Hello! I hope you'll like this chapter!
Disclaimer: I own the OCs in this fic, the rest is Masashi Kishomoto's. Sorry for any spelling mistakes or any OCCness.
Character age:
Akane, Itachi: 23
Naruto, Sasuke: 18
Shisui: 26
Kakashi: 32
I got the Claw.
"Akane, wait!" I shot oji-chan an unimpressed look.
"Why would I!?" He pursed his lips. "It's not as if we had the ti…" Gedo Mazo came out of Obito.
Well…I guess Madara won. I looked back. The bijuus were gone, and from the noise I could hear in the distance…they found Madara.
"I think Madara's back to life and…" Kakashi's Kamui tore off one of the statue's arms, but it disappeared in a poof of smoke. "He's getting ready for the big final." I looked at them. "I'm going to see Hashirama and get explanations, you deal with Obito! Destroy that fucking rinnegan!"
I didn't wait for their answer and teleported to Hashirama. He was on his knees, black rods in his body.
"You got your ass kicked," I stated, kneeling in front of him.
"Madara's got my senjutsu. He absorbed it because he has my cells."
"Huh, that's bad." I made an ice clone. "I'm transferring you there, this medium is ruined." I put the Claw on him, then my clone who turned into Hashirama.
"Sorry. Now…" He turned me around.
My blood froze when I saw how badly wounded Itachi was. My legs took me to him quickly. He was sitting against the cliff, passed out, bloody and…
My knees met the ground harshly when I was next to him. I cupped his face and looked for a pulse. It was weak, but here.
"Akane, you are going to remove the rods one by one with the Claw. I will heal him," Hashirama told me. I just stared at Itachi's face. "Akane."
"Yes, yes…" I put my right arm on his shoulders, pulled him close to me and activated the Claw.
In a few minutes, the rods were in broken shards behind us, and his wounds were healed, but only enough so that they no longer were life-threatening. He couldn't lean on his left leg anymore. Once the Claw gone, I hugged him tight and kissed his temple.
"You really can't do more?" I asked Hashirama in a tight voice. If Itachi died again…Mom died already, but she was my parent, it was the right order and she would slap me if I said otherwise but Itachi…Not again, I wouldn't go through that grieving process again.
"My hands are close to shattering already," he replied, showing them to me. The color was fading back to a pale blue. "And I'd rather not have you make ice clones again and again."
"I could, it's not…" Itachi's thumb was making circles on my thigh. I looked down immediately. He was frowning slightly. "Itachi?"
"…can't breathe…" he mumbled against me. I immediately loosened my hold on him, and I heard him take a breath.
He opened his eyes after a few seconds and looked around us.
"When did you get here?" he asked quietly, staring at the ground.
"A few minutes ago, and you were…" He tried to move away and stand up. "Itachi, wait!"
"Sasuke's gone." Sasuke was there?
"I gave him some of my power and he left after Madara," Hashirama confirmed.
"He's going to get himself killed," Itachi grunted. He tried to get up but failed, bumping his closed fist on the ground in frustration. "Damnit!"
"Itachi, you can't fight anymore!" I finally yelled at him. "I'll go after him, but don't make your wounds worst!" He turned angry eyes at me, but it simmered down when he saw me. I had tears in my eyes and my sleeve under my nose to wipe it. I quickly wiped my eyes too and stood up. "I'll go look for him. Jiji!" Hashirama looked at me with surprise. "Take care of him. If anything happens, I'll make sure you never go back to the Pure Land ever again when I break my seal and I'll deal with Mito-baa-chan myself!"
"You called me…" he started with a smile, and I waved him off.
"Shush." Itachi was staring at the ground. "It goes to you too, you're done!" He was frustrated, I knew that but no way in Hell I was risking his life. Mine before his. There was no way Mikoto-san would hear about her husband's death and her son.
On this note, I teleported to Sasuke. Tobirama was on the ground, rods keeping him from moving and using chakra.
"NO!" I yelled in horror when I realized Madara was staring at Sasuke, his katana bloodied in his hand.
"You're still here," he noted in a dull voice. I immediately tried to freeze him inside, but he fled.
I rushed to Sasuke's side and turned him over. He had been stabbed in the chest and…I used a prognostic seal and bit the inside of my cheek. It was bad. It was so, so bad I looked through my medical seals, but I had nothing to heal something that bad.
I found myself putting my hands on the holes in his chest and back, desperately trying to stop the bleeding. His blood kept leaving his body though and I just…
"Please don't die Sasuke, I'm begging you…" How did he even survive before, huh!? How…
"That's bad." I blinked and looked behind me.
"Dad? How…" He pointed his thumb at Tobirama.
"I put a marker on him earlier. I was destroying the punches this wood giant was throwing with Adamantine Chains when I felt his chakra wavering." He knelt in front of him and rolled up his left sleeve.
There was a seal on it.
"I'm not a full Uzumaki, hopefully it will be enough," he said before activating the seal. He winced a little when it sunk in his skin and below before raising Sasuke's head. He put his wrist to his mouth and tried to make him bite him, I tried to make Sasuke close his jaw on my father's arm but nothing. "We need something to push it down his throat anyway."
I took my Dad's wrist and bit him. Once my mouth was filled with…whatever it was because it was not blood, or at least not just blood, I tilted Sasuke's head back, his mouth opened.
I put my mouth against his and gave him the liquid, chakra, blood, whatever. It went down his throat and I reiterated the process a few times. Taka got to us eventually and Karin, once the shock gone, took my place with medical ninjutsu. I wiped my lips without a word and returned my dad's stare.
"So you have a thing for Uchihas or…?"
"It's three," I muttered in response. "Just three."
"I'm sorry, you put your lips on a third one's lips?" he asked me with wide eyes. I rolled mine.
"Karin?"
"He's going to be fine," she replied curtly. I nodded and stood up.
"I'm off." I teleported to Kakashi.
I was met with Naruto, Sakura, Gaara, Oji-chan and Kakashi.
"Why is he on the brinks of death like Sasuke was?" I asked them coldly.
"Kurama was taken from him; he needs the other half!" Gaara explained quickly. I shot my godfather a quick look.
"I am sealed inside of you, I may be outside, but Kurama is also sealed in you through me. I can't do anything, I tried."
"Signs." He showed them to me. I reproduced them and the Claw appeared. I could feel a burning hot chakra bubbling in the cold energy around my arm. I knelt next to Naruto and put my left hand above him.
However, the orange chakra that came out of it never made it to Naru. Instead…it was Black Zetsu.
"What!?" I yelled, looking back. Obito was still in front of Kakashi, Black Zetsu attached to him. Oji-chan made a rasengan but Black Zetsu retreated in the ground. "The hell just…"
Something landed in the ground. When the dust settled, it revealed Madara, but a Madara way different than before.
He turned himself into the jinchuriki of Juubi as well! He had a rinnegan. He most likely was there for the other one then.
Black Zetsu tried to leave Obito's body, but he seemed stuck. I ran to his side.
"Obito?" I called him with a frown. He was panting, but his sharigan met my eyes.
"Yes. I'm keeping…Black Zetsu from leaving my body…Madara, what am I to you?"
"A mean to an end, you were supposed to live your life as Uchiha Madara in order to achieve our goal, make a peaceful life where chakra is not source of conflict." And wasn't that Dad's reasoning as well? "I will create a dream world where no one has to suffer anymore!" I had to say something now, but who knew how Madara wo…
Heh?
Why was blood running down my mouth?
"Akane!" Oji-chan yelled in horror. I looked down. There was a thin, black spike in my chest. I exchanged a look with Obito, who was horrified as well. So…it was not him, Black Zetsu could still…do that then…
The spike was removed, and I spat blood on Obito's face. I fell on my knee and Obito caught me.
"Stay with us!" he ordered me in panic. Zetsu…he was trying to silence me…I mentioned Kaguya earlier, he knew I knew about his true motive and…
I put my hand on my chest. It hurt…I had issue seeing…
"I'm sorry for that," Obito whispered to me. I blinked hazily and didn't react to his kick that sent me to Naru and Sakura.
I felt the seal near my heart activating but…I couldn't move while it worked. I watched Obito walk toward Madara and…he stuck his hand in him?
"You're…mistaken, Madara. All of it…is a lie…like yours for so long…you manipulated the events in Kiri way…before I did…Uzushio…Rin…it was you, wasn't it?" I couldn't see what kind of expression there was on Madara's face, but he laughed like a maniac.
"Yeah it's true, I got rid of the previous jinchuriki of the Sanbi and targeted her, made sure your sensei wouldn't be around and then…you just needed to get there on time."
"You…" Kakashi growled. Then Obito got his black staff back and…
I blacked out.
When I regained consciousness, I saw wood above me. We were under the tree after all. I looked on my right and met Naru's blue eyes.
"Naruto?" I croaked. He grinned.
"I just met Old Man Rikudo, he says 'hi'." I leaned on my elbow to lift my upper body.
"Then Sasuke should be here shortly too," I replied. I sighed in relief. "My job's done."
"Nah, your job with me will never be done." He stood up. "I have to heal Bushy Brows-sensei now."
"Beat Madara's ass Naru." He nodded and left.
Eventually, I heard battle noises in the distance, and it got further and further away. I got on all four, shook my head and stood up. I didn't know if I would be useful but…I refused to stay back. My legs were shaking a little at first, but I didn't fall.
I teleported to Kakashi.
"Hey!"
"Hey…" he returned weakly, panting, and exhausted.
"Where are the others?"
"Obito's away with Sakura so she can destroy the rinnegan."
"Okay, that's…" I looked back when I felt a huge power coming.
Something dug in my left arm, the Claw activating by itself to keep my arm attached to my body and Kakashi got his sharingan gouged out.
"Mother…" I started, a hand on my arm. It was cut down to the bone above my elbow.
"It's still here but it's bleeding a lot." I bit the inside of my cheek and looked at him. "I'm…fine," he said, his hand on his empty eye socket.
"Was it Madara? I couldn't see anything.
"Same, but it had to be. He's going where the Rinnegan is."
"You talk too much." I was startled, realizing just now Madara was still there.
Sasuke appeared out of nowhere, slashing him in half with the Chidori but he left in a Kamui.
"Damn it!" he groaned, turning around to face us.
"You're alive! And you finally have your rinnegan!"
"How come you never told me about it?"
"I didn't tell anyone the details of 'very strong' regarding Naruto and you." Sakura appeared out of nowhere and he caught her before she could fall.
"Sakura, what happened? Did you destroy the rinnegan?" She pursed her lips and shook her head.
"No, sorry." She looked at Kakashi, then me.
"I'm fine, she's bleeding out." Sakura was then taking care of my bleeding arm while she told us what happened. I was annoyed she couldn't destroy the eye in time, but it no longer could be helped.
It meant Kaguya would show up sooner or later.
"We don't know when Madara might emerge, stay alert," Sasuke told us as Naruto arrived.
"You got hurt again!?" he scolded me when he was next to us. He went to Kakashi and put his hand over his empty eye socket. He removed it to come closer to me. "Kakashi-sensei, open your eye."
"What?"
"Just trust me dattebayo!" he said, taking over Sakura job. He put his hand on my arm and frowned. When he removed his hand, there was a scar. "It was harder than for Kakashi-sensei, sorry nee-chan."
"Don't worry about it, it's the mark that must be doing that." I shot Kakashi a look. He had his eye back. "Wow, I am so surprised, this is something I have never seen before!" Kakashi rolled his eyes at me.
"What else are you hiding?" Naruto asked me.
"It doesn't matter Naruto, hiding details like Kakashi-sensei getting his eyes back is not really important," Sakura told him. Somehow, the three of them half talked, half bickered.
I moved to be sitting next to Kakashi.
"You're so old," I whispered to him.
"You're one to talk, grandma." I chuckled. "Guys, when Madara gets back here, he'll be at full power. Do you remember the bell training?"
"Sure! The key to winning is teamwork!" Naru replied.
"I think I'm in the way," I muttered.
"Shut up, you're not," Sasuke replied, having heard me.
"Nee-chan, you've been here since the beginning, don't you want to see the end too? You must be here for the final showdown!" Naru continued, Sakura nodding next to him with a grin. I was stunned, staring at them. Kakashi put his hand in my hair. I looked at him and he smiled.
"You've stolen my cute little students more than once, deal with it." I smirked.
"Understood." Madara reappeared shortly after.
"You're still here, just like real cockroaches," he stated, Obito apparently unconscious behind him.
"Madara, now that you have both rinnegans, what is your plan?"
"Obito, wake up!" I yelled at him.
"Obito is gone, I'm the one in control now," Black Zetsu replied. "It seems he has been wanting to right his wrongs all along by becoming the jinchuriki of Juubi, but he failed. He was praying like a child, deep inside, ashamed and hoping to leave the future to you."
"Is it okay if I deal with that piece of shit now?" I growled, standing up. "Hey Madara, do you know what the Eien Hansen is!? Funny thing, it's quite sim…" I slid meters away when Black Zetsu attacked me. Madara ignored me and there was a fight between him and Team Seven. "What, don't want him to hear about your back-up plans to bring dear old mommy back?"
"I will kill you slowly and painfully," he threatened me coldly.
"Please." I moved my face closer to him, a crazy look in my eyes. "Don't you think I've been wanting to kill you for decades now?" We traded blows briefly when meteorites came from the sky.
Itachi had to deal with only one earlier, now Sasuke's Susanoo was flying and dealing with them, but it was never ending.
I activated the Claw, ready to take him away from Obito but he left as the first piece of meteorite touched the ground. I tried to take cover as much as I could and waited until it was over. Instead of big rocks falling from the night sky, there was now a big light. I spotted Sasuke's purple Susanoo on the ground, covering them from the light.
Oh, the Infinite Tsukuyomi was being activated. I waited for a few seconds, expecting branches to wrap around me and send me in the dream world like before, but nothing. I looked down at my arm. The Claw was activated though and wouldn't leave.
It was still poison to the tree, so I guess it didn't want to absorb my chakra and make a white zetsu out of me this time around.
I left my hiding spot and went up, to where the army was. They were all wrapped up in branches and hanging from the roots of the tree like cocoons.
"Sandaime!" Hiruzen turned around.
"Akane-kun, you're not impacted by it?" I shook my head and slowed down once I was next to him.
"The Claw is acting on its own, it's protecting me, I think. I got that treatment last time, it was enough."
"What is happening to them right now?"
"They're sent to their dream world where they are the main character, so it's their ideal world. Their chakra is slowly getting absorbed in the tree to turn them in white zetsu though."
"And Team Seven?"
"Sasuke's shielding them for now. Kaguya shouldn't be long to appear, but it's not like any of us can do anything about it." I frowned. "I can feel Hashirama and Tobirama just fine, but I have no clue where Oji-chan is."
"You're okay." Hashirama and Tobirama both arrived as well. "The Shinigami is protecting you." I nodded.
"And you guys are dead. Be it with me or the Edo Tensei, you wouldn't be affected."
"Have you tried to talk to Madara?" Hashirama asked me in a serious tone.
"Yes, but Black Zetsu interrupted me. I doubt he'd listen or even hear me anyway; his head is way too far up his ass if you'll excuse my language."
"It's appropriate for Madara," Tobirama commented, his arms crossed. Hashirama only stared at the ground harder.
"Itachi too then?" I asked him quietly. He nodded.
"I tried to stop it, but he told me it would be useless before his eyes changed." I looked up for a quick second, the light blinding me.
"It can't be helped."
The light stopped after a few minutes.
"Isn't there anything we can do?"
"Naruto and Sasuke got powers from the Rikudo to seal his mom, they're the only ones who can do something effective. We would or help a little or be in their way. It's no longer a shinobi fight."
A shiver ran up and down my spine suddenly, and I looked toward where they were. That feeling…it no longer was Madara…
"Kaguya's there," I stated firmly, gulping. I put my finger on the ground. Team Seven and Obito were all gone, like Madara, like Kaguya.
We…were the only chakra I could feel miles and miles and miles away and I had to be honest, it was quite terrifying to think about.
"What happened?" I stood up and turned around, Sandaime explaining everything to Oji-chan.
"They're fighting Kaguya then."
"And they left this dimension," I told them. "Kaguya has the Rinnegan and is from the Otsutsuki clan, she can use it to go from one dimension to another." Like Sasuke would be able to do one day.
"How did you end up in Kamui's dimension earlier?"
"I touched Obito's eye and reversed Dad's seal that locks you in a dimension to force it to open, then teleported to Kakashi's marker," I droned at my godfather. He widened his eyes slightly. "It's not as if I could do it again though. Maybe Obito would be able to target Kamui if he focused enough, but I have no idea if he could do it without consequences."
"Let's go there and see if there's anything that could help us," Tobirama suggested.
We only found Madara's lower half body.
"Losing his lower body would only be temporary as his body reforms on its own," I stated flatly. I grabbed my left hand when it tensed on its own. "Huh…something's coming."
"What?" Oji-chan asked me.
"Don't know bu…" Chakra leaked from Madara's lower body and floating above it, a staff appearing. Then, Rikudo Senin appeared.
"You are truly kind, previous reincarnate of Ashura, to worry about him after everything he has done."
"Who are you?"
"Otsutsuki Hagoromo," I replied. "Rikudo Senin."
"Really?" Minato wondered with wide eyes. I nodded and crossed my arms.
"They are all currently in another dimension fighting my mother, Kaguya, in order to seal her." He explained everything briefly.
"Your help would have been welcomed earlier," the Nidaime scowled.
"The only reason he can appear is because Madara's body contains Indra's, Ashura's and bijuus' chakra," I retorted.
"Kurama's chakra to be more precise," he added, nodding at me. "You seem to have found a way to master your new power, Yuurei." I shrugged.
"Thanks for convincing Izanami to give me a chance by the way."
"I have witnessed this story happened once; I wanted a better ending."
"You asked the wrong person, no offense."
"The story is not over yet, is it?" I blinked. "There is one thing that bothered me before. My mother was sealed, but not alone." I frowned.
"Naruto sent Black Zetsu with her. You want me to deal with it?" He nodded.
"The Claw takes the soul of living-creatures and sends them to Yomi, and if they are remarkable enough, they are awakened. This…has no soul. It is only a manifestation of my mother's will."
"So, it will destroy it like it destroyed the first God Tree on the Eastern Continent?" He nodded. "I'm still stuck here."
"Izanami's power works on different planes of existence, going from one dimension to another is not as out of reach as you think." He was now in front of me and put the top of his staff on my head.
I widened my eyes when I saw Boruto and old Sasuke in Konoha, with us. We…there was an Otsutsuki? From the future?
"Focus and find Uchiha Sasuke."
"…sure?" I shot my left hand a quick look and went back in Sage Mode, closing my eyes. I felt dizzy for a second. I could feel…this dimension…it was weird, as if I was in an ice gallery. Everything around me reflected my own dimension, but if I put enough force and focus then…
I could find the way to the marker on Sasuke's head. Slowly, I made the tiger sign.
"Found him."
The journey was different than with a regular Hiraishin, I could feel Izanami's power protecting my whole body from…getting really hurt. I went from very cold, to very hot to back normal as I was now behind Team Seven. Kaguya was in front of them, two gray rods coming to Kakashi and Obito.
I frowned. It was not the time to be petty, but there was no way Obito had a hero's death by sacrificing himself to protect them.
As Kamui appeared in front of Kakashi, I ran next to Obito and made sure to use as much power in the Claw as possible to grab the rod. The purple energy of the Claw attacked the rod as a defense mechanism and I broke it, throwing it away.
It was then dead silent.
"Akane?" Sakura called me, shocked.
"Hey."
"It's supposed to disintegrate yo…"
"Probably what's alive Naru," I cut him off, showing the Claw, "this is quite the opposite. And I just remembered it's not my first ride with the Otsutsuki Clan." Even if I doubted Urashiki was a match for Kaguya. I looked at Obito coldly. "You don't get to have an honorable death." I kicked him in Kakashi and turned around, Kaguya too close for comfort.
I thrust my hand to her face, and she jumped back. Blood was running from the graze on her cheek.
"Now look kids, if she can bleed, she's no god, just another bitch to take down, got it!?"
"Mother, be careful of this one. Her clan found a way to make a deal with the Shinigami and she can use a fragment of its power," Black Zetsu told her. He was in her left sleeve then? "Chakra is ineffective against it."
"It's Izanami-sama to you piece of shit," I spat coldly at him.
"The goddess Izanami found a warrior in this plane of existence?" Kaguya asked me directly.
"Yeah well, your great-great-grand-son was good," I replied.
"You heard dobe?" Sasuke asked Naruto in my back.
"I'm waiting on you teme!" Naruto and Sasuke went back at it.
"I have their backs, but my priority is Black Zetsu now," I told him. "Kakashi, Sakura, Obito, at any moment you're in another spot, stay alert." I looked at Kakashi. "I'm totally stealing your thunder Kakashi, no full-bodied Susanoo for you."
As Naruto and Sasuke were going at her, I moved away, my eyes on the left sleeve. I went in Negative Mode, taking my nodachi. I stopped and focused, taking a deep break. She was living, so water in her body, so…it was harder so…
I slid two fingers of my left hand on my blade, the purple energy sinking into it. I took a deep breath and aimed for her left arm. I felt a rift behind me, a rod probably coming for my back. As I slashed in the air, the warp of air behind me took care of the rod.
Her left arm, and Black Zetsu, fell. Obito teleported it away and I joined him as Kakashi and Sakura were in the air.
"Is it going to be en…" I grabbed Black Zetsu with the Claw and lifted it, digging the Claw in it. His weird, crooked smiled turned upside down and an almost demonic growl came from him. It started to crack until it turned to dust, the dust vanished before it touched the ground. "I guess it was."
I teleported the rods coming for Kakashi and Sakura away and Kakashi gestured me he needed something to lean on. I made ice behind his feet, Sakura using it to jump higher as Kakashi went down like a flash, the bluish light of the Raikiri on his hand as he slashed Kaguya's shoulder and torso. Sasuke and Naruto were on each side of her, ready to seal her, so she tried to go up to avoid them.
Sakura punched her on the head to keep her where she was and the boys…
I stopped my Sage Mode and was taken back when the ground started to be sucked toward Kaguya and the cracking black sphere behind her. Obito caught my hand to run away. Kakashi got Sakura and landed behind us, running as well. The bijuus were freed. Something was spat from Kaguya. We stopped and saw the bijuus, Naruto and Sasuke running toward us.
"Nee-chan, how did you get here!?"
"I had some help from the Rikudo. He popped up from what you guys left of Madara to me and the Hokages. If he knows it's over here, they're probably working on a way to make us go home," I replied mechanically.
"And Black Zetsu?"
"Destroyed," Obito replied. "Not killed, destroyed." Sakura stretched up her arms above her head.
"I want a hot bath now!" Same here sister. "Wait, how are they going to bring us back!?"
There was no answer as we were summoned back. We were back at the God Tree, the Rikudo in front of us. I looked around. Many Kages were there in ghost form, back from the Pure Land. I spotted Yagura, who grinned at me when he saw me.
I ignored the lump in my throat it brought me.
It was over.
We were home.
Hey! Thanks for reading and please leave a review to tell me what you thought of this chapter! The Fourth Shinobi War is slowly coming to the end!
Bye!