I Love You, But I Can Never Tell You How I Feel [Naruto Fanfic] - KakashixOC

48. A Losing Battle

The third Hokage was not known as the God of Shinobi, or the Professor for no reason. He knew almost all of the jutsu that exist in the shinobi world, and had no problem emulating them, as long as the jutsu was not a kekkei genkai. If he had been an Uchiha, he wouldn’t need his sharingan much. One look at the barrier told him what he needed to do to pass through it, and how to restore it back in place, as if he had not just disrupted it. He stealthily formed four clones, instructing each to form a series of handsigns, and sneak behind Orochimaru’s four underlings. As the clones pressed their fingers on the underlings’ temples, the barrier disappeared, allowing him to slip into the battle field where his ANBU captain was stupidly fighting a losing battle. Once he slipped inside, his clones tapped the underlings’ temples none too gently, and the barrier was erected again at once. His clones dematerialized once they had served their purposes.

With Hiruzen joining the fight, Hikaru had the time to compose herself, and drew as much chakra as she could from the kyuubi sealed within her. Her chakra level flared up exponentially, but her stamina stayed low. She had been exhausted from the fight against Orochimaru and the two kages. She needed to end the fight fast, and the fastest way was to kill Orochimaru. If he died, the Edo Tensei would be terminated, effectively ridding the two kages. But it was a very difficult task. Orochimaru had set his plan in such a way that the two kages would always shield him from harm. Both Hiruzen and she had great difficulties in breaking the defence to get to Orochimaru. Even their combined efforts did not bear much fruits. Not to mention that Orochimaru himself was capable of fighting back to defend himself. Hikaru racked her brain on how to end the fight. She couldn’t ask Kakashi to remove the barrier and let all the shinobis available swarm on Orochimaru and the kages. Chances are, most of these shinobis would die in vain.

Hikaru’s mind was no longer in turmoil, as she had hardened her resolve to kill the man who once had been her mentor. Awe and respect had been replaced by disgust and repulsion. But even so, she still found it extremely difficult to formulate a plan to defeat and kill Orochimaru.

Desperation was growing in both Hikaru and Hiruzen. They couldn’t risk in sneaking in more elite shonobis into the barrier. Orochimaru’s underlings would probably abandon the barrier in its entirety, letting the two resurrected kages roam free, damaging every nook and cranny of the village they had built. Both Hikaru and Hiruzen were getting extremely exhausted quickly, both in body and mind.

Another attack went futile. They were finally able to rid both kages at the same time, but Orochimaru was ready to counter their attacks. By the time they were going in for another attack, the damages done to the kages had been undone. Their edo tensei bodies assembled back together after they had been ripped apart, as if the bodies had not been subjected to any forms of harm.

Hiruzen was particularly feeling hopeless and helpless. Had he been ten years younger, he would have been able to conclude the fight to his favour, and the fact that he had Hikaru fighting alongside him would mean that he would be able to conclude the fight rather quickly, such that he could fight in other battle fields, protecting his precious shinobis. As his fuse was getting shorter and shorter from despair, he began to form a series of hand-seals.

Hikaru was panting hard, her breathing raged and she did not know how much longer she could hold out. As she glanced at the senior shinobi, her face blanched. There was no way she was going to let yet another love one die right in front of her own eyes. Especially not with that jutsu, the jutsu she hated more passionately than any other, be it edo tensei or other sick, disgusting forbidden jutsu. Despite her exhausted state, she leaped towards the older man and clasped his hands tightly between hers, stopping him from completing the hand-signs which would activate a jutsu which was as forbidden and as morally wrong as the edo tensei.