章 9: Chapter 9
Uchiha Naori pets Tsunade's hair delicately.
The ten-year-old Senju girl looks up at one of her role models. She spies one pale white eye hidden under a smooth curtain of purple hair.
"But why won't anyone tell me?!" Tsunade does not ask, she demands to know why everyone refuses to speak of Konoha's boogeyman.
"...Madara-sama was an enigmatic man. But even as he grew distant from us, he always held purpose in his heart." Naori's smooth and calming voice is motherly towards the hot-headed girl.
"That doesn't mean anything!" Tsunade is frustrated.
Naori's lips twitch into a smile. "Let me finish, dear."
Tsunade pouts and sits up on the bench next to her. The other Senju say she's mad for speaking to an Uchiha but Naori has always been a nice lady.
"What I mean to say is that Madara-sama always had a reason to do something," Naori looks like she's reminiscing about the man in a fond way. "He was always the 'devil's advocate', or 'voice of reason' as he used to call himself. He had a mean reputation but everything he did was for a purpose that he found satisfactory for the benefit of the Uchiha Clan or the village."
Tsunade wisely chooses not to say anything at the weary drop that Naori's face takes.
"He tried to tell all of us that the Uchiha Clan were going to be discarded, and that we needed to save ourselves by fleeing this cursed prototype of a village and look out for our clan. The Uchiha Clan were too weary to listen and cast him away. Madara-sama left Konoha and us behind, and attacked Konoha at the cost of his life. But that raises the strongest question to anyone who knew what he was like. What possible reason could Madara-sama have to destroy Konoha? Perhaps he never wanted to destroy the village. Perhaps he attacked to send a message. To us, perhaps. That he would martyr his own life just to teach us a lesson."
"What lesson?" Tsunade asks quietly and near-fearfully.
Naori places her hands in her lap and looks down at them.
"That perhaps... he was right."
Tsunade gulps. Someone dying on purpose? To help their family?
Naori tries to settle her with an uneasy smile.
"There is only one thing that I want you to learn from me, Honourable Granddaughter. It is the nature of man to seek out the most beneficial outcome for what they find important. People are willing to go far to secure what they want, through steady vigil in peace or the terrors of war. The bright flame of that ambition can be used to create an inferno, or be snuffed out quietly in the darkness. It is through understanding this reality that you can make the best of it."
Tsunade takes this lesson to heart and carries it with her for decades.
She sympathises with the Uchiha Clan when they finally explode after decades of segregation from the village they helped to create, but the damage of her forebears had been wrought. Their nature had been suppressed for years; they desired a secure fate for their blood and being increasingly separated from Konoha was slimming those chances. Eventually they'd have abandoned the village, which would have caused them to be hunted down as traitors. Or, they could try to take back control by force and risk civil war but have a slight chance that they'd have a few in their family survive.
And those decisions unfortunately fell upon one boy; Uchiha Itachi.
A boy whose burden was too great for anyone to bear.
Sasuke and Itachi sit under a tree in the middle of the day. The shining sun sends streaks of light through the branches but they are shaded for the most part. Little Sasuke is ever curious, and the only person who gives him straight answers is his Nii-san.
Their dark eyes meet.
"Nii-san?"
"Yes, Sasuke?"
"What is Uchiha?"
Sasuke knows that it's his name, the name that he and everyone in the clan share. But what makes their name so special? Tou-san always speaks the name 'Uchiha' like it's a word with many meanings. Like it's less of a bond that binds them all together, and more of a code or a promise. Like it's something they should always strive to live up to.
"What an interesting question."
Itachi leans back against the tree trunk, looking relaxed for once instead having tense shoulders and dark bags under his eyes.
He looks like he's asking himself that question too. But Itachi is smart, and he can come up with something from what he's seen.
"Being an Uchiha... Tou-san says that the heart of a person never changes. That no matter what guise they wear, we'll always be drawn to act a certain way. He says that the Uchiha are all bound together, and that we have a disposition and personal duty to always put ourselves before everything else. To love the Uchiha to such a degree that we would rather see the world burn than have none of us left at all."
Sasuke listens carefully. He knows that Itachi won't stop at quoting their father, especially when they often disagreed.
"That is what an Uchiha is. Someone who places their family above everything in this world, damned the consequences. But I believe that while our blood plays some factor in how we interact with the world, it is our decisions and personal responsibilities that truly define who we are. You and I are not the same person, despite being from the same clan. We have different perspectives on the world and the people who surround us. Some people are destined to be despised for the choices they make, and others are to be revered. And their blood plays no part who they are as human beings."
Sasuke doesn't understand. He voices as much.
"Don't worry, otouto." Itachi pokes Sasuke's forehead with an easy smile. "It's not something little kids should be thinking about. I hope that my choices make sure that you get to make those self-defining decisions, instead of letting your blood or your creed warp your mind and make those choices for you."
There is something about how Itachi speaks that sets his mind at ease.
"Make friends, work hard in the Academy, find things that are worth something to you that don't involve just a fragile little pocket of the world like our little clan. Find something worth living for, so that when your clan and your family cannot be depended on, you'll already know for yourself just what kind of person you are in your heart."
Sasuke doesn't like people. But since it's Itachi...
"Let your decisions define you, not your blood. Never let anyone force you to betray what you hold dearest. Uchiha is just a name, and it's up to you to determine if that name is good or bad."
Naruto and Madara stand apart in their underground hideout. The only light in the darkness of the training area is coming from the sconces mounted to the support pillars, and they are lit ablaze from their Katon. Little Naruto knows that his Jii-san is the only person who will tell him the truth of how things are.
Their Sharingan meet.
"Jii-san."
"Yes, my grandson."
"What does being an Uchiha mean?"
Naruto knows that it's his name. One that he can't use yet, but what makes that name special? Jii-san speaks as though the name itself has power in it, and that the word itself is a defining statement.
"What a strange question."
Madara sits down in his dusty throne, looking like a puppet that cut his own strings with how quickly he settled in relaxation.
He looks like no one has ever asked him that question before. But he of all people knows what being an Uchiha means.
"To be an Uchiha... is equal parts objective and spiritual. Our blood and ability define us, and the name 'Uchiha', represents that blood and legacy. But that talent has been cursed since we first gained the ability to harness it. It creates a seeping darkness in the light of your heart. If we Uchiha define love as 'light', we would cast hate as 'dark'. Uchiha have been ruled by this dichotomy, never in balance with it like normal humans are. That is what an Uchiha is, to be left ignorant by basking in light, or be left in despair by fear and hatred at the world."
Naruto listens carefully. He knows that Madara wouldn't stop at a clinical analysis of his own blood.
"That is what an Uchiha is, but I believe there is a difference in being 'A' Uchiha, and being 'The' Uchiha. 'A' Uchiha, is someone who fits the parameters of what I have just said. Someone who is unable to find control in themselves, and to master the Curse of Hatred within them before it consumes them and everything they love. But to become 'The' Uchiha... Is to meet that fear, and that hatred instead of burying it. It is to become one with your power and the legacy of your clan. To be one with reality and to change your circumstances in accordance with your own desires, instead of being controlled by your power and instinct as if you are some wild animal."
He didn't really get it. He voices as much.
"Not to worry, my boy." Madara leans his head back in the throne, looking tired after training him. "That is why I have high-hopes for you. If you're lucky, you'll never experience that Curse and any mistakes you make will be of your own accord, and they can be things that you learn from instead of being uncontrollable instances of the vile weakness in our Sharingan."
Madara's voice is confident, which makes Naruto less nervous about this cursed fate that may await him.
"Talk to people. Do things, find out what you love in life so that when misery befalls you, you will be able to define yourself. So that you will know yourself when your body betrays you, and makes you believe that all you are is hatred."
Naruto does like people. He agrees with this advice.
"Define yourself on your own terms. Never let anyone or anything force you to betray yourself. Uchiha is a state of existence, it's up to you to determine what kind of existence that is."
It's the Academy Entry Day. All of the students are lined up before Hokage-sama as she delivers her speech. The parents of the prospective Shinobi are standing behind them all.
Sasuke chances a look behind him and sees that most of the adults are looking at another boy. He is tall, and he has spikier hair than he's ever seen before, but it's the same colour as his own.
The adults are giving him weird looks, like they're confused or maybe even a little scared. But it's clear that they don't like him much.
Young Naruto's dark grey eyes are openly distrustful to every one of them. But he meets their gazes, and his nerve seems to unsettle most of them and they all turn to their own children instead.
Over the next few years, Sasuke receives endless support from the villagers of Konoha. Especially in his most trying times. But that has helped him learn that to be treated that way, you must earn Konoha's love through dedication to it. There are wonderful people who are nourished by Konoha and without Konoha they might not exist. Every mite of support he is given is repaid by his service to the village.
And when someone puts themselves before the village, they are not treated with the same kindness.
Naruto narrows his eyes at the adults who dare to stare him down.
They've probably all heard the story about his mother. The woman who put her child before an entire village. Someone who was not enthralled under the spell that is the 'Will of Fire'.
It's his blood. They disdain him for his blood, and his innate power. He serves himself and his family. Jii-san, Tsukimi-baachan, the nice lady who works for the Hokage, and the silver-haired guy who gives him Shurikenjutsu tips whenever they happen across each other. These people are his, and he gains power for his and their sake.
Konoha can't stand people who don't put it before their own personal desires. But there would be no Konoha without people that have ambition and power.
He comes to understand that the only thing that they will tolerate is power for their sake. So long as his growing power is in service to the great tree, his selfish tendencies would be indulged. But because he would not openly declare his desire to protect Konoha over all others, he would continue to be treated as an outcast. He would always be the outlier that dares to want something for himself.
When someone's being is not wholly dedicated to the system, then they are not treated with the same respect that everyone else receives.
Unless their will and power are absolute, that is.
Sasuke stares at Haku's body in horrified silence.
This boy... he could have had so much more. If only he had dedicated himself to something greater than one man. He could have had an entire village at his back, and now his body is cooling in the misty winds of Nami's unfinished bridge.
It's a grim confirmation. Those who put their selfish desires before a greater good are destined for defeat, heartbreak, and death.
Naruto frowns at Haku's body.
"What a waste." He says, while Sasuke is seemingly stuck in thought.
A strong Shinobi, this boy was. But not strong enough to protect himself and his loved one. Perhaps if he'd have been smart enough to flee or train to become uncontested, then this disaster wouldn't have happened.
It jiggles a puzzle piece in his mind that was set not long ago; those who are weak are destined for death. Those who are strong can have all of their desires, regardless of what is put in their way to stop them.
Sasuke clenches his fist while looking at Naruto and Karin from behind.
The new redhead girl is clinging to Naruto, and she tosses her headband to the cold forest ground.
'You would betray your home... for one boy? One distant family member? Instead of earning the support of your home, you leave it behind for the easy solution?'
He looks at Naruto, and sees another Itachi in the making. Someone who will cause endless destruction and death for no reason other than their own selfishness.
Naruto lets Karin hold his arm while they slowly trek to the forest tower.
This is what he lives for. The reason that he is obsessed with power. To protect his family from all who would mistreat them. He will become strong enough to defy the entire world if he has to.
'It's within you too, Karin.' Naruto thinks fondly while looking down at the redhead. 'You are willing to defy your village to be with your family. We're alike. Even Sasuke doesn't have that kind of fire in him.'
She is weak for now, but that can be rectified. Family stands the best chance together, and they'll decimate all who oppose them.
It's the day of the final exam.
Sasuke looks at himself in the mirror before leaving, and peers into his Sharingan. He's wearing a off-white, high-collared zip coat that is near typical of an Uchiha, complemented by a purple open-front apron that is decorated with diamonds on the hem, not unlike his fathers attire before the incident. His clan crest is displayed proudly on the back.
He thinks about the wonderful people in his life who wouldn't be there if he weren't part of Konoha. Yuito and Himari, Kakashi, Sakura, the kind people that speak to him without condition in the streets. Tsunade, who has handled having people teach him to be on his own. Konoha is full of kind souls that put others before themselves.
This place cannot be allowed to fall.
"I'll end you if you dare point your evil at my home, Naruto."
Naruto looks in the mirror, and Karin cutely sticks her head out from behind his back.
She sees something she's never seen before on him; The Sharingan.
"Woah. Lookin' good."
"I know." Naruto gives her a smug look.
She pokes her tongue out at him and goes to wait for him at the door.
Naruto felt it only fitting that he wear his Uchiha pride on the outside too.
His traditional black Uchiha coat that reaches his knees and with its characteristic high-collar and clan emblem on its back, makes him truly feel like he is returning to normality. His dark-grey pants stand out only slightly as contrast to the black upper-wear, with the shins wrapped up in bandages. He throws on his new sandals, and black-fabric headband that is nearly indistinguishable from his hair.
He thinks about the people in his life that he needs to be strong for. So long as they are alive, then he could find or rebuild a home in the face of adversity. So long as he grows in power, Konoha is just a tool for the sake of protecting his loved ones. Yes, he would 'serve' Konoha, but it's a means to an end.
Naruto thinks he's reached a middle ground. His service to Konoha is just about the same as the next average Konoha Shinobi. Konoha is the outcome of his desire, not the motivation.
"I will protect all that is precious to me. Even against the world."
Konoha's Arena Stadium has never been more packed. Every available seat had been booked out as soon as the event had been announced. Foreign dignitaries which included Daimyo scouting for capable young Shinobi to take on various missions, were placed the most luxurious of boxes to spectate.
The sky is cloudy and dark but the excitement for the most spectacular lineup of prospective Chuunin ever made everyone forget about the ominous weather.
But there is silence. In spite of it being the most looked forward to event in Konoha's history.
Those with Dojutsu can see it for themselves. There's a rudimentary camera set up to a big screen for spectators that are unequiped with enhanced vision, and everyone now sees the same thing.
Naruto and Sasuke stand in opposition to each other. They are the only two in the arena.
And they are both wielding the Sharingan.
Sasuke is shaking and nearly looking ready to break out in a cold sweat.
Naruto looks as calm as can be in comparison.
"I hope you're not going to shake in your sandals for this whole match, Sasuke." Naruto addresses him smoothly.
"How is this possible?!" Sasuke demands wildly. "Who was your father?!"
"It's not my father who I get my Uchiha blood from." Naruto admits, a faint smile ready to break out. "My mother was half-and-half. Her mother was an Uzumaki and her father was an Uchiha who left this village a very long time ago."
Sasuke glares, thinking it's a lie. "Every Uchiha old enough to be your grandfather would have been hunted down by the village or the Uchiha Clan for becoming a traitor!"
"All but one. One too strong for the Uchiha Clan, and one too cunning for even the Shodai Hokage to completely defeat."
Sarutobi Hiruzen grips the arms of his chair.
"That's impossible."
He looks at the close-up of Naruto's face on the screen and cannot deny the resemblance between him and the terror of a man that nearly brought all of Konoha to destruction on his own.
"He wouldn't rear a child." Hiruzen mutters. He's unable to see anything but the monster that frightened him as a boy. The man that made him believe that the Uchiha's Curse of Hatred was a tangible and real threat to the safety of the village.
"Hiruzen-sama?"
The former Hokage can't think of a reply to his young clan mate. She's clearly only asking if he's okay but...
Naruto's oppressive and dense chakra is revealed. As if a veil over it has finally been released.
'Uchiha Madara! Faking your own death to get a chance to ruin us again! Your cursed blood plagues this village again!'
Tsunade shuts her eyes when the moment of clarity hits her.
The other Kage seated beside her lean forward in interest.
Madara truly was powerful and sly to fool even her grandfather. It's really no wonder that Jii-sama and Tobirama were fearful of him.
Naruto's behavior, appearance and power all converge into something that finally makes sense. Madara's teachings culminating into one boy.
'Now I know why you kept it secret.' She thinks, knowing that Madara had rightfully instilled distrust for Konoha to Naruto.
This boy has manipulated the public around him well and become near-untouchable by factions in Konoha that would try to obtain his power. Openly making friends with civilians. Defending people against drunk vagrants. Defeating the combined killing intent of many foreign nations Shinobi all at once. Proving himself as a trustworthy and dedicated agent of Konoha by being seen getting taught by Kakashi and Jiraiya. Most people are on this mysterious Genin's side, and if news gets out now that someone was trying to keep this power to themselves, a good part of Konoha would be up in arms to protect their new hero.
And now the Daimyo in neighboring nations are watching too. Good grief.
"I'll admit it, Sasuke. You weren't my first choice for opponents in this stage. The power I want to use would kill you, the Jinchuuriki up there have a better chance of surviving." Naruto explains his discontent, and the matter-of-fact way he said it ground on Sasuke's nerves. "I hope that this month has been kind to you. I still need to show off a little bit."
Sasuke glares viciously. "My resolve has become stronger, I won't let you win so easily."
Knowing that Naruto is clearly superior in Taijutsu and the addition of the Sharingan would make things infinitely harder, Sasuke attempts to use his expanded repertoire of Ninjutsu off the bat. He shoots through a number of signs.
"Katon: Hosenka no Jutsu!"
A huge flurry of mini-fireballs are spat from his mouth to cover a large area, creating a cone-of-effect that would ordinarily be hard to dodge. Simultaneously, Sasuke dashes with high speed to one of Naruto's sides and launches a storm of Shuriken.
He'd used this tactic before against Naruto, but it seems he'd put a Sharingan twist on it, along with strategically thinking that the typical cone-of-effect from Katon and Futon Ninjutsu that Naruto uses wouldn't be enough to block from every side.
"Shuriken Kage Bunshin!"
Naruto's Sharingan tracks the trajectory and movement of Sasuke's attack. He sees something off about the chakra creating the Shuriken but he opts for the simplest solution, with only one hand-seal.
"Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu!" Naruto's fireball is fired at the approaching Hosenka, obliterating it and forging a path in which Naruto could move through safely and at speed.
Sasuke doesn't remain idle. He runs up the arena wall and tries to gain a high-ground advantage. He pulls out a folded Fuma Shuriken from his pouch and multiplies it. He throws them one after the other, using thin cables to control their path and keep a hazard between him and Naruto. The Fuma Shuriken sling back and forth with precision and skirt the arena walls and ground.
The Uchiha on the ground looks up at Sasuke and sees that he has a movement advantage. At this distance with Shuriken being pelted around, Sasuke could dodge by running along the wall. Knocking the Shuriken off their path wouldn't be effective seeing as they're attached to cables that would bounce them back into life. And he didn't want to kill Sasuke, so he'd have to make some use of the tool he was here to show off.
He looks Sasuke in the eyes.
"Sharingan: Fuseikoi(Malfeasance)."
Most Genjutsu were applied subtly, but not this one. Its singular function was to strip control of the victim's body instead of tricking them. Less subtlety, more power. The victim is fully aware that they aren't in control but being incapable of stopping it without extreme effort of the mind. The Sharingan can see external illusions in the environment, but something attacking them from the inside requires skill and will to defeat.
Sasuke's chakra control slips up and he is struggling to stick to the wall. The Shuriken all whack into a surface, the replicants of them dispelling. Naruto leaps deftly up the wall and attacks Sasuke with Taijutsu. Sasuke manages to throw off the Genjutsu, looking quite strained but reels back from Naruto's strikes instead of meeting them.
Their Sharingan helps their coordination while fighting on a vertical surface significantly. Naruto chases Sasuke along the arena wall.
To the spectators, their fighting styles are telegraphed clearly. Sasuke is intelligent and resourceful, while Naruto is an unstoppable force in motion.
Suddenly, Sasuke whips out an exploding tag on a kunai and stabs it behind him to deter Naruto's pursuit.
Naruto picks it up and rips the tag off of the kunai. He chases down Sasuke daringly and slaps the tag down on the side of Sasuke's open- front apron.
Sasuke's eyes widen, hearing the hissing tag. But he thinks quickly and throws off the article of clothing, and weaves some signs that he copied from Naruto in his fight with Lee.
"Sogo Kawarimi no Jutsu!(Mutual Substitution Technique!)"
The real Sasuke is replaced with a Mizu Bunshin. Naruto sees the deception; one of the Fuma Shuriken earlier transformed into a weak decoy in the ground to be used as efficient substitution material.
'Quite a range of Ninjutsu.' Naruto mentally approves of copying Zabuza's technique.
Naruto raises his arms above his head.
"Futon: Shinku Tobikomu!(Wind Release: Vacuum Dive)"
He pushes down with the wind chakra accumulated on his arms, making a huge crack in the arena wall and sending the detached apron flying.
It explodes, leaving another web of cracks further along the wall.
The entire stadium is erupting in cheers.
Kakashi watches with a wide eye as his students duke it out.
Everyone in the stands can be heard speaking about the spectacular showdown.
"Forget Chuunin! These kids fight like freakin' Jounin!"
"You can do it, Naruto!"
"Go, Sasuke-kun!"
"I never knew that Uchiha were so gifted."
"-The power of Uchiha Ninjutsu..."
"Fufufu... Konoha has quite a few talented Shinobi this year. I wonder where Tsunade-dono has been hiding them?"
He assesses Naruto, who is clearly no worse for wear. And Sasuke, looking frazzled but still in peak fighting condition.
Those attacks from Sasuke had exemplified the precise nature of the Sharingan, as well as Naruto's seemingly insurmountable power by comparison with the way he smashes through his opposition's attacks.
"Kakashi?" Shizune asks worriedly from the seat behind him, while Minako looks on with wide-eyed awe at Naruto's pretty new eyes.
Kakashi senses the unspoken question.
"It'll be alright." Kakashi isn't entirely sure anymore but puts it on to ease her worry.
"The Sharingan..." Shizune breaths out in shock. "He was an Uchiha this whole time? He never gave us the slightest hint!"
Kakashi understands that Shizune may be upset at not knowing. Naruto had kept this secret for years. The only thing that could have been construed as a hint is his appearance, but everything else had been in the realm of possibility and somehow, a child had managed to keep a Kekkei-Genkai hidden from everyone. That most likely meant that he was trained and taught how dangerous it would be to show off that power to the wrong people.
It unsettles him that a young boy has the force of will to keep such a thing to himself, and it makes him question if he really knew Naruto all-along. It's not a nice feeling.
Sasuke recomposes himself. So long as he controls the distance between him and Naruto, he'd be able to slowly whittle him down with smart ranged attacks.
"Too slow." He hears right next to his ear.
He whirls and swings a kunai at... empty air? Sasuke looks back at the wall where Naruto had been perched and sees that he's still there.
"Genjutsu." Sasuke spat out. Using Genjutsu on a wielder of the Sharingan to prove their prowess with it is greater. Quite the kick in the teeth. He tries to make use of the distance he has and prepares another combination technique.
"Katon: Hosenka no Jutsu!"
The small fireballs travel slower, being created with a smaller amount of chakra and purposefully with less velocity. He keeps spitting them out until most of his field of view is covered in the small fireballs.
He then whips out another Jutsu; one he'd copied from Naruto.
"Futon: Taifuikka!(Wind Release: Passing Typhoon)"
A gust of wind whips around from his mouth. His control over Futon is weak in comparison to Naruto, but the tailwind he creates behind the fireballs infuses them with wind chakra and causes them to rapidly expand.
In an instant, each of the tiny fireballs becomes the size of a Gokakyu and create a area-of-effect that is impossible to escape from without feeling the arena, which Naruto would be disqualified for.
With his Sharingan, Sasuke sees Naruto smile.
'You really are resourceful, Sasuke.' Naruto thinks that Sasuke is wise for making use of his Sharingan gift. There's no point in being able to copy Jutsu if you aren't going to use them.
He weaves a Horse sign, and infuses a massive amount of chakra into his lungs.
"I hope you can avoid this one, Sasuke!"
Karin senses the upswing of chakra instantly.
"I guess he means business." She says, mostly to herself. It amazes her that Naruto's chakra could be so dense and powerful. It was like he is a monster in human skin.
And Naruto had been getting testy with himself. It figures that he'd want to express the efforts of his years of hard work instead of holding back.
"What's he doing?!" Shizune asks of her, knowing the story of her similar sensing ability to Naruto.
Karin shrugs nonchalantly. "Dunno. But whatever it is, it's gonna be huge."
The fireballs are closing in.
Naruto doesn't need to dodge.
"Katon: Goka Mekkyaku!"
The stream of flames is a Katon to end all Katon.
It launches from his mouth, the force of it making his hair and coat billow around. It expands rapidly to cover half of his vision and it completely swallows Sasuke's attack as if it never existed.
From the spectators point of view, it looks like imminent death. The Jutsu is so massive that it would take at least ten proficient Suiton users to block it. No-one would be able to interfere.
'No time!' Sasuke weaves signs and throws away any regard for chakra control, only pumping as much of it that he could into his next Jutsu, one from Kakashi this time.
"Doton: Doryuuheki!"
A wall with earthen cat heads on it sprouts out of the ground. It is made by exchanging width for thickness, to try and prevent the concussive force of Naruto's inferno. The flames smash into it, and much of it crumbles. The terrifying blaze coming from either side of the wall is scorchingly hot but the flames do not touch him.
It takes up a good quarter of his chakra, but Sasuke knows he's saved himself when the wall falls only at the end of Naruto's Jutsu.
"He could end it right now if he wanted to." Kazekage Rasa comments with a praising tone. "This Naruto boy is letting Sasuke show off his own power it seems. A bold move."
Tsunade agrees with the assessment. To the trained eye, Naruto is making a statement on the gap in their abilities. If the person who is losing is this powerful, then what further depths are there to the power of the person controlling the fight?
Two of the most powerful Genin Konoha has ever seen. Tsunade is nearly rubbing her hands together at the thought of the impending contracts from other nations.
The Raikage makes no comment, and the 'leader' of Otogakure who is veiled in wear similar to that of a Kage also remains quiet. His face and body are covered but he has made too many clumsy mistakes for Tsunade to be fooled by who this man is.
'You'll get yours soon enough, Orochimaru.' Tsunade clasps her hands together in a relaxed manner.
Naruto contemplates the merits of just doing the same thing. It probably wouldn't look smart but it'd show off how much chakra he has to the sensory inept in the audience.
Suddenly, he hears what sounds like chirping. It multiplies dozens of times, and a glow begins to emit from Sasuke's direction.
In his palm is lightning.
'Is that the Chidori?' Naruto has never actually seen it before. He only knows the stories of Kakashi's unique Jutsu, he didn't witness it get used on Zabuza seeing as he'd been preoccupied.
Sasuke walks slowly into the middle of the arena with the Chidori active in his hand. He claps his hands together, causing the Chidori to spread to the other hand.
Naruto grins at the challenge and leaps down to the ground.
Gai has something to say about that little Jutsu.
"It's completely irresponsible to teach a Genin a Jutsu of that level!"
Kakashi isn't having any of it.
"You're one to talk. The Eight Gates you taught to Lee could have killed Naruto, for no other reason that he was jealous of my talented Genin. At least Sasuke has proven thus far that he's a loyal and dedicated Shinobi to Konoha and its people."
"He could very well kill Naruto with the Chidori."
Kakashi doubts that. Sasuke may have been doing some unauthorized training to perfect the Chidori to the degree that he could walk around with it instead of requiring linear high-speed, but Naruto clearly confident enough that he would be able to take it on.
Seeing that Sasuke is controlling the Chidori without any wasted chakra is something of a shock to him though. If Sasuke can manage to master the Chidori in a mere month and is now using it as Taijutsu lethality multiplier, he has no doubt that the boy could eventually surpass him.
Naruto better have something up his sleeve that can match it. Blocking palms full of lightning requires a different set of skills than conventional Taijutsu.
It may very well come down to the Sharingan being the deciding factor in this fight.
Naruto thinks that this may be the most dangerous Taijutsu battle he'd ever participate in. Sure, it may border on the line of being a Nin-Taijutsu fight, but that's a technicality.
It would be a dance to remember.
He pulls up both hands and focuses his chakra. Two Rasengan the size of his head form in them, hovering slightly above his palms.
Naruto and Sasuke begin to approach each other. It starts out as a walk, then a jog, and then a rush at high speed.
Rasengan and Chidori slap off each other. Sparks become streaks of lightning chakra that whip into the ground and leave scars. Naruto's Rasengan does not waver; unless Sasuke hits it directly instead of clipping it then there would be no lock of chakra.
Naruto swings his left arm out loosely, making Sasuke reel back at the wrecking-ball of an attack. Sasuke makes rapid jabs in Naruto's direction to prevent him from pushing the offensive and it works long enough for Sasuke to ground himself.
It didn't take a genius to realize that getting his by either of these Jutsu would be very bad.
Their wild and swinging attacks at each other looked clumsy on the surface but each action is a combination of Sharingan precision and raw battle instinct. Their footwork and ability to weave around, attack and defend while calculating the next best move is evident to high-ranked Shinobi spectating.
Naruto slides on the ground with Futon-enhanced propulsion, making a double-handed slamming motion to Sasuke's core. Sasuke rolls over it and lands on his hand, creating a small storm that wrecks the ground. He deliberately decreases the chakra flow in order to not sink down by way of penetrating power.
"Chidori Nagashi!"
Once Sasuke pushes his right lightning palm off the ground, a wave of lightning springs in Naruto's direction.
Naruto makes a bowling sweep with his left hand and causes the Rasengan in it to collide with the ground. It creates a massive shockwave that rips the ground up and hurls an increasing wave of compressed chakra force that barrels through the lightning and comes to a stand- still. It vanishes, but not before leaving a massive chasm in the ground.
Cheers erupt at the display, but Naruto and Sasuke steady themselves for one final blow.
The Rasengan in Naruto's right hand still glows brightly, and Sasuke's Chidori begins to chirp louder and grows in intensity.
Naruto and Sasuke break into a sprint.
Their Jutsu slam together, causing a shriek to emanate and the chakra clashing between them to become increasingly unstable.
A light blue shroud forms around them as the Rasengan and Chidori howl and demand victory over the other. The chakra shroud becomes increasingly dark before it's no longer see-through.
The bubble of chakra explodes, causing a massive explosion of lightning chakra in the middle of the arena.
Karin jumps in fright at the thundering crack.
"Naruto?" She whispers to herself in concern.
The arena is so polluted with dense chakra that she can't sense through the veil. The dust from the explosion had yet to clear.
"My god..." Shizune-san mutters at her side, and Minako in her lap is cowed into silence by the noise and is trying to sink into her mother's embrace.
The dust begins to settle, and the dense blue lightning-infused chakra begins to rise and dissipate into the sky.
Dark clouds become stormy.
Sasuke looks worse for wear. Naruto is uninjured again, but breathing deeper after the relentless assaults.
"I hope this is enough to end it." Sasuke says to Naruto, raising his left hand once more and a thin web of lightning that is nearly invisible reaches into the sky.
"That was the last of your chakra." Naruto recomposes himself and the breathlessness fades away. "It would be wiser to surrender now than to attempt anything else."
"You know me better than that." Sasuke retorts, Sharingan fading into the featureless black of his normal eyes.
"I do." Naruto agrees.
Despite their disagreements, Sasuke admires Naruto's strength and will.
He looks up at the sky that looks ready to rain any moment. His unwavering training regime at controlling lightning has left him with the opportunity to test out his prototype Ninjutsu. One that summons natural lightning where none is to be found within him.
Sasuke has big dreams with this Jutsu. A shame he didn't have time to complete it.
"Chidori Jinrai(Thunderclap)."
A massive bolt of lightning shoots down and hits Naruto.
Naruto really admires Sasuke's talent and inability to give up.
He can sense the storm but the density of chakra in the atmosphere is still deflectable. He could whip up a blast or tornado to diffuse or at least deflect the incoming attack.
But he respects Sasuke, to come this far without resorting to using that manipulative curse-mark. To not demean his choices in front of an audience. To compose himself quickly and be willing to fight against a long-lost relative to the very end. To create and master these terrifying Jutsu, and to make use of his gifts without restraint.
He wills his eyes into their superior form.
Sasuke deserves his defeat to be at the pinnacle of Uchiha Power.
"Susanoo!"
The lightning bolt struck the dead-center of the arena where Naruto had been standing. A slight drizzle followed the deafening crack and the dust that had once been the ground was still whisping around where Naruto should be.
Everyone in the stadium watches with bated breath. Some of them are sure that Sasuke's attack would have killed Naruto.
Naruto's voice booms throughout the stadium and an ominous chakra reverberates in the atmosphere.
"Susanoo!"
A pair of glowing golden eyes can be seen clearly through the dust. A light blue glow becomes increasingly visible around the eyes and forms into something humanoid, albeit massive.
"Yasaka no Magatama!"
Several blue blurs launch out of the dust cloud, leaving long streaks behind them.
Sasuke tries his best to dodge but ends up being hit by one, sending him flying back into the arena wall. He coughs up a bit of blood from the impact and tries to right himself.
He tries to reach to the sky again and call down another bolt, but the remainder of the chakra sputters in his hand and dies out instantly.
An inhuman growl comes from the massive being.
"Grouugh!"
Sasuke chokes back his fear as best he can. He pulls out a kunai with a wire and lines it with explosive tags. He throws it desperately at the shrouded figure.
Subsequent explosions are loud but seemingly have no effect on the construct.
The construct raises what appears to be an arm, and it sprouts a sword in its hand. It sweeps its arm down and causes and shockwave that dissipates the dust surrounding it and launches invisible force at Sasuke.
Sasuke leaps with all his strength to get out of the way. He stumbles on the ground, and takes in the appearance of this being of chakra.
This skeletal thing is somewhat humanoid; a torso that glowed with light blue chakra and stood several stories tall. Ominous yellow orbs peer out of a jagged-toothed skull, adorned with two pointed horns from what would be its hairline.
"Nearly there." Naruto says to himself, clenching his fists while his hair flicked around wildly.
The creature begins to form 'muscle' and 'skin', the shroud of chakra emanating from its body and building more onto the Susanoo. The head of a dragon not dissimilar from his chains, swallows the horned head like a hood and further constructs its face. The Susanoo begins to look more alive, though its horns and two arms on each shoulder joint give away its demonic nature.
Sasuke trembles with his back to the wall. He shakily stands while he takes in the terrifying monster. It lights up the dark arena, and the puddles created by the rain reflect the brightness of Naruto's fiendish creation.
"Mangekyou Sharingan? Who did you murder to get this power?" Sasuke asks fearfully.
The mark on his shoulder shoots pain through his body.
'Not now!'
Naruto takes no note of his agony.
"I didn't murder anyone to obtain this power, Sasuke. My grandfather made the ascension for me."
A black flame pattern emerges from Sasuke's curse-mark. He tries his best to force it down, but with no chakra of his own to suppress it, it spreads with little restraint.
Rage and hate fill his mind. He knows that it is not his, but the mark affects his mind too greatly for him to understand. It is a subtle thing that preys on his inner turmoil.
He weaves his signs again.
"Chidori!"
Naruto frowns at him, his strangely-patterned Sharingan copying Kakashi Jutsu.
Sasuke uses all the strength and chakra that the mark has given him and launches a final assault.
The darkened Chidori slams against Naruto's Susanoo.
It does 'nothing'.
He looks Naruto in the eyes and fear overtakes him once more.
"You're my family, Sasuke. So let me help you out a bit... Tsukuyomi."
Sasuke wakes in a realm of pure white. He is completely uninjured and his curse-mark isn't affecting his mind, seemingly.
"Welcome to Tsukuyomi, Sasuke. This is a world of Genjutsu, in which I control everything that you can perceive."
He turns more calmly than he expected to the voice behind him.
"I have been its victim once before." Sasuke spits out. "My brother used this to show me how he brutally murdered everyone in the Uchiha Clan!"
"Then you may understand a piece of its potential." Naruto is unaffected by the vitriol, and keeps a cool manner despite it. "It's not a torture Jutsu, it's the most flexible Genjutsu there is. With this, we have some time to speak privately. You have much to learn about the nature of the Sharingan, and how I came to be."
The surrounding white turns into something more organic, and Sasuke sees a man nearly identical to Naruto shake hands with the Shodai Hokage.
"Like all Genjutsu, Tsukuyomi implants chakra into its victim. It's like a timer, once that chakra is used up, the Genjutsu will release. If I cancel this Jutsu early however, some of my chakra will remain behind. Since it's not yours, it will be eaten up by your body very quickly. I'll finish this so that my chakra will overcome the curse-mark. After that, it's back in your hands."
In the real world, Sasuke collapses in a faint and the curse-mark completely recedes back into its normal state.
Naruto's Susanoo dispels slowly into blue flecks, dissipating into the atmosphere.
"You are worthy of the Uchiha name." Naruto says to the unconscious boy.
The proctor leaps down from his safe hiding spot and declares the victor.
"Winner: Uchiha Naruto!"
Tsunade watches the uninjured Naruto follow the medics who take Sasuke away to the stadium infirmary.
'Mangekyou Sharingan.' She thinks with a sense of foreboding. A very rare power that is not easy to control, and yet Naruto had flaunted it as if it were childsplay.
Hiding the Sharingan was a bit unnecessary. Hiding the Mangekyou is a different kettle of fish altogether.
Naruto has made a statement today. He has shown the world that the Uchiha Clan is not so easily defeated, and that the cursed blood runs stronger than ever.
She turns to the Kazekage.
"Well, that was quite the opening match." Tsunade keeps the smugness buried.
"Indeed." Rasa says thoughtfully. "I would hazard to say that those boys are well above what a Chuunin would ordinarily be capable of. That Naruto one even more so."
"And you, Raikage?" Tsunade questions the man who's been quite thus far.
Ay frowns, not giving away anything other than annoyance at the prospect of conversation with superior Kage.
"The day is young yet. Kumogakure has time to show its prospective Chuunin off."
"Of course. It's not every exam that a Jinchuuriki competes." Tsunade happily gives away the fact that she knows about Yugito's Jinchuuriki status.
The Raikage's brow twitches, but he says nothing more.
In the arena, the examiner summons the next participants.
"Nii Yugito and Hyuuga Neji, please come forward!"
Dosu makes a signal to the shadows behind him, unseen to the other exam participants.
He subtly takes off his Oto headband, and replaces it with one denoting allegiance to Konoha.
His signal has made sure that his teammates do the same, and to let them ready up for the impending conflict.
The three Suna siblings exit the same way that Yuguto did.
Across the way in one of the spectator stands, Jiraiya taps Karin's shoulder.
"That's our cue. Time to go."
Karin takes a shaky breath.
Yugito bites her lip as she watches Naruto walk away with the medics. Her task is clear, but she doesn't know the stadium halls at all given the increased security in the facility.
The signal is set to come any minute now. She can't afford to let the opportunity slip up to destroy the Uchiha.
"I surrender!" Yugito shouts, and leaves through the contestants box entrance.
Hayate nods, and summons the next contestants despite the roaring 'boo'.
"Aburame Shino and Haruno Sakura!"
"Amaterasu!"
Black flames erupt on Kabuto's body, making him scream in agony.
The other medics cringe at the volume but continue their work on converting as much of their chakra that they can into Sasuke's unconscious form.
"Jiraiya-sama was right." One of them tries to keep her cool over the fact that the leak had been in plain sight all along.
Naruto doesn't let them ponder it for too long.
"Keep moving, unless you want to fight a Jinchuuriki in this enclosed space. You know the plan, Sasuke and I are the bait. Once we're out in the open, you four will return to the medic station and prepare for more injured Konoha Shinobi."
"Right!" The medics chorus, getting back to work to heal Sasuke up back to full strength.
If he'd paid closer attention, he would have noticed that the facial skin of Kabuto corps had shed and revealed an already dead and pale ANBU.
A Genjutsu befalls the stadium, the clear source being the spectating Oto Jounin.
Tsunade and Rasa turn and give each other sly smiles.
It seems that Orochimaru understands he doesn't have any time left to act.
Ten Oto Chuunin follow the Suna siblings. Their only order is to agitate the Ichibi enough to make it go on a rampage.
They do not notice the bells nailed to the walls.
All of them drop to their knees when their ears start bleeding from a horrible shrieking noise. Their senses are so rattled that they are rendered completely immobile.
"Zankuuha!"
Brutal airwaves shred the skin off their bodies, and they are left to die a quick and bloody death.
The stadium quickly dissolves into a mess of skirmishes when the Genjutsu knocks out the civilian and Daimyo populace.
Sakura and Shino are accosted by the other two competing Kumo Genin. Oto Shinobi move to back them up, with so many skilled Jounin present it has become an impossible task.
Kakashi and Gai are the first to defend them from a wave assault, holding everyone back with ease befitting their known abilities.
"Sakura, Shino. Get out and assist the evac teams. We'll hold things down here." Kakashi orders.
"Right!" Sakura nods, taking Shino and running up the walls and out of the stadium.
Orochimaru and Raikage Ay deftly move to the main rooftop with Tsunade and Rasa in pursuit.
"Kukuku, I see you're somewhat prepared for this, my dear teammate." Orochimaru sheds his disguise and stands before the Kage in all his sickly looking self.
"And you haven't learned that mistakes against Konoha will always come back to bite you." Tsunade glares him down. "You are going to die today, Orochimaru. All of your ambition will serve as fuel to show the world that Konoha is eternally unnassailable."
"You will find that I have a few tricks up my sleeve, Tsunade." Orochimaru smiles, and a powerful purple barrier emerges on the rooftop.
The roof is submerged further into darkness.
"Kuchiyose: Edo Tensei!"
Three coffins rise up from the tiles. They read Shodaime, Nidaime and Yondaime. The coffin lids open, and three perfect puppet copies of the deceased Hokage fall out.
The Kazekage notes that the Yondaime's hair is just a mop dipped in yellow paint.
Rasa chuckles, gold dust leaking from the roof and swirling up around him.
"My boy has quite a talent with puppetry."
Orochimaru is taken aback by the development.
The wicked gleam in Tsunade's eyes intensifies.
"That's the problem with betraying your subordinates. Sometimes... they find a way to bite back."
Naruto senses the squad of Kumo Jounin pursuing them through the streets. Sasuke is hobbling but conscious. He's not in fighting condition but they still need to rendezvous with Karin and Jiraiya. Sasuke's chakra has been restored to full on Naruto's orders, knowing that his Ninjutsu would be more effective than his Taijutsu.
He has Sasuke guide the civilians through the evacuation routes while he keeps the Jounin occupied.
"He's a Dojutsu wielder! You know what to do!" One of the five Jounin makes the decision to go through one of their anti-Dojutsu protocols.
"Keep going." Naruto barks at Sasuke.
All five assailants weave their signs at once. Their skin begins to glow brightly.
"Raiton: Raigen Raikochu!"
The bright flash forces him to close his eyes and rely on his sensing power, but he knows that the light will hinder the untrained civilian runners. He uses a Jutsu that he'd just copied from Sasuke, slapping his palms down on the road.
"Doton: Doryuuheki!"
A wall of earth emerges from the ground, adorned with various dragon-heads similar to his chains and Katon Ninjutsu. It blocks the light in the street, but the Nibi Jinchuuriki has arrived sooner than expected.
Naruto leans back to avoid elongated claws and is forced to continue dodging them. His Sharingan allows him to see the strikes and move around them with precision.
He notes that the Jinchuuriki's eyes have changed colour. Her right eye is yellow and the left is green. Naruto can feel the Nibi's chakra cycling through her quicker than before.
Yugito's attacks are as vicious as one might expect.
"You're gonna die here, Uchiha boy!" Yugito hisses, with red chakra bubbling out of her rapidly.
At least he has the motive for the attack now. She's after him, meaning that he can take her away from evacuation pathways. Unfortunately, he still has to worry about the Jounin on the other side of the wall that will try and impede his sight.
The Earth wall begins to crumble rapidly, catching them both by surprise. It dissolves rapidly until it's nothing but sand. The sand moves with a will of its own and swallows up the Kumo Jounin.
"Sabaku Kyu!" A malicious young voice calls out, and the Kumo squad becomes a shower of gore that drops out of a giant ball of sand.
'Ichibi Jinchuuriki.' Naruto counts himself lucky for the intervention. It would make getting to Karin that much quicker.
He leaps deftly and dashes across the rooftops of Konoha at top speed. Yugito's demonic chakra has enhanced her enough that she can keep pace with him.
Naruto is forced to dodge giant blue fireballs as he kites Yugito away. He wants to take the battle to her, but he has his task and can't afford to fail after he openly gave away that he would leave the village if Konoha didn't allow him to keep Karin. He must seal the Nibi, and with as few casualties as possible.
Full squads of Oto and Kumo joints forces try to halt him, but he burns them away with liberal use of Katon and smacks them down with Susanoo fists.
More fireballs are forcing him to strafe in order to avoid them, making him slow down. He's only at the halfway point between himself and Jiraiya, but so long as he avoids the claws and the flames, he'll get there eventually.
Or would have, if a Shinobi hadn't burst out of some roof tiles and started firing bone projectiles out of his fingers.
Naruto's brow creases in anger.
Karin senses Naruto's rage through his chakra, but she and Jiraiya are tangling with giant snakes.
"Old man!" Karin starts to stress out.
Jiraiya makes his own noise of annoyed exertion.
"Kuchiyose: Yatai Kuzushi no Jutsu!"
Karin is suddenly aware that she's several stories higher than the surrounding buildings, and a three-headed snake is suddenly underneath a gigantic toad.
More snakes appear around them in clouds of white smoke. Karin spots groups of Oto Shinobi using combination summoning to churn out as many summons as possible.
"We're stuck!" Karin is nearly hyperventilating, realising that their part of the plan is in shambles.
Jiraiya grabs Karin's smaller frame and slides down the back of the toad. They land on the ground, hidden in the shadow of the giant beast.
The redhead feels Jiraiya's chakra swell enormously.
"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" Jiraiys slams his hands down on the ground, and two more massive toads appear.
"I leave it to you!" Jiraiya shouts to the toads, picking her up again and making a getaway. "Tell me where he is!"
"That way!" Karin points to where Naruto's violent chakra is coming from.
Naruto feels the Kaguya's chakra grow in power, nearly identically to the way Sasuke's did when using the curse mark. He assesses Yugito's seal with his Sharingan and sees that it's wrenching chakra forcefully from the Nibi.
'I can stop them from getting stronger if I negate those seals.' Naruto sprouts light blue chains from his back and sends them directly at his opposition.
Yugito's outright cat-like reflexes and agility cause her to dodge with little effort and she continues to rampage across the roof.
He is about to leap away when he finds himself stuck. The Kaguya has pinned down a chain using bones and runs directly at him. Naruto weaves some signs to get at least one of the immediate threats away from him.
"Futon: Daitoppa!" A shockwave hits Yugito head-on, but she digs her elongated claws down to stop herself from flying away.
Naruto extends the end of the pinned chain and has the dragon-head pull out the bone. The chain tosses it back at Kimimaro, who deflects it with bone protrusions from his back without stopping. Naruto retracts his chains to preserve chakra and forms a Rasengan in each hand.
He waves his Rasengan at Kimimaro, and the Kaguya's eyes widen when the Jutsu smashes through the hard bone. He's forced to create more out of his ribs to put as much resistance between his body and the destructive Jutsu.
The Rasengan connects with the bone shield and sends the white-haired Oto Shinobi flying across the roof.
Yugito pounces while his back is turned, but Naruto drops on his back and lets the claws fly over his lying self. His remaining Rasengan sweeps under Yugito's legs, who nimbly leaps over it and spins in the air, launching another set of claws down at his vulnerable position.
Exactly how he'd planned.
Naruto looks Yugito in the eyes and paralyzes her with the Sharingan. In the split second it takes for her to break out, a chain is already wrapped around her legs and chest and suppressing the Bijuu Chakra.
Kimimaro is running to hit Naruto while he's distracted, but it is cut off by Sasuke wielding his Chidori.
"Do it, Naruto!" Sasuke shouts, keeping the Kaguya momentarily occupied.
Burning Kanji form on the tips of Naruto's fingers.
"Gogyo Fuin!" He pushes his fingers on top of Yugito's seal and completely halts the flow of Bijuu chakra.
Yugito keels over in agony and her eyes return to their normal dark state. She faints on the spot.
"Yugito!" Her Jounin leader is on the scene, but Naruto has had enough of the interference.
"Uchiha Kaenjin!"
A huge fiery barrier separates Naruto, Sasuke and Kimimaro from the rest of the village.
"Sasuke! Keep the Jinchuuriki safe, I'll handle the Kaguya!"
"Right." Sasuke nods, letting his Chidori sputter out to conserve his chakra.
Pillars of bones are erupting out of the roof but Sasuke tracks the moving tiles with his Sharingan to determine where they spike out from. With Yugito on his shoulder, he finds a safe spot in the barrier to hide.
"Dammit!" Sasuke hears the Kumo Jounin curse from outside the barrier. "I knew we should have brought Bee! Everyone, work on taking down the barrier and kill Yugito so Konoha doesn't obtain the Nibi!"
Naruto runs straight at Kimimaro and forgoes any restraint. He overhears Darui and needs to act fast.
"Susanoo!" Naruto's initial ribcage form with arms is summoned and whirls around with a blade in each hand, mowing down the field of bones.
Bones are poking at his feet, causing him to jump and give Kimimaro a shot at him while he's airborne.
"Sawarabi no Mai!"
Kimimaro's skin darkens when the curse mark fully overtakes his body. A huge lance of bone from his arm slams into the ribcage, causing it to crack.
Understanding that this curse mark has clearly enhanced the Kaguya to an insane degree, Naruto realises that conventional Ninjutsu will not be effective.
"Amaterasu!" Black flames burn away at the lance and spread to the main body.
Kimimaro howls in anger and pain but doesn't cease. He sheds a layer of bone from his body, letting the unholy black flames drop off of him at the cost of a significant amount of chakra.
'He's not trying to catch me alive.' Naruto thought, knowing that the boy wouldn't have intel from Orochimaru to capture him instead so he could get another Uchiha.
"You're persistent." Naruto praises, landing and forcing his Susanoo to repair and grow.
"And you are an obstacle!" Kimimaro snarls with blood flying from his lips.
Naruto manifests his half-body Susanoo and smashes his blades down at Kimimaro. The Kaguya blocks as best he can, but he's already low on chakra and the twin attack shreds the bone off of his body.
The Kaguya makes one last stand.
"Come." Naruto beckons with respect. "I will give you a worthy death."
His battle cry would be remembered by Naruto, even as he bisects him horizontally with the bright blade.
Ay is not an adept sensor, but even he feels when the Nibi chakra dissipates.
"Orochimaru," Ay is on his back foot from Tsunade's outright relentless punches. "Drop the barrier."
The Snake Sannin sees Sarutobi Hiruzen waiting outside for it to drop. The old man is dressed in full battle regalia, and there is very little of a weary old man in that visage. He looks like a man with his heart and mind concluded.
"We are both dead if I do that." Orochimaru refuses, retching out a sword from his mouth.
The Kusanagi extends toward Tsunade, who catches it between her hands. Her superior strength stops her from being moved. She whips her hands to the side and forces Orochimaru to swing around. The Raikage launches as Tsunade, but a tornado of glimmering gold dust pummels him away. Orochimaru is forced to let go of the sword, and it clatters at Tsunade's feet.
A huge plume of smoke emerges in the distance, and a loud natural trumpetting of a rare summon echoes across the village.
Orochimaru smirks. Looks like Danzo has too much at stake not to act.
On the outside, Sarutobi recognizes the creature immediately and abandons his watch of the barrier.
Jiraiya and Karin and suddenly swept away by a massive wind vacuum.
"Ranjishigami no Jutsu!" Jiraiya's hair whips around and extends in different directions, grabbing hold on to anything he could while keeping Karin on his back.
But the wind force is so great that the buildings themselves are dismantling and being pulled towards the source. The elephant creature eats everything and shoots out the dust through its trunk.
Jiraiya realises that if this thing moves, it will eat the surrounding Konoha Shinobi that are trying to escort him to Naruto. He needs to immobilise the creature to protect them.
"Doton: Yomi Numa!"
Several buildings have their foundations turned to mud but the swamp created completely submerges the legs of the Baku.
"Jii-san! There's someone-" Karin tries to warn, but there's another old man behind them using hand-signs.
"Futon: Shinku Renpa."
Colossal force slams into them, and Jiraiya's hair Jutsu isn't enough to stop them from flying straight towards Baku's mouth.
"ENMA!" Hiruzen arrives on the scene, and he throws a staff into the Baku's teeth.
The staff transforms into a cage, trapping Jiraiya and Karin inside of it but being too large to fit in the gaping maw. Jiraiya seizes the opportunity and uses Katon to great effect. The Baku can't stand the fire mixing with wind and dispels to fight another day.
The staff cage lands in the mud. Sarutobi pulls them out by using the mud for another Jutsu.
"Doton: Doryuudan."
A mud dragon picks up the cage, dumping it behind Sarutobi before launching in Danzo's direction. The staff transforms and lands back in Sarutobi's waiting arms.
Jiraiya curses his luck. "Shit, this is bad."
"Indeed," Sarutobi's eyes narrow at Danzo's Sharingan, seeing one in his right eye and another ten in a pasty white right arm.
"Kill the girl." Danzo orders, pleasantries forgotten.
Jiraiya charges a Rasengan in his hand and throws Karin off of his back. Before he can hit her, Hiruzen uses Enma to send him flying behind some building debris.
"You ingrate!" Hiruzen snarls at his oldest friend.
The Toad Sannin leaps back into the fray, to Karin's nervousness but he seems right of mind this time.
"As soon as I was out of his sight, I snapped out of it." Jiraiya assesses the power of Danzo's Sharingan.
"And he didn't use it on both of us at once," Hiruzen nods. "And he's not using it now. There is a cooldown period in which he can't use it again, and he can only use it on one person."
"Get to Naruto!" Jiraiya orders Karin, who nods and runs away immediately.
"As expected of you, Sandaime Hokage." Danzo's grizzled voice is bitter. "After only seeing it once, you deduced the weakness of this Kotoamatsukami. But you will find that reality can be changed to suit me, and my reality is that I will be Hokage before this day is done."
Hiruzen scoffs.
"Over my dead body."
Naruto deactivated his Sharingan to conserve what chakra he has for the sealing. The barrier he put up had taken a significant portion of his chakra, and consistent use of the Mangekyou Sharingan to create controlled black flames hadn't helped in the slightest.
But as powerful as the barrier is, it is not invincible. It is primarily a Katon Jutsu after-all, designed to burn away at physical attacks.
"Ranton: Reiza Saakasu!" Darui's blue lasers pelt the barrier and make it crack.
'Karin is so far away, they'll break through and kill the girl before I can seal.' Naruto thought with increasing frustration. Those lasers would penetrate any physical object they put between them and the attacker, and letting the girl die before sealing the Nibi isn't an option.
Options are becoming more and more limited the longer he has to wait.
Trying to control the Nibi after releasing it would leave the risk of it being sealed again by the Kumo squad. Sharingan induced control did not grant immunity to sealing; Senju Hashirama proved as much.
He doesn't have enough chakra left to counterbalance the Bijuu Chakra. He would die if he sealed it in himself.
The barrier will break soon. Think, think, think!
Another crack.
"We're almost there!" Darui inspires his men with his efforts, and they all ready up with a cheer.
There is only one person in range that is suitable for the task. Only one with enough chakra to seal the Nibi in time to save themselves.
"Sasuke. Come up here."
His Uchiha clan mate does so, dropping Yugito's unconscious body between them.
"This is bad." Sasuke observes the cracks in the barrier.
"Look at me." Naruto's voice is deadly serious, more serious than he'd ever been in his life.
Sasuke straightens, and looks him in the eyes.
"Are you willing to do whatever it takes to protect Konoha?"
"Outta my way!" Karin's fighting ability is limited but she kicks away an assailant with surprising strength for her size.
Hyuuga Neji and his father by her side in an instant.
"Quickly, young Uzumaki!" Hizashi pushes the air itself and makes a shockwave that annihilates Kumo and Oto Shinobi alike.
"Right!" Karin is already running as fast as she can.
"What is that?" Neji points out a chakra mass in front of them.
Karin's eyes widen.
Hiruzen and Jiraiya manage to exhaust Danzo's supply of reality-bending Sharingan at the cost of many injuries and nearly all of their combined chakra. Having to constantly push eachother out of the way and block Danzo's line of sight has exemplified their student-teacher bond and teamwork.
"I am putting an end to this, once and for all." Hiruzen sneers in disgust at the massive Mokuton tree that was once Danzo's arm.
"As am I." Danzo pulls one kunai out and calls up razor-sharp wind.
The Bijuu chakra is becoming an oppressive heat in the atmosphere, but the veterans do not falter for a second. They charge each other and in an instant, they are both disarmed of their weapons.
Hiruzen stabs him through the heart with Danzo's own discarded kunai, picked up with the little chakra he had left using his foot.
"Ura Shisho!" Danzo's final act is one of mutually assured death.
"Gogyo Fuin!"
Jiraiya stops the sealing, but Danzo pulls out the kunai as with one final roar, cuts straight into Hiruzen's side.
The old Hokage keels over, looking at the body of his old friend.
"Sensei!" Jiraiya rushes to his side.
"My boy..." Sarutobi coughs up blood. "Protect-"
"I will!" Jiraiya chokes up, and moves to rejoin Karin.
Sarutobi smiles in content.
He fades from the world of the living, knowing that he has died lucky in knowing that he has protected the Great Tree.
Yugito is strung up by thin chains behind Naruto.
In one great pull, the entirety of the Nibi emerges from her body and gives a howl.
Sasuke stands at the ready, but his eyes are wide in fear at the monster.
The chains expand and wrap around the Nibi, halting its movement for a mere second.
Naruto is rushing through all the signs before the Nibi is even out.
The barrier shatters.
"KILL THEM!" The Kumo Shinobi charge.
"DO IT NOW, NARUTO!" Sasuke screams at him.
"Hakke no Fuin Shiki!"
There is a pause, and a blast of Bijuu chakra whips around and stops the Kumo Shinobi's movement.
"FUIN!"
Naruto is completely spent from the sealing, but the Nibi shrinks and becomes one with Sasuke.
He collapses and looks at Sasuke, trying to see if he would be in any condition to protect them.
Sasuke's red Sharingan is active, but his sclerae match the heterochromia of the Nibi.
The seal on his shoulder tries to spread, but it burns from vicious blue flames and vanishes from his skin.
Sasuke weaves the signs for the Gokakyu and howls.
"Katon: Kasha Gokakyu!"
A massive blue fireball is the answer the Kumo squad receives for their efforts.
Naruto leaps away as soon as giant blue fireballs and flamethrowers start cooking the Kumo-nin alive. The one with the Ranton Kekkei-Genkai has fled, clearly understanding that an Uchiha Jinchuuriki may be too much to handle at present.
He is in top physical condition, just without any chakra. He'd be able to fend off incoming enemies but it always helps to be able to use Ninjutsu.
"Naruto!" Karin has finally arrived, with two Hyuuga and a battered Jiraiya.
"You're too late." Naruto shakes his head. "I had to act."
"You didn't-" Jiraiya realises what's happened when he spots Sasuke ripping enemy nin to shreds with long claws.
Naruto nods stoicly. "Sasuke was the only one near by."
"He could die, Naruto."
"No. He is strong enough."
Jiraiya and Karin watch as Sasuke uses the Bijuu chakra to great effect.
"The seal is only partially open. Enough to put him into an initial Jinchuuriki form but not enough to be possessed by the Nibi. I need to find a medic right now to restore my chakra, so I can repair the seal remotely if things get out of hand."
"What happens now?" Karin asks Naruto, clinging to Naruto now that they're reunited.
"With you? Nothing. Konoha has its Jinchuuriki. What we need to focus on right now repelling this invasion."
Karin rolls up her sleeve and offers her arm to him. Naruto gives her a look that makes her feel guilty for trying.
"I sent my medic team to one of the evacuation exits, we'll head there and convert some of your chakra to me. Medics can do it more efficiently than through a bite."
The group of five watch Sasuke use Chidori Nagashi in every direction, making it known just how much the Nibi is increasing his power.
"And besides, you don't have enough chakra to fully restore me to the point that I can defend everyone against that. Let him have his fun for now."
"I'm gonna check on Tsunade." Jiraiya goes his own way instead. Naruto thinks he must have been a bit rattled by something on his way to the designated sealing area.
Naruto and the remaining squad members do not falter on their way to the medics.
"If I may ask Naruto-san, why are you so low on chakra? My understanding is that you normally have as much as Hokage-sama." Neji quizzes him, not understanding how that chakra could simply vanish.
"Now is not the time, my boy." Hizashi reprimands lightly.
"It's fine," Naruto would have waived it off if he weren't running. "Bijuu are entities of chakra. You probably didn't see the four-story flaming cat just now, but it takes a heavy toll to control chakra with chakra. Sealing one of the most powerful beings in the world has drained me dry. I had to fight some powerful shinobi to even get that to the point that I could safely extract the Nibi from its previous Jinchuuriki."
"A creature of that power," Hizashi mutters. "Now in the hands of Uchiha Sasuke. He will be a formidable Shinobi."
The four soon arrive at an exit near the Hokage tower that leads through the mountain, only to find a large number of dead Konoha Shinobi and civilians.
"What happened here?" Neji looks angered at the innocent casualties.
They see a squad of ten ANBU in unidentifiable masks, showing no allegiance to any village. They are all outfitted in similar black gear, sporting short-tipped Tanto.
And an uninjured Yakushi Kabuto.
"I killed you." Naruto narrows his eyes.
Kabuto smiles slyly. "Even your legendary senses can be fooled. And now, you're quite vulnerable."
The Hyuuga parent activates his Byakugan.
"Unfortunate that he is under my protection then. The worst nightmare of any medical Ninjutsu specialist is someone who can take their chakra away from them."
"And you will find that I am not so easily defeated. Orochimaru-sama taught me personally."
"Then more valuable will my victory be."
Naruto wants to jump in. He knows that his superior Taijutsu ability will be of use but he also has to be mindful and defend Karin, who's combat capability is lacking. He instead waits for them to come to him.
"I really think that you should bite now!" Karin insists fearfully.
A conflicted scowl crosses his face. He knows that despite this Hyuuga man's skill, he and his son will eventually be overwhelmed by the numbers.
"Naru," Karin's voice is softer now. "This is the first time I've ever done this of my own choice. For your sake and mine, please save us!"
Anger is bubbling up in him. These invaders have forced him to do something that he didn't want to. They have robbed his family of agency.
"I will find a way to get rid of these damn scars." Naruto promises, eyes flaring with a signature crimson glow before fading to grey.
"I know." Karin offers her arm.
"Don't let him heal!" Kabuto orders the ANBU.
Naruto bites into Karin's arm. She reels in pain, but forces as much chakra into the wound that she can manage.
The Sharingan comes back in Mangekyou form. Light blue chakra flares up around him and begins to form his Susanoo.
Karin's chakra is drained and Naruto is back at quarter-strength.
A wide sweep of his ethereal sword demolishes the ANBU with ease, and he begins a pursuit of pure hatred against the man that dared to put Karin at risk.
His Susanoo begins to grow taller, and it soons becomes dramatically more mobile with the addition of legs.
The Raikage does not heal from his wounds like Tsunade does. What little advantage they might have had instantly vanishes when Tsunade unleashes the seal on her forehead. It heals her wounds in seconds, and it does not matter how many times that Orochimaru cuts into her with that telekinetically controlled sword, she is back at them tirelessly.
Rasa is playing support instead of engaging them. He lets Tsunade take them both on while intervening when it matters the most. The heavy gold dust is far harder to burst through than Ay expected and it never fails to stop him in his tracks. His linear fighting style is ordinarily too powerful to counter, but Tsunade is far stronger than he expected.
This whole invasion was meant to be easy. The fact that Tsunade is nearly taking on two Kage-level Shinobi nearly on her own is infuriating to Ay, and he refuses to take responsibility for Orochimaru's failures. He sees now that the Sannin has used his efforts for a more subtle and small time end instead of a grand conflict to finally bring down the giant that is Konoha.
So he needs to get out of here before Tsunade kills him. At least then he can fight another day. Kumogakure can't afford to lose another Raikage to this cursed village.
Even Jiraiya is circling the barrier, though he's seemingly reserving his strength for when it drops and is hiding from everyone else on the outside.
'Once I get out of this barrier, I can take some trophies on my way back. At least Tsunade won't be able to stop me once I'm out.'
Collecting some Hyuuga or Uchiha on his way out of the village would be beneficial at least. They could be broken into servitude to Kumo. He could speedily collect some of them and order the retreat while Konoha is occupied with Orochimaru's forces.
Hopefully Yugito has left one of them alive.
"It seems that I've overestimated our chances of success," Orochimaru has not worn his sickly smile since his failure to reanimate his trump cards. "No matter. I will still have what I want. I have eternity to achieve it, after all."
"Running when the going gets tough? I should have expected as much from your kind of filth."
Orochimaru forms a Snake sign in response to Tsunade's vitriolic words, and the four Shinobi maintaining the barrier begin to undergo a transformation.
Tsunade sprints at him and punches him in the chest and the sheer force rips his upper body off of his legs.
There is not a drop of blood. Orochimaru's body puts itself back together with snakes.
"Disgusting creature." Rasa's lips curl in a mild sneer.
On the outside, Darui stops his Ranton Jutsu when the Oto spy arrives on the scene.
"Yakushi? Why are you here?"
Kabuto doesn't look confident when he points in the direction of Naruto's full-body Susanoo, taking casual steps over the buildings and generally giving off the air of him being a predator that's playing with his food.
"You led it here?" Darui demands an answer from who he perceives to be an idiot.
"This whole invasion is a bust. It's time for our ship to set sail."
The Susanoo arrives and stands in the middle of the stadium.
"YAKUSHI!" Naruto's voice booms, and the Susanoo raises its sword and gives a great hammering slash at him.
A stream of blue follows the blade, smashing down into the barrier and causing it to gain an open scar. The Susanoo sword melts from the strong energy of the barrier, but Naruto simply wills another one in its place.
The barrier heals, but the destructive power has been noted and Orochimaru agrees that it's time to cut their losses.
"Barrier down!" Orochimaru orders, weaving signs and leaping to the side of the purple haze that would give him the fastest route away from the village.
"Kuchiyose: Sanjuu Rashomon!"
Three gates are summoned between him and Tsunade, giving him and his squad the chance to flee.
Naruto summons another sword into the left hand of his Susanoo and gives a double slice, making a crumbling blast of force.
When the Rashomon have disappeared, it becomes clear that Orochimaru and his posse have fled through a large tunnel created by a snake that burrowed its way under the village. The Raikage and Darui follow immediately once they realise that there is no hope of completing any extra requisition plans they might have had.
"DAMNIT!" Tsunade howls in fury. "Naruto! Kill every Kumo Shinobi you see!"
Naruto's righteous anger motivates his undying hatred of the invaders. He and Karin are nested in the 'stomach' of his imperfect Susanoo, and many watch on worriedly as his rage grows.
Tsunade summons Katsuyu to dispense aid across the village while Jiraiya delivers her the bad news.
To the common Shinobi, the repelling of the invasion was a massive success.
Naruto and Tsunade disagree.
Too much was lost and not enough was gained.
There will be retribution.
Will the Kyuubi return: Yes, eventually.
---------------
Karin as Jinchuuriki: Karin will still become a Jinchuuriki, just not for Matatabi. (Edit: Reconsidering this, but will let those of you who want to know in advance).
Will Naruto get the Mokuton?: Maybe, on the fence about this right now.
Will Naruto get the Rinnegan?" Yes.
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