Author's Note: Welcome back, everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful Labor Day weekend!

Disclaimer: Naruto and Inuyasha belong to their respective owners.

Dialogue Legend:

"Unforgivable" – Normal dialogue

'Unforgivable' – character's thoughts/speaking to Inner Demon/Inner Spirit/Supernatural Being telepathically through a seal

"Unforgivable" – Jutsu name; Inner Demon/Inner Spirit/Supernatural Being speaking to someone directly.

'Unforgivable' – Inner Demon/Inner Spirit/Supernatural Being speaking to someone telepathically or through a seal

Chapter 32 – The Fifth Sound

"Let me get this straight." Temari gawked incredulously at Kiba. "Your clan is descended from one of – if not the absolute – most powerful Hanyou of all time, and, now that his sword has acknowledged you, you've permanently become a Hanyou yourself and have access to both Youki and Chakra?"

"That's the gist of it, makes me really regret not paying more attention to my clan's history." Kiba confirmed while gazing reverently at Tessaiga. The blade was still in its transformed state; instead of a katana, the sword now resembled an oversized dog's fang. The golden cross guard was transmuted into a large patch of dog's fur. It felt as fluffy as Akamaru's fur to the touch, but, when Shikamaru tried to cut some of it off with a kunai, the fur was undamaged.

"I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, given who the Kazekage Clan descends from." Temari grumbled while gazing at the ground.

Shikamaru resisted the urge to ask Temari for clarification. One look at her body language told the Nara Heir that Temari's lineage was a source of pain for her. It hadn't even been a full hour since he'd entered into a romantic relationship with the Suna princess; Shikamaru had no desire to start things off on such a troublesome note.

"So, the first four bastards Orochimaru sent to kidnap Sasuke are dead. If our own fights with the creeps mean anything, Naruto shouldn't have any trouble taking the new guy Shikamaru mentioned down!" Choji declared.

"You weren't there, Choji; the bloodlust radiating off that guy was worse than Naruto's while he was transforming." Shikamaru shivered.

"Then we can only trust in Naruto and Gaara-san." Hinata sighed. "None of us have enough Chakra to contribute effectively to the undoubtedly titanic battle that is unfolding as we speak, and – with the exception of Shikamaru-kun and Temari-san – we are all too injured to fight."

"Perhaps, but I believe we are overly concerned." Tetsuisshi opined. "According to Kiri's spies, Gaara-san is a Jinchuriki and Naruto is unique."

"Gaara won't be able to use the power of his Tailed Beast for at least two years." Temari revealed. "Whatever Naruto-san used to beat him wreaked havoc on Shukaku."

"Damn, well then we can only hope that Naruto's Daiyoukai powers can make up the difference." Shikamaru had disclosed Naruto's ancestry to Temari while the pair was on their way to Kiba's position.

"Indeed." Hinata and Tetsuisshi said simultaneously.

Konoha – Hyuuga Clan Compound

"Isshin-sensei, why don't the Hyuuga use long-range Ninjutsu?" This question had bothered Hanabi for weeks. She'd been raised believing that the Hyuuga had no need of such techniques, but one look at Hinata's training sessions with her electric shuriken had forever dispelled that notion. While Hinata often practiced by herself, she occasionally sparred with Hyuuga Chuunin. Many of them were unable to react in time to avoid the electric shuriken because Hinata did not need hand seals to cast it anymore. Those that did manage to dodge the Jutsu or deflect it with Hakkeshou Kaiten were hard-pressed to close the distance before Hinata formed the Chakra necessary to cast the Jutsu again.

Hanabi tried to find an answer in the history scrolls she had been instructed to memorize, but after weeks of research, she had found nothing.

"It was believed in antiquity to be a waste of time and resources." Isshin replied. "The Warring States Era, among many other periods of time, left young Hyuuga little time to perfect more than what the Hyuuga are naturally proficient in. The Juuken does contain techniques to strike from a distance, but they are complicated to learn; many Hyuuga do not gain the required Chakra control until they become Jonin."

"But we're not in the Warring States Era, or those other ages, anymore! This is stupid!" Hanabi screamed. "The Side Branch isn't even allowed to learn Hakkeshou Kaiten and it exists solely to protect the Main Branch! If we won't allow them to learn the Juuken's most powerful techniques, then the least we can do is let them learn long-range attacks to compensate!"

"What would you suggest then, Elder?" Isshin used Hanabi's new rank to get her full attention. "If the other Konoha Clans are anything to go by, then the Hyuuga will conform to a single Nature Transformation. There will be exceptions to the rule, of course, but the established training regimen will need to be drastically altered to incorporate elemental Ninjutsu. This would be tedious enough in a time of peace; implementing it while Konoha is on the brink of war is foolhardy."

"I disagree, Isshin-sensei!" Hanabi's eyes gleamed with righteous fury. "The Side Branch exists in name only now that Shikaku-dono and Inoichi-dono have concocted the means to destroy the Caged Bird Seal. Many of the families within the former Side Branch loath the Main Branch for years of abuse and ridicule. Elemental Jutsu is an olive branch to them, as are the Juuken's mightiest techniques; said offerings be delivered with all haste if we are ever to heal our beloved clan!"

Isshin was stunned. Hiashi was right; Hanabi's perspective was invaluable. "You make a most compelling argument, Hanabi-chan. When your two fellow elders and Hiashi-sama next convene, you should discuss this with them at length. Rest assured, you will have my full support."

Hanabi's smile could have convinced the sun to shine through a thunderstorm. "Thank you so much, Isshin-sensei!" The Hyuuga Elder hugged her mentor with far more strength than her seven-year-old body would suggest.

Hi no Kuni – Grassland near the Valley of the End

'Worthless; I'll kill Tayuya once we have returned to Orochimaru-sama's side!' Kimimaro vowed as Naruto emerged from the forest. 'Now, how shall I destroy this one?'

Kimimaro observed Naruto and was impressed by what he saw. The young man's armor was of excellent make and in pristine condition despite presumably several encounters with the Sound Four. The two swords hanging from Naruto's hip stirred Kimimaro's battle urges. His clan was overly fond of combat, which had led to their demise. Now that he had dedicated his entire being to Orochimaru, Kimimaro couldn't let his combat instincts run wild for too long. But a chance to cross blades with one of Konoha's finest was a rare opportunity indeed. Besides, he did need to ascertain just how powerful his body was in its current state.

Until now, Naruto hadn't been able to get a good look at Sasuke's coffin. The seals covering its lid reminded him of some of the more advanced seals he'd read about in the Uzumaki archives. 'If I'm right, those seals can only be broken from the outside, meaning that Sasuke can't break out of there and help. Guess I'm on my own.'

"Before we begin, tell me one thing." Naruto met Kimimaro's analytical gaze with an appraising stare of his own. "Jiraiya-sensei told me about Orochimaru's Immortality Jutsu. I've seen and read about some crazy things, but something like that – transferring his soul – almost defies belief. Has he really perfected such a horrific Jutsu?"

Kimimaro smiled. "You ask to confirm what you already know. Not because you doubt your teacher, but to gain the enemy's perspective. You are wise beyond your years. What is your name?"

"Naruto Namikaze-Uzumaki." The young Daiyoukai replied softly.

"Kimimaro Kaguya; no relation to the legendary Celestial Maiden, I assure you." Kimimaro clarified his family status after hearing a gasp from Naruto. His clan had once prided itself on its battle prowess; claiming to be descended from the Lunar Princess would cheapen that pride. Kimimaro had been a child when his clan was wiped out and had not yet been told why they were named after Kaguya despite not being related to her; all he knew was that, whatever other connections may exist between his ancestors and the Celestial Maiden, they were not linked by blood.

"That's a relief; the Hyuuga are descended from her and I wouldn't want to fight one of their number who actually appreciates the gifts they were born with." Naruto reminisced on his "fight" with Neji; if that had been Hiashi in the ring, Naruto would have been in very deep shit.

"What Jiraiya-dono has told you of Orochimaru-sama's Jutsu is correct. Sasuke-sama is to be his next vessel. If you would bar my path," two large bones ending in sharpened points protruded from Kimimaro's palms, "then your life is forfeit."

"That's my line!" Naruto formed a cross seal. "Anyone who kidnaps my best friend is a dead man walking! Tajuu Kage Bushin no Jutsu!" One thousand Kage Bushin materialized in a huge plume of smoke and surrounded Kimimaro.

"An impressive display; let's see just how much substance is within those forms. Yanagi no Mai! (Dance of the Willow)

Bones identical to the ones growing out of his palms sprouted from Kimimaro's knees, elbows, and shoulders. As Naruto's doppelgangers swarmed all around him, Kimimaro weaved and danced between them. To the clones that weren't currently being slaughtered, Kimimaro seemed to be swaying with the wind. The Kage Bushin countered to the best of their ability, but their numbers meant little in the face of such a powerful opponent. It took more effort than he expected due to Naruto's Taijutsu prowess, but he was able to destroy over a third of the Kage Bushin army in less than a minute.

"This is my Kekkei Genkai." Kimimaro retracted his bone blades.

"Bone manipulation, huh? Freaky, but cool." Naruto's light shivers were echoed by his clones.

Kimimaro halfway unzipped his and dragged his left sleeve off his shoulder. His left shoulder then split apart and his upper arm bone slowly rose out of the opening. He drew it out of his body completely with his right hand, and his shoulder healed instantly. Naruto was shocked to see that the skin on Kimimaro's arm was not distorted, which indicated that the missing bone had regrown. The humerus was nearly double its typical length, and nearly half of said length was comprised of a blade.

"Shuriken Kage Bushin no Jutsu!" Naruto's Kage Bushin threw hundreds of shuriken, which were multiplied into thousands by the Jutsu. Kimimaro displayed the skill of a true blademaster by dodging or blocking every single one. The shuriken he deflected with his bone sword were cleaved in two.

"My Kekkei Genkai allows me to freely manipulate the calcium density of my bones; by amplifying said density to its maximum, the bones become stronger than steel." Kimimaro brandished his sword at one of the nearest Kage Bushin. "Behold: Tsubaki no Mai!" (Dance of the Camilla)

Kimimaro was upon the Kage Bushin in an instant. With a sonic boom, he flashed around the battlefield and impaled, decapitated, or disemboweled hundreds of Kage Bushin in a matter of seconds.

'I never expected to fight someone so fast this early in my Shinobi career. Not only that, but there're no holes in his Kenjutsu style that I can see!' Naruto grimaced. 'Against an opponent like this, most of my Ninjutsu are useless! Hitting an opponent this fast from a distance would take a Raiton Jutsu, which I don't have, and he won't stand still nearly long enough for Rasengan to work!'

"And then there was one." Kimimaro mused as the last Kage Bushin was vanquished. "I trust this display was an adequate demonstration of my capabilities?"

"Heh, that's right," Naruto chuckled, "with Orochimaru as your master, you'd know that Kage Bushin can transfer memories and experiences. As much as I'd like to say my army survived long enough to get a good read of your abilities, we both know they didn't. I can safely say you're the fastest enemy I've ever fought, by a huge margin."

"And I can tell that you have no chance of backing down. How do you plan on countering my speed?" Kimimaro began running toward Naruto at a much slower pace than before.

"By matching it as best as possible! You're not the only one here with a powerful bloodline!" Naruto drew Tokijin, shifted into his Daiyoukai form, and accelerated to Mach 2. A supersonic blade dance commenced as the pair slashed and pierced at each other with their weapons. Kimimaro's bone sword clashed against Tokijin dozens of times per second. The strongest of the Sound Five and the Namikaze received hundreds of minor scratches over the next five minutes, but neither could land a definitive blow. By unspoken consent, the two combatants ceased their assault and stared each other down.

Naruto's armor had taken the bulk of the scratches Kimimaro had managed to inflict and remained largely intact. A few scratches adorned Naruto's face, but his accelerated healing had already stopped them from bleeding. By tomorrow, they'd be gone completely.

Kimimaro's clothes were in tatters and now barely preserved his modesty. His skin, however, evidently boasted superior natural durability to Naruto's. The young Daiyoukai could see where his sword had kissed his opponent's flesh, but no blood was seen pouring from any scratch.

"Man, I was hoping to exploit your bone sword's composition to shock you into oblivion. Calcium's a metal, and, under normal circumstances, is a fairly good electrical conductor. Your Kekkei Genkai must grant you complete control over the chemical composition of your bones. The second you realized Tokijin was a sword of lightning, you changed the composition of your bone sword to be an insulator rather than a conductor."

"Correct on all counts." Kimimaro gave a half bow. "I've felled many a Kumo Shinobi by exploiting that very preconception. Still, your efforts were not in vain." Kimimaro's bone sword suffered greatly after he converted it into an insulator. It had to absorb the full brunt of Tokijin's power and was now deeply cracked. Kimimaro discarded the abused weapon and drew another one from his shoulder. While he did so, Naruto flared his Youki and charged. Earlier, he had been somewhat conservative with his Youki. Now, he channeled a greater amount of it through his body than ever before, almost reaching Mach 3.

'Damn, moving at more than double the speed of sound puts too much strain on my body in its current state!' Kimimaro cursed as Naruto overwhelmed him. Only his superior combat experience allowed him to avoid fatal blows.

'Very well, Naruto-san; let's see how you deal with this!' Kimimaro's Cursed Seal spread across his body from the center of his chest in curved lines that, paradoxically, both contorted and remained parallel to each other. With his speed tripled by his First Stage, Kimimaro had no trouble halting Naruto's assault. The young Daiyoukai's next slash was preempted by a thrust from Kimimaro that nearly pierced his heart! Only Naruto's combat instincts saved him from impalement as he swerved desperately out of Kimimaro's reach.

Rather than press his advantage, Kimimaro used the pause in combat to undergo another transformation. Sharp, curved bones emerged from his chest, arms, shoulders, and all over his back.

'Kurama-sensei, remember how you said you could convert a percentage of your Chakra to Youki for me to use? Now sounds like a great time to try that out!' Naruto used the last of his Youki to fully repair his armor.

'Done!' Kurama's Youki pulsed through Naruto's body and fully recharged his Youki core. He reentered his Daiyoukai form just in time to avoid Kimimaro's attack!

"My Cursed Seal amplifies my strength, speed, and durability. Even though I've just recovered from a terminal illness, Orochimaru-sama's power allows me to fight far beyond my current limits. Karamatsu no Mai!" (Dance of the Pine Tree)

"Then I'll just have to surpass my limits too!" Naruto channeled as much Youki as he could into his body without damaging it. The effort drained his Youki core at a tremendous rate, but Naruto knew he couldn't hold back against Kimimaro anymore. His only chance was to kill Kimimaro before his Youki ran out again!

'Your Youki core cannot withstand an influx of my power more than once per day!' Kurama warned as Naruto rushed at Kimimaro.

'Incredible, his speed is equal to my own!' Kimimaro marveled as Tokijin nearly claimed his head. With his speed tripled, Kimimaro was now moving at Mach 6, but Naruto was matching him blow for blow!

'Naruto-san's technique is the same as before, so the only explanation for his increased speed is that he's using much more Chakra to fuel it now. A desperate gamble, but a logical one." Kimimaro praised Naruto's gambit as they clashed once more. Compared to his earlier techniques, Karamatsu no Mai was a defensive dance; the stronger the opponent's attack, the more damage they would receive when they crashed into Kimimaro's bones. Naruto was cognizant of this, and he did his best to strike parts of Kimimaro's body that were not covered in bone blades. Unfortunately for him, Kimimaro's speed equaled his, and the last member of the Kaguya Clan had far more combat experience than Naruto.

He had no trouble evading or redirecting the attacks Naruto launched at the more vulnerable areas of his body. The deadly dance continued for the next minute; Naruto probed, and Kimimaro weaved. They spun around each other like two black holes, each one doing all it could to consume the other. At the minute's end, Naruto used the last of his Youki to flash far away from Kimimaro to the forest's edge. The maneuver surprised Kimimaro for less than a second, but after that, he flashed upon Naruto once more. Just before Kimimaro could impale Naruto's skull on one of his blades, a wall of sand blocked his attack!

The last Kaguya retreated several steps as the one responsible emerged from the forest. "And you are?"

"Gaara of the Desert. Son of the late Yondaime Kazekage." Gaara stepped in front of Naruto. "Servant of Orochimaru, for the crimes your master has committed against Suna, his life is forfeit. Flee now, or perish!"

"I am Orochimaru's sword. To kill him, you must first end me!" Kimimaro stretched his fingertips out toward Gaara and fired the bones of each digit at him.

"Jiton: Inryoku!" (Magnet Release: Attraction) As Gaara's signature sand leaped from his gourd to defend him, he channeled the power of his birthright into it. The sand, already imbued with his mother's Chakra and will, was made far more durable by Gaara's Jutsu. Kimimaro's bone bullets found no purchase within the wall of magnetized sand and were deflected.

"Woah!" Naruto gawked as Kimimaro's attack was halted.

"When the enemy is destroyed, and Sasuke-san is safely returned to Konoha. I wish to speak to you regarding your distant ancestor, Naruto-kun." Gaara requested while awaiting Kimimaro's next move.

"Aside from some clan secrets I can't reveal to outsiders, I think I'd welcome that conversation." Naruto agreed. "From the looks of things, your clan had quite the powerful progenitor as well."

"Indeed; take some time to recover, my friend. I will ensure that your rest is uninterrupted." Gaara steeled himself for the inevitable assault as Kimimaro retracted his bone blades.

"Be careful; he has full control over his skeleton and can make it absurdly durable." Naruto warned as he adopted a meditative stance. "Your sand attacks won't be as effective against him as they seem."

Gaara nodded just as another volley of bone bullets streaked toward him! These bullets were infused with much more Chakra than the first volley and managed to penetrate almost halfway through Gaara's magnetized sand wall before being halted. Kimimaro flashed toward Gaara at full speed, seeking to blindside him, but Gaara's sand wall intercepted Kimimaro and began to wrap around him!

'As expected of a Jinchuriki; his sand can match my movements even while I'm moving faster than sound!' Kimimaro spun in places to force the sand off his body and retreated several dozen feet.

"Suna Shigure!" (Sand Drizzle) At Gaara's command, his sand wall disintegrated into dozens of clumps that rose into the air and rained down on Kimimaro.

Kimimaro deflected the sand and turned to rush at Gaara once more, but two sand tendrils ensnared his legs!

"Did you believe that I was limited to the sand contained within my gourd? Crafting more sand from the earth itself is effortless for me!" Gaara frowned at his opponent; one of Orochimaru's elite should know better!

'Well played, Gaara-san.' Kimimaro mentally praised his foe as Gaara raised a hand toward him in a gripping gesture. The sand tendrils swelled in size and completely covered Kimimaro.

"Sabaku Sousou!" (Sand Waterfall Funeral) Gaara clenched his fist, and the sand encasing Kimimaro imploded, crushing him with tremendous force. A few seconds later, Kimimaro clawed his way out of the desert coffin. His skin was torn off in several places, exposing solid bone plates just beneath his dermis.

"Very impressive, Gaara-san. If I hadn't made these plates, your Jutsu would have crushed me. I underestimated you, but your sand won't touch me again!" The second Kimimaro finished his declaration, a huge rumbling manifested in front of him as Gaara slammed his hands together!

"Ryuusa Bakuryuu!" (Quicksand Waterfall Flow) Gaara conjured an astronomical amount of sand and formed into a tsunami-like wave that flooded the entire area Kimimaro was buried once more in an instant.

"Sabaku Taisou!" (Sand Waterfall Imperial Funeral) Gaara slammed his hands against the ground, and the sand flattened within milliseconds. The crushing force was incomparable to his earlier Sabaku Sousou technique. Several seconds passed before the sand above Kimimaro's position began to move.

"How persistent." Gaara praised Kimimaro's durability as a long, bone-spiked tail emerged from beneath the sand. Soon after, the rest of Kimimaro's monstrous Second Stage surfaced.

He now resembled a dinosaur; his skin was brown-gray, his sclera were black, and his irises were yellow. His teeth were now sharpened, and six massive bones sprouted from his back. Two grew above his head, another pair grew perpendicular to his back, and the last pair grew downward from where his tail met his back. Two large black markings surrounded each of his eyes; the upper pair doubled as eyebrows while the lower pair curved beneath the eyes.

Kimimaro rocketed toward Gaara with tremendous speed. The Suna Jinchuriki tried to immobilize Kimimaro with his sand once more, but the last Kaguya was too fast. Gaara made a magnetized sand wall to defend himself, but Kimimaro charged right through it. For the first time since the battle began, Gaara's ultimate defense failed him.

'That was too close.' Gaara panted. 'If I hadn't magnetized my sand just before the impact, I'd be dead right now.'

'Something's wrong.' Kimimaro realized after his charge failed to kill Gaara. 'With the Second Stage of my Cursed Seal now activated, I should be ten times faster than I was in my First Stage. If could move at Mach 6 before, now I should be moving at Mach 60. But, just now, I felt like I was moving at Mach 30, at best.'

It was then that Kimimaro felt it. Currently, there was no sand clinging to him, but something was dragging him down all the same.

"As expected of one of Orochimaru's elite; you noticed almost instantly." Gaara clutched his right side as he stood up. Kimimaro's charge had fractured two of his ribs. "You're ensnared by my Jiton: Jakuhou no Soujin. (Magnet Release: Conserving Bee Twin Blades)

Anything I touch becomes magnetized while the Jutsu is in effect, and all that comes into contact with what I touch becomes magnetized in turn. Direct contact is preferable, but not necessary; objects that are touched by my Chakra will also be magnetized. Every last grain of sand beneath your feet is magnetized. You can evade my attacks, but you cannot avoid the magnetic pull of the ground itself."

"Your sand is starting to annoy me, Gaara! Tessenka no Mai: Tsuru!" (Dance of the Clematis: Vine) Kimimaro growled before pulling out his spine. With the added length of his tail, the appendage was long enough to serve as a whip, and its cartilage could stretch to increase its range. Worse, the spine's vertebrae had all had spikes on either side. With his right hand, Kimimaro lashed out with his new weapon; a shroud of magnetized sand prevented the spine-whip from slicing Gaara to pieces, but it wrapped around him like a constrictor and prevented further movement.

"Tessenka no Mai: Hana!" (Dance of the Clematis: Flower) Five massive bones erupted out of Kimimaro's left hand and spiraled around each other, forming a gargantuan drill.

"This is my strongest technique; the densest bones I can create are merged into a single weapon. This ultimate spear will have no trouble piercing your pathetic shield of sand!" Kimimaro charged at Gaara.

"Saikou Zettai Bogyou: Shukaku no Tate!" (Ultimately Hard Absolute Defense: Shield of Shukaku!" While Kimimaro was forming his bone spear, Gaara gathered the densest minerals from the soil beneath his sand tsunami and both compressed and fused them to form a sand barrier far more durable than the sand he normally used.

"Jiton: Sekiryoku!" (Magnet Release: Repulsion) In the instant before Kimimaro began his charge, a powerful magnetic field emanated from Gaara's shield. Individually, neither defense would have been sufficient to halt Kimimaro's onslaught. Together, however, they proved its match. Kimimaro was immobilized; despite his sincerest efforts, he could not breach the magnet-empowered shield.

'No! If my body was in better condition, it could have generated enough Chakra to pulverize this shield!' Kimimaro struggled with all his might but only succeeded in lodging his spear deeper into the shield's unbreakable grasp. Moments later, the spear shattered. Kimimaro took some small comfort when Gaara's shield imploded a few seconds later.

"I can scarcely believe you were capable of destroying that shield, even if your spear succumbed first." Sweat was pouring down Gaara's face. "But, now it's over. Gokusa Maisou!" (Prison Sand Burial) The earth far beneath Kimimaro split open, and the sand he was standing on surged into the breach. He tried to leap out of the hole, but not even his supersonic speed could help him when he had no footing.

"It's over" Gaara declared. "You'll sink two hundred meters beneath the earth and be crushed by the sand. Even if you survive, the pressure will be so great that you'll be unable to breathe, let alone move. You were a formidable opponent, servant of Orochimaru, but you now share the fate of all of Suna's enemies."

"SAWARABI NO MAI!" (Dance of the Seedling Ferns) With a death-defying roar, ten thousand bone blades erupted from the pit Gaara had intended to be Kimimaro's tomb. Gaara's sand shield protected him from the worst of the damage, but he still received several cuts all over his body from the surprise attack.

"I'll borrow your words, Gaara-san; the fate of Orochimaru-sama's enemies is now yours to savor." Kimimaro's upper body grew out of one of the bone blades just behind Gaara, and another bone spear adorned his right arm.

Gaara was drained of Chakra and too injured to move, but a vermillion flash intercepted the fatal blow and slammed an azure orb into Kimimaro's chest!

"Urrggh!" The Rasengan forced Kimimaro's body completely out of the bone blade he'd used to escape the pit. Naruto stood beside Gaara and quickly assessed him for severe injuries.

"Your eyes, is this the power of your Tailed Beast?" Gaara had known Naruto was a fellow Jinchuriki since Kurama had first awakened during the Chuunin Exams, but he hadn't bothered paying much attention to Naruto's first manifestation of the Kyuubi's power.

"Yeah, this is Kurama's Chakra at work." Naruto finished looking Gaara over and turned to face the direction he'd sent Kimimaro flying in. Sure enough, the last Kaguya was standing back up. "I'd love to take Kimimaro out using just my Zero-Tail State, but he's too strong; I'm gonna have to go One-Tail for this!"

Naruto's vermillion aura evolved in a dense, boiling Chakra cloak.

'You're tolerance for my Chakra was temporarily compromised when I replenished your Youki earlier. You have thirty seconds before the One-Tailed State renders you too weak to move!' Kurama warned.

Naruto's only answer was to flash to Kimimaro at Mach 20. Kimimaro evaded the Rasengan that sought his heart, but just barely. His Chakra was greatly diminished, and his body was nearing its limit.

'If this is my end, then I shall make it worthy of remembrance!' Kimimaro vowed. When Naruto rushed him again, his bone spear pierced incoming Rasengan along with the right hand that held it!

Naruto resisted the pain through sheer force of will and delivered a devastating reverse ax kick that hurled Kimimaro hundreds of feet into the air. Before Kimimaro could recover, Naruto kicked off the ground with so much force that he left a crater beneath him as he rocketed to Kimimaro.

Rasengan and bone spear alike sought the enemy's heart. Gravity augmented Kimimaro, but the One-Tailed State granted Naruto just enough power to negate that advantage. He dodged the bone spear by a hair's breadth and shoved his father's signature Jutsu into Kimimaro!

'My deepest apologies, Orochimaru-sama; despite all that you've done for me, I failed you when you needed me most.' Kimimaro lamented as he fell. His Cursed Seal-amplified durability prevented the Rasengan from dealing instant death, but the blood vessels surrounding his heart were pulverized and the organ itself was severely damaged. The final Kaguya breathed his last just before impacting the ground.

Naruto wasn't fairing much better. His thirty seconds expired just after he delivered Kimimaro's death blow. Gaara used the last of his Chakra to cushion his fall, but the young Daiyoukai now bore several fractures all over his skeleton. He could still move, but just barely. He gingerly stood up and began limping over to Sasuke's coffin, which was currently near the edge of his field of vision.

"NARUTO, LOOK OUT!" Gaara cried.

Kimimaro had landed only a few feet away from Naruto, and a new seal had appeared on the back of his neck and was now rapidly expanding.

'Shit! That's a summoning matrix!' Naruto swore. In the next instant, a one-hundred-foot-tall snake appeared in a plume of smoke. The giant serpent immediately swallowed Kimimaro's body whole and fled across the plain to the Valley of the End.

"Damn it all, that can't mean anything good, but I can't do anything about it now!" Naruto resumed his slow, painful journey to Sasuke's coffin. After what seemed like hours, he reached his destination and tore off the seals keeping the coffin's lid in place. What he saw made him want to shove the lid back in place; too bad it had vanished once the seals were all removed.

Sasuke was reclining against the coffin's wall with a serene smile on his face. The webs and Chakra-suppressing tags that had once confined him were artfully torn and folded to resemble origami. "What took you so long, dobe? I ran out of material to make origami with over an hour ago."

"Fuck off, teme!" Naruto's growl would have been far more intimidating if he wasn't smiling like the cat who just ate the canary.

"Whatever you say, though you should have Tsunade-hime look at that hand once we're back home." Sasuke smirked.

Naruto nodded. Kurama's healing factor had repaired the worst of the damage his hand suffered, but the muscles were still heavily lacerated. With a titanic sigh of relief, the Namikaze Lord began the long trek back to Konoha.

Konoha – Third Training Ground, 6:00pm

Kakashi had just finished a patrol of Konoha's streets and was now moving through the training ground where Hiruzen had given his three brightest students the bell test. Going through Training Ground 3 was the fastest way to reach Kakashi's true destination: the Memorial Stone. It was an open secret in Konoha that the Copy Ninja spent much of his free time here. He liked to think that he was soldiering on as well as could be expected after losing Rin and Obito, but he knew he was fooling himself. Rin loved him, and any chance he had to return those emotions was stolen by Kiri. Obito, his closest friend, had taught him what it meant to truly be a comrade through his death at Iwa's hands. To top it all off, his beloved mentor and his wife were stolen from the world by a madman claiming to be Madara Uchiha of all things!

'And here I am, in so much pain that I can barely weave Chakra; maybe I should follow Tsunade-sama's advice and take some medical leave.' Kakashi's thoughts turned to all he had lost as he approached the Memorial Stone. A black garter snake with yellow stripes and red spots was resting on the stone; its head covering the spot where Obito's name was inscribed.

"Shoo." Kakashi grumbled as he moved to grab the snake. The serpent woke up instantly and bit Kakashi's finger!

Kakashi's pain exploded by an order of magnitude, and it took all his willpower to keep standing as the snake launched itself off the stone and vanished in a plume of smoke. The man that emerged from the smoke in its place highly resembled Kabuto, but he didn't wear glasses, his hair was a much darker gray than Kabuto's, and his eyes were golden slits. The Sword of Kusanagi hung from his hip in a simple sheath. Most unsettling of all was the clothes the Snake Sannin wore. He was dressed in an Iwa combat uniform that was covered in markings Kakashi recognized from his encounter with Iwa's forces in the Land of Waves.

"Anti-Detection Jutsu Seals!" Kakashi cursed. "That's how you managed to sneak in here, Orochimaru!"

"Indeed, though, if my Sound Four could infiltrate Konoha's security, I doubt I'd have had much trouble without them. On my way here, I ran into an elite Iwa scout unit. They wear the most fascinating clothes these days, wouldn't you agree, Kakashi-kun?" Orochimaru tittered. "It makes me wonder if an Uzumaki is running their Fuinjutsu Division these days."

"No Uzumaki would ever serve Iwa!" Kakashi snarled.

"Certainly none among them who were old enough to discern friend from foe at the time of the Uzumaki Massacre," Orochimaru agreed, "but what if Iwa managed to capture a toddler, or even an infant? I have an Uzumaki survivor in my own ranks, so I can assure you that such a thing is far from impossible."

Kakashi did his best to draw a kunai, but it fell from trembling fingers.

"Ah-ah-ah, Kakashi-kun." Orochimaru cooed. "Jiraiya may have been able to fight through my venom, but he's far more physically potent than you. You made this far too easy; I nearly lost count of how many times you came here during the Chuunin Exams. As an ex-Anbu commander, you should know better than to be a creature of habit!"

"And you must have been really desperate to use a Shinobi as gifted as Kabuto-san as your next host." Kakashi spat. He'd read the report detailing Orochimaru's ambush near Tanzaku-gai; anyone who could defeat Shizune was a force to reckoned with.

"Indeed I was, and I'll happily admit that I was a fool for not thinking of it much sooner!" Orochimaru cackled. "Compared to Sasuke or Kimimaro, his body leaves much to be desired, but his mind is quite the reverse! Right under my nose, he performed experiments to refine Edo Tensei and was on the verge of discovering how to safely implant Kekkei Gengai into his own body. After devouring his intellect, I don't need to hunt for powerful bodies anymore. Soon enough, I'll be able to make them!"

"He seems like quite the asset. You have a curious way of rewarding your servants." Out of the corner of his eye, Kakashi noticed a privacy seal on a nearby tree. No doubt one of many that formed an array large enough to camouflage the entire area. No one would know Orochimaru was here; privacy seals couldn't mask Chakra signatures, but Orochimaru's Iwa uniform did exactly that.

"Kabuto was a traitor!" Orochimaru snarled. "Not only did he disobey a direct order to capture Sasuke-kun alive when we fought Tsunade and Jiraiya, but he's been slowly poisoning Kimimaro for years! If he'd had the opportunity to give Kimimaro one more dose of his medicine then the damage would have been irreversible! No doubt he would have found a way to sabotage Sasuke after Kimimaro brought him to me; he intended to learn all he could from me before leaving me to rot!"

The Snake Sannin drew his sword with his left hand and launched three huge snakes from his right hand. The serpents coiled around Kakashi with a bone-crushing grip. The venom coursing through his veins stopped Kakashi from manipulating Chakra. With his movements sealed by the snakes constricting him, he could do nothing as Orochimaru decapitated him.

"Mine! At long last, it's finally MINE!" With Kabuto's Medical Ninjutsu at his disposal, Orochimaru needed less than a minute to replace his left eye with Kakashi's Sharingan. As soon as he finished, a seal on his right arm vanished.

"The summoning seal I planted on Kimimaro-kun has activated. I knew it was too much to hope for him to succeed in his mission so soon after I started administering the antidote to Kabuto's poison." Orochimaru used a Suiton Jutsu to conjure a floating puddle of highly reflective water and smirked upon seeing his new eye in the aquatic mirror. "It's nowhere near as ideal as having an Uchiha's body, but an implant will still suit my needs quite nicely. After all, it worked more than well enough for Kakashi-kun, and I'm far more powerful than he could ever dream of being!" With his operation complete, Orochimaru conjured a small vial filled with preservative fluid from a storage scroll and placed his original eye into it. After resealing the vial, Orochimaru performed the first of a long series of Shunshins that saw him out of Konoha and well on his way back to Oto.

Chapter End

And the Sasuke Retrieval Arc is done. Part of me really didn't want to kill Kakashi off, especially not this early in the story, but I knew pretty early into writing this fanfic that I wanted Orochimaru to compete with Madara for the role of the final boss. For that to be even remotely feasible, he needs the Sharingan. Itachi's out of the question, Sasuke was rescued, and Orochimaru already tried and failed to get all of Danzo's Sharingan. He doesn't even know about Obito, so that leaves only one possible source for a Sharingan. RIP Kakashi.

Another reason for Kakashi being the only viable option is that, even if Orochimaru did manage to possess Sasuke, he wouldn't have awakened the Mangekyou Sharingan. Everyone who unlocked it had to go through incredible emotional trauma. Orochimaru's sociopathic tendencies make it very unlikely that he'd ever be able to receive an emotional influx powerful enough to evolve his Sharingan into an MS. Since Kakashi's Sharingan achieved MS status when he was forced to kill Rin, Orochimaru doesn't have to worry about that.

The next chapter is the finale of Part 1. Thank you for reading!

Jiton: Inryoku: Magnet Release: Attraction (D-Rank) – A technique that's more of a basic application of Jiton Chakra than a proper Jutsu in its own right. The user magnetizes preexisting particles or objects and draws them as closely together as possible. The strength of the attractive force is determined by the amount of Chakra used. For this reason, despite its simplicity, the Jutsu can be incredibly useful if enough Chakra is invested to power it.

Jiton: Sekiryoku: Magnet Release: Repulsion (C-Rank) – A defensive application of Jiton that generates a powerful magnetic field to repel incoming attacks. The Jutsu is most effective against weapons made of metal, and the field's effectiveness is strengthened substantially if another Jiton Jutsu is already impeding the target's movements.