…
Ao's eye widened as he looked at the man in disbelief, his only words being a guttural scream for his fellow comrade.
"MEI!
The village grew quiet. What was once a great civilization had now become a wasteland, devastated and abandoned due to the war over its capture, then the surprising defeat of both parties due to the sudden arrival of a certain masked man.
Said masked man was now standing over Yagura's prone frame. He picked up the dead body with little effort, placing his hand over a disintegrating seal.
With a thrust of his palm, the remnants of the seal shattered and gave way to a mass of dark red chakra that rushed out like a wave. It covered his arm and latched on to it like a lifeline, almost as if it would die without the chakra that a living body possessed.
With a moment's notice, the chakra ran to his chest, disappearing around his stomach area.
The man broke out into a coughing fit instantly, steam rising from his chest as the chakra all but burned itself into his body. After a few minutes, the coughing was replaced with grunts, leaving the red chakra nowhere to be found.
Of course, that would be the case to a normal onlooker, but Ao knew better. With his only remaining eye, he could see everything. He watched as the chakra of the three tails in its entirety bended and warped to this man's will as it was held in place by his own potent chakra, then rushed to his core where a very complicated seal absorbed the chakra and contained it into his body.
What was more surprising was the fact that he had met this man before. Beneath the chakra that changed even the mask that he wore, then beneath the mask itself, rested the face of one Uzumaki-
"Toaru." Oh, that was right. Ao and the others weren't privy to that little bit of information. Not that it mattered, he would answer to it all the same.
"Hn. Even when I try to hide it you still find out just who I am, right Ao?" Without a sound, the mask gave way to the face underneath, revealing a grinning Toaru. The only difference being his darker than usual whiskers.
Ao was stunned. The boy that managed to befriend Mei was the same person to take her life. How was he even here? Wasn't he unresponsive the last time they met? And if he killed her (the one that DIDN'T try to torture him to any semblance of normalty), why was he still alive?
These thoughts all rang through his mind, but due to the unfortunate situation of having half his face and chest destroyed, Ao could only ask the coughs, grunts and wheezing.
"W… ?" His breath was laboured. Every rise and fall of his chest drew pain. The very fact that he was alive was amazing at the moment. The only thing keeping that a reality was his chakra and the excellent control he had over it, along with the byakugan. With it he could strengthen the weak areas, supplying energy where necessary. But this would only keep him living for so long.
The truth. That was all he wanted. The reason to this new path the boy had taken. He would ensure that he at least carried that news to the afterlife, to Mei. To Chojuro.
"Why?" Naruto repeated the phrase. "What are you on about? Wasn't this what you wanted? Didn't you plan to kill Mei?"
"N…Nev-cough-er…planned to! Was supposed to be a ruse!" His voice raised as he glared at the teen. This was never the plan. It was never a plan to begin with! Even if it was, why would the boy kill Mei of all people!? Why side with Ao?
"Oh." The answer was hollow. Soon replaced by a soft chuckle. "O-HOH! Then this sucks. I only did this part for you."
Ao's eyebrow rose in confusion but Naruuto understood the gesture. Continuing, a wave of red chakra began to make its way through his coils.
"What I mean, Ao, is that I killed them so your 'dream' would come to fruition. Sure I didn't expect you to be in a state like this, but a win is a win no?"
The chakra now expanded around him, his coat swaying by the pressure it gave off.
Naruto continued.
"And then~ when you finally thought you had it all, Kirigakure in the palm of your hand, Me and my little friend would swoop in to make you watch it all shatter before your eyes. Well, singular now."
He was now on all fours, chakra darkening and forming over him like a second skin, as the previous one burnt away.
"But I guess it's all pointless now!"
The tails behind him increased in number. From four, to six, then eight. All the while his size increased as bones and muscles formed in the mass of chakra that was Naruto.
"All except one."
Key word being; was.
"Ao. I'd like you to meet the nine tailed demon fox."
The beast roared in all its glory, its front paws raised to the sky as all of its nine tails unfurled to their full length. For the first time in almost fourteen years, The Kyuubi was finally free once again.
Ao lost it, everything he was holding back before. His tiredness of being a ninja, his hope that Mei would usher in a new peace for Kiri, his hatred for Yagura and the pangs of pain that wracked his body every breath he took. All of it fell away in front of this… this monster.
Nothing mattered anymore, and as the paw came down to crush him, Ao looked up, already accepting his fate.
Because an early death was better than what happened next.
Destruction. Pure devastation as far as the eye could see. Making the damage Isobu did look like child's play compared to what happened here.
In no less than five minutes, the land of Kirigakure no Sato was gone, leaving the shinobi world with only four major villages left.
With a huff, Kurama poofed away, revealing a content Naruto as he stared on at the wasteland the village had now become.
He reached down to grab his mask, only to realise it was blown apart with the rest of the village.
"Grr, Kurama! You ruined my look!"
"How was I supposed to know that you left a mask there you idiot! Keep your special items to yourself next time!"
"Shut it you overgrown fox!"
"Stupid brat!"
"Damn furball!"
"Pesky mortal!"
"Yeah well at least I don't live in a sewer."
"That's because your mind is sh-"
"Kukuku."
Naruto instantly turned to face his new visitor, or rather old acquaintance.
"Orochimaru."
The pale skinned snake summoner smiled (say that 7 times fast) as he looked at the , his hair was now black, but those whisker marks were unmistakable. Not to mention the appearance of the nine tails, and there was only one person this could be.
"Naruto."
The name was said with a bit of ire as well as interest. Here was the boy that managed to steal the Uchiha away from him, making him end up in this dump in the first place trying to look for a suitable body to stow away for another three years.
He was hoping to find another bloodline user (like Kimmimaro, just without the terminal illness), but was unable to do so. Oh well, at least he had two amazing swords for his effort.
The thing was, he heard what happened to the boy. Even through the lies they tried to tell, he had spies everywhere, and Danzo was oh so willing to pay him Manda's weight in cash to find the demon brat.
Well, here he was.
The thing was, Orochimaru was never one to listen to another person. Seeking out his deeds whenever he saw fit. One of those deeds was still to watch Konoha burn.
And if he couldn't have the body of an Uchiha to do it, why not the strongest of all nuclear bombs to do it for him?
"Well then, let's go!" He said, startling Naruto as the ex-Sannin addressed him as if they were long time friends.
"What?" Naruto asked, unsure if what he heard was real, even Kurama could barely understand what was happening.
"I said let's go." Orochimaru repeated. "Right now you have nowhere to stay, and the minute someone arrives you'll be the main target of all 4 elemental countries, not to mention the Akatsuki."
A grin formed on his face as Naruto grimaced. He could tell that he was already reeling the boy in.
"I don't need your help."
"Sure you don't." The ex-Sannin replied sarcastically. "Face it Naruto, as long as they know you draw breath, they will continue to hunt you down."
A gaze at the ground was all the action he needed to continue.
"That's it brat, make him suck up to you." Kurama said as he watched the snake through his jailor's eyes. He had no reason to fear, and if the man was offering both protection and power, why not take it.
"We're not so different now, you and I. Both abandoned by the place they called home. Tossed aside like trash. We'll show them how much of a mistake they made when we burn their precious home to ashes. All I need from you is your cooperation."
Looking up, the Jinchuriki stared into the eyes of Orochimaru as his own grin formed. A deal with the devil, that's what this was.
Well then, the devil would find that his soul was not an easy one to take, because this demon had claws set to kill.
"Where are we going?"
…
A day later
An ANBU squad rushed through the village gates. Not even stopping to make pleasantries with the gate guards as they made their way to the Hokage tower, hopping along rooftops so as to not waste time.
Most of them already used up chakra just to shunshin back to the village without rest, but their leader needed to know this information immediately.
So as they burst through the door, immediately surrounded by her private squad, they took a knee while their captain spoke.
"Lady Tsunade! An urgent report on the Land of Water"
The stoic woman remained calm as she looked towards the ANBU captain. He wore a mask that looked oddly similar to a cat, or tiger as he'd rather it. His brown hair kept short so as to not get in his way, even with the mask.
"Report."
"Ma'am. It's about Kirigakure, The entire village is-"
….
"WHAT!"
Ay arose from his seat as he looked at the jounin that entered the room. He could not believe what he heard.
"I'm afraid it's the truth, Lord Raikage. Mist is no more."
"How is this possible! Send teams to the area immediately! I want answers!"
"Of course Lord Raikage!" The man saluted and was off.
Aside from the land of whirlpools, which was no longer present. Kaminari no Kuni was the closest to Kiri. As such, if anything capable of destroying a great village (even in a warring state) was that close to them, he needed to know its location immediately.
…
"You're certain?" A man wearing an orange mask asked in his normal voice.
"Have we ever given you false information before?" the white half of what appeared to be a human asked, while the other side just stared on.
A sigh escaped Obito's lips. He expected the capture of Yagura, that was why he left Kiri. But the destruction of the entire village never once crossed the forefront of his mind. Not to mention the death of his pawn, which results in the death of his tenant, would mean the Akatsuki had to wait at least two years for the damn beast to reform. This meant that project 'Tsuki no me' would be put off even longer.
Damn.
First the disappearance of the nine tails jinchuriki, and now this? If things continued this way, eventually he'd have to step in himself.
"And another thing," Zetsu quipped. "The area was saturated with bijuu chakra. With both the quantity and potency, we believe the nine tails was at play here."
Obito perked up at this.
"Find him. Send as many Zetsu as you need to scout the area, just make sure that you at least have a location by the time you return."
"Will do!" The white half responded cheerily. His other half merely responded with a grunt as both sank into the floor, leaving without a trace.
Now alone, the Uchiha turned back towards the main part of his plan. The husk-like figure of what was known as the Gedo Mazo stared back, it's eye slowly blinking away under the gaze of the sharingan.
"It will take a little longer than I planned, but I will see you again, Rin."
….
"Gaara…."
The auburn haired youth slowly awoke from his slumber. Groggily, he tried to find the source of the voice that disturbed him.
"Gaaaaaraaaa!"
Still not completely awake, Gaara saw a flash of light. In that flash was the smiling face of a woman that had hair closely resembling his own.
"M…Mother?"
"Wake up dammit!"
Suddenly being pulled to the semiconscious plane, Gaara came face to face with his tenant. In a desert that was not too dissimilar from his village, the Ichibi stood impatiently. Barely being bound by chains that sagged onto his frame, giving Shukaku all the range it needed to crush the Sabaku boy.
"I've been waiting on you for HOURS! How the hell do you sleep so long?"
Gaara stared at the One Tailed beast with incredulity. Not only was he chained and sealed, but the being responsible for his insomnia was berating him on his sleeping behavior?
"Listen you damn-"
"WE DON'T HAVE TIME FOR ARGUMENTS!" Shukaku shouted. "The longer we stay divided the longer we stay here, meaning you have a higher chance of dying and I get sealed into some other human. I WILL NOT BE SEALED AGAIN!"
"Why should I work with you?" Gaara asked in a low voice. At this the sand around them dropped, giving way to pure silence.
"Eh?"
"I won't repeat myself."
Instead of a serious response, Shukaku broke down into howls of laughter.
"BWAHHAHHAHAHAHA! Oh kid, YOU CRACK ME UP!"
Almost instantly, a wave of sand washed over Gaara, lifting him up by the throat. The boy struggled as the sand grew tighter, feeling the helplessness of his prior enemies once they were trapped in its hold.
"Look at the SITUATION you're in, YOU BRAT!" A scowl deepened on the tailed beast's face as the sand slammed Gaara back into the desert.
"Do you think I want to work with you either? The very thought of it sickens me! Yet I'm here trying to be NICE FOR ONCE!" Gaara groaned as the sand seemed to close in on him, building in pressure.
"What do you think will happen when they can no longer accept your unwillingness? You're not like me! You don't come back when you die! And while you become dust, I'll just get thrown into another SHITTY FUCKJOB OF A SEAL!"
Every sentence made it harder for Gaara to draw breath. He felt his bones creaking from the pressure, ready to give way if it increased even slightly. Suddenly, it vanished altogether as a loud sigh ran across the room.
"I can't force you to listen. I mean I could, but the outside seals would sap my power before I could do anything. I NEED your help as much as you need mine. Do you really want to die here? Don't you want freedom? Revenge?"
"I'm going to tear this village to the ground. I'll murder everyone and watch the life leave your eyes as I take everything you hold dear. I promise that all of the pain you caused to me will be returned ten- no, a hundred fold. And then when it's all over, I'll watch with satisfaction as I rip your heart from your body."
"Those were your words Gaara, not mine. You tried to escape using my power, but that was when we fought over it. Let me give you my power. Please, let me save you."
The area grew quiet. Both individuals stared at each other. The silence seemed to last for hours as neither moved from their positions.
Gaara's mind however (or his mind's mind?) was running a mile a minute. Here was the one that drove him to nigh insanity, begging him to work together. Well, who was he to decline?
He had everything to gain and nothing to lose. If this was how he died, then at least he knew Suna would be destroyed along with him.
"Alright. I'll bite. I'll…accept your help, on one condition."
"YES! Anything! I'll do anything you want! I won't let you down, tail's honor."
"We do this when I want to."
"WHAT!? Why not now?"
"Two reasons. If we act now, they'll be ready for us. We need to catch them when they least suspect us. And two, I need more chakra and those chains stole a lot of it. I need you to store as much as you can and wait for the right time, then I'll release you."
"Ah, I guess we'd have to break the seals one way or another. As long as we're on the same page!" The ichibi laughed as the sand around him began to move once again. Hurricane like winds blew all around the two, yet through it all, Gaaraa smiled.
Suna's reckoning would arrive soon enough.
…
That's it for the chapter. Apologies for the long update but school just began and assignments are kicking my ass. So it may be this way for a while. I'll try to get a schedule up by late November to get some out before the holidays roll around
Kiri is officially gone from the map! How will the other countries respond to this new 'doomsday device'?
The Jinchuriki that was captured is Utakata. I don't really have a way to save him because from my recollection he was both caught by pain and somewhere before shippuden (not sure on the last one), he had to go so the Akatsuki made some form of progress.
Naruto has both the three and nine tails. The reason I didn't make him help Yagura despite them being jinchuriki is that I had no way to break the genjutsu. And the things Yagura did, hypnotised or not, makes him a piece of trash in my eyes so he kinda deserved it.
What'll happen to Suna now that our resident insomniac has an ally? What'll happen to Naruto now that Orochi-pedo has his tail wrapped around him?
Find out next time on The Ones Who Suffer!
chao~