Content warning: The chapter does contain some pretty dark stuff. Reader's discretion is advised.
Chapter Sixteen
"Goddammit, NO!" Kakashi shouted at the other Kages over the video feed. "I will not authorize any such action!" Kakashi let drop his normal mask of calm and composure as Killer B, now speaking on behalf of the Raikage, detailed the plan to use Kumo's chakra cannon to destroy the moon and any of it's large fragments before the moon fell any further.
"Lord Kakashi," Mei spoke, "while I admit it is not ideal, we're almost out of time. Larger and larger fragments of the moon are falling, and our shinobi forces are starting to have issues intercepting them. Furthermore, the increased gravitational force is impacting rivers and oceans with unpredictable intensity."
"Dammit, Lord Fifth is up there, as is Naruto, and Hinata!" Kakashi banged his hand on the table. "Let me be perfectly clear: if anyone fires anything that destroys the moon before our last possible moment, I will consider it an act of war against Konoha!"
"Kakashi, my man," Killer B spoke rueful at the suggestion, "I get you don't want to dust your boy and his ladies, but if we don't stop that thing soon, we all be history!"
"And if we fire now," an authoritative voice spoke, and Kakahsi turned to see Jiraiya entering the room with Shizune and Sakumo, "we run the risk of turning the Moon into hundreds of thousands, maybe millions of fragments rather than giving the team time to work!" He walked next to Kakashi, "I know we're all scared, but I think we need to trust that the team up there is our best chance for avoiding true cataclysm."
"On what do you base that, Lord Jiraiya?" Onoki, the Tsuchikage asked. "I'll admit you've got a good team up there…"
"That team saved the world once," Gaara spoke, "and I have every faith they can do it again."
"And the fact that your sister is up there has nothing to do with it?" Mei asked.
"Lord Mizukage, I would be lying if I told you it wasn't," Gaara admitted, "However, Temari and her husband also have an impressive record in their own right." He nodded, "I agree with Hokage Hatake and Lord Jiraiya, blowing the moon now could still have cataclysmic impact every bit as bad as a direct impact. If there is a chance that Naruto and his team can stop it; then let us give them all the time we can spare."
A long moment of silence fell over the group, "Very well," Lord Onoki spoke, "I'll agree to a forty-eight hour delay, with the caveat that we meet at least every eight hours to review the situation."
"Fair enough," Kakashi sighed. The other kages made their agreement and signed off. "Thanks for that, Jiraiya," Kakashi slumped back in the Hokage's chair.
"Any time," the older man said with a smile.
"You know, this chair was meant for you," Kakashi still felt too small to be sitting where he was.
"Lord Third and the council twice approached me on the subject; I turned them down both times."
"Why exactly was that?" Kakashi asked. "You're skilled, wise, hell, you were trained by Lord Third!"
"Let's say if Orochimaru was unsuited to be Hokage because of the darkness in his heart, I was unsuited due to my carelessness – carelessness worse than Lord Third's."
Kakashi had mix feelings of the elder Hokage. On one hand, the man had trained the Legendary Sannin, he had led the village through two wars, and he had mentored several generations of Shinobi. On the other, the same man had let Orochimaru slip away to cause future problems, he let father take the fall for something he never should have, and he had kept secrets about the Konoha Crush in a hope of dying well. At least he had the sense to go down fighting. "I'm assuming you need something?"
"I was hoping to talk to Kushina and the others about this, but given our predicament, we may need to address our what-if scenarios in the off chance they fail," he said somberly.
"Shizune?" Kakashi turned to his wife, bouncing their son as she stared on with tired eyes.
"What Jiraiya and Tsunade told me may have a huge impact on our son's generation," she spoke low and somber.
Kakashi eyed his son, innocent and sweet. Just like Naruto was, just like you were. "What exactly is happening?"
Jiraiya sat in a chair before the desk, and Shizune did the same. "You know how Minato was suspicious that there might be other Ōtsutsuki coming?"
"It would make sense," Kakashi tented his hands in mimicry of Minato and Kushina. "Kaguya wasn't the only one according to Hagomoro's tablet."
Jiraiya nodded, "When Tsuande and I left on our honeymoon of sorts, Minato tasked us with contacting my old spy networks, looking for groups like the Akatsuki."
"Groups that might be a front for the Ōtsutsuki," Shizune added.
"I take it you found one," Kakashi groaned.
"Found several," Jiraiya shifted in his chair, "eliminated a few, and found evidence of more."
"Eliminated?" Kakashi raised an eyebrow.
"Murdered, executed, removed as a threat, terminated with extreme prejudice; take your pick," Jiraiya shrugged. "My point is: they are not done with us, and we can't afford to act like we are home-free."
"This might be a hard sell to the other Kages," Kakashi nodded, "most of the shinobi countries have been seriously cutting back budgets, training, and force size since we've been at peace. Even before the Fourth War, we'd avoided open conflict long enough that everyone was dialing back."
Jiraiya looked over to Sakumo and Shizune, "I'm well aware of it, but as a man raising children that could face what we faced, or worse…"
Kakashi stared at his wife and son, longing to take them away someplace safe. Except, nowhere is safe if the Ōtsutsuki come. "You think that was what made Himawari come back?"
Jiraiya nodded, "Another reason to have faith in Naruto and Hinata. Himawari came back, which suggests we get through this."
"And yet, she came back to change things for her father," Kakashi nodded, "She had to know this would have a ripple effect."
"Yes, and I'm here, my children are here, and Akane is here because of it."
"As is my son," he eyed Shizune, "and our new baby."
"Kakashi, I'm scared as much as the next person," Shizune spoke, "but I'm ready to meet whatever the next challenge is, as long as you are by my side."
Kakashi turned to Jiraiya, "I'm assuming going after these organizations is our next challenge?"
"I don't want my kids growing up fearing the dark," Jiraiya stared out the window, "or fearing the moon and the stars above."
Sasuske sat in his apartment, staring up at the growing moon. Naruto, keep her safe for me! Even before the war, Sasuke had known helplessness of being a prisoner, being experimented on, and simply being powerless to influence the situation around him. Now, he didn't know if his decision to stay behind had been motivated by logic or cowardice – fear of being victimized again.
A knock at the door thankfully distracted him. Sasuke knew for sure it wasn't Sakura. Maybe it's Ino or Lee. When he opened the door, the grave face of his older brother greeted him. "Hello, Sasuke."
"Hello, Itachi," they stood still in awkward silence for a few moments, "Please, come in," Sasuke stepped aside and gestured toward an armchair. His brother walked in. "Can I get you anything?"
"No, thank you," Itachi sat, eyeing him. "I need your help."
"What could the heir of the Uchiha Clan possibly want from his younger screw-up of a brother?" Sasuke asked with a sour note.
"You're not a screw-up, baby brother," Itachi spoke with firm conviction and a hard stare. "People screwed you up, but you are not a screw-up!"
"So, what the hell do you want, certainly not a pep talk?"
"Sasuke, large sections of the moon are now falling, and our ability to block them and break them up is becoming painfully limited," Itachi explained, "You're a much more powerful shinobi than the average Joe-blow, and your Rinnegan could help us predict which would be the greatest threat."
"So, you want me to be a spotter?"
"You want to do something important, maybe save a few lives and earn some respect back from this village and your clan, baby brother?" Itachi eyed him with a tilt of the head, "You can't tell me you truly want to sit in this apartment doing nothing."
Sasuke nodded, "You are correct." Sasuke stared back out the window, "Okay, you rotten bastard, let's get to work!"
The beehive of evacuating the hospital to the Hokage Rock shelter kept Minato's mind off the peril his wife and children were facing, but he frequently paused to look at the moon, praying they were okay. Given Konohamaru's unique care needs, he was one of the last patients being evacuated.
As Minato ran toward the boy's room, the solid figure of Reo and Sara Sarutobi stood in his way. Dammit, we do not have time for this! He slowed his approach, and Reo spoke, "Lord Minato, I demand we see our son!"
"Demand all you want Reo, the patient made it clear to the medical staff that your weren't to be admitted."
"Dammit, he's our son!" Sara cried.
"Sara, Reo, for a moment, consider the gravity of the situation we're all in! Konohamaru is being evacuated with the rest of the patients! We don't have time for family drama!" Minato heaved a swirling mix of anger, desperation, and the need to act. "If you want to help, then for once do what he's come to hate you for – protect the village he loves and its people! Then, maybe, just maybe he'll find it in his heart to forgive you for being gone so much!" Both parents stared wide-eyed at the suggestion. "Go, join Itachi and Fugaku on the barrier; they're going to need all the help they can get!"
Both parents nodded and took off down the hallway. Minato ran into the hospital room where his son was with Ino, "Now, Konohamaru, I want you to be on your best behavior for Dr. Nakamura, is that clear?"
"How much trouble can one cripple cause?" Konohamaru chuckled.
"I want you to stop using that term, Konohamaru!" Ino became stern, "You are going to walk again, and I will kick your ass if you don't win the Iron Shinobi competition a year later!" She jabbed a finger into his sternum.
"I'm holding you to that," Minato smiled, "kicking his ass, that is," he chuckled.
"I wish I had your confidence, Dad," Konohamaru said despondent. "I heard them in the hallway."
"I sent them to protect the village, and pretty soon, I have to go as well… I'm sorry, son!"
"Don't be," Konohamaru teared up, "a Hokage protects his village and its people."
"That's why you have to be strong, kiddo," Minato took Konohamaru's right hand, "Someday, your brother will carry that burden, and someday, it will likely pass to you, too."
"Heh, that'll be the day, about me that is," Konohamaru smiled in spite of the somber situation. "You think they're okay?"
"They're going to be," Minato nodded, "I can feel it!"
"Lord Fourth, I'm sorry, but we have to get him to the shelter," Ino insisted, "and I have to go to the Sensor Division."
"Ino," Minato continued to hold his son's hand, "I know it's asking a lot…"
"I'll try and reach the group, but that might be difficult!" she nodded. Minato teleported the group to the shelter.
The glowing butterflies flying around the lakeside clearing in the fading twilight might have been romantic and calming had Naruto not had his own swarm of butterflies in his stomach threatening to expel what little dinner he had choked down earlier. While worried about the plan, he was now much more worried about where things stood with him and Hinata – they hadn't talked at all since the argument yesterday afternoon.
Mom and Shikamaru had assured him it was a normal occurrence for all couples to argue and spend time apart, but the burden was too heavy to bear, especially with his role in this plan. I can't lose her, especially if this works! The terror of the plan succeeding only for Hinata to break up with him after saving the world left Naruto sleepless last night and sick to his stomach all day today.
He stared out across the clearing, knowing Toneri would come soon. Hinata glowed, ghostly in her beauty, as the glowing butterflies illuminated her like enchanted starlight. She knitted on the swatch of red scarf that he'd spied in her bag. She's still knitting for me, that has to be a good sign, right? Dammit, quit being a wuss! If you don't say it now, you'll never get your chance! And that scarf might end up around another man! Naruto forced his legs to cross the clearing to the tree stump Hinata was sitting on beside the lake.
As he approached, his legs fought him, much as they had walking to her room after the duel she'd had with Hanabi at age twelve. At least this time Hizashi's ghost isn't here to scare the shit out of you! Naruto to this day couldn't be sure if it was a hallucination or if he'd seen the man's ghost. Nevertheless, the apparition's words came again, "Protect her, and tell her I'm sorry!" Now it's my turn to protect her and tell her I'm sorry.
Hinata continued to knit silently as he approached. Naruto marveled at how she could knit and purl now on autopilot. She was only glancing at the work in her hands occasionally now; whereas, she once needed to focus all her attention. "Hello, Naruto," she spoke first, glum.
"Hinata… I…" Naruto choked.
"I feel so selfish," she cried, putting down her knitting in her lap, "the world is ending, everyone I love is in danger… and I'm…." she sobbed, "… fucking knitting!"
Naruto embraced her, feeling his own tears leak, "Hinata, come on that isn't fair! You're under an incredible amount of stress! I know you're worried as much as the rest of us!" He paused, choking, "I-I'm sorry about everything yesterday!" tears began running freely. "I was a real ass… and… I'm… I'm sorry!" words failed him.
Hinata clutched him even closer, burying her face in his chest as she stood up. "You've always been so kind to me! You don't have to apologize for anything!"
"I have to!" Naruto composed himself, "And I'm not being kind, just because I want to marry you the second we get back, or anything! I really worry about you and the others!"
Hinata balked, pushing away a few inches, "What did you say?!" Her beautiful Byakugan eyes glowed magically in the moon and light given off by the bioluminescent butterflies. "What did you just say?!"
"I said I was worried about you and the others…" Naruto mumbled his words.
"I meant… before…" Hinata again became softer, whimpering.
"Dammit boy! Tell her the truth! Otherwise, I'll tell her all about the other stuff you plan on doing when you two get back to her king-sized bed!" Nine-Tails chided.
He's right, now or never, just like everything else. Don't wait for perfection because it may never come! "Hinata," he straightened himself, "I said… I want to marry you, the second we get home, Hinata!" Hinata stared at him. Through their linked chakra, Naruto shared the kaleidoscope of emotions she was feeling with his own. He had asked her in the past to marry him, but this was different – this was getting married.
"Hinata…" Naruto's words cut off at the sensation of wind gusting. He turned to see the serene mirror of the lake's surface becoming choppy. Naruto soon saw the source of the disturbance; Toneri was descending toward them, riding an ornate platform. Here we go!
Hinata sat on the tree stump near the lake that was about a hundred meters outside camp, working on her latest knitting project for Naruto. Will he even want it? Naruto stood in the distance, looking contemplative in his own right. The plan was for him to talk with her for a while as night fell, as it was falling now. Toneri, as usual, would show up at night, and Naruto would make a half-hearted effort at pursuit, letting her get taken.
She stared out into the clearing with her Byakugan. Shikamaru, Temari, Kushina, Sai, and Sakura had all stayed in camp, standing at the ready to respond. Hinata continued to knit, easily past the halfway point with the scarf she'd been working on for hours. Knitting had been her only retreat from both the stress of the events coming and her only distraction from the cold of wearing her skimpy mission gear. Toneri for sure would take notice. Will Naruto?!
She swallowed a lump in her throat as Naruto walked closer, Toneri could be here ever second, and Hinata sensed terrible uncertainty swirling around Naruto. Could you blame him? You screamed in his face! You dismissed every concern he had about this plan - concerns you were too emotional to consider! Now, you'll be lucky if he doesn't call it quits over this goddam mess! Hinata wished on the glowing butterflies to go back, to take back the terrible things she'd insinuated.
He was now only a meter away at most, dressed sharply in his black jacket and black pants trimmed with orange piping. "Time is wasting, girl! Speak now or forever regret holding your peace!" Nine-Tails did not hold back.
"Hello, Naruto," she spoke before Naruto could, deflating at the hopelessness of everything.
"Hinata… I…" Naruto choked.
Before he could break up with her, Hinata continued. "I feel so selfish," she cried, putting down her knitting in her lap, "the world is ending, everyone I love is in danger… and I'm…." she sobbed, "… fucking knitting!" God, how low can I go?!
Naruto wrapped her in his arms, much to her surprise. He was warm, strong, all thing things she needed right now. "Hinata, come on that isn't fair! You're under an incredible amount of stress! I know you're worried as much as the rest of us!" He paused, straining, "I-I'm sorry about everything yesterday!" Naruto cried freely. "I was a real ass… and… I'm… I'm sorry!"
Hinata clutched him even closer, burying her face in his chest as she moved her knitting to the stump and stood up. He came for me, after everything, he came for me! "You've always been so kind to me! You don't have to apologize for anything!" she cried into his chest.
"I have to!" Naruto became more confident, "And I'm not being kind, just because I want to marry you the second we get back, or anything! I really worry about you and the others!"
Hinata pushed back, unsure if she'd heard the words from him or just in her head, "What did you say?!" She stared wide-eye, smelling his musky body, and feeling dizzy from how fast her heart was racing. "What did you just say?!" she demanded.
"I said I was worried about you and the others…" Naruto mumbled.
"I meant… before…" Hinata whimpered, betrayed by hope.
Naruto stared, looking like he was preparing to be kicked in the balls. "Hinata," he straightened himself, "I said… I want to marry you, the second we get home, Hinata!" Marry me?! Hinata again became dizzy, faint at the suggestion. Her jaw dropped and she slowly gasped at the gravity of what he said. He wants to marry me the second we get home! HE WANTS TO MARRY ME THE SECOND WE GET HOME!
"Hinata…" Naruto and her mania were cut off by the sudden gust of terrible cold, and Hinata saw the lake's surface churn as Toneri rode an artfully decorated platform toward them, setting down on the lake. Hinata braced her stomach against the urge to throw up.
"I see we have a witness," Toneri approached Hinata holding out his hand. "Come Hinata," he beckoned her, "away to my castle, my Byakugan Princess." His words dripped insincerity. Hinata saw his intentions in reflected in the eyes he'd stolen from Hanabi. He'd dispose of Hanabi and Akane soon after her arrival, he'd finish destroying the world, and when the world was rebuilt, he'd lay her out naked, splay her open, and shove himself inside her again and again. No one would be around to hear her begging him to stop.
"You're not taking her anywhere!" Naruto protested, most convincing.
It took everything she had to snap out of being frozen – she didn't want to do this. Hinata grabbed her knitting, thrust it into Naruto's chest, and took Toneri's cold, deathly pale hand. She stared back over her shoulder, "Good-bye, Naruto," as she walked along with Toneri.
"WHAT?!" Naruto screeched.
"Before we go, there is something I need to do," Toneri grinned with what Hinata assumed was his rape-face. She swallowed, as she saw the green orb, fully expecting to be unconscious in a moment. Instead, he plunged the glowing orb into her chest, just below her breasts. All the air exited her lungs, as he violated her in a way she didn't think possible. OH GOD, NO! He was touching to the very core of her being, and he could see everything about her. "NO!"Toneri balked, withdrawing the hand, staggering back, and letting Hinata fall to the ground. The effect wasn't as bad as having her chakra blocked, but it wasn't much better, either. "YOU!" He stared accusingly at Hinata, "HAVE BEEN INTIMATE WITH HIM!"
Naruto moved to intervene, but Toneri summoned an invisible force similar to Pain's, and pile-drove Naruto face-first into the ground. When Toneri grabbed Naruto by the scruff of his collar, her fiance's nose was bleeding and his baby face was scratched and bruised. "N-Naruto!" she whimpered, struggling to get her legs under her.
"He's taken you!" Toneri held out another green orb, "and now I'll take him from you!" Before Naruto could react, Toneri planted his hand into Naruto's chest. As Toneri extracted his hand, Naruto walked zombie-like toward the platform. "I gave you a chance!" Toneri shouted in Hinata's face.
"Toneri… don't take him…" Hinata struggled to rise, "I'll go…"
"BITCH!" Toneri backhand punched her across the face, the blow landing solidly on her nose with a disgusting crunch. Hinata fell backwards and he towered over her. "You caused all of this by your scheming! None of his had to happen!" He turned a contemplative look toward Naruto, "And now your lover, sister, and the baby you hold so dear will be sacrificed to the Tenseigan Alter because of your treachery!" His face morphed into a wicked, manic grin, "And when I come back, you'll be crawling on your knees, begging me to forgive you!" His voice dropped, "Begging me not to punish you too hard!" he laughed as he strode back to the platform.
NO! NO! NO! Hinata summoned strength she didn't know she had. If Toneri got away, she had no way of tracking Naruto in her current state. "Toneri, no!" she struggled to summon wind chakra to form a Rasengan.
"You won't be needing that, or them!" Toneri sent out two green orbs, one toward Hinata, and the other toward camp. Hinata raised the milky blue mass of her Rasengan to block the approaching orb, and both masses exploded in her face. Then there was darkness.
Sakura held deathly still under the cover of a bush despite every instinct to run up to the pasty white figure and beat the living crap out of him. After the argument between Naruto and Hinata, Shikamaru pulled the rest of the team aside and shared his private plan. They would leave shadow clones in camp and find concealed positions by the lake – ready to act the second the balloon went up. In order to keep up the façade of the camp being occupied, the team kept this part of the plan a secret from both Naruto and Hinata.
While Sakura hated keeping secrets, she did agree that Naruto and Hinata were too emotionally charged in this, and either could blow the works if they knew. Sakura swallowed bile as she watched Hinata take the man's hand over Naruto's artful protest.
Then everything went to shit. Toneri rammed a hand into Hinata's chest, there were several angry verbal exchanges, and Naruto was face-planted into the ground. "I'm going for it," Kushina said, over the tactical radio.
"Hold," Shikamaru ordered in a harsh whisper. "We get one chance, and we need to keep our eyes sharp! I know it hurts, but hold!"
Toneri grabbed Naruto by the neck and rammed a glowing green orb into Naruto's chest. Her teammate became like a zombie and staggered toward the platform. Oh damn, that can't be good! Hinata staggered toward Toneri, and Toneri struck her across the face, "BITCH!" he yelled.
Sakura couldn't hear the rest of the exchange as Toneri walked back to the platform. Hinata tried summoning a Rasengan, but Toneri sent a green orb at Hinata and other sailed overhead toward camp. The green orb struck Hinata's Rasengan, and there was a massive chakra explosion. As the ground shook, Sakura felt another explosion from behind.
Her ears range for a moment, but she heard Shikamaru shout, "Go, GO! CONVERGE ON HINATA!"
Ears still ringing, Sakura commanded limbs to carry her toward her target. Through the dizzy haze and billowing smoke of a burned out clearing, she finally reached Hinata, and the stab of adrenaline to her heart finally hit. Hinata's face was a hellscape of bruises, and blood streamed from her nose like tar in the dark of the night. "Hinata! HINATA!" she screamed as she tapped her friend and teammate's shoulder with no response. Hinata's breathing was shallow and rapid, and her pulse was all over the place.
"Hinata! Sakura!?" Kushina screeched she landed on her knees beside their stricken teammate.
Sakura didn't want to think about what was going through Kushina's head, now having lost her son, and Hinata's fate uncertain. "Kushina! You're a medical-nin's assistant, help me out!" Sakura moved up by Hinata's head, activating her healing jutsu with an aquamarine glow. "Watch her breathing and pulse! If she starts crashing, you know what to do!" Far from busy-work, the effect was the same – keeping Kushina focused here and now.
A quick check of things swirled both relief and anger in Sakura's stomach. Physically, Hinata had a mild concussion, three broken ribs, and a broken nose, but thankfully, she wasn't bleeding in her head or anywhere else internally. However, her chakra network was severely drained, worse than anything Sakura had seen. When I get my hands on you, Toneri, I'm ripping your goddamn balls off and feeding them to you! Sakura grit her teeth as she continued to work. Hinata was like a sister – they had laughed together, cried together, and dealt with boy issues together. "Hinata, can you hear me?!"
"S-Sakura…" tears leaked from Hinata's eyes as she whimpered, "… it hurts so much!"
"Hold still, you're not going to like this!" Sakura placed her hand, charged with a healing jutsu, over Hinata's nose and forced everything back into place.
"AHHHHHHHH!" Hinata shrieked and flailed about.
"Hold her legs!" Kushina did as commanded until the bout had passed. Hinata passed out from pain, but thankfully her breathing remained steady, if labored.
"How bad is she?" Kushina asked, tears running down her cheeks.
"I've seen worse," Sakura shook her head, "help me with these ribs." The two went to work, aided by the fact that Hinata was no longer writhing.
"Sai, take Temari and see what we can salvage from camp, go now!" Shikamaru's barking distracted Sakura. He had a small telescope out, and looked like he was jotting down numbers furiously.
"Shikamaru, now is not the time to be looking up at the goddamn moon!"
"It's the perfect time," he chided in response, "because that is where Toneri took Naruto!" He finished whatever he was drawing or writing and ran up to her. "I think I know how we can follow, but how is she!?" he asked, panic now evident by how bloody Hinata was.
"She'll live, but we're going to need a few days to get her back up to combat-ready," Sakura said.
"How many is a few?!" Shikamaru exchanged a panicked look with Kushina.
"Three, preferably more; why?"
"We have forty hours until the moon impacts the earth!" He screeched.
"Okay, so we cut it a bit short –"
"Sakura," Kushina interrupted, "that's forty hours until impact; the Kages agreed to a contingency plan should we not be able to stop the moon. Kumo has some kind of massive chakra cannon that can blow the moon up! We agreed if the moon got too close we'd use it!"
Sakura went cold all over, and her heart jumped a beat, "How the hell long do we have?" her voice squeaked.
Shikamaru consulted his watch, rolled his eyes back in his head, and groaned, "Five hours until they blow us all to high hell!"
Author's notes: Hi everyone, and thank you always for reading. You may noticed I have posted much earlier than my normal schedule. I got through this chapter surprisingly fast and I I'm having a stressful end to the week. Having this ready to post is about the only thing keeping me sane right now. Stay healthy and stay safe, and I'll see you all next chapter
