章節 32: Chapter 32: Might makes Right Part I
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto
"Hmm…."- Bijuu
Chapter 32:
Might makes Right Part I
If there was one thing that could still annoy Naruto to no end was pointless chatter. Like, seriously. Standing idle while watching a bunch of old people go on about pointless topics that were nothing more than to keep a front between one another was seriously annoying. But that was exactly what he was forced to go through as he watched the council member he and his team were supposed to protect converse with one of the personal spokesmen of the Land of Fire daimyo. Naruto could already see that the only reason the daimyo had sent the man was to make the council member feel special. It was no doubt a ploy to try and make the tension between Uzu and Konoha disappear. Or at the very least diminish. That was what the whole point of this little party of theirs was about, after all. And it seriously rubbed Naruto the wrong way. While the blond was all for his clan and his home village going back to being good pals, he didn't like when people used underhanded methods. It was why he always tried his best to be as upfront about his intentions as possible. He had done so with the Sandaime Raikage. And he was doing his best to do the same with his grandfather. Circumstances just made it impossible for him to show his face was all. But that was only for now.
At any rate, this talk was seriously begging to get on his nerves. And observing Orochimaru through his peripherals wasn't doing anything to lessen his irritation either. The man looked to be enjoying himself as he watched the two men talk. But enjoy what, Naruto didn't know.
"Oi, you have to try and give this human a chance, brat," Son Goku spoke up. "I mean, you're trying to heal all the wounds among the nations right? Well, if forgiveness is not in the equation, then you'll never be able to succeed."
'You don't have to tell me that,' Naruto replied. 'You're absolutely right of course. But there are some people that just won't accept change. Orochimaru is one of them. I can't turn a blind eye to how cunning he is. Even if I don't have any proof that he has done anything of what his future counterpart claimed to have done, I don't have any proof saying that he hasn't either. It's a fine like, I know. It isn't something that I can just decide so easily. But then again, none of this is easy. The only people I can trust for certain are Sasuke, Aika-chan, and Haru. They are the only ones who know about me. Everyone else I have to be careful around with.'
"But then how will you decide to forgive someone or not?" Shukaku asked, speaking for the first time. "I've seen many things, boy. I've helped many humans kill a lot of your kind. You saw what I did to Gaara. I've also seen just how much you struggled to put your hatred aside when the Akatsuki killed your master. So then, can you still do the same if someone takes those who are important to you? Can you say for a certainty that you will forgive them?"
Naruto closed his eyes at the question, not bothering to pay any attention to the talk that was happening in front of him out in the real world. It wasn't the first time that he was asked this.
'That is the most important question, isn't it? And it's not one that I can answer with certainty either. I still have my emotions, after all. But that's why I have all of you.' Naruto then smiled. 'I can't ignore the possibility that I might lose my way if something like that ever happens. No matter how small it is, the possibility is there. But that's why I can count on you guys to snap me back out of it. To make me remember just what I'm fighting for. Why I'm fighting for. For all those that trust in me to not fail. I know that I can count on you guys. That's what being friends for is all about! It's what Itachi taught me too. Sometimes, you just have to rely on your friends and not take everything on yourself.'
Shukaku laughed, but it was more of a mocking laugh. "You would really put your faith in someone like me!? I've probably done worse things than the dumb fox over here! And he was partly responsible for getting your parents killed!"
Naruto chuckled in his head. 'Yeah, I would. It's all about looking forward. That's the only way that you can make any progress. It's the reason why Kurama and I are here today, standing together as equals and friends. It's something that I hope you all feel for me now too.'
Not hearing any response from the bijuu, Naruto was about to continue before he felt a tap on his shoulder. Looking next to him, he saw Aika sending him worried look. Smiling reassuringly, Naruto refocused his attention to what was happening in front of him. He could talk with the bijuu later.
"No, I will not take any of your guards," the Uzu council member said through clenched teeth. It was obvious to the others that he was pretty much holding his irritation to himself as much as he could. "The team that I brought with me shall suffice."
"Why, yes of course," the spokesman said with a calm smile. "I take it that that will include the team from Konoha?"
"No, it shall not," the council member replied in an instant.
It was at this that Orochimaru stepped forward, voicing his first true complaint. "Unfortunately, we cannot do that. Our mission is to make sure that you get back to Uzu safely. If you are willing to make an exception for the Uzu team, then I request that you do the same for my team and I as well," he stated, addressing the spokesman at the end.
The council member t'ched but didn't say anything else in return. He obviously knew not to speak too much in turn. But it was still something that made Kaito sigh in slight annoyance. The jonin still didn't think any of this was a good idea. But a mission was a mission.
The spokesperson nodded. "But of course. If that is the case, then please accompany me to your waiting area before the party starts this evening."
Naruto sighed in relief when they began to move. Finally, they could actually get a move on to something that wasn't so boring and annoying.
"Oi, what is it that you're doing?"
Inside Naruto's mind, there was a pretty hectic talk taking place. Just like they had done so with the Rikudo Sennin, the nine bijuu were all lined up in a circle inside Naruto's mind, looking at one another as they conversed.
Shukaku glanced at Kurama. "Huh. You seem to be pretty full of yourself, you stinking fox. And I'm doing just what I've done this whole time. I'm trying to make sure that he's not a lying brat like most of his race."
"You've been here for four years now, Shukaku," Gyuki spoke up in a calm voice. He could already see how Kurama was beginning to get annoyed with Shukaku. "From what I understand, you've had several talks with Naruto already. Just what is it that you're still looking for?"
The one tailed bijuu looked down towards the water beneath his feet, his reflection staring back at him. "I'm not too sure myself. Maybe I just want to be sure that he really does plan on seeing through this to the end before I fully commit myself."
Son Goku grinned. "It's a bit too late for that, I think. You haven't caused a single problem for the brat ever since we were all sealed in here. I honestly thought that you were going to put more of a fight. So why don't you just admit that you already care for the brat just like the rest of us."
Shukaku t'ched. "Don't lump me in with the rest of you! And I haven't tried anything because…well….."
Saiken laughed at seeing Shukaku stutter while trying to come up with an answer. "It looks like Son-chan got you, brother!"
Shukaku let out a growl as he turned his attention to the six tailed slug. "Shut up, will you!?"
Matatabi let out an exasperated sigh. "Really. You're too stubborn for your own good, Shukaku. Why don't you be honest with yourself for once? None of us will think any less of you for it."
Shukaku sighed as he shook his head. If they could already see through him, then it was probably for the best if he actually came out with it. "It's not that. After the Old Man passed away and his two sons started to bicker between one another, I saw for the first time just how short minded humans could be. The Old Man might have different, but that didn't mean that the rest of humanity was like that. Time only hardened my belief. I was sealed into human after human, coming across only one person that could possibly be whom the Old Man spoke about. But then he too passed on. And now this cheeky little brat suddenly comes into the picture, screaming how he's going to change the world and the shinobi. It isn't something that I can so easily accept, even if I think that he's better than most humans."
The other bijuu looked at Shukaku in understanding. It was something that they could relate to, after all. Especially Kurama. He had gone through that same phase of denial during the war, after all. He just couldn't accept everything that Naruto told him that he was planning on doing. It seemed so far fetched, after all. But even in his denial, Kurama still lent the whiskered blond his aid. And it wasn't long before he started believing in the brat to the fullest. It was something that had happened with the rest of the bijuu as well. Except for Shukaku that was. So it was no surprise that he was still being hesitant, even after all this time. It wasn't something that Kurama could agree with, though. As embarrassing as it sounded, the fox wanted for all of his brothers to come together, placing their trust behind the same goofy little brat that he had. It had been the Old Man's wish as well, after all.
"You should take everything into account thus far," Kokuo spoke up. "Naruto hasn't done anything yet that goes against with what he's told us."
"That doesn't change the fact that he will remain this way all the time," Shukaku countered. "He even said so himself."
"Yeah, he did," Kurama agreed. "But that's only the brat being truthful with you. He's acknowledging the fact that he's not perfect. He feels pain whenever someone close to him dies or is taken from him, just like anyone else. It's only natural. It's what's to be expected when bonds are formed. But he also trusts us, trusts you, to make sure that he keeps himself grounded with his beliefs. That's why he considers those around him to be important. He knows that he can't do everything on his own. It's why he has so much faith in that Uchiha as well. He's placing that faith on you and on the rest of us. We have been on the receiving end of pain in the past. But we have also caused some of that pain that existed in the world. Why? Because we felt the need to strike back. To get even. It's another natural reaction. Well, Naruto has been on the receiving end of pain as well. But he hasn't caused any of it. That's why you can trust him."
There was silence until Saiken chuckled. "Kurama-chan is right. Not to mention that Naruto even got him to turn around from his own previous beliefs. And he was once such a stubborn bastard….."
"Oi!" Kurama exclaimed. "You should know better than to insult those that are right in front you and can kick your ass!"
Saiken merely laughed.
Matatabi turned towards Shukaku. "Well? Does any of this relieve any of your doubts?"
Shukaku h'mphed. "Ha! Like any of you can actually hope to change my mind! He's a brat! Nothing more than that!"
The bijuu looked at one another, knowing that that was pretty much Shukaku's way of saying yes. It was really funny to them.
"I guess he still wants to look tough," Isobu said with a sigh.
"Definitely the same as Kurama," Chomei added with his own sigh.
Both Kurama and Shukaku focused their attention on them.
"I'm not like him!"
"I'm not like him!"
Kurama and Shukaku t'ched as they turned to one another, giving each other a glare.
Son Goku, Saiken, and Gyuki laughed while Matatabi and Kokuo joined Isobu and Chomei in the sighing.
It was just another day for the bijuu. But at the very least, they had finally brought their last sibling on board with them. They were truly a family at long last, just like they had first been all those years ago. Even with all the troubles that were amounting around them, the bijuu had found that speck of happiness. And they were planning on cherishing it to the fullest.
Unaware of what was happening inside his mind, Naruto struggled to fight back a yawn as he leaned back against the wall inside the daimyo's palace. Like they had been told, they had been escorted to a waiting room…..only that it was the most luxurious room Naruto had ever seen. Not only that, but it was huge. It looked more like a lobby than anything else. There were already other people there that were no doubt businessmen, council members, and the like. Naruto, his team, and Orochimaru with his team were the only "non-important" people in here. Them, and some red haired kid that was standing next to some stuck up looking guy. The red-haired boy looked to be about fifteen, which put him about three years or so older than Naruto and the others. But it was only Naruto's estimation.
"You could try and act like you don't want to kill someone you know," Aika said with a sigh as she walked up to stand next to him. Haru was off to the side next to Kaito as they silently had a conversation of their own. The Uzu council member was off behind them, sitting down and trying to look as calm as ever. Orochimaru and his team were in a little corner by themselves.
Naruto sighed as well. "This isn't really my fault, Aika-chan. I know I said that I wanted a real mission. But this is a bit ridiculous." It was the opposite of what he was feeling of course. Even if he did find it boring, Naruto knew that it was a perfect chance to see how things were behind handled in the outside world at the moment. Even if he didn't like this underhanded method the daimyo was using.
Aika poked him in his side, a frown on her face. "Don't cut me out, okay? I know that you're probably thinking that this is a perfect chance to gather some information. I already said that I was with you, remember?"
Naruto pouted. "I can never get anything around you, Aika-chan." But his joking attitude left him when he saw the frown remain on the girl's face. "What's wrong?"
Aika sighed again, looking down to the side. "Do you think that Haru and I are just going to get in your way? That we're useless? Is that it?"
Naruto quickly shook his head, trying his best to keep his voice down. "That's not it, Aika-chan. Why would you ever think that?"
"Because you always hold things back from us," Aika said in return. "Even now, I know that there are certain things that you haven't told me. Or Haru."
Naruto flinched, knowing that the girl had him there. There were certain things, some small details, that he hadn't shared with the girl. One of those details was how Uzu's destruction was perhaps this test that the Rikudo Sennin intended for him to pass. But he wasn't sure if it was to stop the destruction itself or to see how he would react once it was destroyed. Another thing was the prophecy he was given by the toads when he first visited them when he had first gotten to the past….even now, it was still nagging the blond Uzumaki in the back of his mind. He just didn't know what it meant, or whom this girl in the vision could possibly be. It was troublesome. They were fears that Naruto kept to himself, sharing them only with the bijuu inside his mind. But Aika was sharp. The girl could read him like an open book. She always knew when something was troubling him. Even if she hadn't said anything before. But her timing for bringing these things up wasn't exactly the best. Maybe it was because she was bored. Or maybe, and even more likely, it was because she didn't want to be left out of the loop anymore.
Aika grabbed a hold of his hands, bringing them in front of them. The action caused Naruto to look at her again. But then the blond blushed when he saw how close her face was. He didn't know if it was intentional or not.
"You do trust me right?" Aika asked, not noticing Naruto's discomfort, or rather shyness, at having her so close to him. "I am one of your friends right?"
Naruto opened his mouth to respond, only no words came out. Instead, he focused on Aika's lips as they came closer and closer to his. Some part of him was saying that this was wrong while another part of him was actually excited.
"What's going on over here?"
The two genin froze when Kaito walked up to them with Haru in tow who was looking at them with a raised eyebrow.
In an instant, the two separated, taking a few steps away from each other.
"Nothing," Aika quickly said. "We were just talking about this new restaurant that we should try once we get back."
Unlike Aika, Naruto was a blushing mess. But the blond still managed to scratch the back of his head as he chuckled. "Y-yeah. That."
Kaito looked between his students, not believing them for a second. Well, he could believe Aika. But Naruto was a dead giveaway that something else was happening with the two of them. But it did look personal. And if they didn't want to tell him, then he would just have to accept that. Kaito knew that it was too early for them to trust him with their personal problems. Well, maybe except for Naruto. But he didn't count as they were pretty much living in the same roof and were brothers, even if only by paper.
The doors that led to the waiting room were opened only for another messenger of the daimyo to step a few seconds later while being followed by a couple of guards.
"The preparations for this evening's festivities are prepared. If you would please follow me to where it shall take place….."
Nobody said a word while they quickly filed out behind the man who had spoken.
Naruto, however, glanced towards Aika, trying to understand where that had come from. It was almost as if she had been searching for a different kind of answer than just friends. Because it should be obvious to her by know that Naruto did consider her to be a friend. A very special one at that. The blond then blushed at what he had been focusing on before while they had shared that….moment before shaking his head. This wasn't the time to be dwelling on such things.
But still…somehow, Naruto couldn't help but admit that Aika had looked different than usual. Prettier. More beautiful. He didn't really know how to describe it. But it was another little secret that he would keep to himself for now.
Fuka t'ched in irritation as she stood on top of a rooftop with her arms crossed in front of her chest, tapping her foot in impatience. She had been here for about thirty minutes now. While she knew that implanting a new heart took Kakuzu some time, this was ridiculous.
'He just had to chase after those guys when he saw that they had shinobi training,' she thought to herself.
Fortunately, they had hit the hot springs. Or more like, she had done so. Kakuzu had stayed outside while waiting for her. After that, they had gone off to one of the spots where rogue ninja could find jobs in the outskirt of the capital. But once they had gotten there, they had found the place in the middle of an attack by a group of guys who had claimed that they were doing this for the greater glory of "Jashin-sama." Fuka had never heard of any Jashin, but they had still pissed her off. She had managed to kill one of them before Kakuzu got interested and took care of the others on his own. After that, they had gone back to find a safe place where Kakuzu could transplant the new heart he had taken from one of those guys. Not before getting some information out of them, though. And Fuka had learned something interesting. If she played her cards right, she knew that she would be able to make some great money. While Sasuke probably wouldn't like it, she just had to make sure that the Uchiha never found out that she was involved in this little affair.
"You sure are eager about this," Kakuzu said in a gruff voice as he rejoined her.
Fuka rolled her eyes. "Well, while I'm not as money crazy as you are, I still know that I need it in order to get the luxury that I need. How else do you think that I can look this sexy?"
It was Kakuzu's turn to roll his eyes. He had already come to understand that Fuka was a really bold woman. She wasn't one to shy away from admitting if she thought someone was "hot" or not. Not to mention that she knew just how physically appealing she was and wasn't afraid to use it. But that didn't mean that he cared much for it. He just wanted to earn some money. That was why he conceded that the woman had a point. This could be beneficial to them if they knew how to play their cards right.
The rogue ninja turned his attention to the daimyo's palace off in the distance. It was situated right in the center of the capital as a show of the man's power. "We should get a move on if we plan to get there in time for when the action starts."
Fuka raised an eyebrow. "Are you all right, though? From what I understand, you need some time to adjust to the new heart that you acquire."
Kakuzu nodded, not feeling the need to hide that particular information. "Yeah. But I still have the other three. So for now, I'll make do with those."
Fuka shrugged. She knew that Kakuzu wasn't a reckless idiot. If he was certain that he could handle it, then he probably could. Besides, they weren't going against anyone particularly tough. Just some wannabes who were nuts and the daimyo guards. Neither were a big threat to either of them. While Fuka knew that she wasn't S-rank, she knew that she was still a mid to high A-rank rogue shinobi. Kakuzu was probably already an S-rank, though. The lucky bastard.
With that in mind, the unusual duo took off towards the daimyo's palace, intent on claiming their reward.
Hidan, for the first in the last couple of months, laughed in glee when he felt his new body. The fact that there was a knife sticking through his heart didn't bother him in the slightest. In fact, that was the whole reason for his laughter in the first place.
The man from before smiled at seeing their success. They were currently inside one of the group's makeshift hideouts in the outskirts of the capital. Other members were crowded around them, not quite believing what they were seeing.
"It seems as if Jashin-sama has picked you to be his first chosen one!" the man exclaimed. The truth of the matter was that they had just experimented with Hidan's chakra, something that their organization had been working on for the past few years. In essence, Hidan's new found "immortality" was due to that. His chakra took over for any damaged organs. It was a marvelous thing in of itself. But as far as the man was concerned, it was all because Jashin-sama had made it so. Thus, this newfound power was to be used in the way that Jashin-sama desired. And that was with the massacre of the daimyo and all those who followed him behind his heresies. Plain and simple, they were going to attack the party that the daimyo was hosting tonight. And Hidan was going to be their main weapon for it. The man knew that they would have to start using this new power on all the other members once they returned from their mission.
As for Hidan…well, the man was happy. He didn't mind going rogue. In fact, he found the idea appealing. All different sorts of hunter ninja would be coming after him now. And he would use them as sacrifices for Jashin, the one that had bestowed upon him this marvelous power. It helped that it was all through destruction too. It just made the deal that much sweeter to the man.
The old man in the worn out priest garments turned to his fellow members, all who were wearing similar clothes as him. "My fellow servants of the great Jashin-sama. Today is the day that we let the world truly know of our existence! To let them know that their way of life is incorrect and immoral! For Jashin-sama is the one true right in this world. Isn't that so!?"
All around him, the men and women gathered clapped in anticipation, eager to get tonight's show on the road.
"Tonight we shall make Jashin-sama's might visible to the world," the man continued. "And our fellow brother Hidan shall make this possible. Through Jashin-sama, he was able to find a new gift. A new power. One that we shall all possess if we show our devotion to Jashin-sama tonight." Those in the crowd nodded their heads, knowing that tonight was the time to truly show themselves as followers of Jashin. Otherwise, they would be discarded and forgotten, something that none of them could bear to live with.
Seeing this, the old man smiled in appreciation. "Then tonight we dine on the blood of the daimyo!"
The crowd exploded in cheers.
Naruto glanced around him in more boredom while the daimyo was in front of the room by the stairs making his first appearance of the night. Several guards were gathered around him, no doubt for safety. Needless to say, the gathered guests were clapping until their hands grew tired. But the blond was the only one who didn't join in. His uncle saw this of course. Not that it made a difference to the blond, though. He really wasn't in the mood to cater some old guy's superiority complex. Not only that, but he had left a clone behind when they had been making their way over here. Neither his uncle nor Orochimaru had been able to picked up on that fact, something that Naruto was grateful for. Anyway, the whole reason he had created a close was so that it could go around the castle and see if it could find anything interesting to do. Afterwards, it would dispel and Naruto himself would have the "excitement" of going through the clone's memories. It wasn't really as exciting as him going around himself. But the blond knew that, if Aika found out that he had switched himself with another clone again, then she wouldn't be too happy with it and probably berate him. And her lectures were tough all right.
"It seems to me like you're having more than just problems with boredom over here, brat."
'Where have you guys been?' Naruto replied, glad to hear the bijuu again.
Kurama paused for a moment. "Oh, nowhere. Just around."
Naruto resisted the urge to roll his eyes. 'Hahaha,' he laughed mockingly. 'Very funny, furball. But yeah. Things with Aika-chan have been…..weird.'
"More like enticing," Son Goku retorted. "Who knew the girl had it in her?"
"Oi!" Kokuo's voice snapped in. "Show some respect, will you?"
Naruto meanwhile was confused. 'What are you guys talking about?'
"Seriously, Kurama," Son Goku began, "you should have taught the brat about the birds and the bees."
Kurama growled. "The teachers at the academy should have handled that! I wasn't going to waste my time with such talks."
"Yeah, but now the poor boy doesn't know that a girl is coming on to him."
'Oi, what the hell are you guys talking about!' Naruto said, cutting in between their little argument.
"Oh, it's nothing really, Naruto-kun," Matatabi's soothing voice said. "Just some…..interesting facts that we're now learning."
"Like how there's a girl that likes you!" Saiken exclaimed with true excitement.
Now, Naruto wasn't a complete idiot when it came to girls…okay, he really was. But it wasn't entirely his fault. After all, neither Minato nor Kushina had been there in order to teach him about that kind of stuff. And it wasn't really something that was taught in the academy. Naruto never did bother to ask the Sandaime or Iruka about girls either. Jiraiya had tried to get him hooked on those books that he wrote and even going as far as to take him to a brothel once…or what Naruto assumed was a brothel. The blond hadn't really bothered to try and learn what it was before he had gotten himself out of there. Needless to say, all the adults in his life that he could have asked were too perverted for Naruto to truly get something meaningful out of it. Even Kakashi fell into that category. And it wasn't really something that Naruto thought he needed to know with everything else that was happening in his life. But now…..it was biting him in the ass. Hard.
Even so, he kind of did understand what the bijuu were trying to tell him now. And the implications were embarrassing.
'That can't be…..that's just not…'
"Accept it brat," Kurama stated. "Although how you plan to answer is entirely up to you."
Before Naruto could respond, his clone's memories suddenly exploded into his mind. This made Naruto's eyes widened since there was someone that was trying to kill the daimyo here tonight and even more approaching.
But before Naruto could excuse himself to see if he could find the culprit, an explosion ran through the room, emanating from the back. And in came in a bunch of people that Naruto knew were not the person that the clone had encountered. So that pretty much left Naruto with one theory: more than one party was trying to kill the daimyo tonight.
His luck was never the best all right.
A few moments earlier:
The Naruto clone was having the time of its short life as it skidded through the palace, evading the guards at all costs. The clone was in sage mode at the moment with the reason being that it wanted to be safe and not get caught no matter what. It would raise more questions and problems that the clone knew his boss didn't need. Especially since he was already bored out of his mind. That was why it had been created, after all. That didn't mean that the Naruto clone couldn't enjoy itself, though.
And that was what the clone was doing as he made his way from room to room throughout the castle. But by the end of the clone's "tour," it stopped when it suddenly picked up a new chakra entering the area. It was coming from outside where the boss and the others had gathered. What caught the clone's attention the most, though, was the fact that the new chakra had come from the outside instead of the inside of the palace. So it was more than likely an intruder.
With that in mind, the clone quickly made its way out of the castle via one of the large windows. After that, it didn't take the clone long to reach the intruder's position. The Naruto clone could go at full speed now since there weren't any guards up on the roof.
The clone paused for a moment as it stopped over the intruder. From what the clone could make of the form, it was probably female. And she was standing on some sort of patio with the only way into the palace being a window that also overlooked the whole room where the boss and the others were. The clone did have to hand it to her, though. She was being delicate to not let the others know of her presence. But the clone also knew that the moment she stepped into the room was the moment that both Kaito and Orochimaru would know she was there. She was being careful, but not careful enough. It was obvious that she wasn't expecting any shinobi to be here. Not that the clone could blame her. They had only managed to get in because the council member didn't want to be surrounded by the daimyo guards.
Thinking that it was time to show itself, the clone jumped down towards the small patio. "Yo!"
The female intruder instantly jumped up in surprise, letting out a small squeal. The clone found it funny. But the amusement left the building when a kunai was suddenly thrown at it. Dodging it with easy, the clone quickly rushed at the intruder, grabbing a hold of her wrists before she had the chance to grab another one.
"It looks to me like we might have gotten on the wrong foot here," the clone said, trying to ease the intruder. Getting a closer look, the clone saw that she was wearing a mask to cover the lower half of her face. But it was a girl. A young one at that. Probably around sixteen. She had brown hair and blue eyes that were currently staring in fury. She was no doubt pissed.
"Who the hell are you!?"
The clone raised an eyebrow. She was feisty all right. "That doesn't matter right now. What does matter is the fact that you're trying to attack the feudal lord of this country. Right? If I'm wrong, then tell me what you're doing up here."
That didn't appease the girl in the slightest. Instead, it only served to make her even angrier than before. The clone frowned when she aimed a kick towards its stomach. Letting go of her wrists, the clone jumped back in order to dodge the kick.
"So you serve that bastard too," she said with what sounded like a snarl. "In that case, I have nothing to talk to you about!"
The clone brought out a kunai of its own when the girl rushed at it. But instead of panicking, the clone simply jumped up into the air. Because of how small the patio was, the girl found herself colliding with the edge. In that moment of dizziness that followed, the clone grabbed the collar of the dark outfit she was wearing and threw her up to the rooftop. The girl touched down with a groan with the clone standing over her with a sigh.
"If that's the best that you can do, then I suggest that you give up before you get yourself killed."
The girl instantly jumped back up, narrowing her eyes as she looked at the clone. "And what is that supposed to mean?"
The clone shrugged. "You might be able to fight yourself around the guards. But there are also shinobi in there. Shinobi that are much more powerful than you. And you've just had the misfortune of running across the most powerful one: me. So I'll ask again: what are you doing?"
"What does it look like I'm doing?" she said with a growl. "I'm planning on killing the son a of bitch in there for what he did to my family!"
The clone paused at this. "What is that supposed to mean?"
"All you ninja are the same," the girl said with a shake of her head. "You only serve the master who keeps you at a leash while the rest of us suffer. Well, I've had it with that man making us miserable. Just because he has a title he thinks that he can reign over us like we're some sort of insects. Well, that stops today. I don't care if I go to prison for this. Or if I end up being executed. As long as I bring him down, I'll be content."
The Naruto clone frowned, already knowing that there was more to this than he had first thought. This girl didn't look anything like a criminal. Instead, she had utter hatred towards the daimyo. Hatred that was guiding her to do all of this. But the clone knew that she wouldn't succeed. Not while the boss and the others were here. That was for sure.
But before the clone could ask her anything else, it paused when a large number of chakra began to enter the area and towards the palace. And just like before, they were coming from the outside. They were probably more intruders. But were they working with the girl or what?
In the midst of its confusion, the clone forgot to pay any attention to the girl who used this opportunity to charge at it. The clone t'ched when it felt itself being stabbed. But it didn't matter. The clone knew that it had to report this to the boss now.
The girl's eyes widened when her opponent burst into smoke a few seconds later. After that, there was an explosion that rocked the entire palace, making her wonder what else was going on here.
Naruto was back to back with Aika as they stood in front of the council member, his bo staff already out and ready for action. Haru had already taken up towards the ceiling, ready with his bow to attack any of the intruders. Kaito and Orochimaru with his team were in front of them, looking towards the smoke. The daimyo was being guarded by the guards as he was taken off back towards his private quarters. The other guests were also being guided with others just plain running out of the room.
A few moments later, a bunch of figures came out bursting out of the smoke just as another explosion ran throughout the palace. This time, though, it was coming from the direction of where the daimyo had been taken to. That could only mean one thing. Glancing at Aika, Naruto knew that she was thinking the same thing.
Not wasting anytime, the blond quickly took off towards where the daimyo had disappeared to just as the battle behind him began to take place. Naruto knew that he could entrust this to his team. And as much as he hated to think like this, Orochimaru was also there. So the odds were in their favor. But Naruto quickly realized that he wasn't alone as the redhead from before quickly jumped next to him, running alongside him as he followed.
"I think it'll be best if we go together," he explained, his expression calm.
Understanding, Naruto focused his attention back to finding the daimyo. And it didn't take them long to do that. The guards hadn't gotten far before they had been ambushed by another group of the guys that were attacking the palace and quickly taken out. The daimyo was pressed against the wall as he stared in fear at one of the members who was laughing widely while pointing his scythe at him.
"Be prepared, your highness," Hidan said mockingly. "For today you have the pleasure of becoming one of the first sacrifices that I present to Jashin-sama!"
But before he could carry this out, he found himself being pushed back as Naruto appeared before him with bo staff charging towards him. Seeing this, Hidan brought his scythe forward, blocking it. He smirked when he met eyes with Naruto.
"Well, what do we have here? Do you also want to be a sacrifice for Jashin-sama?"
Naruto frowned, not understanding what this guy was saying.
But the redhead that had come with him didn't waste anytime either. Surprising Naruto, he quickly pulled out a scroll. And with a puff of smoke came out a puppet. A puppet that Naruto instantly recognized as one of the puppets that Kankuro had during his time period.
The daimyo squeaked out in fear as the puppet's insides snapped open, the puppet pushing him inside before it snapped close.
Hidan t'ched in irritation before he pushed Naruto back. Seeing this, the blond hopped back to stand beside his redhead companion who brought his puppet back to his side.
"That was a good idea," Naruto said, glancing at the puppet.
The redhead smiled lightly. "My puppets do come in handy. But it looks like we won't be able to get out of here so easily with these guys in the way."
Hidan gritted his teeth as the other members that were with him lined up next to him. "It seems like you're also part of these heretics. But it doesn't matter! Jashin-sama has only given me even more sacrifices! Hahaha!"
Naruto sighed. "I wonder where all of these freaks keep pooping out of."
The redhead chucked in slight amusement as he brought out two other scrolls from underneath his robes. "Good point."
Naruto glanced at him. "I'm Naruto. You?"
"Sasori."
Naruto grinned as he brought his bo staff in front of him. "Well then, Sasori, it looks like we have a few asses to kick!"
Aika knew that something was wrong the moment that these four individuals walked in. They were wearing the same clothing as the ones that came before. But they carried themselves differently.
Kaito and Orochimaru could see this as well.
The four Jashin members glanced throughout the room, seeing all the bodies of their defeated comrades. But they didn't feel any sympathy towards them. This was the way that Jashin-sama commanded them to live. And as such, it wasn't something that was suppose to be saddening. It was a glorious thing. With that in mind, they each brought out a scythe of their own, completely identical to each other.
Seeing this, Kaito signaled for Aika and Haru to get out of here and to take the council member with them. Most of the other guests had already run out of the area as well.
Getting the message, Aika did just that with Haru following behind her. The three other chunnin also took to following behind them as ordered by Orochimaru. The Konoha jonin knew that this was the perfect opportunity to show great cooperation between Konoha and Uzu.
But unfortunately, these last four remaining Jashin members really weren't the lightweights that the others had been. Faster than Kaito and Orochimaru could react, two of the four instantly took off to the ceiling, extending their scythe out towards the retreating genin and chunnin. Two of the chunnin were pierced immediately, dropping to the ground a moment later.
Seeing this, Kaito was about to charge at them before the remaining two did just that towards him and Orochimaru. Bringing a kunai out just in time, Kaito frowned as the old Jashin member clashed with him, laughing the whole time.
Orochimaru was having the same problem as the last of the four charged at him.
'They're gonna have to take care of this on their own,' Kaito thought in worry. But first, he had to stay focus on his issue here. Things had really taken a turn for the worst.
Fuka whistled as she saw all of the fires raging out throughout the palace from one of the nearby rooftops.
"It looks like we got here just in time!"
Kakuzu hummed in agreement as he saw all of this as well. "It looks like they really hit this place hard."
Fuka chuckled. "Well, that just makes all of this easier for us, doesn't it?"
Kakuzu didn't reply.
Down there, somewhere, was the daimyo of this whole country. And the one that they intended to kidnap here today.
It was game time.
每周推薦票狀態
-- 推薦票
榜單 
-- 推薦票