Summoning: Double Rashōmon.
Kageyama Kokugetsu sprang back to the rear flank of Akimichi Chōza. Midair he bit his right thumb, flashed through signs, landed, and slammed his palm to the ground.
Rumble—
The earth trembled. Two gigantic demon gates rose from below, the front with red horns and a gray demon face, the rear with green horns and a gray demon face.
Seeing this, the Ino–Shika–Chō trio's eyes lit up. There was hope.
Still in Super Expansion, Chōza dropped to one knee, crossed his massive forearms to guard, and poured most of his chakra into them until they swelled another ring thicker.
Tailed Beast Bomb.
Killer B finished charging and spat. A purple-black sphere, a shade larger than an apple, shot forward and plunged between the Rashōmon gates before detonating.
With his mind intact, B did not swallow and fire it in a cannon form like a berserk jinchūriki, which would have higher penetration.
Boom.
A deafening blast. A white shockwave wrapped the twin Rashōmon, then slammed into Chōza's forearms. His huge body skidded back more than ten meters. When the wave faded, his arms were slick with blood and his size shrank rapidly, but he had held the strike.
"How is it, Chōza?" Nara Shikaku asked quickly.
"Not broken. I can still hold," Chōza gritted out.
Shikaku and Yamanaka Inoichi both exhaled in relief.
Feeling his own skin begin to burn, Killer B immediately dropped out of half transformation. The red cloak drew back into his body and he turned away to leave.
The trio blinked, then quietly let out the breath they'd been holding.
Fighting the Eight Tails' jinchūriki was crushing. One lapse meant death.
Kageyama Kokugetsu felt little pressure. If he hadn't minded looking outrageous, he had many ways to deal with a Tailed Beast Bomb. Even without his stranger abilities, his ninjutsu alone could have stopped it. He certainly wasn't limited to summoning two Rashōmon. If he truly cut loose, he could have met the little Eight Tails' bomb with a single kick.
"Thank you for the assist, seniors. Without you, I'd have been in danger today," Kageyama Kokugetsu said, bowing slightly.
"No thanks needed. We agreed on it," Shikaku smiled.
"Plans are plans, but you three did the heavy lifting. That's different."
The trio's goodwill swelled. The risk and pain just now felt like nothing.
"Huh. Kumo is withdrawing," Inoichi said, surprised.
"Good news. With the Eight Tails here we weren't going to win big anyway.
"At least this time we held the upper hand. It'll be different once our reinforcements arrive," Shikaku said. "Inoichi, inform Shinnosuke to order a wide, staggered pullback."
"On it."
Sarutobi Shinnosuke had no intention of pursuit and was already spreading the lines to withdraw. On receiving the message, he ordered them to scatter even more.
As for policing the field, both sides would send parties shortly to tend their own dead and wounded and leave each other be.
Back in camp, Konoha's field hospital exploded into motion.
Unhurt shinobi, or those with only scrapes, piled into the mess for hot food.
That night, Jiraiya arrived to sit in command.
He had returned to the village with a heavy heart to attend Minato's funeral and visit Kushina and Naruto. In a time like this, even an easygoing man knew he couldn't leave after a day or two. He'd stay a while.
Tsunade had returned as well.
She knew Minato well, but was closer to Kushina. As a child, Kushina had lived with Tsunade's family. Uzumaki Mito was Tsunade's grandmother, and the two were close.
Orochimaru was also in Konoha, but Sarutobi Hiruzen hadn't sent him to the front, keeping him back to deter Iwagakure's constant little moves. Orochimaru was happy to be idle and spent his days in his lab.
In the command tent, Jiraiya sat at Shinnosuke's right, smiling, outwardly untroubled.
"You all held Kumo outside our lines. Well done, and thank you," Jiraiya said with an easy laugh.
They hurried to demur that it was only their duty.
"Kokugetsu, you did excellently. The old man and the council are very pleased.
"In light of your performance, the village plans to give you a few days' leave to rest back home."
"Huh?"
The officers traded puzzled looks. What was this move?
Jiraiya explained. "You've put too much pressure on Kumo. The old man worries they'll escalate the war, so we're giving them a breather."
Understanding dawned around the table.
"Fine by me. I could use a break," Kageyama Kokugetsu smiled.
At his age, a rapid formal promotion was unlikely. Only the infiltration of Kumo camp and today's stand with Killer B counted as heavy merit. The rest would need time to add up. And in Konoha, every post had a peg; deputy commander and commander slots were held by Sarutobi Shinnosuke and his wife. Unless he quietly unseated or killed one of them, he would not rise now. Hiruzen and Shinnosuke treated him well. He was no saint, but he wasn't about to move in the dark—unless they made him wait too long.
Konoha had never had a fourteen-year-old ANBU deputy commander or commander. Two or three years would be soon enough. If Sarutobi Kyōko conceived Konohamaru and still refused to step aside, then that family would be failing to read the room—and he would not be polite. He'd find a way to push them down. If they clung on after that, harsher measures would follow.
The next morning, Kageyama Kokugetsu started back to Konoha, dawdling along the way to enjoy the scenery, and returned at a normal pace.
He ate at home and rested most of the afternoon.
At sunset he took gifts to Kushina's door and knocked.
The latch clicked and the door swung open.
The figure before him was unexpected: Uchiha Mikoto, in a fitted black sweater and black slacks, long straight black hair, lithe and elegant. The faint scent of milk and a delicate fragrance mingled in the air.
"Oh? Kokugetsu-kun, please come in," Mikoto said, startled for an instant, then smiling.
"Lady Mikoto," Kageyama Kokugetsu returned the smile.
"Just call me Mikoto-neesan.
"Kushina, Xiangmei, Lady Tsunade—Kokugetsu-kun is here."
Tsunade too? Good timing.
Inside, there were more than just Tsunade—baby Uchiha Sasuke and baby Uzumaki Karin were there as well.
Three little ones lay in wooden cradles. Sasuke and Naruto stared at each other and babbled in baby talk—by the tone, probably not saying nice things. Uzumaki Xiangmei watched their exchange, amused, while little Karin stayed out of it.
Four adults, three infants—the room was lively.
"Kushina-neesan, Lady Tsunade, Xiangmei," Kageyama Kokugetsu greeted with a grin.
Tsunade gave him a once-over and nodded back with a smile. Uzumaki Xiangmei rose with a smile to pour him tea.
"Coming empty-handed is fine. Why bring gifts?" Kushina said, feigning a scold.
"I've been too busy to visit. Just a small token," he said, handing over a bag of tonics and baby supplies.
"Sit, sit.
"Next time, no gifts, or I won't let you in.
"Really, Minato, Naruto, and the village all owe you thanks. The intel you brought back was a huge help."
She set down the bag and bowed deeply.
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