Kakashi grunted as his side was struck with a tanto as he fought to protect Sasuke from the henchmen of Orochimaru. The last Uchiha was unable to move from where he crashed into the medical ward of the arena. The copycat ninja had no idea what had happed during the match between Garaa and Sasuke. One moment Sasuke was preparing to use the chidori and the next he was on his knees as a blade was shoved through his back and spine. Garaa had reacted to the sudden shift of the battle quickly and had sent the boy into the wall of the arena. If not for the interest Orochimaru had in his student Kakashi was sure that he would have allowed Garaa to continue his attack.
'And if not for Naruto drawing him away Sasuke would have been killed.' Taking the tanto from that sand ninja he stabbed him through the heart. He was getting tired and the medical staff was hit hard. Only a few were still able to move and were helping heal those they could get to. Sakura was helping them by looking for what little she could find in terms of medicine and bandages. He was proud of her efforts and already a few ninja had gotten enough care to man a few of the chokepoints were enemies were laying siege to them all.
"Kakashi my rival!" Kakashi only stumbled as Guy appeared by grabbed two sound ninja and bashing their heads together. "It seems that you were caught in the most un-youthful of luck."
"Not now Guy." Eye smiling, Kakashi staggered to the side. Guy took note and helped his friend steady himself. Both men took stock of each other. Guy's jumpsuit that he and those of his clan was covered in cuts, burns and tears. Even his famous bowl hairstayle was a mess with blood splatter and was missing a chunk from what must of been a wind jutsu given the angle. Not that Kakashi was any better with several bleeding wounds and his shirt and jacket destroyed in the back from a water-fire combo attack that almost struck the med nin taking care of Sasuke. His hair was covered in soot and dust plus his chakra was running dangerously low. Solider pills were a luxary item in a pitched battle like these that he didn't have time to go find, or even deny the stressed and chakra starved medical staff.
"I don't suppose that reinforcements are on their way?"
Guy shook his head. "Fighting all over and our forces are just barely holding their own. This position is just barely defendable, we need to retreat to give the wounded a chance."
Both jonin winced at the idea of a fighting retreat. In a fight like this the wounded were a liability as they had to be protected on the move. With twenty in critical condition, three mdical ninja who were tired fro trying to heal them all and with their measly six combat able bodied, most would die.
"Think you can find what happened to the rest of the genin?" Kakashi asked aloud as Sakura raced to hand nim a bandage. She perked up, also wondering what had happened to her fellow classmates.
Guy winced. "My team is helping Anko and Genma prevent the reinforcements for the sound and sand nin from killing the guests in their seats. Teams eight and ten are still alive but they need my help soon. They are acting under the orders of Ibiki-san as he maintains a safe zone as Shikaku is readying a counter attack to push back against our foes."
Kakashi nodded slowly. "... Naruto?"
"I am sorry my friend I haven't seen your blonde haired student since he distracted the unyounthful Garaa from killling Sasuke." Guy's fist slammed into a sound ninja who thought he was going to get the drop on him. "But I'm sure he'll be able to handle himself given how youthful he was with his fight with my student."
Silence was what greeted the green beast of Konoha as Kakashi prayed to kami that Guy was right. 'Naruto... be careful.'
Naruto coughed up blood as a wave of sand slammed him through multiple walls, escaping only with the fast use of ninja wire to pull himself away from a wall of sand the size of a house. All around fights had broken out as Leaf, Sand and Sound ninja fought in the streets of his home. Grunting as he pulled his sore body up, Naruto discovered that he was hanging from the railing of his apartment window.
"Dam it baki-suke." He cursed as he began moving higher. Biting his lip he let out a groan of pain as his body healed. "And dam you Wu for having me keep this seal on!"
"Uzumaki! You will feed mother with your blood!" Garaa screeched as the sand nin cracked the pavement as he landed on the street, one arm covered in sand forming a claw on his right side. Whipping it forwards the claw grew and extended at Naruto with lightning speed. Grunting with effort Naruto tossed himself away from the blow.
"Pass!" He yelled as the claw went by him- only to scream as sand pierced his belly. Gasping he felt himself be slammed to the ground like a fish on a hook as Garaa pulled him in. His eyes glowed with his madness as Naruto floundered as his sand technique grinded away at his organs. Sand floated in the air as Garaa raised his hand with a sick smile on his face. Naruto struggled in vain, his body too weak to do anything more than a token. A sense of calm passed over Naruto as he realized the truth and closed his eyes.
He was going to die.
Garaa clutched his fist. "Sand Coffin!"
Blood sprayed over Garaa as his sand crushed the blonde haired nuisance named Naruto. As he felt the blood spray he let out a laugh as he realized that he had won and mother was now-
Where was mother? Where was his power!?
"That sand trick is nice kid but you should pay more attention to your surroundings!" Garaa blinked before yelling in shock as his own sand slammed into him sending him down the street. Stepping from the shadows Skylor glared at the boy to make sure he was down for the count before looking at Naruto. It wasn't a pretty sight with a circler hole that missed his spine but had shredded his internal organs. Biting her lips she realized that Naruto was likely to die if he didn't get medical attention. But given the current war medial staff were in high demand.
'Think Skylor. Think!' She twisted around the arm of a sound nin and used her new power over sand to bash her head into the wall, shattering it. Several chickens burst from the hole in the wall sending their feathers everywhere as they raced away. One even gave Garaa a zap as he stumbled to his hands and knees. Lifting Naruto up, Skylor did not notice that his wound was slowly closing as she raced towards what she hoped was where she could find someone who could help her get Wu's youngest student to safety.
As the red head raced away she didn't notice the two sand gennin at Garaa's side trying to keep him awake.
But she did see a giant snake in the distance get crushed by a toad appearing out of no where. Nor was the glowing lightshow at the arena easy to ignore. Yet as the master of ember race through the war via the road and side streets the cost of the fighting made her wonder if the First Spinjitzu Master was aware of what this realm was capable of. Wu was well versed in it history, telling her that he had spend several years here after a fight with his brother.
"I was friends to two young men of noble birth back then, named Hagoromo and Hamura." Wu said with a smile. "They were adventurous and were interested in my stories about the realms. I did not teach them how to use spinjitzu, but I did help them use their inner power to help others. Chakra is what their mother called it."
Wu was silent for a moment before he spoke up again. "Ĺtsutsuki Kaguya. She called herself a goddess. But my father told me who she really was when he discovered where I was and came to take me home before she understood who he was."
"An Oni." Skylor spoke with her past self in the memory as she paused to look around her. If chakra was the result of an Oni, did that mean that the reason Wu wanted her to keep an eye on Naruto was because he was a child of of ancient powerful Oni? The fight with the army of Oni nearly destroyed the realm, but they did not use the elements other than destruction. But then Mystake was able so maybe they all could? All the elements could create but also destroy...
"Why am I having a philosophical crisis in a war zone?" Jumping over a hole Skylor noticed what looked like a makeshift medical station being manned by several ninja of the leaf. "Hey! I got one of your guys here!"
One of the ninja who was about to attack paused with several shurikens in his left hand. "Who the hell are you! All guests and civilians were to go to the shelters."
"She's carrying the demon brat." Another ninja grunted as she hugged what remained of her arm to her chest as she held a katana with her other.
"Doesn't matter. We need all the help we can get." The man walked over and winced at the wound. "What happened to him? He looks half dead."
"That Garaa kid impaled him with his sand." Skylor stated as she watched the man place a hand that glowed green. "Is he still alive?"
The man took a few moments before speaking, from his expression on his face Skylor knew that something was wrong when she suggested Naruto could die. Looking around all the older ninja around them were looking like they were holding their breath.
"He'll live. Thankfully his... condition is helping but subdued... if there was time I would want the third or someone better take a look over him." Shaking his head the ninja took a step back. "Thankfully do to your aid miss he's going to be fine."
A roar shook the ground as a shadow fell upon the ninja before a massive sand color claw slammed where he, Naruto and Skylor were. The man let Skylor go as he looked back to see the log he used to make the escape crushed.
"What the fuck is that!?" Skylor yelled in awe as a massive tanuki towered over the buildings.
"YES!" The giant tanuki yelled as it looked around. "FINALLY I GET TO COME OUT TO PLAY!"
"Oh no." The woman ninja whispered as terror filled her face. Attempting to escape she was smashed to paste as the massive paw ripped up the street sending her and several other injured defenders of Konoha into the air where they slammed into buildings and the streets at high speed.
"And here's someone that I want to kill right now!"
Skylor rolled to the side and used her power to summon a wave of sand to defect the attack as the giant beast as it tried to kill her. As she rolled she noticed that on the forehead of the tanuki was Garaa. Only his torso was visible and he appeared to be asleep. Noting that detail she tried to use the power over sand to strike the boy only for the giant to easily block the attack with a laugh. Taking a deep breath the tanuki took aim.
"Futon! Air drilling bullets!"
And that's it for the battle of Konoha part one.
People have been asking me why wasn't the seal on Naruto removed so he could use the power of his tailed beast. The answer is simple, Jirayia never got the chance to be with Naruto to notice the seal that the snake had placed on Naruto. And yes, that means Naruto's healing is being effected and he lacks the boost of power to fight the one tailed beast, oops.
Let's hope that Skylor, master of Ember, can defend Naruto from getting crushed.
Until part two, see ya all