KG: Well, here we go. I don't have much to say. Enjoy.
Music of the Week: The Light At The End by Aliaksei Yukhnevich.
Quote: "Failure should be our teacher, not our undertaker. Failure is delay, not defeat. It is a temporary detour, not a dead end. Failure is something we can avoid only by saying nothing, doing nothing, and being nothing." by Denis Waitley
Tsunade groaned. A thousand feelings, all of them pain, moved through her body. She slowly opened her eyes, watching as furious snow moved over the horizon. "What the hell?" she questioned as she looked left and right, shaking the blizzard's touch from her body.
The Godaime Hokage stared at the snow she lay on. She also noticed that she wasn't alone. Hundreds, if not thousands, of the men and women from her home and others were laid through the snow. She looked up and her eyes widened. The sky, she could actually see the sky. Well, she could see more than the sky. She saw a sky filled with numerous star-like constellations not perturbed by the harshness of the freezing blizzard. There was a black moon that loomed over the sky, casting it dark glow over their area. The body of the moon, if one could even call it that, was littered with numerous scars and blows. Tsunade had never seen such a thing before.
How did they get here?
Tsunade touched her head. Her hand was filled with blood. It was then that she remembered they'd been fighting. They'd all been fighting for, and losing, their very lives. Jiraiya died in her arms by unexplainable means. In his last words, he spoke of his love for her. He even… he even had the fucking gall to beat that she'd owe him a true date if he lived. No matter how much chakra Tsunade pushed into him, she was forced to watch as half his body was blown to pieces along with the elder Fukasaku. His other half and elder Shima were next, his blood slipping through her fingers.
Pushing down her tears, lest she be overwhelmed by the guilt and powerlessness she felt, the female Hokage struggled to her feet. She walked through the mass of bodies. She tried not to think about the ones who had already passed away at this time. Thankfully, she didn't have to walk for very long.
"Ugh! My head. What happened?" a Kiri shinobi questioned while Iwa shinobi and Suna shinobi stood up, everyone in surprise at their new surroundings.
"Sasuke! Come on. Wake up dammit! If you dare die on me, I'll drag your fucking ass back to live and kill you again!" Yuna exclaimed and she rubbed her lover's head. Her breathing eased when she heard the Uchiha heir groan. He slowly opened his eyes and the older sister of Shisui smiled, brushing her fingers through his hair.
"I heard you the first time," he answered.
Yuna snorted. "Be happy I care. The fucking things I do for you," she replied. Sasuke grunted, but he grabbed her hand while she continued to tend to him.
On the other side, Yuri lifted up Yura. Risa and Tayuya stumbled over to them. "So suffice to say we got our asses kicked right? Is this what the afterlife looks like?" Tayuya questioned.
"Your guess is as good as anyone else's. Though if this is the afterlife, I thought there'd be more of us here than this. Wait, haven't you died? Shouldn't you know?" Yura asked.
Tayuya growled. "I was too dead to realize. Sorry," she retorted. Despite the joke, no one was laughing. The snow and ice continued to stick to everyone before the entire force heard screaming. They turned their heads and saw Kurotsuchi holler at the top of her lungs.
"K-Kurotsuchi-san, please calm down!"
"Get the fuck off me! Where is that bastard?! I'll fucking kill him! I SAID GET OFF ME!" She shouted as she grabbed her comrade and punched him across the face. He slid through the snow while others moved to intervene. They grabbed the Granddaughter of the deceased Tsuchikage but her power as a jonin proved too much for them. She shoved them and they watched her fall to her knees.
"I'll kill him! I'll kill him! I'll kill him! I'LL KILL HIM!" She screamed as she slammed and punched the ground, snow sticking to her gloves. The frost was so strong it started to burn. Even her tears began to freeze over and sting her cheeks. Her mood quickly began to infect the rest of her countrymen. One by one, they were all brought to tears as they remembered the men and women they lost in the battle, along with their beloved Tsuchikage.
Yura's heart fell at their anguish. From the corner of her eye, she saw Tenten and Shikamaru. The lifeless look in their eyes would haunt the Uzumaki redhead for years. She'd seen the loss of Lee, Hinata, and Neji. Even Hiashi was dead, their sworn blood family to the Uzumaki clan had been wiped out in a single night. "Shinigami-sama, I don't understand. Why would you allow us to suffer like this? Why won't you help Nii-sama? What have we done wrong?!" Yura questioned. E-Even Shi was gone, saving Karui in the end.
On the other side, Kakashi watched as Gai rebuffed his efforts, preferring to be alone for a change. The Jonin of Team Gai silently balled his fists, enough to make them bleed. It was no surprise why. Lee was like a son to Gai. While Kakashi had never been close to the boy, he'd known how much he meant to someone like his rival.
For everyone from Suna, to Kiri, the morale of all had effectively been destroyed. By the time Sakura and the other medics arrived, no one was willing to speak. Some stared in awe of the space they were in, shivering and creating pockets of fire to keep from freezing to death. Tsunade ordered Sakura and the Konoha medics to prioritize those with the greatest injuries. Ay and Mei did the same, a collaboration between every medic of the nations coming together.
"What about Kushina?" Mei questioned.
"She… she's still in critical condition, but we've at least got her out of worst danger. It's taken at least thirty medics to keep her alive, but now that we've done that, I've sectioned off a few to men to monitor her. I believe she will be fine… for now," Sakura replied, healing a Kiri nin.
The rest of the Kage came together. Karin quickly started healing them as well, her chakra continuing to drain away as their wounds closed. "So what do we do now? We have no idea where we are," Gaara said, even though he was emotionally drained from the sight of losing his brother. Temari was barely holding onto her nerve, the adrenaline working in her favor to follow Gaara's orders to scout the lands.
"I don't believe we're on earth anymore. We could be on another planet. Of the many lands I've traveled to I've never seen ones with a sky like this," Mei said, staring up at the space beyond the dimension they were standing on currently. She glared at the black moon as her breath chilled in the harsh cold.
"On another planet? How is that even possible?" Ay questioned.
"Naruto," Tsunade said, getting everyone's attention. They slowly became aware of what she meant. Naruto had come before them at one time.
Naruto called the four Kage and Kurotsuchi to him. "I shall be honest. I do not believe I can beat him. I want you all to be prepared. In the event that I don't believe I can beat him, I will send all of you somewhere safe. I… don't know where I'll be sending you, but I'm told that it should be out of Jashin's reach," Naruto said, the five utterly silent. They felt like they couldn't speak with the radiance of his divine glory. He's actually had to lessen the intensity of his presence just to keep them from going blind while looking at him.
"If you safely make it, do not attempt to come back here. You shall only get in the way. Know that I will try my hardest, I shall fight not just for you, but for our world. If nothing else, survive as best you can! Survive!" Naruto urged.
None of them spoke a word. In the face of his power, they could only nod before the Shinobi Force came face to face with Jashin. Naruto turned to face him once again.
"So this was what he meant. Though I don't know how safe we can be if we freeze to death like this," Mei said. Tsunade bit her lip before she exhaled.
"Still, this means that Naruto doesn't believe he can win. He took us here and they're no doubt still fighting back on earth. For all we know, this might be the place we live from now on. As it stands now, we've all sustained heavy damage. Plus, I think we've lost enough already," The Hokage returned.
"Of that, we can agree on," Ay returned. He was still wary of the Akatsuki members that had traveled with them. Indeed they were criminals, but there had also been enough fighting. Ay didn't need to see more of his own people's blood.
"Wait, what about our villages?! They couldn't have been teleported with us!" Mei exclaimed.
"I believe we must face facts that those might be lost to us until we devise a proper plan. If Naruto and that god are still fighting, then I can only imagine there isn't much for them to hold back on. Even if we could go back, we'd only give the enemy more targets to hinder Naruto," Gaara answered.
"So we do nothing?!" Ay questioned while Mei held her head down.
"I believe doing something was what got us in this mess in the first place. For now, we…"
The Mizukage cut her statement short when they all saw Shizune take a nervous step forward. Tsunade narrowed her eyes, but the former assistant to the Hokage slowed her breaths. "I apologize for the interruption, but I believe the Kage would like to see what's over that snowy ridge," Shizune said, pointing out into the horizon.
The four Kage stared in the direction that she pointed. Grabbing some willing men, they marched through the ice and snow until they made it to the edge of the ridge. Immediately, all eyes were turned on Tsunade who stared in shock at seeing the entirety of Konoha, battered and bruised, but still standing. That said, what concerned her more was the Jashin symbol still hovering over it.
"How fortunate for you that your village remains standing while we have to guess on the outcome of ours!" Ay snarled.
The Hokage turned to the Raikage. "And what's that supposed to mean? What even makes you think I had a hand in this?" Tsunade questioned before the Raikage grabbed the scruff of her shirt.
"Raikage-dono, now is not the time to fight amongst ourselves. As much as I don't agree, I believe it would be best if we make use of this. This could is deadly. In fact, I somehow feel it draining our chakra as well. We run the risk of truly dying out here if we don't have a place to stay. This is a good opportunity. Besides, please remember your actions. They will have a reverberating effect," Mei said.
The Raikage turned his gaze and he noticed a crowd of people carefully observing them. Kumo shinobi glared hatefully at Konoha shinobi. In fact, even a few Kiri and Suna shinobi were starting to be filled with spite and anger.
From afar, Nagato carefully watched. "As expected. Human beings are those who pursue strife. Give them a reason, no matter how pathetic, and they will always fall to their basest instincts. Out of love, sacrifice is born… hate is born… and then, all we shall know… is pain!" he said as Kisame and Zetsu continued to observe from his side.
"Indeed. It is the grandest drama that one may obtain upon this mightiest of stages," The Regent replied, slowly clapping to himself. He smiled behind his mask.
Far off, Tayuya and Risa snarled as they found themselves surrounded by shinobi from the other nations. "What the hell are they angry at us for?!" she questioned.
"For all we know, their villages were destroyed. Friends, family, respected graves, all of that could be gone. We have ours. It's actually understandable," Yugao said silently, already moving to grab her sword. She watched with a focused gaze as Kumo shinobi grabbed kunai and swords. Konoha shinobi quickly prepared to defend themselves, taking out their weapons as well. Tenten and Shikamaru couldn't even grieve as they had to stare down at those who'd covered their backs not even ten minutes ago. However, no one was ready to feel an explosion of Honshou from Yura. She gritted her teeth while the snow under her feet began to melt.
"Nee-chan?" Yuri exclaimed, taking a step back as she watched her sister get up. She took a step forward.
"Kushina-san risked her life to save our world, save each and every single last one of us, nearly dying in the process. We all fought together to save our planet. Nii-chan is now over there, fighting as hard as he can to give us a place to return to, fighting hard to right the mess that we couldn't. We ALL watched our friends die right in front of us, Konoha, Kiri, Kumo, Iwa, and Suna. Are we really going to stain another world that isn't even our own with our blood like this?! Better yet, that god, the one who killed us like fucking animals, said the only thing we're good for is killing each other. Are we really gonna prove him right?!" Yura asked as she stepped towards the Kumo shinobi, each step a nigh violent hum of divine strength.
The group quickly began to shiver, tears falling down the side of their faces. Yura's red hair slowly began to turn white as her eyes glowed with the strength of the Shinigami. When she stepped on the ground, a small crater appeared. "Fine. If you want to kill so damn badly. Then kill me. I was a Konoha shinobi. Do what you're good at. Do what's easy. KILL ME!" she hollered, glaring at one of the Kumo shinobi. He quickly fell backward and dropped the kunai. All he could do was grit his teeth in shame and anger.
Seeing this, Darui ordered their men to stand down. The Kumo shinobi slowly lowered their weapons. Karui slammed her sword on the ground while Omoi grabbed a Kumo kunoichi's arm and lowered it, shaking his head. She glared at him but held her head down, grief and sadness threatening to overwhelm her.
Yura then turned back to the Kage. "You wanna kill us all until there's no one for Nii-sama to bring home when he saves us?" she asked, her voice powered by a thousand other voices.
Ay growled and he turned back to Tsunade. She stared at him sternly, but he slowly released her. The Raikage turned his head away while Tsunade exhaled slowly. "I can't speak for your villages, but Konoha will provide for all of you, on my word. I'll be honest, I really don't wanna go anywhere near that damn symbol, but there must be a reason our village was left standing. For now, we will inspect the village, and find out if anything's working. We will have to be quick or we run the risk of losing more men to the cold. Follow me," Tsunade said.
Mei and Gaara nodded. Ay sucked his teeth but agreed as well. The Kage called their shinobi together. An Iwa jonin, seeing that Kurotsuchi obviously wasn't up to the task of commanding the remnants of the Land of Stone, took up the task. An Iwa kunoichi picked her up and they all made their way toward the village.
Mikoto sighed, suddenly very tired. "Are you alright, Sasuke, Itachi?" she asked.
Sasuke nodded as Yuna helped him up. Itachi nodded as well with his mother helping him to his feet as well. "Reminder to not get on Yura's bad side," Yuna stated.
"You'd think she'd be Kushina's child with a personality like that. Never heard her swear like that before," Mikoto chuckled as they continued walking slowly.
Yuri watched her sister on her own until the frown on her face deepened. "Yuri?" Konan questioned.
"I thought I was strong, Konan-san. Thought I could take on anything with Nii-chan by myself. Now I realize just how much stronger I need to become. This feeling… I hate it. I hate it so much! I'm going to make sure this never happens again," she growled, clutching her chest in pain.
"That you think so already proves your strength, Yuri. I will be with you when you do," Konan answered. Yuri faintly smiled as they began walking as well.
Despite his protests, Rin pulled Obito with her and Kakashi. In fact, it was more like she had to coax him to come with them. He really wished he had his orange mask right about now. His thoughts were still an utter mess. Rin's hands felt real and her smile was as he always remembered. However, if she was alive now, what did that mean for his mission? For his resolve? What did that mean… for anything?
Yura watched everyone go, even the Akatsuki, toward Konoha. She looked up at the starry sky. The black moon hovered over their heads. She exhaled a very cold breath and shook the cold off her body. "What… what was that?" she asked herself before she looked back up.
"Nii-sama, please be alright," she pleaded. She looked around and saw no one around. She then chuckled. She couldn't be serious right now. With everything that was happening, she really didn't know why she'd bother doing this. It became clear that the Shinigami wasn't answering anything. Yet, she nonetheless fell on her knees, the frigid cold threatening to wrap around her.
"Shinigami-sama, I pray you watch over Nii-sama. I pray you use your divine power to keep him safe. Above all, I thank you for your blessings and what you've given us. Regardless of what happens, our family would not have become what it was without you. I don't know why you've forsaken us or are silent, but… I'll have faith. I'll stay strong. Please, return Nii-sama to us," Yura said in silence before she opened her eyes and stood up. She dusted off the cold snow from her clothes and walked away, hoping to rejoin the rest of her friends.
-x-
Jashin stared back at the being Naruto had become. A white skeleton radiating with great power roared at him. His eyeless sockets seemed to pierce even through the God of Slaughter's body. When he'd been unchanged, the divine ground was relatively small next to the god's own power. While this was still a far cry from what he could output, it was still much larger than what he even thought a human being ought to be capable of unleashing.
Then, there were these spirits. While the soul remained the same, it became clear that Naruto had surrendered control to all of them. Their rage and malevolence were like a glass of red wine, their great wrath pouring out full strength into Jashin's mouth. They were great warriors, mighty warriors, fallen warriors. Between the both of them, fragments of the broken earth floated in the air.
"Me, your new body? I've never heard anything more offensive and exciting. And what makes you believe you have the right to challenge me?" Jashin asked.
The earth continued to break apart, the ruined ground spewed out vicious flames and floods of lava. Mountains as far as the Land of Lightning were brought down. The mouth of the center of the earth opened, and heat of such power began to burn even the atmosphere itself. Stars and celestial bodies fell from the sky as Naruto's skeleton cackled.
"We… born… right. Our Lord desires your death. In… exchange, he… ours now! When done with him… you n-next! Eternity… ours! Realm of life… ours! Realm of death… ours! We… FOREVER!" Naruto hollered, his skull clattering about. He screamed and a burst of divine power ruptured through the ground, releasing pockets of hot steam and furious winds.
Jashin smirked. "So if I lose, I shall become a host of all the animals I've killed through the millennia that I have reigned? Not bad, Uzumaki Naruto. Not bad at all. However, this is the last time. Make me fall, Uzumaki Naruto. Otherwise, this world and all worlds shall become mine until the end of days!" The God of Slaughter urged.
The white skeleton stared at Jashin. The god of slaughter matched the gaze with his own. Not a single mortal remained upon the rotten earth. Were any beings to see its form, they would have thought it a blood planet, red and full of scars. In fact, at any moment, some might fear the earth would break apart until there was nothing left. Ravages of battle littered what was once a blue and green planet. The lands of Suna became overcome with dusty tornadoes. Remains of Sunagakure crashed into each other as the bodies of its citizens fell beneath the dead sands.
The lands of Iwagakure were torn apart by fierce earthquakes. Its village and citizens were eaten alive by the burning undergrounds. Monuments of the Elemental Nations were taken apart, burning in molten lava.
The lands of Kiri were flooded by oceans of blood. Large tsunamis covered the village and its dead citizens. Fish and undersea wildlife had all been killed, their rotting corpses polluting the once-clean air. All that remained was a sea of nothingness. No land, no soul, nothing lasted there.
Then there was Konoha. Having been teleported away, the only thing left was the flames which burned away the luscious trees of the village. The flames burned away, cleansing the ground of all the history, all the violence, all the betrayal, all the evil done by the nations not just to each other, but also to those under them. A land of betrayals, violence, and grief burned and crushed away while the spirits in Naruto's body suddenly fell silent.
The grin on Jashin's face slowly fell to a small smile. The skeleton took a step forward, the ground splintering beneath its feet. "Yes, come to me, Uzumaki Naruto! Come and face your destiny!" Jashin thought as Naruto held up his right palm. The spirits channeled great power into it, a mixture of every element in the elemental nations swarming through it. A bright glow like the stars themselves circulated through it, the power of death and creation itself.
Instantly, Naruto charged at Jashin with such force that the ground was blown away from behind him. Jashin blasted himself toward the Summoner of the Shinigami as well. The skeleton gritted its teeth, the power of over a million vile souls fueling its grand power. Naruto pulled his fist back and Jashin did the same. "Yes! Entertain me! Prove yourself worthy!" Jashin screamed to himself, his fist coating itself in the power of the stars and the heavens.
The Summoner of the God of Death and the God of Slaughter crashed their fists into each other. The skies and the ground were torn to pieces. Harsh winds scattered the ground to rubble, burning a crater into the face of the earth. Naruto snarled as he fired another punch. Jashin dodged to the side and released a kick. The skeleton grabbed the god's leg and swung him over his body. Over and over, the two traded blows. Flashes of white fire and thundering pockets of booming air moved through the ground.
Jashin launched another punch at Naruto's pure white skeletal frame. This one collided with the skull of the Uzumaki Patriarch. However, the grin on Jashin's face fell when he saw Naruto grab his arm. His skull clattered before ten spirits released their ethereal forms from his body. They opened their mouth and released a sea of fire over Jashin's form. Meanwhile, Naruto pulled on the god's arm and slammed his fist into his chest. He didn't stop with that, however. He unleashed a barrage of blows on Jashin's face and chest. They two danced in the cleansing fire of pure energy, pillars of the realm of eternity spearing through the earth.
"Do better boy! You won't last long if that's all you are!" Jashin thought as he grabbed Naruto's fist. He held it up and buried his fist in the gut of the skeleton's chest. This sent Naruto flying into the air. Jashin sucked in his legs and flew after him. Body against body, he shouldered the blond and then grabbed his hairless, skinless head. He then forced him to head for the earth. The two fell with such speed that they seemed almost likely a comet ready to strike the planet.
Before the two collide with it, Jashin's head whipped to the side in surprise forcing him to release Naruto. Sailing through the air, his eyes honed in on a second skeleton which had sprouted out from the original's body. It then opened its mouth. From its maw came a swirling mixture of lightning, earth, and fire. His eyes widened. He reached out his hand to grab a piece of one of the black spires from the earthen floor. The second skeleton fired a mixture of lava and lightning, pulses of white rings covering its beam-like length.
Jashin grabbed his spear and thrust into the blast. Even he felt his body tremble as the spear split the lava and lightning, firing it off in two different directions. Jashin watched the lands explode as a tower of lava broke through the firmament. He landed on the ground and Naruto landed miles away from him.
Jashin picked up his spear, but the instant he took his eyes off Naruto, he doubled over in surprise when Naruto was already in front of him. He grabbed the god's shoulders and slammed him into the dirt. "Dead… god! Mine!" Naruto cackled as he rolled up his fist and crashed it down into Jashin's back. He then released another blow, and another, and another after that. Deeper and deeper into the ground they went, Naruto relentless as the spirits controlled his body. His divine power exploded in such quantities that those years upon years away from the Elemental Nations felt each crushing blow.
Naruto raised up another fist before Jashin caught that one. He thrust out his foot, but Naruto countered it by blocking with his arm. However, Jashin, expecting that, swung his spear and tore Naruto's skull from the rest of his skeletal body. Unfortunately, he wasn't allowed to celebrate his victory because Naruto's body slowly faded from the hole they were in.
The God of Slaughter stood up until he saw and sensed the skies illuminated with the fury of his brother's power. He looked up and saw Naruto floating there in the air with over a thousand spirits surrounding him. Grouping up in hundreds, the spirits laughed maniacally, holding their hands toward the space out of the very earth itself. Jashin frowned when he saw the skies burn with grand fury. A thousand massively large balls of white fire descended upon the earth.
"Shisenpō: Gaikai: Chōōdama Tengoku Hyōgi-Kai no Kōka (Death Sage Art: Outer Realm: Many Ultra-Big Descents of the Divine Council)!" The numerous voices possessing Naruto hollered out.
"So you realize that you'll need more than just the might of your world to face me? Understandable, if misguided!" Jashin thought as the orbs blessed in the fury of the Shinigami crashed into the earth, each on top of the other. The entire northern face of the planet was blown apart and turned into a cataclysmic crash, reshaping the lands of Kumo into a place where almost no living thing could stand.
As the flaming balls fell on their target, Naruto's frame rattled. He slammed his bony hands together. The other spirits around him touched his body, augmenting his already immense prowess with their own. He opened his mouth and a blast of pure Honshou flew through. The blast pierced through the flames and straight into the hole the two made before. The pulse of a dying heart, the clouds of white ash flew over the air of the planet, exploding on top of the other kicking up dust, dirt, and fire. Nevertheless, the blast stopped as Naruto scowled. He felt the power of Jashin rise as he blocked the force of the blast with his palm.
"Excellent, boy! So you'd rather destroy this world than let me have it! Heh, maybe I should have gotten to you first before my brother. You'd make a good Jashinist!" Jashin gloated. He redirected the blast back at Naruto, but the spirits directed it back to Jashin. The spirits flew back into Naruto's body as a large light covered the area.
The Kyuubi Jinchuuriki landed on the smoldering remains of Kumogakure. In spite of the field of fire and scorched earth, the ground didn't burn the blond's feet. A pile of steam exhaled from his teeth. He stared out into the vast void of nothingness. Even with no living thing save for the God of Slaughter and the Summoner of the Shinigami, there was still so much noise. The white skeleton summoner turned his head and saw an arching bout of fire spew out of the earth and into another part of it. His bony feet stepped to one side when the ground splints beneath him and gave in underneath its own weight. Just that splinter was enough to cause a rupture, breaking the western side of Naruto's viewpoint into a massive valley of nothingness.
"Beautiful, is it not?"
The skeleton turned his head and he saw Jashin walking over the molten earth. "I'll admit. I had not envisioned such an outcome, but I would like nothing more than this. Utter death, utter destruction, the silence of the void, the nothingness of life. What better exuberance is there than this? Is it not a good feeling? To stand at the apex, to change the landscape by your own hand? To know what comes after, no matter what it is it will bow to you or die in its futile attempts to defy you? There isn't a great feeling!" Jashin exclaimed, a crazed chuckle in his voice.
Naruto's eyes narrowed. However, the spirits spoke for him. "No… fear. No… subjects. You… worthless god!" they said.
Jashin snorted. "You'll learn eventually," He retorted.
The two charged at each other again. Their fists collided and the two ran through a fury of blows and strikes. Over and over, Naruto parried Jashin's fists. Their feet danced around the other. The God of Slaughter moved his head as a fist blew past him, a boom of air releasing itself courtesy of Naruto's blow. He fired a kick which Naruto ducked away from. The Uzumaki patriarch swept his legs and knocked Jashin off balance. The two glared at each other.
Jashin shoved Naruto back, summoning black spire after black spire. The white skeleton flipped through the air and landed on the ground far off. One spire flew up across his face, but with the blond's strength, one swing tore the spire to pieces causing it to crash to the ground. The ground beneath their feet was seared with white fire, the earth seeming to pulse like a dying heartbeat.
Naruto raised his skeletal head while Jashin appeared behind him. The god grinned and fired out a punch which was quickly blocked by one of the spirits tearing themselves from the blond's body. Naruto turned around and fired a blow at the god's face which was blocked by his arm. The wind blew in their faces until Jashin found himself surrounded by thousands of spirits. Each of them looked at him, licking their lips.
Jashin swirled his spear through his hands as the spirits descended upon him like an army of the dead. "You have much to learn boy. Even if you bring a thousand ants to your aid, they are still just that in the end!" Jashin thought as he charged into the masses, effortlessly tossing them away, slaughtering their bodies with his divine might. Others were strong enough to stop him for a moment or two, their fists clashing with his spear. That distraction was enough as others launched themselves into the air. Hundreds of them utilized a combination of the elements, Naruto memories flowing through their souls, they hold their hands up in the air. Each spirit forms a large spiraling sphere, sparkling with the power of the stars and the worlds beyond that of the elemental nations.
Each threw their sphere at him while Jashin continued to parry and slaughter those standing before him. Immediately, the rest backed away as he looked up and saw what was supposed to be his demise. "Do none of you understand? I am the beginning. I am the end. I am the apex of your miserable lives. Do you not know the nature of my realm?" Jashin asked as he held out his hand. Instantly, each ball was destroyed long before it made it to its destination, slaughtered to pieces by the summoned god.
He grinned before he frowned when a large portal appeared in front of him. Naruto's skeletal frame appeared out with a rasengan of his own. He slammed it into Jashin's chest. Launching him through the air. The blond slipped back into the portal and opened it behind Jashin again. He formed another in his opposite hand and roared, slamming it into his. Naruto watched Jashin explode into the ruined earth.
The god coughed and shook his head. When he opened his eyes, he saw himself once again surrounded by spirits that had taken over the boy. They continued to grin madly, but Jashin wasn't concerned with them. Instead, he looked up as Naruto descended down. The spirits fly back into the skeleton. The two stood together, the ground almost like glass itself. It cracked and trembled, each step creating a canyon's worth of split earth. Jashin held up his hand and beckoned Naruto to come and face him. The white skeleton looked at his opponent.
Naruto held up his hand and turned his palm to Jashin. "Be warned, who knows what you'll destroy if you miss me," Jashin replied. However, Naruto didn't care. He'd long since passed caring at this point. The spirits in his ear encouraged him and he listened. All the shit that seemed to go wrong just from this bastard was enough to make the summoner wonder if this world was better off being destroyed.
Naruto then tightened his fist and charged at Jashin. Once again, the two descended into exchanging blows with each other. Defeaning shocks rolled through the air like thunder. Naruto crashed into the ground, shrugging off the pain before he opened his palm and fired off a stream of white flames from his hand. The God of Slaughter watched them approach with increasing speed, but that wasn't all. The sky illuminated itself out down came two large arms like those of the Shinigami itself.
Jashin watched them come down with great speed. They seemed so large that no matter where he ran, they would catch him. Never had the God of Slaughter felt such excitement. He immediately turned back to the fire blast coming for him, courtesy of the Summoner of the Shinigami. He decided that he would block the incoming shot and take the blow from the hands above, but that wasn't what Naruto had planned for him.
Instantly, Jashin's head flew toward the sky in surprise. The ground crumbled away when Naruto appeared below him, his fist extended. The blond then teleported away as the hands and the fire crashed into the god's body. Splitting the Lands of Fire and Lightning in two. Appearing in the air, Naruto sped through a myriad of handsigns. "Shisenpō: Jikūyugami: Shinsen Shinigami Rasenyōsogan (Death Sage Technique: Time-Space Distortion: True Thousand Death God's Spiralling Elemental Spheres)!" Naruto hollered as Jashin groaned. He slowly leaned himself up before he saw a myriad of portals open up.
Even he had to widen his eyes when he saw his brother's arms push through each portal. A thousand dark-purple arms, all of them swelling up with might, poured with all that Naruto and the spirits within him could muster. Within each palm was a rasengan made of every element imaginable. The arms descended down upon the earth. Jashin quickly tried to move, but he found himself forcefully pulled down to the ground with white chains. "Boy, you…" Jashin immediately increased his strength and broke the chains, but the second they held him was more than enough.
The arms crashed into the earth. There was only one single explosion. It was so large that even if someone lived on the moon itself, they wouldn't have been able to miss it. Lands as far as Suna to Kiri were destroyed. Lands once honored to shinobi were blown away into a thousand pieces. Continents were taken apart. Oceans with the bodies and blood of millions had dried up and wilted away. Naruto panted as he felt his mind start to slit into a thousand pieces. The souls he'd accepted screamed in victory, ordering him to take Jashin's authority for himself. The skeleton rattled and his bones started to break. The spirits started fighting each other, all of them trying to overtake the other. Naruto tried to keep them under control, but his voice was small compared to their own. The spirits chastised him for his weakness. These were spirits of legendary warriors, kings, emperors, wicked sovereigns, and mortals praised as minor gods.
"Didn't you say you would offer us everything? Your enemy has been destroyed! Now be silent! Now is the time that we RULE!" the spirits shouted as the skeleton clutched its head. In the depths of his mind, Naruto was assaulted on every side. He fought the oncoming men and women as hard as he could, but their understanding was beyond his own, for they had subjugated not just their world but those around them as well. They were born in combat, bred in violence, and climbed to the top through their own vile methods. One by one, blow by blow, Naruto was beaten down as the Shinigami seal on his arm started to turn from white to red.
On the outside, the skeleton screamed, cackling maniacally as the explosion upon the earth continued. In Kagura's domain, doctors screamed as Kushina's body became overwhelmed by a malevolent force of power. A dark seal started to stamp itself on her head. Her skin started to tear itself off. Kushina gritted her teeth, her eyes glowing with hate and wickedness. The doctors fell back in horror.
"Someone get the Kage!" Sakura shouted before she screamed when Kushina caught her by her throat. The chunin screamed in pain as the dark energies swirled around Kushina's body. Sakura gritted her teeth before she cursed. She channeled what chakra she could into her fist and launched it at the redhead's face. Unfortunately, she watched in horror as Kushina caught the blow.
"Auauaaaaaauuuuugh!" Sakura screamed as Kushina snapped her arm. The Uzumaki matriarch then threw her to the side. Sakura crashed through four walls before she slammed into the snow. Kushina roared into the open air as her skin began to break apart. From far off, across the planes between mortals and gods, the Shinigami slowly opened his eyes, a frown appearing on his face.
Meanwhile, Naruto cackled into the heavens, corrupted divine power radiating off his skeleton like water off the side of a great fall. "Hehehehehheehe, we will remake this world in our image. So begins the age of our empire. We shall start here with this boy, and we shall gain authority in heaven and on earth. We shall control the realm of the dead, we shall become death itself, and all life shall become ours. Even the God of Slaughter has fallen to our might. All the gods shall be next!" Naruto exclaimed, a sinister grin on his face.
"Indeed. Perhaps you might do as your say, in about a hundred millennia or so. Nevertheless, I congratulate you. To have me increase my power to about half. You all are quite powerful, but it was not you that I called to entertain me. It was him, and I have been entertained enough. He is not ready,"
Naruto turned around in shock before his face was grabbed by Jashin. "Y-You! How?!" The Spirits asked before Jashin laughed.
"Don't tell me you truly believed you could defeat me? The amount of power I've gained from you all slaughtering, murdering, killing, and defiling in my name has granted me even greater might than even I'd conceived. I suggest you face it. That's what makes you so amusing, you kill each other, the one thing you're good at, and you make me stronger. Then, you think you can combat me. It'd be hilarious if it weren't so pathetic. Now, away from my presence, you all bore me!" Jashin said as he lifted a finger and tapped Naruto's forehead.
The spirits screamed before they were swiftly destroyed. The millions who inhabited the blond were taken away, their power being used to restore him to his human state. His organs, his skin, his hair, and his eyes, all of the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki's body was returned to him. "Your world is mine boy, everything within it is mine. Go and hide wherever you sent the rest of your people, I shall await you to stand before me again. If that makes you angry, then entertain me further. Until then, your dead shall remain with me, slaves to my whims," Jashin said as he dropped the unconscious summoner of the Shinigami.
Naruto fell through the air, falling back to the broken remains of the Elemental Nations. Black clouds covered the sky and lightning struck the air. Distant volcanoes blasted molten rock into the sky. The sands of Suna, mountains of Iwa, skies of Kumo, oceans of Kiri, and forests of Konoha were all ruined one after the other. Years of shinobi war, political scandals, plots under the cover of darkness, and graduations of young shinobi, came to an end as Naruto fell through the air.
Before he could hit the ground, he was softly pulled into the embrace of the Shinigami. The God of Death glared down at his summoner. His cold eyes then turned to the seal on Naruto's arm. It had all but been corrupted and ruined. Were Naruto to summon anything now, all he would get would be evil spirits. Spirits that he wasn't ready to contend with. What was worse was that he'd offered those spirits a piece of his soul in exchange for that power from before. Now, his soul had been severely damaged which left him that much more weakened than before. With a torn soul like this, it wouldn't be long until he was overcome anyway.
The Shinigami spoke not a word. Instead, he reached into his robe and pulled out the beaded necklace. He snapped one of the beads and swallowed it. His face was filled with discomfort before a large white soul was pulled out of his mouth. He then merged it with Naruto's body. "I shall lend this to you, for now, Shikyō. You shall return this one to me. Though you have yet to understand the topics I've taught you, I believe you shall learn them in time," Shin said. He then ripped a piece of his robe. He placed it on Naruto's lips, repairing the damage that had been done to his soul so that he would not be overtaken so easily.
After that, the Shinigami's purple fingers lit up with the flames of Honshou. He touched Naruto's forehead and the flames slowly came over him, yet they did not burn him. Instead, they strengthened his body and released the inhibitors that had been placed on him by Jashin's blow.
"Tend to him to the best of your abilities. It shall be the only way he will continue to grow after this," the Shinigami said as Pakura, Kimimmaro, Dan, Yahiko, Suiren, and Gari stood in front of him. Pakura held Naruto in her arms and firmly nodded as the Shinigami locked in on Kushina's energy. He then sent them all away. The God of Death looked out into the ruination of the earth. Indeed, it would belong to Jashin, to do whatever he wished with it. Whether it would stay that way or not depended on not just Naruto, but those he'd protected as well.
The God of Death faded away and continued his other business.
-x-
Tsunade cursed as she tended to Sakura. Numerous shinobi surrounded the building while Mei touched Kushina. "Hard to believe she did all this while she was unconscious. Whatever happened, it seems that it's stopped now," Mei said while the Raikage scowled.
"Can we be sure she won't rampage like that again? We're hurt enough. We don't need any more injuries," Ay said, his expression not pleasing at all. Fortunately, Tsunade, Gaara, and Mei agreed.
The Kage then tensed when a bright light appeared in front of them. They got ready for an attack before they noticed Naruto's summons standing in the midst of the medic room. "Who are you?!" The Raikage questioned.
They didn't answer. Instead, they turned to Tsunade. The Hokage glanced down at the unconscious form of Naruto. Pakura laid him down next to Tsunade and immediately the group slipped back into the seal on his arm. "Did… he win?" Mei asked.
"I don't think he'd be in this state if he did," Gaara replied solemnly.
"He… lost? Even with all that power that he revealed he still couldn't beat him? You mean to tell me we're stuck here?!" Ay questioned, anger and uncertainty beginning to rise within him. The snow was starting to get stronger outside and the groups were forced to quickly come together and build facilities that could cope with it. Unfortunately, there was little to no electricity and that made heating anything nearly impossible. Additionally, the Konoha citizenry was forced to share its homes with foreign shinobi. Many of the remaining clans opened up their homes.
Sasuke, Yuna, Itachi, and Mikoto allowed Suna shinobi to occupy some of the frozen Uchiha lands. Of course, the four Uchiha made sure to lock away anything pertaining to their clan's heritage. The same could be said of the empty Hyuuga estate. As clans connected by blood, Yura and the surviving Uzumaki locked away their Hyuuga family's possessions behind tightly secured seals. They then took them away and stored them at the Uzumaki compound before allowing Kiri shinobi to reside in the empty Hyuuga and Nara homes. Iwa and Kumo stayed with the Yamanaka, Akimichi, and empty Aburame estates. Surprisingly, Konoha was able to accommodate the other four nations with some difficulty. Of course, that didn't make the integration any easier.
The Kage quickly became aware of just how much hate they'd all forced upon their people as numerous complaints started to come about, but there wasn't anything they could do about it. Naruto was the one who'd sent them here and none of them had the power to leave. Plus, with Naruto's loss, they had no idea what that meant for the fate of their world. Truth be told, they were actually scared to even know.
"Well, it's clear that wherever we are, we won't be leaving without him. Someone, prepare a table for me! I'll get to work on Naruto immediately!" Tsunade hollered.
"Hai!" one of the medics exclaimed until the Hokage looked down at Sakura. The Hokage pinched the bridge of her nose. Not that she enjoyed this outcome, but she was rather thankful for it. It kept her busy, distracting her mind from all the death that had fallen upon them in such a brief amount of time.
"Sakura, I'm going to reset your shoulder. I'll then have someone look after you," The Godaime said, getting a quivering nod from her pupil. Sakura then screamed as Tsunade pushed her shoulder back into place and helped her to her feet. One of the Kiri medics led Sakura away and others hastily put Naruto on a stretcher.
"Dammit, Sakura was the best I had to work on Kushina in my absence. I don't think I have anyone else. We need these two alive. They're our only chance of things returning to normal, if they ever will. I…" Tsunade suddenly stilled. Her fists clenched, but she finally sighed.
"Kazekage-dono, will you please have someone secure Kushina? I… need to go get some extra hands," Tsunade said. Gaara looked at her for a moment before he nodded. He turned to one of the Suna medics. The medic swiftly obeyed, gathering other medics to help him as they placed Kushina back on her bed. They then began strapping her down with what was available.
"Where are you going?" Mei asked.
"To… face some difficult decisions," Tsunade answered as she left the medical room.
The Hokage walked through the Konoha Hospital. It was easily overcapacity. There weren't even enough rooms to hold all of the injured. A heartwrenching thing, however, seemed was that space was opening up slowly from… others succumbing to their wounds, dying not long after. Never in her life did Tsunade think she'd see medics from every nation coming together to heal each other. As the greatest medic-nin in the world, she'd grown used to the groans and cries in hospitals, yet the amount of mournful wailing seemed to reverb through the depths of her body.
Even more than that, the medics were getting tired. Healing of this magnitude took a lot of chakra, control, focus, and dedication. Nothing seemed to be going well for anyone. They even had to start commissions the citizens and volunteers to help them. Another thought was that Konoha hadn't the food stores to keep up with numbers like this. Wherever Naruto had sent them, she prayed there was more than just them in these frozen lands.
Tsunade stepped outside, seeing her breath when she exhaled. People moved in every part of the village, the crunching of snow a bit grating on her ears. Konoha and Iwa shinobi, once long-lasting enemies, were carrying numerous boxes from one place to the next. Kumo and Kiri shinobi dashed over the rooftops, taking orders from the medics.
The Godaime sighed and rubbed her shoulders. She looked at the sky and its odd wonders. Two moons, each of them in almost touching distance filled her eyes. A gallery of stars loomed over the horizon through the windy skies. Wherever they were, the mountains were monstrously tall. They moved up so far that Tsunade couldn't see their tipped points.
The female Hokage moved through the village, ignoring the frost on her open-toed sandals. She'd like some boots, but others needed them more. Hell, maybe some socks would be in order after her business was concluded.
The blonde came upon the Uzumaki Compound. Just like everything else, it was covered in snow. Hundreds of Suna shinobi were seated around fire pits in available blankets, many of them were sipping cups of hot water. It was then that Tsunade found her target. Her eyes softened when she saw Shizune healing the wounds of those around the area. Ebisu, Fuka, and Yura handed more cups and bowls of some type of soup to them.
It was Risa who took notice of the Godaime and greeted her. "Has there been any change?" she immediately asked.
All eyes were immediately on the two of them. Tsunade saw Shizune glance at her. There was shame in her former assistant's eyes and the Godaime wondered if the same was true for her as well. However, she couldn't afford to show weakness right now, especially not with morale at an all-time low for all nations.
"Well, Naruto's returned…" she said.
That immediately got everyone's attention. Yura stood up in shock while Risa's gaze hardened. Of course, she was overjoyed that her cousin's son was alive, but the grave look on Tsunade's face told her to keep her expectations measured. "And?" she asked.
"Well, his body's littered with injuries and he's lost a lot of blood. I haven't worked on him yet, but I'm prepared for a full night's work. We are low on medics and supplies. I surmise something happened to Naruto that made Kushina go on a brief rampage. Whenever things happen to him, they seem to bounce back to her as well. She broke Sakura's arm which has further depleted our forces. Now, I'll need someone else to look after her while I work on Naruto, and… I was hoping to have some help," Tsunade said, turning to Shizune.
The brunette widened her eyes when everyone looked at her. "She broke Sakura-san's arm?" Yura asked.
"Yes, but I believe she will survive. We've restrained Kushina for the time being so someone can look after her," The Godaime answered.
Shizune gulped. "I… I don't…"
There came a pat on her shoulder. Shizune turned her head and saw Ebisu nodding to her, there was a confident smile on his face. "Then we'll release Shizune to you for the time being," Risa said. As the matriarch and patriarch of the Uzumaki clan were indisposed, the duties of the clan fell on her.
"Thank you," Tsunade said, asking for Shizune to come to her.
The medic swallowed nervously, but she swiftly appeared before the Hokage. The two offered a greeting and quickly walked away. Risa watched them go until there was nothing more to see. Finally, she dropped to her knees, the snow and ice tickling her skin. "This is fucking crazy. All of it's fucking crazy," she said, trying not to cry. She would have if it wasn't so cold. Her tears would only freeze and sting her face later.
From behind she felt Yura's warm embrace. "We will be alright, Risa-san. I pray we will be!" she reassured, whether it was to Risa or to herself no one knew. Yura wasn't even sure herself.
"I think I'll pray we are too," the older redhead replied, clearly crestfallen.
The two sat in the cold snow, praying to the Shinigami for any mercy that could be found and given to not just them, but also to the rest of the Shinobi Force. Yura prayed the hardest, the frost of the snow threatening to burn her skin. Once she finished, she stood to her feet. "Risa-san, I'm sorry but…"
"Don't apologize. Go be with him. At times like this, a woman should be there when her man wakes up. We will hold down the fort while you and Yuri stay with Naruto. Something tells me he'll need you more than we do," she said.
Yura looked out to Fuka and Ebisu. "Go. We can handle this. Despite what anyone will think, our trouble-making cousin is the only one who can get us out of this mess," Fuka urged, pushing Yuri forward with her hands.
The young redhead slowly nodded and handed the last of the blankets and cups to one of the Suna shinobi. She then thanked the others and proceeded away from the Uzumaki Compound. She wrapped her own cloak around her head and blew a load of her breath into the cold air. Of course, she'd like to be there for Naruto, but she also knew that Yuri would be waiting as well. Ever since the village had gotten somewhat situated with the influx of foreign shinobi, her sister had all but disappeared without a trace.
Well, almost without a trace. As Yura had been the one raising her sister for a number of years, she'd gotten quite a knowledge into the mind of her fire-cracking sister. Despite their emigrating to a new village, a certain habit of her sister's hadn't changed.
Yura's travels took her far, from her side of the village all the way to the other one. She looked down and saw Yuri sitting in the stands of the stadium that hosted the Chunin Exams. "You've got to be less predictable about the places you hide at. The only difference between this and the last time is that I didn't find you in the basement," Yura said while Yuri snorted.
"Very funny, Nee-chan. I sensed you when you first came around the stadium. What is it? If it's not important, I'd just like to be left alone," Yuri replied, rolling the opening of a kunai through her index finger.
"Yuri, Nii-sama's made it back. I… think we'll be staying here for a while. He's in pretty bad shape. Tsunade's gonna work on him and Shizune's gonna work on Kushina. We should be there for them," Yura stated as she watched her sister stop toying with the kunai in her hands. She turned to her sister and Yura chose not to comment on the glimpses of frost trailing from Yuri's eyes. The Sanbi Jinchuuriki's eyes seemed filled with hope for a moment before she closed them tight.
"I see. Yura-nee, it might be better if you went without me. I think I've proven that I can't step up when people need me. Yukimaru-kun needed me, Hanabi needed me, Konohamaru needed me, Moegi needed me, they all needed me and I let them all die. To be honest, I was a little thankful for the combat, it gave me something to distract my thoughts. And before you try and give me the motivational speech, Isobu-san already tried. I thought that like Nii-chan, I could do anything if I really put my mind to it. I loved… love him so much that I wanted to be just like him. It turns out… I can't. I couldn't even let their souls rest in peace. They're probably tormented in the grasp of that fucking bastard. However, if Nii-chan couldn't even beat him, what can we do?" Yuri asked.
"We make him believe he can," Yura said as she walked down the steps. "You aren't the only one who failed, Yuri. We all did. Maybe… our failure started when we as humans couldn't achieve peace with each other. Because we battle, because we fight, because we kill each other, we breed insane people like the Jashinists. Sometimes, I wonder if they are the end products of what we would become if we didn't have this reason to force us together. Maybe that is our curse, failing over and over seeking our own self-gratification instead of thinking about others," she continued on until she stood next to her sister.
"I do know what you're feeling. The helplessness, I've felt it before," Yura replied, staring down at the snow beginning to pile up at the center of the arena.
"Really," Yuri drawled. "And pray tell when would that be that?" Yuri questioned, not exactly caring one way or the other about the answer.
"When our parents died."
Yuri stiffened, dropping the kunai in her hand. She looked to her sister in silence, watching Yura narrow her gaze. The older sister didn't look at her younger sibling. Instead, she thought about the times that she'd rather not remember. "When our parents died, I thought it was my fault for many years. I thought it was my fault too. They hid you and me in the closet before they were attacked. You were too young to remember, but I saw the whole thing. I… was actually in a position to help. I couldn't see much of the battle, but our parents were pushed back against the wall. One of their kunai landed near the closet we were hiding in. The… intruder had his back to the closet. At the time, at that distance, if I'd rushed out, I knew I could have changed something. If I stabbed him, maybe our parents could have taken advantage and lived…" Yura spoke, her fists tightening.
"...but I was too scared. I was too worried about messing up and killing all of us. In the end, they died and we lived. When I took you away, I was racked with guilt, thinking it was my fault that our parents hadn't made it. My guilt was so bad that I actually thought to drop you off at an orphanage. Clearly, I couldn't measure up when it counted for our family so I damn sure didn't think I had the grit to raise you without any direction in our lives," Yura admitted with a heavy sigh.
Yuri widened her eyes. Her own sister had actually thought of leaving her alone like that? She'd never told her this before. Then again, maybe it was better that she didn't. "And why didn't you? I guess that's the part in the story where I learn my lesson as well?" Yuri asked.
"Nope. I'll leave you here to think about what made me stay. If you give me your answer, then I'll tell you if you're right or not," Yura answered.
Yuri frowned. "And what the fuck is that supposed to do?!" the Sanbi Jinchuuriki questioned as Yura turned around.
"To be honest, I don't know. I had to mature quickly to take care of you, but I think you overestimate just how mature I can be. You're a woman now, growing, learning, and failing on your own. I can't and won't tell you what to do anymore. You will have to figure that out for yourself. But I'm not worried, you're my sister after all. Besides, I know you. You'd ignore what advice I give anyway," Yura said as she leaned forward and kissed her sister's forehead.
"I'll be waiting for you," The older redhead called out as she walked up the stairs, leaving her sister alone. Even though she was walking away, Yura knew her sister's eyes were on her until she was out of view. When she turned a corner, she smiled when she saw Kakashi leaning against the wall.
"Shouldn't you be in the hospital?" she questioned.
"Maybe Naruto's rubbing off on me. Besides, this is a form of healing in and of itself," he returned.
The smile on Yura's face quickly fell and she trembled. "Am I… doing the right thing?" she suddenly asked, no confidence from before found in her voice. She really didn't want to leave her sister like this, so vulnerable and without anyone to talk to. She'd considered abandoning her once and the thought was enough to make her wretch. She was glad that she hadn't, even if… what made her stay wasn't the most desirable of things.
Kakashi stared up at the ceiling. "You will make a great mother one day, Yura," the former sensei of Team Seven said which got a hard blush out of the young Uzumaki.
"W-Wha-"
Kakashi smiled. "The only people who ask a question like that are those who understand the full meaning of what it is to care for someone. I've asked myself that question more times than I care to admit, often ending up wrong. I think you, and Yuri, will do better than I did," he said as he bid her goodbye to deal with some issues of his own, namely his two former teammates.
Meanwhile, Yura hummed. She walked out of the stadium building and entered the frost-covered roads. She looked up and noticed a figure standing on the highest point of the tower. "You're not alone, Yuri. You've got your own guardian angel after all," Yura thought to herself before she walked away. Hopefully, the angel wouldn't get too cold up there.
Yura entered the hospital, grimacing at just how crowded it looked. Meeting the receptionist and confirming her visit, she walked in the direction of the operating room. The light was already on. A sigh, she wished she could have at least seen her lover before he went in. Miraculously, a seat was available. Yura sat down and waited with bated breath.
"Is this seat taken?"
She turned her head and smiled when she saw Yugao appear. "Please," Yura insisted as Yugao took a seat. They sat there, hours and hours passing them by as the Elemental Nations rested on the fact that their world was gone, only this village the last remnants of what they had before it had all been taken away.
KG: I felt rather melancholy once everything was said and done. It's surprising how much the characters start to write themselves instead of me doing it. To be honest, I've been doing this for a number of years and yet I'm continually surprised that nothing goes the way I want it to. It's a rather humbling, yet empowering experience. Anyway, thank you. Have a nice day.
KG: CREAM SODA!