"How do you plan on beating him?" He asked me. I looked him, my eyes glancing at the boy who stood behind him.
Smiling softly, I answered with sincerity.
"He's a pianist who press the keys with elegance. But he is also a man who commits mass homicide with exceptional skill." There was only one answer for me.
"So I'll kill him. Not as fighter, but as a pianist."
I'll kill him with the reverberating sounds of my fingers pressing against the soundful keys.
~~~
His body flared with golden flames as he sent a beam of antimatter all over the battlefield, Countless explosions were caused.
Hiruzen had been forced to back away, retreating as he reeled his staff back.
Naruto stood from afar, his eyes entering the smokey abyss that inhabited the area. He stood silently, his feet pressing down against the rough ground.
As the smoke cleared, a shield of wood and an Adamantine Staff stood as they all appeared to be rather unscathed. This was to be expected.
The Hotoke only moves in a linear direction. It relies on the power that it emanates and that it uses to destroy everything. Naruto thought, his eyes casting on Hashirama and Hiruzen.
This only left the question.
Where were the other two?
He already knew.
Naruto had looked into the future, prematurely creating etheric arms that extended to abnormal lengths. This prematureness had caught the two individual, having had fallen into the hands of his flaming ascension.
But before Naruto could crash their bodies into the dusting ground, they disappeared, using their Hiraishin to escape from Naruto's grasps.
Naruto clicked his tongue together.
What a troublesome technique. Naruto mused, turning back towards the two individuals that he had taken his eyes off of for a singular moment.
They had disappeared.
From above, a swirling vortex of water formed, ushering downwards with intensifying quickness. Naruto did not waver, keeping himself on his toes.
He could not underestimate them.
Their teamwork and power are far more dangerous. Naruto looked around, his eyes narrowing as he prepared for his next attack.
From right to left, Hashirama and Hiruzen appeared. From behind was Minato. Naruto couldn't help but snarl at their antics.
They are holding back. Naruto brought his arms out, a powerful force shimmering while his fingers curled with pressure. The water stopped its downpour, becoming nothing more than a wailing rain.
Are they testing me, perhaps? Naruto questioned, his thoughts crossing his mind like a galloping deer that ran away from the fear of man.
Naruto backed away, ducking down as Minato appeared from behind, trying to plant another formula on his body.
"What happened to you?" Minato asked through his tightening teeth. Naruto brought his arms up, blocking a kick that sent shivers through his arms.
"I've taken the mantle of seeking out peace," Naruto spoke vaguely. Maybe there should've been a sense of relief for Minato, knowing that his son wasn't doing all of this for some manic reason.
But even so, the means of doing so felt out of line. Even as a Shinobi, war meant only the tragic hollows of death that lurked behind the foundation.
"Why couldn't you... have done... something far more humane?" There was a certain sadness that radiated from his voice. Naruto backed away, dodging hammer fist to the head.
"This is the only way. There is no way that me spouting some heroic speech will create the peace most desiring. Because deep down, I know that kind of peace will only remain temporary." Naruto brought his blade forth.
The ground split, letting Naruto gain some distance.
"Minato! Don't get swayed by your personal feelings!" Hiruzen yelled, hurling his Adamantine Staff with mighty strength. Naruto was about to jump away, but Tobirama had appeared from his side.
Naruto cursed himself, knowing that Minato had managed to mark him with his Hiraishin formula once again. He had thought back to the time where he had blocked with his forearms.
With a quiet fury on his face, Tobirama thrusted the metallic forward, the intention of piercing his heart leaking from the deep depths of his mind.
"You're mistaken if you think that'll happen," Naruto said coldly, grabbing the blade, a bit of blade escaping from a gash that had been made.
A Hotoke appeared on the palm of his hands. Tobirama was about to teleport away with the space-time jutsu, but ultimately failed.
He was far too slow.
His arm was missing - and it wasn't reforming back. Naruto's Hotoke had completely nullified the healing properties of the Reanimation Jutsu with much effort being needed.
And only then did Tobirama disappeared away.
The Senju clicked his tongue together.
"Beware of his attack! It'll completely stop the healing of this jutsu!" Tobirama barked, letting his voice illuminate the battlefield with dominance.
The 3 nodded.
Naruto wiped his hand on the side of his flaming pants, the wound already completely healed due to the influence of Kurama.
With his opposite hand, Tobirama held the tight blade between his fingertips. Naruto stayed silent, letting the 4 Hokage approach him in utter silence.
He lifted his leg up, shooting down to create stars of debris that wailed with excitement. Naruto saw Tobirama appear from above; and Minato had appeared from behind.
Tobirama, although missing an arm, did not hesitate to put himself in the incalculable danger. Water appeared, coating the blade with a swirling vortex.
Minato's eyes reflected against the shimmering golden flames and the vortex of waters that threatened to clash. He had soon realized, long since his arrival back in the realm of the living.
The world hanged on the conceptual idea of Naruto's death.
The only question that remained was: could Minato kill his own son?
Minato knew that everything depended on this one decision. But this was nothing short of a hard decision. Face-to-face with him was his own kin.
One that was trying to achieve peace through chaotic means.
But the hesitation exists, sowing his blood with fractures. Minato knew that if he chooses whether he should kill Naruto or not, it will only lead to one thing.
Regret.
And he was terrified of such a phenomenon. Because all of his failings had grown, transforming into that ambiguity of madness.
He didn't want to choose.
He feared regret.
With his kunai at hand, Minato was forced to make a decision. To kill or not to kill his son. Even if he cries in the after life, he'll bear the burden of that deep painful regret.
Of killing his own son.
I'm sorry, Naruto. Minato thought, gnashing his teeth down, forming a tight grit. Even as he made this decision, he remained hesitant.
But deep down, he knew that this for the best. The lives of millions will be saved, their fear of living in the reign of a madman forever free.
That almost sounded like paradise for them, but hell for him. But nevertheless, he'll continue this, steeling his resolve as he prepared to answer the ultimatum.
Naruto smirked.
"I see... you've gained your answer. Well then..." Naruto's connection with the televisions strengthened, the fight becoming more clearer than before.
"Come at me! I'll face you all head on!"
Naruto yelled, jumping up in the air, a singular arm raising up to the tippy-tops of the shivering air. The culmination - the gathering - of negative and positive chakra begun to form. A ball could be seen, terraforming the land around them
Naruto hurled the bijuu bomb down, blasting it downwards. Minato spoke out. "Leave this to me," Minato said, keeping his words vague.
This... is for the best. Minato thought, trying to convince himself that this was the right decision. An array of seals formed in the thinnest of air.
As the bijuu bomb came crashing down- it stopped.
The descension of mighty ball of negative and positive chakra had completely stopped, the movement becoming nothing more than a shallow past.
The ball was soon sucked in, teleporting to a distant location that Minato hoped no one had inhabited. An explosion occurred from afar.
Naruto landed on the ground, staring at the 4 Hokage. Things were looking rather difficult - far more than he had originally thought.
Staying on his toes, Naruto became highly aware, narrowing his eyes as he saw the 4 of them approach in silence. Maybe it was because of their experience, or their status as Hokage.
But they seemed to have a mutual understanding of each other in midst of battle. This led to them having great teamwork, even if it's been so long since they had last battled.
Naruto disappeared, appearing right above them. In response to his actions, Tobirama and Minato disappeared, appearing from opposite sides.
Roots begun to rise from the ground, a monstrous creature forming as a wood dragon wrapped around its torso and neck.
"Wood Release: Wood Human Technique!"
With a face of an oni, the monstrous creature wailed its arms, the dragon around its body and slithering under the guidance of the mortal human.
Hashirama stood on top of the oni-like creature. On the girthy hands stood Hiruzen. He placed the Adamantine Staff in one of the hands of the wooden creature.
The dragon and the human-like creature released an terrifying roar, jumping in the air, swinging the all-powerful staff with the strength of a million Jonin.
Naruto backed away, a slither of a beady sweat rolling down his forehead. The mighty staff hit the ground, crashing into it.
*CRACKLE!*
The ground crackled, numerous cracks and rubble rising from the ground. Naruto saw boulders fly towards him. Effortlessly, Naruto split them open, appearing from the other side as he was forced to fend off not only Minato and Tobirama, but the other two who stood on the statue-like creature that could move under the whims of the strong.
Naruto gritted his teeth, seeing the two Shinobi disappear and reappear everywhere. His body was riddled with numerous sealing formulas.
Without his ability to see the future, it'd be far too difficult to try and predict where they would go. Naruto backed away, but Tobirama had appeared from the back, pushing him back as the fist of the monstrous warrior came crashing down.
Naruto gritted his teeth, the fist of wood landing on his body, pummeling him down.
"Shinra Tensei!"
Naruto pushed the fist away, blasting it off; but only for it the reform the arm to create anew. Naruto got back up, dusting the injuries that he had sustained.
With his body being completely riddled in the formulas of the Hiraishin, Naruto had no choice but to see the numerous images of two flashing Shinobi that were able to teleport through the use of space-time.
Naruto jumped away, the gigantic staff that was as hard as diamond flying down with exceptional speed. Clicking his tongue, Naruto disappeared, reappearing on the upper side of the staff.
He ran along it, dodging and weaving the numerous punches that threatened to clash against his face and body as an entirety.
Naruto jumped up, the flickering flames of heaven waving as he wove through a set of hand seals with only one arm.
"Fire Release: Palm of Tomorrow!"
Naruto's hand had become engulfed by the flames of tomorrow. The fiery red-orange flames reflected against his eyes, shimmering the orange glow with the contrast of colors.
"Now... set ablaze. The roots that remain constant shall now perish, under the gaze of the flames that engulf tomorrow."
Naruto landed on the ground, kneeling down as his fingertips trailed along the staff that was as hard as diamond.
With the flick of the wrist, Naruto sent a wave of fire that devoured eternity. He followed the trailing fire, seeing a dragon of water crash into the fire before it could get any close.
Steam formed, the sizzling sound of the clash reverberating all throughout the field. Naruto appeared, tearing through the steam with a calm look his face.
From the back, Naruto formed a ginormous fist made up of Kurama's chakra. The fist outstretched forward, the air forming a pathway for the fist.
"Not so fast." In a flash, the fist was intercepted. Naruto narrowed his eyes, seeing a matching flames that flickered with madness. It was golden, with a shade of orange.
"This seems to be far too troubling now." Naruto saw Minato stand in front of him, with his own chakra mode that due to the yin-side of the Kyuubi.
Their eyes met.
A Mangekyou Sharingan on both sides of the spectrum. Naruto knew that there was going to be something much more than what met their eyes.
His eyes... are powerful. Naruto thought, his eyes swarming inside the deep abyss of Minato's Mangekyou eyes. Naruto was forced to back away.
And as soon as he did, Naruto felt the footing below him begin to spin with incredible quickness. Naruto widened his eyes as the staff spun. Naruto jumped off of the staff, the wooden dragon that trailed from the neck to torso of the oni-like warrior slithering off, roaring before it set its sights against Naruto.
In tandem, a dragon of water followed from behind, releasing a mighty roar alongside it. Naruto grounded his teeth down, outstretching his hand forward.
"Shinra Tensei!"
Naruto widened his eyes, a sudden pain rousing from his body. He looked to the side, the water and splinters of the leftover dragons in the background of his eyes.
Minato had resisted the Shinra Tensei without much trouble. And a hand made up of the etheric flames had wrapped around his torso, the grip tightening.
"This is what I must do," Minato said, a certain sadness leaking from his voice. Naruto had a growing disdain for such a tone.
To him, it felt like a sense of pity.
A type of pity that he couldn't accept.
Naruto felt his vision warp as his body flew down, his back crashing on top of the crumbling ground. With webs of cracks behind him, Naruto felt blood leak from his mouth.
His eyes stared at the sunny rays.
He could practically hear the hopeful cheers of the people watching. They wanted him dead, their hatred, their fear, culminating, into this one singular point.
Yet, he felt nothing.
Because he new himself that he had the power to wipe them all out effortlessly. Yet he was still afraid of doing so.
Because Earth was just that important.
Naruto could see the warrior of wood jump in the air. He didn't know exactly, but it seemed to be just about a mile or two in the air.
What incredible force.
He had thought back to when he fought the 5 Kage.
"I was afraid of destroying the planet - I was scared of my own power. So... thank you... for enlightening me."
It exactly like the concept of fearing his own power; it was more akin to a type of paranoia against himself.
"My power... that is mine," Naruto whispered, slowly getting up as blood dripped down. "And... is mine only... no one else... mine... only." He regained his balance fully.
His words could not be heard, only the movement of his mouth could be seen.
"Mine to wield... no one else... only mine. My own power..." He was nearing the road of Nirvana, the gears turning ever-so slightly each time he evolved.
With his overwhelming sense of self, Naruto stood defiantly. He smirked as the staff stopped centimeters from his face.
"Zettaireido!"
He brought the top of his head, pressing it against the pillar of strength. Naruto put his hand on the very bottom of the staff, his rough fingers pressing against it.
"Shinra Tensei!"
Everything was pushed away, blasted off with force far surpassing anything that he had done back on Earth.
"Did you think you were all that?" Naruto got into a stance. "Your power pales in comparison to the man that I have to defeat. I'd lose face if I were to be beaten by lesser beings." They got up from the ground.
"The heros of today, will be nothing more than ashes of tomorrow."
Lightning trailed around his eyes, exceptionally boosting his perception as the smoldering golden flames trailed along his body and his mantle that was once teal, now replaced by the flickering flames.
Naruto licked his lips, the blood wiped off with his tongue.
"And as the days go by, we wait until The Promised Day. And, by then, the ending shall unfold." Naruto felt the tension between them.
"An ending where no one will bear happiness."
~~~
Done. I was going to finish the fight this chapter, but decided to split it up, and wait until next chapter. I do hope I get this fanfic done by the end of the month.
Although that does seem bleak to me. But I'll try. I am quite excited for the events that will lead to the end of Grace.
I've been reading Pandora Hearts and I'm quite intrigued by it.
Vote this chapter.
But until next time.
CYA!