Chapter 49: Metal Ningen Rising: Rematch
Part 2: M O T I V A T I O N A L * S P E E C H
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(((Narrator)))
Hyuuga Neji should've died at the end of Sasuke Retrieval arc.
That is the thought that goes in Hotaru's mind as his sword clashed against Jetstream Neji's Asura Arms.
He had survived the ordeal and for what? In Shippuden, his only achievement was he had become Jounin when Naruto returned from his training trip and he helped out with the Gaara retrieval mission. And that's pretty much it. Next thing you know Neji just died as a conveniently tragic dead character at the final battle.
What a waste of a plot.
GANG
DUN DUN DUN
KLAKANG
FWINGGG
Regardless of what potential Neji had, Hotaru had sent him to the worse path. Now Neji stood infront of him as an enemy, all because Hotaru had decided to cripple him out of a whim.
DANG
HF blade meet blade of wind, protruded from Neji's arms. The HF blade grinds against the shard blade of wind, sparks burst from contact like the breath of a dragon.
"Why are you hesitating, Makoto!"
"Hesitating what?!"
Neji shoved forward, unleashing the blade of wind as tempest. It send Hotaru flying to the back car, and so he stabbed his blade to the roof of the train car to stop himself from falling off the train.
Then, Hotaru rolled to his side, evading Neji's diving palm strike. Hotaru poised the blade in thrusting stance and,
[Yamato: Shinso Mode]
Blade of iron dust extend forward at lightning speed. Neji crossed his arms, blocking the blade. However the force of Shinso extension is strong enough to knock him off the train.
Neji then transform a pair of his bionic arms into air thrusters and fly back on top of the train. He continues to fight with his remaining four arms, using the thrust of his thrusters to maneuver himself in odd patterns.
[Yamato: Chokuto Mode]
Choosing the stable form of Yamato: Chokuto, he parries each strikes of Neji's Fuuton Jyuken. However the combination of four arms and thrusters-aided maneuverability, Hotaru's Raiju Reflex is barely keeping up with Neji.
"JYUKEN: 64 Palms!"
Here it comes!
64 Palm strikes unleashed in the span of five seconds. The sound of its strikes is more like gunshots rather than punches. However, aided with his previous memories of observing the move before, Raiju Reflex and Autonomous Response parry each one of them.
Except the final stike that was changed at the last minute.
"Gahhkkk!!"
Hotaru was flung backward as the final strike thats supposed to be a stab to the heart is instead changed to Gale Palm.
Hotaru hastily stood up.on the open view car, looking up to Neji sneering at him on top of the next car.
"You are a fraud, Makoto Hotaru. Once I know you are just relying on your reflex to move your body automatically, all I need to do is keep randomizing my combos. You, a street rat who only rise to the elite class from luck does not deserve power!"
Neji then points 20 fingers to Hotaru.
"Jyuken: Air Bullet Barrage!"
Countless wind bullets shot from Neji's fingertips punched through the train like a machinegun. Activating his Doujutsu, Hotaru observed all the air bullets trajectory a d evaded them all accordingly.
Hotaru summoned a clone out of his Pocket Watch subspace and immediately dispel it, recovering his chakra. The cat's out of the bag now. Even if using Doujutsu drains a lot of chakra, he needs to use it in order to keep up with Neji especially with his invisible wind attacks.
"Blue Sharingan? You have a Doujutsu?!! Arghhhh!!! Jyuken: Kamaitachi!"
Neji swung down his arms and released four crescent blade of wind. It cleaved through the train and Hotaru hopped to the roof front car. Neji then fly and landed on the same train car.
"Again you receive gifts you did not deserve! Where did you get that Blue Sharingan?! What powers are contained in those Tomoes?!"
"Well,", Hotaru shrugs. "As it turns out, a Moon Goddess has her hots for me."
"Impossible! Kaguya has already blessed rhe Uchiha and Hyuuga! She has no reason to bless a street rat like you!"
"welp, I got it from the Blue Moon Goddess. You go asked her why then."
Neji looks like he had short-circuited. It seems like he had got so pissed off that his hot rage wire just snapped and he just enter a cold rage mode instead.
"Makoto Hotaru, always with the sarcasm. Always with the jokes no one ever gets. Why does someone as arrogant and ungrateful like is so blessed? You, who are a lazy bastard! You, who have no real motivation! You, a mere civilianborn destined to be under my foot! This is not FAIR!!"
Motherfucker... Just when I started to feel bad for you.
Hotaru scoffed. "Please, Mr Elite Bitch Slave. You may be enslaved but you have never been made to do even some menial tasks. All you have to do is just grow strong and protect your sister-cousins."
Hotaru eyes grews dimmed. Unconsciously, Neji stepped back. Somewhere in his heart, he felt a tingle of suspicion.
Makoto Hotaru had changed the dynamic between us.
"Hyuuga Neji. You, who is honored as the greatest Hyuuga prodigy. You, who Hiashi protected from having your talents suppressed by the Elders. You, who despite all your yap about being branded, had never suffer the pain of having your brain cooked by the damned Caged Bird Seal. Neji, neji, neji..."
Hotaru glares at him with pure venom.
"You don't get to play the scorned victim card. Compared to me you're a fucking nobility. Literally."
[Raiton Burst]
[Time Alter: Square Accel]
[First Tomoe: Trajectory Projection]
[Second Tomoe: Critical Flaw]
Combining the four distinct skillset together, Hotaru replicated this overpowered state of heightened power and focus,
[Conjuction Skill: Raiden Blade mode]
Muscles torn, ligaments snapped, eyes bloodshot and eardrum bursted. Blood trickle down his nostril and his heart felt like it is about to exploded from the sheer pressure of pumping so much blood.
In the span of 1.2353 seconds, Makoto Hotaru become the embodiment of Lightning Speed itself and delivers 100 slashes that slice and dices all of Neji's six arms.
Fuck, I almost died!
Refusing to let his state of near death to show, Hotaru used his control over his brainwaves to forcefully maintain his stance steady. His back remains strong in Neji's view, who is kneeled down to the floor, unable to comprehend what just happened.
"W-What the hell are you, Makoto Hotaru?!!"
Without looking back, Hotaru stylishly sheath back HF Yamato.
"A Dark Slayer."
"what???"
"Whatever. Doesn't matter. Now, Sam.", Hotaru steathlily wiped his bloody nose away. Wouldn't look menacing if uiunhave nosebleed afterall.
Hotaru then turns to him, maintaining the facade of a powerful warrior that had barely used 1% of his power when actually he had almost died from going 100% and beyond
"Its true, I am lazy. I have no motivation. I have no ambition. My only reason to live is just sheer spite for people like you. I refuse to let whiny brats like you get a win over me. Had you leave me alone, I wouldn't care to do anything against you."
Hotaru then step forward. His steps slow but steady, wreathed in power as sparks of electricy emits from him.
"But fucking Hyuuga Bitch Slave always has to put down others. Make sure other losers stays beneath him because his ego can't deal that he got shafted to the Branch just because his daddy is unlucky. UwU, my uncle brand me a slave and my daddy commits suicide! Oh poor me~~. Bitch please. Grow up. You didn't suffer even a fraction of the Orphanage childhood program."
Neji glared at him. He grits his teeth so hard that it cracked
"It is only Fate and Karma that you rats are born into that hellhole! You think I didn't know?! Hah! Karma, Makoto! It is because your past lives has been ugly and pathetic that you are reborn into that hellish environment! You deserve your pain and sufferings just like every loser brats in that Orphanage!"
Hearing that, Hotaru lose any semblance of sympathy left for Neji.
"You really are pathetic, Sa... No, you dont even deserve the name of that great man. You are a pathetic worm who can only see value in yourself by putting others down beneath you. You know why I will never call you Neji?"
"Ptuihh!!", Neji spat. "I don't know and I don't care! I don't want to hear my name uttered by your filthy mouth!"
Hotaru sighed. "Are you still going to fight me? I am tired of this, Bitch Slave. You mock me over not having real motivation but how about you? What is your motivation?"
Neji spat again. "My motivation is to take you down from your pedestal! You are an affront to the village hierarchy. If you have dignity then maybe I could begrudgingly accepts you but I will never accept a pornmonger like you into the ranks of Konoha's elite! You are born a rat! That destiny of yours will never change!"
"Is that so?", Hotaru doesn't even had hate in him for Neji. This Neji had just turned into such a caricature of obsessive believer of predetermined fate that Hotaru couldn't see him as a person even as he tried to do so. "Well Neji, you are mistaken. I do have motivation."
"Hah!", he spat. "What?".
Hotaru looks the horizon over the west. The sun has begin to set, illuminating the vast rice fields which the rain now traveling through with golden light. Hotaru had thought, it sure is a romantic setting to die right now.
"As I said, I live to spite people like you. Assholes that go after my fam just to get to me. I'm fine with being insulted. I'm fine with being disliked. But getting my fam involved just to rile me up? Well?"
Hotaru grins with mad murder in his eyes.
"I am pretty damned motivated now."
Bitch Slave grunted. Before he can even reply-!
CHAKK
"Ughh... Ngghhh..."
Neji coughed out blood. His eyes shook in fear. Never had he thought...
That Hotaru will actually stabbed him in the heart in cold blood.
"Hyuuga Bitch Slave. You are a caricature of a character from a B-rate anime. One that has his plot squandered and denied the dignity of an honorable death. Your existence disgraced the real Hyuuga Neji. You know, I was even humoring to have a heart to heart with you, you know? But nah~"
Neji's body slumped to the floor as HF Yamato greedily drinks in his blood.
"Fuck you. I rather have Shisui play the Jetstream Sam role. At least he has a better MOTIVATION than you. I can't believe I take you seriously. I almost said sorry to you! Fuck!"
Hotaru then stumbled to the floor, no longer needing to play the facade of an invincible warrior.
However he looks directly at us. And smiled cheekily.
"What? You think this arc will actually follow the whole MGR plot to the letter? Pfftt."
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(((Hotaru)))
Man, I'm being stupid again. As if there's actually people reading this shitty fanfic. For all I know the readers are reading Sakura's Offscreen Adventures and having a blast with Awesome Sakura.
DING
Oh, Yamato had finished absorbing Bitch Slave's blood..i wonder if I get lucky this time.
I observe the flat of the blade and there's some letters written with iron dust that says
[New Mode Unlocked. Bayonet Mode]
Oh neat!
Meanwhile, I see that Neji's seal on his forehead does its job and destroyed his Byakugan. Dem thing just popped like grapes pressed between fingers. Its pretty disgusting.
Then poof. His corpse is gone. I guess they had keep track of his vital signature and had summon back his body back to base. Fuck!
I forgot to destroy his brain!
Bitch Slave is so gonna come back with an even more improved cyborg body isn't it?! I beat him afterall! Role wise he technically taken Raiden role when he lose this fight. I even cut his hands off!
Fuck fuckety fuck! I don't want to deal with Bitch Slave anymore damnit! He's already annoying enough with that Fuuton Jyuken thing and now you're telling me he's gonna come back stronger?!
Fuck!
Anyway, lets just eat for now.
"Urghhh"
I can feel my muscles reknit as I sit on this bloody floor. Part of my slow Self-Evolve process involves slowly making my healing rate faster. I can brute force myself to regenerate but I dont have the biology finesse of Tsunade to pull it off. I will just go Akira if I try to brute force my body to regenerate. So all I can do is slowly teach my cells to divide faster when I am injured.
In exchange though, I had to become a glutton. Need a lot of nutrients and energy to heal fast afterall.
I summon out a rifle and latched Yamato: Bayonet to its slot. Then, I take aim.
A Fuinjutsu circle appear infront of me and it become somesort of a magical scope. I can zoom over to observe the scratches on a pebble over 4 km away. It also has X-Ray function. Then, I can adjust the scope into a bird eye camera rhat observe me from above with the rifle being the epicenter. It seems like the radius of the bird eye view mode is 300 meters. I wonder if the radius can be improved.
Muahaha! Sasuga Self-Evolving sword! Naruto is a genius! I now have the power of Byakugan installed as a rifle scope! Muahaha!
Now, if I can just get this sword to develop a soul, I can go bankai and stuff. Now thats a cool idea.
For now, lets keep eating. Once I can move, I'll reach a port and take a ship to Snow.
Why do I feel like I forgot something?
))))))))))))))))
"Where is Makoto?!!", Kurenai exclaimed as they realized Hotaru had long been gone from the town.
Kiba just slumped on the ground butt naked. He's too tired after transforming into a werewolf and kills most of the chimeras.
Shino just... Shino.
))))))))))))))))))))
"Nah, if I don't remember it, it's probably not important."
By the way, why do I feel like the rice fields here looks eeriely dreadful?
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(((Somewhere in Rice Country)))
"So that Neji boy has been killed by Makoto. It seems like I had won the bet."
"Sure sure whatever. Take the damn money, Oro~chin!"
Deep in the rice fields, lies the secret lab in where Sasori and Orochimaru pool their resources in developing some collaborative projects. One of which being Metal Ningen.
Pain wanted to name them Zetsu and even gave them his own design, but the duo rejected it. No sir, we are not making your weird aloe-veraman. Go make one yourself.
"By the way, how much does Daimyo Kazahana had bought our units?", Orochimaru asked as he runs diagnostic on Neji's body.
"Over 5000 and increasing. Kazahana has big plans.", Sasori replies to him.
"Is that so?"
"Yes. After I tinker with our wonder boy here, I will be going there. I had lost a bet to Shisui sometime ago and now he wants me to participates in his stupid theater play."
"Really? You, the hikkokomori? The one member who never gone outside since... 5 years ago?"
Sasori (Not his real body) scoffed. "I'll send a puppet body, obviously. The outside world has too many germs. Besides, I want to test out a prototype against The Raiju."
Orochimaru smirked. Ever sjnce he had left Konoha and joined Akatsuki, he had felt liberated. No longer does he needs to conduct useless experiments for the village.
Now, he can focus to his true passion, researching life itself. He wants to see if he can create a sentient being by his own hands.
And if he can screw over Konoha in the process, that's a bonus.
"Remarkable.", Sasori commented. "the modification to the Caged Bird Seal which Pain had done to Neji had perfectly preserves his brain fully intact. This enchantment work is remarkable. I never seen the Stasis Seal works properly on a living vessel."
"I see.", Orochimaru mused. "This means a great deal for our valuable assets. As long as their brain is not destroyed, we can summon back their bodies and transfer their brain to another body."
"Yes!", Sasori fist pumped excitedly! "This way, we can finally make big improvement to the brain transplant program! Think of the possibility, Orochimaru! Now we can transfer more people to other bodies safely! Think of how many people with defective bodies we can save!"
Orochimaru chuckles. "I admire your passion for helping people."
"Well of course!", Sasori faced him. "Life is precious, Orochimaru. And it deserves to be preserved eternally. Life is transient. I had always hated that. How many brilliant peole we have lost to the curse of mortality, Orochimaru?"
Orochimaru thought over the people he had lost. His parents, Nawaki, Minato... "I do understand, Sasori. Good and brilliant people has a habit of dying early. Often violently in our great Shinobi World. While scumbags like us keeps on living. The gods are surely cruel in their sense of humor."
Sasori smiles. Well, whatever count as a smile for the silicone face of the puppet body he's currently inhabiting.
"Now there you go.", Orochimaru has successfully transfer Neji's brain into a bio-mechanic container. The container closes and he places the brain into a life-support tube.
"Wakey wakey, Neji.", Sasori urged him awake.
The mechanical eyes attached to the brain container opens, its lens focusing on Sasori and Orochimaru.
"Now Neji, you are currently living as a floating brain in life-support fluid. Sorry about your body, Neji. Makoto had used some sort of weapon that completely drains your chakra and ruined your chakra network. We can't overhaul that body anymore. Now, Sasori and I has a great news for you!"
Sasori then presents 2 different bodies, with top of their skull open.
"Neji! On the right is our prototype Metal Ningen body. It is the union of machine and flesh! You will surpass the limits of your old body and achieve perfection!"
Then, Orochimaru presents the other body.
"On your left is my Homunculus vessel! This body is carefully curated by me personally from embryo to fully grown! 100% organic! I can even do you a favor and customize whatever chakra nature and physical specs you want! Well, my attempt to splice kekkei genkai genes had yet to be stable enough but it is a work in progress. Oh, if you want I can even throw in a chimeric transformation feature! So,"
Orochimaru and Sasori says in unison, "Which one do you want?"
Neji's brain want to scream, but it has no mouth.
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(((AN)))
Neji's bullying shall continue. But hey, he's getting an upgrade. I say he got the better end of the deal really.
And no, I don't actually hate Neji. I was more of not really giving a shit about him. I had no good idea using him as a good guy and it's much more fun to use him as an antagonist instead.
So to any Neji fans out there, sorry lol. I swear this fic isn't bashing Neji.
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(((Corvid's Eclair Random Ideas)))
Scraping by as a Third Rate Freelancer in Nasuverse
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Hi, Soren Ironcraft here.
I am just a third rate son born of a third rate mage family. Well, we are called as a third rate because we're not really a researcher family like the usual mages. Spending generations researching ways to reach the Root? Who gives a shit? We have better shit to be concerned about.
Like our ranch. Those dem cows need to eat some good grasses man.
Yep, here I was when I was 5 years old with my dad and some rando cougar just maul one of our cattles. And I was like,
"Aight, I'll fetch your gun pops."
Then he goes,
"Nah, I'll always carry guns in my Pocket Dimensions."
Then the dude just summon out a hunting rifle out of a portal, take aim and shoot the damn cougar right on its head.
"Oh yea, magic is real, son."
And that was the day I learned that my ancestor over five generations ago learned magecraft just because he was too lazy to carry heavy luggages when he was migrating to America.
Yep, Soren Ironcrad here. Our family magic is Pocket Dimensions! I'm like fucking Doraemon! What a convenient superpower!
If only we actually know other magecraft, like runes or some shit!
Fuck me! I live in a world with with overpowered ghosts, vampire fairies and a fucking literal magical nuke of evil stuff is priming to explode in Japan!
So I have prepared myself for 15 years in preparation for the HGW season 5! I tried to save the world during HGW season 4 but what can a 10 years old with only five years of basic magecraft as well as a lot of guns in his Pocket Dimensions can do in that war?
Well, I killed Ryuunosuke and summoned Caster, which I then just bring Caster back to Kansas coz fuck that shit I'm not ready! I summoned a rather useless Caster that's only good to tutor me actual magic, so I give up on doing anything meaningful for Season 4 and just go back to Kansas and prep myself properly for the next ten years.
My fucking E rank gacha luck! I swear!
Now, I am 20 years old, at my physical prime. I have great amount of Magic Circuits. Fuck do I know why I got so much of the good stuff that I can sustain a Servant without a Grail backing as long as I hijack into a Leyline. Maybe it's because I am a soul from an alien universe. Gaia did seems to try to kill me if she got even a whiff of my scent. I got some powerful Mystic Codes that Caster made and if needs be, with the combination of my Foreigner physical prowess, Caster buff magic, combat experience against all the bullshit that Gaia chucked at me to get me killed while I worked as a Freelancer, some decent magical knowledge and a pair of Mystic Eyes, i think I'm pretty good to go.
Plus, this time we have Emiya fucking Shero. Yes I know I'm spelling it wrong. Its intentional. With that Eroge Protag on my side, all I need to do is just keep the stupid kid away from his Dead Ends and he'll deal with the rest!
Now I am in Fuyuki, Japan. There's 2 weeks left before HGW5 begins in canon and I am at the peak of my magical might for the month.
"Alright Caster! Let's do this!"
"Please be a great drop! Please be a great drop! Soren! Be great! We depend on you as the catalyst now!"
Sucks to be Frelancers that's constantly in the red. Whatever money we got was spent to pay our debts. Can't even hire a rhief to steal some relic at the museum. I tried okay. I am still wanted in New York for stealing an artifact and it's not even real!
Me with my constant money problems. Tried to invest in some stocks I knew from Metaknowledge. Counter Force countered me and bankrupted Apple, Google and apparently killed the founder of PornHub just to get me to stay poor.
Tho it was hilarious seeing EMIYA having to assasinate the founder of PornHub just because apparently me being rich by investing for the website will be the end of humanity.
Man do I get fined by the Clock Tower a lot too. We barely managed to scrape enough funds to make Mystic Codes.
Fucking E rank luck man. Nope, I'm pretty sure its Z rank. Zero luck.
With no money to get relics for catalyst, the only thing we can do is just rely on my personality to summon a servant.
Man, what kind of servant who will resonate to a goofy guy thats also a sociopath?
I did the ritual, poof! The magic circle puffed into smoke as the circles I drawn with some paint I stole from hardwar store got burned out by the magical energy.
Then, a figure came out from the smoke.
"Servant Assasin has answered your call. I ask you, are you my Master?"
I can only stare at the shortstack of a servant I had just summoned.
I don't know if my luck is E rank or EX rank. I guess its just a matter of perspective.
I then kneeled infront of Assasin like a dude thats about to propose to his girlfriend.
"Okita-san! I love you! Please marry me!"
"Stupid Master!!!", Caster slaps me at the back of my head. "Your abyssmal luck has doomed us all!"
Okita, shocked over her sudden marriage proposal then cough out blood.
Yep, its Okita alright.
Well, if we lost the War and I die, at least I achieved my dream to be together with my best Fate waifu.
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(((AN)))
This isn't a preview for a new fic. I already have myself full with my 3 titles for now. Currently I am focussing on SAANIN to finish Metal Ningen Rising arc.
Man do Hobo on Orario is crying from neglect. I was just a bit stumped over how to finish the Far East arc over there. Once I got to Final Playthrough saga, it should be able to written smoothly.
Drifting Legacy was at least stopped at a good spot. I will continue it after I am done with Nobody and Hobo.
Why am I talking about my other fics here? Pretty sure most people here just read this for SAANIN.
Anyway, if I ever got around to actually make a Fate fic, this is pretty much the premise.
Being hunted by Gaia because his soul is Foreign to Nasuverse, having abysmal luck and haunted by debts, fines and rent and having no fancy magecraft other than hey, he's a fucking Doraemon. He's pretty much a dollar store Gil, with Poverty A instead of Golden Rule A. Soren Ironcrad does not has a good time in the Nasuverse. To keep his family safe, he stays away from the ranch and work as a Freelancer coz if he gonna live his whole life being hunted down by Beasts of Gaia he may as well just make a living out of it.
But hey, at least he finally got Okita his Number 1 Fate Waifu.
Well this AN had gone long enuff when its not even about Naruto. See y'all next chap.