off to bed after eating after a long, but odd day of training.
While Kakashi was busy talking with Natushi and Hotarubi, or at least that is what he claimed he was going to do, the three of them were in the kitchen of their temporary residence within Hoshigakure. The place was spartan in appearance, all the essentials were there, but any decorations were completely nonexistent. That suited them just fine, after all this was practically a guest house for them.
Pausing mid-bite, Sasuke looked over to his teammate with a raised eyebrow. Swallowing his bite, he soon nodded. "They are improving, for a bunch of one-trick ponies. But they all have a long way to go, never in my entire life have I ever been so disgusted by someone throwing shurikens."
"Sasuke, be nice." Sakura admonished him. Pointing her chopsticks at the Uchiha she circled them in the air. "I know they aren't trained like us; their academy students have learned beyond the basics, their chakra control is honestly one of the best I have ever seen, and they are getting better with those exercises you introduced, Naruto."
"I just picked them up on my travels." Naruto shrugged in response.
"Considering what you told us, it makes me wonder what else you picked up in your travels." Sasuke replied.
"A lot, actually." The blonde replied. Stuffing some rice in his mouth he continued talking after swallowing. "I'll show you some more someday."
"You better, we're supposed to be a team and that means we support each other!" Sakura exclaimed with hot vigor. When her two male teammates looked at her with mild surprised looks on their faces, she blushed in embarrassment. "I mean at least that is what we are supposed to do."
The both of them nodded their heads in response. When they first came together as a team, they weren't perfect, in fact they were far from perfect. But after a few missions and liberating one country later the three of them were beginning to see each other in a better light.
Now Sasuke still had an ego, but it wasn't anything outstanding, he was still anti-social but less a dick about it. Sakura still had her crush on Sasuke, but she kept her feelings under control and kept herself as a professional while on missions. As for Naruto himself, he knew his own faults but found himself slowly working past them with each mission he went on with them.
Even with a minor threat of another faction who wanted their own plans for Hoshigakure, a faction Naruto wanted to see stomped under his sandal due to part of what Akahoshi did in the past.
It was due to these experiences, after so many near-death experiences did all three sense a sudden change in the atmosphere. There was killing intent filling the air, and the three of them turned towards one of the opposing walls.
"Oh-" Sasuke started out.
"Shit!" Naruto swore.
"Get down!" Sakura finished for all three of them.
All three Genin flipped the table over and dove for cover. Sasuke threw Sakura behind it; Naruto threw Sasuke into the corner of the room and kicked the table with Sakura behind it to the same corner.
And then their world was engulfed in fire, and a terrible explosion that made their world fade to black.
Unknown to them the village of Hoshigakure was now in a full-blown coup d'état.
(Hoshikage Manor - Meanwhile)
As soon as the meteorite was taken from the shrine Akahoshi's loyalists wasted no time in enacting their long-awaited plans. It was honestly simple: They would kill Natsuhi and Hotarubi along with every shinobi who followed their ideals. It didn't matter if they were young or old, they needed to extinguish their ideals otherwise they would have to deal with a potential uprising. After they took control of the village, they would keep the civilian population safe, rebuild their forces, and after several high-profile missions and expanding their territory into other countries to gain influence and power before finally becoming the Fifth Great Shinobi Nation.
Twelve of them stormed into the last place Natsuhi and Hotarubi were reported to be in. The Hoshikage's mansion, a place that was stolen after Akahoshi went missing, a place that would now be bathed in blood of the traitors!
The door to the darkened mansion was busted down and the strike team entered the three-storied mansion with enhanced speed and kunai ready to spill their blood.
What they didn't expect was one of them to step on a seal, and a spike trap to swing down from the top of the ceiling and impale three leading Star shinobi. They screamed in surprise, surprise which died away when their bodies went limp and thick amounts of blood began to spill onto the floor.
"What the fuck!? Teru!" One of the female shinobi grabbed one of the bodies and tried to furtively pull it off the spikes.
"He's gone, Kira. I'm sorry." One of the larger Star shinobi grabbed her shoulder. "Mourn him later, he'll be added to the Star Memorial for his sacrifice. We must continue!"
"I'll kill that bitch! I'll fucking kill her!" Kira hissed from underneath her balaclava mask.
The reduced group split into two separate teams and began to search the mansion. One going upstairs, the others searching the ground floor. The ground floor leader searched the kitchen and saw three bowls of a half-eaten meal.
"Still warm, they can't be too far. Check anything for a panic room. No doubt that cowardly Kage is hiding somewhere with her husband and son." The leader said.
"Hiding somewhere?" A feminine voice practically echoed into his ear. "Perhaps I am. But that is the life of a shinobi, isn't it? To fight in the darkness."
"Show yourself you bitch!" Kira screamed in the darkness. "You're going to pay for killing my brother!"
"The seal for that trap has been in this home long since before I was even born. It is meant to keep the Hoshikage and their family safe after all." Natsuhi calmly replied. "He would have been executed for treason anyways, better now than later."
"There are five of us and one of you, even if you are the Hoshikage, you can't beat us! The meteorite has increased our power, you won't be able to stop us without destroying your home!"
"What makes you think I care about a place that can be rebuilt?"
The realization of her words caused a pit to form in their stomachs. The sound of hissing was heard in the corners of the kitchen before a blinding light erupted through the darkness of the home and the kitchen was engulfed in an inferno that ripped apart the countertops, appliances, and everything that wasn't really nailed down.
Fire and smoke billowed from the new hole in the kitchen allowing the area to be aired out. In what was such a pristine kitchen was completely scorched and ruined, bodies littered the area with deep lacerations, burns and shrapnel embedded deep inside their bodies.
Emerging from the doorway of what used to be her kitchen, Natsuhi strolled through the carnage and looked down at the bodies of the traitors with a cold gaze. She spotted the one who called herself Kira, her left leg was blown off, stomach lacerated and there was nothing left of her face.
Spitting out a mouth full of blood, the defiant woman looked up at her so-called village leader. "You…fucking…"
Her words were cut off when a sandaled foot stomped on her throat. A savage twist later the traitor's neck was snapped like a twig. Natsuhi removed her food and barely batted an eyelash as the floors above her detonated.
Soon she brought her hand to her ear and spoke loudly. "Hotarubi, it has started earlier than we anticipated. Get Sumaru and all remaining forces into the forest. We're withdrawing from the village."
"I'm already on it dear. After the first flares of chakra that weren't from us, I knew what to do. I'll see you soon." Hotarubi's voice echoed into her communicator before cutting off.
"May the stars watch over us." Natsuhi said before making her way out of her damaged home. "Kakashi, I know we went over the plan. I just hope your Genin are as good as you say they are."
"Sumaru." Hotarubi spoke to his only child. His voice held no nonsense, this was the voice of a Jonin commander. There was no familiarity between father and son, not when so much was at stake right now. "I know that in the past you have not agreed with our methods when it comes to the star training."
"I know. I still don't agree with it." Sumaru clenched his fists. Looking over the village he narrowed his gaze. "But I don't agree with this. Our village…our people."
"This is the result of believing in the wrong person. Akahoshi murdered the Sandaime Hoshikage, he poisoned not only our military forces but their minds as well." Hotarubi looked over the village. "This is the result of fanaticism. The poison that has torn our village apart. Now we are forced to kill our own people, weaken our own village."
He looked over at his only child, the precious light of his life. "Everything you do now will affect the village. Your friends, your girlfriend, your comrades…and the alliance we have been building up with Konohagakure. They are the future of the village."
"You are the future of the village." Hotarubi finished before placing a hand on his shoulder. "Fight for what is right."
Gritting his teeth, Sumaru looked up at his father. He hated the fact that his village was suffering this way. "Dad, Hokuto and Mizura are still in the village…there are so many more people out there. Please let me go and save them!"
Hotarubi's stoic look softened and a smile appeared on his face. "There's the young man I raised. You know where we're supposed to go just in case of emergencies."
"Of course, that cave you and mom found. I will find as many people as possible, send them there and rejoin you as soon as possible." Sumaru unsheathed a kunai and held it in a reverse grip. "Don't worry. I won't let the traitors take advantage of me, if they attack, I will make sure it is their last mistake."
"Permission granted. But first…" Hotarubi reached out and removed his son's headband. He then reached to his own and removed it, "Until this insurrection is quelled, this village will never be whole. As such, we will not don our village symbol until they are exterminated once and for all. Spread the word, my son."
"Yes father." Without another word Sumaru bolted towards the village.
Hotarubi watched his son head into the village, once he was gone, he clutched his chest and released a terrible, wet cough. It completely racked his body and caused him to spit up a mouthful of blood until he could breathe steadily again.
"Go my son…go. I'll catch up soon…"
Another body hit the ground, her throat cut wide open and eyes open in disbelief. She gurgled and struggled to move her hand to cover the gushing wound, but she found that she couldn't, and she expired without any fanfare, just tears running down her eyes and regrets.
Yotaka licked his lips seeing the latest dead body of their great enemy lying at his feet. It served the traitor right for siding with Natsuhi. All those who opposed Akahoshi and his vision will be purged!
"Shiso! Do you see any life from those Genin?" He barked at his partner.
"I don't see anything besides a ruined building." Shiso replied. "I poured a great amount of my chakra into the Beast technique. They had no way to defend against it in time." He frowned while looking at the smoking building. "But we're too close for any mistakes, you six go search the wreckage. Alive or dead bring us their heads!"
"Got it sir, we won't let you down!" The six Star shinobi saluted their superior before heading to the site.
Shiso stayed to watch over the search for potential bodies while Yotaka retreated further into the village to purge any more traitors that went against Akahoshi's ideals. The long-haired man watched as they quickly began to shift through the rubble.
One of the Star shinobi pulled away a section of all to see a stock of spiky blonde hair that was stained with blood. He smirked and cleared away some more debris and found a scarred whiskered face that he immediately wrapped his hands around the neck. He watched as a pair of blue eyes snapped open and started gasping for air.
He watched as the Genin, the cocky one who showed off all those chakra control exercises struggle. He forced his knees on his chest and grinned widely as his face began to turn purple. Killing someone with a jutsu was fine and all, but there was just some great satisfaction of watching the life fade from an opponent's eyes with your own bare hands.
"Hush little baby don't say a word…I'm just going to kill you!" He cackled, drool slowly escaping from his mouth to splatter on Naruto's cheek.
Growling in defiance the bruised and battered blonde shifted his body. His head was pounding from whatever struck it, no doubt he had a concussion, but he forced that to the side. He could move his fingers and toes, that was a very good thing. He was going to crack open the skull of that drooling bastard. Clutching his right hand, he prepared to break free to do just that, but he felt something nearby.
'Yeah…that will work.' He thought to himself before gripping what he needed.
Pumping a minor amount of chakra into his limb, Naruto ripped it free from under the debris and with the jagged piece of wood in his hand, he slammed it into the side of Star shinobi's neck. Hot blood immediately gushed from the wound, coated his hand and sprayed onto his face.
Ignoring the Star shinobi's look of slack jawed confusion Naruto pushed the corpse off of him and immediately bolted towards the nearest body and shoulder tackled her into the ground.
"Shit! One of them is still alive, go get him!" Shiso ordered his remaining men.
The four Star shinobi who were still on their feet immediately turned their attention towards Naruto. They watched as he flipped over onto his back, locked his right arm under her chin and with a sharp yank after forcing his left hand on her face, forced her head back with a sickening crack. Her neck was snapped perfectly, she felt little to no pain as the life left her body.
The four remaining Star shinobi soon raised their hands to flash through their hand seals to wipe the blonde menace off the face of the Shinobi Nations. They barely managed to get to their very last seal before one of them was struck in the head with crushing force.
The shinobi in question blinked in confusion. Blood was spilling from the left side of his face, he looked to the ground seeing a rock the size of a fist with blood on it, crimson liquid dripping down onto it before collapsing, the left side of his skull caved in from the blow that ended his life.
The remaining three turned to see Sakura, her pink shirt torn to show off her midriff and her white short shorts absolutely ruined by dirt and soot. Her right arm was extended showing she was the one who threw the rock.
"Ninja Art: Kujaku!" Light purple chakra manifested in the form of a feather-shaped array behind them like a peacock's tail feathers. "Destroy!" The chakra feathers launched themselves at Sakura, all of them turning into deadly projectile weapons.
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" To the right side of the group, a white-hot fireball roared towards them tearing up the ground as it went. Sasuke, his shirt in tatters and pajama pants now reduced to tattered shorts, watched as one Star shinobi was completely engulfed by the flames. The second one didn't get off scot free either, his right side was severely burned by the Uchiha's signature jutsu, his chakra cloak already dissipated from launching his attack at Sakura.
Their jutsu, meant for killing the pink-haired kunoichi, did in fact hit her. But they went right through her instead of killing her, revealing Sakura to be nothing more than an illusion.
"Earth Style: Headhunter Jutsu!" A pair of slender hands burst from the ground, gripping the burned shinobi's ankles and he soon found himself buried up to his neck in compacted dirt.
"You little shits! Ninja Art: Kujaku - Gahhh!" Shiso screamed out in pain when a kunai lodged into both his hands when they were on the final seal of his jutsu.
Sumaru jumped from one of the ruined buildings, lamenting that he missed Shiso's head with his throw. At the very least he wasn't going to use any ninjutsu anytime soon. Reaching into his hip pouch he pulled out a handful of shuriken and threw them at the remaining shinobi. He barely managed to pull out his own kunai to deflect the incoming projectiles, but he was struck in the back of the knee by another rock - courtesy of Sakura, that caused him to buckle and catch several shuriken to his flak jacket, neck and jaw.
As their last enemy fell to the ground, Sumaru turned towards the members of Team Seven. "Retreat now! My father ordered everyone not involved in this attack to head to the forest! Go!"
Naruto gritted his teeth and nodded. "Give me one minute, I need my blade."
"Naruto, we don't have time to get our equipment!" Sakura screamed. Her hair a mess, and bleeding from several scratches she was in no mood for anyone to be idle.
"She's right." Spitting to the side, Sasuke winced, feeling his left side bruising pretty badly. There was a terrible ringing in his ears, and blood was spilling from several wounds that caught him in the blast. "We need to go."
Naruto ignored them. Instead, he ran to a specific spot where their bedroom would have once stood. He grabbed several planks of burning wood and tossed them away, shifted through some debris and revealed a dirtied, but well intact Mugenjin.
"There, now I'm ready." He said, grabbing the scabbard and pulling it from the ruined building.
"What the…how?" Sumaru sputtered in surprise. It would have taken hours to shift though that ruined building to find anything, and he just did it in thirty seconds flat.
"Tracking seal. It's inscribed on the katana itself." It was actually on the nakago (tang) of the katana itself, but absolutely no one would know that besides him. Naruto himself also had a locating seal inscribed on himself to find it, as for where, he was keeping that to himself as well.
Sasuke scoffed, but inwardly he was glad the blonde had his weapon of choice. They needed every single advantage that they could get. "Good, we need to go. Now!"
"No so fast! None of you are getting away!" Shiso screamed in denial. Gnashing his teeth, he fought through the pain and freed one of his hands from the kunai that forced them together. Ignoring the blood pouring down both hands he forced a great deal of chakra into his vocal cords.
"EVERYONE GET TO MY LOCATION RIGHT NOW! THE HOSHIKAGE'S BRAT IS HERE!"
The boom of his voice echoed everywhere; it made their ears ring. Flares of purple chakra began to radiate from several areas of the village that suddenly began to bolt towards them.
"Everyone retreat to the forest now!" Sumaru gritted his teeth. He didn't get a chance to find Hokuto and Mizura, he would have to trust that they were safe and in hiding.
"Not a chance! Die! Fucking die!" Shiso began to chase after them with a zealous look in his eyes. His hands may have been damaged, but that didn't mean he was down for the count!
Various barrages of purple chakra shot out from the enemies of the Hoshikage. They impacted the ground and buildings around them, Sasuke barely ducked and lost a few hairs when a very sharp purple blade nearly took off his head, Sakura let out a cry when she was struck in the back by a needle-like chakra attack. Sumaru gritted his teeth and released his own purple chakra and released it to block several beast-like monsters from clamping their teeth on their retreating forms.
"There's far too many of them!" Sakura cried out, a purple blade slicing into her shoulder. It honestly hurt more than getting cut by an actual kunai!
Sasuke wasn't doing any better. He felt something slicing into his cheek causing him to grit his teeth. "Damn it! If only I had my chokuto I could at least try to deflect them!" Not to mention he couldn't activate his Sharingan. He would need to conserve his chakra for later, if he lasted that long that is.
"Sumaru please tell me you have a plan!" Naruto yelled at their guide.
"Grr…I got nothing, just run everyone!" Sumaru felt his flak jacket take a hit, the right side being taken out. But besides some bruising that he felt, nothing else was bleeding. He manipulated his chakra to block several more Beast versions of the Kujaku method.
"You did well my son, leave the rest to me." Hotarubi said, running past the four of them. A sad smile was on his face as he began to perform the hand seals that he had been using all his life.
"Dad?" Sumaru's eyes widened. He watched as his dad moved to face him and mouthed several words before he lost sight of him. Gritting his teeth, he closed his eyes as tears began to escape from them. "Goodbye…"
Naruto looked behind himself to see both Sakura and Sasuke. He viewed the back of a man he would never see again. "Go get them. Nothing will be in vain."
"Enemies of Hoshigakure!" Hotarubi screamed at Shiso and the forty other traitors who dared to attack his village. His chakra began to flare up as purple-black markings began to spread up his neck. "I won't allow you to advance any further, my star may burn out on this day, but this generation will still live on and shine bright for all eternity!"
"Like hell it will! Akahoshi's dream shall live on and the dawn of The Fifth Great Shinobi Nation will begin tonight!" Shiso shouted. Forty chakra signatures surrounded him creating Beasts of all kinds, chakra feathers used to attack, razor sharp blades or thin needles. He smiled manically, no one absolutely no one was going to survive this!
"That is where you're wrong! I believe in the shinobi of the future, and I will sacrifice this dying body of mine to make sure it happens!" Hotarubi's chakra exploded off his body and fanned out until it was a mile wide and high. "Ninja Art: Kujaku! - Beast!"
The purple chakra formed into three gigantic wolves that snarled at the enemies of the village. But Hotarubi wasn't done just yet. He moved his hands into one final, specific seal.
"Synthesis!" The two chakra wolves combined together to create the most massive Beast form any of them had ever seen. It was a solid mass of purple chakra, six glowing yellow eyes and three wolf-like heads connected to the body.
The technique roared like it was alive and barreled at the enemies that dared to cross paths with it. The techniques that struck it were absorbed into it to increase its power and size. Shiso screamed in terror before he and the forty other shinobi were engulfed.
A deafening explosion rocked the village. Any damaged buildings that were still standing violently came crashing down, enemies and allies alike lost their footing, and a terrible cloud of dust descended over the village itself.
Hotarubi panted in exhaustion. Sweat coated his face, purple-black markings covered his exposed skin. He saw the long trench in front of him and knew he completed his duties not only as a shinobi but as a father.
Soon he fell onto his back and looked up at the sky filled with stars. He smiled to himself one last time before closing his eyes and breathed his last breath.
The first hour of the coup d'état dealt a terrible blow to the village of Hoshigakure. One that would be felt for years to come, some more than others.
But one thing was for sure.
The night was far from over.
Armageddon: Hey, uh...yeah. I'm not going to lie this chapter was honestly hard for me to write. Hotarubi was always meant to die during this arc, but after my dad...it just hits harder than I would expect. I couldn't change it, seriously it would have fucked with the story going onward since I had nothing else planned for the man. Sumaru was supposed to grow from this, and it was supposed to be very impactful.
As for Moegi. Geez, I really have no idea what Kashimoto is smoking. But I saw an opportunity for this story and took it. It'll be interesting to see her character fleshed out more in this story, especially since I've given a giant middle finger to canon events by now. Well folks, I hope you enjoyed the chapter to this story, leave a good review if you please. I'll try to update my stuff faster, who knows I might just make something new just for me.