บท 34: A War We Don't Belong In - Finale Part 1
Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction based on multiple existing anime/manga series. The characters and settings used in this story belong to their respective owners and creators, and no copyright infringement is intended. This story is purely for entertainment purposes and is not intended to infringe upon any existing intellectual property. I do not own any of the original works that inspired this fanfiction, and I fully support the original creators and their works.
(Warning Extremely Brutal and Morally Questionable Stuff Will Be Depicted, Hinted at, or Shown. Read at your own discretion. Also Psychological elements, manipulation and other not so family friendly stuff. Really, read at your own discretion.)
(BUCKLE UP! GRAB A SNACK! MAKE SOME TEA! WHATEVER! THIS IS MORE THAN TWICE THE SIZE OF A NORMAL CHAPTER! I'D WANTED TO RELEASE THE FULL FINALE, BUT I'VE REACHED THE WEBNOVEL CHAPTER LENGTH LIMIT. THE LAST PART WILL COME OUT A DAY AFTER THIS CHAPTER! AND IT WILL ROUGHLY BE AS LONG OR SHORTER THAN A NORMAL CHAPTER CAUSE THIS WAS ALL SUPPOSED TO BE 1 SINGULAR FAT JUICY FINALE! BUT NO! WEBNOVEL SAID FUCK YOU! NO GRAND FINALE YOU PIECE OF HUMAN FILTH!)
(This is allegedly my magnum opus thus far. So hopefully it's good. But with chapter/s this long, it's either really good or really bad. lol.)
(I Had wanted someone to beta read this because I was really uncertain, but I'm a little impatient so we going in raw, ladies and gentlemen.)
(Anyways enjoy :D)
-Story Start-
-Third Person POV-
The sun was setting over the horizon, and slowly, it sank beyond the mountains of Shintaku No Machi.
Enveloping the land in shadow and a chilly wind.
On the distant outskirts of the valley where the capital of the Land Of Woods - Shintaku No Machi was built.
Team 7, alongside Kyokan, stood steadfastly, their eyes narrowed and countenance grave as they glared at the distant city.
A small group of rabbits began to form from the shadows beside Akira.
All of whom went up the sleeves of each of the Team members and Kyokan.
Unfurling scrolls that Akira had pulled out of the shadows, they quickly checked their equipment.
Sighing, Akira mentioned, "I'm out of poisons and gases. So we'll have to make do."
Naruto replied evenly, eager to avoid taking unnecessary lives, "Never planned on using any of em."
Rolling his eyes, Akira stood back up.
After double-checking, they were finally ready.
-Akira POV-
Although I am a bit frustrated I've used up most of my stock back in Yumemori.
We'll have to make do with what we got.
At least, Kakashi had helped me draw up some Explosive tags, so we're all good on those - They are necessary for the first phase of the plan.
The plan?
Although I would have preferred to assassinate Satsujin, it was deemed too risky and the "Wrong" way of going about this.
Translation - Naruto and Sasuke wanted to crush the Radicals and shove it in Satsujin's face before we pummel him.
Sasuke was more in favor of killing him, but we settled for pummelling.
Light-hearted and flowery violent plans aside.
Even if I had gone to assassinate Satsujin, it wouldn't have changed the current plan by much.
The plan is pretty straightforward all things considered:
I had finally managed to sneak Whiskers into the City.
The solution was pretty simple, albeit still a little risky.
The clone simply had to pose as a pet.
It was bound to happen, with all the migration happening in the Country.
Throw a couple in the main roads, in an unassuming way, of course.
And then, a sympathetic or pet-loving owner picks them up.
The guards, to my dismay, did hold instructions on taking out any wild rabbit they saw.
So, with clear-cut instructions on not letting the pet rabbits run loose and around, else they'd be chopped up.
Numerous Whiskers were let in.
Of course, their movements were unfortunately limited - It was better than going in blind.
Although they couldn't really see anything major.
They worked as my ears in this operation.
I had told them to only convey relevant information, as digging too deeply into random unnecessary details would only make this all the more complicated and annoying.
Nevertheless, one of the keystones of this plan was revealed by the common populace as they gossiped freely.
That was - Where the Iwa Shinobi were staying at.
Namely, the Daimyo's ginormous estate.
Thus, the plan was formed:
I sneak into the city, setting up a couple of timed explosions near the central walls that surround the city.
I search for the Fuinjutsu Master and... "Disable Her".
I confidently stated I could do that, but Kakashi and Sasuke knew otherwise.
There is no world in which I can accurately disable a Jonin.
I have to give it my all and aim to kill her.
If I disable her? Then that's just luck.
I'm completely intent on eliminating her, it's just a nuance to avoid a headache from Naruto.
Nevertheless, I wait for the explosions to set off before I strike.
The explosions are the signal for the others to initiate their part in the plan.
We all know well that plans are destined to fail, so, in the case of the unexpected - The Whiskers Communication Network is there for a reason.
...Let's go.
"Nue." I state as I form the shadowgraphic hand sign.
Liquid shadows move in quick motion to form the familiar owl figure.
I turned to look at Kakashi, who nodded at me stoically.
'Pick him up. Follow the plan.' I ordered Nue in our mental connection.
Nue flipped her wings and grabbed Kakashi's shoulders with her talons.
Without much trouble, or resistance from Kakashi, she flapped once more and flew towards the city - Making sure that she rose higher and higher, to avoid any detection.
With a thin line on my face, I turned towards the grim Naruto and Sasuke.
"If it takes too long, we'll retreat and regroup, aiming for another attempt tomorrow," I assert, emphasizing the need for flexibility and strategic planning.
The reason for retreat primarily amounts to my Chakra.
They nod, as Naruto flashes a confident and simultaneously serious smile, directing a fist at me, "We'll do this on the first try!"
I stare at it, lifting an eyebrow, "I hope you still remember the Whiskers Code?"
Although my teammates can send verbal messages to me via Whiskers and our mental connection.
It's not that straightforward if I want to tell them something.
Whiskers cannot speak, nor do they have that mental connection with Naruto and Sasuke.
So, in these weeks of us preparing in the Land Of Mountains - We've been also figuring out a method of communication using Whiskers.
Gentle bites on the skin - Whiskers was the one who suggested it, so he could remain hidden in the sleeves.
...I suspect the suggestion had a more sadistic motive, but I neglected to chastise him as it was still a good idea.
Sasuke nodded at me, his statement came out blunt, lacking in humor, "I'll be with him, if anything, I'll inform Naruto." He pointed at him.
"Oi."
I smiled slightly at them.
Turning to the nervous yet determined expression of Kyokan, I reminded him, "Listen. A lot of this rides on your part of the plan. We NEED you to stir them up."
His fists clenched, and he met eyes with me, his tone was nervous, yet the determination could not be faked, "I'll make sure it works. Even if I die. I will not let the legacy of the fallen Conservatives and my Father end here!"
"See ya, Good luck."
With that, I departed.
-------------------------------
-Third Person POV-
The sun had yet to commence its cyclical rising in the Land Of Woods.
A dark and quiet night in Shintaku No Machi.
An odd prospect, considering the rowdy and less-than-savory parties that called this place their current home.
As if, something had happened to them.
A sudden explosion shattered the city's tranquility, echoing through the streets and waking its inhabitants.
The mountains magnified the impact.
In the Daimyo's estate - The Iwagakure Shinobi felt and lived like kings.
They did not live close to each other - Each one had an entire building dedicated to their lavish and greedy stay.
They were akin to royalty - Something they could not replicate back home.
Although allies, they were not so close to each other.
This... Carefree Isolation from one another.
Would prove their downfall... Or at least, of one of them.
-------------------------------
As a boy that had almost killed her sunk into the shadows - Mio's expression grew even graver.
In his place, as liquid shadows twitched, sprawled, crawled, moved, and malformed in blinding speed - A bestial figure took his place in front of her.
Standing upright like a human.
Appeared to be a 15-foot-tall Tiger Humanoid behemoth that was almost the height of the roof of the room, for lack of a better word.
It looked like enough of a "Tiger" to be called one.
Yet, it stood on two legs, upright, unbothered - Much like a Human.
Brilliant white fur coated the beast, with black marks lining the fur and the face of a tiger.
Those bulging, bulky muscles made it look sluggish and impractical.
...Far from it.
The Exorcism Ritual for Tiger Funeral was never meant to be used right now.
But, it appeared, that Akira's failure has forced adjustments to the battle plan.
Even now, as he delegated himself to be a third-party observer in this Exorcism Ritual he forced upon Mio - He was reporting to his team on the changes.
'Kakashi-sensei must strike now.' Akira repeated in mental connection.
Shortly after that, another explosion rang aloud in the background.
Much closer to here than the prior one.
However, Tiger Funeral was indifferent to the background noises.
He had one thing in mind...
Eliminate The Participants.
With the expanding of its chest, the beast let loose a mighty roar as its ocean-blue eyes slit in a glare at Mio.
Shaking the very air and forcing a grimace on Mio's face, as it was nearly ear-rupturing levels loud.
Like the announcement of accepting the challenge - The beast charged towards Mio.
Its very body was unbothered as its immense strength shook off and crushed the furniture in its path.
With a bang, Tiger Funeral crashed through the wall as it followed Mio's escape from the window.
Both of them fell and landed in the open courtyard beside her temporary residence.
Mio glared at the charging tiger, a smirk forming on her face as she mentioned, "It's just a stupid tiger~"
Veiled relief tinged her confident and haughty tone - Relief at the sluggish speed of the beast.
For a Jonin like her, Chunin-level speeds were manageable.
Tiger Funeral, uncaring about her verbal nonsense, charged forward like a bull.
Reaching Mio, he swung his claws at Mio.
She weaved out of his first swing, her eyes bulging at the strength and sharpness as they easily sliced through the tough ground, as if were made of butter.
Fishing out a poisoned kunai, she sliced at the Tiger's extended arm.
Noticing this, Tiger Funeral countered by aiming at her kunai-held hand.
"Too slow!" She gleefully announced as she swiftly sliced the limb with her kunai.
...Though the result wasn't to her satisfaction.
Even though she aimed at a weak spot - The Cubital Fossa.
The beast betrayed its appearance - Being more cunning than expected, as it quickly withdrew the arm as much as it could.
Her strike impacted the muscular forearm of the Tiger.
So muscular it was, that the kunai barely nicked it.
Failing to pierce through and deploy the poison.
'Is it coating its muscles with Chakra?' Mio analyzed.
It appeared, that Tiger Funeral was capable of enhancing its physique with its own innate Chakra.
With a click of her tongue, Mio attempted to weave her hand from the counter swipe of the Tiger.
Her being much faster, she managed to do so, but not without a gentle draw of blood as the tip of his claw sliced her.
'...An acceptable injury. The tiger's smarter than it looks.' She tested the waters.
Yet...
As blood was drawn.
Something odd occurred.
Or more accurately, sounded in her mind.
The ominous, muffled sound of an Old Church Bell rang in her mind - Once.
It was so vague and muffled, that she ignored it in favor of retaliating against the Tiger.
A flurry of strikes flew between them, as they exchanged in what seemed to be a mockery of Taijutsu from the Tiger's side.
Wildly it struck her with its massive, bulky limbs and claws.
Tiger Funeral failed to ensure any significant injury, even biting when he had the chance.
Albeit... Another three times.
The ominous, muffled sound of an Old Church Bell rang in her mind - For the Second Time.
The ominous, muffled sound of an Old Church Bell rang in her mind - For the Third Time.
The ominous, muffled sound of an Old Church Bell rang in her mind - For the Fourth Time.
"Release!" She announced following the fourth time she heard the distant sound.
Her charka-powered punches didn't serve to be any more effective than the Kunai, so Mio relentlessly continued.
Shallow cuts decorated the Tiger's body, that had not bled.
Tiger Funeral appeared to be keenly aware of its own anatomy and weak spots.
Tiger Funeral seemed to risk injury for the sake of inflicting the most insignificant one on his opponent.
She summarised evenly.
'Weird shit... It's not Genjutsu. I should avoid getting hit.' She concluded as she grew more careful in her strikes.
Amid another of their almost one-sided exchange - The sound of a thousand chirping birds from afar caught Mio's attention.
Her eyes widened and her tone grew greedy, "Hatake!"
Impatience grabbed her, "Play time's over, brute."
Her kunai coated with lightning chakra, her strike at the Tiger's muscular left forearm, managed to pierce, drawing blood and injecting the poison.
The Tiger roared at the first time blood was drawn, as it grew enraged, flailing at Mio, who backed away to let the poison act.
"You should call your shitty brat for help, maybe then you'll have a chance." She eagerly pointed out.
Suddenly... The Tiger paused its charge.
"Hmm?" Mio hummed in observation, as she sneakily withdrew a few seal tags from her pockets dropping them on the ground before her, as she weaved a hand sign.
The tags slowly drifted away from Mio.
Tiger Funeral lifted its injured arm and glared at the bleeding on its forearm, ignorant of the tags.
"Huh?!" Mio's eyes widened at the Tiger's absurd action.
Opening its mouth wide, unhinging his jaw enough to be able to swallow a small man, revealing his large and menacing teeth.
The Tiger took a large bite of the injured area.
A big chunk of bloody flesh was bitten off, and he spat it out on the ground without any hesitation.
It seemed, the Tiger felt the poison and removed it immediately before it spread - In quite the gruesome strategy and display.
The Tiger's left forearm looked horrid, with a large chunk of it gone.
Rich red blood dripped on the ground, as it flowed freely from the injury.
The Tiger flexed the injured forearm, managing to clench his clawed hand.
With an internal confirmation - The Tiger turned back at the unimpressed look from Mio.
With a roar, the struggle renewed as the ground cracked from the sheer force of the Tiger's clawed legs.
Mio, not a hint of distraughtness in her visage, weaved hand signs in quick succession.
Yet, despite her quickness, the sheer number she needed to use her Jutsu was great - And the Tiger would reach her in that time period.
Unless...
The Tiger's face was impacted with a barrier - As the tags that Mio had previously released encased the Tiger in a cubed barrier.
"What's wrong?" She mocked as she formed handsigns.
The caged Tiger roared his resistance, as he clawed at the walls of the barrier, Mio a few mere feet away from him.
The strikes proved effective, as cracks formed on the barrier.
But it would not be in time - Mio calculated as much.
'I just need to look out for the brat.' Mio internally added, keeping an eye out for Akira.
Mio's chakra surged as she neared the culmination of her jutsu.
Tiger Funeral, sensing her impending completion, hesitated briefly before renewing his charge at the barrier.
'It can take another two hits.' Mio estimated.
Until... Out of the shadows, A boy popped out as he quickly disabled a singular tag out of the four.
The tag that blocked the Tiger's path towards Mio.
Mio's eyes went bloodshot, and her smirk widened as he shouted at the boy, having been prepared to cancel her jutsu, "GOT YOU NOW!"
As his lower body had already dove into the shadows, Mio managed to grab his head.
"Shit." He mumbled as he hadn't tried to resist.
Going with her motion, Akira was pulled out of the shadows and caught between the charging Tiger Funeral and the gleeful Mio who held him.
He hadn't the time to retaliate and attack her.
All his focus was concentrated on escaping her grasp.
Narrowly dodging a stab to the throat with her other free hand, he kicked her to gain some distance.
She easily blocked the strike and let him push himself away.
Why?
Because he was flying towards the snarling and bullish Tiger.
Airborne, and speeding towards the already charging Tiger, Akira was met with steellike claws.
'Damn it! There's no time for a proper response! I've got to minimize damage!' Akira mentally calculated.
Bending his body, and intent on meeting the Tiger head-on, Akira twisted his body with great force to try and dodge the swipe, blocking the steely claws with his own extended and equally sharp nails.
Failing to block everything and a large gash formed on his right shoulder.
The ominous, muffled sound of an Old Church Bell rang in his mind - Once.
'Fuck. What ability is that? Is that why she was so confused' Akira gritted his teeth and wondered momentarily, as he kicked the Tiger's large jaw threatening to bite him in half.
Launching himself away with great momentum thanks to his charka-enhanced kick.
The Tiger, only momentarily distraught, continued in his momentum towards the closest target - Mio who was ready to meet him in another exchange.
Chakra already coating a kunai with wind.
Yet, before Akira dove back into the shadows, he threw an explosive tag at the careless Tiger's back.
'If he's as bulky as I think he is!' Akira thought excitedly as his body sunk into the shadows with momentum.
The tag glowed, as it landed on the charging Tiger's back.
Exploding.
What followed was smoke and the smell of searing flesh.
And to Mio's momentary dismay - The explosion hadn't paused the Tiger.
No.
The explosion accelerated the Tiger.
Mio's expression grew dire, as she barely reacted to the Tiger having reached her.
His claw swiped at her face, only managing to draw blood from her retreating limbs as she guarded her precious countenance.
Luckily for her, it was still too slow, as only the tips of the claws managed to slice her.
However...
The ominous, muffled sound of an Old Church Bell rang in her mind - For the Fifth Time.
The ominous, muffled sound of an Old Church Bell rang in her mind - For the Sixth Time.
The ominous, muffled sound of an Old Church Bell rang in her mind - For the Seventh Time.
In quick succession, as a result of the claws drawing blood three times at once, the ominous genjutsu-like bell sounds reverberated three times in a row in her mind.
Still dull, still muffled, and still ominous.
Yet, the claws hadn't only cut her an additional three times.
No... They had managed to cut her an additional four times.
An ominous, loud sound of an Old Church Bell rang in her mind.
This time, it was loud and not easily passed as an odd Genjutsu or play of the mind.
And with it...
Came realization.
Mio's dire and annoyed expression slowly morphed into fear.
Her entire body began to shake as her face grew pale.
Her breath hitched and slowly began to quicken in a panic.
The realization was...
Those sounds...
Those bells...
They... Beckoned her.
It sent a shiver down her spine.
They beckoned... At her Soul.
As Mio's frozen figure was processing the grim realization.
Tiger Funeral's body paused as well.
The prelude to the Bell Of Midnight acts like an instinctual signal for the Beast.
As if on command, his body... Began to morph.
Awful, crunching, and fleshy sounds emanated from his body, only muffled by the loud sounds echoing from the city below and the other parts of the Daimyo estate.
Tiger Funeral went down on all fours, as his muscles and very bones began to shift and change.
His spine changed shape, his tail grew in length, and he lost the majority of his muscular bulk.
With the exception of the muscles that assisted with running.
Tiger Funeral transformed from a brutish constitution to one more fit for speed. The bitten forearm didn't seem to bother it at all.
A sense of dread and existentialism unlike any other ran down Mio's entire being.
She had to run.
Her very Soul was at risk.
She fixed her gaze on the newly transformed Tiger Funeral, who was preparing to pounce.
Tears formed in her eyes as she gulped nervously.
The very air grew silent and ominous.
In the eyes of the clueless, it was but a crouched Tiger moments away from pouncing on its victim.
A Tiger - Albeit still being a Tiger and threatening.
Is nothing much for the average Shinobi.
A kitten would be a more apt term for what the clueless Shinobi would designate the current sight.
Sure, a big muscular Tiger.
But it's still just a Tiger.
However, Mio's reality was different.
This was no simple Tiger.
This was...
A Demon Hungering For Her Soul.
And one more strike would seal her fate.
Her following action was the only logical solution in her mind.
She turned around and bolted.
Her muscles bulged and chakra coated her feet as she launched in the direction of her teammates.
A sinister grin contorted Tiger Funeral's face as his muscles bulged, enhanced with chakra transforming him into a lean yet formidable adversary.
Mio's heart raced as she realized the gravity of the situation.
Her life flashed before her eyes, clouding her vision, but not the accuracy and speed of her movements.
Her life in Iwagakure.
Her loving parents.
Her eager training.
Her talent and pride.
Her achievements as one of Iwagakure's Funijutsu Masters - A rare title.
And a Jonin to boot.
She made her and her friends proud.
She aimed higher.
Tsuchikage - Onoki guaranteed a good chance if she were to kill a high-profile individual from the Leaf.
Jiraya of the Sannin.
Hatake Kakashi of the Sharingan.
There were many options - But they were among the top prospects.
And yet...
Here she was, running away from a brat's Demon Tiger.
If only she knew...
If only she knew of what it could do.
If only she fought aggressively.
She would have killed it earlier.
No... If that brat hadn't intervened...
Uncaring to Mio's internal turmoil, Tiger Funeral gave chase, hunting down its frightened prey...
The landscape began to slowly change, as Mio ran for a few seconds at her fastest.
Yet...
If Mio's panicky and powerful steps still held their professional silence.
In contrast...
Tiger Funeral's steps pulverized the ground with each speedy step.
Its speedy steps were only surpassed in their strength and speed by Piercing Ox.
Like a forewarning of the inevitable, those loud steps grew more and more audible as Mio ran.
Louder.
Closer.
Her Funeral.
She cried out, as her tears impacted the ground and flowed freely from her eyes, "HELPPPPPPPPPPP! HELP ME! SAVE ME!"
She jumped inside the 2nd floor of the Servant's quarters through a window.
She continued to run, uncaring of the people in her path.
"Mio-sama?! There's a commotion every-" A servant lady said before she was slammed out of the way by Tiger Funeral's undeterred charge.
Mio ran through the hallway, passing by countless equally confounded and perplexed individuals who weren't part of the fighting forces.
All of which were bulldozed aside by Tiger Funeral.
Ever Louder.
Ever Closer.
Ever Inevitable.
Her... Funeral.
"DAIKI! KAYO! ONRI! EVEN FUCKING FACELESS! HELP ME! PLEASE! PLEASEEEEEEEE!" She roared as Tiger Funeral was getting dangerously close.
She broke through a window, the glass shards embedding themselves in her arms, yet she didn't care.
Adrenaline coursed through her veins and she saw the far-off living quarters of Daiki.
The sun had begun to rise, and her sight was blessed with light.
Under the light, was the figure of not just Daiki.
But of all her teammates from Iwagakure.
There, only a couple of minutes of running away from the demon, and she'll have her teammates.
She'll warn them of this Demon's ability.
They'll take that pathetic wretche down.
And they'll destroy its disgusting brat summoner.
"Ah... Relief." She smiled in pure bliss, as relief coursed through her body.
Maybe it was the resisted poison the brat had managed to inject her with acting up after a long time.
Maybe it was the light coupled with hope and salvation being within arm's length?
Or maybe it was some other delusion-inducing effect.
Because... What Mio failed to notice.
Was that she had long paused in her retreat.
And of the small new cut on her back and the frozen grinning figure of Tiger Funeral behind her.
And even the figure of Hatake Kakashi engrossed in fierce combat with all her teammates at once.
Water Dragon against an Earth Golem, a destroyed building, and a large desolate courtyard with many impact craters.
Blood sprinkled said craters and one of her teammates, Daiki, was heavily injured but still active.
Nevertheless, her cut.
It was only, a small, normally inconsequential cut.
But it was more than enough.
DING
The Midnight Bell? beckoned Hazariya Mio.
She smiled, tears of sorrow were quickly replaced by tears of gratitude, "Yes, I'd like to go someplace warm."
The Tiger's smirk widened.
DING
The Midnight BelTi?e?F? accepts Hazariya Mio's request.
At that, Mio's body dropped to the ground with a thump, akin to a puppet whose strings were cut.
Slowly, out of her mouth - A blue energy in the shape of a human flowed out.
It was akin to Chakra, not a far-off guess, yet its designation was much more complex.
It was... The Soul.
As if on command, Tiger Funeral...
Began to weep.
Tears formed around his eyes and his mouth opened wide.
Like a snake, his monstrous jaw is unhinged, revealing a sea of sharp steely teeth.
As he wept, Mio's formed soul slowly gravitated towards him.
As it was about to reach his mouth...
"GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH" The Tiger roared in outrage as a kunai met its throat.
"Not deep enough." The sudden attacker mumbled and elongated his nails and sharpened them, as he discarded the kunai.
Before the Tiger could retaliate, he cut the Tiger's neck open, letting blood flow freely.
He dove back into the shadows, and let the Tiger choke on its own blood.
Whilst that was occurring, Miyo's soul began to gravitate back into her body.
Hopping out of the shadows, the boy cut her neck open at the opportunity, as the soul reentered Mio's twitching awake body.
With Tiger Funeral choking on his own blood, his body perished, and he began to melt grotesquely.
The boy's gaze shifted between the perishing Tiger and the slain Mio.
His words expressed his opinion perfectly...
-Akira POV-
"That was... unsettling," I muttered with a troubled tone, looking away from Mio's lifeless body.
I sighed, trying to comprehend the disturbing events that had just unfolded.
He literally... Dragged the soul out of her, and if that unhinged jaw was any indication he was going to swallow it.
If I hadn't recalled that Reaper Death Seal Jutsu that Hiruzen used on Orochimaru, I wouldn't have been able to tell for certain what that chakra was.
That's... Disturbing, to put it mildly.
Ah...
There's no time to contemplate and speculate on Tiger Funeral's capabilities.
I've got to move.
Flexing my injured right shoulder and the hand attached to it, I felt no issue in their movements.
Besides the obvious sharp pain.
I'll have to patch that up.
I'm not wasting Rudolph's levels of Chakra for something like this.
Although it'll delay me for a couple of minutes.
I turn my head to glare at the ongoing battle between Kakashi and the Iwagakure Shinobi.
Kakashi seemed to weave through the strikes of three Jonins collectively without much issue.
His face was the picture of concentration as his lone Sharingan blazed.
Attempting to knee someone in the face, his strike was blocked, only for Kakashi to...
Form a Rasengan with his free hand, kicking the man's hand away and directing it at the startled man's face.
Who was luckily shoved out of the way by the most skilled Jonin they had.
...I am definitely out of my depth.
Yet, I am reminded of the message Kakashi told Whiskers whilst I was observing the battle with Tiger Funeral.
"Faceless is missing. I'm holding up, but it's best if you regroup with Naruto and Sasuke at the entrance. I'll reach out if I need your aid." Was Kakashi's message, filtering out the pauses Whiskers usually has in his dialogue.
A Whiskers clone is spawned from the shadow beside me, and I pull out a scroll with medical equipment.
...If I had tamed Rudolph earlier, I might've neglected to take these with me.
I released it, ignoring the fearful gazes of the bystanders.
As the smoke from the release of the scroll dissipated, I nodded at the Whiskers clone.
"Help me patch this up." I pointed at the bleeding injury.
...It's a troublesome spot to get injured being hard to reach.
But at least, it's not on my back...
'Where's Kyokan?'
'Just entered. The City.' Whiskers replied.
I nodded at Whiskers.
That's fine, that means Naruto and Sasuke are doing okay.
Just in case though...
'Sasuke, Naruto. Anything new?' I asked Whiskers.
A moment passes, and a response is sent.
'Sasuke says. All fine now. Enemies are odd. Weak. Nothing compared to. Last time.' Whiskers reports.
And an uneasiness fills my whole being.
Weak?
I am certain the Radicals lost a lot of able manpower back in Yumemori - Thanks to us and the resistance of the Conservatives.
...
I need to know what they look like.
There isn't a message we've encoded that would me to ask that-
Ah, there is!
'Ask him to elaborate.' I conveyed to Whiskers.
Another moment passes and Whiskers reports back Sasuke's response.
And...
My uneasiness proved to be well-grounded.
It was a simple revelation - One that worked in our favor in hindsight.
But the question was...
"Where could they have gone?" I murmured aloud, wincing as Whiskers tended to my wound.
...Naruto and Sasuke will have to wait.
-------------------------------
-Earlier-
-Third Person POV-
The main entrance gate to Shintaku No Machi.
Being in the dead of night, the exhausted duo of guards were snoozing.
Blissfully unaware of the coming assault.
Suddenly, with a bang, an ear-rupturing explosion at one of the walls beside them forces a rude awakening upon them.
The first one, the more veteran guard who has seen combat yelled out at his nervous partner.
"Kota damn it! Sound the alarm! We're under attack! Notify the archers! Assign one of them to call for Satsujin-sama! A request of him to bring the Hired Shinobi out of that reclusion they've been in!" He slapped the panicky expression of his partner.
"Y-Yes! Naoki-sensei!" Kota adjusted his helm and ran towards the large bell.
Naoki narrowed his eyes at the scorching and smoking wall, analyzing the situation with a furrowed brow.
A massive chunk had been blasted away, leaving a breach large enough for a small force to penetrate.
Despite scanning the area vigilantly, Naoki detected no signs of the perpetrators' approach, his frustration mounting with each passing moment.
He spat on the ground in annoyance, his grip tightening around the hilt of his sword.
"Damn it," he muttered.
"Who could be behind this? I thought our country had finally found peace. Satsujin-sama assured us of it."
A wave of uncertainty washed over Naoki as he considered the possibility that their leader had anticipated such an attack, assigning him to this seemingly insignificant post for a reason.
Minutes pass by and the loud sound of a bell echoed throughout the valley and the Land Of Woods.
With that, the city residents - Having awoken by the explosion, truly realized that they were under attack.
The sounds of talks, shouts, panic, chaos, and movement emanated from the inner city.
Within a couple additional minutes, in a swift and organized manner, archers positioned themselves atop the undamaged walls, their eyes scanning for the enemy.
Countless armed men ran towards the breach, their expressions grave and resolute.
Naoki, pleased with the situation, glared at the distance. Hoping to find the enemy there.
And he did.
Yet, it appeared in quite the odd form.
Calling it... A swarm would be mild.
Hundreds.
No.
Thousands of Rabbits ran straight towards the city.
Swiftly, they approached.
A confusing sight, yet the defense forces were reminded of the dangerous rabbits used by the Konoha Shinobi.
A warning and precaution given to them - They might have explosive tags.
And... A thousand exploding rabbits would undoubtedly prove deadly and catastrophic.
"SHOOT THEM DOWN! GROUND MEN, DO NOT GET CLOSE!" Naoki commanded the swiftly assembled defensive party.
Over a hundred archers drew their bows back, as arrows were at the ready.
"ON MY MARK!" Naoki yelled.
He observed the rapidly approaching rabbits carefully.
And once they were within shooting distance he shouted.
"FIREEEEEEEEEEEEE!" He swung his hand forward.
Without delay, hundreds of arrows were loose in the sky, aimed at the swarm of rabbits.
Naoki's eyes narrowed, 'That should take off some of them.'
He commanded again, his throat growing sore from the yelling, "READY YOUR BOWS AGAIN!"
Yet, as the archers prepared another arrow, the result of their prior shot was...
Nothing.
"...What?" Naoki's eyes bulged.
All the rabbits.
All of them.
Every single one of the thousands was unscathed.
They dodged and weaved out of the way.
In a manner, no Rabbit should be capable of.
It was...
As if they were Shinob-
Naoki's eyes widened in realization, and he commanded, "THESE ARE NO RABBITS! THOSE CAPABLE OF NINJA ARTS, ATTACK! GROUND MEN! NOW IS YOUR TIME!"
"HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" The men on the ground yelled with great fervor as they ran towards the swarm of rabbits.
Their loud collective steps were symphonic, only muffled by their adrenaline-fuelled shouts.
However, some of the groundmen proved to be of superior strength, speed, and skill.
These were the men capable of using Shinobi Arts and Chakra.
They were the first to engage the Rabbits.
And the first to reveal their veiled identity.
A collective large puff of smoke enveloped the group of rabbits.
Revealing a thousand Narutos and one single Sasuke.
Three Narutos ganged up on the first Shinobi, disappearing after managing to break his arm and failing to dodge a kick.
The fourth Naruto knocked him out cold.
The other Narutos had something else in mind.
"Sasuke! Stand back!" They yelled as they glared at the hundreds of men approaching them rapidly.
Weaving hand signs in quick motion, a thousand Narutos took a deep breath.
Usually, Shadow Clone Jutsu would allow for the average Shinobi, at most, 2 or even 3 clones.
And even with those clones, casting jutsu is risky business - Considering the split Chakra.
Naruto, however, bypasses this flaw with his signature method.
Brute Force - Or enough Chakra in his body to make your head spin.
He can make over a thousand clones.
Those clones are unhindered in using the relatively low Chakra Cost jutsu in his current arsenal.
So, he was making full use of his unprecedented chakra capacity.
Wind Style - Breakthrough is a C - Rank Jutsu at its most rudimentary cast.
That, with good control, skill, and more chakra can become:
Wind Style - Great Breakthrough.
The winds may even be strengthened enough to blow away a house or uproot trees.
However, control and skill were something Naruto heavily lacked.
Clones, though?
He didn't lack.
Over a thousand casts of, "Wind Style - Breakthrough!"
The clones blew a powerful wind out of their mouth.
Through the power of numbers: A thousand collective C - Rank Jutsu became an A - Rank Jutsu or maybe even S - Rank.
A typhoon was born.
Even the Shinobi, who were barely Genin in their capabilities, were blown away with great force alongside the hundreds of men.
Like leaves on a windy day, they were swept away.
The blown-away men, slammed straight into the walls or the ground with momentum, losing consciousness or any strength to move from any other broken bone.
With one fell swoop, they were down for the count.
The thousands of Naruto blinked, turning to the equally puzzled Sasuke, "Umm... Did we get that strong?" As they asked that, they avoided another flurry of relatively slow arrows without trouble.
Sasuke shook his head, charging ahead, "No, they're pathetically weak. Let's go, we have to take care of them all."
Sasuke's figure blurred beyond the Naruto clones who struggled to catch up.
A message from Akira only slowed down their pace by a little.
Confirming their situation, Akira's side of things grew silent.
'He must have gone to search for the actual forces.' Sasuke presumed.
Tracking is something Akira is exceptional at - With those Dogs, Rabbits, and even Owl. Sasuke nodded to himself.
'For now, it's going better than anticipated. Soon... We'll avenge them.' Sasuke's coal eyes garnered a vengeful glint.
"HALT!" Naoki yelled as he swung his sword diagonally at Sasuke who had once again seamlessly weaved out of the way of arrows.
Naoki's frustration bubbled, 'What is this?! The Evil bastards of the Leaf should have left! They were supposed to be heavily injured and running like the cowards and bastards they are! HOW?!'
Sasuke threw a shuriken with enough force that it redirected the sword from his path.
Entering strike range, Sasuke punched the man's wrist with great strength, breaking it.
Causing the man to growl and drop his sword.
In a quick motion that the man failed to react to, Sasuke punched his face three times and kicked him away by the chest, a loud crack followed each of Sasuke's strikes.
The force of the Uchiha was enough to knock out the man, with a broken jaw, nose, and ribs.
His eyes quickly scanned the surrounding area for any approaching enemies.
Confirming the ground forces being down for the count, courtesy of Naruto's absurd collective jutsu.
He glared at the archers, sending a shiver down their spine as a sense of dread overtook them.
Breaking into a sprint, chakra coated his feet as hadn't lost a speck of momentum or speed as he ran up the wall.
The Naruto clones did much the same for the opposite side, no need for communication between them and Sasuke to understand each other.
Arriving on top of the wall, the uniformed and bow-wielding archers aimed at the stoic Sasuke.
Their nervousness was palpable, and their fear was radiating outward.
Shinobi always were, always have been - Monsters.
Yet, a distraction was needed.
"HE'S JUST A DAMN BRAT! PIERCE HIS LITTLE PISSY BRAIN!" An archer snarled as he let loose an arrow.
Sasuke easily caught it, as he charged towards the other men.
He was like an unstoppable force of nature, bulldozing through them like a truck.
Without even using his Sharingan.
Dodging, blocking, countering, and punching through them at breakneck speeds.
The impacts of his blows cracked their very bones and tore their joints.
Some lost consciousness from their injury and his aimed strikes.
Some even met critical damage as he slammed their face into the stone, coarse ground.
A minute passed, and everyone on Sasuke's side was down for the count.
Impassively, he turned to look at Naruto's situation, seeing that he was just a few men short from also completing his side of things.
A competitive and proud smirk had attempted to crawl its way onto his face, but Sasuke knew now was not the time for competition.
Standing still, he asked the Whiskers clone, "Akira. Have you found the competent forces yet? Should we head your way?"
A silent moment passes by, and a gentle bite on his skin from the rabbit provides Sasuke with his response, 'Negative.'
"Hn." Sasuke grunted, as he turned to look at the awoken city, as the sun rose up.
A scenic view, as Naruto approached and joined him at his side, his clones had already been dismissed.
The city had been rudely awoken, and this time, they were the ones doing the invading.
No one seemed to have been approaching them or trying to stop them, most were directing fearful gazes and cautious glares.
Patting Sasuke's shoulder, Naruto called out with a thin line on his face, "Let's go further in. There's no one we gotta beat up here."
Hesitation took hold of Sasuke.
He knew well the plan involved luring the competent forces outside the city, so they have no actual casualties besides those of the enemy forces.
Going inside risks having to fight and accidentally injure or even kill innocents.
Naruto was even more prickly regarding that.
Yet, he was the one who suggested it?
Sensing his worry under the stoic exterior, Naruto pointed out, "Don't worry! We just have to go help Kyokan for now. We'll go to Kakashi-sensei or Akira if anything bad happens!"
Well, they did require flexibility.
Things didn't seem to go according to script at all.
Meeting with Kyokan and helping with stirring up an uprising in case he's attacked by the unaccounted-for forces should be fine.
A warning from Akira was sent via Whiskers, deciphered by Naruto as well.
Sasuke's eyes narrowed and Naruto's fists clenched.
'Forgot to. Mention. Faceless. Unaccounted for.'
-------------------------------
-Akira POV-
"...I'll ask again. Where are they?" I lifted the man in guard's clothing by the shirt.
He spat on my face, the spit sliding down my cheek, "I'd rather die than cooperate with Leaf cruel Scum like you!"
I grit my teeth internally.
I really have no time for elaborate or complex interrogation right now.
But, if I'm painted as the evildoer in this guy's eyes, I'll play my role.
I took hold of his face and slowly dragged it into the muddy ground as he clawed at my hand, failing to loosen my grip, even kick at me which I easily maneuvered around.
I bent my head and whispered in his ear, my tone genuine and laced with threat, "Right now, Hatake Kakashi is currently killing all your men. Satsujin is already dead. After that, this country is ours and we have free reign to do whatever we want. Do you get what I mean?"
He grit his teeth, spitting out, "YOU BASTA-"
Lying, I added, with a gentle and matter-of-fact tone, as I rubbed his face on the muddy ground, scraping his skin and dirtying it, "I will have all the free time in the world. To research you and your family. Yes, yes! Just you and your family. Who are they? Where are they? What do they love? What do they hate? What do they despise? What is their worst nightmare?"
I slowly lifted his head, as a stoic expression was on his face, yet beneath it, I could sniff the concern and fear.
A thin line was on my face as I stated coldly, and sadly, "Do you really want to know what I'm going to do once I find out those things?"
He gulped.
I repeated, "Do you?"
He grew silent for a moment.
I said quietly, gently, "All it would take, is for you to answer, and nothing will go wrong."
"You won't be responsible for the suffering of your family."
Only to quietly respond, "...They've been in the Brown Oak's Inn for a couple of days."
"Why?"
He grew frustrated, "Hell if I know! Satsujin-sama said to steer clear, as there are important matters that are to be discussed and planned there for the Country's future! Some nasty rumors have been spreading about em since they've been isolated, that's it! They've been holed up in there!"
He slammed his weak fist on the muddy ground, "Leave me and my family alone you demon!"
I dropped my hold on his head without warning, causing his face to slam to the muddy ground, "As promised." I muttered nonchalantly.
'Brown Oak's Inn... Do you know where that is? Whiskers?' I ask Whiskers through our connection.
An immediate response, 'More. Or less. One clone. Nearby. He lead you. There. Head left first.'
Nodding, I run as instructed to the left street.
Nearly empty of people, only those who fearfully and cautiously gaze out the windows and a couple of others who are on the street standing frozen as they notice me.
A moment later, and out of a small terrified girl's arms hops out a rabbit.
"Huggles!" She broke out of her stupor and extended her arms towards the swiftly running rabbit.
I pass her by, side-glancing her, whispering, "Sorry."
My steps impact the ground loudly, as I ignore the gazes, shouts, and otherwise around me. No effort was expended in making my movement subtle.
There was no point right now.
Whisker's voice slows down my run, 'Kakashi. Asks for. Help. He Injured. Planning attack.'
"Fuck."
I'm so close to that building!
I can see it in front of me, with a sign of a large brown oak, with it being locked on all sides.
Windows closed as well.
'Can he hold on for a little longer?' I ask.
A moment passes.
'Yes, he can. Though hurry. He wants. To end this.'
I nod, as my eyes narrow.
I dash towards the building, mid-run I weave the shadowgraphic hand sign of a dog head.
"Divine Dogs." The chakra is overloaded only a single time.
Liquid shadows moved in swift motion, to form the figures of Level 2 Noc and Mir.
They run with me, and as we reach the building I ask, "Do you sense anyone in there?"
They shake their heads.
No?
Where could they have...
No. According to that guy, they haven't been seen leaving.
Is there a deep underground passage?
Possible.
I hop above the closed-off gate and kick the main door open, I enter followed by Noc and Mir.
I scan the Inn's reception area.
Empty, silent.
It looked as if it was recently abandoned.
Somethings wrong.
"Split up!" I tell Noc and Mir.
They do as ordered and dash away, looking for clues.
I spawn a couple of Whiskers, pointing at them "You as well!"
What followed, was a couple of minutes of searching.
Every room, nook, and cranny of this Inn.
Failing to find anything.
Until...
-------------------------------
Opening the door to the basement, my senses are assaulted by a vile stench.
I frowned and steeled myself.
A familiar stench.
Going down the stairs, I silently dismiss Noc and Mir as well as dismiss the other unnecessary Whiskers.
A dark, musky, damp, and chilly basement.
A wet squelch resonates in a spacious underground basement.
I lower my gaze and see my foot having impacted a small pool of blood.
A quick glance to the side, and I find the light switch.
Shedding light into what I have already suspected to have happened.
I am met with dozens of bodies, scattered throughout the room.
A gruesome, familiar sight.
A familiar sight, that warranted a familiar response.
"Detac - No."
I took a deep breath and collected myself.
Judging by the appearance of the deceased, it was obvious that these were the Rogue Shinobi and otherwise that Satsujin hired.
They appeared to have been in a meeting of some kind, only to be swiftly killed.
I gazed at the closest body, the one near the stairs.
He seemed to have attempted escape only to perish.
I lowered myself to examine him.
Accurate, precise.
His heart was pierced through his back, as he ran.
The blood hadn't dried yet.
The chilly conditions of the basement may influence that.
I touched the blood, feeling the cold temperature.
Yes, this wasn't recent.
Rising up, I approach the main cluster of bodies.
Reaching them, they all looked like they were killed in one fell swoop.
...
I see.
Whoever did this, which could still be more than one individual is Jonin Level.
...That narrows it down, but still.
Who could've-
'Hurry. Kakashi requests assistance.' Whiskers reports hurriedly.
Fine, I'll figure it out later.
I turned towards the exit.
What's important is that the main Shinobi forces have been dealt with.
...The only concern is who did it.
Why did he do it?
And where is he?
There's no message for this, but the closest thing I can convey is.
'Tell them to be careful. Very careful.' I told Whiskers.
Who promptly signaled back to my Team and Kyokan.
-------------------------------
-Third Person POV-
At the Daimyo's estate.
Near the living quarters of the Iwagakure Shinobi known as Daiki.
It was a battlefield.
His large home was swept away, destroyed - Mere rubble that decorated the scene.
"YOU ARE A FOOL! HATAKE!" Onri yelled in outrage, at the sight in front of him.
Kakashi's arm, coated in lightning pierced through the chest of Kayo.
The youngest Jonin amongst the Iwa Shinobi.
Kayo spat blood out, as Onri retaliated and managed to slice Kakashi in the stomach.
Throwing Kayo's weakened body towards Onri, Kakashi gained some distance and averted a grievous wound.
It failed to damage an organ, as Kakashi calculated.
But leaving it be, would be bad.
Kakashi's Sharingan twitched.
His chakra was running low.
"Inform Akira I need him to hurry up." He mumbled at the Whiskers in his sleeve.
Onri hadn't continued to chase him, catching Kayo's body that Kakashi had thrown.
"YOU BASTARD!" Daiki, whose left arm was limp and face bruised yelled in outrage as he pursued Kakashi.
Kakashi, his Sharingan blazing, said not a word as they engaged in battle.
His face was a cold, calculating, emotionless mask.
Onri's piercing sunny eyes glanced down at Kayo.
Kayo smiled, yet the tears and coughing blood betrayed his emotions, "D-Did I do well? Sensei?"
Nodding, Onri mirrored Kayo's smile as he gently lowered his dying body, "You did. Let me take care of the rest from here. Alright?"
Slowly, the light in Kayo's eyes disappeared, until it was clear that his soul was gone.
He died.
Onri's grip on Kayo's body strengthened and his face darkened.
Noticing Onri's distracted figure, Kakashi planned on taking down Daiki as well.
Kicking Daiki's chin, he launched him in the air.
Daiki shook it off, spitting a tooth and hitting Kakashi's forearm with a powerful impact.
Daiki's left side was vulnerable from their prior exchange.
As they were airborne, calculated strikes and kicks from Kakashi were narrowly dodged by Daiki.
Only for Kakashi to...
Use a jutsu with a single-hand sign as Daiki blocks a kick with his already broken arm.
Gritting his teeth from the pain, Daiki weaved hand signs as well, using his single movable hand and twitching his crippled left arm.
But Kakashi needed just one, after all.
It was a relatively simple D - Rank Jutsu from The Hidden Mist.
"Water Style - Liquid Whip!" Kakashi's left arm gains a watery whiplike appendage that solidifies swiftly.
Slapping Daiki with it once, dispersing the watery construct, and disorienting the Iwa Jonin.
That was the chance Kakashi was looking for.
He gripped the Jonin with all his strength, prompting the disoriented man to headbutt Kakashi, who only froze momentarily from the impact, but continued his manevour.
His muscles clenched as he announced, "NOW!"
He threw Daiki to the ground with all his strength whilst his sleeve began to glow.
Daiki's body impacted the ground with a thump, as he managed to land gracefully.
But what quickly followed Daiki, was a glowing Rabbit from the sky - Having fallen from Kakashi's sleeve.
Daiki's eyes widened and he quickly slammed the ground with his hand, in an attempt to shield himself.
Stone moved quickly, but the Explosion was faster.
In a gory display, the rabbit blew up, enveloping a small area in smoke and debris.
Exactly where Daiki was.
Kakashi landed on the ground, his Sharingan twitching and his eyes shifting to the now further enraged Onri who let down Kayo's body, ready to return to combat.
"FUCK THAT HURTS! YOU DAMN BASTARD!" Daiki cursed, as his shirt was burnt to a crisp, and a variety of second-degree and third-degree burns covered his back.
It seemed that his quick thinking saved him.
For now.
Kakashi mumbled in an easygoing tone, despite his serious glare, "Mah, I expected that to be enough."
"GUESS AGAIN YOU FUCKING RETARD!" Daiki was utterly pissed, as he cursed like a sailor.
'I lost my means of communication.' Kakashi thought neutrally.
His gaze fell to his injured stomach, which was bleeding freely, blood dripping onto the floor.
He was beginning to feel weaker.
Slyly taking his finger, he colored his finger with the blood from his stomach as Onri's killing intent enveloped the battlefield.
"Hatake. What in the world are you doing?! What does the Leaf look to gain from this?! It. Is. OVER! IT WAS OVER WEEKS AGO!" Onri's foot crushed the ground beneath him, as he roared out.
...
Silence.
He was met with a neutral, unfeeling even gaze from Kakashi.
Onri sighed in frustration, "Ah... It was a foolish question in the first place. We'll make sure to display your head to Onoki-sama."
Those words were the cue for the battle to renew.
But Kakashi was already aware of that, weaving hand signs at the last moment.
'These will be my last jutsus' Kakashi estimated his rapidly draining chakra.
"Fire Style - Hiding In Ash Jutsu!" Kakashi's mouth spews massive amounts of ash, enveloping the battlefield.
Daiki scoffed, "HIDING NOW?! ARE YOU HATAKE?!"
Onri, having been separated from Daiki, shouted, "Keep your guard up! I'll remove this!"
He weaved countless hand signs in a quick motion, "Wind Style - Great Separation!"
Both of Onri's arms extended forward, as he expanded them circling them 180 degrees. A powerful wave of wind following the movement of his arms - Dispersing the smoke.
Only for Daiki to roar out in pain, "GAAAAAAAAAH!"
The smoke disperses and reveals the figure of Kakashi and Daiki beside each other.
Only, Daiki's entire body is bitten by a group of seven ninken.
And Kakashi's kunai met Daiki's heart, piercing it.
The eighth ninken, a small puppy sat on top of Kakashi's shoulder.
"I expect proper treats for summoning all of us in a place like this so suddenly. Kakashi." The puppy stated neutrally with its deep and gruff tone of voice.
Kakashi hummed, "Well, Pakkun... I'd give you that and more if you help against that one. I'm a little drained." His Sharingan turned off, as he pointed at the infuriated Onri.
'That guy, he's real trouble. I haven't managed to deal any significant damage to him. And he's barely used any jutsu.' He analyzed as he glanced at the bruised and small cuts on the arm and leg of Onri.
Pakkun turned his head to look at Onri, noticing his headband, his tone lazy, "Iwagakure? You're going to have to fill me in..."
Lowering his gaze at the smell of Kakashi's blood, Pakkun mentions, his tone turning serious and his eyes narrowing, "That looks bad. We should hurry."
-------------------------------
-Akira POV-
I ran as fast as I could, without having to waste unnecessary chakra.
I was informed midrun that Kakashi's whiskers had perished in a maneuver to take down one of the Jonins.
I'm blind as to his current situation - My only hope is that the sounds of combat are only getting louder as I approach.
That means he's still alive and kicking.
Upon arriving within a certain distance, for safety and surprise I dive into the shadows, continuing my travel through there.
A minute passes and I see the situation through the shadows.
A couple of knocked out and heavily injured dogs, a stoic and angered Kakashi.
And the last of the Jonin.
His arms and limbs were wrapped with... Stone?
Kakashi seemed to be on the defensive, alongside the other dogs that fought with him.
His chakra seemed to have run low as his Sharingan was off, and he hadn't used any Lightning Style jutsu to invalidate the stone-wrapped limbs.
Each strike from that Jonin crushed the ground, and yet the heavy stone limbs looked effective despite the weight.
Did he manipulate the stone to move alongside his own movements?
That... Would require a scary amount of practice and control.
Must be an original Jutsu, as I've never seen anything remotely similar that I can recall.
Besides what the Raikage allegedly can do with his whole body.
...
I need to create an opening.
If I simply join them mid-exchange, I'll get crushed.
I am truly out of my depth here.
Think.
Think.
Think!
Nue... Too much collateral damage.
Beeflejuice... Unreliable.
...
...Wait, I've got it.
I pop out of the shadows a distance away from their exchange.
I plan to use my new jutsu, defensively in contrast to the offensive purpose this jutsu had in my mind.
Firstly, though.
I made the Shadowgraphic handsign of a dog head, "Divine Dogs."
I hadn't overloaded the Chakra, and Liquid shadows quickly moved to form the figures of Level 1 Noc and Mir.
"Stand back guys. I'll need you to help me reach him in it." I murmur.
Now.
I weave hand signs quickly, announcing loudly, loud enough for Kakashi to hear, "Water Style - Hidden Mist Jutsu!"
Soon, from my exhale, a thick mist swiftly enveloped my surroundings.
'Find him and bring him to me once he's in the mist.' I command Noc and Mir.
Hearing my voice, Kakashi's head turned momentarily, he met eyes with me as I nodded.
He slid out of a strike and turned around to run in my direction.
Onri, his expression grave and with silent fury chased Kakashi.
Their speed was relative, impressive considering Kakashi was injured and he was getting pretty pale.
But they were incredibly close, the tactic won't work that way.
The ninken failed to keep up with Kakashi as they ran after the two Jonin.
With the exception of a small puppy on Kakashi's shoulder.
A single shadowgraphic hand sign of a snake head was weaved, followed by a murmur of, "Great Serpent!"
Chakra overloaded once, forming the hardened more powerful figure of Level 2 Solid.
With great accuracy, his body launched towards the Iwa Jonin, snaking expertly around Kakashi's unperturbed run.
Solid impacted the Jonin, his mouth open as the Jonin was pushed back, having caught Solid's open mouth.
The momentum and speed of Solid crawled into a pause and...
The Jonin broke Solid's mouth, a loud crack as the snake's jaw was snapped.
Okay, dismissing him before he dies.
...Solid's down for the count.
Meanwhile, Kakashi had reached the mist I had formed.
Quickly, Noc detected his presence and guided him towards me.
A moment later, Kakashi was by my side, as our vision was obstructed by the thick mist.
Good, now quickly.
"I'll stand guard, summon him." Kakashi gestured for me.
"What is the pup supposed to summon exactly?" The puppy, whom I remember being named Pakkun replied gruffly.
Kakashi quickly informed, "I've been the Nara prodigy's sensei for a while. We'll catch up later."
Pakkun nodded, "Oh, so that's him."
Not the time to gossip...
I made the shadowgraphic handsign of a deer head, "Round Deer." I mumbled.
Liquid shadows twisted and moved quickly to form the large figure of the four-eyed Rudolph.
"Heal Kakashi and then myself, turn on that anti-jutsu aura of yours." I hadn't the time for accurate terminology.
Rudolph nodded and lowered his nose, touching Kakashi's forehead as a glow enveloped him.
Without trouble, Kakashi's bruises and wounds, particularly the nasty gash on his stomach disappeared and were replaced by healthy flesh.
The glow enveloped Rudolph, as he activated his anti-jutsu glow.
Without pause, the mist that I enveloped us in disappeared, whilst a powerful wind that headed our way, intent on removing the mist, was dispelled upon meeting Rudolph's glow.
"What?" That, made the Iwagakure Jonin pause.
"...I'm with Stone Fist Onri on that one." Pakkun's tone was equally bewildered.
His eyes widened in realization as he saw the scene.
"I fucking knew it..." He growled, seeing the newly rejuvenated Kakashi, and the subsequent wound on my shoulder patching itself together as Rudolph's nose impacted my forehead.
The Jonin was on high alert, as he launched a sharpened stone spear from the ground towards us in blinding speed with a weave of his hands.
But Kakashi and I knew better.
It seems that Pakkun and The Jonin failed to notice this.
Maybe they thought that the wind dispelled the mist.
But in actuality...
"Dodge!" Pakkun warned.
The spear upon meeting with Rudolph's glow instantaneously lost its shape and momentum, dropping onto the ground as if it were a rock someone accidentally dropped.
The Jonin's stone fists shook, "It can cancel jutsu..."
I dismissed Noc, Mir, and Rudolph, as they were no longer necessary.
My Chakra's around 42-43% at this point.
Thus, Kakashi, Pakkun, and I stood before the wary figure of the Jonin, his stone fists clenched.
"Anything I should know before we get to it?" I asked Kakashi, not willing to unstick my eyes from the Jonin who could decimate me if I let my guard down.
Pakkun nodded, "He's Onri The Stone Fist. A formidable A - Rank Shinobi from Iwagakure."
A - Rank Shinobi are composed of people at the Jonin level at a bare minimum.
Whilst B - Rank Shinobi are Middle - High Chunin and perhaps the weakest of Jonin.
Kakashi agreed, "Though, he's cut from a different cloth than the rest of the Iwagakure Shinobi I've fought. He's still below my level, but be careful. I hadn't gleamed his identity, he held back his signature move until I was low on chakra." He stated matter of factly.
Earth is weak to lightning.
With Kakashi being low on chakra now...
This guy's cunning.
And maybe a tad cruel - He held back and let his teammates get killed.
But... Those fists would be dangerous to swing around with allies, so maybe it's that.
Regardless...
"So what's the plan?" I had to ask.
Kakashi noted evenly, his eyes narrowed, "Blocking or parrying his blows with those fists of his, are impossible. Unless you want to risk breaking your arm or leg. His strength is weaker than Lady Tsunade's but he's still not to be trifled with. Where she lacks in defense, the thick layer of hardened stone on his hands can't be pierced with kunai. He moves them like an extension of himself, without hindrance."
"Would explosive tags work against him?" I quickly asked.
Kakashi shook his head, "No. Unless you manage to stick it on his unguarded body, the stone arms will remove it."
My thoughts raced, as time seemed to slow down.
I'm not sure what I can do against him...
I would have opted for Shatter Fist, but if what Kakashi said is true... Meeting his fists head-on is a bad idea.
Beeflejuice comes to mind, but that'd...
Hmm.
No, it wouldn't work.
It's risky and a waste of chakra if I fail to grab Onri with shadow possession.
Ah... If it was Shikamaru or Uncle maybe they could've caught him.
Level 4 Jeff?
Out of the question, he won't guarantee a kill, and I'll be without Chakra for the rest of this.
I have no effective Lightning Jutsu in my arsenal.
At least, ones that are effective against a skilled Jonin.
My proficiency is in Water.
Hmm...
That leaves Nue.
Level 1, as Level 2 and Level 3 Nue are too powerful for single target and mobile opponents.
Not to mention the monstrous chakra cost of Level 3.
I'll have to hold the man in place for them to work in either case.
Level 1 Nue, and Level 3 Noc and Mir...
Ah, I've got it.
It's risky, but I think it's a better bet than Level 4 Jeff.
In either case, my whole reserves go down the drain.
But considering the major threats left are Faceless and this guy.
I'm willing to go without chakra...
Let's do this, Kakashi's with me.
As my hands moved to form the shadowgraphic hand sign of a dog head, I paused as a message from Whiskers caught my attention.
'Naruto and Sasuke have engaged Faceless.'
"Speak of the devil..." I bit my lip.
"What is it?" Kakashi questioned.
I replied, "Naruto and Sasuke are fighting Faceless right now."
Pakkun grunted, his expression frustrated, "Faceless is here as well? What is going on?"
Kakashi's face darkened, as he ignored Pakkun's ignorance, "Then. We better hurry. I've got a plan, I need you to distract him for me."
A plan is it?
Well, I was intending on getting a hold of him anyway.
So maybe that'll serve as a distraction.
Kakashi got into a stance.
I got into one as well, as Onri cautiously glared at us, particularly at me.
...Did Jeff and Rudolph scare him that much?
No matter, it works in my favor.
I whisper, "Let me set up, cover me for now."
Nodding Kakashi launches toward Onri, engaging him in combat.
Kakashi's skin was no longer pale but had a healthy hue as a result of the healing.
He was in peak condition - Barring his depleted Chakra.
Even a Chakraless Kakashi is a frightening monster.
"Divine Dogs," I mutter, making the shadowgraphic hand sign of a dog head.
Overloading the cost once, twice.
Liquid shadows blurred to form the horned muscular figures of Noc and Mir.
I commanded evenly, "Don't get hit. If it's the last thing you do. One good hit and you're dead. Liquidize at the slightest whiff of danger, even if it means you don't get to strike."
They nod.
"Now, go. Help Kakashi and don't hold him back." I reply.
They launch in a burst of speed, joining up with Kakashi who was weaving out of all Onri's strikes, attempting to punch where the stone hadn't covered Onri - But for his stone-covered hand to block the blow without trouble.
Onri was placed further on the defensive when Noc and Mir joined, yet he witnessed their inferior capabilities to Kakashi, so he tried to take them down.
To my relief, they liquidized at every swing he threw.
For the most part, Noc and Mir served as distractions for Onri, as they mostly liquidized from how fragile and slow they were in comparison to him from his strikes.
...It wouldn't be a stretch to say I'd suffer an almost identical fate.
Kakashi used those openings to push Onri back, who was feeling the mounting pressure.
"Nue." I muttered as I formed the shadowgraphic handsign of wings.
A familiar mild dip in my chakra was felt as Liquid shadows moved to form the owllike figure of Nue.
"I'll need you to discharge all you got from close quarters soon. I'll signal you."
...Though, I'm in a bit of a rush.
We need to get this done, and quick.
There's no telling how dangerous Faceless is.
My muscles clench and I feel the wind on my face as I charge ahead to join Kakashi and Onri.
The other dogs besides Pakkun have disappeared in a puff of smoke.
I jump on Mir's back and aim a kick at Onri's face.
He weaves out of the way without trouble, blocking Kakashi's fist and Noc's bite with his stone covered forearms.
"Keep him occupied!" I yell as I weave handsigns.
Onri's face darkens in preparation, yet he had no way to stop me.
He was being overwhelmed.
In hindsight, if we simply continued in this manner, eventually, he would have succumbed and lost.
But, I was concerned.
If I simply go all out, and drain all my Chakra.
A momentary pause would be made.
That... Would allow Kakashi to end him.
And we'll run straight ahead to meet Naruto and Sasuke.
The four of us would easily take down Faceless.
Me and Kakashi out of chakra or not.
It was soon that i'd regret my decision at attempting a speedy takedown.
I cast my brand new jutsu once more, exhaling mist, "Water Style - Hidden Mist Jutsu!"
"At the ready, Sensei!" I bark out.
Kakashi backed away and was lost in the Mist alongside Pakkun.
'Noc, Mir. Ravage him! Elaborate where he is! Nue, Launch yourself once he's caught!' I commanded mentally.
Onri grit his teeth, unable to see anything.
He began to weave handsigns, yet he paused as his instincts flared.
Dodging a bite aimed at his throat, he grabbed Mir and squeezed, only for his grip to be filled with Liquid Shadows.
I quickly made the rat sign, as my shadow twisted and began to move blindly in the mist.
"Tsk, annoying pests." Onri clicked his tongue as he followed his instincts, his vision obstructed by the mist as he was on the defensive against Noc and Mir.
His hand moved swiftly between easily blocked strikes from Noc and Mir, directing something at the ground.
Their detection serving as their eyes in the mist.
'Left! Further Left!' Noc directed.
'There! Straight ahead!" Mir confirmed.
Mir blindly charged towards Onri, aiming a bite at his face, only for Onri to grab him.
Onri attempted to squeeze, yet...
His limbs lost their strength.
"Shadow Possesion Jutsu!" I yelled with glee.
'Now! Nue, Noc, Mir!' I commanded as I held steady.
Shit... He was strong.
Shadow possession is a very demanding Jutsu in terms of Chakra.
My chakra is draining at a rapid-fire pace with all that's going on.
I can't hold him for long.
Nue didn't waste a moment, her wings roared with electricity as she swept down from the sky into the mist.
She reached in front of Onri at breakneck speed as Noc and Mir awaited her strike.
"GAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!" Onri yelled in agony, as his body twitched and muscles spasmed from the voltage.
Suddenly, the ground beside him... Exploded.
Blowing away the mist as well as Noc and Mir's bodies, as they liquidized in a panic, their liquid body sprayed a good distance away.
At that, Uncle's voice resonated in my mind.
"Even the slightest disruption or obstruction to the shadow will cancel out the Shadow Binding Jutsu completely. Keep that in mind and plan accordingly."
"GET OUT OF THERE! NUE!" I yelled in a complete panic as I attempted to dismiss her.
With a loud, ominous, and disturbing squelch, his stone-augmented arm grabbed and twisted Nue's neck.
Killing her, as he dropped her bloody figure on the ground with a thud - Her body melting in front of my eyes.
It was sudden.
It was instant.
There was no build-up.
No warning.
She was too weak to react.
Just like that... Nue perished.
Time seemingly froze in my perception.
Something rang in the back of my mind, as Nue's shadow crawled back to me...
[Choose Who Shall Inherit Nue's Essence.]
Divine Dogs (Yin Twin) - Compatible.
Divine Dogs (Yang Twin) - Compatible.
Toad - Compatible.
Great Serpent - Compatible.
Nue - Deceased.
Rabbit Escape - Compatible.
Max Elephant - Compatible
Round Deer - Compatible.
Piercing Ox - Compatible.
Tiger Funeral - Compatible.
Eight Handled Sword Divergent Sila Divine General Mahoraga - Compatible.
????? - Incompatible.
"Detac-"
...TO HELL WITH THAT!
"YOU FUCKING BASTARD?! DO YOU WANT TO HAVE SWEET DREAMS AGAIN?!" I yell maniacally.
I form the shadowgraphic handsign of a toad, "Toad!" I yell with an insane grin on my face.
Onri's expression morphs into panic, as he bursts into speed towards me, his eyes locked on me and the liquid shadows moving swiftly to quickly form...
Level 1 Jeff.
"JUST KIDDING~! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!" I laugh at him.
The realization came too late for him, as Kakashi with a gaze of pure concentration popped out of the ground, a kunai in hand.
Onri responds, blocking the kunai aimed at his chin with his stone arms, only...
For Kakashi's kunai to glow with lightning, and for it to pierce through the hardened hands.
Piercing them, and Onri's chin, reaching his nose.
Blood explodes through both Onri's face and his hands.
Drawing another Kunai at Onri's stupor, Kakashi finishes him off, stabbing him through the soft side of the head, in another gruesome display.
With a professional bending of the Kunai, he dislodges it from Onri's head, and sweeps away the blood, letting Onri's lifeless body drop on the ground with a thud.
A pool of blood forms below him as I wordlessly dismiss Noc and Mir.
"That's the last time I help you dig a hole alone, Kakashi. My small paws aren't meant for digging." Pakkun complained.
My manic smile slowly twists back into a frown as my fists clench.
Pakkun sighed as Kakashi approached, a clear look of concern mixed with an apology on Kakashi's face, "You alright, pup?" Pakkun had a note of sympathy in his lazy tone.
I reply bitterly, "Just dandy..."
Feeling a hand on my shoulder, I turn towards Kakashi, whose saddened expression turned steely, "I'm sorry, but we have no time to waste, Akira. Don't let Nue's sacrifice be in vain. We have to move."
Taking a deep inhale, I exhaled.
I have a lot to reflect on... But that'll be later.
"Right..." I muttered, my eyes narrowed and steely as I dashed towards their location, Kakashi following my lead, as I knew where they were.
'Whiskers... Anything new about Naruto and Sasuke?'
'Sasuke. Arm. Lost. Bleeding. But fighting. With pride.' Whiskers reported.
Shit. Shit.
"We've got to hurry! Sasuke's lost an arm!" I announce.
Kakashi's eyes widen and he nods.
Pakkun wonders, "Can't your Deer heal it?"
I nod mid-run, but my tone comes out grave, "With my current Chakra levels... I can summon him for around five seconds... It's borderline usable."
My fists clenched and I bit my lip, the dull taste of blood in my mouth...
I have to face the consequences of my mistake.
The chakra-heavy strategy against Onri was a big mistake.
Rudolph is barely usable, one more misuse of Chakra and I can't use him until I rest properly.
I just hope we won't be too late...
-------------------------------
-Earlier-
-Third Person POV-
The main street of Shintaku No Machi was in disarray.
Despite the chaos, the streets were thronged with a diverse mix of people - men, women, and children alike.
Some were driven by curiosity, while others sought escape from the turmoil unfolding around them.
They navigated through the heart of the city, where every step felt like a precarious action amidst the tension.
Their curiosity was twofold.
The first was the ongoing invasion from what appeared to be the Leaf.
The second source was:
"Hear me! Hear me!" A loud proclamation echoed through the street, sourcing from an armored man.
On his chest, was the symbol of the destroyed Conservative Faction.
"I am Kyokan son of Kozuki Kenzo!" He announced himself, as he slowly marched.
At his proclamation, eyes widened, and hushed whispers were abundant.
Nevertheless, whatever mumbles were uttered, Kyokan cared not.
Unyielding, Kyokan's voice echoed through the streets, his resolve unshaken. "I am here to reclaim what is rightfully ours! To dismantle the tyranny of Satsujin! To bring justice to those who have razed our homes and torn apart our families!"
An awkward silence followed his announcement, Kyokan, nevertheless was undeterred.
"Taken away from your homes! Subjugated by barbarians! People?! Where is your pride? Former Conservatives!?"
He added, "And to the foolish Radicals that are supportive of Satsujin's warmongering and sadistic and merciless modus operandi... It is not too late!" His steps echoed loudly in the street, as people let him pass, undecipherable gazes sent his way.
"GO SCREW YOURSELF BASTARD! YOU ARE CLUELESS AS TO SATSUJIN-SAMA'S VISION!" A guard appeared, and swung his sword at Kyokan.
Who promptly blocked the blade with his own, Kyokan grits his teeth, "Vision? You say?"
"WAS THE PURGE OF YUMEMORI AND SENSELESS MURDER OF ALL THE CONSERVATIVES A PART OF WHATEVER NONSENSE VISION HE HAD?!" He pushed back the guard's sword as rage and adrenaline overtook Kyokan's whole being.
Kyokan disarmed the guard, dropping his sword and kicking him to the ground with a thud.
Kyokan's blade was inches away from the guard's throat, yet it stilled in the air.
Promptly slamming the hilt in the guard's face, knocking him down.
Kyokan continued his march.
His voice was low, yet it was nevertheless audible for the entire collective crowd, "...So rise up. My brothers and sisters. We shall topple the tyrant, and reinstate Conservative values. And our Land shall prosper once more."
"All it would take... Is Satsujin's life." He directed his sword at the Daimyo's estate, where loud sounds of combat emanated from.
"YOU DON'T GET IT! DO YOU?!" Another guard charged at Kyokan.
This one, however, was much more skilled, their swords clashed with a metallic tang, "WE DON'T WANT THE CONSERVATIVE VALUES AND PRINCIPLES! SATSUJIN-SAMA IS OUR GRACIOUS LEADER! HE DISLIKES CRUELTY! HE IS KIND AND KNOWS THE PROPER WAY TO LEAD OUR LAND TO A BRIGHTER FUTURE!"
The guard had managed to rile up the awkward and hesitant crowd, "YEAH! THAT'S RIGHT!"
That had pissed Kyokan off, as he pushed his sword against the guards with all his might, "...DID YOU NOT HEAR WHAT I SAID?! DID NONE OF YOUR CLOSE ONES, FAMILY MEMBERS, AND LOVED ONES SUFFER FROM THIS CONFLICT?! FROM SATSUJIN'S MERCILESS ORDERS AND THE SCUM SHINOBI THAT MADE UP HIS FORCES THAT DESECRATED YOUR WOMEN?!"
A punch connected with Kyokan's jaw, offsetting his stance.
The guard swung diagonally, aiming to finish him off.
Only...
For the guard's sword to be sent flying, and his face to be beaten in a speed they barely reacted to.
The guard's body was sent flying from the sheer momentum of the blow.
In front of the disoriented Kyokan, arrived the blonde and furious figure of Naruto.
Shaking his head from the blow, Kyokan collected himself, "Thank you, Naruto. You saved me there."
"Don't sweat it..." Naruto growled.
His blue eyes scanned the surroundings, and the uneasiness returned.
Yet, he could see it in their eyes.
A familiar emotion.
Something he had seen, felt, and experienced more than enough back in Konoha.
'They're scared of me...' Naruto bit his lip.
Like many years ago, he didn't understand...
'Why... Are they scared?' Naruto wondered.
As he was about to address the fearful crowd, assisting Kyokan's efforts at an uprising.
A familiar figure popped out in front of him, standing on top of a food stall.
Naruto ground his teeth, and his eyes slit.
"Oh, no~! It's the bad bad people from the Leaf~!" A squeaky innocent voice emanated from the childish figure of Faceless, yet her wide sadistic smirk conveyed her real emotions.
She was enjoying every minute of this.
Naruto growled, he approached her with his fists clenched.
"What shall we do?" She jumped down to the ground, stomping in faux outrage.
"Our country is at threat by the meddling of the Leaf! Do they truly hate us so much, that they'd destroy our chances at true freedom and the ability to protect ourselves?!"
"Will we continue to be at the mercy of skilled foreign Shinobi?!"
"NO!" The crowd that was building up roared out.
"GET OUT!"
"OUT OF OUR COUNTRY!"
"WE DON'T WANT YOU HERE!"
Her words mirrored that of their leader.
That's all she needed to rile them up.
Against Kyokan and Naruto.
...Something was amiss.
Kyokan and Naruto were aware of that.
A piece of the puzzle.
Why do they appear to be... On Satsujin's side?
It was not a second later, that an arrow of flame blurred toward Faceless.
With a speedy acrobatic movement, she flipped out of its trajectory.
The spot where she stood prior exploded into a sea of flames.
"RUN!"
"THEY'RE TRYING TO KILL US!"
"WHERE ARE OUR IWA ALLIES?!"
It was the crowd's cue to get away from there, as they ran away.
The flames erupted, scattering the once-restless crowd like frightened animals, their panicked cries fading into the distance as they fled to safety.
Leaving only the pouting figure of Faceless facing the enraged Naruto and Kyokan.
Clicking his tongue, Sasuke, with his Sharingan already active landed beside Naruto.
"Oh come on! You just had to ruin the fun! What's with the long face, Sasuke-kun~?" She played with her hair.
Locking eyes with Sasuke, Faceless grew giddy, "Oh, how I've longed for this... I knew letting you go was a good idea~!"
Sasuke spat on the ground, "Your funeral."
"We'll take care of her. Stand back, Kyokan!" Naruto turned to Kyokan, warning him.
He nodded stoically, "Good luck. I will search for Satsujin in the meantime."
He ran off, disappearing into an alley so as to not pass through Faceless.
Faceless shrugged, at Sasuke's quip, "If it is what Lord Jashin desires. Who am I to argue~? Be sure to bring me some flowers!"
"It's over! Satsuki! Kakashi-sensei and Akira are taking down those Stone Ninjas! And we'll pummel you ourselves if you don't surrender!" Naruto pointed at her, a thin line on his resolute expression.
"Pfft... You're so endearing! Calling me Satsuki." She giggled in good humor.
Tilting her head, she continued, "But over? Surrender?"
"You're completely clueless... The lot of you~" A cruel amused smirk plastered on her face.
Expressing his frustration, Naruto stomped on the ground, "WHAT ARE YOU BLABBERING ABOUT?! WHY ARE ALL OF THEM ON YOUR SIDE?! WHAT DO YOU KNOW!"
"But as long as Lord Jashin desires it, I shall never stop." A crazed glint crossed her eyes.
She then lowered her head, her eyes narrowed at Naruto, "Speaking of which..."
Giggling, a crazed glint in her eyes appeared as she stared at Naruto, "Your face."
A shiver went down his spine.
"What do you mean?!" Naruto's voice was a low growl, his muscles tensing as he prepared to confront Faceless head-on.
Sasuke was much the same, gripping a kunai in his hands.
Their instincts warn them not to lower their guard against this wolf in sheep's clothing.
Her body blurred, arriving before Naruto's face instantly, "LORD JASHIN CALLS FOR IT!"
Naruto's eyes widened, Sasuke reacted faster blocking the kunai from reaching Naruto's neck.
He announced, launching towards Faceless, "You're fast, but these eyes can see you!"
They traded blows, Faceless elegantly and smoothly weaving out of Sasuke's precise strikes.
She had a massive grin on her face throughout.
Naruto recollected himself, "SHADOW CLONE JUTSU!"
A cloud of smoke enveloped the area, and multiple Narutos appeared in its place as it dissipated.
Quickly, multitudes of Narutos joined Sasuke in engaging Faceless in Taijutsu.
With mind-boggling synergy, Sasuke and the multiple Narutos worked together in their taijutsu exchange with Faceless.
Who had yet to be hit with anything she hadn't blocked.
A powerful kick that betrayed the petite size of Faceless sent Sasuke launching to an adjacent building.
A whimper from the Whiskers clone in his sleeve, as it had also felt the impact but was still alive.
"Sasuke!" The clones yelled as they began to disappear in clusters, as Faceless easily outclassed Naruto alone.
Shaking himself off and cracking his neck, Sasuke bolted towards Faceless, taking a deep breath as he weaved hand signs.
Sliding under the real Naruto with momentum, Naruto lifted Sasuke and threw him toward Faceless at great speed, "GO!"
Sasuke exhaled a deep breath of flame, using the Uchiha signature technique, "Fire Style - Great Fireball Jutsu!"
With his momentum, the fireball traveled even faster toward Faceless and the Naruto clones.
Faceless noticed this and began weaving hand signs at lightning speed, only to be disoriented by a punch from a Naruto clone.
"FORGOT WE WERE HERE?!"
Sasuke's fingers moved, and steel wire captured Faceless and the other clones, combining them into a cluster and tying them to a building as the fireball nearly reached them.
With a bang, the fireball made contact and exploded with a bang, destroying the exterior of the four-floor building.
"SASUKE! WE WEREN'T SUPPOSED TO KILL HER!" Naruto yelled in outrage.
Naruto's instincts flared as he ducked under a stab aimed at his chest.
Sasuke responded by kicking the swung kunai away, forcing Faceless to back away.
Sasuke threw shuriken which she weaved around, catching the last one with her finger.
"You should be careful where you aim those... You almost killed me~!" She giggled.
And a moment later.
The very air got a degree heavier.
Killing intent enveloped the duo of Naruto and Sasuke, making their muscles tense.
Faceless's eyes grew cold and soulless, and her tone betrayed her juvenile skin, "But you're getting on my nerves." Her glare was directed at Sasuke.
In an instant, Faceless reached Naruto, who threw an uppercut.
Which Faceless redirected with her palm, weaving out of Sasuke's retaliatory kick.
Her hands blurred, hand signs weaved swiftly, Sasuke's Sharingan tracking all their movements.
Seeing Faceless's rapidly growing grin, he weaved handsigns to use the very same jutsu Faceless had used to escape the fireball.
She roared, "Wind Style - Three Pronged Slice!"
At her roar, the wind enveloped her feet as she kicked at Sasuke.
Naruto pulled him out of the strike range, as a slice of wind cleaved the ground and a nearby lampost.
However...
"SASUKE!" Naruto yelled in a panic, as Sasuke pushed him away.
With a diagonal kick, a powerful, sharp wind sliced Sasuke's body in half.
Only...
For it to melt into water.
A powerful kick from behind sent Faceless flying, as a smirking Sasuke stood beside Naruto.
Good as new.
With a loud thump, Faceless crashed into a fruit stand, causing it to topple.
"Sasuke! You're okay?!" Naruto questioned, relieved.
"Hn. Don't give her the chance to recover." Sasuke said with urgency, as he met Naruto's eyes.
The signal was clear.
"Wind Style - Breakthrough!"
"Fire Style - Dragon Flame Jutsu!"
A hellish wave of flame enhanced by wind flew towards the destroyed fruit stall.
"CONCENTRATE DOBE!" Sasuke yelled in a panic as from the flames emerged their opponent unbothered by the heat, as her skin melted.
As her leg that was wrapped with concentrated wind was aimed at Naruto, a smirk on the grotesquely melting Faceless.
"SHE'S CRAZY!" He ducked, only for him to notice.
That the attack was not aimed at him.
Her hand grabbed onto Naruto's shoulder, and she used it to nimbly spin herself and kicked Sasuke.
His eyes saw the move, and he attempted to dodge.
Only...
For his right arm to be stuck in place.
By the very same steel wires, he had used to entangle Faceless earlier.
The insane girl had a Cheshire grin on her face, as her other hand was burning from the scorching heat of the steel wires that held Sasuke's arm.
And with an effortless snap.
Sasuke's right arm flew in the air with a spray of blood from the stump that was left.
His eyes were wide as he screeched in pain, dropping to his knees, "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
"SASUKEEEEEEEEE!" Naruto yelled as he kicked the melting Faceless away.
From the flying arm, inside the sleeve, a rabbit emerged.
Hopping off the arm, it ran toward the crouched Sasuke.
Without trouble, it crawled into the sleeve of his left arm.
Naruto stood by Sasuke's side.
Once more, a suffocating heavy red chakra seeped its influence.
He snarled, as his canines sharpened, his eyes turned red, and his muscles bulged.
He glared at Faceless, who seemed preoccupied with other matters.
That is, grotesquely changing her very shape at this moment.
Her girlish figure began to melt away, and from it, a taller more imposing adult figure took her place.
A Shoulder-length blonde-haired, red-eyed, woman, with a slim naked figure.
Her age seemed to be in her mid-thirties.
"Ah... A shame, I'd have wanted to end it without losing a worn face." A more melodic, feminine, and melancholic voice replaced the childish glee that was Faceless's prior tone.
A chill went down their spine, particularly in Naruto's case as her crimson gaze shifted towards him.
She was so disturbing, that her state of undress was not the major concern.
His rage... Was of greater force.
The question remained...
How did she shrug that off, and pull off a physical transformation?
Forbidden Jutsu?
Is her zealot nature, and pagan God belief truly responsible for her ability?
Thoughts like that raced in Sasuke's mind as he hissed from the pain, his Sharingan eyes never leaving her figure.
'It doesn't matter...' Sasuke grits his teeth.
He slowly rose up, Naruto giving him a hand as he snarled.
"Back off, I'll take care of her from here. Wait for Akira to come back and heal you." Naruto stated with finality.
Sasuke argued simply, "Shut up dobe. We're taking her down together. One arm is enough for the likes of her."
Naruto huffed, a bloodthirsty smirk on his face, as his muscles clenched.
"You boys done?" She purred with an amused smirk, taunting with her hand.
To Be Continued!
-Author Note Start-
I'll keep this note short since I'm at around the length limit to post here on Webnovel.
Hope y'all enjoyed what I cooked up here and hope it's up to snuff in quality and stuff.
The next chapter's coming out tomorrow because I really wanted to end this all at once.
But length limit lol.
Anywho's this should keep ya'll guessing.
The next chapter will hopefully tie up all loose ends and finish this long ass arc XDDDDDDD
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