Chapter Text
"What's happening?" Sakura asks, baffled.
Naruto swallows thickly, the chakra in the air is thick with malice and hatred. The black tendrils twist over Madara's body menacingly and Naruto can't think of a way to stop what's coming. None of the seals she knows would be effective in stopping it until it's already too late.
"He said Kaguya..." Sasuke rasps. There's a heavy layer of dread in his own chakra. Naruto can relate.
Sakura turns to them both, "Who is Kaguya?!"
"The Sage's mother... the rabbit demon in the moon," Naruto hisses. The chakra level only continues to grow, creating an intense amount of pressure and Madara's shades all vanish as if consumed by the chakra itself.
Sasuke and Naruto both enter kata, prompting their teammates to do the same, "Something's about to happen; all of Madara's shadows are gone,"
Like geysers, chakra erupts from the earth. The whole area rattles and shakes as the chakra swirls in the air as violently as it burst from the ground. The four of them don't even have a chance to brace properly and are thrown hard backward when another eruption of chakra opens up in front of them. The chakra swirling in the air begins to collect, moving toward Zetsu and the helpless Madara, being absorbed somehow.
The worst thing is, that Naruto recognizes the make-up of a lot of this chakra mass.
"Where did it come from?!" Sakura cries, "It's so dense!"
Sasuke and Naruto have managed to catch themselves properly. Sasuke, shouts a reply to Sakura, "It's probably from the people trapped in the Tsukuyomi!"
Madara lets out a horrid cry as his body swells and bloats with the chakra. Naruto gets as close as she can using her chains as anchoring points to not be blown away by the massive torrent of chakra, "This is really bad, dattebayo!" She shouts, "It's even more chakra than the Juubi!"
"Let's move before he has a chance to move!" Sasuke hollers, chidori sparking in his hand, "Go, Naruto!"
"Only chance is to stop him while he's inflated!" Naruto uses her Gudou orbs to make more chains besides the adamantin chains.
Sasuke uses his new abilities while Naruto runs in with chains at the ready. When both attempt a strike, they're grabbed by the chakra itself. It's almost like Naruto's hair when using the mane jutsus Jiraiya taught her, only about four times stronger.
"Two little insects flying into a fire," Zetsu hisses mockingly, "I'll suck your chakra up too,"
Naruto attempts to cut through the hair with her chains, but there's no give to the fibers. Even using raw strength yields nothing, "I can't move! If we don't do something, everyone will die if their chakra is absorbed!" She exclaims. Iruka, Karin, Hinata, Teuchi, Ayame, Ino, and everyone else will all be gone. Even if the four of them manage to escape, they'd be alone in the world.
"Don't worry... I won't kill them," Zetsu says, "Kaguya used the Infinite Tsukuyomi and kept the people alive... to create her soldiers..."
Frowning, Sasuke demands, "Create- What are you saying?!"
Zetsu releases itself from Obito's body, oozing onto the mass that was Madara with a cruel chuckle, "You never would be as smart as Itachi... A normal human can't be used in battle... they think for themselves too much,"
Naruto swallows as she recalls the near hive mind and melding of the enemies fought in the earlier parts of the war. Several had already been destroyed before she took to the battlefield, nonetheless, she did encounter them.
"They'll be turned into White Zetsu..." It chuckles, "It's the shape all humans should become," Zetsu begins to spread over the rapidly expanding form of Madara, almost acting like a netting over a stress ball with parts bulging out. Then, the blackness covers more and more of the shape, shrinking it down and compressing it. Obito slips off the mass, falling to the ground and landing with a heavy crash.
More and more, the mass shinks, changing shape and becoming humanoid once more. The hair holding her and Sasuke truly is coming out of a head that's now formed tall horns. A third eye appears next and then, finally, the form of a beautiful woman with flowing white hair. The pure white hair billows around her like a halo, even as it holds Naruto and Sasuke, and she wears a simple junihitoe kimono covered in magatama. The third eye, familiar in it's color as the rinne-sharigan and her main eyes are that of the Hyuuga's byakugan. She's exactly as she looked into the pools that Hagoromo showed Naruto.
"Otsutsuki Kaguya..." Sasuke hisses in horror.
Naruto attempts to grab the hair holding her again, placing the grip of her right hand on the strands. The woman's eyes flash angrily, throwing her and Sasuke away harshly. Naruto crashes into the earth, her body leaving a crater beside Sasuke's.
"Naruto-chan! Sasuke-kun!" Sakura calls in worry.
The power of the woman is overwhelming. The power of the Juubi looked like a joke in comparison let alone Madara's and Obito's transformations.
Kakashi's weighing the situation. Naruto and Sasuke will be fine physically from being thrown, but he and Sakura might not fare so well by entering combat with this woman. Even non-natural sensor types like he and Sakura can feel how crushing and dense the chakra exuding from this being is. It's terrifying even for him. He looks to where Obito lays fallen in the dirt. There's no time for Kakashi to mourn, he's already mourned Obito once and starting fresh can wait until later.
"These two must be Hagoromo and Hamura's... no... Asura and Indra's...?" The woman says, veins bulging around her eyes in a familiar way- the byakugan, "So it's Hagoromo who gave you those abilities..."
Kakashi, in attempt to draw her ire away from Naruto and Sasuke, calls out to her, "What is your goal here?!"
Still, her gaze doesn't leave the pair, "This ground is my nursery. I cannot allow you to damage it anymore," Kaguya states, "Let's top fighting..."
Kakashi almost lets himself relax, however, he can see Naruto is still on edge and bracing for more.
"...Here," She says as if finishing. Naruto suddenly feels overly warm and the scenery changes. Looking down Naruto sees a sea of lava, as if they're inside of a volcano, "I'll have you vanish right here!"
They're falling fast, Sasuke summoning a large hawk. Naruto tries to think fast, "Sasuke!" Naruto points to the others, chains already out and heading for the sine above them to catch herself, "There!" However, after she's swinging from one of the ceiling, just above the lava, her eyes lock with Kakashi's. He's already caught Sakura, hanging from a scroll tied to a kunai embedded in the stone just below Naruto's height. Looking over, she sees the Obito is also pinned to the wall with a kunai in his hand.
It looks painful, but at least he hasn't been lost to the lava.
Sasuke flies up to her on his hawk, picking her up from her swinging position, "He's skilled as always," Sasuke remarks almost jealously.
"Yeah..." Naruto sighs, cheeks pink. Hopefully, the heat of the area they're in acts as a cover for her longing, "Kakashi, you're awesome!" Naruto praises, because he deserves it. Then, she turns to face the threat, giving Kaguya her entire attention.
"We'll need to use our combined power to seal her again," Sasuke starts, turned away from her, "If either of us dies, the world dies. If we fail, humanity will be no more. Those two are a hindrance if you prioritize their safety over the whole world's. Do you understand?"
Naruto stares at his back, scoffing, "I do," She starts, "I get it, but it times like this, your body just moves on its own, 'ttebayo. Oh well, you get what I mean, don't you, Sasuke?" The blonde doesn't delve into his feelings with her senses at all. In this form, juiced up as she is, she could do it easily, but lately, she's been thinking that doing so doesn't allow proper communication and even if she knows how someone feels, doesn't mean she understands what they're thinking.
Motive is everything.
"sh*t!" Kakashi exclaims behind them, Sakura's screaming getting lower and further away. Naruto turns quickly, sending her chains toward them as they plummet toward the lava. The chains wrap around them, holding the two tightly but the hawk rears backward as Kaguya attacks from the front.
As Sasuke is about to use is susano'o, one of her attacks pierces Sasuke's arm, blocking a chakra point. They'll all go into the lava is she doesn't stop it!
She pulls up on the chains, now grabbing Sasuke and his hawk with one too as if she's about to whip them up, however, they fall no further, herself included. She's floating in the air, actively...flying? She's flying?! The summon vanishes in a puff of smoke, lessening her burden.
"You're flying?!" Sasuke gasps in both shock and relief. Naruto grins, coming to terms with the new ability fairly quickly. The blonde then summons a clone that also floats into the air and reels her chains in.
She hands her friends off to the clone, ordering, "You keep them safe. Sasuke and I will handle Old Lady Long-Ears," The clone then nods, carrying the two closer to Obito's unconscious body. Sasuke pulls the needle like hair from his arm, body cloaked by his susano'o.
"Chakra is only mine..." Kaguya hisses softly, then shouts, charging them, "I will return all chakra into one!"
Naruto meets her attack with an expanded Gudou orb and extended clawed hands. The shock wave rocks the volcano. Sasuke flying up while Kaguya is distracted using his susano'o as the lava bubbles dangerously below. Blow-for-blow, Naruto meet Kaguya's attacks, chains aiming for weak points.
Kaguya outlasts the Uzumaki, sending Naruto flying backward. Still, it doesn't mean she's done yet! Extending her chains, they dance around Kaguya forcing her to bat them away as Sasuke goes down for an attack from above, 'Go for it, Sasuke!'
There's a crashing sound as Sasuke strikes.
As Naruto tumbles through the air, she can see that the attack does nothing, as Kaguya has completely vanished from sight, and that Sasuke's susano'o no longer holds its shape, sending the boy sailing toward the lava. He appears behind them, grabbing Naruto's ankle to keep from falling down again.
"Sasuke!" Naruto sighs in relief.
Sasuke, on the other hand, is hisses in frustration, "Not even Susano'o does any damage,"
Naruto expands one of her Gugou orbs into a platform for him to stand on. It won't give him much fighting ground, but Sasuke could probably work with it. The kunoichi can't sense her presence anywhere, and you'd think someone with that much power would be screaming loud in her senses. Suddenly, that chakra is behind her and Sasuke, creeping into existence eerily.
Naruto and Sasuke turn in unison, Kaguya's hands meeting their faces in almost gentle and loving caresses with tears streaming down her face. Still, the sense of dread persists. Naruto can't move her body at all as the woman glides a long nail over her cheek.
Black creeps out of her robes, laughing cruelly, covering half of them each as their chakra is drained. Black Zetsu! "As mother looks at the both of you, it seems she's reminded of her older sons. So gentle and sweet, isn't she? Poor mother. Sealed away by her eldest children. It truly makes you feel sorry for a mother like that, doesn't it?"
Naruto grits her teeth, trying to pull away and out of the holds of Kaguya and Zetsu, "Why would Old Man Sage seal his mom away in himself? It was the Juubi wasn't it?!"
"Well, you're misunderstanding something..."
"Black Zetsu, what are you?" Sasuke demands.
Black Zetsu chuckles, voice directly into their ears. Its an uncomfortable and disgusting feeling. Not only that, but the demeanor and presence changes as he speaks with a boyish pride, "I am Kaguya's youngest child... her best child," He says, "I recorded everything while Mother was away and created a story,"
"What does that mean?!" Sasuke interrogates further.
"The story of ninja was created for my mother's resurrection!" Zetsu boasts, "If you know mother's name, then you must have met Hagoromo. Depending on the transmigrants power, it is possible to meet my much detested older brother and receive the power to seal my mother away again... a power I know the both of you posses. It's unusual to see Indra and Asura's transmigrants cooperate so much... And since you seem to know nothing of my wonderful mother, I'll tell you as I absorb your chakra,"
Zetsu doesn't tell them as much as show them. The Juubi is not the tree alone, but also Kaguya- her will. She's the one that desired the return of chakra which she had passed onto her sons and her younger son, Hamura's, child. Not even Hagoromo knew of Zetsu's plans, manipulating Indra and his descendants- which included Madara and Obito- into position. The creature also altered the stone that Hagoromo had made, further manipulating the Uchiha he has chosen to play the parts he wished as he believed them the most easily tempted to power and therefore more easily manipulated.
He approached transmigrants of both Senju and Uchiha, deeming the Uzumaki unworthy of note in his play, and twisted their feelings and lives against each other, fanning the flames of war and rivalry between the two clans. He'd tried again-and-again to have one of them awaken the rinnegan, started with Indra and Asura, but none succeeded. Then, when Madara and Hashirama were born, he knew.
He was convinced Madara would be the most capable yet and was proven correct. That would be the first step in his mother's revival. He'd thought all ways lost and he'd have to start again when Madara was defeated by Hashirama, only, Madara did not die and Tobirama saved his body for study. Naruto's going to slap that stupid albino man again! Madara, knowing of Tobirama's thirst for knowledge, predicted his body would not be destroyed and used a jutsu of the sharingan to awaken himself later.
Madara, the roach, sacrificed his right eye to escape death, using a shadow clone in place of his body. He threw up the piece of Hashirama later, once he was safe, and began to graft it onto his wounds. With that, the bastard awakened the rinnegan, the remnants of Indra and Asura's chakra at last meeting and creating the vaunted dojutsu to summon the husk of the Juubi. He used the statue to further extend his life by experimenting on it.
Releasing the White Zetsu from their hold under Zetsu's 'tender' care.
Zetsu devoted himself to what he calls 'the simple minded Uchiha' and played along like Madara came up with all of it. He started the Akatsuki by further manipulating the children of Rain, pointed them in the direction of collecting the Bijuu, and led them to war. He intentionally allowed Kabuto to discover Madara's body to increase the combat power of their forces and manipulated Obito to further all these plans by having him deal for Madara's corpse.
"Finally, all according to my plan, the Infinite Tsukuyomi was cast and my mother revived,"
Kaguya's byakugan activates, the veins bulging around her eyes, "I hate you... Hagoromo... Hamura... You both belong to me,"
"With that, my role is over," Zetsu says, "Time to return to the almight mother goddess,"
Naruto has been enraged the entire time Zetsu's showed its little film reel of memories. This thing dares take credit for everything ninja are? All they could be? He dares take credit for all the hate when there's so much love too.
Naruto roars, ripping off Zetsu like he's a particularly stubborn bandage, "You're not the entire history of ninja, you sentient gimp suit!" Naruto then takes hold of Zetsu while he's still connected to Sasuke with chakra clawed hands, ripping him off Sasuke too, "And! She's a bad mom! Mom's are supposed to be happy when her children become independent and leave, dattebayo!"
Zetsu hisses in offense, "Your rebellious phase has lasted too long... My mother is the progenitor of all chakra! No matter what you kids try to do, it's useless!"
Sasuke catches his breath, chakra restoring rapidly because of the power Hagoromo gave them, "We need to create an opening to seal her back up!"
Naruto wracks her brains, coming up on some of the words Hagoromo shared with her and a forbidden jutsu. It's a jutsu that's been strictly forbidden to her for so many years, but she's been cultivating it in secret for years. Despite the hard work of the men around her, Naruto is not unaware of the power of that jutsu, "Guess we're got no choice... Gonna have to use it," Naruto sniffs, "What Iruka-nii doesn't know, won't hurt him, 'ttebayo!"
Sasuke looks at her, bewildered, out of the corner of his eye, "What jutsu?"
Naruto grins wickedly, "Listen up, Sasuke!"
"I don't know what you're trying to do, but Mother can absorb any jutsu," Zetsu hisses, "What you're trying to do will be meaningless,"
Naruto leans over, whispering her plan to Sasuke who looks at her like she's the biggest idiot she's ever met, "Are you serious?!" He snaps.
Naruto giggles, "Won't know until we try, 'ttebayo!" Naruto brings her hands up, ready to summon clones, "I've been working on this jutsu in secret since I was fourteen! I did a lot of research on top of my own experiences,"
Sasuke sighs, turning away from her, "You're an idiot, but if it can give us an opening on her, then fine. My left eye is ready," Sasuke nods, "Let's go!"
"Hell yeah!" Naruto rushes in, Sasuke burning up the rabbit with the amaterasu as she moves forward. Kaguya and Zetsu put out the flames, however, Naruto's already on them, summoning a mass of clones, "Uzumaki Forbidden Henge! Reverse Harem!"
Each of Naruto's clones turn into handsome men in a range of ages. Some of lanky pretty boys while others are mature silver foxes, but all of them are handsome with great bodies. Naruto got a lot of feedback from her brothel friends she made on her trip with Jiraiya. There's also a bit of her own tastes in there too- There's one with Kakashi's eyes and another with his shoulders. One has Genma's smile and she'll never cop to one of them having Gai's chest.
Kaguya freezes in place, eyes sparkling with surprise and desire. Naruto grins wickedly again, the clones popping as she swings in, smacking Kaguya hard twice with fists and chains. She also thinks she can heard Sakura blowing up at the clone protecting her and Kakashi.
"This is the history of ninja, dattebayo!"
"Now, Naruto!" Sasuke shouts.
Naruto spins, sticking her right arm out to Sasuke. He uses his rinnegan to move Kaguya between their outstretched arms. They're a hair's breath from her, almost there, and then....
Naruto is freezing.
Naruto can't move. She's literally frozen in place as Kaguya has taken them away from the lava area and moved them to some frozen wasteland. They watches as Kaguya frees herself by going through a dark portal.
Naruto tries heating her body with Kurama's chakra, but it's just melting too slowly.
Kaguya is now approaching them with Zetsu seeping toward them again, and judging by the chakra output, Naruto needs her body and gudou orbs to get her out of here more quickly. Sasuke, thankfully, cuts them out with some sort of amterasu fire blade.
The second her feet hit the ground, Naruto breaths a sigh of relief and turns to Sasuke, "Thanks for the save!" Naruto breaths, "The Oiroke jutsu almost worked, but it won't be happening again- she'll be ready for it," Besides, Kakashi didn't even make her bat an eye and he's, like, the hottest.
"Hn," Sasuke nods, "I didn't even think it would almost work. This time we're trying my idea,"
Kaguya opens another portal, reaching into it. Whatever way this ability works affects Naruto's senses, as she doesn't even register the hand creeping up behind Sasuke. In the same moment she notices it, the hand is already grabbing Sasuke by the back of the shirt, pulling him back into the darkness with a jerk.
"Sasuke!"
Naruto puts her fingers on the edges of the portal, trying to pull it open and using her chains to assist, hwever, she has to pull her hands back before the world closes on her fingers.
"Now you can't seal Mother anymore!" Zetsu cackles, "We'll start by absorbing all your chakra!" Another portal opens next to Kaguya, the woman pulling her arm back before plunging it into the darkness. Out of the corner of her eye, Naruto sees another open near her, leaping back away from it, "Nice reflexes you have there,"
The blonde watches the portal near Kaguya expand, her entering it. She doesn't have time to play around with this old bitch- she's got to find Sasuke so they can seal her. Naruto keeps her senses wide open and sensitive, waiting for the woman to appear again. However, what happens is the ice shelves all around her start to crack and collapse, causing snow to billow up and block her vision.
Luckily Naruto isn't entirely reliant on her eyes with her senses, still, it's more dangerous than before.
She's still struck, however, the avalanche itself hitting her at various points. It's like nature itself is attacking the blonde, the ice spikes becoming like teeth. Kaguya finally appears, and Naruto can sense Kakashi, Sakura, Obito, and her clone very near. The Uzumaki can't move, being pinned completely by the ice. Unfortunately, Kaguya's eyes trail to the side, her attention turning to the group, though, she ignores them quickly, deeming them not a threat at the moment.
She flies toward Naruto, whose formulated at least a little of a plan by now, but the fact of the matter is, she'll need Sasuke to help take care of her for good.
"You ready, Naruto?" Kokuo calls, "I'll take the chakra to the boiling point!"
"Yeah!" Naruto releases a torrent of boiling water from herself, freeing her and allowing her to counter Kaguya's attack. She can only rely on taijutsu and diversions at the moment. If she gets her real body too close, her chakra will be sucked dry and she's become as old looking as Sarutobi Hiruzen! And the man is a literal corpse!
Once Kaguya is clear of her, sent crashing into the ice, Naruto gets back into the air.
"I've prepared some chakra for you, Naruto!" Kurama shouts within her seal.
Naruto grins, "Thanks, Kurama!" She crosses her fingers into a seal, summoning more clones than she ever has in her life. She's never needed as many as she's summoned now, but if she's gonna distracted this Rabbit Mom, then she's gonna need as many as possible.
In the chaos, Naruto transfers her Gudou orbs to a clone then orders it to keep back and play like she's the real thing while the rest of the clones all move in for attack. Kaguya destroys several right off the bat, but Naruto summons more to replace them as long as Kurama's chakra can last. A handful have got her pinned, forcing her top open up a portal again.
several of her clones rushes up, barreling inside, all of them popping... but one Naruto hadn't considered.
"Ugh! She got in here!" Zetsu groans, "Seems more than one got inside but the others ran out of power an vanished. Clones don't have enough chakra to last, you must be the real one," He says to the clone that Naruto left with the group.
"So what if I am?!" She shouts.
Kaguya and Zetsu talk quietly, almost one-sidedly. Really, Naruto can only hear Kaguya's responses to the creepy little gimp suit. They don't make much sense without the context, but Naruto soon understands the discussion, as something like Kimimaro's kekkei genkai sprout from her back. Kaguya raises an arm shortly after, a bone-like spear forming out of her palm.
She fires the bone into an open portal, forcing Naruto to dodge once more, only, as she dodges, Kaguya fires another one directly into her gut. The clone shrieks as she crumbles away into ash- dispelling as Kaguya goes through her portal again.
Naruto gets those memories from the clone that was just killed, only now learning Obito's plan. Naruto nods, preparing for the returning Kaguya. She can count on Sakura- that girl is dependable as hell. She just hopes that Kakashi is alright all by himself out here in this frozen wasteland.
Kaguya appears once more, clearly surprised that Naruto and all her clones are still here.
"We killed the original!" Zetsu rages, "So why are the clones still here?!"
Naruto and all her clones grin meanly down at the wicked mother and son, "Looks like you aren't Mommy Dearest's best boy, 'ttebayo!"
"RAAAAH!" Zetsu roars, "So the ones on the other side were all just clones?! You tricked us!"
One of her clone's grin, the one with her gudou orbs attached, giggling, "I didn't think you had any brains in that puddle up your sleeve, Old Lady! I'm the original!" She's got to stop them from going to the other side while Obito and Sakura try and find Sasuke. Those two wouldn't stand a chance against someone like this horned horror.
Several clones rush in, attempting to attack her at a more sedate pace, so as not to force her into the other dimension. Eventually, Kaguya and Zetsu seem to have fallen for the ruse of the gudou orbs, attempting to go for the clone possessing them. She takes out several clones as she flies toward the one with her gudou orbs. She fires off more of the bone spears toward the gudou clone, and to keep up the ruse, several of her clones defend that one.
Kakashi watches all of it, feeling useless. There's no opening for him to step in and assist- this type of combat is beyond him now. The others are all doing their part in some way and here he is- useless. As their teacher, he couldn't do much for them. He couldn't do much for Obito, Rin, Minato, or Kushina either.
There's got to be something he can do for her when she's fighting so hard. He doesn't want to keep letting them down. Kakashi is considered an elite, so it's tiem for him to start acting like it!
Naruto's clones are being torn through like paper, Kaguya getting closer. Then, she feels it- Sasuke and Sakura's chakra! Obito's too! They appear on a snowy ledge together, Sasuke leaping forward immediately, running to join her, "You're here!"
Kaguya gets a hold of the clone with the gudou orbs, wrapping the blonde in hair, before running the clone through with the bone spear. The clone crumbles. Sakura cries out in horror. The clone dispels in smoke, the gudou orbs floating in the cloud, "THAT BITCH!" Zetsu shrieks.
Naruto cheers, the Gudou Orbs returning to her, "Sakura-chan! Obito! Great job, 'ttebayo!" Sasuke's below her feet now, so she calls down, "Sasuke, did you remember to thank Sakura-chan and Obito?!"
"Focus on the enemy, Idiot!" Sasuke snaps. He does not appreciate that girl scolding him like she's his mother. Granted, his mother would probably echo her sentiments. He's been thinking a lot about his mother a lot since he spoke with the Kage back in Konoha.
There's a flash and they're once more in a new dimension. Naruto's body immediately feels heavy and her flight unstable. She and her clones all crash to the ground, landing on ground made of raised pyramids painfully next to Sasuke and all of her clones popping, "Ow!" It takes so much of her strength to even sit up, let alone move, "I can't move!"
At least Kaguya also seems to be struggling against the intense gravity. It's much heavier than the gravity seals she's used to train or even used on others in combat.
The rabbit woman raises her arms, two bone spears aimed directly at Naruto and Sasuke. They've got to move! They manage to dodge the first one, Naruto falling onto her face, one of the pyramids digging into the flesh of her cheek.
Naruto's just managed to sit up when she sees the backs of two men in front of her and Sasuke. Her heart sinks and she cries out, "Kakashi! Obito!"
However, one pierces through Obito deep enough to almost make it to Naruto, while the other... is sent away in a familiar warping swirl before it reaches Kakashi. Obito looks over his shoulder at Naruto with a sad smile then turns his attention back to a horrified Kakashi.
"Obito... again...?" Kakashi wheezes.
Obito keeps smiling that heartbreaking smile, "Kakashi... you stay here. You're-You're not allowed to follow me,"
"Why?!" Kakashi demands with a croaking voice, "Your power is still needed here! Why leave me?! I'm useless now!"
Obito looks over his shoulder at Naruto again, "You're still wanted here..." Obito has a knowing look in his eyes, if a bit disbelieving. Oh... "Regardless, keep your focus on the enemy, Kakashi,"
"Obito..." Naruto whispers, pained. She'd wanted him to live a little longer... he was already dying, but she wanted for him to get to say a proper goodbye to both Kakashi and her father before that. She wanted to send him off with a smile of victory. Naruto reaches out, placing her right hand on his back to heal him again.
The Uchiha man chuckles. Had he really tried to kill this girl? Well, he taste in men is pretty questionable. Oh, he's figured her out. Perhaps others are too close to her to see, or perhaps it's the connection they shared when she was removing the bijuu chakra from him, but he got it. Honestly? She's too good for that bum Bakashi.
Zetsu, one of his former constant companions and true tormentor, also chuckles though far more cruelly, "It's useless, Naruto," He mocks, "You can't do anything- he'll just rot like a cabbage!"
"It's true Naruto. Stop and don't waste your chakra," Obito says, accepting his fate.
She whimpers, her hand still on his crumbling back. There's no more pouring chakra into him, just an offer of comfort as he goes.
"Why do you help him?" Zetsu asks from within his mother's robes, "He used to be your enemy. Well... he betrayed us too! He's complete scum! He'll be hated by both enemy and ally, and no friends or family will mourn for him. He's alone and nothing will be left of him! He lost his loved ones and couldn't fulfill those dreams you being are so proud of... all he ever did was fail and now he can just die,"
Gritting her teeth, Naruto's hand doesn't leave Obito. She knows that's not true. Kakashi will mourn him... again. She's sure that it'll only be harder for him this time. Naruto herself will mourn the Uchiha Obito that should have been... the Obito he is now. He's one of the first people to have ever held her in this life... If things weren't twisted by Zetsu, he probably still would have been, if only in better circ*mstances.
"You're right... there's no better death for scum like me,"
Sasuke uses his eye to get himself next to Kaguya, attacking her once more. The woman quickly flies into the air, out of Sasuke's current reach. They're no longer in the gravity dimension, but the red grounded one that Naruto's clone was killed in.
The younger Uchiha surrounds himself with his susano'o, "Naruto, I'll be the decoy this time. You can't save him... But we can save everyone else. Come on," Sasuke says, calling her to him.
Naruto bites her lip, distressed, "It's okay..." Obito says, crumbling further. The blonde makes to leave, utterly upset, when Obito speaks again, "Thank you...Naruto-hime... Fighting you...opened my real eyes. Seeing you... I regret becoming like this.... but I'm also very happy. You made me remember how I used to feel...about my village...and my dream. I guess it's the end...because I keep talking so much. You'll suffer again, I'm sure. But don't change... in the ways that matter.... maybe get better taste in men... You never go back on your word, right?"
She sniffles, unable to stop her eyes from filling with tears. They don't fall, nor does she allow them to blur her vision, but still they come, "Yeah...!" She thinks her taste in men is perfectly fine... otherwise, Obito wouldn't have saved him.
"Naruto-hime... become Hokage for both of us!" Obito smiles, then, his body completely shatters, crumbling apart into tiny pieces.
"I will!" Naruto declares.
"So the stupid traitor finally died!" Zetsu laughs from above, "He was an insect, but an annoying one- like a co*ckroach!"
Naruto glares up at the creature and his mother, "Don't you dare make fun of Obito! He wanted to be Hokage!" She snaps, throwing her last hiraishin kunai into the air near them and flashing to it, "He was the coolest guy!" She slices off Kaguya's arm containing Zetsu, the creature wailing when separated from his mother, then she pins it with her gudou orbs transformed into stakes.
Kaguya blows Sasuke away, sending him careening backward.
"Let's do this guys!" Naruto calls to the bijuu chakra within her. Each of them exclaim in agreement, giving her chakra to summon more clones, each wielding a rasenshuriken of a bijuu's ability. She throws them at Kaguya, creating a large blast radius. During all of this, Naruto flashes over to catch the speeding Sasuke mid-air.
After catching Sasuke, a face forms out of the missing arm of Kaguya, more following it. They're faces she knows- the faces of the bijuu. Kaguya and the faces all grow in size, taking on an abominable shape with a rabbit head taking over Kaguya's face with all the other faces of the bijuu screaming out on various points of the mass. It's disgusting looking and the sounds it makes set Naruto's teeth on edge.
Hands reach out of the creature toward Sasuke and Naruto, a few of her clones intercepting and being absorbed into the mass almost immediately.
One of those hands reaches for Sakura at an incredible speed. Naruto doesn't have time to even reach out for the hiraishin marker on her friend and Sasuke's technique is faster, a susano'o carrying off her friend out of danger, "Way to go Sasu- EH?!" Sasukeis still right with her, looking just as baffled as Naruto is. Reaches out with her senses toward the susano'o protecting her friend.
Naruto beams, "Kakashi!"
"That's impossible!" Sasuke gasps, "He's not supposed to still have the sharingan!"
Naruto doesn't care about that- Kakashi is a powerful shinobi and her and Obito were tied together for a long time. They're literally fighting a giant rabbit monster from the moon! Kakashi having the full abilities of the sharingan is not weird in comparison.
With Sakura safely inside the Susano'o with Kakashi, he throws several spectral shuriken toward the once more approaching arms of the Juubi Kaguya. When they strike the arms, there's a familiar warping, severing the limbs of them beast with kamui.
Naruto clenches her thighs, dancing around mid-air, "Wooooah! It's way cooler than yours, Sasuke!" This is what it's like when someone with a working brain uses that ability. She's not bias! It's legitimately hot!
A geyser of chakra comes up out of the ground, feeding into Kaguya's nasty form and stabilizing her. Naruto shakes her head, shaking away the teenage hormonal cloud trying to kill up her brain. No time to get distracted! The fight's not over.
Kaguya appears out of the now black mass of a giant gudou orb with her arm grown back and robes back to their pristine state. The chakra output is so dense and insane- shifting the very fabric of space. The massive gudou orb continues to grow, expanding bigger and bigger.
"I can't use kamui on something that big!" Kakashi shouts, "And even if we were to escape into another dimension, if that thing becomes too big, we won't make it back!"
"To stop that..."
"We gotta seal that Geriatric Rabbit right away!"
Kakashi orders them close, "I've got a strategy... This will be our last mission as Team Seven- Saving the world!" The teens all gather around the susano'o. It's a brilliant but risky plan, as expected from someone of Kakashi's caliber. Naruto is ridiculously attracted. They can do this!
"I'm immortal," Kaguya says, "If either of you dies, you'll have no hope of sealing me. Well then, whom should I kill?"
Naruto's clones all bunch around she and Sasuke, seemingly protecting them and play fighting with 'Sasuke'. Naruto and a clone charges in, Kakashi providing an excellent distraction with his susano'o and phasing through Kaguya's attack like Obito could. He cripples her arm with a raikiri on the way down.
When Kaguya breaks her clone, Naruto breaks her transformation of Sasuke as he switches with her now dying clone. A kamui warp appears in front of Naruto, indicating Kakashi's saved her life again. He's always saving her.
She and Sasuke are reaching out with their left and right hands and Naruto can sense Kaguya's panic. She begins to float up in an attempt to avoid their seals, but the ever dependable Sakura won't be having that, slamming her powerful fist down on the monster's head and forcing her back down toward her teammates.
Kakashi falls backward toward the ground, sharingan eyes ever active. He recalls the first words he ever said to those three as a group... that he didn't like them. While it wasn't strictly true at the time, it's less true now. He really likes those kids. He may not have accomplished much as their teacher, but he had to have done something right if they've turned out like this.
Naruto and Sasuke touch Kaguya's shoulders with their seal. There's the sound of temple and suzu bells as the chibaku tensei takes hold of the ancient and powerful woman. The seals disappear from Naruto and Sasuke's hands as they pull back, Sasuke grabbing Sakura and Kakashi as the ground breaks apart and Kaguya, now in the original juubi's form begins the process of being bound in this dimension.
The Bijuu all escape the form, each landing on the ground and heading away from the rising chunkes of earth to join the other three.
Naruto has other plans. No longer is Six Sage form, Naruto leaps among the rising rubble to find Zetsu. She lands in front of the pathetic creature pinned to the ground with her gudou stakes, "So, you didn't want to leave mommy's side, right?"
The creature flinches, "You- You bitch!"
"Just because you've been hiding attached to your mother's apron strings while you babble on-and-on doesn't mean I was going to leave you out," Naruto spears the being with her chains, pulling him away from the stakes bit-by-bit.
"You're nothing! Just another part of the ninja history I created!" Zetsu whines pathetically.
He's the one who is nothing. History will need to remember him, if only so nothing like this can never happen again. However, he is not the start or end of ninja history. People can be led and manipulated, but they can find their own paths in the end, "Ninja history was made witht he lives of many ninja... and their deaths. A brat who is afraid of letting go of his mother's apron strings, shouldn't compare themselves to them!"
Naruto flicks her chains upward, sending Zetsu flying into the forming mass of rock and dirt. He screams as he's crushed within the seal. As the seal progresses, it looks like a new moon has formed in this dimension.
Naruto smiles, reaching for the hiraishin marker on Kakashi and appearing next to him among the group, "Sealed and signed! That Mama's boy Zetsu gets to be with his mommy forever, dattebayo!"
"It's over..." Sasuke sighs.
Sakura beams, throwing her arms around the both of them, "We did it! Now let's get home and-!" Sakura suddenly shrieks, screeching to the heavens in panic, "Oh no! How are we going to get out of here?!"
Naruto shrieks too, spinning around on her toes in her own panic. She hadn't thought of that! There's a sharp tug along her spine, then she's looking at the sky from earth, the stars dimming with on-coming sunrise.
"Eh?!"
Looking around, she sees all the previous Hokage as well as several other men she doesn't recognize. She locks eyes with the loving gaze of her father, "Welcome back, Naruto," He says.
"Daddy..." A familiar form floats to sit in front of the four, smiling with pride.
Kakashi and Sakura are immediately on their guard, wary of the unfamiliar man but both easing slightly when neither Naruto or Sasuke show any hostility, "Naruto-chan... who is this?"
Naruto grins, "This is Grandpa Rikudou! He's mine and Sasuke's ancestor, 'ttebayo!" She then furrows her brows in confusion, "But what's going on here, Gramps?"
The old man chuckles, "You've all returned. With the power and assistance of the previous five Kage and four Hokage, we summoned you and the bijju from my mother's central dimension. I called them from the Pure Lands to help me bring you all home," His smile grows, eyes shining, "Naruto, Sasuke, and everyone... congratulations on saving the world!"
"Grandpa Rikudou?" Sakura hedges with confusion.
Kakashi's eyes are wide, piecing it together, "Are you the legendary...?"
Hagoromo turns his eyes to Kakashi, smile still in place. He looks so much more friendly and warm than when Naruto met him in that space between in her mind, "I am Otsutsuki Hagoromo. Also known as the Sage of Six Paths by many,"
Sakura sighs, body sagging, "I thought so... you're floating like a ghost," Naruto squirms uncomfortably, "Honestly, nothing surprises me anymore- I'm pretty tired of it,"
"Well," Kakashi starts, "You're the only one that could do something as godly as this,"
Hagoromo considers Kakashi a moment, "So you're Hatake Kakashi,"
Kakashi stands up straight, like he's in the presence of a superior officer, and nods, "Uh.. Yes?"
"You've done an excellent job leading them to sealing mother," Hagoromo praises, "I thank you,"
Kakashi seems to deflate, his body sagging with shame and exhaustion, "I couldn't really do much... It was all thanks to the girls and Sasuke and my other comrades," He says, "Plus, and old friend of mine lent me his powers once again," Naruto frowns sympathetically, taking Kakashi's hand in comfort and giving it a squeeze.
"Even so- you have great leadership skills. You've carried out your role well as Naruto's commander and Obito's friend despite being lost yourself," Hagoromo asserts, "They would have never been able to seal mother if it wasn't for your mind, young man,"
Naruto can hear the chuckle of Kurama laughing at her. She turns her head to see his large shape in the circle of Bijuu around them, "Kurama!" She cries, letting go of Kakashi's hand and running toward him, "I missed you! Are you okay?! Did you miss me too?!"
Son Goku laughs at Kurama's immediate embarrassment, "Shut up! I didn't miss you, you brat! YOu've got half of me inside of you or did you forget?!"
"Tsundere!" Naruto teases.
"I'll eat you!"
Behind her, Sakura calls out in worry, "Kakashi-sensei?!" Naruto spins around, earning another laugh from Kurama, to see Kakashi being supported by Sakura and looking beyond exhausted. Naruto runs over to join them, helping Sakura support his weight.
"Sasuke...Naruto... these are your predecessors," Hagoromo says, "Take a good look while you can,"
Naruto shares a look and nod with Sasuke before they turn their eyes to the corpse and the dying man once more. Hashirama kneels besides Madara, "Hashirama...?"
"Yeah..."
"We both have things we want badly...but never seem to get," Madara rasps.
Hashirama huffs a laugh, "No one said it would be easy! There's a limit to how much we can do when we're alive. That why we leave it to the next generation... they'll finish it for us!"
"You're still so naive..." Madara breaths a laugh, "You always... were the optimistic one... Maybe I should have... gone that way too... My dream is coming to an end... but yours hasn't yet..."
"You were always in such a rush- It was fine if our dreams didn't come true. The most important thing was bringing up a generation that could fulfill it," Hashirama replies.
Madara sighs, his breath almost a rattle, "Then it might have been impossible for me from the start... I hated someone following me from... behind..."
"Do you remember when we were children?" Hashirama starts with a small smile, "You once said that a ninja never knows when they die and that if there was ever a way to immortality we'd share it no matter what? We'd have to exchange our cups and become brothers... But we're both dying now. The only thing left to do is exchange our cups as comrades,"
There's a pause, Madara's breathing becoming shallower. Them, his voice is so quiet that Naruto almost have trouble hearing it, "Well... if that's how... I wouldn't mind..." The air leaves his body, leaving him laying there devoid of motion entirely. Thus ends of the life of Uchiha Madara... permanently.
"It's time... I will be sending everyone back to the Pure Lands soon," Hagoromo says.
Naruto bolts, leaving Kakashi to Sakura, toward her father, "Daddy!" She cries. She has to say goodbye. She gets to say goodbye.
Minato smiles at her, so warm and full of love and pride, "Naruto... My precious little girl, there's something I want to tell you," The sun is rising over the horizon, signaling the start of the day as the beams shine over her father and her, "Happy Birthday. You've grown into an amazingly strong and beautiful woman,"
Naruto sobs, "Thanks..."
"We don't belong here, so we can't stay for long," Minato breaths, tears coming to his eyes, "I'll tell Kushina all about you and how amazing you've become," He sniffles.
Naruto beams around her tears, "Tell- Tell her I'm eating a lot and doing fine! I got her recipe book and eat meals she would have made for me! I don't only eat ramen! And-and I shower almost every day and I enjoy hot baths and hot springs! Oh! And I made lots of friends, so many people who care about me! I've expanded our clan! The last Umino was adopted into the Uzumaki and Karin is a true Uzumaki! I have a hard time with book learning, but I work really hard in my studies... I do listen to the Hokage and Kakashi... most of the time! I respect them!" Naruto sniffles, smiling despite tears pouring down her cheeks, "And the shinobi taboos... I learned a lot traveling with Jiraiya-jiji... tell him hi for me? Um... I've just turned seventeen and I don't know a lot about alcohol, but I think I've fallen for a man that tries too hard to be like you. He's enough like you in the important ways... Mom thought it was funny..."
Naruto sobs. Minato has no arms to hold her with anymore, but she still feels his embrace as he begins to crumble apart and fade, "Anyway! Things didn't go exactly how you and mom would have liked for me, but I am doing my best and I am happy! I've got dreams! I want to restore our clan and become an even better Hokage than you, Daddy! I will do it! So tell mama... tell mama she doesn't have to worry about me! You don't have to worry about me! I guess I'm just like my overly talkative mother! I love you!"
"Got it... I'll tell her everything... I love you too, my little Princess," Her father's voice echoes around her head, his body completely gone, then, so is his presence. Naruto sobs into her hands, whole body shaking as all the previous Hokage and Five Kage return to the afterlife.
Kurama, for all his bluster, wraps his tail around her as she cries. The blonde burries her face into his fur, weeping as she holds on. After her tears subside, and her body warmed by the sun rise, Naruto lets go of Kurama while wiping her face.
"We're all free now!" Son Goku says, "I'll be returning to the Suiren Caves at long last! Ooh-ah!"
Kokuo chuckles, her tails swishing softly, "I'll be staying in my forest once more..."
"Oh, we'll finally return to our homes! It feels like a dream!" Chomei cheers.
Kurama turns to Gyuuki, questioning, "And you Gyuuki? Where will you be going?"
Gyuuki fidgets like he's embarrassed, "I think I'm going to go back to Bee... I've gotten attached to his awful raps and it's weird not hearing them," He admits, "And you, Kurama?" He asks knowingly. He doesn't know why he's embarrassed- he knows exactly where Kurama wants to be.
"Naruto has a bit of all your chakra in her now," Hagoromo states, "She'll act as a meeting place for all of you, should you wish to see each other. Kurama, I'd like you to return to Naruto. Do you object?"
Embarrassed, Kurama turns his head to the side with a grumpy look on his face, however, his tails expose his happiness, "I guess I have to! There's no helping it and she'd be lost without me..."
Naruto beams, stroking the fur of his tails.
"Naruto, Sasuke, have your answers changed after fighting my mother?" Hagoromo asks them both.
The blonde shakes her head, "Nope! Mine's the same," She scratches her whisker marks, "And this might hurt your feelings, but I'm really glad Uzumaki Kushina's my mother, 'ttebayo! Kaguya was different than others I've fought before... it's like she had no heart or dreams..."
"My mother was once revered as a Goddess, but I have no idea what changed her to such a degree that she became feared as a demon. Something must have happened when she ate the Chakra fruit... Whatever the case, you're not like mother. You may posses the chakra of all the tailed beasts, but I don't think you would become like she did. Now... all that's left... is to undo the Infinite Tsukuyomi,"
Kurama tilts his head, "So, how do we do that, Father?" He asks, "Do you need our powers too?"
Hagoromo shakes his head, "No. All that needs to be done is combining the powers of Naruto, who has all your power and Senjutsu, and Sasuke's rinnegan to undo the roots of the tree and free the people,"
"That's a lot easier than I expected," Kurama remarks.
"And what about you, Sasuke?" Hagoromo asks.
Sasuke's quiet a moment, then replies, "I suppose it is easy... But, I won't do it until I've found my answer fully. I've been reevaluating, but I just don't see why the five Kage should live and the Beasts roam free,"
Naruto glares at Sasuke with narrowed eyes. Kurama makes to attack Sasuke, but all the Bijuu freeze in place with a glance from Sasuke, eyes showing rinnegan as they're placed under a genjutsu. Oh she's going to throttle him.
Hagoromo sighs, turning to Naruto, "It's come to this, Naruto. You're the only one I can leave things to now. I've reached my limit and can't remain here any longer,"
Naruto sighs herself, "Yeah... Sorry Gramps, but it won't be anything like with your kids," She says, "I'm not Asura and Sasuke isn't Indra,"
Kakashi growls, forcing himself more upright, "Are you still hung up on your revenge after all of this?"
"Back then, all I wanted was pure destruction, but it's different now," Sasuke explains, "I want to demolish and rebuild. Rebuild a new world for us that can't be tainted by darkness! What I'm pushing for is a revolution!" He declares.
Naruto huffs, "You still don't understand, Sasuke," She says. Yes, revolution is important, but without care, all it becomes it only gives birth to more darkness. Darkness can never be completely vanquished, not everyone reacts to things the same way, but many can be shown a gentler path one way or another.
Sasuke claps his hands together, forcing chunks to rise and trap the bijuu in the giant meteors of the chibaku tensei, "Naruto... Help!" Kurama pleads.
Naruto grits her teeth, fists clenched, "Don't worry, Kurama! I'll save you just hang on for a little while!" She's going to drag Sasuke to the brighter path, even if its by his ears. She'd promised him she'd fight him, that she would win, and that time is now, "This sibling rivalry ends now,"
"Is it the fight you promised me, Naruto? The one you said that we'd kill each other in?" Sasuke asks coldly.
Naruto nods, "But I also told you that neither of us would die. It's time to show you a better way, you stubborn dick,"
Sasuke turns away from her, "Then let's go... I'm sure you know the place,"
"Wait! Sasuke!" Kakashi calls, falling to his knees with exhaustion still. Sakura is by his side again in an instant. Damn. His body is still feeling the effects of the sharingan. He'd related so much to Sasuke, but he can't... he can't let this fight happen. They could both die and all might be lost.
Sakura, after ensuring Kakashi is down for rest, stands looking at Sasuke, "Listen, I know there's nothing I can do to stop this. I never thought you would turn out this way! You don't understand people! You never let yourself! You slapped away every hand that reached out to you and you think that anyone would follow you willingly after that?! Your revolution is darkness! I may still have a place in my heart for you, but if you kill Naruto-chan... I will fight tooth and nail to ensure your revolution fails!" Sakura shouts, "If you'd stand down, listen to everyone and all of us could be together again, I'm sure-!"
Sasuke looks over his shoulder at Sakura, casting a genjutsu on the young woman and calling her annoying. The worst part, is that Sakura's words were affecting Sasuke. Stubborn idiot. He just keeps closing that avenue for reviving his clan.
"What the hell?! You don't have to put a genjutsu on her!" Naruto snaps.
"She'd just follow us at this rate," Sasuke huffs, "She'd distract you and get in the way- this saves us the trouble,"
Kakashi makes sure Sakura is in a comfortable position, glaring at Sasuke, "You can't understand, can you Sasuke?" Kakashi says in an angry hiss, "They've never stopped wanting to save you... especially Sakura. The people of Konoha will never follow you,"
"Kakashi," Naruto calls, "Believe in me. I'll bring that bastard home... I promised. You know how I work right?"
Kakashi looks at her with pained eyes, nodding in resignation, "Win... live, Naruto-hime,"
Naruto and Sasuke take off, running toward the end.
They arrive at the valley in record time, each taking a foothold on the head of their predecessor. They stare at each other quietly from opposite sides of a flowing river.... The valley of The End. It's been many years since Naruto's been here, but she knew this was where he wanted their fight to end.
She knows him better than she knows almost anyone.
"I'm not going to lose to you like before," Naruto starts, "And I can't let you do as you please. I certainly won't let you become Hokage- you don't understand what it means to be Hokage,"
"My meaning of Hokage is different than yours," Sasuke replies, "Mine's a revolution,"
Naruto sighs, pulling a ribbon from her vest pouches and pulling up her hair into a tight ponytail, "Your brother really opened my eyes to something I didn't realize as a kid. He said 'it's not that if you become Hokage everyone will acknowledge you, but that those acknowledged become Hokage' and he's right, dattebayo,"
"Even with my brothers words, our answers are just too different. So, before we fight, I'll make it clear," Sasuke says, "I'll show you my meaning of Hokage,"
Naruto crosses her arms with a raised brow.
"Itachi's life led me to this answer... He gave his life and family to protect The Land of Fire and Konohagakure. According to our ancestors, the village was made to put a stop to clan wars and the deaths of their children. But then Itachi, a child, was forced to swallow a bitter pill and maintain that peace all on his own. He took all that hatred onto himself and protected the country and village while staying in the shadows," Sasuke says, "Itachi Should have been Hokage. Not someone chosen by the people, but someone who will take that hatred without complaining. He made a mistake, leaving me alive and in the dark about the truth of things. He did that so I wouldn't be so full of hatred... but it did the opposite. Now, I'm nothing like my brother. I am alone and I can shoulder this hate all by myself. I'll handle every problem shinobi have myself. Judgements, executions, all of it. I'll make sure this hate is focused on myself alone and unify the villages. Hate will never disappear and in that case... A Hokage will be the villain the lights the darkness in all villages,"
Naruto works her jaw, "And you think that everyone would go along with that?" He's right that Hatred may be impossible to eradicate, but there's also people filled with boundless love. There will always be love stronger than the hate. Protectors and fighters... Sasuke doesn't see that his revolution will just spark war... all out war against him. And even as strong as he is... there's no way he's enough to stop the world alone. Even if he did- he'd just be doing what Madara did. He'd just become what they defeated.
All of it for nothing.
"Like I said, I don't care what all of them think of me," Sasuke states, "I have the power to do things my way now,"
Naruto recalls her conversation with Itachi, when she was trying to fight this war by herself and push herself tot he breaking point. He'd told her to never forget her friends and to always delegate when things become hard. People need people one way or another, "You don't understand anything about Itachi-san's life... There's times you can't go by yourself! Wasn't it so during the battle with Kaguya, you dumbass!"
"There'll be no more darkness to corrupt the villages... because I will be the lone darkness they must face. I'll destroy the darkness of the past,"
Naruto scoffs, "That's rich coming from you! You've been all about the past for as long as I've known you, 'ttebayo! Your entire identity until now was about your past and not even in a healthy way! You couldn't let go of Itachi one way or the other!"
"Itachi is a phantom of my past now," Sasuke says, "And I will start everything anew from this point onward. That will begin once you've either accepted my way or I've killed you,"
Naruto grits her teeth. As usual, Sasuke's not one for words. Fists it is then, "I won't let you. Everything I've learnt so far, I've learned from people of the past! Sasuke... It's time to beat some sense into you at last,"
There's a beat, then they're leaping at each other, meeting in a dead even Taijutsu block for both of them. They push off each other, catching themselves on the opposite statues again. Sasuke forms a familiar hand seal, his chest and cheeks puffing up so Naruto does the same, channeling a powerful suiton jutsu to counter his great fireball after entering her Six Sage State.
Sasuke's behind her quickly as the attacks meet thanks to his left eye. The Chidori in his hand is what alerted her, but she's fast too. The blonde blocks the attack with the gudou orbs, then swings at him with her chains, sending him bodily into Madara's statue then gaining some temporary distance into the valley to change into her Kyuubi form. Sasuke charges at her within his susano'o, Naruto blocking the attack with her tails.
They're attacking each other in such large forms, both creating jutsu as they battle all over the lake. Eventually, their giant form's fists meet, the blows connecting with a taijutsu strike. Naruto sees it, Sasuke's childhood pain and loneliness- all that hurt. The time... they time they passed each other by, neither reaching out but still... they acknowledged each other then
Over and over again, blows connect and memories and feelings passing through that connection.
"Is that all you've got?" Sasuke asks, "If you keep playing around, you'll die,"
"I won't let you kill me here," Naruto snaps, "You are on this lone wolf act- but you were my first bond and one of my best friends!" She just can't leave him alone. Regardless of Asura and Indra, Naruto probably would have connected to Sasuke. It's not fate, Naruto just doesn't believe in real fate, but a feeling and connection that can only be formed through understood feelings and battle.
He's her brother in a different way to Iruka, but her brother all the same.
Naruto leaps upward in her Kyuubi form as Sasuke's susano'o charges a chidori into its hand, "You chose this place because of what it meant to both of us and our pasts!" A creates a bijuudama out of her mouth, meeting the susano'o's chidori.
The explosion is massive, but still, they see each other clearly in that glimmering white void.
"Stop being so loud. We're not friends anymore... It isn't like before, but it's the same as back then," Sasuke says, "I understand what you're doing and you understand me too, don't you Naruto?"
Naruto frowns, "Even then, you still want to fight?"
"That's exactly why," Sasuke asserts, "I have to get rid of you,"
Naruto sneers, "You're willing to destroy everything with no guarantee it wouldn't turn out the same way. That's exactly what Madara was doing! How are you so sure that things wouldn't turn out the same way?!"
"I would watch over the world," Sasuke snaps, "That's the difference!"
"There is no difference! Whether like Madara and going mad for power or your eventual death, there's no guarantee! You'd eventually die, Sasuke! The Five Great Villages have connected!"
Sasuke shakes his head, "They shared a common enemy, and now that the enemy is gone they might just fall into the same pattern. As for dying... well, I have the sharingan and rinnegan. Immortality is within my grasp. I'll find a way," Sasuke says, "And there won't be any battles like there were before... I'll control everything in the shadows,"
"Do you plan to stay in that hell alone for the rest of eternity?" Naruto growls. Now he just sounds like Danzo, "Shouldering the hatred and grudges all the entire world?"
"That's what Hokage means to me," Their massive forms break apart, each of them floating in the air high above the valley, "You'll never be able to kill me with an attack like that,"
Naruto rolls her eyes, "Not trying to kill you, Jackass. That's the whole point,"
"Fine," Sasuke brings his hands up, forming a seal and the great stone meteors that contain her bijuu friends circle his back. Oh hell no, "I'm the most powerful there is right now and with this I take my first step into the darkness," Sasuke begins to absorb the chakra of her friends into himself, boosting his power.
"This is bad, Naruto," Kurama says, "He's combining all of their separate chakra into one and things will get even dicier. He's almost at Father's level! And without the Gedo Statue, he's putting it all into his susano'o! Don't let your guard down for an instant, Naruto!"
Naruto just watches. She's got an idea. Naruto creates a handful of clones, using them to smoke screen her leaving the battleground to focus on gathering enough to deal with that pain in the ass. He never learns.
Her clones battle well against the powerful Sasuke. Still, she's gotten stronger too- way stronger. She's going to win and she's going to let Sakura at him next. The amount of chakra she and Kurama gather over Sasuke's bouts with her clones is... a lot. Multiple arms form out of her Kurama shape, each feeding chakra into a rasenshuriken and Bijuushuriken in each hand, creating a storm cloud and tornado with their power and size.
It's those that get Sasuke to realize the real one's not been in the battle at all. The incredible amount of nature energy would give it away to a corpse, "So you've finally decided to get serious?"
"We've all got burdens to carry, but y'know..." Naruto grins, "When it comes to battle, I still wanna beat you!" Sasuke fires a lightning arrow from his susano'o directly at her just as she throws the rasenshuriken and bijuushuriken at him, "But not the you right now! You know that don't you, Sasuke?!"
The attacks meeting creates a massive thunderstorm, the earth shaking below. The heads of Hashirama's and Madara's statues topple to the earth, Nauto and Sasuke falling behind them to the ground.
In a lot of pain, Naruto forces herself to her feet. Her haori has finally given up and if not for it, her wounds would be much more severe. Though the seals were hers, the haori was a gift from Jiraiya... it's like he protected her. If Sasuke succeeds in his desire, there will be no one to protect him like that.
Naruto's no longer in her Six Sage mode, Kurama Mode, or Sage Mode now. Now she's just Naruto, standing and determined.
"Damn it..." Sasuke groans painfully, "You're still alive,"
"Between your haori, natural vitality, and the little chakra I was able to retain from gathering nature energy, we survived it, but it was a close one," Kurama warns, "While I'm on the topic, your natural chakra is beginning to run dangerously low after this whole war,"
Naruto breaths heavily, lifting her arm. Black flames burn up her arm, but the bijuu chakra within her pushes away the flames as she flings them off. He covers his left eye as if he's in pain, he's distracted. Naruto rushes in, using her chains to knock Sasuke into the air while she follows up with a downward punch. Sasuke spins, elbowing her in the face right as she strikes him too.
Sasuke removes one of his wrist bands, exposing a summoning seal that pops shuriken out of it. It's slower than one of her own, so she taps the ones she had on her hips, blocking the shuriken he throws with her newly summoned weapon chains.
They're both low on chakra and out of breath, but Naruto keeps pushing.
He follows it up with a weak chidori, that Naruto sends off course with an equally weak wind jutsu then clocks him across the face with a strong kick. When he rights himself after skidding across the earth on his back, he's got another chidori in hand.
Naruto manifests a rasengan in her own hand, running toward him. The exhaustion catches up with her though, sending her face first into the ground. Sasuke gets up, his own chidori burnt out and kicks her in the face, then straddles her to give her a beating.
When he leaves an opening, Naruto sits up, heading butting him off her. Her nose and lip are bleeding, so Naruto wipes it away as they both try and catch their breath, "Just... give up already...!" Sasuke snaps, panting hard.
Naruto shakes her head, rearing back her fist, Sasuke doing the same as they charge at each other, "Naruto!"
"Sasuke!"
It's basically a schoolyard beatdown after that. They constantly trade blows, beating each other to bruised pulps. It goes on util the sun has set, leaving them illuminated by moonlight when Naruto wtrikes Sasuke in the forehead and her pounds in her the stomach. She doesn't even have the chakra reserves to plant seals on him.
They fall to their knees on the waters of the lake they stand on.
"Naruto!" Kurama warns, "He's taking the chakra I made for you!"
Naruto, worn out, watches as Sasuke stands over her with Kurama's chakra coating his hand, "See you... my only friend!" Sasuke begins to strike down on her. He seems to hesitate.
The Uzumaki swallows, gaining a second wind. She pulls up fast, uppercutting Sasuke right in the chin. Just like years ago, Sasuke goes flying into the cliff, cratering it with his body. She takes a second to breath, watching Sasuke get frustrated with her, "Give me a break and give up already!"
"No way..." Naruto pants, "I am who I am..."
Sasuke begins to crawl out of his crater, charging up a chidori with black fire, as Kurama speaks to her, "Great counter, Kid! You didn't miss that his powers have weakened... though the chakra I made you got taken. I'm going to give you all my remaining chakra. After that, I'll go to sleep so don't over do your jutsu and don't let him take anymore,"
Naruto smiles as Kurama lectures her like he's her parent. This is the one that was with her father all her life, so maybe he's grown to care for her through her dad, "His rinnegan is still new, so he can't absorb and cast at the same time. Now... Go!"
Naruto beams through a bruised face, holding her fist out to Kurama. The fox grins back, tapping his fist to hers.
With the last of her and Kurama's combined strength, Naruto creates a rasengan to meet Sasuke. They meet one final time in the middle. Their attacks clashing into a bright burst of light.
Then, things go dark.
Naruto wakes up awhile later, her arm stinging. Looking down, she and Sasuke's arms are intact, but they're bloody messes. There's feeling there, hurting like hell, but she's not lost her arm yet. There's the potential she could, depending on the damage, and she won't be using it for a long time yet.
If they move too much, they'll both bleed to death.
Sasuke's still out, so Naruto just looks up at the moon above her.
Eventually, the boy next to her groans, "You finally awake?"
"Owww," Sasuke groans. He gasps when he probably sees the state of their arms. She doesn't know what makes it funnier, the fact they're both basically smears or that their fingers are connected.
"As you can see, we'll bleed to death if we move around too much..." Naruto rasps. Well, they still might. It is a lot of blood and she's sure they've destroyed some of their veins or arteries.
There's silence for a while. They just lay there together, "Why?" Sasuke sighs, "Just look at the state of you. Why did you insist in getting in my way? I fell into darkness and gained powers to cut away everything in my way. It didn't matter who it was... or how I felt about them... I wanted to cut all my ties... but I couldn't. You wouldn't let me and you wouldn't cut our bond either by killing me. No matter what happened or what I did... Why do you still concern yourself that much with me?!" He demands.
Naruto could almost laugh if she was sure it wouldn't hurt, "You should know by now," She breaths, "Your mouth is making up for what your body can't do,"
"Just answer the damn question!"
Naruto sighs, "Because you're my friend, Stupid,"
"You said that already, but what does that mean to you?" He asks again.
Naruto hums, thinking. Honestly, the words to say it are difficult, but simply put, "It's just... when I see you blabbering and carrying on, with everything on your shoulders, I kinda... hurt. I feel that pain too," Sasuke's eyes widen, staring at Naruto who is still looking up at the sky, "It's so much pain... that I just can't leave you alone," Sasuke feels like he could cry, and when she finally faces him, she laughs despite cracked, bruised, and bleeding lips, "Though, I'm hurting all over right now!"
The blonde winces, turning her face back to the sky in pain.
Sasuke is drowning. He'd... always known her as alone. She'd act out and get people to scold her just so people would look at her. She was also wary of others, just as Sasuke was. It made him feel... relieved. Then, she started letting people in and trying despite her mistrust, gathering those around her and that weakness started to affect him too... or so he thought. He'd trained himself so hard to escape from that weakness; ignoring every person he felt something for.
Then, they were on the same team and the bond Naruto cemented between all of them reminded him of his family again.
They got stronger together, worked well in a team, and Sasuke wanted to fight her. He started to see them like family... And in doing so, when he started to see her suffering...
He suffered too.
The bond wasn't one-sided, no matter how much he insisted it was. Sakura and Kakashi too... he cared for them. It scared him. He envied her and her rapidly growing kill and her ability to not hang on to pain... but by then, he didn't know how to go without it. He'd been in pain for so long that it became as natural as breathing.
He had no one to show him how to let go of the pain.
Maybe, he should let her show him how, instead of just one-sidedly being jealous of that ability.
At some point, they'd fallen asleep.
Naruto wakes up with the sun in her face and alive. She groans, blinking the sun out of her eyes. Sasuke's awake too, but she's more concerned about where they are, "Did we make it to heaven?"
Sasuke snorts, "Looks like we slept 'til morning. Once again, we failed to die,"
Naruto groans, trying to move but her arm screams in pain, "Ugh! sh*t! I still can't move! I wanted to beat you until you opened your eyes once and for all!" The man next to her laughs, a sound she hasn't heard without mania in it in years. It sounds so much lighter than she's ever heard it for that matter, "Wh-what?!"
He keeps laughing, "We're like this... and you still want to fight... hehe,"
Naruto puffs up her cheeks, shouting, "Damn straight! I'm not giving up, 'ttebayo!"
"I admit it..." Sasuke says suddenly, "It's my loss,"
Naruto blinks then snaps again, "This ain't a win or lose fight! This is a friend smacking another friend's head back on right!" She shouts, her throat raw and sore, "The real fight is after that!"
"Hey, Naruto," Naruto's brought up short by Sasuke's call, "I've finally acknowledged you, so if I were to die now, that destiny of the Sage's would end. That's a revolution in itself, don't you think? You can dissolve the Infinite Tsukuyomi after I die... just transplant my eye into Kakashi or something. I want to settle all my debts with my own body,"
Naruto growls, wishing more than anything that she could move so she could kick him or bite him, "Don't think dying would settle anything, Dumbass! Live and help me out instead of dying! Do you really want the Uzumaki being the only living founding clan in Konoha?!" Appeal to Sasuke's sense of order, because Uzumaki are chaos and would drive any spouses to chaos too, "My dreams need people! I want peace and understand for the shinobi world!"
Sasuke chuckles again, looking at her in disbelief, "Even if that sits well with you... do you think anyone else would accept that?" He's referring to him living and being free.
"Shut up! They'll get it once I explain it to them!" Naruto huffs, "You're so negative! I'll bite you!"
"And if I oppose you again?"
Naruto glares at him, "Then I'll stop you again! Mou! You never listen!" The blonde gripes, "Besides, I don't think you will!"
Now it's Sasuke's turn to give her a wide-eyed and confused stare, "How can you be sure?"
"You really don't listen! You Uchiha might have traded your ears for eyes! Don't make me repeat myself!" Naruto whines, "Or maybe you're just stupid! But I already..." Naruto turns to look at him, seeing Sasuke looking up at the sky with tears flowing from his eyes.
"You don't have to repeat yourself... just stop screaming already, Idiot," Sasuke chokes.
Naruto grins.
Their bloody fingers have made the sign of reconciliation and Naruto knows Sasuke's noticed too. They don't need the words to know that things will be fine now... well, if they can get out of here and break the jutsu holding everyone.
The Uzumaki's so tired that she can't sense anything right now anyway. If there were enemies left in the world at the moment, then she wouldn't be able to sense them coming.
"Naruto-chan! Sasuke-kun!" Sakura's voice cries, coming down the valley. Her friend lands at their feet, seeing the state of them. She creeps up between them, holding glowing hands over their arms first after separating their fingers.
Naruto sighs as the pain eases, "Sakura-chan... thanks,"
"Sakura...I..." Sasuke starts.
Sakura's jaw tightens, her face running through mixed emotions, "Shut up. I need to concentrate," She settles on saying. Naruto giggles at the way Sasuke's brows furrow.
"I'm sorry..." He says anyway.
Sakura raises a brow, though doesn't look at his face, "For?" Oooh. She's using clipped sentences. Sasuke's going to get it later and not from Naruto! Sakura's way scarier than her when she wants to be!
"For everything..." Sasuke rasps.
Sakura's lips twitch, finally turning an annoyed teary gaze onto Sasuke, "You better be and you will be," She smiles, sending shivers down Naruto's spine. The tears flowing from Sakura's eyes only increase the terror, "Now shut your mouth for once like I told you to. I need to focus on healing your stupid ass so you don't die before I get my turn,"
Naruto cackles when Sasuke sends her an alarmed look.
They sit up, not longer in danger of dying under Sakura's care. The medic shoves plasma pills in their mouths then moves on to bandaging their arms. Really, it could have been worse. Both she and Sasuke held back just enough to prevent total arm loss. She wasn consciously trying not to kill him, but for him at the time, it was probably subconscious.
Kakashi joins them, looking ragged but happy as he stands over them, "Mah. You've caused a lot of trouble, but I'm sure you've gotten it out of your system," Kakashi eye-smiles Naruto nearly swoons, "Time to free everyone, yeah?"
Naruto looks at Sasuke, the two sharing a nod, "Yeah,"
The blonde squeaks when Kakashi picks her up, then laughs at the face Sasuke makes when Sakura picks him up. Naruto's short enough that a princes carry from Kakashi probably looks romantic (she so wishes) but when it's Sakura carrying Sasuke, it looks kinda funny, if only because Sasuke's embarrassed.
After having a little giggle about Sasuke's predicament, Naruto lets herself enjoy being carried by Kakashi again.
They're on the edges of the battlefield again when they realize their arms are still kinda useless. They eventually work out the logistics of it, each using a hand to form the Rat seal together. Together, they watch as the roots and cacoons lower and fall away and the meteors Sasuke encased the bijuu in crumble to free them.
She turns to beam at him, then snorts in amusem*nt when seeing his eye.
"What?"
Naruto takes on a mocking tone, "Immortality is within my grasp with the rinnegan," She quotes, "You don't have the rinnegan anymore! We used the last of the chakra Grandpa Rikudou gave us to undo this, dattebayo,"
Sasuke's brows raise, turning to Sakura and Kakashi who nod in confirmation about his now regular eye. Naruto doesn't feel the Six Paths Sage Mode within her anymore either. Only Bijuu chakra and a sleeping Yin Kurama as the yang Kurama blinks bearily after exiting the rubble.
"Kurama!" Naruto cheers, arms open wide.
Kurama growls at Sasuke, snapping his jaws, "Of course you didn't kill him! Still too naive for your own good. It's good you have me or you'd get taken advantage of way too often!"
"Yeah... I'll have you as long as I live, 'ttebayo," Naruto grins, keeping her arms wide open. Kurama slinks forward, pressing his large nose to her stomach and being sucked back into her seal when Naruto hugs his face. Once he's inside, her arms are wrapped around herself with a smile, "Welcome home, Kurama," He's whole again now too.
With that, it's time to meet up with everyone and for Sasuke to face the music.
Team Seven is together again.
TBC
