"That lava armor should be weakened by either lighting or water techniques. This is an unfortunate situation for you, boy."
"Yeah, no shit, furball!"
Naruto leapt through the air once more, barreling through branches and brush, barely dodging the pillar of lava that came launching through the earth. The temperature that risen exponentially ever since Rōshi transformed and revealed he could call forth lava from the Earth's core.
For the most part, the battle been a constant back and forth. Each jinchūriki had shown just how truly powerful they could be.
The lava armor that Rōshi could cover himself with proved to be formidable. It was able to completely protect him from a Rasenshuriken that hit with direct impact. And not even Tojin could cut through it. Naruto was worried that prolonged exposure to the lava would damage the sword.
Then the real lava came. From below. Naruto had never seen or felt such heat.
The heat was unbearable. It felt like Naruto was fighting the lava's heat more than Rōshi himself. The dehydration would kill him eventually, if his body overheating and succumbing to pure exhaustion didn't do a good enough job.
My lightning affinity still hasn't worked for me, and I know the most basic water jutsu. It wouldn't even touch this lava. Besides, I need fucking a water source to preform it!
"Then I suggest we figure something out before your body gives out. And I'd say that time is rapidly approaching." Despite the beast's calm demeanor, the Kyūbi was determined to come up with a solution to somehow quell this extreme heat and dire situation.
No need to tell me that!
Naruto dodged yet another lava attack. He watched as the trees burned and the wildlife melt away. Slowly burning away in the fiery liquid. The heavily wooded valley Naruto retreated into was quickly becoming a barren wasteland from hell.
"This was smart of you. Pulling our enemy away from the camp as to keep the others out of harms way."
I was just trying to escape the lava! Really didn't have the others in mind at the time!
Naruto summoned a shadow clone that threw him high in the air. At the height of his ascension, he could see the entire valley. He had somehow come to the base of a mountain. And to buy himself some more time to figure out how to stop the approaching lava, Naruto was going to scale the mountain as fast as he could.
Half the forest was gone, melted away by the molten earth. So much nature that had stood for probably hundreds of years were wiped out in the blink of an eye. One man's power was changing the landscape. A ruthless man that didn't care.
A different kind of man.
Why would he lay waste to the land like this? His homeland. All for the capture of Fū?
Naruto could only wonder as he reached the peak of the mountain.
"Oh shit…"
Naruto could only stare in disbelief at the bright, orange lava as it continued to engulf the green forest. And standing on a lone floating platform was the man behind this destruction. Everything around him was on fire, he remained unfazed.
I gotta cool this valley down. I can't fight him like this.
"You're going to need a lot of water for that, boy."
Even if I had the talent to use a highly powerful water jutsu, I don't think I could create that much water. I need something massive.
Naruto smirked. He may not be able to generate the water himself, but he knew something that could. He just hoped he could pull off the jutsu to bring them here.
Simultaneously drawing blood from both of his thumbs, Naruto slammed his hands on ground. Large summoning symbols appeared around him, signifying the massive scale of this summoning.
"Sanjū Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" (Triple Summoning Jutsu)
Utterly massive plums of bright, white smoke covered the peaks of the mountain range. Three equally sized creatures appeared on the mountains, two of which were hanging off like they were climbing a rope. Three toads towered over the valley, casting a single shadow that covered the sun.
Gamabunta, Gamaken, and Gamahiro, the three commanders of the Toad Army of Mount Myōboku.
"Naruto! What's the deal with summoning me in sticky situations like this?! You know toads hate the heat!"
"Mount Myōboku is the most humid place I've been. Get over it, Chief. I need your and other's help."
Gamahiro looked around. From his height and position, he could see for hundreds of miles. "Where are we, Naruto? Why is there such much lava?"
Naruto pointed out towards the middle of the lava ocean. "He's why. Rōshi, jinchūriki of the Four-Tailed Bijū."
"Rōshi?" That name sounded familiar to Gamabunta. "I remember him. He was big trouble back in the Third Great War. One of the few shinobi with a flee on sight order because of his cruelty to his opponents and fellow shinobi. I believe he was the one person Jiraiya refused to fight."
"If Master Jiraiya had reservations about fight this man, then we should too." Gamaken was never one to welcome a fight.
"You aren't fighting him. I am." Naruto was determined to see this fight to the end. And he didn't want any help with it. "But I need you three to cool down this lava."
"How do you expect us to do that?" Gamahiro questioned.
"I need you guys to use water jutsus to cool this all down." As if that was the simplest thing in the world, given the situation.
"Naruto that's insane!" Gamabunta was quick to reprimand. "Cooling down this much lava would take a tremendous amount of water. And even if we could generate that much, it would turn this valley into a large boiling bowl. Lava is the hottest natural substance in the world. Throwing water on it isn't enough."
"We gotta do something, Chief! I can't fight this guy in lava, he has the complete advantage. Besides that, all this lava will completely destroy this place. We can't let that happen."
Gamabunta looked up at the Chūnin atop his head, as much as he could. "Since when do you care about nature like that?"
"Grandpa Sage always said that being a Sage comes with the responsibility for nature. You become one with it, per say."
The three toads nodded. It was a common teaching from their leader, Fukasaku. He had instilled the same lesson into all members of the grand army.
Gamabunta sighed, blowing out a strong plum of smoke from his pipe. "Even if we could create that much water, we would need another cooling element. And something to stop it from advancing any further. How strong can you make wind technique of yours?"
"The Rasenshuriken?"
"Nah. The other one."
"Oh. I'm not really sure. I've never had to use it like this before. But I'll pump as much chakra into it as I can if you think it'll help, Chief."
"It's the only thing I can think of." Truthfully, Gamabunta didn't think this would work at all. "Ken, Hiro, you'll use a constant stream to cool the surface while I'll fire heavier blasts to break deeper. Naruto, you'll generate as much wind as you can into the cracks. If all goes well, which it probably won't, but regardless, we should be able to, at least, cool it down enough so that your earth walls can keep it contained. Understood?"
Naruto nodded. "Yeah, I got it." He took a deep breath. He had never fought off a natural substance like this before. This would be interesting. "Ready, you three?"
"I suppose so." Gamaken had little faith in the plan but would execute regardless.
"This is a better time than hanging around the mountain! Let's do it!"
Both Gamahiro and Gamaken leapt high into the air and fired round after round of large water bullets. Each bullet of water contained enough water to fill an entire lake. The first few bullets instantly evaporated into steam as they hit the lava. But with each condensed lake bullet, the surface cooled more and more.
"Tajū Kage Bushin no Jutsu!"
Simultaneously, a dozen clones appeared at the base of the lava. Each one had the monumental task of halting this molten earth in its tracks. Like a loud thunderclap, the squad of clones slammed their hands on the warm earth.
"Doton: Doryūkei!"
Multiple rock walls erupted from below, creating a single piece that stretched the entire length of the lava ocean that had come from the earth. The walls clashed with molten, holding for the time being.
Steam that covered the entire valley cloaked even the three massive toads. Gamaken and Gamahiro continuously shot water into the lava. Gamabunta gave one final push with a constant stream of highly pressurized water that shot through the lava surface and into the ground below.
This is it!
"Fūton: Daitoppa!" (Wind Style: Great Breakthrough)
Usually a quite simple technique, Naruto pushed it to the max. He channeled as much chakra into the jutsu as he could, making the winds that were expelled from his mouth that much more powerful.
The winds hit the lava and more steam bellowed high in the sky. The lava was cooling, even just a little. Hopefully this was all enough to stop the destruction.
Naruto let out the suspenseful breath he had been holding in when he saw the lava being stopped by the mile long mud wall his clones created. Even if their idea to cool down the lava didn't work, it was still a success. There was now just a giant lava ocean in this valley.
So much nature lost.
Ever since his senjutsu training, Naruto held a better appreciation for nature. The wildlife helped his mediation. It helped keep him calm when it was difficult to concentrate. And seeing so much nature destroyed saddened him.
Underneath the blanket of the heavy fog of steam, Rōshi was hiding. Naruto waited in the open for his opponent to come to him. But he never came.
There was shift. Something powerful emerged.
Oh shit.
Roaring like a mighty beast, a four tailed monster rose from the lava. The red fur was as bright as the lava beneath its feet. It's four tentacle like tails whipped back and forth, ready to show off unimaginable strength.
The Four Tailed Beast had appeared.
"So…this is the Four Tails…"
"Watch out, kid!"
Gamabunta wasted no time. The large toad landed directly on top of the equally sized ape, trying to win the battle before it really even started. He drew his tanto and went for the killing blow.
But the Yonbi's strength was unmatched. The Bijū quickly pushed Gamabunta off before any attack could be done.
Gamaken and Gamahiro attacked in tandem, complementing each other's fighting style with their weapons. Gamahiro tried to stab the Yonbi with his dual swords while Gamaken continued to try to keep the Yonbi trapped in his sasumata.
But the Yonbi's experience far exceeded theirs.
The Yonbi redirected Gamaken's attack and took ahold of his sasumata. His tentacle tail came around and pulled the magenta-colored toad off his hind legs. Before a killing below could be struck, Gamaken saved his brother with his swords.
"I don't think so, ya monkey!"
Dueling like titans, the Yonbi and Gamaken fought with fury. When the weapons clashed, the sparks could create wildfires.
"On your left, Hiro!"
The Chief Toad came in for a diving slash, only for the Yonbi to dodge and kick the toad away once more.
"Bring down the house!"
Gamaken jumped high into the air and used his body as a falling object. He wanted to use his large form to trap the Bijū underneath him so that Gamahiro or Gamabunta could come in for the quick strike.
But the Yonbi stabbed Gamaken's own weapon into his throat and shoved him into the ground.
"I always hated frogs."
With a quick hilt turn, Gamaken's neck had been snapped. Death was near instant.
"NO!"
Gamahiro screamed as he jumped in, wasting no time to avenge his brother. Their dual continued on.
"Gamaken!" Gamabunta could hardly believe it. Despite his demeanor, Gamaken was the strongest and fiercest fighter they had in the Grand Toad Army. "You're gonna pay for that, you oversized ape!"
"Chief! Throw me as high as you can!" Naruto shouted, jumping onto the toad's large, webbed hand.
"On it!"
Once at the pinnacle of his air travel, Naruto created dozens of shadow clones. And each one manifested a Rasengan in each. Then, as the dozens of clones fell back to the earth, the spheres began to double in size.
"Ōdama Rasen Tarengan!" (Giant Rasengan Barrage)
The entire area was covered, leaving no room for an escape. The Yonbi was in for a world of hurt.
But chakra began to gather at the Yonbi's open mouth. It was gearing up to fire the most destructive attack known to man.
The Bijūdama.
Shit!
From his own experience with the attack, Naruto could see that the ball wasn't fully charged up. Which meant that it wasn't meant to be a killing blow. But it still hurt more than anything when the explosion hit him and his clones. It knocked him completely unconscious.
Naruto free fell from the clouds, flailing like a rag doll through the air.
"Hang on kid!"
The Yonbi jumped before Gamabunta could and swallowed the Kyūbi's jinchūriki whole.
"Naruto!"
Gaara's cry for him was the last thing he heard as Naruto fell deeper into the belly of the beast.
Flying on a mound of sand with Fū accompanying him, Gaara led dozens of shinobi to the battle to aid Naruto. But it appeared they arrived too late.
Summoning as much as he could, Gaara was able to grab ahold of the Yonbi. This allowed others to come in with chains and other capturing abilities to completely immobilize the Yonbi. In a matter of seconds, the Four Tailed Beast had been rendered stop by the Gateway Joint Task Force.
"Not bad, Kazekage. Your sand techniques aren't something to laugh at." Genma stared hard at the captured beast. "What do you think we should do now?"
"We have to get Naruto out of there!" Ino shouted. "He'll die in there!"
"And time is against us." Sai stated. "I can only imagine how quickly a Bijū digests their food."
"Lord Kazekage, how long can you keep that thing held down?" Shikamaru questioned.
"As long as I need to do that Naruto can be returned safely."
"Good. Hopefully we can make this thing throw up before it's too late." Shikamaru needed a sure-fire way to get this thing to up chuck Naruto. "Hinata, Neji, can you see if Naruto has hit the stomach yet?"
The two Hyūga's nodded. Activating their Byakugan, they could see inside the Yonbi and could see that Naruto had not yet reached the stomach. In fact, he hadn't been swallowed yet.
"He's still in the Bijū's mouth. He's just laying there." Hinata answered worriedly.
Neji examined closer. "He's still unconscious from what I can tell. And his chakra is active, like its agitated."
"Agitated?" Genma questioned.
"Yes sir."
"Well, what the hell does that mean?"
"They're talking."
The group openly gawked at the young teal haired girl, unsure if she was being serious or not. By the look on Fū's face, she was not.
"Talking?"
"Yup. Like a couple of pals."
"And how would you know this?" Genma questioned.
"Because I'm a jinchūriki too, remember?" Fū was never one to beat around the bush.
"But that still doesn't make sense." Neji pointed out. "How could you know they are having a conversation just by that? And Naruto's unconscious."
Fū watched intently. She may know exactly how but she knew it. And, for some reason, she didn't like it. "I just know. It's a jinchūriki thing, kay?"
Looking on, everyone could only hope that Naruto would be okay.
-With Naruto-
What is this place?
He could feel his hands clench then unclench. He had control over himself but could not see himself move. He couldn't see anything. It was pure darkness. Was this what death felt like?
Yet whatever this place was felt familiar to a degree.
It's like when I visit the fox in my head.
"'Bout time you show up, human."
The booming voice somehow illuminated the area. Naruto covered his eyes from the blinding light, waiting for them to adjust. Once adjusted, he was greeted to the Four Tailed Beast in its full form.
"Holy shit…"
He felt like an ant does when it sees a boot.
The first thing Naruto noticed was that there were no chains or gate holding the ape Bijū back. Did that mean it was completely in control or simply there was no seal anymore?
"Sure, don't look like his jinchūriki, but I can definitely sense Kurama inside you."
Kurama…That's his name.
Unsure of the reasons of how he ended up here, Naruto had no response. He felt like he was stuck between a rock and a hard place. He had no idea if he should try and run or full-on assault the beast.
"Have you nothing to say, human?! I brought you here for a good talk and you say nothing?!"
That certainly gave him the confidence to respond, while it was a passing moment of curiosity. But his moment of hesitation caused the beast to uproar more.
The Yonbi smirked, showing off its mighty fangs. "Typical human to fear for his life in the face of the mighty King of the Sage Monkeys! Too afraid to even utter a single word! Humans are too weak a fragile to even comprehend the power of a tailed beast!"
"Shut the fuck up already!"
Naruto's outburst made the Yonbi stop. The beast looked at the young man with curious eyes. Taking a moment, the Yonbi could see no fear in Naruto. Only a cold stare and burning fury just beneath it.
Is this human not afraid?
"Where the hell am I and why am I here?"
"Human, how are you not afraid of my presence?"
Naruto glared at the beast. "I've been around your kind all my life. I am not the little boy I used to be. Your power doesn't intimidate me like it used to."
"What changed that, human?"
"When I fought the Two-Tails. I witnessed the unchecked destruction first hand. And I beat it."
"…You beat Matatabi?"
That word jolted the memories of his fight with Yugito, towards the end of the battle. She muttered the beast's name. And he that had questioned the Kyūbi about his, followed by an outrage.
"…Yeah. I beat Matatabi. Then the Akatsuki took her."
The King of the Sage Monkeys up roared in ear drum smashing laughter. The humor was lost on Naruto. Was it the fact he beat a tailed beast or that the Akatsuki kidnapped Yugito?
"You're more responsible for the Bijū captures than Rōshi is!"
Naruto could only stare in confusion. "What…are you talking about?"
"Son Gokū! Enough!"
The jinchūriki of the Yonbi leapt from an unknown position, landing directly in front of the jinchūriki of the Kyūbi. The two stared each other down, waiting for the other to make the first move.
"Where the hell are we?"
"In my mind. This is where I and Son Gokū meet."
"Son Gokū? The Four Tails?"
Rōshi chuckled. "Don't you know your beast's name? My goodness, you're worse than I used to be." His hard stare returned. "But not anymore."
"What are you talking about? Why am I here?"
"I wanted to have a little chat with you about all this." Rōshi sat down on the surface of the water. He motioned for Naruto to do the same, which he did after some consideration.
There were some distant rumblings that echoed through the mind scape. It was faint but it sounded like Gamabunta to Naruto. He was grunting and screaming about something, but it was too faint to fully understand what was being said.
"The ones outside are trying to break the boy free." Son Gokū could feel his mouth being pulled open. "I'd suggest you hurry this up, Rōshi."
"Go distract them, Son." The elder jinchūriki ordered. "You're a damn Bijū. Show them what that means."
The King Ape smiled, bearing his fangs. "With pleasure."
The monstrous red ape slowly faded away, completely disappearing. The rumbling voices faded as well.
"There we are." Rōshi sighed. "Peace and quiet."
"If you hurt any of them…"
"Relax. I said distract, not kill."
"What the hell is going on?"
"Remember what I said earlier, about wishing for a different life, what would you really want for yourself if you change it all?"
Naruto paused for a moment, considering how to answer. "It's odd for me to answer something like that. I've never really thought about it much. Like I said, it's not my thing to sit and think about stuff like that."
Rōshi snickered. "C'mon, there has to be one thing you wish you could change."
His mind flashed images of his relationship with Sakura. Everything from their first encounter underneath that bridge when they were kids to that fateful day when everything turned into a nightmare. If he could change anything about his life, it would be that moment.
If he still had Sakura by his side…
"Yeah. One thing."
"I can give that to you. I can give you, and everyone else, everything they've ever wanted, even from their wildest dreams."
Naruto's stare turned into confusion. "How?"
"You need to give me the girl, and eventually, turn yourself over to the Akatsuki."
"You aren't taking her." Naruto's voice was fierce and adamant. He would fight to keep Fū safe from anyone who wanted to do her harm.
It was funny. They had barely known each other, had only just recently met, but Naruto felt such a connection to the girl. Her innocence was a bright light into his dark void. Her acceptance of her jinchūriki status was something he silently believed was true. He protected everyone, even if they didn't see it that way.
"And how does turning myself into the Akatsuki help anything? Those bastards want the Bijū for their own twisted ideas. We should be fighting them together."
Rōshi scoffed. "Says the boy that is responsible for three jinchūriki captures. You failed to save the One Tails and you beat Yugito and Han, making them easy prey for the Akatsuki. Now, who's really the enemy here?"
"Hey! I saved Gaara!" Naruto jumped to his feet. "And we're at war with Kumo and Iwa! Who else was gonna fight them?!"
"You didn't stop them from extracting the beast from his body! You are more likely to cause a capture then the Akatsuki are to do it themselves! Yet you stand here saying we should band together to fight the Akatsuki. Where's the logic in that, boy?!"
"I…" Naruto realized that Rōshi was right. He had been responsible for their capture and deaths, even though indirectly. He had not thought of it that way. "I didn't think…"
"You weren't thinking. That's the problem with you. You aren't thinking about the big picture." Rōshi stood up. "You're just some immature kid who doesn't consider the ramifications of something as big as defeating a jinchūriki. I bet you have wondered why is it we jinchūriki end up fighting each other. Right?"
Naruto's silence gave him the answer he already knew.
"Jinchūriki are drawn to each other because the beasts are drawn to each other. No matter when, where, or how, they find each other. And, eventually, a fight will happen. It's just how they are. It's just like stupid fucking humans."
Rōshi pulled off his Iwagakure headband and stared at it. "Generations of lives have fought and died over the power that we have in us, simply because they want it. Greed is the baseline problem we have as humans. Next comes jealousy. Jealousy causes humans to act on those greed and selfish thoughts. Thus, the line of jinchūriki was born. I was born."
A possible similarity, Naruto's assumption could only be answered if he spoke it. "You aren't originally from Iwagakure, are you?"
Seemingly impressed, Rōshi smirked. "I see where your mind was but not exactly. No, actually it's a bit more…complicated than that."
"What's more complicated than being taken from where you were born for the sole purpose of being a jinchūriki?"
"…Being created for it."
Stunned in silence, Naruto couldn't believe what he heard. Rōshi was created solely to be the jinchūriki?
"Forty something years ago, the Third Tsuchikage ordered the creation of a special division of research and development. It was headed by a man named Amado Sanzu, a technological genius for his time. With Iwagakure backing him with the funds to do so, Amado gathered information and data from all over the world and he was able to synthesize the genes for the perfect host for a Tailed Beast."
Naruto could see where this tale was going. "The perfect host…"
"I was the perfect jinchūriki. Whatever the order was, I carried it out question. The golden boy. Ōnoki adored me. Gave me everything I wanted so long as I continued to do what he wanted. Paraded me around like I was the savior of the world. Everything about me was perfect, down to the last-minute details." Reminded of better times, Rōshi held a soft smile. But, as quickly as it came, the smile vanished. "Until it wasn't. The prodigal son's fall from grace, as it were."
"…What happened?"
"I learned the truth about me, about my birth…or creation, I should say. I figured out that I was made in a lab. All the years of questioning who my parents and why I was left alone were finally answered. I had no parents. A dying woman donated her embryo to Amado and he altered it to the point there was no original DNA left. Somehow, Amado had created artificial sperm from all that research and data he collected and put the two together. Frankly, I couldn't tell you where all my genes come from. I just have a little bit of everything." The man chuckled darkly. "Moments after my 'birth', Son Gokū was sealed into me without problem. I was lied to. I was just some fucking jailer they bred for their own needs."
Rōshi tossed his headband aside, denouncing his village. "I was his monster no longer. When I learned that I was a jinchūriki and suddenly everything made sense to me. That's why I was so beloved and cherished. It was because I was their deterrent and nothing more. I rejected the idea because I felt that it wasn't right to label someone like that. Ōnoki didn't agree. And like a switch, the beloved prodigal son became the disgraced street rat. The friends I loved…the family I created…they all abandoned me. I was tossed aside without a second thought. Their perfect creation was left in the dust…all because he learned what he really was and didn't like it."
Naruto slowly processed Rōshi's story and allowed it to completely sink into his mind.
His sole purpose for being created was to be the perfect example of what a jinchūriki should be, in the Great Nations' definition of the term. A mindless weapon that could devastate entire nations at moments notice. He had no mother. No father. Only the village he was created by. Then only to be cast aside when he disagreed with his given purpose.
It infuriated Naruto to no end.
"It is the fate of a jinchūriki to be casted out. To be hated. Loathed. It always ends the same. It happened to me. It happened to Han. And it will happen to you, if it hasn't happened already."
Perspective. It seemed like a matter of perspective to Naruto. Had it happened already? Obviously, the village hated him. But there were those he still valued and trusted, despite his efforts not to. Would they cast him out? Would those who he valued as friends begin to hate him? Do they already hate him for what he had done?
And when this war comes finally to an end, what will happen then? In the eyes of the villagers and the powers at be, his usefulness only stretches so far past the conflict. Would they cast him out? Or keep him around for emergencies like another war?
But none of those outcomes mattered at the moment, Naruto could dwell on that later. Rōshi's story did little to shed light on what he really was doing here.
"What does all that have to do with Fū? She's innocent in all this."
"I agree with you. The girl is innocent, probably the most innocent of us all jinchūriki."
"Then why hunt her?!"
Rōshi chuckled. "Someone as young as you can't think as far ahead like I can. I'm trying to do this so that it's easier for future generations. This cycle cannot continue."
Cycle? That certainly was familiar to Naruto. His master always talked about the cycle of hatred and how it needed to be stopped. But Jiraiya had no idea how to deal with it. This couldn't be the same thing, could it?
"Cycle? What do you mean?"
"The cycle of a Jinchūriki. It needs to end. And it ends with you."
Ends with me? How does it end with me?
"You look confused." Rōshi chuckled again. "For someone who constantly fights the Akatsuki, you really don't know much about them. The Bijū have to be sealed inside their construct in numerical order. First the One-Tail, then the Two-Tails and so on and so forth. Eventually ending with you, the Nine Tails. You will be the last one captured."
Naruto quickly made the connection back to the Land of Waves when he and Yugito fought. Sakura told him that the Akatsuki had specific orders not to capture him, even though he was unconscious and could be easily taken.
But then why did Itachi come after me when back when I was a kid?
Yet another mystery for the Uchiha killer.
But Naruto's base question still hadn't been answered.
"Why are you trying to take Fū? If they have to be extracted and sealed in order, we should be hiding her! Why are you trying to capture her?!"
That's when Rōshi lowered his voice and got serious. He had laid the groundwork for this exact moment. "Because…the Akatsuki want me to bring her in."
Naruto's eyes widened as he felt his stomach hit the floor. Rōshi was working for the Akatsuki?! A jinchūriki was trying to capture other jinchūriki?!
"You're working for those Akatsuki bastards?! What the hell is the matter with you?!" Naruto was irate with rage. He just couldn't fathom this being reality. "They're trying to kill us and you wanna help them!"
"I'm not helping them. I have my own goal to achieve with this." Rōshi was calm and cold as ice as Naruto screamed in his face.
"What goal could be worth the lives of the other jinchūriki?! Are you fucking crazy?!"
"No. I'm just ahead of the curve. I'm trying to save countless more lives from living this horrible life."
"By sending the others to die?!"
"Are you one to judge me?!" Rōshi began to scream back. "You failed to rescue the One-Tail, then were the reason behind the Two-Tails' capture! And your village couldn't stop them from taking Han! You're more responsible for their captures than I am!"
Full of rage, Naruto lunged at Rōshi. But the Yonbi jinchūriki easily countered and threw his opponent on the ground.
"How could work for the Akatsuki?! They want us all to be dead! They want the Bijū for their own twisted plans!" Despite his position, Naruto's anger did not fade.
"I know what they want, and I don't care what they have planned! Everything leads back to peace! But nothing is worse than being branded a jinchūriki! It's a death sentence to the person and everyone around them! Especially for you!"
Everything leads back to peace?
Breathing heavily from his rage filled yelling, Naruto was confused. "What are you talking about?"
"Think about it, you'll be the last one standing. They can't come after you until the other eight are sealed away. And do you really think your village will let you just be captured?"
Rōshi towered over Naruto's body.
"You're fighting to watch everyone around you die!"
The realization hit Naruto hard.
"You'll outlast every single person you have ever loved and cared about! The Akatsuki will rip them apart while you are helpless to stop them! You'll fight while you can, but you'll never beat them all. I tried to fight it at first. But look at me now!"
The look in Rōshi's eyes were as if he was pleading with Naruto to understand what he was doing was for the greater good. The validation and help from another jinchūriki would ultimately solidify the completion of his mission. His journey.
"Just stop fighting it…it'll make things so much easier. When your time comes, be the one that ends the suffering. Be our end."
Stop fighting it? How could he? This was something Naruto had to fight. It was something to fight for. Whatever the Akatsuki had planned could not be for the greater good. And Rōshi hunting down the remaining jinchūriki only solidified Naruto's desire to keep fighting. He refused to become anything like him.
He could see how Rōshi turned out this way, bitter and angry. It wasn't too far off from his own personal experiences. Like he used to say, one more bad day.
But Naruto still had people around him. He knew, no matter what, Kakashi would never truly abandon him like Rōshi was abandoned. He knew Tsunade would always love him, despite what things he had done or what he thought of himself. He knew Sasuke would never truly betray him and go completely against him.
Sakura…
Naruto would never stop fighting. Even if Rōshi did.
"…ruto…"
That voice.
"Naruto…"
There it was again.
"Naruto!"
Ino came charging from the darkness that surrounded them, slamming her body into Rōshi to get him off Naruto. Swiftly, Ino grabbed Naruto's hand and pulled him into the darkness and ran.
"Ino?! How'd you get in here?!"
"Mind Transfer!" Ino shouted, trying to keep her concentration. She hoped she was going the right way back to the threshold. "Just when I entered your mind before!"
"Where are we going?!" Naruto began to pull his hand away, but Ino held tight.
"Don't let go! We have to stay connected for me to stay! We're making our way back to the threshold! It's how we're both going to wake up and not get lost in this place!" Ino could feel the Yonbi's mind beginning to force her out. "Not good! Running out of time!"
Naruto gripped Ino's hand tighter. He could feel her trembling. She was terrified. Focusing on it, he could feel her fear. And there was a great deal of it.
Ino felt the threshold was close. She was so close to getting out that it trumped her fear of failing.
"Get ready to jump!"
"Say what?!"
"Now!"
Launching off whatever it was they were running on, Naruto followed Ino's lead and leapt into the empty void.
The free fall was odd. Nothing could be seen. There was no rushing wind that howled. But Naruto knew he was falling. It was like that sensation when you fall in a dream.
And just like that sensation, Naruto's body fidgeted and shot straight up. He was still inside the mouth of Son Gokū. Then everything violently shook, thrashing Naruto around.
What the hell was going on?
The thrashing continued on, making it difficult for Naruto to gain some bearing. He could hear Gamabunta yelling for the Yonbi to stop and spit Naruto out.
They're still fighting. I gotta get outta here.
Forcefully trying to pry the beast's mouth open, Naruto mustered up all the strength he could to pull the teeth apart. He couldn't get an inch.
Damn it. If I could get in Sage Mode, I could rip his teeth out. But there's no way I'd be able to stay still long enough with the way he's moving around. Man, I really need to figure out a way to have senjutsu saved up for situations like this.
Another earthquake level shake had Naruto bouncing around like pinball. He needed to get free before he was accidentally swallowed.
"Man, if I had a nickel for every time I've been stuck in a giant animal's mouth…"
Naruto instantly recalled how he escaped from the belly of that massive snake in the Forest of Death during the Chūnin Exams. How could he have forgotten?
"Tajū Kage Bushin no Jutsu!"
Clones by the hundreds filled the Yonbi's mouth. The thrashing stopped, as did the Yonbi's running. Puking out hundreds of clones was a very interesting thing to see from Sai and Ino's position on the ink owl in the sky.
"Well, that's…disgusting." Ino shuttered.
"An effective way to free himself. Maybe a waste of chakra." Sai continued to draw his next attack. "Find the real Naruto and we'll fly in and grab him before the Bijū can."
"Right!" Ino scanned the hundreds of clones. Hoping that the real Naruto would make himself known. "There's just too many, and they're not disappearing!"
"Look out below! I'm bringing down the house!"
An enormous shadow appeared over them. Gamabunta leapt high into the air and came down with the strength of an earthquake. Sai commanded his bird to evade mere seconds before being squashed underneath the massive belly of the toad.
Gamabunta flattened Son Gokū, landing directly on-top of him and most of Naruto's clones. The chief toad held the Bijū down with all his weight and girth.
"What the hell?!" Ino shouted. "He just smashed Naruto!"
"Wait Ino." Sai had been strangely calm this entire time and it made Ino nervous. Was he always emotionless? "I believe that apart of the plan. Look at how the toad is holding the Bijū down. To me, it seems like he's stalling."
True to Sai's word, Gamabunta was stalling. Forcing all his weight on the Yonbi, Gamabunta trapped the Yonbi underneath him. But the Bijū was strong. It wouldn't be much longer until he would get thrown.
C'mon kid! I'm gonna lose my grip soon!
There was a strong tug on one of his many tongue rings. He was ready.
Smirking, Gamabunta opened his mouth and Naruto jumped out. And he had entered Sage Mode.
"I've had it with you!"
Viciously attacking, Naruto laid a continuous beat down on Son Gokū. With senjutsu fueling his every movement, the attacks sent shockwaves through the air. His punches were so heavy and strong that Ino and Sai could feel them high in the sky.
"Unreal…" Ino was in disbelief of how strong Naruto could. It was scary. "It's hard to believe that someone our age can be this strong."
"It's not a matter of age. He's a jinchūriki. A walking conduit of power from that Bijū sealed inside him. Being a jinchūriki grants unimaginable powers and strength. It's no surprise that they've been sought out in every generation."
"How do you know so much about this, Sai?"
"While under the tutelage of Lord Danzō, he suggested I become familiar with what a jinchūriki was and their history. Little did I know that I would become Naruto's teammate later in life. Perhaps it was planned that way."
The Yonbi had been tossed, crashing into mountains and drudging the landscape. Naruto mustered up all his strength to spin the tailed beast round and round from his tail and throw him as far as he possibly could.
"Naruto just threw that thing?!"
For what felt the first time in his life, Sai was speechless.
"Sai, look! The Bijū is gonna shoot all that lava at Naruto! We gotta get him out of there!"
"Fly down!"
The lava conformed into a massive sphere. As it rolled along the earth, it set aflame to everything in its path. And Naruto remained, determined to stop the devastation.
That is, until, Sai and Ino swooped in and snatched him up before he could do anything.
"Hey! What are you doing?!"
"Saving you from a fiery death." Sai's off putting smile killed whatever humor was meant behind that statement.
"I was gonna stop that from destroying everything!"
"How were you going to do that exactly?" Ino was skeptical but not fully shocked that he was going to attempt that.
"…I would've figured something out."
"Naruto…you can let others help too , y'know? Look." Ino pointed down. Gaara had erected an equally massive sand wall to stop the lava construct while members of the Gateway Task Force used water techniques, in tandem with Gamabunta and Gamahiro, to cool the lava down as quick as they could. "Could you have done that by yourself?"
You're fighting to watch everyone around die!
How could he not have seen it before? Rōshi opened his eyes to the truth about all this. Naruto will be the last jinchūriki standing if the Akatsuki continue this. And then, when they do finally come for him, there will be those who stand in their way. Mainly those who he cares about.
One person already fought and died for him. He wasn't going to allow anyone else to do that.
"…You guys need to get out of here."
Sai's ink owl came to a slow, delicate speed, almost as if they were hovering. The trio had a complete view over the battlefield.
"You can't fight this thing on your own!" Ino was able to find her footing on this somewhat unstable surface. "Quit trying to be some hotshot, Naruto!"
"Ino is right. This is not something you can do yourself. Remember your teachings from Kakashi? Don't abandon your comrades."
Naruto's head sharply turned to Sai. "Where did you…?
Sai was unfazed. "Sakura told me. Have you forgotten her too?"
There was a shift in temperature. The higher altitude brought down the temperature already but now it was even colder. Was it Naruto? Could his emotions channel his raw power as well?
"I understand you under tremendous stress and are going through extensive emotional trauma. I may not know everything about you and your life, and I'm only beginning my journey to rediscover my own emotions, but even I know projecting your anger and sorrow on others is wrong. Don't push those away who only want to help."
Don't push those away who want to help.
It's not about that. No. It was more than that. He wanted help. He so desperately wanted someone to be there with him in this time of his life. He's never felt more alone. Naruto wanted to scream out for help, for someone to pull him out of his hole that only seemed to get deeper the longer he stayed in it.
"…This isn't about me. It's about everyone but me." Naruto faced the edge of the bird, looking down at the far drop to the ground. He could feel the power gathering. The end of this battle was upon them. "…Just go…"
A single step off and Naruto plummeted down, his mind manifesting Tojin as he fell. He landed in front of the garrison and stood between them and the Bijū.
"Naruto!" Gaara exclaimed. Relief washed over the Kazekage. Their victory was within grasp now that they could coordinate attacks.
"Run! Get out of here now!" The atmosphere changed. Power scales and temperatures went haywire. The literal air from their lungs restricted to the point of breathlessness. Positive and negative chakra formed in the the almighty orb known as the Bijūdama.
Rōshi and Son Gōku were going to kill them all.
But Naruto wouldn't let that happen.
"Lord Kazekage!" A Suna jōnin called out. "We need to get the forces out of here! That thing will kill us all!"
"Begin the retreat to the F.O.B! I'll hold off the blast for as long as I can!" Gaara began to gather as much as as he possibly could, drawing from his large gourd and the sand beneath his feet.
"Fall back! Get to safety!"
"We're not gonna make it!"
"Just run!"
The army of shinobi ran as fast as they could in the opposite direction, hoping to their god that they would make it out alive.
Shikamaru stayed momentarily, analyzing the situation. Ino and Sai flew above, they would be safe up there but seemed to have no intention of leaving. Hinata jumped back with Kiba and Neji, they were staying as well.
"I'm with you, Naruto!"
"As am I!" Genma stood next to his fellow commander! "I won't leave men behind!"
Shikamaru felt the need to stay. He couldn't leave the others. None of them.
We're all with you, Naruto.
The blast had reached its full potential, nearly equaling the size of the Yonbi.
"What's your plan here, boy?"
Naruto didn't say anything. He was practically out of any option he had. He reached into his back pouch for his last resort.
"Your ability in that is subpar, boy. Besides, it's impossible to completely seal away a fully powered Bijūdama. It only to truly best it is to match it or redirect it. And I've only seen the Fourth do that. The Kyūbi grunted. "And don't even think about that Rasenshuriken. There's nothing in your arsenal that will do anything against this."
"Then give me something, damn it! I'm not letting anyone else die!"
The Kyūbi was silent, contemplating his next words. It would be a risky move. "Boy…there is only one thing that'll save them all. But it'll come a high cost to you."
"Don't care! What is it?!"
The Kyūbi momentarily regretted speaking up. This may be a too high of price for his container to pay. But there truly was no other way any of them would survive a full powered Bijūdama. No amount of sand shields or Rasenshurikens would stop it from blowing them all to hell.
"Tojin…Tri Beam formation!"
The living sword jumped out of Naruto's hand and nine shadows appeared with it, making the total ten swords floating in the air above Naruto. Three triangles were made from the nine, leaving the original in the center. Tojin began to radiate immense power.
"What the hell is going on?!"
"Generate your chakra and let Tojin draw from it! We're going to need everything we have!"
"Right!"
Naruto slammed his hands together and began to generate as much energy as he could. His own power was so immense that his chakra became visible and radiated around him like a roaring blue flame.
From each triangle formation, massive amounts of energy began to spark and ignite. Blinding light shined, causing all who stayed to cover their eyes.
"Shining…"
The power began to grow higher and higher, shaking the ground.
"Nova…"
Son Gokū's Bijūdama was fully powered and ready to detonate. He could feel the power surge coming from Naruto and could only feel the excitement that this would bring.
Gaara put up as thick of a sand shield he could muster up and pulled everyone into it, trying to shield them from the ensuing chaos.
Fū could only look on as the sand encased around them. A deep feeling of support for Naruto began to rise up inside her.
"Blast!"
Energy joined into one massive beam of powerful light and fired as a constant flow to match the destructive force of a Bijūdama. The two clashed in a power struggle that shook the Earth violently.
What the hell is this?!
"This is Tojin's full power! Rivals my own power!"
Naruto could hardly believe that this sword held this kind of power. He never truly believed that Tojin held as much power as the Kyūbi said.
But, here it was, clashing with a Bijūdama. And holding it back from killing them all.
"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"
Naruto's defiant screams willed him to give me chakra to the blade, increasing the beam's strength.
But he couldn't overcome the blast alone. He could already feel his power being drained faster than ever before. His heart was beating out of his chest, trying to break free from its prison.
Naruto dropped to a knee and the beam's strength dropped with him.
Fuck! I can't keep this up!
"Get up, boy! You're the catalyst for Tojin! You can't fall!"
He could barely see straight. Everything was being drowned out in a blind haze. The only thing that he could feel was his heart working in overdrive.
I can't…let anyone else…
He was fading fast. The darkness of death was overtaking him as the beam all but disappeared and the Bijūdama was before them all.
I'm sorry…Sakura.
Suddenly, there was life in his body once again. Another power entered his body and fueled his dying flame. Senses returned to feel a pair of delicate hands on his back.
Although he knew who it was, he wished for it to be someone else.
"Fū?"
"Come on, foxy! We can beat this thing together!"
Naruto failed to realize the two bug-like wings now attached to Fū's back.
He found himself back on his feet without even realizing it. Fū was giving him the boost that he needed to completely overcome this.
Her chakra was so warm. So inviting. Naruto could have just gave into it and soak in it.
Why was is like this? Was it something to do with her chakra nature? Or even the Bijū inside her? Something about Fū was definitely different from the others.
But what made it different?
"Now boy! Give it everything you got!"
One final push with both their powers broke the blast in half, causing two smaller explosions that were drowned out by the catastrophic beam of light. Naruto and Fū stood firm.
Once the dust settled, there was no Bijū in sight. All that remained was a long, deep trench in the earth.
Drenched in sweat, Naruto fell back to his butt. And Fū followed suit, as if she battled with him the whole time.
"Whoa…" The young girl could only stare in awe. "Did we do that?"
Naruto, too, was amazed by the result of their combined power. "Yeah, I think so." He chuckled.
"That's so cool!"
As the settlement continued to calm and the others exited their shelters, the sun shined down upon them all. Naruto just turned his head away from it.
"How does it feel to fight another jinchūriki?"
"That was really scary…but I think I wanna do it again!"
For the first time in a while, Naruto laughed. And it filled the area with joy. They had won.
Rōshi and Son Gokū had been defeated.
Hope…that's what makes her chakra so warm.