A/N: Im posting this in the middle of my AP Gov class lmfao. Anyway you get two pretty badass fights here so enjoy!
ϟ—Chapter Thirty-six—ϟ
ϟ—Corroded Flesh and Forged Mind—ϟ
I'm going to put you to rest, Yowui, promised Ka'rai, clenching his fists as he hurled a punch at Yugito. She weaved under it and hurled a kunai at him. On impact with his Special Chakra, it detonated. Metal shards were flung and Yugito's arms were shredded. Rain poured from the dark clouds above. Each drop that landed on Ka'rai's skin made a hazardous zone of almost microscopic bullets of water around him.
As far as Yugito was concerned, Ka'rai was untouchable. Her eyes narrowed and a scowl that was foreign to Yowui's face pierced Ka'rai. In response, he took a kunai of his own and glared at Yugito. His heart raced in his chest. There were too many things to think about. Kay forced Hane to fight for her life—Fuu was who-knows-where with that ANBU. That bastard Shin was just watching like some fucking sentinel.
Ka'rai needed to end this as quickly as possible.
"If there's one thing I can thank you for, Ka'rai," began Yugito, with boiling venom to her tone. She pulled a kunai and lightning sparked from it. "Is that it's you who gave me this second chance to serve Kumo. With all the harm you've brought my village, you putting me back here has done it an equally large favor."
"You're not supposed to be here," snarled Ka'rai, tightening his grip on the kunai. His chakra seeped into it. "I wrongly put you back into this world, so it's my responsibility to rightfully take you out."
"You really are despicable!" Yugito nearly screamed at him. "You're doing everything in your power to go against the village that was once your home!"
"The world is bigger than just Kumo," admitted Ka'rai, feeling like he was pulling blades through his neck. "You're just too blind to see it."
Fury possessed Yugito's charge. Unphased, kunai in hand, Ka'rai stood his ground.
⁑ —ϟ— ⁑
After beating Ka'rai, Hane's head got a little bigger than what it was supposed to be. Nibi or no Nibi, Ka'rai was Ka'rai. As it turned out, Hane still had a long way to go. Kay had her so far on the back foot that she almost tripped. Hellfire and brimstone were her only saving graces. Hane warped the earth below to brimstone to cancel out Kay's Earth Style. Just barely, Hane reacted to Kay's strikes, charges—the elements kept the Jonin at bay.
Even as Kay tried to kill her, Hane hated seeing the fury hardening her green eyes. Ka'rai had always described her as so kind. All of her experiences before Konoha Crush with Kay had been so good, so kind. It was her and Ka'rai's actions that turned her into this. Hane's actions took some good out of the world and regret sank her will to look Kay in the eyes.
Hane still did regardless, every chance she got. Kay used those opportunities to shoot her fury into her. The angry bullets hurt. "I'm sorry," said Hane, grunting as Kay's mace sparked, colliding with the Jigoku Katana—Hane skidded backward.
Kay scoffed. "What are you sorry for?!"
"I…" Hane tightened her grip on the blade. "I'm sorry that I make you so angry."
Kay actually paused from the sheer shock that brought her. Hane took the opportunity to continue, not dropping her guard in the slightest. "I'm sorry that you can't look past what's in front of you to see what's greater."
"Well, I'm sorry that you have no loyalty to ground you. I'm sorry that Dokutsu has to hold scum like you," spat Kay before flickering forward. A spear kick to Hane's gut forced her to withhold a scream—hellflame burst and scorched Kay for getting too close.
"That's where you're wrong." Hane let out a breath that was shaky with pain but steeled with her determination. "I'm not loyal to a place; I'm loyal to an idea. I'm loyal to the idea of a world that runs off of kindness. I'll do anything to make that idea a reality, and I'll die before I betray it."
Kay glared with shock and dissonance. "You… you're…" A scoff escaped her breath as Kay shook her head.
Hane stepped forward, eyes sharp as her blade. "I know… it's common sense to you, to be loyal to those who raised you, to those who housed you, to those who fed you. But… it's stronger to be able to see past that, to know when they're doing more harm than good, if not for you, if for the world. I know you won't join Dokutsu. But, please, at least recognize that Kumo isn't as great as you make it out to be."
"It doesn't have to be great," spat Kay, clenching her mace's handle. "It doesn't matter what it does, or what I think of it. If it has to be done, then I'll do it. That's what loyalty means, to put what you're loyal to past yourself. That's why being loyal to an 'idea' isn't true loyalty. You're just making excuses for your own selfishness—just branding it as selflessness so you can feel good about yourself."
"Is that what you think?" asked Hane. That cut deeper than she thought it would. Everything she'd done for this better world, it had all been things Hane had been relatively comfortable with. That meant she wasn't doing enough. "Does your loyalty really mean that much to where you'd throw away your own humanity?"
"Shinobi aren't meant to be human. We're just tools… you never understood that and you never will." Kay charged and Hane barely reacted to lightning-enhanced body flicker. "You were never meant to be a Shinobi."
Hellflame erupted to force Kay away, but that only delayed her. That allowed Hane the time to spark the Katana against her mace. "I was meant to be the best of Shinobi," spat Hane. She didn't even know where those words came from. For now, she'd believe them regardless.
As her will hardened, the essence of Hell seeped into her from the very blade she grasped. It was foreign—Hane almost hated it. This was the same power that Hidan wielded, the same power that killed Yowui, the same power that Ka'rai used to massacre so many. It was the power of suffering and yet it was trying to merge itself with her.
This was disgusting. But, as she battled Kay, she let it happen anyway.
⁑ —ϟ— ⁑
Cold… it was so cold. With Fuu's guard up, the hail poured over her—it was almost unbearable. It was times like these where Fuu regretted her tropical outfit. This damned ANBU was barely even fighting her. Taki's training left her with nothing. All she had was chakra control. Yeah, she and Hibana started to come to some conclusion—but it had barely been a day! That wasn't enough time for progress.
With a growl, Fuu forced herself to charge the ANBU. He blocked her kunai with a senbon. That one brown eye stared pitifully at her. "Without your Bijuu, you really are powerless, aren't you?"
"Shut up!" Fuu tried to kick at him, but the impact of her leg on his hip didn't even phase him. Shame and frustration berated her from the inside out as she stumbled back. "Cut me some slack! It's only been a week!"
"I see," the ANBU said simply. "I was ordered to keep you alive. Let's end this quickly, then." He weaved a hand sign that Fuu hadn't seen before. "Ice Style: Demonic Crystal Ice Mirrors." Somehow, it became even colder.
The pouring hail just stopped. They formed into a dome of dozens of mirrors that trapped Fuu inside. "Dammit!" she cursed, immediately trying to run out. The moment she took a step, she was knocked back by the impact of dozens of senbon. Her body went numb, and Fuu let out a pained cry.
She was trapped.
Fuu was trapped.
"Oh fuck you!" she cried out, pulling senbon out of her.
Fuu looked around, seeing the reflection of the ANBU in every single mirror. Gritting her teeth, she hurled a kunai at one of the mirrors. The ANBU didn't even react as the kunai hit the mirror and fell to the ground like it was nothing. How the—what—what was she supposed to do against this?!
All Fuu saw was frost as she panted. Her fists clenched. It didn't matter if she couldn't do anything—she wasn't going to stop. Damn this ANBU for trying to trap her! Fuu wasn't going to let it happen. Grasping a kunai, hardening her resolve, Fuu waited. Fuu waited for the ANBU to attack.
Nothing happened. It was a stalemate. Fuu clenched her jaw as she asked, "What's your name?"
"Why do you ask?"
"Nobody ever bothered to learn my name… so I make it a point to learn everybody else's name," answered Fuu. "Even fucks like you that are trying to capture me."
"I see…" The ANBU paused. "My name is Haku."
"Well, my name is Fuu, and I'm not going to let you capture me or keep me trapped in this damned cage!"
"I see," said Haku once again. "What made everyone neglect to learn your name?"
Fuu wasn't expecting that. "I'm a Jinchuriki; why do you think?"
"I see." More senbon pierced into Fuu and she let out a high-pitched growl. They were embedded in her legs, Fuu was forced to fall to her knees. Even still, Fuu went to speed out. Haku kicked her, keeping her inside the mirrors.
"Why do you continue to fight? It would be easier for you to give in."
"Fuck you!" Fuu snarled. "I already told you that I'm not going to let you trap me in here!"
"What's waiting for you on the outside?"
"My damn freedom!" Fuu feinted, drawing Haku in. Even still, Fuu was far too slow to take advantage of the opening that she made for herself. A gash opened up on her side and Fuu growled as her blood poured out.
"Nobody is precious to you? You don't fight to serve precious people?"
"Yeah! Myself!" Fuu looked around the mirrors. Where is he coming from? Where is he coming from? They all looked the same. The cold and her injuries were making her slower. She didn't have any Ninjutsu or Genjutsu—! Was there anything she could do?!
"Just yourself? Is that truly so? You care about nobody but yourself?"
"Yeah, I have friends! But I have no reason to care about them more than myself! That's that!"
"That must be why you're so weak," said Haku—that just pissed Fuu off. "There's nobody pushing you to become stronger. You're limited to only yourself… there's nothing extra."
Fuu grit her teeth, frigid helplessness consuming her. "Go fuck yourself…" Despite everything telling her to give up, she didn't. Fuu forced herself to stand on shaky legs. Fuu forced warmth in her body despite the cold. Fuu didn't care about how hopeless and helpless she was. She kept going.
"You're not the first Jinchuriki I've met," Haku said, off-handedly. "He was so like you, yet so, so much different."
"Which one…?" Fuu asked through grit teeth.
"Naruto Uzumaki."
"Oh, him," Fuu chuckled. "Yeah, I get what you mean. Though you lost out on your luck this time." A sinister tone sharpened the edge of her low laughter. "Because I'm not as nice as he is."
"How much will that matter? Because this battle is already over." Senbon embedded themself in Fuu's neck. Everything went black.
The moment it did, bones pierced every mirror, shattering them. Haku fell out of his own with a sizeable gash on his side, single eye wide as muscles grew from the bone. All of Haku's Crystal Ice Mirrors were shattered like glass.
Shin Kaguya ceased his watch and decided to get involved. His arm extended past what should've been humanly possible as he grabbed Fuu. Next, his skin expanded into an unbreakable cocoon that protected her.
"I didn't think there were any Yuki left in this world."
Haku narrowed his eyes, drawing the Executioner's Blade from his back. "I could say the same about you, Kaguya…"
"Well, one clan is going extinct today." Shin grew a serrated, four-bladed axe of jagged bone that was the size of his body. "And it certainly isn't the Kaguya."
Sucking his teeth, Haku prepared for battle.
Stoically, Shin charged.
⁑ —ϟ— ⁑
Hell. Hell. Hell. Hell. Hane's hands—the very chakra attaching her to the blade was starting to burn. It was excruciating. Kay wouldn't relent, either. Lightning thundered from her mace as she failed to break through a wall of brimstone that Hane put up. I don't want to kill her—Hane couldn't help but snarl as the blade burned her. Did Ka'rai have to deal with this too—?
Kay leapt above the brimstone wall, weaving hand signs, and Hane went cold. Barely, she made out the first sign. Snake—lightning! Hane flickered back and commanded brimstone to shield her again.
"Lightning Style: Spark Bolts!" The electric bolts stuck themselves on the hellish earth and Hane let out a tired, pained breath.
How am I supposed to navigate this?! I don't want to kill her! I don't even know if I'm capable! Can I just stall until—Kay appeared beside Hane; Hellflame roared as she boiled the water spat toward her into steam. I don't have any real Jutsu with this blade; I don't know any Fire or Earth!
Kay was behind Hane. A kick buckled Hane as she slashed back toward Kay. I'll just have to use what I know! She weaved seals on the blade and boiling water whipped out toward Kay. "Water Style: Water Whip Blade!" It didn't even touch a hair on Kay's head.
Hane cursed—Kay's mace grazed her shoulder. Sparks ripped through her armor like it was paper as blood flew into the air. Hane forced herself to keep her eyes open as she winced. She waved more hand seals on the blade, fighting through the pain and looking Kay in the eyes. "Water Style: Crescent Slash!" Boiling water extended past the Katana and Kay simply flipped over it, kicking Hane across the jaw.
As she clenched her fist against the blade, she couldn't help the whine that pain dragged out of her throat. I don't have the chakra to constantly use Jutsu like this; I'm already getting low! Kay bolted forward and Hane released Hellflame and flickered away to create distance. The growl of pain from Kay made Hane wince herself.
This was terrible.
They were supposed to be friends.
Now they were killing each other—for all her kindness was worth, it wasn't enough to stop this. Hane didn't know if she was strong enough to kill Kay in both senses of the word. If she hesitated, then she would surely lose. All she could do was survive. "The best of Shinobi…" Hane muttered to herself. Again, she said it. Like a mantra as Kay's water finally put out the hellflame.
Kay was scorched—most of her blonde hair was burned black. Her fair skin was red with burns and Hane's gut sank with the realization that she did that to her. All of this was her fucking fault. Did she push Ka'rai too hard? How many lives had she saved or killed by trying to mess with Ka'rai? He should've been better in the first place.
Bitterness grit Hane's teeth as she prepared for Kay's next charge. Her injuries made her slower. Could Hane defeat her? No… that meant she'd have to kill her. What about Shin? Was he still watching?
Barely, Hane deflected Kay's mace. "The best of Shinobi," she muttered alongside her breath.
Glaring, Kay declared, "You won't live to see your dream, traitor."
Hane bared her teeth and blocked the mace strike again—lightning channeled itself through the Katana and into Hane's system. Her shocking cry left her paralyzed, the hands that held the Jigoku blade were smoking with burns. Lightning Style Substitution—Hane couldn't even look back, but she felt the moving air as Kay's mace made its way toward the back of Hane's skull.
All she could do was shut her eyes and brace.
Then she heard a thunderclap.
⁑ —ϟ— ⁑
"Fire Style: Breath of a Thousand Suns!" Ka'rai spewed the cobalt fire from his mouth. Yugito dodged—Ka'rai detonated it. Flames evaporated the rain and shattered the earth—deadly shrapnel shot toward Yugito like bullets as she tumbled.
Yugito caught herself with her heel, weaving hand signs. "Lightning Style: Static Shock." The makeshift bullets of jagged earth turned to dust as Yugito defended herself. Cackles of Nikuya filled his head and Ka'rai snarled.
She's too damned fast, jeered Ka'rai as she hurled shuriken at him. His reinforcement of Special Chakra blocked the shuriken, making them detonate against him—the shards flew outward and Ka'rai just stood there. I just need to catch her once, declared Ka'rai as he charged toward her. Yugito stood firm, goading him with useless attacks.
Nikuya snorted. Watch your step. Ka'rai froze, but it was too late. His foot sank and a mine of lightning shocked him. His nerves were fried and control over his chakra plummeted. A spasm made him stumble—Yugito ripped a kunai across his chest with no hesitation. A kick to his face knocked him off his feet. Yugito flipped Yowui's body like an acrobat as another kick shot him back.
A quick flare and Yugito's chakra dispersed out of him in a shockwave. He was back on guard, but the damage was done. His chakra control was still flimsy—Ka'rai bared his teeth and weaved hand signs. "Fire Style: Cat Hairballs!"
Yugito scoffed. "You use the jutsu I taught you against me?" Blue fire soared toward Yugito, tracking her like missiles as Ka'rai concentrated so hard that it made him sweat. Opposite to what Ka'rai expected, Yugito stood still. The fireballs hit her—lightning sparked into them, dispersing the jutsu and making them boom with Ka'rai's special chakra.
Riding the shockwave, Yugito bolted toward him. "I obviously know how to counter it!" A single hand sign and Yugito hurled a lighting shuriken against his arm. Of course, the reinforcement of his Special Chakra detonated it—away from Ka'rai's skin to prevent backlash. Yugito, however, took advantage of that.
"Lightning Style: Stormbreaker Point!" a kunai enveloped in thunder pierced the same place where the shuriken hit. It pierced his arm with no issues and no repercussions from his chakra. Ka'rai cried out—going to punch her but another lightning substitution shocked him. From behind, another stormbreaker point stabbed his back. Blood pooled out of his mouth and Ka'rai growled, forcing his hands into a sign.
"DETONATE." A boom shook the earth and blasted Yugito away. Ka'rai stood through the pain and blood loss.
A Ketsuryugan would be real useful to you right now, wouldn't it?
Kill yourself!
Nikuya just laughed, and Ka'rai felt the sickening feeling of that bastard's Genjutsu invading him. Ka'rai screamed. NOT RIGHT NOW YOU FUCKING IDIOT—Ka'rai didn't see Yugito at all, no matter where he looked. A Ram Sign. "Release—"
A bomb of lightning that he couldn't see hit scorched his face, and the pain dispelled the Genjutsu. Yugito had her fist wrapped as she yelled, "Lightning Style: Stormbreaker Fist!" It slammed into Ka'rai's face and his body convulsed as he was flung across the wet rocks.
FUCK YOU! cursed Ka'rai as he stood, shakily. Who he saw approaching him was… Hane?! Yugito was just—Ka'rai flashed another Ram Sign. "Release!" Genjutsu faded to reveal Yugito… wearing Yowui's face.
It was all him. Ka'rai couldn't help but look around—Fuu was nowhere to be seen—
—Focus, you idiot! scolded Nikuya. Ka'rai set his eyes back on Yugito, but she was gone for real this time. "Fire Style: Inferno!" Cobalt fire erupted in sheets around him in an attempt to smoke Yugito out. In the air, metal glinted against the light of his fire. Ka'rai weaved more hand signs and yelled, "Detonate!"
Directed upward, his Special Chakra boomed, and the explosions were detonated toward Yugito. Eyes wide, she uselessly weaved water to give her a millisecond to move out of the way. Even still, her right arm—Yowui's arm was scorched black. One step closer. I'm going to put you to rest.
Ka'rai's fists clenched and he spared a glance toward Hane… she was locked in battle with Kay; she was losing. Again, he looked for Fuu, but he saw nothing. Shin was fighting that ANBU. Was Fuu dead? Hane was about to die. Fuck, dammit—Ka'rai clenched his fists. One step closer, but not close enough. Nibi or no Nibi, he needed to purge Yowui's body of Yugito's soul.
Now.
Right.
Now.
Ka'rai charged Yugito at the same time she did to him. A spark on the ground caught his attention. He sidestepped another mine and Yugito cursed. As he got close, Yugito weaved seals and Ka'rai anticipated it. "Lightning Style: Static Shock." At the same time, Ka'rai weaved the Ram Seal, expelling his Special Chakra. Yugito's jutsu detonated around both of them and she snarled, flickering away.
Another spare glance to Hane and it was looking worse—Dammit! Faster, Ka'rai needed to end this faster—Yugito caught him with another lightning-enhanced shuriken. As fast as he could, Ka'rai blocked the wound, but Yugito had thrown another shuriken through his guard. His chest sparked and bled as more blood poured between Ka'rai's teeth.
Third spare glance—is Fuu alive?! I swear—
Focus… Nikuya said, rolling his eyes. Your mental energy is all over the place… you're getting nowhere focusing on everything else!
Ka'rai met Yugito's eyes… and yet all he saw was Yowui. His eyes never looked like that, full of emotionless intensity. There was never such a killer intent. All of this went back to him. All of this went back to him. All of his mistakes ruined everybody.
He was going to fix it. This was the one thing that Ka'rai could undo and he would do it now. Right now, this was what he was going to fix. Right now, this was it. This was it. Now. Right. Fucking. Now.
Ka'rai's black eyes glared through the rain, through his blood. Yugito glared in kind. Everything felt slow… and Ka'rai, his will… it became unbreakable. Faster than what Yugito could muster, Ka'rai clapped his hands.
Atta boy… Nikuya grinned inside Ka'rai's mind.
A thunderclap sent a shockwave miles in every direction. The full force of his Special Chakra was released willingly and it was concentrated. Below them, the earth quaked with a magnitude that Shukaku would be impressed by. The rain was blown into microscopic mist as the shockwave made its way into the air, banishing the clouds and the full golden sun shone down on them all.
Yugito barely managed to withstand the pressure wave and was flung across the jagged, shaking earth. A scream and Ka'rai looked to his left. Hane! With Yugito taken care of, he looked to his left. Both Kay and Hane stumbled, with Kay's mace embedded into Hane's shoulder. Even from dozens of feet away, Ka'rai saw the blood. Gold flashed, closing the difference as Ka'rai's unbreakable will overtook Kay. A chain… it protruded from his back and Ka'rai's eyes went wide.
Hane looked over as Ka'rai restrained Kay entirely. With a glare and a tightening of his fist, Ka'rai slammed Kay into the brimstone, allowing the chains to detonate partially—dammit! Ka'rai couldn't bring himself to kill her.
A single slip-up. He heard a footstep. Ka'rai set his sights back on Yugito. Releasing his chain, he blitzed forward. Controlling his combustions to the most minute level, making his chakra boom inside of him as he ran. Ka'rai put Yugito's speed to shame. A simple explosive punch was all it took.
Yowui's blood was on his hands.
Ka'rai's fist blew a hole straight through Yowui's heart. It hurt seeing Yowui's face contorted with so much pain. Clenching his jaw, Ka'rai forced himself to look Yugito in the eyes. "Rest… Yugito. You've done enough for Kumo. I'm sorry that Nibi never let you. I'm sorry that I forced you here again. But, now is your time. It should have come much sooner."
Yugito couldn't even speak. All that came out of her mouth was blood. Again, Ka'rai saw the light leave Yowui's eyes. His empty body went limp and Ka'rai caught it, feeling the sting of tears in his eyes.
Ka'rai didn't have the time to process it—everything felt cold. Immediately, a cocoon of Adamantine Chains surrounded Yowui's body as he yelled, "DON'T TOUCH HIM!" That ANBU blurred past, with ice following in his wake. Ka'rai's eyes snapped toward him as he picked up Kay's broken body. Just barely, she gasped for air in the ANBU's grasp.
Relentlessly, Shin chased after him. Gritting his teeth, Ka'rai sprinted forward beside Hane, letting out bloody breaths. "Are you okay?" he asked, barely.
Her eyes shot wide, looking at the corpse in Ka'rai's chains. "Are you—? Is that…"
"Yugito's dead…" Ka'rai let out a sigh, clutching at his wounded chest. "I can put him to rest."
Shakily, with the arm that was still usable, Hane put a hand on his shoulder. "We'll… put him to rest."
Ka'rai gave a curt smile and nodded. "Good." He didn't let himself relax, looking wildly around. "Have you seen Fuu?"
Her fist clenched as she shut her eyes, shaking her head. "No…"
"Dammit—!"
"—She's fine," answered Shin, walking back with a green glow fading around him. "I have her hidden safely."
Ka'rai and Hane let out a joint breath of relief. "Good…" he muttered.
Shin observed Yowui's corpse, narrowing his eyes. "You killed him?"
"Yeah…" answered Ka'rai, nodding.
Shin let out a breath of approval. "Good work. Your loyalty has been proven." He placed a rough hand onto both of their shoulders, including Hane's shattered one. She let out a pained cry that made Ka'rai glare.
Before he could do anything, the most horrifying sensation overtook him. His entire body didn't feel like it was his anymore. All of his damaged skin, muscle, and bone morphed and… repaired itself? Pieces of pale skin grew from him to stop the bleeding… it felt just as unbreakable as his chains. Ka'rai looked to Hane and saw the same thing happen to her.
"The fuck is this…?" grumbled Ka'rai as he looked up at Shin.
For the first time, a smirk broke his stoic exterior. "Nikuura, the bloodline of my Kaguya Clan."
No relation, clarified Nikuya.
Ka'rai scoffed internally. Really? You do the same shit.
There's nothing wrong with a little inspiration…
"You can heal people with it?" asked Hane, gaining a glimmer in her eyes as she tested out her new shoulder. "This is amazing… this feels better than how it usually feels…"
"It is temporary," said Shin as he stepped back. "Seek medical attention the moment you return home."
"Gotcha…" said Ka'rai, touching the hard, pale skin that contrasted against his brown.
"Had you chosen to betray Dokutsu…" Shin began darkly. "Then I would have consumed your bodies into my own."
Ka'rai and Hane's hearts collectively dropped into their frigid, sinking guts.
"I have absorbed over five hundred men into me… and I will not stop until I do the same to five hundred more," declared Shin with that smirk growing.
Ka'rai cleared his throat. "Yes, sir…"
"Yes, sir…" echoed Hane.
Shin marched forward. "Let us retrieve your friend and return home."
There wasn't a single argument as the two followed him.
⁑ —ϟ— ⁑
Hurt… everything… hurts… Kay groaned, trying to squirm—
"Don't move," a voice commanded… Haku. "I'm keeping you cold to numb your pain. We're back in the Land of Lightning."
"I see," Kay said, breathing shallow. Her vision focused and she saw mountains, with low clouds shrouding their peaks. "Thank—" her breath hitched and she winced. "You…"
"You're welcome. I wouldn't talk, either."
It was a good idea to listen to him. Kay couldn't bring herself to. "What happened to… Yugito?"
"They died," answered Haku, tone going lower. Was he sad? "Uzumaki, he guarded their body fiercely. I was unable to retrieve them."
"I see," Kay said, narrowing her eyes, allowing them to shut as she suppressed a shudder. Ka'rai… you… How was she even supposed to feel right now? Yugito's death didn't anger her like she thought it did. Never did Kay think it would sadden her… it still didn't. What did anger her was Ka'rai hoarding Yowui's body for himself.
Yowui would've wanted to be buried in the Land of Lightning, on his family's farm. Ka'rai knew that just as much as she did. Yet, he didn't let it happen. What was worse to her, was that she knew that Ka'rai could've killed her easily. The position that he had her in… But, she was alive. Broken, but alive.
The question was whether Ka'rai didn't kill her or couldn't kill her.
Though that didn't change too much.
She was alive.
Kay was alive because of Ka'rai.
It was the same Ka'rai that was so readily able to slaughter so many other enemies. Yet, he either couldn't or didn't eliminate this one. Kay was never going to understand Ka'rai or whatever influence Hane had on him.
Even still, Kay couldn't bring himself to hate him for sparing her. He had every right to kill her. But his action or inaction allowed her to continue serving her family. Kay was happy that she was alive—Kay was grateful to a traitor for her own life.
That feeling made her hate herself.
⁑ —ϟ— ⁑
Lord Gem was understanding. He ordered the hospital to preserve Yowui's body so Ka'rai and could bury him. After giving their thanks, they headed to the hospital for treatment themselves. Fuu didn't really need too much… she seemed untouched from her battle with that ANBU. Ka'rai and Hane, on the other hand, were in much worse shape. After Shin's makeshift, temporary fix, they were falling apart again. Anesthetic was pumped into them… they were forced to sleep.
Of course, for Ka'rai, that didn't mean rest.
His eyes opened to see the churning gore of his overtaken mindscape. Nikuya's laughs filled the void and Ka'rai forced himself to his feet. He was sitting on that gory throne, a butcher's knife of blood in his hand. "You know what's up."
"Yeah…" Ka'rai looked up, seeing the miniscule shine of gold in the blood. "I do." With a sign, Ka'rai summoned his Adamantine Chains. They pierced through gore from the gold, overtaking it as Ka'rai looked down at a grinning Nikuya. "This mind is mine."
Nikuya blitzed toward Ka'rai—with his Special Chakra, he was faster. All it took was a single punch to blow half of Nikuya's side off. Everything that this fuck did sharpened the blade of Ka'rai's unbreakable will. Everything he said about Hane, everything he said about Mama, the fact that he never let him rest, he never let him love on Hane, his cannibalistic bullshit, the constant, clustering, nauseating headache he's had for a week.
Adamantine Chains whirled and trapped Nikuya, suppressing him, making him weaker. It was easy for Ka'rai to pummel him into oblivion. His headache was fading and Nikuya's laughs became weaker and weaker. There was nothing that the bastard could do against him.
Nikuya was in literal pieces that were strung together by the abilities of his Ketsuryugan. His regeneration kept him alive, but Ka'rai's chains kept him from making any significant recovery. The Adamantine in the void ripped the blood off and gold shone through in all of its glory. Nibi's flooded cage turned from bone to bars of Adamantine Chains. His headache faded into nothing and relief washed over him. Everything was bright once again and Ka'rai's mindscape, finally, was his once again.
"Atta boy!" strained Nikuya as Ka'rai stepped on his face, pressing him into the gold.
Ka'rai just glared at him, kicking Nikuya across the floor of the void. "Fuck off…"
"No! Honestly, you fought me off way sooner than I was expecting!" Nikuya put himself back together, gasping for air and some semblance of composure. "Those Uzumaki Chains are a bitch… they just suck all of your power right out of you…" Nikuya managed to clap his hands. The reach of his gore only resided beneath his own feet, just how it was supposed to be. "Congratulations, Ka'rai Uzumaki. You're one step closer to becoming a monster."
Ka'rai snarled, turning his back, refusing to look in his direction. Somehow, those fucking words shook him like little else Nikuya said. As Nikuya's congratulatory laughter filled his void, Ka'rai felt like a collar was being chained around his neck. "Shut up," commanded Ka'rai.
Just that Nikuya did.
With his mind silent… Ka'rai, finally, was able to rest.
⁑ —ϟ— ⁑
There it was… the isolated mountains of the Land of Lightning. It was forbidden to enter this place… for one notable reason.
Uwabami no Daiji of the Yokai.
The peaks were so high that the clouds obstructed all views of what was above and below. All of the mountains were ripped and torn like it was made of flesh. Crevices and ravines not made by nature dotted the range—making it jagged.
Orochimaru grinned. "This is certainly the realm of who we're looking for…"
"It is…" Kabuto muttered, wiping the fog from his glasses and sighing. Uneasiness pulsated off of him like the fear-summoned sweat from his forehead.
The dread in Kabuto's eyes made Orochimaru laugh. "Worry not, if everything goes to plan then you shouldn't need to get involved."
"Yes, Lord Orochimaru," said Kabuto with a gulp.
All they did was… wander. Even evening's light couldn't give color to the black mountains and gray clouds—the pitch expanses of the severed land below was the color of night that was soon to join them.
There was no need to track Uwabami.
For if you entered his domain for long enough… he would come to you.
It was only a matter of time.
Each minute that passed, Kabuto's anxiety grew. Half-eaten skeletons with shattered bones and decomposing eyeballs—littered corpses simply overtook the black rock with a refreshing white. Most… weren't human.
Was it because most were too smart to enter?
Or was it because humans were small enough to consume entirely in one bite?
Questions… questions… questions.
"Tsk Tsk Tsk…" muttered Orochimaru as another grin slithered across his face.
Kabuto was frozen in fear.
They felt it.
Both of them did.
The only eyes in the world as serpentine as Orochimaru's were watching them.
Nothing below, nothing to the left or right… both of them looked above. A ruby eye the size of Orochimaru's torso with the slit of a serpent's. Black scales shrouded themselves against the rock and darkened fog. It was almost impossible to see the true size of this beast.
"Human visitors are always the worst…" said Uwabami, his voice smooth and sharp like a fang. And yet, it was deep like the crevice that was behind both Orochimaru and Kabuto. "They're too small to be a sufficient meal… and yet they always have the nerve to appear so I must consume them."
"Is that right?" asked Orochimaru, looking up at Uwabami with his own serpentine golden eyes. "I may not be your meal… but I will be your greatest challenge."
Uwabami hissed with venom seeping from his mouth. What looked like blood spewed from his fangs as its droplets ignited the earth below. "Arrogant Shinobi," Uwabami spat.
Kabuto flickered away—Uwabami struck—so did Orochimaru. A leg slammed into Uwabami's snout, stopping the gigantic serpent in its tracks. "You insult Shinobi while being one yourself! You're just as human as I! This is nothing but the form granted to you by your bloodline."
A snarl and a bite—Orochimaru's body was pierced by the giant fang. His body went up in chemical—bloody flames. "Don't you dare compare me to those pathetic humans. I've evolved past humanity!"
"Is that so!" Orochimaru cackled as he reformed in a pit of white snakes. "Is that what you think?! Is that the goal that you think you've achieved?!"
Uwabami roared, spewing more acid at Orochimaru. He flickered away, landing on the side of the mountain where Uwabami lay. As he landed, his arms fell limp, obeying gravity with no soul to guide life into them. No arms… barely any jutsu…
A snarl pulled at Orochimaru's lips.
To fight like this… against something like that was a challenge that Orochimaru had yet to have in his life. His pride shattered as Orochimaru inhaled—the little chakra he had in his body gathered in five nodes, five points.
"Fifth Gate! Gate of Limit! OPEN!" Pain erupted alongside newfound chakra for Orochimaru to use. The effects of Ryujin's Rasenova held him back no longer. Fractures in his bones formed from the stress on his body.
If this was any body but that of Might Gai's, then Orochimaru wouldn't be able to withstand this. Not at all. His pride cracked alongside the bones in his body—to think that he had to resort to this. With a battlecry, Orochimaru shot toward Uwabami. A kick knocked the gigantic serpent to the ground.
All that was in Uwabami's eyes was fury. Orochimaru didn't allow that to stop him. Kusanagi grew from his mouth and with all the speed he could muster he slashed at the blackened scales. Not even Kusanagi could slash through Uwabami's hide.
Orochimaru cursed—the snake's tail whipped him into a crevice of severed earth. With a flip, Orochimaru flipped onto the walls, his chakra keeping him standing. As he landed, the earth shook as the ravine closed.
Earth Style?! Orochimaru cackled. With the strength of limits flowing through his body, Orochimaru slashed through the earth with Kusanagi. He emerged with his neck extending out like that of a snake's body. "You claim to discard your humanity and yet you use their Jutsu! Pathetic!"
Uwabami hissed and spewed his bloody acid at Orochimaru. Using his extended neck, Orochimaru pulled his body out of the earth to connect with his head once again. The attack was evaded and Orochimaru landed behind a skeleton. He kicked a rib at Uwabami and it was burned by the acid.
I can't damage him, I don't have the strength! Orochimaru strained behind the skeleton. All of his chakra was sent to his stomach. "Sixth Gate! Gate of Joy! OPEN!" The green aura of chakra shattered the bones of whatever giant creature they used to belong to.
The experience stored in Might Gai's brain as well as the intricate memory held within his muscles… as much as Orochiamru hated to admit it… it was outstanding! This man was truly unmatched in the art of Taijutsu. If only Hiruzen hadn't taken his arms from him…
Orochimaru felt the spark of fury and that only made his chakra erupt even further. Uwabami struck at Orochimaru but he matched the power, pushing against the Yokai's snout with the full power of his legs. With a smirk, Orochimaru extended Kusanagi, slashing at Uwabami's eye.
Ruby was slashed and true blood poured from his eyes. For the first time in centuries… Uwabami felt pain. A serpent's cry of agony was true joy to Orochimaru's ears. Cackles and laughs erupted from Orochimaru's mouth as he poured on the offensive.
Kick after kick battered Uwabami and the Yokai was blasted into a nearby mountain. Orochimaru didn't stop there. A jutsu that was usually completed by the fists had to be done with the blade. Orochimaru's head and legs struck and slashed at the air with such speed and force that the air ignited.
"Morning Peacock!" Orochimaru shouted, fireballs and flaming slashes careened through the dark clouds—Uwabami's realm went up in an inferno. The detonation made the Yokai cry not from pain but from fury. A cataclysmic roar blasted the fire away—and by the time Orochimaru could blink he was whipped again.
With his body already breaking the impact utterly shattered Orochimaru's ribs. Blood spewed from Orochimaru's mouth—I didn't substitute in time! Uwabami coiled and roared with its bleeding eye making tears of blood run down his face. "A pathetic Shinobi you are! You can't even use Ninjutsu, can you!"
"Quite the contrary…" Orochimaru bluffed through his bloody teeth. "I am simply a Shinobi so great… that I don't need to use Ninjutsu against the likes of you."
"You bastard!" Uwabami slammed his tail on the ground and the earth shook. Black cubes of shot upward from the impact—because of the Ninjutsu he used. A quick spewing of acid and makeshift meteors poured down on Orochimaru.
Another Morning Peacock combatted the onslaught, with Kusanagi slashing through any rocks that threatened to hit him. Uwabami's frustration became clear as fire scorched his realm thoroughly. The black stone gained a dusty coating of ash.
A hole was blown through the fire as Orochimaru blasted through, toward Uwabami with a sick grin on his face. His chakra beamed right below his stomach. The green aura shifted blue—with his red skin evaporating with sweat. His veins bulged as his long hair stood on end.
"SEVENTH GATE! Gate of Wonder… OPEN!" Another level and Orochimaru's kick to Uwabami's face cracked the scales. Orochimaru's grin grew as another hiss of pain spewed from the giant serpent's mouth.
This time Uwabami's tail whip was not only perceived, but blocked. The pain continued to be palpable but it was manageable. Orochimaru landed on his feet—Uwabami was already on him. A pure contest of physical strength commenced, with Orochimaru losing—? How?! A mountain gained a sizable crater as Orochimaru landed in it.
The agony—amplified by the Eight Gates was miserable. It flashed him back to when Sarutobi ripped the soul from his arms—when Ryujin slammed that monstrous Jutsu into his chest. Phantom aches from that Rasenova pulsed in Orochimaru's already broken ribs.
Once again the earth beneath him fell and Orochimaru was introduced to a cavern. The soft blue glow from his chakra granted him sight that he wouldn't have had otherwise. Uwabami, however… had no such issues. Even with one eye, true snakes didn't need their eyes to see.
Uwabami's tongue flicked in and out of his mouth as he slithered into the cavern. His one red, glowing eye was the only sign of his presence. Even Orochimaru felt the twinge of fear within him.
Dammit! Once again, Might Gai's muscle memory granted him what he needed.
An attack that would turn this cavern to dust.
But it needed hands—Orochimaru cursed. Instead of his arms… Orochimaru threw off his sandals, and clasped his feet together. He heard Uwabami flash and he kicked as hard as he could in the direction where the snake struck.
"Daytime Serpent!" A snake that matched Uwabami in size blasted toward him. What was a tiger in Might Gai's hand turned into a white snake in Orochimaru's. The two gigantic serpents collided and a cyclone of wind uprooted the dirt and bones within the cavern. Uwabami cried out in pain and Orochimaru could barely breathe with the constant impact against his shattered ribs.
To think that even Might Gai's body had limits—"Curse the weakness of humanity!" Orochimaru yelled.
Uwabami snarled—true blood dripped from the serpent. "Look at you! Cursing what you are… cursing what you'll never be able to escape! I haven't been human in five-hundred years! You are no immortal like I am, your power doesn't grow with your mere existence! You are pathetic! You are human! And you'll die as one!"
Uwabami struck Orochimaru once again. The power of the Eight Inner Gates faded as Might Gai's body fell apart. His muscle fibers were ripping themselves apart and any bones that weren't already broken continued to fracture. The vacancy of his eyes faded even with the golden of his serpentine irises coming to life. Even still, Orochimaru forced the blue of the Seventh Gate to stay alight.
Despite all of Orochimaru's efforts… his power still dropped.
Despite the fact that Orochimaru had faced death once before… the possibility was still horrifying.
Despite the fact that Orochimaru had eradicated his former home and killed Sarutobi with his own hands…
It still hurt him that his sensei was dead.
Orochimaru wasn't immortal.
He couldn't learn every Jutsu.
Orochimaru was not Uwabami…
…he was not the true serpent that abandoned his human form. Orochimaru didn't he—couldn't abandon his humanity. Blood seeped from his teeth and his eyes. The pain of being limp over the discarded skeletons was agonizing.
Despite that, Orochimaru asked a question.
"If you are no longer human… then what are you?"
Uwabami cackled. "I am a spirit… I am truly a Yokai! A monstrous beast on par with the Bijuu!"
That's… it? Is that truly all he aspires to be… Orochimaru, on his deathbed, laughed. "Pathetic…"
Uwabami hissed. "What did you say?!"
"You're pathetic!" yelled Orochimaru, cackling and giggling despite the pain. "But you're right! I am human! I am but a pathetic human… but in that same vein… you're but a pathetic beast." Orochimaru giggled more as he stood. "You will die as a beast here… and I will end my existence as a human. You will live as nothing… and I will live… as a God."
Summoning Kusanagi from his mouth, Orochimaru stabbed his own heart. "Eighth Gate… Gate of Death…" The aura of blood surrounded him as Orochimaru's white skin charred black. "Open."
Chakra stained the color of blood erupted from Orochimaru as he bellowed with laughter—of victory guaranteed. His hair took on the pattern of roaring bloody flames. The burning heat of his own power was already turning his body to ash.
And yet, Orochimaru wouldn't stop laughing.
Before Uwabami could even react, Orochimaru had kicked him. The attack sent him flying into the cavern's edge with a destructive boom. His serpentine body looked deflated the way his ribs were turned to dust and his organs were turned to mush.
But oh no… Orochimaru was far from done.
Stepping on air, Orochimaru kicked him again—again—and again! "Evening Boa!" Orochimaru's hyper-speed attacks shatter the scales of Uwabami's hide and utterly decimate his bones. There isn't a thing the Yokai could do besides howl in utter agony.
Even after the Evening Boa was finished… Orochimaru was not.
His arms were already ash on the ground. The outfit he wore was burned into nothing—anything that wasn't fueled by chakra was completely nothing.
Uwabami hissed and choked and wheezed—looking on in utter horror as Orochimaru crouched. Red chakra exploded upward.
"Noo!" Uwabami could barely manage to cry—
"Nighttime Cobra." Orochimaru blitzed forward. A cobra's hood and head erected upward with a hiss of death. The foot of the end slammed into Uwabami as Might Gai's body began to disintegrate.
Just then, Orochimaru's mouth opened.
The truest hydra—an ivory serpent made up of white snakes escaped the disintegrating body. From the impact, the entire mountain exploded into dust and rocks. The White Serpent's golden eyes looked into the Black Serpent's ruby eyes.
Orochimaru's true form poured into Uwabami's mouth.
The theft of the Yokai's body had begun.
⁑ —ϟ— ⁑
When Orochimaru entered Uwabami's mindscape, it was… an empty black plateau, riddled with skeletons under a night sky void of stars and even the moon. Being rid of the pain of battle felt like a cool wave of relief over his body, even if it was an astral form that only existed in his mind. Well, and the mind of Uwabami, though that was soon to be his anyway.
It didn't take long for Orochimaru to see a man sitting on the black rock. The man had long black hair, dirty and unkept, it grew to his feet while he sat with his head down. There were no clothes that he wore, so Orochimaru could see the dirt and grime that built up on him… for hundreds of years. His pale skin looked almost black with filth.
"So, you're more human than you say you are, Uwabami."
The man grunted, looking up at Orochimaru with dead, red eyes. "And what of it… you appear to me as a man as I do to you." His voice was still deep, but lacked all sharp and smooth vigor as his serpent form. He almost sounded more like an animal in his human form. "There is no escaping the pathetic truth of the fact that I'm human."
"Is that what you think?" asked Orochimaru, walking up to Uwabami. "I'm afraid I don't think the same."
Uwabami's red eyes met Orochimaru's gold. "What makes you think that you can escape humanity? What makes you think that you can do the impossible? All the ones I once loved are dead. I've eaten more humans than I have animals. I've hated and caused more destruction than I can even recall… and yet I'm still human."
"To escape humanity is to abandon the emotions that cling to your soul… to purify it. All of those things that you listed, do you view them as wrong?"
"They are! Why wouldn't I?"
"That's it… that's your problem. That is the trap that we both fell into. It is the trap that I have escaped. There is no right and wrong… there is only what I want and what I don't want. Nothing else is relevant… nothing else matters." Orochimaru outstretched his arms and bathed in his own revelation.
Uwabami laughed, shaking his head. "Is that so…"
"Indeed. You were so close… yet so far." Orochimaru reached down into his throat and pulled the Kusanagi blade out. "Now die as a man, so I can ascend as a God."
Without another word spoken, Orochimaru decapitated Uwabami in his own mindscape.
The white snakes consumed the black earth and of course… Orochimaru laughed. His army of white snakes pooled below him and elevated him higher and higher above the collapsed earth. Into the sky of black, Orochimaru's presence allowed for the moon to bloom and the stars to twinkle.
His perfect victory… had only just started.
⁑ —ϟ— ⁑
In the ash and dust, the serpent body of who was once Uwabami laid in the remnants of what was once a mountain. Kabuto, with his glasses caked with dust, walked up to it. "Lord Orochimaru!" He walked past the dead snake and only saw more ash, more dust, and more rock. His breath hitched. "Lord Orochimaru!"
A shift from behind him froze Kabuto in his tracks. Slowly, he looked back. The body of Uwabami moved. Fear and ice flooded his veins as the eye of the beast opened. A golden, serpentine iris pierced his very soul.
Golden iris… not ruby.
Kabuto's fear melted into excitement and relief. "Lord Orochimaru!"
With a hiss of agony, the giant serpent body dispersed into decomposing flesh. At the head of the snake, a man walked out. The man had long black hair with skin of white scales. His arms were functioning as he stretched his limbs with a yawn.
The clothes he wore were that of a makeshift robe made of black snake scales. With his arms, he removed the hair from his face and grinned with golden eyes. "Kabuto… the mission is a success."
Kabuto let out a laugh and clenched his fists. "That's great! Do you have access to your Jutsu once again?"
"Unfortunately, no. There is no Chakra that flows through my arms. Any Ninjutsu or Genjutsu that requires hand seals is out of the question." Orochimaru stepped to face Kabuto. "However, the effects of Ryujin's Jutsu have been completely erased, he is no longer a hindrance on my reserves."
"That's good at least," muttered Kabuto, wiping the dust from his glasses and bowing his head. "Do we head back now?"
"Of course we do, I have promises to keep."
With that, Kabuto bit his thumb and weaved hand seals. "Reverse Summoning Jutsu!"
In a puff of smoke, they were gone.
⁑ —ϟ— ⁑
Morning shone on a new day. Both of them were still injured, but that didn't stop them. Ka'rai and Hane found a nice spot; a spot where their friend could rest. It was above Dokutsu, closer to the sea, by a farm that overlooked the ocean from a cliff. Under a Tsubaki tree, Ka'rai and Hane dug Yowui's grave. Smoke from candles and incense swayed into the air.
Ka'rai couldn't help the tears in his eyes. "I know… this probably wasn't where you imagined being buried, Yowui. It's my fault that it's this way. I ruined your death, Yowui…" He choked up, clenching his fists. Hane put a supportive hand on his back. "It… it will always be my greatest regret."
A shuddering breath followed the breeze. Ka'rai didn't bother to wipe the tears from his face. "I'm… so sorry, Yowui. That doesn't mean enough. My words aren't enough, and my actions won't do any better—I swear that I'll do enough. I'll make sure everybody I kill will have a proper death. Everybody in the world will get the death they deserve.
"I failed; you are my biggest failure, my biggest regret and it'll never happen again. I swear on my life, and my death. My apology to you will be making sure that you never happen again."
Hane's hand slid off his back as she crouched down, putting a hand on the misplaced dirt. "Yowui… you were always a good friend. I didn't really get to talk to you or meet with you too much before the exams. But you were always a joy to be around. I'm happy that I got to meet you all the same." Hane closed her dry eyes and sighed. "May your soul find peace in the pure lands, you deserve it."
A moment of silence fell as the breeze blew past them. It lasted for a minute… before Ka'rai broke it with a sigh, finally wiping his tears away. With that, Hane stood, and they walked back to Dokutsu.
"Hane, I…" Ka'rai took a deep breath. "I'm sorry."
"Sorry…" repeated Hane, looking down at her feet as she walked. "What for?"
"Everything," stressed Ka'rai. "I've just been… really fucking shitty. I hate that it took this much for me to see it. I ruined… everything. Don't you fucking try to, I don't know, tell me it's not my fault. All of it is. I'm the reason we're not in Kumo. You shouldn't care about me, really… I've really brought nothing but bad to you—"
Hane grabbed his hand, taking it into hers, holding on tight. "It's okay, Ka'rai—"
"No, it's not." Ka'rai shook his head, sighing. "I really don't deserve you… you were always too good for me."
Hane opened her mouth, trying to find the words. But she just sighed. "I know."
That hurt more than Ka'rai thought it would.
"But, well, I can't bear being without you," admitted Hane, shaking her head as she clutched his hand.
Somehow, that hurt even more. "Yeah… I can't either." Ka'rai shook his head, tightening his grip on Hane's hand. "But I'm going to become somebody that you deserve. In Kodaru… I see the monster that you saw in me."
Ka'rai walked ahead of her, making sure Hane looked in his eyes as he promised, "I will become great. I won't become that monster."
Are you so sure about that? asked Nikuya with a chuckle.
The bastard's voice in his head didn't even phase him as determination steeled the look he gave Hane. Slowly, a smile broke her straight face. "Ka'rai… I…" A breath grew her smile and Ka'rai couldn't help but reciprocate. "Thank you."
Her hands grabbed at his face and she pulled her forehead onto his. "I love you."
"I love you, too." Ka'rai pressed his lips into hers and they melted into each other. There were no voices in his head. It was just silence. Just peace. When he'd been deprived of this for so long… it never felt so good.
Ka'rai missed her.
From what he could feel, Hane missed him, too.
ϟ—Chapter End—ϟ
