Chapter 12: The Battle Commences

The two men stared down at one another. Musket held his gun out at Tao ready to fire.

"You don't have to do this Tao."

The blue skinned man didn't say anything as he reached behind his back and brought out a hook sword, the very thing he was named after when becoming a Shining Servant. Getting into a battle stance, Tao prepared to fight.

Musket's hand trembled as the sound of shaking metal was heard from his pistol. He didn't want to do this. Not to a teammate.

"Tao, please." The man seemed to hesitate for a moment, looking to the ground, but his resolve was too strong and he made up his mind. This organization, no, this prison wouldn't keep him anymore. These people wouldn't make him kill those they saw fit, especially children. This dark place was made by those who were hurt long ago. The people who had suffered so much from war, and yet the same mistakes started to pop up again. He would destroy this system before anyone else would die to it. And if that meant killing a friend, to at the very least save them from this horrible place. Then so be it.

Tao ran towards Musket, his blade ready to strike at his neck. Musket jumped back, shooting the blade, destroying it. Tao looked at his blade, now snapped in half, before dodging Musket's next shot. He made some distance, the one thing Musket wanted, as he slammed his hands on the ground. Musket jumped but was too slow. A wave of hook swords came out of the ground and one had a hold of his foot. Falling to the ground, Musket was stabbed by another blade, straight through the side of his stomach. He gasped but before he could move the blades around him started to float. He was amazed. What abilities had Tao been keeping from them.

"Levitating Grasp. That is this ability. All weapons named after me are mine to control. An ability you would have gotten eventually, if you hadn't tried to stop me." Tao's hand was lifted in the air, ready to drop at any time. "You've always had the advantage when it came to long range, but with this, not anymore." Tao dropped his arm as the blades dropped. Musket put up his hands as an invisible barrier stopped the blades from hitting him. Tao wasn't impressed as he watched Musket roll out of the way of more blades.

Musket dodged as many as he could, shooting any that came too close, but they wouldn't stop. A blade hooked onto his wrist and disarmed him of his pistol. Without his weapon Musket was hit by more and more blades. He fell to the ground, breathing heavily as he bled. Tao only turned to leave. "Stay there and don't follow me. I don't want to hurt you anymore then I have to.

Musket watched his friend walk away. He failed. His hands grasped at the dirt. No! He wouldn't allow this. Rising to his feet, Musket yelled out to his friend. "I'm not done yet! And I won't let you leave!" Reaching behind his back, Musket lifted his arm into the air with his Dragon Cannon, The one weapon he knew could defeat Tao. Tao looked at the gun, the carving of a dragon running down its barrel. He smiled. "So you want to do it that way then. Fine." He reached to his sides and brought out his weapons. Two hook swords with a rainbow colored sheen to the metal. The two men prepared to begin the next round. Ready to finish this.

XXX

Musket opened his eyes as the morning sun shined through the leaves. It had been a few days into the mission and every night he had taken night watch. The others said he didn't have to but he insisted. Unfortunately after over a week without rest he was beginning to feel the effects. His magic was diminishing every hour and he knew that he'd run out completely. He didn't say anything to the others about this. As long as he could still shoot they wouldn't notice, however as of yesterday his aim was getting worse. Exhaustion was beginning to finally take its effects on him. How this was he didn't know. He had spent months before with barely any sleep, little more than a few naps every other day. So why wasn't he feeling so well? It felt like there was this force on his chest. What it was he didn't know but it felt alien and it disturbed him. Actually now that he thought about it, it almost felt like the energy that hit him when he fought against Minato for his test. What did he call that form again?

Musket was forced out of his daydreaming by a hand on his shoulder. He looked to see Kushina staring at him, worry clearly hidden behind a smile. "You feeling ok?"

"Yeah, just thinking about the past is all. I found another burning town in the distance. Looks like we're getting close." Kushina nodded as she hopped down the branches of the tree and walked over to the others.

"Anything?" Minato asked.

"Another burning town. We're getting closer." They all nodded as Minato turned to Shikaku. "What do you think?"

"If he can sense us then he'll know we'll be near him if he hasn't figured that out already." Minato nodded. "Yeah he's gonna be even more dangerous. Alright, I want everyone to stay close. If he gets one of us off guard then we all could die." Minato looked up to Musket and signaled him to head to them. Musket nodded as he started his way down the tree, until he saw something to his left. Musket aimed at the movement within the trees but it was too late. A body flew straight at him and slammed him into the trunk of the tree. His vision went black as he fell to the ground with the body falling to the ground with him.

The group saw both bodies and immediately got out their weapons. Kushina and Shikaku ran to Musket and kneeled at his side. "He's alive!" Shikaku yelled to the others while he examined the other body. It was torn apart but he could tell it was from Kumo due to the clothes. They all heard laughing as they got ready for whatever came next.

"Well, well, well. Look at these fine little Konoha shinobi. Little far from home don't you think?" The voice sounded deranged, as if the person who spoke wasn't in the right state of mind. Hiashi and Fugaku activated their Dojutsu. "He's out of my range." Hiashi said. Minato felt a bead of sweat drop from his cheek. He could sense the nature chakra in the air but it seemed to blanket everything around him. Fugaku looked around for any sign of the man but there was nothing. Suddenly he noticed an arm coming straight for him. He jumped out of the way but this only led to it turning with blinding speeds and hitting Hiashi, knocking him out instantly as he slammed into a tree.

The arm retracted with incredible speed as the remaining ninja didn't know what to do. "Group up now!" Minato ordered as they all came up to each other back to back. The laughter continued throughout the area as Minato continued to scan for the man. That's when he noticed something. His eyes shot open as he looked to the others, they all seemed to be losing their ability to focus.

'He's using nature energy to confuse them. None of them can tell since they can't use sage mode like me. That must be why I'm unaffected.' "Guy's don't panic. He's using a technique to confuse us so try to focus!" They all nodded as they began to calm down. Fugaku used his eyes to see where the man could be. "This must be Jūgan then." Minato nodded as he continued to look for any sign of movement. "We have to be careful. Any wrong move and we…" Minato looked down to see a shadow that was becoming bigger. Looking up he saw a large humanoid falling down from the sky. "MOVE!"

They all separated as the creature slammed the ground, creating a shockwave that blew the others away. Taking no time, The creature rushed at Shikaku and slammed him with his whole body. Shikaku went flying as Minato caught his unconscious body in mid air as the creature moved with incredible speed, its arm shaped as an ax as it brought it up to cut down Minato and Shikaku. Minato teleported just before it hit them and landed next to Kushina. "You ok?" She asked as she noticed a small cut on Minato's sleeve. Putting the unconscious Shikaku down, Minato looked at this creature. It was around 6 feet tall with grayish armor around its entire body, orange hair visible on its head. Its eyes were yellow and it had a smile that showed pure pleasure in what it was doing, but the most important part of it were the pants it wore. While torn in many areas they were still a sign that this thing was human. "Jūgan."

"Ohhh, you know my name. Good, then I can kill you before you get any ideas!" It screamed as the vents on its back roared to life and jets of flames propelled him towards the 3 shinobi.

Kushina put up a hand sign as chains appeared out of the ground and ensnared Jūgan. "Hurry, I can't keep him for long."

Fugaku and Minato ran towards him, kunai in hand, as they slashed at his armored skin. Sparks went flying as the weapons didn't even leave a scratch. "What?" Fugaku exclaimed as the chains were broken. Dodging a strike from a flailing arm, Minato put lightning chakra into his blade and stabbed Jūgan in the chest. The creature-like man didn't even flinch as he went to grab the blond.

Fugaku noticed this as he jumped up and kicked the arm to the ground as he flew high and began to weave hand signs.

"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"

The ball of fire engulfed Jūgan as he began to scream in agony. Minato dodged the fire as he began to charge up a Rasengan in his hand. Running towards the fire Minato brought the chakra ball onto Jūgan, aiming for his stomach. The fire was extinguished as Jūgans's face went blank, his back having been exploded from the Rasengans force. He began to fall to the ground as Minato and Fugaku watched his lifeless body. Suddenly Minato was stabbed in the back, a blade made of Jūgans armor piercing his stomach. Jūgans body puffed into smoke as Minato was lifted into the air. "Nice try, but I have some tricks." Jūgan said to a surprised Minato.

Minato looked at the man with a smile. "So do I." Puffing into smoke, Fugaku and Minato both came from Jūgans sides while Kushina came in from the back. Jūgan was perplexed as to how they could all move so fast as he defended himself against their onslaught. They just seemed to keep coming as he looked for an opening in any of them. Suddenly he noticed Fugaku start to move in for another attack, his footing not being the most ideal. Jūgan jumped at the opportunity and grabbed him with his clawed hand, bringing him into the air before slamming him against Kushina. Blocking a strike from Minato, Jūgan morphed his right hand into a vent as plasma fired from it, blasting Minato away.

Turning his attention to the others, Jūgan morphed both of his hands into axes as he rushed at Kushina who blocked his strikes with her chains and katana. Unfortunately his onslaught was too great as he smacked her against a tree and brought his arm down to cleave her in two. Kushina was just quick enough to use her chains to bind the man in place, saving herself. Jumping out of the way, she felt him resist her chains with great strength, almost more than her greatest enemy.

Fugaku rose up, shaking his dizziness away, as he rushed toward Jūgan who was unable to move, or so he thought as the monster of a man broke free of his chains and grabbed Fugaku's arm, slamming him into the very tree he had almost killed Kushina on. Fugaku spat out blood as his consciousness faded like the others. Letting the man fall, Jūgan Grabbed hold of Kushina's retreating chains and pulled her towards him. Due to his speed at which he had done the action Kushina was unable to react in time as she came towards him with great speed. She couldn't stop him as he raised his arm as it turned into a blade and stabbed it through flesh and bone. However he did not hit his target as Minato had taken the hit. A blade through his chest Minato spat up blood and dropped to the ground. Kushina dropped beside him as she began to form tears in her eyes. "MINATO!" She yelled out as she looked at his still form. Jūgan laughed as he looked at the pathetic sight before him. "Oh don't worry, you'll be with him soon." Raising his arm up he smiled. In an instant he brought it down on Kushina who didn't move. However, at that moment time began to slow as Kushina blinked and found herself elsewhere.

"Well, it looks like you're too weak once again." She looked up at the dark shape that towered over her. "If only you could have been stronger then none of them would be dead. What a shame"

"Why do you care? Don't you want to watch me suffer." She asked her demon as he smiled down at her.

"Yes, I do. But even I don't want to be embarrassed by such a weak and pathetic creature like that."

"What are you saying?"

"Use my power. No one is left for you. He's gone and I know you want revenge. What do you say?"

Kushina didn't say anything, her hair covering her eyes. Tears ran down her cheeks as she felt rage run through her entire body. "I want to do it. With my hands I want to see him suffer."

"Good."

Time started to speed back up as Kushina stopped Jūgans attack with her bare hand. Jūgan couldn't believe her strength as she began to push him back, red chakra forming around her body, bubbling like boiling water. Jūgan tried to jump back but Kushina held him in place as she winded back a fist. The attack was so fast not even Jūgan realized what had happened as he began to stand, only now noticing the over twenty trees falling down in a path that lead to Kushina, ears forming through her red chakra as a tail appeared, her featured far more animalistic to the point her teeth became fangs and her nails that of claws. She snarled at him as her voice became deeper. "I'll kill you."

End of Chapter

ABILITY LIST:

SHIELD: This spell creates an invisible barrier that can help protect the user from attacks.