Naruto's legs burned already, they had been running for nearly a full day, and still he could feel the Kazekage and the Raikage's presence nipping at his heels. In order to not harm his cargo any more than it already was he could not resort to the demonic chakra in his system in order to recharge his reserves. He could not hand her to others, due to the simple fact that most of them were injured as it was, with Guan being in the best of shape out of the entire group, having just received a few burns on his left arm, whereas Kakashi had, on two occasions already required support from some of the chuunin that were in better shape in order to keep up and not fall behind.
On the plus side however, he could tell they were nearly approaching the border between Kumo and Konoha. One marked by the Kyousei Goruju bridge. A great wooden bridge which was nearly 50 yards from one end to the other. If they could just pass that bridge, they could destroy it and cut off this pursuit.
Naruto leapt off of another three when Guan caught up to him. "My lord, we are approaching the bridge that marks the border. We must be careful, this Zhuge Liang, may have prepared something for us, knowing that this was the quickest, and easiest escape route."
Naruto nodded as he glanced around, taking in the lush, heavy vegetation around them, as well as the darkened shadows cast by the large trees. He stared ahead, finding the bridge already in sight and rapidly approaching.
"Well, I do admit this would be a good place for an ambush."
Almost as if waiting for the blonds word, a kunai flew from the shadows of the forest, striking one of the chuunin directly behind him. This was soon followed by hundreds of others.
Naruto and Guan skidded to a halt, the blond growling as he caught one of the Kunai and threw it back, watching as one of the men fell from his tree, crashing onto the floor with a dull thud.
"Its an ambush alright." Guan remarked as he used his sword to block some of the kunai. A surge of chakra behind them however had Naruto turning to face the cause of it.
The Jinchuriki found it was a lightning jutsu, headed straight for Guan's exposed back. The large man still had not realized it, being distracted by some, now charging Kumo nin. His legs moved, seemingly of their own accord, as he rushed, and shoved the man away, using his body weight and momentum to tackle him to the ground.
It proved to be at his own expense however, as the lightning tore through the left side of his stomach, the smell of burnt flesh permeating the air a moment later as the leader of Konoha roared in what could only be described as agony, falling to one knee as he made sure to do his best to not jostle Temari, who was still on his shoulder, but thankfully had not been hit by the attack.
"MY LORD!" Guan yelled in alarm as he moved in front of Naruto to shield him from the Kumo ninja now approaching them, Kakashi and the rest of the surviving Konoha ninja circling the blond as they joined in the attempt to protect him.
Guan glanced back at Naruto, watching him visibly struggle to pick himself up after the debilitating attack, blood flowing down from the wound to his leg, the smell of it thick in the air. Guan, despite his loyalty to the younger man, would have never, ever believed that he would willingly take a hit for him, especially one as grievous as the one he had currently taken. Guan's eyes narrowed in contemplation for a moment before they hardened in determination. "Naruto-sama, Kakashi-san, leave this place. I and the rest of the men shall take control of the rear for now, we will join you once we are done here."
Naruto growled, ignoring the coppery taste of his own blood as he rose fully to his feet. "I cannot ask you to do that."
"Neither can I." Kakashi added as he blocked another kunai.
"My lord please. Aside from myself and Jiraiya-sama, Kakashi is one of your strongest generals, he is too injured to be of much use here. Both of you go." Guan spoke before he cut down one of the Kumo nin that got too close too quickly. "You must leave..." He paused before he looked to him, his gaze serious and holding a smoldering flame of determination within them. "Who else among us can quell this rebellion if you fall here?"
Naruto stared at the larger man his eyes momentarily going to the floor as something that could be interpreted as remorse passed over his eyes before they hardened, the familiar glint of ruthlessness entering his red eyes before he nodded once.
Guan nodded back. "MEN!" He roared bringing the attention of the gathered ninja to him. "We must cut a path to the bridge, protect our lord and let none pass the bridge once he crosses."
For a brief, very brief moment there was a silence a silence that passed through all of the injured Konoha ninja, one which allowed them to fully appreciate the graveness of their situation. The realization, that this day, more likely than not marked their deaths, fully settled within their minds.
But the moment vanished, and the slow feeling of dread seeping into their spines, vanished, replaced by cold determination. Their nations had not come this far, and surpassed so many obstacles, both military, political and civil, to simply allow it all to fall apart now. They would defend their commander, they would protect the promise of peace he offered. They would protect the dream that had been offered to them, to the lives of their children.
And so, with a great roar, the men pushed forward, cutting down any ninja that stood in their path until they themselves were cut down. using their own bodies as human shields to defend the one in the center. Finally, having crossed the several dozen yards, which seemed more like several hundred yards when they arrived, they made it to the bridge, opening up their formation and allowing Naruto and Kakashi to get onto the bridge.
"Go!" Guan yelled before he turned back around, his sword in hand as the remaining ninja did the same.
Naruto closed his eyes and paused for a moment, his free arm still gripping his injury as he turned and he stared at Guan before he turned back to Kakashi. "Come, let us not make his sacrifice worthless." Kakashi nodded and together they began making their way across the bridge, leaving the one eyed swordsman of Kiri to hold off Kumo for as long as he could, knowing that today would more likely than not, signify his death.
"Konoha ninja." A female voice reached their ears, bringing all the ninja's attention onto the owner, finding a woman with shoulder length soft brown hair staring down at them, a hook end spear held in one hand. "Surrender now, and your lives will be spared."
Guan made his way through his men, coming to a stop in front of them, and facing the fifty or so Kumo jounins, outnumbering remaining dozen at least five to one. He responded. "Not one of you shall pass this bridge..." He passed his eyes over the assembled enemies before he placed himself into a stance. "Those that dare, shall meet death."
Zhuge Liang currently made his way through the forest, the Kazekge at his side, the boy's anger and fear were an almost palpable thing, sand whipping around him as he practically tore the forest apart in his pursuit of the Konoha Jinchuriki. One thing he could be fairly certain of was that, in his arrogance Naruto most likely would not have soldier pills on him, not that he would need it under most circumstances.
But these aren't most circumstances, without soldier pills, he would resort to his demonic chakra. Liang had not sensed him resort to such however. The Raikage absolutely refused to believe that anyone, not even the Jinchuriki of the Kyuubi no Kitsune could possibly hold such large reserves, so that meant there was only one other alternative, that he simply wasn't using it.
Again only two reasons came to mind, either he had used too much of it already in the battle, which he seriously doubted, seeing as how he had only sensed a surge of Kyuubi's chakra that did not come from Akina for just a few minutes, or he wasn't using it because he could not do so because of Temari. He was willing to bet on the later.
This would prove to be a great advantage soon, once Naruto was ambushed, which had been suggested by his wife, he would be stalled long enough for both himself and the Kazekage to catch up. With both of them there, as well as the sixty or so Anbu in the ambush, not to mention the rest of the Anbu that would no doubt be coming right behind them, hopefully with Akina, he doubted even Naruto would be able to survive all of that.
Still, his thoughts drifted to Temari, he needed to get her back from Naruto.
Dead or alive it didn't matter to him, but he had to make sure that the blond did not use her to force Suna into a surrender. No matter what.
The world will never know peace under Uzumaki Naruto. He could not be the leader of the world due to his cruelty, his...omnipotence. The people needed a leader who was human, who made mistakes, someone they, on at least some level could relate to. Uzumaki Naruto, was not a human being that could be related to, understood, perhaps even pitied, but never related to.
A surge of chakra ahead of him alerted him to the fact that the ambush had already begun and so, with his own chakra pumping down his legs he pushed himself forward. His wife was there after all, he wouldn't leave her to fight Naruto on her own.
Not far behind the two, Akina was rushing through the trees, the medic that had treated her back at the city had done well, her fatigue from the previous fight all but gone now. She was following the various scents and chakra presences. She recalled her fight with Naruto, whereas before, her mind had been clouded with her emotions, now she could look back on it, her mind clearer, no longer clouded by the anger that came with seeing him. The words, they had spoken to each other returning to her mind with clarity, allowing her to reflect on both her words and his.
"Yes, I would see a hundred cities destroyed if it meant seeing your corpse at my feet."
Had she truly said that? Had she allowed her hatred for the man that had killed her parents reach to such heights that it would consume her to such a degree?
"Then tell me, dear sister...how does that make you any different from me?"
How could she hold such hatred, such blind and untamed hatred...and claim to be different than him?
How many had told her to let go of her anger? Yugito, Tsunade, Shizune, lady Ying...how many people had told her to stop fighting solely for her revenge? She couldn't remember, but she knew it had been many. She had ignored them all, selfishly...ignorantly, arrogantly.
She shook her head. She knew, that their advice was one that she should follow, but just the thought of that monster, the same one that had so callously killed off her entire family, and the family of countless others that night ten years ago made her blood boil horribly.
She shook her head, pushing the thought from her mind. But soon, it was replaced by another thought. One which centered around how he referred to her during their, admittedly short exchange.
Sister.
At first, she had believed him to have called her that because they both shared the fact that they were Jinchuriki to the Kyuubi no kitsune. But every time he said it, it seemed different somehow, as if he was truly calling her "Sister." She didn't know how she could tell, but she could.
And then that question.
"You mean you truly don't know then?"
It was as if he was speaking to himself more than to her. She had heard it though.
She paused, coming to a dead stop mid run as the sudden thought came unbidden to her mind. Could he...
No. She shook her head again, no. That just couldn't be, she refused to believe such a thing.
'Focus!' She chastised herself as she shook her head again. 'No...he has sharpened senses just like I do...he...he was toying with me. The cruel bastard's just trying to mess with my head.' She convinced herself as she clenched her fist, taking hold of her anger and forcibly bringing it to the surface as she pushed that horrifying thought from her mind. Taking hold of her anger she took back to the pursuit again, attempting to keep hold of it as best she could as she drew closer and closer, feeling the new chakra outputs in front of her.
But that feeling, that nagging little feeling at the back of her mind would not leave her mind, no matter how much she tried to shove it away, it remained.
Meanwhile at the bridge, the Konoha ninja, though they fought bravely were slowly but surely being overpowered by the well rested and less injured Kumo nins, it was a miracle they had lasted as long as they did, only about six remained, including Guan, who was fighting Yue Ying near the bridge.
Guan's sword clashed with the Kumo kunoichi's hook spear, blocking it with a firm hold over his own blade. He moved to shove her off when Ying twisted her weapon, so it was locked firmly onto his own blade, which she then used as a form of pivot point, lifting herself upwards, in a motion akin to a pole vault as she flipped over Guan, landing behind him as she released her spear from the grip it held over his own sword during mid vault, now allowing her to deliver another swing to his exposed back.
Only for the man to pivot around on his heel, quick enough to bat away the strike and counter with his own swing aimed at her legs, only for her to block said strike by lowering the counterweight end of her spear enough to do so. Pushing the strike over herself as she ducked , sliding on her knees in a spin as she delivered her own strike to his legs, Only for the large swordsman to somersault over her, in a sideways motion before he swung down towards her while in mid flip. Ying rolled forward before turning back around, her spear charged with lightning chakra before she stabbed it into the ground, she released two scrolls from her sleeves, allowing them to roll open and fall to the floor before she formed her handseals. "Nin-Fuin: Rokupurizumu tentou no gobou"
Seals glowed from the scrolls, spreading outwards in the form of a six pointed star, electricity tearing the earth open as it rose from the soil itself. Thinking Quickly, Guan, before he hit the ground plunged the sword into the earth, due to the fact the handle was wrapped in a combination of leather and rubber, the lightning did not reach him as he stood on the handle of the weapon. He did not stand there long, as he leapt off the blade and landed on the bridge behind Yue Ying. The woman snapped her head behind herself, and barely managed to catch sight of Guan, the man was kneeling slightly as he seemingly yanked something towards himself. It only took her a moment to realize what that was and in the next she had already leapt up into the air, narrowly avoiding Guan's blade as the man had pulled it towards himself with chakra strings from his left hand.
She failed however to pay close attention to the position of his other hand. Guan had been kneeling, with his right hand touching the ground as his feet stood on the bridge, chakra seeped into the soil from the contact, as he had completed his hand seals for the technique when he had leapt from the blade to the bridge.
It was because of this that the woman was caught completely by surprise when a large mud dragon rose up from the earth next to her, snapping her attention towards it, she saw the beast roar before it lunged at her. She charged her weapon with lightning, feeling it tingle beneath her finger tips as electricity coruscated over it. With a small cry, she launched her weapon, throwing it like a straight spear, watching as it drilled through the creature of earth, rock and clay like a bottle opener through a cork.
When she landed however, instead of falling onto hard granite, she came in contact with slick mud that easily made her stumble and fall onto her side. She lifted herself up onto her hands and knees, feeling the mud weigh her down as she did so. "What is-"
A groan to her side caught her attention, and with several loud snaps and cracks the tree to her immediate right began to topple right over her.
Reflex, and adrenaline kicking in the woman managed to roll forward, but with the mud weighing her down and hampering her progress, she was not able to escape entirely and the great mass of wood, fell directly on top of both legs, the snapping of several bones audible to her ears even through the great crash of the tree. Blinding pain tore through the woman and a scream of agony was ripped from her throat as her eyes rolled into the back of her head, darkness creeping along her vision as she passed out due to the pain. Collapsing as her strength left her completely, her breathing coming out in quick, painful heaves as she felt her vision blurred and loose focus.
Guan rushed her then, his sword dragging behind him slightly as he made his way towards the woman. As he lifted the blade above his head, bringing it down to remove her head with the massive weapon, a white blur came between them, and crimson soon splashed his face as it cut open the flesh of another.
As he looked down, he found the form of the Raikage holding off his blade as best he could with one kunai, the sword digging deep into his shoulder.
A grunt of pain escaped Liang's gritted teeth as he glared up at the swordsman of Kiri, a wind blade forming around his free hand before he moved to plunge it into his chest. Guan, seeing the attack coming, moved to leap back, but before he could, he felt another blade enter through his back, followed by another from his side, and two more, one at a downward angle into his collar bone, and another piercing his shoulder blade, not to mention Liang's own wind blade going in through his ribs.
Coughing up blood, the one eyed swordsman staggered as strength was seemingly sapped from his legs, his vision turning red as the sound of his fading heartbeat steadily came slower and slower to the man's ears.
As one, the Raikage and the Anbu pulled their blades free of his flesh, allowing the man to fall onto his knees.
Liang didn't waste any time on examining the swordsman as he turned to the form of his injured wife, a trace of panic entering his normally calm eyes and bland voice. "Yue-Ying, Ying can you hear me? Get the medics NOW!" He roared to the Anbu that had gathered around him, who quickly nodded before they went to find said individuals.
Liang's hands shook with uncertainty as he looked upon his wife's unconscious body. He was never a man to display any amount of emotions, but at the sight of her laying there, in the mud, a pained expression on her face, he truly felt a sliver of fear enter his being for the first time in many, many years.
Guan felt his eyelids grow heavy with tiredness, darkness creeping along his vision. But he still managed to look upon the bridge, he saw, in the distance, the man he knew to be the Kazekage had now crossed the bridge and was continuing his pursuit of Naruto.
The bridge...
It was a mystery to the swordsman what drove him to movement, weather it was sheer willpower, or some...other worldly force, that caused him to stagger slowly to his feet, blood escaping his lips as it stained his clothes and beard. He felt, and heard many of the Kumo Anbu draw their blades, poised to attack him at a moments notice. Slowly, the swordsman staggered to the edge of the bridge, stumbling as he went.
Through pain and blurred vision, somehow the swordsman managed to make his way to the start of the bridge, gazing into the horizon where he could see the Kazekage's form beginning to vanish.
Liang, who had been watching the swordsman cautiously, managed to sense his gathering of chakra a moment too late. "STOP HIM!" He roared, and in seconds, his Anbu rushed the man, but it was too little, too late.
Guan raised his head to the heavens, releasing a great cry of his own as he spread his arms out wide at his sides, before he brought them down to his feet, slamming them against the ground at his feet, and with an expulsion of chakra, the earth loosened beneath the foundations. It was no secret Kumo had been the one to create this structure. The foundations and reinforcements were stronger and this side and held up most of the weight.
With the loss of its primary support, Guan smiled as he watched the wood crumble away, feeling the coldness of steel slicing through his flesh, a moment later. This time, the Kumo Anbu made certain to finish the job.
'Hidetada...I may not have been able to bring about your dream, brother...but perhaps, with my sacrifice, I have helped it come closer to its fruition.'
And so, with that final thought, the one eyed swordsman of Kiri's life, was extinguished.
Kakashi was currently running top speed through the descending forest area. They had been running as fast as they could, but still, they could feel each of the friendly chakra signature as it was snuffed out, the feeling of Guan, ever the stalwart being the last to vanish.
But Kakashi did not have much time to dwell on his comrade from Kiri, for the sound of a grunt and shifting gravel behind him had him turning to find sight of the injured Naruto once again on one knee, breathing somewhat heavily and using one hand for support. "Naruto!" He called worriedly as he made his way to the blonds side, Finding the wound from the lightning technique was still bleeding, though less than it had been before. "Why haven't you fully healed yet? I've seen you recover from injuries almost as bad as this in seconds."
Naruto stood up again, growling as he shook away the blurriness in his vision. "The girl cannot survive any exposure to the foxes chakra in her state. She's needed alive more than dead."
"Well let me carry her then, that way you can heal yourself." Kakashi offered, moving to grab the Suna Kunoichi.
"No." Naruto said as he began walking forward again. "We are miles away from the nearest border patrol, as it is you will have difficulty reaching our patrols with your injuries, if you place an additional burden on them, you wont make it at all."
Kakashi shook his head. "Forget about me. If you die then all this, has been for nothing, give the girl to me, heal yourself and once your done I'll give her back eh?"
Naruto stared at Kakashi for a moment before he nodded his consent and handed the girl to the older man, ignoring his wince of pain as he released another of the seals on his wrists feeling the familiar burn of Kyuubi's chakra for the second time in two days. "Come, we must keep moving lest the pursuit catches up to u-"
CRASH!
Naruto and Kakashi snapped their heads behind them, finding that, currently smashing through four of five trees in a lunge straight for his Konoha counterpart was Gaara, his eyes alight with fury as he stared upon the two men that had taken his sister.
Naruto only had a scant few seconds to spare to brace himself before Gaara smashed into him, tackling him through nearly a dozen trees and several yards of rock before the two of them came to a stop at the edge of an ankle deep river, the precipice of a waterfall and the edge of the cliff not too far off, the edge covered in river stones that dug into Naruto's back as he skidded along the surface. Growling the blond pressed both legs to Gaara's chest before he threw the Kazekage off, smashing him against a tree before he got to his feet. Forming several hand seals he breathed out a great fire dragon towards the Kazekage, only for a pillar of sand to meet it.
Naruto grunted before he looked to Kakashi, who still held Temari over his shoulder but had given them a wide berth. "Go Kakashi, I will deal with him shortly and join you."
"Bu-" Kakashi began but stopped before he nodded and ran, Temari still over his shoulder, if he stayed here he'd more than likely be a hindrance rather than an asset, besides, if anyone could get out of this then it was Naruto.
"NO!" Gaara roared at the retreating mans back before he unleashed another pillar of sand towards him, only for the attack to be intercepted by hundreds of wind blades which cut the sand apart, making them little grains that Gaara couldn't reform before Kakashi vanished into the trees.
But Gaara was undeterred, leaping high into the air he formed his sand platform beneath him, ready to pursue when Naruto lunged at him from below, but the red chakra around him gave his intent away, and in his slightly injured state Gaara was more than fast enough to form another clump of sand that slammed right into Naruto's side, right over the spot he was injured. Another roar was heard as Naruto was thrown aside, slamming into the river floor with damn near bone crushing force.
Growling low in his throat the Jinchuriki's eyes flashed red. 'Very well.' He thought before he took some more of his blood and wiped it over the second seal on his wrists.
The ensuing explosion of red chakra seemed to shift the very atmosphere around them, the water currently coming in contact with the Konoha Jinchuriki bubbled and boiled as the injury at his side finally closed up with a hiss as the red chakra literally boiled off the burnt flesh that had been hampering his healing.
Gaara grunted and was unable to control the sand platform for very long after due to the fact that the heat had turned it into glass. Falling back to the river Gaara himself released a growl low in his throat as he glared at Naruto's back, a tail of sand beginning to form behind him as his eyes shifted in color. Naruto had defeated him once before when they were younger, and by all accounts was far beyond his league.
But for Gaara, much more was on the line than just his life, the moment Naruto had threatened his sister and harmed his brother, this became far more than just him. And by god if he did not defeat the Konoha Jinchuriki here today then he would put him in such a state that a gennin could do it instead.
Naruto straightened slowly, his body adapting once again to the feel of two tails worth of chakra, he could feel the power coursing through his veins. With this power, he had to make this quick, very quick. He had managed to train his body over the last decade to withstand more and more of the foxes chakra for longer periods of time. He could withstand one tail of the demons raw Youki for nearly half an hour. Two tails of the beast he could withstand for nearly ten minutes before it began damaging him, three tails worth, was no less than three. And he had never gone so far to use four tails of the demons raw Youki.
Still, as he straightened, and turned to face his opponent, eyes that bled into crimson fogs clashing with diamond gold, he determined that...even in his injured and tired state, two tails...would be more than enough to defeat him in ten minutes. Drawing his two blades, the Devil King took his stance.
Oh yes, more than enough.
When Akina arrived at the gorge that marked the border of Konoha and Kumo she couldnt stop the startled gasp from escaping her throat. "Lady Yue-Ying!" She cried before she leapt down, landing at the, now freed woman's side. The log having been cut by several wind Jutsu, Liang knelt at her side, his features as impassive as he could hold them, his normally impeccable clothing matted with dried mud and blood. He was holding Ying's hand in his own, a tender gesture of affection she never would have thought she would have the privilege of seeing from her master towards his wife.
Still, her thoughts on her masters tenderness towards his wife left her as she looked to the medics. "What happened?" She questioned with an obvious tone of worry and a hint of anger in her voice.
The medic shook his head. "That damn Konoha bastard, cut the tree and made it fall on her, damn near broke every bone in her legs, several times over." He added as an after thought as he looked to the fallen Kiri swordsman who still lay face down in the dirt at the edge of the gorge with a sneer on his face. "Fucking bastard." He snarled.
"Akina." Liang's gravely voice, heavy with emotion which was held carefully close to himself reached her ears, bringing her eyes up to him as he reluctantly took his hand away from his wives, standing to his full height. "Return to the village, tell them to gather every earth based ninjutsu specialist that's not injured or dead and bring them here, we need a bridge across this gorge."
Akina looked across the nearly 150 foot expanse that separated them. There was no way any ninja could throw that far to launch a wire or sorts, and there was no way humanly possible that any one of them could jump this expanse. She was about to speak when two, great flares of chakra which she easily recognized as demonic Youki passed over them like a great shockwave, forcing many of the men to brace themselves lest they loose their footing. Her eyes widened at the familiarity of the chakra, before she became aware of the other.
"You mean you truly don't know then?" Naruto's words again went through her mind, the confusing thoughts returning tenfold, as if magnified with his presence alone.
"The Kazekage." Liang muttered to himself with narrowed eyes.
"We have to help him." Akina spoke as she turned to look at him. But Liang merely glanced at her in reply before he shook his head. "From here, there's nothing that we can do." Before he turned to walk back to his wife, moving to leave his shocked student behind.
"Bu-but sensei...he'll get killed." She spoke as she gripped the sleeve of his robe with a firm hold, bringing the man to a halt. Liang didn't move for a moment before he turned back to her. They stared into each others eyes, dark, apathetic brown clashing with a pleading blue.
"As I said, there's nothing we can do." He said before pulling himself free of her grip and making his way back to his wife.
Akina bit her lip for a moment, staring at the steadily reddening horizon with a look of hesitation about her, however, when a second wave of youki washed over her she made her decision. Walking back a few feet the young girl took a deep breath.
Zhuge Liang, as if sensing the sudden change in his student turned, and at the sight of her determined filled gaze knew what she was going to attempt. "NO DONT!"
But his words fell on deaf ears as the girl ran forward, chakra flowing down her legs and pushing her forward until she reached the very edge of the clif and gave a single powerful leap.
Liang skidded to a halt at the edge and watched in mild frustration as red chakra bubbled from the girls arms before it shot forward, extending like claws that dug deeply into the trees on the other side which she used to pull herself up. She offered one last, slightly apologetic glance towards him before she turned and ran towards the youki.
Liang mentally cursed, Gaara he could afford to loose, Suna would almost certainly rise in retaliation to such an act. Akina however, he could not. Though by herself, she had proven to have no chance of defeating the Devil King, she had proven to be able to go at least toe to toe with him in a fight for a while at least, which is more than most could claim. With Yugito at her side those chances of victory were raised. But one without the other would undoubtedly fail.
Cursing again he turned to his messengers. "We need a bridge across this gorge NOW!"
Knowing that their lord was not one to ever raise his voice spurred the messengers to run faster as they made their way back to Kumo.
Liang looked to the horizon once again, darkened ever more by the rising levels of Youki.
Kakashi stumbled as he nearly lost his footing running through the trees, pain throbbing from the point of his injury and spreading out like red hot wire being pulled through his whole body, legs burning with pain as he tried to continue putting one leg in front of the other. His vision was getting blurry, exhaustion beginning to settle in as blood loss took its toll.
'No.' Kakashi shook his head. 'I...I cant fail, Guan...and Naruto placed their trust in me...' He thought as he swallowed heavily, ignoring the coppery taste of his own blood as it coated the inside of his mouth. He stared to his feet. 'Come on...just one foot, in front of the other...come on. One, two, one two, one..."
As he continued his mantra Kakashi continued to trudge along the forest, each step feeling as if he was dragging a twenty pound weight on his ankles.
'Lady...first thing I'm gonna do when I get back, is put your ass on a diet.'
His thoughts ended however as footsteps sounded to his right, tensing as he drew a kunai, Kakashi placed his back to a tree.
'There's no way, I can still feel Naruto's chakra. Did they manage to get past him?'
His worries proved to be for nothing however as a hesitant voice reached him. "Kakashi?"
It was with great relief that he met the face of his longtime friend Gai. The green wearing ninja held a look of worry, at his sides were the visibly confused forms of Kidomaru and Tayuya.
"Gai." Kakashi said, swallowing again before he spoke. "This is a prisoner we've captured, its a long story, and I'll tell you later but right now. We have to get this girl back to Konoha, she cant fall into enemy hands." He groaned as he fell to one knee, adrenaline beginning to die down as he relaxed at the sight of his comrades. Gai stepping forward and holding him up by his arm. "Alright, give her to me." Gai said. Kakashi was about to do so but paused, before he slowly lifted his Hitai-ate and looked upon them with the newly exposed Sharingan. Making sure it wasn't a Henge he spoke. "Why are you out here, I thought the patrols wouldn't be for another three miles."
Gai shook his head. "Jiraiya-sama ordered us and a few others out here, said something about a bad feeling. I'm glad he did by the looks of things."
Kakashi nodded as he handed Temari to Gai, watching as the man carried her bridal style as he turned to face Kidomaru. "Alright." He addressed the arachnid Shinobi. "Signal the medics, tell them to be ready, for two injured. I'll lead Kakashi there, you two, go and assist Naruto-sama."
Nodding, the two former sound ninja vanished, heading towards where they felt the waves of Youki.
A great roar tore through the air of the creek, fires rising high into the air in the form of a great dragon, the flames spreading out into nearby trees as the beast pursued its target, the Kazekage.
Gaara skidded to a halt, pivoting back on his heel before he leapt back, the dragon still following him. Sand gathered around his arm as he thrust it forward, a great pillar forming and smashing into the beast. Glass quickly formed under the sheer heat, before the flames were smothered by the sand, the billions of tiny grains continuing on their path to the other Jinchuriki.
There was a crash as the pillar of sand hit its target, only for it to be blown apart, filling the air with the tiny particles as Naruto exploded fourth from it, red chakra trailing behind him as he lunged for the Kazekage.
With more sand quickly forming along his arms to act as armor, Gaara raised both to block the downward sword swing . Almost as if a shockwave went off he was pushed down, back to the river with nearly mind numbing force. He could feel the bones in his legs straining in protest to the pressure placed on them. But he ignored it, his eyes darting back up to the descending Kage, a single scimitar in one hand, he released a feral growl. "SUNA SHURIKEN!" He roared as hundreds of said weapons formed from his sand around him and were subsequently launched towards the Konoha Jinchurki.
Naruto's sword moved with speed, seemingly inconceivable for such a weapon, slicing and cutting through the sands with his wind empowered blade, stopping them each in their tracks before he extended his hand once again a massive burst of flames straight down, watching as they hit the river, steam rising in great clouds as the torrent of flames continued to fall, Gaara vanishing within their orange glow.
As Naruto stopped his attack, he landed on the boiling water, making sure to keep his feet above the water as he waited for the steam to clear.
As it did, he found a single, large orb of rough glass in the middle of the river, glimmering in the sun light. Naruto raised his blade, ready to launch a torrent of wind blades towards the glass sphere, before he could however several strange clumping sounds reached his ears behind him. Spinning around, he didn't have much time to react before a spike of wet sand rose up from the river.
Realizing that Gaara had used the river as a means of hiding his sand, Naruto did the best he could to brace himself before the sand slammed into him smashing him against a tree as it held him to the wood with a vice like grip. Grunting in pain the ninja visibly struggled against his bonds.
Shattering the sphere of glass Gaara appeared, tail twitching behind him as he growled, his fist half clenched as he held it towards Naruto. Their eyes met for the briefest of instances, the next which Gaara closed his fist, watching as the tree was crushed beneath the pressure, blood exploding from Naruto's form. But the very next instant, something slammed into his back, and pain unlike any he had known tore through his body, blood rising from his throat and into his mouth, spilling from his lips as his hands clenched and unclenched spasmodically, his vision darkening as he started to pass out. Numbly he felt another impact at his back, a force he recognized as that of an explosion. Earth met sky as he was launched forward, his eyes rolling into the back of his head as darkness claimed him.
Naruto breathed heavily, his palm smoking slightly as the Rasengan he'd used dissipated the red chakra flowing back into the seals as he willed them to reform. It had been a long time, a long time indeed since he had been pushed like this. He straightened, ready to take his leave when a sound slightly to his left caught his attention, turning his head, he managed to catch sight of what may have been the last, or at least second to last person he would want to see at this point. Growling low in his throat Naruto turned to face her fully.
Akina took a moment to catch her breath before she leapt down into the river, listening to the splash of water and feeling the cold wetness invade her shoes as she allowed herself to fall into it. Brandishing her three pieced staff as she took her stance, watching as he drew his second blade and did the same. The two of them beginning to circle each other. Akina took in his appearance, slightly torn clothing, his breathing much heavier than she remembered it and the smell of blood, his blood apparently, as it carried his scent hanging thick in the air around him gave away his exhausted state, despite his admittedly imposing appearance.
Though she felt the familiar feelings of anger and resentment bubbling up to the surface his echoing words pierced the hazing veil.
"You mean you truly don't know then?"
She shook her head, closing her eyes for a moment as she took a deep calming breath before she opened them again, sky blue meeting bleeding crimson. "What did you mean...back in the city, when you asked 'You truly don't know?'"
Naruto's head turned skyward as the sound of rumbling thunder gathered above him, light gray clouds beginning to gather as he could begin to hear the approaching rain. He closed his eyes for a brief moment, as if gathering his thoughts "Fool girl..." He spoke after a moment as his eyes snapped open, red chakra once again exploding from his form causing Akina to have to brace herself against the assault that threatened to throw her back. Grunting in pain as a mass of the reddish chakra with no real form smashed against her, pushing her until it slammed her against a tree holding her there as it tightened to the point of near suffocation. The burn was harsh against her skin but not nearly as much as it would have been on another unused to the feeling.
Naruto ignored his own pain on calling on the red chakra once again, he was approaching his limit, but he still had more than enough to use against her. Willing the hold of the red mass to tighten, he watched as her mouth opened in a silent scream of pain with the utmost apathy, before another wave of pain seemed to wash over him, this one, nearly double the intensity of the others causing him to grunt in pain before another image of the ninetails flashed through his minds eye. 'Acursed Kitsune.' He snarled as yet another wave of pain hit him.
Akina was not sure what happened, she could feel the hold of the red chakra tightening around her to the point where she couldn't breathe, even the scream she attempted to muster from her throat was silent as her lungs could not muster the strength to produce it. A moment later however, the strength behind the thing, wavered and she managed to take in much needed air. Opening her eyes she managed to catch sight of Naruto staggering slightly, his form slightly hunched and his arms shaking as they held up the blades, his pain no longer hidden as his breaths came in deep shuddering heaves.
As if willed by some unseen force, her previously abated rage and anger returned tenfold, a soft voice whispering in the back of her mind, reminding her of everything he had done. All the deaths he had caused, all the lives he had taken, all the suffering he had caused, how he so callously cut down all others as if they were nothing more than roaches at his feet. Whispering in her ear, telling her to call upon the power within her.
Bloodlust and the thrill of the fight was all her mind recognized as she snarled and felt her own portion of Kyuubi's chakra rising fourth, almost of its own accord. The tree behind her sizzled and blackened with heat, the smell of smoke and fire mixing with that of the blood, her own eyes bleeding into crimson as she met Naruto's who looked upon her as he felt her powers come fourth and begin to press against his own.
First one tail, then two, and finally the third rising from her tail bone as she snarled, the two chakras begining to push against one another and with a roar, Akina broke free of the hold, dispersing Naruto's chakra before she rushed him.
Naruto took his stance, placing the blades in front of him, but it proved to be for nothing as the younger of the two siblings slashed at them with her claws, the force of it, shattering both blades into hundreds of metal shards. Throwing the hilts away Naruto caught her wrist as she slashed at him, before he delivered a punch followed by an immediate elbow to her face with the same arm. Akina snarled retaliating with a slash with her free arm, tearing off chunks of visibly burnt flesh from the Jinchuriki's chest.
Naruto grunted, twisting the wrist held in his hand with savage force, feeling and hearing the sickening snap that signified the girls now broken appendage. Akina seemed to give no never mind to the injury however, slashing again with her hand, she was blocked this time again by Naruto's free arm. Raising herself up a bit higher, she struck back with a savage display as she bit down into the man's arm. Naruto snarled in pain as she tore off a chunk with her teeth, tendons and muscles ripping and snapping as they were torn away.
Naruto molded the chakra in the back of his throat, willing the last vestiges of the foxes chakra to mold properly as he blew out a great gout of flame through his mask, the flames exploding point blank range in Akina's face, the girl barely able to do much more than looked shocked before the flames consumed her.
Naruto released her, never stopping his attack as he did so. Finally, after nearly a full thirty seconds, the attack finally dissipated, revealing more steam as much of the water had been evaporated by the flames, trees along the riverbank caught aflame or already turned to ashes.
Naruto breathed heavily, the red chakra around him loosing its intensity as he called it back.
Finally when the steam cleared, it revealed the three tailed Akina, burns rapidly healing themselves on her skin as she too breathed heavily from the immense pain she must have been feeling. The bone in her arm snapping back into place before mending together properly.
Naruto growled low in his throat, but before he could make much of a move against the girl something exploded from the ground directly in front of him. Instinct and reflexes kicking in as he guessed the trajectory of the incoming attack, raising his hand to block it, only for the weapon to pierce said hand and still manage to dig deep into his shoulder. Upon closer inspection he found the weapon to be Akina's three pieced staff, crackling with lightning chakra. He saw the girl form a quick series of hand signs before she slammed her hands into the river, her feet rising above the water level as she pushed chakra into them to keep them above the surface, molding it carefully so she could stand at least a few extra centimeters off of it.
Naruto knew what was coming, but couldn't react to it in time and in seconds, blinding pain ripped through him as hundreds of volts of lightning coursed through the water he was currently standing ankle deep in, as well as the metal staff currently impaling him. A roar of agony pried from his throat as his eyes flashed blue before they returned to crimson. A feeling of anger unknown to him since Sarutobi's death bubbling up from his chest as red chakra once again gathered around him.
"ENOUGH!" Was the roar that tore through the river before another burst of red chakra, this one, nearly three times as intense as the first one against Gaara. The water at his feet bubbled and hissed before it evaporated completely, the shockwave knocking Akina off her feet, stopping her technique and slamming her head against the stones of the river as the red chakra washed over her. The impact knocking her into a daze, the red chakra receding back into the seal as the edges of her vision darkened for a brief moment.
Akina staggered for a moment as she got to her feet, her world spinning as her head throbbed from the impact, she shook her head to clear the cobwebs, but soon another kick connected with her face, sending her falling to the flowing stream rushing beneath her. The cold water and stones barely registering in her mind as she sputtered and tried to get back to her feet. The smooth river stones resting beneath however shifted causing her to trip again falling back into the water before she could even get to her knees.
Naruto stalked forward his eyes alight with fury as he snapped her weapon in two and tossed it aside, letting it splash into the water at his feet without a second glance, never once pausing in his stride. He reached down, savagely grabbed his sisters throat, taking a sick satisfaction in hearing the back of her head smack against the stones beneath the surface. She clutched onto his wrist, her claws furiously trying to tear him off but not being able to pierce the tempered steel of his gauntlets.
Roughly dragging her by her throat across the stream he stepped onto the edge of the precipice before yanking her upwards, holding her firmly, even as she struggled and thrashed in his grip. Akina felt his hand tighten around her throat, she couldn't breathe and if he continued like this he would crush her wind pipe. Her eyes opened slowly, spots forming over her vision as she began to black out. But even with the approaching darkness she could see hatred.
A deep burning hatred within the hellish red eyes that glared into her own, she could feel his rage. It was almost palpable in its intensity and for a moment, she could swear she was looking into a mirror.
She gave one last attempt at retaliation and began gathering as much of Kyuubi's chakra into her arm as she could. Naruto allowed his attention to drift from her face down to her arm where the red haze was beginning to form. "Enough of this." He snarled as he formed his own attack. 'The Rasengan...our fathers technique.' He thought with a somewhat ironic feeling overtaking him. 'How fitting...that this technique is the one I will use to kill you...dear sister.'
The spinning ball of chakra pulsed and glowed a piercing blue, a stark contrast to the blood red robe and glowing red eyes. As he reared his arm back, preparing to deliver the death blow, a sound to his right startled him. Snapping to the direction the sound came from he was greeted by the sight of a sand pillar headed straight for him as Gaara had regained consciousness. Not having enough time to move out of the way the Kyuubi Jinchuriki spared one last glance at his suffocating sibling before releasing her from his grip, allowing her to fall down the cliff he had been holding her over and placed the Rasengan between himself and the incoming attack.
With a deafening roar the two attacks met, the flames parted as the power of the Rasengan drove straight through it, the sand pushed hard against the rasengan pain began racing up and down his arm as he forced more chakra into the technique, trying to prolong the length of his attack, it placed a strain on his chakra coils using the technique in such a way, but even so his impromptu shield held firm as finally the sands dispersed and he was greeted by the sight of a panting Gara, who was clutching his chest where no doubt the dammage of the Rasengan was still being felt, blood dripping down his chin, his eyes darting from him to the edge of the precipice where he had dropped Akina without so much as batting an eyelash. His eyes visibly narrowed with cold fury as he stared back upon his red ones. Soon his youki again started spiking, rising higher and higher.
As he let the Rasengan dissipate Naruto moved to take a step forward towards the Shukaku's Jinchuriki. Though he was exhausted from his numerous battles today, he was intent on putting the Kage down once and for all. He'd rather avoid killing him, as with his death the chances of Suna's prolonged willingness t fight would increase.
Because of Gaara's rising youki, however it was far too late when he felt her presence behind him once again, that accursed presence that brought forth what little emotion he knew. It was a split second thing, as he moved to turn, he barely took a step when a red, chakra laced, claw like arm punched through the right side of his chest. He felt pain, burning, agonizing, clenching pain scorch throughout his entire chest, the feeling of her bloodlust, her rage. His eyes widened as blood exploded from his chest and mouth, accumulating behind his metallic facemask before it was allowed to slowly seep out from the edges. He looked down to where the arm was punching through his chest, red blood with chunks of flesh and tissue hung from the razor like claws at the end of each finger.
His red eyes fading for a brief moment and returning to his normal blues before flashing back to red, a strangled gurgling growl escaped his throat as he turned his head to look behind him, finding the familiar face of his beloved sister snarling back at him as she twisted the arm currently piercing his chest cavity. He faintly registered Gaara's surprised gasp but paid no attention to it. "Time to end this." She repeated his previous statement before she savagely yanked her arm free, grabbed him by his cloak and threw him over the edge of the cliff.
It seemed over. For a moment his body hung in the air, ready to fall to his final resting place.
Then Naruto threw a thread of ninja wire which wrapped around her neck. She tried to channel chakra into her feet to keep them firmly upon the ground but with a shift, the stones along the riverbed went with her and with a frantic but futile struggle she was dragged over the edge along with him.
The howling winds echoed down the mountain where two forms barely recognized it as they continued their titanic struggle.
Akina had maneuvered herself to fall faster and had continued her vicious assault on her injured sibling the rage once again returning to the forefront of her mind. Naruto could scarcely defend himself as nearly the entire upper right side of his body was utterly useless.
Blood rose past her as she fell, the red fluid escaping through his horrendous injury which was struggling to heal. His lung had been thoroughly torn up, bone marrow seeped from his shattered ribs into his bloodstream, tiny bone fragments were littered throughout the hollow woundIt was getting harder, numbness began creeping along his extremities and he found his own movements sluggish as his vision began to darken and blur. He barely managed to lean back enough to avoid his sisters claw slash even so, the claw like extensions from Kyuubi's chakra stretched outwards, slashing him along his left shoulder, the chakra burn immediately cauterizing the wound.
He could see her through the haze, her rage was taking over. Her smile, it was the same kind of smile he had seen many times on the face of the Kitsune. Her eyes flashed and he knew that the fox was watching him now through her eyes, possibly even controlling her actions. That sick twisted smile was one of satisfaction, satisfaction in the knowledge that he would soon be free...
Naruto growled as anger bubbled in his chest. That blasted Kitsune...he was not so weak that he would allow himself...to die before his worthless sister. He refused, both the indignity, and granting the fox the satisfaction he so desperately sought.
As Akina reared back to take another swipe at him, he struck.
Red chakra exploded from his left arm, striking the young girl in the chest and smashing her against the cliff face, its form was crude in comparison to the claw, merely looking like a red cloud that held her in place against the wall, scrapping her along as they fell and he struggled to push her harder against its surface. He could see rugged patches of blood trailing behind her, no doubt the jagged rocks had shredded the skin of her back and were currently working on making mincemeat out of the muscle and tissue beneath. His arm burned with pain, and the smell of flesh strong in his nostrils. He saw they were beginning to approach the ground, he struggled to push her even harder against the stone and heard a sickening crunch as her head hit something that was most likely much harder than it.
And for a moment everything slowed down, before both their forms slammed against the floor with a sickening thud and cracking sound as bones broke and limbs shattered, their forms bouncing lifelessly. And for Naruto, everything went black.
Hours later his eyes snapped open, a strangled gasp escaping his lips, arching his back slightly, causing agonizing pain the rip through his chest. He struggled to breathe, something...something was...was suffocating him, his mask. He visibly struggled to lift up his hand to undo the clasps holding the metallic contraption in place. His fingers shaking as he realized he could barely feel them, idly he wondered just how much blood he had lost. But banished the thought from his mind as he finally undid the mask and managed to draw in a full, unobstructed breath, letting his hand fall limply to his side as his eyes blurry as they were stared to the sky overhead, burning with orange and purple, indicating that dusk was approaching.
His chest heaved as his breaths came in short pants, his vision blurred again before it came back into focus. Was he dying? His memory was fuzzy, he didn't remember how he had gotten here very well. He remembered, running, he had been running from something. Then he remembered...anger...then pain.
His senses prickled and slowly he turned his head to look at whoever he was sensing and found blood soaked blond hair, matted down on the head of a young girl. Soon, he remembered who she was and his memory began to clear. His sister.
Blood covered her form from head to toe, the grass around her was actually brown because of it. Much of her shirt was torn at the back and she was most certainly unconscious. He looked down to his chest where he remembered she had wounded him, very badly and found the gaping hole was still there, But luckily, Kyuubi's chakra had saved him. It had cauterized the wound, he wasn't bleeding nearly as much as it would be otherwise. He would survive, at least for now. But...he knew that without a team of medics he would most likely not even survive the dusk. He could feel just how hard it was to breathe right now, and the excruciating pain every breath brought him accentuated that.
He let his eyes travel up towards Akina again and wondered if she was still alive...no...he knew she was alive, this one was not one to let death take her so easily...he knew she was alive. He struggled to pick himself up and make his way over to her but he could barely pick up his own head, let alone drag himself the fifteen or so feet between them to kill her. He hated her...he hated her and he didn't even know why. But just looking at her brought such a strong emotion of resentment bubbling up from within him. It was confusing really. She had earned his ire, and she had done nothing but merely...exist.
Akina groaned, the pain throbbing through her entire form making her rethink her conscious state. Her eyes opened, diluted and hazy as she struggled to regain her bearings. Finally her eyes regained their light and she saw him, she recognized him. Strangely though, the anger that had been clouding her mind only moments before was no longer present. It was still there, but not nearly as intense as it had been. She struggled to lift herself off the floor, a sickening crunch breaking through the silence as her bones finally snapped under the light strain. A scream escaping her lips as fell back to the floor.
A silence descended upon the two, broken only by her gasps of pain.
Finally after almost a full minute of this Naruto began to laugh, it was slow at first. A cold, dry laugh that would unease even the most veteran of ninja it was the laugh of one that was seemingly long dead and was merely laughing at the irony that was life.
Akina's confusion grew with each of the dry sounds that escaped his lips, soon, it was followed by annoyance. "What the fuck is so funny?"
Naruto ignored her however, and ignored the pain in his chest as he continued laughing at some unheard joke.
Akina's teeth gritted and soon she wanted nothing more than to stop him. Stop that horrendous laughter that mocked her, taunted her, haunted her dreams.
"STOP IT!" She screamed as her chakra flared.
Naruto's laughter died down and he stared back at her, his eyes shining with dark amusement. "You and me...dear sister...we are not so different after all."
Her eyes stared back into his, unflinchingly as she spoke. "Tell me why...why do you keep calling me your sister. Why did you ask me, if I truly didn't know...just what am I supposed to have known?"
A few chuckles escaped his lips but it was interrupted as he coughed up blood, letting it trail down his cheek and onto the floor, staining the entire side of his face, but the amusement still remained in his eyes.
"I wonder..." he drawled. "how could you be so foolish...or is it perhaps...simple ignorance...fool girl." His laughter renewed.
"What are you talking about?" She asked as she struggled to lift herself up again, only to fail, the strength in her remaining arm all but non existent.
Naruto's eyes took on a dark look of satisfaction within them. "They really never told you did they? Hahahaha, stupid girl never even bothered to ask questions I suppose. Did you never even wonder? Never bothered to ask how you were supposedly born on the fifteenth, five days after the Kyuubi attack yet still have a piece of it sealed in you. You're pathetic."
"Told me what?" She questioned, a tone of fear overtaking the pain laced in her voice, the horrifying lines her mind was begining to draw causing her stomach to lurch.
Naruto looked to her from the corner of his eyes. "Or perhaps you did question, and they merely told you lies, or evaded your questions entirely...hahaha"
He looked back to her from the corner of his eye and watched with sick satisfaction as her features shifted from one of confusion, to one of slowly dawning horror as she weakly shook her head, her eyes gaining a defiant edge to them. Though Naruto could see that this defense was as weak and pathetic as she was.
"No..." She said as she continued shaking her head. "No...it cant be. No...You...you're the one who killed my parents...We couldn't...I..."
"Take a good look at me, dear sister." He chuckled as he interrupted her ramblings the normally afectionate term released with a hint of venom dripping in his words. "Take a good. Long. Look." He repeated, watching as her eyes hesitantly looked back to him, and he watched them fill with tears as she looked at him, truly looked at him for the first time and saw his blue eyes staring straight back at her.
Eyes identical to her own.
Suddenly her eyes took on an anger as she growled. "No...I refuse to believe this. It just isn't possible. This is just another of your tricks. You...you're."
"A monster? A demon? A murderer?" His smile turned somewhat malicious "The only living family you have left?" He finished, the cruelty and venom laced in his voice, veiled beneath cold amusement. "Dear. Sister." The last word was a hiss. So insidious and malicious it made her skin crawl.
She shook her head again, her form visibly shuddering as cold chills ran up and down her spine. Bile rose into the back of her throat and the sickening pit forming in her stomach as a strange mixture cold numbness and gripping pain spread through her chest. "No...no, he's lying...he has to be lying...this...this just cant be..."
Naruto's response was to merely laugh, it was long, and cruel, vaguely registering in her shocked mind.
As Naruto's laughter faded, two forms appeared kneeling at his side, they had seen him just before he fell, but they had never expected to see him in this state, it had become almost inconceivable, both shinobi held a surprise induced fear as they looked down on the bloodied form of their leader. "Na-Naruto-sama?" Tayuya questioned with audible disbelief in her voice.
"Tayuya..." Naruto spoke, recognizing her chakra signature, knowing it was not any genjutsu or henge. He didn't know why she was here, but at this point he would not complain, questions could be asked later. "I can sense, several Anbu teams from Kumo beginning to make their way down the cliff...we must leave now."
Kidomaru nodded but looked to the other injured Shinobi "And what about that one."
The words seemed to pierce the veil over her mind and her eyes traveled to Naruto, his own eyes meeting her own with a strange emotion within them.
"Leave her." He said with a small rumble vibrating through his chest, something that could only be described as a chuckle. Akina's eyes widened and her mouth opened to say...something, but before she could, the two ninja grabbed their leader and leapt away, escaping from Kumo.
Minutes later Naruto's eyelids began growing heavy, his vision darkening. "The new world..." His faint voice escaped his unmasked lips, reaching the two ninja currently carrying him, causing them to look upon him with mild worry gracing their features.
"It...it should have been now." He gasped out before his head slumped forward his world finally surrendering his struggle to remain awake.