Naruto: Tales of Ashihara
Prologue – Arc 2: The Daitengu
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Chapter 10 – The Filth in One's Mind
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In an obscure alley of the Ryuka village, Tsubai's younger sister is standing in front of him, displaying the powers of Akashita, tengu of the previous generation. In Tsubai's mind, Daikoku explains what he understands from this scene.
"In her case, it makes sense that she can survive the power of a tengu, since she's also a descendant of your clan's main branch." says the ghost. "But judging by her look, she's not handling it. She's been taken over, and easily."
"Saori, can you hear me?" asks Tsubai, trying to reason with his sister.
"She can't." answers Daikoku. "Akashita is in total control of her body. Her not being used to a tengu's presence makes her easier to manipulate for someone like him."
Akashita, with Saori's body, covers himself in black mist and runs toward Tsubai with no specific strategy other than reaching him. Tsubai just jumps away, still with plenty of questions in his mind.
"What happened to the two ninjas?" he asks his tengu.
"They're dead."
"What? Just like that?"
"It's Akashita's jutsu. Whatever his yamabushi touches with his black mist dies instantly. I don't know if it works on everyone the same way, but you better stay away. Keep running."
"This is way too powerful. Is he the strongest of the tengu?"
"It isn't that strong." Daikoku replies, unhappy about his host's praise for another spirit. "It's just that he could kill you with a single touch. Any truly skilled swordsman knowing how to handle his weapon can do that. All you have to do is keep your distances. Even if he doesn't touch you, his mist can still suck your life out, so staying nearby for too long is dangerous."
Tsubai keeps running away while making sure to keep an eye on his sister.
"How is he controlling her body? Is it another of his abilities?"
"He's in command, yes, but it's not a unique skill. About one out of three tengu have this ability. He's not the only one who can do it. I think the strongest ones have it. But generally, the host remains conscious, just unable to see the real world."
"Ok so how do we beat him and free Saori? Are we strong enough for that?"
"Strong enough? Tsubai, I think you didn't really get what I am. I have the strongest Kekkei Genkai a tengu could offer, and can manipulate time and memories. There is no tengu, except the Daitengu itself, who stands a chance against me. The problem with Akashita is that he'll take control over Saori for as long as he's in her. And I don't know any way to pull him out of her by myself."
"So what do we do?"
"We have to kill him. It's the only way to stop him."
"Kill him? But it would mean killing Saori."
"My only goal is to keep you alive, regardless of… LOOK OUT!"
Tsubai, concentrating on Daikoku's explanation, lost track of his sister. Unseen, Akashita transported himself in the black fog that composes his body and upgraded his speed and sneak. The dark cloud took a turn and is now floating toward Tsubai at high speed. As it comes to take Tsubai's life, a voice emanates from it.
"I,… Riku needs you dead. I have to take you." says the voice of Akashita.
Tsubai just looks at it coming closer and just focuses on Saori's face that he can see through the cloud. This sight lets him succumb to intrusive thoughts. Himari already died for his safety, he doesn't want the same thing to happen to her. If people keep running after his power and endanger his loved ones, dying right now as the dark fog demands is the quickest and easiest way to keep everyone he knows safe from his curse. Tsubai, ignoring Daikoku's screaming voice in his mind, stays still, ready to die and give what he wants to his father.
"You really are an idiot." says Daikoku, deciding to take charge.
Tsubai's inner world turns to black entirely and his body stops moving. Daikoku's hood is crawling over his body and making him lose control of his own body.
"As I said, only the strongest tengu have this ability. Now, let me proceed on my own."
From the black mist, Saori's hand comes out just in front of Tsubai's face, ready to take his life in a single touch.
Jikanteido (Time Pause)
Just a few millimeters from his face, Saori's fingers freezes as well as everything around. Daikoku, in control of Tsubai's body, steps away from the girl's trajectory. On her side, he materializes a dark chakra scythe in his hand and, with no pity in his soul, gets ready to slice the frozen young girl.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" screams Tsubai, who stops Daikoku with his words.
"You shouldn't be able to see anything."
"I don't. You're in control of my body right. What will you do?"
"…"
"I'm warning you, Daikoku. If you kill her now, I'll kill myself, and I promise you won't always be able to stop me from doing it."
"Tsubai, you are my yamabushi. As long as I am within your mind, your life is the only thing that keeps me alive. I must protect it at all costs."
"There must be another way. If this tengu is now in Saori and was in the jar before, it means he or my father must know a way to force him out of her body."
"Neither of them will help us. They need us dead for some reason I haven't figured out yet."
"I refuse to let her die!"
*Sigh "... Fine." the tengu complies.
In reality, time suddenly starts flowing again. Akashita, who was flying in a straight line, has no time to react and hits the scythe placed under Saori's arms. The blade goes through the whole body and cloud, but as Daikoku intends, only the cloud is sliced in half. Saori's body falls to the ground, not lifted by the mist anymore. Daikoku stands in front of the girl who quickly gets up. Even if she appears unhurt, she's acting like the slice severely damaged her. It is still Akashita who controls her.
"Still standing?" asks Daikoku.
"You? His tengu?" says Akashita, through Saori's mouth. "It's you, the source of our troubles!"
He covers his host's body with black mist again and gathers it like gloves around her hands. Unfortunately, all this mist is sucked into the ground as soon as it takes form. Daikoku had already planned his opponent's attempt at fighting back. His Meiton chakra spreaded on the ground is sucking the chakra and fog out of Saori's body. Unable to move, Akashita has his energy taken away and loses control over his yamabushi for now, causing her to faint. Daikoku slowly walks towards her and frees his host's mind to let him see reality again. Coming back, Tsubai sees his sister lying there.
"What did…" he starts to ask.
"She's not dead. Only asleep." interrupts Daikoku. "But when she wakes up, Akashita will manipulate her again, and she won't be free for as long as he lives."
"Really? That fast? I thought it would be harder to beat him." exclaims the yamabushi.
"I told you you're underestimating me." answers the tengu. "So what did you say? He or Riku must know how to free her?"
Tsubai doesn't answer and just looks at his tengu using his body to hold Saori's head and try to extract Akashita's memories, hoping to find an answer to his question. But he doesn't succeed, there's no memory to take.
"The tengu doesn't know how he got there." Daikoku says.
"Oh, you took his memory." notices Tsubai. "It's no problem. If he doesn't, then…"
"His original yamabushi must know." says Daikoku, finishing his host's sentence.
He turns his head to look at the far left end of the village's beach, and lets go of Saori's head. It's where Riku Minamoto was at last according to the girl's memories. Daikoku leaves the body back to its owner, who lifts his sister's body up and holds her in his arms before heading to his father's location, having now no other choice than to finally face him.
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In the mobile home on the beach, the Minamoto leader is drinking from a bottle of sake, sitting alone and waiting for his tengu and daughter to return with good news. A stranger's voice suddenly breaks him out of his daydream.
"So it seems like you're trying to take the last heir's life." says a man with very pale skin, white clothes, white hair, and two black lines going down from his eyes resembling tear strands. He stands there as if he just appeared.
"What? How did you get in there? There are ninjas guarding the door." asks Riku, troubled by this entrance.
"I passed through." answers the man, without elaborating. "I hope you know that these murder attempts are much of a disappointment for Lord Sojobo."
"Doesn't he understand that I'm forced to do that for my survival?" explains the Minamoto leader. "It's because of him that I have to do this."
"Doesn't it occur to you that your survival isn't part of his plan?" sadly says the white stranger.
"What do you mean? Does he really expect me to just die and be replaced with Tsubai?"
"The last tengu is something he can't afford to lose. He can't afford to lose any of them. He just expects you to ensure that Akashita's power is preserved before your own death."
"HE CAN'T LET ME DOWN LIKE THAT! I'M THE CURRENT LEADER OF HIS LINEAGE!"
To these words, the mysterious man doesn't answer anything. He simply starts to glow in an intense white light and vanishes, leaving exactly like he entered. Riku looks around, startled to see this man disappear as suddenly as he appeared. Why did he come to visit? Why tell him this? Was it a warning?
Riku takes his time to calm down, but stays stressed by the fate imposed on him. Going back to his chair, his gaze crosses the window and he perceives his son in the distance. Understanding that Akashita failed, he realizes that his son is coming for him.
Overcome by panic, he brutally stands up and grabs a weapon on the table, some kind of crossbow with a kunai on it. He stands ready to shoot, facing the door. His look alternates between the door and the window so he knows what is happening outside. Through the window frame, he sees the ninjas who were supposed to guard the door of this shed casually walk away like it never was their problem.
"What did he do?" Riku thinks, unaware of his son's ability to absorb memories. At this moment, the front door moves. Tsubai just pushes it open with his foot and takes a step in. Riku aims at him immediately, willing to shoot, but holds back when he sees Saori lying in her brother's arms. Afraid to hurt her, Riku hesitates for a short time, then thinks of his own life, and of what Tsubai represents.
He firmly holds his weapon and shoots the kunai at Tsubai, regardless of his daughter's presence. However, at the exact moment where the kunai was about to hit its target, his son makes use of his other mysterious power to trick his father. Tsubai appears standing right in front of him, bypassing the kunai's trajectory. To RIku, he looks taller than usual.
Very soon, he realizes that it's not Tsubai who grew, but he who got forced on his knees. Looking down at his feet, he sees one of his legs broken and bent the wrong way. As he screams in pain, he grits his teeth and tries to hit his son in the face with his fist. Tsubai simply leans back to dodge the punch and kicks his dad in the torso, sending him flying through a window.
Riku, who's been thrown out on the beach, turns around and crawls away from the cabin, in the direction of the woods, which mark the limits of the village. Tsubai just calmly walks out and goes to follow him.
"SOMEBODY KILL THAT BASTARD!" yells the leader of the village hoping for someone to hear and help him.
Tsubai gets closer and closer to him as he tries his best to flee.
"You were really gonna shoot at me. And you really used your own daughter as a tool. How disgusting…" he says, insulting his father.
"Listen son…" starts Riku, trying to ask for mercy.
"Don't call me son. I know what you're gonna say is just a bunch of lies."
"I can explain. You don't understand how important it is that YOU die."
"So you can save your ass, that's all?"
"The curse, Tsubai. I thought I escaped it, but it's back. If you don't die, I will."
"Yes. As I said. To save your ass, you'll kill your own son, and utilize your daughter. You're such a coward."
"It's more than that. Let me explain." answers Riku, panicking.
"Then try talking instead of crawling away." Tsubai says, though he has no intention to listen. "When mom and half the village died… And now a few weeks ago when the village was under attack. Running away to save yourself and letting everyone down seems to be your specialty."
"Could you stop chasing me for a second?"
"I almost died, Himari died,…" tells Tsubai. "The village was destroyed. Meanwhile, your sorry ass was chilling in the capital. If it wasn't for Naruto and Sasuke, we'd all be dead."
"What? Himari? She's dead?"
"Like you give a fuck? Lately you even hired mercenaries to kill me so you could keep living your pathetic life."
"... You MUST die, son. It's not just me. It's more. Your life, this curse, your tengu. It all fuels the life of something bigger. By killing you I'm keeping the world from running into a great danger."
"Whatever you're talking about… I know strong people now. No threat is big enough for them."
"It's not just a threat. He's more than anything that ever touched this world. He's… God. He can't be dealt with like any enemy. And YOUR life makes him stronger."
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"… The Daitengu." says Riku after a few seconds of hesitation.
When these last words come out of his mouth, a mass of mystical feather blades suddenly starts falling on him and Tsubai. As these keep raining on them and piercing through the trees and stones around, one projectile reaches Riku's neck and cuts through it. Tsubai, standing in the middle, holds his sister tightly against himself to shield her from any damage.
In his last breath, Riku looks farther behind his son in the sky. Tssubai follows his father's gaze and peaks in his back where he sees a silhouette with large floating wings floating above the scene in the sky. As the blades pierce him, the wounds make him go dizzy and fall to the ground. The rain stops. Before he faints, he sees the lifeless, severed body of his father in front of him and looks up to see what caused this again. With a batter look, before passing out, he seems to recognize the face of the man up there. It is his uncle, the younger brother of Riku. Still holding his sister, he falls unconscious next to her.
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Some hours later, in the village, Sasuke did as promised to Tsubai, and just brought Himari's body to her home village and friends, at the hostel. He now leaves the hostel accompanied by Natsuri.
"I'll try to bring Tsubai back before the funeral." says the wanderer.
"Thank you sir… I can't believe what happened…" answers Natsuri, lost and shaken by what he brought upon them, finally realizing why Tsubai was so troubled earlier when she met him.
"... It wasn't for nothing. Tsubai's still there thanks to Himari." explains the Uchiha after a short silence, trying to ease the receptionist's mind. "She was the hero at a moment where neither me or Naruto could have been."
"… I understand…" Natsuri answers, not familiar enough to show emotions. "Also, Tsubai came to visit this morning, but I don't know where he is now."
"I see… Is the leader back home?"
"Yes he is. He should be in the mobile home that's further away on the beach with Miss Saori."
"I'll go see him then. Good Bye."
Sasuke goes the direction that Natsuri gave him. He thinks about Tsubai's father and the relation he seemed to have with his son. Meeting with him will probably be awkward, but he has to find Tsubai. On his way, he's interrupted by someone calling his name.
"Sasuke?" asks a woman standing by the beach.
Sasuke turns around and sees a young looking red haired woman that he seems to recognize.
"It's me. Dariha. Dariha Heihachiro. We met at the time of the dragon's attack. You helped the villagers and led us into my dad's cave to save us from the tsunami."
"Yes I remember you." says Sasuke, now recalling what happened a few days ago. "Did things go as expected afterwards?"
"Yes, you did a good job. There's just, obviously, my dad's shop that was destroyed."
"Sorry about that."
"No no, don't be. It's not as if it was the only building destroyed…" says Dariha, grateful. "And how have you been doing since that day?"
"Could do better… I need to find Tsubai." says Sasuke, staying focused on his objective.
"Ah yes. I saw him and his dad sooner today. I'm not sure what was happening but it looked like they were fighting."
"Really?" asks the Uchiha, confused and uneasy.
"I don't know. His dad was crawling on the ground, and he was holding someone in his arms. I saw them go into the forest. This way."
"Thank you." says Sasuke while looking in this direction.
He heads to the forest to find clues about what happened to Tsubai, but only finds a dead body. After turning the body around and seeing the symbol on his suit, he understands that this person was Riku Minamoto. The corpse of the clan and village's leader has been lying there for hours, unfound.
Nearby, Sasuke also finds traces of what looks like chakra blades scattered around and progressively fading away, similar to the feathers of Susanoo's wings. Judging by the positions and orientations of some of them, he concludes that they were shot down as projectiles from the sky. One last thing gets Sasuke's attention: blood stains that he sees along the way.
Sharingan
This isn't the leader's blood. It belongs to someone else. It is probably Tsubai's blood, as Sasuke can also sense the remains of his chakra around. He decides to follow his traces to find him. These feathers must be the power of another tengu. If it is his blood, Tsubai must be injured. Sasuke must find him before something worse happens to him.
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Meanwhile, somewhere in the massive mountain that lies between the forests near Ryuka, Tsubai opens his eyes, lying on the ground. He doesn't know how long it's been since he lost consciousness, but he remembers what happened last, when his father was killed. When he raises his head to see where he was brought, all he sees is a woman sitting by his side, looking at him. She has a blue dress and very long black hair. She has a skin tone very similar to his, and bright blue eyes. Tsubai looks at her more closely, speechless, and notices she's also very tall for a woman. For a moment, Tsubai thought he hadn't woken up yet, and was just dreaming.
"He's awake" says the woman before standing up and stepping back, bringing Tsubai to reality.
Tsubai sits on the floor and looks around him to see what is up. The woman goes to stand in a round of people surrounding him. Besides this beautiful woman, there are five other people around him in a circle, and some few familiar faces.
A pale man with white hair and clothes, black eyes, and black tear marks going down from his eyes to his neck. He's the man that was in Riku's mobile home earlier today.
A tall muscular brown man with gray hair, green eyes and white markings on his cheeks, wearing a dark gray sleeveless vest with fur around his collar.
A young girl that looks about 16 years old, with mid-long light brown hair, brown eyes, white skin, wearing white and red clothes.
A middle aged man with grey hair who greatly resembles Tsubai's father but shorter. He recognizes his uncle, Moritaka Minamoto. What is he doing here? By looking around, Tsubai also recognizes Ritoru, the mercenary he saw earlier today.
"Tsubai." says Daikoku in his host's mind. "There's something odd with this place."
"Daikoku… This Ritoru guy is here. Does it mean…?" answers Tsubai, glad to hear his tengu's voice.
"I can feel it. They're all yamabushi or on the path to become one." explains Daikoku. "But more importantly I feel something different here behind them."
Tsubai looks where his tengu feels something. To clear his view, every yamabushi steps aside to reveal what is sitting on a sort of throne behind them: one last person. A white blonde haired man, who's almost as tall as him. He looks a lot like Ino Yamanaka for some reason. He's not wearing any top or shoes, just black trousers with some kind of white skirt over it. His topless body reveals a tattoo that also resembles something he already saw: the marks that appear on Naruto when he uses his Biju Chakra Mode, except this man has them only on the right side of his body. Tsubai only now sees that the man has Saori, still unconscious, lying on his lap.
"I'm sorry for the inconvenience, my child." says this man while standing up from his throne and holding Tsubai's sister in one arm. "But the turn of events have brought you to meet with me in person."
"Did you just say 'my child'? Who are you?" asks Tsubai.
"This man…" says Daikoku. "…is Inosawa Yamanaka, the founder of the Minamoto clan. But he died like 300 years ago. The one who controls the body now is…"
"I'll introduce my own self, child." interrupts the man, like he's talking to Daikoku. "My name is Sojobo. I'm the true founder of the Minamoto clan. I'm more well-known as the Curse of Time, the spirit of the mountain, or as you heard of me, the Daitengu."
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End of Chapter 10 – Next Chapter: The Daitengu