They stood, the Moon shining down on the Earth. The darkness of outer space illuminated the pitch-black space.
Their eyes reflected off of each other. They were demons of the world.
The Kingdom that one had created was nothing but piles of dust that had been burnt into crisp by his own hands.
It was tarnished.
It was severed.
This was their final battle.
The world wasn't ready for the destruction of their universe.
~~~
They stood there with loud silence, their eyes meeting with each other as Konon readied to fight Obito for Nagato's life.
"Konan - stop."
She carried out the order that she had been told to do, lifting her stance off and was now carrying a stance of relaxation; but her guard was still up.
Nagato looked at the man in front of him.
"Who are you?" He asked, his body being bound by shackles that had chakra rods piercing through it.
It was machine that had become necessary due to him becoming crippled by Hanzo's attack and through the use of the Gedo Statue.
"My name is not important because all you need to know is that I inherited the will of Uchiha Madara." Nagato's hair as crimson-red, signifying his bloodline ties to the Uzumaki.
His body was unbelievably skinny, unfit for someone who proclaimed that they were God. This was the true Pain - the man who had puppeting the dead bodies from behind the curtains.
"I see, so you're close to the real deal." There was a bitter-sweet tone to Nagato's voice, knowing that he was cornered by the man that inherited the will of Madara.
It sickened him with disgust.
"You came for these eyes of mine - for what reason?" He knew of a rather simple answer for why Obito had come for the Rinnegan.
It was simply because he had the Rinnegan; and the power that he now held was but a gateway to a fanciful adventure.
Obito, with the ripples in the side of his head, slightly smirked at those words, at that question being served towards him.
"Originally, I had planned to sacrifice myself so I could revive the real Madara. Why? Because he's the only one that can match his grandson - Naruto." That grin of his deepened slightly.
"Now... things are different."
"How so? You speak of this boy with great lengths. It seems you don't even believe that even Madara can beat him; but you now think differently now. Why is that?" Every fiber of his being screamed in pain, his lungs bursting with torment with a burning sensation.
"Don't you see? Once you are dead here, your eyes will be my golden opportunity." His intentions matched his smirk, replicating a sense of darkness that lurked from behind it.
"Tell me... those creatures of yours that you manifested... they had sentient thought, no?" It was a theory of his that he conjured the moment he saw those water dragons that roared as if alive.
Nagato stayed silent for a moment before he answered.
"They do. As I summoned them... I heard them... as if speaking to me. I could feel their words strike my skull." Obito was engrossed by his words, hypnotised by them.
"What did they say?"
"What they said?" Obito nodded, not wanting to repeat the words once again. Nagato hesitated for just a moment, not wanting to concede the information that he held to Obito.
Nagato soon surrendered.
"They questioned me... what I wanted. They were... talking... as if willing to make an offer - for a price, of course." Obito was pleased, knowing that an offer was nothing short of a dream come true.
"And, as he closed in on death, he'll remember the power that he is leaving behind; entrusting it to the hands of a madman."
"An offer? From the sentient beings you create? How delightful, for you to give me this power of yours." Nagato had no choice but to believe that his words were the undeniable truth.
His life was at its end, stretching on for only a few more moments. And, as he could only be shackled into this crippled state, Nagato gritted his teeth in anger.
The world was cruel, striking those who its doesn't see as worthy.
Obito took a few steps, narrowing the distance between the two of them in only those few steps that he took. He was craving the power that Nagato held now.
He no longer needed to abide by Naruto's whims, now being able to do things with more freedom. His hunger reflected against his thoughts.
The world could move forward once more.
Without Naruto.
WIthout Madara.
He could correct everything with this power. But there was one problem that he is now stumbling upon - a problem that involves himself.
He can't bring out the full potential of the ability.
These eyes that were not only straining, but were the eyes of Madara. And it was only because Nagato was an Uzumaki that he could handle the magnitude of it all.
And, if he were to use it, then he'd probably only be able to access about half of the strength the sentient beings would wield.
"Listen to me - to my words."
Obito took another step, seeing Konan tensing up heavily in his peripheral vision. Ignoring her sudden shock, Obito slowly raised his arm.
"Any last words?" Nagato's breath halted for a moment, seemingly shocked and did not know what to say whatsoever. Numerous thoughts raced through his head in a matter of seconds.
Konan, while didn't want this, had no choice but to accept these conditions.
She was ready to sacrifice her life for Nagato, but she knew better to give him regrets as he passed away from the inches of life he now held.
My last words? He asked himself. Nagato thought over it for just a moment, his mind entrapped by such words being shoved into his face.
My.
Last.
Words.
Nothing came to mind as he thought of those words. He never thought he'd die this early on during his life. He was only in his mid-thirties.
But now, he'll never see the light of another day.
This was his end.
This was his sacrifice.
"I have... no words." He held no smile, holding a solid face, no emotion leaking out. He only held the indifference of the world within his mind, plastering this thought over his path.
"I see."
From behind were the materialization of portals. Strings flew, sharpening themselves as they hovered towards the Rinnegan user.
Nagato's mind was at subtle ease, flying through small thoughts that had no such importance to him. And as he was about to lose his life, he only held one regret.
Sorry, for leaving you like this. Thought Nagato, his eyes glancing over at Konan for a split moment, seeing the solemn look on her face.
He was glad.
That she didn't try and fight Obito - he didn't want to see such a sight while he laid on the doors that harboured death. The strings of death fastened.
He didn't know what kind of look was on his face. If he had to guess, it'd be one with sorrow. This was his loss - his absolute disappointment.
He could've done more with his power.
He had evolved his power in the midst of battle, bursting with life as he gave things sentient beings and forms.
If he had only unlocked it sooner rather than now.
Things would've been different. This wasn't a guess, or a half-assed excuse for dying in the hands of a madman.
It was nothing more than the breathtaking truth.
*Sphhhlt!*
The strings penetrated through his forehead, blood leaking from the wound, staining the strings that Obito held with a dark color of red.
Nagato quickly lost his life, his body still being strapped down with the machine that let him control the Paths of Pain.
Blood slithered down, dripping down with elegance.
Obito drew closer, using the strings to tear down the mechanism that held Nagato. With a loud thump, Nagato's body splattered on the ground, the darkness enveloping his body.
Shifting his body, Obito took out the two eyes of Rinnegan that were now rightfully his. He held no remorse to Nagato's death, only looking at it as if he was only a doll.
Nagato was strong, but he was only a pawn that could only move through the whims of the King. This was simply the reality of it.
He was being manipulated, and being shoved in directions without his will. And this was where his uses end.
In Death.
And giving the all-powerful the path to move forward.
This was his purpose.
And this was his end.
Obito got up, replacing one of his eye with the Rinnegan. He cursed himself for not being able to use both eyes, but one was more than enough.
He stored the other Rinnegan and the eye he replaced in a sack. He felt the surge in power course through his body as soon as he implanted the eyes of Samsara in his socket.
He turned around, walking away as Konan moved to the dead body of Nagato. She kneeled down, moving her hands so he would be laying in her arms.
Tears appeared with no notice.
The droplets of saltiness landed on Nagato's head, some seeping into the hole in his forehead that had been caused by the strings.
From here, and in the future - Konan was only heard once more.
And that was her being in aligning herself with the devil of mankind.
~~~
"The hell do you mean by that?!" Naga argued, seeing the Rinnegan that replaced Obito's socket. It drained him, but he'll manage.
"You heard me: the plan to resurrect Madara is no longer important - it's obsolete." Naga growled at those words, downing a glass of wine.
"So, you're telling me, that I wasted my time searching for Kabuto just for you to tell me that we aren't going to revive Madara back to life?" He was frustrated by Obito's actions.
He was helping a man who was nothing but an indecisive mess - it infuriated him to a whole new degree.
"Correct."
"And why is that? I want a real good reason as to why you're putting off this vastly effective plan from being put into action." Naga saw Obito hoist his arm, using his index finger to point at his Rinnegan.
"This is all I need to abolish all the obstacles right in front of me; and that includes Naruto as well." Naga narrowed his eyes, licking lips to taste the wine that coated his lips.
"You seem awfully confident for someone who was afraid of him moments ago." He didn't question where Obito got the Rinnegan from - it was obvious to him where he got it.
"With this eye's power, nobody can stop me from creating the perfect world." Naga groaned at Obito's words, somewhat doubtful of them.
"And what exactly is this power that you have acquired besides the basic abilities of the Rinnegan?" Obito smirked, using his hand convulsing towards the ground to create a small dog.
"I can create sentient life."
"That's not really anything special," commented Naga. Obito snorted, the dog dematerializing and becoming rubble once more. He decided to insert and idea into his head.
"That's why this ability would be wasted on someone like you."
Obito rose his hand, using the rubble to create a humanoid figure. Naga narrowed his eyes, seeing the humanoid figure imitate the abilities of a Chunin-level Shinobi.
"This ability is only restricted to one's strength and imagination. Think about what I could create with this ability!" Obito exclaimed, lightly dodging a kick from the humanoid rubble.
"What you could create?"
"That's right! Don't you see?! With this ability, I can create almost anything I want. I can create things that are nothing but fiction!" Naga's eyes widened, now realizing the full capacity of such an ability.
"From Mythological Creatures to Omnipresent Beings! Think about the power I hold now!" Obito now held the ultimate advantage.
"You're actually crazy if you're thinking about unleashing such hell into the universe." A grin broke out from Obito's face.
He now held a technique that held the potential to reach wide-spreads of power.
It was technique so-
Boundless.
"With this power I can create a perfect world." He was right with this statement. If he could somehow "summon" an Omnipresent Being, then he'll be able to make an offer to use its power for a short time.
And if the Being does accept the offer, then Obito could temporarily become a force that could not be broken under any circumstance.
He could rewrite all of reality; and create a world with no imperfection.
He could create a world where he was the strongest of them all, with no one else being able to match his strength. There would be no defects in this world.
Because, to him, that very idea was perfection.
~~~
"Again," ordered Naruto, throwing a punch towards Satsuki's face at incredible speeds. Tirely, Satsuki moved to the side, using Jikan to stop time.
But to her dissatisfaction, Naruto changed trajectory, not being held in her dome of time. A wild amount of pain shot through her body. Her back landed on the trunk of a tree.
"Get out of the habit of thinking people will always be caught into your bubble of time." Sweat trickled down on her face, a tired frown on her face as she duck down to avoid a kick.
"Didn't you say that people only have 0.15 milliseconds to respond and respond to the activation of the technique. It's virtually impossible for regular people to see the speed of it." Naruto sighed, jumping slightly upwards to avoid a sweep from his lover.
"People will catch up quickly. Each day people will grow stronger, and even if they aren't fast enough to react to your ability, there are numerous other ways to counter the technique." He backed away, letting Satsuki regain footing.
Kicking off against the ground, Satsuki left admirable cracks on the ground.
Her leg was enveloped with entangling chakra. Naruto leaned backwards, wisps of chakra flowing right past his face.
With a face of indifference Naruto retaliated with a kick of his own, imbuing it with chakra to match the strength of her foot.
"You know, they can't match you terms of visual prowess, but what about in other ways? Taijutsu is always something that one can improve on. Rock Lee and Guy are the epitome of such a genre." He stood his ground, not even an inch of weakness leaking from his body.
He was lost in thought, letting his body go into a mode of autopilot.
Everyone is getting stronger. He thought. He noticed while he was fighting the others - their strength had dramatically increased.
Even though he was holding back still, Naruto knew that he had used more power due to him acknowledging their strength as individual and as a group Shinobi.
Was he frightened?
No.
Was he surprised by their power?
No.
It was inevitable for everyone to grow exponentially. They were diving into times of war, and the person leading was himself.
A person who is viewed as untouchable.
He internally smirked, knowing that the main reason of the large growth is due to his influence. He knew of the results of doing such heinous acts to the world.
The hatred that boil inside of their body was the catalyst of it also.
Hatred is powerful emotion. It was an element that allowed humans to grow and evolve. An excellent example would be Satsuki.
Everything that happened to lead to this point - he regretted none of it.
From the death of Asuma to incapacitating Guy and Hinata... he regretted no such things. They were necessary to evolve the world.
To change it.
To the most ideal world that is thought to be impossible.
"Uh... Naruto?" He was shook out of his thoughts, his eyes traveling to the owner of the voice. His eyes caught Satsuki's seeing her on the ground, injured.
His fist was mere inches away from her face.
"Sorry... I was lost in thought." She grunted in response to his words. Satsuki regained her balance by jumping up.
"That doesn't make it better." Naruto shrugged with a stoic look on his face.
"I guess so. I'm guessing you want to stop for today?" Satsuki nodded, pointing towards the sun that was quickly settling down. He hummed to signal his understandment.
"You go on ahead; I'll stay behind to train some more." Satsuki stretched her arms, her porcelain skin reflecting against the setting sun. It didn't take long before she went back into the village.
Naruto sighed.
"Do you need anything?" Naruto asked, his eyes landing on the trees. A person jumped from the trees above, landing on the ground in front of him.
"I just need to tell you something," Sasori said, holding out his hand with an article in its grasp. Naruto was interested in the title due to him not being caught up with the news lately.
"The End of Amegakure! Hundred of Thousands Fall!"
Naruto took hold of the article, his eyes glossing over the headline and the contents of it carefully. He noticed that the cause of Amegakure's destruction was not known, but there were sighting of an Akatsuki member around the border of the country.
He's already dead? Naruto thought, knowing that the magnitude of the destruction was obviously due to two strong Shinobi dueling it out.
"This was their end."
Naruto looked back at Sasori, his eyes piercing into his soul. The red-haired man didn't waver in his presence, seemingly resisting Naruto's pressure.
Superficial but braveful. Naruto thought, handing back the article back to Sasori. The former Akatsuki noticed the lack of worriness in Naruto's eyes.
"Are you not worried about his advancements?" Sasori didn't know who the person was, but he had a sneaking suspicion that the man had a connection to Naruto.
Why?
People seem to hate his guts in every form. Naruto shook his at his question, fear not being a known concept to him.
The last time he felt fear was when he fought Zabuza -- way back when he struggled against Jonin-level opponents.
But times have changed.
"I'm not worried. He's grown powerful, but the man who had caused such a ruckus is nothing more than a small caterpillar trying to become a butterfly." His hands were in his pockets, his azure eyes magnifying from the vibrant hues of the horizon.
"You get what I mean, right?" Naruto asked, following his former statement with a question. Sasori nodded his head in confirmation.
"You're saying that he can't beat you - that his resolve is useless." Naruto let out a soft but fake smile on his face as he nodded his head.
"Correct. Your perception has grown."
"Well then, I'll be taking my leave - feel free to ask for my help in the future." Naruto nodded, taking note of his words before walking away from the puppeteer.
The man with red-hair disappeared, fleeing to some place elsewhere.
"You can come out now," Naruto said, sighing as he saw Satsuki walk out from a tree. She held an inquisitive look on her face as she walked towards him.
"Didn't know your connections were wide."
"And now you know. What do you want to know?" Naruto stood still, lightly yawning as he asked the question.
"What's the next move?" Naruto narrowed his eyes as he looked around him, using his sensory abilities to listen if Sasori was still around the area.
He wasn't.
"Come with me to the house - I'll tell you the next part of the plan." Naruto gestured for her to follow from behind. Obeying, Satsuki walked forward, tailing Naruto right beside him.
~~~
Unmei observed Hinata, her eyes trailing her every movement. She saw every strike that she performed, making the kids stare in awe.
"Do that again! Do that again!" Unmei smiled at the words of the children, lightly patting their heads with her soft hand.
"Now, now, don't disturb her training." They grew puzzled, their faces becoming confused.
"Why? It looks fun!" One of the kids exclaimed. Unmei continued to smile, the brightness of it all making the kids become mesmerized by her smile-like spell.
"It's not very nice to interrupt people who are training."
"W-why is she t-training?" One of the more shy kids asked, mustering up the courage to ask a question. The other kids grew curious as well, wanting to know her reason for training.
"It's so she can become strong enough to fight a demon."
"A-A demon?!" They shook in fear, their bodies shivering slightly at the mention of a demon. They thought of the terrible stories that haunted them in their beds during halloween.
"Yes - a demon. The demon is very strong, so she has to train much more to catch up to its strength." Her tone hypnotised the children, their minds lulled by the flute that acted as her voice.
The words she used were words that the children didn't understand very vividly, but they caught the very gist of it.
"Now, please see what she is doing," Unmei said, her way of speaking devolving so the children could understand her words. They listened to her words, looking at Hinata's movements carefully.
"Why is she going so slow? Isn't being faster better?" One of the kids asked, wondering why her movements were nothing like the Shinobi that they had heard about in the real world.
Unmei decided to enlightened them.
"Technique comes with elegance, and vice versa. It's the same when using a sword. Pure force does not help with cutting. Only when you are graceful with a motion, are you truly able to be stronger." Once again, the kids weren't able to comprehend it well enough, but they were able to get the gist of it once more.
With each stroke of her fists waving through the air, her gentleness washed over the grassy field. Unmei was pleased at such a sight.
"Wow!" They all exclaimed, seeing Hinata cut through numerous leaves that were attached on the tree branches.
She was getting stronger.
Her technique with taijutsu was improving.
And as she elegantly fought against the air, Hinata was treading lightly, getting closer to the epitome of martial ability.
~~~
8 Months Later...
~~~
Done. This chapter has now been finished with a total of 3800+ words.
If you have noticed, there are short excerpts that I have in the beginning of the chapter and placed around in other sections of the chapter. Will be adding those little excerpts in the beginning of every chapter.
Thank you for reading Grace as always.
But until next time.
CYA!