Once More by ItsHardToFindAPenName

Chapter 41: Confrontation, Part 2

And he disappeared in an orange flash.

The shinobi on the KPN Byakuren were freaking out.

No matter how powerful the ship could be, there's no way she could withstand a hit from a Tailed Beast Bomb firing straight at her like this. Of course, she could maneuver around the attack, but that was when they're all ready and everything. Right now, the ship was just sitting there like a nice, cute target for the Tailed Beast to use to practice shooting.

The giant black ball of death was coming closer and closer, and the sails of the ship still hadn't been raised up properly. Panic was breaking out all around the ship; some sailors had already jumped over the port. There's nothing that could stop the flagship of Kirigakure People's Navy from being destroyed in a horrible, horrible way...

Except for a streak of orange light which had just suddenly appeared on the rail of the starboard of the ship.

"I already said I would not let anyone I knew die a meaningless death again," Naruto yelled, "AND I NEVER GO BACK ON MY WORD! REGALIA OF THE SOUL, 9TH TAIL: MIRROR OF YATA!"

From Naruto's spread fingers, the golden mirror of legend appeared in a blinding light and stood between the ship and the Tailed Beast Bomb. The black sphere crashed against the mirror, but true to its name, the Regalia stood firm before the devastating attack and wouldn't budge even when it exploded, shielding the ship and everyone on board from being evaporated. And then, even the explosion was gradually erased from existence.

The air became completely silent for a few seconds. No one could even expect someone to be able to nullify an attack like a Tailed Beast Bomb just like that. But the period of stupor passed as quickly as it came, and the ship crew immediately went back to their work, raising the sails and preparing the cannons, ready to get out of the danger zone and to strike back if necessary.

Right at that time...

THUD

Naruto's back hit the floor of the shipboard.

"Naruto-kun's powerful chakra signal has just disappeared!"

Fuu's eyes widened when she heard the declaration from the Mizukage. She immediately reached out her Sage sense, and was horrified when finding out that Naruto's life force was only flickering feebly onboard the Byakuren.

"He must have used the Mirror of Yata..." she muttered.

Having been with Naruto for three years, she knew what Naruto's Regalia of the Soul was, and what it could do; after all, he was the one who taught her how to use that ultimate technique. Naruto's Regalia has unlimited defensive power; it could stop even a Tailed Beast Bomb firing by Chomei at him at point blank. Nothing can get past it, even the most powerful attack ever, as long as Naruto is still able to maintain its form.

But that is exactly the problem.

To compensate for that immovable defense, the Mirror of Yata would consume all of its owner's stamina upon the completion of its mission. Stamina, not chakra. Even if Naruto's chakra storage was nearly infinite thanks to the nine Tailed Beasts inside him, his stamina was still just that of his human body, albeit enhanced quite a lot thanks to all his trainings. Therefore, Naruto would be left exhausted after each and any use of the Regalia. That was one of the reasons why Naruto was unconscious for quite some time after the battle with Pain; not only because he had starved himself for a few days, but also due to the fact that the Mirror of Yata, deployed for the first time ever in battle, had drained him to the core. Even by now, it would still take him a few hours of rest before he could even move again.

"What should we do now?" she heard Chojuro asking. "Naruto-san is down for the count; how can we stop the Three-Tails from rampaging all his way to Kirigakure?"