He darted forwards, Samehada raised for a sweeping strike. He moved fast enough to blur.
Samehada struck the Proof of Courage.
His raw strength was frankly incredible. Most would have been knocked right off their feet.
But I just spent eleven days fighting the Juubi. Physical strength is not enough.
I push back, stepping forwards. Samehada is thrown wide, Kisame on the back-foot. He shifts his arm to preserve its momentum, preparing to bring it around again, but not nearly fast enough to stop me from taking a swipe at him.
The Proof of Courage flashes into my left hand, I slice at Kisame's chest. He bends backwards, letting it pass over him, before Samehada's edge slams into the ground and he vaults over it, landing on his feet with it in front of him.
I don't waste any time in following. Kisame, in response, simply yanks Samehada upwards, his Chakra flaring.
I dodge Samehada. I don't dodge the column of water that springs its way out of the ground, bursting upwards and sending me flying.
It's a Chakra-intensive play, even for one such as Kisame. Keep that kind of stuff up for long enough, and even he would become exhausted.
But Kisame wasn't seeking to leave this battle alive.
I twisted, the Proof of Courage shifting itself in my hand. I threw it, and it became a greatsword mid air, massive and heavy.
Kisame stepped backwards, Samehada with him. The Proof of Courage smashed into the ground in front of him with disproportionate force, the tremor enough to make him stumble.
"That thing can transform?" Naruto asked, a childish grin spreading across his face.
"The default form of a Keyblade is simply that: Default." The Shinigami explained. "Keyblades will alter themselves to their Bearer's preference. With skill and experience, a Key Bearer may transform their Keyblades as much as they wish."
"That is so cool!" Naruto blinked. "Wait, no, I'M STILL MAD AT YOU!"
In the next instant, I'm in front of Kisame, the Proof of Courage again in my hands. Stuck mid-stumble, he can't do much more than shift Samehada into its general path.
It doesn't help.
The increased weight makes itself known by sheer momentum. Samehada is driven into Kisame's side, and both are sent flying.
I can hear him grunt, see the pain that flares in his Heart. Samehada is a sword that shaves, made of spikes, and having that get forced into one's side did horrible things to a body.
Kisame's side was a mess of gashes and cuts. Not a fatal wound, and to Kisame, not a debilitating one either, but still painful.
And yet... Had it been the Proof of Courage, he'd have been cut clean in half.
Kisame spun, Samehada digging into the ground as he recovered. The blade itself was cracked and damaged, bent inwards as if it had been hit by a sledgehammer.
It was a testament to its durability that it hadn't just broken completely.
Kisame spat out some blood, before looking up at me.
He was smiling. "That's a troublesome weapon."
I tipped my head. "Indeed."
Then I held out my other hand, and, with a flash of Darkness, my other Keyblade appeared.
Kisame's eyebrow raised, before he settled back into his stance. A cautious, more defensive one. Samehada groaned as its breaks healed back up, spiking out into a wider, more... mace-like shape.
Though nobody would ever confuse it for one.
This time, I was the one who moved first, darting forwards with both Keyblades to my side. Kisame responded by swinging Samehada, it's handle bending and the mass of spikes at its top acting more like a flail.
The Proof of Courage reshaped into a flat shield. Samehada slammed into it and got nowhere, leaving my other Keyblade free to slice at Kisame.
He, of course, stepped backwards, Chakra flowing from him into Samehada. Samehada responded by having its scales grow, up and around the Proof of Courage before bending backwards to catch it in a grip.
Kisame pulled Samehada back, trying to drag me off my feet, but I simply let the Proof of Courage go, pointing my other Keyblade at him.
Kisame didn't react in time to avoid the bolt of lightning that sprang from its tip. His teeth grit together as his muscles seized, Samehada screeching as the lightning arched over it, slipping from suddenly nerveless fingers...
I don't waste the opportunity. I immediately move forwards, thrusting my hand at Kisame's chest. The Proof of Courage appears mid-attack.
I don't miss.
The Proof of Courage punctures through Kisame's chest, right through his heart. He makes a sound like a wet cough, blood mixing with air from the sudden lung compression...
And despite that, despite the wound that would kill him very shortly, he's grinning.
"Against anybody else... That probably would have been a fatal attack." I acknowledged.
Kisame's mouth opens. In his hand is a Kunai, its tip glowing with concentrated Chakra. It's pressed directly over where my own heart would be, if I had one.
It had not penetrated my Armour. But, had it been literally anybody else here...
"Foo-" He hacks out a bit of blood. "Fooled you."
I nodded. Because he had. Samehada had not been lost unintentionally. Kisame was more resilient to lightning than he had demonstrated.
"That was a good play, Kisame." The Proof of Courage vanished, and Kisame fell backwards, grin only widening.
"Hah-" He coughs up yet more blood, splattering the red liquid over his chin. "Hahah-"
Samehada let out a sound like a keening wail, and Kisame fell silent.
His Heart and Soul passed on immediately. The Shinigami, true to words, pushed him directly into the Cycle of Samsara. Kisame had no desire to linger.
Black markings flashed across his chest. I had half a second to recognize them before the body promptly burst into flames, an inferno consuming every bit of him in an intense blue-white fire.
Self-Immolation Seal. Used by a number of Shinobi in order to protect the secrets of their body, after their death. Easy to remove, assuming one knew it was there to begin with.
Somehow, it didn't surprise me that he'd have something like that.
The fire lasted only a few seconds. Powered by Kisame's supply of Chakra, the intensity was incredible. Nothing but ash remained...
Hmm.
He got exactly the end he wanted.
There weren't that many who could claim that.
Still... That leaves us with three.
"He died well." I turned around. "A smile on his face and joy in his soul. It's kind of funny, actually, because he has, so far, been the only member of the Akatsuki who got what they wanted. What of you, Nagato, Konan, Obito? What are you going to do, now that the lies have been exposed, your army has been destroyed, and you are surrounded by enemies you cannot hope to overcome?"
"Surrender." Nagato answered, easily.
"Nagato..." Konan looked over him, still worried.
"We were never righteous, Konan." He reminded her.
"I... no. We weren't."
"Sakura." Hiruzen called.
"Hokage-sama?" Sakura straightened up immediately.
"Ensure that he receives the appropriate medical care." Hiruzen ordered.
Sakura nodded, immediately moving over to them. The barrier flashed out of existence as she came close.
Konan looked... quite apprehensive at her, but she moved aside as Sakura kneeled in front of Nagato and began to check over his eyes.
"And that leaves you, of course." I turned to Obito.
He was still looking at the corpse that had once been Madara, staring at it with Sharingan eyes...
"All I wanted... was a world of peace." He said.
Honestly... this child.
I looked at him. Really looked at him.
I saw his Heart. It was an empty, barren thing, once full of rage and false purpose, but now hollow, the purpose ripped away and the rage denied.
But, more than that...
"Liar." I said.
Obito's eyes narrowed, and he turned to me, mouth opening to say something.
But I cut him off. "That was Madara's ideal. Not yours. All you ever wanted is a world where you could be together with your team and be happy again."
He flinched.
I shook my head. "Truth is painful, isn't it? You haven't just been lying to the world, you've been lying to yourself. Deep down, the person you used to be still lingers. You've been trying to keep that person deep down, hide it away from all, including yourself, because if you didn't, then you wouldn't be able to devote yourself to this stupid plan."
His head hung. "You suck."
"Tell me I'm wrong."
But he couldn't, and we both knew that. So he looked away, trying, and failing, to avoid it.
"I thought so." I looked back at Hiruzen. He nodded. "You have an appointment, Obito Uchiha."
"With who?" He asked.
"The other living member of your team, of course."
Obito grimaced. "I think I would rather die."
"And when you're dead, you can talk to the other two and explain to them why you thought that was a good idea. What would Rin say, I wonder?" He looks stricken. "You don't get to be a coward and run away from this, Obito. So, for now, sit down, shut up, and start thinking about your life."
I turned around, eyes glancing over the gathered ninja, before settling on Naruto. "Naruto, you're on guard duty for Obito."
"Huh?! Why me?!" Naruto demanded.
"First, I can't do it because I'm going to be busy for a while. Second, it's you because I'm actually quite sadistic and Obito is going to hate you, but won't be able to do anything about because Kurama will be breathing down his neck the entire time."
Kurama gave a menacing chuckle. Obito shivered.
"Now, anyway..." I spun around, an absolutely unnecessary amount of flourish in my movements. "I am very glad to have met you, Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki. I'd frankly love to stick around and chat, but, well, I made a promise and I do intend to keep it. Goodbye for now, everyone."
Isobu raised a claw and waved.
I tipped my head. "Well." I turned around, facing the Shinigami. "Shall we?"
"Yes."
And then we were gone.
A few -thousand- more Zetsu to retrieve, then... All over and done with.
Well, that didn't take too long.
"You have my thanks." The Shinigami said, the last of the Hearts and Souls restored.
"Ah, it's no problem. I don't mind helping out if I can. Especially on matters such as this." Where I am one of the few who can help.
"That is good." The Shinigami stated.
...
Oh boy there's the awkwardness again. Uh, something else to talk about-
"Tell you what... How about you, in, say, a week, drop by Naruto's apartment and I'll get you... I don't know, a cake or something."
Wait, can he even eat?
"I have never had a cake before." The Shinigami says, mildly curious.
I paused. "Truly?"
The Shinigami shook his head. "I do not need to eat. The only things I have ever consumed are Hearts and Souls. They are not filling."
"Well, that is an absolute tragedy and we will be fixing that very quickly."
Alright. I can do that. One week... All I have to do is three or four things, then we can get to the cake. Or, rather, the cake would be the fourth thing, now that I think about it.
Right?
Number 1: Find the Keyhole, seal the damn thing.
Number 2: Find the Keyblades, retrieve them. Probably going to have to get Hagoromo's help with that, because the Dragons aren't likely to just let me wander in and get the things.
Number 3: Relax. These last eleven days have been absolutely crazy, and both I and everybody else needs to wind down from the battle.
Number 4: Cake. Which... does kind of merge with Number 3, considering the logistics involved in moving this many Ninja back across the continent. There was, undoubtedly, going to be a Party in every village, even if they probably won't start in earnest until four or five days from now, and will likely not stop for another four or five days afterwards. Which falls rather neatly on when I just invited the Shinigami to getting cake...
Actually, Hagoromo won't be sticking around forever, so it might be a better idea to get the Keyblades first, then go for the Keyhole.
And, considering he made the damned moon, who knows, maybe he'll be able to help or something.
Yeah, that sounds like a plan.
"Alright, cool. I'll see you then."
"Goodbye."