Author's Note: This chapter is fast-paced and mostly fights/one big fight (you'll understand what I'm talking about). Warning there is a disturbing scene but it's not explicit. I don't like writing stuff like that, so you won't see much of it… this is just to show the brutal nature of Kirigakure. I also had to change the personality of a "new" character to make them work narratively. There are a couple new characters who will be joining the cast; some Naruto characters that didn't get a lot of shine in the manga and a character that REDACTED to Naruto. There is a scene in here that may feel like an asspull or stupid, but it makes the narrative I established from earlier chapters make sense. Also, Kishimoto really did not have more named Uzumaki clan members, outside of Karin and Nagato. Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter and feel free to leave a review.
*Spoilers (Haku = girl, Kishimoto confused a lot of kids in the past and I'm doing this just because it's easier and honesty makes sense). Also do you all want Naruto to use regular ninjutsu as well?
Chapter 10: Kirigakure, Part 2 - Bonds
KIRIGAKURE KIRI NO KANKOKU
In the heart of Kirigakure's Kiri No Kankoku prison, four guards found themselves engaged in an unlikely pastime - a game of cards. Takeshi, the gruff veteran, scowled as he examined his hand, while his younger counterparts chuckled at the older man's expression.
"You're not looking so good, Takeshi. Looks like luck isn't on your side," one of the younger guards exclaimed, his grin widening as he watched Takeshi's face.
Takeshi grunted in response, but soon smiled. "You young folks sure love to get ahead of yourselves, this game is far from over."
Another guard was about to respond, however, his attention momentarily diverted by a faint yet unmistakable noise resonating from a cell near them. "What in the blazes... Can he keep it down in there? I can hear the bed shaking from over here."
"He needs to hurry the hell up, I'm next," the last guard said, annoyed.
"No, I'm next," the other guard replied.
"What do you mean, you're next? You're last!" he replied.
Takeshi, having had enough of their bickering, spoke up. "Will you two shut it! Neither of you are next. Whoever wins this game gets the next crack at her. So, stop talking and finish this game."
The guards stopped their bickering and refocused on their hands. A few moments and draws later, Takeshi smiled; he had a royal flush and was going to win the game.
But before Takeshi could lay his cards down, he heard a voice call out to them.
"Planning to win with that hand? How quaint. Too bad this game had to end so soon," the voice said.
Startled, the guards reached for their weapons, their eyes scanning the darkness for any sign of intrusion. But it was too late as they felt an attractive force pull their heads together to the center of the table.
Their four heads collided as the sound of necks snapping could be heard. The four guards' bodies went numb as they rebounded off each other and slowly fell to the steel floor.
The sound of the shaking bed from the cell ceased as the noise of a zipper was heard before the cell door opened. "Sorry fellas, I went overboard," the guard said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "Takeshi, you owe me for…" he trailed off as he saw the dead bodies on the ground.
From the shadows, emerged a tall figure, with white hair and black attire. "You," Naruto said with a smile, however, his smile was not one of joy, of happiness, or of amusement. This smile was one of pure murderous intent. His right hand was extended outward.
The prison guard could feel his killing intent. Time seemed to stop as he readied himself. A sweat drop fell from his chin to the floor. The droplet burst as the guard surged forward, "Die!", he roared.
An unseen force washed over him causing blood to splatter from his arms and legs as they turned into noodles, spaghettifying, sending him crashing into the cell door then falling onto the dirty floor.
The heavy door groaned before hurling itself down with a thunderous force, creating a crater on the floor as red liquid spilled out from underneath.
Naruto said nothing and took a step on top of the door, looking into the cell room as he fell upon an abhorrent sight.
There was a young woman whose chakra network was destroyed, wrists and ankles chained, suffered from dehydration, and bruises all across her exposed skin.
Naruto could see that she was close to death and her heartbeat was extremely slow. He walked up to her cell bed and broke the chains on her body providing a momentary relief before the end.
Her body fell to the bed below as it creaked from the pressure. She slowly turned her head and looked at Naruto, wheezing and coughing out ragged breaths. "T-t-thank y-you," she croaked.
Naruto watched as her body became still on the mattress, and cloudiness filled her eyes as they continued to stare into the ceiling above. He stood next to her motionless body and closed her eyelids.
He felt a mix of anger and surprisingly, sorrow as stepped out of the cell door back into the main room.
Naruto loosened the bandages around his eyes, allowing his left eye to see light and scan his surroundings as he got ready for the next stage of his attack.
I've got about 30 minutes before the 'drawing' starts, luckily no one else heard my little intrusion. He used his Rikugan to scan the surrounding area, seeing through walls and taking in as much as possible within half a kilometer. His max range was 2 kilometers but the mist surrounding the village reduced it for the time being.
He could see that there was a large collection of guards inside the prison, about 30 shinobi, but there were a few in the courtyard outside. It looks like most of the guards are inside but they shouldn't be anything difficult. It seems they've moved the female prisoners outside, looks like two, maybe three… can't tell if Kiyomi is among them. I can sense Suiton, Raiton, Futon, and some other chakra coming from them, but I can't fully tell. They seem to have larger chakra reserves than Kiyomi, with two possessing greater reserves than the average shinobi.
Naruto groaned at himself in annoyance. When I get back to Konoha I need to train like never before… that Orochimaru bastard showed me that I can't do anything at this level. He would've won if he truly understood my technique, Naruto thought to himself, however, a new arrival outside took him out of his thoughts.
At that moment, he noticed another chakra, larger than the rest. There's a fourth chakra, it's a lot bigger than those nearby, he pondered as a smile formed across his face. If I was a betting man, I would guess the Mizukage sent one of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist to oversee this little auction. He chuckled to himself; this is getting interesting.
Naruto readied himself for the upcoming battle, stretching his legs and arms out. He estimated the courtyard to be just beyond the prison's length. It wasn't extremely large, about medium size with a decent area.
I could just teleport to the top of the prison but…, he pondered. The thought of the young woman chained to the cell bed flashed through his mind. He clenched his right fist and examined it.
Flashback to last night,
The map of Kirigakure, provided by Sasuke's mysterious friend, laid across the tabletop as Team 7 went over their plan of attack.
"Due to my superior sensory and fighting capabilities, I'll break into the prison and hopefully, rescue Kiyomi-chan. My attack will be loud and very violent, but this will draw a bunch of attention away from the Mizukage's office. You two will have little resistance to sneak in," Naruto said.
Sasuke nodded while Karin took a nervous gulp; she did not like this. "Why do we have to do this? Wouldn't it be smarter to stick together as a team?" she asked.
"I mean if you want to face off against dozens of deadly shinobi then be my guest, but I'm guessing you don't want to do that," Naruto replied to her smugly.
Karin looked at Naruto with an annoyed expression, why did he have to make a joke at every opportunity. Does he know when to be serious?
"Karin, your sensory abilities allow us to avoid enemy detection but also to locate the Mizukage," Sasuke said. "You're the only one who can help me navigate the area since Naruto will be preoccupied.
Her mood lightened up, upon hearing Sasuke's words, but then refocused. "Wait, why are we locating the Mizukage? I don't think that's smart to engage him," Karin said nervously.
Naruto looked at her with a blank expression, "Yeah… thanks captain obvious, but we went over this already. Sasuke is going to put the Mizukage in a genjutsu to stop him from interfering in our little rescue operation."
A tick mark formed on Karin's head, but she repressed the urge to hit Naruto, "You didn't tell me that, clown! How was I supposed to know!" She took a deep breath and refocused herself. "I'm just worried that the genjutsu won't hold him."
"Don't worry, we only need to hold him for about 10 minutes. That should be long enough for you two to search his office and grab any important documents that can help us find Kakashi's body. After I grab Kiyomi-chan, I'll teleport to your location then we get out before he even notices what happened," Naruto said, a smile forming on his lips. "This'll be a piece of cake."
Sasuke nodded while Karin's eyelids twitched.
She didn't understand why he had to be so annoying about this. "Sure… I'm going to sleep," she yawned, going to lie down on some covers Naruto had stolen from a nearby store. "Make sure to wake me up." She closed her eyes and drifted off.
Naruto stood still looking down at the map before him, even though he didn't show it, he was getting anxious about this whole operation. He'd broken his promise to Maki-san but if he could rescue Kiyomi and get their sensei's body back then maybe, it would make things a little better. He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't even notice Sasuke put his hand on his shoulder.
"Naruto. Is everything alright?" Sasuke asked.
Naruto blinked a couple of times before turning to Sasuke with a smile. "Yep! Why do you ask my enthusiastic friend?"
Sasuke's gaze was stern as he tried to pierce through Naruto's mask, but it was to no avail, and he relaxed his expression. "Just checking in," he said, taking a pause. "Anyway, from what I've been told, this prison is used to store kunoichi with powerful kekkei genkai. These kunoichi are then given to elite shinobi, hand selected by the Mizukage for breeding purposes. When they can no longer bear children, they are sent back into prison as a toy for the guards to use as they wish. There could be more kunoichi who need saving."
Naruto was taken aback by this revelation, but he knew they couldn't waste time rescuing other people.
"We are here to save Kiyomi, that's it," he said, his voice lacking compassion. "As much as what they are doing is disgusting and vile. We have no obligation to save anyone else. We are not heroes, we are shinobi."
Sasuke listened to his words and absorbed them, before responding. "You should just like the village elders and higher-ups you despise so much," he said, catching Naruto off-guard. "Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad thing to play the hero once in a while; to prioritize others over your own well-being. There is so much unfairness in the world and it wouldn't hurt to lend a helping hand to those who are 'weak' and are suffering."
The Uchiha walked away and sat on the floor, leaning his back against the wall as he closed his eyes and entered sleep.
Naruto was left there as he journeyed to a corner of the abandoned store and sat down. He closed his eyes and thought about Sasuke's words as emptiness filled his mind.
Present,
A smile appeared on his face as he made up his mind, breaking free of the past. I guess I'll play the hero... With a clear mind, he extended his right index finger, facing the wall adjacent to him.
A red light started to swirl and take shape on his fingertip, coalescing into a small orb. The air hummed with energy, a low buzz that crescendoed into a roar. "Aka… Hikari (Red Glow)!"
Crimson light filled the room as the wall in front of him detonated, hurling stone, steel, and debris in the technique's wake. The prison floor trembled, and a cacophony of alarms blared, their shrill cry echoing through the prison's depths.
Naruto smiled amidst the destruction, a hint of satisfaction in his eyes. "Looks like they know I'm here now," he said, stepping through the breach. Several prison blocks had been eviscerated along with many guards.
"10 down and 20 more to go," Naruto chuckled to himself, taking a casually stroll through the breach with his hands in his pockets. However, his amusement was cut short due to a blaring voice over the prison intercom.
"There is an intruder in D block! I repeat, there is an intruder in D block!" The intercom's voice was almost drowned out by the ringing in the ears of the dozen shinobi who materialized, weapons drawn, faces set in grim determination.
"Who are you?!" the prison warden demanded, his voice betraying a hint of trepidation.
Naruto took another step forward, his knuckles cracking ominously. "Oh me?" His smile twisted into a malicious grin. "You don't need to worry about that as you won't be alive for much longer."
The warden's eyes widened, a split second of realization before Naruto's fist connected with his face. "Too slow," Naruto chuckled as the warden was sent flying.
Ninja tools sliced through the air in a deadly arc, aimed with lethal intent. Naruto vanished, a mere wisp of motion, reappearing like a specter behind an unsuspecting Kirigakure shinobi.
"He's so fast!" one of the attackers gasped, awe mingling with fear. The sound of ribs cracking echoed as Naruto's fist connected with the shinobi's side, a powerful blow that sent shockwaves through the ranks.
Naruto took the form of a white blur, dancing and gliding through each attack while the guards' formation was completely broken and in disarray.
I need to wait to use Mugen until I get outside, he reminded himself, narrowly dodging a kunai rigged with a paper bomb. In one fluid motion, he plucked it from the air, stripped the tag, and sent it sailing back—a deadly boomerang that thudded into a shinobi's chest.
Anticipating an ambush, Naruto ducked a crushing blow, somersaulting over his assailant, and slapping the paper bomb onto his back. A swift kick sent the doomed man tumbling into his comrades.
"Bye, bye!" Naruto's voice rang out, playful yet chilling, as the tag ignited. He shielded his eyes from the ensuing blaze, the explosion scattering debris sky-high, walls and ceilings succumbing to the blast.
The Uzumaki smiled at the destruction he caused but frowned when he felt a strike at his neck. "What's this?" He fished out a charred digit from under his collar and flung it away. "Eight left," he mused, tilting his head back just as a senbon needle whizzed by, grazing his skin.
He flipped backward, avoiding a deadly rain of senbon from above.
Four shinobi appeared, blades drawn, but Naruto's speed was unmatched. Hands clasped, he vanished, reappearing atop the prison.
Below, confusion reigned. "Who is this guy?" one muttered. "Too fast," another grumbled, scanning for any sign of him.
"These guys are getting too close for comfort," Naruto said, using this confusion to strategize on how to take them all out in a single attack.
However, his thoughts were interrupted by a deafening roar that split the air. Naruto whirled around to face a colossal water dragon, its eyes a piercing yellow. "That's quite big," he said, a smirk playing on his lips. But the smirk faded as he sensed an attack from behind.
He ducked just in time as a second dragon's jaws snapped shut where his head had been. "Two? What's next, a third?" he joked, but the words had barely left his mouth when he felt a surge of water at his back. Spinning on his heel, he came face-to-face with yet another dragon, its teeth bared and ready to strike.
With no time to think, he clasped his hands, narrowly avoiding a three-pronged assault as the dragons' attacks collided, sending a torrent of water skyward.
As the water settled, Naruto reappeared several meters from the collision, "Guess that answers my question," he remarked dryly, watching as the dragons reformed and danced in hypnotic nature waiting to strike.
The wind howled and the mist seemed to clear as the four of them stared down each other. In an instance, the dragons surged forward, tearing through the roof as Naruto sprang forth running straight towards them.
The dragons launched themselves at him trying to consume the white-haired shinobi. Naruto dodged their attacks, weaving through the chaos with grace and elegance using his agility to evade.
With a well-timed leap, he landed in the center of the prison rooftop before shortly hearing a loud shout.
"Now!" the guards cried as they unleashed a barrage of deadly projectiles at him.
Naruto jumped up but felt a moisture in the air as he looked up, he was met with the chilling gaze of the three water dragons, their eyes locking onto them with deadly intent.
"We got you now, there's nowhere to run!" a guard shouted triumphantly.
Naruto only smiled as water consumed him, spilling up and outward across the cold and icy rooftop. The liquid cascade turned to a dense vapor, enveloping the rooftop in a shroud of mystery.
The eight remaining guards materialized around the epicenter of the attack in a circular formation. "Did we get him? Serves him right! That fool really thought he could attack us without repercussions." The Kirigakure shinobi beckoned to each other, believing they had defeated this mysterious intruder.
However, the vapor still hadn't dissipated into the atmosphere but instead had clumped together. The shinobi watched carefully and cautiously as they heard laughter.
"You're calling me a fool? And here I thought the shinobi of the Bloody Mist were supposed to be so dangerous and deadly," Naruto's voice echoed through the mist, his silhouette emerging from the dissipating vapor, unharmed.
Water droplets clumped together around him, stopped by his Mugen. "But you guys are just a bunch of weak idiots," he chuckled.
The shinobi stared in disbelief, their faces etched with fear and confusion. None of them had ever witnessed such an extraordinary display of power.
"What is this?" one of them managed to stammer, his voice trembling with uncertainty.
"This is the last thing you'll ever see," he declared, shaping his fingers into a gun as a brilliant blue light began to converge at his fingertips, casting an eerie glow in the dim light.
The guards tensed, bracing themselves for the impending onslaught as Naruto extended his fingers forward. I really shouldn't be using this so close to my body but here goes, he mused.
At the last moment, his hand shot straight down, targeting the prison underneath him instead. "Ao!" he shouted, unleashing the blue orb with a force that reverberated through the prison, embedding it deep within the damaged structure.
For a moment, there was silence. The guards exchanged bewildered glances, unsure of what had just transpired. "Did he... miss?" they muttered, their confusion growing by the second.
But then, the ground beneath them began to tremble, a low rumble building in intensity. Cracks snaked across the surface of the rooftop, widening with each passing second.
"Your biggest mistake was underestimating me," Naruto taunted, his voice cutting through the chaos like a blade. With a smug grin, he continued, "You Bloody Mist shinobi are all bark and no bite. I'm disappointed, really." He punctuated his words with a dismissive wave of his hand, adding, "Enjoy your stay in Hell! ~I hear it's quite lively this time of year~."
Suddenly, the prison groaned and creaked, its structure buckling under the overwhelming force of Naruto's attack. The blue orb, though small in size, possessed a density so immense that it caused spacetime itself to warp and bend around it.
The guards felt an immense attractive force as their bodies began to pull apart and sink into the heart of the prison. They tried to resist but it was too much as their bodies were fully captured in the singularity – a point of infinite density and zero volume – as they were torn to shreds.
With a deafening roar, the prison began to collapse in on itself, the walls crumbling like paper as the entire structure imploded with a force that shook the earth. Dust and debris filled the air, obscuring everything in a veil of chaos and destruction.
Naruto hovered above the ruin, a solitary figure against the backdrop of devastation, his eyes scanning the wreckage below. "I really wish I didn't use Mugen" he mused, "but it was the only way to lull them in."
He was trying to be conservative with the amount of chakra he used as there were still many unknown hurdles for them to safely complete their mission. The biggest unknown being the Fourth Mizukage. It would not be good if they had to fight him.
He had enough chakra for two more blues and one red even with one Rikugan showing. He would have to completely remove his blindfold for a purple, but it would completely drain his chakra to use that technique. The technique required extreme chakra control and he needed more time to truly master it.
Luckily, his teleportation consumed minimal chakra in short range uses, anything under 100 meters, unlike the Hiraishin. However, for long range, his chakra consumption was based on the distance teleported – the further he teleported the more chakra he used. But his long-range teleportation had a capacity of 3 kilometers, at the moment.
Naruto turned his head, looking in the direction of the prison courtyard as he could now see a gathering near a scaffold, a wooden structure elevated off the ground off in the distance.
Ten shinobi stood on the lower ground, while a man with long, waist-length green hair, looked at him with an annoyed expression on the scaffold. He had twin swords hanging at his waist side with a peculiar design. They were long, slim, and straight, double-edged blades that had an upward-curved prong near the tip of one side and another near the base of the blade. The swords radiated power and had smooth brown hilts with a round, gray guard.
Naruto smiled, "Oh I guess he can see me from over there. He's got some keen eyes. He must be the Swordsmen of the Mist I sensed earlier… but what is this?"
Next to the green-haired man were three kunoichi with their hands tied behind their backs and bounded legs: one with dark red, light red, and raven hair. But Naruto saw that the raven-haired girl was not Kiyomi.
Crap that isn't Kiyomi… it's a different chakra signature but who are the other two? Naruto sighed, this was a waste, I should teleport over to Sasuke and Karin.
Just as Naruto was about to clasp his hands together, he felt a familiar presence and turned back to the tied up kunoichi. Those two red heads… they have similar chakra signatures to Karin but that girl with the light red, her signature is similar to mine… too similar. Are they a part of the Uzumaki clan? What is going on here?
Naruto looked down upon them all, his lone Rikugan eye glowing with a pulsating blue. His posture, radiating confidence. "I guess heroism does pay off" he said before vanishing in a white blur.
Raiga Kurosuki was not having a good morning; he had been chewed out by the Mizukage this morning for failing to find some old guy who assaulted two Kirigakure shinobi yesterday afternoon. He honestly had no idea why he was blamed for this, but he kept his tongue silent – he didn't want to suffer the same fate as Mangetsu Hozuki.
He hated this village and hated the Mizukage. This village was shit, the missions were shit, and his life was shit. He should've left when Zabuza attempted to kill the Mizukage. He'd been recruited to join but he wasn't that dumb to throw his life away for some noble goal.
He sighed as he opened his eyes. It was extremely cold at this time in the morning and unfortunately, he'd been instructed to oversee this 'drawing' in place of the Mizukage.
The sound of metal clanging could be heard as the legendary twin swords, Kiba, swung his belt. The twins were not his per se, although he was a member of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, even though there were probably about 4 of them left, the blades were in his current possession.
This was due to the other thing causing his morning to suck – Ameyuri Ringo. The short, yet fierce, red-headed girl was caught trying to defect from the village this morning but was apprehended and brought here to take part in the auction.
There were two more girls brought in, but they were a part of the Shinku no Chouryuu (The Crimson Tide), the opposing force that had been trying to end the reign of the Fourth Mizukage and the Chigiri no Sato (Village of the Bloody Mist) for over 15 years. They were led by a woman named Mei Terumī.
The girl with raven hair was captured a few days ago and they caught the other one, who has fiery red hair, sneaking early this morning. They suspected she must also be from the Shinku no Chouryuu and was attempting to rescue her comrade.
Raiga looked at the prison courtyard, examining the ten shinobi in front of him. They all had lust in their eyes and were salivating at the lips from these three.
The Mizukage is one sick bastard, he thought to himself as he cleared his throat, looking up to see the position of the sun. It looked to be about a quarter till 9 and the Mizukage had yet to show up.
"So Ameyuri? Anything you want to tell me before you become the plaything of one of these fine men here?" Raiga asked, sarcastically. Although they were comrades, he felt no pity for her; they had been taught from a young age to never value the lives of the comrades regardless of how they felt.
The short woman smiled, revealing her jagged shark-like teeth but she kept silent. She had long, red crimson hair, pink eyes, with a Kirigakure hitai-ate. On the sides of her face, her hair was tied up in locks that spiked upward and downward while the rest of her hair flowed on her back. She wore a loose, pin-striped long-sleeved shirt with a dark obi around the waist, black pants which got much looser near the ends, resembling hakama, striped legwarmers, and had loose bandages around her neck. She was the youngest current member of the group, being 17 years old, but also the shortest standing, slightly over 5 '0".
Raiga raised an eyebrow, "Cat caught your tongue? Don't tell me you gave up already," he said, his mocking tone hanging in the air.
Ameyuri's response was a cold, steely edge of defiance. "You mistake my silence for submission," she said, her voice low and unyielding. "But don't worry, when I'm free, you'll be the first I kill."
Raiga laughed, "Yeah, sure. I'll be waiting," he walked across the elevated platform to the other prisoners.
The next was a girl roughly the same age as Ameyuri with similar red hair but this girl's red was lighter, almost pinkish and very wild. It was the perfect blend between a light fiery red and pinkish red and she also had gray eyes. She too was short but taller than Ameyuri, standing at a height of 5'4". She wore a black shirt under a tan tunic with elbow-length sleeves and black skin-tight shorts. She also sported black arm-warmers, traditional black shinobi sandals with calf-length leg warmers covered by bandages. There was a Kirigakure forehead protector keeping her bangs in place while the rest was pushed back behind her ears to trail down her back.
She had a scowl on her fast and Raiga bent down to her level, reaching out to touch her. "Oh my, you've got a pretty face–"
"I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!" she roared at him, her rage visible and her eyes filled with fire as he quickly reconciled.
"But you've got such a nasty temper," he stated, standing back up and looking at the last prisoner.
The last prisoner had long black hair, pale skin, long eyelashes and dark-brown eyes. She was wearing a basic prisoner outfit and hadn't said a word.
"Well at least you're quiet. That'll help…" he trailed off. He turned to the sun again, seeing that it had barely moved.
Raiga groaned. "Screw it, let's get this shit started so I can leave this godforsaken place." He reached into his pockets and pulled out a piece of paper with words on it. "Alright fellas, today we've got three kunoichi with some powerful bloodlines so cool your jets and pray that luck is on your side. We've got a member of the Yuki Clan, Haku Yuki, who possesses the rare and powerful Hyōton (Ice Release)."
Murmurs started amongst the crowd of shinobi; the Yuki Clan was thought to have been wiped out long ago. It had been many years since Hyōton was in their ranks, this girl had become extremely valuable.
Raiga really did not like the script he was reading, whoever wrote it should never write again. It was terrible, that is, until he realized he wrote it.
He cleared his throat, "Next up is Ameyuri Ringo! I know you all must be confused. What is a member of the Seven Swordsman doing here? Well, long story short she was caught trying to desert the village, so the Mizukage decided to let one of you get the chance to have her. I do warn whoever wins that she will bite you," he explained. "She might be small in size but is big in ferocity. Plus as compensation for your troubles, Ameyuri here is a descendant from a clan not seen in this village for a long time."
Laughter broke out amongst the shinobi in the courtyard as they found this whole ordeal hilarious, having no shame in their actions, degeneracy, and indulgence in such a cruel and vile event. Whispers also spread as some tried to guess what clan Ameyuri was related to.
"Quiet down!" Raiga commanded, "Anyway, we've saved the best for last! She comes from two powerful clans; the same as Ameyuri and another that left, attacked the village, and was subsequently destroyed. Here is Tayuya, from the–" his words were cut off as he heard a loud rumbling.
His eyes turned to the mighty prison before him as pieces of it broke apart and seemed to swirl almost as if it was being sucked into a black hole.
An immense pressure shot towards them causing everyone to brace themselves and avert their eyes as a large dust cloud swept through the area. After the dust settled, Raiga reopened his eyes to see the ruins of the prison and heard the sound of metal caving in on itself.
"What the hell…" he was in complete shock at what had happened, but he was shocked even more when he spotted a figure floating in the air above the destroyed prison.
Raiga squinted his eyes as he tried to see who or what it was, they were a couple kilometers away. He could make out someone with white hair and black clothing.
Ameyuri, Tayuya, and Haku were also trying to figure out who this was, but they couldn't tell. After a quick moment, the figure vanished, causing everyone to look around.
The figure quickly reappeared a couple of meters in front of the shinobi in the courtyard as everyone took in the man's appearance. They saw snow-white hair, black attire, white bandages, a lone, glowing blue, and a shit-eating grin.
"Who are you supposed to be?" Raiga asked, the chakra he felt from the man was immense and surpassed his own reserves.
Ameyuri looked at the figure with interest and curiosity while Tayuya and Haku were stunned, he reminded them of someone they know.
Naruto paused for a moment, the wind whistling around them, before he spoke again, his voice carrying a hint of gravity. "You want to know who I am?" he said, his tone commanding attention. "I am... the Honored One," he declared with a smile, his eye gleaming with determination and confidence.
There was a brief silence as the words hung in the air, tension building among the gathered shinobi. But then, unexpectedly, laughter erupted from the Kirigakure shinobi, echoing through the courtyard. Some doubled over, clutching their stomachs, while others exchanged amused glances.
Raiga sighed deeply, a mixture of frustration and resignation evident in his expression. "Great," he muttered under his breath, pinching the bridge of his nose. "This is just what I needed to add on top of a shit morning."
Ameyuri's smile widened, sensing an underlying strength beneath Naruto's quirky demeanor, while Tayuya rolled her eyes, her expression tinged with exasperation. Haku watched Naruto with a mix of amusement and curiosity, intrigued by the enigmatic shinobi before them.
"This guy is an idiot," Tayuya stated.
However, Naruto stood unfazed by their mockery as he continued to smile and walked forward. "You're laughing quite a lot for a bunch of dead men," he disappeared at high speeds, reappearing in front of the group with his back facing them as his right hand extended, a medium sized red orb in the palm. "Aka"
In a mere instant a flash of red consumed the ten shinobi as their screams were drowned out by the sound of the earth tearing apart. All that was left was a large crimson smear on the devastated ground.
I underestimated him.
What was that attack?
Such power.
He's fast.
Were the collective thoughts of Raiga, Ameyuri, Tayuya, and Haku as they observed the person before them.
"Now then," Naruto said as he stared down Raiga, "Let's get to business, shall we? You're one of the Seven Swordsmen, right? You possess the Suiton, Raiton, and Doton chakra natures."
Raiga was surprised at this, how did this kid know what his elemental affinities were. "This is interesting, what's your name?" he asked.
"If you give me yours, I'll tell you mine," Naruto said.
"I am Raiga Kurosuki and yes I am a member of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. Now, who are you?" Raiga responded.
Naruto lifted his index finger and brought it forward. "I'm Naruto Uzumaki. And I have a proposition for you?"
Hmph, he's a Uzumaki, eh? This is getting interesting, Ameyuri mused to herself.
"U-Uzumaki," Tayuya said, she hadn't heard the name in a long time. Not since the death of someone extremely close to her.
Haku remained silent, simply observing the two.
"So you're an Uzumaki, huh? Alright kid, shoot me your offer." Raiga asked with a raised brow.
"All I want is for you to hand over those three ladies and I'll let you live," Naruto said, grinning ear to ear. "I'm on a tight schedule here and it would take too long to kill you."
I like his confidence… I hope he's not all talk, Ameyuri pondered. She was starting to find Naruto more and more interesting.
Tayuya and Haku exchanged a curious glance at each other, trying to understand what Naruto could possibly want with them and where he was from.
Raiga laughed, his voice booming over the chilly courtyard. "I like you kid but unfortunately, no, can, do. No hard feelings and all but I have to kill you per the Fourth Mizukage's policies on invaders and whatnot."
He jumped down from the scaffold and stared down Naruto who stood a few meters away. The two eyed each other down, trying to get a read on the other before any movements were made.
Raiga Kurosuki, there isn't much known about him but from what I can recall, the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist are powerful shinobi who only come second to Mizukage in terms of skill and abilities. Naruto looked at the foe before him with a serious expression. I need to be careful. I already wasted one red and used Mugen to block that attack earlier. I need to find an opening to hit him with a blue or use Mugen to trap him. Or I could try another red.
This kid has a levitation ability and whatever the weird red orb was, Raiga mused to himself. On top of being fast, he can also teleport. It reminds me of the Yellow Flash's ability. He's most likely got some other techniques… I can't afford to mess around. He doesn't seem to possess any weapons to counter Kiba so I need to lure him to a place where I can utilize the swords properly.
The sound of birds chirping could be heard as the cool wind blew around them, their hair flowing with the breeze.
But honestly, none of that matters. Their thoughts spoke in union. I want to see how strong this guy is and beat him!
Naruto and Raiga surged into action simultaneously, their movements a blur of speed and precision. The air crackled as they closed the distance between them in an instant, their paths converging with explosive force.
Their arms collided with a resounding impact, sending shockwaves rippling through the air, a palpable sign of the battle's commencement. The sheer force of their clash caused the ground beneath them to tremble, small fissures forming where their feet made contact.
The two smiled at each other feeling the other's strength.
"Come on, Raiga! Show me what you've got!" Naruto beckoned.
"I'll give you a proper funeral!" Raiga responded.
They disengaged, pushing apart and landing a few meters apart before rushing back into the battle. The two moved as a blur, their bodies moving in a dance of death and fury.
Naruto threw a flurry of swift and precise punches trying to nail Raiga but the swordsmen deflected the blows, grabbing Naruto's arm through the chaos and swinging him around.
Naruto used this momentum to pull Raiga with him as he slammed him on the ground, causing some dirt to billow up.
Raiga quickly recovered, spinning and kicking at Naruto who moved his arms in the way, blunting the attack but went flying into the nearby cliffside from the force behind it.
The swordsman was relentless in his pursuit, sending a vicious punch at Naruto who flipped backward, landing on the side of the rock wall.
The sound of rock cracking and scattering was heard as Naruto continued to move backward and up the cliffside. Raiga shot out of the created dust as Naruto readied himself, charging forward to meet his advance.
They engaged in another taijutsu skirmish, trading blows, until Naruto saw an opening and landed a clean strike onto Raiga's ribcage, causing him to grunt and stagger from the mighty blow.
Naruto continued his barrage, landing a flurry of quick jabs and ending the combo with a roundhouse kick, sending Raiga across the side of the cliff.
Raiga flew through the air but flipped backward and stopped his momentum by dragging his hand through the rough and jagged cliff wall.
He got up, standing horizontally, and spit out blood before he examined Naruto. "Your impressive kid. But let's take it up a notch," he unsheathed the twin swords, Kiba, and grinned.
The swords crackled with lighting as sparks began to fly and electricity coated the blades.
Raiga launched manically as he took off at supersonic speeds, splintering the ground from the force exerted.
Naruto's eye narrowed as he barely dodged an incoming slash and pulled out a kunai, blocking the secondary strike. Sparks of electricity flew as Raiga relentlessly slashed and thrusted at Naruto.
Raiga was on the offensive, not giving Naruto any time to breath or make distance. Their movements were a whirlwind as the sound of steel hitting itself reverberated through the surrounding area.
Naruto was sent back as he parried another double slash from Kiba.
"Raisō: Ikazuchi no Utage (Lightning Burial: Banquet of Lightning)!" Raiga stabbed the twin swords into the ground, sending lightning across the terrain.
The lighting crackled and tore through the terrain shooting out towards Naruto, manifesting as large pillars, traveling in all directions – horizontal and vertically.
"Tch,"Naruto regained his balance and took off, sidestepping the lightning pillars and making ground against Raiga's counterattack.
His senses flared and he twisted his body evading a lightning strike from above, then quickly jumped over another. I need him to send more in my direction, Naruto mused as he moved around more sparks.
Raiga sent more of his chakra through the swords as the lightning grew in power, speed, and ferocity. A great thunderbolt came crashing down from the heavens aimed at Naruto.
Naruto looked up as lightning consumed him, creating a shockwave upon impact, shattering the ground and sending debris flying.
Raiga smiled believing he'd landed the fatal blow, however he soon felt a fist connect with his back. He grunted out in pain as he took the right sword and slashed horizontally.
Naruto teleported in front of Raiga with his right hand raised in the shape of a gun, a small crimson orb on his fingertips, "Aka!"
Raiga quickly used the swords to block the blast as he felt a repelling force and a wave of red wash over him. He felt the pressure and was sent hurling back to the ground below.
My chakra output has diminished. I wanted to use a blue, but I thought the red would incapacitate him. Naruto pondered, giving chase to the falling Raiga. I need to finish this now if I don't want to waste any more chakra.
Raiga looked to see Naruto hot on his trail. That 'Aka' wasn't as powerful as when he used it earlier. Those attacks must take up a lot of chakra. That explains why he's only engaging with taijutsu.
Hmph, this'll get him off my ass, "Raikyū (Lightning Release: Thunder Ball)!" he said, making the swords touch as a ball of lightning formed and was launched towards Naruto.
Naruto dodged the ball with ease but was extremely confused by the speed of the attack until he saw Raiga weaving hands for a Doton jutsu.
"Doton: Ganseki Nadare (Earth Release: Rock Avalanche)!" The cliffside began to crumble and rocks fell from above, heading straight towards Naruto.
Naruto evaded the falling rocks as he tried to understand Raiga's next move. He put little chakra into these attacks. What is he planning? But at that moment, Naruto saw a flash of light then heard thunder rumble.
"Even if you beat me, you still lose!" Raiga shouted as more thunder rumbled.
What is he talking about? Naruto said as he continued to chase down after Raiga, but then he looked up to see a great flash of light hurtling down. Where is he aiming? That's not going to hit me… His lone eye widened as he looked to the scaffold, realizing Raiga's target.
The thunderbolt traveled down at the three kunoichi at great speeds as Ameyuri, Tayuya, and Haku went in shock as they tried to move out of the blasts attack but were unable to do so.
No, I'm going to be late. Naruto thought as he clasped his hands teleporting to their position.
Raiga watched as a great thunderbolt fell on top of the scaffold, striking it with deadly precision as the structure exploded, shaking the ground and causing dust clouds to form.
He flipped over, softly landing on his feet, back on solid ground and resheathed Kiba.
"That kid was pretty strong," he said, breathing heavily. He turned his back, looking at the destruction before him and the giant red smear on the ground from earlier. "Uhh, now I'm going to get yelled at for this. Plus we just lost some valuable prisoners. Damn, the Mizukage isn't going to be happy."
He shrugged his shoulders, "I'll just let someone else deal with this mess," he said walking away from the battle field.
After a few steps, he heard a voice cry out, "Phew! That almost got me!"
The dust settled and cleared, revealing Naruto, however his body was damaged; his bandages have been completely destroyed, his black jacket torn, and his face and hair singed.
He was able to make it in time and used Mugen to protect the three kunoichi but, consequently received the brunt of the damage.
Naruto turned his head to look at them as his hair and face healed itself, causing steam to flake off his body. "You three alright?" he said with a confident grin. "Who would have thought I'd have to use reserved chakra so soon? This healing sends a tingle down my body," he laughed.
Tayuya looked at Naruto, mesmerized by his stunning blue eyes but she would get the courage to speak up. "Why did you save us?" she asked. She didn't understand why this stranger would risk his life to save people he didn't know.
Haku shared the similar thought, she had known one other person in her life that put themselves in harm's way for her sake.
Ameyuri, on the other hand, didn't know how to feel. Risking oneself to save another was stupid idea but she was, surprisingly glad, to still be alive.
Naruto looked at Tayuya, "I don't know… Hmph, maybe one day I'll find out," he said looking back to face Raiga who had a shocked expression.
"How are you still alive?" Raiga said, confusion etched in his voice. "That blast should've killed you."
Naruto ripped off his mostly destroyed jacket, revealing a tight black shirt underneath. "It'll take more than that to kill me. I've already died once," he chuckled, stretching his shoulders out. "But don't get scared, Raiga. This is where our fight truly begins."
In a split second, Naruto launched himself at Raiga, shooting out like a missile, landing a powerful punch on his face.
His speed and power has increased, Raiga thought as his face caved in from the blow. He didn't have time to react.
Naruto didn't let up, he grabbed Raiga's shirt collar and dragged him through the dirt, breaking apart the ground.
He swung Raiga around, uprooting more dirt and rock particles as he let the swordsmen go flying.
Raiga regained his balance but looked up to see Naruto clenching his fist as the surrounding rock particles encased him.
Lightning crackled as Raiga swung through the rock dome with Kiba, ignited with blue electricity as he moved forward to attack Naruto.
He thrusted, slashed, and sliced at Naruto but his movements were sloppy, a testament to his fatigue as Naruto easily evaded the attacks.
Naruto grabbed Raiga's left arm, pulling him closer as he delivered a powerful knee to Raiga's chest before spinning him around, twisting the left arm as Raiga cried out in pain.
A sharp snap was heard, soon followed by loud grunting as Naruto continued his demolishment of Raiga.
"Is this the best you've got!" Naruto taunted, slamming his left fist into Raiga.
Raiga swung a horizontal slash at Naruto's head, he ducked, then slammed his right fist into Raiga's chest, followed by a sharp and powerful kick into Raiga's ribcage.
The sounds of many bones breaking was heard upon impact as Raiga's face contorted and blood flew from his mouth.
Naruto smiled, finishing with a strong uppercut that sent Raiga reeling back in pain and putting some distance between the two.
Raiga skidded across the dirt, staining his clothes and body with mud before he stopped his motion by stabbing the ground with Kiba.
He had a bruised right eye, shattered ribs, tired legs and could barely hold one of Kiba in his left. He wheezed as he left bone piercing his lungs. Naruto had left no section of his body untouched.
"This kid," he said before puking out a large quantity of blood. Raiga wiped his mouth and spit some more blood. "Is pissing me off."
Raiga grimaced as he slowly got up before laughing maniacally. Naruto looked up to see the sky had darkened and lightning flash through the clouds.
Mini lightning strikes were happening around them, the wind was howling, leaves rustled, and rain started to fall down.
Whatever he's planning, must be his final attack. Naruto could see the chakra, flowing through his tenketsu points, were moving rapidly. There was an enormous buildup of Raiton chakra, near the swords and his entire body.
Raiga raised Kiba, as lightning came down, striking the blades and himself, causing an armor lightning to surround him.
"Suiton + Raiton: Rairyū Suiryū Tatsumaki no Jutsu (Water + Lightning Release: Lightning Water Dragon Tornado)!"
A vortex appeared around Raiga, encasing his body in turbulent clouds of lightning and water. The mixture formed the head of a dragon with fierce, glowing, red eyes.
"I'll give you a worthy funeral! Now die, Naruto Uzumaki!" he shouted from within the swirl of electricity and water as the dragon moved at insane speeds towards Naruto.
Naruto rushed forward, his Rikugan shining with an ethereal glow, his gaze locked onto the demonic eyes of the lightning water dragon with an unwavering focus.
Time seemed to warp around Naruto as he effortlessly evaded the dragon's onslaught, his instincts guiding him with uncanny precision. With a swift and decisive motion, Naruto's form blurred into motion, causing the dragon's momentum to scatter.
Raiga's eyes widened as he beheld Naruto, directly in front of him, crouched with his right fist drawn back, poised for action.
The Swordsman of the Mist felt an uneasy tremor run down his spine as the intensity of Naruto's gaze bore into his soul, unsettling him to his core.
Time slowed down for Naruto as space began to distort and bend around his fist as it moved forward with blinding speed and deadly precision.
His punch connected with Raiga's chest, and at the moment of impact, black and red lightning erupted, crackling with devastating power.
Raiga coughed up blood as the force of the blow drove him across the courtyard, his body tumbling and crashing into the shattered remnants of the prison with a resounding crash that echoed through the air.
A loud crash was heard, shaking the air around the courtyard as Naruto looked on at the path of destruction.
He examined his hand, unsure of what that black flash was. What was that? My mind was on autopilot… whatever it was, it increased the damage of my last attack and is speeding up my chakra recovery rate.
Naruto shook of these thoughts and returned to the captive kunoichi; they all had different expressions on their faces. The one with dark red hair looked amused, the pinkish red haired one looked nervous, while the one with raven hair had a calm expression on her face.
His Rikugan scanned them, examining their chakra networks more in-depth to see if there was anything suspicious.
I wonder if those eyes of his can see chakra, Ameyuri thought.
"What the hell are you doing? Are you checking us out, you pervert!?" Tayuya bellowed.
Naruto looked at her with a blank expression before breaking into a laugh at her accusation. "That was funny," he said, wiping a tear away.
"Are you mocking me?!" Tayuya shouted, trying to free herself and strangle Naruto.
Ameyuri spoke up, breaking them out a forming argument, "So are you going to continue to stand there or are you going to free us?"
"Oh yeah, almost forgot about that." Naruto pulled out a kunai, cutting the rope off Ameyuri's hands and legs. He moved to Tayuya and Haku, freeing them from their bondage.
As soon as the rope fell away, Ameyuri vanished into thin air, leaving Naruto momentarily puzzled. Tayuya and Haku grabbed their wrists and stretched out their legs, feeling relief from the rope.
Tayuya looked cautiously at Naruto before speaking up, "I'm assuming you're not from Kirigakure. I've never seen you around before. Where are you from, Naruto Uzumaki?" She said, putting emphasis on Uzumaki.
"Why should I tell you, pinkie?" Naruto chuckled, he could see her face forming into a scowl. "You really do have an attitude problem."
A tick mark appeared on Tayuya's face, "You piece of shit, I'll kill you!" She shouted advancing forward but was stopped by Haku.
Haku gave a small bow to Naruto. "Thank you Uzumaki-sama for saving us. My name is Haku Yuki and this is Tayuya, uh,..." she said, cutting herself off, exchanging a quick glance with Tayuya.
Hmm, I can see that she is an Uzumaki from her chakra network but also she has some peculiar kekkei genkai. Do they not want me to know or is it something else? Naruto pondered. He wanted to solve this mystery, specifically, why they had very similar chakra signatures, but he needed to get back to Sasuke and Karin. His fight with Raiga took too long.
"At least someone has manners, but don't mention it," Naruto said with a nonchalant wave. "But, I have to leave. My friends are waiting for me. Bye!" he said, walking away.
"Wait, Uzumaki-sama. I must ask why did you come here?" Haku asked.
Naruto turned his head, his back still facing them. "A friend of mine was captured, per the Mizukage's orders. We learned about a prisoner with long, raven hair and thought it was her but it turned out to be you."
Haku slowly nodded. "Ah, I see. But why did you save us?"
A small smile formed on Naruto's lips. "I had no plans on doing so but someone I know told me that saving the weak could be a good thing. And I thought… I'd actually do something unselfish for the first time in a while," he started walking away again. With his back turned, he raised his hand waving to the two.
"Wait! You never said where you are from," Tayuya asked anxiously.
"I'm from a little place called Konohagakure. But don't worry we'll meet again," he chuckled. "So long, Tayuya-san."
Tayuya's eyes widened upon hearing the name of the village, a deep memory of her mother reawakening. She wanted to call out again to the white-haired boy, but he had completely vanished from their sight. "Damn it," she muttered under her breath.
Haku looked at her friend, noting the unease in her expression. "So you felt it too?"
Tayuya nodded, sweat rolling down her face. "Yeah… he looks just like him, the only difference being the eye color."
"Yes, he does," Haku said softly, feeling a sense of foreboding settle over her. "He looks just like your brother."
Tayuya's breath caught in her throat, the pieces of the puzzle slowly coming together in her mind. She clenched her fists with determination. When she got back, she needed to have a word with Kimimaro.
Naruto darted through the treetops, heading north towards the Mizukage's tower, which loomed half a kilometer away. Who are you really, Tayuya, and what do you want? he mused, contemplating the encounter with the captive kunoichi. If I had more time, I probably would've taken her and that other redhead back to Konoha. His thoughts were interrupted as he sensed a presence rapidly approaching him. Speak of the devil.
Naruto paused on a sturdy tree branch, and within moments, Ameyuri materialized before him, Kiba back in hand with blood dripping off the blade tips.
"I must thank you for not robbing me of my kill," Ameyuri said, a smile playing on her lips.
Naruto returned the smile. "So, what brings you here? I assume you have other intentions besides killing me."
Ameyuri met Naruto's gaze, her smile unwavering. "I want to join you. As you can imagine, once news spreads, there will be many hunter-nins after those responsible. I do not wish to stay in this village and fight them."
Naruto considered her words carefully. She's strong and has pretty big chakra reserves, plus she has Uzumaki blood flowing through her. She could be a valuable ally, especially with her Raiton affinity, and could help Sasuke.
"What's your name?" Naruto asked.
"I am Ameyuri Ringo, the youngest member of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist," she responded.
"Well, Ameyuri, you can come back with me to Konoha. We may need to change your identity, so no one asks too many questions, but who cares?" Naruto replied. "However, I need to retrieve my teammates before we leave."
Ameyuri nodded and followed Naruto through the forest as they leaped from treetop to treetop. "I wouldn't have thought Konoha would send children to this village. You look no older than 14. How many are in your squad and are they as powerful as you?" she asked, her curiosity piqued.
"I'm hurt, Ameyuri. But you look pretty young yourself. Anyway, there are two members in my squad: an Uchiha and another Uzumaki. The Uchiha is pretty strong, weaker than you but comfortably at a high Chunin level. As for our relative, she's weak," Naruto shared. "Speaking of which, why don't you use the Uzumaki clan name? I can see that you have Uzumaki blood and chakra running through your veins."
Ameyuri raised an eyebrow, noting Naruto's discerning gaze. So his eyes must be a Dojutsu if he can see my chakra. That's good to know. "This village is very suspicious of those from powerful clans and bloodlines. Even clans based in Kirigakure are despised due to their powerful kekkei genkai. It would be foolish of me to brandish that name around."
Naruto nodded, absorbing her explanation. "So, what about your parents?" he asked, curious about her past.
"My parents were killed when I was 4 years old. I can barely remember their faces. I was told to take the name Ringo when I was thrown into the ninja academy, but I couldn't call what we were in an academy. It was more like a slaughterhouse. From a young age, we were trained to kill and betray our comrades. To become a weapon; a disposable tool for the Mizukage to use as he pleased," she recounted, her voice filled with pain and bitterness. "This village is cruel and merciless."
Naruto listened in silence, empathy filling his eyes as he absorbed her story. While he harbored similar feelings toward his own village, he acknowledged that he'd never experienced anything on the same level as Ameyuri.
As they traveled in silence for a few moments, Ameyuri spoke up, realization dawning. "Why are we going in this direction? Don't you know who is over here?"
"Yeah, the Mizukage. My teammates went there to put him under a genjutsu and prevent him from interfering in our rescue plan," Naruto explained.
Ameyuri looked at him with a perplexed expression. "Why would you send them to do that? Are you disabled?"
Naruto heard laughter resonating in his mind as Kurama chuckled from within his mental space. "The Sharingan should be strong enough to put anyone in a genjutsu," Naruto replied confidently.
Ameyuri shook her head, her expression grave. "It would be if the Mizukage was anyone normal. I thought you were smart. Do you truly not know what he is?"
"Hey, I am smart! And what's the big deal? I know he's powerful, but what's so special about him besides being the Mizukage?" Naruto asked, growing increasingly perplexed.
"You truly are an idiot," Kurama's voice boomed within Naruto's mind.
What do you mean, Kurama? Naruto responded but received no answer.
"The Fourth Mizukage is the strongest in the village, but he is also–" Ameyuri began, but their conversation was abruptly interrupted by a blood-curdling screech that pierced the air, shaking the very foundation of the surrounding area. A massive detonation occurred at the top of the Mizukage's tower, sending shockwaves throughout the village.
A dark, ominous chakra permeated the air, instilling fear and dread in everyone present. The sky turned gray, and red clouds formed, while the wind screamed, and animals fled in terror.
"What is this?" Naruto exclaimed, feeling a bead of sweat trickle down his forehead.
Ameyuri's voice trembled with fear as she spoke. "That is the power of Yagura Karatachi, the Perfect Jinchuriki of the Three Tails, Isobu," she said, her dread palpable. "Your friends are going to die."
/END OF CHAPTER/
Ramblings: So, at first, I was going to release a massive 20k+ chapter but then realized it would be best to split them up. The next chapter is "The Will of Fire" and continues right where we left off switching to Sasuke & Karin's POV then we everyone rejoins. The next chapter will probably be up soonish and will be the conclusion to the Hidden Mist Arc. I just need to edit the fight and revise certain aspects of the narrative and ensure that plot points are connecting, and future events are foreshadowed. So, if you want to help let me know and I can get you set up as a beta reader. Anyway, thanks for reading, leave a review, take care and God Bless.