180 Chapter 175: You owed me.
-Division 2 of the Shinobi Alliance-
Her fists, just like her mask and clothes, were full of blood. Beneath that ANBU mask, a lifeless look observed the corpses of all the Shiro Zetsus that emerged from the ground after the Doton element shinobi forced them out from under the ground. Many looked at Hinata with shocked expressions, but some also viewed her with a bit of fear.
She was attacking to kill without a second's hesitation. Her movements were perfect, with fluid coordination and the strength to pierce a human body. That wasn't the Hyūga's Taijutsu, it was something more powerful.
Neji had been left behind, he had been overpowered by Hinata, and he looked at this disappointed in himself. He also felt a little angry that the reason for this girl's strength lay in the suffering Toru had put him through. However, to feel angry about this is being too hypocritical, he didn't have the right to feel empathy now. He even got to be hurt by one of the Zetsus, as there was blood running down his arm and he had some bumps and scrapes on his face.
'Hah... hah... there are too many of them... even if we have someone like Hinata-sama...'
Seeing that one of the Zetsus was coming from behind, Neji, still with an injured arm, took a leap and, still in the air, with the only arm he had that was healthy, launched an attack that knocked the enemy out. And when he landed, he fell to his knees, as he realized he had used too much chakra in such a short time.
'What's wrong with me... I'm not normally like this!' he clenched his fist and let out a sigh. 'No... this is because I haven't kept my cool. I'm getting desperate too fast. I must calm my mind, I must think clearly...'
Peace of mind is something that guides those who have lost their way to the right path. He understood that and that is why, despite his injuries, he got up and kept fighting, now being more focused and calm. On the other hand, nearby, Hanabi frowned and continued to beat the enemies.
"I don't know how to finish! For every fool I defeat, two more appear!"
Swinging her fists wildly, like streams of water caressing the enemies, Hanabi gritted her teeth and let out a battle cry as she continued to strike without stopping.
"Oraaaaah!"
Boom! As if an explosion had rumbled through the place, Hanabi punched one of the Zetsus in the abdomen, causing it to run out of air, at the same time the chakra ducts all over its torso shattered with a strange cracking sound. Literally that Zetsu died from that single blow. This caused some of the shinobi to turn their attention to the girl, as she was the youngest kunoichi in this Alliance Division.
On the other hand, while Neji continued to fight with the injuries he had and while Hanabi fought without stopping, Hinata opened her eyes with an expressionless face under the mask. While fighting, as if causally, she thought deeply about what her father told her that day. "Just give it some thought, don't rush. Time will take care of healing your wounds" that was what Hiashi said.
'Saying it is easier than doing it...' she clenched her fist and punched one of the Zetsus smashing his face. She took a leap and, standing on top of five Shiro Zetsus, she switched from Omoiken to Juken "Hakke Kūshō [Eight Trigrams Palm of the Void]" and with that attack all five Zetsus died.
When her feet touched the ground, she looked at the others fighting and had a horrible memory of that day. What her eyes saw was blood, death and suffering and in the middle of it all was Toru.
She bit her lip hurting herself. She clenched her fists tightly and the veins around her eyes throbbed.
Easy to say; hard to do.
'What do I do?' she thought and killed one of the Zetsus by kicking it. 'What should I do' Throwing more punches, as death poured into her fists, she closed her eyes and continued to ask herself. 'What should I do!' Anger, hatred, sadness, pain... all of it was consuming her fragile heart. Every time she remembered the past, every time she saw the kind and lonely Toru in her memories, she was filled with anger and hatred. She loved him and gave him her trust, but Toru trampled all that. Hinata couldn't forgive him, she couldn't love him again. He ruined everything, he is to blame for all this suffering building up in her heart. 'I'll make you pay, Toru...'
Boom! The ground shattered from the force of her fist smashing into it. Chakra flowed through the cracks in the ground, striking the enemies and killing them instantly.
'I... will make you pay...'
Under her mask, an emotionless expression showed. Her eyes were moist because even though it's been a while, she felt that her emotions would spill over her cheeks at any moment.
In the end, she came to the conclusion that Toru deserves to pay for everything he has done. If Konoha doesn't do something against Toru, then she will take it upon herself to finish the job. Only then will she be able to find peace, ending the life of the man who made her suffer. Now Hiashi's words had no place in her heart, for now she is letting herself be controlled by the hatred she feels.
-Division 3 of the Shinobi Alliance-
She had a rather familiar feeling at that moment, but now she was lying on the ground, unable to move and with some broken bones. Ino looked up and, still with her vision a bit blurry and the pain bothering her, she observed what that woman had done. There were dead bodies everywhere and, in front of all this, the eyes of death shone on the face of that beautiful woman. She had long black hair and a strangely elegant face. However, her eyes shone in a strange and dangerous way. A bright blue color manifested in her iris and the pupil had taken the shape of a four-leaf clover extending to the ends of the iris.
This woman appeared after Kakashi and Gai defeated The Seven Swordsmen of the Mist with the help of the other shinobi. Almost instantly, after coming out of the bushes, she attacked Kakashi and Gai, who in one fell swoop were knocked off the battlefield.
'What was it that happened' For Ino, all the memories of when that woman appeared are quite hazy. Still, there was one thing she remembered vividly. It was the moment Kakashi and Gai were thrown out of her field of vision.
-A few seconds ago-
That woman held two wooden daggers in each hand and looked at all the shinobi with a slight friendly smile. When that happened, Ino opened her eyes in shock, because for a moment she saw Toru reflected in that woman. She thought something like that was impossible, but in her mind quickly the pieces began to appear and come together so fast that, the truth was revealed to her.
"Being in a war is a very nostalgic thing. I missed this kind of atmosphere. Kakashi-kun and Gai-kun, you two have grown up quite a bit, but it's a pity that you were defeated by just one of my blows. I'll wait for you two to react" She looked at the trees in the forest and smiled. For her it was funny to see how Kakashi and Gai flew away from the battlefield after getting kicked.
At the same time, the other Alliance shinobi, specifically the more experienced and, so to speak, the older ones, trembled at the sight of this woman.
"It's her... it can't be..."
"We're dead..."
"There's no way we can defeat that woman."
"We weren't given the order to run away from her, were we?"
"Damn. And to think they would revive that monster in disguise woman too..."
All the more experienced ones began to mutter as they already considered their lives lost, for they knew that woman too well. Moreover, many until this moment considered her existence a myth, but now that they saw her with their own eyes they could not deny it.
Sakura frowned at the sight of her. She didn't understand anything of what was going on, only that this person is dangerous. And, seeing Ino's reaction, she could suspect something too.
'That woman looks like Toru and they even have similar eyes...' If what her instinct was telling her becomes true, then everyone right now is screwed.
Ino, on her side, already had the same feeling as Sakura, but she couldn't confirm those suspicions. So, without taking her eyes off that woman, she pulled out a kunai and asked one of the shinobi in front of her.
"Do you know who that is?"
The man, a little nervously, replied. "Do we know who she is? It seems stupid to me that you don't know who that woman is." He frowned and held his katana tightly. "She is known throughout the world for the horrible things she did in World War III. Every time her daggers swung, dozens of soldiers fell dead instantly. Her eyes glowed eerily in the night and you were considered a hero if you survived her. She was extremely fast and was on par with the Yondaime Hokage. So much so that she even declared herself a rival of the Yondaime. From a family of blacksmiths and scientists, outcast for their lack of talent in shaping chakra, she came to shut everyone's mouth with her power..." He narrowed his eyes without taking his eyes off this woman. "She is Asahi Kyoko, The Bloody Thorn of Konoha."
Ino frowned angrily and tightened her grip on the kunai. She remembered when she followed Toru to that cemetery three years ago and saw the tombstone of that boy's mother. It was the same name...
'Asahi Kyoko...'
That explained a lot about Toru. But she didn't have time to think anymore. For, all the shinobi gave their battle cry and rushed into the attack against that woman. She saw Sakura, who looked back at her and together they nodded their heads. This is a war, they can't just stand around like that. It didn't matter if they were facing Toru's mother or a god, because the Alliance must win this war. For the world and for a better future.
With this in mind, Ino held up her kunai and swung it right after thrusting it at the enemy. Sakura imitated her, also launching herself into the attack.
Kyoko, seeing them all attacking her head on, smiled excitedly and the four-leaf clover in her eyes gave a little twirl. She raised her daggers and nodded her head.
"Shimikomaseru, Fūton..."
***
This brings us back to the precedent, where Kyoko has already killed one eighth of Division 3 of the Shinobi Alliance. Her clothes were stained with blood and in front of her stood Ino, who had her entire body bruised.
'I remembered... It only took her to hit us once to knock us out...' She clenched her fists on the ground and narrowed her eyes as she looked at Sakura, who was in the same situation as Ino. They were lucky not to be cut by the daggers, but they still got hurt after that woman kicked them like garbage.
Ino had half of her ribs broken as she was kicked squarely in the right side of her torso, which also affected some of her internal organs. In the end, she ended up buried a few inches in the ground due to the force of the impact. Sakura, on her side, seeing that she would also be hit in the same way as Ino, protected herself with both arms, but the force used by Kyoko was so much, that she ended up breaking both arms of Sakura to finally send her flying against a tree, where she was knocked out.
All the shinobi, seeing how Ino and Sakura fell like flies, began to keep their distance. The plan to attack from all sides with all the power they had was impossible. Any kind of attack, be it Ninjutsu, Taijutsu or Genjutsu, it seemed that none of it could hurt Kyoko, much less touch her. That woman was on another level and this explained why she was the self-proclaimed rival of the Yondaime Hokage, Namikaze Minato.
'I... I couldn't do anything...' Already being aware of everything that had happened, Ino frowned and silently lamented. 'Toru... Sakura... Konoha... I couldn't do anything and now neither...' She let her childhood friend die, allowed her home village to be destroyed and failed to bring Toru back. Recalling everything she had failed at, she only came to a single conclusion. 'I'm so useless... I can't do anything alone. Everything always ends this way... I... I...' She tapped her forehead against the ground and gritted her teeth as she tried to hold back tears. 'I wanted to change myself... I wanted to get better... I didn't want to make the same mistakes again, but even now, in this war, against Toru's mother... I've failed too...'
Her life had been filled with mistakes and failures since Toru left Konohagakure. Every day after that was gloomy, there was no more happiness as in those days. She realized that she had lost so much and gained nothing. Everything always ends this way.
"What else can I do?" She whispered. 'What must I do to stop being like this?'
The shinobi had lost to Kyoko. A large number of shinobi have already died and no one can do anything to change that. This world, this life, everything has become so horrible, so depressing. Hope was fading away and everything will be lost in front of their eyes. There is no one who can change that anymore. There was only surrender.
Ding...
Ding...
Ding...
That strange sound, like that of a small bell and a strange voice echoed in her mind, but Ino didn't even notice it. She continued to wail silently, lying face down on the ground as her broken ribs punctured her lungs.
"Cof! Cof!" She spat out the blood that was pooling in her lungs. Her vision began to blur and it was then that she realized that, if she didn't heal her own wounds, she would die. But... 'Even if I manage to heal my wounds... will I be able to do anything about it?'
Asahi Kyoko is at a higher level than all the shinobi present. There is nothing she can do.
'What's with all of you, aren't you all going to attack me anymore? It's boring if you run away or just stand there, frozen, doing nothing. Come on everyone, pick up your weapons and fight, this is a war" Kyoko looked at Ino and smiled at her.
This made Ino's blood freeze for a moment as she again saw Toru reflected in that woman. The way those eyes sparkled, the way she held those wooden daggers. She was quite similar to Toru, no, it's quite the opposite, Toru is quite similar to this woman. This made her lower her gaze again, thinking about what she should do.
Ding...
Ding...
Two small bells rang out, making Ino feel confused. That sound of bells reminded her of those cloth dolls they usually hang in the window so that the next day the rain wouldn't fall and it would be a nice day. It was then that her eyes opened in shock.
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A mechanized female voice was heard and Ino felt something warm in her heart.
Like that doll patiently waiting for tomorrow to be free of rain, like that doll bringing a sunny day....
...
...
There will be a good day...
It will be a good day...
...
...
"I..."
...
Tomorrow...
...
...
...
It will be a great day...
...
...
...
Tomorrow... everything will be better...
...
Ino got up from the ground, still staggering and in pain. She felt her own ribs piercing her organs and her lungs filling with blood, but she still had enough strength to stand up.
That night, when Toru killed a person for the first time, she hid behind him, crying, full of fear and despair. She left all the work to Toru and simply fled....
...
She was no longer that cowardly and weak girl.
...
...
She didn't want to stay and live in the past...
...
...
...
Children grow up, adults evolve...
...
...
She...
...
...
"I MUST FIGHT!"
...
...
She has changed.
...
...
Kyoko saw the girl stand up and smiled. She thought that the young ones now do have fighting spirit and felt proud of it. Though she also wondered if Toru was similar to these children. She smiled wistfully as she remembered her little boy and thought about the possibility of seeing him again, but that wouldn't be good for anyone.
On the other side, near one of the trees, Sakura slowly opened her eyes and when she realized her arms, she let out a gasp in pain. She was lying on the ground and when she calmed down, her eyes widened in shock as she saw Ino get up from the ground.
'Ino...'
It was a sad and horrible scene. It seemed that Ino herself hadn't noticed, but one of her ribs was sticking out of her skin, where blood was pouring down like a small waterfall. Some of the shinobi present also saw it and immediately thought that she should be treated by a doctor right away, but they also knew something....
...
They knew that...
...
...
This girl is a shinobi doctor.
...
...
A couple of tears rolled down her cheeks. The pain was nothing anymore, now she had to get up and fight because only then she will make tomorrow a great day.
"It can't be... Ino... no..." Sakura watched as Ino's wounds began to heal on their own and that could only mean one thing. "Ninpō: Sōzō Saisei... [Ninja Art: Creation of Rebirth] She's using that Jutsu..."
This was bad. If Ino forced herself to use this Jutsu, that meant that Ino herself was throwing her own life away. However, there was something else Sakura wasn't noticing. Instead of the mark on Ino's forehead extending only across her forehead, strange black marks began to encircle her entire body, forming a pattern of two lines running down Ino's entire body. Even that pattern of black lines could be seen on Ino's feet and abdomen, which resembled cracks in her body.
When the Jutsu was completed, Sakura finally realized what Ino was doing and that was without a doubt, something amazing.
...
...
Boom! The ground under Ino's feet shattered, who pushed herself at an overwhelming speed against Kyoko. Almost instantly, Kyoko reacted and put the daggers in front of her face to defend herself from the punch aimed straight towards her mouth. However, that didn't work. Ino's fist collided with the daggers and it looked like this would turn into a battle of endurance, but that was not the case. The daggers broke and the punch connected with Kyoko's face, who shot out against the ground, bouncing violently from the force of the blow.
"I'm not letting you use those eyes!"
Appearing above Kyoko, Ino threw another punch, forcing Kyoko to bounce off the ground a second time. This prompted Ino to continue punching, but Kyoko smiled and, just before landing another punch, grabbed Ino's torso with her legs and broke her arm using her hands. With this, Kyoko thought that Ino would be immobilized for a few seconds, but she did not seem affected by this. What's more, she glared angrily at Kyoko and with her remaining arm punched her in the face again, causing her to release from her grip, finally falling to the ground.
"Hah... with your broken daggers... you won't be able to kill anyone else... hah..." Her arm healed instantly, but she took a shaky breath.
"Fufufu..." Kyoko closed her eyes. "A shinobi doesn't just rely on his weapons. The shinobi's body itself is a weapon."
"¡¿?!" Ino's eyes widened in shock as she watched Kyoko disappear without a trace, and before she could realize it, Ino....
Bam! She felt her spine snap. For a tenth of a second, as she was thrown away, she saw how Kyoko had used her knee to hit her.
"What great strength you have, girl. Your eyes remind me of Inoichi-san. I'm sure you're his daughter, but it's a pity. Thus ends our combat."
Approaching the wounded Ino, who was lying on the ground face down, Kyoko took a piece of the broken dagger and bent down to look her in the eyes. "You've been a great fight, I thank you. It's time for you to rest. In the world of the dead it's very comfortable, I can promise you that, so... Goodbye...." She slowly brought the edge of the wood closer to Ino's forehead.
She could only frown at this. Even though she gave everything she had in this fight, she still failed. She felt disappointed in herself, but if it was her destiny to die in this place....
'So be it...'
At least she wasn't going to die like a useless child. At least she fought using all her strength, but that didn't mean she didn't appreciate her own life. Ino didn't want to die, however, in this situation, there was no other way out....
...
...
...
"Dainamikku Entorī! [Dynamic Entrance]"
A man's voice was heard, immediately, Ino saw Kyoko's face being kicked closely, which caused this woman to back up a few meters as she rolled on the ground to a stop.
Ino opened her eyes and frowned slightly as she saw two male shadows in front of her. They were Gai and Kakashi.
"Ino, you have proven better than anyone that the power of youth can still shine brightly. So please rest. We don't want to lose a star as bright as you" For a moment, Gai looked at Ino and paid his respects. Not just anyone manages to hit Asahi Kyoko more than once.
At the same time, next to Gai, Kakashi held his arm and frowned. "We'll take care of finishing this."
"So they finally woke up. It took longer than I expected" Kyoko said, smiling calmly.
"Sensei used to say that, in battle, you are cruel and ruthless. Despite your appearance, you might be even more bloodthirsty than someone from the Bloody Mist."
Kakashi was right. This was one of the reasons why Tsunade called Kyoko crazy. It was obvious just by looking at the massacre that was spreading on the battlefield and also one of the reasons why Tsunade herself felt so worried that Toru had left the village. In the end, all the problems were gathered in one place.
"Many people say things about me and that is something that brought a lot of problems to my life after my retirement. I also had a hard time hiding those things from my son. I didn't want him to see me this way, I didn't want him to be just like me..."
"But in the end..."
"Yes. I know, Kakashi-kun. Jiraiya-sensei told me."
Kakashi's eyes widened a little at what Kyoko said. He knew well that the souls of the dead could interact with each other, for that day, during the invasion of Konoha, he died at the hands of Toru and met his father in limbo.
"Toru-chan has gone astray and that's all my fault. If I hadn't forbidden Jiraiya-sensei from approaching Toru-chan from the beginning, it's very likely that he wouldn't have ended up like this. I'm aware of that and I accept all the blame."
Gai and Kakashi looked at each other and nodded. Kyoko was an eccentric woman full of secrets. And the reason why she died so easily at the hands of Itachi was still unknown to everyone.
"We don't have time to waste, Kyoko-san. We will defeat you and seal you away. Then you can go back to rest in peace" Gai said. To which Kakashi continued.
"I assure you that Asahi Toru is no longer on the path of darkness. If you understand this, you can return to the world of the dead and rest in the knowledge that your son is well."
Kyoko, however, smiled. It was true that she wanted to return to rest in peace, but she also wanted to continue to have fun in this war. Although she knew that her stay in this world would be short-lived, she would take advantage of this to fight in earnest against Minato's disciple and Maito Dai's son.
"Fufufu... nothing assures me that my son is safe. I sacrificed my life to save him, so nothing would hurt me more than to see my little Toru-chan in the Impure World. I..." She raised her guard and frowned. "I don't want my son to end up like Obito-kun."
Kakashi opened his eyes in shock upon hearing this.
"Weak spot..." and Kyoko saw weakness in that expression. So she went on the attack and hit Kakashi in the stomach with her fist. Gai reacted fast and, with a kick, pushed her away from Kakashi. However, this woman's attack was not over. Kyoko clasped her hands together as she landed with both feet on the ground and performed two hand seals. "Shimikomaseru, Katōn: Hi no Ken [Imbue: Fire Fists]."
The fists were wrapped around Katōn, which, at the same time, made Ino frown as she watched this whole fight. She thought that, if you took away a shinobi's weapons, he will be left with Ninjutsu and, when you take away his Ninjutsu, he will only be left with Taijutsu. Kyoko was one of the most complete kunoichi in battle, not for nothing was she able to slaughter a large part of the army with ease.
'Mangekyō Sharingan!' Kakashi's Sharingan spun, transforming into the Mangekyō.
Gai saw this and accepted that they couldn't hold back against such a formidable enemy like Asahi Kyoko. That's why he made a serious face and clenched his fists tightly.
"Hachimon Tonkō: Keimon! [Eight Gates Released Formation: The Gate of View]"
And without holding back, he opened the sixth gate of the eight existing gates. This caused Kyoko to nod her head.
With all this, the ground began to shake violently under Gai's power. His skin turned reddish and he was enveloped in a green aura that, while it could be mistaken for chakra, was actually not.
"You've all grown so much..." She closed her eyes relaxed and when she opened them again, the Shigan showed in her gaze. Even though she couldn't cut through the lines of death, she could at least see the enemy's movements predictively.
Boom! The ground beneath Gai's feet exploded, who appeared in front of Kyoko with all the power of youth. He raised his fist and Kyoko smiled at the sight. There was no way to dodge that, but there was a way to block it.
Kyoko put her arms in front of her face and Gai's punch was blocked. However, this would not be an empty, meaningless attack. Gai knew well that someone like Kyoko, when fighting, should not be given a chance to rest. With constant attacks, kicks and punches, Gai began to beat Kyoko, who gradually began to be affected by this. Although she was covering herself quite well, the damage began to affect her body.
At the same time, right behind Kyoko, Kakashi connected the seals on his hands and inhaled a large amount of air.
"Katōn: Karyūdan! [Fire Style: Fire Dragon Bullet]"
Exhaling a flare that took the shape of a dragon, Kakashi attacked Kyoko's back. This also made Gai smile, for it was time to flee. If that Jutsu also hit him, he would be in big trouble. So, with his high speed, he appeared beside Kakashi and the fire dragon managed to hit Kyoko.
"Shimikomaseru, Raiton" Boom! The fire dragon exploded and Kyoko came out from the smoke after blowing it up. Her arms were filled with electricity and it could be clearly seen on her face that this itself was hurting her. "It's amazing what you two can do in a second, but that won't be enough to defeat me. shimikomaseru, Fūton!" She held out her arms with her palms open, as if they were swords. Her eyes glowed dimly under her hair and a maniacal smile formed on her mouth. Almost instantly, her body flickered, leaving a residual image and appearing behind Gai.
"Gai!"
"Now, Kakashi!" Looking back, he watched as Kyoko pointed her hands at him, as if they were blades, ready to kill. But that was the plan.
In a single second, the ground beneath Kyoko shattered, from which Kakashi emerged with the Chidori flashing in his palm. Taking advantage of the surprise factor, Kakashi stabbed Kyoko in the heart and quickly stepped aside, for above the two of them, Gai grabbed himself by the fist and aimed his elbow at Kyoko.
"Konoha Kaiganshō! [Destructive Konoha Ascendant Rock]!"
Gai's elbow impacted against Kyoko's back, who violently, crashed into the ground, which at the same time caused the whole place to shake, leaving a large crater 15 meters in diameter.
"That was an excellent combination. What should we call our combo attack, Kakashi?" Landing next to Kakashi, Gai raised his thumb and the 6 gates deactivated, which made him fall to his knees. "Damn... the power of youth is running out of me..."
"If you have time to talk nonsense, we'd better seal Asahi Kyoko before she regenerates."
The dust settled, showing that, in the middle of the crater, Kyoko's body was broken into pieces, but her head was still attached to a part of her torso. The remains of her body were slowly starting to come back together, so it was obvious that they had to hurry.
***
"Don't ever do that again, you fool, do you want to get yourself killed? Sakura put her hands on Ino's wounds and tried to heal her as fast as possible. "Imagine having to heal a medical kunoichi."
Ino, on her side, watched from afar as Gai and Kakashi defeated Kyoko in just 5 seconds, but there was something weird about it all. "Hehehe... sorry..." However, she responded to what Sakura had told him. "I didn't want to just lay around watching everyone die. I still have chakra left, so I'll heal the rest of my wounds by myself."
Ino stood up in a bit of pain and walked towards the crater. She watched from afar as Gai crawled to get there, while Kakashi just ignored him.
When she was close enough to hear what they were saying, her eyes widened as she heard something specific. Kyoko had said something that left her thinking too much and with everything that had just happened, the situation wouldn't get any better.
Kakashi covered Kyoko with bandages and the sealing team helped immediately, leaving Kyoko sealed between a mountain of bandages.
"Asahi Kyoko... Toru's mother..."
What was it that Kyoko said to Kakashi and Gai? She could hear it...
-Clan Ōkami Clan Village, later in the evening-
While the Alliance shinobi were being attacked by Zetsus infiltrators in the middle of the night, Toru and Konan were having a passionate time in bed. Neither of them knew what was going on out there, as they were both focused on each other and the pleasure their bodies were giving each other.
They stayed that way for much of the night until they finally got tired.
"Konan..." Toru looked up at the ceiling. "Are you awake...?" He said in a faint whisper, but she didn't answer.
Instead, his soft breathing was heard near his ear. This made Toru turn his gaze to the woman beside him.
'Hm...'
Konan's sleeping face, to Toru, was quite soothing to see. It seemed that there were no worries in this woman's mind and that her heart was now at peace. This made Toru smile slightly, as he somehow felt that this was what he wanted. The concept of happiness for him had always been too distorted. One could even say that Toru doesn't know what happiness is and that the only emotions he perhaps knows and understands are suffering and sadness. For him those emotions were something he is familiar with, but now?
'Is it okay for me to live this way?' he asked himself because he felt another feeling that was quite familiar to him. He... felt guilty....
Somehow Toru made Konan fall in love with him and that was okay. He, from the bottom of his heart, wished to give her happiness, but for someone like him... Was that really okay?
Then there were those two girls. This was another thing that made him feel worried. No doubt he had feelings for Ino and Hinata, but to feel that way about them would be too hypocritical and selfish. It's better for them to hate him than to love him because that way it's okay with him.
'At this point... Will they be sleeping or will they keep fighting the war without stopping?'
The fact that Hinata and Ino, and most likely Hanabi, are still fighting at this time of night, sowed worries in his heart. If they die...
...
...
...
'If they die...'
The image of those friends appeared in his mind, like a memory full of light and a strange and confused feeling. It was then that he got out of bed and got dressed, and then left the house.
***
There is a full moon tonight. From the top of one of the trees, Toru exhaled some cold air and shook his head. He was overthinking things again. This was weighing him down and that feeling was only increasing as the seconds passed.
"Should I go check?"
No, that war was not his problem. The only thing that could stand between that answer he so desperately seeks is Madara and, if he dares to attack again, then he will have no choice but to use "that" Jutsu to kill him. Even though he made that promise with Konan, he frowned as he realized that...possibly....
'I'll try not to think about that...'
-Konohagakure Prison, noon-
Click, click. A small pin went into the lock of the cell. Karin moved the pin carefully, looking for the right position to open the metal door, but it seemed more complicated than it looked. Still, she continued with the same until the lock made that typical sound. A smile formed on her face and, in the next cell, Tayuya sighed.
"You've been at it for half an hour and you finally got it. Quick, get me out of here too, Karin. I've been locked up in this shit for three years" she put her hands on the bars and looked at Karin.
However, Karin turned her back to him and smiled. She slowly turned around, raised her hand and... "Fuck you, bitch" she showed her middle finger with a smirk. Thereupon, she ran away as fast as she could.
"You fucking bitch! Get me out of here, I'm gonna get you for this! I'm gonna kick your ass, bitch!"
***
"That broad is loud. I have to find Sasuke fast so I can stab him a little and then rub my face in his chest!"
Karin was finally able to escape when the sentries were distracted. With this, she had only one destination to go to.
-Ōkami Clan Village-
At the same time, in this place, a small tournament was being held among the wolves. It was 1 vs 1 combat where the prize was a giant boar captured by Okamitsuki herself.
Boom! Bam! Blows, bites and paws were heard one after another. Two wolves were facing each other and, all around, the other wolves watched excitedly as they placed their bets.
Konan seemed to be quite attentive to this, for she had a slight smile on her face.
'Everyone here gets along, huh...' she couldn't help but think about it, for, even though the wolves were fighting over a piece of meat, they looked happy about this sort of thing. They were all getting along and there was no fighting. 'If only humans were like that...' but that was something even harder to achieve.
Meanwhile, hovering above everyone, Toru had the same thought as Konan. This peace had him a bit disturbed. Right now there is a war going on, where people are dying and suffering. And in all of that are surely Hinata and Ino.
'I shouldn't think about that. There are pretty strong shinobi in the world. So, the war for them should be over quickly. However, if Madara comes to triumph... I... will kill him...' his gaze turned grim from one moment to the next and he sighed as he realized that again he was overthinking.
-Shinobi Alliance, later...-
Zakihhhhhhhhhhhhh! The ten-tailed beast roared and extended all its tails like hands. It looked at all the shinobi and, from its hand-shaped tails, more specifically from its fingers, large thorns began to emerge like canes that swooped down on all the shinobi.
Almost immediately chaos was sown in the army, as, due to this, they began to die one after another without stopping.
Naruto watched this with anger, but he was tired and could not move easily. Still, he had to try.
"Fūton: Rasen Shuriken!"
Creating a shuriken in the palm of his hand, Naruto threw it into the sky and it exploded destroying most of the thorns. However, that was not enough to stop all the chaos.
At the same time, a little close to Naruto, Hinata used Omoiken to break as many thorns as possible, but they were not finished and kept appearing. Considering that Ino just lost her father to one of the Bijūdamas, Hinata tried to protect her.
"Orrraaaaahhhh!!!"
However, Ino could defend herself. Since, with Byakugo activated, together with Hinata, they destroyed the thorns.
This, however, would not be enough. Naruto expended too much chakra by throwing so many Rasen Shurikens, causing him to fall to the ground exhausted. The Jūbi took advantage of this to throw the thorns straight at him, so this was going to be an assured death.
Neji saw this and, since he was closer, without caring about his own life, threw himself in front of Naruto as a human shield. He closed his eyes and awaited his fate, however... Nothing happened....
Neji fell to the ground and saw Naruto's confused face, who was looking up in shock. This made him look back, but what he saw made, for a moment, the world go in slow motion.
This girl's mask cracked and blood spilled all over her clothes. A soft smile formed on her face as she fell to her knees.
...
...
...
"HINATA-SAMA!!!"
Neji immediately caught Hinata in his arms and looked at the wounds she had from being pierced by the thorns.
"It can't be...why did you do this, Hinata-sama!"
Neji couldn't believe it, but this was real. Almost at the same time, Hinata's mask cracked, revealing a gentle smile from this girl.
...
...
When she saw Neji throw himself in front of Naruto to receive the damage, for a second she saw her own father and remembered what happened during the invasion of Konoha. At that moment, her body moved on its own, leading her to appear in front of Neji, thus protecting him, from his own death.
"Neji-niisan... I will never again allow someone from my family to die in front of my eyes..."
...
...
...
A few meters away, realizing that the attack stopped out of nowhere, Hanabi looked back and froze on the spot as she saw what was happening.
"One-san...?"
There was blood there... there was death in front of her eyes... just like that day... just like with her father....
"ONEE-SAN!!!"
With tears streaming down her face, Hanabi ran as fast as her legs would allow, appearing next to Neji and in front of Naruto who, at the same time, watched all this in shock.
Naruto's eyes watched this scene in disbelief. Neji was trying to talk to Hinata so that she herself would not close her eyes and Hanabi was crying desperately at his side. Everything was happening so slowly in front of his eyes that it seemed almost unreal, it looked like a nightmare. He looked at the surroundings and saw all the corpses that the Jūbi's attack left behind. Again he returned his gaze to Neji and noticed Ino coming running at full speed.
"Get in the way!" With her arm, Ino pushed Neji against Naruto and almost immediately, she knocked Hinata's thorns away and laid her down on the ground. "Hinata, listen to me. You're not going to die, I won't let you!" She was saying that, but on her face were tears streaming down her cheeks. Her hands were trembling wrapped in blue, trembling from the fear of not being able to heal her. However, she had to do it.
"Onee-san, please...don't go..." With tears streaming down her face and her fists clenched, Hanabi refused to lose her sister. She didn't want to see someone in her family die again.
And while all this was going on, above the Jūbi's head, Madara smiled and Obito watched everything silently before speaking.
"Look around you, Naruto. Tell me... What do you see?" he looked up earnestly. "Where did the words you said before go? Will you keep saying that you won't let your friends die? Will you keep lying to yourself? Look carefully, Naruto. This is hell, but you can change it. Come here... there's no need to be in this horrible reality..."
-Somewhere strange-
Completely white and pure, a place full of light and a strange warm feeling. Although all this seemed to be empty, in the middle of it all was a gigantic figure made up only of a strange glowing energy. The figure was in the shape of a little girl with short hair, who was clenching her fists as if she was angry.
"What the hell are you doing!!! The idiot is the one who should die, not her! That's not how I wrote this story!"
She waved her arms, completely angry and shook her head as there was a tantrum.
"Stop changing my story already! That's not how it should happen, not like that!!!"
She floated in the white void, spinning back and forth as she continued her tantrum.
"Silly Overlord who invaded my world" she frowned and sighed. "Yeah...it's all their fault. dumb gods who won't listen to me when I try to tell them there's an Overlord who's altering my story! Listen to me! You created me, take responsibility!"
Although she screamed and kicked, no one listened to her, the gods ignored her. This was something that made her feel disappointed.
"What's a mother to do to get the gods to listen to her? Huh. Whatever. I'll just have to get everything back to canon."
-Somewhere near the Ōkami Clan Village-
"This is rather curious. They seem to have reshaped the land. There are interesting paths, as if they made them on purpose" it was strange to him. He had just revived and was already seeing new and interesting things. They were supposed to be on their way to the ancient temple of the Uzumaki clan, but there was something strange about the road. This led him to smile curiously, as he sensed an essence, a familiar chakra.
He licked his lips with his snake tongue and advanced alongside Sasuke, Suigetsu and Jūgo.
"What do you mean, Orochimaru?" Sasuke frowned.
"This is going to be something you're going to be interested in."
***
It was already dusk and the air was starting to turn cold. For Toru and Konan, everything had been moderately peaceful in this place, but they couldn't help but hear distant explosions and feel slight tremors. This war was on another level, but despite that, they continued to live a quiet life until now.
Around the campfire, all the wolves ate a portion of raw wild boar, while Toru, using a frying pan he made, cooked the meat while watching the flame in silence. Next to him, Konan nibbled on a piece of meat that Toru had cooked earlier, but was disappointed to notice that this had no taste either.
"Is it okay if I cook it?"
"That's fine."
"Thank you."
Konan took the pan and added some salt to the meat. With that, as the meat cooked in its own fat, she hummed a song with a slight smile on her lips. Toru watched her intently, silent as the wolves chatted amidst laughter and playful little fights. It all seemed like a comfortable and relaxing night for everyone. Even Okamitsuki was eating next to her daughter while having fun watching the wolves of her clan.
Everything was so peaceful...
...
"Konan..."
But suddenly, Toru frowned and the Eternal Kodō Shigan Shigan activated in his gaze.
She saw Toru's gaze and immediately thought that something bad was going on.
"How many are there...?" she asked.
"There are four of them. They all have quite a bit of chakra. What's more, I know them all..."
"Are you sure about that?"
"Yes. I don't think they come with hostile intentions, but don't be confident."
Toru got up from the wooden log he was sitting on and walked towards a specific direction. He didn't move too far away from Konan, thinking that he could protect her in case of an attack. He folded his arms at that spot and stared at the path that stretched between the trees in the forest.
This was watched by all the wolves with curiosity until they all detected four different types of scents. Those four beings smelled of death and sensed danger in those strange scents that reached their nostrils.
"Okaminaru, don't do anything unnecessary. Stay out of it."
"It's okay, okaa-san."
...
After a few seconds...
They finally appeared...
...
...
...
"It's a surprise to meet you here, one of my greatest prides, Asahi Toru-kun" Smiling cordially, Orochimaru appeared from the trees covered by a hooded cloak that hid his face moderately well. However, he removed the hood the moment he came into contact with this village.
At the same time, behind him, three more subjects appeared. One of them looked large and stocky, while the second looked rather thin. The last one was the most recognizable of all, as those crimson eyes are quite familiar to Toru.
"It's a surprise to me to see you still alive" Toru was aggressive with his words. He was looking at Orochimaru with murderous intent, but that didn't seem to affect the snake man in the slightest.
"It's ironic to know that I've been looking for you for so long and, when I'm not looking for you, you appear in front of me."
"I don't care if you were looking for me," Toru said.
...
...
...
Seeing who the visitors were, Konan put the frying pan aside and approached Toru from behind. She gently took him by the hand and glared at Orochimaru angrily.
"Orochimaru..."
He opened his eyes slightly as he saw Konan alive in front of him.
"Heh. I thought Madara would have killed you by now, but look at you. You're still alive, clinging to someone else like you always usually do."
Toru took these words in a hostile manner and let go of Konan's hand. He approached Orochimaru and looked him in the eyes.
"Whether you were looking for me or not, that doesn't matter to me. My only question here is..." A giant pressure of chakra overwhelmed everyone from one second to the next except for Sasuke and Orochimaru. The latter seemed thrilled by this small display of power "What the hell are you guys doing here?" with that characteristic gleam in his eyes, he looked at the four visitors.
Having had enough of staying quiet and doing nothing, the guy with the crimson eyes, Sasuke, pushed Orochimaru aside by grabbing him by the shoulder and taking off his hood to look Toru in the eyes.
"Sasuke."
"Toru!"
Behind everyone, Suigetsu sighed. Maybe it was his own imagination, but he would swear that, in the looks of these boys, there was a small white lightning bolt linking the eyes of both of them. 'Asahi Toru, huh... Scary. This is the second time I've seen him and I can sense that he's dangerous. Now I understand what Karin was referring to at the time... though I don't remember what relationship these two have" The relationship these two had during their short lives was always quite strange, but Suigetsu had no way of knowing. In the past they were friends, a few days ago they were enemies, and now what?
"Calm down a little. We're just passing through. We have no business here." Orochimaru calmed the waters a bit with his words. Something that, at the same time, made Konan feel relieved, as it looked like Toru and Sasuke were going to start a fight, but with this, everything calmed down in the end.
"Then, if you're just passing by, get out quickly and don't come back."
Hearing Toru, Sasuke walked past him like it was nothing, walking away from there. Orochimaru was disappointed to see the indifference with which Toru and Sasuke treated each other, but this is what it is. He can't generate such a spectacle out of nowhere.
But...
Boom!
A giant purple glowing hand appeared and struck Toru in the face, sending him flying into Okamitsuki. Almost instantly and silently, Sasuke appeared in front of the wolves and looked down at Toru.
"You owed me."
For a moment, Toru opened his eyes and had a flashback to a few days ago and a few years ago. At the thought, he smiled slightly and stood up. He replied to Sasuke with the same words he said all those years ago.
"Yes you are a sore loser."
Orochimaru nodded his head as he saw this. It seemed that both Toru and Sasuke had changed quite a bit since he last saw them. That was a good thing. However, there was also something that intrigued him. He watched as Konan held Toru's hand as if they were a couple and that was something strange and murky to him.
'Heh. That's something that's none of my business, but...' He turned his gaze and looked at Konan with a wry smile. "Even I wouldn't dare that much" referring to the relationship she has with Toru.
Konan understood this. "Whatever you say won't affect me. You'd better go on your way and stay away from us."
"Fufufu. As passive aggressive as ever. That part of you is nice. And I guess I'll take your word for it" He looked at the two boys in front of him. "Sasuke. It's time for us to leave. We're wasting valuable time. If you want to talk to them, we should hurry."
"Yeah, whatever you say."
Hands in his pockets, Sasuke walked past Toru and Okamitsuki. He raised his hand, waving goodbye, something that left Toru confused, but which he still understood as a symbol of peace between the two.
"See you later, Sasuke."
Hearing Toru, Sasuke looked over his shoulder at him and nodded his head. Orochimaru followed him as well, along with Suigetsu and Jūgo. They were all ready to head out of the village, heading into the forest that stretched along, but Orochimaru stopped and grinned mischievously. Without looking away from the forest, he said:
"Toru-kun. are you still working as a mercenary?"
Konan frowned at this question. She knew what this man meant and understood what he wanted.
Okamitsuki and Okaminaru looked at each other, not quite understanding what was going on. But this was Toru's business so no one from the village should interfere, it's not like they started a fight either so that was fine. At least that's what she thought and her daughter shared that thought. Though Okaminaru did want to help Toru, but she held back seeing that this was all over quickly. Well, it all resumed with that question.
"Not anymore. I stopped being one when I joined Akatsuki."
"That's too bad. Sasuke and I have a job for you."
Sasuke looked at Orochimaru immediately not knowing what this man was referring to. He just looked at him and smiled, as if he was telling him to be quiet. So, reluctantly, Sasuke folded his arms and looked away.
"There's something I want to do and I need manpower. Whatever you desire, be it a forbidden jutsu, money... a living person... whatever you ask for, I will give it to you in exchange for your labor" With a grim look, he finished saying.
Konan didn't like the sound of that at all. The decision is Toru's and no one else's, so she looked at him to find out what this boy was thinking, but when she turned her gaze, she realized that Toru was looking at her too, as if he was asking for her permission. This made her remember the promise Toru made.
'It's like he's limiting him...' So she just nodded her head, for she has seen Toru acting strangely lately, stranger than usual. Somehow he looked worried and Konan didn't like that. If it would make Toru feel at peace, then she had no objections.
With this gesture, Toru nodded his head. "What kind of job do you have for me?"
Orochimaru looked excited by this. So, with complete naturalness he replied, "Let's summon the four Hokages."
***
Half an hour later, riding Okaminaru's back, Toru and Konan looked ahead. A while ago they arrived at a strange temple and took a mask from one of the walls. With this, Orochimaru said that they had already completed one of the steps needed to perform the Jutsu. Although, Toru didn't understand what his role is in this whole process. Right now, the whole group is heading to Konoha, where they will have to complete a number of more steps to finish the job.
"Why did the giant dog come with us?" Suigetsu was curious.
Okaminaru insisted on accompanying them, as she didn't want to leave Toru and Konan alone with such strange people. That's why she finds himself carrying these two on her back.
"It will be a problem when the people of Konoha see a giant wolf come in. Before it reaches the village, you'll have to send it back to its village, Toru-kun."
"That I will. Don't you have any complaints, Okaminaru?"
"Not at all. I'm fine with that. Only you'll have to call me when you need me. And lastly" Okaminaru looked down at her own back, rolling her eyes at Konan. "Take care of him, Konan."
She nodded her head with a slight smile. Konan was obviously willing to protect Toru, Okaminaru didn't need to mention it, but she still appreciated the gesture. It just showed that the two were already getting along better.
On the other hand, Toru was curious about many things, but he had to wait and seriously think about what he will ask Orochimaru as a reward for the job.
"Orochimaru, what are you planning?" Sasuke leaned closer to him and whispered with a frown. He didn't know what Orochimaru had planned by involving Toru in all this, but the answer was simpler than it seemed.
"Taking advantage of this coincidence, I thought it would be good for you to have an old friend around. Maybe he'll help you find the answer you're looking for faster."
"That's not all and you know it."
"I have my reasons too, yes, but it's not such a big deal. I assure you. I won't do anything evil anymore. Even if you can't trust me, I'll act according to my wishes and what I want is to see how you move forward in all this. And if Toru-kun is involved, this is only more interesting."
"There was no need to bring him in, I'm serious."
"Fufufu. You don't know because you're confused, Sasuke-kun. But you and Toru-kun are more alike than you think. I'm sure you'll find your answer in him and what the Hokages say."
Although it was unnecessary for Sasuke, it was interesting for Orochimaru. Making the most of this coincidence is what he will do and, if he is lucky, he will be able to see Toru's true potential.
'However, there is only one big difference Toru has' He looked at the boy on the wolf's back and smiled. 'You shouldn't exist and that's what makes you someone special, much more special than Sasuke-kun' Orochimaru knew a bit of the history of the Asahi clan. Someone appearing and disappearing out of nowhere without a trace is not something normal. How this clan came into being was extremely mysterious. 'And not just Toru-kun... but his entire clan...'
In this world there are many mysteries and the Asahi clan was one of them. Although this is more of Orochimaru's wild theory, even though he himself thinks the odds are great, he doesn't have enough grounds to confirm it. That's why he needed to see what Toru is capable of.
"We're almost there" Suigetsu stepped forward and looked at the giant hole Nagato's Shinra Tensei left behind. Inside the crater, Konoha had risen from the rubble.
Toru's eyes widened slightly at the sight. It seemed that the people were mentally strong enough to build back what once was. Now he could see it with his eyes. "Although it has changed quite a bit, it is somewhat nostalgic" he said as he saw the faces of the Kages on the mountain.
To be continued...
