A/N: before reading this chapter, I highly advise to go back to the previous chapter and read the ending. A bit of conversation between Naruto and Tayuya was unknowingly left out which I corrected yesterday. It is not necessary to the story to read, but it will make things later in the chapter make much more sense.

Chapter 30


Naruto didn't need to know who the man before him was to know that he was strong—stronger than him by a mile. His mere presence was a heavyweight, an iron wall that would not move no matter how hard he hit it. It was the same kind of overwhelming force his Sensei gave off whenever she was serious, but whereas she was akin to walking through sludge, Orochimaru was like walking through cement that had already dried.

And that wasn't even accounting for his looks. The long black hair and snake-like pale face, amplified by the two glowing yellow slits for eyes, gave him a sinister, otherworldly appearance. Tayuya and her friends were monstrous in form and aura. Orochimaru was less so, yet came off as far more threatening—killing intent or not. It made Naruto disregard everything aside from the new threat in front of him.

"Naruto!" So much so that if Kakashi hadn't called his name, Kimimaro would have drilled right through him. He was able to dodge just in time but wasn't capable of stopping him from grabbing Tayuya and Kidōmaru in the process. All three landed safely behind the Sannin while Kakashi regrouped with the Genin.

"It seems they've given you two quite the runaround." Orochimaru said, turning his smirk toward Tayuya who stiffened. "You seem to be a few members short."

The redhead swallowed, not wanting to speak but having no plans on staying silent either. "W-we were forced to retreat, Orochimaru-sama."

"Is that so," Orochimaru chuckled, thankfully turning his attention to the blonde and away from her. "Uzumaki Naruto. I have to say, it's an honor to finally meet Konoha's little pet." His gaze turned slightly, meeting that of the Sharingan. "And Hatake Kakashi. A Sharingon and Jinchuuriki in one place? Kukukuku, truly, fortune has shined upon me."

"Orochimaru," Kakashi said the Sannin's name as if it were a curse on his tongue. "Can't say I'm surprised this place is your handywork. I take it it's no mere coincidence that we ended up here, is it?"

"Kukukuku. Perhaps, though I must admit, this little outing wasn't entirely planned." His gaze returned back to Naruto, his eyes seemingly analyzing the boy as if he were some test subject. "Poor Mizuki practically begged me to help him. A shame, seeing that he still failed to see his delusions through despite my gift. I didn't plan on getting my hands dirty, but then again, I can't put the blame entirely on my subordanate's failure. Naruto-kun turned out to be far more special than I could have imagined, after all. Kukuku."

The way his tongue licked his lips sent chills up Naruto's spine, his grip on his sword tightening as his instincts continued to scream at him to retreat.

"Naruto, I believe it's best we retreat." Sothis advised. "You are still recovering from earlier, and your body can only withstand two more Pulses... Though I doubt our chances of victory even if you had more."

"I know that." Naruto acknowledged before his gaze fell to the woman the Snake Sannin still had in his grip. "I can't leave without her."

"I see you've finally noticed." Orochimaru said, effortlessly, lifting the unconscious woman higher to display her as if she were a prize. "Kagero-chan tried her best to save her little pet projects, yet sadly, it wasn't enough to save herself. But fret not, she's fine. Breathing, at the very least."

"Release her." Kakashi demanded, the Sannin's smirk only growing at the demand.

"Now, you know that's not how this works, Kakashi-kun. Hasn't anyone ever told you that if you want something, it's only fair to give something else in return?" Kakashi glaced at the back of the Genin momentarily before returning his glare towards the Sannin. "Kukuku, I see you already understand. Give me the boy, and you can have Danzo's little puppet. A generous trade considering you lot foiled a very important experiment, don't you think?"

It was not generous. Not at all. A Jinchuuriki for the life of one Kunoichi who was replaceable in the eyes of the public or the greater picture was anything but fair. Danzo would be displeased, but Kakashi has no doubt the old Hawk could and would replace her.

Naruto, on the other hand, was not replaceable, for reasons both personal and obvious.

"We do not negotiate the lives of our comrades, Orochimaru. I would think you'd already know that." Kakashi countered, causing Orochimaru to tilt his head amusedly.

"Oh, how could I ever forget? That old man preached such hypocrisy daily, after all. It is truly one of the many things I am happy to no longer have to suffer through." His head moved to the right, the snake-like features becoming more apparent. "Nevertheless, I believe we are at an impasse. So, allow me to present another offer."

As if to make his unsightly appearance more disturbing, the Sannin turned his head towards the ceiling, leaving the Konoha Shinobi momentarily confused. They were pretty far away, yet they were still able to see the way the Sannin's throat began to shift. Soon, his mouth opened wide, and a snake, big enough to swallow a child whole, emerged.

Then that snake opened its mouth and out of its throat poked the handle of a sword. With his free hand, Orochimaru grabbed the hilt before swiftly pulling it out of the snake to hold threateningly at his side.

The sword was double-edged with a bandaged-wrapped hilt and a curved serpent-patterned rainguard. The sword itself looked as dangerous as any other run-of-the mill blade, yet the fact it was wielded by one of the Legendary Sannin effectively made it as threatening as an S-Rank Jutsu.

"We're going to play a little game."

In an act that was both underhanded and cruel, the snake held Kagero out towards the duo.

A second later, a sword erupted from her chest. Blood splattered along the ground while the Shimura's eyes immediately sprang open. Even from their distance, they could hear her wheezing, likely due to the fact one of her lungs had been pierced. The sword was withdrawn with as much force as it had entered, spilling more of the woman's life liquids to the ground and causing her to cough up the building blood from her lungs.

"It would seem poor Kagero-chan was wounded in our little bout." Orochimaru proclaimed, dropping the woman forward onto her face. Her hands immediately went to her new wound, desperately trying to stop the bleeding while Naruto looked on, a dumbfounded look on his face. "The game is simple. Little Kagero-chan doesn't have much time left—15 minutes at the most. From here, it'll take you at least 10 minutes to get to the nearest hospital. Even then, if that wound isn't covered properly, she'll bleed out within five, which means you only have a few minutes to save your Danzo's little puppet's before she's no longer with us. Kukuku, quite simple, no?"

*CRASH*

Naruto did not have to think about acting. The moment the Sannin finished speaking, the blonde was on the move. Time stopped, and the boy reappeared in front of the downed woman with an outstretched hand. Grabbing her arm, time resumed as he stopped his momentum by throwing a foot at the Sannin's exposed abdomen. The snake's blade blocked the attack, but Naruto didn't stop to check the Sannin's reaction as he kicked off the sword, catapulting them back towards Kakashi who immediately turned heel and followed him down the hall and away from the snake that would likely be on their tail.

Orochimaru simply watched the two retreating forms disappear—surprised, yet the smirk never left his face. "It seems Naruto-kun takes after his father pretty well." He said ominously, his amusement rising at the events to come. "And so the hunt begins."


Kakashi, nor Naruto, knew where they were going, yet they both silently agreed that anywhere was better than the direction the Sannin was no doubt pursuing them. They'd only been running for a few minutes, but compared to the Jonin, Naruto was breathing hard. The exertion of the battle, the use of the Divine Pulses, and the stress of having to flee using one of the gates were taking their toll rapidly. He had no stamina left, which didn't help the fact that he still needed to heal his sensei's wounds before she bled out.

A problem that became ever more urgent when the woman herself began to wheeze while desperately grabbing at her chest.

They stopped on a dime to lay the woman flat on the ground.

He did not need to be a doctor to know his sensei was practically at death's door. She'd already lost a lot of blood due to them moving her, and her wheezing was a clear indication that she was beginning to drown in her own blood. The only saving grace was that the woman was still conscious. If she weren't, the blonde doubted they'd have a chance in hell at saving her without a Pulse.

Immediately, he put a hand over her chest, the healing magic beginning to do its job at at least stopping the bleeding. Above him, Kakashi looked on curiously while at the same time making sure their pursuers hadn't yet caught up. The wound closed slowly, too slowly. At the rate things were going, she would bleed out far before he could completely close the wound, a testament to how poor his healing skills were without the Goddess's power.

*CRASH*

"Sothis," he called, stopping time for but a moment to talk to his friend who appeared before him almost immediately. "How many Pulses do you think I can still use?"

"For a transfer? Without completely incapacitating yourself? None." She stated bluntly, causing the blonde to look down at his sensei, frustration growing as he kicked himself for his earlier actions.

"Is there nothing we can do then? She'll die if we don't help her."

"I am aware, but as it stands, we are in enough of a bind. You and I know your body cannot handle the consequences of using the final two Pulses. I understand that we are in dire straights, but I will not enable risks that will ultimately affect the both of us."

The blonde bit his lip at that, the frozen pain on her face making the turmoil within grow.

"There has to be a way..." He said almost desperately.

"...Have you forgotten you still have allies? One's more than willing to help if you but ask?" Sothis pointed out, yet it did not lessen the blonde's trepidation.

"I, can't summon them. Not here." He said, his fist tightening. "That man, these people, they are strong. Likely far stronger than them. I can't risk their lives when I do not have the power to reverse the damage."

"And yet, by doing nothing, you still lose someone." Sothis pointed out, taking the chance to look down at the kunoichi. "I do not particularly feel close to this woman. However, she has gained my acknowledgement. Though she has slighted us in the past, it is also true that she is partially responsible for where you are today. As I've stated once before, she cares in her own way, and that is enough for me to consider saving her life."

Naruto took the words to heart, his gaze never leaving his sensei as the decision to put more of his family at risk to save at least one life roared within him.

"Do what you feel is right, Child, though I would also ask that you heed this warning. Though summoning one from Fodlan may not be particularly taxing, it still will consume our resources, meaning we may very well be down to one Pulse. Remember that."

...As if he didn't have enough to worry about.

He battled within himself for a moment longer, the decision was probably one of the hardest he'd ever made in his life. In the end, his heart could only choose the one where the future was uncertain. He didn't know if there would be consequences, but he did know he'd rather live and regret his actions than to live and regret his inaction.

A thumb came up to his mouth, immediately biting into it and drawing blood. A moment later, he went through hand-signs before slamming his hand into the ground. The world around him resumed, and a puff of smoke appeared on the other side of the downed woman.

Kakashi turned immediately, left out of the loop of the blonde's plans. What he found was a cloud of smoke, quickly followed by the back of a girl. Green hair was the first thing he noted, followed by her black dress and height. Though he couldn't see her face, he could tell she was confused, looking around aimlessly before her gaze eventually landed on the kneeling blonde whose name immediately left her lips.

"Naruto? What is-"

"There isn't time to explain. I need you to help me heal her." The Genin cut her off, the ergency in his voice clear. To the girl's credit, she only spluttered for a moment before she was kneeling next to the Shimura. Her hands joined the blonde's, a brighter glow of light appearing above the downed kunoichi that further intrigued the Jonin.

"Neat trick," was all Kakashi could say, causing the newly arrived greenette to jerk in surprise before turning her attention to him.

"Don't worry, Flayn-san. He's an ally." Naruto reassured before the girl even had a chance to speak.

"What is going on?" Flayn asked her surrogate sibling as she refocused her attention on healing.

"I'll explain everything when we're in the clear. For now, how long do you think this will take?"

Flayn looked down at the woman analytically. The blood she had been choking on had freely escaped, trinkling down the side of her mouth and landing in a pool under her neck. Her breathing had become less desperate, but the pain was still evident on her face.

"I've managed to close the wound from within, but it will take some time to close the rest. How long has she been in this state?"

"Only a few minutes." Naruto answered immediately, a grunt of frustration leaving the Nabatean's lips immediately after.

"That means she's already lost a lot of blood. The chances of heart failure are almost inevitable. We'll need to work fast. Match your mana with mine. We need a constant flow going through her until the wound is closed completely."

"And how long will that take?" Kakashi piped in.

"Five, maybe seven minutes at the most. This would be much easier with a conduit, but I'm working with what I have."

"I don't think we have that kinda time." Kakashi noted, looking into the darkened corridor as if Orochimaru were hiding just on the edge.

"Then please make time. If we move her now, I cannot guarantee we will save her." Flayn argued.

Naruto had no idea what kind of expression the Jonin was currently making, but from his silence, he had agreed. That just meant it was time for them to get to work.

Unfortunately, as Kakashi stated before, time was, in fact, not on their side.

The wall next to them exploded, a sharp bone fragment piercing through and headed straight for the girl currently caught off guard. In the same moment, Naruto's sword was in hand met the drill with an upward parry. In the same second, Kakashi blitzed forward and delivered a kick into the would-be killer's side. Bone erupted from the spot, stopping the blow from causing any real damage but not stopping the momentum from throwing him back.

Kimimaro recovered gracefully enough, landing on his feet before charging the group once more. In the brief instance the albino was airborne, Naruto had created two clones, one to defend and the other to continue where they were interrupted, while at the same time using the remains of a pulse to rejuvenate his body and chakra. The consequences of such an action was felt almost immediately, feeling his entire body lock up in pain for only a second before he was ready to engage once more. Next to him Kakashi had his Sharingan eye uncovered once more and ready intercept the approaching albino.

The accompaniment of a flute briefly distracted the duo while Kimimaro's body began to glow a bright blue. He appeared before them in almost double the speed, his drill arm aimed to pierce right through Kakashi. The Jonin dodged, yet in the same motion, Kimimaro spun, sending a devastating heel kick round at the blonde who was forced to duck less his head be removed from his shoulders. Somehow, while airborne, he used his free hand to send a bone hurling towards Flayn, proof of both his skill and agility.

Thankfully, the clone protecting his surrogate sister deflected the projectile with ease, allowing the Konoha duel to return their focus to the enhanced Kaguya. Sword and foot were sent to the airborne man. Bones erupted from the man's skin to protect him, yet that did not deter the duo from continuing their assault. The Kaguya was forced onto the defensive, and though it did not last, it gave Kakashi enough time to put a little distance between him and the white-haired menace to make hand-signs.

Naruto traded blows with his adversary, neither truly making a mark against the other. It was obvious Kimimaro was faster, wielding the drill as if it weighed less than a pound as he jabbed forward rapidly in hopes the blonde would get caught by at least one. On one particular thrust, he countered by dashing forward and swinging an arc into his exposed midsection. At the last possible moment, he pushed mana through the sword, turning its blunt edge as sharp as a razor.

Instead of allowing his defense to take the blow, Kimimaro jumped over it, twisting above the now glowing sword with a grace and reaction speed that was simply inhuman. During the display of acrobatics, a leg came down in an axe kick that the Genin caught using his sword, yet the force proved more as it broke the legendary weapon in two.

Kimimaro had less than a second to realize the trap before it was sprung. With a pull, the sword wrapped around his leg. Not a moment later, he was being sent flying in the opposite direction and right at the awaiting Konoha Jonin. The Sound Nin could only feel the heat on his back before a fireball the size of a man engulfed him. Far from finished, Naruto pulled back on the whip-sword, pulling the flaming Shinobi from the fire before arcing him over his head to eventually slam into the ground. Another yank on the sword brought him back one last time to hopefully finish their troublesome foe.

Unfortunately, despite the burns and damage sustained, the Kaguya proved to be made of sterner stuff. As he approached, he began to spin, bones extending out of him and effectively turning him into a buzzsaw as he released himself towards the blonde who was forced to dodge the living shredder. Stopping on a dime the moment one of his bones met the ground, Kimimaro drew his arm back. Flinging it forward, the giant drill ejected from his arm and darted straight for the charging Kakashi who was forced to slide under it.

By the time the drill had gone over him completely, he was far too late to realize the man's true target.

"FLAYN!"

The girl looked up at the desperate call of her name, but was forced down low by the clone assisting her in healing. Shortly after, the drill passed over their heads along with two halves of the clone who had been defending them.

From afar, Naruto sagged in relief that his friend was safe. That feeling was quickly replaced with a growing pit of rage that was turned on the albino as he stood tall and confident once more.

"You two are by far the strongest Shinobi I have ever faced." Kimimaro proclaimed as he reached a hand to his back. From his back emerged a long, spiked bone. It was easily half the length of his body, the tip looking especially deadly. It was his spine. How he was able to continue after removing such a vital part of his body was a question to be analyzed later. "However, you are only prolonging the inevitable. Even if you were to somehow defeat me, you still must confront Lord Orochimaru-sama. There is no situation in which any of you come out alive."

Despite giving what he thought was sound advice, he was answered with a challenge. One hand-sign created a sea of blondes, surrounding him on all sides and burying Kakashi somewhere in the chaos.

"I'll die before I ever allow you to hurt my friends again." The leader, likely the original, growled out, causing Kimimaro to shake his head in disappointment at the defiance.

"I respect your resolve." He acknowledged, before lowering his center of gravity. "Allow me to answer your resolve with my own.

Many things happened in the next few seconds.

The flute began playing once more, enhancing the Kaguya yet again before he charged at the one he believed to be the original, swiping horizontally and completely bisecting the boy in half. It turned out to be a clone, and the rest retaliated by dividing and conquering. Five split off from the group, heading down the hall where they believed the flute was playing, while five more took positions around Flayn. In the center of it all, Kimimaro cut and swept, dispatching the clones with expert ease in a dance of blades and bones. If he was not engaging them with his spine sword, he was shooting bones from his body into the crowd, dispatching clones with frightening ease. Even in his flank, bones erupted from his back to block blows that would kill a normal man. A sword strike cleaved a clone from the top of his head down to its groin before a single swing bisected an entire row of six. Bones erupted from his arms, forming spiked shields that came up to deflect the barrage sword seeking to impale him. With a simple thought, the bones extended, impaling the four clones in turn.

Not a moment later, he was grabbed from behind, his arms momentarily pinned before a bone shot from his back to dispel the clone instantly. The same thing happened not a second later, this time to his front. His defense was able to dispel the fool, yet not even he could have expected the clones to simply throw their lives away by dogpiling him all at once. Within seconds, he was covered from head to toe, his entire body constantly being held down no matter how many clones he dispatched.
That did not at all deter him.
He had no idea what the blonde's plan was, but he had no intention of allowing it to come to fruition. Digging within, he sent his chakra through his entire body before it escaped into the ground. Immediately, large spikes of bone erupted from the ground, freeing him from the hold and dispelling the clones in the same sequence and leaving only a handful alive to challenge him. The remaining clones were hesitant, but converged on him, forcing Kimimaro to jump high to avoid being piled on for a second time. When he came down, chakra was charged within him once more as a fist was reeled back. Upon landing in the middle of the group, bone spikes emerged from the ground once more, impaling the remaining clones.

Dismissing the fragments around him, Kimimaro stared forward at the only Uzumaki left standing in his way, his face unfazed despite his army ultimately failing to even make him break a sweat. Admirable, but ultimately meant nothing in the face of a superior warrior.

"This is the power of the Kaguya." He stated more than boasted, as if it were simply a fact that the Uzumaki was unaware of. "Our bodies can withstand damage far greater than that of any normal human being. Our bloodline gives us an impenetrable defense while also allowing us to utilize our bones offensively." As if to demonstrate, the drill from before grew once again along his free arm, making him that much more intimidating. "You lost the moment you became my opponent."

Naruto remained stoic at his opponent's words. His only response was to raise a single hand into a seal, causing Kimimaro to ready himself once more.

"I commend you for your spirit, but surely even you understand that this is not a fight you can win?" Kimimaro said, genuinely baffled that the blonde chose to continue despite the futility of his efforts.

The moment he decided to charge and finish the blonde once and for all, his entire body suddenly seized up. Confused, he tried looking around, yet not even his head would move from its position. His limbs felt as if they were weighed down by a hundred tons, leaving him locked in place no matter how much chakra he exerted.

"Seems it finally worked." His attention snapped back towards the blonde, his face returning to neutrality as he dropped the seal.

"What...did...you...do?" The albino asked, barely able to even ask the question.

"Gravity seal," Naruto answered simply. "Not very popular. Its use is very situational, not to mention that almost anyone can break out of it with enough chakra. However, I modified this one. Just a little bit." Before the albino could inquire further, he felt something stab into the back of his neck. He couldn't see the one behind him, but he could tell from the gloved hand that Hatake had finally shown himself. "While you were busy with my clones, we made sure to fill the entire corridor with seals. You can't see them, but they are there...not that it would matter seeing that two tons of pressure is currently nailing you to the ground."

"But...how?" Kimimaro couldn't help but inquire. He was no seal master, but even he was sure something of this magnitude shouldn't have been possible. If it was, everyone would be using such a simple tactic.

"Your kekkai genkai." Kakashi answered him. "Normally, seals require two key components to function: chakra and ink. Chakra paper acts as an excellent conduit as well, yet there wasn't exactly a chance to plaster you with paper without you catching on. However, your kekkai genkai just so happens to act as the perfect conduit." The kunai pressed in deeper, drawing blood as Kimimaro began to realize where he had gone wrong. "Thanks to your fighting style, we were able to connect plenty of seals throughout our entire clash while you remained none the wiser."

Not believing their words, Kimimaro tried pushing out his kekkai genkai—the act proved to be difficult, if not impossible. He was able to peek down at the protruding bone sticking from his abdomen and was shocked to see the bones were practically covered in symbols—some he could read and some he could not.

"Through...touch?" Kimimaro inquired further, actually taken aback by the impossibility of the act. If he were able to see Hatake's face, he'd have seen an almost reminiscent smile grow from the memories of a man long dead.

"Difficult, not impossible. Not that it will matter to you." The kunai pressed in deeper, and though the albino felt no pain, he felt the pressure around him suddenly double. His face crashed into the ground, cracks growing around it as the gravity around him began to weigh on him. "I don't know much about your clan, but I do know killing you through normal means is pointless, and I don't have the chakra to waste on another Jutsu."

Kakashi walked around until he was in sight of the Sound Nin before he swatted down.

"What is on your neck is the finishing touch. Its a lot more unforgiving. That pressure currently pushing you into the ground will slowly increase over time, until your body can no longer take the pressure. I don't think I need to tell you what's going to happen to you after that."

"I...see," was all Kimimaro could say, his eyes closing as he accepted his fate.

At the same time, Naruto suddenly stumbled. Memories of the clones he'd sent after Ayu hit him hard, spelling bad news for them which he immediately conveyed to the rest.

"We have to go." He called urgently, not even giving Kakashi a chance to inquire as he turned and darted towards Flayn.

He hadn't gotten 10 feet before the wall next to him exploded, knocking him off his feet to slash back first into the wall.

His ears were ringing. The explosion had been far closer than he expected, and the pain coursing through his back along with the liquid he could feel running down the back of his head told him he'd suffered more damage than he had thought. His head felt foggy, but he still knew enough to know he and his friends were in trouble—Flayn more so.

Stumbling to his feet, he attempted to clear the dust but was rocked once more by a fist that slammed into his face, forcing him to his hands and knees as his vision swirled. It did not stop there, as a kick to his abdomen lifted him off before a hook sent him flying back to tumble across the ground. Even then, he wasn't given a chance to recover as his attacker landed on him, his knee digging into his ribs before his air passages were cut off by two clawed hands wrapping around his neck. Through blurry vision, he was finally able to see his attacker in all his glory, bruised as he may have been.

Mizuki glared down at him, his left eye swollen shut while his right eye made him look almost rabid. His cheeks were also swollen, making the mumbling that left his lips incoherent even if the blonde could make out the word 'kill' over and over. Going from the battle he could hear to his right, Kakashi was engaging someone else, meaning he was on his own—no help and a Pulse heavily unadvised.

Not wishing to die permanently, he grabbed onto the arms wrapped around his neck and tried prying them off. He could barely move them an inch, a testament to Mizuki's enhanced strength despite his battered body. Another quake shook the hall, yet the threat of death kept his attention on the man currently trying to kill him.

A sickening snap would be what forces his attention to his left.

What he saw made the world around him freeze.

Jirōbō stood tall over his sensei's unmoving form. Dropping from his outstretched hand was Flayn, who fell unceremoniously to the ground, her body limp and a look of shock permanently etched on her face.

Her eyes were glassy.

Her body was still.

She wasn't moving.

His friend wasn't moving.

His sister wasn't moving.

In that moment, everything else disappeared.

His grip on Mizuki's arms loosened, the missing air in his lungs no longer noticeable, and the battle happening right next to him became silent along with everything else—even the voice of the Goddess drowned out over the white noise dominating his hearing.

His eyes were glued to Flayn's lifeless form.

Shock, of seeing someone he cherished perish.

Despair, of never seeing her again.

Frustration, of letting this happen.

If he'd never summoned her, this wouldn't have happened.

If he hadn't stupidly abused his Pulses, this wouldn't have happened.

If he wasn't so trusting, this wouldn't have happened.

If he had...had...

The memory of a promise echoed in his head. One that he swore to uphold even if it killed him. One that many, even the one he had promised to, had called him fullish for. A big, stupid promise he would admit he only made so that his best friend wouldn't hate him.

So that she would not look down on him.

So that she would stop treating him like a child.

So that he could earn her respect.

So that he wouldn't disappoint her.

A promise echoed in his head, now along with the many people who had called it foolish.

"It is a world of greed, betrayal, and hatred, and you think joining an organization, one that thrives off sabotage and murder, to be wise?"

"Your ideals are admirable, but they will only lead you, and the ones you hold dear, to an early grave."

"Kid, you're a Shinobi. It's in your job description to kill people. You're either a fool or delusional to think you never will."

"Wars are not won by those who show kindness to their enemies. An enemy you leave alive is an enemy that will one day return to kill someone precious to you."

"There are monsters in this world. Monsters who destroy with no remorse and will not hesitate to take everyone and everything you love if given the chance. All I ask is that, going down your path, you do not allow them to take that chance. The only thing worse than a tragedy...is living knowing you could have prevented it."

It was as if something had both snapped and clicked in the blonde's mind simultaneously.

These were not his friends.

They were not people.

They were monsters.

Monsters who he had let live because of his own stupidity.

Monsters who had hurt him and his friends.

Monsters who had taken someone he loved.

Monsters were not human.

Monsters only take.

Monsters did not deserve his pity.

Monsters did not deserve a second chance.

And monsters did not deserve mercy.

*SHATTER*

The world turned red.

Slowly, Mizuki's hands unwrapped from his neck as his knee was removed from his abdomen.

Slowly, Flayn's lifeless body began to float until her neck was once again in the giant's hands.

Slowly, the ache in his body left him and the light in Flayn's eyes returned as Naruto clearly watched her last struggles in reverse before she was murdered.

Slowly, time moved in reverse, events replaying back all the way to the first explosion.

Naruto now stood tall in the wake of the explosion, his eyes glued to Flayn—alive and looking right at him.

Time resumed, and Mizuki appeared, his fist raised and murder on his mind. As fast as the man appeared, Naruto's arm rose faster. Mana and chakra coursed through his blade, giving it an ominous red aura that burned through the air the same moment Mizuki threw a fist.

No mercy.

The sword cut through flesh as if it were paper. The arm thrust towards him had been cut down the middle all the way to the shoulder, bone and all.

Mizuki didn't have to register what had happened. Before the man could even scream, the sword was already swinging through the air once more.

The sword passed through flesh once more, this time from the shoulder to the opposite hip. Blood splattered, and Mizuki could only blink dumbly before the rest of his body slid into two pieces.

No mercy.

The wall next to Flayn exploded, and Naruto was already in front of her. Jirōbō appeared, arm outstretched towards them.

One swing removed the hand entirely. The second swing removed the arm. On his last swing, he was forced to leap high. As the mountain reached to grip his arm in agony, Naruto swung at his neck.

A moment later, the giant's head went flying, his last expression twisted into pure agony, before his world went black and his body timbers to the side.

No mercy.

The flute started playing, and Naruto was already moving once again, using the assistance of a gate to enhance his speed further. Along the way, he saw the enhanced body of the Oni-like guy currently engaged with Kakashi. Behind them, Kidōmaru was lifting Hachi off the ground and was preparing to leap away.

He didn't even hesitate.

The Oni-like twins only had enough time to turn before he had blitzed right through them, their heads flying as he passed.

No mercy.

Kidōmaru was in the process of turning when Naruto pulled his sword back. To Kimimaro's credit, he had pushed his companion out of the way to engage him despite the gravity seals still weighing him down.

It did not save them.

A single arcing slash was all it took. First the albino, his bones unable to stop the blade from bisecting him in half. Next was Kidōmaru, who avoided bisection, but could not avoid the sword tearing into him and spilling his bowels onto the floor. The terrified look in his eyes only momentarily caused him pause, but not enough to not finish the job. With one last swing, his head rolled and his suffering ended.

N-no mercy.

The final note of a flute fluttering off had him moving one last time.

He found her in the open, flute to her lips and a look of shock on her face. His sword came up, not to swing, but to run her through-

"NARUTO!"

The scream of his name broke him out of the haze, but it was too late.

Far too late.

His sword had already entered, poking out the redhead's back as a gasp of agony left her lips. The look of shock was plastered on her face, blood seeping out of her mouth as she began to wheeze.

And once again, the world around him came to a figurative halt. The red-hot anger and resolve were doused in cold water, leaving only a horrified realization of what he had done.

"Sh...shit..." Ayu-no, Tayuya choked out, hands wrapped around the blade that had impaled her. With a cough, blood escaped her lips to land on the blonde's frozen face. Soon her legs began to wobble before she began to fall to her knees, Naruto slowly lowered himself until they both were on the ground. "F-f-fuck, man."

Naruto was speechless, unable to believe what he'd done despite his mind having been set only seconds ago. Memories of the moments they had spent together flashed in his head, unable to stop them even if he tried.

Mizuki-sensei and the many times he had helped him back in the academy.

Kidōmaru and his mischievous way of always annoying Tayuya, yet always lightened the mood.

The Mountain and the fishing competition. Quite, but never rude.

Hachi and his wisdom. His kindness unmatched, along with a smile that just couldn't be fake.

And Ayu...Tayuya...she...she didn't-

"D-don't you f-fuckin' d-d-dare." Naruto was suddenly brought out of his self-loathing by the harsh words of the dying redhead. There was still pain on her face, but there was also a fire burning in her eyes. "D-don't f-fuckin' regret it. I d-don't need yer f-f-f-fuckin' pity."

Naruto couldn't believe the words he was hearing.

"I-"

"Sh-shut the fuck up." The dying girl cut him off. "Y-you're a sh-shinobi, you b-bastard. S-stop fuckin' acting like a-a kid. I-" She stopped to cough violently, ignoring the blood that escaped her mouth once more. "We...knew what we w-were doin', and w-we don't fuckin' r-regret it. You did wh-what ya had t-to, and I did the same. Th-that's j-just how the world works."

"It, doesn't have to be." Naruto countered, the pain in his voice evident as the words she'd spoken earlier were used once more.

Her hand came up to his neck, grabbing on and pulling him closer. Despite his words, despite the pain she was in, Tayuya looked into his eyes with determination.

"You're...gonna change th-this world, right?" She choked out, yet for once, Naruto couldn't even muster up the strength to acknowledge his dream. "If...you weren't b-bullshittin', then pr-promise me," her hand around his neck tightened as it began to shake. From her eyes, tears rolled down to mix with the blood, her voice beginning to quiver as more than physical pain began to ale her. "Pr-promise... As an Uzumaki, pr-promise you'll...you'll...find us. Promise, you'll ch-change it. Pr-promise, the world you build, is one...we can live, h-h-happily in. Pr-promise, damn it."

She could no longer hold his gaze, her eyes drifting down as it became increasingly difficult to keep her vision clear. Her other hand fell from the sword in her stomach, while the one holding his hand went limp.

"Promise." She now begged, her voice breaking as the last of her strength left her.

Naruto caught her hand before it could leave his neck completely. He gave it a reassuring squeeze, hoping all his sincerity could be felt in the action where his shaky voice failed.

"I promise," He said, feeling his own eyes beginning to sting. "I promise, no matter what, I'll find the rest of the Uzumaki, and...and I'll change this world. It's a promise. And I," he suddenly felt something in his throat stop him from speaking, forcing him to take a breath as the hand in his own became limp. "And I...I always keep my promises."

Tayuya did not answer, but the smile, as small as it was, was all he needed to know that the message was delivered.

No longer capable of holding herself up, the redhead fell forward, right into the younger Uzumaki's chest. There was no breaths on his chest, nor a beating heart to look for.

He didn't need to see her face to know she was gone.

He had killed her.

Despite having never dreamed before, he desperately wished it was so. He desperately wished he'd wake up in the old man's house so that none of this happened. Tayuya would scare them awake like she always had and...and...

He suddenly felt sick.

Bile rushed up his throat before he was forced to push Tayuya's body away, letting her fall to the floor as he leaned to the side and dry-heaved. Nothing came out, but the constant pressure of something pushing into his stomach as if trying to expunge all the air from his lungs made it hard to breathe. His limbs felt heavy, and no matter how he wished to claw at his throat, his arms wouldn't move.

Sothis's words decided to come back to him at the worst possible time.

He knew that exceeding his limit would have consequences, but not even he would have expected it was to this extent. His entire body felt as if he were being eaten alive from the inside out. He'd been stabbed, blown up, and even set on fire, and yet none of it compared to the agony that was coursing through every muscle in his body.

He could feel a hand suddenly on his back, followed by a knee kneeling in front of him, yet he still couldn't focus his vision, nor could he hear the advice both the man and the Goddess tried to impart onto him.

Kakashi looked over the Genin with a critical eye. There was blood on him, yet thankfully it did not seem to belong to the blonde. Seeing no physical injury, he closed one eye and allowed his Sharingan to check the state of his chakra.

He did not like what he was seeing.

There were two distinct types of chakra, one blue and the other green. The blue occupied most of his body, even if most flowed aimlessly through his network unabated. Compared to that, the green that sat at his heart was a candlelight. It constantly flickered in and out of existence, its patterns seemingly being absorbed into the center of his abdomen before flickering back to life. He was no medical-nin, but even he could deduce that the flame currently being absorbed by the Nine-Tail's seal had been constantly consuming the boy's chakra in hopes of staying lit—which would explain the chakra's wild movements. If he ran out of chakra...

That would not be good.

That would not good at all.

"Naruto, I need you to listen to me." Kakashi spoke, his voice calm as to not to make the blonde panic further. "Start breathing through your nose and out through your mouth. It will slow your heart rate and get your breathing under control. In and out. In and out."

Unfortunately for the Jonin, his advice fell on deaf ears. The boy's face had twisted into a grimace as his body began to convulse, the chakra in his system becoming more agitated and chaotic the longer it took to return to its natural state.

"My oh my~."

And things just had to get worse.

The moment the voice reached his ear, Kakashi grabbed the convulsing blonde and quickly put distance between him and the Sannin who had appeared in front of them. Thankfully, Orochimaru didn't seem interested in pursuing, his interest currently taken by the dead Uzumaki at his feet.

"I must say, your work is truly something to be admired. So efficient, so...ruthless." The Sannin seemed to almost pur as he kneeled down to the redhead. "Poor little Tayuya. Such bright dreams, yet snuffed out so easily. Didn't even see it coming either. Kukukuku, you truly are your father's son, Naruto-kun."

Showing no care for the dead, the man pulled the sword clear from the redhead's corpse, observing it closely.

"I must say, this sword truly is a work of art. It seems dull, yet cuts better than my own Kusanagi. It's not practical for a shinobi, yet you wield it unlike any I've seen before." Turning his gaze away from the sword, he looked to the blonde with an analytical gaze, "It makes me wonder who your teacher was. Kagero surely doesn't swing a sword as gracefully as that, so it has to be someone I'm not acquainted-"

Without warning, the sword began to glow an ominous red, prompting the Sannin to drop it almost immediately, as if it were on fire. Looking to his hand made the amusement drop from his face completely as he stared in awe at his palm that had been charged black from simply a few seconds of contact. It didn't last, as his snake-like grin soon returned.

"My, it doesn't seem to like my chakra very much. I'm almost hurt, kukukuku." Forsaking the sword, he returned his attention to Kakashi who stopped dead in his slow retreat while the the Sannin was occupied. "Now now, Kakashi-kun, I think you and I both know running is no longer an option."

His attention flickered to the downed blonde, followed closely by the gaze he through over the Copy-Nin's shoulder.

"Even if you could get away with the Fourth's spawn, that still leaves me with two admittedly interesting specimens. You wouldn't leave your poor comrades to die, would you, Kakashi-kun? What was that saying again?" A mocking finger went to the Sannin's lips and he seemingly contemplated the answer before a snake-like grin split his face. "Oh, I remember now. 'Those who break the rules are trash, but those who abandon their friends are worse than trash' am I right?"

As much as the Jonin wanted to refute it, Orochimaru wasn't wrong. Shinobi logic would dictate he take Naruto and leave Kagero and the stranger to their fate. Naruto was the most important person in their group by far. Kagero was replaceable, and the girl was an unknown. Naruto would definitely be upset when he pulled through, yet Kakashi knew the decision would gain him the blonde's ire, likely for the rest of his life.

Yet even if that were the case, he also knew he and Naruto were of far greater value than the other two. The more likely scenario would be him chasing them down until they had nowhere to run, leading them back to square one.

It was a lose-lose situation, no matter how he looked at it.

A conventional Shinobi would choose to flea with the Jinchuuriki. A smart human being would leave all three and save themselves in the face of a situation where they came out the loser no matter their choice.

But Kakashi was neither, nor was his convictions so shallow. As much as he hated to admit it, the Sannin was right. He had a Nindo, one he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he went back on it.

"I'm not a conventional Shinobi." He started, placing the blonde on the ground, but not before shoving a soldier pill into the boy's throat to hopefully get control of his chakra once more. The deed done, he stood and gave his full attention to the Sannin as he took a defensive stance with kunai in hand. "My Nindo is not one that can be so easily broken. Even if I am to die here, I won't allow you to lay a hand on my comrades."

Unsurprisingly, Orochimaru cackled at his resolve.

"A true Konoha fool till the end, Kakashi-kun. A shame, really. However, you have made your choice, and I believe I've wasted enough time for one day." Saying that, he reached behind him and pulled the Kusanagi he had regurgitated earlier to now hold at his side at the ready.

"Naruto," Kakashi said lowly, hoping the blonde could hear him. "I know you're in pain, but I need you to get on your feet and get as far away from here as possible. I will buy you time."

From the floor, the still shaking blonde attempted to push himself up, only to fall flat on his face.

"I suppose I should thank you, Kakashi-kun." Orochimaru spoke up with a playful edge as he brought his sword up to his mouth to run his tongue along its steel. "I've always wanted a matured Sharingan of my own. I promise to take good care of it once I tear it from your socket!"

With that, he charged, Kakashi standing ready as the Sannin crossed the distance in an instant.

Only to be forced to stop as a translucent blue barrier suddenly blocked him off from their side of the corridor. Orochimaru gave the barrier and analytical gaze before he casually ran his Kusanagi along the transparent structure. It created sparks, but otherwise remained unfazed.

"Fascinating," he mumbled to himself before his gaze landed on the one responsible.

From behind Kakashi, the green-haired girl walked forward, her hands outstretched as white energy left her palms to flow into the barrier. Her gaze was locked onto Orochimaru, her face a picture of calm, though the way her teeth clenched showed the strain she was likely the one performing such a Jutsu.

"Today truly is filled with surprises, kukuku. However," lifting his sword, he tested the barrier's durability by slowly poking the Kusanagi into the structure. It began to flicker violently, which made the girl's calm shatter into pain as she pushed more of her energy into the structure. "As far as barriers are concerned, this one is rather fragile." He pushed harder into it, causing Flayn to sweat visibly. "I wonder how much longer you can keep this up, little one."

Instead of letting the snake get to her, she turned to look down at her surrogate little brother, the desperation now clear to see on her face.

"Naruto, I need you *urk*...I need you to summon Lady Rhea." She choked out, the blonde not even able to look up at her from the floor despite feeling his chakra starting to come under control.

"I...can't," he was able to get out, Flayn's concentration dropping momentarily before she was forced to reinforce her barrier as the snake man pushed harder.

"You, have to try." She choked again, her voice wavering in fear as the barrier continued to flicker.

Just to test his theory, he looked to his hand, and tried something as simple as freezing time.

The act caused a sharp pain almost immediately, followed by Sothis attempting to soothe his chakra once more.

"He is right, Flayn." Sothis appeared before the girl, a grim look on her face. "We have nothing left but his chakra. Attempting to use any of my power will only lead to our immediate demise."

The words were like a gavel sentencing then to their deaths. Flayn's face turned ashen, and what hope she has left quickly left her.

As for Kakashi, he didn't know why the girl had suddenly turned ashen, but decided to give at least some hope to the group, "Konoha reinforcements should be in the town by now." The words did their job of getting their attention, Orochimaru included. "If we can get someone up there to warn them, then there could be some hope for us after all. At the very least, it would force him to kill us instead of whatever fate he has in-store for us."

The words brought silence to the group, not exactly helping them, but giving them reassurance that death was an outcome compared to whatever fate they were sure to have with the Sannin.

"My, that eager to get away from me, Kakashi-kun?" Orochimaru taunted, but did not seem to get a rise out of the Jonin. Instead, he turned his attention to Naruto, who was now able to push himself up to a knee.

"Sothis?" Naruto called, yet the Goddess was already way ahead of him.

"I will get help, Child. I promise." She reassured before she darted towards the ceiling and through it altogether. Assured that she was gone, he looked to Kakashi, a different plan in mind.

"It's...covered." He reassured Kakashi before looking down at his arm. Almost agonizingly slow, he made hand-signs before he placed a hand over the tattoo on his arm. A pouch appeared, one the size of his palm before he turned his gaze to the back of the greenette. "There, is one person I...can summon with...chakra."

In order to summon and keep beings from another dimension in their own, the user is usually required to provide their own chakra to keep them within the world. It is the same case for summoning those of Nabatean descent, even if the means to keep them in the world is slightly different. They are beings of mana instead of chakra, so summoning them requires mana instead of chakra. However, whereas a normal summon would require chakra from their host to sustain their presence within the world, no matter how little, the Nabateans did not have such limitations. Mana or no, they are self-sufficient.

With Fū, it was different. Whenever she was summoned, it was purely through chakra—a fact they both found out in that week he spent crashing at her little shack. It explained why he felt such a relief when he dismissed her back in the Land of Snow, and why he had inadvertently summoned her then as well.

Fū wasn't exactly a game changer. She was still young, brash, and inexperienced compared to the rest of them. That being said, she was still a Jinchuuriki. If she couldn't help them fight, then she could cause enough destruction to at least give them a chance to escape in the chaos while dismissing her in the process. It was a gamble, and he would be putting yet another one of his friends in danger.

But they were out of options, and if this failed, he was sure Sothis would deliver.

Gripping the pouch of dust tightly, he could feel the chakra within it touch his own, giving him just enough to summon the firecracker of a girl.

"Now, that just won't do."

The group suddenly heard cracking and looked at the barrier. Spiderweb-like cracks began to spread where the Sannin pushed the Kusanagi, the barrier flickering in response to the damage.

"I, can't hold it." Flayn said desperately, the light flowing from her flickering along with the barrier.

They were almost out of time.

Desperately, Naruto turned to Kakashi, demanding his assistance. The Copy-Nin wasted no time and carefully listened to the blonde's instructions. When he had it down, he connected his much bigger hands with the Genin before they both began to go through hand-signs.

The shattering of glass told the duo that time was up, but Naruto's hand had already slammed the dust to the ground.

At the same time, the Sannin appeared right in front of him, sword aimed and ready to thrust.

It was too late to stop the summoning.

A puff of smoke appeared, and the piercing of flesh soon followed.

The tip of a sword dripping with blood just inches from his face was the focal point of his vision. Over time, he focused, and he was able to clearly see the black that covered the rest of his sight.

What looked to be a coat, one with a symbol he'd never seen before in the center, towered over him with the Kusanagi sticking from the fabric.

If he could see over the figure, he would be able to see the glee on Orochimaru's face slowly fall as he looked up to the newcomer. The newcomer, whose eyes were focused solely on the sword in their chest, met the Sannin's eyes, their face scrunched in what looked more like annoyance than pain. Slowly, their head lifted until blue eyes met slits.

In a motion far too swift for a sword in their gut, a fist crashed into the Sannin's face, sending him careening several yards down the corridor to land flat on his face.

The shock on the faces of the three witnesses was picture-worthy. Soon, their gaze turned to the one who had sent the Sannin flying, the newcomer's expression completely unfazed even as they swiftly pulled the Kusanagi from their chest as if it were just a nuisance rather than the fatal wound it should have been.

The figure, clearly a woman going from her admittedly large bust and high heels, observed her surroundings before her gaze ultimately turned to them.

Slit eyes as red as crimson looked down on them through teal-colored strands covering most of her face. When she spoke, it was as if the world around her shook, freezing them all in place.

"Where am I?"


A/N: FINALLY! AFTER NEARLY A YEAR, I FINALLY GOT THIS ON PAPER! I've been planning this moment from the very beginning and I'm glad so many of you are here to witness it with me :')

Yes, Byleth has officially crossed over to the world of Shinobi (don't act like you didn't know it was her). Tried to make it as believable as possible, so I may have added more things than was actually necessary. But eh, building hype is hard, and keeping that hype is even harder. I just hope this met all of your expectations.

This chapter also originally went in a completely different direction towards the end. Sothis was originally supposed to go looking for help, and Naruto would have 'broken his promise' during the barrier scene after a distraction from Neji and Tenten shaking the facility. I scrapped this idea simply due to the fact it would have meant I needed to write an entirely new chapter for that to happen, which also meant I had to go into further detail on what exaclty happened to the Sound Four a lot earlier. Not necessarily a bad thing, it just didn't fit into the plans I had. This path may not be as impactful as that would have been, but it makes more sense in regards to events instead of me simply writing for the sake of having a bigger word count.

Also thought long and hard on whether or not Tayuya would get to live. There aren't many Uzumaki in the series that we know about, and the ones we do know have either been dealt a bad hand in life or is dead. Nevertheless, I couldn't find a reason to keep her alive other than it being extremely forced, and as much as I would like to write more of her, she had to be used for character development. Sorry, not sorry.

But now that I'm this far into the story, I regret the direction I took regarding Naruto's childhood. I could have given him far more depth in regards to dying and coming back to life on multiple occasions. I could have better developed his and Kagero's relationship during their training, yet I was so desperate to get to cannon that I rushed things. I still like the way the story turned out, but I can't help but think 'what if I wasn't in such a rush'?

But eh, it's the past, and this is the present. The two chapters I've been dying to write for the last 9 months is finally here.

NightmareKnight1: I understand what you're saying, but for me, it was the first time I've played a Souls-like game like it. The thing I consider to be 'Game of the Year' worthy are things like: 'Did it keep my attention?' 'Was the story good?' 'The music?' 'The visuals?' The music alone had me hooked, with Democrawler being the song I play on repeat constantly nowadays. The costumes are a bonus(for obvious reasons) and the gameplay was difficult for me. It checked off all of my boxes except for how the last 4 hours was basically a boss run, which ultimately made it not game of the year worthy for me. Still a fun game and I highly recommend going back and listening to the entire song track of the game. Its just magical.

thomascastillo9987: Pretty much lol.

Blast Ketchup: Will give it a try!

Next chapter isn't written yet, but I hope to have it out before June 7th.

As always, thank you for the follows, favs and reviews and hope you have a DAMN good day!