Chapter 74
The battlefield stretched before them, a chaotic maelstrom of clashing forces. Gaara, the Fifth Kazekage, stood at the forefront, his unwavering gaze fixed on the Reanimated figures of the past. The sight of his father, Rasa, the Fourth Kazekage, standing amongst the undead legends of antiquity sent an icy chill through his neck. Beside Rasa stood the Second Mizukage and the Third Raikage, their formidable presence commanding respect even—especially—in death. Gaara's sand shifted restlessly around him, sensing the tension in its master.
Above the chaos, Ōnoki, the Third and current Tsuchikage, descended from the skies, his expression hard as he locked eyes with his reanimated former mentor and nemesis, Mū, the Second Tsuchikage.
"So, you've been dragged into this twisted travesty as well, Mū," Ōnoki said coldly.
Mū's translucent form gave a faint smirk. "And here you are, Ōnoki. Still clinging to life despite your aged, frail body. Let's see if you've learned anything in your lengthy life."
Ōnoki's fists clenched, but he nodded to Gaara, signaling the troops to advance. "This isn't about the past. Not anymore. This is about the future."
Nearby, Gaara stepped forward, his sand rising around him autonomously as a protective shield. His father's piercing golden eyes met his own. There was no warmth in Rasa's gaze, only a cold calculation that Gaara knew too well.
"Gaara," Rasa said, his voice a measured tone of authority. "You've changed. It seems you're no longer the host of the One-Tail. How is it that you stand here alive and as Kazekage, when you've been stripped of the very power that once made you so useful?"
Gaara's sand shifted, reflecting his myriad emotions. "I am Kazekage because I chose, and choose yet still, to protect my village. My power comes not from the One-Tail, nor my hatred; I learned that strength comes not from isolation, but from bonds. Bonds with my comrades, my family, and my friends. Naruto Uzumaki taught me this lesson."
"Bonds? Is that what you believe now? Then let me test the strength of those bonds, "He spat the words. Rasa's golden dust swirled ominously around his undead figure.
Without warning, Rasa's golden dust surged forward, clashing violently with Gaara's sweeping sand. The battlefield erupted into chaos as father and son engaged in a deadly duel, their mastery over Magnetic Release demonstrated in a breathtaking display of power. Gold and sand particles danced through the air, acting as miniature prisms by which the sunlight refracted into dazzling displays of rainbow light.
Rasa commanded his golden dust forward in a resplendent tidal wave. The weight of it was immense, the particles dense enough to abrade to dust anything in their path. Gaara raised his hands, his sand swirling upward to intercept the attack. The two forces collided mid-air with a deafening crash, grains of sand and flecks of gold scattering like fireworks.
Gaara extended his hand, sending a spear of hardened sand hurtling toward his father. Rasa countered, his gold morphing into a shimmering shield that absorbed the blow. With a flick of his wrist, he reshaped the shield into dozens of golden shuriken, each spinning with deadly precision as they flew toward Gaara.
Gaara's sand formed a barrier around him, the shuriken embedding harmlessly into the shifting mass. "You taught me the value of defense," Gaara said, his voice steady. "But I learned the importance of protecting others from those who would harm them."
Rasa smirked, impressed by his son's composure. "Then let's see how far your ideals will carry you." He slammed his hands together, and the ground beneath them trembled. The Gold Dust surged upward in massive pillars, creating a towering labyrinth that gleamed in the moonlight. Gaara's sand reacted instantly, forming a protective cocoon around him as the golden structures closed in.
But Gaara wasn't content to remain on the defensive. With a wave of his hand, his sand lashed out like a serpent, weaving through the labyrinth and striking at Rasa. The older Kazekage dodged deftly, his movements fluid as he manipulated the gold to form a massive hand, which swung down toward Gaara with crushing force.
Gaara's sand surged upward, forming a colossal hand of its own. The two constructs collided, sending shockwaves across the battlefield. The force of the impact flattened the surrounding area, the sheer power of their Magnetic Release mastery evident in every movement.
Rasa took a step back, his golden hand reforming into a shimmering spear. "Do you understand now, Gaara? My gold is heavier, stronger, quicker to respond to Magnetic Release. Your sand cannot match it."
"Perhaps. But strength isn't just about weight," Gaara said, his expression static. He clasped his hands together, his chakra surging. The sand beneath Rasa began to shift, and before the older Kazekage could react he was on the defensive. Their battle raged, Rasa's defense appearing haggard all the while his strikes grew increasingly desperate. He couldn't comprehend the changes in his son.
"You had no one. You were a monster. A tool for the village. How could you have learned to rely on others?"
Gaara's sand moved faster, more fluidly, as he answered. "I told you. Naruto showed me the power of bonds. He taught me that I was never alone. Not even when you tried your damndest to make me."
Rasa's attacks faltered for a moment as Gaara's sand manifested in the form of a woman—a figure he recognized instantly. It was Karura, Gaara's mother, shielding her son from one of Rasa's golden spears.
His eyes widened in shock. "Karura…" he whispered. "Even in death, you protect him."
Gaara's voice softened, though his sand pressed relentlessly against his father's defenses. "She cares for me, I know she does. She protected me, when you would not. She protects me now from you."
The realization hit Rasa like one of his son's sand tidal waves. His expression turned pained, his voice trembling with regret, "Gaara, I forced Yashamaru to lie to you. I told him to make you believe that no one loved you. But the truth is… your mother gave her willingly life to bring you into this world. She loved you more than anything. She would have traded her life for yours one thousand times."
Gaara's sand paused for the briefest moment, his normally stoic face breaking into visible emotion. Tears welled in his eyes, spilling down his cheeks as he processed the truth.
"All this time…" Gaara said, his voice cracking. "All this time, I thought my existence was a curse on her. A mistake."
Rasa's voice softened, the weight of his mistakes bearing down on him. "No, Gaara. You were never a mistake. I was the one who was wrong. I couldn't see the value of bonds, of fighting for someone and not against someone else. But now—I'm trying to."
Gaara took a deep, shuddering breath, his tears falling freely. "You were wrong about many things, Father. But today, you've given me something I never thought I'd have. You've given me closure. For that, I thank you. Even if I might never forgive you."
Rasa's golden dust ceded, and he smiled—truly smiled—for the first time in what felt like eternity. "Thank you, Gaara. You've become the man I could never be. I entrust the village, and its future, to you."
Gaara's sand surged forward, wrapping around his father with a reverence that betrayed the violence inherent in their father-son dynamic. The sand coiled tightly, with it the cloth of the suppression wrap, sealing Rasa away as the Fourth Kazekage's expression remained serene.
As the sealing cloth tightened around his form, Rasa's final words echoed through the battlefield. "Lead them well, Gaara. And thank you… for proving me wrong."
Gaara stood in silence, his sand gently lowering his father's sealed form to the ground. He wiped his tears, his resolve stronger than ever. He turned to his troops and caught sight of Ōnoki battling his mentorMūout of the corner of his eyes.
"The past may haunt us," Gaara said, his voice steady. "But we will fight for the future. Let's move, Tsuchikage-sama needs us."
The Fourth Division, headed by the Kazekage himself, braced themselves as the battlefield descended into chaos. Gengetsu Hōzuki, the reanimated Second Mizukage, stood amidst the carnage, his calm demeanor in stark contrast to the violence he orchestrated. He toyed with the shinobi before him, summoning his Giant Clam with a casual wave of his hand.
The enormous mollusk appeared in a puff of smoke, its glossy shell gleaming under the refracted fragments of sunlight. Gengetsu smirked, his voice carrying a taunting edge. "This is going to be fun. Let's see how long you last before you lose your minds."
The clam opened its shell, releasing a thick mist that quickly engulfed the battlefield. It was no ordinary mist—it shimmered unnaturally with evidence of the genjutsu it conveyed, distorting the senses and warping reality itself. Within moments, the shinobi found themselves surrounded by countless mirages of the reanimated Mizukage, each one as convincing as the last.
"You can't even tell which me is real," Gengetsu's voice echoed through the mist, his tone mocking. "And yet, you think you can fight me? Destroy the clam, it's the only way to dispel the genjutsu."
Shinobi attacked from all sides, but their weapons struck nothing but air. The real Gengetsu was nowhere to be found, his true form hidden amidst the illusions. Even though he continually explained how to end the genjutsu, the shinobi were helpless to locate the Clam familiar within the opaque mist. He dissolved into water and moved seamlessly through the vapor, launching precise attacks that incapacitated more and more members of the Fourth Division.
Suddenly, the clam shuddered and hissed. A new presence entered the fray, her very aura brimming with authority. Mei Terumi, the Fifth Mizukage, strode forward with measured confidence, her sharp green eye—the one not covered by her auburn hair—scanning the battlefield. The mist began to dissipate slightly as she unleashed her Boil Release, filling the air with a corrosive vapor that began to eat away at the Giant Clam.
"Not bad," Gengetsu admitted, his voice tinged with amusement. "A Mizukage with some teeth. Let's see if you've got any bite."
Mei wasted no time. With a deft motion of hand seals, she unleashed her Lava Release, molten globs of lava cascading through the mist. The sizzling projectiles found their mark, striking the Giant Clam with deadly precision. The massive creature groaned, its form flickering before vanishing in a plume of smoke. The battlefield briefly cleared, and Mei locked eyes with her predecessor.
Gengetsu smirked, tipping an imaginary hat. "You're good, I'll give you that. But I'm better."
Before Mei could react, Gengetsu ensnared her in a genjutsu. Her surroundings warped, the ground beneath her feet seeming to crumble into an endless abyss. Her movements slowed as she struggled to differentiate reality from illusion. She hadn't even noticed him perform the hand seals for his technique.
Gengetsu materialized behind her, his finger extended out toward her. "A shame, really. You had potential."
Before he could strike, a blur of movement intercepted him. Killer Bee, cloaked in his Jinchūriki form, surged forward, his chakra tails thrashing violently. The red shroud of Gyūki's energy rippled as Bee landed a crushing blow on Gengetsu, forcing him back.
"Yo, I'm here to end this show, you reanimated foe!" Bee rhymed, his confident grin lighting up the battlefield.
Gengetsu staggered but recovered quickly, his watery form reforming. "Interesting. The Eight-Tails, is it? You're a tough one to put under a genjutsu."
"Yeah, I've got a backup artist in my head!" Bee retorted, charging again.
Bee's speed in his translucent Jinchūriki form left Gengetsu little room to counter. The Mizukage attempted to dissolve into mist, but Mei capitalized on the opening. She unleashed another torrent of Lava Release, the searing heat evaporating the surrounding mist, cutting off Gengetsu's escape. Trapped between Bee's relentless assault and Mei's devastating techniques, Gengetsu found himself outmaneuvered. He smiled faintly.
Bee blitzed forward, landing a crushing Lariat that sent Gengetsu reeling. Mei followed up with a concentrated stream of lava, scorching his reanimated body and temporarily immobilizing him. The relentless combination left Gengetsu unable to regenerate his form.
Temari arrived on the scene, her massive fan at the ready. With precision, she coordinated with Mei and Bee, using her Wind Release to push the scorched remnants of Gengetsu's body into a sealing barrier. The suppression wrap unfurled, and Temari expertly bound the Mizukage, her movements swift and calculated.
As the seal tightened, Gengetsu chuckled softly, his voice tinged with grudging respect. "Not bad… for the living. Keep this up, and you might just survive this war."
The Second Mizukage's form stiffened, his expression frozen in a faint smirk as the sealing cloth consumed him. The battlefield fell silent, save for the heavy breaths of the surviving shinobi.
Mei straightened, brushing soot from her armor. "Let's move. There's still a war to win."
Bee nodded, his Jinchūriki cloak fading. "One down, many more to go. Let's hit the next show!"
The battlefield crackled with electricity as Killer Bee—who landed softly after his bout with the undead Tsuchikage, and apologized for his tardiness—and Ay, the current Raikage, faced off against the towering figure of the Third Raikage. The elder Raikage's form shimmered with the potent aura of his Black Lightning Release Armor, an imposing sight made all the more terrifying by the glow of his reanimated body.
"Bee, stay sharp," Ay warned his brother. "This isn't just another spar. He's stronger than anyone we've ever faced. His Lightning Armor is stronger than mine; he's incorporated the same Black Lightning that he taught Darui to use into it."
Bee nodded, the eight red chakra tails of his Jinchūriki cloak swirling around him in volatile patterns. "Yo, big bro, let's put on a show! We'll stop this foe with our A-B comb-o!"
The Third Raikage said nothing at first, his gaze steady and unyielding. His deep voice rumbled like thunder. "I see you've grown strong, Ay. But strength alone won't be enough. I'm sorry, but I will kill you both if that's what this jutsu demands."
Ay's expression hardened, and his Lightning Release Armor flared to its maximum output. "You taught me to protect this world, to never back down. That's exactly what I'll do, no matter who I have to put in the ground to accomplish that."
With a flash of azure and obsidian lightning, the two Raikage clashed, their movements too fast for the ordinary human eye to follow. The ground cracked and split beneath their feet, shockwaves propagating from their blows. Ay's fists connected with the Third Raikage's, sending arcs of electricity crackling through the air. But despite Ay's immense power, his mentor's seemingly endless chakra and regenerative abilities kept him one step ahead.
Bee moved in for a blitz, his speed amplified by his Jinchūriki cloak. He closed the distance in an instant, aiming to catch the Third Raikage off-guard. But the elder Raikage anticipated the move, grabbing Bee mid-charge and hurling him into the forest with enough force to uproot trees.
"Bee!" Ay shouted, momentarily distracted. The Third Raikage seized the opportunity, landing a devastating blow that sent Ay skidding across the battlefield. Ay recovered quickly, his armor having dissipated much of the impact, but he was visibly shaken.
"You've grown, Ay," the Third Raikage said, his voice tinged with a mix of regret and pride. "But even with all your power, you cannot defeat me. My Lightning Release Armor is absolute."
Ay gritted his teeth and surged forward again, determined to prove his mentor wrong. The two exchanged a flurry of blows, each strike lighting up the battlefield like a storm. Despite Ay's best efforts, the Third Raikage's regeneration kept him standing, his expression unchanging.
From the shadows of the forest, Bee reemerged, his cloak glowing brighter than before. "Big bro, time to show him what we've got!" he called, a grin breaking across his face despite the tension.
Ay nodded, understanding Bee's intent without needing words. The two brothers moved in perfect synchronization, their years of teamwork evident in every step. Bee distracted the Third Raikage with a series of rapid attacks, his chakra tails lashing out like whips. Meanwhile, Ay moved to flank their opponent, his armor crackling with concentrated energy.
The Third Raikage realized their plan too late. Bee's relentless assault left him no room to maneuver, and Ay's speed made escape impossible. The brothers converged on him from opposite sides, their movements perfectly timed.
"Double Lariat!" they shouted in unison, their voices echoing across the battlefield.
Their combined attack struck with the force of a lightning storm, the impact sending a shockwave that flattened everything in its path. The Third Raikage's body convulsed as the energy overwhelmed him, his reanimated form unable to regenerate fast enough to keep up. He fell to one knee, his Black Lightning Release Armor flickering before fading entirely.
"Well done," the Third Raikage said, his voice weak but filled with respect. "You've surpassed even me. Protect this world… Ay, Bee…"
As his body stiffened, the sealing team moved in, wrapping him in the suppression cloth. With a solemn nod, Ay turned away, his expression unreadable.
In the distance, the sky lit up with a brilliant white flash as Ōnoki and Gaara battled Mū. The Second Tsuchikage's Dust Release disintegrated entire platoons with ease, his mastery over the technique a terrifying sight to behold.
"We're not done yet," Ay said, his voice steady despite the exhaustion creeping into his body. "Bee, let's go. Gaara and Ōnoki need us."
Bee nodded, his grin returning as he adjusted his sunglasses. "Yo, big bro, let's move and groove! Time to make this war effort improve!"
With that, the brothers disappeared into the fray, their lightning-fast movements leaving a trail of coruscation in their wake as they raced to reinforce the Fourth Division.
The sky was aglow in the chaos of light, sound, and fury as Ōnoki andMūfaced off in the skies above the Land of Lightning. The two Tsuchikage, master and pupil, wielded their Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique with unmatched skill. Pulses of destructive energy lit up the battlefield as their attacks collided, disintegrating everything in their paths and leaving nothing but barren craters in their wake.
"Ōnoki, your age is showing,"Mūtaunted, his voice calm and calculating despite the chaos. His reanimated body floated effortlessly above the ground, his eyes locked on his former pupil. "Call for assistance while you still can. You know as well as I do that you can't defeat me alone."
Ōnoki gritted his teeth, the strain evident in his every movement. His old bones ached, but his resolve remained unshaken. "I may be old, Mū, but I haven't forgotten everything you taught me. This war isn't yours to win."
Below, Gaara observed the battle intently, his sand shifting restlessly around him. He watched as Mū's movements kept him elusive, always just out of reach. The sand darted upward, attempting to snare the Reanimated Tsuchikage, butMūtwisted his body with unnatural precision, evading every strike. His mastery of flight made him a difficult target, and Gaara frowned as he searched for an opening.
Suddenly, Killer Bee entered the fray. His eight chakra tails, glowing with red energy, lashed out like spears aimed at Mū's chest. The Tsuchikage dodged with inhuman fluidity, his body bending and twisting midair to avoid each strike. His calm demeanor never wavered, even as Bee's relentless assault forced him to stay on the defensive.
"Nice moves, old dude," Bee called out, his grin unshaken. "But you're messing with the A-B combo crew. Time to school you!"
Bee's attack keptMūdistracted long enough for Gaara to act. Sand surged upward, attempting to ensnare Mū, but once again the Reanimated Tsuchikage slipped through the cracks, his movements almost impossible to predict.
It was Ay who seized the opportunity. Moving with blinding speed, the Raikage closed the distance between himself andMūin an instant. BeforeMūcould react, Ay delivered a devastating Lariat, his Lightning Release Armor crackling with intensity. The force of the blow sentMūspiraling downward, his body crashing into the ground with an earth-shaking impact.
"Got you," Ay growled, pinningMūto the ground with a combination of brute strength and speed. His lightning-infused fists struck with relentless precision, keepingMūfrom recovering. Killer Bee joined the fray, his seven swords flashing in the sunlight as he pressed the attack. He pierced Mū's limbs with his blades, pinning the Tsuchikage in place.
Gaara moved in swiftly, his sand wrapping aroundMūlike a living entity. Despite the Reanimated Tsuchikage's struggles, the combined efforts of Ay, Bee, and Gaara proved too much. The sand tightened, immobilizingMūcompletely.
"This ends now," Gaara said, his voice calm but firm. The sealing cloth materialized from his gourd, conveyed by wisps of sand, and ensnaredMūin intricate patterns. With a final pull, the Reanimated Tsuchikage was sealed, his body falling limp as the Fuinjutsu took effect.
The battlefield quieted for a moment as the Alliance forces caught their breath. Ōnoki descended from the sky, his expression weary but satisfied. "You've done well," he admitted, though his voice was tinged with fatigue. "Mū was not an easy opponent, even for me."
Bee, ever the optimist, clapped Gaara on the shoulder. "Yo, Kazekage, you got moves, my dude! Sand style's the living proof!"
Gaara allowed a faint smile to cross his face before his gaze shifted. He noticed Bee looking off toward another battlefield in the distance.
"Naruto's over there, isn't he?" Bee asked, his tone more serious now.
Gaara nodded. "He's searching for his sensei, Kakashi, and his teammate, Sakura. He won't stop until he finds them."
Ay stepped forward, his expression stern. "Then let's move. This war isn't over yet, and we can't afford to let our momentum slip. We'll back him up if we need to."
The Alliance forces regrouped, their determination renewed. The battle againstMūwas won, but the war was far from over. In the distance, the echoes of conflict raged on, and the shadows of greater threats loomed ever closer.