Chapter 48: Metal Ningen Rising: Rematch
Part 1: The Funeral Parlor
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(((Narrator)))
The Port, a town at the port that was simply named as Port are now being invaded by a horde of chimeric creatures.
Squad Kurenai with Akamaru, which is the dominant personality when Kiba go into his werewolf form are making short work at getting rid of the Chimeras.
"WHERE IS MAKOTO?!!", Kurenai screams as Makoto is nowhere to be seen during the onslaughts.
"He says he's taking a drink at the inn.", Hanabi then helpfully replies.
"he's what?!!", Kurenai looks at her incredulously.
ROAAAAA
Kurenai throw a kunai with paper bomb and exploded a chimera. No matter, she thought to herself. Makoto being uncooperative is part of the guideline that had been given to her. It's better to let him act on his own no matter how ridiculous his schemes looks, the guideline states.
Still, at least try and help out the team! The kid doesn't even pretend to be nice!
"Awuuhhhh!!", Akamaru kills yet another chimera with ease. At this rate, they will-!
BANG BANG BOOM
A volley of explosive kunai were suddenly thrown their way.
Akamaru and Shino were caught in the blast but Shino unharmed as Akamaru shielded him with his body. Kurenai on the other hand escaped with just minor burns. However….
"Makoto Hotaru! I, Kurosuki Raiga has claimed your woman!"
The man they identified as an ex-Kiri nin had captured Hyuuga Hanabi.
Kurosuki Raiga, The Funeral Parlor.
He is a type of youkai known as Hososhi. Though youkai is rather inaccurate to describe his origin. Originally, the Hososhi is a type of lesser gods which presides over funeral arrangements, but at some point they fall from Deva and become youkais. The Hososhi is characterized by their reddish skin and has two pairs of eyes. They were thought to be some sort of cousins to Oni.
The last known news about Raiga was that he had joined a mercenary group called as the Akatsuki but failed to become one of their higher echelon.
"Makoto's not here!", Kurenai then explained the lack of his whereabouts and therefore, response towards his supposed girlfriend getting captured.
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"Well, this is awkward,", Raiga sheepishly blinked his four eyes. "Where the hell is he?"
"oi, can you let me down now that you have failed your opening intro?", Hanabi who was tucked under his arm just checked out her nails as this is getting rather ridiculous to deal with. "no? Okay, fine Hotaru's at the inn having a drink."
Raiga coughed into his fist.
What kind of asshole just go take a drink while his team was fighting for their lives saving people?!
"Hey, you there, sunglasses! Can you do me a favor? Go fetch Makoto would you?"
"ok", Shino gives him an okay sign.
)))))several minutes later)))))
Hearing the footsteps from behind him, Raiga turned to the source of the footsteps dramatically with Hanabi tucked under his arms.
"Makoto Hotaru, I have your WAIT RANMARU HOW DID YOU GET CAUGHT???!!!!"
Ranmaru just smiles sheepishly as he was tied up and brought here with a bayonet dagger over his throat.
"Well well, Kurosuki Raiga isn't it? You're such an irrelevant filler character that I barely remembered you."
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(((Hotaru)))
I'll be honest here that I literally didn't remember about Raiga until this very moment.
What is he? The Sundowner of this arc? Now I have to ask Ranmaru if he had touched his inner child.
"I see.", Kurenai nods in understanding. "You said that you went for a drink but in actuality you are ahead of us and has captured a hostage of your own to counter Raiga's own kidnapping."
"see, I told you that Hotaru has everything handled.", Hanabi adds.
"As expected of the Idiot Savant. His genius is beyond my calculation.", Shino further add.
"wuhh", meanwhile, Akamaru are peeing toward a pole.
"They had warned me that you are a master of unconventional strategies.", Raiga glared at me warily. "to think you had outsmarted me before I had even made my move!"
"Outsmart? There is no outsmarting here. I literally found Ranmaru here by sheer coincidence.", I gestured to the kid.
"Lies! No one is that lucky!"
"Look, can we just release both of our hostages and have a decent talk?", I cut off Ranmarus bunding and push him forward. "here, I'll give him back to you."
Ranmaru then runs over to Raiga.
"Stop Ranmaru! This is a trap!", Raiga panically backstepped away from Ranmaru.
"but Raiga! Hotaru is being honest!", Ranmaru tries to convince him.
"Nah, its totally a trap."
"Hah! I knew it-!!",
WUSHH CRK CRK CRK
Then, a massive bipedal crocodile jumped out of the ocean and landed by the port. The big wave it caused sweep over our spot, washing away everyone!
Kurenai then exclaimed. "look at the size of that! Its over 10 meters tall and it has a giant sword made out of corals!"
Raiga then proudly declares as he stood on top of the roof with both Hanabi and Ranmaru tucked under his arms.
"Behold! Chimeric Beast Crog! One of our state of the art project under the Akatsuki!"
Many more Chimeras emerged from the sea as Crog decimates the town with each swing of its massive coral sword and blasts of Suiton.
"Now, Makoto, here's the deal! Defeat Crog before the Chimeras destroyed this whole town or we will kill the hostages! And we didn't just mean this girl too!", Raiga tilted his head to the left, gesturing toward Hanabi which he tucked under his left arm while implying to the other hostage they have in possession, Ai.
"Oh Raiga, just you wait. I'm going to bury you."
"A human wants to bury me, the Youkai of Funerals?", he grinned as he jumps away from the carnage. "Please! I would like to see that!"
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(((Narrator)))
"Makoto, you have to deal with the huge chimera! We'll handle the rest!"
Kurenai then lead her remaining squad members to take out the other emerging chimeras, leaving Hotaru behind to deal with the boss chimera.
Dammit! Its like the world is bending over backwards to reenact Metal Gear Rising! Why the hell am I Raiden now?!!
BASH
Crog swung down its towering sword, however it failed to cleave through Hotaru. He weaves his handseals with great speed.
[Raiton: White Death]
A dozen white rats made out of Lightning spread around the chimera. Then, Hotaru summon out HF Yamato Mark 7, the latest blade which Naruto had made that had improved the sword durability even further.
Fancy iaido wouldn't do much this time.
[Yamato: Chokuto Mode]
Yamato is forged in the shape of a katana, a curved bladed sword. The curve allows a smoother drawing motion as well as aids in edge alignment to cut smoother and better.
But you don't really need curve to cut better with a HF blade.
Considering the thick scales of the bipedal crocodile, rather than relying on fancy iai moves it is better to just fight it head on with a straight blade. Though Hotaru wished he can choose shoot missiles at it and be done with it.
Upon engaging the Chokuto Mode, Yamato edge realign itself into a straight blade form. This is made possible through Naruto breakthrough in Fuinjutsu, allowing the blade to change form to an extent so that Hotaru can change the sword form according to his needs.
[Raiton Burst]
Ripping off Mana Burst from the fate series, Hotaru burst Lightning Chakra throughout his body to augment his physical prowess. It is something that is basic to any ninjas with their chakra but Hotaru has to adapt many things to be used with his Lightning Chakra.
The result was Hotaru using Electromagnetic bursts to augment his own body movement, using precise magnetism control across the steel threads weaved into his clothes as well as the steel-plated boots and gauntlets.
KRAKK
The paved road cracks as the seer force of Hotaru's steps shatters the bricks beneath his foot.
Hotaru's muscle and skeletal structure has already surpassed most kids his age. If you put him into a fight without chakra, Hotaru's body conceals enough muscle strength to beat a pro muscle builder in arm wrestling. Now aided with electromagnetism through Raiton Burst, his pure physical prowess is borderline Low Jounin now.
The only person that can match him in pure strength within their age group would be Rock Lee, but that will be a story of another day.
Crog sent another sweep with its sword, smashing way the buildings in its way. Hotaru kawarimi with one of his Rats, deftly avoiding from become meat paste. Crow sweeps over and over again, clearing the obstacles around it, in which Hotaru simply Kawarimi to get out of its path of destruction. When it's done, the once previous section of a town turned into a field littered with chunks of bricks and woods.
*whistle*
Hearing Hotaru's whistles, it turn and send a powerful thrust toward Hotaru. However, Hotaru choose to not dodge this time. He simply raise Yamato: Chokuto and,
DANGGG
Shockwave explodes as the tips of two swords, one slender, one massive collided against one another. Crog was shocked. A puny human with his pointy little stick had stopped his sword without much of a fuss. Crater and cracks had formed under Hotaru's feet, showing how much force that he had withstood.
"huh, so that's how Nero did that stunt. Neat.", Hotaru commented and then he push his sword forward, sending Crog stumbling back.
"GRUUAHHHHHHH!!!", the massive beast roar, insulted that he was pushed back by a tiny human! A child at that! It raise its sword hard and swung it down with all his might!
Hotaru, confident with his own strength boosted with Raiton Burst receives the strike with his own blade.
GAAANGGGG
The coral sword is full of chakra, which allow it to not being cut through by HF Yamato like butter. However, sparks flares between the edge of HF Yamato and the coral sword as Yamato grinds against the coral like a chainsaw grinding against a steel pole.
"RULE OF NATURE!!"
At the moment, the Rule of Nature song blares in Hotaru's head as the situation is pretty much a reenactment of the cutscene from the MGR game. He yell out that one line of the lyrics as he shove the towering sword up and Crog once again stumbles back.
Then, Hotaru jumps up, intending to cut through the giant chimera.
However, Crog roars and unleash a blasting surge of chakra.
"Fuck! Phase 2 already?! I wanted to skip this shit!", Hotaru complains as the tempest of the chakra surge sent him flying.
Crog, a chimera that combines the DNA of a crocodile and a human in order to give it bipedalism as well as opposable thumbs has also has the DNA of an Isobu clan member spliced into its gene. This means it has the power of the Coral Release Kekkei Genkai of the Isobu clan. Though primitive, Crog is capable of using rudimentary Ninjutsu.
And thus, through instinct Crog molded its chakra into crude sword constructs and fire it toward the airborne Hotaru.
"Fuck! It's the missiles hopping QTE!"
Hotaru activates his unnamed Doujutsu and First Tomoe: Trajectory Projection show him the path of every single of the sword missiles. With controlled limited flight through electromagnetism, he guided his fall and landed on the nearest sword missile.
Then, he hop to one sword to another as he approached Crog.
Realizing that the human child is hopping across his sword missiles, Crog choose the sensible option and spammed even more sword missiles. But it proves to be a waste of energy as Hotaru deftly hopped across the missiles.
[Second Tomoe: Critical Flaw]
The second tomoe revolves within his blue iris, highlight the critical flaw of Crog's scale structure. HF Yamato hums as its vibration reach its maximum output, risky as it may break the blade integrity, so Hotaru.must use this in the span of 3 seconds or he risk the blade to break.
[Yamato: Shinso Mode]
Taking inspiration from Ichimaru Gin's Zanpakuto, this is the third configuration of HF Yamato. While it's nowhere near the capability of Shinso's 100 swords' length extension, it does capable to extend its blade up to 10 meters by ejecting out iron dust from the seal storage within the hilt, which is then held by electromagnetism into the shape of extremely long blade.
"Gooaaaahhhh!!!", Crog bellows a defying roar! It raise its sword in defiance.
But it is futile.
With a single downward swing, Yamato: Shinso cut through the coral sword's Critical Flaw and cleave Crogs in two from head to groin. The smell of burned flesh fills the air as each as Crog's halved of a body slowly slides away from one another.
The hum of Yamato's vibration dimmed down and it returned back to its default Katana Mode. Then, Hotaru quickly raced from his landing spot and stabbed into Crog's heart, which in the 8 Gates is the location of the Gate of Death.
HF Yamato Mark 7 alongside with its sister sword, HF Kusanagi is claimed by Naruto to be his masterpiece. Annoyed that his friends keeps breaking their swords, he designed the blades with Fuinjutsu arrays based on his observation of Kubikiribocho.
Both blade is made to be used by Raiton masters of the highest degree, but the most important function of the blades was not the form change enchantment.
The most important function of it is its self-repair and improvement capabilities.
By stabbing the blade into the heart the location of Gate of Death, the sister blades can absorb the iron within blood to restore the damage sustained by the blade, and by absorbing the enemies chakra with it, the blades can grow stronger and perhaps gained evolutionary upgrade. The reason why it must be stabbed to the heart in order to for it to absorb blood and chakra was because the heart is the last part of the body where chakra will fades upon clinical death. The last remnant of chakra will pool into the Gate of Death, producing the most pure chakra in both volume and density.
It has a low chance of doing so, but if they're lucky, the blades may be able to absorb unique chakra natures and develop new Modes to transform into.
Alas, Hotaru is not a lucky kid. It would be too convenient if he got a Coral Mode for his HG Yamato just by killing a random chimera with Coral Release.
For now, he'll have to settle with just a slight improvement to the blade's durability.
"Steve Jobs was right. Lazy people makes the best works.", he compliments Naruto's laziness over remaking new swords for them. This masterpiece of his was made through sheer spite and laziness.. Naruto just doesn't want to forge swords anymore. He has better things to do, like eating ramen.
Hotaru just sat as he waits Yamato to absorb the blood while chakra still remains in the heart. He could use some extra iron dust so he may as well just wait for Yamato to stock up.
))))))))))))))))))
The plan is going smoothly.
Raiga arrived at the train station and boarded the train heading for Iron Country.
It's been fun doing funerals in the Hot Spring Country but it's time for them to head out for another project.
[AN: man I should've checked the map before writing this. A port in Fire would not had a ship that can sail to Snow in just a week. So the Port Town in this section of the arc is situated in Hot Spring. I don't know where did Isaribi filler happened, but Sound was next door to Hot Spring so the Amachi's Lab location make sense and I don't really give a shit about Sakura's Offscreen Adventures to be canon accurate anyway.]
Meanwhile, Hanabi feels her mood to be even more sour as she is tied up and face her estranged cousin.
"Really Neji? You're doing all of this terrorist nonsense for revenge over a kiddy fight you have with Hotaru?"
"Kiddy fight?! Look at what he did to me!"
"You have six bio-mechanic arms that performs even better than your original and you can choose to turn off your artificial sensory function in your arms so that you won't be interrupted by pain. Seriously, I see this as an upgrade."
Neji swing his arms in frustration.
"What do you know, Hanabi?! You only got enslaved for a few weeks but I am enslaved my entire life! And I have only one thing going for me. That I am the son that Hiashi wished he had sired! The real talented one, born to his slave brother! That is the only pride I have over the old man and Hotaru took that away from me. And then, he had the gall to murder the old man and get away with it! He took everything I had, even my revenge! So if that makes me petty then yes Hanabi! I am being very petty right now!"
Hanabi just look at him with tired disgust.
"Hotaru was right. You are a drama queen. Even Cersei is not as cringe as you."
"Her name is Chiharu, Hanabi! Chiharu! You've been hanging around with that street rat for too long! You even picked up his weird nicknames habit!"
"Hotaru only give nicknames to people he hates. Or just doesn't give a crap about. Or doesn't respect. Anyone who he has zero positive views really."
"Exactly!"
"Yea, I heard. Your name is Sam now. You know what? Neji is dead to me. You are now just some rando named Sam.", Hanabi dismissed him and she leans her back to the train wall.
"Arghhh!!!"
"oi.", Raiga gestured to the figure chasing after them from afar. "Wow, this train might be slow (150 km/h currently) but the kid is pretty fast. And he's gaining on us."
Sam then sit on a wooden box and adjust his pose to look as casual and oh, I don't care coz I am so superior than you as possible.
Hanabi just scoffed over her cringy brother-cousin. Their dads are identical twins, born from the same embryo that split in two. Technically, genetically speaking Sam is her half-brother.
Wait.
Their moms are identical twins too. This means their mother side of the genome is also pretty much the same.
This basically means that genetically speaking, Sam is her full-blooded brother.
Man, this shit is weird. Hanabi decides she'll just wait for Hotaru to kick his ass.
Meanwhile, Hotaru is being very annoyed over the crap he's having today. Already he's cursing in his heart over the shitty reenactment of MGR plot that's being enforced into this fanfic he found himself stuck in. He just can't catch a break isn't he?
With one final hop, Hotaru jumps to the air and landed on the train.
The train is full with rogue nins, employed by the Akatsuki to tire him out.
Which isn't much. Naruto had yet to invent a machinegun so Hotaru has to rely on good ol Ninjutsu tricks.
[Raiton: Shuriken Kaiten]
Hotaru unsealed hundred of Shuriken and weaved a combination of 10 handseals. The shuriken levitates around him through the programmed Electromagnetism casted through the jutsu and began to spin like hundreds of blender blades surrounding Hotaru, swirling around him like a swarm of death.
Then, Hotaru just run through all the rogue nins, sending everyone and everything on his way to be grinded into dust or meat paste. This is why Hotaru wear a full waterproofed raincoat and a mask before he casted this Jutsu. For 20seconds, this B rank Jutsu turns Hotaru into a walking comet with trail of blood and gore for a comettail.
As Hotaru arrived to the open compartment Raiga and Neji stood on, the jutsu effect ended and hundreds of Shuriken shoots toward them as Hotaru hurled it toward them with electromagnetism.
"Fancy trick!", Raiga then swing Kiba and send a blast of Lightning. "But you're not the only one that knows how to use Electromagnetism!"
The force of electromagnetism between those two collides, the spinning swarm of shurikens hovers uselessly between them.
"Please.", Hotaru replied coldly. "You think Electromagnetism is your ally. But, you are merely adapted to the Fundamental Force. I was born in it. Molded by it. While you chuckleheads learn to use it to do levitation party tricks…"
Hotaru then grabbed the invisible fundamental force, latching his own to Raiga's electromagnetic field and bind it unnaturally.
"I had already learn how to use it like the extension of my own limbs!!"
He then pull back Kiba's electromagnetic field and released it like stretched rubber. The shurikens shoot through the train compartment with the force of a machinegun, punching holes across the floor.
The only reason Raiga was alive was because Neji had pulled a Fuuton: Kaiten at the last minute.
Hotaru dropped down to the floor, facing the two middle ranked Akatsuki members.
"Where's Hanabi, Sam?"
"Oh her?", then, a huge bird was summoned at the front car of the train. It has the Rinnegan eyes, indicating it is one of Pain's summon. "My cousin will be taking a flight.", Neji replies.
"Is that so?", Hotaru crossed his arms. "So Raiga, before you're going, are you going to give me a speech about how war is going to boost the economy or something?"
Raiga just looks at Hotaru, confused.
"Err… not really. I'm more passionate about funerals."
"Great."
"It is great! My people used to be gods, lesser they maybe and they preside over funerals! I love digging and burying people, damnit! Do you even understand how special a funeral is? It is your last chance to see your loved ones before they are buried into the ground and rot! Eaten by worms and fungus! I despise wars, damnit! It is messy and often desecrates the sacred bodies of humans! Too many have I seen bodies rotting in the open, denied proper burial! They either get rid of them in mass graves or burn them down in a big pile! Funerals is supposed to be a beautiful ending to be a relationship, not getting rid of dead bodies like a pile of trash! Everyone deserves a beautiful funeral! Flowers, carved coffin, melancholic songs and a crowd of well dressed guests! People cries and mourn for you as you are buried with love and care! I love funerals so much damn it!"
At the end of his passionate impromptu speech over the importance of funerals, Raiga panted for air. Neji just looks at him, questioning his sanity. Maybe he should request a change of partner later.
CLAP CLAP CLAP
Hotaru claps unironically. "Wow, that is something. Now shoo, go ride Big Bird. I'm gonna settle the score with Sam here."
Raiga just shrugs. "oh, cool. Neji, see you later."
Neji just scoffed as Raiga runs to the front and hop on Big Bird.
"So Sam, nice pairs of arms. Where did you get it? Asking for a friend.", Hotaru draws our HF Yamato, the blade hums as it begins to vibrate.
"Enough talk, Makoto let's get this over with! Your fate today is death!"
Bionic Arms armed with Wind Chakra vs HF Blade.
Jetstream Neji versus Dick-ripper Hotaru.
The clash of fate begins.
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(((AN)))
I realized shortly after that Raiga would fit better as Sundowner with his whole funeral fetish thing as well as actually being a dual wilder. Kiba is also sort of a HF Blade despite not designed for that intentionally. Man glad I randomly thought about using Ranmaru as a fill in. I didn't even remember he was involved with Raiga.