The powers clashed again. Two monumental forces of nature met for battle. Jinchūriki were earth shattering leviathans.
Naruto and Rōshi weren't typical fighters to begin with. Each had developed their own style and abilities that made them dangerous for normal shinobi. Adding the condition of being jinchūriki, they were too powerful for most mortal men.
But just powerful enough for each other.
"Fūton: Rasenshuriken!"
"Yōton: Shakugaryūgan no Jutsu!" (Lava Style: Scorching Rock Jutsu)
Rōshi expelled a massive amount of lava from his mouth, which quickly solidified into one large boulder of molten rock. With tremendous force, the large molten rock was fired towards Naruto and his spiraling shuriken technique.
Expand!
Naruto remotely expanded the Rasenshuriken to match the size of the molten rock boulder. The boulder was cut in half as the jutsu passed right through it, causing molten rock to be thrown everywhere and the immediate area to catch on fire.
Rōshi quickly ignited his body in his Lava Chakra Mode to help defend against the might of the Rasenshuriken. With his chakra mode activated, Rōshi could take the destructive jutsu head on with little injury to him.
And Naruto knew this. So, he sent two Rasenshurikens to try and deal some damage.
"Shit!"
Rōshi braced for the double impact. The vortex of wind doubled in size as both central spheres of the Rasenshurikens detonated simultaneously. Naruto leapt back to take cover from his jutsu's backlash. He quickly created two more clones to mediate.
I'm glad I figured out that clones can transfer senjutsu to me. That's really gonna save my ass in the long run during fights.
It was just earlier in the day, when Naruto was trying to get everyone to safety from the Iwagakure ambush. One of his clones entered Sage Mode to find hidden or injured shinobi. That's the clone that saved Ino. He felt the need to thank her.
"Gah!"
Naruto collapsed to his knees. The pain in his chest was becoming too much to handle. Senjutsu was the only thing that offered complete relief from the depilating agony. But that was going to take some time to gather more, even with his clones doing it for him.
Naruto pulled out the pill bottles the head medic gave him. The pills that Sakura sent to him to take. He struggled with the child-proof lid for a moment. Once the lid was off, three pills went down the hatch. He hated taking pills without water. He knew there would be no immediate relief, but he needed something to take the edge off.
"Gotta take pills to keep up with me?"
Naruto had no time to react. Rōshi hit him with so much force that he flew back through dozens of trees and rocks. He stopped his tumbling by summoning Tojin and stabbing the ground until he halted.
How did he recover so fast?!
Naruto expected to have a few minutes to gather himself before Rōshi recovered, especially since Rōshi took on two Rasenshurikens at point blank range. The wind vortex had millions upon millions of microscopic needles inside the wind blades, and that wasn't doubled. Somehow, Rōshi survived that and recovered in record time.
That new arm must have something to do with it. That's the oddity. He didn't have that before. He seems stronger than last time.
Naruto found the pale white arm somewhat alarming, and not just because of the sickly color. He didn't know if there was a healer, outside of Tsunade, that could attach artificial limbs. Or even create one like that. He had no idea if that was even possible.
The Akatsuki, maybe? We still don't know much about what they can do.
That seemed like the most logical concept. But, according to Rōshi, he was artificially created. Who knew what was possible at this point.
"You're a lot stronger than before." Naruto pulled himself up. "Get a boost from somewhere?"
Rōshi chuckled. "You think I went looking for a handout after our bout? Fat chance!" From the palm of the white arm, a black rod began to protrude to the length of a standard sword. "Just hand over Fū and all this fighting will end!"
"That's a lie and you know it!" Naruto brandished Tojin. "If you think by gathering up all the Tailed Beasts will end war, then you're delusional!" One of his clones released itself, sending all the senjutsu the clone had gathered to the real Naruto. "We aren't backing down! We'll never back down!"
Rōshi jumped fiercely at Naruto and their weapons clashed. Sparks flew wildly with each strike. Whatever that black rod was made of, it was durable enough to not chip or crack against Tojin's blade. Naruto didn't think it would hold up.
Rōshi and Naruto clashed against each other continuously until they locked weapons in a battle of strength.
"I'm the delusional one?!" Rōshi shouted, inches from his opponent's face, pushing with more strength. "You believe yourself to be fighting for a righteous cause! We aren't good guys! We're destroyers! That's all we are!"
"No! That's not all! We don't have to be!" Naruto pushed back. "We all make our choice to be what we want! If we allow ourselves to think ourselves as the same thing they do, then we're no better than the ones condemning us!"
Naruto's chakra flared with his emotions, increasing his senjutsu strength tenfold. Rōshi was losing ground. He simply couldn't match it.
"I'm making the choice to be better!"
One more push and Naruto shattered the black rod, leaving Rōshi completely open. Naruto thrusted his sword into Rōshi, pushing through his body.
Screaming in agony, Rōshi fought through the pain and furiously punched Naruto continuously. Naruto persevered through the flurry of strikes and pinned Rōshi against a burning tree. Another black rob appeared from Rōshi's hand and he stabbed Naruto's shoulder.
Almost instantly, something was wrong. Naruto's body felt hot, and his chakra system became disrupted. The disturbance caused the remaining senjutsu to disperse from Naruto's body, leaving him vulnerable. And there was a sensation of another being inside his body, and it wasn't the Kyūbi. He lost control of his movements and Rōshi capitalized.
"Yōton: Shakugaikōken!" (Lava Style: Scorching Fist)
Rōshi's coated his entire body in lava once more and punched Naruto with extreme force. Not only was it a superpowered punch, but the intense heat also horribly burned Naruto's body.
"AAAHHHH!"
Naruto screamed in complete anguish. The pain was so excruciating he could barely breathe. It felt like the force and heat of the sun's surface hit his chest. Underneath the scorched flesh, Naruto could still feel the presence of another.
What's this...feeling? Do you sense anything...Kurama?
There was no response from the beast. A stone wall of silence.
C'mon you furry bastard! I need your help!
"Remove the rod. Don't lose it."
The simplistic answer that gave Naruto nothing. But, at least, Kurama spoke to him. This had been the longest silence he's had since Naruto was child.
Naruto gripped the black rod as hard as he could and yanked even harder. It didn't budge.
Rōshi jumped on top of his opponent and held him down. He didn't want that rod out. It was debilitating Naruto and allowed Rōshi to have control over this battle.
"It's like I said...it's useless." Rōshi knelt on the burnt chest, Naruto grimaced from the pain. "The Akatsuki will kill anyone that stands in their way. Even now...neither Iwa nor Konoha can stop them."
Naruto stopped struggling. "...What are you talking about?" The way Rōshi was speaking, he was referring to something.
Rōshi smiled sinisterly. "Did you really think I came alone? As much as I protested about doing this myself, I figured why fight it? They were going to come with anyhow. At least, this way, I can watch it sink in for you."
"What did you do?!" Fear began to fill Naruto's mind.
"It's not what I did...it's what I brought with me."
Realization set in. Fū was in danger. The Akatsuki were coming for her.
A call for unrivaled power echoed through the hallowed halls of Naruto's mind, reaching Kurama's ears. The beast did not respond to the call. He contemplated what he should do.
The Bijū was furious. His name had not been spoken in hundreds of years. Only his father had ever called him by his name. He never expected his current jinchūriki to ever learn his name. It was an uncomfortable feeling.
There were so many memories of his father when his name was spoken. Each memory proved just how Kurama missed having his father around. And how long it truly had been since he passed.
"That was my wife! You killed my wife!"
The night he was sealed played like a broken reel. The moment Naruto and his fates became intertwined.
"I'm sealing you inside my son, Nine Tails. That way, you can protect and guide him."
Kurama still couldn't believe he agreed to this. He was the Nine-Tailed Fox demon. Not some guardian angel. He always chuckled at his own gullible nature.
"Take good care of him...just like a father should."
Kurama breathed heavily, flexing the power and heeding the call for strength. "Like a father should, eh?"
The power soared back through the halls and entered the chakra system of the body. Naruto's body surged with an otherworldly energy that healed the burn on his chest in a few seconds.
"What the hell?!"
"GET OFF ME!"
A violent uppercut sent Rōshi airborne, easily clearing the trees. Naruto ripped the black rod out of his shoulder and tossed it aside, noting where it landed. Tojin appeared back in his hand, timing his counter perfectly to Rōshi's falling strike.
Two swords?!
A phantom blade appeared and battled with Naruto against Rōshi's black rod. Rōshi could barely keep up, he continued to backtrack to try and get separation. But Naruto and Tojin were rapidly closing the distance with each step. Rōshi backed himself into a tree. He was cornered.
"Get out of my way!"
The phantom sword pierced Rōshi's side, twisting to inflict more pain. Rōshi blocked Naruto's swinging strike while quickly pulling the phantom sword out of his body. He tossed the blade aside and laid down heavy strikes on Naruto's face. The sword stopped midair and came soaring back to impale Rōshi again.
"Fuck this!"
From his own Tailed Beast, Rōshi's vibrated with power and shoved Naruto back with a shockwave. Rōshi fiercely jumped at Naruto, hoping to catch him off guard. With reaction time Rōshi couldn't counter, Naruto caught Rōshi and slammed him on the ground.
Rōshi summoned another black rod and threw it at Naruto. The Nine-Tails jinchūriki caught the rod and threw right back at Rōshi, hitting his leg. Rōshi quickly gripped the rod to take it out before the disruption happened, but Naruto yanked the arm away. Naruto, then, lifted Rōshi by his throat and slammed his body against the ground.
"Tojin, hold him down!"
Three more phantom swords manifested instantly and pierced into each shoulder and his true arm. Rōshi reached over to pull out one of the swords but his arm was sliced off completely. The arm he gained was quickly taken away.
"You bastard!" Rōshi shouted in agony, now pinned with no way of escaping. "My chakra's disturbed because of this stupid thing!"
"Ain't that a bitch." Towering over Rōshi's immobilized body, Naruto slowly pushed the rod deeper into the leg. Rōshi grunted through the intense pain. "You're gonna stay right here until I'm done killing those two Akatsuki. Then, you and I, we're gonna talk."
The scarlet red eyes of the Kyūbi were far more terrifying than Rōshi anticipated. He remembered the first time he encountered Son Gokū, when he was a teenager, and the fear that filled his body. He had never felt a power like that.
This was that same fear.
"Tojin...make sure he doesn't go anywhere."
The humming of the sword brightened the phantoms' image momentarily. A static net appeared between the hilts and covered Rōshi, doubling down that he could not escape.
"It's useless, Naruto! You're all going to die!"
Rōshi screamed at the top of his lungs until Naruto was out of sight. He slumped back to the ground, unable to move. The crackling of the burnt forest around him was the only break in the deafening silence.
Despair began to fill his soul.
He had failed.
And he just wanted to die.
Your life still has some use, jinchūriki. You are not allowed to die yet.
-Gateway Forces vs. Immortal Duo-
"Hakke Rokujūyon Shō!" (Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms)
Sixty-Four consecutive strikes, that were broken down into six smaller sets, that would completely incapacitate a normal shinobi. But Neji wasn't battling a normal shinobi. This was a member of the Akatsuki. They were the furthest thing from a normal shinobi.
Kakuzu had completely hardened his body with his Doton: Domu (Earth Style: Iron Skin) technique, which flowed his earth natured chakra through his entire body, to nullify the effects of Neji's chakra pointed strikes. It was as if Neji was hitting a rock.
"I've heard about the Hyūga's clan techniques. Your abilities would make a fine addition to my collection."
Neji quickly separated himself from Kakuzu, fearing what might come next if he tried to attack again. Kiba, on the other hand, did not fear. He was confident in his strength.
"Gatsūga!" (Fang over Fang)
Kiba and Akamaru's synchronized rapid body blows were devastating because of their extreme rotation and strong strikes. As a kid, Kiba could shatter rocks and shave off sections of the ground with his technique. Now older, he had no doubt he could break through Kakuzu's hardened body, especially with Akamaru's help.
"Take this, you Akatsuki bastard!"
The tunneling duo hit Kakuzu on either side, trying to meet in the middle of the S-Rank shinobi. But this was the reason why Kakuzu held the highest label of a shinobi. Kiba and Akamaru were putting all their strength into the attack and Kakuzu was just standing there. Unmoving and unaffected.
"Is this the best you have?!"
Something shot out of Kakuzu's back, ripping through his already destroyed Akatsuki robes. The black blob of threads took a monstrous shape with a demonic tiger mask for a face. At the base of the mask's mouth, a small flame appeared.
"Katon: Zukokku!" (Fire Style: Searing Migraine)
"Shit!" Kiba had too much momentum. He wouldn't be able to get out of the way.
Just as the small began to erupt into a maelstrom of fire, a wall of sand quickly rose from the ground to block the firestorm. The sand hardened to the point of glass as the intense flames began to break down the wall. Kiba and Akamaru were yanked back to safety by tentacle sand arms.
"Thanks, Gaara. I owe you one."
"Do not thank me yet." The Kazekage sent multiple sand tethers to different areas, trying to manage everything. "We're still fighting a war. The Akatsuki being here is the last thing we need right now."
"Tell me about it." Genma landed next to his fellow commander. "The forces were able to stall Iwa's advance for the time being. But I'm not sure how long we're going to hold them back. There's just too many of them. They have outnumbered us two to one."
"Has anyone seen Naruto yet?" Gaara questioned.
"Nothing yet, Kazekage." Neji responded. "I haven't been able to locate him."
"Do you think he was captured?"
"I doubt it." Genma responded to Kiba's question. "Iwagakure doesn't have a shinobi that can hold him down. I bet he's taking out the enemy from the rear. That would be the smart thing to do."
"Then what about the second Akatsuki member? Where's he at?"
"Shikamaru's got him with Ino and Sai in support. I guess that was the guy that killed Asuma." Genma answered.
"And according to Commander Kakashi, this one in front of us is responsible for Master Anko's death." Neji had developed a hobby of reading mission reports in his spare time.
These battles were personal to the Konoha shinobi. Gaara felt somewhat odd being a part of it. It didn't matter, though. If the Akatsuki threat was handled, he could care less how personal it was. But his mind was elsewhere. The garrison was still fighting for their lives. As the leader of the entire task force, he felt a responsibility to be there.
It seemed Genma had a similar thought. "Kazekage...you should go assist the others against Iwagakure. They'll need you more than we do."
"Are you sure, commander?"
Genma smirked. "We'll be fine. Just send Naruto our way when you see him. Maybe taking down a couple of Akatsuki bastards will cheer him up."
Gaara felt the same. "Very well. Good luck." The Kazekage swirled some sand together and glided away on the sand cloud to the rest of the garrison.
Kakuzu tore off the tattered Akatsuki cloak, revealing his stitched-up body. "Where is the jinchūriki your harboring? If you release her to us, I'll keep you alive for the bounty turn in."
"Fat chance. You aren't getting anywhere near her." Kiba growled. Akamaru barked in agreement.
"Fū is under our protection. We won't allow the Akatsuki to do as they please." Neji understood that whatever the Akatsuki planned would only doom the world.
"You Konoha shinobi...none of you understand what you're up against. You will all die!"
Genma clenched down on the senbon in his mouth. "It's you who doesn't understand what you're up against! The Akatsuki may be filled with all these powerful shinobi, but none of it matters when going against those with the means to defy the evil cruelty of this world! Our will is greater than yours! If today is our last day, but God damnit, we'll give you hell before we go!"
Unusually fired up, Genma perfectly executed a series of hand seals. "Katon: Homuranagase!" (Fire Style: Flaming Meteors)
Genma created a myriad of small fireballs that he directed at Kakuzu. Another black monstrous black being funneled out of Kakuzu's back, this one with the mask of a demonic, beaked biped.
"Suiton: Suijinheki!" (Water Style: Water Wall)
The demonic peaked biped spat a stream of water from the mouth, which circled Kakuzu and rose to create a wall of water. The perimeter of the waterwall was so vast that all the widespread small fireballs turned to steam when they made contact.
"Hakke Kūshō!" (Eight Trigrams Air Palm)
Neji released a high-speed palm thrust, targeting Kakuzu's vital points, through the waterwall, with his Byakugan. A 'vacuum shell' compressed from the Gentle Fist was formed and blasted through the water. Kakuzu was blown off his feet before he even knew he was hit.
"Katon: Zukokku!"
The tiger mask fired another firestorm of widespread destruction, causing the trio to separate from each other.
Kiba landed back with Akamaru. "C'mon boy, we gotta pull all the stops for this guy!"
Fusing together, with the use of a shadow clone, the three combined into a gigantic, three-headed wolf. This drastically increased their size and power, while gaining sharp claws and canine teeth.
"Ooiga Gatenga!" (Tail Rotating Chasing Fang)
This technique could only be performed when one is transformed into a three-headed wolf. The gigantic wolf curled into a ball and rolled at a ferocious speed towards Kakuzu, as if the wolf was chasing its own tail.
Unmoving, Kakuzu hardened his skin once more to take the wolf head on. But Genma, with experience to know the weaknesses of chakra affinities, dashed in a laid down a series of chakra tags that arched a lightning current between them.
"AHH!"
Kakuzu screamed loudly as the lightning shocked his system through his hardened skin, weakening the jutsu. The gigantic wolf came in with ultra-violent rotations that tore through Kakuzu with ease.
The wolf came to an abrupt stop, leaving a large tear in the ground. The transformation dropped in a large plume of smoke. Both Kiba and Akamaru struggled to keep their balance after the extreme spinning.
"You good, man?!" Genma came in quickly.
"Y-Yeah. I just get the spins really bad after that one." Kiba was doing everything in his power to not puke. "Did we get him?"
"Neji?"
Neji focused his Byakugan, looking through the setting rubble. Just as he was going to give the all-clear signal, two of the black beings appeared. "Look out!"
"Kimen no Bakuen!" (Weird Mask Blast Flames)
A third being, which took the shape of a strange four-legged body with thin wings, Kakuzu combined the fire mask with this wind mask to create a powerful blast of intense fire that dwarfed what the one mask could create.
"It's useless to stand against me." Kakuzu rose from the ground, reattaching an arm that was animalistically ripped off by Kiba. "I've been around much longer than any of you combined...and that's how it's going to stay."
The dust began to settle. Kakuzu wondered which one of the three survived the explosion. The combination of his two elements were nearly impossible to evade or somehow block.
"Hm."
A type of force field surrounded Genma, Kiba, and Neji. An unsuspecting entrance saved their lives from the devastating explosion.
"You guys cool?"
"Fū?!"
"At your service!"
"Get the hell out of here!" Kiba shouted. "You're the one he's after!"
"I'm not gonna stand by while you guys risk your lives to protect me!" Fū sprouted her wings and took flight. "Hiden: Rinpungakure no Jutsu!" (Secret: Hiding in Scale Powder Technique)
"What are you doing?!"
Fū exhaled a large quantity of extremely fine powder from her mouth, which luminated so brightly that it blinded Kakuzu and the others. But Neji was able to power through the brightness with this Byakugan. He began to thoroughly examine the enemy.
This guy has an extremely complex chakra network. I've never seen anything like it...wait! What is that?!
Neji couldn't believe what he was seeing. In the right side of Kakuzu's chest, he could see a second heart. Between the intricate chakra system and points, there were, what seemed to be, holes in other parts of his body. Everything looked to be stitched together by some type of black threads. There was even a third and fourth mask still stitched to his back, though the fourth one was destroyed.
Those threads are the same ones that those black blobs are made from. What kind of power is this?
The shining powder faded away and everyone had remained where they were. Fū was dumbfounded.
"Hey! I gave you guys cover! Why didn't you so anything?!"
"You have to warn us!" Kiba shouted. Neither he nor Akamaru handled bright lights well. "God! Bright lights always give me headaches!" Akamaru whined in agreement.
Fū winced in embarrassment. Her inexperience in battle was showing and she didn't like it.
"That headband...you really are from that place."
Fū focused back to their enemy. She noticed Kakuzu's headband. It was the same as the one on her arm. "A slashed Takigakure headband...those creepy looking threads...it really is you."
"You know this guy, Fū?" Genma questioned.
"Personally no. But I've heard the stories about him. He was prisoned then escaped and killed all the elders, then stole our village's secret technique. Master Shibuki told me about you...it's hard to believe your alive after all this time."
Kakuzu actually chuckled. "To think my actions are still talked about to this day in that village, it warms my heart...well, one of them."
"One of your hearts?" Genma clarified.
"It's called Jiongu. (Earth Grudge) It was Takigakure's secret forbidden technique. It was created to advance medical treatment, but the uses for it went far beyond treatment. This guy...he's taken it to the extreme." Fū stated for record.
"What are you talking about?" Kiba asked, more confused.
"I think I understand." Neji went over his findings. "From what I saw with my Byakugan, he has those black threads throughout his entire body. They're basically holding him together. And his chakra system is so intricate and complex. It looks like he has multiple systems inside his body. And to top it off, he has two hearts in his chest. One on the left side and one on the right side. And I'm pretty sure he has slots for more."
Genma was starting to see the full picture. "Those masks...are they more hearts?"
"Konoha shinobi...you're a smart bunch. You're right. I had five hearts when this ordeal started...surprisingly, you were able to destroy one with wolf transformation. Though, you three pale in comparison to the first Konoha shinobi I fought."
Fū remembered the story and why Kakuzu was imprisoned. "You fought the First Hokage, right?"
"What?!" Neji gasped.
"Just how old are you?!" Kiba believed this whole thing was a joke.
"Are you immortal or something?!"
"Nah." Kakuzu chuckled, the black threads dancing out of his body . "There's no such thing. I've just managed to prolong my life by stealing and stocking up on others' hearts along the way. Even if my original heart stops from old age, I'll still live on to replace it with another. And I'm going to replace the one you destroyed with one of yours. I could care less about who, it'll be whoever I deem the strongest."
The gravity of the situation set in. "So, to beat this guy...we need to take down all his hearts, right?"
"Yeah...I think so." Neji confirmed.
"By my count, each one of stolen hearts grants him the chakra affinity from the person he stole it from." If the odds weren't already stacked against them, they were now. Genma looked at Fū. She was going to be their equalizer against a shinobi of this caliber.
"Raiton: Gian!" (Lighting Style: False Darkness)
The third mask, a deformed bipedal, emitted a bolt of lightning in the shape of a spear from its mouth. The lightning spear had enough destructive power and speed to indefinitely increase the killing potential.
But Neji had the superb reflexes, coordination, and agility to defend against such an attack. "Hakkeshō Kaiten!" (Eight Trigrams: Palm Rotation)
The secret taijutsu of the Hyūga clan wasn't meant to be a defense against high caliber jutsu, such as this, but Neji had trained to increase the force needed to repel any attack. A testament of Neji's genius. The lightning spear struggled with chakra dome, created from Neji's constant rotation, until the power over came the lightning and it blew Neji back.
"Gatsūga!"
With his own rotating attack, Kiba and Akamaru went for their signature attack again. But they didn't aim for Kakuzu himself. They drilled for his four-legged monster.
"Fūton: Atsugai!" (Wind Style: Open Destruction)
The tornado-like mass was compressed to a very high density until it was released to create a massive vortex. Both Kiba and Akamaru were enveloped in the devastation and blown away.
"Shit! Kiba!" Genma shouted.
"I got this, commander!" Fū made a series of hand seals. "Mōjōrō!" (Net Prison) The girl manipulated a webbing from her mouth and spewed the web over a vast net, trapping the fire-element mask. "Take it out!"
"Katon: En'yari!" (Fire Style: Flame Spear)
Like the technique Kakuzu's lightning-element mask used, Genma created a flame spear from his mouth. He fired the spear from his mouth, aiming directly for the entrapped mask. The mask shattered and burned away on impact.
"Yes!" Genma shouted. That was the first time he had ever used that technique in a battle.
Kakuzu grabbed his chest and collapsed to a knee, feeling the effects of one of his hearts being killed. He couldn't believe that these ingrates had destroyed two of his hearts. It couldn't be possible.
Roaring in anger, Kakuzu's body changed drastically. It became something like a ragdoll. His arms were outstretched and held together by hundreds of thick black threads. His two remaining masks conjoined together and appeared on either shoulder. Kakuzu's range had just increased tenfold.
"It's been a while since I've been pushed to this." Kakuzu's voice had also changed. It was deeper and hoarser. The strain of the threads being outstretched were taking their toll elsewhere. "But this is where you die!"
Black threads reached out and grabbed ahold of Genma, capturing him easily. Fū took flight higher into the air, avoiding the initial wave of threads. But Kakuzu kept on, increasing the number of threads chasing his target.
Not good! Not good!
Fū had flown through dozens of tight spaces before, but this was becoming too much. Fū zigged; the threads zagged. She flew up, the threads were already above her. And before she could try and fly away, she had been snared by the threads.
"No!"
"Finally!" Kakuzu shouted. A cat and mouse game always infuriated him. "Now, those two hearts you destroyed...I'll be taking yours and that Hyūga's to replace them." The threads began to fly towards Neji's body.
"I don't think so!"
Another shinobi came flying to slice the thick threads with great ease. The threads quickly fell apart and released Fū and Genma from their captivity.
"Naruto!" Fū tussled with the dying threads and jumped up once freed. "I knew you'd come!"
Genma chuckled, letting the threads fall off his body. "You're timing is better than Kakashi's."
The jinchūriki of the Nine-Tailed Fox Spirit stared down the monstrosity that Kakuzu had become. Naruto noted that the two masks on either side of Kakuzu's head had scorch marks on them. "Get me up to speed with everything, commander."
"He's one of two Akatsuki causing trouble around here. Shikamaru, Sai, and Ino are dealing with him somewhere else. The one here is Kakuzu. He can detach his body parts and send out those black threads at will. See those two masks? Each one has its own chakra affinity because each one has its own beating heart. They also can detach and act autonomously. He started with five hearts...he's down to three now."
Naruto glanced back. "Five hearts? Does that mean..."
"Yeah. We've killed him twice now. Kiba got one and I got the other. He's not going down for good until all five are destroyed." Genma let out a sigh. "If fighting this guy was as easy as analyzing his abilities, we would've beaten him already."
Both Neji and Kiba are unconscious. Genma looks like shit. And Fū looks scared shitless. These guys have had their hands full here.
"Take a seat, commander. I got this. Fū, stay by him."
Genma chuckled, taking an order for once. "Yes sir." And the young girl did as she was told.
Brandishing his sword, Naruto approached the transformed Akatsuki member. He stopped just out of Kakuzu's reach. "You know who I am, don't you?"
"The Nine-Tails jinchūriki." Kakuzu answered simply. "And if you're here..."
"Your diversion was a failure. Your lacky...is down for the count." Naruto's eyes changed as a foreign power entered his body. A clone, somewhere, dispelled, and transmitted the senjutsu chakra to the original. "Whatever you did to him...you're gonna pay for it."
Kakuzu chuckled. "His allegiance to us was his own doing. He believed, like the Akatsuki, you jinchūriki are abominations and need to be destroyed. None of the Akatsuki were aware of his allegiance to us. I was only informed a few days ago. He hates his own kind."
Leader?
Naruto's grip on his sword tightened. Rage fueled his strength. "Where is your leader?"
Kakuzu remembered Naruto's Bingo Book's entry. The jinchūriki's master had been killed by Pain. "You want the information about the god that killed your pathetic master? The only thing I can tell you he died...begging for Pain to end his life. He was a weak coward. A good Sannin is a dead Sannin."
The reaction was almost instantaneous. The temperature dropped, making it colder at the high point of the day. The atmosphere shifted, making Kakuzu's stomach flip. The aura that was being projected had changed everything about Naruto.
His eyes changed again. His iris has a vertical slit, along with a horizontal bar. And that orange pigmentation is more red than orange now. What's going on?
Genma feared for the worst. "He poked the bear...this isn't good."
Fū barely heard Genma, and she was sitting right next to him. "What's going on?"
"Naruto's master...he was killed by the Akatsuki leader. And this dumbass just said those things about Lord Jiraiya...not good."
Fū couldn't believe it. Naruto's master was killed by the Akatsuki leader? She couldn't believe the anger and sorrow he must be feeling over it. She watched her fellow jinchūriki stand motionless, seething with a rage she had never understood.
Is that the dark thing in his heart?
Recalling that fleeting moment, Fū realized that it couldn't be just one thing that caused such a dark despair in Naruto's heart. There had to be something more.
Two shadow clones exploded into existence, surprising Kakuzu. Naruto held out a single hand, allowing the clones to get to work. In moments, there was high pitched screeching noise that drowned out everything around them.
Sudden dread filled Kakuzu. What...in the hell is that? If I get hit by that...it's all over.
"Fūton: Rasenshuriken!"
Before he figured out how to properly use this technique, Naruto would have charged headfirst. That probably won't have ended well. Those threads look to be dangerous up close. Luckly, he knew what he was doing.
In a shocking turn of events, Naruto hurled the Rasenshuriken at Kakuzu!
"You can throw that thing?!" Genma couldn't believe his eyes. The commanding officer could easily tell how dense that chakra shuriken was. Throwing it was no easy task.
"Not good!"
Kakuzu tried to leap out of the way. But his left arm and all the threads that were connected to his body were sliced clean off. Thinking he was safe, Kakuzu tried to counter back. But the resulting vortex of wind propelled him forward, directly at Naruto.
"Take this!"
Naruto lunged with Tojin, stabbing directly into the lightning element mask. The mask shattered, a glop of the threads lost their life and fell off Kakuzu's body.
Kakuzu's third heart had quickly perished.
But the remaining living threads grabbed ahold of Tojin and Naruto, not allowing him to get away. The final mask, the fire element mask, shuffled through the threads and poked through on the other side, directly in front of Naruto's face.
"Burn away! Katon: Zukokku!"
The spark ignited and the flames engulfed Naruto's form. From Kakuzu's perspective, he had just burned the Nine-Tails jinchūriki to ashes. But to the others behind Naruto, something else happened.
The massive explosion that usually followed this destructive technique began to swirl into a fire vortex that channeled into a single point. A scroll with intricate writing on it took in the destructive flames.
Kakuzu couldn't believe it. "Fūinjutsu?!"
"The only good Akatsuki is a dead Akatsuki!"
The Naruto before him exploded in a smoke cloud, meaning he was a clone the entire time. Though, he was quickly replaced by the real Naruto, wielding another Rasenshuriken!
"You're dead!"
The spiraling, screeching shuriken sent Kakuzu spinning back, being attacked with thousands of microscopic wind blades. And once it could not slice through Kakuzu anymore, the center sphere detonated and produced another vortex of wind that also thousands upon thousands of microscopic wind blades.
Two massive craters were left in the aftermath of either Rasenshuriken explosion, with Kakuzu's body left in the center of the new one.
The senjutsu left Naruto's body in a silent wind, as did Tojin. He walked to the crater, his shadow covering the divot. It was slight, but Kakuzu was somehow still alive. He slid down the side and stopped directly at Kakuzu's jarred head.
"I can't...believe I was...defeated by...the likes of you."
"Believe it, jackass." Naruto crouched to hear the dying man better. The screeching of the Rasenshuriken left a ringing in his ears for a while. "Tell me what you know about Pain."
Kakuzu faintly chuckled. "I'm...no rat. I'd never betray...the Akatsuki."
"Then tell me where Itachi Uchiha is. He's not a member of your group anymore."
"Whoever does that traitor in...you'll earn my respect. Last we heard...that monster was hanging out towards a village called Howling Wolf. But...there were also sightings of him in the Land of Fire. That's all...we gathered before forgoing the search."
Outside of Tsunade, Itachi was the only other person that could give Naruto any information on the Akatsuki leader. He needed every piece of information he could get his hands on. "How did
And with any luck, I might help Sasuke too. Two birds, one stone.
"How did Rōshi fit into all this? Why is he fighting for you guys?"
"...No idea. We weren't made aware of him until a few...days ago." Kakuzu's final heart was slowing down. Death was around the corner.
Naruto slapped him a bit, trying to keep him alive a little bit longer. "C'mon, don't quit on me yet. I got one more thing. That arm...where'd he get it from?"
"...Made from...First Hokage...must have..."
With a final gasp of air, Kakuzu, the immortal man, died for the final time.
Naruto took in the information and was extremely puzzled by it. The First Hokage? That doesn't make any sense.
In a single leap, Naruto jumped out of the creator. He approached Genma and Fū. He could see both Neji and Kiba had regained consciousness and were working through the grogginess.
"Did you get him?" Fū asked.
"...Yeah. I got him."
Naruto looked on towards the fighting. There was still so much fighting left in the day. "Genma...can you safeguard Fū and the others? I'm going to give Shikamaru some back up...along with everyone else."
Genma looked at the young man. Naruto held himself up strong and with great pose, but the commander could tell that Naruto was drained. Everyone was sapped. It had been a long couple of months since they deployed into this hellish environment. Genma couldn't recall a time they had more than a day or two break in-between fights.
And specifically, Naruto...Genma couldn't believe the workload this guy could take. Going from fight after fight without so much as a quick bathroom or water break. An absolute workhorse. And the job wasn't close to being done.
"Yeah, I got 'em, kid. Go do your thing."
-With Shikamaru-
Hidan was strung over a pit, created by Shikamaru, with wires that were tethered with explosive tags. Even if he could move, he wouldn't want to. He knew the second a wire was moved wrong; the hundreds of tags would denote, and he would be in pieces.
"...That pit is your grave." Shikamaru, calm and collected, fiddled with his master's lighter. "You are going to live, for eternity, in that hole."
Hidan began to manically laugh. "How dare you put me in a position like this?! Lord Jashin will punish you for this! It will be the most severe punishment ever dealt by the Church of Jashin!"
Shikamaru held kunai with another explosive tag tied to the hilt. "You and your so-called God don't scare me one bit. We believe in two different things, you and me. You believe in some phony God that you clung to because you didn't know any better. Me, I believe in the Will of Fire. And that God you worship isn't that stupid Jashin or whatever...I am."
Shikamaru lit the tag with Asuma's lighter.
"And I pass judgement onto you!"
Shikamaru felt the spirit of Asuma help him throw that kunai at Hidan. The explosion rocked the forest. Pieces of Hidan's body scattered and fell down into the pit below. The rumbles faded away, leaving only a screaming head at the bottom of a pit.
"I'll piece myself back together and find you! You'll pay for this!"
Shikamaru said nothing. He didn't feel the need. He stomped his foot, right at the edge of the pit. A few pebbles slowly fell first. Then larger rocks followed suit. More and more rocks fell until the pit filled.
My Will of Fire has been passed on to you, Shikamaru. Protect the king.
A weight was lifted off his shoulders. Shikamaru could rest a little bit easier now.
"I guess I didn't need to come here."
Naruto approached and stood next to Shikamaru. The two Chūnin stood shoulder to shoulder, taking in the peaceful nature around them.
"Where's Ino and Sai?"
"Out fighting Iwagakure. I wanted this guy to himself. What are you doing here, though? I figured you'd be out on the front lines with them?"
"I just finished off the other Akatsuki guy. And I sent some clones to help the others. I came to back you up. But I guess I didn't need to." Naruto let out a heavy sigh. "...I think I just need a minute."
Shikamaru could understand that. There has been so much happening lately that there hasn't been a moment of silence in weeks. He couldn't possibly imagine the strain that's hanging on Naruto. Nonstop, Naruto had been fighting day in and day out for everyone. He was running himself into the ground.
I bet he does need a minute.
"Here." Shikamaru handed Naruto a cigarette. "Let's take a minute then head back out there."
It was a simple gesture. There was no extravagance to it or overly drawn-out explanation. Shikamaru could have easily ignored it and done nothing. Instead, he offered to give Naruto the very thing he felt like he needed.
Naruto would never forget this.
Naruto waited for Shikamaru to give him the lighter, the cigarette between his lips. "Thanks."
They both took a drag, taking in the aroma and rush of the tobacco.
Naruto uncorked his bottle that he had in his pouch. "I found this in that town we went through the other week. Bottoms up." Once he finished his drink, he passed it to his friend.
Shikamaru was hesitant, but gave in. A drink sounded nice. "Thanks."
The two war tested Chūnin silently smoked their cigarettes and shared the bottle. The positions they held carried so many responsibilities. The mental and emotional drain alone exhausted them. Little did they know Naruto and Shikamaru would become essential pieces, not only in Konoha's infrastructure but, in the world dynamic in the years to come.
Both Chūnin tossed their cigarette butts and took one final swig from the bottle.
"Time to get back to work."
-With Sakura-
If there was thing that Sakura could pinpointed as the thing she missed the most from Konoha, outside of friends and family, it would have to be the food. The phenomenal food was something Sakura didn't realize she would miss. Compared to Suna's cultural food, Konoha's food was leaps and bounds better.
"Thank you, Teuchi! Good to see you, Ayame!"
"Come back soon, Sakura!"
After eating her full in ramen, Sakura felt the time was right. She turned the corner, like she had done a thousand times growing up, and stopped at the base of the stairs of her childhood home. She could see the dining room light was on. Her father was home.
A whirlwind of emotions spun up. Sakura hasn't heard from her father since she left for Sunagakure, even though they both promised to send letters. But Sakura could never find the time to sit down and write a letter. And she never received any from her father.
I hope this doesn't turn into an argument.
Sakura climbed the stairs, nostalgia hitting her, as she knocked on the door, which felt odd.
"Who's there?!" Kizashi bitterly yelled from inside.
"I-It's me, dad. It's Sakura."
There was a sudden clanking and clanging of Kizashi rushing to the front door. And Sakura thought she heard bottles rolling around.
"C-Coming!" The door abruptly opened. Kizashi stumbled, trying to put himself back together. "Sakura! It's so good to see you!" The man pulled his daughter into a hug.
Surprised, Sakura gave into the embrace. But her senses were quickly filled with the strong alcohol smell.
Dad's been drinking? He never drinks.
"Hi dad." Sakura pulled herself out of her father's arms but stayed at arm's length. "H-How have you been?"
"Oh, y'know, little this, little of that. I've been good. How are you?! What are you doing back in the village?"
"...Lord Danzō requests a quarterly update on my progress in Suna. I decided to give this update in person." Sakura didn't want to beat around the bush for ten minutes. "Dad...have you been drinking?"
Kizashi's breath hitched. "N-No! Of course not! I gave that stuff up years ago!"
"...I can smell the booze, dad."
Kizashi immediately dropped the act. "Yeah...I know." He stepped back inside, motioning for Sakura to follow. "Come on. I'll make you something to eat. I bet you're hungry."
Sakura was thankful she went to Ichiraku's first. Kizashi was a horrible cook. "What's going on, dad?" She closed the door behind her, taking in the state of the place.
Her childhood home was trashed. Honestly, Sakura couldn't begin to describe how utterly filthy the place.
"Dad, what happened?! I mean, look at this place!"
Kizashi just slumped into the chair that had a dozen empty bottles surrounding it. "So? It's not like anyone's coming over."
Kizashi's marriage was Mebuki was rather traditional. Mebuki cooked, cleaned, and did all the things a wife of a traditional marriage did. Kizashi was the breadwinner and handled everything that came with it. They were very good parents and raised Sakura well.
But Sakura couldn't have imagined this was how her father would react after Mebuki died.
"Dad..."
"It doesn't matter, Sakura." Kizashi opened another bottle, tossing the wooden cork into the pile. "Your mother...she was everything to me. And losing her..." Sakura could see the bubbling anger in her father's eyes. "...to that fucking monster was it for me. That demon took my wife from me. I can't let that go."
Sakura sat across from her father, trying to figure out how to navigate this. She was still trying to come to terms with the devastating ordeal. Dealing with an angry drunk was something Sakura had little experience with. And it didn't help that it was her father saying these things.
"How could you have ever loved someone like that, Sakura?"
Sakura was stunned. She didn't know what to say.
"I mean, everyone hated the kid. Everyone. I remember talking to a buddy of mine after you were assigned to the same team as him. He couldn't believe that someone like him was granted the rank of a shinobi. He has done so much damage to people's families and livelihoods. He should be locked up for his crimes!"
Kizashi took a long drink. "But I always tried to be bit more open minded than everyone else because you always spoke so highly of him. You even went as far to move out because of what your mother was saying about him. I thought, maybe, he wasn't as bad as everyone said. That, possibly, he was a decent person that he was given a bad reputation. I was willing to try...for your sake."
Sakura couldn't believe it. Despite having Mebuki continuously berate and belittle Naruto and his life's circumstances, Kizashi was willing to go against the social norm and give Naruto a chance to prove that he wasn't what everyone said. Her respect for her father greatly increased at that moment.
"But...after your mother was killed by that monster, I couldn't do it anymore. He proved to me that he was, and always will be, that monster. I don't think I'll ever forgive him."
Sakura collected her thoughts. She couldn't be upset with her father. How could she? His wife, the love of his life, was mercilessly killed. She wanted to try and explain to him that it wasn't Naruto that killed her. Naruto was the greatest victim of having the Kyūbi sealed inside him. He lost the most out of anyone that night.
But her father wouldn't listen. Not right now.
"...I'm sorry, dad."
"...Yeah, me too."
-With Gateway Task Force-
With the enemy repelled and regrouping, the Gateway Task Force finally had a moment of peace to regroup themselves. Fortunately, the task force did not have to fully retreat to Gateway Base. With Naruto rejoining the battle, Iwagakure was held at bay to the point they retreated to regroup.
There was a meeting called to discuss the plan for moving forward.
"What's the injured looking like, can we EVAC to Gateway?" Genma questioned.
"We should be able to here soon." The head medic stated. "We're running low on all supplies. We're going to need resupply on everything. We can put those who can't walk on their carts back to Gateway. That'll be the best option."
"I'll take that." Genma responded. "Kazekage, have you heard back from Suna about reinforcements?"
The Kage nodded. "I have. My elder brother, Kankurō, will be coming in place of Ibiki. He was...unfortunately killed during the assault. Ibiki's body will be sent back to Suna with those being redeployed for some much-needed R&R. Our redeployment should be here in a few days."
"Speaking of the redeployment, we should discuss our jinchūriki situation." Shikamaru chimed in, catching Naruto's attention. "As we speak, we have three in our immediate area. I'm thankful that two of them are allies, I'm worried about the third one in our capture."
"It's like I already said that black rod that's stuck in him is disrupting his chakra. Unless he figures out how to pull it out with only one arm, he's not much of a threat."
"Speaking of that arm, where did it come from?" Neji questioned. "I examined it with my Byakugan and its properties are unreal. The cells that the arm consist of are extremely powerful."
"According to Kakuzu, the Akatsuki member I took down, it somehow came from the First Hokage."
"Do we really believe that, though?" Kiba was a skeptic. "I mean the guy says he fought the First Hokage. That would have been like eighty some odd years ago."
"Fū said it's true." Naruto defended. "I trust her."
"The First Hokage?" Gaara questioned. "Is something like even possible?"
"One of our Konoha shinobi, Yamato, was implanted with the First Hokage's cells by Orochimaru. He can even use the Wood Style as well." Genma stated. "It's possible."
"It should be examined by our research division by in Konohagakure." Neji added.
"Actually, I was going to suggest the same thing." Shikamaru agreed. "Getting back to my original topic, I don't feel comfortable having Rōshi here. I'm confident in Naruto's ability to defeat him, but that shouldn't be our only option. He should be imprisoned in Konoha."
"You don't want him here for safety but want to lock him up back in Konoha? Where the villagers are?" Kiba felt that was a bit counterproductive. "What about the Akatsuki? They'll come for him there."
"In Konoha, there's many more avenues to keep him contained and shut down." Shikamaru pointed out. "It's the smarter play to move him and Fū to Konoha. The Akatsuki are aware of them being here now. They should be moved regardless."
Genma took a drink of water as the group of shinobi discussed with one another. He glanced at Gaara, wondering what to do. He wasn't expecting it to be such a heated topic. This just proved Naruto's influence on everyone.
"Naruto..." The Kazekage was soft spoken, but he could make his voice boom when he needed to. "What do you think should happen? Afterall, you are the one who captured him."
All eyes turned to the resident jinchūriki in the room, silence in anticipation.
"Rōshi is extremely dangerous...no matter what setting he's in. Here or Konoha, people are at risk." But that wasn't his main concern. "But what I worry about is Fū's safety. Strictly looking at the Akatsuki problem, if she's kept out of their reach then they can't move forward with whatever they have planned."
"She's at more risk out here than anywhere else. And we still have no idea why she was in Iwa's custody to begin with. For all we know, this large-scale assault was to take her back. Something has to be done." Genma responded. "Here's what I think. And I believe this was what Shikamaru was trying to get at. With the redeployment coming, I think it's the perfect opportunity to safely transfer you guys out of here."
"What are you talking about?" Naruto questioned.
"Like you said, Rōshi is a danger no matter where he is. At least, in Konoha, there's more eyes on them. More capable eyes than a tired guard that needs to be rotated out every few hours. Fū will be better off in Konoha than here. Again, there's more capable shinobi there to help. Besides, we're trying to win a war. All this jinchūriki nonsense isn't something we need to deal with."
"Then what are you suggesting, Commander Genma?" Gaara didn't like where this was going.
"I'm suggesting that Naruto and the rest of his team escort Rōshi and Fū back to Konoha for better protection. Then once a solid plan is in place for both, he and the team redeploy back to us and aid our counter offensive to Iwagakure."
It was a strong suggestion. A controversial suggestion. Genma waited for the response of either outrage or acceptance. The group was silent, seemingly unsure what to say.
"Everyone, give us a minute." Gaara ordered. "Naruto and Shikamaru stay."
As the group of shinobi funneled back into the encampment, the two Chūnin waited as the two commanding officers talked. They were just out of ear shot.
"You want to send Naruto back to Konoha? We need him here." Gaara didn't like the idea.
"Do you not have faith in our other shinobi, Kazekage?"
"I have the utmost faith in every shinobi here." Gaara defended himself. "But Naruto's been greatest asset in this battle. Many of the shinobi depend on him. They see him as a symbol. Jinchūriki or not, he has become respected here."
"Sending our prisoner with anyone else will ultimately result in his escape. I don't want that psychopath on the loose, especially since he's in bed with the Akatsuki." Genma fiddled with his senbon. "He needs out of here, Gaara. He's fucking exhausted."
"We're all tired, Genma."
"No...what I mean is he needs a break...from all of this. He needs to get his mind right." Genma recalled the conversation Naruto and Shikamaru had. "The guy needs to get away for a bit. Something other than all this. He'll run himself into the ground...if that happens, we'll lose him forever."
Gaara looked at his friend. At first, Naruto looked normal. Battle worn but nothing abnormal. Naruto was always good at hiding his true emotions from others. But, to those who knew, Naruto couldn't hide it. Gaara could see what Genma was talking about.
"The look in Naruto's eyes...so heavy. He's going through so much."
Genma nodded, looking on. "I can't even imagine."
"You think sending back to the village that ostracized him for years will help?"
"That part of it will not help. But Fū will be with him. And Ino and Sai. Maybe Shikamaru if he wants to go for some R&R. As long as he has someone with him, I think Naruto will be alright."
"...Very well. Let's send Naruto home."
Genma motioned for just Naruto to come over to them. Shikamaru remained back, waiting to see what the verdict was. The Nara's assumption was they were going to have Naruto escort Rōshi and Fū back to Konoha. Then, consult with Danzō on how to handle them both. That's what he figured would happen.
Shikamaru's assumption was correct.
"Heading back to Konoha?"
Naruto sighed. "Yeah. Rōshi needs to be contained better and Fū shouldn't be moving around with us. As much as I'd rather stay here and keep fighting, I gotta keep her safe. And going back home is the best option right now."
Shikamaru could tell Naruto wasn't thrilled about the decision. "Not happy to get a break from all this?"
"...No, not really. I...feel this responsibility to make sure I keep everyone safe. This war...it started because of a grudge against my dad. The lives being lost are because of me."
"I appreciate the sentiment, but you wildly wrong. So wrong, in fact, it makes you look like a jackass."
"What the hell do you mean?" Naruto didn't appreciate the insult.
"Sure, that's how this all started. I'll give you that. But it's not about the Fourth Hokage anymore. To you, it might still be. But to us, to everyone else, it's become personal. Iwagakure and Kumogakure has taken friends from us, attacked our home, and have shown no remorse for it. They started this war. Well, we're going to be the ones to finish it."
Shikamaru placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder.
"This war isn't because of you. Don't kill yourself because you can't get over yourself."
Naruto pursed his lips, struggling with his words. "It's not just my dad. Pervy Sage...he died fighting the Akatsuki. He tried to fight and got killed for it." A strong determination filled Naruto's eyes. "I can't let everyone fight these battles for me. These assholes...they'll stop at nothing to get at me, at Fū. And if I fall...the world falls."
"And you think running yourself into the ground isn't gonna help stop that?"
Naruto said nothing.
"We'll be okay, Naruto. We're not kids anymore. We can handle ourselves."
You're fighting to watch everyone around you die! The Akatsuki will rip them apart while you're helpless to stop them!
The words were cemented. Naruto could get them out of his head. They made too much sense. Every time the Akatsuki came, something bad followed.
First, Itachi and Kisame came to Konoha searching for Naruto. During that, his cancer returned, and he was hospitalized. Next, Gaara was captured by Itachi and had his Bijū extracted from him. It was only because of Chiyo's sacrifice that brought him back to life. Yugito was captured because of her and Naruto's fight. Same with Han. That's when Asuma died.
And then Jiraiya died trying to stop the Akatsuki completely by taking down their leader.
How could Naruto not worry? It wasn't some egoistically proof of strength or something like that. It was much simpler than that. Naruto didn't want to lose anyone else. He couldn't handle it.
"...If you say so."
-With Ino-
With an excitement she didn't she could feel, Ino furiously packed her bag for her journey home. She couldn't believe it when Sai told her. It was like a dream come true. They weren't leaving until the morning, but she just couldn't contain her enthusiasm.
"Ino..." The young female jinchūriki sat on the edge of the cot, swinging her feet. "What's Konoha like?"
"Oh, you're going to love it there, Fū. There's so much to do, so many beautiful sights, and the food is to die for!"
The girl's excitement grew and grew. "I can't wait! This is gonna be so cool! I've never been in a major village before."
"Really? How come?"
"The village I'm from isn't near any major villages like Konoha. We'd have merchants tell stories of the big villages, but I never thought I'd ever seen one of 'em." Fū squealed. "This is gonna be great!"
Ino smiled. She was glad that Fū had a good attitude about this. Ino was afraid she might be scared to go somewhere new, it's unknown and could be terrifying. Fū didn't seem like that kind of person though.
"Ino." Sai announced himself before entering her tent. "Our departure time has changed. We're leaving within an hour."
"We are? How come?"
"Lord Danzō requested us back as soon as possible. That way, we can get our prisoner into protective custody much quicker. We'll travel by my ink bird."
Ino nodded, slinging her bag over her shoulder. "Have you told Naruto?"
"I have not. I have yet to find him."
"He's over on the other side of the camp!" Fū really couldn't contain her excitement.
"I'll go get him." Ino said. "Meet at the front of camp?"
Sai nodded, motioning for Fū to follow him. The girl happily did.
Ino trekked through the makeshift camp, hunting for their final member for their return trip back to Konoha. She wondered for a bit, asked around, and came up with nothing. That is until Kiba pointed her in the right direction.
Naruto sat alone in the open field outside of the camp, probably a hundred yards away from everyone. It was probably the most privacy he could get. She almost felt bad for bothering him. He looked so peaceful.
"There you are." Ino approached Naruto from the rear, announcing herself because she knew it was impossible to sneak up on him. She knelt down next to him. "We're heading out. Orders came back from Konoha to get back."
Naruto said nothing. Ino wasn't sure if he had heard her.
"Naruto? Are you listening to me?"
"Being a jinchūriki, we are capable of amazing things. Baa-chan said because I was conceived and grew next to the Kyūbi inside of my mom, my body and chakra were going to be strong regardless of him being sealed inside me. But because he is sealed inside me, my body kicks into overdrive. I can heal practically overnight. I have a sense of smell and hearing that dwarf Kiba's. And my metabolism is roughly four times that of a normal person."
Ino was a bit taken back. She didn't expect a rant like that. She decided to roll with. "Y-Yeah? Fū told me that once. She can put down food like nobody else."
Naruto smirked. "She's a lot like me when I was a kid."
"You were not this happy and bubbly."
"I'm talking about before everything happened and all that. Back when I was with Pervy Sage..." Naruto remembered being like Fū. So happy. So outgoing.
Ino's heart ached. She could imagine what Naruto would be like if he was raised like he was supposed to be. "...I'm sorry about Lord Jiraiya, Naruto. I know you're probably tired of hearing that but..."
"It's okay, Ino. I appreciate it, thank you."
Ino couldn't help but smile. Naruto had come a long way in a short time. Fū has made a considerable impact on his mental health and attitude, which made Ino happy to see. She hadn't seen this type of impact on him since Sakura.
"I really should be the one who is thanking you, Ino. If it wasn't for you, I'm not sure I could've done my heroics today."
"H-Huh?" Ino was quickly flustered.
"When I saved you, my clone had gathered some senjutsu to help find guys in your situation. When all was said and done and the clone dispelled, the remaining senjutsu was transferred back to me. It was because of that I figured out that my clones can transfer senjutsu along with the memories of their own experiences. It's a great tool to have at my disposal. So, thank you, Ino."
Why was Ino caught so off guard? She was just so flustered and flushed by gratitude. Naruto has been in such a funk that she didn't expect him to be so heartfelt. She wondered why.
It's just Naruto. He's not that special. Right?
Well, Naruto is special.
"Y-Your welcome, Naruto."
The two sat silently together, taking in the moment before having to deal with more stressful situations. The calming breeze gave a coolness to the warm night air. Despite this, Ino couldn't calm her mind.
"N-Naruto..."
"Hm?"
"Do you still love Sakura?"
Naruto quickly reared his head, surprised by the sudden interest. Then again, considering who Ino was to Sakura, it really wasn't that much of a surprise. "...Why do you ask?"
"She's my best friend." Ino quickly defended herself. "I have the right to ask."
Naruto considered his next words carefully. "...I miss her so much. Honestly, everything I do somehow relates back to her." He took out the pill bottle. "She sent me these to help with my heart condition. Even after everything that's happened, she's still out there...watching out for me." Naruto clenched the orange bottle. "I think I love her even more now."
Ino could only wish for someone to have the same devotion to her like Naruto does to Sakura. She wished that, one day, she could have a relationship that remotely resembled theirs. Despite the rough and abrupt ending, Naruto was still devoted to Sakura. And Ino felt Sakura still held something for Naruto. Those pills were evident of that.
"Do you think she'll ever come around again?"
"Honestly, I'm not sure." Ino responded. As much as she wanted to say no, she couldn't. "But, for you, I hope she does." She had to be honest and hopeful for him.
"...Yeah, me too."
Daring to be bold, Ino leaned in against Naruto, taking in a moment that may never come again. The night sky danced with stars and the moon shined brightly. For the world was warring and hostile, the sky was peaceful and tranquil. Both Naruto and Ino prayed heaven and earth would mirror and come together once again.
-Author's Notes-
First off, I would like to say thank you to everyone that's continued to read this and stuck with it through all the ups and downs. I've been writing this story for the last five years and I'm not even close to being done. I've read every comment, at least twice. Good and bad, I appreciate them all.
Secondly, I would like to address the ending to this chapter. The ending scene was the rewrite to the Ino/Naruto scene that I first previewed back in Chapter 53. Back then, I had a very different vision of the story. As I wrote and put the rest of the pieces together, it was hard for me to find a place to put that scenario in. Naruto's character arc was meant to be much darker and gruesome, kind of following the fall of Jax Teller from the Sons of Anarchy.
But as I wrote and planned, it became harder and harder for me to include Ino into all this for a separate love interest. I tried to do it but, in terms of the story I want to tell, it didn't work. So, I apologize to anyone who was looking forward to that scene/storyline.
And before anyone goes nuts, Naruto and Sakura are meeting again in the next chapter.
Third and final, I would like some feedback on the battles with Naruto and Rōshi. I was inspired by Kratos and Thor in God of War Ragnarök. The first fight of Naruto/Rōshi I modeled after the Kratos/Thor fight in the beginning of the game.
To me, the first fight was a big display of their powers while fighting through the lands, changing it around them. It wasn't as much as clashing ideologies but proving to be equals.
The second fight was much more grounded, fist fighting style. We knew how powerful they were and what they could do. The second fight was more about who was right and who was wrong, per say. Clashing ideologies, like I said.
Any feedback is appreciated.
Thank you again for anyone who's read and stayed with the story. It was a rocky start, I know. I cringe at my reading in the beginning chapters. I had no patience whatsoever to properly set things up. Sometimes, I go back to read it completely through to the current chapter and I remember what I was thinking when I wrote the chapter. I often ended up asking myself 'Why the fuck was I thinking that?' LMAO.
Honestly, the only part I regret writing about was the Gedo Mark arc. I wrote that so horribly and ended it just as bad. I wrote myself into a corner and was stuck on it for a year. That was my worst writing thus far.
Thanks again. Until next time.