Chapter 30
"I'll train you in magic on the strange tree mountain if you don't mind learning the same way I beat it into Jiraiychan," f.u.kusaku-sama said. Holy s.h.i.+t, he was practically wanted to teach Naruto Sage Jutsu himself.
"And I'll really be able to beat Pein that way?!" Naruto demanded the fire had burned in his eyes once again.
"Just do it, Naruto! Sage Jutsu is the strongest a.r.s.enal I have, remember? Senpai, you know this is true," I said, announcing my arrival.
"Yeah, of course. Naruto, you better work hard," Senpai encouraged my best friend.
"Training in these arts are harsher than you could imagine! Think you can do it?" the toad challenged. Huh, you could see it in his eyes, he was more than ready.
"That Ero-Sennin could do it, couldn't he?" Naruto said and determination could be seen in his eyes. "then, there's no way I can fail either! I'll do it!"
With that, the blonde went out of the office to get ready for his trip. We all chuckled at his behaviour, sometimes he was too mature and sometimes he was back to his usual demeanour.
"Where did you go? I didn't see you for two whole days?" s.h.i.+kamaru asked me. I nodded and I carefully placed the scroll containing Jiraiysenpai onto the table.
"I went to Amegakure to retrieve him. It is confirmed that that is their base," I said and senpai was shocked as her hands were trembling as she grabbed the scroll that I had placed on to the desk. "I request a mission to infiltrate and eliminate the remnants of Akatsuki."
"Very well. Yamato and Anko were out on a wild goose chase searching for Kabuto, meet up with them and brief them," Senpai shakily said and I immediately brightened at the name. I shuns.h.i.+nned to the gate at once afterwards.
"s.h.i.+t!!" Izumo and Kotetsu cursed. "Don't appear out of nowhere, baka!"
I laughed and went at their desk to converse with them.
"Sorry guys. I am heading out again, this time bringing the fight to the Akatsuki," I said.
"Hikari-kun, you just got back and now you're heading out already?" Kotetsu asked worriedly. Well, those two were part of the TNI team and they surely hypothesize why I was doing it.
"It's for Naruto," I said, sullenly. "Well later, guys."
I bid them goodbye before taking off. The journey wasn't going as fluidly as I like but, I could manage it for now. I knew that we didn't have the element of surprise, I just had to get to them in time. The thought of bringing the fight towards the Akatsuki had considerably eased most of my worries.
*
"How are you doing?" Tenzou asked implying to my recent loss when we were resting for the night after a whole day of running. Anko was cooking the fish that she had caught from the nearby river. I made it just in time to caught their team before they went too far off from the route to Amegakure the day before. Since the order came from the Hokage, they got no choice to comply.
"I'm good. Don't worry," I answered. The man wisely didn't press more information out of me. I took the chance to continue my sleep.
The next morning, we continued our journey. The night prior, an uneasy feeling crept up my bones. That usually meant that something bad is going to happen. Regardless, we had a mission to do. We're in enemy's territory now.
"Hey, you've been awfully quiet. What's bugging you, brat?" I heard Anko asked. I shook my head.
"Nothing, I got an uneasy feeling," I said. We were close to the borders of Amegakure when I saw an ink bird chasing us. Oh, no. I withdrew a scroll and the bird jumped inside.
"Konoha's under attack, multiple enemies. Come back at once."
"f.u.c.king... We're turning back," I gritted stopping our pace.
"What? What's wrong? We're so close," Anko protested and I glared at her. "Uhm... okay, easy there."
"They won't be there, Konoha is under attack," I said simply before I took off back to where we came from. Please, please make it in time. I prayed, non-stop.
"Hikari-kun! Please, hear the voice of reason. Don't break formation," I heard Tenzou calling from behind me at a slower pace. I realized that they were running as fast as they can and thus I slowed my pace.
"Faster," I pleaded to them as a teardrop escaped my eyes. I had matched our pace and we were making critical time back home as we were still quite far from home. Another bird was seen and I withdrew a scroll and it merged into the scroll.
"Target; Naruto, a.s.sailant; Pein."
"It's Akatsuki. They are coming after Naruto," I announced.
"He should be safe right. I mean, Naruto is at Myoboku-zan," Anko-san said.
"Anko-san, are you really a s.h.i.+n.o.bi of Konoha?" I asked and she snapped back at me.
"Naruto is a s.h.i.+n.o.bi of Konoha. I am sure, if he was in our place, he would instantly return to the village and attack them head-on," I said. They all seemed to get the message, I think. Naruto was one h.e.l.l of an impatient knuckleheaded idiot. He may have shaved off the knucklehead part but the impatient part, no siree! Then I felt a faint chakra spike before it disappeared completely. The birds were running away from that direction, Konoha. I increased my pace subtly. The uneasiness was greater now.
Unaware of it, Rinne-Sharingan opened and it increases my Byakugan range. Right then, I could see it, Konoha was already destroyed, Naruto was being held down by Pein and Hinata was fighting him. She was using her new technique Juho Sos.h.i.+ken against Pain but he countered with some type of jutsu and with it, Hinata was...
"No!!!!" I immediately ran at my speed.
"Hikari, wait!!!!!" Someone from behind me called. I didn't bother to care anymore I made my way towards Naruto because right then, he was being overcome by the Kyuubi. He went straight into six tails. Gritting my teeth, I cursed myself for not learning the jutsu from Tenzou. I just had to slow Naruto down until Tenzou reached my best friend. I watched closely as I ran, Pein was getting a whooping from Naruto. I knew that wasn't Naruto right now, still, he was really bada.s.s taking on the leader of Akatsuki on his own, the enemy got Rinnegan for kami's sake! Pein was luring him out of the village and he sent a heavy ball of chakra into the air. A Chibaku Tensei?! I began gathering natural energy. The ball of chakra began to suck everything into it even my best friend.
"Hang in there, Naruto," I said between breath and out came the eighth tail. "f.u.c.k."
I immediately went into Divine-mode and increased my pace a lot faster. When I reached to him, the ninth tail was already out. Ignoring the enemy, I jumped up to meet this fox face to face. When our eyes met, I was already inside Naruto psyche. I saw that he was close to ripping out the seal.
"Naruto, stop!!!!" I yelled and then a hand stopped him from doing so. Yellow-haired, taller than us both, wearing a white robe with embroidery that clearly said 'Yondaime Hokage'. The man pulled Naruto along to get away from the gates.
"The seal is set so that if eight tails are released, I'll appear within your consciousness. I didn't want that to happen, I never wanted to see you again Nine-Tails," he said with the strict air of a Kage, "but, I looked forward to seeing how my son had grown, so I guess you could call it even."
I let out a breath of relief and they noticed me.
"Huh, who are you?" Yondaime-sama asked and Naruto looked at me too. Though it took him a while, he recognized me. Well I was in my Divine mode, was I?
"Hikari-kun?! What are you doing here?" Naruto ran at me and brought my head into a headlock. I had no choice but to laugh. My best friend was still here.
"Grrr!! Yondaime!!" The Kyuubi yelled, I instinctively went in front of them and glared at the fox.
"Sit down. Mutt," I said and the fox stopped and kneeled down scared.
"I'm sorry, Rikudou Sennin. Have mercy," he mumbled and I sighed.
"What is it with you guys tailed beasts? I am not my brother and mercy is not in my book. Though, I could kill you now for harming my best friend," I monotonously said and the fox continued begging for mercy.
"Uhh, who are you, really?" Yondaime-sama pressed and Naruto hugged me over the shoulder.
"This is my best friend, dad. Hyuuga Hikari." He grinned.
"Oh, nice to meet you," Yondaime-sama greeted me. "Wait, you know me, Naruto?!"
"Yeah, Ero-sennin told me all about you and mom too. Which reminds me." Naruto immediately punched his dad's guts after he said that. "Why did you seal the d.a.m.n Kyuubi in your own son?! Do you know how tough it's been living with that?! I'm happy, I'm p.i.s.sed as h.e.l.l, I dunno what to feel!"
"I guess I missed that moment. Naruto, how old are you now?" Yondaime asked and Naruto said sixteen. "Sixteen, wow, I've caused you a lot of pain, Naruto. I'm sorry. I've caused you nothing but grief. Some father I am, all I can do is apologize."
"I sealed half of the demon fox's chakra inside you because I knew you'd learn to use it someday because you were my son," he continued. "I had a very good reason for it, sixteen years ago when it first attacked the village, I learned something. Someone was hiding in the shadows and controlling the Kyuubi's every move."
"Don't tell me," I said seeing the connection.
"Yeah, Hikari-kun was it? The man who controlled the Kyuubi and unleashed it onto Konoha when you guys were a baby was the one who wore the mask from Akatsuki," Yondaime said
"On that night, he saw through every move I tried to make. He became an exceptional villain, I'm almost positive that he's giving pain orders as well," he added.
"I agree, Yondaime-sama. But, he is not the real enemy. I stood firm with my belief that Obito was being manipulated by someone. The real one pulling the string is the black part that was on the plant thingy that was an Akatsuki member," I interrupted.
"What do you mean?" He asked.
"Are you familiar with the tale of the Rabbit Demon, Otsutsuki Kaguya?" I probed.
"She was the progenitor of chakra who gave birth to the Sage of Sixth the founder of ninjutsu. What of it?" Yondaime said.
"The story goes, the lady ate the chakra fruit bore from the G.o.d tree which gave her the power of chakra. She went mad one day and her sons had to seal her off in order to save humanity." I began. "That isn't entirely true. Kaguya came from a different place into this land. She was guarding the G.o.d Tree against the evil that her family was fighting her own kin's greed for power. Unfortunately, the tree had corrupted her and she ate the chakra fruit from the said tree before giving birth to two people; Otsutsuki Hagoromo and Otsutsuki Hamura. The first was the founder of Ninjutsu while the latter was the founder of the Hyuuga clan. One bad day later, Kaguya merged with the G.o.d Tree to form the worst thing that this land had ever encounter, the Juubi. After sealing off their mother, Hamura stayed on the moon to guard the sh.e.l.l of the Juubi while Hagoromo stayed on this land and split the Juubi Chakra into nine parts called the tailed beast.
"The thing is, just before being sealed, Kaguya gave birth to another child, it isn't a full being or rather a halfling said to be the incarnation of her will. This thing manipulated people from Kami's knows when for one sole goal. To revive his mother, the black Zetsu, had been attempting to gather the tailed beast and manipulating the Uchiha so that the can awaken the Rinnegan to perform the right jutsu to complete his goal. He is nearing completion."
"Who are you? That eye isn't one of Hyuuga Dojutsu," Yondaime-sama asked.
"It's about time Naruto know who I really am. My real name is Otsutsuki Hikari. I am the eldest son of Otsutsuki Kaguya," I bowed at the late Hokage and his son.
"You can't be immortal, so, a portal?" he ventured, knowing that he also saw me dead.
"Correct," I smiled, "the one who sent me to the future was really my mother herself. It was before she went mad and ate the chakra fruit. You see, my family was a peacekeeper, we protect worlds from being destroyed by our greedy kin. My mother fell down the dark path because she had to send me somewhere she couldn't get me back, to protect me at the time. The jutsu was underdeveloped when she used it so I was sent here to the future.
"I was then briefed by my late brothers about the danger that was coming to this land when I was half dead fighting Momochi Zabuza. The sh.e.l.l of the Juubi had been summoned from the moon. It was about the time before they went for the tailed beast. So, I had to plan carefully. Right, now, most of his plans were intervened."
"I see," the Yondaime was silent as he thought my stories through.
"Wait so, how old are you?" Naruto asked.
"Technically the same as you. But generally, Hitori said that she had been searching for me for 10 millennia already," I explained and then I pointed at my chest. "It's not important about who I was, right now I am a Konoha s.h.i.+n.o.bi and I am here because the will of fire burns brightly within me. Right now, we are fighting to save Konoha and in turn, keeping the world's peace."
"I am glad that you are my son's friend but as long as the current s.h.i.+n.o.bi system remains in place, we may very well never have peace," Yondaime said. "Naruto, he asked for your solution earlier, figuring out the answer will be a long and hard road. War breeds from our desire to protect those dear to us. As long as there is love, there will be hate. Hate used and directed by s.h.i.+n.o.bi. While this system remains unchallenged, that monstrous hatred will eventually give rise to new pain. Pain may be Jiraiysensei's killer, but if you think long and hard, you'll realize that he was created by the chaos and strife of our world.
"To be a ninja is to confront hate, it holds true for all of us. Jiraiysensei made it his mission to end the hate once and for all. A mission he then left to you. Both of you."
"I can't let the pain go," Naruto said and I concurred, "I can't let him get away with this! Dad, tell me, what am I supposed to do?"
"You'll have to find the answer yourself. I don't know either," his dad answered.
"How the h.e.l.l am I supposed to figure out something that Ero-Sennin and freakin Yondaime Hokage couldn't? Stop lumping all this c.r.a.p on me! If you hadn't noticed, I'm pretty stupid! I'm not even that good of a ninja! And plus..." Naruto snapped but was cut off by his dad who was brus.h.i.+ng his head.
"You figure it out someday. I know you can do it," Yondaime smiled at his son who was still baffled. "Hey, a parent always believes their kid can do anything, no matter what. Now, it's almost time for me to go, my chakra's running out. I'll redo the seal but this will be the last time."
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He rebuilt the seal in a twist of a hand. Such a feat befitting to the name of the Konoha Fuinjutsu master.
"Konoha will grow again, it's in your hands now, Naruto, Hikaru-kun. Take care of each other," Yondaime said before he faded away.
"Hikari-kun, I'll take Pein. You need help the villagers," Naruto said, determined.
"Very well, bro, call me if you need me," I said before I leave his mindscape falling through the air. When I landed, it made an explosion of dust. The Gudoudama formed into a staff and I twirl it to blow the dust away.
"Who are you? What have you done to the Kyuubi?" the rugged man asked me. I glared at him and the man took a step back. This man had no soul, instead, he was remotely controlled. I could clearly see the chakra went back and forth towards somewhere by the means of the black rod that was embedded on the body. I pointed a finger towards the sky.
"A s.h.i.+n.o.bi must not turn their back from their enemy," I said and Naruto came cras.h.i.+ng down along with the remnants of the Chibaku Tensei. I sensed that he was in the Sage Mode. So, he had mastered it in three days, I am well over proud of him. I managed to get away in time and went running towards my sister. I was lucky to get there fast enough, I heard her groaned under her breath. I could also saw multiple chakra signatures heading this way so I moved her so that she was more comfortable. She needed Sakura.
"Hikari-kun is that you?" Neji suddenly asked. "Hinata?!"
"Yeah, it's me," I searched some more and found that Sakura was coming here with an ANBU and Gamakichi along with Katsuyu-sama. With that, I noticed that there were not enough chakra that I could find. I could only a.s.sume the worst.
"I didn't think it was this bad," Guy-sensei mumbled referring to the attack, their team must be just returned from a mission judging by their gear and I chuckled.
"It's that bad but Naruto will save us," I smiled after I said that. When Sakura arrived, she immediately healed Hinata.
"Why did she take such a risk..." Neji gritted. I had an urge to smile.
"You would do anything for someone you love, Neji. Remember who was her teacher," I said, smiling as did everybody.
"Naruto-kun managed to suppress the nine tails, he's now battling the sixth and final Pain," Katsuyu said. Well, I played a small part in it but the one who did all the hard work was Yondaime-sama. Gai wanted to a.s.sist Naruto but I held them off saying that they will only be in the way and that my teammate could possibly have a plan for Pain. It was then that I noticed that Pain's chakra stops transmitting or receiving, whatever.
"Thank you, Sakura," Hinata said.
"You shouldn't have done that..." Sakura, still playing older Neesama scolded her for her rash action.
"Naruto had defeated the sixth pain," Katsuyu-sama announced and everyone cheered for him.
"Yeah, that's my best friend," I said as I tried to clasp the sun from down here. "Don't even think of finding him. He will take care of things. Let's help the wounded."
Luckily, they listened to me, they dispersed and searched for survivors. We searched every nook and cranny for signs of life. All of the remains were gathered in the wide s.p.a.ce created from the Pain's Jutsu and the injured were brought to the makes.h.i.+ft field hospital a distance away. My ROOT unit didn't suffer much lost as they were constantly on the move trying to defend the village from Pain's attack. From their reports, the summoning animals was a pain to handle. Still, I thanked them all for a good effort shown by all of them. Then I remembered Karin and Sasuke. They were at the heart of the village and my face fell at the realization. I lost yet another friend. The pain numbed my heart that I couldn't stand to move at all. It was then a large thing appeared in the middle of the crater and opened his mouth. Then, thousands of streaks of light came out of the thing and each went into every deceased there was in Konoha. One by one, the people rose from the dead as I feel chakra signatures kept popping up out of nowhere. Instinctively, I searched for Karin and Sasuke's Chakra signatures and when I found them, I immediately burst towards them at lightning speed. I pulled out a boulder and it came out flying.
"You? What happens here?" Karin groaned and I hugged her.
"You were dead, Karin," I said as I suffocated her in the hug.
"There, there," she murmured, trying to soothe my despair. "I never got your name. Yet, I slept in your bed."
"Call me Hikari," I said as I rose from the hug. "Tell me, do you remember anything?"
"I was in the room when something destroyed everything like a blast," then she sat upright with an expression like a light bulb had been lit. "Sasuke, he had woke up."
"Ugh, what happened, where am I?" the Uchiha said behind me and I braced myself.
"Konoha," I said.
"Who did this?" the man's breathing picked up and his Mangekyou flared. I turned and looked into his eyes.
"Calm down. Naruto had defeated them. It was the Akatsuki," I said and I could see he was visibly relieved.
"Naruto did?" he murmured. "How much had his powers grow now?"
"Enough," I answered, smiling. "How are you feeling? Still want to get revenge or something?"
"No," My long-lost teammate sighed. "I feel lost actually but Konoha is more important."
"Welcome back," I withdrew a sigh of relief and predictably, Sasuke just let out the patented Uchiha grunt at me which made me chuckle. "Karin, how was the post-mortem?"
"Well," she was unsure whether or not Sasuke should hear this but continued when I nodded at her. "Uchiha Itachi had sustained critical injuries which contributed to his death but the cause of death was Pneumonia secondary to Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. There was nothing anyone could do for him, the minute he was diagnosed, he was a dead man walking. Sasuke-kun, you should run a test to make sure that you didn't contract COPD."
"Yeah. Thank you, Karin. He had suffered long enough," Sasuke murmured and the girl handed him the scroll containing his dead brother before she ran back towards me and hugged my left arm. Satisfied that everyone was now safe, I dispelled my Divine-Mode. Karin rested her head onto my arms.
"She became oddly attached to me. Take her back, will you," I asked Sasuke.
"Hn! She's your problem now," he said as he stretched his body.
"Teme," I said.
"I don't even remember your nickname. Oh, crazy b.a.s.t.a.r.d," he joked. f.u.c.k, he's weird now. He never joked. Afterwards, my whole ROOT appeared before me kneeling.
"Every villager is alive and accounted for. The only remaining issue, are the injured. Welcome back, Sasuke-Taicho," Hawk said.
"Taicho?" he asked.
"Uhh, Itachi kind of handing off his position as my second in command to you. I'll do something about your criminal records," I explained. "I'm the current ROOT Director aka your boss. Anyway, let's go greet our hero."
Everybody was gathering for the arrival of Konoha hero, Uzumaki Naruto. Peoples, s.h.i.+n.o.bis, all came here to congratulate our teammate.
"Suddenly, he is famous," I chuckled after saying that.
"Good luck dealing with the fangirls, dobe!" Sasuke smirked and there he was our teammate came out of the forest on our sensei's back.
"Welcome home!!" someone yelled.
"Naruto!!!!" another cheered.
My best friend was baffled by everyone's behaviour right then. Katsuyu-sama had told everyone everything that had happened. Naturally, he really became our hero.
"You're always so rash, baka!" a fist landed on Naruto's head. Who was it if it is not our Sakura. She hugged him hard and thanked him. Then, people tossed him up to continue cheering him on. He had overcome all odds, defying all the negativity and involuntarily forcing everyone to acknowledge him. Then, amidst all of the celebration, an ANBU appeared in front of me, kneeling.
"What do you want? Uchiha Sasuke is in our custody," I questioned him.
"Emergency meeting, Director Hikari. You're to report to the council room immediately," he said and I nodded.
"Guys, on my orders, you are to show your Taicho the ropes and prevent anyone from hurting or apprehending him and don't do anything the man doesn't like. I'll be back in a jiffy," I said before I shuns.h.i.+nned out of the place.
*
It's been hours in the meeting and I was distraught, my senpai was in a coma and s.h.i.+kaku-sama wouldn't allow me leaving the place. Thus, I had been pouting here for hours and I think that the man was enjoying himself as did Homursama and Koharu-sama.
"We plan to continue working together with the other countries against the threat posed by Akatsuki," Homursama said and I had to yawn.
"...After what's happened to the village, the land of fire will put every effort into getting it rebuilt. First, we'll have to come up with a budget and consider the strain on the other countries..." a council member said.
"There's something else we should consider first. Who will be the next Hokage?" Koharu-sama said and my ears perked up.
"Can we not wait until Tsunade has recovered?" the Daimyo asked.
"My lord, Tsunade is still in a coma," Koharu continued. "We can't decide on a plan for the village when we don't know when she will wake up. Besides, she is partially responsible for Konoha's destruction."
"Don't bad mouth my senpai like that. Is it not enough for you that she is in a coma right now? There's nothing we could've done. Deal with it. I vote to follow what Daimyo-sama said just now," I snapped at the old hag and s.h.i.+kaku-sama slammed his hand into his forehead.
"Hikari-kun, the village still needs a leader to manage the chaos. I'd thought to choose Jiraiya. I liked him but he's gone now. So, who shall it be?" the daimyo wondered.
"Forgive me, my lord. I believe that Tsunade-senpai will wake up, all that we need is a stand-in, not replace her. Need I remind you all how she had managed the village after taking the helm right after Sarutobi-sensei's death? The village had prospered under her and our medical department had saved numerous people, civilians, and s.h.i.+n.o.bis alike since then," I stated, the Daimyo was silent as he considered for a bit.
"Daimyo-sama, you aren't seriously considering this, aren't you?" Homursama asked.
"Silence. What the boy had said was completely rational," Daimyo said and then knock his fan onto the table. "Alright, by my orders, you, Hyuuga Hikari are to stand in as the temporary Hokage. You are to manage the village and all its dealings until the G.o.daime Hokage wake up from her coma. The council is dismissed."
I was speechless and in a total shock.
"I told you to keep quiet. Hokage-sama," s.h.i.+kaku-sama teased me and I blacked out.