CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
Spanner in the Works!
XXX
The plan was simple. All roads led to Ame. As the main army moved from Kumo to Konoha, they marched through the Land of Frost, the Land of Hot Water, and the Land of Sound, freeing captives, clearing villages, and gaining resources before entering the Land of Fire. With the war drawing to a close, all the remaining White Zetsu and Iron Samurai were withdrawn from their posts and returned to Ame, where they would make their final stand.
Jinchuuriki and Kage alike joined the main army in Konoha as the weeks turned to months. Even in their darkest hour, it felt like their spirits had never been higher. At this point they were just teasing the Akatsuki, probing and prodding them until their eventual surrender. Gaara, B, and Temari joined the army. First, Iwa rebelled and took back their own village, then, with not enough White Zetsu available to guard Suna, it fell back into the Allied Shinobi Force's grasp. Shizune, Yugito, Fuu, and Hotaru reached Konoha. Finally, no longer fighting a battle on two fronts, Taki was able to push what few White Zetsu remained all the way back to the Land of Grass's border. Just in time for the last of the Kage and jinchuuriki, Roshi, Han, and Mei, to join the main army in Konoha.
It was final. And the timing was perfect. Snow was set to descend on the Land of Fire in a week's time. The army would move out tomorrow morning, by the time the sun was sitting in the middle of the sky, the Shinobi Force would have Ame surrounded, and by the end of the day, Ame would have fallen, and the war would be over. With the power of the eight jinchuuriki and the six Kage, there was no way the Akatsuki could hold their own. What could possibly go wrong?
XXX
175 Days Since Sasuke
"HINATA IS WHAT?" Tsunade punched straight through the table in her office in the Hidden Leaf Village. The other five Kage had tucked themselves away in the corner of the room along with Shizune, as the buxom blonde tore through her office, ripping pictures off the wall and smashing through wood. "This is why you don't work with kids! We're in the middle of a war, can you not put your penis down for one fucking moment?"
"Lady Tsunade, I think you might be overreacting," Temari tried to calm her colleague down.
"Overreacting? This means we have to write her out of the war. And that's just for the war. Do you wanna know why most of the jinchuuriki are men, Temari? Because pregnancy for jinchuuriki is hell! Ten months! That's how long jinchuuriki pregnancies last, a whole extra month, and do you know what happens at the end of those ten months? The seal becomes so weak that the tailed beast could easily slip out killing both the baby and the mother. That's how the Nine-Tails took Kushina and Minato from us, and because of their inability to keep it in their pants, the Three-Tails could take the whole war from us."
"Seven tailed beasts are still better than none," A tried reasoning with her.
"Yeah, and even if she physically can't take part in the battle to come, Hinata's a great mednin with near-infinite bouts of stamina, so she could still help behind the lines," Temari added.
Tsunade massaged her temples, "I'd rather have a 100-metre-tall three-tailed turtle."
A nodded, "Well, sitting here and sulking won't get us anywhere. We're about to move on Ame soon, so rather see how we'll involve the Hyuuga girl in our plans than sit around crying over spilt milk."
XXX
Obviously, everyone knew or suspected that Hinata was pregnant… aside from the father of the baby.
"That's weird, Hinata isn't here today either," Naruto thought as he entered the Third Training Ground, a familiar piece of land that the jinchuuriki had been allocated for training purposes. This was where his journey had started. Tied to a wooden post. All those years ago. Where had the time gone? His thoughts were greeted by the snickers of his fellow jinchuuriki. "What? Isn't it weird to you guys too?"
"Hehe yeah, I heard she had a bit of a headache or something," Yugito said.
"Really? The day before my big battle with Sasuke. Damn, it must be pretty serious if she's willing to miss this. I should pick her up some aspirin on my way home… and swing by Ichiraku's for some ramen. I haven't had his ramen in so long, I bet it's still as good as I remember it to be."
"You'll have plenty of time to worry about ramen later. With Hinata unable to fight, we'll have to come up with a new way to assault the Akatsuki," Roshi said.
"Hinata's still able to fight, c'mon, she'd never let a little headache get in the way of knocking the Akatsuki out of the war," Naruto was certain.
"It's a very bad headache, Naruto," Yugito explained.
"But she's-."
"Naruto! Hinata isn't taking part in the assault," Yugito shut his ranting down. She turned to Roshi, "I still believe Operation: Uzushio will work with just the seven of us."
"Six," Gaara gestured to Naruto. "We can't really rely on the Nine-Tails."
"Hey, if everything goes well, my battle with Sasuke will be long over by the time our little Operation comes into action."
"Yeah, but what happens if your battle isn't over… or worse," Han thought, "No plan survives contact with the enemy, so we have to cover as many bases as possible. Speaking of covering our bases. Why do you look like shit?"
"Me?" Naruto cocked a brow.
Gaara jumped in, "I've noticed it too. You don't seem to be operating at full capacity anymore, Uzumaki."
"What are you talking about?" Naruto asked, bouncing around to hype himself up, "I've been raring to go. I've been raring to go for the last four years. For the last six months. It all comes down to what happens between me and Sasuke tomorrow, dattebayo."
"I mean there's a whole separate battle that'll be taking place, but fair," Fuu shrugged.
"Yeah, yeah, of course. Don't get me wrong, that battle matters as well. I've just… I can't wait to get my hands on Sasuke."
"I want you to get a full eight hours of sleep tonight, Naruto," Han spoke up, "I don't want to hear another word about Sasuke until tomorrow."
"Agreed! Now, getting back to the matter at hand, the fewer jinchuuriki we have on the field, the worse it gets, but a tailed beast could probably take out a whole village… any more is a bonus," Yugito explained. "If Naruto isn't able to make it to Ame in time, we'll simply have to proceed without him."
"But wait, Fuu's supposed to come with me tomorrow. What happens to her if I don't make it?" Naruto asked.
"All Fuu is doing is creating a barrier jutsu around you two so no one escapes, whether you win or lose, Fuu will be leaving your battle and heading down to Ame," Yugito explained, "If she leaves just after sunrise, she should get to Ame in time."
"Will you be able to do that, Fuu?" Hotaru jumped in.
"Huh?"
"If Naruto's getting his ass handed to him. Will you be able to leave him and join us in Ame?" Hotaru wondered.
Fuu chuckled, "Of course."
"That's a good question," Yugito nodded, "There's no time for laughter, Fuu. Naruto's demons are not your demons. The only reason you'll be anywhere near their battle is because you're the best sealing nin we know. Once that barrier goes up, only one person's walking out, and you have to promise that regardless of who it is, you won't get involved."
"Well, wait, let's think about this for a minute, ssu. Wouldn't it be beneficial for us if we have eight… well, seven jinchuuriki in Ame, rather than six? I mean, if Naruto… dies out there, we'll be down a jinchuuriki."
"Having six jinchuuriki in Ame ends the war, having two jinchuuriki be preoccupied with some idiot with a sword doesn't," Yugito replied.
"That idiot with a sword is an Uchiha, ssu! I'm pretty sure wars have been decided in the past based on who has or doesn't have an Uchiha," Fuu was right.
"In the past, that was true, but today, the Uchiha are a dying breed, and there's not much one Uchiha can do once we've destroyed the Akatsuki. One Uchiha does not have the power to compete with the power of the tailed beasts," Yugito was also right. For now. "As long as the Akatsuki still stands, the Uchiha still stands. When the Akatsuki falls, Sasuke will fall. Not the other way around."
"I don't think you understand how powerful Sasuke is to the Akatsuki," Naruto reasoned.
Yugito punched one of the three wooden poles, "No, he's powerful to you, Naruto! Not the Akatsuki. He's powerful because he's in your head. He has been for the past… he's been in your head for years, Naruto. And that's the only reason why we're even letting you put your life on the line like this. This obsession… it's not healthy…"
"It's not an obsession."
"You eat, sleep, and breathe Sasuke. You have since the first moment I met you. 'I have to beat Sasuke for the Nine-Tails, I have to beat Sasuke for myself, I have to prove to myself that I can beat him'! It never ends."
"You just don't understand."
"What am I not understanding, Naruto? What about Sasuke could be so important that it justifies this addiction?"
"He was my friend. My one and only friend. He was like a brother to me, and to see him get used and abused by someone like Orochimaru… it eats me up inside. I can't let that happen. It's my fault. If it wasn't for me leaving the Hidden Leaf Village when I did, maybe he'd have stayed. Sasuke could be no more any day now and it'd be my fault… maybe… just maybe if I punched some sense into him…"
"There it is again. 'I'm gonna save him, I'm gonna kill him, no, I'm gonna save him, no, I have to kill him'. Deciding whether you can save or kill this one person has been the biggest driving force in your whole life since you were fourteen. Is this your idea of healthy, Naruto? It's an obsession."
"It's not an obsession, dattebayo!"
"It is! You've been so obsessed with Sasuke that you've failed to even realise that your own girlfriend is pregnant with your child!" Yugito blurted it out.
.
.
.
"I think tensions are a little high at the moment," Han said, stepping in between Yugito and a stunned Naruto. "I don't think some of us are in any shape to do any form of training or practice, especially you, Naruto. Anyone who's confused can come to my office before we set off."
"Hinata's having a baby?" Naruto's voice cracked.
"… Yeah," Yugito admitted, finally calming down. Her claws, which she hadn't even realised were extended, began to retract into their sheaths. "You should probably skip the ramen and go check up on her before we leave."
Naruto nodded his head, still a little dazed from the freight train that'd just hit him, "Yeah… I… I think I should."
XXX
Hinata had been holed up in the Hyuuga Compound since the discovery of another human being growing inside her. This way she was surrounded by people who had spent years looking after and taking care of pregnant Hyuuga women. Naruto just thought it was because she was homesick. Turns out only the 'sick' part was true.
"Hinata?" Naruto called as he walked down the wooden hallways of the Hyuuga Compound.
"I'm in here!" a voice called back from the living room.
Naruto walked in. Hinata was lounging on the three-seater couch with Hanabi and Akiko on either side of her. Both having sustained near-death injuries in the invasion of Konoha, had effectively retired from the shinobi lifestyle. Both Hanabi and Akiko were excluded from the charge on Ame, so they'd chosen to spend the last two months taking care of Hinata.
Hinata's face shifted as she went from laughing at whatever was playing on the TV to staring into Naruto's eyes. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm good. H-How are you feeling?" Naruto asked, stumbling across the room to sit next to Hinata. "Are you throwing up? Are you peeing all right?" Naruto looked at his palm for a moment, "Are your breasts feeling tender?"
Hinata's face went from concerned to frustrated, "Damn it, who told you?" she sighed.
"So, you are pregnant!" Naruto yelled. He only sat down and took it all in when Hinata nodded before giggling. He tried to sit down on the coffee table and almost missed. He stared at the floor for a solid minute. Time slowed for him.
"He didn't know?" Hanabi cocked a brow. "That's insane levels of naivety, even for you, Naruto."
"She didn't tell me, dattebayo. Why didn't you tell me?" Naruto asked.
"At first, I figured you knew but didn't want to say. When I realised you genuinely didn't know, I was going to wait until this whole war was over. I know you have that big battle with Sasuke coming tomorrow," Hinata explained.
"I care about you way more than I do Sasuke," he explained, "Whoa, what are we gonna name him? Are we having a him? Wait, is it a boy or a girl?"
"It's only been two months, I couldn't possibly know," she giggled.
"Okay, okay, it doesn't matter. Either way, we'll have to give them a strong name. Something that really screams Uzumaki… and Hyuuga. Wait, they'll be a Hyuuga-Uzumaki child. Does that mean they'll be born with the Byakugan? I don't know how to train someone to use the Byakugan…" Naruto froze. His heart sank into his stomach, "I might not see my child be born. What if I never see them graduate, become a proper shinobi… what if I never see my grandchildren?"
Hinata placed her tiny hand on Naruto's arm to try and calm him down slightly, "Naruto… breathe," their eyes met. He lowered his gaze before sighing, "Come, give me a hug," Hinata drew him in. He rested his head on her shoulder.
He was shaking. Out of fear, or perhaps surprise, or even excitement, or maybe a mixture of all three.
Until now, Naruto was fully willing to throw himself headfirst into Sasuke and even die to bring his brother back. He was willing to die for Sasuke. But now… perhaps for the first time in his life, Naruto had something to live for.
XXX
176 Days Since Sasuke
Today marked 176 days since Naruto fought Sasuke. 176 Days. Just over 25 weeks since Naruto and Sasuke met for the last in this very village. Just under 6 months since Naruto flung that Rasenshuriken at Sasuke in hopes of killing him and perhaps himself. Half a year since Naruto promised himself that whether he liked it or not, he'd be the one to kill Sasuke.
"This Sasuke kid… what did he mean to you?"
Naruto was floating in a void when the bellowing of the Nine-Tails' voice echoed around him. His eyes creaked open. Where was he? Everything felt so strange. As if there was no concept of up, down, left, or right. Only Naruto and the creature hovering in front of him. A 100-metre tall, orange-furred fox with nine flowing tails.
"Why does it matter to you?"
"He's the reason you refuse to use my power. You're willing to ruin your relationship with the other jinchuuriki for him. And you're about to risk your life to try and kill him. You could've been the First Uzukage, the greatest jinchuuriki in the whole world, the husband of the former Hyuuga Heiress, and the father of your first and only child. And you've thrown it away for this one kid. Why would I not be interested in someone who holds so much power over my landlord?"
Naruto began to fall. Deeper and deeper into the void. He looked down at his hands. They were bony, pale, and laced with the browns, greens, and purples of dirt, veins, and bruises. "Yeah… damn it, I've really fucked things up, haven't I," he fell into water. Without making a splash.
Naruto floated in place under the water for a few minutes, just staring at his reflection. It all began to make sense why everyone kept asking him whether he was okay or not. He looked like he was days away from death. He'd been cooped up in his room for the last month, so he'd grown so pale he could give Hinata a run for her money. The stress had eaten away at him, leaving him gaunt, his cheekbones visible under his usually chubby cheeks. His blonde hair had lost its colour and his eyes, their spark.
"Damn, Han was right. I do look like shit…" Naruto began to cry.
Then, the reflection shifted with a single drop of water.
Sasuke hovered over him. His onyx eyes penetrated Naruto's soul. Whilst the Uzumaki had been eaten from the inside out by his emotions, Sasuke's confidence had given him a fresh glow. He looked healthier than ever. More muscular. Eyes fixated on the prize.
"NO!" Naruto sat up, taking a deep breath to fill his lungs. The Nine-Tails landed on the water, sending a tidal wave rushing outwards. The fox dropped onto its stomach to rest its head on its forearms. Naruto covered his face with his wet hands, "She was right… he does have power over me… after all these years."
"Sad to say I feel somewhat to blame for your suffering. After all, it was my own hubris that challenged you to kill him all those years ago," the Nine-Tails let out a sharp yawn, "To this day, I ponder, what would have happened had I just given you my strength all those years ago."
Naruto steadied his breathing for a moment. He looked up at the fox. He sighed, "No. I was destined to go down this path regardless of what you did," he was willing to admit, "Why did you give me that challenge all those years ago anyway."
"Because I fucking hate you, of course. I hate you, I hated your mom, and I hated Mito Uzumaki just as much as I did you and your mom."
"Then why not just let me die? You've saved my ass more times than I can count. Why?"
"Because somehow, I hate the Uchiha more. Those eyes, Madara Uchiha's. They had power over me, just as that Sasuke brat has power over you," the Nine-Tails punched the water. It grunted, "Yet… in the same breath… I feel sorry for you."
"You… you feel sorry for me? The Fox of Nine Tails… the eternal creature that can do nothing but hate… feels sorry for me?"
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"Being your tailed beast has softened me a little… Naruto. You're different. You've been through a lot of shit, but you refuse to buckle or waiver from the normal standards you've set yourself. You can't even bring yourself to kill that idiot who's tried to kill you and your friends on multiple occasions. You disgust me."
Naruto couldn't hold the grin forming across his face, "You like me, don't you."
"Don't phrase it like that."
"The Naruto Ninja Way has broken the icy walls of the Nine-Tails' heart, dattebayo."
"Shut up! I'm trying to be serious here."
"Okay," Naruto placed his finger on his lips.
The Nine-Tails sighed, releasing tons of steam into the empty void. He looked up at the eternal plane overhead. "I've always hated humans for so long. All you do is destroy. Your lust for power, your lust for war, it irks me. Humans are all the same. They won't admit it, but they all fight for themselves. They fight to achieve what will enrich them, even if it means harming others. Everyone draws the line just below them. No matter who you are, you think you're better than someone else… then there's you. The power to destroy anyone… anything… is standing right in front of you, and you're so stubborn and stuck in your ways that you refuse to take it. You could cut Sasuke down where he stands with a fraction of my strength… and yet, you're fully willing to fight him without me… even if it means never seeing your child be born into this world…"
"…"
"I don't know if that's very noble or very stupid," the Nine-Tails chuckled, "Look, I can't force you to use my strength when the time comes around. All I'll say is…" the Nine-Tails paused. It reared its head to stare into the void for what felt like hours. Finally, it sighed, "All I'll say is… my name is Kurama. Call upon me whenever you need, and I'll be there."
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"Kurama. That's a beautiful name, dattebayo," Kurama turned to hide his face. Naruto jumped to his feet and stood on the water, "Oh, and whatever anyone says… you're not as big and bad as you pretend to be. When I'm done with Sasuke. I'm coming back here, and I'm bringing you out into the light too."
"I appreciate the gesture, but you're not a miracle worker…" Kurama paused. Naruto extended his hand. He held a pinkie finger up at the giant fox. "What is this?"
"A promise… I'm gonna survive the battle against Sasuke, and then I'm gonna remove the darkness from your soul. I never go back on my word. That's my Nindo. My Ninja Way."
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.
Kurama shrunk himself until he was around the same height as an actual fox. Their pinkie fingers intertwined. "I'll let you try your best."
"I'll succeed. Believe it."
XXX
Naruto's eyes slowly opened to the world. He'd fallen asleep in Hinata's embrace and Hinata had fallen asleep in his arms. It was dark. Hanabi and Akiko were asleep on either side of him. The TV illuminated the room, both in terms of sound and the blue light bouncing off the Hyuuga Compound's wooden walls.
It was a quiet Konoha night. Only the TV and the girls' soft snoring tickled Naruto's ears. He was at peace. This was the peace he strived to achieve. He wanted to remain in this position forever.
"Don't hold back, and when the time is right, I'll try to do the heavy lifting for you," Itachi's voice echoed through his head as Naruto tried to sit up without waking Hinata. "He's here. Run."
A whistling.
Naruto caught a kunai out of mid-air.
It had come in through the window.
Tied to it was a paper message.
He looked over his shoulder. That kunai was aimed at Hinata.
'You took him from now. Now I will take from you what you love the most. Meet me at the Valley of the End.
Sasuke Uchiha'
Naruto's blood was boiling.
He woke Hinata from her slumber and told her to get to somewhere where she would be surrounded by guards.
He rushed across Konoha to wake up one more person before he left for the Valley of the End.
"Fuu, get up. It's time to put an end to this nightmare. Once and for all."