{A/N}
Okay. I split this chapter down in two because, after looking back at some of the previous ones, I understood the confusion. They weren't laid out well and were hard to understand. So much is going on at the same time, and jumping around from one point to the next can be confusing.
So my solution to this was to focus on one half of things in one chapter and to show the other half from the perspective of another group. An example is those within the stadium and those dealing with the invasion outside of it.
So, in this chapter, We'll focus on Kakashi, Sakura, and Orochimaru. And a few other things to make it less cluttered.
I'm rushing to get this out because I have errands to run, so there may be a few mistakes that need to be fixed.
And there will be a chapter right after today or tomorrow to cover the other half, so don't worry. I won't leave you all in a wierd spot in the story.
{The market district}
Line break.
August 10th.
[Kizashi Haruno POV]
The once vibrant Market district was in tatters, with buildings toppled and smashed, the ground upheaved, and various shinobi fighting for their lives against Oto shinobi and Suna Shinobi.
Kizashi Haruno was lying in a pool of his own blood. One half of him was mummified, whereas there was a sword sticking from his back.
All around him were his comrades, all broken and unrecognizable. It was all thanks to the Scorch Kekkei Genkai user, Pakura. They had no way of knowing that they were dealing with such a force until it was too late.
He tried to contact his allies as though he were still healthy, but his voice would barely register. He was in denial, unaware of the fact that he was dying. It was over.
It was thanks to his stubbornness alone that he could think in spite of the pain he was in. In fact, he could see what was happening all around him clearly. And it was terrible. His comrades were being ripped apart effortlessly.
'This... Is madness. Why? For what reason?!' He thought to himself as he tried to roll over. It was to no avail.
'Please, be safe, Sakura... I-'
He was made alert when he heard a pair of feet land next to him, and his one eye looked up at the one who did this to him. Pakura.
She wasn't even aware he was alive. He looked too much like a corpse for her to acknowledge. She simply barked orders and moved her troops around.
He grit his teeth and slowly tried to go for his kunai but felt nothing on his right side. He'd forgotten that he's been mummified there, so he switched hands, and she noticed.
It didn't stop him. He grabbed his weapon and weakly stabbed at her foot and sandal.
She frowned. "Oh... I didn't mean to leave you to suffer. Sorry." She said with a bit of regret.
She knelt down and took the kunai from him, grabbed what was left of his hair, and got ready to slash his throat. That was when she heard him speak.
"W-We... We'll... Re-Return this... O-ne hundredfold... You'll... Re-Regret-"
She didn't let him finish. She slit his throat with a sigh and let his head drop to the ground.
Blood pooled around him, his vision became dim, and he couldn't breathe. He started choking on his blood and looked up to see the enemy shinobi heading toward the stadium.
His last thoughts were of his daughter. He feared for her and hoped she'd be ok.
As this happened, Pakura clenched her fist.
She'd just been told that the enemy was being persistent. The Aburame and the Inuzuka clans were assisting in defending against the siege. They were losing the battle that really counts.
She'd been told the very same thing by numerous shinobi. Now their village would rise again from under the shadow of Suna, how they'd return the favor tenfold, a hundredfold, etcetera. It never mattered when coming from the mouth of a shinobi from some backwater.
This, however, was no backwater. Polar opposite, actually. They were supposed to have flooded this village in chaos through manpower, not terrorism. No objectives have been met, no key military targets have landed nothing. She feels like a bandit.
She watched as her unit gathered the remaining Police ninja and slaughtered them.
'Well. When Rasa is done in the arena, surely we'll move in on and capitalize on our unique positioning. We need to be at the wall, not here. That, and Gaara hasn't transformed. Another major setback.'
She let out a frustrated sigh and made her way to her troops before they could start doing anything foolish. They need to stay focused.
Line break.
{Outside the stadium}
[Sakura POV]
Sakura was doing all she could to help as many civilians as possible while following Kurenai and Asuma out.
Yet, so many innocent people were getting hurt, and so many lives were in peril that she felt overwhelmed by all of it. It was scary.
She was assisting an injured man out the door, and beside her was Sasuke, who was holding a lost and injured child.
Asuma and Kurenai had both done an excellent job clearing a path for them.
She had no idea what it was Kurenai did, nor how she did so, but her presence made it easy for Asuma to cut down anyone who dared stand in their way. Her genjutsu abilities were scary. One minute the enemy would charge, the next, they'd become braindead... In a fashion.
Ino and Choji had already raced out of the building after being ordered by Asuma, whereas Kiba, in his defiance, decided he also wanted to help people, so he too was with them, Hauling an injured man on his back, Akamaru barking and cheering him on in spite his struggle.
"J-Just a little further... And the medics... Will patch you up nice!" Kiba groaned as he jogged and carried the man out.
Just as they got through the door, Sakura turned around to hear a loud voice bellow.
"No time to waste, children! Follow the leader! Let's go!"
Sasuke's eyes widened as he saw Gai carrying both Lee and Neji like luggage while also leading an entire branch of staff, civilians, and all kinds of people who may very well have been trapped before his arrival.
Asuma smirked and shook his head. "What a guy."
Kurenai nodded, relieved to see Hinata, Shino, and Shikamaru with the taijutsu master. "Yup. That's our Gai."
They rushed through the doors, and Sakura paused at the sight.
The sky was full of shinobi clashing into each other, combat breaking around all over the place.
"Keep your head down!" Yelled Asuma as he jumped into the fray. "Lead them away, Kurenai! I'll cut a path for the people!"
Kurenai nodded, and just as she saw a group of enemies rushing her and the civilian's flank, Gai appeared out of nowhere, jumping between the people and the invaders. "Not one of you is getting past me!" He roared before charging the enemy.
It made Tenten's jaw drop and Lee cheer. "That's our sensei!"
"Let's go!" Kurenai yelled, and they followed, running down the street while doing what they could to escort the innocent.
"Where are we going?" Asked Kiba as he trailed behind a stressed-looking Hinata.
"The shelter inside the monument," Kurenai said.
Hinata started looking around and stopped running, activating her Byakugan instead.
'Where's Hanabi in all of this?! Is she safe? I can't see her with the elders.' She thought with worry.
"C'mon, Hinata! We need to move!" Sakura said.
Hinata didn't move. "My sister is still inside the stadium."
Sakura frowned, turning around to see everyone pass them.
"I'm sure she's safe! C'mon!"
Hinata shook her head. "I gotta go. I'll be back."
Sakura reached for her hand and scowled. "That's suicide! There's too many-"
Hinata snatched her hand from the girl's hand with a surprising amount of force. She looked angry, yet there was also sadness there. "Sakura, I don't care! I need to get her! There's no one else looking out for her!"
Hinata turned on her heel and made a sprint in the opposite direction, making Sakura groan and shake her head. "My god! That pampered little-... Dammit Hinata! Wait!"
Sakura yelled, rushing after her.
Kurenai, who was leading the charge, paled at the sight. She was too far to do much. She can't break formation, or the people wouldn't know where to go.
'For fuck's sake, girls! Why now?!'
Just as she was about to call for Asuma, the entire village school and a shadow loomed over her and everyone in the area.
She looked up in shock and fear at what she was seeing.
'Oh... My god. This isn't good.'
A deafening roar rocked the air as everyone, Konoha, Oto, and Suna stopped what they were doing and looked up to see a gargantuan Tailed Beast form into being.
The one tails loomed over Konoha, and the Racoon opened its maw wide and let loose a scream that sent shockwaves across the air, sending the villagers into a bigger panic than before.
Line break.
{The stadium}
[Hanabi POV]
Hanabi couldn't see a thing. It was so dark that it required for her to use her Byakugan to see.
It was then that she noticed her father. He was buried. Seriously buried. His entire left side was being crushed, and from the blood coming from his arm, and the burns here and there, he'd taken damage from the explosion on top of that.
"Father! Hold on! Don't move!"
He grunted, and she rushed to him. "Hanabi? Thank goodness... I'd assumed the worst... When you wouldn't... Respond." He said tiredly.
She couldn't get a good read on his expression visually, but she could feel it through his voice. He was truly worried for her.
"I'm sorry, Dad. I must've blacked out for a few seconds. I'll get us out of here!"
She turned to start digging him out of the rubble, but he stopped her. "No! No... It's unstable. It'll all come down on us at this rate if you try."
"But-"
"Listen. I need you to escape this place. The hall is blocked off from where we came from, and Going out into the open field is a death sentence, so don't follow the light... Go up the stairs. There's an entire s-" He stopped talking and broke out into a raspy cough, one that made her heart freeze in horror. "There's an entire section under Konoha control... You can follow."
She frowned and nodded. "I... I'll get help. I promise." She said while turning.
"I love you, Hanabi."
Hanabi paused and took in a shuddering breath, turning around at the statement.
"I... Don't say this enough, but I love you and your sister... So much. Tell her... Please."
"I... I love you too."
"Go." He whispered.
She turned down the hall and raced toward the stairwell that led up into the arena, trying her best to ignore the feeling her father's plight gave her.
'I need to move fast! He's gonna die if I don't do something!'
Line break.
[Masuda POV]
Masuda woke with a start and found himself surrounded by what seemed to be medics and other such shinobi.
He couldn't tell what was happening around him since it was kinda dark, nor could understand the significance of what was happening around him until he looked down to see his bloodied legs.
"Huh?"
"Don't look down, young lord! Just look at me, ok?!" Said a female medic.
He nodded, not liking that he couldn't move, and they tried to calm him down.
"Where's mom? Where is she?! I need to speak-..."
His heart stopped when he saw her corpse, and the male medic quickly moved and blocked his view of her body.
Masuda went white in the face and began breathing hard as everything that was happening dawned on him. The stadium blew up. He's been injured. He's surrounded by his father's entourage... It's somewhat dark... They are in the stadium.
He started shaking his head, hyperventilating. "NO! Where's dad?!" He screamed, demanding the truth.
The medic didn't respond and continued working on his legs, but that only enraged Masuda. "DAD! WHERE ARE YOU!?"
It was then that one of the new guardian shinobi walked over, kneeling down by a medic and ushering the medic away to talk.
He couldn't understand what was going on. He just wanted answers.
There were people everywhere in this space, many dead and many injured.
His gaze moved to where a crowd had formed. It consisted of some of the village's most important people.
Some of them were giving him looks of pity, and that alone let him know what had happened.
He was alone now. His parents are dead.
Meanwhile, his other Guardian Shinobi was looking out the broken open wall, their only source of light.
He was staring down at the one likely responsible for this madness. Bits of golden dust particles were dancing in the area more and more as he watched Rasa fight beneath them. It made him want to get involved. Unfortunately, his sworn duty and only concern is to the Daimyo's family, and right now, they need out of this shit, and fast.
'Mark my words, Suna. There will be blood.'
Line break.
[Kakashi, Raido, Genma, and Iwashi vs Rasa]
Kakashi, Raido, Genma, and Iwashi were all doing what they could to put a dent in the Kazekage, but the Kage was on point.
Kakashi was made to run, weave, and dance around the tendrils of golden dust as though he were a puppet with strings. All of them were.
They'd been on the offensive the entire time, wasting energy in trying to bypass Rasa's defenses without being crushed to death. They'd lost more than a few Jonin in their hasty attempt at ending this quickly. now they were playing it safe.
Kakashi landed and took a breath as he watched Raido and Genma avoid the golden sand of the Kazekage.
'This isn't working.' The man thought in a huff. 'If I could hit him with the Lightning blade and drop him, we could put a major dent in Suna and stop this madness.' He thought to himself as he weighed his options.
Those thoughts were cut off when a wave of golden sand raced toward him, forcing him to flip onto the wall of the arena before launching off. He narrowly avoided getting his foot snagged.
"Water style: Water bomb jutsu!" Yelled Iwashi.
He launched his water jutsu toward the sand Kazekage, but Rasa didn't bother looking in his direction as his sand moved to form a fist of sand and swat it away.
Rasa sighed and pulled his sand in, ceasing his attempt at crushing the leaf shinobi in a single engagement.
'Well. This isn't working as well as I'd hoped. I suppose I should treat them with some more respect. These aren't Konoha's fodder.' Thought Rasa, his sand now lying around him uselessly.
Raido and Genma slid down the wall while Kakashi and Iwashi circled Rasa, looking to get a better feel of their opponent.
Kakashi then turned to Iwashi and spoke. "Listen. From what I understand, his dust is immune to water, so something a bit more heavy is required. Something that'll... Slow him down."
Iwashi nodded. "I know what you mean. I have an Idea."
"Lead the way," Kakashi said.
Rasa shook his head as he started floating on a platform of gold dust. "No. You've all had your chance to put a dent in my defense. It's still my turn to really attack."
The Kazekage looked down at his hands, his expression indifferent.
He clenched them and smirked before slamming his palm down on the dust platform. His golden sand surged from around him, expanding out into a wave of sand. However, it didn't come down on the leaf Jonin.
Instead, it began to rise and blanket the stadium in what seemed to be a partial sand dome.
Everyone watched in shock as the golden sand encompassed the arena.
Genma paled, along with his allies. "Ah. Well. This is the Kazekage. All the same, holy shit."
Kakashi shook his head. "Get down!"
"Magnet release: imperial rain!" Yelled Rasa.
Golden dust rained from the sky in the form of sharp and dangerous-looking golden needles that got bigger and bigger the more chakra Rasa poured into the jutsu.
Kakashi created a dome of earth for himself and his allies, and the defense became unstable quickly.
Rasa didn't stop there. As the Gold dust rained down on the enemy, Rasa used some of the remaining golden dust still floating in the sky to create a dense spear.
'Ah. If only I had the Black Iron of my predecessor. Shame.' He thought before bringing his arm down.
The weapon came down on the dome, smashing it apart instantly. Yet, there was no one inside.
'Oh? Where did-?'
Those thoughts were cut short when he felt heat on his left side, and with no sand close to him, he dropped from the sky to avoid the fireball sent by Raido, simultaneously raising his gold dust and pulling it toward him for protection.
It was then that he noticed Genma race out of the rubble of stone and golden sand, the man weaving through hand signs.
"Fire style: Flame bullet!" He yelled.
Rasa would've scoffed had he not heard it from two directions. Iwashi had cast the jutsu from behind.
He encompassed himself into a dome, letting the flames wash over him. Clasping his hands, needles of sand shot from the dome in all directions, forcing everyone to run.
He was about to release the dome when, suddenly, Kakashi came out of the ground and went for a slash, catching Rasa just below the neck.
Rasa growled, falling out of his sand dome, his collar bone slashed into.
Kakashi went in to finish him, frustrated at missing the kill shot.
Yet, as he tried, sand encompassed the copy ninja, catching his leg.
Rasa clenched his fist, and Kakashi's leg was crushed.
Unfortunately for Rasa, this Kakashi was a clone. It dispersed before Rasa, leaving the Kage angry.
He couldn't even sit on that anger. Raido and Genma were rushing him, and fast.
Seeing this, Rasa quickly clapped his hands.
Magnet release: Golden Desert Hands!
Golden hands made of sand shot toward them. Genma slid underneath the sand and rushed to the side, and Raido jumped over it, kicking off the hands.
Unfortunately, he was caught and flung into the stadium wall with great force.
Raido cursed and groaned as he slid down the wall and tried to catch his breath. "Fuck! My back... I think... It's broken!"
Iwashi went to his partner as Genma tried to hold his ground alone.
"Oh, so I guess I'm on my own here," Genma said with a sigh.
Rasa grunted and got up to his feet. He then clasped his hands. That's when a shadow washed over him, and he turned to see a wave of mud washing over him.
Rasa growled, and with the wave of his hand, he sent a wave of golden sand out to meet the mud jutsu.
Unfortunately, his sand was caught and dragged into the mud.
Rasa's eyes widened a bit. 'Kakashi.' He thought in accusation.
Kakashi jumped out of his own jutsu and took a breath. "Earth style! Mud dragon jutsu!"
The wave of mud became a dragon's jaws, opening up to swallow Rasa.
Rasa closed his eyes as the mud dragon smashed its jaws down and swallowed him whole. It was then that Kakashi made a different hand sign, and the mud compressed and blew apart.
He landed next to Genma with a tired look about him. "I think we got him." Kakashi said.
The mud settled to reveal a golden statue of Rasa. It cracked open like an egg, and Rasa walked out unharmed.
"Aaaand, I spoke to soon," Kakashi said lightheartedly, masking his frustration.
"I am impressed with the shinobi of Konoha. It seems conserving chakra isn't an option. Seems I'll have to put my all into crushing you."
The sand beneath Kakashi, Iwashi, and Genma shifted, forcing them to rush away.
'Shit! His earlier jutsu was to spread the influence of his gold sand around the arena!' Thought Kakashi as he rushed away from the area.
Kakashi looked at Genma. "How're your chakra reserves?!" He asked, his Sharingan still activated.
Genma grunted and lifted Raido. "I have plenty! We... Iwashi! Look out!"
Rasa looked as confused as Kakashi, but moments later, they both understood.
Iwashi didn't bother trying to understand. He rushed away right as a raging Scorch release fireball came down on him, and the explosion sent him rolling away with minor burns.
He wasn't given any time to react. Pakura was already upon him.
Iwashi went to slash at her as she landed, but she grabbed his wrist, twisted it, and kicked him in the chest, beginning a brutal engagement with the jonin.
Rasa ignored the exchange from there, gathering sand into one spot. "Magnet release: Imperial Hail!"
Kakashi glared and weaved through signs to cancel the Jutsu out. "Water style: Water formation wave!" He said, forming the jutsu just in time.
Yet even still, bits of gold shards were still making it through the water as it raced toward Rasa.
"C'mon. Where's my back-up." Kakashi said quietly as he tried to think of a way out of this situation.
Line break.
[Kidomaru/Sakon POV]
Sakon and Kidomaru had been on the receiving end ever since their attempted assault on Naruto, yet it seems their efforts paid off somehow.
Just as they landed on the stadium wall, they saw it. The giant-tailed beast is now fighting a giant toad to a stalemate. It seems Jiraiya has been halted.
"Well, well. I guess things worked out in the end. My optimism wasn't for nothing." Kidomaru smirked.
Sakon didn't respond. He assessed their situation. Just below them, both the Kazekage and Pakura were facing off against the Konoha Jonin, and they were doing well.
On the roof ahead of them, the fight between Orochimaru and the Hokage had paused. This is likely thanks to the unexpected turn of events between the One tails and Jiraiya.
"We need to jump in, and fast. Our absence throws a wrench in our master's plan." Said Kidomaru.
Sakon shook his head. "Yeah, no. Let's not get in the way of their fight. We'll wait until Orochimaru gives us the signal. We'll just make ourselves known for now.
Line break.
{Orochimaru vs Hiruzen}
For all Orochimaru's preparations and scheming, things weren't falling into place as he'd hoped they would.
Hiruzen is old. He reasoned to himself that he could take him on his own, with or without his reanimation jutsu.
That was before.
Now, he's being reminded that this man is his sensei. No matter what he threw at him, he countered with something of equal force.
It was annoying. It was a ten-minute-long engagement, and the man wasn't as winded as he should be. If anything, he looks more pissed off and determined to kill him. Especially with a tailed beast rolling around the village.
The two circled each other, surrounded by debris and distorted roof tiles from the intensity of the fight.
Hiruzen let out a breath and watched for even the slightest twitch, leaving no chance for a surprise attack.
Orochimaru did the same; his eyes narrowed, and a false smirk of confidence plastered on his face.
It was a stalemate neither could afford to lose.
Orochimaru lost his patience and made a move, darting toward the old man faster than any Jonin could hope to catch, and he did it without so much as a warning. Hiruzen read the move like an open book, blurring into the charging form of Orochimaru and catching him by the throat.
Orochimaru gagged, his body rag-dolling as Hiruzen choke-slammed Orochimaru into the ground, but when he hit the ground, the old man felt it wasn't a man he was holding, but a snake clone.
Orochimaru's eyes went white, his mouth opened, allowing numerous snakes to pour out and latch onto his arm, and the body of Orochimaru turned into a pile of snakes.
Hiruzen paid this no mind and did a hand seal, his hand burning with fire chakra to eliminate the snakes well before they could be a threat to him.
As he did this, Orochimaru jumped out of the floor from behind, sending a spin kick to Hiruzen's head, to which Hiruzen bent down to dodge.
Orochimaru didn't let up. He sent a flurry of strikes Hiruzen found difficult to defend, the younger man using his superior agility and speed to overwhelm his former teacher.
This wouldn't do for Hiruzen, who went on the defense. He struck at Orochimaru after having slapped away a flurry of chops and jabs, only to be backhanded for being too slow. Another attempt was made to sweep kick the sannin, but his opponent hopped over the attack and sent his heel into Hiruzens temple, sending him stumbling away.
One more attempt was made to end the onslaught. This time, he recovered by gripping both hands of Orochimaru just before he could go for a choke, and he slammed his helmet into Orochimaru's nose, dazing him.
Hiruzen didn't give Orochimaru the time of day. He slammed his fist into Orochimaru's chest, temple, and jaw before he ended it with a heel kick to the ribs, which sent Orochimaru rolling across the roof.
To Orochimaru's annoyance, Hiruzen gave chase and the sannin knew to dodge. The old man lept into the air and drove his heel where Orochimaru had been just a moment ago and did so with enough force to shatter everything beneath him.
Orochimaru paled at this slightly, and before he could think, Hiruzen forced another engagement. The two met fist to fist, palm to palm, and struck so fast that anyone who was watching couldn't keep up without a sharingan.
Orochimaru hissed as he felt Hiruzen slam his foot into Orochimaru's knee, sneaking an attack from below mid-exchange.
'Shit!'
Orochimaru stumbled and found his sleeve gripped. Next thing he knew, he was being kneed viciously and repeatedly by his master, the Sannin grunting in pain.
Hiruzen then grabbed Orochimaru by the back of the head and smashed his face into the tile floor before slamming his elbow into the back of his head for good measure, embedding his face into the floor. Finally, with great force, Hiruzen smashed his foot into Orochimaru's side, punting him all the way to the edge of the roof. The Sannin slid to an unceremonious halt at the very edge, his arms dangling over the edge.
The Sound Four grimaced at the sight of their master receiving such a beating. Though the two powerful combatants were difficult to comprehend in terms of ability and physicality, it was becoming obvious who was on top.
Orochimaru spat up a mouth full of blood and pushed himself to his knees, looking up at Hiruzen dangerously. He couldn't substitute, misdirect, contort, or even surprise him. Everything was countered in the most basic way possible. It left the Sannin more than annoyed.
'I knew a direct confrontation was a bad move. I need to reposition myself. I need the barrier. I need my forbidden technique.'
Orochimaru stood on his feet and decided he couldn't allow this type of engagement to continue.
"They said difficult students were all the more rewarding to teach," Hiruzen said with a chuckle. "It seems this myth is, in fact, incorrect. I'm a little disappointed."
"Do not dare to lecture me, old man. I was just warming up." Orochimaru hissed, his pride wounded. "Besides. Look around. Your village is falling apart before your very eyes, Very soon you'll be singing a different tune. This is all dedicated to you."
Hiruzen raised a brow. "I doubt that. I'll treat this for what it is, Orochimaru. An attempt to become an agent of chaos. At least you've succeeded in that regard."
Orochimaru scoffed, and in a blur, he clasped his hands together and took in a breath. 'Wind style: Great Breakthrough!' Orochimaru announced in his head.
The Sannin released a powerful blast of wind that blew everything on the roof away, save for Hiruzen, who created a small wall and lay prone to protect himself, conserving chakra in the process.
This allowed him to see Orochimaru open his mouth. The sight of the Kusanagi hilt was the prompt for Hiruzen to go all out.
When the wind jutsu subsided, Orochimaru immediately pointed his sword at Hiruzen, and to the old man's shock, it extended in length with alarming speed, the tip racing for his face.
Hiruzen just barely rolled out of the way, flipping and somersaulting onto his feet, with Kusanagi slicing through the tile just at his feet.
Hiruzen gasped in alarm, and Orochimaru twirled Kusanagi before swiping out into a wide arc, forcing Hiruzen to bend back and let the blade pass over him.
It had extended to such a length that it sliced a part of the building and stadium just over where Rasa was engaging his Jonin, sending rubble and building infrastructure down on the shinobi below.
This broke up a heated engagement between Kakashi and the Kazekage.
Hiruzen's eyes focused on the Kusanagi, the old man wary of the legendary weapon.
'One cut—just one cut—and I'd be done. I can't allow Orochimaru to gain any momentum in a fight against me. My energy is just an illusion; the soldier pills won't last forever. I need to act fast.' Hiruzen thought warily.
Orochimaru chuckled at Hiruzen's expression. "What's the matter, old man? Don't tell me you're getting cold feet now!"
Orochimaru launched toward Hiruzen like a bullet, and Hiruzen knew to act as fast as possible.
'I can't let him get close!' He thought alarmed.
He jumped back just as Orochimaru sliced apart the tile with little resistance before watching the Sannin spin his weapon toward him in a flurry of expert sword strokes, all aimed to decapitate Hiruzen.
Hiruzen drew kunai after kunai to deflect and evade Orochimaru's onslaught, but with each clash, his weapon cracked, chipped, and shattered.
Orochimaru began cackling as he watched the old man stress to evade his weapon, desperate to stay alive. 'Yes! This is how it should be! Run, Monkey! RUN!'
Orochimaru sent a feint, one that made Hiruzen lean. The swing was canceled into a high kick that nailed Hiruzen in the mouth and sent him on his back.
Orochimaru wasted no time in pouncing onto the old man, driving his sword down on Hiruzen. Yet, Hiruzen was determined to live, enough so to perform an acrobatic that was obviously out of his capabilities.
Hiruzen lifted his leg and kicked the Kusanagi out of its intended target before performing a brief breakdance movement. He planted his hands onto the tile beside his head and used his other foot to send Orochimaru back into a flip and away from him, giving him more time.
Hiruzen quickly rolled to his hands and feet, holding his hip in pain.
Orochimaru watched the old man with confusion, surprised at the sudden burst of agility from the man.
He didn't ponder on this, though. He knew to press his advantage when he had one, and that's what he did.
Orochimaru sped and snaked toward Hiruzen in an unpredictable zigzag before driving into the old man's flank.
Hiruzen gave an annoyed grunt as he twisted himself just a hair's breadth out of the path of the sword and felt his armor nicked in the side by the blade.
Orochimaru, hellbent on ending this, turned around and sent a slash at Hriuzen again and again, forcing him to lean, weave, bend, and sway just out of its reach.
Orochimaru pressed his attack with a renewed ferocity, not letting up an inch. This is what Hiruzen was waiting for. Orochimaru behaves more like a feline than a snake when he's having fun. He toys with his opponent and breaks them down rather than going for the killing strike. It was a fatal flaw he developed out of nowhere.
To Orochimaru's surprise, Hiruzen caught Orochimaru's wrist and wasted no time in yanking him into a knee attack, forcing Orochmaru's upper body down. However, before he could land his attack like he wanted, Orochimaru continued to twist as though he had no skeletal structure.
Orochimaru's head twisted and wrapped around Hiruzen, the Sannin's leg doing the same, as well as the arm not holding the Kusanagi.
Hiruzen grunted as he felt himself restrained. "Well. It seems you learn from your mistakes after all." Hiruzen wheezed, feeling Orochimaru's hold tighten.
Orochimaru smirked. "I know how dangerous you are, sensei. I would never allow for an opening, Not for one suddenly moving as well as you. I would ask what you've done to yourself, but it doesn't matter. You're dead anyway."
Orochimaru went to move his other arm but felt Hiruzen's grip on the Kusanagi-wielding wrist tighten. It made him grimace with annoyance.
So, instead, he twisted his neck to face Hiruzen fully, his fangs growing out of his canines. "Any last words?"
"I'm surprised you'd honor me in such a way," Hiruzen said, and just as Orochimaru went to bite down, Hiruzen opened his mouth, a plume of black smoke covering the two.
It didn't stop Orochimaru from biting down on Hiruzen, but he felt no skin. Just chain mesh. Then, there was a flare before the entire cloud of smoke they were in ignited into the most powerful burning ash technique ever performed.
Both Hiruzen and Orochimaru were engulfed in the explosion, and those who were spectating were worried for their respective leader for one reason or another.
Orochimaru was the first to retreat from the smoke; his clothes in burnt tatters, his face melted away to reveal the female vessel he's using in this battle.
He stumbled onto his hands and knees before hacking, his mouth stretching open before two hands forced it further open from within. In just moments, Orochimaru shed his old skin, revealing a repaired and furious Sannin, the man lying prone as he waited for Hiruzen to reveal himself.
'Come out, you trickster. Show yourself.' Orochimaru thought angrily.
There was nothing. No movement from the smoke, no sign of life, nothing. It left Orochimaru wary. 'I should've waited for a stronger body before engaging this man.' The Sannin thought bitterly.
He stood up and started to perform the great breakthrough jutsu to blow the smoke away, but was halted when he heard the cracking of tile beneath his feet.
He smirked and prepared to drive his sword down on the sneaky monkey. Little did he know he'd be dealing with the real deal.
A clawed hand suddenly gripped Orochimaru's arm, snapping it instantly and causing Orochimaru to yell out in pain. Then a bright flash of pain was felt and seen as he was headbutted before he felt himself rag-dolled away, thrown by what he assumed to be some kind of monster.
Next thing he knew, his ribs were fractured by a powerful pair of knuckles waiting for him within the smoke.
He received a brutal beat down from within, completely dazed and confused.
A vicious combo of elbows, fists, knees, and even claw-driven punches came from within before Orochimaru felt a powerful punch send him into the air before his leg was grabbed and yanked.
It was then that he saw them. Enma and a burnt and pissed-off Hiruzen were coming at him simultaneously.
A roundhouse kick sent by Hiruzen connected with the Sannin's face, sending him hurling and spinning into the ground, rolling to a painful stop.
"My goodness," Enma said in a pleased tone, rubbing his fist. "You are serious about killing this bastard."
Hiruzen huffed and rolled his shoulder. "you see what he's done." Hiruzen said as he watched Shukaku bathed in oil by Jiraiya from a distance. "He needs to atone, and there's only one way to do so."
Enma gave a toothy grin. He wasn't going to say 'I told you so', Not when Hiruzen was as locked in as he was. No. They were going to end this monster once and for all.
"How are we doing this? One cut from that sword is enough to kill." Enma said.
Hiruzen watched as Orochimaru struggled to his feet, groaning and growling in rage at how once again, his master had found a way to turn things around.
"Simple. We take him on at once. We're too powerful to take on at the same time. He doesn't stand a chance as he is."
Enma nodded. "I broke his wrist. Unless he performs another rebirth jutsu, he's nothing but a worm now."
"Then let's end this at once," Hiruzen growled.
At that, both Enma and Hiruzen raced at Orochimaru, and the sight made Orochimaru sweat bullets. 'No. No! NO!'
Line break.
[Hanabi Pov]
Hanabi raced through the dark halls of the crumbling stadium, her breath uneven as she tried to find a way out of this death trap.
Unfortunately, with both fights going on just outside, the place is left extremely unstable, with many key infrastructural support columns left destroyed by the various battles and the opening terror bombings.
"Where's an exit when you need one?" Hanabi asked in annoyance as she felt the stadium shudder under the weight of another jutsu in use.
She skidded to a halt when she saw a hallway collapsing and paled. She turned tail and ran as fast as she could, resisting the urge to scream as the sound of the debris falling behind her seemed to come down faster than she was running.
The young girl barely made it to safety when a portion of the ceiling and wall came crashing down on where she was previously. She didn't stick around for too long, racing into the darkness, unaware that she was running toward a dead-end.
"No!" She yelled, skidding to a halt as she saw the dead end. More rubble. "This would've led me into the cafeteria! This is so annoying!"
The ground shook again, and Hanabi let out a small yelp and ran away, unsure of where to go, even with her Byakugan.
That was when she saw her.
"Hinata!" She said suddenly.
It was strange, though. Hinata stopped just above the girl, and Hanabi below. Neither could communicate, thanks to them being in a separate room, but they had other ways.
Hinata motioned for her to go to the path she'd just taken, confusing her since it's blocked off. Yet, her sister was rarely wrong. Even if the fact was annoying, it was a blessing right now.
Doing as suggested, she raced back to where the rubble was, tripping over herself to get there, and waited.
She was tired yet still full of adrenaline. She had no idea how her sister was going to get to her. It wasn't until she felt the walls shake and saw the rubble yanked back from some kind of force that she knew it wasn't her sister.
Sakura had used earth jutsu exactly where Hinata told her, and the result was well worth it.
"Hinata!" The girl yelled, rushing into the arms of her older sister.
Hinata let out a sigh of relief and smiled before hugging her sister back.
The older girl knelt down and checked for any terrible injury, but seeing none, she resumed her embrace.
Sakura watched the heart-to-heart with mixed feelings. It was good and all, but they didn't have time to be here. The entire place is coming down.
"Uh. Sorry to rain on your sisterly moment, but we're about to be history in a moment." Sakura said warily, not liking the sounds the walls were making.
Hinata nodded. "Ok. Let's go."
"H-hang on! Dad's hurt! He needs help!" Hanabi said frantically.
Hinata raised a brow at the casual use of 'Dad'. "What do you mean? I thought he was with the elders."
"He's not! He saved me! We need-"
The girl had no say as the entire building shook violently.
In response, Hinata grabbed Hanabi by the hand, quickly following Sakura down the hall to avoid death.
"N-No! Wait! Hinata! We need to help him!" The girl cried out.
"We can't do anything about that! We aren't supposed to be here!" Hinata yelled as the rumbling got louder.
As they ran, Hanabi looked back at the crumbling arena with concern, wishing that they could do more for her father.
They turned a corner just as a plume of dust and debris raced through the hall they were just in, managing to avoid the worst of the falling debris.
Sakura was heaved over, panting, shaking her head at the situation. Just above them, numerous shinobi were fighting and killing each other. It was something she didn't want to get caught up in. There's no telling how they'd fair against seasoned shinobi. They weren't sure of themselves in this stage of their careers.
"Ok. Let's get out of here." She panted.
Hinata nodded and turned around.
Neither girl was surprised to see an entire section of the stadium had collapsed to reveal the outside. But Hanabi was a different story.
Hinata frowned, taking note of how her little sister paled at the sight. "Are you ok?"
"Uh..." Hanabi said dumbly as she looked out over the village, taking in the damage and death with wide eyes.
Hinata followed Hanabi's gaze before turning away, grabbing her sister's hand and pulling her along.
When they made it out of the crumbling stadium, they saw what was really making the village shake.
Hinata and Hanabi froze in shock at the sight of the One-tails and Toad, whereas Sakura paled, understanding the implicatons of the monster's appearance a lot more than the Hyuga sisters.
"What in the..." Hanabi trailed off as her jaw dropped at the sight of a giant toad wrestling the One-tail to the ground, the massive demon roaring as the Toad and the shinobi on top of the Toad wrestled with the demon.
Shinobi of Konoha were also doing what they could to push the demon out, but it was persistent.
"What the hell?!" Yelled Asuma; the man had finished assisting his allies in pushing back against the opposing platoon. "We told you kids to clear out!" The man bellowed.
"Ah! Asuma!" Sakura said bashfully. "We were getting-"
"It was my fault," Hinata said, bowing in apology. "I was getting my-"
"SAVE IT AND GET LOST!" The man yelled, furious at the childish response.
"Oh. Ok! Uh. See you later. I guess!" Sakura said in alarm before taking off, dragging a stunned and surprised Hinata and Hanabi along with her, yet, Hanabi pulled away and ran up to Asuma, much to the girl's annoyance.
"My Father is still in there! He's buried on the left wing of the stadium! Please! If you could-"
"No need to fear, kiddo! I'll get him!" Said Gai as he landed next to Asuma.
Asuma gave him an annoyed expression, but it was ignored. "You said the left wing? Which floor."
"We were down by the competitor's box!" She said.
Gai nodded. "Run along. I'll get him."
Hanabi gave a smile and embraced Gai. "Thank you! I won't forget this!" She said happily.
Gai gave a smile before his expression became dead serious.
The girl ran off with the older girls, and he himself turned to Asuma. "Let's go. I know where Hiashi is. Go assist Kakashi."
Asuma sighed. "You are the strongest of us. You should assist while I get the Hyuga."
"No can do! I have been given an important-!"
"Alright! No speeches. Let's just go!" Asuma said impatiently, rushing off with Gai in tow.
Line break.
[Pakura and Rasa vs the Konoha Jonin]
Kakashi was beyond tired. These two are too much to handle together, and a deceased Iwashi was enough to prove that point.
'If we retreat now, we risk abandoning the Hokage to fight these two on top of Orochimaru. We have to stand our ground.' Thought Kakashi.
Rasa crossed his arms, standing behind Pakura as she prepared another jutsu.
"Genma. This might be it for us. Get ready for the worst." Said Kakashi.
Genma nodded. The man was roughed up pretty badly. It was a miracle he hadn't been caught by the gold dust of Rasa, or grazed by the lethal scorch jutsu of Pakura.
"Scorch release: Coiling vipers!'
Pakura fired off scorching snakes in their direction, and as Kakashi and Genma went to the flank, gold dust raised on either side to prevent an easy flank.
The two jonin then came down on the kunoichi, their blades in hand.
Yet, Kakashi weaved through signs to perform a water jutsu to counter.
"Water style: Water formation wall!" The man yelled, managing to stop the attack from burning them.
Pakura lept over the water and came down onto Kakashi, something he didn't mind.
'Yeah. C'mere and get some.' He thought bitterly, his Sharingan focusing on her.
Just as she was coming down, she twisted to face something else and blew a hasty fire jutsu to counter another coming her way, yet she was a bit late. The explosion sent her off course and skidding.
Asuma landed between Kakashi and Rasa, looking angry. "You good Kakashi? You look like a hot mess."
Kakashi and Genma's brow twitched. "About time you showed up."
Asuma nodded and noticed the amount of gold sand in the area.
Rasa sighed, realizing he'd need to get his hands dirty, and took a step forward. That was when he heard something truly pitiful.
"Kazekage! Get up here, now!"
Rasa's eyes narrowed as he followed where the voice came from. It was a desperate Orochimaru.
'Seriously? Why not have those fodder assist him?' Rasa thought, referring to the Sound Four.
He wasn't going to follow orders from Orochimaru. Not after the shit storm the Sannin caused by doing his own thing. However, he's a tactician. Given his situation, he has no choice.
'If I stay here, Orochimaru will die, leaving me to face these Jonin and Hiruzen at the same time. Fuck!' He thought before calling his golden dust back to him, surrounding himself in it.
"Pakura. You think you can handle these Jonin for a bit? I need to save our... Ally."
Pakura gave Rasa a look before sighing. "I'll do whatever is required of-"
"Good. I'll be back." Rasa interrupted, floating up and to the roof.
Kakashi growled at that. 'He's leaving to assist Orochimaru. Does he think she can take us on all at once?'
The other Jonin were thinking the same.
Asuma stepped forward and activated his chakra blades. "I guess we'll be moving past you now."
Pakura scowed and shook her head before getting into a fighting stance. "You have no Idea what I'm capable of."
Line break.
Meanwhile, Rasa flew up the building Orochimaru was on, and noticed the Sound Four now getting into a formation.
What he saw made him grimace.
Orochimaru was a mess. He was on his last legs from the looks of it.
Hiruzen and Enma had paused their assault due to the interference of Jirobo and the brief genjutsu Tayuya placed them under.
Of course, it barely lasted a second. But one second was enough for Orochimaru to get away.
Rasa floated down next to Orochimaru, and before he could mock him, Orochimaru started barking orders.
"Get into formation, now!" Orochimaru croaked.
Jirobo looked at Sakon, the two nodding to one another before surrounding the corners of the roof.
As the Sound Four got into formation, Rasa glanced at the prone and panting Orochimaru. "I'm going back to-"
"Look to your right." Orochimaru interrupted.
Rasa's eyes narrowed before glancing over. He saw Shukaku in the distance combating a giant toad.
"As you can see, things are going to plan. We just need to remove Konoha's head and capitalize on-" Orochimaru said before being interrupted.
"Don't think you can manipulate me like you can your pawns. You dying here happens to inconvenience me. Can you still fight?" Asked the Kage.
Orochimaru nodded. "Of course. I just need time to activate my justu"
Rasa sighed before looking out on the battlefield below them to see Pakura doing just fine.
"You may want to hurry with your plan then. I don't want to be overwhelmed."
Orochimaru scoffed at that.
Meanwhile, Hiruzen had enough waiting, realizing that playing things safe wasn't an option. Not when his opponents are plotting something.
He rushed over, creating two shadow clones to finish off Orochimaru for good.
Rasa saw this and acted fast, clasping his hands together. "Magnet release: Golden Imperial Dust Cyclone!"
A concentrated wave of golden sand raced toward the Hiruzen clones, one of said clones going through hand signs to counter.
"Water style: Water dragon missile!" Yelled the clone.
A giant dragon made of water formed out of the water Hiruzen was spewing and smashed against the sand. Unfortunately, it was being overwhelmed quickly.
This didn't matter, though. Not with the other two Hiruzen's flanking Rasa and performing their own jutsu.
"Fire style: Dragon flame bomb!"
"Wind style: Airstream pressure!"
The two clones sent their two jutsu at Rasa before dispersing, and it left Rasa pale, realizing he'd need to step up his game drastically against the old man.
He barely had enough time to cancel his jutsu to surround himself in a messy golden cacoon; his structure immediately compressed under the weight of the enhanced Fiery explosion.
Orochimaru saw this and growled. Even as the purple barrier was erected from all sides to prevent interference, he felt threatened. Rasa wasn't anywhere near Hiruzen's power, no matter what the desert rat thought.
'It's now or never.' He thought to himself as he clasped his hands onto the floor.
He slammed his hands onto the ground, and from beneath him rose three coffins. However, just as he was summoning them, he felt his cheek slashed into hard enough to ragdoll him across the confined roof.
He gasped and yelled in pain as he tumbled, his spinning vision catching the sight of Enma racing toward him.
'That fucking monkey! Focus on something else already!' Thought Orochimaru as he flipped onto his feet mid-tumble.
He slashed at Enma using his left hand to wield the Kusanagi, managing to ward the ape away for a brief period.
Enma chuckled as Orochimaru sent slash after slash at him before ducking under one and smashing his elbow into his gut, moving so fast that the tile beneath his feet splintered from the sudden movement.
Orochimaru gasped in pain before melting before Enma's eyes, catching the ape off guard.
He wasn't distracted for long. He weaved the sneak attack sent from an Orochimaru that had melted into the ground, and went low to sweep kick him in the face well before he could crawl out, resulting in the Sannin tumbling out of the ground, tiles and concrete coming up with him.
Orochimaru slid under his incomplete reanimation jutsu and chuckled. It made Enma realize he'd been played.
"OROCHIMARU! GET OVER HERE!" Rasa suddenly screamed.
Orochimaru glanced over to see Hiruzen bathing a cacoon of gold dust into glass and scoffed. 'No time for that. I must finish what I started.'
Orochimaru clasped his hands together, making the coffins raise up further, and Enma halted his charge, too wary to get any closer.
"Hiruzen! We have a situation!" Enma said with worry.
Hiruzen, who was intending on cooking his annoying opponent to death, glancd over to see what his summon was going on about. The sight made him pale. 'No! Not that jutsu!'
Hiruzen's focus being shifted to the coffins resulted in his jutsu being released, giving Rasa enough time to break out and perform a counter.
"Magnet release: Golden Drizzle!" He yelled
The gold cacoon shattered open and sent golden shrapnel toward Hiruzen, who responded by dashing and flipping out of the way; his armor grazed a few times from being tired.
Rasa crawled out of the cacoon, his skin red from minor burns.
He took a knee to catch his breath. This place left little room for him to work with. He can't fight Hiruzen with this little room. He needs space.
He looked over to see what had stopped the assault, and it left even him surprised.
Before Hiruzen stood three coffins with Kanji he knew very well.
Enma stood by his summoner, keeping his eyes on Rasa as this went down.
"Orochimaru! Don't you dare!" Hiruzen growled. "You are messing with forces you couldn't understand!"
Orochimaru laughed as the coffins opened up. "I know better than you, old man!"
Three figures stood before Hiruzen. The three previous Kage.
The First, Second, and Fourth Hokage stepped out of the coffins. The first and second's eyes lit up with consciousness, while the fourth's lit up with something... Eerie.
Hashirama blinked a few times before squinting his eyes. "Huh? Why?... Ah! Hiruzen! Long time no see, kiddo!"
Tobirama's brow raised as he took in his surroundings as well and growled. 'This is not how this jutsu was to be used.'
"Ah. I suppose it wouldn't be very respectful to call you kid anymore. You've grown into an older gentleman." Hashirama chuckled.
Hiruzen couldn't believe his ears. It was really them. He couldn't express the feelings he was experiencing, knowing they were being weaponized against him. But worst of all, he was seeing the face of the man he felt was haunting him for his mistakes. Minato.
Tobirama glanced at his brother, glad he'd finally finished his foolish greetings. "You feel that?"
Hashirama nodded. "I feel like cardboard. I can barely feel any of my old reserves."
"My apologies, previous Kage." Orochimaru said with delight. "Your forms are a bit advanced for the vessels you've taken. But, it's for the best."
"Who are you." Growled Tobirama.
"I am Lord Orochimaru. Your master." Orochimaru said as he planted a kunai into the back of the vessel's head, causing Tobirama's eyes to dim.
Hiruzen shook his head as he watched the sentience leave his old teacher's eyes.
"We can't sit by, Hiruzen! Do not falter!" Hissed Enma, the ape keeping an eye on Rasa.
Hashirama scowled and looked back to Hiruzen. "He is right. Do not falter. We aren't alive, and you can't hurt us. Don't let this twisted trick affect your judgment."
Hiruzen didn't respond as Hashirama was also taken over. That left the eerily silent Minato left.
"Ah. Nothing to say, golden boy?" Orochimaru cackled as he turned to face the man who beat him in the running to become Hokage.
What he saw made his heart drop. He stumbled away when he saw his eyes. They weren't Minato's. They were that of the Shinigami's. And they were full of hate.
Minato's skin cracked, and his body was broken down. Without a real soul to inhabit it, it was made useless.
Minato turned to dust, confusing Orochimaru and making Hiruzen chuckle. 'I'd forgotten that Minato... Sold his soul for this village. He can never be summoned. He is forever lost to us.'
"What was that?!" Orochimaru hissed with anger. "He was right there!"
Rasa took the time to move next to Orochimaru, though, he kept a wide birth still. "What are you bitching about?"
Orochimaru glared at the younger man before glancing back at Hiruzen. He knew the old man knew. He hated it when he gave him that look. He knew it too well.
"You weren't there when he died, So you wouldn't understand," Hiruzen said slowly before turning to Enma. "This isn't looking good. It's four on two."
Enma nodded. "It's fine. We just need to take care of The Kazekage and the puppets."
Hiruzen nodded. "Then there's no time to waste. No matter what happens. Orochimaru cannot leave this fight alive."
Enma nodded in agreement. "He won't."
Line break.
[Sakura POV]
She'd never cursed so much in her life. She was, after all, a bit of a goodie tooshoes. But today, She was swearing up a storm.
Their journey toward the bunker was smooth in spit the chaos. Many pockets of enemy shinobi were taken care of, cornered, or being engaged far off. That wasn't the issue. It was the giant toad being thrown into their direction, followed by a large sand demon jumping on it's chest right over her head that ws the issue.
They went from being on their way to the monument to being in a literal nightmare scenario.
Sakura, Hinata, and Hanabi had no choice but to take the alleyway, lest they be crushed to death, and even that wasn't simple.
"Holy hell!" She screamed as she yanked Hanabi out of the way of another tidal wave of rubble, this time caused by a building coming down on them.
Sakura and Hinata slid down the street after turning a corner, rubble flying down where they'd just been, and all around, civilians were running, screaming, and panicking just as badly as they were.
Then it happened. Shukaku's tail came down on them and the civilians, smashing everything around them. It was sheer luck that they even survived that.
Yet, being knocked over, Sakura didn't see the building coming down on her until it was too late.
Hinata raced over and tackled her to what she deemed safe. A broken window was the only reason they weren't dead. It passed right through them, leaving them unharmed.
Hinata and Sakura were curled up, believing they'd died.
Sakura was the first to open her eyes, coughing due to the smoke from the collapsing building.
She opened her eyes and was relieved that they weren't trapped in the sense that there was rubble all over them.
It wasn't dark either. There was light coming from an opening. The support bars were the ceiling, acting as a cage more than a ceiling.
"Thanks," Sakura said.
"I didn't do anything. I just got us more... stuck." The Hyuga replied bitterly.
Sakura sighed and shook her head. "Don't be so pessimistic-"
A powerful tremor brought both girls to their feet, both remembering the situation they were in.
"Where's-"
"Sakura?! Hinata?! Are you ok?!" Yelled a scared Hanabi.
Hinata looked up and saw her sister peering through the bars.
Hinata climbed the rubble and tried to find a weak point in them but to no avail.
"Crap! Hanabi! Get to the bunker now! There's no coming out of this for us! Not right-"
"No! I can't leave another family member!" Hanabi said, clearly upset.
Hinata's lips thinned before she shook her head. "Do as I say! If you stay out there, you'll-"
The sound of a deafening roar made Hinata slip off the rubble to cover her ears, and Hanabi and Sakura did the same.
Hanabi looked up to see Shukaku raising his head, chakra so dense it distorted their surroundings. a Tailed beast bomb was being formed.
Everything felt heavy, and it was hard to breathe. Hanabi was openly crying from the fear she felt, and she reached down for her sister.
"Hinata! Get up! Hurry!"
Sakura shook her head at the sight and tried to use earth jutsu to escape. But the jutsu she knew would only cause the building to collapse on them.
Tears of frustration started to roll down her eyes at the thought of dying.
She could see the tailed beast charging what looked and felt like an apocalyptic attack that would wipe them all out. It made her fear these creatures even more.
Hinata held her sister's hand and sighed. There was nothing they could do.
There was a rumble, and they all closed their eyes and waited for the afterlife. But it hadn't come. Instead, they were greeted by brilliant golden and radiant light.
The girls in the building could only see so much, but Hanabi saw it all. For a moment, she thought she was seeing a divine spirit, like a golden dragon, peering down at them from the heavens to greet them.
Her eyes adjusted, and she recognized them as the same chains Naruto would use.
They were dazzling, the gold made more prominent by the sun beaming down on them. Its light illuminated their village in spite of it being well into the day. It was seen by all.
They twitched around in the sky for a moment before they came down faster than she could process, and she yelped and screamed at how violently they moved, ripping into Shukaku and ending its Bijuudama before it could be fired off.
They ripped into the creature, swirling around it fast enough to appear as a golden sphere that made her vision swim.
Sakura and Hinata watched it in shock, too, at a loss for words. Then they tightened, leaving Shukaku so subdued that he couldn't breathe. His chakra was beyond sealed. It was cut off completely. Ever so slowly, the tailed beast was turned to stone, the only thing functioning being its eyes.
The entire village was silent after this event. No one talked, no one moved. It was surreal. The tailed beast was stopped just as quickly as it had appeared.
Hinata's voice croaked quietly, her voice almost failing her.
"What... Was that?" She whispered.
Sakura shook her head in amazement. "I... I think... I think that was Naruto."
Line break.
End chapter.
{A/N}
And there it is. Not much else to say with this one.
On a better note, I got a new PC, which means more frequent uploads. For real, this time. Though, splitting the chapter took four days because of the way ti was structured, so that was a factor.
I'll shorten the chapters after these two to get you another at a faster pace, too.
Anyway, leave a comment and critique. It's good for me. And follow to stay up to date.
Thank you for your support.