《How I Reincarnated Into Naruto》 Chapter 1 ¡°...shall name him Jin, Jin Yamanaka.¡± Says a blonde haired woman holding her newborn son. She¡¯s sitting up on her bed looking warmly at her new bundle of joy. What¡¯s going on? The last thing I remember was getting hit by a truck. Jin thinks to himself as opens his eyes. Who are these people? And did they just call me Jin? ¡°OH LOOK! He has my red hair and your beautiful, amber eyes.¡± says a smiling man, leaning over to get a closer look at the infant boy. Get out of my face¡­! Jin thinks to himself, trying to skirt away from the redheaded man. Hey wait, why do their clothes look so familiar...? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Months later on a cloudy day, Jin is laying down in his crib as Inoichi Yamanaka, the head of the Yamanka Clan somberly looks down at the three month old with an aide at his side. Due to being an infant, all Jin can do is reflect on his own situation, ignoring what the adults are saying. So I really am in the Naruto world and my parents just died yesterday by the Nine-Tails...? This would be so cool if it weren¡¯t the fact that I¡¯m at the very beginning of Naruto¡¯s story. Jin thinks to himself as his infant body makes a fuss. I¡¯m Jin Yamanaka, not Naruto himself or any of the supporting cast, I¡¯m basically a background character¡­ I AM SO FUCKED..!! Jin thinks while Inoichi picks him up trying to calm the still crying baby Jin down. I¡¯m just a damn background character, there¡¯s almost a hundred percent chance I''ll die before the 4th Ninja War arc even happens!!! THIS SUCKS, MY LIFE SUCKS, EVERYTHING SUCKS!!! ¡°For the time being, I¡¯ll raise him myself.¡± Inoichi says, walking away from the house while carrying Jin who stopped crying. Calm down and think! I¡¯m the Naruto world which means the only way to even survive into the Boruto era is to get stronger. Jin thinks as he calms down and stops crying, beginning to smile eerily. When I get a bit older, the first thing I¡¯ll do is use the various members to jumpstart my training so that I¡¯ll be ahead by the time I attend the ninja academy. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sometime later, Jin is now six years old and will attend the Ninja Academy in two weeks, he is currently training at the Leaf Village Training Grounds. He gathers chakra into his feet and proceeds to walk onto the water. This sucks, the Yamanaka Clan sucks. Damn them¡­! Jin thinks to himself, cringing in anger as he stands on the water, practicing hand signs. It was bad enough that most members of the clan refused my training request, the few that trained me only did so AFTER I got on my hands and knees, begging! And what¡¯s worse they only taught me the Mind Transfer Jutsu aside from the bare minimum an academy student would know. If I remember correctly, Jiraiya was able to create an invisibility technique as a genin, I should (in theory) be able to create simple mind reading jutsu. Jin thinks while sighing, throwing eight sharpened sticks at one of the three wood pillars. They all hit their mark, forming a circle. With that I should be able to copy jutsu from weak minded genin and focus on physical training. Jin walks back on to solid ground and begins to use his chakra to convert his consciousness to spiritual energy and sends it to a group of genin who happen to be training nearby. Jin successfully hits his intended target, but instead of taking over, Jin is able to read the genin¡¯s mind. It worked, but at the same time, this genin doesn¡¯t have any techniques worth copying... Thinks an annoyed Jin as he pulls his consciousness back. Hmm, I wonder if I can spread out and read multiple minds? As Jin attempts to spread out his consciousness over the entire training field, he collapses, falling unconscious. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- So, my new Probing Jutsu has a similar weakness as the Mind Transfer Jutsu. Jin thinks, sighing as he drowsily makes his way back to the Yamanaka estate. I want to learn fire style, but Sasuke won¡¯t learn anything until after he enters the Academy, but just before the Uchiha Massacre. Waiting¡¯s my only option, until then, I¡¯ll focus on learning the-- ¡°GYAH?!!¡± Something hits Jin from behind, causing him to fall over, shouting. While angered, Jin quickly gets back to his feet and turns to face what hit him. ¡°Well, if it isn¡¯t Tomato-head.¡± says a familiar girl with blonde hair, wearing a violet outfit. ¡°Ino, shouldn¡¯t you be chasing after Sasuke¡­?¡± Jin says venomously while clenching his fists, prepared for a fight. ¡°WHY¡­ YOU¡­ I¡¯LL--!¡± ¡°Forget this, I¡¯m too tired to deal with you right now.¡± Jin sighs, brushing the young girl off as he continues to his room. ¡°I¡¯ll be in my room, don¡¯t bother me unless it¡¯s about dinner.¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hours later, Jin is sitting on his bed with a water balloon in his right hand. He stares intently at the full moon as he begins to pour chakra into the inside of the balloon and begins to spin the water. I have to get stronger¡­ Jin thinks as the water balloon pops in his hands. I have to get stronger no matter what. Weakness in this world means death... Chapter 2 It¡¯s Jin¡¯s first day attending the Ninja Academy, the first day orientation was boring and uneventful. The only thing worth noting was that Jin was in the same class as Naruto and Sasuke. Sometime later Iruka took the class outside for Traditional Shinobi Sparring. For the first match, a couple of the girls had suggested that Jin and Sasuke fight. ¡°You can do this, Jin!¡± A girl shouts in the background. ¡°You almost have him on the ropes, Sasuke!!¡± Says another girl. ¡°Jin, if you win, I¡¯ll let you hold my hand!!¡± Another girl yells. I was never popular with the girls in my past life, I¡¯m not sure if I like the attention I¡¯m getting now. A confused Jin thinks, catching a kick from Sasuke. Jin counters by punching Sasuke in the jaw. It¡¯s been almost ten minutes since the match started. As I am now, I could curb stomp Sasuke easily, but then I would start getting the attention of the ninja world too early. I need to make this look close. After another minute or so, the taijutsu match devolves into a grappling match. Jin barely manages to win. After Jin and Sasuke make the Seal of Reconciliation, The girls then rush and crowd around the two boys, congratulating them. ¡°That was awesome, you two!!¡± A pink haired girl says with sparkles in her eyes. Nailed it. Jin thinks with quiet relief, ignoring the girls. ¡°Hey, you, what¡¯s your name?¡± Sasuke asks in a cool tone. ¡°Jin Yamanaka¡± Jin replies, curtly. ¡°Jin, I¡¯m Sasuke Uchiha.¡± Sasuke says before turning to walk away. Naruto follows after him, attempting to challenge him, but to no avail. Did I just get Sasuke¡¯s acknowledgement...? That¡¯s pretty BADASS! A proud Jin thinks as watches Sasuke walk off. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A little over two years later, it appears to be just another normal day at the Academy. Choji¡¯s stuffing his face full of chips, Kiba is napping, Naruto is pulling pranks as usual (and getting caught and punished as usual), a disinterested Jin is staring out the window, and all the girls are fawning over either Sasuke or Jin. Everything seems the same as usual, but Sasuke looks unusually gloomy today... ¡°Hey, did you hear what happened the other day?¡± A classmate next to Jin whispers to his friends. A curious Jin snaps back to reality, subtly and intently eavesdropping on his classmates¡¯ conversation. ¡°What?¡± Whispers another classmate. ¡°That Uchiha kids'' family all got killed the other day.¡± The initial classmate answers, still whispering. ¡°And get this, the killer was his own big brother.¡± ¡°OH, I did hear about that, that¡¯s so messed up...¡± What the fuck?! FINALLY!! Jin thinks to himself, now ignoring his classmates. Okay, what happened to Sasuke was a tragedy, yes, but at the same time this event is a clear sign that Sasuke knows Fire Style jutsu now! This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Now I can progress in my own goal to get stronger¡­! Jin thinks as he activates his Mind Probe Jutsu. Let''s see¡­ confusion, sadness, intense anger, and¡­ AH, there it is¡­! So that¡¯s how you perform Fire Style jutsu. Yes. Yes! YES!! I know how to use Fire Style now! A grinning Jin thinks happily as practices his hand signs, particularly the tiger hand sign. ¡°What¡¯re you so happy about?¡± Asks a nearby classmate. ¡°I leveled up.¡± Jin answers, continuing his hand signs all the while still smiling. ¡°Leveled¡­ up?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t think about it too much, I can be weird sometimes.¡± Jin exclaims. Suddenly some flies right at Jin, causing the young boy to instinctively catch it. Jin looks at what he caught and sees that it¡¯s a stick of chalk, he looks to the front of the classroom only to realize that Iruka has turned his attention from Naruto to him. ¡°Jin, is my class boring you?¡± Iruka asks in a seemingly calm manor. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m just practicing my hand seals, nothing really.¡± A now somewhat scared Jin coyly answers. ¡°Then you won¡¯t mind practicing them with me after class then.¡± Iruka tells the young Jin. ¡°Understood, sir...¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- After class and a subsequent detention, Jin makes the trek back home and decides to take a shortcut down an alleyway. As Jin walks down the alley, he spots a girl. She¡¯s just standing there as if she was waiting for him. ¡°Your Jin, right?¡± The girl asks with excitement. ¡°My name is Ayanami Hyuga and we¡¯re in the same class.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ that¡¯s me¡­¡± Jin reluctantly answers. PLEASE don¡¯t let this girl be a crazy stalker, she is cute though¡­ ¡°Earlier today, in class, you said the phrase ¡®level up,¡¯ right?¡± Ayanami continues to question. ¡°Are you like me? Someone who came from Earth, the real Earth?¡± Huh? Jin thinks. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m from Earth¡­ America to be exact...¡± ¡°No way that¡¯s AWESOME!! I¡¯m from Japan, we should be friends!!¡± Ayanami Shouts with excitement. ¡°Uh, okay¡­?¡± Jin reluctantly agrees while backing away a bit with caution. While it is nice knowing that I¡¯m not the only person that was reincarnated into Naruto, this girl reminds me too much of Part I Naruto, nauseatingly loud and annoying. ¡°GREAT!! Let¡¯s become even greater ninja than Kakashi and Itachi ever were, together!!¡± Ayanami shouts excitedly. Say what now...?! A flabbergasted Jin thinks to himself, wide eyed. ¡°Say, Ayanami¡­ how far were you into Naruto when you died?¡± ¡°Oh, I was at the part where Naruto and Jiraiya left to go and find this Tsunade woman.¡± Ayanami answers matter-of-factly. ¡°Okay, I have to go now, later!¡± ¡°Wait--!¡± Jin calls out, only to be heard on deaf ears due to Ayanami teleporting away in a puff of smoke. This Ayanami girl has absolutely NO idea what will happen and if I try to tell her, she¡¯ll probably hit me over the head for ¡°spoiling¡± her¡­¡± Oh, well. It¡¯s really none of my business anyway. Jin thinks, shrugging it off as he continues on his way back home. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Jin, you¡¯re up next.¡± Iruka calls out. Okay, today¡¯s the day. It¡¯s time to pass this test and become a genin. Jin thinks to himself as he steps forward. Huh, that¡¯s right. Today¡¯s the same day Naruto steals that scroll and learns the Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu. I¡¯ll probe his mind and copy the technique when we wait to meet our jonin teachers later on¡­ Jin charges up his chakra and performs the basic Clone Jutsu. In a puff of smoke, Jin produces three perfect, life-like duplicates of himself. ¡°You pass!¡± Iruka degrees as he hands Jin a ninja headband. "You''re a genin now, congratulations!" Of course I did. Jin thinks to himself, smiling smugly as he wraps the headband around his neck like a bandana. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hours after the graduation exam, Jin watches Naruto from a distance. Naruto sits alone on a swing sulking over his failing the exam. I could go over and cheer him up, but then he might not learn the Multi-Shadow Clone technique and he WILL need that move for the many fights to come. Jin laments in silence with both of his arms folded. DAMN, life can be a real bitch¡­ Alright, that''s enough moping... Jin thinks, trying to perk himself up. I need to focus on the future and myself now, I¡¯m a background genin so that means my teacher will also be a background jonin. I¡¯ll most likely get a shit-ton of D-Rank missions and maybe a few C-Rank, if I put in enough effort and perform well enough I should be able to enter the Chunin Exams. Whether I enter on my own or with my squad, I have to get into those exams. Character Sheet 1 JIN YAMANAKA (Part I): OVERVIEW APPEARANCE PERSONALITY If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. AYANAMI HYUGA (Part I): OVERVIEW APPEARANCE Chapter 3 Now I know that I hate cats¡­ All cats are assholes!! Jin thinks as he crouches on a rooftop, wincing in pain as he applies ointment to scratches on parts of his forearm not protected by his armguards. I¡¯ve completed six C-Rank and twenty D-Rank missions, but half of my D-Rank missions were for missing pets and most of those pets were cats. What the hell is it with this village and cats?!! Let''s see¡­ I¡¯ve been a genin for almost two months now and Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura have returned from presumably the Land of Waves arc. Jin thinks as he sees Naruto try to walk a large dog. The dog itself is dragging Naruto along. Looking back, neither anime or the manga gave a set gap of time between the Genin Graduation Exams and the Chunin Exams¡­ ¡°Huh?¡± Jin blurts out as he sees a blonde-haired woman with a large fan and a boy dressed in black, carrying an object wrapped in bandages walk down the street. Speak of the devil, Temari and Kankuro are here?! That means the Chunin Exams are about to start. I should learn Wind Style from her, but how do I approach this girl? At that moment Jin sees something fall out of Temari¡¯s bag. A comb¡­? Well she is a girl. How convenient for me. Jin thinks, smirking a devilish grin. Jin jumps down from the roof, goes to pick up the comb, and slowly walks up to her from behind. I have to do this quickly and carefully. The fact that Temari and Kankuro are here means that Gaara is close by, both Temari and Kankuro can be scary, but the true danger is Gaara. I need stay away from him, until Naruto fights him and turns him good, he¡¯s a fucking monster to be avoided at all cost. ¡°Excuse me, miss?¡± Jin calls out with a casual friendly smile. ¡°Yes? What is it?¡± Temari asks ¡°You dropped this.¡± Jin tells her, handing her comb to her. As Temari reaches for her comb, Jin activates his Probing Jutsu. A strong fear of her younger brother, Gaara, her role in Orochimaru¡¯s attack on the Leaf Village¡­ AH! There¡¯s the secret to Wind Style jutsu, but her¡¯s all require the use of her fan. Who cares? I can just learn new jutsu or create new ones later¡­ ¡°Oh, thanks.¡± Temari responds, taking back her comb. The sand kunoichi turns back around and continues on her way. Okay, I know both Fire and WInd style now. That should be more than enough for the first two rounds of the Chunin Exams. Jin thinks to himself, smirking very satisfied as he watches Temari walk off into the distance. Hmm, I should also make an invisibility jutsu for stealth purposes later on¡­ Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It¡¯s the first day of the Chunin Exams, Jin has already taken his seat in room 301. Jin''s seat happens to be on the first row and the first column by the window. As Jin is seated, he can overhear that Kabuto has just finished giving his intel on the Chunin Exams to Naruto and the other main characters, all of which are in the back of the room. I get to take the Chunin Exams on my own!! Jin thinks with relief mixed with excitement. Super fucking sweet. ¡°RRRAAAAARRGH!!!¡± Naruto roars, pointing at all the genin seated in front of him. ¡°I¡¯m Naruto Uzumaki and I¡¯m gonna beat everyone of ¡®ya, BELIEVE IT!¡± GOD, do I hate that catchphrase... Jin thinks to himself, cringing at Naruto¡¯s declaration of war. I just have to get through the Chunin Exams and then I¡¯ll be free to leave the village and get the power I need to survive. OH YEAH, since there¡¯s still some time before the actual exam begins, I¡¯ll probe all of these genin for their chakra natures. Jin thinks, sighing with relief as he activates his Probe Jutsu. Hmm¡­? None of these jutsu really fit my preferred combat style, but now I at least know how to use all five basic nature styles! A few minutes later, the exam proctor for the first exam, Ibiki Morino enters the room with his assistants and explains the rules of the first exam which will be a written test. Ibiki then begins the test Heh, look at these losers squirm. Jin thinks, trying to hold back his laughter. Most of them won¡¯t know that the point of this test is to take risks and cheat without getting caught. I know that Ibiki secretly put two ch¨±nin into the crowd to answer the questions and to make other genin try to cheat off of their exams, I¡¯ll probe them for the answers. Found them, child¡¯s play. Jin thinks, satisfied as he writes down the right answers. Finished, now I just have to wait for Ibiki to give the tenth question and then I-- Ugh?! A small, faint sand cloud forms around Jin and clogs his eyes. Dammit, Gaara! WHY?! WHY ME?! An outraged Jin thinks as he tries to wipe the sand out of his eyes. After a short while the sand finally dissipates. FUCK YOU, GAARA!! ¡°I need to explain the rules for the final question.¡± Ibiki announces to the genin. ¡°Rule number 1: Each of you is free to choose not to be given the final question, it¡¯s your decision. Rule 2: If you accept the question, but answer it incorrectly, you will not only fail, you will be barred from ever taking the Exam again. Heh heh heh...¡± After a few moments, a number of genin quit, deciding to try again nextime. ¡°I¡¯ll take that final question, please.¡± Jin asks, raising his hand. Right now, I have very few opportunities to take charge, I¡¯m taking this one. Sorry Naruto¡­ After a brief pause, Ibiki finally speaks. ¡°Well then, I admire your determination if nothing else. For those of you remaining, there¡¯s only one thing left to do and that¡¯s for me to tell you that you''ve all passed the first Exam!¡± At this moment a woman bursts into the room through the window. ¡°H-hang on, is this part of the test?!¡± Naruto asks. ¡°Heads up, boys and girls, this is no time to be celebrating!¡± The woman shouts. ¡°I¡¯m the proctor for the second exam! Anko Mitarashi!¡± Chapter 4 Somewhere, deep in the forest on the outskirts of the Land of Fire all was calm and all was peaceful. Suddenly, a glowing yellow sphere appears, the sphere quickly disappears to reveal a hooded, cloaked figure covered in blood and heavily wounded. The figure scans his surroundings and after confirming that he is both safe and alone, he begins to heal his wounds and then takes out an unusual device. ¡°Huh? It would seem that we were off by a couple of years.¡± The hooded figure says, staring at the device. ¡°My apologies, master, that last attack altered my intended path.¡± The device responds. ¡°I can take you to your proper destination after a few days of recharging.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, I can wait out a couple of years. After all, there¡¯s no real threat to me in this era.¡± The cloaked figure explains. Even so, take your time and recharge, Karasuki, there¡¯s still a chance I may need you later. ¡°Understood, Master.¡± The device responds before shutting down. ¡°Now then, it¡¯s time to get to work¡­¡± The cloaked figure says, tucking the device into a pouch in his cloak. The cloaked figure then proceeds to walk off into a destination known only to him. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Okay, I have a heaven scroll, so I just need an earth scroll to pass this exam. Jin thinks to himself as he pockets the scroll, carefully making sure that no other genin can see what scroll he has. Once the second exam begins, I¡¯ll find a safe spot to hide and have shadow clones search for background characters all the while, avoiding the main characters And when they do find a background ninja team, they¡¯ll telepathically alert me and the other clones. Still, I need to be on guard, everyone I come across will be after me, assuming I have the scroll they need. Jin thinks as he sorts through the ninja tools he has on hand. Ten kunai, six paper bombs, seven shuriken¡­ and this little guy. Jin thinks, looking at the seal wrapped around his wrist. So, Ayanami was able to participate in the Chunin Exams as well... Jin thinks as he takes a brief, cringing glance at the overly excited kunoichi prancing around near the gate. Hmm, she must have more skill than I thought. Moments later, Anko gives the signal to start the second exam. Jin charges into the Forest of Death, hopping through the trees. After fifteen minutes Jin stops and survey¡¯s his surroundings. This looks like a good spot¡­ Jin thinks to himself as he prepares to make shadow clones. Before even gathering chakra, Jin notices potato chips on the ground. ¡°Choji! If you can hear me, don¡¯t leave food behind when hiding.¡± The young genin proceeds to tree hop further into the forest. Okay, now I can start my plan. Jin thinks to himself, creating six shadow clones of himself. The clones scatter, each searching for fodder genin to ambush. All I have to do now is sit back and wait¡­ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ...you''ll give me love, that''s how we''ll live! Your courage won''t fade, if you''re with me my enemies will never win! Jin sings in his head as he sits on a tree branch, waiting for an hour now. ¡°Hey, real me? Get over here, I found a group of background characters.¡± Says an excited clone telepathically. ¡°And you¡¯re never gonna believe who it is!¡± ¡°Really? I¡¯ll be there shortly.¡± Jin telepathically reponds. ¡°Tell the other clones to converge on your location and don¡¯t do anything until we¡¯ve arrived.¡± ¡°Got it!¡± The clone says before severing the connection. Jin then uses the Body Flicker technique to quickly make his way towards his clone and the intended target. By the time Jin gets to the clone, three clones have already arrived. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Where are the oth--? Nevermind¡­ Jin questions in his head as the remaining three arrive. Jin takes a few steps forward and takes a closer look at the enemies one of his clones found. What the fuck?! Is that Karin¡­? If she¡¯s here then that means this timeline is following the anime¡¯s canon¡­ and I''m free to take her earth scroll because her group doesn¡¯t make it past this exam!! As Jin prepares to take action, he notices that his body is shaking. It¡¯s shaking in fear and he feels sweat running down his body. Keep it together man, I¡¯ve been in a couple of fights in my past life, but this is different. This is my first real fight in this world, I could actually die... Jin thinks, trying to both reassure and psych himself up. I think I can do this, I can do this¡­ I WILL DO THIS!!! Now fired up, Jin has one of his clones descend to the forest floor and throw two shuriken at one of Karin¡¯s teammates, but that genin evades them by jumping into the air. In that instant, the real Jin then attacks the one that jumped using the Fire Style: Flame Bomb Jutsu. The jutsu hits its mark and the enemy falls to the ground, unconscious from the burns. One down, one t-- ¡°AAARRGHH!!¡± Jin was interrupted from his thoughts due to being kicked down from the branch he was on. Jin gets up on his knees only to find the other enemy genin standing over him. The enemy swings down with his kunai and stabs Jin in the collar bone. Jin disappears in a puff of smoke, revealing that he was a shadow clone. ¡°A Clone?! Then where is he?¡± The enemy genin says aloud, looking at his surroundings. Two Jins use the Body Flicker technique to appear on either side of him and hold him in place by the arms. Another Jin appears right in front of the enemy genin holding a spinning sphere of chakra in both hands. ¡°LIKE HELL I¡¯LL LOSE HERE!!! RASENGAN BARRAGE!!¡± Jin yells, shoving both rasengan into the enemy genin. He crashes through several trees before finally hitting a large boulder, knocked unconscious. I won¡­? I WON!! It felt silly yelling out my attack¡¯s name, I¡¯m never doing that again¡­ Now I just need to collect the earth scroll¡­ Jin thinks as he walks over to the burned and unconscious genin, searching through his belongings, and acquiring the scroll. Before heading to the tower, Jin turns to face the cowering Karin. ¡°Girl, both of your comrades are unconscious and you no longer have any scrolls, I suggest you take your team back out of the forest and into the village.¡± When I get to the tower at the center of the forest, I¡¯ll probably end up fighting Ayanami in the preliminary matches¡­ Jin ponders as he begins to tree hop to the tower, finishing the test within three hours. Regardless if I win or lose, I fully intend to desert the Leaf Village during Orichimaru¡¯s attack. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°...for the next match, Ino Yamanaka vs Jin Yamanaka.¡± The jonin, Hayate Gekko announces. THE FUCK¡­??!!! Jin thinks while dumbfounded by the sudden turn of events. Jin begins to cautiously walk down to the arena floor. He faces his cousin with a serious, yet confused look on his face. This isn¡¯t right, Ino is supposed to fight Sakura¡­ could either something I did or Ayanami did must be having an affect on the events of the story¡­? ¡°Begin!¡± Hayate announces. ¡°Get ready to lose like always Tomato-head!¡± Ino shouts, pointing at Jin with a cocky grin. ¡°What kind of flower would you like to send you away?¡± This bitch¡­! I take back what I thought, this has been a LONG time coming. Jin thinks, scowling menacingly with vein bulging on his forehead. ¡°Allow me to clear up a misconception, whenever you and the other Yamanaka kids bullied me, I never fought back against you specifically out of reverence to your father for raising me. You reaped what you sowed.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to see you try!¡± Ino dares, throwing kunai at Jin. Jin casually blocks all the kunai with his armguards, sighing in annoyance. Ino rushes at Jin, throwing punches and kicks, but Jin evades them all. Taking advantage of the situation, Jin clenches his fist and backhands the kunoichi hard. Ino is sent flying and lands on her stomach. Just as she¡¯s getting up, Jin walks to Ino¡¯s side, kneels down on one knee and grabs her by the hair. ¡°SHALLOW! WEAK! FILTHY! WENCH!¡± Jin shouts aloud each time he slams the kunoichi¡¯s head against the floor. After repeatedly bashing her head against the floor, pressing two fingers on her neck to check her pulse. Calm down, calm down... I can¡¯t kill her due to the fact that she plays several important roles later¡­ ¡°The battle is over. Jin is the winner.¡± Hayate announces while coughing. ¡°Someone clean up this trash, it¡¯s just unsanitary.¡± Jin callously calls out, tossing the unconscious, beaten, and bloodied Ino to the side. Shikamaru and Choji jump down from the stands and catch their defeated teammate. Jin begins to walk back to the stands, but stops when he hears someone call him out. "How could you do that to Ino¡­?!" Naruto growls, bawling his fist at an indifferent Jin. ¡°Ino¡¯s your fam--!¡± ¡°Make no mistake, Ino and I may share blood, but that thing is not my family.¡± Jin coldly explains, continuing his way back to the stands. ¡°She never will be.¡± ¡°For the next match...¡± Hayate announces as the medical ninjas take Ino away. ¡°...Sakura Haruno vs Ayanami Hyuga!¡± Chapter 5 Just two weeks left until the finals of the Chunin Exams¡­ Jin thinks to himself as he runs laps around the training field. The young genin while still running, looks around and sees his clones also training, two are sparring together, one is walking laps on his hands, and another is practicing his chakra control. Jin grins with satisfaction. Thank god I copied Naruto¡¯s Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu, it really does increase my gains and shortens the time needed to train. I should also thank my father for passing on his Uzumaki genes to me, the strong life-force and large chakra reserves are also a big help! An elated Jin thinks as he continues to run. After two hours of training, all the Jins stop upon seeing three people, two stand some distance away in the background while a bandaged girl walks up to the Jins with a basket in-hand. Why is she here¡­? ¡°Why are you here Ino¡­?¡± A now soured Jin questions. ¡°...Hello Jin...¡± Ino says timidly, darting her eyes from Jin¡¯s face to her feet. Her body shakes with fear. ¡°...W-what¡¯re you doing, training out here...?¡± ¡°It¡¯s our rest day.¡± A Jin responds indifferently. ¡°Rest day¡­?¡± Ino says puzzled. ¡°Yes, a rest day, the real me is reading at the library while we shadow clones train. And when we get dispelled, the real us gets all of our gains.¡± Answers another Jin. ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°O-oh, right¡­! Here!¡± Ino says with both fear and determination in her voice. Ino bows and holds out her basket. Jin sees that the basket is full of fruit with a bouquet of flowers. ¡°I¡¯m here to apologize for everything I''ve done to you¡­!¡± The hell?! She¡¯s NEVER been nice to me, ever¡­! Jin thinks to himself as he remembers all that she has done to him, the name calling, rock throwing, belittling, and the occasional cruel pranks. Suspicion begins to creep onto Jin¡¯s face and he begins to scan his surroundings before facing Ino again. ¡°Is this a trick¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s no trick, I-I really am here to apologize!¡± Ino claims while still bowing, still holding out the fruit basket. ¡°...Uh, t-thank... you¡­?¡± A confused Jin says awkwardly as he takes the fruit basket. Ino slowly lifts herself up and smiles a little. ¡°G-great¡­! Good luck in the finals!¡± Ino says in timid excitement. The kunoichi runs back up to her friends and the three walk off. ¡°D¡­ Did that really just happen¡­?¡± Asks a puzzled Jin shadow clone. ¡°It would seem so¡­?¡± responds another Jin clone who is equally confused. ¡°You guys get back to training, I¡¯ll hand this over to our true self.¡± Orders the Jin clone that¡¯s holding the basket. The Jin clone runs back to the village while the other clones resume their training. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Interesting¡­ so this world isn¡¯t just the anime¡¯s canon, but a composite of the anime, movies, and some of the video games. Jin thinks as he reads a geography scroll, sitting by himself in the library. Jin smiles and looks towards the pile of scrolls to his right. After I finish this scroll, I¡¯ll next read the--. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Hey, real me?¡± Says the shadow clone as places the basket on the table Jin sits at. ¡°Here.¡± ¡°Uh, what is this?¡± Jin questions with a puzzled tone, tilting his head to one side as he looks at the fruit basket and then back at his shadow clone. ¡°You¡¯ll know soon enough.¡± The clone replies. He punches himself, disappearing with all of his memories and experience instantly flowing into the real Jin. Huh? If she had been this kind when I was adopted, we could''ve been friends--family even. Jin thinks to himself as he processes his clone¡¯s memories. Jin takes a bite out of an apple from the basket and continues to read. Now, I almost feel sad that I¡¯m going to leave the village, almost¡­ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- So¡­ I¡¯m fighting Ayanami in the last of the first round of matches¡­ Jin thinks as he watches Naruto create a platoon of shadow clones to fight Neji. Naruto and Neji¡¯s fight reminds Jin of Ayanami and Sakura¡¯s fight back in the preliminaries, shuddering in horror at the thought of facing the reincarnated kunoichi. Ayanami beat Sakura thirty seconds after their match started, she used the 8 Trigrams Palm Rotation to deflect Sakura¡¯s kunai, an Air Palm to stun Sakura from a distance, and then finished off the pink-haired kunoichi with the 64 Palms technique. Ayanami must be just as strong as Neji if not stronger. Kishimoto, the god of Naruto? If you can hear me please let Sasuke get his ass over here and fight Gaara so that the Sand and Sound villages can begin their assault on the Hidden Leaf¡­ Jin prays in silence as Naruto who is engulfed in tailed beast chakra clashes with Neji¡¯s 8 Trigrams Palm Rotation. Their clash causes an explosion, resulting in a smoke screen. PLEASE, I have neither the power nor the techniques capable of countering the Hyuga Clan¡¯s Gentle Fist taijutsu¡­ Naruto wins the match and begins his trek back up to the waiting area, blowing kisses at the applauding audience. After a few minutes, he knocks Shikamaru down to the arena to begin his own match with Temari. ¡°Please get here Sasuke, I don¡¯t want to fight Ayanami and I need to leave the village¡­!¡± A worried Jin mutters quietly, still praying as Shikamaru uses his jacket as a balloon to create another shadow, increasing the length of his Shadow Possession Jutsu. Sometime later, Shikamaru successfully ensnares Temari in his shadow possession, but forfeits, explaining that he¡¯s out of chakra. ¡°We¡¯ll give Sasuke 5 more minutes and if he doesn¡¯t show, he¡¯s disqualified.¡± The proctor of the final Exam, Genma Shiranui announces. Come on, come on¡­! hurry, hurry, hurry¡­ Jin thinks with his fingers crossed. As it was nearing the five minute mark, two individuals appear in the arena and Gaara makes his way down to the arena. Upon seeing Sasuke and Kakashi¡¯s arrival, Jin is overcome with relief and begins to quietly cheer. FUCK YEAH, SAFE!! Not much longer now¡­ Jin thinks as he watches Gaara and Sasuke¡¯s fight. Gaara has just entered his sand cocoon while Sasuke scales a wall and unveils his Chidori. Sasuke pierces Gaara sand and injures him. Moments later, leaves begin to fall in mass and Temari and Kankuro jump down to the arena to aid their brother. Noticing this, Jin begins to infuse chakra and performs a hand sign. Finally, it¡¯s time¡­ RELEASE! Free from the genjutsu, Jin watches Sasuke and Shino chase after the Sand Siblings. Minutes later, Naruto, Sakura, and Shikamaru jump out of the colosseum and into the forest in pursuit of Sasuke. Jin himself jumps out into the rest of the village, roof hopping. Now¡¯s my chance! Jin thinks as he makes his way to the forest. Ahead of him is a group of Sand and Sound ninja, they throw a horde of kunai and shuriken at Jin, but the genin dodges them all and blitzes past the ninja using the Body Flicker technique and continues his way to the forest. Can¡¯t afford to waste any time on unnecessary battles. Fuck yeah, off to Ryuchi Cave¡­! An excited Jin thinks as he begins to tree hop through the forest. ...It''s time to go learn Sage Mode! Chapter 6 It¡¯s nightfall now, meaning that both Naruto¡¯s fight with Gaara and the attack on the Leaf Village must be over. Jin thinks determinedly as he hops through the trees. With each hop getting him closer to his goal, Jin smiles with anticipation. Based on what the Boruto anime said, I¡¯ll get there as long as it¡¯s my destination. Hmm¡­? Jin stops in his tracks, noticing a bonfire with a host of people gathered around, ten of them to be exact. They¡¯re eating, drinking and laughing together. As Jin is about to leave without them ever realizing he was there, the young rogue ninja sees two more people tied up to a tree just outside the fire¡¯s light. They could be bandits, slavers, or something worse, I¡¯m killing them and taking all of their shit. A smiling Jin thinks as he looks down on them from his tree branch, Jin then takes a deep breath and exhales several small blasts of wind chakra that scatters in multiple directions, all aimed at the bandits. Wind Style: Vacuum Bullets¡­! All the bullets hit their mark and eight of them fall to the ground with the remaining two stumbling around, drunk and confused. Whew¡­ that attack took up more chakra than I thought it would, it¡¯s a good thing I focused on headshots. I have to give it to Danzo, he may be a colossal dick, but he does have the power and skill. Jin thinks as he breathes heavily. Catching his breath, Jin turns his attention to the remaining bandits and pulls out a kunai. Wow, these guys are really drunk, I can afford to actually be reckless with these guys¡­ Jin then stealthily jumps down from the tree and charges at the last two drunk bandits with a kunai in-hand. ¡°...Hey, who are y--GUH??!!¡± One of the bandits says in a drunk stupor as Jin cuts him down. ¡°...Yo, Daisuke, somethin¡¯ wrong¡­?¡± The last bandit asks as he sees his friend collapse to the ground. ¡°...Daisuke¡­?¡± WOW, I know that the average bandit is no match for genin, but this has been ridiculously easy. A flabbergasted Jin thinks as he stabs the last bandit in the heart from behind. The bandit falls to the ground, dead leaving Jin to loot their dead corpses and put their looted items into spare bags. As Jin sorts through their supplies, he remembers that the two kidnapped victims were there and turns to face them. He looks at them and then back at the supplies. FUCK ME¡­! ¡°Relax, I''m not going to hurt you¡­¡± Jin says as he slowly walks up to them, kunai in-hand. As he gets closer, Jin¡¯s eyes adjust to the darkness and the young rogue ninja is taken aback when he realizes who¡¯s tied up. HOLY SHIT¡­! I know these two, they¡¯re from the Dragon Blade Chronicles game. The Tatsushiro siblings, Kuroma and Akari. Hmm¡­ we¡¯re still in Part I era, so I guess Kuroma hasn¡¯t been sent over the edge by the prejudice against him and his sister due to their horns. Jin wonders as he cuts them both free. Jin then reluctantly hands some of his looted bags to them. ¡°Here, I¡¯m giving you two thirds of their stuff¡­ You¡¯ll need them.¡± ¡°Th¡­ thanks, but why help us? Don¡¯t our horns frighten you¡­?¡± Kuroma says cautiously as he accepts the bags. ¡°Firstly, I helped you because you needed it and secondly I actually find your horns cool.¡± Jin curtly responds, smiling casually. ¡°In fact I¡¯m kind of jealous, I wish I had horns.¡± ¡°Anyway, I hope we meet again, later¡­¡± Jin says in a friendly manner as he turns around and continues his journey. ¡°Hey--wait!¡± Akari calls out, but to no avail since Jin has just disappeared. ¡°We... never got your name¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll meet ag--WHO¡¯S THERE??!!!¡± Shouts an on guard Kuroma as he draws one of the deceased bandit¡¯s swords. After a brief moment, someone appears out of the darkness. The figure is cloaked with a hood covering his face. ¡°Just calm down and relax.¡± The cloaked man says as he holds out one hand, gesturing to Kuroma to stop. ¡°I just want to talk.¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The next day, Jin is still running towards Ryuchi Cave. As Jin continues running, a fog appears and gradually gets thicker. Ooh¡­ Let¡¯s see, thick fog, a canyon with a rocky terrain from what I can barely make out, that means I¡¯m close!! Thinks an excited Jin as he continues running through the fog. With each step Jin takes, his excitement dies down and is slowly replaced by fear and determination as he remembers what happens in the Boruto anime. Fuck, I almost forgot about the creepy snake women and their tests. As long as I do what Boruto did, I¡¯ll be fine¡­ Ah! Jin stops as he finally reaches his destination, he sees a richly decorated gate to Ry¨±chi Cave. The gate opens and a beautiful hostess walks out to greet Jin. She wears a long, loose-fitting white robe that has green trimmings around the sleeves and neck area, with the neck area also having a green tomoe. She wears a golden tiara that has green ribbons hanging from either end. ¡°We¡¯ve been expecting you to arrive, I welcome you to Ry¨±chi Cave.¡± The hostess says as she gestures for Jin to enter. Upon entering Jin sees that inside the cave, it looks like a rich, fancy palace. ¡°Welcome, you may call me Tagorihime. You must be exhausted, so please take advantage of this place to relax and get some rest.¡± ¡°Right, thanks.¡± Jin responds curtly. ¡°I¡¯m here to learn sage mode, so can you take me to see the White Snake Sage.¡± ¡°Why of course, I understand completely. I¡¯ll go and make the arrangements so please wait here for just a moment.¡± Tagorihime says in a soft and sweet tone. She then turns and points to a nearby table full of food. ¡°In the meantime, please partake of the feast we¡¯ve prepared.¡± Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. As Tagorihime walks away, Jin proceeds to go and sit down on a bench, fold his arms and wait, not even giving the food a chance. Don¡¯t give in to temptation, JIn¡­ This food is actually rotten, poisonous garbage disguised with genjutsu¡­! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Moments later, the hostess, Tagorihime returns with more delicious-looking food and places it in front of Jin. ¡°Master White Snake Sage will arrive shortly.¡± the hostess says as she sits down beside Jin. ¡°In the meantime, don¡¯t be shy, help yourself. We insist.¡± ¡°Uh, no, I¡¯m not touching any of this.¡± Jin replies with a disgusted expression and arms still folded. ¡°This place, the food, and you all look too good to be true.¡± ¡°Oh my, you are a perceptive boy. You really should have taken a bite of the damn food!¡± Tagorihime says in a monstrous tone. Her face begins to change and takes on snake characteristics and the illusion lifts to reveal that they''re in a foggy cave with rotten food. ¡°Just when I thought I could get to eat the fresh chakra of a child for a change¡­!¡± ¡°You lost, he did not succumb to your temptations.¡± A disembodied voice says mockingly. ¡°I''m aware. Our job is to weed out all who wander into Ryuchi Cave.¡± Tagorihime responds, she turns towards Jin and begins to disappear into the fog. ¡°And as for you, don¡¯t be foolish enough to assume that you¡¯ll make it all the way to meet with Master White Snake Sage¡­¡± WOW, this place is actually pretty fucking creepy in real life. Jin laments as he stares into the fog, walking deeper into it. As Jin walks, he sees a girl wearing similar clothing travel through the fog and quickly follows after her. Okay, time for the next trial. Jin follows the girl into a room-like area with bits of stone on the ground. A door closes behind him, the girl disappears and he notices the door has grooves where the stone bits in the room fit. Yep, this is like that one toy babies play with, only more complex. Jin thinks as he puts a stone shaped like a half-circle into its matching groove. ¡°If I hurry I can do this in five minutes.¡± ¡°Can you though?¡± The girl says, appearing a few yards away. ¡°YEEEAHHH!!!¡± Jin screams in shock as she then suddenly appears behind him. ¡°My name¡¯s Ichikishimahime.¡± The girl says as she then appears on a cliff to Jin¡¯s right. ¡°Come play with me.¡± ¡°If you fill in all the spaces in that boulder, I¡¯ll let you out of here.¡± Ichikishimahime informs now behind Jin again, this time, hovering in the air. ¡° All the stones you need are right here in this room. If you can do it, you win the challenge~!¡± ¡°Simple enough.¡± Jin answers as he begins to fit more pieces of stone into the grooves. I¡¯ll be done in five minutes. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DAMMIT! It took me over 6 minutes!! Jin thinks in frustration as he puts the last stone in. Upon completing the trial, the walls and door vanish. Oh yeah, this pretty much everything here is a genjutsu, other than the snakes that is¡­ ¡°I guess you''re going to be difficult to eat.¡± Ichikishimahime says as she disappears into the mist. Okay, get ready...! Jin thinks as he braces himself. The final snake woman appears out of nowhere and bites Jin on the neck. ¡°ARGH!¡± ¡°I am Tagitsuhime, you must really be something if you got past the trials that the other two set for you.¡± The snake woman says as Jin drops to his knees from the pain. Tagitsuhime then transforms from a beautiful woman into a snake monster. ¡° I shall test your heart. Of course if you can¡¯t endure it, I can just eat you.¡± ¡°Why did you run away from the village when the Sand and Sound Villages attacked?¡± Says a familiar voice in a condescending tone. Jin looks up to see Ino looking down on him. ¡°Is it because you¡¯re afraid?¡± ¡°Or is it because you¡¯re weak?¡± Says Ayanami who appears on Jin¡¯s left. ¡°It¡¯s probably both.¡± Naruto says who appears from behind Jin. ¡°WEAKING! COWARD! SELFISH! WEAKLING!!¡± They all begin to chant repeatedly. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have ever become a ninja!¡± ¡°Heh heh heh¡­ is that all you have to say...?¡± Jin mutters through the agony. The rogue ninja struggles using all his willpower, but manages to fight through the pain and get back on his feet. ¡°I am weak and I am a coward¡­ That¡¯s why I came here, to become strong and courageous¡­ I WON¡¯T GIVE UP NOW! NOT WHEN I¡¯M SO CLOSE!!¡± ¡°Huh? Guess that¡¯s all we can do.¡± Ino says as she and the other illusions disappear into the fog. The fog dissipates, revealing a gate and shrine with tombs with writing on them scattered all over the area. ¡°This must be the White Snake Sages Temple.¡± Jin thinks out loud. ¡°You are correct.¡± Tagitsuhime says as she appears in front of Jin. ¡°I lost, you feel normal now, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Oh, yes.¡± Jin answers as he checks his bite and sees that it has completely healed. ¡°It¡¯s a shame that I couldn¡¯t break and eat your heart¡­¡± The snake woman laments over her loss. ¡°Well go ahead, Master White Snake Sage is waiting for you inside. You¡¯ve earned the right.¡± ¡°Right then.¡± Jin responds as he goes to enter the temple. As Jin opens the doors, he sees a long flight of stairs and proceeds to run up them.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re the one who seeks to acquire the power of a sage.¡± Says an elderly womans ¡°Yes, I¡¯m Jin Yamanaka and I--sorry, but can you please assume your true form? I can¡¯t take you seriously like this...¡± Jin queries. The White Snake Sage undoes the genjutsu, revealing herself to be an extremely large, albino Japanese rat snake many times the size of a human, who sits upon a sacred seat with her massive body wrapped in thick coils. Along these coils are yellow circular bands. She wears a turban with two pointed edges and a red orb on top along with an orange headdress. ¡°You¡¯re an odd one aren¡¯t you boy? I look forward to seeing if you survive.¡± The Sage says curiously. She then lunges her head at Jin and bites down on him, injecting him with nature energy using her fangs. ¡°EEEYYYAAAHHH!!!¡± Jin screams as he learns the true meaning of pain and suffering. Chapter 7 ¡°OH? So you did survive.¡± The White Snake Sage exclaims after she frees Jin from her mouth, returning to a comfortable position on her throne. Upon being freed, Jin drops to his knees, becoming drowsy from the experience. ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°...Hurrraayyy¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± Jin manages to squeak out, before fully collapsing unconscious. Stay awake¡­ stay¡­... ¡°Ichikishimahime, Tagorihime! Find somewhere safe to put him, his training will begin the moment he awakens.¡± The Sage orders her attendants. ¡°Yes, Lord Snake Sage.¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FINALLY!! After a month, I fucking mastered sage mode! An elated Jin thinks as he walks out of the foggy canyon and into a forest. As he walks through the woods, he stops in his tracks and quickly hides due to him sensing ninja rushing in the direction of the land of wind. Sand ninja, huh? And they seem to be in a panic, I guess I¡¯ll probe one of their minds for information. Lets see¡­ an army of foreigners have attacked the Land of Wind using odd machi--OH SHIT, IT¡¯S THE STONE OF GELEL PEOPLE!!! Jin thinks excitedly as he probes one of the Sand shinobi¡¯s minds. The rogue ninja proceeds to release his Probe Jutsu and then runs in the direction of the Land of Wind, using the Body Flicker technique. I want those stones, the powerboost they grant is equal to that of the initial jinchuriki form and they can heal wounds. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In the ancient ruins of a temple that houses the ore of gelel, Haido arrives in his warmachine and Naruto, Shikamaru, and Ayanami confront him. Having just arrived himself, Jin watches their conversation unfold with everyone unaware that the young rogue ninja watches them from the darkness. ¡°Hey, Gramps! People gave their lives for your dream, do you even care?!¡± Naruto asks, angry with the foreign conqueror who is caught under Shikamaru¡¯s Shadow Possession Jutsu. ¡°No Naruto, Haido doesn¡¯t care for anyone, but himself.¡± Jin reponds, standing on the ceiling, looking down at everyone present with his arms folded and a cocky smile covering his face. ¡°Afterall, he is nothing, but a lowly despot.¡± ¡°Jin?! We thought you died?!¡± Gasps a surprised Naruto. ¡°And what¡¯s up with your eyes? They look different?¡± Asks an also shocked Ayanami. ¡°Die? No! Became stronger? Yes.¡± Jin answers before using his hand to briefly cover his left eye. Jin currently has Sage Mode activated, but chooses to not inform them. ¡°And as for my eyes you don¡¯t need to know.¡± Why is Ayanami here instead of Sakura¡­? Whatever, doesn¡¯t really matter. Jin thinks as he turns his head to face the foreign warlord, pulling out a kunai. ¡°Haido? I¡¯m taking the stones on you and your four generals¡¯ person and you¡¯re going to die. Give me the stone on your right hand now and I¡¯ll make your death quick and painless.¡± ¡°It¡¯s time the gelel ore was eliminated from the world, once and for all even if it means our doom!¡± Kahiko interrupts as he activates a switch and descends further into the temple ruins with Temujin. ¡°Eliminate the stone?!¡± Haido growls as he knocks Naruto away. He pursues Kahiko and Temujin with two of his grunt soldiers. ¡°You three, deal with these pests!¡± ¡°Funny, I was about to say the same damn thing... Crazy, huh?¡± Jin says, snapping his fingers. Three shadow clones emerge from hiding and proceed to engage Haido¡¯s three female knights combat, leaving the real Jin to follow Haido with Naruto and Ayanami following close behind. ¡°I hope you know what you¡¯re getting into¡­¡± Says one of Haido¡¯s female knights as she launches a lightning attack at the Jin clone. If I remember correctly the lightning girl¡¯s name is Ranke... The clone thinks as he quickly grabs and throws a rock at the lightning, absorbing it. The clone then uses the Body Flicker technique to appear right in front of her and plows her into a wall with a Rasengan Barrage. The Gelel stones in their bodies give them unusual powers, I need to kill them before they use them. ¡°How¡­ did you¡­ evade my lightning¡­? Ranke struggles to ask, unable to move. ¡°These ruins are also a mine, meaning there¡¯s plenty of metal ore to go around.¡± The Jin clone explains. He pulls out a kunai, cutting her down, and begins to dissect her, looking for her stone. So fucking gross¡­!! This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°HA HA HA!! Stupid boy, your meddling will get you killed!¡± Says one of the remaining female knights, cackling as she chases one of Jin¡¯s shadow clones through a series of tunnels. She transforms and begins to catch up. Werewolf? Then that must make her Fugai. The Jin clone thinks as he dodges her Howling Blast. He leads her into a room filled with large chimes. The redheaded rogue is seemingly gone by the time Fugai enters. ¡°Heh heh¡­ no use hiding, I can smell you!¡± Fugai says, turning to face Fugai. ¡°Oh, I wasn¡¯t hiding.¡± Jin tells her before spitting Wind Style: Vacuum Bullets at the chimes, causing them to ring loudly. All the noise leaves Fugai stunned, leaving her open to the Jin clone slashing her with a kunai. ¡°I don¡¯t understand... How are you... not affected by the chimes¡­?¡± Fugai asks as she falls to the ground. ¡°Hmm?¡± The clone says as he turns his head and points at his ears, revealing that they¡¯ve been plugged up. Jin¡¯s clone proceeds to finish off Fugai and begins to dissect her, searching for the stone in her body. It¡¯s a shame that none of these girls can be reasoned with¡­ They¡¯re all really hot. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Face it, you can¡¯t reach me, boy.¡± Mocks the last female knight who has transformed into a bat-like humanoid and is now flying in the air. ¡°Trust me, Kamira. *I* don¡¯t have to reach you. SAGE ART: INORGANIC REANIMATION!!¡± The Jin clone shouts as he slams his hands against the ground. The walls and floor begin to shake and bend; they close in on Kamira and crush her wing arms and legs. ¡°AAAAIIIIEEE!!!!¡± Kamira screams in both pain and terror as she falls to the ground, leaving a crater. The Jin clone jumps down to check her status. ¡°You¡­ won¡­ Happy now¡­?!¡± ¡°No, not really¡­¡± The clone responds with disgust in his tone. He pulls out a kunai and looks at her. ¡°Who do you think has to dissect your corpse¡­?¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Now, I just wait for Haido to pluck out Temujin¡¯s stone. I don¡¯t need to kill him and I don¡¯t want to kill him, he¡¯s good and survives the movie. The real Jin thinks as he watches Haido find the key that grants access to the mines. Wow, the scene where Temujin learns the truth is longer than I remember¡­ After a few minutes of waiting, Haido transforms into a humanoid-like monster with, light grey skin, light red eye sclerae, dark black slanted eye pupils, long unkempt spiky white hair with two long even strands of hair on each side of his face, thin blank white eyebrows, a medium-built six pack, and four light red floating balls behind his back. He lifts Temujin by the neck, and then uses his Gelel Laser to blast a hole through Temujin, and take his stone. Oh, fuck?! GO TIME!! Can¡¯t let him break that stone. Jin thinks to himself as he launches himself at Haido and tackles him. The rogue ninja then jumps away with the stone of gelel in one hand and Temujin in his other arm. Upon landing, Jin places Temujin safely on the ground and pulls up his shirt. Brace yourself, Jin¡­ Jin grits his teeth and plunges the stone into the right side of his chest. He falls to his knees and spasms from the pain. OH MY FUCKING GOD THIS HURTS!!! But¡­! The pain¡­ is quickly fading¡­ Good, the wound is healing¡­ And I can already feel the power surging inside me¡­! Jin thinks as he returns to his feet, teary eyed. He turns and faces Haido, smirking. ¡°Sage mode and a stone of gelel...? AH, this is gonna be fun.¡± Oh! I should be able to do this now¡­! Jin thinks excitedly as he pulls out a kunai. He exhales wind-infused chakra onto his kunai, which now resembles a makeshift scimitar with a distinctive light green colouring. ¡°Wind Style: Gelel Vacuum Blade!¡± ¡°Power yourself up all you like, you¡¯ll still be garbage!¡± Haido says as he goes to punch Jin in the gut. Jin disappears before Haido can touch him and quickly reappears a couple yards behind the warlord, holding out his Vacuum Blade. As Haido turns around, his left falls off and blood gushes to the ground. ¡°AAAAAAAARRRRRGGHHHHH!!!!¡± ¡°Now, for the arm with the gelel stone.¡± Jin says as he walks up to a screaming Haido. Out of both pain and desperation, Haido fires a Gelel Laser, but Jin dodges the attack and proceeds to cut of Haido¡¯s right arm. Holding the severed arm and annoyed by the tyrant¡¯s continued screaming, Jin blows a sage mode and gelel enhanced Fire Style: Flame Bomb point blank at Haido, reducing him to a smoking pile of charred meat and bones. AH, peace and quiet¡­ ¡°Hey, Jin¡­ you are coming back with us to the Leaf Village right¡­?¡± Naruto asks as he slowly walks up to Jin. AAAWWWW, FUCK¡­.!! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- JIN YAMANAKA (Sage Mode): OVERVIEW APPEARANCE -While in sage mode, Jin has yellow irides, snake-like pupils, and blackened sclerae, as well as purple pigmentation around his eyes. (Imagine Naruto¡¯s sage mode, but with snake eyes and purple around the eyes) Chapter 8 He¡¯ll learn this in a few years anyway so I guess it¡¯s safe to drop this truth bomb¡­? Jin thinks to himself as he turns to face Naruto and Ayanami. With a stern expression, Jin answers, ¡°No, cousin. I¡¯m not returning to the village.¡± ¡°Cousin¡­?¡± Mutters a bewildered Naruto. ¡°Yes, cousin. I may be a member of the Yamanaka clan, but like you, I¡¯m also a member of the once great Uzumaki clan.¡± Jin explains to Naruto with a matter-of-fact tone and expression. ¡°You know that red spiral on the back of your jacket? That¡¯s the Uzumaki clan¡¯s crest. Also, red hair is a common trait among our clan.¡± ¡°We¡¯re¡­ family¡­? I don--¡± Naruto says as he collapses unconscious, revealing one of Jin¡¯s shadow clones was standing behind the young yellow-haired ninja. ¡°Did you get them?¡± Jin asks as the other two shadow clones arrive. ¡°YUP!! I even got the Book of Gelel that the fool, Haido, tossed aside!¡± One clone answers as they all put the book and the stones into Jin¡¯s backpack. I REALLY should probe Kahiko for his info on the stones¡­ After all, he knows how to destroy them. ¡°Are you going to drag me back to the Leaf?¡± Jin asks Ayanami as he is probing the Ore miner¡¯s mind. ¡°I do want to bring you home, but I know I can¡¯t force you.¡± Ayanami sighs with a tinge of sadness in her voice. ¡°What will you do now...?¡± ¡°First of all, I need you to give this to Inoichi and Ino and tell them ¡®I¡¯m sorry.¡¯¡± Jin says as he pulls off his forehead protector from around his neck. He tosses it to the hyuga kunoichi and begins to perform hand signs. ¡°Secondly, while I was training, I created a new jutsu that blurs the line between ninjutsu and genjutsu. I need you all to forget everything in regards to the gelel stones and this location. Sage Art: Mind Eater Jutsu!¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Okay, I healed Temujin¡¯s wound, made everyone in the ruins forget about the stones. Jin thinks as he and several shadow clones each carry someone back to Kahiko¡¯s caravan. And I have another group shadow clones carrying Temujin and his surviving comrades back to their ship and incepted the idea for them to return to their continent and aid their war torn land however they can. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, they¡¯re all just unconscious.¡± Jin says as he walks up to Emina, Kahiko¡¯s granddaughter. The rogue ninja then dispels his shadow clones. ¡°They¡¯ll be out for the rest of the day.¡± ¡°Thank you, sir!¡± Emina says with teary eyes as she holds her grandfather. ¡°Before you go, may I ask for your name?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Jin.¡± The rogue ninja responds as he turns and walks away. ¡°Jin Yamanaka Uzumaki of both the Yamanaka and Uzumaki clans.¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- So glad I was able to avoid a Final Valley fight with Naruto back there¡­ Jin thinks as he continues walking, reading the Book of Gelel to pass the time. It¡¯s been over two hours since Jin left Naruto and his friends at Kahiko¡¯s caravan. After I finish reading this book, I can always just go back and mine the gelel ore whenever I want. ¡°Well, that must be a good book if you¡¯re reading it without a care in the world.¡± Says a familiar voice. Jin stops and looks up to see who called for his attention, a young man with white hair and glasses and a fair-skinned girl with dark pink hair. The tension in the air becomes so thick, one could cut it with a knife. Kabuto Yakushi and Tayuya? If Tayuya is still alive then Sasuke hasn¡¯t left the village yet... Jin thinks as he sizes them up, prepared to fight. He gazes at them with suspicion and curiosity in his eyes. ¡°What do you want from me?¡± ¡°Direct aren¡¯t we? It would seem that Lord Orochimaru has taken an interest in you.¡± Kabuto answers in a mocking tone. It appears that I¡¯m at a crossroads¡­ I need to play my cards carefully now. Jin thinks as he proceeds to continue the conversation. ¡°Let''s say I do go with you. Won¡¯t Orochimaru just use me as a guinea pig for his experiments and toss me aside like a piece of trash when he¡¯s done?¡± This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°Perhaps.¡± Kabuto sneers. ¡°Oh? Then no.¡± Jin answers back. ¡°I¡¯m not some toy to be played with and thrown away.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be a clod, you should come with us.¡± Tayuya says curtly with a cold, intense stare. ¡°Lord Orochimaru offers you power. He said there¡¯s no point in forcing you, you must choose.¡± I probably shouldn¡¯t, but then I think about how much stronger Sasuke got from Orochimaru¡¯s training¡­ Jin thinks as Kabuto and Tayuya stand there waiting for his answer. After a brief moment, Jin finds his answer. Ah, fuck it! ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll join you... for now.¡± ¡°Excellent! Now, just follow us.¡± Kabuto says as he and the kunoichi turn and begin walking in the direction of the Hidden Sound Village in the Land of Sound. Jin follows his escorts with caution and anticipation. Since we have some time before we reach our destination, I¡¯ll probe Kabuto¡¯s mind. Jin thinks with a sly smile as he walks. He activates his Probe Jutsu and begins to learn. Kabuto is a talented medical ninja, a spy that has gathered intel from all five great nations, and is Orochimaru¡¯s right hand man. His mind is a gold mine of knowledge and information. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- One day later, as Kahiko and his nomadic caravan continue their travels, Kahiko rides his wagon with a gloomy expression. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, grandfather?¡± Emina asks with worry in her tone. ¡°So much for loyalty¡­¡± Says a depressed Kahiko with his head hanging low. ¡°Nerugui left me¡­¡± ¡°Pardon the intrusion, but are you the nomadic tribe of ore miners?¡± A mysterious cloaked man interrupts. He suddenly appears in front of the caravan¡¯s path out of nowhere, stopping them from continuing to their destination. ¡°I have a proposition for you.¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Days later, Jin, Kabuto and Tayuya finally arrive at Orochimaru¡¯s base of operations in the Land of Sound and have already entered through the door. They pass by many cages filled with people, walking deeper into Orochimaru¡¯s lair ...stop and grow up a bit. Then suddenly, my power and confidence are swelling up, magically erupt¡­ Jin sings in his head to keep himself upbeat as he walks down a dark corridor that leads to Orochimaru¡¯s lair. The candles on the walls light up the halls just enough to make out everything in the darkness. ...I won''t forget the times we shared on those pleasant days, always... ¡°A word of advice, watch what you say if you wish to live long.¡± Kabuto whispers as he puts his hand on the doorknob. ¡°Got it.¡± Jin replies after gulping with anxiety. Kabuto opens the door and Jin walks through, pushing his fear to the side. I need to tread carefully, I¡¯m playing with the big dogs now¡­ Upon entering the room, Jin sees it¡¯s dimly lit with candles, pots of various sizes in the corners of the room, and a bookshelf on the wall to Jin¡¯s left. At the center of the room is a chair with a man sitting on it. The man has pale white skin, long black hair, and an ominous smile as he stares back at Jin, Kabuto, and Tayuya. Orochimaru¡­! Jin thinks as he puts his now shaking arms behind his back, his right hand clutching his left. ¡°Tayuya, I¡¯ve already sent the other three to go fetch Sasuke.¡± Orochimaru says after a brief moment, breaking the silence. ¡°Go and join them.¡± ¡°Yes, Lord Orochimaru.¡± The kunoichi responds. She turns around and leaves the room. ¡°So, you¡¯re the Jin Yamanaka I¡¯ve heard so much about.¡± Oroochimaru says, turning his attention to the rogue genin. ¡°I know you have questions as to why I want you here; all will be revealed once Sasuke arrives. In the meantime Kabuto will take you to one of the rooms to rest.¡± ¡°It will be done, Lord Orochimaru.¡± Kabuto replies. Both young men leave the room, closing the door behind them and walk to the hall containing the guest rooms. ¡°And here I thought, Lord Orochimaru was going to take your body, but that doesn¡¯t seem to be the case. There is another purpose for you being here, aren¡¯t you lucky?¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± Jin responds as he¡¯s still calming down. They arrive at what is now Jin¡¯s room, Kabuto opens the door and Jin enters. ¡°I¡¯m going to have to lock the door.¡± Kabuto remarks as he holds the door ajar. ¡°It¡¯s becau--well¡­ you know who you are.¡± The door closes and a clicking sound can be heard, signifying the door has been locked. Jin proceeds to go and lay on the bed while clutching his backpack which still contains the Book of Gelel and four Stones of Gelel. While I admit that I¡¯m a little happy that Orochimaru is giving me power¡­ Jin thinks as he closes his eyes. ...it still sucks balls that I¡¯ll have to pretend to be a straight up bad guy until Sasuke betrays and absorbs Orochimaru!! Chapter 9 Ah, it¡¯s nice and cloudy today¡­ Good. Jin thinks as he surveys the collective mass of condensed water vapor floating up in the sky. He stands atop the tree line in a forest and begins to build up Chakra. The conditions for a pretty fucking perfect training scenario have been met. Fire Style: Flame Bomb Jutsu! Jin says in his head as he spits three large fire balls into the sky. After a few minutes of waiting, The sky begins to darken and thunder can be heard from the clouds and lightning strikes a nearby tree. After witnessing this, Jin pulls out a kunai with his left hand and concentrates lightning chakra in his left hand. The electricity takes on a violet hue. Lightning Style: Purple Lightning¡­! My kunai will serve as a lightning rod while my Purple Lightning cuts the bolts from the clouds. Kakashi at 13 or 14 was able to cut lightning in half before it touched the ground. I wonder how well I¡¯ll do? Jin thinks to himself as he jumps from the treetop high into the air. While in the air, several bright flashes happen and rain begins to fall upon the forest. Jin lands safely on the ground and seemingly unharmed. He checks his body to make sure there are no injuries, but finds nothing to worry about. HELL YEAH, I¡¯M A LIGHTNING -TIMER! But, only three lightning bolts came at me and I haven¡¯t even broken a sweat yet¡­ The rogue ninja thinks as he replays what happened in his head. WIth rain running down his body, soaking his clothes, and mudding the ground, Jin jumps back into the air as high as he can. I¡¯ll keep doing this until I¡¯ve used up most of my chakra and then I''ll head back¡­ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It¡¯s been three years now, less than two years until the Fourth Great Ninja War begins¡­ Jin thinks as he walks back to the hideout. If I survive the war, my 18th birthday will be in the following year. I wonder how I should celebrate it¡­? ¡°Well, well, if it isn¡¯t Orchimaru¡¯s second favorite?¡± Kabuto sneers, greeting Jin who has just returned from training. ¡°What is it, Kabuto?¡± Jin questions with an indifferent expression. ¡°When you¡¯re finished cleaning up, report to Lord Oroochimaru.¡± Kabuto says in a more serious tone. The medic ninja turns and walks away while saying, ¡°He has another mission for you.¡± ¡°He really is sketchy as bloody hell, isn¡¯t he?¡± A young boy says after confirming Kabuto¡¯s out of earshot, about ten years of age. ¡°Oh, Rito, you have no idea.¡± Jin exclaims with a casual and friendly tone. ¡°So what brings you here?¡± ¡°Here.¡± Rito says as walk up and hands Jin a bottle made of crystal with a mysterious dark brown liquid in it. ¡°If you want to know what it is, taste it and find out.¡± Is this what I think it is¡­? Jin thinks as he opens the bottle. He takes one sip and after a little taste, Jin downs the bottle like a madman. ¡°IT¡¯S COCA COLA!! Thank you, Rito, you''re a gift from the gods.¡± ¡°No worries, mate! You can thank me after I reinvent the lift.¡± Rito says with a cocky smile, a puffed out chest, and head held high. He takes back the crystal bottle and disintegrates it. ¡°But seriously though what is it with this world? It has electronics, but it doesn¡¯t have lifts¡­?¡± ¡°AHA HA HA HA HA!!!¡± Both Jin and Rito laugh, enjoying their banter with each other. ¡°Ahe heh heh¡­ Feels good to talk normally.¡± Rito remarks with a relaxed tone. He turns and walks away to another section in Orochimaru¡¯s lair. ¡°Good luck on your mission, man.¡± ¡°Later.¡± Jin says as he makes his way to Orochimaru¡¯s quarters. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Jin, you¡¯ve come¡­¡± Orochimaru says, greeting the young man as he enters Orochimaru¡¯s quarters. He¡¯s sitting up from his bed with Kabuto at his side. ¡°You have a mission for me?¡± An indifferent Jin question. ¡°A group thought long destroyed has recently reemerged and they¡¯re preparing to attack the Five Great Nations.¡± Kabuto explains. ¡°Are you familiar with the Land of Sky?¡± The Land of Sky? If I remember correctly, they were from the Naruto Shippuden the Movie: Bonds. Jin thinks to himself, as he holds back his excitement and maintains his indifferent facade. ¡° Yes, I¡¯ve heard of them. The Land of Sky has been mentioned in several scrolls and books.¡± ¡°Jin... there is a man I would like you to find and bring to me.¡± Orochimaru orders, coughing profusely. They¡¯re talking about Shinn¨­. Jin thinks to himself, well aware of the movie¡¯s plot. ¡°A man?¡± ¡°A doctor.¡± Kabuto adds. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°This Doctor is the one from whom I¡¯ve received the Forbidden Regeneration Jutsu.¡± Orochimaru informs, adding more details to Jin¡¯s mission. ¡°And after all these years, he should have perfected a more desirable form of it, bring him here. Alas, the time has come for me to acquire that Jutsu again.¡± ¡°It will be done.¡± Jin says as he turns and leaves Orochimaru¡¯s presence. Playing the role of the ¡°impertinent, but loyal servant¡± is so fucking exhausting¡­ Jin thinks to himself, sighing as he fully exits the hideout. He walks two dozen yards away, bites his right hand¡¯s thumb tip to draw blood, and presses the hands'' five fingers down to the ground and channels chakra to the hand. ¡°Summoning Jutsu!¡± A large puff of smoke erupts from Jin¡¯s location. The smoke quickly dissipates to reveal a giant hawk standing where Jin once was with Jin himself on the hawk¡¯s back. The hawk flaps it¡¯s mighty wings and takes flight with Jin securing himself using the hawk¡¯s bandana. ¡°Where to, Master Jin?¡± Asks an eager and determined hawk. ¡°Tsume, our destination is the Land of Sky.¡± Answers an ecstatic Jin with a huge grin on his face. Orochimaru can have the scroll containing the Regeneration Jutsu, what I want is the Zero-Tails. With it I can make myself a pseudo jinchuriki¡­! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Master Jin, I believe we¡¯ve reached our destination¡­¡± Tsume announces as she hovers high in the sky. ¡°Lower yourself a bit, I want to get a better look.¡± Jin says as he peers down, suspicious of the black smoke rising into the air. Tsume lowers her altitude and Jin¡¯s jaw drops, flabbergasted at what he sees. WHAT. THE. FUCK?! With a better view, Jin sees that the Land of Sky forces have been thoroughly ravaged. Their armada of warships have all been destroyed, many, MANY bodies of dead sky ninja are scattered over the entire area, and their ultimate weapon, the flying fortress, the Ancor Vantian downed with severe damage and has been covered with trees. ¡°Hmm¡­? Tsume could you land for a minute?¡± Jin requests his loyal summoning animal. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Moments later, Jin manages to successfully infiltrate the Ancor Vantian. He stands on the ceiling of the throne room and gathers intel, completely unnoticed by Shinno and his sky ninja forces. ¡°No! NO!!! Curse that blasted leaf shinobi, he ruined everything!!¡± Shinno rages as punches one of his troops across the throne room. He stomps his feet as he paces back-and-forth. ¡°All of our ships are destroyed, most of our troops are either dead or deserted, and the Zero-Tails was taken¡­! ALL OF MY PLANS ARE IN SHAMBLES!!!¡± WHAT, someone already took the Zero-Tails?! No!! What was the point of even coming here¡­?!! Jin agonizes in his head, outraged at these turn of events. The rogue ninja grows depressed, but then quickly recovers with a sigh. ...There¡¯s no point in crying over spilled milk, might as well complete Orochimaru¡¯s objective¡­ Wind Stylle: Vacuum Bullets! Jin chants in his head while firing small blasts of wind from his mouth, killing all the remaining sky ninja underlings. He jumps from the ceiling and lands gracefully in front of a shocked and enraged Shinno. Jin then creates a Rasengan with his right hand and infuses it with fire-nature. He then plows the spinning ball of fire into Shinno, launching him into the wall and making a crater in the process. Fire Style: Fireball Rasengan¡­! ¡°After all this time, Orochimaru demands your assistance.¡± Jin informs Shinno with a cold look. ¡°Oh? Is that the case¡­?¡± Shinno responds as he picks himself up. ¡°Based on your preemptive attack, you¡¯ll take me by force if I resist?¡± ¡°It would seem you¡¯re smarter than you look.¡± Jin mocks while keeping a cold gaze on Shinno. Just keep goading him and when this asshole attacks me, I¡¯ll defend myself and end him¡­ ¡°Heh heh heh¡­ Don¡¯t underestimate me kid. Do you think that I¡¯m out of dark chakra?¡± Shinno laughs menacingly as he begins to weave signs. ¡°Ridiculous, the world is teeming with darkness from peoples hearts and with my Body Activation Ju--¡± ¡°Just shut the hell up and attack already...¡± Jin says, suddenly appearing behind Shinno. The rogue ninja kicks the would-be tyrant through his own throne, destroying it and kicking up a dust cloud. ¡°Be my guest.¡± ¡°After I kill you, the one who stole my Zero-Tails is next!!¡± Shinno yells in anger as he blasts out of the dust cloud and delivers a punch infused with dark chakra, leaving a gash on Jin¡¯s left cheek. The gash then quickly heals, leaving no mark or scarring and Jin casually turns his head back to face Shinno with his arms folded. Shinn¨­ unleashes a black, widespread wave of dark chakra at Jin, knocking him away some distance. ¡°Darkness Wave...!¡± ¡°Nice.¡± Jin continues to mock as he gets up and dusts himself off. ¡°AAARRRGGGHHH!!! REVIVAL FIST!¡± Yells a more erratic Shinno as he gathers dark chakra into both hands, rushing at Jin and unleashes a powerful and focused shock wave that splatters Jin into water droplets. After a brief moment, the water droplets converge and reform back into Jin. ¡°Impossible¡­! Why won¡¯t you die?!¡± ¡°I¡¯d say ¡®it¡¯s been fun,¡¯ but that would be a lie.¡± Jin says as he lunges at Shinno with chakra scalpels. Each time Jin sends Shinno flying with a punch, Jin appears right where Shinno is going to crash and continues to beat him down. After two minutes of repeating the process, Jin slams Shinno hard into the ground and lands a meter away from him. ¡°Don¡¯t bother trying to infuse more chakra, I¡¯ve severed a number of your chakra pathways. Don¡¯t make me kill you, Orochimaru has a use for you...¡± ¡°Heh heh¡­ I highly doubt Orochimaru wants me¡­¡± Shinno explains as he clutches his stomach, struggling to get up. He pulls out a scroll and tosses it to Jin. ¡°What he¡¯ll really want is this¡­¡± Perfect! Now I can kill him. Jin thinks as he holds the scroll. Just then, an explosion occurs. As the smoke clears another Jin can be seen, standing over the hole in the ceiling with sage mode activated. ¡°Did you get what we came for?¡± The second Jin asks. ¡°YUP. Here you go.¡± Jin says, tossing the scroll to the other Jin. He then disappears in a puff of smoke, revealing that he was only a mere shadow clone. ¡°Goodbye, doctor.¡± Says an annoyed Jin as he amasses chakra into his hand. The chakra then takes on the form of a large shuriken. ¡°Wind Style: Rasenshuriken!¡± Jin throws the Rasenshuriken at a shocked and terrified Shinno. As the ninjutsu makes contact with Shinno, the central sphere of the Rasenshuriken detonates, producing a vortex of wind in the immediate area. As the vortex continues to expand, Jin retreats by jumping on to Tsume. Tsume then flies high into the air and they both watch the Ancor Vantian violently explode in a brilliant fashion. Chapter 10 I can¡¯t believe the Zero-Tails is gone which begs the question¡­ JIn broods as he rides the summoning hawk, Tsume back to one of Orochimaru¡¯s hideouts. The peace and quiet and cool breeze help relax Jin, but he can¡¯t help but think. Who the fuck stole it? It can¡¯t be Ayanami, she was on the Search for Tsunade arc when she died and It¡¯s not Rito because he didn¡¯t watch any of the movies¡­ ¡°Well, at least I was able to help the prisoners the sky ninja captured¡­¡± Jin says trying to cheer himself up as recalls helping them while his clone dealt with Shinno. One prisoner stood out, Amaru, the girl who became Shinno¡¯s apprentice doctor, being extremely grateful. ¡°Tsume, fly faster.¡± ¡°Yes, Master Jin.¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Habataitara modorenai to itte, Mezashita no wa shiroi shiroi ano kumo¡­ Jin sings in his head as he enters the hideout and makes his way to Orochimaru¡¯s quarters. ...Aoi aoi ano sora, Aoi aoi ano sora, Aoi aoi ano sora... ¡°Here.¡± Jin says as the door opens. He walks over to the bedridden Orochimaru and hands him the scroll containing the Body Activation Jutsu. ¡°So, this is the scroll in which the forbidden regeneration jutsu is written.¡± Says a lamenting Orochimaru as Jin takes a few steps back. ¡°You weren¡¯t able to bring Shinno back alive. Such an uncharacteristic failure¡­¡± Remarks a chastising Kabuto. ¡°Hmph, if that¡¯s all, I¡¯ll be taking my leave.¡± Jin says as turns towards the door. I¡¯m glad my skills at lying have gotten much better and who the hell cares about Shinno? That dick dies at the end of the movie anyways. ¡°Jin..¡± Orochimaru says, causing Jin to stop where he is. ¡°Head to the hideout near Tenchi Bridge in the Hidden Grass Village, Sasuke will be there as well. As soon as I recover, we¡¯re going to kill the Akatsuki¡¯s Sasori of the Red Sand.¡± ¡°No rest for the wicked, I suppose¡­¡± Jin sighs as continues on his way. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sometime later, Jin arrives at the hideout near the Hidden Grass Village. As he walks through the dimly lit halls, he makes his way to the Snake Grotto where he is greeted by an old ¡°friend.¡± ¡°Where is Orochimaru? He¡¯s supposed to be training me.¡± Asks an annoyed Sasuke, steadily growing impatient by all the waiting. He stares at Jin with a cold glare as he sits on the large snake statue. ¡°Orochimaru and Kabuto won¡¯t be here for a few days.¡± Jin casually states as he pulls out a kunai. The red-haired rogue ninja exhales wind-infused chakra onto the kunai, creating a Vacuum Blade. Jin points the wind scimitar at Sasuke and continues. ¡°That¡¯s why they sent me ahead. After all, one of my jobs is to be your sparring partner. Let''s go a few rounds while we wait.¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± Sasuke responds as he activates his Sharingan, draws his Sword of Kusanagi, and channels his lightning chakra into the blade. ¡°Very well¡­¡± Both young men then take their stances. After a brief moment of pause, they both dash towards each other with their chakra enhanced blades. As their swords clash, blinding flashes of light shine each time the two blades collide. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Days later, both Jin and Sasuke are patiently sitting In front of the snake statue in the Snake Grotto while they wait for Orochimaru to arrive. Not much longer until the big reunion. Jin thinks as he sees three silhouettes walk out of the hallway, into the grotto. Sasuke even opens his eyes with the Sharingan activated. So this is how I get to meet Sai? I¡¯m whelmed¡­ ¡°You¡¯re late.¡± Sasuke states with a cold glare. Orochimaru simply responds with a smirk ¡°Weren¡¯t you supposed to be here to help me hone a new jutsu, Orochimaru.¡± ¡°Try not to be too upset, I thought we¡¯d do something different today, so I brought along a gift for you.¡± Says a somewhat amused Orochimaru. The Sannin turns his gaze to the pale skinned young man beside him. ¡°He¡¯s a leaf ninja, just like you. I thought you three would like to reminisce, swap stories of home.¡± ¡°I for one am not interested.¡± Jin explains with casual indifference. ¡°And if I know Sasuke, he isn¡¯t either.¡± ¡°You do know me.¡± Sasuke curtly agrees as he turns his attention to Sai. ¡°Get lost.¡± Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°It¡¯s funny, Naruto also disliked me when we first met.¡± Sai remarks with an obvious fake smile, breaking the silence. ¡°I feel like I can get along better with you two.¡± Pretty sure Sasuke just him under genjutsu, that fucking guy¡­ Jin thinks to himself when he notices Sasuke¡¯s eyes open wide for a brief second. Sai then falls on his rear, shaken by what has happened. YUP, just like in the anime. ¡°Sasuke!¡± Kabuto shouts in a scolding tone. Silence fills the room once again. Sai wipes the sweat that has begun to form on his brow. Sasuke continues to glare at Orochimaru, Kabuto and Sai while Jin just closes his eyes and waits for the next event to occur. ¡°It¡¯s not a good idea to provoke Sasuke too much, he¡¯s even more difficult than I am.¡± Orochimaru warns, breaking the silence. ¡°I don¡¯t care about this guy.¡± Sasuke says with cold indifference as he gets to his feet. ¡°Come on, Orochimaru, let''s go...¡± Having to sit through these scenes SUCKS¡­! Jin thinks to himself as Sasuke and Sai continue their conversation. As the conversation ends, Sasuke then disappears in a puff of smoke and Jin walks to another area with Orochimaru. After this training session, I wait for the fateful reunion in my room¡­ ¡°I also met Ayanami and she¡¯s determined to bring you back to the Leaf, Jin¡± Sai adds as Orochimaru and Jin pass by him. ¡°I¡¯m not surprised nor do I care.¡± Replies a casually indifferent Jin as he continues walking. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Any minute now¡­ Jin thinks as he lays in his bed, resting from training with Sasuke and Orochimaru. The only things keeping Jin company at the moment are his thoughts and the dim light from a candle. I wonder what Naruto¡¯s reaction will be when they see me? At that moment an explosion can be heard not too far away, the chair and table in the room fall over, and a jar shatters. Jin gets up and proceeds to step out and walks toward the commotion. Jin spots light down the hallway after a few minutes of walking. I see Naruto, Sakura, Sai, Yamato, and two others. Jin thinks as he squints, peering into the light. He takes a deep breath to calm his nerves and continues walking. It¡¯s showtime¡­ ¡°...the bond of hatred, having too many ties in this world will only lead you astray.¡± Sasuke announces to his audience, frozen by his presence. ¡°It weakens one''s ambition.¡± ¡°No need to be so rude, Sasuke, these are our guests.¡± Jin interrupts, causing everyone present to look at him. ¡°Hey, Ayanami, cousin Naruto, long time no see...¡± ¡°Jin.. is that really you?¡± Asks a shocked Ayanami. ¡°Yep and with this new jutsu, I¡¯m unstoppable. It allows me to see through women¡¯s clothing.¡± Jin boldly states as he then looks at the girls. ¡°DIE YOU PERVERT!¡± Sakura yells as charges at Jin to deliver a punch. However Jin instantly appears at her side and uses his fist to back hand her away. Spider-Man had the right idea! Jin thinks as he pops his knuckles. Sasuke takes the opportunity to appear at Naruto¡¯s side with his arm around his shoulder and continues their own conversation. Get your opponent angry so that they make mistakes. ¡°Are you using the Body Flicker technique or are you just that fast.¡± A leaf jonin with a completely bandaged face asks as he charges at Jin with a kunai. Both actually, but I¡¯ll never tell¡­ I really should thank Shisui Uchiha for coming up with the idea to use the Body Flicker in combat. Thinks a smirking Jin as he deflects the attack and pins his assailant to the ground. ¡°Who the hell are you?¡± ¡°Kazuya¡­ Kazuya Sarutobi.¡± Kazuya replies as he struggles to escape Jin¡¯s hold. Kazuya is¡­ a reincarnation like me and Ayanami, a member of Danzo¡¯s Foundation, and¡­ Jin thinks as he uses his Probe Jutsu on the pinned leaf jonin. Something throws Jin off however... What the fuck?! Why can¡¯t I read any more of his thoughts¡­? Ayanami activates her Byakugan and hurls an Air Palm at Jin, forcing him to dodge and let Kazuya go. Kazuya and the two kunoichi proceed to engage Jin in combat, but the rogue ninja casually evades all their attacks as if he was dancing. Sasuke is done playing around. I should finish this up as well¡­ Jin thinks as he continues to dance around his opponents attacks, watching Sasuke escape from Yamato¡¯s Wood Style: Domed Wall Jutsu and jumps back up to the cliff. Jin begins to build up chakra and weave signs. ¡°You. Can¡¯t. Touch. Me. I¡¯m. Out of. Your. League. Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!¡± Water spews from Jin¡¯s mouth, quickly forming into a dragon. The water dragon knocks Ayanami, Kazuya and Sakura away before melting into a puddle on the ground. Jin then jumps up to the cliff where Sasuke is. ¡°I¡¯m done with the lot of you.¡± Sasuke exclaims as he begins to weave signs and puts his hand up in the air. Jin grabs Sasuke¡¯s arm along with Orochimaru who appears out of nowhere. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t bother with that jutsu.¡± Orochimaru orders, still holding Sasuke¡¯s arm. ¡°Be smart now¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, there is no need for you to take it that far.¡± Jin adds while also still grasping Sasuke¡¯s arm. ¡°Let go.¡± Sasuke demands, glaring coldly. ¡°Watch your tone.¡± Kabuto warns as he suddenly appears on Sasuke''s right. ¡°Give me a reason to stop.¡± Sasuke demands, growing irritated. ¡°The Akatsuki! If they get rid of more Akatsuki members, there¡¯ll be less obstacles in your way.¡± Jin points out, trying to dissolve the tension. ¡°Won¡¯t it be worth it if it increases your odds of success by even one percent?¡± Sasuke pauses and thinks. After a brief moment, Sasuke lowers his hand and Jin and Orochimaru release their holds on Sasuke. They all look down at the leaf ninja for a moment. Heh heh heh¡­ I almost died by friendly fire or rather frenemy fire¡­ Jin mentally notes with dread as he, Kabuto, Orochimaru, and Sasuke begin to disappear. While still visible, Jin smiles and waves at Naruto, Ayanami, and company. ¡°See ya guys later¡­!¡± Character Sheet 2 JIN YAMANAKA UZUMAKI (Shippuden): OVERVIEW APPEARANCE RITO: OVERVIEW Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. APPEARANCE AYANAMI HYUGA (Shippuden): OVERVIEW APPEARANCE KAZUYA SARUTOBI: OVERVIEW APPEARANCE TSUME: OVERVIEW APPEARANCE Chapter 11 Jin, Kabuto, Orochimaru, and Sasuke are now making the long trek to the Land of Sound¡¯s Hidden Sound Village. However Kabuto halts the group to confirm something. ¡°Did you have fun on your little detours Jin¡­?¡± Asks a mocking yet suspicious Kabuto using one hand to adjust his glasses. ¡°What? What are you talking about?¡± Jin asks with unease in his tone. ¡°Yes, Kabuto, go on.¡± Adds a curious Orochimaru as he gives Jin a glare. ¡°We¡¯d all like to know more...¡± ¡°The intel I received shows that Jin here has been taking side trips on each of his missions to escort various individuals to the Land of Demons.¡± Kabuto informs the group. ¡°Well, Jin? Is there anything you¡¯d like to tell us¡­?¡± The Land of Demons...? Isn¡¯t that the setting for the first Naruto Shippuden movie? Nevermind that, I have to clear this up. Jin thinks as his skins crawls due to Orochimaru and Kabuto¡¯s killing intent being focused on him. ¡°I admit that I have helped a few people on the way to my missions, but I never went out of my way to escort them anywhere. That would take too long.¡± ¡°Oh? So there¡¯s no reason to think you¡¯d betray us?¡± Orochimaru continues questioning. Snakes begin to slither out of the Sannin¡¯s sleeves. ¡°NO! I¡¯ve done absolutely nothing to undermine you. It must be some imposter.¡± Jin continues to argue his innocence. The tension is so thick, one could cut it. I don¡¯t have to do shit against you, Sasuke will do that for me. It¡¯s only a matter of time now¡­! There¡¯s a pause, Orochimaru and Kabuto continue to give off killing intent while Sasuke is off to the side, indifferent to the situation. Jin¡¯s neck hairs begin to rise and he begins to infuse chakra, prepared to defend himself. ¡°AHA HA HA HA HA HA HA!¡± Orochimaru cackles menacingly, breaking the tension. The snakes retract into his sleeves and he continues walking with Sasuke close behind. ¡°He is no traitor, you can tell from the fear in his eyes. Come on now, let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Yes, Lord Orochimaru.¡± Kabuto responds as he follows. Orochimaru¡­ by the time you come back during 4th Great Ninja War, I¡¯ll have more than enough power to make you fear me, you shit eating, cow fucking, COCK SUCKER!!! An embarrassed, fearful, and furious Jin mentally declares as he continues traveling with his reluctant allies. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- About two weeks after Naruto and Sasuke¡¯s reunion, the mysterious cloaked figure is wandering the Land of Sound, searching for something. ¡°This looks like the right place.¡± The figure says as he stares at what appears to be a destroyed lab, covered in rubble. ¡°One of Orochimaru¡¯s secret laboratories.¡± The mysterious cloaked figure begins to sift through the rubble in a hurry, expecting unwanted company to arrive. After a few minutes searching, the cloaked man discovers a hand sticking out of the rubble. He digs at where the hand is and finds a body under all the rocks, a mechanical body. ¡°So this is the amazing Mecha-Naruto?¡± The cloaked figure says as he lifts up his hood a bit to reveal that he has a Rinnegan. He uses the Naraka Path to summon the King of Hell. ¡°Orochimaru was going to have you interfere with the Akatsuki¡¯s plans and Akatsuki were going to use you to capture the Nine-Tails.¡± ¡°*I*, on the other hand, have much bigger plans for you.¡± The cloaked man announces as the King of Hell uses its tongue to grab the robotic ninja, puts it in it¡¯s mouth, and begins to chew. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Meanwhile, Jin is seen helping Rito with his science project. They¡¯re outside on a bright and sunny day. ¡°Hey, Rito? Didn''t it take Senku and his friends months just to create the individual parts needed to make a pair of telephones?¡± Jin asks while finishing off his cotton candy and while he and his clones finish making eight hundred zinc-carbon batteries. ¡°Senku had to make all his devices all the while rebuilding society itself from scratch, acquiring the raw materials needed, and fighting a war with olympic-level athletes.¡± Rito answers while he works on the vacuum tube. ¡°When it comes to our situation, there¡¯s already a society, some of the parts and tech we need already exist, we¡¯re not at war, and magic ninja powers exist in this world. We could probably build an entire airplane in less than a month if we really worked at it.¡± It¡¯s at this moment, the sky begins to change, it becomes cloudy and flows in an eerie motion. The two friends look up and see a vision of a young man appear in the sky. He has white hair with red eyes dressed in an over-sized, high-collared coat wrapped with three leather straps. Most of his body was covered in bandages, including his mouth and arms, revealing only the upper half of his face and hair. ¡°I am a ninja originally from the Hidden Leaf, my name is Hiruko.¡± The vision explains in a calm, but ominous tone. ¡°Thanks to my Chimera Jutsu, four of the kekkei genkai from each of the Great Nations are already mine.¡± ¡°Soon I will obtain the fifth and final kekkei genkai and once I possess it, I will become invincible, a perfect, immortal ninja that none can stand against.¡± Hiruko continues to inform. ¡°With it, I will start the Fourth Great Ninja War and I will rule over everything.¡± The vision of Hiruko disappears and the sky returns to normal, the two ninja proceed to stop, pack up their items and equipment, and head back inside the hideout. ¡°It¡¯s a shame that you¡¯re under house arrest for the time being.¡± Rito says, getting back into character. ¡°You¡¯d probably like to steal this Hiruko person¡¯s jutsu.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ that Chimera Jutsu would¡¯ve been useful¡­¡± Jin sighs as they both walk through the dimly lit halls of the hideout. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I can¡¯t believe the events of the third Naruto Shippuden movie are happening and I have to miss it! Jin laments as he walks through the halls of the hideout, recalling the vision he saw yesterday. As Jin continues to walk aimlessly, he hears loud sounds, senses chakra in use, and feels vibrations on the ground. A battle is taking place in the hideout and Jin proceeds to walk towards the commotion. AH, I remember now¡­ Jin thinks as he continues walking. As he gets closer the fighting dies down. The Will of Fire movie came out around the time Sasuke began his own agenda. Jin stops walking when he sees Sasuke. The Uchiha walks up to Jin while maintaining a cool and indifferent expression. Sasuke gives Jin a request he wasn¡¯t expecting. ¡°Jin, I want you to join my team.¡± Says a cool Sasuke. ¡°What?¡± Jin responds with surprise in his tone. He uses a finger to clean out his ear before asking, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but could you repeat that?¡± ¡°I want you to join the team I¡¯m building.¡± Sasuke repeats. ¡°I won¡¯t ask again. Hmm¡­ if I join Sasuke, eventually we¡¯ll briefly partner up with the Akatsuki and in that short time I¡¯ll be in close proximity to Obito and all his spare Sharingan eyes... Jin mulls over as he plots and schemes. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll join you, but I need to take care of something real quick. I¡¯ll meet you at the Southern Hideout when I¡¯m done.¡± ¡°Very well.¡± Sasuke replies as he walks away. ¡°Wait! I need to give you something first.¡± Jin says, stopping Sasuke from leaving. Jin pulls out a scroll hidden in his clothing and uses it to summon his old backpack. He pulls out a stone in the pack and hands it to Sasuke. ¡°Here...¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Sasuke asks as he stares at the stone. ¡°It¡¯s a Gelel Stone, have Karin surgically implant it into your body.¡± Jin answers as he places his left hand over the right side of his chest. ¡°Once in your body, the stone enhances all of your jutsu and physical abilities as well as granting a minor healing ability.¡± ¡°Oh, really? Thanks.¡± Sasuke retorts as he continues walking, placing the stone in his sleeve. TIme to go check in on Hiruko¡­! Jin mentallly declares as he begins to walk, putting his backpack on. Jin turns right at the corner of the dimly lit hall. He walks to the third room on the left and proceeds to knock. ¡°Rito, my man? Orochimaru is gone now, we¡¯re free to enact our own plan now.¡± Jin shouts through the door. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be out in a moment. Just need to pack some things!¡± Rito shouts back from inside his room. Chapter 12 ¡°So what do you plan to use the Chimera Jutsu for when you get it, hey?¡± Asks a curious Rito to Jin as they both ride on Tsume¡¯s back towards Hiruko¡¯s base in a mountainous region. They talk while watching the eclipse to pass the time. ¡°My plan is to create a powerful summoning creature made solely for combat purposes.¡± Jin responds with a smug look on his face. ¡°Then we can use my power and your tech to build our own ninja village that blows all others out of the water.¡± ¡°Speaking of tech, here.¡± Rito says proudly as pulls a brick-like object and hands it to the red-haired rogue. ¡°The first pair of phones to exist in Naruto!¡± ¡°What the fuck?!¡± Jin blurts out as he studies the phone in his hand. He makes a facial expression, showing he¡¯s not impressed. ¡°Dude, this looks like something from the 1980s.¡± ¡°Right now, we just need to communicate instantly over long distances.¡± Rito explains, clearly hurt by Jin¡¯s reaction. ¡°I can make improvements later, ya bloody dick¡­!¡± ¡°I have no idea what you two are talking about¡­¡± Tsume says with confusion while still in flight. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Jin says reassuringly. ¡°We¡¯re just two weirdos being weird.¡± After a few more minutes, a crimson aura shoots up into the sky like a beam and parts the clouds. Both Jin and Rito look down and see that the aura originates from a now destroyed temple. ¡°That¡¯s the place, better get back into character.¡± Jin says as he puts on a casually indifferent expression and proceeds to jump off the hawk. ¡°Tsume, keep Rito safe.¡± ¡°It will be done, Master Jin!¡± Tsume calls out to her rapidly falling summoner. What. THE. FUCK?! Now, I can¡¯t read HIruko¡¯s mind either?! Jin thinks as he attempts to probe the warmonger¡¯s mind and fails. As Jin gets closer to the ground, he prepares to land while fighting the sudden urge to panic. I should be strong enough to not break my legs and die¡­ The red-haired rogue manages to land gracefully, causing a seismic event and kicks up a dust cloud. The Leaf ninja and Hiruko all stop fighting and look at what fell from the sky. The dust clears a bit and reveals a familiar silhouette. Nailed the landing¡­ OOH, I should make a cool pose before the dust settles! Jin thinks as he begins to strike a pose. The dust clears to reveal Jin cracking his knuckles in the same iconic pose as a certain Tokyo Ghoul character, he keeps a calm and collected manner as he speaks. ¡°Hey there. So, which one of you is my opponent?¡± ¡°Jin, you--?!¡± Shouts a surprised Ino as she tries to run up to him, but is stopped by Shikamaru and Choji. ¡°Ino keep back, we don¡¯t know who¡¯s side he¡¯s on.¡± Shikamaru warns, blocking his teammate as the other members of the Konoha 11 (plus Ayanami) surround him. ¡°Yeah, Ino. He¡¯s dangerous¡­!¡± An on guard Choji adds. They¡¯re all wounded, Kakashi and Ayanami seem to be for the most part okay, and something¡¯s up with Hiruko¡¯s eyes. Jin thinks as he assesses the situation. He points a finger at Hiruko and asks, ¡°Explain the situation for me and what¡¯s up with Hiruko¡¯s eyes?¡± ¡°Kazuya was secretly also a member of the Hyuga clan and he had the Byakugan and Wood Style like Captain Yamato!¡± Naruto blurts out, filling Jin in on the current dilemma. ¡°This Hiruko-guy absorbed him and is now immortal with six kekkei genkai!¡± ¡°WHY THE HELL ARE YOU EVEN HERE YOU BASTARD?!!¡± Fires an angry Kiba with Akamaru at his side, growling. The only way to deal with an immortal in Naruto is to seal them away¡­ The only sealing jutsu I know at the moment is the Reaper Death Seal, but that requires the caster to die at the end and there¡¯s no way in hell I¡¯m sacrificing myself. Jin thinks, ignoring Kiba as he activates sage mode. He then pulls out a scroll and uses it to summon an even larger scroll and a paintbrush to go with it. ¡°I was planning to use this for later for something else, but oh well¡­ SAI!¡± Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. The pale-skinned foundation ninja walks up to Jin who in turn hands him the brush and scroll. Sai then looks at Jin with a confused look on his face. ¡°Danzo taught you a powerful sealing technique right? It¡¯s time to use it!¡± Jin commands. ¡°Danzo did teach me, but I haven¡¯t mastered it yet¡­¡± Sai rebuttals. ¡°Wait--how do you even kn--¡± ¡°Just shut up and perform the jutsu, I¡¯ll cover you.¡± Jin states curtly as he charges at the immortal ninja. The only ninjutsu that will work on him is the Rasen Shuriken, but that jutsu requires a ton of chakra. Best to only use taijutsu for now¡­ ¡°Oh, please¡­ YOU CAN¡¯T EVEN TOUCH ME!¡± Hiruko yells as he charges at Jin. ¡°Having a 360 degree field of vision doesn¡¯t mean much if you can¡¯t even react.¡± Jin informs Hiruko as he blitzes to his side and kicks him through a piece of wall. ¡°Fool, you¡¯re not the only one with speed¡­!¡± Mutters an annoyed Hiruko as he gets up and dusts himself off. ¡°Quick Style: Shadowless Flight and Steel Style: Impervious Armour!¡± Hiruko appears instantly at Jin''s location and blitzes him with a series of punches and kicks and ends the combination with an uppercut. Jin is able to block the last hit, but is still sent flying upwards. Hiruko then holds out his left hand, pointing it at Jin. ¡°SHADE STYLE: JUDGEMENT!¡± Hiruko shouts as a blast of light blue flames is expelled from his hand, heading straight for the red-haired rogue. I can handle his speed, but I have to avoid his punches whenever he has his Steel Style activated¡­! Jin thinks as he summons a shadow clone. The clone grabs and throws the real Jin out of the fireball¡¯s path. While still in the air, Jin creates two dozen more shadow clones and they all proceed to dive bomb at Hiruko. However, the immortal ninja counters by generating a thick ring of thunderclouds and electricity around him. ¡°Gale Style: Thunder Cloud Void Wave¡­¡± Hiruko chants as the thunderclouds fire powerful blasts of lightning at Jin¡¯s clones, destroying them. ¡° That takes care of the ants and now f---AARGH?!¡± ¡°Did you really think I would hide behind my shadow clones...?!¡± Exclaims a now battle damaged Jin as throws several punches at Hiruko. Jin then blows Hiruko away with a powerful gust of wind from his hand. ¡°Wind Style: Gale Palm¡­!¡± Great! My left sleeve is all but gone and my shirt¡¯s zipper is fried¡­! Jin anguishes as he stops to check for any serious wounds. Relief washes over him as he sees his injuries beginning to heal. ¡°Hey Sai? Are you ready to seal him away?!¡± ¡°Yes, but I need you to make an opening!¡± Sai shouts as he finishes drawing on the scroll. ¡°Filthy humans, you can try all the jutsu you like, but it won¡¯t faze me.¡± Hiruko boasts as he returns to the battle. The ground begins to shake as he builds up his chakra. ¡°I¡¯ll end your pathetic lives slowly and in pain¡­ WOOD STYLE: DEEP FOREST EMERGENCE!!!¡± Because of the movie, I knew he wanted power, but I didn¡¯t think he would develop a severe god-complex¡­ Jin thinks as he builds up his own chakra, preparing to counter the trees growing towards him. He slams his hands against the ground and shouts, ¡°Sage Art: Inorganic Reanimation!¡± Jin¡¯s living ground and Hiruko¡¯s trees collide, slamming into each other and creating a thick dust cloud. Two fuma shuriken burst out of the dust cloud at Hiruko, the immortal warmonger jumps into the air and twists his body around to dodge. While still in the air, Hiruko notices something glowing above him. It¡¯s Jin and he¡¯s holding a Rasenshuriken. God, do I love shadow clones and you can¡¯t dodge while in mid-air AND this jutsu is too complex for you to absorb! Thinks a smug JIn as he throws the shuriken-shaped mass of chakra at Hiruko. The Rasenshuriken hits Hiruko and slams him against the ground. The move detonates, producing a vortex of wind in the immediate area. After a minute, the vortex dies down, leaving Hiruko at the bottom of a large crater. As Hiruko¡¯s wounds begin to heal, the crater starts to fill with mud. ¡°Earth Style: Dark Swamp!¡± Says an exhausted Jin as the chakra infused mud sticks to Hiruko, ensnaring him. ¡°Sai, now! DO IT!!!¡± ¡°Okay, Sealing Jutsu: Crouched Tiger Bullet!¡± Replies a determined Sai as a gigantic tiger illustration extends from the scroll and while still connected, captures Hiruko with its teeth and claws. ¡°NO, I WAS SO CLOSE!! NOOOOOOO!!!!¡± Hiruko screams as he is dragged back into the scroll by the tiger, pinning him down within the confines of the drawing. After safely landing, Jin sits down on a nearby boulder and pulls out his phone. He pushes a button and it begins to ring. What do you know?! It works! Jin thinks as Rito answers the phone. ¡°It¡¯s done, you two can come down now¡­ No, I couldn¡¯t learn the Chimera Jutsus, this sucks¡­!¡± I couldn¡¯t get the Zero-Tails and I couldn¡¯t learn the Chimera Jutsu¡­ Jin thinks in defeat as he hangs up. This sucks! Everything sucks! The Fourth Great Ninja War is getting closer and closer, how the fuck am I suppose to get stronger now?!! Chapter 13 In spite of his and Sai¡¯s victory over the now sealed away immortal Hiruko, Jin mopes while sitting on a boulder. While hunched over in the same position as the Thinker sculpture, he surveys the destruction on the foggy battlefield with a gloomy expression. It¡¯s still not enough to survive the Fourth Great Ninja War and the Otsutsuki clan¡­ Jin laments as he continues to sit. As Jin continues to pout, he deactivates sage mode while Ayanami quickly runs to his side. ¡°Hey, how do you know Naruto¡¯s jutsu¡­?¡± Ayanami whispers into Jin¡¯s ear. ¡°I saw it in the anime and manga, I just copied what Naruto did once I got older and stronger.¡± Jin whispers back as Naruto and friends walk up to once again surround their unlikely ally. ¡°Now that Hiruko¡¯s taken care of, why are you here, Jin?¡± Shikamaru continues to question. ¡°Because I can.¡± Jin responds curtly. ¡°How do you even know my move?!¡± Naruto asks while pointing at Jin in an angry yet comedic manner. ¡°Why don¡¯t you ever tell us anything, Jin?¡± Asks a girl with light blue hair. YUP, they''re just going to keep asking--wait, who said that? Jin thinks as he looks up at the young woman with a mix of confusion and indifference. ¡°Who the hell are you?!¡± ¡°Who am I¡­? You should remember your teammates, Jin!¡± The girl says with anger in her tone. ¡°I¡¯m Yuno Tamaki and like you, a member of squad 1!¡± Yuno, yuno, yuno¡­ I remember a Yuno Gasai, but she¡¯s from another anime and manga. Oh, wait! Now I remember! Jin thinks hard and then snaps his finger. ¡°Oh, yeah¡­ you¡¯re that annoying, clingy girl that kept bugging me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m the¡­ annoying, clingy¡­ girl¡­?¡± Yuno says as she slumps over with depression. Everyone present (excluding Jin) looks at her with pity. Sakura, Hinata, and Tenten go to console her. ¡°Man, Jin¡­ now that is just cruel...¡± Says a sympathetic Kiba. ¡°The fact that I have to try and put in effort to even remember her should tell you how little she means to me.¡± Jin points out nonchalantly as Tsume lands behind him. The leaf ninja take stances, prepared to fight. Since she¡¯s here, I might as well do what I should¡¯ve done earlier¡­ ¡°Hey, Rito, can you hand me that bag?¡± Jin asks his friend. ¡°Got it!¡± Rito replies. A few moments later, the young boy jumps off of Tsume and hands Jin a clear, plastic bag containing items that are unusual to the leaf ninja. Jin uses his Probe Jutsu and shares his knowledge on Rito to Ayanami who nods in response. Jin then makes his way to Ino with Shikamaru and Choji stepping in front to protect her. Jin shoots the two boys with death glares and they step out of Jin¡¯s way with fear sewn into their hearts. Jin continues to walk and stops right in front of Ino. ¡°I know this isn¡¯t the right time, but is it ever the right time? So, here.¡± Jin says as he bows and offers the bag to her. ¡°You apologized to me for the bullying, so I¡¯m apologizing for what I did to you back in the Chunin Exams.¡± ¡°Oh, thanks¡­ What is it¡­?¡± Asks a surprised and confused Ino, taking the bag. ¡°There are various sweets in the bag. The brown stuff is chocolate, the pink stuff is cotton candy, and there is a drink called ¡®Coke¡¯ in a plastic bottle.¡± Jin answers as he stands up straight, scratching the back of his head. ¡°I would¡¯ve given you a bouquet of flowers, but I didn¡¯t even bother to pay attention when the Yamanaka clan taught us about flowers and their meanings.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t¡­ heh heh heh, you lughead.¡± Ino giggles as she begins to relax. ¡°Well, you know me.¡± Jin shrugs as he turns around and walks back to Rito and Tsume with his right hand waving. ¡°Later¡­¡± ¡°Wait, first you leave the village, you help strangers, join up with Orochimaru, and now you help us prevent the Fourth War¡­¡± Kakashi reasons as Jin keeps walking. ¡°...Just whose side are you on?!¡± Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. Oh, right¡­ They don¡¯t know about Orochimaru yet. Jin thinks as both he and Rito jump back onto Tsume. ¡°I¡¯m on no one¡¯s side, but my own.¡± ¡°Be seein¡¯ ya!¡± Jin shouts as Tsume flaps her massive wings and flies away. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Yo, Jin so we¡¯re going to meet up with Sasuke now, hey¡­?¡± Rito asks after a few minutes of flying. ¡°Afterall you did what you wanted to do and failed epically at it.¡± ¡°Yes, but we¡¯re making a slight detour to the prison, Hozuki Castle of the Hidden Grass Village.¡± Jin answers as he stuffs his face with a rice ball. After swallowing, he continues, ¡°The warden, Mui possesses two jutsu that I want to copy and make mine.¡± ¡°AH--did you know that you sound like Ken Kaneki?¡± Rito says, trying to change the subject. ¡°Say wha-?¡± Jin questions. The red-haired rogue tilts his head to one side with confusion and amusement. ¡°Yeah, you sound a lot like Ken from Tokyo Ghoul.¡± Rito continues as he uses his phone to play the recording of their previous conversation. ¡°No way, that is so fucking awesome!¡± An ecstatic Jin announces as he listens to the recording of his voice. ¡°I guess there¡¯s no need to point out how much you sound like Lelouch from Code Geass. Right, Rito¡­?¡± Now that I think about it, Ayanami has the same voice as Toru Hagakure from My Hero Academia¡­ Jin thinks as the Hozuki Castle appears on the horizon. ¡°Master Jin, do I land?¡± Tsume asks as she flies closer to the prison. ¡°Just circle around, we don¡¯t need to land or make close contact with anyone.¡± Jin orders. Tsume follows Jin¡¯s directions and circles the perimeter from up high. Various attacks are fired at the group, but Tsume easily dodges them all. Jin clears his mind and builds up chakra, activating his Probe Jutsu. Okay¡­ there¡¯s a guy who poisoned a whole village, a guy who disobeyed orders, another guy who--HOLY SHIT!! That is messed up as fuck! A now disgusted Jin thinks as probes and searches for Mui¡¯s mind. Oh, there¡¯s Mui¡­ deep regrets over sacrificing his own son, strong sense of duty and loyalty¡­ AH! There it is¡­ Jin releases the jutsu and then holds out his right arm. A moment later, Jin¡¯s right hand brings up a large flame, which soon after takes the form of a sword. After making a few slashing motions, he undoes his new jutsu. ¡°Celestial Prison Flame Sword¡­ Alright, let''s meet up with Sasuke at the Southern Hideout.¡± Jin says, satisfied at copying two new jutsu. ¡°Yes, Master Jin.¡± Tsume responds as she begins to change course. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°So, why are we walking the rest of the way again?¡± Rito asks Jin as they both walk across the ocean towards the Southern Hideout. ¡°We could be there already.¡± ¡°Because Tsume was tired, needed to rest...¡± Jin explains as they get closer to their destination. ¡°Also, the summoning was about to run out of time. If she had kept flying us, she would¡¯ve returned to wherever she was when I summoned her from and we¡¯d be falling for miles.¡± ¡°Anyway¡­ if you¡¯re trying to make yourself stronger, I heard there¡¯s this meteorite in the Hidden Star village¡­¡± Rito asks, changing the subject. ¡°No! Out of the question, a thousand times, no!¡± Jin snaps back, dismissing the suggestion. ¡°Why¡­?¡± Asks a confused Rito. ¡°First of all, Naruto destroyed it before he even left to go and train with Jiraiya.¡± Jin explains to his fellow reincarnation. ¡°Secondly, that damn meteorite also emits radiation...¡± ¡°OH, I see now¡­¡± Rito remarks, realizing what Jin is talking about. ¡°Sorry, forget I asked.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, we¡¯ve arrived.¡± Jin responds as the island where the hideout is located appears on the horizon. Jin peers into the distance and sees two people also walking towards the Southern Hideout. ¡°And it looks like Sasuke and Suigetsu have just arrived as well.¡± Jin and Rito quickly sprint to Sasuke and Suigetsu, leaving a trail of splashing water in their wake. As Sasuke turns to face the commotion, both reincarnations come to a sudden stop just a few feet away from them. ¡°Oh, hey Sasuke. What have we missed?¡± Jin questions his sibling student. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- YUNO TAMAKI: OVERVIEW APPEARANCE -Looks exactly like Azure Fang from Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Online. Chapter 14 In the Land of Wind, in the ruins of the kingdom, R¨­ran, Mukade is attempting to unleash the power of the ley line, but is being hampered by an unlikely duo. ¡°RASENGAN!!¡± Mecha-Naruto yells as he plows the ball of chakra into one of Mukade¡¯s puppets, destroying it. ¡°BELIEVE IT!!¡± ¡°Try this on for size, you pile of scrap!¡± Mukade yells as he hurls a dozen of his puppets at the robotic ninja and the cloaked figure. Mecha-Naruto runs at the small army of puppets and forms two chakra blades with his hands. The mechanical ninja does a front flip while making slashing motions, destroying three puppets. Mecha-Naruto then uses his rockets to jump high into the air, turns upside down, and spins the upper half of his body clockwise with his arms and blade stretched out, destroying the remaining puppets. ¡°NARUTO SABER!!¡± MECHA-NARUTO says triumphantly as he lands. Mecha-Naruto proceeds to point at the rogue sand ninja and orders, ¡°MUKADE, SURRENDER NOW AND YOUR DEATH WILL BE DIGNIFIED.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll never give up!¡± Mukade declares as he throws even more puppets at them. Before the puppets can even get near Mecha-Naruto, they¡¯re engulfed in black flames and destroyed. The cloaked man teleports behind Mukade and puts his hand on the rogue sand ninja¡¯s head. ¡°No time for fooling around.¡± The cloaked man says as he uses the Rinnegan¡¯s Human Path to yank the soul out of Mukade¡¯s body. The cloaked man obtains all of Mukade¡¯s memories and knowledge while Mukade¡¯s lifeless corpse falls to the ground. ¡°Interesting¡­¡± ¡°HAHAHA!! WE ARE NUMBER ONE!!¡± Mecha-Naruto laughs as he walks over to his master. ¡°It¡¯s too early to celebrate, there¡¯s still much work to be done.¡± The cloaked man explains. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Meanwhile, after meeting up with Karin, Sasuke ordered Jin, Rito, and Suigetsu to free the prisoners, but not before stopping for Jin to get some new clothes. As they walk down the hallway, Rito makes an expression that says something¡¯s on his mind. ¡°What is it, Rito?¡± Jin asks his friend as he happily zips up his new shirt. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t have to be such a jerk to that girl and the other leaf ninja.¡± Replies a perturbed Rito. ¡°Oooh... now this, I have to hear.¡± Remarks an interested Suigetsu as they continue to walk through the hideout. ¡°You¡¯re still on that¡­? I was upset and they happened to be close by.¡± Jin argues as they turn a corner. ¡°And as for Yuno, I¡¯m just not interested in her. She wouldn¡¯t leave me alone.¡± ¡°You have a right to feel angry, you have a right to reject them, but you didn¡¯t have to be a dullard jerk about it.¡± Rito continues. ¡°If you keep acting like this, people will hate you and you can kiss your dreams and ambitions goodbye¡­¡± ¡°I¡­ uh¡­. W-wh--...?¡± Jin stutters as he is left speechless, unable to give a response. Dammit, he¡¯s right¡­! ¡°Alright, you¡¯ve made your point¡­¡± Jin replies after a moment of pause. ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ apologize when we cross paths again.¡± ¡°Hey, enough with the sappy melodrama...¡± Suigetsu announces, bored by their conversation. ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± Suigetsu squats in front of the cell containing the prison with Jin and Rito standing right behind the rogue mist ninja. Some of the prisoners look up at their visitors, one even walks up to the bars of the cell. ¡°Hey... a-are the rumors true...?¡± The closest prisoner asks while clutching the bars. ¡°Did Sasuke really kill Orochimaru?¡± ¡°Yes, Sasuke killed the bastard¡­¡± Jin answers with a smirk. I mean he does come back in the war, but that doesn¡¯t really matter right now¡­ ¡°S-so, what¡¯s going to h-happen to us¡­?¡± The prisoner asks nervously. Sweat can be seen running down his face. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°You get to go free, duh.¡± Suigetsu answers while holding up the key to the cell. ¡°Really?!¡± Another prisoner asks, all the other prisoners look up and face the three with hope gleaming in their eyes. ¡°Yep, I just need you guys to do one thing.¡± Suigetsu asks with a poker face. ¡°Anything, you name it!¡± A prisoner in the back replies. ¡°Let the world know that Sasuke killed Orochimaru and freed us¡­¡± Suigetsu iterates as he inserts the key into the lock. ¡°He is a hero that will bring peace to the world.¡± Aaand when we return, we¡¯ll kill the mood on Karin¡¯s failed attempt to seduce Sasuke. Jin thinks to himself, chuckling as the prisoners run right past him and Rito. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Minutes later, the three ninja return to the room where Sasuke and Karin are located. As Suigetsu reaches for his sword, Jin stops him. ¡°There¡¯s no need, I got this.¡± Jin says as he infuses chakra into his feet. Jin proceeds to kick down the door, revealing Karin sitting next to Sasuke on the far side of the room, kicking up some dust in the process. Karin instantly jumps up from her seat while taking a few steps away from Sasuke, her face turns red with anger. ¡°Did you convince Karin to join us yet?¡± Suigetsu asks as he pops his head through the opening. ¡°Yes, she¡¯s changed her mind.¡± Sasuke answers while maintaining his cool and indifferent demeanor. ¡°Great! So all that¡¯s left is to recruit Jugo.¡± Jin coughs as he dusts off his clothes. ¡°J-Jugo?! You want his help too?¡± Karin shouts in shock as she adjusts her glasses. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DAN DAN kokoro hikarete ¡¯ku Sono mabushii egao ni... Jin sings in his head as the group walks through a desert with rocky and mountainous terrain. ...Sukoshi dake furimukitaku naru y? na toki mo aru kedo Ai to y?ki to hokori o motte tatakau yo¡­! ¡°Aren¡¯t you guys tired?¡± Suigetsu mutters as he sits down and drinks some water to rehydrate himself. ¡°Let''s take a break.¡± ¡°You are so lazy!¡± Snaps an annoyed Karin. ¡°The North Hideout is still a long ways away!¡± Amazing, I forgot how much those two fight¡­ Jin thinks as he and Rito watch Suigetsu Karin argue like cats and dogs with deadpan expressions. After a few more minutes of walking, the group discovers a wounded man lying on the ground, barely alive. As Karin, Sasuke, and Suigetsu go to investigate, Jin keeps back and pulls Rito aside to warn him. ¡°Yes, what is it?¡± Rito asks in confusion. ¡°We¡¯re about to fight a large group of curse mark users. You have to keep to the rear with Karin...¡± Jin explains in a matter-of-fact tone. ¡°I¡¯m gonna level with you¡­ Yes you have a curse mark, Crystal Style, and I¡¯ve taught you a few jutsu, but you just don¡¯t have the killer instinct or a warrior¡¯s mindset--you¡¯re kind like Gohan in terms of personality.¡± ¡°Then why did you bother to teach me how to fight in the first place...?!¡± Rito leers. ¡°Good question¡­¡± Jin replies. ¡°This is actually pointed out in Attack on Titan, the better you are at fighting, the better you are at running away.¡± ¡°Alright, alright, just hurry it up then...¡± A dejected Rito responds, slumping over as the man in question succumbs to his injuries and dies. At that moment an enemy crash lands before the group, the dust clears to reveal he is one of Orochimaru¡¯s experiments and is now in the curse mark¡¯s second state. Sasuke with his sword and Jin with a kunai immediately blitz past the cursed marked berserker, cutting him down in the process. ¡°That¡¯s the Northern Hideout, up there.¡± Sasuke informs, looking at a structure atop a small rocky mountain. ¡°Let¡¯s go...¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As the group arrives at the entrance to the hideout, they are greeted by an army of curse mark prisoners, all of which are in their second state. Sasuke has just ordered Karin to look for Jugo using her sensory abilities. ¡°The guards are all dead and Jugo¡¯s not among these monsters.¡± Karin informs the group as she surveys the area. ¡°Meaning we can cut loose with these guys.¡± Suigetsu points out as he draws his sword, the Executioner¡¯s Blade. ¡°Just don¡¯t kill them.¡± Sasuke orders. ¡°Haha¡­ You¡¯re such a softy, man.¡± Suigetsu playfully mocks. ¡°You should¡¯ve kil--¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just get this over with already¡­¡± Jin interrupts as jumps into the army of curse mark users. The red-haired rogue lands in the middle four enemies and with a single roundhouse kick, knocks them all away, unconscious. Another prisoner tries to sneak up on Jin, but is quickly taken out by Suigetsu. Jin remarks, ¡°I could¡¯ve--¡± ¡°Could¡¯ve what?¡± An annoyed Suigetsu snaps, interrupting Jin¡¯s explanation. ¡°...Thanks.¡± Jin responds after a brief pause. Jin and Suigestu then proceed to jump back into the fray. Chapter 15 I know this is a cannon fodder scene in the anime, but these guys are even weaker than I thought they would be¡­ Jin thinks as he, Sasuke, and Suigetsu stand over a pile of their now unconscious enemies. ¡°Wheeeew...¡± Suigetsu sighs with relief as he leans on the hilt of his sword. ¡°I found the keys!¡± Karin shouts as she runs out of a hallway to the rest of the group while dangling the keys in her hand. ¡°Lead the way, Karin.¡± Sasuke says as the group follows Karin¡¯s lead. As they walk down the hall, the group stops at a fork in the road. ¡°That way.¡± Karin says, pointing to the right path. ¡°Finally.¡± Suigetsu remarks as he, Jin, and Rito follow him down the path. Karin¡¯s going to try to convince Sasuke to ditch and go on their own, but will fail epically¡­ Jin thinks as he recalls the events of the anime and manga. After several minutes of walking, Suigetsu breaks the silence by asking, ¡°So Jin, does the curse mark turn you into a grotesque monster like the ones we just fought?¡± ¡°What? No, I don¡¯t have a curse mark. I use something else and I don¡¯t grow wings, tails, or some other body part.¡± Jin explains as they continue walking. ¡°Rito has a curse mark, but it¡¯s a weaker version of Sasuke¡¯s.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true.¡± Rito adds. ¡°.....That wench...¡± Suigetsu says as he stops walking looks behind them to see that Sasuke and Karin are not with them. He clenches his fist which shakes with rage. After being tricked by Karin, the three, Jin, Rito, and Suigetsu wander aimlessly through the hideout. Several minutes later, they return to a very familiar location. ¡°Huh? Here again?¡± Suigetsu notes as they return to the open area that just served as their battlefield. ¡°I knew we should¡¯ve turned right back there.¡± ¡°W-why¡­ have you¡­ come h-here¡­?¡± Mutters one of the prisoners still injured and lying on the ground. ¡°Why? We¡¯re here to recruit Jugo of course.¡± Jin answers as he takes a step closer to the defeated prisoner. ¡°You have no idea¡­ what you¡¯re getting into.¡± The prisoner says in a more coherent manner. ¡°You may be strong... but you¡¯re nowhere near his le-GHUAGH!¡± The prisoner is interrupted by an irritated Suigetsu stomping on his chest. Suigetsu replies with, ¡°Listen, the only reason you¡¯re still alive is because Sasuke told us not to kill.¡± ¡°Kuhu¡­ JUGO WILL KILL ALL OF YOU!¡± The prisoner yells as he¡¯s aware of what is about to happen. ¡°I think he''ll forgive me just this once.¡± Suigetsu says as he reaches for his sword. ¡°Do you two have any reservations?¡± ¡°Have at it, I don¡¯t care.¡± Jin responds. He¡¯s even more of a background character than Rito and I are... ¡°I won¡¯t say anything if you won¡¯t.¡± Rito adds, still salty over them trying to kill him. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Well, what¡¯s going on here?¡± Suigetsu asks, announcing his, Jin, and Rito¡¯s arrival as they walk in on Sasuke and Jugo¡¯s skirmish. ¡°You really are a piece of work, you know that? You tricked us back there.¡± ¡°Give me a break, you got lost all on your own.¡± Karin snaps back, unapologetically as she adjusts her glasses. ¡°No, you gave us... bad directions.¡± Jin points out, coughing from the dust in the air. ¡°Listen, I really resent that accusation¡­¡± Replies an angered Karin with a vein bulging out of her forehead. ¡°What would be the point anyway, what would I get out of tricking you like that?¡± God, I hate tsunderes... Jin thinks, cringing at her foul attitude and cold remarks. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. ¡°Why, you get to be alone with Sasuke¡­¡± Suigetsu mocks with a grin. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°WHAT? NO, SHUT IT!!¡± Karin shouts defensively. ¡°So, is it safe to say that Jugo went berserk and attacked Sasuke?¡± Rito asks, changing the subject as he surveys the battle. ¡°Yeah, they¡¯re outside now¡­¡± Karin confirms. A brief moment later, Sasuke is seen running back to the group with Jugo right behind him. Jugo throws a punch with his piston-like left arm, but is countered by one of Jin¡¯s own punches. Jin jumps out of the way in order for Suigetsu to swing his Executioner¡¯s Blade, but Jugo quickly morphs his hand into an axe and swings back. After their blades clash, both Suigestu and Jugo skid back some due to the force of their attacks. As they go in to attack each other again, Sasuke intervenes by jumping between them, coiling two white snakes around them. ¡°Do you both¡­ want me to kill you?¡± Sasuke threatens with strong killing intent pouring off of him. Note to self: Get a notebook and pen so I can draw while I sit through these longer scenes¡­ Jin thinks as he leans on the wall with arms folded, watching Sasuke talk Jugo down. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Once outside the hideout, Sasuke rallies his new team for it¡¯s one singular purpose. ¡°...Good, now that I¡¯ve gathered my perfect team¡­ Here it is, this is my plan.¡± Sasuke announces to the group, maintaining his cool, indifferent demeanor. ¡°My goal is to kill Itachi Uchiha.¡± ¡°Shocker.¡± Jin says sarcastically. ¡°I thought you were gonna say that¡­¡± Suigetsu agrees. I wonder if they have art supplies at the ninja shop we¡¯re about to head to¡­? Jin wonders as a provoked Karin slaps Suigetsu, splashing water due to Suigetsu liquifying himself to avoid damage. ¡°...it¡¯s all set. Now that we¡¯re a team, we move together as one.¡± Sasuke continues. ¡°From this point on, we¡¯ll be known as ¡®The Hebi.¡¯ Hebi has only one goal, Itachi Uchiha¡­¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sometime later, the Hebi arrive at Granny Cat¡¯s supply shop in the middle of an abandoned city. Sasuke is purchasing item for the team, Karin is off to the side, Granny Cat¡¯s granddaughter, Tamaki is searing for clothes in Jugo¡¯s size, Rito and Suigetsu are aquianting themselves with some of the cats present, and Jin is going through her wares for recreational items. No, no, no¡­ Why is it so hard just to find a notebook and a pen?! Thinks an irritated Jin as he sifts through the items in a box. After a few more minutes, he stops when he believes he¡¯s found what he¡¯s looking for. A pack of art pencils and a small hardcover book with blank pages? Close enough¡­ ¡°We¡¯ll be going now. Thanks for everything.¡± Sasuke says as he hands Granny Cat the money needed to pay for the supplies. ¡°Uh, Granny Cat, is it...? How much for these? Jin asks as he walks up to her holding out the book and pencils. Not long after, as the Hebi walk out of the shop and the surrounding city, it begins to rain heavily. Jin and Rito both proceed to put on their new cloaks¡¯ hoods to shield their heads. ¡°For some odd reason, all this rain is making me feel depressed.¡± Rito says gloomily as he stares off into the distance. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I have a feeling the rain will clear up soon.¡± Jin responds in a reassuring tone, trying to cheer up his friend. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Sasuke declares. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Meanwhile, back at the Northern Hideout, the prisoners slowly recover from their battle with the newly formed Hebi when they are greeted by two mysterious figures. One is a man wearing a cloak that conceals his face and the other, a machine that resembles a person. ¡°Who the hell are you two?¡± One prisoner demands. ¡°I don¡¯t care who or what you two are¡­¡± Another prisoner exclaims. ¡°Get in my way and I¡¯ll kill you too!¡± ¡°Who we are is none of your concern.¡± The cloaked man reptiles as his ally punches the aggressive prisoner into a wall, causing a crater and killing him on impact. ¡°Thank you, Mecha-Naruto.¡± ¡°IT WAS MY PLEASURE.¡± The mechanical ninja replies boldly. The surviving prisoners look on in horror as they see their comrade fall to the ground with a large hole in his stomach. Blood oozes from the wound and drips from the robot''s hand. ¡°If you¡¯ll let me finish--I have no interest in killing any of you, I have a use for you all.¡± The cloaked man explains, sighing as he weaves signs and builds up chakra. ¡°But now I have to do this to ensure your cooperation¡­¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Jin you were right, the rain did clear up!¡± Rito says as he basks in the sun¡¯s warm light. After a minute of Jin not giving a response, Rito tries to get his attention. ¡°Hell~o? Earth to Ji~n...?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Jin says, realizing Rito is three meters ahead, trying to get his attention. ¡°You say somethin¡¯?¡± ¡°So where were you? Thinking about a pretty girl?¡± Rito jokes. ¡°HA! No, something else¡­¡± A perplexed Jin informs as he catches up to Rito while folding his arms and tilting his head to one side. ¡°It¡¯s like an itch that I can¡¯t scratch and it feels like it¡¯s getting worse.¡± Chapter 16 Not long after Sasuke¡¯s Hebi team was formed, he gave them the order to disperse and acquire information on both Itachi and the Akatsuki. Jin and Rito are currently walking through a forest seemingly aimless. ¡°So, where are we going to get the info we need?¡± Rito asks as they walk down a less traveled road. ¡°Oh, we don¡¯t need to look for any information¡­¡± Jin replies as he concentrates on drawing in his book. No, no... her kimono isn¡¯t that wrinkly¡­ ¡°What do you mean we don¡¯t need to...?¡± Rito continues to question. ¡°Jugo gets the info Sasuke wants by using his ability to talk to animals.¡± Jin answers while still scribbling. And this guy had a more arrogant and pompous attitude¡­ ¡°Ah, so we¡¯re just walking for no reason then¡­¡± Rito reasons. ¡°Oh, no, there¡¯s a reason¡­¡± Jin corrects as he examines the progress on his drawing. ¡°We¡¯re walking to get a safe distance away from Sasuke.¡± ¡°What?¡± A flabbergasted Rito asks. ¡°Any minute now, Sasuke will battle Deidara of the Akatsuki.¡± Jin continues to explain. ¡°Sasuke technically wins the fight, but Deidara rage quits and self-destructs.¡± ¡°And the explosion is so big, it can be seen for miles.¡± Jin finishes as he continues to draw. ...And this guy had the one horn that wrapped around his ent--WHAT THE FUCK?!! Jin stops in his tracks and shakes profusely as he fights off someone¡¯s Mind Transfer Jutsu. Rito looks at him confused and concerned, unaware of what is going on. After a brief moment, Jin shakes off the mental possession and becomes aware of the caster. ¡°It¡¯ll be a thousand years before you can take me over!¡± Jin calls out into the distance, putting his art book and pencil away. Rito takes the opportunity to jump into the trees and hides. ¡°Show yourself, Ino!¡± ¡°I knew it wouldn¡¯t work, but I thought I¡¯d try anyway.¡± Ino says as she reveals herself. Another leaf ninja bursts up out of the ground and lunges at Jin with a Chidori. Using his experience from training with Sasuke, Jin pivots from his aggressor''s line of sight and grabs his wrist and the base of his neck. Then with all Jin¡¯s might, he pulls and slams downward, pinning his opponent. With his current opponent pinned down, Jin is able to recognize him. ¡°Takeda, you idiot. Don¡¯t you know that the Chidori requires you to run at your target at high speed and that that speed will also give you tunnel vision?¡± Jin lectures his former teammate as Takeda struggles and fails to free himself. ¡°And that the only way to counter said tunnel vision is to possess either the Sharingan or the Byakugan?¡± ¡°SHUT UP! Like I¡¯d take advice from a traitor and criminal!¡± Takeda shouts as he continues to struggle free, but to no avail. ¡°Ayanami, now! DO IT!!¡± ¡°Gentle Step Twin Lion Fist!¡± Ayanami yells as she dive bombs at Jin with chakra shaped into large guardian lion-shaped shrouds. Jin evades the sneak attack by jumping backwards with Takeda, saving his adversary¡¯s life in the process. As Jin lands, he throws Takeda at Ayanami, knocking them both down hard. Now angered, Takeda rises to his feet and runs at Jin, throwing a series of punches and kicks, but Jin casually evades them and then blocks the last kick before jumping back a safe distance. ¡°Hey, Takeda, cut it out!¡± Ayanami warns as she just now recovers. ¡°Just shut up¡­! I have to make this bastard pay!¡± Takeda declares as he shakes with rage. ¡°I just found out that our former comrade abandoned the Leaf Village and joined up with Orochimaru!!¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard? Orochimaru is dead, Sasuke killed him.¡± Jin responds to the accusations. ¡°That doesn¡¯t change the fact that you still joined up with him!¡± Takeda argues, growing more frustrated. ¡°So, just what do you guys want with little, old me?¡± Jin shrugs with a smug grin. ¡°Simple, we¡¯re gonna capture you, interrogate you for all the info you have, and then you¡¯ll spend the rest of your life behind bars.¡± Takeda answers as he begins to weave hand signs. ¡°Give me your best shot.¡± JIn replies while now making a more serious expression, cracking his fingers. ¡°Fire Style: Dragon Flame Bomb!¡± Takeda yells before spewing flames in the shape of a dragon from his mouth. ¡°Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu.¡± Jin says before spitting the dragon out. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. Both dragons strike at each other, canceling each out and creating a large steam mist that engulfs the surrounding area. Jin takes advantage of Takeda¡¯s now impared vision by appearing in front of him and knees his gut. Takeda quickly recovers and tries to slash at Jin with a kunai, but the red-haired rogue blocks the attack with his right arm¡¯s armguard. ¡°Oh please, you¡¯re not even in the same league as me.¡± Jin scoffs. Further enraged, Takeda tries to swing the kunai at Jin again, but Jin dodges it by jumping to the side. Ayanami appears and manages to grab Jin by the leg, but JIn liquifies his body to free himself and kicks Ayanami at Takeda, sending them both through a tree. As Ino tries to take Jin from behind, she¡¯s completely encased in crystal from the neck down. Jin turns and sees Rito who has come out of hiding and is preparing for another attack from their enemies. ¡°I know you could take her on your own, I just wanted to be useful.¡± Rito bashfully explains as he scratches behind his head. ¡°Rito, good work.¡± JIn smiles as he gives his friend a thumbs up. Jin then turns to Ino, walks up to her, and as she trembles with fear, Jin pets her to calm her down. ¡°Cousin Ino, I need you, Yuno, and Naruto to accept that I¡¯m not returning to the Leaf Village. And even if you manage to drag me back, I¡¯ll just keep making escape attempts until either I succeed or elite jonin kill me.¡± ¡°Oh and Ayanami?¡± Jin calls out to his old friend and classmate. She looks up at him with a dazed expression. ¡°You wanted us to surpass Naruto and Sasuke, right? I¡¯ve gotten stronger, why haven¡¯t you?¡± Ayanami is unable to answer due to the ground beginning to shake. Jin and Rito look to their rear and see a bright, large, and unique-looking explosion. The force of the explosion sends some trees flying at the group present and Jin protects everyone by Earth Style to put up a Mud Wall. As the explosion dies down, both Jin and Rito begin to tree hop to Suigetsu¡¯s location. ¡°Sasuke is still alive, right?¡± Rito asks, concerned for his safety. ¡°Oh he¡¯s alive¡­ heavily wounded, but alive.¡± Jin answers as they continue to jump through the trees. While tree hopping, Jin activates sage mode to sense Suigetsu¡¯s chakra. ¡°Sasuke tried to reverse-summon himself, but he wasn¡¯t fast enough¡­ so, the snake summoning, Manda ended up shielding Sasuke, taking the brunt of the explosion and he dies instead¡­¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Orochimaru was already weakened¡­ that¡¯s all I¡¯ll say about that.¡± A battle damaged Sasuke explains to a lecturing Karin. At this point, Jin and Rito arrive at the sight of a dead Manda and the rest of the Hebi team. Already aware of what¡¯s happened and what will happen, JIn walks over to Sasuke and helps him up. ¡°Jugo, help me carry him to the nearest inn.¡± Jin requests with a deadpan expression. ¡°Okay.¡± Jugo responds as he helps lift Sasuke. ¡°I can walk on my own¡­¡± Sasuke remarks with cool indifference. ¡°Don¡¯t try to act tough.¡± Jin argues. ¡°I learned medical ninjutsu from Kabuto, I can tell that you¡¯ll collapse before you even walk for half a mile...¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Upon arriving at a nearby town, the Hebi take shelter in an inn. A provoked Karin tries to attack Suigetsu, but is unable to due to Suigetsu liquifying his body. Jugo begins to twitch and fidget until he activates his sage transformation. ¡°I wanna kill¡­ I must kill¡­!¡± Jugo mutters. ¡°Calm down, now, Jugo!¡± Sasuke orders as he uses his Sharingan to put Jugo under a genjutsu to calm him down. After Jugo calms down, Sasuke goes to sleep, Karin leaves to get more supplies, Rito sits in a corner to tinker, and JIn goes to sit in another corner to draw. Jugo and Suigetsu both watch over Sasuke as they wait for Karin. Jibun wo sekai sae mo kaete shimae sou na Shunkan ha itsumo sugu soba ni¡­! Jin sings in his head as he draws. ...Miageta oozora ga aoku sumikitte yuku Tozashita mado wo hiraku koto wo kimeta¡­! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Two hours later, an impatient Suigetsu goes to look for Karin, but is stopped by a worried Karin who slams the door to their room in the inn wide open. ¡°Wake up Sasuke! We¡¯re about to have company¡­!¡± An on-edge Karin warns. Upon hearing this, Sasuke wakes up and orders, ¡°Everyone get ready, we¡¯re leaving. Jugo! Mark on the map every Akatsuki hideout you¡¯ve learned about.¡± As the Hebi leave the small village, Suigetsu asks Sasuke, ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re okay?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Sasuke responds while putting on his cloak. ¡°Thanks to Orochimaru¡¯s power and Jin¡¯s Gelel stone, I heal much faster now.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± Responds a proud Jin. ¡°...We¡¯re going to use the intel Jugo gathered and hit the Akatsuki¡¯s hideouts one-by-one.¡± Sasuke continues.¡° As Jin is about to follow Sasuke, he stops when he notices Karin holding Jugo back and pulls out two pieces of clothing. One of which is disturbingly familiar to Jin. ¡°Hey, Karin?¡± Jin asks with a mix of confusion and disgust. ¡°I get why you would have some of Sasuke¡¯s old clothes, but why do you also have a piece of my old clothing?¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TAKEDA SARUTOBI: OVERVIEW APPEARANCE -Looks exactly like Scarlet Blaze from Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Online. Chapter 17 As Sasuke enters the Akatsuki Hideout on his own, leaving the rest of the Hebi to wait outside until Sasuke gives the order. Taking the time to relax Jin sits comfortably on a tree branch, drawing in his book. I miss the food from my old world¡­ Jin thinks dejectedly as he draws a burger resting on top of a pizza with an ice cream shake standing in the background. Karin, Suigetsu, and Jugo enter the cave that leads to the hideout, Rito jumps up to a branch near the one Jin¡¯s on. Jin can see that Rito is wearing a look of great accomplishment. ¡°What are you so happy about?¡± JIn asks with genuine curiosity. ¡°Remember when I was tinkering back at that inn?¡± Rito replies, still happy as can be. ¡°Yeah...?¡± Jin says, wondering where Rito is going with this. ¡°Here¡¯s what I was working on!¡± Rito shouts with excitement as he tosses a small object at JIn. After catching the object, Jin inspects it. Jin smiles after flipping it open. ¡°Congrats! You graduated from making 80s bricks to building flip-phones of the early 2000s.¡± Jin jokes to his proud friend. ¡°That¡¯s not all¡­!¡± Rito excitedly continues. ¡°I believe I¡¯ve figured out how to make planes!¡± ¡°Say what now?!¡± Jin asks dumbfounded as jumps to his feet. ¡°I know you¡¯re an engineering major, but didn¡¯t you die during your freshman year of college?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Rito answers. ¡°My question is, how would you ever know how to make a plane if you didn¡¯t finish college?¡± Jin questions full disbelief and confusion. ¡°You know how you¡¯re supposed to concentrate chakra into your feet whenever you want to walk on water or walls and trees?¡± Rito explains. ¡°Well I just thought, what if instead of concentrating chakra in my feet, how about I concentrate it in my brain?!¡± ¡°Ah, so you¡¯re increasing your intelligence for brief moments with chakra and using your high IQ to fill in the gaps for what you already know¡­?¡± Jin says, understanding what Rito has accomplished. ¡°That truly is awesome.¡± ¡°Why thank you.¡± Says a bowing Rito delightedly as Sasuke and the rest of the Hebi exit the Akatsuki Hideout. ¡°We¡¯re leaving, let¡¯s go.¡± Sasuke announces to the whole team. After Sasuke¡¯s battle with Itachi, we¡¯ll join up with the Akatsuki and fight Killer Bee and the current Five Kage¡­ Jin laments as the Hebi begin to hop through the trees towards the Uchiha Hideout. When Sasuke unleashes the Susano¡¯o at the Five Kage Summit, that will be the best time to leave, then Rito and I can do our own thing. ¡°I sense the same chakra all over the place.¡± Karin warns after several minutes of hopping through the trees. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we change our course, Sasuke?¡± Suigetsu asks. ¡°Ignore it, we¡¯ll just push through.¡± Orders a determined Sasuke. ¡°Good.¡± Suigetsu responds with relief. ¡°The long way around would¡¯ve been exhausting. Shortly after, the Hebi encounters Naruto on his own. Upon finding Sasuke, Naruto changes his course to intercept. ¡°SASUKE!!¡± Naruto roars as he charges at his self-proclaimed best friend. Just a shadow clone, nothing to worry about. Wind Style: Vacuum Bullet! Jin thinks as he exhales a small blast of wind chakra at Naruto, destroying the clone. ¡°It¡¯s Naruto¡­¡± Sasuke mutters, barely audible to the rest of the group. ¡°Multi-Shadow Clones, huh?¡± Karin assesses. ¡°It must be his chakra I sense all around us.¡± If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Almost there¡­ Jin thinks as the Hebi begin to run on the rooftops of an old, ghost town. As they get closer to their destination, Karin begins to tense up. ¡°There¡¯s a humongous chakra and it¡¯s fast¡­!¡± Karin warns the team. ¡°Incoming!¡± As the Hebi runs, they stop when someone with shark-like features, dressed in a black cloak with a red cloud pattern lands right in front of them while waving his big, bulky sword. Kisame Hoshikaki¡­ He¡¯s even uglier in ¡°real life.¡± Jin thinks as he examines the Akatsuki member. ¡°Only Sasuke alone may go beyond this point.¡± Kisame informs the group. ¡°Itachi¡¯s orders, so that¡¯s how it¡¯s going to be. The rest of you are welcome to wait right here with me.¡± Sasuke replies with, ¡°That¡¯s fine¡­¡± Since I have the time, I might as well plan for the battles ahead. Jin thinks as he sits through the conversation. Jin¡¯s eye¡¯s open wide with an epiphany. Oh, God. I¡¯m going to be using sage mode a shitton in the next few fights¡­ As Sasuke continues on alone and Suigetsu engages Kisame in a sword fight, all Jin can think is, I really should copy Frog Kumite from Naruto at the end of the Kage Summit arc¡­ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sometime later, Sasuke stands on a cliff with the Hebi and Tobi standing a few yards behind him. As Sasuke stares off into the distant sunset, Jin sits patiently and Rito is off to the side, tinkering. ...Yuuki give me give power Parapara power Ima yobisamase Nando uchinomesa reyou to¡­! Jin sings in his head as he draws Sasuke staring at the sunset into his book. After finishing the drawing, Jin begins to grow impatient. C¡¯mon¡­! Say the revenge line so we can continue the story! ¡°We are no longer the Hebi... From this day on, our team will be the Taka¡­¡± Sasuke says after being silent for sometime, still staring into the distance. ¡°...And Taka has but one goal. Our mission¡­ is to destroy the Hidden Leaf¡­!¡± Great! Now we just have to fight Killer Bee and Gyuki, the Eight-Tails and then the Five Kage¡­ Jin dreads in silence. I better keep my wits up. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Later, the Taka are in the main hideout of the Akatsuki. They are currently discussing the terms for joining up with Tobi and Kisame. I never knew it could be boring to just be a ride-along character in someone else¡¯s story. A bored Jin laments, yawning as the conversation begins. At least things will begin to speed up¡­ ¡°...will destroy the Leaf.¡± Sasuke announces to the Akatsuki member after taking a seat at the table. ¡°Easier said than done¡­¡± Tobi responds while taking a seat on the table itself. ¡°So how, what¡¯s your plan?¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to kill the elders, the others¡­ are of no concern to me.¡± Sasuke calmly answers. ¡°If you aim high, the ones below will shield them. It won¡¯t be as easy as you think.¡± Kisame points out. ¡°And you, Taka, don''t have the strength to handle something like this on your own.¡± ¡°Heh, listen, Kisame...¡± Suigetsu speaks up. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t underestimate us.¡± ¡°Stop it, Suigetsu! Don¡¯t!¡± Jugo warns his teammate. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Jin mutters as he facepalms. This would be so fun to watch if I wasn¡¯t in the room with the most dangerous characters currently in the story¡­ Tension fills the air as Suigetsu goes to swing his Executioner¡¯s Blade at Kisame, Tobi intervenes by blocking the attack with one hand. ¡°Sasuke, you haven¡¯t trained your team very well...:¡± Tobi states as he assesses the power and skill of Suigetsu¡¯s swing. ¡°Suigetsu, you idiot¡­!¡± Karin lectures her teammate. ¡°This isn¡¯t the time or pla--¡± ¡°My objective is that sword of his, Shark Skin!¡± Suigetsu snaps at the red-haired kunoichi. ¡°I¡¯ve been traveling with Sasuke only so I can get all seven swords!¡± ¡°You¡¯re not in his league, Kisame is the tailless tailed beast.¡± Jin warns. ¡°What now Sasuke?¡± Jugo asks, turning to face the rogue leaf ninja. ¡°Fine by me, do whatever you feel you have to, Suigetsu...¡± Sasuke calmly tells his ally. ¡°But know this, You can¡¯t win against him yet.¡± ¡°Geez¡­ thanks for the vote of confidence Sasuke.¡± Remarks a sarcastic Suigetsu. ¡°Have a little faith, I¡¯ll treat you to some shark¡¯s fin later.¡± Relief fills the room when Suigetsu lowers his blade and everyone calms down in turn. ¡°The Akatsuki is low on man power right now, we should avoid unnecessary skirmishes.¡± Tobi warns. AMAZING, this scene is a lot longer than I remember it to be! Jin thinks sarcastically as he sits through the remainder of the conversation. ¡°...Taka will capture the Eight-Tails, the Akatsuki will hunt the other.¡± Tobi continues. ¡°That means Naruto¡­¡± Chapter 18 I know the Taka is aligned with the world¡¯s most wanted terrorist organization right now, but I still think the black cloaks with red clouds are pretty fuckin¡¯ badass! Jin rejoices, taking his mind off the coming battle by admiring his new cloak as Suigetsu subdues a cloud ninja by the chain link fence by liquifying his arm and wrapping it through the fence and around the cloud ninja''s neck. ¡°So¡­ where is this Eight-Tails guy?¡± Suigetsu asks while making a menacing grin. ¡°I won¡¯t say anything! Not to the likes of you¡­!¡± The cornered cloud ninja reponds. Suigetsu tightens his hold upon hearing this while he chuckles. ¡°We of the Yotsuki clan are much stronger than that¡­! We don¡¯t betray one of our own¡­ ever!¡± ¡°A fearful heart is more likely to crack.¡± Sasuke says as he activates his Mangekyo Sharingan, putting the cloud ninja under his genjutsu. Courage, courage, Jin! Just do what Naruto did when he fights the Nine-Tails on the giant, island-like turtle¡­! A fearful Jin thinks as Sasuke interrogates the ninja under genjutsu. Even though Sasuke says we can leave, the Akatsuki isn¡¯t a group one can just walk away from¡­ ¡°Hey, Jin, you scared?¡± A concerned Rito asks as he tugs on Jin¡¯s sleeve. ¡°No, I¡¯m not scared, I¡¯m terrified.¡± Jin whispers while slightly trembling. ¡°We¡¯re about to face Killer Bee, Bee is the strongest jinchuriki when he¡¯s introduced and has full control of his tailed beast¡­¡± ¡°The Taka get royally fucked up and they don¡¯t even win, Killer Bee just substitutes himself out of the fight.¡± Jin continues. ¡°Oh, then stay behind me.¡± Rito mocks, putting his fist over his chest. ¡°I¡¯ll keep you safe!¡± ¡°Heh heh heh¡­ shut up, Rito!¡± Jin chuckles, now somewhat calmed down. As the Taka headout to face Killer Bee, Jin can¡¯t help but think, I wonder what would¡¯ve happened if I¡¯d stayed in the Leaf? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°...on sukiyaki for lunch! Yeah¡­!¡± Says a man with dark skin and a muscular build, as well as blond hair and a goatee as he dances down the stairs from his training grounds. ¡°Hmm?¡± The man wears oval-shaped sunglasses and a white-coloured forehead protector. He also has his village''s standard one-strap-over-one-shoulder flak jacket, and a long, red rope belt tied around his waist, the standard Kumo hand and shin guards, shinobi sandals, and a white scarf around his neck. ¡°Are you the jinchuriki host of the Eight-Tails?¡± Sasuke asks the man who stands before him. ¡°That¡¯s Lord Eight-Tails Sir to you. No wait, you say ``Are you Lord Jinchuriki Sir, got it?¡± the man corrects as he points at Sasuke. ¡°We¡¯re here to capture you.¡± Sasuke informs Bee. ¡°Nuh-uh, Now here¡¯s what you say--freeze, let me capture you sir, please. You got it?¡± The jinchuriki continues. Oh, yeah, all of his dialogue is in rap¡­ that¡¯s annoying! Jin thinks as his face contorts with cringe. ¡°Suigetsu, take the left and Jugo, the right.¡± Sasuke commands his team. ¡°Jin, cover me. Karin and Rito? Watch our backs.¡± ¡°Hmm? Let¡¯s see now.¡± The man mutters. ¡°Fool, ya fools!¡± Suigetgetsu runs at the jinchuriki and swings his Executioner¡¯s Blade downward. Upon impact, the ground below them shatters and a dust cloud kicks up. The dust cloud dissipates to reveal the Bee caught the blade with both hands and Suigetsu is struggling to force his sword down, the jinchuriki disarms Suigetsu of his sword, puts his head through the blade''s hole, and begins to twirl it around his neck as he raps. Jugo activates his sage transformation and attempts to attack the man from the side, but is countered and knocked to the ground, seemingly unconscious. ¡°My powers are flash and still more in my stash! Eight-Tails that be me, the rappin¡¯ Killer Bee.¡± Bee raps, introducing himself while posing. ¡°This battle you initiated, but I¡¯ll leave you humiliated! So, before you get disintegrated--OW! Bit my tongue¡­¡± The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. YUP, this guy¡¯s intense, gonna have to get serious¡­! Jin laments, activating his sage mode as Killer Bee tosses Jugo back to them. ¡°Stand back, I¡¯ll handle this.¡± Sasuke orders as he steps forward; Jin follows from behind. ¡°You¡¯re gonna need help.¡± Jin says standing at Sasuke¡¯s side. ¡°Just who in the hell are all yall? Fools, ya fools.¡± Bee raps. ¡°Yo, who are you? Why you wanna capture me? What¡¯s the deal, yo?¡± ¡°I¡¯m under no obligation to answer that.¡± Sasuke replies as he draws his sword with Jin exhaling wind chakra unto his own kunai, making a Vacuum Blade. ¡°We¡¯re going to use the Akatsuki, not the other way around. Keep that in mind.¡± ¡°What a joke, not to mention that he has zero rapping talent!¡± Karin yells with frustration and annoyance. ¡°Hold up fool, no need to be cruel.¡± Bee raps, defending himself from the verbal assault. Both Sasuke and Jin take advantage of the sudden opening and lunge at Bee in a flanking maneuver. As they each try to swing at the Eight-Tails jinchuriki, he parries them both, using Suigetsu¡¯s own sword against them. Killer Bee proceeds to swing at a mid-air Sasuke, but Sasuke thrusts his sword down through the Executioner Blade¡¯s hole, pinning it down and kicks Bee in the chest. Bee drops the blade and takes out a book and pen, unfazed by Sasuke¡¯s kick and writes in the book while muttering something inaudible to the group. Sasuke throws the Executioner Blade back to Suigetsu and Jin creates three shadow clones. ¡°I¡¯m feelin¡¯ hella fine, I just wrote the baddest rhyme.¡± Bee raps as he puts down his book and pen, drawing all eight of his swords. Bee jumps high into the air, launching himself at Sasuke engaging him in a sword battle. As the duel commences, Bee is able to nick Sasuke twice before he forces an opening and stabs Sasuke with six of his eight swords. The force of the stabs launches Sasuke a few meters away. The four Jin proceed to fight Killer Bee, one Jin jumps while slashing downward, but is blocked. The four Jins begin to circle around Bee and manage to land a few cuts and as their fight continues, Jin realizes he¡¯s lasting longer than Sasuke. YOU¡¯RE SHITTING ME!! I¡¯m actually holding my own against Killer Bee?! Well¡­ I am in sage mode and Killer Bee only has two swords on hand right now, so his attacks are easier t--SWEET, AN OPENING!! An encouraged Jin thinks as he creates a large sphere of green chakra in one hand. ¡°Sage Art: Massive Gelel Rasengan!!¡± Jin shouts as he runs at Killer Bee and tries to plow the attack into him. However, a tentacle-like tail erupts from Bee¡¯s back and slams Jin away into a nearby mountain. The Jin that hits the mountain disappears in a puff of smoke, revealing itself to be a shadow clone and the rasengan leaves a decently sized hole in another mountain. ¡°Forget that guy, that idiot got cocky and paid for it!¡± Commands another JIn as he creates Purple Lightning in his right hand. Killer Bee blitzes to Sasuke and performs a lariat, opening up Sasuke¡¯s chest cavity. As Karin and Jugo go to heal Sasuke, Suigetsu and the three remaining Jin continue their fight with Bee. Bee kicks Suigetsu away into the lake and throws his two swords, destroying the two Jin clones that were shielding the real Jin. Suddenly, crystal walls begin to emerge from the ground to form a funnel-like, narrowing down the route for Bee to dodge Jin¡¯s attack. For the briefest of moments, Jin looks behind him and sees Rito weaving signs. Jin lunges at Killer Bee with the Purple Lightning, but Bee dodges by jumping back a distance. However, while Bee is still in the air, Jin aims his Purple Lightning hand at the rapping ninja and the lightning strikes Bee from a distance. Because Kakashi hasn¡¯t invented this jutsu yet no one knows it can be used at long-range¡­ until now that is! Jin thinks, smiling with satisfaction as he watches Killer Bee being electrocuted. After a minute of feeling victorious, Jin begins to be consumed with fear. ¡°Disillusionment and destruction await. That will be your fate.¡± Killer Bee raps as he transforms into his tailed beast state, a giant octopus with an ox¡¯s head. ¡°When I transform into my true form, a beast you must meet, yeah. Cower to the power of the beast.¡± ¡°WHEEE!!!¡± Bee cries as he lunges at the group, but is halted by Suigetsu who has transformed into a giant demon-like fish made up of water. ¡°So you¡¯re a Water Style shinobi? You think you have the advantage?!¡± Bee yells as he rams into Suigetsu. ¡°Run while you can, guys! I got this!!¡± Suigetsu calls out to his team as he holds off the Eight-Tailed Killer Bee. Heeding Suigetsu¡¯s warning, the rest of the Taka begin to flee. Suigetsu rams back at Killer Bee and manages, as Bee recovers, he notices the rest of team Taka retreating. ¡°Yo, I¡¯m not letting you run away this late in the game, fools, ya fools!¡± Bee roars as he begins to condense a large amount of chakra into a black sphere. ¡°RUN!! HE¡¯S GONNA FIRE A TAILED BEAST BOMB!!!¡± A horrified Jin screams in an attempt to warn his comrades. Killer Bee fires the attack and it takes the form of a wave that completely decimates the entire area. A battle-damaged Jin picks himself out of the rubble and scans the area for his allies, he feels pain in his ribs when he breathes and coughs up some blood. Jin finds his Rito lying on the ground with blood covering his, Jin is unable to think and feels nothing but pain and intense, an all-consuming hatred. ¡°MULTI-SHADOW CLONE JUTSU!!¡± Jin yells, creating over three dozen shadow clones. They all run towards the transformed Killer Bee and jump at him like a swarm of hornets, all managing to dodge each of the Eight- Tails¡¯ tail swings. All the Jins use the remainder of their chakra to each form their own rasengans. ¡°SAGE ART: MASSIVE GELEL RASENGAN MEGA BARRAGE!!!!!!!¡± All of the Jins scream in outrage and vengeance as they all plow their spheres of spiraling chakra, causing a massive, bluish-green explosion. An exhausted Jin falls and all of his clones disappear, a damaged Bee burts out of the smoke for one final attack, but cries and spasms due to black flames suddenly appearing on his body. Heh heh¡­ choke on it you... bastard¡­ A still falling and exhausted Jin thinks as he loses consciousness. Chapter 19 On the outskirts of the border of the Land of Fire, within the Tonika Village, a massive tower-like structure has erupted from the ground, the Ama no Hoko. A red beam of energy is shooting out from the top into the sky, causing a continent-wide thunderstorm. The cloaked man is seen sitting patiently on the edge of the tower, gazing at the horizon when Mecha-Naruto walks out of the beam. Both the beam and the tower itself begin to shut down. ¡°Did you absorb all the power from this structure?¡± The cloaked man asks as the sky begins to clear. ¡°YES, THIS TOWER IS NOTHING, BUT A LARGE PIECE OF ROCK AND METAL NOW.¡± The robotic duplicate replies. ¡°MASTER, WHY DID YOU WARN THE VILLAGERS NEARBY?¡± ¡°Because causing them harm brings me nothing.¡± The cloaked man remarks as he stands up and crushes the device that controls the Ama no Hoko, the Saezuri with his bare hands. ¡°We¡¯ve amassed enough power, it¡¯s time to go.¡± ¡°WHERE EXACTLY ARE WE GOING?¡± Mecha-Naruto queries. ¡°To the Land of Iron¡­¡± The cloaked man calmly answers. ¡°It¡¯s finally time to finish what we started so long ago...¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°...Urrrgh¡­¡± A groggy Jin groans as he awakens from his slumber, massaging his temples. ¡°...Ugh¡­ what happened¡­?¡± ¡°GUYS?! JIN¡¯S AWAKE!¡± A bandaged Rito shouts with great elation. ¡°Rito¡­? What happened¡­?¡± Jin asks as he sits up, still dazed. He clutches his growling stomach. ¡°What happened was you went crazy and attacked the Eight-Tails on your own and Sasuke had to save you!¡± Karin lectures. ¡°You¡¯ve been out for three days now.¡± Everyone turns to face Sasuke due to him spilling a glass of water. ¡°Is something wrong, Sasuke?¡± Karin questions with concern. The Mangekyo Sharingan causes the user to go blind... Jin thinks to himself as he watches Sasuke cover his hand on his right eye. After the Five Kage Summit, Sasuke will have his eyes replaced with Itachi¡¯s¡­ ¡°Huh?¡± Karin gasps as she immediately faces her left in shock. ¡°I sense a chakra outside, it seems we were followed¡­¡± Sasuke and Jugo capture the cloud ninja spy, interrogate him for what he knows and what he¡¯s informed to his village, and then they kill him¡­ Jin recalls as Sasuke and Jugo head out. ¡°Rito, where are my clothes and where is the freeze-dried cup ramen? I¡¯m starving!¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sometime later, the Taka are all tree hopping through a forest, their destination is the Village Hidden in the Leaves. As the Taka continues to hop through trees, they pass by a castle. ¡°Is something wrong, Sasuke?¡± Jin asks, considering that Sasuke took a glance at the castle they just passed. Oh yeah, we¡¯re technically in the last episode of that flashback arc that takes place right after the Pain arc... ¡°It¡¯s nothing, let¡¯s go.¡± Sasuke commands. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sometime later, as the Taka continue to tree hop, they all stop in their tracks due to spotting Tobi up ahead. ¡°Hey, Sasuke.¡± Tobi says. ¡°Ugh, talk about bad timing.¡± Suigetsu sighs. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°How the hell did you know where I was anyway?¡± An irritated Sasuke asks. ¡°Don¡¯t take me lightly, I have powers far beyond your comprehension.¡± Tobi explains. ¡°So what do you want from me?¡± Sasuke continues to question. ¡°Team Taka left the Akatsuki a long time ago, we have no further business with you.¡± ¡°I warned you¡­ that you would die if you betrayed the Akatsuki.¡± Tobi remarks. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Jin asks as he leans on a tree with arms folded. Yeah, we¡¯re slowly reaching the climax so I¡¯ll be sitting through a ton of scenes¡­ that seriously sucks ass! ¡°The hunt for the tailed beasts.¡± Tobi answers. ¡°But we already captured the Eight-Tails and handed him over like you asked!¡± Karin reasons. ¡°That was a substitution¡­ In short, you blundered.¡± Tobi informs team Taka. ¡°It seems the Eight-Tails pulled a fast one on you.¡± ¡°Honestly, all of you have disappointed me.¡± Tobi continues to chastise. ¡°So what do you want us to do about it?¡± An annoyed Suigetsu asks. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s not our business anymore.¡± ¡°Wrong, you will complete the job you¡¯re assigned when you were with the Akatsuki.¡± Tobi corrects. ¡°Having said that, you can forget about the Eight-Tails. I have decided on a different mission.¡± ¡°And what if we decline?¡± Sasuke boldly threatens. ¡°Then we¡¯ll fight it out right here and you won¡¯t be able to go to the Hidden Leaf Village.¡± Tobi answers. Okay! Let¡¯s move this along. Jin thinks as he jumps at Tobi with a rasengan in his right hand. Jin thrusts the rasengan into Tobi, but it has no effect as Jin simply passes right through the Akatsuki leader. And now Zetsu will appear and tell us all about how Naruto beat Pain... ¡°Your objective seems so futile now, the Leaf Village is no more¡­¡± Tobi informs Sasuke, ignoring Jin¡¯s attack. ¡°I can explain everything that happened in the Leaf.¡± Zetsu announces as he emerges from the branch that Tobi is standing on. ¡°So, who¡¯s the new Hokage?¡± Tobi asks. ¡°It¡¯s that fellow, Danzo¡­¡± Zetsu answers. ¡°Danzo¡­! He¡¯s Hokage now?¡± Sasuke demands to know. ¡°Yes, one of the high-ranking elders that backed your brother into a corner.¡± Tobi informs the group. ¡°That¡¯s the man who¡¯s become the new Hokage.¡± ¡°Just what the hell happened back in the Leaf?¡± Jin queries. If I have to sit through all these scenes, I might as well participate in them. Sorry for stealing your line, Sasuke¡­ ¡°My subordinate, Pain, destroyed it... and thanks to both Pain and Taka showing off, it seems the five kage are going to take action.¡± Tobi goes on to explain. ¡°They¡¯re convening a summit conference.¡± ¡°Allow me, I¡¯ll explain it all¡­¡± Zetsu volunteers to explain. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°So, these Naruto and Ayanami people defeated Pain¡­?¡± Suigetsu questions. ¡°That¡¯s right, these two have become extremely strong.¡± Zetsu confirms the intel. ¡°In fact, I think they¡¯re stronger than Sasuke and rival JIn right now.¡± ¡°Wait--Jin¡¯s stronger than Sasuke?!¡± A shocked Karin asks. ¡°What? I dunno--maybe. I¡¯ve never really thought about who''s stronger between the two of us¡­¡± Jin says as he digests this new information. So Ayanami got strong enough to fight Pain? She must know sage mode now, good for her... ¡°Hmph, I don¡¯t care about that, what is a problem is this Five Kage Summit.¡± Sasuke says, making his thoughts known. ¡°So, what do we do? The Leaf Village is gone now¡­¡± A puzzled Suigetsu asks Sasuke. ¡±And Danzo is going to this meeting of the five kage then shouldn¡¯t we head over there too?¡± ¡°We the Taka will take the Hokage¡¯s head at the summit--new destination.¡± Sasuke orders with a dark glare in his eyes. ¡°Sounds like a plan.¡± Tobi says. Okay, so there¡¯ll be five kage--one who can one-shot us all, Onoki, the Third Tsuchikage, 10 aides who are all either high level jonin or kage level, and an army of samurai... Jin thinks as he assesses the opposition. Yeah, Sasuke unleashing his susanoo will be the perfect time to get the fuck outta Dodge! ¡°Uh, exactly where is the Five Kage Summit being held anyway?¡± JIn asks the Akatsuki members. I know it¡¯s in the Land of Iron, but I don¡¯t know the exact location. ¡°My clone will guide you there¡­¡± Zetsu replies as his two Venus flytrap-like extensions open up a man with all of his right side being white as snow and the left half as black as obsidian. The man splits himself in two and each half now lives and functions independently of each other. White Zetsu begins to tree hop, leading the Taka to their new destination. That was and will be the grossest thing I¡¯ve ever seen since reincarnating to this world¡­! Jin thinks, shuddering as he and the rest of Taka follow White Zetsu. Chapter 20 ¡°M-man it¡¯s really g-getting cold out.¡± Suigetsu complains, shivering as the Taka and White Zetsu both tree hop through a forest covered in snow. He¡¯s right, it is cold, I¡¯ll just activate sage mode aa~nd¡­ Jin thinks to himself, activating his sage mode. His body begins to warm up and ignore the weather. AAHH¡­ That¡¯s much better. ¡°That Land of Iron is just a stone¡¯s throw away from here...¡± White Zetsu announces to the group. ¡°Hmm? Hold on--there¡¯s something just up ahead!¡± Karin warns the team. ¡°What?¡± Sasuke asks. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Taka have hidden themselves in a crevasse behind a tree due to there being many armed samurai guards in the area. Suigetsu has just returned from scouting the area. ¡°Well¡­?¡± Karin asks her begrudging ally. ¡°They¡¯ve fortified their defenses because of the Five Kage Summit.¡± Suigetsu reports to the team. ¡°Jugo, listen, you have to use the animals and scout out the least defended route you can find to the summit site.¡± Sasuke orders Judo. Jugo simply responds with, ¡°Right, I¡¯m on it.¡± While the team discusses how they''re going to infiltrate the summit, Jin pulls Rito to the side. ¡°You want me to wait here, don¡¯t ya?¡± Rito sighs, aware of what¡¯s about to happen. ¡°Yeah, pretty much--this fight truly is out of your league, sorry...¡± Jin replies in a whisper. ¡°We¡¯ll be back soon.¡± As Rito watches the team headout, he can¡¯t help but feel frustrated despite understanding why he can¡¯t come. Thirty minutes later, as Rito sits down and prepares to tinker with his devices, he hears a twig snap. ¡°Who¡¯s there?!¡± An on edge Rito demands as he uses crystal style to create a pair of crystal daggers. ¡°Show yourself!¡± ¡°Well, hello, Rito.¡± Says a voice from behind. Upon hearing the voice, Rito quickly spins around while throwing one of his daggers. However, the cloaked figure simply catches the dagger between the index and middle fingers on his left hand. The cloaked figure tosses the dagger away and another person walks out from the brush. The 2nd figure¡¯s robotic features makes Rito¡¯s jaw drop open. ¡°You should be more quiet and subtle. Afterall, you¡¯re deep in enemy territory.¡± The cloaked figure says, brushing off Rito¡¯s failed attack. ¡°A mechanical ninja? Or an advanced puppet¡­?¡± Rito asks aloud with so many questions running through his head. ¡°MASTER, CAN WE PLEASE HURRY THIS UP? ALL THIS COLD AND SNOW IS CAUSING MY SYSTEMS TO MALFUNCTION.¡± The robotic man begs. ¡°We¡¯ll leave when we¡¯re done.¡± The cloaked figure reassures his partner. ¡°Just who in the hell are you guys?¡± Asks a suspicious Rito with narrowed eyes. ¡°Think of us as friends.¡± The cloaked figure says as he holds out his right hand. ¡°Now come with me if you want to live.¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- After the Taka successfully infiltrate the summit, they hide in the shadows, behind pillars, waiting for a chance to ambush Danzo. White Zetsu has already left the group several minutes ago. There¡¯s that itch again¡­ Thinks a shuddering JIn as he examines the architecture of the summit building while still hiding. He stands on the ceiling, behind a column in the shadows. I should take out Cee first and I think I can get Temari to get mad and make mistakes if I act like a pervert¡­ Moments later, a squad of samurai enter the chambers that the Taka are currently in and begin to search it for intruders. Sasuke walks out into the open revealing himself. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. ¡°I¡¯m very irritated right now¡­ attack and I doubt I can hold back.¡± Sasuke warns all of the samurai before him. ¡°I could say the same to you!¡± One samurai says as he swings his sword at Sasuke after coating it in chakra, releasing a sharp crescent of chakra in the arc that the blade was swung, the Flash technique. Sasuke casually blocks the attack by swinging his Chidori Blade upward. We already became international criminals the instant we broke into the place, so it doesn¡¯t really matter if we kill off some of these stormtrooper wannabes¡­ A somewhat guilt ridden Jin reasons with himself as he jumps down to aid Sasuke. ...and I don¡¯t even know who¡¯s under all these samurai masks, so that¡¯s a good thing¡­ I guess¡­? While descending, Jin does a flip and cuts down a samurai with his Vacuum Blade. Jin and Sasuke cut down samurai left and right, Their blood splatters on the ground with each swing. With one swing, Jin kills two samurai and kills another by stabbing him. Three samurai jump into the air and they each perform the same long-range attack as the first samurai that Sasuke had killed. As the three Flashes fly at Jin and Sasuke, Jugo activates his sage transformation, jumps out of his hiding place, and blocks the attack for them. Even with sage mode, I have to use kenjutsu to deal with these fodder characters. Jin broods as he pulls his Vacuum Blade out of the dead samurai. I need to conserve chakra for the fight with the two of the five kage, Gaara and Ay¡­ The ceiling shatters, forcing Jin, Jugo, and Sasuke to jump back. The dust clears to reveal a dark-skinned man with a large muscular build, blond hair combed back, and a small moustache and goatee. He¡¯s coated with lightning chakra and has two subordinates at his sides. Naruto in sage mode was able to react and keep up with the Third Raikage and beat him with a well placed Rasengan. A determined Jin thinks, psyching himself up. I have sage mode, the Rasengan, the Body Flicker, and a Gelel Stone in my chest, so that should be more than enough¡­ ¡°Hey, kid?! *I* am gonna teach you the fear of true fury¡­!¡± The Fourth Raikage, Ay declares as he pulls off his white haori. Sasuke charges at the Raikage, prepared to swing his Chidori Blade at him, but is stopped due to one of the Raikage¡¯s guards, Darui countering with a combination of Water and Lightning Style jutsu. Sasuke is knocked back by the combination jutsu to his allies. ¡°I¡¯ll stop them¡­!¡± Cee, the other guard mutters in declaration. He weaves several signs and a blinding light emanates from him. ¡°Lightning Illusion: Flash Pillar!¡± Sasuke was going to take Cee out of the fight with a genjutsu anyway¡­ JIn thinks to himself as he breaks free of Cee¡¯s genjutsu. The red-haired rogue blitzes to Cee¡¯s location and punches him through a column, knocking the cloud ninja unconscious. ¡°No genjutsu for you!¡± ¡°CEE!¡± Darui calls out to his ally. Suigetsu jumps at Darui and the two engage in a swordfight and Jugo fully transforms and blasts the Raikage with many jet booster-like appendages. The dust dissipates, reveal the Raikage is no longer there. ¡°YEAHA HA HA HA! I JUST KILLED HIM, I JUST KILLED THE BIG GUY!!!¡± Jugo cackles menacingly in celebration. Even though Jugo is crazy, I still think his full transformation looks pretty badass. Jin thinks as he casually stabs, without even looking, a samurai who tried to sneak attack him from behind. I just love how sage mode allows me to passively sense chakra all around me! ¡°NOW, WHO¡¯S NEX--AARRGH?!!!¡± Jugo yells as Raikage Ay elbows him from the side, sending him flying into the wall, causing a crater to form. Sasuke tries to swing at him with the Chidori Blade, but not only does it not work, the blade is knocked out of Sasuke¡¯s hand due to the strong defense of the Raikage¡¯s Lightning Cloak. Sasuke then charges at the Raikage with a Chidori and manages to pierce Ay¡¯s Lightning Cloak, but is barely able to get his fingers into Ay¡¯s chest. Raikage Ay then grabs Sasuke by his rope-like belt and performs his Liger Bomb technique, completely shattering the ground where Sasuke made impact. ¡°Fire Style: Fireball Rasengan.¡± Jin says as he blitzes to the Raikage and slams the senjutsu enhanced attack into Ay, launching him some distance away. ¡°You okay, Sasuke?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Sasuke replies in an irritated tone as he stands up. Purple chakra comes off him as he opens his eyes, revealing the Mangekyo Sharingan. More samurai arrive, surrounding Ay, Jin, and Sasuke. Jin creates six shadow clones to deal with the samurai reinforcements. Sasuke uses Amaterasu on Ay, but the Raikage dodges the attack and a samurai that was standing behind him gets hit instead. The Raikage suddenly appears at Jin¡¯s side and performs the Lateral Bolt of Pain attack. Wind Style beats Lightning Style¡­! Thinks a smug Jin as he narrowly avoids the attack and counters with his Vacuum Blade, severing the Raikage¡¯s left arm. ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate the Raikage!¡± Yells an enraged Ay as he punches Jin into Sasuke. ¡°You¡¯re finished now!¡± Raikage Ay says while jumping into the air and prepares to finish the two off with by performing a powerful downward kick. ¡°Guillotine Drop!!¡± ¡°Inferno Style: Flame Control!¡± Sasuke says, coating his susanoo ribcage in black flames and has the flames change shape into spikes. C¡¯MON, SHOW YOURSELF GAARA!! Jin thinks while he looks on in horror as he has been caught in the middle of Sasuke and Ay¡¯s game of chicken. Just before the Raikage can even make contact with Sasuke¡¯s spikes of black flames, sand appears and separates them. ¡°Gaara of the Sand¡­¡± Sasuke mutters as he and Jin get to their feet. Oh, thank God¡­ Thinks a relieved Jin as he begins to weave signs. Just a little longer and then I¡¯ll be free to make my getaway¡­! Chapter 21 As Gaara¡¯s sand returns to his gourd, Kankuro and Temari save the samurai that was being burned by Sasuke¡¯s black flames. ¡°All you samurai stay back, this is a problem for the shinobi world¡­¡± Gaara remarks as he takes a few steps forward. ¡°There is no need for samurai to become casualties.¡± ¡°Why¡¯d you interfere, Kazekage? Your answer will determine your punishment!¡± Ay demands. ¡°If you¡¯d continued your attack, the black flames would¡¯ve further injured you.¡± Gaara answers. ¡° Besides¡­ I wish to speak to Sasuke Uchiha.¡± There is a moment of pause, tension is still thick in the air. The Raikage takes the moment to have Cee stop the bleeding from his missing arm. Jin braces himself for what he knows is about to happen. ¡°Your eyes are still as they were in the past¡­¡± Gaara continues, breaking the silence. ¡°I¡¯ve come to realize that making vengeance one¡¯s bread of life does not resolve anything. It¡¯s not too late for you, don¡¯t withdraw into your own world, obsessed with hatred¡­ or you won¡¯t be able to return.¡± ¡°If I were to return, what is there for me on your side?¡± Sasuke asks, unconvinced. ¡°Gaara, they became international criminals the moment they broke into the summit, they have no future.¡± Kankuro reasons. ¡°He¡¯s fallen to the likes of the Akatsuki, he¡¯s not like you¡­¡± Temari adds. ¡°No future? HA! We¡¯ll see about that.¡± An amused JIn giggles, pointing his Vacuum Blade at the Kazekage and his two guards. ¡°Sasuke, you and I are quite alike.¡± Gaara continues, ignoring Jin''s remark. ¡°We both walked in the darkness of this world, so your eyes should pick up even the faintest glimmer of light.¡± ¡°I shut my eyes a long time ago, the things I seek now lie only in the darkness.¡± Replies a smug Sasuke. I know Sasuke is a revenge obsessed edge-lord right now, but I still think that line¡¯s pretty cool. Jin thinks after hearing Sasuke¡¯s words again. I¡¯ll just hide behind Sasuke for now... Sand erupts from Gaara¡¯s gourd and Sasuke reactivates his susanoo ribcage and arm. Sasuke uses the Amaterasu on Gaara, but the Kazekage is able to block it with his sand. ¡°You block my Inferno Style well, I¡¯m impressed.¡± A still menacingly smug Sasuke comments while both he and Jin jump back. ¡°Your ultimate defense is in good shape.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll join you, sand guys!¡± Darui says as he runs to stand beside the sand ninja. The cloud ninja clasps his hands together and fires several beams at Sasuke. ¡°Gale Style: Laser Circus!¡± ¡°Secret Red Move: Puppet Triad!¡± Kankuro yells as he commands his Sasori puppet to fire several triangular blades with explosive balls attached to them from the neck and palms of the puppet. ¡°Wind Scythe Jutsu!¡± Temari shouts as she uses her Giant Folding Fan to cause many currents of wind to collide with each other, creating vacuum pockets aimed at Sasuke. ¡°Sand Shower Barrage!¡± Gaara says as he rapidly fires bullet-like sand at Sasuke. As all four attacks fly at Sasuke, Jin takes the opportunity to take a large jump back to where his back is against the wall. When all four attacks reach Sasuke an explosion occurs. ¡°Let me show my darkness!¡± Sasuke says as a large, purple, glowing silhouette creeps out of the smokescreen. Now that is pretty damn cool¡­ Jin thinks as he watches the susanoo in action from behind. Unknown to Jin, a tear silently and suddenly appears right behind the red-haired rogue and slowly, but surely it increases in size. Sasuke¡¯s skeletal susanoo swings its massive sword, destroying all the pillars and causing the ceiling to collapse. As debris from what was the ceiling falls, the tear has grown into a portal the size of a person. A hand reaches from out of the portal and grabs Jin by his ponytail and pulls hard. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°OWOWOWOWOWOWOW!!!¡± Jin yelps in pain and shock as he is dragged through the portal by his ponytail, dropping his Vacuum Blade which turns back into a normal kunai. WHAT THE--?! The portal immediately closes the instant Jin fully passes through and the red-haired rogue is thrown against a wall. After getting up, Jin quickly checks his surroundings and finds that he is in a cave and two figures blocking his exit, one is cloaked with his face covered and the other is very familiar to Jin. Mecha-Naruto?! But how-- nevermind, doesn¡¯t matter¡­! Jin thinks as he creates a Rasengan in each of his hands. ¡°I don¡¯t know who you are, but you messed with the wrong ninja¡­!¡± ¡°Jin--dude, it¡¯s okay! They''re on our side!¡± Rito says as he runs from deeper in the cave to his red-haired friend. Rito stands in between Jin and the two figures, using his ten-year-old body as a shield to protect the two. ¡°Wait what¡­?!¡± Says an unconvinced Jin as he still holds his two Rasengans, prepared to attack. ¡°He¡¯s right, Jin. You should trust in your friend¡¯s judgement...¡± The cloaked figure says coyly as he removes his hood and mask, revealing a very familiar yet aged face to Jin. ¡°Afterall, who else can you trust?¡± Jin¡¯s eyes widen with surprise as he gazes at the figure¡¯s face. He has a Byakugan in his right eye, a Rinnegan with six tomoe in his left eye, and the rest of his features are all too familiar to Jin, only aged, rugged and somewhat depressed. He calms down and takes a deep breath, now realizing what¡¯s happening. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ve seen all of Dragon Ball and a fuck ton of other shows, movies, and games that¡¯ve used the same trope.¡± Jin remarks to the group in front of him. ¡°So, what the fuck happened in the future that was so bad that I had to travel back in time to fix?¡± ¡°You may want to sit down, this exposition dump could take a minute.¡± Future Jin beckons as he, himself gets comfortable. ¡°Do you remember Moryo¡­?¡± ¡°Moryo? You mean the demon from the first Naruto Shippuden movie?¡± Jin questions with Future Jin nodding in response. ¡°Yeah, I remember him--what about him?¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Meanwhile, within the deepest cell of the Leaf Villages Maximum Security Prison lies a scroll. The scroll suddenly begins to twitch and shake profusely so much that it falls from the pedestal that it rests on. Once it hit the ground, it opens up and black miasma erupts from the pages. ¡°AHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! NOTHING CAN STOP ME!!¡± Hiruko cackles as he breaks free of the scroll that was used to seal him away. ¡°It¡¯s a shame that I had to rely on filthy humans to get this far, but oh well¡­¡± ¡°Hey! Who¡¯s there?¡± A leaf ninja announces peering into the room. ¡°This is a restricted area-- who are y--?!¡± A single tan coloured arm shoots out of Hiruko¡¯s right shoulder and grabs the leaf ninja by the throat, hoisting him in the air. Hiruko proceeds to drain the leaf ninja dry of his chakra and tosses the lifeless body away. ¡°My loyal minions have already captured the priestess and feudal lord of the Land of Ogres by now¡­¡± Hiruko thinks out loud as his skin and hair change from a pale white to dark purple and his emaciated body begins to grow muscles. ¡°So, I¡¯m free to merge with my true body and then I can merge with the legendary light dragon of Mt. Koryu¡­¡± ¡°...This Kaguya Otsutsuki will be nothing before me and once I absorb her I will attain true godhood!¡± Hiruko continues as he breaks out from the depths of the Leaf Village¡¯s maximum Security Prison, freeing a menagerie of other prisoners in the process as he uses Quick Style to run towards his destination. ¡°I THE GREAT LORD MORYO WILL RULE THIS ENTIRE WORLD!!!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know who that guy was, but I¡¯m grateful¡­¡± A prisoner with white hair says in the ensuing chaos of the prison as he clenches his fists. ¡°Now I can seek out Lord Orochimaru and gain even more power then this village will be in for a rude awakening...!¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Let me get this straight, Moryo possesses Kazuya, makes himself a pseudo-jinchuriki, using the Zero-Tails, let¡¯s Hiruko absorb him so he can possess Hiruko, and then uses Hiruko¡¯s Chimera Jutsu to fuse with his original, true body¡­¡± Jin says, abbreviating his future self¡¯s long-winded explanation. ¡°He does all of this so he can absorb Kaguya with the Chimera Jutsu and become a god¡­?¡± ¡°Yes, he then easily defeats Sixth Paths Sage Mode Naruto and Rinnegan Sasuke--and goes on to eliminate the remaining shinobi and rule the world.¡± Future Jin asserts with a somber expression. ¡°The world did resist for a time but¡­ well, the lucky ones died fighting¡­¡± ¡°I alone survived--a rat in the walls of Moryo¡¯s construct.¡± Future Jin continues as he stands up with a look of determination. ¡°I have traveled through time to warn you... This is my past, but your future and it means the end of humanity, so together, we must change it!¡± ¡°Well I¡¯m convinced. What about you, Jin?¡± Rito asks with a mix of excitement and anxiety. ¡°If I don¡¯t do anything, the world gets royally fucked, we don¡¯t get to accomplish our goals, and I end up like this guy.¡± Jin says calmly as he points towards his future self. ¡°It¡¯s in my best interest to help. So, let¡¯s go save the world!¡± ¡°Excellent! First, we need to go to the bridge where Sasuke fights Danzo.¡± Future Jin remarks. ¡°Why the hell do we need to go there¡­?¡± Queries a puzzled Jin. ¡°What¡¯s there?¡± ¡°We need to recruit one last person to our little band.¡± Answers the time-traveller in a joking manner. Chapter 22 ¡°So, is it safe to say that you¡¯re the one who made Jin into some hero who shepherd''s people to the Land of Demons?¡± Rito asks Future Jin as they group makes the trek towards the Samurai Bridge. ¡°Yes, that was me.¡± Future Jin says as he puts his mask and hood back on. ¡°By the way, for the time being--call me ¡® ¡®Echo.¡± I bet some cool new movies and games came out back in my old world¡­ Jin thinks as he draws a picture of Commander Shepard shaking hands with Anakin Skywalker in his little book while he partially pays attention to Rito and his future self¡¯s conversation. ¡°Hey, fu--Echo, just so you know, your shenanigans nearly got me killed by Orochimaru.¡± ¡°Oh, really? Sorry¡­¡± Echo says with sincerity. As the group arrives towards the crater in the bridge that has just recently become Danzo¡¯s death bed. After a moment of waiting, Jin is still drawing in his book when he hears a very familiar voice call out to him. ¡°Jin!!¡± Someone calls from behind Jin¡¯s group. ¡°Well, if it isn¡¯t Hanzo Mishima¡­¡± Jin sighs as he turns to face his old sensei, putting his book away. ¡°...and I see you¡¯ve brought the rest of Team 1 and Team 3 too. Is this a class reunion, where is everyone else¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, Jin¡­¡± Hanzo says full of disappointment. ¡°So it has.¡± A casually indifferent Jin agrees. ¡°So what brings you all here?¡± ¡°We¡¯re here to bring you back to the Leaf.¡± Ayanami boldly answers. ¡°Alternatively, we¡¯re here to eliminate you.¡± Byakuya of Team 3 adds. ¡°Your choice.¡± ¡°You talk like you can honestly crush me at any time, Byakuya Hatake--stop acting like I¡¯m still a leaf shinobi.¡± Jin says with his sage mode still activated. ¡°The only one in your group strong enough to even fight me is Ayanami.¡± ¡°We¡¯re on a tight schedule, could you all please get out of our way?¡± Rito asks, gesturing to them to leave. That reminds me¡­ if Ayanami trained with Naruto to learn sage mode then she must know Frog Kumite¡­ Jin ponders as he uses his Probe Jutsu on the Hyuga kunoichi. The red-haired rogue smiles with satisfaction. ...and now I know it as well. An annoyed Takeda takes a few step forward while shouting, ¡°I don¡¯t know who you are kid, but stay o--¡± ¡°No, the boy is right, you¡¯re not getting Jin.¡± An impatient Echo interrupts as he points at the leaf ninja. ¡°However, you will hand the Hyuga girl over to us.¡± So, our team¡¯s final member is Ayanami? Figures¡­ Jin broods as he begins to infuse chakra, preparing for a fight. ¡°You¡¯re not laying a hand on my friend!¡± Mikasa shouts as she pulls out her Giant Folding fan and prepares to launch a Wind Style jutsu. ¡°NARUTO BEAM!¡± Mecha-Naruto says as he fires eye beams, blowing a large hole into Mikasa¡¯s fan. ¡°You¡¯re going down you traitor!!¡± Takeda yells as he runs at Jin. Echo blitzes to Takeda¡¯s side, intercepting him by grabbing him by the head and throws him into a wall creating a massive crater in the process. Echo then turns to face Mikasa and knocks her out with a knee to her jaw, Mikasa is sent up into the air for a few seconds then lands hard on the ground with a thud. ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re being a little too brutal¡­?¡± Jin asks, feeling some concern for the leaf ninja. ¡°They¡¯re just going to interfere, so I¡¯m removing them from the equation.¡± Echo coldly answers as he uses his six-tomoe Rinnegan to put Ayanami under genjutsu,picking up the kunoichi and begins to carry her on his shoulder. ¡°DON¡¯T TOUCH MY COMRADES!!!¡± Byakuya yells as runs at Echo with his own Chidori Blade, preparing to cut the cloaked ninja down. ¡°Oh no you don¡¯t.¡± Jin mocks as he blitzes right in front of Byakuya, casually clashing the Chidori Blade with his Vacuum Blade. ¡°Believe it or not, I used to want to fight you, used to...¡± This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. ¡°Should¡¯ve come quietly.¡± Byakuya growls, struggling to gain the upper hand. ¡°I¡¯m standing my ground.¡± Jin declares rebelliously as he breaks the clash by kicking the leaf ninja off the bridge. He falls into the water and resurfaces unconscious as the current carries him away. WOAH, Frog Kumite is epic--just epic¡­! Jin turns to see that the rest of his former team has already been defeated by Mecha-Naruto with Rito using Crystal Style to encase them from the neck down. The red-haired rogue slowly approaches his former teacher with a look of concern mixed with determination. ¡°Hanzo, once you¡¯re free and collect your defeated team, return to the Hidden Leaf.¡± Jin says with an ominous tone. ¡°War is coming¡­¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Asks Hanzo with a mix of disappointment, anger, and confusion. ¡°Speak with Kakashi, he¡¯ll explain it all¡­¡± Jin continues before returning to his group. ¡°Please, Jin, come back to us--we¡¯re all worried about you!¡± Yuno pleads with tears in her eyes, still encased in crystal. ¡°I don¡¯t understand why you¡¯re doing this?! Please tell me!!¡± ¡°The path I walk is different from yours.¡± Jin says, continuing to walk back to his allies as he cracks his fingers. ¡°The things I seek are beyond your comprehension.¡± Jin proceeds to draw some of his blood and performs the Summoning Jutsu. The smoke clears to reveal a large hawk, but it''s wearing a blue scarf. ¡°Hey, Kuchibashi? Where¡¯s your mother, Tsume?¡± Jin asks the giant hawk under his feet. ¡°Mom was busy, so I came instead.¡± Kuchibashi answers with gusto as the rest of the group climbs on. ¡°So, where ''ya headed to?¡± ¡°Yeah, where are we going?¡± Jin asks Echo. ¡°The Waterfall of Truth on the Island Turtle.¡± Echo replies. ¡°I know it¡¯s current location and it¡¯s next destination. ¡°You heard him.¡± Jin remarks to Kuchibashi. ¡°ALL RI~GHT, LETS GO~OOO!!!¡± Kuchibashi roars with excitement as he begins to flap his wings and flies away. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°...I get that you need my help to save the world, but you didn¡¯t have to put me under genjutsu!¡± Ayanami mutters with anger after hearing Echo¡¯s exposition dump. ¡°I mean seriously, what the hell?!!¡± ¡°I know right? Me and Jin were saying the same thing to Echo just a little while ago.¡± Rito reassures the kunoichi as Kuchibashi flies over the ocean. ¡°Echo, earlier you said that Moryo also merges with the five elemental dragons of Mt. Koryu to become the legendary light dragon.¡± A curious and worried Jin states. ¡°Where exactly is the dragon blade¡­?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know all the details, but apparently Moryo (while possessing Kazuya) took it from the Tatsushiro siblings and managed to destroy it¡­¡± Echo explains to Jin. ¡°...then for sadism''s sake, he sold Akari and Kuroma to a band of bandits. Later, we came along and saved them...¡± ¡°While I¡¯m glad we were able to help them, I can help but think ¡®what the fuck?!¡± An anxious Jin remarks from hearing this new information. ¡°How in the hell are we supposed to fight him? The only way to fight any of the dragons in that game was the Dragon Blade--it was the only weapon that could hurt them!¡± ¡°That¡¯s why we¡¯re headed to the Waterfall of Truth¡­¡± Echo calmly answers. ¡°I¡¯m thinking that sage mode combined with sixth paths power will be enough to destroy him.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nice that you have so much faith in us, but¡­¡± Ayanami chimes in. ¡°But, what? Out with it.¡± Echo demands. ¡°What she means is, we¡¯re just background characters¡­¡± Rito adds, turning his head away from the wind. ¡°How can we save the world when we could die from just a random encounter with a no-name rogue ninja, disease, or a monster¡­?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ I had time to postulate on this¡­¡± Echo begins to answer. ¡°My best bet is that it has to do with us being reincarnations--we may live and be a part of this world, but we¡¯re not subject to its plot. Isn¡¯t that right, Jin?¡± A confused Jin can only respond with, ¡°Say wha--?¡± ¡°Think about it, Jin. You--we have defeated several movie villains when Naruto was supposed to with a movie-exclusive super Rasengan¡­¡± Echo explains while pointing at the red-haired rogue. ¡°We breezed through the Chunin Exams with little difficulty, we¡¯ve acquired power that no background character should have, and we even severed the Raikage¡¯s left arm when Sasuke was supposed to set it ablaze with the Amaterasu.¡± ¡°Ayanami acquired sage mode and helped Naruto defeat Pain.¡± Echo continues to prove his theory. ¡°Even Rito possesses both a curse mark and Crystal Style, he¡¯s even able to recreate technology from our--oh, we¡¯ve reached our destination¡­¡± The group look on as Echo points towards the slowly moving island on the horizon. The fins and tail can barely be made out. So, this is the Island Turtle¡­? Jin thinks to himself as he watches the living island swim. It¡¯s actually pretty cool in person! Character Sheet 3 Characters: FUTURE JIN: OVERVIEW APPEARANCE KUCHIBASHI: OVERVIEW APPEARANCE MIKASA: OVERVIEW APPEARANCE Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. BYAKUYA HATAKE: OVERVIEW APPEARANCE HANZO MISHIMA: OVERVIEW APPEARANCE Teams: TEAM 1: OVERVIEW TEAM 3: OVERVIEW Chapter 23 Upon arriving at the Island Turtle, Kuchibashi slowly descends and lands near the Waterfall of Truth. Jin and his team jump down from the giant hawk¡¯s back and survey the surrounding area. This is so cool, I may have to commit this to memory so I can draw this later. Jin thinks as he¡¯s mesmerized by the island''s ancient, mystic beauty. ¡°So¡­ why are we here again¡­?¡± Ayanami asks after she kneels down and cleans her face with the water from the fall. ¡°Echo wants us to sit before the waterfall and face our true selves, the darkness in our hearts.¡± Jin casually answers. ¡°This is where jinchuriki train to control their tailed beasts¡­¡± ¡°But we don¡¯t have tailed beasts¡­¡± Rito chimes in as he looks on at the wildlife roaming the island. ¡°Before I help you all grind and level up, I need you all at your best--physically, mentally, and emotionally.¡± Echo finally replies as he points toward the platform at Waterfall of Truth¡¯s base. ¡°You three sit on the platform, concentrate, and face your true self as they exit the fall¡­¡± Echo stoically continues. ¡°...and Mecha-Naruto and I will protect you from the animals and any cloud ninja in the meantime.¡± Feeling a mixture of excitement and anxiety, Jin walks over to the platform and sits down, with Rito and Ayanami following suit shortly after. The red-haired rogue closes his eyes and he is transported into the depths of his mind. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Hey you, didja call for me¡­?¡± Asks a familiar voice in a sneering manner. Upon hearing the voice Jin opens his eyes and looks around at his surroundings only to find that he¡¯s still at the Fall of Truth. The only differences are that the area is now covered in a mysterious fog and Jin is alone with the being that exited from the waterfall. After taking in the scenery, Jin finally faces his true self and stares into his red eyes. ¡°So you''re me¡­? You¡¯re the darkness in my soul?¡± Jin asks as he stands up and walks toward his true self. ¡°In the flesh¡­ or spirit--you know what the fuck I mean.¡± Dark Jin says as he also walks toward Jin. As the two Jins stand literally inches away from each other, Jin grapes Dark Jin by his cheeks and examines his face. Huh, I never really looked at my reflection before, if it weren''t for my hair being red, my eyebrows not being shaved, and having a light skin tone, I¡¯d be a dead ringer for Indra. Jin thinks as he takes a closer look at his true self. Now I see why all the girls think I¡¯m handsome¡­ ¡°What the hell are you doing?! Step off!!¡± Dark Jin shouts as he shoves Jin away. ¡°Since you¡¯re me you should already know what¡¯s going to happen, right?¡± Jin asks, getting back up and dusting himself off. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Dark Jin answers on a somber note. ¡°Is there anything I can say to get you to join the dark side¡­?¡± ¡°Nope, but I accept that you¡¯re a part of me.¡± Jin answers as he hugs his true self. ¡°All I can do is try to be better than what I already am.¡± ¡°Heh.. very well, but you should be worried about our future-self¡­¡± Dark Jin warns as he fades away. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°How long was I in there?¡± Jin yawns, stretching as he comes back to reality. ¡°What. The. Fuck?¡± Eyes widened with horror, Jin looks at his surroundings to see that nearly the entire area is filled with bodies of cloud ninja. Jin looks downward and sees that the plunge pool now has a red tint to it as the water flows down the stream. The red-haired rogue turns to face his future counterpart with rage and confusion festering in every fiber of his being. ¡°Just what the hell have you done?!¡± A furious Jin shouts at his ally from the future. ¡°They were in the way.¡± Echo answers with a calm and callous demeanor. ¡°Are you telling me that couldn¡¯t have--oh, I don¡¯t know, knocked them the fuck out and used our Mind Eater Jutsu to erase their memories?!¡± Jin continues. ¡°A waste of chakra.¡± Echo avows. ¡°I¡¯m already a rogue ninja and an international criminal, I don¡¯t need mass murder on my list of crimes!¡± Jin argues as he reaches for a rock in order to throw it at the masked time-traveller. Growing tired of Jin¡¯s outburst, Echo suddenly appears right in front of Jin and lifts him up by his shirt. Jin goes silent and his blood runs cold when he sees Echo¡¯s eyes through his mask. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare judge me, I will do what is necessary to change the future.¡± Echo orders as he throws Jin to the ground. ¡°So get with the fucking program.¡± ¡°What made us into such a cold and ruthless asshole¡­?!¡± Jin asks in defiance as he gets to his feet. ¡°Enough talk, it¡¯s time to continue our mission.¡± Echo says pointing towards Ayanami and Rito as they wake up from their own trials. ¡°AAARRGHH!!¡± Ayanami shrieks with fear. ¡°What the hell happened here?!¡± Rito asks with shock and horror as he sees all the dead bodies. ¡°There were too many and they wouldn¡¯t back down¡­¡± Echo explains to the two. ¡°They left Jin, Mecha-Naruto, and I no choice, but to do this. RIght, Jin?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ sure¡­¡± Jin answers despondently with his arms crossed. ¡°We¡¯ve faced our inner darkness, what now?¡± ¡°For the next part, I need you all to grab on to me.¡± Echo responds as he spreads his arms out. Upon hearing this, Mecha-Naruto immediately walks up to Echo and grabs a hold of his right shoulder. ¡°Why? What for?¡± Jin asks with suspicion written all over his face. ¡°Just do it.¡± Echo sighs. Ayanami walks towards Echo and places her hand on Echo¡¯s other shoulder and Rito nervously puts his own hand on Echo¡¯s left arm. They all look at Jin, waiting for him to do the same. I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m doing this... Shit¡­! Jin laments as he walks towards Echo and grabs his right arm. Once each member of the group has their hands on Echo, they instantly appear in a dark room with medical equipment very familiar to both Jin and Rito. Jin lets go of Echo¡¯s arm and walks around the room to reminisce of his first year of training with Orochimaru and Sasuke. So future-me knows the Flying Raijin technique? That means I will learn it from Edo Minato in the near future¡­ Jin broods as he walks around Orochimaru¡¯s old medical lab, passing a series of old, empty tanks. ¡°Uh, what is this place and why are we here?¡± Ayanami asks, breaking the silence. ¡°This place is one of Orochimaru¡¯s old laboratories¡­¡± Rito whimpers as he trembles with fear over the trauma he suffered in this place. ¡°Echo is going to graft someone¡¯s flesh on us so that we get more power and abilities.¡± Jin adds as he places a hand on Rito to reassure him. ¡°Which begs the question, whose flesh is it¡­?¡± ¡°Shin Uchiha for his unique genetic make-up that will completely accept any new genetic material, be it tissue, organs or entire limbs, without a chance of rejection, allowing him to fully integrate it into his being.¡± Echo calmly explains to the whole group. ¡°Doing so also allows him to make use of any genetic modification at its full potential.¡± ¡°And then I¡¯ll graft the DNA of both Hashirama senju and Madara Uchiha on top of that so that you''ll unlock Sixth Paths chakra.¡± Echo continues with an unhinged smile, pointing at Jin, Ayanami, and Rito. ¡° To be clear, I¡¯m performing these modifications on all three of you.¡± Chapter 24 As Echo settles and straps the three young shinobi into the machine to begin the modifications, Jin begins to infuse his chakra. Since I have to wait, I might as well use that jutsu¡­ Jin contemplates as he feels the machine pumping the material through the tubes into his left forearm. Jin weaves signs with his right hand, activating the jutsu and then everything goes black. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°HELLO, IS ANYONE OUT THERE??!!!¡± Rito shouts into an infinite, black abyss. ¡°WHERE THE HELL AM I?!¡± ¡°Rito is that you?!¡± A familiar voice shouts from behind. Hearing the voice, Rito turns around and smiles with relief as he sees his ally appear behind him. Ayanami uses backstrokes in an attempt to get to the young boy and after a minute of swimming through nothing, Ayanami hugs Rito in fear and happiness. ¡°I¡¯m so glad to see you, where are we?¡± Ayanami wonders with concern. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Rito replies as he looks around again. ¡°Just relax and calm down--both of you.¡± Jin remarks as he appears, laying on a hammock that floats about two meters above them. ¡°We¡¯re in no danger, I used a derivative of the Mind Transmission Jutsu to link our minds and use our memories to create our own little mindscape.¡± ¡°What? Why?¡± Ayanami asks as she lets go of Rito. ¡°Yeah, what she said.¡± Rito adds. ¡°So we can all watch movies and shows we¡¯ve each seen together, play video games, or read books while we wait for the surgical grafting to finish.¡± Jin explains as the infinite darkness begins to transform. The void twists and turns changing from infinite nothingness into a large room. A large flatscreen tv is attached to the north wall with an assortment of consoles and handhelds lining the floor under the tv. The south wall is one large bookshelf that seemingly goes on forever, the self is filled with magazines, novels, comics, and manga. The eastern wall is a glass window with a gorgeous view of a mountain and valley. The western wall has a long table with three computers, in the top left corner is a door with an exit sign hanging above it. Lastly, in the center of the room is Jin, Rito, and Ayanami who¡¯re all sitting on a couch with a coffee table in front of them. ¡°Can we please watch Dr. Stone first?!¡± Rito begs Jin while kneeling with praying hands. ¡°Only if we watch Tokyo Ghoul next.¡± Jin answers. ¡°Deal.¡± Rito agrees as they both shake hands. ¡°Hey guys, do you have Dragon Quest VIII¡­?¡± Ayanami asks, interrupting the two rogue ninjas. ¡°Did you play it?¡± Jin asks. ¡°Yeah, when I died, the game had just come out and I was--I dunno, maybe two hours into the game.¡± Ayanami explains. ¡°Didn¡¯t that game come out back in 2004?¡± Asks a puzzled Rito. ¡°Yeah, the game had just come out a week before I died.¡± Ayanami adds. ¡°This place is built from our collective memories; because you played the game, it is here¡­¡± Jin says as the game disc appears in his hand. He gives the disc to Ayanami before continuing. ¡°But, since you didn¡¯t actually beat it, the game will end once you¡¯ve reached your stopping point.¡± ¡°Well that sucks!¡± Ayanami whines in disappointment. ¡°Okay¡­ I¡¯ll just take what I can get...¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Meanwhile at the Bone Graveyard, Kabuto has just made contact with Tobi. Kabuto stands on top of a large ribcage as he stares downward at the masked Akatsuki leader. ¡°You were one of Sasori¡¯s spies, you¡¯re a traitor to the Akatsuki.¡± Tobi says just before he begins to run and jumps at Kabuto. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. However, before Tobi can even touch Kabuto, another individual with white hair makes himself known; he in turn lunges at Tobi in an attempt to stab the Akatsuki member with a sword made of bones. The new arrival simply passes through Tobi as he continues to jump at Kabuto who claps his hands together and several coffins erupt from the ground, they open to reveal that most of them contain deceased Akatsuki members. ¡°Reanimation Jutsu.¡± Tobi mutters as he eyes widen with minor surprise. ¡°Kabuto set all this up to prove our power and that you can trust us.¡± The white haired individual chuckles as he transforms, taking on a more tiger-like appearance. ¡°The name¡¯s Mizuki by the way.¡± ¡°What do you want?¡± Tobi asks with clear annoyance in his tone. ¡°We¡¯re offering to provide more military might.¡± Kabuto answers while keeping a poker face. ¡°And in exchange?¡± Tobi continues to question with suspicion and annoyance. ¡°I want both renown and even more power!¡± Mizuki roars pridefully. ¡°And *I* want Sasuke Uchiha.¡± Kabuto adds. ¡°What are you plotting?¡± Tobi further asks. ¡°I¡¯m only interested in unlocking the secrets of nature and jutsu.¡± Kabuto answers while parting his hands. ¡°And if I refuse?¡± Tobi threatens. Keeping silent and maintaining his poker face, Kabuto clasps his hands together and another coffin erupts from the ground. The last coffin opens and Tobi¡¯s eye widens with complete shock and surprise. ¡°Why you¡­ Where did you get that?¡± Tobi growls. ¡°Heh heh... Kabuto has his ways.¡± Mizuki chuckles. ¡°No one else knows about this.¡± Kabuto adds. ¡°Hmph, arguing with you now will only weaken our side.¡± Tobi remarks, coming to a decision. ¡°So be it. We will join forces with you.¡± ¡°But I¡¯ll only hand Sasuke over to you after victory is assured. You are not to see Sasuke until then.¡± Tobi continues as he turns to walk away. ¡°I¡¯ll reformulate my strategy after I confirm your battle strength. Follow me.¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As the procedure to graft genetic material onto Ayanami, Jin, and Rito completes, Jin pulls the tubes out of his forearm and jumps to his feet. When he tries to infuse chakra, he can feel a surge of power flow through him, they all shake in awe of their newfound strength. Weird, I¡¯m actually starting to get excited for the final to happen¡­! Jin contemplates as he admires his new strength. ¡°HOW DOES IT FEEL TO HAVE HASHIRAMA AND MADARA¡¯S POWER?¡± Mecha-Naruto asks, snapping everyone back to reality. ¡°I feel great.¡± Jin answers, grinning. ¡°What¡¯re you talking about? What do you mean great?¡± Ayanami asks, confused as she turns to face Jin. ¡°Getting a perfect score on a test is ¡®great,¡¯ this feels ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL!!¡± ¡°I feel like I can do anything--one of you, punch me!¡± Shouts an excited Rito as he performs jumping jacks. ¡°I want to see if I can tank th--OW!!!¡± ¡°Why¡¯d you do that?!¡± Rito yells angrily as he rubs his face. ¡°What? You said to punch you¡­¡± Jin reasons. The red-haired rogue turns to face his future-self and asks, ¡°So, what next?¡± Echo reaches into his robe and pulls out a small device and shows it to the group. The device has the appearance of a pink turtle with a blue shell and a red rope wrapped around it like a bow. ¡°The time-travelling Otsutsuki artifact, Karasuki?¡± Asks a perplexed Jin. ¡°Where--or rather, when are we going?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll find out soon enough.¡± Echo replies as he activates the artifact. ¡°Send us back--back to the past, way back.¡± ¡°Your will is my command, Master.¡± Karasuki responds as its shell opens up and a bright light engulfs the entire group. It¡¯s even more beautiful than what the anime displayed. Jin thinks as he and the rest of the group time travel. They stand on a glowing golden platform made of an unknown material. Jin stares into the distance and sees a blue and purple cloud pattern blending into each other with light particles and three dimensional pixels flowing through it. After waiting a few minutes another bright light emerges from Karasuki and engulfs the group once again. The light fades and Jin opens his eyes to the fact that he and his allies are surrounded by a group of onlookers, they all are wearing high-collared, white kimonos held closed by dark sashes. The collar of each of their kimonos are adorned with magatama. ¡°Uh, Echo¡­? When and where are we¡­?¡± Ayanami and RIto ask with concern. Jin¡¯s group and the onlookers all take stances, prepared for a fight. The tension is thick in the air and a droplet of sweat runs down Jin¡¯s brow. ¡°Sorry, Master¡­ I was off by several decades¡­¡± A disheartened Karasuki informs the group. ¡°YA THINK?!!¡± Both Jin and Echo yell full of comical rage. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MIZUKI: OVERVIEW Chapter 25 I can¡¯t believe that damn turtle sent us to the era of Ninshu¡­! Jin broods as he liquifies his body to avoid an attack by one of the disciples. ¡°Karasuki fix this or I swear I¡¯ll turn you into turtle soup!¡± As soon as the ninshu disciple¡¯s punch passes through Jin, he quickly solidifies and counters by kicking the disciple in the chest. As two more disciples run at Jin with swords drawn, the red-haired rogue quickly creates a Vacuum Blade from a kunai he pulls out and with one sweeping motion, cuts each of the three disciples¡¯ blades in two. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯ll need at least 24 hours to recharge and make another jump¡­¡± Whines a forlorn Karasuki. ¡°Great! Just great¨Csomeone get me a pot and some boiling water!¡± Jin shouts in anger as he roundhouse kicks another disciple through a wall, rendering him unconscious. ¡°AAAAARRGHHH!!!¡± Karasuki screams in horror as it squirms back into Echo¡¯s cloak. ¡°Jin, just calm down¨Cwe can just wait out the 24 hours, but first¡­¡± Ayanami says trying to pacify Jin as she knocks four other disciples by striking their chakra points. As Jin has a disciple pinned down, he checks on the rest of his group. Rito has already encased a number of their assailants in crystal from the neck down, Echo has already placed several under genjutsu with no difficulty, and Mecha-Naruto has few disciples frozen with fear as he opens up several of his compartments, revealing his weapons. It¡¯s a good thing that the practical applications for chakra are still in their infancy. Jin contemplates as he knocks one more ninshu disciple out with a chop to the back of his neck. Good, their numbers are thinning¨Cjust a little longer and¨C ¡°What¡¯s going on here? Who are all of you?¡± Asks a proud and commanding voice. Upon hearing these words, everyone stops fighting and looks towards the direction of the voice. Jin¡¯s eyes widen when he sees a newcomer enter the hut-like dojo. He is an older man who bears a resemblance to Jin. God fucking dammit¡­ it¡¯s him¡­ Jin groans in his head as he stares at them with clear annoyance and frustration in his eyes. And based on his seasoned appearance, we¡¯ve been sent back to a point after Indra¡¯s fight with Asura¡­ ¡°I asked you a question, who are all of you?¡± One of the newcomers asks again. ¡°Master Indra, these strangers appeared out of nowhere in a flash of light!¡± Says one disciple whose body is encased in crystal. ¡°And the one wearing the mask has a magic, talking turtle.¡± Says the disciple that is still being pinned down by Jin. ¡°Hmm¡­?¡± Indra grunts as he activates his Sharingan. Before anything else can happen, Echo throws a smoke bomb down and as the dojo filles to the brim with a thick gray smoke, Jin and the rest of his group slip out and dash through the courtyard. While stealthily avoiding the guards and other disciples, they make it to the edge of the village and proceed to jump through the trees. ¡°I say we keep running until we reach another country, find somewhere to hide, and wait out the 24 hours.¡± JIn suggests to the group. ¡°Any objections?¡± ¡°I¡¯m down with that.¡± Rito agrees. ¡°Ditto.¡± Ayanami utters, nodding in agreement. ¡°WE¡¯RE BEING FOLLOWED.¡± Mecha-Naruto informs the group. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°And he¡¯s catching up fast.¡± Echo adds. Ayanami, Rito, and Jin all take a look behind and see that Indra is in hot pursuit of them and is quickly gaining ground. Jin slows down a bit and creates twenty shadow clones. ¡°You guys¨Cgo on ahead, I¡¯ll catch up!¡± Jin tells his allies. ¡°What? Are you crazy?!¡± Rito shouts at Jin with worry. ¡°Do you even think you can win¡­?¡± Ayanami asks. ¡°What a stupid question, I don¡¯t have to win.¡± One replies as all the Jins stop jumping through the trees. Several Jins scatter around the area and hide themselves within the forest. The leaves rustle as their pursuer catches up. As soon as he enters Jin¡¯s view, Indra goes on the attack. Jin and his clones all jump to the side to avoid Indra¡¯s attack that is similar to the Chidori. The attack ends up hitting a tree, completely eviscerating it in the process. ¡°You¡¯ll make things easier for yourself if you just submit to my power.¡± Indra warns as he turns to face Jin with the remnants of the tree falling to the ground behind him. ¡°Try harder.¡± One Jin says as he attempts to perform a flying kick to Indra¡¯s right side. Indra dodges the kick by simply tilting his torso backwards. Another Jin takes advantage of the opening and delivers a solid left hook to Indra¡¯s face, knocking the Otsutsuki on his back. The Jins that were hiding in the surrounding area reveal themselves and proceed to pile on Indra, the real Jin grabs the legs of one of his clones that was in the pile and pulls hard. The clone that was pulled out is holding the legs of another clone and is also pulled out, this process continues until Jin makes a chain whip made of his shadow clones with Indra on the other end of the whip. While still holding the make-shift chain whip of his clones, Jin spins around violently and after gaining enough momentum, Jin and his shadow clone chain whip slam Indra into the ground, causing a small seismic event in the process. There¡¯s no way that was enough to stop him¡­ Jin laments as his clones disappear in a puff of smoke. As if to prove the red-haired rogue right, Indra pulls himself out of the ground, dusts himself off, and activates his Mangekyo Sharingan. After a brief standoff, Jin infuses chakra and weaves signs, Indra uses his Sharingan to copy Jin. Both end up hurling giant Fire Ball Jutsus at each other. After the fireballs collide and stalemate each other, they smoke each other out. ¡°It¡¯s time to end this outsider¡­!¡± Indra declares as he jumps high into the air. Indra then fires another Fire Ball Jutsu at Jin, the fireball burns down every tree in the surrounding area to ash, leaving nothing, but a large cloud of smoke and silence. The smoke immediately begins to violently rotate and a glowing blue light begins to pierce the spiraling smoke screen. Please don¡¯t let me lose an arm this fight¡­ or y''know die¡­! Jin prays in silent distress as he forms a Rasengan in his right hand. Indra in turn prepares his lightning style jutsu and dives down at Jin who takes a running jump to shove his Rasengan at Indra. As the two get closer together, time seems to move slower, Jin sees both his previous life and current life flash before his eyes. Realizing he¡¯s about to die, Jins begins to smile. Protecting my friends ain¡¯t a bad way to go. Jin thinks as his and Indra¡¯s attacks are about to make contact. The two close-range attacks are inches away from each other when Indra pulls back his attack and a large purple ribcage forms around Indra, an arm sprouts out of the ribcage and grabs Jin faster than he can react. Goddammit, he pulled out his susano¡¯o¡­! Jin thinks as he struggles and fails to break free of its grasp. The father of ninjutsu and the progenitor of the Uchiha clan, Indra Otsutsuki stands within the forehead of his now formed perfect susanoo, staring down at Jin with a curious and intimidating expression on his face. At this moment, all Jin could do was sweat profusely. Bail¡­! BAIL!!! Jin panics as he liquifies his body, seeping through Indra¡¯s susano¡¯o hand. As the puddle of water falls, it solidifies back into Jin and the very instant he makes contact with the ground, he creates several shadow clones. They all scatter in every direction in order to escape Indra¡¯s wrath. As Jin runs at his top speed in the direction his allies fled, he gets flashes of himself dying by either being crushed, impaled, electrocuted, or even set ablaze. You¡¯ve got to be shitting me, he¡¯s already destroyed most of my clones! Jin anguishes as he passes by strong and healthy trees, entering a section of the forest that was untouched by his and Indra¡¯s fire style jutsus. Shortly after, Jin feels intense heat and senses strong chakra coming from behind him, he hears trees falling down in loud thuds. While still running at top speed, Jin decides to look over his shoulder and sees a colossal wave of black flames headed in his direction. OH MY FUCKING GOD!!! Chapter 26 ¡°FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK!!!¡± Jin screams repeatedly with pure, unadulterated terror as he jumps through the trees, attempting to escape from the black flames. No matter how much faster Jin leaps away, he is unable to gain any ground, the black flames keep pace. Jin begins to sweat from both the heat of the flames and the absurdity of his situation. If I ever reincarnate again, I want to be reborn in a harem anime!!! Jin whines silently as he continues to hop through the now burning forest. The flames stop for a moment and then suddenly at light speed, they circle around a large swath of land. Realizing he¡¯s been trapped, Jin stops in his tracks, he turns around and looks up to see Indra and his susanoo up in the sky, looking down on the red-haired rogue. Damn, he really isn¡¯t gonna let me run away from this¡­! Thinks an anxious Jin, seeing the large ring of black he¡¯s ensnared in. ¡°Any last words, stripling?¡± Indra asks as his susanoo points its sword at Jin. ¡°Yeah¡­ FUCK YOU!¡± Jin yells in defiance while giving Indra the middle-finger with both of his hands. ¡°When you see my father, tell him he was a gutless fool and a failure.¡± Indra coldly responds. The susanoo spreads its massive wings and dives downward, preparing to swing its sword at Jin. As Jin braces himself for the end, three massive spheres of chakra hit Indra¡¯s susanoo, blasting him away. Standing there, dumbfounded, Jin turns to the direction of where the blasts came from and in the distance, sees a giant mechanical fox with nine tails made of pure flames. Huh? Mecha-Kurama¡­? Is all Jin can think at the moment, cocking his head to one side. ¡°HOW¡¯D THAT FEEL?!¡± Mecha-Kurama roars, wagging his tails. Indra¡¯s susano¡¯o picks itself up and swings its sword, creating a powerful shockwave. Mecha-Kurama jumps into the air to avoid the shockwaves and lands in the center of the ring of black fire. The shockwaves end up destroying an entire mountain range in the distance, sending multiple mountain tops high in the sky before crashing back down. ¡°Just what are you?¡± Indra yells as his susano¡¯o flies straight at Mecha-Kurama. The susano¡¯o swings its sword downward, but the mechanical demon fox blocks the attack with its tails. Mecha-Kurama tries to throw a punch only for it to be countered by a punch from the susano¡¯o. The force of each of the titans¡¯ attacks causes earthquakes and uproots trees, sending them flying in all directions. Several of Mecha-Kurama¡¯s tails wrap around the susanoo''s right leg and pull hard. The robotic titan begins to spin in circles as it continues to hold Indra¡¯s susano¡¯o with its tails. After gaining enough momentum, Mecha-Kurama lets go, sending the susano¡¯o flying. ¡°YOU FORGOT SOMETHING. NARUTIMATE TORNADO!¡± Mecha-Kurama remarks as it points both of his hands at Indra. It¡¯s hands begin to spin at high speeds, sending a tornado-like blast at Indra¡¯s susano¡¯o, crashing it into another mountain. Mecha-Kurama proceeds to run, leaping high over the black flames and as it lands, Meacha-Kurama proceeds to pummel Indra¡¯s susano¡¯o into the ground. In order to protect himself from collateral damage, Jin created an Earth Style: Mud Wall and hunkers down behind it. As the red-haired rogue sits and waits for the chaos to end, the wind and shockwaves carry embers of the black flames to Jin¡¯s location. An ember lands on Jin¡¯s sleeve, he immediately jumps to his feet to tear his shirt off and throws it into the roaring winds as it sets ablaze. As Jin goes back to sitting behind his mud wall, pink crystal surrounds Jin, forming a dome. Jin hears a loud crash behind him, he turns around to see his mud wall destroyed, and a boulder reduced to a pile of rocks. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. ¡°I¡¯m so stoked you made me watch that one filler arc back in the mindscape!¡± Says a familiar voice. ¡°Crystal Style: Crimson Fruit.¡± Jin turns back to see the wall of black flames part with Rito, Ayanami, and Echo walking through safely. Jin can¡¯t help but smile, feeling some relief. ¡°Must be nice having a Rinnegan?¡± Jin mocks his future counterpart as the dome around him begins to disintegrate into dust particles. ¡°Yes, yes it is nice.¡± Echo replies with casual indifference as he continues to absorb the black flames. ¡°Did you bloody think that we were going to let you take on this miserable git by yourself?¡± Asks a rhetorical Rito. ¡°Thank you for saving my ass, I was being an idiot.¡± Jin replies. ¡°No dramas.¡± Rito says as his body begins to change. Rito¡¯s skin changes to a shade of dark-gray and his hair grows and turns dark blue. His irises turn yellow and sclera turn dark gray, and a dark, star-shaped mark appears across the bridge of his nose. ¡°So you¡¯re gonna use your curse mark?¡± Ayanami asks as she¡¯s sitting down, orange pigmentation forms around her eyes as she activates her Byakugan. ¡°Can¡¯t afford to hold back.¡± Rito shrugs before he weaves signs. ¡°Crystal Style: Burst Crystal Falling Dragon.¡± Crystals begin to form, taking the shape of a pink Chinese-like dragon. Rito climbs on top of the dragon¡¯s head and uses its horns to steady himself. ¡°So, what¡¯s the game plan?¡± Ayanami scratches the back of her neck. ¡°Oh, I have some ideas¡­¡± Jin, with a sinister smile, begins to rub his hands together. ¡°First, we go for the head¡­¡± ¡ª---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Both Mecha-Kurama and Indra¡¯s susano¡¯o have begun to grapple each other with Mecha-Kurama making several attempts to bite down on the susanoo''s neck, but to no avail. Realizing it''s losing headway, Mecha-Kurama begins to charge up its chakra. ¡°ULTIMATE BLASTER.¡± Mecha-Kurama fires a purple beam of electricity from its chest plate. At point blank, the beam causes a massive explosion, the dust clears to reveal that the area behind Indra is completely destroyed and smoldering. The susano¡¯o is still standing, but has received great damage evident by the cracks beginning to form all over its body. ¡°I will not fall to some odd beast!¡± The Otsutsuki seethes in the forehead of his susano¡¯o. The damaged chakra avatar lifts the metallic fox spirit up and throws it some distance away to its left. A few seconds after crash landing, Mecha-Kurama reverts back to Mecha-Naruto. The ground begins to tremble, Indra looks to his right and sees a giant adder-snake has erupted from the ground. The snake sticks its tongue out twice before slithering its way to the susano¡¯o at high speeds. While using his susano¡¯o as a medium, Indra fires a multitude of fireballs from the construct''s mouth. The snake however is able to zig-zag past, evading each fireball with the last one grasing the left side of the snake¡¯s face. The snake coils around the susanoo¡¯s right leg as it makes its way up the body, constricting it in the process. The snake then strikes in an attempt to bite the susanoo¡¯s jugular. However, Indra¡¯s susano¡¯o is able to free an arm and grabs the snake by the throat. Keeping its mouth open the snake coughs out both Ayanami and Jin, the two ninja are sent hurtling at the susanoo¡¯s forehead.. ¡°Sync with me, Ayanami!¡± Jin begins to form a Gelel Rasengan with his right hand. ¡°Alright, Jin!!¡± Ayanami creates the Gentle Step: Twin Lion Fists. Ayanami holds her Lion Fist out and Jin puts his Rasengan in the lion¡¯s jaws. ¡°SAGE ART: GELEL TWIN LION FIST RASENGAN!!!¡± Jin and Ayanami ram their collaboration jutsu into the susanoo¡¯s head. Indra can only look on with a mix of amazement and horror as their attack drills through his susano¡¯o. The very instant the jutsu makes contact with the Otsutsuki, he is blasted out of his construct and into the ground where he detonates in a giant dome explosion as Jin lands safely away from the blast with Ayanami. ¡°Now that¡¯s beauty bonza!¡± Rito descends from the air on his crystal dragon. ¡°Did you set it up?¡± Jin crosses his arms. Before answering, Rito smiles and weaves several hand signs. ¡°Yeah, Crystal Style: Jade Crystal Labyrinth.¡± Large, red crystals erupt from the ground, circling the entire area. The crystal pillars then spread out and merge, creating a large dome labyrinth, trapping Indra and the three in it. ¡°Now that we¡¯re trapped in here with him, let''s finish this.¡± Ayanami deactivates her Byakugan and reaches for the scabbard on her right thigh to pull out a Konoha Chakra Blade, letting her chakra flow into it. Before responding to her statement, Jin takes a moment to blow wind chakra onto his kunai, turning it into a Vacuum Blade ¡°You¡¯re wrong, we¡¯re not trapped in here with him¡­ he¡¯s trapped in here with us.¡± Chapter 27 Outside of Rito¡¯s crystal labyrinth, Echo is in the process of dispelling Indra¡¯s black flames and the King of Hell has its mouth full, chewing. Upon finishing its chewing, the King of Hell spits out a completely rejuvenated and repaired Mecha-Naruto and returns to the land of the dead. ¡°MASTER, SHOULDN¡¯T WE GO AND HELP THE OTHERS?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we will soon enough...¡± Echo continues to absorb the remaining black flames with his Rinnegan. Echo pauses for a moment and turns to face the colossal labyrinth made of crystal. He can see flashes of light and can feel the tremors occurring from within the labyrinth, a feeling of satisfaction washes over the masked time-traveler. ¡°Yes, their procedure is already bearing fruit.¡± ¡°I BEG YOUR PARDON?¡± Mecha-Naruto cocks his head to one side. Echo pauses and points at Rito crystal labyrinth. ¡°The whole point of grafting the cells of Madara, and Hashirama to their bodies was for them to unlock Sixth Paths chakra or at the very least, an extremely significant power boost.¡± After a few minutes pass, Echo notices the trembling begins to die down and a ominous calm fills their air. Sensing that four chakra natures are still emanating from within the labyrinth, Echo knows everyone is still alive. The satisfied time-traveler places his right hand against the crystal wall, assessing the situation. Looks as if the battle is reaching its conclusion¡­ ¡°Mecha-Naruto, it¡¯s time to join the party¡­¡± ¡ª---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°And I really liked this blade too¡­¡± A battle damaged Ayanami tosses her now-broken Konoha chakra blade away. Her flak jacket is completely destroyed and her long sleeved shirt in tatters, exposing some of her large breasts. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure the Leaf will just give you a new one.¡± An exhausted Rito reassures the kunoichi with blood in his mouth, dripping off his chin. ¡°Rito! Stay behind me and Ayanami, this ends now¡­!¡± Jin and Ayanami both charge at Indra who charges at them in turn. However, the Otsutsuki quickly circumvents the two and appears behind Rito, holding the young crystal style user by the neck. ¡°Jin, Ayanami¡­ please help me¡­¡± The fear in Rito¡¯s voice, in his eyes, makes both Jin and Ayanami¡¯s blood boil. Ayanami bites her lip in order to keep from baring her fangs. ¡°Let. Him. Go.¡± ¡°How ironic that you who prides himself on his strength and talent would take a hostage.¡± Jin rebukes with an ice, cold tone. ¡°I can¡¯t die yet, not until I destroy ninshu, the ninja creed.¡± Indra stares down the two. ¡°N-no matter what the means¡­ I must survive.¡± Throughout the whole conversation, Rito continues to struggle to get free. ¡°Jin! P-please do something¡­!¡± Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Just stay calm and don¡¯t move.¡± Jin proceeds to infuse chakra. Ninja Art: Mind Transmission Jutsu! ¡°Ayanami, can you hear me? Don¡¯t speak--use your thoughts.¡± ¡°Jin?! How are you¨C?¡± ¡°I¡¯m part of the Yamanaka Clan--anyway, just follow my lead.¡± Another Jin steps out from behind some trees several meters behind Indra Jin begins to facepalm. ¡°This is stupid.¡± ¡°What?¡± Indra grows confused. ¡°I must admit, it¡¯s sadly anticlimactic. Behind all the power and bravado¡­ you¡¯re just a little boy crying and throwing a tantrum just because daddy didn¡¯t pick you as his favorite.¡± Jin removes his hands from his face, smirking to see Indra shaking with rage. Jin let¡¯s his words sink in before continuing. ¡°It''d be funny, if it weren''t so pathetic. Oh, what the heck! I''ll laugh anyway. AHA HA HA HA HA!!!¡± Indra¡¯s rage grows more and more as Jin cackles like a hyena. ¡°Shut. up! S-stop laughing!¡± ¡°Heh heh heh¡­Why? It¡¯s funny.¡± Ayanami tries to hold back her own laughter as she points at Indra. ¡°You¡¯re a joke, you wouldn¡¯t last two seconds against Hagoromo! Heh heh heh heh¡­!¡± ¡°HA HA HA HA!!¡± ¡°Be silent, the both of you!¡± ¡°HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!¡± ¡°BE QUIET!¡± ¡°HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!¡± ¡°Heh heh heh¡­ Ha ha ha ha ha!!¡± Even Rito begins to laugh as he¡¯s still the Otsutsuki¡¯s hostage. ¡°All of you shut up. SHUT UP! SHUT UP!!!¡± The Jin clone proceeds to spring the trap. ¡°Sage Art: Mind Transfer Jutsu!¡± Indra jolts and after a few seconds, releases Rito who hurries out of the way. Indra then looks up. ¡°Ayanami! Shut down this idiot¡¯s chakra points while I still have control!¡± Ayanami takes a stance and rushes to Indra. Unbeknownst to the kunoichi, trees begin to grow with each step she takes. Ayanami proceeds to deliver a series of fast, consecutive strikes. ¡°Eight Trigrams One Hundred Twenty-Eight Palms!!¡± Indra is sent flying across the labyrinth and slams hard against the wall and falls to the ground. Jin blitzes to where Indra landed. The defeated Indra looks up at Jin and groans. ¡°Are you here to finish me off¡­?¡± Not bothering to answer, Jin kneels down and puts his hand on Indra¡¯s bare chest. ¡°Fire Style: Celestial Flame Prison.¡± Marks appear around Indra¡¯s neck, chest, and abdomen. The burning sensation causes Indra to wince. ¡°Mold any chakra, perform any jutsu and this formula will burn you to a crisp.¡± Jin¡¯s cold tone causes Indra to tremble. ¡±IF you continue to pursue us, know that your end will be a slow and painful one.¡± After hearing Jin¡¯s threat, Indra falls unconscious. Jin checks to make sure the Otsutsuki truly is knocked out, after confirming it for himself, Jin walks back to his friends. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ¡°Thanks mates¡­ for a second there, I thought yous were gonna do to me what Sasuke did to Karin.¡± Ayanami happily slaps Rito on the back. ¡°Like we¡¯d leave you behind.¡± ¡°You guys were the coolest.¡± Making his way back, Jin replies with, ¡°No, the three of us are total badasses. What¡¯s cool is that Ayanami has Wood Style.¡± The three ninja look in the direction of the trees that were now growing in the desolate area that was their battle. Suddenly, the labyrinth shatters, becoming dust and scattering in the wind. Echo and Mecha-Naruto hover toward the three youths. ¡°So you won? Good, we should make camp while we wait for Karasuki to recharge¡­¡± Chapter 28 Jin places his hands against the heavy ground and utters,¡°Earth Style: Mobile core.¡± The ground in front of Jin lowers by four feet, the hole is wide enough for three people--maybe four. Jin molds chakra and spews flames into the hole, the intense heats causes the walls and floor to slowly melt. Meanwhile the real Jin watches from a distance with Rito and Ayanami at his side. ¡°So why am I building a makeshift bath again?¡± Jin keeps facing in the direction of his shadow clone at work. Ayanami looks at Jin in bewilderment and answers, ¡°Because I want to be clean. I feel dirty¡­ especially after what you did.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t that gross.¡± ¡°The sheila¡¯s right, mate, it was gross.¡± Rito enters the conversation. ¡°You regurgitated like a thousand snakes just to make that one big snake. Then that snake spat you both out.¡± ¡°Okay--fine, it''s gross¡­!¡± Jin sulks in defeat. ¡°Anyway¡­ your bath is ready.¡± Ayanami takes a few steps to the makeshift bath and stops, she looks back at the two boys and activates her Byakugan. ¡°Try and peep, you¡¯ll die.¡± Upon hearing Ayanami¡¯s threat, Jin cringes and Rito facepalms as the shadow clone finishes adding water to the hole and disappears in a puff of smoke. ¡°Oh, please. Who do you think we are? Anime characters?¡± Jin and Rito walk back to their camp while Ayanami begins to undress as she waits for the water to cool. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It¡¯s nightfall, everyone has bathed and are now sitting. Jin goes through the scrolls he has on hand while humming an anime song, Rito is tinkering, and both Echo and Mecha-Naruto stare into the bright flames of the campfire. Ayanami plays the the flip phone that Jin gave her, but is bored due to the fact that the only other cell phone is in Rito¡¯s possession. ¡°Hey boys? What¡¯s the hardest thing you had to deal with since reincarnating into this world?¡± Ayanami asks to try and start up a conversation. Not lifting his head up from what he''s doing, Rito answers, ¡°Staying on Orochimaru¡¯s good side so that he wouldn¡¯t use me for his more¡­ aggro experiments.¡± Jin simply answers with, ¡°Learning the language.¡± ¡°No way!¡± Ayanami gasps with disbelief, she sits up straight, giving Jin her undivided attention. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yeah, really¡­ I didn¡¯t actually talk until my sixth birthday was right around the corner. For the first couple of years of my life, everyone thought I was either mute or had some screws loose¡­¡± Jin takes a deep breath before continuing. ¡°Don¡¯t even get me started on the children and some of the adults of the Yamanaka clan.¡± Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. An awkward and gloomy mood consumes the entire area. Echo has already gone to sleep and Mecha-Naruto is now keeping watch over the group. ¡°Oh¡­ I¡¯m sincerely sorry for talking about a touchy subject--do you guys have any crushes in this world?!¡± Ayanami quickly changes the subject in order to lighten the mood. ¡°I have a bit of a thing for Neji.¡± ¡°I like Hinata.¡± Rito puts his tools away and gets comfortable. ¡°What about you, Jin?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡­ have my eye on someone¡­¡± Jin blushes as he bashfully looks away.¡± ¡°Who is it? I bet it¡¯s Temari!¡± Ayanami presses further. ¡°While she is attractive, she scares me.¡± ¡°What about Tenten?¡± Rito chimes in. ¡°Pfffha ha ha ha!¡± Jin clutches his stomach, finding Rito¡¯s question humorous. ¡°Ooh, what about Sakura?¡± ¡°Heh heh heh¡­ Fuck Sakura.¡± Jin¡¯s laughter quickly turns into a venomous scoff. ¡°Hey, how about-¡± ¡°Ayanami, let me stop you right there. The girl I like doesn¡¯t even appear until the actual fighting starts in the war; you, Ino, and Karin are my cousins, so that immediately takes you all out of the running.¡± Jin uses a scroll to summon sleeping gear and tosses Ayanami and Rito each a pillow and futon. ¡°Better get some rest, we have a big day tomorrow. Goodnight, guys.¡± ¡°Kay, g''night.¡± ¡°Oyasumi!¡± We were able to beat Indra Otsutsuki¡­ I wonder how Swagkage and SethTheProgrammer would powerscale us? An elated Jin thinks as he closes his eyes and drifts off to sleep. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It¡¯s morning and Rito has been up for about two hours, training. He stands in front of one of the trees that Ayanami grew, the tree itself is dead with all of its leaves fallen and scattered in the wind. Rito stops molding chakra due to footsteps growing louder from behind him. ¡°Hey, Rito! I came to--what happened here?¡± Ayanami stops when she sees the dead tree, she slowly reaches out to touch it. ¡°DON¡¯T TOUCH IT!!¡± Rito¡¯s sudden shriek causes Ayanami to jump back. ¡°What--why?!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll explain later, j-just¡­ don¡¯t touch it.¡± Rito¡¯s vague warning and body language informs Ayanami that something is wrong with the dead tree. She slowly takes a step back before turning to face the 11-year old reincarnation. ¡°O-okay¡­ I just came to tell you that we¡¯re about to leave this time period.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be there shortly.¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Echo watches as Ayanami and Rito return to the rest of the group and says, ¡°Oh good. Looks like the gang¡¯s all here.¡± ¡°Heh heh heh¡­ Sorry, I was testing something out and Ayanami came to get me¡± Rito scratches the back of his head, laughing. Jin finishes sealing their sleeping gear back into the scroll, he stands up and faces Echo. ¡°Well future me, shouldn¡¯t we get moving? Afterall, today¡¯s the day.¡± Echo opens up his cloak to reach for Karasuki and pulls the turtle-like artifact out. Karasuki sticks his head out of its shell and looks up at Echo. ¡°Karasuki, send us back exactly 5 minutes before Kaguya reaches the God Tree.¡± Echo orders. Chapter 29 There¡¯s a flash of light, Karasuki sends the group to their intended destination; the cool wind causes a few members to shiver a bit. Concentrating chakra to his feet, Jin walks up a tree and makes his way to the canopy as the rest of the group look around. ¡°So are we at the right time and place or what?¡± Ayanami asks as she admires a patch of flowers. ¡°This is the place, just come up and see.¡± Jin calls out to his team. The rest of the group each make their way up to the top of some trees. Jin points to their Northeast and the group sees an extremely large tree in the distance, the tree is tall enough to touch the heavens. The terrain surrounding the tree is completely desolate almost like bedrock. The starry sky illuminates two figures running toward the God Tree, the two figures appear to be women and further behind them is an army chasing after them. The army is lining up their shots. ¡°So that woman is Kaguya?¡± Rito points at the ladies getting closer to the trees. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ long, sweeping white hair and an ancient, white noble gown¡­ yeah, that¡¯s her.¡± Jin assesses before covering his eyes. ¡°We¡¯re really going through with this¡­ excuse me if I don¡¯t want to watch.¡± Rito and Ayanami both look at their friend with perplexed looks. ¡°Don¡¯t watch what¡­?¡± ¡°Trust me, you guys¡¯re about to find out.¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Aino¡­!¡± Kaguya calls out to her personal attendant and friend. The Otsutsuki watches as her friend falls to the cold, dark ground with several arrows in her back, her blood paints the ground a beautiful scarlet red. With a heavy heart, Kaguya makes her way to the God Tree as arrows continue to rain down. Just as Kaguya arrives at the base of the tree, she feels a sudden jolt go through her body. Shortly after, she feels something wet and warm on her chest. Confused, she looks down and sees that she¡¯s bleeding from the center of her chest. Before she can even guess what happened, she feels another jolt, this time blood trickles down her face. Quickly growing weak, Kaguya falls to the cold ground and as everything gets darker, the last thing she sees is the Chakra Fruit descending with five figures standing over her. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Ultimate power, in the palm of my hand¡­¡± Echo caresses the fruit like it¡¯s either the holy grail or the cure for cancer. ¡°Mecha-Naruto? Transform and scare off the oncoming army until they make a full retreat.¡± ¡°IT WILL BE DONE, MASTER.¡± The robotic duplicate walks off to face the army of Kaguya¡¯s former lover, Tenji. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you really did that, Echo¡­ I-I don¡¯t feel so good¡­¡± Jin feels his stomach turn and his muscles tighten. ¡°Why are you so hung up on her death?¡± Rito looks at his friend, still confused. ¡°Yeah, isn¡¯t she the final villain?¡± Ayanami adds. Jin massages his temples as he meekly responds with, ¡°She was p-pregnant¡­ with t-twins¡­¡± They both go dead silent with tears coming down Ayanami¡¯s face and Rito¡¯s complexion going pale as he holds his jaw, covering his mouth. All three young shinobi have their heads down as Mecha-Kurama rampages in the distance. Sensing their collective guilt, Echo tries to comfort them. ¡°I know this looks cruel, but it¡¯s a hell of a lot better than the alternative.¡± Echo explains as he offers the fruit to Jin. ¡°Trust me and take power for yourself.¡± Not looking up at his face, Jin slowly takes the fruit from Echo and examines it. It¡¯s about the size of the world¡¯s largest apple, weighing four pounds. The fruit bears a striking resemblance to a pomegranate, but with a few extra details. Still guilt-ridden, Jin looks up to Echo and asks, ¡°What about Rito and Ayanami¡­?¡± ¡°You¡¯re first, we level up Ayanami as soon as you eat the fruit.¡± ¡°I wish there was coffee to wash it down¡­ bottoms up¡­¡± Jin winces as he holds his nose and after taking several bites, inhales the fruit in its entirety. ¡°Huh, the taste was surprisingly--GYUGH?!¡± Jin¡¯s whole body begins to glow as he slowly floats into the air, his mind is flooded with knowledge on chakra. Not only do his eyes feel warm, they also feel like they¡¯re now overflowing with power. A new eye forms on Jin¡¯s forehead, he looks at his arms and sees that his skin has turned bleach white and that he¡¯s now wearing a white cloak made of chakra. Still in the air, Jin presses his hand against the God tree and thinks, Madara held his hand out like this, right? In a matter of seconds, the entire God Tree is absorbed into Jin. The newly transformed rogue descends back down to his allies on the ground, overflowing with power. Ayanami and Rito both stare at him with awe. ¡°Y-your eyes are just like Pain¡¯s and you have a third one on your forehead.¡± Ayanami points at Jin¡¯s face. Rito even adds, ¡°You look alien and human at the same time--it¡¯s bloody weird¡­¡± Jin takes out a kunai and examines his reflection. In the blade, Jin can see that his eyes have purple sclerae and irides, with a ripple pattern spreading over the eyeball and that his new third eye has a red sclera and iris, with a ripple pattern spreading over the eyeball and nine tomoe. So I have two Rinnegan and a Rinne Sharingan, huh¡­? Jin contemplates as he places his hand over his chest, infusing chakra. ¡°Shadow and Light Style: Creation of All Things.¡± ¡°What¡¯d you just do?¡± ¡°I just permanently merged all the power I¡¯ve acquired to myself so that it can¡¯t be taken in a chakra tug-of-war.¡± Jin answers as he creates several black chakra receivers. ¡°Echo, have Mecha-Kurama return and give me Karasuki, I¡¯m not waiting another day for it to recharge.¡± Now mutilating Kaguya¡¯s corpse, Echo responds with, ¡°It would be my pleasure.¡± ¡°Look alive, Ayanami. I¡¯m pretty sure my future counterpart is going to graft Kaguya¡¯s remains onto you.¡± Jin pulls out two of his three remaining gelel stones from his backpack. Ayanami flinches away in both shock and disgust upon hearing this. ¡°Wait--wha--EWW!! WHY?!¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you watch The Last: Naruto the Movie back when we were in the mindscape¡­?¡± Rito asks while tapping his head with one finger. ¡°Yeah, but what does that have to do with--OH, nevermind¡­¡± Chapter 30 Okay, one stone is in my chest, I gave one to Sasuke, and I just used two more to power up both Karasuki and Mecha-Naruto. Jin broods, watching Ayanami and Echo walk back into Orochimaru¡¯s abandoned hideout. I have one gelel stone left, I need to keep it safe for my own personal use¡­ Leaning against a tree with his arms folded, Jin feels a tug on his left sleeve. Jin turns his head to see the blue eyes of Rito staring right back at him. ¡°Yeah, Rito?¡± ¡°You know about the Land of Snow movie, right?¡± ¡°Yep, watched it when it first aired on Toonami back in 2007, why?¡± Jin turns his whole body, giving his friend his undivided attention. Rito makes praying hands and asks, ¡°Can ya please go to that time period and get the bad guys¡¯ chakra armors? I need them for a side project.¡± ¡°Sure, but you¡¯ll owe me a solid.¡± Jin shrugs. ¡°Thanks, mate!¡± Rito heads into the hideout, but stops and turns around. ¡°When ya done, I suggest time traveling to two days from now to skip the wait.¡± The events of that movie took place about four years ago, right¡­? Jin thinks as he pulls Karasuki out from his sleeve. ¡°Send me back by about a little over four years.¡± ¡°It will be done, Master.¡± Karasuki responds as its shell opens up and a bright light engulfs the rogue ninja. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In a flash of light, Karasuki sends Jin four years into the past in the Land of Snow. Jin feels the cold, snowy air, but isn¡¯t affected at all. The rogue gets down on one knee and places two fingers on the ground, molding chakra to sense his surroundings and is overcome with shock at what he sees. ¡°Oh my God--I can sense the whole planet now! Heh heh¡­ I can sense that past me is meditating in Ryuchi Cave.¡± Jin chuckles as he returns his attention back to his objective. Lets see here¡­ based on their distance and speed, Naruto and friends won¡¯t be here for another day, Doto¡¯s three snow ninja are waiting along the coast to ambush them, and Doto himself is lounging around in his little castle¡­ I want to test out my new powers, but they¡¯re all so weak. I guess I¡¯ll just have to¡­ kill them off one at a time? Jin broods, getting to his feet and dusts the snow off. The Ten-Tails Jinchuriki creates a shadow clone and is taken aback by now seeing himself twice. ¡°I can see through the eyes of my shadow clones now?!¡± ¡°Apparently, yes and I can see through your eyes too.¡± The clone shrugs. Nodding, Jin responds with, ¡°Badass¡­!¡± Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. The clone hovers for a minute and then flies off in the direction of Doto¡¯s castle. With ten Truth-Seeker Orbs appearing behind his back, Jin turns in the direction of the snow ninja and runs at the speed of light, stopping just a few yards behind them. ¡°WELL HELLO THERE~!!¡± Jin shouts, giving a curt and pompous bow. The three snow ninja turn to face Jin, jumping back several meters. Their leader steps forward to question the young rogue ninja. ¡°Identify yourself, stranger¡­!¡± ¡°Nagare Roga, the leader, Mizore Fuyukuma, the strong man, and Fubuki Kakuyoku, the token female member of the team.¡± Jin points out one by one. Angered by Jin¡¯s remark, Fubuki shouts back, ¡°Who and what are you, what do you want, and how do you know us?!!¡± Jin gives a devilish grin. ¡°I am Jin, Jin Yamanaka Uzumaki and what I want is your chakra armors--give them to me and I¡¯ll let you live.¡± ¡°Heh heh heh¡­ whoever this brat is, he sure as hell has a death wish!¡± Mizore hops on his snowboard and charges at Jin to punch him. To Mizore¡¯s surprise, Jin catches his punch. Mizore tries to punch him with his other hand, but the young rogue catches that one as well and they enter a grappling match. In less than a minute, Jin casually, effortlessly forces the brute to his knees. One of Jin¡¯s Truth-Seeker Orbs appears right in front of Mizore¡¯s face, it alters its shape and size to that of a quarter before entering the snow ninja¡¯s forehead, slowly but surely, burrowing through his skull, coming out the back. Mizore¡¯s body goes limp, falling to the cold, and snowy ground much to the shock and horror of his teammates. ¡°MIZORE!! You¡¯ll pay for that¡­!!!¡± Nadare howls, weaving hand signs. ¡°Ice Style: Wolf Fang Avalanche!¡± The snow ninja pours most of his chakra into the jutsu, a pack of wolves made of snow form and charge at Jin. The attack results in the entire area being covered in more snow and the wolves jump into the icy depths of the ocean. Panting, Nadare smiles triumphantly, completely unaware that Jin is unharmed and standing right behind him. ¡°That all ya got? Don¡¯t make me laugh!¡± Jin taunts, placing his left hand on the snow ninja¡¯s head who begins to shake and sweat profusely. ¡°J-just¡­ just wh-what are you¡­¡± ¡°Your worst nightmare.¡± Jin uses his Rinnegan¡¯s Human Path to pull out and absorb Nadare¡¯s soul, taking the snow ninja¡¯s knowledge for himself. Huh, So that¡¯s how the snow ninja are able to use Ice Style¡­ too bad there¡¯s no ice where I¡¯m going. Jin releases his hold on the now deceased snow ninja''s head, letting the body collapse on the snow. He turns to face the snow kunoichi as his shadow clone returns, carrying what they came for. ¡°Doto?¡± ¡°Dead, wasted him with one Gelel Blast and annihilated most of his forces.¡± An excited clone explains while waving the two objects in his hands. ¡°Look, I have his chakra armor and then I found their chakra disruption device!¡± Jin returns his attention to a terrified Fubuki and retorts, ¡°Hear that? Your boss, your team, and your army are all dead. Please, just give me your armor, please, I really don¡¯t wanna kill a woman right now¡­¡± ¡°...This isn¡¯t over!¡± The kunoichi yells as wings sprout from the back of her armor. Fubuki leaps into the air and flies away at top speed to get away. However, Jin holds his hand out in the direction of the snow ninja¡¯s rapidly retreating back side and performs the Universal Pull technique. The flying snow kunoichi is sent hurtling back towards Jin who catches her by her back. Jin creates a black rod and is about to impale her head on it, but stops due to the image of Kaguya¡¯s corpse suddenly flashing in the rogue¡¯s mind. He holds his mouth shut, feeling his lunch coming back up. Hmm¡­ what my future self did to pregnant Kaguya must¡¯ve really traumatized me, goddammit¡­! Jin broods while swallowing, trying to keep it all down. Chapter 31 So I¡¯ve managed to not throw up. Feeling pretty good about that¡­ Thinks a lethargic Jin as he holds up Fubuki by her neck, planning out what to do next. ¡°Let me go!¡± Fubuki cries, struggling to break free. The snow ninja repeatedly tries to punch Jin in the face and kick him in the stomach, but the unfazed Jin just ignores her and continues to think. Jin¡¯s shadow clone is sitting down off to the side, removing the armor from the now deceased bodies Nagare and Mizore and cleaning them. ¡°Ice Style: Tsubame Blizzard!¡± Since I¡¯m in the past¡­ I¡¯m gonna take a small detour to the Village of Artisans! Jin schemes as he feels himself being pelted. The rogue ninja comes back to reality, seeing a cluster of ice needles in the shape of miniature swallows out of preexisting ice. They all shatter upon making contact with Jin, leaving no signs of damage. Oh, yeah, she¡¯s still here¡­ Six Paths: Mind Eater Jutsu! Jin chants in his mind as he gently puts Fubuki on the ground. ¡°Hand over your chakra armor.¡± While under the effects of Jin¡¯s jutsu, the kunoichi follows his orders and removes her armor. Once finished Jin hands her some of his spare clothes to wear. As Jin tosses Fubuki¡¯s armor to his shadow clone, he turns to Fubuki and tells her, ¡°When Princess Koyuki arrives, you will¡­¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°It¡¯s pretty awesome that ya were training to be in the Olympics.¡± Rito tells Ayanami. ¡°So what was the plan if ya didn¡¯t make the cut?¡± ¡°I was going to go to business school and build my own makeup company if I couldn¡¯t get in.¡± Ayanami answers, sitting comfortably on a desk. Jin enters the room and announces, ¡°Here¡¯s Johnny! And I brought presents!¡± ¡°You got all four armors?¡± ¡°I also got Doto¡¯s chakra disruption device and the four weapons from the Village of Artisans.¡± Jin tosses the scroll containing the materials to Rito. ¡°Well, Ayanami? How did it go?¡± Not saying anything, Ayanami smirks as she gets off the desk. She looks at Jin and blinks not once, not twice, but three times. On the third time, her eyes change, her ordinarily featureless white Byakugan gains blue pupils filled with what resemble overlapping white flower patterns. Green flames erupt from her, covering her entire body in a cyan-colored chakra shroud. Additionally, nine orbs appear, floating behind the leaf kunoichi. ¡°Oh thank god, I really do need a¡­ training¡­ partner¡­?¡± Jin¡¯s attention suddenly diverts to a new chakra signature. ¡°Hey, do you guys sense that?¡± ¡°Yeah, I feel it too?¡± Lost, Rito looks at Ayanami and then Jin to ask, ¡°What--what are you guys sensing?¡± ¡°There¡¯s someone else here¡­¡± Jin walks to the wall on Rito¡¯s left. ¡°...behind this wall.¡± ¡°Let''s say hello, Dynamic Entry!¡± At the speed of light, Ayanami jumps toward the wall and performs a flying kick. The wall completely shatters upon impact, filling the room with a dust cloud. The commotion causes both Mecha-Naruto and Echo to enter the room. ¡°*cough* I see you¡¯ve trained with Lee and Guy¡­ *cough* *cough*¡± Jin tries to cover his face to keep from breathing in the dust. Stolen story; please report. ¡°The fight with Kakazu and Hidan made me realize that the Gentle Fist wasn¡¯t going to be enough anymore¡­¡± A bashful Ayanami scratches her head, her eyes darting to the side of the room. ¡°And the fight with Pain only confirmed it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been using this hideout as a base for about a year and I¡¯ve never seen this room before...¡± Echo points toward the secret room''s interior. ¡°What is this place? It¡¯s weird¡­¡± Ayanami asks, looking around the room. The dust finally settles, letting Jin and Rito be able to see clearly. They both peer into the room and see that it has not been in use for quite some time due to the fact that the room is covered in dust and there are cobwebs everywhere and at the center, is a man floating in a tank. Hey, I know this guy¡­ Jin thinks as he enters the room, walking closer to the tank. ¡°It¡¯s Lars, Lars Alexandersson from Tekken.¡± ¡°Tekken? I used to play that game with my brother at the arcade sometimes, but I¡¯ve never heard of this Lars guy.¡± Ayanami adds as she gets closer to the tank. Mesmerized, she covers her mouth. ¡°Lars first appears in Tekken 6 and is a bonus character in Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2.¡± ¡°He is so handsome¡­¡± Ayanami deactivates her chakra mode. Feeling smug, Jin turns his head to Ayanami and asks, ¡°Do you want a napkin? Ya know for the drool¡­?¡± Embarrassed and flustered, the leaf ninja slaps Jin on the shoulder. Rito walks across the room to a computer, dusts it off, and goes through its files. ¡°Crikey, looks like that bloody cunt of a snake was trying to make clones.¡± Rito informs the group as he reads the files. ¡°Apparently, he wanted an endless supply of strong, spare bodies.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not surprised¡­ I mean Shin Uchiha was the basis for a lot of his experiments.¡± Jin roll¡¯s his eyes. ¡°This one is brain-dead, thus deemed a failure.¡± Jin puts one hand on the tank and not even five seconds later, the clone¡¯s eyes open and It begins to furiously bang against the tank. Its mouth opens for air only for bubbles to come out. ¡°OH SHIT!¡± A startled Jin jumps back. ¡°The hell, Rito?! You said he was brain dead!¡± ¡°He was--at least that¡¯s what the computer says!¡± Rito argues. ¡°He¡¯s drowning, do something!¡± ¡°Okay, okay--Purple Lightning!¡± Jin gathers lightning in his right hand. The rogue ninja quickly swipes at the tank, causing the incubation fluid to gush out of the hole. The combined pressure from fluid pouring out and the clone¡¯s banging result in cracks forming, the tank breaks open with the clone falling to the ground, regurgitating the fluid in his lungs. ¡°*cough* *cough* W-was ist los¡­ wo *cough* b-bin ich?! *cough*¡± The shocked and confused clone asks, gasping. ¡°Du wurdest gerade in Naruto reinkarniert.¡± Rito quickly answers, catching on to what¡¯s happening. ¡°Is that German?¡± Jin cocks his head to one side. ¡°Nah yeah, I learned it in high school.¡± Rito walks up to the new reincarnation. ¡°You two go out and train, I¡¯ll get our new mate up to speed.¡± ¡°Okay, but before we go¡­ snake or hawk?¡± Jin asks. ¡°HUH?¡± ¡°Which do you prefer, snakes or hawks?¡± Jin clarifies. ¡°Uh¡­ hawks, I guess¡­?¡± Jin tilts his head back and a bulge forms in his neck, the bulge moves upward and Jin reaches into his mouth. He pulls out a scroll and hands it to Rito. ¡°It¡¯s the contract for summoning hawks, just sign your name in your blood and stamp the fingerprints of one hand in blood beneath your signature.¡± Jin explains to his friend. ¡°We can do the rest later.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Rito replies. Jin and Ayanami proceed to make their way out of the room and out of their hideout to begin their training. After jogging a full mile away from the hideout, they find a nice patch of land to train and take their positions. ¡°Heh heh¡­ it¡¯s funny that we never had our match back in the Chunin Exams¡­¡± Ayanami smiles as her Tenseigan Chakra Mode reactivates. ¡°I wonder which one of us is stronger?¡± Three weeks left until the fighting starts, huh¡­? Jin broods as he and Ayanami make the Seal of Confrontation. More than enough time to become fully aware of our newfound powers and abilities. The wind blows, causing tree leaves to fall all across the field. The very instant the final leaf makes contact with the ground, Jin and Ayanami dash towards each other. Character Sheet 4 JIN YAMANAKA UZUMAKI (Six Paths): OVERVIEW APPEARANCE AYANAMI HYUGA (Six Paths): OVERVIEW This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. APPEARANCE YEAGER: OVERVIEW APPEARANCE Chapter 32 In the aftermath of a surprise attack in the morning, a giant, eight-headed monster is seen flying away, leaving Hozuki Castle burning. Two guards are seen running down the stairs, away from the castle to safety. Half way down the flight of stairs that lead to the harbor, they both stop to catch their breath. ¡°DAMMIT¡­! W-wha¡­ what do we¡­ do now¡­?¡± The smaller guard says between pants. ¡°Warden Mui is¡­ dead, a-all the¡­ other guards are dead, and the prisoners are all either wrecking the castle or have escaped¡­¡± Getting his second wind, the larger guard slams his fist against the ground. ¡°We need to send a message to the Five Great Nations and tell them to send everything.¡± ¡°They won¡¯t come.¡± A mysterious voice from behind informs. Startled, both guards turn to face the stranger with their weapons raised. The voice came from a woman with fair skin, waist-length white hair that is covered by a green bandana that has a long curved white stripe and gray eyes with multiple circular patterns. She¡¯s wearing a sleeveless kimono over a green top that only has a long green sleeve covering her left arm along with the green bandana. Both her arms were bandaged up to her elbows. She also wore black trousers with shinobi sandals. ¡°H-how the hell do you know that?¡± The smaller guard asks, trembling. ¡°And j-just who are you anyway¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m an Anbu from the Hidden Grass, Ryuzetsu.¡± ¡°Okay, Ryuzetsu--what makes you think the Great Nations won¡¯t send help?¡± The unconvinced larger guard interjects. ¡°Because the Fourth Great Ninja War begins tomorrow.¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For three weeks, Jin and Ayanami have been sparring, growing more and more accustomed to their Sixth Path abilities. Echo, Mecha-Naruto, and Yeager watch the two clash with each other high in the sky. Yeager is completely lost, only seeing brief flashes of white and cyan-green. ¡°Masked man, are you seeing any of this?¡± Yeager questions. ¡°Every fifth attack maybe¡­¡± Echo responds as both his Rinnegan and Byakugan have been activated for the whole match. Mecha-Naruto looks on with admiration. ¡°I HOPE TO ONE DAY FIGHT LIKE THEM.¡± Yeager turns to his left to see Rito and several of his crystal clones with a pile of bamboo trees. They¡¯re cutting them into weaving them into something. ¡°What do you need all that bamboo for?¡± One of the Rito stops and looks up at Yeager. ¡°Think: NASA¡¯s airless tires.¡± The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. As the Rito clone gets back to work and Yeager continues to watch the fireworks, a bush on the other side of the clearing begins to rustle. A gray snake with a black ring pattern slithers out of the bush, making its way toward Echo. Echo holds his hand out in front of the snake¡¯s mouth and it regurgitates a folded piece of paper, a message. Echo unfolds the message and reads it. ¡°Hmph¡­ took them long enough.¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Why aren¡¯t you using your Gentle Fist taijutsu?¡± Jin asks as his and Ayanami¡¯s fist collide. ¡°Doesn¡¯t work on jinchuriki, remember? Wood Clone Jutsu!¡± Three clones grow out of Ayanami and take their positions. Jin makes three shadow clones in response to Ayanami. One of the Ayanami clones flies at the four Jins, performing the Eight Trigrams Giant Palm Rotation. One of Jin¡¯s clones flies at the rotating Ayanami clone and quickly counters with an Almighty Push, both the clones and their attacks are dispelled. The resulting shockwave parts the clouds in the process. The four remaining clones engage each other in hand-to-hand combat, leaving the real Ayanami and Jin to hang back on opposite sides of the fighting clones. One of the Ayanami¡¯s breaks off from the fight to attack the Jin hanging back, but as soon as she lands her strike, Jin detonates, creating a large explosion. The dust clears to reveal that the remaining clones were destroyed and that the real Jin was part of the skirmish, he¡¯s in a small dome made of his truth-seeker orbs to shield himself from his clone¡¯s explosion. The dome unmakes itself, reverting back to orbs. With one finger, Jin smugly beckons her over. ¡°I could be the real me, but I could also be another clone set to explode. Come and find out.¡± The two hover in the sky as Ayanami is thinking about taking a chance on whether or not Jin¡¯s bluff is real. Ayanami grabs hold of one of her orbs and focuses a tremendous amount of chakra into it, creating a giant golden sword of pure chakra. Oh crap! Eyes wide with surprise, Jin has five of his orbs begin to merge when a Rasenshuriken flies up into the air between them and detonates. Perplexed, both shinobi stop infusing chakra and descend down to their allies. Echo walks up to the two as they plant their feet on the ground. Jin folds his arms in annoyance. ¡°And what was that for?¡± ¡°Yeah, there are other ways for you to get our attention.¡± Ayanami adds. ¡°Your sparring match was getting too heated and it¡¯s time to go.¡± ¡°The war?¡± ¡°Not yet¡­ Do you remember all the prisoners from when you went with Sasuke to recruit Jugo? I had them scour the continent searching for Priestess Shion.¡± Echo crosses his arms. Ayanami twirls her ponytail. ¡°And where is she?¡± Echo takes another look at the message again. ¡°The prison for Moryo¡¯s soul, back in the Land of Ogres.¡± ¡°That¡¯s crazy!¡± Jin tilts his head to the side in disbelief.¡± Ayanami puts her hand on Jin¡¯s shoulder. ¡°No, it¡¯s ingenious! No one would ever think to search the place you¡¯ve escaped from years ago.¡± Jin takes a moment to mull it over and sighs. ¡°When you put it that way¡­ it is kinda brilliant.¡± ¡°Now that we¡¯re all on the same page, let¡¯s go!¡± Rito jumps into the air, biting his thumb to draw blood and slams his hand against the ground as he lands in the middle of the clearing. ¡°SUMMONING JUTSU!!¡± In a puff of smoke, Tsume appears with Rito standing on her beak. The giant hawk focuses her attention on the boy on her beak. ¡°Hmm¡­ so I see that Jin taught you to summon me.¡± ¡°You know it!¡± A proud Rito replies, going back into character. ¡°Come on everybody, ALL ABOARD~!!!¡± Chapter 33 As the sun begins to set, Tsume continues to fly high in the sky while carrying the team. They have just entered the Land of Ogres and are nearing their destination. Ayanami and Yeager were discussing sports, Echo and Mecha-Naruto both sit in silence, and Rito continues to tinker. ¡­with their superpowers, they unite¡­ TEEN TITANS! Jin sings in his head as he draws a picture of Ulquirrora fighting Hollow Ichigo. ¡­when they catch you there won¡¯t be any doubt, you¡¯ve been beaten by the team (x2)¡­! The corners of Jin¡¯s eyes itches as his eyes begin to pulsate with power, so he scratches. That¡¯s weird¡­? Tsume continues to fly for about another thirty minutes then Echo stands at points down at a nearby ravine. ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± Tsume lands and the group dismount from her back, the group walks to the opening and Ayanami activates her Byakugan, peering through the fog down in the ravine. ¡°What do you see?¡± Yeager asks. ¡°I see¡­ the entrance to the shrine and several terracotta warriors guarding it.¡± Ayanami crouches down as she surveys the area. ¡°...And there are about thirteen of those--what are they called again?¡± ¡°Mugonhei¡­ Soulless soldiers created to protect the five dragons of Mt. Koryu.¡± Echo repeats. ¡°Four of these mugonhei look pretty big and tanky.¡± Ayanami continues to observe. ¡°Inside the shrine itself are even more mugonhei and terracotta soldiers and¡­ three people, two are caged and the other must be their warden¡­ his chakra is strong, but off¡­¡± ¡°Must be one of Moryo and Yomi¡¯s four henchmen.¡± Echo reasons. Jin cracks his fingers and has one of his Truth-Seeker orbs morph into a scythe. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go save Shion and this feudal lord..¡± ¡°Wait!¡± Jin feels a hand on his shoulder, he turns to see Ayanami with a pondering expression. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I think we shouldn¡¯t use our six path abilities until we really need them.¡± Jin looks at her, somewhat confused. ¡°Why? I wanna get this war over with and go build a home.¡± ¡°Our six path powers use up tons of chakra. We need to preserve our chakra for the fight with Moryo.¡± Ayanami expression grows more serious and determined. Huh? If she had been this ballsy back in the mines of Gelel, we would¡¯ve had our own Final Valley fight... Jin stares back at his friend and shrugs. ¡°All right! I¡¯ll agree to that.¡± ¡°Transformation.¡± In a puff of smoke, Jin¡¯s appearance changes back to that of his start-of-Shippuden look, except for one thing. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you change your Rinnegan to look more like your old eyes?¡± Rito questions, tilting his head to one side. ¡°I want everyone to see how much stronger I¡¯ve gotten.¡± Jin puffs out his chest and tilts his head up. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing left, let¡¯s get this over and done with.¡± The group proceed to jump into the ravine, running down its walls. Halfway down, they all jump at the contingent of Moryo¡¯s forces. ¡°Celestial Prison Flame Sword!¡± Jin brings up a large flame in his right hand that quickly takes the form of a sword as Jin falls closer to one of the larger mugonhei. As Jin lands, he cleaves one of the large ones in two. The Rogue watches the dead and burning mugonhei disappear in a puff black smoke. They disappear just like in the video game¡­? Cool! A pleasantly surprised Jin thinks as he cuts two more down with his Flame Sword. Rito has several crystal stalagmites erupt from the ground, impaling all the mungonhei foot soldiers and encases the last three tanky mugonhei completely in a crystal pillar. Rito has the pillar shatter to dust along with the mugonhei inside. I forgot how scary and dangerous that kekkei genkai was¡­ A mind blown Jin gives Rito a thumbs up. ¡°HEY?!! HOW DO WE STOP THESE THINGS?!¡± Yeager strikes down two terracotta soldiers, using his Zeus technique. ¡°Every time Ayanami and I break them down, they heal and get right back up!¡± Ayanami takes out three more terracotta soldiers with her Twin Lion Fists and five seconds later, they all reassemble and get back to their feet. Echo walks up to the newly repaired terracotta soldiers. The time traveler creates black receivers of his own as he dodges their attacks. ¡°In the years I spent fighting, running, and hiding from Moryo and his forces, I learned a trick to deal with the ghost army¡­¡± Echo stabs two terracotta soldiers with his black receivers. Almost immediately, they freeze in place and fall to the ground. Aside from Mecha-Naruto, the astonish group looks on at Echo. With his head back in the fight, Jin dashes towards two more terracotta, impaling them with his own black receivers. Wow, that really does work. Jin watches as the two terracotta he impaled freeze, falling to his feet. ¡°What about the rest of us? We don¡¯t have Rinnegan!¡± Rito asks, not assuaged while evading three terracottas¡¯ pincer attacks. Several receivers fire out of Echo¡¯s arm, embedding themselves in the terracotta trying to get Rito. ¡°The only permanent solution is to kill Moryo. Though, you can seal them away as one would a reanimation¡­¡± Hearing footsteps, the team turn to see more mungonhei and terracotta exit the entrance in order to investigate the commotion. The mob of enemies surround the team in an attempt to try and overwhelm them with sheer numbers. ¡°This might take awhile¡­¡± A now lethargic Ayanami sighs. Echo weaves a few hand signs. ¡°Let¡¯s end this farce, Shadow Clone Jutsu.¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- JIN YAMANAKA UZUMAKI (Suppressed): OVERVIEW APPEARANCE Chapter 34 The shrine''s interior shakes ever more profusely as the battle continues, the tremors cause pieces of the walls and ceiling to fall to the ground, and the small legion of mugonhei and terracotta soldiers all make their way up the stairs to face this unknown threat, never to return. ¡°What the hell¡¯s goin¡¯ on up there?!¡± Says the panicked warden of the cruel and ironic prison. Gitai, one of Moryo and Yomi¡¯s four loyal followers watches as the last of Moryo¡¯s foot soldiers rush to face the intruders. He uses earth style chakra to encase his entire body with the surrounding rock and earth, creating armor for himself. Before heading up himself, Gitai makes sure the barrier entrapping the prisoners is secure. He then looks at them and smiles sinisterly. ¡°Don¡¯t go away now.¡± As Gitai runs up the stairs, the explosions and tremors die down. Halfway up, a mungonhei is sent flying over Gitai¡¯s head, it dies and turns to smoke before it could even make contact with the ground. The follower of Moryo looks up to see several figures staring him down with indifferent eyes. Among the group of intruders is a cloaked figure with an anbu mask, the cloaked figure silently steps forward. ¡°Just who are--HUH?!¡± The figures are consumed by an ominous, ethereal darkness. The darkness spreads, consuming everything until Gitai is surrounded by a pitch black void. Hearing clicking and scribbling sounds, Gitai looks down to see that the entire floor is now completely covered by thousands of antennae with shiny black and brown bodies. They begin to swarm, crawling up Gitai¡¯s legs in mass until they reach his head. ¡°AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGHHH!!!¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°So what¡¯s he seeing right now¡­?¡± Rito asks Echo as he draws a mustache and monocle on the paralyzed warden¡¯s face. ¡°Right now he thinks he¡¯s being eaten alive by thousands of¨C¡± ¡°DON¡¯T YOU DARE FINISH THAT SENTENCE!!¡± Ayanami shivers. Jin turns his attention further into the interior of the shrine. ¡°What she said.¡± The team continues to make their way down the long flight of stairs. Upon reaching the bottom, they enter an ancient, cave-like palace chamber. It¡¯s dark with a thick mist and at the center of the chamber lies five pillars covered in sealing tags with violet light-emitting barriers made of chakra between each pillar. Inside the barrier are two people, a boy and a girl around the same age as Jin and Ayanami; they are both unconscious due to a genjutsu. ¡°Not a bad barrier¡­¡± Echo remarks, walking up to it as he holds one hand out. ¡°...but not good enough, Jin?¡± ¡°Way ahead of ya!¡± Jin walks up to one of the pillars, focusing sage chakra into his hand. Jin punches one of the pillars, shattering it completely. This results in the chakra barrier having several brownouts before finally dissipating. Echo walks up to the unconscious young man, weaving signs. ¡°Release.¡± Echo taps the boy on his forehead. The boy weakly rises to his knees as if he¡¯s waking up from a long sleep. He looks at Echo with confused, weak eyes and says, ¡°Uuuugghhh¡­ w¡­ what took you¡­ so long¡­ pendejo¡­?¡± Spanish? Another reincarnation then. Jin reasons. ¡°Jin? This is Yoichi Oda, the acting feudal lord of the Land of Ogres¡­¡± Echo gestures to the boy who¡¯s struggling to get to his feet. ¡°But you know him as Jes¨²s Rodriguez.¡± Jin¡¯s eyes widened with surprise. ¡°Jes¨²s? Speedy?!¡± ¡°How do you know that name?¡± ¡°DUDE! It¡¯s me, John! John Wilson?!¡± ¡°Johnny?! ?Dios m¨ªo, es tan bueno verte nuevo!¡± Yoichi stands up with newfound energy and gives Jin a bear hug. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Jin begins to find it harder to breathe. ¡°It¡¯s g-good to¡­ see you too¡­!¡± Yoichi releases Jin and takes a step back, still smiling. ¡°When Echo said he¡¯d rescue me with Jin, he didn¡¯t say that you were my old friend.¡± ¡°Wait¨Cwhat?¡± Rito joins the conversation. ¡°How much of this have you been planning¡­?¡± ¡°Yeah, Echo... What¡¯ve you been doing, what are you plotting?¡± Jin¡¯s eyes squint with suspicion. ¡°Aside from working to stop Moryo, I¡¯ve been making our childhood dream a reality¡­¡± Echo answers with cold, blunt honesty. ¡°Which reminds me, Yoichi¡­?¡± ¡°OH, casi lo olvido¡­!¡± Yoichi stands tall in a calm and dignified manner. ¡°I, Yoichi Oda, feudal lord of the Land of Ogres, hereby declare you, Jin Yamanaka Uzumaki, the first Onikage of the Village Hidden in the Storms.¡± For a full minute, Jin stares at them with a deadpan expression then his eyes suddenly widen and he facepalms, feeling a mix of shock, confusion, and embarrassment as he remembers his eighth grader syndrome phase. ¡°Forget me being a kage now¡­ You two had all this time and you couldn¡¯t come up with better names?!¡± ¡°Uh, I was kidnapped for god knows who long.¡± Yoichi argues. ¡°And as I¡¯ve told you already, I spent that last fifteen years surviving and fighting to change the future.¡± ¡°Pffft heh heh heh¡­¡± Ayanami is off to the side giggling, hiding her face. Rito walks up and pats Jin on the back. ¡° Ha ha ha ha¡­! Congratulations¡­ Onikage.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry, do you two find my predicament that funny?!¡± ¡°Well¡­ t-the name is pretty funny¡­!¡± A smiling Yeager manages to hold back his laughter. ¡°I CAN¡¯T BE A KAGE!! I DON¡¯T KNOW HOW RUN A CITY AND I¡¯M AN INTERNATIONAL TERRORIST!!!¡± Jin argues. ¡°You know, mijo? In the last couple years, I¡¯ve gotten tons of new citizens that hail you as a hero.¡± Yoichi points out. ¡°And it¡¯s not like you¡¯ll be doing it alone, we¡¯ll be helping you out¡­ every step of the way. Also, you can read books on how to be a political and military leader.¡± Rito adds. ¡°Why are you all trying to convince me to take a job I don¡¯t want¡­?¡± Echo steps forward and looks Jin in the eye. ¡°Remind me¡­ before I came along and told you what¡¯s going to happen, what were your plans?¡± ¡°I was¡­ going to travel to a different continent and¡­ become either a mercenary or bodyguard knowing my survival was assured¡­¡± Jin looks away and cringes. ¡°Wow, that sounded a lot less selfish and cowardly in my head.¡± ¡°C¡¯mon amigo, you have more than enough power to not just survive, but thrive as well. You might as well do something important with it. After all, with great power comes great-¡± ¡°Don¡¯t use Spider-Man against me¡­¡± Taking a deep breath, Jin sighs in defeat and massages his temples. ¡°Alright! I accept your offer.¡± ¡°?Excelente! I¡¯ll start on the paperwork as soon as I get back.¡± Yoichi eagerly shakes Jin¡¯s hand. ¡°Hey, everyone? Is it alright if I hang back and escort the priestess and the feudal lord to a safe location?¡± Yeager asks. ¡°I would like to help in the war, but I¡¯ve only been here for three weeks, I¡­ I don¡¯t have the skill and experience to fight effectively.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± Jin shrugs. ¡°Just make sure to save me a dance at the victory party.¡± Ayanami stares at Yeager with sparkle-filled eyes. Rito points at Yeager then to Ayanami. ¡°I have to ask¡­ are you two a thing?¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± Ayanami remarks. Echo kneels down beside the unconscious priestess and taps her forehead. ¡°Release.¡± ¡°Nnnggrgh¡­? What¡¯s going on¡­? Who¡­ are you people¡­?¡± Shion asks as she drowsily rises. Simultaneously, Jin and Echo reply, ¡°It¡¯s a long story.¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- YOICHI ODA: OVERVIEW APPEARANCE Chapter 35 ¡°HAVE A SAFE JOURNEY, YOU GUYS~!¡± Rito calls out, waving to Lars, Yoichi, and Shion as they make their way back to Yoichi¡¯s palace. Jin and Ayanami wave them goodbye as well with Yeager and Yoichi waving back. When the three leave their sight, Ayanami turns to face Echo. ¡°Hey, Echo, where¡¯s the Ninja Alliance HQ located¡­?¡± Echo cocks his head to one side. ¡°It¡¯s in the vicinity of the Hidden Cloud, just south-east of it in fact. Why?¡± ¡°Jin, Rito! One of you, summon your hawk, we¡¯re going to the Allies¡¯ HQ.¡± Not saying anything, Jin looks at Rito to see hesitation in his eyes and turns his gaze towards Ayanami. ¡°Why would we go to a place where we¡¯re persona non grata? They¡¯ve probably bumped us up to S-Class on their bingo books.¡± ¡°Please go with me to the Allied Shinobi HQ!¡± Ayanami bows with her hands clasped together. ¡°Do you really believe that the Five Kage would just kill you onsite¡­?¡± The Raikage and Mizukage probably would try to kill me, I might be able to talk with Tsunade and Gaara, and I honestly don¡¯t know what the Tsuchikage would do¡­ Jin goes through multiple scenarios before finally speaking. ¡°Fine we¡¯ll go¡­ but if they do attack us, we will defend ourselves.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got yourself a deal.¡± Ayanami performs a backflip out of elation. ¡°When we get there, just follow my lead.¡± Jin claps his hands together. ¡°Summoning Jutsu!¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°The Fourth Company¡¯s facing my old man and the First Company¡¯s fighting Kinkaku and Ginkaku¡­ Now that it¡¯s come to this, I must go join the battle.¡± The Fourth Raikage gathers his wits. Shikaku steps in. ¡°Please recon-¡± ¡°H-hold on¡­ I¡¯m sensing several chakras headed right for us!¡± Ao informs everyone present as he begins to sweat and tremble. ¡°They¡¯ll be here any second and they¡¯re all massive and powerful¡­! What are they?!¡± ¡°They¡¯re right on top of us!¡± Inoichi shouts. Three of the Five Kage present begin to infuse chakra, prepared for a fight. Seconds later, they hear banging on the widows and look to see a smiling young woman with white eyes and an athletic ponytail knocking on the glass. Tsunade lowers her guard. ¡°That¡¯s Ayanami Hyuga of the Hidden Leaf.¡± ¡°But wasn¡¯t she captured by the enemy?¡± ¡°That''s what I¡¯ve been told.¡± The slug queen bites her thumbnail. ¡°Someone let her in!¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°It¡¯s good to see you again, Lady Tsunade.¡± Ayanami bows in reverence. Tsunade stares at the young kunoichi with concern. ¡°We heard you were kidnapped¡­ what happened?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry for worrying you, but as you can see, I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m here to help however I can in the war and¡­ to mediate a parley¡­ or is it a negotiation?¡± Ayanami looks toward the door. ¡°You can come in now~.¡± Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. One-by-one, four individuals enter the room. One is a cloaked figure in an Anbu mask, the second is a boy no older than eleven, and third is a thing that resembles Naruto. Jin enters last with his eyes closed. The room goes dead silent with tension so thick one could reach out and touch it. Inoichi takes off his chakra communication headgear and stares at Jin, eyes wide with surprise. ¡°Jin¡­? Is¡­ is that really you?¡± ¡°Hey¡­ dad.¡± Jin awkwardly gives a curt greeting with his eyes still closed. I mean¡­ he is my father in every way that matters, so¡­ Raikage Ay interrupts the reunion by activating his Lightning Style Cloak. ¡°YOU!! You and that Uchiha brat threw Hidden Cloud into Chaos, and for that you will PAY DEARLY! Die!¡± The Raikage runs at top speed, punching Jin so hard that his arm goes pierces straight through the young rogue''s body and demolishes the wall behind him. ¡°JIN!!¡± Inoichi calls out to his mortally wounded adopted son. ¡°So big, so dumb.¡± Jin stares down the Raikage with a deadpan expression as he turns into a pile of snakes which all slither away. Ao looks to both sides of the room then he looks up. ¡°Above us!¡± Everyone looks up to see the real Jin standing on the ceiling with his arms folded and his eyes still closed, annoyance creeps on Jin¡¯s face. ¡°Ay, you''re the last person I want to hear that from.¡± ¡°What did you say to me, you brat?!¡± ¡°Remind me, just how many people have the Hidden Cloud kidnapped in their lust for power?¡± Jin opens his eyes, revealing his Rinnegan to a shocked audience that is the Allied Shinobi Forces leaders. The Raikage grits his teeth in anger as his Lightning Cloak shoots off sparks. As the Raikage is about to rush Jin, Ayanami steps in his way with her arms stretched out. ¡°Don¡¯t get in my way, girl¡­!¡± Standing firm and full of resolve, Ayanami stares the Raikage down. ¡°With all due respect, Lord Raikage, no. Like I said, I¡¯m here to mediate, Jin and his team are here to negotiate--they have intel to share and will fight on our side in exchange for a full pardon.¡± ¡°Hmph, why should we listen to what an S-Class criminal has to say?¡± The Tsuchikage remains skeptical. Echo takes a step forward. ¡°Because without our help, your war is already lost.¡± ¡°I think we should at least hear them out then make a decision.¡± Shikaku takes a moment to think before returning his gaze on Jin. ¡°What¡¯s the intel you have?¡± Thank god, the Nara Clan members are smart and reasonable. Jin maintains his poker face as he speaks. ¡°There is a third party that seeks to both undermine and take advantage of your war in order to claim the Ten-Tails for themselves and take over the world.¡± ¡°And just who is this third party?¡± Tsunade intently questions the rogue ninja. ¡°I¡¯m sure most if not all of you are familiar with Moryo, the demon who tried to conquer the world some time ago? He¡¯s been fully resurrected and has his terracotta army.¡± ¡°Not only that, he¡¯s even more powerful than ever.¡± Echo adds. ¡°He¡¯s put the five legendary dragons of Mt. Koryu under his thrall, making himself the new light dragon.¡± The Tsuchikage stands up and begins to chuckle. ¡°Heh heh heh¡­ My that is one interesting story, you lot made-¡± ¡°Oh, we¡¯re not lying.¡± A patronized Rito interjects. ¡°We even brought these guys as proof.¡± Gitai enters the room while dragging with him, a terracotta soldier impaled by a black receiver. Echo takes a few steps and removes the receiver from the stone soldier''s chest, it immediately heals. The soldier gets up and runs at Ao with the intent to impale him on its spear. Jin appears right behind the terracotta and impales it with another black receiver, saving Ao in the process. Everyone save for Jin¡¯s team is stunned with shock at what they just witnessed. ¡°Huh¡­?!¡± Inoichi returns his attention to the water sphere. ¡°Incoming messages from multiple battlefields, numerous doll-like mud men have appeared all over and are attacking both the Allied forces and the Akatsuki.¡± ¡°What?!¡± The three Kage turn their attention to the Sensing Water Sphere. ¡°They¡¯re called mugonhei and they¡¯re purpose is to protect and serve the dragons of Mt. Koryu.¡± Echo informs the Alliance leaders.¡± Ao shudders as he senses what¡¯s happening on the frontlines. ¡°F-four more chakra signatures have appeared¡­ and they¡¯re all comparable to tailed beasts!¡± ¡°First, Second, and Third Companies are all reporting that dragons have just entered their battlefields!¡± Inoichi clarifies. ¡°At this rate, we¡¯ll lose the war right as it began¡­!¡± Moryo¡­ your army¡¯s surprise attack has inadvertently worked in our favor. Jin thinks as he walks up to the water sphere then turns to face the Alliance leaders with his arms crossed. ¡°Ay, Tsunade, and Onoki¡­ need I remind you that me and my team are willing to fight on your behalf in exchange for full pardons? So¡­ what¡¯s it going to be?¡± Chapter 36 As thick thunder clouds form on the coastline, it¡¯s pure chaos and pandemonium due to the battle raging on with explosions going off all across the area. Dozens of Ninja, White Zetsu, and Mugonhei all fall with each passing minute, it¡¯s so chaotic that no one can tell who¡¯s winning the battle. It won¡¯t be long before the beach is renamed, ¡°The Scarlet Coastline.¡± ¡°Someone, get the reanimations to kill that--GAH?!¡± A White Zetsu is struck by lightning and drops dead on the sandy ground. The lightning dragon has entrenched itself on the cliffs, it reduces both ninja and Zetsu to ash with the lightning it calls down from the heavens. Any who try to attack it in groups are either blasted by beams of pure electricity from its breath or halted by the multitude of mugonhei defending it. Leaving a trail of blood, a mist kunoichi desperately drags herself across the battlefield with tears in her eyes. ¡°I can¡¯t find my legs¡­ I CAN¡¯T FIND MY LEGS¡­!¡± The water dragon swims along the sea, sending powerful waves crashing onto the beach. Any caught in the waves are either crushed by the pressure or knocked unconscious and left to drown. The water dragon will quickly swim away from any enemies who try to close the distance and shoot them with a high pressure stream of water that cuts them asunder. The worst location in this battlefield to be in are its very shores. Both dragons coordinate their attacks here, effectively turning the shores into a no man¡¯s land with cold, ruthless efficiency. After successfully sealing away Asuma, Ino finds herself surrounded by a group of White Zetsu, all prepared to deliver the coup de grace. ¡°Beast-Man Fury Kicks!!¡± A wolf-like creature lands right in front of Ino to deliver a flurry of powerful kicks. The she-wolf knocks away all the Zetsu, saving the leaf kunoichi. While he¡¯s sent flying, one of the Zetsu throws several of his flytrap extensions at the wolf creature, one hits her abdomen and the others, her arms and legs. Bleeding, she falls to the ground and reverts back to her normal form. Ino immediately goes to help her ally. ¡°Ryuka, are you alright?¡± ¡°Nnnnrrgh¡­! It¡¯s only been¡­ an¡­ an hour since the battle started¡­ and I-I¡¯m already¡­ low on chakra¡­¡± Several mugonhei appear in an attempt to blind side Ino, but Choji arrives just in time and smacks them away with his giant arm. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve got your back!¡± The three are now surrounded by even more White Zetsu and this time, some are merging into larger, tanky enemies and they brought the reanimation, Kakazu with them. While holding a heart, dripping with blood , he lays his eyes on the wounded and exhausted alliance ninja, thick, gray, hair-like tendrils emerge from all throughout his head. ¡°I remember you two. You were with the jinchuriki and Hyuga brats!¡± Kakazu crushes the heart in his hand and points at them. ¡°Instead, I¡¯ll use your hearts to complete my collect--huh¡­?¡± Kakazu stops in his tracks due to a bright, green light suddenly appearing in the sky. The entire battlefield goes quiet with everyone looking up at the light in the sky as if they¡¯re all entranced by the light. Choji and Ino look up to see the storm clouds created by the lightning dragon and within the storm cloud is a giant, glowing green silhouette of a shuriken. Is that¡­ Naruto¡­? Ino thinks as she stares at the mysterious shuriken in the clouds. ¡°Why¡¯s that idiot here? The whole point of this war is to protect him.¡± The clouds part to reveal a red-headed individual. ¡°Wind Style: Gelel Rasenshuriken!¡± He throws the jutsu into enemy lines, killing scores of Zetsu and Mugonhei in the ensuing explosion. The red-haired man lands on top of the cliffs just a few feet above Ino, Choji, and Ryuka. All eyes are on him as he surveys the whole battlefield. All Ino can do is look at him, taken aback. ¡­Jin?! ¡°Message from HQ! Three of the Five Kage have negotiated with the rogue ninja, Jin Yamanaka.¡± Inoichi uses the Mind Transmission Jutsu to telepathically communicate with the whole Allied Shinobi Forces. ¡°Jin and his team have agreed to give intel and fight at our side in exchange for full pardons. I repeat, Jin and his team are our allies now!¡± The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°UZUMAKI! It¡¯s, Jin Yamanaka Uzumaki, if you¡¯re going to use my whole name, say it properly!¡± Jin makes several shadow clones and they all scatter across the battle to where they¡¯re needed most ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°He was a leaf shinobi, do you think we can truly trust him?¡± The Raikage asks the present leaf village ninja. Shikaku, Tsunade, and Inoichi remain silent for a moment. Tsunade and Shikaku both glance at each other before saying anything. Tsunade faces the Raikage with uncertainty. ¡°I honestly can¡¯t answer that, Jin went rogue before I even became the Hokage.¡± ¡°I think we should at least give him a chance.¡± Inoichi remains near the water sphere with blood dripping from his nose. ¡°Regardless if we trust him or not, we can no longer underestimate him.¡± Shikaku makes his thoughts known. ¡°What do you mean by that, Shikaku?¡± Raikage Ay presses. ¡°Think about it, he left the Leaf Village to join Orochimaru then joined Sasuke and the Akatsuki. While we were all butting heads with each other Jin hid himself under their shadows, amassing power. It¡¯s almost like he knew all of this would happen, which begs the question.¡± ¡°What does he need all that power for?¡± Tsunade deduces. ¡°Yes.¡± The Alliance leaders are left silent as they ponder the situation as it escalates. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Isn¡¯t that girl from that Naruto game for the PSP¡­? Jin thinks as he plows Kakuzu with a Rasengan, launching the reanimation far across the beach. ¡­And she¡¯s injured. The surrounding Zetsu focus their attention all one the rogue ninja. ¡°What are you doing Jin? You¡¯d really betray the Akatsuki?!¡± ¡°How can I betray something I was never a part of?¡± Jin emits a repulsive force that knocks away the Zetsu surrounding him. As Jin takes a few steps towards Ino, Choji, and Ryuka, he is stopped by the feeling of a hand gripping his ankle. Jin coldly glares back to see a defeated Zetsu stubbornly clinging to his leg. ¡°I won¡¯t let you g--!! S¡­Stop--!!¡± The helpless Zetsu shouts before being impaled by a vacuum blade. As Jin continues to walk toward his new allies, he notices that they¡¯re still on guard with their eyes focused solely on him, but the Onikage pays it no mind. ¡°What are you doing here, Jin?¡± Ino wears a hopeful, yet concerned expression. ¡°A lot has happened¡­ Long story short, I¡¯m here to help.¡± With casual indifference, Jin kneels down and performs medical ninjutsu on Ryuka as he probes the dream kunoichi¡¯s mind. The Hidden Dream Village, the Tenro Clan¡­ the Beast-Man Jutsu? I can use this for my village. ¡°Where¡¯s Ayanami?¡± ¡°She went to help Kakashi¡¯s company.¡± Jin continues to treat Ryuka as he faces Ino. ¡°Dream Ninja, I thought only the five great nations ninja and the samurai were fighting in this war, why are you involved?¡± ¡°Nngh¡­ your criminals, Kabuto and Mizuki, attacked my village and kidnapped Gensui Amagiri and our village leader, Enzo Tenro.¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In another part of the beach, another Jin is seen near the lightning dragon. As they stare each other down. The many mugonhei protecting the dragon stand in Jin¡¯s way, prepared to fight the ninja. Highly compressed balls of wind chakra suddenly slam against the dragon and the mugonhei. ¡°Wind Style: Air Bullets!¡± ¡°You¡¯re late, Rito.¡± Jin remarks as a giant hawk lands behind him. ¡°I¡¯m not late, you¡¯re just too fast!¡± Rito and Mecha-Naruto both jump from Tsume¡¯s back, landing beside Jin. ¡°Thanks, Tsume! Go home and get some rest, you¡¯ve earned it.¡± ¡°Understood, Master Rito.¡± The hawk disappears in a puff of smoke. ¡°LEAVE THE WATER REPTILE TO ME.¡± Mecha-Naruto rockets off toward the ocean. The lightning Dragon recovers from the Tsume¡¯s attack. It creates a thick mist to hide itself whilst recreating thunderclouds to attack the two who stand before it. Quick on the uptake, Rito weaves a sign. ¡°Crystal Style: Burst Crystal Falling Dragon!¡± Crystals emerge from the ground around Rito, taking the form of a dragon. ¡°Quickly, add your Fire Style to my crystal dragon!¡± Jin spews a Fire Style: Flame Bomb, infusing it into Rito¡¯s crystalline construct. The burning crystal dragon flies into the air as lightning comes down the strike Jin and Rito, but changes course and hits the crystal dragon instead. What Jin just witnessed confuses him. ¡°Crystals can conduct electricity¡­?¡± ¡°Only strontium titanate when it¡¯s heated.¡± Rito informs. Chapter 37 With its thunderclouds rendered useless, the lightning genryu flails about in outrage, its deafening roars annoy the two rogue ninja to the point that they have to use ear plugs. More mugonhei begin to spawn around the dragon. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s so dumb that it doesn¡¯t realize we can still see it.¡± An unimpressed Jin watches glowing yellow lines move through the thick mist. Even with the mist in the way, my Rinnegan can still see its chakra. Rito weaves more signs. ¡°Crystal Style: Jade Crystal Mirror! Jade Crystal Clone Jutsu!¡± Crystal materializes by Rito¡¯s side, taking the form of a mirror. His reflection grabs the edges of the mirror and walks out, this occurs six more times. ¡°Jade Crystal Blade!¡± Blue crystal blades form on each of Rito¡¯s forearms. ¡°Leave the cannon fodder to us!¡± Rito and his clones charge at the mugonhei, the clones create various weapons from crystal as they begin their assault. Jin watches his friend¡¯s battle for a minute before returning his attention to the lightning genryu. He makes two shadow clones, they quickly dash toward the dragon, ignoring the mugonhei that try to stop them while evading the dragon¡¯s lightning breath. ¡°Crystal Style Jade Crystal Prison!¡± One of the eight Ritos completely encases a group of mugonhei archers that were about to blindside Jin with a volley exploding arrows. As the three Jins get closer, the lightning genryu musters all the chakra it can and fires a powerful beam of lightning from its mouth. The Jin in front picks up speed and jumps in the way of the attack, countering with a Gelel Rasengan. The two jutsu clash, resulting in a massive explosion. The dust clears to reveal that all three Jins are gone, the lightning genryu notices an orange light above it and looks up. ¡°Fire Style: Demon Lantern!¡± One Jin says as the many floating fireballs with demonic faces hovering around them fly toward the dragon in a swarm. ¡°Wind Style: Vacuum Blast Barrage!¡± The other Jin exhales several blades of wind at different angles. As both jutsu fly straight toward the dragon, they merge, becoming one raging inferno blast. However, as the attack is about to make contact, the lightning genryu disappears in a puff of black smoke, leaving Jin puzzled. The hell? That didn¡¯t happen in the game¡­ Jin¡¯s head tilts to one side as he stares at the scorched earth. ¡°Even if it was anticlimactic, a win¡¯s a win.¡± Rito walks over to Jin to congratulate him. ¡°But I didn¡¯t win, it just¡­ ran away¡­¡± Both ninja turn their gaze to see Mecha-Kurama fighting the water genryu off in the distance. The giant mech punches the aquatic reptile and then quickly grabs ahold of its tail before it can be sent flying. Mecha-Naruto slams the dragon against a cliff and throws it high into the air before firing a Tailed Beast Bomb, but the dragon vanishes in a puff of black smoke before the attack can hit it. A squad of White Zetsu emerge from the ground around them with one stating, ¡°No one betrays the Akatsuki and gets away with it!¡± As both shinobi begin to infuse chakra and weave signs, something grabs Jin¡¯s attention. Looks like he real me is getting sick¡­ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Miles away in the depths of a grotto, Kabuto sits alone in darkness as he stares intently at his igo board. His snake tail moves from side to side. ¡°So Jin has come out to play¡­ and for the other side? Well, I know just who to use for him.¡± The second coming of Orochimaru has a sinister grin on face from ear to ear, licking his lips. The snake sage places a new piece onto the board. ¡°Make sure to survive long enough for me to get plenty of data, Jin.¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. At sea, Kinkaku of the Gold and Silver brothers runs at Jin with a lariat while saying, ¡°Here¡¯s my thanks for taking care of those lizards, you brat!¡± Hold it in, Jin¡­ Just hold it in¡­ The real Jin thinks as he just barely evades Kinkaku¡¯s Kokinjo while clutching his stomach. The scent of blood and salt in the air combined with the sight of countless bodies littering the land and sea are making the Onikage¡¯s stomach turn with nausea. Also, motion from the sea and Jin¡¯s dodging isn¡¯t helping him either. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s more uncool: the Gold and Silver brothers calling us comrades or that this terrorist is helping us!¡± Samui exclaims as she fights a group Zetsu with her brother, Atsui. Jin pulls out a kunai and throws it, passing right by Samui¡¯s head and hitting a Zetsu that was trying to sneak up on her. ¡°Blondie, you should be angry with yourself for being so weak that you need my help¡­ nice rack by the way.¡± The cloud kunoichi gives Jin a confused glance ¡°Rac¨CGAH?!¡± ¡°Heh! Ginkaku, get the Shichiseiken ready.¡± The Gold brother tells his sibling. ¡°Already on it, Kinkaku.¡± Samui and Atsui have both been punched by Kinkaku, knocking them back by several meters. As the two cloud ninja get back up, they both lurch forward with blobs of chakra coming out of each of their mouths. Ginkaku makes a quick dash for them both, specifically the chakra they regurgitated. ¡°CURSE THEM, SHICHISEIKEN!!¡± The Silver brother shouts as he swings his sword at their spirit words. ¡°*burp* I don¡¯t think so.¡± Still nauseous, Jin is able to jump in the way, blocking the attack and kicking him into his brother and into the water. Wait¡­ weren¡¯t those cloud ninja supposed to be sealed away for the rest of the war? Eh, who cares. Ginkaku drops the two treasured tools he was using, leaving them for Jin to take for himself. Once the silver brother recovers and gets to his feet, he dumbfoundedly drops to his knees with a blob of chakra containing his spirit word coming out of his mouth. Jin runs toward the reanimation with both treasure tools ready. ¡°Curse them, Shichiseiken.¡± Jin slashes the reanimation¡¯s spirit word before taking aim with the gourd. Realizing what¡¯s about to happen, Ginkaku trembles while still on his knees. He looks at his adversary with abject horror and a gaping jaw. ¡°Wha-?! How dare you¡­?!¡± ¡°You two rely on each other far too much, that''s a weakness¡­ Now record them, Benihisago!¡± Jin¡¯s new gourd immediately sucks up Ginkaku¡¯s spirit word like a powerful vacuum. Overwhelmed with despair, the reanimated ninja turns to his brother and calls out, ¡°Kinkaku, help me¡­! KINKAKU~!!!¡± Upon uttering the word he¡¯s said most since birth, Ginkaku is sucked into the Benihisago and sealed away. Seeing his brother sealed away, the sea water swirls around Kinkaku and red chakra oozes out of his body in the form of bubbles. ¡°WHY YOU¡­ Y-YOU, WHELP!! HOW DARE YOU!!!¡± Kinkaku¡¯s tone is filled with rage and hate. The red chakra completely envelops the reanimation¡¯s body and darkens with six tails sprouting from his lower back. Kinkau¡¯s Version 2 transformation causes a series of powerful tidal waves that reach the shore and drag many ninja, Zetsu, and mugonhei out to sea, Jin leaps back to shore with the three cloud ninja, using his own chakra arms. ¡°Jin, right? How are yo--?¡± ¡°I found small traces of tailed beast chakra and took them for myself.¡± Jin curtly answers as he gently sets the three down. ¡°How dare you do such a thing to Ginkaku. You¡¯re going to pay!¡± Kinkaku roars, creating shockwaves that can be felt all across the battlefield. ¡°Huh¡­?¡± Puzzled, Jin''s attention focuses on a new chakra signature that has just entered the field. What the¡­ this chakra feels off, but oddly familiar¡­ Just behind the raging Kinkaku, a new figure emerges from the water, his black sclera and cracked skin show he¡¯s a reanimated ninja. He appears to be in his thirties with his hair and beard being black, wild and long. He has a bulky muscular physique with only shreds of sleeves around his wrists. The man steps forward with a look of great confusion. ¡°W-where am I? The last thing I remember was¡­?!¡± The man freezes in place for a moment before taking a confident yet flippant posture with . ¡°Jin, the Hidden Sound Village thanks you for all the hard work you¡¯ve done, but now I need to contain the situation.¡± Kabuto¡­ What have you done? Jin is put on edge by the reanimated Shinno¡¯s dark chakra. ¡°For your final mission, I¡¯ll have you help me test the limits of this ¡®dark chakra.¡¯ Body Activation Jutsu!¡± Shinno¡¯s body with dark chakra. The dark chakra flows out of Shinno¡¯s body as an aura visible to everyone, some ninja with weaker wills even become sick and fall to their knees after sensing his malicious chakra. What Shinno does next makes Jin¡¯s eyes widen in horror. HOLY SHIT¡­! Jin immediately activates sage mode and slams his hands against the ground. ¡°SAGE ART: INORGANIC REANIMATION!!¡± Like lightning, spikes of water erupt from the ocean only to pierce empty air. In less than a blink of an eye, all Jin can see is a crimson red fist mere inches from his face. With one punch, Shinno cracks Jin across the face and into the cliff. While dazed and winded, Jin pulls himself out of the fresh crevices of the cliff. A sharp and pulsating pain courses all throughout Jin¡¯s head and his vision is cut in two, one eye sees the crimson monster in front of him and the other, his trembling feet. Chapter 38 My right eye popped out of its socket and I think he shattered my skull¡­! A trembling Jin laments as he tries to gather his bearings. ¡°Ngh¡­ Aaaugh!¡± Shinno blitzes right in front of Jin and delivers another powerful punch. ¡°This power, I must test it. I have to know how strong dark chakra and the Eight Gates really are.¡± Shinno proceeds to brutally beat Jin into the cliff, each blow results in tremors that can be felt all across the beach. Several Alliance shinobi try to blindside the reanimation, but Kabuto has Shinno¡¯s body unleash a black, widespread wave of dark chakra, killing them all where they stand. Shinno ends the constant assault by running Jin through with a powerful dark chakra enhanced jab. As the reanimation pulls a handful of intestines out of Jin¡¯s torso, bluish-green liquid pours out of Jin¡¯s wounds. ¡°Hmm? What is this¡­?¡± Using Shinno as a proxy, Kabuto examines the strange substance. ¡°The Rinnegan and now this? I¡¯ll have Shinno drag your body to my hidey-hole so I can dissect you and learn your secrets.¡± As Shinno reaches for the injured Onikage, crystals suddenly erupt from the ground and completely encases the reanimation in a column. Rito jumps down and lifts his hurt friend up. ¡°I¡¯ve got your back.¡± Rito assures Jin as he carts him to safety behind friendly lines. ¡°W-won¡¯t¡­ hold him f-for long¡­¡± Jin warns. ¡°Pfft¡­ I made that pillar as dense as steel, he¡¯s not going anywhere.¡± A team of ninja surround the crystalized reanimation, preparing to seal him away. However, Shinno bursts out, shattering his crystalline prison like it was nothing but a minor inconvenience and kills the sealing ninja with the Asakujaku technique. A reanimated body, dark chakra, the Body Activation Jutsu and the Eight Gates¡­ this guy¡¯s a fucking Kaguya level threat. Jin reasons as he looks on while still being carried away. ¡°Rito, take me to the far end of the beach--away from everyone, I can¡¯t hold anything back against that monster.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t fight this guy¡­! He punched a hole through yo--oh wait, you''re already regenerating.¡± The young genius sees the smoke emanating from Jin¡¯s wounds as they fade away. ¡°...pid¡­ ¡­less¡­¡± Jin mutters under his breath as he puts his eye back into its socket. Gross and weird. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I was stupid and careless. Of course Kabuto would pull something like this and I didn¡¯t even think to properly dispose Shinno¡¯s body.¡± ¡°Mate, don¡¯t blame yourself. We all make mistakes, no one can plan for everything.¡± ¡°Stupid and careless!¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rito has set Jin down and they¡¯ve just made the short trek to a deserted portion of the beach, away from the fighting. The sound of the crashing waves are the only thing helping Jin calm down as he mentally prepares himself. ¡°I have to ask: what is this blue-green crap?¡± Rito stares at the new stains on his clothes in disgust. ¡°I¡­ dunno.¡± ¡°What do you mean you don¡¯t know?¡± ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t know--the only thing that comes to mind is¡­ the gelel¡­ stone.¡± Jin¡¯s eyes widen as he has an epiphany. ¡°Oh, so when I ate the fruit¡­ it merged my stone with me on a deeper level.¡± Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°Are you telling me you¡¯re a homunculus like Greed and Lust now?¡± ¡°Dude, I don¡¯t know, this is all new--Rito, run to safety. Now.¡± As Truth-Seeker Orbs appear on Jin¡¯s back, one of the orbs goes to the Onikage¡¯s hand, morphing into a scythe. At high speeds, something crashlands several meters ahead of Jin, the dust clears to reveal Shinno with a sinister grin. ¡°Don¡¯t think you can run away from this fight, Jin.¡± ¡°Rito, you need to go.¡± Jin¡¯s transformation is undone, revealing his true form. ¡°But I ca--¡± ¡°GO, NOW!¡± Before Rito returns to the main battle field, he turns back and tells his friend, ¡°...Don¡¯t lose.¡± ¡°Now that the distractions are gone¡­ let''s finish our test.¡± Kabuto says with Shinno¡¯s body as he takes a fighting stance. ¡°You have an unusual body¡­ I can¡¯t wait to dissect your remains!¡± ¡°YOU WILL KNOW YOUR PLACE, YOU FILTHY SNAKE!!¡± Jin¡¯s body surges with chakra as he flies at the reanimation swinging his weapon. The reanimation, Shinno runs at Jin as he pulls his right arm back. ¡°Sekizo: First Step!¡± Jin immediately creates a protective shell using three of his orbs. The shield seemingly holds, but the cannon of pressurized air blast through, slamming Jin into the ground and making a deep tunnel in the process. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- What the hells going on over there¡­?! Shikamaru braces himself as a powerful shock wave passes through the coast. Weaker combatants are sent hurdling away like they¡¯re grains of dust in the wind. ¡°I think one of the chakra fighting is¡­ Jin¡¯s?¡± Ino senses two absurdly powerful chakras fighting where the shock wave originated. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°...Third Step, Fourth Step!¡± Shinno repeatedly spams his attack, burying Jin further into the ground. With each of Shinno¡¯s mighty blows, a loud thud occurs followed by a shock wave. It¡¯s as if explosions of pure wind are happening right in front of Jin. The force of each attack is so great, Jin can¡¯t escape the tunnel and is buried further and further into the ground. ¡°Sixth Step!¡± Dammit! He has me pinned¡­! All I can do is mitigate the damage¡­ Jin coughs up blood as he keeps creating shields out of his orbs to soften the blows, his chakra begins amassing in his eyes on an instinctual level. ¡­And my eyes are acting up again! ¡°Is this the best you can do? You disappoint me, Jin.¡± Shinno gathers dark chakra in his hand, creating a dark orb with two dark rings around it. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, after I kill you, the crystal style boy is next. Super Activation Fist!¡± Prepared to deliver the coup de grace, the reanimation falls head first all the while, kicking the air to gain momentum. One the way down, Shinno¡¯s chakra manifests as a burning, black and red dragon around his body. Even as he continues to make shields out of his orbs, Jin¡¯s perception of time slows down as Shinno inches ever closer. He begins to hyperventilate as he is overcome with terror and despair, the space around Jin begins to distort as Shinno is less than a meter above him. I don¡¯t wanna die here, not like this¡­ I can¡¯t accept this¡­! I WON¡¯T ACCEPT THIS!! Jin sees a bright light as his Truth-Seeker shield shatters and he is plowed by Shinno¡¯s jutsu. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°What is this, World War III?!¡± Rito shouts as he surrounds himself in a crystal barrier to shield himself from the shockwave. A massive explosion in the shape of a beam that pierces the sky with several rings around it. The explosion is so large and bright, it can be seen for several miles. Rito has to make his crystal barrier take root deep underground just to anchor itself in order to keep from being blown away. He even creates more barriers to protect various Alliance ninja. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Aha ha ha ha¡­! Oh my, that was so easy!¡± Kabuto cackles as the dust begins to clear. ¡°If I incorporate Jin¡¯s Rinnegan and Rito¡¯s crystal kekkei genkai, I¡¯ll become a being that transcends even--hmm?!¡± The blast dissipates, leaving behind a large smoldering crater. The dust clears to reveal that Jin is still alive, he¡¯s missing an arm and a leg and he¡¯s breathing heavily. Still possessed by Kabuto, Shinno peers closer to see that not only is he still alive, but is also surrounded by a golden yellow rib cage that is covered in cracks with sections of it completely shattered and Jin¡¯s Rinnegan have changed from being violet in color to now having a scarlet hue. Jin himself stares blankly into the sky as he is deeply bewildered as to what has just happened. Chapter 39 Sea water begins to pour in, filling the crater. The rising water picks Jin up and carries him to the surface. Water splashes onto the stupefied ninja¡¯s face, causing him to cough. Wha¡­ What happened? I¡¯m not dead¡­? Wincing as he comes out of his daze, Jin¡¯s eyes dart in every direction until they focus on the heavily damaged rib cage surrounding him. But¡­ I don¡¯t possess the Sharingan. Is this because I ate the chakra fruit¡­? His body emits smoke as it regenerates, the sensation of his bones and flesh re-growing makes the Onikage shiver. The instant everything is healed, Jin groggily picks himself up only to fall to his knees in agony. All this pain¡­ it¡¯s like every cell is on fire and being electrocuted all at once¡­! Sasuke, Itachi¡­ how much pain did you two have to endure¡­?! Jin manages to fight through the pain and gets back up. ¡°A marvelous show of resilience, Jin.¡± Shinno claps his crimson hands slowly. Rhythmically. Sarcastically. ¡°I¡¯ve already surpassed Lord Orochimaru, but once I have yours and Rito¡¯s power, I¡¯ll be one step closer to being a god!¡± ¡°For a minute there¡­ I thought I was actually going to die¡­¡± Jin¡¯s chakra flares causing his Susanoo to grow a left arm. I feel like death¡­ but I¡¯m moving. Jin fires one of his Truthseeker Orbs at high speeds toward the reanimated ninja who blitzes to Jin¡¯s side to deliver a mighty blow with his elbow. Shinno¡¯s attack smashes through Jin¡¯s Susanoo and hits the Onikage directly, sending him flying. Jin is able to quickly recover and lands on his feet some distance away. ¡°Don¡¯t you get it? Whatever those black spheres are¡­ they can¡¯t touch me.¡± Kabuto sneers. Jin points to Shinno¡¯s left side. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be too sure of that if I were you¡­¡± Possessing Shinno¡¯s body, Kabuto looks to his left and sees the black sphere hover just a centimeter away from his shoulder. The sphere begins to light up, growing brighter by the second¡­ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A patient Rito looks on as a bright and massive explosion appears in the distance, a group of seven White Zetsu try to sneak up on him only to be encased in crystal. ¡°Freaky.¡± Rito has the crystal shatter, paying them no mind. Two figures run past the young genius, headed straight for Jin and Shinno¡¯s battle. ¡°Who¡­?!¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- All this pain¡­ It sucks that I have to keep using the Susanoo in order to master and perfect it. A wincing Jin broods as many White Zetsu emerge from the water, surrounding him, all poised to strike. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. Several of the Zetsu merge into a larger monstrosity who runs at Jin with scythe-like protrusions, but is grabbed by the Susnanoo¡¯s hand. The hand slowly brings the larger Zetsu close enough for Jin to shove a Rasengan into it, killing it instantly. Jin lurches forward, landing on all fours. He tries to get up, but for some reason he can¡¯t move. At this point, black markings appear all over his body, his rage begins to curdle and fester due to Kabuto¡¯s interference coupled with the pain from using the Susanoo. Fuck, a paralysis curse mark¡­! Hiding his true emotions behind a smug grin, Jin tilts his head up to see two new faces join Shinno¡¯s side. ¡°Hizashi Hyuga and Kakuzu¡­ getting desperate are we?¡± Shinno has a concerned look when he notices that his left arm isn¡¯t reforming. ¡°I need to kill you now, but before that--what did you do to his arm?¡± ¡°You¡¯re smart, figure it out yourself.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s how you want it¡­ Super Activation Wave!¡± ¡°Eight Trigrams Air Palm!¡± Three masks form from Kakuzu¡¯s right hand, aiming them at Jin. ¡°Earth Grudge Fear: Final Shot!¡± Don¡¯t think, feel¡­ As the reanimations¡¯ attack are coming toward Jin, the Onikage closes his eyes and drowns himself in his emotions. The three jutsu cause an enormous explosion the instant they make contact, leaving a thick smokescreen of steam. The reanimations and Zetsu watch the steam for a moment to make sure Jin is defeated. ¡°That takes care of him, now for the--hmm?¡± Through the steam, a golden yellow broadsword bursts out and cuts down all the White Zetsu and reanimations except for Shinno who leapt back just in time. The steam fades, revealing a skeletal avatar with red eyes and forward-pointing devil horns protruding from both of its temples. It forms musculature followed by skin, wearing an expression of horror as it looks down on the reanimated Shinno. And in its chest and ribs, stands a battle damaged Jin who is in the process of regenerating. ¡°Three times.¡± Jin creates a shadow clone that stands right next to him in his Susanoo. I have to seal him away, but I need to remove his remaining three limbs first. ¡°What--what do you mean, ¡®three times¡¯?!¡± ¡°You damn near killed me three times¡­!¡± Jin and his clone both create a Rasengan while the Susanoo dissipates. ¡°When I find you¡­ not even your next of kin will be able to identify you, you son of a bitch!¡± Blue and green chakra begin to swirl around them in streams as the two Jins bring their Rasengans closer together. Both Rasengans expand and then merge with several more streams of chakra spiraling around its center. It appears unstable, its shape fluctuates wildly. Another burning red and black dragon of chakra manifests around the reanimation¡¯s body as he gathers massive amounts of dark chakra in his hand. ¡°No matter, I just count--GYAH?!¡± Shinno looks down to notice a black receiver breaking out of his chest. He looks behind and sees another Jin impaling his heart with the black receiver. As the clone braces himself, he transmits his chakra through the receiver and into Shinno¡¯s body; Shinno is paralyzed with his chakra disrupted and his Super Activation Fist disappearing. ¡°It''s over¡­ Sage Art: Ultimate Supreme Rasengan!¡± As Jin and his clone run with the improved Rasengan, the Onikage can¡¯t help but smile. The relief of not using the Susanoo has caught up with Jin, washing over him. As he gets ever closer to Shinno, he feels his spine tingle and his blood pumping. The prospect of winning this battle in particular combines his adrenaline and dopamine as if his veins are filled with narcotics. ¡°This isn¡¯t over, Jin!¡± Kabuto¡¯s tone becomes irritated in Shinno¡¯s paralyzed body. ¡°It ends when I say it ends!¡± Jin plows his Supreme Rasengan into Shinno. Another colossal explosion occurs; this time in the form of a green beam that strikes the sky with a giant blue sphere at the center of ground zero. The explosion quickly disappears as it came, creating a vortex similar to a black hole. Side Chapter 1 As the morning sunlight shines through the window, Jin yawns as he wakes up from his deep slumber. The new genin gets out of his warm and comfortable bed, he performs a few stretches before doing three sets of twenty push ups. Today¡¯s the day¡­ I¡¯m assigned my team and my mentor. Jin looks at the calendar, it¡¯s October the 15th. Better get dressed then. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fully dressed, Jin waits patiently outside the restroom door which is in use. The Genin can hear the sink water running from the other side of the door. After thirty minutes of waiting, Jin''s patience grows thin. ¡°HEY, you¡¯re not the only one who has to use the restroom, ya know?! ¡­What¡¯re you doing in there?!¡± Jin bangs furiously against the door. ¡°Hurry up! I need to finish my routine so I can go eat!¡± ¡°OCCUPIED! Go outside like the rest of the animals, Tomato-Head!¡± ¡°You first, Ino-Pig.¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Now that Naruto knows the Shadow Clone Jutsu I can probe his mind! A gleeful Jin thinks as he and Ino exit the house and make their way to the academy. ¡°I believe they let an outsider like you graduate, what a surprise.¡± ¡°That was then, this is now¡­ Just make sure to not get in my way.¡± Jin¡¯s tone is filled with venom and malice. Not hearing a response, Jin turns to see that his cousin has stopped walking and locked eyes with a pink-haired girl in a red qipao dress. Tension fills the air and for a brief second to Jin, the two girls turn into a tiger and dragon who¡¯re both poised to strike. Oh, right¡­ Ino and Sakura have a childish rivalry. I don¡¯t have time for this. Jin continues walking, not giving them a second thought. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- After arriving at the ninja academy and subsequently his class, Jin takes his seat. Everyone is wondering what will happen for orientation, except for Jin who suffers in silence. OH, FUCK ME--DAMN IT ALL!! WHY? WHY DID SHINO HAVE TO SIT BEHIND ME?! Jin¡¯s face begins to turn blue with extreme anxiety. The red-haired Genin¡¯s heart pounds like a drum and sweat runs down his face, his neck hairs rise and his skin crawls. Jin finds it difficult to breathe while his arms and legs tremble, his face gains a green hue because of sudden nausea. ¡­FUCK! I NEED TO ESCAPE! FUCK, FUCK, FUCK!! Jin stands up and quickly power walks to the front desks. He meets his fellow reincarnation, Ayanami Hyuga by the windows. ¡°Is it okay if I sit here?¡± This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Okay¡­ but I saw that--why do you hate Shinno? I¡¯ve noticed that you avoid him like the plague the whole time at school.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t hate Shinno¡­ I just hate bugs.¡± Realizing what Jin meant, Ayanami nods and scoots over to the window. A now elated Jin takes his new seat. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°I¡¯M FIRST!!¡± Ino and Sakura both shout as they burst into the classroom. ¡°That¡¯s no fair! How come Ayanami gets to sit next to Jin?¡± Several girls say in the background. How annoying¡­ Jin thinks as he takes out a sheet of paper and begins to draw. A little later, several gasps are heard followed by dead silence. ¡°Oops.¡± Ayanami has a look of guilt mixed with embarrassment. ¡°Sorry, Naruto¡­¡± ¡°Danger!¡± Naruto mutters as he looks to his right. A horde of jealous girls stare down the titular character with cold, menacing glares. Sakura and Ino are at the forefront, they appear to be the most upset. ¡°Naruto¡­ you are so dead.¡± Sakura cracks her knuckles. ¡°You¡¯re finished.¡± Terrified of what''s about to happen¡­ wow, this kid really loves his ramen¡­ Ah, there¡¯s the Shadow Clone Jutsu. Jin probes Naruto¡¯s mind as he continues to draw. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- After Naruto¡¯s¡­ girl trouble, the class has all settled down and taken their seats. Iruka has arrived and stands in front of the class. ¡°As of today you are all ninjas, but what comes next will be far more difficult. Now, you¡¯re all only genin, first level ninja¡­ All the genin will be grouped into three-man squads, Each squad will be led by a jonin, an elite ninja.¡± I wonder who¡¯ll be on my team¡­? Jin wonders as he hears murmurs from his classmates. Jin leans forward so he can intently listen for his name and those of his future squadmates. He feels nervous, anxious, but at the same time, excitement. ¡°We want each squad to have a balance of strength and abilities, so that¡¯s how we set them up. I will now announce the squads. Team 1: Jin Yamanaka, Yuno Tamaki, and Takeda Sarutobi.¡± ¡°YEAH!!¡± A girl shouts from the back. Takeda and Yuno? Who the hell are they? A puzzled Jin leans back, underwhelmed by his team members'' names. Iruka looks down at his clipboard, continuing to list the teams. ¡°Team 3: Ayanami Hyuga, Byakuya Hatake, and Mikasa. Next is Team 7¡­¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Classes have been dismissed until the afternoon and Jin now sits alone on the roof of the academy, finishing off the contents of his bento. He sets the bento box to the side and begins to infuse his chakra. While weaving a hand sign, Jin says, ¡°Shadow Clone Jutsu.¡± In a puff of smoke, Jin is disappointed at what he sees. ¡°Only two¡­? Lame!¡± ¡°Well, we only just learned the technique.¡± ¡°That and we don¡¯t have a tailed beast to draw chakra from.¡± Hearing footsteps the three Jins turn to see a girl with azure hair and a navy tank top with a big smile on her face. Her dark blue eyes are filled with sparkles. ¡°I was thinking¡­ since we¡¯re on the same team, why don¡¯t we have lunch and get to know each other.¡± Jin curtly responds with, ¡°I already ate, you should hurry up and eat. We need to head back and meet our new teacher soon¡­ later.¡± As Jin walks away, he has his two clones dissipate in a puff of smoke. Yuno is left alone to sulk. Side Chapter 2 It¡¯s now the stroke of twelve, all twenty-seven members of Jin¡¯s class are sitting down, waiting for their jonin leaders to arrive. Everyone is sitting with their respective team members. Naruto stands up and begins to pace back and forth with anticipation. The door to the classroom slides open, the class turns to see a very tall man with a muscular physique and a strong jawline enter the room. He wears a white shirt with a purple collar that¡¯s popped up and a pair of black pants, and his headband is wrapped around his shoulder. His spikey orange hair sways as he walks in, he has a calm demeanor, but his eyes shine with confidence. With a big smile and wide eyes, Naruto shouts, ¡°All right, are you our sensei?! I¡¯m Naruto Uzumaki and one day, I¡¯m gonna be Hokage!!¡± Now standing behind the desk in front of the class, the man pulls out sheets of paper and says, ¡°Jin Yamanaka, Yuno Tamaki, and Takeda Sarutobi.¡± ¡°Sir!¡± All three of Team 1 stand up. ¡°I¡¯m Hanzo Mishima and I¡¯m going to be the jonin leader of your squad. We¡¯re going to have a meeting now, so follow me.¡± ¡°Later.¡± ¡°See ya!¡± ¡°So long.¡± As Team 1 says their goodbyes, leaving the classroom forever, Jin thinks, So my team consists of me, a background character and 3 characters from a MMO-JRPG for PC that I¡¯ve barely even played¡­? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team 1 has their first meeting on the roof of a random building. Hanzo stands tall, facing his three new subordinates who¡¯re sitting on a bench. The warm sun and the cool, gentle afternoon breeze makes Jin feel a bit nostalgic about his old life. ¡°Alright, let''s introduce ourselves--one at a time, I¡¯ll start: I¡¯m Hanzo Mishima, things I like and hate? I don¡¯t feel like telling you that¡­ Dreams for the future? I never really thought about that¡­ and hobbies? I have lots of hobbies.¡± What is this? This sounds like something Kakashi would say¡­ A yawing Jin thinks as he¡¯s annoyed by his sensei¡¯s bland introduction. Jin looks to both of his teammates to see that they¡¯re also not amused by their sensei¡¯s introduction. Hanzo points at the boy on the right with the orange and black shirt with gray pants. ¡°You there on the right? It''s your turn.¡± Takeda¡¯s grin shows his arrogance. ¡°Okay, my name¡¯s Takeda Sarutobi. I like Takoyaki and hate milk¡­ my hobby is collecting all kinds of ninja tools¡­ and my dream is to become Hokage.¡± ¡°All right¡­ next.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Yuno Tamaki, what I like--uh, I mean the person I like is¡­¡± A coy Yuno gives Jin a giddish side glance. ¡°...Uh, my hobby is¡­ My dream for the future is¡­¡± So I get my own Sakura? That sucks. Jin sighs, distancing himself from the situation. ¡°And¡­? What do you hate?¡± ¡°Takeda!¡± ¡°Waaahh?!¡± Tears begin to well up in a devastated Takeda¡¯s eyes. ¡°Last one.¡± Let¡¯s get this over with¡­ The red-headed genin sighs with disinterest. ¡° I am Jin Yamanaka, my hobbies are reading and art, and my goal is to become a powerful ninja, mastering all sorts of jutsu¡­ that¡¯s all.¡± You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. ¡°Good, you¡¯re each unique with your own ideas. We¡¯ll have our first mission in two hours.¡± Hanzo crosses his arms, going through the motions. ¡°Ooh, what kind of mission are we gonna have?¡± Takeda¡¯s eyes sparkle with excitement. ¡°It¡¯s a task that the four of us will do together¡­ a survival exercise.¡± Jin¡¯s expression becomes serious. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­ we¡¯ll be sent back to the academy if we fail.¡± Hanzo simply shrugs, responding with, ¡°Caught on, eh? Meet me at the designated training spot in two hours and bring your ninja gear.¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jin decided to head to the training grounds fifteen minutes early. After five minutes, Hanzo arrives, he greets the red-haired genin, but Jin pays him no mind. Can you feel life moving through your mind, looks like it came back for more¡­ Jin sings in his head as he sorts through his ninja tools while waiting for the exercise to start. ¡­Live and learn, hangin'' on to the edge of tomorrow¡­! Ten minutes later, Takeda and Yuno finally arrive. Yuno tries to get Jin¡¯s attention, but he simply ignores her and waits for the exercise to begin. ¡°Since everyone¡¯s here, let¡¯s get started.¡± Hanzo sets a timer clock on one of the nearby posts and presses the button on top. ¡°It¡¯s set for 7PM¡­ Your assignment is very simple, you just have to take these bells from me.¡± ¡°Wait--but there are only two bells.¡± Yuno points out. Because the whole point of this exercise is teamwork, DUH. Jin watches Hanzo twirl the bells with his fingers. ¡°This way, one of you will be tied to a post and ultimately disqualified for failing to complete the mission. That one goes back to the academy, then again¡­ all three of you can fail as well.¡± The air becomes tense as Jin becomes serious. Yuno gulps as Takeda quietly whines. ¡°You can use any weapons and jutsu. If you¡¯re not prepared to kill me, you won¡¯t be able to take the bells.¡± ¡°I¡¯m ready when you are, sensei.¡± Jin cracks his knuckles with anticipation. Hanzo smirks. ¡°Hmph, get ready and¡­ start!¡± Jin and Yuno quickly disappear in a puff of smoke, leaving no traces of where they hid. Takeda on the other hand, proudly stares down the jonin with his arms folded. ¡°What are you doing, Takeda?¡± Hanzo is somewhat confused. Takeda boldly charges at Hanzo. ¡°You and me are gonna settle this, fair and square!¡± Jin¡¯s teammate throws a punch only to hit the air, Hanzo is seen crouching behind the young and na?ve genin, weaving the tiger seal. As Hanzo is about to poke Takeda, Jin bursts out of the river, throwing five kunai. Hanzo casually evades them all and grabs the last kunai throwing back. Jin is hit, but in a puff of smoke, Jin turns into a log. Takeda takes the moment to jump away in anger. ¡°I didn¡¯t need your help, Jin!¡± Keep telling yourself that, idiot¡­ Jin cautiously hides in a tall tree. ¡°*sigh* ¡­I should regroup with the others.¡± ¡°Jin, behind you.¡± A voice whispers from behind. The genin looks back to see his jonin leader staring right at him from another branch on the same tree. Startled, Jin immediately drops from his branch, running down it¡¯s trunk. On the way down, Jin creates two shadow clones. ¡°SCRAMBLE!!¡± One Jin yells as he reaches the ground. Need to run, need to hide--there¡¯s no point in fighting a losing battle¡­ All three Jins dart away in separate directions as fast as each of their twelve-year-old legs can carry them. Hanzo remains in the tree watching Jin and spotting where Takeda and Yuno are hiding. Hanzo looks down on his students as he weaves signs. ¡°Huh, he¡¯s quick on his feet and already knows the value of teamwork... Earth Style: Lightened Boulder Jutsu.¡± The jonin hovers off of his branch, taking flight. He resumes his assault, terrorizing his three new students from on high. I HATE THE HIGH GROUND!! A now thoroughly frightened Jin thinks as darts across the training field. Chapter 40 Back on the beach proper, Tobi has appeared on the battlefield and summoned the Gedo Statue. The statue roars, calling down lightning to strike the Allied Shinobi Forces surrounding it. Many ninja are either incinerated by the lightning or stoned by the flying debris. After being suddenly blasted from behind by a beam of chakra, the Gedo Statue turns around only to be sucker punched by Mecha-Kurama. Standing over the statue, the robotic fox begins to claw at it, tearing one of its arms off with its fangs. ¡°Interesting, this creature appears to be as strong as the full Nine-tails¡­¡± Tobi watches the carnage from a distance, acquiring both the Benihisago and Kohaku no Johei. ¡°...Hmm?¡± A White Zetsu slowly emerges from the ground. ¡°There¡¯s something you¡¯ll want to hear.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Sasuke¡¯s teammate, Jin¡­ he¡¯s joined the Allied Shinobi Forces.¡± ¡°Jin? I¡¯ll deal with him later.¡± Tobi brushes off this information. ¡°But that¡¯s not all, he¡¯s somehow obtained his own Rinnegan.¡± White Zetsu interjects. ¡°And he¡¯s become much stronger than he ever was before.¡± ¡°However strong Jin has become, it¡¯ll be nothing once I have the Ten-Tails.¡± Tobi disappears along with the two treasure tools of the Sage of Six Paths. As Mecha-Kurama is about to plunge his fist through the statue¡¯s chest, it disappears in a puff of smoke as soon as it came. Reverting back to his Mecha-Naruto form, the mechanical duplicate can hear someone in the distance screaming, ¡°Choza, seal me! Hurry, hurry up and seal me!¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The reanimated Shinno is lying on his stomach with all of his limbs removed. He twitches and spasms with four black receivers sticking out of his back. Jin menacingly towers over the defeated reanimation, holding another black receiver. ¡°If you¡¯re trying to escape, don¡¯t bother.¡± Coming down from his victory high, Jin ruthlessly throws the receiver into Shinno, impaling his forehead. This looked much cooler when Madara did it to Tobirama¡­ ¡°I will learn your secrets, Jin¡­¡± Shinno freezes for a moment then lifts his head, wearing a confused look. ¡°Wha--what¡¯s going on, where am I?¡± ¡°Hello and goodbye, Dr. Shinno. May we never meet again.¡± Transforming back into his suppressed state, Jin claps his hands together. ¡°Catastrophic Planetary Devastation.¡± The reanimation¡¯s eyes widen with shock then narrow with rage as he slowly rises into the air with rocks and debris clinging to him. ¡°It¡¯s you--you¡¯re the brat who killed me!! You, piece of filth--I¡¯ll get out of this and when I DOOOO¡­¡­¡­¡­!!!¡± More and more rocks and boulders are pulled into the newly formed planetoid along with the reanimated Kakuzu and Hizashi. The planetoid continues to rise as it gains mass until it¡¯s above the clouds, casting a shadow over the field Jin¡¯s standing in. ¡°Get the fuck over yourself.¡± Jin mutters as he turns and casually walks back to the main coast area. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Meanwhile, just beyond the Land of Frost¡¯s border, the sun begins to set as the Allied Shinobi Forces engage the White Zetsu Army, reanimated ninja, and a platoon of mungonhei in a vicious battle of attrition, explosions and tremors across the battlefield are near constant due to the intensity of their battle.. Echo and Ayanami have already arrived on the scene and have dispatched the two rampaging dragons. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Ayanami unleashes a barrage of lightning fast jabs into a reanimated Danzo. ¡°Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!¡± Danzo is sent flying through several trees and into a boulder, shattering it upon impact. Dust and ash begin to swirl around him as he regenerates. ¡°Quick--I need a sealing ninja!¡± ¡°I¡¯m on it!¡± Maki, a sand kunoichi dashes for the downed Danzo, wrapping him up tightly in a roll of cloth. ¡°Cloth Paralysis Jutsu.¡± The cloth the sand ninja carries shoots out, wrapping itself around the reanimation until there''s a cocoon of cloth lying on the bloody ground. Maki walks toward the cocoon and places a red tag with markings on it, the marks spread from the tag to all across the cocoon. However, the cocoon soon fades away and Danzo reappears. ¡°...Just how many times am I going to have to beat this old man?¡± Growing frustrated, Ayanami watches another one of the Sharingan on Danzo¡¯s arm close. The reanimated Danzo holds his hand out, putting his hand on a damaged tree nearby. In a puff of smoke, his summoning appears and opens its mouth and inhales. Ayanami uses her chakra to firmly stick to the ground, but has to quickly grab Maki who is being pulled in by the beast¡¯s immense suction force. The Baku, huh? Thank you, Jin for sharing your memories. Ayanami weaves a hand sign with her free hand. ¡°Wood Style: Wood Dragon Jutsu.¡± A gigantic wooden dragon bursts out of the ground behind the leaf kunoichi, flying toward Danzo¡¯s Baku. It dives headfirst into the beast¡¯s mouth, blasting out of the other end with blood and guts trailing behind. After a very brief moment of wailing in agony, the Baku falls over dead into a pool of its own blood. ¡°Thank you.¡± Maki says as Ayanami helps her up. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it¡­ we¡¯re comrades after all.¡± ¡°Excellent job of using the Baku¡¯s inhalation against itself.¡± Echo walks over the kunoichi while dragging two reanimations that are being impaled by several black receivers. The three ninja watch as Danzo pulls out a kunai and uses his breath to infuse wind chakra into it, creating a Vacuum Blade. As the reanimated Hokage candidate continues his attack, Echo uses the Asura Path to fire a massive blast of chakra from his eyes. The blast had enough explosive power to devastate the entire area in front of Echo. The dust clears to reveal that Danzo is unharmed, another Sharingan on his arm closes. ¡°He has two eyes left--three if he still has Shisui¡¯s eye¡­¡± Echo mutters to himself. ¡°Ayanami, let¡¯s end this!¡± Ayanami smiles then takes her stance. ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me twice. Just make sure to keep up.¡± ¡°Same to you.¡± The battle continues to rage into the night. As the full moon rises, all the remaining reanimations that haven¡¯t been sealed yet suddenly freeze. An invisible force pulls each of them into coffins that appear out of nowhere, the coffins quickly disappear as soon as they came. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡­I¡¯ll take one of those¡­ and some of these¡­ I can¡¯t copy kekkei genkai--ooh, that could be useful! Jin leans against a tree with his arms folded, probing his new allies for their jutsu. Jin stands in the center of the camp with Mecha-Naruto at his side. Rito sits on a branch of the same tree, eating a rice ball without a care in the world. Multiple ninja pass by them, some offer their gratitude while others look at Jin in contempt and continue walking. In the corner of his eye, Jin singles out a samurai in the crowd, the Onikage can just feel the samurai¡¯s gaze pierce through his helmet, burning into him. After a few moments, the samurai steps forward and stares down Jin face to face. The air becomes tense as Mecha-Naruto puts himself between the two. Jin decides to break the ice by asking, ¡°You know who I am, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Who hasn¡¯t heard of the great Jin Uzumaki? A rogue ninja who prevented the fellow rogue ninja, Hiruko from starting the Fourth Great Ninja War, who now aids us in the war, and who attacked the Five Kage Summit.¡± The samurai speaks with a woman¡¯s voice, calm yet cold and resentful. ¡°I like that part, it has weight¡­¡± The female samurai¡¯s voice grows louder, attracting the attention of everyone in earshot. She opens her arms welcomingly in order to mock Jin, a crowd soon begins to gather and surround them with all their eyes trained on him and the female samurai. The attention starts to make Jin feel uncomfortable. ¡°Were you at the summit? ¡­Sorry, but I don¡¯t recognize you.¡± ¡°No.¡± The female samurai begins to pace back and forth, clenching her shaking fists. ¡°You and your friend, Sasuke, killed many samurai at the summit¡­ like my father and older brother.¡± Chapter 41 ¡°Oh, c¡¯mon--where¡¯s my ninja tool? Please, I really want to have it back.¡± A whining Tenten pulls on Ino¡¯s flak jacket as she follows behind, dragging her feet. As both leaf kunoichi pass by Choji and Choza, Ino responds with, ¡°You were told not to use it anymore.¡± ¡°Yeah, but I want to¡­ and besides, I¡¯m really good with that fan--I mean it¡¯s a waste for me not to have it.¡± Ino pays her mewling friend no mind as she continues walking. She continues down her path when she notices a crowd gathering a little further ahead. ¡°Huh? What¡¯s going on here¡­?¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°You and your rogue friends attacked Lord Killer Bee as well as the Five Kage Summit. Will you take responsibility for Lord Raikage¡¯s hand?!¡± A cloud ninja shouts from within the crowd. The female samurai¡¯s words of resentment have riled the crowd into a frenzy, turning it into an angry mob. Some have even picked up rocks to throw at the Rinnegan user and his friends. Mecha-Naruto¡¯s metal exterior is unaffected by the rocks while Rito coats himself in a thin layer of crystal to protect himself. ¡°Yeah, get lost! We don¡¯t want you here.¡± ¡°You bring nothing but dishonor to the entire Leaf Village!¡± Honestly, I¡¯m just surprised that it took this long for anyone to give me flak. Jin has already tuned the mob out. ¡°Because of you, my mother died shortly after due to a broken heart and my sister-in-law became depressed, neglecting my infant nephew in the process¡­¡± The female samurai continues to rant as she draws her katana. ¡°You didn¡¯t just kill my brother and father--you ruined my family! And for that, I will never forgive you¡­!¡± The samurai takes a stance, preparing to swing when she stops due to someone yelling, ¡°All of you stop this nonsense--it isn¡¯t cool!¡± Samui along with her brother, Atsui appear. They both make their way to the center of the crowd and insert themselves between Jin and the samurai. ¡°The one responsible for all my pain and suffering is right in front of me and you want me to stop?!¡± ¡°Hey, back off lady! If it weren¡¯t for us, your war would already be lost.¡± Rito chimes in, defending his friend. ¡°The boy¡¯s right--my brother and I should be sealed away in the Benihisago, but he saved us.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, he saved us with the power of his blazing, hot spirit and jutsu.¡± Atsui adds as he gratefully bows to a perplexed Jin. ¡°Thank you for saving me and my sister!!¡± ¡°SO WHAT?! YOU EXPECT US TO JUST FORGIVE HIM BECAUSE HE RESCUED YOU??!!!¡± A stone ninja steps forward to say, ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s a criminal¡­ but thanks to this kid, I just might get to go home to my family. I say we give him a chance to redeem himself.¡± Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. Jin is left speechless as he is both humbled and grateful by the aid of his unexpected defenders, he looks back on all the decisions he¡¯s made up to this point. For a brief moment, he questions some of the choices he¡¯s made. The samurai looks at them with disbelief, her body continues to shake with rage. ¡°He¡¯s part of the group responsible for this whole world in the first place¡­ and you want us to forgive him just because¡­? WHAT UTTER CRAP!!¡± ¡°HE¡¯S NOTHING BUT A TERRORIST!! A COMMON THUG!¡± ¡°GET LOST, WE DON¡¯T NEED YOUR HELP!!¡± ¡°I BET HE CAME SO HE CAN KILL US ALL IN OUR SLEEP!!¡± The samurai¡¯s outburst has further fanned the flames, feeding the angry mob¡¯s anger and anxiety. This causes an explosion of uproars fueled by raw emotions. ¡°Isn¡¯t that one of the reasons we¡¯re fighting in this war together? To wash away all of our past mistakes and forgive each other?¡± Ino interjects, entering the argument. The crowd goes silent with everyone focusing their attention on Ino as she takes a place right at Jin¡¯s side. A fire burns brightly in her eyes. ¡°Yes, Jin¡¯s made mistakes--we all have. But you have to acknowledge that he is atoning for them.¡± The leaf kunoichi of the Yamanaka clan bows for her cousin. ¡°Please forgive him, I beg of you!¡± ¡°The man you defend ruined my family and you just want me to let it go? Do you not hear yourself?!¡± ¡°If I got down on my hands and knees and begged for forgiveness¡­ would you feel better?¡± Jin interjects, re-entering the argument. The samurai is taken back. ¡°WHA-?! OBVIOUSLY NOT! YOU NEED TO FIX THE DISCORD YOU HELPED CAUSED!! THAT¡¯S HOW¡­ That¡¯s how¡­¡± ¡°Alright then¡­ that¡¯s how I¡¯ll repay my debt to society.¡± Fighting his stage fright, Jin turns his attention to the whole crowd. ¡°Your anger and hate. Your doubts and criticisms. Focus them all on me and just watch.¡± Somewhat satisfied with Jin¡¯s words the crowd begins to quiet down and disperse. The female samurai and a handful of other skeptical ninja. She walks until she stands face-to-face with the Onikage. Both can hear and feel each other''s breath. ¡°You may have everyone else buying your ¡°transformation,¡± but we know it¡¯s all a lie. So let me tell you something right now. You take one step backward, one slip up, give us one reason to think you might turn against us and you won¡¯t have to worry about your redemption anymore because I¡¯ll make sure your story ends right then and there¡­ permanently.¡± The samurai turns around and walks away with her cohorts. The mood of the camp slowly returns to its tense yet calm state from before. ¡°Sheesh, talk about melodrama.¡± Rito breaks the silence, jumping down from his tree branch. ¡°You okay, Jin?¡± ¡°...Yeah, thank you--all of you.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to thank me, I was just returning the favor. Now we¡¯re even.¡± Samui walks away. Returning to her own duties. Atsui proceeds to power walk away. Still walking, the cloud ninja turns back and yells, ¡°After the war, we should spar sometime!¡± Feeling a hand on his shoulder, Jin turns to see his cousin, Ino looking at him with a concerned expression. Her lips quiver as she tries to find the words. ¡°Are--are you sure you¡¯re okay¡­?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Ah, good.¡± Ino proceeds to slap Jin across his face. Mecha-Naruto tries to run at Ino, but is being held back by Rito. Mecha-Naruto reaches to protect his master, slowly gaining ground, centimeter by centimeter. Rito desperately holds back the mechanical shinobi with all his might. Unfazed, Jin signals for Mecha to stop before asking, ¡°What was that for?¡± ¡°That was for abandoning the Leaf.¡± Ino then punches Jin in the chest. ¡°And that was for everything else.¡± ¡°You do know that none of this is getting through, right?¡± ¡°Tomato-Head.¡± ¡°Ino-Pig.¡± ¡°PFFT¡­ FWA HA HA HA HA HA!!¡± Jin and Ino both burst out in laughter. Chapter 42 Well into the night, the Allied Shinobi Forces prepare for night attacks from the enemy forces. It¡¯s not too long until multiple reports of the enemy infiltrating the Allied Forces¡¯ ranks arise, stirring up confusion, mistrust, and paranoia. All the divisions try to keep in constant contact with HQ, but haven¡¯t discovered a way to counter the White Zetsu army¡¯s sleeper agents. Meanwhile, Jin and Echo both use the Mind Transmission Jutsu to telepathically link up the minds of their group so they can compare notes and plan the next move. A mist ninja slowly, quietly walks up to Jin from behind who in turn probes his mind. ¡°Can everyone hear me?¡± Jin punches the mist ninja¡¯s head clean off. His corpse morphs into a White Zetsu. ¡°Loud and clear.¡± Rito responds. ¡°Yes.¡± Ayanami chimes in. Echo curtly replies, ¡°Just get on with it.¡± ¡°Good, our first order of business is to confirm we¡¯re all who we say we are. I¡¯ll start it off¡­¡± Jin takes a moment to think of something the group would know. ¡°Ooh, got one: On Earth, there¡¯s a bunch of crazy people who think the Earth is flat even though centuries of evidence that prove their beliefs are wrong.¡± ¡°Oh, so we¡¯re using world history to prove who we are.¡± ¡°It can be anything that the rest of us should know.¡± ¡°Alright then, I¡¯m next¡­ .No one will ever take them down, The power lies on their side~! GO, GO, POWER RANGERS¡­!¡± ¡°Okay, You¡¯re the real Rito. Ayanami, you¡¯re up.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Kurama was a fox demon and a master thief. He was injured to the point where he had to possess and merge with the unborn fetus of a pregnant woman to survive.¡± ¡°Yu Yu Hakusho? Yep, you¡¯re definitely Ayanami.¡± Jin nods. ¡°I guess it''s my turn then¡­¡± Echo strokes his chin as he thinks of something to say. ¡°...GT is better than Super.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a load of bullshit and you know it!¡± Rito blurts out in outrage. ¡°GT isn¡¯t even canon.¡± ¡°Us liking GT has nothing to do with its canonicity, we just like it more.¡± Jin points out. Rito argues with, ¡°What¡¯s so great about GT?!¡± ¡°The Super Saiyan 4 form, the Baby Saga, the Shadow dra--we are WAY off topic here¡­ Okay, we¡¯re all the real versions of us. What¡¯s our first discussion?¡± ¡°Ahem.¡± Ayanami telepathically speaks up, grabbing everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°Earlier today, I sensed your six paths chakra. What happened? I thought we agreed to preserve our chakra for the final battle.¡± ¡°Kabuto happened, he revived Shinno from the Bonds movie and powered him up. I almost died three times. What about you? I sensed your wood chakra.¡± The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Kabuto. He revived Danzo, and we had to beat him ten times before we could seal him.¡± Ayanami awkwardly looks away. ¡°Oh, yeah, I almost forgot¡­¡± Rito interrupts. ¡°I watched Jin¡¯s fight with Shinno from a distance, he somehow awakened his own bloody susanoo!¡± ¡°A susanoo, you say? What about black flames, did you get that?¡± Echo intently stares at Jin. Jin shakes his head. ¡°No, why?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t been completely honest with you. I didn¡¯t graft Madara¡¯s flesh onto you, Jin¡­ I grafted Sasuke¡¯s.¡± Their telepathic chat room goes silent. After a brief moment, a facepalming Jin exclaims, ¡°Why am I not surprised? Damn it, Echo. As soon as Rito invents the gun, I¡¯m going to shoot you!¡± ¡°Nah, you won¡¯t. Someone who knows the future is extremely useful.¡± Echo casually disregards Jin¡¯s threat. Jin¡¯s eyes wince in annoyance. ¡°Shut up. ¡­Anyway, I think we should converge on Naruto¡¯s location and help him with Nagato.¡± Rito asks, ¡°Won¡¯t our new friends question where we are?¡± ¡°Not if we send a few clones to each of the battlefields.¡± Ayanami responds. ¡°And once we¡¯ve dealt with Nagato, I¡¯ll help Itachi with Kabuto. This version of Kabuto is even more of a threat than he ever was in the anime and manga.¡± Jin continues. ¡°You guys will fight Tobi with Naruto and Bee and I¡¯ll join you as soon as Kabuto is removed from the equation.¡± ¡°Sounds like a plan to me!¡± ¡°Alright then.¡± ¡°Very well...¡± Jin gives a nod. ¡°Then consider this meeting adjourned. Stay whelmed.¡± Ayanami cocks her head to one side. ¡°Whelmed?¡± ¡°Jin¡¯s referencing a show he watched, I¡¯ll explain it to you later¡­¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As the sun rises Jin, Rito, and Mecha-Naruto hop through the trees to get to Naruto¡¯s location. They gather their wits as they traverse the forest canopy. Rito breaks the silence by asking, ¡°So are you and Ino friends now?¡± ¡°There¡¯s still a lot of baggage we¡¯d have to work through, but¡­ maybe. One day.¡± Jin remembers what Zetsu does to Madara. I really should start working on that contingency¡­ A little while later, as they get closer to their destination, Rito notices Jin¡¯s mouth making bizarre movements. ¡°Oi, Jin? What¡¯re you doing with your mouth?¡± Rito sees a black substance dangle from Jin¡¯s mouth. ¡°Making a baby.¡± Rito stares blankly at Jin. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯m making a baby. Call it insurance.¡± Jin spits the black slime into his hand, it clings tightly onto Jin before slithering into the Onikage¡¯s clothing. Seeing this, Rito¡¯s face turns green as it contorts with revulsion. ¡°THAT¡¯S DISGUSTING! I THINK I¡¯M GONNA PUKE!¡± ¡°Relax, I think you and her will be the best of friends.¡± Jin tries to reassure his friend. ¡°...It¡¯s a she?!¡± ¡°Yeah, I naming her Mileena.¡± Rito stops on the next branch he lands on. He lurches forward and lets out a stream of chunks. Chapter 43 ¡°Dude, you okay?¡± Jin pats Rito on the back. Rito vomits one more time before sighing, ¡°I¡¯ll be fine¡­ as long as you never do that again. That was the foulest thing I¡¯ve ever seen!¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± All three sense chakra headed in their direction followed by the sound of water splashing. They look ahead to see a fairly large water dragon headed right for them, cutting through the trees in its way. Once it¡¯s close enough, it lunges at Jin¡¯s group. Rito creates a shield of crystal while Jin holds out his hand and absorbs the dragon with the Preta Path. Jin proceeds to scout the area with his sensory abilities. ¡°Come on out I know you¡¯re there.¡± Jin cautiously grows a black receiver out of his hand. ¡°Aww¡­ unfortunately, it would seem that my efforts to make this quick has put us in the thick of it.¡± A puddle of water with no business being there on a clear day slowly rises up. It clumsily sways back and forth before solidifying, taking the form of a medical ninja with messy, orange shoulder-length hair and three blue markings, one going from the top of his head and going down over his eyes and the last one going down over his nose. Another medical ninja leaps down beside him, he has long blue hair poofed up into three triangular shaped puffs of hair. He also possesses two red square-shaped markings coming from the top of his forehead and one of them going over his eyes. ¡°Your ambush failed, Shizuku.¡± The blue-haired medical ninja sneers at his comrade. ¡°It was still better than your idea.¡± Shizuku folds his arms. Jin claps to get their attention. ¡°I know you guys¡­ you¡¯re Moryo and Yomi¡¯s underlings! Where are your masters? Tell me now and I might let you live.¡± Shizuku continues to infuse chakra. ¡±You think we¡¯ll just hand that info over because of some cheap threats? I think you might be taking this a little lightly! Water Style: Surface Slicer!¡± Shizuku summons several linear waves of water that shoot outward from the ground at high speeds. Jin, Mecha-Naruto, and Rito each jump to a different tree as the one they were standing is cut to ribbons. A horde of mungonhei suddenly appear out of nowhere, surrounding them. ¡°Leave the water style user to me!¡± Rito creates a long dagger as he lunges at Shizuku. ¡°Alright, just make sure to keep him alive for questioning.¡± Jin¡¯s Rinnegan turns red as his now aching body emits yellow chakra. He creates a susanoo ribcage with a pair of arms and begins to cleave away at the mungonhei. An annoyed Shizuku creates a large orb of water with one hand. ¡°Keep me alive? Don¡¯t underestimate me, kid! Water Style: Dragon Water Whip!¡± The orb sprouts multiple sharp whips that track Rito¡¯s movements and quickly impale multiple spots on his body, skewering him. Rito goes limp and after a moment, he turns into a piece of crystal and shatters into countless shards. Several Rito¡¯s appear, surrounding the dark medical ninja. Both shocked and perplexed, Shizuku looks up and sees a mirror floating in the sky just above the canopy. ¡°Jade Crystal Clone Jutsu.¡± One of the Rito¡¯s lands a solid punch on Shizuku¡¯s face. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Whatever you are, you won¡¯t be able to dodge these!¡± Setsuna, one of Moryo and Yomi''s subordinates, hurls several shuriken that have been infused with wind-nature chakra. Mecha-Naruto leaps from tree to tree to avoid them, but to no avail. The shuriken track and follow the shinobi android like a swarm of wasps. Each time Mecha-Naruto jumps to another tree, one of the shuriken manages to graze him, piercing through his exterior. Each cut is deep enough to reveal his chassis and circuitry. As the shuriken are about to come at the mechanical ninja for another attack, they scatter in multiple different directions. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. ¡°Now die!!¡± Setsuna brings his arm to his chest, forming a cross. The many shuriken converge on Mecha-Naruto with the intent to tear him apart from all sides. The robotic duplicate tracks their movements, using calculations to predict their movements before rocketing into the air. The multiple shuriken quickly trail behind, following the mechanical copy who begins to take aim. The instant they form a straight line, Mecha-Naruto fires his eye beams, destroying them all. Shocked and dumbfounded, Setsuna takes a step back. ¡°Wha--? Impossible!!¡± ¡°HAHAHA!! MECHA-NARUTO IS NUMBER ONE!!¡± Mecha-Naruto jeers as he rockets back down to dive-bomb the enemy. At high speeds, the android headbutts Setsuna, sending flying a good distance away before anchoring himself firmly to the ground. He rapidly transforms his body into a cannon and begins to charge up. ¡°CHAKRA FULLY CHARGED. SAFETY LOCK RELEASED. FIRE!!¡± As a cannon, Mecha-Naruto fires a powerful, violet laser. An overwhelmed Setsuna can only look on in horror as the beam gets closer, making contact. ¡°G-Guwaaaa!¡± Mecha-Naruto reverts back to his humanoid form and walks back to his comrades with a massive explosion occurring behind him. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Water Attack Gorgon!¡± Shizuku summons a large volume of water in the form of a dragon with a gaping maw. The jutsu rushes towards Rito at lightning speeds. The young boy charges forward and leaps toward it, forming a rotating sphere of chakra. ¡°Try this on for size! RASENGAN!!¡± Just before Rito makes contact with the water dragon, he reaches out and touches it with his free hand. The dragon freezes in place before quickly crystallizing, it morphs into a tunnel, allowing Rito to continue sprinting downward. When he reaches the end of the tunnel, Rito jumps at Shizuku, slamming him with the ball of chakra. There¡¯s a bright light followed by an explosion. Rito watches as Shizuku slowly melts into water. ¡°Even though most ninjas can do that, I still think it¡¯s bloody weird.¡± ¡°Heh heh heh¡­ Ninja Art: Water Substitution.¡± As a puddle, Shizuku gets down to leisurely slithering away. ¡°I¡¯ve turned my entire body into water, you can¡¯t touch me. Later, kid.¡± ¡°So if you¡¯re made of water¡­ Does that mean you¡¯ll evaporate into thin air and die if my friend uses his fire style on you?¡± The puddle freezes in place at Rito¡¯s hypothesis. ¡°What?¡± Rito calls out to his friend. ¡°Oi, Jin?! I just beat my opponent! Can you use your fire style on him?!¡± ¡°Sure, I was just finishing things up myself.¡± Jin walks over, dusting his hands off with a fully repaired Mecha-Naruto following after him. ¡° Fire Style: Dragon Fla--¡± ¡°STOP!! STOP, I SURRENDER!!¡± The puddle interrupts, pleading. ¡°I¡¯ll do whatever you want¡­ just don¡¯t kill me!¡± ¡°Reassume your solid form.¡± A terrified and compliant Shizuku follows orders and re-corporealizes his body. He sits down on his knees, shuttering in a cold sweat as Jin places one hand on his head. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­¡± Jin reads the dark medical ninja¡¯s mind with the Human Path. Amped by dark chakra¡­ possesses dark medical ninjutsu¡­ powerful water style jutsu¡­ ¡°Well? Anything?¡± Rito breaks the serious silence. ¡°Nothing¡­ he doesn¡¯t know where his masters are. The only info worth taking is his water style! *sigh* ¡­I¡¯m pulling out his soul.¡± With one hand, Rito presses down on Jin¡¯s hand in order to prevent him from taking their prisoner¡¯s soul. ¡°Can¡¯t you just let him go?¡± ¡°...What? Why?¡± A puzzled Jin tilts his head to one side. ¡°He¡¯s a movie villain henchman. He doesn¡¯t even make it to the end of the movie¡­ besides, we¡¯re at war with him.¡± Hearing this perplexes Shizuku. ¡°What¡­? What¡¯s a mov--¡± ¡°Quiet, you!¡± ¡°C¡¯mon, you of all people should know that there¡¯s power in mercy. Remember what you did at the Five Kage Summit? Actions like those are the main reason why you become Echo.¡± The area goes silent as Jin takes a moment to mull Rito¡¯s suggestion over. His head tilting from side to side. It¡¯s so quiet that the only thing that can be heard are the tree leaves rustling in the wind. Finally coming to a conclusion, Jin releases his grip on Shizuku¡¯s head. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll do it your way. But only on the condition that he disap--GYAHH!!!¡± Jin is interrupted as he is suddenly stabbed in the back with a pitch black hand, impaling his chest. ¡­C-Can¡¯t¡­ move¡­! ¡°I was going to wait for Tobi to finish his little war, but you magically appear out of nowhere with everything I need.¡± An ominous voice says from behind Jin. ¡°I, Black Zetsu, can finally fulfill my dream¡­¡± Chapter 44 Trying all he might, all Jin¡¯s attempts at breaking free result in awkward looking movements. His blood trickles from his wound, painting the ground blue-green. Try all he might, Jin cannot break free nor can he use his chakra. The Onikage finds the strength to just barely turn his head and look his assailant in the eye. ¡°Z-Zetsu¡­ you bastard¡­! I-I¡¯ll kill¡­ you¡­¡± ¡°You should feel honored, being the key to everything.¡± Black Zetsu sneers as he begins to coat Jin¡¯s body. ¡°I¡¯ll see you soon¡­ mother.¡± ¡°Gwaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!!¡± Jin howls in agony as he body inflates with his chakra spiraling out of control. ¡°Gwaaaaaaaargh! Gyaaaaaahhhhh!! Urrrrrghaaaaaahhhh¡­¡° Rito and Mecha-Naruto try to jump in and help their ally, but are swatted away like flies by a stream of Jin¡¯s chakra. Geysers of chakra erupt from the ground, pouring into Jin. Shizuku takes advantage of the ensuing chaos and beats feet, running for his life. ¡°HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!! THIS IS THE TWILIGHT OF HUMANITY!!¡± ¡°So tell me Black Zetsu¡­ do you bleed?¡± Says a disembodied woman''s voice. Her voice is both harsh and grating. Jin¡¯s body lights up then emits a shockwave of chakra. ¡°What? Nraaaaaaaah!¡± Black Zetsu is purged from Jin and sent flying through several trees. Jin¡¯s body then slowly reverts back to normal and he collapses onto his knees. He breathes heavily as the experience has left him dazed and winded. Mecha-Naruto comes and puts Jin¡¯s right arm over his shoulder, supporting him. Perplexed, Black Zetsu slithers out of the debris. The Akatsuki member glares at Jin¡¯s group. ¡°What--How did--What was that?!¡± Jin¡¯s left arm begins to move on its own like it is possessed. It lifts up and moves until the sleeve¡¯s opening is facing Black Zetsu. The Akatsuki member sees a pair of red eyes staring back at him from within Jin¡¯s sleeve. It looks gleefully at Black Zetsu with an ominous and sinister smile. ¡°She looks like¡­ me!¡± Black Zetsu is put off. It pokes its head out and seductively speaks, ¡°Brother! So mysterious, so sleek¡­ So sad and alone¡­ Come. Let us be a family!¡± In an attempt to impale Black Zetsu, Rito has several crystal stalagmites erupt in Zetsu¡¯s general vicinity. However, the Akatsuki member is able to avoid being damaged by phasing through the crystals. Black Zetsu proceeds to counter attacking by manipulating the terrain, bringing out underground roots in mass. The being in Jin¡¯s clothing sprouts multiple tendrils tipped with swords, knives, bludgeons, and axes in order to hack away at the on-coming tree roots. The black creature was keeping up with Black Zetsu¡¯s attacks while protecting Jin and his friends. Their match was something of a martial hurricane, both combatants striking and parrying. Nothing else mattered, but who would emerge victorious. ¡°Heh heh heh¡­ It seems I¡¯ll be looking for a new playmate!¡± The red-eyed creature mocks as it notices a small opening in Zetsu¡¯s onslaught. It takes pleasure in noticing the flaw, the creature resolved to teach its enemy a lesson of its own. The creature shoots a spiked tendril at high speeds through the numerous roots straight for the Akatsuki member. Black Zetsu stops in order to evade the attack, but is too late and is gored in the stomach. Due to the injury, Zetsu falls on all fours. ¡°No one hurts my father and lives!¡± The creature retracts her tendrils, save for two. They morph into two large pincers. Realizing the odds aren¡¯t in his favor, Black Zetsu slowly seeps into the ground and disappears. ¡°This isn¡¯t over¡­¡± The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Rito and Mecha-Naruto wait for a full minute to see if they¡¯re truly out of danger. Once they know they help a still dazed Jin to his feet while the black creature retracts its tendrils and sinks back into Jin¡¯s clothes. ¡°...D-Do we¡­ have anymore¡­ c-chocolate¡­?¡± Jin asks between heavy breaths. ¡°No¡­ back at the camp, you gave the last batch to Ino and her friends as a peace offering.¡± ¡°Damn¡­¡± Jin finally catches his breath and recovers, standing tall. ¡°I really need something to calm my nerves right now.¡± Rito pats Jin on the back. ¡°I can make a new batch after the war. ¡­So that was Mileena? She seems¡­ excited.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t sugarcoat it, she¡¯s violent. I heard some of what she said.¡± Jin facepalms. ¡°Oh God¡­ I was so focused on making a strong wild card, I didn¡¯t think about her personality. Ya know what? Any moral failings she has--that¡¯s on me, I¡¯ll own that now.¡± ¡°I¡¯m right here, father¡­¡± Mileena is hurt by Jin¡¯s words. ¡°Sorry, sorry--I¡¯m sorry¡­ L-Let¡¯s¡­ let¡¯s just go, I need to get away from here¡­¡± The group jump onto tree branches and carry on with their journey to Naruto¡¯s rematch with Nagato and Itachi. As they hop from tree to tree, Jin notices his right hand is shaking. Jin has to grab his hand, it takes a moment for the shaking to stop. You know what Black Zetsu? FUCK. YOU. Due to Black Zetsu¡¯s unanticipated surprise attack, everyone remains dead silent. Just the sound of leaves rustling in the wind. Wanting to help everyone relax, Rito has an idea. The boy turns to Jin and asks, ¡°...Hey, Mileena?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Mileena pops her head out from Jin¡¯s shirt collar. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve only been alive for like two minutes¡­ why do you talk like a temptress? How do you even know to speak like that?¡± ¡°Father shared memories with me, he likes femme fatales. Esdeath, Revy, Black Cat, Talia al Ghul, and Miranda Lawson.¡± The black creature¡¯s mouth curves upward in a contemptuous smile. ¡°Father also has seen many videos where many women spoke--¡± ¡°Okay--that¡¯s enough!¡± Jin interrupts their conversation as his face turns beat red. ¡°Game faces everyone¡­ we¡¯re almost there¡­¡± Jin can sense several chakras converging on each other further ahead. They are all Kage-level or higher. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Where¡¯s Sasuke?¡± Itachi asks as he clashes with Naruto in mid air. Matching Itachi blow for blow, Naruto replies with, ¡°He says that he¡¯s gonna take revenge on the Leaf Village; He even went and joined up with the Akatsuki!¡± ¡°...?!¡± Itachi is taken aback by the new information as he continues to throw fists. ¡°Why did he turn his back on the village?¡± ¡°Cuz Tobi told us the truth. The truth about how the Leaf discriminated against the Uchiha.¡± Jin exclaims as he and his team arrive to the battle. ¡°He told us about how the Uchiha were forced to rebel. And how the Leaf chose to correct their mistake by having them exterminated.¡± Their sudden appearance forces Naruto and Itachi to leap back from each other. Everyone stares at Jin and company as the tension somewhat diminishes. Naruto¡¯s eyes widen with shock as he faces his cousin. ¡°...Jin? I-Is that really you? ¡­And how do you have Rinnegan eyes¡­?¡± Jin simply shrugs with a devilish grin. ¡°What can I say? I¡¯m built different.¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MILEENA: OVERVIEW APPEARANCE Chapter 45 ¡°Jin¡¯s telling the truth, Madara told me the truth about what happened too¡­¡± Naruto informs the reanimated Itachi as he takes a more relaxed stance. Itachi takes a moment to digest all that he¡¯s learned. ¡°I see¡­¡± ¡°Itachi, you made yourself look like a bad guy in order to save Sasuke and the Hidden Leaf.¡± Naruto continues to press on. ¡°But Sasuke isn¡¯t like you, he¡¯s really going to destroy the Hidden Leaf¡­ He¡¯s going to kill everyone who caused his brother so much pain!¡± Jesus, I forgot how much talking there was in the major fights... Jin crosses his arms, waiting for the others to transition into the next stage of the battle. ¡°Does everyone else in the village know about this as well?¡± ¡°Kakashi sensei and Captain Yamato heard it when I did¡­ but there wasn¡¯t any proo¨C¡± ¡°Danzo confirmed it just before Sasuke killed him.¡± Jin interrupts, speaking in a nonchalant tone. His arms remain folded as he wears a deadpan expression. ¡°...Danzo¡¯s dead? Then please, you all mustn''t tell anyone about this. You can¡¯t let the Uchiha¡¯s name be¨C¡± ¡°The Uchiha clan¡¯s name will never be tarnished. From where I stand, the Leaf is the villain of this specific story.¡± ¡°Jin!¡± Naruto is becoming angered by Jin¡¯s remarks. His Nine-Tails chakra cloak flickers in the wind like a fire. ¡°What? If the Leaf is capable of committing all these wrongs against one of its founding clans, I¡¯d HATE to be one of their enemies.¡± Jin continues his straightforward rant. ¡°Scowl at me all you want. Call me a sympathizer. It doesn¡¯t matter, it won¡¯t change the fact that I¡¯m right.¡± Nagato lifts his arms up, using the Universal Pull on Naruto and Jin. Naruto quickly creates chakra arms with his cloak to anchor himself to the ground while Jin does the same. Nagato then proceeds to weave signs and places his hand on the ground. ¡°Summoning Jutsu!¡± In an explosion of smoke, a giant bird and dog appear. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Yo, check it! Eight-Tails, the rappin¡¯ Killer Bee, that be me! AWW YEAH!!¡± Killer Bee springs toward Itachi with his eight swords. The reanimation is doing his best to evade the jinchuriki¡¯s attacks, but there¡¯s an unforeseen problem. Killer Bee¡¯s unusual fighting style is allowing him to gain ground. Itachi is getting nicked by every swing of Bee¡¯s blades. ¡°NARUTO BEAM!¡± Mecha-Naruto fires his eye beams. The beams pierce through Itachi¡¯s abdomen, but the reanimation turns into a flock of crows. Itachi appears right in front of the robotic duplicate and looks directly into his eyes. At first Mecha-Naruto¡¯s eyes turn into Sharingan then the mechanical copy shuts down. Itachi jumps away as a crystal stalagmite erupts from the ground right under his feet. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°Tch.¡± Rito snaps his fingers in annoyance. As Itachi turns his attention to Rito and Bee, a cloaked figure suddenly appears above the reanimated ninja. He dive bombs at Itachi with a Rasengan in hand, an explosion occurs as he makes contact. As the dust settles, a flock of crows fly out of the crater, leaving Rito, Bee, and the new arrival to themselves. ¡°Echo! What took you, buggers so long?¡± Rito walks up to greet his friend. ¡°Moryo thought he could stop us with a battalion of Mugonhei¡­ he thought wrong.¡± Echo turns to face the shut down Mecha-Naruto. ¡°Execute Order 66.¡± Mecha-Naruto powers on, sprouting back to life with a backflip. He creates blades of pure chakra in each hand upon landing. ¡°MECHA-NARUTO ONLINE!¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Sage Art: Inorganic Reanimation!¡± Jin slams his palms against the earth, breathing life into the ground with his sage chakra. The ground under the Giant Dog begins to bend and shake due to Jin¡¯s sage jutsu. The terra firma morphs into spikes and shoots up, impaling every part of Nagato¡¯s summoning dog. Jin leaps into the air and maneuvers himself above the dog, he forms two Rasengan as he descends. ¡°Massive Gelel Rasengan Barrage!¡± The Onikage shoves his attacks into the dog¡¯s back. Woah¡­ I¡¯m actually fighting Nagato and Itachi, this is so AWESOME!! As the Giant Dog is vaporized in the ensuing explosion, Jin can¡¯t help but smile from ear-to-ear with excitement. At this point, at this very moment, his pride and confidence are on cloud nine. The force of the explosion uproots the nearby trees not caught in blast radius, sending them flying. ¡°Amazing Jin, that¡¯s so cool! Not bad for a bookworm¡­¡± Naruto congratulates his cousin as he dodges Nagato¡¯s black receivers. The orange hero counters with a roundhouse kick. ¡°I still think you should¡¯ve spent more time training though!¡± ¡°And you should¡¯ve spent more time in the library!¡± Nagato reaches out in order to absorb Naruto¡¯s chakra, but the leaf ninja immediately jumps off the Giant Bird, landing right beside Jin. As the two cousins prepare to attack again, Nagato¡¯s bird summoning is suddenly tangled by tree branches that have grown to absurd lengths. The branches coil around its neck and wings, tightening their hold over the bird. ¡°Hmph¡­ took you long enough.¡± Jin greets the new arrival. Ayanami walks up to Jin and Naruto from behind, standing beside them. ¡°Sorry I¡¯m late. Had to fight an army to get here.¡± ¡°Ayanami?! How do you have Wood Style? That¡¯s supposed to be a kekkei genkai.¡± Naruto is shocked by his friend''s sudden arrival. ¡°Oh, I had a little help.¡± Ayanami cheerfully holds out her fist to Jin. Now to give Ayanami a permanent buff¡­ As Jin bumps his own fist against Ayanami¡¯s. He chants in his mind, Shadow and Light Style: Creation of All Things Jutsu. As Naruto watches the two fist bump, the image of himself and Sasuke overlays itself on Jin and Ayanami from Naruto¡¯s memory. Envy and sadness begins to creep into the depths of his heart. ¡°Don¡¯t think about Sasuke, we have a fight to finish.¡± Ayanami¡¯s words bring the hero back to reality. ¡°Eh? How¡¯d you¨C¡± Jin promptly cuts in, saying, ¡°You¡¯re that easy to read--now keep your head in the game!¡± At this point, a flock of crows fly over the three ninja and gather on the Giant Bird¡¯s beak. They merge, forming Itachi with his Mangekyo Sharingan activated. Jin and Ayanami remember Might Guy¡¯s words and focus their sight on Itachi¡¯s feet. Naruto proceeds to cough profusely, saliva drips from his mouth as a crow¡¯s head emerges from Naruto¡¯s mouth. The crow forces its way out of Naruto¡¯s mouth and flies over to Itachi. It looks directly into the reanimation¡¯s eyes as they bleed. The sight of what just happened makes Ayanami¡¯s face turn pale then green. She holds herself to fight off the strong urge to vomit. Jin on the other hand is just stoic about it as something else is on his mind. ¡­How are Itachi¡¯s eyes bleeding when reanimations don¡¯t have blood? Jin tilts his head to one side. Chapter 46 Itachi turns to face Nagato with his Mangekyo Sharingan, both Nagato and his bird spontaneously combust with black flames. The reanimated Uchiha jumps over to Ayanami, Jin and Naruto¡¯s location as the Amaterasu downs the Giant Bird with Nagato still sitting on it. Itachi reassures the group by saying, ¡°Take it easy--I¡¯m no longer being controlled. I used a new genjutsu against the enemy¡¯s jutsu.¡± The Giant Bird disappears in a puff of smoke, leaving Nagato lying alone on the ground. He remains unmoving. No different from a dead body. ¡°So you had Shisui¡¯s Kotoamatsukami this whole time? And you had it set to activate when certain conditions were met. Itachi, you really are something special...¡± Jin impatiently taps his left foot. Itachi looks at Jin with a raised brow. ¡°You know about Shisui?¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­ well learned.¡± The Onikage shrugs as he keeps his eyes fixed on Nagato who¡¯s still burning. Echo with Mecha-Naruto at his side, cautiously, slowly walk closer to the downed reanimation. The robot duplicate holds his chakra sabers, poised to strike as Echo kneels down to the reanimation. With one hand Echo absorbs Itachi¡¯s Amaterasu while the other gathers chakra to his five fingertips. Echo reaches out with his chakra infused hand. ¡°Five Pronged Seal.¡± ¡°ALMIGHTY PUSH!!¡± Before Echo can touch Nagato, the reanimation repels everything away in a huge gravitational shockwave. More trees are sent flying and the nearby lake is destroyed in the process. All the combatants have been forced to scatter by the reanimated Nagato¡¯s shockwave. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°...about to school ya! Lariat!¡± Killer Bee activates his four-tailed v2 cloak and lariats Nagato in the torso. As Bee lariats Nagato, the reanimation¡¯s hair becomes red again, as well as his frail body reverting from an emaciated state to a more healthy condition. The Eight-Tails Jinchuriki¡¯s cloak regresses to a weaker state before disappearing altogether. ¡°Wait, are you absorbing my chakra, ya fool?¡± Naruto lands beside them both and asks, ¡°Hey, Octopops! Are you okay?¡± The hero of the Leaf feels something grab on to him as he finds himself stuck in the air. Nagato repels Bee away with another Almighty Push and proceeds to walk up to Naruto who is still suspended in the air. ¡°Now, Ningen¨Chuh?!!¡± Nagato is interrupted by Jin¡¯s sudden appearance. The Onikage elbows Nagato¡¯s side, ramming him through several trees. The ground trembles from the sheer force behind Jin¡¯s attack. Jin then throws several black receivers just above Naruto¡¯s head. The receivers hit their intended target, the eyes of Nagato¡¯s Giant Chameleon. The reptile lurches back in intense pain, it releases Naruto before finally disappearing in a puff of smoke.. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Naruto wears a grateful expression as he collects himself, helping Bee back to his feet. ¡°Thank you.¡± While Nagato picks himself up, the rest of the group reconvene at Jin and Naruto¡¯s location. Rito uses his crystal style to make an ax, Ayanami activates her Twin Lion Fists, and Naruto makes a Rasengan. Nagato just stands still ominously with his palms clapped together. He stares at his enemies with a concerned look on his face as he raises one hand, releasing a black sphere into the air. The sphere floats higher into the sky, growing some in mass as it begins to pull everything into it. Rocks, dust, trees, and the ground itself float up into the air, they all fly to the sphere, clinging tightly to it. It slowly takes the form of a small planetoid with Jin and the others being pulled in as well. Oh--I know how to deal with this! Full of excitement and relief, Jin amasses chakra into his hand. ¡°That black sphere seems to have quite a strong gravitational pull.¡± Itachi remains calm as he analyzes the jutsu while still being pulled in. ¡°Oh man--he used this jutsu on me once before. It¡¯s super ba--WOAH!!¡± Naruto is interrupted as a Rasenshuriken zips past him. Ayanami launches her long-range jutsu right after Jin. ¡°Eight Trigrams Air Palm!¡± ¡°NARUTO BEAM!¡± All three jutsu travel at high speeds with the planetoid¡¯s core being their intended target. Thanks to the core¡¯s gravity, the velocity of each of their jutsu is greatly increased. The moment they make contact, a large explosion occurs. Gravity returns to normal and the explosion leaves behind a dust cloud, blinding Nagato. He can¡¯t even hear them due to the repeated sound of debris crashing on the ground. ¡°--Urkk?!¡± Nagato looks down to find himself suddenly impaled by a large sword of chakra. The smokescreen clears, revealing the sword belongs to Itachi¡¯s susanoo. Chakra flickers off the avatar like flames. Nagato stares at the group with cracks forming all over his body with dust trickling off it and scattering to the wind. Nagato gives a calm and proud smile, brimming with acceptance. ¡°Please forgive me, Itachi¡­¡± ¡°Good. You¡¯re back now¡­ It¡¯s the Totsuka Blade, it¡¯s imbued with sealing jutsu. You will be sealed soon. So, do you have any last words?¡± ¡°Naruto¡­ I shall go and return to our master¡¯s side and from there, I¡¯ll continue to watch your story unfold. I believe that you are the final volume of a trilogy, Naruto. Master Jiraiya was the first, the perfect beginning¡­ However, the second volume is nothing but a failure, that one was me. One that even Master wouldn¡¯t acknowledge.¡± Even more cracks form on Nagato, he appears as if he could shatter apart completely with a single touch. Even more pieces of him begin to break off and are blown away by the wind, scattering. ¡°...The success or failure of a series depends largely on the third and final volume. You must be the masterpiece that finishes this tale, one that will overshadow the failure of the middle volume, Naruto.¡± Naruto nods, giving his sibling student a thumbs up with the crow landing on his shoulder. Nagato gives one final smile before turning completely white. The sword pulls him into the gourd, sealing him. ¡°Jin, use your Mind Eater Jutsu on them! NOW!¡± Echo speaks to Jin telepathically with the Mind Transmission Jutsu. ¡°Wait, what? ¡­Why?¡± ¡°You wanted your own Sharingan, right? This is quite possibly your last chance to get one¡­ or did you plan on taking Madara¡¯s eyes, Sasuke¡¯s eyes... or maybe you want Sarada''s?¡± Not needing any more convincing, Jin quietly, slyly, weaves a hand sign and chants in his head. Six Path Sage Art: Mind Eater Jutsu! Side Chapter 3 It¡¯s been twelve months since Jin joined Orochimaru. The young rogue is currently in the center of the snake grotto of one of his benefactor¡¯s numerous hideouts and he is not alone. Within the dimly lit room is also Sasuke Uchiha, he stands twenty paces away from Jin with his Kusanagi sword drawn. ¡°Whatever you have, I¡¯ve trained for it.¡± A smug Jin confidently replies, ¡°You won¡¯t even last a minute.¡± ¡°Hmph¡­ let¡¯s test that theory.¡± In the blink of an eye, Sasuke appears right behind Jin and swipes at him with his blade. Jin quickly weaves his body to the side, the sword misses but still snips off some of Jin¡¯s hair. Sasuke swings his sword again with Jin just barely avoiding the flurry of strikes with a few nicks. The way they each move is so quick and precise. Sasuke swings his sword down with great force, however Jin is able to catch it in both his hands. Using the sword as leverage, Jin throws Sasuke to the side. The Uchiha fumbles and rolls for a brief moment, but is able to recover in the nick of time to dodge a flying kick from Jin. As Jin bolts past Sasuke, he disappears in a puff of smoke. Sasuke''s eyes widen and he looks back only to receive a hefty punch to the face. Sasuke is sent flying across the room, but quickly recovers, landing gracefully. Sasuke weaves several signs and slams his hand on the ground. ¡°Chidori Stream.¡± Aww, crap!! Jin turns to run away. Lightning travels swiftly across the floor, tearing up the ground as it seeks out its intended target, Jin. As the lighting gets closer and closer, the young rogue takes a big leap, sidestepping to the left, but the jutsu is still hot on his tail. Still running, Jin feels like he¡¯s Jerry being chased by Tom. Jin takes several more sidesteps to the left, left, right, and left again. Growing annoyed, Jin weaves a hand sign. ¡°Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu!¡± Two clones appear right behind Jin. Jin¡¯s two clones stop running and take the full brunt of the Chidori Stream for Jin. They both disappear in a puff of smoke as they die, leaving behind a smokescreen. Jin bursts out of the smoke and flies right at Sasuke, delivering another mighty punch. Sasuke recovers as he lands right in front of the snake statue with candles in its eyes. ¡°I¡¯m ending this¡­ now!¡± Sasuke activates his Sharingan. His skin pigment grows darker, turning dark-gray and his hair grows longer as it turns gray with a blue tint. Both his sclerae change from white to dark-gray. Additionally, a dark, star-shaped mark appeared across the bridge of his nose. Well shit, he¡¯s getting serious now¡­ I should too. Jin thinks as he begins to channel gelel energy, amplifying himself. He looks at Sasuke with a maniacal grin. Sasuke suddenly appears behind Jin, he winds up for a roundhouse kick. Jin quickly turns to block the kick and then counters with a kick of his own, but Sasuke leaps away. He throws several Chidori Senbon, but Jin performs several backflips and narrowly evades them. Jin and Sasuke immediately dash towards each other, continuing to trade blows with each other. Because the two keep reading each other, their back and forth go on for a moment. Sasuke takes another swing with his sword, but Jin ducks. The Uchiha uses the momentum from his prior swing to spin around for another slash of his sword. Jin however is able to punch Sasuke, sending him flying into the wall. The wall cracks and crumbles upon impact. Smiling, Jin quickly dashes to Sasuke, pinning him. ¡°Looks like it''s my win.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get cocky¡­¡± Sasuke forces Jin off and throws him into the air. ¡°Fire Style: Fire Ball Jutsu!!¡± Sasuke quickly spews forth a massive ball of flames from his mouth into the air. Still free falling, Jin braces himself. You can do this, Jin¡­ You can do this! Jin holds out his hand and opens it. ¡°Ninja Art: Gelel Blast!!¡± From his hand Jin fires an invisible concussive blast of gelel energy that¡¯s been infused with chakra. The blast forces the fireball down to the ground and kicks up another smoke screen in the process, blinding Sasuke. The smoke begins to blow away, revealing Jin who¡¯s holding a Gelel Rasengan. Sasuke in turn creates a Chidori and channels it through his sword with chakra flow. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°I know I¡¯m supposed to be your training dummy and all, but I don¡¯t plan on losing to you as you are now!!¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­ over!¡± They both leap at each other, poised to strike. Jin¡¯s perception of time begins to slow; as they get closer, the slower time becomes. As they are mere centimeters away from clashing, Jin feels something grab his leg and is subsequently flung back. Jin recovers while still in mid air and lands on the wall. The red-haired rogue looks to see walking from the wall to the ground and standing at the center of the room is Orochimaru with a sinister smile. He claps slowly, patronizing Jin and Sasuke¡¯s match. ¡°A marvelous display of skill, but it¡¯s time to work. ¡±Orochimaru ceases his heckling claps and folds his arms. Please don¡¯t let it be another Phantasm Castle summon¡­! A discouraged Jin thinks as he walks back down to ground level, reaching into his clothes. ¡­It was hard enough hiding my identity let alone, not getting captured throughout that whole fiasco. Jin¡¯s wounds slowly heal thanks to his gelel stone. Sure hope I scored enough brownie points with Orochimaru to get some body mods. Sasuke, it seems a number of my prisoners have escaped¡­ you are to hunt them down and recapture them, I¡¯ve already sent word to Karin. She¡¯ll meet you there and assist you.¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± Sasuke exits the room after receiving his orders, leaving the red-haired rogue and one of the legendary sannin to themselves. ¡°...And what of me, Lord Orochimaru?¡± Jin awkwardly scratches the back of his head. ¡°I haven¡¯t forgotten about you¡­ you can come in now.¡± Orochimaru gestures for someone to enter the room; Jin can hear footsteps coming from the darkness of the hallway, but they sound slow and like they¡¯re dragging. The dim lights reveal the one entering the room. It appears to be a boy with black hair, no older than nine; he¡¯s wearing the dirty, tattered clothes an experimental subject would wear. His blue eyes are dull and lifeless, it¡¯s as if he¡¯s completely given up and succumbed to despair. The boy stops dragging his feet when he reaches Orochimaru¡¯s side. The sight of this poor boy makes Jin wince and his gut wrench. ¡°What do you want me to do with him?¡± ¡°This boy¡¯s name is Rito, your assignment is to escort him to the northern hideout.¡± The Sound Village leader pets the despairing boy like a dog. ¡°He needs some finishing touches before he¡¯s fit enough to be a spare.¡± ¡°It will be done, Lord Orochimaru. Boy! It''s time to go.¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A few hours have passed since they first left the hideout, the sun will begin to set in a few hours. Jin and Rito are walking through the forest in the warm evening breeze. This simple pleasure reminds Jin of the many summer vacations of his previous life, relaxing in the pool, going to the movies with friends, eating s¡¯mores, and playing video games all night long. Still walking, the boys reach a clearing with a river flowing through it. Jin takes a few steps closer, grabbing a nearby twig on the ground. The red-haired rogue drops the twig into the river and watches it gently float downstream. ¡°Perfect! Rito, undress and bathe yourself. You smell like a barnyard.¡± Jin tries to wave away the pungent odor and fails. Rito follows orders and takes off his rags for clothes. Jin¡¯s eyes widen with disgust and horror upon what he sees, Rito¡¯s body is covered in scars. Some appear to be years old while others look recent, but they all seem to have been made with a doctor¡¯s precision. Jin is reminded that he¡¯s helping a madman and is overcome with guilt. Jin¡¯s attention returns to the same foul smell that has been irritating him for a while now. A few whiffs tell Jin the odor is coming from Rito¡¯s discarded clothes; Jin weaves hand signs and spews flames from his mouth, incinerating the rags. A satisfied Jin watches the fire burn for a minute before digging through his backpack for clothes. ¡°...These are a little big for you, but we can get you some better fitting clothes when we reach the nearby town. And they¡¯ll have food too.¡± Jin tosses his spare clothes on the ground near Rito. The boy just sits in the water, not responding to Jin¡¯s words. He just continues to go through the motions of bathing. I want to help him bounce back from this, but I can¡¯t do that if he doesn¡¯t talk¡­ Jin thinks to himself as he rummages through his bag. I should just be patient and try to earn his trust before anything¡­ Hmm? ¡°Hey, brats--you wanna pass through here you gotta pay a toll, cough it up or things get ugly!¡± A man in brown ninja gear leaps down from a tree on the other side of the clearing. ¡°I¡¯m ugly¡­¡± A rogue ninja turned bandit? Must¡¯ve seen the smoke from the fire. Well, whatever¡­ Wind Style: Vacuum Bullets. Jin spews a volley of bullets made of compressed air. The ninja is sprayed by gunfire and falls to the ground with blood spilling from his many bullet wounds. After a brief moment, even more ninja bandits appear in a puff of smoke with their weapons at the ready. They quickly get into a formation that completely surrounds the boys. ¡°You¡¯ve got some nerve doing that to our comrade. You¡¯re dead meat, kid!¡± Says the biggest one in the back. Of course there¡¯s more, there¡¯s always more¡­ An annoyed Jin rises to his feet and weaves a sign. ¡°Shadow Clone Jutsu!¡± Side Chapter 4 After that fateful reunion and confrontation with Sasuke and Jin at Orochimaru¡¯s hideout, Ayanami began her training as soon as she returned to the Leaf Village. However, her training is different from her usual regiment; she is currently running through a forest with weights on her ankles. The young Hyuga tries to maintain a steady pace, but the weights make that difficult. Ayanami doesn¡¯t mind the struggle because she knows that her hard work will pay off later. She¡¯s even managed to get both Might Guy and Jin¡¯s former teacher, Hanzo Mishima to oversee her training. ¡°...So, why did you ask us to train you?¡± Hanzo asks as he runs alongside Ayanami. Ayanami wipes the sweat from her brow and continues to run. ¡°Me, Kazuya, and Team Kakashi all fought them, but it wasn¡¯t really a fight. Jin and Sasuke were toying with us like we were nothing.¡± ¡°I heard the debrief report¡­ the way you and everyone describe Jin and Sasuke¡¯s strength, it¡¯s unnatural. Orochimaru must¡¯ve modified their bodies and even given them drugs.¡± ¡°I know, that¡¯s why Naruto¡¯s training with Kakashi-Sensei and Yamato-Sensei now¡­ I can¡¯t afford to fall behind them.¡± ¡°Which brings me back to my first question: Why ask for Guy and I specifically¡­ and not your clan?¡± Ayanami stares off ahead, looking at an unknown and ominous future. ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, I¡¯m proud to be a member of the Hyuga¡­ but recent events have made me doubt that the Byakugan and the Gentle Fist will be enough in the coming battles.¡± Because Ayanami''s attention was split between running and carrying on a conversation, she failed to notice a tree root in her way. She trips on the root and begins to fall, but Hanzo is able to catch her before she hits the ground. Hanzo helps the kunoichi back to her feet and tells her, ¡°Hey, take it easy. Don¡¯t push yourself so hard.¡± ¡°*huff* *huff* I have to, otherwise¡­ *huff* I won¡¯t be able to catch up to him.¡± Ayanami sees an image of Jin with his back turned towards her. ¡°YOU TWO ARE STILL IN THE SPRINGTIME OF YOUTH, PICK UP THE PACE!¡± Might Guy shouts as he hand walks at hysterical speeds, lapping both Ayanami and Hanzo. ¡°AFTER THIS IS WALL CLIMBING WITH ONE ARM TIED BEHIND OUR BACKS~!!!¡± An amazed Ayanami stares at the dust cloud Guy left behind and chuckles, ¡°Heh heh¡­ I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯ll surpass Guy-Sensei though.¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The weights are making this a lot harder¡­! Ayanami thinks as she struggles to climb up the cliff. Ayanami has one hand behind her back and she¡¯s barely even halfway up with the sun setting behind her. Guy and Hanzo have already finished and are watching the kunoichi¡¯s progress. As Ayanami reaches for a jug just above, her footholds break. The young Hyuga falls with her hand skidding against the rocky wall. She ignores the sharp, burning pain due her frantically searching for something to grab onto. The ground gets closer and closer with each passing moment, Ayanami grits her teeth and quickly grips the wall and digs her fingers in. I can do this, I can do this¡­! The young Hyuga grips the wall with all her might. She can feel the dirt and rocks dig into her nails as her descent slowly decreases in speed. Noticing that she¡¯s no longer falling, Ayanami opens her eyes to see that she¡¯s only two yards off the ground. With her hand still welded to the wall, the kunoichi propels herself several more yards in the air. ¡°Ow ow ow!¡± As she¡¯s in the air, a wincing Ayanami realizes her hand is in a lot of pain. Okay¡­! Let¡¯s try this again. With my other hand. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Sighing with relief, Ayanami grabs a nearby sloper with her good hand and puts her wounded hand behind her back. She recommences the slow and difficult climb back up; this time, she does it slow and steady. ¡°WAY TO SAVE YOURSELF, AYANAMI!!¡± Guy cheers her on from atop the cliff. Huh, I wonder if I can introduce baseball and basketball to this world? You know what? I''m just gonna do that! Ayanami ponders as she continues smiling. ¡°WHO DECIDED TO FORGE BONDS OF COMRADESHIP THROUGH TRAINING AND FORGOT TO INVITE MEEE~!!!¡± Someone yells from below. ¡°Who¡­?¡± Curious, Ayanami looks back down again. The one who was just shouting is none other than Rock Lee, he quickly climbs up the cliff with one hand, leaving a dust cloud in his wake. Not only does Lee catch up to Ayanami, he passes her up. Not wanting to be shown up, Ayanami begins to pick up the pace. Lee always makes training fun, it must be his never-give-up optimism. Ayanami smiles as she races Lee up the cliff. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Days later, Ayanami is continuing her taijutsu training in the forests of the training ground, she is kicking a tree by herself. She¡¯s been kicking the tree repeatedly for so long that most of the bark on the trunk is gone and leaves are piling up. Slowly, but surely more and more of the tree gets carved away with each kick. I won¡¯t stop¡­ not until I catch up to them! Ayanami begins to kick at the tree with greater force. ¡°Huh, Ayanami? I thought you were with Bushier Brows-Sensei and Hanzo-Sensei?¡± Says a familiar voice from behind. Ayanami looks back and sees Naruto with Asuma and one other person with bluish-gray hair. ¡°Guy and Hanzo-Sensei were called away on a mission. Why is a¡­. Fire Temple monk(?) here?¡± ¡°This is Sora and he¡¯s--¡± ¡°I¡¯ve come here to take over this stinkin¡¯ village.¡± The monk interrupts the leaf genin and gives the kunoichi the stink eye. ¡°Who are you, little girl?¡± Rude much? Ayanami bows respectfully and introduces herself as, ¡°A pleasure to meet you, I¡¯m Ayanami. Ayanami Hyuga.¡± The monk responds by walking up to her until they are face to face. Sora stares her down with his brown eyes in an attempt to intimidate her. Ayanami forces a smile while her right eye twitches with annoyance. Asuma facepalms, sighing while Naruto swiftly intervenes and puts himself between them. ¡°Sora, stop picking fights with everyone! Ayanami is a comrade and a good friend.¡± Naruto tries to push Sora away from Ayanami. The monk proceeds to push back and the two end up wrestling each other to the ground in a comedic fashion. A dust cloud forms and overlaps them as they continue to fight. Ayanami turns to Asuma, taking in a deep breath and exhales. ¡°So, Asuma-Sensei¡­ what were you planning to do with them in the first place.¡± ¡°I was just to help them with the wind nature training, you¡¯re welcome to join us.¡± Asuma awkwardly scratches the side of his head. ¡°But I don¡¯t think I have an affinity for wind style jutsu¡­¡± ¡°You can still learn wind style, but it¡¯ll take more time and be weaker than your actual affinity. Here¡­¡± Asuma hands Ayanami one of his trench knives. ¡°It¡¯s made with a unique metal that absorbs the user¡¯s chakra and reacts to its nature. Try running your chakra through the blade.¡± Ayanami does as she¡¯s told and channels her chakra through the knife. The blade begins to vibrate with sparks of electricity. Asuma stares at Ayanami in awe. ¡°Amazing! Your level of chakra control is just amazing.¡± ¡°Honestly it¡¯s not that great¡­ advanced chakra control is a requirement to even attempt to learn the high-level gentle fist techniques. Any chunin and jonin of the Hyuga can do this much, so what now?¡± ¡°Now? We¡¯re going to throw them at that tree you were kicking at the same time, got it?¡± Asuma takes a few steps back with Ayanami right behind. Ayanami takes aim. ¡°Ready when you are.¡± ¡°Ready¡­ GO!¡± Ayanami and Asuma throw the trench knives simultaneously, Naruto and Sora stop fighting to watch. The blades make contact with the tree and burrowing, the knife Asuma throws goes straight through the tree and into the boulder behind it while Ayanami¡¯s is embedded in the tree with the blade sticking out on the other side. Chapter 47 ¡°What happened?! They just froze in place!!¡± A concerned Ayanami snaps her fingers in Naruto¡¯s face. Naruto doesn¡¯t move, twitch, or even react; he just stands there as perfectly still as a statue, the wind blows a leaf in his eye and the hero still doesn¡¯t react. The same can be said for Itachi and Bee, they just stand frozen with Itachi¡¯s crow remaining on Naruto¡¯s right shoulder. The bird is frozen as well. However, Jin¡¯s attention is drawn elsewhere; he notices his hand is shaking again and more profusely than before. His breathing slowly becomes more rapid and deep with each passing second. The world goes quiet as Jin falls to his knees with sweat running down his face. Rito comes and gently helps Jin back to his feet. After Ayanami removes the leaf from Naruto¡¯s eye, she quickly notices Jin in his current predicament. ¡°Are you alright?! Do you need a bag or something?¡± ¡°There are no bags here--wait, I know what to do!¡± Rito reaches into Jin¡¯s clothes and pulls out his book and pen. ¡°Idle hands are the devil¡¯s playground. You like to draw, so draw. You need a safe, emotional structure.¡± With trembling hands, Jin takes the book and pen; he opens the book up and draws with focus. Jin slowly calms down and regains himself with each stroke of the wrist. ¡°So, what do we do now? ¡­What do we do about them?¡± Ayanami looks back and Naruto and company with concern. ¡°D-Don¡¯t worry, they¡¯re¡­ t-they''re fine.¡± Jin tries to explain to the kunoichi. ¡°I just froze their perception of time. They¡¯re fine, I-I¡­ I promise¡­¡± Echo appears behind Naruto and takes the crow, turning his back on the three young ninja. Ayanami, Jin and Rito can tell that Echo is messing with the crow, they hear squishing sounds followed by a loud squirt. Echo turns back around and walks over to Jin; he hands the Onikage a small medical jar that contains Shisui¡¯s eye, suspended in incubation fluid. ¡°THAT¡¯S DISGUSTING!! DISGUSTING AND MORBID!¡± Rito gags profusely. ¡°It¡¯s necessary.¡± Echo places the crow on the ground and sets it ablaze with Amaterasu. As Echo takes off his mask and stares Naruto and Itachi directly in the eyes; Jin puts down his book, turns away, and stares at the eye. When he looks at the eye, Jin is disgusted, but still sees new possibilities opening up. ¡°Mileena, front and center.¡± A black mass of slime runs down Jin¡¯s leg and slithers a few feet away. It rises to the ground, taking on a more humanoid appearance with eyes full of determination. ¡°Yes, Father?¡± The black mass takes on a voluptuous humanoid appearance with no hair and red eyes. She displays sharp, non-human teeth and a long, prehensile tongue protrudes from her mouth. She smiles and salutes her creator, waiting for her new orders. ¡°W-what the hell is that?!¡± Ayanami shouts, falling on her backside in shock. ¡°Oh, yeah¡­ This is Mileena, Jin made her from his own chakra. Don¡¯t worry, I had the same reaction as you.¡± Rito holds out his hand to Ayanami. ¡°Hey, Jin? Why does Mileena look like¡­ a girl version of Venom?¡± ¡°¡®Cuz symbiotes are cool.¡± A lethargic Jin gives a brief smirk and then hands Mileena the container. ¡°Anyway¡­ Mileena your mission is to find Danzo¡¯s body and bring me the other eye.¡± ¡°But Danzo crushed the other¡­ Oh, I see what you¡¯re plotting. But still¡­ How am I supposed to find it? You never even found out where Tobi keeps his spare eyes.¡± If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°True, I don¡¯t know¡­ But I know who does.¡± Jin kneels down and places his right hand on the ground. The young Uzumaki injects his sage chakra into the battle-scarred ground and a few moments later, a pair of White Zetsu clones erupt from the ground. One lands on his back and the other on his rear; the two Zetsu stare at the group with a mixed look of shock and bewilderment. ¡°...Y-you knew we were here?¡± One of the fearful Zetsu coughs up. ¡°Ever since we left the coast. Did you really think I wouldn¡¯t notice you?¡± Cocking his head to one side, Jin looks down on them. ¡°Mileena?¡± Jin¡¯s creation springs into action and pounces on the White Zetsu to the left, she graphs onto his body and completely covers him; The black mass takes on a more masculine physique and bulks up some. Mileena grabs the other Zetsu by the neck and lifts him up. Using her long tongue, Mileena licks the side of Zetsu''s face and sneers, ¡°Eyes, lungs, pancreas¡­ so many snacks, so little time.¡± ¡°Who¡­ what¡­ are you?!¡± Zetsu struggles to break free of her grip. His tone is full of fear. ¡°You may call me Mileena and I¡¯m feeling hungry.¡± ¡°D-Damn¡­ D-Damn¡­ you¡­!¡± In one quick move, Mileena pulls Zetsu in closer and opens her maw wide; the last thing this Zetsu ever sees are several rows of razor-sharp pearly whites coming right at him. Licking her face clean, Mileena drops the headless body on the ground and turns to face her creator. ¡°Leave it to me father! You¡¯ll have both eyes before the war¡¯s end.¡± Mileena declares as she slowly sinks into the ground. She completely disappears, leaving behind the dead Zetsu body. A white substance gushes out of the corpse¡¯s neck wound. The sight of the headless Zetsu makes Jin baby vomit a little in his mouth, he swallows it back down and goes back to drawing. ¡°How are you not freaked out by that?!¡± Ayanami shouts with her face turning green. Not lifting his head up from his book, Jin simply replies with, ¡°I¡¯ve almost died multiple times, I have PTSD anxiety attacks now, and I don¡¯t even know if I¡¯m even human anymore¡­ I have bigger things to wor--¡± ¡°Can we please move on with the plan now?¡± Echo impatiently interrupts their conversation before it gets long. ¡°I want to see Moryo¡¯s head on a wall sometime soon.¡± ¡°What do you want me to do?¡± ¡°Right now? You just need to undo your jutsu, I¡¯ve already put them under genjutsu. They believe Itachi destroyed the crow and that Naruto just received advice about teamwork.¡± We¡¯re nearing the finish line, Jin¡­ You can do this; after war, you¡¯ll have two years of rest until The Last movie and after that, another thirteen years until Boruto. YOU! CAN! DO THIS!! Trying to perk himself up from his episode, Jin turns to face Naruto, Itachi, and Bee. ¡°Release!¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Meanwhile, back at the Nina Alliance headquarters, Tsunade and Raikage Ay are at the table, waiting urgently for new information. ¡°Well?¡± Ay taps his finger on the table. ¡°I have good news and bad news. The Good news is that Jin has so far kept true to his word, he¡¯s regrouped with Naruto and sent shadow clones to multiple battlefields.¡± Shikaku replies. ¡°It seems we were right to trust Ayanami¡¯s faith in him¡­¡± With exigency written on her face, Tsunade stares at Shikaku. ¡°What¡¯s the bad news?¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s the prisoner Jin delivered¡­¡± ¡°Go on.¡± ¡°When we had him taken away to be interrogated, an explosion occurred minutes into the interrogation. The prisoner had an explosion jutsu formula inscribed on his body that had a delayed effect. The only information we were able to get was that he worked for Moryo and Yomi and that they¡¯re waiting to ambush us during the final battle.¡± The three go silent as they ponder the unknown ramifications of what they¡¯ve learned. Chapter 48 In the aftermath of a sudden and unexpected explosion, the dust clears to reveal a White Zetsu on his back. He stares into the darkness with a mix of shock, confusion, and fear written all over his face. He tries to crawl away, but his injuries won¡¯t allow him to do so. ¡°Why?! Why does it have to be like this?!¡± Zetsu howls. Walking out from the blackness, a young man states, ¡°With these new powers¡­ I can see clearly in darkness¡­¡± The young man has dark-gray skin and long, gray hair with a blue tint. He wears dark blue pants, over which hangs a blue cloth that covers him from his stomach to his knees, which he secures with a purple rope belt; as is common to Orochimaru and his followers. He compliments this with a gray zippered, high-collared, short-sleeved shirt and blue wrist warmers. ¡°You¡­! You won¡¯t get away with this!¡± Zetsu yells defiantly. The young man opens his eyes, revealing a straight tomoe Sharingan pattern and stares down at Zetsu. ¡°My path is only for myself. You have no right to stop me.¡± Zetsu is unable to react as he finds himself impaled by a large purple sword made of chakra and subsequently incinerated by black flames. Remaining cold and stoic, the young man makes his way to the outside. As he exits the hideout, his dark-gray skin turns fair and his hair grows short, turning black. ¡°Time to go.¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In the rocky, barren desert of the Land of Lightning, the Allied Shinobi forces are in the heat of battle against four reanimated kage. The Fourth Kazekage has already been sealed; the bulk of the Fourth Division splinter battle against the Second Mizukage and the Third Raikage separately, leaving Gaara and Onoki to deal with the Second Tsuchikage. Hovering vigilantly, Onoki narrowly dodges a Particle Style beam. ¡°Where¡¯d that come from?¡± ¡°Behind you, Tsuchikage!¡± Gaara warns his ally. Onoki prepares to counter, but has to descend due to his back acting up again. Gaara goes to protect Onoki as the reanimated Mu prepares another attack. He hovers above both the young and elderly kage with his hands stretched out. ¡°Particle Style: Atomic Dismantling Jutsu!¡± At this moment, Gaara eyes widen; he sees a familiar face charging at the reanimation from behind in a surprise attack with a Planetary Rasengan. However, Mu weaves to the side evading the attack. ¡°Dammit!¡± ¡°Lord Mu is a sensory shinobi!¡± Onoki warns the new arrival. Naruto calls out, ¡°Gaara! Sand!¡± The Fifth Kazekage heeds the call and sends his sand to flutter where Naruto is about to land. The Hero of the Leaf cleverly uses the sand as a platform to launch himself back toward Mu. ¡°Dodge this, my jutsu''s faster than yours!¡± The reanimation prepares to fire. Naruto makes up for the difference in distance by having a chakra arm thrust out of his hand, plowing the reanimated Mu with his jutsu. An explosion occurs, sending Mu hurdling straight through a rocky outcrop. Colliding with the ground below, Onoki swiftly moves in behind Mu. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. ¡°Earth Style: Super Weighted Boulder Jutsu!¡± The ground craters under Mu¡¯s new found weight, his added weight even causes a light dust cloud to stir. Gaara slowly approaches and proceeds to seal away the reanimated Tsuchikage in sand. ¡°Don¡¯t let your guard down yet. I¡¯m still¡­¡± Mu is unable to finish as he has been completely sealed. ¡°Nice! Way to go Gaara!¡± Naruto says as he leaps over to them, giving a thumbs up. ¡°And you were pretty awesome too, Shorty-Gramps!¡± Onoki winces in vexation. ¡°I am the Tsuchikage, you know? Have respect.¡± ¡°What are you doing on the battlefield, Naruto?!¡± A frustrated Gaara shouts. ¡°Well¡­ I-I¡­ I was¡­ able to convince Old Man Raikage to let me go. Now we¡¯re here to help.¡± ¡°¡±We?¡±¡± Both Kage ask in unison. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°It¡¯s my Water Balloon Jutsu, defend yourselves!¡± Gengetsu Hozuki, the Second Mizukage warns as bubbles begin to form and slowly orbit his body. Scores of the reanimation¡¯s bubbles fly off in the direction of the Fourth Division who all brace themselves for imminent impact. Suddenly, crystals burst up from the ground and shield them. Rito appears behind the reanimated with a both smirk and crossed arms. ¡°I¡¯m told you guys need a hand.¡± ¡°A crystal jutsu user? And a young one at that. It''s been awhile since I last encountered one of your kind¡­ I can tell you have talent, child, but that won¡¯t be enough to beat me.¡± Gengetsu stares at the new arrival with a crestfallen look. ¡° I wouldn¡¯t underestimate the child if I were you¡­ considering he has the geographical advantage.¡± Confused, the reanimated Mizukage cocks his head to one side. ¡°Geographical advantage? How so?¡± ¡°All things crystal fall under my domain, you¡¯d be surprised at what counts as crystal--obviously gemstones, but there¡¯s also sugar, salt, ice¡­ sand.¡± The Second Mizukage looks over to where his clam is hidden, he gets wide-eyed for a brief moment when he sees sand covering it. Standing on an outcrop near the clam is Ayanami; her irises turn yellow, her pupils become toad-like, and orange pigmentation forms around her eyes. She even activates her Byakugan while in sage mode. ¡°I see you¡­¡± The kunoichi can¡¯t help but smile. She crouches down for one giant leap. Gengetsu¡¯s attention returns to the boy. A grin takes shape. ¡°I see. You were already searching for it with the sand¡­ FINALLY! I get to face a worthy foe. Now, hurry up and defeat me already!¡± Ayanami jumps high into the air; she balls up her fist and dives downward, delivering one mighty right hook. The ridiculous strength behind her punch causes the clam to crack and shatter on impact. The real reanimation appears before Ayanami, signifying the clams genjutsu is undone. The Mizukage holds up his hand like a gun toward the young Hyuga. ¡°Huh--Hey, hurry up and escape! This is the Hozuki clan¡¯s Water Gun Jutsu!¡± ¡°Aww¡­ don¡¯t worry about me, Lord Second--I can take care of myself.¡± Smiling with confidence, Ayanami takes a fighting stance. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Honestly¡­ in the Allied Forces, there isn¡¯t a stronger Wind Style user than me.¡± Temari informs Dodai as she and the Fourth Division stare down the reanimated Third Raikage. ¡°You, the strongest? Don¡¯t make me laugh!¡± Jin shouts, landing between the reanimation and the Ninja Alliance. ¡°That¡¯s MY job!¡± The ninja behind Jin all have widened eyes with surprise due to his sudden arrival. Jin leaps into the air and holds his right hand up; chakra violently rotates in his hand, forming into a shuriken. The light from Jin¡¯s Rasenshuriken is so bright, the reanimated Raikage and the Allied Forces all have to cover their eyes. Realizing the danger, the Raikage activates his Lightning Style Chakra Cloak. As Jin reels his arm back, he uses the Body Flicker to immediately close the gap between them and plows his attack into the reanimation¡¯s stomach. Hey, wait a minute¡­ Did I just¡­ do what Goku did to Cell? Hell yeah! An ecstatic Jin watches as his jutsu hurdles the Raikage away. After flying over a dozen yards away, the Rasenshuriken detonates in a brilliant fashion with the Third Raikage at the epicenter. The Allied Forces all have to brace themselves from the massive explosion¡¯s shockwaves. Jin creates a Rasengan and infuses it with sage chakra. ¡°Temari! Tell the others to stay out of the way. He¡¯s mine.¡± Chapter 49 In the aftermath of the Rasenshuriken¡¯s detonation, the Third Raikage slowly gets back on his feet; his Lightning Cloak reactivates and concentrates chakra into his finger tips. Holy shit! If I had gotten here earlier, I could¡¯ve taught him the signs needed to rescind the contract¡­ Oh, well. Jin cautiously waits for the reanimations next move. ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°All of you men?! Get back, Lord Raikage¡¯s going to use his Four-Fingered Hell Stab!¡± Dodai appears behind Jin and grabs his hair. ¡°And you, earth style shinobi? Get a wall up immediately!¡± ¡°Let go, I know what I¡¯m doi--OWOWOWOWOWOWOW!¡± As Dodai pulls a now extremely irritated Jin back to safety, a number of stone ninja move to the front of the group. They link up side by side and begin weave hand signs. ¡°¡±¡±Earth Style: Great Mud Wall!¡±¡±¡± Simultaneously, the stone ninja all expel a stream of mud from their mouths, which solidify into multiple columns of earth. These columns grow upwards from the ground and together, form a hard, defensive wall. Dodai presses his hands on the ground from behind the mud wall. ¡°Lava Style: Rubber Wall.¡± An enormous torrent of lava materializes from the ground directly in front of them, which then forms into a wall possessing immense durability and fortifies the mud wall. The reanimated Raikage races towards the wall and thrusts his Hell Stab into it. The Hell stab breaks through the wall and it hits the rubber, it makes it clear to the alliance where he¡¯s about to appear due to the ever-stretching bulge in Dodai¡¯s rubber wall. ¡°The hell, man? That was completely uncalled for.¡± An annoyed Jin rubs the back of his head. Asshole threw off my mojo¡­! Both Jin and Dodai leap back to Temari¡¯s position. They watch a number of headstrong ninja foolishly charge at the rubber bulge; as the Raikage breaks through the rubber with devastating force, Jin performs the Universal Pull technique. The brazen shinobi are tugged toward Jin before they can be decimated by the reanimations Hell Stab. ¡­I¡¯m surrounded by ignorant dumbasses! ¡°What should we do now, Lady Temari? I mean if Jin couldn¡¯t take him down¡­¡± Matsuri, a kunoichi of the Hidden Sand expresses her concerns. ¡°What--Jin¡¯s here? The rogue ninja who worked with Sasuke? Where? Which shinobi is he? I want to get a good look at him!¡± Matsuri¡¯s friend and squadmate, Yukata frenetically looks all across the battlefield; her eyes dart everywhere. ¡°I¡¯m right here¡­¡± Both kunoichi awkwardly look back and see Jin just stare at them in disbelief. ¡°What, how can that be¡­? You¡¯re about the same age as--¡± The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°You¡¯re not close-range wind style users. Get back to where it¡¯s safe.¡± Annoyed, Jin¡¯s tone is full of contempt. ¡°¡±Right!¡±¡± Both girls quickly move to the back of the group ¡­Stupid, idiot kids¡­ dipshit girl didn¡¯t even know what I looked like? They have fucking wanted posters of me¡­ Jin mutters in his head as he claps his hands together. ¡°Alright¡­ I¡¯ve run out of patience. Sage Art: Purple Lightning!¡± Jin sprints through the crowd toward the Third Raikage who in turn charges at the Onikage with the intention of goring him with the One-Fingered Hell Stab. Time slows down as the two get within arm¡¯s reach of each other; the Raikage thrusts his finger forward to Jin¡¯s head. Jin ducks his head down and weaves a bit to the right, the Hell Stab barely misses him and snips some of his hair; the now grinning Uzumaki quickly thrust his hand upward toward the scar on the Raikage¡¯s chest. Jin¡¯s Purple Lightning manages to pierce the Lightning Cloak, but only causes a minor wound; his fingers are stuck in the reanimation¡¯s chest. The Third Raikage grabs Jin by the shoulder and raises his free hand. The reanimation swing downward to cleave Jin in two. ¡°Celestial Prison Flame Sword!¡± Jin¡¯s embedded hand ignites, turning into a longsword. As the Raikage¡¯s hand makes contact with Jin¡¯s shoulder, Jin¡¯s fire sword blasts out of the Raikage¡¯s back. Both ninja pause, freezing in place; the shinobi forces wait intently for the outcome. The reanimated Raikage¡¯s Lightning Cloak dissipates, cracks begin to form all over his body. Jin removes his hand in one quick heave and the Raikage collapses. ¡°Nice work!¡± ¡°Yes, he did it!¡± The onlookers roar in celebration. Their cheering is so loud, Jin is starting to get a headache. ¡°So you deduced Lord Raikage''s weakness was that scar? He must¡¯ve done it to himself when he fought the Eight-Tails¡­ well done Jin.¡± Dodai walks up to congratulate Jin. ¡°We¡¯ll have someone patch you up.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t waste chakra and resources on a shadow clone¡­¡± Jin clutches his wounded shoulder. Hmm¡­ I wonder how Rito and Ayanami are doing? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Crikey, that was bloody tedious!¡± Rito sighs with relief. The boy takes a moment to sit down and relax, he gives the Second Mizukage¡¯s exploding clone a brief glance as it is now completely crystalline. A few yards away Ayanami has the real Gengetsu pinned to the ground; the dragon bites into the reanimation, absorbing his chakra. Gaara has just arrived and begun the process of sealing him with the sand slowly taking the shape of a pyramid. ¡°You there, boy--no, young man? How did you subdue my clone?¡± Gengetsu asks with sand swirling around his body. Rito lifts his head to the Mizukage and replies, ¡°Your clone is made of water and oil right? I can convert any matter into crystals, from physical material to moisture in the air. I can even crystallize living creatures down to the cellular level. At the end of the day, I¡¯m just a bad opponent for you.¡± ¡°What is your name?¡± ¡°I was given the name ¡®Rito¡¯.¡± ¡°Well, Rito¡­ you are a gem. Polish out those rough edges and you¡¯ll be a diamond in no time!¡± The reanimated Mizukage gives one final smile before being sealed away. Rito stands up and salutes the sealed kage. ¡°Thanks.¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Meanwhile on the other side of the battlefield, the debris and rubble from Naruto and the reanimated Mu¡¯s brief skirmish begins to make noise. A large piece of debris is lifted and tossed to the side, revealing the Second Tsuchikage, Lord Mu; dust swirls around his body and repairs his injuries. ¡°How na?ve of you Onoki¡­ you were my student and you didn¡¯t even notice my fission.¡± The Tsuchikage has fully regenerated. Like a puppet, Mu is forced to quietly and cautiously walk away to a more secure location. Chapter 50 After Nineteen episodes worth of filler, the Second Tsuchikage finds himself alone in a secluded area of the desert, safely hidden away from the Ninja Alliance. The reanimated kage gets down on one knee and weaves a hand sign. ¡°Time to make a comeback¡­ Summoning Jutsu¡­¡± Like lightning, a coffin bursts out of the ground in front of the Tsuchikage. The casket¡¯s top begins to crack, the reanimated kage swiftly leaps out of the coffin¡¯s path as its top is sent flying a good distance away, the dust clears to reveal a man walking out of the coffin. The man has spiky black hair at waist-length that has a slight blue tint to it. He¡¯s wearing crimson armor with numerous metal plates, forming protective guards along his chest, waist, shoulders, and thighs. ¡°Finally¡­ it seems you¡¯ve managed to successfully groom that brat, Nagato¡­¡± The man¡¯s tone is cold and detached. ¡°I never imagined the next summoning would be¡­ heh heh¡­¡± ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, you are¡­?¡± ¡°The caster of the Reanimation Jutsu has a keen understanding of war to think of using you.¡± ¡°Did you say reanimation?¡± The reanimated shinobi looks down at his hands in confusion. ¡°Isn¡¯t that the Rinne Rebirth Jutsu?!¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jin, Ayanami, and Rito find themselves surrounded by several dozen reanimated ninjas sprawled on the ground. Most of them have black receivers embedded in some part of their body. Jin and company¡¯s labor allows the sealing team to take their time to seal all the defeated ninja away. ¡°This just felt like one big chore. Why did Kabuto summon a bunch of weaker ninja?¡± Ayanami leisurely wipes her hands. ¡°Just be thankful they''re all low-level chunin and jonin. After all, we don¡¯t have to waste much chakra on them!¡± Rito has already turned several into crystalline statues. One of the remaining reanimations disputes, ¡°Who ya callin¡¯ weak? I¡¯m the Red Cloud of Dust, Daimaru of the¨C¡± ¡°You¡¯re a nobody who died on a C-rank mission and you know it.¡± Jin interrupts as he instantly appears from behind. He stabs Daimaru in the back with a receiver. The helpless reanimated shinobi falls to the ground, his body twitches, indicating his struggle to break free. As Jin begins to walk away, he feels something grab his leg; he looks down to see the reanimated sand ninja clinging tightly, Daimaru stares up at the towering Jin with the determined eyes of a man with nothing to lose. ¡°Wait--before you seal me away, I have a favor to ask¡­¡± Daimaru¡¯s grip on Jin grows tighter. ¡°There¡¯s this girl--her name¡¯s Temari¡­ tell her that I¡¯ve always loved her¡­¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Jin simply shrugs. Simple enough, why not? ¡°Thank you, stranger.¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ayanami, Jin and Rito make the relatively short trek back to the bulk of the Fourth Division. They all find the desert heat annoying as they¡¯re starting to sweat running off their brows. As they get closer to their destination, a coy and bubbly Ayanami slaps Jin on the back. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°You know what¡¯s up.¡± The kunoichi says with a cute smile. Jin looks at her confused. ¡°No, I really don¡¯t. What¡¯re you talking about?¡± ¡°You¡¯re helping a dead man fulfill his dying wish.¡± Ayanami nudges Jin. ¡°It¡¯s sweet.¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± ¡°Are girls really into this sappy stuff?¡± Rito interjects. Ayanami pulls Jin and Rito closer and wraps her arms around them. ¡°I like it because I can bond with my friends over it.¡± ¡°Enjoy this moment while you can because things are about to get serious.¡± Jin points at the Fourth Division as they get closer, he breaks away from his friends and walks through the crowd of ninja. He peers through the menagerie of alliance shinobi, scanning for Temari; Jin has a sudden realization and facepalms. Jin, you dumbass¡­ Mind Transmission Jutsu. The Onikage telepathically searches for Temari. ¡°Temari, this is Jin, do you read?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you¡­ Well what is it?¡± Temari¡¯s mental voice sounds annoyed. ¡°A little earlier, I came across a reanimation by the name of Daimaru.¡± ¡°Daimaru? He was an old friend¡­¡± Temari¡¯s tone turns a bit out of sorts. Feeling like a third wheel, Jin awkwardly scratches his neck. ¡°Daimaru asked me to tell you that he¨C¡± ¡°Wait, what is that?!¡± A leaf ninja shouts, he points at a rocky outcrop in the distance. ¡°It¡¯s right over there!¡± Okay¡­ let¡¯s get serious. Jin senses the new chakra as well and begins to channel his own. Two figures walk into view, they both look down at the alliance forces; the one in red armor has his arms folded, he wears an unimpressed expression. A thick and heavy Tension fills the air as various shinobi in the alliance have widened eyes, and sweat begins to run down Onoki¡¯s face. Even Jin can¡¯t help but take a step back due to the powerful presence the newcomer gives off. His very glance makes everyone feel like they''re being crushed. I know I¡¯m stronger than Madara as he is now, why am I so scared? Dammit! Jin trembles with sweat running down his face. As the main cast all have their conversations, Jin desperately tries to build his nerve back up when sand rushes toward the two reanimations in an attempt to blindside them. However, they easily evade the sand and Madara lands on the ground. The instant Madara makes contact with the sandy ground, everyone in the alliance is put on edge. Jin looks back to see Ayanami struggling, trying to fight off the reflex to vomit and a trembling Rito is encasing himself in very thick crystalline armor. Madara takes a step forward and starts walking, each and every step he takes feels like a nightmarish eternity to Jin. Madara walking slowly becomes a jog, a kunoichi from the Hidden Mist is seen praying as other ninja pull out their weapons in a nervous sweat; Madara then begins to run. ¡°Whatever happens, don¡¯t look directly into his eyes!¡± Onoki shouts, warning the Alliance. ¡°¡±¡±RRRAAAAAAGH!!!¡±¡±¡± ¡°¡±¡±HHAAAAAAGH!!!¡±¡±¡± Countless shinobi give a loud, screeching, curdling battle cry before they all charge toward the ghost of the Uchiha. Jin however remains where he''s standing, paralyzed by fear. I¡¯ve killed megalomaniacs hell-bent on world domination, fought the kage, fought the Eight-Tails, I even beat down a fucking dragon! Why am I so afraid¡­ of him?! Move! Goddammit, bitch, I said MOVE! Jin brings his right hand up to his mouth and bites down hard. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As Rito and Ayanami run with the rest of the division, they feel someone tightly grab hold of their arms. They look back and see that it¡¯s Jin stopping them, they notice the blue blood on his mouth and hand. ¡°Jin what¡¯re you doing, have you lost your mind?!¡± A confused Rito shouts. Ayanami tries to pull herself free. ¡°Let go! We can take him!¡± ¡°Trust me, we¡¯re going to fight him¡­¡± Maintaining a tight grip, Jin informs them both. ¡°But not win.¡± Chapter 51 Madara runs straight into the army of ninja, ramming them and sending several unfortunate souls flying. The ghost of the Uchiha matches fist with the army surrounding him, the devastating speed and strength behind each of Madara¡¯s blows raises contusions and breaks limbs of multiple combatants. Madara makes numerous shinobi fall like it¡¯s as natural as breathing, he takes a sword from a combatant he defeats and begins to cut down even more alliance ninja. He toys with the alliance like they¡¯re fools, his blade repeatedly finds flesh; their blood seeps into the sand, painting it a bright cherry red. A Hidden Stone ninja throws a kunai at Madara, but he casually catches it and throws it right back at him. Madara leaps away as the kunai had a paper bomb attached to it; the ground quakes under Madara¡¯s feet as he lands some distance away with an explosion going off in the background, killing numerous shinobi. A mist ninja runs at Madara with sword on hand, Madara grabs a severed arm and tosses it at the ninja; the mist ninja knocks it away, but those few seconds were more than enough time for Madara to get close. The ghost of the Uchiha quickly grabs the mist ninja and uses him as a human shield for oncoming kunai and shuriken. As the now dead ninja¡¯s corpse gets heavier with each new kunai, Madara throws it back into the crowd. A leaf kunoichi catches the body; as she sets the body aside, she realizes her misfortune as she notices a paper bomb attached to the corpse. Another explosion rips through the ground, killing more shinobi. A cloud ninja charges at Madara with a sword being enhanced with wind chakra. The Uchiha easily disarms his opponent and grabs him by the neck, he hoists him into the air and begins to choke him out. Still choking the cloud ninja, Madara stares at the crowd of enemies around him with cold stoicism. ¡°Does anyone else wish to dance with me?¡± A strong gust of wind knocks the reanimated Uchiha off his feet and into the air, he¡¯s sent flying away and lands some distance away from the Fourth Division. ¡°Do not underestimate me!¡± Temari stares down Madara with the boldness possessed only by the young and the righteous. Madara doesn¡¯t respond to her prattle, he simply gets back up and dusts himself off. Temari becomes visibly annoyed by his blatant disregard for her. ¡°Fire Style: Great Fire Annihilation!¡± Madara expels intense flames from his mouth. Quickly rushing toward the alliance, the fire takes the form of a literal sea of flames with wide-range. Jin swiftly rushes to the front of the mob, kneading the chakra in his body and converts it into water. ¡°Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!¡± The young Uzumaki spews a rapid stream of water. Summon your damn meteor already! Jin creates enough water to fill two Olympic-sized pools, the water takes the shape of a dragon and flies headfirst into the flames with the recoil causing Jin to slowly sink into the sand. The two jutsu collide, matching each other in strength; after a brief standstill, they cancel each other out and create a colossal smoke screen, somewhat impairing everyone¡¯s vision. Several feet above the alliance, an undeterred Madara bursts through the steam cloud with several fire balls right behind him. Jin watches as they bombard the alliance, killing numerous shinobi; Jin is startled as a sand kunoichi falls right next to him. Her lower half is just gone with blood gushing out of scorched black openings. The chaos happening around them slowly tunes out as she stretches out her arm, her eyes stare at Jin, telling him to help her. However, her arm falls to the ground and her eyes now blankly stare at Jin. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In one swift motion, Madara beheads a leaf shinobi with a sword he took. More ninja charge at him, but the reanimation cuts them down. One by one they fall, and his would-be-next victim is suddenly shielded by sand, so Madara kicks them away. Madara makes a dash for a mist ninja and as he thrusts his sword forward, he is protected by sand as well. A crystal pillar suddenly erupts from the ground in an attempt to skewer Madara, but the ghost leaps back. More and more crystal stalagmites burst out of the ground, chasing after the reanimation; Madara backflips away, avoiding all of them with finesse. A glowing light catches Madara¡¯s attention, he looks up and sees a blonde-haired boy in an orange jumpsuit with a large ball of chakra falling right toward him. ¡°Massive Rasengan!¡± ¡°Earth Style: Mobile Core!¡± The ground under Madara¡¯s feet speedily rises, leaving Madara no room to dodge. Naruto plows his Jutsu into Madara, the Rasengan creates a shockwave so powerful that some alliance members are blown away. A large blue hand punches the chakra sphere and Naruto away; the arm grows, turning into an ethereal warrior with four arms. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Some ninja back away while others ready their weapons. Jin arrives with four other shadow clones, Rito and Ayanami, all five Jins surround Madara and his susanoo at the ready while Ayanami and Rito hang back. C¡¯mon Jin¡­ you¡¯ve always wanted to say this, so say it. An intimidated Jin tries to maintain a poker face with great difficulty. ¡°Hey, Madara, I have a question! Would you like these clones to use susanoo or not?¡± All five pairs of Rinnegan turn red, yellow chakra erupts from their bodies like flames. All five susanoo grow armor and shields, each of their swords transform into even longer 6-part segmented blades; each segment is wider than the one preceding it from the hilt, with 2 pick-like protrusions on the front and back of each segment, with the ones on the front much longer than the ones on the back. Each of Jin¡¯s five susanoo take a swing at Madara¡¯s, their blades collide with a loud clang. With each swing, their attacks become increasingly more violent and rapid. Their attacks are so fast and violent, they¡¯re creating gale force winds that blow away all the weaker shinobi. After each clash, Madara slowly forms a smile, his eyes narrow and hyper focus on Jin. ¡°More! Keep dancing for me!¡± The speed and power behind Madara¡¯s susanoo begins to increase. ¡°REEEEAAAAAAAAAK!¡± Oh, no¡­! Don¡¯t tell me¡­ Upon hearing the monstrous roar, a now frustrated Jin looks up. What shitty timing. Dammit! A colossal green dragon with large bird-like wings and long, sharp talons soars high in the sky, flying over everyone. Jin recognizes it as the Wind Dragon of Mt. Koryu. In one quick move, the dragon swoops down at high speeds and rams into several alliance shinobi before going back up in the air. Blood and crushed bodies drip from its scaly snout. The flying reptile turns its attention to Jin and Madara, it opens its maw and takes in a deep breath. As Jin begins to mold fire chakra to counter the dragon, a large blue blade composed entirely of chakra flies at the beast and pierces its jugular. The gravely injured dragon falls to the ground. It disappears in a cloud of black smoke before it even touches the ground. Huh? But that sword belongs to¡­ Befuddled, Jin rears his head back to see it was Madara who threw the sword. ¡°I was finally starting to have fun, but that bastard reptile ruined it¡­¡± Losing all interest, Madara takes a big leap back to the outcrop where the Second Tsuchikage stands. Madara''s eyes close for a brief moment, they reopen with the Rinnegan activated. ¡°It seems my hypothesis was correct¡­ The Rinnegan is the natural progression of the Sharingan.¡± Kabuto speaks out through the reanimated Kage. Madara eye¡¯s meet the Second Tsuchikage¡¯s. ¡°I managed to awaken the Rinnegan just prior to my death. Your name was, ¡®Kabuto,¡¯ correct? What exactly did you do to this body?¡± ¡°Like I told you, I made you better than you were at the peak of your power.¡± ¡°Bastard¡­ you know the secrets of my flesh. You managed to decipher the Uchiha stone tablet without possessing the Sharingan!¡± Madara grows annoyed by Kabuto¡¯s tampering. ¡°I¡¯m just testing out a hypothesis built on many years of experiments Lord Orochimaru and I performed. And now, you¡¯re proving it to be true¡­ you were able to achieve a piece of six paths power thanks to the might that I built into you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand, this power is not of your creation!¡± Madara summons his susanoo again, he and his avatar weave signs. The sky begins to grow dark. As soon as each alliance ninja looks up, their eyes widen as they¡¯re overcome with despair; some even drop their weapons and fall to their knees. Still looking up with her jaw dropping, Ayanami nudges Jin. ¡°Hey Jin? Your Rinnegan can do that too, right?¡± ¡°Yep, your Tenseigan can do it also--only better.¡± ¡°Really¡­? Good to know¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s still far too early to consider giving up¡­!¡± The elderly Tsuchikage shouts from within the despairing crowd, trying to rally them. ¡°Never quit without trying! Always do something, however small an effect it may have!¡± Onoki flies headfirst towards the meteor with large volumes of sand right behind him. Everyone watches as Onoki and the heaps of sand try to stop the meteor. The sand turns into a giant pair of hands; from a distance, it all vaguely resembles one colossal sculpture to Jin. Cracks form on the meteor as Onoki and Gaara struggle to stop it, the meteor¡¯s descent slowly decreases before finally coming to a halt with small pebbles breaking off. Ignoring the roars of cheering in the background, Ayanami asks, ¡°It looks like things are wrapping up here, should we dissipate?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll disappear when the five kage assemble. Still need to earn brownie points with the Alliance, I don¡¯t need them to love me, just¡­ not want me--ya know--dead.¡± Jin vividly remembers the alliance members that gave him a hard time. Rito proceeds to build up chakra. ¡°Since we¡¯ll be here a bit longer, I¡¯ll take that as my cue¡­¡± ¡°Rito¡­? What¡¯re you talking abo¨C¡± Jin is interrupted as he has been completely encased in crystal. Ayanami and Rito are all suddenly encased as well, all three crystalline boulders subsequently sink underground and burrow deep into the earth. Chapter 52 Three crystalline boulders emerge from the ground, they all shatter with their contents all intact. Jin coughs as a thick dust cloud covers the entire area as he and his friends collect their bearings, his eyes adjust only to widen in horror. The area surrounding them has been dyed red, silhouettes of people lay everywhere. Some are mangled while others are being crushed by debris, a few survivors pick themselves up, confused by what just happened. Out in the distance, Jin can hear Naruto shout, ¡°Grandpa Tsuchikage!¡± All the death and destruction cause Jin to shake uncontrollably. Remembering Rito¡¯s words, Jin falls to his knees and draws in the bloody sand with his finger. Jin tunes everything out as he focuses on calming down. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°...So this is the power of the Sage of Six Paths, huh? Magnificent!¡± Kabuto comments as the 2nd Tsuchikage¡¯s body regenerates. A nostalgic Madara smirks. ¡°Hmph. This landscape brings back so many memories¡­ You said that your name was ¡®Kabuto,¡¯ how much do you really know about me? Tell me the truth.¡± ¡°This is only a guess, but¡­ back when you battled the 1st Hokage, Hashirama at Finally Valley, you didn¡¯t actually die on that day. Instead, in that skirmish you may have lost to him, but you gained a portion of Hashirama¡¯s power for yourself in return. Am I mistaken?¡± An analytical Madara looks under his clothes. ¡°Ah¡­ so that¡¯s why I¡¯m able to see what¡¯s coming so well. Then you are also aware of our plan?¡± ¡°Not in detail, but please remember that I am your ally. However, when it comes to whether your imposter intends to carry out your plan exactly? I don¡¯t quite know.¡± The two reanimations just stare each other down for a moment, both trying to analyze the situation and a good read of each other. The 2nd Tsuchikage looks back at the carnage before them. ¡°Oh, by the way¡­ it seems there are still survivors here and there. The Tsuchikage and Kazekage are especially persistent, what should we do?¡± ¡°Before anything else, I¡¯d like to check something.¡± Madara weaves a few signs before placing his hand on the ground. ¡°Summoning Jutsu!¡± With nothing happening, Madara stands back up. ¡°It would seem the Nine-Tails hasn¡¯t been captured.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the whole purpose of this war. The Nine-Tails remains sealed in a jinchuriki, he¡¯s right there¡­¡± The reanimated kage points at a blonde boy in an orange jumpsuit. ¡°That boy is the jinchuriki, his name is Naruto Uzumaki.¡± ¡°And what of the one with red hair? He appears to have his own Rinnegan.¡± Madara¡¯s attention falls on the one who kept up with him. ¡°That is Jin Uzumaki, he was a former colleague of mine. As to how he acquired his own Rinnegan¡­ I¡¯d love to know as well.¡± ¡°Uzumaki? So they''re both from Mito¡¯s clan, eh? They''re nothing but little brats.¡± The image of Hashirama¡¯s wife appears in Madara¡¯s mind. ¡°Yes, but they¡¯ve become quite the shinobi in their own ways, the same can be said for their friends¡­ these are only clones, shall we go and capture the originals?¡± Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! ¡°There¡¯s a jutsu I¡¯d like to try out¡­ and I think it will make a prettier picture if people are still around.¡± Madara takes a step forward and weaves the snake hand seal. ¡°Wood Style: Deep Forest Emergence!¡± Tree branches erupt from the ground like a kicked hornet¡¯s nest, they all rush towards the Allied Shinobi Forces while they are still down. Ayanami takes a stand between her allies and the oncoming trees and firmly plants herself. ¡°You can¡¯t have us. I won¡¯t let you!¡± Ayanami makes the snake seal. ¡°Wood Style: Deep Forest Emergence!¡± Trees burst from the ground and lunge for Madara¡¯s trees. They collide, crashing into each other, with small pieces of wood and rubble flying in all directions. The ground shakes so violently that Rito has to carry Jin away. Rito shouts into the ether, ¡°Of all the times to have an episode¡­ WHY NOW?!¡± Madara and Ayanami¡¯s trees begin to coil around each other; once their branches get tangled together, they finally stop moving. The kunoichi stands her ground and stares defiantly at Madara. The ghost of the Uchiha jumps down to a branch, he looks down at the group forming with a degree of anticipation. ¡°Have any more tricks up your sleeve, girl? I want to try out some more jutsu, I don¡¯t think Onoki can dance any longer.¡± Madara gaze falls on the elderly kage. Onoki struggles to stand up and slowly steps forward. ¡°Madara¡­ long ago, you forced me to forsake myself. H-However, I shall win against you here, I will reclaim myself, and you will be the one who shall slumber.¡± ¡°Hmph, still have some dance left in you.¡± Madara glares coldly. ¡°For my soul¡¯s sake and for the future¡­ I shall take you down here and now!¡± Madara and Mu lunge for the alliance shinobi. As they are about to make contact, a sudden blinding flash of light appears right in front of them. From within the light, Tsunade and Ay force the two reanimations back. Raikage Ay asks, ¡°Are you okay, Tsunade?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Tsunade¡¯s wounds heal thanks to her Mitotic Regeneration As Mizukage Mei suddenly appears with three leaf jonin, Jin and Rito stroll up to Ayanami. ¡°You recovered?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ sorry about that.¡± An ashamed Jin looks away. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Rito reassures Jin with a pat on the back. ¡°Time to go now?¡± ¡°Uh-huh.¡± Jin fully regains his composure and looks to the five kage. ¡°We¡¯ll leave the rest to you.¡± Jin salutes everyone goodbye before he disappears in a puff of smoke and Rito turns into a crystal statue and crumbles away. A smiling Ayanami gives everyone a thumbs up before turning into a block of wood. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ayanami, Rito, Mecha-Naruto, and Echo are tree hopping through a forest alongside Naruto and Killer Bee. Naruto wears a determined look and grits his teeth, their destination is just up ahead. ¡°Yeah¡­ we¡¯ll win for sure!¡± Naruto races ahead. Tobi and Naruto butt heads, they¡¯re collision forces them both away from each other. Ayanami appears right where Naruto is headed and catches him. ¡°You need to keep calm, Naruto.¡± ¡°That mask¡¯s hard, didn¡¯t even crack it!¡± ¡°I could pass through, but it doesn¡¯t even matter if you can¡¯t crack the mask.¡± Tobi speaks in a nonchalant tone as he gets back to his feet. ¡°That cannot be all you can manage, what about your¡­ Nine-Tails power?¡± ¡°DIE, DEMON FOX BRAT!!!¡± Howls a disembodied voice from above. Naruto and Ayanami both look up to see a man-sized drill coming right for them at high speeds. Chapter 53 As the drill falls closer and closer, Ayanami notices crystal dust begin to cover the entire area. Shortly after, the drill makes contact only to collide with a red crystalline wall. ¡°Crystal Style: Crystal Encampment Wall.¡± The drill vigorously tries to burrow through, sparks fly off the point of impact with only the formation of minor cracks to show for it. The drill gives under the pressure and shatters, forcing the attacker to leap back to Tobi¡¯s side. Rito¡¯s crystal barrier quickly repairs itself. The new arrival appears to be a muscular, bipedal, tiger-like behemoth of a man. He has white shoulder-length hair with a blue tint. He wears an open black vest, tight black pants, and a dark brown belt which has a silver rectangular belt buckle. The feral man glares at Naruto with eyes full of a cold intense hatred while wearing a sadistic grin. ¡°Uhh¡­ Who are you?¡± The Hero of the Leaf scratches the back of his head. Annoyed by this question, the tiger-man stops smiling. ¡°How could you forget about me? I was the one who told you that you could be a great ninja if you stole the Scroll of Sealing.¡± ¡°Mizuki?!¡± Naruto¡¯s eyes widen for a moment then narrow again. ¡°Bingo, give this brat a reward! And now I¡¯ll prove to the whole world you¡¯re¨C¡± ¡°Oh my god, would you shut up?! Naruto, I¡¯ll leave Tobi to you.¡± Ayanami grows more and more irritated by Mizuki¡¯s whining. ¡°I¡¯ve had enough of this punk!¡± ¡°Yeah¡­!¡± Naruto responds as he cracks his knuckles. ¡°I¡¯m gonna enjoy ripping the mask offa you, Freak Face!¡± Tobi reaches for his mask, saying, ¡°To take off this mask¡­ You¡¯ll have to break some bones.¡± As quickly as a bolt of lightning, the tension in the air skyrockets. Both parties are poised to strike. A droplet of sweat runs down the side of Ayanami¡¯s face, her muscles grow tense, she knows this is the setting for the penultimate battle. ¡°Rito¡­? Take down your barrier¡­¡± Ayanami focuses chakra into her legs. ¡°¡®Kay.¡± The young boy snaps his tense, sweaty fingers. I need to help in any way I can¡­! Cracks begin to form on Rito¡¯s barrier, the cracks grow and grow until the cracks cover it in its entirety. In the very instant the barrier shatters, the reanimate Four-Tails jinchuriki, Roshi expels a barrage of molten rocks at the heroes with tremendous force. ¡°Fire Style: Flame Bomb!¡± Echo quickly counters with his own gauntlet of fire balls. As Echo and Roshi stalemate each other, Ayanami lunges for Mizuki. ¡°Frog Kumite: Severe Leaf Hurricane!¡± The kunoichi concentrates her skill into a spinning backwards kick enhanced with sage chakra, a powerful whirlwind generates around her; the kick is so fast, Mizuki can not see it and is knocked through several trees, crashing onto a lower branch. The young Hyuga can¡¯t help but smile with satisfaction. Mizuki seemingly picks himself up like he took no real damage, he gleefully sneers, ¡°That might¡¯ve hurt if I hadn¡¯t grown a membrane of bone underneath my skin.¡± The escaped criminal reaches for his back and pulls something out. Upon closer inspection, Ayanami realizes Mizuki is pulling out his own spine. More bones grow out of Mizuki¡¯s left hand, taking the form of a drill-shaped spear. Ayanami¡¯s right eye twitches with disgust at the sight before her, she feels her own spine squirm a bit. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. That has to be one of the most horrifyingly disgusting things I¡¯ve ever seen¡­ Ayanami cringes as she builds up chakra and weaves a sign. ¡°Bones as weapons, huh¡­? Talk about gross.¡± The branches around them grow longer while taking the form of dragons. They all bare their fangs at the thug-turned-terrorist and strike at him with break neck speed. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In the air, Mecha-Naruto is caught up in a heated dog fight with the reanimated Seven-Tails jinchuriki, Fu. Naruto is in the emergent layer, engaged with the Two and Three-Tails jinchuriki, Yugito and Yagura, the Fourth Mizukage. In the undergrowth, Bee is trading blows with the Five-Tails, Han. Rito battles the reanimated Six-Tails jinchuriki, Utakata in the canopy. The reanimation¡¯s bubbles cover the entire area, but the young boy is undeterred as he builds up chakra while analyzing the situation he¡¯s in. The bubbles that surround the young genius crystalize in mid-air. ¡°Crystal Style: Shuriken Wild Dance!¡± The crystal balls transform into numerous shuriken that continuously revolve around Rito. He launches them at high speeds, each bubble they pop causes an explosion and creates a thick dust cloud that Utakata can¡¯t see through. ¡°Crystal Style: Arrow of Light!¡± A beam of compressed heat and chakra burst out of the dust cloud. The attack is so sudden, so fast that the reanimated Utakata can¡¯t react in time and is bisected by the beam; the beam burns large holes into the trees behind the reanimation, some even plunge to the ground due to the damage. The dust clears to reveal a satisfied Rito has encased himself in a prism of transparent blue crystal. As the reanimation lays sprawled on the ground, he slowly regrows the lower half of his body; crystals quickly grow from the ground and completely encase his head, hands, and Pelvis. Jin memories said the black rods were on their¡­ Rito thinks back as he cautiously approaches the pinned jinchuriki. The young genius reaches for Utakata¡¯s chest and searches for the receiver. Just as he finds it, he leaps back to avoid the sudden flying drop kick from above by Han; the ground quakes and crumbles from the force of the reanimated Five-Tails jinchuriki¡¯s attack. Hans'' attack subsequently frees Utakata. Both reanimations retreat and hide in the dense forest. These dags sharing eyesight is pissin¡¯ me off! Rito grunts with annoyance. Out of nowhere, Echo suddenly appears at Rito¡¯s side and hoists him up. ¡°Time to go. Mecha-Naruto, transform and roll out!¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°NARUTO BEAM!¡± The robotic double fires its eye beams. The reanimated Fu gracefully evades the two lasers as they track her, she¡¯s like a fairy dancing in the sky. Mecha-Naruto begins to calculate and track her movements, he opens several of its missile silos and takes aim. ¡°Mecha-Naruto, transform and roll out!¡± Hearing new orders, the mechanized replica stops fighting and drops from the sky. As Mecha-Naruto descends, he grows in size; he transforms into Mecha-Kurama. As Echo leaps onto the robot fox¡¯s head with Ayanami and Rito, the ground beside Mecha-Kurama begins to shake, trees fall over and dust rises into the air. ¡°Eight-Tails, that be me, the rappin¡¯ Killer Bee! WHHEEEEEE!!¡± Bee roars as the Eight-Tails emerges from the ground. ¡°WHAT¡¯S THE DEAL WITH THAT PUPPET ME?!?!¡± Naruto shouts from the Eight-Tails¡¯ head. Ayanami yells back, ¡°WE¡¯LL EXPLAIN LATER!¡± Mecha-Kurama and the Eight-Tails both coil themselves in their own tails. Naruto, Ayanami, Rito, and Echo all desperately cling on tightly, sensing something of epic proportions is about to happen. Both kaiju begin to spin, they spin faster and faster with each passing second, forming an artificial tornado. ¡°¡±DUAL TAILED BEAST TWIST!!!¡±¡± The combined force of their two rotations causes all the surrounding trees to be completely uprooted and blown away. Mizuki and Tobi¡¯s Six Paths of Pain are all caught in the twister and crash into the many trees and boulders in the windy vortex with them. The funnel-shaped cyclone grows in size as the two beasts put more speed and power into their rotations. Chapter 54 ¡°Woah--the forest is just¡­ gone.¡± Rito mutters, surveying from Mecha-Kurama¡¯s left shoulder. What was once a forest, brimming with trees and bushes has been reduced to a rocky, barren wasteland. It¡¯s gone dark due to the sun being completely blocked out by clouds with a mild dirt fog covering the area. Echo calls out, ¡°Don¡¯t take your eyes off your opponent, especially these ones.¡± The reanimations and Mizuki slowly rise to their feet, the renegade chunin staggers for a moment before composing himself. The jinchuriki all glow red before being enveloped in v2 cloaks, their massive power up causes the very air to tremble and the ground shakes; Like a specter, Tobi rises from the rubble with no visible damage taken. The jinchuriki all rush at Naruto and Bee, their increased strength and speed begin to overwhelm the two Allied Shinobi jinchuriki. While rushing toward the Eight-Tails, Han fully transforms into the Five-Tails and gores him with his horns. The Five-Tails then begins to sprint right for Mecha-Kurama. ¡°Jump!¡± Echo leaps off of the mechanical fox. Rito and Ayanami follow suit; as the tailed beast gets closer and closer, Mecha-Kurama springs into the air just as the Five-Tails almost connects. While still in the air, the robotic duplicate grabs the Five-Tails by the sides of its head; in one swift motion, Mecha-Naruto performs a front flip and throws the tailed beast at Tobi. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Five-Tails crashes onto the ground where Tobi stands, creating a seismic event in the process. Undeterred, Tobi walks out of the beast like a phantom with no signs of damage. He takes a running start and jumps toward Naruto and the Eight-Tails. ¡°It¡¯s not over yet!¡± Ayanami leaps into Tobi¡¯s path with electricity crackling in her hand. ¡°Lightning Beast Running Jutsu!¡± The leaf kunoichi launches in the form of a hound to attack Tobi, but the Akatsuki leader simply passes through the jutsu and Ayanami and continues straight for Naruto. ¡°Is that all?¡± Tobi mocks as he lands beside Naruto, he reaches for the downed hero. ¡°Looks like I win.¡± ¡°Leaf Superhuman Hurricane!¡± From out of nowhere, a kick passes through Tobi just as he was about to touch Naruto; Kakashi of the Sharingan appears next to Tobi and grabs Naruto, he leaps away to safety with Naruto in-hand. The Akatsuki leader looks back and mocks, ¡°Two more makes no difference--not against my visual prowess and power of the tailed beasts.¡± ¡°We have a Sharingan too, you know.¡± Kakashi points out. ¡°That¡¯s right and don¡¯t forget we have the Noble Blue Beast of the Leaf as well¡­¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The tension surges once more as both sides stare each other down once more. Despite the serious situation, Ayanami can¡¯t help but feel a degree of hope and relief; she smiles with renewed vigor. ¡°Kakashi-sensei, Bushier Brow-sensei, you both came!¡± ¡°You know that I can¡¯t sit back and relax. Not while my student is working so hard.¡± Kakashi smiles back. ¡°Ayanami, where¡¯s Jin? I don¡¯t see him.¡± Hearing what Kakashi just asked, Echo awkwardly looks away. ¡°He left with¡­ Itachi to go and undo the Reanimation jutsu.¡± Ayanami meekly replies. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. ¡°Itachi? He¡¯s been reanimated too?¡± ¡°Yeah, but he freed himself from Kabuto¡¯s control and he¡¯s on our side now.¡± Naruto adds. Guy butts in, saying, ¡°Interesting¡­ You can tell us the whole story after we win.¡± A recovered Five-Tails rushes at them, Guy quickly breaks off the coral on Naruto¡¯s back; the Five-Tails leaps into the air. Tobi raises his hand and a violet chain blasts out, quickly wrapping itself around the beast''s neck and slams it on the ground. ¡°So painful¡­ can¡¯t believe¡­ I¡¯m letting him¡­¡± The Five-Tails groans as it reverts back to a v2 cloak. Tobi¡¯s paths of pain make a dash for Naruto¡¯s group, they clash and trade blows with each other. Ayanami runs to help, but bones erupt from the ground and stop her in her tracks. Dismayed, she looks back; the sight of Mizuki walking toward Ayanami makes her growl in frustration. ¡°We¡¯re not finished yet¡­!¡± Mizuki mutters with powerful chakra flowing off his body. Echo lands between Ayanami and Mizuki. ¡°Go. Help Naruto and leave this moron to me.¡± ¡°Right!¡± Ayanami leaps over the wall of bone stalagmites. The young Hyuga runs towards the nearest Pain and punches it with a fist full of sage chakra; She continues to dash, making her way to the Four-Tails as it regurgitates numerous Naruto clones. She evades the many chakra arms coming at her with great finesse and agility. ¡°Looking for the rod that controls the beast?¡± Ayanami asks the Naruto closest to her. ¡°Yeah--how do¨C¡± ¡°Because Tobi¡¯s obviously using the same technique that Pain used.¡± Ayanami curtly answers. ¡°I¡¯ll pull on it from the outside, you send a clone down its throat and push.¡± ¡°Sounds like a plan.¡± Naruto gives a thumbs up. Both ninjas dart side-by-side toward the Four-Tails who punches the ground in an attempt to stop them; Ayanami and Naruto jump and scurry up the giant monkey¡¯s arm. The Four-Tails tries to swat them away with his other arm, but Ayanami leaps onto his shoulder; she meticulously searches for the rod until she finds it on the neck. The Hyuga kunoichi tries to pull it out, however the rod creates chakra chains that wrap around her. This damn thing is in there! Ayanami strains to pull the rod out. Huh¡­? The kunoichi senses the sudden build up of sage chakra, she notices that it¡¯s coming from the Four-Tails¡¯ mouth. The chakra goes down the Four-Tails¡¯ body until it¡¯s directly on the other side of Ayanami¡¯s location, she feels an abrupt jolt coming from the inside. The rod becomes loose and Ayanami pulls with all her might. Ayanami smiles in victory. One down, six more to go¡­ As Ayanami lands, she watches the Four-Tails be sucked into the Gedo Statue¡¯s mouth. Roshi, the Four-Tails jinchuriki lays motionless on the ground in front of her. Naruto lands beside the young Hyuga, his heavy breathing and sweat inform Ayanami of his exhaustion. ¡°You look like you''re about to pass out after stopping just one tailed beast. You cannot defy me.¡± Tobi mocks from the top of the Gedo Statue, he weaves a sign. I shall take the precious tailed beasts that you possess.¡± The remaining six jinchuriki all grow in size and morph into their respective tailed beast. They tower over the motley crew and build up chakra for their Tailed Beast Bombs. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Echo continues to battle Mizuki, he is truly baffled by how much stronger this Episode 1 villain has become. An eruption of bright orange chakra gets both of their attention. ¡°AHH HA HA HA HA HA!!!¡± Mizuki cackles maniacally Did my time traveling cause this change or is the plot fighting back in some way? An irritated Echo broods. ¡°What¡¯s so funny, smartass?¡± ¡°Heh heh¡­ Because¡­ That Fox brat isn''t the only one with a monster inside him!¡± Mizuki weaves a sign and moments later, black and purple chakra explodes from his body and creates a towering pillar; the pillar¡¯s light can be seen for miles. The chakra sends out violent shockwaves in all directions. From within the pillar, Mizuki¡¯s silhouette grows in size and changes shape; Mizuki¡¯s transformation causes everyone to stop fighting as their attention is drawn to the pillar of chakra. ¡°Is that¡­? No. Th-This can¡¯t be¡­!¡± Echo recognizes the form Mizuki takes. A chill runs down the time traveler¡¯s spine as the beam vanishes, the dust settles to reveal Mizuki is gone and in his stead stands a giant monster with a body similar to that of a lion and three heads. Its skin is mostly white and has dark purple on several places, including the underbelly. It has beige-colored armor above the main head on which there are several small, red markings and a row of spikes. The other two heads come out of each side of the armor. It has light yellow-green markings under each head''s small eyes and thin and sharp teeth. ¡°RRAAAAAAGHH!!!¡± With many fierce, red electrical sparks constantly surrounding its body, the beast releases a deafening roar. The very battleground under everyone¡¯s feet trembles for miles and the clouds part. ¡°The Three-Heads? Interesting¡­ Mecha-Kurama, put this scum in its place!¡± Echo calls out. With ferocious gusto, the robotic tailed beast leaps over Echo and charges at the monster; its icy, metallic fangs dig into the monster¡¯s flesh. The Three-Heads lashes back with a vengeance, both kaiju rip and tear at each other. The battle quickly escalates into a clash of titans. Side Chapter 5 Several days have passed since the Hebi have left that small town in order to find Itachi, the team has chosen to set up camp deep in the forest for the time being. Taking advantage of their free time, Jin has decided to take Rito on a short hiking trip. After walking some distance away from their campsite, Jin finally stops walking. ¡°So why did you take me out here?¡± Confusion is written all over the young boy¡¯s face. Not saying anything, Jin turns to look back at Rito with a calm yet stern expression. He appears to be thinking about something, but says nothing; he strokes his chin, still thinking of what to say. Jin¡¯s silence makes Rito perplexed, he doesn¡¯t know if he should be curious or concerned. ¡°Oi, Jin! Why. Are. We. Here?¡± ¡°...I¡¯m going to teach you a new jutsu.¡± Jin finally breaks his silence. What¡­? Rito¡¯s head tilts to one side. ¡°Sorry, but why? I already have crystal style.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong¡­ kekkei genkai are strong, but kekkei genkai users are one-trick-ponies.¡± ¡°What? Please explain¡­¡± ¡°How do I¡­?¡± Jin¡¯s eyes light up as if a light bulb appeared over his head. ¡°Rito, make a sword or something.¡± Not saying anything, Rito goes along with Jin¡¯s request and makes a crystalline sword in the shape of a cleaver. It sparkles like diamonds in the afternoon sunlight. ¡°Good. Hit me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, could you repeat that?¡± Rito is visibly taken aback by Jin¡¯s words. ¡°I said for you to hit me. With all you got.¡± ¡°Mate, I¡¯m not gonna¨C¡± ¡°Just do it!¡± With both hands on the hilt, Rito lifts the sword into the air. He uses his chakra to enhance his muscles and swings down with all his might. ¡°Purple Lightning.¡± Jin swipes at the blade with the violet electricity concentrated in his hand. The sword is cut in two with the tip flying straight into a nearby tree, Rito just looks at his broken sword with a dejected look on his face. ¡°Crystal Style is weak to both Lightning Style and powerful wide-range jutsu. If we were to fight for real, I would spam lightning jutsu and Rasenshuriken until they connect.¡± Jin continues to explain. ¡°Once characters like Sasuke figured out Deidara¡¯s explosion jutsu worked, he started using more and more Chidoris. Like I said, kekkei genkai users are one-trick-ponies.¡± ¡°Got it. So what jutsu did you want to teach me?¡± Rito shatters the sword. ¡°Here.¡± Jin hands Rito a red water balloon with a yellow cloud pattern. Rito stares at the rogue sound ninja with confusion and disbelief. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°The first step to learning the Rasengan is to use your chakra to spin the water in the balloon until it pops.¡± Jin pulls out another balloon and holds it out for Rito to see. ¡°Observe.¡± Bumps form on the balloon¡¯s surface in every direction, the balloon sways from side to side. It bursts with water splashing onto the ground. ¡°That¡¯s all?¡± Rito doesn¡¯t look convinced. ¡°The steps seem simple, but are deceptively complex¡­¡± Jin wipes his hand on his pants before crossing his arms. ¡°I started training my chakra control before I even entered the academy and it still took me two months to master this jutsu. Give it a shot.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t try, do.¡± ¡°Shut up, Yoda.¡± Rito gathers chakra in his hand and has it spin, the balloon sways from side to side and then flattens. Sensing this will take a while Jin walks to a nearby tree, he sits down and takes out his book to draw¡­ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sometime later, the Itachi Capture Team has returned to the Leaf Village in failure. Feeling like an abject failure, Ayanami finds herself reading at the library, as she combs through several books and finds a few subjects of interest. ¡°Oh and Ayanami? You wanted us to surpass Naruto and Sasuke, right? I¡¯ve gotten stronger, why haven¡¯t you?¡± Jin¡¯s words echo in the Hyuga¡¯s mind. ¡°Anything good to read?¡± Ayanami looks up from her book, a man with white hair and a mask covering his face looks back at her. He wears his usual relaxed and bored attitude, but Ayanami can detect the faintest traces of concern in his eye. ¡°Hey, Kakashi-sensei¡­¡± Ayanami¡¯s expression is one of dejection. ¡°Why so glum?¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­ I couldn¡¯t save my teacher and I couldn¡¯t help the team capture Jin or Itachi, I feel like I haven¡¯t made any real progress¡­¡± Ayanami bears her soul to the jonin. ¡°I remember how Jin would spend hours here reading, can you help me with something?¡± ¡°Help you with what?¡± Ayanami shows Kakashi the book she was reading and says, ¡°Some of these books talk about something called, sage jutsu--what is that?¡± ¡°Sage jutsu is what happens when one trains to be a sage, it exponentially increases the power of ninjutsu, genjutsu, and taijutsu. Sage jutsu can only be taught at special locations like Mt. Myoboku and Ryuchi Cave. There¡¯s more to it, I¡¯m just glossing it over¡­¡± I wonder if Jin learned sage jutsu? Maybe I can too¡­ Ayanami listens intently to Kakashi¡¯s words. ¡°Interesting¡­ If I were to travel to Myoboku, how would I get there?¡± ¡°On foot it would take at least a month, one could try to reverse summon themselves¡­ Ayanami, I know what you¡¯re thinking, but don¡¯t¨C¡± Ayanami bites her thumb and weaves several signs. ¡°Thanks for the lesson Kakashi-sensei! Summoning Jutsu!¡± The young Hyuga slams her hand on the table and a formula appears where she places her hand. In a puff of smoke, Ayanami disappears leaving Kakashi by his lonesome. ¡°Shhh!¡± The librarian hushes from his desk. Kakashi bows and whispers, ¡°Sorry.¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In a puff of smoke, Ayanami finds herself in a strange new land; Ayanami surveys her new surroundings, there are numerous frog statues, fairly large leaves and mushrooms, and many rocky spikes several stories high in the distance. In front of Ayanami stands a green toad with a small, white goatee and thick eyebrows and wears a gray cape. The toad just has a confused look due to the kunoichi''s sudden arrival. Ayanami awkwardly bows. ¡°H-Hello¡­ I¡¯m Ayanami Hyuga. Is this where I can learn sage mode?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m Fukasaku¡­ I don¡¯t mind teaching you, but I have important business with the Leaf to deal with first. Jiraiya-boy is dead¡­¡± Chapter 55 Mecha-Kurama and the Three-Heads continue to rip and tear at each other with their fangs and claws. As the robotic fox¡¯s claws came crashing down, the guardian beast quickly countered, throwing his claws off. With an almost imperceptible movement, the beast thrust its right head at the right side of Mecha¡¯s rib cage just beneath its arm. It took all of the duplicate¡¯s strength to stop and reverse its hands and parry the Three-Head¡¯s strike. Their clash was something of a martial hurricane of attrition, both combatants striking and parrying; nothing else matters except who would emerge victorious. Mecha-Naruto struggles to gain any ground against the Three-Heads while Echo watches from afar, the Jin from a dead world waits silently, anxiously for a weakness to reveal itself. Echo continues to observe with his Byakugan activated when Rito walks up from behind. The boy¡¯s eyes are wide in awe, his transfixed expression amuses Echo to a degree. ¡°...W-What is that?!¡± A shocked Rito can¡¯t help but point. ¡°That is the final boss of Naruto Shippuden: Kizuna Drive for the PSP, the Three-Headed Guardian Beast--Three-Heads for short¡­¡± Echo stoically crosses his arms as he elucidates. ¡°Frankly, it is to the Dream Village what the Nine-Tails is to the Leaf.¡± With great effort, Mecha-Kurama manages to raise the Three-Heads into the air by its throat, Mecha hurls the beast some distance away. The Three-Heads recovers and lands on all fours; the Cerberus-like creature lunges high into the air, chakra gathers in all three of its mouths. The Three-Heads fires a power beam of purple-pink chakra. ¡°TAILED BEAST BOMB!¡± The machine¡¯s monotone voice echoes across the battlefield. The machine quickly gathers and balances chakra in its mouth, shapes it into a sphere, and then fires it with great force. The two jutsu clash with sparks coming off the point of collision, a bright light is generated from their struggle. Due to neither gaining any ground, both jutsu cancel each other out by detonating; the massive explosion causes earthquakes that can be felt for miles. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The battle between the two warring kaiju is so intense, so grand that it catches Tobi¡¯s attention. The masked man is distracted just enough that an opening reveals itself, a tiny miscalculation, a flaw big enough for Naruto and Ayanami to exploit. Like raging flames, golden chakra erupts from Naruto¡¯s body and encompasses both himself and Ayanami. The shape of his chakra cloak alters to resemble a full-length haori, his pupils become slits, and the whiskers markings on his face become thicker t resemble the ? trigram. The translucent, golden chakra around Naruto manifests in the form of the Nine-Tailed Fox. ¡°This is amazing¡­!¡± Ayanami says with astonishment. ¡°LET¡¯S GO, KURAMA!!¡± Naruto and Ayanami find themselves hovering inside the constructs head, Kakashi and Guy are pulled into the avatar as well. With his newfound Kurama mode activated, Naruto rushes at the tailed beasts under Tobi¡¯s control, Naruto¡¯s tails wrap tightly around each of their necks. An excited Naruto shouts, ¡°I grabbed all their rods!¡± Naruto had clones hidden in each of the tails wrapped around the tailed beasts, the clones grab hold of the rods and tug at them with great effort. As all the receivers are plucked out, the Nine-Tails chakra around him disappears and he returns to normal. Tobi has the Gedo Statue spew out a swarm of purple chains, the chains fly to the downed beasts and plunge into them; it sounds incredibly painful. The chains quickly haul the tailed beasts away and into its mouth, sealing them away. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°Naruto? The battle¡¯s not over yet, why are you smiling?¡± Ayanami detects an even stronger resolve in the Hero of the Leaf. ¡°Because¡­¡± Maintaining his rambunctious smile, Naruto clutches his stomach. ¡°I just learned a whole bunch of really difficult names all at once.¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Dang, Sasuke, you really tore up the place¡­ good thing the eye room is still largely intact.¡± Mileena investigates the laboratory as she enters. At the center of the lab is the operating table and to its west is a massive wall decorated with the Uchiha clan symbol on top of it, which stores a large collection of eyes, which are each individually suspended in fluid inside built-in labeled glass containers. Not needing him anymore, the black mass releases the White Zetsu she bonded to and reverts back to her feminine physique. Zetsu falls to the ground dead, he has completely shriveled up as a result of Mileena siphoning him dry of all his chakra and nutrients. Mileena walks down the lab, her perceptive eyes observing each Sharingan as she passes by them. Upon reaching the other side of the room, Mileena stops dead in her tracks. She sees a crushed eye floating aimlessly in the bottom corner of the wall; due to possessing her creator¡¯s sensory abilities, she knows she has found what she has been looking for. The crushed eye¡¯s residual chakra feels the exact same as the one on her person. Mileena eagerly taps the glass. Shisui¡¯s other eye¡­ father will be pleased. ¡­Hmm? Jin¡¯s will senses multiple chakra signatures enter the room. Seconds later, a horde of White Zetsu reveal themselves; based purely on their expressions, they¡¯re all here to fight. ¡°Who are you and why do you look like Black Zetsu?¡± One of the Zetsu ask in a demanding tone. ¡°Where¡¯s Sasuke and our original?!¡± Mileena doesn''t respond to any of their questions, she just eyes them all up. A menacing smile creeps onto her face, revealing her monstrous, pearly whites. She takes a battle stance with tendrils tipped with axes and maces growing out of her back. Her mouth begins to water as she finally speaks. ¡°Not only do I get to complete my first ever mission, but I also get an all-you-can-eat buffet too? This is a great day!¡± ????? In another part of the continent, Jin and Itachi tree hop through a dense forest. It has been raining for over ten minutes, the pelting droplets feel cold against Jin¡¯s face. Itachi brushes the cold water off due to him being stoic by nature, but Jin is not enjoying it at all. The Onikage feels the need to activate his sage mode to even tolerate it. ¡­He¡¯s like a running man, in his world, more is less¡­ Jin sings internally to help pass the time. ¡­Where one is all. In this world, never fear the fall¡­! At some point it stops raining. The two ninja continue traversing through the forest for their intended destination, Kabuto¡¯s hideout. Both remain dead silent, the only things that can be heard are the rustling leaves and a flock of crows in the distance. It¡¯s almost time then¡­ Jin senses a familiar and powerful chakra close by. The strong chakra gets closer and closer until Jin, with his peripheral vision, sees that he and Itachi have just passed by the powerful chakra signature, a very familiar face. Jin is so amused, he can¡¯t help but smile. The chakra quickly chases after them at breakneck speeds. ¡°Wait!¡± Their pursuer calls out from behind. ¡°Is that you, Itachi? I told you to WAIT!¡± A purple hand made entirely of chakra reaches out to grab Itachi, Jin quickly backhands the susanoo hand away with his own susanoo¡¯s fist. Jin¡¯s display of power is so unexpected that their pursuer¡¯s eyes widen with shock. ¡°Jin, you¡¯re not of the Uchiha and you have the Rinnegan, how did you acquire this power? Answer me!¡± Jin looks back with a smug grin. ¡°Like you, I was off gaining even greater strength and in my own way. That¡¯s all I¡¯m telling you, Sasuke.¡± ¡°...¡± Sasuke glares at Jin in frustration. ¡°I¡¯m impressed, I didn¡¯t know you had mastered the susanoo as well, Sasuke¡­¡± Itachi joins the conversation. ¡°What¡¯re you even doing here¡­?! You¡¯re dead.¡± Itachi responds with, ¡°Kabuto¡¯s jutsu, I¡¯ve become a reanimated shinobi. No time to talk right now, there¡¯s something important I have to do.¡± ¡±So what? I don¡¯t care, I still have questions for you!¡± Sasuke snaps back. Hmm¡­ It appears that Sasuke¡¯s body has finally fully acclimated to the gelel stone I gave him. Jin analyzes Sasuke. As the two brothers continue the conversation, Jin senses gelel energy coursing all throughout Sasuke¡¯s body. The gelel energy synchronizes with the younger Uchiha¡¯s chakra in perfect harmony. Chapter 56 Jin and Itachi continue to run ahead with Sasuke chasing after them, it is not long before they find themselves in a cave. The deeper they go, the darker and the damper it gets; as they go further in they see a dead end, but Jin knows what¡¯s really there and runs ahead of Itachi. A golden yellow aura surrounds the young Uzumaki; as a skeletal figure forms around Jin, his body begins to tremble in intense pain. It¡¯s as if every cell in his body is on fire, in acid, and being electrocuted all at once. Ngh! The Susanoo still hurts like hell, but I need to keep using it to make it stronger¡­! Jin winces in agony, his eyes twitch with discomfort. This sucks ass! The susanoo punches at the wall, the force behind the ethereal avatar¡¯s fist causes the wall to collapse, shattering into countless pieces of debris. Behind the false wall is a new cave area with a cloaked Kabuto in the center of the room, a shogi board and an unconscious Anko lay on either side of him. With his Rinnegan and sensory abilities, Jin detects snakes scattered all over the area, the reptiles all share Kabuto¡¯s chakra signature. ¡°I¡¯m impressed you were able to break through my barrier and find this place.¡± Kabuto says as his snake tail sways from side to side, sniffing the air with its tongue. ¡°Itachi pinpointed your chakra when you were controlling him.¡± ¡°Yet another risk of this jutsu¡­ though you won¡¯t survive to remember for next time.¡± Itachi adds while entering the cave chamber. ¡°Thank you for the tip, I wasn¡¯t worried because I didn¡¯t think anyone was capable of defying the jutsu as you have done¡­ Oh by the way, there¡¯s also something I¡¯d like you to know¡­ this reanimation jutsu will not come und¨C¡± ¡°I know!¡± ¡°Itachi!!¡± Sasuke yells as he bursts into the room. ¡°I caught up, why are yo¨C?!¡± Noticing who else is in the room, Sasuke swiftly moves several yards to the left; he¡¯s clearly been put on edge as he reaches for his sword, confusion is written all over his face. ¡°Y¡­ You¡¯re¡­ Kabuto¡­?!¡± ¡°That my compensation for participating in the war would show up on his own at this particular moment? I¡¯m so lucky¡­¡± Prepared for a fight, Jin and Itachi begin molding their chakra. Jin poises himself for an assault. ¡°What¡¯re you talking about? What are you three doing, meeting here?!¡± Jin ignores Sasuke¡¯s outbursts and says, ¡°Undo your jutsu and we¡¯ll be on our way¡­ or we fight and we turn you into a vegetable and have you do what we want anyway.¡± ¡°Heh heh heh¡­ What makes you think that your threats can intimidate me?¡± Kabuto sneers. ¡°Let¡¯s just say that I have a very particular set of skills, skills that I have acquired over a very long career¡­ skills that make me a nightmare for people like you.¡± Jin¡¯s tone quickly changes from amicable to cold and callous. ¡°Your scare tactics don¡¯t interest me in the slightest.¡± ¡°Say what you want. You will still die here.¡± Itachi adds. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Sasuke, your personal demon stands before you once again. Are you sure you two won¡¯t team up with me to take down Itachi? We share the same snake power and the same mas¨C¡± ¡°That thing wasn¡¯t my master!¡± Sasuke interrupts. He composes himself and steps forward. ¡°Itachi, you always lied¡­ You always told me ¡®later¡¯ and ¡®next time¡¯... And then you died. So this time¡­ I¡¯ll make sure you keep that promise!¡± Sasuke stands side by side with Itachi and Jin, all three stare Kabuto down. Kabuto smiles, licking his lips; more snakes come out of his robe, tracking all three intruders'' movements. Orochimaru¡¯s disciple covers his head with his robe¡¯s hood. ¡°A genjutsu countermeasure.¡± ¡°Those snakes can sense where we are.¡± ¡°Reptiles can sense the body heat of other animals and some snakes and lizards can smell the air with their tongues¡± Jin appraises. Kinda weird how stuff I learned back in grade and middle school are helping me now¡­ lucky me, I guess¡­? ¡°Are you some kind of snake expert, Jin?¡± Itachi asks. ¡°I trained under the White Snake Sage before joining Orochimaru and Sasuke studied to take down Orochimaru.¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± Sasuke keeps his focus on Kabuto. The snakes coming from Kabuto¡¯s robe grow in size and rear up into an S-shape position. They quickly strike with their fangs bared, but Itachi catches them with his susanoo¡¯s hands; two of the four snakes are severed at the neck by Sasuke¡¯s susanoo. ¡°Too aggressive, Sasuke. Rem¨C¡± ¡°Relax, that certainly wasn¡¯t enough to kill him.¡± Jin interrupts. Itachi¡¯s susanoo pulls at the snakes. ¡°Sasuke!¡± ¡°The hood, I know!¡± Sasuke rushes for Kabuto, his susanoo¡¯s purple fingers tear at the robe only for more snakes to come out. The snakes scatter all across the cave floor, preventing everyone from detecting Kabuto¡¯s movements and whereabouts. ¡°All you have you took from Orochimaru. You¡¯re still nothing.¡± Sasuke berates the Orochimaru wannabe. ¡°You underestimate me, Sasuke¡­ Then again, I was listed lower than you on the danger scale in the bingo book. And of course, I¡¯m nothing compared to Orochimaru.¡± ¡°Kabuto, stop hiding and face us. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re eager to boast and show off your new powers.¡± Jin calls out into the cave¡¯s dark abyss, feeling out Kabuto¡¯s chakra. Orochimaru, the Sound Five, The Taka, and¡­? There¡¯s something else¡­ ¡°...Heh heh heh! Very well¡­ Tremble before my power! The power of a Sage!¡± One of the multitude of snakes begins to quickly slither toward Jin, sage chakra emanates strongly from it. Once close enough, the reptile opens its mouth and spews out Kabuto; the bookworm rears his arm back for one mighty punch. That¡¯s i¨C!? Suddenly put on edge, Jin summons a rib cage to protect himself. Just before making contact with Jin¡¯s susanoo, dark chakra emerges from Kabuto and coats him in black chakra which takes the appearance of flickering flames. His hair grows wilder and much longer. Kabuto¡¯s fist connects, breaking through the susanoo and punching Jin in the stomach. The force is so great, Jin coughs up blood as he is sent flying through a stalagmite and into the cave wall. Sasuke is stunned by what just happened. ¡°What was that? What have you done to yourself, Kabuto?!¡± ¡°I did what Lord Orochimaru could not, I have become a perfect sage.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ Th-That¡­ That doesn¡¯t explain how you broke through my susanoo¡­¡± A wincing Jin groans, landing clumsily on the ground. I think he crushed some organs¡­! If I didn¡¯t have a healing factor, I¡¯d sure as hell be dead right now¡­ ¡°You surprise me Jin, didn¡¯t you fight him just the other day?¡± Kabuto sneers. Huh¡­? Fight who rec--Aww fuck¡­ ¡°Thank you, Jin for retrieving the Body Activation jutsu; I was able to improve upon it. And with the residue from Shinno¡¯s corpse, I was able to acquire the power of dark chakra.¡± An ecstatic Kabuto explains. ¡°I am the closest thing on Earth to being the Sage of Six Paths! I am the ultimate being, THE PERFECT LIFEFORM!!¡± The snake sage proceeds to build up his chakra, the ground shakes and a few stalactites fall as he powers himself up. ¡°Sage Art: White Extreme Attack!!¡± Side Chapter 6 For what feels like an eternity, Ayanami finds herself sitting atop a board placed on a stone spire; she is learning to channel nature energy without the use of toad oil. Naruto sits on another board and spire with two shadow clones next to him. The elder toad, Fukasaku oversees their training. Through rain, sleet, and snow, they continue to tune in with nature, only stopping to eat or sleep. When one fell, Fukasaku would catch them with his long prehensile tongue, when one began to mutate, the toad sage would beat them with a stick; they would continue this for some time until¡­ They¡¯re rapidly amassing nature energy¡­ Fukasaku¡¯s eyes widen for a moment and then he smiles. The toad sage can sense the natural energy flowing into the bodies and mixing with their own chakra. Orange pigmentation appears around each of their eyes, forming rings; Ayanami and Naruto¡¯s eyes open revealing that they both have yellow irises and toad-like pupils. Unbelievable! They¡¯re both on their way to surpassing Jiraiya-boy--and that Ayanami-girl¡­ She doesn¡¯t possess the same massive chakra reserves as Naruto, but was still able to keep up purely due to her level of chakra control. So this is the power of a sage? Amazing¡­ An astonished Ayanami assesses her body. I feel like I can do all sorts of things! As she makes a fist, she feels that her body is different, stronger. She can¡¯t help but smile. ¡°Wow, this is insane!¡± Naruto shouts in victory. ¡°Now that you¡¯ve both mastered sage mode and nature energy, it¡¯s time for the final step.¡± ¡°There¡¯s one final step? We¡¯re not done yet?¡± Naruto asks. Ayanami raises her hand. ¡°I can handle anything you throw at me, Lord Fukasaku. Just tell me the details of this final step already.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a type of sparring sages perform, using sage chakra.¡± The toad sage punches the air. ¡°Now I shall teach you to use frog kumite to spar with frogs.¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As the sun begins to set, Ayanami finds herself on one knee, exhausted and sweaty; all of her muscles burn and she loses her sage mode. It takes everything she has just to stand up straight. Naruto has been embedded into a spire due to one last punch from Fukasaku. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. ¡°Let¡¯s call it a day. I can go on, however you two are starting to get the hang of it I¡¯m glad to say.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Naruto gives a salute. I wonder¡­ If sage mode enhances everything I already have, how much stronger would my Byakugan and the lightning jutsu I learned from Kakashi become? Or even my gentle fist?! The Hyuga kunoichi ponders as she helps Naruto out of the spire. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Later that very same night, Ayanami snuck out for some secret late night training. She stands on a lake; lightning chakra is being channeled through both of her hands. ¡°It¡¯s getting better, but it¡¯s still not at the level I want it to be.¡± The young Hyuga evaluates her progress. In the aftermath of Ayanami¡¯s jutsu, the lake is left in a state of boiling; the bubbling water emits steam with an electrical discharge in the form of flickering sparks. The steam begins to turn into fog and blankets the whole lake. A determined Ayanami infuses more chakra. Shoot for the moon. Even if I miss, I¡¯ll land among the stars¡­ Ayanami¡¯s focus is interrupted as an intense, bright light and the sound of an explosion goes off in the distance. The explosion of chakra reminds her of the jutsu Naruto used on the late Akatsuki member, Kakuzu. However, the explosion is different, stronger, it¡¯s brimming with sage chakra. Ayanami detects sage chakra coming from Naruto¡¯s new jutsu. With renewed vigor, the kunoichi resumes her own training, she builds up chakra with lightning being emitted from her hands. The images of Naruto, Sasuke, and Jin appear in her mind, but Ayanami quickly puts these thoughts to rest, shaking her head. Remember what Roshi taught Goku. There¡¯ll always be someone stronger than you, focus on improving yourself¡­ The leaf kunoichi builds up more and more lightning chakra. ¡°Sage Art Lightning Style¡­!¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sometime later, the sky is covered in clouds and the village that these clouds blanket has been attacked with smoke and fire coming from multiple buildings. Many shinobi and civilians are either dead or severely injured; most of the able-bodied ninja are engaged in a desperate struggle to protect their village. Multiple giant animals rampage through the village, destroying any building they run through and crush any resistance under foot. All the animals have a number of large piercings all over their bodies and they have purple eyes with concentric circles covering the eyeballs. Watching the chaos unfold from the sky, a man hovers in the air with his arms outstretched. The man has short, spiky, orange hair and the same eyes as the giant animals on a rampage. His face has six piercings, a metal bar through each ear, three studs through the side side of his upper nose, and one spike stud on each end of the bottom lip. The man wears a black cloak with a red cloud pattern. The man stares down at the village with no telling expression while infusing massive amounts of chakra, all the giant animals disappear in a puff of smoke. The Fifth Hokage, Tsunade and her anbu bodyguards watch the man float ever higher with a mix of tense anxiety and curiosity from the Hokage¡¯s mansion. ¡°Now this world shall know pain. Almighty Push!¡± Chapter 57 Knowing full well what is about to happen, Jin quickly shuts his eyes and activates sage mode; his body liquifies while retaining his humanoid shape. He waits anxiously for the moment to strike. After performing the necessary hand signs, Kabuto expels a dragon-like entity from his mouth that carries an orb in its left front claw. The entity soars through the damp cave air toward Sasuke and Itachi. When it gets close enough, it rapidly coils around the orb like a snake; it emits both a blinding light and deafening sound. The two brothers are blinded, deafened, and paralyzed. Unencumbered by his own jutsu, an elated Kabuto runs through the light to his intended target. There he goes! Please make it in time! Jin charges to intercept his adversary. As Kabuto nears Sasuke, he opens his mouth wide and lunges for the younger Uchiha brother. However, Jin is able to blitz between the two of them and knock Kabuto back with his susanoo. The snake sage recovers while in mid air and lands on the ceiling; the light from Kabuto¡¯s jutsu dissipates, allowing for Sasuke and Itachi to quickly recover. ¡°You¡¯re not the only one who trained under the Great Snake Sage. Like I told you¡­ I¡¯m your worst nightmare!¡± Jin coldly glares up at his opponent. Kabuto looks down on Jin with a smirk. ¡°You and I are so much alike Jin¡­ why do you side with them over me? Come to my side and I¡¯ll grant you more power than you could ever imagine.¡± From both his hands, Jin produces two black receivers the same length as wrenches and infuses chakra into them; one becomes a Vacuum Blade while the other becomes a Flame Sword. Jin takes a defensive stance as he dual wields. ¡°We¡¯re both bookworms that¡¯ve stolen power from others, but that¡¯s where the similarities end. I know who I am. Besides¡­ you¡¯re a better spy than Itachi, that makes you a better liar.¡± ¡°I was sure you¡¯d refuse, but I thought I¡¯d ask anyway¡­ Summoning Jutsu: Reanimation!¡± Itachi, Sasuke, and Jin all throw fire jutsu at Kabuto, but the newest snake sage is undeterred. Kabuto leaps back down the floor while avoiding each and everyone of the group¡¯s fire style jutsu, as Kabuto lands he slams his hands onto the ground. Seconds later, eight coffins ominously erupt from the ground. Jin feels his heart begin to race as the lids all fall to the ground, Itachi and Sasuke brace themselves for a battle of attrition. The figures all step out of their coffins with their faces being revealed by the dimly lit cave. Realizing who Kabuto reanimated, a now taken aback Jin¡¯s eyes widen and he relaxes; his lips squirm as he tries to not laugh. ¡°Pfft--heh heh heh heh¡­ Aha ha ha ha ha!¡± One of reanimations stares coldly at Jin with a sinister smile. ¡°I remember¡­ You¡¯re the brat that ruined my plans and killed me. I¡¯m going to enjoy this.¡± The one who spoke up first is a man, a ghost from Jin¡¯s past. He is a humanoid monster with light-gray skin, light-red eye sclera, dark-black slanted pupils, and long unkempt spiky white hair with two long even strands of hair on each side of his face. He has thin blank white eyebrows, a medium built six-pack, and four light-red floating orbs behind his back. Jin remembers he is the movie villain known as Haido. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. The three women at Haido¡¯s side were his loyal knights; like Haido, the stone of gelel gave each girl a monstrous appearance and incredible power. Fugai wears blue armor and has the appearance of a werewolf; Kamira wears turquoise armor and appearance of a vampire with blue-green bat wings for arms; last but not least is Ranke who wears purple armor and has the appearance of a hulking, grotesque, Frankenstein-like monster. Not paying attention to the new arrival¡¯s threats, Jin¡¯s right eye twitches as his squirming lips slowly contort into the biggest smile he¡¯s had in years; both of his eyes begin to water. ¡°BWA HAHAHAHA!¡± Jin burst out laughing, his cackling is like that of a hyena¡¯s. ¡°GET BENT, HAIDO--AHA HA HAHA!!¡± Jin¡¯s guffaw is loud and boisterous, it fills the cave to the point where all his enemies and even his own allies find it obnoxious and annoying. The reanimation who made the initial threat seethes with pure anger and hatred, he begins to pace back and forth. Tears run down Jin''s face as he falls to the ground, clutching his sides; Jin kicks the air as his laughter continues to echo throughout the cave. ¡°AH HA HAHAHA HAHA!!!¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t let your guard down in battle.¡± Sasuke orders. ¡°Heh heh heh! Oh, man--it¡¯s been a minute since I¡¯ve laughed that hard. Thank you, Kabuto, I needed that.¡± Itachi asks, ¡°And just what¡¯s so amusing? How about you share with the rest of the group?¡± ¡°These people Kabuto brought back--they¡¯re so weak! Haw!!¡± As Jin gets back to his feet he gleefully slaps his knee. ¡°The four to our left? They¡¯re warmongering foreigners that I killed a month after I first went rogue. And the four to the right were radicals that tried to destroy the Leaf Village with the Limelight jutsu; they were defeated and killed by Naruto and Asuma.¡± ¡°Radicals? I think you mean patriots.¡± One of the reanimations speaks up. The reanimation is a tall man of tanned complexion. He wears a purple qipao-like garment that is lined with yellow, blue, and gray and straw sandals. His hair is white and long while worn out in texture, he also has a pale long scar stretching diagonally across his face. ¡°No, Kazuma--you and your motley crew were domestic terrorists.¡± Jin casually counters. ¡°None of them are any real threat to us, Kabuto is probably going to use them as human shields.¡± ¡°Strong or weak, it makes no difference. They¡¯re still in our way.¡± Itachi retorts. Sasuke steps forward, taking the lead. The younger brother proceeds to unzip his shirt at both Jin and Itachi¡¯s sudden dismay and confusion. ¡°Sasuke? ¡­What are you doing?¡± Ignoring Jin¡¯s query, Sasuke tucks his shirt into his blue cloth that covers him from his stomach to his knees. His body surges with gelel energy and changes, taking an appearance all too familiar to Jin. His skin turns dark-gray, his hair lengthens and turns light-gray, his sclera turn black, and he grows webbed claw-shaped wings from his back. ¡°Didn¡¯t I remove your curse mark?¡± ¡°You did.¡± Sasuke¡¯s response is curt. OH, the gelel stone I gave Sasuke¡­ it grants a monstrous transformation--which for Sasuke is his curse mark form. Jin internally gives an educated guess as he takes a fighting stance. Wait--doesn¡¯t mean Sasuke might win when he fights Naruto again? ¡°Jin, Sasuke and I will face Kabuto. Can you keep these eight from interfering¡± ¡°You got it, Itachi!¡± Jin gives a cocky and confident smile. Both sides stare each other down, the tension has become so thick that it could crush someone to death. The Uchiha brothers with their Sharingan and Jin with his sensory abilities detect that the reanimations are surging with dark chakra, growing stronger by the second. Still confident, Jin¡¯s smile changes from cocky to sinister. ¡°This is gonna be¡­ delightful.¡± Chapter 58 ¡°I remember now¡­ you¡¯re the wretch that killed me!¡± An enraged Fugai howls as she races toward Jin. ¡°I¡¯M GONNA TEAR YOU LIMB FROM LIMB!!!¡± Kamira transforms into a bat-like monster and flies after her teammate. ¡°I get first crack at him! He crushed my arms and legs.¡± Two of Haido¡¯s knights quickly charge at Jin in a pincer attack, but Jin out-maneuvers them both and appears behind Fugai in the blink of an eye. Still smiling, the young Uzumaki grabs the werewolf tightly by the legs. ¡°Let me borrow this.¡± Jin twirls the reanimated Fugai around, he is the ribbon dancer and she is the ribbon. Jin¡¯s movements are so fast and powerful that Fugai is rendered helpless; if the she-wolf were still alive, her neck would be breaking due to the whiplash effect many times over even with her gelel stone. As Kamira swoops down from above, the young Uzumaki holds Fugai aloft and then quickly brings her down with great force. The she-wolf is used as a makeshift melee weapon to bludgeon the vampiric-knight into the ground, a small seismic event is created where Kamira lands. Jin begins to repeatedly bash the bat with the wolf, he holds back just enough so that the cave doesn¡¯t cave in. The crater Kamira is in gets deeper with each blow. You will be shown how I''ve become indestructible¡­! Jin sings in his head as he beats down his undead opponents. ¡­Take a last look around while you''re alive, I''m an indestructible master of war~!! ¡°There¡¯s no metal in this cave, you punk!¡± Ranke shouts as she generates electricity in her hands. ¡°Tornado Lightning!!¡± The hulking, reanimated woman wields the lightning as if it were a whip, tearing up the ground with each lash. Easily deciphering the Frankenstein-woman¡¯s attack pattern, Jin casually impales Kamira with a black rod and throws Fugai through the lightning whip and into Ranke; the force of Jin¡¯s throw sends both girls crashing into the wall. ¡°Uuggghh¡­ Wh--?!¡±As Ranke slowly comes to, she¡¯s shocked to her core. Jin towers over her, boredom with a hint of annoyance is written all over his face. He creates another black receiver and idly twiddles it in his hands. The knight is completely horrified by the colossal gap in his and her power. ¡°...How? HOW ARE YOU THIS--HRNK!¡± Haido¡¯s knight¡¯s bellowing is interrupted as she and her colleague are both run through by Jin¡¯s black rod. They are stronger, but they¡¯re skill and techniques are the same as when I first fought them¡­ Jin internally gauges their battle power. I¡¯m fairly certain that Sasuke at the start of Shippuden could crush each of them with half of his power. If only these girls weren''t monsters inside and out, I would''ve asked out any one of them¡­ If only I had some glass bottles with me--oh, well¡­ With an eerie smile, Jin turns his attention to the knights¡¯ leader. ¡°Oh, Haido. Come out to play-ayyy!¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- While Jin is dealing with the reanimations, Sasuke, Itachi, and Kabuto take their fight to another section of the cave so that no one will interfere. Itachi runs toward the snake sage with Sasuke¡¯s sword in-hand. ¡°...this jutsu is ¡®IZANAMI!¡¯¡± The reanimated Uchiha shouts as he clashes with Kabuto. Sparks fly off from the point of impact between Sasuke¡¯s blade and Kabuto¡¯s chakra scalpels. The clash ends as both ninjas force each other back, Itachi lands right beside his younger brother. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°The Izanagi changes fate while the Izanami decides fate. Sasuke, stay close to me.¡± Itachi tosses back Sasuke¡¯s sword. Kabuto weaves a sign. ¡°I confess that I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re up to, but whatever it is--nothing will work against me. Seems you still don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re dealing with, Sage Art: Inorganic Reanimation!¡± The ground, the walls, and the ceiling all begin to move with the fluidity of water, it moves like ocean waves. Suddenly all the stalagmites and stalactites point towards the two brothers and swiftly strike at them like snakes. As the mounds of rock get closer, Sasuke leaps into the air and summons his susanoo. A curse mark pattern forms on the ethereal, purple avatar as it forms. Sasuke¡¯s susanoo holds aloft its sword and performs a 360 degree spin as it swings it; the stalagmites and stalactites all shatter, sending dust and debris in all directions. The strength from the Eternal Mangekyo and this ¡®gelel stone¡¯ are almost overwhelming¡­ Sasuke stoically revels in his newly acquired abilities. I can accomplish anything with this power¡­! Because Kabuto is actively blinding himself with his brille to shield himself from the Uchiha brothers¡¯ ocular genjutsu, he can¡¯t see Sasuke maneuvering through the air behind him. Sasuke throws his sword like a lance to spear the medical ninja. The spy easily catches the blade; Kabuto¡¯s snake holds the sword in its mouth, Sasuke feels as if he¡¯s being taunted. ¡°Rrgh¡­¡± Sasuke grunts. The snake sage smugly waves his finger. ¡°My sensory abilities are superior to what they were.¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°I-If only¡­ If only you didn¡¯t get in my way¡­¡± A helpless Haido mutters on the ground. ¡°If only you didn¡¯t exist¡­ I WOULD HAVE CONQUERED THIS WORLD BY NOW!!!¡± The would-be despot is lying on his stomach weak and powerless at Jin¡¯s feet, five black rods protruding from Haido¡¯s back. His fingers move, his legs move, his entire body twitches as if he is trying to break free. Jin impales the tyrant with another rod for good measure. ¡°Too bad for you I am here!¡± ¡°Earth Style: Earth Hold.¡± All the earth in Jin¡¯s immediate vicinity morphs into two thick walls and rise from the ground. They sandwich Jin, trapping him in between them tightly. ¡°Wind Style: Spiraling Wind Ball.¡± A volley of small, whirlwind-like balls are hurtling toward the Onikage at the speed of lightning. They smash into the entrapped Jin in rapid succession, causing a smokescreen. ¡°Well that was easy.¡± The largest of the remaining reanimations boasts. ¡°Fudo, don¡¯t gloat, all you did was trap him in rocks--*I* was the one that made the killing blow.¡± ¡°Fudo, Fuka, enough fighting--Fuen, check the body.¡± Kazuma orders his team. The kunoichi walks toward where Jin was, the dust clears to see a red-headed boy sprawled on the ground. He stares blankly at the ceiling with glazed eyes; Fuen cautiously kneels down and checks his pulse, she reaches for his neck and feels nothing. ¡°It¡¯s over, he''s de--?!¡± The reanimated kunoichi is shocked as the body disappears in a puff of smoke. ¡°How cute. The little terrorists want to play.¡± A cute yet condescending voice echoes from behind. All four reanimations turn around to see that Jin is standing several yards behind them in a jovial manner, he wears a look of amusement as he twirls a black rod between his fingers; he casually paces back and forth. Jin¡¯s sunny demeanor puts the four remaining reanimations on edge. With dark chakra, these four are all comparable to Tenchi Bridge Orochimaru¡­ Jin stops pacing and with his black receiver, points at the kneeling reanimation. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t kneel there if I were you.¡± After hearing the young Uzumaki¡¯s words, Fuen feels something grab hold of her; the undead kunoichi looks down and sees a pair of hands growing out of the ground. The hands¡¯ grip suddenly grows tighter and begins to pull her down. ¡°AAIEEE!¡± Fuen screams as she¡¯s dragged into the ground. Chapter 59 I could really go for a turkey and pumpkin pie right about now¡­ Feigning excitement, Jin¡¯s thoughts begin to wander. This is most likely my last easy fight for the time being, I should be enjoying it¡­ but I don¡¯t find these filler villains interesting at all. They don¡¯t even have any jutsu worth copying. The three remaining reanimations are still flabbergasted that one of their comrades, they slowly return their attention to Jin. The young man¡¯s playful expression makes them all scowl with a frenzy of rage. They all spread out as they take fighting stances, infusing their chakra. ¡°I¡¯d say that this little scrap has been fun, but that would be a lie. I¡¯m just going to finish this up and go help Sasuke and Itachi.¡± ¡°You annoying, little punk, I¡¯ve had enough of your insolence!¡± Fudo growls, baring his fangs. The rock and earth at the reanimated radical¡¯s feet begins to run up his legs like water, clinging to his body; the rock covers Fudo¡¯s entire body and morphs into a defensive hard shell. Seeing this, Jin trembles, cowering in fear. The young man raises his hands to cover his face as he looks away. ¡°OH, NO!! It¡¯s my one weakness¡­ rock armor¡­!¡± Jin¡¯s voice is stricken with panic. ¡°Ha ha ha ha! That¡¯s the look I want to see¡­ now DIE!!!¡± Fudo leaps into the air, lunging straight for Jin. As the reanimated ninja gets closer, yellow chakra surrounds the young Uzumaki¡¯s body in the form of a ribcage, it¡¯s Jin¡¯s susanoo. The ribcage grows a right arm in an instant and punches Fudo with enough force to completely shatter all the bones in a living person¡¯s body; Fudo¡¯s eyes bulge from the impact. The reanimated shinobi is sent flying across the cave and into a wall, cracks form and spread across the entire wall. The entire section of the wall where Fudo crashed collapses mere moments later, kicking up dust. Jin just nods and chuckles at his handiwork. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s so simple. Heh heh heh¡­¡± A desperate Fuka weaves hand signs. ¡°Water Style: Mouth of the Serpent!¡± A spinning column of water generates near the undead kunoichi which takes the form of a snake with a gaping jaw. Rushes toward Jin at high speeds, but is casually swatted away by his susanoo. Nonchalantly, Jin turns his attention to the reanimation and asks, ¡°Hey, zombie-girl¡­¡± ¡°My name¡¯s Fuka.¡± The reanimated kunoichi corrects. ¡°Whatever--you like to absorb chakra, right?¡± ¡°How do yo--Hrk?!¡± A now shocked Fuka is interrupted as Jin appears right before her in the blink of an eye, he grabs the kunoichi by the neck and lifts her into the air. He forcefully injects her with his own chakra, moments pass before Jin sees his desired result come to fruition. ¡°W-Wha--EEEYYAAAAAAARGH!!!¡± Fuka shrieks in horror as she realizes what is happening to her. The reanimated kunoichi¡¯s skin turns pale white, growing scales all over her entire body in the process. Her hair grows spikier and her mouth grows longer; her teeth become sharper, her canines morph into two large venomous fangs. As Fuka¡¯s pupils become slits, her neck grows longer. The kunoichi¡¯s clothes fall off of her body as it changes, it grows larger and longer while her arms and legs slowly decrease in size. Jin releases his grip, taking a few steps back; the Onikage prepares to thrust his black rod into the beast. The reanimated kunoichi clumsily lashes back and forth, her arms and legs twitch as she loses complete use of them. Fuka awkwardly falls to the ground in a spasm, coiling her body in fear, pain, and disgust; she stares back at Jin who towers over her. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°W-What have you done?! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY BEAUTIFUL BODY??!!!¡± ¡°I removed you from the equation.¡± Jin declares as he stabs her with his black receiver. As the female snake monster is rendered inert, Jin creates another receiver; he throws it at Fudo who is just now pulling himself out of the collapsed wall, impaling him to a large piece of debris. Now growing impatient, Jin turns his attention towards the last remaining reanimation standing. ¡°I have a question for you, Kazuma: get down or lay down, What¡¯s it going to be?¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°...it¡¯s no use. Tayuya: Demon Flute: Chains of Fantasia!¡± The flesh just above Kabuto¡¯s snake forms into a mindless clone of the late Sound Ninja Four member; using Kimimaro''s Shikotsumyaku, Kabuto grows a makeshift flute made entirely of bone. The Tayuya clone takes the flute and plays an ominous melody. Upon hearing the music, Sasuke and Itachi envision themselves on a vast floor of skulls, from which emerge snakes that coil around their arms and torso, binding them. Their susanoo dissipate, leaving them defenseless. ¡°Even your precious susanoo can¡¯t block out sound, can it?¡± Kabuto heckles. ¡°I knew it. Now that I¡¯ve immobilized you, all that¡¯s left is¡­¡± The snake sage¡¯s tone is triumphant as he casually walks toward them, Tayuya morphs into a grinning Orochimaru. The mindless Orochimaru clone changes to its true form, a monstrous, giant snake, composed of many smaller snakes. ¡°...To absorb you, using Lord Orochimaru! Well, Sasuke--how about it? Do you remember this, do you recognize this current form of mine?!¡± Feeling a mix of shock and disgust, Sasuke thinks back to his rebellion against the Sound Village leader and his former teacher. ¡°As you see--I possess Lord Orochimaru inside of me. I really can¡¯t thank you and Jin enough, Sasuke.¡± ¡°Kabuto, you are not Orochimaru. It¡¯s fine to imitate someone you respect, but don¡¯t remake yourself into him to that extent.¡± Itachi tries to reason with him. Kabuto pauses for a brief moment then argues, ¡°You do realize a majority of people start out by mimicking another person they admire, don¡¯t you? Just like the way Sasuke emulated you.¡± ¡°Such behavior is just a process to help one mature¡­ Don¡¯t use it as a cloak to deceive yourself like you¡¯ve done.¡± Itachi responds. ¡°If you¡¯ve attached your self-worth to something external to you--even something admirable and praiseworthy, then you gain nothing. I¡¯ll say this one last time: don¡¯t mislead yourself with lies, those who cannot acknowledge themselves will fail.¡± ¡°Fail? The way I am now? HOW COULD I FAIL!!¡± Kabuto has the Orochimaru clone strike. As the snake monster¡¯s head darts toward the brothers at blinding speed, Itachi and Sasuke quickly look each other in the eye. ¡°Genjutsu: Sharingan!¡± ¡°Tsukuyomi!¡± The Uchiha brothers immediately break each other free of Kabuto¡¯s genjutsu and just as they reactivate their susanoo, the Orochimaru snake is impaled against the ground by a golden yellow sword, the snake head hits the ground with a loud thud; cracks form on the ground underneath the Orochimaru clone¡¯s head. The sword was thrown from the direction of where the three ninja were previously. A familiar face with red-hair steps out of the shadow¡¯s with a yellow ribcage surrounding his body. He stares at Itachi and Sasuke with a look of shock and confusion painted all over his face. ¡°You still haven¡¯t beaten him yet? What the hell, guys?¡± Kabuto sheds a single tear and subsequently collapses in defeat. Itachi returns his attention to Kabuto and weaves a sign while his susanoo vanishes. ¡°As I have said, I can read your movements. Now I¡¯ll begin Izanami.¡± ¡°Is it over?¡± Sasuke asks in a cooler tone. The snake¡¯s head twitches only for Kabuto to slip out of its mouth and run through the reanimated Akatsuki member, bisecting him with a sword. The sword itself is most unusual as it glows yellow with pure electrical energy, it even produces the same sound that reminds Jin of a certain popular sci-fi movie franchise. The blade¡¯s hilt resembles a Vajra, informing Itachi, Jin, and Sasuke of the sword¡¯s origins. ¡°...And I told YOU that everything was under my control! You¡¯re no exception!!¡± Kabuto readies himself, preparing to strike at Itachi again with the sword made of lightning. Side Chapter 7 In the aftermath of Pain¡¯s jutsu, the Village Hidden in The Leaves has been reduced to a massive crater with several layers of depth, dust covers the entire area, creating a haze; the hollow''s perimeter is covered in debris and wreckage that once were the many houses and buildings that comprised the village. There is complete silence, nothing can be heard aside from the wind blowing and the shifting of the rubble. Tsunade¡¯s personal summoning, Lady Katsuyu, is the sole reason there are any survivors. Within the dust cloud, the elder toad, Shima, is hopping urgently towards the very epicenter of the blast; as the toad gets closer, the ground gradually slopes downward. Upon reaching the edge of the innermost layer of the crater, Shima stops in her tracks and weaves the hand signs, Boar, Dog, Bird, Monkey, and Ram. ¡°Summoning Jutsu!¡± The toad shouts, pressing her right hand on the ground. A jutsu formula appears under Shima¡¯s hands and briefly spreads before erupting into a giant cloud of white smoke that creates a gust of wind, blowing away a portion of the dust cloud leftover from Pain¡¯s attack. The smoke slowly and dramatically fades away to reveal three giant toads, Gamabunta, Gamahiro, and Gamaken; all three toads are brandishing their weapons, prepared for a fight. On top of Gamabunta¡¯s head is his son, Gamakichi with his arms folded and standing on Gamakichi¡¯s head is Naruto who is also crossing his arms with a steadfast expression on his face. Boldly standing atop Gamahiro¡¯s head is Ayanami, she has her hands resting on her hips; Naruto and Ayanami both have orange pigmentation around their eyes and yellow irises with toad-like pupils. Hmm? Where are w--wait a minute. Growing confused Ayanami activates her Byakugan. The veins around the young Hyuga¡¯s eyes bulge and her irises enlarge, but remain yellow due to sage mode and her pupils become more distinct. Due to the vast power increase granted by sage mode, the range of Ayanami¡¯s near-360¡ã penetrative field of vision has increased tenfold. The increased eyesight causes a sudden and intense sensory overload; Ayanami hunches, clutching her eyes in pain. She quickly focuses the scope of her vision to the surrounding area; the realization of where they¡¯ve been summoned to is devastating, Ayanami is shocked to her very core. The sight of her home destroyed and her friends and family either dead or severely injured caused the kunoichi great pain, unspeakable pain. Her pain and sadness immediately vanish when she notices a person hidden among the dust directly in front of her group, a man wearing a black cloak with red cloud patterns; Ayanami¡¯s brain lurched, rage curdling inside her. With pure hate and vengeance taking root in her heart, the young Hyuga balls her shaking hands into fists. ¡°Wait, I don¡¯t get it¡­ where are we?¡± Naruto asks, looking around in confusion. Also perplexed, Gamabunta asks, ¡°Where¡¯s the enemy we¡¯re supposed to face?¡± Shima jumps up Gamabunta landing on top of his head and right in front of her husband, Fukasaku. ¡°What¡¯s goin¡¯ on, Ma? Why didn¡¯t you summon us to¨C¡± ¡°This IS the Leaf.¡± Ayanami growls. ¡°What do ya mean?¡¯ Gamakichi asks. Shima answers with, ¡°Just look around.¡± Through the haze, Naruto makes out the Hokage Rock, the mountain overlooking the Leaf Village with all the faces of the Hokage carved into the stone. Just at the feet of the mountain lies debris and building wreckage. ¡°It¡¯s obvious to me who did all this¡­¡± Shima exclaims. ¡°Pain.¡± Blood slowly drips from Ayanami¡¯s fists. As Naruto grits his teeth in anger, the Akatsuki member steps out of the haze and into a more visible patch of land; He coldly looks up at Naruto with dead eyes. ¡°Good, now I don¡¯t have to hunt you down.¡± His voice is just as cold as his stare. Something comes flying into the area, Ayanami sees that it is another Akatsuki member with the same eyes and hair color as the man in front of her group. The enemy kunoichi performs a summoning jutsu of her own, four more Akatsuki appear in a puff of smoke; they too have the same hair color and eyes. The five land right in front of Pain, taking a defensive formation. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. The Fifth Hokage, Lady Tsunade suddenly appears, breathing heavily and takes a fighting stance. Naruto and Ayanami both notice her injuries and sense that her chakra reserves are low. Several anbu come to her side, to aid and protect her in any way they can. ¡°Huff¡­ Huff¡­ Huff¡­ How dare you trample on the jewel, the dreams of my predecessors¡­? I won¡¯t forgive you?! I¡¯ll settle this now as HOKAGE!!!¡± ¡°It appears you understand a little about pain. However¡­ I have no need for you right now.¡± With a stoic tone, Pain coldly dismisses her. One of the Pain bodies quickly rushes at Tsunade with blades coming out of his right arm, but Ayanami immediately intercepts him and strikes a chakra point to stop his heart. However, something unexpected happens; upon hitting her intended chakra point, the Asura Path¡¯s insides come blasting out of his back, leaving a sizable hole in his torso. The ground is now littered with chunks of metal and machinery. The scene does shock Ayanami, but then she quickly composes herself. Thanks to sage mode and Guy-sensei¡¯s training, I¡¯m much faster than I ever was¡­ With a cold tone, Ayanami utters, ¡°You¡¯re hurt and exhausted, get going. We¡¯ll deal with Pain¡­ permanently.¡± Naruto and the two elder toads leap down to Ayanami¡¯s side, declaring, ¡°Let¡¯s settle this!¡± Both sides stare each other down, the tension is spiking. As the Paths of Pain take a more strategic formation, Gamakichi leaps down and uses his long, prehensile tongue to pick up Tsunade. ¡°Here, please take Katsuyu¡­ She¡¯ll come in handy, she has intel on all of the Pains.¡± Tsunade hands Naruto a small slug clone. ¡°Granny¡­ N-Now that I¡¯ve mastered nature energy, I¡¯m able to sense everybody¡¯s chakra¡­ Is Kakashi-sensei away on a mission?¡± Tsunade says nothing, but Ayanami can see a wailing Choji holding Kakashi¡¯s lifeless body; this only makes the flames in the kunoichi¡¯s heart burn brighter, hotter. ¡°I see.¡± As soon as Gamakichi leaps away, the Animal Path breaks the stalemate by summoning a giant rhino; the beast charges at Naruto with full force, but the new sage catches the rhino with his newly acquired might. Naruto forces the rhino to slow down, it slows down until it¡¯s stopped in its tracks. Naruto takes the opportunity to throw the giant rhino high into the air. The Animal Path summons a giant dog and ox, the two summons begin to stampede. ¡°¡±Let¡¯s go--Sage Art: Frog Song!¡±¡± Fukasaku and Shima leap into the air, focusing nature energy to their throats; they croak in unison, releasing large, loud, and immensely powerful sound waves. The dog and Ox paralyzed by the sound attack. Naruto runs past the summons to engage the Preta Path, leaving Ayanami to deal with the beast. She creates a shadow clone and both run until they''re directly underneath each animal, both kunoichi launch a high-speed palm thrust. ¡°Sage Art: Eight Trigrams Air Palm!¡± The summons are blasted by a shell of precise and compressed shockwaves and sage chakra, sending them into the air with the giant rhino. Gamabunta, Gamahiro, and Gamaken all jump into the air, taking advantage of the situation and proceed to beat the summons into submission. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Naruto weaves a sign. ¡°...Shadow Clone Jutsu!¡± ¡°I see, so you¡¯ve become a sage¡­ and mastered the same jutsu as Jiraiya-sensei.¡± Tendo Pain begins to converse. ¡°Jiraiya¡­? Y-You called him ¡®sensei¡¯?¡± ¡°I also learned from Jiraiya, he was my master as well¡­ that makes us sibling-students. Sharing the same sensei, we ought to be able to understand each other. Our master desired peace.¡± ¡°JUST SHUT THE HELL UP ALREADY!!!¡± Naruto roars as he and his clones prepare the jutsu. ¡°Everything you¡¯ve done here¡­ all this destruction¡­ what part of all that is peaceful?!!¡± Pain remains cold and stoic. ¡°You simply cannot see the forest through the trees, you¡¯re not able to comprehend the true meaning of peace or what I¡¯m trying to accomplish. Just let yourself be captured, surrender and your death will lead to peace.¡± ¡°I said SHUT THE HELL UP!¡± In a frenzy of rage, Naruto throws the Rasenshuriken, the jutsu flies at the enemy group with tremendous speed. Tendo and the Naraka Path quickly jump out of the way, evading it. The Animal Path however, can¡¯t and has to be pulled out of the way by the Human Path. The Rasenshuriken instantly expands, shredding the Human Path to oblivion. While in midair, the Animal Path notices a bright light headed right for her, she turns to see a hound running towards her; the hound is composed entirely of lightning chakra. The hound bites down and detonates in a brilliant fashion. The lightning dissipates as soon as it appears, leaving behind only smoke and a charred hand. A surprise Naruto looks back to see Ayanami walking forward while holding her right hand, residual sparks of electricity come off of it. She can see her squad, Team 3, by the village gate, Mikasa is desperately attempting to resuscitate Byakuya. ¡°So you¡¯re a terrorist and a hypocrite¡­?¡± Ayanami¡¯s voice is cold and venomous. ¡°You won¡¯t hurt anyone ever again¡­ I¡¯ll be dancing on your ashes before the end of the day.¡± Chapter 60 ¡°You¡¯re no exception!!¡± An irritated Kabuto prepares to thrust the lightning sword into Itachi. Isn¡¯t that Tobirama¡¯s--wait, no time to dwell on it. Jin readies his susanoo in a panic. ¡°Sasuke!¡± ¡°Yeah, I know!¡± Sasuke winds his arm back and quickly throws his sword like a javelin, it swiftly pierces through the air only to be caught in the mouth of Kabuto¡¯s snake. Kabuto is forced to stop mid-thrust as due to Jin¡¯s susanoo reaching for him, the snake quickly leaps onto the ceiling; the lightning sword¡¯s light illuminates the cave. Jin¡¯s susanoo slams against the ground, kicking up a dust cloud. Kabuto crouches down on the cave ceiling, waiting for his adversaries¡¯ next move. Jin immediately bursts out of the smokescreen with a flock of crows following close behind. The young man launches himself at Kabuto in an attempt to spear him with a black receiver; Kabuto evades by quickly pivoting to the side and kicks Jin back down to the floor, the crows quickly swarm and peck at the snake sage. The crows annoy Kabuto to the point that he drops Sasuke¡¯s sword; appearing out of the crows, Itachi grabs his brother¡¯s blade and swings it at Kabuto. The medic ninja quickly dodges the strike, but one of his horns is cut off, both ninja drop to the ground. Itachi calmly stands up straight with his back turned. ¡°Your fate was already in my hands. Thanks to the forbidden jutsu of the Uchiha¡­¡± Grinning with bare fangs, Kabuto rushes to Itachi with the lightning sword; as he gets closer he prepares to swing. Itachi and Kabuto both swing at each other, forcing each other into a struggle. ¡°IZANAMI!!¡± Kabuto easily breaks the struggle by kicking Itachi away, but the reanimated Uchiha quickly recovers in mid-air and lands on the cold, hard cave floor gracefully. Jin and Sasuke appear on either side, ready to engage in the next round. ¡°Sasuke, Jin, stay close to me.¡± ¡°Well, well. D¨¦j¨¤ vu. I¡¯m sick of it already.¡± Kabuto shouts as he dashes toward them. Itachi runs at Kabuto while swinging his brother''s sword. However, Kabuto sees an opening and stabs the elder brother with the lightning sword. Itachi explodes with numerous crows bursting out of him in every direction, forcing Kabuto to flinch. Itachi reappears and swipes at Kabuto, cutting off his horn. ¡°Your fate was already in my hands. Thanks to the forbidden jutsu of the Uchiha¡­¡± Itachi runs at Kabuto, clashing blades with him once again. ¡°Izanami!!¡± Kabuto kicks Itachi away, again, but the reanimated Uchiha quickly recovers in mid-air and lands on the cold, hard cave floor gracefully. Jin and Sasuke reappear on either side, ready to engage in the next round. ¡°Sasuke, Jin, stay close to me.¡± What¡­ What is this¡­? Sensing a most unusual pattern, Kabuto stops fighting. ¡°You¡¯ve fallen prey to my Visual Jutsu.¡± Impossible¡­ I¡¯m perfect! I could never-- Coming to an epiphany, Kabuto stands frozen in horror and disbelief. He is unable to accept that he, a perfect and ultimate being, could be put under any genjutsu even one from the Uchiha clan. ¡°Don¡¯t you see¡­? You¡¯re nowhere near perfect¡± ¡°¡­!¡± The snake sage is quickly overcome with outrage and grits his teeth, he clenches his fist to the point that blood drops from his knuckles. ¡°ITACHI UCHIHA--!!¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- O-Okay, that was¡­ that was certainly a new experience¡­ Jin feels as if he¡¯d just woken up from a dream. The Onikage carefully examines his body, checking his arms, torso, head, and etcetera; nothing looks or feels out of the ordinary, but he feels he has to be sure. Relief washes over him as he realizes nothing wrong with him and that he¡¯s in the real world. Jin turns his attention to his fellow snake sage, Kabuto stands a few yards away from him; he is silent and stares blankly like a lifeless doll. Itachi stands right in front of the medic ninja, staring directly into his eyes. The sword Kabuto carried is lying on the floor; its electrical blade dissipates as no one holds it, leaving only a decorative hilt. Not long after, Kabuto slowly begins to weave the signs to undo the reanimation jutsu. Sasuke starts conversing by softly asking, ¡°Izanami, the eternal loop¡­ When did you set it up¡­?¡± ¡°When Kabuto first attacked me with your blade.¡± Itachi answers. ¡°Now that he¡¯s trapped in the loop, Kabuto can¡¯t move¡­ And now that I¡¯ve learned how to undo the Reanimation with Tsukuyomi¡­ if we make Kabuto release the Reanimation, all the reincarnated dead will vanish, bringing the war¡¯s end closer.¡± As Sasuke returns to his normal form, his expression becomes a mournful one. ¡°But then, Itachi¡­¡± This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Already knowing what will happen, Jin tunes the two brothers¡¯ conversation out while maintaining a respectful silence. The young Uzumaki¡¯s eyes remain fixated on Kabuto as the two Uchiha speak. Kabuto weaves the final hand sign; as a bright light emanates from the dead brother who heavily walks to his brother little by little, Jin quietly and slowly creeps around to Kabuto. Sage Art: Mind Eater Jutsu! Jin puts the comatose snake under his thrall. Give me the reanimation scroll. The white snake that sticks out of Kabuto¡¯s abdomen, lifts its head up to Jin and opens its mouth. Jin sees what he¡¯s looking for in the back of the reptile''s throat and reaches for it, he pulls the scroll out and opens it. If this part is where the DNA is smeared on, then the caster¡¯s contract must be¡­ Jin unrolls the scroll even more. Ah, there we are! Jin bites his right thumb and writes his name down in blood; after that he taps his thumb against his other fingers and stamps his prints under his name. Jin can¡¯t help but awkwardly smile at the sight of his bluish-green blood as he is reminded that he¡¯s possibly no longer human. Since I don¡¯t have DNA or sacrifices, I can¡¯t actually use this yet--hell, random reanimations won¡¯t be of any use for what¡¯s about to happen next. Hmm¡­? Jin comes back to reality after noticing that it¡¯s getting darker. Jin turns around and sees Itachi¡¯s soul floating away; Jin can¡¯t see his face, but he knows the elder brother is smiling at Sasuke. Jin has seen this moment many times and yet his eyes still become watery; a tear runs down his face, but Jin wipes it away. ¡°I hope the others are doing okay¡­¡± Jin silently whispers to himself. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Meanwhile, on another battlefield, Ayanami who has nearly exhausted her sage mode takes the time to wipe the blood trickling from her mouth and compose herself. The battle has paused as the reanimated jinchuriki all emit light. Like ghosts, their souls leave their bodies and ascend to the sky, leaving piles of dust and the corpses that were their sacrifices. Before they transcend to the great beyond, the deceased jinchuriki look down at Naruto and company with bright, warm smiles. ¡°Itachi¡­ Jin¡­ you guys did it, thank you.¡± A reinvigorated Ayanami mutters. ¡°I¡¯ll do my part too!¡± The Gedo Statue lets out a booming roar, debris and rubble begin to fly into the air, and Tobi weaves a sign. The statue continues to roar as it sways back and forth, surging with chakra. ¡°...Watch closely and surrender yourself completely.¡± Tobi ominously declares. ¡°The return of Ten-Tails and the beginning of the end of the world!¡± Ayanami¡¯s attention is drawn towards Mecha-Kurama¡¯s battle with the Three-Heads; neither side has gained any ground, they¡¯re stalemating each other. The two beasts claw and tear at each other with all their might, it¡¯s as if nothing else matters except for their own fight. Due to the reanimation jutsu being released, the young Hyuga¡¯s morale is boosted and is overflowing with newfound energy. She performs the snake hand sign and gathers more nature energy to recharge her sage mode. I think I can do this¡­ I know I can do this¡­ I CAN do this! Ayanami recalls her time in Jin¡¯s mindscape. ????? After being caught up with all of Naruto, Naruto Shippuden, and the last Boruto chapter Jin read before dying, Jin was introducing Rito to the Mass Effect trilogy while Ayanami was combing through the seemingly endless list of combined memories of all the movies the three have watched. She sees numerous sci-fi movies, horror movies, superhero, action, adventure, sports, and many more. However, what catches her eye is a trilogy that came out after her death; this trilogy belongs to one of her favorite franchises. Her mouth grows into a big smile and her eyes sparkle like a child¡¯s. ¡°So I just turned all life in the galaxy into organic-machine hybrids?¡± Rito asks after just finishing the games. Jin bluntly responds with, ¡°Yes, yes you did.¡± ¡°What ending do you usually go with?¡± ¡°Destroy. I want Shepard to live.¡± ¡°What about EDI and the geth? They die if you go with the destroy ending.¡± Jin shrugs. ¡°I like to think the geth somehow managed to survive and EDI can be repaired--she may have lost some memories, but she¡¯s still alive¡­ I also want Shepard to come back and marry Tali.¡± ¡°Wha--eww!! I see Tali as a sister, Miranda¡¯s a better choice.¡± Rito argues. ¡°Miranda¡¯s my side pi¨C¡± Ayanami taps Jin¡¯s shoulder. ¡°They made new movies about him?¡± ¡°About who?¡± Jin asks. Ayanami gleefully holds up memories of a trilogy of movies, they¡¯re about a certain giant, radioactive reptile. Jin and Rito find her childish delight and excitement cute. ¡°C¡¯mon lets watch them!¡± ¡°¡±Okay.¡±¡± Jin and Rito answer simultaneously. ????? Okay, here goes¡­! Ayanami braces herself as she molds her sage chakra. ¡°Sage Art: Wood Style: Wooden Kaiju Jutsu!¡± The ground trembles and a tree erupts from under Ayanami; the commotion catches Naruto and Tobi¡¯s attention. Even Kakashi, Bee, Guy, Mecha-Kurama and the Three-Heads stop fighting to look in awe. The tree grows and changes shape, taking the appearance of a large, bipedal reptile. Its size is comparable to a tailed beast, its face is squared with a broad neck. Its eyes are small and its teeth are also relatively small. The head and neck tend to lean forward more and the nostrils are more separate, being located on opposite sides of the snout; jagged trees line its back, serving as dorsal plates. ¡°Ayanami, what the heck is that?!¡± Naruto shouts from his position near the Eight-Tails. The wooden reptile statue takes a single step, taking a deep breath. It leans forward and releases a blood curdling roar that can be heard for miles. All who hear it are instilled with fear on an instinctual level, including its caster. Wait, I could¡¯ve made it look like Mothra¡­ Next time! Ayanami cracks a smile as she stands atop her derivative of the Wood Golem jutsu. ¡°CHARGE!¡± Chapter 61 Fire Style: Demon Lantern. Jin internally chants, infusing his chakra. A single red-orange fireball with a ghoulish face and sinister smile manifests above Jin¡¯s head. The ghostly fireball slowly circles around its caster, illuminating the dark cave. As Sasuke thinks and reflects on what his brother told him, Jin¡¯s attention focuses on not Kabuto, but the sword he dropped at his feet. Without anyone to wield the blade, the electrical blade the sword emanates retracts; all it is now is just a hilt that resembles a vajra. Jins stares at it with complete disinterest. The Blade of the Thunder God¡­ a tool created by the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju¡­ a weapon from a filler arc¡­ Jin thinks back to the show. I don¡¯t need it--I already have a fire sword and a wind sword. If I train, I can eventually make water, earth and lightning swords. Jin casually dismisses the redundant weapon and turns to walk away. However, Jin stops after taking two steps; images flash in his mind, memories of his fight with Indra bubble to the surface of his thoughts. Jin remembers how upset Ayanami was when her Hidden Leaf Chakra Blade, he turns back and quickly picks up the weapon. She might want this. Jin thinks as he hides the hilt in his sleeve. Moments later, the cave rumbles before a hole is blasted into the ceiling with dust and rocks flying toward Jin and Sasuke; the two ninja leap back to avoid the falling boulders and debris. The dust settles, revealing two familiar faces under the light of the night sky. ¡°Ha! Found ya! Heh heh¡­¡± A snickering Suigetsu calls out. Sasuke acknowledges them with a simple, ¡°It¡¯s you two¡­¡± Suigetsu leaps down with Jugo. ¡°That¡¯s right, what¡¯re you two doing here?¡± ¡°We just put an end to Kabuto¡¯s reanimation jutsu.¡± Jin is quick to answer. ¡­I should probably head to the last battle, but I really want to witness this scene in person. ¡°Huh?¡± Suigetsu looks at Jin with confusion. Sasuke points in the direction behind Jugo and Suigetsu, the new arrivals look back and see a pale-skinned, horned Kabuto with a snake growing out of his abdomen. He stands there motionless while weaving the clap hand sign. ¡°Listen¡­ What do you guys want with me after all this time?¡± Sasuke asks, remaining cool and stoic. ¡°Why did you go out of your way to find me?¡± ¡°Oh, yeah¡­ that¡¯s the thing. Now where is it¡­? We found something incredible at one of the hideouts!¡± Suigetsu searches his robes, looking for his find; the young Hozuki searches the confines of his robes collar and pulls out a scroll and hands it to Sasuke who opens and reads its contents. The young Uchiha¡¯s eyes widen for a brief moment then return to their normal, stoic expressions. ¡°Amazing, isn¡¯t it?! With this scroll, Taka can take over the entire world!¡± Suigetsu wears a look of pride. Sasuke¡¯s face changes from stoic to determined. ¡°I need to go meet up with Orochimaru.¡± ¡°HUH?! What are you talking about?!¡± Suigetsu yells in disbelief. ¡°You already killed him!¡± If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. ¡°Suigetsu, you of all people should know that Orochimaru isn¡¯t one to die so easily. Don¡¯t underestimate him.¡± Jin chimes in, walking up to Kabuto. The Onikage reaches for his fellow snake sage¡¯s chest and tears a chunk of flesh off with his bare hand; Jugo picks up and carries the unconscious Anko to Sasuke. Jin strides over to the downed leaf ninja and places the flesh on the back of her neck, on top of her curse mark. ¡°Sasuke, listen¡­ He¡¯s dangerous. If he finds out about this war, he¡¯ll want to be part of it.¡± Suigetsu argues, trying to reason with his leader. ¡°This is our time to shine, hasn¡¯t h¨C¡± ¡°Shut up. Suigetsu.¡± Sasuke prepares to hand weave. Jugo places his hand on the chunk of flesh and uses his sage transformation to merge Kabuto¡¯s flesh with Anko¡¯s curse mark, the mark bulges some and lights up. Sasuke weaves several hand signs and places his hand on the curse mark. As Sasuke removes his hand, a white snake gradually grows out of the mark and increases in size. The snake opens its mouth and a familiar face crawls his way out of the snake; his entire body is covered in snake bile. He turns around to look at his would-be saviors with his usual menacing smile. ¡°Who would have imagined that you of all people would facilitate my return?¡± Orochimaru picks himself up. Jin waves hello and asks, ¡°Hey there, Orochimaru. How¡¯ve you been?¡± ¡°Orochimaru¡­ There¡¯s something I want you to do for me.¡± Sasuke takes control of the situation. ¡°No need to explain, I¡¯ve been watching from inside Anko. I secured my sage jutsu chakra into each of the curse marks, they¡¯re like pieces of my own consciousness. And I have one thing to tell you about the war, Suigetsu¡­¡± Orochimaru¡¯s attention falls on the swordsman. ¡°And that is I have no interest in it at all.¡± ¡°Wha--?!¡± Okay! Time for me to get the fuck out. Jin claps his hands to get everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°Well¡­ it was nice seeing you all again, but I¡¯ve got places to be.¡± ¡°And just where are you going?!¡± Suigetsu asks, cowering behind Kabuto. ¡°I¡¯m an active participant of the war and¡­ I¡¯ve grown past your agendas. I¡¯m walking on my own now.¡± Jin explains himself to the group. ¡°Before I go, I want you to know something, Orochimaru¡­¡± Orochimaru smiles with amusement. ¡°Oh¡­ And what might that be?¡± ¡°You nauseate me, I don¡¯t like how you operated nor did I like gruesome orders you gave me¡­ but you did grant me greater strength. So, I¡¯m grateful for that much.¡± Jin spills his guts to his mentor. ¡°In layman''s terms, thank you and fuck you.¡± Suigetsu¡¯s jaw drops, he had just witnessed Jin speak to Orochimaru in an impertinent manner and still can¡¯t believe it. Orochimaru just listens all the while still smiling. ¡°Is there anything else you¡¯d like to say?¡± ¡°That¡¯s all¡­ Okay. I¡¯m heading out.¡± Jin weaves a hand sign. ¡°Ninja Art: Rinne Six Paths of Pain.¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Meanwhile, at the location of the final battle, Ayanami with her wooden avatar has teamed up with Mecha-Kurama to fight the Three-Heads. Ayanami¡¯s wooden kaiju uppercuts the Three-Heads into the air with a powerful right hook; Mecha-Kurama leaps into the air and kicks the beast, impelling back to the battle-damaged ground. The Three-Headed Guardian rises back to its feet only to see both Mecha-Kurama and the wooden statue charging right for it; together, the two kaiju punch the beast, sending it flying some distance. The wooden avatar gets on all fours and quickly crawls towards the downed monster; once close enough the wooden statue leaps on top of the Three-Heads and claws at it. Chunks are ripped out each time the avatar¡¯s claws tear away at the beast. The wooden reptile gets back up on two legs and stomps hard on the Guardian Beast, the beast can¡¯t help, but yelp in immense pain. The wooden kaiju applies more pressure and releases a mighty roar; the now defeated Three-Heads closes its eyes as it falls unconscious. While this is happening, Mecha-Kurama just stands there with a light twitch happening occasionally; the robotic duplicate shrinks back down, reverting back to Mecha-Naruto. However, something is different about him; his eyes have now changed from blue to purple with a ring-like pattern. Mecha-Naruto examines himself, it¡¯s as if his body feels alien. ¡°I WASN¡¯T SURE IF IT ACTIVATED, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE IT WORKED LIKE A CHARM¡­¡± ¡°TIME FOR A DRAMATIC ENTRANCE.¡± Mecha-Naruto crouches down and weaves several signs. ¡°SUMMONING JUTSU!¡± Mecha-Naruto places his right hand on the ground and a jutsu formula appears, an explosion of smoke occurs; the smoke clears to reveal that Jin has appeared on the battlefield. He looks at all the chaos and carnage happening around him with wide eyes and a strong and sudden sense of bemusement. Jin¡¯s jaw drops. ¡°...Why¡¯s the Three-Heads he--wait--screw that, WHY IS GODZILLA HERE??!!!¡± Side Chapter 8 ¡°What was that¡­ what¡¯s going on over there?¡± Shikamaru refers to the two explosions that just occurred. ¡°Who could be fighting against Pain?¡± The Leaf Village¡¯s new, up and coming strategist sits on the ground with his back leaning against one of Lady Katsuyu¡¯s larger fission clones; to Shikamaru¡¯s right is a member of the Leaf¡¯s Cryptanalysis Team, Shiho who has another Katsuyu fission behind her. The battle taking place at what was once the center of the Leaf Village is making the Nara clan heir anxious. ¡°It¡¯s Naruto and Ayanami¡­¡± The fission behind him answers. Shikamaru looks back at the slug with his full attention. ¡°You mean they¡¯re back in the village?¡± ¡°Yes, they¡¯ve mastered sage jutsu and they¡¯re down there battling Pain.¡± After hearing Katsuyu¡¯s explanation, Shikamaru tries to get up to help his friends, but he feels faint, he falls back on his rear; the Nara heir feels intense pain from his right leg, sections are swelling and tender. He grits his teeth and winces as he grasps his leg. ¡­Damn this leg! Shikamaru anguishes over his inability to help. ¡°Please, just stay here¡­ Ayanami asked that no one else interfere.¡± ¡°Man, they¡¯re so full of themselves¡­!¡± Shikamaru grows frustrated. ¡°Pain practically destroyed the whole village. There¡¯s no way they can take them all alone, it¡¯s impossible.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not¡­¡± Current head of the Nara clan and Shikamaru¡¯s father, Shikaku Nara retorts. ¡°If Ayanami and Naruto have mastered sage jutsu, then they¡¯re in a class of their own now. That means staying out of the way is the best teamwork we can offer them.¡± With his arms folded, Shikaku continues with, ¡°You need to be patient here, Shikamaru.¡± Shikamaru hears the logic behind his father¡¯s words, but he still anguishes over not being able to help. He lowers his head. ¡°Dammit¡­!¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- After Ayanami defeated the Animal Path, all of the animals it summoned disappeared in a puff of smoke. The three giant toads, Gamabunta, Gamahiro, and Gamaken are now free to aid their allies in battle. The Naraka Path walks back to what remains of his Animal Path counter when something shoots right past his ear, cutting it. What flew past was a kunai, the kunai had impaled the Animal Path¡¯s open palm upon landing. With their shared vision, the Naraka Path can see the enraged Hyuga girl staring defiantly at him. Ayanami threatens Pain with, ¡°Try to revive any of your bodies and I¡¯ll punch a hole in your head.¡± ¡°Geezer Frog--catch!¡± Naruto shouts as he removes the large scroll he was carrying. The Nine-Tails jinchuriki throws the scroll back, the scroll speedily spins as it flies through the air. The elder toad catches the scroll and opens it with haste. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Ayanami, throw a smoke bomb.¡± He must be running low on sage chakra¡­ Ayanami analyzes the situation as she throws down a smoke bomb. ¡°Yeah.¡± The bomb detonates, releasing yellow smoke that hides the two sages; since Pain can¡¯t see through the thick smoke, he waits to see what they¡¯ll do. Suddenly, a Rasenshuriken bursts out of the smoke with zeal. ¡°Useless.¡± The Preta Path jumps in the way. He stands firmly between this powerful jutsu and its intended target, Tendo Pain. The Preta Path holds his hands out to absorb the Rasenshuriken, but nothing happens. The attack vanishes in a puff of smoke and its place is Ayanami. The young Hyuga uses the momentum to tackle the Preta Pain to the ground; the last thing Preta Path sees is Ayanami sitting on top of him, she brings her fist down like a hammer and everything goes black. ¡°Sage Art: Rasengan Barrage!¡± Tendo hears and feels the shockwaves of an explosion occurring right behind him. Shocked, he looks back and sees his Naraka counterpart being crushed into the ground by Naruto and his two Rasengans. Not only is the Naraka Path compressed by Naruto¡¯s jutsu, the jutsu carves into his body, leaving two large, deep, cleanly cut circular indentations in his back. ¡°And then there was one¡­¡± Ayanami mutters, wiping the blood and gray matter off her hand. ¡°You ready, Naruto?¡± ¡°You bet.¡± Both sages charge at the last remaining Pain with gusto; as both Ayanami and Naruto leap at Pain to punch him, the Akatsuki leader holds out his hands. ¡°Almighty Push!¡± Before Ayanami can even touch Pain, she is stopped; she feels an invisible force pushing her back, her muscles strain as she tries to fight it, but can¡¯t. She and Naruto are sent flying away. The young Hyuga crashes right before the two elder toads, leaving a small crater. It hurts some, but she¡¯s still moving. ¡°Are you alright, Ayanami-girl?¡± Fukasaku asks with concern. Ayanami winces as she pulls herself out of the crater. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡± Ayanami¡¯s eyes return to normal as her sage mode vanishes, she feels the toll this battle is taking on her. She¡¯s taking heavy breaths and she¡¯s covered in bruises due to Pain¡¯s jutsu. She feels the greatest pain coming from what she landed on, her back; Shima looks at her with great disquiet. ¡°Ayanami--I know it¡¯s dangerous, but us merging with you is our best chance.¡± ¡°We c-can¡¯t.¡± Ayanami is quick to shoot down Shima¡¯s suggestion. The elder toad looks at her in disbelief. ¡°WHAT?! Why?¡± ¡°Because if¡­ I-If we try to merge, Pain will immediately come to kill us. He essentially knows what we¡¯re capable of...¡± The kunoichi sits down seiza-style and closes her eyes, she doesn¡¯t move whatsoever, not even an inch. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Right after Pain had blasted Naruto and Ayanami away, the Akatsuki leader finds himself being immediately besieged by Gamabunta, Gamaken, and Gamahiro. The three giant toads surround Pain, towering over him. They each take their respective weapons and try to slam Pain, crushing him. However, Pain is quick and nimble; the Rinnegan user side-steps away from Gamabunta¡¯s tanto as the toad brings it down and jumps onto Gamaken¡¯s sasumata. The Akatsuki leader then runs up the giant sasumata; once high enough, he leaps off and maneuvers to evade Gamahiro¡¯s swords by performing a backflip. Gamabunta swings his sword again, but Pain pushes off it, leaping away to his desired location. Pain ominous hovers in mid-air, floating at eye level to the three toads. ¡°Again, Almighty Push!¡± Chapter 62 As the battle continues to rage on, Jin is left completely stupefied due to the spectacle in front of him. He is dropping his jaw at the sight of a wooden statue of the king of monsters roaring victoriously over a vanquished Three-Headed Guardian Beast. Jin is left speechless with his mind racing with so many questions; while the Onikage would normally be in awe of this scene, the situation they¡¯re in only leaves him confused. ¡°Why¡¯s the Three-Heads here? Why¡¯s Godzilla here? And why are they fighting?!¡± Jin shouts into the ether. ¡°Someone please explain this to me!¡± ¡°I do believe I can explain. What took you so long, Jin?¡± The one to answer Jin is Echo, the time traveler appears right behind Jin and circles around until he is at Jin''s side. He turns his gaze towards the wooden kaiju. ¡°Well¡­? Start explaining.¡± Jin orders his alternate future counterpart. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Huh¡­? Who¡¯s the new arrival, is he friend of foe?¡± Might Guy asks as he steadies himself on the shaking ground. Due to having chakra from all of the tailed beasts, the Gedo statue roars as if it is in immense pain. The statue¡¯s roars are what make the earth tremble and debris rise into the air. ¡°That¡¯s Jin, you wanker! Remember people¡¯s faces!¡± Rito yells from Naruto¡¯s side. Naruto continues to question Jin¡¯s arrival, ¡°But why is he here?¡± ¡°He helped Itachi undo the reanimation jutsu, remember? He must¡¯ve reverse-summoned himself when it was over.¡± While Rito answers their questions, Kakashi keeps his eyes fixed on Tobi and the Gedo statue from the Eight-Tails¡¯ arm. However, he multitasks and listens to the conversation; he runs many scenarios in his head, trying to come up with the best strategy to win. That answers who defeated Kabuto¡­ but it doesn¡¯t explain how and why Jin has his own Rinnegan, we¡¯re missing something¡­ Kakashi molds chakra, ready for the next stage of the fight. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- So that traitor has joined this battlefield as well¡­ Tobi observes Jin¡¯s arrival with cold calculation. The masked man has completed all the requirements for the Ten-Tails to revive, all he has to do now is wait and protect the statue. At least that is what should¡¯ve been the case, but due to Jin¡¯s arrival and Ayanami¡¯s display of power, Tobi feels a seed of doubt being sewed into the depths of his psyche. Ever the crafty ninja, the Akatsuki leader reaches into his robe and pulls something out, it appears to be a red crystal ball, the crystal is roughly the size of a cantaloupe; any fears and doubts Tobi had are quickly assuaged when he stares down at the marble. Jin¡¯s Rinnegan and Ayanami¡¯s wood style complicate things, but should tip the scales in my favor¡­ Tobi throws the crystal ball into the air and weaves several hand signs. ¡°Summoning Jutsu: Limited Tsukuyomi!¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°We can emulate other fictions?¡± Jin asks after being given the rundown. Echo shrugs and gestures toward the wooden reptile. ¡°Well¡­ apparently. Didn¡¯t you create a Zetsu symbiote?¡± ¡°Yeah, to protect me from Black Zetsu¡­ but I didn¡¯t think--never thought we could outright copy oth--oh yeah, almost forgot¡­¡± Jin''s attention falls on his injured path of pain. During Mecha-Naruto¡¯s scuffle with the Three-Heads, Mecha-Naruto attained extensive damage. There are holes and tears riddling all across the robot double¡¯s chassis, electricity and sparks occasionally fly off from those tears, and the cords that Jin thinks are Mecha¡¯s synthetic muscles are now loose and hanging from the holes. As Jin summons the King of Hell to repair Mecha-Naruto, Ayanami jumps high into the air; the leaf kunoichi descends and gracefully lands a few yards away from Jin with a smile on her face. ¡°Hey, Jin. What took you so long?¡± ¡°The fight with Kabuto took longer than I thought it would.¡± Jin watches the King of Hell chew on Mecha while he reaches into his sleeve. ¡°...Oh, that reminds me¡­ got something for ya.¡± Jin pulls out the vajra-shaped hilt and tosses it to Ayanami; confused, the leaf ninja examines it closely. Unable to make sense of what Jin gave her, Ayanami sheepishly looks at friend. ¡°W-What is it¡­?¡± ¡°Hold it like a handle and pour some chakra into it.¡± Jin Instructs. ¡°Okay, but I don¡¯t see--woah!¡± Ayanami tilts back in surprise as a blade made of pure lightning ignites from the hilt, the kunoichi stares at the sword with sparkling eyes. She waves the sword and trembles in awe at the sci-fi sounds it makes, the blade leaves a very brief trail of electricity with each swing. ¡°Is this a lightsaber?!¡± Ayanami asks. ¡°Close¡­ it¡¯s The Sword of the Thunder God, a weapon created and wielded by the 2nd Hokage, Tobirama Senju.¡± Jin goes on a tangent. ¡°Kabuto had it, he must¡¯ve stolen it when he was grave rob--what the hell?¡± Jin is interrupted as a blinding light suddenly appears out of nowhere. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The crystal ball Tobi threw into the air emits a light so bright that all of his opponents are forced to cover their eyes. The light grows brighter and brighter, but then quickly disperses as soon as it comes. ¡°You know what to do.¡± Tobi tells the mysterious figure that has appeared at his side. The mysterious figure sinisterly mutters, ¡°Yes.¡± The new arrival is another masked man with white kitsune mask, a dark blue-gray robe with gray lining and a fur collar, and a tattered gray-blue cape emblazoned with his personal emblem: a mandala comprised of nine reddish-brown circles of varying sizes atop a larger green-gray circle. He¡¯s also wearing fingerless opera-length black gloves wrapped in studded red-brown leather straps, baggy black pants, and red-brown sandals. Behind the masked man are nine puppet-like entities, five of them are bestial in appearance while the other four are priest-like. All nine of these masked beasts hover around the masked man menacingly like they are protecting him. ¡°You¡­¡± The masked man points his finger directly at Naruto. ¡°I sense something repulsive in you. I chose you to be the first of my victims.¡± The presence the masked man gives off is one that is powerful, cold, ruthless; everyone is put on edge, they all feel the need to brace themselves for another fight. Naruto stands his ground. ¡°You wanna fight? I¡¯m right here.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t count your chickens before they¡¯ve hatched just yet.¡± Rito takes point, right in front of Naruto. ¡°After all¡­ it ain¡¯t over ¡®til it¡¯s over.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t talking to you, weakling.¡± The masked man is quick to dismiss Rito. The masked man¡¯s puppets fly into the sky, arcing through air from their present location and scattering to engage all of Tobi¡¯s opponents. Chapter 63 ¡°Relying on quantity won¡¯t win this fight.¡± The masked man taunts as he impales one of Naruto¡¯s clones with a kunai. Naruto retorts with, ¡°Is that so? I¡¯m ending this right here, right now!¡± The new enemy is surrounded by a squad of sage Narutos, but he is undeterred. Two of Naruto¡¯s shadow clones try to rush the masked man in a pincer attack; however, the masked man extends his arms and the two Narutos are blasted away by an invisible force. Another Naruto leaps into the air for a flying kick, but the masked man easily catches Naruto¡¯s leg with one hand; a powerful dark aura is emitted by the mysterious figure. With no effort the masked figure casually throws Naruto at another one of his clones with a flick of his wrist. ¡°Who are you? Tell me.¡± The last Naruto asks. The masked man coldly stares his adversary down with clenched fists. ¡°You really¡­ disgust me. Your very existence makes every hair on my body stand up! But at least the solution¡¯s easy¡­¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Unbelievable¡­ un-FUCKING-believable!! Jin shoves a Rasengan into one of the nine masked beasts. ¡°These things are so damn annoying¡­!¡± The jutsu grinds into the masked beast and launches it across the battlefield. ¡°You¡¯re angry. I can see that. If you wanna take it out on anyone, it should be Tobi and Menma.¡± Echo points toward the other side of the battlefield. ¡°You sure? I don¡¯t wanna feel like I¡¯m ditching you guys¡­¡± ¡°Get going, Jin! We¡¯ve got--¡± Ayanami replies. Echo interjects, ¡°You¡¯re going with him. We need Naruto to survive so we have more bodies to throw at Moryo and Kaguya.¡± ¡°Help him¡­? Can¡¯t you see I¡¯m in the middle of something?!¡± The young Hyuga is currently engaged in a struggle with another of Menma¡¯s masked beasts; the beast resembles a grim reaper. Ayanami uses her new sword to match blades with the puppet. As the puppet¡¯s scythe came crashing down, Ayanami quickly counters, throwing the blade off; with an almost imperceptible movement, she jumps into the air while performing a 360 degree spin. The kunoichi uses the momentum from her rotation to add power behind her sword swing. The masked beast struggles to parry and swings its scythe in a wide arc. Just before the blade could strike her body, Ayanami feels an invisible force pull her away from Menma¡¯s masked beast. As Ayanami is pulled through the air, she feels the force¡¯s similarity from her fight with Pain. A tinge of annoyance creeps into her heart as she is forced back. ¡°Go help Naruto.¡± Echo catches Ayanami and proceeds to throw her in Naruto¡¯s direction. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Lightning Blade!¡± Kakashi strikes the masked beast that resembles a massive serpent. The puppet is sent into the air. With inhumanely swift and precise movements, Kakashi repeatedly hits the puppet with that one Lightning Blade in a zig-zag formation into the air, back and forth. Once high enough, the leaf jonin briefly hovers above the masked beast before finally slamming his second Lightning Blade into his opponent, cutting through the stream of electricity and driving it into the ground. ¡°Twin Lightning Shiver!¡± Hatake looks down at his defeated enemy when something peculiar occurs. The masked beast emits a small smoke cloud; the cloud quickly dissipates to reveal a masked fox kit that possesses a single tail. Perplexed, Kakashi reaches down and picks it up. ¡°What is this supposed to be?¡± --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- On another section of the battlefield, Might Guy is in combat with two of the nine masked beasts; the two puppets have the appearance of priests. The two priest-like puppets stomp their staffs against rocky terrain, a glowing, jutsu violet formula appears under the taijutsu master in the form of a ring; the formula emits a purple, cylindrical light, in the form of a barrier. However, the barriers entrap nothing, but thin air as Guy has disappeared in the blink of an eye. Dust begins to circle around the two masked beasts, the dust circles around faster and faster until it turns into a small, localized whirlwind. Even though Guy is nowhere to be seen, both puppets are suddenly kicked into each other and then uppercutted into the air. The whirlwind immediately disperses with the Noble Blue Beast appearing right under the masked beasts. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. I need to finish this quickly and help my comrades!! A determined Guy places a palm facing forward in front of their face with one hand and taps it with his other hand, formed into a fist. ¡°Howl! Youth! Hirudoraaa!¡± A massive amount of air pressure begins to form around Guy¡¯s hands, he forms a unique hand sign resembling a tiger and then throws an incredibly fast punch. This one punch launches the air pressure at the two falling puppets in the shape of one by leaving a gigantic tiger-shaped impression into the initially built-up air pressure with the hand seal. The tiger bites down with its powerful jaws. Both masked beasts are helpless as they are stuck between the tiger¡¯s massive, sharp fangs; the sheer weight of its fangs alone are crushing them. Still holding the puppets firmly in its mouth, the tiger composed entirely of condensed air pressure flies into the air. It ascends higher and higher with each passing second. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Meanwhile, Menma has lifted Naruto into the air by his neck; his grip grows tighter as Naruto struggles to free himself. Both Naruto and Menma feel an intense, hot, pulsating pain coming from their stomachs. ¡°Grrk!¡± Naruto winces from the pain. His teeth grit and his eyes close. W-What is this awful feeling? ¡°There¡¯s something horrible coming from you. I can¡¯t let you live! Something horrible¡­¡± Menma squeezes his grip further and gathers chakra in his free hand, he rears his arm back and takes aim for Naruto¡¯s chest. ¡°HEY, MENMA! DO YOU BLEED?!!¡± Hearing someone call out to him by his true name, the masked man stops mid thrust and looks to his right; a confused Naruto also turns his head in the direction of the one yelling. Four Jins are seen running right for the two. ¡°W-Whoa--agh?!¡± Menma throws Naruto at his new assailant. ¡°Pathetic fool, who¡¯re you supposed to be?¡± ¡°I AM JIN UZUMAKI, THE SHIT KING OF FUCK MOUNTAIN!! REMEMBER IT!!¡± The front most Jin shouts, catching Naruto before leaping away to safety. The three remaining Jins pick up the pace and sprint right for Menma, each of them holding their own black rods. The first Jin goes to strike Menma, but he pulls out a black rod and quickly throws it off Jin¡¯s attack by countering it. What the hell¡­? Menma doesn¡¯t do that in the movie! ¡­Oh, shit! The second Jin swiftly circles around to impale the right side of the masked man¡¯s waist; with a quick and precise movement, Menma parries Jin¡¯s rod and knocks him away. The final Jin takes advantage of the opening and jumps right over Menma, swinging his receiver at the masked man¡¯s shoulder. However, Menma moves fast enough to reverse his weapon and block it; sparks fly off from their rods clashing. Their fight is something of a violent tornado, all the combatants striking and parrying. All three Jins steadily grow annoyed by the stalemate and change their tactics, they lunge for Menma, prepared to stab him simultaneously. Menma quickly stretches out his arms and utters the phrase, ¡°Almighty Push!¡± A repulsive force surrounds the masked man and blasts all three Jins away, they all disappear in a puff of smoke. At this point, Ayanami makes herself known by falling from several meters right above Menma; the light from her Thunder God Sword brightens the entire area. She uses the momentum from her plummeting to increase the power of her sword swing. Menma bends over and nimbly moves the block her sword, he grabs the other end of his receiver and holds it firmly over his neck and back. Menma feels something collide with his rod, yet it wasn¡¯t a blade. Menma looks up and witnesses Ayanami standing on top of his receiver while holding her lightning sword aloft, it shines brightly. Because Ayanami¡¯s sword is shining so brightly, Menma is unable to see what is further above. In the sky, there are scores and scores of Jins and each of them is holding their own orb of spinning chakra; there are so many that their light makes the sky glow a bluish-green color. ¡°¡±¡±¡±¡±¡±Roaaaagghh!! Sage Art: Massive Gelel Rasengan Mega Barrage!¡±¡±¡±¡±¡±¡± Ayanami crouches down, building up as much energy in her legs as she can to the put that they bulk up. She jumps away with the force of her leap causing Menma to stagger. All of the Jins focus their aim at Menma and rain down on him like a swarm of raging wasps, continuously driving each and every Rasengan they had into the masked man. They continue to impel and plunge their Rasengans into him. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- What fools they are, they don¡¯t even realize that what they¡¯re fighting is nothing but a mere shadow clone. The real Menma broods from a good distance away. As he watches the Ninja Alliance squad do battle with his clone, his Nine Masked Beasts, and Tobi, two massive explosions occur. One had the appearance of a tiger before it detonated high in the air while the other glows bright blue-green on the ground. In the distance, a bright red, cylindrical barrier erupts from the ground surrounding the Gedo Statue; the statue¡¯s silhouette can be seen through the barrier. Menma coldly dismisses the battle and turns away to face his current, number one priority. What lies in front of the masked man is Ayanami¡¯s wooden kaiju and the downed Three-heads; without Ayanami to pilot the golem, it is nothing but a glorified statue made of wood. The unconscious Three-Heads lies under the statue''s heel. The beast starts to emit violet sparks of lightning and a dark black smoke; it fades in and out of existence until it finally disappears altogether, leaving behind a wounded and insentient Mizuki. Menma towers over the defeated rogue ninja with a sinister smile forming under his mask. ¡°I remember you¡­ In my world, you were a pitiful failure who died a fool¡¯s death, but here¡­ you have value to me.¡± Menma kneels down and weaves three hand signs. ¡°In a way, you¡¯re not really dying. You¡¯re just making me stronger. Chimera Jutsu.¡± Menma places a hand on the insensible Mizuki, the hand exudes a large mass of deep blue, viscous fluid that quickly spreads across the rogue ninja¡¯s body, coating it completely. Chapter 64 ¡°...Uchiha Flame Formation!¡± Tobi slams his hand onto the rocky, battle-scarred ground. A cylindrical barrier of bright red flames arise, enveloping the Gedo Statue in a protective manner as the Eight-Tails lunges at it with a mighty right hook. The tailed beast¡¯s fist makes contact with a loud thud, but the barrier stands strong with no visible signs of damage. However, what does happen is that the Eight¨CTails¡¯ hand is instantly set ablaze. ¡°Hot! HOT!! HOT!!!¡± Killer Bee screeches, swiftly pulling his hand back. A concerned Naruto shouts, ¡°Are you alright, Octopops and Eight-o?!¡± ¡°Do I look it?!¡± The giant octopus hurriedly fans his burning hand. ¡°He¡¯s erected a barrier. We have no choice, but to tackle the masked guy first.¡± Might Guy deduces the situation with one glance at the statue. ¡°That was always the plan.¡± Jin speaks up. That¡¯s odd¡­ one of the chakras here is getting stronger, a fuckton stronger¡­ This Jin knows full well he is nothing, but a shadow clone, an expendable unit, a pawn. Despite knowing this, he stands strong with the titular character and his supporting cast; they need all the help they can get at the moment. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We need to remove Menma from the equation, but how¡­? Rito analyzes the state of the fight from on high. The young boy stands atop a crystal dragon that flies over everyone''s'' heads, circling over them. It soars through the air like a snake slithers on the ground with an oscillating motion. Based on Jin¡¯s memories, the Limited Tsukuyomi is sustained by that bloody crystal ball¡­ Rito¡¯s sight falls on the catalyst for Tobi¡¯s jutsu. The crystalline sphere floats ominously in the air, a dull red light emanates from its translucent core. I need that mongrel, Tobi distracted before I can even get near that ball. How am I gonna--?! Oh¡­ that¡¯ll work. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°You underestimate the Sharingan! I can read your movements.¡± Tobi has just caught both of Guy¡¯s nunchucks. ¡°I¡¯ll keep these¡­¡± Tobi proceeds to suck up the nunchucks with his eye when he notices Guy smirking. Naruto leaps over the Blue Beast with a Rasengan in hand; Jin appears right behind the Akatsuki leader with a Rasengan of his own. The two ninja try to crush Tobi with their jutsu in a pincer attack, but they both pass through him and their attacks disappear. Tobi finds this confusing, he is unsure whether or not if this is a feint; all he knows is that he didn¡¯t do anything to make their jutsu disappear. He doesn¡¯t dwell on it as two small explosions suddenly go off on his person, one on the back of his right shoulder while the other one is on his stomach. Tobi can¡¯t even react to the pain as he is sent away like a ragdoll, only stopping when he crashes into a large rock. *CRACKLE* Everyone who heard the peculiar sound all gaze up, Rito is seen riding upon his crystal dragon. The dragon is currently diving straight down with its maw opened wide. The dragon leaves a trail of glistening crystal dust that mingles and mixes with the smoke and dust from the battlefield. With the grace of a gazelle, Rito¡¯s dragon lunges for the crystal ball Tobi had thrown into the air and grabs it with its mouth. The crystalline reptile holds the ball firmly between its large, jagged fangs. The pressure from its teeth increases to the point that cracks begin to form all over the ball''s surface. The ball gives and countless shards are sent flying in multiple directions, Rito smiles in satisfaction. ¡°One less to worry about! No more crystal ball, no more enemy reinforcements!!¡± Rito shouts in elation, turning to face his allies. He gives them a thumbs up. ¡°You da man, Rito!!¡± Jin gives a thumbs up back. ¡°Now go help Ayanami and the real me!¡± ¡°On my way!¡± As Rito begins to fly off, Tobi throws several sharp wooden spikes with the Wood Style: Cutting Sprigs jutsu. However, they are all shot down by a giant fireball and subsequently burned to ash. Tobi¡¯s eyes fall on the one who shot down his projectiles, Jin. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about him, Tobi. Just talk to me.¡± Jin proudly stares down the Akatsuki leader with a smug grin. ¡°I have questions for you. For starters: What was it like being crushed by all those rocks? How¡¯d it feel to give your right eye up?¡± ¡°...?!¡± Tobi glares intently at Jin, his eyes squint. Tension in the air skyrockets with all eyes focused on the red-headed Uzumaki, the mystery behind the Akatsuki leader has everyone interested in what Jin is asking. Jin slowly gets drunk on the drama, attention, and the ever rising tension. ¡°Jin, what¡¯re you talking about?¡± Kakashi queries. ¡°What do you know?¡± The Copy Ninja¡¯s eyes widen with realization, but he doesn¡¯t want to believe what Jin is implying; he refuses to believe. Jin ignores Kakashi and continues talking. ¡°Don¡¯t feel like answering that? Then what was it like to watch your childhood crush get impaled? How does it feel to be solely responsible for your master and his wife¡¯s deaths? Tell me, man. I. Am. DYING. To know.¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- On the other side of the battlefield, Jin and Ayanami satisfyingly gaze at the aftermath of their battle. A large, smoldering crater is the result of Jin hammering away at Menma with numerous Rasengans. Menma lies motionless at the very center of the indentation; however their contention vanishes the moment Menma disappears in a puff of smoke. ¡°A clone? How did we miss that?¡± An annoyed Jin facepalms. ¡°Well¡­ we saved Naruto, that¡¯s a good thing.¡± Ayanami tries to cheer her friend up. Jin gives her a side glance. ¡°You¡¯re a real glass half-full kind of person, ain¡®cha?¡± The leaf kunoichi shrugs with a smile. ¡°LOOK OUT BELOW!¡± The two shinobi look up as Rito lands between them, his and his dragon¡¯s combined weight coupled with the speed of their descent causes the ground to shake and crack. ¡°Hey, Rito. What brings you to our neck of the woods?¡± Jin greets the boy. ¡°Your clone told me to help you--and I think this might do the trick.¡± Rito reaches into his bag. ¡°Back when the White Zetsu army attacked the camps, I took advantage of the confusion and swiped a few of these...¡± The young genius pulls out a couple of pills and hands them to Jin and Ayanami. Jin eats his while Ayanami examines hers. ¡°Food pills?¡± ¡°Nah yeah, these are the ones that restore chakra. Thank the Ninja Alliance for labeling their supplies so meticulously.¡± Rito takes a pill for himself. Ayanami takes her own pill and eats it; she is disappointed by its lackluster taste. As she swallows, she senses an evil chakra headed right for them, specifically Jin. ¡°Jin, look out!¡± Jin senses the chakra too when Ayanami warns him, he quickly builds up chakra and activates his susanoo. Something does hit the ribcage on its left side, Jin turns to see what hit him were finger bones. The finger bones didn¡¯t actually touch Jin, but they did pierce through the ribcage and are sticking out on the other side with cracks forming around where they hit. They all turn to face their attacker, Menma. The masked man is seen holding his arms out with his fingers all pointing at Jin, he lowers them now that he has their attention. Ayanami, Jin, and Rito brace themselves for the coming fight. ¡°Last I checked, you don¡¯t have Shikotsumyaku. What happened?¡± Jin breaks the silence. ¡°An early birthday gift to myself you could say, thank you for defeating Mizuki.¡± Menma¡¯s tone is cold yet gleeful. ¡°I have no interest in you three, but if you insist on getting in my way¡­ You will die as well!¡± Rito steps forward. ¡°How are you still here? I shattered Tobi¡¯s crystal ball, why aren¡¯t you disappearing back to La La Land?!¡± Menma doesn¡¯t answer, he raises his right hand and gathers chakra into it. The chakra forms into a black and dark purple Rasengan-like orb of chakra surrounded by a series of white rings of chakra that orbit the main sphere. These rings then align into one disc-like shape around the orb, causing the rings to resemble planetary rings. Wait--Rito broke the ball, but he¡¯s still here and he has Kimimaro¡¯s kekkei gen--Holy hell! Putting two-and-two together, Jin is overcome with fear and outrage. ¡°Knngh! FUCK!!¡± Jin surges with chakra, the very ground trembles due to Jin¡¯s raging chakra; while he is upset over Menma¡¯s increase in power, the real thing that¡¯s causing his outburst is his lack of control over the situation. He holds out his right hand and forms a Fire Style: Gelel Rasenshuriken. ¡°Calm down, Jin! Why are you screaming?!¡± Rito calls out as he is forced to step back. ¡°Even in death, Mizuki tries to screw us over!! Menma managed to anchor himself to our reality by absorbing Mizuki, he¡¯s even more of a threat than he already was now¡­ HRAAAAGH!!¡± Jin impatiently leaps high into the air, Menma follows suit; both prepare themselves for what is about to happen. While he hates the very idea of even risking losing his arm, Jin has to defeat Menma before he gets even an iota stronger; Jin knows his arm will grow back if it is blown off, but it¡¯s the pain from the probable injury itself Jin is worried about. It feels like time itself has slowed down as the two get closer and closer, they can feel the wind being blown from each other¡¯s jutsu. Knowing he is close enough, Jin braces himself and shoves his hand forward as Menma mirrors Jin¡¯s movements; their jutsu collide. Their clashes send out powerful waves of chakra that scar the immediate vicinity, incinerating everything nearby, Ayanami has to jump away to safety with Rito in her arms. Jin struggles to keep his hand steady as he tries to gain ground. Sparks violently fly out of the point of impact as Jin and Menma smash their attacks more and more into each other, the sparks coupled with the waves of chakra slowly swirl around the two adversaries and condense into a sphere of energy. The sphere emits a light that burns brighter and brighter with each passing second. Chapter 65 With his mask just destroyed and shattered at his feet, Tobi stands undeterred and stares down his enemies with his gunbai at the ready. He is somewhat annoyed that they broke his mask, but quickly calms down as it doesn¡¯t really matter. ¡°Is that you¡­ Obito?!¡± A wide-eyed Kakashi mutters. The Copy Ninja stands frozen with shock and horror, his friend who he believed died at the Kannabi Bridge during the 3rd Great Ninja War. Obito was a hero that sacrificed his life for his comrades, a friend who gifted his eye before he died, a leaf ninja who wanted to become Hokage. Now here he stands as a ghost back from the dead, a threat to the entire world. ¡°I-Is that really Obito? I thought he was dead¡­¡± Guy asks thoroughly shocked as well. Confused, Naruto turns to look at his senior ninja and sees shock written on their faces; with his KCM2 cloak, he can feel their emotions coming off in waves. Naruto turns to see Jin¡¯s reaction; Jin stares down the Akatsuki leader, but he doesn¡¯t look surprised at all. In fact, Jin is looking at Obito, but they aren¡¯t focused on him; to Naruto, it is like Jin looking at something that hasn¡¯t happened yet, someone who hasn¡¯t appeared yet. ¡°Hmm?!¡± Naruto¡¯s attention wanders as he senses something happening on the other side of the battlefield. Naruto detects an intense rage followed by a colossal spike in chakra. The increase in chakra only lasts a very brief moment, but Naruto takes note of it. Shortly after the surge of chakra, a large explosion occurs in the same location; the tremors are felt even from Naruto and company¡¯s position. The explosion reminds Naruto of his own battles with Sasuke. ¡°Naruto¡­ you better watch out¡­¡± The Nine-Tails warns from within the seal. Confused, Naruto looks down and places his hand on his stomach. The hero of the leaf finds himself inside his own subconscious with his tailed beast right behind him. Through the dim light, Naruto can see that his tailed beast looks anxious, his tails cautiously sway from side to side, and he claws at the ground like a cornered animal ready to strike. Naruto gives his latest friend a confused look. ¡°...Kurama? What are you talking about?¡± ¡°I¡¯m talking about your friend, Jin and the other masked man. Both of their chakras are suspiciously similar to mine and the other tailed beasts.¡± Jin and that other masked guy¡­ like tailed beasts? Naruto strenuously reflects on Kurama¡¯s words. ¡°I don¡¯t fully get it, but you are saying that they¡¯re really strong, right?¡± Kurama¡¯s eyes widen for a moment and he sighs with vexation. ¡°...Something like¨C?!¡± The jinchuriki and his tailed beast¡¯s conversation is interrupted as something crash lands right beside Obito, a thick cloud of smoke and dust is kicked up by what landed. All the Alliance ninja are put on edge as they sense powerful chakra coming from what crashed. ¡°You¡¯re rather late.¡± Obito chastises the new arrival. ¡°This is the first exercise I¡¯ve had in a while. It took some time to¡­ get used to it again. But that¡¯s all over now¡± The smoke clears and dissipates to reveal the one speaking. He has his arms folded as he coldly stares down his opponents, his long and spiky hair flows in the breeze due to the shockwaves Naruto produces as he powers up. Naruto grits his teeth and balls his fists. ¡°Madara¡­ But I thought you were fighting with granny¡¯s team!¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- On another section of the battlefield, Echo and Mecha-Naruto (controlled by Jin) are in heated combat with Menma¡¯s five remaining masked beasts. The two stand back to back as the puppets balefully circle around them. Jin has Mecha-Naruto use his powerful processor to calculate the enemies¡¯ movements and shoot his eye beams based on where they should appear. Echo uses the Rinnegan¡¯s Asura Path to grow two extra pairs of arms, he has his spare hands open up into cannons; Echo uses his Byakugan to increase his field of vision and improve his aim. Each of the puppets manage to narrowly evade each shot fired, but are still grazed. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°WHEN DO THE REST APPEAR?¡± Jin asks using Mecha as a medium as it shoots down one of the masked beasts. The puppet Mecha-Naruto shot down resembled a tortoise with a shell made of overlapping plates. The masked beast crashes into a boulder thirty yards away, the defeated masked beast morphs into a masked fox kit. Echo continues shooting. ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°MORYO AND HIS ARMY¡­ IT¡¯S BEEN AWHILE SINCE WE¡¯VE ENCOUNTERED ANY TERRA COTTA WARRIORS OR MUGONHEI¡­ AND YOU NEVER DID TELL US WHEN EXACTLY MORYO WOULD APPEAR HIMSELF.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ I suppose it is time to talk about that¡­¡± Echo fires a blast of chakra straight through the chest of one of Menma¡¯s puppets. This masked beast is a bird with elegant and dramatic plumage. The bird-like puppet is skewered due to it crashing onto a patch of jagged rocks and boulders just a few yards away from the time-traveler. The masked beast reverts back into a masked fox kit. ¡°The remaining bulk of Moryo¡¯s army and his final two generals will launch a full scale assault when the Ten-Tails creates its fission clones. Moryo will lay low until Naruto and Sasuke get their six paths powers and fight Madara.¡± ¡°...AND YOU DIDN¡¯T TELL US THIS SOONER BECAUSE IT WOULD CHANGE THE TIMELINE IN A WAY YOU COULDN¡¯T PREDICT, RIGHT?¡± Jin asks through the Naruto duplicate. ¡°Pretty much. Why?¡± ¡°YOU KNOW DAMN WELL WH--¡± The two continue to fire upon the three remaining masked beasts when out of nowhere, a large explosion occurs some distance away. A large black sphere emerges from the violent explosion with a white digital pattern at the sphere''s core. Like an infection, the white pattern grows and expands outward and changes the sphere completely white. The last three masked beasts stop in their tracks and mysteriously go limp. They all shrink and turn into masked fox kits, with each of their eyes glowing red; even the defeated fox kits now have red eyes. All the fox kits immediately stand up like the undead and all fours and jump away in a streak of red light with their destination being the sphere of energy. ¡°OH, FUCK NO!!¡± Mecha-Naruto follows after them. Knowing what comes next already puts Jin in a panic, but the fact that this version of Menma fills Jin with soul crushing dread. He desperately makes the mechanical copy of Naruto fly like hell itself is on his tail. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Please make it in time! PLEASE! Jin prays as he hovers within the sphere. Jin is suspended in the air with light and energy all around him. He would be awestruck at the fluid patterns if not for the fact that he is face to face with Naruto¡¯s reflection in a cracked mirror. ¡°Ha ha ha ha! Had enough? Gnat. do you feel your grip on life slipping?¡± Menma sneers. ¡°Let go, embrace your death.¡± Jin stands his ground. ¡°Drop the bravado, Menma. No one¡¯s buying it.¡± Jin¡¯s masked adversary¡¯s robe and mask crumble away like sand due to the clash of their jutsu, his face is revealed. Menma looks virtually identical to Naruto, though his hair is black and he wears it in a longer and more shaggy-looking style, similar to his father''s. He also has darker and more feral-looking whisker marks, and dark circles under his eyes. Menma wears no shirt beneath his robe. What shocks Jin is what confirms his fears, it¡¯s Menma¡¯s eyes. The doppelganger¡¯s irises should be red with slit pupils, but they¡¯re like Jin¡¯s instead; they¡¯re purple with a ripple pattern. ¡°The Rinnegan. Where¡¯d you get ?!¡± Jin demands. Menma gives Jin a maniacal grin. ¡°If you must know, I had a friend once, a best friend. He had a nice pair of eyes¡­ they were wasted on him so I took them for myself.¡± Jin shudders as he watches this evil version of Naruto fondly look back on his past atrocities; Menma gleefully snickers without a care in the world. ¡°His older brother was quick to find out and tried to kill me. So I snapped his neck. Heh heh heh¡­ Oh, the memories.¡± This guy¡¯s a goddamn monster¡­ Jin feels his skin crawl. ¡°Now, *I* have a question for you¡­¡± Menma points at Jin. ¡°Since you are so curious about my eyes, it¡¯s only fair that you tell me how you got yours.¡± ¡°I ate a magic fruit.¡± ¡°A comedian, huh? Don¡¯t worry, you can improve your act all you want¡­ in hell.¡± The light grows brighter and brighter until everything goes white. Jin and Menma are repelled away from each other as the sphere finally dispels and vanishes. Jin recovers and lands on all fours. As he stands up, Menma is pelted in the back by a streak of red chakra, he is hit by another and another; this happens nine times consecutively. He glares daggers at Jin; When Jin glares back, he sees nothing, but pure evil in the doppelganger¡¯s eyes. The ground begins to shake and tremble, as Menma surges with chakra. A large explosion of smoke occurs at Menma¡¯s feet, blinding Jin. From within the smoke, Jin can see a large pair of glowing red eyes looking down at him. Something pokes out of the smoke, it looks to be a tail; with one swipe, the tail fans the smoke away. Jin looks up and sees Menma standing on top of his own Nine-Tails with a twisted look of victory. All of his tails sway in every direction. Drool drips from his gaping maw filled with rows of large, sharp fangs. The tailed beast readies itself by crouching down, poised to attack. ¡°DIIEEEEE!!!¡± Menma yells while his Black Nine-Tails rushes at Jin. Chapter 66 The Black Nine-Tails lunges at Jin, diving headfirst with its ferocious mouth open wide; Jin hurriedly jumps back and watches the tailed beast crash into the ground, it lifts its head up and spits out a mouthful of dirt and rock. The imposter fox shoots daggers at Jin with its icy gaze, it looks at Jin as if he is the sole reason for all of the beast''s anguish and hatred, the bane of its existence. The fox¡¯s tails swing back and forth wildly, its ears are erect, and its fur bristles. The Chimera jutsu, Rinnegan, Shikotsumyaku, and full control of his Nine-Tails¡­ A pondering Jin quietly mutters, ¡°What are you doing¡­? Hurry. Hurry. Hurry¡­¡± Jin confidently smirks as help has arrived; Mecha-Kurama speedily runs up from behind the Onikage and sprints right past him. The robotic duplicate connects a powerful right hook to the Black Nine-Tails¡¯ muzzle; before it is sent flying, Mecha grabs hold of two of its numerous tails and begins to spin around; the ground itself is being torn up as Menma¡¯s tailed beast tries to dig into the ground and anchor itself. Mecha spins faster and faster with each passing second until finally using the momentum to throw the tailed beast. The Black Nine-Tails is thrown several city blocks away and lands hard on its back. I should probably give Mecha-Kurama back his autonomy¡­ Jin thinks while he jumps onto the giant robot¡¯s head, he weaves a hand sign. ¡°Release.¡± ¡°HUH¡­? WHA--? M-MASTER? WHAT¡¯S GOING ON?¡± Mecha groggily asks, coming back to his senses. ¡°I¡¯ll fill you in later--right now, we¡¯ve got a fight on our hands!¡± Menma and his Nine-Tails have already recovered and are running full speed toward them. ¡°WHAT THE¡­? ANOTHER COPY? UNACCEPTABLE!!!¡± Mecha-Kurama roars in outrage and disbelief. Once close enough, Black Kurama slows down; the tailed beast skids along the ground some before finally coming to a full stop. Jin can sense the evil fox building up chakra in its mouth, the beast opens its toothy jaws and fires a Tailed Beast Bomb. Mecha-Kurama jumps out of the way, barely evading it; Black Kurama proceeds to fire more Tailed Beast Bombs and more. Mecha-Kurama runs faster while narrowly avoiding the incredibly dense spheres of chakra; some fly right over the mechanical fox, nearly grazing it while others hit the ground near Mecha-Kurama as it runs. Whenever they hit something or someone, it detonates into a large explosion and Jin can feel the heat coming from all of them. Still sprinting, Mecha-Kurama alters his path and is now running right for the evil fox, he gathers chakra in his mouth. Mecha counter attacks by shooting a few Tailed Beast Bombs of his own with incredible velocity. Black Kurama dodges the first one by ducking and evades the others by briskly jumping high into the air; both kaiju continue to shoot at each other with neither side wanting to lose ground, both defend their pride and majesty with tooth and claw. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Meanwhile, Madara is combating the Eight-Tails on the other side of the battlefield, he currently has the tailed beast tangled up in his Wood Dragon Jutsu; it¡¯s slowly draining the Eight-Tails of its chakra. Madara coldly stares the octopus down, certain of his own victory. ¡°...In order to enjoy the little time left, we really should clear out this battlefield first.¡± As Madara unleashes his Susanoo, something completely unexpected happens; a few stray Tailed Beast Bombs fly through they''re side of the battlefield. Some zip right past them without ever hitting anyone, while others¡­ ¡°Whoa!¡± Naruto shouts as he narrowly dodges one. One of these stray Tailed Beast Bombs is in fact headed right for Madara, The Ghost of the Uchiha quickly leaps out of the way only for the sphere of chakra to graze the Eight-Tails; it destroys some of the wood dragons tying down the giant octopus, allowing him to break free more easily than it would have been. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. A Hyuga with Wood Style, a powerful Crystal Style user, and two Nine-Tails imposters¡­ Madara quietly observes their battle in the distance. ¡°Much certainly has happened subsequent to my death.¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡­Won¡¯t be much longer now. Jin holds on to the back of Mecha-Kurama¡¯s head, he watches the barrier containing the Gedo Statue. Cracks are gradually starting form along the barrier¡¯s flaming, red surface, some are even growing bigger. ¡°AAGGHH!!¡± It is at this moment Jin feels a sharp, stinging, burning pain coming from his left shoulder. He reaches for the area in pain, it feels warm and wet. He feels something in the wound itself. With two fingers, Jin reaches into the injury and pulls out the foreign object; the object inquisition is a finger bone coated in Jin¡¯s blue blood. Did I¡­ just get shot¡­ by Menma?! After the realization, Jin is overcome with rage. ¡°We will triumph. You won¡¯t survive!¡± Menma screams his declaration from atop his tailed beast. Sharp bone spines protrude from the evil Naruto¡¯s body, specifically the upper half. Jin squirms with disgust at the sight of it. ¡°Hold on, Jin. We¡¯re coming.¡± Someone shouts from behind. Jin looks back and Rito with Ayanami, they are on top of the kunoichi¡¯s wooden Godzilla golem. The wooden reptile charges right past Mecha-Kurama and sprints right for Black Kurama; the Nine-Tails imposter follows suit. ¡°Just give up, you can¡¯t defeat us!¡± At full speed the two kaiju ram right into each other using headbutts, their collision creates a powerful shockwave that forces Mecha-Kurama to brace himself. Both Ayanami and Menma use the momentum from their beasts¡¯ motion to propel themselves into the air and right towards each other; both have their hands balled into fists. Menma throws a bone spine covered punch while screaming, ¡°YOU¡¯RE ALL GONNA DIE RIGHT NOW!!¡± ¡°Look, Menma¡­ Just give up on trying to make us give up!¡± Ayanami snaps back. The Hyuga kunoichi nimbly weaves her head out of the way of Menma¡¯s strike and quickly counters with a punch of her own, enhanced by the Twin Lion Fists. Her blow connects, slamming hard into Menma¡¯s face. The evil Naruto doppelganger is sent hurtling away; Black Kurama backs off and quickly chases after its jinchuriki, it reaches out its furry hand and catches Menma before he can crash into the rocky, battle scarred terrain. The wood kaiju holds its hand out for Ayanami to land elegantly on it. As the kunoichi breathes a breath of relief, Mecha-Kurama walks up to the wooden Godzilla; Jin sits squarely on the robot fox¡¯s head. ¡°That was pretty crash of you.¡± Jin gives a friendly thumbs up. Ayanami gives Jin a confused look. ¡°Crash?¡± ¡°Jin¡¯s using slang from that superhero show from his memories¡­¡± Rito informs. ¡°Y¡¯know, the one about the teenage sidekicks.¡± ¡°OH, right¡­ I remember now--the speedster''s grandson from the future said it.¡± Ayanami thinks back to her time in Jin¡¯s mindscape. ¡°Glad to see you¡¯re finally catching on to my sense of humor.¡± Their banter ends as a massive explosion goes off in the distance, it is so bright that it illuminates the battlefield for a brief moment; the explosion quickly dissipates, leaving behind a thick cloud of smoke. Jin and Ayanami no longer detect any chakra coming from the statue, they do however, sense a vast influx of nature energy coming in the direction of the smokescreen. ¡°I-I think¡­ I think we should start using our true strength now.¡± Ayanami meekly suggests. ¡°No. Not until Naruto and Sasuke get six path po--HEY! WHERE THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU¡¯RE GOING?!!¡± Jin calls out to Menma who has recovered and is headed right for Naruto and Madara¡¯s location; the large smokescreen in the distance suddenly parts, revealing the Ten-Tails. ¡°RAAAAAAAWWWWRRR!!¡± The Ten-Tails opens its one massive eye and releases a blood curdling roar. ¡°After him! We need to keep Naruto safe!¡± Jin orders. The team ride on their kaiju and swiftly chase after the evil doppelganger. Hiatus Notice Due to the weather, there was an internet outage in my neighborhood and it only just got fixed last night. I promise you, the readers, that the next chapter will be finished and uploaded next week. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. Chapter 67 Black Kurama is currently sprinting with haste toward the Ten-Tails, Menma holds on to his tailed beast¡¯s fur just behind its large ears. Jin, Ayanami, and Rito are gaining on them with their kaiju. Mecha-Kurama fires his eye beams, but Black Kurama side steps to the left. Rito erects a giant pillar of crystal burst out of the ground right in front of Black Kurama; the fox doppelganger charges forward and rams the crystalline structure, shattering it completely. ¡°Get back here and fight us, you damn coward!¡± A frustrated Jin shouts before firing a Vacuum Bullet from his mouth. ¡°Heh¡­ Like I¡¯m gonna stop just because you tell me to. Digital Shrapnel!¡± Menma turns back and points at Jin, shooting a finger bone. The projectiles fired by Jin and Menma travel in each other''s paths. They collide with a loud clang; Jin¡¯s Vacuum Bullet is dispelled while Menma¡¯s finger bone ricochets and flies off into the ether. Ayanami urgently weaves the snake hand sign. ¡°Wood Style: Wood Dragon Barrage!¡± The kunoichi¡¯s wooden kaiju opens its massive jaws and four serpentine dragons fly out of the golem¡¯s maw, the wood dragons race toward the tailed beast doppelganger. After catching up to Black Kurama¡¯s rear, the first dragon quickly slithers around all of its tails, coiling around them and binding them all tightly. The second dragon dives into the ground and swiftly resurfaces under the fox, narrowly coiling around one of the fox¡¯s hind legs. The third dragon darts for the doppelganger¡¯s left arm and binds it while the final wood dragon reaches for Black Kurama¡¯s neck and tightly coils around it. Due to being chained in an awkward manner, Menma¡¯s tailed beast collapses onto the rocky ground. All four wood dragons begin to constrict their chosen body part, their grip growing tighter and tighter. Black Kurama struggles to break free, but to no avail; he feels his great strength leaving him. With his remaining strength, Black Kurama reaches for Menma with his one free hand and grabs him. The fox winds his arm back and with one mighty swing, throws his jinchuriki at the Ten-Tails. And with that, a satisfied Black Kurama disappears in an explosion of smoke. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- They¡¯re so annoying, I¡¯ll make sure to kill them all before the day is over¡­! A furious Menma laments as he hurdles towards the Ten-Tails. Noticing that he¡¯s nearing his destination, Menma performs a series of flips to maneuver himself and slightly alter his course; these flips cause the evil doppelganger to descend faster. Menma braces himself as he brashly lands on the massive tailed beast¡¯s head at the exact same time as Obito and Madara. Menma coldly glares daggers at his heroic doppelganger down below while he stands to the right of the Akatsuki leader. Madara glances over at the young man at his and Obito¡¯s side with suspicion. ¡°And just who the hell are you?¡± ¡°Hmph. You can just think of me as an ally¡­ For now, old man.¡± Menma coldly dismisses the Ghost of the Uchiha with brazen assurance. As the two Rinnegan wielders size each other up, tendrils shoot out of the Ten-Tails and attach themselves to Madara, Menma, and Obito; the tendrils attach themselves specifically to the nape of the ninjas¡¯ necks. Arms folded, the reanimated Uchiha turns his attention back to the motley crew before them due to Mecha-Kurama and the Wood Kaiju regrouping with Naruto and company. ¡°I had planned to capture those two before the Ten-Tails fully revived, but¡­ they¡¯re surprisingly good.¡± Menma smiles maniacally. ¡°So what? That just means we can have a little more fun with them before they die.¡± ¡°I want to start the Infinite Tsukuyomi ritual now.¡± Obito exclaims. ¡°That massive genjutsu requires time to summon the moon. They¡¯ll interfere with the jutsu, it¡¯ll go more smoothly if we use the statue¡¯s power to get rid of them first. Don¡¯t you agree?¡± Madara suggests. ¡°Heh. As long as the other me dies, I don¡¯t really care.¡± Menma adds. ¡°You two just want to test out the Ten-Tails¡¯ power don¡¯t you? You¡¯re just like children.¡± Obito snickers. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Disgusting! The Ten-Tails looks like some weird unholy fusion of plant and flesh in real life. Jin is put off by the very sight of the one-eyed beast¡¯s grotesque skin texture. The Ten-Tails is brown in color and titanic in size; one of its hands is larger than any of the tailed beasts. It has a single eye, which takes up most of its head, and spiky protrusions growing out of its back in a shape reminiscent of a conch shell. The Ten-Tails possesses a malformed bulb-like body with long arms and clawed hands, but no visible hind legs, as well as a wide mouth with multiple rows of pointed teeth and a single spike on its chin. Dark veins similar to those of a plant ran along its body, and the endings of its tails resembled leaf buds. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°Listen up! First, we keep our distance and see what move he makes.¡± Kurama speaks, using Naruto¡¯s chakra avatar as a medium. ¡°We¡¯ll counter it with a big blow as close as we can get. Like I said earlier.¡± Annoyed, Mecha-Kurama snarls, ¡°HMPH. WHILE I HATE THE IDEA OF TAKING ORDERS FROM MY LOATHSOME COPY¡­ I¡¯LL MAKE AN EXCEPTION GIVEN THE CURRENT CIRCUMSTANCES.¡± ¡°RAAAAAAAWWWWRRR!!¡± The Ten-Tails roars again, reaching out its right arm. The giant beast digs into the ground and pulls itself forward; due to its massive size the Ten-Tails creates a colossal smokescreen just from crawling. All of the Ninja Alliance kaiju quickly turn tail and run as fast as they can with a giant dust cloud right behind them. The Ten-Tails¡¯ left arm blasts out of the smoke to catch one of the kaiju, but they all manage to leap some distance away. Upon landing the Kurama avatar doubles back and runs toward the Ten-Tails; the translucent golden fox jumps up to claw at the Ten-Tails¡¯ eye, but the behemoth swats Kurama away as if he were a mere fly. ¡°Go now, Eight-O!¡± Gyuki builds up chakra in his mouth. Kurama and Mecha-Kurama begin to build up chakra in their mouths as well. All three kaiju have spheres of chakra in their mouths with a 8:2 ratio of positive black chakra and negative white chakra. The kaiju consume the balls and fire it from their mouths as a flurry of projectiles at the behemoth. ¡°¡±¡±TAILED BEAST BOMB BARRAGE!!!¡±¡±¡± The Ten-Tails¡¯ immediately puckers its lips before its entire face quickly implodes into its own mouth, various parts of the monsters¡¯ body bulge. The Ten-Tails opens its mouth wide with a Tailed Beast Bomb of its own hovering inside, it fires as a powerful condensed beam. The beam overwhelms the three kaiju¡¯s Tailed Beast Bombs and dissipates them like their nothing; the beam continues on and is swung around by the behemoth. Hmm¡­ I wonder if Kishimoto was inspired by Bardock and Frieza when he wrote this scene? Jin ponders as he is holding his out, aiming for Ayanami. ¡°Universal Pull.¡± ¡°Whoooaa?!¡± Ayanami yelps as she is yanked away from her Godzilla statue. The wooden reptile is the first to be engulfed by the Ten-Tails¡¯ Tailed Beast Bomb beam and is completely disintegrated in a matter of seconds. Mecha-Kurama, Kurama, and Gyuki all tightly coil their tails around themselves to somewhat protect themselves. Everything begins to shake as the beam engulfs the mechanized fox; Ayanami, Jin, and Rito all brace themselves, shielding their eyes from the intense bright light. ¡°Please hold, please hold, please hold¡­¡± Rito mutters while having his fingers crossed. ¡°WOW¡­ that thing could still kill us if we¡¯re not careful¡­¡± A dejected Ayanami stares at what are probably her golem¡¯s ashes. ¡°Where were you when Kurama said that that thing is pure nature energy?¡± Jin asks, keeping his head down. ¡°And why are you so upset over that statue? You can just make another one.¡± Ayanami gives Jin the puppy-dog pout. ¡°But that one was my first one, it was awesome¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, that thing was pretty cool.¡± Jin agrees. Appalled by their conversation, Rito interjects, ¡°How are you both not worried about this? WE ARE IN THE LITERAL MOTHER OF ALL MONSTER¡¯S BEAM OF DEATH!!¡± ¡°Hmm? Oh. Mecha, how ya doing?¡± ¡°IF I HAD PAIN RECEPTORS, I¡¯D PROBABLY BE IN AGONY. I¡¯M GRATEFUL YOU AND ECHO MADE ME AS POWERFUL AS THE FULL NINE-TAILS...¡± Mecha-Kurama replies in a strained tone. ¡°THOUGH AFTER MY BATTLE WITH THE BLACK NINE-TAILS AND THIS BEAM, I¡¯LL STILL HAVE TO REVERT BACK TO MY NORMAL FORM SOON.¡± The Ten-tails¡¯ beam finally dissipates, leaving behind scorched earth; Jin notices that some of Mecha¡¯s tails have been destroyed. Sensing chakra coming from above, Ayanami and Jin look up and see Gyuki diving at the Ten-Tails with a Tailed Beast Bomb in his mouth. ¡°I¡¯m smashing this right into his eyeball!¡± ¡°Now! Mecha! DO IT!!¡± Jin furiously shouts at the top of his lungs. The Eight-Tails fires its Tailed Beast Bomb at the Ten-Tails. However, the mindless behemoth raises its right hand and casually flicks the jutsu away as if it were nothing, but a mere ant. The Ten-Tails watches the Eight-Tails get hit by his own attack and fly off when it feels something unusual; something sharp has grabbed onto its face. The behemoth looks down with its massive eye as sees Mecha-Kurama on its mouth, it can feel the machine dig is cold claws in between its lips. ¡°UGH¡­ NGH¡­! J-JUST OPEN DAAAMMIT!¡± Mecha-Kurama grunts, struggling to pry the beast¡¯s mouth open. Sparks begin to fly off of Mecha¡¯s joints. The gear mechanisms in Mecha-Kurama¡¯s body become audible as the robot fox strains itself to open the Ten-Tails mouth; growing concerned, Jin claps his hands together. Please don¡¯t give, please, don¡¯t give¡­ Jin quietly prays. ¡°HRAAAAGH!!¡± Pushing past his own limits, Mecha-Kurama heaves with everything he¡¯s got and lifts with his legs. Slowly, but surely the Ten-Tails¡¯ lips open wider and wider until both Jin and Mecha-Kurama can peer down the giant, deep, dark tunnel that is the behemoth¡¯s throat; Mecha-Kurama proceeds to amass chakra in his mouth. Taking a deep breath, Jin roars, ¡°Fire EVERYTHING you¡¯ve got down the bastard¡¯s gullet!¡± The mechanical fox shoots a Tailed Beast Bomb into the Ten-Tails¡¯ mouth, it makes contact with the walls of the esophagus and detonates into a massive explosion. Mecha fires more and more bombs down the behemoth¡¯s throat; Mecha-Kurama shoots faster and faster with each passing second. To Jin, the barrage of Tailed Beast Bombs being fired sounds like the fusion of a cannon and a minigun. The continuous explosions cause the Ten-Tails¡¯ to stretch and bulge all over with light being emitted from the numerous growths. The Ten-Tails begins to inflate like a giant balloon due to all the Tailed Beast Bombs Mecha is unleashing. Realizing what¡¯s about to happen, Jin starts banging furiously on Mecha from the back of his head. ¡°Okay, that¡¯s enough! GET CLEAR!¡± Chapter 68 As Gyuki crashes into the ground near Kurama, the Ten-Tails detonate because of all of Mecha-Kurama¡¯s Tailed Beast Bombs. The explosion is massive and sends out shockwaves so strong that the shinobi and the tailed beasts have to anchor themselves to the ground by focusing chakra into their feet. ¡°AAIEEEEE!!¡± Mecha is sent flying away by the blast with Jin clinging on to one of the robotic fox¡¯s ears; Jin is clinging so tight that he wonders if he welded his hands to the ear. Jin groans as singed skin begins to heal, but his hands continue to burn as Mecha-Kurama is still hot to the touch; Mecha is so hot that he looks like he¡¯s glowing. As Mecha-Kurama crash lands near the group, Jin releases his grip and runs around in a panic. ¡°Hot, hot, hot, hot, hot, hot!¡± Jin yelps before vigorously blows on his burning palms. All this pain¡­ I¡¯m seriously considering going all out now. ¡°Dammit! It¡¯s time¡­¡± Kurama exclaims in frustration through the chakra avatar Gyuki adds, ¡°Sorry, Bee! This is it for me!¡± The Kurama chakra avatar dissipates, leaving Naruto, Kakashi, and Guy to slowly descend to the ground while Gyuki shrinks down and reverts back to Killer Bee; steadily cooling off, Mecha-Kurama shrinks down as well and reverts back to his Mecha-Naruto form. Jin pay much attention as he is distracted by the strange sensation of his hands growing a new layer of skin while the skin that was burned flakes off, scattering in the wind. While having a healing factor is great, the very sight of my regeneration just looks so damn alien, it¡¯s so fucking gross¡­ A shuddering Jin thinks to himself. Naruto stands strong and undeterred, he faces down the Ten-Tails and the three fearsome shinobi atop its head; the Hero of the Hidden Leaf weaves his signature hand sign. Ayanami and Jin both step forward and stand side by side with the titular character. ¡°Don¡¯t, Naruto! It¡¯s meaningless to create shadow clones that will split up your chakra even more¡­¡± Kakashi attempts to talk down the young Uzumaki while he holds Guy¡¯s right arm around his shoulder, hoisting him up. ¡°They might be useful as diversions, but not decisive hits. And if you go down, we¡¯ll lose this war.¡± ¡°Actually, we won¡¯t lose the war if Naruto dies--I can assure you.¡± Jin scoffs at Kakashi¡¯s claims. Should Naruto actually die, I¡¯ll just end this war and seal the Ten-Tails inside Sasuke, then we¡¯ll focus our efforts on Moryo¡­ With his peripheral vision, Jin can see Naruto giving him the stink eye; Naruto is clearly upset over Jin¡¯s dismissal of the prospect of him dying. However, Jin pays Naruto no mind as he has already committed to keeping him safe. ¡°You all were just a motley crew anyway!¡± Madara heckles, looking down on them. With a coy smile, Ayanami asks, ¡°Heh heh heh. If we¡¯re really as weak as you say, why haven¡¯t you beaten us yet?¡± ¡°The Eight and Nine-Tails are the only reason you¡¯re still alive.¡± Obito answers. ¡°Yes, you do need Naruto and Bee alive to extract their tailed beasts, but what about me, Jin, Rito, Echo, Kakashi, and Guy? WE don¡¯t have tailed beasts, you don¡¯t need us alive.¡± ¡°Maybe, we¡¯re stronger than you realize¡­¡± Jin interjects with a smug grin. ¡°OR maybe¡­ YOU are the motley crew.¡± The Ten-Tails opens its colossal mouth wide and amasses chakra, preparing to fire yet another Tailed Beast Bomb. In a cold tone, Obito tells the group, ¡°This discussion is getting us nowhere¡­ so just disappear along with the rest of the world!¡± The Ten-Tails closes its mouth shut with the dense sphere of chakra still inside. The behemoth opens its large maw and fires a Tailed Beast Bomb in the form of a powerful beam of chakra. However, instead of hitting Naruto and company, the beam is several meters off and hits a mountain range far off in the distance; the beam leaves behind a thick cloud of smoke and scarring on the ground. Not much longer now¡­ Jin broods. ¡°W-What the¨C?! H-He missed?¡± Kakashi stammers with shock and confusion. ¡°Kakashi! Guy! Sorry we¡¯re late.¡± The head of the Hyuga clan, Hiashi Hyuga speaks as he and several other ninja land near them. A frustrated Ino lands near them with Hinata at her side. ¡°I can¡¯t believe he shook off my Byakugan-aided, spot-on Mind Transfer in just 2 seconds!¡± I¡¯m just gonna tune them out and wait for things to progress¡­ Jin thinks to himself, maintaining a respectful silence. One after another, more and more ninja arrive on the battlefield. Jin tenses up and freezes when Shino along with several other Aburame clan members arrive; to Jin¡¯s anguish, they just so happened to land just a few feet behind him. ¡±¡±¡±¡±¡±¡±BEETLE JAMMING JUTSU!!¡±¡±¡±¡±¡±¡± The Aburame clan members present release scores and scores of their insects to the point that they create a giant swarm that darken the sky. Don¡¯ttouchme! Don¡¯ttouchme! Don¡¯ttouchme! Don¡¯ttouchme! Don¡¯ttouchme¡­ Jin panics internally with sweat now running down his face. ¡°*groan*¡± ¡°¡±¡±¡±¡±¡±HIDDEN MIST JUTSU!!¡±¡±¡±¡±¡±¡± A number of Hidden Mist shinobi shout in unison as they arrive, filling the air with a thick mist. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. The mist and the insects work in conjunction with each other to block out their enemies¡¯ visual prowess as well as their ability to track the Ninja Alliance. As more and more Alliance shinobi gather, Sakura arrives and proceeds to heal Might Guy. ¡°First Company has arrived on the scene!¡± Darui reports as he lands in the mist. ¡°Second Company has also arrived!¡± The stone jonin, Kitsuchi reports in. The leaf ninja lands, reporting, ¡°Third Company has arrived!¡± ¡°Fourth Company has arrived!¡± Shikamaru reports. Temari lands beside the next head of the Nara clan along with a menagerie of other Alliance ninja. The Samurai leader, Mifune walks into the mist with an army of samurai, stating, ¡°Fifth Company has arrived!¡± ¡°The Medical Unit¡¯s here too.¡± Shizune reports as she heals a leaf ninja, several other medical ninjas stand near the Medical Unit captain, healing the surrounding ninja. ¡°Sensory Unit¡¯s arrived as well.¡± Cee reports. ¡°You call THAT, ¡®hiding¡¯?¡± Madara sneers with a thunderous voice. Lifting up one of its many tails, the Ten-Tails whips it around and blows away the smokescreen with a mighty swipe. The mist cloud dissipates and the beetles are all blown away; Jin calms down some. What was hiding in the mist is revealed to be a massive army of ninja from the Five Great Ninja. Jin looks around and sees that there are ninja from other villages that he recognizes from games and anime filler in the large crowd with him, he can¡¯t help but smile with amusement as he is in a Where¡¯s Waldo splash page of Naruto characters from all throughout the franchise. ¡°Not motley crew now, huh?¡± Naruto mocks the three adversaries above. ¡°What you''re lookin¡¯ at here is¡­ the Allied Shinobi Forces Jutsu--the world¡¯s greatest, most invincible, super-duper ninjutsu, ya know! A Jutsu that trumps the Infinite Tsukuyomi, remember that!!¡± ¡°The ¡°Allied Shinobi Forces Jutsu¡¯? What a joke.¡± Menma callously dismisses Naruto¡¯s claims. ¡°We¡¯re gonna stop the three of you with this jutsu!¡± Obito sighs. ¡°You¡¯re wrong. Why won¡¯t yo¨C¡± ¡°HEY!!!¡± Everyone turns their attention to the one who interrupted Obito, it was Rito. The young boy stands proudly with his arms crossed, he wears a look of confidence. ¡°Sorry to interrupt, but I move that we skip this pointless debate and get right to the fighting.¡± Rito makes sure his words are loud and enough for all to hear. ¡°I second Rito¡¯s motion. ATTACK!¡± Jin throws three black receivers. Madara and Menma each catch one while the final one passes right through Obito. A number of Alliance ninja quickly scatter and surround the Ten-Tails. ¡°Our intel shows that the enemy boasts impressive eyes. So first we¡¯ll impede their movements by destroying their vision.¡± Shikaku speaks telepathically through Inoichi¡¯s Mind Transmission jutsu. A multitude of Hidden Cloud Ninja get into formation, standing before the behemoth and weave hand signs. ¡°¡±¡±¡°¡±¡°Lightning Style: Flash Pillar!¡±¡±¡±¡±¡±¡± ¡°¡±¡±¡°¡±¡°Gale Style: Laser Circus!¡±¡±¡±¡±¡±¡± All of these techniques going off in unison create a powerful, blinding light; its effectiveness is proven due to the Ten-Tails having to cover up its massive eye. While the Ten-Tails continues to cover its eye, Temari and a number of sand ninja begin weaving hand signs. ¡°¡±¡±¡°¡±¡±Wind Style: Air Current Dance!¡±¡±¡±¡±¡±¡± The sand ninja create and control air currents from the palms of their hands. The technique easily whips up loose dust in the area, creating a controllable dust storm with the Aburame insects flying through the currents. ¡°After shutting down all their senses, we¡¯ll immobilize them.¡± Shikaku continues. Scores and scores of stone ninja weave hand signs. ¡°¡±¡±¡±¡±¡±Earth Style: Vast Mobile Core!¡±¡±¡±¡±¡±¡± The terrain around the Ten-Tails cracks and shifts to alter the elevation, the ground quickly sinks and traps the behemoth within a giant hole in the ground. While the behemoth sinks deeper and deeper into the ground, many ninja from the Leaf, Mist, and Stone Villages swiftly weave signs. ¡°¡±¡±¡°¡±¡±Lava Style: Quicklime Jutsu!¡±¡±¡±¡±¡±¡± ¡°¡±¡±¡°¡±¡±Water Style: Water Bomb Jutsu!¡±¡±¡±¡±¡±¡± ¡°¡±¡±¡±¡±¡±Fire Style: Majestic Flame Jutsu!¡±¡±¡±¡±¡±¡± The ninja from the three hidden villages launch their techniques simultaneously. The Ten-Tails is completely drenched in Hidden Stone Ninjas¡¯ quicklime while the water from the Hidden Mist ninjas rapidly stirs up the quicklime; the Hidden Leaf ninjas¡¯ fire jutsu dry the mixture while also burns the Ten-Tails in the process. ¡°Let it set and presto! Immobilized.¡± The Alliance cease their assault and it is just as Shikaku says, the water and fire transformed the quicklime into makeshift quick drying cement. All of the alliance ninja stare down at the Ten-Tails as they infuse chakra and prepare jutsu; Jin holds a Fire Style: Gelel Rasenshuriken over his head with both hands and Ayanami has a Sage Art: Lightning Beast Running Jutsu at the ready. ¡°If we take down those three casters, the Infinite Tsukuyomi can¡¯t launch¡­ However, it¡¯s best to assume that Ten-Tails¡¯ power can¡¯t be suppressed for long. Only physical attacks work on Madara, so shinobi with taijutsu skills will go after him--Obito can slip through all moves and jutsu, but according to intel--only for 5 minutes¡­ coordinate with the Medical Unit and continuously attack for MORE than 5 minutes. As for the last one¡­ we don¡¯t yet fully know w¨C¡± ¡°Oh, Ayanami and I will handle Menma, leave him to us.¡± Jin uses the Mind Transmission Jutsu to telepathically speak to Shikaku and the rest of the Ninja Alliance. ¡°Alright, you two will deal with him. Naruto, that¡¯s right, it¡¯s time for your¡­¡± Jin, Rito, and Ayanami jump into the hole along with the entire Ninja Alliance army, descending on the Ten-Tails as if they were a unified swarm of wasps; some shinobi are weaving hand signs while others already have their jutsu at the ready. Even though the situation is quite serious, the three reincarnations can¡¯t help but feel an innate sense of excitement and joy. ¡°ALLIED SHINOBI FORCES JUTSU!!!¡± Naruto shouts at the top of his lungs. An excited smile slowly creeps onto Jin¡¯s face as he is with Naruto and Ayanami, at the tip of the spear. All things considered, this is actually kinda fun. I should be terrified for what comes next, but I¡¯m not¡­ It¡¯s WEIRD. Chapter 69 Not much longer ¡®til Sasuke and the others arrive¡­ I need to keep Menma off of Naruto for the time being. Jin analyzes the situation as he throws his jutsu at the Ten-Tails. ¡°Crystal Style: Burst Crystal Falling Dragon!¡± Rito shouts, hurling a large crystalline dragon at the Ten-Tails. Ayanami as well as Naruto throw their own jutsu at the behemoth who is at the bottom of the giant pit, many other ninja are also launching various other long range jutsu of their own. The Alliance¡¯s target isn¡¯t necessarily the Ten-Tails, but the three Rinnegan wielders standing on its head; Madara, Menma, and Obito all appear to be quite calm given their current position. The multitude of long-range ninjutsu have traveled only about halfway down the pit when the Ten-Tails finally reacts; its tails all simultaneously bristle, causing numerous cracks in the quicklime cement. Suddenly, the tails change, growing hands at the end of each tail; the tails blast out of the pit, disrupting all of the jutsu thrown at it, and knocking all of the alliance ninjas out and away from the hole. I need to have my Susano¡¯o ready for this part¡­ Jin quickly recovers and lands, his Rinnegan changing from their usual purple to a red hue. A golden yellow aura of chakra erupts from Jin¡¯s body, surrounding him. A skeletal arm grows from out of the aura and raises itself into the sky, catching Rito as he is sent flying overhead due to the Ten-Tails'' transformation. The behemoth eerily claws its way out of the giant hole with a new appearance, taking the shape of an emaciated humanoid with elongated limbs and a twisting neck. It now possesses visible legs, which it presently uses along with its right arm to stand, as its left arm is now missing from the elbow down. The beast''s head was altered greatly, as its eye remained on the front of its head, it grew a single ear on the right side, and its mouth--which now contained straight teeth and bore a grin--moved to the left side, with a single triangular nostril appearing above it. Several horns formed on various parts on its head: two above each side of its face, two beneath its eye, and another below its ear. ¡°Let¡¯s show them¡­ WHAT DESPAIR IS!!¡± Obito shouts from the behemoth¡¯s head. The Ten-Tails lurches back for a moment and opens its mouth, amassing chakra for a Tailed Beast Bomb. Kitsuchi immediately performs the Earth Style: Mobile core jutsu; the ground under one of the Ten-Tails¡¯ feet swiftly changes elevation, throwing the behemoth¡¯s aim off. The dense sphere is sent hurtling several mountain ranges away, the explosion in the distance is so massive that even the shinobi without visual prowess of any kind can see quite clearly. That¡¯s one, gotta time this JUST right¡­ Jin¡¯s Susano''o develops its full skeletal form, focusing both sage chakra and gelel energy into its right hand. The Ten Tails recovers and gathers more chakra, firing another Tailed Beast Bomb; the recoil causes it to clumsily fall flat on its back. It even fires another bomb while still on its back, the behemoth slowly gets back on all-threes and fires one more Tailed Beast Bomb. ¡­I gotcha in my sights, bitch! An urgent Jin along with his Susano''o turn around, quickly. ¡°Susano¡¯o: Lightning Style Gelel Rasenshuriken!¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Th-This¡­ This is¡­?!¡± The mist ninja, Ao senses through the Sensing Water Sphere what is coming. ¡°What is it, Lord Ao?¡± Inoichi asks, calmly. Realizing this is the end, Ao tries to keep himself calm and collected before speaking, a drop of sweat runs down his brow. ¡°Please¡­ listen to me calm--HUH?!¡± Ao is overcome with a mix of surprise and relief. The danger had passed, the Tailed Beast Bomb that was headed right for them was intercepted by another powerful jutsu. Both were knocked into the stratosphere and detonated safely with no casualties of any kind. Intrigued, Shikaku asks, ¡°Well, what is it? What happ¨C¡± ¡°I just saved all your asses--THAT¡¯S what happened!¡± Jin telepathically communicates with the Mind Transmission jutsu, his mental voice is loud and reeks of pride. ¡°AHA HA HA HA HA HA!!!¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°That felt GREAT!¡± Jin cheers in satisfaction. ¡°No need to get a swelled head about it.¡± Rito jeers, sarcastically; he jokingly elbows his friend. ¡°Having fun?¡± Echo asks, appearing behind the two. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°A blast! And uh¡­ where the hell have you been?¡± Walking up from behind Echo is Mecha-Naruto, the robotic duplicate stands at the ready--gunning for a fight. ¡°As you can see, I¡¯ve repaired Mecha.¡± Echo gestures toward the machine. Their brief moment ends as everyone¡¯s focus immediately shifts back on the Ten-Tails as it is up to something. All of the behemoth¡¯s tails reach to the sky in an arc-like manner with the hands at the end of each tail facing the Ninja Alliance forces. Rows and rows of wooden spikes slowly grow out of the beast¡¯s many palms and fingers; to Jin, Echo, and Rito, the sight before them looks like there are several cacti shaped like hands. ¡°WOOD STYLE: CUTTING SPRIGS JUTSU!¡± The countless rows of spikes rain down upon the Allied Shinobi Forces, killing many. ¡°¡±¡±¡±¡±¡±AAGGHH!!!¡±¡±¡±¡±¡±¡± ¡°¡±¡±¡±¡±¡±UWAAAAAAAAGGGHHHH!¡±¡±¡±¡±¡±¡± ¡°¡±¡±¡±¡±¡±URRRRRGHAAAAAAHHHH!!¡±¡±¡±¡±¡±¡± Many ninja from numerous villages, men and women, the young and the old scream in agony as they are skewered and mangled by the shower of spikes; their collective spilt blood soaks the scarred ground, painting it scarlet red. Jin has to block it all out as he knows that if he looks back, he¡¯ll have another panic attack. Jin quickly pours more of his chakra into his Susano¡¯o to the point that the ethereal avatar is covered in armor and grows a shield on its left arm. The Susano¡¯o quickly raises its shield and braces itself, blocking numerous wooden spikes. Rito erects a giant wall of crystal for an added layer of defense; coincidentally, a number of shinobi are saved as they just so happened to be standing directly behind Jin¡¯s Susano¡¯o. ¡°Jin, you alright?¡± Rito asks with concern as he notices both of Jin¡¯s eyes twitching. Jin winces, ¡°Ngh¡­! Whenever I use this, everything hurts. It¡¯s like every cell in my body is on fire, electrocuted, and has acid being poured on them.¡± Rito is taken aback. ¡°That sounds a lot like the gympie-gympie¡­ only worse!¡± As Jin watches Naruto step forward and throw several Rasenshurikens, he senses a chakra signature appear directly below him; Jin is intimately familiar with this signature. The Onikage smiles in elation as a black, viscous liquid gushes from the ground at Jin¡¯s feet. ¡°Looks like just--*burp* ¡­in the nick of time.¡± The puddle of black liquid eerily rises to eye level. It forms two large red eyes and a large smile filled with rows of razor-sharp teeth. The black mass then forms a pair of slender arms and legs; the creature gets down on one knee, kneeling in reverence. Shrugging, Jin quips, ¡°Well, Mileena¡­ A couple of minutes ago wouldn¡¯t have been so bad either¡­¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Sage Art: Eight Trigrams Air Wall Palm!¡± Using both hands, Ayanami sends out a powerful wave of compressed sage chakra from her palms with great force, destroying a wave of wooden spikes and protecting a number of alliance ninja. The kunoichi notices the Hyuga clan head, Hiashi knocks back one of the Ten-Tails¡¯ hands; the young lady bolts in the direction of Naruto, she runs as fast as her legs can carry her. She remembers what Jin showed her in his own memories about what happens now and what will be many years later, this knowledge only fuels her desire to change the fates of those closest to her. As she gets closer, Ayanami can see Hinata jumping in front of Naruto to shield him from a focused wave of oncoming spikes. Blood begins to roar in Ayanami¡¯s ears as she starts building up her chakra. Ayanami urgently weaves the snake hand sign. ¡°Sage Art: Wood Style¡­!¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- With his Byakugan activated, Neji can see which spikes are going to pierce Hinata. The prodigal member of the branch family jumps in-between Hinata and the oncoming spikes. Neji braces himself, he closes his eyes and waits for the end. However, something unexpected occurs; he continues to wait and wait, yet nothing happens. Neji opens his eyes and looks back and sees Ayanami standing behind him with a five foot thick wooden dome wall standing strong in front of her. The wall stretches twelve feet tall and six feet wide. Both surprised and confused, all Neji can think is, Ayanami?! ¡°Oh my, that was close¡­!¡± A desperate Ayanami exhales; she slowly starts calming down. The leaf kunoichi turns to face her fellow clansman and starts walking toward him, he can see her holding his forehead protector which was knocked off by a prior spike. Ayanami stands face-to-face with Neji, her warm hand pressing against his forehead; she wears a look of compassion mixed with determination. ¡°Ayanami? What¡¯re yo¨C¡± ¡°I WAS going to do this when I had absolute respect and renown from the whole clan¡­¡± Ayanami interrupts, her hand still firmly on Neji¡¯s forehead. ¡°...But NOW? I realize that I should¡¯ve done this much sooner--consequences be damned¡­¡± ¡°?!¡± Neji gasps. Ayanami weaves a sign with the hand that is holding his headband, she injects her chakra into Neji with the hand that is still on his forehead. She removes her hand and shows Neji his headband, he can see his reflection in the metal plate. His eyes widen; his face is covered in sweat and dirt, a few scrapes and bruises, but what truly surprises him is that there is nothing on his forehead. The curse mark that plagued the branch family, the same mark that was placed on Neji when he was four years old, was gone. ¡°Our clan has a number of in-house policies that I never agreed with. This is the one I detest the most.¡± A smiling Ayanami explains herself, handing Neji back his forehead protector. ¡°I-I¡­ I don¡¯t know what to say¡­¡± A singular tear runs down Neji¡¯s face as he looks on at Ayanami with hope in his eyes; he takes back his headband and puts it back on with renewed vigor. Ayanami continues to hold out her hand, welcomingly. ¡°I decree that there are no more main and side branch families. From now on we are all simply, ¡®Hyuga¡¯. Will you fight at my side, Neji?¡± With new found morale, Neji takes her hand. ¡°I will.¡± ¡°And so will I.¡± Hinata adds, listening to Neji and Ayanami¡¯s conversation. Side Chapter 9 ¡°Guh¡­!¡± Ayanami drowsily grunts, waking up. The young Hyuga lies sprawled on the ground, her eyes darting in every direction, everything is spinning, everything is a vivid blur. She tries to sit up, but she feels a pair of hands, pushing her back onto the ground. ¡°...nami, don¡¯t move! I¡¯m still treating your wounds...¡± A yellow and violet blur says with a girl¡¯s voice. Ayanami slowly comes out of her daze, her eyes beginning to focus and see the world clearly. The one speaking to her is none other than one of Lady Tsunade¡¯s students, Ino Yamanaka; the next head of the Yamanaka clan is on the ground, healing Ayanami¡¯s injuries with her medical ninjutsu. ¡°*huff*... *huff*... Ngh¡­!¡± Ayanami winces. The Hyuga kunoichi notices that her right elbow has an intense pain. Not only is she unable to move it, it hurts even more when she tries to move it. She can even taste her own blood. ¡°Why would she do something like that¡­!¡± Another voice says, it¡¯s a boy¡¯s voice this time. Ayanami turns her head to her left and sees Sakura¡¯s back, the pink-haired kunoichi is hunched over on her knees, healing another wounded ninja; the one hurt is Hinata. Neji and the rest of Team Guy are with them. Still somewhat in a daze, Ayanami stares aimlessly into the sky. Wh-What¡­ What happened? Oh, wait¡­ I remember now¡­ ????? A little earlier, Ayanami is sitting on her knees, taking in nature energy to power her sage mode. The vengeful kunoichi keeps her eyes trained on the Akatsuki leader like a hawk; the only thing keeping her from attacking Pain is the fact that she needs to be completely still so she can take in the surrounding nature energy. Now that I think about it¡­ Jin must¡¯ve sought out this power. I wonder if he knows a way to speed up the process? The young Hyuga grows frustrated due to having to wait and charge up. Ayanami can sense the two great toad sages to her right, Lord Fukasaku and his wife, Lady Shima. They are in the process of building up sage chakra for a jutsu of their own, a powerful sound based genjutsu. ¡°Sage jutsu chakra¡­ seems to come with its own fair share of risks.¡± Pain takes note of the shape his opponents are in. ¡°And yours doesn¡¯t?¡± Ayanami heckles. ¡°6 bodies each with their own fantastic and amazing powers? Whatever jutsu you''re using must use up tons of chakra. I bet the real you is just skin and bones by this point.¡± The leaf kunoichi detects a large influx of chakra coming from the two elder toads now; Ayanami suspects they must be primed and ready. ¡°Alright, we¡¯re ready now¡­ Let¡¯s do it, ma!¡± Fukasaku affirms Ayanami¡¯s assessment. ¡°Gotcha!¡± Pain raises his left hand and Fukasaku instantly rises, hovering in mid-air. The toad elder is speechless and confused by his sudden suspension with no attachments, the confusion quickly ends as Fukasaku feels an invisible force pulling him closer and closer to the Akatsuki leader. ¡°N-No! Let him go, Pain!¡± Ayanami desperately chases after the elder toad. Quickly deducing that her best option is to stop the caster, Ayanami runs right past Fukasaku and charges right at the Akatsuki leader. She pulls out a kunai and runs her sage mode enhanced lightning chakra nature through the weapon, aiming right for his eyes. However, Ayanami notices something wrong; Pain has both his arms raised as he infuses more chakra. He went after Lord Fukasaku to lure me in¡­ And I fell right for it! Realizing her error, Ayanami immediately braces herself and shifts her body to a more defensive stance. The young Hyuga slams hard against Pain¡¯s gravitational push, it feels like she was hit by a speeding bullet train; Ayanami is dazed by the sudden impact. Everything goes black, Ayanami feels like she¡¯s soaring through the sky on her back. She falls to the ground with a loud thud, but she doesn¡¯t feel it at all. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Ayanami!¡± Naruto cries out. The last thing Ayanami hears before fully losing consciousness is the piercing sound of something getting stabbed. ¡°PA, NO!!¡± ????? Still laying on the ground with Ino healing her, Ayanami remembers how she wound up in her current predicament; she overhears the conversation going on between Lady Katsuyu and the surrounding leaf ninja. ¡°...suppress the Nine-Tails all on his own. And now¡­ he¡¯s about to go up against the final Pain.¡± Katsuyu informs the group. Might Guy turns to his prot¨¦g¨¦. ¡°Lee! We¡¯re going to back up Naruto.¡± ¡°Right!¡± Rock Lee nods in agreement. ¡°No, wait. Please don¡¯t¡­ You¡¯ll only get in his way if you do¡­¡± Katsuyu objects. ¡°But Pain destroyed the Leaf--Naruto cannot do this alone!¡± Lee argues. ¡°Naruto has a plan he intends to follow¡­ let¡¯s put our faith in him.¡± Katsuyu articulates to the group. ¡°No.¡± Everyone turns their attention to the one who spoke their disagreement with Lady Katsuyu¡¯s suggestion, it was Ayanami. The Hyuga kunoichi slowly picks herself up and dusts off her clothes, spitting out the blood in her mouth. A look of an unbreakable resolve is written all over her face, a fire burns deep in her eyes. ¡°All due respect, Lady Katsuyu, but I¡¯ve lost a lot of friends and allies today--I won¡¯t risk losing another.¡± The entire group is taken aback by Ayanami¡¯s stubborn determination. At this very moment, no one can discern if she¡¯s being brave or foolish. ¡°You can¡¯t go! I haven¡¯t finished healing your injuries yet, idiot!¡± Ino snaps, trying to reason with her comrade. ¡°If what Lady Katsuyu said was true, Naruto is injured and fatigued. Besides¡­¡± Ayanami looks back at Ino with orange pigmentation forming around her eyes; her irises turn yellow while her pupils become toad-like. ¡°This whole time you¡¯ve been healing me, I¡¯ve been gathering nature energy.¡± The kunoichi reaches for her right elbow and pops back into place. ¡°AAAAAAAGHH!¡± Luckily, the pain quickly vanishes as soon as it skyrockets with a loud popping sound. Ayanami carefully moves her arm around and checks for any other wounds to worry about; thankfully, there seems to be no lasting injury she can¡¯t push through. Ayanami sadly glances down at Hinata before turning away. Hinata¡­ I¡¯ll make sure Naruto comes home alive. ¡°Wait, Don¨C!¡± Guy¡¯s words fall on deaf ears as Ayanami is already racing toward the raging battle to aid her friend. ¡°Woah! She¡¯s as fast as me when I use the 5th gate! Guy-sensei really is an amazing teacher!¡± Rock Lee praises his mentor. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A little while later, in the aftermath of Pain¡¯s Planetary Devastation, Naruto grabs hold of Pain¡¯s weaponized black receiver and kicks the Akatsuki member away, breaking off a chunk of the black rod; Pain crashes into a pile of boulders and rubble. Naruto takes the chakra receiver and stabs himself with it in his right shoulder. ¡°Urk¡­!¡± Naruto winces from the sharp pain. With his sage mode activated, Naruto is able to reverse the signal and pinpoint where Pain¡¯s chakra is coming from, a false tree in the distance. Inside this tree is a man with a large reserve of chakra and a pair of Rinnegan staring right back at the Nine-Tails¡¯ jinchuriki; with the location firmly in Naruto¡¯s memory, he pulls out the rod and tosses it to the side. ¡°Bastard!¡± Pain grunts, getting back to his feet. ¡°Shadow Clone Jutsu!¡± Naruto weaves a sign, creating two clones. As the young Uzumaki quickly builds up chakra in his hand for a Rasenshuriken, his clones both slam smoke bombs onto the ground; the thick clouds of smoke obscure Pain¡¯s vision. The Wind Style: Rasenshuriken blasts out of the smoke, flying straight towards the Akatsuki member. ¡°Almighty Push!¡± Naruto¡¯s jutsu is immediately nullified by Pain¡¯s gravity barrier, but the Akatsuki member doesn¡¯t have time to gloat as Naruto has thrown another Rasenshuriken soon after. Pain hurriedly leaps into the air, narrowly avoiding the second attack. 4 seconds to g¨C ¡°AAGGHH!!!¡± Pain is interrupted as he is suddenly hit from behind by a long range attack composed of air. Pain is sent flying across the field of debris. Bewildered, Naruto uses his sight to trace the trajectory of the jutsu, the source of the attack came from Ayanami; the young Hyuga appears to have one of her hands raised, she wears a look of cold satisfaction. ¡°Ayanami!? What¡¯re you doing here?¡± Naruto calls out. Ayanami shouts back, ¡°You¡¯re crazy if you think for even 1 second that I¡¯m just gonna let you fight this guy alone!¡± Chapter 70 ¡°Hello, Father!¡± Mileena greets, affectionately; the symbiote kneels before her creator with great reverence. She can hear the blood curdling screams of the Ninja Alliance forces as they are besieged by the Ten-Tails¡¯ volley of wooden spikes in the background, but she doesn¡¯t care. All that matters to her is that she fulfills the mission given to her. Rito is off to the side, watching the moment with a look of confusion mixed with estrangement. Mileena holds out her hand to Jin and a small container grows out of her palm Jin takes the object from his creation and peers inside to see a pair eyes suspended within the container''s incubation fluid. Obito was right¡­ That asshole, Danzo really did crush the eye he had. Jin reflects on the Akatsuki leader¡¯s words as he examines the damaged optic. Meh. Easily remedied! Jin is quick to nonchalantly dismiss the now deceased leaf elder¡¯s actions while using the Naraka Path to summon the King of Hell, the deity opens its mouth wide enough for Jin to casually toss the container in and proceeds to chew. The Onikage looks on in anticipation, his excitement grows more and more with each bite the King of Hell takes; Jin doesn¡¯t even notice that he is wearing the biggest smile like a child in a toy store. After a short wait, the King of Hell finally reopens his maw and Jin quickly reaches for and grabs the container; both eyes are fully repaired. FUCK. ¡­I finally have my own pair of Sharingan, but I don¡¯t know wh--ooh! I should reward Mileena! A light bulb ignites in Jin¡¯s head as he opens the container; he wears a pleased look on his face. ¡°Mileena, come here¡­ I forgot to get you a present for your birthday.¡± Unsure of what her father is planning, Mileena takes a step forward, the symbiote is excited at the thought of receiving her very first gift. Jin empties the repaired contents of the container into his hands; his face turns green, grimacing over the fact that he is holding a pair of eyeballs. Jin holds Shisui¡¯s eyeballs over Mileena¡¯s eyes and gently pushes them in, saying, ¡°Six Paths: Shadow and Light Style Creation of All Things.¡± Shisui¡¯s eyes sink deep into Mileena¡¯s face, completely merging with her own eyes. At first, her eyes feel warm, but then begin to profusely throb as they pulsate with chakra. Mileena is able to power through the pain as the very thought that her becoming stronger and more useful to her father only makes her happier and happier. However, the symbiote¡¯s newfound elation makes her eyes throb even more; more and more chakra pulsates through her eyes. The overwhelming joy, power and pain feed into each other, making the newborn¡¯s expression contort into a look of pure excruciating bliss. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°EARTH STYLE: MOUNTAIN JUTSU!¡± Two enormous rock formations with the Hidden Stone crest carved on them both erupt from the ground and close in on the Ten-Tails. The behemoth is sandwiched by the two formations with crushing force; the Ten-Tails is stopped for the time being. With the rain of spikes finally over, Jin undoes his Susano''o and Rito has his crystal wall shatter into countless dust particles that scatter in the cool Autumn night breeze. The shinobi that were protected by Jin and Rito run past them to the Ten-Tails. ¡°Do you think saving a few lives will wipe the slate clean, my fellow traitor?!¡± Obito calls out to Jin from the behemoth¡¯s head. Obito¡¯s words silence the whole alliance army and they listen with uncertainty, Jin feels everyone¡¯s burning gaze like they are daggers piercing directly into his soul. Mileena scoffs with contempt at Obito¡¯s words while even Rito has his eyes trained on Jin. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what you do now, they will only ever see you as trash¡­¡± Obito continues, he holds out his hand to Jin. ¡°Join my side and together, we can create a true world of peace and happiness. Why fight this futile battle at all? Why risk your life for those who will persecute you later?¡± Think of a cool comeback, Jin¡­ Cool comeback¡­ OH, those¡¯ll do nicely! Jin takes a few steps forward and stares down Obito with a look of determination. ¡°If the world chooses to become my enemy, I will fight, I will struggle, I will find a way to win! That¡¯s what it means to be alive!¡± Hearing Jin¡¯s unexpected words, the Ninja Alliance forces¡¯ collective resolve is bolstered by leaps and bounds, including Naruto¡¯s. ¡°Well¡­ you all heard the man, let¡¯s win this!¡± A reinvigorated Naruto declares, standing tall as he re-enters his KCM 2 form. ¡°Shadow Clone Jutsu!!¡± The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. The Hero of the Leaf creates three shadow clones; like orange, blazing streaks, each clone races off into different sections of the battle. All three clone high five each alliance member as they run by, sharing a small portion of Kurama¡¯s chakra with each ninja they touch; the moment, the very instant someone receives the fox¡¯s chakra, they sprout their own Nine-Tails cloaks. It isn¡¯t very long before the entire battlefield is glowing red-orange due to so many having a tailed beast cloak. Even Rito and Echo receive chakra from Naruto; the only ones who don¡¯t take Kurama¡¯s chakra are Ayanami, Jin, Mileena, and (out of pride) Mecha-Naruto. The entirety of the Allied Shinobi Forces faces down the Ten-Tails and the three enemy ninja on top of its head with a strong-willed defiance. The behemoth breaks free of Kitsuchi¡¯s jutsu, shattering the two rock formations into countless pieces. It lumbers forward. ¡°Chaaarge!¡± Naruto roars. The Ninja Alliance forces bravely stampede toward the Ten-Tails as a united front. ¡°The stuff you were saying earlier--you totally stole those lines from a couple of video games, didn¡¯t you?¡± Rito whispers, teasingly. Jin doesn¡¯t answer, he merely looks away with a proud, amused look on his face. The alliance all jump into the air, their formation changes and takes the form of a giant crimson bird soaring up to the Ten-Tails¡¯ head. ¡°I will take the right side!¡± Lee declares, opening the Gate of Life; his skin turns red and his pupils disappear. ¡°And we¡¯ll take the left!¡± Ayanami confidently responds in-turn. Once the alliance forces have reached the crown of the Ten-Tails¡¯ head, Lee goes right through Madara with a flying kick and severs the reanimation¡¯s connection. Naruto throws a Rasenshuriken, it passes right through Obito with no signs of damage on his body, but is still able to cut his connection as well. Jin and Echo fly right toward Menma each with their own pair of black receivers. From his left shoulder, Menma reaches for and pulls out his upper arm bone; the bone is modified to be a sword. ¡°Dance of the Camellia.¡± Menma¡¯s movements are fast and nimble, he quickly parries both Jin and Echo¡¯s receivers. However, Ayanami and Rito take advantage of the opening and flank him, slashing the doppelganger¡¯s connection in a pincer attack with their respective Thunder God Blade and crystal sword. As all of their connections have been removed, the three Rinnegan users are forced off and away from the behemoth by the Ninja Alliance. The Ten-Tails itself stumbles and falls on its side over a pile of boulders and debris. The three enemy shinobi recover as they¡¯re in freefall and land safely on ground level, they nevertheless find themselves completely surrounded by the alliance forces with Ayanami, Jin and Naruto front and center. ¡°I¡¯m not like you guys. I don¡¯t wanna sever any of my bonds or have them cut off either!¡± Naruto exclaims. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t cut our link to Ten-Tails.¡± Obito warns, dismissively. ¡°Now disappear!¡± Madara commands. ¡°Fire Style: Great Fire Annihilation!¡± ¡°Fire Style: Bomb Blast Dance!¡± ¡°Wind Style: Vacuum Blast Barrage!¡± Menma takes a deep breath and exhales several blades of wind at different angles. Naruto¡¯s evil twin¡¯s wind jutsu assists and magnifies both of the two Uchiha¡¯s fire jutsu combining them into a scorching sea of flames. Jin conjures his Susano''o and has it protect Ayanami, Mileena, Mecha-Naruto, and himself from the flames; Jin finds himself and Ayanami sweating from the heat due to the fire¡¯s sheer intensity. Naruto protects the rest of the alliance via their Nine-Tailed cloaks. ¡°Jin, have you seen the Bleach anime?¡± Rito asks, whispering. ¡°It was just a phase for me, but yeah. Why?¡± A confused Jin responds. Rito explains in a whisper, ¡°It just occurred to me that your Susano¡¯o sword--it looks an awful lot like Renji¡¯s shikai.¡± Jin manifests his Susano¡¯o to the point that it is a full skeleton and wields its unique sword. Jin examines his avatar¡¯s weapon and sees the saw-like blade with many segments, it truly does resemble the soul reaper¡¯s signature sword. The flames die down, but the enemy continues to press their assault; Madara summons his Susano¡¯o which fires a barrage of Yaska Beads, Obito uses Kamui to launch a volley of giant kunai, and Menma shoots the alliance with his finger bones. Jin counters by having his Susano¡¯o swing its unusually shaped blade. The segments separate yet remain connected by threads, extending the blade¡¯s range drastically and becoming a bladed whip. The whip knocks back the numerous projectiles, scattering them all safely away from Jin¡¯s allies. ¡°RAAAAAAAWWWWRRR!¡± The Ten-Tails release another earth shattering roar. The tailed beast aggregate¡¯s deafening cry creates strong turbulent winds, stopping everyone in their tracks as the behemoth has begun its maturation; the Ten-Tails'' body has become less emaciated, it grows a complete left arm, and it is now standing on its hind legs. Jin and Ayanami watch as Obito seizes the opportunity and leaps toward Kakashi faster than the eye can see, his icy fingers digging into the Copy Ninja¡¯s shoulders. Both ninjas¡¯ forms are distorted due to a spiraling void engulfing them; they swirl until they are completely pulled in and disappear altogether. Son of a bitch! I¡­ have no idea just how powerful or painful this Cataclysm is¡­ Concerned, Jin pumps more chakra into his Susano¡¯o. ¡­Better play it safe and use the armored Susano''o. The Ten-Tails emits an ominous white light; Jin shuts his eyes tightly and covers his ears, bracing himself for the inevitable. Seconds later, the entire area is covered in tornadoes that tear up the ground. To make things worse, the sky is blanketed by thunderclouds that scar the earth with great bolts of lightning. In the center of all this chaos, the behemoth continues to emit that eerie light. ¡°RAAAAAAAWWWWRRR!¡± Chapter 71 As all hell breaks loose on the battlefield, Jin quietly sits inside the safety of his Susano''o with his eyes shut and ears covered. The ground shakes violently like a 9.5 earthquake, but Jin is able to pay it no mind as he uses chakra to cling to the ground. Jin would normally find the pain he is in from using the Susano''o a great annoyance, but at this very moment is a comfort as the pain reminds him that he is still alive. Jin finally opens his eyes and uncovers his ears when he notices that all of the shaking has stopped. He looks around and sees that the terrain is more damaged and scarred than it already was with jagged boulders sticking out of the ground. Everyone else is slowly rising to their feet, astonished that they are still alive; the chakra Naruto shared with the alliance kept them alive, but shrank and disappeared after protecting them from the Ten-Tails¡¯ Cataclysm. ¡°Heh¡­ HAHAHA¡­¡± All Jin can do at the moment is relieve the stress. ¡°...HA HA HA HA HA HA!¡± Jin feels an amazing sense of pleasure and relief as the dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins flood his veins. His laughter blankets the battlefield, relieving some of the tension everyone is feeling. Unbeknownst to Jin, his suppression of his own chakra eases some, his grip eases just enough for some to leak out. Jin¡¯s relief immediately dies when he feels he¡¯s being watched. He looks up and his eyes meet the behemoth¡¯s, the beast just stares intently at Jin and Ayanami with an expression that vaguely resembles agitation. It is as if the two ninja remind the Ten-Tails of someone it hates more than anything. ¡°Hey, Jin¡­ You don¡¯t think¡­?¡± Ayanami trails off before she can finish her query. Jin answers with, ¡°Unfortunately, I do.¡± The Ten-Tails builds up its chakra and matures, gaining an even more muscular appearance and the horns on top of its head grew in size. It opens its grotesque maw wide, producing a flower-like structure covered in saliva, a bud to be precise. The bud opens up only for a Tailed Beast Bomb to form within the flower. The dense sphere of chakra continues to grow larger and larger as the behemoth infuses more chakra into it. Dirt and smoke swirl around the beast while it continues to amass its chakra. Okay, so either the alliance puts up a row of earth walls like in the anime and manga OR Minato just appears and saves everyone like in Storm 4¡­ which is it? Jin questions internally, stroking his chin. The behemoth fires its Massive Tailed Beast Bomb with great force. The enormous sphere of chakra rockets toward the Allied Shinobi forces, the air becomes warmer as the Tailed Beast Bomb gets closer and closer. The Tailed Beast Bomb barrels right for the alliance when it suddenly vanishes into thin air, with no trace whatsoever. Well that answers my question! Jin wears an amused expression. ¡°I¡¯m Minato Namikaze. Brace for an explosion.¡± The individual with features similar to Naruto introduces himself, instantly appearing within the crowd. The explosion happens far off into the horizon, but it is so massive that it cascades a light over the battlefield. Shockwaves travel to the battlefield as well, carrying sea water with them; the alliance forces brace themselves. The explosion only lasts a few seconds and its subsequent shockwaves dissipate as well. Jin watches with great amusement as everyone is confused by the appearance of the new arrival. Unable to conceal their surprise, all those who recognize him stare with saucer-like eyes; the reincarnations aren¡¯t surprised due to Jin sharing his knowledge of the franchise and Naruto wasn¡¯t surprised as he sensed his imminent arrival. ¡°So¡­ talk, who are you?¡± Sakura makes her suspicion clear. ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m an ally.¡± Minato reassures the medical kunoichi. ¡°So, uh¡­ Are you Naruto¡¯s girlfriend?¡± ¡°Huh? Hmm¡­ Yeah, yeah, yeah--I guess you could say that!¡± Naruto nods rambunctiously. With an expression of comedic rage, Sakura headbutts the hyperactive knucklehead from behind. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. ¡°YOU SHUT YOUR TRAP!!¡± The kunoichi screeches. ¡°Something¡¯s coming!¡± Ino warns, interrupting the moment. Moments after Ino¡¯s warning, three more individuals arrive at Minato¡¯s side. Like Minato, they all have blackened sclera and cracks all over their bodies. ¡°Lord Fourth?! It¡¯s really Minato¡­ but who reanimated you?¡± A leaf ninja speaks up. With a gentle smile, Hiruzen replies, ¡°Orochimaru¡¯s the one who summoned us... We need to put a stop to this war quickly.¡± ¡°W-What? Orochimaru died didn¡¯t he?¡± Sakura stammers. ¡°Oh no, Orochimaru¡¯s alive! Sasuke and I brought him back!¡± Jin corrects from the boulder he¡¯s standing on. ¡°Excuse me--WHAT?!¡± An outraged Rito shouts. The boy proceeds to pace back and forth, seething from the information Jin just provided. His glare is intense and cold yet patient, Jin is put off by Rito¡¯s fury that he doesn¡¯t pay any attention to the previous Hokage trapping the Ten-Tails in the Four Crimson Ray Formation, Hashirama even pinned the Ten-Tails with several of his Gracious Deity Gates; even Ayanami is startled by the boy¡¯s outburst. ¡°Okay.. I¡¯m sensing I made a mistake of some kind. Could you kindly explain what I did wrong?¡± ¡°I-I¡­ LOOK, I understand he¡¯s still necessary for events that won¡¯t happen for another 15 years. Just know that I will always despise that scaly wanker for the shit he put me through.¡± Rito sighs, massaging his temple in an attempt to calm down. Judging from his chakra, Sasuke¡¯ll be here any second¡­ Jin takes a deep breath. ¡°I see that you still hold a grudge and rightfully so... I¡¯m sor¨C¡± ¡°You have no allegiance to him, right? You just wanted to be part of the moment?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all I need to know.¡± Rito sighs, finally calming down. From behind them, a surprised Sakura shouts, ¡°Sasuke?!¡± Like the wind, the rogue ninja along with Jugo appears just a few feet in front of Naruto and Sakura, he wears his stoic and distant expression as usual. He finds himself surrounded by peers and former classmates; most of them show nothing but suspicion and animosity, ready for a fight. ¡°Still annoying as ever, I see.¡± Sasuke dismisses them all after a quick glance. ¡°Why the hell are YOU here, ya bastard!¡± Kiba antagonizes the new arrival. ¡°It¡¯s bad enough that we need Jin¡¯s¨C¡± ¡°THAT¡¯S ¡®LORD¡¯ JIN TO YOU! YOU WILL RESPECT YOUR BETTERS, RUNT!!¡± Mileena snaps, snarling at the beast specialist. While Kiba is paralyzed out of fear by the sudden and intense bloodlust the symbiote aims at him, the rest of Jin¡¯s peers and former classmates stare at him with shock mixed with confusion. ¡°Jin, what does that thing mean when she calls you ¡®lord¡¯?¡± Shikamaru asks. ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t know? Jin garnered favor with the feudal lord of the Land of Ogres¡­¡± Mileena eagerly explains, her chest puffs out with pride. ¡°...He¡¯s going to be a Kage of his own village after this war is over.¡± This revelation shocks the Konoha 11 to the point their eyes turn into white circles. They are all dumbfounded and speechless. Jin lowers his head and facepalms with embarrassment while Rito and Ayanami do their best to hide their snickering. ¡°Jin, is this true?¡± Naruto asks. ¡°Yeah, we can talk about it later¡­¡± Jin turns his gaze back to the Ten-Tails. ¡±...Right now we need to end this war.¡± Not wanting to waste anymore time, Sasuke jumps onto a rocky platform next to Jin and his team with Naruto following close behind; both ninja look dead ahead at the behemoth. Sakura leaps onto the very same platform beside Naruto, a fire lights up in her eyes. With his morale boosted, Naruto bumps his fist together. ¡°Alright! Team 7 is finally back in action once again!¡± The reincarnations stand side by side with Team 7, each proud to do their part. ¡°Rito! Ayanami! We¡¯ll push through.¡± Jin pops his fingers. Where the hell did Menma slink off to? From within the Hokage''s¡¯ Crimson Formation, there is a sudden explosion of smoke. The smokescreen is so large and thick that it completely prevents everyone from seeing inside, it¡¯s as if someone detonated thousands of smoke bombs. As the smoke begins to clear, the Ninja Alliance is put on edge as there are countless silhouettes in the Crimson Ray Formation with the Ten-Tails. The veil of smoke fully disperses, revealing several thousand terracotta warriors and mugonhei each brandishing their weapons. In the center of the army are the two remaining genryu, the earth dragon and fire dragon; each dragon has one of Moryo¡¯s last remaining generals standing atop their heads. To make matters worse, what appears to be numerous boils and cysts grow all over the Ten-Tails¡¯ hide. From these grotesque cysts sprout heads, then torsos, and finally legs; these fission clones all have either blades or hammers for hands. They fall, landing on their feet the instant they touch the ground and charge the mugonhei and terracotta warriors. ¡°Quick, go now!!¡± One of Hashirama¡¯s clones shouts. The clone creates an entry point in the Ray Formation barrier and the Allied Shinobi Forces rush through the opening in droves, storming the two opposing armies in a brutal assault. Chapter 72 ¡°Wha¨C?! I-I¡­ I don¡¯t believe it!¡± A sand ninja blurts out, startled by the intel he just received. The Ten-Tails¡¯ Tailed Beast Bomb that exploded in the stratosphere thanks to Jin caused powerful shockwaves that disrupted all of the Alliance¡¯s lines of communication, effectively blinding Alliance headquarters to what is currently happening on the front lines. The shinobi assigned there have all worked diligently to re-establish communication with their ninja on the battlefield. With the sensing water sphere reconstructed and his chakra transmission communication device repaired, this sand ninja has the pleasure of receiving most unfavorable news. His jaw dropped from the shock with sweat running down his face; his breathing becomes more ragged and rapid, hyperventilating. ¡°You there! Status report!¡± Shikaku demands to know. Seeing the sand ninja¡¯s panic attack makes even the Alliance¡¯s chief strategist feel some degree of anxiety; Shikaku¡¯s neck hair begins to rise when he notices that the water sphere in the center of the room has changed shape; it is no longer a sphere, it no longer even has a fixed shape, but is in a state of constant motion. ¡°What is going on out there?¡± ¡°...I-It¡­ It¡¯s pandemonium out there, sir. Chaos!¡± The sand ninja finally speaks, barely coming out of his panic. ¡°The creatures that attacked our troops on the 1st day have appeared on the battlefield, numbering in the thousands and they¡¯re accompanied by what appear to be 2 large dragons as well. And if that wasn¡¯t bad enough, I¡¯m also receiving a report that the Ten-Tails has created an army of fission beings.¡± Shikaku was right to feel concerned as he and everyone else in the room pauses out of pure shock due to the information provided. The sound of the water sphere¡¯s chaotic movement fills the silent room. ¡°Wait, are you serious?!¡± The same sand shinobi shouts, breaking the silence. ¡°What is it now?¡± Inoichi asks. ¡°I just received a new report! Sasuke Uchiha has arrived on the battlefield, claiming he¡¯s here to help and¡­ he¡­ and he arrived with the 1st 4 Hokage!¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°YOMI! I¡¯M COMING FOR YOU!!¡± A wrathful Echo howls into the ether. ¡°Nothing will protect you from me! Not men! Not weapons! Not armor!¡± The time-traveler¡¯s blood boils as he runs through the enemy forces, mowing down all who get in his way. Echo blitzes right through a mob of enemies, sending them all flying in every direction; he grabs hold of a terracotta warrior by its cold, stone leg and throws it so hard that it goes right through a giant fission clone¡¯s head. Echo impales a terracotta warrior with black receiver before sprinting toward the two dragons, his eyes fixated on the men standing on heads of the genryu. The both of them are partially responsible for his timeline¡¯s ruination, Echo¡¯s body shakes with rage. He feels an icy vengeance and a fiery hate course through his veins. Once I have intel on their master¡¯s whereabouts, I¡¯ll skin them alive. I swear to god they¡¯ll die in agony!! Echo internally vows, his mask hides his fury. ¡°AAGGHH!¡± A Hidden Waterfall shinobi screams in horror as a horde of mugonhei descend upon him. Echo can hear the poor soul¡¯s body being mauled and torn apart as he sprints past, but Future Jin continues on running as he has other priorities. The time-traveler¡¯s eyes remain focused on those who killed his world; Echo knows they are not his iterations, but they are making the same choices, reaching for the same goals. As Echo gets closer and closer to the fire genryu, he notices that he¡¯s about to be flanked; a mugonhei and a Ten-Tails clone are charging toward him from both sides, brandishing their blades. Before Echo can do anything, the mugonhei soldier is bisected by a pair of beams, killing it instantly while the fission clone is suddenly wrapped up in black tendrils and pulled away. Echo turns around and sees Mileena, hauling the fission being towards her; she opens her mouth wide and stuffs the clone''s head into her maw in its entirety and bites down. Tossing the corpse aside, Mileena chews her food before speaking. ¡°Tasty. Father told us to assist you in any way we can.¡± ¡°I have no interest in your prerogatives, Mileena. I am here on a goal of my own.¡± Echo interrupts, his tone is cold, ruthless, venomous. ¡°Like it or not we¡¯re helping you.¡± The coy symbiote licks her fingers clean, unbothered by the aged Jin¡¯s attitude. Silently, Echo turns his attention back to the fire genryu in the distance; the red dragon takes in a deep breath and blows out intense flames, incinerating many fission beings and Ninja Alliance forces. The fire burns so hot that the ground the flames touch has liquified. Moryo¡¯s second-in-command, Yomi, stands on its head, wearing a look of satisfaction. ¡°Fine¡­ Do as you please, just don¡¯t get in my way.¡± Echo reluctantly concedes. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Bedlam ensues as the fighting renews with the Alliance engaging the two enemy armies. Explosions detonate across the battlefield as various jutsu are fired in every direction, freshly spilt blood stains the ground and smoke fills the air; battle cries are heard everywhere as shinobi fight and die for the sake of the world. The reincarnations are on the front lines fighting side by side with prominent ninja and Sakura, they are pushing their way through the crowd to the Ten-Tails. Ayanami¡¯s movements with the Thunder God sword are swift and precise, with one vertical swing she cleaves a mungonhei soldier in two. A terracotta warrior charges at the kunoichi with the intention of running her through with its sword, she shifts her stance and quickly parries with her own blade, the staggering stone soldier is then kicked away; the terracotta warrior is sent flying into a group of fission clones in the distance. More and more enemies dart toward Ayanami, but the kunoichi cuts them all down one after another. You got the touch, you got the power! yeah! Jin sings mentally as he impales a terracotta warrior with a black rod. When all hell¡¯s breaking loose, you¡¯ll be riding¡­ One of the larger fission clones lumbers toward Jin while it brandishes one of its giant hammer-fists, holding it aloft over its head. It brings the hammer down with great force, but Jin catches it with his Susano¡¯o; a crater forms under Jin¡¯s feet the instant the fission clone¡¯s hammer makes contact with the palm of the ethereal avatar. ¡°HEADS UP! Big time super hero comin¡¯ through!¡± Rito shouts. The boy genius bravely leaps over Jin and lands on the fission clone¡¯s wrist. He then dashes up the creature¡¯s arm at high speeds and jumps again the moment he reaches the shoulder, his right hand gently pats the fission being¡¯s head as he passes over it. Rito performs three consecutives flips before finally landing, performing a Ginyu Force pose. Crystal begins to grow where Rito touched the fission being, it quickly spreads over the creature''s head entirely. However, it doesn¡¯t just cover its head, but consumes the matter and converts it into even more crystal; this phenomenon continues to spread all throughout the rest of the body like a plague until it is nothing, but a statue of pure crystal. Moments later, the sculpture shatters into crystalline dust, scattering to the night breeze. ¡°One less to worry about~!¡± Rito looks back and confidently gives Jin a thumbs up. Jin is unable to congratulate his friend with a thumbs up as he is forced to immediately duck, he senses something flying towards him incredibly fast from behind. Rito hurriedly jumps out of the way as a fission clone is sent flying past them and into a mob, consisting of more clones. ¡°Chaaa!!¡± Sakura roars as she jumps into the air. Tsunade¡¯s disciple dives where the clone is going to be and punches it hard into the ground. The force behind the medical kunoichi¡¯s fist is so great that it causes a seismic event, the ground shakes and crumbles with the enemy forces from both armies being tossed into the air along with large boulders and debris. Naruto and Sasuke witness this from further back, they are both bracing themselves from the shockwaves. Sasuke maintains a stoic yet determined expression while Naruto has a look of shock mixed with fear, the hero¡¯s eyes are round and saucer-like. The pink-haired ninja looks back revealing a rhombus-like marking in the center of her large forehead. ¡°And I don¡¯t have to waste any on a youthful appearance.¡± Sakura is so busy trying to impress Naruto and Sasuke that she fails to notice a horde of enemies coming right for her. Ayanami and Jin rush forward to protect the medic ninja. ¡°The war¡¯s not over, pay attention, idiot!¡± Jin chastises the kunoichi as he passes her by. Caught up with them, my ass! Ayanami weaves the snake hand sign. ¡°Wood Style: Deep Forest Emergence!¡± The earth splits as a dense growth of trees rapidly sprout from the ground; the growth rushes forward, capturing many fission beings, terracotta soldiers, and mugonhei. ¡°Fire Style: Great Fire Annihilation!¡± Jin kneads and converts his chakra into intense fire and quickly expels it from his mouth in the form of a literal, wide-ranging sea of flames. The raging inferno starts burning down Ayanami¡¯s forest with haste as well as all the opposition trapped inside; the fire is so bright that it illuminates the entire battlefield. ¡°Is that it, Jin? I know you can do better than that!¡± The Hyuga kunoichi taunts, giving Jin a side glance. She pumps more chakra into her jutsu, causing a more dense forest to grow and douse Jin¡¯s flames. ¡°Alright already, I¡¯ll bring the heat¡­¡± Jin proceeds to exhale even more intense fire. The two shinobi¡¯s combined jutsu results in a massive explosion that lights the sky for all present to see. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Woah¡­ T-They¡¯re amazing¡­!¡± Tenten is taken back. Team Guy stands further back, they had just witnessed the massive explosion caused by Ayanami and Jin¡¯s collaboration and the power of Team 7. Tenten¡¯s jaw drops in disbelief while Lee is left speechless, but Neji, Neji¡¯s fists shake in frustration. The usually calm and stoic genius feels an unnatural sense of competitiveness washes over him. ¡°Lee! Tenten! We¡¯re going with that combination!¡± Neji speaks, breaking the silence. ¡°We will aim higher than Team 7!¡± ¡°¡°RIGHT!¡±¡± Neji and Lee jump into the air with Lee wrapping Neji in his bandages, the Hyuga genius proceeds to release chakra from his entire body while spinning at high speeds. ¡°Eight Trigrams Palm Rotation!¡± ¡°Primary Lotus!¡± Lee shouts. The taijutsu expert adds to the spinning motion, turning the Gentle Fist defensive technique into a powerful drill attack. ¡°Keep going!¡± Tenten cheers, throwing a kunai-filled wire around her teammates, adding to the collaboration''s power. With their combination jutsu, Lee and Neji drill right through one of the larger fissions with no desire to stop there. They continue rocketing forward, carving off the head of one of the larger mugonhei and pierce through several more fission clones at ludicrous speeds. Chapter 73 ¡°C¡¯mon, we can¡¯t let the others show us up! Team 8, heading out!¡± Kiba shouts while weaving a sign, creating a single shadow clone. ¡°Inuzuka Style: Man-Beast Team Transformation Combo: Three-Headed Wolf!¡± Kiba and his clone both fuse with the dog, Akamaru, and dramatically grow in size. Together they become a giant, three-headed wolf with three sets of sharp claws and canine teeth bared. The wolf then curls into a ball and starts spinning at ferocious speeds, as if chasing after their own tail; the ground is torn up in the process by their sheer speed. Hinata along with a swarm of Shino¡¯s insects jump into the raging vortex that is their teammate. Team 8¡¯s combination shoots out into the battlefield mowing down all the enemy forces. The larger fission clones and mugonhei are all immediately torn asunder by the three-headed wolf as it rolls through, the smaller enemies are swiftly struck by Hinata¡¯s 64 Palms technique. Not only do the dozens of terracotta warriors, mugonhei, and fission beings have their chakra points attacked at lightning-fast speeds, Hinata had also implanted some of Shino¡¯s insects into them. ¡°Parasitic Giant Beetle Infestation!¡± Shino shouts from where he was initially standing. The bugs that Hinata had planted begin to burrow into their victims¡¯ body and begin to devour their flesh and chakra. The beetles continue to eat and eat so much so that they grow in size, rapidly. The enemy forces affected all fall to the ground in painful spasms of agony before finally dying as giant insects blast out of their bodies, spraying friend and foe alike with their victims¡¯ bodily fluids. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Upon witnessing Team 8¡¯s collaboration, Jin freezes in place with his muscles tensed and sweat running down his face. With his skin crawling, Jin¡¯s complexion changes to a pale white then to a sickly green and his stomach begins to churn. Ayanami grabs him by the shoulder and reassuringly pulls him away. ¡°Let''s go over there.¡± ¡°Nah yeah, I think I see a spot with tons of bad guys and no bugs.¡± Rito adds. ¡°I-I think I¡¯m gonna hurl¡­!¡± A shuddering Jin whines. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Alright, c¡¯mon, Team 10! Attack with an Ino-Shika-Cho Combination!¡± Ino orders, infected by everyone¡¯s competitive spirit. ¡°We can use Formation E!¡± Choji excitedly agrees while weaving a sign, growing enormous in size. ¡°Expansion jutsu.¡° What a drag¡­ Shikamaru crouches down, weaving a hand sign while sighing, ¡°Shadow Grasping Jutsu.¡± The young tactician¡¯s shadow materializes and increases its power, becoming like steel. Shikamaru then has his shadow quickly reach for and connect with Choji¡¯s. ¡°Sensory Communication!¡± Ino weaves a sign as she places her left hand on the back of Shikamaru¡¯s head. Twenty-five enemy signatures locked on¡­ Ino senses the chakra signatures of over two dozen enemies and transmits the information directly into Shikamaru¡¯s mind. Choji curls up into a ball and spin-dashes, running over several enemies at once; Ino continues to track their opponents by their chakra all the while Shikamaru is perfectly directing Ch¨­ji''s movement via the manipulation of their shadows. ¡°HUMAN BOULDER YO-YO!!¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- So, I managed to not throw up. Feelin¡¯ pretty good about that¡­ A now calmed down Jin thinks as he crushes the head of a mugonhei soldier with his bare hands. The clay doll lifelessly falls to the ground at the Onikage¡¯s feet, it quickly disappears in a puff of black smoke. Jin looks around and sees that the remaining enemies surrounding him have already been defeated, either by Ayanami or Rito; the kunoichi sits on a pile of dead fission beings while the young boy stands at the center of a crystalline statue garden. They didn¡¯t save any for me¡­ Whoa, wait, what am I saying? That¡¯s a good thing! Jin quietly laments. Everyone hears a voice shout, ¡°I¡¯m technically part of Team 7 too. I¡¯ll attack the main body from the sky!¡± Jin looks up, he witnesses a large, white hawk with thick, inky, black outlines fly high above him in the air. Riding atop the living drawing is its caster, Sai; true to his word he is on a direct course for the Ten-Tails proper. However, his bird is hit by a wooden spike, it was thrown by one of the fission clones in an attempt to protect its main body. The hawk drawing dissipates leaving the Anbu ninja to plummet from the sky. ¡°Sai!¡± A worried Naruto calls out, reaching out and grabbing him with a chakra arm. The reincarnations watch from the sidelines; knowing what comes next, they commence the buildup of their chakra. Jin feels a tingling sensation occurring in his spine, his blood roars in his ears as he feels the adrenaline coursing through him. ¡°You guys all set?¡± Jin asks his friends as he crouches down, placing his hand on the ground. Ayanami bites her own thumb and weaves signs. ¡°I¡¯m ready, Jin.¡± ¡°So am I.¡± Rito does the same as Ayanami. They both crouch down and place their hands on the ground, all three have their eyes on Team 7. The reunited squad all bite their thumbs in unison and place their hands on the ground. ¡°We need to mow them down and slip past, huh? That¡¯ll be easy!¡± ¡°This guy can clear the distance in one leap and repel any enemy attacks too!¡± ¡°I can now stay near and heal anyone who suffers serious harm at any time!¡± All six ninja channel chakra into the hand they have on the ground, a jutsu formula forms under each of their hands. ¡°¡°¡°¡°¡°¡°SUMMONING JUTSU!!¡±¡±¡±¡±¡±¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A colossal cloud of smoke suddenly detonates in their location, blanketing them from any and all prying eyes. The smokescreen is at its thickest in the very center. ¡°Master Rito, you summoned me?¡± A voice speaks as a pair of giant wings poke out of the smoke. ¡°All this smoke is in the way.¡± The wings spread out and with one mighty flap, the pair of wings blow all the smoke and dust away. The six ninjas are revealed to be standing boldly on each of their own giant animals; Rito stands on the head of the female summoning hawk, Tsume. ¡°Much better¡­ So why am I here?¡± The boy points forward. ¡°Do you see all those monsters ahead? I need you to help me with crowd control.¡± With her sharp vision, Tsume fixes her gaze upon the large number of enemies remaining. A number of fission beings and mugonhei are battling with each other while some have their eyes focused on her and the other giant animals. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. Feeling insulted by the monsters¡¯ gaze, Tsume crouches down with her talons digging into the ground. Her tail sharply flicks back and forth while she spreads her wings to make herself appear larger and more threatening. ¡°With pleasure.¡± Tsume squawks, preparing to take flight. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°This color¡­?¡± Ayanami looks down at where she¡¯s standing and instead of the dull, rusty red skinned toad she was expecting to be standing on, she sees that she¡¯s on an aquamarine skinned toad. He has yellow eyes with gray markings around them and two distinct, circular markings on his shoulders. He also carries two huge katanas on his back, which are his main weapons with an orange sash around his stomach. ¡°Gamahiro?¡± The kunoichi asks. ¡°The boss was busy with some negotiations, so I came instead. So, what¡¯s the deal here anyway?¡± The toad says. ¡°Okay¡­ Do you see the large monster in the back? I need you to get me closer with some leaps.¡± Gamahiro looks beyond the vast numbers of creatures coming to blows and discerns what Ayanami was referring to. The toad can clearly see the behemoth that is the Ten-Tails in the distance, behind an army of lesser clones. ¡°Simple enough.¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Still kinda weird sharing vision with the Rinnegan summons¡­ Jin broods, standing on the head of his giant rhinoceros. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Jin has his rhino charge full speed ahead into the warring armies, the ground quakes and trembles with each of the quadruped¡¯s strides. The rhino stampedes through the horde of enemies with incredible speed and force, all of the smaller enemies in its path are immediately crushed and trampled; it gores a giant fission with its powerful horn and throws it into the distance, crushing even more foes. ¡°I¡¯m going to charge in--all the way to the host. Don¡¯t be late.¡± Riding upon his giant snake summon, Aoda, Sasuke slips through the enemy numbers and makes his way to the Ten-Tails¡¯ main body. ¡°Same to you!¡± Jin retorts, shouting. Jin¡¯s rhino rams through more of the opposition, getting closer and closer to the behemoth in the back when a fission being crash lands directly in front of Jin and his rhino. However, something is very different about this one; it is much larger than all the others. Undeterred, Jin creates a Celestial Prison Flame sword from his right hand; the dark orange blade burns brightly in the night as Jin has it grow longer, extending its length by ten meters. The fission clone winds its left arm back and thrusts it forward for a mighty punch. However, with a simple swing of his fire sword, Jin quickly severs its arm and vertically bisects the clone; the creature is engulfed in flames and the blade carves through its flesh. The fission falls to the ground, separating into two pieces while they both are consumed by the flames. Not wanting to waste any more time, Jin has his giant rhino continue running forward. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Wind Style: Giant Casting Net!¡± Tsume flaps her mighty wings. She creates a multitude of extremely sharp wind currents, these blades of wind overlap with one another forming into a net and launches the attack at the enemy armies; numerous mugonhei, terracotta soldiers, and fission beings are sliced to ribbons from all angles. The summoning hawk soars high into the air, she bombards both opposing forces with powerful wind jutsu while gracefully evading their projectiles. Rito rides on the back of her head, diligently analyzing the situation; he watches Jin and Sasuke running through the horde of enemies with their summons, Ayanami and Naruto leap over with their summons, and Sakura healing the alliance with hers. Since the terracotta soldiers are immortal and can repair themselves, the members of the Sealing Team have to rush in and quickly seal them in mass as a mob of Alliance ninjas protect the sealing ninja. Rito¡¯s focus is taken off the battle when he feels something cling onto his shoulder and back. He looks back and sees a white slug with three blue streaks that run vertically down the middle and side of its body from its head and tapering off at its tail; the slug is about half Rito¡¯s size. ¡°Y-You¡¯re the slug Katsuyu, right?¡± The somewhat startled boy asks. ¡°...Why are you stuck on my back?¡± Rito¡¯s eyes dart back and forth between the slug¡¯s two optical tentacles, he is unsure as to what he should be looking at. ¡°I am working with Sakura to heal all of our allies. Although¡­ Jin, Naruto, and Sasuke all rushed ahead before any of my pieces could get to them.¡± Katsuyu explains herself. ¡°Oh. Good.¡± ¡°What?¡± The slug speaks with a confused tone. ¡°Heh heh heh¡­ Trust me, you getting anywhere near Jin would be a hindrance.¡± Rito giggles. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ayanami can feel the wind in her face as her toad summon, Gamahiro, leaps over the scores of enemies; the kunoichi''s hair flaps in the breeze. Gamahiro has his swords drawn as the Ten-Tails fissions are throwing projectiles at them from the ground, the giant toad precisely and rapidly swings his katanas in a flurry. He parries and deflects the javelins with each strike of his swords; more and more projectiles are thrown, but Gamahiro keeps swinging with his aim continuing to be true. ¡°Nice work, Mr. Gamahiro!¡± The kunoichi cheers her summon on. ¡°Can you keep this up while I start weaving jutsu signs?¡± ¡°No sweat, I can do this all day!¡± The toad proudly retorts. As Ayanami weaves the hand signs necessary for a lightning jutsu, she can see Naruto riding on Gamakichi to her left. The orange toad furiously deflects the fission javelins while the Child of Prophecy amasses chakra into his right hand, forming a Rasenshuriken. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As the four summoning animals along with their riders get closer and closer to the Ten-Tails¡¯ main body behind the warring armies, Jin senses Sasuke gathering chakra into both of his eyes and Naruto infusing chakra in his right hand. He also senses Ayanami building up chakra into her hands. Jin holds up his right hand and focuses fire chakra into it, he adds gelel energy for an enhanced Rasenshuriken. ¡°Wind Style: Massive Rasenshuriken!!¡± Naruto--in his KCM1 form--holds aloft a large, bright, white and blue jutsu in the shape of a windmill shuriken; the jutsu is so gigantic in size that it exceeds the summoning toad, Gamakichi. The hero throws his jutsu at the Ten-Tails with great force. ¡°Inferno Style: Susano¡¯o Flame Control!!¡± Using his ethereal avatar as a medium, Sasuke creates intense black flames and applies shape transformation to them. The flames take the form of a pitch-black arrow with an aura of flickering flames, the rogue ninja¡¯s Susano¡¯o takes the arrow and loads it onto its bow. The chakra avatar fires the arrow with great precision. ¡°Fire Style: Gelel Rasenshuriken!!¡± Jin brandishes a fairly large, bright, red and orange jutsu in the form of a windmill shuriken over his head; it is not quite as large as Naruto¡¯s, but it is just as powerful due to the gelel energy that has been infused into it. The Onikage launches his jutsu toward the Ten-Tails. ¡°Lightning Running Beast Jutsu!!¡± Ayanami forms a Lightning Blade in her hand, the jutsu morphs and takes the form of a hound made entirely of electricity with a cord of lightning connecting to the hand of the kunoichi. Guided by its caster, the beast dashes toward the Ten-Tails with ridiculous speed and unpredictable movements. As they get closer and closer, Naruto and Sasuke¡¯s jutsu collide in mid-air. Due to their ratios being perfectly balanced, they merge into the combination jutsu, Scorch Style: Nimbus Tempest, something reminiscent of a pinwheel. Meanwhile, Ayanami¡¯s jutsu chases after Jin¡¯s; the lightning hound grabs the Gelel Rasenshuriken in its mouth and swallows it whole. The Jin¡¯s jutsu is absorbed by Ayanami¡¯s and transforms; the lightning cord dissipates while the hound transforms into a translucent wolf composed entirely of raging, hot plasma. Bright flashes of blue and orange occur all throughout its body and white particles float near and around it. Due to the creature''s absurd heat, the ground underneath its paws immediately melts into molten lava. The plasma wolf crouches down and lunges forward, vanishing completely. In the blink of an eye, it reappears directly in front of the Ten-Tails with a trail of burning corpses and lava in its wake. The wolf starts running circles around the behemoth; it sprints faster and faster until a firenado forms with a solid, flashing blue and orange ring of light at its base. The column of flames has arcs of lightning as it has an electrical coating surrounding it. ¡°RRRAAAAAAAWWWWRRR!!!¡± The behemoth cries out in pain. Trapped within the raging vortex of flames, the Ten-Tails is in agony as the flames and lightning sear and roast its flesh. The Nimbus Tempest jutsu is consumed and absorbed by the firenado, transforming yet again. The vortex grows larger and taller, piercing the clouds, the flames become pitch-black, but emits a dark-orange light that illuminates the whole battlefield. The arcs of lightning coating it become more frequent and intense. The fission clones near the Ten-Tails are pulled into the vortex and burn, they are incinerated into nothing, but ash. Even the ninja far off in the back can feel the heat coming from the four-way combination jutsu. ¡°That there¡¯s a BEAUTIFUL sight!!¡± A sweating Jin proudly admires their collaborative art, he performs the Mind Transmission jutsu and telepathically asks Ayanami, ¡°Hey, what do you think of the name, ¡®Plasma Style: Ark Flash Beast¡¯?¡± ¡°It works, I guess¡­ but I think you can do better.¡± Chapter 74 On another section of the battlefield, Mecha-Naruto recuperated just enough energy to re-enter his Mecha-Kurama form. The giant, mechanical fox engages the two dragons in vicious combat in the distance while Echo and Mileena battle Moryo¡¯s last two generals. ¡°? Food, glo~rious food! I¡¯m anxious to try it! ?¡± Mileena sings excitedly, her arm transforms into an ax. ¡°? Oh, food, wonderful food, marvelous food, glo~rious food! ?¡± The symbiote lunges for one Moryo¡¯s remaining generals and Yomi¡¯s second-in-command, Kusuna, Jin¡¯s will brings down her ax with great strength and speed. The pink-haired medical ninja tries to evade but is not quite fast enough; while Mileena wasn¡¯t able to hit any vital spots, she still managed to hack off his right arm; the severed limb drops to the ground along with a puddle of blood. ¡°GWAAAAAAAAHHHH!!¡± Kusuna wails in agony; he falls on one knee, clutching his injury as blood gushes from the wound. ¡°MY ARM! MY ARM!!! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE??!!! AAAIIIIIEEEE!!!!!¡± Mileena picks up the severed arm and opens her maw wide, she stuffs it into her mouth and starts chewing. Her tongue is flooded by the taste of iron, dark chakra, and one of Kusuna¡¯s dark medical ninjutsu snakes. The symbiote takes her sweet time swallowing her food with a satisfied look on her face. ¡°Ooh, your flesh is spicy! Delicious!¡± Mileena sneers with a seductive tone. ¡°Anesthetic Jutsu!¡± A now desperate Kusuna calls out. A snake created from Yomi¡¯s dark medical ninjutsu burst out of the general¡¯s injury. The creature¡¯s skin is a dark shade of violet with a dark pink scale on its forehead; Mileena is unable to tell whether or not the snake¡¯s aesthetics are alien or demon-like, she just assumes that it is probably both. The snake strikes Mileena with absurd speed, aiming right for her jugular with the intention of injecting the symbiote with a paralyzing toxin. However, Mileena is faster and quickly grabs the snake by its head and rips it clean off; its rich chakra-infused blood drips from the wound, soaking the ground. The evil medic ninja¡¯s expression is a fusion of pure horror and bewilderment. ¡°Don¡¯t look so surprised. Even if your pet had actually bit me, its toxins wouldn¡¯t even affect me.¡± Mileena tilts her head to one side, making an innocent smile. Kusuna falls back on his rear in a panic. ¡°J-Just what¡­ Just what the hell ARE you?!¡± ¡°I am the thing that keeps you up at night, the evil that haunts every dark corner of your mind. I am the night, I am vengeance, I am your worst nightmare.¡± The symbiote changes her voice to be deep, brooding. Mileena takes a step forward; she can see the fear and panic in his eyes. The symbiote takes another step; Kusuna fights through his fear and starts to hurriedly back away. Mileena begins walking at a brisk pace until she stands before the medical ninja, towering over him. She looks down on Kusuna with her glowing red eyes and places her right foot on his left knee and applies pressure until she feels a cracking sensation under her heel followed by a loud popping sound. ¡°GWEEEH!¡± ¡°Whoops! Hey, sorry about that. Looks like I accidentally crushed your leg!¡± A taunting Mileena sneers as she reaches for him, her sharp claws pierce and dig into his shoulder blade. ¡°Gwaaaaah¡­!¡± The general winces in pain as he is lifted up, his face grows paler and paler with his blood loss. ¡°And now I¡¯ll accidentally crush your head! Bon app¨¦tit!!¡± Mileena opens her mouth wide open, bringing the medical ninja closer. The pitch-black tunnel that is the symbiote¡¯s esophagus is the last thing Kusuna ever sees. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Whoever you are, you won¡¯t win. Turn back.¡± Moryo¡¯s second-in-command, Yomi, threatens, brimming with hostility. I can¡¯t read his mind¡­ Moryo must¡¯ve given him the same telepathic defenses he has. Echo stands his ground, cold and ruthless. ¡°I know he¡¯s nearby. Where is your master?¡± The two ninja face each other down, poised to strike. Tremors are felt as Mecha-Kurama battles the two genryu in the background; he grabs the Earth dragon and uses it as a melee weapon, slamming it against the Fire dragon. Further away in the distance, a large tornado made of black fire with an electric coating forms. The firenado¡¯s dark-orange light illuminates the entire battlefield, but Echo pays it no mind. ¡°Heh, why would I ever betray Lord Moryo?¡± The loyal general takes a fighting stance brimming with dark chakra. ¡°Imagine the world free from the threat of Moryo.¡± ¡°Over my dead body.¡± Angered by Echo¡¯s insolence, Yomi grows defensive. The evil medical ninja¡¯s chakra drastically increases, becoming denser, more powerful. Yomi¡¯s chakra becomes visible, resembling a faint, black flame that manifests in the form of a feather-shaped array behind the medical ninja and spreads out from behind him like a peacock''s tail feathers. Yomi undoes the top of his gray attire and reveals a rock embedded in his chest. So, he¡¯s using both the dark chakra from the Naruto Shippuden: Bonds movie and the meteorite from the Star Village filler arc¡­ Echo replies with a simple,¡± Today¡¯s the day skull-fucker.¡± Yomi swiftly weaves two hand signs. ¡°Body Activation Jutsu! Ninja Art: Kujaku: Beast!¡± Yomi¡¯s appearance changes, becoming more fit in looks, physique changes to be bulky and muscular. The evil medical ninja¡¯s hair grows wild and much longer, his eyebrows become wildly thicker. Yomi¡¯s muscles expand to the point that the clothes on his upper body burst, leaving him bare-chested, with only shreds of the sleeve around his wrists. As Yomi¡¯s appearance changes, his chakra transforms from peacock feathers to a spectral dog. The chakra beast rushes for Echo, its sharp, ethereal fangs drive into his torso; however, the time-traveler doesn¡¯t even react, he disappears in a puff of smoke. For a brief moment, Yomi is surprised, but then he immediately senses a chakra signature right behind him. He quickly turns around to see the masked ninja standing a few yards behind him, weaving hand signs. Stolen novel; please report. ¡°Fire Style: Fire Ball Jutsu!¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ayanami, Jin, Naruto, and Sasuke¡¯s 4-way combination jutsu lasts only moments before finally dissipating. The Ten-Tails has already detached the pieces of itself that remained on fire, but the behemoth is covered in fourth and fifth degree burns in spite of that; it twitches due to the continued searing pain. Out of nowhere, a distortion appears on top of the Ten-Tails¡¯ smoldering head in the form of a spiraling void; it swirls until Obito reappears with a gaping hole in his chest. He weakly falls on his back, coughing up blood. ¡°Guhhh¡­?! Ack¡­! Gwah!!¡± Confused, the Akatsuki leader begins to spasm uncontrollably. Black receivers painfully blast out of his arm and a black marking appears; it spreads over his body like an infection until it covers half. Obito strains as an unknown power possesses him, forcing him to get up. ¡°Raaargh¡­!¡± Obito moans. Now propped up on his knees, the Akatsuki leader finds himself slowly weaving hand signs against his will; he struggles to resist it, he is writhing as he battles for his freedom. The very thought of fighting it alone is making Obito feel like his head is splitting open, his muscles feel like they are on fire. ¡°Ohh¡­ WOOOOOOR--Unngh!!¡± Obito is suddenly kicked in the back of the head, he falls off the Ten-Tails, spiraling down. He is able to catch a quick glimpse of his attacker and is thoroughly shocked and bewildered as he sees a pair of Rinnegan staring right back at him. ¡°C¡¯mon, like we all didn¡¯t see this coming.¡± A sneering Menma shrugs gleefully. As Obito continues to plummet, a vision of Rin flashes in his mind that is quickly followed by a suffocating, overwhelming sense of regret. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WHAT THE FUCK JUST HAPPENED??!!! Jin internally screams. Bearing witness to these unforeseen developments, the Onikage¡¯s surprised and horrified eyes are as wide as saucers; his jaw has dropped to the point that it looks as if it could fall off at any moment. Jin is so appalled, so taken aback that the thought to stop Menma doesn¡¯t even cross his mind; the evil doppelganger excitedly weaves the Mirrored Ram hand sign, his hair changes from black to white. ¡°HmmHmm¡­ Hahahahaha¡­!¡± Joyous, Menma cackles, he revels in his victory. Like an earthquake, the ground violently shakes; several ninja in the back stumble and fall over. The Ten-Tails twitches, its tails all recede back into its main body and behemoth itself implodes, sucking Menma in. The Ten-Tails swirls as it is absorbed into Menma faster and faster, it is as if there is a singularity at its core. Holy fuck, there are no words to describe how bad this is¡­! Jin finds that he is bracing himself on instinct, he can sense Menma¡¯s chakra growing larger, stronger, more focused. With a single side glance, Jin knows that Ayanami can tell this shouldn¡¯t be happening. The tremors come to a complete stop and the air grows still as a white orb is suspended ominously in the sky, its surface looks as smooth as a perfectly round pearl. Cracks begin to form on the sphere, they spread and spread until they cover the entire exterior. Jin trembles with fear, sweat is practically pouring out of his face. His muscles tense up and he can¡¯t seem to catch his breath; he is hyperventilating. Jin is unsure if he is having another episode or is in a state of fight or flight, he just knows that he is terrified by what is about to happen. The white orb shatters, revealing a new and improved Menma: the doppelganger¡¯s skin becomes gray, and his hair turns bleach white. Menma is now cloaked with a complete outfit composed of chakra, with a pattern of six magatama below his neck and a pattern similar to The Sage of Six Paths on his back. Menma has also gained two horns on his forehead; ten black orbs manifest behind him. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The evil doppelganger opens his eyes, revealing the new him to this strange and different world. He looks down and coldly glares at all of his enemies, these counterparts are in some ways similar and in some ways different to the people he knows. When he looks at his counterpart, every hair on Menma¡¯s body stands up, his skin crawls, and his gut wrenches. Menma slowly descends to the point that he knows the four standing before him can hear his words. ¡°I¡¯m overflowing with power¡­ Unlimited power!¡± Menma takes one of his orbs and has it morph into a shakujo; he wields the staff like he has had it all of his life. With the greatest of ease, Menma creates five crimson red chakra arms. Faster than the blink of an eye the arms all scatter in five directions, their ethereal fingers dig into each side of the previous Hokages¡¯ Four Crimson Ray Formation. With a simple tug, Menma tears apart their barrier. Everyone stops in their tracks as they are in awe of the doppelganger¡¯s display of strength, the entire battlefield goes dead silent. No one is moving, no one is fighting, some are cowering in fear. ¡°I believe that was a good enough demonstration¡­ try all the jutsu you wish, but I¡¯ll break through¡­ Hmm?¡± Menma¡¯s attention immediately shifts, focusing on Jin and Ayanami. As he is now the Ten-Tails¡¯ jinchuriki, both Menma¡¯s visual prowess and sensory abilities have increased to ridiculous levels. He now knows these two specific ninjas are hiding immense power behind a facade, their power rivals his own. Menma starts to shake with rage. ¡°Look, I¡¯ll be blunt¡­ This guy is much stronger than I am.¡± Hashirama says, appearing with the other three Hokages. The Hokages all take flexible battle stances, allowing them to switch between offensive and defensive maneuvers on the fly. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what kind of freaky power he¡¯s gotten; we¡¯ll still stop him!!¡± Naruto declares. ¡°I¡¯ve seen what you can do with YOUR Kurama.¡± Menma¡¯s attention returns to Naruto, a twisted and unhinged smile forms on his face. ¡°If you can do it, so can I.¡± In a flash of orange light, Menma¡¯s hair changes from white to a golden yellow, the whisker-like markings on his face become thicker, resembling the ? trigram. His white cloak gains a golden yellow coating over it; it flickers like flames. His skin does not glow along with the rest of his outfit. ¡°Hey, Faker! Weren¡¯t you babbling some nonsense about how grateful your friends are here?¡± Not waiting for a response, Menma charges at the group and flies past them. The doppelganger flies over the warring armies, he diligently searches for Naruto¡¯s closest confidants, his eyes darting from one person to the next. He scours the battlefield until finds the first of his chosen victims. Menma descends like a meteor, landing; he creates a small crater the instant his feet touch the ground. Menma stands menacingly in front of a young man with messy brown hair and distinctive red fang markings on his cheeks. The young man also has a large, white dog that resembles a Great Pyrenees at his side. ¡°Grrrr!!¡± The dog growls with its fangs bare, it stares at Menma with a low head carriage. ¡°You¡¯re the Kiba of this world, right? Time to meet your maker!¡± Menma greets with a maniacal smile. The evil Naruto lunges for Kiba; the dog user attempts to dodge, but he just is nowhere near fast enough. Menma grabs Kiba by his neck and hoists him into the air, he slowly tightens his grip. ¡°Urk!¡± Kiba tries to speak. As Menma increases his hold on the dog tamer, Kiba thrashes around in a desperate attempt to free himself. Kiba tries to punch and kick his assailant, but Menma doesn¡¯t even react as he feels none of it. The strength behind Kiba¡¯s attacks quickly ebb and weaken, his head begins to swell, and his face turns purple with his eyes bulging out of their sockets; Menma can see the blood vessels in Kiba¡¯s eyes begin to break. ¡°*woof* *woof* *woof*!!!¡± Akamaru barks, leaping at his master¡¯s attacker. ¡°Mangy mutt.¡± The doppelganger¡¯s staff morphs into a katana. Menma briskly raises his sword and brings it down on the dog with great force. Akamaru limply falls to the ground with his head rolling off to the side with blood gushing out of the wound, a scarlet puddle forms under the dog¡¯s body. Kiba¡¯s head continues to swell and swell until it resembles a grape; blood spurts from the veins in his forehead and runs down his nose. Menma tightens his grip further, he continues to compress until the dog tamer¡¯s head finally gives, it explodes, squirting blood everywhere. Menma drops Kiba''s body and kicks it away; the body is sent flying off into the distance. While Menma revels in his actions, everyone who saw what just happened all now wear looks of horror and disgust. The doppelganger turns his attention to the crowd before him, he wears a proud smile. Menma opens his arms welcomingly and sneers, ¡°Ahem¡­ Now then¡­ Who¡¯s next?¡± Chapter 75 ¡°What? No one wants to fight me? You can at least make this fun for me before you all die!¡± Menma jeers at the Ninja Alliance¡¯s expense. However, the evil Naruto¡¯s taunts fall on deaf ears as they are all too afraid to even move. When they all look at the doppelganger, they all see the visage of death overlapping onto him; with its right index finger, the cloaked Shinigami beckons them all over. The Grim Reaper gazes at them all with desire; the nearest shinobi, a Hidden Grass ninja stumbles and falls on her rear, she sweats buckets. ¡°If you won¡¯t come to me, I¡¯ll come to you. The slaughter continues with¡­ YOU!¡± Faster than the Alliance can even react, Menma suddenly appears right in front of the cloud ninja, Omoi. The doppelganger is holding a new jutsu up to Omoi¡¯s stomach; Menma accesses the Four-Tails¡¯ power, creating a Rasen Ring with a lava-infused nucleus, the heat of which causes the planetary rings themselves to emit steam. ¡°Lava Style: Rasen Ring.¡± Menma shoves the jutsu into the cloud shinobi. ¡°GYAAAAAAGGHHH!!¡± Omoi screams. Omoi is sent flying through the air with the jutsu; the rings align into one disc-like shape around the orb, cutting into him as the nucleus roasts him alive, his skin is scorched off of his body. After traveling high into the air, the central sphere of the Rasen Ring detonates; the explosion is massive and lights the night sky. All that remains of poor Omoi are ashes that scatter in the wind. ¡°You there, girl, you¡¯re next¡­¡± Menma reaches for the nape of his neck and pulls out his spine. ¡°Clematis Dance: Vine.¡± The evil Naruto¡¯s removed spine goes limp, becoming flexible enough to be used as a whip with each of the vertebrae modifying themselves to possess spikes. Menma cracks his new whip before lashing it at the Hidden Leaf¡¯s weapons expert, Tenten. In one quick, fluid motion, the bone whip wraps around her faster than she can even react. ¡°NNYAAAAAARRGHHH!!!¡± Tenten releases a blood curdling scream as she feels the spikes pierce her flesh. Tears run down the kunoichi¡¯s face as her screams of agony echo across the battlefield, her expression becomes distorted, contorting with anguish, her entire body spasms from the pain. The vertebrae spikes dig into her body, hooking themselves in place and immobilizing her, Tenten is in so much suffering that she doesn¡¯t pay attention to what the doppelganger is doing. ¡°Clematis Dance: Flower!¡± Menma releases his staff which reverts back into an orb; the orb goes back to its proper position, floating behind the doppelganger. Bone protrusions slowly grow out of Menma¡¯s hand and forearm, the bones continue to grow and grow. They eventually connect and form around his hand resembling a large, drill-like lance. ¡°Now then¡­ just DIE!!¡± Naruto¡¯s evil twin dashes forward, fully prepared to make the kill; reveling in his newly acquired strength, Menma smiles without a care in the world. From out of nowhere, Minato suddenly appears directly between Menma and Tenten with his arms stretched out. It¡¯s obvious to everyone that the deceased Hokage is trying to shield the endangered kunoichi. ¡°I won¡¯t let you!¡± Minato declares. ¡°So, you¡¯re this world¡¯s Minato? Hey there, ¡®Dad¡¯!¡± Menma gleefully continues his charge. ¡°Wha¨C?¡± Minato is puzzled as to why this demon would refer to him as his father but is able to dwell on the subject as Menma runs him right through. Menma impales Minato¡¯s torso and continues rushing forward, carrying the reanimation on his lance. The doppelganger¡¯s aim is true and he pierces Tenten with his lance; Menma¡¯s bone whip shatters the moment his lance plunges through Tenten¡¯s flesh, pieces of bone scatter in all directions, littering the surrounding area. ¡°Ggf! Gggkkk¡­¡± Minato looks back and is horrified by what he sees, Tenten¡¯s warm blood drips off the lance, painting the ground red. Her eyes are dilated, and her face is expressionless. The weapon¡¯s experts'' skin slowly turns pale; her body grows colder by the second. ¡°You couldn¡¯t save her. You failed.¡± Menma sneers. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Calm down. Don¡¯t be a pussy, Jin¡­ Jin thinks as he bites down on his hand. The sharp pain of his own teeth sinking into his flesh has already begun to distract him from his fear, but his fear is quickly replaced by a sudden and strong feeling of despondency. Menma¡¯s actions had resulted in the ruination of the Onikage¡¯s plan and the unforeseen deaths of certain characters. You can do this, Jin¡­ The Red-Headed ninja gives himself a mental pep talk. You trained to survive the war and a future version of yourself helped you become strong enough to fight Kaguya level threats. You. Can D¨C ¡°Jin.¡± The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. Jin looks to his side and sees the one who called out to him; it is his friend, Ayanami, but something is different about her. The air she gives off has changed from warm and approachable to be icy cold and distant. Jin looks her in the eyes and sees pain, tears, and a patient fury in them, she has bawled up her fist so tightly that blood drips from her knuckles. ¡°Menma rendered your plan moot and I just lost two friends. New plan: We go all out and kill Menma.¡± Ayanami¡¯s voice is eerily calm, her body is shaking. As he has never seen this side of Ayanami before, Jin is somewhat alarmed. He is intimidated to the point that he avoids direct eye contact with her. ¡°Oway¡­¡± Jin takes his hand out of his mouth. ¡°...I was building up the nerve to do that anyway. ...You okay?¡± Ayanami quietly and angrily replies, ¡°I just watched three of my friends die. What do you think?¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to be a brilliant tactician and strategist? C¡¯mon, think of a way to beat me.¡± A grinning Menma mocks Shikamaru. The doppelganger holds the next head of the Nara clan up by his throat; Shikamaru is struggling to break free, but Menma¡¯s grip is just too strong. The young Nara cries blood as the doppelganger had gouged out his right eye a little earlier. With his other hand, Menma holds the next Yamanaka clan head, Ino, by her hair; she is still alive, but is barely even conscious, motionless and covered in bruises. A battered and unconscious Choji is on the ground under Menma¡¯s foot with both his right arm and left leg broken. ¡°Mmf! ¡­Aaf! Hmmf!¡± The reanimated Minato muffles. The Fourth Hokage, Minato, can only watch helplessly. Menma pinned him to the ground with several chakra receivers; not only are the rods preventing the reanimation from using his chakra, but they are also each impaling key points of articulation. He can¡¯t even speak as one of the receivers is pinned straight down his skull and through his jaw. ¡°You aren¡¯t going to do anything? Then you can just die!¡± Menma proceeds to squeeze Shikamaru¡¯s through. The young strategist fights for his life; he desperately punches and kicks Menma, but the doppelganger doesn¡¯t react to any of it. ¡°STOP IT!!¡± Shouts a man¡¯s voice. Naruto charges in a mad dash in order to save his friends; Menma throws Shikamaru and the Hero of the Leaf and takes advantage of the opening and kicks both of them away. ¡°I have had ENOUGH of you!¡± Offended by Naruto¡¯s audacity, Menma fires one of his Truth-Seeker orbs. The black sphere of chakra races toward Naruto who braces himself and attempts to shield Shikamaru with his own body in the process. As the orb is only a foot away, the young hero shuts his eyes and waits for oblivion. However, the moment--the instant before the ball can even make contact, Jin suddenly appears and kicks it away; the orb crashes into the ground, leaving a small crater. ¡°NO MORE!¡± Screams a woman¡¯s voice. Ayanami suddenly comes rocketing in from out of thin air and connects a stinging haymaker to the doppelganger''s face; the kunoichi can feel his nose break on her knuckles. The young Hyuga¡¯s punch is so mighty that Menma releases Ino on reflex as he is sent flying away. Ayanami catches her friend and sets her down gently by Choji. While Ayanami makes sure her fellow leaf shinobi are okay, Jin pulls the black rods out of Minato. Just from touching them, Jin can tell that these receivers would adversely affect anyone who doesn¡¯t possess six paths chakra. As the Onikage pulls the final one out, Minato springs back up like nothing happened. Flames of orange chakra engulf the Fourth Hokage due to him reactivating his KCM2 form; his light illuminates the surrounding area. ¡°Naruto, get everyone to run a safe distance away.¡± Ayanami orders. Naruto rises, arguing, ¡°What? You can¡¯t fight this guy alone! We need to work to¨C¡± ¡°Listen to the lady, Naruto. As you are now, you simply can¡¯t keep up.¡± Jin firmly agrees with Ayanami. Ayanami looks back at her blonde friend with a reassuring smile, her eyes pulsate with chakra and change; her ordinarily featureless white Byakugan gain blue pupils filled with what resemble overlapping white flower patterns. Naruto looks at her with awe, he can sense both her and Jin¡¯s power rising exponentially by the second. ¡°Trust us.¡± ¡°Okay...¡± A frustrated Naruto replies in defeat. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Menma grits his teeth, his body flails through the air as he is sent back. Ayanami had put enough power behind her attack to send the doppelganger back to where the Ten-Tails was pinned down. He comes to a sudden stop due to crashing into one of Hashirama¡¯s leftover Deity Gates. A crater is formed where Menma crashed along with a few cracks. More cracks begin to form, the cracks grow and spread all throughout the structure until it shatters completely. The evil Naruto falls to the ground with pieces of debris and rubble of varying sizes falling on top of him. As Menma pulls himself out of the pile of rubble, he senses two powerful chakra signatures; one is in front of him while the other is behind him. The doppelganger looks up and sees Ayanami staring down at him with a cold, hateful gaze. Behind Menma stands Jin, the evil twin doesn¡¯t detect any hatred per say, but a strong objective bloodlust coming from him. ¡°I¡¯ll admit you two are powerful, but I have ascended to godhood. You are no match for me.¡± Menma briefly monologues, picking himself up. Ayanami and Jin slowly start pacing around Menma, they walk around him in a circle with intensely watchful eyes. Tension in the air skyrockets as all three ninja begin infusing vast amounts of their chakra; as a result, the ground sets about trembling, it is as if the very earth they walk on is afraid. The air becomes so rich with their chakra that everyone in the distance takes a few steps back on instinct as to not suffocate from it. ¡°Ascension, Menma? This is bad comedy.¡± Jin scoffs with a smug tone. Courage. Courage, Jin¡­ You CAN do this! Jin goes ahead and releases his transformation, revealing his true form with all ten of his Truth-Seeker Orbs floating closely behind his back; one of which travels to his right hand, quickly morphing into a scythe. Sensing Jin and Ayanami¡¯s clear killing intent, Menma while still holding his spiked boned whip, summons one of his own Truth-Seeker Orbs to his free hand. The instant the doppelganger grips the sphere it changes, morphing into a katana in the blink of an eye. This is for Kiba, Akamaru, and Tenten¡­! Cyan flames flicker all over Ayanami¡¯s body. ¡°You¡¯re a monster, Menma. And we¡¯re gonna stop you.¡± The kunoichi activates her Tenseigan Chakra Mode, a cyan-colored chakra shroud with six magatama markings appear on her collar, dark markings over her eyebrows and lower eyelids. Her own Truth-Seeker Orbs hover closely behind her, poised to move. ¡°You two stop ME? HA! You underestimate my prowess, little girl. I have the Ten-Tails¡¯ power. I have multiple kekkei genkai. You are NOTH¨C¡± ¡°Enough talk¡­ It¡¯s time for war!¡± Jin interrupts, holding aloft his scythe. The Onikage swiftly charges at Menma, nimbly leaping high into the air. As Jin descends upon the doppelganger, he performs an acrobatic flip before bringing down his weapon with great force. Chapter 76 ¡°AAIIIEEEEEE!¡± Karin screams in horror. After healing and saving the current Five Kage from the aftermath of their massacre at the hands of Madara. Gaara hurriedly rushes to the location of the final battle along with his fellow Kage and Orochimaru¡¯s group; the Fifth Kazekage is carrying everyone with his sand through the night when they are shocked by the sensory ninja¡¯s sudden outburst. ¡°Stop screaming! Why are you screaming?!!¡± Suigetsu asks, startled. Karin detects Sasuke¡¯s chakra along with other multiple powerful chakra signatures crashing into each other. The intensity of the conflict makes the young kunoichi tremble in fear; she worries for Sasuke¡¯s safety. ¡°Karin--what do you sense?¡± Orochimaru queries. The Five Kage listen intently as they too want to know what is happening. ¡°...I-I¡­ I sense three scary strong chakras¡­¡± Karin explains, trying to compose herself. ¡°They¡¯re far too powerful to be human and¡­¡± ¡°And¡­?¡± A concerned Fifth Mizukage, Mei Terumi, questions. ¡°And I-I¡­ I think one of them is Jin. It feels a lot like his--only far stronger.¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Obito, you really have failed me¡­ A dejected Madara broods. Powerful shockwaves occur subsequent to a series of massive explosions going off in the distance; several ninja and fission beings are blown away by the gale force winds as they were too weak to weather them. The ground violently quakes and trembles as if the entire planet itself was shaking in fear. The Ghost of the Uchiha however is unfazed by the mayhem caused by those three upstarts and writes it all off as an inconvenience. What begins to excite Madara is standing right before him; he and his best friend stare each other down as they have done many times prior a lifetime ago. A deep blue aura of chakra erupts from Madara¡¯s body, surrounding him. From within the aura, a spinal cord forms followed by a ribcage and skull; Madara¡¯s Susano¡¯o reaches its perfect form with fully functioning wings. ¡°Wood Style: Wood Golem Jutsu!¡± Undeterred, Hashirama weaves the snake hand sign. From under the First Hokage sprouts a giant wooden man; the ground shakes as the humanoid statue lifts its caster to be eye level with Madara. ¡°Don¡¯t you not see what is happening?!¡± Hashirama asks, exasperatedly. ¡°Your ally is wreaking havoc on a scale never seen before. This conflict must end, Madara!¡± ¡°I know. Which is why I need to take another piece of you.¡± Madara¡¯s Susano¡¯o brandishes its sword. The two historical legends charge at each other with all their might, their clash weakens the resolve of many Alliance ninja who can do nothing, but watch. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Shit. Father and Ayanami are so freaking cool! Mileena watches their battle with awe and admiration from afar. Giddy as a schoolgirl, Mileena walks across the battlefield, stepping over the corpses of friend and foe alike. She feels the shockwaves coming from the fight against Menma, but isn¡¯t hindered in the slightest as she uses her shapeshifting ability to her physical being to be in a semi-solid state; the ripples of air seamlessly pass through her body. Still walking, Mileena drags the body of a fission clone across the battleground, leisurely; the creature is still alive, but all of its limbs have been chopped off with the stumps cauterized. The symbiote makes her way to the location of the Allied Shinobi Forces, she scans the crowd for the one she perceives as useful at the moment, Jin¡¯s old teammate. ¡°Make way. Make way.¡± Mileena orders in a commanding voice. Mileena forces her way through the crowd, weaving through the mob of background characters, still dragging the Ten-Tails clone. She does encounter a few supporting characters such as Hinata, Shikamaru, and Sakura, but she passes them by without a second thought as none of them are who she is searching for; as Mileena peers through the crowd, she notices the looks of fear some ninja give her, but she pays them no mind. Jin¡¯s will continues to search and search until she finally spots a tall, young man with spikey, bright orange hair and a purple cape; the one known as Sai happens to be near him. Catching eyes with him, Mileena happily struts over to him, amassing chakra in both of her eyes. Suspicious, Sai approaches and breaks the ice with, ¡°Your part of Jin¡¯s team, yes? I know he agreed to exchange information and aid us for a full pardon, but I can¡¯t help but feel there¡¯s more he¡¯s not lett¨C¡± ¡°Well, hello there! You¡¯re Sasuke¡¯s friend, Jugo, right?¡± Mileena greets the Taka member with her biggest, friendliest smile, completely ignoring Sai. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°Yes. And you are¡­?¡± Jugo asks. ¡°Oh, where are my manners? I am Mileena.¡± The symbiote politely bobs a curtsy while maintaining eye contact. ¡°I have a question: Do my eyes look pretty?¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Just¡­ who¡­ in the hell¡­ are you? Stop getting in my way!!¡± Menma howls in outrage. ¡°We¡¯ve got to do this¡­! If we don¡¯t, who will?!¡± Ayanami snaps, deflecting an attack. All three ninja violently spin and whirl like a raging tornado throughout the battleground, up in the air, and down in the dirt; they battled further away from the Alliance. Jin and Ayanami are striking and countering attacks from this creature of hate and death with everything they have; the surrounding area is being torn asunder by the sheer force behind the swinging of their weapons alone, sparks fly off each time their weapons clash. ¡°Ayanami, do you read me?!¡± A frustrated Jin telepathically communicates with the Mind Transmission Jutsu. ¡°W-What is it? I¡¯m a little busy¡­!¡± Ayanami replies, sweat running down her brow. ¡°We need to coordinate our attacks with his movements and whittle away at his defenses¨C¡± ¡°We¡¯ll create chinks in the armor and hammer at them away with everything we¡¯ve got, right?¡± ¡°Right! Follow my lead!¡± Jin infuses more chakra. ¡°Almighty Push!¡± ¡°Rotation!¡± Ayanami starts spinning at high speeds, releasing chakra from all of her chakra points. The two shinobi flank Menma with their jutsu and force him back, the doppelganger skids on the ground, tearing it up in the process before finally recovering. Much to Jin and Ayanami¡¯s shock and confusion, Menma lifts his sword over his head, and it morphs into a shield; one second later, the shield is coated in black flames. ¡°Ooh, looks like I get to take my friend¡¯s eyes all over again.¡± Menma looks up in anticipation. Ayanami and Jin do the same only to see Sasuke, flying in the sky, and in his CM2 form. With a flap of his wings, the Taka leader dives down at Menma, a purple aura of chakra erupts from Sasuke¡¯s body, surrounding him. From within the aura, a spinal cord forms followed by a ribcage and skull; the rogue ninja¡¯s Susano¡¯o reaches its humanoid form with his curse mark pattern. ¡°Heh. So long old friend. Tailed Beast Bomb Rasen Ring!¡± One of Menma¡¯s Truth-Seeker Orbs transforms, converting into a Tailed Beast Bomb with a disc-like blade around the orb; Menma hurls the jutsu at the new arrival. Jin immediately takes off into the air. ¡°Dammit, Sasuke!¡± Jin mutters under his breath, annoyed. At blinding speeds, the Onikage is able to blitz Menma¡¯s jutsu and reach Sasuke first; Jin smashes through the Uchiha¡¯s Susano¡¯o like it is Styrofoam and has his Truth-Seeker orbs engulf him, transforming them into a protective barrier. To the Uzumaki¡¯s horror, he turns around and sees the Rasen Ring is only a few feet away from him; a golden yellow ribcage forms around him in a panic. ¡­SHIT! OH, SHIT! OH, SHIT! OH, SHIT! OH, SHIT! Jin sweats with dread. The moment, the very instant Menma¡¯s jutsu collides with Jin¡¯s Susano¡¯o, it detonates; as the jutsu¡¯s core lights up, Jin can see all of his second life flash before his eyes, he sees how he met Ayanami and Rito, he sees his time working under Orochimaru, he sees his time as a ninja of the Hidden Leaf Village. The explosion is massive and intense. It continues to expand and grow to the point that it appears as a bright, white sun to everyone on the ground. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°I hate to admit it¡­ But you¡¯re pretty impressive for scum! Hehe¡­ Hahahaha! Hahahahaha¡­¡± Menma joyfully cackles, reveling in his victory. To Menma¡¯s surprise, Ayanami suddenly appears in a flash of cyan light; she has caught him off guard. The kunoichi reaches for the doppelganger¡¯s right hand with her left and pulls him in close. She proceeds to jab at his side that is left wide open, she keeps punching and punching, the more she strikes the faster she throws them; Ayanami can feel Menma¡¯s ribs crack against her knuckles. The Hyuga finishes her assault with a mighty uppercut to Menma¡¯s jaw. ¡°Agh¡­!¡± ¡°You¡¯re done for!!¡± Ayanami grits her teeth. The kunoichi winds her arm back and throws a deadly right hook, throwing her whole body into it. However, Menma miraculously recovers and counters with a haymaker; Ayanami is forced to stop her punch mid-thrust and backflips, narrowly evading the counterattack. Now standing on her hands, the young Hyuga kicks him in the abdomen with both legs and follows-up by quickly pivoting her hands, swerving her whole body and landing a powerful roundhouse kick. As Menma is sent flying away, Ayanami jumps onto her feet and channels lightning chakra into and around her right hand, concentrating it in the form of a razor-sharp blade. She even takes it a step further and applies Six Paths Sage chakra to the jutsu; the color of her jutsu changes from blue to black with violet outlines. ¡°Six Paths Sage Art: Lightning Blade!¡± Ayanami takes a running start, sprinting faster than light; as she drags her jutsu along the floor, it makes deep tears in the ground and kicks up dust. As the Hyuga gets closer, she prepares herself to deliver the coup de gras. Unfortunately, Menma has already recovered and is charging toward her, matching her pace. He holds out his hand and forms a Six Path Rasen Ring, multiple rings spin around its black and purple core. ¡°JUST DIE ALREADY!!¡± Menma roars. ¡°You first!¡± Ayanami yells back. Both ninjas brace themselves and thrust their hands forward, their jutsu clash violently. Their collision makes the ground tremble, boulders and debris begin to float in the air. Sparks blast out of the point of impact; waves of chakra slowly swirl around the two adversaries and condense into a sphere of energy. The sphere emits a light that burns brighter and brighter with each passing second, waves of chakra slowly swirl around the two adversaries and condense into a black sphere of energy. Unbeknownst to both shinobi, the storm clouds have become considerably thicker with more frequent bolts of lightning striking the ground; what is unusual is that every bolt originates from the same exact point in the sky. The clouds grow brighter and brighter as something descends from the heavens, it is not a person, but an entity, a being of pure electricity. The creature just waits, watching the energy sphere, intently. Chapter 77 ¡°AAAAAAAAARGH!!¡± Jin screams with mixed feelings of pain and fury. Mere moments before Menma¡¯s jutsu went off, Jin had managed to progress his Susano¡¯o to its musculature state; whether an act of God or through his own skill, Jin had survived. The young man hovers just above the clouds, he trembles in agony as his body is covered in fourth degree burns and an arm and leg are gone; smoke is emitting from his injuries due to his body regenerating from the damage. ¡°Fuck yoooouu!!¡± Jin shouts at the top of his lungs. ¡­Oh, shit--is Sasuke alright? Jin has already healed enough to allow for coherent thought. After cursing Menma, Jin quickly looks back and sees a large, black sphere floating just a few feet behind him; there are no visible signs of damage. Jin has his barrier open up; he spots a pair of Eternal Mangekyo staring right back at him. ¡°You look disgusting.¡± Sasuke goads. ¡°Ha! Like you should talk.¡± Jin refers to Sasuke¡¯s wings that resemble webbed hands. As Jin has the barrier fully separated with the orbs returning to their respective positions behind him, his arm has fully regrown, and his leg is still in the process of regenerating the foot. Sasuke is about to descend when the Onikage grabs the rogue ninja by his wing. ¡°What?¡± Sasuke asks. ¡°Stand down and wait with the others¡­ Ayanami and I will handle Menma.¡± Jin speaks with a calm clarity. ¡°At the moment, we¡¯re the only ones who can take him.¡± Sasuke¡¯s stoic expression becomes an irritated scowl. ¡°You may have saved me, but don¡¯t let it go to your head. Don¡¯t underestimate the Uch¨C¡± ¡°Sasuke, shut the fuck up and listen for once in your life¡­¡± Jin drops all pretenses. ¡°Not only did I smash through your Senjutsu Susano¡¯o like it was nothing, I protected you from an attack that made me think I was actually going to die. Right here and now, to me, you ARE a child that needs to be protected¡­ Stand. Down.¡± Jin can see the frustration brimming in Sasuke¡¯s eyes, the young Uchiha clenches his fists. Jin steels himself and starts infusing chakra, the young Uzumaki is willing to force Sasuke to stand down; the Onikage gives the rogue ninja a stern look and stands his ground. The tension is palpable, their standoff lasts a brief moment before Sasuke finally backs down, reluctantly. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll leave the rest to you¡­ for now. You¡­ really have changed since I last saw you, Jin.¡± Sasuke concedes. Jin shrugs. ¡°Even cowards can rise to the occasion. Fire Style: Demon Lantern!¡± Scores and scores of the ghostly fireballs are formed, they float ominously above the clouds with Jin and Sasuke; the fireballs coupled with the night sky remind Jin of Halloween. With a snap of his fingers, Jin has his Demon Lanterns go off like the Fourth of July, causing the ambient temperature of the atmosphere to rise rapidly and create an ascending air current. The number of thunderclouds increases exponentially. ¡°You copied my techniques as well? Try inventing your own jutsu for once.¡± Arms folded, Sasuke scoffs. ¡°All jutsu are created and then taught--I REALLY don¡¯t see the problem here.¡± Jin replies with an innocent yet smug grin. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In the aftermath of their jutsu colliding, Ayanami and Menma are forced away from each other by the subsequent explosion. The kunoichi bounces and skids along the ground before finally recovering and coming to a complete stop. ¡°No! I won''t lose he--AAAAARGH!¡± Just as Menma was picking himself up, there was a flash of light; Menma was smashed into the ground with a being composed entirely out of lightning biting down fiercely on his torso. Seconds later, the majestic creature explodes in a brilliant fashion with lightning flying in all directions. ¡°That was for blowing me up, you son of a bitch!¡± Jin exclaims, slowly descending. The Onikage lands gently at his friend''s side, his smoke still emits smoke from regenerating. He feels Ayanami¡¯s gaze on him. ¡°Is Sasuke alright?¡± The Hyuga asks. Jin nods with a curt, ¡°Yup.¡± Both ninjas keep their eyes fixed on the smoldering crater. Jin¡¯s attack had actually melted the ground Menma was standing on and left some residual electricity that occasionally flickers. They watch the evil Naruto pull himself out of the hole, he is covered in third and fourth-degree burns, lightning sparks off his body, Menma is not happy in the slightest. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°I¡­ I won¡¯t accept this¡­ I¡­ I will NOT lose to scum like YOU¡­¡± After his outburst, the doppelganger recomposes himself with a sinister smile. ¡°I¡¯ve STILL got ways of dealing with you.¡± The doppelganger crouches down, placing his hands on the ground. Moments later, a colossal tree bursts out of the ground with four large flowers growing out of its trunk. Each of the flowers amass enormous amounts of chakra for four simultaneous Tailed Beast Bombs. ¡°Heh heh heh¡­ You¡¯re all gonna die here. I¡¯ll make sure of it.¡± Menma giggles, twistedly. Their adversary rises into the air and rotates, launching chakra receivers in six different directions. While wearing a determined expression, Menma weaves several hand signs in quick succession. An even larger and more powerful Crismon Ray barrier forms over the entire battlefield, entrapping all combatants in with the tree. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I know what to do¡­ Echo contemplates, gazing at the red barrier. The time-traveler coldly turns and walks away to the surprise and confusion of Yomi. Their battle is now as good as over. ¡°Running away, are we?¡± Moryo¡¯s second-in-command mocks. Echo looks back with a cold, venomous glare. ¡°Fry, bitch.¡± Not bothering to say another word, Echo disappears in the form of a flicker. Left to his own devices, a perplexed Yomi turns away and watches the kaiju fight in the distance; Mecha-Kurama grabs hold of the fire dragon and suplexes the beast hard into the ground before disappearing in the same manner as Echo. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --there¡¯s no exit for the energy, it¡¯ll just follow and vaporize us¡­ Rito broods over a way to save himself and his friends. Hmm¡­ maybe I SHOULD just wait for Naruto and his ol¡¯ man to save us? ¡°I take it Tsume¡¯s summoning time ran out?¡± Echo asks, appearing right behind the boy. Rito looks back. ¡°Hmm? Nah yeah, she went back to wherever I plucked her from.¡± ¡°I have a way to save us, but I need the power of your Nine-Tails cloak.¡± Echo holds out his hand. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°This is bad¡­¡± Ayanami mutters. The four Tailed Beast Bombs have grown in size, they look as if they are almost ready to launch. Menma has already encased himself in a protective barrier made from his Truth-Seeker Orbs. Jin reassuringly tells her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve¨C¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got it covered.¡± Echo interrupts. The time-traveling Jin of the future grabs them both and before they know it, they are in an entirely different location. Where they have just been transported to is all too familiar to Jin; they are deep inside a cave, surrounded by a thick, foreboding fog, one so thick they can¡¯t even see a few yards ahead themselves. ¡°So where are we?¡± Rito asks, breaking the silence. Echo, of all the places you could¡¯ve teleported us to, why¡¯d you send us here? Wearing a blank expression, Jin answers with a curt, ¡°Ryuchi cave.¡± ¡°So this is where you trained to be a snake sage? It¡¯s kinda gloomy here.¡± Ayanami chimes in. ¡°Yeah. Don¡¯t eat any of the food they offer you.¡± ¡°I thought that voice sounded familiar¡­¡± Says the disembodied voice of an elderly woman. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, boy.¡± The fog mysteriously begins to clear, revealing the team¡¯s surroundings. Rito, Ayanami, and Mecha-Naruto notice how Jin and Echo are gazing at the top of a flight of stairs. They look in the same direction and see a pair of giant, amber eyes staring right back at them. The owner of the eyes is an extremely large, albino, Japanese rat snake. She wears a turban with two pointed edges and a red orb on top along with an orange headdress. She also wears a chain with a green orb around her neck. The snake sits leisurely upon her sacred seat, smoking her cigarette contentedly. Jin gives a polite bow. ¡°Master White Snake Sage, long time no se¨C¡± ¡°Now, Jin, you should know well by now that all who come to learn sage mode must first pass the trials. I won¡¯t make any exceptions for your friends.¡± The White Snake Sage puffs forth smoke. The Onikage detects a twinge of annoyance in her voice. Since her face is that of a snake, Jin is unable to measure how upset she truly is. ¡°Oh, no, no, we¡¯re not here for that--sorry to intrude. We¡¯ll be on our way now. Goodbye!¡± Jin nervously shakes his head. ¡°C¡¯mon guys, let¡¯s go!¡± Jin beckons everyone over. ¡°Uhhh¡­ How exactly are we supposed to get back to the battlefield?¡± A stretching Ayanami asks. ¡°I know a guy.¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Several meters outside of Menma¡¯s Crismon Ray barrier, someone digs his way out from underground; it is another Jin. He hurriedly crouches down, infusing chakra. Jin quickly presses his hand against the ground. ¡°Summoning Jutsu.¡± A jutsu formula forms on the ground and seconds later, the team appears in a puff of smoke. To his confusion, Echo looks back and sees the other Jin crouched down. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell us you had an emergency clone stashed away?!¡± The masked man questions, angrily. ¡°Because YOU teleported us before I could say or do anything!¡± Jin snaps back. Chapter 78 Just before Menma had trapped the Alliance within his Six Crimson Ray Formation, Mileena had exited the battlefield with Jugo and a gravely injured Obito. Using the eyes her father had given her, the symbiote had put the Taka member under Kotoamatsukami, having him heal the Akatsuki leader by using his sage transformation to graft the flesh of the Ten-Tails clone onto Obito; Mileena sits leisurely on a boulder while she waits for Jugo to replace Obito¡¯s missing parts, amusing herself as she waits. ¡°? ¡­girl and I¡¯m here to save the world. You can¡¯t stop me ¡®cuz I¡¯m Kim Pos-si-ble. ?¡± Mileena sings, nodding jovially to the rhythm. Earlier, Mileena had just watched Yomi, Moryo¡¯s second-in-command, die a fiery death. Realizing what was about to happen, the medic ninja banged ferociously against the barrier, begging the symbiote to help him. However, she just gave him an innocent smile and waved goodbye, watching as the blast vaporized him. ¡°? Doesn¡¯t matter where, doesn¡¯t matter when. I will be there for y¨C?¡± ¡°W-Who are you¡­ and--*COUGH**COUGH*--w-why are y-you helping me¡­?¡± Obito wheezes, interrupting the symbiote. The man who declared war on the entire world lies helpless on his back with Jugo filling the hole in his chest with Ten-Tails parts. Coughing up blood, he stares at the being who resembles Black Zetsu. Mileena hops down from her rocky perch, she towers over the defeated Akatsuki member with a calm demeanor. The black biomass stares down at him with a look of contempt. ¡°You dumbass simp, you are a pawn--Madara and Zetsu have been using your dumbass ever since you got crushed by that fucking rock!¡± The symbiote¡¯s tone changes from apathetic to sadistic as she continues. ¡°You get to be Fa--Jin¡¯s pawn now. Do your best to be of use to us~!¡± ¡°*COUGH*--W-What¡¯re you¡­?¡± Mileena maintains eye contact with the downed Obito, amassing chakra in both of her eyes and activates Kotoamatsukami once again. As Obito is still weak from his injury, he is unable to get away and falls victim to the symbiote¡¯s genjutsu. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- With anxious anticipation, the team vigilantly watches Menma enact his next move. They see the doppelganger hover ominously inside his barrier, he claps his hands together and from his back, the Ten-Tails emerges; the ground rumbles as the behemoth falls to the ground on its back. The beast closes its massive eye, its limbs and tails dig deep into the earth; a bulge grows from the behemoth¡¯s stomach, forming into a colossal flower bud. The rest of the Ten-Tails grows taller and taller, morphing into a towering tree trunk. The crimson barrier goes down only for the tree¡¯s roots to blast out of the ground and scatter in multiple directions, seeking out all those who possess chakra. A small herd of roots stampede toward Jin and company. ¡°Everyone, stay close to me!¡± The terrified Onikage shouts. I REALLY hope this crazy and insane idea works¡­ Jin thinks back to one of the chapters of Boruto he read in his previous life, Boruto Chapter 55. He recalls how Isshiki told Code that he can become an Otsutsuki as long as he sacrificed either Boruto or Kawaki to the Ten-Tails and ate the fruit it bore. The young Uzumaki hurriedly jumps in the way of the roots to shield his team; standing firm, Jin stares down the roots and extends his left hand out to make a ¡®stop¡¯ gesture. The oncoming roots part, seamlessly passing over the team much to Rito and Ayanami¡¯s bewilderment. ¡°Oh, thank God--it actually worked¡­¡± Jin breathes a sigh of relief. Rito scratches his head in confusion. ¡°Wait¡­ why did they ignore us?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Ayanami adds, cocking her head to one side. ¡°Why weren¡¯t we sucked dry of our chakra?¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Root member of the Anbu Black Ops, Sai, is one of many ninjas desperately running away from the oncoming roots of the Divine Tree; the ground behind the fleeing shinobi quakes and shatters as the roots continue to elongate, seeking out all who possess chakra. Sai takes a quick glance behind him only to see several unlucky souls grabbed by the rhizomes. The helpless ninja caught by the roots are completely drained of their chakra, their faces grow hollow, and their eyes sink into their skulls, their emaciated bodies flow lifelessly in the breeze. The sight of the slain husks left in the wake of the roots make onlookers want to throw up. It looks like hell on Earth. ¡°Quick! Run! It Sucks out all your chakra and kills yooouu!!¡± A cloud ninja screams with tears and snot running down his face. Blood roars in Sai¡¯s ears as he desperately moves his legs, he feels the same exact emotion he had felt when he first met Sasuke and Jin, fear on a deep, instinctual level--only a thousand times stronger. While he is ostensibly running, he is surrounded by people fleeing in all directions. Even Sai, who is faster than the average jonin, is slowed down by the sheer numbers in the crowd. ¡°Out of my way!¡± A sand ninja screams, pushing through the crowd. ¡°I don¡¯t want to die!!!¡± A kunoichi shrieks in terror. A panting Sai looks to his left and can see the Eight-Tails jinchuriki, Bee, sprinting gravely away from a drove of roots. To his right, Sai witnesses a Stone ninja trip and fall, he is trampled to death by the stampede of frightened shinobi to the anbu member¡¯s horror; in a matter of moments, their bodies are quickly ground into a thin red paste by the herd of panicking ninja. ¡°INOOO!!!¡± The Sai looks ahead and sees Shikamaru carrying Choji, the young tactician calls out to his friend and comrade. The anbu ninja looks back and sees the next Yamanaka clan head trailing behind, her injuries slowing her down, and a tree root is right behind her. Images of Team 7 and of Ayanami flash in the young man¡¯s mind, he knows what he has to do; Sai takes a deep breath and turns back, dashing toward his fellow leaf ninja. The anbu grabs Ino by her arm and in one quick motion, pulls her over his shoulder and throws her; the Yamanaka kunoichi is sent flying away. ¡°You have to live, beautiful.¡± Sai calls out, smiling. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. Sai feels the tree root grabs ahold of him; its grip feels as tight as a constrictor. The anbu member feels his chakra being sapped from his body, he grows weaker and weaker. Sai doesn¡¯t feel sadness or fear, but happiness, the anbu member feels happy that he was able to save a dear comrade in his final moments; he finally closes his eyes, and everything goes black. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Not that anyone is complaining, Rito and Ayanami continue to feel perplexed as they watch the roots persist in passing them by, ignoring them entirely. They all feel the ground shake as the roots keep on growing. ¡°Heh¡­ heh heh heh¡­ Ahahahaha!¡± Echo laughs for the first time in years. The time-traveler¡¯s guffaw only adds to the dubiety of their situation. ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± The curious Hyuga asks. ¡°...Heh heh heh¡­ This only confirms what Jin and I already know: Divine Trees exist to serve, update, and evolve Otsutsuki clan members. And Jin evolved the moment he ate the chakra fruit produced by the tree.¡± ¡°So¡­ Jin¡¯s an Otsutsuki now?¡± Rito queries, shrugging. ¡°A fledgling one by the looks of it. See? He doesn¡¯t have their clan horns.¡± Echo points at Jin¡¯s head. Jin imagines himself with a pair of protruding antlers like Kaguya¡¯s, Momoshiki¡¯s, and then Isshiki¡¯s. A wave of disgust immediately washes over him. The Uzumaki sheepishly rubs his head. ¡°It¡¯s bad enough my hair and skin were bleached white¡­ I¡¯ll be damned if I ever grow hor¨C¡± ¡°I have new information I need to relay to all the Alliance!¡± Using Ino¡¯s Mind Transmission Jutsu, Hashirama links to the five Kage and the Allied Shinobi Forces. While the First Hokage catches everyone up to speed with the intel he acquired, the Divine Tree¡¯s roots come to a full stop. The perennial plant stands tall overall, towering over even the very heavens themselves. Oh, yeah¡­ I¡¯m still holding back some, aren¡¯t I? Jin reflects, stroking his chin. The Onikage reaches for his forehead and parts his bangs. His third eye opens, revealing his Rinne Sharingan. A pleasurable sensation washes over Jin due to the third eye¡¯s power being unleashed, a smile forms on his face. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- After hearing what Hashirama had to say, the Ninja Alliance is speechless with despair. The battlefield has become quieter than a graveyard, the only thing audible is the Autumn night breeze. The Alliance shinobi just stand where they are in defeat, waiting for death; some have fallen to their knees. ¡°Ugh. I told you not to give up hope!¡± The First Hokage shouts into the minds of the Alliance. Most remain dead silent while others just murmur defeatist thoughts in the background. Their fear and despair make something bubble up deep from within Jin, they are revulsion and anger. ¡°Easy for you to say¡­¡± A Hidden Stone ninja finally speaks up, snapping back. ¡°You¡¯re a reanimation from the past brought back to life! We¡¯re still alive!¡± ¡°It¡¯s all¡­ over¡­¡± ¡°PATHETIC--ALL OF YOU!!¡± Jin breaks the silence, chastising the entirety of the Allied Forces. ¡°YOUR COWARDICE, YOUR WEAKNESS, IT ALL DISGUSTS ME! YOU MAKE ME FEEL ASHAMED TO BE A NINJA!!¡± The Onikage¡¯s brutal honesty cuts deep, damaging many egos. ¡°Cowardice?! How dare you?¡± Offended, Sakura speaks. ¡°You have the nerve to call us cowards after what we--The Ninja Alliance ha¨C?!¡± ¡°Aha hahahaha! Alliance? ALLIANCE? Sorry, toots, but *I* see no Alliance--all I am surrounded by is fear. And dead men.¡± ¡°Okay~! I think you¡¯ve said enough, Jin. Cool it.¡± Ayanami interjects, quelling her friend. ¡°Let¡¯s save the world.¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Heh heh heh¡­ Dread it. Run from it. Destiny arrives all the same. And now it¡¯s here¡­¡± Menma monologues, snickering. ¡°Or should I say¡­ *I* am.¡± Something most unusual occurs; a dark, evil energy surges deep from within Menma. Chakra erupts from the deranged double¡¯s body, taking the form of a Kurama avatar. However, Menma¡¯s Tailed Beast Mode is drastically different from Naruto¡¯s; the doppelganger¡¯s possesses a translucent black color with a prominent magenta swirl design over their stomach, and various other lines extending along its body. The dark Kurama avatar prowls around the divine tree like an apex predator, its open maw vaguely resembles a savage, mocking leer. It bares its fangs and digs its claws into the base of the trunk. Menma jeers, ¡°Whether I kill you or the Infinite Tsukuyomi activates, know this: One thing is certain this war is¨C!¡± ¡°Is it possible for you to shut the fuck up for 10 seconds?!¡± Jin shouts in annoyance. To the Black Kurama¡¯s confusion, it turns to its right and notices two figures of comparable size charging right for it. One is a giant, bipedal reptile made of wood while the other is an enormous, humanoid Susano¡¯o made of golden yellow chakra. The Susano¡¯o leaps high into the air and dives at the black fox, the ethereal warrior brings down its sword with immense force behind its swing. However, Black Kurama thrusts several of its tails forward and catches the blade. Jin¡¯s avatar gradually puts more weight behind its weapon as Menma¡¯s puts more effort into pushing it back, the ground quakes and crumbles under foot due to the two titan¡¯s struggle. ¡°You''re just a cheap imitation of the real thing. Obito¡¯s little helper¡­¡± Jin looks down on his adversary with an icy glare. ¡°...A stepping-stone. In other words: You¡¯re in my way!¡° ¡°You must not have a brain in that head of yours if you think you can talk to me like that and get away with it¡­!¡± Menma growls back. ¡°It¡¯s a 2-on-1 fight, moron!¡± Ayanami shouts. Right behind Black Kurama, the kunoichi grows out from the tree roots along with her wooden kaiju. The wooden reptile grabs hold of the dark fox¡¯s free tails and heaves, Menma¡¯s avatar lurches back; Ayanami¡¯s golem begins spinning and steadily increases the speed of her rotation in an extremely brief moment. Ayanami has her monster release its grip and the black fox is launched high into the air. ¡°Jin!¡± A determined Ayanami builds up more chakra. ¡°Yeah, I know!¡± Quickly infusing his chakra as well, Jin¡¯s Susano¡¯o focuses six paths sage chakra along with gelel energy into its hand, forming a Fire Style: Gelel Rasenshuriken. The ethereal warrior winds its arm back and throws the jutsu with great force; at the same time, the kaiju builds up six paths sage chakra in its mouth and spits out a Lightning Beast Running Fang, both attacks fly straight toward Menma and his Kurama avatar at absurd speeds. ¡°¡°Six Paths: Plasma Style Arc Flash Beast!¡±¡± Halfway through their given trajectory, the two projectile jutsu spiral and coalesce into a massive, rabid wolf made of pure, burning plasma with violent flashes of red and white occurring all throughout its body; its intense heat ignites the very air around it, leaving a trail of smoke and fire. The creature flies up into the air at blinding speeds and lunges for the Black Kurama avatar, its scorching fangs sink into the ethereal fox¡¯s jugular. The wolf emits a bright light before detonating, the explosion is massive, the heat it gives off is absurdly intense. Flower bud at the top of the divine tree is caught in the enormous explosion and subsequently set ablaze. ¡°H-Hey, Jin? After the war¡­¡± A sweating Ayanami pants, she hurriedly fans herself. ¡°...we need to come up with different combinations of jutsu. This heat is just UNGODLY.¡± Chapter 79 While Jin and Ayanami were fiercely battling Menma all throughout the base and trunk of the divine tree, Rito and Echo were riding on top of Mecha-Kurama; the two reincarnations have to keep behind his head, clinging tightly to the mechanical fox¡¯s neck as to not be blown away by the intense shockwaves. The robotic double wields a large, diamond broadsword as he charges straight for the tree roots. ¡°Just keep cutting down roots in the meantime while we wait.¡± Echo commands. Mecha-Kurama delightedly replies, ¡°WITH GUSTO!¡± Six roots alter their trajectory and come rocketing toward Mecha-Kurama, the machine stops in his tracks and takes a stance, he waits for the roots to get closer. Once the radicles are deemed to be within range, Mecha takes one massive swing of its sword and cuts the roots down. More and more divine roots keep coming, but Mecha keeps cutting with no signs of slowing down, the fox¡¯s movements are swift and powerful; every time the sword grows dull or gets chipped, Rito uses his chakra to repair and sharpen the blade, keeping it perpetually maintained. ¡°Oi, don¡¯t worry about the sword! I¡¯ve got it covered, just keep cutting!¡± Rito asserts, still clinging on. ¡°THANK YOU, MEATBAG!¡± Meatbag? Did Jin teach him that¡­? Bewildered, Rito is taken aback by the robot¡¯s reply. Even more roots stampede toward Mecha-Kurama, but the mechanized double just keeps swinging his sword. More and more roots descend upon them, forcing the machine to swing a flurry of sword strikes faster and faster; the ground where Mecha-Kurama stands begins to crumble away and sparks begin to fly off of his joints. ¡°Samurai, do not waver! Now go forth!!¡± Mifune followed by a number of samurai leap past Mecha-Kurama and help cut down the overwhelming tree roots. To Mecha, they resemble a swarm of red-orange fireflies due to their nine-tails cloaks. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Alright! Let¡¯s cut this giant tree down while he¡¯s distracted by his battle!¡± Hashirama orders. ¡°¡°¡°RRRAAAAAAGH!!!¡±¡±¡± Facing their collective fear, the Allied Shinobi Forces charge toward the divine tree in the hopes of cutting it down, some have regained their fighting spirit while others are deeply upset from Jin¡¯s remarks. Among many shinobi combating the tree roots are Jin¡¯s former teammates, Takeda Sarutobi and Yuno Tamaki. ¡°Damn that Jin! That traitor had the nerve to call the entire Ninja Alliance cowards! Unbelievable¡­¡± Irritated, Takeda quickly weaves several hand signs. ¡°Fire Style: Dragon Flame Jutsu!¡± A scowl forming, Yuno weaves several hand signs. ¡°Takeda¡­ keep bad mouthing Jin and I WILL hit you¡­!¡± The young Sarutobi spews intense flames from his mouth, the fire rapidly travels forward in a straight direction. Upon making contact, a couple of roots are immediately engulfed in flames and are reduced into a pile of ash in less than a minute, the ashes scatter in the wind. After kneading the chakra in her stomach and converting it into water, the kunoichi spits it out as a highly pressurized stream, it manages to slice through several of the oncoming roots. ¡°SERIOUSLY? Even after everything Jin¡¯s done, you still love him?¡± Confused and upset, Takeda questions his friend and comrade. The blue-haired shinobi pauses, she looks up and sees Jin battling fiercely along the trunk of the divine tree. Tamaki¡¯s eyes follow Jin like a hawk as he and Ayanami chase after Menma. After a few seconds pass, she finally stops staring and turns to Takeda and gives him a warm smile, but something is off; even someone as slow as Naruto can tell that Yuno¡¯s smile is fake. ¡°Don¡¯t worry¡­ I-It¡¯s just that Jin has come back to us again. That fact makes me truly happy.¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°You¡¯re FINISHED, Menma!!¡± Jin declares. The Onikage¡¯s Susano¡¯o brandishes its sword, it elongates into a segmented, bladed whip; with one swing of the arm, the ethereal avatar cracks its whip. Menma roars, ¡°Never! I¡¯m just warming up!¡± Both Jin and Ayanami sense a change occurring in the evil Naruto¡¯s chakra; the double¡¯s chakra begins to increase in temperature until it reaches a boiling point, generating large amounts of steam out of Black Kurama. Additionally, Menma envelopes his avatar¡¯s entire body in a coating of lava. Ayanami¡¯s wooden reptile rushes Black Kurama, throwing a haymaker; the heat coming off the fox is so intense that it burns away the bark just from being too close. The ethereal fox is much faster than it was before, it evades by leaping back at blinding speeds and fires a Tailed Beast Bomb; Jin¡¯s Susano¡¯o immediately jumps in the way in an attempt to block the attack with its shield. However, the force of the explosion blasts Jin and Ayanami down to the base of the tree; the searing pain reminds Jin of when he and team Taka fought the Eight-Tails. This guy¡­ really is a damn abomination! Brooding, Jin picks himself up, he spits out some blood before speaking. ¡°¡­A-Ayanami? As time passes, Menma grows more accustomed to the tailed beasts¡¯ powers¡­¡± ¡°Th-Thanks for stating the--Ngh!--obvious, Jin¡­¡± Ayanami remarks sarcastically, wincing as she pops her left shoulder back into place. ¡°What EXACTLY is your point?¡± ¡°This bastard is too damn dangerous; we need to kill him before he fucks something up beyond repair.¡± Suspended inside his chakra avatar, Menma coldly looks down on the two reincarnations with a sadistic grin. The Kurama avatar itself hovers menacingly in the air above them, poised to strike; side-by-side, Jin and Ayanami defiantly glare back at him. ¡°Your anger won¡¯t save you. It¡¯s only a matter of time before the Infinite Tsukuyomi activates... the world will end soon. You¡¯re out of time.¡± Menma shrugs, confident in his victory. Building up his chakra, Jin interjects. ¡°Better than being Obito¡¯s bitch. Even now--on some level, you¡¯re STILL doing his bidding like a good, little minion.¡± ¡°No. Personally, I don¡¯t give a damn about ¡®Project Tsuki no Me¡¯¡­ Once this war is over, I''ll kill Naruto and then move on to conquering my own world. It is my destiny! Heh heh heh¡­¡± Menma looks down on them with a pompous attitude. Both shinobi look deep into Menma''s eyes and peer into the depths of his soul. They see nothing, but an empty, pitch-black void that can never be filled, an abyss that does not know the radiance of life, a darkness that will not stop until it has consumed everything. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Undeterred, Jin and Ayanami get back up. They stand strong in the face of this atrocity. Molding her chakra, Ayanami tells her friend, ¡°You hear that, Jin? Now we have two worlds to save.¡± ¡°Yep, that¡¯s what I heard too.¡± Jin nods in agreement. Standing side-by-side atop Ayanami¡¯s wooden kaiju, the two ninjas surge with power; the kunoichi¡¯s golem rapidly regrows its lost body parts while Jin simultaneously reforms his Susano¡¯o over the wooden reptile as armor. Using Jin¡¯s memories, they have copied a jutsu from Madara¡¯s repertoire, the Majestic Attire Susano¡¯o. Jin and Ayanami¡¯s Majestic Attire resembles the mutant clone, Space Godzilla, in many ways; it is larger than Ayanami¡¯s Wood Kaiju golem in terms of height. It has two massive protrusions that resemble crystals erupting from its shoulders, and its tail is much longer, ending with several crystal-like spikes. The dorsal plates on the Majestic Attire¡¯s back also resemble crystals, it has sharp teeth and tusks on both sides of its mouth and has a crest on its forehead. However, unlike Space Godzilla, the reincarnations¡¯ Majestic Attire¡¯s body is better suited for combat; its build is leaner and more humanoid. The body is entirely golden-yellow while having cyan-green eyes. ¡°Not done yet¡­¡± Jin mutters. The Onikage infuses both his six paths sage chakra and gelel energy into all ten of his Truth-Seeker Orbs and has them fly over to the titans¡¯ right hand. The orbs merge, transforming into a massive, black sword shaped like a double helix. The tension in the air erupts like a super volcano, both sides stare each other down, each poised to strike. Both sides know that this next fight is winner-take-all, they take up mirroring positions, two forces ready to collide. In a flash, the Majestic Attire flies up while Black Kurama dives downward. They each throw a mighty punch; their clash creates a shockwave so powerful it creates a deep crater in the ground while blowing away all of the weaker shinobi in the distance. Both titans stagger back from their collision, but quickly recover and continue their battle. Jin and Ayanami¡¯s dark blade is a stark contrast to Menma¡¯s lava-coated claws. As Black Kurama¡¯s claws come crashing down, the golden kaiju swiftly counters, throwing the fox¡¯s talons off. With a quick and precise movement, the ethereal kaiju thrusts its sword forward. Their battle is something of a thunderstorm inside a raging tornado, the combatants strike, block, and parry, victory is the only thing that matters. With her visual prowess, Ayanami notices an opening, a tiny miscalculation on Menma¡¯s part. A flaw in the doppelganger¡¯s technique just big enough for her and Jin to exploit. As the Majestic Attire Susano¡¯o is a collaboration, Jin and Ayanami¡¯s chakras are connected, she is able to relay knowledge of the opening to him through her chakra. In an imperceptible movement, the Majestic Attire speedily swings its sword in a wide arc at Black Kurama¡¯s shoulder. With no room to counter or block, Black Kurama twists its body to avoid a fatal blow; in lieu of being cut down by the golden titan, the fox avatar loses its right arm while gaining a scar that runs across its torso. Something in Menma finally snaps; his rage and hate continues to rise and rise until it finally reaches its boiling point. ¡°AAAAARGH! I WILL NOT LOSE! NOT TO SCUM LIKE YOU!!¡± An enraged Menma growls through gritted teeth. Molding massive amounts of chakra, Black Kurama takes off and flies high into the clouds. It holds up its hand and forms a large, dense, black ball of chakra with a dark red hue surrounded by a series of white rings of chakra that orbit the main sphere. These rings then align into one disc-like shape around the orb. Menma pours more and more chakra into the jutsu that is double the size of his Black Kurama avatar, it is so large that it lights up the night sky. ¡°SIX PATHS: MASSIVE TAILED BEAST RASEN RING!!!¡± ¡°Golden Wheel Rebirth Explosion!¡± Ayanami desperately shouts. The young Hyuga begins infusing six path sage chakra into her own Truth-Seeker Orbs and sends them to the titan¡¯s left hand, they merge and form a giant golden sword of pure chakra. The Majestic Attire takes the two blades it carries and brings them together, they fused into a single new sword. It is an enormous, silver-white broadsword made of pure chakra. ¡°¡°Six Paths: Spirit Sword!!¡±¡± ¡°I¡¯LL SEND ALL OF YOU TO HELL!!¡± Menma roars. Not wasting any more time, Black Kurama launches the attack; to everyone watching in the distance, it looks as if a dark sun is descending. Brandishing its silver blade, Jin and Ayanami¡¯s Majestic Attire takes flight and thrusts the sword forward. The two jutsu clash, creating a powerful shockwave that parts the clouds and knocks the divine tree over, sparks violently shoot out from the point of contact, neither side is willing to give up an inch. ¡°Give it¡­ ¡­all¡­ ¡­you¡­ ¡­got¡­ ¡­Jin!!¡± Ayanami says through gritted teeth. ¡°I am¡­ ¡­are you¡­?!¡± Jin struggles to snap back. Both ninjas can feel all the veins in their faces bulging as they struggle to pierce Menma¡¯s jutsu, their muscles grow tense and sore as they pour even more chakra into their attack. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Down below, Rito, Echo, and Mecha-Kurama watch the clash of the century with shock and awe, the robot double stands atop a pile of severed tree roots. However, the young genius is restless, he knows there is something they can do to help. Even if we can¡¯t take that Menma bloke on ourselves, the three of us together can provide a bloody decent distraction¡­ Rito racks his brain, trying to come up with a way to assist Jin and Ayanami. C¡¯mon, think¡­ think¡­ think¡­! Rito''s eyes widen due to an epiphany, he snaps his fingers in excitement. ¡°Oh. That¡¯ll work.¡± ¡°What will work?¡± Echo asks, turning his attention to the boy. ¡°Just follow my lead! Mecha, make a Tailed Beast Bomb¡­¡± Rito begins issuing commands. ¡°¡­and fire it at Menma when I give the word.¡± ¡°AS YOU WISH.¡± Mecha-Kurama replies. The mechanical fox builds up chakra in his mouth and molds it into an incredibly dense sphere, maintaining the 8:2 ratio of positive black chakra and negative white chakra. The sphere grows larger as Mecha-Kurama continues to add more chakra, still maintaining the ratio. ¡°Echo! Add your senjutsu fire chakra to the Tailed Beast Bomb!¡± The genius orders. Echo chuckles, ¡°Heh. Just like old times.¡± The time-traveler holds out his right hand and does as Rito ordered; a stream of sage chakra pours out of Echo¡¯s hand and goes into Mecha¡¯s Tailed Beast Bomb; the sphere of chakra gains a flaming coating. ¡°Good¡­ Now I¡¯ll add my crystal chakra to the mix.¡± The young genius holds out both his hands and runs a stream of chakra into the sphere as well; the Tailed Beast Bomb¡¯s core gains a red-pink hue. Rito watches the jutsu grow in size; he waits, letting it continue to grow until it is roughly the size of a tailed beast. ¡°Now! Fire! FIRE!!¡± Rito yells at the top of his lungs. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Guwaa!¡± Menma growls with mixed feelings of outrage and disbelief. Th-This can¡¯t be¡­ I-I¡¯ve become a god¡­ why am *I* struggling against them?! The evil double pours all of his chakra into his jutsu the same as Jin and Ayanami are. It is bad enough that he is tied with them, but their tenacity and unwillingness to give up and surrender only further fuels Menma¡¯s frustration. ¡°I won¡¯t accept this¡­ I am a god; I am power incarnate¡­! Every last one of you¡­ you¡¯ll pay. I¡¯m going to dest--AAACK!?¡± Confused, Menma is hit by a powerful explosion; his Kurama avatar took most of the blast, but some was still able to pierce through and damage the doppelganger. Half of his face burns while crystal shards are embedded all over his body. Menma''s attention turns away from the battle, he sees Rito, Echo, and Mecha-Kurama all staring daggers at him with the same defiant look as Jin and Ayanami. ¡°Grrr¡­!¡± Menma starts to seethe. Menma¡¯s anger is quickly replaced by horror as he comes to a sudden realization; they weren¡¯t trying to hurt him, they just needed to distract him if only for a brief moment. His attention immediately returns to the fight. ¡°¡°HRAAAAGH!!¡±¡± With one more push with all their might, Jin and Ayanami¡¯s Majestic Attire Susano¡¯o manages to pierce right through Menma¡¯s Rasen Ring, cutting it right down the middle; the jutsu dissipates almost instantly. The golden kaiju continues to fly up, rocketing toward Menma and his Black Kurama. The ethereal kaiju brandishes its silver blade and prepares for one final sword strike. The closer they get; the slower time seems to pass for Menma. They are close enough that Menma can clearly make out Jin and Ayanami¡¯s obstinate expressions and movements from within their avatar''s forehead. ¡°Gotchaaaa!!¡± ¡°It¡¯s over!!¡± I-Impossible¡­ *I* lost to¡­ th-these worms? Menma¡¯s face contorts, showing a mixture of unbridled fury and absolute terror. ¡°GWAAAAAAAAHHHH!!¡± Jin and Ayanami fly right past Menma, their avatar¡¯s sword goes right through both the evil double and his own avatar. Menma can feel himself going weaker the very instant the blade leaves his body. ¡°D-Dammit¡­ D-Damn¡­ you¡­!¡± Chapter 80 Erupting like a geyser, an ethereal, light-green chakra is ejected turbulently out from Menma¡¯s body. The gushing chakra separates into nine downward, flowing streams, each stream has the face of a respective tailed beast at the end. ¡°You know what comes next, right, Ayanami?¡± Jin asks, relishing in their victory. ¡°Yeah¡­ Chakra tug-of-war!¡± Ayanami replies. The two reincarnations¡¯ Majestic Attire Susano¡¯o is already in the process of descending. The very moment the ethereal kaiju¡¯s feet make contact with the ground, chakra arms blast out of Ayanami and Jin¡¯s backs and head straight for the tailed beasts¡¯ chakra. The arms grab on to each of the nine heads and start pulling with all their remaining might, but several of the beasts are resisting with a modicum of success; the One, Eight, and Nine-Tails chakras are seen actively fighting back. Damn! Even though my powers technically come from the same tree, they won¡¯t listen to me¡­ An annoyed Jin surmises. ¡°Originally, Shukaku was linked to me! I can get him!¡± The Fifth Kazekage, Gaara of The Sand, appears, flying on a small mound of sand just a few meters away from Jin and Ayanami. From the Kazekage¡¯s gourd, more sand emerges and rushes toward the sand spirit¡¯s chakra and begins pulling. ¡°? We finally found a weakness! This is key! Leave Eight-O¡¯s chakra to me! ?¡± Appearing from out of nowhere, the Eight-Tails jinchuriki, Killer Bee lands beside the Majestic Attire. Octopus tentacles grow out of Bee¡¯s back, and he has them latch onto the Gyuki chakra and proceeds to pull. ¡°Keep going! We¡¯re almost there!¡± The hero of the Hidden Leaf, Naruto Uzumaki appears with his sage mode stacked on top of his KCM2 form, he lands on top of the ethereal kaiju¡¯s head. After sprouting his own pair of chakra arms, a determined Naruto quickly grabs on to Kurama¡¯s chakra and starts tugging hard. ¡°Pull!!¡± Naruto commands, shouting. Frustrated, Ayanami snaps back with, ¡°What does it look like we¡¯re doing?!¡± Heaving with all their might, the five shinobi struggle to wrench the tailed beasts free of Menma¡¯s control. Due to the immense pressure, the ground begins to crumble under foot of the Majestic Attire. Jin is pulling so hard that it feels like all the veins in his head themselves will burst, even his muscles feel like they will tear as well. ¡°N-No¡­ No! NO, NO, NO, NO, NOOOO!!¡± Menma defiantly screeches. Not wanting to give even an inch, Menma starts pulling back, wanting to keep the tailed beasts firmly under his thumb. ¡°H-HAVE WE¡­ ¡­GAINED A-ANY¡­ GROUND YET!?¡± Ayanami queries with a straining voice. ¡°I-I¡­ ¡­DON''T¡­ ¡­KNOOOOW!¡± Jin replies, also straining. Due to their chakras connecting, Menma¡¯s memories and feelings flow into Jin and Ayanami; he grew up with loving parents, was popular--especially with the ladies, and was regarded as a genius by all his peers and teachers. However, Menma cared for none of that; power truly is the only thing he wants, power is the only thing he cares about. ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate me. My power is equal to THE SAGE OF SIX PATHS!¡± ¡°NOT IF WE HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY ABOUT IT, YOU ASSHOLE!!¡± Jin interjects, undeterred. Sasuke suddenly arrives in his Susano¡¯o. The ethereal warrior grabs a chakra arm and begins hauling in the Ninja Alliance¡¯s favor. ¡°Jin! Naruto! Just keep pulling.¡± Sasuke commands. ¡°GET OVER HERE!!¡± Mecha-Kurama roars. The robotic double speedily latches on to a chakra arm with one of his tails and helps the ninjas pull. The surviving members of the Konoha Twelve arrive and jump onto the chakra arms, they each crouch down, grabbing a handful of chakra and start pulling. ¡°Alright, everyone! Grab on to my chakra!¡± Minato shouts upon arriving at the scene. The Fourth Hokage grabs a chakra arm and with his KCM cloak, creates multiple threads of chakra that spread out across the battlefield. One-by-one, the remaining members of the Alliance grab hold of the chakra. Invigorated by everyone¡¯s aid, Naruto says, ¡°Alright! On my mark, everyone¨C¡± ¡°PULL!!¡± Jin yells, interrupting the hero, smiling proudly. Heh heh heh heh¡­ Man, is it fun to steal other people¡¯s thunder. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. Annoyed, Naruto grimaces at Jin while everyone gives one massive pull with all their combined might. With a sudden jolt, they feel the tailed beasts¡¯ chakra come loose, the tailed beasts have been fully extracted from Menma Uzumaki. As the defeated doppelganger falls to the ground, his skin, hair, whiskers, his entire appearance returns to normal. While seven of the beasts fully manifest on the field with a loud thud, the Kurama and Gyuki chakras return to Naruto and Bee. Jin, Ayanami, Sasuke, and Naruto all stand on the head of Ayanami¡¯s wooden kaiju, they all breathe heavily with exhaustion. As the battle has ended Jin saw no reason to continue using the Majestic Attire and dissipated his Susano¡¯o. ¡°W-We¡­ did it¡­ w-we¡­ won.¡± Ayanami sighs with relief, the kunoichi falls on one knee with her Tenseigan Chakra Mode vanishing. ¡°W-Was there¡­ ever¡­ a-any doubt?¡± A tired Jin wipes the sweat from his brow. ¡°It looks like you kept your promise...¡± The Four-Tails, Son Goku, turns back to thank Naruto. ¡°...Thank you, Naruto Uzumaki. I¡¯m impressed you rescued us.¡± ¡°No problem! What are friends for?!¡± Naruto energetically gives Son a salute. ¡°We were lucky.¡± The Seven-Tails, Chomei, breathes a sigh of relief. The Six-Tails, Saiken, cheers. ¡°He done it! Huh?¡± Jin notices that all the tailed beasts have stopped celebrating, they all stare astonished at Jin as if he were a ghost from their past, their eyes have widened to the point that they¡¯re saucer-liker; they continue to stare, making the Onikage feel very uncomfortable. Even Naruto curiously gives several side glances, noticing Jin¡¯s considerable change in appearance. ¡°What¡¯re you staring at?¡± Finally catching his breath, Jin stands tall and looks the beasts right in the eyes. Oh, right¡­ I must resemble the Sage of Six Paths to them¡­ Whatever, there are things that need to be done. Not wanting to waste any more time, Jin jumps off the Godzilla statue and takes flight, he heads right for where Menma landed. Jin builds up speed and forms a Rasengan; Jin is going to end Menma once and for all. ¡°DIIIII--What the?!¡± Surprised, Jin stops in his tracks. Jin sees it, but he can¡¯t believe it; Menma is not only standing on his feet, but he is also relatively okay. There also seems to be a faint, white glow surrounding him with light particles revolving around him. The evil double scowls at Jin with gritted teeth, he balls his fists while shaking with rage. Not possible¡­ How¡¯s he--Oh, shit! He has his own Nine-Tails, we weren¡¯t able to pull it out¡­ Jin''s eyes grow wide with realization. ¡°This isn¡¯t over! I¡¯m going back to my world and once my body fully heals, I WILL return¡­¡± An enraged Menma growls. ¡°...You will rue the day we ever crossed paths, you and this entire planet will all SUFFER!!!¡± The particles of light begin to revolve faster and faster while the glow around Menma grows brighter. The white glow gradually turns into a brilliant shine, he shines brighter and brighter until there¡¯s an absurdly bright flash of light. The flash ends almost as soon as it appeared with Menma missing without a trace. Jin however is left dumbfounded for a brief moment due to what has just transpired. The confusion quickly dies down, and Jin¡¯s face contorts as the bewilderment has been replaced by an even more intense feeling of outrage. GODDAMMIT! GOD-FUCKING-DAMMIT!! Jin quietly seethes in his anguish. This is exactly why I always kill the villains--so I don¡¯t have to deal with their shit anymore or worse, create a nemesis of my own and now I have one! OH, FUCK ME!!! Unable to contain his rage, the Onikage starts to boot the ground, stirring up a small dust storm. The ground quakes with each kick Jin makes the terra firma proceeds to crumble further due to Jin¡¯s rage. ¡°SHIT! SHIT! SHIT! SHIT!¡± Jin continues to kick the ground in his fury. Okay, okay¡­ you need to calm do--wait! No. Don¡¯t calm down¡­ save it for Madara, Kaguya, and Moryo. You can just take ALL your rage and frustration out on them. Jin stops kicking when he notices a bright light shining on the bud of the divine tree, it is as if a star has descended onto the Earth. That light is Naruto holding a Sage Art: Massive Rasenshuriken. Almost time now¡­ Jin scowls internally, clinging on to his rage as he watches Naruto throw his jutsu. ¡°Father!¡± Jin looks to his left and sees a black puddle slithering right toward him, he can tell by the chakra that it is none other than Mileena. Once she reaches Jin¡¯s side, Mileena excitedly slithers up her creator¡¯s leg and enters his clothes; Jin shivers some as the sensation of her touching his skin feels cold. Mileena eagerly informs her father. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about Obito, I took care of it.¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Meanwhile, on another section of the battlefield, Obito lies on the rocky ground, staring blankly at the sky. Jugo has already left to return to the rest of Team Taka, but Obito is not alone, Kakashi and Minato are with him. Kakashi was going to end the Akatsuki leader with a Kunai, yet the Fourth Hokage was able to talk the Copy Ninja down. ¡°...d-did as a way to betray m-me¡­¡± Obito wheezes, thinking of Nagato. ¡°...Although I n-never imagined myself doing the same thing¡­¡± Infusing his chakra, Obito weakly performs the hand signs necessary for the Rinne Rebirth Jutsu. Unbeknownst to Kakashi and Minato, Obito was put under genjutsu by Mileena, the symbiote used Kotoamatsukami to give him the character development he would have acquired in the main timeline. Obito¡¯s blank stare transforms into a look of determination. ¡°I-I¡¯ll use¡­ the Rinne Rebirth!¡± ¡°B-But that jutsu¡­ will result in your¡­¡± A solemn Kakashi tries to argue. With a single look at Kakashi and then Obito, Minato quickly deduces the price paid to use this jutsu. ¡°I feel as though now¡­ I-I can finally understand w-why Nagato betrayed me back then¡­¡± Obito¡¯s former teammates are startled as a black hand suddenly bursts out of the ground and latches on to Obito, its ominous fingers digging into the Akatsuki member¡¯s abdomen. Obito struggles to break free as he can feel the hand take over his body. ¡°This time¡­ I¡¯LL be helping you out.¡± Black Zetsu says, sinisterly poking his head out of the ground. Chapter 81 ¡°...I¡¯ll be taking possession of every one of, you beasts!¡± A revived Madara declares, sure of himself. The Ghost of the Uchiha stands tall with his left foot stepping on a defeated leaf ninja, absorbing the Nine-Tails chakra gifted to him by Naruto. The infamous historical figure threateningly stares down both the Ninja Alliance and the tailed beasts; even though Madara does not have eyes at the moment, the sage chakra he stole from Hashirama grants extra sensory perception, a sixth sense. Madara hears someone yell, ¡°Everyone! Get out of here!¡± Sensing another battle of epic proportions about to take place, the various Alliance shinobi all flee, scattering a safe distance away. Getting into position, Madara smiles because he is excited. He feels his blood pumping and his heart racing, it has been quite some time since he has truly enjoyed battle; to Madara, combat is only fun when both opposing forces are alive. Unable to contain himself any longer, Madara jumps forward, lunging for the tailed beasts. He continues to smile. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°This really sucks. I hate this¡­¡± Jin mutters under his breath. The war¡¯s nearing its endgame¡­ I don¡¯t even know if I¡¯m angry or scared right now. The Onikage flies back to where Ayanami is, still bitter over Menma getting away. He can see the tailed beasts charging toward Madara in the distance and thinks nothing of it as he already knows what will happen. Jin picks up the pace just as the tailed beasts all slam the Uchiha with their tails. When Jin arrives at Ayanami¡¯s current position, he spots the rest of the team with her; they appear to be discussing something at length. They stop speaking as soon they notice Jin; their curious eyes fall on the Onikage as he lands gracefully on the head of the kunoichi¡¯s wooden reptile. ¡°Menma?¡± Ayanami asks with a bitter tone. ¡°He got away.¡± Jin replies. The young Hyuga shakes her head in frustration and turns away, messaging her forehead while Rito steps forward with a face riddled by a spirit of inquiry. ¡°What do you mean that crazy wanker got away? You never let the bad guys get away.¡± ¡°I meant what I said. He went back to the genjutsu world, but not before swearing revenge on me and this entire dimension. Do you have any more of those chakra-restoring food pills?¡± Jin is quick to change the subject. ¡°Yeah, I still have some¡­¡± The young genius reaches into his bag. ¡°¡­I only took like 8 of them at the time because I didn¡¯t want to risk getting in trouble though.¡± Rito pulls out four food pills and hands three of them to the organic members of the team before eating on himself. Jin scarfs his down like a pecan while Echo lifts his mask up some to eat his; Ayanami, however, hesitates to eat hers, she watches Naruto and the rest of the Alliance battle Madara in the distance. The kunoichi¡¯s face has concern written all over it as she watches Shukaku bury Madara in a mausoleum of sand. Madara breaks out with his Susano¡¯o, its blue light glows ominously on the battlefield; the ground quakes as their battle continues to rage. ¡°Ayanami, listen to me¡­¡± Jin reassuringly puts a hand on Ayanami¡¯s shoulder. ¡°¡­I know you¡¯re worried. But you¡¯ve seen my memories, Naruto¡¯s not going to die, I promise.¡± ¡°Okay, Jin. I trust you.¡± Ayanami takes a deep breath before finally consuming her food pill. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A little while later, thanks to White Zetsu¡¯s efforts, Madara reclaimed one of his Rinnegan and a new arm to replace the one that was torn off in his scuffle with the tailed beasts. The Ghost of The Uchiha is quickly proving himself to be more of a threat than Obito ever was. With his Rinnegan, Madara summoned the Gedo Statue, and had it spew purple chakra chains from its mouth that bind each of the tailed beasts by their necks; one-by-one the One through Seven-Tails were quickly pulled in, leaving just Gyuki and Kurama. They struggle to break free, but to no avail. Before the Eight-Tails can be dragged into the statue, he swiftly removes one of his tentacles. ¡°Sorry, B-Bee¡­¡± Gyuki groans as he is sucked into the Gedo statue. From within the Kurama avatar, Naruto is gradually forced back as the Nine-Tails is pulled closer to the statue. The hero is forced all the way back to one of the fox¡¯s tails. ¡°Good.¡± Madara smiles ominously with satisfaction. ¡°Hey, kid--K-Kazekage! Do me a favor¡­¡± Kurama desperately asks Gaara, fighting the chains with all his might. ¡°His father. ? of me is sealed inside Minato¡­ So, you just take that other half and transplant it inside Naruto. That will save his life¡­ Hurry to the 4th Hokage!¡± The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Unable to hold on any longer, Kurama is pulled in with Naruto forced out of the avatar. The hero¡¯s eyes widen for a moment as he has realized he lost the tug-of-war, his eyes grow heavy as all his strength leaves him, his heartbeat slows down. ¡°Well¡­ guess I can¡¯t expect more with my current strength¡­¡± Madara breathes a sigh of relief. The enemy of the world stands tall atop the Gedo Statue with cold professionalism, the statue¡¯s eyes are all open as it now possesses most of the tailed beasts and their chakra; all he needs now is his other eye and Minato¡¯s half of Kurama. However, he is unable to bask in his victory; with Hashirama¡¯s senjutsu chakra, Madara can sense someone fast coming from behind, so he creates a black receiver from his right palm. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- At the base of the divine tree, the air is still yet tense as Jin and his team are all dead silent. The only thing that can be heard is the sound of their breathing, none of them is able to relax. Just the battle in the distance and that heavy breathing. Everyone is collecting their wits, preparing for the final series of battles in the Shippuden era of Naruto that are about to take place. ¡­in heaven, hallowed be thy name¡­ Jin silently prays. Father-God, please allow my friends and I to survive what comes next. Give me the strength to send Moryo to hell¡­ The Onikage is on his knees with his hands clapped together. Even though he hasn¡¯t practiced in years, Jin still sees himself as a Christian and he knows he needs all the help he can get now more than ever. Mileena is snug inside of Jin¡¯s clothes, poised to strike should anything unforeseen occur. To Jin¡¯s left, Rito and Echo diligently take inventory of all the gear and equipment they have acquired throughout their journeys. The young genius is quietly thinking of something; Jin assumes he¡¯s coming up with strategies. To Jin¡¯s right, Ayanami meditates inaudibly to both calm down and mentally prepare for the battles ahead. A small fraction of her doubts and fears slowly start to fade away; Jin guesses that she¡¯s hyping herself up. A little further away Mecha-Naruto vigilantly keeps watch over the rest of the team, his ominous, robotic eyes glow in the dark of night. ¡°U-Uhhh¡­ Umm¡­ G-Guys¡­?¡± Jin meekly stutters, breaking the silence. With watery eyes, he lets down his barriers. ¡°I-I¡­ I just wanted to say thank you all for¡­ being my friends and for helping me when I needed it¡­¡± Hearing Jin¡¯s words, Rito feels the need to speak. ¡°No wukkas¡­ If this thing goes sideways and we all end up dead again¡­ meet me at the pub. I¡¯m buying.¡± The boy¡¯s voice is calm and collected, but his face is pale and has his head held down. ¡°What¡¯re you guys talking about? WHEN we win and survive this thing, there¡¯s this great little ramen shop in Konoha we have to check out.¡± Ayanami interjects, joining the conversation, her voice full of confidence. However, everyone can tell that the confidence Ayanami shows is a front to hide her own nervousness just by looking directly in the kunoichi¡¯s eyes, but no one bothers to call her out on it. ¡°I¡¯m holding you to that. Let¡¯s give ¡®em hell, everyone.¡± Putting on a brave face, Jin cracks his knuckles. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°The simple fact that you possess such eyes proves that you continue to seek something despite many great losses¡­¡± Madara stares at the felled Sasuke with eyes of pity. ¡°¡­But all of that ends right here. You shall lose your very self. You see, THIS is what they call a true ending.¡± ¡°U-Ugh¡­ Arrgh¡­!¡± Sasuke groans in pain. Lying helpless on the ground, Sasuke stubbornly claws his way over to Madara despite growing weaker by the second. Blood trickles out of his stab wound, but the rebellious Uchiha continues to drag himself. Memories of Itachi flash before Sasuke¡¯s very eyes, pressing him to keep fighting. ¡°I-I¡¯m not¡­ dying¡­! I-I can¡¯t¡­ die¡­ y-yet¡­!¡± Sasuke wheezes defiantly through gritting teeth. ¡°RRAAARGH!!¡± Sasuke continues to struggle as his body grows weaker, even the very act of breathing is painful for him. He keeps crawling toward Madara until his body finally gives out and he collapses. Silently, Madara embeds Sasuke¡¯s sword in the ground and casually walks away. Assured of completing his dream of the far future, he weaves a hand sign, and the Ten-Tails appears right behind him. Madara seals the Ten-Tails within himself and becomes its latest jinchuriki, his appearance transforms drastically; Madara''s skin becomes gray, and his hair turns white. The Uchiha elder is cloaked with a complete outfit composed of chakra, with a pattern of six magatama below his neck and a pattern similar to the Sage of Six Paths¡¯ on his back. He also gains a forehead protector-like appendage which emerges from the left side of his forehead and has an upward curve on its right side and a single horn on its left side. Ten Truth-Seeker Orbs appear behind him, one of which formed the other half of Hagoromo''s shakuj¨­. ¡°So, THIS is six paths power¡­¡± Madara assesses his newfound strength before turning his attention elsewhere. ¡°Now¡­ Time to collect that left eye!¡± Not saying another word, a determined Madara takes off and flies away. His next destination, Obito. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°AAAAAAHHHHHH!¡± Echo jolts up onto his feet. The time-traveler¡¯s sudden outburst startles the whole team. Appalled, they all watch as he briskly paces back and forth, seething. Echo¡¯s entire body shakes with rage and bloodlust, he appears as if he truly desires to strangle someone until the light leaves their eyes. ¡°What¡¯s up with you?¡± Jin asks. Echo growls, ¡°HE¡¯S near¡­¡± The team all look at each other confused before looking back at Echo. ¡°Jin and I can sense Madara, he has overwhelming power like us now. But Moryo? We don¡¯t detect him--at all¡­¡± Ayanami informs. ¡°*I* do¡­ I could never forget this sensation. This chakra. It feels like there¡¯s a predator stalking me but decides not to attack just yet. I don¡¯t know where it is, but I DO know it¡¯s somewhere nearby, waiting, WATCHING.¡± With Echo¡¯s detailed description of Moryo¡¯s chakra, Jin and Ayanami try to sense it again and this time they do. It is faint and is hanging in the air, they are unable to pinpoint his exact location, they just know that he is nearby. Back-to-back, Jin and Ayanami have their weapons drawn and build up their chakra. Poised to strike, they wait for Moryo to make his move. Chapter 82 Desperate beyond her wildest imagination, Sakura does everything she can to keep Naruto alive; the kunoichi has her hand inside Naruto¡¯s chest, artificially pumping the hero¡¯s heart for him. They are alone in the darkness of the Kamui dimension, surrounded by countless rectangular platforms. ¡°¡­!?¡± Sakura is immediately put on edge as she witnesses the sudden appearance of a distortion in the form of a spiraling void just a few yards away. She protectively crouches over Naruto, like a mother would her cubs when she sees the one who enters the dimension, Obito. The international terrorist is hunched over and breathing heavily from a mix of injuries and exhaustion, he uses a black shakuj¨­ like a cane. Weakly, the Akatsuki leader makes his way over to Naruto. ¡°D-Don¡¯t worry¡­ I¡¯m here to h-help Naruto¡­¡± Obito wheezes. Not convinced, Sakura continues to shield Naruto with her body. ¡°How can I trust you?¡± ¡°Since I was young, I¡¯ve never been able to walk a straight path. But I¡¯ve finally gotten to where¡­¡± Obito crouches down before Naruto, he places his hand on the hero¡¯s abdomen. ¡°...I needed to go.¡± Obito begins the process of transferring the Yin half of Kurama along with a portion of the One and Eight-Tails¡¯ chakra to the young Uzumaki. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Huh, so that¡¯s the Gate of Death? Cool.¡± Ayanami praises her taijutsu teacher. With her Byakugan activated, the young Hyuga watches Guy battle Madara with admiration in her awed eyes. She¡¯s seen Jin¡¯s memories, but she still can¡¯t believe the Noble Green Beast is this powerful. Ayanami now has an even greater respect for Guy than ever before. Ayanami watches as Guy emulates flight by kicking the air, closing the distance between himself and Madara. Guy fires off a barrage of Sekizos at the Ten-Tails jinchuriki, the attacks cause tremors that can even be felt by the team at their current location. Ayanami winces from the impact. ¡°Ooh¡­ those looked like they really hurt--I can¡¯t even imagine how painful it would be to be hit by so many Evening Elephants.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have to imagine it¡­¡± A grimacing Jin mutters. The Onikage is reminded of the events that occurred on the Land of Lightning¡¯s coastline; Kabuto had reanimated Doctor Shinno and had him attack Jin, the young Uzumaki was impaled and saw his own entrails, the doctor activated the Eight Inner Gates on top of his Body Activation Jutsu and almost killed him. Irritated, Jin rubs his stomach. Damn you, Kabuto! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Meanwhile, on another section of the battlefield, Team Taka along with Orochimaru are rushing toward Sasuke. A little earlier, Karin had sensed his chakra signature rapidly growing weaker all of a sudden, several other strong chakras appeared near him. Worried, the sensory ninja picks up the pace, taking the lead. ¡°S-Sasuke!¡± Karin calls out. She can see Sasuke lying unconscious on the ground with a man with white, scaly skin and horns crouching over him, his chakra feels powerful yet disgusting. Around them, stand five other individuals, they too have white, scaly skin. ¡°Hey, you! I don¡¯t know who the hell you guys are, but what do you think you¡¯re doing with Sasuke!?¡± Now close enough to have a better look, the team can see that the mysterious man is connected to Sasuke via a thick white tendril coming from his abdomen. Based on the moving bulges, something is being pumped into the downed Uchiha. The five other individuals quickly move to stand between Taka and the mysterious man, taking defensive stances. Their faces are all expressionless, it is as if they are all mindless puppets just following their master¡¯s orders. ¡°Ah, so it was you, Kabuto and¡­ the Sound 5?¡± Orochimaru¡¯s attention falls on the familiar faces. ¡°Not quite, Lord Orochimaru. They¡¯re clones. Thanks to the biofeedback of the Body Activation Jutsu¡­¡± Kabuto keeps his focus on Sasuke. ¡°¡­coupled with Sakon and Ukon¡¯s kekkei genkai, I was able to create these fission clones of the Sound 5. These clones are far stronger than the original Sound 5 ever were considering they possess my sage chakra.¡± Orochimaru stares at them with fascination while Team Taka is disgusted by this revelation. Karin¡¯s body shakes with panic and rage; she strongly feels the need to attack the bespectacled snake sage. The snake Sannin strokes his chin. ¡°Interesting¡­ Why didn¡¯t you use this against Itachi when you had the chance?¡± ¡°I¡¯m still learning what I¡¯m capable of¡­ and I didn¡¯t know that he had such a troublesome technique at his disposal.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care about that--what I wanna know is if you¡¯re still planning on absorbing Sasuke?¡± Suigetsu asks teasingly. The young Hozuki points towards the tentacle connecting Kabuto to Sasuke, it continues to pump something mysterious into the insensible Uchiha. Wearing an expression of contemplation, the snake sage quickly responds with, ¡°I have no desire to do that anymore. I have no interest in trying to steal Sasuke either. Focusing on Sasuke, Karin¡¯s eyes widen. Sasuke¡¯s Chakra¡­ I can just barely sense it! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jin and the team watch as an ominous red glow appears in the distance, the color is reminiscent of dead autumn leaves that have fallen off their tree. This crimson glow amasses into a thick construct of chakra, manifesting the form of a red burning dragon that can be seen by all on the battlefield. ¡°Hmm?¡± Jin detects two chakra signature spiking. Almost at the endgame now¡­ The Onikage can sense the chakras of Naruto and Sasuke, they are more powerful than ever before, rivaling him and Ayanami. They are currently on a warpath, heading straight towards Madara. The dragon charges forward with such strength and ferocity, the ground underneath the team trembles and quakes as the creature gets closer. Even the air is starting to get warmer as the dragon closes in proximity, they are unfortunately in the red dragon¡¯s path. ¡°Holy crap!¡± Jin shouts. ¡°Everyone, get out of the way!¡± Ayanami commands. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. Jin quickly grabs hold of Rito while Ayanami snatches Echo and Mecha-Naruto, they jump out of the way only mere moments before the creature passes through. The team can all see Guy hovering inside the beast, kicking Madara in the stomach. They continue to watch as the dragon makes its way to the base of the divine tree and runs up its trunk; Guy leaves a trail of scorch marks and molten rock in its wake. Guy¡¯s Night Guy carves away some of the tree¡¯s bark as the dragon travels up the trunk and nearly reaches the bud before arcing off. The crimson dragon dissipates, leaving both Madara and Might Guy to fall from a great height; with a loud thud, they crash at the base of the tree between two of its roots. ¡°Finally¡­ Jin? Ayanami? Are you ready to fulfill your destinies?¡± Echo speaks cryptically. ¡°We were made for this!¡± Ayanami gives a thumbs up. Jin, however, takes a moment and looks down at his trembling hands, he closes his eyes, takes a deep breath, and slowly clenches his fists; his hands stop shaking. The Uzumaki looks up from his hands and gives his future-self a look of determination. ¡°Let¡¯s win and LIVE to tell the story¡­¡± Jin speaks with fire in his voice. ¡°¡­Time to go!¡± The team all rush toward where Guy and Madara landed, Jin senses powerful lava chakra being infused while the tremors start up again; there is a massive explosion that separates the tree from its base and roots. The divine tree has just been cut down. ¡°HEAR ME, WEAKLING WHO HARBORS FEAR¡­ TAKE ME INSIDE YOU. TAKE IT ALL¡­ TAKE ALL OF THE DIVINE TREE INSIDE YOU!¡± Jin winces in pain as a voice rings loud in his head. ¡°Oh, hell no--I know what you really are and what you¡¯re all about! I''m not absorbing you! FUCK YOU, BITCH!!¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- While Madara is currently in the process of soaking up the divine tree, Naruto has retreated back to deliver Might Guy to safety. With his newly acquired six path abilities, he has just saved Guy from his certain doom from using the Eighth Gate of Death, now he is just a smoldering body just barely alive when Naruto sets him down near Lee and Gaara. ¡°¡­But I thought that he had activated all Eight Gates?¡± Lee asks with tears in his eyes. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Unsure of what to make of it, Naruto looks down at his right palm. ¡°¡­But it feels like I¡¯m able to do al--whoa!¡± ¡°Hi, guys!¡± Ayanami cheerfully waves. Their conversation is interrupted by the sudden and unexpected arrival of Jin and Ayanami, he stares down at the barely alive, smoking corpse that is the Leaf¡¯s Noble Blue Beast. The leaf jonin is covered in cracks that glow from the heat, this terrible sight makes Jin recoil with disgust. ¡°Guy, you¡­ look like shit. Better fix that!¡± Jin picks Guy up by his arm to everyone¡¯s surprise. Lee balls his fists and takes a fighting stance. ¡°Put Guy-Sensei down!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so hasty, Bushy Brows¡­ I¡¯m going to heal him.¡± Jin gives the taijutsu expert a sly smile. Guy is already regarded as a war hero. If I heal him, I¡¯ll gain more brownie points so less people will want me dead and we¡¯ll have another body to throw at the Boruto era threats¡­ Ooh, I REALLY like that idea¡­ Jin uses the Naraka Path to summon the King of Hell, he tosses the roasted Guy into the ethereal entity¡¯s gaping maw, and it starts chewing. Moments later, to Naruto, Lee and Gaara¡¯s amazement, the King of Hell spits a fully healed Might Guy out; his skin is as smooth and fresh as an infant''s and all of his injuries are gone. ¡°Wha¨C! *cough* *cough*¡± Gasping for air, Guy wakes up. ¡°W-What? I-I¡¯m still¡­ alive? How?¡± ¡°GUY-SENSEI!!!¡± With tears running down his face, Rock Lee elatedly embraces his beloved master tightly. ¡°Naruto saved you and *I*, Jin healed you. You''re welcome¡­¡± Jin speaks in a calm yet serious tone. ¡°Gaara? Lee? Take Guy and keep a safe distance away. This is no longer a battle between ninja, but gods and monsters.¡± Gaara looks Jin squarely in the face and sees he is completely serious, the air he gives off is indescribably tense. He turns to Naruto and Ayanami and sees that they give off a similar air as well, the Kazekage then has his sand travel under the two taijutsu specialists and hoists them into the air. ¡°N-Naruto? Jin? T-Thank you¡­¡± Lee stammers, wiping away his tears. ¡°Naruto? When you become Hokage¡­ we should go have a drink together sometime.¡± ¡°Sure!¡± A smiling Naruto replies. Courage! Courage, Jin¡­ You CAN do this!! Terrified beyond belief, Jin tries his best to give himself a pep talk. While the sand sibling flies away with Lee and Guy, Ayanami, Jin, and Naruto swiftly race to where Madara is situated. As they get closer, they can see the self-proclaimed savior hovering in the air, reveling in his newfound strength as he¡¯s just finished absorbing the divine tree. ¡°Heh heh heh¡­ Ha ha ha ha ha ha!!¡± Madara cackles joyously. ¡°The time when all become one has come.¡± While Jin takes one of his Truth-Seeker Orbs and has it morph into a scythe and has it rest on his shoulder, Ayanami tightens her headband and cracks her knuckles. Naruto picks up one of his father¡¯s kunai that happens to be on the ground and puts it in his mouth, holding it with his teeth. ¡°You three can¡¯t possibly take me down. I¡¯ve essentially become immortal now! Don¡¯t you see? I¡¯ve become a god!¡± Looking down on them, Madara proudly monologues. ¡°Stupid old man¡­ the 3 of us aren¡¯t going to beat you¡­¡± Ayanami snaps back. ¡°Hmm?¡± Madara cocks his head to one side. Jin finishes the kunoichi¡¯s sentence. ¡°The 4 OF US will crush you, you filthy, decrepit, old wretch!!¡± Just as the Onikage finishes speaking, Ayanami activates her Tenseigan Chakra Mode and Naruto activates his Nine-Tails Chakra Mode and stacks it on top of his Six Paths Sage Mode; his body is now coated in yellow chakra; a sort of circular design is featured prominently over his stomach; the whisker-like markings on his face become thicker to resemble the ? trigram; six magatama markings are present on or around his collar; various other dark designs appear along his body, sometimes densely enough to give the appearance that he''s wearing a bodysuit beneath the yellow coat. A pattern consisting of a Rinnegan-like marking above nine magatama also appears on his back. At the same time Sasuke appears with his newly acquired six paths yin abilities. He is currently in his Curse Mark Second State and his visual prowess has increased greatly; his right eye has the Eternal Mangekyo activated while his left eye has evolved into a Rinnegan with three tomoe on each of its two innermost circles. ¡°Your time has come, Madara.¡± The young Uchiha carries himself with cold, unflinching confidence. The Ghost of the Uchiha continues to look down on the four shinobi; he quietly assesses their powers and is not impressed. Madara belittles them by sneering, ¡°Heh¡­ Jin and Naruto Uzumaki! Sasuke Uchiha! And Ayanami Hyuga! No matter how strong you get, yo¨C¡± ¡°Show your reverence and kneel before my splendor!¡± Says a mysterious and demonic voice. To everyone¡¯s shock and confusion, the ground begins to shake violently, and the night sky is blotted out by the emergence of fierce thunderclouds. Lightning strikes the terrain and boulders of varying sizes rise up and float ominously in the air. The clouds begin revolving in the same way a tornado forms, but no cyclone forms, the clouds just swirl. Naruto stumbles from all the shaking. ¡°Wh-What in the world¡­?!¡± ¡°RAAAAAAAAWWWWRR!!¡± The mysterious voice releases a blood-curdling roar. Still whirling around, the clouds part, creating an opening for a creature to descend from the heavens. It is a draconic being with eight serpentine heads, each head possessing rows and rows of razor-sharp fangs. Its size is comparable to that of a tailed beast, its massive wings create gale-force winds with each flap. Its body is as black as the night with a dark violet aura outlining its body, its eyes are red like blood. Gritting his teeth, Jin sweats as he senses the abomination¡¯s chakra, it greatly surpasses Madara¡¯s chakra by far in terms of both size and power, cold and angry, and brimming with hatred and evil. Peering deeper into the abyss, Jin can detect the chakra signatures of Kazuya, Hiruko, the dragons of Mount Koryu, and many more; it feels like their chakras are all screaming in agony. It feels like the monster¡¯s chakra is trying to pull Jin in and devour him, mind, body, and soul. Annihilate every trace of his existence. ¡°*I* am the supreme master of the universe! *I* am the great destroyer, the taker of life! Worship me, give praise unto me! Me, the powerful, the majestic! Me, the invincible, the almighty, and divine! All hail Lord Moryo!!¡± Huh¡­ I wondered how Moryo was ever able to beat and absorb Kaguya¡­ and now I know. Jin broods, he is so consumed by fear that his demeanor performs a 180% and comes off as calm. ¡°Well, damn¡­ we are so fucked.¡± Chapter 83 ¡°I don¡¯t care who you are¡­¡± Sasuke speaks with cold indifference. ¡°¡­You¡¯ll fall just like Madara will. Six Paths: Inferno Style Fireball Jutsu!¡± Quickly weaving several hand signs, the former member of Team 7 instantly gathers six paths chakra into his chest, kneading it into fire. Sasuke expels a giant fireball, launching it at Moryo with the black flames of the Amaterasu enveloping the orange-colored fire for increased destructive power. ¡°You stole my line again, foolish child! Sage Art: Gale Style Light Fang!¡± Madara spews a sharp, thin stream of light from his mouth. However, something is amiss; the demon is not frightened or intimidated by these two incredibly powerful jutsu in the slightest. In fact, from everyone¡¯s perspective, Moryo looks like he is relishing all of this at the moment. One of Moryo¡¯s eight heads opens its mouth and sneers, ¡°How pitiful--Shade Style: Black Hole.¡± Everyone is shocked by what they are witnessing; Moryo absorbs Sasuke and Madara¡¯s jutsu, swallowing them both as if they were a light snack, the head that absorbed the attack licks its lips with satisfaction. There are absolutely no signs of him taking any damage whatsoever. ¡°Get a load of this¡­ Gale Style: Laser Circus.¡± Another one of Moryo¡¯s heads opens its maw wide. The demon creates several red beams of energy and fires the barrage at the group, it is like a shower of light. With their sensory abilities Ayanami, Jin, Naruto, and Madara can all detect trace amounts of Ten-Tails chakra within the beams. ¡°Everyone, scatter!¡± Ayanami shouts. He must¡¯ve absorbed some of the Ten-Tails¡¯ clones during the chaos¡­! Just as the beams get close enough for anyone to feel the heat coming off of them, everyone takes evasive maneuvers while Madara creates a shield from his Truth-Seeker orbs. As the attack bombards the area, Ayanami takes a running start and begins backflipping her way through the raining beams; one beam manages to graze her rib while another is able to sever a lock of her hair. For the most part, the kunoichi is able to evade Moryo¡¯s Laser Circus unscathed. Ayanami hears Madara call out, ¡°Well¡­ I think that left eye of yours will suit me QUITE WELL.¡± The young Hyuga looks around and catches a glimpse of Madara, he is diving straight towards Sasuke. Just as Madara is about to grab hold of him, Sasuke mysteriously vanishes in an instant and in his place is his sword. The sword itself is stabbing the elder Uchiha in the chest area. Seeing an opportunity, Ayanami seizes the moment and immediately refuels her nature energy reserves. ¡°Sage Art: Eight Trigrams Air Palm!¡± While Ayanami launches her senjutsu-enhanced Gentle Fist technique, something jumps in the way. The kunoichi can¡¯t see it, but she can still sense its presence and chakra; it feels the exact same as Madara¡¯s. Her jutsu connects and knocks the entity into Madara, throwing him off balance. Ayanami quickly fires another Air Palm and blasts them both into the divine tree¡¯s stump, leaving a crater in the plant structure. So that was a Limbo clone? I really need to thank Jin for sharing his knowledge¡­ Ayanami ponders. ¡­I should ask him what his favorite food is when this is over¡­ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Meanwhile, Jin and Naruto were able to evade Moryo¡¯s jutsu by simply flying out of the demon¡¯s line of fire. The two shinobi are now locked in heated mortal combat with the dastardly demon. ¡°Shade Style: Judgment!¡± One of Moryo¡¯s heads opens its mouth, building up chakra. He fires the jutsu Sasuke and Madara threw at him earlier back at the hero of the Leaf in the form of a condensed beam of blue flames with even deadlier force. With no time to think, Naruto quickly barrels rolls to the side, evading the beam and flies upward straight for the head that initially fired the jutsu while spiraling around the beam itself. ¡°HORYAAAAAAA!!!¡± Naruto roars. Channeling chakra into his fist, Naruto lands a powerful uppercut on Mory¡¯s head. However, the hero senses that something is not right; the demon does not yelp, nor does he twitch, he does not react to the attack at all. All Naruto managed to do was force the head to move some, that is when Naruto notices that Moryo¡¯s skin has become metallic in both appearance and nature. ¡°Have you forgotten your battle with Hiruko, ¡®hero?¡¯ I possess all of his absorbed kekkei genkai, that includes Steel Style!!¡± Moryo mocks with a thunderous voice. Moryo brings his large head down on the Child of Prophecy like a colossal hammer, slamming him hard into the ground; scuffed, Naruto picks himself out of the crater that was formed. ¡°Trust me, I¡¯m not an imbecile like Naruto! I remember, asshole!¡± ¡°What?¡± Moryo looks up with all eight of his heads. Hovering among the clouds above the movie villain are five Jins and they are all holding aloft a Rasenshuriken. Each Rasenshuriken is imbued with one of the five basic chakra natures and are further enhanced by both gelel energy and six paths sage chakra, they light up the sky with their multiple colors, they shine like a rainbow of stars. I also remember that Shade Style can¡¯t absorb complex ninjutsu like the Rasenshuriken¡­ With a fire in his eyes, Jin yells, ¡°Sage Art: Super Gelel Rasenshuriken Combo!¡± The five Jins throw their jutsu with great force; their aim is true. When the five thrown Rasenshuriken strike Moryo, several consecutive large-scale explosions occur. The subsequent shockwaves part the clouds, revealing the shining light of the full moon. ¡°How¡¯d you like that?!!¡± Jin sneers, showing his middle finger. Due to the night breeze, the smoke quickly dissipates, revealing an injured Moryo; the demon¡¯s back and the top of his many heads are covered in scuffs and smoldering first-degree burns. His expression tells Jin he is more annoyed than hurt. ¡°Hmph! You can¡¯t even scratch me like that¡­¡± Moryo dismisses Jin¡¯s taunts. ¡°Against you weaklings, I have more than enough power to destroy you ALL!!¡± The demon¡¯s numerous horns surge with lightning chakra, sparks of yellow electricity fly off his antlers. Jin looks up and notices a thundercloud has suddenly formed above him, the cloud strikes at him with a wide beam of lightning. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Oh, my fucking God! Jin is shot with a frisson of fear. The Onikage quickly leaps out of the way, only narrowly avoiding the attack; Jin feels the cool sweat run down his face due to the heat being generated by the attack. The beam, itself, crashes into the ground, causing a seismic event. Jin¡¯s attention returns to Moryo only to see several giant gaping maws rushing right toward him, Jin swiftly takes off and flies around the demon¡¯s enormous body. Moryo rears his massive tail swipes at the young ninja, Jin crosses his arms and blocks the attack; Jin feels Moryo¡¯s scales grind against his forearms, it feels coarse and painful. You can do it! You can do it! You can¡­! Gritting his teeth, Jin continues to give himself a pep talk ¡°HRAAAGH!¡± Just as Jin knocks Moryo¡¯s tail away, the demon looks back at Jin with all eight of his heads and opens his numerous mouths; Jin senses fire chakra gathering in Moryo¡¯s many throats. ¡°Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!!¡± The serpentine heads all blow scorching hot flames directly at the Onikage. The young Uzumaki counters by quickly gathering chakra in his chest and kneading it into water. Sage Art: Water Style Water Wall¡­! From his mouth, Jin spews a stream of water that immediately circles around him, forming a 15-feet thick bubble of water. Moryo¡¯s flames crash against Jin¡¯s protecting barrier, the heat is so intense that the water is evaporating; Jin is now roasting inside a boiler, Jin¡¯s lungs begin to ache as all the water vapor makes it difficult to breathe. The jutsu cancel each other out, leaving Jin covered in second-degree burns. ¡°*pant* *pant*¡± Jin¡¯s entire body is in the process of regenerating, even his sweat glands. Trust in your power¡­! Remember all your training, idiot. Use everything you¡¯ve stolen. You can¡¯t let Echo¡¯s dystopian future come to pass¡­ ¡°Father, I will help.¡± Mileena whispers quietly. The symbiote spreads her biomass all throughout, and wraps tightly all around Jin¡¯s body, coating and forming into a black, full-bodied suit. Jin now closely resembles a certain wall-crawling hero, the only real differences are that the eyes and the spider are blood red instead of white. Upon bonding, Jin¡¯s injuries are healing much faster, he can see all around his body, and he feels even stronger than he was before. Reveling in his power and new look, Jin finds himself flexing his muscles. This feels¡­ good. REALLY GOOD¡­ Jin marvels at his transformation, his spine tingles with excitement. Mileena ecstatically shouts, ¡°Together, we are INVINCIBLE!!¡± ¡°Leave the rest to me, Jin!¡± To no one¡¯s surprise, Naruto flies right past the snake sage and heads straight for Moryo, brandishing his two Truth-Seeker B¨­. Now aiming for Naruto, the demon proceeds to build up wind chakra; gale force winds blow, swirling around the draconic demon. Stupid little¡­! Annoyed, Jin quickly hurries after Naruto. ¡°Annoying gnats¡­ I won¡¯t let you interrupt my plans! Wind Style: Divine Down Current!¡± Moryo spews a vortex of wind from each of his mouths, these vortexes then merge and condense into one massive beam of wind, vaguely resembling an F5 tornado. To Naruto¡¯s surprise, Jin jumps in front of the hero with his hands extended out front of him. The Onikage uses his six paths sage chakra and gelel energy to form a protective barrier as they flit towards Moryo. ¡°Jin?!¡± Naruto blurts out, perplexed. D-Dammit¡­ From what I r-remember¡­ th-there are no defensive fire jutsu¡­! Jin ponders, struggling to keep the barrier up. I-I¡­ should create some w-when this is over¡­! Gritting his teeth, Jin continues to keep up his barrier as they travel up and through Moryo¡¯s jutsu, Jin can feel his muscles straining and his veins bulging. Jin does his best to hold up his barrier, however, some of the demon¡¯s attack manages to seep through; the sage feels a sharp pain on his left cheek as he was cut by the wind, another cut on his right thigh, and several more in a dozen other places. ¡°¡­I-I¡­ c-can¡¯t¡­ hooOOAAAAAAARRGH¡­!!!¡± Cracks form along the surface, they quickly grow and spread. The barrier crumbles away like shattered glass and Jin is blown away in the violent torrent, however, his efforts are not in vain; Naruto rockets ahead and flies into one of Moryo¡¯s mouths, going right down the enemy¡¯s gullet. ¡°Urgh¡­ Gwaaahhh¡­ Urrrrrrghaaaaaahhhh¡­ AAAAAAAAAAIIIIEEEEEEEE!!!¡± Moryo¡¯s wailing fills the air. The demon flails in the air with spasms of pure agony. He continues to cry and convulse as one of his heads goes completely limp, drooping down. Its eyes have become dull and glazed over, blood trickles out of the motionless head¡¯s mouth and down from the base of its neck. Mere moments later, the head falls off, fully severed from the body. Drenched in blood, Naruto flies out of Moryo¡¯s injury to find Jin waiting for him. ¡°Oh, good¡­ you¡¯re still alive, thank god¡­¡± Jin breathes a sigh of relief. ¡°Quick, while Moryo¡¯s distracted--let¡¯s regroup with Sasuke and Ayanami! The four of us can take down Madara.¡± Naruto gives a thumbs up. ¡°Sounds like a plan!¡± ¡°...AAAAAAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHH!!¡± Jin and Naruto fly away at light speed, leaving Moryo to continue writhing in agony. They sense Ayanami, Sasuke, and Madara¡¯s chakras near the base of the divine stump. The moment they land, the Uzumaki members are shocked to their very core by the most unexpected sight before them, Madara is on all fours in a compromising position with Ayanami towering over him from behind. Jin¡¯s eyes begin to twitch, his mouth squirms before slowly curling into the biggest smile. ¡°Heh heh¡­¡± ????? A little bit earlier, while Naruto and Jin were battling Moryo, Sasuke and Ayanami were clashing with Madara. The elder Uchiha has his Limbo clone on the battlefield, but it is currently preoccupied with a couple of Ayanami¡¯s Wood Clones. The two ninja heatedly battle the infamous Uchiha a few meters above the stump. ¡°Dance for me!¡± Madara swings at Ayanami with his shakuj¨­. The kunoichi dodges by quickly jumping into the air. She follows up by immediately dive-bombing the Ghost of the Uchiha, delivering a flurry of lightning-fast kicks, each one is fiercer than the last; Madara moves fast to block them, but the series of kicks are still bruising his forearm. Ayanami speedily twists her body around and grabs Madara by the back of his head, she then uses the momentum of her spin to throw the elder hard into the ground; a crater is formed by the crash. ¡°Madara, your ¡®dream¡¯ will Never come true¡­ I¡¯ll make sure of it!¡± Determined, Ayanami looks down on Madara. While numerous jutsu are flying off detonating among the clouds, Madara grits his teeth and looks up, glaring at the young Hyuga. Both ninjas ignore the subsequent shockwaves coming from on high. ¡°You¡­ you insipid maggots! Stop¡­¡± Eyes narrowed, Madara scowls. ¡°Stop getting in my way!! Sage Art: Wood Style Deep Forest Emergence!!¡± A dense growth of trees blasts out from the ground like a herd of stampeding rhinoceros, they all rush towards Ayanami. Before she can even do anything, Sasuke takes flight, diving right past her and through the horde of oncoming trees to Madara. With a flap of his wings Sasuke ascends, evading the tree with finesse. Another rushes for the curse mark user, but he flaps his wings and swerves to the right, dodging that one as well. However, even more trees come for Sasuke just as he is in the process of avoiding the preceding tree. Undeterred, the young Uchiha quickly unsheathes his chokut¨­ and with several precise sword swings, cuts the remaining trees to ribbons. With nothing else standing in his way, Sasuke quickly closes the distance and conjures the left arm of his Susano¡¯o; Madara is punched with so much force that the ground beneath him shatters upon impact and he is knocked back, skidding against the ground. While Ayanami watches Madara land flat on his face, her memory of Kakashi¡¯s bell test flashes in her mind; a playful yet sinister smile creeps its way onto her face. Just as the revived Uchiha picks himself up with his back to the two shinobi, the kunoichi pulls out a kunai and lunges for him at massively hypersonic speeds. ¡°Sage Art: 10,000 Years of Death!!¡± Ayanami¡¯s aim is true, she plunges the ninja tool right into the bullseye centered betwixt Madara¡¯s two cheeks. Madara freezes in place, his body occasionally twitches, he is as silent as the dead. Now blushing, a smug Ayanami gives Madara the middle finger. I think Jin and Rito are starting to rub off on me¡­ ????? ¡°AAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!¡± Jin bursts out, laughing. With tears of hysteria rolling down his face, Jin falls to his knees, his fists cause seismic events as they band against the ground. The Onikage¡¯s obnoxious guffaw fills the air, echoing across the warzone. Chapter 84 ¡°HAHAHA¡­ HAHAHAHA¡­¡± With tearful eyes, Jin continues to laugh out loud. The snake sage is bent over on his knees, his fist pounds hysterically against the rocky terrain, breathing is starting to become difficult. Not once did he ever think that Madara, one of the coolest and strongest Naruto characters, would be impaled in the anus or that it would bring him this much joy and laughter in life. ¡°BWAA HAHA!!¡± Naruto begins to cackle as well. ¡°That¡¯s what you get!! Good one, Ayanami!! HAHAHAHA!¡± Jin¡¯s guffaw has infected Naruto, the hero of the Leaf points at their impaled enemy in amusement while clutching his gut. Ayanami and Sasuke are off to the side, they look away as they are both embarrassed and annoyed by their obnoxious allies¡¯ laughter. ¡°You guys are laughing way too much¡­ This really isn¡¯t that funny¡­¡± Ayanami stammers awkwardly. ¡°¡°HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!¡±¡± The two clansmen continue laughing together without a care in the world like a pack of hyenas, they laugh so hard that their cheeks turn a bright red. Their roar of laughter kills all the tension for a brief moment. ¡°Th-This is the first time¡­¡± Madara speaks in a low growl. ¡°That I¡¯ve ever suffered such humiliation¡­!!¡± Jin and Naruto immediately stop laughing, everyone is put on edge by Madara¡¯s words. The Ghost of the Uchiha¡¯s entire body shakes with a blood lusted fury, his chakra begins to fill the air. Madara looks up, shooting an ice-cold glare at Ayanami. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you all¡­ IN THE MOST GRUESOME WAY IMAGINABLE!!¡± To Naruto and Sasuke¡¯s surprise, Madara completely vanishes and in his place stands his Limbo Clone. Jin and Ayanami try and expeditiously sense Kakashi''s chakra signature, blasting off toward his location. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Copy Ninja asks, ¡°Fine¡­ then can you at least tell me who exactly is under that mask?¡± ¡°For the third time, Kakashi, I¡¯m not telling you anything. Mind your own damn business.¡± An annoyed Echo rebuffs. While Jin and Ayanami have begun running the gauntlet, the rest of the team has been patiently waiting several yards away from Kakashi. The Leaf Ninja has tried to gather more information on Jin and Moryo from the team, but to no avail; they¡¯ve repeatedly refused to answer his questions and avoid making eye contact so as to not be put under genjutsu. ¡°GWAAAHH!!¡± Startled by the sudden screech, everyone jumps back; Mecha-Naruto brings out his various guns and missiles, ready for combat. They turn and see a reeling Kakashi on one knee, he is covering his left eye, blood slowly trickles out from the injury he is covering. ¡°Over there!¡± Rito shouts. The young genius points at someone who has just appeared a little further away, it is Madara Uchiha. He opens his left eye, revealing the Sharingan he stole from Kakashi. Rito feels a gush of wind and two blurs blitz right past him, one of the blurs horizontally bisects the Uchiha with a Vacuum Blade, they are none other than Ayanami Hyuga and a black-suited web-slinger. ¡°Is that¡­ Spider-Man?¡± Rito scratches the back of his head in confusion. ¡°No, this chakra¡­¡± A vigilant Echo corrects, feeling them out. ¡°It¡¯s Jin and Mileena.¡± The Ghost of the Uchiha is unfazed by the abrupt loss of the lower half of his body and continues to hover in the air. His form is distorted by an ominous spiraling void that immerses him; he swirls until he is completely pulled in and disappears altogether. Another distortion appears, the void swirls, spitting out a frightened Sakura Haruno. She is on her hands and knees, trying to calm down. ¡°Why are you here, Sakura?¡± Sasuke asks, arriving on the scene. Kakashi lifts his head up and answers, ¡°She was in the time-space plain¡­ Sakura, what¡¯s goi¨C¡± ¡°The fact that she¡¯s here means Madara traveled to the Kamui dimension. He¡¯s collecting his other Rinnegan as we speak.¡± Jin rolls his eyes as he explains the situation. The moment of this is almost here¡­ Shit. Jin and Ayanami casually walk back to the group, the kunoichi starts stretching while the Onikage folds his arms. Mileena undoes the bonding and seeps into her creator¡¯s skin, returning him to his usual appearance; Jin can¡¯t help but shudder as the sensation of the symbiote entering his body is a cold and strange one. ¡°Kakashi-Sensei¡­ Y-Your left eye? Let me see.¡± The concerned medical ninja picks herself up and hurries over to her wounded teacher, she carefully inspects the injury before performing medical ninjutsu on the affected area. Suspicious, Sakura has her eyes trained on Jin¡¯s group. ¡°Why is there a metal Naruto puppet? It¡¯s freaky looking¡­¡± ¡°HEY, COTTON-CANDIED MEATBAG?! BITE MY SHINY, METAL ASS!!¡± Mecha-Naruto yells. Angered by the medic ninja¡¯s words, the robotic double fumes at the seams. Echo puts his hand on Mecha¡¯s shoulder and holds him back. ¡°Don¡¯t engage.¡± ¡°Jin? Echo? What have you two been teaching him?¡± Rito asks. ¡°Nothing really, I¡¯ve just been making minor and gradual adjustments to his programming every time I repair him.¡± Jin shrugs, still folding his arms. ¡°We have no idea when they might emerge. Stay alert.¡± Sasuke takes command, he closes his left eye to preserve chakra. Sensing a powerful chakra signature headed right for them, everyone looks back only to find Naruto landing right next to them; the hero wears a casual smile. ¡°So, what did you do about his shadow?¡± Sasuke asks. Naruto explains, ¡°Ayanami¡¯s clone and I immobilized him with six paths rods--thanks by the way!¡± ¡°It was nothing, don¡¯t mention it.¡± ¡°Hey there, Sakura! Let me do it!¡± Naruto notices Kakashi¡¯s injury. An addled Sakura steps aside and allows Naruto to enact his solution. Naruto rests his right hand on Kakashi¡¯s left eye socket, Jin and Ayanami can sense what the Child of Prophecy is doing; Naruto uses his Six Paths Power of Light to mold some of Kakashi¡¯s own chakra into a new left eye. Naruto pulls his hand away as the process only takes a very brief moment. ¡°Open your eye, Kakashi-Sensei.¡± Naruto encourages. Unsure of what his student just did, Kakashi does what he is told and is surprised. Sasuke and Sakura are surprised at what they see; Kakashi has a new left eye. Tsunade¡¯s disciple asks, ¡°Naruto, how¡¯d you do that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s kinda hard to explain¡­¡± Naruto tries hard to articulate what he just did. ¡°Well, you see¡­ I sort of¡­ took a piece of Kakashi and¡­ uhh¡­ ummm¡­¡± ¡°Naruto, I told everyone to stay alert.¡± Sasuke interrupts. ¡°Huh? Really? Well, this is the 1st time I¡¯m hearing of it.¡± Naruto argues. Sakura chastises Naruto, saying, ¡°C¡¯mon¡­ Quick talking back for once, Naruto. You¡¯ll just have to explain about the eye later¡­¡± ¡°Were you two able to deal with that Moryo creature?¡± Sasuke asks curiously. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°¡­Aaaaaaaaaaaaarrgghhh!!¡± Moryo screams. The injured demon hovers sporadically among the clouds, still reeling in pain at the loss of one of his heads. One of Moryo¡¯s other heads breathes fire onto the wound, immediately cauterizing it; the searing pain only helps to further fuel his rage. Moryo roars, ¡°Human scum¡­ YOU¡¯LL PAY FOR THIS!!¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Uhh¡­ No, but I can imagine he¡¯s not too happy right now.¡± Jin dwells on the subject briefly before answering. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. Everyone is instantly put on edge by the foreboding sensation of an incredible chakra approaching, everyone turns to face this fiendish presence. ¡°You haven¡¯t forgotten the lesson from trying to steal the bells, have you?¡± An intense Kakashi asks. Naruto quickly answers, ¡°Of course not, the answer is: Teamwork!!¡± Several meters away, another distortion appears, but it doesn¡¯t stay long; the spiraling void spits out Madara and Obito before vanishing. The Ghost of the Uchiha has both Rinnegan now as well as four Limbo Clones surrounding him while Obito stands like a zombie with Black Zetsu covering half of his body; the Akatsuki leader appears to be in a daze, it looks like no one is home. Madara¡¯s fierce gaze intimidates Sakura and Rito, forcing them to cautiously take a step back. Madara menacingly sneers, ¡°Then¡­ you all, dying tog¨C¡± ¡°Spare me the chit-chat and let¡¯s fight already!¡± Jin interrupts. I don¡¯t give a damn about your idle threats, man¡­ ¡°I¡¯m going send you all to¨C¡± ¡°URGH! Chit-chat!¡± Jin interrupts again with a little dance. ¡°Chitty-chitty-chat-chat-chat-chat-CHAT!¡± Madara¡¯s sour expression informs everyone that he steadily grows more and more annoyed by Jin¡¯s insolence. Ayanami is the only one who finds Jin¡¯s juvenile taunts even remotely humorous. Madara¡¯s face further contorts with annoyance. ¡°I¡¯ve¨C¡± ¡°Chit-chat!¡± Ayanami interrupts, chiming in. ¡°Grrrrr¡­! Impudent brats¡­ Planetary Devastation!!¡± Madara ominously ascends into the air, he creates many black spheres and has them scatter throughout the sky. The ground starts to shake violently again as countless boulders shoot up off the floor and into the air. The collected debris are pulled in and cling to the spheres in mass, resulting in the creation of a multitude of large satellites. Together, the numerous planetoids darken the sky. ¡°RRRAAAAAARGH!!¡± Drowning in emotions, Jin dumps chakra into his three eyes. Both of the Onikage¡¯s Rinnegan turn scarlet red, his Rinne Sharingan glows, and an ethereal skeletal structure quickly forms around him. Soon after Jin¡¯s Susano¡¯o forms meat, then skin, then armor until he manages to conjure a Perfect Susano¡¯o. Like all full-bodied Susano¡¯o, the snake sage¡¯s gains a tengu-like nose, wings for flight, and is clad with robes and ornate armor. However, Jin¡¯s humanoid avatar possesses traits that make it unique from others; it is golden-yellow in color with red eyes and forward-pointing devil horns protruding from both of its temples, it wears a horrified expression, and its wings appear to resemble those of an angel¡¯s. Its scabbard sheathes a longsword with the crossbars of the hilt curled upwards. Jin¡¯s Susano¡¯o spreads its majestic wings wide and with one flap, it takes off like a rocket. As Jin ascends higher and higher, Madara does not rest on his laurels; he orders his planetoids to fall like meteors. Moments away from colliding with the plummeting satellite, the ethereal warrior unsheathes its sword. Susano¡¯o: Celestial Prison Flame Sword! Jin casts internally, suspended in the forehead of his avatar. The humanoid avatar¡¯s blade is completely coated in dark orange flames and with one mighty swing, it cleaves into the meteor; as the sword makes its way through, the rock glows as it melts upon making contact with the blade. The planetoid crumbles away like dust once the sword exits it; to Jin, it feels like he is cutting butter. As Jin continues to soar ever higher, he notices something flickering in his peripheral vision. He takes a gander and sees Sasuke flying up with his own Complete Senjutsu Susano¡¯o, Jin watches as Sasuke¡¯s avatar raise its curse mark pattern adorned fists and brings them down hard onto another meteor, smashing it into tiny pieces of rubble. The two Susano¡¯o continue to make their way up to Madara, destroying as many satellites as they can; the air grows warmer due to the exploding meteors. There is no end to the falling planetoids as they keep coming, but Jin and Sasuke continue to shatter them as they fly higher. ¡°This is getting REALLY annoying!!¡± Jin yells in frustration as his avatar cleaves another meteor in two. ¡°We¡¯re almost there, just keep moving!¡± Sasuke shouts. The two shinobi both manage to reach their foe. Once they arrive, they are greeted by patiently waiting Madara is suspended in his Perfect Susano¡¯o. The elder Uchiha is surrounded by his four Limbo Clones who reside in their own Susano¡¯o, they take defensive positions around their caster. All five of them hover ominous in the air with the moon behind them, silhouetting their appearance. ¡°Planetary Devastation and the shadow¡¯ Susano¡¯o¡­ Quite the combo.¡± Madara boasts proudly, menacingly. ¡°Now¡­ writhe. Keep dancing for me!¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Violent tremors erupt across the battlefield, the ground has become unstable as the quakes continue; Shikamaru is forced to crouch low to the ground in order to maintain balance. ¡°At 4 o¡¯clock! Meteorites!¡± A panicked cloud ninja warns. The strategist of Team 10 rears his head at where the ninja was pointed and trembles in awe from what he witnesses in the distance, a horde of meteors falling from the sky. Shikamaru gets even lower and braces himself on instinct. ¡°Brace for impact!¡± A shouting Darui orders. Choji whines, ¡°Just what in the heck is happening over there?! This isn¡¯t normal¡­!¡± ¡°Shikamaru, this is Alliance HQ! Our Sensory Radar has taken the shape of multiple planets, what¡¯s going on over there?!¡± Shikaku asks telepathically. Shikamaru immediately reports, ¡°The chakra Naruto gave everyone has disappeared and the giant tree vanished abruptly. Something big is happening, that''s for sure¡­ Most likely something bad!¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Havoc rips through the heavens above as jutsu are launched back-and-forth, resulting in massive explosions that light the skies. Jin and Sasuke throw attacks like heavy artillery while Madara responds in kind. Even as meteors continue to fall and tornadoes form, the young ninjas press on. ¡°Even with the power you have gained, you can¡¯t take on 5 of me at once. Well? Show me what kind of plan you can come up with.¡± Madara makes sport of the ordeal. The elder Uchiha and his Limbo clones all launch a volley of Yasaka Beads; Jin and Sasuke evading the oncoming barrage by separating, they fly around them until they are in a position perfect for flanking them. ¡°Decrepit, senile, old man! You¡¯re already a dead man walking, you just don¡¯t know it yet!¡± Jin taunts, roaring from inside his avatar. Susano¡¯o: Fire Style Gelel Rasenshuriken!! Through his avatar, the Onikage produces a massive Rasenshuriken with its primary right hand; the green light the jutsu emits burns brighter as Jin adds his six paths sage chakra to its power. Jin¡¯s Susano¡¯o winds its arm back and throws the attack with incredible force; Madara and his Limbo Clones are all quick to evade it, however, two of the clones make the poor choice of hovering on either side of the jutsu. Just as the Rasenshuriken passes between them, it instantly expands in size, catching the two shadows in its blades; the Limbo Susano¡¯o are eviscerated into nothingness due to the central sphere of the Rasenshuriken detonating, producing a blazing vortex in the immediate area. Unfortunately, Jin is given no moment of respite as the other two shadows take advantage upon seeing an opening; they close in on him in a pincer attack. ¡°Inferno Style: Susano¡¯o Flame Control!!¡± Scores and scores of black flaming arrows rain down upon the shadows as well as Jin, the young Uzumaki is forced to make nimble and erratic maneuvers out of desperation; his Susano¡¯o flies upward, performing a barrel roll. It then quickly dives down and performs a Cuban 8 maneuver; the ethereal warrior takes a hit on its left hand; it erupts with flames. ¡°Goddammit, Sasuke!! Pay attention to your fucking surroundings--you hit me!!¡± An enraged Jin shrieks, he sweats from the heat of the black flames. Sasuke replies with a cold, ¡°Watch out.¡± Jin silently grimaces toward his ally, the only reason he does not retaliate is due to the fact that he needs the revolutionary for the fight with Kaguya ahead. Not uttering a word, the Onikage slowly redirects his rage towards the Ten-Tails jinchuriki. ¡°You¡­ insipid maggots¡­! Limbo: Border Jail!¡± Madara growls. The Ten-Tails jinchuriki creates four new shadows with their own Susano¡¯o. The Limbo Clones fly rapidly toward Sasuke, they surround the young Uchiha, and grab hold of each of his avatar¡¯s limbs with the intention of pulling it apart. Madara¡¯s clones heave with all their might, but Sasuke and his Susano¡¯o suddenly vanish out of thin air, replaced by Madara. It is unfortunately too late as Madara¡¯s clones were already in the process of pulling; the dark blue Susano¡¯o is torn apart, completely dismembered. ¡°Ngh¡­!¡± Madara groans. The damage causes the Ten-Tails jinchuriki to lose concentration. His shadows all dissipate, leaving him vulnerable. As Sasuke¡¯s purple Susano¡¯o flies next to Jin¡¯s yellow one, he takes note of the damage inflicted on the elder Uchiha¡¯s ethereal warrior; all of its limbs are gone and cracks form all across its center mass. A bulb lights up in the three-eyed ninja¡¯s head and then his face contorts into a devious, sinister grin. ¡°Sasuke, SWITCH AGAIN!!¡± Jin orders. Without warning, Jin has his avatar move to uppercut Sasuke¡¯s. The young Uchiha watches and waits, waiting for the last possible second then he abruptly disappears with Madara taking his place; More cracks form on Madara¡¯s ethereal warrior the moment the colossal yellow fist collides with its chin. With Madara stunned, Jin seizes the moment and has his avatar twist its body around, spinning swiftly. The yellow Susano¡¯o uses the momentum to deliver a solid spinning heel kick, Jin¡¯s avatar continues to spin, landing several more kicks; the cracks grow thicker and the elder Uchiha¡¯s avatar is propelled further into the air. As the dark-blue avatar falls back down, the Jin eerily appears right in front of it, he is close enough that he can see Madara¡¯s maniacal scowl; satisfied, the young Uzumaki grows a smug grin. The Onikage¡¯s Susano¡¯o swiftly winds its arm back and throws a mighty punch; the head of Madara¡¯s Susano¡¯o shatters upon impact, it does not stop and continues its collision course. The giant fist crashes into elder Uchiha, sending him flying away, his Susano¡¯o subsequently shatters into countless pieces and scatter in the night winds. Is that it? No, it can¡¯t be. I don¡¯t buy it¡­ Jin is whelmed by his victory. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I-I¡­ I¡¯m the new Sage of the Six Paths¡­ How¡­ How could I fall to you maggots?! Madara ruminates pensively. The force from Jin¡¯s Susano¡¯o Punch sent the Ghost of the Uchiha streaking across the sky like a shooting star, he is unable to fathom how mere children are making him struggle like this. Madara creates another shadow that blitzes past and catches him, stopping what would be his crash landing. ¡°*huff* *huff* *huff*¡­¡± Breathing heavily, the elder Uchiha analyzes the situation. I cannot believe it¡­ I¡¯ve been pushed this far¡­ But¡­ Collecting himself, Madara stands tall and raises his fist, more determined than ever. The battle is far from over, he knows he can still win the war. Afterall, he has yet to play his final trump card. Madara declares, ¡°*I* will be the one who will get to see his ¡®true dream¡¯ come true!¡± ¡°My, you must really love the sound of your own voice¡­¡± A voice scoffs from behind. Madara turns around fast and sees the demon, Moryo patiently hovering behind him, his serpentine heads moving together like a pack of wolves. The demon¡¯s back is riddled with burn marks, and he is missing one of his heads, the cauterized wound smolders. Moryo continues. ¡°If you truly wish to create paradise on Earth, then launch the Infinite Tsukuyomi.¡± ¡°You overgrown lizard. What do you have to gain from me achieving MY goal? What are you plotting¡± Skeptical, the elder raises an eyebrow. ¡°Well, I wanted anything, it would be¡­¡± Moryo stops and thinks for a moment. ¡°To be a perfect version of myself.¡± ¡°And just what do you mean by that?¡± Madara asks, his suspicion increases by the minute. ¡°You¡¯ll find out soon enough. Well, go on, ¡®savior¡­¡¯ the world is waiting.¡± The demon encourages. While not entirely certain of Moryo¡¯s true motives, Madara knows he cannot trust this ancient creature, he is a threat that will have to be dealt with very soon. For the time being, the infamous historical figure reaches for his face and with a loud tearing sound, he rips off the forehead protector-like appendage which emerged from the left side of his forehead; a third eye, the Rinne Sharingan, is revealed. Like clockwork, the full moon becomes flaming red, the color of blood. The ominous red glow parts the clouds, shining over the entire battlefield. A ripple pattern forms on the surface of the moon along with nine tomoe. Focusing chakra into his third eye, Madara weaves a hand sign. ¡°Shine upon the world, Infinite Tsukuyomi!! Now¡­ Become one!!¡± Chapter 85 ¡°Madara¡¯s launching the Infinite Tsukuyomi! We need to get back to the others!¡± Sasuke warns. ¡°I can see that¡­¡± Jin wittily retorts. ¡°Tell me something I don¡¯t know, Captain Obvious!¡± Jin and Sasuke immediately flew away the moment they saw the moon turn red and gain Rinne Sharingan markings, they hurriedly dive back to their allies as fast as they possibly can. The two Susano¡¯o flap their wings as much as they can. Blood roars in Jin¡¯s ears, sweat runs down his brow, his body shivers down to its very core. As Shippuden nears its end, Jin worries not for himself, but for the friends he has made over his journey. ¡°When a person has something precious that they want to protect then they become genuinely strong.¡± Jin can¡¯t help but dwell on the advice Haku told Naruto, these words replay on loop in the Uzumaki¡¯s mind like a broken record. He feels a most strange and unusual sensation bubbling up from deep within him. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Tailed Beast Bomb Rasenshuriken!!¡± Naruto has his Truth-Seeker Orbs hover over his head, he then converts them all into Tailed Beast Bomb, and adds wind chakra to create the shuriken-like blades around each of them. ¡°Sage Art: Lightning Running Beast Jutsu!!¡± Ayanami forms a Lightning Blade in her hand, the jutsu morphs and takes the form of a hound made entirely of electricity with a cord of lightning connecting to the hand of the kunoichi; the black lightning the jutsu generates is due Ayanami¡¯s six paths sage chakra. The two chakra cloaked ninja fire their attacks at the numerous oncoming planetoids rain down from above. Massive and brilliant explosions blanket the sky; Ayanami¡¯s jutsu streaks through the air, shattering as many satellites that it can ram while Naruto¡¯s Rasenshurikens detonate, reducing the remaining meteors to nothing, but pebbles and dust. As the explosions begin to die down, Ayanami makes out two glowing dots in the sky; one is purple, the other is yellow. These dots quickly grow bigger and bigger with each passing microsecond, the dots morph into two ethereal warriors, they effortlessly evade the straggling explosions in their descent. These chakra avatars flap their large wings and execute a power-dive before coming to a complete stop before their respective groups; the moment they make contact with the ground, the tremors occur and the floor crumbles under their feet. A stumbling Naruto shouts, ¡°Sasuke, Jin! Watch your angle of descent! I could¡¯ve hit you w¨C¡± ¡°Look, just shut up and stay still, alright!¡± Sasuke impatiently interrupts. Sasuke¡¯s Susano¡¯o wings spread out and cover Team 7 like a cocoon while Jin has his own avatar crouch low to the ground. Ayanami watches as its golden angelic wings spread out wide, encompassing the team in a protective barrier. As her three-eyed friend drops, landing safely on the ground, the kunoichi peers outside the Susano¡¯o and witnesses leftover debris from Madara¡¯s Planetary Devastation fall all around them; even as the ground shakes, Ayanami maintains her footing. ¡°So¡­ how long do we have to stay cooped up in your Susano¡¯o?¡± Ayanami inquires. Patting himself down, Jin stops and thinks. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t really know, the manga never addressed that. ¡­I THINK we¡¯ll be here for a couple hours.¡± ¡°About 4 or so hours actually.¡± Echo corrects. ¡°What?!¡± Ayanami blurts with surprise. Rito, in disbelief, stares at the time-traveler and bellows, ¡°FOUR HOURS?! What do ya mean, 4 hours?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The future Jin replies. Echo finds a decently sized and dusts it off. He then joylessly takes a seat and waits patiently; he looks up once he realizes that everyone is staring at him. ¡°I suggest you all get comfy, we¡¯re gonna be here awhile¡­¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Meanwhile, Yeager diligently escorts Yoichi, a young feudal lord, and Shion, a priestess, back to the Land of Ogres; they are currently nearing the border of the Land of Swamps. At their current pace, they will have reached their destination by the day after tomorrow. They encountered a few bandits along their journey, but Yeager quickly dealt with them. And as Jin instructed, the blonde ninja rummaged through their corpses for money and any other valuables as their would-be thieves no longer needed them. ¡°Are we there yet? My feet are killing me.¡± Shion whines, wasting energy. Lagging behind the rest of the group, the exhausted priestess continues to drag her feet along. Sweat pours down her face as she gasps for air, this walk is the most physically taxing she has ever done in her entire life. ¡°We would be there sooner if you just let me carry you.¡± Yeager points out, rolling his eyes. ¡°No. You run too fast, and your back is really uncomfortable.¡± The priestess continues to complain. ¡°You there. Carry me.¡± ¡°Uh, I¡¯m the feudal lord of the Land of Ogres, you¡¯re supposed to carry ME.¡± An annoyed Yoichi is quick to shut that down. Before he was captured, Yoichi always made sure to exercise on a regular basis just to maintain the basic levels of physical fitness despite the many adamant protests from his servants; a brisk walk like this is no problem for him. ¡°Mein Gott, diese G?re ist furchtbar verw?hnt¡­¡± Yeager quietly mutters under his breath, massaging his temples. From what Jin told me, Naruto is the catalyst for her character development in the movie¡­ But in this timeline, he doesn¡¯t even know that she exists, let alone spoken to her. ¡°AAAAAIIIIIIIEEE!!¡± Startled by Shion¡¯s terrified scream, the two reincarnations are quick to turn around, the scrappy Yeager raises his fists and begins infusing chakra while Yoichi runs for the nearest bush, jumping into it. ¡°More bandits?!¡± Alert, Yeager scans the vicinity, looking for someone to hit. ¡°The moon!¡± A terrified Shion shouts. Eye¡¯s widening, the priestess¡¯ jaw drops with sheer absolute horror and awe. The reincarnations watch as Shion slowly raises her trembling hand and points up. Yeager and Yoichi look up and see the full moon, but something is wrong with it; the moon itself has a blood red coloring with what appears to be the Rinnegan ripple patterns and nine tomoe. ¡°Oh¡­ Don¡¯t worry, everything¡¯ll be fine.¡± Yeager states calmly. As they know what will happen due to watching the anime, the reincarnations dismiss the moon with casual indifference; A facepalming Yoichi quietly exits the bush with a face red with embarrassment and Yeager leisurely finds a nearby log to sit on. Still afraid, Shion skeptically looks back at Yeager. ¡°Why do I find that hard to believe.¡± ¡°Look at it this way¡­¡± Yoichi tries to reassure the priestess with a bright and chipper attitude. ¡°You¡¯re about to have the BEST dream you¡¯ve ever had.¡± The moment the young lord finishes speaking, the moon changes color from red to a solid white, casting a brilliant light on them. The light being emitted is so bright that it can easily be mistaken for sunlight. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Back at the Ninja Alliance headquarters, no one is working, no one is even moving. With the sudden emergence of a strange, piercing light outside, everyone stops in their tracks. Not a single sound is made, it is quieter than a graveyard. Everyone simply stares at the moon with blank, emotionless expressions, Including Inoichi Yamanaka, the head of the Allied Shinobi Forces¡¯ Intelligence Division drools at the mouth. As he slowly slips away into a deep sleep, thoughts of his family flood his mind. ¡°I-Ino¡­ Jin¡­¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Meanwhile, as the team waits patiently for the Infinite Tsukuyomi to run its course, Jin is left in a state of perpetual discomfort; every cell in the Uzumaki¡¯s body is sore from using the Susanoo. His healing factor is able to somewhat mitigate the pain, reducing the pain from fire, acid, and electricity to feeling like he has been pricked by countless cactus thorns. C-Can¡¯t believe I have to keep this up for 4 hours¡­ Jin silently anguishes. Need to distract myself from the--what the¨C?! The ground starts shaking again, Jin and the group sense powerful wood chakra coming from underground. They look out from inside Jin¡¯s avatar and witness the roots of the Divine Tree blast out of the terrain, spreading all across the battlefield and beyond at ludicrous speeds. The team watches with disgust as some of the roots¡¯ bark flake off and slither towards the many helpless Alliance shinobi, they coil up their victims¡¯ bodies and quickly wrap around them, placing the slumbering ninjas in dangling cocoons. Jin¡¯s stomach churns as his discomfort has now skyrocketed as the mere sight of these cocoons remind him of a song he learned about in high school, it was sung by Billie Holiday in the 1950s and 1960s. This ¡°distraction¡± had the exact opposite effect of what the Onikage wanted. Focus, Jin! There¡¯s no point in getting upset over the issues of a planet that¡¯s literally dimensions away¡­ A brooding Jin shakes his head clear thoughts concerning the real Earth. Okay, let¡¯s see¡­ Oh, yeah¡­ all the reanimated Hokage are here¡­ The sage crouches down while placing his right index finger on the ground, molding chakra to sense his surroundings. Jin spreads his chakra out further and senses the chakra signatures of the cocooned shinobi all across the battlefield, he spreads his chakra out even further and detects the cocooned citizens of the Land of Lightning. Jin sends out even more chakra and further widens his search area until he eventually finds the one, he is looking for. Teleported back to the Leaf like in the main timeline, eh, Minato? Jin thinks while activating his Mind Probe Jutsu, going through the list of sealing jutsu the Fourth Hokage knows. ¡­the Four Symbols Seal¡­ Eight Trigrams Seal, and¡­ the Torii Seal? Hmmm? Eeny, meeny, miny--all of them! Upon learning Minato¡¯s jutsu, the corners of Jin¡¯s mouth curve up, making a sly smile. If the team is unable to actually kill Moryo, they can seal him away instead as an insurance plan. ¡°Oi, Jin?¡± Rito asks, breaking the silence with a humorous tone. ¡°About your costume change earlier¡­ Should I either start calling you ¡®Peter¡¯ or ¡®Eddie¡¯?¡± Mileena forms a mouth on Jin¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Heh heh heh¡­¡± ¡°You can call me either as long as I can call you ¡®Jason¡¯¡­ Or do you prefer ¡®Dick¡¯?¡± Jin responds in kind. ¡°¡°¡°Hahahahahahahaha¡­!¡±¡±¡± Ayanami and Mileena burst out with laughter. ¡°HA HA HA!¡± Mecha-Naruto guffaws as well despite not getting the joke. ¡°Touch¨¦.¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Half a year''s worth of Infinite Tsukuyomi filler later, the piercing bright light of the ultimate genjutsu gradually grows dim before finally fading away; the dark of the night returns and spreads across the land. Sasuke¡¯s Susano¡¯o dissipates, telling Jin that the penultimate battle is upon them; likewise, Jin undoes his avatar. ¡°Finally!¡± A stretching Ayanami exclaims. ¡°Looks like that Zetsu guy wasn¡¯t affected at all¡­¡± Naruto notes. ¡°Sasuke, we gotta wake them all up from the genjutsu, but how?¡± ¡°With your tailed beast chakra, Naruto, and your Rinnegan, Sasuke, you simply need to make the ¡®rat¡¯ hand sign.¡± A shrugging Jin offhandedly remarks. After hearing Jin¡¯s words, Team 7 looks at the snake sage with surprise, their eyes as wide as saucers, even Sasuke glances suspiciously at Jin for a very brief moment. Kakashi¡¯s eyes squint. ¡°Even if what you say is true¡­ How could you possibly know that?¡± Kakashi''s query is met with dismissive silence as Jin¡¯s attention is focused on Madara and Black Zetsu. Obito is seemingly unconscious as the pitch-black entity clings to his body. ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll let you undo the Infinite Tsukuyomi? All that¡¯s left is to get rid of you guys.¡± Black Zetsu scoffs at them with a sneer. ¡°Which *I*, the savior of the world shall do!¡± Like a small meteor, Madara crash-lands right in front of Zetsu; the ground crumbles beneath the elder Uchiha¡¯s feet at the moment of impact, kicking up a small thin dust cloud in the process. In response to their threats, a black tendril sprouts suddenly from Jin¡¯s left shoulder in fluid motion, the tip quickly increases in size, allowing for a pair of red eyes and a mouth to form. ¡°Hear me, old man. You go near my father, you die!¡± Mileena snarls, baring her razor-sharp fangs. The tension in the air has immediately become so thick that it could crush a normal human being like a bug; Jin and Sasuke look around and see they are surrounded by Limbo Clones while Ayanami and Naruto can sense them. The air has become ripe with powerful chakra as the few remaining conscious people are all poised to attack. Madara starts monologuing, ¡°I won¡¯t let you do anything else. I¡¯ve just severed the karmic cycle of this world. I have¨C¡± ¡°You are BORING me to death with your hypocritical bullshit!¡± A scoffing Jin heckles. ¡°Savior? HA! You ain¡¯t no savior. You ain¡¯t nothing, but another dime-a-dozen wannabe tyrant! A small, LITTLE man.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve just ended the long history of fighting amongst shinobi. There are no men like me.¡± Madara argues with arms folded. Ayanami stands strong before this madman. ¡°There are always men like you.¡± The Onikage facepalms before continuing. ¡°And to think I was afraid of you when you appeared in that desert. How embarrassing¡­¡± The Ghost of the Uchiha grimaces, the veins in his forehead bulge, and his hands shake with rage. Madara grabs one of his Truth-Seeker Orbs which transform into a gunbai, his weapon of choice. ¡°I¡¯ve had just about enough of your insolence, foolish children! Black Zetsu, this is your last mission. Help me crush them.¡± Madara takes a deep breath and calms down. ¡°Yes, Lord Madara¡­ IS THAT WHAT YOU THOUGHT I¡¯D SAY?¡± To everyone, but the reincarnations shock and surprise, Black Zetsu plunges his left hand through Madara¡¯s chest; deeply addled and shocked by the unexpected betrayal, a wide eyed Madara is left speechless with blood trickling down from his mouth. ¡°B¡­Black Zetsu?! How dare you¡­¡± Madara angrily coughs. ¡°Heh heh heh¡­¡± Jin lifts his head from his hands, revealing a smug grin as his expression. He cannot help but find Madara¡¯s current predicament, his fall from grace, hilarious. The Onikage sneers, ¡°This is happening because you put your trust in the one being you shouldn¡¯t trust. You thought yourself to be some ¡®master planner¡¯ but in reality you were just a pawn in someone else¡¯s scheme. A FOOTNOTE if you will.¡± ¡°Wh-What are¡­ you¡­ talking about?¡± Madara utters between coughs. ¡°It¡¯s just as Jin says¡­¡± Black Zetsu goes on to explain. ¡°My dear Madara, you have also been caught in a phantom dream, a dream that I crafted. My will doesn¡¯t belong to you. My will is the will of Kaguya!¡± ¡°K-Kaguya?!¡± Madara blurts out with surprise towards this revelation. ¡°He just mentioned Kaguya¡­!¡± Sasuke speaks with dread. Sakura asks, ¡°Kaguya? Who¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Kaguya Otsutsuki is the mother of the Sage of Six Paths.¡± Ayanami answers, keeping her eyes trained on Madara. ¡°GWAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!! GWAAAAAAAARGH!¡± Madara screams in agony. Massive amounts of chakra erupt from the ground like geysers, it all goes pouring into the Ghost of the Uchiha; the chakra geysers force everyone to leap back, their eyes still trained on Madara. His candle white body quickly inflates as if it were a balloon due to the sheer amount of chakra being absorbed with what look like large tumors bursting out of his cloak. ¡°This chakra¡­ it feels comparable to Moryo¡¯s!¡± A tense Ayanami ascertains, infusing her own chakra. ¡°I sense that--hell, I can SEE that!¡± Jin retorts. ¡°FINALLY!! SOON, I WILL ATTAIN ULTIMATE POWER! UNLIMITED POWER!!!¡± Jin and Ayanami look up and watch a howling Moryo dive from above, the ecstatic demon elegantly lands some distance away, his claws eagerly digging into the ground with anticipation. The reincarnations notice that all of his superficial wounds have healed, the one head the Naruto severed is still missing. Jin immediately turns his attention back to witness Black Zetsu slowly melt off Obito¡¯s body and coat Madara¡¯s. Naruto and Sasuke ran ahead to try and prevent Kaguya¡¯s revival but were quickly ensnared by Madara¡¯s hair. Chakra proceeds to pour into Madara who continues to swell as Black Zetsu slowly spreads across the elder Uchiha¡¯s bloated body. The mass of flesh stops inflating and quickly shrinks down; except for Moryo, everyone goes dead silent with dread. Madara is gone and in his place, stands a pale-skinned woman with soft facial features. She has extremely long, sweeping white hair. She possesses white clear eyes, and her eyebrows are cut very short and round--a symbol of nobility, and she wears a red shade of lipstick on her lips. Most noticeable, she possesses two brown horns that stick out from her head and a Rinne Sharingan in the center of her forehead. She wears a high-collared hime-kimono which has tomoe running down the center and edges of the gown, adorned with intricate gold and purple lines. ¡°Kaguya¡­¡± Chapter 86 WEIRD. Why am I¡­ not terrified? A perplexed Jin thinks to himself. Why the hell is Kaguya no¨C?! Jin and Ayanami look on as the cold and indifferent Rabbit Goddess, Kaguya, entraps Naruto and Sasuke with her long hair. They can tell from her chakra that the Otsutsuki is extraordinarily powerful, but they are not frightened of her like they were with Madara; the presence she gives off, the aura she exudes, it is far too alien for them to even have a frank and honest opinion of her. It is as if the reincarnations are blind people and Kaguya, is color. Kaguya¡¯s visage suddenly changes; there is a bullet hole in her forehead and chest, blood slowly trickles from her wounds. The Onikage stands frozen in place, his breathing has become heavy and rapid, his entire body trembles as he is unable to catch his breath. He covers his mouth due to his stomach churning; he can feel everything he has eaten creep back up. A traumatized Jin watches the Otsutsuki maintain her cold and unfeeling demeanor while casually throwing Naruto and Sasuke with her tendril-like hairs hard into the ground. Kaguya¡¯s hairs then spear the ground in an attempt to skewer the two shinobi; the two protagonists do their best to evade the barrage of tendrils with Sasuke even countering with his Chidori. It is all in vain as they are quickly overpowered and pushed back, sent crashing into a large boulder behind the group. Jin watches them crash, but quickly rears his head back around only to find that the silent Rabbit Goddess is now looming before him and Ayanami. Like a phantom, she hovers ominously through the air, her eyes still fixed on the protagonists of the franchise. ¡°Indra & Asura¡­¡± Kaguya says before turning her icy gaze on Jin and Ayanami. ¡°And Hagoromo & Hamura¡­¡± Floating silently in the air, the Rabbit Goddess activates her Byakugan. The ground shakes and even the air itself trembles due to the Otsutsuki now infusing her chakra. Her chakra is so potent that even non-sensory-type ninja can read her, everyone can now feel her fear, her anger, her loathing. ¡°I¡­ hate them all¡­!¡± ¡°THEY are insignificant. Your opinions are irrelevant.¡± Moryo dismisses everyone with a low growl. The demon starts walking, slowly pacing around everyone in a circle like a predator stalking its prey. With his fangs bare, Moryo¡¯s numerous mouths all salivate with anticipation. Moryo continues with, ¡°What truly matters is my ascension to godhood. Do you know what a demon calls a god who does not know worship, a god who does not know love? Food.¡± The demon lunges for the goddess, his mouths are all opened wide; Kaguya counters by opening a large rift fight in front of Moryo, the demon is unable to stop his charge and flies straight into the rift. The portal closes as soon as his tail passes through; Jin feels an intense heat coming from the rift before it closes. Soon after, a startled Jin realizes that he is falling, he looks around and sees he is now in a dark chasm, a cave with countless sharp stalactites over their heads. The only source of light comes from the glowing pit lava below them; the molten rock flows like a river with bubbles popping on the surface and smoke and ash filling the air. ¡°Father! This is no time to be having an episode!¡± Mileena shouts in Jin¡¯s head. Black tendrils shoot out of the shocked Onikage and stick to the cliffs pulling him to safety; the ends of the tentacles vaguely resemble spider webbing. Jin sees a flicker of cyan green and realizes that it is Ayanami, the kunoichi has taken flight, saving Kakashi and Sakura. She carries her fellow leaf shinobi to Rito. Several meters above, the boy genius, Rito, has constructed a series of crystalline platforms for himself and the rest of the non-fliers in their group; the platforms all glisten in the lava¡¯s glow. In the distance, Sasuke has already summoned his hawk and rescued Naruto. Both ninjas have their determined eyes fixed on the Rabbit Goddess. ¡°Jin! What are you hanging around for? Hurry up and kick her ass!¡± Rito shouts to his friend. Concerned, Mileena shouts, ¡°Father, if you don¡¯t do something, you are going to die!¡± Jin does not respond to any of it like they are not even there, he remains paralyzed by his trauma. All he can hear is the sound of his own heavy, panicked breathing, he dangles helplessly by the symbiotes tendrils, twitch ever so slightly. ¡°*SIGH* I don¡¯t know if this will work¡­¡± Mileena speaks ominously. ¡°But it¡¯s better than doing nothing.¡± The snake sage feels a sudden cold sensation occurring in his head, it feels as if someone has placed his brain in a freezer. Moments later, Jin''s breathing returns to normal as he miraculously calms down, he feels like he¡¯s come out of a short power nap. Ugh¡­ W-What¡­ What happened? What was I doing? A confused Jin ponders for a brief moment. Oh, right! Kaguya! Can¡¯t believe I blanked out. Weird. This is a bandage solution at best. Father really does need therapy¡­ I¡¯ll just¡­ tell him what happened later. Mileena quietly broods, keeping these thoughts to herself. Yes¡­ He doesn¡¯t need to worry about this given our current situation. Jin shakes his head clear and flies his way up to Naruto and Sasuke, the snake sage would be sweating from the molten rocks intense heat if not for his sage mode. As he makes his way to his fellow six paths enhanced allies, Ayanami follows Jin and flies by his side, her concerned eyes fixed on him. ¡°Are you okay? I saw that panic attack.¡± The kunoichi questions. ¡°Panic attack? What¡¯re you talking about? I¡¯m fine.¡± Jin hasn¡¯t a clue of what she is talking about, but he doesn¡¯t let that distract him from the mission. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. Keep your eyes on HER.¡± ¡°GGGGRAAAAAWRRR!¡± A monstrous, blood-curdling roar shakes the cavern. Just as the two reincarnations take their place at Naruto and Sasuke¡¯s side, an angered Moryo reveals himself to the crowd, everyone takes notice of the fact that the demon is now covered in new splotches of burn marks, Moryo¡¯s smoldering wounds fester. All six combatants square off, everyone is as silent as the vacuum of space; the only thing that can be heard is the flowing river of lava down below. The tension is so high that it could grind a hundred men into a thin red paste. ¡°Six paths chakra¡­ you act triumphant just because you have a special accoutrement. However, no matter what kind it might be¡­ All chakra belongs to me and me alone.¡± Kaguya speaks with cold indifference, her Byakugan flares up. ¡°Now, one more time¡­ I shall reunify all chakra!¡± Without warning, the progenitor of chakra flies forward, rocketing toward the four champions; in a flash of orange and green, Ayanami and Naruto flank Kaguya, creating several chakra arms. The leaf shinobi hurl a barrage of seemingly countless punches, but the Otsutsuki swiftly counters with her own volley of Eighty Gods Vacuum Fists, powerful shockwaves are formed by the barrage of fists clashing with one another and a blinding bright light is emitted at each and every point of contact; feeling his bones rattle, Jin braces himself from the fierce ripples as the battle that decides the fate of the world has truly begun. ¡°Shade Style: Judgment!¡± Moryo opens his mouth and fires a powerful blast of chakra in the form of light blue flames. Jin counters by quickly forming a Gelel Rasenshuriken and throws it right at Moryo¡¯s jutsu. The two attacks detonate the moment they make contact, resulting in a massive explosion; the subsequent shockwave reverberates all throughout the cave. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Sasuke leaps from his hawk and takes wing, soaring past Jin toward Moryo. The rogue ninja activates his Perfect Senjutsu Susano¡¯o as he continues rocketing toward the demon. Along the way, the purple avatar holds out its left hand and a high concentration of dark lightning is channeled around its hand before being covered in Amaterasu flames as well. ¡°Takemikazuchi-no-Kami!!¡± Sasuke shouts. ¡°Is THAT all you¡¯ve got? What a bore!¡± Moryo opens one of his mouths, gathering massive amounts of dark chakra. ¡°Super Activation Fist.¡± Due to the fact that Moryo¡¯s body is currently draconic in physiology, he can only use jutsu with his eight--now seven--mouths. The chakra the demon¡¯s gathered so far takes the form of a large dark orb with two dark rings, revolving around it. Given its current size, the Super Activation Fist resembles an evil Tailed Beast Bomb. Sasuke and Moryo charge one another, plowing their jutsu into each other. They¡¯re attacks clash for an astronomically brief moment; sparks shoot out of the point of impact like bullets. The two jutsu cancel each other out, resulting in a massive explosion, the subsequent shockwaves send Jin and Sasuke flying back uncontrollably. ¡°¡­I-I¡­ ¡­C-Can¡¯t¡­ ¡­Stoooooooop!¡± A flailing Jin panics. Flying back in a spinning motion, the Onikage struggles to recover, he strains every muscle in his body, fighting to regain his ¡®footing¡¯. His teeth are gritting, and his veins are bulging to the point that they feel like they will burst. Jin tries his best to recover, but the force of the blast was simply too strong, all he can do is flail. H-Huh? What the¡­? A confused Jin thinks as he lurches, coming to a sudden and unexpected stop. Jin feels a large hand grab hold of him, a wave of relief washes over him as he realizes the green chakra hand grabbing him belongs to Ayanami. The kunoichi pulls the Onikage toward her, she releases her grip once she¡¯s sure Jin has taken flight again. The Hyuga gives a thumbs up. ¡°That explosion sent Naruto and I flying too. It¡¯s a good thing we were further away from it.¡± ¡°NO, it¡¯s a good thing Echo grafted that other Kaguya¡¯s flesh onto you. I don¡¯t know where I was gonna land if you hadn¡¯t caught me. Thank you and thank God I don¡¯t have to worry about that.¡± Jin breathes a sigh of relief, regurgitating words. The moment of reprieve does not last long as Jin¡¯s body immediately freezes, he has lost all control of his body. Jin¡¯s relief is quickly replaced by concern and bewilderment as he notices that Ayanami has frozen in place as well. The two shinobi hover in the air, devoid of all movement, it¡¯s almost as if someone is controlling them like puppets. They feel an unknown force make their bodies slowly turn around; they struggle to break free, but to no avail. They are quickly overcome with shock as the Rabbit Goddess, Kaguya, ominously appears before them; she has just exited a portal. All Jin and Ayanami can do is look on in horror as the Otsutsuki caresses them, lifting their chins up with her dainty yet strong hands. ¡°W-We¡­ We will--hrk! S-Stop you!¡± Ayanami struggles to get out. ¡°I-I¡¯m¡­ g-going--urk! Going to¡­ enjoy killing¡­ the two of you!¡± Jin threatens despite his skin crawling, his neck hairs standing on end. With a pained expression, Kaguya silently gazes at the reincarnations with tears rolling down the Rabbit Goddess¡¯ face. To the shinobi, she looks like a mother who has just reunited with her children after being separated from them for quite some time. From her hands, Black Zetsu eerily spreads on to the paralyzed ninjas. ¡°Strange¡­ Kaguya seems to¡­¡± Black Zetsu begins to monologue in a sneering manner, covering half of both shinobi. ¡°¡­see her children when she looks at you two. Isn¡¯t that SWEET?¡± Jin still struggles to break free, still with no success. Unfortunately, he can feel himself growing weaker as Kaguya¡¯s will drains his chakra, he assumes his friend is being drained too. Right now, all they can do is just stare at a crying Kaguya as their chakra is being taken. A mocking Black Zetsu continues. ¡°I must say, Jin¡­ I truly do admire how much power you and Moryo have garnered from my creations.¡± Jin struggles to ask, ¡°C-Creations? Wh¡­ What the hell are you¡­ t-talking about?¡± ¡°I always knew I would need the Ten-Tails along with Indra and Asura, but I also explored other avenues in the hopes of reviving my dear mother sooner¡­¡± The numerous explosions and shockwaves going off in the distance inform Jin that Naruto and Sasuke must be in a heated battle with Moryo. All Jin can do is grit his teeth in frustration. ¡°...The Stone of Gelel. The Ama no Hoko. The chakra ley line of Roran. The Box of Paradise. And many more¡­ All were experiments, attempts at reviving mother early. All ended in failure.¡± Upon hearing this revelation, Jin simply feels whelmed. I¡¯m not surprised¡­ Logically speaking, Zetsu is the only way for the movie and game canons to even exist in this composite timeline¡­ Still struggling, Ayanami gags, ¡°Wh-Why are you¡­ telling M-ME all this?¡± ¡°Because the both of you are anomalies¡­ Both of your chakras feel similar to Kaguya¡¯s, how did you accomplish this?¡± Black Zetsu replies, his expression turns serious, his tone teems with curiosity. ¡°Father and Auntie Ayanami are under no obligation to tell you anything!¡± ¡°What?¡± Black Zetsu gasps in shock. Mileena leaks out of Jin¡¯s skin and spreads all across his body, clothing her father in a symbiote suit. The black biomass immediately shoots out tendrils that quickly wrap around Ayanami, bonding to her as well. Black Zetsu is quick in his attempt to detach, but unfortunately, Mileena clings tightly to him, taking back all the chakra he stole from Jin and Ayanami. Mileena¡¯s ¡®brother¡¯ struggles to break free, but she tightens her grip on him. ¡°Heh heh heh¡­ Did you really forget that I was here? That¡¯s amazing!¡± A snide Mileena chuckles. ¡°Th-This CANNOT be happening¡­! How¡­ H-How are you so much stronger than me?!¡± An outraged Black Zetsu demands. While Mileena makes Black Zetsu out to be a jester with her taunts, Jin and Ayanami can feel their chakra and strength returning, some movement has even returned to their arms. Remaining silent, the reincarnations see an opportunity and take advantage of the situation, they cautiously build up their chakra, focusing it into their hands. ¡°Oh, my god¡­ You must be REALLY stupid if you haven¡¯t figured it out yet. Kaguya--in desperation--slapped you together at the last possible moment before she was sealed away. Father, on the other hand, had time to make me, he had time to think about what I¡¯d be capable of.¡± Mileena continues to talk down to her adversary. ¡°Eons of planning. Countless schemes. All my meticulous planning and preparations for mother. I refuse to believe it will all be undone by a day-old pup!!¡± Black Zetsu roars in defiance. ¡°Too bad, it¡¯s over for you.¡± Ayanami heckles, gaining everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°You ready?¡± The kunoichi concentrates lightning chakra in her right hand to activate the Sage Art: Lightning Blade. The electricity channeling throughout her hand quickly turns black as she applies Six Paths power to it. ¡°You bet!¡± A determined Jin replies. The Onikage gathers fire chakra in the palm of his left hand and forms a Sage Art: Fire Style Fireball Rasengan. The rotating sphere grows in size along with its flames becoming more intense as he applies Six Paths power and Gelel energy to it. ¡°Wh-What?!¡± Kaguya¡¯s cold expression finally changed; it is now one of genuine shock and awe. Realizing what they were plotting, she uses her chakra to create a shockwave that forces the symbiote to release her hold on Black Zetsu, effectively separating them. A cautious Kaguya begins to back away very quickly and flies away. Ayanami adds her jutsu to Jin¡¯s, combining them; this collaborative jutsu emits an otherworldly dark red-orange glow. The sphere¡¯s rotation starts to rapidly increase, becoming more violent, its core becomes drastically unstable with intense flames and electricity spiraling around it in the form of a massive drill. The heat this new jutsu emits is so great that Jin and Ayanami are now sweating profusely, even their very hands begin to smolder just from touching it. ¡°¡°SIX PATHS: NOVA STRIKE!!!¡±¡± The two ninja¡¯s charge at the retreating Otsutsuki, thrusting their collaboration attack forward. The jutsu pierces through the air, eliminating any and all wind resistance and allowing them to accelerate to absurd speeds. The reincarnations make sure to fly directly behind Kaguya, staying firmly within her slipstream, gaining even more speed. Little by little, they get a little closer, they get a smidge closer, they get even closer until they¡¯ve finally caught up. ¡°Fry, bitch!!¡± Jin shouts. Kaguya¡¯s back is blown out; Jin and Ayanami plow their collaborative jutsu into Kaguya from behind. Upon making contact, the Nova Strike blasts off, propelling the Mother of Chakra a good distance away and into a cave wall. It detonates, resulting in a massive explosion. Jin and Ayanami bump fists as they watch the ensuing fireworks with admiration. The explosion resembles a small sun with bolts of lightning shooting out and glassing over portions of the cave. Chapter 87 I know that was nowhere near strong enough to beat Kaguya, but still¡­ A brooding Jin watches as Ayanami and his handiwork slowly die down with a strong sense of satisfaction. ¡­I hope she¡¯s hurting like hell! ¡°You and auntie were so cool, Father!!¡± Mileena excitedly bellows with admiration. As the sun-like explosion finally dissipates in its entirety, he feels a strong pair of hands grab hold of his face, these hands force the Onikage to turn and face his friend, Ayanami. She wears a kind and welcoming smile, but a powerful aura of death and destruction surrounds her; Jin can see the visage of a demon floating ominously behind her. He is able to remain calm as he senses that while the kunoichi¡¯s eyes are on Jin, they are focusing on Mileena, the black biomass that is currently coating his body. ¡°Sorry, we haven¡¯t been formally introduced, but you¡¯re Mileena, Jin¡¯s creation, correct?¡± Ayanami asks while maintaining her kind and innocent smile. With darting eyes and a shaking body, Mileena nervously replies, ¡°Uhh¡­ ¡­Y-Yeah?¡± ¡°It¡¯s ¡®Big Sis¡¯ to you. Got it?¡± ¡°Whatever you say, Big Sis!¡± The terrified symbiote gives a meek thumbs up before she quickly retreats back into Jin¡¯s body. The aura of doom vanishes soon after and is quickly replaced by an awkward silence. The reincarnations are left alone, maintaining eye contact as that awkward feeling persistently lingers in the air. ¡°Can I please have my face back?¡± Jin queries with a blank expression. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Kaguya pulls herself out from the crater made by the two anomalous shinobi and their combination jutsu, she winces from the searing pain due to the fact she is covered from head to toe in second-degree burns and one of her horns was blown off. Fortunately, the Progenitor of Chakra¡¯s injuries have already begun to heal. ¡°Victory is uncertain, mother¡­¡± Black Zetsu speaks with concern from Kaguya¡¯s left sleeve ¡°Jin & Ayanami were able to deal this much damage and Naruto & Sasuke are comparable to them.¡± Kaguya hovers silently in the air, she gathers her bearings as she waits for her body to finish healing. She hears her ¡®son¡¯ speaking to her, but the Mother of Chakra¡¯s focus remains fixed on all those capable of stopping her. ¡°And the entity that calls itself, ¡®Moryo¡¯. His power rivals even yours.¡± Black Zetsu continues. Kaguya replies, ¡°To ensure victory, I must first divide them, and then conquer.¡± Appearing at the Otsutsuki¡¯s side is a rift in the fabric of space, she puts her hand through the portal and reaches¡­ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°...to seal away this ¡®Kaguya¡¯?¡± A revived Obito asks who has just been brought up to speed on the current situation. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Naruto¡¯s shadow clone reaffirms. All of the non-Six Paths members of the party sit back and watch the pandemonium unfold as many explosions followed by shockwaves go off in the distance. That is all they can do as they wait for a sign to aid their allies from Rito¡¯s crystal platforms. ¡°Yes. C¡¯mon¡­¡± A hyped-up Echo mutters as paces back and forth, keeping his eyes fixed on the battle. ¡°C¡¯mon. Do it.¡± Rito gives a few side glances at the time-traveler and remembers that he is a refugee from a doomed timeline. Echo is the only one in the group even remotely happy in their current situation as he is the only one who¡¯s about to get what he wants, revenge; the young genius rolls his eyes and continues to watch the battle as well. From what I¡¯m seeing, my crystals won¡¯t hold Kaguya or Moryo for even a second¡­ The boy silently broods. With his arms folded, Rito rapidly taps his foot against the crystalline floor. His inability to help in the fight causes immense frustration to build up as he continues to watch powerful explosions go off. ¡°*sigh* I feel like a bloody bludger¡­¡± Rito quietly mutters to himself. ¡°RITO, LOOK OUT!!¡± A shouting Mecha-Naruto warns, gaining everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°Huh?¡± Confused, Rito looks and sees the robotic duplicate running right for him with his hand stretched out, reaching for him. Unbeknownst to the young boy, a portal has opened up right behind him and a pale-skinned hand with sharp, red fingernails comes out, reaching for the boy. ¡°--HRK??!!!¡± Rito lurches as he is yanked back and whisked away; the hand grabbing him pulls with enough force that the young genius nearly chokes on his own shirt. The winded boy is helpless as he is pulled through the portal, Mecha-Naruto is unable to get to him in time. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Human scum, just DIE!!¡± Moryo roars, firing off another Gale Style: Laser Circus. The hyperactive knucklehead, Naruto Uzumaki, barrel rolls to the left, evading the first beam. He takes off and flies, weaving his way through the numerous lasers toward the demon. However, the beams¡¯ direction alters and chases after the Hero of the Leaf; he can feel the heat coming off the lasers as they chase after him, trying to incinerate him. ¡°The peace that Jiraiya, Nagato, and all the other shinobi have been wishing for! It¡¯s right in front of our eyes!! We can¡¯t go down until we knock you and Kaguya down!!¡± Naruto definitely shouts. The Child of Prophecy forms a Sage Art: Rasenshuriken throws the jutsu at Moryo¡¯s seven heads; the craft demon separates his heads and watches as the attack harmlessly soars past his many necks. Unfortunately, Moryo fell right into Naruto¡¯s trap as the Leaf ninja has lured the demon¡¯s jutsu with Naruto, himself, as the bait. The hero stands at the base of Moryo¡¯s collective necks and watches the beams head for him, he waits and waits and waits. Naruto jumps off Moryo just as the beams are mere inches away from him, leaving the demon to be bombarded by his own jutsu. ¡°Oof! Uwaaaaah!!¡± The hero feels a sense of satisfaction as he watches Moryo be engulfed in the explosion of his own making but doesn¡¯t let it go to his head. As the explosion dies down, he cautiously watches the cloud of smoke, looking for even the slightest sign of movement; for a brief moment, Naruto sees a flickering silhouette. ¡°You, irritating fool!!¡± An enraged Moryo roars. Like a speeding bullet, the demon bursts out of the dust cloud and rockets toward the hero with the intention of tearing Naruto apart piece-by-piece with his colossal mouths. ¡°You will never defeat me!!¡± Naruto makes a mischievous grin. ¡°Heh. Your mistake was underestimating our power.¡± The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°What?¡± Moryo is confused by his choice of words. Moryo failed to realize that Naruto was just a diversion until it was too late; one of the demon¡¯s heads looks back to witness Sasuke diving at him from within his Susano¡¯o. The rogue ninja¡¯s ethereal avatar is wielding a sword composed entirely of the Amaterasu flames; the blade shines with an eerie light that emits darkness. ¡°Flame Control Sword!¡± Naruto watches with suspense as Sasuke charges at Moryo who is quick to move his heads out of the way of the sword swing, the Uchiha still manages to cut one of the demon¡¯s heads off as he passes by; there is no blood due to the sheer intensity of the flames and heat of the sword immediately cauterizing the wound as it slices through the flesh. ¡°AARGHHHHHHHH!!!¡± Moryo releases a blood curdling scream. ¡°D-DAMMIT! DAMN HUMANS!! AARGGHH!¡± The draconic demon flails clumsily, crashing against the cave walls, his severed head falls into the pit of lava. ¡°All right, Sasuke!¡± Naruto gives a thumbs up. ¡°Now let¡¯s--Sasuke, behind you!¡± Naruto lunges for the one he calls friend, his dominant arm stretched out to grab and pull Sasuke to safety. Unbeknownst to the curse mark user, a portal has opened directly behind him; the hero knows who the portal belongs to from merely sensing its chakra. A dainty, pale-skinned hand comes out of the rift, the hand grabs Sasuke by his left wing and pulls him in. ¡°Sasuke!¡± Naruto calls out in concern. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alert, Ayanami and Jin hover silently in the air, only the sounds of breathing and the flowing river can be heard. The kunoichi and Onikage grow suspicious as they both sense that the Otsutsuki hasn¡¯t yet moved from where she crashed, they fully well know that she is up to something. They suddenly sense Kaguya¡¯s chakra appears behind Ayanami, a portal has just opened with a hand careening out of the darkness. Unfortunately, the kunoichi and her friend are unable to react fast enough; the hand swiftly grabs Ayanami firmly by her ponytail. ¡°OWOWOWOWOWOWOW!!!¡± Ayanami yelps in pain. The Hyuga feels a sharp, stinging pain radiating down to the roots of her hair as she is hauled away through the rift; it feels as if her scalp itself is about to be torn off her skull. ¡°No¡­ NONONONO NOOOO!¡± Jin shrieks. Pulled through, the last thing Ayanami sees before the portal closes is Jin, chasing after her. She finds herself, landing on her rear, but it doesn¡¯t hurt due to the ground feeling soft, smooth, and warm. As she gets up and dusts herself off, the kunoichi¡¯s eyes widen with shock and awe. The confused kunoichi looks around and sees that she¡¯s in a blistering desert. Ayanami looks ahead and to her sides, she sees there¡¯s nothing but sand for miles; the horizon is distorted by the heatwaves, the air so dry that the Hyuga assumes this dimension is nearly void of all moisture, there is no flora or fauna to be found. Above Ayanami is a nearly cloudless sky with a bright, yellow sun, beaming a scorching light down upon her; the few clouds that are there are nowhere big or thick enough to provide any amount of shade. I¡¯d better find a way out of here or I¡¯m gonna be the 1st skeleton to be in this dimension¡­ Ayanami wipes the sweat from her brow. ¡°HEY, AYANAMI! KAGUYA GOT YOU TOO, HUH?!¡± A voice yells. Startled by the voice coming from behind, Ayanami quickly turns around and leaps back, taking a battle stance. The kunoichi pulls out the Sword of the Thunder God and ignites it, the blade beams with its electrical energy. Ayanami brandishes her blade only to immediately calm down when she realizes the voice she heard came from a waving Rito. The young boy sits comfortably some distance away on a crystalline patio chair with Sasuke standing beside him with his usual cold and stoic expression. Hanging above them is a large structure that vaguely resembles a gazebo, it is made entirely of sand; its appearance is distorted by the intense heatwaves. The sand tent provides plentiful shade for the kidnapped shinobi underneath him. In the time it takes to blink, the kunoichi has closed the distance, appearing right in front of them. She can immediately feel the difference in temperature when she stands in the gazebo tent¡¯s shadow. ¡°How long have you two been here?¡± Ayanami asks while fanning herself, she breathes a sigh of release. ¡°Not long.¡± Rito replies. Sasuke interjects, ¡°There has to be a way out of here. We need to fin¨C¡± ¡°¡­aaaaaauuuughh!¡± Someone screams. He falls over two dozen meters away and crashes into a mound of sand, kicking up a thick cloud of sand. The three ninja are put on high alert, gearing up for combat as the new arrival possesses powerful, malicious chakra. ¡°Kaguya, you will be mine!¡± The new arrival roars in proclamation. He spreads out his massive wings and flaps them, dispersing the sand cloud. It¡¯s revealed to be Moryo; scar tissue has begun to form over where two of his heads were severed. The demon quickly takes flight and stares down at Ayanami and company with a look of contempt. ¡°You cretins have gone through impressive lengths to deny me my destiny. It¡¯s quite annoying, really. Be assured¡­ I will never underestimate you again!¡± Moryo grimaces. The demon tilts one of his heads back with a bulge forming at the base of that head''s neck. The bulge grows larger and traverses its way up the neck to the back of Moryo¡¯s mouth. The tenacious demon gags, spitting out the contents in its mouth, separating into three distinct entities. The first to land is a giant puppet. The puppet has two faces: the first is a blank white face with three yellow golden mechanical porcelain like irises, two at the bottom and one at the top center in-between its eyes almost reaching to its forehead, completing with an incomplete dark black triangular lining connecting outwards from its porcelain like mechanical eyes, with two thin yellow long horizontal lines connecting to the both sides of its dark red lips, and two thin short vertical lines connecting to the horizontal ones, four tiny bolted connected joints on the side of its face, the second face is very similar to Kankuro¡¯s Salamander except having large jagged white teeth, and having a brown face. The first face has several more extra features with, two long thin yellow-golden lines trying to connect to the third eye, two long thin dark red lines also trying to connect to the third eye as well, two dark curved red-tinted horns on each side of its head, a yellow golden-tinged pot like crown on the top of its head, two yellow-golden dragon-like heads on the side of its head, with their mouths wide open exposing some type of burnt orange-colored curved teeth, and dark gray-hued tongues, having golden white mechanical porcelain eye like irises, a brown-tinged neck guard, an exposed brown-tinted upper body, six long brown-colored arms on each side of its brown-colored ring with a yellow golden-colored outline, the extra one behind has several golden-yellow rods on each side of it and a burnt orange sword with a yellow golden hilt carried by its lower left arm. The second to touch down is an amalgamation of multiple animals; the beast is very large and has the combined appearances of both a lion and a turtle, serving as its base. Covering its face, is a green mane of fur as well as an orange protective plate with two piercings on the sides. Its body has many distinctive red markings covering its outer shell. It possesses bird-like wings with a very large wingspan which has distinctive markings that combine near the middle, it also has two jet-like pistons near the end of its body. It has two snake-like creatures serving as its tail. The last to come down is a giant, stone box with a demonic mask-like face on four of its sides; it emits a dark, sinister aura. The frontmost mask comes to life and opens its mouth wide, revealing a dark, spiraling void on the inside. A large pale-brown hand comes out of the void followed by another hand. The two hands pull the rest of the creature¡¯s body out; the beast is large in size, similar to a tailed beast, with large wings. It is headless, with bones protruding from the mouth on its chest and is covered in black feathers. It also has a long thin tail, and its hands and feet are clawed and sickly thin to the point where it looks almost bone-like with skin attached. ¡°The Master Puppet. A Chimera. And the Satori¡­¡± Rito gulps, listing off their new adversaries. ¡°I¡¯m starting to see how Moryo could take on Kaguya.¡± Unencumbered by the scorching desert heat, the three monsters glare silently as they all take a step forward and begin lumbering their way over to the three shinobi; tightening his grip on his sword, Sasuke takes on a more serious expression while a shivering Rito coats himself in crystalline armor. With a burning fire in her eyes, Ayanami stands strong between her allies and bumps her fists together. ¡°Take heart, Rito. You¡¯re not alone in this fight.¡± Ayanami takes a deep breath before brandishing her sword. ¡°You ready Sasuke?¡± The Uchiha reactivates his curse mark and opens his Rinnegan eye. ¡°Yeah.¡± The tension in the air, once again, rises dramatically as the six combatants are all poised to strike; from the corner of Ayanami¡¯s eye, she can see Rito bite his thumb to draw blood. Everyone is now dead silent, the only thing that can be heard is heavy breathing and the rustling of the sand beneath them. ¡°This is the end for you!! Rito! Sasuke! With me!¡± Ayanami roars, charging ahead. Sasuke follows close behind. ¡°Hmph.¡± ¡°SUMMONING JUTSU!¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Not again¡­! GODDAMMIT!! Jin internally anguishes. Kaguya switched the dimensions right after separating Ayanami, everything is now in a mountainous, frozen tundra. The Onikage finds himself trapped within the cliff of an ice mountain; he would probably be freezing to death if not for his six path sage powers. His fire chakra has just barely melted some of the ice and it is seemingly taking forever for his Truth-Seeker Orbs to carve through the glacier. Jin¡¯s heart races upon sensing the sudden appearance of powerful chakra, his eyes dart to its location only to witness another portal opening with Kaguya slithering on out. The Mother of Chakra silently glares at Jin, she slowly gets closer while showing the frozen Onikage her hands; sharpened bones grow out of her palms. Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit! Jin¡¯s sweat is unable to run down his face due to it freezing the instant it exits his pores. Chapter 88 What the hell, man? There¡¯s only two of them and we¡¯re STILL fucking outnumbered! Jin agonizes over his current situation. The snake sage remains frozen in the glacier with Kaguya looming over him, assured of her victory, the Otsutsuki expression has returned to being cold and indifferent. With her All-Killing Ash Bones in hand, Kaguya winds her arm back and prepares to thrust it into the ice and kill Jin; the snake sage quivers in his soon-to-be icy tomb as each passing nanosecond feels like an eternity. ¡°Fall to darkness, Jin. You were ALMOST a challenge.¡± Black Zetsu sneers, snug in his mother¡¯s sleeve. ¡°GET AWAY FROM HIM! NOW!!¡± Naruto roars, flying in. It¡¯s a clone. Jin assumes. From his icy prison Jin watches as the hero rockets towards the progenitor of chakra at breakneck speed, to deliver a mighty blow; in one swift motion, Kaguya parries Naruto and spears him with her jutsu. Jin¡¯s eyes grow wide like saucers for a very brief moment while his fellow clansman¡¯s body slowly disintegrates, crumbling away. ¡°Foolish Boy! Now do you under--what?!¡± A surprised Black Zetsu gasps. Yep, I knew it. Jin¡¯s face is blank, if he could move, he¡¯d be nodding. Naruto suddenly disappears in a puff of smoke, Jin and Kaguya look around to see an army of a thousand hyperactive knuckleheads. One after another, from all sides, the Naruto army swarms, descending upon her; she casually blocks the first wave of attacks, but more and more Naruto''s keep coming. ¡°¡°¡°NA-RU-TO¡­!¡±¡±¡± Several Narutos shout while throwing punches and kicks. ¡°¡°¡°UZUMAKI ULTIMATE BARRAGE!!¡±¡±¡± Scores of more Narutos shout, all swarming Kaguya at once. Good, she¡¯s distracted. Now¡­ How am I--? The pondering Jin¡¯s mind is flooded with ideas before he can even finish his thought. Now that he¡¯s no longer in imminent danger, the Onikage is able to calm down just enough to allow for logical solutions to his current predicament. One thought in particular shines above the rest, Jin thinks back to when he traveled to the Land of Snow and fought the movie villains. A grin forms across Jin¡¯s face while he begins infusing chakra. That¡¯ll work JUST nicely¡­ The crafty Onikage injects his six paths sage chakra directly into the glacier that imprisons him and proceeds to manipulate it, bending it to his will. The ice itself has now become clay that he can mold to his whims. ¡­Sage Art: Ice Style Ice Dragon Jutsu! Jin mentally shouts, forcing a jutsu he hasn¡¯t practiced at all to activate. Jin remembers how the ninja of the Land of Snow movie were able to perform ice jutsu without having the kekkei genkai. The Hidden Snow shinobi are able to use Ice Style by using their chakra to manipulate the naturally pre-existing snow and ice. The Onikage is quick to surmise that his ice jutsu will be stronger, but nowhere near as refined as the snow ninjas¡¯ due to the fact that this will be his first (and possibly last) time to ever attempt this. A large chunk of ice breaks away from the glacier and molds itself into the shape of a dragon. However, Jin quickly notices that there are several glaring problems with the jutsu; it is fat and clunky in appearance, not sleek and refined like all the other dragon jutsu, small chips of ice flake off each and every time it moves. treading through the air like a charging rhino, the jutsu immediately takes flight and soars high into the air above the clouds before altering its trajectory, taking a sharp nosedive. At incredible speeds, the ice dragon awkwardly comes rocketing down towards its surprised target, Kaguya, with its maw wide open and bites down on her with enough force to crush a mountain. It then continues its quick descent with the Otsutsuki firmly in its mouth, the attack crashes clumsily onto the icy floor like a meteor, the ground shakes for a moment and a large crater is formed. That felt so unnatural, it¡¯ll be a while before I can do that effectively¡­ An analytical Jin studies his first crack at Ice Style before internally casting, Sage Art: Inorganic Reanimation¡­ The surrounding ice that traps the snake sage comes to life and makes fluid movements; it shifts and moves, creating an enormous gap, one big enough for Jin to fly out of with no real issue. ¡°That feels so much better¡­¡± Jin''s mood improves a bit after a few stretches. ¡°Glad to see you¡¯re okay, Jin.¡± Presumably, the real hero gives a warm smile. The Onikage floats over to the army of Naruto''s and starts building up more chakra, creating five companies'' worth of shadow clones. These Jin-clones take their place among the Naruto-clones, and they all keep a watchful eye waiting for her to resurface. ¡°Why go out of your way to save me? We¡¯re not friends¡­¡± A curious Jin asks as he sends his Truth-Seeker Orbs off to one of his clones. Naruto was able to stall Kaguya on his own long enough for Obito & Sakura to bring back Sasuke in the main canon, he doesn¡¯t really need me¡­ Naruto makes a calm yet confident expression before answering. ¡°Because we¡¯re family.¡± Taken aback, Jin raises a brow. ¡°We may share blood, come from the same clan even¡­ HOWEVER, we¡¯re practically strangers. You don¡¯t really know me.¡± ¡°But I¡¯d like to.¡± Naruto replies with a look of certainty. Jin is in no way surprised by the hero¡¯s sincerity, as a matter of fact, he is somewhat touched by it. However, he won¡¯t allow himself to be swayed by this shounen anime protagonist¡¯s words of familiarity. Jin is unable to really dwell on the subject as he and Naruto sense Kaguya¡¯s chakra become active again; she is up to something. A dozen of Jin and Naruto¡¯s Shadow Clones cautiously descend on the newly formed crater; thanks to the Rinnegan, the snake sage can see everything his clones see. The Onikage silently calls back one of his Truth-Seeker Orbs with a gesture. Once in his hand, the orb grows and changes, taking the form of a pitch-black f¨±ma shuriken; its four pre-eminent blades are made jagged for specific the purpose of maiming. ¡°Kill Black Zetsu.¡± Jin ominously orders, preparing to throw the projectile. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- On high alert, one of the Jin-clones slowly moves closer to the crater where the Mother of all Chakra crashed with sweat running down his face. Neither the fact that he is a mere clone or that he has an army of fellow six path enhanced shadow clones backing him does not assuage his fears. The Jin-clone quietly hovers above the crash site, looking down at the aftermath of his real-self¡¯s jutsu. The cloud of snow dissipates, revealing Kaguya and she is not happy; her brows are furrowed, her lips are pursed, and her left eye twitches as she silently glares at Jin and Naruto with the intensity of a thousand suns. Jin steals himself and prepares for the next stage of the fight when he feels a hand place itself on his shoulder. The Onikage rears his head to see what he presumes is a Naruto-clone floating right behind him, the hyperactive knucklehead has a mischievous look in his eyes. ¡°Hey, Jin, come here for a minute!¡± Naruto pulls Jin in close and whispers something in his ear. Appalled by the suggestion, Jin¡¯s eyes widened before taking a step back. He folds his arms and turns his back to the hero in protest. ¡°What the¨C? There is absolutely no way I¡¯m doing that!¡± ¡°C¡¯mon Jin this could be our best shot at beating Kaguya!¡± Naruto adamantly argues. Still snubbing, Jin coldly reaffirms, ¡°When Hell freezes over.¡± Unbeknownst to the rebuffing Onikage, several more of Naruto¡¯s clones have slowly creeped closer to him. They pounce, swarming him, comical clouds have engulfed them as the pull of Jin¡¯s clothes. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. ¡°GET THE HELL OFF ME!¡± Jin roars while fighting back. From within the comedic cloud, the Naruto-clones drag Jin and force the fight over to the perplexed Otsutsuki; still fighting, they are now directly in front of her. ¡°Transformation!¡± There¡¯s a sudden explosion of smoke blasting out of the smoke ball; Kaguya¡¯s Byakugan remains active in order to counter their assault. However, what appears from out of the smog is not the two upstarts and their horde of Shadow Clones, but a handful of handsome, strapping, young men, their eyes brimming with a hunger, a longing. ¡°¡°¡°¡°¡°¡°Sexy Reverse Harem Jutsu!¡±¡±¡±¡±¡±¡± The men all speak with charm and sophistication, With open arms, the topless men speak to the surprised Kaguya on many levels; their bodies tell her that they''ll bring unimaginable ecstasy, their scent evokes emotions long hidden. Their eyes promise the Otsutsuki things she feared to ask of another, their voices whisper to her after they are done speaking. Naruto¡­ I swear to God, you will die a thousand deaths for this¡­! Jin¡¯s eye twitches as he begrudgingly participates in this ridiculous plan, his face turns red despite giving a charming smile. Jin¡¯s position is center-right of the front row of young men, his appearance has been transformed to like how he did before he ever ate the chakra fruit; temporarily regaining his red hair is the only thing making his predicament even remotely tolerable. ¡°¡­Huh¡­?¡± Eyes wide like saucers, Kaguya¡¯s face turns bright red and her Byakugan deactivates. With her defenses now lowered, Jin and Naruto seize the moment; they release the Sexy Jutsu and charge the Otsutsuki, unleashing a barrage of swift, powerful strikes. The Jin-clone is uncertain if any of their attacks are getting through as he punches the Progenitor of Chakra; her skin feels incredibly soft yet surprisingly sturdy. Jin winces with discomfort as he feels his bones rattle each time a punch or kick connects. Back-to-back, the two six path shinobi finish their frightful assault with a dual flying kick; Kaguya is sent spiraling away. Burn in Hell, Black Zetsu¡­! A brooding Jin quickly ducks down. The Onikage¡¯s clone produces multiple chakra arms and grabs all the Naruto clones nearby, dragging them down with him while Jin¡¯s other clones move out of the way; Jin¡¯s clone reasons there¡¯s no need for his fellow Shadow Clones to die just yet. An irregular shuriken wheels through the air, rocketing past the clones and makes its way toward Kaguya. The real Jin¡¯s aim was true; the projectile connects and tears through the Otsutsuki¡¯s left arm, completely severing it off and effectively separating her from Black Zetsu. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I¡¯ve separated Kaguya from her coach¡­! No more of their fucking tricks¡­! The real Jin quietly celebrates, sighing with relief as he wipes the sweat from his brow. Jin feels a sudden rush of joy and ecstasy as his brain starts releasing the chemicals, dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins. They fill his veins like narcotics. The Onikage¡¯s moment of celebration and triumph is almost immediately cut short; through his clones¡¯ numerous pairs of eyes, he sees Kaguya create a portal and leave with one of Naruto¡¯s clones chasing after her. Jin is engulfed in an ocean of concern, thoughts of Rito, Ayanami, and even Sasuke fill his mind. I hope they¡¯re doing better than Naruto and I right now¡­ Jin worries. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Meanwhile, in Kaguya¡¯s desert dimension, Ayanami is in a heated battle with the Master Puppet. The Master Puppet is the apparent secret weapon of the Land of Wind¡¯s Shirogane clan and one of the strongest puppets to ever exist. ¡°I am immortal. I am Invincible! Abandon this useless opposition!¡± The puppet boasts while calling down lightning. Where are the strings? It¡¯s a puppet so it must have strings¡­ Ayanami reasons as she takes off and runs. The kunoichi sweats buckets as she dashes clockwise around the massive puppet, evading the powerful bolts of lightning raining down from above; she quickly side steps to the left as the lightning strikes at her, she then moves to the right, she steps to the right again, and then to the left; wherever the lightning strikes, it glasses over that patch of sand. The analytical Ayanami silently scans the puppet, searching for a weak spot when she senses chakra. Huh¡­? Is it¡­ LEAKING chakra? The kunoichi turns off her Tenseigan only to activate the Byakugan, she finds her initial hypothesis to seemingly be correct. Ayanami can make out a large flow of chakra in the puppet¡¯s interior, the engine area, there¡¯s a small amount of chakra leaking from a part of its body. The chakra is leaking from the cavity just above the midsection. Better test it out to be 100% sure¡­ Ayanami broods. The young Hyuga creates a wood clone and has it run counterclockwise, she then throws several kunai with paper bombs attached to them at the Master Puppet¡¯s face; they detonate on contact, but there are no signs of damage. Ayanami smirks as all she needed to do was keep the puppet¡¯s attention focused squarely on her, she watches as her clone lands a precision strike on the puppet¡¯s cavity with a Lightning blade; the Master Puppet twitches and staggers before collapsing with five colored orbs suddenly appearing, floating from within the cavity. ¡°Sage Art: Eight Trigrams Air Palm!¡± The kunoichi fires a senjutsu enhanced palm thrust. The attack hits the Master Puppet¡¯s main body, sending it rolling away; the ground quakes each time it bounces on the sandy ground before finally skidding to a halt. The Master Puppet recovers and picks itself up, but the sword wielding hand starts acting up as it took most of the damage from Ayanami¡¯s attack. So¡­ Hitting the weak spot disrupts the puppet, allowing me to attack the main body like normal¡­ BUT you need a decent sensory ninja to even find the weak point in the 1st place¡­ The confident young Hyuga quickly discovers the strategy for victory. This thing feels like it''s straight out of a video game¡­ ¡°Once again¡­ surrender and accept the sweet release of oblivion!¡± Preparing another Lightning Blade, Ayanami dashes toward the giant puppet. With a wave of one of its many hands, the puppet causes numerous large stone pillars to erupt from the ground, spanning the whole area; undeterred, the kunoichi charges forward, she weaves her way through the columns, maintaining her speed and momentum, the puppet¡¯s weak spot is dead in her sights. Just as Ayanami¡¯s on the cusp of landing her jutsu, one of the orbs it carries starts glowing. The kunoichi feels that she just hit a wall, a force, it pushes her back, repelling her a good distance away; Ayanami manages to recover midair and gracefully land atop one of the puppets own stone columns. A single glance is all Ayanami needs to tell that the puppet is somehow repairing itself. She watches as the puppet¡¯s sword-wielding hand regains its functionality; the Master Puppet swings its blade with the precision and skill of a master swordsman, it moves with such splendor like it never even received any damage in the first place, it moves like it was just made yesterday. Of course, it¡¯s not going to be easy. It¡¯s never been easy¡­ The kunoichi clenches her fists in frustration. Ayanami takes a deep breath and calms down, composing herself. She takes a fighting stance, readying herself. The kunoichi stares down the puppet poised to strike, even as she can hear the sounds of her allies battling in the distance, she keeps her focus fixed on the enemy in front of her. ¡°It¡¯s never been that easy¡­ Why should it start now?¡± A grinning Ayanami reactivates her Tenseigan, cyan-colored chakra flickers off her body as she is enveloped in her Tenseigan Chakra Mode. ¡°Now then, ¡®Master Puppet.¡¯ This is the beginning of your end!¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Rito what¡¯s going on? Why did you summon me? I was just having the greatest dream¡­!¡± The hawk, Kuchibashi, screeches, chastising his summoner. ¡°I was the king of the hawks and all of the females wanted to mate with me!¡± The hawk vehemently soars through the air with Rito riding on his back, the two are in a heated dog fight with Moryo¡¯s summoning, the Chimera. The colossal beast chases them ferociously throughout the sky. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I really need your help.¡± Tense and sweaty, Rito speaks as politely as he can due to their current circumstances. Surveying the area, the hawk continues, ¡°And now I find myself in some desert with several monsters and a¨C! AAAAAAAGHH!!¡± Rito is confused and startled by Kuchibashi¡¯s scream, the hawk¡¯s fear has become so palpable that the young genius can smell it. Rito holds on for dear life as his summoning hurries far away from the battle. ¡°Where are you bloody going?! All the action¡¯s that way!¡± Rito points back. ¡°No way! The Box of Paradise is there¡­ And it¡¯s already given rise to its puppet, the Satori!¡± Kuchibashi snaps back with a tone brimming with fear. ¡°There¡¯s no way I¡¯m fighting that thing!!¡± So, the hawks are afraid of it too¡­? Rito thinks to himself. ¡°What exactly is the Box of Paradise?¡± ¡°It¡¯s one of the ultimate weapons from the Sage of Six Paths¡¯ era. No one knows who made it or where it came from, it just appeared one day in the land that would eventually be called the ¡®Village Hidden in the Grass.¡¯ Once the Satori throws you into the box, it somehow turns you from friend into foe.¡± Tilting his head to one side, Rito is completely put off by the fear in the hawk''s voice; Kuchibashi truly sees the Box of Paradise as the signal for the apocalypse. While the young boy empathizes with the giant hawk, he still has a fight to finish. ¡°Well, good news, my feather-y friend! We don¡¯t actually have to fight THAT monster.¡± A smiling Rito cheers up his summoning. If I had known he was going to act this way, I would¡¯ve summoned his mother instead¡­ ¡°What? Really?¡± The hawk¡¯s interest has peaked. ¡°Yeah! Someone else is ¡®taking care of¡¯ Satori, we just have to beat that guy.¡± Rito points back again. ¡°RRAAAAWRR!¡± The chimera roars. The giant hawk looks back and sees that the plated beast is still chasing after him, the thought of not having to fight the Satori makes him on an instinctual level, breathe a sigh of relief. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s okay then!¡± The hawk squawks with renewed excitement and vigor. Rito holds on tight as Kuchibashi flaps his massive wings, the hawk abruptly pulls himself up into the vertical, continues around until he draws a circle in the sky, heading back in the same direction. Now flying directly behind the amalgamated monster, Kuchibashi inhales, taking a deep breath. ¡°Wind Style: Air Bullet!¡± Chapter 89 Back in Kaguya¡¯s ice dimension, the Otsutsuki¡¯s freshly severed arm lands a good distance away from all the action with Jin¡¯s Truth-Seeker F¨±ma Shuriken embedded in the ground near it; the jagged, irregular projectile towers over the cleaved arm with an ominous aura surrounding it. ¡°I can¡¯t believe mere children are actually managing to pressure my mother.¡± Black Zetsu remarks in disbelief. The Wicked Tongue pokes its head out from the sleeve of his creator¡¯s sliced off appendage, it checks to see if the coast is clear; all it sees is the falling snow and the numerous glaciers in the distance. Everything has gone quiet, Black Zetsu can only assume that Kaguya took the fight to another dimension. Certain that no one is around, Black Zetsu slowly slinks out from the sleeve. Black Zetsu slowly, cautiously slithers away. ¡°I must return to moth--HRK?!¡± ¡°No, no¡­ Let¡¯s have a chat.¡± A pair of sharp, black tendrils have just shot out from the shuriken and pierced Black Zetsu, the tendrils inject chakra into the Wicked Tongue, effectively paralyzing it. In the form of a viscous fluid, black biomass flows off and detaches itself from the underside of the shuriken. This mass shifts and morphs, taking the shape of a woman with glowing, red eyes and a mouth filled with rows of razor-sharp teeth. ¡°I did warn you to stay away from my father and you went ahead and clung to him. Tried to steal his chakra.¡± Mileena sinisterly hisses, digging her tendrils deeper into her enemy. The cornered Black Zetsu groans, ¡°Ngh¡­ Aaaugh!!! ¡­N-No¡­ Y-You¡¯re just a piece of the shinobi history I created and nothing more¡­!¡± ¡°So, what? This just means that your time as the author is over¡­¡± With a smug grin, Mileena sneers coldly. ¡°Father, Big Sis, and Uncle Rito will pick up the pen and continue the story. And I¡¯ll be there to assist them however I can.¡± Mileena pierces her adversary with another tendril. ¡°You are now at my mercy. It is only a matter of time before Kaguya, your mother, your goddess, is sealed. It is over, ¡®brother¡¯.¡± ¡°No! It¡¯ll never be over!!¡± Black Zetsu shouts in defiance. ¡°Lies? In your house of God? No wonder she has abandoned you¡­¡± Mileena continues to mock the worm before her. The symbiote slowly lifts up her enemy and brings him closer to her face, she can almost taste the fear and delusion irradiating off her victim; its taste is sweet. Mileena grabs hold of her prey, her claws sink into Black Zetsu¡¯s biomass. ¡°But *I* love you.¡± A smug Mileena confesses. ¡°What?¡± Shocked by her words, the helpless Black Zetsu¡¯s eyes grow wide. ¡°*I* love you¡­¡± Mileena ominously repeats, snarling. ¡°I couldn¡¯t be here without you.¡± Try as it might, the terrified Black Zetsu can¡¯t escape. Mileena focuses chakra into her hands and tendrils, keeping Zetsu connected to her. Black Zetsu struggles with all its might to break free, but it is fruitless; from a single glance into Mileena¡¯s scarlet red eyes, Black Zetsu knows it¡¯s no use. ¡°Let me¡­ KISS you.¡± Mileena says before opening her mouth wide. ¡°S-S¡­ Stop--!! Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!¡± Black Zetsu bellows. The eager Mileena sinks her teeth into her raving adversary and takes a bite. She chews slowly, savoring each and every bite; like licorice, Zetsu tastes sweet and woody with a hint of sour and bitter flavors. Bleh¡­ Had I known he tastes like that awful candy, I''d have killed him in a different manner. Mileena thinks as she swallows the first bite of her prey. Eh, I¡¯ve already started eating him, might as well follow through¡­ ¡°AAAAAAAAARGH!!¡± Zetsu screams with blood-curdling agony. While steadily growing weaker, the wailing Black Zetsu tries to push Mileena away, but the symbiote just takes another bite and continues to eat. Not much time has passed before Black Zetsu eventually stops screaming, Mileena continues to eat her fill. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Meanwhile, in Kaguya¡¯s core dimension, Obito, Jin and Sakura have managed to successfully infiltrate their way through the Otsutsuki¡¯s portal using Kamui. The Naruto-clone that was with them used itself as a diversion and kept Kaguya¡¯s attention squarely on him. Thinking the clone was the real Naruto, the progenitor of chakra quickly destroyed him and traveled back to her ice dimension. The dimension itself closely resembles what was seen in the anime; the sky is a greenish-yellow color, and the rocky terrain is various shades of red with a hint of purple. The temperature feels like it is at room temperature despite the sun being out. A determined Obito sits on his knees with both of his Mangekyou Sharingan activated, he focuses on opening a portal to another of the dimensions in order to retrieve their kidnapped allies. Standing directly behind the Akatsuki leader, Echo and Sakura both have a hand on Obito¡¯s shoulder, supplying him with chakra; Sakura uses her Hundred Healings while Echo uses his naturally large reserves due him being an Uzumaki. Both Echo¡¯s Sage Mode markings and Sakura¡¯s Hundred Healing Markings spread to Obito as they supply him with a surplus of chakra; to Echo, Obito vaguely resembles someone who has a full-body tattoo. ¡°This time-space should be connected to all the others. We¡¯ll¨C¡± ¡°We know what to do. So, start making portals.¡± Echo impatiently interrupts, ordering his reluctant ally. I failed them once; I won¡¯t fail them again¡­ ????? Years ago, in an old abandoned Orochimaru hideout located on the outskirts of the Land of Fire, a 33-year-old Jin is in the process of unsealing Karasuki, the Otsutsuki relic that possessed the ability to time-travel. While only an Otsutsuki can normally unseal it, Jin had managed to steal a sliver of Kaguya¡¯s chakra before she was absorbed by Moryo. He along with Ayanami and Rito have spent the last grueling fifteen years trying to bring their hail-mary plan to fruition. They spent eight years searching for it at the bottom of the ocean and another seven years amassing enough chakra to even use it. ¡°Well? What are you waiting for?¡± The commanding Ayanami has grown impatient, the once beautiful Hyuga ninja gently rubs the scars on her face. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. While weaving the necessary hand sign, Jin is quick to remind her that, ¡°The process can¡¯t be rushed.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a machine. Just hit it.¡± The kunoichi argues. ¡°No, you LITERALLY can¡¯t rush the process. It¡¯s a turtle.¡± Jin¡¯s eyes begin to sparkle when he sees the small stone urn start glowing an emerald green. For the first time in a long time, the red-haired rogue remembers what hope feels like; it feels warm. The stone disappears like magic, leaving a small turtle shell with a red rope wrapped around it. The shell is small enough for one to hold in their hand as they would a phone from the 90s. Jin marvels at the artifact while Rito and Ayanami silently look down on it with cold skepticism. ¡°Awaken, Karasuki.¡± Jin commands the device. With slow mechanical movements, the front and back flippers pop out of the shell before sticking out its head. ¡°Activation: Authenticated. I am Karasuki, the noble device, allow me to advise you on the procedure of my operation.¡± The relic slowly speaks. ¡°Confirming procedure. My operation will be hindered if any steps are made out of order. Master Jin, I must first be charged with chakra to operate. Once charging is completed, please configure transfer settings.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ It¡¯s so slow.¡± A tired Ayanami complains. ¡°Jin did say it was a turtle.¡± Rito reasons. Just as Jin holds up his hand to transfer chakra, the entire hideout begins to violently rumble; someone has just forced their way into the compound. They don¡¯t know who it is, but what they do know is that the intruder entered through the main entrance. ¡°Is it Moryo¡¯s forces or Kara''s?¡± A now terrified Rito asks. Nearly a year ago, Kara, the terrorist organization from Boruto, made themselves known to the world. The Kara leader, Isshiki Otsutsuki, was able to fully revive himself, using a young boy as his vessel. With an army of cyborg ninjas, Isshiki wages war on Moryo and his terracotta soldiers; Jin considers anyone who dies in the collateral damage of their battles to be lucky, they no longer have to continue living in this hell. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, just run like hell!¡± Jin orders while grabbing the turtle. With their blood freezing, all three shinobi quickly make their way out of the chamber and bolt in the direction opposite of the tremors; blood roars in the terrified Jin¡¯s ears as he runs. While running, he makes sure to feed the Otsutsuki relic the chakra it needs to function. ¡°Are there any other exits?!¡± Ayanami asks. ¡°It¡¯s an Orochimaru hideout. There are TONS of escape routes.¡± Jin answers in a panic. ¡°Observe.¡± Jin stops in his tracks and knocks on the shaking wall beside him, a doorway appears, it opens, revealing a dark tunnel. They make their way through the passage, running as fast as their legs will carry them. About halfway through, they can see a light at the end of the tunnel. ¡°As soon as we find a new place to hide, we can make preparations and go back. We can fix everything!¡± Jin finds it difficult to hold back his excitement, his eyes begin to water. ¡°Get it done then.¡± Ayanami says, coming to a halt. Confused by the kunoichi¡¯s abrupt stop, both Jin and Rito stop running and look back toward their friend. Ayanami stares back at them with a somber smile. ¡°Why¡¯d you stop? C¡¯mon, let¡¯s go!¡± Jin waves his ally over. ¡°It¡¯s time to get serious, guys.¡± The louder rumbling makes the kunoichi look back. ¡°No, the three of us can make it! We can do this!¡± Rito argues, trying to reason with his friend. ¡°I¡¯m tired¡­ Rito, what exactly will happen if this plan actually works?¡± The exhausted Ayanami asks. A dejected Rito slowly answers with, ¡°Either this entire timeline changes and we cease to exist¡­ Or we create an alternate timeline where none of this ever happens.¡± The reincarnations are in no way certain if their plan will even work. They are completely inexperienced when it comes to time travel; all they have to go on is what they¡¯ve seen in movies, shows, and video games. ¡°Either way, it¡¯ll be a far better outcome than this hell we¡¯ve had to endure.¡± A fire lights up in the kunoichi¡¯s eyes, she turns her back on her friends and faces the rapidly encroaching enemy. ¡°Don¡¯t be a fool, Ayanami! If it IS Moryo¡¯s forces, you¡¯ll end up like Hinata.¡± Jin desperately warns, pleading for his friend to see reason. After absorbing Kaguya and killing Naruto and Sasuke, Moryo undid the Infinite Tsukuyomi. The insidious demon had his immortal army round up all the kunoichi who either possessed kekkei genkai or had the genetic potential for kekkei genkai such as Hinata Hyuga, Mei Terumi, and Kurotsuchi; they were all--and currently still--being forced to birth Moryo¡¯s children. ¡°Go. Save the world.¡± Activating her Byakugan and Sage Mode, Ayanami slams her fist against the wall. Cracks begin to form all across the area where the kunoichi had struck and spread, causing the tunnel to cave in; the falling boulders and debris seal the tunnel, separating Jin and Rito from Ayanami. The red-haired rogue immediately lunges for the mound of dirt and rubble, his hands hurriedly digging through in an attempt to get to the other side when he suddenly feels a hand grab onto his shoulder. He looks up and sees a somber and dejected Rito looking back at him. ¡°Jin¡­ we need to go.¡± Rito says quietly. Jin looks down at his muddy hand in defeat. ¡°Damn it.¡± With a heavy heart, Jin gets back on his feet and makes his way toward the exit with Rito right on his heels; his legs carry him unsteadily due to the pain and shock of losing one of the few friends he has left. ????? ¡°Wh-What¡­? What is that?¡± Sakura asks. The medical ninja¡¯s shock and confusion calls Echo back from memory lane, the time-traveler looks up and witnesses Obito open a dimensional rift; a distortion appears before them in the form of a swirl, the distortion opens up a doorway into another time-s=ace. They all look through the doorway and see a landscape covered with terrain shaped as countless small pyramid-esque structures. That¡¯s the gravity dimension, you moron¡­ Echo keeps this thought to himself. ¡°He¡¯s not here either¡­¡± Obito speaks with a raspy tone while closing the portal. Coughing profusely, the Akatsuki leader lurches forward and lands on all fours. Blood flows from Obito¡¯s eyes like tears; Echo¡¯s mask hides the fact that he is looking down on the Uchiha with contempt. ¡°Maybe¡­ you should rest a bit.¡± A concerned Sakura suggests. Obito looks back. ¡°What about chakra?¡± ¡°Oh¡­ I-I¡­ still have some¡­ reserves¡­¡± Sakura meekly answers. ¡°I have plenty to spare.¡± Echo replies professionally. ¡°Just keep enough to get yourselves back because¡­ y¡¯know? In the event we can¡¯t find the¨C¡± ¡°We¡¯ll find them. Just keep searching.¡± The time-traveler orders in declaration. The Akatsuki leader looks ahead with determination. ¡°The next one!¡± Echo patiently watches as a new distortion made by Obito¡¯s Kamui appears before them. The distortion opens up to reveal a dimension that is just the color, vomit-green; Echo is put on alert the instant he sees bubbles floating up in the time-space. ¡°Get back!¡± A shouting Echo warns. Heading the time-traveler''s words, everyone leaps back to safety. Just as they are leaping away, a green liquid comes pouring out of the portal; some of this liquid manages to splash onto Echo¡¯s mask and Sakura¡¯s vest. Without hesitation, Echo rips off his now smoking mask and throws it into the distance, he checks his face and feels a wave of relief wash over him as none of the acid had actually made contact with his flesh; the time-traveler is thankful he wore a thick mask. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Obito asks as he closes the portal. Future Jin looks to his side only to the medical ninja gripping her right arm in pain, the acid has left marks on her arm. The time-traveler calmly, quietly watches as Sakura fights through the pain. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Our chakra has a¨C¡± Sakura stops mid-sentence when she sees Echo¡¯s face, her eyes widen and her jaw drops. ¡°What is¨C?!¡± Obito looks back and is surprised just as Sakura is. Their mysterious ally looks an awful lot like someone they both know, the only differences are that Echo is older, still has his red hair and fair skin, and possesses a tomoe Rinnegan in his left eye and a Byakugan in his right. The shocked Sakura points at Echo and remarks, ¡°Y-You¡­ You look a lot like Jin. ¡­Why is that?¡± I hope Rito and Ayanami are doing okay¡­ A brooding Echo sighs while rubbing the back of his neck. ¡°If you have time to ask pointless questions, you have time to look for our missing comrades.¡± Chapter 90 ¡°Wind Style: Air Bullets!¡± With his beak opened wide, Kuchibashi fires a massive cannonball made entirely out of highly compressed air and the shot was true; Rito looks on with satisfaction as the colossal chimera plummets and clumsily crashes into a mound of sand. ¡°This is an aerial battle. Don¡¯t ever mess with a hawk¡­!¡± Kuchibashi scolds from the sky. The hawk soars overhead of the chimera, he slowly circles around like a hawk. With his summoning now flying steadily, Rito stands up and looks down on the beast; the young genius proceeds to infuse more chakra. Great! Now to clip the monster¡¯s wings¡­ A confident Rito thinks while weaving the boar and ram hand signs. ¡°Crystal Style: Burst Crystal Falling Dragon!¡± Just as the chimera groggily rises to its feet, two crystalline dragons erupt from the ground underfoot of the monster and fly through its wings, effectively downing the beast; the chimera writhes in pain caused by the two gaping holes in its massive wings. The crystal dragons aren¡¯t finished with their assault; they rapidly coil themselves around the chimera and begin the process of constricting it. ¡°Rraaawwrrr¡­!¡± The chimera bellows. Not only have the beast¡¯s wings effectively been clipped, but it is also being held down firmly by Rito¡¯s constructs, making it the perfect target. The two dragons gradually squeeze the chimera monster even tighter with each passing second. "Go for the eyes, Kuchibashi! Go for the eyes!!" Rito adamantly orders. ¡°Alright!¡± The invigorated Kuchibashi squawks. ¡°BANZAI!!!¡± The young genius holds on tight as the giant hawk folds his wings and dive-bombs the chimera beast; coming in like a tactical missile, Kuchibashi holds out his massive, sharp talons and claws at the beast¡¯s face. The chimera¡¯s right eye bursts like a balloon the instant the hawk¡¯s talons sink their way into its socket; the sand and crystalline dragons are coated in red with the monster¡¯s blood. ¡°RAAAAAAWWWRR!!¡± The monster releases an agonizing, blood-curdling screech while writhing in pain. With a flap of his massive wings, Kuchibashi takes into the air once more, he quickly circles back around and dives at the monster again. The hawk claws at the chimera¡¯s face a second time with his sharp talons--only this time--Kuchibashi plunges his foot into the chimera¡¯s left eye socket and digs his talons into its eyelids before violently ripping out the left eye with one heave; with a loud snap, the optic nerve is torn apart with even more blood gushing from the new injury. ¡°Graaawr¡­!!¡± The chimera thrashes and squirms in its crystalline bondage. Basking in victory, Kuchibashi squawks, ¡°Never underestimate a hawk!¡± ¡°Good work.¡± Rito gives his summoning a thumbs up. This might actually be a good chance to test out my new jutsu in battle¡­ The young genius builds up chakra and weaves four hand signs, he then outstretches his arms in a position where his hands are open. Soon after, at Rito¡¯s side, a pink chakra-like energy materializes and takes the form of a large jade-green mirror in the shape of a snowflake; the young genius sees his reflection and is disgusted by how dirty and sweaty he appears. ¡°Crystal Style: Jade Crystal Mirror.¡± A cringing Rito casts while weaving the hand signs for another jutsu. ¡°Jade Crystal Clone Jutsu!¡± Using his crystal mirror as a medium, Rito creates two clones of himself from his own reflection, they slowly emerge from out of the mirror with brimming confidence. The three Rito''s all activate their curse mark; their skin grows darker, and their hair grows longer and wilder while turning gray. ¡°Go help Ayanami and Sasuke however you can!¡± Rito orders his duplicates. ¡°¡°Right!¡±¡± As the young genius watches his Crystal Clones scatter in two directions, he swiftly weaves the boar and snake hand signs in a nearly imperceptible movement. Chakra coats Rito¡¯s hands in the form of a faint, sickly-greenish-yellow flame; the boy notices that his hands feel warmer than they were in the desert heat. There¡¯s no better training than the real thing¡­! Rito swallows the sudden rush of anxiety and grits his teeth, he readies himself by taking a battle stance. ¡°Ninja Art: Radiation Fist!¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Meanwhile, in another part of the desert dimension, Sasuke is engaged in fierce mortal combat with the Satori; to the rogue ninja¡¯s dismay, the creature keeps forcing him toward the Box of Paradise for some odd reason. Sasuke quickly deduces that something extremely terrible will happen should he be forced into that strange box. The Satori swipes at Sasuke with its monstrous claws, but the rogue ninja evades the attack by flying in between its large fingers and up its arm in a swirling pattern. The Uchiha uses the momentum from his flight to charge at the bird-like creature and lands a solid punch on its upper lip; one of its tusk-like bones breaks off while the monster itself is sent flying. ¡°Sasuke!¡± Someone calls out. The Uchiha glances down and sees a menacing looking Rito running to his location, the boy appears to have activated his own curse mark; the veil crystal dust surrounding the former Taka member coupled with his curse mark appearance makes him appear more like an ethereal entity. ¡°You have to either kill him or force him back into the box!!¡± Rito yells from the ground. ¡°Those are the only two ways to beat him!!¡± Sasuke hears his former team member speaking, but doesn¡¯t bother to reply, he keeps his attention focused on the Satori; the monster has already recovered and is mysteriously circling over the Box of Paradise. With a flap of its wings, it quickly descends and lands, perching itself on top of the box. ¡°Can you imagine what it¡¯s like inside this box? There¡¯s no exit. You can¡¯t break it open. You¡¯re inside darkness with one overpowering feeling swirling around you¡­¡± The Satori starts ominously monologuing. ¡°It''s as big and black as the darkness itself and it seeps into every cell in your body. That feeling honed me, purified me. All the emotions that once tormented me grew fainter and¨C?!¡± The Satori is interrupted due to sudden actions of Rito, the young genius has just created five large pink crystalline pillars that surround all three combatants; with his ocular powers, Sasuke can see that these crystalline structures are further enhancing the potency of Rito¡¯s chakra. The boy then goes on to encase himself in a prism of transparent blue crystal. A sinister chakra emanates from the prism in the form of a faint, purple, flame-like aura. ¡°Crystal Style: Arrow of Light!¡± Rito roars. Rito¡¯s prism focuses his chakra into the prism''s tip and fires an intense, powerful heat blast of purple chakra at the Satori who quickly and nimbly evades the attack despite its large size. The Satori takes flight once more and retaliates, it hurls a barrage of its feathers, the feathers rain down like arrows, piercing both the ground and Rito¡¯s constructs; the young genius erects a ten-foot-thick wall of crystal, the feathers managed to pierce through the wall, but are stopped. The feathers are about four centimeters shy of making contact with the now shaking Rito. Sasuke immediately takes advantage of the opening Rito created by firing a volley of Onyx Chidori Senbon. However, the monster is able to weave its way through most of the senbon, but that was good enough for the rogue ninja as some of his attacks managed to hit the beast. ¡°Heh¡­ Your darkness could never swallow mine.¡± Sasuke finally breaks his silence. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Confused, the hovering Satori¡¯s attention shifts back over to the rogue ninja. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I will become Hokage and end this twisted way of the shinobi¡­¡± Sasuke continues. ¡°Through me, this world will start walking down the path of true history.¡± Suddenly, the rogue ninja activates his perfect body Susano¡¯o and charges at the monster. ¡°It¡¯s no us--Grk?!¡± The Satori freezes up. Unbeknownst to the monster, Sasuke used his Chidori Senbon to simulate the Hyuga clan¡¯s Gentle Fist; the senbon have effectively disrupted the Satori¡¯s chakra flow and paralyzed it. With a swing of his massive, ethereal sword, Sasuke cuts off one of the Satori¡¯s wings and instantly follows up with a mighty flip kick; the Uchiha watches the monster crash into the ground with cold stoicism. ¡°I¡¯ll put you to rest now.¡± Sasuke says grimly while clapping his hands together, infusing chakra into his eyes. Giant spears composed entirely of black flames erupt from the sandy floor and pierce the Satori, thoroughly skewering it. ¡°UWAAAAAAAH¡­!! ARGHHHHHHH!!!¡± The Satori wails and writhes in its throes. The burning, impaled monster quickly rises into the air due to the Uchiha creating a Planetary Devastation with the Satori as the core, countless mounds of sand following suit. The sand that follows is pulled toward the Satori and clings to it like gravity, all the sand piles on and compresses into a celestial body with the black flames still spewing forth. The celestial body has the appearance of a miniature, otherworldly sun; this ethereal sun emits a bright light that brings forth an intense darkness. Without hesitation, Sasuke flies higher and lunges for his black sun, his Susano¡¯o forms an Onyx Chidori with the black flames of the Amaterasu covering it. ¡°Takemikazuchi-no-Kami!¡± Sasuke vehemently roars. The rogue ninja thrusts his jutsu forward. The ball of fire and lightning pierces the black sun, carving its way through; the impact creates a noticeably sized dent in the burning celestial body. The black sun itself begins to glow bright and brighter with thick cracks forming all across its surface until it finally detonates, resulting in a massive explosion. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crikey! That¡¯s bloody overkill¡­ Rito¡¯s Crystal Clone takes a moment to watch the ensuing fireworks from the ground. The Rito-clone quickly snaps out of it and refocuses his attention on the Box of Paradise; with the Satori dead, the box has now closed its mouth. The clone builds up his chakra and injects it into the ground. ¡°First, I¡¯ll make it so no one can use it again¡­¡± Rito says out loud. The sand surrounding the box rises up and layers itself on top of it, completely covering it up from head to toe. Rito then has all of the individual grains of sand come together and compress themselves into a single seven-foot-thick layer of quartz that fully encases the Box of Paradise. The young genius doesn¡¯t stop there; he goes on to convert the entire layer of quartz into pure, solid lonsdaleite; bright lights reflect off the translucent, brownish-yellow crystal. Too bright¡­! The now bracing Rito-clone shields his eyes from the blinding light. ¡°And to play it safe, I¡¯ll make sure no one can find it¡­¡± The Crystal Clone proceeds to inject more of his chakra into the sandy floor. This time, the clone has the sand underfoot of the box shift and swirl around, making an artificial patch of dry quicksand. Rito watches as the lonsdaleite box sinks into the terrain; it fully submerges into the ground after a few short seconds, completely disappearing from sight. However, the Crystal Clone continues his efforts, the Box of Paradise continues to sink deeper and deeper into the desert dimension where no one will ever find it, let alone, think to search for it. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Meanwhile, the battle between Ayanami Hyuga and the Master Puppet continues on. The Puppet strikes at the girl with a swing of its sword, but the cyan-glowing kunoichi and catches the attack in her hands; blood drips from her clenched hands as the blade has managed to cut through her chakra cloak, her feet skid along the ground as she tries to stop the sword mid-swing. I should stop trying to match it blow-for-blow and use its own strength against it¡­ Ayanami ponders the best way to go about fighting her adversary. Then, I¡¯ll throw it off balance and hammer away at its weak spot¡­ Gritting her teeth, Ayanami takes a step, pivots her body, and quickly creates a pair of chakra arms that pull the sword hard, using the momentum of the puppets'' attack against it. The kunoichi starts spinning all while maintaining her hold on the Master Puppet, swinging it around like a hammer. I always wanted to be in the Olympics¡­ Guess this is the closest I¡¯ll ever get¡­! The kunoichi muses internally as she releases her grip, throwing the puppet as far as she can. Ayanami speedily takes off sprinting to where the giant puppet will land in order to keep up the pressure. The kunoichi then jumps, propelling herself high into the air and gathers lightning chakra into her hand for the meantime and takes aim; she waits for the instant when the puppet will crash land. Here¡¯s my chance¡­! Ayanami cracks a cocky smirk. ¡°Take this! Sage Art: Lightning Beast Running Fang!!¡± The kunoichi launches the attack at the moment she was waiting for, the hound composed of black lightning streaks its way down and sinks its electrified teeth into the puppet¡¯s cavity just above the midsection just as the puppet makes contact with the dirt. The moment, the very instant the jutsu bites down, it erupts into a massive explosion; lightning streaks across the sand, turning it into glass scars on contact. ¡°All right¡­!¡± Ayanami sighs with relief, landing gracefully before her downed foe. The kunoichi cautiously peers down and waits for the smoke to clear. She sees that the Master Puppet lies motionless at the bottom of a glassy crater; smoke and electric sparks emanate from its smoldering remains. ¡°Huh? Looks like you don¡¯t need help after all. Good.¡± The kunoichi looks over her shoulder and sees Rito, transformed by his curse mark, walking toward her. ¡°So, I take it you beat that giant winged-turtle-lion-thing?¡± Ayanami asks. ¡°Look and see¡­¡± Rito points North of their location. The kunoichi¡¯s keen eyes follow where her friend was pointing and notices what she can only assume is the real Rito and his hawk fighting the chimera. However, it¡¯s more like a slaughter than a fight; the chimera is held down by a pair of constricting crystal dragons, its eyes are missing, and the giant hawk is unleashing a barrage of wind jutsu. What really catches Ayanami¡¯s eye are the numerous growths forming all over the beast¡¯s body, they look cancerous; the chimera itself appears to be in great pain. Perplexed, Ayanami points at the beast and asks, ¡°Are those¡­ tumors?¡± ¡°Nah Yeah.¡± Rito gives a slight nod. ¡°How?¡± Ayanami continues to question. ¡°Remember that tree I told you not to touch the morning after we fought Indra?¡± ????? (Authors Note: This scene takes place back in Chapter 28!) It¡¯s morning and Rito has been up for about two hours, training. He stands in front of one of the trees that Ayanami grew, the tree itself is dead with all of its leaves fallen and scattered in the wind. Rito stops molding chakra due to footsteps growing louder from behind him. ¡°Hey, Rito! I came to--what happened here?¡± Ayanami stops when she sees the dead tree, she slowly reaches out to touch it. ¡°DON¡¯T TOUCH IT!!¡± Rito¡¯s sudden shriek causes Ayanami to jump back. ¡°What--why?!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll explain later, j-just¡­ don¡¯t touch it.¡± Rito¡¯s vague warning and body language informs Ayanami that something is wrong with the dead tree. She slowly takes a step back before turning to face the 11-year-old reincarnation. ¡°O-okay¡­ I just came to tell you that we¡¯re about to leave this time period.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be there shortly.¡± ????? ¡°I got the idea from Jin; he told me about how these ¡®star ninja¡¯ use radiation from a meteorite to enhance their chakra.¡± Rito goes on to explain with his chest puffed out. ¡°And then I saw Naruto¡¯s Baryon Mode in Jin¡¯s memories.¡± ¡°Well, that explains that--hey, wait¡­¡± Eyes wide, a now defensive Ayanami takes a few steps back. ¡°Are you telling me you just figured out how to artificially create radiation?¡± ¡°Yes, but you don¡¯t have to be afraid. It only works if I actually touch you while the jutsu is activated. It¡¯s kinda like Torune¡¯s venomous beetles or Kabuto¡¯s chakra scalpels.¡± Rito is quick to further explain himself in order to assuage his friend''s fears. Still reluctant, Ayanami slowly walks toward Rito, she cautiously reaches out and pokes him carefully in the arm a few times; absolutely nothing happens. ¡°So, I don¡¯t have to be afraid of being poisoned or getting cancer.¡± A rightfully skeptical Ayanami asks. A smiling Rito looks up at her and gives a thumbs up. ¡°Nah Yeah, as long as my hands aren¡¯t glowing green, you¡¯re perfectly safe.¡± Their discussion comes to an abrupt end when the ground suddenly and violently trembles. The two confused shinobi look around only to see that the Master Puppet has risen from its glassy grave and attempts to repair the damage it sustained; it is not happy. Taking a battle stance, the kunoichi infuses her chakra once more and says, ¡°Rito? I would like for you to help.¡± Chapter 91 ¡°Now! Stomp on his balls!¡± Jin shouts with thunder in his voice. Standing over Suigetsu, Rito looks back at his friend with an appalled expression. ¡°You want me to do what?¡± Sometime ago, during Team Hebi¡¯s pursuit of the Akatsuki, they acquired information on the terrorist group''s current whereabouts; suspicious-looking individuals in black cloaks with red cloud patterns were seen around the Village Hidden Among Dreams. The Dream Village is a small ninja village located in a deep forest of a tiny country, near the border of the Land of Fire. On Sasuke¡¯s orders, the Hebi hastily made their way toward this remote area with the ambition of finally settling the young Uchiha¡¯s vendetta. Along their rigorous journey, Hebi decided to stop near the Forest of Mythic Beasts, a large forest filled with heavy mist outside the village, the forest seems to be a moist area where several large insects live. After relentlessly killing off all of the insects within their immediate vicinity with fire jutsu, Jin has Rito train in taijutsu with Suigetsu as his sparring partner; Jugo and Karin overlook the match from the side while Sasuke himself sits on a tree branch, brooding with his usual stoic indifference. The young genius has just managed to land a lucky shot, knocking the young Hozuki to the ground. ¡°I really don¡¯t think I should--Hup?!¡± While the hesitant Rito voiced his refusal, Suigetsu kicks and sweeps the boy''s legs, tripping him. The swordsman capitalizes on the opportunity with a quickness; he pounces on the downed Rito and grabs him by the neck, winding back his free hand for a mighty punch and stops. Suigetsu looks down on the boy genius with a condescending sneer. ¡°You should¡¯ve listened to Jin.¡± What? This is bloody crazy talk¡­ Rito stares back, arguing, ¡°But what Jin ordered was needlessly bru¨C¡± ¡°When there¡¯s an opening, take it. When there¡¯s an advantage, PRESS it--and in this case--stomp on it.¡± Suigetsu continues, still hunched over the boy. ¡°Jin?¡± Rito¡¯s eyes swiftly darted to Jin. Karin and Jugo¡¯s eyes fall on the red-haired rogue as well, curious as to what he has to say on the matter. With a blank expression and arms folded, Jin shrugs. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me. Suigetsu pretty much covered everything I wanted to say.¡± ????? I¡¯ll follow through this time, I¡¯m gonna stomp on it¡­ Rito looks down on the felled beast with fire in his eyes. ¡°Kuchibashi! Time to deliver the coup de grace!¡± ¡°What?¡± The summoning queries. Oh, right¡­ Some phrases and idioms just don¡¯t exist in this world¡­ Rito laments while facepalming. ¡°Finish him! We¡¯re gonna finish him off!¡± ¡°OH! Why didn¡¯t you say so?¡± The hawk spreads his massive wings and with a single flap, ascends, soaring high in the air; Kuchibashi¡¯s silhouette can be seen, circling the sun. The young genius grips Kuchibashi¡¯s neck feathers tightly as he watches the hawk¡¯s wings fold into its sides. The summoning animal performs a dive-bomb with intent to eliminate its prey; Rito finds himself grinning with satisfaction. As Kuchibashi steadily closes in on his prey, the hawk readies his enormous, curved talons, spreading them wide open. Just as Rito and his summoning are mere moments away from putting the beast out of its misery, something large, fast, and powerful rams Kuchibashi, knocking the giant hawk to the side; holding on for dear life, a jolted Rito hears loud cracking noises. ¡°KEE-EEEEE-ARR¡­!!!¡± Kuchibashi lets out a cry of pain. The hawk flails as it crashes into the sandy floor, it kicks up a thick cloud of sand while skidding along the ground like a ragdoll; the young boy shuts his eyes tightly and grits his teeth, bracing himself as he continues to hold on. By the time Kuchibashi comes to a halt, it has already traveled nearly a thousand meters. Any crash you can walk away from¡­ A thankful Rito thinks as he crawls out from underneath the giant hawk. ¡­I hate sand, it¡¯s rough, coarse, and it gets everywhere¡­ While dusting himself off, Rito asks, ¡°Oi, Kuchibashi. You alright?¡± ¡°N-No¡­¡± Kuchibashi weakly replies. The giant hawk lifts up his head in a slow, feeble manner and looks Rito right in the eye with a look of pain. Kuchibashi¡¯s body gives an occasional twitch; while the bird twitches, the young genius notices one of Kuchibashi¡¯s wings is bending in the wrong direction. ¡°M-My wing¡­ it¡¯s br-broken¡­¡± Kuchibashi moans. ¡°I-I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± ¡°No wucka¡¯s, I¡¯ll take it from here.¡± Rito responds. ¡°I d-don¡¯t know¡­ w-what that first part¡­ m-means, but okay¡­¡± In a puff of smoke, Kuchibashi disappears back to wherever Rito plucked him from. The young genius notices something very peculiar; his immediate vicinity has grown noticeably darker, and the temperature has become somewhat cooler. Perplexed, Rito cautiously scans his surroundings. Huh? Where¡¯d this shade com--! The clone genius is horrified as his question is immediately answered when he hears the flapping of wings followed by a sudden gust of wind, blowing sand in his face. Wiping the sand from his eyes, Rito looks up only to see a multitude of cold, menacing eyes glaring back at him from a distance. The demon, Moryo ominously hovers in the air, glaring at the boy with keen interest, drool drips from several of his mouths. One of the demon¡¯s heads whips around and fires a massive Gale Style: Laser Circus beam at the defeated chimera beast; in a matter of mere moments, the beast is completely vaporized. Feeling his heart sink, the disheartened Rito-clone suspects or rather hopes the monster¡¯s death was instantaneous. I-If¡­ I were the r-real me, I¡¯d be shaking in my thongs right a-about now¡­ ¡°Hello, boy. You¡¯ve fought long and hard only to meet your doom...¡± Moryo growls mockingly as he coils back one of his remaining six heads, horizontally. ¡°Your kekkei genkai will make a fine addition to my collection.¡± The demon¡¯s coiled head opens his maw and bares his razor-sharp fangs; from the back of Moryo¡¯s throat slowly emerges a mass of deep blue, viscous fluid. The ominous fluid spreads to the rest of Moryo¡¯s mouth, completely coating the demon¡¯s tongue and teeth. ¡°Chimera Ju--Ahhhhhh¡­!¡± Just as the duplicitous demon is about to strike at Rito, his coiled head is struck by a large, purple glowing arrow which detonates on contact; Moryo¡¯s head suffered some damage, but not enough to permanently put said head down. Rito¡¯s--as well as Moryo¡¯s--gaze follows the projectile¡¯s flight path and finds Sasuke still situated within his Perfect Susano¡¯o at the point of origin; his Curse Mark also remains active. While hovering menacingly in the air, the young Uchiha pulls back on his ethereal bow string, preparing to fire yet another arrow; this second arrow is coated in black flames. ¡°This is painful to watch. You claim to be some all-powerful god, yet you go after mere children. I mean, that¡¯s beyond pitiful¡­¡± Sasuke voices his disdain with a cold glare. ¡°It¡¯s pathetic!¡± An enraged Moryo snarls, ¡°You dare disparage me? ME?! Uncouth whoreson! I¡¯m going to rip open your chest and feast on your still beating heart!¡± With Sasuke¡¯s intervention, Rito feels emboldened; the boy feels a surge of energy and renewed vigor coursing through his veins. Clenching his fists, the young genius puts them up, he begins to boxer skip, lightly jumping up and down. Blue crystals materialize along Rito¡¯s forearms, taking the form of blades; the blades are engulfed in a sickly green chakra as he enhances them with his Radiation Fist jutsu. Two crystalline dragons slowly emerge from the ground at either of the clone¡¯s sides; one defensively coils around Rito while the other waits for further instructions. ¡°C¡¯mon then, ya miserable git¡­¡± Rito proceeds to goad, loudly. ¡°Bring it on! Do your worst!¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. ¡°This is so annoying¡­! I¡¯m getting nowhere!¡± A frustrated Ayanami grumbles as she weaves the snake hand sign. A gigantic wooden dragon erupts from the ground and swiftly charges at the Master Puppet; the kunoichi¡¯s jutsu opens its massive maw wide and clamps down on the puppet. The Wood Dragon swiftly arcs upward, ascending higher and higher until it is over a thousand miles in the sky; the Master Puppet tries to break free from its teeth, but the dragon maintains a firm grip. Ayanami¡¯s attack doesn¡¯t remain in the air for very long due to it taking a sudden nosedive with an imperceptible movement, it hurdles back down with the puppet clenched firmly in its teeth; the wooden dragon moves so quickly that it catches fire like it is a meteor entering a planet¡¯s atmosphere. Upon crashing into the dunes, a thick cloud of sand is created, the puppet¡¯s countless, shattered remains fly in nearly every direction, and Ayanami waits patiently for the sand cloud to dissipate, revealing the end result; the kunoichi groans in irritation as she senses chakra molding from the crash site, the intense desert heat is not helping her much either. Ayanami purses her lips when she notices a piercing, pinkish-white glow emanating from the sand cloud. The numerous puppet fragments scattered across their vicinity all slowly rise; the various fragments float forbodingly in the air before immediately rocketing back to the Master Puppet¡¯s crash site. The sand cloud is blown away by the desert breeze, revealing that it has fully healed itself; upon closer inspection, Ayanami does not see a scratch in sight. ¡°This is crazy¡­ I find myself doing the same thing and expecting a different outcome. Isn¡¯t that the definition of insanity?¡± Ayanami exclaims, pinching the bridge of her nose. ¡°You¡¯re doin¡¯ great!¡± Rito remarks reassuringly. The young genius sits comfortably behind the kunoichi, he weaves the snake hand signs while infusing chakra, calmly. A frustrated Ayanami sighs, ¡°...I appreciate the moral support¡­ But right now, I need a squad mate that has my back more than a cheer squad.¡± ¡°Oh, but I got ¡®cher back. Observe!¡± Puffing out his chest, Rito pridefully gestures ahead. Ayanami¡¯s eyes follow where her friend is pointing towards and is astonished by what she sees to the point that she takes a step back. The Master Puppet spasms and twitches uncontrollably, it swings its multiple arms wildly in every direction. Confused, Ayanami¡¯s jaw drops. ¡°Huh? What the¡­?¡± ¡°A little less questioning, a little more Byakugan-ing.¡± Like flipping a light switch, Ayanami deactivates her Tenseigan and activates the Byakugan; the flickering flames of the cyan-colored shroud dissipate while the veins around her temples bulge and pupils become more distinct. Eyes trained on the puppet, the kunoichi¡¯s sight pierces through its metal exterior and into the puppet¡¯s inner workings to find sand. Sand courses throughout the Master Puppet, damaging its wires and clogging its gears and hydraulics. So¡­ every time I landed a blow, Rito would have some sand sneak into its open wounds? Impressive¡­ Ayanami quickly figures out what is going on. ¡°Back when I was an ankle-biter, one of my old mates used to own the game this monster comes from on the PS2¡­¡± Rito talks out loud, reminiscing about his previous life. ¡°The game sucked, but we still had a lotta fu--Ooh, I found the power source! The spirit orbs feel a lot like¡­ crystals.¡± Ayanami watches as the young genius, without hesitation, has the sand yank the orbs out of the Master Puppet¡¯s body; the kunoichi can see the puppet¡¯s chakra levels decrease rapidly and its movements become more sluggish. The five spirit orbs hover marvelously around Rito, and with a clap of his hands cracks quickly form and spread all across the surface of each orb. They shatter into millions of particles which scatter in the desert wind. ¡°No¡­! I¡­ am¡­ immortal¡­ I am¡­ invincible¡­¡± The Master Puppet bellows. The puppet slowly, defiantly inches its way to its opponents, determined and unwilling to accept defeat. ¡°He¡¯s rocked! Take him!¡± Seeing her chance, a resolute Ayanami immediately sprints toward the now weakened puppet. As the kunoichi gets closer, she quickly accelerates in speed, she reactivates her Tenseigan and subsequently her Tenseigan Chakra Mode. The Hyuga channels lightning chakra through her hand as she gets closer to the puppet; the lightning emanating from her hand changes from blue to black as she infuses Six Paths Sage Chakra into the jutsu. ¡°Lightning Blade!¡± Ayanami roars. With one quick thrust, Ayanami jabs the puppet with her attack and ends up drilling straight through its entire body; the kunoichi appears several meters behind the Master Puppet. The jutsu results in a massive explosion with a tall pillar of black lightning that pierces the very heavens itself. With a sigh of relief, Ayanami wipes the sweat from her brow. ¡­FINALLY! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Next!¡± Obito says. Still holding onto the rogue Uchiha, both Echo and Sakura inject more of their chakra into him to power his Kamui. In the form of a spiral, a distortion in space-time, leading to one of Kaguya¡¯s dimensions, forms in front of the three. The time-traveler peers through and sees a desert; an emotion he hasn¡¯t felt in quite a long-time, bubbles up to the surface from the very depths of his heart, hope. Finally¡­ We¡¯ve found them! Echo thinks to himself. The group can see several individuals engaged in fierce mortal combat on the other side of the portal. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Ya know, Rito? You¡¯re kinda scary.¡± Ayanami remarks, awkwardly scratching the side of her face. Just as the two are about to go and aid Sasuke in his own battle with the dastardly Moryo, Ayanami¡¯s words bring the boy to a sudden halt. Confused, Rito raises an eyebrow. ¡°What?¡± ¡°You have a strong and versatile kekkei genkai. You¡¯re super smart¡­¡± Ayanami goes on to explain herself. ¡°You even invented a jutsu that makes radiation. I am¡­ RELIEVED you¡¯re not a villain. You¡¯re that dangerous, potentially speaking.¡± ¡°Funny¡­ Jin said something similar awhile back, he compared me to Gohan from Dragon Ball.¡± Rito imparts while using his Crystal Style to form Wolverine claws. After their brief conversation ends, the two ninja return their attention to the battle ahead of them; Sasuke shoots Susano¡¯o arrows while Moryo returns fire with Gale Style: Laser Circus. I see now¡­ these movie and game monsters are cannon fodder meant for Kaguya to waste her chakra on¡­ Rito takes a deep breath and readies himself. ¡°You ready?¡± ¡°You Bet!¡± Ayanami replies. ¡°Ayanami! Rito!¡± A familiar voice calls out. They both look back and see a portal over a dozen meters behind them; eyes wide with pleasant surprise, they can see Echo, Sakura, and Obito on the other side of the rift, calling out to them. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Moryo quickly closes the distance between himself and Sasuke, several of the demon¡¯s heads coil tightly around the young Uchiha in an attempt to crush him from within his ethereal avatar. ¡°I¡¯ll squeeze the life out of you!¡± The demonic entity declares. However, just as Sasuke is about to act, he notices that Rito¡¯s crystal clone is on the move; the clone takes advantage of the fact that Moryo is focused on Sasuke and jumps onto the demon¡¯s back. With his blades cloaked in green chakra, Rito stabs Moryo in the back. ¡°AAARGH!!¡± Moryo screams. The demon is in so much pain that his grip on Sasuke loosens some. Sasuke observes as Rito plunges his blades into the Moryo once again, as deep as they can go and twists the blades. ¡°AAAAAAAAARRGHH!! ANNOYING MAGGOT!!¡± ¡°Wanker!!¡± A smug Rito shouts as he jumps off the demon. While falling, the grinning clone turns and aims both of his middle fingers at the demon. How unusual¡­ What exactly did Rito do? Sasuke ponders. ¡­Just how strong have you two gotten? To Sasuke, it¡¯s plain to see that his former teammates, Jin and Rito have gotten much stronger since they infiltrated the Five Kage Summit. Whatever Rito did was extremely effective; the pain is too much, forcing Moryo to spasm, completely releasing his hold on Sasuke who pulls free and lands a solid punch on one of the enemy¡¯s heads. The Uchiha swiftly follows-up by bringing his fists together, raising them into the air and double ax handles Moryo; the attack connects, sending the demon crashing down like a meteor. ¡°Ancient relics of the past should butt out!¡± Sasuke looks down on his opponent with an ice-cold glare. ¡°Sasuke, hurry! Over here!¡± Hearing his name called, the rogue ninja looks into the distance and sees Rito, the real Rito waving at him; a portal stands near him with Ayanami entering through it. Without a second thought, Sasuke streaks through the air toward the portal. ¡°No! Take me with you¡­! TAKE MEEEE!!!¡± Moryo roars. The desperate demon has taken flight and is already catching up; Sasuke and Moryo are now neck-and-neck as they hurry to the Kamui rift. The Uchiha tries to sideswipe Moryo, but the demon dodges and quickly counters by slamming one of his heads into Sasuke; cracks form on his Susano¡¯o as he fumbles. Dammit! We can¡¯t let this THING escape thi--Hmm? Something annoying interrupts Sasuke from his thoughts. There¡¯s a light flickering in his eyes and its source is coming from the portal. Recovering from his fall, Sasuke peers through and sees Rito who appears to be waving something, a crystalline staff; the staff glistens in the light, reflecting in multiple directions. The Uchiha immediately focuses chakra into his left eye and disappears without a trace. And in his place, Rito¡¯s staff instantly appears, embedded in the sand. Sasuke himself reappears in the middle of the group. ¡°He¡¯s here! Close it, close it now!¡± Rito shouts. ¡°NNNOOOOOOOOOO¨C¡± The demon''s despair-filled wails are cut short due to Obito slams the portal shut. Chapter 92 Jin watches closely as Kaguya charges through his and Naruto¡¯s horde of shadow clones, she mows a number of them down one-by-one; the sound of their clones'' continuous destruction reminds Jin of bubble wrap. However, he does not care in the slightest about that, what he¡¯s truly observing are the Otsutsuki¡¯s movements; all of her attacks may be simple and straightforward, but they are all extremely swift and powerful even for the two Uzumakis as they are now. ¡°C¡¯mon, guys! We¡¯re not gonna let some space broad push us around!¡± One clone yells. Another clone argues, ¡°Quick! Flank her from all s¨C¡± The shadow clone was interrupted by Kaguya¡¯ sudden appearance. The Rabbit Goddess pierces him with an Ash Bone as she flies by, maintaining her cold, emotionless demeanor; the unsuspecting clone slowly disintegrates before disappearing in a puff of smoke. Keep your cool, Jin, and think. Think, analyze, and then move¡­ Jin coaches himself as his eyes dart across the snowy landscape. Watch for the pattern. And pick your moment¡­ ¡°¡°¡°HRRAAAAAARRRGH!!¡±¡±¡± Scores of clones release a battle cry as they charge their opponent. The only reason the Onikage is even able to take the time to assess the enemy¡¯s skill is because he has safely hidden himself; he hides in plain sight among his many clones in the background at the edge of the battlefield. The Rinnegan-user¡¯s Truth-Seeker Orbs are currently in possession of one of his shadow clones at the forefront of the battle; to sell the deception, scores of clones protectively surround the Imposter-Jin. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The shadow clone currently posing as the real Jin hovers in the air surrounded by many of his siblings; he watches Kaguya tear through dozens of clones while cautiously waiting for a golden opportunity to strike. With powerful swings from her Ash Bones, the Otsutsuki continues to cut down clones as she gets ever closer to her intended targets, but everyone remains undeterred. Stroking his chin, the Jin-clone ponders what to do next. ¡­Maybe I should say something that would throw her off her game? Hmm? Sensing the sudden appearance of several chakra signatures, several familiar chakra signatures, the shadow clone takes a quick side glance back and is relieved by what he sees; Echo has returned with Ayanami, Rito, Sasuke¡­ along with Obito and Sakura. Ayanami and Sasuke proceed to sprint into action, hurrying towards the fight. ¡°They¡¯re here!¡± Naruto shouts in excitement. Poised to strike, the Jin-clone patiently watches as Kaguya eerily and immediately closes the distance between herself and Naruto, entrapping the chosen one with her long hair; Naruto struggles to break free. The Mother of All Chakra wastes no time in stabbing Naruto with one quick thrust of her Ash Bone. To everyone¡¯s befuddlement--aside from the reincarnations--Naruto disappears in a puff of smoke before he can even finish breaking down into ash; the orbs return to the real Naruto. Here¡¯s my chance! Jin glares intensely, readying himself. The clone rockets towards the still bewildered Otsutsuki at faster than light speeds with his right leg winded back; he laces it with chakra for one mighty blow; he keeps silent as to not alert the celestial being, not daring to even grunt or growl. Just as the Jin-clone is about to close the distance and land his attack, in a flash, Kaguya whips around and pierces the clone with one of her Ash Bones. As the decay slowly spreads throughout the clone¡¯s body, he gazes at her grimacing face; a smug grin forms on the clones cracking face from ear-to-ear for his kick did connect¡­ with her crotch. ¡°Heheheheh¡­ Hurts, doesn¡¯t it?¡± The chuckling clone sneers before disappearing in a puff of smoke. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Really, Jin? This isn¡¯t a bar fight. Show some class.¡± Ayanami facepalms; she shakes her head with disapproval. ¡°What? It was the clone''s plan, not mine.¡± A smirking Jin simply shrugs. ¡°Besides¡­ Only dead men fight fair. Hey, did you guys kill Moryo by any chance?¡± Ayanami responds with, ¡°No¡­ We left him stran--Ggh¡­!!?¡± Just as the real Jin calls back his orbs, there is a sudden shift in dimensions; the landscape has completely changed from a frozen, mountainous tundra to a barren wasteland with small pyramid-shaped terrain on the ground and tall plateaus in the distance; the tundra air is replaced by an intense pull of gravity. All of Jin and Naruto¡¯s shadow clones are the first to fall; they each dissipate the instant they make contact with the ground. C-Can¡¯t¡­ stay¡­ a-airborne! Jin grits his teeth as he struggles against his increased weight. Jin watches as his and Ayanami¡¯s Truth-Seeker Orbs fall to the ground; they all hit the ground like anvils, each leaving a small seismic event. Not long after, Jin and Ayanami follow their orbs and hit the ground with loud thuds; the pyramid-shade terrain digging into Jin¡¯s backside reminds him of certain scenes in anime where a character is forced to kneel on triangular wedges and stone slabs are placed on their lap. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. The two shinobi hear Naruto exclaim, ¡°What h-happened?! I-I can¡¯t levitate¡­ a-anymore¡­¡± I-I¡­ didn¡¯t¡­ n-need to¡­ know how that¡­ a-actually felt¡­ A struggling Jin winces from the crushing, sharp pain. With veins bulging and muscles straining, the Onikage tries to get back up, but the gravity is simply too strong. The best he can manage is getting on all fours while Ayanami is able to get on one knee. ¡°Look alive, Jin!¡± Ayanami shouts. Jin¡¯s attention falls back onto Kaguya, he finds the Mother of Chakra on her knees as she can¡¯t handle the intense gravity either; she has her All-Killing Ash Bones aimed directly at Jin and Ayanami. The two downed ninja quickly begin to mold their chakra as they watch the Otsutsuki fire her projectiles. ¡°Wood Style: Deep Forest Emergence!¡± ¡°Earth Style: Mobile core!¡± A massive tree sprouts from the ground in front of Jin and Ayanami; due to the gravity of the dimension, the tree grows crookedly, bending to one side. The Ground directly behind the tree rises, forming a two-meter-thick wall of solid rock; the wall sinks back in some because of the increased weight caused by the dimension. Blood roars in Jin¡¯s ears, he can feel his blood run cold and his body tremble as he narrowly evades death; he sees Kaguya¡¯s Ash Bone nearly drilled straight through their makeshift defenses and is currently mere centimeters away from his left eye; their barrier worked if just barely. He looks back and sees Ayanami trembling too but is still very much alive. ¡°Oh, thank God.¡± Jin sighs with relief. The two shinobi hear Naruto shout, ¡°Quick! Dodge ¡®em, Sasuke!¡± Jin and Ayanami come to the conclusion that since Kaguya is unable to get them because of their barrier, she has switched her focus back to Naruto and Sasuke. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll stop you! Grh¡­¡± Obito groans. *SPLUGCK!* Jin can¡¯t see what is happening, all he hears is the sound of flesh being punctured followed by an eerie silence. Each passing second feels like hours to the Rinnegan-user as he waits for someone to say something, anything. ¡°Earth Style: Mobile Core.¡± He feels his neck hairs rise with suspense. As the wall Jin erected lowers back down, his eyes first dart towards Rito and Mecha-Naruto; they are seemingly unharmed. The Onikage¡¯s gaze then falls on Echo who also seems to be okay. Finally, Jin turns his attention to the main cast¡­ A shocked Kakashi asks, ¡°But why? We¡­¡± Everything¡¯s going along as it should¡­ A relieved Jin tunes them out as he¡¯s already seen this before many times. Almost at the finish line¡­ Thank God. ¡°Good riddance.¡± Ayanami quietly mutters with venom in her tone. Eyebrow raised, Jin looks to his side and sees Ayanami staring at Obito with a cold and callous look in her eyes; he sees her lips almost forming a smile. ¡°Good riddance? Ayanami, that¡¯s something I¡¯d expect from¡­ well¡­ me.¡± Her cold gaze turns on Jin while articulating, ¡°I died back in 2004, remember? I didn''t finish reading Naruto until recently when I saw your memories. My exposure to the Akatsuki was all first-hand experience from the Kazekage Rescue Mission to Pain¡¯s Assault.¡± ¡°Say no more.¡± Jin is quick to drop the subject. Kaguya breaks the stalemate by shifting the dimensions once again. They¡¯re all in the gravity dimension no longer, but what Jin knows to be her root dimension which links all her dimensions together; the sky in the Otsutsuki¡¯s core dimension is greenish-yellow in color while the terrain itself is mountainous. Almost finished with this little scra--Oh, crap. Jin senses the sudden appearance of a familiar yet unwanted chakra signature. From far away, to his west, he hears a thunderous, cold voice screech, ¡°Gale Style: Laser Circus!¡± Jin looks to his left only to see a volley of laser beams coming right for him and Ayanami. Without thinking, he immediately reaches for his friend and leaps to the side, pulling her with him. The Onikage grits his teeth as he feels one of the beams graze his right cheek; the sound of two things, hitting the ground in the distance, distracts him from the burning sensation. And Jin soon realized who had just attacked them. It was Moryo. ¡°Why won¡¯t you die?!¡± The Onikage yells. ¡°No!¡± After crashing into the ground, Jin hears a high-pitched gasp coming from beside him; he whips his head around and finds Ayanami covering her mouth; tears trickle down her eyes which are full of shock and pain; terrified of what he is about to see, Jin slowly looks back. Rito and Sakura are both spread-eagled on the ground in the distance. There is a gaping hole in Rito¡¯s chest and two holes in the medical ninja; one in her chest and another in her head. They are dead. For one single second that feels like an eternity, Jin stares into Rito¡¯s face, at his open blue eyes, blank and expressionless as the windows of an old, abandoned house, at his half-open mouth, which looks slightly surprised. ¡°No! This isn¡¯t happening!! This isn¡¯t happening!! THIS ISN¡¯T HAPPENING!¡± Jin¡¯s mind reels from the shock, unable to accept what he had just seen. With tears running down the Onikage''s face, he feels his heart grow so heavy that it feels like it will explode; his hands begin shaking violently; his now trembling legs lose their strength, leaving him to fall to his knees. The dam breaks and all the trauma that Mileena had suppressed earlier comes rushing back like a flash flood, overwhelming his psyche. ¡°Oh, but this IS happening. And everyone else is next! Nyah ha ha ha¡­!¡± Moryo sneers, pompously. Upon hearing the demon¡¯s laughter, Jin turns his pained gaze on him; his glare is so intense it could stop a planet from spinning. Beneath all of his grief and agony, he feels a fierce frenzy of rage from the depths of his soul; the fury Jin feels simmers as it bubbles up to the surface. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, boy? Does seeing that child die upset you that much? Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll be joining him soon enough.¡± The smug demon continues to taunt with a sinister cackle. Jin snaps. With a scorching fury, he roars, ¡°I¡¯LL KILL YOU!!! I¡¯LL FUCKING KILL YOU!!!¡± The Onikage explodes with chakra bursting out of every single one of his chakra points like geysers; the explosion is so sudden and violent that it forces Ayanami to jump back on pure instinct. However, something is most unusual about Jin¡¯s chakra; its appearance quickly changes from a faint blue flame to translucent red shroud and then into a large mass of spectralon-white, viscous fluid. This white chakra rapidly spreads across Jin¡¯s body, ominously enveloping him. Chapter 93 ¡°HHRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!¡± Despairing, Jin wails into the ether. The ground underfoot crumbles away and floats upward, maniacally hovering in the air due to the overwhelming chakra pouring out of the outraged ninja; the entire area quakes and trembles wildly almost as if it is shaking in fear. ¡°HAAAAH¡­ GAAAAAA¨C!¡± The Onikage¡¯s screams--as well as the earthquakes--have come to an abrupt halt due to his head being fully submerged in the mysterious white chakra; everyone is dead silent as they witness Jin being fully engulfed in the amorphous mass of chakra. The air grows still as this mass of chakra slowly ascends while gradually expanding in size, leaving only a lingering sense of pain, melancholy, and tension in its wake. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°...What¡¯s going on? What is that thing?!¡± Kakashi asks. As the shambled Copy Ninja holds his former student''s lifeless corpse, he watches the grotesque mass grow in size; his body has become tense with mixed feelings of intense sorrow and instinctual fear; his mind wants to stay and fight, but his body is screaming at him to run. ¡°I-It¡¯s Jin¡­¡± A grief-stricken Ayanami answers while wiping her tears. Through puffed eyes, the kunoichi quietly stares at two of her now dead friends; they had their whole lives ahead of them, bright futures, the good they could¡¯ve done, but now that¡¯s all gone. Blood leaves Rito¡¯s body, painting the sand underneath his body scarlet-red while chunks of charred gray matter drip from the back of the gaping hole where Sakura¡¯s eyes and nose should be. With a heavy heart, the young Hyuga kneels down and slowly, affectionately strokes the fallen boy¡¯s head for the briefest of moments. She then closes his eyes. She tearfully continues, ¡°He saw Rito cut down and then he just¡­¡± ¡°It triggered this transformation.¡± Sasuke finishes her sentence. ¡°Yes¡­ That¡¯s right.¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To everyone¡¯s shock and awe, the mass of chakra changes in appearance, taking the form of an eldritch horror; what was once Jin is now an enormous white cloud of horrid proportion; numerous white tendrils sprout from its miasmic form, each flailing aimlessly; it has several mouths filled with multiple rows of pointed teeth which vaguely resemble wolf fangs. Its center mass is randomly dotted with a dozen eyes with each one possessing a Rinnegan; they glow bright red with pain and anger. ¡°Kill Moryo.¡± ¡°YOU? Kill ME? Laughable!¡± The demon callously dismisses the creature while he gathers chakra in one of his remaining mouths. ¡°Shade Style: Ju¨C¡± This creature, this abomination speedily gathers chakra in several of its dilating eyes, and before Moryo can fire his jutsu, before he can even react, he is hit by multiple pitch-black beams of intense heat and sent flying away; while he is blasted away, Moryo writhes and screams in agony as a few of the rays manage to pierce the demon¡¯s flesh and body like hot knives through butter. ¡°¡­Mine. That power¡­ is mine¡­ My power¡­¡± Kaguya mutters with a soft, cold voice, glaring dangerously at the atrocity with her clear white eyes. ¡°Who said you could use that?¡± The air Kaguya gives off immediately shifts from cold, distant, and alien to that of a feral, rabid beast; as her body begins to bulge and swell with chakra in many places, the ground once again trembles. ¡°I will not permit any more foolish actions committed WITH MY CHAKRA!!¡± The enraged Mother of Chakra quickly expands in size and mutates; she turns into a giant, white, monstrous rabbit with colossal growth on her back. The growth itself has several of the tailed beasts¡¯ faces growing out of it like tumors. Multiple tendrils with hands at their ends emerge from out of the rabbit¡¯s back growth and rocket toward the abomination. ¡°Kill Moryo.¡± The abomination¡¯s numerous eyes dilate as they gather chakra once more; A jet of pitch-black light blasts from the creature¡¯s many Rinne Sharingan; the beams meet the hands in midair and cut them down, completely severing them from the rabbit; the black rays leave a trail of black flames on wherever they touch, reducing them down to mere ash. The grotesque rabbit rapidly heals from its wounds in mere moments, and opens its colossal maw, gathering massive amounts of chakra. A dark sphere of chakra forms in its mouth, the sphere quickly expands in size; its colors resemble those of the Truth-Seeker orbs; the power being focused into this one orb is so intense that it causes violent earthquakes that can be felt for miles and miles. The Rabbit Goddess unleashes the chakra on the eldritch horror in the form of a powerful, condensed beam; the horror defends itself by speedily releasing vast amounts of gelel energy from every orifice on its body in the form of a dome-shaped barrier; sparks shoot out from the point of impact. The creature¡¯s barrier manages to last a full five seconds before being overtaken by the rabbit¡¯s beam, shattering like glass, leaving its creator at the mercy of the beam. Screeching in pain as the horror is engulfed completely in the rabbit¡¯s searing-hot Truth-Seeker Beam, it is sent flying into the bottom of a nearby canyon. The moment, the very instant the beam--as well as the horror--crash into the ravine, a massive explosion occurs; the discharge erupts from the gorge like a geyser, sending out powerful shockwaves in all directions; the shockwaves reach even the heavens, parting the clouds. Once the explosion dies down the dust cloud is blown away by the breeze, all is seemingly quiet, all is seemingly as silent as the vacuum of space; no signs of movement are detected; the air is forebodingly still with a lingering tension. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. ¡°¡­K-Kill¡­ ¡­Moryo¡­¡± Without warning, an onslaught of raven-black lights jet out from the dark abyss in multiple d, bringing forth a furious blazing death with them. The dark rays cut through all in their path like butter; boulders are cleaved in two and the mountains. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Everyone, take cover!¡± Ayanami shouts. As a rogue beam darts toward the group, the nimble kunoichi picks up Rito¡¯s corpse and sprouts a chakra arm from her right shoulder, grabbing Kakashi along with Sakura¡¯s cadaver; she leaps back, narrowly evading the black ray by a few inches. While landing, the Hyuga watches the beam cut through a plateau in the distance as if it were a cake. ¡°These are clearly the black flames of the Amaterasu¡­¡± A cautious Ayanami analyzes the trail of flames left in the beam¡¯s wake. ¡°But¡­ Jin¡¯s not using it the same way as Sasuke or Itachi. He¡¯s firing them like¨C¡± ¡°¨CHeat vision.¡± A familiar voice coming from behind finishes Ayanami¡¯s thought. While gently setting Rito, Kakashi, and Sakura all down, the kunoichi whips her head around and sees Mileena walking toward the group with her worried red eyes focused on where Jin fell. ¡°Mileena¡­? Where¡¯ve you been?¡± The Symbiote looks at the kunoichi as she rubs her stomach. ¡°¡­Let¡¯s just say that Black Zetsu won¡¯t be manipulating anyone ever again¡­ *burp* ¡­I¡­ also wanted to return Father¡¯s--Oh no!¡± Ayanami quickly ducks out of the way as a Truth-Seeker Orb blasts out of Mileena¡¯s abdomen, flying into the crater where Jin fell at faster than light speeds. ¡°IRRITATING MAGGOTS!! YOU COULD NEVER DEFEAT ME!! YOU¡¯LL ALL SUFFER¡­ SO MUCH!!!¡± A thundering demonic voice roars in the distance. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The demon growls, ¡°Fall! You must fall to me¡­!¡± Moryo returns to the battlefield with a fury hither to a supernova. The demon charges at the giant white rabbit and rams it, throwing his whole body into his assault; the reeling rabbit goddess is knocked out of the sky. However, the rabbit reaches for Moryo as it falls, dragging him down with it. The two beasts crash into the ground, causing a large crater to form; the ground trembles as titans wrestle one another. ¡°You are the key to my ascension and nothing more! Now kneel, slave!¡± Moryo snarls. Two of the demon''s remaining heads coil around the rabbit, constricting as a snake would. The rest of his heads bite at the rabbit goddess, violently tearing off chunks of flesh; the rabbit retaliates by clawing at Moryo with its massive, clawed paws; they go at each other like a pair of rabid animals. ¡°Kill Moryo.¡± While Moryo and the rabbit continue to tear and claw at each other, the eldritch horror slowly rises out of the canyon and steadily creeps toward the skirmish; its numerous eyes begin to dilate as it molds chakra. ¡°Kill Moryo. Kill Moryo.¡± The creature unleashes another barrage of laser beams. However, Moryo sees them coming, releasing his grip and leaps back, leaving the rabbit to take the full brunt of the attack; each beam pierces straight through the body, but the rabbit quickly regenerates its wounds while detaching each and every body part that is on fire. ¡°I won¡¯t fall for that again, you miserable whelp!¡± A glaring Moryo angrily growls. ¡°Now¡­ Eat this!¡± The demon retaliates by quickly amassing chakra; he opens his mouths and launches a volley of projectiles which consist of 3 different jutsu: Gale Style: Laser Circus, Shade Style: Judgment, and an unknown lightning jutsu in the form of an electric ball. In response, the multi-eyed horror erects another barrier of gelel energy to defend itself; Moryo¡¯s Laser Circus pelts the barrier, forming large cracks in it. The demon¡¯s two other attacks slam against the cracked barrier, shattering it completely and damaging the defensive monster who wails, reeling back in pain. ¡°¡­K-Kill¡­ ¡­Moryo¡­ ¡­I will¡­ ¡­kill¡­ ¡­Moryo¡­¡± ¡°You better not try to rile the great Moryo! Both you and Kaguya are mine¡­!¡± An invigorated Moryo roars. ¡°The world will hear my name and TREMBLE!¡± Just as the sinister demon finishes his brief monologue, the rabbit fully recovers from her injuries and the white horror rises up once more. Poised to strike all three kaiju square off, locked in a three-way deadlock, locked in mortal combat. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Well, that¡¯s just great¡­ I don¡¯t see how things can get any better.¡± Ayanami throws up her hands in defeat. The group all watch the three titans battling it out from a safe distance; they are all slowly demoralized as they watch the beasts savagely tear into each other; their hearts are heavy with the deaths of two of their closest friends and confidants. ¡°Actually¡­ Things can get better. We can still tip the scales back in our favor.¡± Mileena speaks out, piercing through the veil of despair. ¡°If you can get me close to Father, I can re-bond with him and make him calm down.¡± Ayanami looks back at Mileena with a faint glimmer of hope. ¡°Are you sure you can bring Jin back from the land of Cthulhu?¡± ¡°Yes, I was made for this.¡± The symbiote gives a thumbs up. A sudden tremor forces the leaf kunoichi¡¯s attention back on the clash of titans; the Lovecraftian horror sinks his many teeth into Moryo as the demon gores the rabbit with his horns. Meanwhile the rabbit plunges her claws into the horror¡¯s flesh. Ayanami shakes her head, refocusing her attention on the other powerhouses. ¡°Naruto. Sasuke. Do you think you can keep Moryo and Kaguya busy long enough for Mileena and I to get Jin back?¡± ¡°Can do! We¡¯ll buy you all the time you need!¡± ¡°Of course. Don¡¯t underestimate the Uchiha.¡± The young Hyuga¡¯s determined and analytical gaze finally falls on Kakashi and Echo; she senses that Echo, the time-displaced Jin is low on chakra--likely from helping Obito bring her, Sasuke, and Rito back from the desert dimension. The kunoichi is disappointed seeing as she fails to sense even a sliver of six paths chakra coming from Kakashi, only his normal chakra. We really have changed the plot of NARUTO just by existing here, haven¡¯t we¡­? Ayanami thinks to herself before looking back at their fallen friends. ¡°I need you two to stay here. Keep Rito and Sakura safe.¡± Arms folded, Echo curtly responds, ¡°Will do.¡± ¡°Alright¡­ there¡¯s nothing I can do at the moment anyway.¡± Kakashi calmly replies. The kunoichi looks around the group and sees the fire reignited in everyone¡¯s eyes; they know that hope is still out there; they can feel it. Everyone gives her a quick nod of approval. ¡°Okay then, let¡¯s get ready to do this¡­¡± Ayanami nods, slamming her fists together. ¡°We¡¯ll show those creeps the real superpower of teamwork!¡± Chapter 94 The fierce battle between titans is something that can only be described as a natural disaster of apocalyptic proportions as each monstrous attack sends out shockwaves that decimate everything within their immediate vicinity; Each time clouds form, they are immediately dissipated by those very same waves. Every block and parry cause violent earthquakes that reverberate all throughout the planet; tears forming in the ground go deep enough that boiling-hot lava begins to erupt like geysers in various spots all around the beasts. The kaiju are indifferent to the chaos occurring all around them as they continue to tear each other apart like a pack of rabid dogs, victory is the only thing that matters to them. ¡°Wh-What?!¡± A startled Moryo yells as he lurches back. The demon whips one of his heads around and sees a giant, translucent golden fox with black markings extending along its body staring right back at him; the fox grips Moryo¡¯s tail tightly, tugging at it. With a fire in his eyes, Naruto roars. ¡°Me and all my comrades¡­ We don¡¯t bow down for ANYBODY!!¡± Tightening his grip and gritting his teeth, the Child of Prophecy pulls hard on Moryo¡¯s tail; the demon claws at the ground, trying his best to cling to the floor, but the terrain has been churned up so much by his three-way battle that he is unable to get a firm grasp. Naruto proceeds to spin, maintaining his hold on Moryo; he speedily accelerates his rotation, spinning faster and faster until finally releasing his grip on his foe, sending him flying. Moryo crashes into a mountain in the distance, flattening it completely. ¡°Maggot¡­ you¡¯ll never defeat me¡­!¡± A growling Moryo slowly rises with a cold glare. ¡°You will all die in vain just like that boy and that pitiful excuse of a kunoichi.¡± ¡°*I* don¡¯t have to beat you, you idiot! And also¡­ Never talk that way about Sakura¡­ ESPECIALLY IN FRONT OF ME!!!¡± An enraged Naruto glares back defiantly. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°I just need to erase you and I¡¯ll be one step closer to my revolution!¡± A stoic yet determined Sasuke mutters. The last Uchiha stands in the forehead of his Perfect Senjutsu Susano¡¯o while hovering in the air, glaring daggers at the Ten-Tails Rabbit. The snarling beast sprouts numerous tendrils from the growth on its back and launches them at Sasuke; with a flap of his wings, the Uchiha dives at the rabbit, narrowly avoiding all of the tentacles while returning fire by throwing one of his Susano¡¯o swords. The ethereal blade pierces its way through several of the rabbit¡¯s tendrils and impaling its chest, the rabbit recoils in pain. Unflinching and unwavering, Sasuke has his avatar produce an Onyx Chidori and coats it in Amaterasu. ¡°Susano¡¯o: Chidori Heavenly Hand Power!¡± The Uchiha instantly switches places with his sword and thrusts his hand forward, plowing his attack into his enemy; the rabbit wails as it lurches back, writhing in pain from Sasuke¡¯s jutsu. Mere moments later, the beast recovers from its injury and lunges for the Uchiha, who in turn, meets it head-on; the two end up grappling each other. ¡°Woaaaarrrgggh!!¡± With a fire in his eyes, Sasuke lets out a battle cry. The last Uchiha takes full advantage of the rabbit¡¯s lack of intelligence; he uses the beast¡¯s own weight and strength against it; still grappling with the rabbit, Sasuke pulls the monster toward him and quickly brings a back step while pivoting on the tailed beast¡¯s front leg, rotating and throwing it over. The Uchiha looks down on the rabbit as it falls into the lava-infested ravine with a cold, stoic expression. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°I just need to get Jin to come at me with one of his tendrils and then you can bond with it. That¡¯s all?¡± Ayanami asks as she steps onto the battlefield with purpose. Before enacting their plan, Mileena had bonded herself to Ayanami. The young lady resembles a black-suited Spider-Girl with the green flames of her Tenseigan Chakra Cloak flickering off her like a certain Super Saiyan¡¯s aura; in the back of her head, she can¡¯t help but admire just how good their bonding feels. ¡°No, I need you to get me to Father¡¯s body. Flowing from his tendrils to his brain would take too long¡­¡± Mileena replies. ¡°Besides, the tentacle could be severed before I can even get that far.¡± ¡°Is that all?¡± A sighing Ayanami remains unconvinced. ¡°You know as well as I do that this was going to be a gamble at best.¡± ¡°Kill Moryo.¡± The kunoichi stops walking and stares down the beast that Jin has become; whatever fear that has taken root in her core is overshadowed by the heartache of having to fight her friend, by the pain of seeing what her friend devolved into; so much of him is consumed by his pain and anger that he cannot distinguish friend from foe. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. ¡­I-I¡­ ¡­wonder if Momotaro ever doubted himself when he had to fight all those oni? Reluctantly, Ayanami shakes her head and takes a deep breath, clenching her fists as she prepares herself for a fight. ¡°Jin, forgive me¡­ I AM going to save you, but first I¡¯ll have to get a little rough with you.¡± ¡°Kill Moryo¡­ ¡­I will¡­ ¡­kill Moryo¡­¡± The eldritch horror wastes no time in breaking the stalemate; several of his tendrils shoot out and stab the area where Ayanami is standing, kicking up a thick dust cloud in the process. However, the unharmed kunoichi bursts out from the cloud and runs up one of the monster¡¯s larger tentacles; the monster responds to this by quickly sending out more and more feelers. Undeterred, Ayanami draws the Blade of the Thunder God, which was gifted to her by Jin and mows down the horde of oncoming appendages with a series of swift and precise sword strikes; the horror tries to swat her away with another one of his larger tendrils, but Ayanami leaps into the air and performs a flip, landing nimbly on the other tentacle and continues charging ahead. ¡°Huh?¡± The ever-watchful Hyuga maintains her vigilance. Something huge is coming¡­ The kunoichi senses that her monstrous friend is gathering chakra in his multitude of eyes. Knowing what is about to happen, Ayanami hurriedly jumps onto another tendril; she watches as the one she was previously standing on is severed off by a barrage of scorching-hot black beams while still running; she is quick to fall to her knees while bending over backwards, narrowly evading another Amaterasu laser as she slides along the tentacle. Once close enough, the kunoichi jumps into the monster¡¯s face and throws a haymaker at his largest eye. ¡°*BLECH!!*¡± The slimy sensation of the eye¡¯s surface makes Ayanami cringe with disgust. Eww--this is really gross¡­! The monster staggers back in pain, several of his tendrils go to cover his wounded eye. The kunoichi continues her assault by producing two massive chakra arms; she grabs one of his appendages and quickly dashes along his grotesque body, forcing the beast to spin; she uses the moment to throw the monster into the ground, caving in the terrain under him. ¡°Jin!!¡± The hovering Kunoichi calls out desperately to her friend. ¡°If you can hear me, SNAP OUT OF IT¡­!!!¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Knowing those three, things are gonna get pretty rowdy soon¡­¡± Kakashi thinks out loud as he watches the fight, still holding Sakura¡¯s dead body. ¡°We should probably move a little further away.¡± Echo stands dead silent several meters away from the Copy Ninja with Mecha-Naruto at his side; he feels the resulting tremors of the battle taking place in the distance, but he pays it no mind as his attention is squarely focused on Rito. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear me? We should move back some more.¡± Kakashi tells the group. Echo can hear the leaf jonin speaking, but ultimately ignores him; his graze remains fixed on Rito¡¯s corpse. The longer the time-displaced Jin stares, the more his heart aches; he clenches his fists as old memories begin to resurface, painful memories. ????? Jin and Rito sneakily trudge their way through a canyon several miles south of the Hidden Rain Village. It¡¯s been two weeks since they lost Ayanami to the ambush and this country¡¯s constant downpour is not helping to lift either one''s disheartened spirits. ¡°Rito, what are we even doing here?¡± A somber Jin communicates telepathically with the Mind Transmission jutsu. ¡°Karasuki¡¯s all charged up and we have our supplies. Let¡¯s just go back to the past and fix this shit. Like right now.¡± ¡°For the past three years, I¡¯ve secretly been in contact with the resistance.¡± Rito responds. The remaining shinobi, samurai and lesser-known nations that have survived and not submitted to Moryo and Isshiki¡¯s regimes joined together and formed a resistance movement to fight their dictatorships. After years of near-constant rebellion and strife, the tide has shifted, and the resistance is steadily losing ground. Confused, Jin¡¯s head tilts to one side. ¡°Okay¡­? And this relates to my question how exactly?¡± ¡°I told them about our time-travel plan and have been keeping them updated regularly.¡± ¡°YOU WHAT??!!!¡± Jin''s eyes grow wide like saucers at this revelation, he even covers his mouth to muffle any gasping noise he makes. ¡°Why? And that still doesn¡¯t explain why we¡¯re so close to the Rain Village.¡± ¡°It gave the people hope, something to live and fight for¡­¡± Rito explains. ¡°And that also relates to why we¡¯re here. I want to do some genuine good in the world before we risk destroying the space-time continuum.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to--Who¡¯s there?!¡± Alerted, a now shouting Jin produces a chakra rod. ¡°Don¡¯t bother hiding, I can sense your presence! Show yourselves!¡± The rogue ninja senses the sudden appearance of three chakra signatures and prepares himself for a fight, Rito follows Jin¡¯s lead and pulls out a kunai. Tensions rise due to Jin not recognizing these chakras; he feels sweat running down his face and his heart pounding out of his chest. ¡°If you won¡¯t come out, I¡¯ll find you myself¡­¡± Jin activates the Byakugan he took from Neji¡¯s corpse. With his near-360-degree visions, he scans the area and spots the new arrivals; they are hiding behind a large pair of boulders a dozen meters away; they are in fact familiar to the red-haired rogue, but he is shocked to even see these specific characters here, let alone still alive. Keeping his guard up, Jin is perplexed as to what to do next. ¡°Hey, Rito? Who exactly was your contact in the Resistance?¡± A vigilant and cautious Jin queries. They haven¡¯t attacked yet, but that doesn¡¯t necessarily mean they¡¯re friendlies¡­ ¡°She didn¡¯t give me a name, but I can tell you she was a brunette with a star ninja headband.¡± With a blank expression, Jin takes a deep breath and relaxes. ¡°I¡¯m whelmed¡­ I was expecting your contact to be someone¡­ important.¡± Chapter 95 ¡°I¡¯m glad to see you and your team made it to the rendezvous point in one piece.¡± Rito says warmly. Hokuto gently rubs the bruise on her left cheek while stating, ¡°I really wouldn¡¯t say one piece¡­ we encountered 2 enemy patrols on our way here, but they weren¡¯t anything we couldn¡¯t handle¡­¡± Jin and Rito have joined up with Rito¡¯s contact in the resistance, forming a larger party and are continuing their journey. Rito and Hokuto are leading the way while a cautious Jin silently follows from the very back of the group, eyeing his new and unexpected teammates; he walks hunched over, his arms swaying from side-to-side with each step; his expression is one of boredom mixed with some minor annoyance. Let¡¯s see now¡­ we have Hokuto, a kunoichi from that star ninja filler arc way back in Part 1¡­ Jin mentally goes through the roster of his new party members. ¡­Then there¡¯s Shira, a sand ninja from the New Chunin Exams filler arc. And lastly, Yomito Hirasaka, a dream ninja from the Kizuna Drive game for the PSP¡­ The valley they tread splits into three paths. As the group takes the middle road, the red-headed rogue decides to stop in his tracks; he has grown tiresome with being left in the dark. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve run out of patience¡­ Can someone, ANYONE, please explain to me why the hell we¡¯re here?¡± Jin interrupts the conversation, asking a question that has been on his mind for some time. ¡°I¡¯m not walking blindly into God knows where. What are we doing here?¡± Hokuto turns back to face Jin and responds with, ¡°We¡¯ve recently uncovered the location where the women with kekkei genkai have been imprisoned. Our mission is to go and rescue them.¡±

????? The mournful Echo rigorously shakes his head, returning to the present. Mustering up what little chakra he has left, the time-displaced Jin weaves the ram and snake hand signs. The chakra that Echo is infusing steadily gathers in his left eye. I won¡¯t fail you again¡­ Never again¡­ Echo closes his eyes and takes a deep breath; his hair color eerily changes from red to white. ¡°Gedo Art of Rinne Rebirth.¡± Like clockwork, the King of Hell appears at Echo¡¯s side; he opens his mouth wide, and a bolt of green light shoots out. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rito¡¯s eyes spring open, he takes a breath and sits up; he feels like he¡¯s just woken up from a deep sleep. Shocked and confused, the boy looks downward and sees a gaping hole in his shirt, but no injury to his torso, there in fact, appears to be no signs of damage whatsoever. A flabbergasted Rito lets out, ¡°Wh-Wha¡­ What the hell happened?¡± ¡°YOU DIED AND ECHO BROUGHT YOU BACK.¡± Rito looks to his left and sees Mecha-Naruto standing over him with an astonished Kakashi looking on from further back. The robotic duplicate is holding up a weak and feeble Echo. The white hair and exhausted look in the time-traveler¡¯s eyes are the first things the young genius notices that are different about him; dark rings have already formed around his eyes. Rito scans his surroundings until he spots Sakura still lying on the ground motionless, lifeless. ¡°¡­Why didn¡¯t you bring back Sakura?¡± Rito asks. Mecha- Naruto is quick to answer. ¡°ECHO ONLY HAD ENOUGH CHAKRA TO BRING BACK ONE. HE CHOSE YOU.¡± ¡°E-Eve¡­ Even in his final moments¡­ *COUGH* O-Obito proved to be a rather subpar¡­ pawn¡­¡± A wheezing Echo states. Even though the reincarnations were never told directly, they had already suspected that Jin or Mileena had either put Obito under genjutsu or mind controlled him. They all thought it was odd that Obito had a sudden change of heart despite not having those key conversations with Naruto like in the main timeline. ¡°By the way¡­ where are Jin and Ayanami?¡± Rito asks while still examining his body. ¡°LOOK AND SEE.¡± The mechanical copy points into the distance with his free hand. The young genius gazes into the distance only for his eyes to widen with surprise at that chaotic skirmish he¡¯s witnessing; he sees Naruto (in his Kurama Mode) fighting Moryo, Sasuke (in his Perfect Senjutsu Susano¡¯o) fighting Kaguya (in her rabbit form), and what appears to be a symbiote Spider-Girl fighting a giant, white eldritch horror. ¡°What the hell¡­?¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Jin, you idiot! You¡¯re acting just like Kaguya¡­!¡± Ayanami shouts, desperately trying to reach her friend. ¡°Kill Moryo¡­ ¡­I will¡­ ¡­kill Moryo¡­¡± The Lovecraftian horror fires two black beams from his numerous eyes, but the young Hyuga is undeterred; she charges forward and side steps to the left, evading the first beam then quickly follows-up by side stepping to the right, dodging the second laser. The beast thrusts several of his tentacles at the kunoichi in an attempt to skewer her, but she dodges by jumping into the air and disappears, substituting herself with a boulder. Ayanami reappears directly behind the monster and says, ¡°¡­Your moves and tactics are far too simple and straightforward!!¡± The leaf ninja shoots out several black tendrils from her right arm; they cling tightly to one of the beast¡¯s own tentacles. Ayanami then flies high into the air, dragging the beast along with her and spins as fast as she can; she uses her momentum coupled with the symbiote strength Mileena provides to throw the monster, slamming him hard into the ground; the beast¡¯s crash leaves a large seismic event. ¡°Now¡¯s our chance, Big Sis!¡± Mileena exclaims. ¡°I know.¡± Ayanami braces herself and flies down towards her friend at top speed. While dive-bombing the beast, the leaf shinobi amasses six path senjutsu chakra into her hand; her hand begins to emit sparks of black lightning. ¡°¡­K-Kill Moryo¡­¡± Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. In an attempt to make a preemptive assault, the horror swiftly coils his tendrils into two massive club-like appendages; he swings them both with the intent to crush the quickly descending Ayanami. However, just as the two clubs close in on the kunoichi, a barrage of black tendrils shoot out from her body in every direction, stopping the clubs and pushing back against them. ¡°¡­I-I can¡¯t¡­ ¡­h-hold them off for long¡­!¡± Mileena says with a strained voice. ¡°Now! Ayanami! DO IT!!¡± Ayanami screams at the top of her lungs, ¡°SAGE ART: LIGHTING BEAST RUNNING FANG!!!¡± The young Hyuga unleashes a colossal hound made entirely of black lighting on her friend; it sprints down in a zig-zagging motion with its maw gaping open, revealing rows and rows of razor-sharp teeth; it pounces on the eldritch horror and bites down on his flesh. ¡°Kill Mory--AAAAAIIIIIIIIIIEE!!!¡± The horror screams in agony as Ayanami¡¯s jutsu detonates, resulting in a massive explosion. Large arcs of electricity tear into the ground, glassing it over. The ground rumbles and all the rock formations nearby fall apart, it is as if the entire region is trembling in fear. When the dust clears, the horror lies in the center of a massive glassy crater with sparks of residual electricity emanating from it. The kunoichi can tell that her friend is still alive by the fact that his mouths and tentacles are all twitching ever so slightly; the tension remains high as she can¡¯t be too careful with. When this is over, I¡¯m asking Captain Yamato for Wood Style lessons¡­ Ayanami thinks to herself as she cautiously and slowly descends to the ground, landing right beside her companion. The leaf kunoichi breathes a sigh of relief when she realizes that Jin truly is down for the moment. ¡°Okay, Mileena¡­ do your thing.¡± Ayanami fist bumps her friend¡¯s flesh and watches as the symbiote leeches off of her and goes onto Jin. Mileena hurriedly spreads across Jin, wrapping herself all around her creator¡¯s massive, grotesque body, enveloping it in its entirety; she seeps deep within her father¡¯s body, searching for his nervous system and connects herself to it. Seconds pass before the kunoichi sees the fruits of her labor. The eldritch horror which lays before her gradually shrinks in size. As he grows smaller, his physique changes, returning to that of a young man in his mid-teens hunched over on all fours. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- When Jin opens his eyes like he¡¯s just woken up from a deep sleep, he feels an extreme sense of serenity. For the briefest of moments, the Onikage is truly at peace. However, it all comes rushing back and he is overwhelmed by the loss, the anguish, the pain; each time it feels like he is about to be consumed by his emotions, he mysteriously calms down for a hot nanosecond only for his grief to rise again and calm down again. Within an extremely short span of time, Jin experiences this strange phenomenon nearly a dozen times. ¡°¡­Jin? ¡­Are you okay?¡± A familiar voice asks in a soft and empathetic tone. The young Uzumaki looks up and sees Ayanami kneeling before him, holding her hand out to him; she wears a warm smile, but her eyes, her watery eyes are brimming with concern and grief. With a heavy heart, Jin hangs his head low and mutters, ¡°I just lost the closest thing I had to a brother¡­ What do you think?¡± ¡°You¡¯re upset and grieving, I get that. Hell, I feel the exact same way too¡­¡± A patient Ayanami continues to hold out her hand as she speaks. ¡°¡­But I need you to shelve your pain for right now. Once the fighting is over¡­ Can you do that?¡± Jin takes a moment to gather his bearings; he closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, taking her hand. ¡°Okay¡­¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°This farce is over! Just give up, you foolish child!¡± Moryo commands with a thunderous tone. ¡°You sure love to hear yourself talk, don¡¯t cha?¡± Naruto, however, defiantly stands strong with a fire in his eyes that refuses to go out. ¡°I never give up and I never go back on my word. That¡¯s my nindo, my ninja way!¡± Hovering from within his Kurama avatar, the Chosen One builds up his chakra and weaves the clone hand sign producing two shadow clones. In preparation for his next attack, Naruto¡¯s clones produce their own fox avatars. ¡°Gale Style: Gale Dragon!¡± Moryo immediately fires a pillar of red chakra from one of his mouths into the sky. The heavens darken as a massive thunder cloud forms over the area, it is capable of infinitely expanding in size, strength and ferocity as the demon fills it with chakra. The cumulonimbus swirls ominously above the two combatants with minor sparks of electricity generating from it. ¡°This is the dawn of a new age, the Age of Moryo! All hail Lord Mor--WHAT?!!¡± Both Naruto and Moryo stare at the storm cloud with eyes as wide as saucers; they are taken aback as they both can sense an invasive chakra taking root within the demon¡¯s jutsu, co-opting it. All of the lightning gathers at the eye of the storm and changes in shape, taking the form of a massive beast with glowing red eyes. ¡°Naruto, you little¡­ What did you do to my jutsu??!!!¡± Moryo roars, enraged by the perversion of his attack. The lightning beast suddenly lunges for the dastardly demon; it detonates on contact, creating a massive explosion. ¡°You¡¯ll hurt no one ever again, monster¡­¡± A familiar voice speaks with a determined yet cold tone. Shocked, Naruto looks back and gasps at the sight of Ayanami and Jin; he assumes the kunoichi succeeded in bringing his cousin back to his senses. However, Naruto notices that Jin is not okay; his fists are shaking profusely, he wears a venomous scowl, his teeth are gritting, and his eyes¡­ His eyes have a fire in them, a cold fire. Before the Chosen One can even say anything the two reincarnations fly past him, they wait patiently for their shared adversary to rise from the crater. ¡°Okay¡­ You fought well and stuck it out, Naruto.¡± Ayanami looks back and gives a confident smile. ¡°Go and help Sasuke. Jin and I will finish things up here.¡± Naruto nods and gives a thumbs up. ¡°Alright! Go on and kick that creep¡¯s ass!¡± ¡°Finally¡­¡± Jin mutters as Naruto flies off. ¡°Oh~, you¡¯re going to finish me, are you?¡± A pair of draconic wings emerge from the thick smoke cloud. With a single flap, the wings disperse the smoke to reveal Moryo, who is covered in second-degree burns. ¡°Oh, my, you children are quite mad. I¡¯ll put you out of your misery and reunite you with your poor, pitiful friends¡­¡± The demon sneers. ¡°I¡¯ll even send Naruto and Sasuke there too so the four of you won¡¯t be so lonely.¡± Hearing Moryo¡¯s words, Jin begins to seethe; from the depths of his soul, he is so furious, it hurts; he was unaware that he could hate someone so much. At last, he finally, truly understands what Sasuke and even Naruto have been feeling. It¡¯s at this very moment that Jin¡¯s Rinne Sharingan resonates with his emotions and begins to pulsate. M-My eye¡­?! It feels like it¡¯s talking to me¡­ it¡¯s like it WANTS to be used¡­ Memories from Jin''s previous life flashes before his eyes; he sees a show he used to watch; it features Marvel¡¯s premiere superhero team. From his memories, Jin recalls the Hulk¡¯s advice when facing Thanos: Give your anger focus and direction. ¡°Before you die, there¡¯s something I wish to tell you¡­¡± Moryo says, his tone has become calm. ¡°When I absorbed Kazuya, I was amazed and horrified. I gained access to all of his memories, ALL of them.¡± (Authors Note: Kazuya appears in Chapter 10. Also, Kazuya''s bio is on Character Sheet 2.) Ah¡­ this is the part where the villain monologues and informs us of his endgame, his magnum opus. A still seething Jin thinks to himself as he continues to glare at his foe ¡­But we already know what he plans to do¡­ How odd. ¡°And why are you telling us this now? This doesn¡¯t change anything.¡± Ayanami gives her enemy a look of dismissal. ¡°Oh, but it does¡­ I know you two are reincarnations, reincarnations from a realm of gods.¡± For a brief moment, Jin¡¯s rage subsides from this revelation. This new information shocks them both to their very cores, so much so that some sweat begins to run down their faces. ¡°Imagine my disgust, my anger, my despair when I learned the truth that my creator, my TRUE creator, was just a human in another dimension. That I was to perish early on in some story.¡± The demon continues his monologue. ¡°Once I absorb Kaguya, I''ll find Isshiki and feed him to his own Ten-Tails. I will feast on the fruit the God Tree bears and then¡­¡± With a cruel and sinister smile, Moryo turns to look at you, the reader; he can¡¯t see you nor can he hear you, but the demon knows you¡¯re there, watching him, watching them all. ¡°I will amass enough chakra to enter your world and conquer it. Anyone who dares to dictate my life will PAY DEARLY FOR THEIR TRANSGRESSIONS!!¡± Chapter 96 ¡°¡­And as soon as I¡¯ve taken over your ¡®real world,¡¯ I¡¯ll have access to the other worlds you humans have created.¡± Moryo continues his villain monologue, flapping his wings to maintain. ¡°ALL OF CREATION WILL B¨C¡± ¡°Hmph--Is it possible for you to shut the fuck up for 10 seconds? There¡¯s no point in telling us your plans, it would only add to the list of reasons to end you anyway¡­¡± A callous Jin interrupts and dismisses his enemy; his eyes remain glaring with an unyielding animosity. ¡°I will rain down every agony, every atrocity imaginable, upon you. I will parade your rotting corpse from all corners of the world and feed your soul to the vilest filth in hell!¡± ¡°As they say on ¡®Earth:¡¯ talk is cheap!¡± Moryo sneers before firing a fireball from his mouth. Jin¡¯s Rinnegan turns red and a Susano¡¯o ribcage forms around him and Ayanami followed by a right arm and sword to go with it; the Onikage swiftly swings his ethereal yellow blade with great precision, dissipating the demon¡¯s jutsu on contact. Tensions quickly escalate just from the hovering reincarnations having a standoff with Moryo; it¡¯s become so thick, one could easily choke on it. The two sides remain deadly silent as they are each poised to strike from even the slightest of provocations. Suddenly, Moryo produces hordes and hordes of chakra arms from his sides, which dart toward Jin and Ayanami as they themselves charge at the demon; they nimbly weave their way through the arms, moving left, right, left, and even ascending some. However, a pair of arms managed to grab the two shinobi with very firm grips. ¡°Let us go, you freak! Let us go!¡± Ayanami shouts, struggling to break free. Moryo swings his arms together, slamming Jin and Ayanami hard against each other; they both reel from the pain as they feel their skulls rattle from the collision. Hnngh¡­! I-It¡¯s acting up a-again¡­ A grimacing Jin feels his third eye pulsate again, further resonating with his emotions. ¡­Y-You want me to use you? Fine¡­ Not like I h-have much of a choice anyways¡­ Jin proceeds to infuse his chakra, amassing it in his Rinne Sharingan; he feels his third eye¡¯s pupil dilate from chakra being focused into it. Curious as to what will happen next, the Onikage activates his eye and is astonished by what it does; his Rinne Sharingan unleashes the black flames of the Amaterasu in the form of a singular, focused and condensed beam of intense heat. Marveling at his new power, Jin looks down at the chakra arm which binds him and the beam cuts through it like a hot knife on butter, freeing himself. This is totally fucking awesome; the eyebeam stays within my Rinne Sharingan¡¯s line of sight! Oh, I definitely know what I¡¯m calling this¡­! Jin thinks excitedly as he gathers more chakra; his rage and pain is temporarily overshadowed by his sheer joy and delight. ¡°Inferno Style: Heat Vision!¡± The Onikage fires another laser from his eye; this time, he aims it at arms binding Ayanami, setting her free as well; he is careful to not hurt his friend in the process. ¡°Thanks, Man of Steel.¡± The kunoichi gives Jin a thumbs up. ¡°What are friends for?!¡± Jin¡¯s bright smile turns into a sinister grin; he suddenly turns head on Moryo with the beam subsequently following his sight. ¡°DEADPOOL YOUR WAY OUTTA THIS!!¡± The demon attempts to maneuver out of the ray¡¯s path but isn¡¯t quite fast enough to dodge it completely; another of Moryo¡¯s heads is lobbed off, leaving a trail of black flames that continue to burn and further injure Moryo; he spams and recoils profusely from the searing pain; sizzling sounds can be heard, coming from his scorched hide. ¡°AAAAAAUUUGH!!!¡± The wounded demon lets out a blood-curdling scream. ¡°DAMN HUUMAAAAAANNS!!¡± Feeling a mixture of rage and joy, Jin throws his fist into the air and shouts, ¡°I hope it hurts 1,000 times worse than what you did to Rito, you asshole!¡± ¡°Hey, Jin? Do you see that?¡± An inquisitive Ayanami cautiously peers at their enemy. ¡°See what?¡± ¡°Take a closer look¡­¡± Ayanami points at Moryo. ¡°Right there¡­¡± The Onikage follows where the kunoichi¡¯s finger leads and he sees it too. Cancerous growths form all across the demon¡¯s pitch-black skin, some of these growths vaguely resemble hands and mouths trying to push their way out; this grotesque sight makes Jin¡¯s skin crawl and his neck hairs rise. Peering closer, the two ninjas see what appears to be white chakra leaking out from each of the struggling demon¡¯s head stumps. This mysterious chakra emanates from Moryo¡¯s wounds like light. Jin¡¯s eyes widen as this white chakra feels very familiar to him, it feels draconic even. ¡°Everyone and everything Moryo¡¯s absorbed¡­¡± Ayanami thinks out loud, coming to a sudden realization. ¡°They¡¯re all starting to fight back--th-they¡¯re trying to break free!¡± ¡°¡­The more heads we cut off, the more of Moryo¡¯s concentration is diverted towards keeping all the shit he put in his body under control!¡± Jin adds onto Ayanami¡¯s line of thought. ¡°Ridiculous imbeciles, I won¡¯t let you interfere with my plans!¡± An enraged Moryo roars. The demon tenaciously flaps his wings, flying higher into the air; he amasses chakra in one of his remaining heads and unleashes another Gale Style: Laser Circus. Without uttering a single word, Jin pushes Ayanami out of the way of the oncoming volley of laser beams; he follows up by quickly activating his Susano¡¯o, but is only able to reach the Full Body stage before being bombarded by the demon¡¯s attack. Mere seconds into being assaulted, sweat runs down the Onikage¡¯s face as he sees cracks form all across his ethereal avatar; horror and desperation creep onto his face while he watches the hairline cracks gradually increase in both size and number until the Susano¡¯o finally gives and shatters, leaving the young Uzumaki at the mercy of Moryo¡¯s jutsu. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°Ngh¡­ Aaaaaugh!¡± Jin gasps in agony, coughing up blood in the process. The smoldering Onikage¡¯s mind goes blank, and his entire body goes limp as he plummets from a great height, the only sensation he remains aware of is excruciating pain; he feels an intense searing-hot pain coming from his chest, this pain is the only thing that¡¯s keeping him from blacking out. ¡°JIN!!!¡± Jin crashes into the ground with a loud thud, the sudden impact being the catalyst that snaps him out of his daze; his sluggish eyes scan his surroundings and finds Ayanami hovering over him; his friend¡¯s gaze brims with concern. The Onikage tries to get up, but the kunoichi stops him with one hand. ¡°Stay down. Your chest cavity is still regrowing itself.¡± Ayanami says with a worried tone. ¡°¡­I-I¡­ I can still¡­ f-fight¡­!¡± Jin weakly argues, trying and failing to get back up; smoke emanates from his wounds. The young Hyuga holds him down with one hand. ¡°Not in your current condition, you can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Gale Style: Laser Circus!¡± From his vantage point, Moryo wastes no time and launches another volley of beams. ¡°Die, you MAGGOTS!!¡± Just as Ayanami is about to have her orbs turn into a shield, the two shinobi bear witness to something very peculiar. Crystalline dust mysteriously appears around them, surrounding them; to them, it is reminiscent of something out of a story book. To everyone¡¯s puzzlement, the dust quickly swirls around them and coalesces, taking the form of a barrier. This crystalline barrier absorbs the demon¡¯s attack, glowing brighter and brighter with each and every beam it takes in; the barrier has become so bright that Jin and Ayanami have to cover their eyes. The crystal barrier releases all the energy it has soaked up, firing it back at Moryo in the form of a single, condensed beam of chakra. ¡°YEEEAAAAAGGH!!¡± Moryo screams in agony while all the skin is being burned off one of his heads. Wh-What the hell¡­? Perplexed, Jin¡¯s jaw drops in awe. ¡°Wow¡­ you cunts can¡¯t go 5 minutes without me saving your asses¡­¡± A familiar voice speaks, lighting their darkest hour. Eyes as wide as saucers, Jin and Ayanami hold their breath as they look up and see Rito standing heroically--with fists on his waist--on top of the plateau right behind them; he wears a bright yet smug grin while boldly puffing out his chest. ¡°You should step aside and let me take the hero role!¡± The young genius says with a mocking tone. Ayanami¡¯s eyes grow watery with joy. ¡°Rito¡­ You¡¯re here¡­!¡± ¡°You two can tell me how much you miss me after we save the bloody world. Afterall, we didn¡¯t come here for a playdate¡­ Today¡¯s the day!¡± The silent Jin continues to stare at his resurrected friend. As he stares, he feels something bubbling up deep from within, a very warm feeling; his eyes begin to shine brightly, and the biggest smile slowly forms across his face. The Onikage¡¯s chakra acts on his emotions and begins to surge, flowing all throughout his body; he feels his wounds healing much faster than before, he feels himself getting stronger; he eagerly jumps to his feet, standing tall as if his body was on fire. ¡°Heh heh heh¡­¡± The snickering Jin wipes the tears from his eyes and faces Moryo once more. ¡°Stay whelmed, Rito. The battle ain¡¯t over ¡®til it¡¯s over!¡± All of Uzumaki¡¯s Truth-Seeker Orbs go to his right hand and merge together, taking the form of a longsword composed of silver chakra; it emits brilliant light as its wielder readies himself, preparing to swing it. ¡°You little whelp¡­ Don¡¯t underestimate me!!¡± An infuriated Moryo roars. The tyrannical demon produces scores and scores of chakra arms, ruthlessly sending them out with the intent to capture and crush Jin with savage might, but the Onikage is undeterred; he jumps up and takes flight, charging toward Moryo at absurd speeds. Jin furiously swings his sword, cutting down every single arm that gets in his way like a mad lad; his sword strikes are so fast and precise that he vaguely resembles a massive silver Rasengan. Moryo sends out even more arms, but Jin remains undeterred and continues to mow them down as he steadily closes the gap until he finally reaches his hated foe. ¡°MORYO, EAT SHIT AND DIE!!!¡± Jin roars, driving his blade through one of the enemy¡¯s heads. The Onikage¡¯s muscles strain and teeth grit as he slashes through Moryo¡¯s neck cutting another one of the demon¡¯s heads clean off of his body; more and more of the white chakra leaks out of his body. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°NNAAARRGGHH¡­!!¡± The reeling Moryo screams in excruciating pain. The demon¡¯s four remaining heads thrash around wildly as he recoils in agony; he knocks on the door to godhood, yet these mere mortals have repeatedly managed to challenge and defy him no matter what jutsu he throws at them. No matter what horrors he throws at them, they continue to fight him. I-I¡­ am the great Lord Moryo¡­ I¡¯ve acquired the¡­ p-power to rival even members of the Otsutsuki clan¡­ How are these filthy humans¡­? Moryo laments while still writhing in anguish. ¡°Wha-?!¡± While languishing in his misery and torment, the demon takes notice of the loathsome humans and quickly realizes that they are up to something. The one known as Ayanami hovers in the air, standing strong with her arms folded; she has a scorching fire in her eyes. The kunoichi is surrounded by dozens of Jin¡¯s shadow clones; they¡¯re all holding firmly onto the threads of white chakra leaking from Moryo¡¯s injuries with the same fire in their eyes as Ayanami. ¡°Pull!!¡± Ayanami shouts into the ether. On the kunoichi¡¯s command, the numerous Jins, in unison, put all their effort into hauling the chakra out of the demon; he fights to maintain his hold on the legendary Light Genry¨± with a death grip, but the loss of four of his heads has taken its toll and is now steadily finding it harder and harder to keep everyone he¡¯s absorbed in check. ¡°Curse yooou!! PUTRID HUMA--AAAAAARGH¡± The snarling Moryo is interrupted by a sudden explosion occurring atop one of his eyes, blood drips from the sizzling eye socket. ¡°These things make bloody awesome makeshift grenades¡­¡± Rito pulls out batteries, overloading them with his chakra and then throwing them. ¡°Have some o¡¯this, mate!¡± (Authors Note: Jin and Rito made the batteries all the way back in Chapter 11.) The young genius¡¯ supercharged batteries hit their mark, several more of Moryo¡¯s eyes; they detonate on contact, causing even further damage to the writhing demon¡¯s sight. Outraged, the thrashing Moryo wails, ¡°DAMN HUMANS!!¡± ¡°I have a name. It¡¯s Ayanami Hyuga¡­¡± The kunoichi focuses her chakra into one of her Truth-Seeker Orbs and grasps it. ¡°Remember it! Sage Art: Silver Wheel Rebirth Explosion!¡± As the determined Ayanami rockets toward the weakened demon, a powerful typhoon takes form in the young Hyuga¡¯s hand; it emits a bright silver light. The Leaf kunoichi thrusts her hand forward, slamming her jutsu into Moryo¡¯s chest; the demon reels from the intense pain of the impact as the attack gradually expands in size, rotating faster and faster. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Fly¡­ Fly to the ends of the Earth!!¡± Ayanami screams angrily; she grits her teeth and gives one final push. ¡°No¡­ Th-This can¡¯t be¡­ Nraaaaaaaahh¡­!!¡± Her jutsu parts from her and propels Moryo higher into the air whilst separating him from the light dragon¡¯s chakra, leaving it to hover aimlessly over the mountainous terrain. The kunoichi watches as her jutsu flies high into the sky and parts the clouds; it explodes safely at the very edge of the aerosphere. Ayanami smiles with satisfaction; she relaxes, breathing a sigh of relief. ¡°Whew¡­ Dirty Fireworks.¡± Chapter 97 ¡°A-At long last¡­ the n-nightmare¡­ is finally over¡­¡± The ailing Future Jin mutters. Holding on by a thread, an enervated Echo watches in awe as a typhoon travels up into the atmosphere and detonates; he is forced to lean on Mecha-Naruto due to the fact that he can feel his legs turn to jelly; his skin has grown paler and the dark circles around his eyes have grown noticeably weaker. The time-traveler is unbothered by the fact that he is now on borrowed time as he feels a sense of peace wash over him, he completed goals in getting revenge and changing the future. ¡°ECHO, I¡¯M TAKING YOU TO MASTER JIN AND LADY AYANAMI. ONE OF THEM CAN HEAL YOU.¡± Mecha-Naruto¡¯s concern for the one who brought him online is masked by his monotone voice. ¡­I-It would seem that Jin gave the¡­ T-Tin Man a heart. Fuckin¡¯ hilarious¡­! Hearing this, Echo weakly shakes his head and smiles. ¡°Don¡¯t bother¡­ *cough* ¡­No m-medical ninjutsu can undo¡­ wh-what''s happening to me¡­ *cough* *cough*¡± For better or worse, being a blood-member of the Uzumaki clan grants Echo a strong lifeforce; he is dying, he will die, but he will hold on long enough to give his counterpart one final gift. ¡°*cough* ¡­M-My¡­ My only regret is¡­ *cough* that I won¡¯t be going¡­ t-to the same place as¡­ MY Ayanami and R-Rito¡­¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I should probably collect the light dragon¡¯s chakra¡­ Hovering in the air, Jin ponders what he should do next. ¡­REALLY wouldn¡¯t want a tailed beast-level threat running amok at this particular point in time. While slowly descending from on high, the Onikage sprouts a pair of red, bubbly chakra arms from his shoulders; they grow longer as they reach out and grab hold of the genryu chakra by its neck. The dragon¡¯s chakra thrashes around, struggling to break free, but Jin keeps a firm grip; Jin treats the white chakra like clay and condenses it, molding it into an orb the size of a common baseball. ¡°The power of the sun¡­ in the palm of my hand. It¡¯s mind-blowing, epic even.¡± Jin mutters, marveling at the ball of chakra as he mentally recites the lore behind the dragons of Mt. Koryu. Each Genry¨± represents the 5 basic chakra natures: earth, water, wind, fire, and lightning. And when all five dragons merge together¡­ they form the Light Genry¨±, a very powerful dragon capable of destroying the world¡­ The young Uzumaki¡¯s gaze remains fixed on the chakra when his feet touch the rocky ground as if he is in a trance, his mind races with ideas, endless possibilities at his very fingertips. Ayanami and Rito both take note of the coy expression Jin currently wears. ¡°You¡¯ve already received a massive power-up by your future-self, putting you on equal footing with Naruto and Sasuke¡­¡± Ayanami points out in an attempt to feel out what Jin is thinking. ¡°¡­And now you have the power of the light dragon literally in the palm of your hands.¡± Rito adds to the kunoichi¡¯s line of thought by saying, ¡°With that bloody thing, you could quite easily establish yourself as the strongest cunt in Naruto¡­¡± ¡°I could, I SURELY could¡­¡± Jin replies, nodding with a coy smile. ¡°BUT on the other hand¡­?¡± In the blink of an eye, Jin appears right in front of the young genius with an air of mystery; he squats down so that they see each other eye-to-eye and winds his right arm back which holds the Light Genry¨±''s chakra. ¡°Die on me again¡­ and I¡¯ll bring you back to life just so I can kill you myself.¡± Confused, Rito tilts his head to the side. ¡°Huh? What¡¯re talking abo¨C?!¡± Jin thrusts his hand forward and plunges the chakra into the shocked genius; he uses his six paths chakra just to make sure the merger goes off without a hitch, leaving nothing to chance. ¡°Shadow and Light Style: Creation of All Things.¡± Jin chants. A groaning Rito stumbles back. ¡°Urgh¡­ Grooogaaah¡­ Aaaaaagh!¡± Sensing a surge of powerful chakra coming from the young genius¡¯ body, the smiling Jin eagerly pumps his fists in excitement; he is ecstatic about his scheme working. ¡°Jin¡­ What did you do¡­?¡± A concerned Ayanami queries, also sensing the chakra coming from Rito. The Onikage looks back at her with a grin. ¡°Oh, I just gave him a shit-ton of rare candies.¡± ¡°Hwhoooooooooah¡­ HYAAAAAH¡­!¡± Jin and Ayanami cover their eyes as Rito¡¯s body emits a blindingly bright flash of light. Once the flare of illumination dies down, the two ninjas open their eyes and see Rito examining himself; a mix of shock, awe, and bewilderment cover the boy¡¯s face as he notices the quartet of orbs--seemingly made of light--hovering around him; they twinkle like stars in the night sky. Rito¡¯s brow furrows as he curiously examines the orbs. ¡°So, you made me the¡­ for the lack of a better term--¡®jinchuriki¡¯ of the dragons?¡± ¡°More like I fused the both of you together. Hagoromo created the 9 tailed beasts by splitting up the Ten-Tails¡¯ chakra and giving sentience to each portion; I just did the opposite of that¡­¡± Jin goes on to explain. ¡°In other words, you ARE the Light Genry¨±. Think what Uub and Buu did in GT.¡± ¡°So, let me get this straight¡­ you went and played god? With MY body?¡± Rito¡¯s eyes narrow, the tone of his voice becomes deeper and rapid. Jin just shrugs nonchalantly, weighing the options. ¡°Hmmm¡­ Altering your body without permission¡­ or you, dying to an Otsutsuki or some other powerful idiot? Decisions, decisions¡­¡± Ayanami seizes this moment, suddenly stepping in-between them, she has her arms firmly stretched out to keep the two apart; her expression is one of annoyance. ¡°If you two are done with your little spat, we can discuss Jin¡¯s ethics later¡­ Right now, we have more important matters to deal with.¡± Ayanami points to the distance. Jin and Rito follow her finger and see an ominous black sphere in the sky, overflowing with immense levels of chakra; it gradually increases in size whilst the ground begins to tremble. The quakes become more and more violent as the orb continues to expand, Jin knows full well that the entire dimension--along with everyone in it--will be destroyed if it continues growing. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. She has a point¡­ A grinning Jin looks at his friends and asks them, ¡°Well, guys¡­ ready to finish Shippuden?¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Ggh¡­ You cretins¡­ Disappear!!¡± Kaguya growls, infusing chakra. The Mother of All Chakra produces a barrage of her Eighty Gods Vacuum Fists to counter and suppress Naruto¡¯s chakra arms. Powerful shock waves are produced as their punches collide with one another as a result of their savage might; Kaguya grins as she quickly gains ground. However, her arrogant smirk quickly fades away due to her noticing Sasuke charging toward her from behind; she aims her free hand at the last Uchiha and shoots an All-Killing Ash Bone at him, but a sizable chunk of diamond very suddenly, very mysteriously appears in front of her Ash Bone, shielding Sasuke. The rogue ninja swiftly knocks away the crumbling mass of carbon with the webbed-claw-shaped wings on his back and follows-up by making a pair of Susano¡¯o arms with the intent to pummel her, Kaguya counters with another volley of Vacuum fists. Not good¡­ I¡¯ll go to the ice world¡­ Kaguya broods, scheming on what to do next, her lips purse with frustration. NO. Indra¡¯s reincarnate possesses the Amaterasu, so that would be no good¡­! Kaguya is at a stalemate with her grandchildren¡¯s reincarnations, she finds their tenacity frustratingly annoying, but she truly believes she can still turn the tide back in her favor once more. ¡°Hey, Kaguya! The clan knows what you did to Isshiki and the tree¡­¡± A voice says from above. ¡°They¡¯re mad and they¡¯re coming to get you!!¡± Upon hearing these words, the now shocked and afraid Otsutsuki looks up to see Jin and Ayanami, dive-bombing with a fire in their eyes and hordes of chakra arms of their own; she notices that Jin looks at her with a sinister, unhinged smile. With the strength of the righteous and the fury of the damned, the two ninjas come down on the Mother of All Chakra with fists swinging. The realization that this child knows more than he lets on hits Kaguya like a shot in the arm, but she doesn¡¯t let that stop her from forming even more Vacuum Fists to again counter. The frustration Kaguya feels gradually turns into fear and outrage as she is besieged on three fronts. The four shinobi steadily gain ground as they pummel their way through the Otsutsuki¡¯s defenses; if she only had to deal with one or two of them, victory would be assured, this however, is unfortunately not the case. ¡°Gotchaaaa!!¡± Naruto yells while thrusting his right hand forward. With a fiercely determined expression, Sasuke quietly follows suit by shoving his left hand forward. ¡°¡°THIS IS THE END!!!¡±¡± Jin and Ayanami shout in unison. Im¡­possible¡­the mother of all chakra¡­lose to these offspring. Kaguya¡¯s face contorts with despair and denial as she feels Jin and Ayanami grab her tightly and push her towards Naruto and Sasuke; their fingers dig into her to the point of blood beginning to trickle from where they grip her. ¡°Gwaaaaaaaahhhh!!¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Knowing what the others are thinking, all four shinobi infuse their six paths chakra and shout, ¡°¡°¡°¡°Six Paths: Planetary Devastation!!¡±¡±¡±¡± As the four quickly break away from their shared enemy and fly down to where the rest of their group has gathered, Jin looks back and a grin, watches as Kaguya is sealed away; as boulders and debris ascend and cling to the defeated Otsutsuki, her Rinne Sharingan fades away while nine colossal masses of chakra ooze from her and descend to the ground. While the Onikage makes landfall, the masses of chakra land around the group in a circular formation and retake their tailed beast forms, but Jin pays this no mind when he notices Mecha-Naruto. The robot double is cradling Echo; Jin¡¯s expression sours when he detects his counterpart¡¯s chakra is fading. ¡°Sealing complete!¡± Naruto¡¯s brimming smile quickly turns into a horrified panic, he frantically runs around in circles. ¡°Hey, wait--HOW¡¯RE WE SUPPOSED TO GET OUT OF THIS PLACE?!!¡± ¡°He got it done¡­ but I gotta say, he¡¯s still a tad dumb, isn¡¯t he?¡± Son Goku says to Kurama, who looks away with embarrassment. Everyone grows dead silent as they feel a powerful chakra calling to them; they suddenly vanish without a trace, leaving Kaguya¡¯s dimensions for the time being. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In a puff of smoke, Jin realizes that he along with the rest of the group are no longer in Kaguya¡¯s core dimension, but the final battleground of the 4th Great Ninja war; he scans his surroundings and is amazed to find all prior Five Kage gathered around them. Before the group, stands Hagoromo, the Sage of Six Paths and Father of Shinobi; he hovers in a meditative position over his Truth-Seeker Orbs with his pewter staff floating behind him. ¡°Welcome back home, Naruto.¡± Minato greets his son with a warm smile. ¡°Dad¡­¡± Keenly aware of what is going to happen next, Jin tunes them out, but maintains a respectful silence and turns his attention to the ailing Echo; he looks so feeble as if he were a coughing infant. The Onikage infuses his chakra and weaves the Ram hand sign, activating the Mind Transmission Jutsu and establishing a telepathic link between the members of his team. ¡°Jin? What¡¯s this all abo¡­ Oh.¡± Ayanami¡¯s expression saddens as she too senses the weakening chakra. The team silently, somberly gathers around the expiring Echo, keeping him company in his final moments. No one should face the end alone. ¡°I-I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± With tears running down his face, Rito lowers his head, feeling a mix of guilt and shame. The wheezing time-traveler responds by saying, ¡°¡­D-Don¡¯t be¡­ Live lives worth living¡­ Ch-Change the world¡­ Experience everything that MY friends and I never could¡­¡± ¡°I-I recently learned the R-Reanimation Jutsu, I-I can¡­ find some White Zetsu stragglers¡­ real scum of the Earth that no one will miss. Use them to bring you back.¡± Jin chokes on his words, his heart begins to grow heavy. He¡¯s me¡­ he gave us the power to change our fate, it¡¯s only natural that I help him¡­ ¡°N-No, don¡¯t¡­ I was already¡­ prepared to die¡­¡± Coughing, Echo slowly reaches for Jin¡¯s right hand, grabbing it and resting it on the top of his head. ¡°T-Take my¡­ knowledge¡­ Take m-my eyes¡­ You¡¯ll put them¡­ to good use¡­¡± ¡°Echo, no!¡± Tears stream down Ayanami¡¯s face. ¡°Ayanami, please¡­ don¡¯t f-feel¡­ sad for me¡­ I am¡­ at peace¡­ I¡¯ve done what¡­ no other artists could¡­ GODS, I made¡­ g-gods¡­¡± Sensing his counterpart¡¯s chakra is close to dropping to absolute zero, Jin closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. He builds up his nerve and whispers to Echo, ¡°Requiescat in pace, brother. God rest your--OUR poor soul.¡± Gathering chakra in his Rinnegan and hands, the Onikage uses the Human Path to pull out the time-traveler¡¯s soul. Due to the Mind Transmission¡¯s telepathic link still being up, the rest of the team are also privy to the knowledge and memories flooding into Jin¡¯s mind; his eyes grow wide and his brain lurches as Echo¡¯s secrets play out in his head. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- RITO (Six Paths): OVERVIEW APPEARANCE Side Chapter 10 ¡°I-I *Ack* beg you¡­ *Gagh* ¡­Pl-Please have mercy¡­¡± Choking, the beaten and battered Yomi begs for his life; his bruised and bloodied face has puffed up to the point that it has become completely unrecognizable. At the entrance of the dungeon, Jin holds up Moryo¡¯s loyal second-in-command by his neck, slowly tightening his grip on the dark medical ninja while Rito and the resistance members finish off the remainder of the sentries guarding the dungeon entrance; the red-haired rogue feels his anger rising upon hearing Yomi¡¯s pathetic pleas. ¡°How can you beg for your life when you and your over-bloated master threw the world into chaos?!¡± The grimacing Jin growls venomously. ¡°How many people begged you for mercy before you butchered them?! HOW MANY?!¡± ¡°W-Wait, I was just¡­ *Guah* following o-orders¡­ I swear it¡­!¡± The struggling Yomi continues to plead for his life with beads of sweat running down his terrified face, he speaks clearly despite missing a few teeth. ¡°Y-You believe in¡­ *cough* mercy, d-don¡¯t you?¡± Infusing chakra, the rogue ninja simply glares with an ice-cold fire in his eyes. ¡°Burn.¡± Focusing chakra into the Rinnegan he took from the late Sasuke Uchiha, Jin activates the Amaterasu. Black flames suddenly appear out of nowhere on the panicking Yomi¡¯s head and quickly spread to his torso with Jin callously tossing him aside like garbage, leaving the medical ninja to his fate. ¡°Aagh¡­ AAAAGHH¡­ AAIEEEEE¡­!!!¡± Yomi thrashes around wildly, releasing a blood curdling scream as the flames eat away at him. Feeling nothing, but a cold disdain for his enemy, Jin watches as the writhing medical ninja burns to affirm that his foe truly is dead and gone; his wails of agony don¡¯t last for very long. ¡°If THIS is where Moryo keeps the women with kekkei genkai¡­ Why is there only a token force guarding the place?¡± The red-haired rogue asks, keeping an eye on the fire. ¡°The bulk of Moryo¡¯s armies are currently at war with Kara¡­¡± Hokuto explains with a matter-of-fact tone. ¡°The resistance is using this time to regroup and deal a decisive blow when they least¡­ expect¡­ it¡­¡± The star kunoichi trails off as the hunching Yomito drags his feet, passing her and Jin by, he stands before two large stone doors; the rogue watches with curiosity as the gloomy dream ninja rips the oni mask off his shoulder and wears it on his face instead, in the blink of an eye Yomito has grown in size and muscle, transforming into a hulking oni with ash-gray skin and a luscious red mane. ¡°Let¡¯s get this over with. The sooner we rescue the women¡­¡± The monstrous shinobi winds back one of his bulky arms, his quiet voice reeks of anger and hate. ¡°The sooner we can get back to making life miserable for Moryo and Kara.¡± *BOOM* *crackle* *rumble* *rumble* With a single swing of his massive hand, Yomito punches the doors with devastating force, shattering them into a mere pile of pea-sized pebbles. What was once a pair of stone doors is now an opening to a dark, ominous tunnel with rubble littering the ground. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Upon entering the dungeon, any sense of bravado the group had completely vanished into thin air and was replaced by a strong sense of dread with a lingering tension in the air. In terms of appearance so far, this dimly lit underground passage is somewhat reminiscent of Orochimaru¡¯s hideouts, but it is the spiritual imprints of evil that has everyone on edge. The ground they tread, the walls, the air they breathe, it all feels like they have been stained by despair and horror; it feels as if the very concepts of hope and joy were tortured to death in this place. The dead silent Jin feels his neck hairs stand on end as they make their way down the corridor; he feels his stomach churn from the silent dread in the air as it floods his mind with memories of when he learned about the Holocaust in school. The piles and piles of shoes, luggage, hair, and children¡¯s toys; the rogue ninja shudders as his mind dwells the photos of men reduced to literal skin and bones. I-Is¡­ is this how people feel when they¡­ when they actually visit that blasphemous monument to evil and ruthless efficiency? Jin tries to calm himself down with deep breaths, but it doesn¡¯t work; he wants to emotionally distance himself from this place, but his mind won¡¯t let him. ¡°I see light up ahead.¡± Hokuto murmurs, pointing forward, breaking the soul crushing silence. The cautious Jin stops in his tracks and peers into the darkness and true to the star ninja¡¯s words, the long and narrow hallway leads to another room; he builds up the nerve, takes a deep breath, and continues walking onward. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t go rushing in alone.¡± The dream ninja whispers, grabbing Jin by the shoulder. ¡°We don¡¯t know what else might be here.¡± The red-haired rogue looks back and calmly whispers in response, ¡°I¡¯ve been sensing for strong chakras ever since we entered this godforsaken place and have detected nothing thus far. Let¡¯s just grab the girls and get the hell out of here.¡± Jin brushes off Yomito and makes a running start for the end of the corridor, the rest of the group follows closely behind. Upon entering the room, Jin feels his blood run cold and his stomach twist inside out as a horrified expression grows on his face; his feet skid along the ground until coming to a complete stop at the center of the room. On the far side of the room, the rogue ninja spots a motionless woman with fair skin and dark blue hair behind bars, the muck and scum covering her body fail to mask her beauty; her featureless white eyes remain half opened, staring at nothing; she dangles from the ceiling of her cell with a noose tied around her neck. Jin lowers his gaze and sees the tattered rags she uses for clothes; his heart stops when he notices that she was due any day now. ¡°Hinata¡­ what did they do to you?¡± Jin mutters. ¡°Had she held on for a day longer, she would¡¯ve been saved¡­ Ironic.¡± Hearing a familiar voice, the group looks to their left and bear witness to a number of women, sharing a cell together. Like Hinata, they too are showing, covered in grime, and wearing rags; the one who spoke has teal eyes and sandy blonde hair, which is gathered into four consecutive pigtails, she weakly leans against the bars as she tries to stand up. ¡°Lady Temari! We¡¯re gonna get you out of there!¡± Shira hurries to the cell. The sand kunoichi bleakly continues, ¡°I can¡¯t really blame her though¡­ On top of being forced to bear th-that¡­ that monster¡¯s children for years, most of her family was wiped out and her long-time crush was murdered.¡± ¡°Temari, is Ayanami here? She¡¯s of the Hyuga clan and possesses the Byakugan.¡± Jin asks; his eyes frantically dart around the room, hoping that she might be here. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°No¡­ No, there haven''t been any new arrivals for a year now¡­¡± Temari peeks her head out through the bars. Rito stumbles back after hearing this. ¡°I-if¡­ if Ayanami¡¯s not here¡­ then it really means¡­¡± With heavy hearts Jin and Rito lower their grief-stricken heads for they had hoped in vain on the chance that their friend might be here alive. However, they must now accept the fact that Ayanami Hyuga is truly gone from this world. The two can only take solace in knowing that she is no longer suffering in this cold, cruel world. The muscle-bound sand ninja grabs hold of the cell bars and activates his Seven Heavenly Breaths jutsu, a taijutsu unique to him that is similar in concept to the Eight Gates; his eyes turn white, and his body expands slightly with his muscles becoming distinctly more prominent as he begins prying the bars open. ¡°AARGHHHHH¡­!¡± To everyone¡¯s shock and bewilderment, a powerful blast of condensed chakra flies right past the unsuspecting group of ninjas, completely incinerating Shira¡¯s back; the poor sand shinobi falls to the ground dead; the imprisoned women all scurry to the back of their cell, huddled together, trembling in terror. The group whips their heads around to see two enemy ninjas. One is a giant of a man with spiky, red-orange hair; his cheekbones are well-pronounced, and his eyes are gray; he wears a sleeveless blue shirt that is tucked into dark gray pants, which, in turn, are tucked into military-style boots. The pants are held up by a red belt, which matches a strap going across his chest from his right shoulder to under his left arm. This strap holds a large chakra cannon on his back while another cannon is attached directly onto his left forearm; smoke emanates from the weapon¡¯s nozzle. The other is a kunoichi, who wears a revealing red outfit, showing her midriff, arms, and legs with her white hair tied back by a multi-colored rope with bells attached to it; she has multiple tattoos that resemble flower petals on the left side of her midriff as well as her left leg where she also keeps an Anbu blade sheathed; she wears red high heeled sandals. Though the Anbu mask she wears is different, Jin recognizes her for who she truly is. Kagura and Bando, the main antagonists of the Clash of Ninja Revolution 2 game for the Wii¡­ GREAT, just fucking great¡­ A scowling Jin grits his teeth with a bead of sweat running down his face. ¡°What the hell?! You said you didn¡¯t sense any strong chakras!¡± Yomito snaps at the rogue. ¡°I can assure you; I didn¡¯t sense any strong chakra signatures in here. Th-They¡­¡± Jin¡¯s eyes grow wide from an epiphany. ¡°They must¡¯ve¡­ ¡­suppressed their chakras¡­ ¡­to the point where they¡¯d just blend in with the weaker ones¡­¡± ¡°Hmph, cute and smart.¡± Kagura says in a patronizing tone. Tensions run high as the two opposing groups are caught in a standoff; all it would take is a single measly spark, and then all Hell will break loose. ¡°Your reputation precedes you, Kagura. You may have been a terrorist¡­¡± The red-haired rogue chastises the kunoichi. ¡°But I never imagined you¡¯d stoop so low, becoming one of Moryo¡¯s lap dogs.¡± Kagura scoffs. ¡°How could I not? He gave me power¡­ Enough power to put that two-faced vixen, Tsunade, in her place and take my vengeance.¡± ¡°Moryo threw the world into chaos, treated these poor women like toys, and played king. ¡­Can you honestly side with someone like that?¡± Rito¡¯s brow furrows as he tries to reason with them. ¡°Hehehe¡­ Tsunade is dead, and the Leaf Village has been crushed, the Earth can burn for all I care¡­¡± The sadistic kunoichi brushes them off with a cold, callous laugh. ¡°*sigh* Bando, I grow weary of this conversation. Make sure their deaths are painful. Heheheh¡­¡± ¡°Understood, ma¡¯am.¡± The arms dealer charges up his chakra cannon once more. ¡°Crystal Style: Crystal Encampment Wall!¡± Just as Bando is about to fire another blast, a determined Rito quickly steps into the forefront of the group and weaves a series of hand signs. Shortly after, a red crystalline wall erupts from the ground, blocking Bando¡¯s cannon fire and kicking up a thick cloud of dust. ¡°Hmm¡­ Not bad at all¡­ Try this on for size¡­!¡± Immediately bursting forth from the dust cloud are several kunai coated in lighting chakra with a thin strand chakra string attached to each. Jin¡¯s eyes widen with horror as he watches each blade pierce straight through the crystal barrier, plunging deep into Rito¡¯s stomach, chest, and neck; blood pours from the genius¡¯ wounds as he slowly stumbles back. The panicking Jin quickly races to his friend¡¯s side and catches him before he falls; his heart sinks as he watches his friend cough up blood; the red-headed rogue wants to say something, but he just can¡¯t find the words. With a heavy heart, Jin is left helpless as he watches the light fade from Rito¡¯s eyes, his crystalline barrier shatters upon his death. With tears in his eyes, all the rogue shinobi can do is close his friend¡¯s eyes and quietly give a small prayer. ¡­Father-God, if you¡¯re real¡­ PLEASE guide this one to the promised land for he was too good for this world¡­ ¡°Hehe¡­ Hahahaha! Bwa hahahaha!! 2 pieces of filth down, 3 to go!¡± Kagura chuckles in amusement. ¡°That ¡®filth¡¯ as you so-eloquently put it, was my best friend, and you just killed him¡­!¡± Jin¡¯s blood boils as he faces his adversaries, his fists clench to the point that blood drips from them. ¡°You¡¯ll die for that, BITCH! UwaaaaAAAAAARGH!!!¡± After releasing an intense rage-fueled battle cry, Jin charges headfirst towards the two enemy combatants; using the Asura Path, he grows two extra pairs of arms and bladed tail-like appendage sprouts from his lower back. The rogue leaps for the money-grubbing Bando first, his fingers digging firmly into the arms dealer¡¯s head; Jin pulls back his thumbs and thrusts them into Bando¡¯s eyes, gouging them out. ¡°AAAAAAAAAAAAARRGHH!!!¡± Bando screams in agony, writhing in pain; his face contorts to the point that it cannot be recognized as human. ¡°NEITHER OF YOU FUCKERS WILL SEE THE END OF THIS DAY!¡± Jin¡¯s hate for the two ninja runs so deep that he can no longer perceive them as people, but rabid animals to be put down. A callous Jin ignores the wailing while he reaches for the arms dealer¡¯s broad shoulders with his four extra arms; he holds onto them tightly and pulls, ripping both of Bando¡¯s arms clean off of his body. ¡°EEEEYYAAAAAAAA¨C!¡± The arms dealer¡¯s painful cries are cut short as Jin has just snapped his neck; the rogue ninja releases his grip on the giant¡¯s head, allowing the corpse to slump to the ground. The Uzumaki turns his cold gaze on the trembling Kagura, who slowly backs away with her Anbu blade drawn; she¡¯s not laughing anymore, realizing her current situation. ¡°I am the Great Lady Kagura, who are you to threaten ME?!¡± The kunoichi shouts, her voice trembling with a mix of rage and terror. ¡°I am an echo of a dead world, a doomed timeline, demanding blood be spilled for the blood we lost.¡± Jin answers while taking a step closer to his target. The trembling Kagura flinches away as the rogue ninja steps closer and closer to her. ¡°Back off¡­ GET AWAY FROM ME!¡± The cornered kunoichi swings her sword. Jin swiftly blocks with his tail, forcing Kagura to stagger; he immediately uses the opening to sever both of her arms, using the blade on his tails with a single strike. ¡°Ngh¡­ Gagh¡­ Ugh¡­ M-My hands¡­! You cut off my hands¡­! Gagh!¡± The reeling Kagura stumbles back, blood gushes from her wounds. Jin callously ignores Kagura¡¯s writhing as he rips off her mask before backhanding the rogue kunoichi with the deceased Bando¡¯s severed left arm; she falls flat on her back with her bloodied and wrinkled face visible for all to see. ¡°There are no words to describe how few fucks I give¡­ You¡¯re going to die here unknown and unmourned.¡± Jin takes another step toward her, maintaining his cold glare; he discards the arm and retracts all of his extra appendages. The red-haired rogue looms over the kunoichi, he gives her one final leer with a cold and venomous fire in his eyes. The furious Jin quietly kneels down before the terrorized Kagura; he produces a chakra receiver from his right palm and thrusts it forward, stabbing the kunoichi straight through her jugular. Even as Jin watches the light fade from Kagura¡¯s eyes, he quickly notices that his pain and anger haven¡¯t left him. ¡­My friends are all dead¡­ ¡­I have no home to return to¡­ ¡­All of my dreams have been crushed¡­ Teary-eyed, Jin silently laments at his losses; he takes Kagura¡¯s mask and wears it as a sign of disrespect. ¡°*inhale* *exhale* ¡­Hokuto. Yomito.¡± ¡°Y-Ye¡­ Y-Yes!¡± The star ninja timidly responds, shocked and terrified over what has just transpired. ¡°Take the women and leave this place¡­ I¡¯m going back to the past, before the war. There¡¯s nothing here for me now.¡± Not wanting to waste any more time, Jin somberly reaches into his cloak and pulls out the ancient Otsutsuki artifact, Karasuki. The pink turtle pokes his head out from his blue shell. ¡°Master-Jin, what are your orders?¡± ¡°Take me back, back to the Chunin Exams when I was just a young child.¡± Chapter 98: Fighting Fate ¡°Fuck me dead¡­¡± Rito mutters with a stunned look on his face. ¡°How¡¯d we survive that bloody hellscape for 15 years? I would¡¯ve defo become as mad as a meat ax in a month.¡± After Jin extracted Echo¡¯s soul, the team was overcome with a quiet horror as they digested the memories and knowledge the now late Echo possessed. The Onikage silently stares at his future-counterpart with an immense sense of empathy; he notices the peaceful yet faint smile on the time-traveler¡¯s motionless face. Messaging her temples, Ayanami looks at Jin with mixed emotions. ¡°You just watched your own death, are you alright?¡± ¡°I-I¡­ I don¡¯t k-know¡­¡± Jin answers, stammering. Due to all the intense emotions the Onikage experienced when fighting Menma, Madara, Moryo, and Kaguya, his brain turned off his ability to feel emotions; he is unable to feel anything unless it is related to something he already has strong emotions for. While Jin continues to observe his deceased counterpart, he sees Mileena separate from him; the symbiote reaches for Echo¡¯s face and with great speed and precision, she carefully plucks out his eyes. ¡°Well, that¡¯s not morbid and ghoulish.¡± Disgusted by her actions, Rito shakes his head. Mileena meekly looks at the young genius and shrugs. ¡°What? He said to take his eyes.¡± ¡°Where are you going to put them?¡± Rito asks. The symbiote simply reaches into her biomass and pulls out a small jar, containing an incubation fluid. ¡°Obito had tons of these.¡± Jin just looks on as Mileena places both the Rinnegan and Byakugan in the container and puts the container itself back into her biomass to be hidden away until the eyes are needed again. ¡°*YAWN*¡± The team''s attention immediately shifts toward Rito, they see bags form under the young genius¡¯ eyes while his body sways back and forth; his eyelids steadily grow heavier as the seconds pass by until he can no longer stand and collapses, but Mileena quickly catches him before he touches the ground. ¡°Is he okay?¡± Ayanami asks with a concerned look. ¡°¡­zzz¡­zzz¡­zzz¡­¡± Mileena examines the boy and replies, ¡°He¡¯s fine, he just crashed.¡± ¡°Oh, right¡­¡± Jin breathes a sigh of relief and facepalms. ¡°I keep forgetting that he¡¯s trapped in the body of a prepubescent child.¡± The team is reminded of the fact that they just fought in a three-day-long war with little to no sleep and fought numerous battles that decided the fate of the world. Anyone would pass out after enduring all of that, especially an eleven-year-old boy. ¡°¡­about you, Sasuke? The answer you gave back then¡­¡± The Sage of Six Paths queries. Upon hearing these words, Jin and Ayanami¡¯s attention returns to the main plot of the story; they turn around and watch history unfold with intent expressions. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t mind if you free them. But only after¡­¡± While answering, Sasuke¡¯s facial expression changes from stoic to one of cold determination. ¡°I execute the 5 Kage while they¡¯re still hypnotized.¡± ¡°What?! Sasuke! Are you still planning on getting revenge?!¡± A bewildered Kakashi gasps, his eyes wide like saucers. With a clear voice, the last Uchiha calmly responds, ¡°It¡¯s true that up until now, destruction and revenge were my only goals. But that¡¯s changed.¡± Here we go¡­ Jin sits through his former teammate¡¯s monologue; he is just too tired to care, either way. ¡°I¡¯m going to destroy, and then rebuild. I¡¯m going to create a village¡­ a world without darkness. In other words, what I wish for is¡­¡± Sasuke continues with sinister undertones. ¡°Revolution. And you tailed beasts¡­ I¡¯m putting all of you under my control and eventually I¡¯ll get rid of you as well!¡± ¡°What did you just say?!¡± Kurama growls. Tensions rise once more as the Nine-Tailed Fox prepares to strike at Sasuke. However, with a single glance, the rogue ninja puts Kurama and the rest of his ilk under a genjutsu; the tailed beasts are all frozen in place with their eyes glowing purple. ¡°Kurama!¡± Naruto shouts with worry. With a forlorn look, Hagoromo faces the Child of Prophecy. ¡°Naruto, it has ended up as I feared¡­ I¡¯ve no choice, but to trust you to handle this. I can¡¯t stay in this world for much longer, I shall soon fade away.¡± ¡°Yeah, and I¡¯ll apologize for this too, Six Paths Super Gramps¡­ But it ain¡¯t gonna go like it did with your kids.¡± Naruto wears a look of fierce tenacity. ¡°That¡¯s because I¡¯m not Asura, and Sasuke isn¡¯t Indra either.¡± ¡°This is so stupid¡­¡± Ayanami quietly mutters; she shakes her lowered head and facepalms. Jin looks over to the kunoichi and sees that she is very much annoyed at what they are currently bearing witness to; he finds himself somewhat agreeing with her. Infusing chakra, Sasuke claps his hands together. ¡°Catastrophic Planetary Devastation!¡± This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. The ground trembles as the nine tailed beasts rise into the air with sections of the terrain breaking off and clinging onto them. The debris and rubble continue to cling to them until they are trapped in nine small, perfectly round satellites. ¡°It¡¯s up to you, Naruto!¡± Kurama yells just before being sealed away. ¡°Because of this war, I¡¯ve become quite familiar with the power and abilities of the Rinnegan,¡± Sasuke says aloud. ¡°And all those in my way are gone¡­ Except for you, Naruto.¡± Jin looks on as the two protagonists face each other; he feels his skin crawl the moment he realizes the tension has risen to the point where it overshadows the battles with Madara, Moryo, and Kaguya. With a fire in his eyes, the hero takes a deep breath before uttering, ¡°This battle between brothers is gonna end here and now.¡± ¡°As expected. I¡¯ll have to deal with you first.¡± Sasuke says before walking off in that direction. ¡°Wait, Sasuke! What about Sakura?!¡± The exhausted Copy Ninja cradles the medic ninja¡¯s body; the pain in his eyes is clear for all to see. ¡°Even at the end, all she wanted was to save you. She continued to shed tears for YOU¡­ because loving you was torturing her!¡± Sasuke continues walking, dismissing him. ¡°A chain from our failed past. And nothing more.¡± The rogue ninja runs away, his destination is his and Naruto¡¯s chosen spot for their final battle. ¡°Long ago¡­ I made a promise to Sakura¡­ that I would bring Sasuke back. And I never go back on my word, that¡¯s my ninja way.¡± Naruto says firmly. ¡°Here I go!!¡± ¡°Naruto! Wait!¡± Ayanami speaks up, grabbing everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°Not only did we just come out of a war, we fought a literal god and a demon lord¡­ And you two still look for an excuse to keep fighting?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ayanami, but¡­ it¡¯s something I have to do.¡± As the hero storms off, chasing after his self-proclaimed best friend, the Onikage sees Ayanami cringing in annoyance; his friend is clearly unsatisfied with Naruto¡¯s response. ¡°Love and affection are difficult things¡­ I too had two children at one time, I loved both of them, and they both loved and revered me, but entrusted everything only to the younger brother¡­¡± Hagoromo begins to monologue out loud as to impart some form of wisdom or hope. ¡°That became the catalyst for the older brother to begin hating me and his brother, love had transformed into hate. What formed the current Sasuke is none other than the loss of love in the past, Madara is the same.¡± ¡°Are you saying that Sasuke will suffer the same fate as Madara?¡± Kakashi asks, gently setting Sakura on the ground. ¡°No, not at all. I also want to make the future a better place in¨C¡± ¡°Lord Hagoromo, with all due respect¡­ PLEASE stop talking.¡± Ayanami interrupts the Sage of Six Paths with a firm tone. ¡°You¡¯ve been dead for thousands of years, yet had the power to intervene at any point during that time¡­ And all you did was WATCH. You have no right to talk about the living world¡¯s future. No right at all.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Jin¡¯s interest has been piqued by where this conversation is going. ¡°If you have the power to enact meaningful change on the world then do it.¡± The young Hyuga continues to speak truth to power. ¡°By being a bystander, you¡¯ve allowed evil to win time and time again.¡± Hagoromo¡¯s brow furrows. ¡°Oh, then let me ask you: What is needed for peace? Love or power?¡± ¡°What a stupid question¡­ It¡¯s BOTH, the answer is both.¡± Jin exclaims, he can¡¯t help but scoff at the Father of all Shinobi¡¯s naivete. ¡°Power is needed to protect those you care for and your ideals while love is needed to temper power. For without love, power enables you to be the worst version of yourself.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ surprisingly philosophical of you.¡± Ayanami finds herself agreeing. The Onikage shrugs. ¡°I have my moments.¡± Hagoromo¡¯s eyes widened at their words. ¡°Hmmm¡­ It would appear that a new path has potentially made itself known in these 2.¡± ¡°Mileena? Did any of those chakra pills on Rito¡¯s person survive the battle?¡± The leaf kunoichi asks. Confused, Jin watches as the symbiote creates hordes of small tendrils that envelop Rito¡¯s body, searching vigilantly through his possessions. ¡°There are 2 left.¡± Mileena curtly responds. ¡°Hey, Ayanami? What¡¯re you up to--OH, never mind, I see where you¡¯re going with this¡­ I¡¯m game if you are!¡± Jin understands what his friend is plotting and is all for it. ¡­Eh, I have nothing else going on at the moment. Why not? Now that I think about it¡­ somewhere deep down inside, I¡¯m genuinely curious as to which of us is stronger¡­ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°I learned everything from people of the past! It¡¯s because I had my friends that I was able to move forward!¡± The stubborn hero declares, balling his fists. ¡°They¡¯re what created the me that¡¯s here now! I¡¯m never going to let you cut that away!!¡± Choosing the Final Valley as the site of their final battle, Naruto Uzumaki stands tall atop the statue of Hashirama Senju as he stares down his so-called friend, Sasuke Uchiha, who stands firmly on Madara Uchiha¡¯s carving; both ninja are unyielding in their dreams and ambitions. Seeing their debate going nowhere fast, the last of the Uchiha stoically responds with, ¡°Then¡­ you must know what you need to do.¡± The two boys go silent as memories flash in their minds; they see the moments when they first met, when they became members of Team 7, when they departed, and lastly, when they reunited after three years had passed. The only thing that can be heard is the roaring of the waterfall which runs betwixt the two giant statues. Two leaves slowly sink into the lake, but are blown away by a gust of wind. Just as the former teammates prepare to jump and charge at each other, Naruto senses two powerful chakras converging on their location. The oblivious Hero of the Leaf looks to his left and sees Ayanami rocketing toward them; she reactivates her Tenseigan Chakra Mode as she lands a devastating right hook on Sasuke, sending him flying; the shockwaves cause cracks to form the statue¡¯s head. The Hyuga quickly chases after the Uchiha. ¡°Ayanami, stop! I¡¯m the one to¨C?!¡± The hero is cut off by the sensation of a hand grabbing his leg. Naruto lowers his gaze and sees a red chakra arm holding onto his leg; it has a tight grip. The confused hero¡¯s gaze follows the length of the arm until he spots a smug Jin, standing on the lake at the base of the waterfall and statues. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°GET OVER HERE!!!¡± Jin roars. With one great heave, the Onikage pulls Naruto off the statue, dragging him down to his level. Once he¡¯s fallen close enough, Jin jumps into the air and swiftly kicks Naruto square in the jaw; he loses a tooth on impact. The Onikage carries on with his assault by continuing to boot the hero more and more, his feet moving in a circular motion like they are pedaling a bicycle. I¡¯ve always wanted to do that¡­! Jin grins with excitement. ¡°I can see the headlines now: Ayanami Hyuga thwarts Sasuke Uchiha¡¯s assassination attempt, and Naruto Uzumaki gets his ass kicked by Jin Uzumaki! TMZ¡¯s got the video!¡± Chapter 99: Hinder Your Hero Sasuke and Ayanami engage each other in taijutsu, their battle is something akin to a martial hurricane; they back and forth almost like a dance. The stoic Uchiha can read her movements, but it doesn¡¯t help him in the slightest since the heroic Hyuga can read his own movements. Strange, isn¡¯t it? His Rinnegan and Curse Mark are matching my Tenseigan Chakra Mode¡­ The kunoichi assesses her foe¡¯s power; she has a calm demeanor but is still somewhat annoyed. Jin¡­! Did you HAVE to give him that gelel stone?! Sasuke throws a left hook, but Ayanami catches it in her right hand; she quickly counters with a haymaker, using her free hand. However, the rogue ninja catches her fist with his. The two wind up in a grappling match with neither side giving an inch. Neither side will bend the knee. ¡°Sasuke! I want you to know that your plan won''t work because there¡¯s one single flaw, one major flaw that you¡¯re not seeing.¡± The young Hyuga sneers. ¡°Flaw¡­?¡± The last Uchiha¡¯s eyes narrow. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll humor you¡­ what is my fatal shortcoming?¡± Ayanami thinks back to a conversation she previously had with Jin.

????? Sometime ago, back when Ayanami and Jin were training to get used to their Six Paths power-up, they took a day to rest. On the day, Rito and Jaeger accompanied them into the mindscape where they would go on to watch various shows and movies from their past lives. ¡°What¡¯re you talking about? Naruto¡¯s path to peace is by far the better option.¡± The young Hyuga argues. After watching Naruto and Sasuke¡¯s final battle, Jin and Ayanami got into a debate over who had the better argument in the end; Jin took Sasuke¡¯s side while Ayanami took Naruto¡¯s. The only thing that they can agree on however is that both choices are, at best, only half right. ¡°If you honestly believe the world will just come together, hold hands, and sing Kumbaya¡­ you¡¯re even more naive than I thought.¡± Jin claims. The young Hyuga is flabbergasted by what she is hearing. ¡°Sasuke actually believes he could do it all on his own.¡± ¡°I never said his plan was thought out,¡± Jin reasons. ¡°It just needs some adjustments for it to work¡­ Even with immortality and reincarnation granted by the Rinnegan, with Sasuke''s revolution, he would still need an army. Or a really good team.¡±

????? ¡°It¡¯s that you honestly think you can do EVERYTHING on your own¡­¡± Ayanami says ominously. The sly kunoichi uses one of Sasuke¡¯s hands to weave hand signs, the rogue ninja¡¯s eyes focus on their hands; she takes advantage of the opening by immediately kneeing Sasuke hard in his chin; he grits his teeth due to the pain. With a flap of his webbed-claw-shaped wings, the rogue shinobi quickly puts some distance between them. ¡°You¡¯ve never been alone,¡± The kunoichi continues. ¡°You¡¯ve had help every step of the way!¡± Just as the young Hyuga pulls out the Blade of the Thunder God, Sasuke draws his Sword of Kusanagi and channels a Chidori through it. The two combatants rush each other with a flurry of fast and precise strikes; blue and yellow sparks are created each time their blades clash. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Naruto should still have a few Truth-Seeker Orbs left; I need to get rid of them¡­ The agile Jin jumps into the air and performs the splits, kicking away two enemy shadow clones. ¡°Wind Style: Vacuum Bullets.¡± ¡°Woah!¡± The Onikage spews forth a volley of bullets of compressed air; Naruto activates his Chakra Mode and swiftly runs along the surface of the lake, and narrowly weaves his way through most of the projectiles. The hero counters the last one by throwing one of his orbs at it; the Truth-Seeker Orb manages to block the air bullet but is sent flying away far out of Naruto¡¯s reach. ¡°Jin! What do you think you¡¯re doing?!¡± The hyperactive knucklehead shouts. You can do this, Jin¡­ You got this, man¡­ you got this! Giving himself a pep talk, the Onikage readies himself for his next move. ¡°Helping Ayanami achieve her dream. She wants to be the greatest ninja ever¡­ Greater than you and Sasuke.¡± While Jin is being honest about helping Ayanami with her endeavors, there is another reason that he keeps to himself; to the Onikage this battle is a test for himself. If the Rinnegan user can defeat Naruto while he is in his ¡®end of series form,¡¯ he will finally, truly have the personal agency to achieve his own goals, on his own terms. The combative Jin performs a backflip, using the momentum to propel himself high into the air; he builds up chakra and focuses it into a point in his chest, kneading it into fire; he unleashes a Giant Fireball Jutsu with heat so intense, the water boils profusely just from being near it. However, Naruto quickly produces a massive chakra arm and catches the fireball; he braces himself as he tries to stave the attack off. ¡°There¡¯s no reason for us to fight! The world¡¯s finally at peace!¡± The hero shouts trying to reason with the Onikage. Don¡¯t underestimate him, Jin, this is the main character we¡¯re talking about. Use every trick, every jutsu at your disposal to win¡­ The ever-resourceful Jin uses the Body Flicker to increase his speed and disappears, reappearing right behind the chosen one. ¡°The peace won¡¯t last. Could be years, decades, or even centuries from now, the people WILL start fighting again. It¡¯s only a matter of time.¡± The Onikage forms a Rasengan in his right hand and shoves it into Naruto¡¯s back; the hero quickly diverts one of his Truth-Seeker Orbs to block the jutsu, but it is destroyed, and he is sent flying deep into the lake anyway; the water splashes so high, it nearly reaches the heads of the statues. A pair of colossal chakra arms suddenly erupt from the water, leaving the Onikage in awe; one of the arms throws a mighty punch, knocking him back, but he swiftly recovers and turns tail and runs as the two chakra arms quickly chase after him. Jin rushes up the Hashirama statue and just as the arms are about to catch him, he forms a skeletal Susano¡¯o; he has his avatar cut the arms with a single slash of his sword. Once the electricity forces him out, then I¡¯ll get him¡­ Jin strategizes as he wipes the blood from his face; he makes two shadow clones. ¡°Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!¡± One Jin-clone spews out massive amounts of water that quickly takes the form of a legendary reptile. ¡°Purple Lighting!¡± A powerful bolt of violet electricity jets out of the other clone¡¯s left hand, and merges with the Water Dragon. The Lightning Water Dragon hovers in the air, circling the circumference of the lake before diving into its center; large amounts of steam are created as electricity courses through the body of water. Not even a full second passes before Naruto blasts out of the lake and hovers; jolts of purple electricity occasionally fly off of his body. Just as planned! The smug Onikage grins with satisfaction. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. Jin eagerly makes his Susano¡¯o sword elongate, transforming into a bladed whip; he strikes at the hero, who sees it coming and sends three more orbs to block it. The Truth-Seeker Orbs manage to successfully deflect the whip, but at the cost of them being destroyed. Is he just holding back or am I THAT strong? Maybe something¡¯s up with his plot armor¡­? The Onikage finds it odd that he¡¯s performing so well; he doesn¡¯t hate it though, scoffing, ¡°And your dream is to become Hokage? You were a nobody when I met you! You will be dust when I¡¯m through with you!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t wanna fight you¡­ We have no reason to fight, the ninja world is actually united right now!¡± Naruto continues to speak his rhetoric. ¡°That¡¯s only because they shared common enemies in Madara and the Akatsuki, but they¡¯re gone now. The people will find reasons to start fighting again.¡± Jin argues back. The two Uzumakis charge at each other and engage in a mid-air grappling match; neither side will give in, their beliefs are strong and unyielding. The Onikage grits his teeth as he tries to gain an advantage, straining the muscles in his arms. ¡°For the record, I DO understand you¡­¡± ¡°Then why are we fighting?!¡± The hero asks, shouting. ¡°You didn¡¯t let me finish¡­ I understand your perspective, I just don¡¯t agree with it. It¡¯s childish and naive. It completely ignores the darker side of humanity.¡± Both Jin and Naruto wind their heads back and headbutt one another, causing a massive shockwave out which cracks the statues; they quickly pull away from each other, but not before the sly Onikage swipes the hero¡¯s leaf shinobi headband right off his head. ¡°Hey! Give that back!¡± The enraged Naruto yells. ¡°Wait¡­ What¡¯d you say? ¡®Martha¡¯?¡± Jin says with a confused tone, tilting his head to one side. Naruto drops his guard, completely bewildered by what the Onikage just asked; he had used a name that does not exist in this world¡¯s history and culture. ¡°Eh? Come again?¡± The hero¡¯s eyes wince, his head tilts to one side. Jin¡¯s eyes brighten up; they sparkle with joy and excitement. ¡°Did you just say your mother¡¯s name is ¡®Martha?¡¯ MY mother¡¯s name is Martha! Oh, my god¡­ This changes everything, y¡¯know? We¡¯re friends now!¡± ¡°I think I knocked a screw loose,¡± Naruto says while scratching the back of his head. ¡°Hey¡­ My mom¡¯s name is Kushina.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Well, fuck you, then.¡± Jin narrows his eyes; a fire burns in them. Suddenly, from out of nowhere, a Jin-clone comes rocketing toward an unsuspecting Naruto and bodychecks him with the force of a hurtling meteor, sending him flying to the far side of the lake; the hero crashes into the trees, kicking up a tall, thick dust cloud. ¡°I can¡¯t believe that worked!¡± From ear-to-ear, Jin grins with satisfaction. I saw it, I did it, and still can¡¯t believe it¡­! Channeling chakra into his arm, enhancing his strength, Jin crushes the headband he is holding into a small metal ball and nonchalantly tosses it aside. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *CLANG!* Meanwhile, above the waterfall, Ayanami and Sasuke are in a heated sword fight; their movements are so fast, they are imperceptible to an elite jonin or even a Kage of Hashirama¡¯s caliber. The kunoichi aims a slash at the rogue ninja¡¯s side, but he quickly alters the direction of his blade and parries. Ungh¡­! There are no flaws in his swordplay, I need to make an opening¡­ Ayanami winces in pain as the Uchiha has just nicked her on the cheek. The kunoichi raises her sword and, with both hands, brings it down hard on Sasuke, who uses his own blade to block it; the rogue ninja balls up his right like a fist and swings at Ayanami, who is subsequently knocked away. The rogue ninja quickly lunges for his foe, running his blade straight through her heart. ¡°Heh!¡± Ayanami gives the last Uchiha a smug grin. Sasuke¡¯s eyes pop open with shock as he watches the crafty kunoichi turn into a wooden statue; she had substituted herself with a wood clone. The rogue ninja whips his head around only for the real Ayanami to land a devastating roundhouse punch to his face, sending him flying; he skids across the water¡¯s surface before recovering. ¡°Tch! All I need to do is erase the 3 of you, and then no one will be able to stand in the way of my revolution!¡± Infusing chakra, Sasuke crafts his Perfect Senjutsu Susano¡¯o; the water ripples from its overwhelming power. Ayanami hurriedly builds up chakra and weaves the snake sign. ¡°Sage Art: Wood Style Wooden Kaiju Jutsu!¡± The ground trembles, and water ripples violently as a giant, wooden reptile bursts from under the ground where the undeterred Hyuga stands; its mighty tail whips the ground, causing a localized seismic event. ¡°RAWWWRR!!¡± The statue takes a deep breath and releases an Earth-splitting roar. Both Ayanami and Sasuke throw haymakers at each other; their avatars¡¯ fists clash, sending out powerful shockwaves for miles. The rogue ninja throws a sword strike, but the kunoichi quickly blocks them with her golem¡¯s right forearm and turns to deflect the second one with her tail. This golem was made to be more intricate than the last one; the tunnel system in its body now not only allows it to roar, but it can also perform one other function. *VWOOM* *VWOOM* Ayanami amasses large amounts of chakra in her reptilian statue; the jagged trees that make up its dorsal plates begin to glow from the tip of the tail to the back of its head. The trees glow brighter and brighter as seconds pass. *VWOOM* *VWOOM* *VWOOM* *VWOOM* *VWOOM* The kunoichi fires a fierce beam of condensed lightning chakra at the rogue shinobi, forcing him back; numerous hairline cracks form all throughout his Susano¡¯o. Still being forced back, Sasuke holds out his left hand with quiet determination and throws a Kirin at Ayanami; in a flash, she is bombarded by lightning, and the subsequent explosion is massive, damaging the kunoichi¡¯s golem and interrupting her beam. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°I don''t know who I¡¯m madder at,¡± Naruto says as he rises to his feet, rubbing his head. ¡°Jin for pulling that stunt or me for falling for it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll never understand why my jinchuriki has to be such an idiot¡­¡± The cringing Kurama sighs with frustration from the seal. ¡°What''re you talking about, Kurama?¡± The confused hero inquires. The Nine-Tails facepalms while explaining, ¡°Jin tricked you into sacrificing your Truth-Seeker Orbs, and is using your own naivete against you. Ignore his words and pay attention to his actions!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I hear ya loud and clear, Kurama.¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- While Jin waits patiently for Naruto to reveal himself, he notices Ayanami¡¯s battle with Sasuke in the corner of his eye; it¡¯s escalated to the point where they¡¯ve unleashed their avatars. Oh, wow¡­ Things are really heating up over there¡­ We should do the same, eh, Naruto? Jin¡¯s Rinnegan eyes turn red as he amasses chakra. First the golden-yellow skeleton forms, then the musculature, followed by the skin. Lastly, the armor forms around the construct with Jin standing in the forehead of his Perfect Susano¡¯o; he holds out his right arm and forms a Gelel Rasengan. ¡°C¡¯mon, Naruto! Don¡¯t have any more fight left in you? Or are you just chickening out?!¡± The Onikage yells into the ether, taunting the protagonist. The leaf hero rises into the air, in the head of his Kurama Mode; a fire burns brightly in his eyes. ¡°Alright, Jin¡­ You want a fight? You¡¯ve just got one!¡± Naruto charges at Jin while forming a Tailed Beasts Bomb in his mouth just as the latter comes, rocketing in with his Susano¡¯o Gelel Rasengan. Jin braces himself and shoves his hand forward as the hero mirrors the Onikage¡¯s movements; their jutsu collide. Their clash sends out powerful waves of chakra that scar the immediate vicinity, incinerating everything nearby; Jin struggles to keep his hand steady as he attempts to win the struggle. Sparks violently fly out of the point of impact as Jin and Naruto smash their attacks more and more into each other until they cancel each other out, resulting in a colossal explosion that envelops them. Chapter ★100★: Fight on Your Terms The emotionally drained Jin opens his eyes and finds himself floating in the mysterious void that connects the mental spaces between two powerful shinobi by way of combat. Just a few yards in front of the jaded ninja lies Naruto, who stares back at him; his expression reeks of frustration and tenacity. ¡°I¡¯ll keep holding out my hand until you take it! I never compromise and I never go back on my word, that¡¯s my ninja way!¡± The hero states with a fire in his eyes. ¡°Compromise is just another part of growing up¡­ Wake up to reality, ¡®Chosen One¡¯,¡± The Onikage sighs while shutting his eyes and shaking his head. ¡°Just face the facts, we both have our own styles, and we won¡¯t change.¡± Tilting his head to the side, Naruto raises a brow. ¡°¡­Ch-Chosen One? What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°OH, you didn¡¯t KNOW~? So let me tell you¡­ You are the Child of Prophecy; you were destined to either save the world or destroy it.¡± Jin forces a coy smile as he talks. ¡°Your fate was predetermined LONG before you were even born, and you just saved the world, fulfilling the prophecy. Congratulations!¡± ¡°That¡¯s a lie, every choice I¡¯ve ever made was my own! I write my own destiny!¡± Naruto roars with furrowed eyes. The Onikage simply shrugs, maintaining his smug grin. ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, you can go to Mt. My¨­boku and ask Fukasaku or the Great Toad Sage, Gamamaru, but let me ask you this: didn¡¯t you ever think it was weird how you just miraculously survived ordeals that one normally wouldn¡¯t?¡± Before the hero can even begin to process Jin¡¯s question, everything fades to white as their spiritual conversation comes to an end. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The two Uzumaki clan members are forced back by the explosion. Jin quickly recovers and stops himself from being sent further back; with a glance he sees that he and Ayanami are hovering back-to-back. Shortly after the battle escalated, all four shinobi have received noticeable, but not debilitating damage to their respective avatars. ¡°How¡¯re you holding up?¡± Jin asks, continuing to face Naruto. ¡°A few cuts and bruises, but I¡¯m pushing through,¡± Ayanami responds with her eyes fixed on Sasuke. ¡°And you?¡± ¡°Just dandy.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve had enough.¡± The rogue ninja weaves a single hand sign with a cold and menacing glare. Miles away, the nine satellites which contain the sealed tailed beasts suddenly rocket over to their battle; both Jin and Ayanami are in awe as they watch the small celestial bodies pass them by. The moons stop and float ominously in an imperfect ring as soon as they are right behind Sasuke. ¡°At this moment, I¡¯m the strongest in the whole world¨C¡± ¡°¨CAnd *I* for one would like to test that claim.¡± The kunoichi boldly interrupts the last Uchiha. Without hesitation, Sasuke absorbs the scatter chakra of the tailed beasts and merges it into his Susano¡¯o to serve as a vessel; his so-called ¡°Indra Susano¡¯o¡± is further augmented by the senjutsu chakra of his curse mark. To combat this, Jin swiftly overlays his onto Ayanami¡¯s wood kaiju, remaking their Majestic Attire avatar; their combined titan resembles a leaner Space Godzilla just like their previous one. The Hyuga calmly says, ¡°United, we stand¡­¡± ¡°¡­Divided, you fall.¡± Jin finishes with a forced devilish grin. Seeing the situation escalate even further, Naruto produces five shadow clones; each clone is suspended within their own Kurama avatar. ¡°The techniques the 3 of you use are symbols of your weakness.¡± Sasuke talks down to them, sneering. ¡°Yeah¡­ They¡¯re jutsu that only cover up your loneliness!¡± ¡°You¡¯re one to talk! You just borrowed power from the tailed beasts!¡± Ayanami shouts, speaking truth to power. ¡°Those eyes you¡¯re so fond of belong to Itachi!¡± ¡°Yeah, and the ONLY reason you still even have the Curse Mark is because of the gelel stone that *I* gave you!¡± Jin adds, pointing at himself. In a flash Sasuke appears before one of Naruto¡¯s clones and slams down his left heel on the fox¡¯s head, knocking the clone hard into the ground below. Jin and Ayanami rush at the rogue ninja and deliver an Earth-shattering headbutt; as the Uchiha is sent flying, they quickly reach for one of the remaining Narutos and crush its head in their hand, destroying both the clone and its Kurama avatar. The reincarnations take flight and ascend with the hero following close behind; they keep flying until they are hovering above the clouds. To their right is Sasuke, who arrived as soon as he caught himself, the exposed areas on his ethereal warrior flicker with lightning chakra. To their left is Naruto; his nine tails are all bristling. The four ninja all find themselves in a three-way deadlock; each of their avatars are poised to strike. ¡°Hey, Indra! Asura! If you can hear me, I just want you to know that Ayanami and I will reincarnate our souls as well!¡± Jin shouts, using the co-protagonists as mediums to speak to their original incarnations. ¡°BUT we won¡¯t be helping either of you! We¡¯ll keep fucking with both of you until you knock this shit off!¡± ¡°What?¡± The kunoichi gives a confused look. The Onikage quietly whispers back, ¡°Just go with it.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll just have to destroy your souls! So¡­Let¡¯s see how much chakra you have to stop THIS!¡± A grinning Sasuke retorts while amassing chakra. The last Uchiha focuses the tailed beast chakra he took into his avatar¡¯s hands, forming a bow and arrow which are composed entirely of lightning chakra; the crackling arrow emits a blinding light as the air around ninja shifts, coming to a complete stop. ¡°You ready, yet? Kurama?¡± Naruto asks with sweat running down his face. Jin and Ayanami can sense a surge of nature energy flowing directly into the hyperactive knucklehead; his Kurama construct and two remaining clones come together and fuse, taking his Asura Kurama form; he uses his right arms to create a Six Paths: Massive Rasenshuriken, and uses his left arms to create a Tailed Beast Bomb Rasenshuriken; both are infused with natural energy. Without saying a word, the reincarnations glance at each other and give a slight nod; they raise their arms into the air and channel their chakra into a single sphere of energy; to increase both the size and power of the energy ball, they infuse it with their six paths sage chakra as well as all five basic chakra natures along with Shadow and Light Styles. Ayanami goes on to add wood chakra while Jin imbues it with gelel energy; the energy ball¡¯s appearance goes through a whole rainbow of colors before turning a pure, majestic white hue; the sphere itself promotes a calm breeze away from it, which turns into a strong continuous gale wind and expels colorful bands of lights akin to an aurora borealis. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. ¡°¡°SIX PATHS: SPIRIT BOMB!!¡±¡± The two shout in unison. The four ninjas simultaneously launch their strongest jutsu from their respective avatars; the three attacks collide and in a blinding flash of light, the shinobi are all engulfed in a massive explosion so powerful that it changes the climate and ravages the terrain and surrounding land. The Hashirama and Madara statues are wholly and utterly demolished, reduced to a steaming pile of scorched rubble. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°*cough* *cough*¡± The coughing Jin¡¯s eyes pop open. Ungh¡­ All this pain¡­! But at least I¡¯m still alive¡­ For the Onikage, everything went black instantly once the light bathed them all. Aching everywhere, Jin stumbles while slowly getting back onto his feet; as his blurred vision clears, he sees that the terrain was altered from a valley to a rocky wasteland with a river cutting through it with he and the other three crashing around the body of running water. ¡°N-Not yet¡­ It¡¯s not over yet!¡± Naruto slowly gets back up. ¡°I¡¯ll never change my mind. I¡¯m just going to keep reaching my hand out to you both. Until I reach you!!¡± ¡°Jin! *huff* ¡­Are you alright?¡± Ayanami asks, breathing heavily; she has lost her flak jacket and a sleeve. ¡°I feel like shit¡­ but I¡¯m moving.¡± Without saying another word, Jin, Ayanami, and Naruto all trudge towards each other, and face one another head-on; they drag their feet from exhaustion. ¡°My will won¡¯t change either¡­ I¡¯m going to cut you all down.¡± With cold determination, Sasuke stoically walks forward to meet them. ¡°In order to end the path I¡¯ve walked so far¡­ None of us has much power lef¨C¡± ¡°HA! Shows what you know¡­ Jin, now!¡± Ayanami orders, interrupting the rogue ninja. The two reincarnations reach into their clothes and pull out the last two chakra food pills: they quickly shove them into their mouths and start chewing before the perplexed co-protagonists can say or do anything. A decent amount of their chakra reserves is restored, jumpstarting their healing factors; steam emanates from their injuries as they are rejuvenated. Building up chakra, the smug Jin weaves the ram hand sign. ¡°Sage Art: Mind Transmission Jutsu.¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°What the¨C?¡± Deeply puzzled, Naruto scans his surroundings, his head rapidly moving in all directions. The hero is no longer at the Final Valley, and the others are nowhere to be seen; he finds himself floating in a black void with what appear to be stars twinkling in the distance. There are no words to describe the tsunami of confusion that washes over him. ¡°What¡¯s goin¡¯ on? Where¡­ Where am I?¡± ¡°We¡¯re in a mental space that I like to call ¡®the Mindscape.¡¯ This domain was painstakingly created from the knowledge and memories of my friends and I,¡± A familiar voice says from behind; its tone is calm and soft spoken. ¡°This is where I¡¯m going to beat you.¡± Naruto whips his head around to find his cousin, Jin, has mysteriously appeared and is currently lounging around comfortably on a recliner by a fireplace with his head in a book. The hero is unfamiliar with the flimsy book as its cover has a picture of a man dressed in a black suit with green eyes, a red cape, and is covered in chains. Looking around, the curious Naruto repeats, ¡°The Mindscape?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. In here, imagination is reality and reality is imagination.¡± Jin continues with his explanation before muttering, ¡°God, I¡¯d kill for a cup of hot cocoa right about now¡­¡± ¡°So, what¡¯s your plan? Some super jutsu that I¡¯ve never heard of? Or are you gonna use my Rasenshuriken again¨C?!¡± The hero¡¯s query is interrupted due his mouth being webbed shut. ¡°Shush, blondie, and let the big man speak.¡± Says an unfamiliar voice. A man appears out of thin air, suspended in the air by a thread of webbing while upside down; he wears a red and blue costume with large, menacing white eyes and a spider emblem on his chest. ¡°Thanks, Spidey!¡± ¡°No problem-o! If you need me, I¡¯ve got a hot date with Black Cat. Ciao!¡± The amazing superhero waves goodbye before swinging away. ¡°Where were we? Oh, yeah¡­ You and I are stubborn to a fault,¡± The Onikage goes on to explain. ¡°It would boil down to a battle of wills, and yours is stronger than mine. HOWEVER, there are things that I¡¯m better at than you. Intellect. Knowledge. Imagination. THOSE are my real strengths.¡± Realizing what¡¯s about to occur, Naruto hurries and rips the webbing off his face. ¡°I know we¡¯re not really close, but we can stil¨C¡± ¡°Just drop it, Naruto, your Talk-no-Jutsu won¡¯t work on me.¡± Jin callously dismisses him; a sinister light flickers in his eyes. ¡°No more debate, the time for talk is over¡­ It¡¯s time for a DEATH BATTLE!!¡± *DING!* *DONG!* *DING!* *DONG!* The loud, clanging sound of a ringing bell reverberates from every and all directions with no discernible source in sight. ¡°I. Am. KROGAN!!¡± A deep and gruff voice roars. The hero turns back around and sees a large humanoid, reptile with blue eyes and cybernetic armor charging toward him; it winds its right arm back and throws a devastating punch at Naruto¡¯s face, knocking him down; he could feel his skull crack against the beast¡¯s knuckles. ¡°He¡¯s like me. Just a guy that loves adventure!¡± ¡°Unfortunately for him, his adventuring days are coming to an end.¡± Wha..? Wh-who¡­ ¡­said that? Naruto groggily picks himself up. The hero looks up and Jin has already vanished without a trace with two figures standing where he once was; one is covered in blue quills while the other¡¯s riddled with black quills and some red. In the blink of an eye, the two creatures run circles around the hyperactive knucklehead; they move so fast that they leave behind blue and orange wind. Naruto is helpless as he feels two spiked balls slam hard against his back, sending him flying; he crashes into a hard and cold surface. ¡­Ngh¡­ ¡­Just wh-what are these things¡­? Naruto thinks as he picks himself up, his face and back throb from those last few attacks. ¡°¡­Where am I now? Where¡¯d those things go¡­?!¡± To the bewildered leaf ninja¡¯s surprise, he is alone in a dark hallway; he can tell that the walls are made of metal with a single touch. Naruto¡¯s neck hairs stand on end when the ambience suddenly and ominously changes, becoming cold, very cold; it¡¯s as if the air has been poisoned by immense fear, rage, unyielding hate, indescribable pain, and eternal suffering. ¡°*Khhohhhhhh*¡­ *Pwhhhhrrr*¡­ *Khhohhhhhh*¡­ *Pwhhhhrrr*¡­¡± The hero¡¯s skin crawls just from hearing what can only assume is the automated, repetitive sound of low and raspy breathing. Readying himself for a fight, Naruto whips around and stares into the corridor¡¯s dark abyss; poised to strike, the hero begins infusing his chakra. ¡°*Khhohhhhhh*¡­ *Pwhhhhrrr*¡­¡± The whole passageway is promptly illuminated by a bright light, the luminosity emanates from a blade; its eerie red glow burns brightly. The wielder of the sword is a towering figure who¡¯s clad in black; his menacing helmet vaguely resembles what a samurai would don. ¡°Hey, freak-face! I dunno who you are, but you¡¯re in my way¡­¡± Naruto growls, producing over a dozen shadow clones. ¡°*Khhohhhhhh*¡­ *Pwhhhhrrr*¡­ *Khhohhhhhh*¡­ *Pwhhhhrrr*¡­¡± The dark figure doesn¡¯t respond to any of the leaf ninja¡¯s babbling; he slowly walks toward the hero while brandishing his blade in an intimidating fashion. Chapter 101: Jin and Ayanami The four shinobi are at a standoff with neither side giving an inch; they silently face each other. It is so quiet, the only sound that can be heard is the remnants of the waterfall and river; the lake no longer exists. The Final Valley is no longer a valley, but a ravine with a small stream running through it. Looks like Jin¡¯s got Naruto covered¡­ Ayanami takes note of the fact that the two Uzumakis haven¡¯t said or done anything for a whole minute. And that just leaves Sasuke¡­ Now¡­ How am I going to--?! Just as the kunoichi was planning her next move, the last Uchiha immediately breaks the stalemate; he reveals the summoning tag underneath his right wrist warmer, quickly summoning a pair of kunai and enhancing them with lightning chakra before throwing them at Jin, and then Sasuke makes a dash for Naruto with a Chidori in hand. The ever-swift Ayanami produces a chakra arm and knocks away the kunai just as they were mere inches away from hitting the Onikage; she hurries and out speeds the Uchiha, cutting off the rogue ninja from his target and grabs him by his left arm; he struggles to break free, but the kunoichi keeps a firm grip. ¡°Stop, Sasuke. You¡¯re done. It is over.¡± Ayanami speaks in a calm and clear manner while looking down on her adversary. ¡°Like you said, you¡¯re low on chakra; you can¡¯t even maintain your Curse Ma--?!.¡± To the kunoichi¡¯s surprise, she feels herself getting weaker, her chakra is being drained; she quickly notices being sucked out from the hand holding on to the rogue ninja. Battered and bruised, Sasuke stares at her coldly. ¡°This is just one of the many abilities of the Rinnegan. As somebody who possesses the eyes of the Uchiha, my victory is inev¨C¡± ¡°You talk as if chakra absorption is a power unique only to the Rinnegan,¡± Ayanami sighs while shaking her head. While the kunoichi deactivated her Chakra Mode to conserve her strength, the piercing gaze of her Tenseigan persists; her hand which holds onto Sasuke glows cyan-green as she takes back the chakra the rogue shinobi stole and then some; she looks down on the Uchiha with a look of disappointment. ¡°Shut up already¡­ Just let me cut you down!¡± An enraged Sasuke snarls through gritted teeth; his composure finally leaves him along with a portion of his remaining chakra. ¡°You¡¯re just as irritating as Naruto! Why don¡¯t you just finish me and be done with it already?!!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to kill you¡­¡± Ayanami¡¯s voice is calm and serene. Eyes squinting, the skeptical Uchiha is taken aback. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Make no mistake, I don¡¯t like you, but Jin and Naruto want to keep a meaningful connection with you¡­¡± The kunoichi continues. ¡°I¡¯m not sparing you out of mercy, but in honor of my friends¡¯ wishes.¡± Sasuke can¡¯t help, but scowl after hearing that one particular word, ¡°friend.¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Lava Style: Massive Rasenshuriken!¡± After accessing Son Gok¨±''s power, Naruto creates a giant Rasenshuriken with a lava-infused nucleus, the heat of which is so intense it causes the blades themselves to emit large amounts of steam; he throws the jutsu with great ferocity at the dark figure. ¡°*Khhohhhhhh*¡­ *Pwhhhhrrr*¡­ *Khhohhhhhh*¡­ *Pwhhhhrrr*¡­¡± The masked figure holds up his free hand just as the hero¡¯s jutsu is mere moments away from making direct contact. To his shock and bewilderment, Naruto¡¯s eyes jaw drops as he witnesses his projectile immediately come completely to a halt; it mysteriously hovers in midair, still spinning. ¡°*Khhohhhhhh*¡­ *Pwhhhhrrr*¡­ Don¡¯t be too proud of your strength, ¡®Chosen One.¡¯ Your sorcery is insignificant next to the power of the force. ¡­*Khhohhhhhh*¡­ *Pwhhhhrrr*¡­¡± With a simple gesture, the dark lord effortlessly sends the attack right back at its user; it moves at a much greater speed than when Naruto initially threw it. Just before the Rasenshuriken can detonate, the hero is quickly grabbed by one of his clones and thrown to the wayside; the ensuing explosion destroys all of his clones and the subsequent shockwaves sends him flying; he finds it difficult to breathe as the intense heat dries his nasal passages, bronchial tubes, and lunges, reducing his oxygen levels. I-I¡­ I used up too much chakra¡­ o-on that last jutsu¡­! Breathing heavily, Naruto weakly picks himself up, stumbling onto his feet. ¡°*huff* Jin¡­ *huff* c-c¡­come out and¡­ *huff* ¡­face me¡­!¡± The hyperactive knucklehead¡¯s challenge is met with pure, absolute silence; the dark figure who towers over Naruto fades to black, vanishing into thin air. ¡°One final question because we¡¯re in New York and I know that you love ninjas: do you happen to be a fan of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles?¡± The man with glasses on the far right asks. ¡°And if so, which is your favorite?¡± Back on his feet, the exhausted Naruto looks to his right and sees his cousin has suddenly appeared, standing right beside him; saying nothing, he silently glances at the hero before pointing forward. Confused, the leaf ninja peers ahead and spots a group of five sitting in chairs and discussing topics completely alien to him; the one in the center is a bespeckled woman while the other four are men. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The interpreter responds with, ¡°Yes, I do like them; I used to play the video games, in fact.¡± Jin quietly observes their conversation while a deeply confused Naruto scans his surroundings. The Onikage brought the hero to a memory he has of a New York Comic-Con interview from 2015; he never physically attended the event, but he was able to view the livestreams and videos posted on YouTube. ¡°Hey, Naruto? Do you see the guy sitting on the right side of the woman?¡± ¡°*huff* ¡­Y-Yeah, why? *huff*¡± The hero answers between breaths. ¡°That man is the very, VERY famous author, Masashi Kishimoto,¡± Jin calmly continues. ¡°He is your creator, your god.¡± Naruto furrows his brow as his head tilts to one side. ¡°Wh-What¡¯re you¡­ *huff* ¡­talking about¡­? *huff*¡± ¡°You, your friends and enemies, none of you are real. You never were real. You were all made up by some guy in Japan.¡± Jin looks down on the hero with a smug grin. The one thing fictitious characters have over real people is their indomitable will. The only way to truly beat Naruto is to BREAK him¡­ The reincarnation silently eyes Naruto, carefully observing his reactions; the hero takes several steps back; he grits his teeth and clenches his fists while glaring daggers at him. If Jin wasn¡¯t so emotionally fatigued, his self-satisfied look would be genuine, he would even be laughing. ¡°Destiny? I¡¯m not real¡­?! Are you freaking crazy?!¡± An outraged Naruto roars, adamantly denying such a preposterous claim. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare call me or my friends fake! EVERY choice I¡¯ve made has been my own, I make my own destiny!!¡± ¡°I already asked you: didn¡¯t you think it was odd that you just miraculously survived ordeals where your death was all, but assured?¡± ¡°Shut up! JUST SHUT UP! Keep your freaky ideas to yourself¡­ I won¡¯t believe it!!¡± The hero continues to reject such an assertion. ¡°It¡¯s a lie! It¡¯s a lie!! It¡¯s all a big¡­¡± ¡°Your mother, Kushina, told you the truth about what happened to both the Uzumaki clan and Hidden Eddy Village, didn¡¯t she?!¡± Jin asks, raising his voice as he slowly grows annoyed. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°¡­!!!¡± Naruto just stares at the Onikage with a look of pure dread and horror; his eyes are as wide as saucers. After taking a deep breath, Jin calmly continues. ¡°And you recently learned all the tailed beasts¡¯ real names in the jinchuriki¡¯s mental plane. What about the time when Iruka promoted you to Genin after you used the Multi-Shadow Clone jutsu on Mizuki?¡± To further prove his point, the Onikage goes through a list of events that only Naruto and a select few would know; he can see the realization as well as the despair steadily take root in the hero just by looking in his eyes. ¡°N-N¡­ No¡­ y-you¡¯re just l¡­ lying¡­¡± The Child of Prophecy stutters, still attempting to rebuff the argument. ¡°The whole idea behind Ninsh¨± is that people can understand each other, read each other¡¯s thoughts and emotions just from connecting their chakras, right?¡± Jin calmly queries; his grin gradually fades away. ¡°So, tell me, ¡®Hero:¡¯ what is my chakra saying now?¡± The Onikage can clearly see that his last question was the nail in the coffin for Naruto; the devastated hero lethargically takes another step back before stumbling, falling onto his behind; his sunken eyes are proof of his submergence into soul-sucking depression upon realizing the truth behind Jin¡¯s words. ¡°Stop whining and complaining or I¡¯ll take over your body for good, dammit!!¡± A disembodied, monstrous voice says. Jesus Christ¡­ What is it now?! Jin hangs his head, massaging his temples. Kurama emerges, erupting from the ground behind Naruto; he towers over the two shinobi with his fangs bared; his many bristling tails steeply slope upwards, and his ears are flattened to the side of his head. ¡°Stop listening to his poison,¡± Kurama orders his jinchuriki with a thundering voice. ¡°If you give up, you¡¯re not going back on your word, you¡¯re abandoning your comrades and what they stood for!¡± Jin¡¯s jaw drops as he watches Naruto slowly get back on his feet; he clenches his fists and stares down the Onikage with a renewed flame in his eyes. All the Onikage can do is facepalm with immense exasperation. Of course, Naruto would fucking get back up¡­! The damn narrative won¡¯t allow otherwise. Hey, wait¡­? ¡­The narrative? The narrative! Jin¡¯s eyes grow wide the moment he reaches an epiphany; he is not fighting Naruto, but the plot itself, the very story itself. The narrative is trying to reclaim control over the situation once more. ¡°Yeah¡­ Even if what you say is the truth¡­¡± Naruto says, definitely pointing at his foe. ¡°My feelings, my friends, THEIR feelings¡­ THEY¡¯RE ALL REAL TO ME!! I¡¯m Naruto Uzumaki, a Leaf Ninja and I''m gonna be Hokage! That¡¯s my dream, you idiot!¡± ¡°I am Jin Yamanaka Uzumaki, Snake Sage of Ry¨±chi Cave, the 2nd Sage of Six Paths, and (soon-to-be) the Onikage of the Hidden Storm Village. And before me you are nothing.¡± In that moment, Jin suddenly transforms into a titan, one so colossal in size that it makes even the Ten-Tails; his titan form is comprised of every character in fiction that Jin even remotely likes. There are various heroes, antiheroes, and villains from DC, Marvel, & Image, mobile suits, numerous robots in disguise, wizards, a plethora of video game characters, and many more; the characters swarm, moving as a unit just as the Siafu in the Crystal Skull film. ¡°Neither one of you can even hope to beat me. Stand down!¡± The towering titan cracks his knuckles while looking down on the two. ¡°You¡¯re not fighting one of us,¡± Naruto says without a hint of hesitation in his voice. ¡°You¡¯re fighting ALL of us!¡± Upon uttering those words, the other eight remaining tailed beasts suddenly appear out of nowhere, surrounding both the hero and demon fox; they all stand at the ready, poised to strike. Jin ominously snaps his fingers, sneering, ¡°Heh¡­ As you wish. Later!¡± A massive, swirling black hole appears behind the hero and tailed beasts and pulls at them with its immense gravity. The first to be sucked in is the Seven-Tails, Ch¨­mei; he is stretched to the point of spaghettification the very instant he makes contact with the event horizon before being completely absorbed in his entirety. The Onikage watches with satisfaction as the other tailed beasts are inhaled into the gravitational abyss one-by-one; his smug grin slowly returns when he sees Naruto slowly being drawn in. ¡°Bye-bye, flunky!¡± Jin pompously waves farewell to the hero. The black hole suddenly expands in size, instantly engulfing Naruto in its event horizon; he is stretched for the briefest of moments before disappearing into the void. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Aaargh!¡± A shocked Naruto gasps. The battle of minds ends with the two Uzumakis returning to the physical plain with Jin¡¯s last attack knocking Naruto flat on his back, spread-eagled. Quick to take advantage of the situation, the Onikage immediately jumps on top of Naruto with his knees holding down the hero¡¯s arms. With both fists raised, Jin proceeds to pummeling the hyperactive knucklehead into submission with each punch drawing more and more blood as the beating continues; he knocks out one of Naruto¡¯s molars. ¡°Submit now, and the pain stops.¡± The Onikage says, continuing his onslaught with a deadpan expression. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°*YAWN*¡± Waking up, the yawning Rito¡¯s eyes slowly creep open. ¡°Welcome back to the land of the living, Sleepyhead!¡± An excited voice greets him. The young genius scans his surroundings and finds himself with Mileena and Mecha-Naruto; the symbiote is piggybacking him while the robot continues to cradle Echo¡¯s corpse and Kakashi can be seen with Sakura¡¯s body about a dozen meters away. The sun can be seen steadily sinking into the horizon. ¡°Hey, where¡¯s Jin and Ayanami?¡± A puzzled Rito asks while rubbing his eyes, noticing their absence. Mileena nonchalantly answers with, ¡°Oh, they left with Sasuke and Naruto to settle some¡­ unresolved issues.¡± ¡°What¡­?¡± ¡°THE MASTERS, JIN AND AYANAMI, WERE DISPLEASED BY THE MEATBAGS¡¯ DESIRE TO CONTINUE THE CONFLICT,¡± The mechanical duplicate elaborates in his usual flat, monotone voice. ¡°SO, THEY LEFT TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS TO THEIR PROGRAMMING.¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From dawn till dusk, the battle continues to rage on, but only because Jin and Ayanami allow it; they repeatedly, with minimal effort, knock down Naruto and Sasuke who get back up only to be made to eat dirt and water once more; the co-protagonists stubbornly continue to rise to their feet, determined to prolong this fool¡¯s errand in vain hope of victory. ¡°I grow weary of this little scrap--if you can even call it that¡­ let¡¯s end this farce!¡± Jin declares, punching his cousin into the cliff side. The weakened hero counters by throwing a haymaker, but the Onikage casually diverts the punch away. Capitalizing on the opening, Jin swiftly grabs Naruto by his face and bashes his head against the wall before throwing him to the far side of the wasteland. Ayanami out maneuvers and finesses Sasuke, kicking him away. Coincidentally, he crashes into the Child of Prophecy; both ninjas are on their last legs. ¡°First, it was Naruto, and then Jin¡­¡± The deeply irritated Uchiha growls as he stumbles back onto his feet, swaying back and forth. ¡°And now you, Ayanami¡­! Why do you keep doing this?! Just give up and let me CUT YOU ALL DOWN ALREADY!!¡± ¡°Because¡­ it¡­ it¡¯s in my interest to crush the both of you.¡± Jin says, focusing chakra into his right-hand; he finds himself cringing at what he¡¯s about to say. ¡°Not only do I have my own ambitions to fulfill, I-I¡­ I would like to be your friend.¡± Hearing that word again, Sasuke¡¯s eyes widen for less than a picosecond, he takes a deep breath and forms a Chidori; powerful sparks of electricity jet out as he infuses the jutsu with more and more of his chakra. ¡°Hey, Ayanami? How about another collaboration?¡± The Onikage asks while forming a Rasengan. The kunoichi gives him a confident grin. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s end this with a bang.¡± Ayanami has her left-hand hover over Jin¡¯s jutsu as she adds her own chakra to it. The two reincarnations infuse the spiraling ball of chakra with all five of the basic chakra natures; it rapidly cycles through a menagerie of hues and tints before mystically emitting a whole rainbow of colors. Their collaboration ninjutsu shines brightly like the sun. Seeing that everyone is planning to settle this with one final attack, Naruto focuses chakra into his right hand and forms a Wind Style: Rasengan; his jutsu resembles his Rasenshuriken only it is much smaller in scale. ¡°I¡¯m only going to help this one time.¡± Sasuke says to everyone¡¯s surprise. Naruto looks at him with shock before excitedly shouting, ¡°¡­Yeah!¡± Sasuke adds his jutsu to Naruto¡¯s, forming the Wind and Lightning Style: Hurricane Lightning; their collaborative jutsu sends out ripples in the air and water as its chaotic core stabilizes. The air grows still as both sides prepare themselves for what is about to happen; the quartet of ninja are keenly aware that this next clash will be the true end; it is all or nothing. Jin and Ayanami break the stalemate and charge forward with Sasuke and Naruto mirroring them; neither side will back down. ¡°¡°NINJA ART: RAINBOW RASENGAN!!¡±¡± Jin and Ayanami yell in unison, bracing themselves as they plow their collaboration forward. The duos¡¯ opposing jutsus collide, clashing violently; their collision sends out powerful waves of chakra that engulf their immediate vicinity, destroying the entire area. The friends struggle to keep their hands steady as they try to gain ground. Sparks haphazardly jet out from the point of impact as the rivaling sides smash their attacks more and more into each other. Standing side-by-side, Jin and Ayanami each take a step forward, pushing Sasuke and Naruto back; they both try their best to stand their ground, but to no avail; they are too injured and low on chakra to do anything. The rainbow chakra being emitted from Jin and Ayanami¡¯s cooperation ninjutsu surrounds the two in the form of a spiral, resembling a drill; not only does it shield them, it also further enhances their jutsu. ¡°I¡¯ll free you from the chains of your past.¡± The Onikage declares with conviction for the first time ever. The determined Leaf Kunoichi proclaims, ¡°I will create a better future for everyone!¡± Jin and Ayanami slowly walk forward, pushing their favorite characters back; they gradually gain more and more ground. The awed Naruto and Sasuke have no choice but to taste the rainbow; with one last thrust the two friends overtake and overpower their respective heroes, shattering their collaborative jutsu and blasting them away with a brilliant and massive explosion of colors. Chapter 102: Open Your Heart; New Legends Emerge and New Threats Arise! 2 years from now, Toneri will hurl chunks of the moon at Earth¡­ and about 15 years from now, the events of Boruto will occur¡­ With arms folded, Jin silently broods as he stares up at the clear night sky. The young man¡¯s gaze remains transfixed on the glittering jewels which litter the heavens; he can feel his fears and anxieties being washed away by the comforting light of the plenilune; he feels adorned by the dazzling lights. The Onikage finds great joy in this mundane simple pleasure; he even basks in the cool night breeze. In the aftermath of their battle, what was once the Final Valley, the place where stuff of legends occurred, has now been reduced to a rocky wasteland. Their last exchange of jutsu resulted in the wasteland being completely glassed over. The quiet Jin sits atop an obsidian boulder while Ayanami stands beside it. Naruto and Sasuke lie unconscious at the base of the stone; their dominant arms are both still intact and attached. God¡­ feels like it''s been forever since I just sat down. Jin laments, sighing. ¡°The view¡¯s a sight to behold, isn¡¯t it?¡± The kunoichi breaks the silence, admiring the starry sky. ¡°Best seats in the house,¡± Jin agrees, still looking up. ¡°Your goal was to surpass Naruto and Sasuke, right? How¡¯s it feel?¡± The elated Ayanami¡¯s eyes sparkle like diamonds. ¡°Exhilarating. I just beat the 2 greatest shinobi ever, and my friend had my back for all of it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just happy to be included among your friends in spite of my cowar¨C¡± ¡°Stop that.¡± The kunoichi is quick to interrupt him. Confused, the Onikage furrows his brow. ¡°Stop what?¡± Jin looks down to his right and sees a pair of blank-white eyes staring back at him with a raised brow; she shakes her head with disapproval. ¡°You''re not a coward, enough with the self-deprecation already.¡± Ayanami reasons. ¡°But¡­ I AM one.¡± The snake sage argues. ¡°You fought in a war, and even used your knowledge of this world to your advantage,¡± The young Hyuga continues, further expounding on her appraisal of him. ¡°That takes some serious courage and resourcefulness.¡± Intrigued, Jin ponders on this revelation before answering with, ¡°Hmmm¡­ I wouldn¡¯t know, I don¡¯t usually self-reflect¡­ but I¡¯ll take your word for it. Thank you.¡± ¡°Urgh¡­¡± ¡°Ngh¡­¡± Hearing grunts, Jin curiously leans forward and peers down to witness the co-protagonists stirring; they both can be seen wincing from the incredible pain they¡¯re in. ¡°Well, good morning, sleepyheads! Or rather I should say¡­ goodnight.¡± The Onikage kindly greets them with a patronizing grin. ¡°I-I¡­ I can¡¯t¡­ move¡­!¡± A battered Naruto grunts, struggling and failing to rise. The bruised Sasuke gazes back at the former Taka member before asking, ¡°Why are you¡­ so determined to stay involved with me?¡± ¡°Do I really have to repeat myself? Fine. I WANT to be your friend.¡± Jin curtly answers, cringing; his face has become a flush red. As embarrassing as this is¡­ Gotta be honest and direct with anime characters. Don¡¯t want any misunderstandings and needless drama¡­ ¡°Just what is a friend to you?¡± The last Uchiha queries with a serious expression. ¡­A friend, huh? The Onikage stares into the ether as he thinks on it. ¡°A friend to me is¡­ someone I can laugh and cry with. Someone who¡¯s honest and tells me what I need to hear because they have my best interests at heart. Someone who¡¯ll pick me up when I stumble, and always have my back through thick-and-thin¡­¡± As Jin delves into his sentimentality, images flash in his mind; he sees Rito, Mileena, Ayanami, and Mecha-Naruto. He even thinks fondly of his tenure in Taka; it was certainly hell at the time, to be sure, but he doesn¡¯t regret any of it. ¡°¡­And I¡¯d do the same for them. I¡¯m lucky to say I know a few people like that.¡± As Sasuke closes his eyes and digests the answer given, Jin flinches due to a beam of light hitting him in the face; he stares out into the distance and sees the sun rise, emerging from the horizon; when the sun¡¯s rays touch glassy wasteland¡¯s surface, it glistens and refracts, releasing a whole spectrum of colors. Finding inspiration, he commits this marvelous scene to memory in order to be drawn later. ¡°Ahhh!¡± Naruto yelps, breaking the silence. ¡°Just when I thought I could punch you¡­ Guess it¡¯s too early to move.¡± ¡°Heh heh¡­ Heh heh heh¡­¡± The rogue ninja chuckles for the first time in years; with a warm smile, he opens his eyes on the coming dawn. ¡°I accept it. I lost.¡± Flabbergasted, Naruto comically snaps, ¡°Y¡­ You idiot! This wasn¡¯t about winning or¨C¡± ¡°ACTUALLY, it WAS about winning¡­ Winning the argument.¡± Ayanami interrupts, chiming into the conversation; she speaks in a stern manner. ¡°Ayanami! Not you too¡­!¡± Naruto whines. ¡°Hey¡­ If I die here, the chain of war that¡¯s continued since the time of the Sage of Six Paths will end.¡± Sasuke thinks out louder, pondering his existence as well as the future. ¡°This is another kind of revolution. I¡¯ll decide this issue myself, once and for all.¡± ¡°I have a better idea¡­¡± The kunoichi makes a suggestion. ¡°INSTEAD of dying, how about you help us make meaningful change in the world? But in a more positive way.¡± ¡°Who says everyone will agree to that? There¡¯s no telling when I may defy you in the future¡­¡± Sasuke argues. An annoyed Naruto growls, ¡°You won¡¯t do that¨C¡± ¡°Naruto, you have ABSOLUTELY no way of knowing that¡± Jin snaps at the hero, dismissing his assertions. ¡°Losers should learn to shut up and accept their defeat with grace.¡± ¡°As I was saying¡­ Should you take one step backwards, I¡¯ll knock some sense back into you¡­¡± Ayanami says; her tone becomes more serious. ¡°And if need be, stop you by any means necessary.¡± ¡°And she won¡¯t do it alone.¡± The snake sage adds, giving his two cents on the matter. ¡°The world¡¯s not perfect. It never was nor will ever be perfect, but maybe, just maybe, it can be a little better¡­ At least, that¡¯s what *I* figure.¡± Both reincarnations are very much aware of the alterations made to this timeline, they cannot rule out the possibility of Sasuke changing for the worst; they also can¡¯t dismiss the idea that there must be other reincarnations out there, and that some of them might hardened criminals, complete psychopaths, or even terrorists. All they can do is hope and pray that these specific scenarios do not come to pass. The conversation pauses with the last Uchiha going dead-silent; he says nothing for several minutes and just thinks. From where Jin sits, he can detect a look of regret coming from the rogue ninja; his remorseful expression quickly fades, replaced by a stern look as he gathers his bearings. ¡°I see¡­ Well then¡­ show me. Show me your way.¡± Sasuke says with a renewed determination. Jin gives a warm grin, from ear-to-ear. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯ve learned to see the world through diamond eyes.¡± This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. The Onikage holds out his left hand, focusing chakra into it; his hand emits a green aura due to him using medical ninjutsu; a wave of green energy cascades from his hand, bathing the two ninjas in gentle healing light. With their wounds gradually fading, he heals them just enough so they can stand and walk. ¡°AYANAMI! JIN! YOU GUYS STILL IN ONE PIECE?!¡± A familiar and rambunctious voice yells. The confused reincarnations look out into the distance and spot Rito running toward; he is followed closely behind by Mileena and Mecha-Naruto. The symbiote reaches out with the Mind Transmission jutsu. ¡°Father, when you have time, I would like to discuss something with you.¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Meanwhile, back in Kaguya¡¯s core dimension, an unlikely survivor treks the rocky wastelands isolated and severely wounded. ¡°For a fleeting moment¡­ I actually thought I was going to die¡­¡± Moryo mutters to himself as he limps forward with blood trickling out from his many injuries. After miraculously surviving that explosion, the crafty demon immediately suppressed his chakra signature to avoid detection and his assured demise; his desperate, last-minute gamble appears to have worked. Although Moryo survived, the demon¡¯s entire body has taken extensive damage; one of his legs is fractured, an arm is disfigured and he is missing entire chunks of skin and meat on his chest, back, and legs; bone can be seen in the areas where flesh is absent. Due to the loss of the Genryu, Moryo¡¯s body has shrunk in size and reverted back to a more humanoid appearance; his human-like guise is likely caused by the two humans he has absorbed into his body as they are the strongest beings that are still one with him. Moryo¡¯s dark purple body now only has one head with glowing red eyes and a lighter purple aura outlining his entire physique. Clutching onto his mangled left arm, the beaten demon continues to limp on until he stands directly under the new satellite which hovers aimlessly in the sky; numerous boulders of varying sizes can be seen orbiting around the moon like a ring. I wonder¡­? Can I use the residual chakra of the Gedo Statue to reverse summon myself back to Earth? Moryo postulates on possible escape routes. ¡°When I get out of here¡­ You humans will all pay for my imprisonment and humiliation!¡± ¡°What a mess¡­¡± A mysterious voice says from behind. ¡°Who¨C?!!!¡± Moryo whips head around only for his eyes to widen with shock and horror. ¡°It¡¯s unfortunate that I couldn¡¯t get to Kaguya in time¡­ and even more unfortunate that you, an inferior creature, honestly believed you could surpass the power of the Otsutsuki.¡± Taken aback, the demon is paralyzed with pure unadulterated fear and terror; he is unable to keep his legs from trembling; he is deeply perplexed as the figure who has just arrived is not supposed to unveil his existence for the next fifteen years, during the Boruto era, at the very least. ¡°You! Wh-Why are you h-here?!!¡± The terrified Moryo stutters. ¡°Rejoice, I¡¯m not going to kill you. You may be of some use to me in the future.¡± The monk says with an indifferent expression and apathetic voice. The haunting figure stabs his black staff into the ground and reaches into his sleeve, pulling out a translucent red orb which he then tosses; the orb lands at the demon¡¯s feet and begins to glow ominously. ¡°...?! Aaaaauugh¡­!¡± Moryo screams. The wailing demon is left powerless as he is sucked into the mysterious orb and sealed away; the orb stops glowing and darkens due to its newly acquired contents. The detached monk casually picks up the orb and continues on his way. ¡°Now then¡­ I still need to find a worthy vessel.¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Within the Genjutsu World of the Limited Tsukuyomi, Menma raced towards the Land of Water the very instant he returned to this world; he turned the entire nation inside out, searching every nook and cranny until he finally found his target. ¡°Heh heh heh¡­ Everything you have, I will take from you. Haa ha ha ha ha!!¡± Menma cackles sinisterly. ¡°Wh-Who¡­ are you? Why are y¡­ you d-doing this?¡± The defeated Mist Ninja weakly groans. The one Naruto¡¯s dark reflection holds up by his throat is none other than Haku. In this world, the Ice Style user never died, and became a respectable Hidden Mist jonin; his reputation precedes him far and wide. The Mist Shinobi dangles helplessly in the air with an arm missing and another broken; all of the tendons in his legs have been severed in order to prevent him from escaping. ¡°I¡¯m going to take your power and achieve even greater strength!¡± Menma says gleefully. ¡°Chimera Jutsu.¡± The hand gripping Haku exudes a large mass of deep blue, viscous fluid that quickly spreads across the Mist Ninja¡¯s body, coating him completely; it subsequently recedes back into Menma¡¯s body, enhancing him, making him that much stronger. Infusing his chakra, the evil double weaves a hand sign and the temperature in his immediate area instantly drops, causing a fog to form; a large mirror of ice manifests at his side to which he then puts his hand against, and it seamlessly enters the ice mirror. Not enough, not NEARLY enough¡­ I need more power! Menma broods assessing his newly acquired kekkei genkai; his fists shake with rage. ¡°Jin. Ayanami. I will get my revenge, and I¡¯ll crush that other me along with them¡­!¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Are you SURE this is okay?¡± A skeptical Jin asks. After a lengthy and awkwardly silent trek back to the site of the Fourth Great Ninja War¡¯s final battle, the group of tired shinobi find themselves standing on a cliff that overlooks the entire battlefield; Sasuke has just made a startling proposal, it is that Jin should undo the Infinite Tsukuyomi. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m certain of it.¡± The last Uchiha affirms. With his hands leisurely behind his head, Naruto adds, ¡°As long as everyone¡¯s freed from the Tsukuyomi, it doesn¡¯t really matter who does it.¡± Lost, Jin turns to his team for advice. ¡°Thoughts?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t look at me, I don¡¯t have a Rinnegan or tailed beast chakra.¡± Ayanami shrugs. Because the kunoichi has Kaguya¡¯s flesh surgically grafted onto her body, the Onikage theorizes that she has the potential to also undo the Infinite Tsukuyomi by herself. However, since this is in the realm of uncharted waters, it is pure conjecture. ¡°What she said.¡± Rito states. ¡°Do it,¡± Mileena excitedly exclaims, bouncing vigorously; her eyes sparkle with pride. ¡°You¡¯ve earned it, it is your destiny.¡± I¡¯m not entirely sold on it, but whatever¡­ The Snake Sage remains unconvinced but goes along with it anyway. ¡°¡­Okay~.¡± Infusing chakra, Jin calmly weaves the rat hand sign. ¡°Release.¡± *CREAK* *RUMBLE* *BOOM* *CREAK* *RUMBLE* *BOOM* *CREAK* *RUMBLE* *BOOM* The entire group looks on with satisfaction as all of the colossal tree roots and branches gradually topple over and fall to the ground; their cocoons release the many people they have ensnared. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Huh¡­ Wha¡­?¡± Shion, the Land of Ogres'' priestess says, waking up. The priestess drowsily stirs and rises to find herself covered in tree bark; confused, she tears the bark off herself and rubs her eyes. ¡°Toldja everything would be fine.¡± The startled Shion whips her head around and sees that the feudal lord, Yoichi, and their escort, Jaeger, have also been cocooned; they tear their way out with Yoichi giving her a smug grin. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Ugh¡­ What happened?¡± The confused Inoichi yawns, waking up from the best dream he¡¯s ever had. ¡°The war¡¯s over. We won.¡± A familiar voice says. The Yamanaka clan head looks to his side and sees the alliance¡¯s Chief Battle Strategist, Shikaku Nara, standing over him with his arm held out to help him up. The Mist Ninja Ao can be seen waking up in the background. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Hey, you¡¯re¡­ Neji and Hinata, right?¡± A Cloud Ninja asks as he holds out his hand. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right¡­¡± The Leaf Kunoichi drowsily responds. The young man helps the two drowsy Hyuga clan members to their feet and walks off, digesting everything that has happened so far. For a while, everyone kept talking about these characters he has never even heard of since the aftermath of Five Kage Summit to the climax of the war where he got to see them in action; their butting-in to fights and conversations threw him for a loop, but also piqued his interest in them. Ayanami and Jin, huh? The Cloud Shinobi quietly contemplates as he continues on his way to the Raikage¡¯s location; he brushes his dreadlocks to the side and smirks. I was curious before, but now¡­ After all this? Now I f¡¯real HAVE to meet these guys. Chapter 103: Always Rambunctious Some distance away, from the top of a building, Jin and company silently watch a large gathering of teary-eyed people congregate at the Hidden Leaf Village cemetery; everyone there is wearing all-black clothing as well as solemn expressions. Ayanami and Ino stand in the front of the crowd next to Naruto and Hinata; the four leaf ninjas are sad and crying along with the rest of the crowd as the sun slowly sets. ¡°Oi, Jin? Weren¡¯t you a leaf shinobi once, why aren¡¯t you attending?¡± A curious Rito asks. ¡°I wasn¡¯t particularly close with any of the characters that died; some of them, I never even had a single conversation with¡­¡± Jin responds, keeping an eye on the masses. ¡°Besides¡­ me being there, in the crowd, would REALLY piss some people off.¡± After releasing the Infinite Tsukuyomi, all of the leaf shinobi returned home along with a few higher-ups from the other ninja villages. Upon making it back to the village, the first thing they did was hold a funeral for all the people they lost; the team, while being unable to officially attend, is giving their friends moral support from a distance. ¡°Father,¡± Mileena says, breaking the silence. ¡°Remember when I asked to talk with you later?¡± God, it feels weird to be back here after everything that¡¯s happened¡­ Jin looks back at his creation and replies, ¡°Yeah, I remember. What is it?¡± ¡°First, I need to show you something.¡± An opening forms in the symbiote¡¯s abdomen, and the curious group peers inside to find a severed arm; the hand is slender and snow-white with long, red fingernails. Shocked, Jin and Rito¡¯s jaws drop. ¡°Is that Kaguya¡¯s arm, the very same one I cut off? That arm?¡± An appalled Jin asks, pointing at the hand; his face becomes even paler than it already is. ¡°The one and only.¡± Mileena nods her head. A disgusted Rito queries, ¡°Is that even safe to have around?¡± ¡°Okay, WHY THE HELL do you even have that?¡± Jin inquires. ¡°I want to graft this onto Hinata and Neji.¡± Mileena explains herself. ¡°Even if they don¡¯t awaken the Tenseigan like Big Sis, they¡¯ll at the very least, still get a considerable power boost.¡± ¡°Ehh¡­ I¡¯m not sure¡­¡± Jin is skeptical of the idea; he strokes his chin. It COULD make up for the Ninja World¡¯s total battle power lost with Sai, Sakura, Kiba, and Tenten¡¯s deaths¡­ The symbiote sweetens the deal by saying, ¡°You¡¯ll have more bodies to throw at the Otsutsuki¡¯s~.¡± Increasing the number of characters that can actually fight Kara and the Otsutsuki¡¯s IS a good idea¡­ And it would increase Neji¡¯s odds of surviving in this new, uncertain timeline¡­ Scratching his head, Jin mulls over the idea once more before coming to a decision. ¡°Hmmm¡­ Okay¡­ So long as they don¡¯t get hurt. We wouldn¡¯t want to make things worse now, would we?¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Later that night, after nearly everyone had gone to sleep, Jin infiltrated the estate of the Hyuga clan¡¯s main branch family. Remembering what Kawaki does in the Boruto manga, Jin completely erases his chakra signature to avoid detection; he also hovers in the air in a fetal position to avoid making unnecessary sound. The Onikage quietly floats down the hallway, sensing the chakra signatures of those in their bed chambers; their chakras being in a weak and inactive state are what inform him that they are asleep. The moment the Uzumaki reaches the end of the corridor, he recognizes a chakra to his left. Cautious, the silent Jin creeps open the sliding door and peers in; he sees someone sleeping on the floor, in a futon; he slowly and carefully opens the door and floats in, slowly closing the door behind him. Courage, Jin¡­ Slow and steady wins the race¡­ As Jin vigilantly inches closer and closer, he weaves the Ram hand sign. Mind Transmission Jutsu¡­ Just to be absolutely certain of who this Hyuga is, the Onikage looks into their most recent memories, specifically the memory of their Infinite Tsukuyomi dream; she is in a peaceful loving relationship with Naruto with Neji and Hanabi watching from behind a bush. Yep, that¡¯s Hinata alright¡­ You won¡¯t wake up until someone tells you to¡­ The silent Jin cautiously weaves the Ram sign once more, putting her under his Mind Eater Jutsu. Okay¡­ the sooner I do this, the sooner I can get outta Dodge¡­ The Onikage slowly lifts up the sleeping kunoichi¡¯s blanket some, and parts her robe just enough to have a clear view of her collar bone; his face slowly turns green while he reaches into his clothes and pulls out a chunk of Kaguya¡¯s flesh. Ewwwww¡­ This is still gross and weird, and I¡¯ve worked with Orochimaru¡­ Jin thinks while gently pressing the mound of flesh against her collar bone, channeling chakra through it. Shadow and Light Style: Creation of All Things¡­ Kaguya¡¯s flesh gradually sinks into Hinata¡¯s body, fusing with her; it takes less than a second for the young Uzumaki to sense that kunoichi¡¯s chakra is growing in both size and power. Jin can¡¯t help, but grin with satisfaction. Okay, Neji¡¯s nex¨C *step* *step* *step* FFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCKK¡­ Now sweating, Jin¡¯s mind enters panic mode. Somebody¡¯s coming¡­! Whatdoido?! WHATDOIDO?! Think, Jin, THINK!! Without hesitation, Jin quickly wraps his ponytail around his neck and ascends; he spreads his arms and legs and presses himself against the ceiling, hugging it. *step* *Step* *STEP* Hairs standing on end, Jin focuses on his breathing and slows it before activating the Camouflage Jutsu; light bends around him, causing his form, shadow, and even breaths to become completely invisible, perfectly blending in with his surroundings. The Onikage is very much aware that he cannot afford to be caught here. If that happens, they might think he is here to kidnap Hinata, or to have his way with her, or worse¡­ both. *step* *step* *step* *step* *step* *step*¡­ After a brief wait, the footsteps gradually go further and further away, until fading from earshot; The young Uzumaki calms down when he is sure the coast is clear. Holy shit, that was TOO CLOSE for comfort¡­ Jin breathes a sigh of relief while slowly descending. Now, where was I¡­? Oh, yeah, Neji. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Meanwhile, Mileena has impinged on the Leaf Village Library. Undetected, she slipped into the restricted section and has begun a rigorous process of combing through the books and scrolls in search of anything that could be of use to her family; she wasn¡¯t given any orders, she is doing it of her own volition. Huh¡­? What is this? The curious symbiote spots a scroll that has caught her attention and reaches for it. And what do we have here? ¡®History of Warring States Seals¡¯? Should make for an enlightening read¡­ The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. With her interest piqued, Mileena opens the scroll and begins reading its contents; it contains detailed information on powerful shinobi from the Warring States Period, a long and violent era preceding the formation of the ninja villages, that had to be sealed away because they were deemed ¡°too dangerous.¡± The scroll goes on to explain why exactly they were sealed away, what their abilities are, and their seals¡¯ locations. Fascinating¡­ Mileena becomes avid as she goes through the names listed until she finds one that truly stands out among the rest. ¡°¡­Nanashi¡­ Uchiha¡­?¡± ¡°Who goes there?¡± The symbiote has just been caught red-handed; she had been so captivated by the scroll¡¯s knowledge that she neglected to keep a lookout for guards. Mileena immediately freezes, standing as still as a statue with the guard standing several meters behind her. ¡°You don¡¯t have the clearance to be here¡­ I''ll ask again, who are you?¡± The guard asks, cautiously moving closer. ¡°And what are you reading?¡± The silent symbiote drops the scroll and slowly raises her hands in the air so as to not provoke the guard. However, Mileena has no intention of going quietly; she remains perfectly still as she waits for the guard to come even closer; he is now within a one-meter radius of her. ¡°Wait¡­? Aren¡¯t you one of Jin¡¯s--?!¡± Without warning, Mileena abruptly rotates her head a full one hundred eighty degrees, making direct eye contact with the guard; she puts the poor soul under the Kotoamatsukami, making him her latest thrall. The crafty symbiote readjusts her head while ordering him to, ¡°Continue making your rounds as usual, and you will forget that I was ever here.¡± ¡°Yes, my mistress.¡± The guard bows to her and strolls off. ¡°Good minion.¡± Mileena exclaims. Can¡¯t do anything that would outright void Father¡¯s pardon deal with the Alliance¡­ I should go before something else happens¡­ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The day after the funeral, Ayanami finds herself stuck between a rock and a hard place; to her left are her fellow leaf ninja, and to her right are Jin and company. All she can do is smile helplessly as she stands in-between the two conflicting sides, with her hands on her hips, as an awkward tension fills the air. ¡°You terrorists got a lot of nerve coming back to the village and acting like nothing happened.¡± Shikamaru glares daggers at the reincarnations¡¯ group. ¡°WE ARE NOT TERRORISTS, MEATBAG,¡± Mecha-Naruto says in a matter-of-fact way. ¡°WE¡¯VE PAID FOR OUR PARDONS IN BLOOD, SWEAT, AND OIL. WE HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO BE HERE.¡± Ayanami and all her peers are currently just outside of the Ichiraku Ramen restaurant; not only does, she want to keep the promise she made to Jin and Rito during the war, she genuinely hopes to use this moment to steer everyone toward more amicable terms and maybe even friendship--if at all possible. A skeptical Neji steps forward, rubbing his eyes. ¡°So, you say, but we just can¡¯t trust you. You attacked the 5 Kage, and you served under Orochimaru, who attacked the village and killed Lord Sarutobi.¡± ¡°My earliest memory is of that snake-bastard performing inhumane experiments on me.¡± Rito¡¯s fangs show, talking like an anime character once more. ¡°NEVER call me Orochimaru¡¯s servant again¡­¡± The Leaf village has been much busier than normal; Ichiraku has gotten famous off of the free publicity of Naruto, the hero, dining there every chance he gets. Also, various characters from the movies, games, and anime filler have come to see the heroes who brought an end to the war; even rumors about Koyuki Kazahana, the feudal lord of the Land of Snow as well as a famous actress, coming to visit the Leaf have begun circulating among the masses. Ayanami glances over and sees that Jin is keeping quiet, hunching over in the back of his group; his lips have been pursed since before the argument even began. Mileena has shapeshifted into a hooded cloak which the once rogue ninja wears to help himself ignore all the unwanted attention. It is very clear to many that he is uncomfortable and does not want to be here. ¡°Making up a tragic backstory to win over sympathy. Smart plan.¡± Mikasa, Ayanami¡¯s squad mate, says with skepticism. ¡°You callin¡¯ me a liar?!¡± The young genius¡¯ eyes narrow; crystals form in the air surrounding him. Tensions begin to rise and egos flare, members on both sides have already started infusing chakra. ¡°Okay¡­! I know I can¡¯t MAKE you guys get along,¡± Ayanami says, trying to alleviate the tension; she claps her hands to grab everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°But before you cause a scene, can I at least convince you to let bygones be bygones? Jin? You said you had something to give?¡± Jin takes a deep breath and holds up a red plastic container, putting on a brave face. ¡°Rito and I DID whip this up early in the morning in the spirit of peace and whatnot¡­¡± The Onikage puffs out his chest and steps forward, gently setting the cooler down and slowly opening it up; a cool, thin fog leaks out onto the ground. Ayanami¡¯s mouth begins to water when she sees what the container housed, ice cream. ¡°BUT¡­ Since you¡¯re all so hell-bent on holding a grudge, MY friends and I will just have to eat ALL this sweet, icy, goodness ALL by ourselves.¡± An obnoxious Jin reaches for the ice cream and picks up the vanilla cone; he slowly pulls the cone toward his mouth and sticks out his tongue. However, before the young Uzumaki can take a lick, Choji suddenly appears out of nowhere and snatches away Jin¡¯s ice cream. The next Akimichi clan head ravenously munches down on the desert like a mad dog, not leaving even any crumbs left; the wincing Hyuga kunoichi feels her teeth curl just from watching such a grotesque display. ¡°Okay, they¡¯re cool!¡± Licking his lips, Choji¡¯s eyes sparkle while giving a thumbs up. Cringing, Shikamaru facepalms. ¡°Choji¡­ WHY do you keep letting them bribe you?¡± ¡°WOAH¡­! You guys have got to try this¡­ What¡¯d you say its name was?¡± ¡°Ice cream.¡± Rito curtly answers. The young genius crouches down and reaches into the cooler, pulling out a mint chip cone and another vanilla cone; he hands the salivating chubby ninja the mint cone and keeps the vanilla for himself. Choji wolfs his second ice cream down in a matter of seconds before asking, ¡°What¡¯s this handle thing?¡± ¡°A waffle cone.¡± Jin responds while reaching for the chocolate-vanilla swirl. After being handed a chocolate cone, Ayanami wraps her arm around Shikamaru¡¯s shoulder, pulling her friend in close; she holds the desert up to his face. ¡°Come on, they put in the effort to make these for everyone¡­ You could at least give it one, little taste.¡± Ayanami tries to convince him. Still skeptical, the strategist tilts his head away from the ice cream. ¡°How do I know it¡¯s not poisoned?¡± ¡°Because they¡¯re eating it too,¡± The Kunoichi says, gesturing to the reincarnations. ¡°Think about it, Shikamaru¡­ Jin¡¯s had ample opportunities to do us in on SEVERAL occasions, and he hasn¡¯t. That says something. Jin, what¡¯re your thoughts on the matter?¡± The Onikage takes another lick of his cone before answering. ¡°Dude, if I REALLY wanted to hurt anyone here, I would''ve done so already.¡± The next Nara clan head finally relents; he sighs and accepts the ice cream Ayanami is offering. After taking one lick, everyone can tell his mind was just blown; his expression is deadpan except for his eyes, there is a sparkle in his eyes. Seeing this, Ayanami¡¯s remaining peers acquiesce and opt to try some ice cream. Well, that¡­ actually went a LOT better than I thought it would¡­ The kunoichi breathes a sigh of relief. ¡°Hey, Ayanami? Where¡¯s Ino?¡± Jin asks. ¡°Oh, she said she¡¯d already made plans for today.¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Meanwhile, Sasuke is held prisoner by the Leaf Village Torture and Interrogation force; he is bound in a full-body jacket with a sealing eye-mask blocking his vision. The last Uchiha has resigned himself to whatever fate has in-store for him; he quietly sits huddled in the corner of the back of his cell, leaning against the wall. Surprisingly, he is greeted by an unexpected visitor. ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± Sasuke asks. A woman says in a quivering voice, ¡°I-It¡¯s me¡­ Ino¡­¡± ¡°Ino¡­?¡± Sasuke recalls the kunoichi being a member of the Yamanaka clan as well as his old classmate back when he was an academy student. Like Sakura (and so many other girls), she has expressed interest in him, and like Sakura, he brushed off her advances. Puzzled, the Uchiha asks, ¡°What are you doing here?¡± *scrreeeeeechh* The detained ninja hears a chair being dragged toward him; it stops and is replaced by a creaking sound; the kunoichi is now sitting next to him. ¡°I¡¯m here because¡­ because I want to be.¡± Ino says awkwardly, quietly. *rustle* *rustle* Hearing the rustling of a basket, Sasuke lifts his head up and faces Ino. Beyond the dark veil, he can sense her holding something up to him; the warm and savory smell makes his mouth water. With a warm tone, the Kunoichi queries, ¡°Hope you¡¯re hungry!¡± The Kunoichi says warmly. Chapter 104: A New Adventure Begins ¡°Jin, why¡¯d you drag me all the way out here?¡± Ino asks, giving a perplexed look. ¡°Feeling nostalgic?¡± The following day after the Ichiraku outing, with the sun shining bright, Jin brought his cousin to the Third Training Ground; it is a place where many iconic Leaf Village teams each had their training sessions throughout the generations. ¡°Not in the slightest. Here, catch.¡± The Uzumaki pulls out a round object. The Onikage lightly tosses it at the kunoichi who catches it and curiously scans the round item; its surface feels as if it is made from rubber; it has some weight to it and it jiggles from the slightest touch. Raising a brow, Ino cocks her head to one side and queries, ¡°What¡¯s the water balloon for?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to teach you the Rasengan.¡± Jin says without a hint of doubt in his voice. ¡°But I don¡¯t NEED to learn that...¡± The next Yamanaka clan head argues. ¡°My team already has Choji for raw power.¡± ¡°Do you remember when Sakura had to protect Naruto and Sasuke from that group of Sound Ninjas back in the Forest of Death, during the Chunin Exams?¡± The Onikage folds his arms and sighs; he slowly shakes his head. ¡°She failed so miserably that nearly ALL of our peers had to rescue her.¡± ¡°And your point is¡­?¡± ¡°In our line of work there is an EXTREMELY high probability that you¡¯ll be put in a similar situation. I¡¯m going to increase your odds of coming out on top should the scenario ever happen.¡± Jin goes on to explain. *clang* *bang* *tick* *bang* *click* The zonated genius, Rito, quietly sits to the side and tinkers; he sits near the middle of the three stumps, and with his Crystal Style, makes various tools to finetune what appears to be an engine of some kind. The boy¡¯s eyes sparkle as he excitedly screws in all the nuts & bolts and welds the assembled parts together. ¡°Why IS your friend here?¡± ¡°Just think of me as an¡­ I dunno¡­ a buffer?¡± Rito doesn¡¯t look up, he continues working on his project. ¡°*Ahem*¡­ If there are no more questions,¡± Jin says, regaining her attention; he leans over a barrel of balloons he brought along with him. ¡°First, gather chakra into your hand. Secondly, release a steady stream of it. And finally, use the chakra to push and churn the water inside of the balloon.¡± ¡°So, I just spin the water until the balloon pops?¡± Ino abbreviates. Naruto learned this jutsu in like a week, back in Part 1, and he¡¯s an idiot. This should be a piece of cake for her¡­ Jin nods and reaffirms, ¡°That¡¯s the gist of it.¡± With a calm demeanor, the Onikage watches the kunoichi focus her chakra into the balloon; it becomes as flat as a disk due to Ino¡¯s chakra rotating. Sensing this may take a while, Jin quietly pulls out his sketchbook and starts drawing. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Meanwhile, on Jin¡¯s orders, Mileena has infiltrated a secret Foundation laboratory run by Kido Tsumiki, an Anbu executive as well as the main antagonist of the Sakura Hiden light novel; she watches the soon-to-be criminal and his fellow anbu member, Magire, from the shadows. For the last thirty minutes, they have been talking nonstop about biochemistry as well as Naruto and Sasuke; they have only just begun their research and development for a new drug, special food pills that temporarily allow one to mimic the genetic traits of a Tailed Beast cloak and Sharingan. Mileena finally decides to step out of the shadows, forming a mouth and says, ¡°Well, well, well, well, well¡­ What do we have here? A couple of troublemakers?¡± ¡°What?! This place is supposed to be heavily secure and hidden!¡± A startled Magire gasps, turning around. ¡°Yeah, like I don¡¯t know how to circumvent that.¡± The symbiote says as she walks past the two and surveys their operation. ¡°Is all this your handiwork? It¡¯s most impressive. You¡¯ve found a way for ANYONE to have a Sharingan or tailed beast cloak.¡± A table with a full chemistry set stands before her; the graduated cylinders, beakers, and flasks are filled with various, glowing chemicals. There are several vials of what appears to be blood; with a single sniff, Mileena can tell they smell the same Naruto and Sasuke. Near the chemistry set is a stack of papers; each one depicts either graphs or charts. ¡°It¡¯s such a shame that you waste your talents on something as small as money.¡± The symbiote shakes her head and sighs, putting her hands behind her back. A defensive Kido argues, ¡°How dare you! I need this to start my own¨C¡± ¡°What you need is massive amounts of therapy, you deluded, megalomaniacal miser.¡± Mileena cuts him off, chastising him; making direct eye contact, she puts them under Kotoamatsukami. ¡°Here¡¯s what¡¯s going down¡­ You work for me ¡®til I say you¡¯re done. You live under lock and key until I say you¡¯re done. You see a shrink until I say you¡¯re done. And if you ever try to rebel, you¡¯ll take a kunai and jam it right into your frontal lobe.¡± ¡°¡°Yes, my mistress.¡±¡± Both Anbu answer with blank stares. Under powerful genjutsu, the two would-be light novel antagonists are putty in Mileena¡¯s hands; based on her father¡¯s memories, they remind her of Lelouch¡¯s Geass victims. A satisfied Mileena wraps her arms around their shoulders, bringing them in close. ¡°Good minions! Now then¡­ let¡¯s save the world from those pesky space invaders.¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *pop* *splash* ¡°Finally¡­!¡± An exasperated Ino shouts in triumph, raising her arms into the air. Hmm? Jin curiously puts down his sketchbook. After a little over four hours of training, the leaf ninja has at last popped the water balloon by rotating her chakra in multiple different directions; the kunoichi can be seen sweating and breathing heavily; she glistens in the sunset. Proud, Jin reaches into the barrel and pulls out a rubber ball. ¡°That takes care of rotation. Now onto the second step, power.¡± The Onikage tosses the ball to Ino whose eyes have become wide like saucers; her surprised expression slowly changes, becoming a mixture of outrage and horror. ¡°A rubber one!¡± Ino yells, the veins in her forehead bulge. ¡°Are you KIDDING ME?!¡± ¡°Heh heh¡­ If it helps, try concentrating on the center of your palm, like a focal point.¡± Snickering, Rito advises the kunoichi. The young genius finished working on his project two hours ago; he has been sitting on the middle stump, watching Ino train since then. Watching the leaf shinobi get splashed every time she fails makes the boy amused. ¡°Rogue ninja, Jin Uzumaki!!¡± The hell? I know that annoying voice anywhere¡­ A now lethargic Jin sighs, hunching over. The three ninja turn and face in the direction of the shouting voice to see a cross-armed boy who appears to be slightly older than Rito; he has spiky, brunette hair and a long, blue scarf around his neck; he is accompanied by another boy with circular glasses and a runny nose, and a girl with orange hair tied up, with red elastics, into two very large pigtails which stick up. His two companions cower in Jin¡¯s presence; they keep their distance. ¡°You¡¯ll accept my challenge here and now!¡± Konohamaru says with a bold look on his face. ¡°My name is Konohamaru Sarutobi, and I heard a rumor about you being in the village. I dunno why you¡¯re here, but I won¡¯t let yo¨C¡± ¡°Beat it, Shrimp,¡± The Onikage says, completely disregarding the Genin; he even gestures for the child to leave. ¡°I know where this conversation is headed, and I don¡¯t care for it. Get lost.¡± This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. After hearing his remarks, Konohamaru¡¯s eye twitches, his face scowls before turning into a smug grin. ¡°Running away from this challenge will mean that you fe¨C¡± ¡°*YAWN*¡± Bored, Jin releases a loud and purposely obnoxious yawn. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what¡­ IF you can beat Rito here, not only will I acknowledge your strength, I¡¯ll even teach you a jutsu.¡± ¡°HEY! Don¡¯t dump the ankle-biter on me!¡± Rito protests. ¡°I just did. Konohamaru¡­?¡± ¡°I accept!¡± Konohamaru says before throwing a shuriken; he quickly weaves the Ox, Dog, Dragon, Rat, Dog, Boar, Snake, and Tiger hand signs. ¡°Ninja Art: Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu.¡± With the Genin¡¯s chakra, the single, oncoming shuriken instantly multiplies into several dozen; the numerous copied shuriken spread all throughout the area, surrounding their target, Rito. ¡°Jin, you wanker!¡± The annoyed genius yells while erecting a crystalline wall. The very moment they make contact, the shuriken all bounce off the crystal¡¯s surface, ricocheting in every direction; Jin builds up wind chakra and spews forth a strong gust of wind which knocks away the shuriken heading for him and Ino. ¡°Try this on for size! Fire Style: Burning Ash!¡± Weaving the Snake, Rat, Snake, and Tiger hand signs, Konohamaru exhales a stream of chakra-infused gunpowder from his mouth. Still sitting on the stump, Rito waits for the oncoming ash cloud to get closer. The Leaf Genin¡¯s ash cloud and now become the young genius¡¯; once close enough, he holds up his hand, converting each and every particle of ash into a sweet crystal. ¡°How¡¯d you manage to do that¡­?¡± The shocked and appalled Konohamaru takes a step back; a beat of sweat runs down his cheek. With a calm and firm tone, Rito warns, ¡°I¡¯d stand down if I were you, I¡¯m way out of your league. I really don¡¯t want to fight you, kid.¡± ¡°¡­¡¯Kid?¡¯ I¡¯m Konohamaru, and YOU look even younger than me!¡± The enraged Genin roars. The emboldened Konohamaru creates several clones with the Multi-Shadow Clone jutsu; they all draw their kunai and run towards Rito who remains calm. The genius points, aiming his crystalline cloud at them; the individual crystal particles immediately cling to the skin and clothing of the shocked and perplexed Genin as well as his clones, quickly spreading and multiplying, they grow and grow until all the Konohamaru¡¯s are completely encased in a giant, clear block of crystal. Everyone, but Jin is not only surprised at how quickly and easily Rito defeated Konohamaru with ruthless efficiency, but he did also it without moving from his spot. Udon and Moegi pull out their own kunai and start the arduous process of chipping away at the crystal to free their teammate. Head tilting to one side, Jin asks, ¡°Is he still alive?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s a large chunk of sugar,¡± Rito answers, jumping off the stump. ¡°He can eat his way out, he¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°Ino, I think we¡¯re done for the day. We¡¯ll continue tomorrow.¡± ¡°¡­Uh¡­ Y-Yeah¡­ Okay¡­¡± Ino responds, taken aback by what just transpired. While the two reincarnations make the trek back to the Leaf Village, unbeknownst to them, Moegi looks back at them; her face blushes even more than usual when she stares at Rito, her heart even skips a beat. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Well, to be perfectly honest, under most normal circumstances, you would be thrown in jail for what you¡¯ve done¡­¡± A week later, Ino, Team 7, and Jin & company find themselves at the Hidden Leaf¡¯s main gate. Jin and his team plan on leaving to start their own ninja village in the Land of Ogres while Sasuke is going to embark on a journey of redemption and discovery; Kakashi, the newly Hokage, chooses a scolding as his departing words. ¡°The reason you all were pardoned is mainly because of the deal Jin made with the 5 Kage during the war.¡± The Copy Ninja continues with his lecture. Back when the deal was made, the Onikage never actually specified which team he wanted pardons for; he was able to get full pardons for not only his group, but for all of Team Taka. Jin is extremely proud of himself for that one; Sasuke should¡¯ve been imprisoned for about a year, but he was released much earlier due to Jin¡¯s actions. ¡°But don¡¯t forget that me, becoming the Sixth Hokage and Naruto¡¯s appeals were part of that as well.¡± Kakashi sternly carries on. ¡°Don¡¯t do anything too crazy anymore¡­ or else I¡¯ll have to be the one to take responsibility for it.¡± Arms folded; Jin rolls his eyes. ¡°Yeah, yeah¡­¡± ¡°Thanks. I appreciate it.¡± A stoic Sasuke says curtly. ¡°Do you really have to go?¡± Ino asks with a forlorn expression. ¡°So long as Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane still have influence over the Leaf, I want nothing to do with it,¡± Jin says with a scowl. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if someone tried to poison our food on their orders.¡± The Onikage can¡¯t help but think bitterly of the two remaining village elders; they weren¡¯t nearly as bad as Danzo, but their d¨¦mod¨¦ policies and pass¨¦ ideas still allowed for tragedy to ensue as well as made themselves, for the most part, useful pawns in Danzo¡¯s agenda. ¡°If you just put in the time and effort like Naruto, I¡¯m certain you¡¯ll win over everyone¡¯s approval.¡± Ayanami confidently protests. Arms still folded; Jin shakes his head. ¡°I don¡¯t need the approval of complete strangers. The only person I need to make proud is who I see in the mirror every morning, same as everyone else.¡± ¡°I want¡­ to know how this world looks to me now.¡± Sasuke replies. ¡°Umm¡­¡± A now shy Ino stammers; she nervously twiddles her thumbs behind her back. ¡°Wh-What if¡­ I-I asked you if I could¡­ come along?¡± ¡°This is also a journey of repentance. You have nothing to do with my sins.¡± ¡°¡®N-Nothing to do with¡­¡¯?¡± Despondent, Ino hangs her head low. Feeling the blow of rejection, the hunching Kunoichi¡¯s colors all melt off her body, and she releases an aura of despair and sadness; the reincarnations can actually see her depression lines. While the Uchiha reaches out with his left hand and pokes Ino on her forehead, Jin feels something on him; he looks down and sees black tendrils wrapping around him, Rito, and Ayanami. To the reincarnations¡¯ embarrassment, Mileena yanks them all toward her for one, big group hug; she nuzzles them all affectionately. ¡°Please put us down.¡± Jin says. ¡°Why? I can taste all your emotions, none of you are against this.¡± The symbiote argues. ¡°Uugh¡­¡± The grunting Onikage looks away, blushing. ¡°*Ahem*¡± Ino gets their attention. By the time Mileena sets the three down, Sasuke has already started walking off; Ino firmly looks Jin in the eyes as she reaches into her pouch and pulls something out, holding it out to him. It is the Onikage¡¯s old Leaf headband, the same one he told Ayanami to give to Ino and Inoichi. (Author¡¯s Note: This happened all the way back in Chapter 8) ¡°I¡¯m surprised you still have that.¡± Jin says. ¡°It was always yours; I¡¯m just giving it back.¡± Ino smiles warmly. ¡°Take care, Tomato-Head.¡± Jin shrugs and takes the headband; he had forgotten all about it, this piece of metal and cloth never had any real meaning for him, but he can see just how much this matters to his cousin. The Onikage smiles back. ¡°Heh¡­ You too, Ino-Pig.¡± Hey, Ayanami? Don¡¯t be a stranger, and come visit us sometime,¡± Rito says with a smug grin. ¡°I know Jaeger would like to see you again~.¡± Blushing from the tease, the young Hyuga lightly smacks the snickering genius in the back of his head; Rito continues to chuckle, laughing it off. ¡°Take care, everyone.¡± Jin says with a coy smile while turning away. ¡°And Ayanami, I¡¯ll be sure to send Jaeger your regards.¡± Waving goodbye, the team sets off on their next journey, leaving a flustered Ayanami along with her fellow leaf shinobi; Jin¡¯s legs tremble due to knowing what comes next, but he keeps moving forward; beneath all the fear, he feels a sliver of hope that everything will turn out all right. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ? ¡­And I won¡¯t give in, won¡¯t COMPROMISE~¡­ ?! Jin sings in his head. ? It doesn¡¯t matter now what happens¡­ ?! A little over an hour has passed since the group of pardoned ninjas left the Leaf Village. They silently make their way through the forest; everyone is so quiet that the only things that can be heard are the tree leaves rustling in the cool, autumn breeze, and the sound of their feet treading the ground. As they continue walking, a fork in the road can be seen just up ahead; it diverges into two paths, one going left and the other, right. ¡°Hey, Jin?¡± Sasuke says, coming to a halt. The Uzumaki and the rest of the group stops as well; he looks the last Uchiha in the eyes and notices something is different about him, his expression is still as stoic as ever, but his demeanor is far cooler and more welcoming than it once was during just about all of Shippuden. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°While I was locked away, I kept thinking back to our battle with Kaguya,¡± A curious Sasuke explains. ¡°I kept wondering why she would ever need an army when she was already so powerful¡­ But then I remembered what you told her. Is it true that there are more like her out there?¡± Ehh¡­ He was going to reach this conclusion sooner or later in the novels. Might as well point him in the right direction¡­ In a serious tone, Jin answers, ¡°Yes. Kaguya and the rest of her clan are a race of aliens. I honestly can¡¯t say what planet or dimension they¡¯re originally from, but they¡¯re out there, somewhere.¡± ¡°I see. Well then¡­ While I¡¯m on my journey of repentance, I¡¯ll search for more information on this ¡®Otsutsuki clan¡¯.¡± The Uchiha declares with stoic determination. The young Uzumaki simply grins and holds out his fist. ¡°If you ever need any help, just call and I¡¯ll come running.¡± Sasuke smiles and fist bumps his former teammate; they soon break off with the team walking down one path and the future Supporting Kage going down the other. Chapter 105: Theyre Out There ¡­Black Lightning? No, his logo¡¯s too generic. Shazam? Nope, his is way more generic¡­ Jin thinks as he looks through his sketchbook, searching for a good insignia. ¡­What about Electro? Nah¡­ while his logo is unique, I¡¯m pretty sure most people wouldn¡¯t recognize it¡­ While the team makes the arduous journey towards the Land of Ogres, the Onikage thinks of a good logo to use as the crest for the Hidden Storm Village, and that he might find inspiration from one of his drawings; he wants the insignia to represent storms, but he also wants it to have a secondary meaning. ¡­I want to use Superman¡¯s S, but people would ask too many questions, and Cole MacGrath¡¯s logo has nothing to do with storms¡­ Jin racks his brain for an idea. ¡°Rito? How iconic would you say the Flash¡¯s logo is?¡± The young genius strokes his chin. ¡°Hmmm¡­ I¡¯m not sure¡­ he had his own show and was a major character in Injustice and the Justice League show and movie. Why?¡± ¡°The fact that you, me, Ayanami, and Kazuya are here means that there must be other reincarnations out there. Using familiar words and symbols would be like a beacon or neon sign, saying they¡¯re not alone, and that they can find us ¡®here¡¯.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good idea! What about¡­? Hey, wait¡­¡± Now puzzled; Rito trails off and thinks for a moment. ¡°I¡¯m not even sure if Storm, the X-Man, even has her own logo.¡± ¡°Yo! If you''re planning on using logos, I recommend Static Shock.¡± An unfamiliar voice shouts. Alerted, the group looks up to find what appears to be a mysterious youth standing on a tree branch above them; he looks down on them with a welcoming smile. The youth wears the Hidden Cloud''s standard white, one-strap-over-one-shoulder flak jacket, and a blue long sleeve shirt underneath with dark baggy blue pants. What the¡­? Who is this guy? Jin thinks to himself; his head tilts to one side and raises a brow. The Cloud Ninja jumps off the branch, performing several flips on his way down; he gracefully lands before the confused group, still smiling. ¡°Name¡¯s Buryu, Buryu Lee--no relation. It¡¯s nice to meet you, fine folks!¡± The Cloud Shinobi jovially greets them; he dusts himself off before holding out his hand. The Onikage cautiously reaches out and shakes his hand. ¡°Hello, Buryu. Of what do we owe the pleasure of this¡­ encounter?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to talk like an anime character with me, man. I know you¡¯re reincarnations like me.¡± ¡°Wait--you bloody know? You¡¯re one too?!¡± Rito exclaims, entering the conversation. ¡°Yeah, for YEARS I thought I was alone,¡± The Cloud Ninja explains himself. ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure at first when I heard about what you did at the 5 Kage Summit, but seeing you in action during the Ten-Tails fight¡­ That¡¯s when I knew there were others out there.¡± Uh, um¡­ Wow, I did NOT think I¡¯d be having this conversation again so soon¡­ Jin thinks as he awkwardly asks, ¡°Uh, Buryu¡­ I-I¡­ I don¡¯t know how to naturally segway into this so I¡¯m just gonna ask: h-how far were you into Naruto and Boruto? When I died, the latest chapter had Kawaki leaving the village to confront Code.¡± ¡°Bruh¡­ that was literally YEARS ago. I was like 11 chapters into the time skip.¡± Buryu looks at them with an appalled expression. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, did you say, ¡®time skip¡¯?¡± A perplexed Rito inquires. The Cloud Ninja reaffirms, ¡°Yeah, Boruto¡¯s in his Shippuden phase¡­ Boruto: Two Blue Vortex.¡± ¡°Interesting¡­¡± The Onikage begins stroking his chin; his curiosity has been piqued. ¡°Tell me more¡­¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°¡­and Kurama just revived inside of Himawari. Any questions?¡± Sasuke¡¯s in a tree and Naruto¡¯s tapped in a timeless dimension¡­ That¡¯s even worse than their nerfs! Eyes bulging, Jin¡¯s jaw drops. ¡°So, Himawari¡¯s the Nine-Tails¡¯ jinchuriki now?¡± Rito asks, raising his hand. ¡°Kinda,¡± The Cloud Ninja verifies, making a so-so gesture. ¡°The fox said he¡¯s never manifested in someone before. They¡¯ve entered uncharted waters. It¡¯s fire!¡± For a little over three hours, the group silently and intently listened to Buryu while he gives them a lecture on Boruto, catching them up from the Code confrontation to chapter 11 of TBV; Mileena and Mecha-Naruto both have a calm, dispassionate air to them, but the same cannot be said for Jin and Rito; the young genius is gob smacked by the influx of new information while the Onikage is execrated by it. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, I have a few questions of my own.¡± The inquisitive Buryu asks, wanting to change the subject. Shrugging, Jin replies, ¡°Shoot.¡± ¡°Okay so this Hiruko-guy appeared in the sky, saying he was gonna start the 4th Great Ninja War, later during the War proper, there were these moving statues, mud-puppets, dragons, and shinobi from villages that I didn¡¯t even know existed¡­ I didn¡¯t watch much of the filler, were those guys from some filler arc I missed?¡± ¡°Not quite,¡± The Onikage shakes his head, explaining the situation. ¡°Those characters were all from either the movies, filler, or games with original stories. This is a timeline where pretty much everything is canon; think Xenoverse or Dragon Ball Heroes.¡± ¡°Really?¡± The Cloud Ninja¡¯s head tilts to one side. ¡°Yeah, really.¡± ¡°Hey, Jin and I plan on building our own ninja village.¡± Rito speaks up. ¡°Why don¡¯t you join us, we plan on finding and recruiting other reincarnations too.¡± Head tilting from side to side; Buryu takes a moment and ponders over the question before answering. ¡°I¡¯d be lying if I said I wasn¡¯t tempted¡­ BUUUUUUT, I¡¯ll have to decline because I plan on becoming the Raikage someday. However, IF I come across any other reincarnations, I wouldn¡¯t mind directing them to your village.¡± ¡°I¡¯d love to chat longer, but we have to go. It was nice meeting you, Buryu.¡± ¡°Ditto and Jin¡­¡± The Cloud Ninja¡¯s demeanor changes, becoming more serious. ¡°Just a heads up; a number of shinobi from just about every village have either gone rogue or went into early retirement. And some of those ninjas have joined this new organization called the ¡®Ry¨±ha Armed Alliance¡¯.¡± The ¡®Ry¨±ha Armed Alliance¡­¡¯ That group¡¯s from the Kakashi Hiden: Lightning in the Icy Sky light novel; they¡¯re a bunch of radicalized Madara sympathizers¡­ Jin thinks to himself as he shakes the ninja¡¯s hand once more. ¡°I see¡­ Thanks for the warning.¡± ¡°No problem. Anyway, be seein¡¯ ya. Peace.¡± Buryu smirks. After waving goodbye, the group watches as the Cloud Ninja eagerly weaves the Mirrored Ram hand sign; in a puff of smoke he vanishes, disappearing without a trace. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Huh, the last time I felt that kind of disadvantage was back when I met Ayanami¡­ The Onikage stares into the distance, reminiscing. ¡°So¡­ how¡¯s that car coming along?¡± ¡°Hm? Oh. The Ute itself is done,¡± Rito answers with a moderately proud tone. ¡°But since we don¡¯t have any petrol, I had to make a steam motor, a wobbler engine.¡± ¡°A steam engine? How about an upgrade?¡± The Onikage suggests as he reaches into his cloak, pulling out a gelel stone. Surprised, the young genius raises a brow. ¡°Isn¡¯t that your last stone? But you said you were saving that for something.¡± A nonchalant Jin shrugs, ¡°Eh¡­ I can always mine more later.¡± (Author¡¯s Note: Jin¡¯s referring to the Mines of Gelel from chapters 7 & 8) ¡°If you¡¯re sure¡­?¡± The genius shrugs. Not needing any more convincing, Rito bites his thumb, drawing blood before swiftly weaving the Boar, Dog, Bird, Monkey, Ram hand signs. In a puff of smoke, the vehicle is unveiled, and Jin is unimpressed by its design; it looks just like one in Rito¡¯s memories of Dr. Stone; a large, wooden tub with wheels made from woven bamboo, and the engine sits in the center of the tub while the steering wheel and gear shifts are in the center front. Charging up chakra, the Onikage deadpans, ¡°God, that¡¯s ugly.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a prototype; the aesthetics are irrelevant. It¡¯ll look cool WHEN I make the real one.¡± Offended, Rito defends his work. Using the Naraka Path, Jin summons the King of Hell; the wrathful deity grabs hold of the vehicle and pulls it into his mouth after the Onikage tosses his final gelel stone into his gaping maw. The king chews and chews for a good six minutes, what it spits out is no longer a tub with wheels, but a military jeep often seen in movies and games; it still has its off-road wheels. ¡°Woof¡­ I-It¡¯s been a while¡­ since I last drove. I¡¯d be lying if I said I wasn¡¯t nervous.¡± Before the anxious Jin can even take a step, Rito boldly steps in front of him, cutting him off. ¡°Oh, no, you don¡¯t! I¡¯M driving, I built it!¡± The genius adamantly argues. Crossing his arms, Jin raises a brow. ¡°How¡¯re you gonna reach the pedals?¡± A smug Rito gestures, ¡°Mileena, if you could be so kind¡­?¡± Suddenly, the symbiote excitedly leaps toward the boy, her inky biomass coating itself onto his entire body. For a moment he looked like a Kid-Venom, and then he started to grow in height and build; he was now slightly taller than Jin with a bulkier physique. ¡°Wow¡­ Well, no wonder you and ¡®Nami like bonding with Mileena,¡± Rito says, admiring how his body changed. ¡°This feels GREAT!¡± ¡°Tell me about it.¡± The Onikage says while entering the vehicle¡¯s passenger side. Mecha-Naruto gets into the back just as Rito gets behind the wheel and activates the jeep; the gentle roar of the engine blankets the surrounding area, deafening the sound of the rustling leaves as well as the cool, Autumn breeze. All three put on their seatbelts, and the boy-genius shifts the gear into drive. The jeep proceeds to thunder down the road, leaving thin drifts of moving smoke behind; its off-road tires traverse the rocky terrain with no issue. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Mommy, Daddy¡­ Help me¡­!¡± A little girl says, cowering against a tree; she trembles before her assailants. She is frozen solid with immense dread; her breathing is heavy and rapid with sweat running down her face. The girl¡¯s muscles have tensed up to the point where cannot respond to her thoughts; she wants to flee, but she can¡¯t. A man towers above her menacingly, brandishing a kunai. ¡°Heh heh¡­ I don¡¯t think Mommy and Daddy are getting up any time soon.¡± Several meters away, the girl can see her parents lying motionless on the ground; blood trickles from their wounds into a scarlet puddle beneath them; she sees her father¡¯s glazed over eyes staring right back at her. Just minutes prior she and her family were surrounded by a roving band of rogue ninja; they flipped their family wagon onto its side and cut down her mother. The girl''s father tried to buy her as much time to escape as he possibly could but was slaughtered in quick succession; she ended up tripping on a boulder and crashed into the tree. With tears rolling down the girl¡¯s face, she pleads, ¡°Please¡­ no¡­!¡± ¡°No witnesses,¡± The leader commands. ¡°We don¡¯t want any anbu on our trail.¡± As the shinobi stands over her, prepared to run her through with his weapon, everyone hears something. *Brrrrum* *Brrrrrrrum* The girl as well as the rogue ninjas turn to see what appears to be a metal wagon coming down the dirt road, leaving a veil of dust and smoke in its wake; it comes to a halt before the group, emitting an idle roar. Nothing to see, but four beams stabbing the far shoulder, piercing through the dust cloud. The air was full of the smell of burned rubber, hot brakes, and a foul order no one could describe. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Well, what do we have here?¡± Jin says as he stands up, sticking his head out from behind the windshield. ¡°Bandits attacking innocent passersby? How clich¨¦.¡± From their vantage point, the Onikage and his group can see two bodies bleeding out on the ground, and a girl that appears to be eight years old with blood trickling from her forehead; she cowers as one of the rogue shinobi holds a kunai to her throat. ¡°You have two options: I end your puny, little lives here and now¡­ OR you get on your hands and knees and beg¡­ And I MIGHT let you keep your legs.¡± Jin growls, feeling his blood boil. Their leader clenches his fists and snarls, ¡°You little punk¡­! Just who are YOU to¨C!¡± The rogue ninjas¡¯ leader is cut off as his head suddenly explodes with his body falling to the ground; an ominous black orb hovers where his head used to be before returning to the Onikage. ¡°AIIIEEEEE!!¡± One of the ninjas, a kunoichi, screams. ¡°I know this man! This is Jin Uzumaki of the Rinnegan, he was a key player in the war!¡± Huh, my reputation has started preceding me and I got a new title¡­ NICE! Jin thinks as he maintains a poker face; he is proud of himself. Now trembling, one of the shinobi drops to his knees and grovels. ¡°Ji--LORD Jin, please have mercy! I-I¡¯ll¡­ I¡¯ll do ANYTHING! I¡¯ll serve you loyally! I BEG YOU PLEASE¨C!!!¡± ¡°I think you¡¯re confused,¡± Mileena speaks up, baring her fangs; her mouth salivates. ¡°Father has no need for sniveling lower life forms. Worms like you should bow their heads and give thanks to him for ending their miserable lives.¡± The remaining bandits all tremble in pure terror as crystals form in the air surrounding them; one tries to run but is quickly imploded by a crystalline stalagmite which erupts from the ground; his blood runs down the crystal and into the soil. Jin gives a menacing grin. ¡°There¡¯s no point in begging since I¡¯m just gonna kill you anyway. YOU GUYS were going to murder a little girl in cold blood, why shouldn¡¯t we do the same to you?¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°¡­50¡­ 60¡­ 70¡­ 80¡­ 80,000 Ry¨­.¡± Jin sifts through the bills, counting the money. That equates to¡­ JP£¤800,000 or about $5K¡­ In the aftermath of the massacre, Jin and Mecha-Naruto sort out the rogue ninjas¡¯ belongings; the Onikage is not delighted by their spoils of war, finding it lacking. The enemy bodies have lined up with Mileena devouring their heads; she happily licks her face clean of the blood. ¡°Okay, so pulled together, these idiots had enough to buy a used car¡­ Mecha, did they have anything worth selling?¡± Jin asks as he pockets the money. ¡°ALL THEIR WEAPONS ARE STANDARD ISSUE. NOTHING REALLY STANDS OUT.¡± The robot replies, scanning their weapons and equipment. Rito grabs everyone¡¯s attention by saying, ¡°If you¡¯re done money-grubbing, we have more important matters to deal with.¡± The young genius gestures to the dejected, little girl who stares at parents¡¯ bodies with empty eyes; she is on her knees with tears streaming down her face; the longer Jin looks at her, the more his heart sinks. ¡°We can¡¯t just leave her here.¡± Rito says in a concerned manner. ¡°Ooh, can we keep her! PLEASE!¡± Mileena pleads with eyes wide and sparkling; the symbiote is on her knees, begging. ¡°You plan on making your own ninja village anyway. You NEED at least one disciple to start the process.¡± Jin takes a deep breath and walks over to the silent and teary-eyed girl; he sits down right beside her. ¡°Uh¡­ H-Hi, my name¡¯s Jin Uzumaki. What¡¯s yours?¡± ¡°Itsu.¡± The girl responds quietly, still looking at her parents¡¯ bodies. ¡°Do you have any other family my friends and I can take you to?¡± Jin asks. ¡°No,¡± Itsu says meekly. ¡°Mommy and Daddy were all I had¡­¡± ¡°Would you like to come with us?¡± The Onikage queries, holding out his hand. The girl turns and looks up at him and asks, ¡°If I do, can I be strong like you?¡± Jin is taken aback when he makes eye contact with Itsu; he can see the pain and anger, but strangely also hate and patience, patience that a child couldn¡¯t possibly have; her unnerving stare could make even the bravest of honey badgers die of fright. Character Sheet 5 BURYU LEE: OVERVIEW PERSONALITY APPEARANCE ITSU: Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. OVERVIEW PERSONALITY APPEARANCE Chapter 106: Formation of the Hidden Storm Village Days later, the team successfully arrived at the Land of Ogres; the path they traveled had come to a dead end in a mountainous region so they were forced to fly the rest of the way; they had encountered a couple more groups of bandits and rogue ninja, but they were nothing Jin and company couldn¡¯t handle. Jin is currently sitting at a table with Jaeger accompanying him, in a meeting room with the Land of Ogres¡¯ Feudal Lord, Yoichi, and his advisors; the room itself is somewhat similar to the Feudal Lord of the Land of Lightning¡¯s meeting room albeit much less extravagant. ¡°I¡¯ll get right to the point, your lordship. I humbly request permission to form a hidden village within the Land of Ogres, one that rivals those of the 5 Great Nations.¡± The Onikage speaks in a calm, assured, and respectful manner. God, do I hate the bureaucracy¡­! ¡°Why such haste and ambition, Jin?¡± One of the advisors queries, skeptically. ¡°To perform such a colossal undertaking would provoke the Great Nations, bringing conflict to our lands.¡± Agreeing, another advisor asks, ¡°Indeed, why make ourselves out to be a threat?¡± ¡°I can assure you that there are far bigger threats to their power than us. Some of which are on their way¡­ while others are already here.¡± ¡°Could you please explain?¡± Yoichi requests. The feudal lord¡¯s bored and annoyed demeanor informs Jin that he too does not want to be here and would like to wrap things up as soon as possible; all three reincarnations sit hunched over, already fed up with the political nonsense and grandstanding. ¡°I don¡¯t mind telling you, but it would be much faster just to show you,¡± Jin says while focusing his chakra; he weaves the Ram hand sign. ¡°Mind Transmission Jutsu.¡± Using the Yamanaka clan¡¯s secret technique, the Onikage telepathically force-feeds the advisors an education; he tells them how aliens came to Earth and planted the Divine Tree, how the aliens are responsible for chakra existing on Earth, and how there is an entire clan of said aliens; he also informs them of other threats, more local threats like Toneri who plans on throwing the moon at Earth. ¡°S-So much d-danger on such an e-enormous scale¡­!¡± A trembling advisor stutters; his eyes are wide with shock and horror. ¡°W-Why us? Why h-here? What could this O-O-Otsutsuki clan possibly g-gain from attacking Earth?¡± ¡°They believe that planting another tree here and eating the subsequent fruit will make them into immortal and omnipotent gods.¡± Jin replies. Even more so now with the stuff from the movies and games running around¡­ One advisor shakes his head in shame. ¡°The unfortunate truth is that we just don¡¯t have the funds to¨C¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already amassed a small fortune from all the bandits and rogue ninjas I¡¯ve encountered on my travels, and my associate, Rito, is a genius inventor who¡¯s already created devices that we¡¯ll have a monopoly on in the market. So long as you can make a mutually satisfying deal with him.¡± ¡°What has he made as of right now?¡± Yoichi asks. ¡°Cotton candy. Ice Cream. Batteries,¡± The Onikage says, going down the list, counting on his fingers. ¡°The cell phone. And a car.¡± ¡°Really?¡± The feudal lord¡¯s interest has piqued. Yoichi sits up straight and looks intently at Jin; his serious expression tells Jin that this is of great importance to him. ¡°Yes, yes, he did. I was there.¡± Jin confirms. ¡°Alright then, I hereby declare the recognition of the Village Hidden in the Thunderstorms of the Land of Ogres!¡± The feudal lord excitedly reaches for his gavel and hits it against his desk. One advisor tries to argue, ¡°B-But, your lordship, you can¡¯t do something this ras¨C!¡± ¡°Oh, I already ordered the construction of the village days ago,¡± Yoichi says nonchalantly. ¡°This meeting was just a formality so you could meet Jin yourselves.¡± One of the advisors stutters, arguing, ¡°B-Bu-But we don¡¯t have the funds fo¨C¡± ¡°Like I already said, Rito and I¡¯ve got it covered.¡± The Onikage calmly interrupts. The snake sage thinks back on his travels and how he would every once in a while, come across bandits and other rogue ninjas. This world¡¯s rampant crime allowed Jin to amass a small fortune; some of those criminals had money, some had expensive items and/or clothes, and some just had bounties that he could collect. However, this brief moment of reminiscing is cut short as the reality of his current situation hits the young Rinnegan user. Oh, wow¡­ this is really happening¡­ Jin thinks, suddenly raising his hand. ¡°Um¡­ Lord Yoichi, I have some questions about¨C¡± The stretching feudal lord cuts him off with, ¡°We can continue the discussion of business later. Right now, head to the village¡¯s construction site. There are 2 that¡¯ve volunteered to escort you there; they¡¯ve told me they know you and owe you a great deal.¡± *creeeeaak* Confused, Jin and Jaeger turn and face the opening door, and just as Yoichi said, two individuals enter the room; to the Onikage¡¯s surprise, they in fact, are people he had met years ago when he first went rogue. ¡°I don¡¯t believe it¡­ It¡¯s you guys.¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°¡­a mixture of physical and spiritual energies are what make up chakra¡­¡± Rito explains. While Jin is meeting with Yoichi, the feudal lord, the young genius is outside the building, by a tree with Itsu, Mileena, and Mecha-Naruto; he is currently giving the little girl a detailed lecture on what chakra is, and how to harness and control it. As Rito continues speaking, Itsu sits quietly in the seiza-style as she listens carefully to each and every word he says; he notices how intently she is listening to him and finds it somewhat eerie; her hyper focused eyes could kill a buffalo instantly just from the intensity of their stare. ¡°Proper chakra control opens the door to most jutsu and it starts by climbing a tree. Observe.¡± Rito steps onto the trunk and casually walks up the tree, demonstrating his chakra control; he takes several more steps before stopping at the fourth branch up and turns back to face his new apprentice. ¡°Do you see?¡± Rito asks as he walks onto the branch¡¯s underside. ¡°By focusing and maintaining a precise amount of chakra into the hardest place to focus your chakra, the soles of your feet.¡± Done with his demonstration, the young genius jumps, performing a backflip on his way down; he lands gracefully before his student. ¡°Since you''re a beginner, run at the tree so your momentum can take you as high as possible until you get used to it. Okay, give it a go.¡± Without saying a word, Itsu stands up straight; while she weaves the Mirrored Ram hand sign, Rito can detect chakra being drawn to the soles of his disciple¡¯s feet; he watches as she sprints toward the tree and up its trunk, making three steps before falling. Mileena quickly shoots out a tendril and catches her before gently setting her back down; the symbiote breathes a sigh of relief. ¡°Whew, that could¡¯ve been ugly.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Itsu says curtly, bowing to the symbiote. Undeterred, the ninja-in-training gathers chakra in her dogs and runs at the tree once more, making five steps up this time before falling back down; Mileena, again, casually catches her before she can hit the ground. Well, she¡¯s doing better than Naruto and Sasuke when they first started¡­ Rito quietly ruminates, assessing her progress. ¡°¡­thought I¡¯d be seeing you guys again.¡± Jin says as he jovially exits the building. ¡°How¡¯d you wind up here?¡± If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Rito and the rest of the group look over to see the soon-to-be Onikage is accompanied by two individuals; one is a red-headed and orange-eyed girl about Jin¡¯s age while the other is a young man with gray hair, orange eyes, and green markings on his face. Both have their own light green medallions; the man wears his on his belt and the girl wears hers around her neck as a necklace. ¡°Same as many others. After you rescued us from those slavers, your friend, Echo, found us and brought us here. He said it was a safe place for us.¡± The man responds with a warm smile. ¡°And he was right.¡± (Author¡¯s Note: This happened way back in Chapter 6.) ¡°Who are they?¡± Rito asks curiously. ¡°Oh, my bad¡­ Rito, this is Kuroma Tatsushiro and his younger sister Akari Tatsushiro.¡± Jin introduces everyone. ¡°They¡¯re here to take us to our new village.¡± ¡°Pleased to meet you.¡± Akari politely bows. ¡°Nice to meet you too,¡± Rito says kindly. ¡°This is Mileena, Mecha-Naruto, and Itsu.¡± ¡°Hello.¡± Itsu bows in return. Mileena curtsies. ¡°Greetings.¡± ¡°Excuse me, but WHAT exactly is going on?¡± The young apprentice inquires. ¡°Due to Fa--JIN¡¯s past actions, he¡¯s gained a number of supporters. Political backing.¡± Mileena informs with beaming pride. ¡°MASTER JIN IS ABOUT TO BECOME THE LEADER OF A NEW HIDDEN VILLAGE THAT WILL ONE DAY SURPASS THE 5 GREAT NATION¡¯S NINJA VILLAGES.¡± Mecha-Naruto adds on to what the symbiote said. ¡°THE FIRST WAVE OF VILLAGERS ARE WAITING NOW.¡± ¡°Yo, Rito. Do us a solid and start up the jeep, we¡¯ve kept the people waiting long enough.¡± Jin adjures his friend. ¡°On it. Here we go again¡­¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°So, what made you want to be a part of our village?¡± Rito asks while he drives, breaking the ice; he is bonded with the symbiote so he can reach the pedals. ¡°After Jin saved our lives? This is the LEAST we could do.¡± Akari explains, her voice is filled with gratitude. The group has driven for nearly three whole days to the site of their new village; the sun has only just begun to rise out from under the horizon, bathing everyone in its warm, morning light. Jin quietly draws, sitting in the back with Kuroma and Mecha-Naruto. ¡°It¡¯s funny, I¡¯m thinking back to that night¡­¡± Kuroma laments and facepalms, pondering what could have been. ¡°If you hadn¡¯t saved us¡­ I would¡¯ve¡­ lost my way and done something terrible.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s a good thing that didn¡¯t happen! Onward and upward!¡± The lounging Jin looks up from his sketchbook and smiles. This is a really weird scene, but I don¡¯t hate it¡­ The Onikage knows that Kuroma is supposed to be the primary antagonist of the Dragon Blade Chronicles game, but due to his and others interfering with the Tatsuhiro siblings¡¯ lives, none of that will ever happen; Jin finds this outcome quite strange yet pleasantly surprising. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± The Tatsushiro brother agrees. ¡°Everyone, we¡¯re here!¡± Akari blurts out with excitement. As soon as the vehicle parks, Jin steps out in awe to a massive construction site with people moving about with purpose like a colony of ants; a few buildings have just been completed while most are still a work in progress. The Onikage peers into the crowd and sees a multitude of people he has crossed paths with on his journey; he spots the nomadic clan of miners from the Legend of the Stone of Gelel movie, Amaru and her people from the Bonds movie, former prisoners from Orochimaru¡¯s various hideouts, and more. Whoa¡­ it¡¯s like someone took the Naruto franchise and made a tossed salad out of it¡­ Overwhelmed, Jin takes a step back. ¡°It¡¯s amazing¡­!¡± As the astonished Onikage happily surveys his surroundings like a child would in a toy store, the rest of the group converge at his location; they too stare in wonder at the gathering of so many people. ¡°And here we are, your new village!¡± An excited Akari says brightly, appearing at his side. Jin is quick to correct her with, ¡°It¡¯s not my village. It¡¯s OUR village.¡± ¡°I honestly wasn¡¯t sure if we¡¯d make it this far,¡± Rito says with a pleasantly surprised tone; he puffs out his chest with pride. ¡°Well, what¡¯re ya standin¡¯ around here for, Lord Jin? Give a speech. Rally and inspire the people.¡± ¡°Whatever you say, ¡®Doctor Rito,¡¯ Head of the Science and Engineering Division.¡± The smirking Jin walks toward the center of the crowd, giving his friend the middle finger. The snickering boy-genius chummily returns the gesture. Okay, Jin¡­ you fought in a war. You killed a god and a demon king¡­ Public speaking¡¯s gonna be easy as pie¡­ The Onikage shakes his hands to relieve himself of his jitters; he takes a deep breath and weaves the Snake, Ram, Monkey, Boar, Horse, and Tiger hand signs. ¡°Fire Style: Giant Fireball Jutsu!¡± Jin builds up his chakra and focuses it to a point in his chest, kneading it into an intense fire. Aiming upward, the Onikage spews forth a massive fireball; the jutsu ascends higher and higher until it is just below the cloud line where it then detonates in a brilliant fashion just like fireworks. In the wake of the explosion, Jin¡¯s attack leaves behind the insignia of a certain scarlet speedster; it burns brightly for several seconds before ultimately fading away. The display did the trick and now all eyes are on the Onikage; he freezes in place as he is burned by everyone¡¯s gaze. However, the snake sage quickly takes a deep breath and recomposes himself. ¡°I''d like everyone''s attention. The world as we knew it is gone¡­¡± Jin begins his speech, talking with a calm yet firm tone. Don¡¯t make eye contact, Jin. J-Just¡­ Just focus on the space between their eyes¡­ Oh, God¡­ I wish I was back in war! Fighting is so much easier than this¡­! Jin feels his heart racing, but he wears a poker face as he stands strong and continues. ¡°Now that the 4th Great Ninja War is over, the winds of change are blowing, a new era is beginning. But we will not let that be a source of panic and defeat¡­¡± As the Onikage speaks, he notices some people nodding in the crowd; Rito and Mileena are smiling from among the masses, giving him a thumbs up; Itsu can be seen sitting on Mecha-Naruto¡¯s shoulders, watching him intently. Seeing this, Jin gradually finds it less and less nerve-racking to speak to the masses. ¡°We have an opportunity to build something together--a village, a home each of us can be vested in. We all come from different walks of life with differing ideologies, but every one of you is here because you believe we can evolve past our differences. I think so, too. Either we succeed together, or we fail alone, but we will not fail. We will prevail. Each of us will be defined by our actions in the near future. Stand fast. Stand strong. Stand together. Welcome to the Village Hidden Among the Thunderstorms.¡± *Clap!* *Clap!* *Clap!* *Clap!* *Clap!* *Clap!* *Whistle!* *Clap!* *Clap!* *Clap!* The moment Jin finishes speaking, he is met with thunderous applause; they really, truly responded to his words. However, the Onikage is unable to bask in the moment. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°*sigh*¡± Gathering his bearings, Jin leans back in the jeep''s passenger side. The anxious Onikage buries his face in his hands; it feels like a millennium has passed when his heart finally slows down. Mileena has shapeshifted into a hoodie which he wears as he quietly keeps to himself. A concerned Rito walks up to him and asks,¡± Jin¡­ you alright?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, j-just¡­ Just let me recharge in peace.¡± Jin sighs. The emotionally drained Kage reaches for his sketchbook and begins to draw; he slowly depicts Naruto, Goku, Ichigo, and Luffy together in the Team 7 photo pose; he may not like One Piece and Bleach was just a teenage phase for him, but he still appreciates the picture of them he saw online. ¡°Y¡¯know, when I was a kid, I never really thought about it.¡± Jin says while still drawing, not looking up. ¡°Thought ¡®bout what?¡± Rito asks. ¡°The Chosen One trope.¡± The Onikage clarifies while drawing Ichigo¡¯s sword. ¡°By the time I was in my high school sophomore year--maybe junior year--I started questioning WHY the fate of the world had to rest on a SINGULAR person¡¯s shoulders.¡± Head tilting to one side, the genius queries, ¡°Where are ya going with this?¡± ¡°Now that I¡¯ve experienced firsthand the ¡®fun¡¯ of being the Chosen One, I can now say with absolute certainty that I HATE it. I want to make a ninja village so strong that anyone and everyone can be the chosen one if they wish. And when everyone¡¯s the chosen one¡­? No one will be¡­¡± As Jin vents and tells Rito his new long-term goal, his strokes become much sharper and thicker; his artwork slowly begins to resemble the more dynamic scenes depicted in Storm 3 and 4¡¯s boss fights. ¡°I will crush the Otsutsuki clan with both quantity AND quality, and every other idiot who tries to fuck up the world!¡± As Jin continues speaking, his Rinnegan turn red. ¡°I want an army of super-soldier ninjas to fight them. I want bioweapons to make them weak with disease. And I want a giant laser superweapon to shoot them with.¡± ¡°Wha¡­? Where the hell are you gonna get a Death Star laser from?¡± Rito can¡¯t help but scoff at his friend¡¯s desires. ¡°I know where to get one, and I already killed the dumbass who owns it.¡± (Author¡¯s Note: Jin¡¯s talking about what happened way back in Chapter 9.) Chapter 107: Preparations Part 1; Schism ¡°Ayanami, wh-wh-what¡¯re you doing here?!¡± The perplexed and startled Jin stutters, his jaw has just dropped. Mere few days since the Storm Village¡¯s official inauguration, Jin is currently sitting behind a desk in a makeshift office due to the fact that the Onikage¡¯s Office building is still under construction; he was in the middle of doing some paperwork when he is visited by a surprise visitor, his good friend and Hero of the Hidden Leaf Village, Ayanami Hyuga. ¡°It¡¯s been awhile since I last saw you guys and decided to drop by.¡± The kunoichi says with a nervous smile; she grips her upper arm. ¡°It hasn¡¯t even been a month since we left the Leaf. What the fuck are you talking about?¡± The suspicious Onikage looks behind his friend and sees that she didn¡¯t come alone; she brought over a dozen people with her who all have black hair and blank white eyes just like Ayanami; they all nervously avoid making eye contact with the storm ninja. ¡°And what¡¯s with all the other Hyuga¡¯s? What is this? What am I looking at? Please explain to me what¡¯s going on.¡± Jin inquires, leaning back in his chair. Ayanami responds in a nervous laugh. ¡°Heh heh heh¡­ Funny story¡­¡± ????? ¡°Do you have any idea what you¡¯ve done to the clan?!¡± Hiashi¡¯s voice thundered, his eyes seethe with rage. Composed, Ayanami glares back defiantly. ¡°I¡¯m saving our clan, Lord Hiashi.¡± Several days ago, one morning, within the main house''s estate, the tension has become quite palpable due to the fact that the Hyuga clan head has chastised the kunoichi for her recent actions; angry does not even begin to cover what he is, but she calmly stands her ground. Hiashi growls, ¡°You¡¯ve been removing the branch family¡¯s curse marks. Those are meant to keep our clan¡¯s kekkei genkai!¡± ¡°They¡¯re not a ¡®branch family,¡¯ they¡¯re our brothers, our sisters, and you put them in chains. Tell me¡­ How many Hyuga do you have to enslave to keep the Hyuga clan safe?¡± The veins in Hiashi¡¯s forehead bulge. ¡°Your naivete has put us all at¨C¡± ¡°If Hizashi were here, he¡¯d agree with me and say what our clan has been doing to itself for generations is wrong.¡± Ayanami interrupts. ¡°Even Neji nearly killed Hinata because of the curse mark.¡± Upon the mentioning of his immediate family the clan head goes into a blind rage, activating his Byakugan; he lunges at the Ayanami with the intent to jab her, but ever elusive kunoichi outmaneuvers him; with a swipe of her left hand, she diverts his attack and quickly follows up by landing a palm strike from her right hand, sending the clan head several feet across the room. ¡°So, that¡¯s your answer¡­¡± Shaking her head, the disappointed Ayanami looks down on him. ¡°Don¡¯t bother trying to rebrand them as I¡¯ve already taught them the hand signs needed to both undo the curse mark and to perform it themselves.¡± ¡°You¡¯re supposed to be a hero and yet you¡¯ve doomed our clan.¡± The helpless Hiashi looks up at her with disdain. ¡°I¡¯ve outgrown you. Consider this my resignation as both a member of the Hyuga clan and a Leaf Shinobi. Farewell, Lord Hiashi.¡± Now liberated, Ayanami takes a deep breath and walks off, leaving her former clan leader to wallow in the failings of their barbaric customs and policies. ????? ¡°¡­and as I was making my way here, they caught up with me, asking to join me.¡± Ayanami finishes her tale. In some Boruto filler, it¡¯s implied that it took Neji dying for Hiashi to change his ways, but I guess that didn¡¯t happen in this timeline¡­ Gob smacked from hearing all of this, Jin asks, ¡°Did that all really happen?¡± ¡°Yes, yes, it did,¡± Ayanami says; her nervous expression disappears and is replaced by a more serious one. ¡°Which is why we have come here¡­ We wish to defect to your village.¡± Upon hearing his friend¡¯s request, his eyes grow wide like saucers and jaw drops again; he quickly recomposes himself and thinks on the matter. If he takes them in there is a chance that this will bring him into conflict with the Leaf Village, but at the same time, he can¡¯t just ignore their plight. As he continues to weigh his options, another question comes to his mind: what kind of leader do I want to be? Images from his previous life flash before his eyes; he sees Nightwing, Optimus Prime, and Commander Shepard (Paragon Playthrough)--all great leaders who valued their friends and allies. The Storm Ninja takes a deep breath and looks the group in their collective eyes. ¡°I have no issue granting you all asylum, granting you citizenship, even¡­ But are you sure you want this? There¡¯s a decent chance that we¡¯ll have to fight your former village and comrades.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± A member of the group says in a low tone. Jin and Ayanami turn and see one of kunoichi¡¯s group has stepped forward, a young Hyuga boy who appears to be slightly younger than they are; his watery eyes scream with anger and confusion. ¡°Yes, we¡¯re sure,¡± The boy continues. ¡°The Leaf Village was aware of what was going on and yet, for generations, they did nothing to stop it. As far as I¡¯m concerned both the Leaf and the main household are equally guilty.¡± ¡°I see. And do the rest of you feel the same way?¡± The curious Onikage asks the rest of the group. An older Hyuga woman speaks up. ¡°Yes, yes, we share this sentiment.¡± Several of their companions nod in agreement; Jin can just feel the pain and anger flow off of them in waves. ¡°Then I hereby induct you all as citizens of the Hidden Storm Village.¡± ¡°Can we get that in writing?¡± Ayanami asks, lifting a finger. Shrugging, Jin replies with, ¡°Sure. Do you want an official document or a written note right now?¡± ¡°A simple note will do for now; the document can come la¨C¡± *creak* The door swings open, and Mileena enters the room saying, ¡°Father, I just finished speaking with the tailors. They said to expect the 1st batch of headbands by next--Big Sis!¡± The elated symbiote races over to Ayanami, and greets the kunoichi with a warm embrace; she swings Ayanami around, unable to contain her excitement; some members of the newly appointed Storm Ninja¡¯s group are taken aback by the sudden and unexpected display of affection; amused, Jin keeps quiet, covering his mouth to fight back his own laughter. ¡°Oh, hello, Mileena. It¡¯s good to see you again.¡± The young Hyuga greets her friend with a bright smile. ¡°Good to see ya, too!¡± The nuzzling Mileena squeals. ¡°So what brings you here?¡± Jin answers, ¡°Ayanami and some of her relatives just became members of our village.¡± ¡°No foolin¡¯? We should throw a welcoming party!¡± Mileena says finally setting her friend down. ¡°Hey, where¡¯s Jaeger?¡± A curious Ayanami asks. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Miles away Jaeger is on a ship, journeying to the Land of Snow and although there have been no setbacks so far, he is having a horribly bad time; he leans lethargically over the starboard bow with hands holding on tight to the taffrail; his stomach churns each time he feels the boat rock against the oncoming waves. ¡°Is the medicine Rito gave you working?¡± Someone asks. The taijutsu specialist lifts up his head and turns to see the diplomat he is to bodyguard on his left; concern is written all over his face. ¡°Well¡­ I haven¡¯t thrown up yet¡­¡± Jaeger groans, his face slowly turns green; sluggishly leans back over the edge. ¡°Unngh¡­ Diese Bootsfahrt kann nicht¡­ schnell genug sein¡­¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Four days after inducting Ayanami and her faction of Hyuga clan members into the Storm Village, Jin finds himself outside, under the mildly warm Autumn sun; he takes a breath and focuses his chakra, taking in the surrounding nature energy to make senjutsu chakra. The crouching shinobi places his hands on the ground, injecting his chakra into the earth. ¡°Sage Art: Inorganic Reanimation.¡± The ground springs to life and rapidly agitates itself; the rumbling terra-firma uproots dozens of trees by spitting them up out of what was once a forest floor; any large rocks and boulders present are sucked into the swirling earth to be immediately ground and crushed, making more dirt. Sensing his job is done, the Onikage releases the jutsu. ¡°Alright, everyone! Time to get to work.¡± Jin calls to the group as he stands up, dusting himself off. Dozens of workers each hold aloft their numerous pickaxes, shovels, and wheelbarrows; they converge on the patch of land, putting in back-breaking hard labor; they begin the arduous task of digging up the ground, excavating it with purpose. ¡°It¡¯s amazing, Father! You flattened the ground in one go!¡± Mileena cheers, clapping vigorously. ¡°Without you, it would¡¯ve taken them months just to clear out the place.¡± God, I miss Halloween and Thanksgiving--Oh, and Christmas, too¡­ The stretching village leader asks, ¡°So what exactly is this plot of land supposed to be?¡± ¡°A hospital, I¡¯m told. One that will be run by Amaru.¡± Akari quickly replies while flipping through some files. The game original character has brought in upon herself to become Jin¡¯s Administrative Assistant like Mabui is for Ay, the Fourth Raikage. ¡°Say no more¡­ If that¡¯s all, I need to get back to my studies.¡± Without saying a word, the symbiote picks up a stack of books and hands them over to Jin; each book focuses on one of several topics: The Land of Ogres¡¯ history, geography, foreign & domestic politics, and its economy; knowledge, forethought, and cunning have always been the Onikage¡¯s greatest weapons. Let¡¯s see¡­ I already finished reading the book on this country¡¯s shared ancient history with the Land of Swamps and Moryo¡­ The scholarly Jin thinks as he opens up a new volume while he leisurely treks back to his office with his assistant following close behind; he uses chakra arms to carry the other books. ¡­I guess I¡¯ll move on to more modern history¡­ However, The Onikage is unable to get to even the halfway point of the very first chapter when a familiar voice speaks up, interrupting his education. ¡°Ji--urgh¡­ ¡®Lord Jin¡¯?¡± A voice says bitterly. Curious, Jin looks up to see Shikamaru Nara, Hiashi Hyuga, and a young man about Jin and Shikamaru¡¯s age; he can tell with a quick glance that all three leaf ninja are here on business due to the fact that they¡¯re all dressed in their jonin attire; they each survey their surroundings with stern, distant looks. ¡°Well, if it isn¡¯t the current Hyuga clan head, future Nara clan head, and¡­? I¡¯m sorry, but who are you?¡± ¡°W-Wh¡­ Wha--? It¡¯s Takeda, your former squad mate from Team 1! TA-KE-DA!!¡± The Leaf Ninja¡¯s expression is one of overwhelming perplexity mixed with an intense, seething anger. ¡°Huh. Well, If all that was true, you''d think I¡¯ve heard of you.¡± Jin shrugs innocently. ¡°I literally ambushed you that one time in the forest, with Ino.¡± Takeda quietly explains. (Author¡¯s Note: Takeda¡¯s referring to Chapter 16.) Unable to recall this very specific event, the Onikage winces, cocking his unconvinced and guilt-free head to one side. ¡°I¡¯m your rival. We¡¯ve fought like¡­ 20 times.¡± The Leaf Shinobi further elaborates, desperately. ¡°So, you say¡­ IF all that¡¯s really true, then you didn¡¯t leave enough of an impression for me to even bother remembering you.¡± Jin¡¯s words hit Takeda like a shot in the arm; the devastated leaf shinobi almost instantly turns pale white and drops to his knees in defeat; a purple aura of despair is emitted from his entire body. Rolling his eyes, the uncaring Onikage turns his attention back to the other leaf shinobi. ¡°So, what brings you fine gentlemen here?¡± ¡°Is Ayanami here? Don¡¯t lie to me.¡± Hiashi demands. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Meanwhile, in a forested area, the former Leaf Kunoichi, Ayanami Hyuga is sparring with Jin and Rito¡¯s young apprentice. ¡°Hi-aayh!¡± Itsu roars. The girl unleashes a flurry of attacks, but to Ayanami they all move at a snail¡¯s pace; the kunoichi casually weaves her way through each and every strike with minimal movement. Seeing the rage on the young girl¡¯s face and the wildness of her punches, Ayanami quickly grabs Itsu by her hands and brings her in close. ¡°If you¡¯re going to draw power from your emotions, you¡¯ve got to control them,¡± Ayanami sternly chastises with constructive criticism. ¡°Don¡¯t let them control you.¡± ¡°How do I do that?¡± Itsu asks, struggling to break free. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what¡­ I¡¯m going to teach you how to meditate along with some breathing exercises.¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Oh, she¡¯s busy.¡± Jin responds curtly. ¡°Why do you ask?¡± Shikamaru holds out a folded piece of paper and says, ¡°We¡¯re here because of this¡­ It¡¯s a message from the 6th Hokage. I¡¯d like the letter read and replied to, right away.¡± Akari quietly steps forward and accepts the letter; she then hands it to Jin who promptly opens it up, reading its contents: to no one¡¯s surprise, the message requests that the Onikage returns to the Leaf all the defected Hyuga clan members which he currently harbors. With a deadpan expression, Jin¡¯s gaze returns to the messengers; he responds with a simple, ¡°No.¡± Not expecting that answer, Shikamaru and Hiashi are both taken aback; their eyes have widened and their jaws dropped. Even Takeda returns to reality with an appalled look after hearing the Onikage¡¯s reply; all three are as still as statues, silent like a graveyard. Hiashi begins to grimace; his Byakugan activates and he grabs the Storm Ninja by the shoulders. ¡°You impudent¡­! Your and Ayanami¡¯s actions are threatening¨C¡± ¡°YOU subjected your own flesh and blood to slavery. You have NO RIGHT to judge me!¡± Jin¡¯s jovial grin turns into a menacing scowl; he grabs the clan head by his collar, hoisting him into the air. ¡°Ayanami¡¯s heart was completely in the right place, freeing the branch family from your tyrannical reign.¡± ¡°Father, are these people bothering you?¡± Mileena says, appearing at his side; the symbiote bares her fangs, ready for a fight. Feeling a cold indifference, Jin tosses the clan head to the side. ¡°No, we¡¯re done here. Mileena, be a dear and kindly escort these gentlemen out of my village.¡± ¡°I¡¯d be delighted to.¡± The symbiote bows politely. Tendrils shoot out of Mileena¡¯s back and rapidly wrap themselves around the three leaf ninjas, restraining them tightly; the shinobi struggle in vain to break free of Mileena¡¯s gelatinous grasp. ¡°Oh, and be warned¡­ IF you try any funny business, I¡¯ll treat it as an act of war and carpet bomb the Hidden Leaf.¡± ¡°Do you realize what you¡¯re saying? Naruto may be called to get involved,¡± Shikamaru desperately pleads as the symbiote drags him off. ¡°You¡¯ll be hunted! The Leaf Village for certain¡­ Sasuke Uchiha¡­ and¡­ there will be others! You would wage this war alone?!¡± Jin makes eye contact with the strategist, with a firm tone he says, ¡°No. Not alone.¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Meanwhile, miles away, Rito and Mecha-Naruto are at the crash site of the Ancor Vantian, the now defunct Land of Sky¡¯s flying fortress and superweapon; the two diligently survey the area while the young genius¡¯ army mugonhei pick through the remains like ants; some parts are still relatively intact while others are either rusting or have been reclaimed by mother nature. ¡°MASTER RITO, ARE YOU ABLE RESTORE IT?¡± Mecha queries. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ circuitry still looks okay, massive frame damage,¡± A crouched Rito says out loud, getting a full assessment of what he¡¯s dealing with. ¡°Salvaging this won¡¯t come easy, not at all.¡± The robotic double asks, ¡°WELL, IS IT SALVAGEABLE OR NOT?¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be a tall order, but anything¡¯s possible given enough time¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯M DETECTING A ¡®BUT¡¯.¡± Mecha-Naruto presses. Rito stands up and dusts himself off. ¡°It¡¯d be MUCH faster if we had a weapons specialist working on this. In the meantime, what we can do is gather up all the working pieces and take them home.¡± ¡°Righto. Oi, everyone! Strip this place of any and everything useful and destroy the rest.¡± The young genius orders, yelling at his soulless soldiers. Chapter 108: Preparations Part 2; New Alliances ¡°Woah! What is this?!¡± A startled and surprised announcer blurts out. ¡°Jin Uzumaki, a legendary shinobi who attacked the 5 Kage Summit and wielder of the Rinnegan, has graced us with his presence!¡± The Onikage stands proudly with his arms folded in a darkened arena of a colosseum with the only light source being the bright beam of a spotlight; to everyone¡¯s delight, the spectators all eye him up as their mouths salivate with a most ravenous greed. It¡¯s now November, and the Storm Village leader has traveled all the way to the Colosseum, a popular venue for underworld arena-style matches akin to the Roman Empire, situated on a remote island that is not marked on any maps, and therefore can only be found by those who already know where it is. Similar to the Chunin Exams, the Colosseum''s combatants fight each other in one-on-one matches in front of a crowd. However, the combatants are rarely willing participants, instead being forced to do battle by the island''s wealthier patrons who have "acquired" them through various means. Although spectators can gamble on the fights'' outcome, the greatest gains can be made by the combatants'' owners: the losing combatant becomes the property of the winning combatant''s master. Although the combatants are typically little better than slaves, fighters with kekkei genkai are considered especially lucrative. Ugh¡­ I¡¯ve been here less than an hour and I already fucking hate this hellhole. I¡¯m telling the 5 Great Nations about this island as soon as I¡¯m done here¡­ Wearing a poker face, the disgusted Jin boldly steps forward and exclaims, ¡°I fully welcome all challengers, and I¡¯ll free all the shinobi here. If you truly desire my power¡­ Give it your best shot.¡± As soon as the Onikage finishes speaking, scores-and-scores of ninja all descend upon him like a swarm of enraged wasps; they all gather their chakra and quickly weave a multitude of hand signs. ¡°Vapor Style¡­!¡± ¡°Lightning Style¡­!¡± ¡°Lava Style¡­!¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Eight Trigrams Air Palm!¡± Meanwhile, miles away, Ayanami is currently running through a massive, old, rundown mansion located in the Demon Way; she releases a high-speed palm thrust, sending out a powerful blast of concussive air which completely decimates a horde of enemy puppets; each and every puppet shatters into millions of pieces. Not bothering to stop, the kunoichi continues sprinting down the abandoned mansion for she is on a mission; Jin had given her the assignment to recruit a medical ninja by the name of ¡°Malice,¡± the apparent main antagonist of the video game, Naruto Shippuden 3D: The New Era. The dusty, old wooden planks creak every few steps the young Hyuga takes through the dimly lit passage; the floor feels like it could give out under her at any moment, but she presses forward, remaining undeterred.

?????

¡°¡­gifted medical ninja. A master puppeteer. And she possesses an unusual kekkei genkai.¡± The Onikage lists off her powers and abilities. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if it''s hard work or talent, we need remarkable people like that.¡± Ayanami folds her arms. ¡°I don¡¯t feel comfortable adding a villa¨C¡± ¡°Malice is not a villain, but another victim of all the previous regimes¡¯ failures.¡± Jin interjects. ¡°Hmmm¡­ I don¡¯t know about this¡­¡± The skeptical Kunoichi shakes her head. Adamant, Jin weaves the Ram hand sign. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m just gonna go ahead and psychically feed you her dossier.¡±

?????

I¡¯m putting my trust in you, Jin¡­ You better be right about this¡­ Ayanami broods while still running. *CREAK* *RUMBLE* *BOOM* *CREAK* *RUMBLE* *BOOM* The kunoichi stops dead in her tracks the very instant the entire structure begins to shake violently; it feels as if this massive mansion could collapse at any moment when she detects powerful chakra directly under her. The veins around Ayanami¡¯s eyes bulge as she activates her Byakugan, spotting two chakra signatures; one is comparable to a Kage while this other is on par with a tailed beast. Huh¡­? Something feels off with that larger chakra signature¡­ The analytical kunoichi focuses her chakra into her leg as she raises it into the air. The young Hyuga swiftly slams her heel down against the floor; the planks instantly shatter into numerous splinters, allowing Ayanami to fall deep underground, with style. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Yuto, calm down,¡± Malice yells to her creation. ¡°Don¡¯t you recognize your mother?!¡± The medical ninja frantically tries to grab the attention of the puppet she used to revive her long-deceased son; the puppet has mutated from all the chakra it was giving, growing to the size of a tailed beast; the puppet now has three heads with six arms, and what appears to be a glowing orb on the center head¡¯s forehead. The puppet gives her a look of apathy mixed with confusion. ¡°Why¡¯d you call me that?¡± ¡°What?¡± Perplexed, Malice takes a step back; her head tilts to one side. ¡°I said,¡± The colossal puppet repeats itself as it quickly grabs the medical ninja, holding her in its palm. ¡°Why did you call me ¡¯Yuto,¡¯ woman? That is not my name. And what have you done to me?!¡± Struggling, Malice reaches for the puppet. ¡°Y-You¡¯re Yuto¡­ my s-son¡­¡± The puppet tightens its grip on the woman, interrupting what would have been an impassioned plea to cease its rampage; its six eyes glow a radiant and ominous red, terrifying the helpless Malice. Blood begins trickling down the corners of her mouth ¡°That is not my name¡­ I am¨C!¡± *BOOM!* *CRUMBLE!* To their surprise, the underground laboratory¡¯s ceiling completely shatters with Ayanami falling through the massive hole; she gracefully lands on her feet but is soon startled by the scene she had just walked into. ¡°What¡¯s going on here?!¡± The Storm Kunoichi demands. Eyes as wide as saucers, Ayanami¡¯s jaw drops; she sees a giant, three-headed puppet, accosting a woman looks like Malice, based off of Jin¡¯s memories; she is a beautiful woman who appears to be in her thirties with medium black hair, light yellow-orange eyes, and two silver hairpins tied on the back of her hair. Her fringe covers her right eye. She wears a black kimono with a white sash, black fingerless gloves, a white jacket with a higher collar and blue rose-printed textures, black leg warmers, gray shinobi sandals and a black forehead protector around her neck. So, that must be Malice¡­ and that puppet¡­ The Hyuga¡¯s gaze falls on the three-headed creature. The puppet¡¯s chakra feels chaotic and mushed together to Ayanami, but also strangely familiar, in a terrifying manner; she can¡¯t help but think back to when she fought in the desert during the Fourth Great Ninja War. Gulping, Ayanami remarks, ¡°¡­That hunk of wood? Something about it is awfully familiar¡­¡± ¡°That hair and those eyes¡­ you¡¯re of the Hyuga clan, are you not?¡± The puppet analyzes her while winding back one of its arms. The villainous marionette throws a mighty, lightning-fast left jab; the nimble kunoichi dodges it by swiftly dashing counterclockwise to the attack and continues to run along the room. The Storm Ninja quickly circles back and leaps toward the puppet, delivering a powerful left hook to its leftmost head; cracks form all across its cheek. ¡°Hmm¡­ Not bad at all¡­¡± The puppet says as it raises two of its hands, bringing them together. ¡°How about a little of this?¡± The creature swings its hands down for a double ax-handle, but Ayanami vanishes before it can even touch her; she then instantly reappears right behind the puppet, landing a double ax-handle of her own before disappearing again; the marionette staggers to the side as cracks form on the back of its middle head. ¡°What¡¯s this? I¡¯m being pressured by this lowly Hyuga? How¡­?¡± The puppet roars while throwing a left hook at the darting shinobi. The swift and stealthy Ayanami flies directly behind the creature¡¯s arm in mid-punch so as to not be noticed; she uses this opening to tear off the thumb and index finger on the hand holding Malic, freeing her. While carrying the medical ninja, the storm ninja leaps back over a dozen meters away from the puppets; she gently sets the injured woman down. A stern yet patient Ayanami calmly asks, ¡°Exactly whose chakra did you use to make that puppet?¡± ¡°I only wanted to bring back my son, Yuto¡­¡± Now sitting against the wall, Malice hangs her head low in shame and defeat. ¡°D-During the war, there were¡­ so many Kage-level combatants fighting in that desert¡­ It made the most sense to use their chakras¡­¡± ¡°Except that THING isn¡¯t Yuto, it¡¯s Madara Uchiha¡­ A poor facsimile, anyway, made lesser by your method of resurrection.¡± Growing curious, a saddened Malice looks up at her. ¡°Thank you for saving me¡­ But who are you? Why are you here?¡± ¡°I am Ayanami Hyuga of the Hidden Storm Village,¡± Ayanami politely bows, giving a proper introduction. ¡°And I am here, on a mission, to recruit you. But it looks like I¡¯ll have to deal with this first.¡± ¡°Handle ME, you say? I¡¯d rather watch you handle this¡­ Fire Style: Great Fire Annihilation!¡± Weaving the Tiger sign, Madara spews a sea of flames from the gem in his forehead. This whole time they¡¯ve been conversing the sly kunoichi had been taking in the surrounding nature energy; her Byakugan have just now turned yellow as orange markings appear around her eyes. ¡°Madara, your era is over. Go back to the underworld!!¡± Ayanami shouts in defiance; she counters by throwing a senjutsu-enhanced Eight Trigrams Air Palm. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. The kunoichi¡¯s jutsu overtakes Madara¡¯s and slams into him, sending the oversized puppet crashing against the wall; the underground lab rumbles due to the collision. ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate me!¡± The Puppet-Madara growls. Madara slams one of his fists down. However, Ayanami leaps back and avoids it altogether; she quickly dodges another strike by leaping into the air only to be caught between two of the puppet¡¯s hands which clap together with the intention of swatting her like an insect. The Storm Ninja remains undeterred; she pushes the enormous hands away, prying herself free. Ayanami charges at the main head and punches it directly in the gemstone; cracks take shape along the pearl¡¯s surface while Madara staggers backward, feeling noticeably weaker after receiving damage from the kunoichi¡¯s right hook; his movements have become quite sluggish and cracks are forming all over his creaking, wooden body. An enraged Madara howls, ¡°N-No¡­ I c-can¡¯t die here¡­! I am the destined savior of this world! I WON¡¯T DIE HERE!!!¡± The poor facsimile of the Ghost of the Uchiha builds up his remaining chakra, focusing it all into his cracked pearl. ¡°I¡¯ve already fought a much stronger version of you, Madara, and you died. This thing you¡¯ve become¡­ You don¡¯t have what it takes to beat me. Not this time. It¡¯s over, Madara. You can¡¯t win this fight. I¡¯m going to defeat you.¡± As Ayanami stands her ground while she speaks, she activates her Tenseigan and its Chakra Mode, coating her entire body in cyan-green chakra; it flickers like a majestic flame. The kunoichi focuses chakra into her right hand; the chakra takes the form of a hound made of black lightning. ¡°This is it! Six Paths: Lightning Beast Running Fang!!¡± The storm ninja unleashes her jutsu in all its fury. Before Madara can even launch his final attack, he is soon overwhelmed and engulfed in Ayanami¡¯s attack; the electric dog incinerates each and every cell in Madara¡¯s body while simultaneously melting all the metal components as well. ¡°¡­Gaaagh! DAMN YOOUUUU¡­.!!¡± The Madara-puppet¡¯s final words before he is reduced to ash. So, as to not start a cave in, the clever kunoichi puts her chakra control to the test, lowering the destructive capacity to just the puppet and only the puppet; all that remains is a dust cloud with a few unpleasant memories. ¡°Phew¡­¡± Certain that the fake Madara¡¯s chakra has completely vanished, Ayanami breathes a sigh of relief; she relaxes, powering back down to her base form. I¡¯m thankful that it was just a cheap imitation and not the real Madara¡­ The young kunoichi thinks to herself while dusting her hands off; the look of satisfaction on her face speaks volumes. ¡­Now where was I¡­? Oh, yeah--Malice¡­ The Storm Ninja looks back, focusing her attention back on the forlorn medical ninja; while Ayanami was fighting, Malice had apparently healed herself due to the fact that she is now standing up; she leans against the wall with her head hanging low in defeat; her eyes are oceans of despair. ¡°Look¡­ I can¡¯t even begin to imagine what you¡¯re going through, Malice,¡± Ayanami speaks with a tender and patient tone; her empathy is so strong, it floods the whole laboratory. ¡°But if you work with us, we¡¯ll do everything in our power to help you through this.¡± Malice lifts up her head and stares back at the kunoichi, behind her tears are eyes ripe with anguish and outrage.¡±¡­The world took my husband and son from me¡­ I tried to bring my son back and you saw how that went. HOW could you possibly help me¡­?!¡± Ayanami quickly answers with, ¡°Jin Uzumaki, my dear friend and the Onikage, knows the 2nd Hokage¡¯s Reanimation Jutsu; he can bring back your son. All he needs is a sample of his DNA.¡± ¡°So¡­ You just came all the way to this¡­ godforsaken place to recruit me, and are offering up what I desire most?¡± Malice queries; skepticism is written all over her teary-eyed face. ¡°Why¡¯re you desperate to have me join you? For what reason could you possibly want me?¡± ¡°Our world is in danger; a race of aliens called the Otsutsuki clan are going to invade us. I can go into more detail on the way back to the Hidden Storm Village.¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *Clang* *Crunch* *Thwack* *Clang* *Crunch* *Thwack* *Clang* *Crunch* *Thwack* Meanwhile, on the outskirts of the Land of Fire, Rito has a couple mugonhei digging in a cave; Mileena had given him intel on a powerful ninja who was sealed away during the Warring States Period. The symbiote claimed this particular shinobi possessed strength that could be of great use to them. What was it the Wright Brothers invented again? The three-axis control system¡­? The young genius ponders, trying to draw up blueprints. ¡­the high wing twists up, catches the wind while the low side twists, creating drag¡­ While his mindless clay dolls perform menial labor, Rito is in the process of reinventing the wheel i.e., the flying machine and by extension, the airplane in order to repair the many devices they salvaged from the Land of Sky; this will not only be a great boon to the world, but it will also make the young genius rich and famous in the process. *Thud* That sudden thud of sound grabs Rito¡¯s attention, bringing him back to why he was even here in the first place; he jumps to his feet from where he is sitting. *Thud* *Thud* ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there, dig it up! We struck gold!¡± Rito excitedly commands. The mugonhei scramble to excavate what they had been searching for, a cylindrical casket covered in sealing tags with a rope tied around it; judging from the wear-and-tear of the wood and rope, the coffin must be, at the very least, a hundred years old if not older. After lifting the casket out of the ground, the clay dolls gently set it on the floor before Rito who has begun infusing his chakra; he places his left hand over the coffin while his right hand weaves the Tiger seal. ¡°Release!¡± Rito chants while channeling his chakra into the casket. The sealing tags all simultaneously combust into flames and burn away. Subsequently, the rope wrapped around the sarcophagus unites itself in a very poltergeist-like manner. With a simple gesture, Rito flips the lid off the casket and cautiously looks in, gazing at its contents; to his surprise, the ninja inside is a girl slightly older than himself; she has spiky black hair with a blue tint which reaches past her shoulder blades. The old, tattered, blue cloak she wears can hardly be considered clothes. The hell? This sheila looks about my age, maybe older¡­ Rito is disgusted by the bandages and chains around her legs. ¡°¡­This is Nanashi Uchiha? J-Just¡­ What the hell happened to her?¡± The boy watches as the girl¡¯s eyes pop open, she looks up and they make eye contact; her eyes are filled with an incomprehensible dread and a soul-sucking depression. Rito immediately moves out of the way as the kunoichi bursts out of the coffin she was sealed in; she clumsily rushes to the cave entrance with the young genius quickly chasing after her; she stumbles before catching herself and continues running. The mugonhei waiting at the entrance sense them coming and brandish their weapons, prepared to strike the kunoichi down. ¡°Don¡¯t hurt her!¡± Rito commands them, shouting. ¡°It was a century for us, but for her it¡¯s only been a few minutes!¡± The clay dolls heed their master¡¯s orders and back down, allowing the girl to dash past them. Once outside, in a forest clearing, the young genius watches the girls stop in her tracks and take in the sunlight; she takes a deep breath and falls to her knees. Be cool, Rito. You NEED to play your cards very carefully right now¡­ The boy quietly broods while he slowly and cautiously inches closer to the young girl. ¡°How long?¡± The girl asks, looking away with her head hanging low. ¡°About a century, give or take.¡± The girl groans in a quiet tone as she rises back onto her feet, slowly turning to face Rito; her head remains low. ¡°¡­You¡¯re Nanashi Uchiha, right?¡± Feeling awkward, the young genius smiles, scratching the back of his head. ¡°I know this is a weird thing to ask when we¡¯ve just met, but¡­ would you mind joining up with the Storm Village? We¡¯re looking for powerful shinobi to recruit and you happen to fit the bill.¡± ¡°Join you?¡± The girl lifts up her head and looks him in the eye. Rito takes a step back when he witnesses the kunoichi¡¯s lifeless expression has changed, turning into one with a seething anger; her eyes have transformed from a solid black to red with three tomoe, proof of her Uchiha blood; powerful chakra erupts from her body while she reveals her fangs and clenches her fists. ¡°I hate the ninja world¡­ HATE it¡­!¡± She says through gritted teeth. ¡°What I want¡­ is to destroy it!!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to tell me that,¡± The boy¡¯s smile fades, and he takes on a more serious demeanor. ¡°I get it. I understand where you¡¯re coming from.¡± ¡°The world turned me into a weapon and took away my name¡­ WHAT COULD YOU POSSIBLY UNDERSTAND?!!¡± Nanashi snarls; provoked by his choice of words, the girl scowls. ¡°I too was treated as nothing more than an object¡­ I never knew my parents and spent my early childhood being a guinea pig for invasive and unethical experiments; they wanted to grant kekkei genkai to those who don¡¯t possess them¡­ themselves. My earliest memory is being locked up in a jail cell with others who shared my fate¡­¡± Giving a thousand-yard stare, the boy laments having to share his life story, in detail; horrible memories that he has tried so hard to repress are coming back to him, bubbling up to the surface. However, as he continues speaking, a new feeling emerges from deep within, a sense of relief and some triumph oddly enough. ¡°I wanted the pain to end every day. I wanted to die, but they wouldn¡¯t even let me have that¡­¡± ¡°Wh-What¡­ What happened after?¡± Nanashi asks, taking a few steps closer; her anger subsided, and her expression has softened. ¡°I met the people who would become my best friends, my family.¡± Rito gives a shy grin. Confused, the kunoichi looks at him. ¡°Does having people who care about you really make that much of a difference?¡± ¡°Oh, it makes a whole WORLD of difference.¡± The young genius shakes his head, coming back to reality; he gives her a firm, but fair look. ¡°You¡¯re not wrong for being angry, for wanting to destroy the world that hurt you, BUT¡­ What kind of world will you create to replace it with?¡± ¡°What?¡± Nanashi questions, confused. ¡°My friends and I are trying to make it so that the things that were done to you and me never happen to anyone else ever again. Help us make that a reality; join us and I¡¯ll protect as if you were my own, I will do my damnedest to make sure that every day onward is a joy.¡± The Uchiha¡¯s eyes begin to glimmer as her cheeks become flushed red due to hearing Rito¡¯s request; full of sincerity, he holds out his hand to her; she hesitates for a brief moment, pulling back some. However, Nanashi takes a deep breath and slowly reaches for it. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Meanwhile, back at the Colosseum, Jin stands tall in the center of the arena to the shock and awe of the dead-silent audience; the wealthy patrons are completely devastated by what they had just witnessed. The Onikage calmly looks down at numerous shinobi he defeated; they were all strewn across the arena floor, beaten the same way, a single well placed karate chop to the back of each of their necks. ¡°This is something no one could¡¯ve ever imagined¡­ Jin Uzumaki has beaten every last shinobi!¡± The announcer exclaims; he too is in shock and awe. ¡°Which means that he¡¯s acquired every single shinobi.¡± ¡°So now¡­ what happens to us?¡± Jin looks to his right and sees one of the ninjas he beat, a thirteen-year-old boy with tan skin and snow-white hair, slowly picks himself up; there is a faint trace of fear in his eyes. The Onikage gets down on one knee so that they are on eye-level ¡°The Hidden Storm will take you in. Welcome to the family.¡± ¡°You will?¡± The boy asks. ¡°Yes. We of the Hidden Storm will safeguard all of you shinobi.¡± Jin gives a warm smile while weaving the Ram hand sign, performing the Mind Transmission Jutsu. ¡°Hey, Ino, Naruto, you there?¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Naruto responds. ¡°Jin? Why are you contacting us?¡± Ino questions. ¡°I have some info to pass onto your Ninja Alliance¡­ Think of it as a show of good faith. What if I told you there was an island where illegal gambling and slave trade took place?¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A day later, miles away in the Land of Snow, Jaeger is walking down a hallway with the diplomat he is guarding; he finds himself confused and surprised as the one escorting them to meet with Lady Koyuki Kazahana is none other than the snow ninja, Fubuki Kakuyoku. Isn¡¯t Fubuki the enemy kunoichi from the Land of Snow movie? But she should be dead. How¡­? The Storm Ninja ponders to himself, brooding. Maybe this version of her is good. Or did she just survive past the movie somehow¡­? ¡°Is something on your mind?¡± The curious diplomat asks. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Just not looking forward to the boat ride back home when we¡¯re finished here.¡± The diplomat nods, ¡°Ah¡­ I see.¡± ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± Fubuki says, garnering their attention; she opens the door and utters. ¡°Lady Koyuki? The envoys from the Land of Ogres are here to see you.¡± Chapter 109: Preparations Part 3; Satisfaction ¡°Let the 5 Kage Summit commence.¡± Kakashi announces to the group. It is now the end of May, a little over seven months removed from the Fourth Great Ninja War. All of the Hidden Village leaders of the Five Great Nations, not to mention their guards, have gathered in the Leaf Village to discuss matters affecting their respective countries as well as the world at large; they all sit around a table with stacks of papers worth of topics to discuss. ¡°I believe we should begin by addressing the elephant in the room¡­¡± Onoki, the Third Tsuchikage, speaks up; the elder Kage sits up straight with a small pillow supporting the curve of his back. ¡°Jin Uzumaki and his so-called ¡®Hidden Storm Village.¡¯ We¡¯ve tried sending in spies, but they always return days later with portions of their memories missing.¡± ¡°The same can be said for the Hidden Mist,¡± Mei Terumi, the Fifth Mizukage, leans forward with one arm supporting her head. ¡°All we know is that they¡¯ve been on the move, recruiting ninja from various villages and taking down any dangerous shinobi they come across.¡± ¡°The Leaf has also had issues with them; Ayanami and a number of other Hyuga clansmen have defected over to the Hidden Storm. Yes, Jin offered us information on an island the deals in slavery and illegal gambling some time ago, but the prisoners we¡¯ve caught have all claimed that he had participated in the Colosseum before he contacted us; he, in actuality, used us to tie up loose ends for him.¡± Gaara, the Fifth Kazekage adds on, ¡°We of the Hidden Sand too have had our fair share of dealing with them¡­¡±

?????

¡°What business do you have in the Land of Wind?¡± Suspicious, Gaara¡¯s eyes squinted. Two months ago, in a rocky area of the Land of Wind, the Kazekage stares down the Onikage; he is tense, but Jin appears to have a very cordial demeanor, jovial even. The other two Sand Siblings are at Gaara¡¯s side; all three have begun infusing their chakra, preparing themselves should a fight break out ¡°Well, if it isn''t Kankuro, Temari, and Gaara of the Desert. Of what do I owe the pleasure?¡± Jin greets them; he uses an arm to cover his face from the sand billowing in the wind. ¡°Can I get you anything? A drink perhaps?¡± ¡°We just asked you a question: what are you doing here?¡± Temari reiterates with a fiercely stern tone and look. ¡°Oh, we¡¯re just mining. Nothing more.¡± Jin gives a coy grin while shrugging. ¡°For what? What exactly are you mining?¡± Remaining stoic, the Kazekage folds his arms; he looks to his left and sees some ruins nearby. ¡°There are no gold or jewel deposits here. Are you saying there are other valuables buried here?¡± The smug Onikage pulls out an official document and waves it in front of them. ¡°If you don¡¯t know, it¡¯s like they never existed. Besides, we made a deal with your feudal lord for the underground mining rights save for those used as currency and the tax exemptions to go with them. You got a problem with it? Take it up with your lord. If that¡¯s all? Be seein¡¯ ya.¡±

?????

¡°We¡¯ve also encountered them in a completely different set of ruins within the Land of Wind; our historians have found several mentions referring to them as the Kingdom of Roran.¡± Gaar continues. Ay, the Fourth Raikage, speaks up, asking, ¡°What were they doing at these ruins?¡± ¡°Good question, Lord Raikage,¡± Gaara responds. ¡°Our recon team found the one they call Jaeger there; he was communicating with some sort of handheld device. We couldn¡¯t fully understand what they were discussing, but what we do know is that they were talking about some odd creature named ¡®Lugia¡¯ as well as the tailed beasts and jinchuriki.¡± ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± A somewhat frustrated Mei questions. ¡°That¡¯s all we know?¡± All five of the Kage silently contemplate on their lack of intel on this new ninja village; Onoki sighs while Mei hangs her head low. Leaning back in his chair, Kakashi quietly skulks, ¡­Jin, Ayanami, just what is going on in your heads? What are you two doing now? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°She¡¯s been gone for too long.¡± Kuroma complains, tapping his foot on the ground with his arms folded. ¡°We should go in after her.¡± ¡°MILEENA¡¯S ONLY BEEN GONE AN HOUR, BARELY¡± Mecha-Naruto retorts. Later that very same night, while the Kazekage is away on the Five Kage Summit, the two storm ninjas are stationed a safe distance outside the Hidden Sand Village; they are waiting on the symbiote, Mileena, who has infiltrated the village in search of something. Pacing back-and-forth, Kuroma wraps himself in a cloak to keep warm. ¡°Must be nice, being immune to the temperature.¡± ¡°I WOULDN¡¯T KNOW. THIS IS SIMPLY THE EXISTENCE I LIVE.¡± The robot gazes at his own hands. The two are alerted to the sudden appearance of a familiar chakra; they watch as a liquid black mass with glowing red eyes slowly emerges from the ground, taking on a feminine physique, it¡¯s Mileena. ¡°WELL?¡± Mecha queries. ¡°It¡¯s done,¡± The symbiote responds, holding up a scroll. ¡°I have what we came for.¡± The scroll she holds contains the instructions for a very particular ninjutsu, the very same jutsu that Lady Chiyo used to bring back Gaara of the Desert; an underwhelmed Kuroma simply scoffs at the glorified piece of parchment. ¡°NOW WE JUST NEED TO PAY KAGURA AND BANDO A VISIT.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ Let¡¯s get on with it.¡± Mileena¡¯s head droops, solemnly. Curious, Mecha-Naruto asks, ¡°WHAT¡¯S WRONG? YOU LOOK DISAPPOINTED.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m upset that we¡¯re missing the party¡­¡± Mileena sighs, shaking her head. ¡°I know *I* was the one who put in the request for this mission, but still¡­¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°¡°¡°HAPPY 18TH BIRTHDAY, JIN AND AYANAMI!!¡±¡±¡± The group roars in celebration. The group is partying the night away at a restaurant, honoring the Onikage and Heroine of the Leaf¡¯s special day; Rito slaps a party hat on Jin¡¯s head, Itsu is cutting up the cake, Ayanami is conversing with Jaeger while she sits on his lap, and Nanashi is off to the side, drinking tea. Everyone is having a jolly-good time. ¡°Thank you, guys, really. But¡­ My birthday is in July.¡± Jin makes it clear to them. ¡°And it isn¡¯t even Ayanami¡¯s birthday either, hers was back in April.¡± ¡°Yeah, but we¡¯ve all been super busy these last few months and this was the only period of time that we all happen to have off so¡­¡± The young genius explains. ¡°It¡¯s ¡®Nami¡¯s belated birthday party and your early birthday party.¡± ¡°2 birds, 1 stone.¡± Jaeger clarifies. ¡°And I love you for it.¡± The giggling Hyuga leans in and kisses him. ¡°I can¡¯t believe Jaeger made the first move.¡± Jin whispers to Rito. ¡°I can. Now pay up!¡± Both young men knew it was only a matter of time until Ayanami and Jaeger became a couple, so they made a little wager; Jin bet on Ayanami making the first move while Rito bet on Jaeger. ¡°Yeah, yeah, here you go.¡± An annoyed Jin hands over his winnings. With a smug grin the young genius accepts it. ¡°Heh heh heh¡­ Totally worth it.¡± As Rito counts his new money, in the corner of his eye, he spots Nanashi; she hasn¡¯t said anything, just kept quiet and close to him, still sipping her tea. The boy curiously taps her shoulder. ¡°You okay?¡± ¡°Hmm? Oh, I¡¯m fine.¡± the girl replies. ¡°Relax, you¡¯re at a party. Mingle,¡± Rito tries to convince her. ¡°Have some cake. Live a little.¡± ¡°I¡¯m having fun. I¡¯m joining in.¡± Nanashi retorts. While they¡¯re talking, Rito notices someone staring at them from several tables away, a certain Hidden Cloud jonin they encountered in the war, a tall, fair-skinned woman with a curvaceous figure. She has blue eyes and straight, shoulder-length blonde hair cut in an asymmetrical bob style; she is currently sitting down with a meal at her table. What¡¯s Samui doing here? Is she spying on us¡­ or is she checking Jin out? Only one way to find out¡­! A mischievous idea goes through the young genius¡¯ mind; he elbows Nanashi and whispers, ¡°Hey, watch this.¡± This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°Yo, Jin? So, what do you usually do on your time off?¡± Rito asks. Jin finishes off his slice of cake before answering. ¡°Read and draw, that¡¯s all I can do here. And you know this, man.¡± ¡°You know what you need, Jin?¡± ¡°A new jutsu?¡± The Onikage responds. ¡°No, wait¡­ a lightsaber.¡± ¡°A date.¡± Rito confers. ¡°What?¡± Jin stiffens; he is left stunned by that unexpected suggestion. The boy helps his friend up and moves him away from the group; their friends all watch what¡¯s going on, curious as to where Rito is going with this; he pushes him all the way to the cloud kunoichi¡¯s table; Jin tries to shirk away, but Rito prevents him from doing so. ¡°Excuse me. I saw you checking out my friend here. I thought you two should meet.¡± The young genius greets her with a charming smile. ¡°Oh, umm¡­ Hello.¡± Samui says awkwardly, maintaining her stoic expression. ¡°Yeah, so umm¡­ uhh¡­ H-Hi. And¡­ uhh¡­¡± The stiff Jin trails off, stuttering. This is fucking priceless¡­ Rito covers his mouth to keep from laughing; he looks back and sees that their friend group are all giggling at the sight of this scene. Jin Uzumaki, the Onikage, their dear friend, is not in his element; sweat pours down his stiff face as he moves awkwardly; they all can practically see his mind buffering at the seams; his head must be a blank canvas at this point. ¡°Tell the sheila she looks nice.¡± Rito whispers, giving some advice from behind him. Jin nervously rambles, ¡°You appear to be a nice person. Maybe a little cold. Inquisitive. But decent overall.¡± ¡°Oh. Thanks¡­ I think.¡± The unimpressed Cloud Kunoichi¡¯s body language makes it very clear that she is uncomfortable. I know you¡¯re an introvert, Jin, but this is bonkers¡­ Rito shakes his head, whispering, ¡°Try small talk.¡± ¡°Come here often?¡± The Onikage questions. ¡°No, this is my first time here. I¡¯m here to unwind before I have to return to the Cloud Village.¡± Samui rectifies. ¡°Yeah. Well, listen. I should probably return¡­¡± As the kunoichi speaks, a waiter walks right past them. The sly Rito perceives the pair of drinks he¡¯s carrying and swipes them off his bar tray without him noticing; he sneakily sets them on the table, beside Jin. The Uzumaki gives a side glance before grabbing them and handing one over. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Let me start over. What I¡¯ve been meaning to say is: the name¡¯s Jin, and I would love to have a drink with you.¡± As the two toast, Rito struts back to his table, brimming with pride and satisfaction for his friend. ¡°Good man.¡± Jaeger applauds. Ayanami pats him on the back. ¡°Well done, Rito!¡± ¡°Smart AND a matchmaker?¡± A smiling Nanashi giggles as she walks up to him. ¡°Is there anything you can¡¯t do?¡± Grinning, Rito puffs out his chest. ¡°Stick around and find out.¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Don¡¯t look so pleased with yourself.¡± Samui says, blushing.¡± Jin proudly shrugs. ¡°What? I can¡¯t help it, last night was divine.¡± Due to the amazing night, they had, Jin is feeling epic; after the party, they went on to spend the remainder of the night at Samui¡¯s hotel room where they would ¡°tango¡± against the wall, on the bed, and on the ceiling. It will be a magical night that Onikage will always remember; he felt all his fears and anxieties melt away if only for a brief period. ¡°You¡¯re insufferable.¡± The kunoichi rolls her eyes. ¡°I know.¡± The two have just exited the hotel; they embrace each other, kissing before parting ways; her lips taste sweet like strawberries. As a waving Jin watches her walk away, he senses a very familiar chakra appear right behind him. ¡°Yes, Mileena?¡± Jin asks, turning to face his creation. ¡°I have the scroll,¡± The symbiote excitedly bounces, handing it out. ¡°And I have a bunch of people to use as sacrifices, dangerous criminals and terrorists that no one will miss. Oh, and how was the party?¡± ¡°Shit, it was fucking awesome! You just can¡¯t buy that kind of fun!!¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Ten hut!¡± The Symbiote shouts. An hour later, Jin, Mileena, and Malice are currently in the forest just outside of the Hidden Storm Village; he is casually leaning against the wall when he sees movement just ahead, it is the rogue ninja and domestic terrorist, Kagura, and eleven members of her band of rogue shinobi, twelve enemy ninjas in total; they all stand at attention in an orderly manner, under the influence of Mileena¡¯s Sharingan. Huh. The Onikage strokes his chin. ¡°So, where¡¯s Bando?¡± ¡°I sent him over to help Rito with¡­ that other project.¡± Mileena informs him. ¡°I see.¡± This is the first time Jin has crossed paths with Kagura; he know that this version of her is not the one that killed Rito in Echo¡¯s timeline, but he cannot help but feel his blood boil at the mere sight of her; he wants nothing more than to tear her apart a thousand time over, but he takes a deep breath and manages keeps his cool. The Onikage turns his attention to the medical ninja. ¡°Do you have it?¡± ¡°Yes, yes, I have it¡­¡± Hands shaking, Malice anxiously pulls out a small, rectangular box. ¡°It¡¯s mine and Yuto¡¯s umbilical cord.¡± Jin pulls the Summoning Jutsu: Reanimation scroll out of his sleeve and opens it up; he holds it up so that Malice can smear the dried, shriveled up handful of flesh onto the scroll; the medic shinobi takes a step back and the Onikage gathers up his chakra, weaving the Tiger, Snake, Dog, Dragon, and Clapped Hands hand signs. ¡°Summoning Jutsu: Reanimation.¡± Dust begins swirling around six of the possessed terrorist ninjas before clinging tightly to them, coating their entire bodies transforming them; the six that were changed have now become Zabuza Momochi of the Hidden Mist, Haku of the Ice Style, Nagato of the Hidden Rain, Konan of the Hidden Rain, Pakura of the Hidden Sand, and Malice¡¯s son, Yuto. ¡°Yuto, my boy!¡± The medical ninja gasps; tears well up in her eyes as her trembling legs walk over to her son¡¯s reanimation. ¡°I¡¯m not done yet.¡± Jin says while now weaving the Ram hand sign. The Onikage uses the Mind Transmission jutsu to telepathically force feed the remaining shinobi an education on how to perform the reanimation ninjutsu Lady Chiyo used. After that, a satisfied Jin uses the Mind Eater Jutsu to put them under his thrall. ¡°Now then¡­ Perform the One''s Own Life Reincarnation jutsu on the reanimations.¡± The Uzumaki commands. The mind controlled ninja follow Jin¡¯s orders to the letter, placing their hands on the dead as a pale-blue chakra is emitted; like puppets, they use their chakra as an intermediary to transfer their own lifeforce into the reanimations, bringing them back to life in exchange for the mind controlled shinobi¡¯s lives; the cracks on the reanimations gradually vanish and their sclera all turn white. In a matter of minutes, the deed is done; the terrorist ninjas fall to the ground dead while the six newly revived individuals collect their bearings; they are confused as to what just happened. ¡°Yuto!¡± Malice screams with joy. The medical ninja excitedly runs up to her revived son and embraces him, lifting him into the air and spinning around. ¡°What? I¡¯m¡­ back in the living world?¡± A perplexed Zabuza asks, gazing down at his hands. ¡°Is the 4th Great Ninja War still ongoing?¡± ¡°Nope, the war has been over for months now.¡± Jin answers, getting everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°Who¡¯re¡­? Are you Jin Uzumaki?¡± An appalled Konan questions, eyes wide as saucers. Nagato clutches his empty eye sockets; his eyes disappear upon returning to life. ¡°Konan, did you just say Jin?¡± ¡°The one and only.¡± The Onikage coyly answers. ¡°And I bet you¡¯re all wondering why I brought you back?¡± ¡°Do you plan on using us like the previous caster?¡± Haku queries; he draws his senbon and infuses chakra, ready for a fight. ¡°Use you? Oh, God, no.¡± Jin shakes his head laughing. ¡°For starters, I want a diplomatic relationship with the Land of Rain, and what better way to achieve that than to bring back their two greatest leaders¡­ Which reminds me, Mileena?¡± The symbiote plunges a hand into her abdomen and pulls out a small container with a pair of eyes suspended in incubation liquid, a Rinnegan and a Byakugan. Mileena hands the container over to Jin who opens it up and takes out the eyes; he walks up to the former Akatsuki leader and places them into his sockets, using medical ninjutsu to attach them to his brain. Nagato opens his new eyes to the world, astonished. ¡°I can see!¡± ¡°Zabuza, Haku? I want you to know that your old village went through a bit of a regime change. The Blood Mist Village is nothing, but a bad memory now. And the same can be said for the Hidden Sand Village, Pakura.¡± ¡°What?¡± The sand kunoichi takes a step back in shock ¡°Yes, the Hidden Sand has seen much improvement under Gaara¡¯s rule.¡± Jin reaffirms what he has already said. ¡°I brought Nagato and Konan back for diplomatic reasons. As for you three? Let¡¯s just say I¡¯m a sympathizer¡­¡± Full of sincerity, the transparent Onikage holds out his hand. ¡°I¡¯d be thrilled if you three would join us, but you can also return to your respective villages or continue as rogue ninjas. If¡­ IF you join my village, I swear that I will protect you as if you were my own. Interested?¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- One week later, on a bright June morning, Jin and Ayanami find themselves in the middle of a forest clearing in the Land of Ogres; the tree leaves rustle in the warm, gentle summer breeze. Unfortunately, the Hyuga kunoichi is not happy in the slightest. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you brought back 2 Akatsuki members,¡± Ayanami chastises her friend while weaving the seal of confrontation. ¡°Even though I¡¯m no longer with the Leaf, I still hate those damn terrorists for what they did to my friends and teammates.¡± Annoyed, Jin too makes the seal of confrontation. ¡°We needed allies, we had to start SOMEWHERE! Stop crying over spilled milk and focus on the future. Don¡¯t forget we have a little over a year until Toneri shows himself.¡± The two stand perfectly still as they take in the surrounding nature energy; markings appear around both of their eyes. ¡°So, what¡¯s gonna be our training curriculum going forward?¡± The young Hyuga sighs, changing the subject. ¡°The Otsutsuki and most of Kara¡¯s leaders all have some way of nullifying most ninjutsu and genjutsu. We need to focus on training up our chakra control, taijutsu, and Sage Modes. Oh, and¡­ if I teach you how to breathe life into inanimate objects, would you mind helping me master Frog Kumite?¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine with me.¡± The kunoichi retorts. The two storm ninjas take a deep breath and clear their minds; they¡¯ve become so silent that the only things to be heard are the wind moving through the trees and the chirping of birds. Two vicarious leaves break off a branch and fall; they swish back-and-forth through the air as they make their slow descent downwards. The very instant those leaves make contact with the ground, the shinobi dash toward each at ludicrous speeds; reading the other¡¯s movements, both shinobi wind back their arms and throw fierce punches; intense shockwaves are sent out the moment the rivaling fists collide. For the next year, Jin, Ayanami, Rito, and Jaeger will train together extensively whenever they have free time; they will put each other through hell, making each other much stronger than they were during the battle with Kaguya. Chapter 110: The Last Part 1; Divergence ¡°Heh heh-heh¡­ HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! Fools, all of you! I have the Jibakugan and now the Demon Shinki!¡± Shinga, a rogue shinobi, cackles maniacally; he looks down on his adversaries, gloating. ¡°I must be the strongest being in the world now, I¡¯m invincible¡­! No one can defeat me!!¡± Shinga was once a ninja of the Hidden Leaf, a member of the anbu black ops, a scientist under the command of the Third Hokage. When Orochimaru abandoned the Leaf, Shinga had found a number of experiments the legendary Sannin left behind, and continued them in order to make powerful, new forbidden jutsu; he only wanted to make the Hidden Leaf stronger. (Author¡¯s note: Shinga is an antagonist from Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Heroes 3 for the PSP) However, when the higher-ups caught on to what he was doing, they sent a team of their best anbu to put a stop to him; they thought Shinga was dealt with, but the crafty fellow survived and went into hiding for all these years, biding his time. Now all he feels for the Leaf is an intense, unyielding hate that can only be felt by the betrayed; he desires to crush the Leaf Village. ¡°All I want is to destroy the Hidden Leaf. Nothing more¡­ But if the other 5 Great Nations¡¯ villages get in my way¡­ THEN YOU WILL ALL DIE AS WELL!!!¡± The rogue ninja has already begun his attack on the Land of Fire; he merged with his greatest creation, the Demon Shinki to accomplish this. Demon Shinki is a grotesque and demonic cherry blossom tree that is tall enough to reach past the clouds; this tree sprouted out of a temple, using it as a foundation and support. Its roots will spread and spread, absorbing all chakra in the area. The newly formed Shinobi Union response was to send a team composed of ninja from all five villages to stop him once and for all; the team consists of Shikamaru Nara, Neji Hyuga, Temari, Matsuri, Kurotsuchi, Akatsuchi, Chojuro, Chino Chinoike, Darui, and Buryu Lee. Unfortunately, half the team was put under the Jibakugan¡¯s powerful genjutsu. ¡°Fools¡­ You¡¯re all fools! Do you think you can beat me!!¡± A sneering Shinga growls, drunk on his own power. ¡°Slaves! Eliminate your former comrades!!¡± ¡°Darui, snap out of it, man! You¡¯re really gonna let this punk control you?!¡± Buryu shouts at his fellow cloud shinobi as he engages him in a sword fight. ¡°Fight it, Lady Temari!! Fight i--AAAARGH!!!¡± Matsuri is blown away by her mentor¡¯s Cyclone Scythe Jutsu. The rogue ninja watches with glee as the girl lands on the hypnotized kunoichi¡¯s fan with a loud thud; she has become motionless. Shing then looks to his right and sees Shikamaru holding the mind-controlled Neji in place with his Shadow Possession Jutsu; seeing the leaf strategist struggle makes him want to laugh. ¡°Heh heh heh¡­ You are even less than ants to me. You are nothing more than¨C!¡± *BOOM* Suddenly, a patch of floor shatters apart as someone is sent hurtling up into the canopy of the Demon Shinki; he flies right past Shinga, crashing hard into a branch, it¡¯s his subordinate and medical ninja Hakui. The medical ninja is in an unsightly state; his body has become dark and shriveled, almost like all the water in his body has evaporated. ¡°Hakui! How could you lose?!¡± Shinga shouts in disbelief. ¡°L¡­ Lord¡­ Shinga¡­ Forgive me¡­ ughhh¡­¡­...¡± The medical ninja trails off; he is dead. A beat of sweat runs down the rogue ninja¡¯s brow. A-Am I¡­ perspiring? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Wh-What in the¡­?!¡± A perplexed Shikamaru mutters; he is unable to move due to putting everything he has into paralyzing his fellow leaf shinobi. ¡­Did the others take him down¡­ or did the Shinobi Union send reinforcements? From the hole in the ground, someone else enters the canopy, a kunoichi Shikamaru doesn¡¯t recognize in the slightest; to everyone¡¯s confusion, her arrival causes pause to all in the middle of combat. The new arrival is a fairly tall woman with fair-skinned and pupilless brown eyes. She has green hair tied in a bun on top of her head with a hair needle running through it and one short and long strands of hair with orange tips framing each side of her face. Her attire consists of a sleeveless, backless top and short tight pants, with two lapels on the front and the back; she wears an obi around her waist, as well as purple arm-warmers which extend up to her shoulders and has bandages around her tights and ankles. What a minute¡­ that hair and outfit¡­ Shikamaru recalls something. The strategist remembers hearing about some of the reanimations the 3rd Division fought in the war, a squad of shinobi with bloodline traits; he remembers Kakashi and Guy told him about Pakura, a sand ninja who possessed the Scorch Style kekkei genkai. The Leaf Jonin¡¯s confusion only increases. ¡­B-But¡­ Kabuto released the Reanimation Jutsu¡­ How¨C?! That¡¯s when the shinobi notices no cracks on her body, no dark sclera in her eyes; she has been fully revived. Shortly after, his gaze travels to her head band; the insignia is a circle with a lightning bolt going through it. ¡°I am Pakura of the Hidden Storm and I¡¯m here to aid the Shinobi Union¡¯s strike force in putting an end to your madness, Shinga.¡± The kunoichi boldly declares for all to hear; she reaches for her pouch and pulls out a food pill. ¡°Is that a fact?!!¡± Shinga roars. As Shikamaru watches Pakura take the pill, a particularly large branch begins to move as if it was alive; its movements are reminiscent of a serpent with glowing-yellow pustules serving as the eyes; it lunges for the storm ninja and slams hard against the ground where she once stood, kicking up a dust cloud. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The kunoichi appears unharmed next to the branch, folding her arms and opening her eyes; they have changed from brown to a glowing red hue with three tomoe circling around both of her pupils. More offshoots come for Pakura, forcing her to leap into the air. Fortunately, the storm shinobi can read their movements with the Sharingan; she performs a barrel roll to avoid the first branch and quickly uses it to platform away from the next two. Pakura nimbly twists her body around, evading the fourth branch and runs down its pitch-black bark, closing the distance between her and her foe. While this drug¡¯s still in the final stages of the testing phase, it''s quite impressive¡­! Pakura marvels at her enhanced power and vision. ¡°Are you finished? Alright then, it must be my turn now¡­ Scorch Style: Super Steam Kill.¡± Several ethereal flaming orbs that resemble small suns form out of thin air which revolve around the kunoichi in a synchronous orbit; they burn away each and every branch that attempts to spear her. Shinga decides to change his tactics by having a whole swarm of boughs try and run the kunoichi through from all sides. However, Pakura has all her spheres merge, creating a single massive one. Weaving the Tiger seal, the storm ninja chants, ¡°Scorch Style: Evaporation Blast!¡± The kunochi¡¯s colossal flaming orb violently detonates, releasing a furious heatwave which evaporates the moisture in all of the branches coming for her; the sheer intensity of the heat forces Shinga and the Shinobi Union Strike Force to all back away. The rogue ninja grits his teeth. ¡°You¡­ miserable wench! There¡¯s no way you can--Gagh! Arghhhhhhh!!¡± The screaming Shinga recoils in pain; he trashes around wildly to the strike force¡¯s confusion while Pakura grins with satisfaction. While the rogue ninja continues to bellow, the demon tree shakes violently. ¡°Wh¡­ What is this¡­?! What have you done?!!¡± Shinga snarls. ¡°I froze your tree at its roots.¡± Says a new voice. The air gradually grows colder when the newcomer, Haku of the Ice Style, arrives at the scene; he spontaneously appears at Pakura¡¯s side, readying three senbon placed between his fingers on each hand; a thin mist engulfs the entire area just from him flexing his chakra. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. The ice user dons his usual pinstripe outfit which stops at his knees. Over this, he wears a green haori with white trimmings, and around his waist a brown sash with a fringed trail wrapped around his waist twice. He sports light-brown platoon sandals with straps in the same color as his kimono and nail polish on his fingernails and toenails in matching blue-green color; he dons a hunter-nin mask on top of his Hidden Storm forehead protector, which was white with thin, curved eye-holes and a red wavy design in place of the mouth, as well as the Storm Village symbol etched in the top. He also happens to be shrouded in translucent red bubbles of chakra reminiscent of boiling liquid forming along it with three tails. The rogue ninja¡¯s rage flares. ¡°Impudent brat, don¡¯t think I¡¯m¨C¡± ¡°It is a delusion to think you can still win,¡± Haku interrupts, calmly. ¡°Your ¡®Demon Shinki¡¯ is dying. Lord Zabuza¡¯s hunting down your remaining subordinates as we speak. And this place will be your grave, Shinga.¡± Pakura weaves the Tiger hand sign once more. ¡°Scorch Style: Super Steam Kill.¡± As flaming orbs take form around the kunoichi, scores of large mirrors composed of ice are erected, surrounding the canopy like a massive cage. Haku dashes toward one of his ice mirrors and enters it; his reflection appears in all of them. The two kekkei genkai users unleash a potent wave of killing intent, aimed entirely at Shinga. ¡°And so, it begins.¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Does¡­ the moon look bigger to you?¡± Ayanami asks. Meanwhile, on that very same night, the kunoichi is on the outskirts of the Land of Ogres, stargazing with Jaeger; the two had just spent the whole day training the newer members of Priestess Shion¡¯s palace guard. Later, they went on to make snowmen in the sunset; they immediately noticed something was off when the moon appeared in the sky. Nodding, Jaeger points at the waxing crescent. ¡°Ja, it does¡­ und it looks like it has a green tint to it, too.¡± The kunoichi takes her boyfriend''s hand and holds it tightly; they both feel a strong sense of foreboding as they try to comfort each other. The events of The Last movie are going to begin soon if not already, and they are completely unaware of how much the future has changed due to their prior actions. Ich w¨¹nschte, es k?nnte wirklich friedlich sein¡­ A brooding Jaeger sighs. ¡°We should probably head ba¨C!¡± ¡°Ayanami Hyuga, hear my proclamation!¡± An interrupting voice commands. Startled, the reincarnations are now back-to-back only to find themselves completely surrounded by enemy shinobi dressed in dark clothing with a moon symbol on their foreheads; their forearms and faces are covered in bandages; their eyes are blank white just as Ayanami¡¯s. Their leader is a young man with pale skin, shaggy white hair; he wears a white, high-collared kimono with a black obi, over which he dons a pale green sash tied at the right shoulder. On the back of his kimono is the Otsutsuki Clan branch family emblem of a yellow crest depicting a sun enclosed in a crescent moon. Beneath his robes he wears black fingerless gloves, long black pants, and black shinobi sandals. Wait, shouldn¡¯t he be after Hanabi and Hinata? Why is he here¡­? A perplexed Jaeger quietly ponders. The pale-skinned man hovers above them ominously with his eyes shut. "This is a celestial decree bestowed upon the Hyuga¨C¡± ¡°I know who you are, Toneri, and my answer is NO. I never will!¡± Ayanami adjourns, firing an Air Palm. The kunoichi¡¯s attack seamlessly goes right through the Otsutsuki with no visible signs of him being harmed; his small army of puppet ninjas swarm the two reincarnations. Incensed, Jaeger quickly channels lightning chakra throughout his body, enhancing his taijutsu; he throws a left jab just as the nearest enemy closes in and counters by throwing a sphere of glowing yellow chakra. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Days later, in the afternoon, Jin finds himself hovering over the ledge of a rooftop outside in a meditative position, trying to get in some chakra control training while he has a clone stationed back at the office, handling all his paperwork for the day; he has his eyes closed to help keep focus. Relax your shoulders. Keep your breath slow and steady. Concentrate¡­ Jin tells himself as he weaves the Tiger hand sign, infusing his chakra. The Onikage harnesses two chakra nature in particular, Fire and Wind Style; he channels them evenly throughout his entire body in an attempt to make them merge; seeing no headway being made, he alters his chakra ratio. Focus¡­ Focus¡­ Jin continues thinking to himself. ¡­You saw Sasuke do this in the Sasuke Shinden: The Teacher''s Star Pupil light novel¡­ Jin grins when he finally sees some progress being made; he feels his Fire and Wind Style slowly coming together. Blending. Merging. That is until a certain sound breaks his attentiveness, forcing his chakra natures to separate. *Giggle* *Giggle* The Storm Village leader opens an eye and peers down, spotting a handful of tiny faces waving at him with eyes full of wonder and awe; he can¡¯t help but smirk at their brimming, little smiles. A mischievous thought creeps into his mind, and he runs with it; he ceases hovering and allows himself to fall several stories to their horror. Just as Jin is about to fall on them, he suddenly halts, hovering just a couple of feet above them. ¡°Boo!¡± ¡°¡°¡°¡°Hahahahahahahaha!!¡±¡±¡±¡± Squealing once more, the children scatter in all directions; their laughter fills the air. ¡°So, you do have a playful side.¡± A voice says, teasingly. Boots on the ground, the Onikage stiffens, freezing in place; he looks back and to his chagrin, sees Pakura standing behind him; his pale white face gradually turns pink at the mere sight of her. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°So¡­ How did the drug perform?¡± A flustered Jin asks while taking a seat, pinching his nose bridge. ¡­Why did she of all people have to see that¡­? The Onikage is back at his office with Akari and Kido on either side of his desk; they are in the middle of debriefing Pakura and Haku with Zabuza nowhere to be seen. The Uzumaki takes a deep breath and puts on a brave face before hearing their report on both the drugs and their mission. ¡°The tailed beast and Sharingan drugs were almost perfect.¡± The Ice Style user replies. Kido, the creator of the drugs, has his clipboard ready to take notes. ¡°¡®Almost?¡¯¡± ¡°The increase in power they provided was quite significant,¡± Haku continues. ¡°However, the drugs¡¯ effects have a limited duration. And when time ran out, it had the unintended side effect of draining our chakra pools.¡± ¡°I see¡­ still need to work out the kinks then¡­¡± The scientist jots down the results as he¡¯s hearing them. ¡°And what of Shinga and¡­ *urgh* his ¡®Leaf Anbu¡¯?¡± ¡°The rogue ninja formerly known as Shinga has been dealt with and his subordinates have all either been killed or captured.¡± The Scorch Style user speaks, reporting on the mission. ¡°As for the Union¡¯s strike force, there were no fatalities¡­ a Hidden Sand ninja was seriously injured though.¡± ¡°A-A¡­ A ninja from th-the Sand Village?¡± The Onikage asks awkwardly, avoiding eye contact; he feels his own heart rate increase. Jin clumsily shifts his elbows, knocking over a stack of papers on his desk; he quickly reaches for the papers, grabbing them before they can hit the ground. Unfortunately, however, he could not get them all as some pages scattered. ¡°Heh heh¡­ A kunoichi by the name of Matsuri.¡± Pakura covers her mouth while she snickers. Blushing even more, the Uzumaki facepalms; his heart pounds rapidly. ¡°¡­And the other part of your mission.¡± ¡°Oh, yes, it¡¯s right here.¡± The Scorch Style user responds, reaching into her bag. The diligent kunoichi pulls out a scroll and hands it to Jin who opens it, reading the parchment''s contents; it contains the instructions on how to perform the forbidden jutsu, a type of genjutsu called the Jibakugan. ¡°Well done. Now, hit the showers.¡± As Pakura, Haku, and Kido leave, Jin watches the Scorch Style user from behind. *creak* *shut* ¡°You know¡­ if you like her, just ask her out.¡± Akari speaks up. The Onikage¡¯s eyes grow wide like saucers as he turns to face her. ¡°Was it really that obvious?¡± Akari replies curtly with, ¡°Worse.¡± Leaning back in his chair, Jin buries his head in his hands; he quietly groans, feeling a mixture of embarrassment and frustration. The village leader focuses on his breathing, with each breath he feels his heartbeat return to a normal and steady state. *BANG* Suddenly, the door bursts wide open, slamming against the wall; to Jin and Akari¡¯s befuddlement, a seriously wounded Jaeger stumbles into the office; the floor is painted red with every step he takes. ¡°Jaeger!¡± The Onikage shouts as he hops over the desk and hurries to his friend. ¡­B-But¡­ he should be with Ayanami at Shion¡¯s palace¡­! Coughing up blood, Jaeger collapses from his injuries, but Jin catches him before he can even hit the ground; he holds up his fellow reincarnation by his head. ¡°Jaeger¡­ What happened? Who did this to you? And where is ¡®Nami?!¡± A worried Jin shouts, his voice reeks of fear and rage. A weak Jaeger slowly reaches for the Uzumaki, grabbing him by his collar and utters, ¡°T¡­ T-T-T¡­ *cough* T-Toneri¡­¡± Jin¡¯s friend can¡¯t say anymore due to him passing out from his hefty injuries. The Onikage is left silent as his blood boils, intensely. ¡°L-Lord Jin, what are your orders?!¡± With a cold look in his eyes, Jin bares his fangs and growls, ¡°Call Rito. Now.¡± Chapter 111: The Last Part 2; Live and Learn ¡°Hinata. Neji. Do either of you see anything?¡± Shikamaru asks, rubbing snowflakes out of his hair. Hopping through the trees, the strategist leads a team composed of Naruto, Hinata, Neji, and Ino on a mission to rescue Hanabi from a mysterious figure with pale skin and white hair; they are currently traversing through a forested area, covered in snow due it being the Winter season. The group had just passed by a waterfall. Upon hearing the next head of the Nara Clan¡¯s request, the Hyugas activate their Byakugan, greatly enhancing their field of vision; the veins around their eyes bulge and the look in their eyes become much fiercer. ¡°I see a cave just up ahead.¡± Hinata reports. Neji adds to the report with, ¡°And I see a glowing spring at the bot¨C!¡± A perplexed Shikamaru watches as both sensory shinobi wince, reeling back as they massage their temples; both look as if they just had a massive migraine. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°It felt as if someone just entered my mind and¡­ dug through my memories.¡± Hinata describes what she just went through. ¡°I felt the same thing,¡± Neji says, squinting his eyes. ¡°But I was able to see into their mind, and what I saw was¨C¡± ¡°RAAAAAAAWWWRRR!¡± Something ominously releases an earth-shattering roar from behind the group. The team all look back and are shocked to see a massive dragon flying just above the forest canopy. It has glistening white scales; the creature would blend in perfectly with the snow if it wasn¡¯t for its glowing silver markings. The eleven horns on its head are positioned in such a way that they resemble a crown. There is what appears to be a large, blue, pearl-like scale just under the center-most horn, between its majestic blue eyes. What is even more shocking is that there is someone actually riding on the back of this dragon of light; this pale-skinned individual wears a black cloak with a red cloud pattern. Shikamaru silently watches in awe as the dragon zips right past them. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Inside the dark cave, Jin treks through the cavern; stalactites can be seen covering the entire cave ceiling, except for the kanji stone carving at the vaulting center. The only sources of light are from the Light Genryu which walks right behind him and this ethereal spring; the water''s blue-green glow reminds the Onikage of the gelel ore his village has been mining in the Land of Wind for the past year and some change. ¡°You can power down anytime now.¡± Jin informs; his Rinnegan glow red with his rage. ¡°Oh, yeah,¡± The Dragon replies. ¡°Hang on a sec.¡± The reptile begins to shrink in size; its wings, horns, and tail all retract, receding back into his body and he takes on a more mammalian appearance, a more human appearance. It is Rito. ¡°Being a dragon is actually pretty gnarly.¡± The young genius remarks, pleased with himself. It¡¯s at this moment when both storm shinobi feel something grab hold of them tightly. However, what¡¯s strange is that it doesn¡¯t feel like it has any real substance to it; they both look down and see an entirely separate shadow has connected to theirs, holding them in place. They look back and are underwhelmed by who they see. ¡°Shadow Possession complete,¡± A crouched Shikamaru smirks; he¡¯s weaving the Rat hand sign. ¡°It¡¯s been a while¡­ What¡¯s up?¡± To no one¡¯s surprise, the rest of the strategist¡¯s team appears at his side; due to this unexpected meeting, they are unsure of what to do next, but the young Nara continues to hold the seal. Tensions have slowly started to rise. ¡°Don¡¯t interfere!¡± The Onikage coldly leers. Neither Jin nor Rito move, there is no need to as the Onikage simply flexes his chakra; the shadow binding them turns into black glass and shatters instantly, disappearing into nothingness. ¡°I¡¯m very irritated right now¡­ Don¡¯t. Test. Me.¡± Rito claps his hands to get everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°Before someone (Naruto) does something stupid, let¡¯s compare notes. Jin and I are here because some idiot went and kidnapped our friend, Ayanami.¡± ¡°We¡¯re here because someone kidnapped Hanabi.¡± Naruto shares. ¡°Maybe we¡¯re all after the same person. We should join forces.¡± So, Toneri went after Hanabi anyway, but¡­ why would he go after Ayanami then? The only reason I can think of is¡­! For a brief moment, Jin¡¯s eyes widen, his anger intensifies. ¡°¡­I¡¯m willing to cooperate, so long as you don¡¯t get in my way.¡± ¡°So, we¡¯re headed to whatever¡¯s on the other side of this water?¡± Naruto asks while he walks up to Jin and stands at his side. Just as the hero takes off his green scarf, out of the corner of his eye, the Onikage notices Hinata¡¯s head drooping with sadness. ¡°That scarf¡­ A keepsake from your mother, Kushina?¡± Jin queries, making conversation; his gaze remains fixed on the mysterious water. Naruto nods his head, smiling. ¡°Yeah, it is! Konohamaru found it in Lord 3rd¡¯s things.¡± Through his peripheral vision, the storm ninja can see Hinata brighten up some; she smiles ever so slightly. ¡°Jin, how do you know that¡­?¡± A suspicious Ino questions with a raised eyebrow. ¡°Call it a lucky guess.¡± Jin responds just before jumping into the spring. Hmmm¡­ It seems Naruto didn¡¯t tell them about how they¡¯re all fictional¡­ The rest of the group dives in after him. As they descend, Jin takes flight and Rito grows a pair of white, draconic chakra wings and flies while the leaf ninjas all swim; the two make sure to avoid coming into contact with all the massive green orbs they pass by as they are a genjutsu trap that uses one¡¯s own memories as a weapon. The Onikage takes one look back and sees that Naruto and Hinata have been caught in one of the orbs; the two are unconscious with kunoichi¡¯s red scarf wrapping around the hero. Can¡¯t believe I¡¯m playing Cupid. These fucking people¡­ Jin mutters as he sprouts a pair of chakra arms. The Onikage drags them both out of the orb and injects the two with chakra; he claps his hands together and has some of his chakra flow into them, disrupting their chakra flows; Naruto and Hinata eyes pop open, confused as to what just transpired. ¡°Don¡¯t touch the orbs,¡± Jin says, warning them. ¡°They house a genjutsu that turns your own memories against you, trapping you in the process.¡± ¡°Thank you, Ji--Lord Jin.¡± Hinata bows politely. ¡°You can thank me by helping me save the others.¡± With a blank face, Jin points back with his thumb. The two lovebirds look past the Onikage and see that the rest of their party has each been caught by the orbs. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hella weird that we¡¯re not wet despite swimming through that water¡­ Jin thinks to himself as reaches the other side. ¡­Freaky. After rescuing the team from the genjutsu orbs, Naruto and fell behind to talk while the rest of the party went on ahead; they find themselves on the other side of the spring which turns out to be another spring. However, the mystical body of water is surrounded by what appears to be dormant genjutsu orbs. Now¡­ Where IS that area guardian? The Onikage ponders while scanning the area. ?¡­Oh, gatekeeper, where are you¡­? ? Oh, there he is! *BOOM* *CRASH* Like clockwork the creature that guards this area, a giant blue fiddler crab with red splotches on the larger of its asymmetrical pincers, erupts from the ground; it takes several steps forward, spewing forth a violent stream of bubbles from its mouth in a waterfall-like fashion. While leaping out of the line of fire, Shikamaru shouts, ¡°Don¡¯t pop the bu¨C¡± ¡°Oi, Jin! Let¡¯s go with that combo!¡± Rito yells to his friend as he infuses chakra. ¡°Yeah!¡± Charging toward the giant crab, the Onikage creates a single shadow clone; the two Jins around the beast in opposite directions, keeping it distracted by throwing black rods. While this is going on, the genius punches the ground, channeling chakra into the entire area; the top layer of rocks and the piles of bubbles all turn into individual quartz particles, sand. Rito has the sand erupt, uppercutting the crab into the air; the sand covers the creature while keeping it airborne, gradually taking the shape of a sphere with multiple cracks and openings. The Jins get into formation, circling around it. ¡°Fire Style: Searing Migraine.¡± One Jin opens his maw, unleashing a giant firestorm into the openings. The crab is scorched alive as it is engulfed by the intense flames; it thrashes around wildly in the air as the sand continues to smother it. ¡°Wind Style: Divine Down Current.¡± The other Jin thrusts his hands forward, shooting off a vortex of wind. The wind jutsu blasts the gatekeeper, fanning the flames into a blazing inferno; the giant crab screams in an agonizing panic as the sand covering it proceeds to melt, turning into a lava-like substance. The molten sand completely covers the giant crab, taking the form of a giant floating orb; the orb glows several shades of red and orange due to the absurd heat it is emitting. The Storm Village engineer clenches his fist dramatically. ¡°Crystal Style: Burning Sand Coffin!!¡± The ball of molten sand instantly shrinks in size, it now resembles a very small sun; it detonates in a brilliant fashion, resembling the climax of a fireworks display. Descending back to the ground, Jin dispels his shadow clone; the leaf ninjas are amazed by how quickly the beast was defeated. The village leader turns and sees his friend, Rito, standing next to him with the biggest smile. ¡°Don¡¯t ya just LOVE a good collab?¡± The genius scientist holds out his fist. Maintaining a cold stoicism, the Onikage reaches out and fist bumps his best friend. ¡°We need to rescue ¡®Nami¡­ oh, and Hanabi too. Let¡¯s move on.¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. A day later, the party has stumbled across some ancient ruins, a city that must easily be centuries old if not a millennium by this point; Shikamaru had made the suggestion to split up and take a closer look. If it were under different circumstances, Jin would be marveling at the scenery and architecture, he probably would have found a muse. The Onikage is currently trekking through an underground passageway as if he¡¯s been here before; he sends out chakra with each step he takes like how a bat uses echolocation to see, giving him a three-dimensional map of the ruins. ¡°Uh, Jin?¡± A familiar voice says from behind. The storm ninja looks back only to see his cousin, Ino Yamanaka; based purely on her facial expression, he detects a mix of concern and awkwardness. ¡°Whatever¡¯s on your mind, walk and talk.¡± Jin gestures by cocking his head. The two silently begin to walk together down the chasm of ruins, an awkward tension fills the dust-ridden air; a full two minutes pass before she finally says something. ¡°I found something in my house,¡± Ino explains while rummaging through her bag. ¡°And though you should have it. I thought it¡¯d cheer you up.¡± The kunoichi hands over an old photograph to Jin who looks at it; he sees a red-headed man and a blonde woman brimming with love and happiness as they hold their baby. If the Onikage was truly part of this world and not a reincarnation, he would have jumped with joy at the mere sight of this pic, but Jin is not, and he doesn¡¯t; all he sees are two complete strangers that just so happen to be the ones who brought him into this world. Ino continues with a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry so much, we¡¯ll get them¨C¡± ¡°Worry? WORRY? Worry is far too small a word for what I am; one of my friends was sent to the hospital, another friend was kidnapped, and the world might end, again¡­ The Earth¡¯s surface area is nearly 200 million square miles; if the word ¡®fear¡¯ were engraved on each and every picometer of those hundreds of millions of miles, it would not equal 1 billionth of what I feel at THIS instant. Were I a weaker man, I think¡­ I would die of it¡­¡± Consumed by his emotions, Jin had unknowingly let down his walls, allowing Ino to see a piece of who he truly was inside, but before he can continue his monologue, he feels Ino swiftly wrap her arms around him tightly; her warm embrace stuns him, leaving him absolutely speechless. The Onikage wraps his arms around her, returning the hug. ¡°Th-Thank you, and sorry.¡± ¡°You got nothing to be sorry about.¡± Ino says reassuringly; she looks at him with eyes full of compassion and determination. ¡°We¡¯ll save Ayanami AND the world, together.¡± ¡°Together.¡± ¡°Well, isn¡¯t THIS just a wholesome display!¡± Rito says, appearing out of nowhere; he leans against the wall with arms folded, wearing a coy grin. Jin releases his cousin and takes several steps back: his face blushes despite him wearing a poker face. ¡°Way to ruin the moment, bro.¡± ¡°While you two were in the middle of your ¡®moment,¡¯ Shikamaru and the others found something. Let¡¯s go!¡± The smug genius makes air quotes. ¡°Some puppet-man called Hinata the Byakugan Princess!¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°...I said I love you.¡± Naruto reiterates. A day later, at night, the hero confesses his newfound affection towards the kunoichi of the Hyuga Clan; the bright full moon along with the fireflies hovering about makes for a romantic ambiance. Unbeknownst to them, Jin and Rito hide in a tree, waiting patiently to strike. Any second now¡­ Jin quietly broods, cringing. The Onikage watches the two ninjas silently look each other in the eyes; he can feel a subtle tension rise between them. Hinata tightens her grip on the scarf she¡¯s been knitting for the entirety of the mission. Naruto wears a strong yet weak expression as he leans in closer. ¡°Hinata¡­¡± The alert Jin detects a foreign chakra signature coming their way, but something about it feels oddly familiar. To everyone but the storm ninjas¡¯ surprise, a platform ominously descends with a pale-skinned young man at the helm; Jin can¡¯t help but find his advent to be quite gauche. ¡°Toneri! Or are you just another puppet?!¡± Naruto growls, balling his fists, ready for a fight. ¡°Where¡¯re Ayanami and Hanabi?!¡± The Otsutsuki opens his eyes, unveiling the piercing-blue gaze of the Tenseigan. ¡°Silence. I came to hear Hinata¡¯s--¡± ¡°--No one gives a flying fuck about what YOU want, asshole!¡± A snarling Jin interrupts, making his presence known. With glowing red Rinnegan, the Onikage suddenly appears at the hero¡¯s side with Rito getting in front of the elder Hyuga sister; his expression to abject horror and disgust when senses the chakra coming from Toneri¡¯s dojutsu, Ayanami¡¯s chakra; his blood becomes ice-cold. ¡°Where¡¯d you get those eyes from? Where¡¯s Ayanami?!¡± Jin questions in a low growl, scowling; his entire body shakes with rage and his Rinne Sharingan opens. ¡°You WILL answer me!!¡± One of the Otsutsuki¡¯s puppets comes out of hiding and makes a dash for the Onikage who doesn¡¯t bother to move; the marionette winds back its arm and throws a mighty punch only to make contact with a brightly glowing golden-yellow rib cage; Jin has just activated his Susano¡¯o. The rib cage sprouts an arm which grabs hold of the puppet, bringing it closer to the vengeful storm shinobi. ¡°I will end you!¡± A small army of puppets make appear out of nowhere, surrounding the group. Jin forms a Rasengan while Naruto and Rito leap to safety, carrying Hinata away; the Onikage shoves his jutsu into the captured enemy just as the other puppets swarm him. However, the storm ninja¡¯s attack detonates on impact, engulfing all the marionettes in a massive, spiraling explosion. With the Body Flicker technique, Jin enhances his speed and vanishes, quickly reappearing right behind Toneri, in the air; he throws a roundhouse kick, but the Otsutsuki raises a fist and blocks it. However, Toneri¡¯s eyes twitch ever-so-slightly as if they are in pain, and Jin takes notice of this. Oh, RIGHT¡­ the bastard only just got the Tenseigan¡­ A devilish grin forms on the Onikage¡¯s face; he takes great satisfaction in knowing this. ¡­Good. That¡¯ll make killing him much easier¡­ While Jin has their foe¡¯s attention, Rito brandishes a crystalline ax and lunges for him. However, Toneri holds out his right hand which has begun to glow cyan-green; it produces a green orb of chakra that is fired directly at the genius. ¡°DON¡¯T LET IT TOUCH YOU!!!¡± The hero, Naruto, comes flying into the action and immediately shoves Rito out of the way; he counters the orb with a Rasengan, but Toneri¡¯s attack casually absorbs Naruto¡¯s and then goes straight through him, taking a large portion of his own chakra with it. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Everyone! Don¡¯t panic! We¡¯ve prepared for this!¡± Meanwhile, back on Earth, Mileena is shouting toward the panicked masses who run for shelter, trying her best to calm them down; they are all terrified as chunks of the moon have just broken off and are currently falling toward the planet as a giant meteor shower. Fear, confusion, and hopeless anger have taken hold over the people; little children can be seen crying as the scared adults shove their way to safety. The symbiote reaches out with the Mind Transmission Jutsu. ¡°Bando, the time has come. Activate the defenses!¡± ¡°Yes, Lady Mileena. Your will is my command.¡± *VWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMM* The crowd is dead silent with confusion as a mysterious and intensely loud, low hum reverberates throughout the entire village; the ground vibrates gently like a smartphone; the outer village walls suddenly light up, charging with energy. *KZZT* *KZZT* *ZZZOOOOOOORRCH* A bright veil of bluish-green energy is emitted from the tips of each of the outer walls¡¯ towers, shooting out over the entirety of the Hidden Storm Village; this energy blankets the village and all its residents in a hermetically sealed dome; only voices and low energy photons can pass through it. In the night sky, raging-hot meteors come streaking in, entering the Earth¡¯s atmosphere. Under normal circumstances, this phenomenon would be perceived as a beautifully majestic spectacle, but not this time; all these falling stars bring are the end of days. *KRAKOOM* *KRAKOOM* *KRAKOOM* *KRAKOOM* *KRAKOOM* Each shooting star slams hard against the barrier, shattering into pebbles. Seeing the dome hold, the people have stopped panicking; they are left in awe as they feel the weight of the meteors crash and shatter against the shield. *KRAKOOM* *KRAKOOM* ¡°DO YOU SEE?!¡± Mileena shouts, getting everyone¡¯s attention; she¡¯s perched on a tower so that all can see her. ¡°THIS IS THE PRODUCT OF ALL OF OUR EFFORTS--EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US! YOU ARE SAFE HERE! YOU ARE ALL SAFE HERE!!¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°What are you doing up?!¡± Amaru, the doctor, chastises. ¡°You should be in bed with those injuries!¡± ¡°I heal fast.¡± Jaeger replies curtly as he watches the barrier in action. ¡­Reverse engineered Land of Sky tech, powered by the gelel mineral¡­ Tough stuff to reckon with. As the blonde reincarnation watches the massive shield protect the village from the oncoming meteors, he is quick to notice that the other mechanism isn¡¯t being deployed; he reaches for his phone and makes a call. *KRAKOOM* *KRAKOOM* ¡°HELLO?¡± Mecha-Naruto answers on the other side of the call. ¡°Hello, it¡¯s Jaeger.¡± ¡°OH, MASTER JAEGER! IT IS GOOD TO SEE YOU¡¯RE AWAKE! MASTERS JIN AND RITO WILL BE PLEASED WHEN THEY RETURN!!¡± *KRAKOOM* ¡°Yeah-yeah-yeah¡­ I¡¯m looking outside from a hospital window, and what I want to know is why aren¡¯t you putting the Gelel Laser Cannons to use?¡± Jaeger''s voice is filled with worry and frustration. ¡°Isn¡¯t that the whole reason you and Rito scavenged the Land of Sky¡¯s Ancor Vantian?¡± ¡°WE ONLY HAD TIME TO GET ONE UP AND RUNNING. JIN GAVE THE ORDER TO FOCUS ON THE BARRIER FOR THE TIME BEING.¡± *KRAKOOM* *KRAKOOM* *KRAKOOM* *KRAKOOM* The storm ninja sighs, ¡°I see¡­ Huh?¡± The village is suddenly blanketed by a light source more intense than that of the shield. The reincarnation looks up with wide eyes to find a giant meteor headed right for them; this falling star easily dwarfs all the previous ones that came before like something out of a disaster movie; everyone can feel the air become warmer as it gets closer. ¡°Mein Gott! Are you seeing this?!¡± The storm shinobi asks with horrified awe. ¡°YES, YES, I AM. UNFORTUNATELY.¡± ¡°Do you think the barrier will hold?¡± ¡°UNKNOWN. I DON¡¯T HAVE ENOUGH DATA TO MAKE AN ACCURATE CALCULATION, ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.¡± Not saying a word, Jaeger hangs up his phone; the storm ninja makes the Tiger hand sign with one hand, building up his chakra; he searches deep within himself, digging up even more chakra from a second source. ????? ¡°Uhh¡­ WHICH Pok¨¦mon?¡± Jin asks, leaning against one of the columns with his arms folded. Eleven months ago, the two took some time off of training and traveled to the ruins of Roran in the Land of Wind; they are currently beneath the kingdom ruins, in an underground chamber where the Ry¨±myaku Ley Line, an ancient source of chakra, resides. The area is as pitch-black as night with the only light source being a deep violet glow which originates from the ley line itself and the chamber¡¯s altar; the near-infinite chakra of the ley line flows like a river. Mukade, a rogue sand ninja, reactivated the Ry¨±myaku when he undid Minato¡¯s seal, but Echo kept it open to harness its power. ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ know what its name is in America,¡± Jaeger says, scratching the back of his head. ¡°But what I do know is that it was in one of the earlier Pok¨¦mon movies. It was also the title character for¡­ What was that game again¡­? I dunno¡­ Silver?¡± The Onikage stands straight up after hearing that word, giving Jaeger a sinister grin; he holds up both hands, his left glows red with yin chakra while the right glows blue with yang chakra. The Uzumaki takes a step closer with sparkling eyes. ¡°¡­Silver? You mean Pok¨¦mon: SoulSilver? OHHH¡­ I know exactly who you¡¯re talking about now!¡± The whole reason they are here is because the clever Jaeger had the bright idea to use Roran¡¯s chakra ley line to make their own tailed beast; the taijutsu expert is going to be the jinchuriki due to the fact that it was all his idea. ????? ¡°C¡¯mon! Wake up and lend me your strength¡­!¡± Jaeger communicates with the beast lurking within. ¡°¡­This is your big chance to make your father proud. Our time is now¡­ Lugia!¡± By tapping into his tailed beast¡¯s chakra, the new jinchuriki feels a surge of power coursing through his entire body, boosting his power several dozens of times: a dense shroud of translucent purple chakra forms across his body with bubbles, reminiscent of boiling liquid. However, instead of growing tails like the other tailed beast cloaks, Jaeger¡¯s sprouts two wings with large, finger-like feathers, giving the appearance of hands. The jinchuriki bursts out the window and flaps his chakra wings, taking flight; he ascends higher-and-higher, heading straight for the gelel barrier. Since Jin and Rito are gonna save Ayanami, I¡¯ll do my part and keep the village safe¡­! The storm ninja grits his teeth, infusing chakra. ¡°Shadow Style: Shadow Down!¡± The determined Jaeger holds out his right hand, unleashing a wave of dark, miasmic chakra that temporarily weakens a small area of the barrier; the storm ninja soars and punches straight through the weakened portion of the dome and continues to make his way upward. Like a comet, Jaeger streaks through the sky to meet the colossal meteor; the surrounding air temperature gradually gets hotter and hotter as he gets closer; the ninja stretches his fists out in front of himself, and keeps his mouth shut tight. *THRAKKA-BRAKKA-BA-DOOM!!* The jinchuriki rams into the meteor as hard as he can, breaking it clean in two; one half shatters into countless pieces while the other is still on a direct course for the Storm Village. ¡°Schei?e!¡± Jaeger swiftly whips around and weaves the Bird seal. ¡°Typhoon Style: Aeroblast!!¡± *FFWWOOOOOOOSSSH!!* A raging wind funnel surrounds the storm shinobi who thrusts his hands forward, firing off a powerful and destructive, storming vortex; he watches with great satisfaction as his tornado jets out, slamming into the meteor and grinding it into pebbles. ¡°Whew¡­ Like I¡¯d let some glorified space rock get the better of us.¡± The storm jinchuriki breathes a sigh of relief. Now that the immediate threat has passed, for now, Jaeger takes a moment to gaze longingly at the moon; he feels an influx of emotions while he stares at the large satellite--rage, worry, and determination to list a few; blood drips from his fists due to clenching them so tightly¡­ ¡°Please save her. Jin. Rito¡­ Ihr beide solltet besser nicht versagen.¡± Character Sheet 6 Characters: JIN YAMANAKA UZUMAKI (The Last): OVERVIEW APPEARANCE RITO UZUMAKI (The Last): OVERVIEW APPEARANCE AYANAMI HYUGA (The Last): OVERVIEW APPEARANCE This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. LUGIA: OVERVIEW APPEARANCE Locations: THE VILLAGE HIDDEN IN THUNDERSTORMS: OVERVIEW APPEARANCE Chapter 112: The Last Part 3; Find Your Flame Ayanami finds herself surrounded by an invisible world, a dark and empty world devoid of all light; she, however, is not alone, her cousin, Hanabi, sits quietly at her side. Things may seem grim, but the brave kunoichi takes heart; she sits perfectly still in her chair, patiently drawing in nature energy. ¡°It¡¯s gonna be okay, Hanabi,¡± the storm ninja says warmly, comforting her younger cousin. ¡°Hinata, Jin, and Naruto will come for us. You¡¯ll see¡­¡± The trembling leaf kunoichi holds her hand tightly. ¡°B-Big Sister Ayanami, I-I don¡¯t¡­ understand how you can put so much faith in Jin Uzumaki. He betrayed the Hidden Leaf, and you went and followed him¡­¡± ¡°I know he can come off as¡­ reserved and standoffish, but to the few that he calls friend¡­ He considers them family; he would storm both heaven and hell if it meant keeping them safe. And I¡¯m grateful to be one of them.¡± The kunoichi smirks when she feels her chakra reach a balance with the influx of nature energy; underneath her bandages, orange marks appear around where her eyes used to be. With her Sage Mode activated, Ayanami regains her sensory abilities; she detects a familiar chakra signature nearby. *creak* ¡°Hanabi!¡± Hinata comes barging into the room; her voice is full of worry. Hanabi happily let''s go of her cousin. ¡°Elder sister!¡± Ayanami listens as the two sisters run towards each other and embrace one another; she smirks due to there being some inkling of happiness that managed to be found in their less-than-ideal situation. The kunoichi feels a strong sense of hope bubble up now that Hinata is here; if she is here then that means Jin and Naruto are not far behind. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Hinata. Good to see you again.¡± The storm kunoichi turns to greet her cousin with a warm smile. ¡°Ayanami!¡± Hinata exclaims. The Byakugan Princess runs up to Ayanami, giving her a big hug; as they let go, the toad sage feels her cousin¡¯s chakra instantaneously light up; Hinata must have activated her dojutsu, most likely, to see under her bandages; Ayanami can hear her gasp with horror. ¡°Your eyes, he took them!¡± The leaf kunoichi¡¯s voice is now ripe with worry, disgust, and outrage. ¡°How cruel¡­¡± Reminded of her disposition, a now somber Ayanami meekly caresses her face. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it¡­ It¡¯s better to focus on what I can still do now, like planning our escape.¡± ¡°Then¡­. what have you planned so far?¡± Hinata asks; there is a fire in her voice. ¡°Right now, my plan relies heavily on neutral Jing.¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Did you see how Jaeger blew up the giant rock, it was the coolest!!¡± A child says with sparkling eyes, grinning from ear-to-ear. ¡°When l grow up, I want to be a ninja just like him!¡± Meanwhile, back on Earth, a silent Itsu sits among a large crowd in a vast underground bunker; this place was created just in case the dome failed. The young, the old, and all the Genin were the first to be evacuated to the shelter with more on the way. ¡°I was told that cool-dome-thing was made by people called¡­ ingin¡­ ears¡­?¡± Another, smaller child says with bated breath. ¡°I wanna make stuff like THAT someday!¡± A Genin speaks up. ¡°How is a big shield more awesome than flying and punching a meteor into pebbles?!¡± Itsu quietly sits back and listens as everyone excitedly talks about what transpired hours earlier; the young girl smiles warmly, feeling a sense of pride for the labors her new family has done to build this new village. ¡°I didn¡¯t see Jin or Rito anywhere when the meteors came, they must¡¯ve run for the hills. What cowards. Heh heh heh¡­¡± ¡­Hmm? Upon hearing this outburst, Itsu sits up and purses her lips together. The girl looks to her right and sees a group of kids slightly older than her huddled together; the one who said that remark is a boy with short, spiky, sandy blond hair with choppy bangs that hang over his eyebrows, his eyes are sharp and bright red in color; the boy stands before his friends with a smug grin on his laughing face. ¡°Ha ha ha ha¡­ Politicians turn into chickens when the going gets tough! My dad said so!¡± The boy cackles. ¡°Take it back.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± The boy looks in her direction. Clenching her fists, Itsu stands up and walks toward the group; a number of eyes turn to watch the encounter unfold. A bead of sweat runs down her brow, but she stands her ground and defiantly looks him in the eye. ¡°I said: take it back.¡± The girl¡¯s eyes narrow as she repeats herself. ¡°Lord Jin and Big Brother Rito didn¡¯t run away. They went to go rescue Big Sis Ayanami and stop whoever¡¯s throwing the meteors.¡± The smug boy raises a brow. ¡°Like I¡¯m gonna take the word of little¨C¡± ¡°Jin and Rito are not chickens. They saved me from monsters and gave me a new home. They saved a lot of other kids from bad people. Take. It. Back.¡± ¡°Pfft¡­ It¡¯s sad that they need a little girl to stand up for them.¡± The boy sneers, trying to get a rise out of her. Itsu, however, keeps her cool and plants herself like a tree. ¡°Big Brother Jin says that mean people are mean because they are trying to make up for not feeling as good as everyone else.¡± The boy is left speechless by the girl¡¯s words; with a deadpan expression, she watches the cracks take form on the boy¡¯s facade, his eyes nervously darting every which way; all his friends and the observers quietly turn away hiding their chuckling faces. ¡°Y-Yeah, well¡­ whatever.¡± The boy throws his hands into the air before storming away. ¡°Now that was pretty impressive.¡± A voice says from behind. Curious, Itsu whips around to find a full-fledged kunoichi standing before her; even though the lighting is dim, she manages to make out the ninja¡¯s green and orange hair tied into a bun on the top of her head. ¡°Hi! My name¡¯s Pakura,¡± The jonin gets down on one knee to warmly greet the girl, putting herself at eye level. ¡°And I would like to be your friend.¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Is he through his pity party yet?¡± Jin inquires, folding his arms, his foot taps furiously against the stone floor. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! A nonchalant Rito gestures towards the subject in question. ¡°Look and see.¡± The Onikage peers into the dim room only to see Naruto quietly moping on his side, in a fetal position. It has been three days since their scuffle with Toneri, and the chosen one has been depressed, wallowing in his pit of doubt and sorrow ever since he woke up. Since this timeline is unfolding differently than the main one, the storm ninjas thought this version of Naruto would have rallied on his own by now; it is nothing but a pipe dream at this juncture. ¡°If I have to watch this any longer¡­¡± Rolling his eyes, an impatient Jin walks over to the heartbroken hero. ¡°I¡¯m gonna fucking rage.¡± ¡°Jin what¡¯re gonna do?¡± A cautious Rito whispers. The Onikage looks back, giving his friend a mischievous grin. ¡°Silence is golden, but a silver tongue is sometimes far more valuable.¡± Jin casually sits down a few feet away and takes one more glance at his downtrodden cousin; the chosen one does not even react to him being nearby. The village leader pulls out a pen and sketchbook, proceeding to draw; he sketches a pair of pointed ears. ¡°Naruto¡­ Ever since the day we met, you were¡­ Loud. Annoying. Idiotic. And most of all, childish. But I never pegged you for being a quitter AND a coward.¡± Jin takes another glance; Naruto has curled up, now covering his ears. ¡°I don¡¯t get why you¡¯re so butthurt over Hinata choosing Toneri,¡± Jin sneers while drawing a bat symbol on the chest area. ¡°We all know you didn¡¯t REALLY love Hinata. You only liked her for her loo¨C¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± The hero interrupts, finally breaking his silence. Drawing a sleek and all-black figure save for the bat symbol and eyes, the smug Onikage shrugs. ¡°Hey, man, I don¡¯t blame you for it. Me and a ton of other guys would just LOVE to cop a feel of those ¡®mountains¡¯.¡± ¡°I said SHUT THE HELL UP!!¡± Naruto snarls. The enraged chosen one springs to his feet and lunges for Jin, grabbing him by his collar and hoisting him threateningly into the air; his eyes have turned red while his pupils become slits. Rito builds up chakra and is about to intervene, but the Onikage calmly holds up his hand, gesturing him to stay out. ¡°You''re angry, I can see that. Good.¡± Dropping his smile, Jin looks down on his cousin with an ice-cold gaze; his Rinnegan continues to burn red with seething rage. ¡°Sorry to break it to ya, but love fucking hurts; it requires lot of time and effort. Something YOU, of all people, should be damn well acquainted with by now.¡± Eyes narrowed, Naruto growls, ¡°Jin are you tryin¡¯ to pick a fight?!¡± ¡°It must take some real balls of steel to be vulnerable enough to ask someone out¡­¡± As Jin berates the hero, he reaches an epiphany and cringes. ¡­Oh, my fucking God¡­ I see it! I have a parallel with Naruto¡­ SHIT!!! Both Uzumaki cousins flex their chakras; the cavern they¡¯re in begins to shake violently with rocks falling from the ceiling. The tension skyrockets, becoming thick enough to suffocate a man; Rito readies himself for a fight. ¡°Hinata left me.¡± Naruto hangs his head low. ¡°Naruto, you fucking dumbass. You¡¯re a ninja, learn to see through deception! Hinata OBVIOUSLY doesn¡¯t love Toneri, she went to go find Ayanami and Hanabi.¡± ¡°How would you possibly know that?¡± The chosen one¡¯s grip on the Onikage loosens some and his brow furrows. Because I saw the movie¡­ Jin gives his cousin an appalled look. ¡°It¡¯s common sense, you moron. Who¡­ on God¡¯s Earth¡­ WOULD EVER FALL FOR SOMEONE WHO FUCKING KIDNAPPED THEIR SISTER?!!!¡± Naruto¡¯s eyes revert back to their usual blue, and his face makes an expression that which Jin can only assume is remorse mixed with a hint of embarrassment; he looks on as the hero winces. The leaf shinobi awkwardly scratches the back of his head. ¡°Hey, Jin¡­ I-I¡¯m sor¨C¡± ¡°Put me down, get off your ass, and let¡¯s go save the world.¡± ¡°Well said.¡± Says a young, but coarse voice. The cousins and Rito¡¯s attention all shift towards the room entrance; Neji, Shikamaru, and Ino standing there, all three leaf ninjas are prepared to complete the mission. ¡°Please tell me you found a way to infiltrate Toneri¡¯s hideout WITHOUT causing a warzone.¡± Jin asks as Naruto sets him down and fixes his collar. The Nara clansman shakes his head. ¡°No such luck, we¡¯re going to have to storm his castle.¡± The Onikage sighs. ¡°Why can¡¯t things ever be easy?¡± ¡°Oh, wait,¡± Rito grabs everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°Before we go play heroes, I need to give Jin something.¡± The genius sets down his backpack and reaches inside, digging through it to everyone¡¯s curiosity; finding what he was searching for, he pulls out a metallic object. ¡°It¡¯s something Bando and I developed on the side; it¡¯s just a prototype, but it should still get the job done, just the same¡­¡± Rito explains as he tosses the object in question to Jin. ¡°I was going give it to you on the 25th, but considering the circumstances¡­¡± Jin¡¯s eyes grow wide like saucers as he examines the object, marveling at it. ¡°I-Is¡­ Is this what I think it is¡­?¡± ¡°We based it off of Tobirama¡¯s sword, you see¡­ Why don¡¯t you go ahead and give it some juice.¡± The engineer proudly boasts. Jin does as his friend suggests and in that moment he feels like a kid again; his gasps with excitement, biting his knuckles as the blade ignites from the hilt; his eyes sparkle like jewels as he marvels at the sword¡¯s brilliant, dazzling, furious crimson light; for a brief moment, Jin¡¯s sheer joy overtakes his rage and fear, returning his Rinnegan to their normal violet hue. ¡°Why wait for the 25th to give him that?¡± Neji asks. Rito curtly responds with, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± The Onikage is stunned with amazement at his new lightsaber and excitedly takes a few practice wings; as he watches the blade cut seamlessly through the air, it leaves a trail of red behind. Though brimming with joy, the storm ninja maintains his vigilance, keeping care as to not strike anyone by accident. Although Jin is extremely elated by the gift, his eyes glow red once more as the situation at hand floods back into his mind. ¡°Heh¡­ Toneri thinks we¡¯re just gonna go quietly into the night. Let¡¯s show him why he¡¯s dead wrong.¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°So annoying!¡± Rito roars, spewing fire on the surrounding attackers. Shortly after, the party has begun their assault on Toneri¡¯s flying fortress where they have just made contact with heavy resistance; an army consisting of hundreds of puppets, mounted on large bird puppets which swarm, attacking them from all sides. Rito has taken flight with his Light Genryu form while the leaf shinobi are all riding him. Brandishing his lightsaber, Jin ecstatically soars through the air, cutting down puppets left-and-right; glowing orange burn marks are left with each cut made. ¡°You¡¯re doin¡¯ great!¡± A supportive Jin yells as he severs the wing off an enemy mount with a swing of his saber. *tssew* *tssew* *tssew* *tssew* *tssew* *tssew* Overhead, further in the back, a whole platoon of flying puppets rain fire on the party; each time they shoot, it sounds like the chirping of a metallic bird. As the Onikage barrel rolls his way through the onslaught while the bright blade swings to deflect what would have been perfect shots; he growls when he feels the burning pain of one of the blasts manages to slip through his defenses, grazing him on his right cheek. *tssew* *tssew* *tssew* A pressured Shikamaru shouts, ¡°Need some help here!¡± ¡°¡°On it¡±¡± Jin and Naruto respond in unison. As Naruto chucks a Rasenshuriken, Jin¡¯s Rinne Sharingan opens up and fires an Inferno Style: Heat Vision; the condensed, jet-black beam hits the hero¡¯s jutsu, turning it into the Scorch Style: Nimbus Tempest which ruses forward. Upon reaching the flock of enemies, the cousins¡¯ collaboration detonates, consuming the multitudes of puppets in a ruthless hurricane of intense black flames; when the explosion dies down, not even ashes remain. The strategist weaves the Rat sign. ¡°Shadow Paralysis Jutsu.¡± The ever-clever Shikamaru takes possession of a straggler with his shadow; he has the puppet perform the seals necessary to make an opening in the artificial sun. A hole opens up and the team rockets towards it, entering the sun. ¡°Keep going,¡± The yelling Nara commands. ¡°Storm the citadel!!¡± ¡°Almost there.¡± A determined Jin quietly mutters; eyeing the crescent moon with a small satellite hovering within it, he reaches out with his chakra, searching for his friend. Just hang on, Ayanami¡­! Chapter 113: The Last Part 4; Hustle *tssew* *tssew* *tssew* *tssew* *tssew* While under heavy fire, Rito and Jin land in a clearing surrounded by oddly designed buildings; explosions occur left-and-right from the relentless volley. The ground cracks and trembles underfoot of the light dragon. As the leaf ninjas jump off Rito¡¯s back, in a puff of smoke, he reverts back to his human form; the group quickly takes cover in a nearby building. *tssew* *tssew* *tssew* *tssew* *tssew* ¡°Ayanami and Hanabi are in that tower,¡± Jin points toward a tall building in the distance. ¡°You guys go rescue them. Shikamaru, Naruto, and I¡¯ll deal with Toneri.¡± ¡°¡°¡°¡°Right!¡±¡±¡±¡± *tssew* *tssew* Heading for multiple destinations, the group separates into two smaller teams with Rito¡¯s making a mad dash for the steeple; the constant barrage of blasts are really starting to get on the genius¡¯ nerves. *tssew* *tssew* *tssew* *tssew* ¡°Oi, everyone, keep close to me!¡± Infusing chakra, Rito claps his hands together. These puppet-wankers ¡®re really starting to make me go crook¡­! *tssew* The engineer has a blue crystalline dome--a sapphire dome--form over them; it hovers over the group as they make their way through the enemy-infested compound. Thanks to the refractive properties of sapphire, the dome easily reflects the projectiles, sending them right back at their wielders; their foes are ironically done in by their own attacks. ¡°Rito, is it?¡± Neji Hyuga speaks up. ¡°I sincerely pray the day never comes where I have to fight you.¡± ¡°HUH¡­? Come again?¡± *tssew* *tssew* *tssew* *tssew* *tssew* The branch family member clarifies with, ¡°It¡¯s not just your Crystal Style, but how you use it; the application of your jutsu, it¡¯s different from how shinobi usually fight. You might even be far more dangerous than Jin.¡± ¡°Uhh¡­ Thanks, I think¡­¡± Raising a brow, Rito awkwardly scratches the back of his head; he is unsure if he should take that as a compliment or not. *tssew* *tssew* ¡°Jin said they were in this building ahead, right?¡± Ino asks. *tssew* *tssew* *tssew* ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the one!¡± The genius reaffirms. *tssew* *tssew* *tssew* *tssew* *tssew* *tssew--* The team escapes the artillery fire by rushing into the tower through its main entrance, making their way down the corridor; the plaid (tartan) pattern used to paint the floor, walls, and ceiling, oddly enough, remind the engineer of Scottish kilts with the primary colors used being shades of blue and purple. Once inside the lobby, the group is greeted by a menacing menagerie of marionettes; their rows of razor-sharp teeth and lifeless eyes remind the genius of a game he played just before his death back in the real world. I had to fight vampire zombies, cyborg zombies, and a creature from the bloody black lagoon¡­ The now shivering engineer feels his skin crawl while he forms a crystalline ax. ¡­But that house, with those puppets, and the monster fetus--Wha¡­? *KRAKOOOOM!!* Rito maintains the barrier as he and the rest of the group are alerted to the lobby¡¯s ceiling collapsing in on itself; large boulder-sized debris plummets from way on high and crashes into the ground, crushing the entire small army of puppets; a thick dust cloud is kicked up in the process. ¡°What just happened?¡± A perplexed Rito asks, cautiously peering into the smoke. The dust gradually clears away, revealing Ayanami, standing tall atop of a mound of debris; the kunoichi is piggybacking Hanabi, who has her Byakugan activated. The raven-haired genius snaps his fingers, reducing the dome to a pile of sand before excitedly running up to his friend; his elation quickly morphs into horror and disgust once he gets a closer look at her, spotting the bandages around her eyes. ¡°Oh, my God¡­ That bloody wanker really did take your eyes!¡± Rito gasps, enraged. ¡°We can worry about that later,¡± Ayanami quickly changes the subject. ¡°Right now, we need to destroy the Tenseigan Vessel. That will stop the moon.¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Charging into the altar, Naruto roars, ¡°Hinata! What did¡­¡± The pair of cousins have chased Toneri Otsutsuki down into a dark chamber where his and Hinata¡¯s wedding will be held; the room is lit by a faint glow coming from a patch of orbs just beyond the ¡°betrothed.¡± Tuning the hero out, Jin silently channels chakra into his right hand and prepares himself; he takes a battle stance best suited for counterattacks. The storm ninja narrows his eyes, staring daggers at the Otsutsuki. ¡°Alright¡­ have her!¡± Brimming with confidence, Toneri gestures to Hinata. On their foe¡¯s orders the possessed kunoichi dashes toward them, but the Onikage is ready for her; the two quickly pivot, evading to either side of her with Jin grabbing her shoulder and with one quick thrust, plunges his hand into the side of her torso. Without causing the Byakugan Princess any unnecessary harm, the storm ninja reaches for the green orb, composed of foreign chakra, that which is controlling her and rips it out. ¡°How dare you¡­! Hinata¡¯s not your puppet.¡± The Child of Prophecy growls. ¡°Hinata belongs to me now,¡± A pompous Toneri says while holding up one hand. ¡°I¡¯ll take her back.¡± Utilizing the Tenseigan¡¯s control over attractive and repulsive forces, the Otsutsuki pulls Hinata back toward him. However, Jin raises his left hand and uses the Rinnegan¡¯s Universal Pull to take back the leaf kunoichi. ¡°You¡¯re not the only one wielding the power of the Otsutsuki Clan, kid.¡± A pretentious Jin sneers. ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate me.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Hinata gasps, waking up. Caught in the middle of their gravitational struggle, the kunoichi awakens, perplexed as to what is currently transpiring before her. ¡°Urgh¡­! Aagh!¡± Toneri collapses to the ground, reeling in pain. The Otsutsuki¡¯s jutsu is disrupted abruptly, allowing the Storm Village leader to successfully pull Hinata back and hand her over to the smiling Naruto, who then princess carries her. ¡°Naruto!¡± The Byakugan Princess says. The Child of Prophecy replies, ¡°Hinata!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sor¨C¡± ¡°Sorry to interrupt, but we need to destroy the--Wha¡­?¡± Jin detects the movement of chakra. ¡­Huh¡­ Well, I¡¯ll be damned. ¡°What is it, Jin?¡± Naruto curiously asks. ¡°I sense Rito and Ayanami. It feels like¡­¡± The Onikage pays close attention to their movements. ¡°It feels like they¡¯re on their way to the Tenseigan Vessel.¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. ¡°This is the place, right?¡± Rito queries. ¡°I dunno,¡± The kunoichi replies with a question. ¡°Is there a giant, glowing golden-yellow orb in the room?¡± The two reincarnations find themselves in the temple where Hamura Otsutsuki¡¯s creation, the Tenseigan Vessel, is held. The vessel is a large, brilliant, golden sphere made to resemble the Tenseigan-dojutsu; its power is what allowed Hamura¡¯s sect of the Otsutsuki Clan to colonize the moon in the first place; the orb¡¯s light irritates the genius¡¯ eyes, forcing him to avoid making direct eye contact with it. ¡°Nah yeah, this is the place, but¡­ How¡¯d you know where to go?¡± The blind kunoichi answers with, ¡°Hinata¡¯s chakra told me. To avoid detection, we used Ninshu through fist bumps to share information.¡± ¡°So, what¡¯s the plan?¡± The engineer questions. ¡°Even without my Byakugan, a Sage Mode-enhanced Lightning Blade should still do the trick.¡± Ayanami smirks. The genius watches as his friend concentrates lightning chakra into her hand; the purple electricity coating her hand takes the form of a razor-sharp blade. Taking a running start, Ayanami leaps toward the vessel, her jutsu pierces the Tenseigan¡¯s shell, destroying it; the countless Byakugan eyes housed within the vessel scatter, floating aimlessly all throughout the room. Seeing all these eyeballs makes Rito cringe with disgust. ¡­Gross! All these eyes remind me of a movie I saw once¡­! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°¡­Will blow up the moon next.¡± Ay, declares. ¡°Are you out of your mind?!¡± A shocked Kakashi exclaims. Meanwhile, after a volley of meteorites were very suddenly and very ominously destroyed, the Third Raikage, Ay, had just called for a Kage Summit where he has just announced that the Hidden Cloud Village will destroy Earth¡¯s lunar satellite with their newly invented Chakra Fusion Cannon; the summit is currently being held long-distance via a series of cameras and computer monitors. The appalled Sixth Hokage, Kakashi Hatake, is left stunned and speechless at such a declaration; he can¡¯t even begin to count the ramifications of such a drastic action. ¡°But it¡¯s too dangerous to blow up the moon!¡± The Leaf Village astronomer argues. ¡°As long as the moon¡¯s out there,¡± The Raikage stands firm on his decision. ¡°Threatening the Earth like a cannonball, we will never be truly sa¨C¡± ¡°Fire that weapon and we will be at war.¡± An unfamiliar voice says ominously. ¡°Who¡­?!¡± The now tense Hokage blurts out. ¡°Lord Hokage! Our communication¡¯s being hacked!¡± Inoichi Yamanaka, head of the Yamanaka Clan as well as Ino¡¯s fathers, alerts everyone to the disturbance. ¡°There are 3 unknown users on our frequency!¡± Kakashi¡¯s attention shifts towards the monitors as they are compromised; the three displaying Mei, Gaara, and Onoki now display static. After a brief five seconds, the monitors now show three different individuals: A woman Kakashi is all too familiar with, a man with green eyes and blond hair that features fringe bangs with upturned spikes in the back and a topknot in the shape of a crescent moon, and another man with straight red hair; the red-haired individual mysteriously has a Rinnegan in his left eye and a solid white eye on his right. ¡°For those of you who don¡¯t know, I am Jaeger, the acting Onikage of the Hidden Storm Village.¡± Says the blonde man. The woman greets everyone with, ¡°I am Koyuki, Feudal Lord of the Land of Snow.¡± ¡°And I am Nagato, leader of the Hidden Rain Village.¡± The redhead informs the Kage. ¡°We¡¯re supposed to be on a secure frequency, why¡¯re you here?¡± The Copy Ninja squints his eyes with suspicion. ¡°We¡¯ve come to present the Hidden Cloud, and ONLY the Cloud, with an ultimatum,¡± Jaeger calmly and clearly explains. ¡°Refrain from destroying the moon or you¡¯ll be at war with the 3 of us.¡± ¡°And why should I bend the knee to your demands?¡± Ay scoffs. ¡°Because Jin and Naruto are on the moon. And it''s not just them¡­ Ayanami. Hinata. Hanabi. Neji. Shikamaru. And Ino,¡± Jaeger explains the situation. ¡°They¡¯re all there with them, trying to avert this crisis.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Hidden under his mask, Kakashi¡¯s jaw drops; a beat of sweat runs down the side of his face. This just keeps getting better and better¡­ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Ayanami,¡± Jin sighs with relief, pulling his friend in for a quick hug. ¡°Oh, thank God you¡¯re okay¡­ relatively speaking.¡± The Onikage¡¯s heart sank the moment he saw the bandages wrapped around where his friend¡¯s eyes should be, but shakes his head, choosing to worry about that particular issue later. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Sorry for you w¨C¡± The kunoichi responds, reassuringly. The Hidden Storm leader speedily shuts her down with, ¡°Don¡¯t apologize. You did nothing wrong.¡± ¡°The artificial sun just disappeared¡­¡± A perplexed Shikamaru informs the group. ¡°What happened?¡± After finishing their individual skirmishes, everyone has regrouped and are taking a moment to rest while they proceed to compare notes; Naruto and Hinata are off to the side, he just asked her for the shred of red scarf, and she obliges him. ¡°Ayanami is what happened!¡± The genius, Rito, eagerly explains the current situation. ¡°She DESTROYED the power source for this place with a Sage Mode Lightning Blade. It was bloody gnarly! Oh, and¡­ why are you staring at me like that?¡± A strangely shy Hanabi swiftly turns away from the engineer; her cheeks turn red like roses as she hides behind. After I rip ¡®Nami¡¯s eyes out of Toneri¡¯s sockets, I¡¯m gonna cave that genocidal asshole¡¯s skull in¡­! Jin quietly mutters, counting down, ¡°3¡­ 2¡­ 1¡­¡± ¡°...!¡± Startled, Shikamaru gasps, garnering everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°The Clock! It¡¯s moving again!¡± *KROOM!* Everyone staggers, lurching from the precipitous tremor; the entire area darkens due to the mysterious appearance of a massive shadow. The shinobi all look up in awe to see a colossal golem looming over them, menacingly; Jin, however, is surprised by how underwhelmed he is. I am¡­ unimpressed. The smug Onikage simply stares at their foe with a cold fire in his eyes. ¡°Hey, Rito? Didn¡¯t you say you wanted to take the spotlight?¡± ¡°HEADS UP! Big time superhero comin¡¯ through!¡± A fired up Rito roars. While the genius rushes at the Otsutsuki Golem, he grows in size, transforming once more into the Light Genryu; he knocks back the golem with a fierce headbutt to the creature¡¯s rocky face. Rito howls, ¡°I¡¯m gonna grind you into sand!!¡± The dragon slams his mighty fist hard into, what is presumed, the golem¡¯s torso, sending it tumbling down, away from the group and into the hole that shows the planet, Earth, in the distance; the tenacious genius hurries after it. ¡°Kurama!!¡± Naruto yells as orange markings appear around his eyes and a bright yellow chakra erupts from his body, enveloping it; the senjutsu-enhanced KCM2 chakra emanates from him reminiscent of flickering flames. The hero has chakra blast out of his back and morph, transforming into a golden, translucent avatar of the Nine-Tailed Fox, fully independent of its jinchuriki; with massive strides, it quickly chases after the other two kaiju. Shikamaru shouts, warning, ¡°It¡¯s Toneri!¡± Alert, Jin whips his head around and it¡¯s just as Shikamaru said; the blood lusted Otsutsuki flies toward them, wrapped in the cyan-green flames of the Tenseigan Chakra Mode; he produces several Truth-Seeker Orbs which all start rapidly revolving as they themselves ominously begin glowing green. ¡°Silver Wheel Rebirth Explosion.¡± Toneri unleashes a ruthless attack in the form of a silver typhoon. Gritting his teeth, Jin takes a defensive stance and braces himself, his body emits a golden-yellow aura; a ribcage forms within the aura, around the Onikage. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Back on Earth, the leaders continue to deal with this new, potential crisis; the tension has become so thick one could literally swing at it with a hammer. Regaining his composure, Kakashi tries to deescalate the situation. ¡°Now let¡¯s discuss this cal¨C¡± ¡°Speak for yourself,¡± Jaeger interrupts; he has no patience for the bureaucracy and is straight to the point. ¡°The 3 of us are supremely calm.¡± ¡°But there¡¯s no reason to take such drastic actions.¡± The Hokage argues. ¡°We have EVERY reason to take these measures.¡± Nagato snaps back. ¡°Naruto is my sibling student.¡± ¡°Naruto saved me and helped me put my house back in order.¡± Koyuki adds. Arms folded, Jaeger sighs, ¡°Not to mention how all 3 of our nations have benefitted from Jin, Rito, and Ayanami¡¯s innovations.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to do this; we can still talk this out.¡± ¡°The cruel and unfortunate truth is that even if WE don¡¯t want to go to war, our people will.¡± Shaking his head, Jaeger grimly explains the situation. The Raikage fumes, ¡°You¡¯re their leaders. It is YOUR responsibility to prevent¨C¡± Koyuki cuts Kakashi off. ¡°Our people would simply depose us and elect new leaders that would want to go to war.¡± ¡°I get it, your hands are tied¡­¡± The Hokage pinches his bridge; he is frustrated, but fully understands the position they¡¯re in. ¡°Then¡­ let¡¯s agree to put our faith in Naruto and the others. They have to avert this disaster.¡± ¡°Bad news!¡± The concerned Astronomer informs the summit. ¡°The Nine-Tails and¡­ what appears to be a¡­ white dragon have appeared on the moon¡¯s surface!¡± ¡°What?!¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Get OUTTA MY WAY!¡± Rito snarls, viciously, soaring over the moon¡¯s surface. The Light Genryu dives at the golem, slamming it with another headbutt, but the creature counters by bashing its own head into the dragon; the kaijus¡¯ clash reverberates, creating a shockwave that splits the ground underneath them; their struggle has become a heated test of strength with neither side giving an inch. What the¡­? The Golem isn¡¯t supposed to be this strong¡­! The genius begins struggling but continues to stand his ground; he is perplexed by how much stronger it is than it should be in the movie. ¡°Oi, Kurama! I could REALLY use a hand right about now!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t order me around.¡± The Nine-Tails growls, appearing behind the golem. The sly fox grabs hold of the clay figure with several of his tails, constricting its arms and head; he slowly raises the helpless golem into the air, relieving the pressure off of Rito; hairline cracks form on the areas being crushed. ¡°Thanks, Nine-Tails!¡± Rito gives his gratitude; four dazzling orbs of light materialize around him as he ominously growls, ¡°Hold him for me¡­¡± The dragon¡¯s spheres each fire a very thin yet vastly devastating beam of condensed light; the beams pierce through the creature¡¯s rocky hide like butter, and some of Kurama¡¯s tails. ¡°AAARGH!!¡± The Nine-Tails yelps, releasing its hold on their foe. ¡°Watch where you¡¯re firing!!¡± ¡°Sorry ¡®bout that.¡± The now flustered Rito cringes with embarrassment. Chapter 114: The Last Part 5; For the Glory ¡°Hinata belongs to me, by right!¡± Toneri declares, tightly holding onto the Byakugan Princess; he looks down on the hero with a cold contempt. Naruto and the Otsutsuki face each other down in a stalemate with both combatants poised to strike; they stand on the barren surface of the moon, glowing brightly as they have both their respective Chakra Modes activated. In the distance, over the horizon, is the giant, green and blue marble called Earth. The Otsutsuki turns his attention to Hinata and leers, ¡°You can watch his final moments in--?!¡± Toneri is cut short as he quickly tosses Hinata to the side and holds both his arms in front of his face to block. His wrists are both pierced by a searing-hot sword composed entirely of fire; the Otsutsuki winces in pain as his arms are burned from the inside with smoke coming from his wounds. The two gaze at the flame sword, tracing it back to its point of origin, Jin Uzumaki; he gives the Otsutsuki an icy stare while brandishing his lightsaber in his free hand; both his Rinnegan continue to glow an ominous red. ¡°Your right is the dirt.¡± The Onikage growls with venom in his tone. ¡°Before I take your life, I¡¯m going to tear those eyes out of your face!¡± Toneri grimaces, ¡°Don¡¯t be so presumptuous!!¡± The crafty Otsutsuki weaves a sign with one of his hands and a handful of large debris, hovering aimlessly, are suddenly propelled towards the ninjas at an exceedingly high velocity. Fortunately, Naruto produces a massive chakra arm and makes a wipe swipe, completely destroying the boulders; the hero follows up by making a Rasengan and slams it into the ground, kicking up a dust cloud. ¡°The world created by the Sage of Six Paths is a failure¡­¡± Toneri stands tall, with a cold glare he proclaims, ¡°I¡¯ll destroy both the Earth AND you!¡± From within the dust cloud, Naruto roars, ¡°No way in hell we¡¯re gonna let you destroy the Earth!¡± The Celestial Prison Flame Sword dissipates only for a brilliant orange Rasenshuriken to burst its way out of the cloud, zooming right at Toneri, who erects a shield made from one of his Truth-Seeker Orbs; in a puff of smoke, just before the jutsu collides with the barrier, it transforms into Jin who creates another Celestial Prison Flame Sword, piercing straight through the Otsutsuki¡¯s shield; Toneri, unfortunately, evades to the right. Jin¡¯s lightsaber ignites, flashing to life. However, just as the storm shinobi is about to slice into Toneri, the Otsutsuki counters by grabbing the top of the saber¡¯s hilt and snaps it off, destroying the lightsaber. Sensing Naruto coming from above, the moon dweller, quickly reaches for the Onikage¡¯s leg and swings him around like a bat, bashing the hero in the head; gritting his teeth, Jin feels cracks form on his cranium. Toneri swiftly capitalizes on the moment by grabbing Naruto and slamming the cousins into each other three more times before throwing them into the cliff side. Hovering over the downed shinobi, the Otsutsuki holds up his right hand. ¡°Golden Wheel Rebirth Explosion!¡± Toneri has his orbs coalesce to his hand, merging into a giant golden sword of pure chakra. Bracing themselves, both Jin and Naruto¡¯s eyes grow wide with horror and awe; with a single sword strike, the moon dweller not only hits the two Uzumaki¡¯s, but he carves his way through the moon like butter, cutting the satellite clean in two. ¡°That¡¯s it. It¡¯s over¡­¡± The callous Toneri breathes a sigh of relief. ¡°That was¡­ unpleasant!!¡± Shocked, the Otsutsuki whips around only to meet a fist cracking him hard in the face, sending him flying. Jin and Naruto have survived but are both visibly wounded from that last attack; blood trickles from the Onikage¡¯s mouth and the hero¡¯s forehead. What the hell, man?! Toneri isn¡¯t supposed to be THIS powerful¡­! Is it because he has Ayanami¡¯s eyes or is he naturally that much stronger¡­? Jin silently broods while wiping the bluish-green ichor off his mouth. ¡°Gunna have to go all out¡­ can¡¯t afford to hold back in this fight.¡± ¡°I know that.¡± The Child of Prophecy nods in agreement. The markings around Naruto¡¯s eyes disappear due to him entering his Six Paths Sage Mode just as Jin closes his eyes; his mind wanders, thinking back on his training with Ayanami. ????? ¡°You¡¯re doing it wrong.¡± Ayanami lands an Air Palm at close range. Staggering, Jin¡¯s feet skid along the ground as he is sent back over ten yards; he quickly recovers, catching himself by getting down on all fours. During the two-year time skip, before The Last movie, the reincarnations are spending this current training session focusing on improving their Sage Mode, specifically Jin¡¯s as well as his proficiency in Frog Kumite. ¡°Hmmm¡­¡± The analytical kunoichi strokes her chin. ¡°I think I may know why you¡¯re not getting this.¡± ¡°Then by all means, enlighten me.¡± Jin shrugs, tilting his head to one side. ¡°You need to use senjutsu chakra to surround yourself like an aura, an extension of your will,¡± Ayanami explains, ¡°You use Sage Mode as if it were a simple power-up like the Kaio-ken when you should be using it like the Super Saiyan transformation.¡± A Super Saiyan, huh¡­? The Onikage raises a brow, before nodding; he¡¯s skeptical, but chooses to trust his friend¡¯s words. ¡°Alright¡­ I¡¯ll try it your way.¡± Following the Hyuga kunoichi¡¯s words, Jin claps his hands together and closes his eyes; he channels his chakra all throughout his body, enveloping himself in sage chakra; a faint crimson chakra appears, flickering around him in the form of a translucent shroud. ????? The Onikage¡¯s eyes open and then narrow; he gains a crimson chakra shroud that forms into three ethereal snakes, which surround his body; their raised heads sway from side-to-side in a coordinated manner as their rattles start shaking. Two forward-facing devil horns jut from his temples and black markings manifest around his eyes. The pair of Uzumakis stand tall in their final forms, their current pinnacles of power; a single fierce glance from them intimidates Toneri, making him take a step back. The combatants are on high alert as they find themselves caught in a standoff with an intense bloodlust filling the air; a single shallow breath, or even a slight twitch of the eye is enough to welcome instant death. ¡°Naruto, go to Hinata,¡± Jin orders, breaking the silence. ¡°Leave this asshole to me.¡± Naruto makes a puzzled yet still serious expression. ¡°You sure? We can definitely beat him if we work together.¡± ¡°But then who will protect Hinata from becoming collateral damage in the fight? Besides¡­ I owe this asshole some serious payback after what he did to ¡®Nami and Jaeger.¡± As the hero takes a moment to think on the snake sage¡¯s proposal, neither of them have taken their eyes off of the despicable Otsutsuki for even a second since they started talking; the Grim Reaper¡¯s visage overlaps onto the incensed snake sage as the tension silently skyrockets once more. ¡°Fine, take your revenge¡­ But don¡¯t kill him.¡± The relenting Naruto sighs, flying away. FINALLY¡­ The vengeful Jin suddenly dashes forward, rocketing toward the enemy. ¡°Get ready for a world of pain!!¡± The Onikage lands a brutal sucker punch to Toneri¡¯s jaw and smiles fiendishly as soon he feels the bone break against his knuckles. Jin keeps up the pressure by using the Body Flicker to zip around the Otsutsuki, ruthlessly kneeing him in the back of the head; he then dashes in front of Toneri to body check him. However, the sly Otsutsuki quickly recovers, vanishing in the blink of an eye, only to then reappear and throw a fierce punch to the gut; upon being hit the staggering storm ninja disappears in a puff of smoke, revealing himself to only be a shadow clone. The real Jin is, in fact, several meters behind Toneri, brandishing a Gelel Rasengan in hand. The Otsutsuki whip around while his Truth-Seeker Orbs ominously light up, unleashing a barrage of cyan chakra blasts, but the undeterred Onikage charges forward; he skillfully weaves his through the volley of projectiles until he can close the distance, plows his jutsu into the enemy¡¯s chest and quickly slams him into the ground; a massive explosion occurs, kicking up a thick cloud of dust. Before the dust even clears, the storm ninja is abruptly sent flying upward by a powerful right hook with Toneri quickly hurrying after him, kneeing Jin in the gut; his yelps, coughing up blood. ¡°It¡¯s no use¡­¡± The Otsutsuki growls, slamming the snake sage back down with a double ax handle. ¡°Just GIVE UP!!¡± The wrathful storm ninja snarls back, ¡°NEVER! I¡¯m just warming up!¡±This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. Filled with a righteous vengeance, the Onikage eagerly raises up his right hand and channels his fire chakra through it; it spirals violently with four large points around its central Rasengan core, giving the appearance of a f¨±ma shuriken as he infuses it with both gelel energy and sage chakra, forming into the Sage Art: Fire Style Gelel Rasenshuriken. ¡°When you see Madara and Obito,¡± The furious Jin growls, launching his jutsu. ¡°Tell ¡®em I said ¡®hi¡¯!!¡± Just as the snake sage lands gracefully on the moon¡¯s desolate and rocky surface, a massive, fiery explosion occurs above him; he gleefully looks up only for his sense of satisfaction to immediately die out upon seeing scores and scores of cyan-green energy blasts headed right for him. The Onikage only has enough time to brace himself and stubbornly weather the oncoming assault; he grits his teeth as the bolts of chakra rain down upon him, blowing up at the moment of impact. All the numerous detonations merge into one colossal explosion. When the blast dies down, Toneri, now covered in burn marks, cautiously descends and peers into the subsequent dust cloud; his Tenseigan Chakra Mode on his torso and arms have completely disappeared, leaving only 3rd-degree burns where he took the brunt of the attack. The dust finally clears, revealing Jin to be alive and standing; his ethereal crimson snakes are coiled protectively around him, showing they took the bulk of his foe¡¯s chakra blast volley. ¡°Why won¡¯t you die?!¡± The frustrated Otsutsuki yells while clenches both his fists; his sheer rage forces his chakra mode to recuperate itself. With a smug look on his face, the sage rips off the tattered remains of his Akatsuki cloak. ¡°It¡¯ll take more--far more--than what you¡¯ve got, Toneri!¡± Overflowing with chakra, both combatants streak across the battlefield at ludicrous speeds, with the fury of a wasp swarm; they leave behind red and green trails of light wherever they go; powerful shock waves are produced each time they clash which can be felt for miles. As the battle continues, their movements, their attacks gradually become much faster and fiercer as time passes. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Meanwhile, on another section of the moon, Toneri¡¯s golem has been defeated by Rito and Kurama; the clever dragon has the colossal automaton impaled in a dozen places by large, metallic crystal rods, pinning it to the ground; he discharges lightning chakra, conducting it through the rods and paralyzing the golem, further assuring his and the Nine-Tails¡¯ victory. ¡°Man, that was annoying¡­!¡± The genius breathes a sigh of relief. The ground begins to tremble, startling the dragon and the fox; they stumble for a moment before quickly finding their footing. Keeping low to the ground, on all fours, the alert Kurama asks, ¡°This chakra¡­ What IS this?¡± That¡¯s when they see two streams of light, crimson and cyan, streak across the moon at faster than light speeds; the way the streaks occasionally move briefly reminds Rito of the Windows 98 pipe screensaver. As the genius watches, a bulb lights up within his head; he proceeds to facepalm. Fuck me dead¡­ Why didn¡¯t I think of that sooner¡­?! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°...Cannon FIRE!!¡± Ay barks. Outside in the cold, the Hidden Cloud Jonin, Buryu Lee, watches as his village¡¯s secret weapon has just finished charging up; a beat of sweat runs down his tense face. Buryu is but one of the many Jonin that power the cannon with their chakra while Killer Bee and the Raikage are the ones at the helm; the chakra cannon is prepped and ready to fire, but, to the cloud ninja¡¯s relief, it hasn¡¯t. The Raikage queries, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°? Yo, I can¡¯t shoot at Naruto! ?¡± The hesitant Bee protests, rapping. ¡°Stifle your personal feelings!¡± Ay chastises his brother. ¡°The very existence of Earth--!¡± ¡°Umm¡­ Lord Raikage? Are we really going to do this?¡± Buryu asks, cutting him off; steam exits his mouth with every word he utters. ¡°We ALL heard what those other 3 nations were going to do. They¡¯re going to declare war¡­ on US.¡± The Cloud Village leader dismisses him with, ¡°We¡¯ll still have a planet to wage war on. We¡¯ll do what we must.¡± ¡°On that, we can agree.¡± The Cloud Ninja slyly puts his hands into his pockets; he reaches for a small device, that which was gifted to him, and presses its one, singular button. ????? Hours earlier, Mileena made contact with the Hidden Cloud Jonin when she was certain that he was alone; she forewarned him on what the leaders were planning and was offering him a mutually beneficial proposition. ¡°You are like Jin and Ayanami,¡± The symbiote tells him. ¡°That makes you a rare commodity.¡± Buryu does not respond, his eyes continue to look down at the mysterious device that was just handed to him, transfixed by it; the black, ovular object is no bigger than a wireless car key. ¡°So¡­ Do we have a deal?¡± Mileena asks, regaining his attention. ¡°But you''re asking me to betray my village.¡± The symbiote shakes her head. ¡°On the contrary, I¡¯m asking you to save lives. I¡¯m asking you to help prevent the 5TH GREAT NINJA WAR.¡± ????? ¡°Look out!!¡± A sensory cloud ninja warns with a thundering voice. Upon hearing the warning, everyone present leaps back, away from the Chakra Diffusion Cannon as it is suddenly bombarded by a volley of kunai; the perceptive Buryu instantly notices that each and every kunai has a string tied to them with what appears to be a small, blue, crystalline pearl attached to the other end. The kunai detonate, but there is no explosion in the conventional sense; the ground trembles as massive ice stalagmites erupt from the ground, lifting up and skewering the superweapon in a dozen different places. Unfortunately for the Hidden Cloud, this incident doesn¡¯t end there; a rapidly spinning sword comes flying in, violently cleaving through the cannon. The frozen weapon shatters into thousands of pieces like glass upon impact with the blade embedded atop the pile of frigid rubble. ¡°Huh¡­? What the hell?¡± The startled Buryu is taken aback by the sword¡¯s design. Where have I seen that before¡­? Upon closer inspection, the cloud ninja sees that the blade is too big to be called a sword, it is practically a large heap of raw metal; given the blades incredible size and weight, Buryu suspects its function is more akin to a bladed maul. What is most unusual about the weapon is the greenish-blue orb built into the hilt. In the blink of an eye a man Buryu is very familiar with suddenly appears next to the sword; the new arrival is a tall and noticeably muscular man with light grayish skin, short spiky black hair, dark brown eyes, and small eyebrows; he wears his Hidden Storm forehead protector sideways on his head while there are bandages like a mask over the bottom half of his face. The man is dressed in a sleeveless black shirt and matching pants, complete with a waist-guard, and the Hidden Mist''s striped wrist and legwarmers. ¡°They called it the Dragon Slayer, right?¡± The man says in a deep and gruff voice, pulling the weapon out of the debris. ¡°It¡¯s no Executioner¡¯s Blade, but it still gets the job done¡­¡± ¡°Z-Z¡­ Zabuza¡­ M-Momochi?¡± Weaving a hand sign, the former Mist Ninja looks back at the cloud jonin and scoffs, ¡°I don¡¯t have time to play with you, little cloud ninjas¡­ Farewell.¡± *Poof* The Storm Ninja vanishes in a puff of smoke, leaving all the cloud shinobi to their own devices; after what just happened sinks in, they are all drowned by a sudden wave of bewilderment. ¡°Wasn¡¯t that¡­ the rogue ninja, Zabuza Momochi?¡± ¡°He¡¯s back! The rumors are true!¡± ¡°Was he really wearing a Storm Village headband?¡± Well, I did my part¡­ Buryu thinks to himself as his fellow shinobi murmur in the background. ¡­Jin. Rito. The rest is up to you guys¡­ ¡°NO! The cannon!! Don¡¯t just stand there, FIND AND CAPTURE THE INTRUDER!!!¡± The furious Raikage roars, fervently giving out orders. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Back on the moon, a fierce battle continues raging on with two jets of light, crimson and cyan, streaking ferociously across the moon¡¯s surface; each time the streaks collide, a celestial body gains a new crater. The wrathful Onikage produces a Celestial Prison Flame Sword from his right hand and swings it at the Otsutsuki. Unfortunately, Toneri is able to finesse Jin, diverting his sword strike and opening him up for a devastating counter. The storm ninja watches helplessly as the Otsutsuki youth grabs him by the hand and pulls Jin in close only to release him as pivots out of the way. The Storm Village leader quickly turns back only to be met with an intense searing, burning pain; he looks down and finds a glowing golden sword of pure chakra running straight through his torso; its bright light makes his eyes wince. ¡°Golden Wheel Rebirth Explosion.¡± With contempt and determination in his eyes, the youth looks down on the storm ninja. ¡°The world of the Sage of the Six Paths is over! I will end it, along with you!¡± As the blood trickles down from the corners of the Onikage¡¯s mouth, he suddenly grabs hold of the arm holding the sword and defiantly shouts, ¡°It ends when *I* say it ends!¡± Fighting through the pain, the stubborn Jin quickly pulls Toneri in close and headbutts him, maintaining a death grip on the Otsutsuki¡¯s limb; with his free hand the storm ninja slams Toneri with several haymakers; three in his gut, one on his jaw, and two in his nose. The Onikage finishes his onslaught by plowing a Planetary Rasengan into his foe¡¯s chest; as the youth is sent flying, the storm ninja swiftly chases after him and sends him crashing down with a devastating lariat; another seismic event is created. ¡°Weak and pathetic,¡± Jin coldly remarks while grabbing hold of his enemy¡¯s cranium and hoisting him up. ¡°Just like the cause you FIGHT FOR!!¡± The ruthless sage winds back his head and bashes it hard into Toneri¡¯s; he can feel the Otsutsuki¡¯s skull crack against his along with some blood trickling down his face, it¡¯s warm. The village leader continues his assault by pulling his foe down and kneeing him in his face, and follows up by immediately swerving sideways, lifting up his knee and thrusting his foot into the helpless Otsutsuki, kicking him in the gut. ¡°Disgraced by defeat¡­ That look suits you!¡± Jin now wears a smug grin. The sage watches in elation as the ethereal snakes surrounding him all move in unison; they¡¯re tails rattle profusely as they tightly coil up and quickly lunge toward Toneri, their long and massive fangs penetrate him in several places as they tackle him into the ground. ¡°Sage Art: Diamondback Rasengan!!¡± A Rasengan forms in each of the three snakes¡¯ mouths while they continue to bite down and, in a flash, they simultaneously detonate; the resulting massive explosion of spiraling chakra is so bright that it can be seen from Earth, with the naked eye. Chapter 115: The Last Part 6; Finale Still in his dragon form, Rito hastily soars through the air, making his way back the group; he does not fully understand why, but he has this inkling feeling gnawing at the back of his head, a premonition that something terrible is about occur, and that his brother, Jin is at the crux of it. With his excellent vision, the genius quickly spots who he was searching for and quickly dives toward her. ¡°Ayanami!¡± Rito lands before her with a loud thud. ¡°Rito, there was a HUGE tremor,¡± The blind kunoichi wobbles as her friend scoops her up in his large, scaly hand. ¡°Like, only a few seconds ago. What was that?¡± ¡°Jin¡¯s had a blue with Toneri, and a bloody gnarly one at that.¡± (Author¡¯s note: Apparently, ¡®blue¡¯ is Australian slang for ¡®fight.¡¯) While explaining their current situation the storm village engineer hurriedly but gently lifts up his friend to the back of his neck. ¡°Why are you in such a rush? Where are you taking me?¡± Ayanami asks while carefully climbing onto the nape of the dragon¡¯s neck. Rito answers with, ¡°I don¡¯t know why exactly, but I have this sinking feeling that the big one is about to happen.¡± Ayanami sighs, ¡°Jin?¡± ¡°Jin.¡± With a nod, the genius confirms, curtly. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°NNOOOOOOOO!!¡± Jin quietly stands over Toneri who¡¯s screeching due to having the eyes plucked from his sockets; he looks down on his defeated enemy writhing in agony, with his dreams and ambitions shattered; he should feel some semblance of triumph. Instead, all the storm ninja feels is rage. ¡°Y-You dare¡­?!¡± The Otsutsuki youth growls, gritting his teeth. With a cold expression, the Onikage gets on top of him while discarding his sage transformation. ¡°Yes, yes, I do dare.¡± Keeping his knees on the downed Toneri¡¯s arms to prevent him from fighting back, Jin leans over him and uses the Asura Path; two extra pairs of arms sprout from his body, the lower pair of arms seize hold of the Otsutsuki¡¯s neck, strangling him while the upper pair pummel his face with no sign of stopping; each time he pounds away at his foe, the ground shakes briefly. ¡°The world will be better without you.¡± Jin coldly remarks as blood splatters onto his face. Nobody threatens MY home and lives! Nobody¡­! The man beneath him put Jaeger in the hospital, he kidnapped Ayanami and mutilated her, he tried to wipe out all life on the planet. Jin¡¯s blood. Jin¡¯s bones. Jin¡¯s brain. They¡¯re all screaming at him to make sure that this deluded piece of alien garbage is not a threat to anyone ever again; every fiber of his being wants nothing more than to drown Toneri in a pool of his own blood. The young Otsutsuki struggles to the best of his abilities but is ultimately fruitless. He stops fidgeting, but the Storm Shinobi can still feel his throat fighting to open its windpipe. Paradoxically, there is a momentary pause, but only briefly; a quiet Jin ominously raises his bloodied fist only for it to ignite with chakra; a brilliant blue current of electricity courses throughout his hand. Death by asphyxiation, death by beating, death by Chidori; there really isn¡¯t much difference. However, the thought of using Sasuke¡¯s signature technique to finish off this scum feels more satisfactory to the Onikage. ¡°Wait!¡± A familiar voice says from behind. ¡°Don¡¯t kill him.¡± Appalled, Jin looks back and sees Rito and Ayanami. ¡°And why should I? This piece of shit tried to destroy the planet. That¡¯s attempted mass genocide AND Mundicide.¡± ¡°We need him alive. He may still have info on the Otsutsuki Clan.¡± The genius argues, adamantly. ¡°No, he doesn¡¯t,¡± The village leader refutes, coldly shaking his head. ¡°Until Momoshiki comes to Earth, this idiot will honestly believe he¡¯s the sole surviving member of the clan. If you go and tell me I¡¯ll be no better than he is, I will hit you.¡± Taking a step forward, Rito goes on to expound himself by saying, ¡°This one¡¯s different, I can just feel it. I¡¯m afraid this kill might turn you into Sasuke back when we attacked the 5 Kage Summit! Ayanami, back me up.¡± Lingering tensions rise as the brothers¡¯ anticipating gaze falls on the blind kunoichi; they silently and eagerly wait for the contemplating Hyuga to give her opinion on the matter; the suspense has become thick enough to drown someone. ¡°I can¡¯t make you do anything, it¡¯s your choice,¡± Ayanami finally speaks up. ¡°Just make sure it¡¯s a choice you can live with.¡± These words hit Jin like a shot in the arm, making him lower his fist, reluctantly; his mind races, questioning on why he wants to put Toneri six feet under. Memories flood his thoughts; he sees Sasuke running Karin through in order to kill Danzo, Kratos tearing Greece apart to get to Zeus, and Zemos murdering whoever it took to break up the Avengers. No¡­ I won¡¯t let my rage consume me. Not like them¡­! The Onikage takes a deep breath, composing himself; his Rinnegan return to their usual purple hue. ¡°If I really do go off the deep end¡­ I¡¯m trusting you guys to stop me by ANY means necessary.¡± To Rito and Ayanami¡¯s shock, a now calm and collected Jin suddenly raises up his Chidori-infused hand once more, winding it back; he slams his fist down with great force, punching a hole clean through the Otsutsuki¡¯s head; when he pulls his hand out of Toneri¡¯s skull, chunks of squished gray matter stick to his knuckles. ¡°Ayanami¡­¡± Rising to his feet, the Onikage closes his eyes and takes another deep breath. ¡°Sorry in advance for any discomfort you may experience.¡± Confused, the kunoichi¡¯s head tilts to one side. ¡°Hmm? Discomfort¡­? What are you--what the¨C?!¡± Unbeknownst to the group, Jin had used the Naraka Path to summon the King of Hell who startled the Hyuga by latching onto her with his tongue; he opens his maw wide and drags her in with Jin tossing her eyes in along with her. The deity begins chewing. ¡°Y-Y-You just¡­ k-killed him when I asked you n-not to...¡± The genius stutters in disbelief; his eyes are wide like an owl¡¯s. ¡°Yes, I put Toneri down, but not in anger¡­ I WAS going to kill him for what he did, what he planned on doing, but Ayanami changed my mind on why. So, instead, I killed Toneri to protect our home, our people¡­ Besides, Urashiki was just gonna seal him away when he gets here anyway.¡± *PTOO!* The King of Hell spits out a mortified Ayanami and immediately vanishes, returning to whence it came. The experience seems to have left the kunoichi shaking profusely with an expression of horror; closing her eyes, she quickly claps her hands together and performs a series of breathing exercises. Now massaging her temples, Ayanami takes a deep breath and says, ¡°Jin, thank you for restoring my sight¡­ But PLEASE never do that again. That was awful.¡± ¡°Noted. Sorry about that¡­¡± Jin awkwardly scratches the back of his head as he stands up and steps away from the corpse. Hmm¡­? Their conversation is interrupted by everything suddenly being engulfed in shadow. The reincarnations look out into the distance and are frozen in awe upon witnessing something that makes their jaws drop, a blue and green celestial body. That¡¯s home, and on it is everyone they have ever known. Every human being that has ever lived¡ªlived out their lives; the aggregate of all their joys and sufferings¡ªMany religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines. Every hunter, and every forager. Every hero, and every pariah; every creator and destroyer of civilizations. Every king, and every common man. Every young couple, in love; every hopeful child. Every mother and father; every inventor and explorer. Every teacher of morals; every corrupt politician. Every superstar and supreme leader; every saint and sinner in the history of the human race lived there, on a mote of dust, suspended in the infinite cosmos. I-I¡­ I don¡¯t even have the words¡­ The speechless Onikage thinks while committing this spectacle to memory; he is truly gob smacked.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. *sniffle* Hearing something, Jin and Ayanami glance to the side and see Rito rubbing his watery eyes; this confuses them. ¡°We just saved the world, why¡¯re YOU crying? You sick or something?¡± The Storm Village leader asks, perplexed. His brother turns away. ¡°No, I¡¯m not sick.¡± ¡°Then why the waterworks?¡± The curious kunoichi queries. Sensing that they won¡¯t stop with asking, Rito relents. ¡°You¡¯ll think it¡¯s silly, but¡­ Star Wars is the reason I wanted to be an engineer in the first place. I wanted to make traveling to other solar systems a reality. I wanted to see the stars.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not silly. Not silly at all.¡± Ayanami encourages. ¡°It¡¯s a wonderful dream!¡± ¡°Yes. Yes, it is. So¡­ How does it feel to achieve it?¡± Through the tears, Rito smiles warmly. ¡°Bloody epic.¡± The storm shinobi all take a few minutes to simply enjoy their victory and admire the vastness of space. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°It¡¯s a shame Toneri couldn¡¯t see the error of his ways,¡± A compassionate Hinata says softly. ¡°I¡¯m certain that everyone on Earth would¡¯ve welcomed him.¡± ¡°No, we wouldn¡¯t have. Don¡¯t speak for me.¡± Raising a brow, Jin curtly blurts out he is somewhat annoyed by the assumption. The Onikage and company have regrouped with the squad of leaf ninjas and are making the trek back home. The group stands under the glowing green, watery portal that connects to Mother Earth with Jin in the lead; he has his hands relaxed behind his head. Naruto chimes into the conversation. ¡°C¡¯mon, Jin, the guy¡¯s gone. There¡¯s no point in holding a gru¨C¡± Rito rolls his eyes, interrupting him by saying, ¡°No one¡¯s holding a grudge, but that doesn¡¯t mean we have to forgive him either. The wanker tried to kill us. Everyone we¡¯ve ever known and loved. The whole PLANET.¡± ¡°Hey, what happened to Jaeger? He was with me when Toneri first attacked.¡± Ayanami asks; her voice is full of concern. ¡°Oh, he¡¯s fine. The wounds looked bad, but the doctors assured us that he¡¯d make a full recovery.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡± The storm kunoichi breathes a sigh of relief. ¡°Let¡¯s go before a couple of somebodies get kidnapped again.¡± Shikamaru takes command of the situation. Everyone jumps up and enters the portal and flies through its passageway, making sure to avoid all the genjutsu orbs in their way. To the Storm Village leader¡¯s surprise, Naruto zips right past him while holding Hinata close like a gust of wind; he¡¯s using a Rasengan to propel themselves forward. When did I start shipping them again¡­? Was it the Chunin Exam Preliminaries? Or was it during the Part 1 filler arcs? Jin smirks, watching them from behind. ¡°Yo, Rito, ¡®Nami¡­ Let¡¯s go home.¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°¡°? Have a holly jolly Christmas, it¡¯s the best¡­! ?¡±¡± Jin and Rito sing together while they walk, celebrating both their victory and the most wonderful time of the year. ¡°¡°? Oh-ho, the mistletoe is hung where you can¡­! ?¡±¡± The jovial trio are currently making their way back to the Hidden Storm Village, trekking through a densely snow-covered forest; just over the horizon, the night sky gradually dissipates with the light of the coming dawn, a new day has arrived; they would¡¯ve gotten home sooner, but, at an adamant Ayanami¡¯s ¡°request,¡± they stopped at a hot spring to bathe. ¡°¡°? ¡­And in case you didn¡¯t hear¨C¡±¡± ¡°? Oh, by golly have a holly jolly Christmas this year! ?¡± Suddenly, Ayanami joins in and finishes the song. ¡°Well¡­ And here I thought you didn¡¯t like Holly Jolly Christmas.¡± The Onikage jokingly remarks. Giving a playful smile, the kunoichi shrugs, ¡°What? It¡¯s infectious.¡± ¡°Oh, we should throw a party to celebrate!¡± The genius suggests. ¡°We¡¯ve been working hard these last couple of years.¡± ¡°After killing Lieutenant Bastard Toneri, I¡¯d say we¡¯ve more than earned it.¡± ¡°Should I go ahead and invite Pakura, too?¡± Rito teases, elbowing his brother¡¯s arm. The village leader¡¯s smile quickly fades. ¡°Wait, you know like her?¡± ¡°EVERYONE knows,¡± Ayanami grins, mischievously; she struggles to keep from laughing. ¡°You¡¯re terrible at hiding it. It¡¯s the worst kept secret in the whole village.¡± FUUUUUUUUUCK¡­ A now silent Jin facepalms; his face has turned bright red. Still walking, the three friends are bathed in the morning sun¡¯s light; its warm rays are a most welcome and comforting sensation. ¡°I see them!¡± ¡°Look! There they are!¡± The Onikage stops in his tracks; he is paralyzed with a fusion of amazement and confusion by what lies before him. Coming out of the woods, just outside the Storm Village, the three are met by a crowd of hundreds of eyes staring back at them; every one of them is cheering them on, excitedly. ¡°Welcome back!¡± ¡°I knew you could do it!¡± ¡°Wha¡­?¡± Jin is flabbergasted. ¡°We¡¯ve all been waiting for your return, Father.¡± Mileena says, suddenly and mysteriously appearing at his side; she kneels before him with great reverence. The wide-eyed Onikage does not know what to do with this; he has gotten so used to being feared and hated that the mere thought of having thunderous applause cheering him on has become a completely foreign concept. A small group of rambunctious children run toward Jin; they surround him with Itsu standing at the forefront; they all grab him with their tiny hands, swarming him with questions. ¡°Did you really walk on the moon?¡± ¡°Did you get any cool battle scars?¡± ¡°Stop pushing. One at a time.¡± The Onikage awkwardly fidgets; beats of sweat begin running down his face. Too much attention! It¡¯s making my skin crawl¡­! ¡°I knew you¡¯d save Big Sister Ayanami.¡± Itsu says, smiling up at him with pride and admiration; she eagerly holds out her fist. Grinning, Jin responds by getting down on one knee to meet Itsu at eye level and gives his surrogate sister a fist bump. ¡°Ayanami!!¡± Alerted to the call, the group diverts their attention to an elated Jaeger forcing his way through the rooting masses, eagerly dashing toward them. ¡°Jaeger!¡± Ayanami excitedly shouts in return. The Onikage smiles as he watches the two run towards each other and tightly embrace; from the looks of it, it appears as if neither one will ever want to let go. ¡°U-Umm¡­ Father?¡± Mileena speaks. The village leader looks back and sees the symbiote is wearing a serious yet surprisingly meek expression; she strokes her chin while she tries to formulate what exactly she¡¯ll say. ¡°I-It¡­ It pains me, deeply, to interrupt your moment of triumph¡­¡± The symbiote articulates. ¡°But there¡¯s still work to be done.¡± Smile dropping, Jin sighs, ¡°Right¡­ No rest for the wicked, I guess.¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°So¡­ someone mind telling me what¡¯s on the agenda?¡± Shortly after the warm welcome, Jin finds himself back in his office; he sits at his desk with Akari at his side while Mileena and Mecha-Naruto stand before him. The Onikage detects an incredibly positive tension hanging in the air; he finds it very odd. ¡°Your victory has legitimized us in the eyes of the world,¡± Akari briefs him on what happened while he was away. ¡°You, working with Naruto to save the world has garnered us the support of the surrounding nations.¡± ¡°Word is spreading fast. Even though it¡¯s only been a few hours, new mission offers have come pouring in by the dozens. Also, the Land of Rain and the Land of Snow wish to strengthen our alliance.¡± Mileena adds to the briefing, puffing out her chest. ¡°Even your staunchest of enemies have no choice but to shut up.¡± ¡°And what is the current state of our village?¡± Jin asks, twirling a pen between his fingers. ¡°Some of those space rocks had to have come raining down on us.¡± ¡°MASTER RITO¡¯S GELEL DOME HAS LARGELY FUNCTIONED AS INTENDED.¡± Mecha reports. Jin¡¯s head tilts to one side. ¡°What do you mean ¡®largely¡¯?¡± ¡°OCCASIONALLY, THERE WERE SOME LARGER METEORS, AND WE WEREN¡¯T CERTAIN IF THE DOME COULD WITHSTAND THEM,¡± The robot double clarifies. ¡°SO, JAEGER AND I WOULD GO OUT AND DESTROY THEM.¡± ¡°I see¡­ Mecha, you¡¯re dismissed. Oh, and go make sure Rito hears this.¡± ¡°UNDERSTOOD, MASTER.¡± The machine gives a salute before turning towards the door and exiting the room. So far, so good¡­ for now at least. Whoo-hoo! The Storm Village takes a deep breath and leans back in his chair. ¡°Is there anything else I should know?¡± ¡°As a matter of fact, yes.¡± Akari reaches for her clipboard and pulls out a letter. ¡°Before you arrived, we received a message from the 5 Great Nations.¡± The Onikage takes the envelope and opens it up, quickly skimming through its contents. For a brief moment, his eyes widened with surprise; he was not expecting a request like this to happen so soon. ¡°What does it say?¡± A curious Akari queries, staring intently at him. ¡°It¡¯s an invitation,¡± Jin raises a brow as he begins reading the letter in earnest. ¡°To join their Shinobi Union.¡± A smile forms on Hikari¡¯s face. ¡°That¡¯s great! With this, we can--¡± ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re not joining them.¡± The Onikage interrupts with casual indifference; he tears up the piece of paper and, for good measure, reduces the shreds to ash with fire chakra. ¡°B-B-But¡­ WHY?! Not only would this heighten our political power worldwide, but it will also open up more opportunities.¡± Taken aback, the aide stammers in protest; she accidentally snaps her clipboard in twain. ¡°Joining their ¡®little club¡¯ would force us to follow treaties that limit military expansion,¡± The village leader explains, dusting his hands off. ¡°Sandbagging us from the completion of our mission.¡± Perplexed, Akari¡¯s head tilts to one side. ¡°Mission? What mission?¡± Not answering right away, Jin calmly holds out his hand to Mileena, who excitedly grabs hold of it and bonds to him; the loyal symbiote seeps into his skin, entering his body. ¡°Our mission is THE mission. Summon Malice and Amaru, so I can fully explain it to all three of you. And¡­ tell them to bring along a box of vials too.¡± Side Chapter 11 ¡°¡°¡°Cheese!¡±¡±¡± A bright-eyed Ayanami, Hinata, Ino, and Temari all excitedly shout in unison while posing together. After several brilliant flashes from Ino¡¯s camera, the storm ninja rubs her eyes. ¡°Well¡­? How¡¯d it come out?!¡± A little over a year after the events of The Last movie, on a bright and sunny day, in Spring, the ecstatic storm kunoichi finds herself attending her cousin¡¯s wedding; she wears a dazzling emerald-green dress with her luscious hair curled for the occasion while the Byakugan Princess is adorned in a beautiful white kimono. While at the reception, the girls have all agreed to take photos together to commemorate this wonderful occasion. ¡°Be patient, I have to go get them developed first,¡± Ino says, waving goodbye. ¡°I¡¯ll be back in just a minute.¡± As Ayanami watches the next Yamanaka Clan head walk off, she feels her shoulder being tapped. Looking back, she finds Temari, who wears a curious expression on her face. The sand shinobi asks, ¡°Hey, Ayanami? Recently, I¡¯ve heard rumors that the Land of Ogres has started a new holiday during the Winter months¡­ Is it true?¡± ¡°Oh, you mean Christmas?¡± ¡°What¡¯s it about?¡± Hinata queries, joining the conversation. Giving a friendly smile, the storm ninja shrugs. ¡°Depends on who you ask: *I* say it''s about couples exchanging gifts, Jin claims it¡¯s about friends and family exchanging gifts, and Rito says it about everyone coming together and exchanging gifts. The one thing we can all agree on is that we share goodwill, foster gratitude, and celebrate with the ones we care about.¡± ¡°I¡¯m curious, what kinds of gifts did you receive?¡± Temari strokes her chin. ¡°You must¡¯ve gotten something from Jin and Rito.¡± Now feeling nostalgic, Ayanami fondly thinks back to Christmas day, just a few months ago. ????? ¡°Merry Christmas, ¡®Nami!¡± Embarrassed, Rito gives a wry smile as he holds out a soccer ball with a ribbon wrapped around it. ¡°I WAS gonna give you this last year, but then Toneri happened¡­¡± The group of reincarnations had gotten together on December 25th to hold a small party where they¡¯d exchange gifts; Rito had already given Jaeger a real version of the Assassin¡¯s Creed hidden blade. ¡°I love it!¡± Ayanami gasps with excitement, eagerly taking the ball and expertly bounces on her knees; she occasionally has it go over her shoulder only to hit it back over with her heels. ¡°Hey, wait¡­ where¡¯s your gift for Jin?¡± An amused Jaeger curiously asks as he plays with his gift; the jinchuriki watches the narrow blade pop out of his right sleeve each time he flicks his wrist. Jin hunches over in depression; he emits a purple aura while pouting, ¡°Lieutenant Bastard Toneri broke it¡­¡± ¡°Quit complaining, it was just a prototype.¡± The genius engineer shakes his head in frustration as he rests his hands on his hips. ¡°Might as well hand out my gifts for you guys then¡­¡± The Onikage sighs, shaking himself out of his dismal stupor. ¡°Like Rito, I meant to give you these a year ago.¡± Now calm, Jin presses a hand to the wall and performs the summoning technique. In a puff of smoke, three presents, roughly the same size appear; each one is flat and square in shape while wrapped in colorful paper; all three are very light in weight. ¡°Merry Christmas, Rito¡­ Merry Christmas ¡®Nami¡­ Happy Hanukkah, Jaeger¡­¡± The Rinnegan user says as he hands each one their gift. After handing out his presents, the Storm Village leader nonchalantly rests his hands behind his head and walks out of the room, joining the larger party. ¡°Wait! We haven''t given you YOUR presents yet,¡± The kunoichi exclaims. Jin shouts back, ¡°You can hand them to me later.¡± Setting her new soccer ball to the side, Ayanami holds up Jin¡¯s gift to her and carefully unwraps it to find it is a framed picture; seeing how well-drawn and well-thought of it is makes her grin from ear-to-ear. ¡°Well, what is it?¡± Rito questions. The Hyuga kunoichi¡¯s eyes sparkle like diamonds. ¡°It¡¯s a drawing of me¡­ sparring with Son Goku!¡± Upon hearing this, Rito and Jaeger keenly open their own gifts; their mouths drop in awe. ¡°Mine has me with Iron Man and Batman, working on some bizzo!¡± An elated Rito states, gazing at his drawing. (The word, ¡°Bizzo¡± is an Australian slang term for ¡°Gobbledygook¡±.) Jaeger narrows his eyes while taking a close look at his present. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ sitting in a cockpit with¡­ Jeff and¡­ Will--Oh, I''m in the Independence Day movie!¡± ????? ¡°I got gifts that would only have value to me.¡± The storm kunoichi explains. With arms folded, Temari replies, ¡°That doesn¡¯t tell us anything.¡± Ayanami¡¯s heart sinks due to this conversation due to her being reminded of the fact that she is not originally from this world. She cannot reveal her status as a reincarnation since it may cause her friends to question her grasp on reality and distance themselves from her. Furthermore, there is no telling what could happen if Jaeger, Jin, and Rito were exposed along with her; all she can do is humbly bow to the sand ninja. ¡°Sorry for giving a non-answer, but that¡¯s all I can say.¡± ¡°Hey, there¡¯s something I¡¯ve been wanting to ask for a while now,¡± Hinata says, changing the subject; she leans in to take a closer look at her cousin¡¯s hair. ¡°How did you get your hair to be so curly?¡± Squinting her eyes, Ayanami gives her cousin an amused smile. ¡°Oh, this? Rito¡¯s gonna tell you all about it later.¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I wonder if I¡¯m pushing my luck, preparing for the Otsutsuki Clan like I am¡­? Jin ponders, doubting himself as he¡¯s flipping through a book. The Onikage leans against a cherry blossom tree, near his group¡¯s table, leisurely reading a volume pertaining to the Land of the Moon/ Crescent Island¡¯s history. In the distance, overhead, Jin can see Ayanami conversing with the girls; he assumes their gossiping. Over on his left, he spots Jaeger speaking with Guy and Lee; he can overhear them talking about various methods of exercise. Unfortunately, the village head can¡¯t even enjoy his book as he is overcome with anxiety; he is unable to read a whole sentence without losing focus; his mind keeps drifting back to over a year ago, when he had met with his village¡¯s top two medical doctors. ????? A concerned Amaru raises her hand. ¡°Uhh¡­ Excuse me Lord Ji¨C¡± ¡°Hold on. Just another moment.¡± Jin casually dismissed while using a kunai to slit his wrist. The Onikage fills up the last couple of vials with his blood. The last twenty minutes had an awkward tension in the air as Amaru, Malice, and Hikari watched him fill a whole crate of vials with his blue-green ichor; he has had to repeatedly cut himself due the fact that wounds would quickly heal away. As soon as the lids have been put back on their containers, Jin looks up to and faces the three women, who all share the same look of discomfort; he pays it no mind due to him fully understanding why they feel so unnerved. ¡°Let¡¯s get down to business¡­ I know you¡¯re wondering why I summoned you both,¡± The Rinnegan-user separates the vials equally. ¡°Malice, I want you to take half of the vials present and make as many poisons, toxins, diseases, and drugs as you possibly can. And I want you, Amaru, to take the other half and make as many cures, antidotes, vaccines, and elixirs as you possibly can. And, of course, any new potions you two happen to create would also be greatly accepted.¡± Both medical ninjas¡¯ eyes bulge wide open after hearing their leader¡¯s orders; they are as still as mountains, and as silent as corpses. Even the aide, Hikari¡¯s jaw drops from listening to this. ¡°ARE YOU INSANE??!!!¡± Amaru blurts out, breaking the ice and startling everyone in the room. ¡°Why would you want that?! Do you plan on invading another country or something?!¡± ¡°Pffffwuhahahahahahaha¡­ AHHAHA-HA-HAHAHAHA!!!¡± Jin reels back in laughter from the question, slapping his knee; after wiping his tears, he takes a deep breath and collects himself. ¡°Heh heh¡­ No, nononono--ooh, no. Going to war would be counterintuitive to my goals.¡± Malice raises her hand and asks, ¡°If you''re sure about not going to war with the other nations, why do you want these bioweapons?¡± ¡°Excellent question! I¡¯m gonna tell you the origins of chakra, and it starts when an alien, Kaguya Otsutsuki, came to Earth¡­¡±Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ????? No, you¡¯re acknowledging just how powerful they are¡­ Shaking his head, Jin sighs and regains his nerve. Kurama had to be sacrificed to beat Isshi¨C ¡°Jin! If anyone asks,¡± A shout Rito interrupts while frantically running toward him. ¡°I was never here¡­!¡± The Onikage curiously watches his brother, in a puff of smoke, transform into an old, rusted trash can, right next to him. An awkward tension suddenly fills the air, ominously. Jin sighs, ¡°You¡¯re gonna make me ask, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Okay, so ¡®cause I was part of the war and helped against Toneri¡­¡± The genius explains himself. ¡°APPARENTLY, I¡¯ve become super popular with the sheilas in my age gro--*gasp!*¡± Rito shuts his mouth not a moment too soon as a menagerie of young teenage girls dart towards the two brothers with Moegi and Hanabi Hyuga at the forefront; all the girls in the group appear to have glowing, pink, heart-shaped pupils in their eyes. ¡°Excuse me, Lord Jin? You wouldn¡¯t happen to have seen Rito by any chance?¡± Moegi asks, politely. ¡°Why yes, I¡¯ve seen ¡®im¡­¡± A mischievous grin grows on the Storm Village leader¡¯s face; he gently pats the trash can. ¡°As a matter of fact, he¡¯s right here. He transformed into this can.¡± The can sprouts a pair of legs and dashes off while shouting, ¡°Dammit, Jin!!¡± ¡°Quick! After him!¡± One girl shouts, pointing at the running can. Jin gleefully watches Rito being chased away by a mob of lovestruck teens; tears of joy stream down his chuckling face while he clutches his gut. In the distance, Hanabi yells, ¡°Don¡¯t let him escape!¡± ¡°RUN, FORREST! RUN!! Aha Hahahahahahaha¡­!!!¡± ¡°Having fun, your lordship?¡± A familiar voice says from behind. The Onikage looks back and sees his cousin, Ino Yamanaka, walking towards him; she greets him with a warm, welcoming smile. ¡°Ino¡­ You and me--we¡¯re cool--you don¡¯t have to call me ¡®lord¡¯.¡± Jin purses his lips. ¡°I¡¯d actually, very much, prefer it if you dropped the title.¡± ¡°Oh, alright then¡­ Having fun, Tomato-Head.¡± The leaf ninja giggles, mischievously. Jin confidently retorts, ¡°A blast, Ino-pig.¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to believe Naruto¡¯s the first in our class to get hitched, and with Hinata no less.¡± Ino says, staring at the couple in the distance. ¡°It¡¯s crazy, isn¡¯t it?¡± The Rinnegan-user shrugs, ¡°Ehh¡­ I saw it coming a mile away.¡± ¡°What about you, Jin? Are you seeing anyone?¡± The Yamanaka questions, pivoting topics. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure Yuno¡¯s still interested in yo¨C¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m already dating someone.¡± Jin cuts her off. Surprised, Ino speaks up. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ In fact, here she comes now.¡± The Onikage gestures to a beautiful girl, who¡¯s walking up to them. She is a fairly tall woman with fair skin and brown, pupilless eyes; she has green hair tied into a bun on top of her head with a hair needle running through it and one short and long strands of hair with orange tips framing each side of her face. For this special occasion, she wears a dark gray dress. Jin¡¯s girl walks to his side, takes his hand, and leans on his shoulder; The Rinnegan-user cannot help but smile as the butterflies in his stomach take flight. ¡°Ino, this is my girlfriend, Pakura,¡± Jin happily introduces the two. ¡°Pakura, this is my cousin, Ino.¡± ¡°Hello, Ino. It¡¯s an honor to meet you.¡± The Scorch-Style user says, bowing politely. ¡°No, the honor¡¯s mine.¡± The next head of the Yamanaka Clan kindly returns the gesture. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking, how did you two hit it off.¡± ¡°After the whole Toneri fiasco, Rito and Ayanami threw a party. While the party was going on, I was outside, drawing, and she just came and walked right up to me. She kicked up a conversation with me--I was enamored--and when the party ended, we didn¡¯t want to go home. So, we went to a sushi place and continued talking, and when the restaurant finally closed, we still didn¡¯t want to go home¡­¡± ¡°Then we were outside, just watching the stars,¡± Pakura finishes the story while playing with a lock of his hair. ¡°It was around 2 AM when I cut to the chase and asked him if he liked me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great! I¡¯m glad you two found each other.¡± Ino speaks with a sincere tone. ¡°I know you didn¡¯t just want to talk about our personal lives¡­ What about you? Make any progress with Sasuke?¡± Ino gives a flustered smile. ¡°He and I have been writing to each other¡­¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°This is so stupid.¡± Nanashi sighs, rolling her eyes. Cornered by the menagerie of lovestruck girls, a desperate Rito is forced to hide behind his fellow storm ninja, who just so happens to be wearing a dark blue kimono for the event; sweat pours out the cowering genius as he frantically thinks up a way out of this predicament; arms folded, the Uchiha can¡¯t believe that he actually dragged her into this mess. ¡°L-Ladies¡­ you¡¯re g-g-great--y-you¡¯re ALL very beautiful,¡± The engineer stutters, speaking up. ¡°BUT I-I¡­ I can¡¯t go out with any of you.¡± ¡°And why not?¡± A skeptic Hanabi squints her eyes. ¡°B-Because¡­ Because¡­ I¡¯M ALREADY DATING HER!!¡± A desperate Rito smiles and puts up a front; he stands up tall, wraps his arm around Nanashi, and quickly pulls her in close; the storm kunoichi¡¯s entire body stiffens and her face becomes as red as an apple. ¡°O-Oh, umm¡­ Y-Yeah¡­ I¡¯m his girlfriend--he¡¯s my man.¡± Catching on, Nanashi is quick to recompose herself. Not buying it, Moegi raises a brow. ¡°You two don¡¯t look like a couple.¡± ¡°We ARE¡­ We go on walks. We uhh¡­ eat out together. And we--uhh¨C??!!!¡± The Uchiha interrupts by grabbing onto the genius¡¯ face with her swift hands, she pulls him in close and kisses him in front of all the other girls; he is surprised, but does not hate it, his breath is just taken away. ¡°¡°¡°¡°AWWWWWWWWW~...¡±¡±¡±¡± Now heartbroken and depressed, the rejected girls all gradually disperse, dragging their feet. Once they''re all gone, Nanashi releases a now flustered Rito, who gasps for air. ¡°Gnarly.¡± ¡°C¡¯mon,¡± Rolling her eyes, the Uchiha grabs the young Uzumaki by the hand and drags him off. ¡°Lady Ayanami needs you to explain to Hinata what her wedding gift is.¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°This is something I invented for the occasion.¡± Rito states while handing Hinata her gift. ¡°I¡¯ll explain it, but can you open it first?¡± A crowd of curious guests gather around as the bride opens the special gift from the Hidden Storm¡¯s head scientist and engineer. After opening the box, Hinata makes a perplexed expression when she pulls out two devices; one appears to be a brush of some sort while the other is¡­ ¡°It¡¯s a brush-attached dryer and a hair iron. Both are powered by chakra.¡± The young Uzumaki explains. Hinata tilts her head and raises a brow.¡±..................A device to comb the hair, is it?¡± ¡°Sort of. I figured women are more versed regarding hair treatment, so I had ¡®Nami use the prototype prior to this. She¡¯ll take it from here onwards.¡± ¡°Well then, excuse me¡­¡± Ayanami steps forward, takes the brush and holds it up for all to see before brushing her cousin''s hair. ¡°This is a brush-attached dryer. If you apply chakra to the device¡­¡± Rito and the others look on as with each stroke, Hinata¡¯s hair becomes more and more voluminous and curly. ¡°You will be able to arrange your hair as you like.¡± The storm kunoichi continues. ¡°Amazing!¡± Someone shouts, from the back. ¡°Well, then¡­ Onto the other one¡­¡± Ayanami sets down the brush, picks up the iron, and holds it up like she did the brush before informing, ¡°The iron part of this device conducts heat.¡± ¡°If you insert your hair between¡­¡± The kunoichi goes on to explain while working on Hinata¡¯s hair. ¡°My hair¡­¡± Eyes sparkling, the Byakugan Princess marvels at what''s become of her precious locks. ¡°It¡¯s even straighter than when I normally have it¡­!!¡± Ayanami finishes by twisting the device. ¡°Furthermore, if you include a small twist¡­¡± Welling with pride, Rito smirks as he watches all the girls aside from Ayanami become infatuated with Hinata¡¯s hair. However, the Uzumaki¡¯s feeling of accomplishment quickly vanishes and is replaced, instantly, by an overwhelming sense of dread; his blood freezes and his neck hairs stand on end. He feels like a rabbit surrounded by a pack of ravenous wolves; shaking, Rito slowly looks back to see all the women staring intently at him. *BLUUUAAARGH!!* Everyone¡¯s attention immediately shifts from Rito over to the Scorch-Style user, Pakura, who is heaving profusely into a trash can; Jin is at her side, patting her back. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?!¡± Rito shouts to his brother. The Onikage yells back, ¡°I dunno. She said she suddenly felt sick then THIS happened!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± The genius looks over and sees Ayanami standing beside him with her Byakugan activated; at first, she looks concerned, but then her expression shifts to relief mixed with great excitement--it almost looks like she wants to laugh. ¡°CONGRATULATIONS, JIN!!!¡± An elated Ayanami howls. ¡°What do you mean by ¡®congratulations¡¯?¡± Rito queries in befuddlement. ¡­Don¡¯t tell me¡­ Jin stares back at her, blankly, before shouting, ¡°What the hell are you talking about?¡± The storm kunoichi uses her hands to make a cone for her mouth. ¡°She¡¯s pregnant!¡± All eyes fall on the Storm Village leader, who¡¯s jaw has dropped; he is as silent as a dead body, he is motionless like a rock; his eyes, however, have grown so wide, they appear as if they are about to fall out of their sockets. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Meanwhile, within the genjutsu world of the Limited Tsukuyomi, Menma Uzumaki has the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, at his mercy; he holds up the aged Kage by his throat, surrounded by the remaining debris of his office. The Genjutsu World¡¯s Hidden Stone Village is burning; all of its elite shinobi are among the piles of corpses, and the surviving ninja are all surrendering out of pure terror. ¡°You foolish old wretch,¡± Menma growls, tightening his grip on the elder¡¯s throat. ¡°This could¡¯ve all been avoided had you bent the knee¡­¡± Beaten and bloodied, Onoki struggles to speak, but his grievous wounds and the young tyrant¡¯s grip prevent him from doing so; because his spine has been shattered, Onoki¡¯s legs dangle, feebly, in the air. With a chilling glare, Naruto¡¯s evil twin continues. ¡°You could¡¯ve served the greatest empire in existence, under the most illustrious of leaders, but NO. You chose to be conquered. Haven¡¯t you realized it? I. Am. Inevitable.¡± Using the Chimera Jutsu, the Third Tsuchikage is engulfed, from head-to-toe, in a large mass of deep blue, viscous fluid and absorbed into Menma¡¯s being. Infusing chakra, the tyrannical dictator weaves the Rat, Boar, and Snake hand signs; a twisted and sinister grin forms on his face when he witnesses what appears in his hands, a glowing, translucent cube of energy with a bright, glowing sphere at its core. ¡°Lord Menma!¡± Shouts a familiar voice. A ninja appears before him, kneeling; he is a slim and fit young man with spiky, light brown hair that grows to waist-length and square-shaped swirls on his cheeks; he is about Menma¡¯s age and sports a red suit with plated armor on his torso, arms, and upper legs; the kanji on his chest armor reads "work" (š, shoku). The shinobi wears a standard red forehead protector and studded earrings. He also wears the standard Hidden Leaf flak jacket over his outfit. ¡°What is it, Choji?¡± Menma questions with a dismissive tone, dispelling his jutsu. ¡°I have some intel to report, and it¡¯s not good,¡± Choji Akimichi explains the situation. ¡°The Hidden Cloud is putting up much more of a fight than we initially thought, the Sand and Mist villages are struggling against them. And it gets worse¡­ the Akatsuki have defected and allied themselves with the Cloud Village.¡± The tyrant¡¯s fists shake with rage. ¡°Useless¡­!! Fine, I¡¯ll take care of it myself.¡± Chapter 116: Boruto Part 1; A New Era It¡¯s a dark and cold night, Jin finds himself traversing the frozen ruins of an ancient castle, which belong to a long-defeated foe. As the Onikage of the Hidden Storm Village, this isn¡¯t something he would normally do, but the one who requested his presence couldn¡¯t be ignored. ¡°If I¡¯m being honest, I wasn¡¯t entirely sure you¡¯d show up.¡± Sasuke says, breaking the ice. The one who called for him was none other than his former teammate and leader of the Taka, Sasuke Uchiha; the duo are cautiously walking down the corridor of Kaguya Otsutsuki¡¯s palace, within her ice dimension. ¡°Like I told you before, all those years ago: call and I¡¯ll come running¡­¡± The Onikage shrugs; his breath takes the form of a warm mist. ¡°Besides¡­ we¡¯re family.¡± The former rogue shinobi continue trudging along, making their way to the end of the hallway and into a fairly large room; it appears to be an archaic sanctum with an altar of some sort at its center, and on the altar, lies a single scroll. With no hesitation, the Hidden Storm leader cautiously walks right up to the altar and takes the scroll; he unravels it and cringes at what he¡¯s seeing, complete gibberish. Not even his Rinnegan can make any sense of it, none at all. Sasuke walks towards him, asking, ¡°Well, what is it?¡± ¡°No idea, my Rinnegan can¡¯t read it.¡± The Uzumaki replies, handing the scroll to his friend and ally. ¡°Take it. Something tells me the Leaf Village¡¯s facilities are better suited for deciphering the text.¡± Just as the Uchiha pockets the roll of writing, the former Taka members are put on high alert. They suddenly detect two powerful chakra signatures from out of nowhere, and they¡¯re heading right for them; one is, in fact, hurdling down on them. *CRASH!* *rumble* *rumble* Jin and Sasuke swiftly jump back, evading their enigmatic assailant just in the nick of time; he leaves a small crater where he crashes. Sensing the rising tension, the Onikage begins infusing chakra. ¡°I didn¡¯t think anyone besides us could enter this place.¡± He mutters. Their attacker has pale skin with short spiky blue-grayish hair, a full beard, and a long horn above his left eye; He has a large pair of hands, and a burly physique accompanied with a towering height that reaches over two meters. He wears a pale blue shirt with back cuffs and a high collar over which he dons another darker appendage with a gray sash wrapped around his waist; he also adorns gray pants and black, flat shoes on his feet which were upturned at the toes. Jin immediately recognizes him. ¡°How odd, I don¡¯t recognize you,¡± A voice says from behind. ¡°The only other member of our clan stationed here should be that Toneri fellow¡­¡± The shinobi both glance back and spot the source of the other chakra signature they were sensing; he¡¯s directly addressing the Onikage. The other new arrival has grayish-blue unkempt short, spiky hair which he ties in a ponytail; like the other larger one, he has brown horns that grow from the back of his head and wrapped around to his forehead, with a small gap in-between them; He also has the typical clipped eyebrows as a symbol of nobility. He dons a long-sleeved, light-colored suit with a sectioned apron over it, along with a sash. Producing what appears to be a fishing rod made entirely of red chakra, the new arrival bows while sneering, ¡°I am Urashiki Otsutsuki.¡± ¡°And I am Kinshiki Otsutsuki,¡± The larger one also introduces himself, creating a pair of weapons made of red chakra. ¡°¡­En garde!¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A mysterious third figure hovers, ominously in the sky; with distant yet mildly amused expression, he watches a fierce battle being waged below him, on a castle belonging to his clansman, the Rabbit Goddess. Four bolts of light--red, purple, and two blue--can be seen streaking on the ground, travelling all across the surrounding area; each time they clash results in the creation of powerful shock waves, and sparks are sent flying in all directions. Like his two subordinates, he has pale skin, and pale-blue hair which he keeps in a long ponytail; his hair is parted down the middle in a zig-zag pattern, and his head is adorned with a pair of flat, curved horns which resemble a bull''s horns; he has delicate facial features and his eyebrows are cut very short as a symbol of nobility. He is dressed in a traditional nobleman''s attire consisting of a white kariginu hunting robe, baggy pants, a pair of tengu-geta, and a single black glove on his left hand; he also wears a transparent hagoromo veil over his head. ¡°How peculiar¡­¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *KRA-KOOM!!* Jin grits his teeth, bracing himself as he is knocked through a mountain of ice. Just before he can hit the ground, the Onikage recovers and crash lands into the snow, causing a small seismic event underfoot; he quickly uses his chakra to manipulate the surrounding frost to create a longsword of ice. The Onikage immediately swings upward, parrying an attack from Urashiki, and causing the crater he¡¯s standing in to grow deeper and larger from the sheer force of their clash; he can feel his arm straining as he pushes back against his attacker. ¡°Not bad for an inferior creature.¡± The patronizing Otsutsuki remarks, struggling to force the Earthling into submission. Jin glares, coldly. ¡°Underestimate a ninja at your own peril, alien.¡± The allows Onikage allows the enemy shatter his ice blade so he can pivot out of the way and form a Gelel Rasengan; he slams his violently rotating sphere of green chakra into the enemy¡¯s right side, launching him away; he hurries after him, but the extraterrestrial has already recovered. Urashiki brandishes his weapon and sneers, ¡±While this encounter has been amusing, it¡¯s time for you to die. Ameno Subaruboshinomikoto!¡± Using his chakra-made fishing rod, the Otsutsuki launches a barrage of multiple hooks. However, the Onikage rapidly weaves Snake, Rat, Dragon, Monkey, Tiger, and Dog hand signs for the Ice Style: Twin Dragon Blizzard jutsu. The surrounding ice converges and morphs into a pair of ethereal black dragons, which quickly merge into a massive, miasmic tornado and knock all of Urashiki¡¯s hooks off course, scattering them to the wind; the sly Uzumaki takes advantage of the chaos and vanishes into thin air. ¡°Like I already told you, you loquacious twit--don¡¯t underestimate me!¡± Jin coldly growls, reappearing directly behind his foe. To his surprise, Urashiki whips his head around to see the Onikage swinging at him with a fire sword; he ducks, narrowly evading the attack, but still loses a horn. Jin quickly follows up by conjuring a Susano¡¯o arm and slams his opponent with a devastating right hook, sending him hurtling into the cliffside; he hurries after him with black receivers protruding from both his palms, fully intending to run the alien through. However, just before Urashiki is speared; the Otsutsuki¡¯s eyes turn blue with concentric circles covering the eyeball and completely disappears. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right¡­ his Rinnegan can rewind time by a few seconds!¡± A frustrated Jin quietly mutters to himself while cautiously scanning his surroundings. ¡­Above¡­ ¡­Front¡­ ¡­Left¡­ ¡­Rig¨C?! The Onikage jolts upon feeling a sudden, sharp, and intense pain digging in from behind, he immediately looks over his shoulder to find a red string of chakra piercing his lower back. Urashiki and his fishing rod can be seen on the other end of the string, in the distance; with a hefty pull, the Otsutsuki swings him around like a ragdoll; the snowfall stings his eyes. *KRA-KOOM* *WHUMPH* *RUMBLE* Jin is slammed hard into a mountain peak, resulting in a massive avalanche crashing down and thoroughly submerging Kaguya¡¯s castle under tons and tons of frost. Slightly dazed, the Onikage flies into the air, coughing up snow; his teeth curl and his tongue goes numb from the whole ordeal. ¡°I am¡­ unimpressed.¡± Arms folded, the Storm Village leader squints his eyes. Building up chakra, the Onikage charges toward the extraterrestrial, who holds aloft his weapon, preparing to cut him down. However, Jin uses the Body Flicker technique to vastly increase his speed, disappearing and instantly reappearing above the shocked Urashiki, winding his leg back for a roundhouse kick; he uses the Earth Style: Super Weighted Boulder Jutsu to further add to the power behind it. The back of the Otsutsuki is slammed hard by the kick; the Onikage can feel the rest of his foe¡¯s horns shatter against his foot; he immediately follows up by producing the Celestial Prison Flame Sword and using the momentum from his kick to spin and slash at the alien, but the village leader doesn¡¯t stop there. Jin proceeds to continuously spin, rapidly, like a scorching Beyblade, assaulting Urashiki with a violent barrage of kicks and sword strikes; each hit is more devastating as the last. Parting the clouds and lighting the night sky ablaze, the Uzumaki sends the Otsutsuki rocketing down as if he were a meteor with one final blow, crashing right into Kinshiki, and causing a colossal seismic event; Sasuke teleports out of the way by using his Amenotejikara to instantly swap places with a nearby statue.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me THIS is the true power of the ¡®mighty¡¯ Otsutsuki Clan?¡± A pompous Jin sneers, descending from the heavens above; just as his feet touch the ground, the lone Uchiha appears at his side. A scuffed up Kinshiki stumbles back onto his feet. ¡°Such power¡­¡± ¡°*Grrr*¡­ You lower lifeforms¡­¡± Burned and bruised Urashiki snarls while coldly glaring, getting back up; his entire body shakes with rage. ¡°How dare you touch me!!¡± ¡°Heheheheheh¡­ You were careless¡­ Kinshiki¡­ Urashiki¡­¡± Says a voice familiar to Jin. All four combatants look up to see another, Momoshiki Otsutsuki, hovering in the sky. A tense and uncertain quietude fills the air as Jin and Sasuke both stare down this veiled figure with stoic yet ice-cold glares, readying themselves for their enemies¡¯ next plan of attack. ¡°¡­Oh? The Rinnegan and¡­¡± The veiled Otsutsuki breaks the silence, assessing the two; both his expression and the air he gives off is cold, distant, and imperious. ¡°¡­one of our people¡­? Tell me--just what is it you¡¯re searching for here? And where is Kaguya Otsutsuki?¡± Head tilting to the left, the Onikage smirks, ¡°Heh¡­ So, her fate eludes you?¡± ¡°Kaguya is long gone now.¡± The composed Shadow Hokage answers, vaguely. The Uzumaki¡¯s smug grin grows into a twisted smile due to him bearing witness to the Otsutsukis¡¯ reactions; hearing that their clansman is no longer here appears to hit them like a shot in the arm; their expressions all tense up, becoming sterner. ¡°You¡¯re going to tell us everything you know about all of this.¡± Momoshiki speaks as if he is stating a fact. ¡°No, no¡­¡± Still smiling, ominously, Jin shakes his head. ¡°I don¡¯t believe we will, Momoshiki.¡± A wincing Sasuke glances over. ¡°We¡¯re at a disadvantage.¡± ¡°Yeah, what was your first clue? Just follow my lead.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you dare run!!¡± Urashiki snarls Kinshiki roars, ¡°You won¡¯t get away!¡± Determined, the two servile extraterrestrials lunge forward only for the dismissive Onikage to send them flying back with an Almighty Push. The former Taka members immediately turn tail and run with the Uzumaki taking the lead; gathering chakra into his Rinne Sharingan, Jin claps his hands together, and he and Sasuke vanish in a flash of radiant blue light. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In a burst of azure illumination, they reappear in another time-space, Kaguya¡¯s desert dimension. However, something is peculiar about this dimension; the air is noticeably cooler and there are numerous clouds spread across the sky. ¡°Oh, hey, guys.¡± Says a friendly and familiar voice. Breathing a sigh of relief, Jin relaxes and looks over to his right to find a waving man walking over to them; he has black hair and blue eyes with a pair of goggles, hanging around his neck; he is around Jugo¡¯s height and has a similar build to the bipolar ninja as well. ¡°Hey, Rito.¡± The Onikage greets, waving back. ¡°How¡¯re things going with the experiment?¡± ¡°So far, so good.¡± The genius scientist replies. Sasuke asks, ¡°Is that really you, Rito? You look so different.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ It¡¯s me alright!¡± Puffing out his chest, the grinning prodigy responds. ¡°A lot can happen over 13 years.¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on over there?¡± The inquisitive Uchiha points into the distance. Their former teammate is referring to the obvious mountains of ice just sitting on the horizon; they gleam, brightly, from the scorching sun¡¯s rays. From the looks of it, it''ll be quite some time before they completely melt away. ¡°Oh, THAT? That is a side project Jin and I are conducting,¡± proudly says Rito. ¡°We¡¯re trying to see if we can terraform this wasteland into an¡­ ¡®Earth-2¡¯ of sorts.¡± Jin goes on to explain. ¡°And all it starts with taking tons of ice from the snow dimension and placing it all here.¡± Stroking his chin, the stoic Shadow Hokage queries, ¡°But WHY though?¡± ¡°Insurance¡­ just in case some deluded fool manages to destroy the Earth.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Sasuke turns and walks away. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be off then.¡± ¡°See ya later.¡± Rito waves goodbye. Jin calls out, ¡°Say ¡®hi¡¯ to the niece and nephew for me. Oh, and take Ino out on a date or something--she gets lonely when you¡¯re gone for so long.¡± ¡°That¡¯s none of your concern.¡± Using his Rinnegan, Sasuke portals home. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be heading back home since your little excursion is over now?¡± The prodigal engineer asks. Jin cocks his head to one side, raising a brow. ¡°Why? I¡¯ve got everything covered.¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Meanwhile, back on Earth, Jin is in a state of great perturbation due to a suffocatingly awkward tension filling the air. At the request of all five of the great villages, both he and Ayanami are currently in the Hidden Leaf¡¯s Hokage Mansion, attending a Five Kage Summit; although no one has spoken to him or even looked in his general direction, he can easily discern that his presence is controversial issue. The Hokage¡¯s chief aide, Shikamaru Nara, adjusts his eyepatch while sighing, ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s beg¨C¡± (Author¡¯s Note: The reason for Shikamaru¡¯s eyepatch happened back in Chapter 75.) ¡°Uhh¡­ Before we begin the Summit, I¡¯d like to address the elephant in the room.¡± The seated Onikage raises his hand; his confusion and anxiety are masked by a poker face. ¡°Why exactly are we here? I¡¯m not officially recognized as a Kage--the Hidden Storm isn¡¯t even the neutral location hosting the Summit. Honestly, I felt like I HAD to attend (mainly) due to the fact that each of you sent a letter soliciting my appearance.¡± ¡°That¡¯s one of our topics of discussion, actually.¡± The Seventh Hokage, Naruto Uzumaki, smiles; his tone is confident yet sincere. ¡°We¡¯re to officially recognize you as a Kage, and the Land of Ogres as the 6th Great Shinobi Nation.¡± Jin squints his eyes; his apprehension quickly turns into skepticism. ¡°I¡¯m not complaining, but¡­ what brought this motion into being.¡± ¡°Is it really all that surprising? The overall strength of your village has quickly become comparable to any one of ours, IN SPITE of it being so young.¡± The Fifth Raikage, Darui, answers with a relaxed and casual demeanor. While listening to the Cloud Village leader speak, Jin, through his peripheral vision, spots the Raikage¡¯s aide, Buryu Lee; he stands quietly behind his leader. The cloud jonin¡¯s drying sweat tells the Onikage that he too feels the weight of this tension, which gradually diminishes as they continue conversing. Holding up one finger, the Sixth Mizukage, Chojuro, goes on to add, ¡°Not to mention, your scientific and technological advancements, alone, have already made your country into a superpower, in the eyes of many.¡± ¡°There¡¯s also the simple fact that you already have political clout,¡± Gaara, the Fifth Kazekage, says with open palms. ¡°The one you call, ¡®Jaeger,¡¯ proved that when he, along with Nagato and Lady Koyuki, made their stand.¡± The Hidden Storm leader purses his lips. ¡°So, what¡¯s the catch? This feels TOO GOOD to be true¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯d have to join the Shinobi Union. This is non-negotiable.¡± Shikamaru says with a stern tone. The room goes silent while the tension escalates, becoming more serious. All eyes are on Jin, who quietly leans back in his chair, putting all his fingertips together. With a glance, his gaze scans the room only to see the suspense buried deep within the black of everyone¡¯s pupils. ¡°So, in other words¡­ you need us to cement your club¡¯s legitimacy?¡± With a look of disinterest, Jin clasps his hands behind his head. A vein on the austere Leaf Strategist¡¯s forehead bulges. ¡°Lord Onikage, you really shouldn¡¯t be so presumptuous¨C¡± ¡°Shikamaru, there¡¯s no need for pretext,¡± Jin interrupts, a smug grin creeping onto his face while he leans forward, opening his arms. ¡°Most of you have already acknowledged my village as a power comparable to your own. And if that truly is the case then¡­ most if not ALL the smaller villages have as well. If even one power refuses to join the Shinobi Union, it sends a message that the union is a waste of time, and you can¡¯t have that.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that at all,¡± the Hokage insists, sternly. ¡°I know your words are sincere, Naruto. However, the same can¡¯t be said for the other leaders.¡± Hearing enough, Ayanami steps forward from behind Jin, and leans down to whisper in his ear, ¡°I think it¡¯s best if you stop playing games and give them an answer. You know they¡¯re just going to keep asking like they have for all this time.¡± The kunoichi¡¯s referring to how the Five Ninja villages have been inviting them to join the union for the past twelve years, and every time the Hidden Storm has declined the offer; recently, they¡¯ve begun sending gifts, to the Hidden Storm¡¯s annoyance, in order to entice them into joining. Well¡­ There¡¯s no real reason to refuse them at this juncture, and they can¡¯t sanction us for the weapons we¡¯ve developed because we weren¡¯t a member at the time¡­ Jin acknowledges her with a nod while taking a moment to really think it over. ¡­If I¡¯m being honest with myself, we¡¯d have more to gain by joining up than remaining a holdout¡­ For a brief moment, the Storm Village leader¡¯s thoughts drift to the Land of Rain and the Land of Snow, the two other members of their triumvirate. Over the course of the last ten years, they gradually affiliated themselves with the Shinobi Union until they became full members in their own right. Returning to the present, the Onikage scans the room once more; at a mere glance, he notices the suspense in each of the five Kage¡¯s eyes as they eagerly await his response. ¡°Very well¡­ The Village Hidden in Thunderstorms hereby joins the Shinobi Union.¡± The Onikage speaks with a polite yet firm tone, his smile fades and is replaced by a more professional expression; sitting up straight, he has his left hand raised while having his right over his heart. The Kazekage, Gaara of the Desert, nods his approval of Jin¡¯s decision while Raikage Darui, languidly, pushes back against his seat; Chojuro, the Mizukage shrugs as Tsuchikage Kurotsuchi gives a reluctant smile. Though still and silent, the Kage aides all relax as things finally de-escalate. To the storm ninja¡¯s discomfort, Naruto Uzumaki stands up from his chair and bows his head. ¡°Thank you. I promise you won¡¯t regre¨C¡± ¡°Stop bowing--it¡¯s weird.¡± Jin interrupts, hiding his shudders. ¡°*Ahem*,¡± Shikamaru coughs, gaining everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°Now that THAT matter is dealt with¡­ Our agenda regarding final preparations for the Chunin Exams¡­¡± Chapter 117: Boruto Part 2; The Next Generation Later, on the very same day the Hidden Storm Village joined the Shinobi Union, a group of rogue ninja traverse through a forest in the middle of the night, in order to rendezvous with another group of fellow criminals; their only source of light guiding them comes from the moon. ¡°Is this Amachi-fellow¡­ Is he REALLY as they say?¡± The leader asks his subordinate while hopping through the trees. ¡°Yeah, the info brokers were very forthcoming on the intel¡­¡± Answers the henchman, he pulls out a piece of paper and reads the contents. ¡°He used to work for Orochimaru. He¡¯s a mad scientist who tried to make an ultimate underwater shinobi army. And he was beaten and captured by the 7th Hokage, Naruto Uzumaki, who was still a child at the time.¡± Naruto¡­?! Blood boiling just from mentioning that name, the seething leader grits his teeth and clenches his fists. ¡°What do you mean by ¡®underwater shinobi¡¯?¡± His lackey continues with, ¡°Amachi kidnapped many people and experimented on them, turning them into fish-man-hybrids or ''kaima.'' When he was caught, he only had 1 success¡­ himself.¡± The rogue leader thinks back to how he got to this point; he deserted the Leaf Village after stealing a powerful weapon made and wielded by the Second Hokage, the Sword of the Thunder God, and defected to the Hidden Rain Village; like Amachi, he, himself, was defeated and nearly killed by Naruto Uzumaki in the Land of Tea. Naruto went on to defeat the Rain village¡¯s leader, Nagato Pain, and when Pain, miraculously, returned after the Fourth Great Ninja War, the rogue ninja was stripped of his jonin rank and banished from the Hidden Rain. He may have lost his rank and place among the Leaf and Rain villages, but the one thing they cannot take from him is his name, Aoi Rokusho. He will acquire new power to replace what he lost. And he will get revenge on those who wronged him--Naruto, Nagato, and Jin--the thought of beating each and every one of them to death fills him with a sadistic pleasure. (Author¡¯s note: Aoi and Amachi are the antagonists of filler arcs back in Naruto Part 1.) ¡°Double time team! I want to be there, yes¨C?!¡± The former rain ninja is cut off as a pair of kunai come flying at them on their right, and zip right past him; one hits his right-hand-man in the jugular while the other is embedded in the knee of the lackey behind Aoi; the one whose neck was punctured bleeds out as he falls to his death. ¡°Gnngh¡­!¡± The lackey stops in his tracks, groaning in pain. An enemy?! But where are they¡­? Aoi thinks to himself while, cautiously, scanning his surroundings; he slowly draws his weaponized umbrella. ¡°We heard there were a buncha rogue ninjas in our neck of the woods¡­¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°¡­So, we were tasked with dealing with them!¡± Says a young, disembodied voice. The new arrival jumps onto a branch before them, appearing in the light; he is a young boy with red hair, unusually pale skin, and amber eyes; his eyes seemingly glow in the moon¡¯s rays. The headband he wears gleams under the moonlight, it is of the Hidden Storm Village. ¡°The name¡¯s ¡®Takato Uzumaki¡¯¡­¡± The red-haired shinobi boldly announces; he smiles, confidently, while pointing at the enemy ninjas, declaring, ¡°¡­And you, morons, can kiss your little plans goodbye!¡± ¡°Heh heh heh¡­Aha ha ha ha ha¡­! Are you kidding?! You don¡¯t think you¡¯re gonna stop us all by yourself, do you?¡± Aoi cackles, maniacally; the rogue ninja¡¯s men chuckle along with their leader, in the background. ¡°Who said he was alone?¡± says another voice. Suddenly, two more appear at Takato¡¯s side. They are his squad mates, his triplet siblings; they have the same peculiar pale skin just like him, but unlike him, their eyes are brown, and their hair is green with some red at the tips. ¡°Don¡¯t go rushing off on your own, Takato.¡± says Takato¡¯s older twin brother in a chastising tone. Unwrapping a lollipop, Takato¡¯s younger twin sister wears a deadpan and emotionless expression. ¡°So, not schway.¡± ¡°Whatever,¡± Infusing chakra, the red-haired shinobi brushes them off. ¡°Satoshi! Ma, just be ready to back me up.¡± The rambunctious Storm Genin swiftly reaches into his backpack and pulls out a f¨±ma shuriken, he unfolds the four-pronged projectile and leaps up, into the air, throwing it at the enemy. The instant it reaches the halfway mark, the weapon separates, revealing that Takato had, in fact, actually thrown two shuriken; the band of rogues take evasive maneuvers and scatter; dodging the attack. The duplicitous Aoi sneers, ¡°What a joke! A simple attack like that won¡¯t¨C?!¡± *Poof* To the rogue ninjas¡¯ surprise, Takato suddenly disappears in a puff of smoke. At the same time everyone¡¯s attention is drawn to a glowing light, coming from behind the rogue shinobi. Aoi quickly looks back and sees that it is none other than the red-headed ninja; a trio of flaming orbs, which resemble small suns appear out of thin air; they revolve, ever so slowly, around Takato, just above his head. ¡°Scorch Style: Super Steam Kill.¡± The storm ninja sends the orbs after the enemy ninja who¡¯re all still in midair from dodging his last attack. The first one hits who Takato assumes to be Aoi¡¯s second-in-command; a hole is burned straight through his torso, and he mummifies as all the water in his body evaporates away, and he falls to the ground, dead. The same thing happens to another of his foe¡¯s lackeys. Just as planned¡­! Grinning from ear-to-ear, Takato confidently folds his arms. ¡°You, my friend, have just been SHOCKED!!¡± (Author¡¯s note: The word, ¡°schway¡± is slang from DC¡¯S Batman Beyond, it means cool. In Marvel 2099, ¡°shock¡± is the general all-purpose swear word.) Unfortunately, the red-headed shinobi celebrated his victory a little too soon. ¡°Not quite!¡± An enraged Aoi spins around, weaving the Dog hand seal. ¡°Water Style: Rampaging Water!¡± The rogue ninja spews forth a condensed stream of water from his mouth; it moves at high speeds, cutting through the young storm Genin¡¯s jutsu, and makes its way right for him. Just as Takato prepares to substitute himself, a beautiful young woman in her early twenties with flowing blonde hair and green eyes appears out of nowhere, standing in front of him; he watches in awe as her pitch-black armor begins to glow, emitting a bluish-green barrier that completely dispels the water jutsu. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t run off without the team.¡± The woman looks back at the young ninja, chastising him with a cold and stoic glare. ¡°Oh, relax, Itsu-sensei¡­ I was just¡­ sizing them up¡­¡± Takato¡¯s attention is firmly fixated on his sensei¡¯s armor; wide-eyed, all he can think of is, I want one¡­ Annoyed, Aoi throws his umbrella into the air and weaves the Tiger hand sign. ¡°I will not be ignored¡­! Ninja Art: Senbon Rai¨C?!¡± The rogue shinobi is interrupted as woodwind music mysteriously echoes all across the forest, its ominous melody fills Aoi¡¯s ear drums; everyone watches the conniving rogue ninja¡¯s body moves against his will, posing like he¡¯s bound by some force; his face contorts with terror the moment he takes a look at his arms. ¡°AAAAUGH!!¡± Aoi releases a bloodcurdling scream; tears stream down his horrified eyes while mucus runs down his nose. ¡°GUAAAAGH!!¡± ¡°Demon Flute: Chains of Fantasia.¡± Says Itsu¡¯s shadow clone, who dispels her Chameleon Jutsu; she stands, stoically, between Satoshi and Mai, holding aloft a flute, poised to play another note. Meanwhile, an amazed Takato watches the true Itsu leap, calmly, onto the same branch as the paralyzed Aoi, and stands right by him; she holds up her right hand, displaying a porous metal gauntlet. *Ting* With her left hand, Itsu flicks her gauntlet. ¡°Ninja Art: Resonating Echo Drill.¡±This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°AAAARGH!!!¡± A jolted Aoi screeches while his ears suddenly bleed. The now defeated rogue shinobi loses his footing and plummets to the ground, leaving a trail of vomit as he falls; the genins¡¯ faces all turn green from watching the enemy being covered in what used to be his supper. ¡°What¡¯s up with that armor, Itsu-sensei? It¡¯s so crash!¡± The red-haired ninja remarks, jumping onto the same branch as his teacher; he continues to marvel at her suit. (Author¡¯s note: I don¡¯t need to explain DC¡¯s Young Justice slang, do I?) Joining the two, Satoshi chimes in, asking, ¡°The rumors¡­ Is that the new equipment our S&G department has been working on?¡± ¡°Astute as ever, Satoshi. This is chakra armor--the latest prototype--collecting data for it was part of the mission.¡± Their jonin leader explains. ¡°But what makes it different from the armors used in the Land of snow?¡± Mai queries, enjoying her lollipop. The stoic Itsu continues by saying, ¡°THIS armor is powered by a special type of mineral called, ¡®gelel¡¯. We¡¯ve been mining it from the Land of Wind, among other things.¡± Other things¡­? Curious, Takato tilts his head to one side. ¡°What kinds of stuff?¡± ¡°That¡¯s classified,¡± Itsu pokes his forehead, a small grin forms on her face. ¡°C¡¯mon. We need to search for and round up any stragglers nearby.¡± Throwing his hands into the air, a protesting Takato shouts, ¡°Grunt work? That¡¯s so beneath us!¡± ¡°Keep talking like that and you¡¯ll never become Onikage.¡± Mai finishes off her candy tossing the stick away; she pulls out another and takes off the wrapper. Folding his arms, Satoshi scoffs, ¡°I¡¯m the one who¡¯ll be the next Onikage!¡± Watching the rest of Team 1 hop away, an annoyed Takato hurries after them, scowling; he never liked how people just assume that he will turn out just like his father due to the simple fact that he resembles him. ¡°Takato, keep up.¡± His brother calls after him. ¡°You want to be the Onikage, Satoshi? Go right ahead. I¡¯M after something bigger--much bigger¡­¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Yo, dad¡­ am I talking to the real you or a shadow clone?¡± A curious Takato asks. Sitting behind his desk, a coy smile spreads across Jin¡¯s face; he leans back in his chair with hands relaxing behind his head. ¡°MAYBE I''m the real one¡­ or maybe I¡¯m just a clone.¡± Two days later, in the afternoon, after completing their mission, Team 1 find themselves in the Onikage¡¯s office; they are in the middle of a debriefing with their village leader and father, Jin Uzumaki, and the head of the Storm Village¡¯s Science and Engineering Department, Doctor Rito Uzumaki. ¡°SOOO, how¡¯d it go¡­?¡± Jin queries, getting back on topic. ¡°It was so simple. I mean, any one of us could''ve done it all on our own!¡± In the background Satoshi facepalms just from hearing Takato¡¯s bold remark while Itsu cringes. Mai wears her usual deadpan expression as she reaches into her bag and pulls out another sucker candy. The Onikage¡¯s smile quickly fades. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t ever discount teamwork, even on the easier miss¨C¡± ¡°I¡¯m not bragging, just stating a fact,¡± The red-haired ninja blurts out, proudly. ¡°I already know Fire and Wind Style, and I inherited mom¡¯s Scorch Style. And let¡¯s not forget that Mai and Satoshi have¨C¡± ¡°Itsu, just WHAT have you been teaching him?¡± The Storm Village leader sighs, turning his stern gaze to the jonin. The blonde kunoichi nervously avoids making eye contact, awkwardly scratching the side of her face. ¡°I-I¡¯m doing the best I can¡­ It''s just¡­ he¡¯s REALLY stubborn.¡± Jin goes dead silent, his lips pursing themselves outward and slightly upward, creating a facial expression that resembles a duck''s beak; his pale white skin develops a slight pink tint to it. ¡°*AHEM*,¡± Rito coughs, gaining everyone''s attention. ¡°So, Itsu¡­ How did the suit perform?¡± ¡°Well, doctor¡­ The prototype worked like a charm. It dispelled enemy jutsu while also enhancing my own.¡± Itsu pauses before answering as she looks at the armor she¡¯s still wearing, examining it. The genius engineer nods, taking notes on a clipboard. ¡°Any side effects?¡± ¡°No problems to speak of.¡± The kunoichi shakes her head. ¡°It did its job and did it well--It will be returned¨C¡± ¡°Keep it. You earned it.¡± Rito interrupts jotting the report down. The storm jonin protests, ¡°But won¡¯t you need it to mass produce more¡­?¡± ¡°Nope, trust me¡­¡± The genius smirks, gesturing to his forehead. ¡°We¡¯ve already had the chakra armor¡¯s specs safely stored away.¡± ¡°Thank you, Rito-nii!¡± Breaking character, Itsu smiles brightly as she bows, politely; her face turns red the moment she realizes what she just called him. Covering his mouth, an amused Jin chuckles, ¡°Heh heh heh¡­ Before we wrap this up, I have something to give you.¡± Curious, Takato and his sibling look on as the Onikage reaches into his desk and pulls out three flyers, and hands them out; the red-headed Genin scans the paper, it¡¯s an application for the Chunin Exams being hosted by the Hidden Leaf Village. ¡°Why would I want to travel to another village for a test?¡± A disinterested Takato asks. Rito shrugs. ¡°All your cousins will be there, and most of them will be participating.¡± The storm ninja thinks back to when he was a little kid, he remembers how his parents would take him and his siblings to the Leaf to meet up with their extended family; his mother would converse with his aunts and uncles while his father would quietly sip coffee as he watched the children play, only speaking when spoken to. ¡°Ehhh¡­¡± ¡°Only 3-man teams can enter the exams.¡± Mai tries to convince him, half-heartedly. ¡°Look here,¡± With a stern tone, Satoshi gets into his face. ¡°MY dream is to become the next Onikage. Are you gonna destroy my dream!¡± ¡°First of all, don¡¯t be so dramatic. And second, get outta my face.¡± Standing his ground, Takato remains skeptical. ¡°Takato, you wanna be the strongest ninja there ever was, right?¡± Jin asks, speaking up. ¡°Stronger than Uncle Sasuke and Aunty Ayanami? Stronger than me and Uncle Naruto, am I correct?¡± Dad, where¡¯re you going with this? Tilting his head to one side, the intrigued Takato folds his arms. ¡°Yeah¡­ why?¡± The smug snake sage continues with, ¡°How do you expect to catch up to us, let alone, SURPASS us if you don¡¯t expand your horizons? The Chunin Exams allow you to shinobi from all over, who possess unusual techniques that you can test your mettle against.¡± The Storm Genin¡¯s entire body begins quivering with excitement, his eyes sparkle like diamonds; he, speedily, takes a breath to compose himself and shrugs, ¡°Well¡­ when you put it like that¡­? Sure, I¡¯m in--y¡¯know--whatever.¡± ¡°Is there anything else, Dad?¡± Satoshi questions, resting his hands on his hips. ¡°Nope, that¡¯s all.¡± Jin waves them goodbye. ¡°See ya.¡± Itsu gives a salute before gesturing the genin out of the room. Once the door closes, the satisfied village leader reclines in his chair with his feet relaxing on his desk. Suddenly, he finds himself drowning in a raging tsunami of guilt and self-loathing. Hey, wait a minute¡­ Did I just¡­ manipulate my own kid¡­? Jin quietly thinks to himself, facepalming. ¡­Jin, you¡¯re both a gaping asshole AND a colossal son of a bitch¡­! ¡°That went well!¡± Rito exclaims, breaking the silence. ¡°Not how I¡¯d describe it¡­¡± Jin mutters as he starts massaging his temples; to distract himself from what he¡¯s done, he asks, ¡°Why¡¯d you make the armor look like something out of Power Rangers?¡± Grinning, his brother shrugs. ¡°Why not?¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A few hours later, in a forest just outside the Hidden Storm Village, the Scorch Style user and former Hidden Sand ninja, Pakura, kneels before an unmarked grave, placing a bouquet of flowers at its base; she closes her eyes, brings her hands together, and silently prays. ¡°You can come down and join me if you like.¡± Pakura says. ¡°Nah, I¡¯m good.¡± The one she¡¯s speaking to is none other than her husband, Jin Uzumaki, who sits comfortably on a nearby branch; he holds a single flower, native to the area, in his right hand. ¡°I¡¯m curious¡­ Why do you keep coming to pay your respects to Echo?¡± Her husband asks, plucking one of the flower¡¯s petals. ¡°Not that anything¡¯s wrong with it--It¡¯s just that you¡¯ve never even MET the guy.¡± The Scorch Style kunoichi smiles. ¡°It¡¯s because of what you told me¡­ your older brother is the reason you and your friends were able to come out of the war, victorious. If it weren¡¯t for him, you and I wouldn¡¯t have ever met.¡± ¡°Oh, I see.¡± Jin pulls out another petal. Finished paying her respects, Pakura stops praying and stands up, she turns and looks up to make eye contact with the Onikage; he blushes while struggling to keep gazing back into her eyes. ¡°PFFT! Ahahahahaha!!¡± Smiling, Pakura wipes the tears from her eyes. ¡°15 years later, and you¡¯re still as cute as ever~!¡± Jin rolls his eyes, pouting. ¡°Damn you and your gorgeous eyes.¡± To the kunoichi¡¯s pleasant surprise, the Onikage jumps down from his branch and suddenly pulls her in close, literally sweeping her off her feet and gives her a kiss; she is left stunned and silent as her face turns bright pink; her heart is pounding out of her chest and butterflies swarm in her stomach due to being carried in his strong arms like a princess. ¡°Look who¡¯s cute now.¡± Her husband gives her a loving yet pompous grin. ¡°Don¡¯t look so pleased with yourself.¡± Embarrassed, the Scorch Style kunoichi crosses her arms. ¡°Now put me down, I need to prepare for dinner.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ NAH. Let¡¯s get takeout instead.¡± Jin playfully refuses her, walking back to the village while still carrying her. ¡°You always cook. You deserve a break.¡± Still blushing, Pakura yells, ¡°Wait--put me down! The villagers will see us!¡± ¡°Who cares?¡± Chapter 118: Boruto Part 3; Family Matters ¡°So embarrassing¡­¡± Cringing, Satoshi facepalms. The indifferent Mai reaches for a slice, sighing, ¡°Definitely not schway.¡± Later that night, Jin followed through on his suggestion and got takeout for supper; it is one of his favorite foods from his previous life, pizza. This marvelous dish was made by a reincarnation who was, in fact, made by a reincarnation from Canada; when she arrived, she stated that she had no desire to be a ninja and wanted to open up a restaurant instead. The only information she had to offer was of a game new to Jin called, Storm Connections; they were told Nanashi¡¯s true name is ¡°Hikari Uchiha.¡± ¡°What¡¯s not schway?¡± Jin asks before taking a bit out of his pizza wedge. ¡­She may be Canadian, but the woman knows how to make one helluva pizza¡­! His eyes are twinkling stars, the nostalgic Onikage is left in awe of the sublime palate; the melted cheese, tangy tomato sauce, slightly salted crust, and assortment of toppings come together, blending into a rich, savory flavor. It reminds him of Papa John¡¯s and mixed with a little of Pizza Hut. ¡°You actually princess carried mom into the village,¡± The elder sibling whines. ¡°Some of my friends were there¡­ And they took pictures!¡± Pakura pokes her son in the chest, playfully. ¡°You should be overjoyed that your parents still express their love for each other.¡± ¡°Yeah, don''t be such a meanie.¡± The one who said that sits just left of Jin, she is none other than his six-year-old niece, Yukie Uzumaki, the daughter of Rito and Hikari. Her parents, occasionally, become extremely busy with work, so Jin and Pakura babysit her when that happens. ¡°Can I have another, please.¡± Yukie asks, politely. ¡°Sure thing!¡± Pakura answers while reaching for the pizza box. ¡°Yo, Dad¡­?¡± Takato speaks up, looking directly at his father; a beat of sweat runs down his face while he scratches the side of his face. ¡°I was wondering¡­ c-can you¡­ teach me the¡­ R-Rasengan¡­?¡± Upon hearing the question, conflicting emotions have welled up in the Onikage¡¯s chest; he¡¯s delighted that Takato would request for his aid, but at the same time he is somewhat heartbroken that his son feels so reluctant to ask. Jin sets down his food and looks directly into his middle child¡¯s eyes. ¡°Takato, I¡¯m your father, there¡¯s no reason for you to be nervous. You can ask me for anything.¡± ¡°Hey wait!¡± Mai abruptly shouts, entering the conversation. ¡°If he¡¯s gonna learn the Rasengan then you have to teach me the purple lightning technique.¡± ¡°Calm down, Sweetie. I¡¯ll teach you Purple Lightning.¡± ¡°So, Satoshi? Do you want your father to train you as well?¡± Pakura queries, handing the adorable Yukie two more slices. Cutting up his pizza, the eldest son politely replies with, ¡°Thanks, but no thanks, I think I¡¯ll train with Big Sis Ayanami this time.¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hours later, Jin is sleeping peacefully in bed, next to his wife when his REM cycle disturbed. ¡°C¡¯mon, Dad, wake up!¡± Takato whispers, nudging him up. An unusually ecstatic Mai is there too, poking and prodding him. ¡°You said you¡¯d train with us.¡± ¡°Your kids are awake¡­¡± The now half-awake Scorch Style-user softly whispers, flipping her body around to the other side; her eyes remain closed. Eyes still shut, the village leader mutters, arguing, ¡°Until the sun rises¡­ ¡­they¡¯re YOUR kids¡­¡± Their children proceed to increase the intensity of their nudges and prods, annoying their father, he slowly opens one eye to find them staring back at him with great impatience, they¡¯d even gotten his clothes ready for him. Jin drowsily rises, yawning, ¡°Okay, okay¡­ I¡¯m up, I¡¯m up¡­ *YAWN*¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is actually way harder than it looks¡­! A strained Takato thinks to himself; several beats of sweat are running down his face while a vein in his forehead bulges. The Storm Genin¡¯s father had taken him and his sister to a rocky and mountainous area just North of the village. Four hours into his Rasengan training, Takato has only been able to get the water balloon to spin in two directions; the muscles in his right hand have tensed up to the point of aching. ¡°The first step shouldn¡¯t be taking this long¡­¡± A hunched Jin sighs, looking up from his sketchbook; the Onikage sits atop a boulder just a few yards away from his son, passing the time by drawing. ¡°Hey, Sport, which way are you spinning the water?¡± ¡°Clockwise, why?¡± Pointing at the genin with the eraser of his pencil, the village leader waves it in a circle, going leftwards. ¡°Try turning it counterclockwise.¡± This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Following his father¡¯s suggestion, the red-headed ninja spins his chakra to the left; the balloon¡¯s shape distorts, it stretches every which way until it finally bursts, and splashes Takato in the face; his jaw drops with awe. He turns to face his father. ¡°But how¡­?¡± ¡°Everyone¡¯s chakra naturally rotates either to the left or the right, you''re a left rotation type. By spinning your chakra clockwise, you had it working against itself.¡± His father explains. ¡°Ohhh, that makes sense¡­¡± Takato slowly nods. *BOOM!* Startled by the sudden explosion, the Genin whips his head around and peers into the distance; his twin sister stands dead center at the source of the loud, earth-shattering detonation. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Breathing heavily, Mai stands before a large boulder, several times her size. As the violet electricity coating her right hand gradually fades, she gazes into the gaping hole she made; the young kunoichi had just punched a hole clean through to the other side with her jutsu; the rocky and barren terrain can be seen with the tiniest sliver of sky. ¡°Looks like you¡¯ve learned it. Congrats! Now, you just need to master it.¡± The Onikage stands beside her, holding out a towel. ¡°*Ptoo!*¡± She spits out her finished lollipop while taking the piece of clothes to wipe the sweat from her brow. ¡°Dad, can you tell me more about the Purple Lightning?¡± Her father explains with, ¡°Sure! It was created by the 6th Hokage, Kakashi Hatake, to be a safe alternative to the Chidori and Lightning Blade.¡± ¡°Why go through all the trouble to make a ¡®safe alternative''?¡± Tilting her head, Mai makes air quotes. ¡°Both the Chidori and Lightning Blade require the user to run at high speeds which is, in fact, a MAJOR drawback,¡± Jin continues with his clarification. ¡°It causes tunnel vision, you¡¯d need a dojutsu like the Sharingan or the Byakugan to compensate. Oh--and unlike those 2, Purple Lightning can be used as a projectile.¡± Fascinating¡­! Wearing her usual deadpan expression, auctorial kunoichi pulls out a pen and notebook, jotting her father¡¯s words down. ¡°There¡¯s something that¡¯s been bugging me for some time¡­ Where¡¯s Mileena-nee? I haven¡¯t seen her in a while.¡± ¡°Oh, she¡¯s on top secret, super important mission.¡± Jin answers, curtly; he swiftly looks away, avoiding eye contact. ¡°That¡¯s so UN-schway.¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Meanwhile, in the Hidden Storm Village¡¯s Hyuga estate, Satoshi enters the main building, his goal is to speak with the head of the Hyuga Clan and aunt figure, Ayanami Hyuga. He walks through the door that leads to the dojo, and finds the clan head training with her son, Kurama; they both give him a surprised look due to not expecting to see him. ¡°Oh, Satoshi, it¡¯s good to see you!¡± Smiling warmly, Ayanami greets her surrogate nephew with a polite bow. ¡°To what do I owe the pleasure?¡± With a determined look, the green-haired shinobi gets down on all fours and bows. ¡°Lady Ayanami, I¡¯ve come, seeking your tutelage. Please, train me!¡± Taken aback by this most atypical request, the Hyuga Kunoichi and Kurama quickly glance towards each other before returning their gaze to Satoshi; an odd and confusing tension emerges surrounding them. ¡°I-I¡­ I won¡¯t say no, b-but¡­¡± Ayanami stammers, awkwardly. ¡°W-Wouldn¡¯t you be better off¡­ training with your f-father¡­?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, I¡¯d LOVE to. However, as you know, my¡­ abilities are more like your own than my dad¡¯s.¡± The eldest son of the Onikage looks up from where he prostrates himself and meets the clan head¡¯s gaze; there isn¡¯t an ounce of doubt in his brown eyes, but instead an unwavering fire that burns brightly. ¡°Very well,¡± Scratching the back of her head, Ayanami closes her eyes and sighs; she gives her nephew a stern look. ¡°But be warned¡­ Know that I won¡¯t go easy on you.¡± ¡°Thank you, ma¡¯am!!¡± With the biggest smile, Satoshi excitedly sits upright. ¡°What the¨C?! Mom, you can¡¯t be serious?!¡± A flabbergasted Kurama protests. ¡°I¡¯m dead serious.¡± The Hyuga Clan head takes a fighting stance, gesturing to her new apprentice to get over here. ¡°Come at me! I need to see what I¡¯m working with.¡± Jumping to his feet, Satoshi builds up his chakra. ¡°Right!¡± The Onikage¡¯s eldest child rushes forward, engaging his new master in a fierce sparring match; his eyes shift from brown to an intimidating blank white with the veins surrounding them bulging. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°The Chunin Exams finally start tomorrow¡­ are you prepared?¡± Itsu asks with arms folded; the air she gives off is calm yet stoic. Five weeks later, in the middle of the night, Jin stands at the train station with his children, Ayanami, Kurama and his squad, and surrogate younger sister. The time has come for Satoshi, Takato, and Mai to make their way to the Hidden Leaf; the Onikage is here to see them off. ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± Mai nods, replying with cool indifference. ¡°We six vow to win,¡± Satoshi stands tall with burning resolve. ¡°I promise to bring honor and glory to both clan AND village.¡± Nice sentiment, but I REALLY wish he¡¯d pull that stick outta his ass¡­ The Onikage ruffles his eldest son¡¯s hair. ¡°Learn to relax, Satoshi. I¡¯d be more focused on the shinobi of rivaling villages if I were you.¡± ¡°They¡¯ll all be feelin¡¯ the mode when we¡¯re done with ¡®em!¡± A confident Takato exclaims. ¡°Even so¡­ Stay safe, good luck, and most importantly¡­ Do. Your. Best.¡± Jin smiles warmly, giving the group a genin a thumbs up. ¡°¡°¡°Yes, sir!¡±¡±¡± His two sons smile brightly, returning the thumbs up, even Mai¡¯s deadpan expression shatters, cracking a slight smile. As the kids walk onto the train, Jin tells Itsu, ¡°Take care of them. We¡¯ll set out as soon as we¡¯re done with our work.¡± ¡°We should reach the Leaf sometime between the 1st and 2nd rounds.¡± Ayanami adds. Before stepping onto the train, Storm Jonin places her right hand over her heart and gives a slight bow. ¡°You have my word.¡± *Choo!* *Choo!* *Chugga-Chugga* *Chugga-Chugga* *Chugga-Chugga* And like that, the train takes off into the night, the two reincarnations watch it go and go until it disappears into the horizon. ¡°Were my words of encouragement enough? Should I¡¯ve said something more¡­ I dunno--inspiring?¡± ¡°What you said was fine¡­¡± Patting him on the back, Ayanami tries to reassure her friend. ¡°Stop doubting yourself so much!¡± ¡°You really think so, ¡®Nami?¡± The Onikage rubs his neck. With a nurturing smile, the clan head reaffirms. ¡°I KNOW so.¡± Character Sheet 7 JIN YAMANAKA UZUMAKI (Boruto era): OVERVIEW APPEARANCE RITO UZUMAKI (Boruto era): OVERVIEW APPEARANCE AYANAMI HYUGA (Boruto era): OVERVIEW APPEARANCE JAEGER HYUGA (Boruto era): OVERVIEW APPEARANCE PAKURA UZUMAKI (Boruto era): OVERVIEW APPEARANCE ITSU (Boruto era): OVERVIEW APPEARANCE SATOSHI UZUMAKI: Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. OVERVIEW APPEARANCE TAKATO UZUMAKI: OVERVIEW APPEARANCE MAI UZUMAKI: OVERVIEW APPEARANCE HIKARI UZUMAKI (Boruto era): OVERVIEW APPEARANCE KURAMA HYUGA: OVERVIEW APPEARANCE YUKIE UZUMAKI: OVERVIEW APPEARANCE Chapter 119: Boruto Part 4; The Chunin Exams Begin!! ¡°Quiet down!¡± The Hidden Leaf tactician, Shikamaru Nara speaks into a micro; he stands on a stage overlooking the young crowd, he wears a calm yet stoic expression. ¡°Looks like everyone is here¡­ Alright then, we¡¯ll now begin the 1st Chunin Exams of the 6 allied villages.¡± *clap* *clap* *clap* *clap* *clap* *clap* It is the opening ceremony of the Chunin Exams, and the Storm Siblings are only three of many promising genin standing at the gates of the Leaf Village; although he stated he would bring honor to the Hidden Storm, Satoshi is somewhat overwhelmed and intimidated by his surroundings. With glazed eyes, a slouched Takato whispers, ¡°I¡¯ve always hated these opening ceremonies, they¡¯re so tedious. I might as well be feeling the mode.¡± ¡°Shhh¡­¡± Satoshi tells his brother to keep quiet. ¡°As all of you are aware, this is the 1st Chunin Exams, in history, sponsored jointly by All 5--now 6--villages. The Hidden Leaf. The Hidden Cloud. The Hidden Mist. The Hidden Stone. The Hidden Sand. And the Hidden Storm,¡± The head of the Nara Clan¡¯s voice reverberates all throughout the immediate area. ¡°Right here and now, you¡¯ve all been given the opportunity to battle against ninja from other villages. It¡¯s your chance to use the jutsu you¡¯re most proud of to their fullest extent.¡± ¡°*YAWN*¡± Takato covers his mouth, wiping away the tears from his eyes. Once again, the eldest tells his younger brother, ¡°Shhh¡­!¡± The rest of the audience is no better; just about all of them are as silent as a graveyard with most wear looks of disinterest, same as Takato. Even Mai is beginning to doze off from the sheer boredom. *Clang* *Clang* *Clang* To everyone¡¯s surprise, someone walks onto the stage, it¡¯s none other than the Storm¡¯s robotic duplicate, Mecha-Naruto. The mechanized shinobi makes his way over to Shikamaru, he hands over a piece of paper and walks away, not uttering a single word; the Leaf strategist''s eyes pop open from reading the note. *Clang* *Clang* *Clang* ¡°Everyone, I¡¯ve just received a message from Lord Onikage.¡± Upon hearing this abrupt and mysterious proclamation, all the genin perk up, wide awake; they focus their collective gazes on the Nara clan member, listening intently for his next words. What¡¯s Dad up to this time¡­? Satoshi ponders what his father could be plotting. ¡°Regardless of whether or not they become a chunin, the winner of the final round will receive a grand prize¡­ Lord Jin will personally teach them an S-rank jutsu!¡± ¡°¡°¡°¡°¡°¡°WOOHOO!!!¡±¡±¡±¡±¡±¡± ¡°¡°¡°¡°¡°¡°¡°HOORAY!!!¡±¡±¡±¡±¡±¡± Among the thunderous applause stands a now horrified Satoshi with his jaw dropping; he¡¯s so frustrated, he could yank out his own hair. What. The. SHOCK?! No, seriously, what the shock is Dad thinking¡­?! ¡°Everyone! Remember to freely demonstrate the fruits of your training!¡± ¡°Okay, NOW I¡¯m all fired up,¡± Takato excitedly pounds his fists together. ¡°This is gonna be so crash¡­!!¡± ¡°The 1st round will begin, promptly, at noon, over at Exam Venue A. So, until then¡­ the time is all yours. You can use it as you see fit. *I* suggest you rest or train. Dismissed!¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°I¡­ ¡­n¡¯t¡­ ¡­at¡­¡± The eldest son sighs, quietly, hunched over with his head held low. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, ¡®Toshi? Ya don¡¯t like burgers?¡± His younger brother questions before taking a bite out of his meal, jovially. ¡°Stupid name, but they taste good.¡± The Storm Siblings decided to have a quick bite to eat just before the exams start, they are seated at one of the Leaf¡¯s many fast-food restaurants, the Lightning Burger. Enjoying her chips, Mai scans her surroundings. They are encompassed by genin from all over; Kurama and his team are situated in the booth right next to theirs. Their cousins, Boruto and Sarada are in a booth across from them. And there are cloud ninjas in one corner, grass shinobi in the other booth next to theirs, and stone ninjas on the other side of the building. ¡°Maybe some sweets will cheer you up.¡± The youngest sibling suggests to her older brother, holding out a jawbreaker. The frustrated Satoshi sits up, massaging his temples. ¡°I don¡¯t need candy¡­ What WE need is to win the Chunin Exams. We can¡¯t let any of our jutsu fall into the hands of the other villages.¡± ¡°You worry too much¡­¡± With a reassuring tone, Takato dismisses his brother''s concerns. ¡°RELAX, we got this.¡± A skeptical Satoshi teases, ¡°A swelled head¡¯s just about all YOU¡¯VE got, Takato.¡± *Thunk* The siblings are alerted to the fact that a fourth tray of food was placed on their table. The one who set his tray down is a blonde cloud ninja accompanied by his team; he has a condescending grin on his face for some inexplicable reason. ¡°Uh¡­ Can we help you?¡± Satoshi wears a bemused look on his face. The cloud genin leans on the table, looking down on them. ¡°Sorry~, but can you move somewhere else?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what?¡± Cocking his head to the side, Takato raises an eyebrow. ¡°Seeing as you¡¯re all just about done while my group has full plates. The party with more food should get to sit in the booth.¡± The cloud ninja sneers in a patronizing tone. ¡°Makes sense, doesn¡¯t it? So, now that you understand, get lost.¡± On that note, none of Storm Siblings even bother to dignify that with a response. Instead, they continue eating, slowing down their pace to the point that even a snail could eat its fill faster than them, all while maintaining eye contact with the cloud shinobi; the cloud¡¯s smirk vanishes and is replaced by a scowl due to the storm ninjas¡¯ audacity. They start giggling when they notice the vein bulging on his forehead. The cloud shinobi growls, ¡°What¡¯s with the dumb looks? Didn¡¯t you hear me? I said "beat it¨C¡±?!¡± To everyone¡¯s shock, the cloud ninja that was pestering them has suddenly been coiled in a tendril of what appears to be some kind of metallic sand; to his chagrin, the thug is forced away from the Storm Siblings. Their eyes follow the tentacle to its source, a stoic boy about their age with red markings on his face, he too is accompanied by his teammates, his Hidden Sand headband gleams in the light. That sand ninja must have a kekkei genkai of some kind¡­ Mai quietly assesses him from her seat, stroking her chin. ¡°That¡¯s enough. Who goes through the trouble of harassing complete strangers?¡± The cool sand shinobi speaks with a soft yet stern voice. ¡°This isn¡¯t over.¡± A beat of sweat runs down the cloud ninja¡¯s as he walks off with his squad. ¡°See you in the exams.¡± The youngest sibling bows with immense respect and gratitude. ¡°That was unnecessary, those guys were a bunch of 2-bit thugs and 3rd-rate ninja¡­ But thank you anyway, it was pretty schway of you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. That¡¯s just the kind of person Shinki is.¡± The hooded sand kunoichi responds in kind. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Shinki says. Watching them walk away, a befuddled Takato asks, ¡°So¡­ Shinki? Just who is that guy?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard of him,¡± Satoshi answers. ¡°Apparently, he¡¯s the adopted son of the 5th Kazekage, Gaara of the Sand.¡± So, he¡¯s like us, huh¡­? A cool and indifferent Mai ruminates on the sand ninja while putting a sucker in her mouth. ¡°Keep your eyes on him, boys, he¡¯s stronger than he lets on.¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Okay, everyone seems to be here,¡± Announces the Hidden Leaf¡¯s Anbu Chief, Towa. ¡°So, now I¡¯ll explain what the 1st round of the exams entails¡­¡± (Author¡¯s Note: Towa is a playable character, exclusive to the Naruto: Clash of Ninja video game series.) Just before the stroke of noon, the Storm Siblings convened at Exam Venue A, along with all the other participating genin; standing on rocky terrain, they listen, focusing intently on the proctor¡¯s official edict. ¡°Round one will be¡­ ¡­A true or false quiz!¡± Flabbergasted, the promising young shinobi go dead silent, finding the announcement to be so underwhelming that it is almost cartoonishly comedic; they were expecting something far more challenging, dangerous even. ¡°The question will be revealed at Exam Venue B. 20 kilometers from here¡­¡± Towa calmly and clearly continues, pulling out a silver stopwatch. ¡°Any genin who aren¡¯t there, after 1 hour has elapsed on this watch will be disqualified¡­¡± Upon closer inspection, Satoshi is quick to notice that the Leaf Anbu¡¯s watch is moving, just ticking away; the proctor¡¯s explanation is in itself a trap. ¡°Takato, Mai! Time to head out!¡± To everyone¡¯s confusion, the siblings turn tail, dashing towards the other venue site; a glance to both sides tell the eldest brother that both the sand ninjas as well as their cousins from the Leaf all had the same idea. It doesn''t take very long for the dozens of other genin to get the hint and hurry after them, catching up by the time they¡¯ve entered through a forested area. ¡°AAAARGH??!!!¡± Startled by the sudden sound of screaming, Satoshi looks to his left and instead of the other team that was next him, he finds a large hole where they were. *KA-BOOOM!!* ¡°¡°¡°AAAAAAAAAAAARGGH!!!¡±¡±¡± The three stone genin--in front of them--scream as they¡¯re sent blasting off by a paper bomb. HUH, and here I thought things were gonna be simple¡­ Satoshi thinks as he charges ahead of his team; his eyes turn blank white upon activating his Byakugan. ¡°Keep at a safe pace behind me and do as I do.¡± ¡°¡°Right!¡±¡± His younger siblings shout in unison. With his near-360¡ã field of vision, the eldest son spots a false floor coming up; he quickly sidesteps to the right, avoiding it entirely with his teammates following suit. Seeing a massive boulder swing at them from out of nowhere, Satoshi immediately throws a shuriken, cutting the rope tied to it; he and his sibling are all forced to jump onto nearby branches to evade it, proceeding to tree hop the rest of the way. *THUD!* ¡°We could chase down some chumps--thin out the competition?¡± Takato suggests. Mai shoots down that idea with, ¡°No, that would take up too much time.¡± ¡°What Mai said. BESIDES, we don¡¯t want to show our hand to the other teams this early into the exams now, would we?¡± Satoshi adds, agreeing with his sister. Hmm¡­? *poof* Just ahead, a small horde of puppets appear from a mysterious and abrupt puff of smoke, charging toward them; the one in the lead is heading right for Satoshi, winding its arm back to throw a hefty left hook, but the Storm Genin catches it and instantly uses the puppet¡¯s own momentum against itself, sending it into a tailspin; he pulls out a paper bomb, slapping it onto the wooden foe before kicking it away. *BOOM!* ¡°Remember what I said about not revealing our skills!¡± Satoshi orders his team. Racing to the enemy, his young brother shouts back, ¡°Don¡¯t order me around!¡± The puppet Takato is fighting against attempts to slam him with a lariat. However, the nimble shinobi swiftly bends over backwards, limbo-ing right under the attack; spotting an opening, he grabs his wooden opponent by its legs and drags it along, using it as a melee weapon against the other oncoming puppets; they are shattered upon impact. ¡°So not schway.¡± The youngest sibling sighs; her tone reeks of indifference. The patient Mai waits as two puppets come at her in a pincer maneuver, she has a kunai drawn, imbued with chakra. Just as they were about to close in on her, she leaps into the air; the wooden automatons crash into each other, falling to the ground. Taking advantage of the moment, the storm kunoichi divebombs them; however, instead of targeting the puppets themselves, she uses her chakra enhanced kunai to sever the chakra strings controlling them. ¡°Keep going! We¡¯ll push through!!¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Each team of 3 will go stand together on the side which they believe holds the banner with the correct answer on it.¡± Towa announces. An hour later at Venue B, the Storm Siblings proudly stand among the genin that made it to the site on time; Satoshi puffs out his chest, Takato wears a smug grin, and Mai has her everyday aloof expression. ¡°So there really was a true or false quiz!¡± Sarada exclaims from the background. Sarada¡¯s older twin brother, Inojin, sighs, ¡°They sure prepared some elaborate steps for this exam. ¡°Answer wrong and pay the price, NAMELY, those who turn black will fail.¡± The proctor continues. ¡°Turn black? Wha¡­?¡± A confused Takato quietly mutters to himself. Raising one finger, Towa quizzes them with, ¡°The question is: in Volume 5 of Shinobi Strategist Detective Story¡­ The following passwords appear ''moon is day, mountain is river, flower is nectar.'' True or false?¡± As the timer starts counting down, a puzzled Takato asks, ¡°Hey, Satoshi? Have you read that book? I¡¯ve only touched Volume 1.¡± ¡°Nope, I¡¯ve read up to the 4th volume. ¡­Mai?¡± His sister unwraps another lollipop. ¡°I¡¯m going with¡­ false.¡± The kunoichi walks over to the false banner, leaving her two brothers to chase after her. ¡°Are you sure it was in Volume 5?¡± The eldest sibling queries. ¡°I never said that I read that volume,¡± His sister explains with candy in her mouth. ¡°I said I was choosing false.¡± ¡°¡°What?!¡±¡± Both brothers are left perplexed and frustrated. Unfortunately, it was too late to really do anything about it; the timer has just gone out, and they¡¯ve already set foot onto the false banner. ¡°Time¡¯s up! The answer is¡­!¡± The screen above Towa flashes to life, displaying both an X and an O; speechless, all the genin do not understand what they are seeing. Suddenly, Satoshi feels his gut lurch when the ground vanishes out from under him, he and everyone who picked False are now falling into a pit where there seems to be some sort of black substance at the bottom; a dense singularity of shame builds up in his chest. To the left, he can see the genin who chose True are also in the process of falling. I-I failed¡­? B-But the ones who pick True are falling too. That doesn¡¯t make any sense unless¡­ A panicked Satoshi quickly comes to an epiphany. ¡°Mai!!¡± ¡°Way ahead of you.¡± The younger sister shouts while she holds onto the ledge with one arm. ¡°Multiple Striking Shadow Snakes!¡± From her free arm, numerous snakes shoot out of her sleeve, making their way to support Satoshi and Takato; they speedily coil themselves around the brothers, keeping them from touching the bottom. *Splash!* *Splash!* *Splash!* *Splash!* *Splash!* *Splash!* ¡°Sooo¡­ It¡¯s safe to say there is no 5th volume?¡± The middle child questions, dangling upside down. Looking down, the eldest replies with, ¡°No. No, there never was.¡± While they¡¯re being pulled up, Satoshi can see that the substance at the bottom of both pits is a type of liquid, and everyone who fell in has now been coated black; the Storm Sibling can¡¯t help but sigh with relief, there are no words to describe how elated he is. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Later, on that very same night, a silent Jin sits within a well-lit train car, headed for the Village Hidden in Tree Leaves; his drawings keep the Onikage busy. Ayanami, Jaeger, and Rito are accompanying him on the long, tedious journey. ¡°Oh, really? I¡¯ll be sure to tell ¡®em! Alright, goodbye!¡± The genius dragon replies, speaking into his phone before hanging up. ¡°Who was that?¡± Ayanami curiously asks. Proud, Rito responds by saying, ¡°That was Itsu, she was just telling how your kids passed the 1 round.¡± ¡°Oh, how wonderful.¡± The head of the Hyuga Clan cheers with joy, clapping her hands. Looking up from his sketchbook, Jin says, ¡°What would be a good rewa¨C!¡± Sensing the sudden emergence of disgustingly familiar chakra signature, Jin becomes silent once more, setting down his book; Ayanami¡¯s smile fades as she detects it as well; seeing the serious looks on their faces, Jaeger and Rito infuse their chakra, readying themselves for a fight. ¡°I wasn¡¯t even searching for you, but it appears that fortune has smiled upon me.¡± Says a sneering voice. The reincarnations¡¯ gazes divert to the back of the train car. It¡¯s none other than Urashiki Otsutsuki, wearing a sinister grin; the rising tension coupled by the malicious air the new arrival exudes tells Jin¡¯s friends all they need to know. ¡°There was a barrier in place.¡± Ayanami states. ¡°A flimsy thing like that couldn¡¯t possibly stop someone of MY caliber.¡± The Otsutsuki speaks with a haughty tone. ¡°Your master only sent YOU? I¡¯m insulted.¡± Jin speaks with venom in his tone. Urashiki¡¯s grin fades, replaced by an ice-cold glare; he rubs where his horns used to be. ¡°Don¡¯t even think that I¡¯ve forgotten what you did in our last encount¨C¡± ¡°What happened last time will be NOTHING compared to what we have in store for you, and your owners.¡± Jin¡¯s words are like daggers, stabbing the growling alien from all sides; he grits his teeth, baring his fangs at the Onikage. ¡°So, I take it you''re the one who attacked the 8-Tails jinchuriki?¡± Rito asks, keeping his cool. ¡°The 8-Tails? Oh, that--my superiors were behind that¡­ What I¡¯m after is YOU.¡± Urashiki explains, pointing at Jaeger. ¡°From what I understand, you possess something akin to a tailed beast.¡± Alert, Jaeger says nothing, he stands up and takes a fighting stance. ¡°Touch him, and it will be THE LAST mistake you ever make.¡± The Onikage growls. The amused Otsutsuki sneers, ¡°Oh, really? And how do you plan on accomplishing that?¡± ¡°Fuck around and find out.¡± Still seated, Jin gives a cold glare; the colors of his Rinnegan change from purple to red, and his Rinne Sharingan opens up. Ayanami¡¯s Tenseigan activate, crystalline dust forms in the air around Rito, and Jaeger¡¯s body erupts with bubbles of violet chakra, cloaking him in a shroud; no more words need to be exchanged as their message has gotten across; Urashiki vanishes as soon as he came, aware of the clear disadvantage he is at. Certain that he¡¯s gone, the Storm Village leader breathes a sigh of relief and pinches the bridge of his nose. ¡°Rito, you did bring the¡­ ¡®toy box¡¯ with you, right?¡± Chapter 120: Boruto Part 5; Major Upset Two days after the Chunin Exams, Satoshi Uzumaki stands alone, atop the roof of a rundown building in a seemingly desolate ghost town with a red flag billowing in the wind behind him; the alert genin stands guard as it is his responsibility to protect this piece of glorified cloth; he has his Byakugan activated, keep a close eye on his immediate vicinity. Keep calm and stay focused, Satoshi¡­ The storm genin tries to assuage his own fears, he stands at the edge of the rooftop, overlooking the barren city with his arms folded. ¡­Try to have a little faith in your siblings¡­ *KRA-KOOOM!!* *crumble* *rumble* *rumble* With his 360¡ã field of vision the Storm Sibling spots a distant building, Northeast of his position, collapse, shattering into a pile of rubble. A pair of giant, spotted, brown snakes burst forth from the rubble, baring their fangs; two individuals can be seen riding atop the reptiles¡¯ heads. ¡°Looks like it¡¯s started¡­¡± The Byakugan user sighs, scratching his neck. ¡­I know plans usually don¡¯t survive 1st contact with the enemy, but I sure do hope that this plan¡¯s salvageable¡­ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *KRA-KOOM!* ¡°That¡¯s so not schway.¡± Mai sucks on a jawbreaker as she watches her snake demolish a nearby building with a swipe of its tail. ¡°Hmm?!¡± The storm kunoichi notices several kunai have just come flying in, lodging themselves into her snake¡¯s mouth; there are multiple explosive tags attached to them. *BOOM!* *BOOM!* *BOOM!* *BOOM!* *BOOM!* *BOOM!* The instant the dust clears, Mai looks back and sees the leaf kunoichi Sumire running along the back of her reptile with kunai in hand, heading right for her; she responds in kind by quickly drawing a kunai of her own, imbuing it with chakra. The leaf ninja lunges, her arm winding down for an upwards slash attack while the storm shinobi swiftly moves to parry it; sparks shoot out the very moment their blades clash. ¡°A full-frontal assault? How juvenile.¡± Sumire taunts, trying to gain ground; a beat of sweat runs down her face. Mai¡¯s blank face slowly contorts into a sneer, ¡°Lured YOU out, didn¡¯t it?¡± The Storm Sibling¡¯s hint doesn¡¯t fall on deaf ears; the leaf shinobi¡¯s eyes widen with sudden realization; she leaps a few paces back while keeping an eye on Mai. ¡°Namida, go and help Wasabi! Quick!!¡± Sumire orders. Her squadmate yells back, ¡°R-Right!¡± Through her peripheral vision, Mai spots the Leaf kunoichi¡¯s timid teammate, Namida Suzumeno, make a break for it, dashing back to her team¡¯s flag¡¯s location. However, she is halted due to the sudden appearance of numerous floating fireballs which resemble phantoms, they revolve around her with hysterical grins. ¡°Did you forget about me~?¡± Takato sneers as the snake he¡¯s riding rears its scaly head, looming over the leaf ninjas. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°I¡¯ll be taking that flag now¡­¡± Takato declares with a pompous grin, standing on top of a water tower with his arms folded; he looks down on his foe from his vantage point. ¡°What? How¡­?!¡± The startled Wasabi yelps in disbelief. ¡°It¡¯s called a diversion,¡± Takato sneers. ¡°...Or are you too smooth brained to figure that out?¡± The kunoichi narrows her eyes, growling, ¡°A WHAT now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m callin¡¯ ya SLOW, Leaf Ninja. Shock, learn to take some criticism, you talentless harpy.¡± The middle sibling continues to affront her with words. I wonder if I¡¯m laying it on too thick with the smack talk¡­? ¡°You¡¯re dead!¡± The furious kunoichi snarls, she pulls out a scroll and feverishly opens it. ¡°Ninja Art: Cat Cloak!¡± A brown chakra sprouts from her arms, legs, head, and lower back; this odd chakra develops cat-like characteristics in the form of claws, ears, and a tail. She pounces into the air, lunging for Takato, however, the discourteous storm ninja jumps down and uses her face as a steppingstone; he gracefully lands between her and her flag. ¡°I won¡¯t let you!!¡± Wasabi yells, chasing after him; she thrusts her be-clawed hand forward. The Storm Sibling quickly pivots to the left, letting his opponent run right past him; he draws a kunai and holds it aloft before swinging it down on her. Unfortunately, Wasabi is fast enough to avoid being hit, but not fast enough to save her belongings; the backpack she brought with her was hit, its contents spill out onto the rooftop they¡¯re on; a dusty, old, maroon scroll rolls in front of him. Curious, Takato picks up the scripture. ¡°What do we have here¡­?¡± The Storm Sibling unravels the scroll and reads its contents; he finds it fascinating; an extremely delighted smile grows on his face, from ear-to-ear. ¡°Let¡¯s see here¡­ Ooh, a jutsu!¡± An amused Takato mutters as he continues reading the scroll and disregarding his foe. ¡°¡­The Cat God Possession: Monster Cat Beckoning technique¡­? What a weird-as-shock name for a jutsu.¡± ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?!¡± Deeply offended, the leaf kunoichi stomps over to him, her chakra tail flicks and twitches. ¡°Huh? AAAAAIIEEEE!!!¡± Yet, before she can even reach out and grab him, a pair of hands blast out of the ground and grab Wasabi by her ankles, it¡¯s a shadow clone; it uses the Earth Style: Headhunter Jutsu to suddenly drag her down, submerging the opposing kunoichi with only her perplexed head sticking out, just above the surface; she is rendered completely immobile. ¡°Thanks! I got EVERYTHING I needed out of that scroll.¡± Takato chuckles, callously; he dismissively walks past her, tossing the scripture in her general direction. ¡°Taking another clan¡¯s secret techniques? You should be ashamed of yourself!¡± The snarling Wasabi struggles to get out of her predicament. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not the shameful one here¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯d you say?!¡± The kunoichi grimaces. ¡°Who¡¯s really at fault here, the one who stole the jutsu¡­?¡± The storm ninja asks while grabbing the flag, he looks back and sneers, ¡°Or the one who was so WEAK she couldn¡¯t even protect her clan¡¯s secrets? We win; you lose. Get over it.¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Ahahahahahahaha!!!¡± Clutching his gut, the laughing Jin tries to keep standing on his feet; he wipes tears of joy from his eyes. ¡°No way, that¡¯s AMAZING! ¡­hahahahaha!¡± Arriving at the Leaf Village, later that very same night, the Onikage finds himself in an impromptu meeting with Naruto and Sasuke; the Seventh Hokage opened up with Takato¡¯s debacle during the second portion of the exams only to be met with an obnoxious, boisterous guffaws. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! ¡°C¡¯mon now¡­ this isn¡¯t funny, Jin.¡± Annoyed, Naruto¡¯s left eye twitches. ¡°You¡¯re right, this isn¡¯t funny¡­ It¡¯s HILARIOUS!!! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA¡­!!!¡± ¡°No time for fooling around. We have more pressing matters to deal with.¡± A stern yet stoic Sasuke speaks up, garnering the Uzumakis¡¯ attention. ¡°Jin, is it true that you encountered Urashiki on the way here?¡± The Onikage takes a deep breath, collecting himself; his smile fades, replaced by a more serious expression. ¡°Yeah, he appeared on the train¡­ BUT Urashiki wasn¡¯t after me, instead his target was Jaeger.¡± ¡°Why would he attack Jaeger?¡± The Uchiha queries. ¡°For the very same reason Bee was ambushed,¡± Folding his arms, Jin continues with, ¡°The tailed beasts.¡± Astonished, the Seventh Hokage asks, ¡°Wait--you possess a tailed beast?!¡± Jin shrugs. ¡°We have SOMETHING like that.¡± ¡°This is something you should¡¯ve told us during the summit!¡± Naruto argues, trying not to growl. With casual indifference, the Onikage dismisses him by saying, ¡°Naruto, the Hidden Storm may have just joined the Shinobi Union, but that doesn¡¯t obligate me to go and divulge ALL of my village¡¯s secrets.¡± ¡°What¡¯s done is done. There¡¯s no point in getting angry over it.¡± Sasuke attempts to diffuse the tension. The Hokage sighs, ¡°You¡¯re right¡­¡± ¡°Any progress on that scroll?¡± Jin questions, changing the subject. ¡­I doubt this part of the story¡¯ll change, but I might as well ask¡­ ¡°Deciphering it is taking longer than we thought.¡± Naruto answers, curtly. Due to no one talking anymore, the Storm Village leader assumes this meeting is adjourned and turns to walk away; he is eager to see his kids and celebrate their progress, eager to tell them how proud he is. Naruto quickly calls out, ¡°Jin, wait!¡± ¡°Need something?¡± Curious, Jin stops and looks back. ¡°Are you really going through with it?¡± The Hokage queries. ¡°Going through with¡­?¡± ¡°Teaching a jutsu to the winner.¡± The chosen one clarifies. The snake sage replies, answering with, ¡°Yes, I am.¡± ¡°What made you want to do something like this?¡± Naruto continues questioning. ¡°It was a whim--nothing more.¡± A nonchalant Jin replies before walking off. ¡°Just a way to motivate the genin.¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *Roar* *Roar* *Roar* *Roar* The day is finally here, the Chunin Exam finals. The finalists are all standing within the shadows of either corridor, which are situated on either side of the stadium arena; the cheers of the roaring audience are heard in the background. ¡°It¡¯s a shame Kurama and his team couldn¡¯t make it to the final round.¡± A deadpan Mai pouts; she pulls out a chocolate bar and starts eating, slowly. Takato rests a hand on his sister, reassuring her with, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mai. We¡¯ll even the score for them.¡± ¡°Going forward, we¡¯re rivals now¡­¡± Satoshi says with a friendly smile, he rests his hands behind his head. ¡°May the best shinobi win.¡± ¡°Heh¡­ Try not to lose TOO quickly, ¡®Toshi. You¡¯re one of the few I wanna fight the most.¡± Takato grins, folding his arms. ¡°The winner will be from the Sand Village.¡± Shinki interjects. ¡°We¡¯ll see, won¡¯t we?¡± Mai asks, snidely; her expression remains indifferent. *Roar* *Roar* *Hurrah!* *Hurrah!* *Hurrah!* *Hurrah!* *Hurrah!* *Hurrah!* *Hurrah!* *Hurrah!* *Hurrah!* The crowd cheers erupt even further with thunderous applause when the Chunin Exam finalists all enter out into the arena, power walking to the very center; they eagerly get into formation and wait for the Exam Final¡¯s proctor, Rock Lee, to make his announcement; the Six Kage all sit together in a MVIP suite, each with an aide right behind them. ¡°Round 3 consists of individual matches¡¯ they will be held tournament style,¡± The taijutsu specialist explains, he stands tall with an air of professionalism surrounding him, his booming voice echoes across the stadium. ¡°We purposely did not pit teammates against one another in the first bracket, but if you win, you may end up facing each other later. Please, make sure you verify what number your match is; there will be 3 divisions of matches! And then¡­ Once those have been completed, the winners in blocks A, B, and C will battle in a 3-way final.¡± The Storm Siblings all look up, into the VIP section, their father, Jin Uzumaki, gives them a warm thumbs up while Rito smiles and waves; they acknowledge that with a nod. ¡°Alright! Are you ready?¡± Lee puts forward. ¡°¡°¡°¡°¡°¡°YES!!¡±¡±¡±¡±¡±¡± All twelve genin simultaneously shout before vanishing in a flicker. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lee announces the first match. ¡°Boruto Uzumaki of the Hidden Leaf versus Mai Uzumaki of the Hidden Storm! The 1st match¡­ BEGIN!!¡± With a fire in her eyes, Mai pulls out a kunai and rushes at Boruto, who does the same thing; sparks fly the moment their blades clash. The kunoichi pushes forward in an attempt to gain ground. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen you psyched before, Mai.¡± The leaf shinobi remarks, pushing back. ¡°It¡¯s weird.¡± ¡°My dad¡¯s watching. It wouldn¡¯t be schway at all if I didn¡¯t TRY my best.¡± The crafty storm shinobi suddenly pulls back, forcing the leaf ninja to stumble forward; she quickly proceeds to kick him in the gut, sending him back. However, he performs a backflip, recovering from the feint attack. Mai swiftly weaves the Bird, Snake, Monkey, and Ram hand seals. ¡°Lightning Style: Lightning Ball.¡± A multitude of blue glowing spheres of chakra generate around the kunoichi, crackling with electrical energy; they disperse, covering the arena with the ones farthest from their caster closing in on the Hokage¡¯s son. The leaf ninja goes to slash at the nearest lightning ball. ¡°Isn¡¯t this one of Sarada¡¯s--Aaaaargh?!?!¡± The orb Boruto just struck sends out an electrical discharge that sends him back while damaging him at the same time; his body spasms for a moment as the current goes through him, he¡¯s forced to drop his kunai. Mai keeps the pressure on by sending more spheres after him; the recovering Hokage¡¯s son reacts by immediately leaping back several times, all the while, making odd hand signs with his right hand. ¡°Try this on for size!¡± Boruto shouts, throwing a mysterious green shuriken which abruptly appears in hand. Now that¡¯s weird¡­ Noticing this, Mai shuts her eyes and channels chakra into them, hurriedly reopening them; they¡¯ve changed from brown to a glowing red with a single tomoe in each iris. ¡­That shuriken is nothing, BUT chakra. Must be a jutsu of some kind--it¡¯s the only explanation for it¡­ Eyes still fixed on the enemy projectile, the kunoichi evades to the right; the green shuriken ominously stops spinning and slows down for an extremely brief moment before instantly accelerating as it makes a sharp turn, in her direction. The Onikage¡¯s daughter is quick to imbue her kunai with fire chakra. ¡­I¡¯m gonna go out on a limb and guess it¡¯s a wind jutsu¡­! She tosses her weapon at the leaf shinobi¡¯s jutsu making a B-line right for her; strangely enough, they cancel each other out. Once the immediate threat is out of the way, Mai turns her attention back on Boruto, he¡¯s speedily weaved his way through the onslaught of lightning orbs, and created a shadow clone just to launch him the rest of the way; the kunoichi responds by darting right toward the leaf ninja, meeting him at the center of the arena once more, engaging in a battle of taijutsu. Just before reaching Boruto, Mai spins her body around and uses the momentum to throw a roundhouse kick, but he blocks it; the storm kunoichi uses the leftover momentum from her attack to propel herself around him, sending a palm thrust his way, however, the leaf shinobi blocks again. The Hokage¡¯s son counters with a right hook, but she ducks, avoiding it. He follows up by slamming his left fist down on her; the Onikage¡¯s daughter nimbly and swiftly steps back avoiding it. Mai tries to elbow him in the face, but Boruto catches it; she throws a haymaker with her free hand; however, he grabs that too; they are now in a grappling match. The crafty kunoichi gives the leaf ninja a fierce look with her Sharingan; he immediately shuts his eyes. Unfortunately for him, this is what Mai wanted; capitalizing on the opening, she pulls Boruto down, slamming a knee into his face. As the Hokage¡¯s son reels back from the pain, the Onikage¡¯s daughter maintains a tight grip on one of his hands, using it to quickly weave the Snake, Ram, Monkey, Boar, and Tiger hand signs. Realizing what she¡¯s about to do, a recovering Boruto winds his free arm back for another punch. ¡°I won¡¯t let you¨C?!¡± ¡°I just did.¡± Mai curtly interrupts, pulling him in close; she knees him again, in the gut, and proceeds to kick him in the head, utilizing the attack to launch herself in the air. ¡°Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!¡± The Onikage¡¯s daughter expels a massive ball of fire down upon her foe, resulting in a massive explosion; a thick cloud of smoke is subsequently created. The very moment she lands, Mai feels a sudden strong gust of wind, going into the dust cloud, dissipating it; perplexed she peers into what remains of the swirling cloud and finds Boruto holding up a bright spiraling sphere of chakra, the Rasengan. Silent, the kunoichi concentrates lightning chakra in her right hand; her hand is coated in violet electricity, shaped like a blade. ¡°I¡¯m not gonna lose¡­! I¡¯ve come too far to drop out now!!¡± A stubborn Boruto roars. ¡°I refuse to lose to someone¡­¡± Mai grimaces upon noticing; the chakra in her cousin¡¯s Rasengan isn¡¯t coming from him, but something attached to his arm; it glimmers within the light of his jutsu. ¡°Who has NO confidence in their own power and skills!¡± Both genin go dead silent as they take their stances; this final clash will decide the victor of this match; without a moment¡¯s notice, they charge forward, lunging at each other; the Sharingan user rips up the ground with her jutsu while dashing towards her opponent. ¡°Purple Lightning!!!¡± ¡°Rasengan!!!¡± Sparks fly in all directions at the moment of impact with neither shinobi willing to give an inch. Undeterred, the kunoichi grits her teeth and finds the strength to push a little bit further; she leans closer to the leaf ninja and thrusts her hand forward; both shinobi are engulfed in a brilliant aura of chakra as a result. Chapter 121: Boruto Part 6; Scorch Style vs Magnet Style! In the aftermath of their clash, the exhilarating battle between Boruto and Mai has come to its shocking conclusion; silent, Naruto is overcome with a mixture of great embarrassment and immense disappointment while an elated Jin guffaws, brimming with pride. ¡°AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!¡± The Onikage cackles like a hyena, tears of delight streaming down his face. Gaara calmly speaks up. ¡°This isn¡¯t something for a Kage to be laughing over.¡± ¡° Hehehehe¡­ That¡¯s your opinion, not mine,¡± A chuckling Jin replies, slamming his fist on the desk; his Onikage hat is flattened by mistake. ¡°He used an illegal ninja tool, and he STILL lost. ¡­Ahhahahahahahahaha!¡± ¡°You¡¯re in no position to talk. After all, one of your sons, Takato, stole a jutsu.¡± Darui chastises, leaning back in his chair. ¡°Who hasn¡¯t?! To reprimand my son would only make us all out to be MASSIVE hypocrites, especially YOUR village.¡± From the arena floor, Lee announces the next fight. ¡°The 2nd match! Shikadai Nara of the Hidden Leaf versus Yodo of the Hidden Sand!¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°3 seconds are all I need.¡± A confident Sarada boasts, holding up three fingers. ¡°Now Sarada from the Hidden Leaf versus Satoshi Uzumaki of the Hidden Storm! Ready¡­? Begin!¡± The leaf kunoichi makes a dash for the storm genin just as he takes a defensive stance; both adversaries activate their respective dojutsu. When she gets close enough, Sarada aims a hefty haymaker for Satoshi¡¯s head. However, the sly storm sibling moves his hand to divert her mighty blow, throwing the kunoichi off balance. Infusing chakra into his left arm, Satoshi thrusts his hand forward, directly into his foe¡¯s torso. ¡°Eight Trigrams Hazan Strike.¡± A powerful wave of chakra is unleashed from the storm genin¡¯s palm, which sends the leaf kunoichi flying back, and crashing into the stadium wall; a small crater is formed where she smashed. Rock Lee announces, ¡°The winner is¡­ Satoshi Uzumaki!¡± ¡°You underestimated me¡­¡± The storm ninja looks down on his beaten cousin. ¡°Don¡¯t mess with a storm ninja¡­!¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The leaf ninja, Mitsuki, eerily raises a hand. ¡°Proctor? I withdraw.¡± ¡°Say what?¡± A surprised Takato¡¯s jaw drops, his eyes have grown as wide as a pair of saucers. *Gasp!* *Gasp!* *Gasp!* *Gasp!* ¡°Due to Mitsuki¡¯s withdrawal, Takato Uzumaki wins by default.¡± Rock Lee announces. *Boo!* *Boo!* *Boo!* *Boo!* *Boo!* *Boo!* It¡¯s the fifth match of the Chunin Exam Finals; Takato of the Hidden Storm versus Mitsuki of the Hidden Leaf. However, to everyone¡¯s shock, the leaf genin has opted to pull out of the tournament; the audience make their dissatisfaction heard, but none is left more perplexed than the storm sibling. ¡°B-But¡­ WHY?!?!?! Neither one of us has thrown a punch yet!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t fight you without going all out.¡± The polite Mitsuki gives a rather vague response. Balling his shaking fists, Takato retorts, ¡°That tells me nothing!¡± ¡°A fight like this would only inconvenience my father,¡± The odd leaf shinobi explains as he turns and walks away. ¡°And I¡¯d have to leave his side.¡± Bewildered, all the storm ninja can do is watch his would-be opponent leave the ring; he is unsure if he should be happy that he¡¯s moving on to the next round in the exam finals or upset that he was just cheated out of a proper victory. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°SHOCK, she sucks!¡± Takato comments, yawning; he stands, leaning against a locker with his arms folded. Unimpressed, Mai twiddles her thumbs while she sits on a bench and sighs, ¡°I thought she¡¯d put up more of a fight considering that she¡¯s a shinobi of the Hidden Leaf.¡± In the waiting room, the Storm Siblings along with two of the sand shinobi watch Shinki¡¯s match with Chocho Akimichi, finding the leaf kunoichi lacking; how she made it this far into the Chunin exams escapes them, even Shikadai¡¯s match with Yodo was more rousing than this tedious flop. ¡°This ¡®fight¡¯--if you can even call it that--will be over soon¡­¡± Satoshi glances up from his book to watch the fight, assessing it. ¡°Shinki hasn¡¯t even broken a sweat yet while Chocho can barely get on her feet.¡± On the screen Chocho expands in size, rolls up into ball, and spin dashes into Shinki, who produces to giant hands of iron sand to keep her at bay; the prodigy sand ninja holds her off long enough for the leaf shinobi¡¯s jutsu to fail; she falls on her back, exhausted and out of chakra. ¡°The winner is Shinki of the Hidden Sand!¡± Lee proclaims. ¡°You were right, ¡®Toshi. At least the battle didn¡¯t go on too long, I would¡¯ve totally fallen asleep.¡± The middle child shrugs, he performs a few stretches and light exercises to wake himself up. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Half an hour later, after a short break, the first match of the semi-finals has already begun; Mai Uzumaki versus Shikadai Nara. ¡°Purple Lightning!¡± The storm sibling fires off a bolt of violet electricity. The next head of the Nara Clan backflips away; her jutsu passes over him, just barely missing its mark. Shikadai quickly weaves the hand seal for his clan¡¯s specialty, the Shadow Possession Jutsu; Mai makes a hand sign, producing five shadow clones, and scattering in multiple directions. Mai and her clones all perform cartwheels, frontflips, backflips, and shove each other out of the way--all to avoid being caught in their adversary¡¯s living tendril of a shadow. The storm sibling keeps her gaze focused on the leaf ninja; his eyes dart every which way in an attempt to keep track of all the Mais¡¯ movements and positions. The kunoichi strikes when a moment of opportunity arises, Shikadai¡¯s focus shifts to one of her clones; she lunges at him, prepared to deliver a lariat to his neck. However, it was a feint; the next clan head immediately has his shadow expand outward, in a perfect circle; Mai and her five clones are all caught. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°My dad and I developed this strategy with Boruto in mind.¡± Shikadai smirks. ¡°Ooh, that¡¯s pretty schway,¡± The kunoichi congratulates her opponent with a grin of her own. ¡°HOWEVER¡­ I¡¯m. Not. Boruto.¡± *chirp* *chirp* *chirp* Alerted to the sound of birds chirping, Shikadai whips his head around to find a sixth shadow clone, just outside the range of his shadow; she has a Purple Lightning ready with his name on it. Dispelling his jutsu, Shikadai sighs, ¡°Fine, I give up.¡± ¡°Mai Uzumaki moves on to the finals!¡± Rock Lee announces, gesturing to the kunoichi. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lee makes his proclamation. ¡°Semi-final match 2! From the Storm, Satoshi versus the Sand¡¯s Araya! Begin!¡± Instead of drawing his primary weapon, Araya reaches into his pouch and pulls out several shuriken, throwing them at Satoshi; the storm shinobi channels chakra into his hands, he backhands the first projectile, sending it flying into the others. However, to his surprise, the shuriken suddenly boomerangs back towards him; the Byakugan user evades to the left, but his cheek is still grazed. Wha¨C?! Is he using Wind Style to control them¡­? Satoshi ponders as he draws a kunai, deflecting another shuriken; a beat of sweat runs down his face. ¡­No, the chakra doesn¡¯t feel like a wind jutsu¡­ *Clang!* *Clang!* *Clang!* *Clang!* *Clang!* *Clang!* *Clang!* *Clang!* *Clang!* *Clang!* The silent sand ninja tosses out more and more shuriken, forcing the storm sibling to keep even more projectiles at bay; sparks fly each time his blade makes contact with the possessed weaponry. Feeling the pressure due to the enemy¡¯s shuriken coming at him from all sides, Satoshi swiftly emits chakra from all his chakra points and spins rapidly, repelling the barrage with his Eight Trigrams Palm Rotation. Taking a deep breath, Satoshi recomposes himself; the veins around his eyes bulge due to the activation of his Byakugan. Try to overwhelm ME, huh? Well two can play at--now that¡¯s odd¡­ With his near--360-degree vision, the storm ninja sees the chakra strings attached to all the projectiles, controlling them. What¡¯s even stranger is the fact that his foe, Araya, does not appear to have any chakra points; instead, all he spots are more chakra strings connected to the sand shinobi, same as the shuriken. Oh, right¡­ the Sand Village uses puppets¡­ Satoshi quickly accelerates his rotation speed and expands the radius of his field of vision. ¡°Giant Palm Rotation!¡± The diameter of the spinning shield of chakra instantly enlarges, blowing away the puppet as well as the enemy weapons; their proctor is forced to leap back to a safe distance. Satoshi immediately stops rotating, launching an Eight Trigrams Air Palm to his right, at the ceiling, above the audience. Just as a large piece of debris is about to flatten a few spectators, Sarada jumps into the air and reduces the chunk of ceiling to pebbles with a mere punch. ¡°B-B-But¡­ H-How did you figure it out?!¡± The real Araya stutters, revealing himself; he trembles with intense anxiety. Grinning with satisfaction, Satoshi curtly scoffs, ¡°Figure it out yourself.¡± ¡°It is over,¡± Lee shouts, jumping back onto the arena floor. ¡°The winner is Satoshi Uzumaki!¡± The eldest storm sibling heads back to the waiting room, clutching his wound; he thinks to himself, I know the Hidden Storm is the new kid on the block, but the other villages really shouldn¡¯t be looking down on us! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°And now¡­ we move on to the 3rd match of the semi-finals! From the Storm, Takato Uzumaki versus the Sand, Shinki!¡± ¡°Wind Style: Vacuum Blade,¡± Takato blows onto a shuriken he¡¯s spinning, imbuing it with wind chakra in order to increase its sharpness, range and lethality; he eagerly fires the jutsu at his opponent before speedily weaving the Ox, Dog, Dragon, Rat, Dog, Boar, Snake, and Tiger hand signs. ¡°Ninja Art: Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu!¡± The Vacuum Shuriken multiplies in number, turning into a volley of wind jutsu projectiles, and converge on their target. However, the stoic sand ninja erects a tall pillar of iron sand, six feet thick, in front of him; it deflects most of them, but was weakened to the point that the final shuriken was able to break through. Shinki reaches out with an iron tendril and catches the storm ninja¡¯s attack before hurling it into the air; with cool stoicism, he states, ¡°Not bad at all, but it¡¯s still not enough to defeat me.¡± ¡°Hmph. Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!¡± Just as Takato creates several dozen clones, the sand shinobi sends out a tsunami of iron sand that engulfs the entire arena floor; he goes on to produce a whole menagerie of hovering iron boulders, which all the storm ninja clones jump onto and spread out in every direction. *BOOM!* *poof* Leaping onto another iron platform, the startled Takato looks back only to see that one of his clones was suddenly destroyed in an explosion. He must¡¯ve hidden paper bombs in some of these floating rocks¡­ The storm sibling gulps, his neck hairs stand on end. ¡­I-I¡¯d best be careful¡­ *BOOM!* *poof* *BOOM!* *poof* *BOOM!* *poof* *BOOM!* *poof* *BOOM!* *poof* *BOOM!* *poof* *poof* *poof* *poof* *poof* *poof* *BOOM!* *poof* *BOOM!* *poof* *poof* *poof* Standing dead center in the stadium, Shinki shoots out an Iron Sand Shower, dispelling even more clones; between the exploding boulders and barrage of projectiles, the multiple Takatos try their best to survive, jumping from platform-to-platform in an attempt to get closer to him. *poof* *poof* *poof* Just as they are closing the distance, Shinki proceeds to surf on the floor with his iron sand, moving along the arena¡¯s edge; the few Takatos that managed to get close enough to actually engage in melee combat are quickly dispatched by sand tentacles. However, more and more of the storm sibling¡¯s shadow clones are converging on the Magnet Style-user, forcing him to propel himself in the air with his iron sand; the way the sand stream moves is reminiscent of a snake slithering. The Takatos all hurry after him, platforming their way up the sand ninja¡¯s sand boulders. *BOOM!* *poof* *BOOM!* *poof* ¡°On my father¡¯s honor, I will defeat you here and now.¡± Shinki says, ascending higher and higher. ¡°Would you shut the shock up?! You sound JUST like my brother.¡± *poof* *poof* *BOOM!* *poof* *poof* *poof* Hopping onto the stream of iron sand, the red-headed ninja dashes up it and continues his chase, blood roaring in his ears; he perform the Scorch Style: Super Steam Kill, creating several flaming orbs in order to bombard the sand ninja, who shoot back a fairly large block of iron sand; to everyone¡¯s surprise, not only is Takato¡¯s jutsu smothered out, Shinki¡¯s construct becomes unstable, becoming a pile sand that harmlessly falls to the ground. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°What just happened?¡± Gaara asks, stunned; even with a stoic expression, his jaw still finds a way to drop, if slightly. ¡°Magnets lose their charge when heated.¡± A proud Jin explains, leaning back in his chair; he grins from ear-to-ear. ¡­THANK YOU, Justice League¡­ Stroking his chin, Rito goes on to add, ¡°They don¡¯t JUST lose their charge, they become irreversibly demagnetized.¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°More. Show me more of your power!¡± Shinki says ominously; the iron sand coating his body bristles like a cat¡¯s fur. The sand ninja makes a U-turn, plummeting back down to the stadium where a squad of four shadow clones patiently wait for him; they lunge at him from all sides, each with a kunai in hand. They each hack away at the iron sand; some have infused their weapons with scorch chakra, demagnetizing more of Shinki¡¯s sand. One of the storm shinobi scoffs, ¡°Be patient. The grand finale will come soon enough!¡± While the Takatos prepare to run their opponent through in a four-way pincer attack, the crafty sand ninja has his iron sand immediately envelop him in a protective dome; at lightning speeds, the sand barrier sprouts a horde of spikes in all directions, skewering the clones. In spite of Shinki¡¯s impressive display, the audience¡¯s attention is drawn upwards as a brilliant orange glow mysteriously begins to emanate from the sky, it¡¯s Takato holding aloft a red-orange sphere of spiraling chakra; it gives off an intense heat, creating a slight haze that shrouds the caster. ¡°Try this on for size,¡± A determined Takato roars; he comes rocketing down, thrusting his jutsu forward. ¡°Scorch Style: Rasengan!¡± The red-haired shinobi divebombs the iron sand dome, plowing his jutsu into it; his Rasengan blasts right through the shield and causes a massive explosion, resulting in a thick cloud of smoke; everyone is on pins and needles, waiting in anticipation. The dust gradually clears, revealing Takato standing alone in the center of the arena, surrounded by molten iron; he¡¯s hunched over on his knees, breathing heavily. MAN, this guy¡¯s stubborn¡­ The Storm Sibling thinks while sweat pours out of his face. ¡°Heh¡­ H-Had¡­ *huff* *huff* ¡­enough y-yet¡­? *huff*¡± ¡°Most impressive¡­ I¡¯m starting to see why the Hidden Storm Village was made into the 6th Great Ning village. HOWEVER¡­¡± Shinki¡¯s voice reverberates throughout the stadium. The storm ninja slowly turns around to see a mound of sand rise up, molding itself into the sand ninja; a pair of giant hands made of iron sand are formed, floating just above their caster with a cord of electricity connecting them. With a single beat of sweat running down his face, the sand shinobi gives an intense glare and says, ¡°I¡¯ll prove to everyone, right here and now, why the Hidden Sand is the greatest among them¡­!¡±