Chapter 33: A Gathering Of Information
"The problems are solved, not by giving new information, but by arranging what we have known since long."
― Ludwig Wittgenstein, Philosophical Investigations
Naruto & Hinata
'It's like punching a rock!'
Or a rock covered in spikes.
Still, Kisame gets slammed a good distance away even if it's causes Naruto to get stuck into a nearby rock wall, Gai and Kakashi each coming in to further impede him from getting close to him once more.
'Damn it, how did he find us?!' Naruto grits his teeth.
His gaze turns towards Samehada, the sword that was once Kisame's that B stated he won in a fight and the realization slams into him: B inadvertently led a member of the Akatsuki right to them both.
Hinata is by his side in an instant, maneuvering his arm out of stone and branch in awe. "Your speed and strength have increased tenfold."
Naruto chuckles weakly. "Except I don't really know how to fully control it yet y'know!"
Hinata smiles slightly in return. "You will, just give it time."
They twist and head back to where Gai and Kakashi are, Gai assessing what they're dealing with.
"Is it some type of sentient blowfish Kakashi or just an overgrown insect gone rogue from the forests?!"
B cuts in before Kakashi can respond, shaking his head at Gai's continued perplexed look. "Neither, ya fool! He's that fish fry guy from the Akatsuki! Thought my drills were enough for a kill, but I guess not!"
Gai cracks his knuckles then, stepping forward.
"Oh, well no matter then! Pufferfish or blowfish, I'll help you get rid of him!"
He elbows Kisame in his side just as he bursts forward again, teeth primed to bite, blow knocking him back into the waterfall.
Kisame's eyes flash to Naruto and Hinata approaching, pair respectively gathering wind and lightning.
'Those two; it's like they're glued to each other the way they behave.' He scoffs.
He supposes that's how it is for red threads, probably for the best he never ended up having one if they were going to slow him down like that, give him unnecessary feelings for a village and world riddled with lies.
'Not good. There's too many of them and I'm losing chakra.'
Samehada senses it too, leaping away from him back to Killer B. Greedily, it bites into him, soaking up his chakra again like a sponge.
He chuckles as he feels some of his strength return, twisting for his escape into the depths of the waters.
If anything, he'll make sure the others find out what he's learned here.
Even if he doesn't make it out alive.
"I'm not letting you get away so easy!" Gai's voice shouts from somewhere behind him, swish of air summoning his turtle beast to give follow. Kisame half turns to look behind him, sees the flaming red that's taken to his skin, the glow of energy propelling him closer.
Not only that, that damn Nine Tails brat and his Hyuga lover are distorting the sea, wind twisting and sucking up the waves, lightning prickling across his body. He sends a volley of sharks their way to distract, forcing his focus to stay on Gai.
"Shit, these Konoha shinobi don't let up." Kisame curses under his breath quickly summoning another shark, puts the scroll containing this location, of who's here into it's mouth just as Gai moves in for his first punch.
He bends his body backwards dodging it, gust of air still tearing at his cheek before drawing his hands up to create his largest wave yet.
"Water Release: A Thousand Feeding Sharks!"
A tidal wave of sharks billows over Gai, swallowing him temporarily into darkness as Kisame dives deeper out of the way.
The sharks don't even faze him, punching them away in a blazes of heat and steam, bodies crumpling into the sea with flesh torn apart or bubbling to ash.
'You're in my territory; no one can best me in any sea or ocean, so don't think you've one yet.' Kisame scowls as Gai turns his gaze to him once more, places a palm facing forward in front of his face with one hand before tapping with his other hand.
"Have some final trick up your sleeve?" Kisame snarks.
Perfect, he'll suck up more of his chakra before truly making his escape.
He claps his hands together, forcing him to use one of his strongest moves.
"Water Release: Great Shark Bullet!"
Gai meanwhile forms his opposite hand into a fist, pocket of air pressure gathering. The hand seal of the tiger forms, launching it straight forward to meet his shark head on.
"Daytime Tiger!"
'It will never work, my great white will absorb this tiger and anything else he tries to throw at me.' Kisame watches from below.
But instead his stare morphs into alarm as the tiger bursts right through his shark, explosion of white filling his vision.
Naruto and Hinata watch in shock from the distance, Kakashi keeping them from falling off the edge as rumbles spread out across the Island Turtle.
"Is Bushy Brow Sensei is going to be okay, right?!" Naruto questions Kakashi, Kakashi merely nodding while eyeing the scene carefully.
'It's rare for Gai to have go so far in opening the 7th gate.'
There's a high chance he may even need to open the final gate in his war, sucking in a slow breath.
Kisame grits his teeth as Gai approaches him. No, he's going to pass out, forces his mind to not give into the coming darkness.
"How?" He hisses.
Gai grins, points a thumb back at himself. "Daytime Tiger and a majority of my moves are taijutsu based! No chakra involved in air pressure concentrated and directed to a single point!"
'Ah, no wonder then.'
His mind spins back to memories of his time in Kirigakure, the people he's betrayed to become known as the Monster of The Hidden Mist.
"Stop, I have a red thread, loved ones, family and friends to return back to in Kiri! Ishimoto cries out.
Kisame ignores his begging, slashes at his throat unleashing a spray of blood and flesh.
Tobita stiffens behind him watching Ishimoto tumble to the ground, river of scarlet pooling around him, tears pricking at his eyes.
"Why are you doing this? Aren't you supposed to be protecting us?! Don't you have a red thread or someone waiting for you back at home?"
Kisame laughs dryly at his bark of protests, jabs his sword cleanly through his chest silencing his pleas as he crumples beside his fallen friend.
"Of course not, I live only for myself."
And especially not for people going to give away their country's secrets to the enemy.
He supposes this is a weakness of every human, love and care for things that are just fleeting. While people like Kakuzu had the sin of greed for ryo and others like Hidan and Deidara had a perverse lust for blood and destruction respectively, his own sin was always for wrath, killing upon killing based on an endless cycle of lies.
The world isn't kind to people without a red thread, people without lovers, friends, or a place to really call home. Even Itachi at least had a red thread, a family he grew up with before he slaughtered them all.
It changed somewhat for him when he joined the Akatsuki, but this too has only been brief...
He bites his tongue as Gai drags him back towards the island, lets blood slowly fill his mouth and throat until he chokes.
'Should be enough for one final frenzy.' Kisame chuckles to himself as he picks up the tail ends of their conversations.
"-We can't stay on the island now that he exposed our location y'know! The war is going to come here!" Naruto argues.
Kakashi holds up a hand, trying and failing to appease him. "Now, now. We can't make hasty decisions like that Naruto-"
"I don't want Mamiko and the other animals that call this island home to be put in the way of danger because we want to use where they live as a defense shield! It's pointless now to stay here when we can all be a part of the war effort!" Hinata cuts in, surprising Kakashi at her outburst while Naruto grins proudly.
Kisame catches the eyes again of the Nine Tails boy and Hyuga bitch, pair studying him warily as Yamato puts him into a wood prison, smirking all the while.
'Get ready; the real war is about to begin.'
His death is just part of the catalyst.
Sasuke
"My eyes are fine now."
He attempts to step around White Zetsu only for it to impede his path once more. Tobi gave him strict orders to keep Sasuke restricted to Orochimaru's old bases, but he's managed to slip from both their radars traveling up now to Mountain's Graveyard.
Too close to where Kabuto is.
"It isn't just your eyes though! What about your tampered red thread? You're only thinking about revenge and the short term right now instead of your long term plans. Didn't Tobi say that you still need to rest or at least to figure out how to fight with it being-"
He sets the Zetsu ablaze before it can interrupt him with more excuses, insinuate he's weak just because his thread has been damaged. He chuckles under his breath as it's body crumples under Amaterasu's flames, white skin turning a charcoal black.
Itachi walks the Earth once more and Kabuto is coming after him. Jugo or Suigetsu haven't caught site of either of them.
'I'm done hiding.'
He stretches and cracks his hands, on top of everything else Sakura has gone ahead and done what he told her to do years ago before he defected from Konoha...
Their thread may not be permanently destroyed, but he has no way of fixing it until this war is most likely over.
Or maybe ever again.
'It's fine; I can still kill Naruto and anyone who tries to stand in my way in destroying Konoha.'
Moonlight slips over the Zetsu's form highlighting silver across burnt flesh before he steps over its charred body to take to the trees. The forests are strangely quiet, low buzz of cicadas and crackle of wind the only sounds throughout Mountain's Graveyard.
'Sakura. Itachi.'
There's still things he left unsaid between them both.
Sakura never told him much about what she learned about Itachi besides looking into his illness, but he's sure they might've had a conversation or two before his death. Itachi maybe took to his grave more secrets about the clan, things about the sharingan and it's many forms he never got to say.
He blows out a breath as he hops back down, turning towards his left as he sees a figure slink up to him out of the ground.
Suigetsu.
He forms his body back into solid form, scroll in hand. "Hey, guess you finally killed that bodyguard of yours, huh?!"
"What have you learned?" Sasuke asks flatly, Suigetsu scoffing before passing him the roll of paper.
"It seems like Karin is still locked up by Konoha's Intelligence Division, but she's working on trying to get out via some lock-picking. It won't be easy for her though considering your little red thread makes sure to keep an eye on her even when she's been busy with an influx of hospital cases and now working with the Allied Forces medical unit."
Sasuke rolls his eyes, Suigetsu scoffing at his impatience.
"Yeah, Yeah, I'm getting to what you really want to know about, geez! Itachi and Nagato were seen heading northeast towards Kumo. In fact, it seems like most all of the reincarnated shinobi are being directed by most likely Kabuto or somebody to head that way."
Jugo stalks forward out of the dark from his right, eyes Suigetsu with a scowl he isn't telling Sasuke everything.
"It's not only that, the war is expanding via Tobi's efforts as well. They aren't really working together and from what I've heard from various shinobi is that Kabuto wants to capture the Eight Tails and Nine Tails for himself before Tobi does to use them against him."
Suigetsu huffs, gives Jugo a half-smile. "I was just getting to that part!"
Sasuke ignores the duo, considers what he'll do next.
'Kabuto's hideout must be somewhere within that vicinity. Not too close to the many skirmishes for him to be found, but not too far away that he can't manipulate his many puppets or find new replacements quickly should one fall or become sealed again.'
His death should at least ensure Itachi can go back to resting in peace.
Itachi we'll be somewhere within those masses, he'll finish getting answers out of him as well regarding their last fight.
He can intercept him before he gets to Kabuto, force him to tell him the truth once and for all regarding the night of the massacre, the failed planned Uchiha coup...
And everything he may or may not have discussed with Sakura.
Shikamaru & Temari
'These are the worst type of confrontations.'
Shikamaru glances towards his division, where the rest of his team is.
Where Asuma-sensei is.
"Your Old Man is somewhere out there, might be fighting Gaara." Shikamaru determines. A battle of sand, Gaara rousing shinobi who've been out of commission for years to fight, to not hold back whoever their opponent is.
"So is your fallen teacher." Temari murmurs back.
She blows out a breath taking in bodies with multiple kunai imbedded in them, corpses trapped in pits of mud and branch. The battlefield is soaked with blood staining the ground a copper red with the smell of ash and metal itching at her nose.
Her fan unfolds just slightly, preparing herself mentally and physically for this ordeal about to occur.
So this war, what her Father and so many of the older Suna shinobi dealt with.
Shikamaru gives her one final meaningful look before they need to go their separate ways.
Her chest tightens, hates the way both of their fingers must be throbbing. He doesn't need to say anything when he looks at her that way, can see right through her to all the emotions she's burying down to get through this.
"Don't die out there."
Temari snorts. 'Still as romantic as a rock.'
"Same to you."
He steps into the field while Temari heads to render aid with the Sealing Team, watches as Asuma unleashes a plume of smoke that Ino shoves Choji away from.
"Fire Release: Ash Pile Burning!"
Asuma's eyes find his as the dust and ash clear, beaming in his direction.
"I see you've started to take your red thread more seriously since I've been gone! I'm glad; you've all grown so much!" He smiles proudly.
Ino nods at him, can see though in her turquoise eyes she's struggling with what they must do next.
Choji even more so.
"Hey, have you forgotten we're Ino-Shika-Cho! Now isn't the time to hesitate!" Shikamaru gently orders his oldest friend to clear this mind.
Choji's gaze splits between them and their fallen sensei giving out directions on how to incapacitate him, tears pricking his eyes and probably his own as well at the rush of memories.
"But...But it's Asuma-sensei Shikamaru! I don't know if I can fight him."
They dodge another blast of smoke and fire, crouching low.
"Come on Choji, you have to fight me. Seal me so I don't harm any other shinobi here!" Asuma commands.
Shikamaru squeezes his shoulder. "Asuma-sensei is already gone Choji, has been gone for months now."
Ino clenches her teeth swiping at beads of sweat, looks ready to use the mind transfer jutsu to force him to fight if need be, stopping only at Shikamaru's rise of his hand.
"You met with Karui, right?" He suddenly asks.
Choji blinks, wipes at his eyes. "Huh? Yeah? Though only briefly."
Shikamaru nods, points across the coastline. "Well, do this for her. For Asuma-sensei so that he can go back to resting in peace. She's feeling your pain and vice versa. The less distractions the better; don't you think?"
Choji goes still then and he wonders if he said too much or went too far only for him to move to a standing position. His body expands; metamorphosis in action.
He nods back to him and Ino, sapphire butterfly wings gleaming.
"Let's do this!"
It's only after Asuma is properly sealed by their shared attack that Shikamaru notes the smell of oil, a stickiness coating the ground far too close to him and the others.
'Shit.'
"Shadow Possession!"
He locks in on the new figure before oil can turn to flame, paralyzing him in place.
Jiraiya.
"Ah, good eye! I can see why Naruto mentioned to me before having you as his right hand man once he becomes Hokage!" He grins.
Shikamaru says nothing, Ino and Choji settling quickly on his right and left. Choji re-tightens his fist at ready while Ino prepares for another Mind-Body switch if need be.
"That's one of the Sannin." Ino breathes out.
"Doesn't matter, we can pin him down and seal him quickly!" Choji adds.
Jiraiya observes the trio, sighs.
"I don't really wanna fight, but I know we gotta! Tell me, where's Naruto at?"
Shikamaru scoffs, shadows climbing for his neck before he can unleash another spray of sludge.
"What else is there to say to him? Didn't you give him your last words already?"
Jiraiya shrugs, knows already he won't get answers out of any of them. He doesn't deserve any answers really, not when his body is currently being used against him to attack his old friends and associates.
'I hope Tsunade doesn't see my like this.' He considers, hopes she doesn't have to cross paths with Dan.
"There's always just one or two more things to say; isn't there?! Even Asuma just now praised you three's formation!" Jiraiya exclaims.
Shikamaru's eyes narrow, it clicks in he's possibly biding time, waiting for his chakra to fluctuate; to get weak enough to break away.
Or he's stalling waiting for the Sealing Team to get here to stop him from running off.
Jiraiya's gaze turns skyward abruptly, a message sent to him telepathically maybe.
Kabuto's voice slithers in, cold and biting. "Enough. Attack them and go to where Naruto and Killer B's location is. Reports have come in they're on the Island Turtle."
Jiraiya's jovial attitude fades; sharpens into a rigid mask of seriousness.
When he speaks again his tone is flat, gaze moving in the direction of Kumo's Island.
'Crap, their location has been exposed already?! But it's fine, they can put up additional barriers and security.' Shikamaru analyzes quickly.
The only obstacle will potentially be Naruto's stubbornness.
Jiraiya no longer focuses on them, his shadows losing hold as other undead shinobi swarm in from all sides.
"Ah, so that's where he and the Hyuga are."
Sakura
"It seems they can't copy a person's red thread meaning if we know from a person's medical file their partner is still alive then they're an imposter. However, that means little considering most couples aren't fighting on the battlefield together or are even in the same division. People are dying and inevitably losing their thread in the process too." Shizune begins.
"Plus, going by memory of all the patients we've seen is near impossible to recall who did and didn't have a thread in the beginning of this war." Sakura scowls.
Outside another crackle of metal rings out, the scent of blood and decaying flesh more potent than it was yesterday...
Shizune brushes a frustrated hand through her locks; thinking.
"It's still good to know. It's a major thing that these clones can't copy."
She announces the order for a lockdown, all upcoming procedures freezing.
"Nobody leaves or enters starting now unless accompanied by a guard that's been cleared!" Shizune yells out for everyone to hear.
Shizune looks to Sakura then. "We need to report this to headquarters then plan to split up to heal the wounded across every group. I'm sure we can figure out a countermeasure before we lose too many people out of each division."
Sakura nods, leaving Shizune to handle the rest of the White Zetsu's autopsy for now.
'They're spreading like weeds, able to copy a person's features even down to their chakra signature has never been heard of until now.'
There's nothing any of them can read about in a textbook or case file regarding this. Before she goes, she loops around to check on the patients of her assigned section, ones that were admitted into the tent overnight, breath stilling when she sees a familiar face among her beds.
Akio Takita.
It's been weeks, probably months since she saw last saw him, let alone talked to him in Konoha's outpatient clinics. A pretty brunette is at his side, maybe his red thread from the way she pats at his sweaty forehead and cheeks, grabs the glass of water from his table bringing it to his lips for a sip.
Sakura's gaze falls to her bandaged left leg, the crutches in her lap.
They've both been injured by this war and past ones in more ways than one.
"You have to keep your strength up Akio; staying hydrated is a part of that and will help break the fever." The woman murmurs, Sakura about to slip away to give them their privacy when he speaks.
"Don't worry about me Namiko, you were injured as well by that shrapnel. Has the doctor come by yet?"
Namiko shakes her head, gray eyes softening. "I believe this is Dr. Haruno's wing of the tents. I overheard from one of the civilian say that everyone has been called away for an emergency meeting regarding potential spies among the divisions."
Takita slips downs against his pillows, lets out a low grunt of distress Sakura wonders is from pain or annoyance that he is in her section.
"Sakura Haruno. Why can't I seem to escape dealing with that teenage girl? If it wasn't for her, I-"
"Your nightmares would still be persisting; you owe her that much even if you didn't like the methods she went about doing it." Namiko interrupts defensively.
Takita crosses his arms, low snort escaping, black of his eyes clouding over. "Maybe so, but can she really be trusted knowing she never cut ties to Sasuke Uchiha?"
Namiko's lips tighten silently and Sakura feels her stomach coil at Takita's smug look.
"I...I heard she self-tampered with her thread to make it harder for the Uchiha kid to fight. It's just a rumor though! However, I heard she did so after hearing too many complaints from the doctors and nurses, maybe even from Lady Tsunade herself too."
Takita scoffs, shutting his eyes. "Good. Maybe she's getting a taste of the pain we're all going through as well."
Sakura trails her eyes to his vitals, everything stable including that smart mouth of his.
She shuts back the curtains quietly and quickly, forces her self to move backwards from the couple before she risks being caught eavesdropping. She'll never get Takita's forgiveness for using him for her own wants, knows her reputation will forever have this stain for not giving up on Sasuke the way so many of the village already has.
Trekking into the morning air greets her with a gust of smoke, putting up her hood.
"Lets be quick to the central HQ before any other events occur." The Akimichi guard notes, Sakura nodding as she lets him take lead.
'I feel like I'm being watched.' Her gut sinks in further, it's been hours since she last ate...
She murmurs to her nearest wasps to check behind her, crawling out from the back of her neck to look.
A race of goosebumps ignite her skin as they report in one by one the same thing.
'Crows stalk the branches; are following your every step.'
Hinata
"So you plan to leave the protection of the island after all?" Mamiko questions.
Her golden eyes roam from her to Naruto, stretching out her claws right to her face with a yawn. Hinata pushes her paw right back, sighing as she leaps from the thicket of vines above into the grass beside her.
"You don't believe me; do you?" Hinata frowns.
Mamiko shrugs, though she displays a row of her teeth hiding a snicker in a way that looks mocking to her.
"Seems your jinchuriki lover isn't getting very far with his arguments."
Hinata reddens, shifting from foot to foot. Their window of opportunity to head out to the war before too much destruction is done to each nation is getting less and less possible with each passing hour.
But all night it's been a battle between Naruto, B, and the jonin to get them to agree to let them out. They could use force, but Naruto is trying to be more diplomatic for once via a mix of tactics he's seen before from the Academy and her own interactions within the Hyuga clan.
Morning sun now breaks through the clouds, sky shifting into mixes of light pinks and reds.
"You don't even have full control yet over the Nine Tails, we're trying to prevent the Akatsuki from gaining more power." Kakashi asserts.
Gai nods vigorously in agreement. "As much it pains me a bit, I have to agree with Kakashi here! Besides, aren't you and Hinata enjoying this tropical paradise?! Who knows, you two can stay here at start your own little family, make a residence off to the side the way Killer B did! That could be fun; right?!"
Yamato deflates, glances to Kakashi who looks equally as unimpressed. "Gai, I don't think you're helping Naruto want to stay."
"Why not? It sounds like the perfect plan to me the more you dwell on it!"
Hinata winches as Naruto rubs a hand to his forehead, pretty soon he's just going to power to force his way out, resulting injuries be damned.
Her attention turns back to Mamiko. "Naruto and I have spent weeks here training, he's even finally mastered full control of the Nine Tails."
Mamiko's stance hardens. "I'd hardly call being able to take some of the beast's chakra as 'mastered full control'. As it stands, the Nine Tails could easily drain all of Naruto's chakra and kill him."
Hinata matches her glare. "Naruto knows that and is making provisions! I'm sure they'll eventually form a connection, maybe Naruto will learn the Nine Tails past history, it's proper title than just being known for how many tails it has."
Mamiko laughs dryly. "Fine, but you'll need my assistance if you're heading out there."
Hinata blinks then, Mamiko huffing at her lack of response.
"I thought you'd be more excited for us to form a contract! Are you being haughty or-"
Hinata pats at her hand interrupting her, smile erupting across her face.
"You've never said anything formally and I never wanted to push the subject. Of course I'm glad to be able to summon you or any of the other tigers for assistance!"
Mamiko straightens, nods proudly. "Good, this doesn't seem like it's going to be easy for any of you for however long this war lasts."
A crack from the left startles them both, Hinata activating her byakugan while Mamiko swiftly turns, putting her on her back.
"Let's go, something or someone has activated the defense mechanisms of the Turtle."
She creeps them over moss and vine until they reach the cliff side, Hinata drawing in a breath taking in the choppiness of the waves, rough waters crashing angrily against the rocks.
And then she sees the water clear a path, a flock of spiky white hair hit against the coming sunrise before sinking below into the waves.
'He's here.'
They knew this moment was coming, but they both figured they had more time...
'We have to get off this island; now.'
Hinata gestures for her to crouch lower, back into the shrubbery of the forests at least to avoid immediate detection. Nausea burns at her chest while Mamiko nods to the birds and insects to alert the others quickly.
"Who is that?" Mamiko questions sharply, drawing heat to her claws.
It doesn't really matter who he is truly because he's attempting to sneak his way into their territory and for that he has to die.
Hinata swallows, clearing her throat.
"Jiraiya; Naruto's revived Godfather."
-x-
The war arc is hard for me to write, at least in a way that I hope isn't confusing to you guys. I just really don't like the idea of rehashing every last canon event or battle that was in the war arc, but I feel it doesn't make sense either to completely avoid all of them. Hence, I'm blending canon with my own ideas. I know I've probably said it before, but so much happens in the war arc all at once that I wouldn't have fun covering so don't be surprised by certain scenes as we keep moving forward that are skipped or out of order.
With that said, a zombie Jiraiya is about to have his first interaction with Naruto and by extension Hinata since dying! Also a bit more Sasuke-Sakura interactions/discussions for those who care about that!
As always, pat-re-eons get early access to chapters along with additional one-shots, my original works, sketches, and bonus chapters. I go by TheLovelyMidnightWriter there! Check out my Insta for book reviews and travel pics as well by the same name!
Let me know your thoughts as always!
Enjoy. Review. Favorite. Follow!