Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or High School DxD.
Chapter 12
God vs Ninja
"The current estimate of the casualties is almost a hundred thousand. However, this number may rise even more."
"The Chinese government has denied any role in the disaster that has hit their city. However, neighboring countries are very anxious that this could be a provocation from China. China has also increased its security measures. NATO and UN members are closely monitoring this situation. Experts are also concerned that the problem may worsen due to the rising tension in the Middle East."
"Humanity may be heading towards a new war. A much worse war than the previous two."
A deadly silence filled the room as the occupants watched the news with horror etched on their faces. These people included Gabriel, Asia, Yasaka, Kunou, Miwa (Yasaka's secretary), and other Youkais.
Gabriel, one of those in the room, could only watch hopelessly. Beside her was Asia, who had worry written all over her face.
"This is not good. Not good at all," Yasaka's voice was grave. "The last two times weren't good. This will be far worse, even for us."
"Will humans have another war?" Kunou asked, looking at her mother nervously.
"We can't say yet," Yasaka replied worriedly.
"But why is this happening?" Asia asked in a depressed tone. "How did this happen? Wasn't big brother in China?"
"You mean Naruto Uzumaki?" Miwa, Yasaka's secretary, asked, glancing at Asia. "What makes you think that he wasn't involved in this incident?"
"My brother would never do something like this!" Asia exclaimed fiercely, glaring heatedly at Miwa.
"Miwa," Yasaka gave her secretary a warning stare. "Please do not antagonize our guests." She glanced at Gabriel and said, "But it worries me too. Naruto Uzumaki goes to China, and something like this happens in two months. Lady Gabriel..."
Gabriel shook her head. "I believe Naruto. If something like this has happened when Naruto was present in China and wasn't able to prevent it, then that means only one thing."
"And that is?" Yasaka asked, raising a curious eyebrow.
"Something far worse is coming for us. And we must prepare for it."
A large explosion rocked the entire Buddhist Heaven.
Dust clouds formed a dome at least fifty feet high, visible from the tall towers in Tian.
A furry figure flew out of the dust clouds, facing the ground. The hairy figure had golden fur, wore chainmail armor, and carried a red staff with golden balls on either end.
Suddenly, several tree branches shot out of the dust clouds, racing toward the furry figure.
The furry figure used his staff to parry the incoming tree branches, but the more he dodged, the more shot towards him. Seeing that he would be overwhelmed by the tree branches, the figure used one of the branches as a platform to spring himself further away from the area.
After ensuring he had created a respectable distance between himself and the branches, he allowed himself to land on the ground.
A moment later, Naruto landed a few feet away from him.
"Running away so soon," Naruto said with a mocking smile. "I expected better from you."
"Hmph," Sun Wukong snorted. "I have met countless overconfident brats like you. Brats who try to challenge anything and everything but end up biting off more than they can chew."
Naruto let out a chuckle. "You may be a god, but for me, you are nothing but a small fish on a cutting board. Ready to be sliced into pieces and cooked."
"I had no idea you were into cannibalism, brat."
"Even if I was, eating you would leave a bad taste in my mouth."
Sun Wukong took his stance, pointing his staff at Naruto. "Let us test if you are all bark and no bite."
Naruto removed his jacket and threw it away, revealing a tight black t-shirt underneath. He took his stance with his right hand forward, forming a fist, and his left hand closer to his chest. His right foot slid forward. He smirked as his hand was engulfed in bright red chakra instead of the usual bright golden. "I am going to enjoy punching your face countless times."
In the blink of an eye, they both shot towards each other.
The Monkey King slashed his staff horizontally, trying to hit Naruto's torso. But Naruto quickly grabbed the staff with his left hand.
Pulling on the staff, Naruto forced Sun Wukong closer to himself as he went for a punch right at the god's face. But Sun Wukong grabbed his fist, not without consequences though.
The punch was so powerful that Sun Wukong's whole body was shaken by it. 'What a heavy punch!' Sun Wukong cursed in his mind.
Both of them started delivering blow after blow. Sun Wukong mostly attacked with his staff, while Naruto used his hands.
Naruto punched and parried.
Sun Wukong slashed and deflected.
But neither of them backed down.
The more they exchanged blows, the faster they became. The force behind the punches was increasing exponentially, so much that the ground underneath them was buckling from the pressure exerted by the blows.
Neither of them stopped their attacks. Each time their fists connected, shockwaves were released in every direction. Multiple mountains miles away were destroyed by the impact of their punches.
Having gauged each other's power, they both jumped back, creating a respectable distance between them.
However, Naruto gave no breathing room for the Sage as he started performing hand seals so fast that his hands were barely visible.
"Fire Style: Great Fire Annihilation," Naruto whispered, forming the horse seal. Bringing the tip closer to his lower lips, the blonde ninja released a massive wall of fire that raced toward the Monkey Sage at bullet speed.
The Monkey King saw the wall of fire approaching him and felt himself sweat from the heat. He spun his staff like helicopter blades and put it before him just as the firewall hit him.
After letting the fire rage for a minute, Naruto decided to stop. The fire had burnt a large portion of the grassy ground. The Monkey King had escaped unharmed, except for some singed fur.
"You are full of surprises, Naruto Uzumaki," Sun Wukong said as his singed fur healed.
Naruto's eyes widened in excitement as he dashed towards the Sage without replying.
The Monkey King spun his staff above him before pointing it at the fast-approaching Naruto. The staff elongated within milliseconds and raced towards Naruto.
Naruto twisted himself around the staff and kept speeding towards the Sage until he was taken by surprise when multiple spikes shot out of the body of the staff, piercing his body. Thankfully, none managed to hit his vital parts. One came close to his heart but missed by a few millimeters.
The spikes retracted back inside the staff, and the staff decreased in size, leaving Naruto behind bloody.
Naruto smirked joyously as his desire to overpower and consume the Monkey Sage grew even stronger. The wounds smoked and healed in an instant.
This time, Sun Wukong dashed towards Naruto, effortlessly breaking the sound barrier. In the blink of an eye, the Monkey King was upon Naruto, his staff raised towards the sky. Without hesitation, the Monkey Sage brought the staff down, thundering towards Naruto.
Naruto acted swiftly, opening his palm and channeling his chakra to form a vermilion Rasengan.
The Unbreakable Staff met the Unstoppable Rasengan.
An explosive sound echoed through the Buddhist Heaven, and massive shockwaves radiated in all directions, instantly destroying the ground and any surviving mountains. A crater with a radius of at least ten miles was formed.
Naruto didn't allow Sun Wukong to rest. He pulled his right fist close to his chest, enveloped in reddish chakra. A second later, Naruto shot his fist forward toward Sun Wukong's stomach.
The Monkey King responded by bringing his staff down immediately, taking the brunt of the punch. Nevertheless, the punch carried enough power to send the Monkey King flying away at bullet speed.
The Monkey King didn't let this deter him. He performed a somersault, planted his feet on the ground, and shot toward the sky.
Looking down, Sun Wukong saw Naruto assuming the same position as before, pointing two fingers at him like a spirit gun.
Sun Wukong looked on in confusion, wondering what the blonde brat was planning until he sensed something invisible approaching rapidly. He raised an eyebrow but observed the air being cut by a gigantic slash heading towards him. The Monkey Sage swerved to the left, narrowly dodging the slash as it raced toward the sky.
The Sage turned his head backward to see the slash impacting the clouds, forming a crevice as if someone had sliced them with a knife. A second later, he felt Naruto near him.
Naruto seized the Sage's slight moment of distraction to surprise him as he leapt toward the Monkey King. By the time the Monkey Sage had noticed Naruto, the blonde ninja was already upon him. Naruto reared his right fist, once again engulfed in bright red chakra, and thrust it forward.
However, the Monkey Sage was prepared, catching the punch in his hand and forcefully throwing Naruto towards the ground.
The blonde ninja somersaulted to position himself so that his feet would touch the ground upon landing, but the momentum with which he was thrown was still powerful enough to cause him to slide through the ground before coming to a halt.
He raised his head only to see Sun Wukong make a steep dive towards the ground. He wondered what the God was planning as the god landed and created a crater in the ground in the process.
A second later, a rectangular strip of land on which Naruto was standing was uprooted by the Monkey King with his bare hands. The Monkey King roared and threw the strip of land in the opposite direction of Tian city.
Naruto stuck himself with chakra to the flying strip of land. His smile became even more menacing. The voice inside his head increased its incessant prodding, asking him to consume the God fast.
Just as the strip of land was going to crash into the ground, Naruto jumped out of its trajectory. As he kept one foot on the ground, he shot towards the Monkey King, breaking the sound barrier and leaving a crater behind in the process.
The Monkey King's eyes widened at the significant boost in the blonde's speed. 'This brat…' He could not even finish his thought as Naruto was already in front of him.
Once again, the two started dishing out blows at each other. Their hands became blurs. Wind started to pick up around them. Shockwaves were generated each time their blows connected.
'This brat…' Sun Wukong thought to himself. 'Isn't normal.' He started going faster and faster, but no matter what, Naruto kept matching him blow for blow. 'He isn't just fighting. He is adapting and improving at the same time.'
Parry. Parry. Parry.
Punch. Punch.
Parry.
Punch.
Parry.
Punch.
It went like that for who knows how long.
Neither Sun Wukong nor Naruto was ready to give up. But Sun Wukong was starting to realize that if this kept continuing, Naruto would start overwhelming him in no time.
To Sun Wukong, a warrior wasn't one who never gave up. For Sun Wukong, a good warrior was one who knew when he was disadvantaged and knew how to improvise from there.
Charging his arms with natural energy, Sun Wukong delivered a double punch to Naruto's stomach. Naruto quickly brought his hands down to block the punch, but his eyes widened as he was propelled away.
Naruto was flung with such speed that he felt like a ragdoll, rolling through the ground until he managed to stop himself by stabbing his left hand into the earth.
Once again, Sun Wukong lunged forward, his trusty staff poised to strike Naruto down.
Without waiting to see Sun Wukong's plan, Naruto swiftly performed a series of hand seals, stopping at the snake seal. Whispers of "Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence" left his lips as he forcefully planted his palms on the ground.
Countless trees emerged in Sun Wukong's path, causing the Monkey King to halt and evade the looming foliage. Aware of the trees' neutralizing abilities towards other gods, Sun Wukong had no desire to discover their full potential.
Unexpectedly, two tree roots shot out from beneath Sun Wukong, catching the Monkey King off guard. Evading them skillfully, he leaped high into the air, but he did not anticipate Naruto bursting forth from the ground.
Naruto seized Sun Wukong's left leg, pulling the Monkey King downward. Relentlessly, Naruto rained down countless punches upon his face, following up with a bone-shattering kick to the Monkey King's chin, sending him soaring into the sky.
Blood spurted from the Monkey King's mouth, yet that did not deter him. Gazing at Naruto's smirking face, his fury intensified. He aimed his staff at the blonde, his fingertips crackling with sparks. In an instant, a lightning bolt surged forth from the staff's tip, hurtling towards Naruto.
Sensing the electrical energy gathering, Naruto prepared himself and expertly dodged to the left as the lightning bolt streaked by. He glanced at the aftermath of the lightning's impact, impressed by the vast area of evaporated ground.
'So, he possesses elemental attacks?' Naruto wondered as his senses tingled, prompting him to swiftly lean to the right, evading multiple lightning bolts swooshing past his face. 'Let's see who triumphs in a clash of elemental abilities,' Naruto thought, racing through a new set of hand seals. "Lightning Release: Lightning Beast Tracking Fang."
Naruto's right hand crackled with lightning as it propelled towards Sun Wukong in the form of a fox.
Easily evading the attack, the Monkey King swiftly closed the distance towards Naruto, while the young ninja commenced another sequence of hand seals.
"Water Release: Tidal Wave."
Naruto took a deep inhalation, causing his chest to expand. A torrent of water surged forth from his mouth, propelling a colossal wall of water towards Tian City.
Swiftly dropping to the ground, the Monkey King directed his staff towards the approaching wave. Just as the wave approached, he slashed his staff horizontally, flinging all the water in the opposite direction. Peering upward, he noticed Naruto nonchalantly standing atop the undulating surface.
'So, this brat possesses far greater capabilities than I had initially thought,' Sun Wukong contemplated as he twirled his staff around himself. He then aimed the staff at the ground, unleashing a multitude of spikes that raced towards Naruto, simultaneously pushing the water aside.
Naruto descended towards the ground while executing another sequence of hand seals. He forcefully slammed his palms onto the ground, countering the wave of spikes with a wave of his own. The two spike-filled waves collided at the center, forming a forest of jagged rocky spikes.
Wearing a wicked smirk, Naruto gathered chakra into his hand and delivered a powerful punch into the air in front of the spikes. A condensed bullet of air and force burst forth, tearing through the spikes and hurtling toward the Monkey King.
In response, the Monkey King opened his mouth and drew in an immense breath, gathering an enormous amount of air in his lungs. Releasing a piercing scream, he shattered through the spikes, intercepting Naruto's condensed air bullet.
The two attacks collided precisely within the forest of rocky spikes, triggering yet another explosion. However, this time, rocks and stones were sent flying in all directions, forcing both fighters to shield their eyes.
After removing his hand from his eyes, Naruto found himself met with a fist hurtling towards his head. Reacting swiftly, he raised his hands to block the punch, yet he hadn't anticipated the force behind it. His eyes widened as his entire body trembled, launching him through the air, the distance unknown. Nonetheless, Naruto managed to anchor himself by digging his left hand into the ground, halting his flight.
Raising his head, the blonde shinobi lifted an eyebrow upon seeing the Monkey King.
That was because the Monkey King appeared different from before. His physique had grown more muscular and imposing, his fur had multiplied, and even his height had increased. Vibrating with power, his staff emanated an aura of strength. Yet, the most striking change lay in his face. It now bore a fiercer expression, with his eyes aglow with golden energy. Strangely, a golden light radiated from behind his head, seemingly originating from nowhere.
"Enough is enough, Naruto Uzumaki," the Monkey King stated firmly, his voice resolute. "This has persisted for far too long. Calm yourself now, and we can engage in dialogue."
With a defiant smirk, Naruto stood tall and pointed his index finger at the Monkey Sage. "I no longer care for talking. All I desire is to consume you."
Taken aback by this declaration, the Monkey King pondered, '...What? Wasn't he furious that we denied him access to Jade Emperor's body? What has caused this sudden change?'
"Very well, Naruto Uzumaki," the Monkey King responded, his voice containing both sternness and a trace of sorrow. "If you refuse to halt, then I shall personally put an end to your rampage."
Unfazed by the god's words, Naruto launched himself forward once more. Materializing before the Monkey King, he firmly planted his left foot in the ground and aimed a punch at the god's face.
However, Sun Wukong swiftly seized Naruto's arm and hurled him away as if he were a mere plaything.
Naruto spun through the air and landed on his feet, immediately dashing forward again to confront the Sage. Once again, he planted his left foot on the ground, preparing for a roundhouse kick.
Yet again, Sun Wukong seized Naruto's ankle, but this time, he decided to be more brutal. He proceeded to slam Naruto onto the ground several times before launching him into the air. Ascending above Naruto as the young ninja soared, Sun Wukong pressed his palm against Naruto's face and exerted his full weight, resulting in another powerful explosion as Naruto collided with the ground.
Gripping Naruto by the throat, Sun Wukong dragged him across the ground, causing Naruto's head to strike various debris of mountains, rocks, and stones. Sun Wukong dragged him for what felt like miles before finally flinging him away like a ragdoll.
Naruto crashed into the ground and rolled to a halt. However, he resiliently pushed himself back onto his feet, his eyes now even redder than before. Once again, he sprinted towards the Monkey King, his speed increasing with each stride. Materializing before the god, he drew his fist back, enveloping it in a vibrant crimson chakra instantaneously.
The Monkey King readied his hand to intercept the punch, only to be taken aback by Naruto's next move.
This time, instead of aiming for a punch at the Monkey King, Naruto drove his fist into the ground, instantly tearing the earth asunder.
The god dodged the attack, leaping into the air as the punch shattered the ground, sending rocks and stones flying in all directions. He squinted his eyes, trying to spot Naruto among the debris. He took a deep breath and exhaled a powerful blast of wind that cleared the area. But what he saw next stunned him a little.
Naruto stood still, unfazed by the debris flying past him. He pointed his index and middle finger at the Monkey King like a spirit gun.
'He's going to slash me again like before,' the Monkey King thought, bringing his staff close to his chest. He decided to endure the attack and show the brat how superior he was.
But he was wrong, once more in this fight.
Naruto had a different attack in mind, not a slash.
The Monkey King's eyes widened as he blinked and saw a small ball of energy form in front of Naruto's two fingers. Before he could react, the energy ball burst into a beam, engulfing the Monkey King completely.
"Rasengan Beam," Naruto whispered as the chakra beam faded. He smirked as he saw a huge hole in the cloud where the chakra beam had pierced through. He flexed his neck muscles and muttered to himself, "I hope he survived. I still need to devour him."
"Y...You mu...st... w...ake u...p!"
Naruto's eyes drooped suddenly as he felt dizzy. His mind went blank for unknown reasons, followed by a searing pain in the center of his skull. He felt something drip down his nose. He raised his hand and touched the space between his upper lip and nose. He moved his fingers away from his eyes and was shocked to see blood on them.
'What? Why?' Naruto wondered, unable to comprehend what had happened. His mind seemed to be overloaded with unprocessed information. He sensed something above him and snapped his head towards the sky. He saw the distant figure of the Monkey King hovering. He squinted his eyes, curious about what the Sage was planning. But he could never have anticipated what was coming next.
The Monkey King hovered above Naruto, looking at the young man with admiration. He had been caught off guard by the sudden energy beam attack. But it had also allowed him to notice a subtle difference in how the blonde launched his attacks.
When Naruto had used the slash attack, his two fingers (the index and middle finger) were slightly apart. But when Naruto had used the energy attack, his two fingers were pressed together. This difference might seem trivial to others, but for a fighter, it could make a difference in dodging attacks.
The Monkey King had also seen Naruto stumble in his steps. From that high altitude, it was hard to tell why, but it was enough to slow down the blonde. He seized this opportunity and pulled back his right fist, which began to glow with a golden light.
"Doves of peace. Leaves of spring. Enchantment of music." The Monkey King chanted these random phrases, but with each chant, the light from his right fist grew brighter. His right arm muscles bulged.
"Lord Buddha, grant me strength." He said, and punched the air towards Naruto.
Naruto, standing below the Monkey King, could only stare in shock as he saw the air above him being compressed by an invisible force. It was so massive that it could cover a whole continent.
The invisible force plummeted like divine judgment, and when it collided, the entire Buddhist heaven shook with the explosion. Dust and smoke flew in all directions. Tian City barely escaped being obliterated by the punch, and the buildings stood firm thanks to their strength.
The Monkey King gazed at the dome of smoke and dust with a thoughtful look. He turned his head towards the ruined city and felt a pang in his heart. 'I hope everyone is alright.' He thought, when he heard a screeching sound, something unfamiliar to him.
When the smoke cleared, a huge hole in the ground was revealed. It was so deep that the bottom was invisible.
And then, out of the dark hole, a spinning blade of energy shot out, speeding towards him.
'Is that a shuriken?' The Monkey King wondered, dodging the blade with ease. He did not bother to look back at the blade and focused on finding Naruto.
But Naruto Uzumaki could easily conceal his presence.
So, the Monkey King did not realize that the spinning blade of wind chakra was Naruto Uzumaki himself.
As the blade whizzed past the Sage, it exploded into a cloud of smoke, showing Naruto who had strange markings on his face, pointing two fingers at the Sage. Fingers that were slightly apart.
Before the Monkey King could react, thousands, or millions, of slashes hit his body, slicing him, slashing him and ripping him apart. The Monkey King's regeneration went into overdrive, trying to heal as fast as the slashes wounded him. But that did not stop the god from spilling a lot of blood.
'How incredible,' the Monkey King thought.
The Monkey King's eyes were sliced, rendering him blind. His ears were severed, making him deaf.
'This is unbelievable.' He thought unconsciously.
The slashes continued to cut him and his regeneration tried to keep up with the healing.
'To have such mastery over wind.' The slashes finally ceased, but the Monkey King was too weak to move. His wounds were still healing, but his right eye had recovered. Gravity pulled him down to the ground. As the Monkey King fell, he twisted himself to see Naruto hovering in the air, with the sun behind him, giving him a divine aura. 'It is like... I am fighting a...Wind God.'
Time slowed down for the Monkey King as he plummeted to the ground. 'I wonder...' he thought. 'How are you so powerful? Are you a human, like Lord Siddhartha? But you have not ascended yet. Are you not a human, like all the other gods?' The Monkey King felt calm and tranquil. He could feel his wounds heal. 'How strong are you, Naruto Uzumaki? Are you stronger than me? Are you stronger than Lord Siddhartha? Are you above every god in this world?'
A new surge of energy came over the Monkey King as his wounds healed completely. He stopped his descent and looked up at Naruto. 'I must stop you from going down this dark path, Naruto Uzumaki. Even if I have to sacrifice my life in the process.' With that thought, Sun Wukong zoomed towards Naruto like a bullet.
Naruto responded by forming a strange handseal. The middle and ring fingers of both hands were straight, while the other fingers were curled inside. The tips of the middle and ring fingers touched each other.
As the Monkey King approached Naruto, he was assaulted by countless slashes again. But this time, the Monkey King endured them and broke through them without hesitation. He appeared in front of Naruto and hit him with his staff.
But the blonde ninja smirked wickedly and exploded into a cloud of smoke, surprising the Monkey King.
Suddenly, the Monkey King felt someone grab him by the back of his armor. He turned his head and saw Naruto behind him.
Naruto pulled the Sage down a bit, so that he could wrap his legs around the Sage's waist and face him. "Survive, Monkey!" And with that, Naruto proceeded to pummel the god with punches so fast that his hands were invisible to the Monkey King.
Once satisfied with punching the Sage, Naruto grabbed the Sage by his fur and threw him to the ground. Then, as the Monkey King flew downwards, Naruto formed a spirit gun with his right hand. A Rasengan formed in front of his fingers, which then erupted into a large chakra beam and aimed directly at the Monkey King.
However, just before the beam hit the Monkey King, an aura surrounded the Monkey King.
The beam hit the ground and the Buddhist Heaven was shaken by another explosion. The beam created another crater in the ground, with the Monkey King lying in its center. The Monkey King managed to get up on one knee.
Right outside the crater, stones rose from the ground, forming a humanoid figure that took the shape of Naruto.
The Monkey King gazed at Naruto, who now had strange markings on his face. An orange circle with a dot in the center adorned his forehead. His eyes were rimmed with orange pigment. His pupils had a reddish border with an orange circle and dot in them.
"You survived that? Good~" Naruto said in an encouraging tone. "This form you are using... I assume it is your Sage Mode?"
The Monkey King did not reply and continued to stare at Naruto while panting heavily. The effects of this battle were finally taking their toll on the Heaven as well on Sun Wukong. And his face showed only one expression.
Excitement.
He placed his right arm on his left shoulder and rolled it to stretch and relax his muscles.
"I thought you were going to test me," Naruto said smugly. "If this is your idea of testing me, then I must say, I am greatly disappointed." He smirked at the figure at the center of the crater.
The Monkey King did not respond but continued to look at Naruto while panting.
"Come now," Naruto said mockingly. "I am sure you still have some fight left in you. Give me the fight you said you would give me."
Naruto grabbed the green magatama on the bracelet on his right wrist. Pulling it out of the bracelet, he crushed the crystal with his left fist.
The inside of Naruto's left fist started glowing brightly before the glow extended outward. It elongated and formed a shakujo.
One end of the shakujo had a sun with nine rings attached to it. The other end had a moon with six rings.
Naruto took his stance. The small stones near him started floating due to the aura that he was emitting.
"I have never been this excited before," Naruto smirked. "Let's begin round 2. Shall we?"
With that, Naruto dashed toward the figure.
Grabbing the shakujo with both hands, he pulled it back right above his right shoulder. The sun of the shakujo started shining brightly as Naruto pushed his chakra into it.
Just when Naruto was a meter away from the Monkey King, he planted his left foot on the ground. And swung the shakujo with all his strength.
In response, the Monkey King pushed his touki into his own staff, causing it to be engulfed in a bluish aura before swinging it at Naruto.
Both of their weapons drew closer and closer.
But neither met.
There was an inch of distance left between them. But the clash had already occurred.
Naruto's and his opponent's aura clashed through their weapons.
And the whole world went white.
Sun Wukong pushed the debris off of him and lifted himself off the ground. He searched desperately for his staff in the rubble until he spotted a red glint among the debris. He cleared the way and reached for it, hoping to find his staff intact. But his hope turned to despair when he pulled it out. He stared in disbelief at his staff, which was once unbreakable, but now snapped in two. He only had one piece of it.
"N-No..." He muttered in agony, his hands trembling. He couldn't accept what lay before his eyes. This had to be a nightmare, right? He would wake up soon, right? Yeah, Lord Siddhartha would splash a bucket of cold water on him any moment now.
"Giving up, already?" Naruto taunted, smiling smugly. "All of this destruction..." Naruto ran a hand through his silky hair. "All you had to do was cooperate, and everything would have been fine." He pointed at the ruined city of Tian with his left hand. "That is your fault right there."
"What do you mean?" The Monkey King shouted angrily. "What are you trying to achieve? One moment you want to kill everyone if they don't tell you where the Jade Emperor's body is. The next moment you say you want to consume me. WHY FIGHT!? WHAT DO YOU WANT!? UZUMAKI!"
Naruto's body tensed as his eyes widened. He felt something liquid drip down his nose. He touched the fluid with his fingers and saw that they were stained with red blood. 'Blood...? Again?' Naruto thought.
"Pl…ea…se wa…ke u…p, Na…ru…to. T…This is…n't y…o…u."
Naruto clutched his head tightly as he felt someone hammering on his brain. 'That voice again...?' The voice was soft and serene. He had never heard someone like that before. Her voice had a softness similar to Gabriel's, yet very different.
"Seems like this battle is taking a toll on your body, too," Sun Wukong said, getting to his feet and clutching his broken staff. "Let us end this battle here, Uzumaki."
Naruto laughed heartily. "Nice try, Monkey." He wiped the blood away with his thumb and smirked wickedly. "BuT I Am fAr FrOm BeInG dOnE."
The Monkey King raised an eyebrow in confusion. Naruto's voice had suddenly distorted, as if two people were speaking from the same mouth.
"Uzumaki... Are you alright?" Monkey King asked worriedly.
Naruto smirked, his eyes wide with excitement. He raised his right hand and formed the half Ram seal in front of his face. "nO nEeD tO wOrRy AbOuT mE. Worry about yourself."
Sun Wukong tied the broken half of the staff to his waist anxiously, not wanting to lose it and deciding to find the other half later. Suddenly, hundreds of tree roots sprouted from the ground, wrapping themselves around the Monkey King. Sun Wukong ripped them apart, but more and more roots coiled around him. Realizing that his efforts were futile, the Monkey King calmed himself down. He took a deep breath and relaxed his body. The tree roots kept piling up on him, but suddenly, all of them were shredded and sent flying away.
Sun Wukong was engulfed in a bluish aura that puzzled Naruto, who watched with increasing excitement. Sun Wukong exhaled deeply and vanished.
Naruto's eyes widened, unable to comprehend where the monkey had gone. He tried to sense him everywhere, when he felt the monkey right behind him. He turned his head to see the monkey, but before he could react, the monkey had already punched him on his upper right torso. He flew miles away, before he dug his feet into the ground to stop himself. He held his right side, which was bleeding. 'My ribs are crushed. Damn!' His regeneration kicked in. But suddenly, he was grabbed by his head.
Naruto kicked Sun Wukong's chest and pushed himself away from the Monkey King's grasp. The Monkey King let him go, though, and allowed Naruto to create some distance between them.
Naruto landed on the ground and glanced excitedly at the Monkey King, who was walking calmly towards him. He pointed two fingers at the approaching god, as his slashes rushed towards him.
However, the Monkey King did not budge, even as the slashes sliced him.
Naruto's eyes widened, as his once all-cutting slashes did not do the expected damage. The Monkey King walked through the slashes, without flinching. Naruto increased the frequency of the slashes, but to no avail. The Monkey King tanked every slash, without hesitation.
Naruto felt sweat trickle down his forehead. He could feel his heart racing, but he did not know if it was due to excitement or nervousness. He raced through hand seals.
"Fire Release: Fire Dragon Technique."
Multiple dragon heads made of fire appeared before Naruto and raced towards Sun Wukong. The Monkey King did not even flinch, as he tanked the attack, without hesitation. The dragon heads made of fire would impact the Monkey King and set his fur on fire, only for them to fizzle out and his wounds to heal the very next second.
Naruto formed another set of hand seals, ending with the snake seal.
"Wood Release: Wood Dragon Technique."
This time, a serpentine dragon made of wood appeared behind Naruto, its eyes glowing a wicked purple. The wood dragon shot towards the Monkey King.
The Monkey King raised his right hand and formed a fist. Just as the dragon neared him, the Monkey King punched the dragon's snout, tearing the dragon apart.
Naruto felt weird. He opened his palm, as a Rasengan formed above it. A second later, a four-point shuriken-like shape formed around the Rasengan.
"Rasenshuriken."
The Rasenshuriken flew towards the Sage at a speed faster than most could follow. Sun Wukong sent touki to his throat, filled his lungs with air and let out a loud scream that sent a blast of wind directly at Naruto and his Rasenshuriken.
The wind was so powerful that it changed the Rasenshuriken's direction, causing it to soar upwards towards the sky and explode.
Suddenly, Sun Wukong vanished from Naruto's sight and appeared before him. Sun Wukong grabbed Naruto by his head, lifted the young man high in the air and slammed him hard against the ground, creating a large crater. He lifted him in the air again and slammed him against the ground again. Sun Wukong continued to lift Naruto in the air and smash him against the ground until the ground was split in two. Sun Wukong then threw Naruto away like a ragdoll.
Naruto spun himself midair and landed on his feet. He wiped a thin line of blood flowing down his lips and smiled excitedly. He pushed chakra into his legs and burst into a speed faster than he had ever achieved.
Sun Wukong's eyes widened as Naruto dashed towards him like a lunatic. He spread his arms, as if to welcome the blonde man. Despite his hatred for this fight, he felt a thrill in his veins at this moment.
At that moment, both Naruto and Sun Wukong had reached a state of unprecedented power.
This fight had pushed them to a level beyond their imagination.
The battle had transcended the limits of realistic speed and strength and entered a realm where only gods could exist.
After all, to fight and destroy the infinite space, you had to be infinitely strong.
Naruto formed a Rasengan in his hand, which soon burst into flames.
Sun Wukong formed a glowing golden ball in his hand, which was compressed divine energy.
Rasengan clashed with the Golden Ball.
Both the fighters were engulfed in a white sphere, which then exploded, shaking the Buddhist Heaven once again and sending both the fighters flying in opposite directions.
The moment Sun Wukong regained his composure, which was just milliseconds after the explosion, he dashed towards Naruto. He appeared before Naruto in milliseconds and grabbed him by his neck.
But unlike before, when Naruto had not even been able to react to Sun Wukong's actions, this time Naruto actually saw Sun Wukong appear before him.
Naruto's five senses had finally adapted to Sun Wukong's powers, which were enhanced by Sage Mode and Touki.
.
.
.
Naruto had leveled up.
His Sage Mode had reached a new stage.
A much more powerful stage.
Just as the Sage grabbed Naruto's neck, Naruto grabbed the Sage's neck. They punched each other's faces without mercy, blood spewing out of their mouth, nose, and eyes. Their faces swelled, but they increased the frequency of the punches.
'What is he?' Sun Wukong wondered. 'No matter how high I go, he just keeps climbing the steep mountain I try to create between us. It is as if I am fighting someone with infinite potential.' And that thought was heartbreaking.
Sun Wukong, frustrated by the punches, flung Naruto above his head and tried to throw him away, but Naruto improvised by grabbing Sun Wukong's left hand with his own and forming hand seals using Sun Wukong's hand.
Stopping at the tiger seal, Naruto placed his left foot on the Monkey King's face and pushed himself high into the air. He spun halfway, appearing upside down, and took a deep breath before spitting out a giant fireball that was easily the size of a mountain.
Sun Wukong directed his right palm at the incoming fireball. The water droplets in the air gathered before his palm, forming a water ball of similar size, which he shot at the fireball.
This time, a water ball and a fireball, both the size of mountains, clashed, engulfing the whole area in a cloud of steam.
Sun Wukong blew air out of his mouth in the form of a scream, causing the steam cloud to blow away, but the moment his vision returned, he saw Naruto forming a Rasengan in front of his two fingers.
Naruto let the Rasengan explode into a beam directed towards Sun Wukong. But the Monkey King reacted fast and shifted to the left, avoiding the beam in the nick of a second before he shot towards Naruto while flying right beside the beam.
Naruto prepared himself to punch the Monkey King away, but the Monkey King had already planned far ahead.
When Naruto had grabbed the Monkey King by his neck earlier, some of the Monkey King's fur had been left behind Naruto's body. And the Monkey King's hair could turn into clones of him.
Six clones of the Monkey King appeared surrounding Naruto and surprising him slightly. All of the clones tried to jump Naruto who smirked viciously and spread both of his hands wide.
Sun Wukong who was heading for Naruto saw the blonde and his eyes widened when he saw the familiar sight of Naruto using two fingers to form spirit gun from before but this time on both hands.
"Wind Release: Cleave"
An attestation of Naruto's control over the wind element, this technique was his own creation. He used his understanding of the wind element to create wind slashes so fine and thin that they were invisible and so sharp that they could cut a tiny droplet of water. But what truly made this attack formidable was that when Naruto used Natural energy to power these slashes, the slashes became unstoppable and could hardly be stopped by anyone.
Sun Wukong felt a sudden fear hearing Naruto's voice and had a vision of his whole body chopped into millions of pieces. In desperation, Sun Wukong came to an immediate halt and pushed himself away as far as he could. But even then, his left leg was caught in the technique's range and he was shocked when he saw his leg chopped into minuscule pieces that dispersed in the air like pollen.
As promised by the attack, everything within the radius of a mile, from the ground to the droplets of water, was chopped into pieces.
Sun Wukong landed safely out of the technique's range as his leg regrew thanks to his regeneration. But he felt sweat pool up in his forehead. 'His slashes are much worse than before. I know I am probably moving nearly as fast as lightning but still his slashes managed to slice me up. Are his slashes instantaneous? Or do they move at light speed? To have this much control over the hardest element to master. He really is something else.'
Sun Wukong took another deep breath to calm his nerves. His eyes became more focused and the light behind his head shone brighter. It was time for him to use the greatest strength of a god.
Naruto cracked his neck to relax his muscles before stretching his arms. The markings on his face became darker and his eyes glowed an unholy bright red.
The two fighters stood still, gauging each other.
Naruto was the first one to react. He stepped one foot forward and took a stance with his left hand forward and his right hand close to his chest.
Sun Wukong readied himself as well, preparing for the moment Naruto made any sign of attacking.
The air was palpable and tense, as if it could be cut by a knife. The two fighters stared at each other's eyes and then in the blink of an eye both disappeared.
Naruto pushed his leg muscles to run as fast as he could. He felt like he was moving faster than light itself. His eyes followed Sun Wukong as they dashed through the almost destroyed Buddhist Heaven.
Sun Wukong kept his face neutral. Through the corner of his eyes, he glanced at Naruto who was moving almost as fast as him. This time he was sure that he was running at nearly lightspeed but for the blonde man to keep up with him was astonishing.
In a few seconds, both the fighters had crossed at least ten miles. Sun Wukong tried to surprise Naruto by jerking to a stop almost immediately in front of a lake.
Naruto, who had not expected the monkey to stop so suddenly, ran a good mile past Sun Wukong over the lake before he stopped. The moment he stopped, all the water in the lake was displaced, emptying it almost instantly.
A second later, both Naruto and Sun Wukong dashed at each other, their fists rearing back. And then they threw a punch at each other.
Their punch stopped an inch away from each other, but their aura collided. Sun Wukong's Ki clashed with Naruto's chakra.
And suddenly the world went white for the second time.
When Sun Wukong's vision returned, he found himself in a completely different place. He was in a large field where wind blew heavily. Confused, the Monkey King turned around and saw a tree so giant that its peak was invisible.
"What!?" Sun Wukong exclaimed in disbelief. "Is that the World Tree or something?"
He looked at the top that was hidden by the clouds. As he trailed his eyes downwards, he noticed something. Near the base of the tree, someone was bound by ropes. Sun Wukong trudged through the field and towards the tree. As he got closer, he recognized the bound figure.
It was none other than Naruto Uzumaki and he seemed unconscious.
Suddenly, Sun Wukong found himself in the outside world. He realized that he had been thrown a mile away in the opposite direction, most likely due to the punches connecting. He glanced up and saw Naruto had also been thrown away by the collision. 'What was that? Is that somehow the reason for Uzumaki not acting right.'
"HeY, MoNkEy!" Naruto called out. "Let uS end ThIs BaTtLe in granDeUr. What do you say?"
'There he goes again,' Sun Wukong thought. 'It is as if two thoughts keep blending together in his mind. So, I guess, that Naruto I saw trapped at the bottom of the tree must be his true self. But his true self's anger keeps bleeding into whatever is currently occupying his body.'
Naruto smiled enthusiastically as he started going through hand seals. He was dying to try this technique. For some reason, the knowledge about the technique had appeared out of nowhere in his mind. Like he had been using the technique for years.
"Get ready, monkey," Naruto said before laughing maniacally.
"Sage Art: Wood Release: True Several Thousand Hands!"
Sun Wukong's whole body went rigid as the ground shook violently and his eyes widened in absolute shock and disbelief when he saw a giant Buddha statue with thousands of hands and made of wood grow out of the ground. The statue was at least four miles high and five miles wide.
"SUN WUKONG!" Naruto yelled from the top of the statue. "HERE I COME!"
And then, the statue moved towards the Monkey King, shaking the ground in the process.
Sun Wukong stared in shock, unable to comprehend how someone was capable of doing something like this. The statue was so big, it seemed that its head almost touched the clouds. This display of power confirmed one thing in Sun Wukong's mind.
Naruto Uzumaki was no ordinary human.
No.
Naruto Uzumaki was a God in the making.
Or maybe he already was.
"I see how it is, Naruto Uzumaki," Sun Wukong said slowly, staring at the incoming giant statue. "In my naiveness, I mistook you for a simple brat. But throughout this battle, you have proved anything but. I have given my hundred percent in this fight. But in order to stop you, it seems like I will have to put 200 percent of my power in this fight."
Suddenly, Sun Wukong was engulfed in a bluish aura. His hair stuck upwards, flowing like flames. He joined his hands together in a prayer and stared with absolute concentration at the statue.
"Divine Arts: Domain Expansion: Hands of Justice."
A giant spectral Buddha, as large as Naruto's statue, appeared over Sun Wukong. The spectral had an equal number of hands.
Naruto laughed maniacally. "SUN WUKONG!"
Sun Wukong roared with passion. "UZUMAKI!"
And the two attacks collided.
The explosion was so bright and powerful that every heaven felt its effects, and even the Egyptian Heaven above the Buddhist Heaven could see it. The Earth also shook, especially near the coastal regions of Indonesia, Maldives and Japan.
Gods rarely fought each other for a reason. Their powers could destroy the world. Fortunately, most gods maintained cordial relations and avoided conflict.
But Sun Wukong had misjudged Naruto, and Naruto had succumbed to his Ootsutsuki genes.
Sun Wukong emerged from the debris that had accumulated over him after the two attacks collided and exploded. He had lost his right leg, but it did not matter as his regeneration began to restore it. Blood dripped from his mouth, nose and a wound on his head.
He looked around and saw nothing but destruction. The horizon was a barren wasteland. Everything had been razed to the ground.
Tian, the whole Tian, had turned into dust and rubble. The clash of the two overwhelming powers had wrought havoc never seen before.
Sun Wukong hoped that the other gods had managed to evacuate the souls to Mount Meru, otherwise he would never forgive himself for what he had done.
A few meters away from Sun Wukong, Naruto also came out of the debris. He was equally injured and had lost his right arm, which was also regenerating thanks to the godly healing.
Once Naruto fully healed, he cracked his neck muscles. A horn grew from the left side of his skull, deforming it. The horn was thick at the base and pointy at the tip. It had a boomerang-like shape. His left eye turned purple with three concentric circles around a dot. Each circle had three tomoes that rotated slowly.
"I will end this here and now," Naruto said with a smirk and formed the snake seal with his hands.
Sun Wukong braced himself for the worst. He took a stance that would allow him to react as quickly as possible.
"Yin-Yang Release," Naruto said ominously. He released his hands and extended his right hand towards Sun Wukong. He folded his index and middle finger inwards and touched their tips with his thumb, while his ring and small finger pointed outwards.
But just as Naruto was about to activate his technique, blood gushed out of his nose, mouth, ears and eyes. "Huh?" Naruto gasped as a copious amount of blood spewed out of every orifice in his face. And from within Naruto, a melancholic voice said:
"I am sorry, Naruto."
Gabriel gazed at the glittering stars, a pang of anxiety gripping her chest for the blond-haired ninja who had captured her heart.
The night was serene, a stark contrast to the dire events that had unfolded in just two days. All the others had retired to their beds.
She had lingered with Asia until the girl drifted into slumber. Asia had been fretting over her brother and the fate of the world, barely able to close her eyes. Gabriel had soothed her with a gentle lullaby, a song of hope and peace.
Two days ago, the earth was shaken with a violent force, unleashing a wave of destruction across the Indian Ocean. Japan and Indonesia had borne the brunt of the impact, facing a tsunami that rivaled the one that had struck Japan in 2011. Countless lives had been lost, and Gabriel could only watch helplessly as the humans of this accursed world suffered.
She had attempted to reach Michael, but Raphael had answered in his place. Raphael had told her that even their Heaven had felt the tremors, and that they had originated from the Buddhist Heaven.
What had transpired in China? The news reports, the quakes, the tsunami. They all seemed to be connected somehow. And Gabriel hated to admit it, but she had a nagging suspicion that Naruto was involved in this, which filled her with dread.
"Naruto... I hope you are alright," Gabriel whispered. She turned to leave for her room, when a portal materialized in front of her. Her eyes widened in shock as a stunning woman emerged from it.
She was a statuesque beauty, with curves that defied gravity. Her bosom was ample and generous, dwarfing Gabriel's own, but her hips were slightly narrower. Her raven hair cascaded down her back, reaching her waist. She clad herself in a scanty red blouse that barely concealed her cleavage and a flowing sarong that revealed her shapely legs.
Following her was another woman, younger but equally alluring. She donned a loose kimono that left little to the imagination, displaying her ample bust and her long, slender legs. Her dark hair was pulled back in a high ponytail.
The woman's face was devoid of emotion. She tossed her hair and spoke to the Archangel. "You must be Gabriel. I am Ophis. Do you have a moment to talk?"
Gabriel felt a surge of fear. Why did the most powerful being in the universe want to talk to her? Had she offended the being somehow? She was certain she had not. And why did Ophis look different? Wasn't she supposed to be a child? Why did she look like a grown woman?
Gabriel swallowed hard and replied, "Y-Yes." How could she refuse her anyway?
Ophis looked over her shoulder and waved her hand. Something floated out of the portal both Ophis and her companion had come from.
Gabriel's eyes grew wider as the figure became more visible. It was Naruto, the blond-haired ninja she loved.
"NARUTO!"
Gabriel ran towards the lifeless body of Naruto. She reached him and cradled his face in her hands. "Naruto! Naruto! Answer me!" She shook him, ran her fingers through his hair, pinched his cheek, but nothing worked. She pressed her ear to his chest and felt a wave of relief when she heard his heartbeat. She lifted her head and looked at the Dragon god with tearful eyes. "W-What happened to him?" She sobbed.
"That is something we don't know either," Ophis said. "But don't worry, he is alive."
Gabriel was extremely relieved hearing that. She gazed at Naruto's face, which was calm and peaceful. She smiled through her tears and kissed him softly on the forehead. "Don't worry. I will make sure you are alright, Naruto."
In the Buddhist Heaven, a semblance of order had returned.
The land was scarred and ravaged, but tents and souls dotted the landscape, working tirelessly to restore the heavenly realm.
One tent stood apart from the rest, sheltering the most powerful man in Buddhist heaven.
He was a towering figure, with a muscular physique. He wore a tank top and glasses, along with robes that wrapped around his waist and hands. A bindi marked his forehead, and his light green hair, dark at the sides, was pulled back in a traditional style, adorned with a golden crown. He also wore earrings, rectangular glasses, and had long earlobes.
He was the Enlightened One, Gautama Siddhartha. The Great Buddha. And his face was etched with sorrow.
His grief did not stem from the ruin of the Buddhist Heaven, for it could be rebuilt anew. His grief was for his friend, Sun Wukong, who lay in a coma.
He did not know what had happened in the Buddhist Heaven while he was away, what had sparked such a cataclysmic battle. He had been told that Sun Wukong had arrested Naruto on suspicion of killing the Jade Emperor, and that Naruto had resisted violently.
That was the official story.
But perhaps there was more to it than he knew. As he looked at the motionless body of the Monkey King, he realized that he had been right to be wary of Naruto Uzumaki.
He had never seen Naruto Uzumaki as a normal human, as many in his pantheon did, Sun Wukong among them. That was why he had warned them to keep their distance from him. But Sun Wukong was too impetuous for his own good.
And to push a god to this state was no small feat. He knew that Sun Wukong was stronger than most gods, but Naruto Uzumaki had not only wounded him, but put him in a coma.
It was only by sheer will that Sun Wukong had stayed conscious long enough to wait for him and tell him that Naruto Uzumaki was innocent, and that something was wrong with him. He had collapsed after asking him to help him in any way he could.
"Lord Siddhartha. He is innocent. Something was wrong with him. There is something inside him that makes him dangerous. I know if you help him, he will be alright."
Those were his exact words. At the time, he had not understood who Sun Wukong meant by 'he'. But now, after learning the details from others, he realized that Sun Wukong was talking about Naruto.
Siddhartha rose from his chair and walked out of the tent. He surveyed the ongoing reconstruction. He would have to thank Shiva for sending Vishwakarma to assist in rebuilding Tian.
Suddenly, an eagle's cry pierced the air, high above them.
Siddhartha looked up and his eyes narrowed as he spotted a golden eagle flying towards him. "Zeus...," he muttered, but there was no anger in his voice.
A soft, melodious voice hummed a slow tune in his ears.
He groaned, too exhausted to open his eyes. A gentle hand caressed his hair, soothing his nerves and easing his stress. He felt light and happy, and slipped into a peaceful sleep.
When he woke up again, the voice was still humming, but a different tune.
He tried to open his eyes and see who it was. He hoped to see the face of his beloved.
But as his eyes opened and met the gaze, he saw a pale, milky white face with milky eyes looking down at him.
He gasped, his eyes widening in shock and confusion. He sprang up, standing upright. He turned to the woman who had held him in her lap.
"Y-You...? W-What? Where am I?"
The woman smiled calmly. "Welcome to the Pure World, Naruto."
Naruto stared at her in disbelief. Then he noticed something else. They were sitting under a tree with a trunk so thick, it dwarfed even the ten-tail's tree form.
He had only one question in his mind, which he blurted out. "What? What is going on?"
- Chapter END -
Author's Comment – I am a huge fan of JJK. So, I hope you guys don't mind me bringing some ideas from JJK into this fanfiction.
And just so you know, I am basing adult-form of Ophis after Boa Hancock. I wanted to base her after Nico Robin but scrapped the idea afterwards.
Also, I will explain about "Divine Arts: Domain Expansion" in a later chapter.