CHAPTER 63
Naruto walked over to the elder's half disintegrated body and stood over it with a straight face. After about 5 seconds, the elder shot up.
"AHHHHHHH! What the hell did you do to me, Naruto Uzumaki?" The elder asked.
The elder's body was cut perfectly in half. He lay belly down on the cold hard steel floor of the boiler room as Naruto just continued to watch him. Rain poured into the room and put out the fires. The bricks became drenched with water as well as the floor. An outside perspective of the room shows that a perfect circle had been shot through the Holy Land manor and anything caught in the blast was erased completely, no sign of it ever having existed! After a while, Naruto spoke.
"That technique was supposed to erase you completely, but I guess it still isn't perfect." Naruto said softly.
The elder coughed up blood.
"I … I see. Half of my body has been erased … with this kind of damage I won't live much longer anyway." The mustached elder said.
Naruto stared.
"Tell me, Naruto Uzumaki … what makes you ninja so strong? I never would've imagined … that a ninja would be the reason I died … the other elders and I … just knew we were too strong to be taken out, but … you barge in … with the damned ability to stop time … ha ha! … Naruto Uzumaki … please answer." The mustached elder said softly.
"When you have something bigger than yourself to protect … you can reach power you've never even dreamed of. All for the sake of protecting those that are precious to you." Naruto said.
The elder's face became filled with shock as a ghostly image of Psycho formed inside of Naruto! It spoke the same word's Naruto did.
"Despite what it may have done in the past, the Ninja World is my home. And I would do anything to prevent anyone from hurting it or the people who live there. That's where I draw my power." Naruto said.
"You … sound just like him … Psycho." The mustached elder said softly.
Naruto winced at the name.
"Psycho and Cyclone fought against us a long time ago … he said the same words you did." The mustached elder said, laying his head down and closing his eyes.
Naruto lowered his head and turned around.
"Psycho … will this new power …" Naruto wondered, looking at his hands, still covered in crystal chakra, stars flying around his body.
"Be enough to defeat him?" Naruto asked out loud.
Naruto looked up at the dark sky, as the rain hit his face, he thought of Luffy.
"Luffy … please be okay. We've taken care of these government guys for ya! Ha ha. We're going to come find you now. Just wait for us!" Naruto said to himself as he walked off.
The mustached elder slowly looked up as Naruto walked away and transformed his arm into a hammer.
"You … think … I'm going to let you leave … so easily … Naruto Uzumaki? I failed to kill a shinobi once … I won't … fail again!" The mustached elder said out loud, but not loud enough for Naruto to hear him, Naruto seemingly didn't notice, but looked back with his pupils and slowly formed a rasengan.
"DIE NARUTO UZUMAKI!" The mustached elder yelled as he slammed his hammer arm and a steel spike jumped from the ground at Naruto's position.
"YOU IDIOT!" Naruto said as he threw the rasengan at the elder.
The steel spike shot through Naruto's forehead above his right eye and burst through his skull. Blood flew and Naruto coughed up blood and spit.
"GUAG!" Naruto let out as the rasengan got closer to the elder.
"NOOOOOOOOOOO!" The elder let out as the rasengan hit him.
The rasengan spiraled into the elder's body, digging into his skin and started to erase him from the inside out!
"NARUTO UZUMAKI!" The elder yelled once more before a giant burst pushed Naruto into a far away wall and the shinobi fell onto his face. His crystal fox form going away. When Naruto looked up, the elder was gone. Not a trace of him left. Naruto smiled to himself. And slowly felt the hole in his forehead.
"Heh … looks like I got caught with something at the last second … but I can't … die here … I still have … things … to…" Naruto stopped talking and closed his eyes.
THE BATTLE OF RIVALS FROM GENERATIONS PAST! THE ELDER WHOM HAD EATEN THE GOD GOD FRUIT: MODEL HEPHAESTUS AND NARUTO UZUMAKI …. HAVE DIED!
HOLY LAND (COURTYARD)
Everyone was silent. This was so random and out of nowhere. The man they've been chasing, their number one enemy, just told them they were destined to defeat him. All that could be heard was rain slamming against the ground. Psycho stared at the group. He was admittedly surprised they didn't have any questions, but he also expected such a reaction, anyone would react the same!
"You heard me right. You're all destined to be the victors in this fight." Psycho said.
Sasuke spoke up.
"This doesn't make sense! Why would you come here and tell us all this?! Being my grandfather, the history between the shinobi and the world government, and that we'll be the ones to beat you!? Why!?" Sasuke yelled.
"I already answered that question, Sasuke. You're all the children of prophecy. I know that you'll be the ones to defeat me based on what you did here." Psycho said.
"So … this wasn't just to defeat the elders for you? It was-"Sakura was interrupted.
"A test …" Kakashi finished.
"Precisely. I told Arlong to tell you Luffy and the others were here so you would attack the Holy Land. If you failed and were killed, I would have given up all hopes." Psycho said, looking down.
Sasuke was surprised.
"Hopes of what ...?" Sasuke asked.
Psycho looked up and stood to his feet. Everyone of course, got into battle stances.
"You'll have to figure that part out on your own. I've given you your reward for taking out these foolish old men and passing my test." Psycho said, walking away.
Zoro stepped up.
"You never told us where Luffy and the others were!" Zoro yelled out.
"Yeah! Where's Luffy!?" Sanji asked.
Psycho turned towards the two Straw Hat Pirates.
"Oh, I'm sorry, my apologies." Psycho said, "Luffy and Hancock are currently at a place called "Sunflower Island" the marine who took them there was probably hoping he wouldn't have his coordinates located, but I planted his ship and got the word on where he's been hiding. Go there, and you'll find your captain."
"Wait, why would a marine be hiding out at a place called Sunflower Island?" Kasai asked.
"That's a good question. Hopefully once my plant gets back to base he can tell me all about it." Psycho said.
Everyone gasped.
"HE!?" Kasai yelled.
Psycho smiled and crossed his arms.
"One of my most trusted advisors is actually supposed to be killing that marine and everyone on the island as we speak." Psycho said.
"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!? YOU SHOW UP AND TELL US THIS WAS A TEST AND THAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO DEFEAT YOU, BUT YOU'RE TRYING TO ASSASSINATE OUR HELP!?" Sanji yelled.
"I said you all were prophesized to beat me … I never said I would make it easy, did I?" Psycho asked.
Sanji tsk'd.
"My plans to attack the last three emperors and take over the ninja world will go as scheduled. It's your job to gain the power to stop us. Letting you win wouldn't be any fun at all and would surely go against Naruto and Luffy's ideals of actually defeating me versus just letting me go." Psycho explained.
Everyone was speechless again!
"I have somewhere to be going now." Psycho said, walking off.
"The next time we see each other … will be the last time." Psycho said before teleporting away.
The members of the Holy Land assault group stood in silence. Not knowing what to do with the information they had just heard.
"Sasuke …" Sakura said.
"Not now Sakura. Let's just go find Naruto and get out of this place so we can get ready to go to this Sunflower Island."
Zoro's eyes were shadowed out.
"Oi, Sasuke, how to we know Psycho's telling the truth?" Sanji said.
"He said he sent one of his men there to kill everyone on the island that's proof enough for me. If we must fight then so be it. If Luffy and Hancock are there then it'll be okay, they're all that matter." Sasuke said.
"Oi." Zoro said.
Sasuke looked up at Zoro.
"Robin matters too." Zoro said.
Sanji looked at Zoro out the side of his eyes. As a matter of fact, all eyes were on Zoro.
"Obviously, but did you hear where he said she was? She's at DEATH HQ we wouldn't last a second there, with Psycho being a shinobi he'll know any tricks we try to use against him." Sasuke said.
"They could be doing anything to her! We need to at least send a group of us to DEATH HQ and another group to Sunflower Island!" Zoro demanded.
"NO!" Sasuke yelled.
Everyone was taken back by Sasuke's change of tone, except Zoro.
"All this acting on emotion and running off is what got us in this situation in the first place! Psycho said he was Robin's father … I don't see him hurting her or allowing anyone else to hurt her." Sasuke said.
"Come on, you really believe that shit? There's no way he's Robin's father!" Zoro yelled.
"Zoro, from the moment we met him he treated her the kindest of us all and made several remarks about how close they were in the past. It was no real surprise that he said he was related to her too." Sasuke explained.
Zoro put his head down.
"So, we're going to find Naruto, get down to the Sunny, and go to Sunflower Island and back the people there up however we can." Sasuke said, "Everyone good? Let's move!" Sasuke said, running off.
Kakashi, Fujitora, Law, Sakura, and Hinata all followed Sasuke. Sanji and Zoro stayed, their eyes shadowed out.
"You're going to go … aren't you?" Sanji asked.
Zoro didn't answer.
"I'd honestly be lying if I said I didn't want to go with you … it's what Luffy would want us to do." Sanji said, walking over to Zoro.
"Oi, Zoro." Sanji said.
Zoro looked up with surprise, Sanji never called him by his real name. Zoro would be even more shocked when Sanji hugged him tightly.
"You'd better not die! You stupid moss haired idiot!" Sanji passionately said.
Zoro's eyes lowered and he hugged Sanji back.
"I won't … Sanji." Zoro said.
The two men separated and looked each other in the eyes. Sanji smiled and ran off to find the others. Zoro looked down and back up, determined! Zoro then ran off on his own.
HOLY LAND (BOILER ROOM)
Heavy rains continued to pound the steel floor of the boiler room. Naruto lay face down in blood, unresponsive. A dark figure appeared instantly into the room. Out of the shadows, Psycho walked up to Naruto's body.
"So, you did die?" Psycho said, looking around the room and noticing the protruding steel spike and then back at Naruto's wounds.
"Oh, I see. A sneak attack then? Those elders never played fair." Psycho walked over to Naruto's body and turned him over.
Naruto's mouth was open just a little as blood ran down his face. His eyes closed. Psycho stared at him for a moment and sighed.
Psycho set Naruto down to rest on his back.
"I've already told your friends some pretty important info about myself and the history between the Shinobi world and the World Government … I truly hope they use that information to understand me a little more. I don't expect them to share my hatred of course. That would be selfish of me. As long as they understand that I'm not seeking vengeance for no reason." Psycho said as he put his hands over Naruto's chest.
"I wouldn't normally do this … I haven't done it for any of the young man who I thought were supposed to defeat me in the past … but …" Psycho stopped as a dome of green chakra covered Naruto's chest and eventually covered his whole body, healing his wounds.
"I truly believe you and Luffy are the ones I've waited so long for. Please, Naruto Uzumaki, don't die so easily like the rest, I beg you." Psycho said.
About ten minutes passed and Naruto slowly opened his eyes to the heavy rains hitting his face. His wounds all healed up. Naruto sat up and looked around the room.
"I … was … I was dead … wasn't I?" Naruto asked himself, "Who saved me?"
Naruto looked around the room even more and didn't see anyone. He stood to his feet and looked at his hands and then the crater in the middle of the room.
"Regardless of who saved me, I beat that old guy … that's all that matters. I need to go find everyone! They're probably worried!" Naruto turned around and bumped into a familiar face.
"Sanji!" Naruto yelled with a big goofy smile.
Sanji smiled back.
"Naruto! You're okay!" Sanji said.
"How's everyone doing!?" Naruto asked, more serious.
Sanji smiled.
"We won … we really won!" Sanji said happily.
Naruto smiled and sighed of relief.
"That's good … that makes me so happy." Naruto said.
"Everyone is still looking for you Naruto, let's head back to them!" Sanji said.
"Right!" Naruto confirmed as the two ran off.
THE ASSULT ON THE HOLY LAND OF MARIE JOIS! TRULY A DARK DAY FOR THE WORLD GOVERNMENT! DAMAGES HAVE EXCEEDED HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF BELI WORTH OF DAMAGE! AND THE FIVE ELDER STARS WHO RULED OVER THE WORLD … ARE NO MORE!
HOLY LAND (THRONE ROOM)
A tall figure sat on a throne high above the ground. It's one red eye widened when someone walked into the room. The man stood at the foot of the steps that led to the throne.
"Still sitting comfortable knowing the elders have been killed, Imu-sama?" Psycho mocked.
Imu's eye widened even further as Psycho appeared in front of him instantly.
"When you get to hell, tell the elder's Torebion Uchiha sent you, they'll remember the name." Psycho said with a smile and a chidori at the ready.
SUNFLOWER ISLAND
On the bright and sunny island of Sunflower Island, an island that never got dark, Okua Yuke and his friend Lionel Newgate tilled the fields.
"Ugh, why do we have to do this again Okua?" Lionel asked.
Okua wiped sweat from his face and smiled under his face mask.
"Monkey D. Kraken-san said it builds character. That coupled with the fact that we don't do much anyway." Okua explained.
"Well, it's a waste of time, I want to go on an adventure! Sail the seas!" Lionel said, falling back into the Sunflowers.
"I would very much love some time on the seas as well, but unfortunately with DEATH running around we don't have that option." Okua said.
Lionel became serious.
"Yeah … Kraken says the leader knew my pops and even traveled with him. It's Teach all over again." Lionel said, "Where is Kraken anyway?"
Okua kept tilling.
"I believe he said he had a run to make." Okua said.
Lionel jumped back up.
"He's always leaving." Lionel pouted, "One day I should ask to go with him on one of his errands! If we do get attacked, my beam beam powers will burn any enemy to a crisp!" Lionel yelled.
Okua chuckled.
"Such a confident young man you are, Lionel Newgate-san." Okua said.
Lionel smiled a big goofy smile and got back to work.
On a hilltop, a black boot stepped down. Okua and Lionel stopped working and their faces became serious. Slowly they stood up.
"Lionel Newgate-san." Okua said.
Lionel's eyes were shadowed out.
"Yeah." Lionel said through clenched teeth.
The two turned around and looked up to see Rob Lucci standing over them.
"Lucci." Lionel said with a sadistic smile.
Lucci looked down at the two with a serious face.
"I was ordered to come to this island and kill Monkey D. Kraken, as well as the witnesses to his murder. How would you like to play it? Tell me Kraken's location on this island or should the next time he sees you it is as corpses?" Lucci asked calmly.
Okua and Lionel smiled.
"Kraken ain't here tough guy." Lionel said.
Okua reached back and unsheathed his long, flat, pointed black blade.
"Only us!" Okua said.
Lucci squinted a little with anger.
"And the only one that's gonna die here, is you!" Lionel said, standing with his arms crossed and Okua stood next to him with one hand in his shirt and his sword over his shoulder.
ISLAND IN THE NORTH BLUE
Navy Vice-Admiral Amiya pulled her Marine ship to the docks of the island and got off. When her feet touched the docks, she looked down at the wanted poster she had with her.
WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE: TAIKAMA NARA
Amiya looked at the boy on the poster and bit her bottom lip.
"Taikama … what have you become? I'm going to find you … and end this!" Amyia said with determination as she made her way into the forest on the island.
On another end of the island a cool wind blew the steam from a warm cup of tea that rest on a blanket. A sword in its sheath rest on the blanket. A hand reached down and grabbed the sword then the tea. The man strapped his sword over his back and drank the tea with one gulp.
"Ahhhhh. That's some mighty fine tea as usual!" The man said.
The man put on his sun hat over his Japanese styled bamboo straw hat and strapped it to his chin. An x scar was on his left cheek with a vertical scar over his right eye. Both his eyes were permanently shut. He wore a blue long sleeve robe with his chest showing, the robe was held together by a red band with a loose end that hung down to his knees. He wore mesh leg sleeves with ninja styled socks and sandals.
"Well, I guess I should get going." The man said as he walked away from the blanket and into the forest.
"THE WIND WAKER" IWATAKA TOKISATO
BOUNTY: 1.5 BILLION BELI