Lotus Blooming! Book 2

Chapter 65 -- The Pawns

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We gazed at Madara in silence. He was back in one piece, both of the Rinnegan present in his eyes. "Then dying together can also be considered teamwork, eh?" Madara hummed impishly.

"Obito!" Naruto barked.

"Unfortunately, Obito is gone." Black Zetsu responded. "I've taken over his body now. Seems he was hoping to right his wrongs. He was praying like a child, deep inside.... So that he could leave the future to you all. How convenient that would have been for him, right? Just like a spoiled brat."

My anger didn't feel as strong as it would have been if Ameonna were still sealed inside of me. I glanced down at my palms for a moment, gazing at the white and black pattern. She'd given me this power for a reason. "Sakura." I hum, breaking the silence. "Let's go." She's besides me instantly, the Strength of a Hundred technique covering her face and neck. "We'll be the diversion, so follow us!" I order. I dive straight in, allowing Madara to pierce my torso with his black rod. I grasped onto the rod, allowing Sakura to throw a hard slug at him. It's stopped by an invisible force.

Naruto and Sasuke strike the same force before we all retreat. I gingerly grasp the rod sticking from my torso and tug it out.

"Naruto--" I start.

"I know! There are more of them!" Naruto expresses.

Madara scoffed. "Enough with this sideshow."

Madara took to the air, black masses of chakra slipping from his body. He slaps his hands together, causing the earth below us to start tearing apart around us, and build into large masses of earth floating in the air.

"This is the Six Paths' power?" Sakura gasped.

"He's way bigger than before and there's more of 'em...." Naruto stated.

"Stop getting distracted by what's above!" Sasuke snapped. "His shadows are on the ground with us!"

"They're a bit more solid and larger raindrops, but..." Madara hummed before the meteors began descending towards us.

"Brace yourselves! It's coming!" I shout.

"The shadows as well!" Sasuke added.

Four clones appeared around Naruto. "Leave them to me!"

Four brilliant white tentacles burst from my back and boost me into the air. The tips of the four begin crackling with the Chidori, my arms alight with the crackling chakra before I slam my fists into the boulder falling towards me. Using the debris as leverage, I continue to destroy the ones I can while Naruto and Sasuke take care of the others. No matter how many I end up destroying, it would seem that there was no end to them. Susano'o blazes towards me, and I'm suddenly entraped within Sasuke's arms as we descend rapidly towards Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi.

"What's going on?!" I bark at him. He doesn't answer me as Susano'o picks up speed, and slamming behind the three.

"HEY! LAND MORE SOFTLY!" Naruto barked at him.

"SHUT UP, AND STAY STILL!" Sasuke shouted back as I pushed out of his arms. The earth shakes against my feet as we're covered by the wings of Sasuke's Susano'o. I grimace and grasp at my stomach as a strange feeling erupts within.

"Don't tell me--" I gasp. "That's why you were in a hurry." I murmur.

Naruto gasps lightly, and attempts to leave, but in his haste, Sasuke immediately stops him. "Naruto!" Sasuke snapped. "Don't do it right now!" The others gaze at him in confusion. "Don't go outside right now. Without this Susano'o that my eye made, you'd get bound up in his genjutsu as well! Also, his shadows are outside... If you, Ren, and I fall, it's all over!" Sasuke expresses. "We need to bide our time."