A/N: What's all these rumors I hear about the site shutting down? Nonsense, I say!
I know there have been some glitches as of late, but they always crop up around this time of year and invariably get fixed. I'm sure everything will be fine. Just have a little faith. The site's been around for awhile, and it'll be here for awhile yet.
Damnit, I accidentally slept in! Gonna be late for work...!
Been awhile, hasn't it? FGO burned me pretty badly awhile back, but its time to wrap these up. Looking back at the earlier chapters of this story...it almost amuses me to see how cringe I was. As to my absence, long story short, I got really sick for awhile, my co-writers left, and I went into a really dark place. It screwed up...well, everything, really. Doesn't help that these days I'm in constant pain from my back/leg...
But I'm back, and here to finish what I started.
As ever, I own no quotes, references, themes, or memes. They're merely tributes to legends greater than i
Two chapters left now, counting the epilogue. Thanks for joining me on this journey.
Get ready for the feels.
"Students killing their teachers...heh. Is that what this war has come to...?
~Jiraiya.
If You Had One Wish
Jiraiya fought hard.
Naruto knew his old mentor -Assassin!- wouldn't go quietly, just as he knew how a fight between them would inevitably end. He was stronger, faster to be sure, fully recovered now with more stamina and more resources to hand. Rin was out of harms way. There were no bystanders to interfere, no one to ambush him, no unexpected outcomes to plan for.
In theory, it should have been simple...
.
..
...but the old man was wily. Always had been.
"Tell me you're not him!" He snarled as they clashed. "Say you're not the real Jiraiya!"
"Wish I could!" A wave of fire was his reward, forcing him to spin away or risk a vicious burn to the face.
For every hit he landed, Jiraiya only smiled and gave more ground. Never staying in place for more than an instant, never giving him a chance to land a fatal blow, never allowing him to finish what he'd started. For a man who wanted to "die" he was making things awfully difficult. Almost felt like he was trying to drag this out, ya know? Had to be a command spell at work. His mind latched onto the idea, that naive wish, in the vain hope of making things right, even if he knew, deep down, that he couldn't.
There were so many things he wanted to say to the sly old sage. So many questions he needed to ask.
But there just wasn't any time. They'd run out the clock.
And now they paid the price. Damn this war!
Naruto slammed a rasengan into him and snarled as the jutsu tasted smoke. Red eyes flitted left, then right...from below! Firm hands burst from the earth, grasping at his ankles. He chambered a punch down in an instant, forcing his mad mentor to abandon his attack or be crushed outright. He paid for a it; a storm of knives flashed out in the night from a trap he'd missed, cutting across his face. He took the wounds without flinching and powered through. This time, Jiraiya wasn't quite quick enough to escape.
A palm locked around his wrist. Naruto closed his eyes. Hardened his heart...and...
...yanked.
Jiraiya grunted in pain.
Blood splashed his face. An arm flew through the air.
The old sanin didn't miss a beat; the instant -the very second!- he lost his arm, he pivoted, whirling around to drive a vicious kick into his face. Heavy sandals barreled into his nose. He felt something snap in his nose then he was gone; flung across the clearing, crashing through a tree. One. Two. Three. Now. He heard laughter and raised his arms to ward off the followup attack.
It never came.
He raised his gaze and found himself peering into a haze of fog where his mentor once once.
"You've really become quite the monster, haven't you?" Jiraiya's voice catcalled from the smoke. "You were nowhere near this strong the last time I saw you."
"..."
Naruto righted himself with a grimace. Reached up. Snapped his nose back into place. No lasting damage. Jiraiya wasn't able to hurt him. Not physically, at least. Mentally...well. That was another matter. He didn't want to hurt him, much less kill him, but he wasn't being left with any choice here. Jiraiya had forced the issue; first with his Master, now this. Berserker and the others would have to handle Zouken and Grail. They had to. They must.
But he could feel them waning. Whatever was there, it was more than they could handle.
And with each moment, every second he wasted here...!
"You're taking an awful long time hiding in there, old man." he forced the waver out his voice. "Don't make me come in...there...?"
His voice trailed off as Jiraiya emerged from the haze, his face strangely twisted, bearing odd red marks and eerie eyes. He soon saw why; saw Fukusaku fused to his right shoulder and Shima on the left. It was, in every way, a blast from the past. He'd never thought he'd see Ma or Pa again, much less encounter the old toads like this. The former wouldn't even look at him; the latter managed only a rueful grin.
"Sorry, Naruto-boy...
His shoulders drooped. "Not you, too...
He should've known, really. It was obvious in hindsight. Ma and Pa had mentioned Jiraiya using sage mode before. He'd simply never seen it up close. Never fought him for real...until now. Would he have to kill them now, too? Would this nightmare never end?!
"In the end, it has to be this way." Jiraiya started forward, and he found himself taking a step back. "What's wrong? Why are you hesitating now? You have to kill me, Naruto. That's the only way this nightmare will come to an end. We've been over this. Either you kill me...or I kill you."
"Naruto! We don't have time!"
"I know, I know!"
A golden hand rose. Black light swelled in his palm.
"Whoa, now!" Jiraiya held up a palm. "You're just going to wipe me off the face off the earth, is that it?"
"Is there any other way to stop you?" Anguish twisted his heart when he didn't answer. "Tell me, then! How do I save you?!"
"You can't." Jiraiya shook his head with a rueful smile, shoulders drooping. "That's how it should be. "Forget about me. Move on with your life, kid. Settle down with that girl of yours and-
A hollow scream tore out of Naruto's throat and the tailed beast bomb flew forth.
By some miracle Jiraiya managed to dodge it or evade the worst. He dove into the smoke after him, felt the chakra build, realized what was coming. If he hesitated even a moment longer this fight between the would drag out even longer; he'd be stuck here, while his allies flung themselves against Zouken and died...
.
..
...no more.
Naruto leaped in after him. He heard the shout, felt the genjutsu assail his senses too late. He powered through once more. Jiraiya was ready for him. A rasengan swept down at his head, wisps of smoke and fire swirling around it. Naruto met it with a miniature Rasenshuriken, the keening sound of wind echoing the pained cry in his heart. It was a brief clash, with only one outcome. As it was meant to be.
His jutsu powered through and shredded flesh. Jiraiya pitched back, now well and truly armless.
May the gods forgive him for what came next, for he'd never forgive himself.
Tears stung at his eyes. "I'm sorry!"
His fist closed around his jutsu, stifled it...and scythed forward to sheathe itself in Jiraiya's chest. Not a rasengan. Nor a rasenshuriken. Just brute force at its most devastating. The old man buckled, body bowing beneath the blow. Red stained his back...and exploded outward as that fist plowed through. Naruto grit his teeth to strangle a sob and ripped it back out the way it came.
Jiraiya was left swaying where he stood. He looked down. Touched a hand to his chest, and the ruined heart within
An awful silence ran through the forest, broken only by the distant sounds of the grail's beating heart.
Blood ran down Jiraiya's lips. He smiled at it. "Well...done."
His legs buckled, leaving him to topple to his knees. Naruto stepped in and caught him, placing one hand on his shoulder. Ma and Pa unsummoned themselves with a sigh, or perhaps he'd simply run out of energy to keep them in this world. It didn't change things. He was still alive. Still breathing, despite the hole in his torso. Even with no arms and his slowly fading body, he was still a threat. He didn't dare leave his back exposed to such a foe.
They both knew what came next, what had to come. There could be no other ending for two such as they.
Naruto wound up, conjuring his staff to hand. "Thank you, for everything."
Jiraiya rumbled a laugh. "Yes, that's the way. Finish it...Caster."
His staff swung down.
Light flashed.
A/N: And so ends Jiraiya.
Two chapters left now. Feels good to finally go around finishing these stories up once and for all.
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