(Chapter 36: A Scorcher of A Mission)
The tailend of November would come swiftly, as the village while still wracked by thunderstorms via the aftermath of Naruto and Fu's final attacks clashing to the point of the weather in Konoha and everything in a 20 mile radius having thunderstorms for the next 2 to 3 weeks; was abuzz with Naruto's overwhelming strength. Given that his display of prowess and might against Takigakure's jinchuuriki had him and by proxy his team, had all eyes on them, as one of the standouts of the new generation; but by proxy it also meant that Jiraiya and on a more neutral to positive stance Minato and Kushina's eyes were on him too.
(November 20th, 997 S.E, Hokage Tower, 12:25 Pm)
It was nearly half-past noon as Kazushi was called to the Hokage's office for a particularly high-end mission; that required her services…which had the Wood Release user all too eager to do a solo mission.
"Alright, so what's the big mission you got for me? Because, it feels like forever and a minute, since I've been on a big one by myself." Kazushi asked the blonde Hokage
"As you know, Pakura, one of Suna's most premiere jonin was supposedly assassinated by a squadron of Kumogakure shinobi. Since then both Sunagakure and rightfully so, Kumogakure who denies all claims of such are at odds." Minato informed the Wood Release user
"Yeah, how could I not know about this! That woman was one of the best fighters they had…Hell, she even had a kickass kekkei genkai if you ask me." Kazushi replied having known about the legendary Scorch Release wielder for ages now
"Then you will be surprised to hear that she not only survived the encounter, but managed to escape to safety in the Land of Forests; where she has managed to lie low enough to recover her strength…It was only as of a month and a half prior that she had reached out to us for asylum, which we accepted and had begun to process of doing so." Minato told the daughter of Tsunade
"Why do I feel like there's a but coming?" Kazushi asked knowing there was more to this
"But it seems as though her opposition has found out about her survival, and as such has sent more to finish the job. Something that we cannot allow, given how she is a powerful shinobi; with an equally powerful and rare bloodline. As such I am assigning you this mission to bring Pakura back to Konoha alive, as an A-ranked mission." Minato answered back as something of this nature was of the utmost importance to complete
"Doesn't sound too hard, if you ask me. I should have this over and done with before the week is over." Kazushi said back in seeing little if any difficulty in the endeavor
'All I gotta do is have Naruto drop me off there, and I should be good to go to get this over with.' Kazushi added knowing that her cousin could come in clutch where transportation is concerned
"Good to know, I would expect nothing less from one of our best…You are to leave for your mission by the end of the day. While she has recovered somewhat, I would rather not take the chance of her having to fend off a 'welcoming party' of her assailants in her weakened state, and risk losing a powerful bloodline in our ranks." Minato ordered of the Wood Release user
"Not a problem at all, Lord 4th. She's gonna be in safe hands, and in the village walls before you know it!" Kazushi replied with a broad grin
"Excellent, although, I do have one question for you, Kazushi." Minato said before she began to leave
"Shoot." Was Kazushi's sole reply
"...Just how strong is Naruto, truly? I know what I saw during the exhibition against Takigakure's jinchuuriki, and the power that was beyond anything I could have ever expected. I have the feeling that he is holding back more than what he lets' on, which is a terrifying thought considering that as a genin he battled against them when they were empowered by 5 tails worth of their tailed beasts' chakra. That is why, I know that as his sensei I know that you have an inkling of what more he is capable of." Minato questioned the Wood Release user who sighed as she faced the blonde Hokage head on
"...Honestly, as much as I'd like to tell you just what his full power is. I legitimately don't know what his ceiling even fucking is, Lord Hokage. I honest to God do not know where his full power ends. Since I shit you not, I cannot come close to telling you where it even is." Kazushi answered back regarding her cousins' full power
"Really?...Considering that you have been his sensei for nearly half of a year, I find that hard to believe." Minato replied skeptically
"Trust me, if I knew where that line was, where my cousins' strength ended. Then I'd tell you, but that's the thing about it, Lord 4th. There isn't a end to it…Hell, even with him fighting that sucker awhile back; he mentioned full and fucking well that he still felt like he had more in the gas tank…a lot more; even when he felt like he was pushing himself as hard as he could. So trust me when I say that, if my own cousin doesn't know, and I don't know where the line is. Then no one knows how much power Naruto's got in 'em." Kazushi told the blonde Hokage
Since the one thing that Kazushi knew for certain about her cousin was that he was one helluva powerhouse, so much so that she knew full well that once he hit his stride that there was gonna be next to nothing that could stop him. Hence why she was a mix of amazement, awe, excitement at the fact that even with all of what he currently had at his disposal, that there was still so much for him to explore, and in all admission of self…Kazushi couldn't wait to experience and see where Naruto could go once he finally hit his stride in the world.
"But I won't lie when I say that I'm happy to see my cousin be really fucking strong, Lord Hokage. If anything, I am more than proud to see that he has literally limitless potential inside him. Something that I can't wait to help him realize." Kazushi added almost starry-eyed with pride at what her cousin could become with the abundance of power inside himself
"Fair enough I suppose. I was just wondering, as one moment he is strong enough to beat the twins in sparring matches, and fend off an assassin with the aid of his teammates. Then the next, he is able to fight on even standing with the 7-tails jinchuuriki; when they are wielding 5 tails worth of their beasts's power…Honestly, it is a lot to take in." Minato spoke finding it all very overwhelming to say the least
"Hey, if you are that worried that all that power is gonna go to his head, and he's gonna go rogue. Then you've got nothing to worry about…Naruto's a good kid, with a good head on his shoulders. Sure he may be a gremlin at times, and a bit overbearing but what do you expect from a kid that's still coming into their own." Kazushi replied
"So as someone who helped raise him, and watch him grow up into what he is now. I can say that without a doubt, that even if he becomes a god-tier menace, that he's still gonna be my little dumbass cousin. That's why, I can say that even if I don't know where his limits are; that he's still gonna be a good kid at the end of it." Kazushi further spoke with absolute faith that no matter what; her cousin would always be a good man at the end of it
"That is very good to know, and I appreciate those words of confidence, Kazushi. It is just that with everything so rapidly changing around me…That you cannot help but grow worried for what goes on around you...Even moreso when you are the one that has to lead your people through those changes." Minato replied given that for the fastest shinobi the world seemed to be moving 5 times faster than he could react most days
"Glad I could help out…Anyways, I'm gonna go prep for the mission…Finally, I get to go on a solo mission for once!" Kazushi cheered to herself as headed home to prepare
'...With how much everything is changing around me, and more often worse than better nowadays. Perhaps finding a successor; doesn't sound like such a bad idea, and neither does an early retirement.' Minato lamented to himself as the idea of passing on the Hokage's hat sounded more and more ideal as time passed
(The next day, 1:28 Pm, Forest Country, November 21st, 997 S.E)
It would be the following afternoon as Naruto had teleported himself and Kazushi to one of the towns within Forest Country to find where Pakura was stashing herself away at, with Kazushi being ever thankful that he cousin was incredibly convenient when it came to quick travel.
"Hey, thanks again for dropping me off here, Naruto. I really appreciate it." Kazushi said while the two headed towards the small motel where Pakura was staying at
"No problem, Kazu. Besides, its no big sweat to do this stuff for you anyways." Naruto replied with a shrug of his shoulder
"Well, thanks to you, I shaved off about 3 or 4 days' worth of travel time. So I definitely owe you one down the line." Kazushi said back thankful that her cousin was a Flying Raijin on legs
"Like, I just said it's not a problem for me at all…Also, I just finished my doing a headcount for the guys that are coming after Miss. Pakura. And you're looking at about a company's worth of jonin and Anbu." Naruto informed Kazushi of the opposition that awaited her
'Damn, Christmas really did come early for me!' Kazushi said to herself in excitement of the opposition
"Do you want me to handle it for you? Just say the word, and I will have them annihilated just like that." Naruto said as he snapped his fingers to punctuate his question
"Nah, I've got it covered. Besides, it has been a long-ass while since I've gotten to flex on anybody. So I'm good on this one, Naruto, but thanks for the offer tho'." Kazushi said as her arms were behind her head with an excited smile on her face
"Plus, I'm going to need someone to keep watch over Pakura while I'm dealing with these dickheads. That's why while I'm gone, I'm gonna need you to make sure nothing happens to her…Can you do that for me?" Kazushi told Naruto on what his part on this was
"That's not a problem for me at all. There is no way in hell that anyone is getting past me!" Naruto replied in full confidence of his absurd strength
"That's what I like to hear squirt. Now come on, we're almost there." Kazushi said pointing towards the motel where Pakura was staying in
The trip to Pakura's motel took a little under 5 minutes to reach as they were able to easily find the Scorch Release user's room thanks to Naruto's teleporting them to the floor on which it was situated on, as the elder of the two took a few moments to adjust from the instantaneous movement. From there after Kazushi knocked on the door and spent a few moments conversing with Pakura in order to confirm that she was the aid that Konoha sent for her, that Pakura had eventually opened the door to her motel room to invite her and Naruto in.
However, the Scorch Release user looked to have seen better days given that having been on the run from assassins for the past few months; with little recovery time until she found this motel in Forest Country had left her worse for were. From her bandages that looked as thought they'd been seldom changed, to her hair that had grown tangled and unkempt from its usual bun to a frayed main of bright orange tipped with forest green, to her body being pockmarked by old bruises and scar tissue that hadn't healed correctly.
After being welcomed into the room, Pakura after being sat down by Naruto who began using Heal Pulse and Aromatherapy in order to repair some of her wounds that hadn't healed correctly, or were suffering from infection it the blotchy patches of reddish purple were anything to go by. What with Pakura feeling a sense of relief she hadn't felt since the weeks before the ambush set by the supposed Kumogakure ninja, that weren't necessarily so as she had informed the duo that in while holding them off that she had seen that her attackers or at least a handful of them were from Kirigakure and her home village.
"First he traumatizes his youngest kid like a complete dickhead, and now he tries to have the literal superhero of his village get set up for assassination, so he can be buddy-buddy with a bloodline-hating lunatic?...I swear that Rasa guys 35 flavors of shitty." Kazushi said not understanding how Rasa could be such a giant dick
"You do not need to remind me. I have had to live with the irrationality of Rasa's choices for over a decade…He may be powerful and has proven that he has earned his position as Kazekage. However, that is overshadowed by his shortsighted decisions with Gaara, and his attempts to try and compete with Kumo and Konoha has left us…" Pakura replied before taking a moment to compose herself as Naruto finished healing her wounds to the best of his ability
"Suffice to say his desperation to have my former home become one of the stronger of the 5, now that Iwa is on the decline; had led to him going to Kirigakure…Personally, I hope the rebels win so that he pays for selling me out as a propaganda piece." Pakura bitterly added
"If you want Miss. Pakura. After we get you back to the village, I can do a quick turnaround and punch him real hard in the dick for you….If you really want me to?" Naruto said to the Scorch Release user
'I already owe him a Sky Uppercut to his junk-mail for being a shitty dad to Gaara. I may as well go two for two.' Naruto said to himself regarding his feelings towards said Kazekage
"While the idea of seeing that would be rather funny. I will have to pass on the offer…The very last thing I would want to do, is put anyone in harms way out of petty revenge." Pakura responded not wanting to put the blonde in Rasa's crosshairs' just to spite the Kazekage
"I'll respect your wishes and all that, but if you ever change your mind. Just say the word and I'll give him the gnarliest nut shot in the history of nut shots." Naruto told her, having stayed ready for shenanigans at all times
"I will keep that in mind. But to be honest, your going out of your way to heal my wounds is more than enough." Pakura said before the deep orange glow of Naruto's healing techniques eventually faded
"Well, the good news is that you're gonna be well enough to go 'bout your business without feeling messed up all the time. The bad news; is that since I'm not a trained medic, I can't heal you to be at a hundred percent." Naruto replied as he didn't want to go further and risk incorrectly healing all the injuries she sustained
"You have done more than enough, young man, thank you." Pakura said before turning her attention to the elder of the duo
"And what will you be doing in the meantime, Kazushi?" Pakura asked
"That's easy. I'm gonna wait around a little bit for it to get dark, then after that I'll go to where they're hiding out, kill 'em all before sunrise. Then all 3 of us can get started on heading back to Konoha safe and sound." Kazushi answered back on her game plan
"I do not doubt that you will succeed. If your reputation is anything to go by in the Bingo Books, then I know that anything short Yagura himself at full power could stop you." Pakura said as a savage grin crossed Kazushi's face
"Trust me, even if that pipsqueak decided to step to me. He still couldn't beat me on my worst day." Kazushi replied with a malice filled grin on her face
"Then the best of luck tonight." Pakura said back as Kazushi's grin widened further
"If anyone's going to need luck, its those idiots. Because by the time I'm done with them; there won't be a heart left beating." Kazushi replied with nothing but full-blown menace in her voice
'Holy shit, that sounded badass, Kazu!' Naruto said through the mind radio
'I know right, I spent all week coming up with that one-liner!' Kazushi replied proud of herself
'But anyways, best of luck to you out there.' Naruto said back
'The good news is that I get some worthwhile entertainment out of it…That's all that matters to me.' Kazushi replied with nothing but pure excitement at who it could possibly be
'Well, don't do anything stupid then…Because the 1st moment I sense that things are going wrong for you, I'm jumping in. There's no way in hell, I'm letting anything bad happen!' Naruto told her in a 'no ifs ands or buts about it' tone of voice through their telepathy
'Relax, Naruto. I've got everything covered, besides. If things go sideways, I've always got my handy dandy new Sage Mode ready to go.' Kazushi replied more than eager to test out her Sage Mode on any unfortunate soul
"...Is everything ok between the two of you?...You both seemed off for a few moments." Pakura asked as the 2 snapped back to reality
"Yeah, we're all good. Just thinking a few things over is all…" Naruto said before he sat up to his feet
"If you guys need me, I'll be out for a walk...Kazushi, just 'message' me if you need anything." Naruto replied as he decided to head outside for a bit via teleportation much to the surprise of Pakura
"Your cousin is certainly an odd one...to be able to do something like that is astonishing." Pakura said still blinking in surprise of what she just witnessed in the form of Naruto vanishing in a flash of marigold colored light
"Yeah, that's Naruto alright. He's always full of surprises…but you get used to it eventually." Kazushi told her
"Should I even ask how many of these surprises he has under his belt?" Pakura questioned still surprised by Naruto's ability to Teleport as he pleased
"Too many count." Was all Kazushi said as she began to smoke a blunt to pass the time
"By the way, you want one? Since we're gonna be here awhile, it won't hurt to smoke a few." Kazushi offered to the Scorch Release user
"Normally, I wouldn't partake in such a thing. However, after everything I have had to endure. I am more than happy to light up." Pakura said as she took a blunt from Kazushi and began to light it
"That's the spirit!" Kazushi said as the two spent their afternoon getting high together
(6 and a half hours later, Forest Country, 8:04 Pm)
After a handful of hours after Pakura and Kazushi got high together; the former soldiered off into the outskirts of the town they were in, in search of the coordinates of where Pakura's would-be killers resided in part to Naruto's directions via their 'Mind Radio.
'Am I at the right spot, Naruto?' Kazushi asked over the mind radio
'Yup your about three hundred or so feet away from them, Kazu. So once your there, your free to wreck their shit.' Naruto answered back in confirmation
'Any idea on what your gonna do to kick things off by the way?' Naruto questioned as Kazushi saw the campsite in question
"I think that I'm gonna bust out a classic, for old times sake.' Kazushi told him as she then channeled chakra into her hands and slammed them onto the ground
'Well, good luck and have fun then.' Naruto said before going on 'mute' as it were
"Oh don't worry, Naruto. I'm gonna have a blast and a half with this one...Let's get to work Chimerafflesia!" Kazushi spoke with a malefic chuckle as vines, roots and plant matter began to erupt and coalesce into a monstrous shape
Whilst the platoon of both Kiri and Suna Anbu and jonin were either on patrol, eating dinner, or preparing to assassinate Pakura come morning, their night was soon interrupted as the pungent smell of cherry blossoms, fresh peaches, and tulips in bloom; poured into the campsite to the point of it being both suffocating and alluring. What with a handful getting up from their posts or from their dinner to see where the smell was coming from with tanto and kodachi in hand, as they carefully went forward to investigate the source of where it came from.
The moment they stepped 20 feet away from the sight, they were snatched into the darkness without so much as a single sound, as the only thing that was evident of their departure were the sounds of bones crunching and flesh being eaten greedily by some obnoxiously large predator, as the overpowering scent grew even stronger. So much so that those in the campsite began coughing and gagging as those there felt compelled to follow the source of where it was, in an almost zombified-like state as their coughing and gagging intensified to the point that some began to cough out blood and bile, as they felt their throats start to seize and close up.
In seeing their comrades begin to disappear one by one in an almost zombified and wistless state, those that were on guard had everyone use whatever they could to cover their mouths and nose; so they wouldn't breathe in whatever was causing their comrades to quite literally walk towards their deaths. All the while the sounds of their comrades being wordlessly devoured by whatever the mystery creature was, that was luring them to their deaths like an otherworldly spectre; had only grown louder and louder as it began to make its advance.
This was why once they did so and the looming creature that radiated that wondrous and deadly scent, that was all the stronger as it entered into view; had their hearts drop at what could only be described as a demon conceived from mother nature herself. The 22-foot-tall creature made itself even all the more visible as Kazushi rode atop it like a child would, with a wide monstrous grin on her face as she took in the ever-growing terrified faces of her enemies as they bore witness to her Predaplant Chimerafflesia.
Said Predadplant took the form several-legged creature made of plant-matter, vines, and roots that had the body of a hydra, wherein where its neck would be were 5 eyeless heads of various creatures made from the same plant matter that had cavernous mouths lined with rows of broadsword-sized teeth like that of a cross between a Venus flytrap and a goblin shark. All the while on it back was a massive rafflesia of bright pink, cotton-candy blue and vermillion that radiated a constant sweet-smelling cloud of the aroma that had lured many to their doom, as within the petals of it was a spiraling cavernous maw of teeth that was covered in a mix of translucent sap and bloody remains.
"Hi everybody, my name's Kazushi, this big guy I'm on top of is Chimerarafflesia; and we're here to kill you all! So I hope you're all ready, because we're gonna make this the most painful night of your lives!" Kazushi exclaimed before stamping her feet to order her Predaplant into action
The looming creature then with an ear-piercing shriek lumbered into action with an unnatural gait, and agility that was blood-curdling to behold as all 5 heads lunged at the nearest 2 shinobi at speeds equal if not greater than most elite jonin; to snatch them in their jaws and devour them with an inhuman speed and ravenous hunger. So much so that within the span of several seconds their was nothing left of them than scraps of bloodied clothing, armor and cracked masks, as the Predaplant shrieked once more before advancing towards their next pair of targets with its inhuman speed and agility.
What with Kazushi using her Wood Release: Briar Whip to either ensnare any unlucky opponent and send them headfirst into the many mouths of her Chimeraraffelsia, or send them flying into their comrades with bone-shattering force; that turned them into puddles of flesh and gore on impact. Then to top it off and to make sure that they wouldn't scatter to try and make use of their numbers, Kazushi used her Predaplant as a medium to unleash her Wood Release: Rooted Sinkhole; causing a swarm of barbed tree roots to spring forth and grab any poor soul in a 40-foot radius; before smashing them together in the ground below with such force; that they were turned to pulp.
Those that were able to gain distance from the abomination of a Predaplant, or able to dodge Kazushi's Wood Release jutsus, which were even turning the forests around them; evident when she used another one of her attacks to turn the branches of every nearby tree into deadly armor-piercing projectiles. Had attempted to use what Fire jutsu they could to incinerate her Predaplant to ash and smoldering compost, as everything from fireballs, and streams of white-hot flame; against its massive frame in hopes that their incendiary attacks would slow it down.
However, instead of it showing any sign of burns or having caught aflame; Kazushi's Predaplant remained intact as the petals on its Rafflesia turned a brilliant scarlet, fiery gold, and lava orange as its center most heads transformed into a warped approximation of a phoenix and Venus flytrap; while wings made of thick briars, brambles and roots were formed from its back. And with a flap of its newfound wings it took flight and reared its phoenix-shaped heads back and fired off a combination of sap, compost and various resins' to fire off a sludge-like napalm that set the area ablaze, as Kazushi's monstrous smile grew wider.
"Did you idiots really think I wouldn't have an answer for fire jutsu? Bitch, I'm from Fire Country, miss me with that bullshit!" Kazushi said as her Predaplant proceeded to go full scorched-earth on those below
As such the company of Kiri and Suna shinobi were forced on the defensive between having to evade the aerial bombardment of the now airborne Predaplant, and its flower having changed its scent to not only smell of habanero and ghost peppers, but now instead of luring those towards it's maw; it now melted the flesh of anyone within 40 feet of it excluding Kazushi. Something that made the task of getting close enough to disable the creature or the task of taking the daughter of Tsunade herself out, next to impossible as the flesh within their bodies was seared and melted away by the overwhelming aroma produced by Chimerarafflesia.
Therefore, they employed a combination of Wind and Water jutsu to combat the widespread napalm blasts of Kazushi's Predaplant which set the area ablaze in white-hot flame, while also making sure to keep the growing flames away from any of their supplies and or equipment. Yet that was going to be far easier than done when Kazushi in feeling that it wasn't enough for her Predaplant to cause terror from above, had decided to leap off the back of her transformed Predaplant and go into the fray herself in order to speed up the process.
Kazushi employed the use of her Wood Release: Bramble Blade in order to create a halberd made of gnarled brambles and briars that she used to tear and impale her way through anyone in her line of sight; whilst using her Briar Whip jutsu to create a secondary tail of hardened oak and thorny briars to act as a defensive prehensile limb. Making her look like an otherworldly monster spawned from the rage of nature itself to strike down those within her grasp, as those that were within her reach, as they were either sliced and shredded by her Bramble Blade, or impaled by her Briar Whip whose thorny reach tore and yanked all flesh and innards out in a brutal disemboweling.
All of which was made more terrifying by her seemingly inhuman strength and dexterity that had her outspeed any jutsus that were fired at her, and bisect handfuls of them into shredded chunks of meat by the time they're jutsu made impact with the ground; while her thorny tail would either crush their bodies into a mangled mess via constriction, or tear out melon-sized holes when it impaled someone. Which combined with her kicking or elbowing someone with a bone-crushing force made her absolutely terrifying to face for the ever dwindling forces, who even when they tried to escape were either intercepted by Kazushi and her thorny weapons, or her Chimeraraffelsia swooping down to burn them with napalm.
Hence why those within the vicinity were forced to fight to the death against Kazushi and her Predaplant; who continued to run roughshod through their ranks with terrifying effiecency, as they worked in tandem to eviscerate them in a horrifying display of dominance…So within the span of precious few minutes of the Wood Release user and her monstrous construct tearing through their comrades, like apack of hyenas into a wild deer; they had slain all 64 of the platoon sent to massacre and ensure Pakura's demise.
The campsite was turned into a bloody hellpit of melted/charred corpses, dismembered and disemboweled corpses that were further warped by the brambles and thorns tearing out chunks of their bodies; alongside her wood justu's having impaled them, and leaving splinters the size of a grown mans' fist in their flesh…That said with no more targets to slaughter; Kazushi dispelled her Chimerarafflesia who imploded upon itself and as such covered the entirety of the area in dense folliage that ranged from thick wild grass, multicolored moss and massive raflesia's the size of an adolescent…the flames only fueling the rapid-fire growth to occur within a matter of a minute and a half.
"Man this was a ton of fun!" Kazushi said as she headed back in good spirits of a well-done massacre
(3 days later, Konoha, Senju Park, 2:12 Pm, November 24th, 997 S.E)
Meanwhile, a few days would pass by before Naruto, Kazushi, and Pakura returned to Konoha; with Pakura getting settled in and adjusting to her new home…granted it was still plagued by thunderstorms but it was nonetheless a step-up from her Sunagakure.
"I know it isn't a spa-day in Hot Springs Country, but at least it beats getting dunked on by sandstorms all day and night." Naruto said while Kazushi was busy smoking a blunt while thunder boomed overhead
"I will admit that it is a big adjustment from my former home. However, even as winter approaches, I will admit that it is a nice change of scenery." Pakura said as flashes of lightning illuminated the night
"Although the storms will take quite a bit of time to get used to...Is it always like this?" Pakura added as the storms continued to rage around her
"Yeah, that's a side effect from Naruto's fight from a couple weeks back..Shit got pretty intense to be 100 percent with you." Kazushi said as she blew out a puff of smoke
"Your cousin was the cause of this?" Pakura questioned
"Pretty much, I mean he did go toe to toe with the 7 tails jinchuuriki, and give 'em a good fight. Hell, he pushed 'em to go 5 tails." Kazushi answered back much to the very reasonable surprise of Pakura
"Is this true…you had actually battled against the 7 tails?...I thought that was mainly an exaggeration of his strength." Pakura said nearly stupefied of this information
"Yep! That's me alright, your friendly neighborhood powerhouse." Naruto replied with a cocksure grin
"If that is the case. Then that makes Konoha's own jinchuuriki seem very lacking by comparison." Pakura said back
"Yeeaaahhh, we really drew the short end of the stick with them. They might have 2 halves of the strongest-tailed beast to ever be. But compared to everyone else they really aren't it." Kazushi spoke in overall disappointment and disdain of the twin jinchuuriki
"Surely they can't be that pitiful, can they?" Pakura questioned
"Here's the thing you have to understand, Miss. Pakura. They're pretty strong for genin, and hell overall they'd could go up against a lot of your bog-standard jonin, maybe an elite if they really pushed it. But compared to every other jinchuuriki out there…They would get obliterated, and it wouldn't even be a contest." Naruto answered back
"Because everything they can do on their own, and with the 9 tails. Just about every other person who has a tailed beast inside of them can do that much better. Just about everyone else can probably turn into a full-on version of their inner beast, and can get some pretty cool stuff out of it. They max out at 3 tails on a good day, and god forbid they try to push for a 4th tail; otherwise they become the fox's plaything and its a wrap from there." Naruto further elaborated
Since it wasn't so much that he was being harsh on them as it was the honest to god truth, given that in his encounters against Fu and Roshi that it had further cemented to him that his siblings were mainly just hype-jobs to deter other villages from coming after them. Seeing as how the majority of jinchuuriki had full control if not pretty close too it of their inner beasts, and could utilize their abilities to devastating effect which he could attest to from personal experience, while by contrast Toshiro and Mizore struggled to go above a 3rd of their beast's power and lacked the means to equalize the playing field.
"That is…rather disappointing. Even Gaara, despite her tumultuous relationship with Shukaku, has an immeasurable amount of control over her powers. In fact, its almost a thing of beauty with what she can accomplish with them." Pakura said knowing that Gaara's abilities and control over sand were something to behold
'She doesn't have to tell me that. I'm pretty sure that if Gaara wants to get away from being a shinobi for a hot minute. Then she would knock it out of the park with her sand constructs, since they stay looking immaculate.' Naruto remarked over Gaara's control and finesse with her control over sand
"Which is all the more a shame, that she is being constantly forced towards her path as a weapon of the village…If Rasa could see that she is far more than the very beast he chose to seal inside of her, then he would know how much of the kind talented young woman she truly is." Pakura added
"If you ask me, he's gonna be the reason why Suna gets put on the chopping block next...And I can't really say that I'll be a fan of what happens when it does fall apart." Kazushi said
"What makes you say that, Kazu? I mean Iwa's pretty much there already, so I don't see how they're gonna get there anytime soon." Naruto said back
"Simple, my dumbass cousin. Once Iwa's out of the picture, it doesn't help that Suna is still the weakest out of the 5 or rather 4 main Hidden Villages." Kazushi spoke regarding Sunagakure's place at the bottom
"That's why, with how things are currently going. Between them having sided with Yagura's bloodline-hating ass, how they already treat their own daughter, and how they already don't get a lot of traction…On top of having done Pakura here dirty for a morale boost, and a shitty one at that to secure an alliance with Yagura. Then they are really burning a lot more bridges than they're making." Kazushi further explained to her superhuman cousin
"Huh, that makes a whole lot of sense. Plus with how much of a jerkass I keep hearing he is, it almost looks like he wants to run his village into the ground. Because there's no way that any sensible person would keep doing this type of crap." Naruto said
"This is what happens when you are in the position that Rasa is in…Having to lead the village that is constantly regarded as the weakest of the 5 Hidden Villages, on top of our Daimyo outsourcing missions to other villages…While I do not condone the bulk of his actions, I can understand the place that it comes from." Pakura replied knowing that Rasa's actions all stemmed from desperation to keep things afloat
"Still, doesn't mean he ain't a total dickhead." Naruto said back
"...While I wouldn't use that particular type of wording. I will agree that he is a piece of work, and even that is an understatement." Pakura spoke in agreement of Rasa being a less-than-stellar human being
"Other than your ex-Kage being a total jackass. Do you have anything planned for what your gonna do; once your all settled in?" Kazushi asked as she finished smoking her blunt
"Once I am fully cleared by Lady Tsunade, and am instated as a jonin of the village. I plan to do a few missions here and there to find my footing. From there, I will just have to wait and see." Pakura answered back regarding her plans for now
Since Pakura found herself in no real rush to dive back into the action, given that her recent experiences had left her worn down and in further need of respite for her to feel like herself again; after having run herself ragged for so long.
"If you ever need a friend or someone to look out for you, then I'll be right here for you! All you gotta do is ask, and we can get up to some real fun stuff." Kazushi told the Scorch Release user
"I will definitely keep that in mind…For now, I would prefer to take things easy, if that is alright with you?" Pakura said not fully ready to swing into action in terms of her social life quite yet
"Hey, that's more than fair on your part. I'm just here whenever you need me is all. Its the least I can do for you, since your still getting used to everything." Kazushi told Pakura
'Ayo Kazushi, I'm gonna get out of here. I got to be at work in an hour, and then after that I gotta go to my farmhouse to make sure its all set up.' Naruto told her telepathically
'Alright, well be safe out, and keep an eye out for Jiraiya. I don't know what has been up with him lately, but he's been getting quiet. Especially after you and the 7 tails girl had your big exhibition match.' Kazushi told him; having a sneaking suspicion that Jiraiya was up to something
'Well, I'm not too worried about it. Since for one, I'm pretty sure that I have enough power to stop him in his tracks, if anything happens. Plus I have my super speed and Teleport as my escape options. Then lastly, even if he does try anything I doubt he's gonna do it with the Fire Daimyo putting him and Lord 4th on notice.' Naruto replied in seeing his bases as fully covered against the Toad Sannin
"Oh yeah, that's right. Ain't Lord Ozai supposed to be coming here in a month or so, to have a word with them or something?' Kazushi asked
'Yep, and from what I've seen when I use my psychic powers for shenanigans…He isn't too happy with what he's had his people start digging into.' Naruto answered back as to say that Lord Ozai was pissed would be an understatement
'That's gonna be one helluva sight to see, when they get chewed the hell out. But in any case, you should probably get going before your late for work.' Kazushi told Naruto before he nodded and teleported away
"Since its just us right now, what would you like to do in the meantime?" Kazushi asked as she hopped to her feet and summoned a wood golem
"I could go for lunch right about now. I am rather hungry, and no offense to your villages' medical facilities…It is just that I could do with eating real food for a change, instead of what they serve there." Pakura responded not being a particular fan of hospital food
"Yeah, I'm not a fan of it either. But what are you gonna do about it?" Kazushi said as she helped the Scorch Release user onto the back of her golem
"That being said, let's go get ourselves some grub! I know the perfect spot that your gonna love." Kazushi further said before she hopped on board and gave the command for her golem to march forward
So with a bit of help from Naruto, Kazushi has completed her 1st solo outing in ages, and has done so in devastating fashion while having brought Pakura back to the village. It looks as though things are continuing to shift and change in the world, but the question remains of what will all of this come to in the end? Find out in the all new chapters of Naruto: The PokeSage!
Alright that'll do it for this one, as I hoped you guys enjoyed this chapter in showing what Kazushi can do when she's able to go at it by herself, and trust me when I say that this is only the start of what she's capable of…so keep this in mind for further outings with her. But beyond that I am as always glad to see that everyone continues to enjoy this story so far, as it continues to be an absolute blast for me to write, and that being said I hope that everyone will continue to support the story; for every favorite, follow and review counts.
That being said, this is Pravus666 signing off until next time. Because the next chapter coming up is Orochimaru's forces launching their attack on Iwa so stay tuned for all of that good stuff.
Part 2 Theme Song: To the Pain by Nonpoint
Random End Song: Shine by Sevendust
Now then onto some of the reviews from the last chapter.
Skull Flame: Happy you liked the fight nonetheless, my guy. Also, you can't really blame Kurama for being tired of his shit at this point. Because at first it was amusing but now its just getting old; especially since he is a weak jinchuuriki compared to all of the other ones out there who obliterate him and Mizore by a wide margin...Furthermore, don't worry...Naruto is gonna get it back in blood against Mizore and Toshiro during the Chunin Exams and trust me when I say he's gonna be going in to put on a fucking clinic, and I'm talking Pacquiao vs Broner levels or Mike Tyson vs Mcneely levels of just ass-whooping if that is an indicator.
Kourtney Uzu Yato: I read your newest update, and all I gotta say is...Well Done Kourtney well done on a fantastic chapter! Also, yeah as here's the thing in that Naruto isn't out of the woods' yet given that if anything he's even more angry than before given that he may have gotten closure on the issues with his parents. But now he has to deal with the constant irritating/festuring wound in his mind and emotional being that is being constantly aggrivated by Mizore, Toshiro and Jiraiya...so expect Naruto to start getting increasingly more violent from hereon in how he deals with people. Plus can you really blame her since in her mind Naruto's the best thing they've got since to her strength recognizes strength, and as such doesn't really recognize Mizore or Toshiro because to her they haven't any of the strength possible to make her recognize them as such. Also, with Toshiro it was a long time coming since it was always a matter of if and not when Toshiro would piss of Naruto enough to finally make him get angry to lay his ass out in public. Furthermore, with this chapter I wonder how Naruko from your She-Devil story would feel about Kazushi as a person and if she got stuck with her as her jonin sensei btw?
Darth Diablos: Glad you liked the previous chapter with Fu and such, and also expect some Resident Evil or Dead Space type of fuckery when we bring things back over to the Toads in a few chapters or so. And don't worry, Ozai will be soon and as suh he's gonna want satisfaction from Jiraiya one way or the other.
God of Wind 200: I'm saving them finding that out for the next chapter that Orochimaru finds out, and oh boy is she gonna laugh her ass off when she finds out about it. Also, yes Fu does have the Sky Plate and its powers to command and as such had given her a pretty decent amp to her overall powers around a +2-3 tails bonus in strength.
Starravenwolf: Glad you liked the epic fight between Fu and Naruto since I wanted it to really show that when Naruto can really pull out a good chunk of his full power that he's damn near in a weight class all on his own. Furthermore, in regards to breaking Mizore and Toshiro; I'm saving that for the Chunin Exams where he gets to do all of that on a scale where he can embarass them for all too see and get his satisfaction out of it too potentially close the door on the problems that they are causing him. And trust me Jiraiya's day is gonna come, and in fact will during the aftermath of the Chunin Exams given that Orochimaru has something in store for them and as such is gonna air out Jiraiya's dirty laundry on not just Konoha but Fire Country as a whole.