Naruto: Kōkai

by Ken Miyamoto

After the failure of the Sasuke Retrieval Mission the Council of the Hidden Leaf decides to punish Naruto with banishment from the village forcing the hand of Tsunade. Now alone and no longer a shinobi of the Hidden Leaf Naruto decides to take his newfound life into his own hands. Follow Naruto Uzumaki as he tries to find his place in the ninja world.

22. Chapter 22

Yo, It's Ken.

Sorry.

Let's get to the reviews!

Dragonkeeper10: Ah Good ole Kurotsuchi and the terrible decision she has to make, this is the chapter she makes it so look forward to that here as you read. Also, as a fellow Naruto Nerd I haven't forgotten about those two they don't get mentioned often but they appear now and then haha. I really wanted to have a moment where Mifune could display his wisdom and what better than with Kuro I also wanted to give Marika some more time on the page because I like writing her and it helps with the romance drama bit haha. Thanks again for reading, I hope to see you in the next one!

Alexander4443: Thanks for reading bro! I hope to see you in the next one!

Reedz22: I'm glad you liked it, while not as big of a factor as the action or adventure the romance still plays a big hand in this story and I want to do justice by it. Also, I really appreciate that, it would have been really cool to see in Ghost but hey that's why we write, right? Thank you again for reading and I hope to see you in the next one!

TheMasterofNone: Thank you! One of my biggest goals with this series was to try for a unique take for the 'Banished' Naruto Fics since most of them feature a darker Naruto I wanted to take a different path that I'm glad you are reading. Naruto has always been a series that has brought up interesting talking points with philosophy so to do that justice I make sure to have interesting characters to keep up with the trend. I'm glad you find the work great! I'm more than happy to keep it going! Thank you again for reading and I hope to see you in the next one!

Jagsboy: Good to see ya! While I want to avoid spoiler territory, I'm just going to say this, your wish will be granted really soon you'll have to stay tuned. As for Kurotsuchi you'll have to go ahead and read my friend. Thank you again for reading and I hope to see you in the next one!

Krieger Techpreist: Krieger! I'm glad I was able to nail it, I gotta keep the triangle interesting after all haha. Our dear Kuro has gone through it but this isn't the end for her. This general fight with Koga is certainly going to be different so buckle up you are in for a ride. Thank you again for reading my friend, I hope to see you in the next one!

Thastaer: I'm super glad you are enjoying the story; I enjoy writing it so to know you enjoy reading only make it even better. Thank you again for reading and I hope to see you in the next one.

mothefcking oak: Thank you so much for the message, my priority other than writing a good story is respecting the characters as much as I can and for this take of the Banished story I wanted to focus on keeping Naruto in character and have him evolve within that character. I personally enjoyed writing for the sand siblings and Naruto and Gaara's relationship as well. Speaking of Temari while I technically can't have any biases regarding the romance (Yet) I can say I also really enjoyed writing her and her interactions with Naruto you also bring up a good point regarding his and Marika's conversation but there's more to read. Regarding Konoha I won't say much but stay tuned. It's been 9 and half months since Naruto was banished. Thank you again for reading and I hope to see you in the next one!

Spellbat: The chronicle continues, that 'I'll never leave' always gets me haha it looks like the descension into madness continues for the Spellbat. Also, I admire the dedication that goes into your reviews so much so it poured over, but I made sure to read it all. Regarding Kurotsuchi her character has always been this one that struggles with the self and her duty it's always made her an interesting character for me to write and you'll see the culmination of that here. Thank you for reading as always, I hope to see you in the next one!

Zipzapdoowoop: Your review is pretty long and I enjoyed every word, so I'll try to respond to as much as possible. This is a very well thought out review that goes into depth about a lot of things and I'm glad to see you thinking about it so much. Kurotsuchi is a complicated character and that is a massive part of why I love writing for her especially in tandem with Naruto with the Nature vs Nurture type of struggle she's been going through over the span of the arc. I love the options you have laid out and surprisingly you are on the right track with my thought process regarding the character but I'm not one for spoilers so you'll just have to read but I will tell you, you're on the right track. Great review. Thank you for reading, I hope to see you in the next one!

We had a lot of awesome reviews here and I enjoyed going through them all as always I'm open to questions, thoughts, and constructive criticism so if you have anything feel free to leave it and I'll respond to you in the next one.

Final thoughts, not a lot I can say but this chapter... anyway you remember when I said there'd be longer chapters? This is definitely one of them and I think it's the longest I've written for this story now and for good reason so buckle up for this one and thank you all for following the series I'm honored with each chapter that passes that you all give a read so thank you.

This chapter will go into some potential sensitive material so read at your own discretion. That said, I had a blast writing this and have waited so long to finally get here. There are 4 chapters left of the Land of Iron Arc. Shoutouts to Gamesdeas1 for being awesome as always.

Thank you all so much for reading and I hope you enjoy.

-Ken

Next Time! Chapter 23: This Strike's For You (12/20/2023)

{...}

Chapter 22: Bittersweet

Trees continued to shake and vibrant leaves fell to the ground while Naruto navigated through the misty forest.

This place gave him the creeps. It was so filled with life yet looked so dead at the same time, he had to stay on his guard. Knowing that Koga was a general, that meant that he had to have some kind of forces patrolling through the forest on the lookout for him.

He had to stay focused.

Naruto landed on another branch before he dashed off of it landing on another, his thought trailed off to Kurotsuchi for a moment before he shook his head.

He had to stay focused.

Naruto landed again before he dashed off into another direction looking for any signs of the compound. Instead, an image of Kurotsuchi laying on his stomach smiling toward him preoccupied his thoughts, almost causing him to slip.

"Come on."

Naruto shook his head again as he landed on his feet trying to keep a cool head.

He had to stay focused.

His feet slid against moss his feet landed on while he took a breath stopping himself, he heard the sound of laughter causing him to look toward the direction where it was coming from.

His eyes widened as he spotted Kurotsuchi with a flower crown on her head laughing, that wasn't anything he recognized.

She looked beautiful; Naruto's eyes widened as he shook his head.

He had to stay focused... wait.

Naruto jumped again landing on one branch before dashing to another landing.

"Haven't I already been here?"

Naruto asked while he looked at his surroundings, he swore he was moving but his surroundings looked exactly the same.

He dashed again in a different direction but landed in the exact same spot, Naruto then heard the sound of sandals clacking against the wood before he pulled his sword free from his sheath pointing at it.

"Naruto? Why are you so jumpy?"

Temari asked while Naruto's eyes widened in surprise looking toward the sandy blonde girl he hadn't seen in a long time, "What the hell is going on?" The blonde said while the girl in her kimono tilted her head.

"You were taking me home... what's going on? Why are you holding your hands like that?"

Temari asked while Naruto looked at his hands noticing his sword was gone, his surroundings had changed to the Hidden Sand. The street before they reached Temari's home back when they attended the festival together.

Their first date.

"You become a samurai or something?"

Temari asked with a laugh before she mimicked him, "Temari... this isn't real." Naruto spoke while the girl tilted her head at him in confusion trying to make sense of his words before a slightly teasing smirk appeared on her face.

"Wow, I thought it was pretty real. Tonight, seemed way too fun to be fake but... wait a minute is this some of pick-up line?"

Temari asked with a chuckle while Naruto looked around, "I'm being serious, I don't know how I'm here, but I shouldn't be. I'm supposed to be in a forest, hunting down a samurai general." The blonde spoke while Temari's expression shifted into a concerned one.

"I think you're having a moment... I'm not some easy girl but tonight you can stay with me at my home... wholesome stuff only as a little reward. You look like you've seen a ghost."

Temari explained as she walked closer to him, extending her hand, "Come on, we're almost there." The girl spoke while Naruto's eyes flicked between her hand and her eyes.

They were just like he remembered seeing them that night, sparkling beautiful teal.

"It's ok, I've got you."

The girl said while her hand got closer to him, Naruto watched carefully as he took one of his hands off of his sword reaching back toward her. It was so strange; this was so long ago it felt like, but she feels as warm as she did this night.

Like she was really here.

He had to stay focused.

Naruto's eyes widened before he swung his closed fist at Temari before the sound of metal clashing against his own made the visage girl disappear knocking Naruto right back into reality.

He was back in the forest looking at a wolf flipping away from him and landing on its feet in front of two other wolves. The three wolves were all holding katanas in their mouths as they growled at him, Naruto took a step back before the beasts advanced.

Naruto clashed against their swords deflecting their blows while he spun on his heel cutting through one of the wolves while the other two continued to attack him violently. Naruto channeled his chakra through his body as he fought the wolves around the large tree, he went on the underside of the tree after killing another one of the wolves.

The blonde clashed with the last wolf while they were both upside down fighting on the underside of the tree.

Naruto ducked under a slash before he spun on his heel cutting into the wolf with a spinning slash sending the bisected creature to the forest floor covered by mist. The blonde panted before he shook his head, he dashed off of the tree looking around.

This had to be Genjutsu, if so then the user had to be nearby. However, that brought up questions itself.

How was it Genjutsu?

Stances while utilizing chakra to perform techniques similar to the ones created with hand signs are limited to what is usually called Ninjutsu where he's from, Mifune told him that Genjutsu wasn't possible for stances as they were made for samurai and the use of something like them wasn't honorable.

Naruto flipped toward another tree branch before he landed on his feet, his now blue sandals hit water instead of another tree. His eyes widened as the sound of lightning caught his attention.

"Naruto!"

Sasuke yelled while charging at him with the Chidori sparking in his palm, the black-haired boy looked younger in his original blue outfit, the curse mark sprawling across his neck and face.

"Sasuke?!"

Naruto yelled while he noticed he was in his old orange jumpsuit, he quickly dodged out of the way of his attacker before he flipped.

"This isn't real!"

Naruto yelled while Sasuke looked back at him, "Finally snapped idiot? This is real, this is the truth. I'm not going back to the village!" The black-haired boy yelled at him while Naruto's eyes widened.

"Sasuke! This isn't real! You aren't real! This fight has been over for a long time!"

Naruto yelled more to himself then at Sasuke who laughed, "Now you're calling the fight? Are you looking down on me? Calling me weak." Sasuke said as the curse mark began to cover his entire body before his skin darkened.

His sharingan glared at him as his wings sprouted from his back, "I'll show you weak!" The boy yelled while he threw shuriken at the blonde.

'This isn't real.'

Naruto thought to himself as he dodged the bladed weapons one of them cut his arm causing the blonde's eyes to widen in shock, he turned his head only to receive a hard punch to his face from Sasuke the blonde staggered before he was picked up and flew into the arm being held by Sasuke.

Naruto struggled in the black-haired boy's grip while trying to free his hand that should have held his sword.

He managed to pull his hand free causing his sword to materialize in his hand.

"This isn't real!"

Naruto yelled as he jabbed his sword into Sasuke's neck, the boy's expression twisted into horror while it was still Sasuke's face choking on his own blood. The black-haired boy let him go as Naruto fell watching his long-lost friend die in the air in front of him.

"Sasuke!"

Naruto screamed while once again he was in the forest falling through the air, Sasuke was replaced with a large bird that fell past the blonde dead before hitting the ground.

The blonde quickly turned aiming his sword at a passing tree stabbing into it, to slow down his descent. Naruto managed to stop right before hitting the ground, he looked down at the mist before he shook his head pulling himself up to the tree he was on.

That felt way too real to be fake, but these illusions aren't Genjutsu, so what was going on? Naruto jumped again landing on another tree before he dashed along it, there had to be some kind of pattern to these illusions.

Naruto landed again this time he was a child, he nearly bumped into a smaller girl that was standing in front of him.

"Watch it weirdo!"

The girl yelled while Naruto recognized the much smaller Ino holding a potted flower in her hands.

His birthday.

"Here I was trying to be nice! You do that again and I won't sell you this flower!"

The girl yelled while Naruto looked at the girl before he kicked his feet at the ground.

"I'm sorry."

The blonde apologized while Ino tilted her head at him, "Wow, you aren't that scary at all." The girl spoke while Naruto looked toward her.

"Anyway, you are my first customer! Be honored!"

Ino yelled while Naruto chuckles at the young girl's antics, "What's so funny?" The platinum blonde girl asked while Naruto shook his head at her.

"Nothing, it's just been such a long time... of course I'm honored to be your first customer... I have been for the longest."

Naruto spoke causing the young girl to flush, she quickly cleared her throat before she nodded her head.

"Of course you are, it is me after all."

The girl spoke while Naruto laughed again, none of this was real.

He knew that.

He remembered this conversation very fondly, when Ino gave him his first flower for his birthday right after he got beaten up. Now she was saying things that she never said before, meaning somehow he was influencing the illusions.

"Hey Ino."

"Yeah?"

"I'll take the flower, I'm going to keep it growing big and strong, and show it lots of love. Then one day I'm going to give it back to you... not because I hated it or hated you but because I knew something this precious to me was best in your hands... Thank you for the flower."

Naruto expressed his gratitude for the memory of this time flowing through his words while the image of the girl blushed.

"You... you could just say you'll take it! Stop saying gross stuff!"

The girl yelled in an embarrassed voice while Naruto laughed, the illusions are reacting to his memories of the people in them causing them to react according to how he remembered their personalities.

To make him fall deeper.

That was a double-edged sword though because if that was the case then he could influence them based on said memories. The ones he made with people that were featured in them.

"Here."

The girl said handing over the flowerpot, the flower in the pot was a vibrant purple with white spots on its petals.

Then they would act accordingly to said influence of his memory.

Naruto stared at the flower inspecting it, clearly this flower wasn't the white one he was given before.

This flower may have had something to do with his vivid illusions.

"Ino... when I see you again... I wanna say this to your face."

Naruto said while the young girl tilted her head at him, "What is it?" The girl asked before a swipe cut through the flowers.

"Thank you."

The blonde said while he was back in the forest, his body was slowly being covered by vines while the flowers that were being held out in front of him fell to the ground. The vines around him died and fell off of his body while he looked ahead, he is able to land on some branches and not hallucinate however others he does enter an illusion.

The ones with the flowers growing somewhere on them.

Naruto dashed directly to another tree where he landed on dirt sliding a little, he looked at his hands that were wrapped in bandages while he was wearing a green jumpsuit.

"Green Beast!"

Might Guy called out to Naruto who looked toward the youthful man along with Rock Lee.

"We must continue to pursue our burning youth with your training! I can feel your vigor boiling, allow us to continue! Now the Dynamic Entry!"

The man called out passionately while Naruto and Lee saluted, "Yes sir!" They both called out while the blonde stretched with them.

Naruto laughed while they trained together in a plain, the blonde spotted the flowers while Lee and Might Guy charged at him.

"Naruto! Time to show your passion!"

"Naruto!"

Might Guy and Lee yelled at the blonde who grinned.

"Right!"

Naruto charged at the pair as they jumped into the air after him, the blonde jumped into the air as well spinning through it.

"Leaf Hurricane!"

Naruto said while he kicked them both with the attack before he landed on the ground flipping back into the air.

"Dynamic Entry!"

Naruto yelled launching a kick at where he saw the flowers smashing them under his foot revealing the forest again.

More vines that had been trying to grow around him died while two more wolves that were in the places of Lee and Might Guy were flung off of the tree, he was on from his Leaf Hurricane. He was starting to understand it now, the flowers are reacting to his desires and fond memories trying to trap him in place.

They would make the illusion as pleasant or as dire as possible based on the memories that made them so fond, even copying their personalities and locations. The flowers however now that he's seen them, he started to look for them, they were the only things in his illusions that wouldn't change.

Naruto was a kid again laying in the grass next to Shikamaru just watching the clouds, the blonde smiled before he destroyed the flowers returning him to the forest.

The memories he was having in the illusions started to become more vivid.

More personal.

Naruto had a feeling he was getting closer to Koga, these flowers were giving him away by trying harder and harder to distract him.

He would see through them, he would break through them.

Naruto found himself standing in front of a crying Sakura, "Naruto... please bring him back." The girl cried while the blonde looked for the flowers.

"Sakura, I'm far away right now. I can't even remember the last time I thought about saving Sasuke, not because it wasn't important to me but because I guess I've been lost just trying to find a way to make it... but I'll bring him back."

The boy confessed as he continued to look around for the flowers to get rid of them, he had to be super close.

This memory was pretty bittersweet to him.

"What about you, Naruto?"

Sakura asked while she was still crying, the blonde slowly looked toward her while she wiped her eyes.

"When are you coming back?"

The girl asked while Naruto raised an eyebrow, "Sakura... I can't come back... I'm banished, the village it doesn't need me." The boy said while the girl shook her head.

"I do! We do! When I came back you were already gone! I thought it was a prank, but it was real. You were really gone! I was devastated..."

The girl said while Naruto paused, this wasn't real he knew that, but he didn't remember her saying any of this.

"Sakura..."

"No stop it! Everyone... it's been months everyone thinks you're dead, but I don't want to believe it. You're still out there, right? We can find you?"

The girl spoke while Naruto shook his head, "Sakura stop, that's not true. You guys are fine... without me you guys are doing great." The blonde spoke with a chuckle while another voice yelled.

"Doing great?!"

Naruto turned toward the voice spotting Hinata, "You think this is great? That you were so bad? We love you, we miss you every day." Hinata spoke while Naruto blinked.

"It should have been me, not you... I was the leader. Kicking you out because of some fox? I call bull."

Shikamaru said while Naruto shook his head, "Guys, look. Help me, I'm looking for some flowers." The blonde spoke beginning to panic while a sigh came from behind him.

"Flowers... I hope you wouldn't need a bouquet as well... I've buried enough people, Naruto."

Kakashi spoke while Naruto faced him, "Shut up! Look I can't change anything I can't fix this, bring the flowers guys. You want to help me right?" The blonde asked while they continued to look distressed.

This isn't real, they didn't feel like this. It's him, he's putting words into their mouths, they're fine. Everyone is fine without him, he knew they would be.

They just had to be.

Right?

Naruto punched himself in the face while he suddenly broke into a dash toward the village, he jumped on the rooftop jumping from roof to roof while he was being chased.

"We're looking for you! We want you to come back home!"

Neji yelled, approaching Naruto on his side before the blonde jumped over him, landing on another rooftop before running again.

"We're going to make this right! You'll be back in the Leaf Village, where you belong!"

Shikamaru yelled while Naruto shook his head, he dashed forward again this time almost bumping into Iruka.

"Where did you go, Naruto?"

Iruka asked while Naruto backflipped away from him, he dashed again jumping to another rooftop.

He was almost there.

"Naruto! Please don't leave me! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry for burdening you with finding Sasuke! I bet it made you feel so guilty! Please don't leave me behind too!"

Sakura yelled while Naruto roared into the air before he jumped crashing through several buildings before, he hit the roof of another. The boy groaned while the others were catching up to him, he spotted the flower shop and was about to jump toward it, but he stopped. He turned spotting a figure standing alone on another rooftop that he quickly dashed to, recognizing her immediately.

Naruto landed right behind Ino who was looking across the village as the wind made her hair sway, "Ino..." The blonde boy said while slowly she turned around.

In her hands was the flowerpot in it was exactly what he was looking for, the flower he had to destroy.

"Ino, I knew I could count on you."

Naruto said while he looked at the engraved 'Thank you' he carved on the pot when he returned it. He slowly looked up at the girl's distressed face.

"You said this would help you... so I have it... Naruto... I don't know where you are right now but..."

Ino spoke while Naruto frowned at the girl who shed a couple of tears.

"Don't say goodbye."

Ino spoke while Naruto felt a pain in his chest from her words while the others gained on him, her hand touched his cheek causing him to change from his younger orange jumpsuit self to his current outfit.

Then wordlessly Naruto slashed his blade in the air returning to the forest, Ino's hand was replaced with a dying vine that had begun cutting into his face.

The vine fell to the ground dead while bunches of vines that were stretching from other trees died as well. The blonde looked toward the bright light of the tower piercing through the fog.

Naruto was so close.

He dashed directly toward the tower lights landing on a lower tree, he was about to jump again but he stopped when he saw something land next to him from the corner of his eye.

"You've grown, kid."

Naruto looked to his side spotting a white-haired man with a small smile on his face, the boy immediately charged at him.

"Easy kid! It's me!"

Jiraiya yelled while Naruto growled swinging at the man with his sword, "Haven't you had enough, Koga?!" The blonde screamed while Jiraiya dodged his attacks.

"Koga? Kid, I know it's been a while but it's me! Relax!"

Jiraiya yelled dodging another attack while Naruto started throwing kunai at him.

"Kunai? Really?! Have you gone feral or something being out here by yourself all this time?"

The man joked while Naruto yelled again, "You aren't real! Pervy Sage you aren't actually here, this is a lie!" The blonde yelled while Jiraiya sighed.

"I have a lot of explaining to do, I know. However, you do too! You've grown a bit; you have a sword now. Also, I haven't forgotten about that girl in the compound with the samurai I spoke to either."

Jiraiya said while Naruto stopped in place, "How do you know that? No wait, these illusions they take advantage of my memories. No, you need to tell me something I wouldn't remember." Naruto pointed at the man while Jiraiya put his hands up.

"I know who your father is, I'm going to tell you too if you let me talk."

Naruto looked at the man with a skeptical expression before he walked toward the blonde slowly with his hands up. "Look, hit me. Gently though, I'm an old man I bruise easy. If I'm an illusion, then you shouldn't be able to do that right?" Jiraiya said while Naruto looked at the man, he slowly punched him in the chest causing him to back up.

"See? Better yet, I'm not trying to kill you. Though I should at least get you back for trying to murder me."

Jiraiya complained while Naruto sniffled a little looking at his teacher while the man smiled back at him.

"Big Ole Crybaby."

The man said as he embraced Naruto, "I don't get it... how were you able to find me? This forest if freaking crazy." The boy complained while Jiraiya sighed.

"Mifune, the samurai leader. I ran into him on the road, and he told me about the Badlands and that you were sent to kill a general for some civil war? I knew time had passed but jeez you had to get into some pretty heavy stuff as such a young kid."

Jiraiya explained while Naruto shook his head, "I became a full-fledged ninja while you were gone, I might even be stronger than you now." The boy joked while Jiraiya rolled his eyes.

"Whatever, anyway. I hate meeting you like this, I wish our reunion was more well less high stress. So, you gotta go in there and take that guy's life?"

Jiraya asked while Naruto sighed, "It's not like I want to, Pervy Sage. These guys they want to attack the rest of the world and cause a war. If I leave them, they could come back and cause more trouble, it makes it even worse that these guys are real people not just monsters." Naruto spoke while Jiraiya nodded his head.

"That the truth of this world Naruto, everyone is human one way or another. Different circumstances and life choices. No real bad guys. Just complicated enemies."

The man said while Naruto nodded his head, "I wish it didn't have to be that way, but it is, I had to learn that without you." The blonde said while Jiraiya gave him a look.

"I'm here now. I also wanted to tell you... I'm bringing you back to the village."

Jiraiya said while Naruto gave him a look, "Hey, no tricks. It was a pain in the ass just to find you, but I couldn't just sit by, so I started looking using my network. Got a hit here and turns out a crazy war is going on." The man joked again while Naruto sighed.

"Look, the village and its people are afraid of you, at least some of them are. You aren't some demon Naruto, you're a kid. Tsunade sent you away to protect you not because you were some monster."

Jiraiya said while Naruto nodded quietly, "We're going to make things right. First, we finish up this conflict, take the girl back to Stone, then get some training in on the way back to the Leaf. Potentially peeking on a bath or two." The man chuckled while Naruto gave him a look.

"I'm a gentleman now, Pervy Sage. I don't do peeking ya big pervert."

Naruto spoke while Jiraiya laughed, "Yeah... I guess you don't now huh?" The man said while the blonde nodded his head.

"That's not all, I also read your pervy books. Turns out I'm a fan, go figure. I kissed a girl, I learned new jutsu, I made my own jutsu, taught a kid how to walk on water... met a person that I want to protect no matter what... I've done a lot since I last saw you."

Naruto said while Jiraiya sighed, "You're trying to make me feel bad right? Well too bad, I'm really proud of you." Jiraiya said while Naruto nodded his head.

"I even mastered the Rasengan."

The blonde spoke while Jiraiya's eyes widened, "Seriously? Without using clones?" The white-haired man said while Naruto extended his hand.

He placed his other one on top of it, forming the Rasengan slowly in his palm, the breeze blew gently from his palm before the jutsu formed, engulfing the boy with warmth.

Jiraiya marveled at the Rasengan while Naruto looked up from it calmly, "Naruto, that amazing." The man said while the blonde nodded.

"Your turn, I wanna check how it compares to yours."

Naruto said while Jiraiya lifted his palm quickly forming the Rasengan in it a warmth coming from it as well, "Impressive, but yours is still a little slow. I can help you out with that later though." The man said while he looked toward Naruto who had a big smile on his face.

"Sure!"

Naruto exclaimed before he allowed the Rasengan to fade from his hands while Jiraiya did the same closing his fist.

The pair looked at the tower from the mist while Naruto stood next to the white-haired man, "So what's the game plan? I'm guess you'll have to sneak in knowing this guy. Who knows what kind of illusions he has up his sleeves." Jiraiya said while Naruto shook his head.

"Nah, I'm just going to kick down those big gates and walk right in."

Naruto said while Jiraiya gave him, "What are you, crazy?! Naruto these enemies are dangerous and-" Jiraiya was cut off by the blonde teen who moved slightly getting ready to jump.

"Pervy Sage... could you tell me who my father is, please?"

Naruto asked while Jiraiya gave him a look, "Odd timing but sure... this is going to sound crazy, but your father was actually one of my students... the 4th-" The man was cut off by a sword stabbing into his chest.

He slowly looked at Naruto who kept his eyes on the tower while the man coughed up blood.

"I see... what gave it away?"

The man said while Naruto continued looking at the tower with narrowed eyes.

"Your Rasengan... it felt warm... it felt exactly like mine. Not the real Pervy Sage's. How I remember it."

The blonde spoke while the man coughed, "You have gotten really scary kid... he probably is really proud of you." The man spoke while Naruto pulled his blade free causing Jiraiya to disappear falling into a large clump of dying vines and flowers.

"...I know."

Naruto spoke to what was now nothing as his eyes formed a glare before he blasted down to the front entrance of the tower, his feet crushing the dirt beneath them when he landed still glaring.

The blonde made his way to the doors launching them open with a spin kick, his blue eyes then focused into the room.

The room was filled with gold pillars, the most pristine mahogany hardwood flooring, and multiple chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. In the center of the room sat the general, the grayish black-haired man sat in his golden throne with an unamused expression on his face.

Koga's red eyes narrowed on Naruto while the blonde further entered the room, his weapon a scythe sat leaning against his seat near his hand while his fingers tapped on his seat's arm slowly.

"Koga, I'm here to fight you. To prevent you from reaching anyone else. This war is ending and I'm going to make sure it does!"

Naruto yelled while Koga continued to look at the boy unamused, he lifted one of his fingers to point at the blonde teen.

"You're holding your head quite high in front of me boy… Kneel."

Koga said while Naruto growled as he put his hands on his sword, the general flicked his finger at the blonde. Suddenly Naruto felt his shoulder get cut into before he immediately jumped backward landing in a low crouch.

"That's better."

Koga said coldly as he kept his narrow glare at Naruto who glared back, for some reason he didn't feel anything like either of the generals he faced already. Judon's presence filled the room with his strength and bravado, Amanai's presence was deadly and overwhelming.

This guy.

His presence was sheer coldness, he felt far worse than the both of them combined. There was something unfeeling about him, like he wasn't human.

"Now then, shall we talk?"

The man asked while Naruto glared back at him from the floor where he was crouching.

{...}

"What do you believe it means to have something?"

Koga asked while he leaned on his throne, his hand slowly picking up an apple that was sitting at his side inspecting the fruit in his hand rotating it with an expression of curiousity

"Is it holding it? To be able to physically touch it? To at any time whatsoever be able to know that you could grab it whenever you want?"

Koga said as he took a bite of the apple in his hand and chewed with his eyes closed savoring the taste before he crushed it into nothing but juice in his hand.

"Is it thinking about it? To know that one day you'll be able to see it again even if it isn't right now? That precious memory. The thought of them?"

Koga asked again while Naruto kept inspecting his surroundings, he had to find some kind of way to avoid his attacks since it looks like the general can strike from a distance.

"What is it that you desire, Shinobi?"

Koga asked while Naruto looked his way, "Is it to beat me? To fight Arashi in some epic clash and set this land free just out of the goodness of your heart?" The general asked while Naruto narrowed his eyes.

"These people deserve that, they don't deserve to be slaughtered in war. They deserve living without dying unnecessarily."

Naruto replied while Koga stroked his chin, "Of course that's not it. Is it returning to your home? To be surrounded by the ones who you held dear?" Koga pondered while Naruto stood up pulling out his sword.

"Shut up, I didn't come here to screw around!"

Naruto yelled while Koga raised an eyebrow, "You seem frustrated. What, too many desires that you've seen that were just out of your grasp? Ah, is it love?" Koga said while he lifted his hand, Naruto's face twisted while Kurotsuchi suddenly appeared in his hand.

"Such a pretty face this one, I can understand how you could desire her."

Koga said gently pushing her hair behind her ear before stroking her cheek with his fingers while Naruto's expression twisted to fury, "You bastard! The blonde yelled as Koga squeezed his hand around her neck slightly.

"That's the issue though, with having things. You see, when you have something, it will always lose its value. Lust consumes love, the rich will steal, power will corrupt absolutely. These are the foundations of humans after all."

Koga said while Naruto went to strike again but he was blown back deflecting an attack, the general meanwhile continued to squeeze his hand around Kurotsuchi's throat as the girl began to choke.

"Humans are greedy creatures, you could give them everything they want in the entire world they still wouldn't be happy. It's just more and more and more and more…"

Koga said while he continued squeezing even harder while Kurotsuchi tugged at the hand around her throat trying to release herself from his grip.

"Stop it!"

Naruto yelled while he dashed, only to be intercepted again by another attack from Koga sending him crashing into a wall.

"Those same desires that make people greedy, also make them weak. Victims instead of victors, so to pursue their greed they make us pick up our swords to protect them. To protect their desires, their treasures, the lives they spent building and tearing each other apart to build."

Koga said as his hand gripped even harder around the girl's throat as she thrashed in his grip pulling at his hand to no avail.

"Stop it! STOP IT!"

Naruto roared as he burst out of the wall, "Roaring Moon Stance: Crescent Moon!" The blonde spun unleashing a slash that Koga moved his free hand to deflect the slash effortlessly only cutting into the side of his throne.

"True warriors though, like you and I… we are above desire. We fight, we kill, then we move forward. No need to have things, that's why we are strong. At least we should be… however there's something important about the weakness of desire that exists even within warriors like us."

Koga said while Kurotsuchi reached her hand out toward Naruto, "Naruto… please…" the girl begged in a choking breath while the blonde growled.

"Roaring Moon Stance: New Moon!"

Naruto's sword vibrated while he jumped into the air, slashing his sword downward sending a blast of air toward Koga, the blast hitting against the throne only causing Koga's hair to sway.

"In order for us to become true warriors, to truly become strong. We have to abandon our weaknesses, our thoughts, our dreams…"

Koga said while Kurotsuchi cried out in pain while multiple wounds opened up on her body while the general continued to squeeze. "Save me…" The girl choked out while Naruto's eyes widened dashing toward Koga again with his blade brandished, his glare burning into the general.

"KOGA!"

Naruto roared while the man tilted his head looking toward the ninja with his cold red gaze sighing.

"We have to abandon our desires…"

Koga said as he squeezed as hard as he could around Kurotsuchi's neck, crushing it while her head filled with blood turning purple, Naruto's foot touched the bottom step of the general's throne before her head popped.

Naruto's face was covered in blood while his face twisted in horror, Koga then stood up from his seat smacking the blonde across the face with a heavy backhand.

Naruto flew backward hitting the ground with a roll as he recovered, his eyes landed on the headless corpse of Kurotsuchi while he gritted his teeth looking around.

Flowers…

There had to be flowers, this was another illusion!

"Don't bother looking, boy. You won't find any of my flowers here… it looks like my babies really messed with you."

Koga said while he tossed Kurotsuchi's lifeless body to the side, she hit the ground turning into mist.

"I raised them to use during the war against the ninja world, I figured the rest of the shinobi were like you. Greedy creatures… to allow their own desires to cause them to tear each other apart. Looks like it works like a charm, this was a good test."

Koga said while Naruto looked toward him with a dark glare heavily breathing with a growl in his breaths, the general stared back with a look of pure disgust.

"You are no true warrior, falling victim to your desires before an enemy… get out of my sight, Trash."

Koga said while Naruto swung his sword with all of his might clashing against the scythe the general quickly armed himself with.

"KOGA!"

Naruto roared as their blades clashed again the impact alone exploded sending them flying in opposite directions, the blonde landed rolling before immediately dashing off of his feet toward Koga who dashed toward him.

Naruto entered the Roaring Moon Stance aggressively, clashing against Koga who deflected and clashed against the blonde with his own blade aggressively swinging his scythe.

"Your anger is so unnecessary, boy! This is what you wanted isn't it? A fight? To save them? To beat me?"

Koga taunted while Naruto swung harder sparks flew between their weapons while the blonde lifted his blade in an upward slash breaking the guard of the general.

He went to follow up with another slash, but Koga spun kicking Naruto across the face before he spun his scythe slashing at the blonde, the teen leaned backward barely avoiding the blade before flipping backward.

"Moon Stance: Wane!"

Koga yelled while he swung his scythe around slamming it down on Naruto's sword slamming it into the floor, the boy's eyes widened while the general grabbed the back of his head smashing the teen's face into his fist multiple times before punching him into the floor.

"You even have a sorry excuse of a Moon Stance that doesn't feel like one to boot, you're an embarrassment."

Koga said while the floor splintered around Naruto's body as he crashed into it, the boy's eyes snapped back open while he rolled out of the way of a downward slash from the general.

Naruto landed on a single foot before he spun on his heel, "Dancing Moon Stance: Eclipse!" The blonde yelled before he dashed toward Koga, slashing at him with multiple strikes.

Koga used his own Moon Stance to try to keep up with the flow of strikes from Naruto while being pushed back by them, the general blocked another strike before he leaned avoiding another one.

"Water Stance: Tidal Destruction!"

Koga yelled while his scythe's blade was covered in water as he spun it mid lean before slamming that large torrent of water on Naruto blasting him backward. Naruto flipped before he summoned shuriken from his gauntlet, he threw the bladed weapons while Koga easily avoided them.

"Trying to distract me, Shinobi?"

The man yelled as he advanced on Naruto who pulled his free hand that threw the shuriken backward, the bladed weapons stopped flying forward before breaking to smaller pieces of bladed shrapnel. Koga looked back at the pieces flying toward him while Naruto weaved his hand in the air manipulating the pieces using thin shuriken string around the general who was deflecting them.

Koga spun, cutting through the shuriken string allowing the pieces to fall to the ground before he turned around in time to cut through a paper bomb that detonated right in front of him.

Black smoke surrounded Koga as he looked around in the dark cloud he was in, "Tactics like these won't work, Shinobi!" The general yelled while he took his scythe, swinging it in a circle cutting through the black smoke spotting a shadow above him.

His eyes went upward but he only saw a kunai that had a cloth parachute slowly falling toward him, the general immediately brought his vision downward spotting Naruto.

He quickly moved his scythe to block against the boy's strike, "Roaring Moon Stance: Midnight!" Naruto yelled while he pushed up against the scythe with a roar launching both of their weapons into the air.

"Disarming yoursel-"

Koga couldn't finish his words before a fist smashed against his face, the general's eyes widened while Naruto grabbed his collar before pulling him right back swinging his fists as hard as he could, punching crushing blows against the general repeatedly.

An uppercut smashed against the bottom of his jaw before a hand pulled his face right back down into a knee that smashed into it, blood flew out of Koga's nose.

'This isn't swordplay at all, this is…'

Koga trailed off in his thoughts while his face was smashed into by two more ferocious punches before a kick slammed into ribs followed by another heavy punch to his face.

The general's blood flew off of Naruto's rapidly moving fists with the glare in his ice blue eyes glared directly in his soul.

'Pure Taijutsu.'

Koga thought while an elbow smashed into his eye followed by another heavy punch across his face.

"I'll kill you!"

Naruto growled while Koga felt even more punches and kicks smash into various parts of his body, 'This Taijutsu, far surpasses any of my hand-to-hand counters!' Koga's beaten face coughed up blood while he reached his hand upward.

He felt his weapon finally return to it while Naruto retrieved his own just in time to block another slash, the blonde slid backward before he sheathed his sword ready to unleash the blade from it.

"Dancing Moon Stance: Iaido Moonslice!"

In a single move Naruto unsheathed his sword while blasting forward, Koga barely blocked the strike while Naruto pushed against his weapon. Slowly his sword was cutting through the iron treasure toward the general's neck.

Right as Naruto was about to cut through the weapon completely to end the general, he felt a hand touch his back. His eyes widened as another Koga leaned his head into Naruto's sight.

"So, this is what you wanted to do huh?"

Koga said before he grabbed the back of Naruto's shirt, throwing him backward, the blonde quickly recovered in midair before landing on his feet glaring toward his enemies. The new untouched Koga extended a hand lifting the beaten Koga from the ground, they both looked toward Naruto while the untouched version sighed heavily.

"Tricky one isn't he?"

"Yes, very tricky."

"No time to waste then."

"None at all."

The pair spoke back and forth to each other while they both lifted their scythes in different Stances both Moon and Water aimed at Naruto.

"There's two of him now!"

The blonde yelled while the duo rushed at him, "Moon Stance: Wax!" The untouched one yelled while the beaten one flanked Naruto on his other side.

"Water Stance: Liquid Metal!"

The duo attacked while the Moon Stance slammed Naruto's sword upward, opening up his guard while the Water Stance slashed at the opening with a vibrating water-covered blade. Naruto forced his sword downward blocking against the slash, the water came off of the blade wrapping around the blonde before launching him into the air.

"Moon Stance: Wane!"

Koga struck Naruto multiple times before bringing his scythe down, launching Naruto toward the ground only to be stopped from hitting it by a knee from the beaten Koga. Naruto groaned while the untouched Koga landed on the other side of the blonde slashing at him, the blonde struggled to attack or defend as he was volleyed between the attacks of the duo trapped in between them.

Naruto felt himself get cut multiple times before he felt the impact of a fist, "My turn!" The untouched Koga yelled as he smashed another fist into Naruto's face.

The beaten Koga put him in a full Nelson holding Naruto in place while the untouched Koga smashed against his body with punches and kicks. Naruto coughed up a little blood while a fist smashed into his face sending him reeling back, the untouched version of Koga winded up another punch before swinging.

He stopped his swing right before hitting a kunai that fell out of the air, the untouched Koga's eyes widened as the kunai began to glow before he looked toward his copy.

"Move!"

He yelled while the beaten version threw Naruto out of his arms moving out of the way from the glowing kunai, they both looked toward it waiting for it to explode but only a simple poof of dust came out of it.

"A fake!"

The untouched Koga yelled while Naruto spun, smashing a knee into the back of his head smashing his face into the floor, the blonde landed aggressively attacking the beaten version struggled against Naruto's flurry of slashes while the blonde summoned another kunai, he blocked a strike from behind as the untouched version tried to attack him.

The kunai spun in the air while Naruto grabbed the beaten one's collar, he pulled him blocking another attack from the untouched Koga's scythe stabbing it into his copy. Naruto snatched the spinning kunai out of the air before stabbing it into the beaten version's chest all the way through stabbing into the untouched Koga's chest as well.

"Wind Style: Explosive Gale Palm!"

Naruto yelled while he pressed his palm against the back of the kunai, both versions of Koga yelled as they exploded. The blonde rolled backward while he panted, he had a lot of his chakra back but any jutsu like that still took a lot out of him.

Naruto looked around for Koga, not spotting a single trace of the man while trying to catch his breath from the ground.

"Well done."

Koga spoke while Naruto's eyes went back toward the throne where the general was sitting again, sighing.

"I thought that your rage for your desires would cause you to slip… it looks like you still have some sense."

Koga said while Naruto growled getting into Dancing Moon Stance, "Koga!" The boy yelled while the man stood up from his throne.

"It looks like this form isn't enough to push you until you break… I'll just have to sharpen up then."

Koga said while he stomped his foot, slowly his body began to change his muscles became slightly more defined while his grayish black hair lost any sign of gray becoming black while his red eyes gleamed.

"I always was more limber as a younger man."

The man said while Naruto furrowed his eyebrows, "Why so confused, Shinobi?" The general spoke while Naruto kept looking around.

"You won't find any flowers here; I told you already… anything and everything you see here is done by myself and myself alone. Don't you know Naruto?"

Koga asked while the boy noticed the room slowly becoming foggier before the general extended his hands outward, the room immediately transformed into bright clouds and fog instead of the luxury room it was before.

"You have entered the realm of god."

Koga said while Naruto gritted his teeth holding up his blade while the general's face shifted in an expression filled with disgust.

"…Who's fresh out of mercy."

Koga spoke while the mist began to twist into two different shapes before the gathering clouds exploded revealing two figures.

Naruto's eyes widened while Koga stepped down from his throne standing next to the figures, one was Judon holding his hammer in bell form and the other was Amanai unmasked with her broken halberd and sword in her hands.

"Would you mind if I fought with my friends? The ones you buried?"

Koga asked coldly while Naruto stood his ground against the three generals.

{...}

Metal sang.

Spark flew.

Naruto fights for his life against the trio of generals.

The blonde was blasted backward by a heavy blow from Judon while he slid backward, he twisted his body around to deflect a strike from Amanai. Naruto then felt his face get struck with a knee from Koga, the blonde bounced back from the strike while he summoned more ninja tools.

"Not this time!"

Koga yelled while he spun slashing through multiple tools that had appeared while Amanai spun behind his back smashing her elbows into it before Judon smashed his hammer into the boy sending him crashing into the ceiling.

Naruto coughed while he fell toward the ground Judon kneeled allowing Amanai and Koga to run off of his shoulders jumping toward the falling blonde. Naruto tried to recover but Koga and Amanai's attacks showered against his frame slamming him downward into Judon's downward swing. The hammer smashed into the ground shaking the entire tower, while Amanai and Koga landed next to him.

"Still struggling huh?"

Koga asked while a bloodied and battle-damaged Naruto panted a little further away from the trio, "These two… they were your friends, weren't they? You're using them like puppets!" The blonde yelled while Koga gave Naruto a cold look.

"That's because they are puppets."

He swiped his hand in the air causing Amanai and Judon to rush Naruto, the blonde quickly flipped avoiding a few attacks before he deflected a strike from Amanai.

"A true warrior has no attachments, no desires, they are my friends in use alone. Both of them are weak, falling victim to their desires. Power and Love."

The general spoke while Naruto rolled over Amanai kicking Judon with his foot sending him backward slightly, the blonde then turned, clashing his blade against the dark-haired woman's attacks. Naruto watched her flip backward, kicking him in the face before gracefully landing holding her blades in a familiar position, the blonde's eyes widened while he avoided a swing from Judon.

"Formless Stance: Dance of Ashes."

Amanai spoke while she unleashed her attacks Naruto turned shifting into Dancing Moon Stance to counter, they clashed with strikes similar in rhythm while Judon quickly slid to the side of both of them.

"They were not true warriors either, they failed their blades despite their strength. They must be thrown away, that is the only truth."

Koga said while Naruto deflected a strike from Amanai before quickly turning to try to attack Judon.

"Earth Stance: Crumble!"

The man yelled stopping at the ground crushing it, Naruto lost his footing causing one of Amanai's blade to cut into his side as he hit the ground. "This truth is one you'll learn with your death." Koga said coldly while Naruto hit the ground, Judon and Amanai both swung their weapons downward toward Naruto.

Their weapons never landed as they stopped just before hitting Naruto, Koga's eyes widened as he watched both Amanai and Judon give the blonde room to stand.

"I think that you've forgotten something important too… these two the ones you are using as weapons and puppets right now. They're more than that because of their desires."

Naruto spoke while Amanai and Judon went back to Koga's side, "What a foolish notion." The man said while the blonde looked at the ground.

"These two are illusions using my memories too, right? Judon was a prideful man, one with great strength and many achievements. His ambition while they made him a killer, but they never made him throw away his honor, even to his end!"

Naruto yelled while Koga looked at Judon who huffed, bouncing his hammer on his shoulder, "Honor even after death, that is the way of the samurai." the man said while Koga narrowed his eyes.

"Amanai, she was beautiful, fighting for what she desired the most. To go as far as to love me, her enemy yet still fight with all her strength. All she wanted was to be understood by someone she cherished."

The blonde said while Amanai faintly smiled, "Forgive me, I'd rather face the man I loved properly. A proper dance." The woman said while Koga growled.

"Using my memories against me without understanding what exactly they were, will be your downfall. These two aren't just weapons to be used, they were people! And I will always remember them as they were, not what I want them to be."

Naruto said while Koga huffed, "Such ignorance, these failures. Don't think your memories will save you, these illusions aren't like the flowers." The general said while he got into his stance with his scythe.

"Shinobi! We clash once more! Allow me to face you and meet death again!"

Judon yelled while he lifted his hammer with a large eager grin on his face.

"Dear Naruto, I'm happy. We get to dance to death just a little longer. I'm still ready to kill you."

The woman said while Naruto got into Dancing Moon Stance, before taking a deep breath inward before exhaling.

"Don't worry, I'll put you two back to rest."

The blonde said while the trio of generals attacked Naruto, the blonde quickly moved to meet them, his blade moving through the air as metal continued to clash. Koga slashed at Naruto while the blonde weaved through the slashes, kicking him across the face before he landed in front of Judon.

"Earth Stance-"

Judon was cut off by a heavy attack slamming into him as the sound barrier broke producing a sonic boom. He and Naruto slid across the ground while Koga and Amanai pursued, Naruto flipped off of the downed man dodging multiple shots from Amanai's halberd.

Naruto landed, clashing his blade with Koga's scythe as the man swung with all of his might against the blonde's sword.

Koga swung pushing Naruto backward while Amanai spun on her heel, "Formless Stance: Dance of Ashes!" The woman yelled while Naruto turned to deflect her attacks. Koga meanwhile took advantage of the opening kicking the back of Naruto's leg taking out his footing.

Judon stomped his foot while he swung his hammer downward, "Earth Stance: Quake!" The man yelled and brought his hammer down with all of his might while Naruto fell backward.

Amanai spun her blade stabbing toward the blonde while Koga swung his scythe, "This ends, Shinobi!" The man yelled while the hammer slammed into the blonde.

Amanai's blades stabbed into his chest while Koga's swing stabbed into Naruto's neck the trio of attacks all hit their mark.

"Goodbye Naruto."

"Farewell Dear Naruto."

Amanai and Judon spoke while Koga raised an eyebrow before the blonde's body began to glow brightly, Amanai and Judon both smiled as they were slowly engulfed in the light while Koga's face twisted into surprise before the explosion engulfed them all.

"Wind Style: Explosive Wind Clone!"

Naruto appeared from behind the throne dashing to where the explosion went off and found no one there.

"You see Koga! Someone's desires aren't a weakness! Throwing away your desires doesn't make you strong! The thing someone cherishes, it makes them strong!"

Naruto yelled in the cloudy room while a huff came from behind him, "Funny, coming from a guy with no dreams." The blonde's eyes widened as he turned toward the voice.

He spotted himself, the version of himself that was wearing his black shirt and green pants from when he was in the Land of Waves holding Koga's scythe in his hands spinning it.

"No purpose."

The blonde copy spoke while he circled around the original, "Koga, this isn't going to work either." Naruto growled while his copy adjusted his headband get got from Inari.

"What isn't? The truth? The one that you've known all this time… you don't really know what you're doing out here? Seriously living just to live isn't a damn reason."

His copy spoke while Naruto pointed at him, "Shut up, this trick isn't going to stop me!" The blonde yelled while his copy chuckled.

"So what, you're gonna kill me? Kill yourself? Be our guest. You know you always wanted to."

The copy said while he dashed at Naruto swinging his scythe while the teen blocked with his sword.

His copy attacked him furiously while Naruto guarded and defended his copy, "All those nights! Out in the forest, giving ourselves an excuse to keep going! Pointlessly!" his copy yelled while Naruto roared, pushing him off.

"Kill me! Give up! Break! You don't have to fight anymore, let's just give in. We can't live for nothing."

His copy taunted while Naruto defended against more of his attacks, "Shut up! It's not like that! I have a purpose!" The teen pushed back against his copy while the copy laughed bitterly.

"Let me guess? Saving other people? Golly, how original. You remember those people, the ones you risked your life for? How they abandoned us!"

The copy yelled while Naruto clashed with the copy a few more times with his sword before pushing away the scythe stabbing the other version of himself through the chest.

"Attaboy."

The copy said before it faded, Naruto gritted his teeth before more footsteps were heard. "I should just die here… shouldn't I?" The blonde teen turned around spotting another version of himself.

The version still had on his orange jumpsuit but was headbandless, he also looked like he was rained on slightly soaked.

"Would that make them happy?"

The copy asked while Naruto growled, "Koga!" The boy yelled while his copy struck at him with the scythe.

"Koga's not here! It's just you, like it always has been! Why didn't we just die? On that day in the rain, why are we still here?!"

The copy yelled while Naruto roared, throwing his copy off of him, "Kakashi gave me that Ramen, Iruka gave me that memory! I'm precious to them!" Naruto yelled while the copy swung at him again.

"It was pity! All that they have ever done is pity us! The loser, the monster, the nightmare! The reminder of why they lost the people they loved!"

His copy yelled while Naruto roared before he pushed, slicing through it.

Naruto panted while more versions of himself began to form around him, all of them holding scythes in their hands.

"I'm going to bring him back! Even if I have to break every bone in his body!"

"I'm a demon, that's it. That's what I'll be for them, it's ok if they hate me… I can take it."

"I'll never give up, no matter what! Even against a genius like you!"

"Gaara, I know what it's like to be lonely… you're just like me."

The different versions of himself from different times stood in front of Naruto as he began to breathe a little faster.

The copies rushed at him holding their scythes while Naruto put his fingers together, "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" The boy yelled while a few clones appeared before the blonde felt the burning sensation run through himself.

Naruto yelled as himself and his shadow clones clashed with the scythe wielding copies violently in a collision of Narutos. The blonde teen fought and guarded against the other versions of himself while in a battlefield covered in his memories.

Naruto blocked the scythe slash of a version of himself wearing his clothes from the Jasmine Village.

"Just like the village did to us, we did to Kou. He needed us and we abandoned him. Became a monster in the eyes of that village to what? Protect him? He's alone and it's our fault!"

The copy yelled while Naruto deflected another slash stabbing into the copy of himself, he yelled in anguish while he turned fighting another version of him, this version was the one with the open jacket and bruised face from when he fought Gaara.

"It hurts, doesn't it? That loneliness. It still hurts! That day when we saw Gaara we felt that pain, that pain was our too!"

The copy yelled while Naruto kicked the copy backward, "Moon Stance: Gibbous!" the copy yelled while the scythe in it's hand spun rapidly while the blonde deflected the rotating strikes trying to cut into him before knocked the blade out of his copies hand stabbing into it's neck.

He saw his own face in the copy coughed up blood before he pulled his sword free, Naruto was punched in the face while the version of himself from the Valley of the End that fought Sasuke stomped toward him.

"Your team was counting on you! Sakura was counting on you! Sasuke was counting on you! Your squad risked their lives to get you that chance because they believed in you, you were the only one who could do it. You lost! You let him go!"

The copy yelled while he kicked Naruto while his was on the ground hard while the blonde gasped for air, "The fox shouldn't have saved you, even Sasuke pitied you enough to not waste the energy killing you." the copy growled swinging his scythe downward while the blonde rolled out of the way quickly getting back to his feet.

"That isn't what happened!"

Naruto yelled while clashing with the copy that glared at him, the copy swung its scythe while the blonde avoided the strikes before deflecting the last one dropping low to sweep his copies feet. His copy's back hit the ground before the blonde stabbed it in it's chest, the copy spat up blood while looking up toward the original Naruto.

"Then what did?"

The copy asked while fading into mist while Naruto slowly looked up at the chaos around him, his clones clashed and fought with his copies each side destroying one another. He was watching himself die repeatedly and kill himself repeatedly.

Over and over.

The blonde panted as he stood over another version of himself stabbed into his blade while he sobbed a little. These weren't just his memories. Some of them were saying his thoughts, they were the way he was truly feeling in these moments, they were all his past.

He was killing them.

Himself.

Naruto slashed at another version ending it while he panted even more, he was getting tired and losing steam. All his clones were gone and the other versions were killed before another one popped up in front of him.

This one was wearing the full original uniform, green goggles, orange jumpsuit, and a bright smile on his face while holding the scythe.

"Hey, it's me… what happened to you?"

The younger copy asked Naruto who gritted his teeth looking toward him, "Don't." The blonde said simply while the copy gave him a confused look.

"Don't what? Hey, you look older than me. Do I become Hokage where you're from?"

The boy asked while Naruto's eyes welled with tears as he shook his head, the younger copy's face fell slightly at the response.

"Oh… why not?"

The copy asked while Naruto huffed out a breath, "You don't belong there, you get sent away. They left you." Naruto confessed while the younger copy nodded his head.

"It's fine… becoming Hokage? It was just something I told myself anyway… of course it wouldn't happen. That's what dreams are right? Just nothing."

The boy said sadly while Naruto's heart wrenched looking at the boy who started to sniffle in front of him trying to hold back his tears.

"Why? I kind of really wanted it to happen."

The boy sniffled while he looked at the bloodied original standing in front of him, pointing his scythe at him. "It was your fault, wasn't it? Why we can't anymore… It was you." The boy growled while he swung his scythe Naruto barely blocked it while the younger boy swung wildly at him, the original barely blocked his strikes as the copy growled.

"Why?!"

The kid yelled while he broke Naruto's guard, he swung again while yelling "WHY?!" The copy yelled while Naruto deflected the strike, stabbing his younger version through his chest while holding him close.

"I don't know…"

Naruto trailed off while the copy turned into mist in his arms, the boy allowed his tears to fall as it became heavier for him.

Then he heard the sound of crying, he looked up, spotting the youngest version of himself. Black shirt with the Uzumaki symbol on it and his shorts holding the scythe with both hands Naruto's heart broke as he looked at the small blonde boy standing just in front of him covered in bruises and crying.

"...Are you going to kill me too?"

The small copy asked while Naruto dropped his sword, he couldn't… he couldn't even hold it anymore.

It was too much.

All of it was too much.

These were his memories, they were no longer real but felt just as real as they ever had been.

He couldn't take his own life again.

Naruto fell to his knees silently staring at the ground while the younger copy approached him holding the scythe. With time, all wounds heal. But scars are permanent reminders, they will always be there in one form or another to remind you of that pain. Sometimes that pain is so much that scars are covered up to ignore them. To not look at them, to not have to face them or that pain ever again.

It was easier that way…

The younger copy lifted the scythe above Naruto's head while he was still crying looking toward the older original.

"We never should have been born."

The crying copy said while he brought his scythe down, the copy's eyes widened as the scythe stabbed into Naruto's shoulder. While the older boy's arms were wrapped around him, the younger copy looked at the older copy as he pushed in harder but Naruto kept his arms around him.

"It really hurt."

Naruto said while holding his younger copy, "All I had to face, all you had to face… you were just a child. With no idea why." The blonde said while he stroked the back of the younger copy.

"It's hard, it's really hard. It gets lonely and scary. Sometimes you just won't know what to do. You'll blame yourself and hate yourself but that never fixes it… it still just hurts."

Naruto kept rubbing the back of his copy while he let out a harsh chuckle, "Sometimes you ask yourself an unreasonable question, like. What if I could? Then you just start listing things. Little stuff and big stuff." Naruto said while he closed his eyes.

"Something that's empty can be filled with anything. So, I had to be you, so that I can be me. I had to learn from you so that I could be me. I'm just... I'm so thankful for you."

Naruto spoke while his copy's eyes widened as he stopped pushing his scythe in his older original who hugged him tighter.

"I don't really know what I want to be, not right now at least. That's not why I help people though, not because it's the right thing to do but because I used to be you…"

Naruto spoke while he sighed, chuckling while his younger copy kept shedding tears from his eyes in his embrace.

"I don't want anyone else to ever feel like I did."

Naruto said while he stroked his younger version's head, "You'll trip and fall. You'll hurt yourself a lot, but you'll get up. People will hate you and you won't know why, but you'll make friends. You'll be sent out into the world alone, but you'll get stronger, eat good food, meet lots of people, find someone who you want to be you around… it takes time and effort but you do it. You keep doing it, no reason, no purpose. Just because you want to." The blonde said with a laugh while his younger copy let go of the scythe.

"I love you."

Naruto said while he held his younger copy as close as he could to himself, "I'm going to love you always for everything you are… one day more people will too. That thought alone is all you need before you try." The boy said while his younger copy sniffled.

"Go ahead. Cry your little heart out."

Naruto said while he embraced his younger version that began crying loudly, bawling against the orignal's shoulder. Slowly the boy faded into mist while Naruto looked toward the throne spotting Koga standing in shock in front of it.

"That's not… that can't…"

Koga said while Naruto grabbed his sword standing to his feet, "Those memories hurt like nothing else in the world y'know... but that's the thing. They just hurt; they don't kill. I can't kill them to get rid of them either." Naruto said while Koga glared at him.

"They made you weak!"

"They made me strong."

Naruto countered while he took a step forward toward Koga who took a step backward, "That pain, you had to ignore it to move forward it's like you said!" The general roared while the blonde took another step.

"I had to accept it."

Naruto spoke while he took another step lifting his sword slightly, "Stop! You are purposeless! No dreams or goals! No reason to move forward! You're just like me! But you were weaker because you still allowed it to hurt you! I didn't! I'm better than it, stronger than it! Accepting your pain doesn't make you stronger! It can't!" Koga yelled while he started to form hundreds of copies of other people.

"The people who hurt you! Who left you! Who hated you!"

Koga yelled while the army of copies that looked like Naruto's friends, former enemies, and his fellow generals multiple copies of them all rushed at the blonde with their weapons in hand.

"I love them, I decided that. If I have no goals, then I'll do whatever I want. No purpose? I'll just make my own."

Naruto said while the copies swarmed him, they swiped and slashed with their scythes while the blonde calmly moved his sword in a firm but fluid motion cutting through them all.

"Brave Moon Stance: Daydream."

Naruto said calmly while he moved through the copies cutting through them while Koga roared continuing to make more. The blonde then stopped swinging, Koga's face shifted into horror as the swings from the copies no longer cut into Naruto.

Instead they burst into mist on contact with him. The blonde kept walking toward him.

"That's enough! You're wrong! Desires are weaknesses! That's the way it is! Dreams are meaningless!"

Koga roared while he kept forming copies of himself and Naruto's memories of people but none of them were even touching the advancing boy. Koga went to send another copy but he heard the sound of sniffling as he looked at the last illusion he made.

A small boy with black hair holding a gardening hoe looked at the general with a terrified expression as he sniffled.

"I… never wanted to fight."

The boy said with tears in his eyes while Koga trembled seeing the boy backing away from him more and more.

"No… no… no!"

Koga yelled while he looked at the sniffling boy on the last step to his golden throne as he released a trembling breath.

"I'm sorry…"

The general said to the illusion while the boy disappeared with Naruto taking his place taking another step forward with his sword.

"No!"

Koga yelled while the step Naruto took caused some of the clouds around his throne to disappear, turning into old wood under his feet.

"No!"

The general yelled again while Naruto took another step up his throne causing even more of the illusion to fade under his feet.

"Shinobi!"

Koga roared while Naruto took another step, the general swung while the blonde deflected his swing knocking the man into his golden throne turning it into an old wooden one. Naruto looked at Koga as the general had gone from a young man with black hair to an old man sitting in his old broken wooden chair.

The Iron Treasure laid beside the man the scythe had a fine mist coming from it before Naruto split the weapon in half stopping the mist that slowly came out of it. The two of them were in the middle of a rotting tower, the floor was covered with vines and various creatures that had attacked in the cover of his memories.

Naruto looked down at the broken old man sitting in his seat, staring at the floor at the blonde's feet.

"...Who are you?"

Koga asked while Naruto looked at the ancient man before giving a slight nod.

"Whoever I want to be… right now that's just me."

The blonde answered while the ancient man chuckled before he started laughing with a dusty cough.

"How cruel."

The old man said while Naruto kneeled in front of the man, "What was your dream?" The blonde asked while the older man slowly gave the blonde a shocked and confused look.

The man with the faded red eyes then looked up toward the ceiling of the rotting tower.

…

"Grandpa!"

A young black-haired boy yelled, sprinting through a large field with a bunch of crops and flowers growing in it. An old man was happily watering purple flowers while the boy tackled him from behind.

"Oi, easy on an old man's back ya little monster."

The old man laughed while the boy giggled in response, the boy looked at the flowers before he spoke.

"Hey Grandpa."

"Yes, Koga?"

"Why do you plant stuff?"

The boy asked curiously while the older man laughed, "Because I do. It's always been my dream." The older man responded while the young Koga huffed.

"Daddy said that you were once a great warrior on the battlefield, a samurai to look up to… now he just calls you an old failure… why did you give all of that honor up for this?"

The young Koga asked while the older man gave his grandson a slightly sad look, "Koga, on the battlefield the only certainty is that things will die…" the older man said before he looked at his flowers with a smile on his face.

"I just wanted to watch them live for once."

The old man said while the younger Koga tilted his head in response before, he looked at the vibrant purple of the calm flowers.

"So is this your dream? Watering flowers and grass…"

The boy said while the older man shook his head before he looked in the boy's bright ruby red eyes as they sparkled.

"I wanted to watch things grow."

The old man said while Koga gave the older man a confused look before he looked at the flowers and crops in the large field. The wind blew swaying the flowers and crops gently in the breeze while he took in the vibrant colors.

All of this was alive.

They looked happy.

"Grandpa… if I don't want to fight… could that be my dream too?"

The young Koga asked while his grandfather smiled brightly at him before placing a reassuring hand on his back with a little rub.

"You can be whatever you want."

The older man said while Koga smiled brightly back at the man, before they walked together through the field.

Soon after that Koga's head was forced to the ground by his father's hand as they bowed in front of a samurai who looked down at the boy.

"This is the truth, Koga."

Koga heard his father's voice speak to him while he was drafted into the military to become a samurai.

After that during his training Koga as a young man wiped the sweat from his brow as another young man put him in a headlock while grinning at him. Koga sat in the barracks in a circle of boys who were all laughing together, the black-haired young man told them about his dreams.

Koga then found himself standing alone in a battlefield, his face was covered in blood while the same circle of boys were just bloodied corpses along with the scattered swords and ninja headbands surrounding him.

The last one standing.

An older Koga now a bearded man in full samurai armor roared into the air while holding up his sword as he led a group of samurai into battle, they had won against their enemy brutally.

A hand touched his leg while Koga looked down at the wounded enemy.

"End me…"

The fallen soldier begged with his dying breath while Koga brought his sword down on the man a disgusted look on his face the whole time.

Even more years passed as Koga with traces of gray in his hair found himself standing in another snowfield, he was standing in front of a young blood covered Arashi and a younger girl holding his hand.

"Your name, girl."

Koga asked gruffly while the girl looked at him, as he could see the horrors of what she did on her face along with tears.

"Amanai."

The girl spoke while Koga looked away from the pair, that same look of disgust mixed with sadness on his face he couldn't allow them to see, a look that a warrior like himself had yet to abandon.

More time had passed by for the general as the sound of crashing disturbed the man who was at work on a nearby table.

"...Judon, quit being a fool."

An older Koga with even more gray in his hair spoke to a younger Judon who glared at him, "I am no fool! I shall meet glory on the battlefield, master!" The boy called out while Koga gave him a slightly sad look before he turned to his experiment.

Flowers that would induce vivid hallucinations to those who come into contact with its pollen he then looked to his side spotting a younger Amanai looking toward the flowers.

"Forgive me, master."

The girl said trying to run away but Koga stopped her, putting the watering can in her hand. Amanai gave him a confused look before he nodded, she then watered the flowers looking at them with a poorly hidden awe.

"They're beautiful, Master."

The younger Amanai said while Koga looked at the girl before Judon nudged at his side from the other side looking toward the flowers.

"I wanted to see the pretty flowers too!"

The younger boy yelled while Amanai gave him a slight glare, Koga looked at the pair before he chuckled slightly at the two kids who grinned toward the flowers that Koga was growing.

A decade passed while now with fully gray-haired with traces of white in it Koga stood next to an adult Judon and Amanai wearing her porcelain mask wielding their Iron Treasures standing behind Arashi who was giving a speech to the samurai army below them.

The disgusted look reappeared on his face as he tried to hide it from view.

More time had passed to a more recent event current Arashi kneeled in front of his wooden throne, Koga's face warped as he broke the news of the deaths of Judon and Amanai.

Koga coldly dismissed Arashi who told him the plan for the war before leaving the old man to himself.

The older man sat in his rotten wooden throne alone while he turned his head, spotting a few purple flowers growing. He mustered all the strength in his old body to walk over to them tearing them apart.

Before he hit the ground with a quiet sob.

"Failures."

…

Koga then looked back down at the kneeling Naruto who looked back up at him.

"...I wanted to watch things grow."

The old man said while Naruto nodded his head while a hand touched his whispered cheek, "I… have lived for a long time, Shinobi. I have seen much… abandoned my dream wasting my life on the battlefield … became the warrior they wanted me to be…" the older man spoke while Naruto looked toward him.

"I suppose it's too late for me to realize… I never wanted to be a warrior… but if I didn't, I don't think I could have accomplished my dream…"

The older man said while another chuckle left his lips with a slight cough, "Rise, boy." The older man said while Naruto stood up.

"Judon… Amanai… and now even you…"

Koga said while Naruto looked toward the man who chuckled again with a sad look on his face as he leaned back on his throne.

"You were all… my dream come true…"

Koga said while he weakly took Naruto's hand dragging his blood covered finger on it forming the seal. Naruto felt the burn of the seal receding from his shoulder to just the spot over his heart.

"I got to watch you all grow… how cruel… I didn't get to realize that until now."

The ancient man said while Naruto looked toward the floor, the older man leaned back in his seat while he looked at Naruto. "Naruto…" The older man said while the blonde looked up toward Koga who nodded his head at him.

"… Do what you must."

Koga spoke while Naruto looked into the man's faint eyes before the blonde nodded his head lifting his sword to finish the fight.

"Goodnight Koga."

Those were the last words that Koga heard before a sword plunged into his heart, blood red flower petals filled his vision.

Before nothing else did.

Naruto lifted the ancient man gently into his arms before he carried him out of the rotting old tower they had fought in, walking into the fog holding the ancient man closely.

There was a bright field filled with golden wheat growing as far as the eye could see, in that field Naruto without his sword at his side touched the crops as he walked through the field with a smile on his face and the golden light of the sun hitting his features. Meanwhile beneath a large tree, Judon and Amanai laid underneath it with their eyes closed along with a young boy with black hair.

The young Koga rested underneath the tree with his gardening hoe leaned right behind him against the tree as well a small smile gracing his features.

The image faded into reality with the real old Koga laying against a tree with his broken Iron Treasure next to him, stabbed into the ground nearby was a halberd and leaning against the tree as well was a hammer.

In a large field of the vibrant purple flowers, Naruto slowly walked away from the resting place before giving it one last look.

"What a great dream, Koga."

{...}

Mifune and the samurai forces had successfully attacked the strongholds between their compound and the capital, they had gone into the badlands and found Naruto passed out at the entrance of the forest retrieving him from there. Marika took care of bandaging his wounds before setting him in a room for him to rest and recover from his grueling fight.

The blonde slept peacefully in the room he was set in to recover all the while quiet footsteps could be heard from outside. The dim light on the inside of the room peeked from underneath the door, this room was where he returned to.

This is where Naruto was resting.

Slowly the door slid open, the hand on it trembling slightly while looking toward the resting blonde. Her pink eyes looked almost red in the orangish light of the room, while her eyes laid on her target. Kurotsuchi slowly walked toward the blonde, her katana hanging off of her back while she approached him.

Her expression unreadable while she continued toward the blonde boy, Naruto lightly breathed while the girl made it to his side.

She kneeled beside him looking at his resting face, it was peaceful despite the bandages. Knowing that he was a Jinchuriki he would recover in no time, almost the entire seal was gone meaning a lot of his chakra had returned back to him.

The next time Naruto woke up, he would be more dangerous than he's ever been.

A threat.

A monster.

Kurotsuchi's hands slowly went toward Naruto's head, while her expression remained unreadable. Her pink eyes focused on nothing but the blonde ninja as her fingers made contact with his face. Gently, Kurotsuchi moved the boy's head into her lap giving his hair a gentle stroke causing his blue eyes to open looking the girl directly into her eyes.

"Kuro..."

Naruto spoke weakly while Kurotsuchi gave the boy a small smile, "Yeah, it's me..." The girl spoke while the blonde smiled as brightly as he could.

"I'm glad... I missed you."

Naruto spoke while Kurotsuchi looked away, his words stabbing her in the heart before she took a breath.

"Try not to speak too much, you need to rest..."

The girl spoke while Naruto nodded his head, "Ok." The teen spoke, getting more comfortable in her lap while Kurotsuchi took a deep breath.

"Naruto... don't talk. Just listen."

Kurotsuchi spoke while Naruto gently nodded his head before she stroked his hair again.

"When I was a child, my grandfather told me a story... one that I remember to this day, it was a story about a monster. One with ice blue eyes that consumed 1000 men with the desire for more that attacked my home a long time ago."

Kurotsuchi explained while Naruto looked at her quietly from her lap while the girl looked into his blue colored eyes. A reminder of that monster.

"It scared me... it scared me so much that all I wanted to do was grow up so I could face those monsters. So, I could protect my home, my family, and my friends from the death that it brought."

Kurotsuchi continued her story while she looked up toward the closed door in front of the room with an unreadable gaze.

"I grew up, I trained, I fought, I bled. I made a best friend and looked up to him... then lost him. I was so hurt and afraid that I accepted the fact that in order to fight monsters I had to become one. So, I did... everything in my path that was considered an enemy I killed them with no remorse. No mercy, because that's what I needed to be. It became all I was."

The girl spoke gently while taking another breath to compose herself while Naruto looked toward her sadly before she exhaled.

"I got lost... out there in the big world filled with the monster my grandfather told me about. I would be fine of course, I would kill them as I always had. No issues whatsoever. Yet... I met someone… another monster just like me. The difference was his eyes were so kind despite the fact that he was supposed to be like me. That scared me even more than anything else."

Kurotsuchi harshly chuckled while she continued staring at the door holding back as much of her emotion as possible.

"I watched that monster rip and tear filled with the sheer destruction that he was always capable of, the same kind of monster that I made myself into one to slay. This monster was different, despite the destruction when he fought, he wasn't doing it out of rage or hatred. He fought to give the same people who would hate him a chance. Then he took that hatred and carried it with him for the sake of their peace."

Kurotsuchi continued her story while Naruto looked away from her before another harsh chuckle left her mouth.

"What a fool... that monster became a devil for those that it tried to protect despite their hatred. Then I watched that devil cry... It broke my heart. This thing that I swore I would slay and there I was feeling something for him."

Kurotsuchi spoke while Naruto slowly looked toward the girl again as she looked down at him in her lap.

"Monsters are such tragic beings, they're too strong, too scary looking, the worst part is they never asked to be that way. That's just how they were born, it's what they have to live with their curse... and I became exactly what they never wanted to be just to slay them because they scared me..."

Kurotsuchi failed to stop her tears from rolling down her face this time as Naruto slowly lifted his hand to touch her cheek wiping away the tear.

"That monster, despite everything, looked me in the eyes and believed that I didn't have to be that monster anymore. I could be something more, I could feel things, I could laugh, I could enjoy being around him... and I did. I finally got it now... I understand and it hurts so much but that's just what it means to be human right?"

Kurotsuchi said as she looked down at her lap at the quiet Naruto who continued to wipe away her tears with his thumb while a gentle smile came to her face.

"Naruto... I know what I have to do now to become human... it's going to hurt more than anything, but it'll be worth it. I just need to know something before I do this..."

Kurotsuchi asked while she leaned her face closer to his face while she could see the boy beginning to drift back to sleep.

"Tell me once, I do this... that you'll be able to find peace. That you'll be happy?"

Kurotsuchi asked while Naruto looked at the girl trying to fight off sleep while he gave her a small smile. His thumb softly touched the corner of her lips with a gentle stroke.

"If it'll make you happy, then of course I will..."

Naruto said while Kurotsuchi closed her eyes, allowing more tears to roll down her face before she touched his forehead with her own.

"Thank you, Naruto."

Kurotsuchi thanked the boy while the blonde nodded his head, failing to stay awake while he whispered something she couldn't quite make out before he fell asleep in her lap. The girl lifted her head looking at the sleeping figure of Naruto while a few more of her tears fell on his face right beside his eyes that trailed his face from them.

"Naruto... that thing that I have to do is going to hurt more than anything. But before I can become human..."

Kurotsuchi spoke, kissing Naruto's forehead gently while her free hand slowly pulled out her sword from its sheath.

"There's one more monster that I need to slay..."

Tears ran down Kurotsuchi's face before she swung her blade quickly, her sword quickly reaching its mark with no resistance.

A braid hit the ground while the rest of Kurotsuchi's shorter hair now only down to her chin rested on her head.

The girl then slowly took off her headband placing it by Naruto's bedside, her pink eyes looking at the messy braid that she refused to touch since Naruto tied it for her.

It was precious to her.

Kurotsuchi gave the discarded braid a small smile before she looked toward the sleeping face of Naruto placing her head on his chest to listen to his heart beating with a faint smile on her face. Slowly she lifted her head from his chest, the tears still fell down her face as she stood up sheathing her katana.

Monsters are tragic beings that can only exist from the perpetuated fears of those that ignore their burdens to focus on their monstrosities.

No more.

The part of the story that she left out was the monster that had those kind eyes that would bear the burdens of all of those that it believed deserved to be protected and cherished.

He trained, he fought, and he bled. For her, for all of them because that was his burden that only he with that kind heart and strength of his could carry.

No more.

The monster that she became to slay monsters like him, would carry half of his burdens.

To give the monster that she cherished the most... peace.

Kurotsuchi quickly left the room, giving Naruto's face one more look before she forced her gaze away from him looking ahead. For him, she would be far more. No matter the cost. The brunette quickly made her way outside the building meeting Marika who was holding medical supplies.

"Kurotsuchi... How is Naruto? What happened to your hair?"

Marika asked, looking at Kurotsuchi's shorter hair while the black-haired girl walked toward her placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Listen, I need you to promise me something right now. You fail to make good on these promises. I swear I will haunt you to the ends of this world."

Kurotsuchi spoke seriously while Marika noticed the tears still falling down her face.

"Kurotsuchi..."

"When he wakes up... he won't have to worry about fighting anymore. He'll be free from anything that's after his life... Naruto's going to be confused, he'll be angry, he'll also be sad. If that's the case then I need you to make good on your feelings toward him."

Kurotsuchi spoke while Marika gave the girl a look, "What's goi-" she was cut off by Kthe pink eyed girl who roughly pulled on the collar of her kimono.

"Be there for him, don't let him carry the weight of the world on his shoulders alone. Hold him. Protect him."

Kurotsuchi spoke with a serious look on her face while Marika stared for a moment before she nodded her head, the black-haired girl then let her go before she turned away from her.

"Kurotsuchi, where are you going?"

Marika asked with concern, lacing her voice while Kurotsuchi stopped in place, slowly steam started rolling off of her face.

"Tell Naruto... when he wakes up..."

The kunoichi spoke before she looked over her shoulder toward Marika, her tears quickly evaporating into steam once they touched her face, the steam streaking away from her serious eyes.

"There are no monsters left in this land."

Kurotsuchi spoke before she turned again, dashing away from Marika who reached out toward her.

"Kurotsuchi..."

Marika spoke into the air while the kunoichi had disappeared into the night.

{...}

The assault on the forces opposing them was nigh, Arashi's men in the capital awaited the gates in front of them to open. The best time to attack them was dawn but a scouting party was being sent to observe the defense of the compound to find the best area to strike.

According to Arashi's plan once the weak points were selected then the assault would happen at dawn completely wiping away their forces. Once they had regrouped from defeating Mifune and the rest of his men including the shinobi then they would attack the mainland.

It was the plan that Arashi had devised and that his men would follow.

However, there was something that Arashi hadn't planned for.

The gates slowly opened while a dozen men on horseback awaited the gates to completely open, one of the samurai tilted his head as he spotted something in the path of the opening gates. The rest of the men noticed it too while the front samurai of the group reached for his blade.

The first thing he saw was the glare of a young woman with red looking pink eyes.

"Shinob-"

A sudden explosion engulfed the front gates while Arashi from the castle turned around toward the sound of his door opening.

"What is it?"

Arashi asked while the samurai looked toward him, "We're being attacked!" The samurai yelled while the general's eyes widened.

"Attacked? How many of them are there?"

Arashi asked while the samurai looked toward the general, with fear from behind his mask.

"Just one."

The samurai spoke while Arashi's eyes widened before he turned around toward his window that gave him a view of the entire capital compound. His black colored eyes lit up as he looked upon the chaos and destruction below.

Kurotsuchi dashed through the compound with a glare slashing through the armor of one samurai before twisting toward another, cutting his head off his neck. The blood hit her face before she glared toward the wall, she dashed toward it running up the wall while arrows were being fired at her from below.

She hopped on top of the wall throwing multiple kunai at the samurai on the guard tower, the kunai bounced off of his armor while he was about to charge at her. His foot stepped on the kunai causing it to explode while she continued to run along the wall posting paper bomb balls along it as she ran.

"Shinobi!"

A samurai yelled while Kurotsuchi brandished her katana gritted her teeth as more samurai grouped up rushing her.

"Fire Stance: Burnt Cutter!"

The girl roared while her blade heated up, she deflected a volley of strikes from the chakra covered swords of the samurai before she started to cut through them weaving in between each one before she stabbed into the armor of the one in the very back.

Kurotsuchi slashed at his armor multiple times revealing his exposed chest, she then shoved a paper bomb ball onto it before stabbing her blade into him through the explosive. The man screamed as his entire body began to set a flame along with the other samurai she cut through, triggering a massive chain explosion along the wall.

Arashi looked down slightly disturbed at the destruction while the other side of the wall was also littered with explosions. This carnage... it couldn't be Naruto, from what he saw from him he always faced things without unnecessary violence and destruction.

No... this was different.

"Kurotsuchi of the Land of Stone."

Arashi spoke while he looked at the carnage again, spotting her figure walking toward his castle; he couldn't see them from this height.

But he knew her eyes were on him.

A shinobi that had embraced everything that he hated about them.

Death.

Kurotsuchi from the ground looked toward the castle ahead of her while she glared, she then heard the sounds of metallic rustling as a large group of samurai converged in front of her.

"Don't let her get any further!"

One of the samurai yelled while the other samurai yelled with him before they started to run toward her their blades cloaking in chakra, Kurotsuchi stomped toward the swordsmen with a glare in her eyes. Slowly her stomping became a jog and then that jog became a full-on sprint as she charged at them, she roared while the men charged at her.

"Water Stance: Liquid-"

One of the samurai tried to muster but couldn't finish as his head came off of his shoulders, Kurotsuchi had jumped directly in the middle of the group killing the man instantly before she brought her sword splitting his body in half.

The samurai began to attack the girl directly in the middle of their large group, Kurotsuchi rapidly deflected attacks from all sides with her blade. Razor focused on nothing but attacking against the samurai, her blade swung while she cut through multiple samurai not flinching even slightly at the sheer number of attacks showering her.

Kurotsuchi slashed through another samurai before she felt her shoulder get slashed by another sword, the girl glared toward the attacker that cut her before she flipped into the air forming hand signs.

"Lava Style: Quicklime Congealing Jutsu!"

The girl yelled as she launched the hot earth and fire mixture from her mouth splashing on the men below, they screamed from the heat of the mixture burning and melting into their armor.

"Water Style: Water Trumpet!"

The kunoichi yelled blasting water from her mouth hitting the mixture causing it to rapidly harden, the trapped soldiers struggled in the solidified mix while Kurotsuchi hit the ground.

"Fire Stance: Burnt Cutter!"

Her katana heated up as she slashed into the trapped men who screamed as their bodies ignited engulfing in fire while Kurotsuchi kept walking forward. She clashed with another group of samurai who came from around the corner, one getting another cut into her side. Kurotsuchi growled while she glared toward the attacking men clashing with them with her sword slashing at them.

She dodged a stab from one of the samurai moving her blade toward his hand cutting off his finger launching his sword into the air, the soldier screamed as Kurotsuchi snatched the smaller blade out of the air stabbing into the bottom of his chin the tip of the blade poking through the top of his helmet.

She pulled it right back out while she formed hand signs, "Fire Style: Cloud Flame Beheading!" Kurotsuchi yelled while the entire blade set on fire before she launched at another samurai nailing him in the eye, shattering through his mask.

Kurotsuchi deflected another attack before an arrow stabbed in her left shoulder, she glared at the archer who was reloading his crossbow.

Another samurai tried to attack but Kurotsuchi cut through his blade with hers shattering it in his hands, he suddenly felt her hand slap against his chest plate before they both fell toward the ground.

"Earth Style: Mole Tunneling Jutsu!"

Kurotsuchi roared out before both her and the samurai dug into and disappeared into the earth, the samurai looked around for where they went before the archer noticed the ground cracking beside him.

"Lightning Stance: Death Volley!"

The samurai yelled before his bolts were covered with lightning, as soon as the ground broke open, he launched the bolts hitting his target. His eyes widened underneath his mask when he noticed that it was another samurai, he looked down before he felt his legs get pulled underneath the ground.

He was pulled down to his knees trapping him, he quickly turned his head toward his back the last thing he saw was the glint of metal before the rest of his group watched his head come off of his shoulders with a spray of blood. Kurotsuchi panted while she glared at the rest of them who took a step back looking toward the bloodied girl, the ninja roared as she attacked them as well cutting down those men.

She panted even harder as she could feel her chakra levels getting low, the pain of her wounds stung her entire body while she trembled in place.

Another large group of samurai rounded the corner of another set of buildings, "There!" The men called out while Kurotsuchi looked at them rushing toward her.

Ignore the pain.

Ignore the blood.

Just fight.

Kurotsuchi's eyes rolled into the back of her head as she roared rushing toward the next group viciously cutting into them with her blade.

The ninja of the Land of Stone had a code, they must always fight to their very end. No matter how broken their bodies, broken their souls, or broken their tools. Ninja of the Land of Stone shall remain weapons even through death.

If a ninja from the Land of Stone dies, then even in death the shinobi will kill and destroy their enemies as much as they can even when nothing is left of them.

Tear, break, fall apart.

Until it is done.

Kurotsuchi roared into the air as she lifted her bloodied hands, chopping one of them into a samurai's neck breaking it as she snatched his helmet off using it to block another strike before shoving the horned helmet through the mask of the next samurai into his head.

She ignored the slash of another samurai cutting into her skin as she grabbed the man's hand snapping his wrist, the soldier screamed as she snatched off his helmet biting into his neck with her teeth.

"Fire Style: Mist Blaze Breath!"

Kurotsuchi yelled from her blood-filled mouth as she ignited the samurai before his body blew apart from the flames that shot out of her mouth.

Without stopping she continued cutting through as many samurai as possible before she jumped into the air throwing the paper bomb balls creating another massive chain explosion. The girl continued her warpath until she made it to the castle, her eyes still rolled into the back of her head revealing nothing but the whites of them as she continued forward further in.

Arashi watched the door while the samurai that was with him looked toward his lord, "Sir, I've called for reinforcements. They should be here soon, in the meantime we have to evacuate you." The samurai said while Arashi shook his head.

"I must see this through to the end, I will not falter. No matter the enemy."

Arashi spoke while the samurai gave his lord a look, "Then I will stop her from reaching you, my lord!" The samurai pulled out his blade rushing toward the door before Arashi could say anything to him.

Inevitably, he met the same fate as his comrades.

Arashi didn't flinch as he saw a bloodied hand land on the door frame, slowly from around it a blood covered Kurotsuchi entered the room breathing heavily. She had two arrows sticking out of her shoulder, multiple cuts across her body that bled, and her face was covered in even more blood.

This was the true form of the shinobi in Arashi's eyes, she embodied it perfectly.

"Nobuzagi..."

The girl growled out while the general looked toward her calmly before sighing.

"So, this is the path you've chosen, the path of destruction... it must have been difficult killing the one most precious to you. That brought you to me, the last threat to your home."

Arashi spoke while Kurotsuchi took a deep breath before her eyes returned to normal, her head shook as she looked toward the black-haired man.

"Naruto isn't dead..."

Kurotsuchi spoke, causing Arashi to look toward the girl with a surprised expression before a bloodied finger pointed at him.

"You are."

She spoke while Arashi calmed his expression down while looking toward the girl, "You didn't kill him? Why? I saw your eyes… you knew that I was right. He's a threat to your home, a danger as long as he exists. Have you abandoned your people?" Arashi asked while the bloodied Kurotsuchi began to chuckle before her chuckling became laughter.

"Abandon my home? A danger? A threat? No, you got it all wrong. I'm not here as Kurotsuchi from the Land of Stone..."

Kurotsuchi spoke while Arashi gave her a confused expression while she held her sword toward his direction with a glare in her eyes. "I'm just Kurotsuchi. No land. Fighting for what I want, whatever I want…" she spoke while Arashi continued to give the tired girl a confused look.

"I'm such a selfish monster, aren't I?"

Kurotsuchi spoke while Arashi continued to look at the girl astounded; she would risk it all just for him instead of her land? That didn't make sense, that wasn't what shinobi did.

"Very well, however, before we fight. We must take care of your wounds; I refuse to fight an injured warrior."

Arashi spoke while Kurotsuchi shook her head. He watched her open a small case from her pouch before placing a small round object in her mouth, swallowing it.

Kurotsuchi's body suddenly contorted roughly while Arashi took a step back, the girl groaned in pain while she continued to move painfully. Eventually she stopped contorting in pain before taking a breath looking toward him with a refreshed look.

"Specialized soldier pills, given to Stone ninja to temporarily close up wounds to finish combat before death. It won't last long before they open back up, but I won't need long. You won't get to fight Naruto."

Kurotsuchi spoke while Arashi blinked, "To go so far... your resolve. All for him, you would throw it all away?" The general spoke as Kurotsuchi said nothing, merely getting into her Fire Stance.

"I see, then you have overcome yourself and became my equal. Shinobi..."

Arashi said before he pulled his own sword out in Water Stance while looking toward his opponent across from him.

"I shall strike you down."

Kurotsuchi dashed, clashing her blade against his, Arashi felt himself get pushed back slightly before he quickly shifted his blade clashing against her sword heavily before taking a kick to her gut sending her backward. The kunoichi quickly recovered, immediately clashing with Arashi again while swinging her blade, she deflected his strikes before she stomped her foot swinging her sword down heavily.

Arashi tried deflecting the blow but couldn't do so due to the sheer amount of strength in it, "To quickly shift between stances to Earth Stance like this, you must have trained intensely." The general spoke while Kurotsuchi glared, adding more strength to her blade.

Arashi tilted his blade allowing her blade to slide down his own knocking her off balance before she took another kick. Kurotsuchi staggered backward while barely blocking against the sudden Lightning Stance from Arashi, the general then began to strike her with insanely fast swings while Kurotsuchi switched to Fire Stance in an attempt to keep up with the lightning-fast blows.

She could feel them, her wounds... while the soldier pill she took closed them temporarily that didn't mean the pain went away.

Ignore it.

For him.

Kurotsuchi yelled before she pushed back Arashi, "Fire Stance: Flame Ballet!" The girl yelled while she began to move, slashing at Arashi with her flame covered sword.

"Water Stance: Scalding Stream!"

Arashi called back as boiling water wrapped around his blade counteracting her flames while they dashed around the room, the metal of their swords sang while they were twisted in combat. Arashi deflected one of her strikes leaving her open as he quickly lunged stabbing at her, Kurotsuchi stomped her foot quickly shifting into Earth Stance.

"Earth Stance: Heavy Collision!"

She yelled slamming down her sword on top of his leaving an opening for another strike, the pink eyed ninja wasted no time going for the opening but was deflected by Arashi's lightning stance.

She quickly felt two slashes cut onto her arm, Kurotsuchi jumped backward in an effort to recover while she felt one of her other wounds open up. The girl fell to a knee while Arashi gave her a look, she gritted her teeth while glaring toward the general.

'This is what you would do? Right, Naruto?'

Keep fighting, never giving up. Like with Deidara a man completely out of your league yet you persisted. The generals, all of them skilled swordsmen carrying far more experience and strength than you, yet you persisted.

Fight.

Kurotsuchi exploded from her spot opening more wounds while she clashed aggressively against Arashi who defended against her onslaught with his blade shifting back and forth from Water Stane to Lightning Stance, her head whipped from being smacked across her face with the hilt of his sword before she felt another slash across her back.

Kurotsuchi grounded herself before she kept pushing, attacking Arashi with all of her might while multiple wounds kept opening, she paid them no attention while continuing to attack.

The way you could be so kind, yet strong. To bear the burdens of others for their sakes all the while dealing with your own as well...

'Is this what that pain felt like for you?'

More blood flew through the air as another one of Kurotsuchi's wounds opened up before Arashi kicked her into the floor, the girl coughed while lying there in her blood slowly pooling around her.

It hurt.

It hurts so much.

'Yet you would do it for me, for them, become their vengeance, bear their hatred, protecting those you cherish.'

'Was that what made you so strong?'

Kurotsuchi's eyes widened while she slowly picked herself off of the ground, Arashi focused on her while his expression shifted into surprise.

He couldn't see it anymore, her wrath and fury she felt toward him while fighting.

Kurotsuchi turned toward Arashi slowly while she had a faint smile on her face, her eyes had a sparkle to them making the pink in them seem even more vibrant than before.

Arashi could barely react as her blade clashed against his, her movements changed rapidly along with her expression. The general shifted into Lightning Stance trying to counter but his blows were deflected before a kick hit his face.

He snapped his head back toward the girl to look at her, still not a single hint of anger. Just an eerie calmness to her.

'I know this sounds selfish but would you mind…'

'If I thought about you?'

Kurotsuchi kept attacking while Arashi struggled to defend against her attacks, her movements had no clear pattern or intention yet were firm and sharper than any of her other movements.

'Is this... Formless Stance?'

Arashi thought to himself while Kurotsuchi kept fighting while she was in a daze, the small smile on her face growing as the pain faded from her thoughts completely as she moved.

Instead replaced with the bright smile from Naruto in her mind.

Arashi felt his blade almost get knocked out of his hand while he narrowly dodged another attack from the girl who remained persistent, she moved as if she was dancing avoiding the drops of her blood she was leaving behind as she attacked.

'I wonder what it would be like... seeing you at peace?'

Seeing you happy.

Arashi regained his footing before he glared at the girl, "Lightning Stance: Raijin's Sword." He swiped a lightning-fast slash that slammed against the girl's guard leaving her open while the smile remained on her dazed face.

Arashi thrusted his lightning-covered sword at her exposed chest, but his blow was deflected sending him sliding backward, Kurotsuchi meanwhile calmly set her foot down closing her eyes while continuing to smile.

Going through her head were the multiple memories she had made with the blonde boy, laughing over Makeout Paradise, bathing in the hot springs together, when they touched each other's scars. The smile on his face as she held him in her arms when he was wounded.

So, this is what it feels like? For him. For Naruto.

She could be.

"Formless Stance: ...For You."

Kurotsuchi uttered from her daze while Arashi's eyes widened, suddenly he was on the defensive again. He had to block whatever strikes he could but the way she was moving unlike anything he had seen before. He was well aware of Formless Stance, he had only seen it on display from another once before in combat. An old friend of his.

With it he watched her destroy everything in her path.

'Amanai.'

Arashi thought to himself while Kurotsuchi heavily struck against his blade pushing him back, he kept trying to shift between his stances, but Kurotsuchi slashed as if she already took them into then felt a small cut open on his chin, his eyes widened as more and more small cuts started to appear on his body. He was still defending but slowly she was starting to break through it.

Kurotsuchi was beginning to reach him.

'A shinobi, a ninja born and bred to be a weapon. A slave to their duty, yet she's doing this much. Her swordsmanship at this moment...'

Arashi felt a heavy slash send him backward as he deflected it, he watched Kurotsuchi's foot gently touch the ground as she lightly spun off of it. The dazed smile on her face haunting the general.

'Surpasses even Amanai's.'

Arashi thought to himself as he yelled ready to attack with the small opening, he thought he had, however Kurotsuchi had disappeared from his sight, the girl has passed by him at shocking speed only swinging her sword three times in passing.

The only thing he heard was the sound of feet landing gently behind him, his eyes widened while three large cuts appeared on his body. One on his leg, another on his collarbone to his shoulder, and the last one grazing his neck slowly he felt each one heating up.

"With this... you could be happy... right?"

Kurotsuchi asked out loud to herself while Arashi moved quickly brandishing his blade, two of his wounds ignited right as he finished his Water Stance to stop the one on his neck from igniting with them using the water from the quick technique, he performed.

'Amanai… was this what you were thinking about when you surpassed your limits and became formless? Love?'

Arashi thought to himself while water and lightning cracked to life on his sword his other two wounds were staunched with water putting them out while Kurotsuchi turned around slowly while she looked toward the general.

"I missed you."

The words echoed through Kurotsuchi's head while she instinctively moved her sword ready to strike again at the general again.

"Oh... I forgot to say it back."

Kurotsuchi uttered out while Arashi's blade left his sheath as he vanished in thin air appearing just behind her taking a few steps, his feet burnt the floor underneath them while crackling with electricity.

"Storm Stance: Thunder's Wake."

Arashi spoke while sheathing his sword, a cut appeared on Kurotsuchi's side before spraying with blood, the girl then coughed. Slowly the brunette dropped her sword to the ground falling to her knees. No words left from the girl's mouth while she looked ahead of her, a visage of Naruto was cupping her face while smiling at her.

Even now as she's fading, she isn't thinking about failure, her home, or even death. She's still thinking about him...

How much she wanted to L*o*v*e him.