Hi everyone. Sorry for the lack of update the past weeks. I wasn't much motivated to write, and then I got pretty sick, which made my lack of motivation even worse.
But! I'm back! And this chapter marks the final chapter in the battle for Konoha. It was a chapter I had some trouble writing, I don't really know why. It happens, I guess.
We are also approaching the end of the story, with not a lot of chapters left to write. I won't have it finished by the end of the year, but I do hope to have it finished before the end of January. Anyways! Time to thank you fine folks!
Unfortunately the issue still persists in properly filtering the people who added the story to their alerts which is a real bummer. Just know that I am very grateful of you guys and girls!
Reviewers:
Roswelll: Good question!
Nithu velu: Well, that's going to happen this chapter. As I mentioned above, I had trouble writing the chapters and Pein's section in particular. I apologize if the battle sucks.
Gamesdean1: Valid remarks. I can't really go into it without spoiling, but at the end of this chapter I will elaborate on it. Some of your questions will be answered in the chapter.
As for the hospital, more on it this chapter! Sasuke doesn't have a major role to play in the fight against Kenpachi. I have admittedly treated him mostly as a background character. He will still have his time to shine this story though. I promise.
Stalker1: Sorry to keep you waiting for so long! Enjoy!
Birdly the Reaper of Souls: Which is coming. I haven't forgotten about it ;)
Brutusjr: you are referencing to multiple chapters but I'll try my best to figure out with what you mean. Ghost being a wimp. That's your opinion. I prefer not to make characters stupidly overpowered from the get go.
As for his 'funk, and gloom&doom'. That's entirely a 'you' problem. I think it's absolutely idiotic that people can write stories where there's so much crap going on, with their characters shrugging it off like it's another Tuesday. Shinobi or not. It's all part of this story and you'll have to accept it, if you want to be able to continue reading. It's not going to change. It will certainly fade more into the background, but that's how characters who have witnessed traumatic experiences are supposed to behave. It's supposed to change them.
Regardless! I do hope you'll enjoy the rest of the story.
Ignacio Nicolini: No, sorry! It's NaruMich story. OC character :)
KingYamYam: Yeah Micheru has got it tough at the moment. Glad to hear that the character is like though!
Without further ado, enjoy the chapter, ladies and gents!
Chapter 52: Konoha's stand - part eight
Pein arrived atop the Hokage monument just in time to see the immense explosion that took place at the hospital of Konohagakure. Behind him stood the amassed forces of the remaining shinobi nations. 26.000 men and women stood, watching over the edge to the desperate battle that was taking place below.
"Hmm. Konoha is rapidly losing ground."
"We're still sticking to the plan, right?"
Pein turned to face the two talking figures. "Terumi Mei. Take your forces and head down to the right, as discussed. Mifune you will take the left. Wait with engaging until after I have finished."
Immediately the army behind the three moved into action, the army splitting right down the middle. Pein turned his focus back on the village below, where sporadic jutsu, or explosions could be seen, lighting up the evening sky.
He pushed off the edge and literally flew over the village towards the center of the fight. His eyes took in the entire scenario before he cut off the chakra and let himself plummet to the ground. Moments later he landed gracefully on the ground, right in front of Kenpachi.
"We finally meet, Daghar."
Kenpachi's eye widened a fraction. "I wonder where you got that name."
"You have a point of origin, and I will find it."
"Who gave you that name?"
Pein's face remained, as always, unchanged. "Irrelevant. I had tasked a squad with killing you."
"Ghost and his companions. They are dead."
There was a near imperceptible change in Pein's gaze. "That's…Unfortunate."
"You will follow in their footsteps."
At that moment, five more Akatsuki agents landed on the ground, on either side of Pein. "You have never fought against me."
"You're nothing more than a bug." Kenpachi flicked his hand and sent a wave of red chakra forward, surging towards the group.
The broad member of the group jumped forward, holding out his hands. The attack slammed into him, but apart from straining the man it did little to him, and instead the attack dissipated.
Kenpachi watched with interest but was forced to lean back to dodge the incoming attack that came from his right side.
Before he could react, his body started moving against his will, his feet skidding over the ground before the pull became too much and he got sent sailing towards the fourth member, whose body had partially morphed into a blade.
As his seeming death neared, he sent a surge of nucleus from the palm of his hand and sent him flying away. He landed on the ground; his knees bent slightly from the impact. "You are incredibly well coordinated."
Pein didn't respond. He hadn't even moved an inch since arriving. The woman on his flank slammed her hands down on the ground, creating two large puffs of smoke.
Two gigantic birds flew from the smoke and started roaming the village, attacking random places which contained Reaver presence.
Kenpachi watched with mild interest but refocused his attention on his dangerous foe in front of him. "You should keep your focus solely on me, you can't afford not to."
He disappeared with flashstep, instantly closing the gap between him and the summoner, crashing his fist into her face, instantly taking her out of the fight.
Pein himself dashed forward, a chakra rod in his hand, aiming it at the Reaver. Kenpachi in turn leaned to the side and dodged the attack, and with his claw, swiped it towards the red-haired foe.
But before his attack could hit, he got blasted back and had to push himself into a flip to land on his feet.
Raising his hand above his head, he formed a large red ball of demonic nucleus, hurtling it to Pein. While the attack seemed slow, Pein assumed the result to be far worse than he could imagine.
His 'companion' jumped in front of the attack once more, absorbing it completely.
Kenpachi narrowed his eye. "No communication, yet flawless teamwork. You must share a subconscious…Telepathy?"
"This reaches far beyond your understanding."
"It doesn't matter whether or not you'll tell me. I've already killed one of your teammates."
"No, you didn't." the female he had given a killing blow stood there, not a scratch on her.
"I felt your neck snap, that's impossible." His eye widening.
"As I said, far beyond your understanding."
Two more clouds of smoke popped, and from it more creatures emerged, engaging the Reavers as well.
Pein snapped his hand forward and created more chakra rods, firing them towards Kenpachi who used flashstep to dodge it, appearing to the side of the chakra absorber, better known as the 'Preta path'.
The tips of his claw pierced the back of his head, and, with little effort, tore his head clean off.
The bald Akatsuki agent, 'Shuradō' countered just as fast. This time he held a humongous sledgehammer of sorts, smashing it into the side of Kenpachi's head, who was floored instantly.
Yet, while he was floored, his bloodied claw snapped towards Shuradō's leg and pulled it away from underneath him.
Flipping to his feet, he pulled the man by his leg up, holding him upside down. He grabbed him by the neck, and with a mighty roar pulled him in half.
A mere second later he was sent crashing through a series of buildings.
Pein watched the gory sight in front of him, with his Naraka Path 'Jigokudō' approaching it, intent on reviving them. His eyes darted to the ground and let his 'puppet' jump to the side, narrowly evading the attack that came from below.
Bursting from the ground, Kenpachi was wielding his massive axe, he wildly swung his blade but missed his target, one that didn't come without cost.
Three chakra rods pierced his chest and legs, sending him crashing into the ground next to Jigokudō, who kicked him into the air where Pein proceeded to give him another burst of his infamous ability, sending him away once more.
Seconds later he reformed his formation, with him at the front, staring at the spot he had last seen Kenpachi.
Without warning, he flipped into the air, dodging the attack that suddenly came from behind. Kenpachi had used flashstep to appear in the center of his formation.
"ENOUGH!" He snapped his hands out and formed a large sphere of demonic nucleus, with him in the center. The nucleus twirled around him, expanding rapidly, before it shot outward, enveloping all the 'puppets' around him, with Pein soaring towards the sky, effectively dodging the attack.
Pein dove to the ground, a chakra rod in his hand, aiming it at Kenpachi, but he wasn't having any of it. Another burst of the demonic power blasted Pein back into the sky and quickly followed up by throwing his massive axe after him, striking him in the shoulder.
Pein hit the ground hard, the weapon still embedded in his shoulder. He slowly stood up and pulled it out, letting it fall to the ground with a soft clang. His eyes settled on Kenpachi once more, ignoring his fallen 'allies'.
The reaver was breathing heavily, bleeding profusely from multiple wounds. Ones that weren't created by him, so he assumed it was due to Naruto, Itachi and Kisame.
"You are tired."
"Killing your companions proved more of a nuisance than I had hoped."
"Trying to bait a response is pointless."
"Your struggle against our might is. You will fall."
"Doubtful."
"Let's see if you'll enjoy being attacked from multiple angles." He signed with his hand and a handful of shifters landed around him.
"Praetorians. I wondered when you would call for assistance." Pein's monotone voice remarked, while from behind him, figures emerged from the smoke.
"This is not possible! I killed them!" Kenpachi yelled in surprise, something, no one had witnessed before.
Behind Pein stood the entirety of his 'puppet' team, completely unscathed."You shall know pain."
His hand slowly rose, aiming it at the group of Reavers in front of him. "Shinra Tensei."
As the reinforcements poured in from every angle, the tide swung in favor of the defenders, and with renewed vigor charged alongside their new allies.
Surprised by the sudden reinforcements, the reavers were ill prepared and were cut down as the united forces of the elemental nations crashed into them. Kunai, katana and other blades clashed against each other, with shuriken and jutsu flying overhead, crashing into the Reaver force.
Mifune was expertly slashing through various Reavers, using chakra to lace his blade with his wind element. On his flanks were his loyal samurai, pushing onwards, using the confusion to their advantage.
A vertical slash cut his foe almost in half. A kick moved him out of the way, so that he could move on to his next foe.
Shuriken were flying from nearby rooftops, where shuriken launchers were hastily mounted on top.
A screeching noise erupted from their far right, and seconds later two large summons came flying in, swiping their claws at the Reavers down below, killing them by the dozens.
"Mifune-san!"
Dispatching his enemy, he quickly stepped back, addressing the man who shouting towards him, recognizing him to be one of his subordinates. "What is it?"
"The ruins of the hospital are under attack, they need help. There are wounded there!"
Mifune gave a curt nod. He knew, that despite the destruction of the hospital, there were still people who needed their help. "Send the Raikage, put a hundred capable fighters under his command and give him the order to clear it!"
The man hesitated but gave a nod, something Mifune noticed.
"What is it?"
"Lord Raikage has been insistent throughout our journey here that he wants to fight Kenpachi."
"I care little for his path of vengeance, he should be glad that I even allow him the honor of leading men in the first place."
It was common knowledge that the fall of Kumogakure was entirely to blame the Raikage. It had resulted in the death of Killer B.
"Understood." The man dashed off after giving a short bow of respect.
"Throw!"
From behind, a wave of kunai, with exploding tags flew overhead, landing further back, where the Reaver presence was just as significant. A multitude of explosions rocked the area and caused further disarray for their foe.
"Mifune-san. We have located lady Hokage."
"Bring me to her." He answered instantly.
The man gestured the samurai to follow him, and they quickly left the frontlines and dashed towards a lesser populated area.
They made their way over to a sturdy, and heavily guarded building. But despite the number of guards, it had taken one hell of a beating. A portion of the roof had been blown apart and one of the side walls had collapsed.
"This is their headquarters. The Hokage and her tacticians are in there."
Mifune thanked the man and quickly made his way over, the anbu letting him pass without as much as word.
Inside the afternoon sun could be seen through the whole in the roof. Inside they were looking over a damaged map that lay spread out on the equally damaged table.
Shikaku looked up, a look of relief on his face. "Mifune-sama. You came just in the nick of time."
The others looked up as well, giving him a nod of welcome and appreciation. Mifune took in their features and noticed they all held an equal look of exhaustion. "How bad is it?"
Tsunade looked grim. "Bad. We've dug in around the village at key points. We're struggling to hold them back."
Shikamaru wiped some dirt and rubble off the map. "Those choke points can't stop infiltrators. More and more are getting past it. We were rerouting troops away from the frontline to deal with them."
The leader of the samurai looked over his shoulder to his second in command. "Deal with the infiltrators."
"Shikamaru, give them all the info they need." Tsunade ordered.
He hastily stepped away and joined the other man outside, leaving Mifune with Tsunade and Shikaku, not to mention a few of the others that were working all around them. "How many fighters do you have left?"
"Shinobi wise, we have five thousand troops left. Our daimyo's army has been all but wiped out."
Mifune rubbed his beard, deep in thought for a moment. "We have 26.000 men. Even with our combined forces, they still out number us, vastly. The momentum we have won't last."
"What about Pein? I recall him having the power of the Juubi." Shikaku muttered, repulsed by the notion of it.
"It would certainly help, but he's engaging Kenpachi."
"Then replace him with someone else!" Tsunade ordered, before she stepped away from the table. "As a matter of fact. Let me make a team and take over."
"Are you sure this is wise?" Mifune asked, his eyes turning to Shikaku, who I turn gave the idea some thought
"If we can free up Pein, we can try and retake the wall, but I doubt we'll be able to keep the momentum up for that long. "Shikaku murmured.
"We have Iwa survivors with us, including Kitsuchi. They will be able to repair the wall."
"Let's not waste any time. We need to give the order for a massive counterattack." Tsunade said, her eyes on Shikaku.
Mifune scratched his chin, thinking over the suggested plan of attack. He was extremely doubtful. They were outnumbered and outclassed. The only thing they had going was their momentum, as well as Pein's trick.
On the other hand, it didn't matter all that much. If they didn't pull off a miracle, they were dead anyways.
Eventually he gave a nod of approval. "Let's put the plan in motion. Get Pein away from Kenpachi and have him engage the Reaver army."
His body twirled rapidly, dodging the low kick that came his way. Mid spin he flung his hand out and used shinra tensei to send Kenpachi flying.
Landing gracefully on his feet, he snapped out his other hand and let fly one of his chakra rods, piercing the skull of a Hastae.
His 'companions reformed their formation quickly, their gazes all locked on the same figure, Kenpachi, who was climbing to his feet, his breathing heavy but at a steady pace. He had various wounds adorning his face and body.
"It's time we cut down your allies," Pein said as he aimed his hands at the other Reavers. "Banshō Ten'in!"
Instantly, all the Reavers, except for Kenpachi flew towards him, where the various 'paths' were standing ready.
Kenpachi appeared behind the human path and decapitated him with a quick swing of his massive weapon.
The remainder of the group wasted no time and cut down the Reavers before quickly turning around and charging towards Kenpachi, who was now being barraged by a series of ranged attacks.
A chakra rod pierced his shoulder, while two rockets slammed into him shortly after, creating a cloud of smoke.
Kenpachi emerged from the smoke with his blazing red eye. He grabbed the nearest foe, the Asura path and slammed his fist into him, engaging him in a close combat fight.
"Pein-sama!"
Pein turned his gaze from the fight and watched as Mifune approached. "What is it?"
Mifune watched over the shoulder of Pein as Kenpachi was now engaging three of the six paths of Pein. "We need to push the reavers from this village, but we don't have the men."
"You need my help."
He gave a single nod.
"I can't engage both Daghar and his army simultaneously."
Mifune, who knew of Kenpachi's true name, gestured towards the rapidly approaching fighters. "We have A. Tsunade and Kakashi who will take over."
"Very well."
"Are you capable of summoning…?" He asked with uncertainty.
"I will be, but I don't know for how long. Have our forces disengage. I will take care of the Reavers inside the village. Once I have cleared it, have them rapidly advance towards the wall."
"Understood. Let's put the plan into motion!" Mifune quickly turned to his subordinate and started giving him orders, while Pein started disengaging from Kenpachi.
The Asura path was the last to jump away, but too late and got grabbed by the leg. Kenpachi disintegrated the 'puppet' almost instantly.
"Try and bring him back now." Kenpachi said with a grimace, blood dribbling out of the corner of his lips.
"Your manner of attack is irrelevant to my ability to control death."
"We'll see."
"Regardless. I have fought you for long enough. My other companions will take over from here."
"And you think I'll just let you leave?" his eye darted to the right and saw A. dashing toward him, his fist outstretched. He leaned back and let him fly past, before kicking him in his stomach and sending him soaring into the afternoon sky.
Tsunade appeared from behind and tried to jackhammer him, but failed as well, hitting nothing but air.
The katon jutsu proved to be more effective and slammed into his side, causing him to stagger. Kakashi stood off to a distance, panting slightly.
Kenpachi looked around him and grit his teeth. "I'm getting tiresome of these constant interruptions."
"Let us end your misery then!" Tsunade roared as she came charging in again, her fist cocked back.
"I'm going to grind you to dust!" A. dashed forth as well, straining the muscles in an effort to increase his speed even further.
Kenpachi awaited their approach, his hands aimed at the both of them, glowing bright red.
Tsunade and A. didn't slow down, and instead continued their approach. A wave of red enveloped them, halting their advance.
"PITIFUL!"
"I'll show you pitiful!" A. shimmered in front of him, giving the man a mind-numbing uppercut that sent him flying.
From above Tsunade dove towards him, her hands clasped together once more, and this time she was more successful. She hammered him back to the ground, dust covering the crater that Kenpachi created with his impact.
She landed on the ground and gave Kakashi a nod. "Great use on that genjutsu."
"We both know that it didn't do enough."
"Even he must be nearing his limits." Tsunade muttered; her gaze turned back to the crater.
"What is that sound?" A. asked, his narrowed eyes darting around, electricity dancing around him.
The ground rumbled underneath and both A. and Tsunade were only capable of widening their eyes before it cracked open and a wave of demonic chakra surged out from it, swallowing them whole.
Terumi Mei watched in awe as a humongous, living statue emerged from the ground, letting out a terrifying roar. "What is this?"
Sakura finished wrapping the improvised bandage around Temari's arm. "That's…Pein. I've seen it once before."
~All fighters. Disengage immediately and create a fall-back line at sector 5. Prepare for the counter. ~
"What is it?"
Sakura gave a single uncertain shake of her head. "I-I don't know…"
Another, more high-pitched shriek emerged from the statue and a large blue creature surged forward.
"What the hell is that?!" one of the more experienced chunin yelled, pointing his finger towards the beast.
"This is how we might survive yet." Shikamaru said as he appeared at their side, exhaustion etched on his face.
"I see Pein has engaged." A tired voice said from behind, causing the group to turn.
Itachi stood there, wrapped in a series of bandages, being supported by one of the few remaining hunters left, Kia.
"What is it?" Sakura asked as she slowly stood from spot, giving Temari a reassuring smile.
"The power of Jūbi, or at least a small fraction of it. The Gedō Mazō"
Terumi slowly turned her gaze from Itachi back to the statue. "A fraction? Kami…"
They watched at the monstrosity attacked the reaver army in sight. Primarily using his blue dragon to try and kill everything it neared.
The sight was truly terrifying. They watched as the phantom dragon swept over the reaver army and consumed their souls once it touched them.
The momentum the newly arrived shinobi had caused fell into nothingness when compared to the pure chaos that was ensuing. Reavers were dropping by the hundreds, and they could do little to stop it.
Attacks from the reavers were thrown towards the massive living statue, but it did nothing. Temari watched in shock as the Reaver army was being devastated in front of them.
"Why wasn't he here with us from the start?!"
Temari turned her focus away from the Reavers and instead on the one controlling the statue. She immediately understood why they weren't using it more often.
Pein was convulsing. His face was calm as it always was, but all his muscles were twitching and seemingly not capable of holding the strain.
"He won't last much longer…" Terumi softly said.
Sakura her eyes were also settled on Pein, and she gave a near imperceptible nod of agreement.
"Look! They're falling back!"
They immediately shifted back to the massive statue who was still wrecking complete havoc. By now the Reavers were starting to fall back beyond the wall.
~Defenders of Konoha. Attack! ~
A mighty roar erupted from the united forces of the shinobi nations before they all charged forward, killing the few dozen of surviving Reavers with ease.
Temari forced herself to her feet. "I'm not staying on the sidelines for this! For Kankuro!" She yelled as she dashed forward, joining her fellow shinobi in their clash.
Their counteroffensive proved to be successful, and they had successfully forced them from the village. Iwa specialists, along with Kitsuchi repaired the breaches and soon after, shinobi started manning the walls again, fighting desperately to regain control of it.
They had stunned their enemy, mainly because of Pein, but he had disappeared shortly after. The problem remained that they were still outnumbered, and rough estimates from the headquarters suggested it was still 5 to 1.
Looking up at the top of the wall, Micheru could make out the fighting figures 'dancing'. She had been trailing after Kenpachi for hours now. Every time she got near, she either got held back by reavers, or the fight Kenpachi was in, moved elsewhere, unknown to her.
She lowered herself into a crouch and watched as the fight in front of her turned into a messy brawl. For the entire fight, Kenpachi had been engaged by a multitude of opponents. He had successfully fought against 8 kage level fighters and had come out on top. Not to mention the anbu squad. The only fighter still standing, was Kakashi, but he was nearing his limit and fast.
Micheru could see that he hadn't come out of the fight unscathed. His movement was slower, and she could see on his face that fatigue was becoming a factor. With no small amount of satisfaction, she watched as Kakashi hammered his fist into his face, sending him sprawling.
Satisfaction that just as easy disappeared when he countered with an equally brutal strike back. Sneering she pushed herself back into her standing position. "Are you ready?"
"Not really. But let's do this." Kitase answered, a drop of sweat sliding down the side of his face. He reached for his pouch and pulled out a stack of exploding tags. "Don't get too close."
Micheru stayed silent, but watched as her teammate took a few steps back, until he neared the back edge of the roof.
He took off into a sprint and she followed after him after waiting for a few short seconds. Pushing off the edge she dove after Kitase as he neared Kenpachi, who was becoming aware of the incoming attack.
He let out a quick burst of red chakra but was narrowly evaded by the two. Kitase crashed into Kenpachi and attached the tags to the massive Reaver before being thrown away.
A burst of fire, courtesy of Micheru ignited the tags and set them off, engulfing Kenpachi in a large explosion.
Well aware that this wasn't enough, she snapped her hands forward and engulfed the place where he stood with more fire, sweat dropping from her face.
A demonic claw appeared from the smoke cloud and reached for her face, but she barely managed to dodge it by jumping back.
"Micheru. What are you doing here?"
She looked over her shoulder and saw Kakashi struggling to remain upright. "Are you okay?"
"Not for much longer." He said hoarsely, nudging with his head to the now dissipating smoke cloud.
Kenpachi remained standing. A few more scratches and wounds adorned his body, but otherwise didn't seem fazed by the attack.
"Hunter, have you come to aid your pitiful friend?"
"I'm here to put you into the ground. "She snarled back, slowly lowering herself into offensive stance.
"Ghost was a much better fighter than you, or Rome ever was."
"Don't you dare talk about him!"
Kenpachi's stared at her for a moment. "He fought valiantly to the end."
"YOU TOOK HIM AWAY FROM ME!" she screamed, tears pouring down her face.
She aimed her hand at the clouded sky. "Go to hell." She spat out, pouring every last bit of anger and rage into her words. A bolt of lightning shot from her hand and disappeared into the darkening sky. A mere second later, the clouds lit up in bright light.
Kenpachi narrowed his eye, watching with apprehension.
Slowly her hand moved towards him. "Mirarca's strike." She whispered as another bolt of electricity erupted from her hand and surged forward.
From the sky, a massive lighting strike emerged and flashed forward, striking the general area where Kenpachi was standing in, consuming him in a white light.
The lightning was blinding, and the group was unable to see whether or not the attack had been successful. Micheru's hand dropped back to her side, a small smile on her face.
"Kami! What was that?!" Kitase exclaimed as he grabbed her by the arm. "That was amazing! Did you kill him?"
"That was a stroke of genius. Using the weather to your advantage." Kakashi said as he limped his way over to them. He put his hand on her shoulder and gave it a squeeze.
They all stared at the spot where Kenpachi had stood before the lighting struck him. "I-I think he's-"
"Dead?"
Their eyes widened in shock and fear, whilst shaking their head in fear.
"That's…not possible." Micheru whispered as she felt her knees buckle from both exhaustion and despair.
Kenpachi appeared before the group. His outfit was in tatters and his left arm was bleeding profusely. "I have to admit, that was a very dangerous trick. Unfortunately for you, it failed, like everything else you've thrown my way."
Kitase looked between Micheru and Kakashi. "What now?"
Before any of the attendants could speak up, a loud rumbling could be heard from behind them, causing them all to turn.
A dozen of statues emerged from the ground and slowly rose to their full height,towering over the village of Konohagakure. Their appearance even gave pause to Micheru, Kitase and Kakashi, staring in awe at the display of power.
"How?" Kenpachi asked, his eye wide in surprise and shock.
"You have continued to underestimate the powers we possess. That will be your undoing." Pein landed next to the group of defenders. The rest of his 'pawns' were nowhere to be found.
Kenpachi let out a low growl as he focused his gaze on Pein. "This is your doing."
"A fraction of my power, yes."
There was the sound of air being displaced and quickly noted new arrivals, crouched around Kenpachi.
"My lord Kenpachi." One said as she remained bowed.
"We aren't capable of withstanding against such overwhelming power."
Kenpachi sneered at her and his hand hovered inches above her head, as if he was tempting to strike her. "There is no power that could be levied against us, Lena."
"I strongly recommend that we regroup and assess the situation."
Meanwhile the group of defenders were slowly being reinforced by samurai, courtesy of Mifune. "We give you one last chance," The commander ordered. "Leave the elemental nations."
Kenpachi lowered his hand and stared for a moment at his subordinate, until he slowly turned to the group. "I'll make one thing very clear. THIS isn't a victory for you. We've laid waste to your armies, destroyed your nations. This is nothing more than a nuisance that we will overcome. Prepare yourself, we will return."
His glowing red eye roamed over all the defenders surrounding them. "Nothing will stop our conquest." And with that, he took a step forward and disappeared, his companions following suit.
Micheru mouth was wide open. "Did…did?"
"Did we just force the Reavers into a retreat?" Kitase asked, equally as stumped as she was.
"For the moment. When they return, we won't have any means to stop them."
"What do you mean? Those…things, they can handle them!" One of the samurai exclaimed.
Kakashi turned his focus on the large statues. They were still at the same spot they had been before. "That's a genjutsu."
"That is correct." Pein answered.
"Nothing more than smokes and mirrors." Micheru whispered hoarsely.
~Defenders of Konohagakure. The enemy is making a full retreat. ~
"What now?" Kitase asked as he slowly made his way over to Micheru and gently pulled her to her feet.
"Now would be a good time to find ourselves a miracle." Shikamaru's voice appeared from their side.
The grey haired Jonin's eyes roamed the area. "We need to find Tsunade. She was knocked out earlier in the fight."
"All taken care of, Hatake-san. My medics found her and are treating her wounds. None are life threatening." Terumi said with a slight tilt of his head.
~Defenders. The main square is used as our assembly area. All Jonin, Hunters and Akatsuki agents are requested there immediately. ~
Kakashi slowly straightened his back and turned to march towards the square. From the corner of his eye, he could see Pein moving in the opposite direction. "Pein-san. You're going the wrong way."
"I'm aware."
The Jonin watched as the retreating back of the Akatsuki leader slowly disappeared from sight as smoke started obscuring his sight.
"Kakashi, are you coming?" Kitase asked as both he and Micheru were waiting on him. Their shoulders were slumped, and their outfits clad in dirt and blood.
"Hai…" he answered in a hoarse voice, becoming aware of the vague silence that descended on the village. He could make out the distinct sound of fire somewhere nearby but gave it no thought. Slowly he forced his feet forward and moved towards them.
As Pein made his way through the village, it didn't take long before he got spotted by one of his remaining operatives, Itachi Uchiha.
He turned sideways to look at the Uchiha. A questioning gaze drilling into Itachi's tired eyes. "Where is Kisame?"
Itachi made his way over to his leader, taking unsteady steps. "He's been killed. Kenpachi took him out."
"Our numbers are dropping."
"Are you considering?"
"I've already been in contact with him. He'll be joining shortly."
Itachi's face was unreadable. "Why hasn't he joined us earlier?"
"He wasn't around."
"He wasn't around?" Itachi's voice rose as he looked at his leader with mixture of emotions.
"He was on an important assignment. As I said. He'll be arriving shortly."
"Kisame and Naruto might have lived if he had joined us from the start of this fight." Itachi frowned, his hands slowly forming into fists.
Pein noticed but remained stoic. "You are assuming that his presence would've changed the outcome of Kenpachi's fight. It would not."
"He could-"
"Stop assuming, Itachi. Use logic. Kenpachi took out multiple kage level shinobi. His added presence would've done little."
The Uchiha stared at him before he finally relented and gave him a slight tilt of his head, indicating he would rest his arguments.
"Where's Konan?" Pein asked, resuming his trek towards the large smoke plumes that erupted from the destroyed Hospital.
"Leader-sama…She's dead."
Pein step faltered, and he peered over his shoulder. "She's…dead?"
"Hai…"
"That's…That's…"
"Kenpachi killed her. He was afraid she would've struck again. She was the real threat against his forces. He took out the hospital to kill her."
Pein slowly looked down at the hands of the body he was controlling. Yahiko's hands. Slowly he turned them. "I've let you down…Yahiko."
Itachi watched silently, not daring to question what his leader was saying.
"Head to the market square. They will give out new orders." The orange haired man quietly ordered.
"Of course," He gave a sharp twist and headed in the opposite direction. "Pein-sama."
"What is it?" the cold words of Pein reached his ears.
"My condolences for your loss." He said in a near whisper.
Pein didn't react and moved away, but something did slip from his hands and Itachi, who was watching him from the corner of his eyes couldn't resist and inspect what he had dropped.
Crouching he reached with blood crusted fingers towards the item that lay atop the rubble. It was an origami, and an old one at that. He inspected it for a moment, until after a moment his gaze rose again, towards the figure of Pein that was moving away from him.
Gently he laid it back on the ground and he stood back up, clutching his side as his body groaned in protest at the movement.
He hadn't known of his leader's backstory. But what he did know, was that the man he saw walking in the distance, wasn't the same man prior to their conversation. Konan's death had hurt him, and probably even broken him.
"This war is nearing its end…One way or another." Itachi said aloud, giving one last glance to the paper origami. With a dipped head he headed to the market square. His thoughts far away.
Pein stepped over the debris of the destroyed hospital. Bodies were laying everywhere, killed by the massive attack from just before his arrival.
Blood dripped from his arm and onto the ground, yet he paid it no mind, nor did he pay any mind to the sounds of the fights around him. It all mattered little to him. He had failed the promise he had made to Yahiko. He had failed to protect Konan.
Konan had been a formidable kunoichi, someone that was able to lay waste to armies. In the end, Kenpachi had prevailed again. He should have known that Kenpachi would've hunted her the moment she used her ultimate technique.
His clear vision slowly turned into a blur. The Gedō Mazō was a jutsu of terrible power. If one could even call it that. His sight darkened at the edge but forced it back. Using the technique came at a difficult cost, His own lifespan. Every time he used it, it drained his lifeforce, shortening his remaining years. Something he had realized after using it for the first time, when Yahiko had sacrificed himself.
Regardless of the cost, he knew that without it, the Reavers would've pushed back against their counterattack. He had given them a victory today, but a temporary one at that, and it had cost him his life. A sliver of a smile appeared on his face.
It had disappeared just as fast, his thoughts wandering back to Konan. He had failed to accomplish his dream and soon he would fade into nothingness, to join his old teammates and live long friends.
With the passing of Kisame and Konan the future of the Akatsuki was all but gone, along with their plan for a peaceful future. Unless…He could find a way to end the war.
He ignored the passerby's, who were walking around dazed, trying to find friends or teammates.
"WATCH OUT!"
He glanced up and saw as a large piece of the hospital building broke off and impacted on the ground, with smoke erupting from it. He barely blinked at destruction and chaos and continued her trek.
He rounded the corner of the ruined building and stared at the resting place of the fallen shinobi. A large portion of the bodies had been destroyed by the destruction of the hospital. He didn't hesitate and approached, his eyes roaming over the endless rows of bodies and their nameplates.
A gust of wind blew the cover of various bodies upwards, revealing their pale and bloodied faces, including the one of Uzumaki Naruto, whose body had remained unaffected by the rubble of the hospital.
He moved over to the blonde and stared at his bloodied and mutilated face. "Jiraiya-sensei always talked of a hero that would bring the shinobi continent peace. He had always thought it was me, and for a long time…So did I."
He quieted once more, and slowly he crouched down next to the blonde, his hand resting on the cloth-covered chest of Naruto. "We were wrong. It was you. It always has been…You."
He felt his life slowly drain away and he could feel his hold slipping away from the Yahiko body he was controlling "When Jiraiya spoke of peace, we have always envisioned it would be from war between shinobi nations, but it has become clear that this wasn't the case."
He looked up to the sky, his vision becoming increasingly blurry. "Uzumaki Naruto, this world has known enough pain." His body gave out and he fell backwards, and before Yahiko's head hit the ground, Nagato had already passed away.
His hand remained resting atop Naruto's chest before eventually gravity took hold and let it slide to the ground, hitting it without as much as a sound.
The lone eye of Naruto slowly opened.
So. People might not like what I did to Pein, or that I didn't give him a lot of screen time. For that I'm mightily sorry. His sickness was something that was always going to be there. In the anime/manga it was a problem for him, and in this story we're a lot further in the timeline than Shippuden was, hence his sickness would have worsened.
Also, earlier in the story he used The Gedō Mazō which shortens his lifespan even further. Peak Pein, combined with Kisame, Itachi and Naruto would definitely have been one hell of a challenge for Kenpachi, but Pein's sickness was too far along. Pein had the upper hand in this fight, but only after Kenpachi had been worn out from all the other fights.
Sorry if people hoped for more, but Pein was always going to end up like this.
Also! Shocker! Naruto's alive!
Until next time!