NHRK Chapter 62

Everything was going quite smoothly, and casualties that Konoha suffered were minimal, with Naruto holding on to the souls who passed.

He did not like using the outer path of the Rinnegan, especially since for someone like Nagato, the cost of using such techniques was his very life.

Naruto’s lifeforce far eclipsed his, but the jutsu was one of the very few that drained him nonetheless. It would leave him feeling vulnerable, but not vulnerable enough to be threatened by what was in front of him now.

Madara, perhaps.

Kaguya, definitely.

He would see this through and once Konoha was safe, he would have his rest.

He glanced over to Kushina and saw that she was just about done with her part, sealing the four tails in the Gedo Mazo statue he’d prepared for Gaara and Shukaku beforehand. It was funny how the coin flipped on the other side they’d bet on, now Gaara was the one who was helping them.

Naruto would have to find a way to thank him once this was over.

Speaking of Gaara, Naruto narrowed his eyes as he spotted the red haired boy take his jinchuriki form, in far more control this time than when he was just recently in the forest of death.

It seemed that he and Shukaku reached an agreement, though how and for what reason Naruto did not know.

He flashed towards Gaara, just in time to see Itachi getting back up on his feet. Even with his face as stiff as a block of wood, Naruto could see the pain in his expression.

But he persevered and activated his jutsu anyway.

“Tsukuyomi,” Itachi muttered, staring right into the eyes of the five tailed bijuu.

The beast roared but went still.

It was merely a few seconds in which Itachi could hold him, but it was more than enough for Gaara and Shukaku to overwhelm Han and Kokuo immediately.

Gaara’s sands separated the host’s body from the bijuus and suffocated Han with sand, rendering him unconscious.

Naruto flashed towards the downed body that was released and placed a seal on the Iwa-nin after the five tails was absorbed back into its human container. It would have to do until he prepared another Gedo Mazo statue.

Naruto let out a breath of relief before he looked over to his long time friend.

Gaara’s bijuu form was slowly disintegrating as Shukaku went back into his host.

“You have my thanks, Sabaku no Gaara, as well as Konoha’s. I will see to it personally that you are given leniency from whatever may come after this,” Naruto stated.

Gaara merely nodded, and that was enough to convey his understanding.

Naruto returned the nod, before his senses flared once more.

Naruto sighed again. Of course it wasn’t over just yet. There was a battle in the stadium, and despite having just subjugated Iwa’s leadership as well as their jinchuriki’s, Naruto suspected that unlike Yagura’s case in Kiri, Iwa’s army would continue fighting to the very end.

Something Kurotsuchi said rang in his mind.

‘We had no choice. Iwa is destroyed.’

As Naruto expanded his senses once more, he found that Kurotsuchi’s words rang true. Iwa’s invasion forces were fighting not merely as soldiers at war, but as survivors on their final breath.

They had to win no matter the cost. They were desperate.

Naruto bit his lips before he hiraishin’ed to the stadium, observing what large threats that remained.

On the nearby rooftop of the stadium’s buildings, Hiruzen clashed against Gaara’s father, sand flying, staff swinging…and…

Naruto almost tripped on his feet.

Jiraiya.

So this was what Hiruzen meant when he told Naruto he had help.

And help he did have, as the pervy sage was more than enough for both to steadily whittle down the Kazekage’s defences, bit by bit. That fight would end soon.

Then his attention shifted once more, to the important subjects of his observation.

His girls.

They were fighting against the sound four…five? Naruto had a feeling of whiplash as he observed Kimimaro in action, fighting against Sakura of all people.

Unlike his old world, however, the sound five seemed far more capable than he remembered.

They hit harder, moved quicker, and something ill about their very souls gave Naruto chills.

This…whatever this was, was the work of that Snake, Orochimaru.

Experiments with results, Naruto knew, but also had risks so severe that the snake hesitated to apply it to himself.

Whatever he did to his students, it was vile.

Naruto just about moved to interfere before he felt a hand on his shoulder.

Naruto turned to find the patient face of Kushina.

“Kushina?” Naruto enquired.

“Watch them first,” Kushina said, “Let your students fight their own battles. You cannot keep them in a cage forever.”

Naruto did not like her response, but he begrudgingly nodded, choosing to stay and keep a close eye on them.

Around Konoha, his shadow clones were doing more than enough to provide assistance to both battles and civilian evacuation, and all major threats had been dealt with. Thus, he was comfortable staying where he was, although his fingers still twitched in the desire to end it all right then.

He would listen to Kushina. She had experience with this.

Yet his hands still reached for hers in worry, intertwining his fingers as she reciprocated the gesture. Neither looked into each other's eyes as they watched on.

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Sarada was a bit miffed at not being able to take on who seemed to be their leader but as much as she hated to admit it, Sakura and Hinata were far above her league now.

It seemed as if she’d blinked and they’d somehow left her behind.

She didn’t like being the last one to take advantage of their sensei, but as much as she’d gone on about being first in everything in the past, she felt…hurt that this was the one thing she hadn’t been first on.

It was her insecurities that prevented her from acting sooner, and now it was like a bitter pill she’d swallowed.

She would leave her jealousy aside for now and deal with this…girl in front of her.

She was almost as short as her own petite self, but was just a touch taller. Her red hair was pale unlike the deep crimson that was lady Kushina’s–perhaps somewhere in between Kushina and Sakura in colour.

Worst of all, she seemed to be her age, and from within her bones, Sarada could feel that she was a formidable opponent. From the looks of it, it seemed that this girl had been groomed from a young age to be as strong as she can be by Orochimaru himself. All in all, nothing to mess around with.

Sarada activated her Sharingan. Pupils red, tomoe spinning.

The world slowed around her as she struck, brandishing her sword as struck as quickly as she could, hoping to end the fight early.

To her surprise, her sword went through the red haired girl easily, without resistance.

A genjutsu.

Sarada paused and checked her eyes again to see if they were working. She’d never done so before but clearly this was a special case.

An illusion.

An illusion that her sharingan could not see past.

“Foolish Uchiha,” a voice said, ringing from all directions around her. “My illusions are auditory. Your eyes will not help you here.”

Sarada growled, sheathing her sword and blitzed hand signs together.

‘Firestyle: Fireball jutsu!’

Although not her main affinity, it was something that Itachi had helped her in the past month, and she took advantage of her heightened control of the jutsu to let it continuously flow as she spun around herself, shooting flames in all directions.

“Foolish Uchiha,” the girl said.

Then Sarada felt her senses blaring as the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end.

She dodged to the side, just in time to let the club that was swung from an illusory ogre land on the ground with devastating impact.

Sarada grit her teeth as she got back on her feet.

She barely sensed it coming, and had Naruto been any less strict with his surprise attack training, she would have been gravely injured there for sure.

The ogre, being illusory, made no sound, and casted no shadows.

“Tch,” the girl said.

She appeared once more from beside the ogre, arms crossed and blowing a tuft of red hair that covered her eyes.

A foolish mistake, made from underestimating her opponent.

Out of all the girls that Naruto taught, Sarada was one of the fastest, coming second only to Haku when she was using her demonic ice mirrors.

From 15 yards away, a mere distraction like having hair in your face against one such as her was costly.

She didn’t have enough speed to get to Tayuya physically, not in the fraction of a second when she was distracted, but she could flick a kunai very, very fast.

She also hated the fact that Itachi helped her in that regard as well.

Basics and fundamentals separated great shinobi from the adequate.

So, the kunai flew, fast as lightning.

Tayuya, realising her mistake, moved to the side, seeming to not be an illusion this time, to Sarada’s delight.

She could not dodge fully as the Kunai embedded itself on her bicep, just off from the heart where Sarada had been aiming.

“YOU BITCH!” the girl roared as she grabbed onto her arm.

Sarada didn’t respond, but she unsheathed her sword once more and dashed towards the girl.

Tayuya removed the kunai and played her flute, ignoring the pain.

She disappeared once more and Sarada cursed as the Ogre came to life.

She dodged the subsequent swing of the club before she retaliated by trying to bisect the creature’s arm.

It went straight through the illusion as if it was air.

Sarada did not like this.

Not at all.

The ogre was somehow intangible, yet had the ability to strike things physically with its club.

A tune played from a flute, and now, suddenly, there were two ogres.

Sarada went faster, using her eyes to slip away from the ogre’s swings.

Another tune. Another Ogre added to the mix.

Sarada began to sweat.

These ogres were not slow and they worked almost as well together as Naruto’s shadow clones.

But she was not a student of his for nothing.

‘Understand your foe. Identify their weakness as quickly as you can.’ Naruto’s voice rang in her mind.

Sarada's mind churned.

This foe was tricky, casting genjutsus that her eyes cannot see through, but she was loudmouthed and arrogant. She’d already given her clues.

‘Auditory Illusions. Flute. Relies on Hearing.’

She continued to dodge the barrage that the Ogres were giving her.

Against Naruto’s clones, she was able to handle two of them going at close to full speed, though how much she believed Naruto’s words when he said that was another story.

Here the ogres were easier than the clones, with their slower speed and easier to read swings, but they were more numerous.

Another change in tune, and Sarada caught the note straining a bit, creating an airy sound at the end. All the ogres paused just as a fourth appeared, seeming to malfunction in their movements.

They relied on the music to function.

What if the music was drowned out?

Sarada could be loud if she wanted to be, though Sakura had that department in spades.

But oddly, the loudest jutsu she knew was also her deadliest.

Her hands twitched as she began to blaze through hand signs.

The brief lapse of the ogres was just enough for her to get the jutsu off before they resumed trying to kill her.

‘Lighting Style: Chidori!’

Sparks of erratic lighting crackled from her hand.

She did not like the jutsu, as she had one other entrusted to her by the one she loved, but when Kakashi offered to teach it to her, Naruto had been insistent she learn it.

She didn’t like what her mentor said had once almost taken his heart and indeed had lobbed off his arm, but he was practical. She and the jutsu were made for each other. To dismiss it would be to throw away an invaluable tool that could potentially save her life one day, just as it was doing now.

The crackling of the lightning was loud, and it was a wonder how Kakashi had learnt to suppress enough to use as an assassination technique. Obviously, she had more to learn.

The ogres flickered and Sarada grinned at the result. She channelled more chakra through the technique and for a moment, her sharingan eyes caught the flicker of a shape to the side.

There, standing on the wall.

She dashed to where she suspected this Oto girl to be, and without hesitation, she jabbed her chidori forward.

The girl cursed as she stopped playing her flute to dodge, but Sarada followed her closely. Her speed was superior and she’d only need a few more moments to–

“Fuck! I can’t believe I have to do this!” the girl growled.

Then she activated the seal on her shoulder.

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Naruto watched as all of his girls were holding their own just fine, with Sakura and Hinata particularly dominating their respective opponents of Kimimaro and Kidomaru respectively.

As talented as the Kaguya boy was, Sakura’s enhanced healing and strength, as well as her Taijutsu prowess proved too much for him to handle, especially after…sleeping with him to gain that much needed boost in chakra.

She was overwhelming him as the bone kekkei genkai user repeatedly had to use his finger bullets to keep her at a distance.

Hinata had no blind spots now, especially with the yet to be revealed enhanced version of her eyes.

He’d been surprised when it happened, and wondered what Sarada’s eyes would be like once he…

Naruto coughed into his fist.

“Are you alright son?” Kushina asked.

“Y-yes,” Naruto blushed, “lost track of thought for a bit.”

Kushina smirked. “Admiring your own women?”

Naruto couldn’t help but give Kushina herself a once-over. “...maybe?”

He earned a smack on the arm from that.

He turned back towards the fight and his eyebrows twitched as he sensed that vile part of one of the sound four member’s souls started to leak out.

It was disgusting. A bastardised version of the sage mode controlled by a shard of Orochimaru’s soul. Since Orochimaru was dead, however, and Naruto had ensured that the main soul of the snake was dead and thereby destroying its smaller counterparts, the seal should be dead as well, unless one forcefully willed it open.

Force it open they did.

The girl who had pale red hair screamed as the seal consumed her from head to toe. The sudden burst of energy blew Sarada away and she had to separate herself from the source of the outburst.

Tayuya screamed and screamed, and the seal kept consuming.

The marks now covered every part of her and before Naruto could intervene, it exploded into a mass of…something.

Something terrible.

Nothing of the girl was left recognizable.

She was now not unlike the ogre illusions she casted herself, becoming a beast of monstrous strength.

Normally, when one misused nature chakra, they would turn into stone but orochimaru’s seal corrupted that chakra and turned it into something else. Now it was like a cancer that grew  from within one’s soul, and the tumour was the very host themselves.

The other four of the girl's teammates stared at her in shock, as if surprised that she had to resort to such a thing. It was as if they all knew it was a bad idea once they could no longer feel their master’s presence but clearly the girl had been the most stubborn and reckless.

Now she seemed to regret it.

The ogre girl disappeared from her place and Naruto gasped as Sarada only barely dodged the swing of her fist, hammering down on the earth with such force that it sent the stadium shaking.

Naruto made to move.

And again Kushina stopped him.

He looked at her. She shook her head. He cursed and stayed put.

He did not like seeing his friends in danger while he was just sitting there, but if this was what it meant to trust in his students…

He wanted to punch a tree but reigned in his emotions.

‘Come on girls,’ he thought, ‘you got this.’

Sakura and Hinata sensed the urgency of the situation and picked up their pace, both dismantling their opponent’s jutsu and going for the kill, no longer in the phase where they assessed the potential hidden cards they may have up their sleeves.

Hinata’s eyes glowed and veins no longer appeared around her eyelids. Instead her pale irises shone like they were emitting moonlight.

Tenseigan. Hinata had almost fainted at the sight of it. It was the first time Naruto had seen such a thing but the things she was able to do with it in their training sessions…

It sent shivers down his spine.

Kidomaru was screwed as all the spiderwebs he planted around Hinata were vaporised by the strings of water attached to Hinata’s fingers.

Sakura, too, stopped messing around and wiped the makeup on her forehead, revealing a seal Naruto and Kushina helped design.

Death was coming for Kimimaro as well.

And both of the sound four knew it.

They, too, activated their seals.

Kimimaro became…bony.

As in, completely skeletal as flesh was rendered out from his body. Eerily what was left began to move and grow, just as until it reached the size of the Oni girl. In its skull, green light glowed like there was a light bulb within.

Kidomoru grew just as big, but into the form of a giant spider. A giant, mutated spider with twelve legs instead of eight, and hundreds of eyes both on its torso and its face.

Kami, things were just getting worse and worse.

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