This was…not good. Orochimaru knew full well that he wouldn't win in a straight fight against Tsunade in his current condition, not by measuring their power levels. Maybe, through trickery, he could pull something off (the powerful had been brought down by the low before), but a plan wasn't immediately forthcoming and Kabuto wasn't doing nearly as well as he thought the boy would. Although the thorny vines his protege had summoned were keeping the horses that Jiraiya's protege had summoned at bay, screaming in terror and apparent frustration from their hindered movements, he also wasn't effortlessly killing the Lesser Hero like someone of his caliber should be. His only real saving grace right now was that Jiraiya happened to be completely out of it, still under the effects of whatever poison Tsunade had concocted.
Oh well, giving up just because the situation grew dangerous didn't become him.
"Sky Purview: Wind Grapple," he intoned, setting violent gusts of wind toward both of the Lesser Heroes and the Demigod (he wasn't going to waste time trying out this Boon on Tsunade), and crushing them beneath his own control over the air.
Seeing the faded but slowly forming elephant beside Tsunade herself, Orochimaru ordered his animal companions to attack it, while he ran into the fight, hoping to evade his old bandmate and finish off her allies quickly.
"Animal (quetzal) Purview: Animal Feature. Magic Purview: Transform Person."
Kabuto sprouted wings where his arms should have been, hopefully helping him maneuver around the annoying Lesser Hero. Orochimaru wanted him alive, not only because he was a useful servant, but because he was the easiest source of a loyal heart still beating as it was ripped from its chest if he needed to use the strongest Itzli Boon he still could, which might be necessary but something he didn't want to risk just yet.
Instead, dodging out of the way of Tsunade's fists and leaping to where that annoying Naruto boy was, he drew his obsidian-studded club and, trusting the strength of his Wind Grapple, struck at the child. Said child, as expected, couldn't escape his Wind Grapple, but could still maneuver within the strong winds buffeting him and holding him in one spot, barely dodging the Sankami's first blow. Even with the clear aid of Dexterity Knacks, that shouldn't have happened, not with the difference in skill between them, but Orochimaru had miscalculated his strike based on his previous strength and thus found himself frustrated by what should have been an easy victory.
Frustrated enough for Tsunade to clock him in the side and send him flying quite a distance, breaking an arm and making him rely on the Sky Purview's first boon to ensure he landed softly, something which annoyed him more than it should.
"Don't bother getting yourself killed, brat, this one's mine," Tsunade shouted before charging forward, an elephant charging beside her, the large beast only barely acknowledging the oversized snake desperately clinging for dear life on its flank.
Kabuto was not, at first, grateful for Orochimaru's interference with his body, for growing wings in the middle of a pitched battle meant readjusting his tactics in the middle of said battle, an unpleasant experience at the best of times, but now as he found himself easily able to escape Tsunade's attacks and rush toward his briefly felled master, he was thankful for it. It meant he could try out a theory.
Pulling out a sealed container, the same one's that let Kin keep her body parts fresh, he took a beating heart out of it.
"You were right, Lord Orochimaru, with sufficient control of the Health Purview, I could grow a new heart while taking my own out. A delicate, costly procedure, but maybe one that could satisfy the Gods."
Orochimaru, seeing Tsunade's rapidly approaching form, put no effort into replying other than to tear into the organ with his teeth before sputtering out "itzli Purview: Burning Heart!"
His ribcage opened, blood splattering everywhere, as a beating heart caught fire and his other organs vanished from view. Moreover, he felt the Ichor pulse and strengthen, the temporary power of the Gods restoring what was once his before Guide Sarutobi interfered, for a short while anyway, maybe an hour or so.
--
Sakura, beaten and battered by the indescribably strong gusts of wind, tried to move regardless. She wanted to walk forward, to support the others in their fight, but chance wasn't in her favor. At least, it didn't seem that way. Fate often played strange tricks, as Shizune had tried to tell her, but she never got the Magic Purview down, not even the one spell she had tried.
She was once again so useless. Her only point was to get Tsunade back on their side, and then do what? Sit back and let the others do the work, like always?
"Magic Purview: Unlidded Eye," she shouted in frustration rather than purpose, and found herself utterly shocked when it worked. Her exercises with Shizune had paid off. If only they could help…she saw the bond between Orochimaru and Kabuto, she saw the disgusting yet fearsome display he was putting on, so much like that one horrifying experience with Sasuke, was dependent on his tied fate to Kabuto.
There was a way to stop whatever it was…so what if that was true? Surely Tsunade could handle whatever it was on her own, or if she couldn't then there was obviously nothing someone like Sakura could do.
--
"Samsara Purview: Maya," Tsunade intoned, calling on Orochimaru's inherent imprisonment in the illusion of the world to create several illusory copies of herself. They would feel real enough when they struck him.
He, apparently inspired by her desire to create more forces to fight alongside her, sliced his wrist and intoned "Animal (Snake) Purview: Create Animal!"
His blood flowed from his wrists and fell to the ground, morphing into masses of snakes, way too many, that burning heart of his fueling them and creating more and more…the real Tsunade, her copies beside her, and her loyal elephant companion all found themselves smothered in the things. Any one bite or attempt to wrap around her neck she could ignore or fight off, but the sheer numbers he was managing to create with the Burning Heart fueling his Ichor, making him temporarily reassert the raw power of a God's energy channeled into a Boon if not able to use God-level Boons, reminded Tsunade of how glad she used to be when he was on her side.
"Sky Purview: Levin Fury!" Orochimaru shouted, lightning careening into her location. Then he shouted it again, and again, the power of Kabuto's 'sacrifice' fueling him.
The trumpeting of an elephant in distress right next to her let her know that her long-term companion was not faring any better than she was, and it had that damn oversized green chicken harrying it as well. This was not looking good.
While 'Burning Heart' was already active, and thus couldn't be affected by what she would do next, she could at least relieive her blistering, boiling skin with the knowledge that those lighting bolts could stop. Ripping a snake crawling over her face in half, staring at Orochimaru in the eyes directly, she murmured "Samsara Purview: Avidya," and once again exploited the inherent ignorance all had about the true nature of the universe to make him ignorant of his own powers.
He glared at her in frustration as his eyes showed he had, in fact, forgotten how Levin Fury worked due to her interference, prompting him to instead intone "Iztli Purview: Sacrifice of Will!" And rush towards her, obsidian-spiked club at the ready.
--
Kabuto, seeing that Lord Orochimaru had things in hand with Tsunade, much to his own surprise, flapped his wings and went to finish off Naruto, Sakura, Jiraiya, and whatever the other girl's name was. The boy, still stuck in the swirling winds, had managed to create several silhouettes of himself, and was directing them to free his horses from Kabuto's thorny plants and join the fight when he himself couldn't. Clever enough, he supposed. Still, it wouldn't be enough, as he was more than confident in his ability to fight off a few cannibalistic equines and shadowy imitations.
--
Sakura, desperate to accomplish something, tried out a Boon she had never pulled off before.
"You're a traitor and a coward, valuing nothing but yourself," she called out, throwing her spear and intoning "Justice Purview: Guilt of the Damned." It barely grazed the man, not enough to even mildly inconvenience him by itself, but that wasn't the point.
--
Kabuto, of all the things he should be thinking about at the moment, reflected on his past. On how he came to serve Orochimaru. On how often he doubted Orochimaru. On how often he seriously considered betraying his master. On how often he did betray everyone else. No matter which skin he wore, no matter which identity he took this year, it was never enough to make him feel like him, and did he even deserve to win this fight?
His resolve weakened, no matter how much he tried to shut down these sudden intrusive thoughts…something was affecting his mind, he thought that all too clear, but even knowing that all his doubts came tumbling forward to the front of his mind, both distracting him from this fight and ensuring that his heart wasn't really in it. Outnumbered as he was, that led to him giving up his height advantage without really meaning to and being dogpiled by the same horses and shadow figures he had just been looking down on.
"Are you sure the Justice Purview isn't what you want to focus on?" Shizune tried to shout out from the winds strangling her. "You seem good at it."
Not bothering to answer, Sakura instead responded, "Orochimaru's being powered by his Fated connection to Kabuto."
Shizune looked at the horrific sight of Orochimaru and his opened, burning ribcage, then at the flailing and pathetic Kabuto, and tried to weave the forces of Fate. "Magic Purview: Move Strand."
--
Orochimaru, in his ecstasy, had forgotten tactics, as would be expected from his last Boon. His Will was dedicated to destroying Tsunade, and some force, either the Major Gods or the forces that controlled them, was using his body as a vessel to do just that. He had always hated Sacrifice of Will for that very reason, but then a strange sensation, seeming to heal his shattered rib-cage, pulled him out of his violin reverie. Too bad, as he looked like he was winning against all odds.
It was like the Gods no longer recognized the sacrifice as worthwhile, which didn't make sense as the time limit for Burning Heart shouldn't be close to having been reached. But that wasn't it, he somehow felt that the sacrifice wasn't meaningful enough, that the heart hadn't come from a worthwhile source.
For a second he feared that Kabuto's technical cheating of an offer of his still-beating heart had induced failure, but then he felt something, something that only made sense thanks to his expert grasp on the Magic Purview, and realized that someone had altered his connection to Kabuto, removed any connection recognized by Fate, and then…it occurred to him that he might have been thinking about things the wrong way, giving up on the Health Purview and deciding that Samsara was the only way to fix him.
With what Kabuto had discovered about how to trick the Burning Heart Boon, and his mastery of the Magic Purview and Iztli Purview, or at least what was left of it after Guide Sarutobi's interference, then maybe he could…his thoughts were interrupted by Tsunade's fist slamming into his face, shattering his lower jaw and sending him flying once more, only the Sky Purview saving him.
Then, he noticed the snakes he had created from his blood going crazy, and the larger snake and giant quetzal he had tamed long ago starting to look at him questioningly, wondering if he was really worthy to be their master, and he realized that it was time to take his leave.
"Sky Purview: Sky's Freedom," he desperately intoned mere seconds before Tsunade's next fist decapitated him. "Animal (snake) Purview: Animal Feature," he intoned as the wind sent him flying upward, turning his arm into an enormous boa and then lashing it out to where that Naruto boy was battering Kabuto, biting into his little protege and pulling the young man with him in another gust of wind.
--
"Come back here, you bastard!" Naruto shouted desperately, angry at his opponents getting away. That anger was not so much relieved as redirected when he saw the useless granny staring at him rather than going after those guys.
"So, you won," she said, emotionlessly.
"Yeah, I was kicking Kabuto's ass, that little traitor, though I think whatever Sakura did helped a bit. Thanks, Sakura!"
Before his pink-haired bandmate could reply, Tsunade clarified. "No, I saw you use two different Stars Boons. The time limit isn't over yet. You won our bet. You proved me wrong."
Naruto smiled. "Yeah, I did! I never go back on my word! Believe it!"
She smiled in return. "So, I guess I have to admit that you were right about me…"
"That you're a drunk old loser grandma?" She did far more damage to him in the next second than Kabuto had managed throughout their preceding fight.
--
Shizune checkend over Sakura for any injuries as she said, "you know something, I was too terrified of Orochimaru's power, too convinced that he was so much better in the Magic Purview than me, to even try and use it against him. Whether you were more clever or more brave than me, you really saved us out there. Thank you."
"I mean, I didn't really…"
"Even though his arrogance led that Kabuto boy to let Naruto get far more good hits in than he should have, he was still stronger and faster than our little friend. It was your Boons that weakened him enough for Naruto to take him out, and as I just said, I wouldn't have thought to look at the Fate Strands, and trust me, with how Lady Tsunade was doing getting rid of that whole 'Burning Heart' thing might have saved us all." Shizune clapped a hand on Sakura's shoulder. "Don't cut yourself short. You were awesome out there."
"I did nothing compared to Tsunade," Sakura tried to keep downplaying herself, but Shizune once again was having none of it.
"Tsunade's a Minor God. She wiped out a Vampire Outpost single-handedly. She's the world's leading expert on the Health Purview, only possibly tied with Orochimaru, and that's not even Associated with Ganesha. That you were fighting on her side and still a necessary part and not an accessory is an accomplishment by itself."
Sakura tried to take her words to heart, but with Shizune's list of Tsunade's accomplishments a different line of thought overtook her. Tsunade, when she wasn't a cynical drunk or being tempted into psychotic deals with madmen, did look rather powerful and competent. She was commanding. She brokered no disrespect. Plus, she was an expert in the Health Purview, something that Sakura was already somewhat skilled in.
She had been thinking about finding a teacher, and while Shizune had been good to her, she was right, how could anyone compare to a Sankami? Well, a Sankami that wasn't currently obsessing over naked women, gambling her life-savings away, or committing abominations against all that was good and human? Okay, they had a lot of problems, but when Tsunade apologized to Naruto for hitting him and healed his wounds without even naming the Purview she was using, she saw a potential future to look into.
--
Jiraiya, the poison finally fading from his system, felt the need to whine. "I was so useless!" He shouted. "How can I impress the ladies if I'm not even fighting?"
"What 'ladies' were you hoping to impress?" Sakura sincerely wondered.
Jiraiya looked to where Tsunade was gathering her things, then to where Shizune was making sure that Tsunade was actually doing that and not sneaking off to the nearest gambling hall, and sighed. "Yeah, I lost that chance a long time ago. Still doomed to lost causes."
Naruto took a second from grinning over his victory in the bet to glance at his sort-of mentor. "Hey, Pervy Sage, I think you've said something about that before. What do you mean by doomed?"
Jiraiya sighed even more loudly, yet more seriously. "What do you guys know about Tishtrya, my Divine Father?"
Naruto scratched the back of his head, trying to figure out something that would prevent him from admitting that he knew nothing, while Sakura, somewhat to her own surprise, found that she was just as lost. The Yazata weren't a subject that the Academy spent a lot of time on, for some reason. Odd, considering Iruka's Divine Father.
"He was the God of Rain, among other things, but he was most known for fighting off the spirits of the stars that brought the droughts. When people failed to offer sacrifice and worship, he too failed in his yearly battle, bringing the 'Dry Season' to Persia in the World-That-Was and doing who knows what in our own world. There's an old idea among Clan Yazata, a superstition I guess, that Scions of Tishtrya are trapped by Fate to recreate the story, to face an event where we need to succeed, where the lives and prosperity of many will be on the line, and we'll fail just as our Father did. A silly folk tale, of course. We make our own lives." The last part was said hastily. Both of the Lesser Heroes could hear the nervousness behind his words.
"Well, why would Tishtrya's Scions have a Fate when others wouldn't…" Naruto tried to reason, but Sakura interjected.
"There are tones of stories about how we're all Fated to relive parts of our parents' lives. Scions of Athena are said to be brilliant, masters of all intellectual matters they pursue." She twirled her hair. "It sort of made me a bit insecure, to be honest, like the only reason I ever did well in school was because Fate wanted me to."
"Athena wouldn't have adopted you if you weren't already smart, or at least looked like it, kid," Jiraiya pointed out.
"What about Izanami," Naruto suddenly became interested in this conversation. "What do they say about us?"
Jiraiya shrugged. "You know her story, right? She was Izanagi's wife, beautiful and pleasant to all. Then she died in childbirth and was condemned to the Underworld, coming to hate the cruel world that separated her from her beloved husband, especially when he later ruined their attempts at a reunion."
"He couldn't resist looking at her naked, and then she swore to kill a hundred people every day, but Izanagi swore to bring even more to life until she tired!" Naruto shouted.
"Close enough, I don't actually remember the details, but anyway all of Izanami's Scions are said to live out one of her lives. They are either a shining beacon of light and joy in the dark, or a horrifying visage of misery and pain bringing terror to the world. Superstition holds that they are never in-between."
Naruto mused on that for a bit. He still didn't really get the whole 'Fate' thing, mostly remembering that a lot of Scions didn't like it and that Neji had turned into a jerk because of his obsession with it. Did that mean that he was going to be one of those two things? Were the villagers right to fear his future, if he became an image of darkness…no, he would be the first one, if Fate made him choose. And if Fate wouldn't let him, then screw Fate!
Speaking of that, Naruto looked to Sakura. "Hey, what did you mean back then when you started shouting something about an 'unlidded eye' or whatever?"
"Oh, well, I've been studying the Magic Purview. I guess I just wanted to do something unique, what with how you've been improving so much and Sasuke just being impressive in general, I guess I felt like I was falling behind. I didn't want to be the spare, and Shizune offered to help teach me some stuff, so…". She pointed her fingers together awkwardly as she spoke. It was a little embarrassing to bring up her feelings like that, but Naruto just shouted in excitement and frustration.
"What? I spent the whole journey here trying to figure out Stars and you figured out Magic in just a day?"
Sakura felt a blush dust her cheeks at the indirect praise. It was something to be proud of, she supposed.
--
The five of them stood on the road overlooking the town where everything had just gone down, solemnly preparing for the journey ahead until Naruto pointed out that 'Granny Tsunade' needed to get back home so she could heal Sasuke and he could prove himself better than the Clan boy. Sakura snorted something that sounded like mockery, which prompted him to whine about how she still hadn't realized that he'd make a better boyfriend than Sasuke, which prompted her to try and slap him, which turned into the two teenagers running ahead and half-heartedly fighting.
Tsunade chuckled as she watched them. "Those two bring back memories."
"Yeah," Jiraiya sighed at his student's rejection, something he understood all too well.
"Jiraiya," she brought up, "I'm not going back on my word, no matter how it might sound, but don't you think that you should be Great God-on-Earth? Those kids were right earlier. You never abandoned the Village like I did. You never…poisoned a friend so he couldn't stop you from making a terrible decision."
"Tsunade, I couldn't stand being Great God-on-Earth, and less selfishly, the Village couldn't stand me being on top. Can you imagine the reaction when the seeing-crystal between the Terrae Theon Tower and the women's bathhouse is set up? Repairing it whenever some puritan smashed it would drain half out budget."
"I take back what I said about you being the best of us," Tsunade said jokingly.
"I don't take back what I said about you having the chance to surpass me," Jiraiya responded seriously.
Tsunade sighed, then looked forward. "Well, it's time for one last duty to this Yama-cursed Village. One long, painful duty." Pondering what Jiraiya just said, she needed to ask. "Do you think I can use Village funds to run a casino?"
Shizune screamed in disapproval before her former bandmate could think of an answer, which she figured meant 'no.'