Chapter Text
I tried to end things fast. Shadow tendrils exploded out of my armor, grasping towards the man across from me.
Kakuzu leapt up and away from my shadows, weaving hand signs as he rose into the air. “Katon: Dragon Fire Technique!” A wave of fire swelled into being in front of Kakuzu, rapidly descending down towards Misaki and I.
Misaki and I split apart. Energy crackled around her as her lightning cloak swelled to envelop her, enhancing her speed as she rushed away from the flames. Jets opened up in my armor, blasting steam forth to propel me away from Kakuzu’s attack.
‘His hearts are not anchored. Every organ in his body is mobile in his threads. Don’t expect his heart to be where it is supposed to be.’ Misaki sent with Telepathy even as she avoided the nin’s attack.
I’d already assumed as much, but the confirmation was welcome. I sent my own casting of Telepathy in response.
‘I don’t have a way to track his hearts. I will immobilize him to let you strike. Be ready.’
‘Thread creatures emerging!’ Misaki sent back immediately.
Clear of the blanket of fire, I looked up at Kakuzu as he landed on the ground. Four tall, mishappen masses of thread stood around him.
‘We target one of the beasts. Find the heart and destroy it when I immobilize it.’ I sent to Misaki, three water clones already rising at my side.
‘Hai.’ Misaki crisply replied.
‘Team Ro, we are 800 meters away and closing.’ I suddenly heard Falcon’s voice in my head.
Before anyone else could reply, I sent a message with Telepathy.
‘Assist against the bijuu and Orochimaru. Leave the other to us.’ Misaki and I’s skill sets were perfect complements for one-another and Misaki could see where all of our enemy’s hearts were. Together, we had a chance against Kakuzu, but the rest of our team was outmatched. They needed all the help they could get.
‘Hai.’ was Falcon’s reply.
‘One of the creatures is separating itself. 50 meters south-west.’ Misaki informed me.
‘Be ready when my clones converge.’ I sent back immediately. We needed to get rid of Kakuzu as fast as possible. The longer he was on the field, the more damage he would do and the more time the rest of our team was fighting Orochimaru and a Tailed-Best.
Kakuzu stood across from us, unmoving from where he’d landed. I hadn’t seen one of his monsters slink away. The way the threads that made up each of the creatures shifted disguised their movements expertly. Without Misaki’s byakugan, that one might have gotten the drop on me.
We were in a stand off. None of us moved. Kakuzu was likely trying to get his creature into position to attack us, unaware of the fact that we were doing the same thing. His threads beasts were stealthy, but my clones hiding in their own shadows were nigh-undetectable.
Four fast-moving blurs sped through the space around us, bypassing us to charge towards where a veritable forest was rising out of the ground around a four-tailed monkey and where a pale man was locked in a deadly sword duel with two other figures.
Team Kunai’s arrival was the unspoken trigger for Kakuzu, Misaki and I to resume our fight.
Kakuzu flashed through hand signs, leveling his arm towards us. “Doton: Earth Spear!”
I was already falling back into my shadow to avoid the spear of spiraling mud that was launched towards me. I’d used the opening provided by him weaving hand signs to prepare my own attack.
My clones erupted out of their shadows in a rough circle around Kakuza and his visible thread monsters, their shadows coiling around them as a tag on their chests activated.
“Futon: Grease Fire!” I yelled as my shadow enveloped me. A thunderous, resounding boom echoed in the wake of my shout as each of the clones detonated in Kakuzu and his monsters. I’d held only a single clone back from the attack. I felt the remaining clone’s shadow capture a strange shape and focused on keeping it still.
‘Go!’ I practically shouted to Misaki with Telepathy.
She didn’t need to be told twice. Using the distraction created by my blast, she dashed around Kakuzu in a wide arc, appearing like a blur as she sped towards the thread monster trapped in my clone’s shadow.
Kakuzu and the beasts around him leapt away from the sight of the explosion, but they were too late. There was a cry of chirping birds.
Misaki’s lightning coated arm was buried elbow-deep in the thread monster’s knee, her lightning cloak technique combined with the chidori allowing her to pierce its strange flesh. The beast held its shape for a brief moment before unraveling around her. Evidently, the heart had been hidden in its leg. I wouldn’t have thought to strike there. Her byakugan were a perfect counter to Kakuzu’s shifting organs.
I zipped across the ground in my shadow, emerging at Misaki’s side as she turned to face Kakuzu.
The man had a displeased expression on his face, but did not seem overly perturbed that we’d just destroyed one of his hearts.
“I underestimated you.” He said calmly, as if we were having a friendly conversation. “I failed to take into account how dangerous the two of you would be as a duo. I will now account for that. Excuse me for a moment.” Kakuzu turned around. His body flickered as he sped away, his thread monsters forming a wall between his fleeing form and us as I watched on stupidly. Why would he just run? He still had–
‘Crow, dodge now!’ Misaki screamed with Telepathy.
Crow was hanging back away from where Kakashi and Yamato had engaged Roshi. Yamato was pulling roots up from the earth to hamper the jinchuriki’s movements and bind its limbs while Kakashi ran across Yamato’s roots to score hits against the beast, fleeing while Yamato covered him whenever the jinchuriki attempted to counter attack. Presumably, Crow was waiting for an opening to fire off a jutsu at the jinchuriki. He didn’t even see the attack that ended his life.
Sharpened threads extended from Kakuzu’s hand as he appeared behind Crow. He drove his hand through Crow’s back and out the front of his chest. When he retracted his arm, he stopped to pull something out of Crow. As Crow’s body tipped to the side, Kakuzu turned around and began running back towards us. There was a misshapen, pulsing orb flowing up his arm into his chest as he ran towards us.
‘Our target just took Crow’s heart. We are leading him away. Do not follow. You will only undo our progress.’ Misaki sent to all present Konoha nin with Telepathy. She sent a second message to me alone. ‘Follow me.’ She flickered away in a flash of lightning. I followed with an explosion of steam released from my armor.
X
Yamato liked to think he was a strong shinobi. Being strong allowed him to defend his village. Being strong allowed him to keep his friends safe, and nothing in his life mattered more than that. The early years of Yamato’s life were full of pain and sadness, it was only recently that Yamato was able to smile, to truly understand all the joys that had been stolen from his childhood.
It wasn’t the training or the missions that Yamato looked on most fondly. No, it was the time spent with his team. Eating pizza. Making clothes with Misaki. Growing tomatoes in Shinto’s garden. Poking fun at Yugao’s relationship. Petting Kakashi’s dogs. Those were the moments that mattered the most to Yamato. Being strong meant he could protect those moments from the forces that threatened to make it impossible to enjoy them.
Threats like the Bijuu that was currently trying to end his life.
Yamato rose high into the air on a tree grown straight from the ground. A tail passed through beneath him, smashing into the tree instead of him. Yamato used the opening to wind the tree around the Bijuu’s tail, trapping it in place.
“Futon: Pressure Damage!” Kakashi yelled, seeing the opportunity Yamato provided for what it was.
The Four-Tails was buffeted backwards as Kakashi’s jutsu connected with its head. The beast stumbled backwards, allowing Yamato to curl more roots up around its legs, trapping it further.
The First Hokage had been able to use his wood release to absorb the chakra of the Tailed-Beasts, letting him capture them and disseminate them to the various hidden villages to buy peace. Yamato had yet to reach that pinnacle. His wood could bind and hamper the Bijuu, but he could not steal their chakra. He wished he could. Using this much wood at once was rapidly running through his reserves. He didn’t know how much longer he had to contain the Four-Tails, but he couldn’t keep it up forever.
‘Keep it from moving. I will keep it disoriented. We have to stall it long enough for help to arrive.’ Kakashi sent through Telepathy.
Yamato’s eyes narrowed as determination flooded his veins. This creature threatened his home. It threatened the friends he loved. Threatened the little moments that he and every resident of Konoha experienced every day that made life in the village so amazing.
The Four-Tails would not make it past him.
X
Yugao was in over her head. She was strong. It was no boast to say she was one of Konoha’s best ANBU, but the gap between her and those above her was large. In recent months, Yugao had been made acutely aware of exactly how far that gap stretched.
She didn’t know why the Hokage saw fit to place her on ‘Team Prodigy’, but she did all she could to live up to the nickname her fellow ANBU used to refer to her team. She was surrounded by boundless potential, while she had never considered herself anything special. She was good. She had worked very hard to become as good as she was, but she didn’t have the natural ability of her teammates. With no bloodline limit or legendary lineage, she felt out of place on Team Prodigy. Every day, she dragged Hayate out to train. She needed to get better, to close as much of the gap as she possibly could.
Standing on this battlefield, Yugao felt as if that gap had somehow widened despite her best efforts.
On the field two hundred meters to her left, a fireball blasted a Tailed-Beast in the face, knocking it back and allowing twisting roots to tangle themselves in the creature's limbs. The beast thrashed, snapping the thick roots like twigs as it fought its way free.
Behind her, Yugao felt Shinto, Misaki and the monster they’d been facing rushing away at speed, Crow’s corpse lying unmoving in their wake.
Falcon stood tense at her side, a violent whirlpool alive on his blade as he squared off against their opponent. Wolf and Scorpion hung back behind her, ready to move when an opening presented itself. Several steps in front of Yugao was the small, seething frame of Itachi, glaring hatefully at the man across from them.
Orochimaru of the Sannin, a man feared throughout the Elemental Nations for his power and vile acts, grinned cruelly at Itachi. “That was your father, wasn’t it, little Uchiha? I’m so–” Orochimaru suddenly leapt backwards, his forehead creasing in concern.
Itachi let out a shout of pain, stumbling forward as he cradled his right eye. It was leaking blood.
‘I missed. I didn’t realize I needed eye contact. We need to kill him quickly. I’ll try something else, but I’ve never used this either. Support me.’ Itachi sent with Telepathy.
‘We’re with you.’ Falcon sent, his grip on his sword tightening.
‘I need him still for a second so I don’t miss again.’ Itachi sent.
Yugao made a hand sign, summoning four clones to her side. ‘You’ll have it. Falcon, on me.’
Orochimaru had landed, his eyes narrowed as he studied Itachi. “The more I see of the sharingan, the more impressed I become. I wonder, is that ability specific to you, or can any Uchiha obtain it? I would enjoy studying your eyes.”
‘Now.’ Yugao sent. In time with each of her clones, Yugao flickered away, rapidly crossing the distance between herself and Orochimaru. As Yugao struck in tandem with her clones, each of their swords blurred, appearing as if each blade was striking at multiple targets at once. Combined with her clones, the afterimages completely enveloped Orochimaru.
Yugao expected the legend to block her strike. She didn’t expect each sword to connect with flesh, sending a torrent of blood flying in every direction. Yugao leapt back immediately upon seeing the bits of cut up snake mixed with the blood. She hadn’t struck Orochimaru.
Yugao’s instincts screamed at her to dodge, but she was already moving backwards. She turned her head and saw Orochimaru looming behind her, sword rearing back to strike.
Suddenly, Falcon was between Yugao and the blade, deflecting it with the whirlpool of his own sword, moving to counterattack. Yugao’s clones swarmed Orochimaru from all sides while his focus was on Falcon.
Orochimaru leapt into the air, spinning around, the sleeves of his long coat billowing open as kunai and senbon rained. Two of Yugao’s clones were caught, dispelling in a puff of smoke. Yugao and Falcon were able to deflect the projectiles.
‘Disengage!’ Scorpion sent.
As one, Yugao and Falcon leapt away from Orochimaru.
From the back line of the battle, Scorpion wove a final hand sign and called, “Suiton: Starch Syrup Capturing Field!” Thick, starchy fluid spewed forth from Scorpion, flooding towards Orochimaru.
Orochimaru vanished, a log appearing in his place that was quickly covered in the syrup.
‘Where is he?’ Falcon sent with Telepathy.
Yugao felt a massive burst of chakra from the treeline in front of them. ‘North, one-hundred meters!’
Orochimaru exploded out of the treeline, running directly towards them with a blade in his hands. Yugao and Falcon charged him together, flanked by Yugao’s clones. They met and exchanged a rapid flurry of strikes. Another one of Yugao’s clones was dispelled as Orochimaru slipped around one of Falcon’s strikes and moved to capitalize. Yugao’s clone took the strike to protect Falcon.
Falcon used the cloud of smoke left by the dispelling clone to strike towards Orochimaru. His blade passed through empty air.
Orochimaru had used the cloud to slink around behind Falcon undetected, his blade was already moving. Yugao couldn’t make it in time.
The whirlpool on Falcon’s sword unraveled, spilling water that mixed with blood as it fell to the ground. The ANBU captina’s blade fell from his grasp as his heart was pierced from behind.
Yugao refused to let her comrade die in vain. Using the opening provided by Orochimaru killing Falcon, Yugao charged forward, stabbing her blade into Orochimaru’s stomach, her clone right behind her, piercing the Snake Sannin’s leg and pinning it to the ground.
Yugao screamed as she fell away from Orochimaru. She hadn’t even seen the strike that claimed her left arm just above the elbow. Orochimaru had struck back. Through the pain, Yugao managed to cast Telepathy. ‘Now!’
Orochimaru growled. It took Yugao a moment to realize he was in pain. Orochimaru’s right arm was on fire…only the fire was wrong. It was black, darker even than Shinto’s shadows.
Yugao felt herself being whisked away from Orochimaru. She was lying on her back, the stump of her arm erupting blood as Wolf leaned over her. Wolf was healing her, binding her stump with ninja wire to control the bleeding.
‘The blade was poisoned. Your blood purged most of it, but I must deal with the rest before it kills you.’ Wolf sent her.
Behind Wolf, Itachi was holding his face. Both of his eyes were bleeding now.
“O..Orochima…” Yugao tried to ask about the status of their enemy through the pain, but it was too great. She felt cold. She turned her head to the side. Orochimaru’s arm was still on fire, turning to ash as the black flames did their work. A shame it was no longer connected to Orochimaru.
Yugao hadn’t seen the strike that severed the arm from Orochimaru. Had he cut it off himself?
Further away, Itachi and Orochimaru were locked in a deadly duel, their swords clashing. Scorpion was behind Orochimaru, waiting for another chance to attack with a jutsu. Despite the pain, Yugao’s eyes went wide as she sensed something behind Scorpion. It took a massive amount of focus, but Yugao was able to cast Telepathy.
‘Attack from behind! Dodge!’
Scorpion didn’t question her warning, merely moved. It didn’t matter.
A massive serpent as thick around as the trees it sprang from struck, easily closing the distance to Scorpion. Two great fangs larger than a sword sunk into Scorpion’s chest from behind. The Konoha ANBU went limp as the massive serpent slowly slithered back towards the woods, Scorpion’s lifeless body still in its mouth.
“Give me…something…for pain.” Yugao growled. “Need to…help th–”
“If you tax yourself right now, you’ll die. That will help no one.” Wolf firmly denied.
“On the contrary, perhaps it will allow the young Uchiha to show me something more interesting.”
Wolf was on her feet in an instant, whirling around to strike at the man behind her with her sword.
Orochimaru blocked her sword with his own, a gleeful grin on his face despite the fact that he was currently missing an arm. A purple snake slithered out of his sleeve down his sword arm, snapping forward to bite Wolf’s hand.
Wolf was only barely able to dodge the snake, leaping back over Yugao’s prone form. Yugao was now prone directly in front of Orochimaru with no protection, she knew what would happen.
Yugao pulled a kunai from her pouch and stabbed towards Orochimaru with her one remaining hand. Orochimaru stepped around her strike and drove his foot into her wrist, pinning it to the ground and knocking the kunai from her grasp.
‘Hold on! I’m coming!’ Yugao heard Itachi’s desperate voice in her head. A loud hiss and the sound of combat drowned out anything else he might have said. He was fighting the snake. He wouldn’t make it in time.
Orochimaru’s sword point was aimed directly towards her throat. Yugao closed her eyes. There was a squelching sound as Orochimaru’s blade cut through flesh.
Yugao opened her eyes, confused that she wasn’t dead yet. Wolf’s head fell to the ground directly in front of her, her ANBU mask falling away to reveal the face of the woman beneath the mask. Yugao hadn’t known her personally, but she’d seen this face around the village. This woman she didn’t know had just given her life to buy Yugao a moment longer to live. The red sharingan of Wolf’s dead eyes stared at Yugao accusingly from across the dirt.
“I never tire of this illogical need to…” Orochimaru’s amused ramblings tapered off. He bent down and snatched up Wolf’s head, turning it around to face him. “Another Uchiha? With awakened sharingan as well.”
“No!”
Orochimaru’s foot suddenly left Yugao’s hand, freeing her to move. Orochimaru’s cloak fell to the ground next to her, coated in dark, ravenous flames. His sword lay on the ground next to his cloak.
Yugao rolled away from the deadly fire, weakly hurling a kunai towards Orochimaru. Itachi appeared in front of her the next moment, standing protectively over her.
The Sannin leaned to the side, letting Yugao’s kunai sail harmlessly past him. With his one hand, Orochimaru had dragged Wolf’s body along with him as he fled Itachi’s attack. He’d bitten into Wolf’s hair, holding her dangling head with his mouth. Orochimaru tossed Wolf’s body up, rapidly producing a seal and slapping it against Wolf’s body before it could impact the ground. Wolf’s head was similarly sealed away a moment later.
“I would love to play with you some more, little Uchiha, but this is where we must part ways. I have work to do. Orom? Feel free to play with your food.” Orochimaru’s body flickered and vanished. A massive serpent charged through the space he’d just been standing in, hissing as it approached.
Itachi scooped Yugao up in his arms and leapt away, charging towards the Four-Tailed beast in the distance.
‘Falcon, Wolf and Scorpion are dead. Orochimaru has fled. He summoned a large snake before departing. Yugao is unable to fight.’ Itachi sent.
‘Get Yugao away. Yamato is able to contain Four-Tails. I will deal with the snake. Return to assist once Yugao is safe.’ Yugao heard Kakashi say in her head.
‘Hai.’ Itachi increased his speed, turning to the woods and fleeing as fast as he could. After several minutes, Yugao reached up to grip his shoulder.
“Stop.” she said aloud, her voice a croak.
Itachi did not stop.
“They need you. I’m far enough away now. I’ll make it. Don’t leave them behind.” Yugao said weakly.
Itachi stopped, setting Yugao down in the hollow of a tree. He inspected the wire around her wound stemming bloodloss then cradled the back of her head with his hand. “Don’t go to sleep, Yugao. I will be back. We will beat the Tailed-Beast, then I will bring Shinto here so he can fix you. Believe in us. Stay awake.”
Itachi flickered away.
Yugao was left in silence. The adrenaline that had been pounding in her ears since hearing of Fugaku Uchiha’s battle with the Four-Tails abated. There was only the dull whistle of the wind as it caressed the leaves of the trees.
Yugao was tired.
X
‘Plan?’ I sent Misaki as we tore through the woods, an S-Rank missing nin hot on our heels.
‘I will track his monsters and tell you where they are. Use the shadows of the trees to trap them whenever they become isolated. I will deal with them one-by-one.’
‘Understood. I’ll use clones to try to create more openings.’
‘We’re far enough. We engage now. I will face him in taijutsu. Support me and trap his monsters.’
As one, Misaki and I spun on a dime. Misaki rocketed directly towards Kakuzu while I wove through hand signs. Five water clones rose at my sides, each enveloped in shadow armor. My clones all leapt away in different directions, running to meld with the shadows cast by the trees around us.
Kakuzu leapt backwards as Misaki blitzed him, narrowly avoiding her strike. He flashed through hand signs as she moved to strike again. “Suiton: Hail!” Daggers of ice rained down between the branches of the trees towards Misaki.
Misaki batted away each spear of ice that came too close, her lightning cloak protecting her from any damage. She ran in an arc to Kakuzu’s left.
‘Clone 2, forty meters south-west.’ Misaki sent with Telepathy.
I ordered the clone with the tag that read ‘2’ on its chest to move forty meters south-west as my real body charged towards Kakuzu. I lashed out with punches and kicks, driving the man back to cover Misaki. I felt my clone capture a large target.
Misaki took off like a speeding bullet towards my clone. In front of me, Kakuzu smirked.
‘Retreat! Trap!’ I sent desperately.
A large explosion sounded from behind me. I slunk into my shadow and disengaged Kakuzu. When I emerged, a massive fireball was only just dispelling. The thread monster must have either been rigged with a tag or unleashed a devastating technique that caught all of the surrounding trees on fire.
‘Status?’ I sent.
‘My cloak protected me. Monster is still alive. We need to amend our strategy.’
‘Stall him. Direct my clones towards the monsters so they can stall them. I’ll flood the area with mist and then blow it all up like when we sparred.’
‘Understood. Clone 3, twelve meters south. Clone 1, 47 meters west. Clone 5, 34 meters north. Clone 4 return to the sight of detonation.’
Misaki’s body turned into an electric-blue blur as she shot towards Kakuzu. A wall rose up in front of her from the earth, but she just smashed through it, rearing a hand coated in a chidori back to strike. Kakuzu leapt away and Misaki gave chase.
As I directed my clones towards the targets Misaki told me about, I fell into my shadow, zipping across the forest floor, flooding the entire area with steam as I did. I moved as rapidly as I could around the space, spilling an absurd amount of my mist into the air. I felt one of my clones catch one of the monsters in its shadow only for another explosion to sound. I lost connection to that clone.
‘Almost set. Be ready to run to me and hold on. I will fly us both up above the explosion.’ I sent.
‘Copy.’
I emerged from my shadow a fair distance away from where I’d started. The mist was so thick that visibility was nearly zero. I could only navigate my surroundings because I felt them with my shadows.
Three more water clones rose at my side, each with a slew of tags covering their bodies. The clones donned their shadow armor and leapt away. I took a deep breath as they moved. I was starting to feel the drain on my chakra. I needed this to go the way I intended it to.
‘Now!’ I sent.
Two breaths later, Misaki was there, leaping towards me with her arms outstretched as her lightning cloak dispelled. Kakuzu was following, hot on her heels.
Misaki’s arms wound around my shoulders and I wasted no time, creating steam jets in my feet and hands to launch us both into the sky.
‘Jutsu incoming! Dodge right!’ Misaki sent.
I altered the trajectory of our ascent just in time to avoid a massive fireball that soared through the air past us.
‘Hold on tight.’ I sent, nodding as I felt Misaki’s arms constrict down even tighter. I was holding her with my shadow, but redundancy was important when you were flying high in the sky above a waiting powderkeg with your fiance.
I flashed through hand signs. All of my clones activated their tags as I yelled, “Futton: Grease Fire!”
There was a brief beat of silence, then the forest erupted like a volcano. A thunderous booming like zeus hurling a thousand lightning bolts simultaneously shook the air. A pillar of fire rushed through the forest, instantly scoring each tree black and causing many branches to be blasted apart. I even saw two of the larger trees near where my clones had detonated be tip over and crash down to the earth.
‘Did that get him?’ I sent.
‘He created an earth dome around himself before the blast. Two of the monsters are unresponsive. One is fleeing the battlefield with him. The other is waiting underneath us to cover his retreat.’ Misaki instantly supplied.
I frowned. We had a choice here. If Kakuzu was fleeing, there was a good chance we would be able to kill him right now. If two of his monsters were really down, then he only had three hearts left. On the other hand…
I turned to look over my shoulder. High in the sky, I could clearly see where a giant monkey-like beast was battling twisting roots that continued to grow out of the ground.
‘The others need us. Let him go. We’ll kill his last monster then go back to the Four-Tails.’ I sent Misaki.
‘Okay. I can help defeat Roshi. I’ve been waiting for a chance to get some payback on a jinchuriki.’ Misaki sent. I wasn’t entirely sure what she meant by that, but I could ask later. No was a time for action.
‘Be ready for the descent.’ I warned Misaki before lowering the amount of steam I was sending through my jets. Immediately, we started falling towards the ground. ‘I’m going to trap it. Kill it quick.’
‘Hai.’
The thread monster reared its head back and spit fire at us, but we were low enough that we could survive the fall, so I just let gravity pull us out of the jutsu’s path. I charged the monster and punched it, trapping it in my armor. Misaki was beside me the next moment with a chidori active, jamming her hand through the creature’s neck.
The threads unraveled as the monster died. Acting on impulse, I retrieved a seal and sealed away the thread monster’s body. Maybe I could… No. Not the time.
‘Let’s move.’
Misaki and I dashed through the burning forest, desperate to get back to our team.
X
Yugito Nii nearly killed Misaki. Yugito Nii nearly killed Shinto. Yugito Nii nearly killed all of them. Misaki had felt so useless when they’d fought the ijinchuriki of the Two-Tails. For all of her life, Misaki had specialized in close-range combat, and Yugito’s skill eclipsed her own. Not only that, but her abilities were so far above Misaki’s that Misaki was only a mild inconvenience for her. The only thing she contributed to that fight was her byakugan. Without Shinto’s technique stalling Yugito long enough for Shisui Uchiha to arrive, Yugito Nii would have killed them all.
Misaki hated feeling useless. She hated not being able to contribute. That was why she’d thrown her all into her sealing research. She needed something to even the playing field with monsters with Yugito, something to let her stand at Shinto’s side and contribute.
It took time, but she’d done it. Misaki had recreated the Raikage’s lightning cloak. She could now face threats like Yugito Nii, like the thread man, head on and make them flee. She was able to stand at Shinto’s side and force that monster to flee from her. But her work was not yet done.
‘I can stop the jinchuriki. I need him immobilized for five seconds.’ Misaki sent to her team.
‘Are you certain?’ Kakashi sent. Misaki’s focus was on the chakra beast ahead of her, but, with her byakugan, she could see Kakashi’s sharingan fixed on her movements, his features doubtful beneath his balaclava. Yamato stood a short distance from him, sweat beading his forehead. His hands were shaking.
Misaki cast Telepathy again, targeting only Kakashi. ‘Trust me, captain. I can do this.’
‘I will assist in whatever way I can.’ Itachi sent. There was blood trailing away from each of his eyes like tears. His clothing was torn.
“I will…immobilize him.” Yamato said aloud. It sounded as if saying the words was a physical strain for him.
‘What do you need from us?’ Kakashi sent.
‘Captain, Itachi, keep him distracted. Shinto, flood the area with steam to reduce his visibility. Yamato, keep him still.’ Misaki noted the fact that all of Team Kunai were missing, but she did not let it distract her from what she needed to do. There was a Tailed-Beast to fight. She could mourn later.
‘Moving.’ Shinto sent. The next moment, he was in his shadow, shooting towards the Tailed-Beast. Steam erupted from his rapidly moving form, slowly filling the space with thick mist.
Itachi and Kakashi moved after him. Itachi cried out in pain. Miaski saw with her byakugan as Itachi’s shuriken-like pupils spun. A massive ball of black fire descended towards the bijuu. Kakashi flashed through hand seals at Itachi’s side.
“Futon: Great Breakthrough!”
A massive blast of wind buffeted the fire from behind. The dark flames swelled until they were so large as to be nearly as large as the bijuu itself. The steam around the bijuu was so thick that it didn't notice the attack until it was directly on top of it.
The bijuu was knocked onto its back, thrashing as it tried to stand. Thick roots exploded out of the ground, wrapping over the bijuu and burying themselves in the ground on the opposite side, covering the Four-Tails like a blanket, holding it prone.
Misaki saw her opportunity and took it.
Her lightning cloak swelled around her as she sprinted towards the downed bijuu. She leapt onto the roots holding it down and activated a chidori in either hand. With her clan’s eyes, Misaki could see everything around her. She could see Shinto, huddled in his shadow. She could see Itachi, clutching at his eyes. She could see Yamato, trembling as he did everything he could to keep the Four-Tails trapped. She could see Yugao, hundreds of meters away, breathing shallowly in the hollow of a tree and missing an arm. She could see Roshi of Iwagakure, protected within the chest of the Four-Tails.
A scream tore free from Misaki’s lips as she dove downwards, driving her chidori-coated hands into the Four-Tail’s chest. The beast howled, bucking against its restraints in an attempt to free itself and shake her off. Misaki saw with her byakugan as Yamato fell to his knees, hands still up in a seal to keep the bijuu still. Misaki redoubled her efforts, using her chidori to burrow into the bijuu while her lightning cloak protected her from the massive amount of energy the bijuu gave off. She was almost there.
Yugito Nii had almost killed her, so, after she had sufficient training in the sealing arts, Misaki had prepared a surprise for that bitch in case they ever crossed paths again. It would work well enough on Roshi.
Misaki enjoyed the look of complete surprise on Roshi’s face as she penetrated through the Bijuu’s protection, reaching him. She did not say anything, did not give him even the slightest chance to escape her. She used his moment of surprise to press her palm into his stomach and activate the seal she’d hastily drawn on her hand.
Roshi of Iwa gasped, then began to seize. The man writhed, screaming in agony as the bijuu faded around him, dropping him to the ground where he screamed some more.
Misaki flipped him onto his back, tearing off his shirt to give her access to the seal she’d already seen with her byakugan. Misaki produced a storage seal from her pouch and unsealed it. A large vessel similar in appearance to a large cooking pot appeared on the ground next to her, a blank sheet of paper in her other hand.
Misaki saw Kakashi and Itachi speeding towards her with her Byakugan, but she was too focused to pay them too much mind. She needed to do this now.
Misaki slapped the blank sheet of paper down onto Roshi’s stomach, channeling her chakra to activate the seal she’d hastily scribbled onto her other hand. Roshi let out a blood-curdling scream as the seal etched on his stomach was sucked away, transferred to the paper. In one movement, Misaki slapped the paper into the pot and slammed a thick lid down onto it, activating the many seals she’d prepared inside the vessel. She sealed it away again and fell backwards, sitting on the earth as her lightning cloak faded away. A short distance from her, Roshi’s body lay motionless.
Misaki was breathing heavily. That had been far more taxing than she’d expected.
‘Status? What happened?’ Kakashi demanded.
“He’s dead, captain.” Misaki said tiredly. “Itachi, retrieve Yugao and bring her back here. If she doesn’t get to Shinto soon, she’ll die. Shinto,” Misaki turned to look at her fiance as he emerged from his shadow a short distance from her. Her vision was blurry. Tears were gathering in her eyes. “Try to–” Her voice caught. “Try to save Yamato.”
Shinto seemed confused for a moment before his eyes widened. He fell into his shadow and zipped across the ground, emerging next to where Yamato lay on the ground.
Shinto pulled a dozen seals out of his coat, jamming tens of senbon into Yamato with his hands pressed against his chest, the green glow of the Healing Palm Technique illuminating them. Misaki watched his efforts with her byakugan, hoping against hope.
She’d been aware of everything happening around her. She’d seen the moment Yamato’s heart stopped beating. He’d given everything he had to hold the Four-Tails still long enough for her to reach Roshi. Yamato was out of chakra, but he kept the beast pinned anyway. By doing so, he’d allowed Misaki to seal the Four-Tails away into her pot. Konoha would now be the village to wield the Four-Tails.
Yamato had paid for their victory with his life.
X
Yugao was unconscious, but she would live. Kakashi was carrying her while Itachi, Misaki and I held a perimeter around him. Yamato, Falcon and Crow were all held in body storage seals. Itachi had personally sealed away his father and still carried him with him. We weren’t able to recover Scorpion or Wolf.
Mita…It plagued me to think of what unholy acts Orochimaru was going to commit against my friend’s corpse.
I forced those thoughts from my mind, refocusing on my surroundings. We were still at war, still in potentially dangerous territory. I would worry about Mita later. I would mourn Yamato later. I needed to focus on getting everyone back to Konoha alive first.
We’d been running for so long I’d lost track of time. We were well within the limits of Konoha’s patrol range, but we’d yet to come across a single patrol. It was possible the patrols had all been called to the location we’d just left to help fight the Four-Tails, but surely they’d have left someone behind, right?
‘Konoha ANBU approaching. 1 kilometer and closing.’ Misaki sent.
So they did leave someone behind. Good.
‘Hold here.’ Kakashi sent.
We set up a rough perimeter and settled in to wait for our allies. We didn’t need to wait long.
Seventeen Konoha ANBU exploded into the space around us, surrounding our position in a rough circle. Every single one of them was brandishing weapons.
Kakashi’s eyes narrowed. ‘Team Ro returning from–’
“Telepathy is compromised.” The ANBU in the lead, wearing a Sable mask, said.
“What do you mean Telepathy is compromised?” I asked, stepping forward. Several ANBU twitched, directing weapons towards me.
Sable didn’t turn away from Kakashi. “If you are really Kakashi Hatake, tell me why you were late to your jonin promotion ceremony.”
Kakashi looked deadly serious. “A black cat crossed my path, so I went to the hot springs to cleanse the bad luck.”
A mountain of tension seemed to flee Sable’s body. “Stand down!”
The ANBU around us stowed their weapons. Misaki, Itachi and I all looked around at each other in confusion.
Sable walked forward and said, “It’s good to see you’re still alive, Kakashi. All of you,” he said, addressing the rest of us. “We feared the worst after we heard about the Four Tails. Where is Fugaku-sama?”
“My father fell in the battle.” Itachi said. I wasn’t sure how he managed to keep the pain out of his voice. I knew how much he was struggling right now. He had been very slow to seal his father into the scroll.
Sable shook his head. “You have my condolences, Itachi-sama. Unfortunately, he was not the only one to fall today. We will escort you back to the Hokage Tower. Hokage-sama will want to speak to you.”
“What happened, Sable?” Kakashi cut in, saying what we were all thinking.
“Konoha was attacked. We need to get you to the tower for a proper debrief.”
