Chapter 43
Minoru, Hitomi and Jotaro stood facing Jiraiya, who was preparing his own ninjutsu to face their full power Taigan Four attack. Almost instantly, he threw out a scroll, disappearing in a flash of light. The scene around the four ninjas warped to a new one, reminding them much of the innards of some great beast. Red walls pulsated with blue and green veins and various masses began edging their way towards the Taigan Trio. Hitomi motioned to Minoru and Jotaro, each responding their own way. The three ninja focused all the chakra they possessed, focusing it into their Taigans. The same incident from before occurred again, this time, blowing the Frog Mouth Enclosure away in a single blink.
Jiraiya was exhausted, but managed to stand up and wave in surrender to the three prodigies as he spoke.
"Very good… Well…this is where we say our goodbyes. Give Ryota an extra hit for me…but don't hate him so… He's had it really hard ever since he was a kid… I…I'd like to tell you all that I can before you go to your last battle…figuratively, I mean.
As Jiraiya recounted all the events from the past twenty years, the three children who had once looked at Ryota only with disgust or distrust now were full of repentance and sorrow. And Jiraiya… he simply continued his story to the end.
Nearly an hour had passed and the story was complete. Hitomi was the first to stand up, indicating she was prepared to fight. Minoru and Jotaro followed her, leaping into the fray, their chakra flaring up and dying down instantaneously. Jiraiya watched and smiled, still wondering how powerful Ryota was now… But he waved it off and began to "research" for the next volume of Make Out Paradise…
The scene at Sound Country's borders was a terrible sight to see. Ryota's summon, Genkai, seemed to ooze hatred as Ryota simply glared daggers at his newest and strongest adversaries. The new Sannin team began their attack at Naruto's signal. A flash of the Kyubi chakra initiated the attack.
First to make the attack was Manda, slithering forward at top speed, striking into Genkai with such force that one would think the cloud would burst into nothingness. But out of the cloud came a pair of shortswords, the same used by Gamabunta. Manda was thrust backwards and Sasuke nearly fell off. Katsuyu's mouth opened and a burst of acid hit Genkai full force, but another countermeasure was made with startling accuracy. The acid seeped out of holes in Genkai's back as Konohamaru's Leaf God summon, as well as all of Kakashi's dogs, which rushed the towering slug, knocking it back as well with crushing force.
Naruto was not fooled so easily. Gamabunta thrust his swords into the air as he pulled out a blowgun. But instead of a poison dart, a plume of oil burst forth, Naruto following with a blast of flame from his own mouth, creating a wave of fire that purged Genkai. But the flames were swallowed up by a mass of smaller slug summons, whose acid suffocated the flames.
Ryota crossed his arms, waiting for the next attack. Naruto simply laughed and began telling another of his harebrained schemes to Sakura and Sasuke, who listened intently, as their friend was now the 6th Hokage. Finishing their conversation, Sakura's summon was the first to attack, this time releasing a cloud of gas that struck Ryota. But in seconds, the poison was cured and Ryota counterattacked Naruto's own Frog Mouth Enclosure, releasing a blast of Chakra from both his eyes, the illusion destroyed and shattered in an instant. Ryota turned and was unable to counter Manda's new attack, which nearly cut the music ninja in two. But as the three summons surrounded him, he looked and realized his vision was becoming darker. But placing a hand to his face, his eyes widened at the sight of blood. For the first time in ten years, someone had drawn blood…his blood. Ryota's entire face seemed to twitch at the very sight of his own life flowing from his scalp. There were two other wounds, one in his chest, and the other on his right leg.
Only a minute passed before the wounds were healed. Ryota's face was now twisted into his macabre gaze from when he had fought Enishi. He turned first to Sakura, then to Naruto, and then finally to Sasuke, who smirked his normal grin of overconfidence, stopping at the unchanging leer across Ryota's face. Ryota's face reverted to its normal quiet nature and he spoke again, recounting his memories to the three ninjas who once knew him only as a hated outcast.
"You see…you can shred my body…you can attack Genkai all you want…but nothing…nothing…nothing…will stop me…In time…everything in this world will perish…Ninjas…the villages…the arts of the shinobi…even the entire world we ninjas live in… That is how the world is…impermanence…death…destruction…suffering…chaos…a living hell… Can you not see that? For a decade, I lived in a veritable hell on earth. A cacophony of pains was inflicted upon me. I had lost power…I had lose purpose…I had lost my family…friends…everything I held dear… and it was all because of you and your foolish fears of the unknown…
That's…that's quite ironic, considering that the essence of a ninja is controlling the unknown… And that's exactly what you did… Even the foster family you put me in…they hated me… And…by that time…I had only known hatred…I could understand it from my family…but not from people who never even knew me… I begged for your help… Tsunade gave it to me…She accepted me… As did Kakashi…and others…but the majority of you… You may have not told me… You may have hidden it… But…I could feel your seething hatred of me… 'Who is that child with one Sharingan and one Byakugan?' 'He must be some bastard spawn of the Uchiha and Hyuga clans…' 'He makes me…afraid to even be a ninja…' That's right…I could every one of your insignificant thoughts…every single memory of hatred…of unwantedness…is burned into my mind… And you can try to make things right by letting me back into the village…give me a position of power…even treat me like family… But nothing will make those lamentations of the past go away… And now…" He said this while performing the handseals for the Rhapsody of Light and Shadow, "…you will all die…by the ultimate power I gained… Through the fruition of my search for power…through the trials of my quest for enlightenment… The true power of ninjutsu…the Rhapsody of Light and Shadow!"
The sky darkened and in time…everything in sight became enclosed by the same shroud as when Gaara had been shown the past… But this was a reversal of what had occurred before. Now…death was to strike first…not the moment of illumination… Sakura, Sasuke and Naruto all looked around, not able to even see their hands. Naruto's eyes glowed an eerie orange and the Kyubi took over. The light from before struck the ground, spreading across the landscape, showing the past to Naruto and the others…Itachi's death…Sasuke's curse seal reaching the ultimate level of power…the power of the "devil's fruit"…everything was upon the Sannin in an instant… And in that same moment in time, a single spark of chakra ignited a new power in the 6th Hokage.
Ryota looked at Sasuke and Sakura's bodies, now with huge holes in them, as Naruto slowly stepped forward, every step shattering the ground, causing an explosion of power. Naruto's face was now twisted into its own twisted leer. Ryota looked behind Naruto and saw the outline of the Kyubi behind him.
"So…the demon fox saved your life…"
Naruto's grin only got wider as he got closer to the peak of power. The chakra flared up all at once, a tempest of orange and red, the Kyubi nearly manifesting itself completely. Naruto's chakra was gone…but the Kyubi's chakra had been left behind to keep him alive, as well as Sasuke and Sakura's limp bodies. Ryota blinked and couldn't believe what he saw. There were hundreds upon thousands of Gamas, not nearly as powerful as Gamabunta, but with the sheer number, Naruto hoped to hold Ryota off for enough time for the children to get here.
Ryota held out a hand and performed the necessary handseals, unleashing several attacks at once, including the Judgment Hymn, Chaos Ballad, and the Requiem for the Fallen, all striking the Gamas, destroying half of them with a single motion, the others still trampling towards him with all the strength they could muster. Ryota simply sat in midair, waiting for the fireworks. Naruto's body fell in a heap on the ground, even the Kyubi now exhausted against Ryota's newfound energy and chakra. Genkai stood, unleashing a new attack, sucking the Gamas inside itself. Ryota smirked and began to laugh again, but stopped at the sight of four lights in the distance.
Hitomi struck land first, Minoru following second, Jotaro last, with the greatest burst of power. Standing up, the Taigan Trio faced Ryota, prepared to end this.
"Ryota of Taigan Duality…" Hitomi said, a determined look on her face…"You once told me that power was the purpose of living. Well…you're wrong… The true purpose of living is to reach out to others…making them feel loved…and now…we're going to stop you with our love… We'll make you feel accepted…but…maybe…we've done enough explaining… we'll just show you our new strength…"
Ryota simply laughed again, motioning to Genkai, which began to flow into his hands, his feet, even into his mouth, making him seem as though he were absorbing Genkai. The transformation was done and now…Ryota was covered with Genkai's blackness, only his Byakugan and red Sharingan showing through the shadows…
"Now…Taigan children…allow me to show you my full power… Meet…Ryota of the Illusionary Sea…"
Chapter 44
The battle had finally begun…but it seemed as though Ryota was still gaining power as the earth and skies began to tremble under Ryota's power. But Hitomi, Jotaro and Minoru were prepared, as they powered their Taigans, unleashing their own unique moves to wear down Ryota. Hitomi's Taigan Duality flashed as bright as the sun, gifting her with both enhanced physical and mental strength. She pulled out her scroll and prepared a stronger version of her Shock Burst. Ending with the sign of the dragon, she called out the new attack name, a storm forming in her hands.
"Tempest Crush!" Lightning shot from her fingertips, snaking across the field, narrowly missing Minoru and Jotaro as it finally struck Ryota, destroying a portion of Genkai's power. The resounding boom of thunder shook Ryota from his trance of power. He looked at his left and right arms, which were now clean, untouched by Genkai's corruption. Ryota was afraid for only the second time in his life, but he knew that he could control this monstrosity. Closing his eyes, he released a powerful burst of chakra, erasing Genkai completely from his body. He collected the essence of the accursed thing in his palm, creating a new attack on the spot. Manipulating the power in his hands, he procured a daikatana that glowed an eerie gray. Ryota's eyes snapped open as he slashed the daikatana across the field, sending a wave of destruction towards Hitomi, who knocked it away with her hand, still crackling with chakra.
Minoru followed suit, his own power flowing into his feet. It rose up into his legs, flowing through his arms and ending in his hair, which now flowed upward. The same red-gold flames from his fight with Hitomi burned brighter than ever before as Minoru pulled two katanas from the flames, running towards his nemesis, preparing to cut him down. The blades clashed, the resulting shockwave nearly knocking Jotaro off his feet. Minoru glared at Ryota, who still smirked in confidence as he pushed back Minoru's assault, reeling at a sudden pain in his head. Minoru cut down into Ryota, sending the music ninja crashing to the ground, seemingly unaffected by the Taigan Dragon Slash.
Minoru stepped back, the katanas disappearing in a burst of red and gold. Ryota still clutched his head as he stumbled up, mumbling a few words, now speaking in a strange tone, as if he was in a trance.
"Mom…why…dad…don't…please…I…I just…I just want to have a friend…Mom…" The same phrase was issued from his mouth at least five times before Jotaro began his own attack. The Kyubi chakra flowed into his Taigan Right, making him light as a feather, but devastating as a volcano, punching Ryota in the chest, sending Ryota flying backwards, seemingly unable to even fight back.
Ryota stood up again, still chanting the same phrase as before, his eyes now glowing like twin suns. Suddenly, Ryota ceased his rituals, his hands leaking chakra, dripping acid onto the ground.
"You won't stop me… None of you will… Not after I unleash the Rhapsody of Light and Shadow…none of you will survive…hehehehehe…" Ryota laughed again, still performing the handseals as everything went black again.
But something was different to Ryota. Four lights glowed through the impenetrable shroud. Two lights, one on the right, the other on the left, lined up with the other two in the center. The light that burst forth was radiant refulgence that caused Ryota to step back again. The force of the attack destroyed the blackness, returning light to the shadowed field. Ryota held out his hands to stop the attack, but he froze in his tracks, truly paralyzed for the first time by ninjutsu and not by his own weakness.
Hitomi and the others walked towards him, seeming to flow through the air like spirits. Three trails of light were left behind the three as they walked towards him, preparing to end this once and for all. Ryota then began to remember countless memories, one single event flashing through his mind.
It was Ryota's tenth birthday and everyone was here. His parents, his sister and brother…even most of the townspeople had stopped their daily routine to celebrate Ryota's special day. Ryota laughed, his eyes perfect silver, not yet affected by the curse. He blew out the candles and after an hour of cake, ice cream, party games and presents, Ryota was exhausted. But before he could go to bed, he had to talk to Hitomi.
She was a bit younger than he was, about five years younger actually…but Ryota felt a strange closeness to her. He walked up to her, still speechless as Hitomi giggled and kissed him on the cheek, running home. Ryota touched his cheek, tears falling from his face as he ran into the bedroom, still sobbing. His parents tried to comfort him, but to no avail, as Ryota's still fragile mind had broken. That single moment of acceptance had made him confused. Ever since he was young, everyone had treated him like scum. The children beat him because of his eyes and his parent's involvement with Orochimaru. He hated it…but after the party, he had felt accepted.
And after Hitomi kissed him, he had walked towards the house, stopped by Hitomi's father, whose white hair frightened him. He pulled down his mask and flashed the Sharingan at him. Ryota's right eye slowly changed into a mirror copy as Kakashi stepped back, striking away the child and running for help. Ryota's left eye followed suit, changing into a snow-white orb, the veins in his eye straining, now allowing him to see everything. Now…nobody liked him… But…he wanted to have friends…
Later…Ryota stood alone in the ruins of Sound Village, even his parents destroyed by the berserker's soul… The anger had risen in him as his parents scolded him and struck him across the face. Ryota then killed them both in a single motion, their heads severed and bleeding passionate steaming crimson upon Ryota's face. The bloodlust took over him and everyone was a target. Hitomi was nowhere to be seen and Ryota began to cry again, the tears not coming after the changing of his eyes. Now…he was alone…
He would wander the Sound Country and later the Fire Country, arriving at Konoha, and the same events would happen again, his body sealed away this time…trapped in a ten year old's form… The anger flared up again… But now…Ryota knew the truth…the world was hell…and he would change it in time…no one would have to suffer like he had…
Ryota's eyes ceased glowing as the memories ceased and his vision returned. Hitomi, Minoru and Jotaro were standing over his now prostrate form. He looked at them and smiled, defeated and alone again. He spoke, nearly coughing up blood as he did so,
"I thought…I thought I could make things better…No one would have to suffer like me… And…I never thought…it would be Hitomi's family that would change me so much… I forgive you Hitomi…and your father…it was my fault for being so foolish… And now…I only wish I could gain your forgiveness… Kakashi and Gai are dead…Sasuke, Sakura, Naruto and every other ninja that I've fought so far is alive… Somehow…in the back of my mind…I spared every one of them…and now…I only wish that one of you would kill me…"
Hitomi smiled nervously, her eyes tearing up as she kissed Ryota on the lips, restoring life to his once dead face.
Ryota's eyes returned to their normal silver color, the powers returning to his innocent orbs of light. He smiled and got up, slowly as not to injure himself.
"I…I see…so I'm forgiven…I guess…I'll go on a journey…to find myself…to find out whether the Byakugan and Sharingan are my true eyes…or if these are…" he said motioning to his newly acquired eyes. Turnign to walk across the decimated wasteland that was once Oto country, he waved goodbye as Jotaro called out to him.
"Wait! We can start over again… You…you can help us rebuild the villages…"
Ryota stopped and turned to Jotaro, his eyes still as innocent as when he was a child. He spoke, now assured of his true purpose.
"Sorry…I…I want to…but I'd only be a hindrance… Besides…I need to find myself before I start finding the purpose of helping… Something like that…I'll be back in about…five years…how's that?"
Jotaro dropped his hand and raised it again, waving goodbye with Hitomi and Minoru as Ryota floated into the sky, leaving the mortal world, rising to a new level of power, it seemed. A silver flash of light indicated his departure as Hitomi and the others spoke, Hitomi first, followed by Minoru and finally Jotaro, continuing in that order.
"Now…it's our turn…"
"To take on the responsibilities our parents had to…"
"And…become better…without becoming cursed inside…"
"And…when Ryota comes back…we'll be ready…"
"To be more accepting…"
"To be a person worthy fo being Ryota's friend…"
The three ninjas nodded and turned to face the new challenges ahead of them. But they just laughed and began the work that would take another five years to complete…