Chapter 84 : Twenty Seconds (3)

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Naruto," Hiruzen spoke, looking Orochimaru in the eyes the whole time. "Show my foolish pupil the strength of a true Monster." It was time to show the snake the absolute Kamikage.

Naruto smirked. This was it.

Being awake felt wonderful.

...

"Alright then," the blond began. "I guess now's as good a time as any to share another secret with you, Mei-chan." Mei narrowed her eyes in confusion before Naruto's smirk grew. "Let's do it, Son."

The blond outstretched his arm, ready to use this technique for the first time. When Mei felt the familiar buildup of Yoton chakra, her eyes widened in shock. This… this was impossible.

He brought his arm above his head, the technique growing too big to stay in front of him. Mei couldn't understand how this was possible…

And then it made sense. He had fought and killed Yoton no Roshi, Jinchuuriki to the Yonbi. He had fought and killed the Yondaime Mizukage Yagura, Jinchuuriki of the Sanbi. Did… did he house multiple Bijuu?

When he called his technique, even Hiruzen and Orochimaru took a moment to appreciate the brilliance in it. It was… it was pure destruction. "Senpo: Yoton: Rasenshuriken (Sage Art: Lava Release: Rasenshuriken)!"

How could one person, one young person, house multiple Bijuu? It should be impossible, even for Naruto. Yet, here he was, using the powerful lava chakra of the Yonbi, even though he was the Kyuubi's container. He… he had always said that he stood with the Bijuu… He… he actually meant it.

Naruto let loose his technique.

The ANBU outside watched on with stillness that no-one should have during an enemy invasion. They were watching the power of their fellow operative. Never before had they been so proud to be ANBU than when they saw the lava technique Nezumi used to totally decimate the Shodai.

The technique was so powerful that it ripped a whole in the purple barrier the four Oto-nin were sustaining, and flew very, very high into the sky. It repaired itself right away, but the fact that it was damaged at all said something about the power behind the technique.

When it blew, it erupted into a giant ball of lava, causing every building in Konoha to shake.

It said that the Shodai was gone.

And he was. The Lava Rasenshuriken was laced with enough Yin Natural Energy to kill Kami himself.

Hiruzen still hadn't moved, just staring at the path of carnage his shadows technique left. He then smirked. He expected nothing less from his warrior.

"I've got it from here, Naruto," The Hokage suddenly said. "You take the Mizukage to her people, and then clear Konoha of all these pesky insects."

Naruto was hesitant at first, wanting to end the fight right away and be over with it, but he could see the look his commander had in his eye. It was the look every shinobi respected. It was the look of the God of Shinobi.

"Hai, Hokage-sama," Naruto bowed his head. He then took the shocked Mei by the hand, and the two of them disappeared in a golden flash.

Orochimaru smiled sinisterly. "As I said, Sensei," He began, "Such a fool."

Hiruzen narrowed his eyes. "It is time we end this, Orochimaru-kun." Hiruzen bit his finger and went through another set of hand-seals. "Kuchiyose: Enkoo: Enma (Summoning Technique: Monkey King: Enma)!"

Orochimaru narrowed his eyes as he saw the large, tiger-striped clothed monkey standing next to his Sensei. "So it finally begins." Enma said, already knowing what his old friend was about to do. "Henge: Kongonyoi (Transformation: Adamantine Staff)."

In a puff of smoke, Hiruzen held the weapon that made the Hokage such a scary opponent, even to Orochimaru.

"So you're finally serious, then?" Orochimaru opened his mouth, a long blade sliding out from his throat. "You die today, Sensei." He said after he finally held the Kusanagi within his right hand.

The Sandaime rushed the Snake.

...

Sasuke didn't even stop when he saw Shino battling it out with Kankuro. He knew that the bug user was good, and wouldn't have too much trouble fighting the puppet weirdo. He had bigger fish to fry, and that fish was a Tanuki.

He was prepared. He had trained. This was it.

It was time to wake up.

Coming to a stop on a branch, standing in front of him and Anko was his prey.

"Gaara," Sasuke smirked. "Let's have some fun."

Gaara snarled, his half sand body seeming to fall apart on itself, only to repair not seconds later.

"I will prove my existence." Gaara shouted. Sasuke chuckled. He had no idea what it meant to be awake. He thought that killing was the way. He thought that bathing in the blood of thousands would prove the existence of one.

He was wrong.

And Sasuke was determined to show him this.

Sasuke vanished.

...

"W-what was that?" Mei stuttered out, still shocked at what she had seen.

Naruto paused for a moment. They were in front of other Kiri shinobi right now, and as much as he loved Mei, he didn't trust the secrets of Konoha to just anyone.

"I'll tell you when we don't have so much company, Mei-chan." He then smiled. "Watch over your people," a snake being impaled by the katana of a toad was very easy to spot, "I've got to go meet a pervert about snake killing lessons."

Mei just nodded silently; still unaware of what just happened. That technique… it was more powerful than anything she could do with her own lava techniques. She felt the force, the heat, the power behind it, and it was something only…

It was something only a god could create… was… was Naruto a…

"I love you…" He whispered so that only she could hear, vanishing in another gold flash.

That's when Mei snapped out of her stupor. Love. He loved her, and she loved him. It didn't matter what he was, or what he wasn't. Uzumaki Naruto was hers- and Anko's- and that's all that mattered.

"I love you, too, Naruto-kun…" She whispered back, a small smile on her face. Taking in a deep breath, she hardened her features. She was the Godaime Mizukage, and her people expected her to act like the powerful kunoichi they knew she could be.

...

Gaara whipped his sand-covered arm, shuriken made completely of sand following the motion, flying at the Uchiha. He didn't care about the woman standing back, watching the whole match with interested eyes. Sasuke was his target, his way of proving his existence.

Easily dodging the attack, Sasuke stopped on a tree branch. "You know, my Shishou had the same problem as you…" Another volley of sand-made shuriken was thrown at him, and again, he easily dodged them. "You Jinchuuriki are given a hard life…"

"You know nothing about my life!" Gaara roared, the sand covering his right arm extending, crushing everything in its path. Trees were snapped, leaves were split, and the wind picked up.

"My Shishou couldn't wake up from that nightmare, that feeling of suffocating…" Anko's eyes narrowed. What was Sasuke doing? He was just talking about his teacher while dodging… What was the point of it all?

Gaara screamed, the Uchiha's word's obviously touching him. "DIE!" he shouted, his extended sand arm swinging across the clearing, everyone present, Anko, Sasuke, and Temari, having to get out of the way or be crushed.

That's when everything seemed to happen at once.

A voice he was now very familiar with cried out in pain.

The sand shot up high into the sky, forming into the Bijuu within the Suna-nin.

Anko's eye's widened, both at the apparent Bijuu towering over them, and at the sight to their right.

Temari went as cold as ice, her heart practically stopping and her stomach in knots, as she stared at what she feared most.

Sasuke froze. Dust filled the air. Everything seemed so silent to him. It was like time froze, not him. He turned his head to the right; taking in what he knew already was there. Haruno Sakura was within Anko's arms, the woman's wide, panicked eyes telling him all he needed to know.

Why…

Her emerald eyes were fixed on him, but didn't truly see him.

Why was this…

The blood slipping out of the side of her mouth fell to the ground, dripping in a never ending loop.

Why was this happening…

The blood covering Anko was not her own.

Why was this happening again?

Gaara spoke, half of his form buried within the giant Tanuki's head. "You see? Nothing ever lasts forever!" He chuckled darkly. "She was important to you, right?"

She was all he had left.

Gaara continued. "By taking her away from you, I proved my existence. I will last forever through this! The one who took her away from the one called Uchiha!"

She was his last chance.

Anko yelled. "We have to get her to a medic!"

Sasuke did not hear her.

Suddenly, the world did stop. Suddenly, the bright's got brighter, the dark's darker. The entire world became clear, and Sasuke now knew what to do. His mind…

It broke.

Anko felt a sudden chill, fear touching her in a way she had never felt before. She felt darkness the likes of which even Orochimaru was incapable of. She felt anger the like of which even her own hate towards said snake could never reach. She gulped.

This felt like the opposite of Naruto. Where he was powerful, bright, and warm, this feeling was powerful, dark, and cold.

Sasuke brought Gaara and his oversized Tanuki form within his sight. Anko caught a glimpse of the boy's eyes. They were now very different from the regular Sharingan.

Sasuke whispered, "Mangekyo Sharingan…" He then proceeded to laugh, hysterically.

These eyes, they meant nothing.

These cursed eyes were exactly that, a curse.

What good were these eyes if he had to lose the very person he wanted to protect to attain them?

Gaara.

Sasuke stopped laughing.

Even Anko could feel the dark chakra building up behind the Uchiha's left eye.

Words that weren't his own found their way onto his tongue. Sasuke whispered his technique, letting the winds carry his voice off in the distance.

"Amaterasu…"

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