Chapter: 64

Naruto Uzumaki]

He wondered, then and there, as he watched the man with a huge sword fighting the woman they had been trying to contain, if there was any way he could have been more useful. Naruto was proud of his seals, he really was. However, at that moment, he felt absolutely useless, even as he continued drawing weight seals to place on her.

'Why am I not that strong?' He wondered, anguished as he looked around. All of his friends looked terrible. Not only were they exhausted due to their continued efforts to stop this woman, but they also were dealing with the effects of that accursed chakra.

'The same chakra I'm supposed to have,' Naruto thought with a grimace. He'd made a sort of deal with the Fox during his time training, that much was true. The demon would give him chakra from time to time when he asked for it, after all, it benefitted both of them if he was strong.

That, however, had led to Jiraiya and himself finding out the effects that too much chakra had on him. Apparently, the Fox could influence him more and more as he accepted more chakra. So, their little deal could get out of hand really quick, they'd realized.

A deal with the devil, indeed.

'How'd they do it?' Naruto asked himself as he looked at the blonde woman for a moment. She looked nothing like what Jiraiya had told him about his own usage of the chakra. He'd described Naruto as a crazed beast more than a human. The Kumo ninja looked to be perfectly in control to him, so…

How?

Angrily, he sent another kunai with a newly drawn seal so that it was as close to the fight as possible, without it being in range of the attacks that could break it that is. This was all he could do and it frustrated him like nothing he'd felt before. It reminded him of those times, back in the Academy, when he was just another useless student. When everyone was ahead of him…

He hated it.

Naruto almost twitched, when his anger resulted in a tickle of the Fox's chakra flowing through him. Apparently, the demon had decided that even when not asked to, he would have fun. The Uzumaki didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing. He was certainly leaning towards the latter though.

It didn't help that Shino was pumping him more than the others with the red chakra of the woman. It felt just like the Fox's but also nothing like it. It inspired the same disgust though, the same anger, the same boundless energy that urged him to do something. That something was never good though.

Naruto bit his lip as he saw the woman connect a hit to the swordsman's torso, five cuts appearing on his clothing and skin courtesy of her weaponized nails. Maybe he could use the Fox's chakra? Maybe he could try to be like her? Wasn't he supposed to be like her?

"What matters is who you are and what you do," He remembered then. That's what Eiji had told him when they'd had their chat regarding the Fox. Eiji, who was supposed to be… fighting the guy that looked stronger than the woman they were facing…

'Oi, Fox,' Naruto called out, as he'd learned to do during his training time. 'Help out here and don't mess with me,'He told it, his eyes staring at the woman who seemed to start gaining ground in her battle with the swordsman. 'Do that, and I'll make sure to change the sewer into something much nicer.'

It was slow at first, but he'd done it enough times to recognize when the Fox's chakra started coursing through him. The red energy started appearing outside of him, just like it did with the woman. With that, Naruto stood, forgetting about the paper, the ink, the brush, all thoughts of seals pushed aside.

It was time to fight for real now.

The ground cracked under his feet and, a split second later, he was already on the woman, his fist hitting the side of her chest just as she blocked the gigantic sword with her nails. He heard the surprised sound coming from her mouth and the intrigued one that escaped the swordsman. Naruto wasn't focusing on that though.

No, the fight he'd just joined was much more important. He sent a kick her way then, only for his leg to be smacked aside by one of her hands. Still, this had turned into a one versus two now, and the swordsman took advantage of that opening slashing at her with his cleaver.

Naruto recovered in an instant from her attack, jumping back in.

"To think there was another one of us here, on the other side, and in control," The woman spat, looking directly at him. The blonde simply grinned at her, feeling the longer canines against his lips.

"Oh, did you think you were special?" He asked back with laughter in his voice. "Are you gonna cry?"

"Focus, boy," Naruto heard the swordsman say and he almost snapped something at him. His expression grew strained though, as he realized that was the influence of the chakra in him. The man was right, they needed to take out this woman. Then…

Then he would go help Eiji. His brother needed the help to fight the other man with a demon. Yes. He needed to go help him.

With renewed determination, Naruto locked eyes with the blonde woman. He needed to deal with her. Then, he would help Eiji and then they would stop this whole mess.

Naruto crouched down, his hands on the ground as his nails grew a little longer, sharper. The red cloak over him grew a bit, especially over his head and behind him. Almost in the shape of ears and a tail, like the woman's own cloak. He almost felt like thanking the Fox, but he needed to focus on what he was doing.

He'd made another deal with the devil, and he would make sure it was well worth it.

[}-o-{]

[Sasuke Uchiha]

He didn't know how Eiji and Shikamaru had done it, but they'd gotten the Suna siblings to help out. Sasuke reallywanted to know how though because from what he'd seen of the trio, they were hardly what one would call helpful. Had Eiji threatened the brother that he'd fought? Maybe.

How scary was the Satou that he could threaten someone into betraying their village?

Sometimes Sasuke thought that he should be more angry or jealous than he actually was regarding the red-eyed boy. Being in the presence of someone that was so much stronger than he was, so much more skilled, so much more intelligent, so much more talented. Surely he should feel inferior or something, right?

Instead, he only felt proud. Proud that all their hard work had paid off. That all the time they had spent training had given results, even if one of them had gotten better ones. Sasuke had been there with Eiji almost all the way, and he'd seen the other boy work just as much as he had, maybe even more.

He just couldn't bring himself to feel anything but happy for his…

...Brother.

It didn't help that Eiji just couldn't help himself and had to be a fucking saint. Even with the hell that had become Konoha through this invasion, even with his opponent that was surely much stronger than his, even with all that was going on, he'd still managed to find time and energy to send his Summons to help Sasuke. Honestly, how was he supposed to be annoyed at him, much less be angry?

Still fighting the crystal-user, this time together with the Suna nin that fought with puppets, Sasuke took the scene around him for a split second. One of the spiders had just spat something at the white-haired boy that had been fighting the 'Princess'. The blue-haired woman was busy dodging Sparkling Shurikens that Sasuke himself had thrown her way.

The fight was over, both on his side and the Iwa nin's. Their opponents just refused to go down though and thatwas annoying. Why didn't they just give up? He could have been on his way to the others, to help out. Were the group alright against the blonde woman? Was Eiji alright against that man with lots of swords? Had anything unexpected happened? Had any of their plans besides the Suna siblings worked?

Sasuke didn't see the sand-user in the arena, was he somewhere else? Or had they failed to convince him? He hoped for the first. They had the situation in control there, but the Uchiha didn't know how things were with the rest of his friends. He really hated not knowing that…

[}-o-{]

[Chouji Akimichi]

"That's the last one, Hiashi-sama," One of the Hyuga members reported, clear relief in his voice.

Some distance away stood Chouji himself with Kiba and Hinata on each side of him. He'd almost been surprised when the Inuzuka had joined their group once the attack started. Granted, he'd known he had been… called, for lack of a better term, but he'd doubted that he would actually listen.

Then had come the second surprise of the Kiri nin that had joined their fight. Again, he'd been aware that Eiji had a plan to get them to help, but he hadn't expected that to work either. Maybe the lesson here was to stop doubting the Satou, Chouji mused. He couldn't remember the last time Eiji had failed at something.

Even his plan to get the Suna siblings to help had worked, if what he'd seen just a moment ago from the balcony was any indication.

Speaking of, Chouji had been sorely tempted to shout reassurances to Sasuke. To tell him that they were alright, at least on this side. Although, the Uchiha hadn't been there when they'd decided to split off to get Hinata's clan. It would be a small comfort to know that some of them were alright, the Akimichi was sure.

Sadly, shouting information regarding anything, even if it was a victory, didn't sound like a good idea to him and Hinata and Kiba had agreed.

The trio looked around for a moment. Nobody seemed in any hurry to get out of the balcony they were in and continue fighting although, no one could blame them. Most of the people there already looked dead on their feet. Chouji noted, however, that the Kiri ninja had already left at some point.

"Hm… Kiba?" Hinata called, getting both boy's attention. "You think you could go back to the rest of the group and see if they need help? I can't… really leave here, and you are faster than Chouji… and we may need some help here still… but… hmm..."

"Hm," The Inuzuka hummed and nodded, catching Chouji off guard. He'd agreed just like that? "Sounds like a plan, what do you say Akamaru?" The boy asked his ninken, who barked something at him. The dog looked as tired as they did, but it was obvious that both boy and canine were ready to continue fighting. Chouji kind of envied them that, he may be stronger than them, but he tired much faster, evidently.

"Kiba," Chouji called out this time, just as the Inuzuka and his partner turned to leave. When Kiba looked back over his shoulder, the Akimichi gave him a grin. "It'll be great to have you in the group when this is over. Thanks for the help."

For a moment, he looked as the other boy's eyes widened and blinked. Then, a wide smile formed on Kiba's expression before he gave Chouji a thumbs up. Then, the Inuzuka let out a laugh that sounded, to the Akimichi's ears, relieved.

"Don't worry, buddy, I got your backs," Kiba told him as he started moving to the exit of the room. "Wouldn't be the cool group if I wasn't in it, would it?" He said just as he left.

After a second of silence, Chouji and Hinata shared a look before the Akimichi shook his head and the Hyuga giggled behind her hand.

[}-o-{]

[Sakura Haruno]

She ran, ran like her life depended on it, which might have been an accurate assumption, really. Sakura was focused on that and that alone, putting one foot in front of the other as fast as she possibly could. She put her everything in that one mad dash, because it was the only thing she could do.

For anything else, Sakura was useless.

That was a thought that had haunted her for her whole life. However, she'd just recently figured out that it was the case. During the ill-fated match up against the Suna kunoichi, she'd realized that she had always feared being useless.

It was the reason she'd worked so hard in her grades back in the Academy. It was the reason she'd refused to fail in her pursuit of one Sasuke Uchiha. It was that fear, however, that had ultimately led to her being useless all the same.

If Sakura had changed beforehand, maybe she'd have been able to put up more of a fight in the Chuunin Exams, as the rest of the group had demonstrated. She'd joined late, however, late and reluctantly. She'd failed to train as hard as the others, she'd failed to take advantage of the opportunity the rest had given her. She wasn't even sure why, which was the worst part.

She had a mission now though and, this time, she wouldn't be late.

Sakura wouldn't fail again.

So she ran, ran for all she was worth. Her arms clutched the precious cargo she carried against her chest and refused to relax the smallest bit. Eventually, she reached the wall of the arena, but, instead of stopping, she continued her sprint, this time upwards.

Sakura had one objective and one objective only. The top of the arena, where the purple barrier had been placed. It was where the Kages were supposed to be fighting, or so she'd been told. It was where the strongest people in the village were now, and that scared her.

She was more scared of being useless though.

Sakura had been, for a moment, elated when the spider had come to her telling her that the group needed her to do something for them. That the group needed her for something important. Then, she'd been terrified once the situation had been explained to her. In the end though, she could only be determined.

She had chosen to be a kunoichi and it hadn't been to escape dangerous situations, that was for sure. Sakura had known what she was getting into, so, as afraid as she was with the knowledge she had been given, she would still help. Help her friends and her village.

Sakura would be useful.

She'd done as she was told, been where she had been told to be, picked up the object she now carried, even as the fight carried on just next to her. It had been so difficult though, to ignore the battle, to ignore the invasion, but she had a duty now. Maybe it was wrong of her to follow an order that hadn't come from a higher up with such zeal. However, she had no other orders, and she trusted the group, so she followed.

When she was about to arrive, she almost sighed in relief. There they were, just as she was told they would be. For a delirious moment, she wondered if they had been ordered too, but that couldn't be… right? These people were Jounin, they couldn't have been ordered by a Genin… right?

It was a testament to Eiji Satou's ability to break logic that she thought that might have been a possibility.

Regardless, she ran, ran until she stood next to them, breathing raggedly. Sakura almost dropped then and there as she reached them, having poured every speck of energy that she may have had to arrive as fast as possible. She still had a mission, however.

"Kakashi… Sensei," She called, her words interrupted by her lungs demanding more oxygen. "I have this… for..."

"Give it here," Asuma Sarutobi was the one that answered her, looking both angry and nervous. The Jounin extended a hand towards her and she almost gave him the object. She couldn't though.

"The password..."

"Spiders are better than birds," The Jounin told her with a twitch of his eye, but he didn't otherwise say anything else. Sakura simply nodded, extending the weapon towards him.

"Eiji said..."

"Aim for the one with six arms, I know," Asuma finished for her with a nod. 'So they were ordered by Eiji?' Sakura couldn't help but wonder, both in awe and utter shock.

In an instant, the Sarutobi stood in front of the corner of the barrier where his target stood. The dark-skinned boy stared at him with clear confidence, but Sakura picked up on a slight measure of fear there. With good reason too, since she knew what that sword was capable of. It was called a Legendary Sword for a reason, after all.

If there was one thing that could pierce the barrier, it would be Nuibari.

After a second, the blade was coated in chakra, chakra that if Sakura had to guess was Wind in nature. All other elements were much more visually obvious when used in the Chakra Flow technique, as had been demonstrated by Eiji in a few training sessions.

It was perfect, Wind Chakra made the weapon they coated sharper, even more than Lightning Chakra. Now she knew why Eiji had wanted her to bring his sword here even when he was fighting an important battle himself. Piercing the barrier, taking it down, would allow their people to help the Kages inside it. She could see the other Jounin sensei whose students had participated in the Exams. Kakashi, obviously, Kurenai, Maito Gai. Then, a bit further away were even more people, this time Anbu.

"You should leave now, Sakura," Her sensei told her and she gulped.

Yes, that would be for the better.

[}-o-{]

[Asuma Sarutobi]

He'd almost decided not to hear the suggestion (order more like) that the spider summon had given him midway through the invasion. However, this was his father that needed his help, so he'd done so. After all, everyone in the higher ups had heard the name Eiji Satou at least once and as time passed the Genin was mentioned more and more.

Even his team couldn't shut up about him. Not that they didn't have reasons, from what he knew. According to them, the boy had been the whole reason they were so good right out of the Academy. Asuma had taken that with a grain of salt at the start, but after some time and hearing what Anko had to say, he'd had to accept that.

'Now isn't the time to think about that though,' He thought as his grip on the Legendary Sword tightened. 'To think I would hold onto such a weapon,' A corner of his mind whispered in awe.

In an instant, his chakra traveled through the sword, and he could feel how much better it was than his own weapons. It spoke of how good Nuibari's craft was, although that was hardly surprising. If he couldn't pierce through the barrier with this… He shook his head. He had to be able to pierce through it.

'Wonder why this kid was the priority,' A part of Asuma thought as he eyed the six-armed boy. 'Is he the Kidomaru the Boss Spider spoke about?' Ultimately, that didn't matter. They all had attacked Konoha, they all had worked to endanger the Hokage, his father. If all of them died, then much better.

In a split second, the sword clashed against the barrier, blue chakra meeting purple. For a moment, Asuma thought it hadn't worked, the barrier resisting his attack and halting Nuibari's progress. His heart dropped and he felt his hopes almost slip through his fingers. Then, as if that instant hadn't happened, the sword went through. The Sound ninja inside tried to move out of the way, but Asuma wasn't having any of that. He twisted the weapon so that the tip went into his chest, impaling the boy's heart.

Asuma pulled back Nuibari, concern filled him when the barrier held itself up even with one of its casters dead. He saw it though, slowly, holes appearing here and there in the structure. That wouldn't do, however.

In an instant, he stood in front of another corner, the one that was occupied by the boy that seemed to have two heads. The boy stared back at him, clear panic in his face but Asuma had no mercy left for these people. His own students were fighting in this invasion. He'd have to see if he could help them out as soon as possible. For the moment, however…

This time, Nuibari passed through the purple wall with no resistance whatsoever.

And this time, the barrier fell. Jounin and Anbu instantly jumped into action and Asuma almost sighed in relief. There would be time for that later though. For now, he had to help his father.

His father, who had to fight against the Shodai and Nidaime Hokage themselves. It was a good thing that the old man had a million tricks up his sleeve, what with his knowledge and mastery of jutsu of all affinities. Even then, from what he'd seen from outside the barrier, the current Hokage had been struggling even with that, especially when the Snake Sannin had joined the fight, which was understandable but concerning.

Now though, there was no way that the fight could go any way but in their favor.

If they could deal with the reincarnated Kage's, that is.

Jiraiya's presence was incredibly relieving on that front. If there was one person that could figure out a counter to that technique other than Asuma's father it was the Toad Sannin, or so he hoped, at least. Judging by the way his father's student was running through hand seals, he'd bet that they did, indeed, have a plan.

With that reassurance, Asuma dashed towards the one that had started it all, Orochimaru himself.

Or… he would have, if not for what happened next.

Everyone present felt the appearance of a new entity. One such that the whole place was bathed in intent that froze everyone. Asuma was reminded of the Kyuubi, all those years ago, but much different. For one, the negativity, if still there, was much lesser in this instance.

There wasn't much time to ponder on that, however, because the one responsible had appeared right in the middle of it all. Jounin, Anbu, Sannin and Kages stared at the shape of Killer B, the Jinchuriki of the Hachibi. He stood in the middle of it all, both hands extended and holding onto two much smaller bodies.

Asuma's eyes widened at the sight of a Genin he could very much recognize. Eiji Satou, it seemed, had lost his battle, even with the apparent help of the Jinchuriki of the Ichibi. Not an unexpected outcome, if those two were the only ones on that front.

'Did he send everyone else away?' Asuma thought horrified. He himself had been directed by the boy. So had the rest of the Rookie Genin, he would bet. Still… How had no one gone to help them?

"This ends now," Killer B broke the sudden silence he'd brought with himself. "Do it," He said as one of his hands let go.

Eiji Satou fell to the ground and, half-out of it from what Asuma could see, he turned. The Jounin winced at the sight of him. Not only did he look pale, but his veins could be seen with a very unhealthy dark color. If that wasn't enough to be concerned for the boy's health, the burn that laid over his eye where Killer B had held him was.

The boy seemed to disregard all of that, however, and immediately started running through hand seals.

"B?! What are you doing?!" The Raikage asked, confused and obviously very angry at whatever his brother was trying to do. "You should be-"

"Silence, brother," Was all B said to that, appearing next to A and putting his free hand over his shoulder.

Then, Eiji Satou finished with his technique, whichever it might have been. Everyone saw then, how the Raikage's figure straightened and tensed, closing his eyes. A second later, he almost relaxed. Then he opened them and something was obviously very different. Something had changed.

In an instant, two things happened. For one, A jumped into action. For another, the Genin in the middle of it all collapsed.

The battle had changed, yes, but it was still ongoing.