KG: Not quite Christmas, but I'll take what I can get. May we all enter the New Year together!
Music of the Week: Supercharger by Sybrid Music.
Quote: "You're going to go through tough times – that's life. But I say, 'Nothing happens to you, it happens for you.' See the positive in negative events." – Joel Osteen
A smile slowly formed on the giant face of Jashin. People waited with bated breath, the air tense and unnerving. Even Tsunade had to remind herself to continue Kushina's treatment in her shock. The other two Kage, Jiraiya, and all the shinobi forces gathered continued to stare, yet no one was more shocked than Shi, Risa, Tayuya, Fuka, Samui, Atsui, Karui, and Omoi.
The eight Uzumaki members could feel their symbols burning against their skin. Yet, the pain also came with an unknown magnitude of power that seemed to be growing as they continued to even stand in Naruto's presence.
"Is that Naruto?!" Jiraiya questioned in shock. He took had been feeling the overwhelming power come from his former student's body. Hell, the Toad Sannin was even unaware that his body kept taking tiny steps backward. Even if his mind was confused by this state of affairs, every cell that made up his body seemed to know when to back down, know when to make way for the divine status before it.
"How did that brat become so powerful so quickly?" Ay questioned to himself while Mei clenched her fists. First her cousin and now her cousin's son. How was she even supposed to describe today? Not only had it seemed like everything went to shit, but it granted the entire world a look into the realm of the gods. Even for her, she felt woefully out of place. The God of Slaughter had seen three of the five Kage scrambling away while Kushina was the only one to stand against him. Yet, even she had fallen, barely clinging to life. Now, her son was about to undertake the same challenge.
Mei turned her head and eyed the Akatsuki members who arrived with Naruto. Some of them she'd never seen before. They all seemed to be staring at the same thing everyone else was. The only thing they could do was wait with bated breath as Jashin continued to stare down at him.
"Hokage-dono, I believe it would be best if we vacated the area," Mei said, breaking a bit of the silence. Tsunade looked down at Kushina. Much to her fear, the Uzumaki Matriarch seemed to be getting worse. It probably didn't help that Tsunade kept getting distracted. However, as the Hokage, it wouldn't be good for morale if she left. It was already at an all-time low since Jashin had made his divine decree to them all. Now that Naruto arrived, the morale was in the most vulnerable state it'd ever been in. She knew Kushina couldn't stay here.
"Sakura!" The Hokage exclaimed.
The pink-haired kunoichi widened her eyes at her master's voice piercing through the void around the entire shinobi force. Her legs struggled to move, but she managed to find the will to head over to the near center of the battle. And believe her, it took a lot of her mental strength to remain standing against where Naruto was.
"Y-Yes, Tsunade-sama?" she asked shakingly. With the type of day the world was having, being surrounded by four of the most powerful shinobi in said world, standing in the presence of the Akatsuki organization, and trying to remain conscious when next to Naruto, Sakura figured this was the best she was going to get.
"Prepare a medic tent set for high priority. You will be in charge of Kushina's injuries. Hurry and take her away!" Tsunade urged.
Sakura swallowed nervously. She stared down at the woman who would become Naruto's wife. Before now, Sakura would have been hesitant to undertake this task. She still didn't approve of this… ridiculous relationship that Naruto had developed with his own mother, but she'd be an utter failure as a medic-nin if she allowed her personal feelings to interfere with someone's life. Plus, Kushina looked bad. She looked so bad, Sakura wondered if she had the proper expertise to even help her.
"Yes, Ma'am!" Sakura said as she turned to the other medic-nin. "All of you, come back with me. We have multiple wounded! Don't expect to get any early sleep!"
Sakura then proceeded to pick Kushina up. She offered Risa one more look. The Mother of Tayuya narrowed her eyes. She then inhaled and exhaled slowly. "Take care of her, please," Risa begged.
Sakura nodded and swiftly ran off while the medics packed up their equipment. They quickly headed after her. Tsunade watched her student go and smiled before the winds began to pick up. The forces stared up at the sky and they watched the stars and elements that formed Jashin's godly face turn to normal. A few men and women released the breaths they were holding. Others glared at those who had bowed, were it up to them they would have killed the fucking traitors where they knelt.
However, everyone continued to observe when they saw Jashin floating materialize in the air. He slowly descended, the black spear still in his hands. His feet touched the ground. Some tensed, immediately taking out their kunai, but those who knew continued to stare at Naruto. His sword was still pointed at Jashin. He then lowered it and walked over to meet the god.
Jiraiya raised an arm, hoping to call out to Naruto for his reckless behavior, but Tsunade stopped him. She silently shook her head. This was not a matter that mortals like them could touch. The Hokage was slowly becoming aware of that. As it stood, perhaps it'd be better if they could find some way to diminish the God of Slaughter's power enough to give Naruto the edge. Tsunade didn't know why, but though Naruto was powerful right now, her spirit still trembled at the might of Jashin.
Naruto walked over until he stoo just a few feet from Jashin. The Slaughter God stared at the Uzumaki patriarch with a smirk on his face. "It seems you have returned. That's good. I figured that the fun times were over, but now that you've returned I can continue to enjoy myself. You certainly seem a bit stronger than when I discarded you from my presence before. Tell me, what changed?" he asked. His eyes glanced down at Naruto's sword. He immediately sensed a presence within it, a very powerful presence by mortal standards. Not quite so powerful as to give him any concern, but certainly worth notice. That said, he also noticed that Naruto hadn't answered him. He just continued to glare at Jashin while the god looked back. The smile on the god's face slowly fell.
"Not gonna try and talk me down? I've heard that you're quite good at that," he said.
Naruto still didn't answer. Jashin raised an eyebrow. Was he being ignored? That certainly seemed like a first aside from his siblings in the heavenly courts. He just stared into Naruto's eyes, them pulsating with divine power. Jashin placed the spear on his shoulder and sighed.
"Fine, boy. Show me the power hidden in your anger. I'll break it down just like I broke your mother," Jashin said.
Instantly, Jashin and Naruto released their weapons. The two clashed together and the ground split in two immediately. Tsunade, Ay, Mei, Jiraiya, Darui, and the rest of the gathering shinobi forces were forced back.
"Holy shit!" Tayuya screamed as the ground around her started to tear itself asunder. Hinata, Neji, and the rest of the Hyuuga clan closed their eyes. The strain of the light that pierced through their byakugan was more than any of their senses could handle from so close a range.
"Is that even ninjutsu? When did Naruto grow so powerful?!" Fuka asked as she squinted her eyes. The piercing lights between Jashin and Naruto broke through the dark red clouds.
Naruto and Jashin continued to clash, the magnitude of divine power utterly flattening the ruins of Oto around them. Between the two of them, streaks of white flew off from the middle of their weapons. People screamed in fright as the streaks tore across anywhere they could. Tsunade, Ay, and Mei quickly jumped out of the way while Naruto gritted his teeth. Jashin had the widest grin on his face.
Between the two combatants, the furious winds pushed through their faces. However, Jashin quickly noticed black seals appear on Naruto's face. They then crawled down his arm and into his sword. The God of Slaughter narrowed his eyes before Naruto's blade was coated in purple fire. The fire slowly started to mix with his divine energy, turning it into a dark shade of green. Naruto then stepped forward and Jashin actually found himself sliding back, the ground on his side breaking apart. Violet pockets of steam hot the air.
"Move back!" Tsunade screamed to those behind her. She quickly jumped away and others quickly followed her lead. It seemed that her orders were not without proper cause as the green flames caught with the steam. A thundering explosion of green fire followed. The flames rose high into the air while the steam spread its violet influence through the lands. The shinobi force headed back as fast as they could while the burning tide of green fire threatened to overwhelm them if they got close to it.
"Is Naruto trying to fucking kill us?!" Kiba questioned as he ran away with Akamaru at his side. The two hopped over a piece of debris that was quickly consumed by the green flames. Just the heat itself was utterly unbearable for those close to it.
"It seems this isn't a place that we're allowed to get involved in," Shino said, running along with the rest of the Aburame and the Inuzuka clans. Numerous members from Kirigakure came together, standing on the edge of a hill. From their mouths poured an entire sea's worth of water. Meanwhile, those proficient in earth techniques stood together. They elevated numerous platforms for the force to stand on as the green flames crashed into the waves of water.
"What the fuck?" Karui said aloud as she, Omoi, and Samui watched the green flames seem to… soak in the water. They then took on the water's properties, flowing against the platforms and into places unknown.
"That's not normal fire," Samui examined. She could even see the platforms beginning to corrode. More earth-users were expending chakra to repair the platforms lest anyone fell in and be destroyed.
"And yet, look over there!" Omoi alerted. Samui and Karui followed his gaze. Naruto and Jashin swung at each other left and right, standing in the midst of the green flames without so much as a concern. Each clash tore through the firmament between the air and the earth. Jashin pulled his spear back and thrust it forward. Naruto quickly ducked underneath it and before Jashin could prepare, his head whipped to the side courtesy of Naruto's fist.
Naruto then grabbed Jashin by his shoulder and buried his knee in his gut. Over and over, he released the rage and the anger he'd stored up over this entire ordeal. Those watching were in awe as the crashes between Jashin's chest and Naruto's knee continued to pulse divine energy through the very ground they all lived on. Each strike was like the sound of the very ground trembling beneath their weight.
The Kyuubi Jinchuuriki went for another strike, but Jashin stopped the assault with one of his hands. "Not bad. Another millennia and I might feel…" The god didn't get to finish. Instead, Naruto rolled his fist back and punched Jashin into the air. The God of Slaughter sailed away with his body utterly encased in the green flames.
At the same time, Naruto slammed his hands on the ground. An array of seals at least twice his size cursed the ground. People gasped in shock as two earth dragons, their bodies so refined by chakra it almost seemed like they were alive, roared into the air.
"Oh my god," Fuka breathed out as the dragons turned their eyes toward Jashin. They opened their mouths. One by one tiny orbs of chakra were collected not just from the ground but from the very air itself. Chakra and Honshou mixed together in both their mouths. They then fired them into the air toward the God of Slaughter.
Jashin watched them begin to come upon him, each blast combining itself into a force that he actually considered something worth noticing. The grin on his face widened before he gripped his spear. "Interesting boy. Perhaps you've stepped into my realm for but a moment. However, that power is not your own. I sense the being tied to your soul. Were I the type as Raijin, she would have made an appropriate concubine," Jashin thought as he thrust his spear forward.
The blast from the dragon heads which Naruto summoned was immediately split in two. The Shinobi Force watched in awe, horror, and fascination when the two beams crashed into separate parts of the ground. Just the shaking was enough to bring about the stuff of nightmares. Many wondered if there'd even be an earth to be left standing while they watched the beams scar through the ground, ruining all in their pathways for miles on end. Roads once traveled by civilians and shinobi alike were destroyed, never to rise again. In the distance, pillars of fire erupted the earth like those of towers blew up in the distance.
Finally, the dragons stopped their assault and Jashin stood proudly against them. However, that proved to be a mistake as Naruto crashed his fist into the god's chest. His eyes burned with bright white fire in great anger. Of course, Jashin didn't feel the blow too much, but Naruto didn't care too much. Instead, he followed through with another blow. Over and over, Naruto's eyes continued to flare as he dropped his sword, punching and punching as hard as he could while he had to suffer through Jashin's damn smile. Each blow was like the sound of an exploding kunai through the wind.
Jashin quickly fired back, burying his fist in the side of Naruto's face. One couldn't even begin to describe the pain of being punched by a god. "Fight through it, for I am with you!" Kagura said as Naruto immediately felt the pain reduce until there was none at all. He turned back to Jashin and crashed his fist across the Slaughter God's face.
The two continued their flurry of blows at each other, each one making the bones of the Shinobi Force shiver. Some could only wait and pray that Naruto might win. Others, they'd long since given up hope. They only wished that Naruto might fall quickly to spare them from having their world destroyed.
"S-Shouldn't we be doing something?" a Kiri shinobi asked.
"I don't even think we're looking at ninjutsu anymore. I'm not even sure what we can do," A Kumo shinobi replied.
Ay clenched his fists while Mei and Tsunade looked on, both with equal concern. Tsunade didn't like this. She saw sweat on Naruto's face quickly evaporate into the hair. How his body was tearing itself to pieces was beyond her. Hell, it was a medical miracle she wouldn't mind studying if she were allowed. Yet, she wondered if this was enough. So far, Jashin didn't appear to have a scratch on him despite Naruto's highly determined blows. Yet, all she could do was believe for now. At this point, the best way they were helping Naruto was by staying out of his way and… observing!
"Shit! What the fuck are we doing?" Tsunade asked, getting the attention of Mei and Ay. "Is anyone a sensor here?!"
The Hokage's voice carried through the people. Tayuya and Fuka quickly stepped forward and did Shi. At least thirty others came together across Kiri and Kumo. Tsunade immediately spoke. "Shikaku, Shikamaru, come here!" she demanded.
"Hokage-sama's calling you, Shikamaru," Ino said while the chunin groaned to himself. Why did he have to come forward? The entire world was going to hell and he had to have his name remembered by the leader of their village. Of course, it wasn't like he couldn't go over there. That would be the end of his damn career. That said if Naruto and this god continued then maybe his career wouldn't matter either way.
Rubbing his head, all eyes upon him like a hawk, he walked to the front with the three Kage. Thankfully, his father was there with him. "Yes, Hokage-sama?" Shikaku asked.
"Shikaku, help me, Mizukage-dono, and Raikage-dono form a plan. I want all the sensors to extend their range out to the place where Naruto and that bastard are fighting. Give me any and all information that we can use to combat that bastard. If… If Naruto can't contend with him, then we'll have to intervene. I sure as hell don't want a losing battle like last time where we sit on our laurels and wait for death!" she said.
Ay narrowed his eyes as did Mei. "Darui, you will work with them as well!" he ordered. The Right Hand of the Raikage immediately obeyed.
"Ao, you too shall work on this plan along with all available Kiri shinobi!" Mei exclaimed.
The one-eyed man firmly saluted her. The officers of their respective villages quickly began to designate tasks to the sensor team. Meanwhile, Tsunade glanced back at the battle. Each blow made her shudder. With Kushina, having been the only one capable of contending with Jashin, down that left only Naruto as their sole hope. However, Tsunade wasn't going to repeat the mistake from her past. She wouldn't allow Naruto to face such a threat alone. Not this time.
Naruto felt his gaze go dizzy for a moment when Jashin pushed through his assault by caving in his stomach. Nevertheless, he grit his teeth and powered through it. He blocked another blow that would have taken his head off, his arms shaking from the tremendous divine energy. Yet, Kagura empowered him with her own energy, allowing him to push through and grab the face of the man who'd laid his damn hands on his mother, his soon-to-be wife.
With a shout, loud enough to ring the heavens, Naruto drove himself and Jashin down to the ground. The land splintered, dividing itself like two pieces of a broken table, from the collision. Gripping with all his might, Naruto pushed Jashin's head further into the ground. "Don't you dare act so pretentiously, boy!" Jashin said, feeling a little annoyed at being so disrespected until he noticed Naruto holding up a handsign. The God of Slaughter also noticed the blond's sword hanging in the air. One by one, foreboding strikes of various colored lightning crashed into the body of the blade. Even more interesting, they seemed to be getting stronger and faster.
"Don't you dare look away from me!" Naruto said as Jashin's eyes got a fistful of Naruto's fist. Deeper and deeper, the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki drove the Slaughter God into the ground. Just the force from his blows was enough to dwarf that of the Godaime Hokage. When Naruto released another, Jashin immediately caught it.
"Rest assured, boy. I have always watched you!" he said until he saw Naruto holding up another handsign. The earth then began to crumble and shake. Hands like those of a beast were formed from its burrows and they grabbed a hold of Jashin. He raised an eyebrow before he noticed their arms lit up like the ruptured veins of the mortal body in a deep, fiery red. Naruto continued to watch before he jumped out of the hole. Backflipping through the air, he landed away and slammed his palms together.
"Doton: Dosenha (Earth Release: A Thousand Earth Hands)!" Naruto said as his Honshou seeped into the ground. Immediately, out of the rock beneath his feet came an innumerable number of stone limbs. Their hands were shrouded in molten rock and burning smoke. As he felt Jashin effortlessly free himself from the bonds deep within the crevice below, Naruto was furiously working through the rest of the handsigns. Meanwhile, Kagura continued to supply him with knowledge, focus, and attunement to the ways of chakra.
Once Jashin jumped out, Naruto swung his hand and the earthen arms obeyed. They flew down against Jashin. The god watched them come upon him. Amused, yet not willing to be belittled, the god leaned back and threw the black spear into the air. Naruto seethed, in silent awe and frustration of the god's strength when the spear pierced through at least three hundred arms in an instant. The force from the blow destroyed at least thirty itself. As for the rest, Jashin flew into the air. With his divine body, he challenged the flaming fists without fear.
Jashin caught one fist even as another crashed into his body. The one he grabbed was broken to pieces and even those that landed their blows against him were destroyed, his body too strong for them to stand against. Jashin laughed maniacally crushing through the onslaught set upon him, but he quickly noticed that the arms were getting stronger and growing more durable. Orange flames that were once their veins slowly turned white.
Naruto hollered while Kagura's spirit separated from his body only momentarily. She held her arms towards the sky. As Jashin continued to punch and block the stone hands pulsing with the white flames of Honshou. The Slaughter God refused to admit it, but these blows were quickly starting to become a bother. They quickly started to overwhelm even him. For every one that he broke, another fifteen were crashing into his body. He tried to parry them all, but he was rather surprised that they'd begun to withstand his blows. Granted, he wasn't exactly putting full force behind it, but it was rather humiliating to think that a world born of its treachery to his mother had been formed in such a way to even stand against him. One fist crashed into his face, pushing him far away into the distance. Jashin's feet crashed into the ground. The arms continued their relentless assault, actually forcing the god to reinforce his body.
Holding up his hands, he withstood the force of the crashing fists. Each of their arms turned the Elemental Nations into a firestorm, reshaping the mountains, hills, and vacant homes in their way. At some point, they pushed Jashin into one of the black spires which had been erected from the countless deaths of mortals around it. He grunted, but the arms never stopped. Like the sound of thunder or the drums of war, they flooded Jashin. Even the spire behind him was broken, falling out like a towering tree.
On the other side, Naruto performed another handsign. Five stone arms flew up behind him. One of them grabbed the sword which had been floating in the air, constantly absorbing the lightning strikes around it. As soon as it held it, Kagura slowly exhaled. Out of the ground came a large body of rock like that of a titan. Clouds, Wind, Fire, and Lightning surrounded the blade in its hands as it towered so high the Shinobi Force had to lean their heads back just to gaze upon its magnificence.
"What even is that?!" Tenten questioned.
Neji trembled, not even sure what his Byakugan was seeing. There was so much energy swirling around he wasn't even sure if it was chakra. No, it couldn't be. If that was chakra, then it was by no means chakra that any normal human could obtain. In fact, it was even greater than the chakra he'd felt from Naruto back in the chunin exams.
Hiashi narrowed his eyes. "Naruto, remain strong. I'd been foolish not to see that you'd perform great things. Never would I have known that you would become like a brother to me. You must do your best, and we will do our best to make you stand tall," the Head of the Hyuuga clan thought to himself as he clenched his fists.
Others continued to give comments, stating their unbelief of the giant in front of them. The sword then enlarged and the arms on the ground quickly merged with it. To the onlookers, it looked like some deity which had been awakened from its long slumber. The flaming white sword in its hand was raised into the air while Naruto jumped on top of its head.
"Shisenpō: Kamigami no Daichisei (Death Sage Mode: Divine Deity's Great Reign)!" Naruto hollered.
The stone giant moved its two hands. Its feet buried themselves in the ground and it lifted the flaming white sword. The hands behind its back began to move as well. Tsunade, Mei, Jiraiya, and Ay gawked as the hands paired up. One vigorously rotated around the palm of the other. Powerful, swirling, bright flashes of light reigned over the skies as the Shinobi Force bore witness to eat least a hundred white rasengan spheres.
"Is that even possible?!" Jiraiya questioned. How could a rasengan become so massive and powerful yet still maintain its shape? This was something not even the Kage should have been able to accomplish together. The control it took to perform something like this was easily otherworldly. In fact, dare Jiraiya say that this was… the realm of the Rikudo Sennin.
The stone giant swung the sword down. The colossal blade covered miles of land and slammed into Jashin's body. The spire he'd crashed into was also crushed into pieces. Meanwhile, Kagura slammed her hands together. The stone giant flew its additional arms into the air. Then, the clouds parted revealing a beautifully grand display of ninjutsu. It almost seemed like the heavens themselves opened to shine their divine wrath upon the world of man.
The arms rammed the army of spiraling spheres into the ground and the effect was immediate. The earth exploded. It exploded many times. It exploded with such fire, smoke, and dust that it deafened the ears of hundreds. The platform the Shinobi Force was on had immediately been blown away. There was a lot of screaming and a lot of debris. No matter where anyone tried to hide, no matter how far away they were, the collateral was monstrous. Could even a bijuu do something like this? Well, yes, but… this was definitely like that!
Tsunade groaned and turned over painfully. "Y-You alright, Hime?"
The Godaime Hokage turned around and stiffened when she saw Jiraiya's body covered in numerous bruises, having protected her from the explosion. His back was marred by blood, tiny shards of the broken spires piercing into his skin. "...You idiot. I didn't need you to protect me," she said while he chuckled.
"Hey, I should be allowed to look cool at least once in my life," he replied as she continued to stare at him. Despite the situation, she couldn't help the small blush that appeared on her face.
Unfortunately, their moment wasn't to last as the two toad sages on his shoulder cleared their throats. "Jiraiya-chan, I hate to interrupt your heroic moment but remove these needles immediately. The evil I feel within them seems to be corroding our very souls. I've never felt such chaotic wickedness. It's something no mortal body should touch," Fukasaku said with a deep frown upon his elderly face.
It was true. Thankfully as a mortal, Jiraiya wasn't able to comprehend the full brunt of the wicked, slain, and slaughtered souls embedded in each needle. However, he could hear the faint echoing screams deep within his mind. They also seemed to be getting louder, such malice growing to the point of nearly driving even him insane. How had Kushina been able to withstand numerous blows and stabs from something even larger than this?
Tsunade, hearing this news, quickly leaned up. She surveyed the rest of the battlefield for a moment. The thunderous blows continued in the distance between Naruto and Jashin. She wasn't even sure this was a battle that humanity could get involved in, not even the Kage. Nevertheless, she still hoped Shikaku and Shikamaru were still alive along with the other qualified shinobi that the Mizukage and the Raikage had. If the spires were indeed connected to Jashin's power, then they had to find some way to destroy them. Doing so might help Naruto and give the rest of them some prayer in surviving this nightmare.
"Hold still," Tsunade said as she grabbed one of the needles and slowly pulled it out. She tried to do it carefully, yet quickly. She too soon felt what her former teammate did and it was a chilling realization that seemed to defy all common sense. She thought she actually felt her soul giving way to the madness hidden within the needles.
After a while, she pulled out at least ten before another explosion rocked the ground. She and Jiraiya gasped as a massive slide of rock and mud made its way toward them both. "Just how unlucky can we get today?!" she questioned before the noticed Mei land in front of them.
"Doton: Doryūheki (Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall)!" the Mizukage exclaimed as she slammed her hands on the ground. A large wall of the corrupted earth suddenly flew into the hair, blocking the mudslide that had threatened to overwhelm them all. Mei then weaved a separate number of handsigns and grunted.
Immediately, the three were raised into the air thanks to another platform for them to stand on. Rivers of blood, whether from victims or from the corrupted ground itself, flowed off the side of the platform like a multitude of waterfalls. Tsunade watched Mei pant slowly. The Mizukage then fell back and laughed. "I certainly did not expect this kind of day," she said as the thunder-like booms in the distance continued.
Following the Mizukage, several other earth platforms were raised for the Shinobi Force. Even though many had been saved, Mei clearly saw the defeated looks on their faces. Grown men and women were reduced to sniveling children, not even capable of lifting one kunai in the hopes of combating their new enemy. What was worse was that the Mizukage wasn't sure what she could say to improve morale.
"Will there even be a world left for us to stand on if they keep fighting like this?" Ay asked, landing on the platform with them. Mei noticed he looked a little worse for wear from the explosion earlier. The side of his face was bleeding and his muscular body looked dusty.
Truth be told, the Mizukage wouldn't mind the answer to that question as well. Of course, she wanted to route for her cousin if only because the alternative looked much worse. However, as the leader of a village, and a very powerful kunoichi, Mei didn't like this sense of dependence. Yet, what could they do? Even three of them had barely done any sort of damage to the god. In fact, Mei would even say that all they did was get in Kushina's way. Perhaps if they'd not gotten in the way, she could have focused on her offense more. That was something Mei absolutely hated, this weakness. It was the weakness of being human.
"Sometimes, I think we can only pray at this point," Mei replied.
The Raikage looked at the Mizukage. Her chakra had waned considerably since the start of the battle. It was no surprise. That monstrous mudslide must have taken a lot of her in trying to protect the Hokage and the Toad Sage.
"I suggest that we stop focusing on what we can't do and deal with what we can," Tsunade said, almost knowing what the Mizukage was thinking. She'd gotten fifty needles out of Jiraiya and was now working on the last few. She also looked at one of the platforms. A couple of Hyuuga were still on it, namely Hiashi, Hizashi, Neji, and Hinata. The four of them and their fellow clansmen continued to observe the battle, the sweat falling from their faces. Whether this was from the strain of trying to keep pace with the fight's flow or the awe of the divinity around it, Tsunade wasn't sure. Nevertheless, they did their best to the point where their eyes slowly began to bleed.
In the meantime, Tsunade also saw Darui and Ao shouting and coordinating all available shinobi to one of the pillars. They had already begun their assault while Shikaku and Shikamaru carefully observed each blow from every shinobi that was willing to fight.
"Tsunade-sama!"
The Hokage straightened up when she heard Ino's voice within her mind. "Ino?" she questioned.
The heiress to the Yamanaka clan swiftly confirmed Tsunade's thoughts as the older blonde finally finished taking the needles out of Jiraiya's body. The Toad Sage sighed in relief before Tsunade turned her full attention to Ino. "Yes, Ma'am! So far all efforts to attack the spires have proven difficult. Shikamaru and Shikaku-san are continuing to form theories about the spires, but we're doing our best. I've been told to report that we might need to use more unconventional means to take them out. Father is still working with other Yamanaka members too…"
Ino suddenly stopped when a blast of divine energy raced through the air courtesy of Naruto and Jashin, leaving a deep scar that sailed into the horizon. A pillar of white fire roared into the air, hot enough for all to feel it. Even the wind that blew from it was hot to the touch. "Speak quickly, Ino!" Tsunade urged.
"We're working as hard as we can! No results yet, ma'am. However, I have something else to report!" Ino exclaimed while Tsunade listened. Her eyes then widened as she turned back to Naruto and Jashin.
A harsh rumble rolled through the air as Naruto flew into the ground. He looked up, his eyes glowing behind his Shinigami mask. He quickly leaned up in time to see Jashin flying down, grinning with his spear extended. He seemed ready to puncture a hole right through Naruto's heart of the blond would let him. Unfortunately, what the god got was a raised sword. The tip of his spear clashed with the body of Naruto's sword. The force of the clashed weapons cratered the ground. The splinters between the cracks glowed with the strength of Honshou.
Naruto's eyes narrowed and so did the God of Slaughter's. The latter was prepared to add even more strength, putting down the futile resistance that his older brother's summoner seemed to be putting up. That said, his plan was quickly thwarted when he saw Naruto place a hand on the ground.
Jashin's eyes flew down and he saw an array of seals stretched themselves at least an entire mile across the floor in an instant. From their five corners, ten pillars with iron-spiked tips erected themselves out of the soiled ground. Jashin immediately sensed something strange within the pillars and flew into the air. Nevertheless, he continued to keep his gaze on Naruto. Yet, due to his divine sense, he saw the ethereal form of Kagura separate her spirit from Naruto's. Her eyes stared into his own as she raised her hands into the sky.
Before Jashin could fly too high, he suddenly bashed his head into something hard. He looked up in some surprise to see a wall of ephemeral black light. He then felt powerful flames dance on the top of his head. Soon they began to overtake his entire body, weighing him down with more force than he'd thought possible. In fact, the God of Slaughter started to descend back down. His eyes hardened when he looked at Naruto.
The patriarch of the Uzumaki clan stood outside the ten iron pillars. Curious, Jashin allowed himself to continue to fall until he was back on the ground. Naruto slammed his hands on the ground and the massive box of black light quickly grew smaller. Jashin felt the intense gravity begin to push him down further and further. Kagura then clasped her hands together.
The clouds began to shift and turn. The lightning within the clouds themselves, wrought with the strength of a great storm circled around them as well. The Shinobi Force, and the Hyuuga who were observing, shivered when the clouds descended from the heavens in the form of two arms. Brief, yet intense flashes of lightning coursed through the cloud-formed arms as they crashed into the black box. The lightning flowed from the arms and coursed through the box until they crashed it into Jashn's body and cratered the very earth the two were standing on.
Even the Shinobi Force had to brace themselves when one piece of the land threatened to tilt them up like a damn set of cavern walls. Those proficient in earth techniques hurriedly formed another stone pillar to steady the force from falling to their deaths.
Meanwhile, Naruto landed on the ground and exhaled slowly. "Please, tell me all this fighting has led to you understanding him a little better," Naruto said, keeping his eyes open and his senses heightened. He already knew that wouldn't be enough to fell someone like Jashin. In fact, he imagined that even all of that wouldn't be enough to even faze him.
"I have felt the decrease in our power as the battle has persisted. These are the clear pinnacles by which my family has prided itself on the level of improvement. As we are not at the level of godhood, and you nonetheless use their power, he still commands a greater mastery of it than you. Thus, he can siphon it from you to empower his own abilities. It's most likely that he can will the power to himself. Should you not end this quickly, then you will meet the same fate as the woman who fought him before,"Kagura explained as Naruto's fists tightened. He wouldn't allow that to happen. He couldn't.
The smoke cleared and Naruto surveyed the destruction that he'd caused. A sea of water spilled off the sides of the ground and fell into the deep cavern-like hole that he'd created with Kagura. Truth be told, Naruto found himself suspicious about the origins and the desires of the woman in the blade he'd been given by The Regent. However, he couldn't deny her strength. In fact, she was so powerful that her techniques scared him a little. Where had someone like her even come from?
After a moment, Kagura and Naruto stilled. The blond turned his head to the side, barely dodging the spear that threatened to take his head from his shoulders. He turned around and balled his fist. Firing it forward, he crashed it against Jashin's face, but the god hardly cared. Instead, he forced himself through the blow and buried his knee in Naruto's gut. Naruto felt the air launch out of his lungs. Even Kagura, herself, felt rattled by the thunderous strike. This one was definitely not like the others.
Even worse than that, Jashin didn't stop. He followed with a punch that sent the summoner of the Shinigami flying. Kagura quickly began working through the chakra within her body to try and heal Naruto's wounds as quickly as possible, but even she wasn't fast enough as Jashin appeared in front of the blond. "I believe it's time that I taught you a proper lesson in respect!" Jashin said as rolled his body over and crashed his foot into Naruto's face.
With a mad grin on his face, he flew the both of them down until he buried the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki's head in the dirt. Naruto gritted his teeth and scowled, Jashin laughing and rubbing his foot on the young swordsman's mask. "This is where mortals like you belong, beneath the heel of one such as I," Jashin said with a smirk on his face before Kagura slammed her hands together.
Stone arms grew from the ground and clasped the slaughter god. From their hands, seals quickly spread across his body, setting him ablaze with dark green flames. Naruto then rolled his body and thrust his foot up, kicking Jashin right in the chin. He then stood up and slammed his fist into his stomach, the force breaking the arms that held the god in place. Naruto panted and snarled, trading blow after blow with Jashin as the wind began to pick up around them. The strength of the divine power between them continued to explode.
Naruto blocked a swipe from Jashin with his leg, and Jashin caught a fist from Naruto until they continued this dance. Kagura continued to fuel Naruto's strength as the blond raised his sword overhead. Kagura strengthened the sword with the power of the Otsutsuki clan. His sword gleamed with the strength of the elements and even the stars themselves. Sweat poured from Jashin's brow as his spear clashed with Naruto's sword. Streaks of light poured off from their weapons, exploding on the ground at their feet. The two glared at each other, one more excited about the battle than the other.
Nevertheless, both noticed a box of white chakra appeared over them both. "You two youngsters seem to be having a lot of fun. However, it stops here!"
The two turned their heads to the source of the noise and noticed Onoki, the Tsuchikage, flying over them. A confident grin etched itself on his face as he looked down at them.
Tsunade, Mei, and Ay stilled. "So Ino was right. The Tsuchikage was here. Dammit, we gotta keep Naruto out of his line of fire!" Tsunade exclaimed within her thoughts. She also saw the remaining force of Iwa holding Kakashi, Yugao, and a few other shinobi back from the battlefield. Judging by the look on Kakashi's face, this clearly wasn't what they had in mind.
If Tsunade had been aware, then she'd be proven right as Kakashi and Yugao could only grit their teeth and watch as the Tsuchikage attacked both Jashin and Naruto. The run to the battlefield had been a long and arduous one. With Suigetsu and Jugo behind them, they had to endure the beautiful, yet horrifying explosions and blasts of light that seemed to erupt from their destination. Each one seemed to be more terrifying than the last. The ground would rupture and tear, the clouds would part and the heavenly hosts above came down to meet their mortal counterparts. Hell, Suigetsu even commented that the world might be ending. No one wanted to believe that, but… it was hard not to. All evidence seemed to point to that one explanation.
Additionally, the closer they got to the battlefield, the more Kakashi and Yugao grew concerned. Kushina's immense power had all but vanished momentarily before it was replaced with Naruto's. And by the Sage of Six Paths, was it powerful. There was so much strength they actually wondered if the Kyuubi had somehow gotten loose, yet somehow within their very beings, they knew that Naruto was the one in control. They knew that he was the one fighting with a powerful spirit at his side. Though they didn't know who this spirit was, they chose to trust in Naruto for it was because of him that this team had come ultimately come together.
Of course, the Iwa shinobi hadn't been far behind. The Tsuchikage had kept up, even flying to make sure they couldn't get away. Suigetsu had been incredibly surprised at that. Shinobi who could fly, what the hell was the world coming to?
Either way, the group was only a small, ruined hill away from the battlefield. What a battlefield it was too. What was once Oto had been reduced to a barren wasteland wrought with bodies of civilians and shinobi. Oceans of blood spread out for miles on end, but that was nothing compared to the slash marks. Those seemed to divide the earth into new trenches and caverns. What were once beautiful mountains and hills had caved into each other, a desolation of the Elemental Nations the likes of which had never been seen before. Then there were the black spires. There were at least thirty of them spread about the land, perhaps even more that they couldn't see.
It had been Yugao who spotted the various forces of the other Kage working together, standing near the spires. She offered to make a plan, but clearly, the Tsuchikage couldn't wait. Immediately, the Iwa shinobi surrounded them. Kakashi, Yugao, and Suigetsu immediately drew their swords while Jugo grinned maniacally. With the combination of bloodlust in the air, sage chakra, and divine energy, he'd nearly lost himself to his rage. It was only because of Kakashi that he'd managed to remain somewhat conscious of himself, at least enough to not make the situation worse for Sasuke's team.
Any complaints Kakashi might have had fallen on deaf ears as Onoki flew over to the battle. Yet, at this point, these complaints weren't for Naruto's safety. It was for the Tsuchikage's. The one-eyed shinobi had seen how the Raikage, Mizukage, Hokage, and even Jiraiya The Sannin were staying away from the battle. That led him to believe that clearly there was something going on that or they would have eagerly been helping against the man that Naruto was currently fighting.
When Kakashi and Yugao looked at that man, they grew afraid. Even Jugo, in his rage, felt like a small ant trying to bite the skin of a giant when he gazed upon the great form of Jashin. There was a great feeling of despair and hopelessness, the same thing which had cursed nearly all mortals before had affected them as well. The stench of blood from him was so strong it burned their noses, and their very bodies seemed almost compelled to bend their knees in obedience. Whether it was chakra or not, it was like an unfathomable abyss, stretching out into the very reaches of eternity itself.
It was said that no shinobi forgot their first real mission, and that was no different for Kakashi and Yugao. When they looked upon Jashin, they remembered the feeling of their first kills. They remembered the terror, the shaking of their arms, and the small clanking sounds of a blade. Yet, this feeling also seemed like… they had been the ones to die at the hands of their first enemy. Instead of their opponent, it was them who lay on the ground as the life slowly faded from their eyes. In fact, they had to applaud themselves that they were even staying conscious.
"What do you think you're doing?" Kakashi asked.
Kurotsuchi grinned, standing just beyond the other Iwa shinobi who had them surrounded. "Simple. We're cleaning up your mess. No one has ever survived gramps' Jinton. Those two seem to be the cause of all this, so I bet once we get rid of them all this shit will be over! At this point, you should thank us for keeping you out of the way," the kunoichi said.
Yugao snarled. "Do you really think something like this can be fixed with one man's, even if he's the Tsuchikage, jutsu? Look at what's happening around all of us. All of your men can't even stop shivering from being this close. Some of them have even passed out and died just trying to get here! For all you know, you could be making it worse! Besides, that's one of our own down there facing him right now!" the former anbu agent said, unable to suppress her emotions in this grave state. When the world quite literally went to hell, it was kind of hard to not feel some sort of panic.
"Then I guess we get to take out the fucker and the bastard son of the Yondaime at the same time. Just be happy we're not making you guys a part of the deal as well," she replied while Kakashi and Yugao narrowed their eyes.
"Well, aren't you guys a friendly bunch," Suigetsu said with a glare. Nevertheless, he also knew four of them were in real deep shit right now. Just these small amounts of blood that were seeping into the water-transforming shinobi's form were making him feel pretty damn strange. He really wished there were even a few platforms to stand under. It was starting to give him something of a headache.
"Please tell me you have a plan," he then whispered while Kakashi's frown deepened. The jonin continued to look back at his former student. To be honest, it'd taken quite a lot of chakra to run from Iwa to here. His mouth had gone dry from the soldier pills and his body hadn't recovered from the chakra loss just yet. Unfortunately, neither had Yugao's.
Meanwhile, Onoki smirked. The white cube around Naruto and Jashin slowly got smaller. "I'd ask you two young ones if you had any last words, but Kami probably won't hear them over all the destruction you've caused. For the sake of our world, you'll both be destroyed," the Tsuchikage said.
However, before he could cast his jutsu, the stubby, old man was quite assaulted by the voice of Inoichi in his head. "Tsuchikage-sama, we implore you to cease action and withdraw. Standard jutsu has no effect on this being and one of our own is caught in the-"
Onoki snorted. "While I am honored to have my mind melded with that Konoha's Yamanaka clan, it appears to me that none of you have had a possible means of containing this situation if you're only hope is in a young child, no matter how powerful he appears to be. Now be quiet, it's taking all my concentration just to stay conscious. Away from me, Yamanaka!" The old man said before he all but forced the Head of the Yamanaka Clan from his mind as he turned back to Jashin and Naruto.
"Jinton: Genkai Hakuri no Jutsu (Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique)!" Onoki exclaimed as everyone covered their eyes for a moment as a harsh glow of white light came from within the box. Soon after, particles of dust covered the inside of the box from corner to corner. The smirk on the Tsuchikage's face widened for only a moment. However, he, and the rest of his force, soon felt the cruel sting of despair. Smiles and premature cheers were deadened when Naruto and Jashin continued to stand in the white cube, both of them with their full attention on the Tsuchikage.
"They survived that? That's impossible! No one's survived this technique before!" Onoki said before he quickly screamed as his elderly face was grabbed in the iron grip of the God of Slaughter.
"It seems you wish to interfere. Shall I indulge you as well?" He questioned.
"Gramps!" Kurotsuchi hollered at the top of her lungs. The Iwa shinobi stood stunned as Onoki screamed, his voice ringing through the dead air like he was naught by a screaming child. However, he was quickly dropped when Naruto slammed his fist into Jashin's face. The summoned god was immediately blown away as Onoki began falling through the air. The blond then grabbed the old man by the back of his neck and threw him at the Iwa shinobi.
Seeing this, a jonin, Kitsuchi, jumped into the air and caught the leader of his village. However, he was surprised by the force of the throw. Onoki had all but slammed into him and propelled the both of them into the ground with a trembling crash. "Kitsuchi-san!" someone yelled. Kurotsuchi quickly glared at Naruto, but he continued to look at them all, his eyes lingered on Kakashi, Yugao, Suigetsu, and Jugo. He coated his right hand in divine power and raised it up.
"What the…!" Yugao exclaimed before she, Kakashi, and the others were lifted into the air. When the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki swung his arm they found themselves floating over to Tsunade and the Konoha forces. Kurotsuchi and the Iwa shinobi could only watch, clearly stunned by what they'd just seen. Without even a word, Naruto had taken their captives and placed them in front of their own men.
"Interfere again and you will be next," Naruto said, his eyes burning with white fire and his tongue sounding like a boom of thunder. The Iwa shinobi could only stare at him in awe before their eyes turned back to the parting of the clouds. Jashin descended down and scratched his cheek. Naruto clenched his sword. He blasted toward the god.
"FUCK!" Suigetsu shouted as he covered his head when a gust of wind from the collision between Naruto and Jashin blew forward. Kakashi grabbed Yugao while they applied chakra to their feet. Jiraiya covered Tsunade while Ay and Mei stuck to the surface of the platform.
When the winds settled, Tsunade panted. "Kakashi, what happened to you?" she asked.
Were this the time, Yugao and Kakashi would have saluted her, but clearly other things took precedence. "It's a long story, Hokage-sama," Kakashi replied, turning his head and noticing Obito, along with the rest of the Akatsuki, standing amongst them. The two stared at each other for a long time in dreaded silence before the Mizukage spoke up.
"I don't think we're going anywhere," Mei claimed as her eyes honed in on Suigetsu's form. The man chuckled nervously. He had no idea the Mizukage was over here. He kinda wished he was back with the Iwa group. In fact, he probably wished he was the one in that jutsu of the Tsuchikage.
Far off, Naruto rolled through a series of handsigns and slammed his hands on the ground. The earth immediately grew hot with the powers of fire. From its dried, bloodied skin, came out a fire dragon's head. In the middle of its mouth was a red ball as Naruto launched it into the air. It swallowed the red ball.
"Tajū Kage Bunshin no Jutsu: Tenryuka: Teikoku Inin-jō (Many Shadow Clones Technique: Heavenly Fire Dragon: Imperial Mandate)!" Naruto exclaimed as Jashin then saw miles upon miles of the earth light up in a sea of orange. The heat immediately became noticeable as Jashin watched hundreds of other fire dragon heads soar after the first one. Just the heat itself had burned one of the Iwa shinobi too close to cinders while the Konoha, Kumo, and Kiri forces on the other side immediately moved to protect themselves.
The sky came alive with the roar of dragons. Each of them swallowed their red orb while Jashin's grin widened. "I've heard tales that the dragons once tried to combat the might of the gods. Let's see if that remains true," Jashin said as he charged at the dragon head, but he paused when he saw Naruto pull back his blade. The dragon opened its mouth and a beam of red fire flew through the air toward the God of Slaughter.
"Uzu no Fukushū: Dai Uzumaki Ikari (Whirlpool Revenge: Great Maelstrom Rage)" Naruto hollered as he swung his sword. A spray of water flew from the blade and quickly formed into water missiles. Along with the dragon heads, they flew toward Jashin. He watched the mass of techniques. With a snort, he pulled up his spear and struck into the red beam, splitting it apart. However, that proved his mistake.
The water missiles had been faster than the other dragons. The split beam crashed into five of the missiles on one side. The same thing happened on the other side as well. Between the fire and the water, a thick cloud of steam came over the air. Jashin then saw at least five kunai on each side sailing through the air. Instantly, Naruto appeared next to one of them.
An Iwa shinobi stiffened. "T-That's the Yondaime Hokage's…" he stammered as Kagura lifted up her hands.
"Yasogami Yoroi Mekki (Eighty Gods' Armor Plating)," she said as Naruto's body became covered in a mass of chakra. His arms were coated in claw-formed chakra gauntlets. He then grabbed the back of Jashin's head. Forcing the man's head down, his spear slipped from the red beam allowing it to crash hard into his body. With a loud roar, Naruto pushed the God of Slaughter further into the fire, his divine body even protecting the blond as the heat escalated around them.
Naruto continued to shove Jashin down until he crashed into the flaming dragon's head. The Kyuubi Jinchuuriki then teleported to another kunai as the skies were torn asunder from the devastating explosion of fire. However, Tsunade and the others saw the rest of the dragon heads continuing to fly. The patriarch of the Uzumaki clan, throwing another kunai into the smoke, teleported inside it.
Out came Naruto and Jashin. As the multitude of fire dragons fired their blasts into the skies, Naruto shoved the god's head into each and every one, making sure he felt their cruel, fiery touch. A chorus of explosions, enough to shake the ground and make everyone scream in terror followed through. What was once the northern quadrant of the Land of Fire had been completely destroyed. The very ground itself had been burned like the center of a volcano. In fact, some of the Shinobi force had abandoned survey of the spires for a moment. Had they not, not even their bones would have survived the severe heat upon the ground.
After the last one, Naruto slammed Jashin through the ocean of blood and into the earth itself. He tried to keep him there, but the God of Slaughter glanced back at him and smirked. "Very good. You're learning faster than I'd expected, even if it's through the help of someone… else," Jashin said as his eyes saw the flash of lightning across the clouds. However, this was not mortal lightning. There was so much divine power poured into this lightning, Jashin actually thought of his mother for but a moment. It tore through the clouds with pure fury enough to open up the stars and the celestial bodies above.
It was then that Jashin understood. Past Naruto, he stared at Kagura. So, it seemed that she was from one of the more interesting races. She was a member of the False Gods, The Clan of the Otsutsuki.
Kagura lifted a hand into the air. "Yomotsu Hirasaka (Underworld Slope Hill)" she uttered. As the divine lightning blew through the air, Jashin saw numerous black portals appear in the sky. From them, came at least fifty more flaming dragon heads. Yet, these were different. Within each was a Naruto clone, a rasengan formed in its palm. The sphere quickly got bigger and bigger as the original Naruto teleported away.
Shocked, Tsunade, Kakashi, Mei, Jiraiya, Yugao, Ay, and Tsunade, watched Naruto land in front of them. He then combined his hands into one handsign. "Gōfūinjutsu: Tenkai Wareta Hōfuku (Great Sealing Technique: Heavenly Realm's Fractured Retribution)!" Naruto uttered as the Naruto clones hollered, sailing downward onto the God of Slaughter.
Immediately, a massive seal whose design no one had ever seen before appeared in the sky. The spear of lightning drove itself down from the clouds, instantly passing the clones and the flaming dragon heads. It cracked the seal in the air while the dragons flared their red beams. Each beam came together as one, pulsing with divine might and colliding with the spear of lightning. The lightning and fire combined together and crashed into the place where the God of Slaughter lay. Meanwhile, the clones hollered and flew into the hole as well.
Before the impact, Kagura brought the Iwa forces onto the Shinobi Force's side, pulling each of them through one of the portals created. "What the hell?!" Kurotsuchi exclaimed while Naruto quickly weaved through handsigns and summoned a barrier to protect everyone.
To be honest, they were all thankful he did. If there were any mountains left standing, they weren't anymore. If there was any ground led unsoiled, it wasn't anymore. If there was even a prayer of anyone forgetting this moment, then it wasn't possible anymore. Even if they had to cover their eyes from the light blinding them, the explosions deafened their ears. For some who wished to bear witness, they squinted their eyes. What they saw astounded them.
A pillar of white lightning shot past the clouds and past the firmament of the earth, red flames danced around it as several pure-yellow rings surrounded it. Meanwhile, the implosions continued where the jutsu had struck. A series of small bomb-like bursts from Naruto's immense barrage of spiraling spheres still continued exploding on impact.
After a moment, the deafening sounds, blinding lights, and immense aura, slowly began to fade away. When Tsunade and the others opened their eyes, they saw Naruto standing before them. No one spoke a word, almost scared to bring his attention to them. They just continued to stare at his divine presence, waiting with bated breath for his next action. When he turned back to them, his eyes illuminated and defined behind the fearsome gaze of his Shinigami mask, some were too scared to even draw their weapons in some vain attempt to protect themselves.
Finally, Naruto faced them. "You who lead the people of this land. Stand before me!" the blond said, his voice a far cry from what it had usually been. In fact, it seemed like there were at least a hundred other voices reverberating through his own.
"Is he talking to us?" Mei asked.
"Who knows who else he's talking to," Tsunade said while Jiraiya stiffened. This entire thing seemed like the vision of the Great Toad Sage. However, it said that Naruto would be the one to bring about this calamity. Of course, he didn't want to believe it but the current turn of events seemed to speak for themselves.
"And who the hell would represent the Iwa?" Ay asked with a scowl on his face. The Iwa medic nin were still working on the Tsuchikage. In fact, Tsunade knew she'd have to go over there and help out. Enemies or not, it no longer mattered. There was clearly something much bigger than themselves going on here.
"I would suggest you decide soon," Obito said, glaring at the village leaders behind his mask.
Yugao swallowed. "It might be best that we not keep him waiting," she responded, even if she hated agreeing with a member of a terrorist organization. Kakashi silently agreed as well. He stared at Obito for a moment or two even as Tayuya, Shi, Risa, Atsui, Samui, Omoi, and Karui stepped forward.
"What do you think he wants that he'd call out to the Kage like that?" Omoi asked.
"I think we're about to find out. In fact, everyone's stopped working since Naruto's appeared. I'd be concerned since we were having so much sealing knowledge forced into us at the beginning. Perhaps, he's making a plan of action and needs them involved," Samui answered cautiously. While she still wasn't used to this Uzumaki-family thing, she'd rather their only hope of winning against this threat not fail and damn them all.
"I still say we kill the rest of those traitors who bowed to that fucker. They could just be waiting to stab us in the back if we let them live!" Karui answered with a scowl on her face while she and the others watched Tsunade, Ay, Mei, and Kurotsuchi approach Naruto slowly, yet cautiously.
"It wouldn't be prudent to do that now. There is a definite high level of stress around everyone. If we lose what little morale we have, I fear we'll all descend into chaos. Kushina was the thing that was holding us together before. When she fell, that thin rope almost snapped. Now, Naruto's the only thing keeping it up. We already saw that not even three Kage were a problem for this 'god' to battle. I'd rather not say it, but I don't think anyone's relying on them to save us if he falls," Risa said with silent anger. She wanted to eliminate them as well. She'd not forgotten the betrayal she felt when Kushina risked her life to save these ungrateful whelps. It sickened her to her core.
On the other side, Kiba swallowed slowly. "Hard to believe that's Naruto. I feel like I can't even look at him in the face. Every time I try, my eyes start to hurt. What's he even bring the leaders over for?" the Inuzuka heir asked.
"Judging by the state of the battle, I'd say he's either advising the Kage on what they should do now, or what he'll do to try and handle this situation. Based on some of the brief findings we've gathered, it seems that the guy's powering himself with the help of the spires. I think Naruto has realized this himself and he's trying to end the battle quickly. Whatever this power of his is, it's clear that it isn't permanent. In fact, one of the Hyuuga who went blind from looking at him for too long stated that his body was behaving oddly. I'm not surprised since Gai-sensei said that the power being exerted on him surpasses even that of the Eight Gates. A mode like that must be tearing his body apart in ways we can't even begin to imagine," Shikamaru said with narrowed eyes.
Hizashi, having been standing next to the two conversing shinobi, frowned. He indeed sensed the strain of the spirits being placed on his master's body. While the blond spoke quietly, there seemed to be several drops of white energy falling from his head and to the floor. Hizashi wanted to imagine that was his sweat. The sheer physical exertion must have been immense.
"H-He can't win. We're all doomed. We're fucking doomed. M-Maybe we should sacrifice him to Jashin. Maybe he'll spare us."
Hizashi scowled, hearing the words from someone whispering to someone else. Fortunately, another member of the Hyuuga clan heard it and had already been reprimanding the bastard in question with great anger. It was only natural after all since the Uzumaki and the Hyuuga had become bloodsworn brethren.
"W-What are we gonna do?" Choji asked while Ino shook her head, clearly exhausted from using so much chakra for so much long-range communication.
"No idea, but I hope we're all alive to see the end of it. I'll admit, I never thought we'd be relying on Naruto to save our lives though," she said, huffing while a field medic from Kiri performed first aid on her. Since her father and her had been sharing a connection throughout the entire Yamanaka clan, she'd suffered the backlash when her father was forced out of the Tsuchikage's mind. As a Kage, a great leader of a village, he'd properly earned his title.
After some time, the Kage came back and Jiraiya didn't like the looks on their faces. Neither did Fuka as she quickly ran to the forefront of the Shinobi Force and the Akatsuki. "What happened?!" she asked, her eyes squinting when she looked up at their faces. It seemed that Naruto was so bright some of the divine energy had actually revealed itself on their bodies, making each of them brighter than normal.
The Kage and Kurotsuchi looked troubled, each of them returning back to their own people. "Tsunade, say something," Risa said almost pleadingly. Tsunade looked at the rest of the gathering forces and the frown on her face deepened.
That said, whether she or the other Kage or Kurotsuchi were gonna say anything no longer mattered. Despite the explosions outside, everyone heard the sound of Jashin's cruel chuckling.
"I see. I'd assumed your other half hoped to drive them away to keep from interfering for the sake of our thrilling battle. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that you'd try to make use of your pseudo-demi-god status to protect them. Perhaps I was wrong. I now see the best way to make you, to make your whole world kneel before me, O Summer of my Brother," Jashin said all around them.
Naruto narrowed his eyes as he noticed the barrier he'd erected begin to crack like it was naught but cheap glass. Kagura's eyes hardened and the Shinobi Force grew greatly concerned. As the barrier fell, Jashin stood in front of them all, much to their shock and horror, without injury despite all that the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki had thrown at him.
"H-He survived all of that?!" someone questioned.
"I-I knew it. We can't win. He's gonna kill us all!"
"K-Kuso! Are we just gonna die like this? Like dogs?!"
Naruto and Jashin continued to look at each other until everyone heard someone scream out at the top of their lungs. The patriarch of the Uzumaki clan turned his head and he stiffened when he saw at least five hundred, if not more, people on the ground screaming as their foreheads were etched with the symbol of Jashin. Were anyone to notice, they would have understood that these people were all those who'd bent their knees in shame and humiliation to Jashin's divinity.
The God of Slaughter raised a hand and the black spires began to pull. "KILL THEM!" Naruto suddenly shouted. He quickly tried to move, but Jashin swiftly cut him off. His speed was so great, Naruto barely had the time to throw up his arms to block the kick from the God of Slaughter.
The blow blasted Naruto off the platform, propelling him into the ground. His form crashed into the base of a mountain, making its face shake as stones and rubble fell on top of him.
"NARUTO!" Risa shouted as everyone drew their weapons and pointed them at the summoned god. Jashin turned back to them and smiled wickedly.
"Worry not. I shall not sully my hands with you. They will," he said, lifting his head into the masses.
Pain, Obito, Kakashi, Yugao, and the others turned their heads as the screaming continued. The spires shook and shivered. Then, long black tendrils sprouted from their bodies and stabbed into the bodies of those who continued to wail in agony.
"F-Fuck this!" someone shouted, taking a kunai and stabbing one of the shinobi. However, despair etched itself on his face when his kunai was absorbed into the shinobi's body. The man continued screaming, his body twisting in ways that shouldn't have even been possible. The sickening crack and snap of his body rung through the crowd and the others with him. Their wails turned into unholy screeches like those of depraved and ruined animals. An arm suddenly turned into a long, black, bony claw. It reached out and grabbed a man's head, effortlessly crushing it to pieces. Its screams turned to roars.
"What. The. Fuck?"
"Heheh… hehehehhe… d-demons. We're in the realm of demons," a woman said as the creatures of Jashin stood up, all fifteen hundred of them. Their bodies easily dwarfed those of the shinobi in front of them, standing over nine feet tall. They roared into the air, their bodies corrupted by the rage of the slaughtered hidden deep within the black spires.
Everyone, even Obito and Pain, took a few steps back.
Meanwhile, Naruto groaned as he tried to lean up, seething while he held his broken left arm. Unfortunately, there was no time to rest. He shifted his head to the side just in time to dodge a blow from Jashin's spear aimed for his head. As the dust cleared, the God of Slaughter stared at him, the screams and roars of his creations filling the air with madness.
"You stand against my rule. Well then, stand before me now. Try and protect all that you hold dear and see if this world can ever return from being birthed in my image," Jashin said as Naruto snarled.
"KIBA!" Tsume screamed. Behind his mask, Naruto's eyes turned back to the platform. His body went still when he saw one of Jashin's black monsters holding the body of his former classmate. The Inuzuka heir coughed up blood, held in the air by the creature's immense strength, and his torso pierced through by one of the corrupted beast's arms.
Jashin chuckled. "Best you keep up, boy. I shall take this matter just a bit more seriously now!"
KG: Final Round. FIGHT! Yes, I do have a problem.
KG: HAPPY NEW YEARS! And CREAM SODA!