KG: This is... gonna be a lot harder than I hope it is.
Music of the Month: Toxic by 2WEI
Quote: "Strength of a character isn't always about how much you can handle before you break. It's also about how much you can handle after you've been broken." by Robert Tew.
Warning: Major and Minor Character Deaths (I'm so sorry).
Things happened so fast before Tsume could even begin to make sense of them. Naruto had been fighting that guy for the last two hours, taking over for Kushina when she fell. Then came the explosions. Naruto unleashed things that she couldn't even believe were in the realm of ninjutsu. It seemed so surreal that this was the boy her son had nearly beaten in the chunin exams two years ago. Hell, she'd seen the third, fourth, and fifth Kage perform to the most excellent standard of shinobi prowess. Yet, Naruto seemed to surpass all of them. How was it that not even three of the five Kage could stand against an opponent that he could?
For a little while, Tsume actually thought that the elemental nations might actually win to see the sunrise on this horrible night. However, that all went out the window as her blood ran cold. All those who had bent their knee in servitude to Jashin had turned into monstrous, demonic, inhuman beasts. And of all people to be their first victim, it had to be her son! HER SON!
Everyone seemed too stunned to move, even as Kiba stared down in shock at the hand that pierced his torso. Hana widened her eyes, her daughter's grave expression only surpassed by the Inuzuka Matriarch's great anger Tsume gritted her teeth, and her claws clenched. "Y-You… you fucking… YOU FUCKER!" Tsume shouted, breaking everyone out of their stupor. She sucked in her legs and dashed off, the platform splintering from her power. Her canine companion, Kuromaru, cursed. Nevertheless, he charged in after her.
"Tsume-san, wait!" someone shouted as Tsume and Kuromaru charged at the tall, deformed beast holding her son in its bloodied embrace.
"GATSŪGA (FANG PASSING FANG)!" Tsume shouted as she as Kuromaru transformed into a clone of her. They bounced off each other and started spinning violently. The creature turned to them before Tsume crashed her spinning body into its head while Kuromaru bashed into its torso. The two then began spinning around with near-mindless aggression.
Others covered their eyes as Tsume and her ninken clawed the ground and the air, spinning violently against and around their target. Hana balled her fists. She watched her mother continue to assault the enemy that appeared before them, tears also streaming down her face. "Kiba, don't you dare fucking die, dammit!" Hana exclaimed as she also channeled her chakra through her body.
She also charged at the beast along with the Haimaru brothers. "Hana!" Anko hollered.
"GATENGA (FANG ROTATING FANG!" Hana shouted as she and her ninken spun in a flurry of saw-like blades toward the creature. She crashed into it as well, coordinating with her mother to kick up even more dust. At that point, the creature roared at them both, clearly annoyed by their assault. With a fling of its arm, Kiba was thrown away.
Seeing him, Anko quickly leaped up and caught him in her embrace. The force of the throw was greater than she thought, propelling them both off the platform. Kurotsuchi immediately noticed that they were heading for the ocean of blood. Already knowing what would happen, she immediately summoned another platform for them both. Anko crashed into the ground with Kiba in her arms.
Tsunade growled and stood up. Without a word, she ran off after the two. With the rest of the medics too far, she knew she was the only one that could help Kiba at the moment. However, while she sailed through the air, the platforms soon came alive with violent screams and the sounds of battle.
Kakashi and Yugao watched in silent shock as the creature blasted Hana and her ninken away. The former of the four rolled across the ground, her body racked with pain while it held Tsume's face in its claws. She screamed in agony, trying to pry it off with her own strength. Her forehead started to bleed while Kuromaru tried all that he could to free her, but the creature seemed hardly perturbed by his presence. If anything, he wondered if it even recognized him at all.
Soon, jutsu were being fired everywhere as the other beasts began rampaging through the rest of the Shinobi Force. Kakashi watched as veteran shinobi were turned into mere cattle. Their screams seemed to haunt the very fabric of the mind. He watched the Raikage explode in lightning chakra, his anger worsening as he saw his loyal men dying like cows in a slaughterhouse. Just a wave from one of them and at least fifteen shinobi were turned into a pile of limbs before his very eyes.
The Raikage charged at one of them, blowing wind against Mei and Kurotsuchi's faces. "Enough!" He shouted as he rolled his fist back and launched it at one of the creature's faces. A spray of lightning exploded over the area, but Ay noticed that the demonic beast turned its face to him. His eyes widened and his body trembled.
"N-Not even a scratch?!" Shi said, his voice trembling. Even Darui felt a bead of sweat fall down the side of his face. While the Raikage wasn't the strongest individual despite his frame, his speed more than made up for his lack of strength. Just getting punched by him at his speed was enough to rip the head off an unaware opponent. His speed was infamous throughout the Elemental Nations. Aside from the Yondaime Hokage, no one had been faster than the Raikage.
The hearts and morale of all shinobi then fell when the inhuman beast roared. With a speed greater than what anyone could follow, Ay screamed as he was swatted away. "Raikage-sama!" someone shouted as Ay flew off the platform and crashed into the ground below.
Mei widened her eyes. Even for her, her heart lurched up into her throat. What were they even dealing with her?
That said, everyone immediately noticed a flash of light strong enough to draw all of their attention to it. Instantly, Naruto appeared behind the creature, his sword brimming with divine power. With just one slash he could easily break the creature into pieces. That was what Mei hoped for. That was what everyone hoped for.
However, those of the Uzumaki clan still felt afraid. Naruto was exploding with so much power, just standing near him maybe more than a few people go blind. The power threatened to tear his body to shreds, his eyes burning with white fire. Even his skin was starting to peel itself away. Tayuya, Fuka, and Risa also grew concerned when they saw the crazed look in his eyes. It almost seemed the same like… when he went on his rampage.
Of course, that wasn't much of a concern for anyone else. For those further away, they cheered for Naruto to save them. They cheered for anything to save them from this nightmare. Unfortunately, their hopes were dashed once again. The blond's face was blown to the side when Jashin appeared in front of him. He then grabbed the scruff of Naruto's neck and buried his fist in his gut. Naruto doubled over in pain and the God of Slaughter used that time to clench both his hands together. Raising them, he violently crashed them into the Uzumaki Patriarch's backside.
"Naruto!" Fuka screamed, everyone watching as he was buried into the earth with a ground-splitting crash. Jashin then raised his hands and more black spires erupted from the ground. Their sharp points converged together and slammed into the spot where the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki was. A pillar of molten lava blew up from the ground from the explosion. Even the platforms everyone was standing on threatened to break apart.
"H-He's losing. Why is he losing now?! He was going toe-to-toe with that guy!" Omoi exclaimed with gritted teeth. He clenched his fists so hard, his normally brown knuckles turned white. Karui trembled in anger. She bit her lip while Samui continued watching.
The latter of the trio didn't want to admit it, but she spoke anyway. "Perhaps… he was toying with Naruto the whole time. In fact, he was toying with Kushina-san as well. Maybe… maybe the realm of the Gods isn't a place where no mortal may tread, no matter who they are," Samui replied. The others looked at her, clearly worried.
Meanwhile, Jashin continued to watch with an amused grin on his face as his black spires were blown away. Nevertheless, he didn't flinch as Naruto charged at him. The blond swung his sword and Jashin raised his hand, catching it with ease. A blast of Honshou ruptured in his face, but Naruto and Kagura chilled when they saw his arrogant smirk. He dusted off some dirt from his shoulder and chuckled.
"I shall congratulate you. You have merely started on the path toward my realm. I have been here since the beginning and I shall continue to be here even after your soul turns to dust. Do you truly believe you can win?" Jashin asked.
Naruto growled. Even Kagura narrowed her eyes. Was the realm of godhood truly so far away from that of mortals? "It's not about whether I believe it or not. I'VE GOT TO!" Naruto hollered as he released his blade and crashed his fist into Jashin's face. The resounding impact shook the air before Naruto rolled his other fist back. Kagura slapped her hands together. When Naruto released his punch, Jashin could have sworn he saw the shadow of another fist right behind him. Effortlessly, the God of Slaughter caught the second blow, but he doubled over anyway when the shadow fist slammed into him. He dropped the blond's sword and Naruto quickly caught the handle and swung. An arc of light flew from his sword while Kagura's shadow hands grabbed Jashin and kept him in place. The arc of light crashed into his chest, but it was quickly broken to pieces before their eyes.
Before Naruto could even register the shock, there was immense pain as he and Kagura were blown away by the redheaded god's knee. The Kyuubi Jinchuuriki tried to recover, but Jashin would allow neither him nor Kagura the pleasure of that. Jashin was immediately in front of the both of them. Naruto barely had the time to block before his arms were broken by Jashin's punch. Sailing through the air, he headed for the ground but Jashin was already there.
"In the end. You shall kneel like the rest!" Jashin said as he grabbed both Naruto and Kagura by their throats.
"H-He can touch me?! T-That shouldn't be possible!" Kagura thought in shock. His strength was unlike anything she'd ever felt. It was the pinnacle, the place where all power ended and began. Jashin then slammed both of them into the dust and dirt.
A gob of blood fell from Naruto's mouth as his mask began to crack. Before he could get up, Jashin grabbed a head of his hair and slammed him back down. "You know, I held your lover like this too. However, she still proved entertaining. You've yet to properly stand on the same platform as her despite your increase in power. Best you hurry and defeat me, your men won't be able to defeat my servants. Before Amaterasu shines herself in the skies above, they'll all be dead unless you prove great entertainment," Jashin mocked as Naruto snarled.
He turned his head to the God of Slaughter and Jashin saw the sinister glow behind the blond's divine eyes. A glare of madness overcame his soul. Hell, Jashin even saw the wicked souls that his brother had not yet collected start to take root within the boy's body. Kagura could feel it as well. She could feel herself trying to hold all these powerful spirits down with her own will. She would not allow these powerful, yet peasant spirits to overthrow her so readily. She would not secede control to anyone!
Jashin continued to smirk before there came a loud noise. He looked up and a blast of pure chakra slammed into his body, pushing him off Naruto. The beam flung him into the horizon, crashing him through three hills and one mountain. It ended with him crashing into the sea, exploding the ocean into the sky, and vaporizing anything left. Coasts and shorelines were instantly disintegrated.
The wind blew against Naruto's face, a bit of shock on his face before his soul warmed when he sensed Yuri and Yura descending upon him. "Nii-sama!" Yura exclaimed as Naruto saw Mikoto, Sasuke, and Karin stand next to him.
"Naruto, what the hell happened to you? What's even going on?" Mikoto questioned, finding it hard to even stand next to him. Her best friend's son was literally glowing in the brightest light that she'd ever seen. It almost seemed like a small beacon in this heavily decrepit, dying world. Hell, even just standing this close to him made her feel very small. Were this not such a bad situation, her body would have screamed at her to bow in his presence. Mikoto had seen and fought many powerful shinobi, but none instilled such a feeling of inferiority in her than now.
Even Sasuke found himself rather mute before his teammate's pressure. There was a small feeling of angst at his growing power, but there was also a feeling of great pride. Yet, what could be going on that Naruto would have to release so much of the Shinigami's power like this? Hell, Sasuke was surprised there was even an earth to stand on. The very planet seemed like it was breaking apart.
Naruto heard Mikoto's questions, but they seemed so far away. Instead, he looked at Yuri and Yura. The former of the two was cloaked in the Sanbi's chakra, clearly anger on her face. However, beyond that anger, he saw the distress on her face. It seemed like she couldn't even look him in the eye. It was that gaze alone, that gaze that told of pain he'd come to realize from his childhood that brought back his senses. The screaming voices in his head from the rampant spirits threatening to wrestle control from Kagura slowly settled down.
The Kyuubi Jinchuuriki stood to his feet and walked past Mikoto, Sasuke, and Karin. He stood in front of Yuri, but she continued to keep her head down. "Sasuke, I'll be honest. I'm fighting someone I don't think I can beat, but the villages have gathered together and they're in trouble. I don't think I can protect them and fight this bastard at the same time. Can I trust you to make sure they don't die?" Naruto asked, still looking at Yuri.
The Uchiha heir squinted his eyes, never looking directly at the blond lest his friend's divine aura cause him to go blind. He heard the blond's question and snorted. "Who do you take me for? I don't need you telling me what I ought to do, loser," Sasuke said, no venom or malice in his voice. Karin had long since told him about the horrible things that were going on.
He and the group had seen the explosions and felt them as well. Just getting here without getting killed had been a challenge in and of itself. He'd also been stunned when Karin told him that she sensed four of the five Kage working together against some horrid creatures. She described their chakra as even viler than Orochimaru's. Sasuke never would have thought that was possible.
Naruto smiled and turned to Mikoto briefly. She stiffened. "Mikoto-san, I need you to do me a favor…" Naruto said. Without even wondering what it was, the mother of Uchiha Sasuke found herself nodding.
Sasuke turned to Karin. "How long until the Kazekage gets here?" he asked.
"10, maybe 20 minutes," she returned.
The Uchiha narrowed his eyes as he watched Naruto end his conversation with Mikoto. The woman walked away and rejoined her son. Her business concluded Sasuke turned his attention to the screams in the distance and the mass of chakra and jutsu flourishing toward the south. "Let's go," he said. Mikoto and Karin nodded. They then ran off which left Naruto alone with Yura and Yuri.
He cupped Yuri's chin and made her look at him. "What happened?" he asked, his voice controlled and measured, yet filled with concern. In front of his gaze, soaking in his powerful, yet comforting aura, Yuri had no chance. Tears fell from her eyes as she grabbed his robe.
"I failed, Nii-chan. Konohamaru, Moegi, Hanabi, e-even Y-Yukimaru-kun, they're all dead. They're all dead because I wasn't strong enough to save them!" she said, the weight of her grief threatening to crush her even as her tears dried up from Naruto's power.
The blond continued to look at her, his expression still. Immediately, the blond tried to summon the spirit of Yukimaru to his side. Unfortunately, the young boy didn't respond. His jaw tightened, and his feelings were a mess. The divine power began to pour out of his body. Guren, Komachi, Hanabi, Konohamaru, and Yukimaru, all of them were dead. The Kyuubi jinchuuriki wondered just how much agony they were all going through, their souls tormented in the cruel embrace of Jashin's spires.
Kagura had not known herself to tremble for many things. As a princess of the Otsutsuki, she'd been a part of the pinnacle of her people. Even her parents had told her that she'd been the most powerful breed of their people, promising her only the best of things. As such, she was used to power and what it entailed. However, she wondered if that was even true when she sensed Uzumaki Naruto's growing anger. The stars in the sky and the celestial bodies within them fell from their places. She even looked at the moon in wonder. Her younger sister's aura seemed to permeate from within it, almost as if it were responding to him.
Somehow, some way, Naruto managed to lean forward and placed a kiss on Yuri's forehead. She pressed herself into his chest. He then turned to Yura and beckoned her to him. Meekly, she stood next to her lover. He then kissed her as well, both of them feeling the shudderingly warm power from his lips.
"Yuri, Yura, Baa-chan, and the others are in trouble. Go help them and do what you can. If worse comes to worst, head as far east as you can. I'll be there," Naruto said while Yuri looked up at him.
"You can't beat him?" she questioned.
How Naruto dreaded that question. If for no other reason than to reassure Yuri, he wanted to say that he could. Yet, he'd had hope like that before. He knew the cruel sting that hope could bring when it was unfulfilled. He'd grown into that quite a bit.
He smiled at her. "As Uzumaki Naruto lives, I'll always find a way," he said before he heard clapping.
"Well, I look forward to seeing it."
Naruto's eyes hardened. Yuri and Yura looked up, gazing upon the mighty form of Jashin. His eyes were cold, a dark grin etched into his face. For Yuri, she suddenly felt pathetic. She's sworn revenge against the bastard who caused all of this. That was until she cast her gaze upon him. Her legs shook and the hairs on her neck stood on end. She knew that deep within her core, this was the man who'd done all of this. She also knew that he was unlike any man she'd ever met, or perhaps ever would meet. Just staring at him instilled the deepest sense of fear that not even Konan had when she first faced her. This man was an existence the likes that she couldn't even comprehend.
This… was a god.
Yura swallowed her worries. She wasn't to doubt her lover, but it was clear that this man was stronger than Naruto. Despite all the power being emanated by the blond, it just wasn't in the same realm as that of his opponent. Where was the Shinigami? Why wasn't he fighting this battle with his summoner? Why was he allowing Naruto to fight this man alone?!
"Yuri-chan, Yura-chan. You both should go now," Naruto said, his voice so deep and weighted that he left no room for argument.
Obediently, the two nodded. They didn't want to admit it, but it was hard to even breathe between the both of them. "Kick his ass, Nii-chan. N-No matter what it takes, we'll stand with you!" Yuri said, hoping to stay strong even with the stutter in her voice.
The two sisters glanced at each other and nodded. They swiftly ran off after the others which left Naruto and Jashin alone. The God of Slaughter watched them go for a moment before he chuckled. "I'll enjoy slaughtering them too," he said.
Naruto instantly appeared in front of the god and threw out a punch. With one hand Jashin caught it, the air breaking and rolling like thunder. However, his head was instantly whipped to the side from another punch. His eyes widened in surprise when he saw that it was a stray, yet very powerful spirit from another world. That distraction was more than enough for Naruto to grab the God of Slaughter's arm. He pulled him forward and slammed his knee into his chest.
Another spirit behind Jashin clenched its hands and crashed them into his back. This sent the god flying down through the air. He crashed into the ground as Naruto summoned a multitude of clones. Each of them held a rasengan in their hand. They charged at Jashin and blew up, releasing a multitude of explosions while the real Naruto stood on the ground. He flew through several handsigns while Kagura pressed her palms together.
"Shisenpō: Katon: Chōodama Rasen Kyuubidan (Death Sage Mode: Fire Release: Many Ultra-Big Spiralling Nine-Tailed Beast Spheres)!" Naruto exclaimed, slamming his hands together. He then screamed as the power began to flourish through his body. The ground beneath his feet split into pieces. At least a hundred Kyuubi-shaped pieces of fire exploded from beneath the earth's crust. They roared into the air as they opened their mouths, and several Naruto clones were found within them. In their palms, was the sight of numerous rasenshurikens.
With a determined shout, Naruto released them all. The nine-tailed beasts of white fire blew fierce flames over the clones as they threw the multitude of spiraling shurikens forward. Kagura quickly touched Naruto's back and placed her hand over his own. "Gōkōhai Keisei (Grand Desolation Formation)" She said as a monstrously large earth golem, easily dwarfing the side of the flaming fox stood up. It opened its mouth and a spray of water and purple lightning flew from it.
The resulting explosion was so large that even Naruto had to get himself from a safe distance. Were there any life out there beyond that of the Elemental Nations, they would have seen the harsh glow from a tower of lightning-powered flames. Their power pulled through the very ground itself, turning the seas of blood into a hot steam bed of violence and destruction. The west side of Oto, the lands of Taki, the former forests of Kusa, and the seas of Ame, all of these were blown away, their lands burned to utter cinders. The ground became scarred by streaks of violent lightning as Naruto took a deep breath. He then exhaled slowly.
"Not bad. I believe I indeed felt that. Does it not make you feel powerful, mortal? To remake the land, the world in your image? Do you not enjoy the power and right it provides you, to rule over others and dictate how they ought to live?" Jashin asked while Naruto snorted.
"If your mother wanted that, then she shouldn't have bothered making us at all," Naruto retorted before Jashin immediately appeared in front of him and grabbed his throat, but he was rather intrigued when Naruto immediately freed himself by teleporting away via the Hiraishin. Jashin instantly followed after him, and Naruto tried for a swing. The God of Slaughter caught the blade. Yet, that didn't bother the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki. He swerved his body and kicked his opponent in the hair. Kagura strengthened his power which blasted Jashin through the air. He flipped down into the flaming ground while Naruto landed in front of him.
"Perhaps, but where's the fun in absolute power if there's no one to fear you for it?" Jashin questioned.
"I'll answer for you. Allow me to show you," Jashin said as he opened his hand. The Kyuubi Jinchuuriki stiffened when he saw the man's palm sparkle with the grand powers of the stars themselves.
-x-
"Don't give them an inch! They sure as hell won't give you one!" Mei shouted at the top of her lungs while Iwa soldiers pulled up a large wall of stone with several open windows within them. At the windows, Konoha forces fired a barrage of Katon techniques. Balls and spears of fire crashed into the ground, the deformed, demonic humans screamed as they were assaulted from one side.
Mei snarled while she turned her head to where another part of the battle was taking place. She saw the Raikage moving through the enemy ranks of Jashin. The violent bursts of battle pushed through her ears. Of all the Great Shinobi Wars that might take place, she never thought the day would come when it would literally be every village against a fucking god and his army of followers.
This was a battle unlike what Mei had ever seen. Not even the acidic properties of her lava techniques had been enough to break through their deceptively thick skin. It also didn't help that the planet-shattering explosions caused by Naruto and Jashin continued to draw others' attention. I made Mei wonder if there was even going to be a world for them to rebuild if… when this was all over.
What was worse was that they were losing this war of attrition. She and the other Kage became aware that being fatally wounded by the demonic beasts infected the fallen. The one named Kiba had been the first to fall. She still remembered the screams of the boy's mother and squadmates. Despite the Hokage's best efforts, he had died in her arms. However, it wasn't long before his body started twitching. Small black spires pierced out of his skin and tore into his ninken, Akamaru. His arms and legs lengthened, his body turned black like the darkest void and he screamed into the air, killing his sister and mother before they could even figure out what happened.
"Dammit. What does it take to kill these things?! It's hard to believe they were even human a while ago," Mei thought to herself.
On the other side of the battlefield, Kakashi and Obito landed on the ground. "Raiton: Raijū Tsuiga (Lightning Release: Lightning Beast Tracking Fang)!"
"Raiton: Kuroraijū Tsuiga (Lightning Release: Black Lightning Beast Tracking Fang)!"
Kakashi and Obito hollered as their hands blew up with lightning and black lightning respectively. Two beasts appeared from their hands and shot into the crowd of demonic creatures making their way toward the battling shinobi forces. Lightning and black lightning mixed and roared together, zipping through the masses. The two found the same target and crashed into it, exploding it in a flurry of electric sparks. The former jonin of Team Seven cursed when he saw the creature still moving toward them, unconcerned by their attack.
"I'd not thought anything like this was possible. I think you'd have quite the comment for a situation like this if we were still a team," Kakashi remarked while Obito narrowed his eyes behind his mask.
"And you are a lot chattier than I had thought of you, Hatake Kakashi," Obito said while Kakashi rubbed his neck. He always wished he could talk to his former teammate again, but this wasn't the time. It also seemed that Obito wasn't aware that Kakashi knew his identity. Maybe once this ended, the one-eyed jonin could pull his former friend away, if only for a moment.
The creatures continued to close in on them, even as a barrage of exploding kunai descended upon them. "If you pussies are gonna have a heartfelt, then please do it somewhere else dammit!" Tayuya exclaimed as she landed on the ground. She quickly took out her flute and bit her thumb.
"Kuchiyose no Jutsu: Doki!" the young Uzumaki exclaimed as she slammed her hand on the ground. Kakashi and Obito watched as three large titan-like beings were summoned by Tayuya. They groaned before she put her flute to her lips. She quickly began playing a tune with them and the beings charged into the demonic creatures, cratering the ground beneath their feet with each stomp. One of them carried a large metal-spiked club and swung it. Those in her area gasped at its strength. For the first time, one of the demonic humans fell off its feet and slammed into the ground from the blow. The other Doki bashed into the bodies of other creatures.
Tayuya felt the sweat pour down the side of her face as she tried to maneuver all three with her melodies. Her eyes darted left and right over the field. "Fucking shitheads. Now I gotta worry about not crushing the rest of the fuckers too stupid to get out of the way!" the former member of the Sound Four growled. She watched one of the creatures grab one of her summons, causing her to chuckle.
"You're gonna wish you didn't do that, Shit For Brains!" she said as seals began to appear over the bandaged-wrapped Doki that was caught.
Kisame quickly leaned in front of her. He then slammed his hands together. "Suiton: Bakusui Shōha (Water Release: Exploding Water Shock Wave)!" He shouted as Tayuya hopped in the air. Kitsuchi summoned up an earth platform for her. She landed on it and continued to play while Kisame rode the weaves with Samehada on his shoulder.
"Hhaahaahahaha, let's see if Samehada can't cut you all to ribbons!" he said excitedly while an army of Kiri shinobi moved behind him. Tayuya watched them go until she summoned a shadow clone. The clone took out a piece of paper and swiftly wrote on it with an ink brush. A long line of Uzumaki seals appeared on it until she wrapped it up again and, with a heavy throw, threw it over the battlefield.
"Uzumaki Fūinjutsu: Raiton: Ame Sanran no Jutsu (Whirlpool Sealing Technique: Lightning Release: Rain Scattering Technique)!" she hollered as the scroll unfurled itself over the lands and a vicious array of lightning spears flew out of it. The trapped Doki screamed as the seals on its body lit up.
"You guppies better get ready for the big one!" Kisame shouted to his allies as he launched himself into the air. The Kiri shinobi followed after him as the Doki was struck by the lightning spears. It screamed in pain, but the lightning coursed through its body and met the waters the shark Akatsuki member made. Immediately the entire field turned into a deathtrap of lightning sparks spraying themselves over the northern side of the battle. The demonic creatures screamed while Kisame chuckled.
"There's more where that came from! Suiton: Tajū Suikōdan no Jutsu (Water Release: Many Water Shark Bullets Technique)!" He hollered while the Kiri shinobi formed their own handsigns, lifting up the water in a massive field of lightning-powered water dragons. Each technique converged on the next, bashing and ravaging the field and the enemies within them. The light became so bright, Kakashi and Obito covered their eyes from the blasts.
"Hinata! Neji! Hizashi! Show these beasts the power of the Hyuuga clan!" Hiashi ordered.
"HAI!" the three acknowledged as they jumped into the air and dove into the water and lightning field.
"Hyuuga Hijutsu: Hakkeshō Dai Kaiten Hyōgi-kai (Hyuuga Secret Technique: Eight Trigrams Great Revolving Heaven Council)," The four shouted, spinning their bodies in perfect unison. The water and lighting began to spin with them, turning themselves into a massive spiraling tornado, scarring the ground and the areas to the north. Kisame and the Kiri shinobi watched in silent wonder while Tayuya kept playing her flute, keeping the sealing barrier up so the collateral wouldn't impact anyone else. They had to fucking destroy these things. The sooner these things died, the sooner they could help Naruto.
Meanwhile, on the northern side of the battlefield, Tsunade rolled her fist back and threw it at one of the corrupted human's faces. The strength of her power wasn't to be underestimated. The creature fell backward, its long legs buckling from the force of the blow.
Ino, Shikamaru, and Chouji watched her in shock. "She really earns her name as the Strongest Kunoichi," Ino said before she turned her gaze back to the rest of the deformed beasts making their way toward them. Minor explosions and the sound of combat from numerous shinobi forces lingered through her ears. When had the world gone so wrong so quickly?
Then there was the battle Naruto was having. The ground kept shaking, harsh lights and earth-shaping swings continued the fall of the rain. If Naruto lost, what would become of the rest of them?
"Hey! Stay focused!" Tenten shouted as she landed in front of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio with Lee and Gai at her side. She swiftly threw a series of kunai and shuriken at one of the targets. One by one they exploded in its face, but it continued coming without remorse. The weapon wielder sucked her teeth.
Gai smirked, a bead of sweat falling down the side of his face. "Tenten, Lee, this is where our youth shall bloom forth! Fight with everything you have!" he exclaimed.
"HAI, GAI-SENSEI!" Lee shouted, vanishing in a blur of speed. The young chunin had already long removed his weights. With Gai right behind him. Lee appeared behind one of the beasts and swung his foot at it. His eyes widened when the creature caught his leg. As he'd quickly learned, these things were not only strong but fast as well. Not even releasing the first gate had been enough to overpower it.
"Lee, don't let down your guard! Konoha Daisenkō (Leaf Great Flash)!" Gai hollered. He swung his leg as hard as he could, bashing it into the beast's head. However, even he was stunned when the blackened servant of Jashin paid him no mind. It just continued to stare at Lee, its captive victim.
"How hard are these things?!" He thought to himself. He turned his head and noticed another creature behind him. It screeched and swung its crooked arm upon him. However, before it could connect a large black tendril traveled up its arm and surrounded its neck. By force not of its own, its arm was pulled away. Gai grinned when he looked off into the distance and saw Shikaku with at least thirty Nara members kneeling together.
"Dad!" Shikamaru said in surprise.
"Don't let them escape! Keep them trapped for as long as you can!" Shikaku ordered while those behind him listened. They poured their chakra into the shadow, forcing it to cover the body of the next deformed human. Its grasp opened and Lee swiftly escaped. The Nara clan members then used the shadows to crash the former humans into each other. They toppled over the other, kicking up heavy dust.
Shikaku smirked, but it slowly fell into a growl when a trail of blood fell from his lips. His eyes narrowed when he saw yet another fallen shinobi soon shrieking at the top of his lungs. The Mark of Jashin had found itself on his hand and his forehead. Another deformed servant of Jashin joined the increasingly large forces of creatures standing against them. "Is there even a way of winning this? Our best hope is being restrained over there," he said to himself, narrowing his eyes to see Naruto and Jashin battle far off in the distance. It was taking all their chakra just to restrain one of these damn things.
"S-Shikaku-san!" one of the Nara members hollered. The Jonin Commander turned his head and saw yet another swiftly approaching them. He saw the way its vicious maw opened, hoping to no doubt tear their torsos apart. It loomed over them and Shikaku thought he might die until a black cloak with red clouds appeared in front of them.
"Shinra Tensei!" Pain uttered. Shikaku gawked and watched the beast blast away, crashing across the ground courtesy of the Akatsuki member who'd just saved their lives. The Konoha jonin blew a sigh of relief from the breath he didn't know he was holding. If one had told him that a member of the Akatsuki was going to save his life, then he would have thought it was a joke, a very bad joke.
Nagato narrowed his eyes through the Deva Path. He'd also not been expecting this. One of his bodies had already been destroyed. It'd be hard to replace the human path so easily. The Asura Path wasn't doing well either. Too much seemed to be going on for him to focus, even at the range he was in.
"I understand that we're still enemies, but thank you. We'd probably be dead without you," Shikaku said which made Nagato look at him. Truth be told, he didn't want to save Konoha shinobi, especially since his parents had been killed by them, but… this wasn't the time for past grievances. To say that this night had been a… humbling experience for Nagato wasn't saying much. The fact that even he couldn't intervene in the battle between the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki and Jashin was humiliating enough, especially when he'd called himself a god on more than one occasion.
He didn't respond, instead choosing to watch Jiraiya descend. The Toad Sage slammed a rasengan into the head of one of the beasts. With the added power of his Sage Mode, the deformed beast fell onto the ground. Jiraiya then stood up and released a stream of fire over at least a hundred corrupted servants. With their crooked, skinny bodies, they soaked in the flames firing back a steady flood of black fire. Jiraiya cursed and Nagato was ready to intervene again before he heard Tsunade scream. She broke the ground, raising a stone barrier for her and her former teammate. The flames flew off the side around them. Unfortunately, some weren't fast enough to get out of the way. Their skin, their bones, and their very souls were burned away until nothing else remained.
Tsunade panted, looking at her bleeding fist. "Are you okay?" Jiraiya asked.
"I could use a fucking drink right now!" Tsunade cursed, her injuries already healing themselves. She didn't even have a chance to speak before Jiraiya pushed her away again. He screamed in pain and the Godaime Hokage stiffened.
"Jiraiya-chan!" Shima shouted while her husband Fukasaku trembled as they saw Jiraiya's left arm sail through the air as one of the demon's limbs crashed into the ground. A pool of blood fell from the Sannin's arm until he saw several shadows loom over him. He looked up and at least ten demons stood over him. One of them licked their broken lips as saliva fell between their teeth.
They jumped in the air, ready to pounce on the Toad Sage. Jiraiya was ready to combat them before he saw a fist coated in red chakra slammed into one of the demons' faces. The blow crashed the beast into five others. Jiraiya watched a sea of red hair pass him by. The red arm extended and crushed one of the demons' heads. It then dragged the corpse along the ground and swung it around. It ended with a thundering thud when it collided with at least thirty others.
Yuri landed in front of the Toad Sannin, her skin already starting to tear off the side of her face. "If you know what's good for you, you'll stay out of my way," she said before she dropped on all fours and flew off, a third tail quickly forming behind her. She blasted off and bashed her shoulder into one of the beasts. Shinobi watched in surprise when she blew through one of them. She grabbed another and slid on the ground atop its body. With a scream, she lifted her fist and slammed it down. It broke through the platform, causing both of them to fall to the rotten earth below.
Before they could fully drop, Yuri sucked in her legs and flew into the air, letting the body fall to the depths below. She flew into the air as the demons roared at her. They fired a beam of black fire at her, but Yuri wasn't deterred. She wouldn't be deterred. She opened her mouth, letting water, blood, and chakra pour through into a large ball. Without even swallowing it, she broke it apart, and a blast of pure chakra crashed against the black fire, effortlessly tearing it to pieces. The blast collided with the group of demons as shinobi covered their eyes and felt the platform tremble. Some worried that Yuri was going to take the ground out from under them, but Iwa shinobi summoned more earth to stand on.
"Is that Yuri?" Ino questioned while the ground steamed as Yuri stepped forward, the Sanbi's chakra flowing through her with maddened eyes. The demons roared back at her, and she brushed the side of her face.
The clouds above her head thundered and she gained an arrogant smirk. Furious strikes of lightning then came down on the corrupted humans. Ino screamed in joy when Sasuke and Mikoto landed in front of Yuri. Tsunade and Jiraiya widened their eyes as the Uchiha dashed off into their opponents.
"Sasuke, let's go!" Mikoto said.
"Got it!" He returned, firing up the Chidori in his right hand. His mother took out her sword. Lightning coursed through her blade as their sharingan flared in their eyes. The lightning connected to Mikoto's sword as the two weaved through the group of demons. "Chidori: Dairai Yari (A Thousand Birds: Great Lightning Spear)!" Sasuke and Mikoto shouted as they pushed their fists into one of the demons. A sprawl of lightning blew over the fields connecting to the other chains together, electrocuting anything caught inside.
"W-We've been trying so damn hard to put these things down! How are they doing it?" Shikamaru wondered as the demon fell to the ground. Sasuke and Mikoto watched the other creatures begin to descend upon them.
They were ready to intervene until various strands of paper filled the air and latched onto the heads of their enemies. One by one explosive tags blew up in their faces. Pain narrowed his eyes while Yuri, despite her mood, smiled. From the air, Konan fell while Mikoto and Sasuke chose the time to move.
As for the former Akatsuki member, she noticed that her tags hadn't done a lick of damage to the opponents threatening to overwhelm the shinobi forces. Her eyes narrowed before Yuri sped past her. With her fist, she blew one of the demons' heads off and sent it crashing into the ground. "You've grown stronger," Konan said while Yuri snorted.
"Well, I'm a little pissed off right now. I'm glad it's doing something for me right now," she said. Though truth be told, this was taking a lot more of her strength than she'd thought. Just touching one of these was sapping her power away. It was like trying to force her strength through an entire body of chakra dampeners. Even the Sanbi voiced his concerns on the matter. Plus…
"S-Stay away from me! Someone help meeeehhhhhughghhH!"
…the damn things just didn't stop. Yuri spotted another far off into the distance. Just one swipe from the Servants of Jashin's deformed arms was enough to puncture at least twenty shinobi right through their torsos. She gritted her teeth when she saw those fallen soldiers horrifically begin to morph into the very beasts they'd been trying to kill.
Yuri watched Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji barrel through the rest of the demons with a combination technique. Kiri shinobi were firing water techniques left and right, collaborating with Kumo shinobi lightning attacks, for devastating effects. However, the beasts persevered. Sasuke and Mikoto danced around the battlefield, revealing the full strength of the Uchiha clan, and yet it seemed like not even they were making much headway.
Konan touched the young Uzumaki's shoulder. The two then found themselves surrounded by another forty demons, slowly descending upon them. "We're going to survive this, Konan! I swear it!" Yuri growled as she tightened her fist.
Konan lowly smiled. "Yes. Yes, we will," she answered. Sometimes, Konan was rather amazed by how infectious Yuri's words could be. Even when she didn't seem to be in the greatest of moods, even when everything seemed to have gone to hell itself, even with Uzumaki Naruto battling a literal god in the distance, protecting them all, there seemed to be some sort of hope in her words. As an adult, even more so as one who'd grown rather jaded with the world's hatred, Konan couldn't help feeding off it.
The former Akatsuki member opened her sleeves and thousands of pieces of paper flew into the air. Yuri took advantage of the distraction they caused and blasted off the ground. She crashed her full body into the torso of one, dropping it to the ground until she flew into the air.
"YURI!" Tsunade hollered, jumping on the head of one of the demons. Applying chakra to her feet, she flew into the air, grabbing the Sanbi Jinchuuriki with her. Holding onto her arm, Tsunade screamed as she spun them both in the middle of the sky, kicking up fierce red winds. In her hand, Yuri formed a red rasengan that continued to get larger and larger.
The Godaime Hokage then threw Yuri with as much strength as she could. Yuri gritted her sharp teeth, the shinobi forces watching her plummet further and further down. Jiraiya, from the ground, followed her with his eyes. He seethed in pain while he clutched the shoulder of the arm he'd lost. "Jiraiya-chan, you can't push yourself!" Shima warned, but the Toad Sage stood firm.
"I understand, Ma. However, this is the time to put my life on the line! How could I face Naruto if I let his family die a second time?" Jiraiya asked. He held up a handsign.
"Katon: Dai Endan (Fire Release: Big Flame Bullet)!" Jiraiya hollered as he inhaled. Fukasaku and Shima inhaled as well. The three immediately fired a combined blast of fire, toad oil, and wind into the air. The northern side of the battle came alive with a sea of orange flames before Jiraiya focused the attack until it engulfed Yuri.
Sasuke and Mikoto turned their attention to her, sliding across the ground. They glanced at each other and nodded. Mikoto pulled out an array of shuriken and fired them into the air. Sasuke then coated his hand in lightning chakra. "Chidori: Tora: Yaban Seifuku (A Thousand Birds: Tiger: Savage Subjugation)!" Sasuke hollered as he swung his arm, guiding the lightning through the air until it connected with Mikoto's shuriken. He flew the flying blades into the sea of fire.
Instantly, Yuri came out. Her entire body was covered in the Sanbi's red cloak with an armor of fire and lightning sprawled out over her body. The spiraling sphere in her palm seemed like it had been bathed in the fires of the earth and tempered by the storms in the sky. Like an envoy, escorting Yuri to her targets. The shuriken from Mikoto had been bathed in fire and lightning as well. The blades stabbed into their target while Yuri hollered at the top of her lungs.
"Sanbi Rasengan: Kudari Sensha (Three-Tails Spiraling Sphere: Descending Chariot)!" Yuri roared, crashing her body straight through one of the creatures, the flames from her body burning it to pieces. She then grabbed another and pushed it through at least five levels of the platform. Waves of fire poured out through each level until Yuri fell all the way to the earth below. She slammed the demon down and flared her chakra, blowing up the fire in a grand tower that was seen by all.
Tsunade landed back on the platform while Gai and Lee kicked away a group of Jashin's forces from Jiraiya. She knelt next to him. "Idiot, you don't need to be expending chakra right now!" she chastised.
Jiraiya chuckled, despite the grave pain pushing through his body. "I still have to look cool in front of you, Hime. You know that," he replied before he turned to see Yuri land back on the platform, even more sounds of battle pushing through the air… and more of their forces dying.
"We won't win like this," he said.
Tsunade scowled. "We don't have a choice. We… can't afford to lose!" she returned before her teammate looked at her in annoyance.
"Tsunade, don't you dare tell me you're not seeing it? The longer we fight, the more chakra they take from all of us. They're growing even stronger!" The Toad Sannin warned.
Tsunade clenched her fists in anger. Of course, she fucking saw it, but what the hell could they do? Naruto's words now seemed like a living nightmare. Why had they even left those traitors to humanity alive? They should have killed them at the start. Now, it was all shit. Everything had gone to shit. Even when they'd been turned the first time, they were unbelievably tough. As the hours went by, they only got stronger, and… the sun was beginning to climb into the sky. Pieces of its light broke through the dark clouds, but not for long.
"Naruto, please hurry!" Tsunade pleaded.
On the southern side, the Raikage groaned as he was blown away. He ragdolled on the platform before he struggled to his feet. "D-Dammit, is there no end to them?" he asked. He saw the demons begin to overwhelm his forces. He tried to stand, but his legs trembled. The chakra within him had steadily fallen away while he watched twenty demons approach him. He clenched his large, tanned fists before a wall of black fire overcame the battalion of deformed humans.
Ay blinked in surprise.
"Who was that?!" Karui asked, blood streaming off the side of her face while Omoi struggled to stand. Samui and Atsui stood back to back, their bodies lined with bruises. The corpses of the fallen friends and allies lay at their feet. They turned their gaze to the Raikage's direction and stood stunned.
"Uchiha Itachi? I thought reports had said he died to his younger brother," Atsui said as Itachi landed in front of Ay.
"It looks like I made it in time," the older brother of Uchiha Sasuke said, his Sharingan twisted into the shape of the Mangekyou.
It appeared that Itachi wasn't alone. Shizune and Ebisu dropped down as well. The former of the two quickly knelt down and began healing the Raikage. "You. I know you. You're the right-hand to the Hokage," Ay said while Shizune sighed.
"I wish that were the case, Raikage-sama. I've been… let go of that position," she said, her body chilling when she felt Yuri's immense chakra even over the massive platform that kept them all standing.
Had the situation not been so dire, Ay would have made a comment on her solemn expression. In fact, she seemed to be shivering in some areas as she struggled to heal him.
"That's not the type of reinforcement I wanted, but I'll take what I can get," Omoi said with a grin.
"Then you better be fucking happy that you're about to get more!"
The white-haired chunin turned his head as several chains wrapped around two of the demons. Two redheads landed in front of Omoi and Karui. "You!" the latter of the two shouted in shock surprised that Karin and Yura would appear before them.
"Uzumaki Fūinjutsu: Kengen: Kodai Jiin Hametsu no Jutsu(Whirlpool Sealing Technique: Authority: Ancient Temple's Ruination Technique)!" Yura exclaimed as she slammed her hands on the ground. Instantly, five pieces of paper landed around the two creatures. A towering pillar of light trapped them inside before a mixture of fire and lightning overwhelmed them. The lover of Uzumaki Naruto gritted her teeth, pouring more chakra into the technique. She could still feel their bodies standing within the tower, bashing heavily against its walls. A small trail of blood fell off the side of her lip. The light from the temple quickly grew even stronger and the beasts started to scream out.
"I won't let you fight alone, Nii-sama. While you protect all of us, we'll keep ourselves safe long enough for you to help! Shinigami-sama, I pray you please watch over us! I don't know why you don't answer, but I beg your aid! Did you truly bring us this far to leave us like this?!" Yura questioned while she felt a hand on her back.
She turned her head and gasped when she saw Zetsu standing behind her. "What are you looking at? Stay focused!" Black Zetsu urged as he pushed his chakra into Yura's body. The tower of light quickly grew immensely larger. Shinobi from every nation jumped out of the way of the technique as it started coming over tens of demons. Those already in the grip of the beasts weren't able to be saved, the flames and lightning took them over. Witnesses covered their eyes.
"It's not working! They're too protected! I've never encountered such a natural defense like this!" Yura exclaimed while Zetsu sucked his teeth. They'd been fighting as hard as they could along with everyone else. He knew that Yura was telling the truth. White Zetsu had tried to take control of the beasts through the natural spores he'd released from his body, a very convenient ability for monitoring others. However, just one of them touching these damn things was enough to cause Zetsu unimaginable pain. It got to such a point that he felt like his very soul was being ripped out of his body. That had left him several limited, only sticking to either Taijutsu or assisting others around the platforms. He decided to choose primary targets, people he felt would properly make a difference. The others, well would just have to be the willing sacrifices. If he spread himself too much, he risked the beasts tearing his temporary hosts, and him, apart. White Zetsu really didn't want to take any more damage. Hell, he didn't even know this type of thing was possible. The White Zetsu had been through numerous battles before, this shared pain was more than the progenitor could handle.
"We will add to your reserves, Uzumaki Yura. Simply continue in your technique," White Zetsu said.
Yura wondered if that was even possible as her chakra coils felt like they were burning and tearing themselves apart. The fact that she was using a forbidden sealing technique from the Uzumaki clan vault surely wasn't helping either. Nevertheless, she didn't let go. She couldn't let go.
"Raiton: Sandāboruto (Lightning Release: Thunderbolt)!" Omoi and Karui hollered, lighting their palms with balls of lightning. They then fired the lightning into Yura's light structure, further augmenting its already destructive nature.
After them, Yura watched Itachi stand next to her. "Itachi-san!" she called as the older brother of Uchiha Sasuke closed his eyes. He inhaled and exhaled slowly.
"Amaterasu!" Itachi called out, opening his eyes and revealing the Mangekyou Sharingan. Within the tower of light created by Yura, the flames and lightning quickly merged with a sea of black flames. Itachi focused the power of the black flames through every region of the sealing technique's parameters. The tower swiftly became overrun by black flames turning it into a black spire that came crashing down on all of the enemies that it could.
"As expected, upon reviving my illness is gone as well. In fact, the strain I'd normally feel from the Mangekyou Sharingan. Still, it's a large drain on my chakra," Itachi thought.
Omoi dropped to one knee and panted before his body shivered when he heard a blood-curdling scream. He just never thought he'd be hearing it from Atsui. "SAMUI!" He screamed, his face covered in blood and dirt. The others turned around in horror as Samui's body was blown away, succumbing to her injuries along with a group of other shinobi.
"W-What?" Karui asked, not believing what she just saw. She dropped to her knees and Yura lay on the ground words unable to be expressed. First Komachi, Guren, and Yukimaru, now… Samui? What was even…
Yura then turned her head and spotted at least fifty more servant beasts of Jashin sprout from the mass of dead shinobi bodies. They roared into the air, their 9 to 10 ft tall forms standing menacingly over the average men.
Karin took a step back, watching even the creatures in the black flames roar doing their best to resist the black flames. "Even the Amaterasu isn't enough to stop them?" She asked, nearly falling backward. Having a master who was obsessed with the Sharingan, Karin had come to quickly learn of all the dojutsu's abilities. She also knew just how powerful it was. People called them the Flames of Hell itself. They were supposed to burn forever and ever until there was nothing left. Was the power of a god really this different that nothing they did could work?
Omoi gritted his teeth before everyone covered their eyes as Atsui screamed. "Atsui-san, STOP!" Omoi cried out as vicious streaks of lightning poured out of Atsui's body. His hair quickly straightened out as the platform's ground tore left and right. He grabbed his tanto. He charged at one of the creatures, screaming at the top of his lungs as hot tears stained his face.
"DIE!" He shouted at the top of his lungs, his lightning chakra spreading to his blade turning it into a blazing sword that would make even Raijin proud. Omoi and the others watched as the heat from the lightning grew so intense that Atsui's skin began to bleed and pulse. Blood seeped through his eyes as he swung his sword, a loud cry of thunder moving through the air.
Omoi dropped to his knees as well. Karui clawed at the ground, her fingers bleeding in sheer frustration as Atsui's body dropped to the ground. The lightning aura around him fizzled out. His head rolled across the platform until it fell off and sailed down to the rotten earth.
"Hehehehehe… hahahahahha… w-what the hell? E-Even Atsui-san? We're all just getting wiped out one after the other. When we die, we're just making more of them. We…"
"S-Shut up! We will kill them! We've got to! I won't let them fucking get away with this!" Karui said, gritting her teeth just to keep herself from throwing her life away just like Atsui had. That said, she didn't know what to do. Her comrades were dying one after the other and she wasn't sure how they would overcome this.
"We'd better come up with something fast," Black Zetsu said as the beasts roared, at least thirty of them charging the group. The Raikage was currently contending with a group all on his own, one or two being destroyed by his great strength alone.
The demons charged faster and faster. Yura sucked her teeth and slammed her hands together, ready to counterattack before a pile of sand flew over the platform and slashed down like a violent wave on the servants of Jashin. They screamed before they were lifted in the air in large clumps of dusty dirt. Those shinobi surviving breathed heavily as the Kazekage landed in front of them.
"Sabaku Sōsō (Sand Waterfall Funeral)!" Gaara uttered. He clenched his hand and the sand closed in on the demons he took in the air, hoping that the pressure would be enough to break them to pieces. However, the Kazekage quickly realized it wasn't so simple. He squeezed his grip even tighter but the army of demons stood resolute, breaking free after long.
"I see. This might be a problem," Gaara thought to himself. The Kazekage felt a shiver run through his spine and he turned his head to the earth-shattering explosions going off in the distance. Broken pillars of molten rock and lava sprawled out over the land. The smell of burning seas of blood, when met with hot lava, was a smell Gaara never thought he'd have the displeasure of smelling. That said, it reminded him of his past, a time he might have reveled in a sight like this… if not for the one fighting over there.
Gaara winced when he saw Naruto's face blown to the side. The summoner of the Shinigami quickly countered with a shot to the gut of Jashin. "Would anyone care to inform me what's going on here?" Gaara asked.
"The world's going to hell. What more do you want?" Karui asked.
Admittedly very disrespectful, but forgive her if she wasn't much for fucking etiquette when two of her closest friends had just died. Gaara frowned and turned his head to see Itachi walking forward. He also saw the Akatsuki member, Zetsu. The deafening sounds of battle were not enough to make him uncautious of them, especially given their history. Still, no one seemed to be fighting them so it seemed that this was a temporary alliance of sorts.
"Gaara, it's as we feared. I don't think we'll be able to turn this around. The combat medics aren't helping the forces enough to prevent them from turning," Kankuro said. Ever since Naruto had all but left him in the dust, he'd managed to catch up to the Suna forces. Of course, Temari read him the riot act, but he'd managed to pass on vital information to them as they ran their way here. Never mind they all tried not to lose their lives in the process.
"So even you've arrived, Kazekage!"
Gaara, Kankuro, and the others turned their heads to see the Raikage walking toward them. "Raikage-sama!" Omoi exclaimed. Ay's body was racked with deep cuts and lacerations. Blood poured out of his wounds and his chakra had taken a heavy dip since they'd all arrived here.
"Karin, please heal them," Yura pleaded.
Karin glanced at her with an expression of annoyance, but she quickly rolled up her sleeves. Karui, Omoi, and Ay looked at her confused. "Yeah, yeah, I don't like it any more than you do. Just bite me. I'll heal you," she said.
"You can't be serious," Omoi answered.
"Do we seriously have the fucking time for this?!" Karin asked, pointing to the rest of the demons headed their way as more people died around them, some like sick kabobs between their fingers.
"Goddamit," Karui thought as she, Omoi, and Ay bit Karui's arm. The redhead groaned in pain while the injuries sustained by the others quickly healed themselves.
"The unfortunate part is that we're only sustained by these platforms as well. There aren't a lot of places to maneuver. Not to mention the aftermaths of Naruto-sama's battle keeps breaking the earth apart. A lot of people are fearful we might not even have a planet to stand on. From what we've seen, from a few falling back down to the earth below, the blood has a corrosive and corrupting property. It also creates these creatures. Overall, this is a bad situation. We're confined to these places where we're being wilted down. Not to mention, these corrupted humans are evolving," Itachi said.
"What do you mean?" Kankuro asked.
"Whenever we kill one, it somehow manages to make the others more resilient to the same method. It took twenty Kumo nin to electrify one. The next took forty. The next took eighty. It's like they're getting fucking harder to kill and no one knows why," Omoi announced.
"It's us. It's not that they are getting stronger. We're getting weaker…" Yura explained.
Karin landed back with a groan, having felt her chakra drain faster than what she thought was possible. She actually thought was gonna go into shock at one point. "What, they're absorbing our chakra?" Karui asked.
"It was the gods who gave us all every type of energy at first. Is it really a surprise if they take back what's theirs?" Yura asked.
"He's toying with us!" White Zetsu said.
Ay rubbed his mouth and clenched his fists. He inhaled and exhaled slowly. "I have a plan," he said. Gaara and the others looked at him. The Raikage turned to one of the combating shinobi.
"Dodai! Come here!" he shouted.
A middle-aged man with an eyepatch on his left eye turned upon hearing his voice called. "Retreat slowly! Fire back at them at any opportunity!" He ordered before he made his way over to the Raikage.
"Hai, Raikage-sama?" he asked.
"Patch me into that the Yamanaka Clan head!"
-x-
Kakashi leapt through the air as his Manegkyou Sharingan raged in his eyes. His right hand filled with lightning chakra he slammed it into the chest of one of the demons, cursing when he saw it had little effect. Obito grabbed a hold of his shoulder and hoisted himself over.
"Raiton: Kuroken: Raikeiro (Lightning Release: Black Fist: Thundering Pathways)!" Obito shouted as he placed his hand on top of Kakashi's. Black and white streaks of lightning blasted over the area as the surrounding shinobi moved away from the onslaught. Tayuya covered her eyes, hearing the deep thud of one of her Doki dropping to the ground. That was her last one too, the others had thoroughly been ripped apart not too long ago.
As the light faded, she watched one of the demons swing for Kakashi's torso. Obito immediately grabbed his shoulder and the swing passed through them both, allowing them to jump away quickly. "Yup, those fuckers are teammates alright. Never seen anything like it," Tayuya thought to herself, stumbling back for a moment. She grabbed her torso, watching the blood stick to her fingers like glue.
"Are you alright?" Shi asked, landing back to back with her.
"I'm just fucking dandy," Tayuya fired back before she heard someone else scream. She turned her head and gasped. The last of the Aburame clan had fallen. Shino and all his family were killed. As expected, their insects were of no use against the demons, all of them falling one after the other.
Tayuya turned to her cousin. The sweat poured off his face and he seemed to be nearing empty as well. The Mizukage began recalling all available shinobi back to the wall, covering them as best she could along with Kisame. What a fucking day to see the Mizukage and one of her village's worst offenders fighting together.
"I don't know how much more ground we're gonna lose. Those earth bastards beneath the platform, keeping them all up aren't gonna last on chakra forever. And, neither are we!" Tayuya said, glaring when one of the deformed monsters hovered over her. She growled when it raised its large, crooked arm. Before it could swing down, a gust of wind blasted it away. Tayuya and Shi spotted Temari far off.
"Take them down!" She shouted as a group of Suna shinobi smothered the battlefield.
Temari waved off Tayuya making the redhead snarl to herself. "History?" Shi questioned.
"Yeah, she killed me. I ain't too fond of getting killed," Tayuya replied.
Shi wisely didn't say much after that before an explosion took their attention away. They spotted Kakashi and Obito sliding across the ground, blasted away from their enemies.
"Tell me you have a plan here," Kakashi uttered, clutching his father's sword in his hand while his eye winced from overuse.
Obito frowned. Well, he had a plan, but he really didn't want to summon the Gedo Mazo here of all places. That would already call too many questions, but it became clear that they were all running out of options. He could feel the chakra of the Sanbi in the northern quadrant of the platforms. Even she was beginning to fall, albeit faring far better than anyone else, even the Kage themselves. The Tsuchikage had woken up, and just like Jashin himself, the beasts seemed resistant to his Dust Release, his forces being slaughtered just like the other nations. Two particular shinobi, Kitsuchi and Akatsuchi, had already died under his command.
"Not at the moment," Obito replied.
Ten demons charged at them and they were ready to fight again.
"Katon: Gōenjō Raikyū (Fire Release: Great Flaming Thunder Ball)!"
The two lowered their heads in shock when a large sphere of fire and lightning passed them by. It quickly overwhelmed one demon, then two, five, ten until it pushed them all off the platform and far into the distance, resulting in a ground splitting deep rumbling. The arid wind blew in their faces.
"Kakashi, are you alright?"
The two turned their heads and Obito stilled when he saw Rin land next to Kakashi. "Rin, what are you…"
"Not now. Obito-kun, you get over here too. I'll heal you both!" Rin exclaimed though Obito continued to look at her as if he couldn't begin comprehending what the hell he was seeing. His words died in his throat as Rin began healing Kakashi.
Obito took a step back. "I'm not…"
Rin huffed and marched over to him, ripping off his orange mask and tossing it to the side. "You've grown older, but I'll never forget your mannerisms. Your left finger still flicks when you're nervous!" she said as Obito continued to look at her and the bright smile on her face. She grabbed him by the hand and pulled him to Kakashi. She then proceeded to heal them both.
"You three head back to the wall! We're commencing the plan!" a Kiri shinobi shouted at the top of his lungs, alerting Rin, Kakashi, and Obito.
"What plan?" Kakashi questioned.
"No time! Just move immediately!" the Kiri nin ordered as the trio watched Mei and Kisame fire streams of water from their mouths to create distance for everyone else. Rin picked up Kakashi and Obito, all of them heading back to the wall while a huge wave of sand started to come over the area.
The walls were let down and thousands of men and women were piled inside. "What's going on? Why were we called back?!"
These questions and more were uttered by the masses as they watched mountains upon mountains of sand pull the demons away from every corner that the people were fighting in.
Shikamaru and Ino rejoined the others, both of them saddened at the loss of Chouji and his father. Tsunade was busy healing who she could while Yura continued to motivate Yuri. The Sanbi jinchuuriki was surrounded by all the Kage and a few jonin. Yuri slowly nodded while the Raikage exhaled.
"Mabui! Do it now!" he ordered, linking Dodai's thoughts with Inoichi's all the way back to Kumogakure. The assistant to the Raikage nodded.
"Yes, Raikage-sama!" she said.
In the meantime, Yura smiled at her sister. "Remember all your anger, Yuri. Make sure those damn things take all of it!" she said.
"Got it," Yuri said. Onoki turned to the Iwa shinobi and ordered them to let down the western part of the wall. They seemed unsure but obeyed his command nevertheless. Yuri exhaled slowly and walked out. Thousands of eyes rested on her.
Sasuke, Mikoto, and Yugao firmly nodded to her. She smiled and gave a small wave to the three of them.
"W-We're dead! We're putting our hopes in a child?!" someone questioned causing Yuri to glare at him. She spotted Ebisu and Shizune, giving them a nod. When she stepped out, she saw that every last demon that the Shinobi Forces were fighting was concentrated in one area, courtesy of Gaara's sand.
"1,500 somehow turns into 15,000. Naruto-nii, I wonder if even you can fix this," Yuri said within the depths of her own mind before everyone saw a flash of light and a bolt of lightning appear next to her. When the light faded, Yuri shook her head.
"Oh yeah, I see them, an army on high. We the jinchuuriki will prove our might, and make them go bye-bye. YEAH!" Killer Bee shouted while Yuri pinched the bridge of her nose.
"If we win, remind me to buy you a muzzle," she retorted.
"Oh Three, my heart you ache. Fear not, for it's my skills that'll cause you to shake! Let's take them down. And we'll be the heroes of the town!" Bee said as he raised his fist to Yuri. She frowned as she looked at his gesture. Her eyes narrowed before she exhaled.
"Let's just get this over with," she replied as the demons charged at them both, a heavy multitude ready to overtake them all. They seemed like rabid beasts, hoping to cause pure death and destruction to all that they could.
"YEEEEEEAAAAAH!" Bee shouted as he fully transformed into the form of Hachibi. Shinobi from Suna, Iwa, Kumo, Kiri, and Konoha gawked in fright at the sight of a Bijuu. Meanwhile, Yuri exhaled slowly and released all of her chakra, remembering the feelings she'd unleashed when Yukimaru died.
With her rage and anger, she shouted. "HAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Yuri roared as she fully transformed into the full form the Sanbi, the bijuu linking up with her to keep her from losing herself in the midst of her great power.
"It's been a long time, Isobu," Hachibi spoke.
"Not long enough, Gyuki. You've been given quite the troublesome host," Isobu answered which made the Hachibi snort.
"You don't seem to be faring any better," he replied while Yuri and Bee shared the space of their minds with their bijuu.
"Yeah, this girl's hot-tempered, irrational, and simple-minded. She's sort of like Kurama's host," he said, his voice deep with laughter.
Yuri scowled. "I'm still here, you know!" she hollered while Bee patted her shoulder.
On the outside, the two opened their mouths as they combined positive and negative chakra into a massive black ball. "Bijuudama (Tailed Beast Ball)!" Yuri and Bee shouted. Isobu and Gyuki fired the blast of pure chakra through the demons, blasting the western part of the platform clean off. The blast crashed into the earth, turning it apart and splitting the ground into various deep trenches. Little by little, the blood flowed down into the abyss created by the terraforming attack.
Like the maw of a great beast, the earth was split open. Towers of lava from the inner crust fired into the air as the blast continued for miles on end until it flew off into the horizon. The resulting explosion obliterated anything in that direction. Mountains, hills, and plains were all destroyed, corrupted earth and fallen bodies sailing through the air in a macabre display of hell on earth.
People watched as the entirety of the western platform was destroyed save for a small piece where the Sanbi and Hachibi stood. They formed back into their human hosts to prevent their weight from breaking the rest.
"H-Holy shit! They did it," someone said. Yuri stumbled back until Bee caught her.
The people hollered and cheered, but their celebrations were caught short when a figure sailed through the air and crashed into the ground below them. "What was that?!" Tsunade asked. The dust cleared and Yuri shivered when she saw the battered form of Naruto laying on the ground.
"It's Nii-chan!" She alerted.
"What?!" Mei questioned as she started pushing others out of the way. Risa, Tayuya, and the surviving members of Uzushio and Naruto's team looked out and saw him buried deep in the dirt. He slowly turned over and spat out while Kagura groaned in pain.
"K-Kuso! He's hitting harder," Naruto thought as he struggled to stand. He grabbed his sword and crawled out of the hole he'd been put in. As he stepped out, he suddenly heard clapping. His busted eye slowly repaired itself as he looked into the sky.
The Shinobi Force also heard the same clapping. They looked up and saw Jashin standing over them. "Well done. You've all managed to surprise me quite well. Still rather boring, but a bit more surprising than I'd thought to give you credit. Now that all those of importance have gathered here, I shall grant you your due reward," Jashin said as he held up his fingers.
"Let the Reign of Slaughter, the Reign of Jashin… begin!" he said as he snapped his fingers.
"H-Huh?" someone questioned before they exploded in a puddle of blood. People watched in shock and so did Naruto.
Then another exploded, and another, and another after that. "LEE!" Tenten shouted as she watched her friend die in front of her eyes. Gai gawked and Hinata screamed as Neji faded away as well before she followed too. None of the Hyuuga clan, the brothers by blood of the Uzumaki clan, survived. Black spires broke through the earth, tearing it apart in two. The center of the planet released a torrent of flames so mighty that the air started to burn alive with its might. Fire and brimstone flew through the Elemental Nations as people screamed and cried.
What no one knew was that the Elemental Nations, excluding Konoha, were all destroyed as well. No one remained within them as seas of blood rose to the highest mountains and the lowest valleys.
"JIJI!" Kurotsuchi shouted as the Tsuchikage's body was torn apart until there was nothing left.
"INO!" Shikamaru screamed, holding what remained of her arm before that too vanished as well. The Nara heir slammed his hands on the ground and cried out in anger.
"KANKURO!" Temari shouted, Gaara watching as his older brother was torn apart by the invisible forces that lurked upon the earth as well. One by one, body by body, people watched teams, comrades, and family members die.
"Chojuro!"
Mei turned her head in sorrow barely in time to watch one of her dearest shinobi die in the arms of one of her soldiers. His sword fell to the ground with a sharp thud as she fell to her knees. They… they couldn't win. They were all going to die here.
Yet, Naruto was the worst. He could hear their screams. He could hear the screams of all those who cried out for vengeance, the souls within the realm of the dead fell upon him. Many begged him for revenge, others chastised him for his weakness, and some prayed him to redeem them.
Tsunade stilled as she held Jiraiya's body in her arms before he faded away as well.
Naruto snarled in anger. "You… you… fucking…!" The Kyuubi Jinchuuriki growled as the Shinigami Summoning Seal on his arm began to bleed.
"I apologize I couldn't hear you. Would you like to speak louder?" Jashin questioned as he pointed a finger at Karui. Her eyes widened before Shi pushed her out of the way. It wasn't long before he was torn apart too, a smile on his face before he died. Darui felt the breath leave his body as Ay roared to life.
The Raikage's lightning armor exploded with such fury that his skin began to tear. "YOU BASTARD!" He shouted as he threw back and punch and slammed it into Jashin's face. The God of Slaughter chuckled which made the Raikage stutter in horror as not a single mark had been made on the god's face.
"Even cattle must be carefully measured and counted. Why should you be any different?" Jashin asked as he grabbed the Raikage's face. The man screamed and grabbed his arm, blood seeping through his eyes, and his ears picking up on the screams and sounds of death behind him.
"Hmmm maybe, we'll do something else…" Jashin said as he aimed at Yuri and Yura. The Uzumaki sisters shivered before everyone was immediately teleported away. The Shinobi Force, Konoha, Kushina, and the medic teams far away, Ay who had been in Jashin's grip, everyone were teleported away instantly save for those who had already died.
"Are you angry? Are you feeling… powerless? You ought to. You never had a hope of defeating me. You might have stepped into my realm for a moment, but I have been here since time immemorial and I shall be here… long after you and the rest of them fall," he said as Naruto dropped his sword. Soon that teleported away as well, and with it Kagura despite her protests.
Naruto's skin quickly began to tear itself off. He wasn't strong enough. He'd need more power, the greatest power! Even if it meant evil power! One by one, millions of souls flooded his body. Once his skin was gone, his body was next, everything burned away in a sea of divine energy leaving only a pure white skeleton that roared into the heavens. As the earth tore itself apart, on the verge of breaking to pieces, Naruto stood on the corrupted ground, the mark of the Shinigami stamped on his forehead. Each step formed a deep crater that pushed every semblance of blood or black spire further and further away.
"You… kill. Kill. You. Devour. You. I… I will… I will kill you. We… will kill you. We… take your place. We god. We… your END! Our… body now! Kill… you, new BODY!" Naruto roared as his skeletal frame cracked its mouth and poured out a sea of white fire into the gleaming sky.
KG: Like ripping of a very painful bandaid. A very, very, VERY painful bandaid! Please don't kill me.
KG: CREAM SODA!