3,629KG: A little late, but better late than never! Happy Holidays!
Music of the Month: This Is War by Caleb Hyles.
Quote: "Courage isn't having the strength to go on, it is going on when you don't have the strength." by Napoleon Bonaparte
Itachi, Konan, and Neji quietly moved through the tunnels. Having been separated from Sasuke and Tayuya, they tried to find the caravan they'd been following since they entered the cave. Unfortunately, there weren't too many tunnels and it was too dark. Itachi and Neji opted not to use their dojutsu too much. While the chakra drain was minimal, it would be better safe than sorry, especially if any sensors were around. They had managed to locate some rooms with either supplies or strange sealing formulas that were better left alone. If anything, the group thought themselves lucky that no one like the man who led Sasuke and Tayuya away had come upon them, thus allowing them to search at their leisure.
"Are you sure this is the way?" Itachi inquired.
Neji quickly nodded. "It's rather hard to pinpoint given all of the chakra signatures around, but I believe this is the correct way," the Hyuuga replied.
Konan looked around the area. The caves had long since become underground pillars lined with stone walls and decorated columns. It seemed that they were still in an area where the hypnotized captives were allowed as numerous figures passed them by. Neji made sure to keep his head down the most. They all agreed that a Hyuuga would be a dead giveaway to their team given that over half the Hyuuga clan was a part of Uzumaki Naruto's forces.
Luckily for the trio, one person lagged behind the others. Konan quickly subdued him while Itachi placed the man under a genjutsu. The group extracted information from him, but there wasn't much to gather. The man's mind was in disarray, a mere puppet at the whims of the cruel masters within the area. Finally, Itachi and the others let the man go.
They watched him leave before the trio heard someone approaching, and very quickly at that. "Someone's coming," Neji alerted.
Konan and Itachi tuned their senses to the noise and all three suddenly heard screaming get louder and louder. Yet, their eyes slowly widened, especially Neji's, when they saw Amaru on a table get pushed past them surrounded by three or four men and women.
"Amaru?" Neji questioned while Itachi and Konan watched them take her away.
"What's Amaru-san doing here?" Konan asked, steeling her expression to hide her surprise. As a kunoichi, she was used to expecting the unexpected, yet even this seemed to be beyond what she'd imagined. Of course, that didn't make her any less worried. What was Yuri's cousin doing down here? Even more than that, why was she screaming? Had they done something to her? Konan felt her mind restless with possibilities.
Itachi stared in the direction she went before he found his mind working quickly. "I do not know, but it would be better if we investigate. It's better if we don't split up as we are still not sure how deep this place goes. We will follow after Amaru and the people who took her. Aside from rescuing her, she can hopefully provide information about how she was captured. Do we agree?" Itachi asked.
Konan and Neji nodded as the three quickly moved and followed after the group of people who had been pushing Amaru through the cavern. It seemed that the people taking her were too preoccupied with her condition to look anywhere else. The trio passed by numerous rooms and hallways, not even being able to look where anything was. They just followed Amaru's captors until the group saw them head into a room with a large door.
"What's wrong with her?"
"No idea, but Jigen-sama wanted us to check on her. Apparently, she just started screaming."
Itachi, Konan, and Neji leaned against the wall, glancing at each other as they heard the noises behind the door.
"I expected more from an Uzumaki. Fine. Strap her to the table and let me work. All of you out!" the person claimed as the trio noticed the doors open. They heard Amaru continue to scream in what seemed like pain as her captors walked out of the room. Itachi turned to Konan and Neji, he silently signaled to them both and they agreed to his unspoken plan.
As the captors passed them by, Konan quickly subdued them by trapping them in paper. The captors didn't even get a chance to scream before they were paralyzed as Neji swiftly struck their chakra points with the Gentle Fist of the Hyuuga Clan. One by one, they collapsed while Itachi swiftly charged for the door. He slowly opened it just in time to see a woman harshly slap Amaru.
"Stop your damn screaming! What kind of Uzumaki are you? I've never met one more pathetic than you. Just when I was starting to have a good day. Alright, what the fuck's wrong with you?" the woman asked as Itachi noticed Amaru finally stop screaming. Judging by her posture, Itachi noticed that Amaru was very much awake. He quickly determined that either the Uzumaki was trying to trick the doctor or the slap from the doctor was an intentional cure.
In the end, Itachi received his answer when he noticed Amaru glance at him. She slowly nodded when the doctor's back was turned. Itachi quickly, yet stealthy entered the room.
"Now, my little Uzumaki-chan. Let's see what we can do for…" the doctor didn't get to finish when she turned around. As soon as she did, her eyes were swiftly covered with the Sharingan from Itachi. Her mind quickly fell into his illusion until she stood motionless.
Itachi then turned to Amaru and undid the straps. "Amaru-san, are you alright?" he asked.
Amaru rolled over and groaned. "Other than a stinging cheek and a hoarse throat, I think I'll be fine. I'm glad our plan worked," Amaru said. Itachi noticed the young redhead seemed a little unsteady. Her face was flushed and she looked a lot worse for wear. She slipped off the table and slumped into Itachi's arms.
"Are you alright?" he asked.
Amaru groaned. "I'm fine. Just… a little sick that's all," she returned.
Itachi narrowed his eyes before he looked at the doctor who was still under his control. "Let's get you out of here," the older brother of Uchiha Sasuke claimed. Amaru slowly nodded as Itachi removed any trace of their presence from the doctor's mind. He then led Amaru out of the room where Konan and Neji were waiting for them. Neji was the first one to approach.
"Amaru-san, are you alright?" he asked.
Amaru looked at Neji and smiled. "You know, Itachi-san asked the same thing. I'm fine. Just a little… wobbly," the redhead claimed tiredly. She then noticed Konan place a hand to her forehead.
"You're running a high fever," Konan said. Amaru chuckled mirthlessly. Yeah, she'd been told that enough for today.
"Yeah, I know. But listen, my fever is the last of our worries. Y-You guys gotta go get Shion. They… implanted a K-Kāma inside her. She's in the lower levels," Amaru warned.
Neji quickly addressed her worries with a pat on her shoulder. "We know. Sasuke and Tayuya are heading down. Can you tell us anything else?" he asked.
Amaru was getting ready to speak, but Konan quickly asserted herself before her. "I believe it would be best if we spoke somewhere else. In fact, I believe it would be best if we got Amaru-san out of here. As she is now, she'll draw too much attention like this," Konan advised.
Amaru wasn't even about to deny it. What Konan said was the truth. She was keeping conscious, yet every second made her feel like she was about to throw up. Well, until…
"No, I can stay. Take me back through those doors. That doctor had to have things that I can use. While I t-treat myself, I can explain what I know to you guys. I hope I can also recover some chakra. I'm pretty low from that prison cell I was in," Amaru claimed.
The others agreed and rejoined her in the doctor's room. Itachi hypnotized her once again while Amaru looked around the room. Unfortunately, given that the world had just been remade, there wasn't much in the way of modern medicine. However, the doctor had more than enough medicinal herbs that the Uzumaki could use. While she worked on making a quick medicine for herself, she explained what happened to her and Shion as well as the circumstances regarding Shinnō's betrayal and the stealing of the Uzumaki Shrine's Shinigami Mask. Neji's face turned into horror as Amaru continued to explain the circumstances. She drank a bowl of something green which stung the back of her throat while she told her story. The further and further she went with her story, the more and more concerned Neji, Konan, and Itachi felt. Once she was done, the room was eerily quiet.
"Amaru-san, that wasn't the wisest thing to do," Neji said. However, he closed his eyes and eased his frustrations when he saw the torn and stricken grief on Amaru's face. It was likely that she'd been told that enough.
"Nevertheless, I believe I can understand how you could have fallen prey to Shinnō-san. None of us knew his true intentions. Not even Naruto and Kushina suspected him. Who knows what he was doing being as close as he was to all of us. Itachi-san, Konan-san, I believe we've been here long enough. I can guide Amaru-san out of the underground. I'm a hindrance to the mission with my eyes. Many will grow suspicious if they even look at me. I think we've discovered enough to warrant an investigation at least," Neji replied.
The two former Akatsuki members spared each other a look. "We have yet to find the caravan or figure out why they are kidnapping people, but the fact that they have kidnapped Amaru-san and Shion-san should be enough. The only problem is we have no idea where Sasuke and Tayuya are. They were heading to the…"
Itachi suddenly stopped when the group of four heard a puff of smoke. They looked down and noticed a small snake at their feet. The snake forked its tongue at them before it released a scroll from its mouth. "Uchiha Sasuke has a message for you," it said before it quickly dispelled.
Konan picked up the scroll and opened it. She frowned before she handed it to Itachi and Neji. "It appears that it was as we feared. I believe we don't need to look into the caravan any further. This organization has discovered The Box of Ultimate Bliss, an ancient treasure of Kusagakure. I have heard tales of the box. Nagato actually wanted to go after it more than once, but we simply didn't have the manpower since Akatsuki was trying to build up its power," she said, her face tense.
Neji looked to her. "I have never heard of this Box of Ultimate Bliss. Is it really that formidable?" The Hyuuga inquired.
Konan's face darkened. "It was so formidable that Nagato considered using it as the weapon against the Elemental Nations instead of combining the bijuu. He only went after the bijuu because he could already control the Gedo Mazo. It would have taken immense chakra for him to control the Box of Ultimate Bliss. If every nation hears about this, they will all converge to try and destroy it no matter who is using it," the paper user claimed.
Neji and Itachi turned their attention to Amaru, but the latter was the one who spoke. "Neji, we will go with your idea. Lead Amaru out of the cavern and we'll focus on tracking down Tayuya-san, Shion-san, and Sasuke. We'll also try and find the Shinigami Mask that was stolen. Neji, once you're outside, send a message for reinforcements. We mustn't let them use the mask under any circum…" Itachi stopped again as everyone felt the underground tunnel rumble and shake with tremendous fury. Amaru fell into Konan's arms while Itachi and Neji braced themselves against the wall.
Itachi silently cursed when he felt a surge in Sasuke's chakra at the very bottom of the maze-like structure. "What's happening?!" Neji asked, hanging onto the wall as the floor continued to shake, even breaking apart. The group braced themselves against the floor as the rumbling continued.
"I believe Sasuke has encountered some resistance. We clearly don't have much time," Itachi replied, his nails digging into his skin.
-x-
Sasuke walked towards the group, lightning sprawling out of his body as he walked toward Obito and the others. "You've all got one chance. Tell me where the mask is and maybe I'll let the dobe decide what to do with you all when he gets here," Sasuke said, his sword pointed toward them all.
The Uchiha heir immediately found himself surrounded not just by Akatsuki but also by Jigen's forces. Obito took a step forward. "Uchiha Sasuke!" the older Uchiha hissed while Sasuke gazed down at him.
"We've been looking high and low for you, Obito. For Kakashi's sake, I'll try and leave you with a working mouth to give him an explanation," Sasuke returned. He then turned his head and he noticed Kisame laugh.
The shark-man stepped forward also, lugging Samehada on his shoulder. "It appears we have a rat in the tunnels. Tell me, Uchiha Sasuke, is Itachi-san here too? It's been a long time since I met a former partner. I'd like to see him again," Kisame said, a sly yet confident smirk on his face as he felt Samehada pulse within its wrappings. It seemed that the shark skin blade found the smell of Uchiha Sasuke's chakra rather enticing.
"Unfortunately for you, you'll never know!" Sasuke said as he instantly appeared behind Kisame. His sword glimmered in the underground tunnel. Kisame turned his head in shock as did the others. What little Honshou poured into Sasuke's body unleashed itself, mixing with his chakra as he gripped his sword. Sasuke swung his sword, the roar of lightning staining the ground with streaks of lightning. Kisame raised Samehada to counter yet all were stunned into silence as Samehada shrieked in sheer agony as Sasuke's sword seamlessly cut through it, not stopping for anything before all eyes saw Hoshigaki Kisame, the Terror of Kirigakure, fall to pieces. His severed head rolled along the ground while his body sparked with the fleeting fragments of lightning. Samehada fell with a harsh thud as Sasuke turned to the others.
"He killed Kisame that quickly? How could that damn boy have gotten so strong in just seven months?!" Obito inquired.
Sasuke briefly noticed the people under Jigen swiftly descend on them. The young Uchiha threw his sword into the air before he engaged his adversaries. Sasuke weaved through them all, striking and knocking them down one by one. A punch here, a kick there, a room full of over twenty men and women slowly dwindled to a handful as Sasuke displayed his talent in the arts of Taijutsu. He jumped over the back of one and broke his arm before descending on another. He broke her jaw and slammed his heel down, crushing a man's skull against the hard pavement.
Sasuke then turned and blocked a kunai from Obito who had come into the battle. The two Uchiha stared at each other, Sharingan to Sharingan. They backed away and Sasuke skidded on the ground, being forced to jump into the air when Zetsu appeared from underground, his vicious jaws nearly clamping down on Sasuke's leg. The young Uchiha blew through several handsigns before he sharply inhaled. "Katon: Amaterasu: Ryūka No Jutsu (Fire Release: Amaterasu: Dragon Fire Technique)!" Sasuke exclaimed as he blasted a stream of fire from his mouth. The fire crashed into the ground, forcing those still alive to jump back as they noticed the orange hue of the flames quickly turned black, empowered by the all-consuming furnace of Amaterasu's flames.
Obito quickly watched the flames draw near. He was ready to teleport Zetsu and himself out of the area before everyone noticed something was wrong. Sasuke frowned as the Kindred quickly became alerted to the mass of swirling energy fluctuating behind them. Everyone watched as the black flames of the Amaterasu redirected their assault. They flew into the air and were swiftly absorbed until nothing remained in the third eye on Jigen's forehead.
"I was wondering how long it would take you to act, Uchiha Sasuke. I'm glad that I wasn't disappointed. Even I thought myself dead by your hand. However, you have given me a glimpse to the evolution of the Otsutsuki Will, and you will be the first story of tragedy in the chronicles of Uzumaki Naruto's reign upon this world. Know that though your world shall kneel swiftly, I grant you the honor of never seeing it. For an inferior creature like you, it's more than you deserve."
Sasuke barely had time to think, breathe, expect, or even… react. The Uchiha barely managed to summon the ribcage of the Susanoo before it was shattered into a thousand pieces as he was blasted out of the room from the punch thrown his way. He crashed into the ground and skidded along the dark hallway and into the side of the wall. The Uchiha grunted in pain as his breath was taken away before he slumped to the ground.
Wolf and Lamb looked on in surprise before the former cursed. "Dammit! Uchiha, get out of there!" Wolf roared while Sasuke quickly tried to reorient himself. He leaned up with a heavy groan, shaking his head as he watched Jigen step out of the cloud of smoke, yet he no longer looked human. What was once a monk was now a fully realized Otsutsuki.
The frown on Sasuke's face deepened before he stood to his feet. His eyes zoned in on his target. More specifically, he noticed the long, curved horn resembling a crown around the man's head. The Uchiha clenched his fists when he spotted the yellow and black wheel-like pattern in the man's right eye while his left held a Byakugan. His middle eye was one like Sasuke had never seen, a sort of inverted coloring mixture of the Rinnegan and the Sharingan.
"So that's Otsutsuki Isshiki. The one Naruto and Kagura warned us about," Sasuke thought to himself as he brushed off the dirt from the side of his face. He had heard what Wolf shouted at him, but Sasuke already knew that was impossible. Even from where he stood, he could feel the chakra and spiritual might asserted by the Otsutsuki. It was enough to make the very lower floors tremble. Every step there was a corrupting influence, such that Sasuke could only compare it to Jashin. Of course, this feeling wasn't even close to being compared to that time, but that it came from a mortal being was more than a little worrying.
"Alright you two, I think my life is definitely in danger right now. You better not be all talk!" Sasuke uttered.
As soon as he said those words, the Uchiha found himself filled with nearly limitless power. His black hair turned a deep shade of silver while his Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan brimmed with the power of the stars. Lamb and Wolf summoned themselves at his side. Isshiki stepped past the members of Akatsuki as he turned a gaze toward Sasuke.
"So Uzumaki Naruto had something of a backup plan. It seems he holds you in high regard. I wonder what expression he'll make when I deliver him your corpse," Isshiki said.
Sasuke wasn't moved or perturbed by the threat. What he was perturbed by was the sheer amount of lifeforce Isshiki seemed to have. Being imbued with the power of the Kindred, he could see Isshiki's lifespan, which was longer than any being ever should have. If left alone, Isshiki would easily live for millions, perhaps even billions of years. One way or another, this guy had to die today!
The Uchiha didn't waste a word. Instead, he grabbed his sword and charged it with lightning chakra. Wolf snarled, his giant mouth revealing its razor-sharp teeth while Lamb held her bow in her hand. The indifferent look on Isshiki's face slowly morphed into a sadistic, yet confident grin.
-x-
Far off, Yuri's eyes widened as she looked off into the horizon from the room she, her sister, and Naurto had been sharing during their time of the Kage Summit. Her eyes narrowed. "Yura-nee, did you feel that?" Yuri inquired. A frown marred her young face. She didn't turn to her sister for an answer to her question. She knew that her older sister had sensed it. They were both Uzumaki, but they were also more spiritually-attuned to the world. There was no way they could have sensed what they did. They heard that Naruto had rushed off to take care of a grave matter, but his presence suddenly disappeared. It wasn't like he was on the other side of the world. They would have sensed that. He was just… gone. The thought was worrying, yet they hadn't acted yet because they didn't wish to blow the matter out of proportion. Unfortunately, it certainly seemed like they should have.
"Yes, I sense it. It's like a chaotic amalgamation of chakra, Honshou, and evil all rolled up into one. If we sense it, then there's no doubt that others in our family will sense it as well. We have to go investigate," Yura claimed.
Yuri nodded as she quickly pushed herself out of the chair she'd been sitting in. Yura put her book down and her glare hardened. Worry filled both sisters as Yura quickly turned to her younger sister.
"Yuri, you're the fastest out of all of us. Head in the direction of that strange energy. I will inform the Kage to prepare a force and head there. Assess the situation as best you can and warn us. If it is what we're expecting, then I doubt this force is gonna matter, but it's for the best. Get going," Yura said.
Yuri quickly agreed and merged her spirit with Shizune and Ebisu. She then summoned her chakra cloak and her Shinigami cloak. Her body was encased in a silverish-white spiritual fire that seemed ready to engulf everything. "Isobu-san, Shizune-san, Ebisu-san, are you ready to go?" Yuri questioned as she stepped onto the window ledge.
"Stop asking questions you already know the answer to, girl. Get moving!" The Sanbi retorted. Yuri nodded and blasted out of the window, breaking it in the process. She landed in the street, shocking nearby Iwa citizens and foreign visitors before she launched herself at great speeds beyond the gates of Iwagakure.
Ordinarily, Yura might be worried about the damage to the home they were staying in, but not wasn't the time to be concerned with such things. Instead, she landed on the ground and raced toward the Kage Summit building. She was quickly allowed inside and appeared before the Five Kage.
"Please assemble a team of capable warriors and have them head toward these coordinates. There isn't much time," Yura claimed as she took out a piece of paper and began writing on it as quickly as possible.
Kurotsuchi leaned up and slammed the table. "Hey! Just hold on a damn second! What the hell is even going on?" she replied vehemently. First Uzumaki Naruto disappeared and now Uzumaki Yura was barging into the meeting. Something had to be going on and Kurotsuchi absolutely hated not knowing what.
"Tsuchikage-dono's crass language aside, I would like to have an explanation as well. Yura-san, what's going on?" Mei asked, admittedly more concerned than the others. This was her family they were talking about here.
Yura bit her lip for a moment. "There's a rapid growth in malicious chakra to the far south. For whatever reason, Nii-sama has disappeared. I don't know where he or Kushina-san went, but none of that matters right now. What matters is that we have a threat to the nations and we need to deal with it. Just follow these coordinates and wait for Yuri and I to properly gauge the threat!" Yura claimed as she jotted down the coordinates.
Once she was done, she dashed outside, leaving the Kage to scramble and prepare what forces they could get together. As soon as Yura stepped outside, she fell on her knees and exhaled slowly. The ground beneath her feet splintered before she was encased in the violet flames of The End and from her back sprouted two golden wings. The light from her body was a spectacle for all who saw her. She then blasted into the air and flew in the direction that her sister and had run off in.
"Nii-sama, where are you?" Yura inquired as she flew off as fast as she could. She could feel the strange energy growing larger and larger with each passing second.
-x-
Tayuya and Shion gasped as the tunnel suddenly started shaking violently. The former helped the latter stay on her feet before she growled. "That fucking Uchiha dipshit, that's gotta be him. What fucking mess did he get into?" Tayuya inquired.
"I don't know, but I can feel the violent, malicious chakra growing in strength. We have to hurry and get out of here. We also have to save as many people as we can before this whole place comes down," Shion replied.
The redhead Uzumaki growled as the rumbling intensified. She batted falling stones and pillars out of the way. "Yeah? Well, fucking tell me something I don't know! Fucking dammit!" Tayuya growled as she helped Shion a little faster. The walls continued to come down as they walked up a flight of stairs. At some point, Tayuya picked up Shion and ran up the wall when even the stairs started showing signs of crumbling to pieces. She took them into a hallway where they met a person.
"Hey! Who are y… GUH!" Tayuya offered the person no chance to finish. She just threw a kunai and stabbed them in the head. That they were a fully conscious person was suspicious enough for her that they weren't one of the captured or hypnotized people. The person fell dead as Tayuya carried Shion through the underground maze.
As they are navigating the area, Tayuya quickly spots another person who isn't a mindless drone and quickly subdues them. "Tell us how to get out of here or so fucking help me I'll tear your damned arm off and shove it up your as!" she snarled out.
She felt the person try and gather chakra into their body before she tightened her hold and broke their arm, making them scream out in pain. "Do you really want to fucking test me right now?" she asked. Quickly, the point was made and the person guided Tayuya and Shion out of the underground through one of the numerous entrances. Tayuya quickly knocked them out and panted.
"Fucking finally. Alright, you stay here. I need to head back inside and find that fucking limpdick Uchiha. He might need my help!" Tayuya exclaimed.
Shion exhaled, feeling her chakra steadily return as she leaned against the wall. "What about Itachi-san, Konan-san, and Neji? We don't know if they've found Amaru yet!" Shion claimed.
Tayuya opened her mouth and closed it for a moment. "Look, Femboy's competent and he's got two former S-rank criminals with him. Those guys know what they're doing. Instead, I've got to…" Tayuya paused as she and Shion noticed the sky darken. Red lightning clashed through the air before they felt the ground rupture beneath their feet. Both gasped when they saw an explosion in the distance. Of all the things Tayuya was expecting to see, fucking Uchiha Sasuke in a full-bodied and armored Susanoo wasn't one of them
"Sasuke-san? What's he doing?!" Shion inquired as Tayuya quickly stood up. She turned to Shion and snarled.
"Stay here! I need to see what that fucking limpdick bitch is doing!"
Before Shion could even say anything, Tayuya blasted off and headed in Sasuke's direction. She ran as fast as she could, gritting her teeth before she felt the dangerous mass of swirling energies gathering at Sasuke's location. "Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! SHIT! Come on shithead, where are you? We could really use your help right now!" Tayuya exclaimed.
The redhead quickly took out her demon flute, feeling a shudder over her body the closer she got to Sasuke and the battlefield. Despair, anxiety, fear, anger, madness, and almost every other negative emotion that she could think of. She pushed chakra into her legs and flew over a ridge in the plains. As soon as she landed, she found herself watching as a man climbed out of the crater in the wall. The level of his chakra was monstrous, nearly matching the likes of Kushina. And, why did she sense Honshou inside him? That should be impossible!
Tayuya turned her head and noticed the Kindred in each of the Susanoo's hands. The left held Wolf while the other held Lamb. Sasuke stood at the center, his glare hard on the man. "Fucking dammit!" Tayuya said as she pressed her flute to her lips. She then immediately plays it, filling the area with her sweet sounds.
"Mateki: Genbu Sōkyoku (Demonic Flute: Illusionary Warriors Manipulating Melody)!" Tayuya uttered as Sasuke and the Kindred turned their heads in the direction of the noise. The man does as well before he noticed the three large Doki come upon him. Each of them, collapsed upon him, making the ground thunder with a trembling force as Tayuya slipped next to Sasuke.
"You just couldn't fucking leave it alone, could you?" she asked with a grit of her teeth.
The Uchiha's frown deepened. "Keep your guard up. It will take more than that to deal with an Otsutsuki," Sasuke warned. He would have asked if Tayuya had managed to secure Shion, but he also doubted that the redhead would be here if she hadn't. He wouldn't say he appreciated the help, but it was nice to have someone else around. Of course, that didn't mean he could drop his guard. There was a crack in his Susanoo from Isshiki's punch that would have killed him had he not reacted fast enough thanks to the power of the Kindred.
"A fucking Otsutsuki?! Are you serious?!" Tayuya asked.
Apparently, her answer came to her when her Doki were blasted away, crashing into the plains as Isshiki stepped out of the crater and smoke. Tayuya looked at him, taking notice of his appearance. More specifically, she noticed his middle eye. It looks just like that bastard Konan had a hard-on for before he died. Oh right, that was her deceased cousin, Nagato.
Cursing, Tayuya pulled her flute to her lips, playing it as the Doki quickly got up to continue their assault. Isshiki looked at her and smirked. "It seems there were more inferior creatures in my base than I had anticipated. I wonder how many are left. I take it that the both of you have an idea," Isshiki said.
Sasuke suddenly gasped as, thanks to the power of the Kindred, he gasped as he saw the premonition of death. Isshiki summoned five metal rods and hurled them at Tayuya. The young Uzumaki couldn't even dodge in time before she was impaled through, her body dropping dead.
Acting quickly, Sasuke maneuvered the Susanoo to cover Tayuya. "Hey, what the fu…" Tayuya didn't get to finish before she shuddered as five metal rods blasted toward her, blocked by the power of the Susanoo. Sasuke scowled as he saw the crack in the right arm of his Susanoo.
Isshiki narrowed his eyes while Tayuya felt her breath leave her throat. She… she hadn't even seen those rods move. If not for Sasuke, her head would have been blown through. Isshiki turned to Sasuke and smirked. "Interesting. It seems you have predicted me, Uchiha Sasuke. No, not predicted. You knew I would target her. Did you perhaps… see her death, Uchiha Sasuke?" Isshiki inquired.
Sasuke didn't answer. Instead, the Susanoo's right hand was coated in lightning chakra. Blue streaks of lightning sprawled over the ground as the roar of a wolf howled from within it. "RAH!" Sasuke shouted as the Susanoo charged at Isshiki. The Otsutsuki looked upon the blow before he charged as well. He threw his hand back and his fist clashed with Sasuke's chidori. Tayuya covered her eyes before she placed her flute to her lips and continued her melody. The Doki charged in with Sasuke, their large bodies pulsing with unleashed chakra.
Sasuke snarled as he watched Isshiki parry his blow with his fist. The Uchiha then scowled when the Otsutsuki raised his hand and instantly impaled the three doki with black rods. The rods with such force that they blasted the three large figures away, sending them crashing into the ground while Tayuya sucked her teeth.
Isshiki then turned back to Sasuke before his gaze slightly tensed when he saw Lamb maneuver the Susanoo's right arm. She pulled back her bow while Sasuke encased her arrow in the black flames of the Amaterasu. She then fired it at Isshiki. The arrow crashed into Isshiki's chest and blasted through his frame sailing far off into the horizon as a towering explosion ruptured the plains and mountains behind them all. A pillar of Honshou flew into the air as the black flames of the Amaterasu swirled around it.
Isshiki grimaced and swiftly jumped back while he clutched his stomach. A harsh scowl quickly replaced the confident grin on his face. He snarled as he looked down and noticed the gaping hole pierced right through where he stomach should be. He saw the flames of the Amaterasu burning his insides where the hole lay. He then glared at Lamb as she slowed her bow for a moment.
"So… you're the threat. Just one arrow did that. Very well, Uzumaki Naruto. It appears that I might have underestimated you. To think you had someone like…NNNGH!" Whatever his thought was, Isshiki didn't get to finish it as he noticed Wolf charging at him. Wolf opened his maw and clenched down, biting with enough force to tear through Isshiki's upper left torso. Wolf slid on the ground, growling at his enemy.
Isshiki fell to the ground momentarily, allowing Sasuke and Tayuya took advantage. The latter pulled out a long paper scroll and wrote on it, infusing her chakra into her ink brush. "Try this on for size, you fucker!" Tayuya exclaimed as she spread out the scroll and slammed her hands on the ground.
"Uzumaki Shinsei Fūinjutsu: Chigai no Daishōtosu (Sacred Uzumaki Sealing Technique: A Great Collision of Ideologies)!" Tayuya shouted as the seals on the scroll sailed along the broken ground and encircled Isshiki. Immediately, a river of black tar flooded the area. The tar stuck to Isshiki's body while the others noticed his body steadily begin to regenerate from the damage caused by Lamb and Wolf.
Unfortunately, Tayuya cursed as she noticed Isshiki begin to stand against the flow of the tar effortlessly. He looked down and saw his skin melting as the tar rose higher and higher. However, Tayuya noticed that she had to keep pouring more and more chakra into the seal to keep him restrained. It reached the point that even her reserves were steadily being drained, something that should be near unlikely given her Uzumaki status. "Damn piece of shit! Just what the fuck are you? It feels like I'm trying to pin down my shithead of a patriarch!" Tayuya thought to herself.
Fortunately for her, Tayuya saw the sky darken as pillars of light broke through the sky and lightning angrily struck the ground. She looked up and smirked when she saw Sasuke hold the Susanoo's right arm in the air. A loud wolf's howl came through the air as the Uchiha's Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan spun wildly within his eyes. Tayuya's eyes widened as she spotted Wolf descend from the skies covered in a coat of pure lightning.
Sasuke's eyes darkened as he stared at Isshiki. "Perish under the weight of The Wolf's Hunt. Daitōboe no Fenrir (The Great Howl of Fenrir)!" Sasuke cast out as he forced the Susanoo to swing its hand down. Wolf howled with such great force that a fierce whirlwind blew the streets and rock formations in the plains away as he charged down toward Isshiki. The Otsutsuki stared at the attack wide-eyed until he noticed Lamb behind Wolf. She swiftly pulled her bow back before firing an arrow that swiftly split into ten more arrows. Each tip was coated in the flames of the Amaterasu.
The attack was instant and so was the destruction it caused. The plains were instantly blown away. The sky was rended apart and trees were ripped from the roots. For the first time since the revival of the earth, wide-scale destruction came upon the land. The explosion of lightning fire and sealing tar was enough to nearly blind any mortal. Even with her eyes covered, Tayuya couldn't stop shaking from the anger of the ground, trembling as if it might be torn in two. Pillars of light roared into the air before collapsing in on themselves, each crash worse than the last.
When the explosions finally settled, Tayuya slowly opened her eyes. What were once beautiful, perfect, pristine plains had turned into a desolate wasteland of unparalleled destruction. The young Uzumaki grabbed her flute and cursed. "Shit, I hope Shion wasn't caught up in that" Tayuya quickly sensed for Shion and breathed a sigh when she discovered that her cousin hadn't been caught up in the explosion too much. That she was alive at all was a great thing.
"Okay. Okay, she's fine. Now how about…" Tayuya turned her head and stilled when she immediately saw Isshiki standing before her. His form was as deteriorated and ruined as a sickly man on the side of the street. Yet, his body continued to regenerate. The cruel smirk on his face persisted as his right torso formed back. The scars and burns upon his body were quickly washed away.
"What the fuck is this guy? All of that did nothing?" Tayuya inquired.
Gritting her teeth, the young Uzumaki lunged at Isshiki. She swung her leg, aiming for his face. Yet she scowled when he effortlessly blocked the attack. The ground trembled from her blow as he grabbed her leg. "Yes. You will do nicely," Isshiki said.
Before Tayuya could even fathom what he was talking about, she shuddered as she felt the chakra and Honshou within her body get sucked away. It was done with such rapidness that Tayuya quickly went into shock, gasping for air while Isshiki smirked. So stunned was she that she couldn't even register being whirled through the air until Isshiki slammed her back on the ground. A gob of blood spilled from Tayuya's lips as she groaned in pain. Isshiki then swung her body until he threw her away, making Tayuya crash into the ground, skidding and skipping across it until she slid to a stop about a mile or two away.
She groaned in pain as the shock remained upon her body from being drained of nearly all her chakra. She gasped and clutched her throat. Her eyes rolled up in her head before a hand touched her chest. Immediately, chakra was shared with her, allowing the young Uzumaki to cough as she regained her breath. She looked up and stiffened when she saw Itachi and Neji standing next to her. "Tayuya-san, are you alright?" Neji asked.
"Do I fucking look alright to you, femboy?" Tayuya asked as she rolled over in pain. Itachi quickly helped her up before the trio heard the explosion in the distance. Itachi and Neji saw the armor of Sasuke's Susanoo, the young Uchiha heir unleashing a stream of white-hot fire over the desolated landscape.
"What happened?" Itachi asked as Tayuya scowled.
"Fuck if I know. Your dumbass brother's gotten into a fight with the leader of this underground group, Kara. But that bastard's something else. We've hit him with a ton of shit but he seems to be regenerating. I sense a whole load of nasty shit from him that makes Orochimaru seem like the fucking prince of FairyLand. All he did was touch me and nearly all my chakra got sucked away. Even the power the shithead claims I got from being so close to him was taken too. I don't know what the bastard did, but it's gotta be because of that box and that weird ass serpent… thing," Tayuya growled out. She struggled to her feet, staggering back until Itachi caught her.
"Where's the paper bitch?" Tayuya inquired.
"Konan-san is currenty holding up the ground, to keep it from collapsing on those kidnapped by this organization. Amaru is supplying her with chakra, but I'm not sure how long they will last for. We should try and draw the battle elsewhere to give Konan enough time to evacuate everyone, but I'm not sure how," Itachi replied.
Unfortunately, Itachi couldn't think further because the distant explosion distracted him. He looked up and saw Sasuke's Susanoo fire a massive purple arrow at Isshiki, only for the man to block it with his hand before he absorbed it. Itachi and Neji watched in surprise before the former stood up. "Neji-san, get Tayuya somewhere safe. Sasuke and I will find a way to get him away from the area. If what Tayuya-san says is true, then its not a battle suited for you," Itachi claimed.
Neji frowned for a moment but nodded as he helped Tayuya walk. "I'll return as soon as possible. Be safe," Neji said to him as he leapt away with Tayuya's arm on his shoulder.
Itachi glanced back at the battle as Sasuke landed on the ground dispelling the Susanoo until only its upper half remained. "What the fuck are you doing? You need that thing to stay alive!" Wolf howled in Sasuke's ear as the Uchiha watched Isshiki's body continue to regenerate.
"No. It's taking more and more of my chakra to maintain the Susanoo. No matter what, that technique we fired should have been enough to turn him to cinders. He took it head-on, no technique prepared at all. Yet, I felt the technique decrease in strength. He can absorb chakra. It might even be done passively. The longer I keep the full body of the Susanoo active, the more chakra he's going to take out of me. I'll have to fight him with this," Sasuke retorted. His sharingan could see the flow of Isshiki's chakra. It was like a neverending torrent of swirling destruction, constantly being filled up by outside sources. The man's confident smirk widened which only made Sasuke's expression darken.
Wolf and Lamb landed at the Uchiha's side while Isshiki raised his hands into the air. "I see. So each of you has a small portion of Uzumaki Naruto's power. I had assumed as much, yet all I had was conjecture. Now, I see that my assumption was correct. Chakra and this power that resides within Uzumaki Naruto. Perhaps if I keep absorbing them, I shall evolve even further than before," Isshiki claimed.
Sasuke's eyes widened when Isshiki stepped forward, only to appear in front of the Uchiha instantly. Even the Kindred were stunned as the Otsutsuki pulled his fist back and then slammed it against the ribcage of the Susanoo, breaking its armor and five of its bones instantly. Wolf growled and charged at Isshiki while Lamb fired three arrows from her bow. Simultaneously, Sasuke unsheathed his sword and charged at him.
The battlefield immediately became a flurry of movements as Isshiki parried Sasuke's sword and stepped away from Wolf's powerful jaws. Lamb's arrows nearly pierced his chest until he swerved out of the way. Sasuke's sword cackled with lightning as he swung it over Isshiki's head. The latter grinned as he caught the sword between his fingers. The ground thundered as the young Uchiha heir and the Otsutsuki stared eye to eye.
However, their staredown was interrupted when Wolf crashed into Isshiki's body, taking a large bite out of his torso again, blasting through him much to Isshiki's surprise. His body already started to regenerate before Lamb came in from the side. With adept fingers, she launched five arrows into Isshiki's body. Each arrow glimmered with the power of Honshou, blowing the former monk's body into at least ten different pieces.
After that, Sasuke swung his sword repeatedly, cutting those pieces down bit by bit, the lightning chakra within his blade sharpening his blade even further than usual. He then jumped back and cast the Amaterasu upon those pieces. The Uchiha slid back as the Kindred landed at his side. Lamb lowered her bow for a moment. "It is strange. I still cannot see the Mark of Death upon him. He still lives," she remarked.
Wolf nodded, smelling the wretched scent while Sasuke's sharingan gave him a clear view Isshiki's body continuing to form. "This isn't working. In the end, we'll just tire ourselves out. We have to think of something else. However, I noticed something. He's taking longer to regenerate from attacks from the two of you. It seems that even though his body contains Honshou, it hasn't accepted it. He may be using the Honshou's power while the chakra keeps him alive. If so, then at least I can slow it down if given the time," the Uchiha said.
The Kindred looked at the Uchiha before they glanced at each other. After a moment of thought, the two slowly disappeared and settled back into Uchiha Sasuke's body, fusing their spirits to his. The Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan brimmed with diluted divine power. It was that power that gave him just enough time to tilt his head to the side as five black rods flew deathly close to his head. He slid away and growled before he noticed Isshiki already behind him. The Otsutsuki pulled his fist back before he launched it forward, his blow crashing into Sasuke's arms raised for a block. The air boomed like violent thunder before Sasuke was propelled away.
Flipping through the air, Sasuke landed before he dashed at Isshiki. The latter grinned and dashed toward his opponent as well. A sword and fist rolled through the air as Sasuke swung with the full weight of the Kindred behind him. His sword stabbed into Isshiki's torso, burning his insides with the divine strength of Honshou as the Uchiha ripped his sword through his enemy's body. The sickening crunch of sword against bone ruptured as Sasuke swung his sword up with such force that even the clouds and the firmament therein were rendered apart. Isshiki's body was torn apart, the sheer pain and agony running through his newly evolved body.
That said, Sasuke quickly realized that he left himself open. He saw Isshiki's hand reaching for him but his body was too slow to fully react to the action. Before he could stop it, Isshiki grabbed Sasuke by his throat. "That's enough out of you, you inferior creature!" Isshiki shouted as he slammed Sasuke into the ground. Sasuke scowled, feeling the overwhelming strength of Isshiki's hand on his neck. With a snarl, Sasuke activated the flames of the Amaterasu, burning Isshiki's body as fast as he could until Sasuke felt the Kindred panic.
"He's… absorbing our Honshou? That's impossible. No mortal should be able to do that!" Wolf snarled out as Sasuke indeed felt his chakra leaving him in droves. Isshiki looked down at him and smirked.
"Fear not, Uchiha Sasuke. You will be the first of many. I grant you a swift passing for your help in aiding the evolution of the Otsutsuki!" Isshiki claimed as his hand tightened around Sasuke's neck. The Uchiha growled, keeping the black flames on Isshiki's body before Isshiki found himself blow away by a kick to the face from Itachi.
Sasuke rolled over and saw his brother standing beside him, holding his hand. "Are you alight, Sasuke?" Itachi inquired as he helped his little brother to his feet. Sasuke stumbled for a moment before he slowly nodded.
"I'm fine. He's a tough bastard. Don't let him touch you. He can absorb chakra," Sasuke remarked. Itachi slowly nodded as he glanced at Isshiki, watching the Otsutsuki rub his cheek as his body continued to form.
"Yes, I can see that. It happened to Tayuya-san. He took so much of her chakra that she nearly went into shock. I can also sense Naruto-sama's power within him. Judging by his actions, he's likely looking to collect more of it. He will be going after you, and potentially after me as well. That said, I believe you to be his primary target. You have the biggest concentration of chakra and honshou, especially with the Kindred residing within you. That said, it was still a good option to have them merge with you. I fear that on your own, you might not be enough to stop him. We'll work together. If I can strike him with the Totsuka Blade of the Susanoo, then I can seal him in the Susanoo's sake jar. Provide me an opening," Itachi advised.
Sasuke glanced at his older brother for a moment before he nodded. He stepped forward. "I definitely don't like you telling me that someone's beyond me, but I've got no choice but to accept it for now. Don't bother with genjutsu. He seems impervious to it, especially given that third eye of his. It looks like the Rinnegan that Konan spoke about Nagato having. We'll have to get around that," Sasuke remarked.
Itachi swiftly agreed while Isshiki grinned. "Uchiha Itachi. Rumors of your achievements have even reached my ears. I don't usually offer this to any inferior creature, but I will admit that you're a little different. Join me and become an Otsutsuki. Live forever as part of a nobler race. Refuse and you will be crushed just like all the others," Isshiki said.
Itachi's gaze narrowed. "I betrayed Sasuke and my clan once. It won't happen again," Itachi remarked as Sasuke flew forward with his sword while the older brother quickly summoned his own Susanoo armor. Isshiki heard the roar of a wolf as lightning sprawled out from Sasuke's sword.
"Shinra Tensei," Isshiki uttered calmly as Sasuke grunted in pain, and an invisible barrier bashed him. It flung him through the air before Sasuke sped through numerous handsigns.
"Katon: Honshou: Hōshisenka No Jutsu (Fire Release: Phoenix Death Flower Technique)," Sasuke shouted, firing a myriad of massive white fireballs from his mouth.
Isshiki noticed the balls of fire approach. He raised his hand, ready to absorb their power like all the others. Much to his expectation, he got some of it. However, he quickly realized that the power behind it was too much as he saw the manifestations of Wolf within each fireball. Isshiki quickly activated his left eye and fired ten high-seed rods into the flames. The rods were thrown with such force that they directly clashed against the fireballs thrown Isshiki's way. However, the Otsutsuki couldn't help but be surprised when his rods broke and the flames continued onward. He jumped out of the way, the ground becoming a burning hellscape of ruptures and flaming pillars. Isshiki dashed away from the flames. Leaping over crushed rocks and desolate landscapes. Sasuke's flames raced over the area, making Isshiki grit his teeth. Even from so far away, the flames felt like they were trying to burn away the very center of his soul into nothingness.
Once the Otsutsuki landed, he lifted his head and noticed Sasuke right behind him. The Uchiha raised his sword back only for Isshiki to raise his right hand and blast Sasuke away again. The former member of Team Seven grunted in pain. He then held up a handsign and summoned his Susanoo. With the strength of Lamb behind his bow, the Susanoo pulled back its arrow. The Suanoo then released it. The arrow blasted through Isshiki's torso, causing his body to rupture in a wheel of white and black fire. Isshiki grunted in pain, dropping to one knee before he saw Sasuke's left hand glow with lightning. However, much to his shock, the lightning passed through the hole in his torso. The smirk on Sasuke's face was all Isshiki needed to confirm before he heard Itachi speak.
"Yasaka Magatama: Amaterasu: Rensasuru Iseki (Eight Sloped Curve Jewel: Heavenly Illumination: Chain Connecting Ruin)!" Itachi claimed as Isshiki nodded the orange glow of the older brother's Susanoo. In its hands were fifteen three-curved jewels wrapped around five orbs. Each orb was connected with a chain of Sasuke's lightning. Itachi then fired each orb toward Isshiki. The Otsutsuki screamed in pain as the curved jewels collided with his body. They tore at the ground before Sasuke flung his hand. Like a yo-yo, the curved jewels flew into the air, carrying Isshiki with them as thunderclouds boomed violently. Lightning struck the clouds, coursing through the chain of electricity that Sasuke created. With the roar of Wolf behind it, the Uchiha swung the jewels down into the ground. Miles of land were instantly blown away in a pillar of black Amaterasu flames.
Itachi and Sasuke covered their eyes for a moment, hearing the ground shake beneath their feet. Once it settled, Sasuke panted and dropped to one knee. He huffed for a moment and so did Itachi. The two looked on for a moment at the towering pillar of smoke and ash. Even the smell of burning flesh seemed to sting their nostrils. Yet Sasuke, with the power of the Kindred behind him, saw no decrease in Isshiki's life force.
In fact, Sasuke noticed the way he was moving. He was heading for Itachi. "Shit!" Sasuke growled as he stood to his feet and dashed off. He dashed off harder than he ever had. He dashed so hard that he jumped right through the thick smoke.
"Itachi!" Sasuke shouted as he saw Isshiki's mangled body quickly regenerate, heading toward Itachi. The older Uchiha looked up, only to feel a sharp pain in his chest as his orange Susanoo was broken through by a black rod and plunged into his torso. Sasuke gasped before he noticed Isshiki turn around.
"Daihakoten (Great Box Heaven)," Isshiki called out as Sasuke noticed a massively large black cube coming down upon him. It fell with such speed that he was forced to activate his Susanoo. He held the cube up, gritting his teeth as he felt another cube stack on top of the previous one. The Susanoo's legs buckled, sinking into the ground as Sasuke watched Isshki's body continue to form.
"I will give you a point, Uchiha Sasuke. That one was painful. Had I not absorbed the chakra from the technique, you might have killed me. Unfortunately, the chakra is mine and so are your lives," Isshiki claimed as he appeared next to Itachi and grabbed the back of his neck. He then sucked all the chakra from Itachi… only to frown when the Uchiha disappeared in a puff of smoke.
Isshiki's glare hardened before the Itachi clone exploded in a wall of black fire. As the flames continued to consume Isshiki, the Otsutsuki quickly absorbed those as well. After a while, he noticed that the entire field was vacant. However, Isshiki was hardly perturbed. He quickly concentrated his chakra and vanished in a blur of speed. Sasuke only heard a loud explosion in the distance before he saw Itachi crash into the ground in front of him.
"Nii-san!" Sasuke snarled as he pushed more chakra into the Susanoo. Its massive frame continued to resist the nigh insurmountable weight of the black cube bearing down upon it. What was even worse was that Sasuke and the Kindred could feel their respective energies being absorbed into the cube.
Itachi rolled over with a deep groan, wiping off the blood from his lip. The two Uchiha brothers watched Isshiki land on the ground, his body fully intact. "Do you have any more tricks? I suggest you use them now. Let me test the full extent of this new body of mine," Isshiki claimed with a sharp grin on his face.
Itachi leaned up, huffing while he noticed Sasuke off to the side, the enormous black cube keeping his Susanoo pinned to the ground. Itachi was no fool. He knew he had no chance of beating Isshiki like this. Just one of those rods had enough force to tear through his Susanoo. He hadn't even had the time to form the Totsuka Blade. Something told him Isshiki wouldn't give him the chance to form it either. He was clearly lording his power over them. Itachi could also use the Izanagi just like his mother had done. However, would that really change anything? He didn't mind giving up his sight for his little brother, but would such a stall tactic work in the long run? If Sasuke were forced to use the technique too then they would have no one to help them.
While Itachi was thinking, Isshiki's gaze narrowed when the Kindred came out of Sasuke and landed on the ground. Wolf snarled while Lamb readied her bow. "Focus on freeing Uchiha Sasuke, Uchiha Itachi. We shall hold off the abomination. The warning was that Uchiha Sasuke would lose his life. We must not let such a premonition become reality," Lamb said as she stepped forward.
Itachi opened and closed his mouth a few times before he struggled to his feet. "Do you have a way to get rid of him? Even with your immense strength, if you can't kill him, then he'll just keep siphoning off your Honshou until he likely absorbs the both of you. No one knows where Naruto-sama is, and Kushina isn't here. Should he absorb your Honshou, then there will be no one who can stop him," Itachi claimed.
There was silence for a moment before Itachi noticed a sharp spike in energy. "I think you're forgetting something, Uchiha Brat. Our summoner's got more than one knight at his side," Wolf claimed.
Instantly, Sasuke and Itachi noticed a flash of light and a boom like thunder as Uzumaki Yuri appeared, her body wrapped in a chakra cloak of the Sanbi with a robe of Honshou around her. "You wanna test the full extent of your body? Then let's see how many punches it'll take me until you turn into fucking paste!" Yuri shouted as she slammed her fist into the back of Isshiki's body. Both crashed into the ground, hot steam and molten rock cracking the stone bed until a tower of magma flew into the air.
Sasuke then felt immense relief when the massive black cube over him was burned to cinders in but a moment. He looked up and noticed Yura slowly descend from the sky, her golden wings floating her safely down. Sasuke frowned before a small smirk appeared on his face. "I had it under control," he remarked.
"I'm sure you did, Sasuke-san. We're just here to keep it even more under control. Besides, I think Yuri needs this more than anyone else," Yura claimed as she gently swung a piece of golden fire over the two Uchiha brothers. Almost immediately, their wounds were healed as the abundance of The Beginning filled their bodies. Sasuke and Itachi briefly inspected their bodies in wonder before they saw Yuri blast into the air. She quickly opened her mouth while Shizune and Ebisu flew out of her body and wove their hands around the black orb that appeared in front of her mouth.
"Wait, Yuri! Konan is holding the ground up. If you release that it could collapse the entire area and cave in the civilians underground!" Itachi alerted.
Yuri glanced at him for a moment before she cursed and ceased the tailed beast bomb that she'd been set on creating. "Yura-nee, I'm gonna get that bastard out of here. Find some time to get those civilians and Konan-san to safety!" Yuri quickly urged before she dive-bombed down until she fully crashed into Isshiki's body.
Yura frowned for a moment before she chuckled. "You're not a little girl anymore are you, Yuri?" Yura thought to herself before she turned to Sasuke and Itachi. She held up a handsign and expanded her senses over the entire area. As expected, even sensing Isshiki was enough to make her body shiver, yet she remained on target. She quickly found Konan's unique chakra signature and in that direction.
Sasuke and Itachi noticed Yuri land in front of them. "I take it since Naruto-nii isn't here, then something must have happened to him. Either of you know where he is?" Yuri inquired.
Unfortunately, Itachi and Sasuke shook their heads. Concern quickly came upon Yuri's face before she noticed Isshiki step out of the ground. "You wonder where he is? Would you like to know, Jinchuuriki of the Sanbi?" the Otsutsuki inquired, his body continuing to heal as he brushed the side of his face.
Sasuke, Itachi, and Yuri immediately glared at him. The latter stepped forward, the strength of her cloak exploding. "Oh, believe me. I'm going to enjoy beating the answer out of you!"
-x-
In the depths of the black void, booms like thunder raged over the area. The sounds of swords and fists were exchanged through the space in such rapid succession that no mortal could properly comprehend the depths of their magnitude. Naruto and Kushina landed on the ground, their Shinigami cloaks flaring with strength. In the air stood Nanashiki and Nonoshiki. The two Otsutsuki stared down at their opposition while Kushina narrowed her eyes.
"It's clear that they aren't letting us leave. Whatever's happening to Sasuke and the others, it seems that if we got involved then we could end it easily. That's why there are here. They don't seem keen on letting us teleport back either. They would just follow us anyway. To bring the battle to the Elemental Nations is asking for trouble. How are we going to get back there?" Kushina inquired as Naruto and the rest of his summons thought on the issue presented to them. It was clear that beating them or outlasting them was impossible. They were like a malevolent force of nature, silent, powerful, and unyielding. They never went on the offense. They merely countered any plans or actions that Naruto and Kushina tried to implement. What was even infuriating was that not even Kagura, the Princess of the Otsutsuki's Main Branch, had an answer for them.
"Sochi, I think you might have to summon the Shinigami. They warned us not to, but we have to change the paradigm somehow. Nothing is going to change unless we act," Kushina said softly while the glare on Naruto's face hardened.
"I know, but Kurama and Moryo don't think it's a good idea. They could be expecting me to summon him. Unless they think that summoning Shin gives them the right to summon whoever is behind them. They seem confident enough in that it's a bad decision on our end. They've already stopped our attempts to teleport back. If we get back…" Naruto paused for a moment before there came a smirk on his face. Kushina, Kurama, Moryo, Kagura, and all the others noticed his smirk, a shiver running down their spines.
"N-Naruto-sama, what are you thinking?" Suiren inquired before she found her spirit merged with Naruto's. Immediately, Pakura, Dan, Kimimaro, Yahiko, and Gari found themselves taken as well.
"Yo, Kurama, Moryo, Kagura, think you three can keep up with me?" the blond inquired as the three were immediately given his thoughts and his plan. Soon enough, the Nine-Tailed Fox and Thousand-Headed Dragon smirked. Kagura simply kept her gaze even, already supplying Naruto with the chakra required.
"S-Sochi?" Kushina inquired.
"You know, Kaa-chan. They spent so much effort trying to get us out here. It'd be a shame to leave so easily. Besides, this is a perfect opportunity to see how far I can go since Jashin! Don't you think so, Kaa-chan?" Naruto inquired.
Kushina looked at her son, greatly confused before he grabbed her arm. Nonoshiki and Nanashiki frowned as they watched until they raised an eyebrow as Naruto swung his mother and wife around and around, the force picking up in the depths of the dark realm they found themselves in. Kushina held her son's hand before she sucked her teeth and decided to go with whatever crazy plan her son had for them.
Naruto grunted and flung Kushina toward their enemies with all his might. Nanashiki widened her eyes before Kushina crashed into her, plunging her sword right through her chest. She then swung her leg and bashed it into the side of Nonoshiki's face, sending the Otsutsuki crashing into the darkness below. The redhead then ripped her sword from Nanashiki's chest and swiftly swung her sword over her opponent's body. With every swing Kushina felt, her heart pounding in her ears before she grabbed Nanashiki's face and flew her down.
Both slammed into the ground as the markings on Kushina's face lengthened. Her eyes burned before she pulled her fist back. For the first time, Otsutsuki Nanashiki groaned as she opened her eyes. "One smashed tomato coming right up!" Kushina exclaimed as her fist became coated in the white fury of Honshou. She then slammed her fist down, meeting her target and burying it into Nanashiki's stomach.
"Nnnnnnnngh! What the fuck? Where did this power… come… from?!" Nanashiki thought until the ground exploded, pillars of silver-ish light.
Nonoshiki watched on before he gasped as Naruto planted his foot in his back. He then found himself crashing through numerous pyramid-like structures. Naruto then appeared behind him. "Fine. Have it your way. If you won't let us leave, then we'll force you to let us go!" Naruto claimed as he slammed his palm into Nonoshiki's back.
"Shisenpō: Rasengan: Bakusuiyaku (Death Sage Mode: Spiraling Sphere: Explosive Water Charge)!" The blond roared as Suiren and Gari fueled their power through their summoner. A prison of water quickly encased Nonoshiki as several water bubbles exploded within it. Naruto then jumped back and held out both his hands. In one hand, Kurama released the Bijuudama. In the other hand, Moryo unleashed a torrent of black fire.
With their aid, Naruto fired both blasts from his hands while Kagura floated in the air. She opened her eyes and expanded her palms. "Shinka: Hashira Taosu (Evolve: Cast Down Pillars)," she cast out.
Immediately, a massive sealing matrix appeared in front of the blast and the tailed beast bomb. Both techniques crashed into the matrix, shattering it to pierces. Both techniques mixed together, their form like that of Destruction itself, a myriad of cascading explosions sailed toward Nonoshiki. His eyes widened before he was overtaken by the cataclysmic rumblings. Each crashed expounded on the other, breaking the very dark void they were all standing on into nearly countless pieces.
Naruto then grabbed his sword as summons the powers of Pakura, Suiren, Kimimaro, and Yahiko, and Gari to his aid. "Shisenpō: Uzu no Fukushu: Kage Bunshin: Chōōsen Uzubakushaku Honedan (Death Sage Mode: Whirlpool Revenge: Shadow Clone: A Thousand Ultra-Big Spiraling Exploding Steaming Bone Bullets)!" Naruto roared as he swung his body and his sword. From his sword flew out an innumerable number of water missiles, each filled with a bubbling, steaming bone. Each one flew into the sea of explodings. Instantly, hot steam boiled from the midst of their chaotic surroundings. One by one, each explosions wrapped around another climbing into the air like an insurmountable tower.
Naruto then charged inside the rending ocean, finding Nonoshiki in its midst. He slammed his hand against Nonoshiki's head while Kushina threw up her sword and bashed her fist into the side of Nanashiki's face. The female Otsutsuki grunted, trying to block where she could.
"Don't get cocky, you inferior creature!" she hollered as she threw her fist and slammed it into Kushina's face. However, the latter gritted her teeth and pushed through the blow, slamming her knee into Nanashiki's torso. She then grabbed her by the shirt and flung her into the explosions below caused by her son.
Kushina panted before she flew into the midst as well. Nanashiki slammed into Nonoshiki as Naruto and Kushina quickly summoned their chakra chains. They subdued both individuals quickly while Kagura came and touched their foreheads. Immediately, the scenery around them began to change as Naruto, Kushina and the two Otsutsuki found the dark void changing back to the vibrant landscape of the elemental nations. Black pyramids turned into beautiful, green trees. An endless ocean of nothingness turned into solid ground and dirt.
Recognizing what their enemies were doing, Nonoshiki growled and increased his power. A trail of blood slipped from Naruto's mouth as he struggled to keep them both pinned with Kushina's help. "YOU FUCKING MAGGOTS!" Nanashiki screamed at the top of her lungs.
Unfortunately, Nanashiki and Nonoshiki were an existence Naruto and Kushina hadn't encountered since Jashin. Their power flew to such heights that they began to distort the very fabric of reality around them. Even the chakra chains which bound them were burned away. Nanashiki grabbed Kushina by the throat and slammed her down while Nonoshiki pulled his fist back. Naruto moved to intercept.
Yet, as the blows were coming, everything suddenly stopped. The familiar, yet boundless power became known to them all. Immediately, Nanashiki and Nonoshiki recognized their error. In the former's anger, she had not controlled her presence. Being who they were, they had to be very careful entering worlds and universes which could not contain their might. It would draw the eye of too many inquiring individuals. And, unfortunately, the one they wished the most to not reveal itself did just that.
"Followers of the false god, release your hands from my summoner and his wife while I continue to feel merciful. Fail to do so and not even the false god will be able to preserve you from me."
Nanashiki and Nonoshiki turned around. Kushina squinted one of her eyes while Naruto glanced to the side. They all bore witness to the steely, piercing, unforgiving gaze of the Shinigami.
KG: Uh... I got nothing. I like Isshiki. Maybe a little too much. Bye!