The Hidden Leaf Camp
Tobirama has been worried since they came up with this plan. He's been worried about many things, the low chances of success, his brother's actions, the consequences of failure. Above all else though, he has been concerned for the villager's safety. The plan involves taking the clear majority of fighters away from here, leaving them with virtually no protection. A handful of shinobi at most, certainly no Hokage, no fighters who have mastered an element. At one point it was proposed that Mitsuki were left in charge of the villager's safety, but the suggestion was rejected on the basis that he is one of the more likely shinobi to make a breakthrough. Many members of the homeworld military insisted to Tobirama that the villagers would be safe here, but it will take more than the unjustified promise to calm his nerves.
The plan is to leave any moment now, he is just waiting for the few last-minute equipment and logistical checks to be completed. Sarada and Clyde have taken responsibility for that, making sure that they are bringing enough with them for their journey to the imperial palace and that the villagers will have enough to survive in the meantime. If the worst should go wrong they would have to integrate into this terrorised world. They would have to entrust their destiny to the small group of captains and shinobi designated as their guardians.
Tobirama exchanges a few words with a trio of jonin, the three of them elites who have been assigned as the captains of shinobis who will stay. As Tobirama leaves them their final instructions he comes to the grim realisation that if they fail and should they die, this trio will effectively become the new Hokage. With his lasts word said he dismisses the trio, hoping that they will protect the village in his stead, passing his duty to them the same way his past-self did to Hiruzen so many years ago.
Peterson walks past Tobirama, having himself just spoken to the small group of his subordinates who are to be left behind. As captains they are stronger than the vast majority of shinobi and should the worst happen, it would be their duty to help the shinobi and villagers survive in their world.
Tobirama looks at Peterson as he passes. "There is definitely no way my brother will find the villagers?".
Peterson shakes his head. "It would be impossible for a man of his skill. You would need to truly look to the monsters of this world to find someone who could do that. For the few people who resist Emperor Furst's rule, not even he can find them easily".
Peterson walks on.
Tobirama runs the logic through in his head, Peterson and Clyde have spent most of their lives in this world, they must know what they are talking about. This place is so large that not even his incredible sensory powers can detect the nearest people to the camp. Even for Sarada, it would take years to search the ecosystem and find someone if they were hiding. It must be safe he tells himself time after time. After a while, he begins to wonder, is he being logical or is he just trying to fool himself.
Nearby, Sarada's mind is on another worry altogether, as she looks into the vacant space before her. Her whole body seems to shut down for a moment and the dull roar of her thoughts begins to overtake her, consuming her brain from back to front, saddening her every millimetre forward it crawls until she is finally snapped from her trance by a hand on her shoulder.
"Are you alright?" Sheer asks.
"Sheer? Oh yeah, I'm fine, I was just thinking about someone from my past, that's all".
"Your parents".
Sarada feels stunned once again by how much Sheer knows about her. Perhaps, as her master once taught her, you truly do learn the most about someone when you feel their emotions through fighting.
"How did you know I was thinking about my parents".
More specifically, she was thinking of her father.
"I gather that they were unique shinobi in both their talents and attitudes" Sheer says, summarising what Mitsuki told her with an awkward shrug. "I just wanted you to know that I'm grateful for what you're doing for us. You're doing it in spite of what we did to you and you're sacrificing a lot for us".
"It's fine" Sarada says, "Whether it's for the Leaf, for this world – your homeworld or for any of the pocket worlds, it will all end with what we do inside that dome".
With many farewells said, the fighting force of the Hidden Leaf Village, combined with the military might of Clyde's forces, make their way towards the hidden 'back way' into the imperial palace. They begin their journey to execute Furst Jonas.
8 Hours Later
After many hours of walking they approach the location. This is Clyde's foretold rear entrance to the imperial palace, the gateway which turns them into the perfect invisible assassins.
They approach nervously, looking in every direction to make sure that they are not spotted, that there is nobody around. Long in advance, the Hyuuga clan and Inuzuka alert the Hokage to the presence of another person. This rear entrance isn't so unguarded as Clyde made out.
The shinobi, captains, colonels and generals all stop a good kilometre before the rear entrance. There it is, clear as day, the route they want to take, the route that nobody should have known about, the route that somebody has blocked.
The group, despite its large population of warriors remain mostly silent as they stand opposite the entrance to the large glassy dome. An army of a thousand stopped by the presence of a single person. Minato hasn't encountered many situations like this before, very few shinobi have ever had such an impact on a battlefield. It had not happened since a reincarnated Uchiha Madara arrived in the 4th great shinobi war.
"Is it Lara?" Minato asks, hopefully.
"No" Naruto answers.
The question had been directed toward Hinata, Himawari and Sarada, Minato hoping to learn from their visual prowess. Naruto shouldn't be able to see the individual clearly from this far away at such an angle, but Minato has a strange feeling that Naruto is right. The words of his son add a tinge of electricity to the air, putting him on edge. He was hoping that Naruto would remain the calmest person amongst the group, that he would settle them all down, but he has done the opposite of that. He has turned the tension right up.
"Stay here" Naruto says as he walks out to the front of the group, flanked only by Sarada and Clyde.
They walk forward until they are a mere thirty meters from the individual blocking their path and for the first time, Naruto and Clyde get a clear picture of what she looks like.
A woman just shorter than average, whose olive skin and dark brown hair contrast and highlight the distinctive rose and turquoise hair tie on the left side of her head. Her face marks her body as being in its late twenties or early thirties, but Naruto is aware that she is likely much older than that. She wears a purple cape on her back fastened with a red button on the front.
"Purple" Sarada whispers, facing the strange woman, "I thought you wore capes to denote your rank, what rank is purple supposed to be?".
"She is not a member of the military, she is a member of the aristocracy" Clyde explains, "She is too strong to be in the military. She is someone chosen to be strong from the moment she was born".
The lady opens her eyes for the first time, revealing one strong brown iris and an eye with a weakened iris colour. Sarada starts in surprise when she notices that the eye itself is damaged. This aristocrat is blind.
Clyde greets the woman. "It's been a long time… Carmen".
"Too long Clyde" she replies, "Though I hate to imagine why you are here".
The three warriors look at Carmen as she starts to adjust herself to the world after opening her eyes. She quickly takes in the group behind Clyde, quickly detecting the presence of divine energy and feeling, in addition to that, a group of people without any divine energy. They appear to have got here through their own efforts though, so they must be strong. Carmen then notices that Clyde has brought two other individuals like them forward with him, people whose attire she doesn't recognise.
"I can only guess who you have brought with you".
"Clyde, who is she?" Naruto asks.
"Carmen is a teacher at the military academy in this world" he says, not daring to move his gaze from her, "She has a powerful history and is a might member of the aristocracy. She was a teacher reserved for the most powerful students".
"… she was my teacher".
"Was?" Carmen smiles as she nods her head, "Do you no longer count me as your educator, Clyde?".
"I would never be so bold ma'am. However, I hope you won't prevent me and my allies from continuing on this path. I need to get into the Imperial Palace".
Now Naruto can feel the electricity in the air that his father felt previously. As Carmen's nostalgic smile changes into a faint frown, he feels their situation change, he feels the danger in the air magnify.
"You can already tell what I'm going to say can't you? I'm going to stop you from going ahead. I won't let you proceed, Clyde".
"Why?".
"Oh Clyde, surely you should know. I'm blocking this path to save your life".
Sensing the atmospheric change, Naruto also realises that he must have been the last one in the entire group to feel this intimidation. He realises that his father felt it before when he was unsure of what was going on and perhaps only Clyde, who is familiar with Carmen, doesn't feel it. This is their first step into a whole new world and Naruto must step forward and take the lead. So, he does just that.
He steps to the front of Clyde and Sarada, putting himself between Carmen and everyone he is sworn to protect.
"Miss Carmen, you seem like a good person" he begins politely, "You've probably already worked out that I am from a pocket world and that Clyde's allegiance has changed, yet you still wish to save our lives".
"You are correct" she softly says, "Indeed, I sense your youth and inexperience, it shines through despite the way everyone else is looking at you. You hold a high status in their eyes".
"Thanks, but I can't stop here just because you want me to, I'm fighting for something far more important. I am going to have to move forward, even if that means I am going to fight you".
Naruto repeats apologies in his head as he can practically feel Sarada's muscles tense next to him. If she is feeling like this, everyone else must be terrified. He berates himself for the situation he has put them in but knows that he cannot apologise aloud, he can't show even the first sign of doubt. He has to stand up for them, he has to be the Hero of the Hidden Leaf once again.
"I admire your pure will and your nerve in the face of such great danger, but you just saying something won't make it so" Carmen says. "You will never be able to advance past here without my permission".
"Will you force me into trying?".
"Yes, I will".
Suddenly, a tremendous divine energy bursts forward from the group as Clyde activates his divine 'darkness' cloak. Those behind him are stunned, marvelling once more at the true extent of Clyde's power. Those at the top however, are all too aware of the true terror of the battle that may be about to unfold before them, Clyde is likely the weakest of this foursome.
"A divine ability? No, a strength training manual, you have gotten stronger again Clyde".
Next, another powerful divine energy comes from the group. This time it is Sarada who begins to draw the energy from her body, summoning it to her hands as she uses it to create a perfectly moulded kunai. This is her power. This is 'creation'.
Carmen is more shocked after feeling Sarada's power, it's even greater than Clyde's.
'With the way she is dressed, I could swear that she is from a pocket world too. But this power… it must be transcendent, doubly transcendent'.
Lastly comes the most shocking power of them all, Naruto's. He activates his power of 'life', combining it with the multiplier from his six paths sage mode, readying himself for the inevitable combat that is about to begin.
'Emperor Endou?' Carmen wonders, her body going weak for a second before re-tensing.
'No, that's my madness talking. There is no way… but the way they were looking at him, Carmen… No, that's crazy, he said he was a pocket worlder! A pocket worlder who understood 'life'?'.
Carmen breaks through the shock and at last manages another smile. 'It seems there is hope for us yet. But only if I stop them here'.
Naruto and Sarada are the first to move, reacting at the same time to a gust of wind, knowing the exact audio-visual signals that could act as a synchronisation medium for their attack. They both take the first step forward.
It takes no longer than that first step before Carmen reacts. A series of white-gold semi-translucent projectiles begin to fire at all three of her would-be attackers. Naruto notices that she activated her golden divine cloak quicker than he could even perceive, doing so expertly while leaking almost no divine energy.
Naruto and Sarada each call on their years of experience as shinobi, dodging the incoming attacks acrobatically yet proficiently. They also immediately begin to dissect the nature of Carmen's powers.
'Her element is similar to Sheer's but it's different somehow' Sarada notes, well aware of the excess power she is being confronted with, 'This isn't like 'wind''.
'The shots are clearer' Naruto tells himself, 'It's almost like the difference between 'ice' and 'cold''.
Clyde already knows what this power is. 'It's not wind, it's 'air', the transcendent equivalent of 'wind''.
He continues to block each of the incoming attacks with a shield of golden 'darkness' but is quick-witted enough to recognise the situation his teacher has put him in. 'I can't move'.
The barrage of golden 'air' shots is constant, not permitting him a moment for recuperation. This superior technique supported by a foundation of overwhelming divine energy quantities, this is something he has strived for all his life but never achieved. This is what it means to be part of the aristocracy.
Just as he dismisses the situation as hopeless, he comes to realise that these attacks are not stopping his two allies.
Carmen is just surprised as her student as she sees a 'life' coated rasengan swinging in from her right.
It doesn't overwhelm her though, she is used to combat on this level, she has been attacked by thousands of people weaker than herself. She grips Naruto by the outside of his inward-swinging arm and thrusts his arm past her so that the rasengan travels straight towards Sarada.
Sarada had been trying to approach Carmen from the opposite side to Naruto, flanking her as a standard practice for fighting together against a mightier opponent. Carmen is clearly different from other opponents though, tactically wise enough to see through this as if looking through a sheet of plain glass. Still, Sarada reacts appropriately, leaping up a short way into the air and using 'creation' to create a metallic boot on her foot. She kicks out, aiming straight for Carmen's head.
No luck for Sarada's kick.
Carmen calmly leans backward, skilfully allowing the metal boot to swing just past her face.
Satisfied with her own evasion, Carmen summons the power of golden 'air' to her hand and uses it to push Naruto upwards, forcing him to collide clumsily with Sarada in mid-air. The collision is painful but is only the first of her two-staged attack. Next, she raises her right hand so that it is between herself and the air-born duo and then symbolically thrusts her hand downward. Golden 'air' bombards Naruto and Sarada, pushing them back towards Clyde.
While they fly backward, Carmen maintains her continuous shots of golden 'air' aimed at all three members of the group.
Sarada is forced to 'create' a great stone wall to protect the three of them.
Naruto makes use of the moment's cover, leaping out from behind the wall and firing a tailed-beast bomb at his opponent.
The tailed-beast bomb is big, enhanced by 'life' energy but based upon techniques and energies that Carmen has never experienced before. She is momentarily phased by it, comparing it to one of many techniques that the previous emperor employed during the last great conflict.
Snapping herself from her nostalgic flashbacks, she crosses her arms before her, blocking the tailed-beast bomb with skin and flesh alone. She uncrosses her arms, powering them forward and sending the tailed beast bomb away from her and up into the sky.
Naruto realises now what he is up against, even more so than before.
'She's strong, stronger than me' he concludes, 'This isn't what it will be like against Furst. This is not an assassination, then again, she isn't trying to kill us either. This is going to be difficult'.
After his few seconds of relief, the scatter-shot of golden 'air' returns to firing at Naruto, Sarada and Clyde. The first two dodge but the third is less acrobatically inclined and is forced to maintain his position while he blocks the attack.
"That continuous attack is really awkward" Biwako notes, "Even if it's not that powerful".
"It may not look that powerful, but if those three were any weaker it would be devastating" Shikadai says glumly.
"That's not what's most impressive about the attack" Hiruzen adds, "It's the way she handles it".
"So, you noticed that too Lord 3rd?".
"Yeah. She is regulating her power. Her reserves of divine energy are recovering just as fast as they are depleting. This isn't costing her any energy at all".
Indeed, for all the effort Naruto, Sarada and Clyde have put forward, for all the energy they have expended, they have done nothing to Carmen. Her powers of recovery outweigh their powers of attack, such is her perfection of the form she is using.
Naruto tries another tactic, using a pair of clones as a distraction to approach Carmen. The distraction works beautifully, just as he expected. The homeworlders are unfamiliar with techniques like this, that is clearly one of the few advantages the shinobi have over them.
Having used his clones to get close, Naruto grabs two kunai, coats them in 'life' and throws them forward, each soaring just over the top of Carmen's shoulders. He forces her to stay in position for an extra moment, unable to move to the right or left. He takes his chance, he approaches her when she cannot move and lets his fists fly. The first two punches are blocked by Carmen's superior speed by the third connects.
The punch connects. The punch connects hard!
'This kid! His hand-to-hand combat is godly. There is doubt he learnt to fight as a pocket worlder'.
Just as she begins to think about the pocket worlders superior hand-to-hand skills, another trio of punches comes at her. This time, it is Naruto who takes the numeric advantage, landing punches two and three, each connection harder than the last. Carmen tries to retaliate with a punch, but Naruto skilfully ducks it.
As soon as Naruto ducks, the body of another is revealed behind him. Carmen's arm reaches full extension as her punch hits nothing but air, and as she looks at the spot Naruto just moved down from, her eyes are instead confronted by Sarada, who was hiding behind him.
The second her attack is complete, Carmen is at her most vulnerable. Sarada leaps upward, kunai in hand and spins in the air, adding just a bit of extra momentum. When her spin is at its fastest, she releases the kunai. Thanks to some quick reactions, it largely misses Carmen, but it does cut the distinctive hair tie from her head.
Carmen's whole posture weakens for a moment as she reaches out to catch the falling hair tie before it can hit the ground.
A chance!
Sarada uses the unique powers of her rinnegan, focusing the chakra power of the sun on her fist and throwing a deadly punch straight into Carmen's chest.
Carmen is stronger than Sarada, but she noticeably wobbles as a result of the punch. She reacts furiously, suddenly blasting both Naruto and Sarada backward with a more vicious demeanour than she has employed previously.
Both Naruto and Sarada land on their feet, but it is Sarada, who notices the change in Carmen's eyes. Something inside their opponent just snapped a little bit. Was it because of the hair tie?
"She fights very well for someone who is blind" Sarada remarks.
"Carmen is like Naruto. She is someone who works tirelessly to compensate for her weaknesses. She found a way to rebalance her senses" Clyde says through heavy breaths, "She compensates for her lack of sight by weakening her brains focus on it and enhancing it on other senses".
"There is more" Sarada says, "She still hasn't move from that spot".
"She is just too strong" Naruto says, "She's stronger than we could ever hope to push back".
"No. My solar punch should have at least made her take a step backwards. I could feel it. She only wobbled though, her feet didn't move".
"Why?".
"Her feet. They are tied to the ground with roots. Roots made from divine energy".
"It doesn't matter" Naruto says confidently. "If we hit her with everything I've got then she will go down. Clyde! Get ready to attack with your full power!".
Naruto creates several clones, each of which manifest a full-sized tailed-beast transformation. The many incarnations of Kurama bound over the surrounding area, each step shaking the ground. They position themselves an equal distance apart and at the same moment, they all fire tailed-beast bombs toward Carmen.
Carmen deftly knocks each of the 'life' enhanced bombs away with golden 'air' bursts but fails to see the greater plan at work.
Sarada transforms into her comet form, flying straight at Carmen.
Clyde lifts his shield of golden 'darkness', making use of the fact that the scatter-attack has finally stopped targeting him. He throws the shield through the air like a frisbee. Behind the frisbee he throws as many golden 'darkness' darts as he can make, each one targeting Carmen's head.
They are nothing to her. She blasts them each away with golden 'air'.
Unfortunately for her, this was just another distraction.
Sarada reaches Carmen and transforms back into her human form. She uses her rinnegan's unique power to amplify the gravity pilling Carmen downward. Lastly, she throws another solar punch at her adversary.
Carmen dodges to the side of the solar punch, using yet another burst of golden 'air' to pus Sarada aside.
An attack is about to arrive from Naruto, but Sarada notices that Carmen is acutely aware of her master's presence. An ultra-dense layer of golden 'air' has been assembled around Carmen's body, like the perfect body armour, the perfect defence to counter any attack, no matter how strong.
Naruto arrives at Carmen from the front, using the attacks of his own clones, of Clyde and of Sarada to buy him the time to do so. He then shoves a 'life' coated tailed beast bomb straight into her chest.
"Take this" he yells as he drives his most explosive attack into his enemy's torso from point-blank range.
The explosion of light resulting from the clash of energy is blinding, leaving everyone a dramatic few seconds to wonder if the assault was successful.
"Did it work?" Sarada asks.
As the light dies down, she is the first one to see the result. It was inevitable, she knew it was.
Carmen is fine.
Naruto's hand is just a few inches in front of her, floating, unadorned.
She took the tailed-beast bomb without any harm!
"Are you done!".
Naruto gasps, falling to his knees.
Carmen now takes her turn to attack.
She begins to gather golden 'air' in front of her right hand. She funnels it into the spot once but as some of the energy escapes, she refunnels it back into the same spot, cumulatively building the energy in a way Naruto has never seen before.
With the full-power attack prepared, she unleashes it at the three of her attackers all at once, leaving them broken and battered, in a neat little pile.
Naruto rolls to the side, separating the three of them and giving them breathing room.
"No way" he tells himself, shaking his head gently. "That defence… that attack… that isn't possible".
Carmen walks over to her fallen opponents, her face angered from the audacity of their continued attack.
"Don't worry, I would never kill the three of you. But I am seriously warning you, don't come back here, you will not enter the imperial palace this way".
The three of them frown at the warning. Their greatest chance is being robbed from them.
Carmen looks down at the hair tie they cut from her head, holding it close to her face so she can see it and smiling.
"You three are all gifted. Develop your skills, become stronger and give birth to a genuine resistance. Don't throw away your lives here foolishly".
With her piece said, Carmen turns and walks back to the rear-entrance, guarding it from anyone else who should try to throw their lives away.
Is this avenue really closed off to them?
Is Carmen right, should they walk away now and play the long game?
Peterson questions if that could work at all.
"The General… Naruto… Sarada… if they had waited patiently for their talent to develop… if they had done that instead of rashly pursuing their goals…".
"… would their talent have developed at all?".